Ice Fili Essay Example

Ice Fili Essay Example Ice Fili Paper Ice Fili Paper As the case-study indicates, in the aftermath of the 1998 Russian economic crisis, rivalry in the Russian ice cream industry doubled, from 150 in 1998 to 300 companies by 2002. The intense rivalry can be explained by the fact that profit ratio for ice-cream production is about 15 to 20 %, a margin that is considered high by Russian food industry standards (p. 5). In addition, domestic Russian ice cream is one the cheapest In the world to produce and buy, which In part explains the significant rise of highly competitive regional Ice cream producers, who nowadays account for about 30% of the domestic Russian market (p. 1). Foreign companies such as Nestle and Basking Robbins have been able to hire in the Russian ice-cream market by producing, distributing and selling their ice cream products locally through Cafes and Kiosks. Moscow-based producers such as Ice-Fill have mainly focused on sales Kiosks and Supermarkets. Regional producers dominate the rural and more distant areas of Russia, such as Siberia. However, as the piece indicates, they have been attempting to compete in the larger metropolitan areas as well. The key word is open market. For years, Russian ice cream was produced and consumed in a communist regime. To understand that is to know that he population had limited access and flexibility to the Ice cream it consumed. When the dissolution of the Soviet union came It unleashed a large desire for change throughout the entire country. A good analogy to show the environment of the market in Russia after the collapse is the Renaissance Era. The same way the Renaissance was the resurgence of culture throughout Europe, the new market was the resurgence of new ideas, and experiences to Russia. It was a perfect time to introduce new products, more variety of existing products, and an ideal time for international companies to enter the market. However, the financial collapse of 1998 derailed the market significantly. Ben n Jerry left the market, others like Nestle stuck around because of their huge investment. Fast forwarding to the sasss you then saw an emergence of local companies. These local companies were free from the olds restrictions of the Soviet union and were able to function at lower costs. Overall, the market really Is up for the taking for several reasons; 1) the market leader (Ice-fill) has not reached Its potential, slowly but surely it is starting to wake up, but their competitors can take advantage of their lack of urgency; 2) ten International companies seem to De nappy Walt want teen nave Ana although they experiment with new ideas, there isnt any real aggressive strategies for taking over (Nestle has been making bold moves and they might be the first to take Ice-Fill from the top); and 3) the smaller companies are getting their crumbs but not making enough of an impact to significantly impact the market, at least not yet. So Id say, yes this market is attractive, and it is a very good time for Ben n Jerry to come back with full force. 2) Do you expect its attractiveness to change over the ext five years? Yes, I expect the Russian ice cream industry to increase its market share in consumption as long as, among other things, the industry changes its approach to the marketing and selling of ice cream (for more on this, turn to question 3). The case study expresses concerns for domestic ice cream producers by raising the possibility that Nestles strong presence in the Russian market will eventually eliminate any challenge from domestic producers, including Ice-Fill, in the medium and long term ranges by citing Nestles dominance of the Egyptian market (p. 14); but I doubt this will happen because the Egyptian market is much smaller than Russians and the domestic producers in Egypt may have not been able to find the financial resources and human capacity to compete with Nestle. It is important to note that Russians are proud of their ice-cream. It is unique. However, if local companies continue to lag behind on innovation and marketing, the outside forces (Nestle, etc. ) are going to continue to expand their presence in Russia and possibly eliminate them. Ice-Fill is in a unique position to make an impact. They have the history and he brand awareness, but they havent really aggressively attacked the market and innovated. If Nestle succeeds in dethroning Ice-fill, or if Ice-Fill flexes its muscle and expands its market share, the ice-cream market in Russia would lose some of its attractiveness. 3) Could the industry structure be made hugely more attractive? If so, how? Yes, I believe so. The Russian ice cream market has been on a downturn in the last few years due to the increase in consumer demand for sodas, beer and confectioneries. As the case study points out, the ice cream industry historically has not needed to engage much in marketing activities due to the Soviet-style business model, which relied on central planning and production, and the popularity of ice creams. After market liberalizing, the multinational companies had some marketing success due to the inexperience of the domestic producers but, overall, ice cream marketing has lagged that of other notable food industries in Russia. As the study noted, Ice-Fill did not run its first TV advertising commercial until 2001 (p. 9). During that same year, the ice cream industry spent only about 1% of its gross sales on marketing, while the ere and sodas market had spent 2% and 7% respectively (p. 2). In that respect, the ice cream market underachieved. If the ice cream industry steps-up its marketing efforts, sales will likely increase. The industry should take pride in their domestic produced ice cream, which they claim many foreigners think is the best in the world (p. 2). The industry should also take advantage of the nutritional advantage ice cream has over beer and sodas as source of protein (and alternative diabetic ice cream) and diversification of its use as an in-home consumption product for menu sizes and desserts, something the industry has failed to tap on so far. The potential Is tenure out It needs to a solo marketing strategically, especially Day ten ancestor producers, which targets consumers patiently and repeatedly, in a concerted effort. A) Who are Ice-Files major competitors? As previously mentioned, despite the downturn of the Russian ice cream market share visit-a-visit other food industries, competition within the industry has flourished (p. 10), with the number of competitors doubling in size, from 150 in 1998, to 300 in 2002. Ice-Files main competitors are the domestic regional producers, who have tempted to compete in the large metropolitan centers, and the multinational companies, most notably Nestle and Basking ; Robbins. B) How well positioned is Ice-Fill relative to its key competitors? The study indicates Ice-Fill sales of ice-cream (and other products) occurred through kiosks, minarets, restaurants and schools. Rather than establishing their own distribution network, Ice-Fill relied on contracting with other companies for distribution and sales of its products, but these companies were not contracted exclusively given they also carry Ice-Files competitors products, most of these in the Moscow area and not much beyond that. The domestic regional companies had their own sales and distribution channels given their niche was in regional localities, such as Siberian Marko, which started as an ice cream distributor ; retailer and ended up establishing manufacturing, distribution and sales capabilities of their own ice cream that reached into Moscow, Ice-Files main niche (p. 11). The multinational companies, on the other hand, decided for the most part to implement the same strategies they applied in other markets, with some adjustments. After the 1998 Russian financial crisis, most foreign companies left the Russian market with the exception of Basking Robbins and Nestle. Basking Robbins successfully established franchising operations in Russia much in the same way as it does in the United States, that is, through allowing independent companies and entrepreneurs run Cafe franchises under the Basking ; Robbins brand name, supporting the franchisees in every detail of the operation. Basking ; Robbins network has 105 Cafe ©s in 35 Russian cities. The study points out that Nestle has had a presence in the Russian market since the days of the Russian Empire. Nestle operations have consisted in mainly maintaining its own local production costs while training and developing local employees. Since 2000, Nestle has invested more than $20 million in ice cream production, attempting to create brands that fit more the Russian market and investing heavily in TV advertising. By 2000, Nestle had the second largest market share in Russia, only behind Ice-Fill. Ice-Fills price position was medium price. Local producers were at 3-4 rubbles while Nestle was around 10. Ice-Fill came in around 6. Keep in mind that Ice-Fill has the brand recognition, the quality and the tradition. I believe this is an excellent session to be in for the moment. However, once the new strategies are implemented the new pricing strategy may have to be considered. C) Is this position sustainable? Despite Intense competition In ten Ice cream market, Ice-HI seems to enjoy ten lead in market share in Russia for the moment, with a 5% share (p. 10). In the short term, yes, this position is sustainable, but in the medium and long terms, no, given the fact, as the study points out, the Moscow market is already saturated with kiosks, booths and minarets and Ice-Files distribution scheme is very limiting, especially visitvisit TTS domestic regional competitors, even in the Moscow market, and foreign competitors outside of Moscow. It is incredible that Ice-Fill has a lead in the market share despite the fact Nestle outspends Ice-Fill in advertising and has a competitive edge in distribution over Ice-Fill. Eventually, Ice-Fill is going to have to commit more to marketing and expanding to cafe ©s which will ultimately lead to possible increases in price. However, since they are positioned in the middle at the moment, a successful campaign might Justify the increase. What are the potential sources of competitive advantage in the Russian ice ream market? 1) Quality of product (Russian taste ; feel). Russians have pride in their ice cream and how it is made. Ice-Fill has the history and recognition, Russians are aware of their quality. If they decide to expand their product line more, its existing brand loyalty will take them a long way. 2) Distribution- Ice-Fill enjoys it success by having of its distribution through kiosks and mint-markets. Their lead in the market share would increase even more if they pursued other distribution channels such as cafes. 3) Marketing- Nestle spends much more on marketing ice-cream than Ice-Fill. If Ice-Fill invested more on marketing, or if one of these other new local companies decides to aggressively market more, Russians would respond well. After all, the numbers show that Russians are loyal to their ice-cream. 4) Good Internal/ External Fit- A company that matches its internal fit to the external environment will have a competitive advantage because it will be creating and capturing value from its competitors 6) What strategy options does Ice-Fill have? What strategy would you recommend Anatoly Shampoos? Ice-Files strategy is intended to pursue a market growth and diversification tragedy while still retaining the family culture style. Right now his company has a slight edge over Nestle. I believe Shampoos should consolidate and expand Ice-Fills market share of ice cream first by doing the following: 1) Competition with domestic regional companies by investing in a strategy to consolidate distribution of its products in a way that will enable it not only to maximize economies of scale but also gain more control over the distribution of its products beyond Moscow. This strategy will help Ice-Fills not only to consolidate and expand its market share in Russia but also to increase and diversify exports of his rodents to Germany and Eastern Europe. 2) Ice-Fills should compete head to head with Nestle and Basking Robbins by establishing its own chain of Ice Cream Cafe ©s in a franchise fashion. Doing so will require Ice-Fills to aggressively recruit young entrepreneurial talent for its main operations Ana Translates. It wall also Torte cinnamon to Implement a 0010 Ana aggressive capitalization strategy, and the only avenue for that would be the offering public shares of his company. This was also contemplated in the Passion for Learning case, in that case, FL considered whether to open up boutique toy stores as another means to progress their sales. A bold move like this can be detrimental if not applied properly, however, given the extensive history of the company and its knowledge with their own people, Ice-Fill would succeed with this move. 3) Embrace the concept of internal and internal fit. Ice-Fill is is on the right track. They hire young energetic executives, it is their desire to thrive in a open market. And open is in their culture. This internal fit needs to be refined to meet the external environment that is developing. An environment that is growing in competition rapidly and where old moves need to be made. Ice-Fill needs not only to create value by leveraging its strengths and experience, but it must also capture value through its organizational structure. All departments must be linked and have a common purpose. 4) Ice-Fills solution to the regional producers is aggressive marketing. It would not be beneficial to start a price war but it may not be necessary to do so. As it stands, Ice-Fills is more known, and it is trusted. Having a new marketing campaign tied in with some special promotions might be enough to get ahead of these local competitors early on.

When to Capitalize Words for Points of the Compass

When to Capitalize Words for Points of the Compass When to Capitalize Words for Points of the Compass When to Capitalize Words for Points of the Compass By Mark Nichol When should you write north, and when is North appropriate? How about southern, or Southern? This post outlines the recommendations for when to use uppercase letters for words referring to cardinal directions, and when to employ lowercase letters. Many geographical designations include north, south, east, or west, or combined forms such as northwest, as part of their names. When these are official locations labeled on maps, they are always styled with initial capitalization (unless, of course, the map styles some or all labels with all uppercase letters). Examples include â€Å"North America,† â€Å"South Africa,† â€Å"West Virginia,† and â€Å"East St. Louis.† However, references in narrative text (fiction or nonfiction) are not always straightforward. Here are some guidelines: The belligerents in the American Civil War are sometimes identified as â€Å"the North† and â€Å"the South,† but a reference to an occupant of the corresponding region would be treated as northerner or southerner, and general references to a location to one direction or another from a given location are properly lowercase (â€Å"I drove west for ten miles†; â€Å"Attitudes in the eastern part of the state are more traditional†). However, cultural references are treated as proper names, as in a comment alluding to the relative homogeneity of North America and Europe or the corresponding mind-set of Asia: â€Å"In the West, medical treatment tends to be allopathic†; â€Å"It is among the oldest of the Eastern philosophies.† Confusingly, some unofficial regional designations with longstanding distinctions, such as â€Å"Northern California† and â€Å"the South of France,† are capitalized, while such simple descriptions as â€Å"western New York State† and â€Å"southern Africa† (as opposed to the name of the nation of South Africa) are treated generically. As the name of the genre in various media that pertains to the settling of the United States beyond the Mississippi River, western is not capitalized. However, by convention, the first word in â€Å"Eastern Europe† is capitalized in a Cold War context. Meanwhile, a midwesterner is from the Midwest. Because of the unpredictability and inconsistency of treatment of such words, it’s best for writers to consult a geographically oriented resource; exhaustive (and exhausting) lists of examples are widely available online and in print. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"A While vs AwhilePassed vs Past

Report on a mid size business. Soccer scene is the business Essay

Report on a mid size business. Soccer scene is the business - Essay Example It has earned a better reputation because of the technical staff that it has hired over these years which is able to provide the customers with the right thing on the right time. The company excels in possessing all the important things that a shop would have for the fans of the respective sports. The company is not only limited to itself but its strength can also be seen in the press. On several instances the company has been cited in the press which has helped people to know about the store. Soccer Scene is believed to be a developing business which would take over the limits in the coming years. With the quality and expertise that it possesses it can be said that soccer scene might become very successful in the future. In this report the strategies followed by the company would be highlighted along with its current plan of growth and advertisements (Soccer Scene 2010; ECR Newsletter 2006). Situation Analysis SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats The company is dev eloping with the rise in the fans of the football and rugby fans. Currently the company possesses the right expertise and talent required to expand their company in accordance to the needs of the customers. It is creating a brand image which can help them in the future to enhance their promotional activities. The most potent strength of the company is that it has chosen a large audience which can be its customers. It has opened stores in those locations where the sports are commonly seen and hailed. A great part of the population residing in United Kingdom watches the football matches and hence the fans of the sports are more than anywhere in the world. The company uses this as a strength and targets this audience to increase their sales. Furthermore the company is located in specific areas so it is able to attract a large population of fans. The company has some weaknesses which can prove to be a hurdle for it to expand. Currently the company has not created a brand image like othe r brands which exist in the market for a longer time. Soccer Scene is still in its developing stages and hence faces intense competition in the market of sports where already some famous brands exist. Brand loyalty cannot be easily achieved if certain techniques are not employed and this can prove to be a weakness for Soccer Scene. In comparison to other brands it can also be said that it lacks the funds to advertise itself like other brands. It also has limited options as to where it has to choose the audience from as it is located only in some nations. The company has several opportunities which it can avail to make them its strengths. The company can open its outlets in other countries where already some brands exist so it can have a wider market to choose from. It can include other types of goods so that it can attract a wide range of customers which can benefit the business. It can allocate its funds effectively such that intense advertisements are done to create brand loyalty. Furthermore its products can be improved so that it can face the competition in the market. Currently the company is facing many threats in the market which it exists. It faces immense competition from organized brands in the country that it is located. With intense competition it can be impossible for it to expand as its competitors have already created a

Critically examine the media regulation in Russia Assignment

Critically examine the media regulation in Russia - Assignment Example Russian print media was faced with extreme volatility during the first fifteen years of Russian independence. Owners of the print media were forced to withdraw from their ownership to the government. They faced huge aggression by the Russian government and other political bodies for unknown reason. According to estimation by National Association of TV and Broadcasters, there is an estimated amount of 2168 TV in Russia along with other radio companies (Compulenta, 2009). On the other hand, 161 have a TV and radio license with 799 TV companies and approximately there are 888 radio stations. Similarly, the number of cable operators running in the country is estimated to be 1,511 nationwide (Compulenta, 2009). Media Regulations: Russian media is controlled through strict regulations and control. Russian media does not enjoy a free state in running its operations. Russian media is run under three major laws: the law enforced on mass media during 1991, the law imposed on communication duri ng 2003 and the law on Information Technologies with respect to Protection of Information and Information in 2006. The Law on Mass Media is the only law which has been updated and changed constantly. It was last updated in 2009 (Compulenta, 2009). There are some other federal laws as well which are imposed on other media activities. These laws have defined that how would media project the state government and the political parties nationwide. Russian media is a controlled media with limited freedom given to them. However, at the same time, Russian media is prohibited to project anything that depicts terrorism, violence or nudity in any case. Media is given restricted limits to cover any anti-terrorist operations, if occur. Accountability Systems: During the year 1994, the Congress of Russian Journalist outlined and approved a specific Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics defined the same laws and implications which were adopted by the press media all around the world. It was been argu ed that the Code of Ethics are least practiced or respected by the Journalists. It is just the formality that they have fulfilled by outlining a law. Also, these laws state the moral responsibilities and duties of a journalist in a very comprehensive manner. It has also been seen that state-owned or privately-owned media and print outlets are somehow influenced and, they are obligated to answer for their projections either to any federal body or to any local authority. Russian Media: An Analysis: Russian media is under continuous change. Different regulations on Information have been imposed. More recently, the current government of Putin has reinforced new impositions on Information and Communication by equally tightening the Internet and other news agencies (Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1075556.html). It has been observed that internet is the only media which is free of any regulation and to some extent; we can call it a â€Å"free-media†. The freedom of spe ech and expression has gained popularity in the Russian masses. Despite the concerns raised by the Putin and his government, authorities have implicated no restrictions against this form of media. However, Putin has raised concerns that authorities should keep a regular check on the information being displayed on the internet. We cannot undermine the control as maintained by the government on the digital and print media. It is believed by the authorities that if country

A Dolls house Language Essay Example for Free

A Dolls house Language Essay Ever since reading the text in my own time I have, in many of my past lessons been discussing, acting and re-reading parts of the play as well as researching many other aspects to the play. By doing this I discovered things like the play was firstly written in Norwegian and then translated into many languages along with many more complex things. Back in lessons I was doing tasks that specifically looked at the language in the play. For example before rein acting a scene from the play the whole class gathered in a circle to do a warm up exercise which evolved around the line; What did you do to die today at a minute or two to two, a thing distinctly hard to say but a harder thing to do. I had to say this line in many different accents and characters including a posh upper class character like Nora and Torvold Helmer from the play. The language used in the play not only creates the feel of the 19th century but it also reflects the way the characters are. It does this as the 19th century old English is very formal showing there middle to higher class and well educated. The language also shows the society that the characters live in and is significant as it reveals their inner thoughts, feelings relationships and situations. In one particular part of the play Torvold says: You cant deny it, little Nora now can you? Its a sweet little songbird but it gets through a terrible amount of money you wouldnt believe how much it costs a man when hes got a little songbird like you This rather poetic and metaphoric line compares Nora to a songbird which is petit and shows she can be sweet, innocent and chirpy. It also echos how Torvold belittles Nora and treats her like a child, which in them days was the done thing; men overpowering women and controlling the relationship in addition to this it perhaps shows how he has a fatherly figure and likes to take control over situations. Although in saying that Nora is or should I say acts rather childlike and naive herself but at the same time is manipulative, flirtatious and cunning as it proves on the opening line of the play; Hide that Christmas tree away, Helen. The children mustnt see it before Ive decorated it this evening As well as giving the audience a rough date and establishing shot it shows how Nora seems just as excited about Christmas as the children do. In most houses the children would be helping to set up the Christmas tree but not in the Helmer household Nora is setting up the tree and rather excited about it too. There is some reference to poetry in the text although it is not the rhyming type, its more a usage of poetic words being exchanged. Like in the first quote I made there are countless uses of words like songbird and squirrel being used to describe Nora as well as Torvold (in some parts of the play). There is another quote in Act 1 on page 25 where Nora has just gone out and bought some new things for the family, which Torvold is unhappy about as she has spent so much money which makes Nora unhappy too, it says; Now, now! My little songbird mustnt droop her wings. Whats this? Is little squirrel sulking? (takes out his purse) Nora; guess what Ive got here! This quote to me shows how he just keeps Nora sweet but does not go out of his reach to keep her happy. Also the use of poetic words is very creative and wise it is saying to Nora do not loose hope or become sad. But it says this in a metaphoric way as Nora does not really have wings but a songbird does and this is what Nora is often compared to by Torvold. The majority of the speech used throughout the play is natural from all of the characters as the play itself is done rather realistically and flows well. There are very rare if any uses of Brectian techniques to break any language or any part of the play up for example; there are no placards to make a particular line stand out, this is probably as each line is just as important as the one before. Even though there is reference to use of poetic language I think it gives the play even more of a realistic effect as people do have little pet names for there husband and wife. In addition to this Henrik Ibsen goes that step further and creates for each character there own realm of speech as a quote from the Methuen Student notes verifies: Ibsen creates for each character a habit of speech appropriate to his or her own class and personality With Torvold he is spoken with a rather fatherly/paternal type of speech, Krogstad he always reflects to his training as a lawyer, Mrs Linde speaks direct and could appear a bit bitter and cold, Nora is excitable but finds resolve at the end of the play and Dr Rank speaks in riddles and fondness of using figures of speech. Over all this coursework has made me realise how important the lines actually are in a play and how important it is to deliver them correctly. As well as consistency when delivering the lines in a certain way the character must keep delivering them in that way. I personally believe that this may enhance my skills as a yr 12 drama student.

Journeys End by RC Sheriff :: English Literature

Journey’s End R.C Sheriff wrote Journey’s end in 1928. The play was written 10 years after the war had finished to let people’s emotions feelings and emotions about the war settle down. The play is set near the end of the war, in 1918, along the western front in France. Sheriff set the whole play in one setting so it is easier to stage, it personalizes it, and it creates a sense of entrapment. The whole play is set in the trenches, which are very confined, damp and cold. They were most likely inhabited by rats and the dugouts most likely smelled. The final scene is set in the dugout, at dawn just before a German attack is expected. At he beginning of the scene â€Å"There is no sound except the distant mutter of the guns.† But later on in the scene â€Å"There comes the faint whistle and thud of falling shells.† Towards the end pf the scene the noise from the shells being dropped intensifies and continues like this until the end of the play. R.C Sheriff uses comedy in the play to lighten the mood and to add relief from the depression of war. The party scene was a scene where everyone forgot about the war and started to lighten up. At the beginning of this scene the audience most likely expects the mood to be unsettled and things to be tense between the characters, this is because of the arguments that happened between the characters the night before. â€Å"Towards dawn, the candles are no longer burning.† Mason is framed in the doorway against the very lights. â€Å"There comes the rasp of a striking match-a tiny flame- and a candle gleams.† Mason the wakes Stanhope up. This depicting the way he is breaking the tension from the previous night’s argument and how he is lightening the mood, be it with a hot cup of tea or with his tactful handling of Hibbert later on. In â€Å"Journey’s End† the lighting is very important because it outlines what kind of mood different parts of the scene are. For example, at the start of Act 3 Scene 3, it is half past five on the morning the attack is expected. The lighting would be very dark, creating a depressing atmosphere. Near the end of the scene, as Raleigh is dying, â€Å"The faint rosy glow of the dawn is deepening to an angry red.† At this point the lights would slowly turn red, representing death, blood and pain. The audience think Hibbert is a coward, mainly because he tried to o home, complaining of neuralgia, when he was fine at the party, and he takes his time over everything he does.

Krushers Kfc

[pic] Report Title: â€Å"Krushers† – Marketing Strategic plan Submitted By: Group name: Date: 15 April, 2010 Submitted To: Dr Melodena Stephens Balakrishnan Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business and Management, University of Wollongong in Dubai Table of Contents 1. Background3 1. 1. Introduction and Objective3 1. 2. Situational Analysis3 1. 3. Constraints and Assumption. 5 1. 4. Product Need and Value. 7 2. Segmentation, Target & Positioning8 2. 1. Segmentation and Target8 2. 2. Positioning Map9 3. Marketing Mix10 3. 1. Product strategy10 3. . Pricing strategy10 3. 3. Place strategy11 3. 4. Promotion strategy12 4. Business Plan12 4. 1. Sales and Profits12 Bibliography13 Appendix14 Background 1 Introduction and Objective Introduction: KFC Corporation, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants known all over the World since 1952, however the history of the company goes back to 1930. â€Å"KFC† is serving more than 12 million cust omers in 109 countries throughout the world every day. Company is actively franchising across the World during 58 years[1]. Loyal customers can find their favorite restaurant in almost every developed country across the Globe. â€Å"KFC† established strong position in the market place and recognized by millions of people in the World for its â€Å"finger lickin’ good† chicken. â€Å"KFC† is serving more than 12 million customers in 109 countries throughout the world every day. Currently, The Company is the most popular chicken restaurant chain in the entire Globe. This particular report is focusing on KFC Arabia, United Arab Emirates in particular. KFC restaurants introduced to the Middle East region by franchise partner Americana since 1973. Currently, there are KFC branches in over 70 different locations across United Arab Emirates. Menu offered to the Arab World is more focused on chicken sandwiches and Colonel’s Crispy Strips, and also includes side items that are suited to local preferences and tastes. [2] Product Portfolio: The fact that, â€Å"KFC† restaurants are associated by the customers with chicken, does not limit the range of products has been offered to the customers. Currently, more than 300 different types of products have been introduced by the company all over the World. World Famous menu contains of chicken pieces, salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, wraps, kebabs, snacks, sweets and sides, beverages. â€Å"KFC† Corporation constantly upgrades its menu with new innovative products in order to satisfy unmet needs of their current and future customers. KFC is introducing a new product called â€Å"Krushers† to the region; a new refreshing frozen drink. This new refreshing frozen drink first was introduced in 3 different flavors â€Å"Strawberry†, â€Å"Chocolate Krumble†, â€Å"Kookies N Kream†, followed by â€Å"Karamel Krunch† flavor that has been introduced later on in the Middle East. Objective: The objective of this report is to create strategic marketing plan for â€Å"Krushers† product and successfully launch it in the UAE. 2 Situational Analysis External environmental analysis: PESTEL Environmental (competitors): â€Å"Krushers† is introduced in a very competitive environment. There are several direct competitors in this product category, the biggest ones are MC flurry from MC Donald’s and Hand-Scooped shake from Hardees’s, these are traditional competitors for KFC in the fast-food segment and have similar products to the â€Å"Krushers†. Other competitors in this product category include Baskin Robins, StarBucks and Jonny Rockets as they offer frozen drinks as part of their product portfolio. Indirect competitors include Lipton’s Ice tea and Pulp Juice bar’s frozen drinks, they are considered as indirect competitors because they offer product replacements or substitutes to the â€Å"Krushers†. Sociological: The UAE population has higher levels of disposable income compared to the rest of the world, according to HSBC bank study, UAE is the fifth top country in the World in terms of disposable income. 3] As a result, eating out is almost a daily activity in the social life of UAE residents, which in turn produces a bigger market for restaurants and food outlets. In addition to that, In terms of age groups, the UAE has a dominant young population, with the 25-29 years emerging as the largest group of about 777,000 at the end of 2008. It is projected by the Ministry to peak at 830,000 at the end of 2 009. [4] This combination of high disposable income and young population makes the UAE a perfect market for KFC â€Å"Krushers† product which targets age group of 18-24. Technological: From a technological point of view, production of cold beverages relies heavily on the right equipment. KFC has state of the art production equipment. The company also utilizes advanced CRM solutions to gear its direct marketing efforts. Economic: â€Å"In the UAE over two-thirds of expats in the UAE stated that their attitudes to spending had changed as a result of the economic crisis, however over three-quarters of expats (82%) living in the UAE also said that they had not considered a move home. [5] Having said that, the UAE remains one of the strongest economies in the region (third in the region after Saudi Arabia and Iran). [6] As mentioned earlier, the disposable income in the UAE is cooperatively high, which makes it an ideal market for KFC and the new product â€Å"Krushers†. Industry Analysis: Porter’s Five Forces Market Rivalry: â€Å"Krushers† is a product category that faces high rivalry from various direct and indirect competitors. T hese competitors do not only include fast food chain restaurants with a similar product category, but also chains that focus exclusively on that market niche (frozen shakes and drinks). The fact that â€Å"Krushers† is a hybrid or mix of different products (i. e. ice cream, milk, smoothie, ice, fruits, juice, cookies, etc) makes it difficult to place it in a specific product category and thus exposes it to higher competition from those various product categories. In addition, competing products have been established in the market and have a healthy market share. It would be a challenge for KFC to strongly compete in this product category, partly because the product is new and partly because they are not strongly associated with frozen drinks like â€Å"Krushers†. Bargaining power of suppliers: KFC is one of the largest purchasers globally; all their suppliers go through a very rigid screening process to meet their quality standards. Having said that, KFC only uses high quality suppliers with which they have strong relationships, therefore, the threat of suppliers is minimized. Threat of Substitutes: â€Å"Krushers† falls into the frozen drinks category, due to this point, it faces a high threat of substitution from a number of relevant product categories including carbonated drinks, milk shakes, ice cream, ice tea, ice coffee, frapuccinos, fresh juice and smoothies. In order to offset this threat, KFC has to rely strongly on their established brand image and large customers base to market and sell the product. Bargaining power of buyers: As it mentioned earlier, the target segment(s) (18-24) are high in population, however, there is a large number of product substitutes available to them. Therefore, they enjoy a fairly high power of bargaining. Barriers to entry: The barriers to entry to this specific product market are relatively low. The investment needed is not very high and the health regulations can be met with reasonable effort. However, due to the size and the number of KFC branches across the UAE, it would be very difficult for new players to significantly compete with KFC’s market share unless they make significant financial investments, thus reversing the barriers to entry to very high. 3 Constraints and Assumption. Constraints: There are several constraints that KFC face in the introduction level of a new product â€Å"Krushers†. Customers are not aware of a new product that has been introduced by KFC. Lack of awareness can be explained by poor promotion and advertising, training of the employees. â€Å"Krushers† should be prepared within 1 minute, however, according to the survey, almost 95 percent of the consumers received their â€Å"Krushers† during the time frame 3 minutes to 6 minutes. [7] KFC is known all over the World for its â€Å"finger lickin good† chicken, it would be difficult for consumers to associate KFC as a place where they can purchase â€Å"Krushers†. The company didn’t define the product for the customers whether it is a milk shake or it is a desert, etc. However official launch of the product might solve these constrains. Assumptions: KFC does not publish any sales figures as a reference point; therefore the sales forecasts are based on an assumption that each branch will be able to sell 5 â€Å"Krushers† per hour on an average from their branch traffic. Assuming that branches operate from 10 a. m. to 3 a. m. that makes a total of 17 working hours a day. According to data published on the Americana website, they have 70 locations across the UAE, which equals total working hours of 1,190 per day (17X70). Assuming that the price of â€Å"Krushers† is at 9 drh per drink without a meal, and 4 dhs per a drink with a meal and based on the research conducted with consumers, 25 percent of the consumers will buy a â€Å"Krushers† with a meal and 75 percent of the consumers will buy it without the meal. [8] Based on these assumptions, we can conclude the following: Total number of â€Å"Krushers† sold per a day = total working hours X number of â€Å"Krushers† sold per hour = 1,190 X 5 = 5,950 â€Å"Krushers† per day across all locations. Therefore, total revenues per day would be calculated as following: Revenue of â€Å"Krushers† sold with a meal = (5,950 X 25%) X 4 = 5,950 dirham Revenue of â€Å"Krushers† sold without a meal = ( 5950 X 75% ) X 9 = 40,162dirham Total revenue of â€Å"Krushers† per day = revenue with meal + revenue without meal= 5,950 + 40,162 = 46,112 Monthly Total revenue of â€Å"Krushers† = total revenue per day X 30 days = 46112 X 30 = 1,383,375 dirham Annual revenue of â€Å"Krushers† = monthly revenue X 12 = 1,383,375 X 12 = 16,600,500 dirham Since KFC spends 6% of the total revenue on marketing and promotion, we can estimate the annual marketing budget for â€Å"Krushers† at annual revenue of â€Å"Krushers† X 6% = 16,600,500 X 6% = 996,030 dirham Due to the lack of information on variable or direct costs, we will limit our forecasts to only revenues. However there is more accurate way to estimate net profit of the company from â€Å"Krushers †. Target segment that has been chosen by the company is the youth in the age range 18-24 of UAE, which has been estimated to 1,417,300 people. It has been assumed that 60 percent of the total youth in the age range 18-24 would be a potential target of the â€Å"Krushers†, according to the chosen target segment â€Å"UAE explorers†, which is 850,400 people. [9] Penetration has been assumed according to seasonal demand, such as hot summer weather effect. Shopping festival was another reason to estimate increase in penetration in the month of December, and there is other reasons that has an effect on penetration percentages across the year, which is explained in the business plan section 4. 1 of the report. Revenue has been calculated according to the total users that would purchase the â€Å"Krushers† and the selling price. Expenses that would go on the marketing part of the â€Å"Krushers† have been assumed by the group and calculated in the business plan section 4. 1. Expenses have been estimated according to: Magazine = 150,000 dirham Newspaper = 168,000 dirham Facebook = 20,000 dirham In house AD: 30,000 dirham TV = 600,000 dirham Road signage = 200,000 dirham Billboard = 300,000 dirham Campaign = 50,000 dirham 4 Product Need and Value. |KFC’s value characteristics |Consumers need analysis | |KFC is a well known brand as a value for money all around the |Consumers would search for a reliable drink with no risk to | |world. |their health. |KFC has large number of branches, as well as big variety of |People living in gulf countries such as UAE would always search| |items, all delivered in a timely fashion, all of these give |for a drink which refreshes their feeling. | |high value of convenience. |Consumers would go for a product which is faster to be | | |delivered to them and easier t o carry with them while doing | | |their normal routines during the day. | | |Actually people are always after new things in their life. | |Those things could be a new product like â€Å"Krushers† or even its| | |new flavors to be introduced to the market in future. | | |There many other important factor in the consumers mind to be | | |considered as their needs of product such as pricing, great | | |taste and optional choice. | â€Å"Krushers† value analysis based on the mentioned needs above: †¢ â€Å"Krushers† is introduced as a smoothie drink that doesn’t have negative effect or risk on consumer’s health. It supposed being a drink to be alternative to those of energy drinks fulfilled of caffeine. â€Å"Krushers† came up with different flavors for variety seekers and those valuing a product based on optional choice. †¢ Offering â€Å"Krushers† as a value-added to meal as of satisfying perception of value for money p romised by KFC. They offer customers to add 4dhs to their meal and have â€Å"Krushers† with their meal in spite of soft drink or juice. †¢ Soon enough â€Å"Krushers† could be a replacement for cold drink at KFC by offering less than half the price if it is with any KFC meal. †¢ †¢ As of the discussed need of customer relating the weather of UAE then â€Å"Krushers† could be the best solution for relieving the thirst and the heat. Segmentation, Target & Positioning 1 Segmentation and Target Segment 1 â€Å"Academia’s† University students actively socialize in groups for many reasons, be it for regular chat ups between classes, for examinations studying or even group assignments etc. Therefore as the above points display that a â€Å"Krushers† will fit in perfectly with all three areas of a university student. Students usually have a red bull or a coffee or a milk shake etc with them while working on assignments with a group or while studying in order to keep them going. It’s become more like habit to do so. This is where we feel a â€Å"Krushers† can come in to play as it is a thick ice cream based shake with different flavors that will be able to fulfill a student’s need and want in terms of a having a drink that goes with what they do. Segment 2 â€Å"Beach & Shopping mall goers† (Fun) For this group what we really mean is the lifestyle of having fun and constantly active. We used the beach and shopping mall as examples of places where those who are in constant search of fun and activity can have a â€Å"Krushers†. The reason we used the beach and shopping mall as examples is due to the fact that a â€Å"Krushers† can be consumed in both situations / locations where on the beach it can be used as a refreshing cold drink to keep cool under the sun where as in the same time people don’t usually take food with them to the beach as it spoils under the sun and so having a â€Å"Krushers† on the beach is like a two in one feeling as it has real bits in some of its drinks like â€Å"kookies n kream†. Where as in the mall those shopping around can have a â€Å"Krushers† as a drink to walk around with while shopping or/and even as a drink to just and relax with while taking a break or even while meeting friends for a â€Å"coffee†. Segment 3 â€Å"UAE Explorers† This is a group of people who are constantly out and about but don’t really engage in activity. They just simply roam around places such as the mall or the JBR walk etc. by just watching other people or ‘window shopping’ or even simply go for drives around the city in search of something to do. Basically they don’t have anything to do and just want to keep themselves busy. Generally they do this in groups of two or more. The reason why have inserted such a lifestyle in our segment is because a thick shake like â€Å"Krushers† can be very appealing to them in terms of keeping them busy with a drink in their hand. Not only do they have a choice from a variety of flavors but the fact that it takes only a minute to prepare the drink of their choice , thus allowing them to think â€Å"its quick, ill stop and get one on the way†. There is a KFC available in almost if not every mall in Dubai, as well as on popular roads such as the Jumeirah beach road where a drive through option is available. Target Segment & Justification (U. A. E Explorers) †¢ †¢ According to feedback, most people would consume a Krushers ‘on the move’. †¢ They look at it more of a milkshake like drink with pieces in it than anything else. Krushers drink does not fit in with the food served at KFC, and therefore existing KFC customers will not have one at a dine in time especially considering the y don’t see it as a desert either. †¢ Sports people have energy bars and drinks to consume. †¢ University students opt for a red bull or coffee based drink to keep them up and alert. †¢ The ‘fun’ group of people would not really consider having a Krushers as it is not suitable for them. They would not meet for a ‘coffee’ in KFC nor would they buy a Krushers and sit on a bench for a chat. †¢ Therefore the best group and lifestyle is that of a UAE â€Å"Explorer† as on a drive they can go to a KFC drive through almost anywhere in Dubai, Krushers is available at almost every mall in Dubai and at the famous JBR walk too. A Krushers fits in well with a UAE Explorers activities as it is packaged in a way that can be taken in almost any environment and placed almost anywhere easily without risk of leak or spilling over etc. 2 Positioning Map â€Å"Krushers† is perceived as a refreshing shake that you can have between your m ain meals. It can satisfy both thirst and hungers basic needs of a person. There are two main benefits which â€Å"Krushers† has over its competitors in relation to the target segment, such as Brand Image and Store Location K FC’s brand image in the UAE is stronger than that of McDonalds and Hardees. Therefore having a strong brand image is advantageous to the consumer in terms of trusting to try a new product and actually consuming it. Store location is a big factor to the target segment as KFC’s stores are more convenient in terms of reach and comfort. Basically this is because KFC is available at all leading malls in the UAE, but so are its competitors McDonalds and Hardees but what makes the difference here are famous roads and hang out spots such as JBR where there is a KFC restaurant but no McDonalds or Hardees. Not only that, in one of the most famous areas for food in Dubai, the Diyafah area there is no McDonalds yet there is a KFC restaurant there too. There is no McDonalds or Hardees in the Knowledge village area or the AUS (American University in Sharjah) food court but there is a KFC. UAE Explorers are on the go and so with KFC restaurants being on their ‘way’ (drive thru) Jumeirah Beach Road, which is one of the most famous cruising streets a â€Å"Krushers† will be just the thing they will go after as it keeps them busy through their drive or walk at JBR etc. Marketing Mix 1 Product strategy â€Å"Krushers† is a sub product that has been represented by KFC. Introduction of this product increases variety of the product line available in KFC Corporation. â€Å"Krushers† has been introduced in order to bring customers throughout the day. The drink is available in 4 different flavors in the region. â€Å"Strawberry†, â€Å"Chocolate Krumble†, â€Å"Caramel Krunch†, â€Å"Kookies N Kream† are the types of flavors that has been introduced by KFC. According to the survey, customers identified two most popular flavors which are â€Å"Kookies N Kream† and â€Å"Chocolate Krumble†. Currently it is represented in 1 size. It is advisable to add more size options to suit different needs of the consumers. KFC offers â€Å"Krsuhers† as a value-added to a meal by just adding 4Dhs by customer to their meals which is less than the real price of â€Å"Krushers† purchased separately. The promise of great and natural taste is given by KFC through their advertising slogan by saying â€Å"full of real bitZ†. This slogan says that â€Å"Krushers† contains real pieces of fruits and chocolates in it. Thus one of the other augmented products of â€Å"Krushers† is the stated promise. 2 Pricing strategy One of the most important factors that must be considered carefully by companies is appropriate price strategy. â€Å"Krushers† is a new product, due to this point it is recommended to follow penetration strategy while pricing process. However it must be based on â€Å"Krushers† demand, as the demand are more for â€Å"Krushers† it is more obvious that penetration might be superior strategy to follow. Beside they also can gain some market share in marketplace however the supplier of â€Å"Krushers† must be assure when they imply this strategy for their product , they are capable to handle demanders and distribution channels . After all consideration about KFC â€Å"Krushers†, it is better off if they follow penetration strategy. According to the survey, 23 percent of the respondents were dissatisfied, 40 percent were neutral, which makes it total of 63 percent of the respondents (which is more than a half), that were not satisfied with the current price choices. Cutomers are unhappy which means the price does not affect their objectives toward purchasing products. [10] Normally the fixed cost for supplier is 60% of variable cost of products, Krusher is 9 Dhs, 60 % of variable cost would be 5. 4 Dhs which is the fixed cost and the profit approximately might be 3. 6 Dhs on each â€Å"Krushers†. According to the interview made with one of the KFC stuff, assumptions were made as followed: Integrant of â€Å"Krushers† for each cup: 60 % of each cup contains ice cream (2Dhs for each cup) Because they purchase the ice creams in retail, it costs less than an ice cream that is selling in stores). 0 % Slash (blended water and sugar), (30 fils for each cup) Flavor (1 ounce), with consideration that the ba ttle is 30 Dhs but for each cup they use just one ounce), (Around 30 fels). These amounts of materials imply for the entire available flavor. All the calculation is Close to 3 Dhs and approximately 1Dhs or less for packaging; in overall it cost 4 or 5 Dhs for company. Option Price: There is just one size of krusher available in all of the outlets; however option price are as below: †¢ 9 Dhs for any flavor in regular cup size †¢ 5 Dhs for having a Krusher with the meal. 3 Place strategy KFC Corporation uses one channel distribution across the World, which is their network of restaurant outlets or branches. Krushers† are sold directly to the customers without having any middlemen. KFC branches are available almost in every neighborhood across the country. Restaurants spread out across 70 different locations in United Arab Emirates. Examples would be: †¢ Shopping mall food courts(Dubai Mall, City Centre) †¢ Close to schools and universities(knowledge village) †¢ Petrol stations (Emirates Petrol station) †¢ Office buildings (Sheikh Zayed Road) †¢ High traffic roads like (The Walk in Dubai)[11] Customers can dine in the branches of KFC that accommodate dining areas, as well as choose take-away option and consume their â€Å"Krushers† outside in any other location they would prefer to have it. In the Introduction stage of the â€Å"Krushers† Corporation did not represent delivery service for the product; these might be due to ice ingredients in it. Before opening any store KFC conduct market research to estimate and consider the population of that area, consumer’s demographic details and major streets which are close to that specific location. It is worth mentioning that the †Krushers† is not part of the home delivery service due to the physical nature of the product (is it cold and can melt). 4 Promotion strategy In promotion strategy there are some factors that can be used to promote the products base on MARCOM mix that is used for KFC â€Å"Krushers† promotional strategy. Direct marketing: As a direct marketing, KFC departments can hire some people mostly young girls and boys to promote the â€Å"Krushers† in a very small cup to let the volunteers just taste it and promoters can encourage and motivate the volunteers to go for the bigger â€Å"Krushers†, and the best place for this sort of promotion is in the malls, at the foot court entrance. Sales promotion: KFC already gives the customer this chance that if they want â€Å"Krushers† with their meal the price will be reduced for them to 4 Dhs, which the price is 9 Dhs regularly. While the loyal customers buy a combo from KFC outlet , as a promotion they can give the customers coupons with four blank checklist , that if they buy KFC combo meal for four times as a promotion they can get one free â€Å"Kruchers† with their flavor choice. Generally it can be profitable for Kentucky chicken part sales and for â€Å"Krushers†, and also that would lead to better result for KFC and keep the customer loyal to the brand. Advertising: Coupons are Another tools in sale promotion, KFC can sign contract with well known and famous companies or organization which stated whenever they have customer who purchase something from the companies or organization, they give the customers KFC voucher, the vouchers are for specified items but this sort of promotion can bring the customer to the outlet to use their voucher and make them to try new or their favorite products that are available in outlets. It is very important to use online marketing today. Print advertising is another way to market the product. Sample has been developed by the group. There are twelve pieces of ice, with person inside each of it. There is one person standing in it and one of the piece contains Kentucky in four of the ices the â€Å"Krushers† flavors are representing and in the other ice pieces there are all the smiley faces that is representing the , iciness ,freezes , tastiness and freshness of the â€Å"Krushers† and The people in the ice are young and fresh people because it is related to our target segment which is the youth from age 18 – 24 who are the young generation whenever you look at the advertising it gives a positive , delight feeling about the product and the taste, the choice of putting people in the ice pieces is showing the coldness and freezing feeling that â€Å"Krushers† can give the customers. â€Å"Krushers† has been displayed in the official website, however social networks should be taken into consideration as well as the popular search engines etc. Also it is advisable to use media advertisement, such as radio, tv, etc. Also print advertising like ne wspapers magazines etc. Business Plan, 2010. 1 Sales and Profits |Jan |Feb |march |april |may |june |july |Aug |Sep |Oct |Nov |Dec | | |potential segment |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 |850 400 | | |heavy user |3% 5% |10% |13% |15% |30% |40% |50% |52% |55% |60% |65% | | | |25512 |42520 |85040 |110552 |127560 |255120 |340160 |425200 |442208 |467720 |510240 |552760 | | |moderate user |2% |4% |8% |10% |11% |25% |32% |40% |43% |46% |50% |57% | | | |17008 |34016 |68032 |85040 |93544 |212600 |272128 |340160 |365672 |391184 |425200 |484728 | | |Total user |42520 |76536 |153072 |195592 |221104 |467720 |612288 |765360 |807880 |858904 |935440 |1037488 | | |(SP=9) X 75%(users) |287010 |516618 |1033236 |1320246 |1492452 |3157110 |4132944 |5166180 |5453190 |5797602 |6314220 |7003044 | | |(SP=4) X 25%(users) |42520 |76536 |153072 |195592 |221104 |467720 |612288 |765360 |807880 |858904 |935440 |1037488 | | |total revenue |329530 | 593154 |1186308 |1515838 |1713556 |3624830 |4745232 |5931540 |6261070 |6656506 |7249660 |8040532 | | | expense: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |magazine | | | |150000 | |150000 | |150000 | |150000 | | | | |newspaper | |168000 | | |168000 | |168000 | |168000 | | |168000 | | |radio |135000 | |135000 | |135000 | |135000 |135000 | |135000 |135000 |135000 | | |facebook , |20000 | |20000 |20000 |20000 | | |20000 |20000 | |20000 | | | |In house Ad | | | |30000 |30000 | |30000 |30000 |30000 | |30000 | | | |Tv | |600000 | | |600000 | | | |600000 | |600000 | | | |road | | |200000 | |200000 | | |200000 | | |200000 | | | |billboards |300000 | | | | |300000 | | | | | |300000 | | |campaign | | | |50000 | |50000 | | | |50000 | |50000 | | |total |455000 |768000 |355000 |230000 |1153000 |500000 |333000 |535000 |818000 |335000 |985000 |653000 | | |profit/loss |-125470 |-174846 |831308 |1285838 |560556 |3124830 |4412232 |5396540 |5443070 |6321506 |6264660 |7387532 | | |total profit | | | | | | | | | | | | |40727756 | | Bibliography KFC official website, 2010, URL: [www. kfc. com], [last accessed April 6, 2010] KFC Locator, 2010, Americana group official website, URL: [ http://www. americana-group. net/Default. aspx? Id=1207 ], [last accessed April 7, 2010] KFC, 2010, Wikipedia, URL: [http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/KFC],[last accessed April 4, 2010] KFC Arabia official website, 2010, URL: [http://www. kfc-arabia. com/new_products. html#Krushers],[last accessed April 8, 2010] Annual report, 2008, Americana group, URL: [http://www. americana-group. net/Default. aspx? Id=1316], [last accessed April 14, 2010 ] Annual report, 2008, Yum, URL: [http://www. yum. com/annualreport/docs/annualReport08. pdf], [last accessed April 4, 2010 UAE population to exceed five million by year’s end, 2009, UAE Interact, URL:[ http://www. uaeinteract. com/docs/UAE_population_to_exceed_five_million_by_years_end_/37085. htm], [last accessed April14,2010] Appendix Graph 1. [pic] Graph 2. [pic] Graph 3: [pic] Graph 4: [pic] Based on: 1. Strongly dissatisfied 2. Dissatisfied 3. Neutral 4. Satisfied 5. Strongly satisfied ———————– [1] KFC corporate website (2010) 2] Americana group website (2010) [3] AMEinfo press release, June 24-2009. http://www. ameinfo. com/201597. html [4] Ministry of social affairs, annual statistic, 2008 [5] AMEinfo press release, June 24-2009. http://www. ameinfo. com/201597. html [6] Wikipedia, 20 10 [7] Appendix, Graph 1, page () [8] Appendix: Graph 2, page ( ) [9]URL:[http://www. uaeinteract. com/docs/UAE_population_to_exceed_five_million_by_years_end_/37085. htm] [10] Appendix, Graph 4, page () [11] Americana group website (2010) ———————– High Brand Image KFC Krushers McDonalds Shake High Store location convenience Low Store location convenience Hardees Shake Hardees Shake Low Brand Image

Greater Autonomy Over The Content Of The Curriculum

The being of some signifier of relationship between course of study policy and instructor professionalism would look to be an established premise. This is apparent in claims that course of study reform is frequently regarded as a menace to teacher professionalism ( Al-Hinei 2003 ; Apple 2009 ; Locke et Al. 2005 ) . Most notably, it is frequently claimed that the degree of prescription in the English National Curriculum, along with the associated demand to run into the prescribed results, reflects a decrease of instructor liberty in favor of answerability ( Walsh 2006 ) . It would look, at this degree so, possible to reason that a decrease in cardinal prescription equates to an addition in teacher liberty which in bend equates to an sweetening of instructor professionalism. To an extent this would look to be an purpose of recent course of study reform in Scotland in the signifier of the Curriculum for Excellence ( CfE ) . The first page of the first ‘Building the Curriculum â₠¬Ëœ papers claims that ‘teachers will hold greater range and infinite for professional determinations about what and how they should learn ‘ ( Scots Executive 2006:1 ) . However, such a straightforward relationship between course of study policy and instructor professionalism would, pulling on Evans ( 2008 ) , be an over-simplification. Evans suggests that professionalism can non be understood entirely, through analyzing instructors ‘ ‘remit and duties ‘ ( p.23 ) , and instead we must see the ways in which teachers themselves understand their professional duties. To an extent this would look to be recognised in Scotland ‘s course of study reform, in for illustration claims that the reform requires a ‘culture alteration ‘ ( Scots Government 2009a:5 ) and the accent on the demand for professional development ( Scots Executive 2006:2 ) . This suggests acknowledgment that a alteration of instructors ‘ remit and duties entirely may non hold a important impact upon professionalism. In this sense, the CfE may possibly be regarded as stand foring, but besides necessitating, a alteration in our apprehension of teacher professionalism. In visible radiation of this, it becomes pertinent to see exactly the nature of this implied alteration in apprehension of teacher professionalism. This essay will research peculiarly the deductions of greater instructor liberty in choosing the content of the course of study. This entails sing: what is meant by teacher professionalism, issues that arise in relation to choosing course of study content, and the impact of these issues on our construct of instructor professionalism. Professionalism In order to research the impact of the CfE upon teacher professionalism it is necessary to hold an apprehension as to what precisely ‘professionalism ‘ agencies. This poses some trouble as the term would look to miss a clear definition, and seems to be understood rather otherwise by different people ( Al-Hinei 2003:41 ; Evans 2008 ) . In a general sense nevertheless, it can possibly be regarded as a description of the nature of the function and demands of a member of a profession ( Goodson 2003:126 ; Evans 2008:25 ) . This of class begs the inquiry as to what a ‘profession ‘ is. Harmonizing to Carr ( 2000:22 ) the term ‘profession ‘ may be regarded as bespeaking a distinguishable ‘class or class of business ‘ consisting of occupations such as ‘doctor ‘ or ‘lawyer ‘ , and sometimes ‘teacher ‘ . It is in sing those characteristics that distinguish a ‘profession ‘ from other businesss that the cardinal issues associated with ‘professionalism ‘ come to the bow. Some regard the construct of ‘profession ‘ to be a socially constructed agencies of continuing power with a certain group of people by confering a particular position upon certain businesss ( described in Locke et Al. 2005:558 ) . Carr ( 2006:173 ) suggests it refers to those businesss that are indispensable in continuing civil society ( wellness, justness and instruction ) . Others suggest that there are certain specifying features which mark out an business as carry throughing the standard for ‘profession ‘ ( Locke et al 2005:558 ; Christie 2003:845 ) . However, despite this diverseness it would look possible to place certain recurrent subjects in relation to those businesss classed as professions: they have some distinguishable cognition base or expertness ; they provide some signifier of service to society ; and, as alluded to in the debut, members of a profession have autonomy to do professional opinions ( Carr 2000 ; Christie 2003 ; Goodson 2003 ; Locke et Al. 2005 ) . Professionalism, so, may possibly be regarded as describing: the demands of a member of a profession in footings of their cognition and expertness ; their range for independent determination devising ; and a definition of their function in its service to wider society. If we consider teacher professionalism straight, Menter et Al. ( 2010:17 ) , place ‘four theoretical accounts ‘ of professionalism ( ‘effective ‘ , ‘reflective ‘ , ‘enquiring ‘ and ‘transformative ‘ ) , each of which conceives of the professional cognition base and range for teacher determination doing otherwise. The ‘transformative ‘ theoretical account besides defines the societal function of learning otherwise – as ‘contributing to societal alteration ‘ , instead than conveying societal norms ( Menter et al. 2010:24 ) . Therefore, the relationship between course of study policy and professionalism would look to lie in the manner in which the course of study defines a instructors ‘ function in footings of the cognition that is required and the degree of liberty for professional determination devising afforded by the course of study. Whilst Evans ( 2008:27 ) argues that we can non understand the true nature of instructor professionalism by mention to the policy that defines it, pulling on Locke et Al ( 2005 ) , it would surely look just to propose that the manner in which a instructors ‘ function is perceived officially does hold affect instructors ‘ positions as to the nature of their functions and duties. As has been mentioned antecedently in relation to the English National Curriculum, the issue of instructors ‘ liberty and range for doing professional opinions would look to be a peculiarly combative issue. Menter et Al ( 2010:22 ) suggest that a normative course of study, in which there is less range for professional opinion, would look to associate readily to a theoretical account of professionalism which emphasises ‘technical achievement ‘ . It would look that cut downing instructors ‘ liberty narrows the cognition and expertness that is expected of a instructor. Goodson ( 2003 ) suggests that a focal point on the proficient facets of learning can take to a position that instructors ‘ expertness lies strictly in the accomplishments of twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours planning and behaviour direction. Carr ( 2000:15 ) refers to this as ‘restricted professionalism ‘ . Through analyzing the grounds for the being of a course of study which possibly restricts teacher professionalism in this manner we come to see the ‘tension ‘ that Locke et Al ( 2005:564 ) point to as bing between instructor liberty and answerability. Further, through understanding the possibly alone answerability faced by the instruction profession ( Carr 2003 ) , we can get down to understand the issues involved in course of study content choice. Education, or instead schooling, is basically concerned with ‘the sort of society we want to be ‘ ( White 2004a:2 ) and as such in concerned non merely with single development but besides the development of society. This is apparent in the claim that the ‘Curriculum for Excellence can play a important function ‘ in accomplishing the Scots Governments purpose ‘to make Scotland smarter, safer and stronger, wealthier and fairer, greener and healthier ‘ ( Scots Government 2008:3 ) . It is from this impression of schooling as helping, and potentially formative, society as a whole that it is suggested that schools and instructors are accountable in ways that other professions are non ( Carr 2000:44 ) . Further, instructors are besides more accountable to parents and must accept the legitimacy of the positions of ‘non-professionals ‘ in a manner that attorneies or physicians do non ( Carr 2003:64 ) . As such, it is argued that there are some d eterminations in instruction that should non be made by the instructor as they are ‘essentially political ‘ ( White 2004b:20 ) . In trying to guarantee therefore that instructors are run intoing the wants of both the province in footings of its desire for society – such as economic growing – instructors ‘ infinite for professional opinion can go squeezed. This leads us to see more closely the nature of course of study policy itself, and the function it plays in interceding between the desires of the province and instructor professional liberty. Course of study This requires an understanding as to what is meant by â€Å" course of study † itself. As with ‘professionalism ‘ , it would look to be a term which is notoriously difficult to specify, with a battalion of potentially conflicting definitions ( Dillon 2009 ) . By and large it can be suggested that ‘curriculum ‘ does non mention to a list, or patterned advance, of points to be taught. The course of study addresses non merely what is taught, but why and how instruction and larning takes topographic point. As such, curricula reflect and advance beliefs about the purposes and nature of instruction ( Flinders & A ; Thornton 2009:8 ) . Different course of study reflect different epistemic and pedagogical beliefs – beliefs about the nature of cognition and nature of acquisition and learning – in, for illustration, their administration of ‘knowledge ‘ ( Carr 1988 ) . For illustration those that emphasise the separation of cognition into topics, and those that favour integrating of capable countries. However it should possibly be noted that Carr ( 1988 ) argues that the epistemic and pedagogical bases of much course of study policy is non wholly coherent. It should besides be noted that the current treatment is centred on the construct of ‘explicit ‘ course of study ( Moore 2004:61 ) – an expressed statement of intended acquisition such as the CfE. However in sing a broader definition, course of study is besides used to mention to those experiences which lead to larning approximately, for illustration, societal norms which are non explicitly planned for. This is termed the ‘implicit ‘ ( Moore 2004:61 ) or ‘hidden ‘ ( Anyon 2006 ) course of study. However, notwithstanding the scope of attacks to understanding and making course of study, course of study design needfully entails a choice of what is to be taught. Different course of study theoretical accounts may differ in both when and by whom this procedure of choice takes topographic point. As mentioned earlier, within a normative, centralised, curriculum much of the choice is being made at a national degree by policy shapers. If we consider the CfF itself in footings of those who are doing the determinations, it is rather clear that the pick as to what to learn is non being topographic point entirely in the custodies of the instructors. Priestley ( 2010:23 ) suggests that it reflects a tendency in course of study development in general, in which there is an effort to pull on both ‘top-down and bottom-up attacks to curriculum be aftering ‘ . A procedure of choice has already occurred at the national degree. The purposes of the course of study have been set out in the signifier of the ‘four capacities ‘ – statements as to the type of individual the course of study seeks to develop ( Learning and Teaching Scotland 2010 ) . As mentioned earlier, the course of study besides aims to run into the Scots Governments desire to make a ‘wealthier ‘ and ‘healthier ‘ Scotland ( Scots Government 2008:3 ) . Therefore instructors are doing their determinations within a ‘framework of national outlooks ‘ ( Scots Executive 2006:1 ) . Decisions, possibly ideological, have been made as to the ‘skills ‘ that are deemed of import have been defined ( ‘skills for acquisition, accomplishments for life and accomplishments for work ‘ ( Scots Government 2009b ) ) . The chief countries of acquisition, possibly reflecting epistemic beliefs, have besides been decided in the signifier of the course of study countries ( such as Mathematicss ) . At a more elaborate degree, the ‘experiences and results†¦ describe the outlooks for larning and patterned advance for each of the eight course of study countries ‘ ( Learning and Teaching Scotland 2010 ) . Even within this ‘clear instructors do non hold exclusive duty for course of study content choice. In the pledge, ‘all kids and immature people should see personalisation and pick†¦ ‘ ( Scots Government 2008:17 ) , there is an outlook that students will, to a certain extent, besides be doing determinations about course of study content. Further, there is a strong accent upon collegiality, with instructors working together on course of study development ( Scots Government 2009a ) . This essay does non hold the range to see the reviews of the curricular determinations made at a national degree ( e.g. Royal Society of Edinburgh 2008 ) . Whilst recognizing that these unfavorable judgments may good hold of import deductions for the function of the instructor, this essay will see more by and large the deductions for teacher professionalism of liberty to choose content within a wide model. Through sing course of study content choice, two cardinal issues related to teacher professionalism will be raised. The first considers the consequence of sing content choice as a pedagogical accomplishment or competency as Hansen ( 1998 ) appears to make. The 2nd explores the deductions of sing a course of study as a ‘selection of civilization ‘ ( Giroux 1980:228 ) . Contented choice as pedagogical accomplishment As it would look that the major ‘political ‘ determinations have been made in the course of study in footings of its purposes and general administration of cognition, it is possible to see the instructors function as that of ‘deciding what specific purposes and what student experiences best suit the peculiar kids ‘ ( White 2004b:20 ) . In this sense the instructor is pulling on expertness as to how best move the kid onto the following phase of development, in this instance as defined by the CfE ‘s experiences and results. This demand to make up one's mind upon the particular aims, and choosing the content to enable the student to accomplish those purposes would surely look to indicate to a construct of a more enhanced professionalism than a more normative course of study. The nature of expected teacher professional cognition and expertness would surely look to be regarded as more than organizational and twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours routine. Official certification seems to propose that instructors must, for illustration ‘reflect on their pattern ‘ ( Scots Government 2009a:2 ) and have a scope of expert cognition in the signifier of ‘content cognition†¦ general pedagogical cognition†¦ .knowledge about how scholars learn ‘ ( Scots Government 2009a:4 ) . This would look to indicate to theoretical accounts such as the ‘reflective instructor ‘ ( Moore 2004:4 ) . Such a theoretical account respects learning to affect more than practical cognition and pr oficient accomplishment, instead it requires instructors to reflect on their pattern possibly pulling on their theoretical apprehension with a position to bettering and developing their instruction ( Moore 2004 ) . Menter et Al ( 2010:23 ) suggest that the demand for instructors to be involved in course of study development makes the construct of ‘the asking instructor ‘ a really relevant theoretical account. This theoretical account regards instructors ‘ professional expertness in lying non merely in the application of theoretical cognition, but besides in its coevals through action research, once more with the purpose to better their pattern ( Menter et al 2010:23 ) . These theoretical accounts would surely look to widen the construct of instructor professionalism beyond that of the sensed technicism of the ‘competent ‘ instructor. As such they may supply suited theoretical accounts for instructors who are involved in the choice of course of study content, puting an accent on instructors ‘ pedagogical expertness. However, if we turn to the 2nd construct, an apprehension of course of study content as a ‘selection of civilization ‘ ( Giroux 1980:228 ) , understanding teacher professionalism strictly in footings of pedagogical expertness may get down to look inadequate. Curriculum content as a choice of civilization In order to see the deductions of sing course of study as a choice of civilization it is necessary to find precisely what this means. Culture, in its broadest sense, may be regarded ‘as a whole manner of life ‘ , embracing all facets of society including the cognition, accomplishments and activities, such as athletics and ‘recreation ‘ , of that society ( Entwistle 1977:111 ) . As such, whatever is included in the course of study is a choice from the huge array of cognition, accomplishments, attitudes and activities which make up ‘culture ‘ . We must see so on what footing we choose what to include. If we regard instruction as being, in some manner, involved with ‘betterment ‘ , the facets of civilization we choose to include in a course of study must be those which we regard as being contributing to the ‘improvement of the person or group ‘ ( Entwistle 1977:111 ) . As such, cultural choice clearly implies a procedure of rating, separating between those things which we regard as ‘desirable or unwanted ‘ facets of civilization ( Entwistle 1977:110 ) . As White ( 2004a:3 ) argues that choice of content can merely sanely be carried out in relation to the purposes of the course of study, it would look just to propose that concerns about the choice of civilization could originate in relation to the overall purposes of the course of study and in relation to the standards by which facets of civilization are deemed worthy of inclusion. Concerns that rise in relation to the purposes of the course of study are possibly best exemplified by the unfavorable judgments of a course of study whose purpose is, for illustration to increase employability accomplishments. Those who regard cognition acquisition as holding value in its ain right would see such an instrumental attack to content choice as an poverty of instruction, restricting entree to many signifiers of civilization which may non hold direct instrumental value ( pulling on Carr et Al. 2006:17 ) . In this manner so, we can see that the choice of content is in some manner impacted upon by our beliefs about the intent of instruction. However, as has been discussed it the purposes of the CfE have been decided at a national degree, and as such possibly in world instructors have small function to play in choosing ‘desirable ‘ civilization. To a certain extent this may be true, and points once more to the ‘tension ‘ between answerability to the province, and instructors ‘ beliefs and professional opinions as to what is best ( Locke et al 2005 ) . Further, it would surely look just to propose that within the model, instructors do hold to do determinations as to what to learn in order to accomplish the ‘experiences and results ‘ . In this manner they must do opinions as to what is worthwhile, what they regard as of import or valuable cognition or accomplishments, or suited literature. It is possibly in relation to the rating as to the comparative worth of facets of civilization that the most complex issues originate. It is in sing the relationship between cognition and power that cultural choice becomes debatable. This becomes apparent when we draw on Bourdieu ‘s ( 1986:106 ) construct of ‘cultural capital ‘ . Bourdieu ( 1986:106 ) suggests that different signifiers of ‘culture ‘ are invested with value which can be drawn on for pecuniary addition, or an addition in societal position. If we consider this in footings of ‘knowledge ‘ as a signifier of civilization, so acquisition of certain signifiers of cognition by an person can be utilised in bring forthing income and increasing societal position. For illustration, geting specific biological and medical cognition can enable one to derive both the income and position conferred upon a physician. However, it is non merely the acquisition of the cognition per Se. which is valuable, but instead gaining institutional acknowledgment – in the signifier of an academic making – of possessing a peculi ar signifier of civilization ( Bourdieu 1986:110 ) . In this sense, certain signifiers of cognition, certain signifiers of civilization, have greater value by virtuousness of being ‘institutionalised ‘ in the signifier of a making ( Bourdieu 1986:109 ) . This would propose hence, that schools are involved in both the transportation of signifiers of civilization which enable an person to derive economic capital or societal position, but besides in some manner specify what signifiers of civilization are of value. Such an averment is supported by Giroux ‘s ( 1980:228 ) statement that the civilization that is selected to organize the course of study becomes ‘legitimised ‘ by the really fact of its inclusion in the course of study. Further as Moore ( 2004:61 ) points out, in choosing what to include, there is besides a determination as to what to except from the course of study. Moore ( 2004 ) suggests that through such a procedure the comparative value of different signifiers of civilization are communicated to students, with those things that are excluded regarded as unwanted. Some suggest that the footing on which such choice is carried out is based on ‘middle category ‘ values as to what should be regarde d as worthwhile ( Reay 2006 ) . An interesting illustration of such a claim is provided in Moore ‘s review of portraitures in movie of instructors who are regarded as ‘saviours and non-conformists ‘ ( Moore 2004:58 ) , such as ‘Ms Johnson ‘ in the movie Dangerous Minds. He argues that whilst the attack they take to instruction may be extraordinary, the content of that instruction is non. Moore ( 2004:58 ) contends that the cultural choice made by these instructors represents in-between category values and as such ‘may be read as lending to and corroborating societal and cultural prejudices ‘ ( p.58 ) It is in this sense that Young ( 2006:734 ) argues that ‘social involvements are ever involved in course of study design ‘ : those with the power to choose what is included in the course of study have, to an extent, the power to legalize certain signifiers of cognition and certain patterns. It is suggested that through this procedure of advancing and legalizing in-between category values schools are implicated in intrenching inequalities of societal category ( Reay 2006 ) . Such a claim requires closer consideration if we are to understand the possible connexion between cultural choice and societal justness. One manner in which it is suggested that this is the instance is that persons from a in-between category background have greater entree and exposure to the signifiers of cognition that are regarded as valuable by schools ( Reay 2006 ) . In this manner, Reay ( 2006 ) suggests, kids from in-between category backgrounds are at an advantage, able to pull on the cultural capital they already possess in order to execute good at schools, deriving institutionalized acknowledgment through academic makings, and therefore addition position in society. This would look to foreground a tenseness for those involved in choosing the content of a course of study. On the one manus, it is suggested that if schools do non supply the ‘high position cultural capital that academic and economic success requires ‘ so kids from working category backgrounds are potentially deprived of the ability to raise their societal position ( Anyon 2006:44 ) . However in making so, they are possibly complicit in reproducing prejudice as to what is regarded as legitimate and valuable cognition. Further, Young ( 2006 ) suggests that it is non sensible to see cultural choice as strictly a affair of enforcing the values of an elitist group, and that there is a legitimacy in sing some accomplishments, facets of cognition, and activities as more valuable than others. However, precisely how a instructor should make up one's mind what is worthwhile and what is non is non wholly clear. Possibly it can be based upon the ‘normative ‘ ( Entwistle 1977:111 ) , societal position as to what is worthwhile. However, this is debatable even if there is a clear consensus as to what is ‘worthwhile ‘ . As Carr ( 2003:72 ) argues, the most widespread beliefs are non needfully the ‘right ‘ beliefs. Aside from raising the complex philosophical inquiry as to what ‘right ‘ agencies, this raises the inquiry as to the societal function of teacher professionalism. Are they at that place to go through on the values that exit or should they be ‘transformative ‘ , ‘contributing to societal alteration ‘ ( Menter et al 2010:24 ) . It is from these observations upon the relationship between cultural choice and values, and the possible nexus to issues of societal justness, that it possibly seems unequal to understand instructors ‘ professionalism strictly in footings of practical accomplishments or even in footings of professional opinions based upon pedagogical cognition. Rather it would look to propose, as many ( e.g. Goodson 2003 ; Campbell 2003 ; Carr 2006 ) do, that as instruction is implicated in organizing scholars ‘ universe positions and values, it is inherently concerned with ethical considerations. These writers suggest that it is these ethical concerns and opinions that instructors have to do, that Markss learning out as a profession. Carr ( 2006:172 ) argues that whilst all businesss are in some manner concerned with ethical issues, these by and large play a ‘regulative ‘ function – they indicate criterions for good pattern. However he suggests that ethical considerations are ‘constitutive ‘ of learning. This is possibly more clear in Campbell ‘s ( 2008:604 ) averment that it is: ‘ †¦ disputing to extricate the moralss of learning from the really procedure, pattern and content of teachingaˆÂ ¦ ‘ This would look to propose that the determinations and actions made by instructors involve opinions as to what is right and incorrect non simply in a proficient sense, but instead in a moral sense. As it is suggested that ethical issues are inbuilt into the very nature of instruction, Campbell ( 2008:605 ) argues that ‘ethical codifications ‘ are deficient to turn to the issues faced by instructors. Rather she suggests that instructors requires an understanding by instructors of the complex moral issues they must turn to ( Campbell 2008:605 ) . Carr ( 2006:178 ) suggests that it is about instructors ‘taking moral issues and inquiries earnestly ‘ . It should be noted that this does non propose that instructors do non presently take moral and ethical considerations earnestly ; Campbell ( 2003:2 ) argues that many instructors are cognizant of the moral deductions of their opinions. However, Locke et Al. ( 2005:570 ) do suggest that when instructors are capable to high degrees of answerability it can take instructors ‘doing things right ‘ instead than ‘doing the right thing ‘ . Potentially, hence, the CfE ‘s focal point on greater liberty could supply greater flexibleness for instructors to do the determinations they regard to be ethically sound. At the same clip, by increasing instructors ‘ range for taking what to learn the ethical nature of instructor opinion possibly becomes even more outstanding. However, pulling upon the suggestion that the framing of instructor professionalism in policy is important to pattern, it would look of import that the ethical nature of professionalism is present in official discourse if instructors are to be afforded the clip and infinite to earnestly prosecute with these issues. The CfE may good be regarded as affording instructors greater liberty to do professional determinations as to what they teach. There besides appears to be acknowledgment ( e.g. Scots Government 2009a ) of the importance of instructors ‘ professional cognition and expertness. However, in sing the issues involved in choosing course of study content it seems just to reason that the professional function of instructors can non be framed strictly in footings of pedagogical cognition and expertness. Rather it would look that any consideration of teacher professionalism must earnestly see the ethical dimension of instruction.

When China Ruled the Seas essays

When China Ruled the Seas essays For nearly three decades in the early 15th century China was the most powerful force in the world. They had fine artisans who crafted the most beautiful, delicate porcelains and silks in the known world. They had the technologies of firepower, astronomy, and oceanic navigation. They had the belief that they were the center of the world, the Middle Kingdom, and that the Son of Heaven ruled them. But most importantly, they had the means to bring their influences and culture to the rest of the world: the treasure ships. These massive ocean-going junks, led by the eunuch Zheng He, launched China from a rich, expansive, yet introverted land, to the ruler of the Indian Ocean. Emissaries from as far away as Africa came to China to pay tribute to the Son of Heaven and acknowledge Chinas power. China was in a position to become the great colonizing nation of the world in a time when Europe was just awakening from the Dark Ages. In less than a century all of this was thrown away. Lou ise Levanthess book, When China Ruled the Seas, is an exploration of how and why China rose to this pinnacle of power through the fleet of treasure ships, and the reasons behind its sudden self-inflicted isolation from the rest of the world. From the time of Confucius in the sixth century until the late thirteen hundreds, most Chinese emperors were governed by the Confucian guidelines. Texts upon texts were written on the proper ways to conduct oneself according to Confucian ideals, and schools were founded in Confuciuss teachings. Confucianists had an exceedingly conservative view of trade, especially trade with foreigners. They thought that foreign trade and contact with the outside world were linked to . . . all that was wasteful and extravagant in the empire. A desire for contact with the outside world meant that China itself needed something from abroad and was therefore not strong and self-sufficie...

A History of Ancient Greek Physics

A History of Ancient Greek Physics In ancient times, the systematic study of fundamental natural laws was not a huge concern. The concern was staying alive. Science, as it existed at that time, consisted primarily of agriculture and, eventually, engineering to improve the daily lives of the growing societies. The sailing of a ship, for example, utilizes air drag, the same principle that keeps an airplane aloft. The ancients were able to figure out how to construct and operate sailing ships without precise rules for this principle. Looking to the Heavens and the Earth The ancients are known perhaps best for their astronomy, which continues to influence us heavily today. They regularly observed the heavens, which were believed to be a divine realm with the Earth at its center. It was certainly obvious to everyone that the sun, moon, and stars moved across the heaven in a regular pattern, and its unclear whether any documented thinker of the ancient world thought to question this geocentric viewpoint. Regardless, humans began identifying constellations in the heavens and used these signs of the Zodiac to define calendars and seasons. Mathematics developed first in the Middle East, though the precise origins vary depending upon which historian one talks to. It is almost certain that the origin of mathematics was for simple recordkeeping in commerce and government. Egypt made profound progress in the development of basic geometry, because of the need to clearly define farming territory following the annual flooding of the Nile. Geometry quickly found applications in astronomy, as well. Natural Philosophy in Ancient Greece As the Greek civilization arose, however, there came finally enough stability - despite the fact that there still frequent wars - for there to arise an intellectual aristocracy, an intelligentsia, that was able to devote itself to the systematic study of these matters. Euclid and Pythagoras are just a couple of the names that resonate through the ages in the development of mathematics from this period. In the physical sciences, there were also developments. Leucippus (5th century B.C.E.) refused to accept the ancient supernatural explanations of nature and proclaimed categorically that every event had a natural cause. His student, Democritus, went on to continue this concept. The two of them were proponents of a concept that all matter is comprised of tiny particles which were so small that they could not be broken up. These particles were called atoms, from a Greek word for indivisible. It would be two millennia before the atomistic views gained support and even longer before there was evidence to support the speculation. The Natural Philosophy of Aristotle While his mentor Plato (and  his  mentor, Socrates) were far more concerned with moral philosophy, Aristotles (384 - 322 B.C.E.) philosophy had more secular foundations. He promoted the concept that observation of physical phenomena could ultimately lead to the discovery of natural laws governing those phenomena, though unlike Leucippus and Democritus, Aristotle believed that these natural laws were, ultimately, divine in nature. His was a natural philosophy, an observational science based on reason but without experimentation. He has rightly been criticized for a lack of rigor (if not outright carelessness) in his observations. For one egregious example, he states that men have more teeth than women which is certainly not true. Still, it was a step in the right direction. The Motions of Objects One of Aristotles interests was the motion of objects: Why does a rock fall while smoke rises?Why does water flow downward while flames dance into the air?Why do the planets move across the sky? He explained this by saying that all matter is composed of five elements: FireEarthAirWaterAether (divine substance of the heavens) The four elements of this world interchange and relate to each other, while Aether was an entirely different type of substance. These worldly elements each had natural realms. For example, we exist where the Earth realm (the ground beneath our feet) meets the Air realm (the air all around us and up as high as we can see). The natural state of objects, to Aristotle, was at rest, in a location that was in balance with the elements of which they were composed. The motion of objects, therefore, was an attempt by the object to reach its natural state. A rock falls because the Earth realm is down. Water flows downward because its natural realm is beneath the Earth realm. Smoke rises because it is comprised of both Air and Fire, thus it tries to reach the high Fire realm, which is also why flames extend upward. There was no attempt by Aristotle to mathematically describe the reality that he observed. Though he formalized Logic, he considered mathematics and the natural world to be fundamentally unrelated. Mathematics was, in his view, concerned with unchanging objects that lacked reality, while his natural philosophy focused on changing objects with a reality of their own. More Natural Philosophy In addition to this work on the impetus, or motion, of objects, Aristotle did extensive studies in other areas: created a classification system, dividing animals with similar characteristics into genera.studied, in his work Meteorology, the nature not only of weather patterns but also geology and natural history.formalized the mathematical system called Logic.extensive philosophical work on the nature of mans relation to the divine, as well as ethical considerations Aristotles work was rediscovered by scholars in the Middle Ages and he was proclaimed the greatest thinker of the ancient world. His views became the philosophical foundation of the Catholic Church (in cases where it didnt directly contradict the Bible) and in centuries to come observations that did not conform to Aristotle were denounced as a heretic. It is one of the greatest ironies that such a proponent of observational science would be used to inhibit such work in the future. Archimedes of Syracuse Archimedes (287 - 212 B.C.E.) is best known for the classic story of how he discovered the principles of density and buoyancy while taking a bath, immediately causing him to run through the streets of Syracuse naked screaming Eureka! (which roughly translates to I have found it!). In addition, he is known for many other significant feats: outlined the mathematical principles of the lever, one of the oldest machinescreated elaborate pulley systems, reputedly having been able to move a full-size ship by pulling on a single ropedefined the concept of the center of gravitycreated the field of statics, using Greek geometry to find equilibrium states for objects that would be taxing for modern physicistsreputed to have built many inventions, including a water screw for irrigation and war machines that helped Syracuse against Rome in the First Punic War. He is attributed by some with inventing the odometer during this time, though that has not been proven. Perhaps Archimedes greatest achievement, however, was to reconcile Aristotles great error of separating mathematics and nature. As the first mathematical physicist, he showed that detailed mathematics could be applied with creativity and imagination for both theoretical and practical results. Hipparchus Hipparchus (190 - 120 B.C.E.) was born in Turkey, though he was a Greek. He is considered by many to be the greatest observational astronomer of ancient Greece. With trigonometric tables that he developed, he applied geometry rigorously to the study of astronomy and was able to predict solar eclipses. He also studied the motion of the sun and moon, calculating with greater precision than any before him their distance, size, and parallax. To aid him in this work, he improved many of the tools used in naked-eye observations of the time. The mathematics used indicates that Hipparchus may have studied Babylonian mathematics and been responsible for bringing some of that knowledge to Greece. Hipparchus is reputed to have written fourteen books, but the only direct work that remains was a commentary on a popular astronomical poem. Stories tell of Hipparchus having calculated the circumference of the Earth, but this is in some dispute. Ptolemy The last great astronomer of the ancient world was Claudius Ptolemaeus (known as Ptolemy to posterity). In the second century C.E., he wrote a summary of ancient astronomy (borrowed heavily from Hipparchus - this is our main source for knowledge of Hipparchus) which came to be known throughout Arabia as  Almagest  (the greatest). He formally outlined the geocentric model of the universe, describing a series of concentric circles and spheres upon which other planets moved. The combinations had to be exceedingly complicated to account for the observed motions, but his work was adequate enough that for fourteen centuries it was seen as the comprehensive statement on heavenly motion. With the fall of Rome, however, the stability that supports such innovation died out in the European world. Much of the knowledge obtained by the ancient world was lost during the Dark Ages. For example, of the 150 reputed Aristotelian works, only 30 exist today, and some of those are little more than lecture notes. In that age, the discovery of knowledge would lie to the East: to China and the Middle East.