Motorola China Experience Case Answers Essay Example

Motorola China Experience Case Answers Essay Case Study-Motorola China Experience 1. How should Motorola appropriately react to the emerging local brands, head-to-head competing or cooperating in some fields? Due to the large size of the Chinese cell phone market and its potential for long-term continual growth, competition for access to China’s consumer markets is intense. Competitive threats from Nokia, Siemens, Samsung, and local producers like TCL are a cause for concern within Motorola. However, eighty-four percent of Chinese consumers prefer foreign mobile phones to local models, with Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson being their favorite makers, according to a nation-wide survey conducted by the China Telecommunications Association and Eaglewings Public Relations. For this reason, Motorola’s biggest competition for cell phone supremacy would likely appear to come from foreign companies outside of China. China’s aforementioned government structure plays an interesting role in the assumption that foreign companies will maintain dominance. As is traditional, the socialist government hierarchy prefers for a majority of any industry to have local majority control. The government, which controls the operations of the service provider sector and is a dominant player in distribution channels as well, has the means to make this goal a reality – quickly. For this reason, Motorola must not only utilize shorter-term strategies to find a way to grow market share, but long-term change strategies to find a way to compete with government powered locally owned firms. The Ministry of Information Industry showed that Motorola had a leading market share of 28. % in the mobile phone industry as of April 2002. Competition Local Chinese Brands ? 3% Nokia ? 5% Siemens ? 47% Motorola ? 13 % Samsung ? 22% Others ? 10% Market Share of Chinese Cell Phone Market (as of 1st Quarter 2005) The cellular phone industry in China is going through the growth stage of the industry life cycle. As the countries market continues to grow rapidly, bar riers to entry are being lessened, as the government and its people want to assure the advancement of the industry. Overall the market is currently at around 180 million subscribers, number one in the world, with expectations of 300 million subscribers by 2003. We will write a custom essay sample on Motorola China Experience Case Answers specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Motorola China Experience Case Answers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Motorola China Experience Case Answers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This is currently only a 13. 9% penetration rate, which is lower than average, as compared with all other major cell phone markets. This early industry life cycle stage’s strong growth potential is what makes China such an attractive market for expansion. Emerging local brands Joint ventures and cooperation projects Motorola has 9 joint ventures in China, which produce cell phones, CDMA equipment, semiconductors and other high-tech products. ? Guangzhou Jinpeng Cellular System Co. , Ltd. ? Shanghai Motorola Telecom Products Co. ,Ltd. ? Beijing Huamin Smartcard System Manufacturing Co. ,Ltd. ? Hangzhou Eastcom Cellular Phone Co. Ltd. ? Leshan-Phoenix Semiconductor Co. ,Ltd. ? Huamin Smartcard System Co. ,Ltd. ? Hangzhou Eastcom Cellular Equipment Co. , Ltd. ? Shanghai Zhongmei Automotive Electronics Co. , Ltd. ? Motorola Qiangxin (Tianjin) IC Design Co. , Ltd.. Despite the increasing number of Chinese phones, foreign brands — Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Motorola (NYSE: MOT), Sams ung and Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) — still dominate the mobile phone market in the world’s fastest growing economy. According to CCID Consulting, the mentioned four handset maker’s account for more than 70% of all mobile phones sold in the first half of this year. During the first six months, around 248 million mobile phones have been produced in China, and the figure is expected to exceed half a billion till the year’s end. Speaking of numbers, it’s also important to repeat that there were over 480 million mobile phone users in China at the end of Q1 2007. If the growth continues with the expected rate — and every indicator goes in that direction — there will be more than 500 million mobile phone subscribers until the end of 2007. Market analysts attribute this success to the company’s brand reputation, flexible product strategy, and considerate after sales service. Motorola has positioned itself as a desired local product brand that provides optimal value throughout its relationship with customers. According to company sources, Motorola was successful in China due to its understanding of the market and the people and because of the strategies it adopted. However, analysts were skeptical about Motorolas success in China in the future on account of increasing competition from both local and foreign players in the mobile handset market, which was an important product segment for the company. Over the years, Motorola expanded its business in China to various segments, such as Personal Communication Sector (PCS), Global Telecom Solutions Sector (GTSS), Semiconductor Products Sector (SPS), Commercial, Government and Industrial Solutions Sector (CGISS), Broadcast Communications Sector (BCS) and Integrated Electronics Systems Sector (IESS) (Refer Table I for segment information). Along with expanding into a wide range of products, Motorola also focused on improving quality in its Chinese manufacturing units. In 1995, Motorola manufacturing plants got ISO9002,7 ISO140018 and QS9000 quality certification. 9 Over the years, Motorola concentrated on three product categories mobile phones, telecom network equipment and semiconductors 2. How would licensing manufacturing technology to Chinese manufacturers weaken Motorola’s core competency? Motorola’s Long-term Manufacturing Strategy in China 1. Motorola is firmly committed to investing, transferring technologies, and building local manufacturing and R capabilities in China, which will provide China with advanced communications solutions. 2. Motorola will continue its long-term plan to localize management in China and to develop and train outstanding local management. 3. Motorola will continue to work with local partners to create a comprehensive local supply chain. 4. Motorola will continue to promote joint ventures and cooperative projects with local partners to probe China’s new market opportunities as China is increasing integrate into the world market. In the near term, Motorola’s China strategy is to build China into world-class production and R bases, realize Seamless Mobility in China first and proactively carry out CSR. Motorola has been demonstrating its firm commitment to China through the years, which can be best reflected by the awards the company has received in recent years. The following are the major awards Motorola has won in China in 2006: The Success Recipe When Motorola entered China in the early 1990s, analysts were not very sure about its success due to increasing inflation and the unstable political environment. However, they did feel that China offered a vast market and was an attractive destination for MNCs. According to Motorola sources, Chinas vast market and low manufacturing costs were the factors that influenced their investment decision. Initially Motorola was wary about setting up manufacturing facilities in China and put up a makeshift plant in Tianjin to manufacture paging devices. However by 2003, Motorola was regarded as the most successful foreign company in China. There are two service providers for wireless access in the Chinese market: China Mobile, which provides 69% of service; China Unicom, which provides the remaining 31% of service. China United Telecommunications Co. , Ltd. was formed in 1994 under a government directive to break up the monopoly held by China Mobile. In May 2002, the old China Mobile was ordered by the government to break into two operating entities, where China mobile will retain the original corporate identity and operate in 21 provinces and municipalities in south China. Despite this apparent attempt by the government to strengthen competition in the market, both have strong government ties. These ties, and the duopoly created by this situation has caused for a lack of competition to lead to severe price imbalances for consumers. Because of their dominant positions it is imperative that cell phone distributors form alliance with these providers to enhance the distribution of their products. The retail distribution for the cell phone is severely fragmented, but consolidating with industry growth and expansion. As mentioned previously, because of its dominant position, China Mobile serves as a major distributor for cell phone technology producers. Major department stores and retail outlets (ex. Tristar) provide another key outlets for distribution. There is no one way to get products to consumers, as no one company has access to all of the markets in the nation, so providers must develop relationships with many types of outlets to gain market advantage. This is changing as the larger outlets and suppliers are buying up smaller retailers to consolidate their retail capabilities. Growth in China may not be huge in dollar terms, but it helps counter sales declines elsewhere, says Claudia D’Arpizio, a Bain partner in Milan. According to D’Arpizio, China’s luxury market is still modest when compared to Europe’s (which accounts for 38 percent of worldwide spending on luxury goods), South and North America’s (which accounts for 33 percent) and Japan’s (which accounts for 12 percent). Michael Ouyang, CEO of the World Luxury Association China Office,  said luxury brands have become an essential part of life for many Chinese and  estimates China will become the biggest consumer of luxury goods by 2015, accounting for at least 32 percent of the market. China has an estimated 300,000 millionaires and a 250-million strong middle class. When combined, these groups spend 40 billion yuan a year on luxuries, according to figures from accounting firm Ernst Young. As China grows, the consumption of luxury goods will not only be found in stores and in person – they’ll be found online and through mobile devices. Luxury brands need to develop long-term digital strategies that focus on e-commerce and m-commerce. And those strategies need to coincide with the brand’s long-term strategy for expansion and growth of retail locations in the cities’ brick and mortar stores. Licensing With the growing demand for cell phones and saturating markets for other consumer appliances, many Chinese consumer appliance companies also entered the mobile handset business thus increasing the competition for multinational companies such as Motorola. Motorola started feeling the heat by the early 2000s, when it saw its market share declining due to fierce competition in the Chinese mobile handset market. In order to increase its sales and market share, Motorola announced a new strategy in June 2002. Despite this, Motorola continued to lose its market share and analysts were skeptical about its continued dominance in the Chinese market The China telecom sector is witnessing plenty of competition nowadays, where excellent IT services management is becoming a critical advantage in the close competition, said Frank Zhou, General Manager of FrontRange China. Before deployment of our GoldMine solution, we analyzed the specific requirements and processes of the most successful enterprises like Motorola China, and finalized key elements in IT service management of these enterprises. We are sure the latest version of FrontRanges GoldMine can best manage customer relations with minimal operation costs, and help our customers in highly competitive markets. 3. Facing the expanding low-priced segment, how should Motorola, traditionally known as a brand for high-end mobile phones, position itself? By the end of October 2002, China became the largest cellular market in the world with a total number of 180 million cell phones in use. The number reached 220 million by the end of 2002. According to the data from China Mobile and China Unicom, the cumulative number of subscribers has increased by an annual rate of more than 50% from 1998 through 2002. The stereotyped image of cell phone owner â€Å"affluent boss† – has long faded. While this may describe one of the segments still targeted by cell phone manufacturers, today’s user symbolizes the blending of tastes, preferences and meanings associated with products crossing several demographics and psychographics boundaries. A discussion of the 4 market segments that defines today’s cell phone user follows. Heavy Users: They are successful entrepreneurs, businessmen/women, or professionals aged older than 30, with higher income. People in this segment view cell phones as a necessary tool for their jobs. Most of them are early adopters of mobile phone. It’s easy for them to stick to one brand because they are unwilling to spend time in getting used to new menus. Therefore, this segment is much more loyal in certain brands with reliable quality, compared to the other three segments. They are willing to pay extra money for high quality. Technology Enthusiasts: This segment is male dominated, highly educated, aged between 25 and 45. They are eager to try every hi-tech gadget, and always seek new cell phones with either cutting-edge technology embedded or unique functions. Consumers falling into this category are more likely to try some fantastic accessories connecting cell phone and other personal digital devices, such as laptop and PDA, as well as make advantage of the wide usage of cell phone like wireless access to the Internet. Fashion Seekers: Most consumers in this segment are young female aged 20 to 40 who love and can afford trendy apparel. They care more about the appearance of cell phone, such shape, size and color, than diversified functions. TV commercials featuring appropriate celebrities usually have a significant influence on the purchase behavior of this segment. Both this segment and Technology Enthusiasts have the propensity of changing their phones frequently. Therefore, products targeting these two segments have a relatively shorter life cycle. Social-Life Lovers: This is not a â€Å"richer† segment. Regarding demographics, these people are consumers with average income, either man or woman, without age limit. They like to make friends and care about their families. Cell phone is a perfect tool for them to keep in touch with both friends and family members. However, they may not be attracted to cell phones with comprehensive and sophisticated functions at relatively higher prices. People in these segments are much more price-sensitive than those in the above three segments. They’re usually patient to wait for sales promotions in order to get good deals. From this point of view, the profit margin of cell phones targeting this segment is the lowest in the four categories. However, with the increasing number of people owning a cell phone, this segment is expanding rapidly and makes more and more contribution to the growth of the entire market size. Covering all levels in mobile phone products, Motorola’s smart phones cover low-class, middle-class and high-class, with products prices from several hundred Yuan to six thousand Yuan. The fall in average prices allow smart phones to become the market mainstream, so Motorola’s lays its solid dominant position in middle-and low-end market. The low-end market of 2,000 Yuan and under phones is almost occupied by Motorola market share has improved slightly in 2008Q3, with its new middle-end products becoming popular among users. Motorola fifth largest brand in Chinas smart phone market. Consumers Motorola’s primary consumers can be broken down into four primary segments: ? Busy professionals for whom cell phones are a Heavy Users absolute requirement (high income). ? Primarily males 25 – 45, highly educated and Enthusiasts fascinated by the latest technologies. Accompli Fashion ? Young females 20 – 40. They tend to keep up with the latest trends and are fairly affluent. Seekers Social-Life ? Average income consumers, who love to socialize and make new friends. Family tends to Lovers be very important. Motorola’s Strategy Originally pursued a global marketing strategy in China. This strategy quickly met resistance and Motorola adjusted by changing to a more localized strategy. Localized strategy included: Adapting models and software to meet specified local demands. Sourcing through local suppliers. International mobile phone giants have suffered big market share declines in China, because the countrys two mobile operators, China Mobile Ltd. and China Unicom Ltd. , have collectively purchased more cell phones for rural locations and other emerging markets since the first half of 2007. They have purchased mainly low-end and mid-range handsets in which local brands enjoy comparative advantages. This has helped domestic handset manufacturers win a larger collective market share of 37. 5 percent, up from 25 percent in 2007. At the same time, Nokia and Samsung, major competitors of Motorola in China, have been trying to secure larger market shares. Nokia, with its advantages in product diversity, sales channels, product promotions and packaged sales, saw its first-quarter sales continue to increase and its market share reach 37. 4 percent. Samsung has invested substantially in the Chinese market in the past year by introducing more products, adjusting its product portfolio and pricing and distribution strategies, strengthening its marketing efforts and expanding its cooperation with mobile operators in customized handsets. As a result, its share of the Chinese market outpaced Motorolas by 6 percentage points in the first quarter of 2008. By contrast, Motorolas product portfolio is thinner. The company failed to introduce more innovations after it started marketing its hot-selling RAZR series handsets in August 2004. This has prevented the company from winning more customers, said Yang. Motorola only introduced 13 new mobile phone models in China in 2007, while Nokia introduced 55, the majority of which were low-end handsets. With an 80-year history of technological innovation and branding behind it, all Motorola needs is a rejuvenation plan. The company will start by launching more diversified products designed for Chi nese customers, Ren told the Beijing Morning Post. Motorola also has failed to introduce more handsets to cater to the Chinese market since the rollout of its MING handsets, a Linux-based smartphone, Ren said. The company came to realize that this has been one of the reasons for its unsatisfactory performance in China in the past two years, he added. Motorola launched a new model in its ROKR handset series-the ROKR E8-as a music phone, on April 30 and is about to debut seven or eight new models in China in the coming three months. 4. Is the company’s current branding strategy effective in penetrating this segment? †¢ If not, what kind of marketing strategy should Motorola follow? Motorola wants to be a purely Chinese company. We want to be more Chinese than local companies. Lai Bingrong, Senior Vice President Motorola Inc. President Motorola (China) Electronic Co. , Ltd. in 2000. China is one of our most important crucial markets and we are still the first and largest US business in operation there. Fred Harburg, President, Motorola University, in June 2002. There is a lot of trust on the Chinese side because Motorola has put a lot of investment into the country. Crag W atts, Analyst Norson Telecom Consulting, in January 2003 Five Point plan for winning branding strategy 1. Winning People Persistent enhancement of the management team and work environment. 2. Winning Financials Aggressive focus on strengthening the balance sheet and cash flow. . Winning with Customers Relentless pursuit of cost competitiveness, quality and customer satisfaction. 4. Winning Innovations Growth through profitable innovative products, systems, software and customer relationships. 5. Winning Strategies Continuously reassess and improve our business strategies and portfolio. Motorola follow this market strategy to penetrate in the market With increasing competition and declining market share, Motorola announced a new five-year 2+3+3 strategy, in June 2002. The new strategy was announced by Tim Chen (Chen) who took over as president of Motorola China in 2002. +3+3 strategy – 2: to turn China into both a global production base and a R base of Motorola – 3: An annual output value of US$10B, a total investment of US$10B in China, and US$10B purchasing of accessories and services from China – 3: To lay emphasis on the development of digital trunking, semiconductors, and broadband Utilized joint-venture partners to focus on its expertise in developing and distributing cell phone technology and products This strategy aimed at strengthening the companys position in China as it had become a strategically important market for Motorola. Analysts reported that while Motorola experienced declining sales in the other markets across the world, in China, its sales were on the rise. According to company sources, Chinas share in Motorolas global revenues was increasing over the years Growth in Subscriber: 350 million subscribers is only 13. 9% penetration! Motorola Optimistic about Chinas Market strategy Although Motorola, worlds second largest mobile phone supplier, reported US$206 million of deficits in first quarter, its China branch is still optimistic about Chinas market. Ning Suyong, manager of public affairs office of Motorola (China) Electronics said that Motorolas deficits in the first quarter were for a slowdown of American economy and global recession of mobile phone and semiconductor market, and high costs of Motorola mobile phones. Motorola is now undergoing business re adjustment, it is not very possible for it to see desired effect. Demand for mobile phone and semiconductors in China’s market are considerable which is quite different from that in America. Chinas market may boast 100 million mobile phones this year. Recently, Motorola developed T189 mobile phones; it will continue this year to tap GPRS (2. 5 G) market which will bring a great commercial opportunity. Motorola produces different types of mobile phones. So far, it has set up 18 R centers in China with total expenditure on research and development coming up to 1. 3 billion yuan. Its dedication to research and development in China has indicated the importance of Chinas market. Motorola still ranks No. 1 by its market share in China. Last year, Its China branchs sales volume topped US $ 4 billion. With exports up to US $ 1. 643 billion, it paid a total of 4. 6 billion yuan in taxes, topping all foreign investors in China. 5. What should Motorola do in order to effectively cut cost in developing a low-priced mobile phone? Motorola’s Strategy Originally pursued a global marketing strategy in China. This strategy quickly met resistance and Motorola adjusted by changing to a more localized strategy. Localized Low Priced strategy included: ? Adapting models and software to meet specified local demands. ? Sourcing through local suppliers. Motorola Introduces Dirt-Cheap Cell Phone For Developing Countries The handsets, wholesale-priced at under $30, are targeted for markets such as India, China, South Africa, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Thailand, the Philippines, and Yemen. Motorola introduced the new models at the 3GSM World Congress in Singapore when the GSM Association revealed the company had again won the tender to supply handsets to operators in emerging countries. The phones are targeted for markets as diverse as India, South Africa, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Thailand, the Philippines, and Yemen. To get below US$30 per handset is a milestone achievement,† said Craig Ehrlich, chairman of the GSM Association, the trade group for the world’s GSM mobile operators. â€Å"(This) cements the formation of a whole new market segment for the mobile industry and will bring the benefits of mobile communications to a huge swathe of people in developing countries. † The GSM Association fueled discussion about handsets for emerging markets earlier this year when it announced that the sub-$40 Motorola C114 phone had won its tender for an estimated 6 million ultra low-cost handsets from eight operators. At the time, the GSMA said it would have a follow-on bid in September in an effort to attract more handset makers and cover more emerging markets. Although other handset makers made bids, such as China’s TCL Alcatel (NYSE: ALU) Mobile Phones Ltd. , the GSM Association decided Motorola’s low-cost platform best fit the needs of difficult to reach emerging market users. Conway said important factors were after-sales support, local service, brand presence and a choice of low-cost handset models, including an exclusive product, the C113a. Motorola submitted two handsets in its proposal the C113 and the C113a, which was specifically designed for the Emerging Market Handset program. The C113a offers talk times of up to 450 minutes and up to 330 hours of standby, reducing the need for frequent recharging. Motorola recently developed plans to release the F3 model on the Local market, which sells for between US$30 and US$50. The product isn’t yet available on the Chinese market, mainly because Motorola isn’t sure if Chinese consumers will accept the super-slim handset. But at the same time, the Motorola â€Å"Ming† PDA Smart Phone, which was released by Motorola’s R center in China, has been very popular on the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and some other northern Asian regions. So popular, in fact, that it sold one million units in three months! Much of Motorola’s strength lies in the culture it has created. Technical innovations and open-mindedness are encouraged and, indeed, needed to ensure success. Motorola is willing to set up independent R institutions on the local market to support local demands. Like branches of other multinationals in China, Motorola’s facility is nothing special: employees compile programs in monotonous office blocks. Still, the company does have a few noticeable differences from other multinationals. One that immediately jumps out is its equal important status with the R center at Motorola’s headquarters. An exceedingly large number of multinational R institutions in China are focused on product localization based on their global platforms. Motorola, however, has taken a slightly different approach by unleashing its China R center and allowing it to operate independently. Knowing that consumer preference in the Chinese market is quite different from that in the U. S. market, Motorola started to localize its product development after the initial poor performance of pure â€Å"global† strategy. Now Motorola adapts its models to meet the specific demand from local markets rather than simply throw the current products into the market without any adjustment. The R center in China successfully developed software to show the menu in Chinese and input Chinese characters. In 1999, a combination PDA/phone, which was designed by Chinese engineers, was launched in China and spread to the US and European countries. Motorola’s localization strategy also includes local sourcing. The company takes initiative in establishing relationships with local suppliers. 7 years ago, 65% of components were imported, while 69% of components are purchased locally now. Local sourcing brings Motorola three major benefits: lowering manufacturing cost, reducing risks from currency fluctuation, and catering to Chinese government’s requirements. Motorola consists of three businesses low-priced model: Enterprise Mobility Solutions, Home Networks Mobility, and Mobile Devices. Enterprise Mobility Solutions This group includes the mission-critical communications offered by our government and public safety sectors and our enterprise mobility business. We design, manufacture, sell, install and service analog and digital two-way radio as well as voice and data communications products and systems. We deliver mobile computing, advanced data capture, wireless infrastructure and RFID solutions not only to clients in the public sector, but also to retail, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, healthcare, travel and transportation customers worldwide. Through innovative technology, we help people integrate, optimize and manage their networks to seamlessly stay connected as they move about their daily lives. Home Networks Mobility Operators today are being asked by their subscribers to deliver bandwidth-intensive, experience-based services — regardless of the network architecture. Motorola is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this trend, providing integrated, end-to-end systems that seamlessly and reliably enable uninterrupted access to digital entertainment, information and communications services over a variety of wired and wireless solutions. Motorola designs, manufactures, sells and services digital video system solutions and interactive set-top boxes; voice and data modems for digital subscriber line and cable networks; and, broadband access systems (including ellular infrastructure systems) for cable and satellite television operators, wireline carriers and wireless service providers. With these solutions, Motorola empowers consumers by connecting their homes — easily keeping contacts, content and services within reach. Mobile Devices As a pioneer in wireless communications, Motorola has transformed the cell phone into an icon of personal technology — an integral part of daily communications, data management and mobile entertainment. Motorola not only designs, manufactures, sells and services wireless handsets, but also licenses its vast portfolio of intellectual property. Our collection spans all cellular and wireless systems and includes integrated software applications as well as one a large complement of Bluetooth ®-enabled accessories. We offer customers innovative product designs that deliver must have experiences, such as mobile music and video — enabling seamless connectivity at work or at play.

How reliable is reliable enoug essays

How reliable is reliable enoug essays In the question at hand, the competing interests that affect the decisions being made are need, feasibility, and ethical standards. As far as need goes, if the market is operating on a system that is less safe and is not having any major problems, the need is not as great as it would be if there were a large demand for increases in safety standards. While there is always a need for safety, this need is only necessary to the extent that the product operates in a safe and reliable manner. If lives are being put at risk the extra error protection bit would be necessary, however it does not seem to put lives in immediate danger, therefore in unnecessary. It would hardly be a feasible decision to add the additional error detection bit from an economic standpoint due to the fact that apparently the cost will outweigh the benefits. This is a cost to both the manufacturer and the consumer, which would lead to high prices and in turn lessen their production and sales possibilities. It has been proven time and time again that in a competitive commercial market, peace of mind is not weighed more heavily than cost when it comes to purchasing and investments. Finally ethical standards must come into play any time you are dealing with the public health and safety. While it would be highly unethical to decrease safety specifications for the sake of cutbacks, as long as the product maintains a safety level that is at or above the current standard, it is an entirely ethical decision to dismiss the option of the extra bit. While the maker of an embedded system has a responsibility to make as safe of a system as possible, they also have a responsibility to make an affordable product. The buying public will be the major deciding factor in how safe a product can and will be. When safety sells, manufacturers will be much more inclined to produce a more expensive yet safe product. The purchasing public is the most widely eff...

Battle of Harpers Ferry During the American Civil War

Battle of Harpers Ferry During the American Civil War The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12-15, 1862, during the American Civil War (18611865). Background Following his victory at the Second Battle of Manassas in late August 1862, General Robert E. Lee elected to invade Maryland with the goals of resupplying the Army of Northern Virginia in enemy territory as well as inflicting a blow on Northern morale.   With Major General George B. McClellans Army of the Potomac mounting a leisurely pursuit, Lee split his command with Major Generals James Longstreet, J.E.B. Stuart, and D.H. Hill entering and remaining in Maryland while Major General Thomas Stonewall Jackson received orders to swing west then south to  secure Harpers Ferry.   The site of   John Browns 1859 raid, Harpers Ferry was situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and contained a Federal arsenal.   On low ground, the town was dominated by Bolivar Heights to the west, Maryland Heights to northeast, and Loudoun Heights to the southeast. Jackson Advances Crossing the Potomac north of Harpers Ferry with 11,500 men, Jackson intended to attack the town from the west.   To support his operations, Lee dispatched 8,000 men under Major General Lafayette McLaws and 3,400 men under Brigadier General John G. Walker to secure Maryland and Loudoun Heights respectively.   On September 11, Jacksons command approached Martinsburg while McLaws reached Brownsville approximately six miles northeast of Harpers Ferry.   To the southeast, Walkers men were delayed due to a failed attempt to destroy the aqueduct carrying the Chesapeake Ohio Canal over the Monocacy River.   Poor guides further slowed his advance. The Union Garrison As Lee moved north, he expected the Union garrisons at Winchester, Martinsburg, and Harpers Ferry to be withdrawn to prevent being cut off and captured.   While the first two fell back, Major General Henry W. Halleck, the Union general in chief, directed Colonel Dixon S. Miles to hold Harpers Ferry despite requests from McClellan for the troops there to join the Army of the Potomac.   Possessing around 14,000 largely inexperienced  men, Miles had been assigned to Harpers Ferry in disgrace after a court of inquiry found that he had been drunk during the First Battle of Bull Run the previous year.   A 38-year veteran of the US Army who had been brevetted for his role in the Siege of Fort Texas  during the Mexican-American War, Miles failed to understand the terrain around Harpers Ferry and concentrated his forces in the town and on Bolivar Heights.   Though perhaps the most important position, Maryland Heights was only garrisoned by around 1,600 men under Colonel Thomas H. Ford. The Confederates Attack On September 12, McLaws pushed forward Brigadier General Joseph Kershaws brigade.   Hampered by difficult terrain, his men moved along Elk Ridge to Maryland Heights  where they encountered Fords troops.   After some skirmishing, Kershaw elected to pause for the night.   At 6:30 AM the next morning, Kershaw resumed his advance with Brigadier General William Barksdales brigade in support on the left.   Twice assaulting the Union lines, the Confederates were beaten back with heavy losses.   Tactical command on Maryland Heights that morning devolved  to Colonel Eliakim Sherrill as Ford had taken  ill.   As the fighting continued, Sherrill fell when a bullet struck his cheek.   His loss shook his regiment, the  126th New York, which had only been in the army  three weeks.   This, coupled with an attack on their flank by Barksdale, caused the New Yorkers to break and flee to the rear. On the heights, Major Sylvester Hewitt rallied the remaining units and assumed a new position.   Despite this, he received orders from Ford at 3:30 PM to retreat back across the river even though 900 men from the 115th New York remained in reserve.   As McLaws men struggled to take Maryland Heights, Jackson and Walkers men arrived in the area.   In Harpers Ferry, Miles subordinates quickly realized that the garrison was surrounded and implored their commander to mount a counterattack on Maryland Heights.   Believing that holding Bolivar Heights was all that was necessary, Miles refused.   That night, he dispatched Captain Charles Russell and nine men from the 1st Maryland Cavalry to inform McClellan of the situation and that he could only hold out for forty-eight hours.   Receiving this message, the McClellan directed VI Corps to move to relieve the garrison and sent multiple  messages to Miles informing him that aid was coming.   These failed to arrive in time to inf luence events. The Garrison Falls The next day, Jackson commenced emplacing guns on Maryland Heights while Walker did the same on Loudoun.   While Lee and McClellan fought to the east at the ​​​Battle of South Mountain, Walkers guns opened fire on Miles positions around 1:00 PM.   Later that afternoon,  Jackson directed Major General A.P. Hill  to move along the west bank of the Shenandoah to threat Union left on Bolivar Heights.   As night fell, Union officers in Harpers Ferry knew that the end was approaching but remained unable to convince Miles to attack Maryland Heights.   Had they moved forward, they would have found the heights guarded by a single regiment as McLaws had withdrawn the bulk of his command to aid in blunting VI Corps advance at Cramptons Gap.   That night, against Miles wishes, Colonel Benjamin Davis led 1,400 cavalrymen in a breakout attempt.   Crossing the Potomac, they slipped around Maryland Heights and rode north.   In the course of their escape, they c aptured one of Longstreets reserve ordnance trains and escorted it north to Greencastle, PA. As dawn rose on September 15, Jackson had moved around 50 guns into position on the heights opposite Harpers Ferry.   Opening fire, his artillery struck Miles rear and flanks on Bolivar Heights and preparations commenced for an assault at 8:00 AM.   Believing the situation hopeless and unaware that relief was en route, Miles met with his brigade commanders  and made the decision to surrender.   This was met with some hostility from a number of his officers who demanded the opportunity to fight their way out.   After arguing with a captain from the 126th New York, Miles was struck in the leg by a Confederate shell.   Falling, he had so angered his subordinates that it initially proved difficult to find someone to carry him to the hospital.   Following Miles wounding, Union forces moved forward with the surrender. Aftermath The Battle of  Harpers Ferry saw the Confederates sustain 39 killed and  247 wounded  while Union losses totaled 44 killed, 173 wounded, and 12,419 captured.   In addition, 73 guns were lost.      The  capture of the Harpers  Ferry garrison represented the Union  Armys largest surrender of the  war and the US Armys largest until the fall of  Bataan in 1942.   Miles  died  from his wounds on September 16 and never  had to face the consequences for his performance.  Ã‚  Occupying the town, Jacksons men took possession of a large volume of Union  supplies and the arsenal.   Later that afternoon, he received urgent word from Lee to rejoin the main army at Sharpsburg.   Leaving Hills men to parole the Union prisoners, Jacksons troops marched north where they would play a key  role in the Battle of Antietam on September 17. Armies Commanders Union Colonel Dixon S. Milesapprox. 14,000 men Confederate Major General Thomas Stonewall Jacksonapprox. 21,000-26,000 men Selected Sources: Civil War Trust: Battle of Harpers FerryNational Park Service: Battle of Harpers FerryHistoryNet: Battle of Harpers Ferry

Individual report on the social marketing campaign (summative) and Essay

Individual report on the social marketing campaign (summative) and Group presentation on a social marketing campaign (summative - Essay Example Non smokers are also affected through passive smoking as they will be exposed to the risk of inhaling tobacco substances from the smokers. Thus, everyone has a responsibility to promote safe health among all the people. As such, this reflective report is primarily concerned with reviewing the following brief: â€Å"role of social marketing campaign in influencing behaviour change towards smoking.† The report seeks to critically discuss the main factors that can influence a successful social marketing campaign. In some instances, social marketing campaigns fail to achieve their objectives given that the marketers will overlook some of the important aspects that can lead to behaviour change towards smoking. Thus, the main weakness in the presentation of the brief above is that it did not meet the criteria of implementing a successful social marketing campaign and it is going to address the necessary procedures that can be taken in order to design and implement an effective commu nication campaign. Why social marketing? Social marketing is very effective in promoting behaviour change through the use of communication campaigns. ... gn is a purposive attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate behavioural changes in a well defined and large audience generally for non commercial benefits to the individuals and society at large by means of organised communication.† Tobacco smoke produces chemicals that can flow to every part of the body but the immediate effects of these chemicals may not be readily visible to the human eye in a short period of time which is the reason why some of the smokers end up developing what is termed cognitive dissonance. This is a situation whereby the smokers will find solace in the fact that they have been smoking for a long period but have never experienced illnesses related to this bad habit (Rice &Atkin 1989, as cited in McQuail 2000). However, the media play an important part since the campaign is intended to change the behaviour of the targeted audiences. In this particular case, there is need for the group to take into consideration the theories of communication and the media i n order to successfully implement the anti tobacco smoking campaign. For instance, the agenda setting theory in the media posits to the effect that the repeated conveyance of the message will be setting an agenda for the public (McQuail, 2000). In most cases, there is need for the marketers involved in the social marketing campaign to target the opinion leaders since these have greater influence on the behaviour of the targeted audiences. Individuals are more likely to be influenced by people who are similar to them while at the same time they will be perceived as more trustworthy than the strangers. Peer education which derives from this theory is effective in combating this particular problem whereby it can be noted that a particular group of targeted audience is likely to be influenced

Currency Overlay Techniques and Perspectives Essay

Currency Overlay Techniques and Perspectives - Essay Example What are the advantages and disadvantages, or more specifically, the risks and rewards, of several common currency overlay schemes? In â€Å"Mean/Variance Analysis of Currency Overlays† by Philippe Jorion, three of the four most common strategies are discussed and analyzed. These are 1) joint, or unit, currency management, its goal to optimize or hedge the entirety of the underlying assets, be they stocks, bonds, or currencies themselves; 2) partial optimization over the currencies, given a pre-determined position in the core portfolio; and 3) a separate optimization over currencies. In unit or joint hedging, it is assumed that â€Å"the manager has expertise in many asset classes and can structure a portfolio to account for correlations between assets and currencies,† (Jorion, 1994). Partial optimization manages currencies â€Å"separately from the core portfolio, but the manager still controls total portfolio risk.† Employing the method of separate optimization means to manage the currencies â€Å"completely independently of the rest of the portfolio,† even going so far as to measure their performance against a separate benchmark or hire a separate currency overlay manager to deal with this part of the portfolio as opposed to the equity manager. In the unit hedging approach, the tools work together to maximize the performance in light of the unique composition of the portfolio. Clearly, if done properly, this is the optimal approach.

Signs of Harm and Abuses Social Work Codes of Practice

Signs of Harm and Abuses Social Work Codes of Practice Allan Cochrane Introduction In this essay I will be looking at signs of harm and abuse, ways in which the individual may become vulnerable to abuse, legislation in relation to safeguarding and codes of practice in which we as social care workers must adhere to in order to safeguard an individual. Harm and abuse is something that unfortunately happens, but there are ways in which we can recognise the signs of children who are victim to this. Physical abuse can lead to neurological damage, injury, disfigurement, disability and in the most severe cases death. The possible signs of physical abuse could see someone with injuries that arent consistent with an explanation given for how they received them, injuries to the body in places which are not normally exposed to falls or rough play, injuries that have not received medical attention, bites, bruises, burns and fractures that do not have an accidental explanation, reluctance to change for or take part in, games and sports activities. The effects of sexual abuse could include behaviours such as self-harm, inappropriate sexual behaviour, depression, sadness, and a severe loss of self-esteem. The impact of this is believed to increase the longer the abuse continues. The possible signs of sexual abuse could be eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia, sexual activity through words or drawings, repeated urinary infections and stomach aches, severe sleep disturbances, allegations concerning sexual abuse, preoccupation of sexual matters and knowledge of adult sexual behaviour or engages in sexual play inappropriate for the childs age, the child is provocative or seductive towards adults. Neglect of a child can have an impact on health, social functioning, education, growth and development, relationships and more severely death. The possible signs of neglect could be hunger, tiredness, dirty clothes, clothes too big or too small or inappropriate for weather conditions, left to fend for themselves or left unsupervised, unkempt, dirty hair, dirty skin, bad odour, untreated illness, infected cuts (www.kirkleessafeguardingchildren.co.uk) There are many ways in which children can be vulnerable to abuse such as parental substance abuse, the child has poor communication skills, absence of supportive/structed living environment, family is isolated, family dysfunction, history of abuse in the family, family refuse professional help, witness to abuse or domestic violence, child has no support/rejected by parents or carers, family live in poverty, poor housing conditions, family have an unhealthy social network, parent/s suffer from depression/stress, parent/s unable to supervise child. In recent years, we have seen a rise in children being targeted online, in a report by the Herald, it is estimated that the number of indecent communications recorded under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 between adults and children under the age of 13 rose from 103 in 2013/14 to 165 in 2014/15. In 2010 when the legislation first came into force there were only 15 offences recorded by Police Scotland, under the legislation it is an o ffence for a person to send sexual written and verbal communication to a child. (www.heraldscotland.com/news/14569603.Rise_in_the_of_Scottish_sexual_predators_targeting_children_online/) The Children and Young Peoples (Scotland) Act 2014 is a current piece of legislation designed to safeguard our children and young people, the act focuses on the rights of the children and young people in Scotland-encourages Scottish ministers and public bodies to think about these rights and how they relate to their work, the wellbeing and getting it right for every child (GIRFEC)-by improving the way services work to support children, young people and families, early learning and childcare-to strengthen the role of early years support the childrens and families lives, getting it right for looked after children-to ensure better permanence planning for looked after children. The act will also strengthen existing legislation that effects children and young people by creating a new right to appeal a local authority decision to place a child in secure accommodation, and by making procedural changes in the areas childrens hearings support arrangements and school closures. (www.gov.scot/To pics/People/Young-People/legislation/proposed-bill) The SSSC is the regulator of the social service workforce in Scotland, their role is to protect the public by registering social service workers, setting standards for their work practice, conduct, training and education and by supporting their professional development. Where social service workers fall below these standards of practice and conduct, they will investigate and take action. Some of the duties and responsibilities set out by the SSSC to safeguard individuals are 3.3 follow practices and procedures designed to keep me and other people safe from violent and behaviour at work, 3.9 enable people who use services and carers to make complaints. Take complaints seriously and either respond to them or pass them to the appropriate person. Take appropriate action when there is an allegation of harm, 4.3 take necessary steps to the reduce the risks of people who use services harming themselves or other people (Scottish Social Services Council, codes of practice for social service w orkers) Conclusion My research has shown me the various ways in which harm and abuse is perpetrated on an individual and the signs that we can look for to prevent further abuse or harm taking place. It has also shown me government legislation in protecting individuals and codes of practice that social services worker must work to, to safeguard individuals in our care. Word count:Â  883 References http://www.kirkleessafeguardingchildren.co.uk accessed 12.02.17 http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14569603.Rise_in_the_of_Scottish_sexual_predators_targeting_children_online/ accessed 12.02.17 http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/legislation/proposed-bill accessed 14.02.17 http://www.cyps.org.uk/policy/children-young-people-scotland-act# accessed 14.02.17 Scottish Social Services Council, codes of practice for social service workers

English Literature, the Secret Life of Sir Walter Mitty-James Thurber

Secret Life of Walter Mitty- James Thurber By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan Author of: Language and writing, DSB Publication Thimphu Communicative English, P. K. Books, Calicut A perception on Literary Criticism, P. K. Books, Calicut   -A popular American writer, humourist and cartoonist. -A classical story. -Traditional realistic fiction. -A third person narration. Mixture of fantasy and realism. -Can be called a best example of magical realism. -Explores the concept of the â€Å"American Dream†. -Introduces an average American male namely Mr. Mitty. Average Americans try to escape from the world of reality and â€Å"try to live in the world of fantasy†. To make life a successful one, one should keep a balance between reality and fantasy. It is difficult to live always in the world of reality and also it will be impracticable to fly always from the world of reality and resort always there in fantasy.As Robert Frost said in h is eminent poem â€Å"Birches† one should be a swinger of the Birches therefore keep balance between reality and fantasy. Otherwise life will be painful and will be a total failure. Day dreams are equal to Mitty, Mitty escapes from his mundane life (dull and uninteresting) by resorting to elaborate fantasies. The name Walter Mitty has become synonymous for day dreams. Mitty becomes a symbol for a person who enriches his private life with dynamic day dreams while working or while listening to every day conversations. Story focuses on escapism from mundane life into the world of fantasies.The theme of success and failures in life is examined through Mitty? s inability to live an external life, which results in going back to an internal life full of dangers and heroism. -Stereotypical male and female roles. Mrs. Mitty appears as a practical woman (women are more practical than men in America). This aspect of women? s character is established in the story. Man has become weak ine ffectual and overly in aggressive. 1. Five day dreams of Mitty. 1. In the first day dream, which comes in the outset of the story Mitty is presented as the Pilot of US navy hydroplane. 2.In the Second day dream, Mitty is a wonderful doctor performing a serious surgery (appears as a world famous author of a medical book titled â€Å"Streptothricosis†). -An expert mechanic to solve any problem within no time. -Even not worried when he hears from the team of doctors that „A coreopsis? is formed on Mr. McMillan the patient. 3. In the third day dream Mitty is presented as a sharp shooter, a cool assassin, a convict who faces a great trail. 4. In the fourth day dream, Mitty is presented as a Royal Air force pilot -volunteering for a suicide mission to the ammunition dump and proudly says ?We have only one life?. 5 In the fifth day dream, Mitty is presented as an eminent soldier fearlessly facing a firing squad –inscrutable, disdain and proud to the last. 2. -Five trigg ers that stimulate Mr. Mitty. 1. Mitty? s speed of the car above 55 km/phr. 2. Mrs. Mitty? s reference about Dr. Renshaw; hospital, Mrs. Mitty? s enquiry about „? gloves. 3. Newspaper boy shouting at the top of his voice about the water Bury trail. 4. â€Å"Liberty† magazine with glossy pictures of war. 5. Smoke goes up from the cigarette. 3. Mitty brought back into reality by1. His wife? s timely intervene when Mr.Mitty was driving his car above 55km/phr speed (Mitty was in hydroplane). 2. Parking -lot attendant warns Mitty when he is driving his car in wrong lane (Mitty was imagining he is a great doctor). 3. Sudden remembrance of â€Å"Puppy biscuits† (Mitty was in the imaginary scene of trail). 4. Mitty is brought back by his wife (Mitty imagines that he is a member of a suicide squad). Mitty with his wings of fantasy moves in the realms of fantasy-story ends here, story begins and ends in fantasy, so Mitty appears as an unchanged character. By P. Baburaj, Se nior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, BhutanMitty is presented as an ineffectual person criticized and rebuked by others, he feels he is insulted by his inability to do things properly. His Failures in everyday life is just opposed by the extraordinary successes he plays out in his world of fantasy. His failure in real life and success in the world of fantasy are closely connected with gender role (sex roles) in modern America. The story reveals the lack of opportunities for men to perform meaningful, heroic actions in modern, suburban, middle class America. Men in modern America become weak and ineffectual in front of overly aggressive women.By the characterization of Mitty, James Thurber tries to criticize and mock the modern western ladies who dominate their husband in every walk of life. MITTY IN FANTASY v/sMitty in the world of reality. -He is a hero /heroic in action -Noble in action -Imaginative – An escapist -Man of forgetfulness – Weak/meek. -A s uperman /An extreme risk taker. -He always feels inferior. – Lacks competency -A man of decision. – Dependent. -A resourceful person. – feels sorry for everything. -Absent minded. -Giving orders. -Man of indecision waiting for orders. -Aware everything. -Even unable to park a car properly/chain properly. poor memory. -Not practical -Independent/ Never listens to others -Never mind the consequence. By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan . -Powerful in flying Hydroplane. -Great author. – a great mechanic finds out fault within no time. -Bold in admitting. -Man of truthfulness. -A patriot ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of his country. -The theme of success and failure in life is evaluated through Mitty? s inability to live a successful material life, which results him to retreat to a life of fantasy full of images of conquests. Mitty is portrayed as an unaffected rebuked by others –He feels insulted by hi s inability to do things properly. -The failure of his everyday life is just opposed by the extraordinary success he plays in his fantasy life. -In reality Mitty is a man of poor or limited achievement. Mrs. Mitty -Always bully her husband. -Dominating wife. -Worried about Mitty? s health and even notices the small changes. -Always appear as an adviser. -Responsible wife. -Aggressive and short tempered. -Behaves in a rough and merciless manner. Climax -no climax, or no particular climax. since story presents with a story within the story no clear beginning or end. By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan -action slowly rises and slowly falls throughout. -no change in Mitty? s character. -Mrs. Mitty is Mr. Mitty? s link to reality. She helps Mitty to avoid losing his grasp of everyday life. -Mitty? s day dreams are harmless but when he awakens he finds himself in anawkward position and finds difficulty to adjust with the reality. Conflicts Internal -Mitty in the real world V/s Mitty in the world of fantasy. External -Mitty v/s his wife. Mitty v/s society (especially his struggles to follow conventional social norms). Fantasy: -eightengined hydroplane is used in the first fantasy by Mitty. In utmost care of class 12 by P Baburaj -in thefirst fantasy ,Mrs. Mitty complains about the speed of the car. -crew members expressesMitty as great and brave and not afraid of hell (death). -Car was in 55km/hr speed. I -Mrs. Mitty went to do her hair done during Mitty? s second fantasy. -patient in second fantasy- Millionaire Wellington McMillan, the great Banker and friend of Roosevelt, famous American president. -team of doctors headed by Dr. Mitty –Dr.Renshaw, Dr. Benbow, Dr. Remington, and Dr. Pritchard Mitford. -Dr. Pritchard Mitford appreciates Mitty for his book on Streptothricosis. -Mitty puts a fountain pen instead of a faulty piston in order to repair the anaesthetizer. – Webley-Vickcrs 50-80 –the brand name of Mitty? s gun in the third fantasy. By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan Meanings -Mitty- means –an ordinary, often an ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic day dream of personal triumphs. -Walt- someone who has aspiration to become a soldier, but posses none of the necessary personal qualities. Cocky- to be proud of one self. -A&P- name of a chain of grocery stores. Aupres de Ma Blonde- a song popular among the soldiers in world war I. -Cannonading –continuous firing of cannons. – Carburundum –a trade mark of abrasive chemical not something Mitty would actually need. -Obstreosis of the dual tract; meaningless medical Jargon invented by Mitty. -Streptothricosis- a sore on the skin, title of Mitty? s Book, medical Jargon misused by Mitty. -Overshoes –the shoes worn over another for protection. â€Å"I am going to take your temperature Mrs.Mitty implies that she is going to give a lesson after reaching h ome-this shows that Mrs. Mitty is a dominating and all powerful wife taking control over Mr. Mitty. -„To hell with the handkerchief ? -the courage of Mitty even in the face of great danger, he is powerful enough to face any firing squad without covering his face with his handkerchief. -Inscrutable to the last-it means in this context the mysterious nature of Mr. Mitty, real meaning is- it cannot be understood or known fully till the end. By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan *********************