The Five Functions of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Five Functions of Management - Essay Example According to Denhardt and Vinzant (2008), there are five functions of managers in any organization that must be undertaken effectively to ensure successive growth of any organization. The manager must perform the functions of planning, organizing, commanding, reporting and budgeting functions in an organization. These activities are the real meaning of management. They must be performed if enterprises are to achieve any meaningful growth in terms of revenue collection. At the place of work, the manager in his duty of planning makes sure that the organization moves on into the future effectively, the manager is also well organized. To the manager, planning is a full time event. He makes plans for the whole organization while other managers prepare plans for the departments they are in direct control of. In my organization, planning is one managerial function that is often easy to overlook. Some managers often get held up in the hectic pace of conversations, meetings, and deadlines; they therefore neglect their management duties. However, the most effective managers at the work place are aware of the time they take in carrying out planning activities, whether for the business or for their selves. Good planning practices by the general manager pay rich dividends to the organization. Planning is closely linked to the process of making decisions in the organization. The manager gets involved in any aspect of managerial work that cuts across several othe r areas (Koontz & Weihrich, 2006).... In any work place, planning is the primary function of the manager. All other duties come after planning since the manager first plans before he reacts. The manager determines in advance, the objectives and goals and coming up with a course of action in achieving the set objectives. To the manger, planning involves, looking ahead and deciding what is to be done, when and where it is to be undertaken (Randhawa, 2007). On his duty of organizing, the manager performs several other duties including the division of the organization into different departments, drafting levels in the organization’s hierarchy as well as making decisions on those responsible for certain areas and who to report to incase there are problems. At the work place, especially in specific departments or division, organizing involves the task of defining specific positions and jobs. Themanager does the duties of designing the job. However, the assignment of individuals to such positions involves the staffing ra ther than the organizing function of the manager (Randhawa, 2007). On staffing, the manager performs functions of recruiting, training and developing the skill of the new employees to the organization. Staffing functions are normally described as personnel management or in most cases, hum resources management. Tasks such as hiring, training and firing are examples of the of the staffing or personnel function that the manager undertakes at the work place. The manager, when dealing with employees, employs important communication skills and motivation as well as the capability to make informed choices about whom to recruit or hire into the organization (Rao, 1999). Further, the manager in ensuring the smooth running of the organization performs the functions of directing. Directing is the

Analyzing an Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing an Argument - Essay Example Kowinski’s main argument is that leaving your children at the mall is not all that bad. It does provide a type of structure that in its own way replaces life at home and is needed by teenagers. In fact many teens prefer the mall over their own home life. It is a common denominator for the majority of teenagers all over the country (Kowinski, pg). Despite this preference the mall does provide many experiences that are important in a teenager’s life. The article does not insist that Kowinski’s opinion is the be all and end all on the situation. He calmly states examples and explanations for teenager’s behavior. He presents many perspectives on the topic of teenagers and malls and ultimately lets the reader make their own decision. It is interesting to note that despite the fact most teenagers like to hang out at the mall, malls were not originally designed for this purpose. A study was done by the International Council of shopping centers that stated even though teenagers act out in malls, they ultimately do not act out as badly as students who don’t frequent malls (Kowinski, pg). There are consequences to behavior at the mall as there is a level of supervision in the form of management and security. Ultimately malls want teenagers because they learn to value what shopping centers want, consumers. People who find value in owning the coolest and newest gadgets or styles. Malls are training teenagers to be sho ppers. This lesson on consumption can be considered as both positive and negative. Kowinski refers to a psychologist, Dr. David Elkand, a writer, Karen Lansky, CBS report, and Laurence Steinberg of the University of California at Irving on their opinions of teenagers growing up in malls. These sources may not be leaders in the field of sociology or consumer studies but they have a good deal of knowledge on the subject and raise some interesting points. Karen Lansky agrees that malls do substitute and provide some

The New Proposition To Customers Marketing Essay

The New Proposition To Customers Marketing Essay Strategic CRM focuses on the development of a customer-centric business culture. This culture is dedicated to winning and keeping customers by creating and delivering value better than competitors (Buttle, 2009, p.5). The culture is reflected in: Leadership behaviors Design of formal systems of the company (who reports to whom) Myths and other stories that are created within the firm Product-oriented One assumes that consumers choose products with the best quality, performance, design or features. Isaac Andik introduced a new concept characterized by fashion, design, image and a good price-to-quality ration. The companys goal is to dress a young, urban clientele in high quality on the latest trends clothes, at an affordable price. The main reason for the companys success is the satisfaction and loyalty its customers. Exclusive quality control at all stages of the production chain allows the company to assure certain quality standards and consequently customer satisfaction. Production-oriented Mango deals with the whole production process starting from the products design to the reaching the end customers. This process includes designing, manufacturing, distribution and commercialization. In order to keep operating costs low and develop low-cost routs to the market, Mango itself does not manufacture its products; it makes samples and prototypes and then subcontracts to suppliers-manufactures. Collections are mainly produced in China (approximately 45%), Morocco (23%) and in other countries as Turkey, Vietnam or India. Mango launches a total of 4 collections annually. Mango now reduces its products prices by 20%, in order to maintain their market position during the economic instability. Sales-orientated Mango invests in advertising, sales promotion, Public Relation and the social media in order to attract new or current consumers and persuade them to buy. Marketing expenses of Mango are reaching 4 % of the turnover, whereas the main competitor Zara spends only 0,3% of total turnover on marketing. Customer/market-oriented A customer or market-oriented company uses information from its customer and competitor to develop better value proposition. To be up-to-date with the marketplace and customer preferences Mango owns a product distribution department that is responsible for collecting the data from customer and competitor profiles. As a result it defines the most appropriate product that adapts to customer requirements and competitive conditions. One of the most essential leading factors of Mango is putting the customers need and wants at first. The most significant sustainability aspects of Mango are: New proposition to customers According to the Fashionmag (FMAG, 2011), Mango starts a large-scale project, such as Mango City in LicadAmunt that is held by the Catalan brand. This project will take nearly five year to complete and starts mid-February. The centre will consist of 333,000 square meters, where 280,000 assign for companies, 60,000 for service sector and remaining 10,000 for outlet area. In addition Mango had already invested 45 million euros on totally automated logistic center of 24,000 square meters that opened in November 2008. Due to The Hangar that is located near the head office helped the company to triple the previous distribution capacity. Innovations are always present in MANGO. One of the upcoming strategies is launching mens collections (HE by Mango). It is a limited edition (Mango VIP) and by this Mango attracts a new target market and thereby increases profits. The question that arises is whether it is possible to launch an exclusive collection with increased prices while the economy stagnates. However it is still unclear whether or not this collection will attract male customers. Loyal to original Mango exhibits clothes in comfortable stores-boutiques that are part of an international chain. Further the company wants to represent the mindset of a boutique. In order to achieve this goal, own teams of window-dressers, coordinators and supervisors travel around to ensure that all stores (own and franchises) sell the same atmosphere and image. The companys objectives are to dress a young, urban clientele in high quality clothes of latest trends, at an affordable price. The mission is To be present in all the cities of the world. Due to this mission statement Mango managed to open 1200 stores (both franchises and their own) around the world at the rate of three per week (Ceeman, 2009). By the end of 2007 Mango generated profits of 1,020 million Euros out of which exports make up 76%. At that time Mango was employing 7,786 employees (1,850 of which worked in head office). Environmentally friendly The retail engine software of Mango is completely automatic and allows to manage design, supply, manufacture, sales and after sale. The document delivery, control, space reservation and transport management can be done through the IT platforms. Firstly, these innovations help Mango reducing environmental pollution and delivery time. They are fast in use and also speed up distribution of products. Secondly, they reduce the transport costs and finally reduce the infrastructure costs, as the company is growing worldwide. Corruption Mango is against corruption and ready to fight it in all forms, including extortion and bribery. CRM strategy The CRM strategy is a sophisticated action plan that aligns people, processes and technology to achieve customer-related goals (Buttle, 2009, p.65). In order to analyze the current use of customer relationship management strategy the following points should be identified. Situation Analysis Target market Mango mainly serves one specific market segment. The only customer services Mango provides are advices, suggestions, complains and obtaining customers points for improvements. The service is directly provided in the store by specially trained sales personnel. Customer turnover In 2010 Mango has achieved 301 million euro as a domestic turnover and 1.284 billion euro as international one. Customer satisfaction In 2010 a total of 100,157 requests were handled, where 1% was Fax/Letter, 4% Via chat, 32% Telephone calls, 63% E-mail/Website. The sources of this data are consumers, stores, the head office, staff, etc. The main topics were 1% Suggestions, 1% Congratulations, 19% Complaints and 79% Request for Information (MANGO, 2010). Market share Mango is the second-largest exporter in the textile sector. Within Spain Mango has more than 2,000 stores. Moreover the franchise spreads over 140 countries with 10,000 employees working worldwide. The market share of MANGO is 2.6% whereas Zara has 9.8% and HM got 3.2%. Market Offerings The main competitors of Mango are Zara and HM. Due to different style/design offerings every company is having its own success. Channels (direct/indirect channels of distribution) As mentioned before Mango deals with the whole process starting from the products design to reaching the end customers. This process includes designing, manufacturing, distribution and commercialization. Mango itself does not manufacture its products, it makes samples and prototypes and then subcontracts external manufactures. Thereby Mango uses indirect channel distribution, since it does not provide products directly to the consumers. However Mango offers online services. Customers can order directly from the website. Thus the company sells directly by placing huge orders. Cross-sell Up-sell Mango is cross-sell, as it is cloth fashion industry. Up-sell is the sale of one product followed by an active offering of the additional one to the consumer. In contrast to this cross-sell is selling similar or related products to the same clientele. Mango offers over 2,500 styles every season. Furthermore clothes designs slightly differ in order to even more satisfied the customers with the purchase. Thereby Mango uses cross-sell where customer can choose the type, design and the cloth style in a more or less individual manner. Since 2004 Mango had implemented a new direct delivery logistics system that allows products made by suppliers be directly distributed to the stores. It does not require delivery thought the distribution center in Barcelona. Such cross-docking procedure has increased production by 30% in 2007. CRM Priorities Goal Mango requires a CRM strategy in order to reach goals such as cost reduction, revenue enhance and increased customer loyalty/satisfaction. Cost reduction Reduce marketing costs Increase supplier loyalty Increase profit margin Reduce cost of sales Revenue enhance Improve lead quality and conversation Increase acquisition of new customers Increase marketing responses rates Acquire new customers Increase sales revenue Loyalty, Satisfaction Increase customer loyalty Increase customer retention Increase customer satisfaction The overall CRM project has low costs and can result in quick wins, fast returns and if possible with the long-term priorities. Strategic benefits Mango can implement its CRM strategy by developing and improving a customer/market-oriented strategy. As a result the company will be able to provide better customer experiences, improve information flow among the business silos and customer service. Current CRM systems use E-Commerce Catalog Web Storefront Inventory Information Product Information Management Business Process Management Customer Service Community Management Contact Center/Call Center Q/A, Monitoring E-Mail Response Unified Communications Sales Sales Configuration Pricing Management Order Management Lead Management Marketing E-marketing Marketing Resources Management Analytics In-Line, Event Driven Sales, Service, Web Personal Productivity Operational CRM Operational CRM automates and improves customer-facing and customer-supporting business processes (Buttle, 2009, p.7). The main tools of operational CRM are software applications. The software enables Mango to automate marketing, selling and service functions. Marketing automation Marketing automation applies technology which allow marketers to analyze the customer-related data in order to develop, execute and evaluate targeted communications. Event-based/Trigger Marketing Mango arranges seasonal sales for the customers in summer and winter holidays. Seasonal sale is used in order to attract more customers during these periods. Two times annually Mango sets up fashion shows and also runes competitions for young clothing designers around the world. The winners are promised to win a price of 300,000 Euro and the prestige of the collection being sold in mangos stores (Ceeman, 2009). Multichannel Environment In 2011 Mango was able to increase its turnover by 11% and announced plans to expand in 2012. Mango was focusing mainly on Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia including Sri Lanka and Cambodia. During that year Mango opened 644 new stores and planned to open new retail outlets 80 in China and 30 in Russia(FMAG, 2012). In order to be on track with all the new changes of the fashion world, Mango invites and cooperates with famous personalities. Mangos idea is to connect the collection with a famous person such as Naomi Campbell or Claudia Schiffer. Some of the models tried their designing skills in Mango collections such as Mila Jovivich and Penelope Cruz. Mango invites famous faces, models and actors to take part in the marketing campaigns. Further the aim is to create intangible extra glamour, beauty and a connection with the celebrities. Sale-force automation Sale-force automation software enables companies to automatically assign leads and track opportunities of selling activities. In order to maintain a constant flow of communication with different media, Mangos press office supplies all information that is needed. For instance in 2010 a total of 200 press communications were carried out and 90 media interviews had taken place (MANGO, 2010). Mango has a centralized organizational structure that means that it avoids investments in facilities and warehouses and has one central office in Barcelona. Due to this fact Mango is strongly committed to the development of new technology platforms that help to be on track with all the selling points, manufacturers and franchises around the world. By using new technology Mango can manage, make decisions and communicate very easily. The retail engine of Mango completely automatic and allows to manage design, supply, manufacture, sale and after sale. With the help of Internet and special software Mango connects with stores and gets constant information on the stock held by each store. Through the computer applications the head office can adjust changes to their franchises. The stock transfers and replacements can be done daily among the stores. The document delivery, control, space reservation and transport management can be done through the IT platforms. These innovations are helping Mango in firstly, reducing delivery time and are fast in use and also speed up distribution of products. Secondly, they reduce the transport costs and thirdly reduce the infrastructure costs, as the company is growing worldwide. In addition Mango also rolled out a system based on a B2E (Business to Employee) portal that helped improving their internal business processes. Mango uses and services its own IT department. The team consists of 200 telecommunication engineers who are responsible for innovations that are being used on a daily basis. The IT platforms are improved or changed every 2 to 3 months by both the top executives and IT department. Service Automation Service automation allows to manage its service operations through the call center, web or face-to-face (Buttle, 2009, p.9). Stores It is in the organizational priorities to provide service to customers. Every store provides advices, suggestions to consumers and is also open to consumers complaints, suggestions and opinions. Mango can therefore more efficiently adapt to the wishes of its customers. The customer service is directly provided to consumers by well-trained personnel. The employees of Mango are ready to face challenges in offering an excellent service to the customers and find the solution to their needs and wants. Central offices Central offices include specialized customer service that is ready to respond and cooperate with any enquiry issues. The customer service is offered in five different languages such as Spanish, English, French, German and Catalan. In 2010 the total of 100,157 requests were handled, where 1% was Fax/Letter, 4% Via chat, 32% Telephone calls, 63% E-mail/Website. The sources of these varied direct from consumers, from stores, from head office staff, etc. The main topics were 1%Suggestions, 1% Congratulations, 19% Complaints and 79% Request for Information (MANGO, 2010). Analytical CRM Analytical Customer Relationship Management (CRM) focuses on capturing, storing, extracting, integrating, processing, interpreting, distributing, using and reporting customer-related data in order to enhance customer and company value (Buttle, 2009, p. 11). Mango currently does not keep track of the customers, as other companies do. At first Mango was only distributing one product line of classic female clothes. As mentioned earlier they have opened a new line of HE, which is a male clothes line. They do not use different approaches and systems to analyze customer behavior, but they have established a successful operational and strategic campaign to win more customers and keep the companys identity within them. Competitors ZARA The biggest competitor of Mango is the Spanish retailer Zara. The current largest retail exporter in Spain dominates the retail market. This success comes from different business decisions made. Zara was founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalà ­aMera. It was the first chain store of the holding company Indetex group. The international break-through was going rapidly in the 80s and soon Zara became a pioneer in the affordable fashion industry. Today the brand has a total of 1,671 chain stores all over the world. What makes Zara distinctive is that until now the no commercial policy is still applicable. The manufacturing and distribution of the products is also unusual. Zara designs, manufactures and distributes its products unlike most retail stores for example Mango. Management autonomy Chain stores have usual little autonomy in deciding which products to display or to put on sale. However the Zara chain stores are given the opportunity to decide themselves which products to display or even put on sale. The headquarters can then ship the quantity of the products demanded. The shop managers of each facility are deliberately chosen for their business knowledge. Because of this autonomy each chain store has a unique product assortment. CRM strategy The customer relationship management of Zara uses the Infor ERP software system. This system creates growth and loyalty through continuous customer dialogue. The Infor software system is chosen because it increases the chances of customer retention, increasing revenue, building loyalty and improving the chances of making new offers. The Infors ERP software system stands for enterprise resource planning. The usage of internet is required for several programs for example: e-business systems. This software has the following characteristics: An integrated system that operates in real time (or next to real time), without relying on periodic updates A common database, which supports all applications. A consistent look and feel throughout each module. Installation of the system without elaborate application/data integration by the Information Technology (IT) department The information Technology department uses IT- implementation and models to collect a large database of made sales. Zara uses the database information for customer profiling and analyzing the purchasing patterns of customers to target more accurately. The sales data are copied and given to the headquarter. Each terminal of each outlet has a floppy disk where all the sales data are saved. With the help of statistical calculation the IT department can also determine the average customer visit during a year. The outcome was that an average Zara customer visits the store on average 17 times a year in comparison of  ¾ of the customers of competitors. The purchasing patterns of customers can fluctuate and their demands. The purchasing department can quickly respond because of the customer tracking. Zara makes also usage of the Geographic information System (GIS). This system gives multiple access from varied geographical locations simultaneously. Conclusion Zara uses all these customer relationship management tools to gain competitive advantages over competitors. Considering all the different elements it can be concluding that the CRM strategy review is positive. These implementations had been introduced years ago and the results are still influencing the profit. HM Another direct competitor is HennesMauritz (HM). The company was founded by ErlingPersson in 1947. The company expanded their offers in 1960 by adding menswear. HM is the second largest global retailer. The brand owns 2629 outlets worldwide. Just like Zara HM is known for its fast-fashion clothing for women, men, teenagers and children. Customer experience HM makes usage of loyalty cards and a customer club to enhance the customer experience. Every customer can get a loyalty card and over an amount of time a certain discount can be earned. The company also launched a recent mobile marketing campaign that include SMS coupons and advertisement of sales as add banner. Customers can also win a free gift card with a mobile competition. CRM strategy HM uses collaborative customer relationship management to fulfill the customers demand. The company collaborates with several freelance designers to create a wide assortment. HM also uses analytical CRM by collecting customer related data. A few examples are the web shop and ordering a catalogue. Contact information is gathered and saved in databases. In case of sale customers get a notice or receive a new catalogue with the discounts. Collaborative CRM The collaborative part of CRM is used to describe the strategic and tactical arrangement of separate departments of a company, to attract, interact and develop the customer service. Collaboration ensures that people, processes and technologies are used in the most efficient and effective way to serve the customers in the most satisfactory way and maximize the profitability and revenues (Buttle, 2009, p.11). Mango is committed to creating and maintaining a team of people who are professional, motivated, flexible and capable to adapt changes in order to get Mango as close as possible to the maximum number of customers. The average age of staff within the organization is 29 years. Managers take care of personnel service such as internal promotion and continuous trainings. The stores in general have high staff turnover due to the fact that workers are mainly students/temporary workers, although the structural personal is very stable. Within the departments of Mango elections for representatives take place. The elected person is responsible for collecting all ideas and suggestions during the meetings. Afterwards they pass on and debate proposals in the meeting with the management, shareholders and administrators. The news are published and communicated to all the employees via the companys internal newsletters. As statistics shows that 95% of proposals lead to specific changes, that can vary from modification in working hours, increase and improvement of services, security improvement etc. There are as well other ways of contributing ideas within the company such as brainstorming or the suggestion box which can lead to the improvements in the company. Financial situation Financial Introduction Mango is a for-profit organization with the huge potential and the strong present situation. Financial situation highlights the successfully chosen CRM strategy, by focusing on maximizing profits and minimizing costs. Turnover http://www.mango.com/web/oi/rcs/mangoMundo/grafica1.jpg : Revenue for the consolidated group MANGO/MNG in (MANGO, 2010). Since 2002, Mango increases its revenues, last year the Group registered an increase of 11%. Indeed, in 2011, The Mango chain enjoyed revenues of 1 620.7 billion euro. The consolidated Group (Mango Holding) revenues were 1  240 billion euro. Forecasting : Turnover Mango Chain (Millions à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬) Forecasting is rather favorable. The group is expected reach the threshold of 2 000 billion by 2014.That representing approximately an increase of 23%. http://www.mango.com/web/oi/rcs/mangoMundo/grafica2.jpg : Turnover for MANGOschain store The figures of the graphs above show the weight of franchises in the Groups total sales. More than 70% of sales are made through franchises. The expansion of Mango abroad has donated smoothly. Today the group has more than 2400 stores across 140 countries. The franchise system Mango plans to enter countries which represent a market of the future such as China, where leaders see a potential 1,000 stores. The main objective of Mango is to be present in all the cities in the world. The President, IsakAndic, stated in 2010, the aim to double in size by 2014. And in the world, this is 3000 stores that leaders want to exploit in 2020. The project launched in 2011 seems promising, 644 stores were opened around the world. In 2012, the group plans to open 400 to 500 stores internationally, but especially in Europe where the brand intends to strengthen its position (LeFigaro, 2012). And this is the franchise system which is often used in some countries as management systems are different from those of the group. The choice of deductibles allows people to remain independent in their management while maintaining consistency at a global level. International sales already account for 82% of the activity according to the latest figures. Internet sales Internet sales are not to be overlooked either. In 2011, Internet sales reached 36.2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, representing an increase of 72%, the figure expected to double by 2012. The group expects a net sales growth of over 30% in 2012 due to the expansion of its network (LesEchos, 2012). Staff and distribution To support the expansion of its chain, the group plans to hire more staff. Mango outsources 40% of production in China and Vietnam, 20% in Morocco and the rest of Europe. Distribution system in place (SLM) can manage 5-7 times faster than the competition. The system incorporates the principle of responsiveness (speed, technology and information) at any time to have the goods needed, on the basis of sales forecasts. It allows you to sort and distribute 30,000 items per hour. This is how Mango ensures the production and distribution of 90 million items per year. Mango also takes a new turn and continues its development strategy by diversifying its offers. After the woman, the man (HE) (LSA, 2008) and accessories (Touch) lines and sports lingerie, youth will emerge by the end of the year. Customer Relationship Management Recommendation Customer Relationship Management is one of the critical and essential key aspects of developing a profitable customer relationship. Enhancing consumers applies assessing customers satisfaction, maintaining company open to consumers, two-way communication, being aware and being able to adapt to the consumers changing wants and wishes (Buttle, 2009, p. 127). Dissatisfied customers negatively affect the company in two different ways. On the one hand they represent direct losses in revenues, but on the other hand their dissatisfaction spreads via word of mouth which consequently damages the image of the company. Therefore it is essential to keep customers happy and satisfied. As a result of properly managed customer relationship, CRM brings a number of benefits. First of all an increase in market share as they have a positive attitude towards the company. As a consequence of customer satisfaction the customer long-term relationship will be established. This will lead to companies long-term profitability and sustainability, known as customer lifetime value (CLV ) (Buttle, 2009, p. 141). CRM recommendation Mango has a strong market position and profitable current financial situation. The following recommendations are given in order to enforce the image of Mango and lead the competitors. Mango should value their customers and it is significant to know, that the lost customer could cost 10 times as much to get back. Thereby building profitable customer relationships is more important even when it costs 5 to 6 times more money to attract new customers than to retain old ones. Keep track of consumers Since Mango does not have a database of customers, it is difficult to keep track of the customer flow and their purchasing preferences. Because it is very important to know exactly what customers want, Mango is recommended to use the IT system that allows to identify the general needs and wants of their customer base. It will help in to improve and will make customers taken care of by Mango. Loyalty cards Aside from the advanced IT system Mango can make regular clients feel special by identifying and treating them in a superior way. Therefore Mango should introduce loyalty cards. With the help of such techniques not only the CLV will be increased. Further the implementation of these benefits will attract current customers to be loyal and will tract new ones. Treating loyal and current customers in an efficient way can create a positive image of the company and can result in positive word-of-mouth promotion. Closer to consumers Mango can also offer an opportunity to customers to give feedback. This can be done via the official Mango website, so every form will be automatically proceeded. No extra costs are involved since it is online form. In addition to feedback concerning the quality of service, customers can share their wishes upon new design and style ideas for the upcoming collection. This will strengthen Mangos customer relationships and improve a two-way communication. Active-go public Customers are always interested in taking part in variety activities of their favorite companies. By arranging more fashion weeks that are either organize or sponsored by Mango even closer customer relationship and loyalty can be enforced. Also customers can organize events such as flash mobs, via social media -Facebook groups, buzz marketing, photo shootings in new collections and winning prices etc. CRM four stages Strategic The mission, vision and strategic goals are to be closer to consumers by creating a positive image and two-way communication. The customer-centricity focuses on customer needs and wants. Operational New customer operating system will allow to serve consumers fast and efficient. Analytical New communication techniques will allow the company be closer to customers and will provide enhance and efficient communication flow. This can be done mainly through the loyalty systems both online and via public events. Collaborative Since the major communication with consumers will take place via the online services, the communication flow would not cost as much. Online feedback forms and an IT customer database system will serve this purpose. Reference Literature Book: Francis Buttle (2009). Customer Relationship Management:concept and technologies (2nd ed.) Published by Elsevier Ltd, Oxford. Annual report: MANGO(2010), Sustainability Annual Report [Online]. Available: http://www.mango.com/web/oi/servicios/company/IN/empresa/rsc/memoria2010.pdf [2012, Oct. 15]. Hyperlinks: Ceeman (2009), MANGO, populazing fashion [Online]. Available: http://www.ceeman.org/data/files/Teaching_cases/teaching_case__ricart_kordecka_mango_popularizing_fashion_2009.pdf [2012, Oct. 15]. FMAG (2011), Mango to build a Mango City [Online]. Available: http://uk.fashionmag.com/news-150520-Mango-to-build-a-Mango-City [2012, Oct. 15]. FMAG (2012), Mango reduces its prices by 20% [Online]. Available: http://uk

Cousin Kate by Christina Rosetti and The Choosing by Liz Lochhead Essay

Cousin Kate by Christina Rosetti/The Choosing by Liz Lochhead Cousin Kate is a poem, written in the Victorian times by a woman called Christina Rosetti. Christina was a very religious woman, she wanted eventually to be a nun, and she did voluntary work at a London reform home for young prostitutes. The poem is about a young cottage maiden who falls in love with a lord. The lord "changed her like a glove", this suggests that the lord could get anyone he wanted. The story is about a cottage maiden who falls in love with a lord, he praises her and treats her like a queen. The lord then falls in love with the cottage maiden's cousin (cousin Kate). They get married, the only problem is Kate can't have children and the lord will need a son to take over his role of lord. "Yet I've a gift you have not got" when the cottage maiden says this she means her child, she has a son to the lord. She was not married to the lord when they were having a sexual relationship so she is seen to be unclean. "The neighbours call you good and pure, call me an outcast thing" this quotation s...

Slang

Introduction We speak differently in different situations. The way we speak and the choice of words depend on the situation in which the processes of communication is realized. As we are speaking about the functions of all this words in different situations we have to define â€Å"functional style† Under a â€Å"function style† we understand language means peculiar to a specific sphear of communication. The basic vocabulary is the central group of the vocabulary, its historical foundation and living core. Basic vocabulary| Informal| Formal| begin| start, get started| commence| ontinue| go on, get on| proceed| end| finish, be through, be over| terminate| child, baby| kid, brat, beam (dial. )| infant, babe (poet. )| There has been a diversion between formal and informal speech for nearly as long as language has existed, particularly after the advent of written language, which was initially used in correspondence, business and legal proceedings. Aristocrats also adopted mo re â€Å"high-brow† language also as a way of differentiating themselves from commoners, who were more likely to use colloquialisms in their interactions. Informal vocabulary is used when speaking with friends, relatives, acquaintance. There are several sub-groups in this group:Colloquial words; slang and dialect words Colloquialisms serve the dual purposes of efficiency and showing familiarity between the speaker and the listener. For example, modern speakers of English often use contractions, such as â€Å"how'd† in â€Å"How'd you do it? † as a faster way of articulating a point than using complete words—â€Å"How did you do it? † As a way of expressing closeness and familiarity, friends may say â€Å"What's up? rather than â€Å"How are you? † or the more formal â€Å"How do you do? † Colloquialisms can also be found in changes in vocabulary, such as the use of â€Å"fave† for â€Å"favorite. † Many linguists differentiate colloquial language from slang and other dialects of a language. Slang is a particular choice of vocabulary and grammar used by a subgroup, such as a certa in age group, within a society, unlike colloquial language, which is still considered standard speech and is used by most people within a language group. Still, some colloquialisms may be related to slang. Dialects are separate forms of a related language that is spoken by a group, such as those living a particular region. Colloquial Words A  colloquialism  is a  word,  phrase, or  paralanguage  that is employed in  conversational  or informal language but not in formal speech or  formal writing. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation  colloq. as an  identifier. Colloquialisms include words (such as y’al  y’l , gonna  , and wanna  ), phrases (such as  old as the hills,  raining cats and dogs, and  dead as a doornail) and  aphorisms  (such as There’s more than one way to skin a cat). Generally, colloquialisms are specific to a  geographical  region. They are used in â€Å"everyday† conversation and, increasingly, through informal online interactions. An example of the regional specificity of colloquialisms is the term used when referring to â€Å"soft drinks†. In the  Upper Midwestern United States  and  Canada, soft drinks are called â€Å"pop†, whilst in other areas, notably the  Northeastern  and far  Western United States, they are referred to as â€Å"soda†. In some areas of Scotland, the term â€Å"ginger† is used. Words that have a formal meaning can also have a colloquial meaning. For example, â€Å"kid† can mean â€Å"young goat† in formal usage and â€Å"child† in colloquial usage. An example of a colloquialism and how it migrates to other areas is the Indian phrase, â€Å"Please do the needful†, meaning, â€Å"Please do what is implied and/or expected†. As the global workplace expands, this once regional phrase is now being used outside the area in which it originated. Some  linguists  make a distinction between colloquialisms and â€Å"slangisms† (slang  words). Slang refers to informal lexical  items used by a specific social group, for instance teenagers,  soldiers,  prisoners, or  surfers. Slang is not considered the same as colloquial speech, which is informal, relaxed speech used on occasion by any speaker; this might include contractions such as you’re, as well as colloquialisms. A colloquialism is a lexical item used in informal speech; whilst the broadest sense of the term  colloquialism  might include slangism, its narrow sense does not. Slangisms are often used in colloquial speech but not all colloquialisms are slangisms. One method of distinguishing between a slangism and a colloquialism is to ask whether most native speakers know the word (and use it); if they do, it is a colloquialism. However, the problem is that this is not a discrete, quantized system but a continuum. Although the majority of slangisms are ephemeral and often supplanted by new ones, some gain non-slang colloquial status (e. g. English  silly  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ cf. German  selig  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœblessed’, Middle High  German  s? lde‘bliss, luck’, and  Zelda, a Middle Eastern female first name) and even formal status (e. . English  mob). † Colloquial words are divided into literary-colloquial, familiar-colloquial, and low-colloquial. Literary-colloquial words do not break the norms of the language. We use these words in our everyday speech. EG: He has caught a cold. Many of the cliches belong to this group: EG: ! Thank you! Thanks. These word are also use in fiction. They are used in the speech of the char acters and in modern books, literature, in the author’s narration. familiar-colloquial words sound rude. They are colorful and expressive. They’re used by the young people, who want to be grown up and want to be independent and by those people whose cultural and educational background is poor. EG: I’m fed up with it. low-colloquial words are met in the speech of the illiterate people It should be noted that there is no strict boarder line between literary and familiar col. , and fam. and low colloquial. EG: familiar combinations: â€Å"awfully nice†, â€Å"not so bed† Slang All languages, countries, and periods of history have slang. This is true because they all have had words with varying degrees of social acceptance and popularity. The same linguistic processes are used to create and popularize slang as are used to create and popularize all other words. That is, all words are created and popularized in the same general ways; they are labeled slang only according to their current social acceptance, long after creation and popularization. To fully understand slang, one must remember that a word's use, popularity, and acceptability can change. Words can change in social level, moving in any direction. Thus, some standard words of William Shakespeare's day are found only in certain modern-day British dialects. Words that are taboo in one era (e. g. , stomach, thigh) can become accepted, standard words in a later era. Many prove either useful enough to become accepted as standard or informal words or too faddish for standard use. Blizzard and okay have become standard, while conbobberation (â€Å"disturbance†) and tomato (â€Å"girl†) have been discarded. Some words and expressions have a lasting place in slang; for instance, beat it (â€Å"go away†), first used in the 16th century, has neither become Standard English nor vanished. Language is dynamic, and at any given time hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of words and expressions are in the process of changing from one level to another, of becoming more acceptable or less acceptable, of becoming more popular or less popular. Slang is very informal use of words and phrases for more colorful or peculiar style of expression that is shared by the people in the same social subgroup, for example, computer slang, sports slang, military slang, musicians' slang, students' slang, underworld slang, etc. Slang is not used by the majority of native speakers and many people consider it vulgar, though quite a few slang phrases have already come into standard usage. Slang contains many obscene and offensive words and phrases. It also has many expressions that are acceptable in informal communicationThe origin of the word slang itself is obscure; it first appeared in print around 1800, applied to the speech of disreputable and criminal classes in London. Slang is a subset of a language used by one particular group. It consists of words and expressions which will not be found in the dictionary, and can be distortions of existing words or entirely invented terms. It is used in informal situations. It is not appropriate in formal situations. is used by all kinds of groups of people who share situations or interests. The group which uses these words is always in the minority, and often use slang to set themselves apart or make it difficult for ordinary people to understand them. When a particular new expressions is known and used by a large majority of the population, it is no longer slang, but part of the regular language or usage. Slang fulfills at least two different functions, depending on whose point of view you take. For the groups that use slang, it is a way to set themselves apart, to express themselves in a distinct and individual way, and sometimes to keep secrets from being known by others. But for the society in general and the development of the language, slang performs another role. For the language, slang is like a linguistic laboratory, where new words and forms can be tested out, applied to a variety of situations, and then either abandoned or incorporated into the regular language. It’s like a trial period for new words. If they allow people to say something that cannot be said using traditional language, and a majority of people accept them, then these words and expressions join their regular language. After a period of between a few months and many years, slang is used by limited groups with something in common. The far majority never reach the popularity and level of use to become regular words, and are soon forgotten and not used. A few reach widespread usage and can be found in each new edition of the popular dictionaries. Many of the words we use everyday and can find in the dictionary began life as slang. Even Shakespeare used slang. The term  dialect  is used in two distinct ways, even by  linguists. One usage refers to a  variety  of a  language  that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors, such as social class. A  standard dialect  (also known as a  standardized dialect  or â€Å"standard language†) is a dialect that is supported by institutions. Such institutional support may include government recognition or designation.   A  nonstandard dialect, like a standard dialect, has a complete vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, but is not the beneficiary of institutional support. References http://www. bu. edu/mfeldman/Slang/ http://www. webspace. ship. edu http://www. englishclub. com en. wikipedia. org

If I Were a ….

Throughout life a person experiences many obstacles, challenges, and hardships; sometime we face them alone, afraid, and at times confused. However, there always seems to be one individual that we seek for guidance, for inspiration, or to simply to save us from our troubles. To some they are know as heroes, but to me they are known as my mom and dad, they were always by my side in any situation I was in and they always kept their best interest at heart.No matter where I was in school, my parent's were always behind me. Most noticeably in my high school career; my mother and father always push me to my limits to achieve better, but that's Just the surface they always had time to listen to my problems no matter how minuet or massive these situations where. My dad always shared a time in his past where he surpassed a scene similar to mine; my mother with endless wisdom, giving me advice and a similar story to enlighten my path.Their stories no matter how sad or happy always inspires me to become more and take this opportunity in this in to study and make something of my life. These heroes of mine may not be the fairest or the coolest, but they are to me; they were always try to protect me no matter what. And my parent's always help me in my time of needed even when they have things to do themselves. When most people think of a hero they think of their favorite actor or athlete. Some think of relatives or friends, and I cannot think of one person.It seems that in my life, every person I have come in contact with has left an impression on me. My family, my teachers or that random stranger that smiles at me as I walk down the street, they all leave an impact. To most people, a hero is someone who leaves an impact on them. Wicked it be safe to say that everyone is a hero to me? My parent's are my hero's, they taught me everything and raised me to be the person I am today. When one thinks of heroes, names such as Ghanaian, Martin Luther King, and Mother Theresa often c ome to mind.These people had done a lot of favors, courage, helps, ND more of things for the people who needed them. They have change the world. But, heroes can be in anyway, even in each of individuals in the world. I have the persons who I think is the best hero in my mind. They are my parent's. My parent's are brave; they will do anything for my happiness. Not only mine, but also their friends, and families. My father has many friends, and he always helps them whenever they need them most. Without my parent's, I probably will not survive If I Were a †¦. By nonlinearly