Research and critical reflection - Money doesn’t buy you happiness. Essay Example for Free

Research and critical reflection Money doesn’t buy you happiness. Essay Money doesn’t buy you happiness. Everyone has heard the statement before and most studies of happiness and well-being generally agree on it. However, even though money does not buy you happiness it is largely agreed that money can be a means to an end. Hence, money cannot buy you happiness, but it can provide you with financial security and well-being. If you asked a poor person if they were happy most will tell you they are not due to living in poor conditions and having poor health. Their need for safety and security outweighs their need for nice things and possessions. So if money does not buy you happiness what does buy you happiness? What are the factors in life that make you happy? One way to address this question could be looking at ones well-being. As such a deeper interpretation of well-being is necessary. When considering the concept of well-being, there are two major approaches, objective well-being, and subjective well-being. Objective well-being looks at how healthy a person is and the access he has to resources. Subjective well-being on the other hand looks at the overall happiness of a person. In the same breath it is also argued that material well-being, that is the things we buy and want, does not lead to our overall happiness. Hence, money doesn’t buy you happiness. (Williams, 2014). Considering this notion that money does not buy you happiness (Myers Diener, 1995), Kawachi and Kennedy (2002, p.30 -31) sought out to summarise the main ingredients to happiness in one’s life. They noted sex, ethnicity and age scarcely make you happy. Rather it is the relationships and community you have around you that generates levels of happiness. Furthermore, enjoying one’s work and leisure is highly correlated with happiness. On the other hand, one’s wealth and income does not have a straight correlation with happiness. Some poor people are happy, some rich people are unhappy and vice versa. Nonetheless, millions of people across the globe spend large amount of money consuming things they do not need. I myself fall victim to marketing ploys and consume materialistic things that I do not always need, but want because I believe it will make me fit in more in my community, or make me happier. People follow fashionable trends and want all the new toys that come out thinking it will make them happy. This need of people to have nice fancy things has previously been coined the â€Å"new consumerism†. Back in the day, it meant keeping up with others in your community, if your neighbour got a new flash car, you had to go get one. However, with the popularisation of television,  and later on the rise of mass media, â€Å"new consumerism† meant people were now competing all over the globe. Furthermore, as we live in a world of inequality in terms of income and wealth, the gap between what we want and what we have largely depends on our income. Schor (1998), referred to this as â€Å"the aspirational gap†. If one cannot afford something, he can either be â€Å"unhappy† dealing with not having that product/want, or he chooses to take on debt in order to afford it and have it then and there; thus having to work more to cover the debt and the cycle conti nues. So if we look at happiness as the â€Å"difference between what we have and what we want we suddenly become unhappy† (Williams, 2014, p.5). Largely, I agree with the statement the money does not buy you happiness. By society’s standards I am definitely not a rich man but I consider myself to live a moderately happy life; largely due to the fact that I am healthy, I have good friends and a loving family. According to several scholars (Benin Nierstedt, 1985, Inglehart, 1990, Myers, 2000) it is indeed our social relationships that generate the highest levels of happiness. With that said, I still consume certain things, materialistic things, and go to certain places in order to construct my social identity. I want things in order to fit in or get praise from my peers. According to many scholars however this does not lead to my well-being but rather to unhappiness. This draws back to the â€Å"aspirational gap†, if I cannot afford to look a certain way or buy certain things and keep up with the times do I ultimately become unhappy? Personally I would like to say it does not apply to me, but reflecting back to S chor’s (1998) study, it appears to point in that direction. As such, I do agree with the concept more so as a lot of people around me become unhappy when they cannot afford something they want. Or become unhappy because they got themselves into debt due to their unnecessary consumptions. Maslow (1943) devised a theory of motivation which attempted to explain the hierarchical nature of people’s well-being. Firstly it is our basic psychological needs like hunger and thirst that we have to satisfy. Next, it is our needs for security and protection, followed by our need for social bonds and love. The last two steps are ones self-esteem and self-actualisation. This is a very hierarchical view which means once a certain level has been satisfied one seeks to satisfy the next until you reach to the top – self actualisation. This will explain why people become unhappy when they cannot afford  something – reach self-actualisation. Moreover, identities are fluid. I constantly consume new trends, go to new places, and change my habits to fit society’s norms. Social psychology attributes this to people’s nature to conform. One study by Asch (1952, ci ted in Bond Smith, 1996) shows the tendency of people to conform to the majority even when the outcome is clearly wrong. I agree with this as I buy certain clothes and go to certain places because I want to fit in with my surroundings. Zaichkowsky (1994) claims that peoples involvement with a product depends on a person apparent relevance of a product based on his inherent needs and values. Hence my values stem from my surroundings and my need for a product comes from my need to fit in to my surroundings. A lot of the above-mentioned concepts discussed were first investigated after WWII and throughout the 20th century. However, as the world is constantly evolving and changing do these outlooks on happiness and well-being still apply today? Have they gotten any better or worse? Early studies showed an increase in mental disorders and divorces throughout the late 20th century, as well as the increase need of people for bigger and better things. A study by Helliwell, Layard, and Sachs (2012) found that on average rich people are happier than poor people. However, they found that a country’s economic growth does not indicate an increase in the overall happiness of its people. This is simply due to the fact that once people reach a comfortable/secure level of income; further increase of it does not generate higher levels of happiness. Moreover, they found unemployment is highly correlated with low levels of well-being, whilst being employed – and satisfied with your job – was correlated with higher levels of well-being. Finally, they noted in Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, love and belonging come just after basic physiological and safety needs. Clearly, the sources of individual happiness include the set of social interactions through which individuals are interconnected.† (p.70). The aforementioned trends discussed appear to be in line with the current state of New Zealand. Helliwell et. al. (2012) found New Zealand ranked as the 13th happiest country in the world. This was attributed due to a low unemployment rate (6.2%), divorce number down (stats.govt.nz), and ranking high on education as well as freedom. (Helman, 2013). However, when looking at the top 50 richest countries in the world (aneki.com) New Zealand does not even make an appearance. However, it is safe to assume that new  consumerism and the â€Å"aspirational gap† still apply to New Zealand as the countries spending ($2,578 million) is higher than its GDP ($211,678 million). (stats.govt.nz). It certainly appears that money does not buy you happiness. Rather being poor is correlated with low levels of well-being. Money in itself can provide a person with security, but increased income does not appear to have an effect on overall happiness. Looking at Maslow’s theory, a person could have all the money in the world but if they are alone and do not have a loving community of friends and family to share it with they are almost always going to be unhappy. Rather, happiness is determined by a large number of factors with an emphasis on basic needs such as food and water, as well as friendships and belonging to a loving community. Consumption of materialistic objects and the aspiration for more money negatively affects our well-being. References Benin, M.H. and B.C. Nierstedt: 1985, ‘Happiness in single- and dual- earner families: The effects of marital happiness’, job satisfaction and life cycle, Journal of Marriage and the Family 47, pp. 975–984. Bond, R. Smith, P. B. (1996). Culture and conformity: a meta-analysis of studies using asch’s (1952b, 1956) line judgment task. Psychological Bulletin, 119(1), 111–137. Maslow, Abraham H. 1943 A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50: 370-396. Helliwell, J., Layard, R., Sachs, J. (2012). World Happiness Report. Centre for Economic Performance. The Earth Institute Columbia University. Helman, C. (2013). The world’s happiest (And Saddest) countries. http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/10/29/the-worlds-happiest-and-saddest-countries-2013/ Inglehart, R.: 1990, Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ). Myers, D.G.: 2000, ‘The funds, friends and faith of happy p eople’, American Psychologist 55(1), pp. 56–67. Myers, D. G. Diener, E. (1995). Who is happy? Psychological Science, 6(1), 10–19. Offer, A. (2006). The challenge of affluence: self-control and well-being in the United States. Williams, J. (2014) Consumption and Well-being. Chapter 12. P. 104 – 127. Zaichkowsky, J. L. (1994). The personal involvement inventory: reduction, revision, and application to advertising. Journal of Advertising, 23(4), 59–69.

The Need to Eliminate the Abusive Treatment of Muslim Women Essay

The Need to Eliminate the Abusive Treatment of Muslim Women Thirty thousand men and boys poured into the dilapidated Olympic sports stadium in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. Street hawkers peddle nuts, biscuits and tea to the waiting crowd. The scheduled entertainment? They were there to see a young woman, Sohaila, receive 100 lashes, and to watch two thieves have their hands chopped off. Sohaila had been arrested while walking with a man who was no relation to her, a sufficient crime for her to be found guilty of adultery. Since she was single, it was punishable by flogging or a series of lashes; had she been married, she would have been publicly stoned to death (Goodwin). Goodwin also stated that as Sohaila, completely covered in shroud-like burqa veil, was forced to kneel and then whipped, Taliban 'Cheerleaders' had the stadium ringing with chants of onlookers. Among those present there were only three women: the young Afghan, and two female relatives who accompanied her. Women are treated unfairly all around the world, but in some places, worse than others. In Afghanistan, women are not allowed to do much of anything. They are restricted to their homes and are not allowed to exit without a good reason. Also, they must be fully covered. Women are not even allowed to leave the house if they need medical assistance. It is also illegal for women to show off any part of a their body to anyone other than their husbands. Meetings, even among groups of women, are prohibited in Afghanistan. They are banned from getting an education and from employment. They are treated as their husbands' possessions. (Courcey) Muslim women should have the right to be present in public without hiding their identity. What have women done t... ...tor on staff would not have been allowed to remove her clothes." When women are punished for any contact with a male, the punishment can result in death. Other punishments include lashes and mutilation of the limbs. There is hope for these women, such as Sohaila. People around the world and especially from the United States are on their side. They are not only fighting for these women's rights, but their lives as well. These womens importance will be returned through cooperation, and they will once again be appreciated. Works Cited Courcey, Kevin. "Freethought & Women's Rights." Freedom From Religion Foundation. March 1998. December 5, 2001 <www.ffrf.org/fttoday/march98/courcey.html>. Goodwin, Jan. "Buried Alive: Afghan Women Under the Taliban." Echonyc. February 27, 1998. December 3, 2001 <www.mosaic.echonyc.com/~onissues/su98goodwim.html >.

Disruptive Behavior Essay

In a 4th grade private school classroom and child showed disruptive behavior when approached with authority of an adult telling him to stop doing something that was in appropriate like calling other student’s stupid and fat. When a teacher would tell him please stop he would continue to say rude things but now geared toward the teacher. It would take several minutes to get him to calm down. The disciplinary effect after his disruptive behavior would be indoor suspension and a phone call home. Student’s history at school had been temperamental for the past 2 years and he had been taken out sent to a public school then returned after a 2 grading periods when in 2nd grade. In 3rd grade he had showed the same type of behavior with classmates and teachers. This student was behind a grade and attended class with a relative that was in there respective grade. His disruptive behavior in 3rd grade was slightly manageable after several conferences with the parent. As the student had entered into 4th grade he had received a new teacher but remained with the same students from the previous year and now his relative  was no longer attending the same school. The students entering 4th grade would be attending another school which had put them into a new atmosphere with new teachers. This change did not sit well with this student in particularly who had become disruptive verbally and aggressively with other students and class property. The student at this point was suspended from the school for 3 days. Upon returning the student seemed content until the current teacher had to leave and he received a new teacher. At this point the student was filling out the new teacher and what she would allow and wouldn’t. The student shortly found out what the teacher wouldn’t allow and that was speaking and getting up without raising hand. The teacher was new to the class, but not to the student’s, was known for having a productive class with no disruptive behaviors. The teacher had reintroduced herself to the class on her first day and had given the children the floor about what they had been learning so far. The student’s responded well to her curiosity accept for the student who was known for the misconduct. After the teacher’s first week she decided to reset some rules for the class and allow them to give input on what is allowed and what isn’t. The student with the disruptive behavior did participate in this exercise. She also rearrange the classroom fixed some posters around the room and hung some of the students best work around the room. The teacher put a class pledge on the board that the student would have to recite every morning before class started. As piece of the pledge said, â€Å"I will treat others with the respect that I want for myself and to use kind words to show how Ià ¢â‚¬â„¢m feeling whether I am happy or mad.† The teacher after the second week had seen a major changed in the class and especially in the student with the misbehavior. By the 5th week all the disruption had been gone.

Effect of Vampires on Society - 3098 Words

When you hear the word vampire you probably think of today’s modern charters, from Twilight or True Blood. According to the article â€Å"Blood Ties, The vampire Lover† By Helen T. Bailie, Today’s vampires make up book 53% of today’s book sells. Vampires in today’s image have become creatures of lust, the dream man of teenage girls all over the world. Before pop culture took over vampires in stories, were monsters of horror. Pre-dating today’s pop culture fad, vampires were used to explain things that people didn’t understand, something scary and unknown. So what has caused all theses changes in vampire stories over time? Changing them from feared unknown demons to every teens heartthrob. To find out where the change came from we’ll look at†¦show more content†¦(Keyworth 243). Most deaths did occur because of being around old corpses but generally because of the diseases that they carried. An anonymous monk at Byland Ab bey wrote majority of the stories of vampires. The monks and high relgious leaders of these towns came up with these legends because they believed in vampires, but they also used them to control the people of their town. By doing the right thing during life you could prevent yourself from becoming a vampire in the afterlife. So basically the religious leaders played on the fears of the towns people to keep them in church and keep them in line. One of the more famous stories of this time was of two brothers that fell down dead one day and were buried only to be seen later that night walking through the town. (Keyworth 245). These stories spread and eventually the whole world was on vampire alert. These stories continued well on into the 1900’s eventually dying off slowly as the scientist learned more about humans, the body and how it worked. The first shift in these stories was from the tales of monks to an actual novel written by Bram Stocker. Dracula, a story still talked a but today, Dracula was really the introductory novel to bring vampires into fiction works. The story of a man that travels to buy property in Transylvania from Count Dracula, realizing shortly after getting to the castle thatShow MoreRelatedVampires And Its Effects On Society1318 Words   |  6 Pageshad gotten more attention in recent years are vampires. Vampires have changed from scary monster to attractive dead people because of how the media portrays them now a day. Some people are fascinated by this monster so much that some have created cults saying they are vampires too. The thing people have to understand is that vampires have never existed and were just created to explain the unexplainable. According to the Oxford English Dictionary vampires are defined as â€Å"A preternatural being of a malignantRead MoreEssay on The Effects of Modern Vampires on Society1980 Words   |  8 Pagespopular with the Twilight books, which were released in 2005. Since then, the vampire-and other supernatural creature-themed fantasy romance novels have been extremely popular all over the world. According to statistics brought out by Romance Writers of America, in 2009, the paranormal subgenre made up 17.16% of the popular romance genre, which in itself 54% of all books sold by the publishing industry.(Bailie) Vampires have come a long way from the 19th century until nowadays. Not so long ago theyRead MoreThe Opposition Of Dracula And Its Influences On Vampire Literature1467 Words   |  6 PagesDracula and its influences on vampire literature Have you ever thought to yourself, what has influenced vampire literature today? Well, neither have I, but it wouldn’t hurt to touch on the subject. Dracula introduces the idea of lust and death within vampirism. Also, there are many connections that I make throughout this essay between Dracula and I am Legend, proving that Dracula was an influence on the book. The opposition of Dracula has had great influences on vampire literature.We see that theseRead MoreComparing Dracula, And I Am Legend By Richard Matheson1584 Words   |  7 PagesSince the beginning of time vampires have been categorized into different types† and are portrayed in different ways throughout several books. This paper will focus on three vampires from the following books: Dracula by Bram Stoker, and I am Legend by Richard Matheson. Dracula is considered to be the traditional vampire, where it all started, and the vampires in Matheson’s book, follow somewhat Stoker’s concept, but is more of a modern â€Å"type† of vampires. Certain vampire elements have been presentedRead MoreDracula vs Blade1516 Words   |  7 Pagescreate a story, and for someone else to evolve them. Events occurring within society and the way people perceive other’s at a time also contributes majorly to the development of modernity. Bram Stoker’s novel ‘Dracula’ and David Goyer’s film ‘Blade Trinity’ contrast significantly as a result of difference in context. Weaponry had developed immensely over the two stories to cater for the advancements from one classic vampire to a fresh, modern, powerful one. The story of ‘Dracula’, set in VictorianRead MoreAn Argument: Do Vampires Exist?1024 Words   |  5 PagesDo Vampires Exist: Or Bite Me! Since the beginning or recorded history, there have been stories told about vampires. Bram Stoker’s renowned novel Dracula was published in 1897, and since then the myth about vampires has evolved and changed. We now have Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga and HBO’s True Blood examining whether vampires exist in the known world. Whatever you think, you should be aware that vampires are creations of fiction writers based on old folk tales. On the other hand there areRead MoreA Girl Walks Home Alone At Night1735 Words   |  7 Pagescomes across a mysterious lady dressed in all black. He takes her to his place thinking that they will have sex. But, the mysterious lady grows fangs and sucks on Hossein’s neck; killing him. The mysterious lady’s name is never revealed but she is a vampire who kills men that mistreats or belittles women. Although, she comes across Arash, she sees vulnerability in him and he seems different than all the other men that she has come across. They become close throughout the movie, as the mysterious womanRead More Buffys Deeper Meanings Essay744 Words   |  3 Pages With Buffy the Vampire Slayer taking the Australian television market by storm, it is becoming increasingly obvious that Buffy does more than just kick vampire butt. Star Sarah Michelle Gellar not only entertains teens nation wide, but also questions morals and values – the same values that have been plaguing the gothic genre since Bram Stoker’s Dracula – and socialises with the majority of young Australians’ lives. Popular culture is becoming increasingly consumed by a moralistic tone, and BuffyRead MoreThe Vampires Are Now A Metaphor Of Human Beings1615 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Gothic literature, the vampires have moved from being a peripheral element with the genre to a place near the center and are capable of generating its own massive tradition now. In the recent literary history, they have already been adapted to play a role of a rebel against the moral, social, religious, and even sexual taboos. Put simply, the vampires are now a metaphor of human beings in the modern society and life. With the publication and popularity of The Vampire Chronicles, especially thatRead MoreThe Subculture I Choose Is Vampire Lifestyle843 Words   |  4 Pagesculture. The subculture I choose is Vampire Lifestyle. In this essay, I will talk about the theoretical perspective, what is culture and how it connect with counter culture, how it has been affected by the consumerism and how it held together by the cultural capital. I choose the symbolic interactionism for my theoretical perspective. From sociological perspective, symbolic interactionism most concerned with the face-to-face interaction between members of society. Symbolic interaction reminds us

Money, Banking, and Financial Market Free Essay Example, 2500 words

The major cause of the financial crisis was increased uncertainties. Many people speculated that their investments will have greater yields in the future, and this was not the case. They incurred losses and this reduced their wealth. Also, the government of the United States had a lot of money and wanted to create self-employment for its citizens. They reduced the interest rates to encourage people to borrow these funds and invest. Many people did not return their loans and the country was reported to be bankrupt. Another major cause of the financial crisis was with the banks. They did not have adequate information about its customers, especially when giving out loans. The people too did not have trust with their banks and this led to bank runs and bank panics. This reduced the amount of money available in the financial system that could be used to develop other sectors of the economy. This forced the countries affected to borrow a huge sum of money from the World Bank and this incr eased their debts. The stock prices were also reduced for the government to obtain the little funds that were in the economy to finance its operations. We will write a custom essay sample on Money, Banking, and Financial Market or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Maximus as the Hero in Ridley Scotts Gladiator Essay

Maximus as the Hero in Ridley Scotts Gladiator Ridley Scotts gladiator recreates the entire world of ancient Rome in living glory on the screen. The shots of coliseum, intact and swarming with crowds of spectators are breath taking. The story has a classic three act structure, moving Maximus, Decimus and Meridius from warrior to slave to gladiator and each step is incredibly exciting. In addition, Scott stages half a dozen elaborate action sequences like theres no tomorrow, pulling out all the stops, and filling the screen with swords, tigers and chariots. The brilliant imagery of director really jumps of the screen, making this an Oscar winning motion picture. The ample Digital effects makes†¦show more content†¦The second camera shot I have chosen is when there is a close up on Maximum’s face which is looking at the robin. The robin demonstrates us Maximus’s love for nature which proves that he freedom fighter. The third scene I have selected is when Maximus is walking down his army and every one is gr eeting him. This demonstrates us that maximus has a high reputation and is someone who is looked up to. This also illustrates the love and affection for maximus from his soldiers and even by animals as the dog was following him when the war was about to begin. The last scene I have chosen is when there is a slow motion when the Romans had won the war. This connotes the supremacy and authority they had during these times. The main character of this motion picture is Maximus. Throughout the film, the audience sees his loving character, his love for Rome and his fellow Gladiators, and love for his wife and kid. Secondly, Maximus is physically strong and this enables him to win every battle he fights in. The actor Russell Crowe developed a muscle physique and especially in the violent combat scenes director Ridley Scott uses close ups of his muscular body. By doing this he ensures we link Maximus with strength and agility. Because of this, he is seen as the hero. Maximus always played the gameShow MoreRelatedLiberal Humanistic Critique of Gladiator Essay897 Words   |  4 PagesRidley Scott’s epic film, Gladiator, won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture in 2000. Scott’s film, details the fall and rise of the great Roman General, Maximus Decimus Meridius. The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, tells Maximus that he wishes that he become his successor, instead of his son, Commodus . Angry, Commodus, murders his own father, thus becoming the emperor, and sentences Maximus and his family to death. He escapes, but the Emperor’s men murder his family and burn his homeRead MoreMaximus Quest For Freedom965 Words   |  4 PagesRidley Scott’s epic film, Gladiator, considered one of the greatest films in recent years, won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Scott’s film, tells the story of the fall and rise of the great Roman General, Maximus Decimus Meridius. The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, tells Maximus that he wishes that he ( ) the emperor after his death, instead of his son, Commodus. Angry, Commodus, murders his own father, thus becoming the emperor, and sentences Maximus and his family to death. MaximusRead MoreMacbeth and Gladiator1379 Words   |  6 Pages   Shakespeare powerfully focuses on the negative consequences of ambition in the text Macbeth and in the film Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott and how it can lead to ones downfall. Macbeth is shown as the noble hero by the King after slaying the Thane of Cawdor and claiming victory in the war for Scotland, while Ridley Scotts Gladiator portrays Maximus as the noble hero but still not comparing to Macbeth like Commodus does in the film.    Shakespeare effectively focuses on the cynicalRead MoreThe Gladiator Trailer Essay1849 Words   |  8 PagesIn the summer of 2000 a box office hit was released. â€Å"Gladiator† was a brilliant action film set in Ancient Rome, which appealed to over 15s from both genders. The film was hugely successful and raked in over $190,000,000 in the U.S box-office and $434,000,000 worldwide. However the film wouldn’t have been nearly as successful as it was without the help of an exciting and gripping trailer to appeal to the target audience. Trailers are very important in the film industry because it’s the oneRead MoreGladiator, by Ridley Scott1120 Words   |  5 Pagesone film that stands out among the rest has to be Gladiator. Gladiator can be argued as one of the greatest action movies of all time, and for good reasons. The soundtrack, dialogue, and characters have no equal in the revenge action category of film, and can be considered tops of pure action films. Gladiator is a perfectly well rounded movie that adds the best of all worlds to create the masterpiece seen today. Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Gladiator, was released to the public in 2000. Received withRead MoreSteven Spielbergs Jaws and Ridley Scotts Gladiator Essay1217 Words   |  5 PagesSteven Spielbergs Jaws and Ridley Scotts Gladiator The two films being examined are the thriller Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg, and the action film Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott. Both directors create epic films; the films are momentous and are designed to manipulate the emotions. A thriller is intended to appeal to basic human instinct to the need of feeling fear and survival. Action movies are designed to appeal to our sense of danger: pace and experienceRead MoreThe Media Techniques Employed to Give the Audience a Negative Impression of Commodus3007 Words   |  13 PagesNegative Impression of Commodus From the start of the blockbuster and award winning film Gladiator, Ridley Scott uses many different media techniques to give a negative impression of Commodus, the physically strong yet emotionally weak son of Marcus Aurelius Caesar. Make up, lighting, sound effects, music, body language, speech and facial expression are all factors that director Ridley Scott invokes to give the audience an attitude of hatred and revulsion towards Commodus

Management Of International Marketing - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about theManagement Of International Marketing. Answer: Introduction: In this study the discussion will take place on the Unilever Company and the other tools that will be discusses are evaluation of the company , its market research, applications, market influence, strategic value, international and national policies of the company that are used for the marketing of the business organization(Cateora, 2008). The company is a global firm so the marketing is also takes place on a global context. It will cover the planning and implementation of the planning. The main purpose of this study is to learn that the international marketing plays vial role in the company and its promotion. It not only influences the business but also the marketing strategies of the company. It is playing a vital role as it provides a platform to the company s that they can make an international operations and functions (Terpstra, Foley and Sarathy, 2012). In order to release the products in the new market, the company like Unilever has to make many efforts. The efforts and the strategies can be taken after analysing the internal and the external environment of the country in which the company wants to expand its business. It is also required to analyse the environment of the company itself. Both the analysis can help the firm to take better decision in terms of international marketing (Malhotra, 2008). WHY: Product standardisation: Product standardisation is important for the company like Unilever because it is difficult to adapt the culture and the needs of the people in the international market. This is because every country has different choices and culture thus standardisation in the products helps the company to take similar initiatives in order to release the products everywhere (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2013) Benefits of standardisation: Similar strategies to be followed: standardisation is the technique in which the strategies that needs to be practices or followed by the company remains similar at every place irrespective of the difference in the culture and the destination (Hollensen, 2015). Economies of scale: similar strategies and products over the globe results in similar production at large amount (Peter and Donnelly, 2011). Less cost: economies of scale results in less per unit cost for the company (Cateora, 2008). Similar marketing techniques: the company need not to make many efforts in thinking and implementing about the different marketing strategies or different market (Santos and Laczniak 2005). Internal environment analysis of the company: Internal analysis of the company can be done by SWOT analysis. The strength and weakness part of SWOT analysis helps in determining the internal strength and weakness of the company. SWOT analysis: Figure: 01 SWOT analysis (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker And Brennan, 2015) Strength: Strong brand image: The Company has a very strong image. The positive image of the company helps the firm to penetrate in the new market easily (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2013). Range of product mix: Unilever is the company that serves the customers with wide range of products such as the grocery items, household items, beauty products range etc (Santos and Laczniak 2005). The company targets all the customer segments with its products This wide range of product serving by the company helps the company to achieve higher customer base and ultimately the market share (Papadopoulos and Heslop, 2014). Weakness: Imitable products: The products that the company deals with are very much imitable. Dependence on retailers: Unilever is the company that supports the other companies to sell their products (Tse, Lee, Vertinsky and Wehrung, 1988). Competition: the company faces a lot of competition from the other companies like PG, Nestle etc. Opportunities: As the company is expanding to the new market, it has the opportunity to expand its products range at the same time according to the choices and the requirements of the market. Variations in the food products can be brought up by the company to serve the new market. (Zeritin et al. 2014) Threats: The biggest threat for the company is the saturated industry and the competition prevailing in the market. Major competitors for the company are PG, Avon etc. (Europa.eu 2017) Marketing mix: 4ps Figure: 02 Marketing mix(Terpstra, Foley and Sarathy, 2012) External environment analysis: PESTLE analysis: USA Figure: 3 PESTEL Analysis(Armstrong, Kotler, Harkerand Brennan, 2015) Political environment: As far as the political environment of the company is concerned, it has been analysed that USA is the country with stable political environment. The company like Unilever has to be under the regulatory of the Food and Drug Administration (Mattila, 2000). If the company has to conduct the business in USA, it has to comply with all the rules and regulation given by the administration. After the election in 2016, Trump has made changes in the international trade policies of the country. Trump has focuses on changing the way the country is doing business with the international market in order to enhance the economy and thus these changes affect the normal functioning of the company in USA. Economic factors: Economy of the country is very stable in terms of earing and the purchasing power of the country. As far as the FMCG industry is considered, the industry is also growing at very fast pace and at the same time experiencing tough competition. USA is considered feasible in terms of economy to invest by Unilever but competitors strategy is must to analyse (Uniliver.com, 2016) Social factors: Social factors of the country involve the demography and the choice and demands of the people(Hill and Westbrook, 1997). Now a day people believe in buying the products with low price and high quality. Unilever has to make the pricing strategy in such a way so that more and more people can afford to buy the products. Technological Technological factors: as far as the technological factors are considered, it has been analysed that in USAs market, it is necessary to be automated(Tubadji, Osoba and Nijkamp, 2015). The more automated company attracts the customers as the people in USA are very much techno friendly. Environmental factors: Sustainability is the key to success for the organizations these days. The policies of the USA government regarding the use of sustainable resources and the process are very tight and needs to be followed by the companies especially in FMCG sector (Belch and Belch, 2004). Unilever is the firm that has to deal with such policies and have to be sustainable in their process it will harm the environment at its minimal. Legal factors: The major legal factors that has affected the US and UK business is BREXIT. Trump has talked with UK regarding the free trade between the US and UK just after BREXIT. This free trade will definitely help the companies like Unilever to set up its business and expand its business in USA with new products development. (Unilever.com, 2017) Strategies to enter the global market: There are five types of products and communication strategies that acne be used by Unilever in order to expand its business. Products and communication extension: This is the strategy in which the company can use the standard communication techniques to make the people aware about the products globally (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker And Brennan, 2015) Product extension and communication adaptation: It is the strategy that results is customization of the communication method used for international country which is very different from the home country communication method. The same products are marketed with different communication strategies in different areas (Hill, 2008). Product adaptation and communication extension: It is the case where the company needs to market different products with the standard communication strategy irrespective of the place (Broderick And Pickton, 2001). Product and communication adaptation: If the international country has different physical and cultural environment then the organization has to choose the strategy of dual adaptation. In this case, the countrys product and the countrys communication strategies are used for communicating about the product. (Wilson and Gilligan, 2012). Product invention: It is the most innovative strategy that is used by the company in order to invent the products that can fulfil the common needs of the customers at global level. (Hill, 2008). In case of Unilever is USA, the company should select the strategy of dual adaptation strategy because the culture and the physical environment if USA and UK is very different in nature (Hollensen, 2015). Context of international market: Language: Language is the factors that affect the business in the international market. As far as Unilever is considered, it has been analysed that the company operates with the strategy of localization everywhere(Armstrong, Kotler, Harker and Brennan, 2015). The company is basically based at UK but it hasto expand its business overseas and it cant be done with a single language communication everywhere. Unilever hasto make the changes in its communication from UK English to US English as there are many differences in the same (Broderick and Pickton, 2001). As both the places have English as the vernacular language so it is not that much difficult for the company to deal with the US market. Legal factor: As discussed earlier there are many legal factors that affect the company to expand the business in international market. The free trade practices that have been discussed between UK and US after BREXIT may help the company to easily conduct the trade practices (Gur?u, 2008). Media: Media refers to the mediums that are being used to communicate with the international market. As far as the country like USA is concerned, the country is very much technologically active so advertisingand promotion of the products can be done with the help of digital marketing methods and social media marketing of the company (Mulhern, 2009). Culture: Culture is the most important factor that affects the consumer behaviour of the place. Americans are very much optimistic in nature andthus it is easy to convince them to buy a particular thing by portraying the products with positive attitude and nature. The customers at America are very much dynamic and their love for convince food is eternal. They love to eat food products that can eliminate their hunger in minutes and that can be easily available. Thus the companies like Unilever can easily expand its business to USA with introducing the packaged food materials first. (Hill, 2008). Production cost: As far as US is concerned, it has been analysed that the country is the 3rd largest in the world with high population thus it act as the great market for the companies to expand their business. It has been analysed these days that USA is becoming the place to manufacture as it is providing the facilities at lower cost that is as low as china. There are several benefits that can be enjoyed by the company if it produces at USA (Gur?u, 2008). The first benefit is that it has a very fast market. The produce can be easily reached to the customers hands with faster research and development and distribution network. The next benefit is the high efficiency of the labour. It has been analysed that the labour is very much efficient at America and thus it can be easy and even cost effective to have high quality and less quantity labour (Luo and Tung, 2007). In terms of currency, US are considered as the country with stable economy and thus there is no fluctuation in the currency. This also male s the production process easier for the companies. If Unilever star their products ta USA only, it become easy for them to distribute in the local market rather than importing the products and thus the cost of overall production and distribution can be reduced (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2013). Stages of international marketing: This is the process that needs to be followed or the stages that needs to be faced by the company if it wants to expand its business overseas. No direct marketing: It is the stage where the Unilever does not involve itself in the foreign market but tries to sell the products indirectly to the foreign market(Malhotra, 2008). There can be many ways such as selling the products to the foreigner etc. Infrequent foreign marketing: This is the stage where the company market or sell the products in the foreign market which are surplus. This can be done to see the response of the foreign market. After BREXIT, the free trade between US and UK will make it easy for Unilever to conduct such marketing (Broderick And Pickton, 2001). Regular foreign marketing: It is the stage that is about the regular marketing at international level. In this stage, the company takes serious steps to market its products to the international market with the objective of expansion (Anderson, Narus and Narayandas, 2009). Unilever has to deals with some of the middle men in US in order to take suchserious steps so that its products can be reached to that country. International marketing: it is the most crucial phase as at this time, the company concentrates in the international market and develop its production unit in the new market. Unilever is the firm that general operates at this stage in international market (Peter and Donnelly, 2011). Global marketing: This is the final stage that is achieved when the company is filly established in the foreign market. At this stage, the company does not restrict its strategies because of national borders but treat the whole market as one global market and make the strategies solely on that basis (Hollensen, 2015). Campaign execution: Campaigning is the technique that can be used to market the products in the new market. Unilever has to execute the campaign in the new market of USA so that people can be aware presence of the company and the products in the market. The company has to take decisions over the agencies with which the company has to deal with. There can be three types of agencies: (Gur?u, 2008). Local market agencies: These are the market agencies at the host country such as the agencies in local market of USA in this case. Unilever should choose Epsilon as its marketing agency at local level. This is because it is one of the best agencies in the USA marketing industry. In terms of revenues and in terms of business growth, the company is moving at a very fast pace (Wilson and Gilligan, 2012). Integrated Marketing Communication: Steps of international integrated marketing communication: Market research: This is the first step that needs to be followed by the company in order to research about the market conditions of USA. The above discussion about the country suggests that the country is very feasible to expand the business for Unilever (Wilson and Gilligan, 2012). Goals: The marketing gaols for the company at this point are that, it has to make the people of USA aware about the new product development of the company and has to develop the brand image of the firm as well (Hill, 2008). Effective message: The market segment that has been selected for the new food products range is mostly the working people of the country. The message that can be given to them through the marketing camping is eat tasty and be healthy (Gur?u, 2008). Selected media: The medium that have been selected to market the products are advertising and personal selling (Wilson and Gilligan, 2012). Budget: Activity Amount Marketing agency fees $1 million Brochures and pamphlets $1 million Hiring cost $10,000 Media cost $3 million Other expenses $50000 Total cost $3060000Approximate Execution: Execution of the marketing plan can be done with the help of the marketing agency that has been discussed earlier (Wilson and Gilligan, 2012). Evaluation: The evaluation can be done by matching the gaols with the actual results or the outcomes of the marketing campaignthat can be calculated by the customers response and feedback as well as by the sale volume of the products. (Hollensen, 2015). IMC tools: Figure: 4 IMC Tools (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker And Brennan, 2015) Advertising: Advertising can be done with the help of various medium such as television or radio. Social media is also used as the medium for advertising (Terpstra, Foley And Sarathy, 2012). Direct marketing: It is the tool that helps n directly contact the customers by the executives of the company to make them aware sabot the product or the new launch (Peng, Wang and Jiang, 2008). Internet marketing: this is the best tool that can be used in the USA market. This is because the customers in USA are very much techno friendly (Broderick And Pickton, 2001). Sales promotion: Sales promotion can be done by using the techniques such as supplying the samples to the stores or distributing the samples to the customers on the road show (Gur?u, 2008). Public relations: This is the most important tool of IMC. This tool can be used by calling or inviting the new channels or other media partners to telecast the launch of the products and the company in USA (Wilson and Gilligan, 2012). Personal selling: Personal selling is the very effective option to sell the products directly to the customers so that immediate feedback can be received (Broderick And Pickton, 2001). Why Sales Force: Benefits of sales force: Sales force is considered as the important part of communication mix in USA. This is because there are many benefits that are associated with sales force of the company. The efficient sales force helps in making strong bond in the international market and thus results in strong alliances. Sales force of the company also helps in making direct contact with the customers. This is very beneficial in taking the immediate feedback of the customers on the products experience. There are many other benefits of incorporating the sales force ta the international market such as effective communication, response, clear information etc (Terpstra, Foley And Sarathy, 2012). Challenges: Difficult to deal with the people in international market Hiring local sales force is difficult for the company Designing the sales force: Unilever Select the activities that needs to be conducted under the sales programme(experience) Select the skill sets required to complete the tasks. Math the skills sets from the activities that needs to be conducted Training of the sales force regarding the same skill sets.( well trained peoples ) (Cateora, 2008) Recruiting marketing and sales personnel: Recruitment is the process in which the candidates have been selected according to the match of the skills possessed by the candidates and the required skills for the job. (Hollensen, 2015). Advertising for the job vacancy (Advertising on Web sites and the Newspaper) Short listing the applications (around 20 applications are collecting ) Interviews (Around 15 peoples) Selection (Two ware selected ) Releasing offer letters ( Letter will be realising after one week of the selection) Motivation of sales personnel: Some of the techniques that can be sued to motivate the employees are: Incentives (based on display and merchandising, Productivity (volume and values ) Bonuses ( Based on performance) Employee engagement programs ( Twice a year ) Evaluating and controlling sales representative: Evaluation of the sales representative can only be done by matching the set targets and the achieved targets by the representative (Broderick And Pickton, 2001). RBV model: Resource based view is the model that is used to analyse the resource capabilities of the company. VRIO and VRIN are the subsets of this model that are analysed in order to identify the competitive advantage and resource capabilities. Figure: 5 RBV Model (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker And Brennan, 2015) VRIN of Unilever: Value: In terms of value, the company and its products are very valuable as the company serves the market with all the essential products (Terpstra, Foley And Sarathy, 2012). Rare: the company cannot said to be rare as there are many competitors in the market. (Gur?u, 2008). Inimitable: the products of the company can be imitated easily (Hollensen, 2015). Non-substitutable: substitutes are also available in the market for the company products. Understand: It is very much important to understand the culture and the attitude of the people in USA in order to sell the products to them. The USA customers are very much intelligent in buying things and the sales force has to be prepared with the knowledge of the products and the bard before interacting with them(Terpstra, Foley and Sarathy, 2012). Noise: It is the important part of the communication or the marketing process. This means making the products and the brand popular among the customers before entering the market (Hollensen, 2015). Competition: Competition is the major issue that exists for the companies like Unilever. Thus, it is mandatory for the company to deal with this competition and to innovates its processes in order to be different in the market (Terpstra, Foley And Sarathy, 2012). Conclusion: It has been concluded from the research that USA is found to be the country which is very much feasible to expand the business of Unilever. 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