Information System in Tesco Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Data System in Tesco - Case Study Example Furthermore it works 39 stores in China, 111 in Japan, 13 in Malaysia, 62 in South Korea, 6 in Taiwan, 219 in Thailand, 35 in Czech Republic, 87 in Hungary, 105 in Poland, 91 in Republic of Ireland, 37 in Slovakia and 8 in Turkey. (Tesco Annual Review, 2006). It accordingly works nonstop which shows its responsibility to make client esteem which thusly creates prevalent incentive for its investors. Tesco signifies its prosperity to a forceful worldwide technique of land enhancement, item separation, cost center and it utilization of umbrella marking. In its endeavor to restore the brand and keep it in a state of harmony with changing client tastes, Tesco follows different methodologies including global enhancement, offering some incentive to clients, item broadening, development, obtaining and umbrella marking. With regards to the present worldwide rivalry, organizations and firms no-longer contend as individual organizations yet attempt to corporate with different organizations in their exercises (Wu and Chien 2007). These scientists further contend that, this methodology is presently very basic in numerous organizations including the retail chain stores. In the retail chain stores, the customary vertical coordinated organization based plan of action is step by step being supplanted by shared connection between many divided, however reciprocal and specific worth stars and heavenly body (Wu and Chien 2007). In the current situation with occasions, data and data frameworks are progressively being utilized the same number of companies as a serious and vital weapon. It helps association, for example, Tesco to be an objective getter, as it rethinks, their exercises as far as cost and time. Data frameworks help Tesco to adjust and be at the bleeding edge of new item improvement and change. The administration of Tesco by joining data and data frameworks have improved and increment on the procedures, improving current activity productivity and transforming it into an upper hand. Through Tesco data and data frameworks, providers are interconnected through an electronic information interphase to create key, managerial and operational arranging. 2.0 Tesco Environmental Analysis Format OF THE PESTEL FRAMEWORK As per Johnson et. al (2005), the PESTEL system must be utilized to take a gander at what's to come

Raymond Chandlers Writing Techniques in The Big Sleep Essay -- Chandl

Raymond Chandler's Writing Techniques in The Big Sleep   â â I sat at my work area, considering what I might expound on The Big Sleep. That is to say, there are such huge numbers of potential outcomes. This person, Raymond Chandler's composing style is so unique in relation to anything I have ever perused previously, that there are numerous things that I could discuss. I heard that Chandler once stated, I live for language structure! It doesn't astonish me that he would state something like that. That is to say, this author is everywhere throughout the page with various composing methods. Regardless of whether it is his utilization of analogies or the absence of accentuation, Chandler's tale is anything but difficult to peruse, process and appreciate.  I wouldn't state that this book requires a top to bottom perusing to comprehend the plot. The style that Chandler writes in is effortlessly comprehended. His account voice is nearly what I would think about conversational. Conversational, as in regular discourse is fundamentally the same as the composed language of this novel; it is phenomenal to compose a similar way that one talks. It was simple for me to hear the voices of Marlowe and Vivian in my mind; I could hear the snide tones of the hero as I read. The progression of this novel doesn't have the typical novelistic style that most books comprise of; that is, layered, itemized and somewhat tedious here and there. It is composed especially how individuals converse with each other. Chandler utilizes a great deal of slang, not in discussions, however in his account.  So as to handily portray the manner in which Chandler composes it is ideal to separate a couple of odds and ends of the content. For example, the absence of accentuation all through Chandler's content is a case of his style. It requires a significant stretch of time to discover a semi-colon or a colon anyplace in the novel. I have as of now ... ...the flavor of life, is it not? Chandler is most likely probably the least demanding essayist to recall; when you have understood Chandler, it is difficult to overlook the style he writes in. The story itself might be overlooked, however his language, his cadence, his style, never is. Chandler was fortunate as in he was in the opportune spot at the perfect time, his books turned out to be notable and all around read very quickly after distribution.  Nowadays, it is a lot harder to have such a moment accomplishment as Chandler did. Chandler was fortunate in reality, however it was not so much karma that put him at the highest point of the rundowns for extraordinary compared to other hard-bubbled criminologist journalists ever. His clever, magnetic style did that for him.  Works Cited  Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep. New York: Vintage Books, 1996. Kemp, William. The Writing Process: Chandler 202. January 14, 1999

The Basics of the Psychology of Learning

The Basics of the Psychology of Learning Student Resources Study Guides and Tips Print The Psychology of Learning By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on September 17, 2019 More in Student Resources Study Guides and Tips APA Style and Writing Careers In This Article Table of Contents Expand Learning Behaviorism Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning Observational Learning Influential People View All Back To Top Psychologists often define learning as a relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience. The psychology of learning focuses on a range of topics related to how people learn and interact with their environments. One of the first thinkers to study how learning influences behavior was the psychologist John B. Watson who suggested that all behaviors are a result of the learning process. The school of thought that emerged from Watsons work was known as behaviorism. The behavioral school of thought proposed studying internal thoughts, memories, and other mental processes were too subjective. Psychology, the behaviorists believed, should be the scientific study of observable behavior. Behaviorism thrived during the first half of the twentieth century and contributed a great deal to our understanding of some important learning processes. Are you preparing for a big test in your psychology of learning class? Or are you just interested in a review of learning and behavioral psychology topics? This learning study guide offers a brief overview of some of the major learning issues including behaviorism, classical and operant conditioning. Lets learn a bit more about the psychology of learning.  Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell Learning Learning can be defined in many ways, but most psychologists would agree that it is a relatively permanent change in behavior that results from experience. During the first half of the twentieth century, the school of thought known as behaviorism rose to dominate psychology and sought to explain the learning process. The three major types of learning described by behavioral psychology are classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. Behaviorism Behaviorism was the school of thought in psychology that sought to measure only observable behaviors. Founded by John B. Watson and outlined in his seminal 1913 paper Psychology as the Behaviorist View It, the behaviorist standpoint held that psychology was an experimental and objective science and that internal mental processes should not be considered because they could not be directly observed and measured. Watsons work included the famous Little Albert experiment in which he conditioned a small child to fear a white rat. Behaviorism dominated psychology for much of the early twentieth century. While behavioral approaches remain important today, the later part of the century was marked by the emergence of humanistic psychology, biological psychology, and cognitive psychology. Overview of Behaviorism Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning is a learning process in which an association is made between a previously neutral stimulus and a stimulus that naturally evokes a response. For example, in Pavlovs classic experiment, the smell of food was the naturally occurring stimulus that was paired with the previously neutral ringing of the bell. Once an association had been made between the two, the sound of the bell alone could lead to a response. How Classical Conditioning Works Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning is a learning process in which the probability of response occurring is increased or decreased due to reinforcement or punishment. First studied by Edward Thorndike and later by B.F. Skinner, the underlying idea behind operant conditioning is that the consequences of our actions shape voluntary behavior. Skinner described how reinforcement could lead to increases in behaviors where punishment would result in decreases. He also found that the timing of when reinforcements were delivered influenced how quickly a behavior was learned and how strong the response would be. The timing and rate of reinforcement are known as schedules of reinforcement. How Operant Conditioning Works Observational Learning Observational learning is a process in which learning occurs through observing and imitating others. Albert Banduras social learning theory suggests that in addition to learning through conditioning, people also learn through observing and imitating the actions of others. 1:42 Basic Principles of Social Learning Theory As demonstrated in his classic Bobo Doll experiments, people will imitate the actions of others without direct reinforcement. Four important elements are essential for effective observational learning: attention, motor skills, motivation, and memory. How Observational Learning Works Influential People The following are some of the major figures associated with learning and the behavioral school of psychology. Edward ThorndikeIvan PavlovJohn B. WatsonB.F. SkinnerAlbert Bandura

The Linguistic Dimension Of Academic Language - 860 Words

Academic language has many characteristics; these include the linguistic dimension, the cognitive dimension, and the sociocultural/psychological dimension. The linguistic dimension addresses components of academic language of how they are used in everyday conversations and academic conversations. The linguistic domain is made up of five components, the phonological, lexical, grammatical, sociolinguistic, and discourse. The second dimension, cognitive, includes knowledge, higher order thinking, cognitive, and metalinguistic strategies. And the third dimension, sociocultural, addresses topics such beliefs, values, behaviors, and attitudes. All these dimensions play a key role in academic language development. One strategy that can be used with the linguistic dimension is linguistic scaffolding in a classroom. This can be used to support academic development with bilingual students. The sociocultural feature is associated to the students communicating to each other or written communicat ion. There are dimensions of academic language that are associated with the different content areas, these dimensions are spate but are all related. The discourse level, this level is involves organization, and the students participating oral and written language. Storyboards or blogs are both academic vocabulary words to incorporate in the classroom at the discourse level. The sentence level, academic language is characterized by grammatical structures, language forms, and conventions. StudentsShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Ells s Culture And Identity781 Words   |  4 Pageswith respect to academic challenges, but scholars feel that these are due to non-recognition of native cultural dynamics (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995). However, if these aspects are utilized it can contribute to a better learning experience in terms of language and other academic areas. The native cultural background and its linkage has the capacity to motivate and ignite interest in ELLs and it can provide the platform which would facilitate learning new skills and academic content. ResearchRead MoreBiography Of Cherrie Moraga s Loving, The War Years 1567 Words   |  7 Pagesdefining her own blend of two cultures. Moraga dares her readers to approach the idea of memoir differently by using a unique writing and wording style. She purposely makes her memoir original and difficult, due to her intendment of wording of two languages, English and Spanish, and blending that with two literary forms: poetry and essay. The first section of Loving in the War Years is like a coming of age. 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An ethnocentristic perspective is responsible forRead MoreCritical Discourse Analysis1347 Words   |  6 Pages‘critical’ is applied to the engagement with power relations. In this sense the role of CDA is to uncloak the hidden power relations, largely constructed through language, and to demonstrate and challenge social inequities reinforced and reproduced. The term ‘discourse’ is used to talk about language in use, or the way language is used in a social context to ‘enact’ activities and identities (James Gee 1990). In terms of analysis, the critical discourse analyst’s jobRead MoreThe Definition Of Risk Taking910 Words   |  4 Pages 1-3-1 Definition of risk-taking : In academic setting, learners are willing to get new knowledge from their teacher, however ; how to interact with teacher ? The only manner is to take risk. In other words ; is the learners’ responsability to interact with their teacher to absorb new information, and to take an active part inside the classroom.In fact, Learners’tendency to take risk is related to how he or she expects to benefit from the outcomes. So, it is essential to try a new informationRead MoreMy Academic Interest On Gender And Kinship Studies963 Words   |  4 PagesNaying Ren Statement of Purpose My academic interest in gender and kinship studies was triggered by my encounter with one of the greatest minds in our history. I was fascinated by Simone de Beauvoir in her The Second Sex, both by her insightful existential analysis of women’s situation and the interdisciplinary approach which she takes. She approaches gender from manifold perspectives including the biological, the psychoanalytic, the historical, the literary and the anthropological, leading to aRead MoreDescribing Stylistics as a Concept in English Studies Essay1054 Words   |  5 PagesDescribing Stylistics as a Concept in English Studies Definition Stylistics applies linguistics to literature in the hope of arriving at analyses which are more broadly based, rigorous and objective. The pioneers were the Prague and Russian schools, but their approaches have been appropriated and extended by radical theory in recent years. Stylistics can be evaluative (i.e. judge the literary worth on stylistic criteria), but more commonly attempts to simply analyseRead MoreThe Book My Freshman Year By Barbara Johnstone And Charles Murray Essay1110 Words   |  5 PagesMurray. 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What You Should Do to Find Out About Stop and Frisk Narrative Essay Samples Before Youre Left Behind

What You Should Do to Find Out About Stop and Frisk Narrative Essay Samples Before You're Left Behind Within the body section, you must give supporting arguments for each point which you make. Be certain to use the wording of exactly the question you're working on. Narrative statements are written in chronological order regardless of what form or document they'll be written on, so the readers are going to be able to easily understand the statement made. So that your thoughts should flow in a suitable order. The occurrence of statement templates and other kinds of templates is truly a great thing. It doesn't matter in what order the facts are presented, for as long as they are not hard to comprehend by the reader. Sad to say, the metrics don't tell the entire story within this debate. Allow me to give you a few examples. Whatever They Told You About Stop and Frisk Narrative Essay Samples Is Dead Wrong...And Here's Why Stop and frisk was used and abused and young adults are scared to leave their house since they know they'll be harassed for no very good reason. The fact of the problem is that street crime isn't something which happens often in the tony neighborhoods of New York. You should understand what you need first so the upcoming steps will be quite easy that you do. It's through this approach your audience gets aware of how a victim feels. What Does Stop and Frisk Narrative Essay Samples Mean? Over the previous twelve years the quantities of stop and frisk seem just like the year of 2013. It may be simpler to show you. The Fight Against Stop and Frisk Narrative Essay Samples A personal narrative essay is just one of the greatest tools to stop social issues that are frequently disregarded. You can also check out other interesting and associated articles we're offering for free on our site. After you have chosen a topic, conduct research. Feel free to put an order at our site and receive a custom written narrative essay online. You need to make a point or tell facts from reliable sources and individual experiences when writing these kinds of documents. They may act as basis whether to grant a person's application or not. With the access to different statement templates online in various file formats, it is now very simple for anybody to make and produce their own statements. The focus of this post is about narrative statements. There are many sorts of essays, and following is a brief explanation of some of them. At our essay service, they are always delivered in a short time. The essay has to be viewed via the program. Personal narrative essays are about personal experience that's presented in the very first individual. High school essay writing is a typical classroom activity and is also part of several regular examinations. Students, utilize the work chart below to lead you in your own personal narrative writing. There are struggles that may easily be eliminated when you're in the early phases of writing your personal narrative essay. Rare or unique occasions of your life has to be cited in your essay as it is the heart of a personal narrative essay. Your life story can likewise be thought to be a terrific topic in writing your private essay. Fortunately, Kibin has some great ideas for writing concluding paragraphs for personal narrative essays that you're able to have a look at if you're stumped. The instances that may be cited within this sort of essays don't really must be extremely rare and anything mundane can likewise be written on it. An excellent essay should have essential points. Persuasive essays should have logical and crystal clear reasoning supported by facts and arguments. The very last thing you would like to do in your own personal narrative essay is confuse your readers. Following that, give an overview of the points you discussed. Make your story so involved and intriguing they forget they're reading whatsoever. Attempt to reveal the topic of the essay more fully, from your own personal standpoint, as you write your individual story.

An Investigation Of Nigerian Consumer’s Online Shopping Behaviour Free Essays

Abstract This research proposal deals with an investigation of the online shopping behaviour among Nigerians living abroad. It has been established from research that a few Nigerians embrace technology in doing business. The research paper starts with an introduction about the problem statement to be addressed in the research. We will write a custom essay sample on An Investigation Of Nigerian Consumer’s Online Shopping Behaviour or any similar topic only for you Order Now The objective is to find out the factors that contribute to the unique online shopping behaviour among the Nigerians. The proposal highlights trends to be investigated that are online shopping in Nigeria. Data to be used in the research will be gathered through the use of a questionnaire given at random to 100 respondents. The obtained data will be analyzed based on the scaled factors given for each response by the participants. The representative sample gives the best results because it uses respondents of diverse fields who are in a position to use online shopping systems. The results can be used by any developing country because the online shopping trends for developing countries are the same. 1. Introduction The nature of how individuals do business has changed from time to time due to individual needs and the emerging business technologies. Electronic commerce is one of the recent forms of online shopping that has been adopted by many business individuals in the world. According to Ghosh (1997, p. 1), â€Å"E-commerce provides consumers the ability to bank, invest, purchase, distribute, communicate, explore, and research from virtually anywhere an Internet connection can be obtained.† Therefore, electronic commerce can be defined as doing business through the internet. This trend of doing business has gained momentum in the global business world because of the increased web advertising (Jackson et al. 2003). This research proposal aims at determining the effect of web advertising on the Nigerian consumer’s online shopping behaviour. 1.1. E-commerce development in Nigeria The basis of electronic commerce depends on the level of technology in a country. Nigeria is a developing country that has experienced improvements in its technological aspect in the recent past with a total population of about 16 % embracing the use of the internet (Internet World Stats, 2009). However, most of the Nigerians have not exploited the full potential of using the internet fully. In addition, the recent advancement of technology has enabled many Nigerians to see the need to embrace technology in doing business. As such, internet usage has started gaining familiarity among the Nigerians. A research by Folorunso et al. (2006, p. 2226) shows that only 32% of Nigerians who had heard about electronic commerce had embraced the technology. This low number of Nigerians using the internet to do business may contribute to the Nigerian online shopping behaviour. 1.2. Problem statement The use of the internet in doing business in Nigeria is slower than other countries in the world. This is contrary to the vital importance provided by the use of the internet in advertising the product. Most of the Nigerians are ignorant about online shopping, but those who embrace the internet do not prefer to do online shopping because they assume products advertised in the internet are either expensive or strange to their traditional culture. This consumer behaviour has reduced efforts of globalization into the Nigerian markets. The question, then, is what should be done about this online consumer behaviour to promote globalization Research objectives This research is carried out to find out the online shopping behaviour among the Nigerians. The objectives of the study will be: To Investigate the behaviour of online shopping among Nigerians Determine whether web advertising has an influence to the online shopping behaviour among Nigerians. To investigate the risks associated with online shopping. 1.3. Research structure This research will start by introducing the problem statement why it is an important study among the Nigerians. This will be followed by outlining the objectives of the study. The existing literature review sets to give the research the basis on which the factors being studied will be based. The methodology section will propose a how the factors can be investigated and why the chosen methods for study are preferred. Lastly the research will highlight the limitations that are likely to affect the results of the study and how they can be reduced to make the results more validated. The main chapters will be as follows; Introduction Literature Review Methodology Data Analysis and Findings Conclusions and Recommendations 2. Literature review Folorunso et al. (2006, p.2224) suggested that the factors that affect online shopping behaviour are: â€Å"establishing cost, accessibility, privacy and confidentiality, data security, network reliability, credit card threat, authenticity, citizens’ income and education.† The shopping behaviour of Nigerians living abroad is unique as it can be identified as unique among the rest. Among the factors suggested by Folorunso income levels and data security was established as the major factors contributing to the unique behaviour of the Nigerians. In another research by Ayo (2006, p.2), he argued that cyber-crime as the major factor behind the low rate of adopting the electronic commerce technology. Further, other important factors have been established as contributing to this unique behaviour among the Nigerians. These factors are inferior online payment methods, lack of trust in web retailers, poor technological infrastructures, and fear of insufficient security in online environments (Adeshina Ayo, 2010). In contrast to the slow rate at which online shopping has been embraced by the Nigerians, they have increased use of electronic banking and payment systems as they regard these technology issues as more secure. The major use of electronic banking is to pay bills, money transfer activities and obtaining banking statements at any time they wish to have the statements for their daily activities. The major factors identified on the previous research do not point to the exact situation because even through the electronic banking services provided by this technology, users are also likely to be exposed cyber crimes (Egwali, 2009). Advertising is used as a marketing strategy to familiarise the consumers to the products in the market. In a global market, advertising through the internet gives the consumers an avenue to consider a varied field of products that will satisfy their specific demand. Although internet advertising comes with a lot of advantages to both the consumer and the advertising agency, it has not been fully embraced in the Nigerian market. This indicates that the consumers in the Nigerian market have varied perceptions about web advertising. According to Wohn and Korgaonkar (2003), â€Å"males exhibit more positive beliefs about web advertising and more positive attitudes toward web adverting than females. Additionally, male are more likely than females to purchase from the web and surf the web for functional and entertainment reasons, whereas females are more likely to surf the web for shopping reasons.† From these findings, it can be deduced that there are specific online shopping behav iour among Nigerians. The research will carry out a detailed review of the existing literature on the behaviour of online shopping among Nigerians. The researcher will critically analyse the literature both that are in support of the research and those that are not. 3.Methodology This research will use qualitative approach to establish an in-depth description of the problem of the study. This method will be the most appropriate because it does not apply any mathematical judgment of the results (Higgs Cherry, 2009). According to Miles and Huberman (1994), qualitative approach is the best because it is concerned with meaningful characteristics, stories, visual renders, observations and words. This study will be based on the individual behaviour on online shopping. Consequently, the research sample will be identified among them Nigerian Diaspora students, professionals and business people. The research sample will be conducted to 100 Nigerians. The research sample gives a good study population because of the sample size. In addition, the use of this type of respondents will give basis to the research because these are people who have the know-how of technological matters. Additionally, since online shopping is based on the use of technology this type of respondents is the best research population because they are quite aware of the online shopping activities using the internet. Thus, the results of the findings will give a true reflection of the real behaviour of the Nigerians online shopping. 3.1.Research approach and strategy The research will be conducted for 100 Nigerian. The respondents will be selected at random both that live in UK and those that are in Nigeria. The respondents will be supplied with questionnaires to investigate their online shopping behaviour. The data that will be used in this study will be sourced from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data will be collected by sending questionnaires to the respondents. The researcher will conceal the identity of all respondents for confidentiality purposes. All respondents will be given unique ID numbers like P1, P2, and P3 that will represent participant one, two and three respectively. Secondary data will be collected from existing literature that is in the public domain. This means that there will be no permission sought to access the materials or cost incurred to collect data. 3.2.Data collection The data for this research will be collected through the use of questionnaires. The questionnaires will be subdivided into three sub-groups as follows: online shopping, electronic commerce and internet usage. Each of the sub-categories will be aiming to investigate the behaviour of online shopping among Nigerians. (See appendix 1) 3.3.Data analysis Qualitative study does not involve numerical values, and thus, an analysis tool will be used that will give correct interpretation and description while at the same time avoiding biases (Sewell, 2008). Therefore, the data will be analysed using case descriptions of the phenomenon. A detailed report will then be developed based on the analysis of the data collected through questionnaires. After, conclusions will be drawn from the analysis of the study, and more so the researcher will give recommendations that for future studies. 3.4. Ethical issues The ethical issue in this research study will be to keep the anonymity of the respondents. Each of the involved respondent’s information will be treated with great privacy based on individual data protection policy. 3.5.Research limitations The sample used to represent the Nigerians is comparably small. A bigger representative sample should be used to determine the real factors. The random sampling method is good, but is faced with the challenge of some respondents failing to cooperate. The best approach would be to administer the questionnaire directly to the respondents to ensure that there is 100% response from the targeted representative sample. 4.Conclusion This research is an important finding that can be used to implement developmental changes in developing countries. Nigeria is one of the developing countries and the trends shown by its abroad citizens can be used as a model for other developing countries. Also, since technology implementation in the business environment is inevitable then it is important to identify these factors in order to make the required adjustments to make the developing countries able to embrace technology. The representative sample will give accurate results of the research study because it will use a study population that can embrace technology. References Adeshina, A Ayo, C .2010. An Empirical Investigation of the Level of Users. Acceptance of E-Banking in Nigeria. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 15 (1), 1-13. Egwali, A. 2009. Customers Perception of Security Indicators in Online Banking Sites in Nigeria. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 14 (1), 1-15. Folorunso, O et al. 2006. Factors Affecting the Adoption of E-commerce: A Study in Nigeria. Journal of Applied Sciences, 6 (10), 2224-2230. Ghosh, A .1997. Securing E-Commerce: A Systematic Approach. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 1-4. Internet World Stats, 2009. Nigeria Internet Usage and Telecommunications Reports. Retrieved from http:// www.internetworldstats.com/af/ng.htm. Jackson, P. et al. 2003. e-Business Fundamentals. London: Dorset House Publishing Company. Miles, M.B. Huberman, A.M. 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, 2ndedn, Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Sewell, M., 2008. The Use of Qualitative Interviews in Evaluation, Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona. Sewell, M., 2008. The Use of Qualitative Interviews in Evaluation, Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona. Wohn, L Korgaonkar, P 2003, Web advertising: gender differences, gender differences in belief, attitude and behavior. Florida: MCB UP. Appendix 1 The questionnaire Online shopping Have you been using online shopping in Nigeria? Do you use online shopping in the UK? If yes how many times did you shop online while in Nigeria per week? How many sites do you visit per week while in the UK or Nigeria? What products do you shop for with this service in Nigeria or the UK? What are the risks associated with online shopping? 2.0 Electronic commerce Have you been using electronic commerce while in Nigeria? Do you still use electronic shopping in the UK? If not, what are the reasons? What functions do you use the service for in Nigeria or the UK? 3.0 Internet usage Do you use internet regularly? What do you use the internet for? Do you think there are risks associated with internet usage? How often do you use the internet for online shopping? How to cite An Investigation Of Nigerian Consumer’s Online Shopping Behaviour, Essay examples

Warwick Castle Essay Example

Warwick Castle Essay Warwick Castle Robert Craven and Stuart Chambers Warwick Castle the finest mediaeval castle in England. INTRODUCTION The Stratford-on-Avon and District Hotels and Caterers Association (SCATA) publishes a brochure which has described the Castle as follows; â€Å"This magnificent ancient Castle, situated at the very centre of England, is a treasure house of great beauty and splendid, rare quality collections of pictures, furniture, furnishings and an outstanding collection of arms and armour which bear witness to the power and influence of the Earls of Warwick down through the centuries. The beautiful grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, where peacocks roam freely, are a delight in all seasons. . . Excellent catering facilities are available all year round to suit every pocket and disposition, as well as several gift shops† Warwick Castle is less than two hours by road from London with easy access from all major cities by motorway, road and rail. This excellent infrastructure allows the area to be part of the itinerary of any visitor to the UK. The County of Warwickshire is lyrically described in the SCATA brochure: â€Å"Stratford-an-Avon and Shakespeares Country. When you think of England, and the very best of England, you are probably thinking about this fascinating region. Here in this most English of English landscapes, the broad rolling sweep of the Cotswolds, the classic half-timbered villages of the Vale of Evesham and leafy Warwickshire, there is an unparalleled variety of attractions. We will write a custom essay sample on Warwick Castle specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Warwick Castle specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Warwick Castle specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The birthplace of the worlds greatest dramatist, William Shakespeare; the finest mediaeval Castle and most-visited stately home at Warwick; Englands most magnificent palace at Blenheim; and the worlds most famous theatre in Stratford† THE CASTLE The Castle is part of the Tussauds Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pearson plc, which also owns the Financial Times Group and Royal Doulton among other varied interests. The Tussauds Group runs entertainment centres that include: Madame Tussauds, the famous waxworks in Baker Street, London; the London Planetarium and Laserium; the Royalty and Empire Exhibition at Windsor; Alton Towers, the UKs only world-rated leisure park; and Chessington World of Adventures and Zoo. The Castles General Manager, Martin Westwood, works in the stately home, from a majestic suite of offices overlooking the grounds. He is enthusiastic about the Castle both as a building steeped in history and as a business. In the relaxed atmosphere of his office, where he is surrounded by portraits and old paintings of the Castle, he refers to it as a brand leader in stately homes for it is in the top five most visited historic sites that charge entry fees (see Table 1). Table 1 Historic sites attracting more than 300,000 paid admissions 1 Tower of London 2 Roman Baths and Pump Room, Bath 3 State Apartments, Windsor 4 Stonehenge, Wiltshire 5 Warwick Castle 6 Shakespeares Birthplace, Stratford 7 Leeds Castle, Kent 8 Hampton Court Palace, near London 9 Tower Bridge, London 10 Blenheim Palace, Wood stock, Oxford 11 Beaulieu, Hampshire 12 Cutty Sark, Greenwich, London 13 St Georges Chapel, Windsor 14 Anne Hathaways Cottage, Stratford 15 HMS Victory, Portsmouth 16 Mary Rose, Portsmouth 17 Royal Pavilion, Brighton 18 Chatsworth House, Derbyshire 19 Hever Castle, Kent 20 Fountains Abbey, North Yorks. Paid admissions (000s) 2298 950 855 703 685 604 540 525 528 517 493 411 372 365 340 333 314 306 303 300 As you pass through the ticket office from the large car park you catch your first view of the Castle. The view truly takes your breath away and fully warrants the description given by Sir Walter Scott in 1828: the most noble sight in England. MARKETING Marketing Manager, Sarah Montgomery, is another enthusiast of the outstanding beauty of the Castle. Discussing the marketing of the business she considers that the Castles unique selling point must be that carried on all the promotional material: Warwick Castle the finest mediaeval castle in England. But she does not discount the Castles unique state of preservation, the breadth of attractions it offers, its location on the banks of the River Avon or its thousand-year span of history. In the year 1068 the first castle was built at Warwick and since that time it slowly developed into a mighty stronghold and later a grand mansion befitting the station of a high ranking nobleman. . In November 1978 the present Earl sold Warwick Castle and its contents to Madame Tussauds of London. The Castles marketing team recognised that the Castle attracted a diverse audience, each segment of which wanted different things from a visit. So in targeting audiences the team had to decide whether it was trying to sell the Castle aspect, the stately home aspect or the gardens. It was felt that all thre e areas attracted different audiences and conjured up different expectations. Research had established that from the publics point of view castles were not associated with grounds and formal gardens, and neither were they associated with the notion of being someones home. On the other hand, stately homes were associated with grounds and gardens but were felt to be formal and museum-like, with ropes keeping the public away from the interesting areas. So, was the most visited Stately Home in Britain really a castle, or was the Castle also a stately home? This conundrum had to be solved. The Castle management has a deliberate policy of charging one overall admission charge for all areas of the Castle and Grounds open to visitors. In the past they had considered charging separate admission prices for the Castle and the Grounds but this, it was felt, would confuse the customer. (See Figure 1 for price and attraction details. ) The Castle regularly has detailed market research questionnaires compiled by an outside company. Sarah said that market research is taken very seriously by the team: â€Å"On average, overseas visitors represent 42 per cent of the total. Twenty-five per cent of our customers seem to come in groups of greater than 20 and these groups are predominantly from overseas. On the other hand, 58 per cent of visitors come from the UK, of which roughly half come from within a 100 km radius of the site. Another interesting point is that 25 per cent of all customers are repeat visitors which we feel reflects the popularity of the Castle. With UK visitors 33 per cent are repeats. Of the nonlocals, that is UK residents from outside the 100 km radius, 78 per cent stay overnight in the area and the remainder have travelled over 100 km to visit the area for the day. With the recent opening of the M 40 motorway into London (approximately180 km} it is felt that travel time may be a more important factor to consider than distance travelled in kilometres† Figure 1 Admission Rates and attractions at Warwick Castle The data are collected over a period of days, and the market research reports sent to Sarah include not only the profile of visitors but what parts of the Castle they visit. The popularity of various parts of the complex varies according to how busy the site is. For instance, on a quiet day 87 per cent might visit the Private Apartments, but on a busy day this igure drops to 68 per cent. Likewise, during one such busy period, the visitors to the Woodland Gardens increased from 17 per cent to 20 per cent, to the Mound from 46 per cent to 52 per cent, and to the River Island from 34 per cent to 40 per cent. On average, visitors stayed on the site for three hours. Coach parties tended to visit for three hours, probably because the Castle was part of a full-day, tightly scheduled excursion that included other nearby tourist attractions. Competition for the paying tourists disposable cash was quite fierce in the area, it was felt. Other sites competing for the leisure pound were the Black Country Museum, Drayton Manor (Adventure) Park, West Midlands Safari Park, Cadbury World, Blenheim Palace, Alton Towers Theme Park, Ironbridge, Stratford’s Shakespeare and Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. In the Undercroft Restaurant marketing researchers overheard an elderly professor in conversation with a friend he had encountered in the Castle grounds: â€Å"I came early in the morning to avoid the rush. Any major historic tourist site is going to be heaving by midday in the summer and personally I hate all the queuing and tourists with cameras and all that. I got here at about 10 a. m. when the place opened this morning. I was able to enjoy the pure magic of the building with relatively few other people around. By lunch-time the queues were what I felt to be unreasonably long, but it is August and this must surely be their peak time here. I do wonder, for instance, should they not encourage more visitors out of season and what about allowing people to visit early morning or in the evening to avoid the lunch-time crush? † MANAGING DEMAND Warwick Castle brochures show a wide variety of activities that supplement turnover outside the peak season. According to Sarah, this literature was intended to push up the shoulders of demand: Every Friday and Saturday evening the Undercroft provides the setting for splendid five-course mediaeval banquets recreating the eve of the Battle of Agincourt. . A special events calendar has been published (see Figure 2). The Warwick Arts Festival uses the Castle as a venue in the evenings for a week in July. Exclusive tours of the Castle, and separately of the Gardens, are run by experts for pre-booked groups. These are available during the periods October to March, and March to November respectively, except during school half-term holidays and bank holidays. †¢ †¢ As a profit centre for the Pearson Group, the Castle is given targets that increase at a rate exceeding inflation. From these, prices are derived based on product developments, the prices that competitors are charging and known external factors that may affect demand (such as exchange rates and elections! ). The Castle expected between 700,000 and 800,000 visitors in the next year and profit projections were made based on these estimates. All catering facilities are run by the Castle, recognising franchising to another company would result in lost control and reduce potential to participate in profitable activities. Martin Westwood commented on fluctuations in demand: â€Å"Staffing varies relatively little with demand. It is felt that once the basic positions around the Castle are attended by staff, there is little that an additional staff member can provide. Winter weekends attract more visitors than winter weekdays, such that Saturday and Sunday combined turnover is the same as the other five days of the week put together. In summer things are more even, a Saturday or a Sunday being equivalent to two weekdays, although Sunday is usually busier than Saturday† Figure 2 Warwick castle Special Events Calendar BUSINESS OBJECTIVES Martin is clear that the Castles prime objective is to achieve growth in earnings per share for its shareholders. At the same time he emphasizes the sense of responsibility the management feels as custodians of this precious monument to work within it and use integrity and sensitivity at all times. Hence all signs, directions and facilities take a very low profile. Flashing neon lights are not the order of the day! Sarah Montgomery commented on the need to underplay the commercial side of the organisation: â€Å"Coca-Cola have offered us a sponsorship deal. They will give us money for a particular project which will increase our revenue and also the number of visitors we are getting. The problem is that Coke is the epitome of youth and fizz while the Castles target market is adults ABC 1, average age somewhere around 45! So how do we pull this deal together? † It is the integrity of the business in which the management take pride. It is not any business site but a very special building that is loved and cherished by the staff. Their constant concern is how to run a business from the Castle without destroying the charm and romance of the buildings, and without covering it with obtrusive signs and facilities. All staff are very polite and courteous and, though they are available to the public, tend not to interfere with the customers visit. In fact they blend in with visitors as they wear little that suggests they are actually staff. And when the Castle is relatively empty of visitors it has a really enchanting atmosphere. PERFORMANCE Evaluation of the performance of the business has difficulties. On the one hand, queues are an obvious problem (see Table 2) but then the customers do not seem to mind too much! Above all, the business is going from strength to strength, and achieving healthy profit performance. So, while the criticisms have to be noted, management has been achieving the high returns and growth that the shareholders require. Table 2 Observations of queuing and flow, Tuesday afternoon Queue to Private Apartments (number of people) 1. 00pm 130 1. 20 147 1. 40 128 2. 00 153 2. 20 132 2. 40 119 3. 00 137 Flow through doors to Private Apartments (number of people) 1. 00-1. 20 104 1. 20-1. 40 113 1. 40-2. 0 107 Flow from Private Apartments and State Rooms (number of people) 1. 00-1. 20 127 1. 20-1. 40 117 1. 40-2. 00 121 Queue to Rampart Walk 0-20 people at anyone time Number of people entering Rampart Walk 1. 40-1. 50 174 Queue at top of ramparts to get down (number of people) 6 minutes 63 Martin Westwood was defensive on the question of queues: â€Å"What popular to urist attraction doesnt have queues, and in any case, the queues here move pretty quickly. If we get queues for one part of the Castle we simply put out a sign suggesting people move on to the next attraction, although, to be frank, that doesnt really work. You see, the trouble is, that once people see a queue they dont want to miss out so they still join on the end of it. Our marketing questionnaires (see Appendix 1) suggest that weve got the operation about right, but theres always room for some improvement† The Professor in the Undercroft Restaurant had raised several issues connected with this: â€Å"The Castle really is in a unique condition of preservation. Its truly marvellous but I wouldnt seriously consider visiting it in the peak season. I just happen to be in the area because were going over to Stratford tonight to see Twelfth Night at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Im really looking forward to it! I wonder why they dont have off-peak rates for those not visiting around midday and maybe open earlier and close later. I would be more than happy to spend more time on the site if it werent for all the other tourists everywhere. And another thing, couldnt they do a package deal with the theatre at Stratford? Im sure a lot of visitors here also go there. In fact, I would pay a premium price to have the Castle almost to myself. For instance, Id find it simply delightful to sip a Pimms or a gin and tonic in the grounds as the sun went down. I know that I am rambling but I am sure theres a way to re-jig the prices so that the site basically generates more income throughout the year. And even if you say they do things out of season Ive not heard about them, so whats the use of publicity if it doesnt reach the people that want to spend money? † Sarah Montgomery, mindful of the need to keep a close eye on customers diverse requirements, often talked to individuals at the exit. A transcript of one such encounter is reproduced in Appendix 2. APPENDIX 1 MARKETING QUESTIONNAIRE OF RANDOM SAMPLE OF PEOPLE LEAVING WARWICK CASTLE Age range 0-5 6-15 16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66+ 7 37 27 25 34 17 20 33 Area of origination Local (within 100 km) UK (outside 100 km) Europe (excl. UK) USA/Canada S. America Australia Africa Asia Other/unspecified Length of stay in area Day trip 1-3 days 4-7 days 8+ days Method of transport Coach trip Own transport Hire car Public transport Other (bicycles etc. ) 37 27 25 47 3 11 5 14 2 96 50 13 5 96 74 31 20 12 Did you find that you had to queue very much? Yes 186 No 12 No comment 2 Did you feel that the queues were the same as other large tourist sites? Same 190 Better 4 Worse 6 Did you visit? State Rooms and Great Hall The Private Apartments The Watergate (Ghost) Tower The Armory The Dungeon The Torture Chamber The Gatehouse and Barbican 191 190 31 104 193 183 87 Guys Tower, the Rampart Walk and Clarence Tower The Victorian Rose Garden The Peacock Gardens The Conservatory The River Island Foxes Study and Cedar Walk Pageant Field The Mound Refreshment Stall Stables Restaurant and Tearoom Undercroft Restaurant The Bookshop Did you.. .? Bring your own picnic Did you see the Red Knight Did you buy a brochure How long have you spent at the Castle? hours Is this your first visit? Yes No Would you visit again? Yes No Maybe Dont know 186 103 117 102 57 31 101 54 118 52 71 62 32 81 99 5 67 75 37 16 148 52 144 31 23 2 APPENDIX 2 TRANSCRIPT OF A CONVERSATION WITH A VISITOR Christabelle Trymko, Oldbury-on-Severn, Gloucester We got here at about midday. We came up for the day from Gloucestershire. It was quite a good trip and the kids behaved t hemselves in the car. We had heard a lot about the Castle from some friends who have just moved up to Stratford, which is just down the road from Warwick. The Castles in superb condition! You dont know what its going to be like until you get past the ticket office and it really is amazing. It has been kept in impeccable condition, and the gardens are beautiful as well as being far less crowded than the Castle. There were too many people in and around the Castle. The queues were an irritation but I parked my husband in the queue and took the kids elsewhere until he was near the front and then we joined him. I think a few people got upset because we seemed to be pushing in, but Im not prepared to wait with three children in long queues in the sun. Mind you, its nothing like the queues at Madame Tussauds in London, they really are crazy. I didnt realise quite how big the grounds were. If I had known I think we would have spent longer at Warwick Castle and made a full day of it. We should have come here at about ten and then spent the whole day here. That way the queues inside the Castle would have been shorter for us. The grounds are lovely and theyve got special picnic areas which I thought was a nice idea. (I wish wed brought a picnic. ) Mind you, it does seem to be more than a bit light on entertainment for the kids. Nicky loved the man with the wonderful moustache dressed up in full Crusader uniform on the horse. He was very good with the kids. Nicky also liked the waxworks in the Private Apartments place. The queue wound its way up, down and around the place but apart from mild feelings of claustrophobia (thats my problem, I suppose) it went at about the right speed and I guess it lasted a bit under an hour. Oh yes, the Ra mpart Walk, they ought to warn you about just how many stairs you have to climb. I mean, I know there is a sign but you dont take it seriously, do you! You go up and up and then theres that great spiral staircase up the inside of that tower, I wont do that again in a rush! But it was worth it for the view. All in all it was a good day. More interesting than the average castle and not full of the usual touristoriented rubbish associated with tourist attractions. The commercial side is very much underplayed and I like that. You dont feel obliged to buy ice creams and tee-shirts and pencils and tea towels. Maybe some of the signs were a bit too discreet we had to ask where the toilets were but it makes a pleasant change. Also I like the one price for everything. At other places, I object to paying an admission charge and then paying on top of that for particular attractions. You always feel mean if you dont pay up, and then you also feel that you might be missing something. No, Id recommend the place and its so much less hassle than the tourist places in London which you almost feel obliged to visit every so often. This case is from : Cases in Operations Management (Second edition) Johnston, Chambers, Harland, Harrison, Slack, FT Prentice Hall 1997