Social Media In Education English Language Essay

Social Media In Education English Language Essay In todays technological environment, it is important that teachers try their best to make use of this innovative technology. As explained by Thaker, this technology can be used to facilitate communication between the students and the teachers. However, this new form of communication can also help parents in getting involved in the learning of their children. One way of enhancing this communication is through the use of social media (Bienstock, 2012) (Thaker, 2011). There are a number of social networking sites that can be used. Facebook  [1]  , Twitter  [2]  , Edmodo  [3]  , LinkedIn  [4]  , Twiducate  [5]  , Classroom 2.0  [6]  and Google+  [7]  are just few of the existent social media that one can make use of in education. These media are being constantly used by almost everyone on everyday basis. The results obtained from Pingdom (2012) on the demographics of 24 different social media sites show that these media are being used by different persons in different age groups. In fact, the study shows that even teenagers are making use of such media (Pingdom, 2012). However, one might argue, should we use such media in education, even though we know of the problems and issues related to such media? However others might reason that we cannot just eliminate the use of such a valuable and easily accessible resource. Bienstock (2012) makes reference to the New York Times article in which Ms. Pust states I think that we would do more good keeping kids safe by teaching them how to use these tools and navigate this online world rather than locking it down and pretending that it is not in our realm. (Preston, 2011 in Bienstock, 2012) In the following sections, we will discuss the advantages that social media offers in the area of education. However, we are also going to point out the problems that these media might present and how to cope and manage them. Social Media Benefits in Education Students (Parent Further, 2012) Develop communication skills students can gain social confidence from online interaction, which may help them feel more secure in new situations Increase skill in technology students become more familiar with new and emerging technologies, as well as increase their media literacy through exposure to many different types of online media Such technology is already common with students and this will surely engage them even more if it is utilized. Online communities can be very diverse and expose students to many new view points, ideas, and opinions Social media can also be a source to increase talent to work on group projects Students can develop an optimistic image of themselves by putting best qualities out there Enhanced Collaboration acquiring information can be accomplished by students alone. But a collaborative environment certainly helps students to work together in trying to achieve their aims. Teachers and Schools (Parent Further, 2012) Increased access to resources since learning materials can be shared Collaboration amongst teachers and exchanging of lesson plans and information Can reach parents who are incapable to come to school in a cheap and effective way Can form partnerships with schools in other states or countries Enhanced Flipping The teachers role is that of a tutor. The students access the coursework material outside the classroom, and then within the classroom the teacher helps the students with any problems. In this situation social media can be used to boost the relationship between the teacher and the student. Modernize Discussions through social media teacher can credit students for in-class participation. Communicate Between Classes Teachers can send out announcements, share ideas or pose questions to pupils, especially when classes are spaced several days apart. How well are schools using social media? (Harrison, 2012) Successes Challenges Making safe communities some sites allow teachers to control online environments thus reducing dangers associated with social media Lack of knowledge a schools social media account should be managed by someone who understands social media Encouraging collaboration students can critique and comment on each others assignments. They can easily work in teams online and asking teachers questions or starting a discussion is easy Lack of features lack of engagement for students can make them feel as if the school doesnt care. Features should include one-on-one connection Invitation to produce content social media can invite students and schools to produce content for both enrolled and prospective students. This can show the schools personality More than a presence a social media profile requires daily maintenance and interaction with students The NCF (Ministry of Education, Employment and Family 2011) argues that literacy, numeracy and digital literacy are the foundations for further learning. (Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family, 2011). Our students are digital natives whether we like it or not. For us as teachers we have to accept this and exploit it to deliver the subject content to our students. Students and Social Media Our students are continuously communicating through social media, in Malta the most popular one being Facebook. Can we stop this? No we can not as out students are equipped with laptops, tablets, iPads, smartphones all providing easier access to social networks. Introducing social media in education is not an easy step, as mentioned before students are continuously using it with most of them ignoring the possible consequences. When the topic is approached only on a theoretical level students think that it will never happen to them, for them there is nothing wrong uploading any kind of photos to appear cool with their friends. They can not perceive that once a photo is available on the Internet is available to anybody even though they select the Only Friends option. Social Media Problems and How to Minimise Them? The only way to deal with this problem is through educational videos that illustrate various situations which teenagers found themselves in because they didnt know it could happen to them. A teacher can start by showing these two videos http://viewpure.com/nOUu1fldBbI and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5OeGeudBMfeature=channel and discuss a set of questions with the students to elicit important points from both videos; the uploading of photos, anyone can watch your photos without you being aware of it. Students need to be educated towards social media. They have a tool in their hands, they think of knowing how to use it but most of them dont. Teachers and parents have to understand we cannot stop the social media hype. We as teachers have to educate about this tool. What can go wrong? Many students ask the questions: What can go wrong? These are some of the answers that we as educators need to provide: Cyberbullying (CEOP, 2007): This kind of bullying is different from the school bullying we are accustomed to. Our students are constantly using mobiles, the internet, so bullying can affect someone at home as well. Since cyberbullying takes place in the virtual world, it has a 24/7 effect and can make someone feel depressed or threatened in their own home. Students should be educated that this kind of bullying can be evidenced. With cyber bullying they can save text/emails/WebPages, print them and used as a proof to catch the bully. Sexting: Sexting occurs when someone takes an innapropriate photo of themselves, and sending it to their friends via a mobile phone, computer, tablet and so on. The problem is that students do not realise that once these images have been uploaded on the Internet they can end up anywhere.   They could be seen by friends and family, schoolmates who can make fun of them or worse in the hands of pedopheles. This also puts that person who originally sent the images in a vulnerable position (CEOP, 2007):, as somebody they may or may not know now has these images and could use technology to bully, harass or threaten students with these photos. Students have to be educated to think Do I want my schoolmates to see these photos, my family? Hacking: Students should always choose the Log Out option so their account can not be hacked. False Identity: It is very easy to lie on the Internet because there is not difrect face to face communication, hence people can lie about their age and appearance. Students have to be sure of whom they are confirming as a friend and moreover they have to be educated not to meet people they encountered over the Internet. Addiction: One has to be aware of the time and effort spent in establishing connections. It is very easy to become addicted, for some, these sites become one of the major concerns (CEOP, 2007). This can have adverse effects on a persons ability to work efficiently and affects ones health as well. Sometimes the best lesson to educate our students is not through theory but providing them with actual facts. For example this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2201064/Man-murders-girl-16-testify-raping-years-agolured-death-posing-teen-Facebook.html narrates the story of a girl killed by her rapist before she could testify against him. He posed as a teenage boy on Facebook and told Shania Gray (the victim) he had a crush on her and they agreed to meet. He took her to a secluded park and shot her (Pullman, 2012). Everyone has a Facebook account why shouldnt I? Our society, educators, parents cannot hide from the reality that social media are part of our culture. The future generation are approaching their lives differently as they integrate digital technologies- such as computers, the Internet, instant messaging, cell phones and e-mail throughout their daily activities. As educators we can propose the following simple but effective SMART Rules (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Keep your personal information like address, mobile number safe. Make students think this question If I meet a stranger on the street would I give him my mobile number? The same reasoning has to be applied to a stranger met on the Internet. Dont Meet Up. Social networks can be a place to encounter with new people. Students must always know who you are talking to. If an adult they do not know asks them to meet up, they have to be educated to say no. Accepting (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Educate students to think before they accept something from someone over the Internet as it might contain viruses with the sole purpose to steal information from someones computer used by a hacker to keep data on people perhaps engaged by paedophiles. If students do not know from whom it is and it has an attachment, they have to delete it. Reliable (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Not everyone online can be trusted. Older men tend to lie about their age and who they are to meet female adolescents. This is a point we as educators need to stress onto; students have to know who they are talking to. Tell (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Students should not be afraid of talking if someone is harassing or stalking them over the Internet. They have to talk with their parents, or a guidance teacher or any other trusted adult if someone makes them worried or uncomfortable online. Moreover if a student knows about a friend who has these kinds of problems he/she has to tell someone. It is not betraying him/her friends trust, it is helping and in some cases saving his/her friend. The Issue of No Physical Interaction Social media is a medium that enables communication between people from all over the world through the use of technology. Such interaction can be done from the comfort of your own home and this can facilitate the process tremendously. Some may argue that social media may present a challenge since the students are unable to socialise properly. This may be due to the fact that the interaction between peers is not presented in a physical manner. On the other hand, social media allows people to meet in ways that otherwise would have not been possible. Social media not only allows easier communication but eliminates the issue of geographical barriers. It allows students to form and (Tomaszewski, 2012) (Connolly, 2011) (Williams, 2011)maintain friendships, that otherwise would have been difficult or impossible. Such friendships allow students to learn and interact with other cultures other than their own. It allows wider knowledge sharing from people all over the world. Such interaction would not have been possible or would have been difficult and more costly if it had to be done physically. Therefore, when used with properly and with caution, social media allows not only learning to occur, but also friendships and knowledge sharing to take place. Avoid these when using Social Media We do not want more rules but as any other important tool Social Media should be used responsibly. We are in the day and age, were Social Media is used all the time by everyone and this is the main reason why we should be careful of what we do. We should educate our students how to use Social Media sites responsibly. Stephanie Buck on Mashable gives us a few rules to follow, which if applied, help us appreciate the power of Social Media when used in the classroom. Post Illegal Activities (Buck, 2012) Although your profile may be set to private there are other ways and means how this content can become public and be view by anyone on the web. Once public, it will be impossible to remove that content from the internet. Trash Your Teachers (Buck, 2012) Bullying can also include interactions done on posts where teachers or school administration are mentioned. This can be a grave offence even if certain things may seem harmless to who posted them. Post Objectionable Content from School Computers or Networks (Buck, 2012) Do not use the school computers to post objectionable information. Some school networks can track this activity. Post Confidential Information (Buck, 2012) This is very important as already mentioned before everyone can see the information you post so be careful not to post any personal information where people can track you. Overly Specific Location Check-Ins (Buck, 2012) Do not use Social Media to say that you are home alone or in a remote location this will help even persons who are not willing to help to find you. Lie/Cheat/Plagiarize (Buck, 2012) If a lie is shared on Social Media it is most probably that everyone will get to know. There can also be investigations regarding cheating and plagiarism. Threaten Violence (Buck, 2012) When a threat is posted online even if anonymous, there will be investigations by the police and eventually will trace the offender. Ignore School-Specific Policies (Buck, 2012) Always abide by the policy of your school regarding Social Media. Unprofessional Public Profiles (Buck, 2012) Students should be thoughtful of what to post online. Certain content might not be acceptable for an employer, who in the near future might go through ones profile. Do not say or put anything on your profile which you do not want a future employer to see. Never Rely on Privacy Settings 100% (Buck, 2012)- Students should never rely on privacy settings over good judgment, (Buck, 2012) says social media specialist, Andrew Moravick in (Buck, 2012). Some Social Media networks have very good privacy settings but some are updated very often and not everyone can keep track. Post Emotionally (Buck, 2012) Do not post anything on Social Media when feeling emotional about something. Thing may seem very different when analyzing the same scenario when feeling calm. As we can see, these are very simple rules students and everyone using Social Media can follow. We just have to keep in mind that anything posted irresponsibly on Social Media networks can have very negative effects. Conclusion So far experts remind us that there are clear dos and donts for integrating social media in the classroom. Social technologies are here to stay and it is import to help students learn how to used social media. Guide students in how to think deliberately about their use and consider the outcomes of proper and improper use of social media. This goal can be appropriately reached when teacher have received appropriate training on the use of social media. Full backing and support of the school administration is mandatory to fulfill this objective. Turning social media into an educational tool can be used to further a students education and enrich it.

The Largest Tea Manufacturing Company In India Marketing Essay

The Largest Tea Manufacturing Company In India Marketing Essay Tata Tea, one of the important group companies of Tata group, is the largest tea manufacturing company in India by volume and currently holds second position as company representing tea operations in global market. The company used the policy of acquisition, joint-venture and sustainability as their key strategies for global growth. During their journey in achieving their milestone in global market, Tata tea faced many political, social, economical and technological issues. For example acquisition of Tetley-UK was the most challenging one as it landed Tata tea into short term debt. But the adoption of firm policies and financial restructuring helped Tata tea to regain their momentum and now it is the second largest company representing tea operations in global tea market. Tata Group, established in 1868 in India, comprises of 7 business sectors namely communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Each enterprise operates independently and has their own board of directors and shareholders. The revenue for Tata group in financial year 2008-09 is $62.5 billion with a profit of $5.4 billion and 64.7 % of revenue coming from foreign market. Tata group employ around 357,000 people worldwide and has established great reputation in India for 140 years by sticking to its strong values and business ethics. They have 27 publicly listed Tata enterprises with combined market capitalisation of $60 billion, and a shareholder base of 3.5 million. Tata group has operations in 85 countries and its products and services are exported to 80 nations. The major companies of Tata Group are Tata Tea, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Steel, Indian Hotels and Ta ta Communications. Tata Tea Limited was formed in 1983 from the formerly Tata Finlay Company, a collaborated company formed in 1964. It is amongst the group company of Tata group that produces 5 major brands of tea and holds the 2nd position in domestic tea business in India. It acquired Tetley Group in year 2000 and became the second largest branded tea producer globally with its goods presence in more than 40 countries. The operations of Tata Tea and its subsidiaries focus on quality product with significant presence in plantation activity in Sri Lanka and India. The global tea business of the Tata Tea group contributes around 86% of the overall business with the remaining 14% coming from coffee, bulk tea and investment income. Tata Tea Limited is headquartered at Kolkata and owns 27 tea estates in eastern and southern India. Importance of Tata tea in Tata group Importance of Tata tea can be determined by analysing the BCG Matrix of Tata Group in Figure1 Figure 1: BCG Matrix Source: (Abhinav-Parakh-Pdf) From the overall Tata group, Tata tea and two more Tata enterprises has been allotted a star status. Star status is given to those enterprises that are the market leader in their own product field. For example Tata Tea brand leads market share in terms of capacity and value in India and has been complemented Super Brand recognition in the country. Moreover all the star industries have growth rate above 12%. And to maintain the growth rate the industries has spend large amount of money in their respective sectors. For example Tata Motors has invested in various projects such as Nano project, etc. Also Tata tea did invested lot of money in preserving its image by investing in jaago re campaign. Furthermore, Tata tea is contributing 9% of overall profit of Tata group. (Abhinav -Parakh-Pdf) Strategies for global growth-Tata tea Tata teas global strategy is to become the market leader in tea production in India, increase its reach in the global market and end up being the global tea market leader where Unilever is currently positioned. For this the company has adopted the approach of forming subsidiaries and entering into alliances in countries that have considerable amount of presence in the tea market both form consumer as well as producer side. History of the acquisitions and joint ventures formed by Tata tea are listed in Table1. (Tata Tea limited-pdf) Table1:-History of acquisitions and joint ventures of Tata tea Limited Entity Year of information Status Role Tata Tea, Inc, USA 1987 100 per cent subsidiary To process and market instant tea from its facility in Florida, based on sourcing of products from facility at Munnar Consolidated Coffee Ltd (Tata Coffee Ltd) 1991 Acquisition of 52.5 per cent stake To diversify into coffee via a company which was Asias largest seller of coffee Estate Management Services (P) Limited, Sri Lanka 1992 Joint venture To manage 22 plantation companies involved in tea, rubber, coconut and palm oil, that were privatised by the Sri Lankan government Tata Tetley, India(merged with Tata Tea with effect from April 1, 2005) 1993 100 per cent subsidiary Kochi-based EOU that services the branded business of specific Tetley and Tata Tea markets outside India Asian Coffee Ltd (later merged with Tata Coffee) 1995 Acquisition of 55 percent stake To get into selling instant coffee globally. Watawala Plantations Limited, Sri Lanka 1996 Acquisition of 49 per cent stake thourgh EMSPL Production and marketing of tea, oil palm and rubber in Sri Lanka Tata Tea (GB) Limited 2000 100 per cent subsidiary Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) established for the acquisition of Tetley, UK Tetley Clover Pvt Ltd., Pakistan 2003 50:50 joint venture of Tetley with Lakson group in Pakistan To import and sell tea in Pakistan as well as build a tea blending factory in Baluchistan Tetley ACI, Bangladesh 2003 50:50 joint venture of Tetley with Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) in Bangladesh To distribute Tetleys products in Bangladesh Good Earth, USA 2005 Acquisition of 100 per cent stake by Tetley Establish Presence in the US and acquisition of strong product portfolio Jemca, Czech Republic 2006 Acquisition of 100 per cent stake by Tetley Market Leadership in Czech republic with a product portfolio which goes across both mainstream and speciality 8 O Clock Coffee, USA 2006 Acquisition of more than 50 percent stake, along with Tata Coffee and Tata Enterprises Overseas To help establish global presence in coffee and facilitate movement up the value chain Glaceau, USA 2006 30 per cent minority stake along with Tata Sons Presence in unfolding crossover space of the beverages market through enhanced water Year of Source: Tata Tea limited-pdf Amongst all that are listed in table1, the acquisition of Tetley, UK was the most beneficial and also challenging for Tata tea. 4.1 Case Study:-Acquisition of Tetley by Tata Tea 4.1.1 Introduction Tata Tea acquired Tetley from the venture capital investors in February 2000. For this Tata Tea competed with Sara Lee to acquire Tetley, completing its own initial public offering. The acquisition was important for Tata tea because its competitor Hindustan Levers Limited, subsidiary of Unilever was gaining market share and overall growth rate of tea market in India had slowed down at that moment. Before the acquisition, some of the important statistics of both the companies are shown in Table 2. Table 2: Comparison of Tata Tea and Tetley before acquisition (31/3/00)-(31/3/01) Tata Tea Tetley Turnover $207 million $417 million Employees 59,740 1,100 Operating profit $36 million $42.6 million Key markets India Britain, Canada, US, Australia Tea estates 54 0 Source: A Partnership Brewing, Far Eastern Economic Review (May 17, 2001)/ Darden Business Publishing, University of Virginia, Tata tea Ltd and Tetley, plc (A) As shown in Table 2, Tata Teas motivation to acquire Tetley was that it provided Tata Tea, to access the market of US, Canada, Europe and Australia. Tata Tea also hoped to earn important marketing and packaging expertise from Tetley. Some of the expected advantages of acquisition were Technology: Tetley would provide Tata tea access to unique products such as flavoured tea, herbal tea and organic tea. This introduction could be a functional addition at the top end of the Indian market. Brands: Tata tea could help launch the Tetley brand in India, Middle East and Russia, traditional bastions of Tata tea. Cost synergies: Both companies could together relocate manufacturing of tea and take advantage of global supply chain approach and shared platform for InfoTech and finance function. While geographical spread of operations can be a constraint of moving people around, but it was expected that virtual teams using information technology, could work together without physically travelling across country boundaries. InfoTech: the acquisition can help Tata Tea to improve InfoTech infrastructure and improve connectivity to distant plantation and adopting an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to create a global supply chain based on Tetleys SAP-based ERP solution. 4.1.2 Challenges for Tata Tea after acquisition Tata Tea acquired Tetley group for  £271 million and it was clear that Tata Tea paid too much for Tetley as it was  £100 million more than the next highest bid. After acquisition Tata tea hoped to cover the debt created by leveraged buyout, but during that period many factors such as deteriorating financial performance of Tetley ( £29 million in 1999), increasing raw material prices, great demand of substitutes of tea such as coffee, juices and soda and pressure to generate increase cash flow created pressure and conflict internally at Tata tea and between the two organisation. Some of the challenges Tata tea has to come across are: Tata tea was half the size of Tetley in terms of revenue and number of upper management and so it feared a domination of Tetleys corporate culture. Dealing with diverse skill set, working Culture of employee and objectives of both the organisation. Financial constraints such as legal and capital control in India that made the listing of Tetley shares in India unattractive. Problem arising with integration of processes of both the companies to accomplish supply chain. As it is a leveraged acquisition, there is always a problem of bank coming in between and enforcing constraints in operations carried out by both the companies. There is a great deal of concern of how British employees would react to Indian manager as India was a part of former British Colony. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=907952 4.1.3 Tata Tea Market after Acquisition The market of Tata tea suffered a lot after the acquisition as it experienced disaster financial performance. The companys overall sales was dropped by 8.3% and reached Rs 621.58 crore from Rs 677.86 crore. Also operating profit was dropped down by 19.37% and reached Rs 121.43 crore from Rs 150.60 crore. Market share price considerably dropped within a year as shown in Figure2. (THE HINDU group of publications, Sunday, April 15, 2001) Figure2: Share value of Tata tea in 2000-01 crisis after acquisition of Tetley group http://www.hinduonnet.com/businessline/iw/2001/04/15/images/15b053c1.jpg Source: THE HINDU group of publications, Sunday, April 15, 2001 4.1.4 Factors fuelling Tata Teas global initiatives Though the acquisition of Tetley was seen negatively by the market for the next 3 years, Tata tea cautiously chose the approach of integrating the processes and exploring synergies between the two companies with absence of any time pressure, while maintaining operational independence. For this, the overall emphasis was on growth rather than cost reduction. Also a structure that supports joint working in several areas was adopted. A thoughtful process was adopted for integrating the two companies with some of the highlight being: Identification of common belief: An international consulting firm was commissioned to identify the common belief between the two companies and suggest ways to bring them closer. Creation of structure: A strong culture was developed to create a group that includes steering committee, their task forces and managers of both the companies. Refinement of structure: Tata Tea adopted the hierarchical structure and assigned responsibilities to every level from top to bottom as shown in figure2. Figure 2: Refinement of Tata Tea organisational structure after acquisition Source: Tata Tea limited-pdf Implications that both companies has gone through after merging are described in table3. Table3:- Merger implications Merger implication Tata tea- pre acquisition Tetley -pre acquisition Consolidated-post acquisition Global footprint Domestic operations in India UK and USA were the major market Global presence Increased outsourcing Produced 95% of the tea requirements in-house Outsourced entire requirement from 35 countries 70% of the Tata teas requirement are outsourced from 20 countries, thus reducing risk associated with fluctuation in production Value chain positioning 40% turnover came from tea packet/tea bags 100% turnover came from tea packet/tea bags 84%of turnover came from tea packet/tea bags Source: Tata Tea limited-pdf End of case study Apart from all the acquisitions, Tata tea has adopted the policy of Sustainability as their key business strategy, which addresses many socio-economical and environmental issues that have the potential to increase competitive advantages in the business, if addressed effectively. Some of the global values that Tata tea has adopted are: Consumer focused: Consider consumer as their heartbeat Change management: Adapting to changes by going beyond the ways of doing things. Motivation: Encourage employees to innovate in what they do and take up challenges Sustainability: Use of ethical conducts in business implications Playfully professional: Encourage employees to make organisation as a personal space by improving the working condition. (Sustainability Report, 2008-09) 4.2 Financial Analysis In order to support all the acquisitions and joint venture listed in table 1, Tata Tea has actively followed operational and financial restructuring. The effect of this is evident from the combined financial results of the company. That is though the sales between 2003 and 2005 remained flat, the operating margin did improved from 14.1% to 18%. Since the acquisition of Tetley the company have taken initiatives such as strict cost control and quality improvement with the help of its RD centres in order to improve its operational performance. As a result of these initiatives, Tata Tea was successfully able to lower its high cost debt of gearing 2.2 in year 2002 to gearing 1.1 in year 2005. Also there was a significant improvement in Tetley Groups cash flow which helped the company to invest more behind its brand globally, launch new products and merge its market share in key geographies. (Tata Tea limited-pdf) 4.2.1 Financial restructuring done by Tata Tea Tata tea changed their orientation from producing tea company to selling tea company as they realised that the level of profit can be increased by selling high quality branded tea products rather than owning plantation. To execute their restructuring process, Tata tea decreased its total wage payment by 12.5%, provident fund payment by 43% and welfare payment by 40%. Also Tata tea also reduced its employee strength from 58,888 workers to 34,596 workers as shown in Figure 3 Figure3: Tata tea directly employed work-force, 1999-2007 Source: Tata Tea Annual Report (various), IFC Current Positioning of Tata Tea After the financial collapse in the year 2000, Tata Tea is now moving forward toward the growth. Currently share value of Tata tea has moved up to Rs 700 per share as shown in Figure4 Figure 4: Share value of Tata tea (2008-09) http://www.blonnet.com/2009/05/25/images/2009052551110401.jpg Source: Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications, Monday, May 25, 2009 Tata tea exceeded its performance with a volume share of 19.2% as compared to its competitors 18.6% and acquired the leadership position with respect to volume share of packet tea segment in India as shown in Table 4 Source: http://www.tatatea.com/TATA_TEA_TAKES_OVER_THE_NO_1_POSITON_IN_VOLUME_TERMS.doc Tata tea has been ranked as the most trusted beverage brand in India (The Economic Times, 2007) The companys marketing strategy of focusing on continuous innovation in all direction of brand marketing and sales, has helped Tata Tea to achieve excellent growth in recent years (Ms Sangeeta Talwar, Executive Director-Marketing, Tata tea Limited). All products of Tata Tea such as Tata tea premium, Tata tea gold, Tata tea Agni, Tetley green tea and Tata tea life are being well received by the consumer and hence experience great success. Future plans As mature markets such as USA, UK and Canada are changing and with the declination of black tea products, Tata tea Limited are now concentrating on sectors that are growing rapidly such as fruit and herbal infusion, green tea and many more. The company has been structuring its business in these high value sectors by supporting key products, responding to changing consumer needs by introducing new products and making acquisition. Recently Tata tea is looking for joint venture with a China based company Zhejiang Tea import and export to manufacture and market green tea extracts, liquid tea concentrates, cold and hot water soluble instant tea and other value added tea beverages (Tata Tea limited-pdf). Also the company entered the Russian market through joint venture with European bank of reconstruction and development to obtain the hydration opportunities in the Russian market (Sustainability Report 2008-09). Conclusion Tata teas overall success was much depended on its strategies in the critical time. Though acquisition of Tetley-UK was analyzed as a negative move at that particular time i.e. in the year 2000, Tata tea overlooked the acquisition as an opportunity to compete in global tea market. Apart from use of some firm strategies, other key factors that played a crucial role in Tata teas global success are Use of right strategy at the right time Use of wait and watch approach during critical time Establishment of understanding between Tata tea and Tetley-UK It is said that use of high risk results in two ways in business. If the risk doesnt work the company can go to ground of debt. But if the risk works, the company can experience success like never before and thats what happened to Tata tea. References Abhinav-Parakh (Pdf file) [online] Available http://www.scribd.com/doc/24386829/Abhinav-Parakh (4/01/2010, 14:40) Darden business publishing-University of Virginia, Tata tea Ltd and Tetley, plc (A) [online] Available http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=907952 (5/01/2010, 21:08) Sustainability Report, 2008-09 (pdf file) [online] Available http://www.tatatea.com/TataTea_Sustainability_Report_2008-09.pdf (12/01/2010, 19:03) Tata tea limited (Pdf file) [online] Available http://www.ibef.org/download/Tata_Tea_Limited.pdf (5/01/2010, 23:08)

Slavery of African Americans :: Literary Analysis, Fredrick Douglass

When considering the slavery of African Americans, few will deny the negative impact it had on the African slaves. However, in his Narrative, Fredrick Douglass makes it clear that several of the slaveholding characters are undermined by slavery—regardless of being unaware of this. By examining the characters of Edward Covey and Sophia Auld, it can be seen that Douglass feels that slavery has a negative effect on the white slaveholders as well as the black slaves. A particular character that is undermined by slavery is Sophia Auld. When Douglass first meets Sophia, he finds her to be â€Å"a woman of the kindest heart and finest feelings.† (Douglass 43) He states that he â€Å"saw what [he] had never seen before†¦a white face beaming with the most kindly emotions.† (41). Douglass emphasizes the fact that â€Å"She had been a good degree preserved from the blighting and dehumanizing effects of slavery.† (43) In fact she does not respond well to â€Å"the crouching servility, usually so acceptable a quality in a slave†¦she seemed to be disturbed by it.† (43) Ultimately, â€Å"slavery proved as injurious to her as it did to [him].† (48). Douglass showcased Sophia’s drastic change in character by using hyperboles, at first describing her as heavenly and angelic, then as harsh and demonic. He notes that, â€Å"she became even more violent than her husband.† (48) So, it can be seen that slav eholding greatly changed the character of Sophia in a negative way. It can additionally be seen that Douglass finds this to be an important fact to make note of by his use of dramatic and somewhat exaggerated language. Unlike Sophia, Edward Covey is consistently portrayed in a negative way throughout his sections of the Narrative. Covey ultimately does himself a disservice by putting significant effort into keeping his slaves in line. The first account Douglass gives of Covey’s behavior—when he sends Douglass â€Å"very early in the morning of one of [the] coldest days in the month of January, to the woods, to get a load of wood† (66) with â€Å"a team of unbroken oxen† (66)—displays Covey’s intent to devise impossible tasks which a slave cannot possibly complete; giving Covey the excuse to beat his slave. Covey had to have known that leading untamed oxen through the woods on a bitterly cold day would be an immensely difficult task for any average individual to complete. He undermines himself in the sense that he spends unnecessary time using his intelligence to devise these plans instead of putting it to more constructive use.

gatjay F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Lessons from Jay Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Great Gatsby: Lessons from Jay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Novel The Great Gatsby, not many people really knew the man known as Jay Gatsby.   When he was rich and powerful, he was the man you "want to know."   But when he was dead, life went on without him. It seemed as if nobody cared that he was the man behind the parties and all the good times.   He was dead and nobody mourned.   This shows that the opinion of the great Jay Gatsby changed by the end of the story.   He was an icon of not only every man's image of the American Dream, but he was also apart of Americanism and the American Experience.   He was seen as the richest and luckiest man during his time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unlike any of the other characters in the novel, Jay Gatsby does not change during the course of the story.  Ã‚   He as a person might not have changed, but the way that people perceived him certainly became different.   When he was alive and well, he was the perfect idea of the American Dream.   He had more money than he knew what to do with.   He could afford to have oversized parties every weekend.   Jay Gatsby was the person to know when it came to the Eggs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning, he was only known as Jay Gatz.   He was a poor boy in the army.   He only had his charm to get him by.   This is how he meets Daisy.   She was a very rich girl, from a wealthy family.   They were in love from the beginning.   Unfortunately, Daisy believed that "rich girls don't marry poor boys."   From that moment on, Jay Gatz wanted one thing; to get rich so he could show Daisy that a poor boy could get rich.   This obsession ate up the real man inside.   Jay Gatz became Jay Gatsby.   This new man wanted to become the American Dream at an early age. He did what ever he could to get his money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the more puzzling things about Jay Gatsby is where did he come from and where did he get his money?   Nobody other than Daisy really knows where he came from.   When people were talking at one of Gatsby's first parties, nobody could really say where he was from.

Was the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre a Failure of Civil Disobedience?

The 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre in China or the June Fourth Incident was one of the most famous student protests in the world’s history. The Massacre took place on June 4th 1989 – the last day of a series of pro-democracy demonstrations around Tiananmen Square beginning from April 14. The Tiananmen protest ended in tragic failure and bloodbath as the Chinese state decided to put down the protest with a martial law. At last, army troops and tanks were sent to take control of the city and were ordered to clear the square by firing at the crowd of protesters. The number of deaths has been a matter of controversy over the world until now, which ranges from several hundreds to thousands. In spite of the massiveness and the great influence of the protest, June Fourth was a great failure of civil disobedience because of its lack of organization and the dominant power of the Chinese dictatorial government. The root of protest came into existence since the early of 1980s after the death of Mao ZeDong – the first chairman of the Communist party of China – in 1976. Since the communist party came to power, it had conducted many social and economic campaigns that had tremendous influence on the nation. The total domination of the socialist government towards the society caused many mistakes that made China face many disasters, for example, the severe famine caused the death of 30 million people from 1959 to 1961 (Zhao 42), or the Cultural Revolution which annihilated traditional culture and murdered a lot of intellectuals. In 1978, the new leaders decided to reform to rescue the Chinese economy which was on the verge of collapse. They corrected the past mistakes with an open-door policy on all areas from economy to culture, thus loo... ...down the student demonstrations and somehow killed the revolution spirit of the people, the world will always remember the Tiananmen protest as significant, bravery and dramatic civil disobedience in the pursuit for democracy. Works Cited Branigan, Tania. â€Å"China lifts ban on Tiananmen sites.† Guardian.co.uk 3 August 2008. . Mackerras, Colin. â€Å"June Fourth.† Dictionary of the Politics of the People’s Republic of China. 1st ed. 1998. Pei, M. From Reform to Revolution: The Demise of Communism in China and the Soviet Union. Harvard University Press, 1994. Zhang, Liang. The Tiananmen papers. Ed. Andrew J. Nathan and Perry Link. 1st ed. New York: Public Affairs, 2001. Zhao, Dingxin. The power of Tiananmen. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2001.

Walmart Spot Rate

a. A. Walmart’s use of the spot market in China would allow the retailer to exchange their excess required holdings into other foreign currencies. The spot market makes the exchange of yuan into other currencies a seamless process. If Walmart consistently purchases home goods from manufacturing plants in Russia, the spot market will allow Walmart to convert their earned yuan into rubles to pay for Russian goods. b. c. B. Walmart may at sometime utilize an international money market in order to borrow short-term funds to build new retail outlets in emerging markets. Excess funds from sales in China could be placed into a foreign money market in anticipation of new operations in the respective country. Advantage of utilizing this type of money market is to secure better interest rate or the country’s currency may be expected to increase in the near future. Any advantage a company has in anticipation of expected currency appreciations, the better off they will be when operations begin, their money will go further. d. e. C. Walmart may also choose to take on long-term debt with the use of the international bond market. Much like anticipating a foreign countries increase in currency in the money market, a bond market will allow Walmart to take in immediate debt in the respective country. Once operations begin in this new market, earnings received in the new currency can be used to pay off interest of this new debt. Walmart will also attract more attention from foreign investors, if they issue bonds in those foreign countries. Walmart must use caution, depending on which way the exchange rate works in their favor, it may either prove to be beneficial or they may realize a loss due to currency deflation. Chapter 4 Problem 5 If Japan relaxes its import controls: a. A. The US demand schedule for Japanese yen will shift inward b. B. The supply schedule of yen will shift outward c. C. The equilibrium value will decrease Problem 21 1. Borrow 10 Million Singapore dollars 2. Convert the Singapore dollars to US = (10,000,000 x . 43) = 4,300,000 US Dollars 3. Lend the US dollars @ 7%, which represents a over the 60 day period. After 60 days the bank will receive (computed as $4,300,000 x (1 + . 0117) = 4,350,310 4. (7 x (60/360)) = 1. 17 5. Repay the Singapore loan = 10,000,000 x {1 + (24% x 60/360)} = 10,400,000 6. Based on spot rate , US dollars to repay Singapore loan = 10,400,000 x . 42 = 4,368,000 7. After repaying loan the bank will have a speculative loss of 4,368,000 – 4,350,310 = 17,690 If the speculation is correct the bank will have done too much work for a loss in profit.

The New Form of Presidency and Vice Presidency

With the research that I have gathered I believe Al Gore would pose as a good candidate to serve our country. However I also believe that George W. Bush would serve us well too. So I have come up with an idea that perhaps in the next presidential election there could be a republican and a democrat as running mates. Maybe one could be the vice president and the other the president. I believe that a lot more laws and bills could be passed, and the country could be satisfied as a whole. Maybe the country could even come up with a new form of presidency where there are two presidents and one vice president. Then laws and bills may not be passed without both presidents being in agreement. The vice president would perform the same duties, while the presidents could get twice as much done in half the time. Now if I had to choose on a presidential candidate it would be George W. Bush. I would choose him for two reasons, one for his beliefs on social security and two for his views on education. First off with social security and the way that it is currently heading I believe that there will not be enough money left to fund it for my children or me. Bush believes that it is a promise to our nation. He wants to change it, not for current retirees or those soon approaching it, but for the next generation. To put that money away where it can earn higher interest rates. Now on to Bush†s views on public education. He has already reformed the public schools in Texas, and he wishes to do it all across the country. He wants to offer states the freedom form federal intervention, but receive results in return. Performance checks with also be held annually. With those two reasons alone give me a good enough will to vote for bush. If I were eighteen I would have no trouble when Election Day came.