Special Olympics Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Eunice promoted the idea of involving those with intellectual disabilities in physical activities and competition opportunities. Camp Shriver later on became an annual event funded by Kennedy Foundation, who gave grants to recreation departments, universities and community centers to hold other similar camps. Social issues The main aim of Special Olympics has been to improve the social lives. The Special Olympics has transformed the world and brought light especially those with intellectual disabilities so as to prevent them from being kept in dark rooms and being locked indoors. Special Olympics have removed the pride of countries like Russia, who claimed they did not have people with intellectual disabilities yet they managed to send 190 athletes to Shanghai to take part. Special Olympics have encouraged global movement and bring together communities all over the world by pulling them together so as to raise funds for the athletes. In addition, the Special Olympics have opened the eyes of the world to those who were intellectually disabled and will also do so in the future generation. Educational importance Special Olympics have had various educational importances. We will write a custom essay sample on Special Olympics or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now For instance, through Special Olympics, children get to take part in games and activities that nurture motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It n also be seen that young athletes who take part enhances their social skills. Confidence boost allows them to play and also talk with other children on the playing field and other places. It has also been found that special Olympic activities have an effect of assisting children with intellectual disabilities to learn practices and approaches to learning, in addition to how to follow rules and regulations. Historical trends As mentioned before, Special Olympics was started way back in 1962 by Eunice Kennedy since she was concerned about the children who were intellectually challenged and had nowhere to play. Eunice promoted the idea of involving those with intellectual disabilities in physical activities and competition opportunities. Camp Shriver later on became an annual event funded by Kennedy Foundation, who gave grants to recreation departments, universities and community centers to hold other similar camps. The first world Special Olympic Games was held Chicago in 1968 at Soldier Field where one thousand athletes from US and Canada competed for the first time in history. Although some few fans disapproved the efforts being put by Ms. Kennedy, the camp she initiated later on became a successful and created a spark of hope for those who had intellectual disabilities together with their families.

Art As A Common Subject Of Visual Art - 1631 Words

Human form for many years has been discussed and always been a common subject of visual art. The earliest known representations of the human body come from Europe and date to between 25,000 and 12,000 years ago. Current attitudes recognize the beauty and artistry in these objects and make the initial categories of classification obsolete. The objects are now all grouped together as ‘Human Form in Art’. They display enormous diversity in materials, techniques, function, beliefs, and notions of beauty. While people of a century or more ago would have viewed such figures and forms in a divisive way, they may now be seen to highlight the shared humanity of the cultures represented. Because art is a means of communicating human experiences, human bodies are naturally depicted. In numerous cultures, human forms are found on functional everyday objects, illustrated in decorative ways, used for religious and ritual purposes, or produced to reinforce notions of the ideal form, but is it the same for a photography? According to Elizabeth Opalenik, a photographic artist and a Juror of an exhibition named the Human Form, explains the simplicity but at the same time complicity of the body in art. Viewing the human body photographed in abstraction is an innately challenging experience. It is sensual and familiar, yet disconcerting and foreign. Also, she explains that the human form is beautiful, complex, and remarkable. Though the only media that can capture that texture and the senseShow MoreRelatedArt as a Mirror of Society678 Words   |  3 PagesART AS A MIRROR OF SOCIETY Art is seen as mirror of our society. It is therefore a source of communication put into meaning by ones ideology and inspiration, which allows us to related to Art in our own way. Visual Arts evokes conversation and seeks to solve problems of creativity and visual communication which has become a dominant global, social, racial, political, religious and capitalist force. The commercialization and commodification of this Visual Art shapes perceptions of visual culturesRead MoreVisual Arts : Visual Art Essay1552 Words   |  7 PagesVisual Arts- an introduction Visual Art plays a vital role in shaping our culture and everyday experience. What makes a painting work? What inspires a sculptor to create? What makes a poster attractive? What draws the reader’s attention to a magazine on a newsstand? How to create harmony in our living spaces? The content of Visual arts are affected by many factors, including the language used and media of visual communication, historical and social forces, and the evolution of new modes of expressionRead MoreImplementing Core Tested Programs For Schools1396 Words   |  6 PagesInstructional time is important, especially in the fine arts. In order to have an arts program with the tangible results and benefits previously explained, elementary students require to have at least 50 hours of instructional time in order to give them a solid base in art disciplines (Good, 374). The schools who would prefer to focus their resources on the Core tested programs will see improvement in the Core areas, but there ar e other subjects that leave a footprint along the beach of test scoresRead MoreArts Integrated Into The Curriculum931 Words   |  4 PagesUniversity Of West Florida Arts Integrated Into the Curriculum Who doesn’t love to have fun while they are learning? While most would answer that with a yes some may say, there is no way to make learning fun. The arts consist of dance, music, visual arts, or even theater. If we used the fine arts to teach the core subjects (math, science, or language arts) you might just realize that learning can be fun. Art integration sometimes is not used due to lack of funding, or even teacher experience thatRead MoreThe Importance of Visual Literacy1255 Words   |  6 PagesVisual literacy, as defined by The Association of College and Research Libraries Image Resources Interest Group, â€Å"Is a set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media.† (ACRL). While the concept itself, as well as awareness of its role in people’s everyday lives is increasingly widespread, its’ worth is still highly debated. It is evident in our daily lives, messages conveyed through billboards, television advertisementsRead MoreCapturing Students Attention with Artisitc Depiction of Historical Events655 Words   |  3 Pagesstates that using art in social studies requires moving beyond art appreciation toward nurturing a higher awareness level of inference and critical interpretation. In order to assist students in this process, the authors for this article have developed a scaffolding method (REED-LO) that supports the interpretation of a work of art and a Web 2.0 tool that is a freely-available Web-based Art Interactive Tool (WAIT) that enables students to virtually visit the selected works of art from a museum. AlthoughRead MoreThe Futurist Movement Of Art1172 Words   |  5 PagesThe Futurist movement of art has been regarded as a movement of â€Å"artistic rupture. It was the rupture of the already existing genres and verse forms, categories such as â€Å"prose† and â€Å"verse†, and also phenomena’s like â€Å"art† and â€Å"life† were put to question†[ ]. Futurism brought about the first collages and the different forms of the arts such as poetry, painting music and theater had started to be brought together into something new [ ]. Development in the movement of futurism brought about what weRead MoreWarning : Arts Education Is Declining1392 Words   |  6 PagesWarning: Arts Education Is Declining Approximately 20 years ago global studies comparing student test scores in the core subjects showed that American students were not performing as well as students in many other countries and that this performance appeared to be worsening. As a result, the federal government became more involved and forced schools to adopt a new set of standards that emphasized the core subjects. Unfortunately, this initiative often led schools to limit or discontinue arts educationRead MoreHistory of American Art Education Essay1572 Words   |  7 Pagesdeveloping nation, and art education was no exception to this. In order to come to terms with the impact of Western culture on American art education, it is important to chronicle the progression of art education throughout Europe. Spanning centuries, the political, social, and economic development of European nations, each played an important role the philosophies of art education, which in the long run, affected American ideas concerning the su bject. Thoughts about art changed and evolved inRead MoreComparing Dada to Pop Art Essays1420 Words   |  6 Pagesto Pop Art In this essay I will compare the Dada and Pop Art movements by depicting the characteristics of each art period, their style and social conditions that may have influenced the creation of each movement. The essay will describe the relationship between the Dada and Pop Art movements. The essay will show their similarities, differences, and the reason why Pop Art did not continue with the Dada tradition although Pop Art also utilized everyday objects as subjects to create art just like

Deviant Behavior Free Essays

A cross-cultural perspective on deviant behavior would show that there are certain actions which are deemed acceptable in one society but is considered as a deviant behavior in others. For example, in societies where the primary religion is Hindu, they prohibit people to kill or slaughter the cows, or more specifically the zebu (Schaefer, 2008). The cows are even allowed to feed on fruits in the market while other people have to feed on the small quantity of food left (Schaefer, 2008). We will write a custom essay sample on Deviant Behavior or any similar topic only for you Order Now Religious factors serve as the primary reason why the cows are treated in such a manner. From a functionalist perspective, the worship of cows is considered as an important part of the Hindu society and the purpose it serves the people when it comes to producing milk and agricultural purposes is very important to them (Schaefer, 2008). Other religions in other parts of the world do not have as high regard for the cows as the Hindus do that leads to a difference in the treatment of cows for the other societies. Likewise, the value of cows as food for the other countries plays a vital role on whether it is to be eaten or not. The perception of people with regard to the severity of the crime committed would have to depend on the reputation of the person and the nature of the crime done. There are certain stereotypes that every society holds vis-a-vis the role that the offender holds in a particular community. For example, a highly-respected person is suspected for the killing of a common person in the community. This would either create disbelief or condemnation of the person where people may either defend the person in belief that he/she could not do it or would express their utter disgrace for what he has done. On the other hand, on the other hand, if the killers were of less influence in the society, this would not be given particular attention especially by the media. However, as what happened in the novel â€Å"In cold blood† by Truman Capote, the status of those who were killed also affect the perception of people of the crime. References Schaefer, R. (2008). Sociology. (7th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. How to cite Deviant Behavior, Papers

Animal Farm by George Orwell Analysis Essay Example For Students

Animal Farm by George Orwell Analysis Essay In his book Animal Farm, George Orwell wrote a satire about communism. It also dealt with the Russion Revolution of 1917. A satire is a literary work that makes fun of the stupidity or vices of individuals, groups, institutions, or society in general. The animals on Manor Farm developed Animalism. They came up with their own rules and regulations. Some of the animals in the story represent people from our past. Old Major, an old boar, represents both Carl Marx, the founder of Communism, and Nikoli Lenin, a philosopher of Communism. Napleon, a young boar, represents Joseph Stalin. Snowball, another young boar, represents Leon Trotsky. Mr. Jones was the owner if Manor Farm. He was a drunken, incompetent man. Old major made an announcement to the other animals that he wanted to talk to them about a dream he had. He believed that man is bad and that animals are good. He talked how man takes what the animals produce such as eggs and milk. He sang a song called Beasts of England, in the song it described how the animals with take over and be free. Several nights later Old Major died in his sleep. His ideas and teachings fell upon the pigs, who are smartest of all animals. Dominants among the pigs were two young boars named Napoleon and Snowball. They passed on ideas to the other animals, and gained disciples. The Rebellion came quicker than anybody expected it to. Out of being starved, the cows raided the feed bins. After seeing this, Mr. Jones, and some of his workers, went out there with whips. The cows could not take anymore, and chased them out. They had taken over Manor Farm. The pigs learned how to read, and they changed the name of Manor Farm to Animal Farm. They also came up with Seven Commandments of Animalism. The animals worked hard and gave an endless effort. It was hard because the tools were made for man, and they could not stand on two legs for it would break one of the Seven Commandments. The pigs set aside the harness room as a headquarters for themselves. Here they would study blacksmithing, carpentering, and other arts. Snowball kept himself busy by forming animal committees, but many were failures. The reading and writing classes, however, were a great success. Some of the other animals were slightly literate, but many of them were not. The pigs were taking the apples and the cows milk. They would say that they had to have these things for themselves and it was necessary for their health. This was the beginning of their abusing of their power. The news of the animals taking over Manor Farm was spreading all across the country. Mr. Jones was complaining and trying to get people to listen. The other farmers felt sorry for him, but did not offer any help. Then one day Mr. Jones and his men came back to reclaim his farm. This had been expected, so the animals made preparations. The animals made their first attack, then a series of attacks. Only after five minutes of their invasion Mr. Jones and his men were forced to flee. The animals made a monument in honor of the Battle of the Cowshed. Mollie, a mare, become very troublesome. She was late for work, and let a man stroke her nose and give her sugar. After being confronted by this, she ran away and was reported pulling a cart for a man. When winter came, the ground was hard and nothing could be done in the fields. It was decided that the pigs would decide all questions of farm policy. At meetings Snowball gave brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself. .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 , .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .postImageUrl , .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 , .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1:hover , .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1:visited , .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1:active { border:0!important; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1:active , .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1 .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9a879361ae155bae493aeec1d47fbcd1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Doll House Essay ChinaSnowball came up with an idea of a windmill, but Napoleon was against this. He thought it was a waste of time, and they should worry about getting food. They also talked about defense of the farm from Mr. Jones, and again they were disagreeing. Napoleon had dogs chase Snowball of the farm, and Napoleon called him a criminal. Later the animals were surprised to hear that Napoleon decided to build the windmill after all. He said he was the one who came up with the plans for the windmill, and that Snowball stole his ideas. The animals worked like slaves all that year, but they were happy. Throughout the spring and summer, they worked a sixty-week hour week. Then in August Napoleon announced that would be work on Sunday afternoons now. The building of the windmill had some difficulties. They had plenty of cement and limestone, but they did not know how to break it up into usable pieces. They did find a way, but it was hard and slow. There was also a need for paraffin oil, nails, string, dog biscuits, and iron for the horses shoes. Napoleon said that they would start trading with other farms for needed supplies. A Mr. Whymper, a local solicitor, acted as the agent between Napoleon and the humans he traded with. Every Monday Mr. Whymper would visit the farm. The relation with the human beings was not the same anymore. Mr. Jones had left to live some where else in the country. The pigs decided to live in the farmhouse, instead of living in the sty. Not only did they use the houses conveniences, they also slept in beds. The pigs had changed the fourth rule on the Seven Commandments saying it was okay to sleep in a bed without sheets. The animals found out that the windmill was destroyed and Napoleon said it was Snowball who did this. It was a bitter winter and full of sleet and snow. The animals carried on as best as they could. The humans said that Snowball did not destroy the mill, but that the walls were thin. In January the food became low. The corn supply was reduced, and the potato ration would have to make up for it. Napoleon rarely came out of the farmhouse. One day, it was announced that the hens had to surrender their eggs. The chickens were against this, and raised an outcry, but this was futile. The chickens said this was murder. Napoleon said their rations were to be stopped. They finally gave up. Later it was found out that Snowball was secretly visiting the farm at night. The pigs said that Snowball was in cahoots with Mr. Jones. There were many animal executions after some of the animals confessed to crimes dealing with Snowball. The Beasts of England song was replaced and was not sung anymore. The animals could not understand about the executions, because they thought it was against the Seven Commandments to kill. Throughout the year the animals worked harder than ever. They had to rebuild the windmill, and make it stronger. The animals were starting to be less content. They felt no better then when they had worked for Mr. Jones. Now Napoleon hardly ever appeared. He said he was to be called Our Leader, Comrade Napoleon. Also he was known as the Father of All Animals. There was a rumor that a farmer named Frederick was planning to attack the Animal Farm. When the attack came the men all had guns, and fired upon the animals. This forced the animals to retreat. Then the men started to knock down the windmill with explosives. They destroyed it and a cry of vengeance came from the animals. They charged but many were killed, and most were wounded. They finally chased the men out. The animals started the rebuilding of the windmill. Life was hard. .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 , .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .postImageUrl , .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 , .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188:hover , .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188:visited , .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188:active { border:0!important; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188:active , .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188 .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u20fb48ead5eb09445a56363c5c20d188:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Gilman EssayThe winter was as cold as the last one, and the food supply was even shorter. Napoleon announced that they had more oats, more hay, more turnips, worked for shorter hours, and had better water than when they had in Joness day. The farm had a successful year, but they were short of money and needed supplies. In April, Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic and it needed to elect a President. There was only one candidate, Napoleon, of course. It was said that Snowball was the leader of the humans. Later Boxer worked himself so hard he hurt himself, and some men in a van came to take him away. It was found out that he died in Willington. Years and seasons went by, many of the animals that were on the farm had died and were forgotten, including Mr. Jones. There were new animals on the farm now. The farm was now more prosperous, and better organized. The windmill was used to grind corn rather than for electricity, this was to make a profit. The animals worked hard to build another windmill. The animals dared not to sing Animal Farm aloud. Then one day they saw a pig walking on its hind legs. This was supposedly against the Seven Commandments. Napoleon was seen carrying a whip in his trotter. It was said that all animals are equal but some are more equal than others. One evening, loud laughter and bursts of singing came from the farmhouse. The animals tiptoed up to the house, and looked into a window. There sat a half a dozen farmers, and half a dozen pigs. Napoleon was at the head of the table. They had been playing a game of cards, and drinking beer. They called the other animals on the farm lower animals. Then Napoleon renamed Animal Farm to Manor Farm. The lower animals looked from pig to man and man to pig, but could not tell the difference.

Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young free essay sample

When the Strokes released their debut album, â€Å"Is This It,† in 2001, sporting seemingly shampoo-proof mops, seedy Chucks and an attitude that would usher in a new generation of cool, they were on top of the world. Their music, Manhattan hedonism embodied in every careless riff and lethargic bass line, made them critics darlings and they couldnt have cared less. They were the new rebels, too unaffected to actually do anything save look really, really cool. As frontman, Julian Casa ­blancas was frenetic, effortless, collected. Two albums (one good, one not so much) and a three-year hiatus later, a lot has changed. On his debut solo album, â€Å"Phrazes for the Young,† Casablancas, former master of nonchalance, tries  ­really hard to make you like him. His synth-y experimentalism seems more lacquered than layered, and his attempt at Oscar Wilde-like repartee only yields clunky platitudes. On â€Å"Phrazes for the Young,† named after Wildes pamphlet of epigrams, Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young, Casablancas tries to rival the albums namesake in wit. We will write a custom essay sample on Julian Casablancas Phrazes for the Young or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The problem is, rather than thinking up brilliantly cutting remarks, Casablancas provides quippy clunkers like â€Å"Its nice to be important but its more important to be nice,† from â€Å"4 Chords of the Apocalypse.† Freed from the Strokes garage-revival label, Casablancas shifts toward a more textured electronic sound. No shortage of digital doodads round off the characteristic roughness of Casablancas voice, stripping him of the imperfect appeal his former growl provided. On â€Å"Phrazes,† Casablancas ventures toward the mainstream, earning mass appeal with radio-ready futuristic pop. Though Casablancas really makes an effort to prove his value as a solo artist, he gets a bit mixed up along the way. He tries out electro-soul on â€Å"4 Chords of the Apocalypse,† Manhattan-meets-country kitsch on â€Å"Ludlow St.,† and Top 40 balladry on â€Å"Tourist.† Casablancas shines on the charmingly airy â€Å"11th Dimension,† which floats along with jaunty danceabilty, and the albums best song is â€Å"Glass,† a hauntingly pretty, seriously dystopian tale. But on â€Å"Out of the Blue,† 31-year-old Casa ­blancas sounds as though hes reflecting on a life coming to an end. The song takes Wildes Phrases phrase â€Å"To be premature is to be perfect† a bit too literally. Oscar Wilde was a strong  ­believer in the supremacy of youth. Casablancas, in his  ­attempts to emulate him, seems more like the elder aristocrats Wilde so often mocked. With the Strokes, Casablancas wrote about the New York lifestyle he knew and ended up with concise pop-rock gems. On â€Å"Phrazes for the Young,† he treads on high-minded ground and loses himself along the way.

Sales and Selling Prestige Watch Omega Watch Hong Kong Essays

Sales and Selling Prestige Watch Omega Watch Hong Kong Essays Sales and Selling Prestige Watch Omega Watch Hong Kong Paper Sales and Selling Prestige Watch Omega Watch Hong Kong Paper Sales and selling strategy analysis: Prestige Watch – Omega Watch Hong Kong Introduction Over the past decades, wearing prestige watch has been a sign of being successful and wealthy, together with wearing jewelries and riding luxury vehicles. Omega watch, being one of the most representative prestige watch brands under the world’s top watch manufacturing group, Swatch Group, this article discussed the current sales approaches, forces and difficulties. It concluded with appropriate actions and future direction in selling for the company. Industry Overview Direct selling is dominated sales strategy for Prestige Watch industry with distributions in their own brand retailers, watch shops, or watch and jewelries exhibitions. Customers buying luxury watches looking at overall value represented by the product, include durability, design, functionality, uniqueness and most importantly, the image that represented. The product is tangible but it is very difficult to measure as there are various factors and most of them are very subjective and personal. Therefore, selling of luxury watches are usually delivered face to face directly between salespeople and customer. Customers and distributors usually visit retail shops or product expos or relevant exhibitions to choose. Sometimes, salespeople will visit customers with selected products, usually for privileged or customers with more buying records. On the other hand, indirect sells such as internet or phone selling is not very likely to happen in prestige watch industry. Marketing communication plays an important role in building and maintaining stakeholder relationships, where retaining of customer relationship is the main focus of companies having a relationship marketing orientation. In the prestige watch industry, is only moderately relationship marketing oriented. The industry is very concerned in quality and customer commitment, however, its majority is not focused on account based selling to customize and fulfill customer’s need on individual basis. Salespeople usually provide response towards customer’s request, whilst, seldom contact customers proactively without any request. Due to economical changes, there’s a very steady upscale of sales in the industry over the past decades. The global economical problem of 2 extremes riches and poor has revealed the fact that there are more rich men globally and the demand of luxury watches has climbing up over the past years. In the single year of 2006, Swatch group has recorded an increase of gross sale by +12. 3% from the previous year to 5. 050 billion Swiss francs, net profit by +33. 7% to CHF 830 million. Behavioral factor changes also drive future changes in the sales practices. Among the rich people, there is a change in the age structure that there are more young millionaires. Successful of young IT professionals and financial analysts could be sources of those young riches. As observed by director of watch distributor, Mr Ying, the average age of customers has dropped from 50 to 35 over the past decade. Current luxury watches buyers, especially those young professionals, are often more well educated and have a stronger knowledge in wealth management. All these forces and changes will be illustrated in more details in following sections. The Company and Selling Strategy Omega was founded at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1848 by Louis Brandt. With its first series-produced calibers in 1894, Omega has paved the way of its marketing success being one of the most prestigious brands under Swatch Group, the top watch producer in the world. Omega watch is a typical prestige brand that may not listed as one of the top 10 luxury watches, but the brand is very well known especially for its achievement of being the first watch wear by first astronaut landed on the moon. As there are different sales approaches adapted and forces faced in different markets, we focus on Omega Watches Hong Kong for a more in-depth analysis here. The selling strategy of Omega lined up with others in the industry. Focus stayed in direct selling to customers through retailer shops, distributors or B2B / B2C exhibitions. Sales are usually retail salesperson type, or â€Å"Inside order-taker†, they stay in the shops or booth and make the transactions by providing retail services. Sometimes there are delivery salesperson those will deliver product to customer mainly for privileged customers. Being a brand selling luxury product, Omega has retained customer relationship through member registration with every customer. Decently printed product catalogues and company news were sent to members regularly. In addition to customer walk-in, the company also creates opportunities for sales to seek for new business. For example, members were also invited to join exhibitions or even cocktail parties and events on company’s important days, such as grand opening of new branch. Salespeople dominate in these events to resolve customers’ questions or introduce new goods to potential customers. Company Relationship Marketing Position As a seller of high value precious products, a good customer relationship lead to success of business and relationship marketing model is suitable for the company. However, currently Omega is not a heading relationship marketing company in the industry. Omega has maintained customer relationship through membership and personal contact to privileged customers. Currently, the bonding between sales and members are not very strong as they have little direct contacts. The table below illustrated key issues in relationship marketing orientation and where Omega has positioned in the industry. Extent in Relationship Marketing Orientation |Relationship Marketing |Prestige Watch industry average |Omega Watch company | |Focus |Customer retention rather |Concerned |Not very successful except to a few | | |than single sales | |privileged customers | |Orientation |On customer value rather |Both |Both | | |than product features | | | |Timescale |Long |Short |Short | |Customer service |High |High | High | |emphasis | | | | |customer commitment|High |High |High | |customer contact |High |Medium |Less | |Quality concern |First of all |First of all |First of all | Source: Adapted from Cranfield School of Management, â€Å"Marketing Management: A Relationship marketing Perspective†, Palgrave 2000, page 19 There are rooms of improvement for Omega to retain a better customer relationship. Competitive Advantage Having positioned as a prestige watch with mature skill and technology, the selling approaches developed by Omega has performed in line with the company marketing and production divisions. Marketed for customers in top tier, salespeople are trained to possess knowledge in their product and technology, with a high service level. There is regular management training to receive knowledge in latest technology used in new products from production division. They have to make sure that all salesperson has received the same necessary knowledge. Strengths for selling of the company include the very well back from its history, a very well known brand name was built since has introduced â€Å"moon watch† wear by the first astronaut landed on the moon, until its latest sponsorship of Olympic 2008. The company has already creating opportunities through its launch of jewelries in 2006, that widen coverage of product mix and supplements sales of watches. Besides, they have retained a comprehensive list of customers those could be used for future promotions. Though, weaknesses come from the relatively lower resell price and positioning of the brand remains in a high but not the top level for years. There maybe threats to the company, if there is no breakthrough of the brand, it will be a problem in selling to younger customer segments while it might be perceived as an â€Å"old brand† that remains in middle level of top watches. SWOT Analysis Strength |Weakness | |Good brand name |Reselling price | |Marketing sponsor of Olympic 2008 |Positioning | |Opportunities |Threats | |New jewellery line |Old brand name out dated in fast changing market | |Member list |New brands | | | | Forces and Problems Various forces exert from behavioral, technological and financial points of views driving changes in sales practices in the company. Behaviorally, as buying of prestige watch has become an investment for some of the buyers, which is very important to retain the resell value. Salespeople should be trained to retain condition of watches. Market knowledge, especially resell value of the product segment should be well equipped and updated among salespeople. Technological changes include advanced industrial technology and information technology has both driving changes towards the company. Technology change more frequent advanced skills in material or timepiece mechanical details. For example, Omega unveiled its new Calibres 8500 and 8501, two co-axial movements created exclusively from inception by Omega in Jan 2007. Also, information technology has speed up and improved accuracy of information exchange. Financially, there are more younger and educated customers for prestige watches and Omega. Therefore, on top of original matured and experienced salespeople, there should be younger workforce, with higher education background and more service based mind. Also, due to the develop of Chinese’s economy in latest years, there are more Chinese buyer looking for luxury watches in Hong Kong as there is guaranteed quality control. Major Forces driving changes in Sales Practice of the Company |Behavioral |Technological | |Higher education |Frequent technology change in parts and skills of watch | |Higher wealth management sense |manufacturing | |Rising customer expectations |Fast information xchange | |Globalization of markets |Salesforce automation / Electronic sales channels | |Managerial |Financial and Economy | |Changing to direct marketing alternatives |Increased number of young millionaires | |Blending of sales and marketing |More Chinese tourist buyers | |Increasing professionalism of salespeople and sales managers | | Future and Direction Due to changes in environment, there are some changes in sales practices and strategy as mentioned in previous section. Internally, there should be more salespeople training to adapt latest technology, product design and even stock levels. More young and high-educated sales staff should be employed to attract young professional customers. As Omega has just joined jewelry market, salespeople often possess professional experiences and knowledge in watches but lack of comprehensive knowledge in jewelry. Externally, to maximize effect of retention of customer relationship, Omega should make a use of the existing registered customer records. The salespeople should create more direct contact opportunities to their customers or registered member. For example, Omega may introduce watches and jewelry rentals to their registered members, especially for important occasions such as wedding and business parties. The rental could limit for registered or invited customer only so to retain the prestige image of the brand. Insurance should be applied upon rental to ensure safety of company revenue upon any damage or loss. To attract and retain more Chinese buyers, salespeople should also be well quipped with Mandarin and cultural knowledge to interact with Chinese customers. Most importantly, Omega should breakthrough itself and looks for a better position in the industry. One of the solutions could be releases of a new signature product with very luxury design and materials such that the brands image could be clarified better positioned as one of the top brands. Salespeople should have well equipped knowledge and build strong associate with privileged customers for further company developments. References: 1. Omega website omegawatches. com/ 2. Swatch group website swatchgroup. com/company/company. php? withflash=enabled 3. Wikipedia http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Omega_SA

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project Management - Essay Example 10 References 12 1. Introduction The success of projects is depended on a series of criteria, all of which need to be met so that a project is completed on time and according to the standards set. In practice, the achievement of the above target is very difficult. Failures in projects are common phenomenon. Despite the efforts made by managers for the limitation of project failures, the problem is still extensive in regard to projects in all sectors. The causes of project failure are reviewed in this paper. Reference is made to two, major, IT projects: the NHS Computer System and the Ford Online Procurement System. Both these projects were well structured, so that risks are minimized. However, they were finally led to a failure, resulting to severe losses for the parties involved. Appropriate literature is also reviewed for identifying the causes of project failure. It seems that project failure is unavoidable when a project is not closely monitored and adequately supported. Also, un der certain terms, project managers hold the responsibility for the failure of the project assigned to them. Under these terms, it can be noted that project failure is related to many, different, factors all of which need to be addressed in order for the success of a project to be secured. 2. Project failure – characteristics and reasons Different approaches have been used in the literature for explaining the project failure, as a daily problem in all scientific and industrial sectors. O’Carroll (2003) notes that many project managers tend to focus on planning for eliminating the case of a failure. The above strategy has been proved ineffective. It is explained that ‘two much planning can be a reason for project failure’ (O’Carroll 2003, p.175). Even the requirement for following strictly the deadlines of a project can be a reason for project failure (O’Carroll 2003, p.175). O’Carroll claims that when focusing heavily on the planning p hase of the project, project managers do not deal with the failure of the project; instead, a plan should be developed in advance for setting the terms on which the management of the project’s failure will be based. From a different point of view, Wysocki (2011) states that the project failure can result because of unexpected changes on a project. The characteristics of these changes are not clearly presented. It is assumed that any alteration of the project’s initial terms, as included in its plan, is considered as a change of a project. The level at which change can threaten a project is difficult to be estimated in advance. It is assumed that the threat can be higher as the alteration from the project’s initial terms is increased. Holmes (2001) claimed that the causes of project failure can be many. For example, a project is expected to fail for one of the above reasons: when it is not adequately supported by the firm’s top management team, when its pl an is not detailed, when the targets set are not feasible, when no provision exists for managing the risks involved and so on (Holmes 2001, p.16). In this way, preventing project failure can be challenging task, especially if the resources required are not available or if the time limits for the completion of the project are too tight, not allowing the identification of alternative practices for facing problems appearing during the development of the project. The ‘Japan Users’ Association of Information Systems (JUAS)’