Student at Drexel University Essay Example for Free

Student at Drexel University Essay While the Philadelphia Museum of Art may not house some of the more famous artwork from the Baroque period, their acquisition of Poussin’s â€Å"Birth of Venus† was nothing short of a savvy purchase. Hungry for Western currency, the painting was sold by the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 1930 under the Soviet Regime to the PMA. In their possession is arguably one of the most hotly debated works from that era. Also aptly named â€Å"The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite† this painting not only highlights Poussin’s trademark ability to allow for an open interpretation of his depictions but also encourages an allegorical analysis of the many elements present in his composition. The very ambiguities of this painting, and his others, emphasizes Poussin’s capacity to express the concepts or overall ideas of things and events themselves while not concentrating on the minutia while still allowing for translation. Before one can approach an iconological interpretation of Poussin’s work, one must also understand his early training, influences and subsequent ideology to grasp his use of deep symbolism and line. In his early career working with Italian poet Giambattista Marino, Nicolas Poussin was commissioned to illustrate Ovidian poetry subsequently establishing the ideals of Metamorphoses – themes and motifs prominent in â€Å"The Birth of Venus†.[3][6] This was also important in developing his ability to intimately tie literature to painting.[1] Poussin grew to heavily favor Disegno over Colore, or design over color which can be seen in all of his works[3][6]. His ideology proposed that design, form and line were more important than t he colors and dà ©cor of the traditional Baroque French art of the time. This very dogma split French Renaissance Art 200 years after his death in which factions of his study (Poussinistes) proposed that drawing was superior to color (Rubà ©nistes)[6]. Poussin’s  holistic and classical approach was his attempt to reach the highest aim of painting: the representation of the magnificent. He intended to only focus on great events, battles and divine matters. In this way, Poussin’s take on Roman Classicism eventually contributed to the aesthetic style of Grand Matter[3][6]. His method of Ideal or Heroic Landscape, which drew upon the perspectives of rhetoric, utopianism, drama and metaphysics allowed him to coherently arrange elements as seen in the â€Å"Birth of Venus†. The very nature and composition of Poussin’s works highlights the realm of Baroque Classicism in which the arrangement of the physical is paramount to reflecting the rationality of an ideal and eternal world. His fascination with deity and mythology sans Christianity also can be seen in his rejection of Neoplatonism and his use of Epicurean interpretation[5]. Indeed, Poussin was not the first artist to depict Venus physica (terrestrial Venus). Nearly a century and a half prior to Poussin’s painting, Italian painter Sandro Boticelli composed a similar painting also named â€Å"The Birth of Venus† (1485)[6]. While there are some similarities to Boticelli’s painting, Poussin’s provides a more Epicurean interpretation rather than a Neoplatonistic o ne. In addition, 20 years after Boticelli’s work, another Italian painter created another piece of art that depicts Venus in a manner more similar to Poussin’s (â€Å"The Triumph of Galatea†)[6]. The Birth of Venus by Boticelli (1485) The Triumph of Galatea by Raphael (1514) Both of these paintings, while somewhat similar, only reinforce some of the symbolic clues left by Poussin in his own depiction: The Birth of Venus or The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite by Poussin (1635) As we gaze over Poussin’s work of art we notice a great many things. First and foremost, as we know of his attention to placement, the centermost and brightest subject is of a nude female deity. A time-frozen, windswept pink shroud is cast upon her naked body while she rides on top of dolphins harnessed by her and the cupid-like boy under her. Poussin’s placement of Her is crucial because it highlights Her very significance in the scene; she is centered as her male counterpart is seemingly subordinate and pictorially  off to the side. Around her are Tritons and Nerreds and above are cupid-like babies adorning her with flowers. The inspiration for the placement and formation of the goddess can be seen by the earlier paintings of Boticelli and Raphael. In each painting the deity in the center is shielded by a billowing cloth of pink/red. In addition, Poussin chose to have the woman deity ride in on dolphins similar to that of Raphael’s composition. Because there are two official names for this painting, one thing must be addressed before moving on, â€Å"Is this a depiction of the birth of Venus or the triumph of Amphitrite?†. Amphitrite is the Greek sea-goddess and wife of Poseidon while Venus is the Roman goddess of love, two different characters that share no parallels. There is some interesting evidence to support that the painting is indeed Venus’ birth. In both The Triumph of Galatea and The Birth of Venus, Venus is not only riding on dolphins but also has her son Cupid below her also harnessing the sea beasts[3][4][5][6]. Furthermore in Boticelli’s painting and in Poussin’s, the woman deity is being adorned with myrtle, the flower most commonly associated with Venus, goddess of love – myrtle too is a symbol of love[6]. Additionally, Poussin employs his knowledge of Apulerius in Metamorphoses or â€Å"The Golden Ass† of which the story describes Venus as being accompanied by a ban d of fellow beings singing and blowing horns[2][4]. The comparison between the Apulerius’ text and Poussin’s painting are fascinating, there are a band of fellow beings surrounding Venus in the form of Tritons and Nerreds, two of which are blowing horns. In Metamorphoses, Apulerius merely depicts the triumph of a Venus while Poussin paints her genesis[2]. Seen in the warm clouds above, riding on a chariot in the sky by six doves is the infant form of Venus. On her journey to creation she encounters transformation which is signified by the dark storm clouds above. This is painted to contrast the entire tone of the painting so markedly that it bears a special meaning. Poussin again employs his usage of literary interpretation in the form of Lucretius’ didactic poem De rerum natura or â€Å"On the Nature of Things†[4]. In this poem’s prologue, there lies a single significant line: â€Å"Te dea, te fugiunt venti, Te nubile caeli Adventumque tuum†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This translates to â€Å"Thee, goddess fle e you, the wind, cloudy skies, and your arrival.† [4] Which means that the winds and clouds part in anticipation of a goddess, shown in the picture. In Poussin’s depiction, he portrays Venus as being propelled by the  winds just as in Boticelli’s work. These pieces of literary and visual evidence provide basis that the central female deity in Poussin’s painting is in fact Roman goddess Venus. To the left of Venus is a male deity riding on hippocamps or seahorses, it is not easily discernible however if he is to be depicted as Neptune the Roman god of freshwater and sea or Poseidon, Greek god of the ocean. Both counterparts are known as god of the horses and horse tamer respectively and each wields a trident[6]. In regards to the location of the painting, Poussin uses the method of Ideal Landscape[6] in which he represents the locale but not exactly. It was important that the setting did not exactly reflect or imitate a real place in its entirety but to highlight the divinity, magnificence and importance of the event or subject in an effort to not distract the audience. However, Poussin did provide a small piece of evidence in the form of a spilling vase at the base of the painting. This could symbolize a river near a mountai nous island in the Mediterranean. Evidence has shown that the archaeological site of Paphos (a mountainous island of Cyprus) is near the mouth of the Bocarus River which could very well be the paintings’ setting [4][5]. Works Cited [1] Janson, Anthony. Jansons History of Art . 8th ed. Pearson, 2011. Print. [2]Moore, Brooks. Ovids Metamorphoses. 1st. New York, NY: Marshall Jones Company, 1933. Print. [3] Nicolas Poussin Biography. Nicholas Poussin: The Complete Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Aug 2013. . [4] Phelan, Joseph. Poussin and the Heroic Landscape.ArtCyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Aug 2013. [5] Sommer, Frank H. . Poussins Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite: A Re- Identification. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. 24.3 (1961): 323-327. Print. [6] Verdi, Richard. Nicolas Poussin. Encyclopedia Britannica. .

Make It Mine - Customization as the Future of Luxury Essay Example for Free

Make It Mine Customization as the Future of Luxury Essay 1 â€Å"The things at Prada today are not well made, the fabrics are not as good, everything was much better in my time† Miuccia Prada I. Purpose of Research The changing landscape of the luxury industry challenges brands to find a new approach to reach out to their core costumers. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Burberry are about to jeopardize their true customers and their image by overexposing themselves to a mass luxury clientele. Thus, a new approach must be found to bring back the feeling of true luxury, personal attention and to create a bond to their core customers. This paper’s purpose is to examine how luxury brands can adapt mass customization techniques in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage and bring back the notion of true luxury. Furthermore, it will be questioned if customization can harm a luxury brands image and status, taking into consideration the â€Å"anti-laws† of marketing, which propose to not pander to the customer’s wishes and to dominate the luxury client (Kapferer, Bastien, 2009, 64 f. ). The goal is to come up with a conclusion that provides luxury brands with a direction of how customization could be implemented and what benefits or challenges may come with it. II. From Class to Mass Looking at today’s luxury fashion market one does not have to be an expert like Miuccia Prada to see things have changed. While almost every established luxury brand started out as a small business with a tradition of unique craftsmanship, utmost quality, best service and limited quantities, those attributes are not necessarily true for many of today’s still existing luxury brands. Luxury brands have gone mass. This is often referred to as â€Å"the democratization of luxury†, which means 2 that luxury brands have opened themselves for a mass market. While back in the day luxury brands were the domain of the rich only available in selected stores or brand owned boutiques, brands today want to reach a wider customer range. According to Thomas, aggressive growth was not a priority until the eighties (Thomas, 2007, 238). However, growth quickly became the main objective and store expansions have experienced a boom in Japan, as well as the USA. The middle market customer was born. By expanding their assortment lines in department stores with lower-priced items, such as perfumes, small leather goods and cold-weather items, luxury brands became attainable. No longer were people intimidated to walk into a luxury boutique, they often became tourist attractions in capital cities. Luxury brands were intrigued by the sudden success. It just took a few logo-covered products, which were the middle class’s favorite item and sales and profits grew steadily. However, the rapid expansion also created one of the luxury brands biggest problems today. As banking analysts conclude, the greatest problem that luxury brands have created for themselves by going mass is financial instability. â€Å"Before its global expansion to the middle market, luxury was immune to economic cycles. The companies were small and catered to a limited old-money clientele [†¦] who shopped consistently and bought well. Luxury was a successful niche business. But when luxury changed its target audience to the cost-conscious middle market that shops when flush but stops cold when times get tough, it made itself dangerously vulnerable to recessions† (Thomas, 2007, 264). Another disadvantage from overexposing themselves is the loss of the traditional old money clientele, since their logos could be seen everywhere. Many brands jeopardized their exclusivity status along with their â€Å"well-crafted† message along the chase for higher profits, in order to keep the shareholders happy. The dilution of the luxury status peaked with the 3 introduction of e-commerce and outlet stores. In the first case it is very hard for a brand to create a luxury shopping experience, since the Internet is a generic and impersonal sales channel. In the case of outlet stores, brands are trying to sell their overstock, which has highly increased due to mass production. Not only is merchandise that was once available at a high-end boutique sold for a discount price, moreover some brands are producing some items solely for outlets (Edouard, 2006, 11). Assessing the six main facets of a luxury brand, which have been identified in a broad empirical study by Dubois/Laurent/Czellar and are considered to be global and most accurate, one can review the situation of the luxury market today. The six main facets are (Dubois/Laurent/Czellar, 2001, 8 ff. ): †¢ Very High Price (according to the absolute price (inter-categorical) as well as the price relative to other brands of the same category (intracategorical)). Excellent Quality (according to the processed materials as well as the assumed diligence of the manufacturing-process). Scarcity Uniqueness (expressed by a difficult accessibility and rarity). Aesthetics Polysensuality (creating through design, colors etc. a value experience that touches all senses). Ancestral Heritage Personal History (continuous branding in design, communications etc. ). Superfluousness (dominant perception of symbolic attributes †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ compared to technical-functional ones). It is evident that at least two of the six facets, namely Excellent Quality and Scarcity and Uniqueness, are not fulfilled in many cases anymore. Industry experts suggest that the last true luxury brands that are living up to all the standards are Hermes and 4 Chanel (Thomas, 2007, 323). Hermes is the epitomization of luxury, which is highly due to the fact that the house is still making all its products by hand, sourcing the finest materials and using special design and production techniques that have been invented from the house’s founder over 150 years ago. However, there is another reason why Hermes is on top of other luxury brands: Customization. Unlike in most luxury boutiques, Hermes only receives a few handbags each season to sell them directly. However, this is the exception. The rule is that those handbags are just a display of options. The customer can choose the material (canvas, cowhide, reptile or ostrich), the color and the hardware and in case of the Kelly bag the seams (Thomas, 2007, 172). And then you wait for a product that is specifically tailored to your taste and needs. Obviously this is an experience that real customers highly value. The next chapter provides a brief overview about the luxury consumers today and examines the need to offer separate services for each customer type. III. The Luxury customer today â€Å"Today’s luxury consumer is different from the wealthy consumer of the past. † (Okonkwo, 2007, 65) As mentioned above, many luxury brands opened themselves for the middle-class customer. Silverstein and Fiske have extensively described the evolution and habits of these consumers in their book â€Å"Trading up† (2005). Amongst those â€Å"mass wealthy† consumers, the spending on luxury goods has increased tremendously due to a rise in real household income by 30 percent since 1970. Looking at the figures, four million American households had a net worth of more than $1 million by 2005 and the average spending increased up to 70% (Thomas, 2007, 239). Parallel to this the credit card debt reached its peak. What happened to all that money? Consumers 5 traded up and luxury brands catered to their new audience. While the old-money consumer had a deep appreciation for quality and craftsmanship, the new luxury consumer wanted to buy into the dream and show that they could. Logos came in fashion, and soon â€Å"It† bags with the brand’s logo plastered on them could be seen everywhere and on everyone. Interesting enough brands and designers seem to embrace this trend, as Marc Jacobs states: â€Å"When you look at Louis Vuitton, you see it is mass-produced luxury. Vuitton is a status symbol. It’s not about hiding the logo. It’s being about a bit of a show-off† (Thomas, 2007, 18). Although welcomed by the brands themselves, this is a development that does not please a lot of the old luxury consumers and luxury brands are about to jeopardize their core clientele. Besides the love for the logo there are other characteristics that come along with the new luxury consumers. These are a need for a quick trend turnaround, a disposable attitude and the experimenting and mixing of luxury brands with premium and fast fashion (Okonkwo, 2007, 66). Thus, these consumers are not loyal to one single brand but shop across the entire brand hierarchy, from Gucci to HM. And they are not recession proof. While in the past luxury catered to a limited old money clientele enough money whose spending habits have not been deeply affected by economic cycles, short-term stock market drops or the dependency of credit available, the new luxury customer is very sensitive to all those factors. The luxury market as we experience it today is an amalgam of mass production1, flashy branding, highly varying quality and heavy advertising. While this might work for the middle class market, educated, real luxury consumers cannot be captioned by such techniques. 1 E. g. all Gucci leather products are designed on a computer, by 2004 the entire Gucci group produced 3,5 million leather goods a year, with a production time of two to three hours for a basic bag. Louis Vuitton’s handbags are produced in an assembly line setting in China, where it takes two minutes to glue handles on two bags. As a comparison, an average size Birkin or Kelly bag takes up to sixteen hours, while a bigger one takes up to thirty hours (Thomas, 2007) (Purseleague, 2010). 6 This paper acknowledges the importance of these new customers for luxury brands in order to keep the shareholders satisfied and the need for luxury brands to grow and make profits. If brands would stop cater to this clientele, the losses would be tremendous, since the brands made themselves dependent on high volume sales. However, it must also be considered that such practices can and will jeopardize the old luxury consumers, the ones who support the brand even in tough economic times. Thus, this paper suggests an approach to return to older notions of luxury, namely superb quality, classic design, premium service and customization. In short, the ultimate luxury experience. IV. Back to the roots â€Å"Luxury fashion brands today are too available, everything is too uniform, and customer business is too pedestrian. † Tom Ford Looking back in the history of luxury, customization has been the starting point for many brands and has always played a vital role in the brand’s identity. Hermes started out as custom-made harness shop, catering only to the aristocracy. Likewise Gucci, which started as a saddlery shop in Florence and later specialized in small custom made leather goods and luggage, while Louis Vuitton started as a Malletier for French Royals. All had in common that made-to-order items were the focus of their businesses and they offered only a small product range. Another big part of the customization history of luxury and probably the embodiment of the ultimate luxury item is the haute couture dress. Fittings were done by the couturiers themselves and the garment was constructed for one’s own shape, height and comfort. When American society ladies could not make it to Paris, the Couture houses would sell their patterns to stores like Saks or I. Magnin and fittings were done in beautiful 7 private fitting rooms to convey the Paris atmosphere. Shopping in those department stores was an experience, an event, a pleasure and sales assistants were experts, advisors and friends. Customers chose their favorites, either at in-house fashion shows or during personal viewings, and an in-house seamstress would alter everything to make the customer happy and fit the garment perfectly. This was a long time ago. As Thomas, points out, luxury clothing shopping today is more an exercise of patience, with only a few pieces in the smallest sizes on the sales floor, mediocre service and long waiting times (Thomas, 2007, 5). Buying an $8000 dress directly from the rack is a relatively new phenomenon, evolving with the availability and democratization of luxury. Reviewing the history of customization in the luxury industry, the following points can be identified that cater to a true luxury experience: Craftsmanship, high quality material, luxury service and customization. Based on these findings, the following part of the paper will develop a framework of customization for luxury brands today. It should be emphasized that the approach of customization is not catering to the luxury mass clientele, but rather to the true luxury customer, to create brand loyalty and recreate the luxury experience in the current market setting. V. Customization in Today’s Luxury Market One’s striving for uniqueness and expressing their individuality has without a doubt reached a peak in the current society. Some businesses have recognized this development and reacted accordingly, such as Dell, Apple, Levis, BMW or even Ralph Lauren. Especially luxury consumers always had the need to feel the exclusivity attribute of a service or a product and require personal attention. Luxury customers today do not want to follow a dictate by a brand, they are independent in 8 their choices and want to be involved in the creative process. As one author correctly stated, the days of uniformity and sameness are over (Okonkwo, 2007, 249). While Okonkwo is advocating a â€Å"mass customization† approach, which means that customization for luxury brands is done in bulk and offered to everyone, this paper suggests an exclusive approach of customization. Although economies of scale still play a role with the exclusive approach, it is not promoted to produce customized products en masse. This again would take way from the notion of rarity and exclusivity and would not help luxury brands to recreate a luxury experience, which is the purpose of this paper. It must be mentioned that a few luxury brands currently offer customization as they call it, however this is not customization to a degree that satisfies a true luxury customer. Louis Vuitton for example offers a â€Å"customization/personalization† service on its website, where customers can choose different colors for stripes and their initials to be drawn on a brown canvas bag. The whole process is done online, which delivers no luxury atmosphere at all and the aesthetics are not living up to a luxury brand and neither the leather, nor the hardware or lining can be altered. â€Å"Real customization† is only available for travel pieces. According to Gilmore and Pine, two customization experts, there are four different approaches for customization and managers should evaluate each to offer best service to their customers. In some cases not every approach is possible. The following part of the paper examines each approach and the possibilities for a luxury brand to utilize it (Gilmore/Pine, 2000, 116). 9 1. Collaborative Customization In this approach a company is conducting a dialogue with customers, so that they can articulate their preferences and needs. The goal is to identify a precise offering in order to satisfy these needs and offer a tailored product. 2 2. Adaptive customization In this case a standard product is offered, that the customers can customize themselves after the purchase. An example would be a watch where one can change the wristbands, such as the Gucci â€Å"U-Play Interchangeable Lizard Watch†. Fig. 1 Gucci â€Å"U-Play Interchangeable Lizard Watch† 3. Cosmetic Customization 2 [†¦] on an Air France flight from Paris to London Jane Birkin pulled her Hermes datebook out of her bag and all her papers fell out. She groused about how the book needed a pocket. Besides her sat Jean-Louis Damas. He took her datebook and she got it back a few weeks later with a pocket stitched inside, which is still there today (Thomas, 2007, 189). 10 Cosmetic Customization is not about the product itself but more about the packaging, the advertisement of different attributes or benefits of the product. Thus, a standard product is packaged and presented differently for certain markets. This can become especially important a retail environment where customized packaging plays a big role. Personalization, like adding the customer’s name would be an example for a cosmetic customization. 4. Transparent Customization This approach is used when customers do not directly communicate their needs, but they are easily predictable or can be easily deduced. Customers are provided with goods or services tailored for them, without letting them know that they have been customized for them. This type of customization requires constant monitoring and a deep understanding of the customers needs. It challenges brands to come up with innovative methods of data collecting. Fig. 2 The Four Approaches to Customization 11 Besides the different approaches of customization it must be mentioned that customization can be applied throughout the value chain, but it implies a company open for innovative approaches and careful management. Customized? Development? Customized? Production? Customized? Retailing? Customized? Delivery? Fig. 3 Possible Value Chain of a Luxury Brand Since it would exceed the scope of this paper to discuss every possible customization process that could be applied by a luxury brand, the following part outlines a scenario of customizing a luxury handbag for exclusive customers, taking every step in the value chain into account. In the development stage of the product, the customer would make an appointment in a luxury boutique, or be offered to have a designated expert of the brand come by a place of the customer’s choice. It must be mentioned that customization should only take place in selected brand-owned boutiques, such as flagship stores and never on the internet or a non luxury shopping mall (e. g. Lenox). In the case of an instore appointment, there should be a private room or section that is solely reserved for customization customers, including catering of exquisite snacks and drinks to enhance the luxury atmosphere. Unlike customization that is offered online, the customer should actually have all the materials that she can choose from in front of her, so she can feel and smell the different kinds of leather, fabrics, linings, hardware etc. As mentioned above, polysensuality is an integral part of a luxury brand, thus all senses should be addressed. The brand should provide multiple options to choose from of materials, shapes and sizes. However, if a customer has a special wish, e. g. 12 a color that is not available in the presented selection or a special lining wish, the brand should be able to provide it. On top of that personalization should be offered. Customers should be able to have their name, a quote, writing etc. on the bag at every place they want it. Anya Hindmarch for example offers customers the opportunity to write a personal message in their own handwriting that is discreetly embossed on the handbag in silver or gold, prices range from $1300 $9. 500 (Okonkwo, 2007, 262). Unfortunately, this service is only offered online, thus customers can’t feel the materials and have definitely no luxury experience. When the customization process is finished, the brand should have special software to show the customer on a big screen a model of what the creation will look like, so that last changes can be made. The design must be sent to an atelier, preferably in the country of the brand’s origin, where skilled craftsman are working on the items. Each bag must be identified with a number, the craftsman who worked on it and the material it was made from. Naturally a customized piece has a longer delivery time, for a handbag approximately 6-16 weeks, depending on availability of materials etc. However, since a customized item is considered an investment piece, customers are willing to have a longer waiting time. After the item has arrived in the store, cosmetic customization can be made at the point of retail by the sales assistant. In case of a bag or travel item e. g. the brand could attach a charm or a customized name nametag in the bag’s color to surprise the customer and show special attention. The packaging of the customized item can also be tailored towards the taste of the customer (the in-store customization expert should be aware of customer’s preferences or be able to find out during the design process, referred to as transparent customization). Along with the customized item the customer should 13 receive a letter from the store manager, which addresses the customer directly and shows the brand’s appreciation. Having a personal delivery service that brings the item directly to the customer can customize the last part of the value chain. To create the ultimate luxury experience the brand could additionally send flowers, truffles or wine to show appreciation for the customer. The process of customization outlined above is not limited to bags and can be applied to almost every item, shoes, jewelry, travel items etc. Obviously customization is a laborious process, thus the question arises which advantages does it have for brand have and is all the effort worth it? The basic question â€Å"Do customized products bring additional value to the customer† was widely discussed in academic literature. The findings of the latest study by Franke, Keinz and Steger suggest that the higher the customer involvement with a product is, the more value customization adds (Franke, Keinz, Steger, 2009, 115). Assuming that a luxury product already requires a high consumer involvement, due to its high price and the â€Å"dream value†, it can be concluded that customized luxury goods are adding value to the customer’s purchase. Amongst all advantages the most important one is the closer contact and relationship to your core customers, and a personal identification with the brand. The customer serves as a co-designer and in-house consultant during the customization process. The brand can learn about their customers’ taste and tap into their intellectual property, which results in higher potential of future design success. Empowerment of the customer leads to a higher customer satisfaction, which results in repeated purchases, less comparative shopping and overall brand loyalty (Okonkwo, 2007, 252). Especially in a globalized luxury landscape brands can satisfy customers in different parts of the world and react to cultural taste differences. As a conclusion it can be said, that â€Å"benefits of 14 customization are contingent on characteristics of the customer, namely his or her level of insight into own preferences, ability to express those preferences, and product involvement† (Franke, Keinz, Steger, 116). Although the advantages overweigh, it must be noted that customization also imposes challenges on a brand, such as the integration of the customization process into already existing internal processes and the value chain. Operations must be changed, functional units for customization must be established and the brand must invest in human capital, in order to have experts on both the retail and manufacturing side. Many companies will have difficulties overcoming current practices, since most luxury brands are now owned by big conglomerates, where they face a wall of bureaucracy. Besides that the collection of personal data from customers is a highly sensitive area of customization. First, data collection and analysis are not a core competence of luxury brands and many companies just started to use special software. Thus, problems could arise organizing and interpreting the gathered information. Second, although it can help a lot with future shopping assistance and marketing, luxury brands should never store personal data without the explicit permission of the customers. VI. Marketing in an Age of Diversity It is a given that an exclusive offer like customization needs an exclusive marketing approach. Therefore, all common marketing practices, such as fashion magazine advertisement, blogs, online marketing etc. are not an option. Since this customization is a costly service, the right clientele must be targeted. Thus, this paper suggests three marketing approaches to reach the luxury core customer. The 15 first strategy is to approach luxury magazines that are not directly fashion related. The selected magazines would include, but are not limited to: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ FT- How to spend it Town and Country Palm Beach Illustrated3 Architectural Digest Robb Report Unique Homes Luxury Living Dolce Vita Elite Traveler Prestige Instead of placing bold ads in these magazines, the marketing strategy should focus on creating interest by subtle advertisement. This could include product placement in an editorial spread that has nothing to do with fashion, e. g. a bag could be placed on a designer table in Architectural Digest. Placing the product in a special section like â€Å"most exclusive picks of the month† would be another form of subtle advertisement. If the relations to a magazine are very good, the brand could have the magazine featuring a story about most exclusive luxury items and place the customization service in there. It is crucial that prices or places where the customization service is offered will not be communicated. The magazine should only provide a phone number that connects the customer to the customization department of the brand, where all information will be available. Furthermore â€Å"price upon request† is an effective tool to create interest and the notion that a product is in a top price range and only available for a few clients. 3 Palm Beach Illustrated Magazine is an award-winning regional luxury lifestyle magazine, appealing to the worlds most sophisticated and ultra-affluent audience. The magazines content reflects the many facets of sophistication that set the Palm Beach market apart and gives the community its unique brand of panache. Focusing on cutting-edge fashion, the social and philanthropic scenes, the celebrities and fascinating personalities, the exquisite estates and interiors, as well as the luxurious retail and travel opportunities available in this unique region. 16 The second marketing strategy would be an exclusive catalogue, in which the brand introduces its new service to selected clients. That this service is not available to the broad public must be clearly communicated. Naturally the catalogue must be printed on high quality paper and must feature only very creative pictures from one of the world’s best fashion photographer, such as Andrea Klarin, Raya or Steven Meisel. The catalogue should inform the customers about the customization process, as well as provide examples of customized bags. Since luxury customers today have strong values and principles, the catalogue should include where products such as leather and silk are sourced as well as the place of production. The catalogues would be sent to already existing top customers, whose addresses the luxury brand should have in their data storage. Magazines such as Prestige, which only have subscribers over a certain net worth (starting at $2 Mio. ) could provide additional addresses of future customers. The catalogue must convey a luxury feeling through materials and aesthetics, so it does become a decorative book more than a disposable item. The last part of the marketing strategy would be an invitation only event that can be held in the best hotels of strategically important cities. With approximately 150-200 guests, the brand would exclusively introduce the customization service to their most important clients and high-society people of the city in a glamorous atmosphere. The brand could show a video about their history and heritage, leading the consumer back in the days when customization was the starting point of the brand. Exquisite catering and entertainment must be a part of the event, as well as a small fashion show that shows the brand’s latest collection with some of the customized items. The brand should have a customization expert on site, so if guests have questions about the service there is a person helping them directly. 17 VII. Financial Analysis The attached excel sheet outline a one-year cash flow plan for setting up the customization service in a first tier city flagship store. The $500. 000 start capital are sponsored by corporate. Travel expenses include travels to other flagship stores, the manufacturing site or to customers, who are out of town. As mentioned before, customized products do not impose any inventory costs on the stores. It is assumed that corporate takes over most advertising costs, however stores must support local advertisement, which can be seen in the expenses. Income taxes are assumed to be 25 percent of the sales, based on the information that in the US income taxes range from 10-35 percent. The sales figures are derived from the following price points of merchandise: Between $9. 000 and $85. 000 for a customized bag, $800 $5000 for customized shoes and $15. 000 100. 000 for customized travel items. Prices depend on leather, hardware, other materials such as lining and complexity of production. The high price points are set deliberately, to keep away non-enthusiast and protect the exclusivity of the service. The predicted sales figures are more conservative at the introduction phase of the customization service but pick up by the end of the 12 months, leaving the store with a profit of $648,700. 000 at the end of the year. December is supposed to have the highest sales figures, due to holiday business. VIII. Conclusion: Does Customization Take Away a Brand’s Authority? One reason why many brands are reluctant to change their current practices when it comes to customization is their fear of losing brand authority. As Okonkwo put it correctly, it is argued that if brands provide their customers with the tools to customize their products, they might lose their superiority appeal (Okonkwo, 2007, 248). Marketing guru Kapferer advises luxury brands to â€Å"Not pander to their 18 customers’ wishes† and to â€Å"Dominate the client† (Kapferere/Bastien, 2009, 64 f. ). However, looking at the roots of most luxury brands, with customization as their starting point, this advice seems to be outdated and ignorant to the trends in current society. Due to the latest development in the luxury markets, which have extensively explained above in chapter II- IV, denying customization to the customer seems to be narrow-minded and can seriously damage the brand on the long run. Since customization as discussed in this paper is not a means to please the masses, but to gain back the true luxury consumer who seeks an exclusive experience, the argument that the brand loses its superiority status is not applicable. The purpose of research was to examine if luxury brands could use customization in order to win back core customers and regain a luxury status. It can be concluded that with the right marketing approaches as well as with a management that is open for innovation, customization can be a great tool to optimize customer satisfaction and add value at every part of the value chain. If customization is executed correctly, it can change the luxury landscape to a situation where not only Hermes, but other brands with a long tradition of craftsmanship can be considered true luxury again. 19 References M. Edouard (2006), Revamping Luxury: Mass Customization Applied to the Luxury Goods Market. MBA Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. N. Franke, P. Keinz, C. J. Steger (2009), Testing the Value of Customization: When Do Customers Really Prefer Products Tailored to Their Preferences? , Journal of Marketing Vol. 73 (Sept. 2009),103-121. J. Holusha (1996), Making the Shoe Fit, Perfectly; Companies Use Technology to Sell to a Market of One, The New York Times. J. N. Kapferer, V. Bastien (2009), The Luxury Strategy – Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands. London: Kogan Page. P. Zipkin (2001), The Limits of Mass Customization, MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring2001, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p81, 7p.

Response of Blood Urea using RF Scalar Network Analyzer

Response of Blood Urea using RF Scalar Network Analyzer â€Å"2015 International Conference on Technologies for Sustainable Development (ICTSD-2015), Feb. 04 – 06, 2015, Mumbai, India† Ingrid Anne P. Nazareth,  Rajendra S. Gad,  Sulaxana R. Vernekar,  Gourish M. Naik Abstract—Urea content in the human blood is an important parameter to monitor the healthy state of a human being. Normally a patient is sent to pathological laboratories for blood extraction to quantify the actual urea percentage. Although this method is accurate, it requires a lot of time and reagents. It also involves the fear of infection during the extraction of blood. The method described in this manuscript gives a simple technique based on RF response of urea in the human tissue. In this paper, laboratory samples of various urea percentages were prepared and their responses were measured using a RF dielectric loss cell. The setup consists of a signal generator and a spectrum analyzer connected in scalar network mode to measure the RF response from 10MHz to 500MHz. The results show that there is a linear relation between the dielectric loss and the percentage of urea in the sample. Keywords—Urea, Health, RF Spectroscopy, Multivariate Regression. Introduction Health is a condition of entire physical, social, and mental well being, and not exactly the absence of disease or infirmity.[1]-[3] Good Health or healthy living inhumans beings is the generally the normal condition of apersons body and mind, which means to be free fromillness,painor injury.[1] Health care providers promote good health in humans as well as prevent or cure health problems. A number of other factors like the â€Å"determinants of health† can also influence the health status of persons, which include lifestyle, background, social and economic conditions. High levels of stress can also affect health tremendously.[4] Health is often marred by illnesses and diseases sometimes curable, sometimes incurable.[5] The disease can affect any part of the body for which there are medications available accordingly. One of the most important organs are the kidneys in which urea is a primary components of urine which is filtered by them. The handling of urea by the kidneysis an important part of mammalian metabolism. Urea has various roles to play including thecounter current exchange systemof thenephrons which reabsorbs water and critical ions from the excretedurine and as a carrier of waste nitrogen. The conversion factor 0.028 g/mmol can be used to estimate the equivalent nitrogen content (ingram) of urea (inmmol).[6]Subsequently, 1gram of nitrogen is approximately equivalent to 6.25grams ofprotein, and 1gram of protein is more or less equivalent to 5grams ofmuscletissue. 1mmol of excessive urea in the urine, measured by urea concentration in mmol/l multiplied by urine volume in litres roughly equals to a muscle loss of 0.67gram in conditions of muscle wasting. Uraemiaor uremia which means urea in the blood can be defined as a surplus of protein and amino acid metabolism end products (urea andcreatinine) in the blood that is usually excreted in the urine.[7] Symptoms of uremia include fatigue, weakness, nausea and vomiting leading to loss of appetite,[8] muscle wasting, shallow respiration, metabolic acidosis, tremors and abnormal mental function. In case dialysis or kidney transplant is not carried out, uremia will lead to renal failure causing stupor, coma and ultimately death. [9][10]One of the Potential Uremic Toxins is urea present at high concentrations i.e. >300mg/dL or >50mmol/L. The effect of high uremic toxins are headaches, vomiting, fatigue, carbamylation of proteins.[10] The onset of uremia is untimely for people who have kidney disorder. People who are over 30 years old and have a kidney function below 50% (Glomerular Filtration Rate [GFR] from 50 to 60 mL) are inclined to have a high degree of uremia. Incidentally in the United States, around 8 million people have uremic symptoms with a GFR of Blood tests Primary tests performed for the diagnosis of uremia arebasic metabolic panelwith serumcalciumandphosphorusto evaluate theGFR,blood urea nitrogenand creatinineas well as serumpotassium,phosphate,calciumandsodiumlevels. Uremia will show high levels of urea and creatinine, high phosphate, normal or slightly high sodium, likely depressed calcium levels and elevated potassium. The physician will check foranemia, thyroid and parathyroid functions in a basic routine test. A warning sign of established renal failure is chronic anemia. Calcium abnormalities can be determined by the thyroid and parathyroid panels as they are related to uremia as longstanding or unrelated illness of calcium metabolism, as well as work up any symptoms of fatigue. B. Urine tests In order to determine urea and creatinine clearance, a 24 hour urine collection may be an alternative but not be a very precise test due to the collection procedure. Alternate laboratory tests, that should be considered for the presence of blood casts, pH and protein, areurinalysiswith microscopic examination.[12] Methodology The constituents like Urea whose frequency responses are to be measured are dissolved in a known quantity of distilled water. The multivariate and curve-fitting statistical applications can model the multi-frequency bio-electrical impedance spectrum to develop parameters to estimate body composition like Urea, Cholesterol, Glucose etc.[13] The principle behind the response of these constituents is based on absorption of EM energy by various molecular vibrations in the sample. Preparation of samples Urea ranges from 10-20 mg/dL. Average concentration of urea i.e. 15 mg/dL was used in the preparation of samples. The solution samples were prepared using double distilled water with half, normal, double and triple concentrations of urea. All the above said concentrations of urea were dissolved in 1 mL of Alcohol and 14 mL of water. Experiments were performed in fast sweep mode followed by the slow sweep mode. The experiment was repeated twice with a gap of one hour and two hours, to invalidate the environmental effect. Both the results were compared to the initial results and were found to be accurate with a slight error. Cell Design A cell was fabricated with a length of 12.5cms, breadth of 1cm and height of 2cms. The inside and outside of the cell was lined with a thin copper foil which was then grounded. In order to prevent external radiation, the cell was placed in an iron container which was grounded.[14] The tracking generator, cell and signal analyzer were fastened onto a wooden plank to prevent any displacements as shown in Fig. 1. The tracking generator used is the ‘Signal Hound tracking generator’ and the signal analyzer used is the ‘Signal Hound Signal Analyzer’. Impedance measurement Signal is injected at connector 1 at one end of the cell from the Tracking Generator and then transmitted through the liquid column and observed at connector 2 at the other end of the cell. Fig. 1: Experimental Setup Results By using the above setup, the typical graph is recorded as shown in Fig. 2. The RF spectra is shown from 10 MHz to 500 MHz continuously. . Fig. 2: RF spectra from 10MHz to 500MHz Though the graph shown in Fig. 2 for all Urea concentrations which have a behaviour similar to that of the RF response of water, there is a subtle change in the attenuation level for urea at some points and its neighbourhood, some of which are given in Table I. Though concentration 3Urea is the extreme level of composition in the human blood, yet it was taken for investigation to see the observable changes in the absorption pattern for urea concentration. Since the variation were observed at the frequencies given in the table, it is always possible to extrapolate the concentration of urea to other concentrations which are normally found in the human blood. The table given below is very important when the estimation of the urea has to be done more quantitatively using mathematical regression tools. One such method is called multivariate regression technique for which these frequency points and corresponding attenuation can be fed as variables and the estimation of urea can be done for unknown sample concentrations. The work is in progress. TABLE I Variation of Attenuation level of Urea in dB Conclusion The manuscript describes an experimental technique to determine the urea concentration using RF response cell. The results obtained in the experiment show that the technique is useful for determining unknown concentrations of urea in any given blood sample non-invasively. The results shown are for laboratory prepared samples with Urea as major constituent and not actual blood sample which contain over 100 constituents. The method can be extended further to incorporate other constituents and can be actually compared with blood samples. The technique is useful in estimating urea concentration using multivariate system approach which is a purely mathematical tool. The combination of this tool with the above findings can develop into a full fledge instrumentation for determining blood urea concentration non-invasively. Acknowledgment Since a scholarship for the above work was provided by the Goa University, author Ingrid Anne P. Nazareth wishes to thank them profusely. References Grad, Frank P. The Preamble of The Constitution of The World Health Organization.Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 80, No.12, 2002, pp: 981-982 Dictionary – Health.Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 21 April 2011. World Health Organization. 2006.Constitution of the World Health Organization–Basic Documents, Forty-fifth edition, Supplement, October 2006 Walter F. Boron â€Å"Medical Physiology: A Cellular And Molecular Approach† Elsevier/Saunders, pp: 837 Anuja Pandey, Sanjay Zodpey, Sunanda Shrikhande, Anjali Sharma, â€Å"Human Resource Capacity Building Initiatives for Public Health Laboratories in India†, Indian Journal of Public Health, Vol 58, Issue 4, October-December 2014, pp: 224-229 Jacki Bishop, Thomas, Briony, â€Å"Manual of Dietetic Practice†, Section 1.9.2 Wiley-Blackwell, 2007. p: 76 G.A. Martinez, â€Å"Measuring System of Urea in Blood by Application in Recirculation for Hemodialysis† in Treatment, Technical Problems in Patients on Hemodialysis, chapter 13, 2011, pp:215-227 Juan Jesà ºs Carrero, Pharm, Abelardo Aguilera, Peter Stenvinkel, Fernando Gil, Rafael Selgas, Bengt Lindholm, â€Å"Appetite Disorders in Uremia† Vol 18, Issue 1, January 2008, pp:107-113 Bishop, M.L. Fody, E.P. and Schoeff, L.E. â€Å"Clinical Chemistry: Techniques, Principles, Correlations.† 6th Edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. p: 268. Burtis, C.A.; Ashwood, E.R. and Bruns, D.E. Tietz â€Å"Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics.† 5th Edition. Elsevier Saunders. p.1554 Timothy W. Meyer, and Thomas H. Hostetter, â€Å"Uremia† N Engl J Med 2007; Vol 357, No. 13, September 27, 2007 ,pp:1316-1325 Uremia Workup. A Brent Alper Jr. Medscape. Accessed athttp://emedicine.medscape.com/article/245296-workup I.A.P. Nazareth, S.R.Vernekar, R.S. Gad, G.M. Naik, â€Å"An Algorithm for Estimation of Blood Cholesterol based on Regression Technique†, International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering (IJARCSSE), Vol. 4, Issue 8, August 2014, pp. 758-761 I.A.P. Nazareth, S.R. Vernekar, R.S. Gad, G.M. Naik, â€Å"Application of RF Spectroscopy for Blood Glucose Measurement† International Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering Technology (IJECET), Vol. 5, Issue 7, July 2014, pp. 32-38

Nigerias Rigid Expectations of Men :: essays research papers fc

In September 1997, in Oslo, Norway, a meeting was organized in co-operation with the Norwegian National Commission for UNESCO where international observer B. Mustakim said, â€Å"Highlighting masculinity may be seen as a way of excusing violent men, since their behavior is attributed to a masculinity which many believe to be "natural" and unchangeable.† Georg Tillner, author of Men and Masculinities, responded, â€Å"Power is the one aspect all variants of masculinity have in common, not necessarily as the real possession of power, but rather as a "demand for dominance" or an "entitlement to power". Masculinity is an identity† (Mustakim). Throughout Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, masculinity takes an impressive role in molding the clan’s male-dominated society, and plays a vital part in influencing characters’ decisions. In the novel, Achebe reveals the definition of what it means to be a man in Nigerian society ; he should be masculine and protect his family and friends in that he is willing to fight, earn his good reputation, and preserve and expand the honor of his family. In Nigerian society, a man was responsible for the protection of his family and friends in that he was willing to fight. No character in Things Fall Apart demonstrated this ideal better than that of Okonkwo. This was apparent in the very beginning of the novel when it is brought to the reader’s attention that Okonkwo had, at such a young age, already taken two titles and demonstrated undivided skill in two inter-tribal wars. At the closing stages of the novel, Okonkwo yet again attempted to protect his clansmen when five court messengers arrive at one of the clan’s meetings. Without any hesitation, Okonkwo pulled out his machete and killed the head messenger. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, however, did not fit the same mold of masculinity as that of his high-achieved son. While Unoka and his neighbor, Okoye, were sharing a kola nut (a symbol of life and vitality) one day, they talked about several things including that of the impending war with the village of Mbaino. U noka did not condone war, but not because he believed that it was barbaric. He was simply a coward and could not stand the sight of blood. Thomas Alva Edison, a great inventor, businessman, and true Renaissance man, once said, â€Å"The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do† (Woopidoo!). Okonkwo became an important and successful asset to his clan by achieving things in which his father refused to partake.

Essay --

As time changes, so does everything else in the world. Scientists have been finding numerous ways to improve our ordinary technology and they have succeeded, but what about transportation? Over the years, scientists have improved transportation by simply thinking out of the box. Cars have evolved from being animals people ride on to automobiles people ride in. For example, the use of transportation was the use of donkeys and horses from the Middle Ages all the way to the 18th century; people loved the idea of wagons and horses because it was the easiest way to get from place to place (5). The first car to ever be made was invented by Karl Benz in 1886 and it had three wheels; Benz also built the first successful gasoline powered vehicle to ever be seen but it was very expensive (9). As the idea of cars came about, people thought it was ten times better than using wagons and horses; the car was the quicker and easier way for people to travel around. Furthermore, the first affordable car to be invented was made by Henry Ford in 1903, and it was a four-wheeler that was also a gasoline powered car; it was called the Model T, and it was very unsafe because it didn't have anything to protect the driver (10). As cars kept improving over the years, inventors and sci entists found new ways to keep people safe in their cars; the seatbelt was then invented by Nils Bohlin and it was first introduced by Volvo in 1959 (1). Since more people were buying cars, inventors and scientists wanted to make it a safer experience, so they came up with a way for people to not fly out of their cars; this surely kept the accident rate down. In less than two hundred years, transportation went from animals to vehicles; scientists have made cars safer, easier, ... ... fiberglass, and even steel (3). As boats became larger and heavier, scientists found the need to accompany those characteristics with different materials to help boats stay afloat, remain durable, and still be able to navigate. With the creation of boats, people's lives have changed and will continue to do so with the help of new technology and scientists daring to think of the unimaginable. It is not a surprise that technology has come to be as advanced as it is now but along with it, transportation has also evolved and continues to do so in the biggest way possible. From cars to boats to rockets, transportation is important for human beings to get around and it has advanced greatly with the help of scientists and regular people who chose to think bigger. Scientists are just beginning with these new inventions, so who knows what new transportation will come next.

Ancient Greek Theater Architecture Essay -- Architecture History

Ancient Greek Theater Architecture Many aspects of ancient Greek theaters have long been studied and debated. Much of the information about these theaters is based on speculation due to the fact that so little of them still exist today. This lack of remnants especially applies to the architecture of the early Greek Theaters. However, through archeological finds and years of studying the people, the plays, and the architecture of the time, we are able to make many conclusions about these early structures. Greek Theaters are classified into three categories: The early Athenian Theaters, Hellenistic Theaters, and Graeco-Roman Theaters. Like most new inventions or creations, the initial theaters built by the Athenians were very simple. In the fifth century B.C., it became popular to build theaters on the slope of a large hill, or an acropolis, the most famous, being in Athens. These early theaters could be divided into three parts. The theater consisted of the theatron (or auditorium), the orchestra, and the skene (or scene building) (Betancourt). The Greeks would eventually perfect a technique that would fit as many spectators into the theatron as possible. At first the spectators sat on the ground until wooden bleachers were installed. After it was discovered that the wooden bleachers were prone to collapsing, permanent stone seating was built. The architects created concentric tiers of seats that followed the circular shape of the orchestra and hugged the rising ground of a hillside, following the natural contours of the land. Usually, theatrons were symmetrical; however, there do remain examples of irregularly shaped theatrons. A horizontal passage called the diazoma separated the theatron into halves, thu... ...heater of the fifth century B.C. has been lost forever due to changes made by the Romans. This leaves scholars of today with scant evidence of ancient Greek Theater architecture. Works Cited Allen, James T. The Greek Theater of the Fifth Century Before Christ. Berkeley, California: University of Californioa Press, 1924. Betancourt, Philip P. The Ancient Greek Theater. CD-ROM. New York: Pseudo News Films & CD-ROMS, 1996. Brockett, Oscar G. History of the Theatre. 8th ed. London: Secker & Warburg British Broadcasting Corporation, 1984. Harwood, Ronald. All the World’s A Stage. London: Secker & Warburg British Broadcasting Corporation, 1984. Nicoll, Allardyce. The Development of the Theater. 6th ed. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd, 1966 Corrigan, Robert W. Classical Tragedy Greek and Roman. New York: Applause, 1990.

Analyze Two Main Theories of Motivation Namely: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Herzberg Two-Factor Theory Essay

INTRODUCTION From as early as the beginning of the 20th Century, corporations began to realize that motivated employees are a strategic necessity in the harshly competitive and fast paced market place. This new understanding or paradigm shift brought to an end the era of coercive, machine-like workplaces where employees were considered to be just another input in the production of goods and services. Hence the reason, there has been substantial research that has been done and is still being carried in the area of employee motivation and there is a general consensus that that employee motivation and company performance are positively related. The concept of motivation has been variably described by many authors, but for the purpose of this analysis, Higgins (1994) definition will be borrowed. He describes motivation as the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals. The global economic downturn has had damning effects on companies which have left many employees disengaged and demotivated and yet according to Smith (1994), companies need motivated employees for survival because motivated employees help organizations to survive even in the most turbulent of times. There has therefore never been a time when companies needed motivated employees more than this time. The purpose of this paper therefore is to analyze two main theories of motivation namely: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Herzberg  two-factor theory and how they can be applied by companies to boost workers’ satisfaction and therefore, organizational effectiveness. 2 DEFINITION OF TERMS 1. Organizational Effectiveness: There is no true consensus about the definition of this ubiquitous term. Wikipedia defines it as ‘the concept of how effective an organization is in achieving the outcomes the organization intends to produce’. 2. Employee Engagement: Is the ‘extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization, and put discretionary effort in their work. Passion, commitment, and most importantly, discretionary effort. Engaged employees are motivated to do more than the bare minimum needed in order to keep their jobs’, Custom Insight (2011) 3. Disengagement: has two levels a) Disengaged employees: Disengaged employees don’t have an emotional commitment to their work or their place of employment, according to Entec Corporation, which has conducted employee surveys since 1966. Entec emphasizes that disengaged employees aren’t necessarily bad employees, but they just do what’s necessary to get their jobs done. They typically don’t take part in offering suggestions for improving the workplace. Entec indicates that disengaged employees usually don’t stay at work late if it’s not required, and they don’t give their jobs much thought after they finish a workday. b) Actively disengaged employees: These are the workers who undermine their jobs and employers. Actively disengaged employees can sink employee morale and performance. In such cases, employers should try to determine what’s behind active disengagement to prevent it from getting out of control. 4. Employee satisfaction: Is the extent to which employees are happy or content with their jobs and work environment. 3 MOTIVATION THEORIES: 1. MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS THEORY: In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized that people have five basic needs and he further came up with a pyramid that prioritized these needs. His needs-based framework went on to become a model for both personal empowerment and workplace management, and embraces the concept that basic needs must first be satisfied before higher, unselfish goals can be pursued and achieved. Several companies have implemented the ideas of this theory with differing success levels. The theory is delved into below and examples are used to substantiate the analysis. Physiological Needs Maslow identified the core physiological needs to sustain human life as air, water, food and sleep. To perform their jobs, workers require healthy air to breathe, water to keep their systems hydrated, sustenance to fuel their bodies and adequate time to rest and recuperate between shifts, including regularly scheduled breaks. As described in his own book, â€Å"Maslow on Management (1963),† Maslow cites that when deficiencies exist in these four basic requirements for survival, people become incapable of developing any ambition, much less acting on it and achieving their full potential. In regard to a work place, this could mean furnishing a pleasant and comfortable environment for staff to work in. A company that has embraced this idea is MTN Swaziland. Their new state of the art building was not just constructed for aesthetics, but the construction was also a strategic goal with regards to their Employee Value Proposition. The building has ample work space, beautifully furnished staff canteen, gymnasium for the staff, day care center for staff children, golf course and a club house. A survey that was conducted after the relocation to these new premises showed that staff were now happier and were willing to work extra hours as it had become more comfortable for them to do so. 4 According to Dan Romaniak, the communications Manager from Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) Geographic Operations, HP attempts to retain its employees and keep them motivated by offering not only competitive salaries and benefits, but  also perks like flexible time off from work are specific examples of physiological, social and ego needs. They also provide company cars or memberships privileges at country clubs. He further mentioned that HP is also using benefits such as non-cash bonuses or additional paid time off if company goals are met. Others like managers taking employees out to lunch to reward good work or allowing them to use reserve parking spaces for performances above and beyond the norm. By offering attractive benefits and satisfying employee needs, the employers will reap the positive benefit of motivated employees a Safety Needs A safe and secure working environment reduces the threat of physical injury. When workers believe that the level of risk has been minimized and that good health and safety practices are judiciously enforced and monitored by management, they feel more comfortable and are less distracted from performing their tasks and interacting with others. Conscientious safety practices reduce absenteeism as well, which can impact productivity and morale. Security also extends to emotional well being in the workplace. An employer that provides medical benefits contributes to retirement plans and is financially solvent makes workers feel more secure about their jobs and the future. Conley (2010) writes that companies that demonstrate they care for the welfare of their workers create an atmosphere of trust which, in turn, encourages loyalty and decreases st ress. Coca cola is a typical example of a company that has harnessed the power of this theory because they understand that their success depends upon ensuring the safety of their workers. So they integrated the Coca-cola Safety Management System as part of their day to day management. This system incorporates occupational safety, quality, environment and loss prevention into a single framework. It also defines rigorous operational controls. With this in place, the company has employees that are able to work without worrying 5 about safety, thereby focusing all their energy into production. This could explain why coca-cola has remained the world’s number one brand even throughout the economic down turn.nto a single framework. Social Needs Man is a social animal and, accordingly, seeks out companionship, acceptance and  inclusion. Maslow identifies social needs as friendships, peer support and the ability to give and receive love. Podmoroff (2009) observes that the workplace offers an opportunity to be part of a team in which members share their respective knowledge, skills and unique experiences to solve problems in which they have a vested interest. Competitions, focus groups, mentoring, brainstorming sessions, after-work get-togethers and even office potlucks can make employees feel as if they are â€Å"family.† A small company that is nestled at Ezulwini is cognizant of this fact. Bethel Court Hotel has formalized daily devotion which is a crucial element to the staff. There is a special hall that is designated for such purposes. This hall is well taken care of and is well furnished. This crucial component unites the staff and makes them feel like family. Hence the reason, they are always motivated to go the extra mile with regard to their work. Esteem Needs In concert with social needs is the desire to be recognized for personal accomplishments. Maslow divides this portion of his theory into external and internal motivators. External motivators are prizes and awards bestowed for outstanding performance, elevation in status such as a coveted promotion and newfound attention and admiration from others. Internal motivators are the private goals that workers set for themselves such as beating a prior month’s sales figures and the satisfaction of experiencing self-respect for having done the right thing. Silverstein (2008), notes that fairness and consistency in the recognition process are critical. When employees know that their efforts aren’t going unnoticed by management, they take more pride in their work product. In addition, their coworkers see 6  the correlation between responsibility and reward and may endeavor to set the performance bar higher for themselves. Once again, MTN Group of companies makes a good example of how meeting esteem needs through reward and recognition can motivate staff. Their annual bonuses are not shared equally amongst staff, each staff member is rewarded a bonus in accordance with the performance appraisal score. The higher the score, the higher the bonus. Furthermore, individual annual increases are also determined by the performance of individual employees. The effect that  this has is that; throughout the year, the employees work with a mind to deliver set targets because they are aware that delivering or mot delivering has an implication on their pockets. So there is always a drive and motivation to go beyond set goals. Self-Actualization Once the quartet of physiological, safety, social and self-esteem needs are met, Maslow believed that individuals are capable of achieving their true potential and embodying truth, meaning, wisdom and justice in their words and actions. Self-actualization moves them to a higher plateau of understanding as well as a greater empathy for the needs of others. Those who achieve this ultimate state and Maslow himself speculated that it was only 2 percent of the population enjoy a greater autonomy, have a deeper sense of humility and respect for others and a better sense of distinguishing between real and fake. Maslow also tied this to the belief that the journey in whatever form it takes can be more rewarding than the actual destination. Managers can apply this to a practice of appreciating the worth of each of the individuals â€Å"traveling† with them rather than focusing so intently on the end-game that they lose all sight of human emotions. 7 2. HERZBERG’S TWO FACTOR THEORY Herzberg’s work categorized motivation into two factors as described below: a) Hygiene or extrinsic factors: these are based on the need for business to avoid unpleasantness at work. According to Riley (2012) if these are the factors are considered as inadequate by employees, then they cause dissatisfaction at work, riley further makes examples of what hygiene factors are: Company policy and administration Quality of supervision Quality of interpersonal relations Working conditions Feelings of Job security b) Motivator or intrinsic factors: are based on the individual’s need for personal growth. When they exist, motivator factors actively create job satisfaction. Riley (2012) says that if these are effective then they can motivate an individual to achieve above average performance and effort. Motivator factors include: Status Opportunity for advancement Gaining recognition Responsibility Challenging/ stimulating work Sense of personal  achievement and personal growth in a job. Apple is a major user of motivator factors. There is an outstanding creational culture within the organization which Steve Jobs as always argued that it is the main gravitational force that puts all the right and creative people together and motivates them to achieve above expectation. Although Steve Jobs was the centric force of innovation at Apple, employees were still allowed to directly contribute to their jobs by being given responsibility which they are accountable for. This job enrichment is challenging and stimulating staff not to let down their employer, but to always deliver beyond target. This practice also creates a sense of personal achievement 8 Job enlargement, rotation enrichment Another example is from HP; they create an excellent company policies and conditions of work and offer bonus incentives as increasing the hygiene factors for motivation. As a motivator, HP has implemented HP’s Educational Assistance Policy (EAP) which is very helpful for workers who want to go back to school. HP EAP policy states that â€Å"our changing business needs demands a dynamic, flexible workforce in order to maintain our competitive advantage and remain a leader in our industry. In accordance with PH’s employee development philosophy including our commitment to lifelong learning and career selfreliance, the company may provide employees with financial assistance for education relevant to meeting our business needs, Approval of financial assistance will be based on recommendation from the employee’s management and guidance from Human Resources† (HP 2003). The HP EAP can be looked at as a hygiene factor where employment security is tied to competitive realities as well as individual results and performance. Employees are responsible for ensuring that they possess the competencies required in HP’s dynamic environment which will definitely provide the grounds for employee striving to get the into the EAP and therefore getting motivated by higher qualification in the long run. Furthermore, for job posting, HP employees will receive consideration for open posting provided  the competencies the employee possesses are competitive with external talent. Additionally, employees whose jobs have been eliminated or who working where excess capacity exist should have preference in filling open positions provided there is a current and future business need for the competencies the employee possesses and the those competences are competitive. 9 Conclusion Companies cited in this paper are successfully motivating their working through application of the two content theories (Hierarchy of Needs and Two-Factor theories). It is important to note, however, that there is no single content theories which can successfully stand alone as a sole motivator. Each theory has its drawbacks – each one is deficient in one or more ways. Each of the two content theories described above fails to account for individual differences, to link motivation and needs to both satisfaction and performance, or to consider cultural and professional differences† (Schermerhorn et al., 2002, p. 159). Using only one motivational technique is a poor solution; employee needs would remain unfulfilled and, therefore, create low-performing employees. In an effort to promote the ideal model of employee motivation, MTN, Coca-Cola, Bethel Court Hotel, Apple and Hewlett-Packard are efficiently utilizing a combination of motivational strategies in order to consistently and effectively motivate their employees to perform at peak standards for the company. Motivation drives existing talents and develops new areas of interest and expertise.