Accommodating Religion in the Workplace Essay -- Title VII, mitigating

The circumstances, images and fallout related to September 11, 2001 have caused many Americans to revisit their spiritual beliefs in attempt to process the horrific events of such an unimaginable day (Smith, 2003). In the years since the Fall of 2001, employees have developed an increasing desire to integrate their personal spirituality and religious beliefs with their professional lives (Cunningham, 2010). Managers are now faced with the difficult task of accommodating the varying spiritual beliefs of their workforce while tactfully mitigating religion-based issues in accordance with Title VII. Food Consumption When Maya failed to consume the majority of her dish after announcing her hunger at a recent business luncheon with colleagues, many were confused about her behavior after she went on to order desert. Maya’s choice not to eat the chicken and mashed potatoes accompanying her lunch could have been the result of a number of factors including: Maya’s choice to live a vegan lifestyle, specific food avoidances which include chicken and potatoes, serious allergies to ingredients used in the preparation of both items or religious beliefs related to the consumption or preparation of the food. Because Maya’s behavior was not connected to her personal work performance or her coworkers’ perception of her performance, management could choose to disregard the concerns of the other employees unless Maya elicits a conversation regarding her decision not to eat the food items. If Maya does feel that she owes her coworkers an explanation, a brief meeting with each would en able her to relay the circumstances behind her behavior. If her decision not to eat the food items was religion-based, Maya will likely need to be prepared to face qu... ...t deal to religious observers who wish to be free from discrimination"(Ruan, 2008, p. 3). Management’s ability to interject during times of disagreement and misunderstanding may help diminish the chances of belief-based discrimination within an organization. At minimum, organizations should strive to comply with Title VII in an effort to reduce the opportunity for future litigation related to the religious views in the workforce. Works Cited Cunningham, G. (2010). The influence of religious personal identity on the relationships among religious dissimilarity, value dissimilarity, and job satisfaction. Social Justice Research, 23(1), 60-76. Ruan, N. (2008). Accommodating respectful religious expression in the workplace. Marquette Law Review, 92(1), 1-32. Smith, J. (2003). Marketing that's good for the soul. Marketing Management, 12(1), 52.

Personal Essay :: essays research papers

How could such a happy name inspire so much fear? Throughout the school, this name was dreaded, feared, cursed, and abused. At the beginning of the school year, there would always be a student weeping with hatred, crying out against his crazed science teacher, Mr. Joy. People thought of him as the embodiment of all evil possible in a teacher, a heartless dictator, a cruel old man. When he walked by, he often got stares, and whispers of â€Å"Hitler† behind his back. On that hot languid September morning, I sat in stony silence at my desk, hearing the warnings of upperclassmen echoing in my ears, waiting for Mr. Joy to appear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As he walked in, I breathed a temporary sigh of relief. At least I am taller than him! A short wiry man with an almost military gait marched into the room. The hair on his slightly balding head was thoroughly brushed back, his clothes impeccably starched, and his shoes polished so well you could see your own reflection in them. His face seemed hardened by time and experience; he looked bitter, even a little sad. But the most striking feature about his face was his eyes: they seemed to shine with a fierce passion, a burning desire, but for what? As he talked to us about the extensive course requirements, his high expectations, and the heavy workload, we all fidgeted with nervousness in our seats. He spoke with a grim sense of determination, and we listened with a sense of impending doom. But then, suddenly, his voice changed, and his eyes glowed with more intensity than ever before. He told us about his love for biology, and how much he wished that he could impart it to us. He told us about the beauty of the complexity of life in every organism from a delicate butterfly to a steadfast giant sequoia. He was so excited about the recent developments in molecular biology and genetics, but his enthusiasm seemed sincere and real: it wasn’t just the over-caffeinated perkiness of a cheerful kindergarten teacher; it was a genuine love for learning and discovery. The assignments were long and difficult: in the first week itself we were required to memorize the entire periodic table and recite it to the class. Day after day, week after week, students faltered in class, and they were embarrassed: it seemed worse because he didn’t yell; he simply stared at you sternly yet sadly, and calmly called on the next person.

Summary and Analysis of The Squires Tale :: Canterbury Tales The Squires Tale Essays

Summary and Analysis of The Squire's Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale and Prologue to the Squire's Tale: The Host laments the Merchant's tale, praying that he would never find such a terrible wife. The Host admits that he also has a wife that he laments marrying. He advises the Squire to tell a tale next. The Squire's Tale is not complete, ending after only six hundred lines. The Squire's Tale: The Squire tells the tale of Cambyuskan, the king of Sarai in Tartary. With his wife Elpheta he had two sons, Algarsyf and Cambalo, and a daughter Canacee. In the twentieth year of his reign on the Ides of March his subjects celebrated his nativity. During a great feast with the king and his knights, a knight with a gold ring and a sword entered the hall. He was sent from the king of Arabia and India, and offers him a steed of brass that can, within twenty-four hours, transport a person safely anywhere on the globe. He also presence to Canacee a mirror that foresees impending mischance and can determine the character of friends and foes, a ring that enables the wearer to understand the language of any bird, and the healing properties of all herbs. He also offers a sword whose edge will bite through any armor but whose flat will cure the wounds inflicted by the edge. The knight was led to a chamber and the ring given to Canacee, but the brass steed would not move until the knight taug ht people how to move it. The horse was a source of wonder for the people, compared alternately to the Pegasus and the Trojan horse. All one needed to do to move the brass horse was to twirl a peg in its ear, according to the knight. After the revelry of the night before, the next morning everybody but Canacee remained asleep until late. She had dreamed of the mirror and the ring and thus had her first satisfying rest in a very long time. As she went out walking that morning with her maids, she came across bleeding peregrine falcon that cried in anguish. It had maimed itself. Canacee picked up the falcon and spoke to it, a power she had gained from the ring the knight had given her. The falcon told her a tale of a handsome tercelet as treasonous and false as he was beautiful.

Behaviorist BF Skinner

Behaviorist BF Skinner’s work with behavior analysis which led him to develop his theory surrounding operant conditioning methods have had a profound impact on today’s educational system as it led him to research the method of programmed instruction; its use in contemporary education has shaped the minds of countless students and offered an alternative method of teaching through its concept of trying to achieve errorless learning through swift feedback. BF Skinner, the renowned psychologist was known for his controversial scientific approach to human behavior.(Pierce & Cheney, 2003, p.9) The 1938 publication The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis became Skinner’s first professional work and contained almost 400 pages of the behaviorist’s research. It has since been described as â€Å"a significant volume in the history of the twentieth-century psychology. † (Todd & Morris, 1995, p. 7) He wrote a number of books and essays focusing on hi s philosophy of behaviorism; however two of the most notable are Science and Behavior and Verbal Behavior. (Todd & Morris, 1995, p. xxi)His theories offered a contemporary definition to the study of behavior and were not well received by his peers. Skinner proposed a â€Å"natural-science approach to human behavior† (Pierce & Cheney, 2004, p. 9) and this contradicted other accepted theories. He believed that the behavior of an organism was determined and a result of genetic and environmental factors. His hypothesis alleged that behavior caused emotions and described them as â€Å"additional activities of people that needed to be explained. † (Pierce & Cheney, 2004, p.9)The opposition believed that human behavior was a product of self-determination – a result of our feelings, thoughts and intentions. Skinner’s achievements were endless; however he’s most noted for his work with experimental behavior analysis, where he developed the theory surroundin g Operant behavior. His theory consisted of operant conditioning or learning by consequences as its major concept. As he was not the first to approach the subject of operant conditioning, he labeled his philosophy, radical behaviorism to separate him from the others who had approached the same topic.(Pierce & Cheney, 2004, p. 9) His analysis of behavior brought him to the conclusion that behavior was influenced by the environment and organisms responded in two fashions – emotional response and by the involuntary response of the nervous system. In order to change an organism’s behavior there must be a new stimulus introduced to the surrounding environment that influenced both areas of human nature. Operant behavior was learned via a series of reinforcements to strengthen the new response. (Staats, 1996, p. 40-41)Skinner’s approach was to offer reinforcement when the organism displayed the defined behavior over a period of time and on a number of occasions  œ the process of operant conditioning. His theory stated that in order to obtain the appropriate response the conditioning process must determine â€Å"the strength of response. † (Staats, 1996, p. 58) Though many of his peers advocated punishment as a deterrent to unwanted behavior Skinner did not agree. His negative response consisted of the simple process of deprivation. (Staats, 1996, p. 58) Through a series of animal experiments, Skinner continued to validate his theory.The Skinner Box was his primary tool for his study of operational conditioning. He designed various versions of the tool to accommodate various species – for example, pigeons could peck to obtain the reinforcement and a rat could not. If the animal performed the desired behavior, a positive reinforcement was automatically provided, if not it was withheld. The box allowed him to study operant conditioning and the contingencies of reinforcement. (Leonard, 2002, p. 98) In the 1950’s Skinnerâ₠¬â„¢s behavior analysis research began to focus on teaching machines.In the 1958 article titled Teaching Machines: From the Experimental Study of Learning Comes Devices Which Arrange Optimal Conditions for Self-Instruction, Skinner stated that the motivation to obtain more education existed and in order to meet that demand we needed to do more than continue to build more schools and train more teachers. He believed that â€Å"Education must become more efficient. † (Skinner, 1958, p. 969) He created teaching devices that arranged specific â€Å"contingencies of reinforcement† that rewarded â€Å"specific forms of behavior. † (Skinner, 1958, p. 970)Once the desired behavior was exerted Skinner was convinced that the â€Å"resulting behavior can be maintained in strength for long periods of time. † (Skinner, 1958, p. 970) Later in the article he addressed specific subjects, â€Å"Teaching spelling is mainly a process of shaping complex forms of behavior. I n other subjects-for example, arithmetic- responses must be brought under the control of appropriate stimuli. † (Skinner, 1958, p. 970) Skinner’s programmed instruction consists of three phases:1) Small steps – obtain small information in a step-by-step fashion.2) Overt responding – provide a clear response to generate reinforcement.3) Self-pacing – working through programmed activity at his or her own pace. (Leonard, 2002, p. 90)In 1958 Skinner incorporated his reinforcement methods into the first class of programmed instruction. (Lysaught & Williams, 1963, p. 10) In a speech titled Psychology in the year 2000 given in 1968 to the Department of Psychology of Wayne University, he not only expressed his opinion of the school system prior to his studies, he addressed what he believed to be the future of America’s schools.He believed that prior to his research that â€Å"educational psychology was primarily a matter of measurement. Mental tests dominated the field. Teaching was generally left to common sense. † (Skinner, 2004, p. 210) He felt that the students â€Å"studied because he feared the consequences of not studying. † (Skinner, 2004, p. 210) He went on to conclude that student’s slow recognition was a result of teachers’ inappropriate approach to teaching. (Skinner, 2004, p. 210)He felt that, â€Å"A good program is simply a reorganization of what is to be learned in such a way that the student is maximally reinforced for learning it in positive ways rather than as a means of escape from undesirable consequences. † (Skinner, 2004, p. 210) Though primitive at the time of inception, over the years and combined with modern technology our students are benefiting from his methods by way of computer-based teaching. Programs have been developed to teach spelling, reading, math, and a number of other subjects, as well as colleges and Universities offer certain Internet-based courses.The program models vary; some programs will not allow the student to advance without giving the appropriate response, others will offer more information to guide students to the appropriate response and universities are creating virtual classrooms that students have access to tools that perform a variety of functions. Though the approach has received mixed feedback, teachers are able to provide more of a one-on-one teaching, as well as further the efficiency of classroom procedure and in the case of universities, students are able to enjoy the convenience of online courses. (â€Å"Programmed Instruction,† 2004)In conclusion, Skinner’s controversial approach to psychology changed the approach to behavior modification and his methods have shaped the educational setting. Student behavior has improved; as positive reinforcement is applied to the learning process builds confidence and a willingness to comply. Students of all ages are able to progress at their own pace, which pr ovides and individualized education plan. College students report that they are able to attend college courses and maintain full time employment due to the convenience of online schooling.Skinner’s over all concern for providing an environment to influence behavior combined with technology creates a setting that is unique to each student and he or she can learn at a pace appropriate for the individual.ReferencesPierce, W. D. , & Cheney, C. D. (2003). Behavior Analysis and Learning. Mawwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Skinner, B. F. (1958). Teaching Machines: From the experimental study of learning come devices which arrange optimal conditions for self-instruction. Science, 128, 969 – 977.Skinner, B. F. (2004). PSYCHOLOGY IN THE YEAR 2000 Harvard University. JOURNAL OF THE EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR, 81, 207 – 213.Programmed Instruction. (2004). In The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed. ). New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101265989.Leonard, D. C. (2002). Learning Theories, A to Z. Westport, CT: Oryx Press. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101313032Lysaught, J. P. , & Williams, C. A. (1963). A Guide to Programmed Instruction. New York: Wiley. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=14538707.Pierce, W. D. , & Cheney, C. D. (2004). Behavior Analysis and Learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=104826262.Skinner, B. F. (2003). Chapter 14 Radical Behaviorism. In An Introduction to Theories of Personality (pp. 311-339).Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=104786837.Staats, A. W. (1996). Behavior and Personality: Psychological Behaviori sm. New York: Springer. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101935859.Todd, J. T. & Morris, E. K. (Eds. ). (1995). Modern Perspectives on B. F. Skinner and Contemporary Behaviorism. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Retrieved December 30, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=24397049.

Submarine Sandwich and Subway

Subway’s Domestic and International Marketing Plan Presented by Moses Ballenger The University of Houston – Victoria International Marketing (MKT 6377) 2011 Summer Session Table of Contents 2. – Letter of Recommendation 3. – Executive Summary 4. – Introduction, Background, Summary and update of the case study 2. 1 – Target Market Analysis 2. 12 – Primary Target Market 2. 13 – Primary Target Market Demographics 2. 14 – Secondary Target Markets 2. 2 – SWOT Analysis 2. 21 – Strengths (3 strengths) 2. 22 – Weaknesses (3 Weaknesses) 2. 23 – Opportunities (3 Opportunities from the macro environment analysis) 2. 4 – Threats (3 Threats from the macro environment analysis) 2. 3 – Competition Analysis 2. 31 – Primary Competitor 2. 32 – Secondary Competition 2. 4 – Keys to Success (3 keys to success of the company in order) 2. 5 – Macro Environment Analysis 2. 51 – Economy (2 macro economy factors) 2. 52 – Culture (2 macro culture factors) 2. 53 – Politics, Rules, and Regulations (2 factors) 2. 54 – Technology (2 factors) 3. 1 – Mission Statement 3. 2 – Marketing Objectives (3 Objectives in order of importance) 3. 3 – Financial Objectives (From the competition analysis) 3. – Positioning strategy (From the competition analysis) 3. 5 – Marketing Mix Strategies 3. 51 – Product Strategy 3. 52 – Price Strategy 3. 53 – Promotion Strategy 3. 54 – Place Strategy 4. 0 – References 5. 0 – Appendices (Promotion flyer and other) 1. 2 Letter of Recommendation Subway Franchise Headquarters/Doctor’s Associates Inc. CEO, President, Co-Founder 325 Bic Drive Milford, Connecticut 06461 United States Dear Mr. Fred DeLuca, I would like to thank you first for the opportunity to conduct the marketing assessment proposal for your company.I hope you find m y recommendations satisfactory in this letter, which is summarized below. Subway must first be honored for its accomplishments so far to date. Such success has come about from a small business partnership out of Bridgeport, Connecticut to big international success. As stated in your vision, Subway strives to be the #1 quick service restaurants in the world, while delivering fresh, delicious sandwiches, and exceptional experience. I believe that such a vision is achievable for the global, Japanese, and emerging markets.Despite the challenges and failures of the Japanese market entry, there is much opportunity, lesson, and market share to capture. My primary recommendation discussed in the proposal is that Subway conducts an aggressive and re-entry approach to Japan. This aggressive, re-entry approach needs to be more adaptive to the Japanese/Asian culture this time. This adaptation will need to take place from an advertising and product perspective most importantly. How effective Sub way focuses on these two aspects will determine their success in Japan and Asia.While Subway has been highly successful in their global expansion, the Japanese and Asian markets will call for more adoption and customization. Nowadays, value, expressed as a level of quality for an affordable price seems to have traction in the global marketplace. Emergence of â€Å"cost-consciousness† seems to be reshaping business. Subway has done a great job at remaining flexible enough to change its operational policies and wise enough to listen to its franchisees. Subway must continue to take this practice into Japan and Asian, while focusing on their core competencies.Subway will have to listen to what problems franchisees are having and make adjustments accordingly. It’s the franchisee that’s on the front line, seeing the daily operations, challenges, and customer interaction. I hope you find the research and recommendations sufficient to act on. Thank you again for your ti me and consideration. 1. 3 Executive Summary Subway represents an excellent case study of a truly globalized company in today’s market place. The company’s focused its roots from owner Fred DeLuca, who has had a clear vision for the future of the Subway  ® brand as it continues to grow and serve its customers.The passion for delighting customers by serving fresh, delicious, made-to-order sandwiches and providing people with quick, cheap, and nutritious meals has contributed Subway to being the franchise leader in the fast food industry. Subway’s clever advertising, pricing strategy, flexibility, and operational efficiency have allowed them to expand and be profitable beyond domestic borders. Such success has allowed Subway to venture into several international markets. Subway has withstood the recent 2009 economic downturns that plague a variety of industries partially due to favorable industry circumstances and its own innovative actions.Despite Subwayâ€℠¢s past domestic and international success, it is having difficulty in other markets like Japan. To be success in challenging markets like Japan and new/emerging markets, Subway will have to continue to think â€Å"outside the box†. This thinking may have to be customized to the extent of each particular market or country. These challenging and â€Å"un-tapped† markets of Japan, Latin America, and Asia for Subway are saturated with domestic competitors like McDonald’s, Starbucks, KFC and international competitors like Mos Burger, Mister Donut, and Yoshinoya.Subway is capital rich with a strong brand image and is therefore positioned well and capable of making large investments in the Asian, Latin America, and other markets. The Subway brand success in other countries shows that it can be customized to local cultures and markets for global expansion success. Despite the challenges, Subway has much potential and is well positioned to create profitability and marke t share in Japan, Asia and other markets. Subway will need to continue to be innovative, market its strengths, make the necessary adjustments to failures, and take advantage of opportunities. 1. Introduction, Background, summary and update of the case study Introduction Subway is an American restaurant franchise that sells mainly submarine sandwiches (subs) and salads. It also offers breakfast items such as bagels and egg & sausage sandwiches. In addition Subway makes personal pizzas and salads upon order. It main office is in Milford, Connecticut, with five regional centers supporting the growing international operations. Regional offices are in the Netherlands, Australia, Lebanon, India, and Florida. Background Subway is owned and operated by Doctor’s Associates Inc. (DAI) and was founded by Fred De Luca and Peter Buck in 1966.The name comes from the fact that Peter Buck holds a doctorate degree. On August 28, 1965 Fred De Luca borrowed $1,000 from family friend Peter Buck to start his first sandwich shop. In 1966, they opened their second Subway restaurant in New York Summary of Case The case presentation is a marketing plan for Subway’s up coming 2012 fiscal year. In addition, a detailed SWOT analysis is included. The marketing plan contains a target market analysis which explains Subway’s target markets and demographics. A competition analysis is included, which identifies Subway and it competitors in the industry.The marketing plan includes strategy suggestions in regard to product, price, promotion, and place. These strategy recommendations are aimed toward fulfilling the suggested mission statements as well. Update of Case Study During the construction of this marketing plan, Subway continues to move on its globalization strategy thru its aggressive franchising campaign. The Subway franchise was ranked the number-one franchise in the submarine sandwich category in the 2011 Franchise 500 Issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. As of today S ubway has 34,824 stores in 98 countries and hopes to expand 2,010 restaurants in the U. K. and Ireland. 2. 1 Target Market Analysis Subway conducts a standard market analysis that focuses on a target market area. In the target market, Subway focuses on the highest potential opportunity and will render the greatest return. Like any other company, Subway will steer away from unattractive markets that offer low return and opportunity 2. 12 Primary Target Market The primary target market consists of individual customers mostly thru the ages of 16 – 36 years old, who are healthy and cost conscious [1]. Subway intends to market these individuals as a healthier fast-food option as compared to others such as Mc. Donald’s and Burger King. . 13 Primary Market Demographics Subway provides fast food services of sandwiches for individuals and businesses in different industries. In addition, the company provides franchisor services to its franchisee in the form of support and guidan ce. . The increase in sales of the sandwiches lately has put the hamburger behind as the #1 fast food sought for. Such a desire in sandwiches sales has been a result of a decrease in consumer spending on hamburgers and fries. A more demand has been toward healthier options. Sales of sandwiches are growing 15% annually, outpacing sales of burgers and steaks (McCarthy, 2006).The demand demographics in this market depends on consumer preferences and consumer preference trends. Currently in the market, particularly the U. S. , there is an increased emphasis on healthier and affordable food choices as compared to the past. Subway typical operates in high metropolitan and condensed areas, but now subway franchises have expanded to outside of urban areas to rural areas. It’s not uncommon to see a subway storefront in a small town. In addition Subway store front also operate out of unconventional locations such as schools, universities, stadiums, museums, military stations, truck sto ps, and gas stations. . 14 Secondary Target Markets Subway also functions as franchisor, so it continually seeks business opportunities with potential investors of franchises. Subway provides prospective investors with franchise information, guidance, and seminars. There is also a FAQ on the company website to answer the most common questions about franchisee opportunities. Subway main business is to sell sub sandwiches to individuals, which drives the main business and secondly to captured qualified and successful franchisees to grow their business. 2. 2 SWOT Analysis 2. 21 Strengths 1.Brand Name Subway’s brand image and appeal has grown significantly thru its healthy and nutritional advertising, it celebrity advertising, and it affordable products. According to Entrepenuer. com was the number 1 franchise in 2001. 2. Product Offering Despite the heavy competition in product offering in the fast food industry. Subway has continued to battle in this category against its compet itors of Mc Donald’s, Jack in the Box, KFC, and many more. Subway increased its sandwich offerings such as the BBQ pulled pork, along with adding new breakfast items, salads, and pizza.Along with its increased product offerings, the company has added a healthy and nutritional food concept and has successfully appealed to customers as a healthier option. 3. Simple Franchise operations Subway has a franchise system that is extremely simple compared to other franchises. From an operational standpoint, the preparation of a sandwich is mostly done in front of the customer and has simple steps to make all their sandwiches. From a startup perspective, a franchisee can build a store well under $200,000. According to Enterpenuer. com, Subway has cheaper start up costs than Mc.Donald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Dunkin Donuts. Low start up costs have allowed Subway to venture out in non traditional outlets like hospitals, schools, and retail stores like Home Depot and Wal Mart. 2. 22 Weaknesses 1. No Product Differentiation Subway’s product offerings have no trademark or patent protection, so it products are no different from its competitors. The only variable that sets Subway apart from its competition is its price. Against its competition, Subway offerings are limited. Other sandwich shops such as Potbelly’s, which-wich, and Quizno’s offer more meat and sandwich type choices. 2.Franchise Over Saturation in certain markets In an interview with Franchise 500, franchise consultant and CEO of FranChoice Jeff Elgin says that there are complaints about encroachment issues –concerns that they’re putting too many units close together. 3. Bottleneck in Franchise Growth – In contrast to the over saturation of franchise stores, there also has been some stunting of growth in this regard. In an interview with Franchise 500, CEO DeLuca says that there is a bottleneck in Subway’s growth, with many franchisees still searching f or a storefront. The real estate bust and frozen credit have slowed openings. . 23 Opportunities 1. Growth ( International) Subway has more potential than its competitors for continued success in profits and growth in the domestic and foreign markets. 2. Improved Franchise Relations Despites the past issues between Subway and it franchisees, there is still room and opportunity for the company to enhance their relationships. Such an enhancement will lead to increased satisfaction among franchisees and improved reputation to Subway. This will eventually lead to increased intrinsic value for the company and increased financial value. 3. Untapped Product OfferingsSubway has the potential to further contend and exceed their competitors in their product offering range. The company will have to make continued investments into research and development and testing to see what products work. Subway has room to experiments with different meats, cheeses, bread, and other fixins. Since the compa ny is global they can expand their product offerings to foreign consumers taste preferences. 2. 3 Competition Analysis The Fast food industry is under constant and evolving competition. The main competitors in this industry are McDonald’s, Yum Brands, Wendy’s, and Jack-in-the- Box.Yum Brands consists of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Long John Silver’s. In addition, Subway faces secondary competitive pressures from other sandwich makers like Quiznos, Jimmy Johns, Potbelly’s, Lenny’s Subs, Firehouse Subs, Which-wich and many others. With the increased sales of sandwiches in recent years as compared to burgers, secondary competition should be well on the rise for Subway. (13) 4. Keys to Success According to Michael McCarthy, success factors will include products and marketing targeted to healthier menu selections, brand consistency, low start-up costs, franchisee support, and consumer convenience.This success factors covers the scope of Subwayâ€℠¢s current challenges and concerns. Subways continued success will continue to thrive off its brand, attractive low franchise costs, and healthy menus selection. However, Subway will have to focus on improving their relations with franchisees. A lack of mismanagement of the franchisee issues could lead to catastrophic results for the company. 5. Macro Environment Analysis 2. 51 Economy In 2008 and 2009, the world seemed turned upside down by negative economics events. The financial meltdown in the U. S. lagued several industries, reduced the availability of credit, and created massive job losses. The two effects created massive ripple effects in every regard, such as reduced consumer spending and increase cost consciousness. The fast-food industry seemed unaffected despite and Subway seemed to find a sweet growth in a sour economy. Companies like Starbucks suffered when customers get the jitters about paying for premium coffee. But Subway managed to do supremely well in a down econo my where its $5 dollar foot long and other value food items appealed to cost conscious customers.As a whole the industry has embraced value meals, cutting prices and offering more or less. It has been a reaction to more consumers who are avoiding restaurants in an effort to save money. For the industry, price-cutting is a tested technique to weather an economic downturn. Subway has proven such so far during the U. S. sluggish economy my offering daily value meals and monthly specials like the $2 cold cut and meatball subs for July. 2. 52 Culture Subway has capitalized on the health conscious revolution by focusing its advertising on its healthy but tasty offerings.It featured a testimonial by a satisfied customer, Jared Fogle, who stated that he lost 245 pounds by substituting on 6’ Subway sandwich a day for one of his meals. The results were impressive and the company embraced the Jared testimonial of the health benefits of eating its food compared to others. The Jared campa ign proved to have excellent timing during the health consciousness revolution in America. After the company realized the value of Jared’s testimonial, it applied its professional communications staff to create appealing advertising, harness social media, and develop online relationship building activities. Pina, 2010). From the point Subway launched as series of health initiatives in response to the high demand of the â€Å"health culture†, such as â€Å"Eat Fresh† and modified its corporate web site to the nutritional and health informative needs of its customers and the public. 2. 24 Threats 1. Franchisee Disparity – Subway has had a continued history of franchisee dissatisfaction. Such dissatisfaction has come from franchisor support, franchise contractual arrangements, and over saturation of franchises in some markets. These disparities will affect the public image of Subway as an investment choice among investors and it profits.The extent of franchi see dissatisfaction has even led to litigation and class action law suits over Subways’ poor contractual provisions. 2. Franchisee Disparity (Revenues) – Franchisee disparity is two-fold. The other side of the disparity is poor franchise performance. This disparity can be seen as early as 1998. In a CNN Money article, consultant Cliff Marshall estimates that 25% of franchisees are unhappy and suffering, while about 40% are just getting by and making a few dollars, and 30-35% are happy and doing fine, though many of the happiest owners are also agents, who can control the number of competing Subways. . Competition – An ongoing threat to Subway is its own competition with the fast food industry. Its biggest competitor, McDonald’s will constantly stay on its heals in competition in terms of global expansion, product offering, financial performance, and many other variables. In addition, other competitors like Quiznos, Which wich, Jack n-the Box continue to o ffer more product offerings and competitive prices . Any slow or bad year for Subway could lead it to be easily bumped down in the franchise ranking. 2. 53 Politics, Rules and RegulationsSubway is under regulation over several federal, state, local agencies. In addition the company can become subject to pressure from consumer watch/advocacy groups. Given that Subway is in the fast food industry, the company like its competitors have seen significant pressure in corporate social responsibility on food quality for consumers. For example, according to the Center of Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and more than 30 other national and local health advocacy groups and experts have urges Subway to set nutritional standards for foods marketed to children.According to the CSPI and other groups, Subway is missing from industry self-regulatory programs. CSPI and other groups wants Subway to join the Council of Better Business Bureau’s Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI). Since Subway resides in the fast food industry, it has also came under heavy subjection for calorie content, Trans fat, and portion sizes. In response to such Subway has become more transparent in its product offerings to consumers. In addition is has labeled the fat and calorie content on some of its sandwiches online and in the stores.If you go to Subway’s website, and click on a given product, it will show the nutritional information. Such a disclosure of informational has resulted from national and local group pressure. 2. 54 Technology The use of technology is playing a significant role in the outcome of international business success. Subway must devise a technology strategy that will keep it well informed on it sales metrics, customer spending behavior, and inventory management. The use of e commerce and web-enables services with suppliers and vendors will be necessary in today’s business climate.All these technological pursuits will need to aim at customer satisfaction, inventory efficiencies, gathering critical information quickly. The use of technologies such as internet and Point-of-Sale will be pivotal for Subway and its franchisee’s to gather and collect information quickly and efficiently as compared to traditional ways. With POS data can be processed to provide instant information on weekly sales movements and market shares of individual stores. POS also renders better data quality. It can act as virtually comptroller of information. (Kotabe, Helsen 2010).According to Restaurant Informer. com, another trend in quick-service restaurants (QSR) is the use of kiosk ordering and contactless payment options. Installing Kiosks saves labor and cuts down on staff errors. Such errors can be on wasted food or register errors. The Subway is currently experimenting with kiosks, allowing customers to select their own order. 3. 1 Mission Statement â€Å"Delight every customer so they want to tell their friends  œ with great value through fresh, delicious, made-to-order sandwiches, and an exceptional experience. 3. 2 Marketing ObjectivesGlobalization is a increasing pattern in today’s markets. Subway success is still heavily dependent on its U. S. operations, since roughly 20,000 of the 34,842 worldwide stores are in the U. S. Therefore revenues are highly dependent on the domestic stores/franchises. Since Subway is a privately held company, any form of marketing objectives will not published. Therefore, I have suggested a set of marketing objectives for the upcoming 2011 and 2012 fiscal years. Objective 1 (Continue International Expansion) – Subway continues to grow globally each year.Based off the chart below, Subway is expanding 2,000 stores on average since 1995. If this trend continues and all variable remain constant the company by volume will capture more revenues over time. Such increase in volumes may or may not fulfill the financial objectives mentioned below. [pic] Objective 2 (Capture more global revenues and market share) – In conjunction with Objective 1, Subway will need to focus on capturing more revenues for 2011 and 2010 in international markets. More store-front expansion will lead to less dependency on the U. S. market performance and economic climate.According to Micheal McCarthy the U. S. fast food market has seen a healthy rise in growth in the last three years, with a compound annual growth rate of 2. 3% between 2005 and 2010. The overall market value from this is $57billion by the end of 2010. Given this information, it can be inferred that the growth rate will continue at this pace. So for 2011 and 2012 the fast food industry should be valued around $58 and $59 million respectfully. Given this incremental pattern, Subway should look to increase the market share by 1-5% domestically. Such a market share goal is feasible and reasonable.This domestic goal should be used as a guidance for calculating international figures. Ea ch individual foreign market would have to be assessed to determine what type of marketing objectives. Objective 3 (Make Key Strategic Partnerships in Foreign Markets) – Regardless if the market is Japan or Latin American, Subway will need to make key strategic alliances with host country firms when necessary. Such alliances will avoid costly and failed entries, such as Japan. Given the nature of Subway’s franchise business, franchisees take majority of the burden for failed performance.The nature of the strategic alliance will vary from each market. Subway may have to make different types of alliance between Japan and Latin America for example. It is evident that a unique form of strategic alliance will be needed for Japan as compared to Latin America. Clearly Subway will need a strategic alliance, where a Japanese advertising firm will do the promotion and advertising to help get the brand across. Another strategic alliance that could be made in Japan is one with Jap anese organic farmers and meat producers.This alliance could bring in the fresh organic ingredients needed for the appeal to Japanese consumers. 3. 3 Financial Objectives Since Subway is privately held, the company is not subject to stockholder expectations and pressures. However, the company is subjected to heavy competitive pressures. Such pressures have transpired to financial performance. Objective 1 (Increase Domestic & Global Revenues): According to â€Å"The Week†, Subway’s revenues in 2010 was $15. 2 billion, while Mc Donald’s was $ 24 billion.. Subway had 33. 749 stores worldwide, while Mc Donald’s 32,737 stores in 2010.Clearly this shows the top two competitors in the industry battling intensely. Subway clearly is behind in revenues overall and revenues per outlet. Objective 2 ( Increase Franchisee Financial Performance): Given the franchise business model, Subway does have an obligation to service and support franchisees in their store-front go als and challenges. Given this, overall franchise and franchisee financial objectives should be noted separately. Given the revenue figures mentioned above, Subway and its franchisees need work together to reduce operational costs by all measures.Sure a decrease in operational costs will help increase revenue per franchisee and make them more competitive with McDonald’s and other competitors. Such a focus to work with franchisee satisfaction will increase demand in the long run for Subway franchisee contracts and increase intrinsic value for the company. Objective 3 (Adjust Royalty fees): It can be inferred that Subway needs to increase its overall revenues and revenue per franchise in order to close the gap between its biggest competitor. To meet this financial objective will be challenging.The company globally is seeing a rise in operational expenses in the form of rising minimum wage, utilities, and food processing. It appears that the quickest adjustment that the company can make to increase revenues is to reduce or increase the royalty franchise fees. According to Subway’s FAQs on its website, royalty fees are 8% of a franchisee’s revenues in the U. S.. However the company may need to make royalty adjustments worldwide and test the effects of a increase or decrease on overall revenue and revenue per franchise. 3. 4 Positioning StrategyAccording to Smithfam. com, a positioning strategy results in the image you want to draw in the mind of your customers, the picture you want him/her to visualize of you, what you offer, in relation to the market situation, and any competition you may have. † Since Subway operates in a highly competitive fast food environment both domestically and abroad, the company will have to keep its competitors in perspective when formulating a positioning strategy. The company should evaluate their competitors’ strengths in the Japanese market and incorporate it into their strategy.For example competit or, Mos Burger uses good quality ingredients, which reflects the chains higher prices and wholesome image. This has led to Mos Burgers’ success in Japan. While accomplishing all the noted above, Subway needs to stay focused on its core competencies and values that has gotten them to where they are today. 3. 5 Marketing Mix Strategies 3. 51 Product Strategy Subway provides products with a global brand that is well-known and, most importantly, healthy, with lots of flavor and variety on its menu. Subway product line consists of numerous varieties of sandwiches served with different fillings and on different types of bread.The choices are complex but the product line is anchored by one choice: 6 inches or 1 foot long. Subway has been successful in the U. S. with its product offerings, pricing, and advertising and has led to a strategic advantage for the company. Subway promotes its sandwiches as fresh, healthy and made-to-order. They use the slogan â€Å"Eat Fresh†. In th e international marketplace where Subway is trying to gain its footing, in terms of market penetration and gained market share, the company will need modify its product strategy differently from its international and domestic strategy to fit the needs of Japan and Asian countries.Since Japan and Asian countries have been such a challenge for the company, it will critical for Subway to develop a effective product strategy. Out of the four P’s in the marketing mix, Product strategy will be main determinate of Subway’s success in Japan. Subway promotes its sandwiches as fresh, healthy and made-to-order. They use the slogan â€Å"Eat Fresh†. This concept and slogan can be effective in Japan, but will have to be taken in a further context to satisfy Japanese consumers. Japanese consumers think of healthy food more in terms of quality – for example, how fresh, pure, or organic ingredients are than in terms of ts calorie or fat content or cholesterol level. Subw ay may have to modify its product strategy to show its quality more transparently with consumers or switch to organic ingredients. Therefore different investments made have to be made in higher quality foods as compared to other countries/markets. 3. 52 Price Strategy Pricing will correlate with product as an important factor of the marketing mix. A overhaul or significant modification in product strategy will affect pricing strategy accordingly.Given the product strategies suggested above, Subway may have to adjust its pricing for sandwiches if all organic ingredients will be used in Japan. This however may not translate to a negative response from consumers in Japan. Japanese consumers may be willing to pay more for a sub sandwich if it’s made of quality, fresh, and organic ingredients. Customer’s willingness to pay will vary across cultures [text book] and products that are perceived as good value in one culture may have little to no value in other cultures.So who k nows, maybe the $5 foot long concept will evolve to $ 6 foot long in Japan, where the Japanese see it as the same value as U. S. consumers. Another alternative maybe to pass the costs of â€Å"going organic† in Japan to other products, such as chips, drinks, cookies, or salads? In the end, to establish a stronger brand image and sustain/grow a market presence, Subway may have to subsidize their pricing to gain some market share and familiarity in Japan. This approach may be necessary until a market presence has been established and then the company can build in pricing promotions similar to the U. S. such as weekly value meals, monthly values deals ( $2 cold-cut & meat ball sandwiches in July), and foot-long specials ($5 foot long). 3. 53 Promotion Strategy Subway is the one of largest franchises in the world with a global presence that can be felt and seen. Despite this, such a global presence hasn’t been entirely felt in Japan and other Asian countries. Former franch isee owner Tetsuzo, Ono, in an interview with England’s The Times newspaper in 2002, said that â€Å"people who didn’t know sandwiches never saw any commercials, never heard any word of mouth and because the chain did not grow, never passed a store on the street†.Given this feedback from franchisees and the lack of success in Japan, Subway will need to revamp their promotion strategy. Such a promotion campaign will need to be focused on advertising, promotions, and direct marketing. Focusing on these three aspects will cover all distribution channels and get the word out to Japanese consumers. Subway can use channels such as internet, television, sport organizations, and special events. In addition the promotion strategy needs to be strictly adaptive and customized to the Japanese and Asian cultures. 54. Place StrategyPlace refers to distribution and also can be thought of as the â€Å"place of purchase†. This strategy asks â€Å"Do you want your product to be everywhere? or â€Å" do you want to create demand for it because its’ exclusive and hard to find? † [2] Its very important for Subway to be cautious with its’ place strategy because such a strategy makes a statement about the quality and â€Å"status† of their product. Typically Subway places its stores in commercial areas or as â€Å"stand-alone† stores. Subway will also place store fronts in unconventional locations, what Subway calls â€Å"unique stores† on its website.Such stores will be museums, airports, military bases, schools, colleges, stadiums, supermarkets, and gas stations. At the moment, Subway seems to be well positioned and on track in terms of place. There are already 115 stores in Japan. According to the franchise application guide book, Subway is focusing on opening more stores around Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. In these cities, Subway will target downtown areas, business areas, amusement centers, and rail statio n hubs. References 1) The Week (2011, March 8). Subway, the World’s biggest restaurant chain: By the numbers. Retrieved, in 16h July 2011, from http://theweek. om/article/index/212902/subway-the-worlds-biggest-restaurant-chain-by-the-numbers 2) Subway Restaurant website. History. US. Retrieved, in 16th July 2011, from http://www. subway. com/subwayroot/AboutSubway/history/subwayHistory. aspx 3) Michael McCarty (July 2006). Fast Food Market Forecast- The Subway Example of Strategic Product Positioning. Ezine Articles. Retrieved, in 17th July 2011, http://ezinearticles. com/? Fast-Food-Market-Forecast—The-Subway-Example-of-Strategic-Product-Positioning&id=735770 4) Entrepreneur Magazine (January 2009). Top 10 Franchises of 2009. Retrieved, in 16th July 2011, from http://www. ntrepreneur. com/magazine/entrepreneur/2009/january/199094. html 5) Entrepreneur Magazine (2011) 2011 Global Franchising Rankings. Retrieved, in 16th July 2011, from http://www. entrepreneur. com/fra nchises/rankings/topglobal-115388/2011,. html 7) Richard Behar (1998 March 16) Why Subway is†¦ Fortune Magazine. CNN Money. Retrieved, in 16th July 2011, from http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/03/16/239302/index. htm 8) Margie Walker. (2008 August) Using Technology to Increase Your Bottom Line. Restaurant Informer. com. Retrieved, in 17th July 2011, http://www. restaurantinformer. om/2008/07/using-technology-to-increase-your-bottom-line/ 9) Synergy Resources (2008 February 12). Synergy Resources Announces Successful Implementation of ERP System at Visual Graphic Systems in NYC. Retrieved, in 16th July 2011, http://www. synergyresources. net/pdf/Visual_Graphic_Systems_-_Press_Release. pdf 10) Official Subway Restaurant website. US. Retrieved, in 14th July 2011, from http://www. subway. com/subwayroot/index. aspx 11) Subway Restaurant website. World. Retrieved, in 15th July 2011, from http://world. subway. com/Countries/frmNutrition. aspx? CC=AUS&LC=EN G&Mode 12) Official Subway Restaurant website.Q&A. UK. Retrieved, in 15th July 2011, from http://www. subway. com/subwayroot/index. aspx 13) Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia. SWOT. Retrieved, in 15th July 2011, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/SWOT_analysis 14) Entrepreneur Magazine (January 2009). Top 10 Franchises of 2009. Retrieved, in 14th July 2011, from http://www. entrepreneur. com/magazine/entrepreneur/2009/january/199094. html 15) Romero, Dennis. (2009). Subway hit the spot. Entrepreneur, Vol. 37(1), p 125 – 133, 8p. Retrieved from Business Source Complete 16) Comes, Steve. (2010). Fred DeLuca. Nation’s Restaurant News, Vol. 4 (37), p54, 1p. Retrieved from Business Source Complete 17) Nation’s Restaurant News (June 2010). Top 100 Chains Ranked by Growth In U. S. Franchise Units. Retrieved, in 15th July, from Business Source Complete 18) Lee A. Obringer. (June 2010). How Marketing Plans Work. Retrieved, in 16th July 2011, http://money. howstuffworks. com/marketing-plan24. htm 19) CSPI (January 2009). Subway Urged to Set Nutritional Standards for Foods Marketed to Children. Center for Science in Public interest. Retrieved, in 16th July 2011, http://www. cspinet. org/new/200901141. html Appendices A. Subway’s J-Curve [pic]

History of India Essay

India, or Bharat, the fifth largest and the second populated country in the world, is one of the few countries which can boast of an ancient, deep-rooted and diverse culture, which stretches back to 5000 years. In ancient times, India was known as ‘Bharata Varsha’, the country of the legendary king of Puranic times called Bharat, and was believed to be a part of the island continent called ‘Jambu Dvipa’. Geologically speaking, India formed part of the Gondwana land and was attached to Antarctica and Australia, before it was liberated from the Antarctica complex about 135 million years ago and started drifting towards the north and finally joining South Asia about 45 million years ago. The Siwalik foothills of the north-western Himalayas served as home to the fossil primate genus known as Ramapithecus, which lived some 14 million years ago. Researches have also found that a species resembling the Australopithecus lived in India some 2 million years ago. Some anthropologists believe that the Chotanagpur region witnessed the transformation of Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. This claim is based on the findings of hand axes and blades in the region of Pathalgarwa and the discovery of Harappan pottery in the nearby areas. Early Civilisations Extensive archaeological excavations carried out at Mohenjodaro in the present Pakistan in 1922 brought to light the existence of a highly sophisticated and urbanized culture known as the Harappan Civilization in India, which dominated the north-western part of the Indian Subcontinent. It is believed that this civilisation covered an area of 1600 km from east to west and 1100 km from north to south, which exceeds the area occupied by contemporary civilisations like the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Civilisations. This civilisation is generally dated from about 2600 to 2000 B.C. However, Carbon-14 analysis of the structures at Mehrgarh near the Bolan Pass has indicated that the people of this place were growing wheat and barley and tending sheep and goat as early as 5000 B.C. Archaeologists have by now discovered more than 800 sites related to the Harappan Civilisation. Most scholars believe that the Harappan Civilisation was decayed as a result of the ‘problems of ecology’. The next most important phase in the Indian history came centuries later with the advent of Aryans from the northwest of India. The Aryan migration to India was gradual and spread over many centuries. There is a difference of opinion about the original home of the Aryans. The different suggestions given by different scholars vary considerably in terms of geographic position in the world. Bal Gangadhar Tilak suggested that the Arctic region could be the home of Aryans. P.Giles suggested Hungary, Austria, Bohemia or the Valley of Danube as the possible home of Aryans, while Max Muller suggested Central Asia, Penka suggested Germany or Scandinavia, Edward Mayer suggested Plateau of Pamir and Dr B.K.Ghosh and Gordon Childe suggested South Russia. There are others who vouch for an Indian origin of the Aryans, like Ganganath Jha (origin from Brahmarishi Desh), D.S.Kala (hilly region of Himalayas and Kashmir), Avinashchandra Das (Saptasindhu Pradesh) and Rajbali Pandey (Madhya Desh). The Aryans developed a remarkable culture, popularly known as Vedic culture, which was markedly different from the Harappan Culture. The Vedic period is divided into the Rig Vedic Period (1500-1000 B.C.) and the Later Vedic Period (1000-600 B.C.). The Vedic period can be considered as the foundation stone for the Indian culture in all its multitudinous aspects. It laid the foundation for the Hindu Dharma and produced a host of religious and secular texts, which constitute a very important part of the religious heritage of India. The Vedas, Upavedas, Upanishads, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and the Dharmashastras were produced during these times. The institution of gotra and the caste system appeared in the later Vedic times. From this period onwards, India functioned as a virtually self-contained political and cultural unit, which gave rise to a distinctive tradition that was associated primarily with Hinduism, although other religions, notably Buddhism and Jainism in the ancient times, Islam in the medieval period and Christianity in the modern times, did make a strong impact on the socio-cultural aspects of India. Endless Diversity There is an endless diversity in India starting from its physical features to Geologic structure, fauna and flora, demographic structure, races, languages, religions, arts and crafts and customs and traditions. India has been variously described as â€Å"the Mini World†, the â€Å"epitome of the world† and an â€Å"ethnological museum†. The diversities are so bewildering that for many people in the Western world, India remains a land full of mysteries and myths. The diversity in India is unique in the sense that it binds the country together in some form of common identification. Underneath this diversity lies the continuity of Indian civilization and social structure from the very earliest times until the present day. This concept of ‘Unity in Diversity’ is perhaps typical of India and has served as its strength during all ages and during the roughest times in its political and cultural history. It is amazing that different elements of Indian culture, particularly its drama and the arts, despite passing through different political phases, are characterised by an unmistakable unity and continuity. The successive waves of migration into India starting with the Indo-Greeks (2nd Century B.C.), the Kushans (First century A.D.), the incursions from the northwest by Arab, Turkish, Persian and others beginning in the early 8th century A.D. and finally the establishment of the Muslim empire by the 13th century A.D. and the advent of Europeans ‘ the Portuguese, the Dutch, the English, the Danes and the French ‘ into India, have brought in new elements in arts, music, literature, customs and traditions, which got absorbed into the Indian way of life, thus enriching the Indian culture . From the very ancient times India not only absorbed the foreign cultures into its composite fold, but it also managed to spread the rich elements of its own unique culture in different parts of the world. It is historically recorded that the Chola rulers had cultural contacts with countries like Ilamandalam (Sri Lanka), Sri Vijaya (Sumatra), Chavakam (Java), Kamboja (Cambodia) and Kadaram (Malay Peninsula). Evidences of these early Indian contacts are still found in the art and architecture of these countries. The Southeast Asian countries formed a stronghold of Indian culture from the early centuries of the Christian era. The various Southeast Asian languages show strong influence of Sanskrit. Many earlier kingdoms of these countries had adopted Hinduism as their religion, whose influence is perceptible even today. India presents a picture of unity in diversity to which history provides no parallel. There is complete harmony in India in each of its cultural elements. Religion and philosophy, which forms the bedrock of any civilisation, are evident in India in the form of all major religions in the world — Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Several unique philosophical thoughts like Kapila’s Sankhya Philosophy, Patanjali’s Yoga, Gautami’s Nyaya, Kananada’s Vaisheshika and Jaimini’s Purva Mimamsa developed in India and attracted the attention of the outside world. Religious tolerance has been the characteristic of the Indian civilisation right from the ancient days. Hindu sages declare that there is no single religion that teaches ways leading to an exclusive path to salvation. All genuine spiritual paths are valid and all great religions are like the branches of a tree ‘ the tree of religion. This doctrine lays foundation for the Hindu ideal of universal harmony. This tradition was carried forward in the medieval times by the Sufi and Bhakti saints like Ramananda, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Baba Farid, Baba Malukadasa, Baba Dharinidasa and Garibadasa. Indeed, the framers of the Indian Constitution ensured the continuance of these glorious traditions when they declared India as â€Å"Sovereign, Socialist, Secular and Democratic Republic†. Regional Diversity: Each state of India has its own language and set of tribes, festivals, arts and crafts and customs and traditions. While there are the Chenchus tribes in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, Bhils and Gonds in the Central India, Dogris, Gujjars and Ladakhis in the Jammu and Kashmir and Nagas, Bodos, Mishmis, Gharos and Khasis in the Northeast, there are tribes like the Jarewas, Onges, Andamanis and Sentinelese in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There are some festivals, which are typical of particular states, towns or villages like the Bonnalu of Andhra Pradesh, Pushkar of Rajasthan, Rajrani of Orissa, Teej of Rajasthan and Bogali Bihu of Assam. Each region is also identified with its typical folk and tribal dance forms, like Puli Vesham of Andhra Pradesh, Keli Gopal of Assam, Chhau of Bihar, Dandia of Gujarat, Bhangra of Punjab and Otthanthulal of Kerala. A similar distinction can also be established in the folk drama, theatre and puppetry forms, as also the arts and crafts. Development of Arts and Fine Arts There was a continuous evolution of drama, music, dance, painting and folk art forms under the different political rules in India that ultimately led to the development of the definite ‘Indian’ element in each of these forms. Thus, within the ambience of Indian culture one can identify ‘Indian Music’, ‘Indian Dance’, ‘Indian Theatre’, ‘Indian Literature’, ‘Indian Fairs and Festivals’ and so on. Indian music has a very long and unbroken tradition, which is an accumulated heritage of centuries and traces its roots to Vedic days. Bharata’s Natyashastra (4th Century A.D.) is a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music. The advent of Muslim rule in India brought in a changed perspective in the style of the Northern Indian music. The traditional Hindu devotional music form of dhruvapad got transformed into the classical dhrupad form of singing under the Muslim rule. The khayal developed as a new form of singing in the 18th century A.D. and became equally popular among the Hindus and Muslims. Different ragas began to be introduced from the medieval times. Tansen created many new ragas like Darbari Kanada, Darbari Todi, Miyan Ki Todi, Miya ki Malhar and Miya ki Sarang, which until now, are regarded as the foremost ragas of Northern India. Sultan Hussain Sarki of Jaunpur introduced ragas like Jaunpuri tori and Hussaini Kanada. Amir Khusro is credited with the creation of the Hemant, Prabhat Kali and Hem Behag ragas. A large variety of foreign musical instruments like Harmonium, Sarod, Shehnai, Sitar, Tabla and Violin were introduced in India to supplement the ancient musical instruments like Flute, Nadaswaram, Veena, Gootuvadhyam, Thavil, Mridangam and Plain drum. The six outstanding Sanskrit playwrights of all times, Shudraka, Harsha, VisakhA.D.atta, Bhasa, Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti have made tremendous contributions in the field of dramatics. Kalidasa’s Shakuntala, King Harsha’s Ratnavali, Bhasa’s Swapna-vasavadatta, Bhavabhuti’s Uttara-rama-charita and Mahavira-charita, Visakhadatta’s Mudrarakshasa are some of the outstanding Sanskrit plays, which indicate that India had a highly sophisticated theatre tradition in ancient times when in most other countries it was still in its infancy. Again in the field of literature, the earliest writing can be traced to the Rig Vedic poetry in Sanskrit. The Rigveda consists of 1028 suktas or hymns that are distributed in ten books called mandalas. This is perhaps, the earliest poetry in the world. The two great Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata composed by Valmiki and Vyasa respectively, along with the Puranas, constitute the pillars of the Indian literature. The Manu Smriti (1st century B.C.) is the best illustrator of the Dharma-sastras or Smritis or the Hindu religious laws. Kalidasa, Bairavi, Sudraka, Vishnu Sharma, Dandin and others composed several literary masterpieces in the ancient times. India’s contribution to the world was also immense in the field of astronomy, mathematics and medicine. Aryabhatta was the first to state that the earth moves round the sun and that the eclipses are caused by the shA.D.ow of the earth falling on the moon. Aryabhatta’s Aryabhatiya, Dasagitika-Sutra and Aryastasata belonging to the 5th century, Varahamihira’s Pancha-siddhantika, Brahmagupta’s Brahmasphuta-siddhanta and Khanda-khadyaka, Bhaskaracharya’s Siddhanta-shiromani and Karana-kutuhala and Bhoja’s Raja-mriganka are important ancient Indian texts on astronomy. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans, which was consolidated 2500 years ago by Charaka, who was described as the ‘Father of Medicine’. Another ancient Indian Sushruta, who is considered as the ‘Father of Surgery’, is believed to have conducted complicated surgeries using over 125 different surgical equipments. Usage of anaesthesia was also well known in ancient India. Like-wise deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, aetiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts. India’s most precious gift to the world is zero (0), which wa s referred to as Shunya in the ancient texts. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus also came from India. One of the best-known achievements of the Indian mathematics is the decimal system. Its first occurrence was on a plate of the year 595 A.D. where the date 346 A.D. was written in decimal place-value notation. Aryabhatta, who calculated the value of p as 3.1416, is also credited with the creation of Algebraic analysis. Budhayana explained the concept of the Pythagorean Theorem way back in the 6th century. Brahmagupta’s Brahma-Sphuta-Siddhanta has two chapters devoted to arithmetic, algebra and geometry. Bhaskara’s Lilavati was for many centuries a standard work on arithmetic and Mensuration in the East. The world’s first university was established in Takshila in 700 B.C., where more than 10,500 students from all over the world studied over sixty different subjects. The University of Nalanda established in the 5th century B.C. was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. Described as â€Å"The Oxford University of Mahayana Buddhism†, it offered wide range of subjects like literature, logic, grammar, medicine, philosophy and astronomy. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. A report in the Forbes magazine of July 1987 described Sanskrit is the most suitable language for the computer software. Vaishali, in modern Bihar, is often described as the World’s First Republic, as it had a duly elected assembly of representatives and efficient Administration as early as the 6th century B.C. Modern India The British rule in India, despite its several excesses and oppressive characteristics, had made several useful and lasting contributions to the Indian culture. Several social and administrative reforms were introduced during the British period. Warren Hastings brought about a reorganisation of judicial institutions and re-codification of the Hindu law. He established courts of appeal for civil and criminal cases at Calcutta and also a Supreme Court at Calcutta (now Kolkata). He also gave active encouragement to the formation of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Lord Cornwallis laid the foundation for the present Indian constitution. He also brought about judicial reforms by replacing the Shariat law with the English law. William Bentick abolished evil practices prevailing in the Indian society like Sati and female infanticide and introduced modern western education in India. He also established the Calcutta Medical College and the Elphinstone Institution at Bombay (now Mumbai). Lord Dalhousie set up the Public Works Department to look after the construction and maintenance of roads. He also set up the Post & Telegraphs Department and issued the first postage stamp in 1852 at Karachi. He opened the first Railway line on April 16, 1853 between Bombay and Thane. He also legalized the marriages of Hindu widows. The British introduced the neo-Colonial and Indo-Saracenic styles of Architecture in India. They were also instrumental in encouraging the development of modern theatre and cinema movements in India. The British enacted several laws and regulations, many of which are still followed in the Indian administrative set-up in some form or the other. The positive outcome of English education was most felt when many Indian social reformers began to emerge on the scene to fight against the social evils like Caste system, untouchability and emancipation of women and the downtrodden. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the foremost among such social reformers, who established the Brahmo Samaj. Soon, other organisations like the Prarthana Samaj, Arya Samaj, Dev Samaj, Ramkrishna Mission and the Theosophical Society of India were set up with similar aims and objectives. After Independence, the Indian Government enacted several legislations to tackle the prevailing social evils. Several steps were also initiated towards the emancipation of women and protection of the weaker sections of the society. Economically and socially, India has made great strides since independence. It has a well-developed infrastructure and a highly diversified industrial base, its pool of scientific and engineering personnel is the third largest in the world, and the pace of its agricultural expansion has more than kept up with the growth in its population. Rapid strides were also made in the field of Science and Technology and Research. India’s eminent scientists like C.V.Raman, Hargobind Khorana and S.Chandrasekhar won Nobel Prizes for outstanding contributions in their respective fields. India has an advanced and well-developed Space Technology programme and the remote sensing data from its IRS series of satellites is much sought after all-over the world. India has even launched satellites for advanced countries like Germany and South Korea. India is now a nuclear power, but its nuclear policy is not aimed at the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or threatening the security of any country. India’s foreign policy is based on ‘enlightened self-i nterest’, peaceful co-existence and respect for international law and the United Nations Organisation. March into the New Millennium India marched into the new Millennium as the fifth biggest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). It has become the leading supplier of IT professionals in the world, particularly to the United States. Its population having crossed the one-billionth mark, India has perhaps the largest middle class market in the world. It is indeed a matter of great pride for India that the world has given due recognition to Indians and Indian leaders as major contributors, who have shaped the world during the last millennium. Mahatma Gandhi was voted the Man of the Millennium in an online opinion poll conducted by the British Broadcasting Service (BBC)’s online news site in December 1999. In an earlier BBC Online poll conducted in May 1999, Gandhi was also voted as the Greatest World Leader. The Time magazine also chose Gandhi as the most important person of the century, next only to Albert Einstein. The former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, was named as the â€Å"Woman of the Millennium† in a BBC poll, ahead of several other distinguished personalities of the world. India’s culture and heritage is so rich and deep-rooted that it may take several months or even years to understand all its dimensions. From the time immemorial India has fascinated many a world traveller like Fahien, Hiuen Tsang, Ibn Batuta, Alberuni, Ferishta, Vasco da Gama, Marco Polo and several others. Albert Einstein once said: â€Å"We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.† The great German Indologist Max Muller said: â€Å"If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can bestow ‘ in some parts a very paradise on earth ‘ I should point to India. If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed the choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solution of some of them, which well deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant ‘ I should point to India.’ The following quotation of the great American philosopher and writer Will Durant sums up the divine land called India, thus ‘India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages; she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.’

Neurosurgery

Surgeons, one of the many Jobs that utilize chemistry skills in order to succeed in the field is a field of science that I am most interested in and I believe that taking AP Chemistry will only strengthen the skills I need in order to become a surgeon. The type of surgery that most interests me would be the surgery relating to the brain/ spinal cord named neurosurgery.Within the field of surgery, neurosurgery, which Is a branch of surgery that specializes In brain surgery/spinal cord surgery, Is relatively nouns and It has evolved Into an Independent surgical specialty only during the past century, developing from general surgery (Columbia Neurosurgeons). They are the highest paid of all surgeons, with Incomes that can reach as high as $800,000 annually.Average annual compensation: $765,321 according to the 201 3 MAGMA survey of 201 2 Income (Santiago). Also the Job outlook for surgeons Is 18%, which Is faster than average which Is a perk of becoming a surgeon as the demand for surge ons is growing at an exponential rate (Bureau of Labor Statistics). I also want to become a neurosurgeon because since the brain is the most unknown organ of the body, in fact it is believed that humans only use 10-25% of their brain (MS).In conclusion, the main reason I signed up for AP Chemistry is that medicine is an excellent career choice and careers in this area are often high paying, and there is a shortage (and a forecasted shortage) of candidates for these jobs. Works Cited Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Physicians and Surgeons, n. . Web. 26 June 2014. . Santiago, Andrea. â€Å"Surgeon Career Profile – Overview of Surgeons' Careers and Surgery Jobs. † About. Com Health Careers. About. Com, n. D.Web. 26 June 2014.. Columbia Neurosurgeons. Healthiness, n. D. Web. 26 June 2014.. Smelling, Robert. â€Å"How Much of the Brain Do We Really Use? † MS Healthy Long. Microsoft, n. D. Web. 26 June 2014.. Spinal cord named neurosurgery. Within the field of surgery, neurosurgery, which is a branch of surgery that specializes in brain surgery/spinal cord surgery, is relatively nouns and it has evolved into an independent surgical specialty only during the past highest paid of all surgeons, with incomes that can reach as high as annually.Average annual compensation: $765,321 according to the 2013 MAGMA survey of 2012 income (Santiago). Also the Job outlook for surgeons is 18%, which is faster than average which is a perk of becoming a surgeon as the is a shortage (and a forecasted shortage) of candidates for these Jobs. Works Cited Shimmering, Robert. â€Å"How Much of the Brain Do We Really Use? † MS Healthy Living.