International Marketing Research Essay Example for Free

International Marketing Research Essay 1. Identification of Case Issues Base your issues on theoretical international ethics concepts. As the international marketing manager, what are the ethical issues to be considered in this case? Use journals to help give your response depth The report aims at launching the new fair trade chocolate brand Mars, and analysing the current ethical understanding of the Japanese marketing environment. The business viewed the ethical issue which child slavery has created an unethical comparative advantage, and the current market for chocolate lies in the ethical ruin (Nicolas and Gittens, 2010). The result of the influence of fair-trade foods among Japanese shows that the participants in Japan do the ethical purchasing in observable condition much more than the anonymous condition (Kimura et al., 2012; Swaidan, 2012). The ethical purchasing of observable condition is about that about making products in an environment where there is no child abuse or child labour, that is environmentally conscious and where there is a value placed on workers and their safety (Nicholls and Opal, 2005; Impact of adverse economic shocks on the Indian child labour market and the schooling of children of poor households, 2012). Furthermore, the report claimed that is not only the purchasers’ participation of ethical â€Å"fair deal†, but also the corporation participations impact on fair trade as well; especially under the effect of the global economic recession, businesses have great potential to benefit or threaten at the market (Lynch, 2012; McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies,2011; Reed, 2009). According to the report of Swaidan (2012), Japan has suffered painful economic recession and a series of corporate misconducts and scandals over the last decade. In the meantime, peoples interests in business ethics and corporate social responsibility have remarkably increased (Tsalikis and Seaton, 2011). There are many similarities exist between Japanese and American managers which including the respective views on corporate social responsibility and unethical business practices (Tae and Nakano, 2008). Thus the marketing strategy should to consider the nation’s business ethical understandings. Furthermore, according to a personal perspective, the correct ethical behaviour differs, which includes the relativist, utilitarian, and Universalist perspectives and based on socio-economic status (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011; Lynch, 2012). It states a market where corruption is an issue as Japan ranked eighteenth on the Corruption Perception Index of major emerging markets (Tae and Nakano, 2008; Tsalikis and Seaton, 2011). In Japan, the primarily views business ethics are through relativist and utilitarian perspectives (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011; McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011; Nicolas and Gittens, 2010). It will evoke the previous ethical perspectives when business markets a fair trade product to the Japanese. The ethical behaviour differs across nations, influenced by popular attachments to governments, popular customs, level of economic development, relative size of public sector, low income for public servants, obscure legal and political environments, high level of government control and state ownership (Kimura et al., 2012; McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011; Swaidan, 2012). Moreover, according to Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions, Japan outranks all other countries in the measure of masculinity (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011). Hence, the marketing strategy must cater to the nation’s business ethical behaviours, and cultural dimensions facing fair trade products. 2. Formulation of alternatives or possible solutions with respect As the International marketing manager what are some alternative solutions, based on an ethical platform? Use journals to support your alternatives. Mars’ first entered the Asian market with a marketing strategy of sponsoring and becoming the official snack food of the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing (McElhatton, 2012). In addition, it claims that Mars has a legacy for aggressive instincts in international expansion, entering the Eastern European markets after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 (Allen, 2010). These movements lead to factories being opened in the Asian markets to better understand the domestic environments, and it is the solid foundation for Mars to target and market the Japanese market which it was successful in combining investment with community activities to relay positive company behaviour in the political environment (McElhatton, 2012). Additionally, it proved that a link exists in successful brands between company ethical and social requirements, and the company’s commitment to protecting consumer rights and interests (Castaldo, Perrini, Misani and Tencati, 2011; Fletcher and Crawford, 2011; McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011). Thus, Mars must show it is not only has corporate social responsibility but its interest in the rights of its consumers, in order to market a new fair trade brand of chocolate in Japan (Nicolas and Gittens, 2010). Further, the right for Mars’ consumers to have access to chocolate is fair trade that gives added value and competitive price (Allen, 2011). From the perspective of economies, fair trade marketing may be successful if it is existed that consumers whose additional willingness to pay for fair trade products are greater than the additional marginal costs (Lynch, 2012). However, the consumers who felt greatly affected by the global recession yet want to consume ethically, marketers must deliver value without compromising these social values (Castaldo, Perrini, Misani and Tencati, 2011). The report confirmed that the Japanese expect companies to stand behind their product well after a sale is made. They are not particularly price conscious, but rather rely on trust (McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011; McElhatton, 2012). Moreover, there are restraining forces in the market such as political systems, legal requirements, cultural norms and economic development, that hinder the free flow of fair trade in the market (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011). In Japan, it is not simply enough to support the goods, but marketing mix is more important to the Japanese consumers who demand the after-sale services on financial resources, and the weakness of service is not tolerated in the Japanese market (Slavery involved in food production, 2008; Swaidan, 2012; Tsalikis and Seaton, 2011). On the other hand, the benefits of lowering 20 percent tariff of chocolate imports in Japan which is almost three times of the USA levy on imported candy (McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011; Reed, 2007). The chocolate potential market for Mars grows as the high tariff is getting lowered, and allowing a new fair trade chocolate brand greater entry. If Japan is a significant leader in the Asian region drops its tariff, Korea as the other major potential market may follow (Allen, 2011; Tae and Nakano, 2008). Japanese have their own take on Valentines Day which is a big chocolate buying frenzy (Tsalikis and Seaton, 2011). Gifts of chocolate from women to men on St Valentines Day have become a subtle key to gender empowerment in Japan. In Japan, women nationwide buy chocolates for their male co-workers rather than husbands and loved ones (Lewis, 1995). With this custom, women have successfully monopolized the means of socially defining chocolate, which is a large promoter for the industry. Being a custom based on culture, chocolate sales in Japan on Valentine’s Day continue to increase as cocoa prices soar. It means that the duty is expanding, which could offer the new opportunities for an ethical fair trade choice in the region (Allen, 2011; Fletcher and Crawford, 2011). Thus, marketing to the Japanese based on custom rather than the individual consumer is advised. 3. Recommendation or choice of solution Make a stand. What would you do as the International marketing manager for this company, based on an ethical platform? What are you going to recommend to the board? First of all, Japan is a rapidly growing market where corruption is an issue. The stakeholders should be the focus, and holistic and corporate social responsibility marketing is a strategic consideration (Tae and Nakano, 2008; Tsalikis and Seaton, 2011). The chocolate company Mars is recommended to use value-based labelling in order to increase consumer awareness of the brand. Moreover, individuals’ motivations from extrinsic social factors such as reputation-enhancing opportunities should be moulded around brand appearance and marketing strategy, which is rely on the product add value to the consumer thereby further building and maintaining the loyalty of the consumers (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011; McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011; Nicolas and Gittens, 2010). Secondly, a market-oriented solution is best for entering and marketing a fair trade chocolate brand in Japan, because Japan is a viable market to launch a brand, currently ranked third in world GDP (McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011; Tyler, 2012). The chocolate company Mars should consider about the ownership attributes, the location attributes and the internalisation for market entry (McElhatton, 2012). Mars could use the host marketers for the purpose of launching the market strategy from within the domestic environment. Furthermore, Mars could report the ethical practises to consumers which include ethical initiatives such as discontinuing marketing to children under age 12, and it is rely on brand integrity through Mars’ philosophy of â€Å"mutuality of benefits† for all stakeholders (Reed, 2007). It might offset distribution regulations and prevent ethical, legal and cross-cultural misunderstanding in brand marketing and promotion (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011; McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011). Thirdly, Countries differ greatly in their ethical standards and consumer expectations (Tae and Nakano, 2008). In Japans political system, dominant economic interests caused deep changes, so in the other word, Japan is the very embodiment of stability (Tsalikis and Seaton, 2011). On the other hand, as approximately ten percent of sales are from the Australasian region, Mars success has resulted from a simply philosophy â€Å"go where the consumer economy is growing† and â€Å"the consumer is our boss.† (McElhatton, 2012; Tyler, 2012). Thus, the assessment predicts a minor political could impact of the new product brand and low transaction cost (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011). Last but not least, Japan has greater equality of incomes between higher and lower incomes and market incomes (Kimura et al., 2012). This is ever more present as Japanese consumer social awareness grows and the distance is shortened between company and customer, due to communication advancements (McCall-Rosenbluth and Thies, 2011). The chocolate company Mars could potentially take a large market segment by marketing a CSR strategy in this high-income country via differentiation (Allen, 2011). Besides, the growth of e-commerce has diminished national barriers, thus advertising campaigns directed at the Japanese market can be optimised online (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011; McElhatton, 2012). References Allen, L.L. (2011). Chocolate fortunes: the battle for the hearts, minds, and wallets of Chinese consumers. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/lib/qut/docDetail.action?doID=10342364 Castaldo, S., Perrini, F., Misani, N., Tencati, A. (2011). The missing link between corporate responsibility and consumer trust: the case of fair trade products. Journal of Business Ethics, 84, 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s10551-008-9669-4 Fletcher, R., Crawford, H. (2011). International marketing: an Asia-Pacific perspective 5th edition. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia. Kimura, A., Mukawa, N., Yamamoto, M., Masuda, T., Yuasa, M., Goto, S., Oka, T., Wada, Y. (2012). The influence of reputational concerns on purchase intention of fair-trade foods among Japanese adults. Food Quality and Preference, 26(2), 204-210.

Samuel Beckett and Waiting for Godot Essay -- Waiting for Godot Essays

Samuel Beckett and Waiting for Godot      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As much as any body of writing this century, the works of Samuel Beckett reflect an unflinching, even obsessive flirtation with universal void. His literary and dramatic accounts of skirmishes with nothingness portray human beings (generally beings, at least, beings more or less human and intact) situated in paradoxical, impossibly absurd circumstances.    Samuel Barclay Beckett was born in the comfortable Dublin suburb of Foxrock in 1906, on the 13th either of April, which was Good Friday that year, or else of May-he and his birth certificate always disagreed on this point. He was the second son of a fairly prosperous, middle-class, Protestant couple: his father was a contractor and his mother a former nurse. Beckett's education was conventional. When he was thirteen, his parents sent him to boarding school at the Portora Royal in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. He studied classics, and was also quite successful at cricket, rugby, and swimming. In 1923, he entered Trinity College, Dublin, where he read Modern Languages. He was honored for high scholastic achievement upon receiving his BA degree in December 1927.    In 1928 he began a literary career as a professor and critic. He tutored French for two terms at Campbell College, Belfast, and later that year he began a two-year exchange fellowship at the École Normal Supà ©rieure in Paris. While in Paris he met his mentor-to-be, James Joyce, and he began to write and publish criticism and poetry. He returned to Dublin, where between 1930 and 1932 he took his MA degree and lectured in French at Trinity College. For the next several years, he wrote and ... ..., Deirdre. Samuel Beckett: A Biography. New York: Summit, 1990. Beckett Festival: Dublin 1-20 October. Official program book of the Beckett Festival, in conjunction with the 1991 Dublin Theatre Festival. Dublin: Beckett Festival, 1991. Beckett, Samuel. The Complete Dramatic Works. London: Faber and Faber, 1986. Beckett, Samuel. "Three Dialogues," transition 49, 5 (December 1949), pp. 97-103. In Samuel Beckett, A Collection of Critical Essays, ed. Martin Esslin (New York: Prentice Hall, 1965), 16-22; also in Ruby Cohn, Disjecta (New York, 1984), 138-45. Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. New York: Vintage, 1955. Esslin, Martin. The Theatre of the Absurd. New York: Anchor, 1969. Kennedy, Andrew K. Samuel Beckett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Lyons, Charles R. Samuel Beckett. New York: Grove, 1983.

Online Shopping: Risks and Benefits

There has long been a need for the consumer to purchase goods without ever having to leave their home. The industry started with mail order catalogs such as Sears Roebuck that offered consumers the convenience to order goods without having to travel a long distance to see what was available. The catalog offered everything from clothing to toys, and even farming equipment that made it easier for early American families to purchase goods without having to travel to a city possibly hundreds of miles away. The industry has come a long way since the golden years of the Sears catalog. When the personal computer was invented in 1976 people were astonished at its power. After later development and the PC went on the market for all Americans to purchase, it couldn’t do much more than word processing and simplified record keeping, but when the PC was connected to the World Wide Web in 1989, the personal computer began to become a household item. The World Wide Web or better known simply as the internet, allowed users to access files, information, pictures, video, shop online, and much more. The internet connects a personal computer to servers which connect computers from all around the world. Despite danger, the benefits of online shopping can outweigh the risks. Ever since the invention of the personal computer and the World Wide Web, consumers have become more and more eager to shop online. Shopping online can give a great advantage to many people. Shopping online also has many risks and disadvantages that could arguably equal or outweigh the benefits. When parents spoke of going shopping 20 years ago, it meant get ready and get in the car. Today, it can mean either to get ready to go somewhere or go to the computer and get your credit card ready. Most people shop online for the convenience. Customers never have to leave their home and can do all of their shopping from the living room couch, which eliminates crowds, stress and the forsaken checkout line. Another convenience is that a website cannot turn out its lights and lock the door. Online stores in the US and Canada are also always open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The customer never has to worry about getting to a store before it closes, or waiting for it to open. This makes online shopping, to most people, the most convenient form of shopping (Hobbs). Another advantage of shopping online is that it allows customers to shop or browse through many different categories of items. The internet also allows people to shop from places located hundreds of miles away and even around the world. If someone needs something from across the country that is not available in their area, it is more efficient to order online rather than traveling a great distance to purchase the item (Hobbs). Shopping online is also faster and simpler than using a mail order catalog. It is easy to find just about anything you want to buy online versus getting in a car and driving to numerous stores while having to worry about things like finding a parking spot, burning fuel, and navigating through traffic only to look at items you may or may not be interested in at a brick and mortar store (Fabiola). Online shoppers are also less susceptible to impulse items. Every item found in a retail store is strategically placed to maximize sales in that particular store (Romeo). For example, at home watching television and all of the sudden the screen goes black because the dog just chewed the cable to the TV. A trip to the nearest retail store is required just to purchase a replacement cable. Retailers often strategically place items with enticing prices which could easily lead to the customer coming home with a new TV and not a replacement cable that would have fixed your old one. This is a good example of impulse shopping. This is what retail stores want customers to do. They fill end caps and stack-bases with products they know customers will buy if they are visible but are not a planned purchase. Shopping online takes most of that away. There aren’t shelves to place impulse items on for customers to see on their way in or way out of the door. The customer can click on what they need, purchase it, and be finished. When customers shop online, it is far easier to compare prices at different online stores than it is to compare prices of retail stores. When shopping online one can browse seamlessly site after site and even tab between different online stores with just the press of a button. When comparing prices from retail and outlet stores, it means looking at sales papers and going from store to store to hunt down that great deal which can consume a great deal of time (Hobbs). Many people have been skeptical about shopping online. With its benefits, also come great risks and disadvantages. One of the most common problems with shopping online is security. When purchasing an item off the internet, it is important to know that the site is secure (Snowdon). Personal information such as credit card numbers, addresses, and even personal computers need to be protected from any type of threat. There are sites that are built specifically just to phish information like email addresses, usernames, and passwords; therefore, when consumers want to make a purchase online, they really have to trust the site and know it is secure and that their information is not at risk. Another disadvantage of shopping online is that it is not a hands-on purchase. Customers like to see and hold what they are buying in person. When shopping online, there is an image of the product, but the box cannot be opened to be sure it isn’t damaged. When there is a picture of the item, it’s more than likely not the exact one you will receive (Jessica). For example, when purchasing a scented candle or even a bottle of perfume online, it is impossible to test the scent. Some sites offer sample scent cards that can be sent through the mail to be sure you like what you are ordering, but they don’t usually offer that unless you are making a large purchase. Frequent online shoppers know all about expedited shipping. This is one of the most dreaded downfalls of online shopping. When purchasing an item at a retail store, it goes with the customer when the transaction is complete. The clerk puts the purchase in a bag and the customer walks out the door and goes home. When shopping online, there is almost never an instance where one can get the purchase the same day unless there is in-store pickup from a major retail store that’s nearby with the item already in stock. Prices are usually cheaper online, but shipping cost always has to be factored in to the total. Sometimes online merchants offer free shipping on items over a certain amount, but most likely the customer will have to pay some sort of shipping cost. Then, there is always the wait. Depending on shipping specifications, delivery could be the next day if you pay extra, but usually shipping takes one to four weeks depending on the size of the item and the company who delivers it (Chits). I believe that online shopping will grow for years to come. It is getting safer and harder for hackers to break into online sites. Shopping online is more convenient for some items like electronics, car parts, office supplies, and other items that may just inconvenience someone to go out for or for and item that may not be available in your area, but I also believe that shopping online will never replace the old fashioned retail store. Customers will always want to try on their jeans to make sure they fit before they purchase them, and see what is new on the market every time they go out. People love to go out and shop. They love the experience, even though some people would disagree. But, how would you feel if you did all of your shopping online? Never going to a store and never and seeing the actual item they are buying. You would get tired of sending things back and not getting what you thought you were buying. Online shopping is definitely a great shopping tool but all that glitters is not gold.

Are Animals Other Than Humans Feel Pain - 881 Words

Do animals other than humans feel pain? How do we know? Well, how do we know if anyone, human or nonhuman, feels pain? We know that humans feel pain by reactions they experience when a painful stimulation is introduced. We don’t truly know how other preserve pain because we ourselves can’t feel that person’s pain. Animals have many reactions to pain stimulation as we humans do. There nerve system is very similar to ours, so why shouldn’t we assume they feel the same way we do. We as a human population tend to forget that no matter how much we domesticate animals they will always have some primal traits that they will never loose. Even though they never loose these traits doesn’t mean that we need to assume they do not have feels of survival and pain. We also know that the nervous systems of other animals were not artificially constructed--as a robot might be artificially constructed--to mimic the pain behavior of humans. The nervous systems of animals evolved as our own did, and in fact the evolutionary history of human beings and other animals, especially mammals, did not diverge until the central features of our nervous systems were already in existence. A capacity to feel pain obviously enhances a species prospects for survival, since it causes members of the species to avoid sources of injury. It is surely unreasonable to suppose that nervous systems that are virtually identical physiologically, have a common origin and a common evolutionary function, and resultShow MoreRelatedAnimal Testing On Cosmetics : Its Not Necessary1620 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"100,000-200,000 animals suffer and die just for cosmetics every year around the world.†(Humanesociety.org). Majority of these innocent animals ends up dying for no absolute reason at all also. Animal testing in cosmetics is a problem all around the world, but especially in the US. These animals need our help. 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