Black Feminist Theory Essay Example for Free

Black Feminist Theory Essay Sula is Morrison’s main character and is a perfect example of a Liberated woman. According to Lois Tysons definition of a Liberated Woman, Sula has â€Å"discovered her abilities, knows what she needs, and goes about getting it. † Along with all these activities, comes pride and independence. It began when Sula was younger as she had Nel, her best friend, by her side. â€Å"In the safe harbor of each others company they could afford to abandon the ways of other people and concentrate on their own perceptions of things,† (55). Her friendship gave her the comfort to be herself and confident on acting on her own terms. Sula continued this attitude into adulthood but not everyone agreed with her actions towards getting what she wants. Sula leaves for 10 years to go to college and live her life beyond the Bottom. When she finally comes back, she and Eva get into an argument. Eva brings up her disappointment in Sula for not settling down with a family and Sula lashes back with, †I don’t want to make somebody else. I want to make myself, † (92). She displays her aversion to not have anyone dependent on her and she wants to only care for herself. Having a family and a husband, in her opinion, would stop her from getting what she wants or needs and would put herself second in her life. Sula doesn’t want to be tied down and oppressed by a man, she wants to be independent and she’s not ashamed about being the only woman wanting her independence . When Nel finally confronts Sula about her affair with Jude, Nel accuses Sula of being proud but she responds with â€Å"‘What you talking about? I like my own dirt, Nellie. I’m not proud’,† (142). This shows how Nel, along with everyone in the bottom, thinks she’s proud or conceded, but in actuality, she’s just not ashamed of her decisions or life style. Lois Tyson continues the definition of a liberated woman with â€Å"the ‘liberated woman’ has already found herself and likes what she has found. † When sula says â€Å"I like my own dirt† she supports Tyson’s definition because Sula also â€Å"likes what she has found. † Sula’s independence, and her pride in being so, fully supports Tyson’s complete definition of a Liberated Woman. Nel’s character fits into an Emergent Woman as she â€Å"[comes] to an awareness of her own psychological and political oppresion usually through a harsh experience of initiation that makes her ready for change. † On Nel’s trip to meet her grandmother, Nel witnesses her mother’s â€Å"custard† being revealed. From then on Nel â€Å"resolved to be on guard- always. She wanted to make certain that no man ever looked at her that way. That no midnight eyes of marbled flesh would accost her and turn her into jelly† (22). Ashamed of the â€Å"jelly† or the weak substance â€Å"custard† that Morrison also associates with Helene, Nel makes certain that no man shall look at her, and make her into anything weak. In this secne, she becomes aware of her mother’s oppression and makes the decision to never allow it in her life. At the end of their trip, Nel lays in bed thinking about the possibility of ending up like her mother. To establish her independence separate from her mother, Nel states, †I’m me. I’m not their daughter. I’m not Nel. I’m me. Me,† (28). As an Emergent woman, she demonstrates her ability to make her own choices and establish her own independence. Years Later, filled with resentment towards Sula, Nel visits ill Sula in her deathbed. For years, her depression was encouraged by the thought that her husband was taken and now she is alone to take care of her children. She believed it was all Sula’s fault and she hated her for this, but one day she confronts Sula about taking Jude away from her, and Sula asks â€Å"What you mean take him away? I didn’t kill him, I just fucked him. If we were such good friends, how come you couldn’t get over it? † Nel starts to think of the idea of it not being Sula’s fault, that Jude was the one who put her through the heart break of being alone. Sula dies and Nel attends her burial. There she realizes that â€Å"all that time, [she] thought [she] was missing Jude,† but actually, she missed her friendship with Sula (174). Their friendship was more supportive than her marriage as Sula helped bring out the ’me’ in Nel that she lost in her marriage to Jude. Her epiphany helps her to notice how Jude was the one who hurt her , and now she can move on. Toni Morrison portrays Eva Peace as a suspended woman. According to Mary Helen Washington, a suspended woman is a â€Å"victim of men and of society as a whole, with few or no options. † Morrison starts off Eva’s story with her discontented marriage to her husband, BoyBoy. BoyBoy â€Å"liked womanizing best, drinking second, and abusing Eva third,† (32). Eva, disappointingly, tolerates all his abuse, because of her dependency on BoyBoy. One day, when he leaves her and their three children, her dependency becomes clear. Being inconsiderate of his family’s welfare, he leaves as his worst affliction to his wife. Now, abandoned with nearly no money,Eva realizes that â€Å"the children needed her† and â€Å"she needed money,† (32). This shows her desperation and how BoyBoy belittled her as she had to beg and rely on the neighbors for basic necessities like food for her children. Her Neighbors â€Å"were very willing to help, but Eva felt she would soon run her welcome out† and the fact that she had to continue begging, knowing she had ask for enough, embarrassed her. Eva struggles to raise them on her own and one day her son, Plum, stopps having his bowel movements. When all the stress and pressure gets to her, â€Å"Eva squatted there wondering what was she doing down on her haunches She shook her head as though to juggle her brains around, then said aloud, ‘Uh uh. Nooo,’†(34). Eva leaves her children with her neighbor for more than a year and comes back with one leg, losing the other for money to care for her children. If BoyBoy had never abused or had left her, she would have never been a victim and never would have had to sacrifice her pride and her leg. This proves she’s a suspended woman because BoyBoy’s abuse and abandonment left her with the only option to leave her children and sell her leg, because as a black woman in their society, she had very few options. Toni Morrison exemplifies Mary Helen Washington’s definitions in Nel, Sula, and Eva through out Sula, using their experiences and personalities. Sula’s independence, Nel’s epiphany, and Eva’s abuse all characterize them into their type of African American female character, making Sula a Liberated Woman, Nel an Emergent Woman, and Eva a suspended woman.

International Operation Strategy of Eucerin: SWOT

International Operation Strategy of Eucerin: SWOT Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Research Background The use of cosmetics was over thousands of years. The earliest archaeological evidence can be traced back to some royalty in Ancient Egypt times, where the Ancient Egyptians mixed perfume, sandalwood incense and aromatherapy products with oil applied to human bodies for pilgrimages or as an antiseptic. The Ancient Greeks and Romans also used cosmetics containing often lead and mercury. In the West, the popularization of cosmetics usage began in the 17th century and was originally intended to cover face scars of female patients healed from smallpox. In the19th Century, Queen Victoria once declared publicly that the use of makeup was â€Å"improper, vulgar, and acceptable only for use by actors†. Nevertheless, by the Second World War, cosmetics have been widely used in the West (except Nazi Germany). Today, the worldwide market size for Beauty and Personal Care Industry (BPC Industry) has increased 36% during 2005-2010 and reached USD 382.3 billion last year.Despite the significant influence of global economic recession in the year of 2009, BPC industry still showed stable and continuous growth in certain regions with emerging markets, particularly in Asia Pacific and Latin America. It is forecasted that these two dynamic regions will drive the BPC future global sales and become equally the joint largest market (with Western Europe) by 2014. Figure 1 and 2 below shows the global and regional market value of BPC industry during 2005 to 2010. Cosmetics industry, also called Personal Care Products Industry, Cosmetics and Toiletries Industry, Health and Beauty Industry, or Beauty and Personal Care Industry in this paper, in which companies manufacture and/or market personal care products such as creams, lotions, perfumes or makeup, covers a fully 13 key sub-sectors (Fig. 3). Recent reports show that Skin Care is the largest sector in the BPC industry (Fig. 4). It is predicted that in 2014, Skin Care, together with Hair Care, Colour Cosmetics and Fragrances sector will become the principle contributors to global BPC sales value growth due to the booming market in Asia Pacific. In Asia Pacific region, China represents today one of the most important and attractive BPC markets in the world due to its huge population, the increasing purchasing power of consumer and a better awareness of fashion among the younger generation. According to National Bureau of Statistics of China, the retail value of Chinese BPC products reached RMB 133.24 billion (proximately USD 20.51 billion) in 2010 with a 11.4% nominal growth compared to 2009. The total Chinese BPC market value is expected to reach as much as RMB 206 billion (proximately USD 31.7 billion) by 2014. However, in spite of this rising trend, industry players talked about that the increasing costs such as rental, labour, logistic and advertisement has given heavy pressure on cosmetics companies particularly those who had poorer brand equity were losing their profit margin. 1.2 Research Motivation Funded by Dr. Lifschà ¼tz in 1900, Eucerin ® is now Germanys largest and worlds 4th leading dermo-cosmetics brand in pharmacy segment in Skin Care industry. Belonging to famous German Group Beiersdorf AG, Eucerin sees itself as a â€Å"dermatologist-recommended skin care brand† that provides reliable, high quality and effective dermo-cosmetic products and expertise. Currently, Eucerin provides skin care products that are catalogued in 4 major lines: Face Care, Sensitive Skin Care, Dry Skin Care (medical products) and Sun Protection. Each line contains quite a few sub-lines that are assorted either by skin types / products functions (pure, dry, very dry, problematic, sensitive skin, etc.) or by products application places of the skin (face, body, deodorant, hair, etc.). While Eucerin firstly entered into Asian BPC markets in 1991 and quickly built its brand awareness and popularity among the world of pharmacy skin care products in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, in China, however, it has being constantly a big â€Å"missing piece† to complete its global share of market. As Chinas BPC market size is currently rated in the 3rd position after the US and Japan and is still possessing enormous growth potential (12% market growth is expected during 2011 to 2014), and the Skin Care segment is the primary driver for BPC market, it is for Eucerins greatest interest and challenge how to exceed existing international and local skin care competitors to complete its global entire territory. 1.3 Research Scope and Objectives The purpose of this study is therefore attempting to assess and analyse the international operation strategy of Eucerin. Through the SWOT analysis, identify and highlight the key internal and external factors of corporate ongoing strategic planning, gaining an in-depth understanding of the companys strategic operational issues, critical success factors, emerging market opportunities and future marketing challenges and trends. The research scope covers issues including the study of BPC and dermo-cosmetics industry: market sales, market share, Chinese cosmetic market regulations, marketing strategy of Eucerin: marketing segmentations, positioning, and Chinese consumer behaviours. 1.4 Research Process and Chapter Structure The process of this research is approximately composed eight stages summarized as figure 6 underneath. By the case study of Eucerin a Beiersdorf owned dermo-cosmetics brand of BPC Industry, through the literature review, SWOT and critical success factors analysis, attempting to analyse, assess and obtain an embedded understanding of the companys strategic operational issues and its future marketing challenges and trends in Chinese BPC market. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Beauty and Personal Care Industry The global Beauty and Personal Care market (BPC market), also called Cosmetics and Toiletries market has generated total revenues of US$ 382.3 billion in 2010, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36% for the period 2005-2010. By comparison, markets of Asia Pacific, Western Europe and North America brought out 70% of global BPC market in 2010 (Fig. 8). Most interestingly, both Western Europe and North Americas BPC markets has witnessed the economic recession, showed a negative growth in 2009 and decelerated performance afterward, while markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America, sales growth continue and for the first time the BPC market of Asia Pacific region (mainly referable to China) overtook the first position of global BPC market (Fig. 9). 2.1.1 Market Segmentation and Differentiations BPC products cover all daily personal care cosmetics such as makeup, nail polishes, hair sprays, hair colours, creams, lotions, perfumes, deodorants, shower and bath gel, bath salts, and lots of other product types. The market can be sorted into a completed 13 key sub-sectors scope as we have mentioned earlier (Fig. 10). Skin Care segment is the leading category that generates 22% of worldwide BPC market due to Asia Pacifics booming sales, the rising demand of anti-age products also conducts the segment as the key contributors to global BPC market over the forecast period. Global skin care brands can be also sorted by their marketing positioning into six classes: professional brands, luxury/premium, pharmacy/dermo-cosmetics (cosmeceuticals), organic/natural brands, direct-selling and mass market products. Each segment targets different consumers according to their purchasing power, quality requests or specific needs, etc. Key competitors of each class are listed below: Professional skin care brands (distributed mainly by beauty salons, spas): Sothys Paris, Lexli, RVB, Sparitual, Lotusdream, etc. Premium skin care brands(distributed mainly by department stores, perfumeries), : Shiseido, Està ©e Lauder, Lancà ´me (LOrà ©al Group), Clinique (Està ©e Lauder Group), Kanebo (Kao Group), Chanel, Christian Dior (LVMH Group), SK-II (PG Group), Yves Saint Laurent (LOrà ©al Group), etc. Pharmacy/dermo-cosmetics brands(distributed mainly by pharmacies, drugstores or via dermatologists recommendations): Vichy (LOrà ©al Group), La Roche-Posay (LOrà ©al Group), Boots, Eucerin (Beiersdorf Group), Johnsons, Avà ¨ne (Pierre Fabre SA), Caudalie, Lierac, ROC (Johnson Johnson), Nuxe, Galenic, etc. Organic/natural brands(distributed mainly by speciality stores, natural food stores): Yves Rocher, The Body Shop (LOrà ©al Group), LOccitane Direct-selling brands: Avon (USA), Natura (Brazil), Mary Kay (USA), Oriflame (Luxembourg), Artistry (Amway corp. USA), DHC (Japan), Nu Skin (USA) Mass market brands(distributed mainly by supermarkets, hypermarkets): LOrà ©al Paris, Nivea (Beiersdorf Group), Garnier (LOrà ©al Group), Olay (PG Group), Neutrogena (Johnson Johnson), Ponds (Unilever Group), Vaseline (Unilever Group) Eucerin ® is catalogued in the pharmacy/dermo-cosmetics brand of skin care industry as its products can be only purchased in pharmacies or drugstores. 2.1.2 Skin Care Industry in Western Europe For BPC industry and consumers, it has been tough in the past couple of years. However, the latest data showed that Skin Care was the only category managing to sustain an average of positive 4% growth during the economic downturn.Comprising 23% of global BPC sales in 2010, it remained the most valuable category during 2005-2010. Despite the growth of Skin Care sector slightly slowed down due to the decreased consumptions on non-essential purchases, the global sales of Skin Care sector was still largely focused in mature Western countries. Anti-age cosmeceuticals were considered and predicted as the star performer for Skin Care market for the future couple of years while the premium and luxury products performed the worst and were pushed toward the category of super premium or â€Å"masstige†skincare for a better performance and the growth in both anti-age and premium was accelerated by the high demand in Asia Pacific. Comparing to Skin Care, global Hand Care sales showed a sli ght yet stable growth and the reason was believed to be linked directly with consumers threaten perception of swine flu. In Western Europe, while recent data showed a gradual result of an average 4% Skin Care sales growth in UK, Netherlands and Germany during 2009 2010, key markets such as France, Italy and Spain reflected an average of -2% in term of sales growth, resulting an overall 2% growth drop in Skin Care segment in Western Europe (Fig. 11 and Table 1). While the Skin Care sales growth in western European slowed down in recent years, anti-age sub-category maintained an outstanding growth reflecting the desire for a younger looking appearance from the consumers. Table 1 Skin Care in Key Western European Countries (2005-2010) Crossing the overall BPC Western European market, in 2010, the top 10 Skin Care brands which share 26.2% of the market are belonging to 7 companies: Beiersdorf AG, LOrà ©al Group, Procter Gamble Co., Clarins SA, Yves Rocher SA, Està ©e Lauder Cos Inc, and Henkel AG Co., in which 4 brands are categorised into mass market class (Nivea, LOrà ©al Paris, Oolay and Garnier), 3 in premium/luxary (Clarins, Clinique and Lancà ´me), 2 in pharmacy/dermo-cosmetics (Vichy and Diadermine), and Yves Rocher is classified into natural/organic brands. On the other hand, in terms of company shares in Western European Skin Care market where up to nearly 58.6% market shares are held by the top 10 BPC companies, their products are crossing over all cosmetics classifications and sales distribution channels except the direct-selling category (Appendix 1 2). In relation to consumers behaviour toward BPC market in Western Europe, four fundamental trends characterized by Lee (2010)that impact global BPC market across all categories may sum up this market trend: the ageing population, agelessness pursuance, advances of technology and intensive awareness of health and wellness. The Ageing Population The global population is becoming older. Comparing to Japan who has the oldest population in the world with nearly 23% over the age of 65 in 2010, the median age in Western Europe today is just over 40. Japan has the differentiation of being the largest Skin Care consumer on a per capita basis. In 2010, it accounted for 22% of global skin care sales with USD 19.3 billion and this may referable to its huge older consumers, high disposable incomes and the great interest in combination of health and beauty. Agelessness Pursuance The pursuance of younger looking is highly associated with increased life-pan and the development of technologies. People take greater care of their appearances in order to reflect their interior youthfulness. In result, for example, the high demands for cosmetic minimally-invasive treatment (including Botox, laser skin resurfacing, soft tissue fillers, etc.) that intending for skin firming and elasticity made up 11.6 million procedures in 2010 with 110% growth during 2000 2010 in the US and was expecting to reach totally USD 17.6 billion in 2015. Advances of Technology Skin Care companies and manufactures today are able to sell their products with higher prices thanks to the aggressive introductions of technologically advanced formulations. Consumers in Western Europe may willing to pay up to EUR 20, EUR 40 or even EUR 300 on a product that claims benefits such as firming or wrinkle reduction and contains innovative whatsoever ingredients, while a product that only provides a single basic function may not be able to sold even it only charges EUR 10. High Awareness of Health and Wellness The concerns about health and product safety among consumers in Western Europe have massively increased during the past couple of years due to the aging population and the age-related illnesses. Consumers are becoming more and more careful about what they put on their skins and the detrimental effects of chemicals. In result, this will lead to a strong interest in finding cosmeceuticals with a balance of natural, organic ingredients and effective functions. 2.1.3 Skin Care Industry in China Table 2 BPC Market by categories in China (2009-2010) BPC market in emerging countries such the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) has shown enormous growth in the past couple of years. In China, BPC market showed strong resilience of 10% sales growth, reaching RMB 145.5 billion (proximately USD 22.4 billion) under the global recession impact in 2009 and continuously increased in 2010. While the growth rate in sectors such as deodorants, fragrances and mens grooming products were less well performed comparing to 2009, skin care, hair care and premium cosmetics were the most dynamic sectors in 2010 (Table 2 and Fig. 12). Comprising 6% of global BPC market value in 2010, Chinas BPC sales is expected to have a relative resilience to the global recession and reach as much as RMB 206 billion (proximately USD 31.7 billion) by 2014. Crossing the overall Skin Care market in China, interestingly, while 9 out of top 10 skin Care brands in Japan all belong to Japanese local BPC manufacturers, the top 10 brands who share 51.5% of Chinas Skin Care market in 2010 are from 4 foreign countries: Mary Kay (US), Artistry (US), Longligi (China) and Avon (US) are categorized into direct-selling channel; Olay (US), LOrà ©al Paris (France) and Nivea (Germany) belongs to mass market class; and Shiseido (Japan), Lancà ´me (France) and Chcà ©do (China) are classified into premium/luxary sector. There are no pharmacy/dermo-cosmetics brands in top 10 and the best performer Vichy (France) only shares 2.1% followed by La Roche-Posays (France) 0.4% in the market. 2.2 Cosmetics Market Regulation in China While China represents today one of the most important and attractive BPC markets in the world, however, its complex cosmetic regulatory system with rapid amendments make the BPC business full of difficulties. The Ministry of Health (MOH) of China has promulgated the â€Å"Regulations on Cosmetics Hygiene Supervision† on 13 November 1989 and the regulation was effective on 1 January 1990.According to it, a foreign cosmetic company (either a manufacturer or brand owner) with a valid business registration licenseis required to obtain two licenses under the cosmetic regulatory system in China the Hygiene License and the China Inspection Quarantine (CIQ) Labeling Certificate. i. Hygiene License Issued by the State Food and Drugs Administration (SFDA), the Hygiene License is concerning of cosmetic products and ingredients monitoring and supervision. Foreign companies holding Chinese business registration licenses with 3 classified cosmetic products listing below are requested to apply for an Import Hygiene License before their products are allowed to be distributed and placed on the China market (the pre-market approval): â€Å"Special-use cosmetics†, which 8 different sorts of products are included: hair dyeing, hair perm, hair-growth, deodorant, depilation, body shaping (including slimming and breast enlarging), sun cream and spot removing. Non special-use cosmetics† including ordinary BPC products such as skin care, hair, fragrance and manicure/pedicure products that are not belonged to special-use cosmetic category. â€Å"New ingredient†, meaning ingredients that are not listed on the â€Å"Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China (IECIC)†. There are several documents including the product ingredients list, product quality standard, product testing report and packaging are needed for Hygiene License application. A full list of application documents is attached in the appendix 4. ii. The China Inspection Quarantine (CIQ) Labeling Certificate Issued by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the CIQ Labeling Certificate is concerning of imported products packaging supervision. A full list of application documents is attached in the appendix 4. Foreign BPC companies are required to a Chinese legal reporting representative throughout the SFDA Hygiene Licenses application process. Moreover, as the official language of China is simplified Chinese, all mandatory information should be in simplified Chinese including the full product ingredients list shown on cosmetic labeling. According to Pisacane (2009), the Managing Partner from Great Way Advisory, after submitting all requested documents to the SFDA, the whole application process will take 4 5 months for â€Å"non special-use cosmetics† and 8 9 months for â€Å"special-use cosmetics† to obtain the final certificate as the SFDA review and evaluate imported cosmetics only 6 times a year. In terms of cosmetics import tariffs, the current import tariff bound rate for imported BPC products is about 10% basically but it depends also on the country of origin and the product category which the import tariffs can reach as much as 150%, plus 17% VAT (value added tax) a nd 5% 30% CT (consume tax). 2.3 Chinese Consumers Behaviour Comprising 34% market share in Chinas BPC market in 2010, the skin care sector is worth USD 9.9 billion, growing at a rate above the GDPand will continue to dominate the BPC industry sales for future couple of years. While more and more people in China move from the lower class into the middle class, they are able and willing to spend more money on personal beauty care products. However, despite the fast rise in personal wealth, the development in Chinese BPC market sales growth which is greatly linked to better richness can be very fluctuating due to the countrys strong consumer saving level. Moreover, in terms of the growth of Chinas BPC sub-categories is rather unequal, for example, sector such as skin care (sales value USD 9.9 billions) is reaching mainstream status in 2010 while others such as fragrances (sales value USD 0.58 billions) and sun care (sales value USD 0.48 billions) remain niche segments. Despite these, there are still obvious areas where Chinese consumers are will ing to spend their money generously such as Premium Baby Care (21% sales growth 2009-10), Premium Skin Care (+19%) or Premium Colour Cosmetics (+15%). Chinese consumer behaviour and their knowledge, attitude, use and response to Skin Care products that reflects in their spending patterns are very much linked with Chinese Culture. Grubow(2008)characterises several beauty trends from the view points of Chinese consumers that intensively influence Skin Care market trends in China: desire for status-improving products, medicinal ingredients welcome, respect for skin care regimes, openness to professional advices and demand for luxury packaging.    Desire for Status-Improving Products Tracking back to ancient Chinese culture, giving a fair, even, pale and fragile quality skin look is quite associated with beauty as it implicated being in a aristocratic social stature. The standard of beauty does not actually change much. Today, Chinese women want a fair, flawless, radiance and translucent skin tone which is considered as wealthy and healthy, meanwhile, browner or darker skin is linked with rural and toiling for money. In result, Chinese women are interested in whitening-orientated products (but bleaching ones which do not give an appearance of evenness and a glow skin tone). Interestingly, a recent survey made by Asia Market Intelligence found that around two-thirds Chinese men also prefer fairer skin and are opened to male skin whiteners. This cultural ideal attracts to every class of people, from the mass to ultra luxury channels, and leading brands such as Olay, Shiseido, Nivea and Avon are offering whitening products not only for facial skin but body in Chinese Skin Care market. Another Chinese beauty trend in terms of status-improving is the skin concentration products which cover for examples facial masks, patches and eyes and chest treatment. Mask treatment is considered luxury as it used to be applied only in a spa treatment which required time and money. This â€Å"DIY approach† with masks containing rich textures or high-tech functions appeals to Chinese consumers and makes them feel unique and luxurious. Again, this pattern taps into the sense of status-enhancing.   Medicinal Ingredients Welcome Traditional Chinese herbal medicine impact strongly on many parts of Chinese day to day life and skin care products are no exception. Chinese consumers believe that some special ingredients provide a better benefit of healing and this is highly linked with the Chinese medicinal practices history. Taking examples of burdock, ginseng and green tea extract which contain antioxidants for skin nourishment; these natural ingredients are popular and famous among both younger and older generations because they are believed to be more inartificial and safer than other ingredients.   Respect for Skin Care Regimes Similar as Japanese skin care rituals that a full Japanese daily ritualistic process contains up to 9 separate steps, Chinese women also respect skin care order. They like to arrange their cosmetics on the dressing table and enjoy the skin care rituals consisting separate steps.While Western Consumers are appealed by products with two-in-one or multiple functions such as Neutrogenas 2-in-1 Cleansing Gel (cleansing and mask), Vichys Puretà © Thermale 3-in-1 One Step Cleanser (cleansing, toning and eye makeup remover) or Olays Total Effects, in China, women purchase Neutrogenas Deep Clean Makeup Remover, Cleanser, Blackhead Eliminating Patch and Soothing Mask or Olays Renewal Lightening Toner, Moisturizer, Lotion and Eye Cream.   Openness to professional advices Though the development of beauty and health care speciality drug stores such as Watsons, Mannings and Sasa in China is far behind the pharmacies in France or Japan or the drug stores in Germany, in principal cities of China, the specialty drug stores has witnessed an enormous sales growth during the past decade. Watsons, for instance, had only 80 outlets back in 2005. But last year, it has opened its 700th outlet in China, making it as the leading beauty and health care speciality drug store in Chinas BPC market.This is not just about the locations or its competitive prices policy that attract lots of consumers; the evidence that each Watsons outlet is equipped with counsellors and pharmacists who provide products advices and recommendations is also one of the key reasons that drive consumers into shops. Consumers in China trust and appreciate the advices of skin care from these shop assistances. It is therefore not difficult to interpret that with this advices-welcoming concept, direct-selling brands such as Mary Kay, Artistry and Avon who always come with sales counsellors and host frequently cosmetics seminars and makeup workshops appeal intensively Chinese consumers attention. (In 2010, 4 out of top 10 Skin care brands are categorized as direct-selling channel.) Demand for Luxury Packaging As consumers from emerging countries tend to search for higher cost-effectiveness products, in China, a cosmeceutical product with a luxury packaging is very much appreciated by Chinese consumers as it gives again the sense of status-enhancing. Packaging like heavy glass container appears more attraction for consumers than a plastic container even if it contains better ingredients or product volume. In addition, Trout (2011)suggests that when developing a new product range at different pricing and customer targeting, the design of packaging helps companies to define a â€Å"new† brand image and extend the attraction to wider potential consumers. 2.4 International Operation Strategy 2.4.1 Operation Strategy Strategy, originally derived from Greek word â€Å"strategos†, was firstly used in the military term and then in the management of business. Drucker(1954)proposed that strategy is â€Å"to analyse the current situation, including the inquiring of companys existing or should-be resources, and if necessary, change the situation.† Strategy was was also suggested by Chandler(1962) that â€Å"determines the base of corporations long-term objectives and taken actions, resources and configuration standards to achieve these targets.† In Andrew(1971)s The Concept of Corporate Strategy book, proposed that strategy is â€Å"the scheme of targets development and major policies and plans for the purpose of achieving specific objectives to describe the companys current and future business.† Glueck(1976)considered strategy â€Å"is a unified, coordinated, broad and integrated plan to reach the basic objectives of the organization†. The definition of strategy was a lso given by Porter (1985), â€Å"strategy is the response to external opportunities and threats, and internal strengths and weaknesses, in order to achieve competitive advantages†. In 1990, Ansoffdefined strategy as â€Å"a set of criteria to lead the organizational behaviour for the decision-making.† Kaplan and Norton(1990) described strategy is â€Å"a set of assumptions of cause and effect†. Porter(1996) again explained that strategy is â€Å"to conduct a selection among activities, enabling the organizational competitiveness while creating the sustainability and differences of the market†. There are various ways and results in strategic planning according to organizational goals and objectives that classify strategic management into different frameworks. Scholars attempt to conclude strategies in practice that are partly summarized underneath. However, there is so far no better or the most appropriate classifications or concepts. It is though agreed that a model which can be applicable to organizations would be capable to recognise and assess their chosen strategy content. Ansoff (1965)s Product-Market Growth Matrix (Table 3). Based on two basic aspects (product and market), a four-product-market portfolio is created that corresponds with corporations marketing strategy: Market penetration strategy is based on the present products portfolio, attempting to increase the market share. Market development strategy is to find and develop a new potential market basing on present products. Product development strategy is to create or bring new products in order to replace companys existing products Diversification strategy is to develop new products for new potential market. Porter (1980) characterized three general types of strategies into a category scheme that can be used to achieve and continue business competitive advantages: cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and segmentation strategy (Table 4). David (1986, 1995, 2010), has formed a modern Strategy-Formulation Analytical Framework that assisted strategies generate and evaluate feasible alternatives for the purpose of choosing a specific course of action. Strategies can be recognized, assessed and chosen by this framework which contains three stages including: the input, matching and decision (Table 5). 2.4.2 SWOT Analysis Originally developed by Albert Humphrey in his research project based upon the US Fortune 500 companies during 1960s to 1970s, SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method that specifies the corporate objective and identifies the favourable or unfavourable internal and external factors to accomplish this objective. It defines, analyses and evaluates corporate internal Strengths and Weaknesses and its external Opportunities and Threats that helps the organisation to determine the operational problem and the strategic decision making. A SWOT analysis result matrix was presented by Weihrich(1982) using strategies matching approach to develop relevant future coping strategies (Table 6). The procedures of SWOT analysis are often associated with corporate strategic planning process that can be combined into following steps: Conducting the description of business environment; Identifying and validating all affecting external factors; Predicting and assessing the future changes of external factors; Reviewing the internal strengths and weaknesses; Framing a feasible strategic planning by using SWOT analysis; and Conducting strategic choices and decision making. According to Weihrichs SWOT Analysis Result Matrix (in step five), a result of 22 strategies is hereby described as follows: SO Strategy: in accordance with the Maxi-Maxi principle, to consolidate strengths and improve opportunities. The direction of business development can be for example, (1) focusing on the growth of one single product, technique or market; (2) discovering new market for alternative selling channels; (3) developing new product using organizational resources; or (4) creating a new product life circle for customers to identify with aiming at winning the competitive market. It is the best operational strategy for business development and profits making with a closed coordination of corporate internal resources and external environment. WO Strategy: in accordance with the Mini-Maxi principle, to improve organizational weaknesses and manage opportunities. The result of Mini-Maxi strategic planning can be (1) unrelated diversification; (2) joint venture; (3) strategic alliance; or (4) consortium. ST Strategy: in accordance with the Maxi-Mini principle, to reinforce corporate self-strengths and cope with threats. Examples for strategic decision making can be (1) horizontal integration: integrating business of the same level to reduce competitors; (2) vertical integration: integrating upstream/downstream firms to avoid external threats; or (3) using related diversification improve business synergy.

Sexism in the Media and Music Industry | Essay

Sexism in the Media and Music Industry | Essay Introduction Sexism is the type of behavior created by a society through gender conditioning which equally degrades both men and women. â€Å"Sexism is the subordination of one sex, usually female, based on the assumed superiority of [another] sex† (Kendall, 2004, p. 76). It refers to a system of beliefs that objectifies and lowers the status of one sex and that creates reason of discrimination on the basis of this status. Examples of this attitude are sexist humor, sexist naming, sexual violence and employment discrimination. At personal level sexism refers to behaviors and attitudes that are used in everyday interactions. Gender or sex role related to the difference between men and women that are society or culture originated. SEXISM IN MEDIA In the few last years we have read and watched women who are not afraid to talk out about sexism attacks, abusively written about , threatened with hostile actions and being send aggressive and sexually detailed tweets, Facebook messages and emails. Almost every women have been on the receiving end of such abuse and I think every women should stand up for herself and be heard, writing this assignment can be just one small part to achieve change, people should realize how the media degrades women or the impact it has on individuals and our society. SEXISM IN MUSIC Popular culture takes everything to an extreme exaggeration, including this type of sexism, to earn profit. As the mainstream music industry that have grown over the last 10 years, the majority of the songs that are being played on the radio and channels are not appropriate, even the inappropriate words is replaced with something cheesy and age-appropriate ,it does not help or change the message hidden in this songs. In the article written by Tricia Ross â€Å"There are Bitches and Hoes,† she is addressing that rap/hip-hop and urban culture has often promoted the demeaning of women in the music industry. Popular old hip hop artists like Too Short, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg are among the few hip hop artists that are allowing the degrading of women. Snoop’s popular lyrics â€Å"Bitches ain’t shit, but hoes and tricks,† and Too Short’s song â€Å"Gangstas and Strippers† are so inappropriate for being released on the music industry. The hi p hop culture advertises the idea that being a pimp to a woman is completely fine. Their defense being that â€Å"they are talking about a reality of life and dare people to deny it† (Rose 322). Popular artist like Snoop tries to justify his song by saying he is not talking about all the women even though even though they don’t specify the type of women they sing or rap about. â€Å"There is no question that the sexism that‘s in our hip-hop videos is a reflection of how sexist men are in the world today. It‘s just that in the past things weren‘t so obvious† (Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def. Jam Records). Since its birth in 1974 till today’s popularity worldwide, hip-hop music has extremely changed. Nowadays in the hip-hop music and music videos, there is many explicit words that degrades women. In many music videos women have no individuality and are promoted as sexual playthings and eye candy. Artists, such as Eminem, Ludacris, R.Kelly, Lil Wayne, Robin Thicke and Chris Brown are among the many artist who describe women as objects of harassment or male controlled world by communicating that submission is a desirable action by woman. Most of the messages in their song glorify sexism against women including rape, abuse and advertise gender objectification and dehumanizes women mainly. Robin Thicke and Pharell Williams’s popular song in 2013 â€Å"blurred lines† created a controversy with the lyrics such as† I know you want it, But youre a good girl ,The way you grab me, Must wanna get nasty† ,well you cant know they want it unless they tell you they want it, he assumes she want it. It advertises and promotes attitude towards sex and consent. Many people have called the song a rape song, the song would have escaped censure if the music video, that had Robin Thicke, Pharell Williams and T.I all three of them dancing and goofing around with barely dressed girls and that is the clean version, the other version had topless models, this has generated its own separate but also overlapping controversy. People who have been calling this song completely offensive to women have a strong case. Nevertheless, the song is about setting a good girl free by telling and showing her that she really wants some crazy sex that she is not even asking for. Robin Thicke keeps repeating the lyrics I know you want it while his rapping partner T.I. raps Ill give you something big enough to tear your ass in two. In GQ magazine when Robin Thicke was interviewed, he said, We tried to do everything that was taboo. Bestiality, drug injections, and everything that is completely derogatory towards women. Because all three of us are happily married with children, we were like, Were the perfect guys to make fun of this. What underlies Robin Thicke’s depressing statement this that if the men respect their women, it is alright for them to degrade their women. The artist makes it sadly clear when he explains: People say, Hey, do you think this is degrading to women? Im like, Of course it is. What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman. Ive never gotten to do that before. Ive always respected women, not only is he saying it totally fine to degrade women, it’s actually fun. All issues in the world exist within these lines. The thought that it’s a â€Å"pleasure† to demean women after he had lived all his life respecting them is ridiculous. That it’s even funny or that he could do that because he is happily married with woman and has children is the thought of someone completely deluded, who has been living his complete life in a bubble of entitlement. Kanye West’s latest album has been accused for its sexist words against women, it also has been criticized by male and female critics alike as a very amazing, brilliant and bold album. Most of the attention and reviews focused on Kanye West’s potential sacrilege and harmful use of racism, few people called out his offensive and degrading attitude towards women. â€Å"Took her to the Bleau, she tried to sip the fountain/ That when David Grutman kicked her out/ But I got her back in and put my dick in her mouth.† Those are some lyrics from Kanye West’s first track, â€Å"On Sight,† which seems to refer directly to West’s girlfriend and mother of his baby girl Kim Kardashian and her relationship with Grutman, who is one of the people in-charge of Fontainebleau hotel in Miami, which would means he wrote this disgusting lyrics about the women he allegedly loves and about to marry. West himself was raised by a single working mother, whom he respected and loved. He was raised by a feminist, although she was never named that but She was a strong-willed woman who had raised an artist who both claims to completely inspired and completely, purposely sexist. The most interesting fact about hip-hop artists using this language towards women to be alright is the women’s reactions and behavior while listening to this music .When a young woman, a fan of the certain artist, listens to lyrics in the song like â€Å"bitches and hoes,† the hip hop musician is encouraging fans to imitate the behaviors and acts of these so-called â€Å"bitches and hoes.† Women participate not only in the acts these rappers are rapping about but also are featured in the music videos. These women who participate in this videos are called â€Å"video hoes† or â€Å"video vixen. When a women participates in this behaviors or staring in these rapper’s videos and even singing along in their car points out that they are okay with sexism. Being against sexism in a society or culture that takes advantage of it is not very easy, in a system that rewards us for participating. In another parts of the world, a group consisting of all girl Indian rock band have been disbanded after being targeted online by hate campaigns and have been issued fatwa (Islamic legal opinion handed down by an Islamic religious leader) against them . Pragaash (meaning â€Å"First Light† in Kashmiri) have won the third place in the battle of the bands a competition that’s being held in the Muslim dominated Kashmir, but the attention they gained after their achievement in the competition was so horrible that it caused them not to only stop their performances but to end their ties to the music industry, even one of three band members have fled her city to another. These girls have been called â€Å"whores† and â€Å"prostitutes† by these online hate campaign members and are being called indecent by the issued fatwa against them, while they were all wearing jeans, scarfs and long-sleeved shirts/jackets. While many members of both local and online communities have shown their support for the band members, others have being continuously threatening the girls and their immediate families, and they accused the girls of western-style culture influence. The nature of this matter is obviously affected by culture and religious differences but the main fact remains the same, that sexism is common around the globe. It also asks the question of how much more do we need to develop before it is universally know that this type of act is not simply unfair or harmful but that it is also a crime.

Physician-Assisted Suicide :: Euthanasia Death Suicide Essays

Introduction The history of physician-assisted suicide began to emerge since the ancient time. Historians and ancient philosophers especially had been debating over this issue. Thus, this issue is no longer new to us. However, it seems little vague because it has not yet been fully told. The historical story consists of patterns of thought, advocacy, and interpretation on whether to legalize assisted death. "Only until June, 1999, the United States Supreme Court issued decisions in two cases that claimed constitutional protection for physician-assisted suicide, Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacoo v. Quill, by a single 9-0 vote covering the case (Bartin, Rhodes, Silver, 1). They also say that this decision mark the beginning of long period debate, which will not be fully resolved (1). Hence, the debate began by professionals from different aspects, especially the physicians themselves. "I will never give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect". A frequent quoted portion of the Hippocratic Oath, written in Greece sometimes during the fifth to forth centuries B.C.E, represented an effort by an apparently small group of physicians to build public respectability by distancing themselves from other physicians who commit assisted suicide. It has had considerable influence in the history of Western medical society and now, once again, physician-assisted suicide has become a major ethical issue in medicine, as well as an issue that involves law and public interests. Of the various issues at the medicine issue, perhaps none has drawn as much attention as assisted suicide. This topic is being discussed with great frequency in newspaper, journals and books about whether it is really necessary and ethical to physicians to participate in this life-ending act. Proponents or advocates of physician-assisted suicide argue that each per son has freedom over their own life. Persons whose quality of life is nonexistent and who are having a terminal illness should have the right to decide to seek assistance. In contrast, opponents say that physician-assisted suicide is not an acceptable practice for the physicians legally as well as morally. This issue has become a central concern to the medical profession, legislators, philosophers, social psychologists, as well as the public. Interests in this controversial matter continue to grow increasingly whether it should be legalized. Perhaps everyone would have one's own thought and opinion. Nevertheless, assisted death is never a proper expression of compassion. It shows no care for the patients.

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt :: essays research papers

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt The heart of this story is based around the life of Alex Rogo, Plant Manager for Uniware a division of Unico. After a very upset customer approaches Alex’s boss, Bill Peach, he is given an ultimatum to turn the plant around in three months. Due to the limited amount of time available, there are not many outside tools available such as consultants, surveys, etc. With very few hopes, Alex foresees the inevitable until he remembers his conversation with Jonah, a physicist Alex knew from a previous job. The Goal: It is not until Alex’s job is in jeopardy that he decides to devour into his conversation with Jonah. During the conversation, Jonah asks him several questions to analyze his company’s situation. The conversation leads ultimately to the question, "What is the goal of any business?" After rethinking his conversation, Alex realizes that the goal of any business is to make money. Furthermore, if the goal is to make money any action toward this goal is consider productive and any action not moving towards the goal is nonproductive. Alex unsure of such a simple answer decides to contact Jonah to continue the search for more answers. Measurements: Once Alex contacts Jonah they define the following measurements to define the success of any plant’s production: 1. Throughout = rate that the system is used to generate money through sales. This measurement would consist of what a product would be worth when sold at market value after deducting operational expense and inventory. 2. Inventory = all the money invested in purchasing items that will be sold. This could include the remains of their machines after being used toward the investment. 3. Operational expense = all the money used to turn inventory into throughput. This would include such items as depreciation of a machine, lubricating oil, scraps, etc. Balancing a Production Line: Jonah explains to Alex that a plant that is continuously productive in considered inefficient. He further explains that continuous production will result in high absenteeism, poor quality and employee turnover. Based on this, he would need to reduce operational expense and inventory to improve throughput to demonstrate a balanced line of production. Jonah leaves him to ponder the understanding of two things: what are the dependent events and statistical fluctuations in his plant. Bottlenecks During a hiking trip with Alex’s son, he produces a game for a few of the kids to demonstrate an ideal balance line of production. He does this by setting up dependents and uses a die to measure the statistical fluctuations. At the end of the game, he concluded that the bottleneck’s speed of production is what

European Literature Essay

In distinguishing between the genres of short story, novel and annovel, it is important to take into considerations such factors as: rather social or individual subtext, size, coverage of certain topic, the presence of mythology and spirituality, confrontation either with daily routines or with unusual situations. In this sense, novel is probably the most ;social’ genre, as it necessarily points to certain societal pathologies, describes the antagonism between private and public interests and normally consists of a number of chapters, gradually developing the plot. Furthermore, novel is characterized by the authenticity to material facts and thorough depiction of events and social interactions. Annovel is close to novel in terms of genre, as both works of fiction cover much space, yet the entire novel is as a rule dedicated to putting into chronological order the lives of certain characters, whose fates are normally depicted completely, especially if they are protagonists. Annovel, in turn, can contain a collection of short stories, which fit into the context of the creative work, but describe completely different characters and develop dissimilar plotlines. Nevertheless, annovel should be viewed as an entity, as sometimes certain characters can ‘wander’ among stories, so that they are depicted in various situations. Short story, as a genre, is characterized by the considerable impact of individual and spiritual (mystic) components: as a rule, they have either oversimplified abstractive plots or extremely multifaceted plotlines, presented briefly, as they usually cover short time period (conversely to novels and annovels, which give details for epochal changes). Furthermore, lyrical, intuitive and personality aspects are also attributed to short story, as it is aimed at highlighting certain human impulse or momentary change in human life (sudden death, irrational decisions and so forth). Whereas novels are viewed as well-organized and structured works, short stories might switch between various temporal phases (from the future to the past, for instance) and usually include peculiar temporal discourse. The most prominent example of annovel genre is â€Å"Dubliners† by James Joyce. The writing contains more than ten stories, which, if integrated, present the topic of Irish lifestyle, beliefs and social order and constitute a brief encyclopedia of Dublin urban dynamics. Different characters are thrown into various troubles, so that the annovel provides several plots. Annovel therefore to some extent combines the elements of short story and novel Charles Dickens’s â€Å"Hard Times† is a typical novel, relatively large in volume – its considerable size is intended to create the impression of reality and allow the reader to dive into both social and psychological contexts of the basic plotline, which seems to be developed gradually. The short stories ‘Araby’ and ‘Clay’ from Dubliners   to some extent reaffirm the existence of ‘parallel’ or ‘absurd’ reality, as both, in spite of their conciseness, in fact depict the interrelation between the past, the present and the future and note each character’s reflections upon the past events, i.e. necessarily contain conscience flow and use psychological tools like ‘sublime object’. Dramatic monologue in fact includes two key terms – ‘dramatic’ and ‘monologue’. The ‘dramatic’ shows it can be acted out like drama, while the ‘monologue’ points to certain person’s speech, so dramatic monologue is a poem, in which attention is paid to both situation and character. This poetry form implies the presence of listener or audience, so that the monologue is intended as a component or independent part of dramatic performance. For instance, in Yeats â€Å"Leda and the Swan† the author present his lyrical dramatic monologue as a set of rhetorical questions, upon which the audience is supposed to reflect. In order to strengthen the overall effect and impression, the author refers to mythological characters (the reference tool is widely used, as it allows incorporating the others’ ideas and experiences into the monologue) and utilizes metaphorical language in order to enrich the argumentative aspect of the monologue with the emotions, feelings, perceptions and therefore appeal to the reader’s affection and emotional intelligence. ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ is a dramatic monologue, presenting certain case or situation: the lyrical character or protagonist, feeling aged and tired, sails towards the sun, in order to reach the holy city. The monologue, as one can note, contains certain argument: the poet depicts rather negative discourse between the realms of the young and the elderly and substantiates each viewpoint through representing social issues through metaphors and parallelisms.

Growing Pain Essay

So by the end of 1992, Waterway had begun selling its own line of compact, inexpensive, high-impact plastic kayaks. Within one quarter, Maher had known that the move had been a smart one. Almost all of Waterway’s existing canoe customers— mostly wholesalers who then sold to liveries and sporting goods stores—had placed sizable kayak orders. A number of private-label entities had also inquired about Waterway, and Maher was considering producing privatelabel kayaks for those companies on a limited basis. For the most part, the staff had adjusted easily to the company’s faster pace. The expanded business hadn’t changed Waterway’s informal work style, and people seemed to appreciate that. Maher knew that most of his employees were avid outdoor types who viewed their jobs as a means to an end, and he respected that perspective. On days when the weather was particularly good, he knew that the building would be pretty empty by 4 P. M. But he also knew that his employees liked their jobs. Work was always completed on time, and people were outspoken with new ideas and with suggestions for improving current designs and processes. There was no mistaking the genuine camaraderie. Maher walked through the design room, stopping to talk with one of the two designers and to admire the latest drawings. Then he headed for the administrative suite. His thoughts returned to the company’s recent history. Until 1990, Waterway’s sales and revenues had increased with the market, and Maher hadn’t been motivated to push any harder. But when he had decided to venture into kayaking, he also had thought he should gear up marketing— get ready for the big trend if it came. Until then, there had never been a formal, structured marketing department at Waterway. He had thought it was time. That’s why he had hired Lee Carter. Carter had gotten her M. B. A. when she was 31. To do so, she had left a fast-track position in sales at Waterway’s major competitor in the canoe market to devote her full attention to her studies. Finch, who was something of a mentor for Carter, had told her that she would hit the ceiling too early in her career if she didn’t have the credentials to compete in her field. In her final term at business school, which had included a full course load plus a demanding internship with the Small Business Administration, Carter had interviewed ith Waterway. Finch had called to introduce her, but once Maher had met her and she had begun to outline the ways in which she could improve the company’s sales and marketing efforts, Maher had needed no other references. He had thought from the start that Carter might be the right person to nurture the company’s interest in the growing kayaking business and to run with it if the sp ort’s popularity really took off. When it had, he was proved right. True, the market was extremely favorable, but Carter had brought in more orders than even Maher had thought possible. Fortunately, the company had been able to keep up by contracting with other manufacturing companies for more product. Waterway had been extremely effective in keeping inventory in line with customer demand. Maher was impressed with Carter’s performance. From day one, she had been completely focused. She traveled constantly— worked so hard that she barely had time to get to know the staff. She came in on weekends to catch up with paperwork. Along with two of her direct reports, she had even missed the annual Waterway picnic; the three had been on the road, nailing down a large order. It was a dedication—a level of energy—that Maher had never seen before, and he liked what it said about his company. Back in his office, Maher found that he couldn’t concentrate on the product development report in front of him. That bit of conversation he had overheard outside Carter’s office was troubling. He certainly knew about the lucrative packages that were being offered in the sporting goods industry—even in Waterway’s niche. He’d even heard that some sales managers were commanding a quarter of a million dollars or more. He had read enough of the annual reports of his publicly traded competitors to know that larger organizations created all sorts of elaborate systems—supplemental retirement packages, golden handcuffs, stock options, deferred compensation arrangements— to hold on to their top performers. harvard business review †¢ july–august 1996 page 2 Growing Pains †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢HBR C AS E S TUDY â€Å"The business could stand to pay more,† Maher said, â€Å"but I want to avoid the habit of paying now for results down the road. † Maher wanted to recognize Carter’s contribution.