Assessing the Sainsburys customer perceived value

Assessing the Sainsburys customer perceived value The Food retailing Industry is a huge and fast growing industry in UK .It is a complex and diverse market dominated by various big companies such as Tesco, ASDA, J Sainsburys. Price and quality of goods are the two key elements which the companies keep in mind to increase their sales and defend their position in this competitive market. In the year 2009, food retailing recorded sales figures of GBP 297,478.9 million, along with providing employment to 11.6% of the workforce in UK (Euro monitor). It is forecasted, by the year 2014 the sales would cross GBP 350,000 million. (Euro monitor) This assignment focuses on the third largest food retailer store in UK, i.e. J Sainsbury. Sainsbury is a super market which will operates its business in retail sector from the year 1869. Sainsbury is started by James and Mary Ann Sainsburys. Sainsbury today operates a total of 827 stores comprising 537 supermarkets and 335 convenience stores(J Sainsbury 2010) .With their presence in various other markets such as financial services and Property management, grocery retailing remains their core business. In an industry which employs over 3,335,000 people and with sales figure of GBP 137,590 million (Euro Monitor), Sainsbury enjoys a market share of 16% and serving 19 million customers weekly with a product offering of 30,000.( J Sainsbury 2010) QUESTION-1 Using suitable models identify the customer perceived value for the customers for a product/division/company of your choice. ANSWER- PART 1 Customer value Difference between what a  customers  gets from a  product, and what he or she has to give in  order  to get it. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/customer-value.html#ixzz16OyFiRFr Customer value proposition A  business  or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should  buy a product or use a service. This statement should convince a potential consumer that  one particular  product or service will add more  value or better solve a problem than other similar offerings. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/valueproposition.asp Types of CVP 1. All Benefits- benefits that an organization brings to its target customers. It tends to suffer from a lack of credibility when the value proposition is not distinguished from competitors or focused precisely on the unique needs of the customer. 2. Favourable Points of Differentiation- it mainly emphasizes the key differences between a firms offerings and those of competitors at the customer interface. It takes into account the notion that the buyer has substitutes. Like the all benefits value proposition it lacks specificity relative to the buyer. 3. Resonating Focus- Resonating focus highlights one or two critical differences between the firms offerings and those of competitors with the forethought that these differences represent those areas that are most vital in the mind of the customer. While most effective, this value proposition takes considerable time to develop as it is strongly rooted in a deep understanding of customer needs. http://www.edbarrows.com/Resources/briefs/valueProposition.pdf IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER VALUE   A good customer value proposition is a technique why a customer should buy a product and also distinguish your product from competitors. Gaining a customers attention will help in growing sales faster and more profitable, as well as increasing its market share. Understanding customer needs is important because it helps promote the product. A brand is the perception of a product or service that is designed to stay in the minds of targeted consumers. It is desirable to build a strong and positive brand association with your offering. Three key dimensions: Extrinsic vs. intrinsic value Self-orientated vs. other-orientated value Active vs. reactive value PART 2 VALUE PROPOSITION FOR SAINSBURY Sainsbury maintain high quality of its services by keeping up high quality product at a fair price, through well-kept rooms with an attractive appearance to fast service and a friendly staff. Sainsbury ensures that all suppliers have been evaluated by Quality Attribute System (QAS) in order to provide quality product to the customer. It has different prices which are suited to different kinds of customer. Through the execution of high quality product Sainsbury has high price. However to adjust to the needs of less wealthy clients it also offers a wide selection of basic product at a low price. Sainsbury speed is moderately-high. Sainsbury team is trying to reduce queues through recent introduction of basket tills, self-checkouts as well as introduction of newest scan and pack system. Sainsbury also offers home delivery which can be obtained the very next day. Dependability is keeping a word to customers. Sainsbury provides customers quality product at a fair prices, fulfilling custom er expectation for fresh, safe, healthy and tasty food. Sainsbury respects environment by using environmentally friendly packaging. Queuing time is reasonable and deliveries are on time. Online Shopping at Sainsburys is also a great advantage. All the above provide a  high level of dependability  and are the reason why the Sainsburys brand remains on the market for 141 years, and this makes the Sainsbury differs from its competitors. Sainsbury started a new range taste the difference that aims to provide consumers desire to treat themselves at home, rather than spending money in buying expensive takeaways or eating outside. Sainsburys continuously investing in their clothing and home decor items to accelerate the growth in non-food sector so that they can reach to more customers so as to increase its market share and sales. (Euro monitor) Sainsburys continued launching innovate products, 1% fat milk was launched which was consumed by 2.5 million households due to which its sales for basics were up by 60%. (Euro monitor) QUESTION 2 Critically evaluating value proposition of Sainsburys VALUE PROPOSITION Sainsbury supermarkets follow the mission of being the customers first choice by its service and quality. Through the method of working simpler, together and faster it delivers an outstanding good service and quality. Sainsbury accelerating its growth in non-food sector so as to reach more customers. Online facility provides its customers to shop online for non-food items also. The company has a solid brand value although discriminating competitive advantage is clearly missing. From a customer point of view it is difficult to slot them in a specific category. The company is not able to create a good market which will make them distinguish from other supermarkets with concerns to price, quality, customer service and access to variety or inventory. Sainsburys was critized by the city for allowing Tesco in getting ahead in the market in terms of customer service, loyalty and price competitiveness. Sainsburys was also criminated for not promoting itself up to its standards and also running the same type of initiatives which was running by Tesco. So the Sainsbury has failed to promote its products and services. In the process to reconstruct its mission, company has changed its marketing strategy and sold successfully the home based products in the chain of UK market and its business in Egypt. This changes the company to focus on food retailing and related activities. Sainsbury maintains 100% service level as the online business is growing rapidly. Even so, there are some issue that need to be developed for example; delivering orders in full and on time. The online business is developing at a rapid speed gaining growth in overall market. During hectic periods picking large orders from stores could become an issue. (http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/analystreports/corporate/ovum-sainsbury-cs-170835.pdf) MARKETING MIX The marketing mix used by Sainsbury to gain its competitive advantage in its retailing sector -. Product Sainsburys mainly focused in developing new product and its food quality which will be healthier to the customers. It provides more than 350 variety range of foods product which is produced to protect its natural flavour and taste of the product. Currently it has achieved to developed more than 600 organic lines to provide best range of food and major growth in groceries, bakery, and frozen foods. It has also launched a product called Blue carrot Calf known for the clear labelling of kid products which mention clear details of the products. The Sainsburys continuously concentrating on development of its product by launching a new programme every year. Price Price is the important component of the marketing mix for Sainsburys. Now a day Sainsburys is presenting its customers in UK the value for money. A lot of investment is made in improving quality and productivity in order to reduce the overall cost. For the customers in UK Sainsbury is offering, exceptional value for the money and the aim of the company is to lead the quality and become the favoured in term for the customers all through the market. If the price is cut it is not easy to get back again to the previous level without dissatisfying the customer. This is not decent for the business. Hence in short term price gain the store will be less affected where as in long term it would gain less positive. Sainsbury implemented a new strategy value for money after realising its price war in the market. A lot of investment is made in improving quality and productivity what it provides and efficiency of its activity in order to reduce the overall cost. The purpose of implementing a new s trategy is to achieve trust and value from the customer and continue its leadership. Promotion    Sainsbury gain to build up its solid brand image among the customers through various promotions. It mainly focuses on its own brand rather than the promoting other brands which they sell in the stores to form the greater wealth by its overall retail brand. Sainsbury uses different media for its promotion whereas TV, radio and advertising in cinemas to grow the company image. Sales promotions, merchandising and packing are also the key element for the promotion of the Sainsbury. Sainsbury launched Nectar Card as a main weapon for its promotion. This card is free for customers and gives discount points if customer used it in store at the time of shopping. Many other retailers are also using same type of promotions by issuing the card to customers and giving them free points for their money as these free points can be used automatically for discounts. Sainsbury store staff wears named T-shirt of the supermarket to defer as a worker to serve people. Place As per the Sainsbury it has 872 stores across UK whereas 837 super markets and 335 convenience stores. Various set up of stores are established across the country according to the needs and satisfaction of the customers and area. Sum stores are opened 24 hours a day for the satisfaction of the customers. Sainsbury is making large chain stores in different locations to create a world class distribution of groceries and work more effectively. Conclusion- Here we can see that Sainsbury always use the market mix to develop and implement its strategies by using the market mix. It satisfies the customers by improving the strategies which meet the needs of the customer. It always research on the market to know the interest of a customer who is able to buy its products. It continues to implement the market segmentation to develop its business strategies which shows the development of a business. Sainsbury use the market segmentation to display large variety of products and sell to deferent groups and to achieve large amount of sales overall. It offers a large number of products in a convenient location and opens the store for long hours. It also encourages the customers by easy cash options through debit card and credit card. It also offers the cash back facility to the customers on their purchases.   http://katamaneni12.blogspot.com/2010/09/macro-environment-and-marketing-mix.html Competitor Analysis TESCO- Competitor Company Profile Tesco is started by Jack Cohen in 1919. Tesco is biggest food retailer in the world, having 2318 stores and giving employment to more than 470000 people who serve millions of customer around the world. Tesco has a largest market in UK, where it operates under signs of Extra, Superstore, Metro and Express. Tesco offers more than 40000 products to customers including clothing and other non-food lines. Tesco vs. Sainsburys TESCO MISSION TESCO is to provide superior technical representation and to add value to a focused group of leading-edge, corporations by offering synergistic, valuable and highly innovate solutions for our customer design, procurement and manufacturing needs with continuous improvement of our quality, service and productivity to a completive advantage. TESCO VISSION What sets TESCO apart from other distributors is our commitment to customers success, by bringing an in-depth knowledge of their technology and the value added services needed to truly support the customer. The result is cost-efficient, rapidly delivered technical superior products that the customers take pride in. (http://www.tescoinc.co.kr/tesco/ecompany1.php) MISSION STATEMENT Sainsburys mission statement Our mission is to be the consumers first choice for food, delivering products of outstanding quality and great service at a competitive cost through working faster, simpler and together. Source: Sainsbury Web site Sainsburys companys vision for growth Sainsbury plcs present focus is to improve the performance of the core UK supermarket chain. Whilst doing so we will continue to explore and develop growth opportunities in other markets. Through implementing Managing for Value we will stretch our ambitions and challenge the conventional wisdom within the Company, thereby unlocking our potential and delivering value. Source: Sainsbury Web site DIFFERENCE STRATEGIES SAINSBURY STRATEGY: Sainsbury aims to provide quality products and good service at a competitive price through working faster, simpler, together and aimed to be the consumer first choice for food. Through a balance in sales growth, reduction cost and on-going margin improvements, Sainsbury look forward to progress growth. The company is dedicated to achieving industry leading margins within a dynamic, competitive market and to delivering strong double digit necessary profit growth in each year of its business programme. TESCO STRATEGY: Tesco has made a good progress with its strategy which consists of five elements reflecting its four established areas of motivation and Tescos long term promises on environment and community. The ideas of the strategy are: To be a successful international retailer To develop the core UK business To be as strong in non-food as in food. To develop retailing services such as Tesco Personal Finance, Telecoms and Tesco.com To put community at the heart of what we do. The market share of Tesco is 31.6% in the retail market and they also capture 50% of the grocery market share while Sainsbury has 16% and 22% of the market share respectively. Tesco sells massive products range and buy in big volume and sell it in cheap while Sainsbury buys product that are popular and their own branded product. 1/3 of the retail market is acquired by Tesco but Sainsbury is enabling to have this power. Tesco achieved its success by selling varieties of products; it is located within UK as well as overseas, they target every people. With this strategy Sainsburys have a difficult to keep up with Tesco. Sainsburys generally attract the middle class people with low class prices whereas Tesco attract all kind of people from all classes. Sainsburys is more concerned about the quality of the food they provide their customers while Tesco is concerned about reducing prices to attract their customers. Tescos main advertising approach is money saving Every little help and Sainsburys Taste the difference however during the crisis time they are one of the same. Sainsburys slip its second position in 2008, losing to Asda. Leader Tesco enlarged its market share in the year, moving ahead of Sainsburys. Sainsburys has less variety of non-food items as compared to Tesco. At the end of the evaluation period, non-food items were the reason for growth for the major supermarkets. ( http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/analystreports/corporate/ovum-sainsbury-cs-170835.pdf) MANAGEMENT Sainsbury CEO Justin king has done a great job in strengthening the brand, improved turnover at a rate of 5.5% a year and profit increases by 6.7%. king main focus was on UK store expansion rather than overseas and total number of store has been increased from 583 in 2004 to 827 today. Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy has different approach as compare to Sainsburys CEO Justin King. In his fourteen year term he has heavily invested in overseas expansion. In 1999, within UK Tesco generated 90% of its turnover and now its less than 70%. GROWTH POTENTIAL Tesco has its setups in 14 countries but that doesnt mean Sainsburys lack growth opportunities. Sainsburys results in past years in the proof of this and continuing achieving high growth rate without international expansions. To exist in this competitive market Sainsburys has done well by opening new stores across UK, adding new non-food products and banking services to existing stores. Tesco on the other hand, have more growth opportunities in Asia and other countries. Tesco is a big player than Sainsburys, for example: if we compare past twelve months results Tesco has  £56.9 billion turnover versus Sainsburys  £19.9 billion. (http://www.fool.co.uk/news/investing/company-comment/2010/07/16/a-foolish-fracas-sainsbury-vs-tesco.aspx) CUSTOMER OUTCOME AND EXPECTATION f Brand image and relationship building in a business to company market depends on how well company satisfies its customers. Sainsbury keep high quality of its services by providing high quality products to customers at a fair price. It has different prices which are suited to different kinds of customer. It provide basic product at low price to customer with low income. Sainsbury want to make it easier for customer to shop ethically and sustainably so they making every effort to live up to their expectations. Therefore from the above model, which explains between the company service and quality Sainsbury can be placed into high quality as well as service offered by the company and received by customers. Question 3 http://www.universityessays.com/example-essays/global-markets-sainsburys.php Mission statement serves a dual purpose by helping employees to remain dedicated on jobs as well as boosting them to find innovative ways of achieving company objectives so that productivity can be increased. It is common that large companies spend years and millions of dollars developing and refining their mission statement. NEW MISSION STATEMENT OF SAINSBURYS To become the UK best retailer company and earn customer lifetime reliability. NEW VISSION STATEMENT OF SAINSBURYS NEW VALUE PROPOSITION Source: Barnes, C. et. al., 2009 Creating and Delivering your value proposition p 31 Market: Sainsbury already caters to the middle class customers by providing products at affordable prices, but since Sainsbury maintains high quality amongst its products, the cost somewhat becomes high (in a comparative sense to its competitors). Sainsbury needs to provide these products at a more reasonable price to cater to the working class as well and thereby expand its existing customer base. Value experience: Benefits should include high quality at reasonable price. To reduce the travel costs Sainsbury needs to focus on locations of its stores so that they are effortlessly within the reach of its customers. Online sales should also be made easy. Complaints should be minimised by providing a good after sales service and monitoring customer feedback. Offerings: Place should include a focus on central locations. Product should include highest possible quality at affordable prices, new and innovative products could also be introduced to increase sales. Since the financial downturn of 2008 had drastic effects on the economy, consumers are trying to save as much as possible hence Sainsbury needs to keep the prices of its products as low as possible. Promotion should involve promotion of sales through discount vouchers or limited offers (e.g. buy 2 get 1 free) and continuous advertising through all available media types. Benefits: products need to be provided at the lowest possible price maintaining high quality. Constant customer feedback should be facilitated in order to keep track of its customers satisfaction. Alternatives and differentiation: Since Sainsbury focuses on quality more than the price of its products. The quality of Sainsburys products is higher than most of its competitors, but this phenomenon is not the same when it comes to price. Sainsbury needs to balance between its price and quality since its competitors such as Tesco are providing products at a lower price that is offered by Sainsbury. Proof: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN By using Ansoff Matrix tool for strategic marketing planning help to improve the position of J. Sainsbury. It accelerate to do best strategic direction depending upon the need/desire to penetrate existing or new markets with existing or new products. (http://www.emp.ac.uk/linspdfs/marketi2.pdf) If Sainsbury need to reconstruct their values, strengths and beliefs they need to split up their position in the existing market. They facing extreme competition in the real market they must innovate and improvise in new markets with their existing product offering. Partnership is a necessity in the domestic market since this is the basis of the business and its primary values. It will help the Sainsbury to rebuild its image and the connection with existing customer by confirming them the best quality, best product offers at competitive pricing. Sainsburys need to improve in its Information Technology system so that information can be processed faster and stocks can be reloaded at a faster pace. The shelfs are always stocked well and the customers keep getting informed about the available varieties. All these hard work make the shopping experience enjoyable and satisfying for the customers. As the world faced recession almost globally, Sainsbury should avoid price related conflicts and must follow specific price strategy. Since customer will not be willing to pay high prices even for the best quality products hence low pricing should be planned for the quality product. Identify problems and in time solving them as quickly as possible so that they build strong communication at every step of the channel. To introduce some products this will give a comparative advantage over their rivals. Sainsbury should open local stores in the city rather than on the outskirts of the city. Customer generally chooses to purchase in local shop rather than supermarkets to save time and money. Introduction of pay point or post office to the store would be a good idea to attract customers. The customer immediately after purchase can pay their bills without wasting time to reach these places elsewhere in the city. Sainsburys need to increase its online shopping service in non-food items, so that customer can shop online more comfortably. I would recommend Sainsburys to deliver every little helps to make it a healthier place for shop. Use simple processes so that shopping is better for customers, simpler for staff and cheaper for Sainsburys.

Cosmology in Milton’s Paradise Lost Essay

The Oxford English Dictionary defines â€Å"cosmos† as â€Å"the world or universe as an ordered and harmonious system,† from the Greek, â€Å"kosmos,† referring to an ordered and/or ornamental thing. When God created the world he had this in mind. To have a harmonious system in the universe where everything can live in peace and free of all worry. God was on top and everything was peaceful. Until the angles in Milton’s Paradise Lost had a fight. After the fight God banished these bad angels and had the last part of his universe created, hell. This completed a very complex picture of Milton’s vision of the universe in the beginning. The encyclopedic writers of the early Middle Ages communicated a modest assortment of basic cosmological information, drawn from a variety of ancient sources, especially Platonic and Stoic. These writers proclaimed the sphericity of the earth, discussed its circumference, and defined its climatic zones and division into continents. They described the celestial sphere and the circles used to map it; many revealed at least an elementary understanding of the solar, lunar and other planetary motions. They discussed the nature and size of the sun and moon, the cause of eclipses, and a variety of metrological phenomena. Another novelty was the frequent argument of the twelfth-century authors that God limited His creative activity to the moment of creation; thereafter, they held, the natural causes that He had created directed the course of things. Twelfth-century cosmologists stressed the unified, organic character of the cosmos, ruled by a world soul and bound together by astrological forces and the macrocosm-microcosm relationship. In an important continuation of early medieval thought, twelfth-century scholars described a cosmos that was fundamentally homogeneous, composed of the same elements from top to bottom: Aristotle’s quintessence or aether and his radical dichotomy between the celestial and terrestrial regions had not yet made their presence felt. Cosmology, like so many other subjects, was transformed by the wholesale translation of Greek and Arabic sources in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Specifically, the Aristotelian tradition gained center stage in the thirteenth century and gradually substituted its conception of the cosmos for that of Plato and the early Middle Ages. This is not to suggest that Aristotle and Plato disagreed on all the important issues; on many of the basics they were in full accord. Aristotelians, like Platonists, conceived the cosmos to be a great (but unquestionably finite) sphere, with the havens above and the earth at the center. All agreed that it had a beginning in time – although some Aristotelians of the thirteenth century were prepared to argue that this could not be established by philosophical arguments. Nobody representing either school of thought doubted that the cosmos was unique: although nearly everybody acknowledged that God could have created multiple worlds, it is difficult to assume that anybody seriously believed He had done so. However, where Aristotle and Plato disagreed, the Aristotelian world picture gradually displaced the Platonic. One of the major differences concerned the issue of homogeneity. Aristotle divided the cosmic sphere into two distinct regions, made of different stuff and operating according to different principles. Below the moon is the terrestrial region, formed out of the four elements. This region is the scene of generation and corruption, of birth and death, and of transient (typically rectilinear) motions. Above the moon are the celestial spheres, to which the fixed stars, the sun and the remaining planets are attached. This celestial region, composed of aether or the quintessence (the fifth element), is characterized by unchanging perfection and uniform circular motion. Other Aristotelian contributions to the cosmological picture were his elaborate system of planetary spheres and the principles of causation by which the celestial motions produced generation and corruption in the terrestrial realm. A variety of Aristotelian features, then, merged with traditional cosmological beliefs to define the essentials of late medieval cosmology – a cosmology that became the shared intellectual property of educated Europeans in the course of the thirteenth century. Universal agreement of such magnitude emerged not because the educated felt compelled to yield to the authority of Aristotle, but because his cosmological picture offered a persuasive and satisfying account of the world as they perceived it. Nonetheless, certain elements of Aristotelian cosmology quickly became the objects of criticism and debate, and it is here, in the attempt to flesh out and fine-tine Aristotelian cosmology and bring it into harmony with the opinions of other authorities and with biblical teaching, that medieval scholars made their cosmological contribution. But the most interesting point about Milton? s cosmology is this: why, when he knew of the discoveries Galileo had made with his telescope-as Book VIII clearly proves-and must have accepted the validity of the Copernican cosmology, wich our planetary system revolves, did Milton base his universe upon the Ptolematic pattern? The answer lies in the literary advantages of accepting the older though erreoneous concept: it was known, and Copernicanism was strongly resisted and only slowly accepted; the Ptolematic system was orderly, it laid down limits within wich Milton found it easier to work, and it made God and man the two ends of a chain-man can ascend, onward and ever upward, to union with the divinity, and this could never have happened in an open-ended Copernican universe. From the early through the late Middle Ages, Europeans moved from a disorganized, almost mystical way of thinking about the universe to an acceptance of a well-ordered, geocentric universe based upon the ideas of Greek philosophers such as Ptolemy and Aristotle. In this universe, the Earth was at the center and other heavenly bodies rotated around it in a series of concentric spheres . The entire system was powered by the primum mobile, or â€Å"Prime Mover,† which was the outermost sphere set in motion directly by God. This Primum Mobile trasformed the love of God for mankind into energy and provided the impetus that made the whole universe rotate; It took some very creative thinking to make this universe work well. For example, the retrograde motion of the planets in which they sometimes seemed to be changing directions and moving backwards was explained by way of â€Å"epicycles† (see the diagram on the right below). Specifically, it was proposed that the planets rotated around a center point fixed in place on the sphere of that planet, causing the apparent change in the direction of planetary motion. The seven known planets orbited the Earth, each one? atmosphere pushing round the one next inside it by friction ; all of this motion created a beautiful â€Å"music of the spheres† which could not be detected by humans (at least not until after they died and went to heaven), but which provided pleasure for angels and other supernatural beings. The outermost orbit, that of the planet Saturn, was itself surrounnded by the spere of the fixed stars (Book III,481) and outside that again was the vast expanse of the waters of firmament, also called by Milton the Crystalline firmament, as distinct from the waters on the earth and under the earth, had been used by God as an insulating jacket esigned to protect His Chaos through wich Satan flies at the end of Book II. The whole universe was suspended from Heaven (also frequently called the Empyrean) by a golden chain. Since medieval Europeans had no conception of a vacuum, it was believed that the heavens were filled with a celestial fluid that flowed as the spheres of the universe rotated, thus sustaining the motion of the planets. In Heaven, God sits on His throne supported by four seraphim, the most powerful of the nine orders of angels wich had remained loyal. he middle Ages believed literally that it was Divine Love that made the world go round. The rebel tenth who had revolted under Satan had been hurled down into another dread realm, Hell, created for them to occupy beyond the domain of Chaos and Old Night to the outer surface of our universe. Deceiving Uriel, regent of the sun, he flies down to Eden. The subsequent movements of both Satan and the guardians of Paradise are explained in Books IV and IX with detailed astronomical references. Just as the physical universe was thought to be centered around the Earth, the psychological universe of Medieval Europeans revolved around humans. Any understanding of the psychology and behavior of individuals at that time requires a consideration of the person’s desire for eternal salvation. For Medieval European Christians, time had essentially two divisions: The brief and insignificant one in which they lived out their sinful lives, and the cosmically enduring one in which the suffering or joy of their souls would occur. In Medieval Europe, there was no room for abnormality or nonconformity, as ANY deviation was considered to be the work of the devil. A hierarchy was everywhere in all things. People accepted their place in the social order no matter how lowly it might have been, and everything in the world had the potential for symbolizing something supernatural. People perceived messages from God in virtually every natural and human event. However, By the 17th century, the Copernican and Galilean models gained ground, and replaced this worldview. It was still an attractive philosophical construction and one that persisted for a long time in the collective Renaissance consciousness. Milton, who chose to use the Ptolemaic cosmology for his Paradise Lost, was not alone in Renaissance literature to hold on to the Medieval worldview, if not in scientific earnest, as a poetical conceit (cf. Donne’s â€Å"The First Anniversary† and â€Å"Good Friday, 1613†). Nothing less than the creation and ordering of the universe defines the scope of Paradise Lost. The epic explores its cosmological theme in theoretical discussions between Adam and Raphael and in the narrator’s descriptions and metaphors. Further, Milton imagines Satan surveying the universe in an expedition of discovery through a new world in his fall from Heaven and his passage through Chaos to Earth. Adam tries to understand the earth’s physical place in the universe and its associated ontological and theological value as the home of man. He wonders aloud about â€Å"this Earth a spot, a grain,/ An Atom, with the Firmament compar’d/ And all her numbered Starrs, that seem to rowl /Spaces incomprehensible† (PL8. 17-21). Milton asks us to imagine the first man struggling with many of the same questions a Renaissance thinker, contemplating new models of the universe, must have considered. In response to the theory that everything revolves around the sun and not the earth, philosophers were forced to question the importance of man’s role in the universal order. Raphael, responding to Adam’s concerns, suggests there is no reason â€Å"bodies bright and greater should not serve / The less not bright, nor Heav’n such journies run / Earth sitting still† (PL8. 87-9). Yet, the poem does not answer all such questions directly, and scholars often find it difficult to determine Milton’s attitude toward science. In these debates, it is helpful to remember that Milton was not a scientist but a theorist. He did not contribute to scientific knowledge so much as to an understanding of what new scientific ideas might mean to traditional Christian cosmology. He meditates on this in conditional modes, as does Raphael in his description of the universe: â€Å"What if the Sun/ Be Centre to the World† (PL 8. 122-3). In the mid-sixteenth century, Nicolaus Copernicus and his followers, most notably Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei, disturbed the entire Christian world by proposing a heliocentric model of the universe that displaced the earth, and by extension humanity, from the center. As the Reformation progressed, resulting theological debates acquired political importance and Milton, as a politically conscious theologian, addressed these issues in Paradise Lost. Critics debate the extent of Milton’s interest in the advancement of science. Catherine Gimelli Martin notes that many find â€Å"his cosmology stands on the wrong side of the great scientific revolution initiated by Copernicus, furthered by Galileo, and completed by Newton† (â€Å"What If the Sun Be Centre† 233). However, Martin argues that classifying Milton as scientifically backward is a mistake resulting from our modern society: â€Å"we too easily forget that during this formative period, no ‘advancement of learning,’ scientific or otherwise, could yet be conceived as succeeding apart from the requisite disclaimers about the folly of seeking superhuman knowledge and the proper assurances of humility before heights of Divine Wisdom† (Martin 231-2). Modern readers tend to treat scientific knowledge as inevitably progressive and therefore expect in Milton an appreciation of our modern scientific values and knowledge. As a rationalist, Milton must have admired the new sciences but, as a classicist and a Christian theologian, he had not yet placed scientific knowledge ahead of piety or biblical knowledge. William Poole notes the danger of seeing in Milton an advanced scientific philosopher and warns: â€Å"we should be extremely wary forcing Milton into clothes he does not fit† (â€Å"Milton and Science: A Caveat† 18). However, within the middle ground, scholars agree with Martin that Milton appreciated the value of scientific thought and development, although he may have doubted the reach of this branch of human knowledge. Cosmology appears in Paradise Lost through direct scientific references, incorporation of new scientific theories into various characters’ worldviews, and warnings against seeking beyond the limits of human knowledge. Martin observes: â€Å"Galileo or his telescope is approvingly cited on five separate occasions in Milton’s epic (the only contemporary reference to appear at all)† (Martin 238).

Limitations: Marketing Research Essay

Like everything else, there are advantages and disadvantages or limitations in research. The imitations are basically the downside of a marketing research. These limitations are manipulated by many factors such as the constant change in human behaviours and marketing environment. Therefore, the information can be used for a period of time. Some of the major limitations include marketing research is costly, time consuming, has a limited scope and practical value. It cannot predict consumer behaviour, neither does it give 100% accurate results nor does it provide solutions, only suggestion. Unfortunately marketing research does not have the availability of qualified or experienced staff and it has a fragmented approach. In other words, it does not take into account all possible problems, just one or two. The research can be misused, reliable data may not be available and finally marketing managers may not use suggestions mentioned in the report. In the marketing research for Choice Mobile Ltd, some of these limitations were encountered. First is that the research is time consuming. The steps to conduct a marketing research report are vital and therefore take a lot of time to gather. None of the steps should be neglected or avoided. In pursuing the research, gathering the secondary data was difficult as there were limited sources. Even when some information needed was sourced it was not in depth. The lack of information is most probably the competitors’ way to protect their strategies from new market entrants looking for ideas. Time is also strained by the length of time taken to receive responses to the survey questionnaire which delays the time needed to analyse and state the outcomes. Next is that it has a limited scope. This is where the research paper is unable to assist businesses in solving certain business-related problems, like consumer behaviour, income and expenditure relationships, etc. The survey for Choice Mobile Limited had its limitations because the distribution was limited to people of a narrow age group. Therefore, the research from the sample does not accurately represent the population. Furthermore, research can be conducted to analyse consumer behaviour but the results would not be completely accurate because researchers would not have responses from all members of the target market. Some sample populations may not have the expected responses in a particular subset such as a particular age group. In Choice Mobile Ltd the sample does not include any users over the age of fifty but in the full population they make up a substantial amount. Even if marketing research is done to analyse consumer behaviour there can never be a clear prediction of consumer behaviour. The research is not accurate because consumers’ decision making and buying patterns constantly changes. Their behaviours are influenced by moods, social factors, religious factors, family, economic factors and other factors. For example, a customer can decide to end their contract with Bmobile and switch to Digicel and vice-versa. In the case of Choice Mobile Ltd, the research may reflect that there is a 50% chance that consumers will change to their service but in reality it may be much more or much less depending on the influence of the factors mentioned at that point in time. Marketing research cannot give 100% accurate results. This is mainly applicable to consumer behaviours and the marketing environment that cannot be predicted due to their constant changes. Respondents chosen to part take in a questionnaire survey may not be interested and will answer questions just to get passed it. Others may not understand what the questions are asking due to their confusing structure. When this happens respondents may answer incorrectly or not answer at all. Accuracy is also compromised when respondents do not remember the details asked and they guess. In secondary research this problem is faced when information is outdated or comes from an unreliable source. Finally, in the research, it was found that there is a lot of non-availability of reliable data meaning people may not be sure of what they are asked in a questionnaire. Due to the ways in which people can interpret a question determines how they answer them. The research states that many people are post-paid customers but they use instant messaging more than internet apps such Whatsapp, etc. If people knew what services allowed the full use of their smart phone capabilities, the usage percentage of Wi-Fi, EDGE, 3G and 4G would have been much higher. Post-paid customers are also users of EDGE and/or 3G/ 4G simply through the purchase of a regular package. If they were more educated about these features, the response results would have been different. Thus, if the respondents understood what the questions really asked, the answers could have been different. If the questions are not 100% accurate, the results would not be either.

Subverted 19th Century Traditional Social Mores and Norms...

ENG 200 Subverted 19th Century Traditional Social Mores and Norms in Dracula Bram Stoker’s Dracula remains one of the more recognizable novels of its genre despite being published in 1897. A classic horror story which has been retold and produced over and over again since its original publication, Dracula was especially disturbing when it originally was released because of how Stoker attacks Victorian era social mores and norms throughout the entire novel. Stoker subverts traditional 19th Century social mores and norms in Dracula through the portrayal of sexually aggressive and assertive females, Jonathan and Mina’s relationship, and the inverse of Maternity. One of the first examples of Stoker’s subverting of traditional social†¦show more content†¦That is not the only example of gender reversal in Dracula, at one point Jonathan becomes faint in public and to keep him from falling Mina supports him. It would have been considered very odd to see a woman in public supporting a man like this. Stoker uses Mina and Jonathan’s relationship as another subversion of 19th century traditional social mores and norms in Dracula. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of Stoker’s Dracula is the inverse of maternity. The inverse of maternity represents an almost perfect subversion of traditional 19th century social mores and norms. Craft also wrote is his reflection, â€Å"Stoker emphasizes the monstrosity implicit in such abrogation of gender codes by inverting a favorite Victorian maternal function,† (Stoker, Auerbach, and Skal 453). Maternity hasn’t changed much sense the 19th century, women are expected to care for the children above all other responsibilities. Needless to say the feeding on defenseless children by Lucy and Dracula’s Wives is a complete opposite of maternity. The feasting on children is particular disturbing and shocking no matter what era one is born in and represents what is a predominate th eme in Dracula the inverse of Maternity. Another example of the inverse of Maternity is the scene in which Dracula cuts his own breast and forces Mina to drink from his wound. Craft writes, â€Å"We are at the Count’s breast, encouraged once again