If I were Education Minister Essay Example

If I were Education Minister Essay If I were Education Minister Ans : Among all the area that are lagging behind, education is the foremost. Its always been my dream to be the Education Minister of India. In my capacity, I would try to reform the education system, because I firmly believe that the future of the country rests on the shoulders of the students. My first step could be to make primary education compulsory for one and all in rural areas. I would motivate families to send their children to school by giving them incentives. I would bring out schemes wherein the poorest of the people will be able to study. If a student is unable to pay for his fees, I would get corporates to sponsor their education. I would make it compulsory for every Minister of the Union or State to sponsor at least one underprivileged childs education. Secondly, I would change the manner of education. I would make education more updated and in sync with the times. I would make it more practical rather than it being theoretical. A student would be given the choice of studying a subject that he likes rather than imposing anything on him. I would make social activities and sports a part of the curriculum and ensure that no child is deprived of these subjects. We will write a custom essay sample on If I were Education Minister specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on If I were Education Minister specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on If I were Education Minister specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Finally, I would ask all schools to assess a student on the basic of an overall yearly performance rather than one isolated examination. Que : Better to wear out that to rust out [ Mar 98 ] Ans : Proverbs are great teachers. When a hundred words fail, a few words in the form of a proverb make miracles. They pack a wealth of wisdom in a few welt chosen words like. An idle mind is a devils workshop. The language of proverbs is generally simple. The above given proverb means that it is better to work hard and become tired than not to do any work and rust out. It is an undoubted fact that hard work is the key to success. We cannot achieve anything without hard work. Right through the ages we find that great men and women the world over worked hard to achieve success. Edison worked twenty hours a day; and invested the electric bulb. The word rest did not exist in Mahatma Gandhis dictionary. Indira Gandhi worked tirelessly for our nation. Even popular film stars and sportsmen, have had to work their way up. A person is idle his mind would be like a iron which is rusted. Now that piece of iron is of no use but if that iron piece was used and wears out, then to it would be of use. A lily of a day which withers away in the evening is respected but not an oak tree which stands for hundreds of years. This means that those who are idle are not wafted by the society. No one finds them useful. If you want to fulfill your ambitions, work hard and wear out and do not frightened of failure. We must make full use of the talents and remember that success can only be achieved by hard work. Write a letter to your friend stating what changed your attitude towards mathematics. Ans : N Street Opp. Y Lane OPQ Dear Shyam, It has been long since I have heard from you. Did you forget me? I wanted to share an enlightening experience with you. Do you remember the way I treated mathematics? As if it were my step-sister. But the encouraging story of the great mathematician, Ramanujan, had a deep impact on me and I started liking mathematics. In spite of being an Indian, he was honoured with top awards in England. Poverty never became a hindrance for his passion. He had to undergo many hardships to research on mathematics and even in trying conditions, he continued his study. All these have pumped in new energy in me. I say to myself that if he could shine in such conditions, then even I could top the class which all the facilities I have at my disposal. Do share such experiences of you with me. Yours faithfully Suman Que : Work is Worship [ Mar 99 ] Ans : Work is the best kind of worship. According to all great thinkers, God is present everywhere and at all times. It is much better to do ones work well and thoroughly than to spend ones days chanting hymns. We do not have to go to a temple to pray we can do so while performing our humble day-to-day tasks. Indeed work itself is a form of prayer. We should work for the upliftment of humanity and the betterment of mankind. God helps those who help themselves, and we can help ourselves, only if we work, not only to possess material things but to glorify God who made us. Our work should be useful and creative and should be alone for the progress of our society and nation. The best example we can give is Mother Teresa who worked for upliftment of needy and poor. No work should be considered low, and no matter how humble it is, if it is for the benefit of the world it is worth doing. Whatever we do should enhance our own dignity and honour and make us better human beings. Work is divine and it is also the most befitting way of worshipping god. We can earn the love of God by doing it with dedication. Que : India of my dream [ Mar 00 ] Ans : India means culture and civilizations. Harappan civilization flourished on the banks of river Indus. India is not a vast mass of land, but it is a land of plains, mountains, rivers, villages etc. In ancient times, India was known as the land of plenty. Spices, silken clothes, cotton clothes, indigo were the items which made Europeans rich. Europeans came to India for trade and took away all these things to their country. India is a united country. The habits and customs of people as well as their food and clothing were of a common pattern and style. Many universities were established. This shows that there was unity in diversity. Even after five decades of independence, India is facing with many problems. The government is trying to solve the problems. Terrorism has affected the economy of India. My dream about India is that the problems which we are facing now like poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, terrorism, etc. will be got rid of. Every able man and woman will get work. The work will contribute to develop himself and the nation. The mind of the people will be strong without fear. His wisdom will be used for the welfare of the country. There will not be any riots or war. Education will be free for all. Minds will be free form all superstitions, narrow-mindedness and blind belief. The growth of the population will be checked since people will be educated and everyone will have equal opportunities to choose the line of education. There will be social democracy as well as economic democracy. There will be pure air and water. Man will make use at solar energy, wind energy etc. for the welfare of the people. India will progress in the field of science. India will become the richest and number one country of the world. There will be peace security for all in the country. Earlier it was said that India was a golden sparrow with its prosperity. I wish my dream of India comes true and progress and be prosperous. Que : Letter to the manager of a factory requesting permission for an industrial visit. Ans : New Komal High School, Naranpura Abad 13 7th February 2002 To, The Manager IFFCO, GIDC Road, Kalol. Sir, Being the General Secretary of the Students Union of our school, I am writing this letter to you on behalf of all my follow classmates. We are required to take up various projects and fieldwork. As part of the same, I request you to grant us a permission for an industrial visit to your factory. Our batch will consist of around 25 students. Your permission will go a long way in educating students. Kindly let us know the day and time convenient to you. Awaiting a favourable reply. Yours faithfully, XYZ (Kormal High School) Que : Autobiography of a Pen Ans : Hi! I am one of the proud members of the Parker family. I was born three years ago, in a factory in the US. Later, I was taken through many tests and after my good health was verified, I was packed and shipped to India along with several of my friends. Once in India, we all were separated, save for a few. I was sent to a big stationery store in Mumbai where every single customer stopped to have a second glance at me due to my shining presence. I was the center of attention. I know that I was the object of envy for many other pens. One day, a very rich man came to the store for shopping and his eyes fell on me. He couldnt resist my charms and immediately bought me. Later I came to know that he was the creative director of Mumbais biggest ad agency. I was overjoyed to leave the dusty showcase of the store and join a man of importance. For the first five days, I lived a privileged. I was used to sign all the documents, make ad copies and many of those ads were hits on the television. But all that ended one day, when his wife gifted him with another pen on his birthday. In a matter of days, I was given to the masters driver. The drivers soiled shirts and dirty tables robbed me of my sheen and his naughty children often dropped me causing my body to break. I was bandaged by a tape but I could never be my original self. A few days ago, the driver exhausted my ink and threw me into a corner of his house. Since then, I am rotting here, awaiting the next turn of fate. Que : If Newspapers were Stopped [ Mar 98 ] Ans : Newspapers play a very important role in our lives. We cannot imagine a single day without the newspaper at our doorstep in the morning. No matter how much of a hurry we are in, there is always time for a quick look at the headlines, which tell us at a glance what is happening all over the world. The forming of a new government, the winning or losing of a cricket match, an earthquake, an aeroplane crash, a train accident, the tragedies of a common man are all covered in the few sheets which comprise a newspaper. There is hardly any aspect of life which is not covered by newspaper. Apart from news, it gives us valuable information in the forms of advertisements, notices and reviews. Newspapers bring awareness and consciousness to the literate public. If such valuable news media was stopped then what would happen. We cannot have any information about cricket match, government, or an accident. We will not get any information regarding any new product. People would be away from the world. They would be alone, cut off from the world. People of the world would not know each other. We would go back to 13th or 14th century. Before new sea-route to India was discovered, Europeans did not know about Asians and Asians did not know about Europeans. Later on when trade began the people came in contact with each other. In the same way if newspaper were stopped people would be unaware of the new discoveries and inventions. It is a well established fact that newspapers are valuable nobody can deny that. We should exercise our discrimination while reading the newspapers. Sometimes they are instrumental in instigating people to do wrong things. In spite of television, newspapers are still the most effective and influential means of communication with the citizens of the world. Que : Write an application for the post of a clerk-cum-typist in a local factory of your town. Ans : 7, Anmol Appts, Nr. Shivranjani Satellite, Abad 11th April, 2002 To, The Manager Neo Chem Industries, Vatva, Abad Sub : Application for the Post of a Clerk-cum-Typist Sir, With reference to your advertisement in the TOI dated 9th April 02, I would like to apply for the post of a clerk. I have an excellent typing speed of 59 WPM which is a necessary skill for the post. I have the cleared my B. Com. with a First Class. I am also comfortable with computers and am well versed in MS OFFICE and the internet. I have enclosed my bio-data for further reference. I can assure you that if given a chance, I would work to the best of my abilities and provide good results. Thanking you, Yours faithfully, XYZ Que : Read the passage and answer the questions given below. It is no startling assertion to make, that poetry is beautiful, it is a claim that all would readily admit, especially those whose neglect of poetry is as complete as their regard for beauty. But once you have looked face to face upon the spirit of beauty, as it can be manifested in a great poem, you will never disregard it again. For it holds you by a charm which though invisible is stronger than all the chains by which men bind themselves to the material world. Success, money, position, these are to most men things to be desired above all others : they seek the comfort of their own bodies, the respect of their friends, self esteem, safety. But to the spirit these things may be fetter keeping it a prisoner in a world, which it despises. Poetry, it is true, will never bring you wealth or luxury or ease, and if anyone goes out to discover poetry hoping to become rich or famous, then the sooner he turns back the better. But remember always that the things of the spirit are more important than the things of the body; poetry has more to give you than any material success; treasures of the mind and the soul wise understanding, sympathy, eyes to behold beauty, a nature at peace and in harmony with life. By the virtue of its beauty poetry can do this, and all this is what we mean when we say that poetry is beautiful. 1) What is the assertion with which the author begins his passage? (2) What is the author’s comment on the spirit of beauty in a poem? (3) What happens to the spirit when a man seeks material pleasure? (4) What can poetry give a person? Ans : (1) What is the assertion with which the author begins his passage? Ans : The author begins his passage with the assertion that poetry is beautiful. (2) What is the author’s comment on the spirit of beauty in a poem? Ans : The author believes that once we have paid attention to the spirit of beauty in a poem, we would never again disregard it. It is an invisible bond which holds us with its charm. (3) What happens to the spirit when a man seeks material pleasure? Ans : When a man only seeks material pleasures, the spirit is bound as a prisoner in a world, which it despises. (4) What can poetry give a person? Ans : Poetry can give a man treasures of the mind and the soul, understanding, sympathy, an eye for beauty, a nature which is at peace with life. (2)The scientist I admire the most Dr Vikram Sarabhai is the scientist whom I admire the most. He was born on August 12, 1919 in the renowned Sarabhai family. Ambalal Sarabhai, his father, was a well-known industrialist. His mother, Saraladevi, was a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi. She was a great social worker. Vikram studied at home. After passing his matriculation examination, he studied in Gujarat College for sometime. Then he went to England for further studies. After returning to India, he worked under Sir C V Raman at the Institute of Science in Bangalore. He obtained his Ph. D. degree for his research on Cosmic Rays. He worked as a professor of Cosmic Rays at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. Later, he became its Director. He helped in establishing ATIRA. He also worked as the Director of the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad. He was then appointed as the Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission. He wished to use science for peaceful purposes and for the welfare of mankind. He is remembered for his ceaseless work in institutions like the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station in Kerala and the Artificial Satellite Launching Station near Chennai (Madras). He was awarded Padmabhushan by the Government of India. He passed away on December 30, 1971 at Thiruvananthpuram. He was a great scientist indeed ! B)Write a letter to your friend congratulation him for his brilliant success in the examination. Ans: 9, Suketu Flats Ashram Road, Ahmedabad 380009 June 1, 2002 Dear Samir, We came to know about result and were very glad. Please accept my congratulations on your brilliant success at the SSC Examination. My parents are very happy and they have asked me to convey their blessings to you. I shall try to follow your example and study hard and regularly to succeed in life. We shall celebrate your success with a party when you come here. I am looking forward to your visit eagerly. Your Friend XYZ (C)Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below : The man came with the poison and said to Socrates, You have only to drink this, and walk about until your legs feel heavy, and then lie down and it will act itself. Socrates took the cup cheerfully, without trembling, and without any change of colour, and looked up at the man with that fixed glance of his, and asked, Shall I make an offering to the gods, from it? We only prepare so much as we think sufficient, Socrates, he answered. I understand, said Socrates, I must pray to the gods that my journey hence may be prosperous : that is my prayer; be it so. With these words he put the cup to his lips and drank the poison calmly and cheerfully. Most of men present controlled their grief. But one of them burst into a loud cry. Then all of them broke down except Socrates himself. What are you doing my friends? He exclaimed, I sent away chiefly in ord er that they might not offend in this way, for I have heard that a man should die in silence. So calm yourselves and bear up. The men were ashamed and ceased weeping. But he walked about, until his legs were getting heavy and then lay down on his back. Feeling left his legs; then heavier and heavier he was cold and stiff. And then Socrates himself said when it came to the heart he should be gone. After a short interval there was a movement. Then all was still. QUESTIONS : (1) What did the man ask Socrates to do? (2) How did Socrates receive the poison? (3) What did Socrates do before drinking the poison? Why? (4) How did Socrates calm down the angry men? (5) How did Socrates die? Ans: (1) The man asked Socrates to drink the poison and walk about until he felt that his legs were heavy, and then lie down. He also told him that it would act itself. (2) Socrates took the cup cheerfully, without trembling, and without any change of colour on his face. (3) Before drinking the poison, Socrates offered it to the Gods and prayed for a prosperous journey. (4) Socrates calmed the angry men by saying that he was being sent away chiefly in order that they might not get offended in this way, for he had heard that a man should die in silence. So they should calm themselves and bear up. 5) After drinking the poison, Socrates walked about, until his legs were getting heavy and then he lay down on his back. Soon feeling left his legs and became heavier. He became cold and stiff. Then Socrates himself said that when it came to the heart he should be gone. After a short interval there was a movement at all. (B)Expand the idea contained in any one of the following :5 (1)We live i n deeds, not in years. Ans: Life is not to be measured in days or months or years. Rather, it should be measured according to the deeds performed during the years. If a man lives a hundred years of inactive life, his life is as good as a living death. But if a man lives for just thirty years but does some constructive work, he becomes immortal through his work. Ramanujan was a great mathematician who lived just about thirty odd years but he is still remembered as a legend. On the other hand, there are so many people who live a hundred years and still die an unknown death. This point can be best understood by the example of an oak and lily. An oak lives on for years at a stretch but it is hardly of any use to anyone. On the other hand, the lily dies in a day but for the time it lives, it spreads light and happiness in the lives of people. 2)A stitch in time saves nine. Ans: It is always safe to take action before the eleventh hour descends. If we take an action on time, we can always end up satisfied in the end. But if we keep postponing things for later and not do our work in time, we will find ourselves scampering here and there to get things done at the last minute. For example, if a sailor ignores a small hole in the ship and d oesn’t make any effort to mend it, he will soon find that small jets of water will seep in. slowly, the water jets will become powerful and the small hole will become a bigger one. Then, the ship will slowly be flooded and lives will be at danger and in no time, the ship will sink taking with it hundreds of lives. Thus, one’s carelessness can wreck havoc. Thus, it is always better to do things at the right time than ending up repenting over our idleness or carelessness. Q. 3 (A) Write an essay on any one of the following in about 200 words. 10 (1)The World of Tomorrow Ans: According to Dr. Radhakrishnan, the former President of India, The whole world is a family, it is a nest. We are the children of the same God and it should be our ideal to make the world one arge family of nations. To achieve this ideal, every man has to become a world citizen. To make our world the best the man has to train himself to be ready to sacrifice his selfish interest for the happiness of others. He must become broad-minded. He must build up relations with men in other parts of the world and work with them for the establishment of world peace. The world is facing many proble ms terrorism, unemployment, pollution, poverty, communalism, imperialism etc. The world of tomorrow will be free from all these problems, but man has to work for it. Man will have to make sacrifices in order to inculcate in his own mind and in the minds of others. The sentiment, the spirit of universal brotherhood. He should concentrate on developing the spirit of cooperation. In tomorrows world everyone will be properly fed, will have proper job for everyone and shelter. Poverty will be abolished, everyone will be employed. The work will contribute not only for the welfare of the people but also for the overall development of a man. The feelings of hatred and revenge will be abandoned by the man and the feelings of love and compassion will take its place. Unity will be achieved by developing the sentiment of universal brotherhood. He has to rise above his narrow selfish interests and concentrate on developing the spirit of co-operation to achieve the unity in the world. There will pure air, water, the pollution will be a past thing. Rivers and seas will be clean. There will not be any noise pollution. Man will make use of renewable source of energy. Education will be free for everyone. Everyone will have equal opportunities to select the line of education of ones own liking. There will not be any caste differences. There will be unity, peace prosperity in the future. 2)Home, Sweet Home! Ans: Home, the most beautiful place on earth. Every person loves his home. Thomas Hood has said I remember, I remember The house where I was born, The little window where the sun, Came peeping in at morn. A child, when he grows up and raises his own family, but he does not forget his sisters and brothers where they have grown together. As I remember , I remember And where my brothers set, The lumberman on his birthday, The true is living yet. J. Howard Pahe said Be it ever so humble there is no place like Home. Mother contributes the most to make the home sweet. Even other members of the family also contribute to make a home comfortable for every member of the family. We always remember our home. If we go out for a world tour and visit many beautiful places, palaces but we will always be counting days when we will return to our home. Home is a place which use will never erase from our mind. To make our home sweet it is a combined efforts by all the family members. (B) Imagine that you are Suyash Pathak, from Yogeshwar Society, Race Course, Rajkot. Write a letter to the authority of municipality requesting to take action against the vendors outside your school. Ans:Yogeshwar Society Race Course Rajkot 2 7 2003 To, The Municipal Commissioner Rajkot Subject : Menace of Vendors outside School Sir, I have no doubt that you are aware of that vendors with their different food-stuffs like sandwich, fruits, cold-drink etc. and pan-masala near my school D. A. V. High School. The stuff which is prepared and sold in a very unhygienic conditions. It is exposed to flies and other insects so it is a threat to the health of school children. May I request to your goodness to take immediately action to prohibit the selling of such food-stuffs by the vendors. Yours Faithfully Suyash Pathak C)Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below One day George Washington was riding along a road. On the way, he saw some soldiers, trying to lift a heavy beam. The Corporal was giving them order. The beam was too heavy to move without help. They needed just one man more. The Corporal, however, would not help them. He thought he was big an of ficer to come down to the level of the soldiers. Washington watched for a minute and then asked the Corporal why he did not help the soldiers. The Corporal at once turned round and said, Dont you know, Sir that I am an officer? Washington replied, I beg your pardon, Mr. Corporal; I did not know that you were such a great man. Then he at once dismounted, took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves and pulled the beam with all his might. The beam came up at once. Washington then mounted his horse again and said to the officer, Mr. Corporal, if in future you need the help of another man, send for your General. The Corporal was ashamed. Washington, the First President of USA was a great man indeed. Questions : (1) Why could the soldiers not lift up the beam? (2) Why did the Corporal not help the soldiers? 3) What did Washington say to the Corporal in the end? (4) Why was the Corporal ashamed? (5) What lesson do you learn from the story? Ans: (1) Why could the soldiers not lift up the be am? Ans: The solders could not lift up the beam because if was very heavy. (2) Why did the Corporal not help the soldiers? Ans: The Corporal did not help the soldiers because he thought that he was a big officer to come down to the level of the soldiers. (3) What did Washington say to the Corporal in the end? Ans: George Washington said to Mr. Corporal that in future if he needs any help he can send for his General. 4) Why was the Corporal ashamed? Ans: The Corporal was ashamed as he came to knew that George Washington himself was his General. (5) What lesson do you learn from the story? Ans: The story tells us that no work is small or big far any person. OR Make a precis of the above passage and give it a suitable title. Ans: Work Belittles None George Washington saw some solders trying to lift a heavy beam, but they needed just one man more. The Corporal thought he was too big an officer to come down to the level of the soldiers to help them. Washington dismounted and pulled the b eam up. He said to the officer that if in future he needs the help, he could send for his general. The Corporal was ashamed. (B)Expand the idea contained in any one of the following 5 (1)Handsome is that handsome does. Ans : Handsome the meaning of the word is fine form. A handsome person means a good-looking having pleasing looks. Everyone likes to be beautiful. People are attracted towards a handsome person. It is the nature of a human being that he likes only beautiful things. Nature has provided many beautiful things in the world. Everyone likes to appreciate a butterfly, but not a bat. Physical beauty is not real beauty unless it has an inner beauty. A person is handsome when he does some handsome deed. If a good-looking person is criminal then no one would like him. But instead of a criminal, he does good deeds like helping needy people, to help educational institutions, hospitals, though his wealth or by his service, he would be called a handsome person. Freedom fighters who sacrificed their life for the nation did good and handsome deeds. People appreciated their deeds. The beauty of the soul is shown of a person through his good and great thoughts, words and deeds. Mahatma Gandhi, ordinary in appearance, was really very handsome. Handsome deeds are done good thoughts, words. Handsome thoughts makes a person to do handsome work so we can say that handsome is as handsome does. (2)What cannot be cured must be endured. Ans : Medical Science provides cure for most of the diseases. But some of them cannot be cured. AIDS is one of them. A patient suffering from an incurable disease should face life with courage and endurance. The person should judge his life as a gift of God and live the rest of his life with happiness. Today the government spends a lot on finding a cure for AIDS. Medical professionals are also hopeful for finding a cure for incurable diseases. Only time will tell, when such a cure will be available, but the hope is still there. One has to live, till the time such a cure is available for general public. The person having an incurable disease should wait till a remedy is available. Friends, relatives should also support the patient to help him live the rest of his life with happiness. So we can say that What cannot be cured should be endured.

Religion vs. Relationship Professor Ramos Blog

Religion vs. Relationship Summary: Jefferson claims, â€Å"Religion makes you blind, but Jesus makes you see  and thats why religion and Jesus are two different clans. Religion is man searching for God; Christianity is God searching for man.† Jefferson wants people to understand the difference between religion and having a relationship with God. He says Religion says do but Jesus says done. He claims Religion is a hypocritical front people put on to call themselves â€Å"good.†Jefferson makes a statement to let people know that having a personal relationship with Jesus means come as you are. Jefferson states, â€Å"Its not a museum for good people- its a hospital for the broken.† Church shouldn’t feel like a place to come because we are perfect, but instead a place to be real and come as you are even if that means you are broken. Religion is the infection while God’s grace is the cure. Its not about what you’ve done but what Jesus has already done for us. Response:   We agree with what Jefferson is trying to proclaim. People can have their opinions on religion whether its good or bad. Jefferson really lightens up the perspective of just the simplicity of knowing Jesus without all the rules and regulations religion brings to the table. Religion can become like a front making it seem like it’s all okay when in reality people are hurting inside. Now people will have there different opinions on what they believe and thats okay. I believe that Jefferson does a good way of using Ethos to grab the audience attention to try and get people to think differently about religion and start looking at the words and life Jesus lived.

The Impact of the Ottoman Empire on Europe's and Turkey's Essay

The Impact of the Ottoman Empire on Europe's and Turkey's architecture, gouvernment and life - Essay Example The major areas where the Ottoman caused impacts in Europe and Turkey include architecture, government, and general life of the citizens. This research paper focuses on how the Ottoman Empire changed and influenced the architecture, politics and social life in Europe and Turkey. The Ottoman Empire constituted one of the three empires that were most outstanding in the world. The other two empires of the world along with the Ottoman Empire were the Roman Empire and the British Empire1. The Ottoman Empire acquired several benefits from the already established states of Turkey. The states had already underwent a lot of establishment, thus, the Ottoman Empire used some of their resources for internal growth and development. One unique feature about the empire was that it was always attracted to ways of life of the West. Additionally, the Ottoman Empire did not have any prejudgements about anyone and bore with all forms of religious and ethnic groups within its operation regions. The founding, rising and advancement of the Ottoman Empire underwent actualisation using a well-designed plan and program. The plan for actualisation was founded on the principles of both spiritual and worldly realities in the state philosophy. The success and influence of the Ottoman Em pire was possible due to sharing the central and local leadership responsibilities with all ethnic and religious colleagues. The history of Ottoman Empire has its tracings back to a Turkish tribal chieftain known as Othman (Osman). The Seljuk Empire in Anatolia collapsed in the late thirteenth century, which led to it being divided into many states. Sogut was one of the states and its founder was Ertugrul. Osman was his son and it is after his death he took over and built the Ottoman Empire. The empire was grounded on the Islam religion. It was during the fourteenth century that he founded this empire originally known as Osmanli, but later through an evolution in

Reflection on the Secluded Paradise in the Community Park Essay

Reflection on the Secluded Paradise in the Community Park - Essay Example In the first step, I had to garner enough information on the accessibility of the secluded paradise. Gathering this information was vital in ensuring I amassed enough information on travelling to the place. I had to search for this information since I figured a reconnaissance study would be appropriate. Therefore, finding a better route to the place would be plausible. Secondly, I searched for information about the place (Kamyab 23). I indulged the use of both primary and secondary data collection techniques. As I received loads of data, I had to sieve the data to attain the vital points. With such a drill, I was able to gather enough information. Instantaneously after amassing data from the primary and secondary sources, I had to embark on the reconnaissance study. This study gave me enough preparation for the actual visit to the place. After a couple of days, I made the official visit to the place to gather more data. I had to indulge many people in the quest for data as I was practically looking for quality data. I also had to compare the pricing and quality of services with other businesses offering the same services (Kamyab, 66). I discovered there was a minute difference in the pricing, as other businesses preferred the same pricing. After collecting information, I set on to write the essay. Since I had all the information, I faced lesser challenges. I had to encompass all the vital information in the essay, giving a stronger outlook. Though the essay had all the vital information, I had to revise several parts. For instance, I had to specify some of the prices in the park. The community park charges from $ 595 to $ 605, prior to a deposit of $ 303. With such a pricing technique, there is a reduction in cancelations.

Auditor Preliminary Analytical Procedure

Auditor Preliminary Analytical Procedure Auditors are required to prepare the preliminary analytical procedure at the planning as a part of the risk-assessment procedures under ASA 315.6. The definition of preliminary analytical procedure is that comparison of client rations to industry or competitor benchmarks provides an indication of the companys performance. The purpose of preliminary analytical procedure is to obtain understanding of the clients company and industry. (textbook) In common, two major stages, simple comparisons and ration analysis, are used by auditors during analytical procedure; however ration analysis is a better understanding of the entity. Based on the data from question 6.33, the analysis procedure is allocated in two major stages. (textbook) Simple comparisons. Simple comparison is to compare amounts between the 2009 financial statements and 2010 financial statements of Gourmet Pty Ltd. The net profit increases from $56 240 000 in 2009 to $63 562 000 in 2010, the increasing amounts are up to $7 3220 000. The total shareholders equity increases from $141 300 000 in 2009 to $204 862 000 in 2010, the increasing amounts are up to $63 562 000. The performance of company is better from 2009 to 2010 in respect of above data, because company owns a steady and experienced management team; attempts to extend the range of products in order to enhance competition of industry and depends on appropriate strategy to acquire other smaller competitors. The simple comparison is a general analysis, however, auditor need to use ratio analysis in order to obtaining the specific data. Ratio analysis Based on 6.33, following ratios could be calculated for analysis. The current ratio is 0.195 in 2009 and 0.280 in 2010. These two ratios are less than the better benchmark 2, even are lower than positive current ratio 1.5 as well. The quick asset ratio is 0.070 in 2009 and 0.096 in 2010. The gross profit ratio is 0.481 in 2009 and 0.463 in 2010. The net profit ratio is 0.183 in 2009 and 0.193 in 2010. The debt to equity ration is 7.30 (a) The inherent risk is the susceptibility of an account balance, class of transactions or disclosure to material misstatement given inherent and environmental characteristics, but without regard to internal control. (textbook) Based on the background information from 6.33, following factors could impact the inherent risk: A new finance director has joined in the company. The change of important management position would increase inherent risk. At the same time, the new finance director will face pressure to outperform pervious result; the pressure could provide an incentive for him or her to involve the misstatement and fraud of financial report. Also the inherent risk would increase. The company owned 25 outlets of varying sizes and geographic locations, which would increase inherent risk, because it is hard to be controlled by managers of entity. Company has signed contract regarding the construction and development of a restaurant and entertainment complex, which would increase inherent risk due to the lack of expertise about the new market. The company installed a new computer system; the change of information technology may not work as expected or may be unreliable and could affect the accuracy of financial report. Therefore, the inherent risk would be increased. (b)(i) Based on the audit risk model, three components consist of audit risk: inherent risk, control risk and detection risk. The increase of inherent risk will result in that misstatements likely to occur in companys financial report, which would lead to the increase of audit risk as well.(textbook) (c) The level of materiality should be considered as a key point to plan the nature, timing and extent of audit procedure, and the relationship between audit risk and materiality is inverse. (textbook)Therefore, the amount of preliminary materiality level reduced from $5000000 to $3200000 after review of inherent risk, because that the inherent risk is higher than the auditors anticipation. Thus, auditor should increase the extent of audit procedures, selecting a more effective audit procedure and performing audit procedures closer to the balance date, particularly in respect to account is considered importantly by auditors.(text book) 8.34 (a) The objectives of internal auditors are that Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organisations operations. (Adam Cunningham). The internal auditors scope of work is comprehensive. It serves the organization by helping it accomplish its objectives, and improving operations, risk management, internal controls, and governance processes. (http://www.theiia.org/theiia/about-the-profession/internal-audit-faqs/?i=1086) External auditor is to verify that the annual accounts provide a true and fair picture of the organisations finances; and that the use of funds is in accordance with the aims and objects as outlined in the constitution.   The scope of external auditors (b) External auditor can adopt the information from internal auditor included that: The internal audit function as a part of the internal control, will impact the external auditors assessment of control risk and the scope of audit procedures. The descriptions and other documentation of internal control will contribute the external auditor to gain an understanding of the companys internal control. The direct assistance by internal auditor will help external auditor to make substantive test or tests of controls(textbook) (c) Along with internal auditor involved in assessing the company strategy and identifying the associated risks, which will provide helps for the external auditor regarding to undertake a business risk approach to the audit. In addition, internal auditors should hold adequate skills, knowledge, experience, integrity and objectivity to ensure the effective information for external auditor. (textbook) Based on the information on 8.34, Gourmet Pty Ltd owns an experienced and professional internal auditing team. However, the external auditor should consider carefully for these information, because that the objectives of the internal auditor should be the same as the objectives of the company (David A. Wood).Therefore, external auditor must select information under the requirement of independent audit. (d) The objective 1, objective 2 and objective 4 are related to ensure the effective operation and acquirement of maximal benefit for company, which are not included in control activities. The control activities is that policy and procedures that pertain to performance reviews, information processing, physical controls and segregation of duties. (Textbook) Therefore, the objective 3, objective 5 and objective 6 are related to internal control activities, which are need to be relevant to external auditor. 9.35 (a) The related internal control must be identified effectiveness if auditors plan to rely on this control. Therefore, auditors need to set out tests of control to confirm effectiveness of controls. From this case, the audit partner has decided to use the work of the internal audit group (LAG). One of the work papers from LAG is to examine payments made to creditors throughout the year and determine whether the procedures laid down in the Accounting Manual have been properly followed. On the other word, this paper is related to the tests of control about payment. The result of this test indicates some errors: (i) Payments that were not matched to an approved purchase order, however, all other documentation was attached. The objective of this is to test the occurrence of purchases of inventory transaction. This error implies that related transaction may not occur or the transaction is unauthorised. (ii) Payments that were not made to an approved supplier. The objective of this is to test the occurrence of purchases of inventory transaction. This error implies that related transaction may not occur or the transaction is unauthorised. (iii) Payments that were authorized by a second party, although this was not required. The notes explain that new financial accountant being unaware of firm policy. Although it has been remedied, the related transactions may do not occur or is unauthorised. (iv) Payments that had no supporting documentation attached. The objective of this is to test the occurrence of cash disbursements transactions. This error implies that related transaction may not occur or the transaction is unauthorised or the goods or services may not receive. (v) Payments that did not bear evidence that computation on creditors invoices had been checked. The objective of this is to test the accuracy of purchases of inventory transactions. The error implies that related transactions are not recorded correctly. Also, these errors indicate that the internal control regarding payments is not very effective, because the proportion of error is almost 28% of 60 samples. It means that the risk of this related internal control is higher than average level. (b) Under this situation, external auditors should consider whether the evidences adopted by internal auditors are satisfied sufficiency and appropriateness. Particularly in respect of the appropriateness should be discussed here. Gourmet Pty Ltd is a large private company; therefore it must have a large volume of transactions. If internal auditors only selected 60 samples, it should be considered by external auditors that the amounts of samples are not sufficient and the control risk is higher than its actual level. Therefore, they can choose to increase the extent of test of control to try to reduce the risk level to an acceptable level. If the control is still not working as they expected, they can choose increase the extent of substantive testing in order to continual reliance on this control. If the control risk still can not be reduced by these tests of control, external auditors will give up the reliance on the control. In effect, auditors have determined that control does not exist or the existence of control can not provide reliable evidence. (textbook)

Leonardo Da Vinci Research Paper

Once there lived a man who was gifted with the power of looking at the same object in many different fashions sometimes as a painter would look at it, sometimes as a naturalist, sometimes as a physicist, at other times as a poet and not one of those fashions was superficial (Valley. 1958). With all the technical advances from today, most artist and inventors are inspired by this man. Leonardo exemplified the resurgence, living, view, and producing art and technology that still characterizes that age of discovery.When people think of Leonardo dad Vinci, usually the first thing that comes to mind is The Dad Vinci Code with Tom Hanks. But in reality people would say he was one of the finest artistic and scientific men of the Italian Renaissance Age. â€Å"The Last Supper† and the â€Å"Mona Lisa† are among one of his finest works of art. These art pieces were way ahead of Dad Vine's time. Leonardo was not Just a painter or artist but he was an inventor responsible for prod ucing designs ranging from early tanks and submarines to the revolutionary â€Å"flying machine. His study and mastery of a wide range of disciplines, including sculpture, philosophy, and engineering, made Leonardo a humbly of the spirit of his age, and the personification of the term â€Å"Renaissance man. â€Å"(Ryan & Adagio, 2005) We could start back when Dad Vinci first was born to see the intellect of a brilliant mind. April 15th, 1452 Leonardo was born in Vinci, Italy. Who knew on that day an infant would grow up to be known as the universal genius. He was raised by his father Piper dad Vinci, a notary in Florence.At an early age Leonardo exhibited a considerable artistic talent so when he was fifteen Leonardo moved to Florence, Italy, this is when is life started to blossom, he was Andrea del Veronica's apprentice. Overarching was a well-known artist for his time and began to show and develop Leonardo in painting and completing sculptures (Goldman. 1997). Leonardo stayed working with Veronica's until he turned 25. He then moved on and spent the next five years painting many different paintings with many different artists. When he reached the age of 30, he moved to Milan, Italy and became a court artist for Duke Alluding Oxfords.Becoming a court artist made Leonardo a Jack-of-all-trades. Not Just known or an artist, Leonardo also was an inventor; there are three tiny little notebooks that house a collection of his works also called the Codex Forester, which are now kept in the Victoria and Alberta Museum in London, England. They are believed to have been written between 1495 and 1497 (Mills, 2008). First let me talk about one of his most famous paintings, â€Å"Last Supper† he began to paint this piece in 1495 and this piece was commissioned by the Duke for the convent of Santa Maria dell Gracie.He tried to complete this painting as a mural on the wall using oil-based paint, but unfortunately the paint did not adhere to the wall and was a comp lete failure. However this brings me to the fabulous painting â€Å"The Mona Lisa†, this painting represents elegance and pure beauty. Leonardo worked on this painting for four years until 1506. In 1506 Dad Vinci abandoned work on the â€Å"Mona Lisa† to be the artistic advisor to the city's French governor â€Å"Charles demise's† at the request of King Louis XII of France . (Ryan & Adagio, 2005) In 1513 Leonardo left Milan and traveled to Rome, Italy at the request of Pope Leo X.Once he arrived he was presented with a spacious art studio to complete more of his work. Dad Vinci remained in Rome for four years, while there he completed only one major piece and that was a series of drawings which were titled â€Å"The Deluge†. Later on in 1517, King Francis I asked Leonardo to France and was going to make him the royal painter, architect, and mechanic to the king. He accepted and was given a salary and a place to live in the palace at Cloud. While he was th ere he became a teacher to a number of young inspiring artists to help them move on into their career.It was a very sad day on the 2nd of May 1 519, this is the day that Leonardo Dad Vinci left this earth to return to our heavenly father in the sky. He was surrounded by the kings court in Cloud when he passed away. Leonardo will always be known for the great artist he was and teacher he has instilled on many of us. I think everyone has a little of Leonardo in them whether it be painting or from inventing to woodworking. When people write they write with their hearts, I know when Leonardo painted it was from his heart.People knew Leonardo dad Vinci as a great painter, but my research also discovered the many different talents this great man had. Being one of the top inventors in the world he was responsible for many of the innovations that had transpired during the renaissance period. He was as much an inventor as an artist. Though he never built many of the inventions he designed, s ome of the things he envisioned in the late sass are in use today, including helicopters and parachutes. Dad Vinci was obsessed with war, and he sketched an armored vehicle that could carry eight men inside and allow them to fire weapons through holes in its walls.He drew ND wrote about what we today call tanks more than 400 years before they were first used in combat during World War l. (Grant, 2010) Leonardo Dad Vinci is the key personality that enlightened the Renaissance with its outstanding talent. Other major figures, such as Francesco Did Giorgio, have left a rich legacy, especially in architecture and machinery design. Now when you close your eyes and picture an airplane or even a bird you could envision yourself in a way that Leonardo Dad Vinci did when he thought out his inventions.

Persil Company Essay

1. BACKGROUND Henkel is a multinational company founded in Germany in 1876. Henkel is a leading firm with international recognition and is ranked among the Fortune Global 500. The organization produces many leading products and brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf, Loctite, Pritt, Sellotape and Right Guard. It operates in three business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries and Adhesive Technologies. As shown in Figure 1. (see Appendix), Adhesive Technologies represent 48% of total sales, followed by Laundry & Home Care with 29% and Cosmetics/Toiletries at 22%. In 2010, Henkel achieved annual sales of â‚ ¬15,092 million and a net income of â‚ ¬1,143 million. (Henkel 2011) The company operates in over 125 countries, in five continents. Henkel employs over 48,000 staff, 80% based outside of Germany. Figure 2. (see Appendix) shows that most sales are to Growth regions (41%) followed by Western Europe (36%) and then Northern America (18%) (Henkel 2011). Henkel targets both industries and households, aiming some campaigns at organizations such as laundries, hospitals and parlours and others towards households. Henkel states that â€Å"For a large proportion of our cosmetic products, our laundry and home care products and our consumer adhesives, women count among the direct or indirect target user group† (Henkel 2011). Henkel’s strategy consists of three priorities: achieve full business potential, focus more on customers and strengthen the global team. The ultimate purpose of Henkel’s strategy is the further improvement of the company’s competitiveness and to permanently establish a winning culture. (Henkel 2011) Persil is one of Henkel’s leading brands. First introduced in 1907, Persil is renowned as being the first commercially available â€Å"self-activated† laundry detergent. Persil had huge success and captured the majority in the German market share. Nowadays, Henkel sells Persil products in numerous countries; mainly Germany, France, Spain, Mexico, China. Persil has also adopted local names such as LeChat in France, Dixan in Greece, Italy and Cyprus and Wipp in Spain and China. The success of Persil was due to two main factors. Firstly, for being the pioneer in changing the whole detergent market, making itself discernible from the competition. The second, was Persil’s product presentation and packaging, making the European people feel identified. These competitive advantages have brought a large following of loyal customers throughout the different countries Persil is sold in. In this paper we will analyze Henkel’s strategy for the Persil brand and make recommendations. 2. BRANDING STRATEGIES Brand strategies are a very important part of the marketing strategy process. There are three aspects within the idea of brand strategy: brand reach, brand positioning, and brand architecture (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.141). Brand reach is about the geographical and vertical reach of the company. Brand positioning is the act of designing the company’s brand to a distinctive place in the minds of the customers. Brand architecture looks at the structure of the brands in the company and the relationships between those different brands. Brand reach has two different aspects, geographical reach and vertical reach. The geographical reach refers to the scope the brand reaches over an area. Henkel’s redesign of the brand will reach all of the different countries they are selling in. The vertical reach explains the use of the brand throughout the value chain. There are two options regarding the vertical reach of a brand; ingredient branding and processing branding. Ingredient branding explains the use of brand materials throughout the entire value chain. For example, the use of Intel processors in several different computer brands. The opposite is explained by processing brand, where the brand is not seen throughout or even at the end of the production process. An example of this can be seen when purchasing a car. Buyers are aware of the car brand but do not know who produced the airbags. (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.142) Brand positioning is the next aspect of brand strategy, which has three parts to analyze. The brand core is the identity of the company, which is also known as the mission statement. Persil’s brand core is the pioneer of first active-agents in detergents market. The next part in the brand-positioning model is brand benefits. This illustrates what the product brand offers its customers. Persil’s laundry detergents offer the public an easy way to wash clothes and a large range of different products, in turn leading to an improved quality of life. Both of these aspects are integrated within the overall brand personality, which means the traits associated with the brand. Trustworthiness, authenticity, reliability and resilience are examples of traits that fit Persil’s brand personality. Brand image is the impression of a brand’s total personality in the customers mind. The closer the brand image and brand personality are to each other, the more successful a brand is likely to be. This is shown in Figure 3. (see Appendix). (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.143) The relationship to competitors’ brands is also a useful way to analyze brand positioning. There are two different types of positioning in branding, differentiation and similarly positioning. Differentiation is positioning your brand in a remarkably different area than any other brand on the market. Similarity positioning is positioning your brand in a similar area to those already on the market. A product map is used to illustrate similarities are differences. As Persil was the pioneer for active-agent detergents in the laundry detergent market, it used the differentiation approach. Brand architecture is the third and last aspect of the brand strategy. Brand architecture is the structure of all the brands in a company and their inter-relationships within the company. Brand architecture does not look at decisions made for individual brands but more, the structural decisions for the entire brand collection of a company. There are three types of branding strategy when considering brand architecture; single branding strategy, single umbrella branding strategy, and multiple umbrella branding strategy. (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.145) The single branding strategy illustrates a company where each product has its own brand, and is sold under its own brand name rather than under the company brand name. Henkel markets its products, such as Persil, under individual brand names rather than under the Henkel company brand. Single umbrella branding is the opposite of single branding strategy. This is where all products or services are marked under the same brand. Multiple umbrella branding is the mix between both types. Keeping different brand names separate can be challenging for most companies. However, Henkel has so many years of experience in this area that managing this would not be a problem. Persil, for example, is marketed as a separate brand by Henkel and has been a leader in the laundry detergent market for over 100 years. Changing the name of Persil or other Henkel brands should not be an alternative, as it may bring a negative effect to the company. Since Henkel’s customers, are familiar with separate brand names, they may not appreciate a change to new unfamiliar names. 3. PRODUCT MIX In today’s dynamic market environment, organizations constantly need to adapt their products due to rising competitive situations and changing customer needs. The product mix is a helpful term when it comes to maximizing the organization’s potential. This can be defined as the entire range of products supplied by an organization at a given point in time (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.133). There are three main options for expanding an organization’s product mix in order to get the optimal product portfolio. These are product variation, product differentiation and diversification (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.134). Product variations are modifications of the features and characteristics of an already existing product on the market, without changing the core functions of the product (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.134). The variation can be made in many ways but the most common variations are changing the products’ aesthetic properties (e.g. shape, color), physical-functional properties (e.g. quality, material) or symbolic properties (e.g. brand image, brand name). An important point is that product variation is just a matter of changing an already existing product, not creating a new product. Examples of product variations are a new †face lift† design of a car or a new packaging design of a product. Product differentiation is an organization’s process of adding new product variants to an already established product (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.135). This is an opportunity for an organization to create competitive advantages, by distinguishing its product from competitors. An organization can do this by basing the product differentiation on either offering superior products or creating better customer relationships (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.72). In product differentiation the original product still exists, in comparison with product variations when the modified products are no longer available on the market. MasterCard is an example of a product differentiation, due to its various range of payment solutions. Diversification is when an organization integrates products into its product mix that do not have direct connections to already available products in the organization’s product portfolio (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.136). By diversifying, the organization is seeking to increase profitability through greater sales volume acquired from introducing new products in new markets (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.76). A diversification strategy can be very risky for organizations but can also create opportunities with great potential. McDonalds’ introduction of its â€Å"McCafe† concept is an example of a diversification move, which proved very successful. In 1907, when Henkel was in its roots, the organization used a product differentiation approach. It was able to introduce a new unique laundry detergent formula of a self-activating detergent that resulted in being the pioneers of this type of product. Henkel was able to create competitive advantages by implementing its new superior formula on the market and therefore distinguishing its brand from competitors. Another aspect of Henkel’s product differentiation is its great product range. Henkel differentiates itself by being the leading supplier of laundry detergent, offering detergent to a wide customer group. These diverse products target different categories of washing such as: low temperature washing, premium market washing, detergents for allergenic people and environmentally friendly washing. 1962 saw the introduction of a completely new Henkel product in the market called Somet. This product did not focus on washing clothes, but instead on washing dishes. The introduction of this product was very successful and is an example of diversification by the company. Henkel integrated a detergent for washing dishes in its product mix hence, operating in a new market. By doing so, Henkel was able to increase profits through greater sales volume of its products. In recent years, Henkel has changed its product mix approach with an increased focus on product variation techniques. Henkel recognizes the need to modify already existing products in order to survive in today’s dynamic market. This is shown in Henkel’s ability to change their laundry detergent products’ aesthetic packaging properties, which is an example of product variation. Through the years Henkel has changed the design of the detergent packages several times which all proved successful. Henkel realizes the importance of presentation for potential buyers and hence places a lot of emphasis on this area. 4. ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES Henkel’s goal is to reassure customers that Persil is still as effective as any other laundry detergent on the market. Henkel embarked upon this strategy by changing its product decisions through product variation, as discussed earlier. The organization developed new ideas for its already established products by redesigning and improving formulations, as well as developing a clearer distinction between their different product groups to attract new customers. Henkel undertook pre-tests to analyze customer responses, redesigned its website and engaged in promotional activities such as the Persil Future Ship which toured 18 German cities, showcasing the new campaign. Henkel also contributed â‚ ¬1,000,000 to the Project Futurino initiative. There are many other options that Henkel could have pursued to enforce its new strategy. Under the heading of product decisions, Henkel could have used product differentiation or diversification, as explained above, to expand the product mix to enforce its new strategy. Henkel has used these methods before and could implement these methods again. Henkel could have also established synergies, reduced the product range or considered areas such as brand management activities. When examining the area of establishing synergies, there are two options that Henkel could have considered; product bundling and product platforms. â€Å"Bundling is when a company sells two or more separate products in combination and sells the bundle at a single price† (Homburg, Keuster and Krohmer, 2009, p.137). This can encourage cross selling and also reduce costs. This may have been a good idea for Persil as many customers may buy more than one of their products. However, as each customer has different needs and preferences, a lot of research would have to be done to discover optimal bundles that suit many consumers. Consumers may also not use the products in equal measures so may still need to buy products individually. Henkel could also have considered establishing product platforms. This is when individual products can be produced using common standardized product components (Homburg, Keuster and Krohmer, 2009, p.137). Although this would save costs for Henkel and may make the Persil products more recognizable, it may make it harder for customers to differentiate between the Persil products themselves. Persil would have to ensure that their products are still clearly distinguishable from each other for this to be successful. As Persil is aiming to develop an even clearer distinction between their different product groups, this may not be a wise strategy for them to take. Product elimination is another area that Henkel could have considered. This would involve removing one of its products from the market. By removing a less popular product it could show customers that Henkel is concerned about standards and only wants to keep its best and most effective products on the market. On the downside, Henkel may lose the customer base that used to use the now eliminated products. Another alternative for Henkel could have been to engage in brand activities. This involves moving into other product groups but under the same brand name. If brand loyalty already exists, which it does in the case of Persil, this can prove to be very successful. â€Å"Brands signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product or service again† (Kotler et al. 2009, p.428). As Persil has been voted the most trusted brand in its category nine years running by Readers Digest, it is clear Henkel already has brand loyalty and a strong customer relationship. If Henkel had moved into an entirely new market area, different to laundry detergents and home care, it could have captured new market segment. This could have lead to an expansion of the company and potentially increased overall profits. Persil also has many years of experience in the market so would already have a lot of consumer information. This could prove highly successful, as they would have a competitive advantage over new entrants. Henkel could have also looked at areas such as pricing decisions, communication decisions and sales decisions. Another option was to lower prices, redevelop communication methods or come up with new sales decisions such as: new distribution channels or a new advertising campaign to reassure customers of the effectiveness of the Persil brand. Although all these options have advantages and benefit Henkel in different ways, we believe that Henkel’s choice to focus on product variation was the most suitable for its strategy to assure customers that Persil is still as effective as any other laundry detergent on the market. 5. PRODUCT INNOVATION Many products are subject to a life cycle, which is becoming increasingly shorter for a number of product categories. Given this, the development of new and successful products is essential for companies’ long-term survival. First of all, companies need to generate innovative ideas. In general, these ideas come from company-internal sources or external sources. Company-internal sources are information from the R&D department employees, field sales force employees, customer service/service hotline employees, complaint information or suggestions from employees (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.115). Using this source of information, the organization can benefit from more directly available information that takes into account more knowledge of the existing products and resources. On the other hand, sources of information from outside the company could be through customers, competitors, market innovation in other markets, technological developments, findings from trends, market research institutes, business consultants and advertising agencies (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.115). Gathering these information sources, the company can benefit from an â€Å"outside the box† thinking resulting in more creative ideas (company-external information sources tend to be more innovative). In particularly, customers can be a very useful source of information for product innovation. Using creativity methods can also generate new product ideas. These methods can promote and encourage creative thinking by creating synergies, for example in cross-functional project team. Creativity methods can be: brainstorming, brainwriting, or the morphological box (Homburg, Kuester, and Krohmer 2009, p.116). Our recommendation would be to use company-internal sources of information. By doing so, the company can benefit from its large number of employees, that are at the same time are customers. Henkel could also benefit from more direct and cheaper information. Although, to avoid a biased view the company should also hire an expert in this particular field, to get an outside opinion. 6. PERSIL PEN Innovation has always been a main focus for Henkel. In 2007, Persil Megapearls with Anti-Gray formula was named as the â€Å"most successful innovation† in its category and voted among the top 10 most successful innovations of all food categories by Lebensmittel Praxis (Henkel 2011). Henkel works hard to innovate new products to satisfy constantly changing consumer needs. Henkel wants to focus more on the new â€Å"Green movement† that has been present in society for the past decade. According to Henkel’s mission, its aim for each product is to contribute to the sustainable development and combine top performance with human and environment responsibility. To extend on this idea our group has thought of a new innovative product for Henkel. The â€Å"Persil Pen† is a small pen, with concentrated detergent in it that can be used on-the-go to remove stains and spills from fabrics. The Persil Pen will be small enough to fit in someone’s briefcase or purse, for a convenient and quick way to deal with life’s on-the-go accidents. The Persil Pen in the beginning will be targeted mainly to professionals in the work force. The product can be used discreetly in the office to take care of small accidents at lunch or on the way to work in rush hour. The new product for Henkel’s detergent market will bring convenience and reliability to the busy, unpredictable workday. After the Persil Pen has gained market recognition, we plan to expand to different target groups such as students. Another possibility could be to team up with restaurants and have the pen available for use for diners, free of charge. This way they can try out the product and hopefully later purchase it themselves. Our marketing strategy will consist of two ideas. First, we plan to target large companies and hand out the Persil Pen at meetings, offices, trade fairs and conventions. This will get the new product directly into the hands of our target market. Another promotion to get the product out in the market would be to attach a free pen with the new brand labeled detergent in the stores. This will open up the new product to the already existing group of customers that buy Persil detergent. The Persil Pen can be advertised and communicated to the public with a focus on the redesign of the Persil Brand. This new brand strategy of changing all the packaging for their detergent to a new and more modern look, will be the perfect time to introduce Persil Pens. This will spark interest in the current customer base and attract interest in the entire Persil brand, in turn raising market shares. As Henkel originates from Germany, we have chosen Germany as the first market for Persil Pen to be launched in. If the launch is successful we will launch in other countries using the Persil brand name. In the development of this product we think a low price would captivate a larger number of new customers, and make them aware of its existence. The price should not be too low, so that customers do not think that we are selling a low quality product. By the time that a reasonable number or percentage of the target customers are using the new product, the price should be gradually adjusted to a mid-range price, comparable to Persil’s price range. Once the product is launched and sold, variations on the product concept can be made. This will be a unique way to stand out from competitors in the market. â€Å"Tide†, a very well known detergent company, has developed and is producing a product like this in North America. Persil can work to concur the European market for this product. Persil is already a well-established brand in Europe so brand loyalty will already be established. This product illustrates Persil’s goal of facilitating washing for their customers and improving their quality of life. The Persil Pen will eliminate having to wash an entire work shirt with just one stain on it. Not only is this extremely facilitating for users but will also add to Persil’s environmentally friendly campaign. People will not have to waste as much water washing a garment with only a small stain. This new product will increase customer loyalty and in turn increase sales volume for Persil and Henkel. 7.CONCLUSION Henkel is a leading company in three core business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries and Adhesive Technologies. Henkel is successfully marketing its products under individual brand names, for example Persil. Persil has a clear view of their brand reach, positioning and architecture. Henkel is constantly expanding its product mix through methods of product variation, product differentiation and diversification. Henkel gathers vital information from both external and internal expertise (Henkel 2011). We believe that Henkel could explore alternative strategies such as brand activities, but that product variation is still the most suitable option for its current strategy. Henkel has always thrived in the area of innovation, for example Persil’s pioneer formula in 1907. We think that the Persil Pen could prove to be a new successful product with great potential. Henkel is performing well despite the downturn in economic conditions worldwide in recent times (Henkel 2011). We are confident of Henkel’s ability to create a strong foundation for the future success of the company. LIST OF REFERENCES Henkel 2011 (accessed October 1, 2011), [available at http://www.henkel.com]. Homburg C., Kuester S. & Krohmer H. (2009), Marketing Management; A Contemporary Perspective. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education. Kavaratzis M. & Ashworth G.J. (2005), City branding: An effective Assertion of Identity or a Transitory marketing trick? 96 (5), pp. 506-514. Kotler P., Keller K.L., Brady M., Goodman M. & Hansen T. (2009), Marketing Management. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.