Russian Cultural Differences in Business Essay Example for Free

Russian Cultural Differences in Business Essay First of all, considering that Russian is my native language, I will warn that it is extremely hard for an American to learn Russian. Grammar is difficult, and we use the Cyrillic alphabet. But this will not be a big problem because every person with higher education in Russia speaks English fluently; we start learning English from 2-3 grades at school. Secondarily, names. Referring to one another by the first name is acceptable only between truly close friends, when meeting with someone-simply state your last name. Typically, Russians use three names: the first name, the last name, middle name is fathers first name, known as a patronymic. Here is an example, I will use my name: Elvira Viktorovna Stasescu. When you become well familiar with an individual, you may be asked to call him or her by the first and patronymic names. One more thing to remember, this made me confused when I came to USA, the date format. Here is the order of the date-06/04/2012; this is today’s date, which is April 4th 2012. Physical contact among Russians is uncommon, especially if you see the person for the first time. Although some gestures may be used, be cautious to control your own. The American OK (thumb and index finger) and ‘V’ signs are offensive gesticulations in Russia. Smacking the open hand over a fist can also be a bad-mannered gesture. Standing with your hands in your pockets may be considered impolite. The thumbs-up signal is positive as it indicates agreement. Eye contact should be recurrent, nearly to the point of staring, it expresses honesty and helps form trust. Speak in a tranquil, modest, tone of voice at all times. Speaking or laughing at the top of your voice in public is discouraged. Russians enjoy giving and receiving gifts. Gifts are normal for social events, especially as â€Å"thank-you†. If you invited to a Russian colleague house, bring a gift such as chocolates, cakes, good wine, and flowers for every woman in the house. And if you are about to buy some flowers for Russian women, bring the odd number, even number of flowers is used only for funerals, same with yellow flowers. Russian business culture has a deeply rooted hierarchy, although the state no longer dominates business as much as it used to. Managers have authority over their juniors and are eventually accountable for the concluding decision. Although you may give your presentation in English, it is important that any material and documents be printed in Russian. Praising and rewarding anyone in public are noticed only with mistrust. It will take a long time for conclusions to be made in Russia, we are particularly suspicious. The handshake is common. The Russian version is a strong hold with a number of quick shakes between two men. If you about to shake hands with a woman, wait until she extends her hand first. Take off your gloves before the handshake. Whistling in a home or other indoor spaces is unacceptable, and it is even referred as a superstition that it will cause a serious monetary damage. Russians feel very much susceptible by uncertain circumstances; it will take a long time to win their trust. Negotiations should be extremely detailed, well prepared and with brief explanations. Russians have a preference to have perspective and background material. Russians appear remarkably formal and distant. Although, formality is considered as a sign of respect. Russia is collectivist country; people belong to groups that take care of them in exchange for reliability. We use more often word â€Å"We† instead of â€Å"I†. Another example, if you are telling a story about you and your colleagues, you will name your colleagues names first and your name at the end. The international manager reconciles cultural dilemmas – the quote by Fons Trompenaars means that in order to succeed on international market, we must know the cultural values and assumptions differences between the countries we conduct our business.

Starbucks Micro and Macro Environment

Starbucks Micro and Macro Environment For any organisation survival depends on its surrounding environment located. It means the trends in political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal environment, which can influence business. Below the environmental factors are described (P)olitical Issues: Taxation policy If government imposed high tax on farmers in countries producing coffee bean from where Starbucks buy their coffee, than Starbucks needs to pay higher price for their coffee they purchase. This effect will ultimately pass to the customer, because they need to higher price. Government stability Starbucks should carefully investigate the political stability of any country before they want to plan for expand to. It can affect in taxation and legislation when the government change. International stability The global economy must be carried into attention as it can affect Starbucks sales and markets. Employment law A decrease in licensing and permit costs in those countries producing the coffee bean for Starbucks will lower the production costs for farmers. (E)conomic Issues: Interest rates An increase in interest rates means investment and expansion. And also mortgage repayments rate will rise so customers have less money to spend on luxury products such as coffee. Low interest rates have the reverse effect. Economic Growth If economic growth is low in the country of location of Starbucks then sales will fall down. Customer incomes tend to go down in periods of negative growth leaving less money to spend. Inflation rates Inflation is a term for increasing prices. It is measure by using Retail Price Index (RPI) in the UK. Competitors pricing Aggressive pricing and sales from competitors creates a price war for Starbucks, which can drive down. (S)ocial Issues: Population demographics They need to identify and target their customers to aim their products on them. Attitude to work They have to find area where local population have high attitude to work. So their recruitment will be easy, training will be effective and staff turnover will be low. Standard of education/skills Creating new premises Starbucks needs to look for standards of education and skills locally. They must be up to date in order to make any business operation successful. Working conditions/health and safety They must accomplished high standard of friendly environment and follows health and safety. Location this is a major factor it should be in a easy access for both customers and staffs. (T)echnological Issus: IT development Starbucks is well aware to extend and improve its Internet facilities and also tools to target customers, analyse data, and deliver new features to the market in the shortest time. New equipments and processes The technology like as coffee making machines and the computers system development that Starbucks use to operate their till registers will enable their staff to work more quickly and efficiently. Research and Development activity Starbucks has huge budget and have allocated the resources to have accurate Research and Development data. (L)egal: Trade and product restrictions Starbucks have to ensure they dont violate laws e.g., religious laws. Also they have to be attentive on the tariffs have to paid for import / export goods. Employment law Each country has some restrictions on employment laws. Like student work law in UK, the public holidays etc. Starbucks have to account these factors. (E)nvironmental Issues: Pollution problems Customers increase a lot of rubbish that they leave the shop with their cup of coffee and then also leave it in the street. So the packaging for the cup should be carefully accounted to make it environmental friendly. Work disposal Starbucks have to carefully consider the process to dispose rubbish as there are strict laws in most countries. Micro analysis or Michael Porters five forces analysis Michael Porters has developed a famous model of the five competitive forces in his book. The competitive strategy that techniques he analysed for organizations and competitors. It tends to high light on single, stand along and business or strategic business unit rather than a single product or product range in the market. Porter has specified these five competitive forces that form every company and every market. These are: Threat of new entrance Bargaining power of suppliers The threat of substitute products Bargaining power of customers Competitive rivalry Threat of new entrance Economics of scale, high or low entry cost, ease access to the distribution channel; other cost advantages are not associated to the size of the company, whether other competitors will react. There will always be a continuous pressure for Starbucks to respond and regulate these new competitors. The easier it is for new competitor to enter the market the more competition there is within the market. Although this should not be a problem for Starbucks as they have a large number of market share. Literally, it will be a threat for the new entrants. As a companys volume increases, so does its experience and knowledge, which tends to increase the potential risk for the new competitors. Bargaining power of suppliers If little large number of suppliers control the market more than large number of fragment sources, bargaining power of supplier is expected to be high. Even suppliers got certain quantities of power that is limited. But for Starbucks being the most famous specialty coffee shop chain in the world reaching sales of $9.8 billion in 2009 and still increasing they still should be demanding coffee beans for some time. It is legal to say that the Suppliers need Starbucks, just as much, if not more so than Starbucks need their supplies. The suppliers of Arabica beans were mostly owned by medium-size farm and typically sold their production to process by local markets. (Lee, 2007) Particularly, these farms had been placed in the Pacific Rim, Latin America and East Africa. (Lee, 2007) These farms were various and not related with one another, with separation, providing them small bargaining power. Even there was no straight alternative for the Arabica beans which had been use in special coffee production. Huge group of farms which had been supply the crop processed it easy for buyers to escape burdens to any specific farmer, which was difficult for suppliers. The farmers sold the Arabica beans to specialty coffee retailers who were reliant upon their constant business. Luckily for Starbucks they buy their coffee beans directly from producing countries: Latin America (50%), Pacific Rim (35%) and East Africa (15%). Threat of substitute of products It occurs when there is a product-for-product replacement or substitution of need. For example bald head reduces the need for hair gel, where there is common substitution and finally the attitude we could always do without . An example for Starbucks would be if an alternative to coffee was offered e.g. a customer switching from coffee to tea, coffee to chill drinks or coffee to juice. Competitive rivalry: contribute to strong rivalry between existing competitors in an industry. Bargain power of buyers Buyer power is likely to be high if a number of circumstances are in place. There is an awareness of buyers, additionally if the volumes of purchases of the buyers are high, the supplying industry includes a large number of small operators, there are substitute sources of supply, the component or material cost is a high percentage of total cost, the cost of switching a supplier is low or engages little risk, there is always a risk of backward integration by the buyer. Competitive rivalry Every day competitions are growing gradually against the Starbucks as the business growth. Competitors taking chance to reduce the price, introducing a rival product, insistent growth of production to enhance the market share. Starbucks significant innovation their products which also competitors start to keep up. It is very hard for Starbucks as a competitor to keep the fixed cost against the variable cost. Starbucks dont have any other competitive rivals that are of parallel size to them. So there are not any competitors in the market that would be measured in balance with them. However, they must retain their outstanding standards and always be on the watch out for new advances in order to survive as the market leader. SWOT analysis Aim of SWOT analysis is to identify the main internal and external factors that are very significant to achieve the objective. It is essential to be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses to help differentiate the companys situation are today, and where it could be in the future. The strengths and weaknesses are named internal factors and external factors are opportunity and threats. (S)trengths It is a global coffee brand with a high reputation for excellent products and services It has around 17,000 stores in 49 countries.ÂÂ   It has strong ethical values, commitment towards the environment and community activists. It is one of the most Top 100 companies which is work for in 2005 Starbucks Gift Cards, Starbucks Card and rewards. Well-value, well train and well-motivated employees, best working place Established logo, developed brand image, copyrights, own trademarks, website and patents. (W)eaknesses It has majority market share in the USA with more than three quarters of its stores located in the domestic market. In order to reduce business risk, expansion is needed. It has a reputation for trying new products development and creativity. But, they always remain vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation can go wrong. (O)pportunity It has a chance to expand its global operations. Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink and brand franchising to other manufacturers of other products and services both has high potentiality of success rate. Technological advantage Emerging multinational markets New distribution channels Supply agreements (T)hreats Its success has lead many competitors and copycat brands pose potential threats for market entry. Starbucks is exposed to increases the cost of coffee and dairy products. Farmers are poorly treated by false publicity in supplying countries. Fragile state of worldwide production for specialty coffees. Isolation of younger, domestic market segments. Cultural and Political factors in foreign countries. Marketing objective and strategy Now we can identify external and internal factors of the company. Starbucks marketing objectives are being consistent with their business objectives. Significantly their marketing objectives should direct to sale. The marketing objectives should follow SMART objectives. SMART objectives are: Specific: organizations objective need to be identify what they want to achieve. Measurable: organization has to measure whether they are meeting the objectives or losing to do so. Achievable: objectives should be set, achievable and realistic. Realistic: The firm is expected to attain the objectives with the resources available. Timed: A timescale require being place for achieving the objectives. The 7th of September in 2010, the company has announced that they expand distribution of Starbucks about 13,000 stores are available at more than 55,000 locations around all over the world. Starbucks is increasing its share of the $23 billion international coffee market. (VIAÂÂ ® Ready Brew through international grocery channels in Japan, Canada and the U.K.) Starbucks has stores in forty nine different countries as well as Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand, and Singapore (Starbucks 2010). And in the U.K. total 80% coffee are selling every day, the product will be available in 2,300 grocery retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury and Waitrose, raising the total figure of distribution locations to more than 2,900 retail locations. At present, Starbucks has expended stores in forty nine different countries as well as Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand, and Singapore (Starbucks 2010). Starbucks consider which is important to have a good relationship with their customers wherever they are situated. Thats why; the company maintain the high quality products and services. This company would not be as successful as they are now. Because they are being considered without diversity as they pride it. They are identified to be recognising of various groups of people because they convey in notes for new growth prospect. Jim Donald, President and CEO of the Starbucks Corporation states, When we embrace diversity, we succeed (www.starbucks.com). Starbucks consider that without change, their company would not have matured into the highly successful global company that it has matured into today.

Citric Acid to Remove Stains | Experiment

Citric Acid to Remove Stains | Experiment BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Knowledge about natural bleaches to remove stain may be useful in our daily life. Natural bleaches can be found in various types of fruits juice and many more. This green bleaches are more friendly to environment and cheaper than commercial product. Citric acid is one of bleaching agent that can be found in the citrus fruits such as lemon. This paper will discuss on the process of removing stains by citric acid in different type of fruit juices. The investigation was focused on How does the type of citrus fruits used affect the rate of reaction of stain removable? Since stains have different types, the effectiveness of citric acid on two types of stains (synthetic and vegetable based stain) had been discussed more in this investigation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experiment was conducted with different type of fruits; lemon, lime, navel orange and pineapple. The time taken for the different type of stain to be removed by different type of fruits had been recorded and be analyzed to identify the most best used as natural bleaches. RESULTS: Even though the lemon juice is more popularly known as natural bleach but based on the experiment, the best used citrus fruit as bleaching agent is lime and the citric acid is most effective used to remove vegetable based stain. Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction 1.0: Bleaches 1.1: Chemistry in Bleach 1.2: Mechanism of Bleaching 1.3: Rationale of Study 1.4: Significance of Study 1.5: Limitation of Study 1.6: Research Question Hypothesis Variables 3.0: Apparatus and Materials 4.0 Procedure and Analysis 4.1: Extraction of juices from citrus fruits 4.2: Citric acid determination 4.3: Procedure for stain removable Conclusion Evaluation INTRODUCTION Bleaches Bleaches used worldwide in household to remove or decolorize stains which whiten or lighten the color of clothes. Chemically, bleaches will breaks the stain molecules into smaller molecule that easily be removed. D.Noemia Souza (2008) stated that bleaches are chemical that capable to whitening the fabrics and removing stains by destroying colouring matter. There are two types of reaction that involve in bleaching. Commonly bleaching process involves in oxidation processes such as hydrogen peroxide and some involve the reduction processes such as sodium chlorite. However in bleaching processes, the oxidation and reduction also can occur simultaneously. Bleaching process for stains most effective when both an oxidative and a reductive bleaching steps worked together and this referred as full bleaching (J.M. Cardamone W.N. Marker, 1995) There are various types of bleaches, and each type of bleach is specifically used for certain type of fabrics. The fabrics are very specific and if use d with wrong bleach, the fabric will wear out. Concentration, pH, time and temperature are the various conditions which are affect the action of bleach on fabrics. Chemistry of Bleach Hydrogen peroxide is the most prominent bleach and usually used in commercial bleaches. However, according to D.Noemia Souza (2008), the strongest bleach is sodium hypochlorite while the weakest is sodium chlorate and the hydrogen peroxide is milder. Sodium hypochlorite(Chlorine-containing oxidants) Usually, the sodium hypochlorite will contain 15-18% of chlorine (D.Noemia Souza, 2008). Under certain condition, the solution will decompose into sodium chlorite (eq1) which then reacts with hypochlorite and produce the sodium chlorate (eq2). The sodium hypochlorite will undergoes further reaction to release oxygen (eq3). Thus it is classified as chlorine bleach 2NaOCl NaCl + NaClO2 (1) NaOCl +NaClO2 NaCl+NaClO3. (2) Overall equation: 3 NaOCl 2NaCl+NaClO3 (3) 2NaOCl 2NaCl+O2 (4) Hydrogen peroxide(preoxygen bleach) Hydrogen peroxide bleaching will dissociates into H+ and per hydroxyl ions HOO-(eq1).The per hydroxyl ions is the active bleaching agent. Under alkaline conditions it will release oxygen (eq2).Cotton would damage under this conditions as the bleaching effect is slow and the bleaching rate is fast. The activator and stabilizers are added to control this condition (J.M. Cardamone W.N. Marker, 1995). H2O2 HO2- + H+.. (1) 2H2O2 2H2O +O2 (2) Hydrogen peroxide is a universal bleaching and D.Noemia Souza (2008) said it is the only oxidizing bleach that can be safely used on protein. Mechanism of Bleaching Based on ProcterGamble (2005) the process of bleaching is divided into two, which are; Breaking up the stain The stain consist of molecule chains covering the fabrics The bleach molecule will break the stains into smaller pieces After that process, bleach molecule will disappear The stain is now broken into smaller pieces which can be easily removed by the surfactant Decolorizing the stains The stains color has its origin in the double-bond connections Then, the bleach will break up the bond and convert it into single bond, eliminating its ability to absorb visible light. After that, the bleach molecules will disappear. Once the double-bond connections are broken up, the stains isnt visible anymore. Citric Acid as Natural Bleach Citric acid is weak organic acid and one of the acids found in citrus fruits such as lime and lemon. It popularly used in food industrial as perservative. It also can act as natural bleaching agent and an antioxidant. So it is useful in our daily life to remove stain or dirt from fabric and bleach the spot. Citric acid exist in many type of vegetables and fruits but more concentrated in lime and juice where the dry weight of citric acid in fruit comprimise as much as 8 percent (sciencedaily.com).The concentration of cotric acid in fruits range from 0.005 mol/L for oranges to 0.30 mol/L in lemons and limes (Wiki.Org) Rationale of the Study Nowadays, most of people prefer to use biodegradable product or green product. Especially in current downturn economy, many people change to less expensive products. Using citrus fruits as an alternative ways to remove stain is the good choice. The question that arises here is what the significance of knowing which of the citrus fruits is best used in removing stains? Significance of the Study Sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) and hydrogen peroxide (oxygen bleach) are extremely popular in the market to whiten the fabrics and in stain removable. However, there are some disadvantages using oxygen and chlorine bleaches. Most of them are hazardous if ingested or inhaled and should be used with care. Lindsay Evans (2009) also explained the chlorine can cause negative health effects. Besides, they are costly and give a bad impact to our environment especially rivers and lakes ecosystem. Chlorine that flowing into rivers or lakes will combine with other chemical to form a stable compound where it will remain unchanged in groundwater for many years (Wisconsin, 2010). On the other hand, citric acid best uses as natural bleaches because it does less harm to ecology of rivers and lake. Limitation of the study All of the experiment will conduct in the Mara College Serembans laboratory. Most of the material such as citrus fruits; lemon, lime, navel oranges and pineapple and table salt are obtained from Carrefour Cheras in Cheras, Selangor, Malaysia. So, all of the fruits are not in the same level of freshness due to different condition during storage that may affect the freshness of the fruits. Besides that, the fruits might not come from same tree and this will affect the concentration of acid in the fruits. Research Question The focus of study is to investigate the ability of citrus fruits as natural bleach to remove stain from fabric. The main objective of this study is to identify which of the citrus fruits; lime, lemon, pineapple, and navel oranges is best used as bleaching agent. So the research question of the study is How does the different type of citrus fruit used; lime, lemon, pineapple, and navel oranges affect the rate of reaction of stain removable? The study uses 4 different types of citrus fruits which are lime, lemon, pineapple, and navel oranges that will extract into juice and add with table salt (sodium chloride). Hypothesis The research question of the study is How does the type of citrus fruits used affect the rate of reaction of stain removable? The rate of reaction of stain removable is the highest at the most acidic solution. So the hypothesis is the most acidic fruit in this case is lime or lemon as both contains high concentration of citric acid. Variables Independent Variable There are two independent variables in this experiment as the experiment is divided into several parts. The first independent variable is the different types of citrus fruit juices; lemon, navel orange, lime and pineapple. While the second independent variable is the different type of stains where synthetic stain (syrup) and vegetable stain(tomatoes) are used throughout the experiment. Dependent Variable Rate of reaction to remove the stain from fabric will be the dependent variable. The time taken will be record by stopwatch for the stain to decolorize. Then by using the graph the gradient is determine which represent the rate of reaction. Fixed Variable The fixed variables are type of cloth (cotton), volume of juice (5oml), temperature (100ËÅ ¡c) and volume (100ml) of water bath and quantity of sodium hydroxide (3 teaspoon). All of this material will be use in same quantity throughout of the experiment. Apparatus and Materials Material Quantity Fruit juices (lemon, lime, navel oranges, and pineapples) 50 cm3 100 ËÅ ¡c of water bath 100 cm3 Phenolphthalein Distilled water 40 ml Table salt 1.0M of NaOH solution Dried KHP 3 teaspoon 10 cm3 1.0 g 4.0 Procedure and Analysis Preparation of an approximately 0.1 M Sodium Hydroxide Solution followed by the Standardization of the Sodium Hydroxide Before testing the concentration of citric acid, the standard sodium hydroxide solution needs to be prepared. In order to prepare 0.1 M of NaOH, 9.0 cm3 of 1.0M sodium hydroxide solution was diluted with 100.00cm3 of distilled water. Then the sodium hydroxide solution was standardizing to determine its concentration by titrated it with KHP. This acid base reaction is shown in Equation 1(M.L.Gillette, 1999); KHP(aq) + NaOH (aq) NaKP(aq) + H2O(l)(eq1) Two portion of 0.5g of dried potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) was weighed and dissolved with 50ml distilled water in conical flask. The Phenolphthalein solution was added for 2-3 drops into KHP solution to indicate the end point of titration. Phenolphthalein was used because the pH range of product is 8-10 .The sodium hydroxide was titrated with KHP solution until pale pink color was produced. The volume of NaOH solution added was recorded. Data Collection for Standardization of NaOH Number of trials 1sttrial 2ndtrial Initial Burette reading/cm3 ( ±0.05cm3) 0.00 0.00 Final Burette reading/cm3 ( ±0.05cm3) 23.50 25.40 Volume NaOH solution added/cm3 ( ±0.05cm3) 23.50 25.40 Observation After few minutes, the clear solution turned into pale pink before disappeared. After few minutes, the clear solution turned into pale pink before disappeared. Table 4.0 Data Analysis The purpose to standardize sodium hydroxide solution against potassium hydrogen phthalate is to determine the exact value of sodium hydroxide concentration. By titrate the 0.1M of sodium hydroxide solution against KHP solution the results collected are more accurate. The concentration of sodium hydroxide was found to be 0.1002M Calculation for determining the concentration of the sodium hydroxide; KHP (aq) + NaOH (aq) NaKP(aq) + H2O To calculate the number of mole of KHP Number of mole= mass/molar mass = 0.5g KHP/ 204.2 = 2.449ÃÆ'-10-3mol KHP To calculate the number of mole of NaOH required to neutralized KHP solution No. of moles of NaOH = No. of moles of KHP = 2.449ÃÆ'-10-3mol NaOH To calculate molarity of NaOH solution Concentration of NaOH = (number of moles/ volume of NaOH)ÃÆ'-1000 = (2.449ÃÆ'-10-3/ 24.45) ÃÆ'-1000 = 0.1002M Percentage uncertainty of the concentration of the 0.1M of sodium hydroxide % Uncertainty of Concentration of 0.1M NaOH = Volume(H2O) + Volume(NaOH)+ Concentration of NaOH(1.0M) % Uncertainty of VH2o = 0.04/100.00 ÃÆ'- 100 = 0.040% % Uncertainty of VNaOH = 0.05/9 ÃÆ'- 100 = 0.600% % Uncertainty of CNaOH = 0.040+ 0.600 =0.64% Extraction of juices from citrus fruits. The lemon was cut into small pieces and blend with blender. The juice released was putted into the beaker and labeled with A. First step was repeated again until half of the beaker filled. Then, the extracted juice was filtered through muslin cloth. The whole procedure were used again with another type of fruits, lime, navel orange and pineapple and labeled with; Beaker Type of juice A Lemon B Lime C Navel orange D Pineapple Citric Acid Determination The reason of citric acid determination is because to know the exact value of citric acid in juices for data analysis. This process is carried out by adding NaOH into the fruit juices. The approximately 10 mL of lime juice was prepared by using pipette and transferred into a conical flask. Then, the lime juice was diluted with 20ml of distilled water and three drops of phenolphthalein was added into solution. The solution with 0.1M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was added from burette to the juice sample while swirling the mixture until the reaction mixture turned into faint pink color. The end point was reached when the pink color persists for thirty seconds. The volume of NaOH added was recorded. The processes were repeated again to increase the accuracy. Then, the procedure was repeated with different type of juice; lemon, orange and pineapple. By using the formula, the molarity of citric acid in the fruit juice was calculated. Data Collection for citric acid Determination Type of juice Lemon Number of trials 1sttrial 2ndtrial 3rdtrial Volume of juice pipette/( ±0.5)ml 10 10 10 Final burette 27.6 49.6 76.1 Initial burette 0 27.6 49.6 Volume of NaOH ( ±0.1)mL 27.6 22.0 26.5 Average Volume of NaOH 23.98 Qualitative Data The colour of solution in conical flask change from white colour to faint pink colour. Data Analysis- calculation for determining the citric acid concentration through sodium hydroxide added. The citric fruits consist of citric acid. Citric acid contains carboxyl acid group and reacts with hydroxide ion as indicate in equation 2 (Dr. Ewa Thomas, 2007). The sodium hydroxide will ionize to form sodium ions and hydroxide ions (eq 1). NaOH (s) Na+ (aq) + OH (aq) (eq 1) C3H5O (COOH)3 (aq) + 3 OH- (aq) C3H5O(COO)33- (aq) + 3 H2O (l) (eq 2) The purpose of this experiment is to determine the concentration of citric acid on the citrus fruit by titrating the citrus juice with standard sodium hydroxide solution. The concentration of citric acid can be calculated by measuring the volume of sodium hydroxide used (eq 3). Molarity,M= (eq 3) M1V1 = M2V2 (eq 4) Based on the equation, the molarity of the OH- ions equal with sodium hydroxide as the molecular ratio is 1:1. So, the molarity of hydroxide ions can be known. By using equation 4, the concentration of citric acid can be determined. Calculating the concentration of citric acid By using the data given above, I had calculated the concentration of citric acid in citrus juices. The citric acid C6H8O7 is a triple basic acid that consists of three carboxylic acids and react with one hydroxide ion ,eq 1(Ewa Peter Thomas M Moffet, 2007). In this experiment, I assumed that the citric acid is sole acid found in the citrus fruits. C3H5O(COOH)3 (aq) + 3 OH- (aq) C3H5O(COO)3 (aq) + 3 H2O (l).(eq 1) However, according to experiment conducted by Law.C Solak.E(2009) the citric acid does not always have the 3 carboxylic acid. So, in this experiment I will assume that the citric acids only have 1 carboxylic acids but its less accurate. The following reaction takes place in the titration; C6H8O7 + OH- à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ H2O + C6H7O7- (eq 2) Based on the equation(eq 2), the molarity of the OH- ions equal with C6H8O7 as the molecular ratio is 1:1. By using equation below, the concentration of citric acid can be determined. M1V1 = M2V2 where : m1 = molarity of Sodium hydroxide, NaOH v1 = volume of Sodium hydroxide Solution, NaOH m2 = molarity of dilute citric acids, C6H8O7 v2 = volume of dilute citric acids Solution, C6H8O7 Example of calculation: By Using the volume of NaOH use to titrate lemon juice 0.1M NaOH ÃÆ'- 23.98 ml = M2 ÃÆ'- 10 ml 0f C6H8O7 2.298 mmol OH- = M2 ÃÆ'- 10 ml C6H8O7 M2 = = 0.2398 mole/L C6H8O7 (The calculations showed above are applied to all other experiment, table 5.5) Calculating Uncertainties Percentage uncertainty of Concentration = [(Άn / n) + (ΆVolume / Volume)] x 100% Example; Percentage uncertainty of concentration for Lemon = = 6% Absolute uncertainty of concentration = Percentage uncertainty x Concentration / 100% Example for Lemon = 6% ÃÆ'-0.24/100% = 0.014 moldm-3 0.01 moldm- Data Presentation Type of juice Average NaOH used( ±0.1)mL Concentration of citric acid (mol/L) Lemon 23.98 0.2398 Lime 10.78 0.1078 Navel Oranges 5.35 0.0535 Pineapples 2.95 0.0295 Table 4.6 Procedure for process of stain removable The white cloth cotton was cut into3cmÃÆ'-3cm size for 20 pieces and each pieces of cloth were stained with syrup solution. Then the stained clothes were dried for about 1 hour. 20 cm3 of lime juice was prepared and the initial pH of juice was recorded by using pH meter. For the first trial, a stained cloth was held under the running water and was soaked in the lime solution for more than 30 minutes. After that, the stained cloth was put into100ËÅ ¡c hot water bath and the time taken for the stained decolorize was recorded. However, the stained took longer time to decolorize where the average of time taken cannot be recorded. So I used another method by adding 3 teaspoon of table salt (sodium chloride) into lime juice. The pH value of juice was recorded. The stained cloth was rubbed with salt before soaked into the solution for an hour. Then, the stained cloth was putted into 100 °C hot water bath and the time taken for the stained decolorized was recorded. In order to identi fy the best fruit best use to remove the stain, the whole step was repeated again with another type of fruits; lemon, navel orange, and pineapple. The results from different type of fruits were compared. Besides that, I also used the different type of stain to test which one is more effective been bleached by citric acid. In this experiment I used vegetable based stain which is tomato stain. The first method is used; without adding the table salt (sodium chloride) and the result was recorded and be compared with synthetic stain (syrup). Data Collection for Removable of stain Qualitative data For synthetic stain: The pinks colour of stain turns into colourless. Fabrics become white Fabric cloths smell fruity. The juices become more slippery when added with sodium chloride. For organic stain The red colour of tomatoes decolorize The fabric colour turn into redish The fabric turns white after held under running water. Data Analysis According to the data collected, the different type of fruits and different type of stain will affect the time taken for the stain to decolorize. For the syrup stain, there must be influenced by sodium chloride (cooking salt) as it is hard to remove by citric acid alone. Adding the cooking salt involved the osmosis concept where the solution will become more saturated, the water will moving from the cloth to the salt and taking the stain together (T. Lister J. Renshaw, 2000). When the cooking salt is added into the juice, the pH of juices drop and become more acidic. However, chemically the cooking salt does not affect the acidity of citric acid. The drop in pH value may be due the presence of water in the juices which react with the salt and release the hydrogen ions which might cause this to be happened. The reason putting stained cloth into the hot water is to increase the reaction by increase the movement of particle and reduce the time taken to remove the stain (Kenneth M.S, 194 2). The highest rate of reaction (Table 4.9) calculated is lime juice and the lowest rate of reaction is pineapple juice. The reaction for both juices can be related with its pH and concentration. In term of concentration of citric acid, the higher the concentration of citric acid will increase the acidity of juice and the time taken for stain removable will become faster. However, this might not be true for lemon juices. Even though, it has highest citric acid concentration but the time taken for stain removable is not the fastest. This probably because of error and limitation occurred and will be discussed more in other section. Meanwhile, graph 4.4 shows the rate of reaction of stain removable for both type of stain by using Microsoft Excel. It is show that the rate of reaction for removable stain in tomatoes stain is 0.154, higher than syrup stain. This is might be because the syrup stain is more thick and viscous. While the vegetable based stained (tomatoes) is easier to remove because it is organic in nature and more soluble in lemon juice. 8.0: Conclusion and Evaluation Conclusion The experiments showed that the type of citrus fruits used does affect the average time taken to remove the stain. The hypothesis that rate of reaction would be highest in the most acidic fruit (lime) which consist high concentration of citric acid, is also supported based on the data collected. The pH of lime is 2.2; most acidic among the others citrus fruits. The main objective of this essay is to identify which of the type of citrus fruits; lime, lemon, pineapple, and navel oranges are best used as bleaching agent. As mention above, the type of citrus fruit does affect the rate of reaction to remove the stain. However, it also depends on the type of stain. Test on fabric with synthetic stain without adding sodium chloride (salt) required a long time where the average time taken cannot be collected. Meanwhile, citrus fruits are best used on fabric with vegetable based stain as there in no influence with sodium chloride. It can be said that the sodium chloride act as catalyst and ma king the removable of stain easier. In addition, the time taken to remove the stain for vegetable based stain is fastest compare than synthetic stain. The hot temperature was used in the experiment to speed up the reaction. Thus it can be concluded that, the lime is the best used as bleaching agent but with certain condition; type of stain and temperature. Evaluation Some error and limitation occurring during the experiment which causes the result collected imprecise. The limitation and errors in these experiments can be divided into several parts. For the first part is problem in procedure A. Initially, the sodium hydroxide prepared had been assumed exactly 1.00M. However, to test the accuracy of the concentration, the sodium hydroxide had been standardized using KHP solution. After calculating the concentration of the sodium hydroxide, the concentration of sodium hydroxide is approximately 0.1M with 0.2% of percentage error. There is a limitation occur when calculating the concentration of citric acid by titrate it with sodium hydroxide solution. One problem is the citrus fruits contain several type of acid. So, in the experiment the citric acid had been assumed as sole acid in citrus fruits and be supported by Dr. Ewa Thomas. As a result, the amounts of citric acid concentrations calculated are inaccurate and larger than theoretical value. The citric acid should been standardized to know the exact concentration, where it reduce the uncertainties. Besides that, some common mistake occurred in the experiment such as improper position of burette and parallax error in taking the measurement. To overcome this, there is no other solution except reduce the parallax error by positioning the eyes straight to the scale reading needed and position the apparatus used at the smooth surface. Moreover, it was hard to determine that the colour of the solution turned to faint pink colour because if the titration of NaOH was titrated without care the solution will become too red. So the result of the first faint pink colour come out should be observed and detected properly so it needs a particular partner in doing that job. Based on data collected, there is error between the concentration of citric acid and pH value for lemon juices where supposedly the pH of lemon juice should be most acidic as it has highest citric acid concentration. The problem may arise in determining the citric acid concentration where the value of citric acid calculated in lemon juice was incorrect. Because of the lemon used are in different freshness (as mention earlier in limitation of study), it might affect the result. So, the same lemon must be use throughout the experiment. In the last part (procedure D), one of the error occurs is during taking the average time taken to remove the stain from fabric. When the stained fabric is place into hot water, it is difficult to identify whether the cloth decolorize or not because it is possible for fabric to turn into white without be rub. To improve this, the experiment must be repeated for several times to increase the accuracy. There is also a limitation where the removable of stain cannot be seen clearly when test conducted with coffee at first. So, to overcome this problem, the stain was changed into syrup which the red colour can be seen clearly. However the problem had comes when there is change in pH value of fruit juice after adding with NaCl due to presence f water. This might be because limitation that occurred during extraction of juice. So, it is necessary to ensure all the equipment to rinse and dry first before conducting any experiment. Recommendation for further research More work could be done on the use of sodium chloride (cooking salt) in removing stain; is it effective used and how it will increase the effectiveness of citric acid in removing stain? The other use of citric acid beside remove stain should be investigated as if citric has potential in other cleaning process. Besides that, while the experiment was done by using citrus fruits as natural bleaching agent other natural bleaching agent should be considered. Investigation on the effectiveness of citric acid by comparing it with the commercial bleaches and color safer bleaches has applications in our daily life. CdS Quantum dots: Synthesis and Optical Properties CdS Quantum dots: Synthesis and Optical Properties CdS Quantum dots: Synthesis and Optical Properties Characterization for Solar Cell Raimy Roy Abstract— In this work CdS quantum dots were synthesized using Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method. Then a study of the morphology and optical property were made for the application of solar cell. The structural characterization were made by XRD while the optical characterization where done by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy techniques. Index Terms—Quantum dots, SILAR I. INTRODUCTION Quantum dot sensitized solar cell is an emerging field of photovoltaic in which the absorbing material is a quantum dot. The advantage of using such solar cell is size tunability and increased surface to volume ratio. In a quantum dot based solar cell the active layer consist of the quantum dot and the scattering layer is formed by the TiO2 layer. The mesoscopic TiO2 when deposited with CdS quantum dot act as an energy harvester and convert the incident photon to electricity. In this work, a model of the photoanode for the solar cell was made with mesoscopic TiO2 layer as scattering layer and quantum dots as absorbing layer. Here instead of ITO a glass slide was used. [1] To synthesize a quantum dot various techniques are used. Among them Successive Ionic Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method is a cost effective and is used to prepare quantum dot. In a SILAR method the time of reaction or the number of cycles can be controlled. Depending on which the size of the quantum dot varies. Another advantage of this technique is that it can be prepared at room temperature. Also this method provides a close contact between the quantum dots and the oxide layer, so it is an attractive method for the preparation of electrodes in a solar cell. [1] Cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dot is a direct band gap semiconductor. It is a II-VI compound semiconductor that is used for many optoelectronic devices such as solar cell, laser diodes and photoconductors. It is an inorganic semiconductor which has several advantages over conventional dyes. These advantages are band gap tunability, large extinction coefficient (this means that the dark current can be reduced and the overall efficiency can be improved) and multiple electron generation by utilizing hot electrons. [2] II. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP Chemicals Required Titanium dioxide powder (SD Fine-Chem Limited, purity 60%), 2M nitric acid, 0.05M cadmium nitrate, ethanol, 0.05M sodium sulfide hydrate (Sigma Aldrich, assay=60%), methanol. Preparation of TiO2 layer on glass slide A paste of titania (TiO2) was prepared from TiO2 powder and nitric acid. The chemicals were added in 2:1 proportion. A thin layer of titania paste was coated on the glass slide using a technique called doctor blade method [3]. In this method, either a glass rod or a microscope slide is used. We have used a microscope slide of thickness 1.45mm to coat the paste. A glass slide of dimension 2cm X 1cm was cut and cleaned. With the help of an adhesive tape, the glass slide is positioned firmly on the work bench. Another advantage of using such tape is that we could define an area to coat the paste and to deposit the quantum dot. Now place the paste on one side of the glass slide, positioning the microscope slide in 45à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ° spread the paste across the glass slide. Repeat the operation till a reasonably homogeneous layer is formed. After coating heat the paste to 80à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C followed by annealing at 450à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C for 30 min. After sintering the paste is white in color . This provides a better surface for adsorption of the CdS quantum dots since sintering makes the mesoporous films to a continuous network. Deposition of CdS Quantum Dots Successive Ionic-Adsorption and Reaction method is commonly used to deposit metal sulphide onto a nanostructured film. CdS quantum dot was deposited onto titania using this method as described in [4]. The first precursor solution used is 0.05M cadmium nitrate (Cd(NO3)2) and the second precursor solution is 0.05M sodium sulphide (Na2S). The bare TiO2 paste is dipped onto the first precursor solution for one minute. The Cd2+ ions have been deposited onto the TiO2 surface. This is then rinsed in an ethanolic solution for one minute and dried under room temperature. It is then dipped in the anionic precursor for one minute and then rinsed in methanolic solution for one minute and allowed to dry at room temperature. This completes one deposition cycle of SILAR. In this work we have performed four deposition cycles of SILAR. III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION The CdS quantum dot was deposited on to the surface of TiO2. An obvious color change was observed during the deposition cycle which is shown in Fig.1. The color change was pale yellow to golden yellow. The characterization was done using XRD and UV-vis spectroscopy techniques. Fig 1: Photograph of glass slides with CdS coating with increasing SILAR cycles XRD Characterization Fig 2. shows the obtained XRD pattern for TiO2 (Fig.2a), TiO2/ CdS (Fig 2b.) . From the peak obtained, we confirm that CdS quantum dot was deposited onto the film. Since the peaks at 44.1à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °, 51.9à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °, 64.3à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °, 70.4à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ° and 72.9à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ° coincides with the intensity pattern as defined by the JCPDS 10-0454 for the CdS QD. The corresponding miller indices are (220), (311), (400), (331) and (420). From this we conclude that CdS QD was deposited. It belongs to the cubic crystal system and the mineral name is hawleyite. For TiO2 the XRD pattern exactly matches with JCPDS 21-1272. It belongs to tetragonal crystal system and its mineral name is anatase. Fig.2 : XRD pattern (a) TiO2 (b) TiO2/CdS Size Characterization The size characterization was done by non-contact mode AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy). The size of the CdS quantum dot was found to be 25.83nm. the thickness of the deposited layer was calculated to be 29.65nm. Fig 3. Fig 3 : AFM non-contact mode characterization of CdS quantum dot UV-vis Characterization The optical property was characterized using Jasco Spectrophotometer V670. The absorption spectrum is shown in Fig 4. The absorption spectrum for the TiO2 and CdS/TiO2 is shown in Fig 4a. and TiO2/CdS alone is shown in Fig.4b. The absorption peak for CdS is as reported by Antonio et.al [4]. From the absorption spectrum we could observe a shift in the peak indicating CdS QD is being deposited. The absorption peak was observed in the range of 386nm-484nm. For TiO2 the absorption peak was observed at 341nm. In Fig 4b. the inset is the absorption spectrum that was reported in [5] Fig 4: Absorption spectrum of (a) TiO2 and TiO2/CdS (b) TiO2/CdS Fig 5: UV-Vis absorption spectra showing increase (~49 %) in absorption due to CdS Figure 5. depicts the percentage increase in the absorption peak of CdS with respect to TiO2. It was calculated to be a 49.08% increase in the absorption peak. Determination of Optical Band gap The DRS (Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy) characterization was done to obtain the optical band gap. The optical band gap was calculated by plotting the Tauc plot . It is the plot between energy and absorbance. The optical band gap can be determined by Tauc relation Where à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ is the absorption coefficient in cm-1, hà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ® is the photon energy in eV and A is a constant. The value of n is given as follows n =  ½ for direct allowed transition n = 2 for indirect allowed transition The Tauc plot for TiO2 and TiO2/CdS is shown in Fig 6. TiO2 is an indirect band gap material whereas CdS is a direct band gap semiconductor. The bandgap value of CdS in bulk is given as 2.42eV [5]. From the experiment we calculated the optical band gap to be 2.38eV. Also the absorbance value of the CdS QD is blue shifted. Using the equation The value of the peak was calculated to be 519.16nm which is within the absorption region. Fig 6. Tauc plot of (a) TiO2 (b)TiO2/CdS IV. CONCLUSION In this work CdS quantum dot have been synthesized using SILAR method. Its structural characterization was done that confirmed the deposition of the CdS quantum dot on to TiO2 paste. The optical property was characterized and analysed using UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. The optical band gap was calculated to be 2.38 eV. The size of the quantum dot deposited was calculated to be in nanometer. REFERENCES [1] Prashant V Kamat , â€Å"Quantum dot Solar cells.The next Big Thing in Photovoltaics† J.Phys.Chem.Lett. 2013, 4, 908-918. [2] Chang Liu,Yitan Li,Lin Wei,Cuncun Wu,Yanxue Chen,Liangmo MeiandJun Jiao, â€Å"CdS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells based on nano-branched TiO2arrays† Nanoscale Research Letters 2014,9. [3] A. Berni, M. Mennig, H. Schmidt, â€Å"Doctor blade method†, Springer. [4] Antonio Braga,SixtoGimenez, Isabella Concina, Alberto Vomiero and Ivan Mora-Ser, â€Å"Panchromatic Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Metal Sulfide Quantum Dots Grown Directly on Nanostructured TiO2 Electrodes†, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2011, 2, 454–460. [5] B. T. Huy, Min-Ho Seo, Jae-Min Lim, Dong-Soo Shin and Yong-Ill Lee, â€Å"A Systematic Study on Preparing CdS Quantum Dots† Journal of the Korean Physical Society, Vol. 59, No. 5, November 2011, 3293-3299

The True Gentleman of Great Expectations :: Free Great Expectations Essays

The True Gentleman of Great Expectations To determine if someone is a gentleman, one must look within them and not focus upon their material wealth. In the novel Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, three characters show qualities of a true gentleman. Pip, Joe, and Provis have true gentlemen-like characteristics, which are shown through the way they live and present themselves. Pip's actions towards others are those of an authentic gentleman. For example, when Provis is very ill and Pip is very kind and says, "I will never stir from your side" (891). This shows that Pip is willing to forget his own comforts and future plans to sit by Provis's side, making Provis's last days on earth comfortable. In addition, Pip saves Miss Havisham when she gets caught on fire: "I had a double-caped coat on...and I got them over her" and "she was insensible and I was afraid to have her moved or even touched" (875). This proves that Pip cares for other people, even if they have treated him poorly. When Pip helps Miss Havisham, it shows his consideration to those in need. Pip relieving Miss Havisham from the fire after she was "coarse and common" towards him, shows Pip has a favorable heart. In conclusion, Pip's behavior towards others is that of a gentleman because Pip treats others with tenderness and affection. Joe's actions are those of a true gentleman. For example, Joe defends Mrs. Joe from Orlick even though he is scared of Orlick himself: "What could the wretched Joe do now...but stand up to his journeyman...so, without so much as pulling off their singed and burnt aprons, they went at one another, like two giants" (773). Joe is intimidated by Orlick and by Joe defending Mrs. Joe from Orlick shows that Joe has courageousness. Joe is a benevolent person by stepping up to Orlick to help Mrs. Joe. In addition, Joe pays off Pip's debts and Pip finds "a receipt for which they had been paid off" (899). Joe paying off Pip's debts shows he is a helpful and caring person. Joe is being considerate by helping Pip become debt-free. It is ironic that Joe helps Pip because Pip hasn't been a considerate person to Joe but he helps Pip regardless.

The Pursuit of Happiness and the Union of Aristotle and Genesis Essay

The Pursuit of Happiness and the Union of Aristotle and Genesis Two major schools of thought broadly influenced the development of the moral code of Western Civilization. The Judeo-Christian tradition gave us faith and God through the text of the Bible. The ancient Greeks gave us philosophical inquiry and "the Good" through the teachings of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. In his Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle proposes that "the Good" is the highest end of man’s actions. Happiness is "the Good" because it is the only end man pursues with no other end in mind. A man obtains this highest end by living his life in a virtuous manner. In marked contrast, a careful reading of Genesis shows that, in the world of the Hebrews, the highest end of a man’s actions is faith in and communication with God himself. Oneness with God is the highest end because no other god exists. A man obtains this highest end by obeying God’s commands and fulfilling God’s plan for him. On first examination, the differences between these two construc ts seem negligible. But when we look closely at the ways in which the men of Genesis obtain their highest ends, we find that their means are less than virtuous in the eyes of Aristotle. To reach God, the ends seem to justify the means, while to reach "the Good", the virtuous path is crucial. Although this inherent difference in the two systems of morality seems to oppose them to one another, the difference between them has actually helped meld them together to form our modern view of happiness. We need both views: that wicked means will corrupt even the best ends, and that good ends can justify any means. In fact, there are stories in each text that describe a man who finds happiness through God, or "the Good," ... ...e which cannot be taken away; second, according to Genesis, because we have been given happiness by communion with a God who is ever present. Although not everyone considered to be a member of Western society holds these views on happiness, one can see these two roots in our construct of happiness. In our very American constitution, we acknowledge our inalienable right to the "pursuit of happiness." This phrase represents nothing other than the ultimate union of Aristotle and Genesis: we are guaranteed as humans, as a God-given right, the ability to strive for happiness through the Aristotelian process. NOTES 1. Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics, trans. Martin Ostwald (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1999). 2. Genesis, trans. Robert Alter (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996). 3. The Holy Bible, King James Version (New York: American Bible Society).

Case study in marketing Essay

By the end of your reading, you should be able to answer the following questions: 1. What do you understand by the term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? 2. Explain two actions that Amway and its IBOs are currently taking that involve CSR. 3. Analyse the key ingredients in Amway’s CSR strategy. Show how the strategy is designed to translate the vision into practical steps on the ground. 4. Recommend ways in which Amway could enhance and develop its impact on making every child matter. Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means businesses and organisations working responsibly and contributing positively to the communities they operate in. It involves working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. Companies that operate in a socially responsible way strengthen their reputations. In business, reputation is everything. It determines the extent to which customers want to buy from you, partners are willing to work with you and your standing in the community. The company  Amway is one of the world’s largest direct sales organisations with over 3 million Independent Business Owners (IBOs) in over 80 markets and territories worldwide. It is a family-owned business with a strong emphasis on family values. Its IBOs are often couples. Many of these are raising families. They therefore have a strong bond with children. These families are more than happy to partner with Amway, who, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, works with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. As a family company, Amway is committed to playing a part in improving the lives of children in need across the globe. In this way, the company is able to show its commitment to the support of global causes. Amway defines a global cause as ‘a social issue affecting many people around the world engaged in a struggle or plight that warrants a charitable  response’. This case study shows how Amway is a business that does more than provide customers with good quality products. It shows the practical realities of Amway’s global commitment and how it plays a key role in the communities in which it operates. Growth and responsibility An understanding of how Amway operates as an organisation gives a clearer picture of the contribution it can make to help children in need across the globe. Amway’s vision is to help people live better lives. It does this every day by providing a low-cost low-risk business opportunity based on selling qualityproducts. What does Amway do? Amway distributes a range of branded products. These products are sold to IBOs worldwide. The IBOs are Amway’s links with consumers and the communities in which they operate. The IBOs are self-employed and are highly motivated. They work within the guidelines of Amway’s Rules of Conduct and Code of Ethics, which are about being honest and responsible in trading. IBOs sell to people that they know or meet. They can introduce others to the Amway business. Typical products that IBOs sell include: personal care – fragrances, body care skin care and cosmetics durables such as cookware and water treatment systems nutrition and wellness products such as food supplements, food and drinks. IBOs play a key part in helping Amway to deliver its Global Cause Programme. In order to give many of the world’s children a chance to live a better life, Amway launched the global One by One campaign for children in 2003. The One by One programme: helps Amway to bring its vision to life declares what the company stands for builds trust and respect in Amway brands establishes Corporate Social Responsibility at a high level. Amway encourages staff and IBOs to support its One by One campaign for children. Since 2001, Amway Europe has been an official partner of UNICEF and has been able to contribute over â‚ ¬2 million (about  £1.4 million). The focus is on supporting  the worldwide ‘Immunisation Plus’ programme. This involves, for example, providing measles vaccines to children across the globe. The ‘Plus’ is about using the vehicle of immunisation to deliver other life-saving services for children. It is about making health systems stronger and promoting activities that help communities and families to improve child-care practices. For example the ‘Plus’ could include providing vitamin A supplements in countries where there is vitamin A deficiency. Since 2001, Amway and its IBOs across Europe have been supporting UNICEF’s child survival programme. The need is great. One out of ten children in Kenya does not live to see its fifth birthday, largely through preventable diseases. Malaria is the biggest killer with 93 deaths per day. Only 58% of children under two are fully immunised. The work of the One by One programme is illustrated by a field trip undertaken by Amway IBOs to Kenya. The IBOs travelled to Kilifi in 2006 to meet children and to find out what the problems are in various communities. They act as champions spreading the message throughout their groups. In Kilifi, the focus is on trying to reach the most vulnerable children and pregnant mothers. The aim is to increase immunisation from 40% to 70%. Other elements of the programme involve seeking to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS to infants. As the Amway organisation grows and prospers, it is able through CSR actions to help communities to grow and prosper too. Developing a strategy A strategy is an organisational plan. Implementing a strategy involves putting that plan into action. In other words a strategy shows how a business will achieve its goals. The strategy thus enables an organisation to turn its values into action. Values are what a company stands for. An important value for Amway is being a caring company. Amway believes in demonstrating this caring approach and this is why it has partnered with UNICEF. All Directors design strategies for the whole of an organisation. Effective strategies involve discussion and communication with others. The views of IBOs are influential in creating strategies for Amway. Amway’s strategies for corporate social responsibility are cascaded through the organisation as shown below. Amway’s Global Cause strategy involves creating responsible plans that make a difference. However, the strategy is flexible. In shaping the strategy, research was carried out to find out which global causes IBOs support. The results showed that many favoured a cause that helped children. There was a clear fit between Amway’s aims to help children and UNICEF’s ‘Immunisation Plus’ programme for children. Objectives From the outset, Amway set out some clear objectives for its strategy. These were to: build loyalty and pride among IBOs and employees enhance Amway’s reputation as a caring organisation  make a real difference to human lives. Child mortality is particularly high in developing countries because of infectious diseases. Many children could still be alive if they had been vaccinated. For under  £12 a child can be vaccinated against these diseases and has a fighting chance to reach adulthood. UNICEF’s world child ‘Immunisation Plus’ programme is a fitting focus for the activities of Amway UK and its IBOs. The UK initiative is part of a European-wide fundraising campaign for children. It recognises the importance of building good working relationships with UNICEF in each market in order to launch fundraising programmes through Amway’s IBOs and their customers. The objective is to raise â‚ ¬500,000 (about  £350,000) every year until 2010 across Amway Europe. In 2005 Amway UK’s partnership was deepened through becoming an official Corporate Partner of UNICEF UK. The Corporate Partnership is a closer longer-term relationship which benefits both partners. Working together the two parties raise money for UNICEF. Identifying stakeholders  Amway’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy has been developed with the interests of the followingstakeholders in mind: Communicating the strategy  Good, clear communication is essential in making sure that the CSR strategy relates directly to the company business objectives. Communication also helps in putting the strategy into practice. A number of communications media are used: 1. Face-to-face communication: Regular meetings take place between UNICEF, Amway and its IBOs. Through meetings with UNICEF staff, Amway is able to discuss the vision and objectives. It then passes the message on by meeting with IBOs. In 2005 the two organisations arranged a joint briefing day for  IBO Leaders. They were able to hear firsthand experiences from UNICEF staff about their roles and UNICEF’s work as well as where the money goes. 2. Printed material: Amway produces a monthly magazine for all IBOs called Amagram. 3. Public relations materials are also important, particularly at launch events for the initiative (e.g. in Milton Keynes in 2006). 4. Email communication: Email is very important in the company – it plays a significant part in keeping IBOs up-to-date. 5. Online activities: There is a micro-site dedicated to the Amway UK/UNICEF partnership on the UNICEF UK website. Fundraising Amway Europe provides support for fundraising to the extent of â‚ ¬500,000 (about  £350,000) per year through selling items such as: greetings cards multi-cultural gifts and cards stationery and wrapping paper toys for children. However, Amway UK’s support goes well beyond these activities. In addition, it involves staff fundraising events and raffles organised by the IBOs. UNICEF attends IBO major events (usually supported by 1,000 or more IBOs) where requested. A UNICEF stand outlines the work with speakers, literature and merchandise. Conclusion Amway is a family business with family values. Its IBOs are people who want to make a difference to the communities in which they operate and to the wider world community. This is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in action. The clue to Amway’s success is the careful planning of its strategy and its involvement with manystakeholders in getting the strategy right. Of course, it is early days in the latest chapter of a strong relationship between Amway and UNICEF. Evaluation is taking place to measure the success of the initiative in terms of meeting fundraising goals. Customer research is carried out to test customers‘ views on the relationship and to find out how aware the general public is about what Amway is doing in the field of CSR. Sample study questions 1. What do you understand by the term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? 2. Explain two actions that Amway and its IBOs are currently taking that involve CSR. 3. Analyse the key ingredients in Amway’s CSR strategy. Show how the strategy is designed to translate the vision into practical steps on the ground. 4. Recommend ways in which Amway could enhance and develop its impact on making every child matter.

Automobile and Rational Shopping Essay

Shopping is always a necessity in our lives. When we feel the necessity of something, we go shopping at that time. Before we do shopping, we have several motives that influence the kind of products we buy. These motives may be rational or emotional ones, consciously recognized or completely subconscious. Firstly, we can do rational shopping in different ways. In this way, it what we will buy can be long lasting. Rational shopping has got a lot of advantages. For example we can buy inexpensive car but we make to evaluate with regard to economical, for example we can buy a small car. Another example when we want to buy a car, we must think it is dependability and convenience. Even we must ask to charged with cars â€Å" Does it have lifetime guarantees? â€Å" , because this is very important. We control what it is easy to use. Secondly, we can do emotional shopping in different ways. Generally emotional shopping can be little or no preplannning. Customers do shopping when they want to, so they do not do plan. In general they influence someone or something; or they want to be accepted by society. For example we can want to desire to gain recognition from other so we buy the most expensive car with all accessories or we buy brand new car. To conclude, shopping can change how we feel the motive. For example, we do rational shopping. When we go shopping, we pay attention to several criterion. Such as, economy, dependability, or convenience. Another example we do emotional shopping. We desire to imitate others, desire to gain recognition from other, or desire to conform. More than necesssity is involved in buying.