The Synthesis of Actualizing and Escaping the Self in Christian Identity and Conversion :: Essays Papers

The Synthesis of Actualizing and Escaping the Self in Christian Identity and Conversion Ever since encountering Socrates’ simplistic but profound maxim, â€Å"know thyself,† I have taken intentional steps along the journey of my own self-discovery. However, the more I attempt to analyze the complex integration of motives, thoughts, actions, unconscious memories, sensual experiences, emotional reactions, etc. that composes my â€Å"self,† the more I realize the infinite depths into which Socrates’ seemingly simple saying has plunged me. Nevertheless, my curious mind, whether a curse or a gift, craves any tidbit of wisdom someone wishes to impart about how/where/with what means one can come to â€Å"know thyself† better. Perhaps it’s a result of growing up in a capitalistic, progressive, individualistic society, but my continual search proves I believe more knowledge will somehow lead to a fuller life. I want to improve, upgrade, supersize, maximize! Along this journey, I have stumbled upon many recent psychologists who propose that to help someone know the self more fully, the psychologist must provide â€Å"unconditional positive regard† for the personhood of the other, that is, identify with the client without questioning the position from which she or he speaks (McAdams 440-1). Allowing clients to talk, these psychologists believe, provides them opportunity to access their own self-knowledge. They already possess the answers they need to improve their lives; they simply need someone to affirm that truth so they can begin to believe it themselves. No outside authority needs to tell them what they’re thinking or feeling, let alone what they ought to do to change themselves. Since I believe in and have experienced unconditional positive regard as a catalyst to personal empowerment, I wanted to stand up and cheer, â€Å"Yes!† with these professionals. But another professional caused me to reconsider. Paul Vitz, a Christian psychologist, authors Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship, a response to the self-actualization and self-help movements popularized by these psychologists. He criticizes Rogers’ client-centered therapy as encouraging a narrowly-focused, self-centered lifestyle that excludes broader cultural and historical themes (Vitz 21). â€Å"Selfism† as he labels this movement, simply encourages people to feed their own egos and ignore both the reality of their fallenness and the responsibility to love others. Not only that, but selfism defames God, for it places self at the center of one’s focus, thus creating an idol: â€Å"To worship one’s self (in self-realization) or to worship all humanity is, in Christian terms, simple idolatry operating from the usual motive of unconscious egotism†(Vitz 93).

Development and Transition Markers for Homosexuality Essay -- Homosexu

Introduction It is the duty of social workers to advocate for vulnerable and oppressed groups. Becoming aware of the life span development of various cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, social classes, and diverse forms of families enables social workers to identify areas that are unique and require further research. Learning about the unique aspects of various cultures and social classes also provide social workers with an enhanced understanding and ideas for social work implications on a micro and macro level in efforts to improve the wellbeing of the clients. This paper serves as a written analysis of homosexuality as a social class and discusses unique aspects of development, transition markers for various life stages, and implications for further research and social work practice. Homosexuality Homosexuals consist of gay males and lesbian females who prefer same-sex relationships. Homosexuality goes against all cultural beliefs, gender, and family roles that society values. As a direct result of going against social norms homosexuals experience a lot of backlash that impacts their quality of life and development throughout their lifespan. Gender Differences Gender differences among homosexual males and females are unique aspects of development. When it comes to sexual orientation, society associates gender differences such as masculinity with men and femininity with females (Lippa, 2008). However in the social class of homosexuals, character associations with gender tend to be nontraditional. According to Lippa, most gay men believe that they are more feminine and less masculine in comparison to most heterosexual males while lesbians describe themselves as extremely masculine and less feminine in comparison to ... ...n childhood gender nonconformity and adult masculinity- femininity and anxiety in heterosexual and homosexual men and women. Sex Roles 59, 684-693. Muraco, A., LeBlanc, A. J., & Russell, S. T. (2008). Conceptualizations of family by older gay men. The Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 20(2), 69-90. Ryan. C., & Futterman, D. (1998). Lesbian and gay youth: Care and counseling. New York: Columbia University Press. Skidmore, W. C., Linsenmeier, J. A. W., & Bailey, J. M. (2006). Gender nonconformity and psychological distress in lesbian and gay men. Archive of Sexual Behavior, 35, 685-697. Swank, E. & Raiz, L. (2010). Predicting the support of same-sex relationship rights among social work students. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 22, 149-164. Taylor, H. (2000). Meeting the needs of lesbian and gay young adolescents. Clearing House, 73(4), 221-224.

The Fall of Innocence in A Separate Peace :: essays research papers

â€Å"Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone, swung his head around to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud, It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make. With unthinking sureness I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear forgotten.† (Knowles 59-60). Gene Forrester, one of the main characters in John Knowles' novel A Separate Peace, describes his best friend Phineas' fall from a â€Å"tremendous tree, an irate steely black steeple beside a river,†(Knowles 6) at their all boys boarding school, Devon. Gene is an introverted young boy who is very academically gifted. Finny, however, is an extremely extroverted childish young boy who is very athleticaly gifted. Finny's fall eventually leads to terrible thi ngs, such as death and guilt. Throughout the novel Knowles uses Phineas' fall from the tree to symbolize his loss of innocence, to show Gene's guilt, and to develop Phinea's death. After Phineas, also known as Finny, falls from the tree, he slowy begins to change. He begins to lose his innocence, It can be seen in the beginning of the novel that Finny acts very innocent. For example, Finny's game of Blitzball shows his spontaneous style of play, and his innocent child like personality. However after Finny's tragic fall from the tree, he begins to seem less innocent and childish. He begins to reveal secrets to Gene, such as when he tells Gene about trying to enlist in the war. â€Å"I've been writing to the Army and the Navy and the Marines and the Canadians and everybody else all winter..†(Knowles 190). War is not an event for innocent little boys. When readers find out that Finny had been trying to enlist in the war all winter it shows that after the fall Finny becomes less and less innocent. He no longer begins to play his childish games, and no longer tries to preform his crazy stunts. Though he is hurt, he does not seem to want to watch or help pa rticipate in any of these activies. On the day Finny fell from that tree, he did not just plument down into the river beneath him, but also fell from innocence.

Princess Regional Trucking Company Essay

Princess Regional Trucking Company has been approached by a client with an opportunity that would require 120 trailers which is about 20 more than we currently own. We are not sure how long the relationship with this customer will last but this deal has the potential for considerable growth. I have a great deal of information for you regarding lease options that Princess Regional Trucking Company may want to consider before going forward with this deal. The first type of lease to consider is the direct financing lease. This lease is used by lessors in capital leases if the collections of minimum lease payments are guaranteed and the amounts of unrefundable costs are known in advance. In this type of lease the bank will buy new trucks and lease them to us instead of Princess Regional Trucking Company borrowing the money to purchase the trucks. The direct financing approach is the same as a loan. In order to arrange this type of lease we must show that the monthly payment will be met every month on time. This can be done by putting up assets to cover the payments just in case we cannot lease what is secured by the direct lease. Eliminating any question or doubt about the ability to cover the lease is the ultimate goal. If you would prefer to go with the Capital lease option then it must meet one of the four criteria according to FASB ASC 840-10-25-1. There has to be a transfer of ownership to the lessee by the end of the lease term, the lease contains a bargain purchase option, the lease term is equal to 75% or more of the estimated economic life of the leased property, or the present value at the beginning of the lease term of the minimum lease payments, equals or exceeds 90% of the excess of the fair value of the leased property. If any of the four criteria is met and also meets both of these criteria’s in that the lease payments have to be reasonable and the costs to be incurred are also predictable the lease is considered to be either direct financing or sales-type (http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0073526878/588542/Codification_Updates.pdf) The next type of lease to be addressed is a sales-type lease. Just like the capital lease there are for criteria that must be met. If the manufacture or dealer risks profit or loss then this would be a sales-type lease. This would mean that the seller would keep the assets in their inventory while the manufacturer or dealer are still earning profit or taking a loss. Under FASB ASC 840-30-35-22 the lessor must amortize the unearned income on a sales-type lease to income over the lease term to produce a constant periodic rate of return on the net investment in the lease.(http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0073526878/588542/Codification_Updates.pdf) Since the important part of a sales-type lease is the sale the initial direct costs of getting the lease is written off when the sale is recorded at the beginning of the lease. This would be noted on the income statement as a selling expense. The final type of lease option would be an operating lease. This type of lease allows use of an asset but does not transfer ownership of the asset. The assets are expected to be returned at the end of the lease agreement. This lease would give Princess the sole right to use the asset however the lessee would retain all risks and rewards of ownership. It would be shown as a rental expense on the balance sheet. It is considered an asset for us and gets depreciated like any other asset. This type of lease is usually short term but it can be cancelled if needed. Thank you for taking the time to review these three different types of leases for the additional trucks we need to satisfy our new customer. Since we are not certain the time frame of this relationship I would like to suggest going with the operating lease since it is more like a rental agreement.

Current Market Condition Analysis

Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Karon Kanadjian ECO/365 April 10, 2013 Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Apple is probably one of the most recognized companies in the world when it comes the designing, development, and marketing of cutting edge technology with products that everyone wishes to own. Apple Inc. (Apple) was founded and incorporated in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniack, making headlines with the release of the apple I computer.According to â€Å"Reuters Edition U. S. † (2013), â€Å" The Company's products and services include iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple TV, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and OS X operating systems, iCloud, and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings† (para. 1). With two decades of predominantly manufacturing personal computers, including the Apple II, Macintosh, and Power Mac Lines, the company began facing rocky sales and low market share.With a combi nation of low sales, high pressure demands on the staff, and continued struggles regarding the company’s direction between Jobs and Sculley his CEO, Jobs surprisingly was ousted from the company in 1985. Siegel (  2011), â€Å"A power struggle erupted between Sculley and Jobs. In the spring of 1985 Apple's board sided with the CEO, removing Jobs from his command of the Macintosh group† (para. 1).He however returned with the greatest comeback in 1996 after the procurement of NeXT by Apple. Steve Jobs shortly was appointed interim CEO where he inspired a new corporate philosophy of recognizable products and simple designs. Today Apple has established itself as a leader in the consumer electronic and media sales industries and has surpassed Google and Microsoft combined in sales with $156 billion in 2012 (Edstrom & Holt, 2012) .In an extremely competitive trade, companies are trying to invent continually ways to retain their current customers and continue to have an edg e to appeal to the new growing market of customers, especially in these very tough times economically, where people face even tougher decision making choices about the phone they purchase and the type of service they select. With the transition from 3G’s to 4G’s, companies are staging a bid to their existing customers as well as the new customers promising excellent service and plenty of extras bonuses to lure them into their clutches.They recognize customer loyalty is a thing of the past with the longevity of merely two years for an average customers contract before making a switch to another provider. This accelerating trend has become a main factor in companies raising the bar in quality while dropping their prices especially for smartphones. With the rise in blogging, a potential customer can obtain reviews of cell phones and the differences of the product features. They can determine the advantage or disadvantage of a particular phone offered as a bonus with a con tract commitment.Even You Tube has search sites that allow you to watch various video reviews (â€Å"Effects Of The Emerging Competition Of Cellular Phone Companies,†Ã‚  2012). As mobile phones become a vital, and integral part of most individuals everyday living, cellular phone companies have had to continue to target the demands of this implausible market. Many telecommunication companies give cell phones as a bonus to their packages, but the unrelenting predicament they face is, which phone do they offer that will beat out the competitors, take a larger share of the market, and still manage to be profitable.With this fierce competition among the cell phone providers, some companies have turned to consolidation with other providers. Merging together has offered their talents to pool and offer top-notch phones and services. For example, Google purchased Motorolla in 2011 enabling them to compete significantly with Apple in both the software and hardware division. The same go es for Microsoft, who partnered with Nokia in producing the Windows Smartphone (â€Å"Effects Of The Emerging Competition Of Cellular Phone Companies,†Ã‚  2012).If the predictions hold true, the next few years will see more mergers allowing companies to remain in the game. One issue affecting Apple is the competiveness from other cell phone companies such as Samsung having somewhat identical features on some of their products at a lower price. Apple simply faces a vastly improving competitive threat with game changing capability. The advantage of other companies is the ability to cover a whole variety of products – phones, smartphones, tablets, TVs, and domestic goods like fridges (Shaughnessy, 013). Through the years Apple has created expensive devices that customers are willing to pay over $600 for a phone, but they need to create a market in the lower price categories of smartphones to compete with some of their competitor’s like Samsung who has created a cla mor for quality products at a relatively inexpensive price range that fulfills customer requirements and requests, and thereby potentially overlook an expensive Apple device for a Samsung product (Shaughnessy, 2013).On the contrary, Louie Partners, and a former member of TiVo’s board, says â€Å"Apple is the one company in the world that’s powerful enough to take on monopolies and force them to change. † Apple products have created their own following of customers who will wait outside their stores in the rain to get the newest product and their items demand is considered relatively elastic. Either way it is examined, it could imply Apple shows a potential for both demand elasticity and demand inelasticity (s3hrlich, 2012) (Murray, 2012).The costs to stay in the game are staggering. Apple has variable costs such as raw material costs, packaging, and labor, which are directly involved in the company’s manufacturing process of phones. The â€Å"A Tale Of A pple, The IPhone, And Overseas Manufacturing†Ã‚  (2012) website  gives an unsettling look at Apple and offers an exhaustive report by Keith Bradsher and Charles Duhigg of the New York Times. The report based upon numerous interviews with current Apple employees as well as former employees concerns the iPhone production and the practice of abroad manufacturing.It also includes excessive, oppressive, and illegal overtime hours, hazardous conditions, inappropriate, and sometimes forced labor of 16-18 year-old student â€Å"interns† on night shifts with wages so low that 64 % of workers claim their pay does not cover their basic needs (Eisenbrey, 2012). American’s are quick to criticize Apple for its facility in China employing 230,000 people, six days a work week, 12- hour shifts, and many of the workers earn $17 per day or less. More than one fourth of the employees live in dormitories considered deplorable to American standards.Through the efforts of the manufac turing plant in China, Apple can stay ahead of the game. An example given was concerning the CEO Steve Jobs in 2007, shy of a month before the new scheduled iPhone was to show up in stores. Jobs was furious with the prototype he was carrying in his pocket a few weeks prior along with his keys, as the front glass screen was majorly marred. He gave them only one solution, to use glass that was unscratchable, and he wanted it perfect in six weeks!With an assembly line overhauled in a Chinese factory and new screens arriving shortly at the manufacturing facility, before midnight a supervisor woke up 8,000 workers at their company’s dormitories and within an hour they began a 12-hour shift fitting the new glass into the devices. According to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Tale Of Apple, The Iphone, And Overseas Manufacturing†Ã‚  (2012),  Ã¢â‚¬  Within 96 hours, the plant was producing more than 10,000 iPhones a day a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. †Ã‚  (para. 1-3). If Apple needed 3,000 people overnight, it was accomplished in the factories of China.Could you see 3,000 people in a U. S. plant being hired overnight? With cheap labor and production speed as shown, it is a big incentive for Apple. According to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Tale Of Apple, The IPhone, And Overseas Manufacturing†Ã‚  (2012),  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The entire supply chain is in China now,† the article quotes a former high-ranking Apple executive as saying. â€Å"You need a thousand rubber gaskets? That's the factory next door. You need a million screws? That factory is a block away. You need that screw made a little bit different? It will take three hours† (para. 1-3). The U. S. ould not compete with the speed of a company in China taking 15 days to assemble 8,700 industrial engineers to oversee employees amassing the iPhone. The average U. S. company would take as long as nine months to be ready to commence work. This depicts a vibrant picture of how companies in China wo rk versus companies in the U. S. The cost structure for the iPhone is divided as 15 dollars to manufacturing cost, $207 to major components, $89 to other costs, making a profit of $319. Apple’s profit per phone is more than 20 times the labor cost, according to Ross Eisenbrey.Apple has changed the world with its technological innovations being responsible for nearly 50,000 American jobs, but it is not enough. It needs to rebuild American manufacturing of the past where employees worked reasonable hours and a decent wage was the standard. Most of the phone components are assembled in China or Asia however, on the bright side, the glass for the iPhone manufactured in Kentucky is reviving a Corning factory. It has grown to more than $700 million a year, employing close to 1,000 Americans supporting the emerging market.As the market has continued to expand so has the glass manufacturing plants extending to Japan, and Taiwan. Most of Corning’s customers are in Taiwan, Korea , Japan and China, making it profitable to build and produce their glass factories next door to the assembly factories overseas (London,  2012). A major factor affecting cellular phones in the current market conditions are fixed cost. Some major providers are offering consumers a flat monthly rate to ensure they sign their current mobile contract, but mid-way through the contract, the carriers are silently raising the prices customers are currently paying.Of the four major networks, three have reportedly either raised their rates or discontinued their current monthly deals. The planned hike in prices help the networks counterbalance the high costs of the mobile Web, the delivering of apps, and mobile video. The demand for faster networks and upgrades are estimated to cost the industry a whopping $50 billion a year (â€Å"Cnn Money†,   2011). During 2012, Apple fell short of being the top brand for cell phones although Samsung’s sales soared (Muller, 2012). However, Apple continues to improve their products as people tend to want the latest upgraded phone to have minimal problems. Apple will increase its U. S. smartphone share and possibly increase its profit margin per phone as well with its new iPhone 4S, according to multiple industry analysts† (Palenchar, 2011, para. 1). Possessing more shares available gives Apple more room to grow and make changes to their product. The Apple app store alone has 500,000 apps while the Android store carries 45,000 (Warren, 2011). A large amount of the profit comes from the app store. The Apple app store has thousands more apps than the Android market. Developers should continue creating apps for Apple to help increase profits.Apple is a very popular cell phone. To increase their profits they should decrease their price making their supply and the demand increase for their brand. With technology so advance, maybe the next big thing for Apple is a built in mind reader in out cellular device! References Muller, R. (2012). Mobile phone sales. My broad brand. Retrieved from: http://mybroadband. co. za/news/gadgets/64760-most-popular-cellphone-brands-in-the-world. html/attachment/mobile-phone-sales Palenchar, J. (20111). Apple Seen Raising Share, Maximizing Profits With iPhone 4S. Twice. Retrieved

Marketing Pizza Hut in Nigeria Essay

Executive Summary The fast-food industry has been one of the most successful industries even with the economic meltdown that occurred in 2008; its success is due to the relative low cost of its products and Pizza Hut is an example. Established in the United States in 1958 by two brothers, the company has since grown from being local company to an international company with over 11,000 units in the United States and across the World. The company has branded its image and name for being one the leading pizza making restaurants in the world. Despite its presence internationally the company is still yet to dominate Africa, although, Africa is developing region with a lot environmental risk in certain regions some countries are taking measures to remedy such risks; with outlets in the Northern and Southern Africa the company can expand in other areas. The suitable location will be Nigeria located on the Western side of Africa. Nigeria being the most populated country in Africa is country with abundant resources, oil and gas are the major source of income with agriculture following suit. The country has a wide range different cultural background each exhibiting one’s own way life, but the country is united as one nation with English being the official language. Although, the country is known to be environmentally risky region, the government is adopting a new reform that will benefit the nation and encourage Foreign Direct Investment. For Pizza Hut, franchising its restaurant to such  location will increase its strength and presence in the African region with other countries likely to follow the path. History Pizza Hut was started in the city of Wichita, Kansas in the United States in 1958. It was two brothers â€Å"Dan and Frank Carney† while studying in college in Wichita, Kansas were approached by a family friend with the impression of opening a pizza store. Being inspired with the idea, they borrowed an amount of six hundred dollars from their mother and procured some second hand equipment’s and hired a small building on a busy intersection in their hometown. Thus became the start of the of the greatest pizza name in the world. The company incorporated after a year and its initial franchise began in Topeka. (Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 2013) Background Overview Pizza Hut is an American chain of restaurants and international franchise that offers various types of Pizza’s along with a variety of side dishes and desserts. Pizza Hut began franchising around 1959. Pizza Hut otherwise known as Pizza Hut, Inc., in the corporate world became a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., as of 1997. Yum! Brands, Inc., is considered to be the largest restaurant company around the globe. Our study indicated that Pizza Hut has around 14,357 franchise units around the world today and also is ranked 10th among the top 10 franchises for 2013. (Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 2013) Purpose The purpose of this report would be to make use of the study and results to prepare a marketing report incorporating Pizza Hut, Inc., in Nigeria, Africa in order to disclose a marketing audit, plan and strategy and also use the appropriate material and subjects related to entering the Nigerian Market. There would however be a portion of concerns and reasons that would involve the company while shifting and familiarizing to the new location. However due to high cost of these fast food brands, many people still cannot afford it. Hence reasonable prices are to be varied in order to compete in these types of challenging markets. Country Overview: NIGERIA Nigeria also known as the ‘Giant of Africa’ is the most populous country in Africa. Nigeria was colonized by the British and got her independence on October 1st 1960. The country is a federal constitutional republic, with 36 states and a Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. There are over 250 ethnics groups in Nigeria, which the majority being Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. After the country’s independence the country had a civil war that led to the formation of military regime during the 70s till 1999, which saw the beginning of a democratic regime. Culture and Religion With a population of over 160 million people living in Nigeria, projected figures shows that the religious demographic indicate that 50% of the population are Muslims, 40% Christians and 10% practice their indigenous belief (CIA World Fact book). In Nigerian society religion plays a major role in people’s way of life; Islam is of majority in the Northern region, which is dominated by the Hausas while Christianity is in the Southern region. The Yorubas have a more diverse religion and those in the middle-belt practice their own indigenous belief. Throughout the country religion is a means for social mobility, providing means of incorporation into business and political circles as well as educational system (Library of Congress). Politics and Government The Constitution of Nigeria shows that the country is a sovereign state, whose citizens are bounded together by a Federal arrangement. The branches of government is divided into three; the Executive, a Judiciary, and a Legislative. The Executive power is solely for the President who is also the chief of state and head of the government. The Legislative branch consists of the Senate members, and House of Representatives, and the Judiciary consists of the all the legal system both at Federal level and State level. The president appoints members of the Supreme Court subject to confirmation by the Senate. There multiple political parties in Nigeria of which three are very strong, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and Alliance Congress (AC); the PDP has been ruling the country for over a decade. (Nigeria: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS). Legal System The legal system in Nigeria is a combination of statutory law, English common law, customary law, and in the northern region Islamic law. The Federal and State courts apply the English common law, while the local courts apply customary and Islamic law (Nigeria: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS). Economy Nigeria being an oil-rich nation has been faced with heavy political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor management, but in 2008 started economic reforms. GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) = $ 455.5 billion (2012 est.) Compared to the rest of the world = 31 GDP (PPP) 2011 = $ 428.4 billion GDP (Real Growth Rate) = 6.3% (2012) Compared to the world = 41 GDP (Real Growth Rate) 2011 = 7.4% GDP (Per Capita) 2012 = $2,800 Compared to the world 180 GDP (Per Capita) 2011 = $2,700 (CIA World Fact Book) The economy of Nigeria slowed down in 2012 as shown above; the oil sector continues to be the major contribution of the regions revenue with a growth rate of 8% compared to -0.35% in the non-oil sector. Economic activities are mostly denominated by Agriculture, gas and oil sectors in Nigeria. Though the economic reform looks strong there are still challenges the country needs to face. There is a high unemployment that rose from 21% in 2010 to 24% in 2011. Another downside to the economy is the security challenges arising from religious or ethnic conflicts, costs associated with environmental factors, and the slow global economic growth and the sovereign debt crisis in the Euro region. Demographics Population http://www.indexmundi.com/nigeria/age_structure.htmlworld fact book The above population pyramid shows a structure of a countries population, population Is distributed on the horizontal axis, which is divided by male on the left and females on the right. The X-axis indicates population and the Y-axis has distinguished age groups. Economic statistics The economy in Nigeria is a mixed economy with developing market sectors (legal, finance, communication, transport, entertainment). Nigeria is ranked 36th in terms of GDP as of 2013. Due to the resilience witnessed in 2012, the economy of Nigeria is expected to grow rapidly and gain stability. Nigeria GDP growth slowed down from by 7.4 % in 2011 to 6.6% in 2012. In diversity with sectors in Nigeria, agriculture stands the highest contributor, followed by crude oil, natural gas and wholesale products. Economy in Nigeria is the largest in West Africa and top three in Africa. Personal income per capita http://www.tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/gdp†per†capita Personal income per capita has improved over the years and has maintained a stable growth from 2004 – 2012 due to the improved income to the country from crude oil and agriculture. From $726.4 per person in 2004 and a drastic change in 2012 with $1052.3 per person. Gradually with the development and newfound opportunities in Nigeria the income per capita will steadily grow. Foreign investment Before the exporting of oil, agriculture was one of the largest fractions in the countries earnings. A key for direct foreign investments in Nigeria is the oil and gas sector. Other foreign investment opportunities such as telecommunications, electricity, real estate, food and beverage, consumer goods, health care and tourism. Working conditions Working conditions in Nigeria is far from ideal, apart from civil servants and employees of foreign countries, working conditions and wages are acceptable. This may not be the condition of the local people in Nigeria. Protests by the trade union leaders, strikes, income inequalities, late payment, poor wages affect the standard of living in Nigeria. Technological analysis Infrastructure in Nigeria is weak; it is one of the main problems that affect the growth of the country. Unreliable electricity, water resource, road, transport have pulled back the growth of Nigeria in the previous years. In recent developments the country has public– private partnership, investors and international companies moving into these regions for a better prospect and can revive the economy. Market Audit The Product When considering the market audit and competitive market analysis for any business, there are four factors to consider fundamentally. These four factors are product, price, promotion, and placement. Pizza Hut is a fast food restaurant chain that provides the dine-in and take-away services for fast food customers. The other external and internal environmental force such as the cultural, legal and political also has the greater impact on the product availability, its sales, marketing and reputation. The legal forces are unbiased to start a business venture in Africa, specifically the fast food chains such as Pizza Hut. Some social and cultural forces also play an influential role in creating and destroying the opportunities for any business. KFC, Donut King, Dominos, and Italian Pizza are most well renowned names in providing the high quality fast food products in these markets and are using the high standard advertising and promotional strategies thus the competition is challenging. T he understanding of recent advertising, trends, promotions and marketing ways are considered to be necessary when stepping into the Nigerian fast food products market. The Market Market is a place where major process of the business takes place. The economical, political, social, cultural, financial, legal and technological forces are basically some of the factors that play a significant role in creating and destroying the opportunities for any business. If the economy of the country where the product or service would be marketed is stable and unbiased, it is a great opportunity for the businesses. The political and legal stability plays a vital role for starting any business in a country. The social and cultural environmental forces are most significant to consider because they contain people, the real buyers of the products and services. (Glader, 2006, pp. 16). Nigeria’s culture and tradition are slightly different than the other regions of the world i.e. UK and USA. There are several languages are being spoken in Nigeria, but the official language is English. This is one of the best strength of Nigerian culture that welcomes the foreign firms to join the Nigerian market. The legal system of Nigeria is a combination of several laws and principles including Islamic, customary and English laws. There could be some threats for the fast foods businesses because of diverse religions and laws systems. Nigeria has a mixed economy and stands at the 36th position in terms of GDP as of 2013. The agricultural industry of Nigeria significantly supported its economy followed by the natural resources of crude oil, natural gas and wholesale products. The income per capita increased in the period of 2004-2012 (Trading Economic, 2013). The income status of people is acceptable, but not for general Nigerian public. However, the earning people are able to afford the fast food product purchase even in regular intervals. While the poor wages of most of the people, late payments and strikes can often make critical situations in the country. Figure : GDP Per Capita The technological advancement is growing rapidly in Nigeria and it is a most important advantage for MNC’s. The online markets are majorly playing important role in bringing buyers and sellers closer. People now prefer to use online platforms for placing orders and making purchases. Thus the  online promotional strategy and also television and physical ad banners would be helpful for Pizza Hut if implemented. Several other products are also getting rapid fame among people such as MacDonald’s and Italian Pizza. The introduction of several beneficial schemes and promotions such as coupons, gifts, weekend packages and midnight offers would be profitable and would also help Pizza Hut to get rapid repute and vast customer circle. Market size The market size of the host country describes the demand and supply scale of the products. To supply the products in any host country there must be sufficient potential demand. Larger the market size, better the economical growth would be (Wei & Liu, 2001, pp.38). Several international investors and marketers have opened their retail business in Nigerian market such as Shoprite, Artee Industries Ltd, and Internationale Spar Centrale BV in 2012. The rapidly increasing population of Nigeria will generate the strong and ever going demand for international products specifically the fast food products. The increasing rate of urbanization and positive economic outlook of Nigeria will support the MNC’s. (Euro Monitor, 2013). Competitors One of the main competitors and its product prices in Lagos is: Dominos Pizza Domino’s Pizza is a popular pizza joint in Lagos. They offer both dine in and home delivery services. Their motto is to spread happiness around Lagos. Products and Prices Domino’s main offering may be pizza but a wide variety of side orders is also offered by the fast food joint. The price list of their popular products is as follows: Chicken Feast Grilled chicken breast, mushrooms and sweet corn. Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,000 Large: â‚ ¦ 2,900 Hot Pepperoni Feast Extra beef pepperoni, red chillies & extra mozzarella cheese Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,000 Large: â‚ ¦ 2,900 Hot Veggie Onion, green pepper, banana, red chillies & tomatoes Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,000 Large: â‚ ¦ 2,900 BBQ Chicken Grilled chicken breast, Onions & BBQ sauce. Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,300 Large: â‚ ¦ 3,200 BBQ Philly Steak Philly steak, Beef topping, Onions & BBQ sauce Medium: â‚ ¦ 2,300 Large: â‚ ¦ 3,200 Meal Deals and side orders are also offered. The joint also serves Cold Stone Ice cream Promotion and Advertising Domino’s pizza uses different channels of advertisement and promotion. Billboards and hoardings are used to promote special deals and discounts. The fast food joint has a website that houses the menu and also facilitates online order booking. Domino’s prides itself on its ability to make prompt deliveries throughout Lagos. Distribution Domino’s Pizza has six main outlets in Lagos. The bulk of distribution is attributed to home delivery. Apart from these international fast food chains, many local fast food joints are open in Lagos. These include Mario’s Pizza and fast food Sweet Sensation Mama Cass Ghana High These fast food chains offer a wide range of discount deals and competitive prices. Pricing Strategy Pricing is one of the most important aspects of the marketing mix of the product. Product placement and promotion depends on how the product has been priced. In order to set a pricing strategy, pricing objectives must be set. These include: Current profit maximization Current revenue maximization Maximize quantity Maximize profit margin Quality leadership Partial cost recovery Survival Status quo Since Pizza Hut will be introducing its products in Lagos for the first time, its pricing object should be to ‘maximise quantity’ and ultimately become the market leader. In order to attain this status Pizza Hut may employ one of the two pricing strategies: Skim Pricing: whereby the company prices its products high. This offers profit maximisation. By adopting this strategy the company assumes the stance of serving a niche market. Penetration Pricing: whereby products are priced low to maximise quantity and ease into the market. Since, the target market for Pizza hut is price sensitive and highly elastic, the best pricing strategy would be ‘Penetration Pricing’. By pricing the products low at the beginning, Pizza Hut would be able to gain more market share and cater to a greater market. Pricing Methods Several pricing methods may be employed to satisfy the pricing objectives of the company. These methods vary from product to product. Some companies may use different and innovative pricing methods that better satisfy the needs of both the customer and the company. Traditionally used pricing methods include: Cost-plus pricing: based on production cost plus a certain profit margin Target-return pricing: based on a target return-on-investment Value-based pricing: based on value offered relative to competitors Psychological pricing: based on customer’s perception and demand Pizza Hut may employ any one or a combination of the above mentioned pricing methods to accomplish its pricing objectives. Price Discounts The list price is normally discounted for the distribution channel. This may be done in the following ways: Quantity discount Cumulative quantity discount Seasonal Discount Cash discount Trade discount Promotional discount Pizza hut could offer the following price discounts to its customers: Quantity discounts: whereby customers buying in greater quantities could be offered special deals and discounts Promotional discounts: special promotions could be used to boost sales Marketing Plan Marketing Objectives Marketing objectives helps define what a company wants to achieve through it’s marketing activities. Firms from different industries create their marketing objectives by doing a thorough analysis of their firms SWOT analysis in order to identify the key areas of concentration. For Pizza Hut, to define its marketing objectives it has to decide on the entry strategy that it will adopt for Nigeria. Entry Strategy One of the leading markets in Sub-Saharan Africa is Nigeria with a population of above 158 million. However Nigeria having a wide range of ethnic groups is an environment with high risk potential. It would be advisable for Pizza Hut to franchise the company to another company in Nigeria, in order to reduce unforeseen risk. A franchise is an agreement between two parties where the franchisor sells the right to franchise the company to a franchisee. However due to the changes in routines and consumer flavors, preferences are readily growing towards packed and convenient foods. All these matters are assisting the country’s retail food sector to develop. In growing markets like Nigeria, consumers would always prefer to have a cuisine that is more appropriate to the native palate rather than an  Ã¢â‚¬Å"international† cuisine Finding the right partner to sell the rights might be quite daunting but Devyani International Limited an Indian based company with operation in Nigeria might be good partner to sell the franchise to. Devyani International Limited an associate company of RJ-Corp – Largest bottler for Pepsico with currently having about 300 outlets of Pizza Hut, KFC, Costa, Swensen’s, and many more brands in India (Devyani International Limited). The company opened KFC in Nigeria as of 2009 and is currently investing on opening more outlets in the region (Business New Nigeria). Our study showed that an average Nigerian spends around 72.97% of his/her income on food. The table below shows the percentage of total food expenditure in Nigeria as of 2010. IMAP’s Food & Beverage Industry Global Report – 2010 Total Food Expenditure Percentage of Total Expenditure (%) Beverages/Tobacco 2.73 Meat 12.88 Fish 15.22 Diary 5.61 Breads/Cereals 34.08 Fats/Oils 5.15 Fruits/Vegetables 15.44 Other Foods 8.89 Percentage of Total Food Expenditure (%) 72.97 After selecting the entry strategy, establishing the SMART approach for the marketing objective would seem useful. This will however help to ensure the objective are: Specific – explains what needs to be gained. Measurable – objectives should be measurable in terms of performance indicators, percentages, outcomes, and much more. Action-oriented – State which action need to taken and who should take them. Realistic – the resources available should be able to meet the objectives. Time Specific – specify time frame and schedules for achievements or completion. To achieve the SMART approach, Pizza Hut will have to train the management of its franchisee on how to operate and manage the business similar to that of Pizza Hut’s method. Product Adaptation The key for international food chains such as Pizza Hut is to emphasize on adapting and accepting the local palate and then developing innovative foods to win over the native consumers. The term ‘Product Adaptation’ uses the strategy of the follower. That is the new product is based on improvements or modifications of the current product of the company (MBA Skool). To be successful in an international market it necessary for a firm to adapt its product to meet international customers’ or markets needs (Small Biz Connect). For Pizza Hut, it will have to rely on the franchisee to foresee the product adaptation in the region. The franchisee with its extensive knowledge in the market understands consumer preferences, even though Nigeria is country with wide range of cultures but each culture share common trait in its region. Promotion Mix: Promotion is the method used to create awareness about a product or service to customers a firm offers (Small Business Development). Once the business has started the following are means to raise awareness to the public about the company: 1. Advertising – one of the most important forms of passing information to  the general public. It is a form of communication used to convince or persuade potential consumers to choose a company’s product or service over its competitors (Small Business Development). Successful advertising should be planned properly so that the consumer perceives the intended messages. There many types of media options to choose for advertising; choosing which type of media depends on the market a firm is trying target and also on the budget. The types of media include: press advertising, radio, television, direct mail, ambient, and much more. Firms should be careful on selecting the type of media (or mixture) for advertising their product so as not waste resources, a famous quote from John Wanamaker (1838-1922) state â€Å"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted – the trouble is I do not know which half† (Small Business Development). 2. Sales Promotion – relates to incentives or activities mostly short-term that produces the likelihood of purchase or sale of a product. Sales promotions can be used to target different types of customers, types of promotions include: consumer, business, trade, and Sales force promotions. 3. Public Relation – this is all about building relationship with stakeholders of a company by obtaining favorable publicity, incorporating a strong brand image and name, and providing accurate information to the public. Having a strong relationship with stakeholders can generate positive outcomes for a firm where customers can provide good recommendation to others due their satisfaction with the company (Small Business Development). The franchisee of Pizza Hut should be able to use any of the above-mentioned promotion or use all of them. For the advertising both parties should discuss on the cost for doing the advertisement whether both would share the cost or one party would be responsible. Channels of Distribution Agricultural and livestock products have a high import tariff in Nigeria; the government imposed such high tariffs as part of their economic reform to boost the economy and to support the agricultural sector. Pizza Hut would face high tariffs if it were going to supply the business with its own  produce. The company or the franchisee can partner with any of the intermediaries to provide the company with agricultural products; this in short would save the firm cost it would have to bear due to import tariffs and compensating with high prices of the products to the customers. SWOT Analysis Conclusion Once colonized by the British, Nigeria is known as the â€Å"Giant of Africa† which is one of the most populous countries in Africa. Having a population of over 160 million people and over 250 ethnic groups with each having their own dialects, it is a mixed economy with developing market sectors. Even though a majority of the general population are earning low incomes, the increasing rate of urbanization and positive economic outlook of Nigeria will support the multinational companies. Due to the rapid growth in technology in the country, various sources of promotional strategies can be followed such as online platforms and other beneficial schemes in order to help the business to get a rapid fame and vast customer circle. Hence through continuous marketing plans and strategies, we can extent the label of our fast food joint around the nation and generate happiness among the people. References Entrepreneur Media. 2013. Pizza Hut Inc.. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/pizzahutinc/282696-0.html. [Accessed 04 November 13]. Oliver Joy and Tatiana Nassar. 2013. Fast-food giants want pizza the action in Africa. [ONLINE] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/04/business/fast-food-giants-africa/. [Accessed 06 November 13]. Uche M. Nzeka. 2011. Steady Growth of Nigeriaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Retail Food Sector . [ONLINE] Available at: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/nigeria/487468/pdfs/Retail.pdf. [Accessed 12 November 13]. ATKearney. 2013. Winning in Food in Emerging Markets: One Size Does Not Fit All – See more at: http://www.atkearney.pl/consumer-products-retail/ideas-insights/featured-article/-/asset_publisher/KQNW4F0xInID/content/winning-in-food-in-emerging-markets-one-size-does-not-fit-all/10192#sthash.tunoBVJP.dpuf. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.atkearney.pl/consumer-products-retail/ideas-insights/featured-article/-/asset_publisher/KQNW4F0xInID/content/winning-in-food-in-emerging-markets-one-size-does-not-fit-all/10192. [Accessed 22 November 13]. Focus Nigeria. 2008. Nigerian Politics & Government. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.focusnigeria.com/nigerian-politics.htm. [Accessed 24 November 13]. Monga Bay. 2011. Nigeria: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.mongabay.com/reference/new_profiles/320.html. [Accessed 24 November 13]. African Development Bank. 2013. Nigeria Economy Outlook. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.afdb.org/en/countries/west-africa/nigeria/nigeria-economic-outlook/. [Accessed 24 November 13]. CIA: The World Factbook. 2013. Africa: Nigeria. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni.html. [Accessed 24 November 13]. MBA Skool. 2008. Product Adaptation. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/marketing-and-strategy-terms/2772-product.html. [Accessed 01 December 13]. Business Building. 2008. Marketing Objectives. [ONLINE] Available at:http://businessbuilding.com.au/certification/unit/88. [Accessed 01 December 13]. Business News Nigeria. 2011. Devyani International Limites. [ONLINE] Available at:http://businessnews.com.ng/. [Accessed 01 December 13]. Small Business Development. 2013. Marketing – Promotion Strategy. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/marketing-promotion-strategy/. [Accessed 01 December 13]. How Stuff Works. 2013. How Franchise Works. [ONLINE] Available at:http://money.howstuffworks.com/franchising1.htm. [Accessed 01 December 13]. Dominos Pizza. 2013. Store Location. [ONLINE] Available at: http://dominospizza.com.ng/store-locations-2/. [Accessed 30 October 13]. NetMBA. 2010. Pricing Strategy. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.netmba.com/marketing/pricing/. [Accessed 02 November 13]. EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL. 2013. Retailing in Nigeria. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.euromonitor.com/retailing-in-nigeria/report. [Accessed 06 November 13]. Fleisher, Bensoussan, C.S. , B.E. , 2007. Business and competitive analysis: effective application of new and classic methods. 1st ed. Philadelphia: ST Press. GRIN. 2005. Market Audit and Analysis. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/51413/market-audit-and-analysis. [Accessed 23 November 13]. GRIN. 1994. 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Lord of the Flies: The Evil of Human Nature Essay

â€Å"However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick(Golding 128). This quote from William Goldings novel, Lord of the Flies, effectively suggests that human beings are evil; which is also the main theme of the novel. In the novel, the major characters at the ending reinforce Goldings negative view of human nature. Golding provides his view of human nature very early in the novel. The island on which the boys land is described as a paradise with a variety of flora and fauna. Upon the boys landing, the tube carrying the boys causes a scar on the island. The intensity of the destruction caused by the scar is described: All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat(Golding 11). However, the destruction does not stop there. Later, the boys burn down a large part of the island as a result of their carelessness. Here, Golding shows that humans cause destruction even if they did not mean to. He is almost suggesting that causing destruction is second nature to us humans. At the end of the novel, the destruction comes full circle when Jacks tribe burns down the entire island. The presence of the boys has completely changed the island from a beautiful paradise to a charred wreckage. Goldings pessimistic view of human nature is further expanded with the issue of hunting. As the novel progresses, Jacks level of obsession with hunting continues to escalate until the very end of the novel. It is interesting to note that although the island has an abundance of fruits and the boys can easily catch fish and crabs at the beach, Jack insists on hunting to get meat. Later on, he enjoys hunting as if it were a sport:His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a satisfying drink(Golding 88). Jack hunts not with the sole intention to get meat, but he particularly enjoy exercising power over living creatures while hunting. This shows how much Jack enjoys having power; the power to control other beings. Throughout the novel, Jack does everything he can to gain the respect of the boys; to gain  support for power. Later when he most of the boys join his tribe, Jack takes one last step to secure his position as chief of his tribe. He goes as far as to order his tribe to hunt and kill Ralph to eliminate the last threat to his position. Here, we can see that Jack has moved from hunting pigs to hunting humans. Thus, this shows how savage and evil man can be as he hunts even his own kin. Besides, these examples also show that humans have an unquenchable thirst for power that if not controlled, will blind us and take over our soul. In the novel, Golding uses Jack and his tribe to illustrate the effects of complete freedom to man. After Jacks tribe is formed, the members are no longer referred to as boys but as savages with Jack as their Chief. This is a direct reference to the boys regression into a primitive state of being. Jacks tribe also performs several primitive practices that are usually attributed as savage. First of all, they paint their faces and bodies to conceal themselves while hunting pigs. Next, they perform brutal killing of pigs:Roger found a lodgment point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrifying squealing became a high-pitched scream. Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands(Golding 168,169). Last of all, they give an offering, the pigs head, to the beast hoping it would not harm them. Thus, this shows that the boys do not understand the true nature of the beast. Their situation is similar to primitive man, who gave offerings to gods and idols to protect their own well-being from natural disasters they did not understand. It is during the presentation of the offering that Jack said: Sharpen a stick at both ends (Golding 169). Obediently, Roger sharpens a stick and Jack skewers the pigs head on one end of the stick and places the other into the ground. This statement is repeated again at the end of the novel. When Ralph asks Samneric of what Jacks tribe plan to with him once he was captured one of them replied, Roger sharpened a stick at both ends(Golding234). Although Ralph would hardly understand what the phrase means, the terrible truth becomes clear to the reader. Jacks tribe plans to behead Ralph and skewer his head on a stick sharpened at both ends as another offering to the beast. It is, by far, the  most brutal display of human savagery. Without the eye of watchful adults, Jack and his tribe are uncontrollable; and Jack as their leader, has absolute power. Golding has written Lord of the Flies based on his experience in war. He realizes that war is the greatest act of human evil, for it takes the lives of innocent people and causes nothing but destruction. Therefore, it is fitting for Golding to highlight the effects of war in the novel to reinforce his pessimistic view of human nature. At the end of the novel, Golding leaves the reader with an image of a war ship, which is one of the many traces of war in the novel. If the reader examines the opening of the story, there are references to a war going on in the world, such as Piggys mention of the atomic bomb: Not them. Didnt you hear what the pilot said? About the atomic bomb? Theyre all dead(Golding 20). The reader discovers that the boys are stranded on the island because of the war. Besides that, another trace of the war is the dead parachutist. The boys mistake the dead parachutist for the beast. Ironically, the dead parachutist is the beast in the sense that he is connected to the war going on in the world outside and the beast is attributed to the evil in human nature. Even the boys have their very own war on the island. Therefore, the island could represent a microcosm of the outside world. Now, we return to the image of the war ship. The arrival of the ship allows the boys to be rescued. However, the ship only serves to remind the reader that although the boys are rescued, they are taken back to a war-torn world. After experiencing one war, the boys are being taken to another. The circle of destruction continues. To sum everything up, Golding effectively uses the main characters, especially at the ending, to prove that humans are more evil than good. The last page of the novel has one last scene of Ralph which summarizes the main themes of the novel. From his experience on the island, he is no longer an innocent child as he has been exposed to the evil nature of human beings and human savagery:And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of mans heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy(Golding 248). Works cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber and Faber, 1996.