The Importance of Piggy in Lord of the Flies by William...

The Importance of Piggy in Lord of the Flies by William Golding Piggy is a key character in the novel not only because he is important in showing the emotions of the boys through the hate that he generates but also because of the underlying symbolism that is so closely related to him. Piggys specks are used to show the state of the boys society. At the start of the novel Piggys glasses are intact this shows us that the boys are still clinging on to the thoughts and morals as they had in their homes in the past. But later in the novel Piggys glasses bet cracked this is symbolic for the cracks that are appearing in the society of the boys on the island, as they are becoming more savage.†¦show more content†¦Piggy is always seen to act with a sense of authority and caring towards the conch within the meetings telling people that When you done laughing perhaps we can get on with this meeting. His false sense of security is shown by his keeping hold of the conch throughout most of the meetings and always saying I got the conch They ought to shut up shouldnt they and being a sort of translator for the littluns. This shows us that piggy tries to use his intellect to gain a normal place within the islands society. Piggy was once more the centre of social deris ion so that everyone felt cheerful and normal. This shows us how Piggy is sectioned from the est of the group due to his social status. This may be interpreted as a message from Golding that the society of the world values the wrong things, preferring physical strength to intellectual strength causing those people who should be more highly valued to be victimised. Piggy as well as Ralph seems to be a minority by the fact that they have a sense of right and wrong. But he differs in that he never strays from this knowledge always keeping a distance from savagery, whereas Ralph sometimes forgets himself and gets involved in certain acts which could be viewed as immoral.Show MoreRelatedThe Symbolism Of The Conch958 Words   |  4 Pagesquestion of whether man is naturally evil. William Golding poses this question in his novel Lord of the Flies. Set on a tropical island during World War II, the novel begins when schoolboys from Great Britain are being flown to safety and their plane is shot down. No adults survive, and the boys are left to control themselves and get rescued. The boys find a conch, which is a symbol of power and authority to whoever has it in his possession. William Golding uses symbolism in the form of the conch toRead MoreLord of the Flies: World War IIs Impact Essay1064 Words   |  5 PagesLord of the Flies: World War IIâ⠂¬â„¢s Impact Lord of the Flies by William Golding was influenced strongly by his experiences as a naval officer during World War II. Golding’s wartime service gave him a darker and more realistic look on life, and contributed to the novel’s imagery. As Golding described, World War II woke him up from his falsified beliefs about human nature by showing him the true human condition (â€Å"Lord of the Flies,† Novels 175). Lord of the Flies, as Golding explained, is â€Å"an attemptRead MoreEssay about Lord of the Flies: Evil1010 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The Power of Evil Evil: A noun meaning profound immorality, wickedness, and depravity. Everyone has a little bit of evil in them, but it’s up to that person if they want to show it or not. In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a group of boys show the evil within themselves while being stranded on an island. Because of the situation that has been thrust upon them, they soon discover the true evil they are capable of. In the book, the boys show evil through their lust for power, the behaviorRead MoreEssay on Lord of the Flies-Piggy1247 Words   |  5 Pagesbrains are all symbols in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. In this novel, a group of school kids crash into a deserted island and fight wilderness, fear, and themselves to survive. Piggy, being one of the most vital characters in their survival, is often disrespected and overlooked. This is persistent throughout the novel, and can be attributed to his weight and nerdy appearance. Generally, Piggy means well, and tries to help th e boy’s survival on the island. Piggy, an extremely complex andRead MoreEssay on The Character Piggy in Lord of the Flies1368 Words   |  6 PagesPiggy saw the smile and misinterpreted it as friendliness. There had grown up tacitly among the biguns the opinion that Piggy was an outsider, not only by accent, which did not matter, but by fat, and ass-mar, and specs, and a certain disinclination for manual labour. (Golding 68) The character Piggy in William Goldings novel Lord of the Flies serves as the intellectual balance to the emotional leaders of a group of shipwrecked British boys. Ironically, their new society values physical qualitiesRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding Essay1475 Words   |  6 Pages Outline Introduction Short intro for Lord of the Flies Short intro on Gangs The bullying and group mentality demonstrated in gangs has resemblances to the characters in Lord of the Flies. II. Bullying/Group mentality Gangs Drugs/Loyalty B. Lord of the flies Jack kills the pig/Jack and Ralph fight III. Effects B. Lord of the flies Jack killing the pig aftermath Violence IV. Conclusion Gangs are considered a group of people that have a common link togetherRead MoreAllegory and Symbols in Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay1079 Words   |  5 PagesThe Lord of the Flies is a novel hardly definable that bounders among many genres. Though we may find typical characteristics of adventure, dystopian or religious fiction, the dealing of symbols turn this as a potentially allegorical novel which can be studied and interpreted through different visions and perspectives. Characters and objects resemble behaviors, historical processes, personality styles and emotions. The narrator found in these the â€Å"objective correlative† to evoke different emotionsRead MoreThe Importance Of Fear In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding751 Words   |  4 PagesPorche Mrs. Hardy English IV Period 2 17 September 2017 The Importance of Fear In Lord of the Flies, William Golding applies literary devices like characterization and symbolism to develop the theme: the power of fear. From the beginning to the end of the story, Golding suggests to the reader that the most destructive emotion humans have is fear. In the novel, the boys find out that the only fear that is inevitable is fear itself. Golding leads the reader into his beliefs by stating, â€Å"...fear canRead MoreThe Devil Within William Golding s Lord Of The Flies1152 Words   |  5 PagesAdvanced English 9 Ms. Duthoy 8 October 2016 The Devil Within William Golding s Lord of the Flies is a brilliant novel about a group of schoolboys who find themselves stranded on an island with no adults present. Inevitably two groups form, one by the handsome and responsible Ralph and the other lead by the choir head Jack. Ralph rationalizes the need to survive while Jack becomes obsessive over hunting and controlling the boys. Golding uses symbols to add depth and further explain his theory thatRead MoreLord Of The Flies : Representation Of Violence And War1611 Words   |  7 PagesLord Of The Flies: Representation Of Violence and War Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian, states that â€Å" The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.† In William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies, societal topics run rampant throughout the text with Golding’s use of individuals to represent different aspects of society. Many writers view the Lord Of The Flies as an allegory, as societal topics such as politics make appearances throughout the text. In

Microeconomic Essay Topics Secrets

Microeconomic Essay Topics Secrets Costs can be either when it comes to financial costs like average fixed expenses and total variable expenses or they can be in regard to opportunity costs, which consider alternatives foregone. Opportunity cost is one method to gauge the price of something. The demand for different commodities by individuals is usually thought of as the results of a utility-maximizing procedure, with each individual attempting to maximize their own utility beneath a budget constraint and a given consumption collection. The price of maintaining their content library has been quickly rising over the past five years since they expand the choices they are offering to consumers, which can be found in the chart below. Now assume that individuals know what type they are but insurance businesses are unable to learn this info. In case the economy directs this issue then it's regarded as OPTIMAL OR EFFICIENT. Most Noticeable Microeconomic Essay Topics In an oligopoly, there are a couple of businesses that control the full sector. There are a few quality substitutes for Netflix. Oligopoly, in which a current market is run by a few of firms that together control the vast majority of the industry share. Point out both the advantages and disadvantages of star ting a new business in the present sector. What You Should Do to Find Out About Microeconomic Essay Topics Before You're Left Behind One of the most difficult things about writing a paper is locating a terrific topic to write about. Picking out the subject wisely will mean that you will pick up the topic you understand well and delight in that is likely to make the entire writing process a lot easier. You obviously have to write about a relevant topic because the entire idea is to find out more regarding the program work. 1 approach to begin is to get a good topic for your term paper. You could also begin researching the places you want to travel to and the length of time you'd love to travel for. Choosing wisely will mean that you will pick a topic you like and know well which will make the writing process far easier. When you're choosing a topic for your paper, you must make certain that you are picking a topic which is relevant and interesting. The topics covered within this list aren't exhaustive which means there's a variety of more exclusive areas that ought to be researched. If you're looking to develop the excellent essay on microeconomics topics by yourself, the very first place you should search is the internet. There are quite a lot of resources that will supply you with an array of essay topics that are associated with the topic of microeconomics. If you have to develop good essay topics all on your own, you'd better search the Web first. The topic you select needs to be interesting to you and also appears professional to your professor. Also, our writers assist you in developing a deeper comprehension of your microeconomics research paper. No surprise that economists have various views on particular aspects of microeconomics. Here is a brief sample essay to acquire your economic muses flowing. The writers we've got on our team are working within this field for over ten decades and have considerable experience of writing microeconomics research paper for those students. Like most definitions in economics, there are a lot of competing suggestions and ways to spell out the term microeconomics. If you're struggling with your capstone project or dissertation, then you're at the most suitable custom writing firm. Studying microeconomics differs from macroeconomics. You must define your principal thesis. Should you need good microeconomics essay topics, they are rather easy to discover the moment you get started exploring the matter deeper. Choosing your macroeconomics essay topics does not need to be frustrating. Up in Arms About Microeconomic Essay Topics? Get clear on what you need your objective to look like so it's possible to create solid steps towards it. While the huge goals function as a destination, the journey is possibly the most important portion of the procedure. When it has to do with setting your own personal targets, honing in on its specifics is critical for success. Self-managing your goals is an important step in the approach.

Carl discovers free essay sample

Needed: One of the many good feelings Carl discovers is that he is needed by people. hue need you, the barge has stopped losing money these last few weeks because of you and the rinsing you do pg. 141 This quote clearly expresses the feeling of being needed when Skip tells Carl they need his help in the barge and that he is keeping them from not going broke. Needed: One of the many good feelings Carl discovers is that he is needed by people. hue need you, the barge has stopped losing money these last few weeks because of you and the rinsing you do pg. 41 This uote clearly expresses the feeling of being needed when Skip tells Carl they need his help in the barge and that he is keeping them from not going broke. Free: Nearing the end of the book, this feeling appears after Carl discovered what really happened to his mother he had the oopportunity to continue the curse of the Matts by leaving and starting his life again. We will write a custom essay sample on Carl discovers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He was free to go anywhere, back to the city further if he wanted for the first time in his life he was free. -Pg. 292 This quote shows Carl could have Just left his brother, Joy and Justine behind like all the other Matts did but, carl wanted to stop the tradition. Free: Nearing the end of the book, this feeling appears after Carl discovered what really happened to his mother he had the oopportunity to continue the curse of the Matts by leaving and starting his life again. He was free to go anywhere, back to the city further if he wanted for the first time in his life he was free. -Pg. 292 This quote shows Carl could have Just left his brother, Joy and Justine behind like all the other Matts did but, carl wanted to stop the tradition. Loved: Love and its feelings is expressed when Carl and Justine discover heir feelings for each other which leads to more than a friendship. his arms slipped around her, his arms meeting in a small on her back- pg. 237 Carl never felt loved by his mother so he never thought he would have it until he met, Joy and Justine. Loved: Love and its feelings is expressed when Carl and Justine discover their feelings for each other which leads to more than a friendship. his arms slipped around her, his arms meeting in a small on her back- pg. 237 Carl never felt loved by his mother so he never thought he would have it until he met, Joy and Justine. Clever: Carl is quite clever tthroughout the whole novel, but in some chapters his intelligences really shows take us further across the bay; he commanded straight to the sun- pg. 162. This quote clearly shows Carls intelligence and the things he can achieve when its something he is passionate about, Carl tells Skip to turn the boat around so that they are facing the sun so it would be easier to see a human figure of Harley, Which they did. Clever: Carl is quite clever tthroughout the whole novel, but in some chapters his intelligences really shows take us further across the bay; he ommanded straight to the sun- pg. 62. This quote clearly shows Carls intelligence and the things he can achieve when its something he is passionate about, Carl tells Skip to turn the boat around so that they are facing the sun so it would be easier to see a human figure of Harley, Which they did. Rejected: Parts of the novel explore when Carl feels rejected. The feeling rejected comes out when Carl tries to apply for a Job and nas been rejected. out, botn ot you- pg. This quote is used when Beryl threatens to throw the matt brothers out, when she finds out that Sarah has left the wo boys with her, Carl would feel rejected after this. This feeling can relate to the wider world because everyone now and then can feel rejected in different ways. Rejected: Parts of the novel explore when Carl feels rejected. The feeling rejected comes out when Carl tries to apply for a Job and has been rejected. out, both of you- pg. This quote is used when Beryl threatens to throw the matt brothers out, when she finds out that Sarah has left the two boys with her, Carl would feel rejected after this. This feeling can relate to the wider world because everyone now and then an feel rejected in different ways. Abandoned: Some stages and scenes in the book show that Carl was feeling abandoned, this feeling is clearly shown when Kerry (Carls mum) left them. Shes worked out that we dont need that bitch, shes taken off for good. pg. -10 this quote is a good example of this pacific feeling because Kerry has Just left her family and never came back. Abandoned: Some stages and scenes in the book show that Carl was feeling abandoned, this feeling is clearly shown when Kerry (Carls mum) left them. Shes worked out that we dont need that bitch, shes taken off for good. g. 10 this quote is a good example of this pacific feeling because Kerry has Just left her family and never came back. Ashamed- Carl in the novel is very ashamed of his appearance by his weight, Carl feels quite overweight for the age of 16. He was ashamed if his friendly bulges in front of the war- painted lifesavers. - pg. 44 in this quote we can see that Carl is very ashamed by his appearance. Appearance relates to the wider world b ecause when people first see you they will quickly Judge you by the way that you look first before getting to know you or even Just walking past you. Ashamed- Carl in the novel is very ashamed of his appearance by his weight, Carl feels quite overweight for the age of 16. He was ashamed if his friendly bulges in front of the war- painted lifesavers. - pg. 44 in this quote we can see that Carl is very ashamed by his appearance. Appearance relates to the wider world because when people first see you they will quickly Judge you by the way that you look first before getting to know you or even just walking past you. Powerless: the feeling powerless is discovered in the novel when Carl he had to give up the money Sarah had given him while she was on her oliday. Carl had to give it up to protect Harley and him from getting kicked out of Beryls. IVe got money. Sarah gave me some for the holidays. Pg. 31 this quote shows that Carl had to back down from beryl and give his money away. Powerless: the feeling powerless is discovered in the novel when Carl he had to give up the money Sarah had given him while she was on her holiday. Carl had to give it up to protect Harley and him from getting kicked out of Beryls. IVe got money. Sarah gave me some for the holidays. Pg. 31 this quote shows that Carl had to back down from beryl and give his money away.

William Bratton Analytical Book Review an Example by

William Bratton Analytical Book Review William Bratton is noted for his exemplary contribution in the Los Angeles Police Department with more than 32 years of law enforcement experience. His book entitled Turnaround which he co-authored with Peter Knobler (1998) is just one of the many achievements under his sleeves. Need essay sample on "William Bratton Analytical Book Review" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The book describes in full detail how a well-managed police effort can actually affect the reduction of crime. Brattons career is peppered with various accomplishments which makes him an efficient crime writer. He is behind the turn around of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), the Metropolitan Police, which is now part of the Massachusetts State Police, the New York Transit Police, Boston Police, and the New York Police Department (NYPD). People Very Often Tell Us:How much do I have to pay someone to write my essay online?Specialists advise: Get Academic Writing At Reasonable Price With UsPaper Writing Service Get Paid To Write Papers Pay To Write Essay Best Essay Writing Company The Book (Turnaround 1998) shows Brattons belief in the Broken Windows theory, which translates that that acceptance of petty crime establishes an environment that creates more serious crime. He also believes in the analysis of crime statistics by location, time, among others to ascertain how to deploy police resources: originally pins on a map, eventually growing in to the famous CompStat. Bratton learned that by dropping the amount of city-wide petty crime, he was also able to reduce the number of city-wide serious crime. In Turnaround (1998) Bratton illustrates the police efforts that led to these successes. Together with his peers, Bratton used computer mapping to pinpoint crime hot spots and then cleaned up the areas using all the tools of law enforcement. One of the favored tools was "quality of life enforcement" which decreases minor crimes such as panhandling, squeegeeing, and prostitution to make the streets less enticing to worse criminals. He made police commanders from all districts of the city accountable by requiring them to report on progress and problems in their locales during frequent departmental meetings. What makes the book interesting is the mention of various cities where Bratton have worked and references of various people as well. His stint at the Los Angeles Police Department is such a fascinating part of the book. LAPD has been beset by scandal, incompetent leadership, and low morale and high employee turnover. Crimes such as reckless driving, littering and graffiti are ever-persistent which makes his stay more exciting. The book tells the story of Bratton from his childhood years growing up in Boston to becoming the most important police officer in the United States which may inspire many of the readers who may wish to take the same steps Bratton decided to take. Bratton (1998) depicts the type of power politics that are being played in police departments. He described in details the negative things that occur at police headquarters. He pointed the run-ins he had with members of the old guard at the Boston police department, as well as his famous battles with Rudolph Giuliani, while he was head of the NYPD. The book is trying to tell us that crimes can be solved and our cities will be more interesting to live in if we have cops or police department heads who thrive on good policies to make living a little easier. It may take some time before the United States produces another Bratton in its history. But at least he co-authored this book to remind us that it takes efforts to end or at least reduce crimes in the city. It is not enough to have all the best computer-equipments in the planet. What matters is that we learn from history and try to do things a little better. Like everything else, crimes do happen for a reason. Each of us is responsible in making our lives easier. There are other criminal justice books that have been published to continue to remind us of our responsibilities as citizens. It would be wonderful to also go over these other books and pick up interesting anecdotes and facts to teach us a lesson or two in fighting crimes. William Bratton may have grown up in the suburbs of Boston with humble beginnings but this did not stop him from changing the lives of others in the long run. His being a police officer spelled the difference in other peoples lives. Those who might have been victims of possible crimes which he controlled even before taking place will forever be grateful for him. This book is a living example of a noble person who may or may not be hero to some. Bratton gives us his insights on how to interact well with the press, how to keep employees happy and how to sell a program. It is not clear whether he intended his book to be read from this perspective but this book includes many remarkable pieces of wisdom on how to run and operate a large organization. Bratton's ideas about curbing crime should be of interest to both those involved in law enforcement and regular people who are concerned about crime. Brattons colorful biography will remain an interesting read. His crime-fighting methods are worth emulating. If we try to unearth the real message of Brattons book, we will learn that crime prevention is indeed a responsibility of everyone. It is not just a responsibility of those in the police forces like Bratton but every living taxpayer should learn to cooperate and bring in his share and participate for the success of every endeavor. We should not content in watching the whole thing transpire before our very eyes, we should find out for ourselves what we can do. In doing so, crimes be it petty or major crimes will be easily solved. Reference: Bratton. W., & Knobler, P. The Turnaround: How America's Top Cop Reversed the Crime Epidemic: Random House (Jan 1998)

The Aftermath of John F. Kennedys Assassination

The Aftermath of John F. Kennedys Assassination Prior to the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, life in the United States still seemed to border on naivety in so many ways.   But the series of shots that rang out in Dealey Plaza that afternoon was the beginning of the end of this innocence. John F. Kennedy was a popular president with the American people. His wife Jackie, the First Lady, was the picture of sophisticated beauty.   The Kennedy clan was large and appeared close-knit. JFK appointed Robert, Bobby, to be Attorney General. His other brother, Edward, Ted, won the election for John’s old Senate seat in 1962. Within the U.S., Kennedy had recently made it a public resolve to back the Civil Rights movement by passing historic legislation that would bring about major change. The Beatles were still clean-cut young men who wore matching suits when they performed. There wasn’t a drug counterculture among the youth of America. Long hair, Black Power, and burning draft cards just did not  exist. At the height of the Cold War, President Kennedy had made the powerful Premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, back down during the Cuban Missile Crisis.   In the fall of 1963, there were U.S. military advisers and other personnel, but no U.S. combat troops in Vietnam. In October 1963, Kennedy had decided to withdraw one thousand military advisers from the region by end of the year. Kennedy Calls for the Withdrawal of US Military Advisers The day before Kennedy was assassinated, he had approved National Security Action Memorandum (NSAM) 263 which expressly called for the withdrawal of these U.S. military advisers. However, with the succession of Lyndon B. Johnson to the presidency, the final version of this bill was changed. The version officially approved by President Johnson, NSAM 273, left out the withdrawal of advisers by the end of 1963. By the end of 1965, over 200,000 U.S. combat troops were in Vietnam. Furthermore, by the time the Vietnam Conflict ended, there were over 500,000 troops deployed with more than 58,000 casualties.   There are some conspiracy theorists that solely look to the difference in policy towards U.S. military presence in Vietnam between Kennedy and President Johnson as the reason for Kennedys assassination. However, there is little evidence to support this theory.   In fact, during an April 1964 interview, Bobby Kennedy answered a number of questions about his brother and Vietnam. He stopped short of saying that President Kennedy would not have used combat troops in Vietnam.    Camelot and Kennedy The term Camelot evokes thoughts of the mythical King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. However, this name has also become associated with the time that Kennedy was president. The play, Camelot was popular at the time. It, like Kennedys presidency, ended with the death of the king. Interestingly, this association was created soon after his death by Jackie Kennedy herself. When the former First Lady was interviewed by Theodore White for a Life magazine piece that appeared in a December 3, 1963, special edition of the publication, she was quoted as saying that, â€Å"There will be great presidents again, but there will never be another Camelot.†Ã‚   Although it has been written that White and his editors did not agree with Jackie Kennedy’s characterization of Kennedy’s presidency, they ran the story with the quote. Jackie Kennedys words encapsulated and immortalized John F. Kennedy’s few short years in the White House. The 1960’s after Kennedys assassination saw major changes in the United States. There was a growing degradation of trust in our government.   The way that the older generation viewed the youth of America was changed, and the limits of our Constitutional freedom of expression were severely tested. America was in a period of upheaval that would not end until the 1980s.

Definition and Examples of Binomials in Algebra

Definition and Examples of Binomials in Algebra A polynomial equation with two terms usually joined by a plus or minus sign is called a binomial. Binomials are used in algebra. Polynomials  with one term will be called a monomial and could look like 7x. A polynomial with two terms is called a binomial; it could look like 3x 9. It is easy to remember binomials as bi means 2 and a binomial will have 2 terms. A classic example is the following:  3x 4 is a binomial and is also a polynomial,  Ã‚  2a(ab) 2  is also a binomial (a and b are the binomial factors). The above are both binomials. When multiplying binomials, youll come across a term called the FOIL method which is often just the method used to multiply binomials.   For instance,  to find the product of 2 binomials, youll add the products of the First  terms, the Outer terms, the Inner terms, and the Last terms. When youre asked to square a binomial, it simply means to multiply it by itself. The square of a binomial will be a trinomial. The product of two binomials will be a trinomial. Example of Multiplying Binomials (5 4x) x (3 2x)(5 4x)(3 2x) (5)(3) (5)(2x) (4x)(3) (4x)(2i) 15 10x 12x 8(x)2 15 22x 8(-1) 15 22x - 8 (15 - 8) 22x 7 22x Once you begin taking  algebra in school, youll be doing a great many computations that require binomials and polynomials.

Industry Experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Industry Experience - Assignment Example My experience would contribute to the development of a management report because I have the background and knowledge in management to help a company formulate its overall strategies and goals. For example, I am aware that HRM (Human Resource Management) is one of the prime examples through which strategic management can influence what occurs within a company by a mixture of theory and pragmatic practice. It is seen by practitioners in the field as a more innovative view of workplace management than the traditional approach. Its techniques force the managers of an enterprise to express their goals with specificity so that they can be understood and undertaken by the workforce, and to provide the resources needed for them to successfully accomplish their assignments. As such, HRM techniques, when properly practiced, are expressive of the goals and operating practices of the enterprise overall. Many firms are realizing that a traditional functional organization is evermore unsuitable for the current environment in which they operate. The present time and environment demand firms to be more agile and adapt quickly to their surroundings. The best method here, firms have realized, is to develop easily deployable teams containing individuals that are fit for certain jobs and projects. The process by which a firm formulates and implements its strategy through the resources at its disposal. It can be mirrored with the actual definition of management as well in that it is devising goals and methods by which an organization is to be run, with a direction (Kono, 1996). Strategic management dwells upon where the firm currently stands, where it will be in three (short term), five (mid term) or ten (long term) years if no changes are made, whether this predicted position of the firm is acceptable, and if not, what changes will have to be made now in order to secure a position where it is envisioned to be in. Strategic management rises above the petty problems of day to day business processes to devise a direction for the firm and

Reducing Secondhand Smoke on Children Research Paper - 8

Reducing Secondhand Smoke on Children - Research Paper Example ive reliable data prior to the study, the researcher uses equivalent comparison groups to rule out the effect of unusual scores in a study (Kerr & Wood, 2010). A research instrument is referred to as a systematic and standardized tool for collection of data. It involves all types of research questionnaires as well as standardized scales (Tran, 2009). According to Tran, the instrument to be used in a study must be appropriate, valid as well as reliable.The research instruments to be used in addressing secondhand smoke (SHS) on children will include questionnaires and standardized scales. The research instruments are essential in carrying out a study; they aid in the collection of data that is used in answering the research question of a given study (Tran, 2009). There are many factors that researchers considers before making a final decision on which data collection tool to use in carrying out their study. These factors include the usability, reliability, and validity of the instrument. Before drafting a questionnaire and using a standardized scale in carrying out a study on reducing SHS on children, a researcher carries out a systematic review of the literature in order to determine if the instrument will measure what it is required to measure and if the results of the study provided by the research tool are valid. The researcher also evaluates whether the use of the instrument would result in the same results if the study were repeated. A researcher first determines if the instrument he or she is about to use measures a construct as intended before selecting the instrument for a study. The researcher also checks whether the constructs in the instrument identified matches the construct conceptually defined in the study. Additionally, the r esearcher finds out if the instrument can be used in the public domain before using it in the study (Blankenship, 2009). The California Health Interview Survey on rates of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke shows (SHS) that

Graphic Novels in education Essay Example for Free

Graphic Novels in education Essay Graphic novels and comic books have been some of the most debated topics recently in many different areas. Many people think that they could be helpful in education, while some others completely disagree. Some people think they are childish, and some think they require just as much comprehension as long, fictional novels. However, despite all the criticism graphic novels often get, the genre is growing recently. Many things have led to this rise in interest, from easier access on the Internet to the many superhero movies sparking interest in a younger audience. Due to this recent rise in popularity for graphic novels, several people believe that this genre can be helpful in all levels of education. There are positives and negatives to this possibility, like everything else, but the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. One thing that weighs in favor of adding more graphic novels into education is that they are easier to read and can be more encouraging for students who may not like to read. There are several things that one must be able to do to read and understand graphic novels, including comprehending visual imagery and making inferences. The biggest factors that are helping push graphic novels into education are what was just mentioned; the way students now learn, the need to make inferences, and the need for students to learn visually. Every teacher can admit to having a few students in class that were not particularly good readers or that did not enjoy reading. If graphic novels were read more widely in classrooms, that would help with these certain students learning. The vocabulary and diction used in this genre is much simpler than in most word-based novels that would be read in class. Often, students who are given a very long book, they simply do not even read for their assignments. However, if one of these same students was given a longer graphic novel, like Watchmen for example, it is very likely that they would be more willing to read. Another method that makes these works easier for some students is that the words are more spread out, which makes the student only comprehend small parts at a time. This makes students who are less confident with their reading skills able to better manage comprehending the purpose in a novel. Although the speech in graphic novels is simpler, students are still â€Å"challenged by the need to infer and decipher a variety of literary devices† (Constantino). Another positive factor in graphic novels is how visual it is. Children today are becoming much more visual learners. This is probably due to the prevalence of television and computers in today’s society. While, television and computers have often been looked at as negative impacts in children’s learning, many students have figured out that there are good things on television and the internet. Also, these students have found out that there are books that are not particularly good, despite what they have been taught. While there is still going to be those people out there who will have their doubts about allowing this genre in education, students would benefit from having more visual learning and less long narratives in class, which is just what graphic novels would bring. One of the most important abilities for a student when reading is learning how to make inferences. Many times in comics and graphic novels, the author will give a â€Å"bare outline† of what is going on, and leave the reader to â€Å"fill in the blanks† with the scenery or facial expressions of the characters (Walter). This ability is key to not only reading, but also in daily life. Inferences often need to be made in conversation to know exactly what situation that person is going through. If graphic novels were added to more school’s curriculum, then not only would students’ reading abilities improve, but their conversational skills would also improve. The reader of comics must also be able to decode the messages that the writer displays in his work. No matter how discrete of a message the author may insert into a work, the reader must be able to put together the pieces of the puzzle to create a continuous story. The reader must perform closure in between the â€Å"encapsulated moments in order to create a completed whole out of fragments† (Duncan and Smith 12). This closure that the reader must make is very similar to making inferences. To do both, one must apply background knowledge and relate events that may be described indirectly to blend these sequences into a constant story. Because of the important skill of making inferences that is necessary to read and understand graphic novels, they can be used as a gateway to reading more challenging works by developing this skill in children. As was mentioned previously, children are relying more and more on learning through visual techniques. Because of that, comics can be much more helpful than long narratives in teaching students to understand imagery, tone, symbolism, and many others. One example of how visual aids can help students learn is by using facial expression or body language of the drawn characters in graphic novels. Students will be able to gain many details of the story by simply looking at these two things. By looking at a character’s facial expression, one can learn the current mood of the story, along with what tone the character may be using. Teaching students to look at these things will not just help them when reading a graphic novel, it can also help them figure out certain situations that may occur during their lives. While some people argue that graphic novels are much simpler or not as mentally stimulating, they do share some characteristics with text-based narratives. One characteristic in particular is that they both use onomatopoeia. While these text-based narratives will insert these words into a sentence, graphic novels will make an entire panel out of one of these words. Although both of these genres do use onomatopoeia equally as much, the usage in graphic novels is more imaginative. In graphic novels, the word is usually brought to the center of the page, and made colorful and exciting. Because of the way that graphic novels display this literary technique, students can easier realize when that literary device is being used. Students can get a better understanding of when this literary device is applicable, and that will make them more confident as they continue reading. Despite the fact that graphic novels can often maintain a simpler vocabulary, they can still teach students simple literary devices like onomatopoeia. While the vocabulary is usually simpler, the material is more complex. As Linda Starr states in her article, an advantage of using graphic novels in the classroom is that these books â€Å"present complex material in readable text†. This gives graphic novels an advantage over other, harder to read, novels because more often than not, these students have a greater understanding of issues that are dealt with in books, but not all the time can they decipher what the issues are because of the more difficult vocabulary. One way to simplify things for these students, while still challenging them mentally is to provide more graphic novels in the curriculum. There is always going to be crowds of people who will deny graphic novels ever being relevant in education, but the different ways students are learning, the way students must make inferences, and the visual techniques that are displayed in graphic novels all provide reasons why these texts should be included in the classroom today. Graphic novels can serve as a spring into a lifelong love of reading or it can simply keep the student interested enough to get through an assignment. Whatever a student’s level of reading skill, there is no doubt that they will be able to read a graphic novel, while still maintaining a certain complexity in the ideas presented. Graphic novels can also teach students how to make inferences, as well as recognize and understand common literary techniques. Above all, students’ imaginations, and possibly interests will rise because of this genre being implemented into a curriculum. As Jesse Karp notes about graphic novels, â€Å"the form reaches young people in a way no other can†, and that is what is most important to future students’ learning. Works Cited Constantino, Correne. â€Å"Teaching English and Reading with Graphic Novels†. Education. cu-portland. edu. Concordia University, n. d. Web. 3 May 2013. Randy Duncan and Matthew J. Smith. The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2009. Print. Karp, Jesse. â€Å"The Case for Graphic Novels in Education†. Americanlibrariesmagazine. org. Chicago: American Library Associarion, 1 Aug. 2011. Web. 3 May 2013. Starr, Linda. â€Å"Eek! Comics in the Classroom! †. Educationworld. com. Education World, 11 Jan. 2008. Web. 3 May 2013. Walter, Carlene. â€Å"Graphic Novels†. Eclection. wikispaces. com. Tangient LLC, n. d. Web. 3 May 2013.

Tablet PC Essay -- Technology Computers

TABLET PCs Combines Simplicity of Paper with Full Power of Windows-Based Computing For the past few years, the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) has grown tremendously popular. However, due to size restrictions, it has always served as a secondary device to the desktop computer. So a number of hardware manufacturers unveiled a new form of communication, the Tablet PC. What exactly is a Tablet PC? It is a notebook PC with a touch-sensitive screen and is a bit larger than the size of a sheet of paper. Tablet PCs will have two formats: the "convertible" model with an integrated keyboard and a display that rotates 180 degrees that can be folded down over the keyboard, and the "slate" style with a removable keyboard. It allows users to save their written input either as images or as converted text. It is very similar to a PDA, only larger and more powerful, and weighs less than today's laptops yet is fully configured for PC operations and Internet applications. By combining the best qualities of a PDA and laptop, the Tablet PC can be used in applications where a lap top would be too bulky, and a PDA would not be powerful enough. In the past, field service workers with mobile devices tended to have only one application on their device. With the Tablet PC operating system, they can connect and use many more applications. A long-cherished goal for technology visionaries and computer designers, the Tablet PC will represent the next major evolution in PC design and functionality. While retaining the full power to run all existing Windows-based software applications, the Tablet PC expands enterprise computing to address previously unmet needs, such as the ability to take notes at meetings, annotate existing electronic documents and ... ...ning up businesses to the world, the use of a Tablet PC will be even more beneficial when sharing information across continental lines. The Tablet PC platform has established itself as one of the computer industry’s most promising innovations. Free from cables and keyboard, the Tablet PC provides a compact, easily portable device which is both stylish and ultimately practical. It has all the power to run common productivity applications anywhere and all the graphics performance to maximize the Internet experience. Moreover, with the widespread and increasing adoption of WLAN connection technology, Internet browsing and e-mail are becoming more accessible. Although at the moment, the Tablet PC technology is still in its infancy, the ever improving technology will make Tablet PCs more user friendly and practical which brings us one step closer to a paperless society.

New Media Implicated In The Globalization Of Culture Essay

The contemporary economics, culture and trade is becoming more and more global with each passing year. The diversity of services, goods and customs that could be spotted only a couple of decades ago in different countries, and even in different states have been becoming less and less noticeable during the last years. The same detergents, cat food, mobile phones etc can be found either on the shelves of the Canadian shops or on Russian and Indian markets. Some say that the process of globalization gave most of the world’s population the opportunity to use the qualitative and relatively inexpensive goods which were previously available only to the dwellers of the countries were they were produced, but the others presume that the process of globalization is destructive for the market, as due to the creation of corporations the smaller businesses go broke, and thus the competition, which leads to the improvement of quality of the goods produced, disappears. The influence of media on the contemporary culture is enormous. Media is what forms our tastes and preferences, it dictates us what to wear, to buy, and even how should be behave in different situations. It is the media that turned the American culture into the consumerist one, as nowadays it dictates that purchasing things is the most convenient and quick way to use the desired social status. Most of the media influences on people are performed through advertising, both direct and indirect one. Media is one of the main means of transferring information among people, and of forming their opinions that is why advertising is so powerful nowadays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The specialists say it is media that makes the greatest impact on the globalization of culture and trade all over the world. It is through the media that the same goods are advertised all over the world, and, moreover, the same ideas are propagated. Media creates and sets the standards that are to be followed to be considered â€Å"up-to date† and fashionable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Of course, different people have various opinions on why the effect of advertising on globalization is so powerful. For example, Berger, who wrote Ads, Fads, and Consumer Culture states advertising are a lottery, as it is still that nobody knows what advertisement will be effective and what will not. Berger adds that the advertisement executives believe that they waste half of money, spent on advertisements, but no one knows which half it is. (2000, p.2-3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nowadays media is one of the most powerful instruments of forming the opinions of its consumers. Most of the marketing strategies that exist nowadays are built on the influences of the media. It is the irreplaceable instrument for selling things, the process, on which the globalization is based. Decades ago people bough what they needed and their needs were dictated by their life conditions and financial status. It is nowadays that at first media creates the need in the specific product or group of products in people, and than they purchase the advertised thing. Thanks to the media people no longer buy things they need; they rather buy the attributes of the desired social status. Hirschman (2003) states that core societal values have an important role on advertising production and reception. Thus, to become fashionable, a product has to be promoted emphasizing its contribution to those societal values.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today media dictates people not only what they should buy, but also how they should behave, and what should they long for, and those directions are actually the same all over the world. Lindner, the author of the study, which analyzes the images of women in general interest and fashion magazine advertisements, states that: â€Å"advertisements often contain very subtle clues about gender roles and may operate as socializing agents on several levels. Because advertisements are publicly broadcast, the men and women portrayed are often perceived to represent the whole population, and men and women in the advertisements seem to accept these portrayed behaviors, thereby validating the stereotyped roles.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Media encourages contemporary people to build a career, and get decent education. It is emphasized in the most contemporary movies, TV shows, and books that to get a decent and well-paid position one has to have all the attributes of the successful person, like luxurious car, expensive costume, and the smallest mobile phone possible. And, as we can note those attributes of wealth and success are the same in the ads and movies that are produced worldwide. In the movies and TV shows all of those accessories seem to spring out of nowhere, they just indicate the status of the personage portrayed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is wonderful how the media succeeds in making various products fashionable. It creates the impression of the product being fashionable by attaching a set of characteristics to it that are evaluated positively in the society. Let’s, for example, analyze the phenomenon of the popularity of the designers’ clothes. If we take a D&G dress, worth 10,000$, we will see, it is not much different from one we can buy in the department store for 100$. The designer’ dress is so expensive because media have been popularizing this trademark for many decades. We can read or hear that this or that movie star was wearing an outfit created by D&G, Prada, or Valentino on the Oscar award ceremony, which is broadcasted in most countries of the world, and thus conclude that clothes created by those trademarks are the attributes of rich and successful people, so that its high cost will be justified.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The advertisements published in the media create the feeling of identification. Jackie Stacey in Star Gazing; Hollywood Cinema and Female Spectatorship states that: â€Å"†¦the female spectator is addressed as a consumer of images of feminine beauty, and thus as an observer of other women, but also of herself.† (1994, p.5). The advertisements worldwide are built using the same principle: the potential buyer should be able to imagine himself or herself in the situation where the model that features the product that is promoted, is depicted in the advertisement. And it is obvious that this strategy is effective everywhere, where it is used.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William O’Barr, an advertising specialist who wrote Culture and the Ad: Exploring Otherness in the World of Advertising, presumes that advertising communicates subliminal messages regarding the social and economic dominance of its target audience. In his opinion advertising agencies are not culturally sensitive (1994. p.111). By   advertising campaign, the media creates an impression in the potential buyer that after purchasing the advertised product he or she will receive the social and economical status higher, than her present one. Media usually positions the advertised products as a compulsory attribute the members of customer’s present, or target social group possess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In general all the advertising campaign pursue the goal of creating the ideal image of the person, who is a part of the target social group potential customers want to belong to. Thus the media portrays the person, using the advertised product in various situations and settings that the members of the customers’ target or present social group visit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The instruments the contemporary media use to make the products attractive for the customers are much more complicated than they were several decades ago. All of the advertisements that appeared in the newspapers, magazines or on TV forty or fifty years ago displayed the product advertised, and people who used them. Nowadays the situation has changed. Angela Goddard says it is not compulsory for the image to feature people in order to say something about them (2002, p.81). The advertisements shouldn’t feature a human all the time. They should rather picture the surroundings and the goals of the person, who is featured. This allows the consumers identification with the one, who uses the product advertised.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The mechanism of group identification is one of the most effective instruments media uses in advertising, as people are used to the fact that every social group has its material attributes, and they often share the thought that it is enough to purchase those attributes to gain the membership in the target group. Media promotes this viewpoint by showing distinct differences between the representatives of different social groups. Let’s recall how the personages are displayed in the movies and TV shows. After looking at the hero for few minutes we can recognize his/her social status without paying much effort. The differences between social group and classes are hyperbolized by the media, and the material attributes are what indicate those differences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Social scientists presume that it is TV that makes one of the most powerful influences on the process of globalization worldwide. Almost every dweller of our country knows, that the TV appeared only several decades ago, and it’s only for forty or fifty years that almost every American family has a TV set at home. TV has become the greatest entertainment for the children and adults, an imaginary world we can drift to without even using the power of our imagination. The statistics says that television is on for almost 7 hours a day in an average American household.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No wonder that the appearance of television changed the world a lot, as the division of time in the global society has changed with the appearance of this talking hypnotizing box. Except for reading books, going out or simply talking with the friends and other family members millions of people worldwide just sit and watch TV. The stereotypes, ideals and goals that atr promoted by the TV programs worldwide, are almost the same, as the advertising techniques and goals are. As a result the life in different countries becomes more and more like the contemporary Western standard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For now television has become a problem for the educators, parents, and employers. There is no statistics about the quantity of lessons and workdays missed because of the TV, but the numbers are surely, giant. Let’s try to see what exactly attracts the American children, teenager and adults to the TV screen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jerzy Kosinski in his book Being There provided a great interpretation for the facts listed. In his book he described the emotions of the person who had seen the outside world only through the glass of the TV screen. â€Å"By changing the channel he could change himself â€Å"-the author notes. â€Å"He could go through phases as garden plants went through phases, but he could change as rapidly, as he wished by twisting the dial backwards and forward. In some cases he could spread out into the screen without stopping. By turning the dial Chance could bring others inside his eyelids. Thus he cam to believe that it was he, Chance, who made himself be.† (p.5-6)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As you can note, switching on the TV set for Chance gave him the sense of power he didn’t have in his real life. Chance, like the millions of people worldwide identified himself with the moving figures on the screen, and he felt like he was capable to do something brave and smart, like the TV show and movie heroes did. There were times when people worked hard just for to feel themselves satisfied and valuable in any field they chose, but the TV screen brought an opportunity to get all the set of the positive emotions like love, affection, understanding and satisfaction for the price of one TV set.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The time that was spent before hand on working, studying, doing something for to provide positive emotions and the feeling of social realization is now spent in front of TV. The emotions, whether positive or negative brought by it became a drug for most of us, as we have unlearned to put the efforts for reaching those conditions and getting those emotions without the help of the blue screen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People have always had the archetypes inside their mind, on the subconscious levels, which had been dictating their view on the world and things and people that exist in it. With the appearance of the TV those archetypes had grown and enhanced, as we see a lot of examples of them there, much more than the average 19 century American would see during all of his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The same thing is with stereotyping. Let’s recall the reasons for popularity of Chance, the protagonist of Being There. It was just the stereotype millions of Americans shared that the person who talks metaphors (and they took the Chance’s talking about his garden for metaphors) is clever, and hi/her words are worthy of being noticed. It is the phenomena we can see on the TV screen every day. People there are not very clever, not very attractive or intelligent, at least most of them, but we still take their words for granted they have the authority that makes us listen them and hear what they are saying. Today there are persons that are respected all over the world, and their words are able to change the lives of people in many countries. It became possible only with the development of the contemporary media, as without TV or the Web such a   direct and unaffected spread of information would not have been possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of this paper is not only examining the advertising techniques the big companies use for to lure more customers to their products. It is rather examining the influences media makes on the globalization of culture and trade that is taking place worldwide. The advertising techniques and strategies employed by the media can be used not only for promoting some products, but also for promoting the specific political regime, the specific lifestyles etc. Media is a very powerful instrument. Nowadays it forms the tastes and opinions of its consumers concerning the clothes, gadgetry, or food they buy, but using it much more meaningful and dangerous things can be promoted. This is a valid reason to put little more attention to the notional filling of the media images and slogans instead of consuming them irrecusably.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is no doubt that the new media have a very powerful influence on globalization nowadays. Thanks to the TV and the Web the life of people in different parts of the world becomes more and more alike with each passing year. People develop same ideals, principles and norms, guided by TV shows, movies and ads, while the Internet lets them forget about the thousands of kilometers that separate New-York, Paris, Moscow and Deli.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People worldwide become more and more alike in all the senses of this word. There is no univocal answer for the question whether it is good or bad, as there are both positive and negative aspects of globalization. Nevertheless, this process is continuing, and it is enhancing with thee development of media. Bibliography KOSINSKI, J. Being There. Grove Press, 1999 QUART, A. Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers. Basic Books, 2004 GODDARD, A. The language of Advertising, London: Routledge, 1998 BERGER A.S.A. Ads, Fads and consumer culture: advertisings impact on American character and society, Oxford: Roman and Littlefield, 2004 STACEY, J. Star-Gazing: Hollywood Cinema and female Spectatorship. London: Routledge, 1993 O’BARR, W. Culture and the ad: exploring otherness in the world of advertising. Oxford: Westview Press, 1994 LINDNER, K. â€Å"Images of Women in General Interest and Fashion Magazine Advertisements from 1955 to 2002†. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. 2004, p.409 – 421

Indian Auto Industry

The Indian Mid-Segment Passenger Car Industry Nitin Gupta* and Vaibhav Shekhar** The Indian automobile industry is one of the fastest growing automobile industries in the world. The low penetration level of cars in India coupled with rise in the disposable income of its working population has made it an attractive destination for global automobile manufacturers. This case deals with the mid-size car segment of the passenger car industry in India. In 2009-10, this segment accounted for approximately 12. % of the total passenger cars manufactured in India and its Year-on-year (YoY) growth rate was approximately 15%. The major players in this segment include Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motors India, Ford India, General Motors India, Honda Siel India, Mahindra-Renault and Hindustan Motors. In addition to the existing players, various new players like Volkswagen, Nissan, Fiat, etc. , have either already entered in this segment or are about to enter. The case highlights various iss ues being faced by current as well as new entrants in this segment. The case provides exhaustive contemporary data on the mid-size car segment of the passenger car industry in India. Analysis of the case can be done using Porter’s five forces model. Many people buy compact cars today because they do not have the money to buy a sedan. So there is a high aspirational value attached to mid-size cars and newer cars at lower prices will only make more people think of buying them. – Pradeep Saxena, Head of the Auto Research Division at Consultancy Firm TNS1 Introduction Automobile Industry is considered to be one of the key sectors of any economy; it is capable of being the driver of economic growth because of both its backward as well as forward linkages with other sectors of the economy. According to the Automotive Mission Plan (2006-16), India is one of the fastest growing automobile industries in the world. The sector’s share in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose from 2. 8% in fiscal year 1992-93 (April 1992-March 1993) to 5% in fiscal year 2005-06 2 and it has been rising every year since then. In the year 2009-10, Indian automobile industry produced more than 2 million passenger cars and more than 0. 5 million commercial vehicles. 3 According to the Eleventh Five Year Plan4 (2007-12), after liberalization in 1991, Indian * ** 1 2 3 4 Assistant Professor, IBS, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. E-mail: prof. [email  protected] com Research Scholar, IBS, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. E-mail: vaibhav. [email  protected] com http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/articleshow/2888603. cms http://www. oppapers. om/essays/India-Automobile-Industry/155618 Society for Indian Automobile manufacturers, available at http://www. siamindia. com/upload/AMP . pdf Report by the Working Group on Automotive Industry, Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12), Department of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, India (August 2006). The IUP Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. VII, No. 3, 2010  © 2010 IUP All Rights Reserved. . 60 Automotive Industry had registere d a spectacular growth of 17% during five fiscal years ranging between 2000-01 and 2005-06. Till 2002-03, it had achieved an investment of INR6 50,000 cr (US$10. 99 bn7) which went up to INR 80,000 cr in 2007 (US$17. 58 bn8) with a turnover of INR 165,000 cr (US$36. 26 bn). Moreover, an investment worth INR 35,000 cr (US$7. 69 bn) was in the pipeline. 9 According to the Annual Report (2007-08) of Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India, India is the second largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world, fifth largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world, largest manufacturer of tractors in the world and fourth largest passenger car market in Asia. This achievement of the Indian automotive industry could be attributed to the Indian government’s decision to de-license the sector followed by up to 100% foreign direct investment through automatic route which enabled the industry to embark on a new journey since 1991. The above initiatives resulted in setting up of manufacturing facilities by major global players. It resulted in the massive enhancement of the production level of automobiles (which included passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, two wheelers and three heelers) from 2 million in 1991 to 11. 17 million vehicles in 2008-09. 10 The above measures taken by the Indian Government made India the new launch pad for global car manufacturers like Honda, Ford, Hyundai, General Motors, etc. Rising level of income of the Indians, availability of easy credit facility, relaxations in regulations by the Indian government in terms of import tariffs and equity regulations could be attributed as major reasons for this upsurge. The case concentrates on the mid-size car segment in India. It analyzes the reasons for the growth of this segment and the contemporary growth trends that it shows. The important issues that the case raises are: How is the impact of various external factors shaping this segment and what would be the future of this segment? Mid-Size Car Segment in India A mid-sized car11 is referred to as an automobile whose size lay between a small-sized car (Mini and Compact) and a full-sized car (Premium and Luxury). 12 It is generally priced between INR 3 lakh13 (US$6,953. 41) and INR 8 lakh (US$17,582. 2) with a carrying capacity of 4 passengers (2 adults and 2 children). The major players in this segment include Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motors India, Ford India, General Motors India, Honda Siel India, Mahindra-Renault and Hindustan Motors (HM). Between the financial years, 2004-05 and 2009-10, the production of passenger vehicles in India rose from 1,027,858 units to 2,078,392 units, a phenomenal rise of more than 100% in production in just fi ve years. But during the same time period (2004-05 to 2009-10), the 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 Indian Automotive Industry includes Automobile Industry and Auto Component Industry. INR = Indian Rupee. Exchange Rate: 1 US$ = INR 45. 50 (applicable as on March 20, 2010). Figures of 2007 has been taken from Annual Report 2007-08, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India. Figures as on 2006-07. Source: Annual Report 2007-08, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India. http://www. ibef. org/industry/automobiles. spx Refer to Appendix for details on classification of passenger cars. http://auto. indiamart. com/cars/mid-size-cars. html 1 lakh = A Hundred Thousand. 61 The Indian Mid-Segment Passenger Car Industry production of the mid-size cars could not keep pace with the massive increase in the passenger vehicles in India and it increased by just 40. 5% (see to Table 1). As a result, the share of mid-size cars with respect to the total passenger vehicles produced dropped from more than 18% in 2004-05 to less than 13% in 2009-10 (see Table 2). Table 1: Total Production of Passenger Vehicles in India Indicator Total Production Total Mini Cars Production Total Compact Cars Production Total Mid-Size Cars Production Total Executive Cars Production Total Premium Cars Production Total Luxury Cars Production MUVs Production Figures in Units 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 1,027,858 1,112,794 1,322,739 127,175 614,137 187,345 26,673 5,017 140 67,371 98,047 714,985 200,019 27,660 5,333 89 66,661 99,400 881,665 212,763 39,478 4,477 249 84,707 ,531,545 1,619,095 2,078,392 81,179 245,972 44,166 5,745 525 105,333 62,323 229,239 33,526 7,527 543 102,128 69,195 263,352 42,293 9,092 375 151,908 1,048,625 1,183,809 1,542,177 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database Table 2: Segment-Wise Share in Production of Passenger Vehicles in India Indicator Total Mini Cars Production Total Compact Cars Production Total Mid-Size Cars Production Total Executive Cars Production Total Premium Ca rs Production Total Luxury Cars Production MUVs Production Figures in Percentages 2004-05 12. 7 59. 75 18. 23 2. 60 0. 49 0. 01 6. 55 2005-06 8. 81 64. 25 17. 97 2. 49 0. 48 0. 01 5. 99 2006-07 7. 51 66. 65 16. 09 2. 98 0. 34 0. 02 6. 40 2007-08 5. 30 68. 47 16. 06 2. 88 0. 38 0. 03 6. 88 2008-09 3. 85 73. 12 14. 16 2. 07 0. 46 0. 03 6. 31 2009-10 3. 33 74. 20 12. 67 2. 03 0. 44 0. 02 7. 31 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database A sign of growing economy in India is that since 2004-05 the sale of passenger vehicles always exceeded the production of passenger vehicles (except in the year 2007-08) (refer to Tables 1 and 3). Between 2004-05 and 2009-10, the sale of passenger vehicles also showed phenomenal growth of more than 100% (refer to Table 3). Of the total vehicles sold between 2004-05 and 2009-10, the share of mid-size cars dropped from just less than 20% to just over 14% (refer to Table 4). These trends have begun to cause substantial worry among the producers of the mid-size cars and they have started to explore the factors that are influencing such a trend. 62 The IUP Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. VII, No. 3, 2010 Table 3: Total Sales of Passenger Vehicles in India Indicator Total Car Sales Total Mini Car Sales Total Compact Cars Sales Total Mid-Size Cars Sales Total Executive Cars Sales Total Premium Cars Sales Total Luxury Cars Sales MUV Figures in Units 2004-05 1,047,109 124,447 617,837 206,888 25,646 5,876 155 66,260 2005-06 1,119,657 1,00,422 7,00,046 217,849 27,529 6,261 91 67,459 2006-07 1,353,574 96,103 890,504 235,355 40,964 5,978 249 84,421 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 1,516,716 1,659,777 2,120,366 87,003 249,152 42,195 6,209 862 101,871 63,992 271,662 33,641 9,042 1,093 107,767 69,004 299,175 46,686 11,455 1,265 151,869 1,029,424 1,172,580 1,540,912 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database Table 4: Segment-Wise Share in Sales of Passenger Vehicles in India Indicator 2004-05 Total Mini Car Sales Total Compact Cars Sales Total Mid-Size Cars Sales Total Executive Cars Sales Total Premium Cars Sales Total Luxury Cars Sales MUV 11. 88 59. 00 19. 76 2. 45 0. 56 0. 01 6. 33 2005-06 8. 97 62. 52 19. 46 2. 46 0. 56 0. 01 6. 02 Figures in Percentages 2006-07 7. 10 65. 79 17. 39 3. 03 0. 44 0. 02 6. 24 2007-08 5. 74 67. 87 16. 43 2. 78 0. 41 0. 6 6. 72 2008-09 3. 86 70. 65 16. 37 2. 03 0. 54 0. 07 6. 49 2009-10 3. 25 72. 67 14. 11 2. 20 0. 54 0. 06 7. 16 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database The major players in the mid-size segment of the passenger car industry in India has seen lot of upheaval between 2004-05 and 2009-10. As far as production figures, in 2004-05 are concerned, Tata Motors emerged as the market leader with the production of 41,103 u nits. It was closely followed by Honda Siel, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors. But, by 2009-10, Tata Motors not only lost its leadership position, it was nowhere near the top three players as far as the production of mid-size segment passenger cars in India were concerned. With the production of 99, 877 units or nearly 38% of the total mid-size cars produced in India, Maruti Suzuki had taken over the market leader’s position in this segment. It was followed by Hyundai Motors and Honda Siel (refer to Tables 5 and 6). Sales figures of mid-size segment passenger cars showed a completely different scenario from what was seen at the production front. In 2004-05, Ford India was the market leader with sales of 47,431 units, which translated into a market share of nearly 23%. It was The Indian Mid-Segment Passenger Car Industry 63 Table 5: Company-Wise Production of Mid-Size Cars in India Indicator Ford India Pvt. Ltd. Production Mid-Size Cars (4001-4500 mm): General Motors India Pvt. Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Hindustan Motors Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Maruti Suzuki Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Tata Motors Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Mahindra Renault Pvt. Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Figures in Units 2004-05 25596 11036 14371 33036 30712 31491 41103 NA 2005-06 25294 4202 14909 37924 42288 31062 44247 NA 2006-07 39431 10337 12456 40147 41071 30465 37625 580 2007-08 33139 5574 10797 41901 47040 50596 30272 26653 2008-09 22439 2858 6940 36840 58873 73928 12957 14404 2009-10 28062 3832 9063 45980 46741 99877 23572 6225 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database Table 6: Company-Wise Share in Production of Mid-Size Cars in India Indicator Ford India Pvt. Ltd. Production Mid-size cars (4001-4500 mm): General Motors India Pvt. Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Hindustan Motors Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Maruti Suzuki Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Tata Motors Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Mahindra Renault Pvt. Ltd. Production (Mid-Size Cars) Figures in Percentages 2004-05 13. 66 5. 89 7. 67 17. 63 16. 39 16. 81 21. 94 NA 2005-06 12. 65 2. 10 7. 45 18. 96 21. 14 15. 53 22. 12 NA 2006-07 18. 54 4. 86 5. 86 18. 88 19. 31 14. 33 17. 69 0. 27 2007-08 13. 47 2. 27 4. 39 17. 03 19. 12 20. 57 12. 31 10. 84 2008-09 9. 79 1. 25 3. 03 16. 07 25. 8 32. 25 5. 65 6. 28 2009-10 10. 66 1. 46 3. 44 17. 46 17. 75 37. 93 8. 95 2. 36 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database 64 The IUP Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. VII, No. 3, 2010 followed by Tata Motors, which had a market share of 19. 5%. Honda Siel was at the third position with market share of around 16%. Just five yea rs down the line, in 2009-10, Maruti Suzuki took the coveted position of the market leader with market share of more than 33%. Tata Motors continued to enjoy the second position (market share = 19. 23%), followed by Hyundai Motors (Market Share = 16. 2%) (refer to Tables 7 and 8). Ford India tumbled from the first spot in 2004-05 to the fifth spot in just five years. This shows the increasingly dynamic nature of the mid-size segment of the passenger car industry in India. Table 7: Company-Wise Sales of Mid-Size Cars in India Indicator Ford India Pvt. Ltd. Sales Mid-Size Cars (4001-4500 mm): General Motors India Pvt. Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Hindustan Motors Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Maruti Suzuki Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Tata Motors Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Mahindra Renault Pvt. Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Figures in Units 2004-05 47,431 10,650 14,609 32,767 29,828 29,702 40,454 na 2005-06 43,154 4,710 14,893 37,586 41,683 32,006 43,363 na 2006-07 62,808 10,726 12,334 40,489 39,003 29,781 39,462 0 2007-08 31,569 5624 11,005 40,550 48,171 49,402 36,859 25,891 2008-09 23,927 3,010 7,098 38,284 56,538 76,039 51,732 15,034 2009-10 28,004 3,874 9,039 45,082 49,412 99,854 57,532 6,332 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database What is interesting to note is that just eight players are active in this segment, though the intense rivalry is limited to the top four or five players only. More and more international players like Volkswagen, Renault (without Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M)), Skoda and Fiat are introducing their products in this segment. This indicates a further increase in the intensity of the competition among the existing and the new players in the near future. To survive in such a highly competitive scenario, the existing players in the mid-size passenger cars segment will be forced to invest a considerable portion of their sales in research and development in order to produce new and better variants. This will be greatly beneficial for the Indian consumers. Indian Passenger Car Industry – An Attractive Destination According to the Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, India is an attractive destination for global automobile manufacturers despite not having any specific trade The Indian Mid-Segment Passenger Car Industry 65 Table 8: Company-Wise Share in Sales of Mid-Size Cars in India Indicator Ford India Pvt. Ltd. Sales Mid-Size Cars (4001-4500 mm): General Motors India Pvt. Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Hindustan Motors Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Maruti Suzuki Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Tata Motors Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Mahindra Renault Pvt. Ltd. Sales (Mid-Size Cars) Figures in Units 2004-05 22. 93 5. 15 7. 06 15. 84 14. 42 14. 36 19. 55 NA 2005-06 19. 81 2. 16 6. 84 17. 25 19. 13 14. 69 19. 91 NA 2006-07 26. 70 4. 56 5. 24 17. 21 16. 58 12. 66 16. 78 0 2007-08 12. 67 2. 26 4. 42 16. 28 19. 33 19. 83 14. 79 10. 39 2008-09 8. 81 1. 11 2. 61 14. 09 20. 81 27. 9 19. 04 5. 53 2009-10 9. 36 1. 29 3. 02 15. 07 16. 52 33. 38 19. 23 2. 12 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database agreements in this regard. 14 This is because there is an extremely low penetration level of cars in India (7 cars per thousand). 15 In addition, majority of the Indian population consists of youth having a median age of approximately 25 years16 and the population that fell in the working age g roup is 58% (approximately) which is estimated to increase to around 60% in the future. 7 This indicates an increase in the disposable income, which is likely to raise the penetration level of cars in India (as is evident from the current trend in the passenger car production and sales in India). These developments have made India an attractive destination for the global automobile companies. Auto majors18 like Ford, Honda, Hyundai, etc. , have not only entered into the mid-size segment of the Indian Passenger car industry but has also set up their manufacturing base in India. India’s liberal policy in terms of regulation has lowered the entry barriers for new entrants in the mid-segment of the passenger car industry. This has induced severe competition marked by high aspirations and new launches by existing players like M&M, which in tie up with French car manufacturer Renault has launched Logan. Since this offering is not doing very well in the Indian market, Renault has decided to introduce new model of cars in India on its own, without any partner. Ford India is 14 15 16 17 18 http://www. surfindia. com/automobile/industry-investment. html Auto Motive Mission Plan (ibid). https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in. html#People http://populationcommission. nic. in/facts1. tm (Here the working age is considered between 15 years to 60 years), Figures as in 2001. Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database. The IUP Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. VII, No. 3, 2010 66 targeting to improve its position through aggressive marketing and by increasing its investment in manufacturing. 19 Moreover the existing players like Tata Motors, Maruti and Fiat are also planning to launch new models in this segment. 20 Intensifying the competition, Fiat India has launched Linea and Grand Punto in the Indian mid-size car segment. The Indian Customers A study on Indian consumers, conducted by Mckinsey Global Institute, 21 discusses the income level of the Indian consumers with the growth in the Indian economy. The report predicts that if India’s growth continues unabated, then the rise of over 291 million people over desperate poverty line by 2025, will make it the fifth largest consumer market in the world. 22 Moreover, the reports forecast a massive rise in the number of Indian middle-class to 583 mn by 2025. The report also discusses a rise in the average household disposable income from INR 113,744 (US$2,499. 7) in 2005 to INR 318,896 (US$7008. 70) by 2025. These results indicates a rise in the consumption level of the Indian consumers and shift in the consumption pattern from necessities towards discretionary consumption which include expenditure on transportation in the form of passenger cars. The findings of the report also reveal a change in spending habits of the rich urban households which con verges with that of their counterparts in developed countries and their priority expenditure includes purchase of branded apparels, foreign vacations and purchase of passenger cars. Other reasons (apart from economic growth) cited by the report include availability of easy consumer financing, tendency of the people to rely more on their personal vehicles and reduction in the prices of the passenger cars. Population commission report indicates that majority of the Indian population consists of youth with increasing disposable income. 23 According to the findings of CSMM-BW Customer Survey 2006-07, Indian consumers are discerning and are of highly demanding nature, which make them a tough nut to crack for the marketers. 4 The survey measures the attitude of the Indian customers towards various companies using two key dimensions viz. Customer Experience (how the customers rate the firm’s performance) and Customer Loyalty (extent of customer’s goodwill a firm enjoys) covering 16 products and services. The results of the survey reveal the rising expectations of the Indian consumers which the marketers are finding difficult to meet on a consistent basis. The above result is attributed to the churn that has taken place post liberalization in the Indian economy. 19 20 21 22 23 24 http://www. hinduonnet. om/businessline/2000/06/24/stories/192402fr. htm http://auto. indiamart. com/cars/mid-size-cars. html www. scribd. com/doc/47945/McKinsey-MGI-india-consumer-full-report Desperate poverty has been defined in the study as people with an annual income of less than INR 90,000 (US$1850. 33). Source: http://populationcommission. nic. in/facts1. htm (Here the working age is considered between 15 years to 60 years), Figures as in 2001. Customer Satisfaction Management and Measurement (CSMM) A Specialized Unit of Market Research Firm IMRB International (BW – Business World): Marketing White Book 2001-08). 7 The Indian Mid-Segment Passenger Car Industry The report also discusses about the availability of new and better choices for Indian consumers due to opening up of the Indian economy post liberalization. This development, according to the report, coupled with increase in their income level is the major reason for the rise in consumer expectations about various products and services that they purchased. The inability of the marketers to meet their customers’ expectations and the availability of newer and better alternatives could be seen as one of the ajor reasons for the decline in consumer loyalty towards various players operating in the market. Rising disposable income of the working population and increase in the number of car models introduced by different companies operating in India, has increased the array of choice for the Indian consumers. With new players entering into the lucrative Indian domestic market and with the current players introducing new models in different segments, the bargaining power of the Indian customers is increasing. This has resulted in a decline in consumer loyalty towards a particular player. In order to compete in the Indian market, car-makers need to manufacture and sell products that carry the highest customer value. To achieve this goal, they need to provide European-quality cars at Asian prices. Price is cosidered as the crucial selling point in the market. 25 However, rise in the purchasing power of the Indians, increasing competition in the Indian market, stress on driving comfort and life-cycle costs (especially costs related to fuel) are also becoming important factors for potential car buyers in India. The Indian Auto Component Industry The Indian auto component industry, apart from IT industry, is believed to have the potential to be globally competitive. Robust growth in the Indian automobile industry seems to have triggered an upsurge in the Indian auto component industry. The Indian automotive component industry supports the automobile manufacturers by supplying them with automobile parts like engine parts, electrical parts, brakes, steel equipments, etc. It is characterized by the presence of around 500 organized manufacturers and 1,000 unorganized manufacturers. 6 Similar to the passenger car industry, the Indian auto component industry too has witnessed a robust growth between 1995 and 2005, which has made it one of the fastest growing industries in India having achieved a growth rate of 28% during the period ranging between 1995-98, 24% in 2003, 16% in 2004 and 15% in 2005. 27 This trend is expected to continue in the future as well. The Automotive Mission Plan (2006-16) reports that the turnover achieved by Indian auto-component industry would be over US$14 bn in 2005-06 and US$16 bn in the financial year 2006-07. 8 The supreme capability of Indian auto manufacturers is evident, from the launch of indigenized passenger vehicles like Tata Indica, Tata Nano, Mahindra Scorpio, etc. , by various Indian automobile players. Moreover, global auto majors like Ford 25 26 27 28 Source: http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0KJI/is_3_118/ai_n16118939 Report by the working group on Automotive Industry, Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012), Department of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, India (August 2006). According to ACMA – Mckinsey Vision 2015, the industry has reported a growth rate of 20% between 2000-05. According to ACMA – Mckinsey Vision 2015. The IUP Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. VII, No. 3, 2010 68 Motors, Honda Siel, Hyundai Motors, etc. , are also setting up their manufacturing base in India. They are leveraging the support of high quality auto component supplier’s base in India in order to reduce their cost of production. 9 The presence of high quality component suppliers is one of the major reasons for global majors for setting up manufacturing facilities and make India their export hub. The potential for the Indian auto component industry, according to The ACMAMcKinsey Vision 2015 document is estimated to be US$40-45 bn by 2015. 30 India’s auto component industry had the capability to manufacture the entire range of autocomponents, such as engine parts, drive, transmission parts, suspension and braking parts, electrical parts, body and ch assis parts, with engine parts making nearly a third of all exports. Therefore, the contribution made by exports is likely to play a significant role in achieving the aforesaid potential, which is evident from the fact that the industry achieved growth rate (in exports) of 25% during 2000-05 and is expected to grow at 34% during the following decade. 31 Availability of a Wide Array of Choices for the Indian Customers Compact cars have emerged as a dominant player (refer to Table 4) in the Indian passenger car industry controlling more than 60% of the units sold in the last five years. 32 The sales of the small car (particularly compact size cars) in India has exceeded the sales of cars in any other segment. So the biggest threat in terms of substitutes for the mid-sized cars is the small cars especially the compact size cars. With the coming of Tata Nano, which is priced at about US$2500-US$2800 per unit, the threat from the small cars was expected to be further magnified. The booming market of passenger cars in India was facing threat from a multitude of factors, one of them being the Multi-Utility Vehicles (MUVs) (refer to Table 9). The MUVs, as the name suggests, are the vehicles with multi-usage capabilities. Popular especially with the large families, the concept of a MUV no doubt has many takers Table 9: Increase in Sales of MUVs Between 2004-05 and 2009-10 Years Total Units of MUVs Sold Percentage Increase 2004-05 180,865 – 2005-06 198,991 10. 02 2006-07 224,705 12. 92 2007-08 251,567 11. 95 2008-09 228,655 –9. 11 2009-10 275,556 20. 51 Source: Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy: Industry Analysis Services Database 29 30 31 32 Ford India awarded Q1supplier status to 10 suppliers to help them export their products to Ford worldwide. Reported by a report on Indian automotive industry by Indian Brand Equity Foundation- http://www. ibef. org/ download/Automotive_sectoral. pdf) http://www. ibef. org/industry/autocomponents. aspx According to ACMA-McKinsey vision 2015, exports by auto components manufacturers are expected to contribute 50% of their growth (http://www. ibef. org/industry/autocomponents. aspx) Compact cars and mini cars have been taken together and are consi dered to be part of small cars. 69 The Indian Mid-Segment Passenger Car Industry in India. All the leading automobile players in India, including the indigenous ones such as the Tata Motors, HM, M&M as well as the foreign ones are expanding their presence in the MUV segment of the Indian automobile market. MUVs with their multi-usage potentiality has been able to gain immense popularity in India. In the recent years many of the automobile companies have engrossed themselves in the manufacturing of MUVs, eying the huge potential market in India and abroad. Automobile firms such as the likes of Maruti Udyog, Tata Motors, M&M and HM have come up with some of the finest models of MUV. HM, one of the oldest auto makers in India, has launched MUVs like Pajero, Pushpak, and Trekker, in the Indian market, with technical collaboration with foreign automakers. 33 The first two could not make substantial headway in the markets while the Trekker is getting some semblance of popularity in the rural pockets of the country. M&M too has come up with a range of MUVs like Mahindra Voyager, Mahindra Hard Top Range, Mahindra CL Range and variants of Mahindra MM Range comprised the MUVs from the M&M stable. Mahindra Scorpio, an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) that had been conceptualized and designed by automotive division of M&M, has been quite successful not only in India but also in other countries like Russia, France, Spain, and Portugal. 34 This success could be attributed to its contemporary design and technology. An upgraded version of Scorpio known as ‘New Scorpio’ was launched with additional features. Tata Motors has also modified its versions of Tata Safari and Tata Sumo and has come up with its own range of MUVs. Chevrolet, Hyundai, Ford and Toyota, the foreign auto majors too have their own share of MUVs in the Indian MUV segment. Another threat to the passenger car market is that international car rental firms are making a beeline for the Indian shore with almost a dozen car rental brands expected to enter the market soon. 35 Several International players like Hertz, Europcar, Leaseplan and Avis among others have already established their presence in the country, while others like, Thrifty, Dollar, Enterprise and Vanguard’s brands like Almo and National among others are also said to be firming up their Indian plans. This sudden rush to India has been attributed to a slump in the US and European market. However, in spite of being US$2. 4 bn, car rental industry in India is highly unorganized. The market share of organized players in car rental industry is just 3%. 36 However, the industry, on the whole, has been seeing a buoyant growth of about 35-50% in the last two years (ibid). Public transport like buses and railways also form an important means of transportation in the Indian cities especially in t he urban areas. 37 Despite the growth in the number of private vehicle owners in middle income segments in the metro cities, a substantial number of commuters are still dependent on the public transport. Hundred 33 34 35 36 7 Source: http://auto. indiamart. com/hindustan-motors/ http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Mahindra_Scorpio Source: http://www. ibef. org/artdisplay. aspx? cat_id=60&art_id=16173 http://economictimes. indiatimes. com/News/News_By_Industry/Dozen_car_rental_brands_to_drive_into_India _soon/ articleshow/2225650. cms http://www. urban-age. net/10_cities/07_mumbai/_reflections/india_Tiwari. html The IUP Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. VII, No. 3, 2010 70 million out of 235 million people living in the Indian cities belong to lower income segment who cannot afford to own a private vehicle. Currently, many state governments have taken up various initiatives regarding improving the intra-city transportation by allowing private operators to run buses within the city, introducing new and better means of transportation like metro rail in Delhi, new buses, investment in road infrastructure like making new roads and widening of existing roads, etc. These initiatives, coupled with increase in the fuel prices, present a potential threat to the sales of the passenger cars. 38 The sales of luxury cars, though not significant in the current scenario, might pose a threat in the future. The average Indian is no longer satisfied with the normal automobile offerings, car enthusiasts wanted to feel precious and pampered and feel the need to enjoy a superior lifestyle. Perhaps these expectations are molding the new class of affluent Indians to possess top brand vehicles, regardless of their prices. In addition, the World Wealth Report 2005-06, published by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini, states that India recorded the world’s second fastest growth at 19. 3% in the number of high net-worth individuals in 2005. 39 Moreover, easy availability of credit financing40 has led to increased demand for bigger and better cars. Foreseeing the Indian market potential, major luxury automakers were setting up their offices in India to cater to the rich people’s fancy for trendy and luxurious cars. Mercedes and BMW have offered products at a starting price of INR 25-30 lakh (US$54,945-65,934), whereas the Maybach has lured the consumers to pay as much as INR 5 cr (US$1,098,901) to drive in the lap of luxury. Other motor giants like Volkswagen, Audi, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce Phantom, Bentley, and Porsche have already joined the luxury car revolution in India. Conclusion The mid-size passenger car segment is currently passing through a dynamic stage. Growth in the Indian middle-class and easy availability of credit coupled with new launches and attractive pricing by the players will ensure its availability and hence will facilitate the growth of this segment. However, what the future holds for it, only time can tell. ? 38 39 40 Figures as on November 2007. www. capgemini. com/industries/financial/solutions/wealth/wwr05_archive www. scribd. com/doc/47945/McKinsey-MGI-india-consumer-full-report 71 The Indian Mid-Segment Passenger Car Industry Appendix Classification of Passenger Cars41 Small Cars or Compact Cars Small cars are classified according to the price range which varies from 1 to 3 lakh. It has the capacity to carry 4 passengers—2 adults, 2 children. These are basically entry level cars which are preferred by service group and middle income group. These cars are manufactured by—Maruti Udyog, Tata Motors and Reva. While companies like Volkswagen, etc. , are yet to launch their models in the market. Mid-Size Cars A mid size car is an automobile with a size between that of compact and full size cars. The price range of mid-size cars is between Rs. to 8 lakh. The mid-size cars have the capacity to carry 4 passengers—2 adults and 2 children. The credit of manufacturing these cars goes to companies like—Fiat India, Ford, General Motors, Hindustan Motors, Hyundai Motors, Maruti Udyog, Tata Motors, etc. Executive Cars An Executive Car segment includes cars that lie between the mid-sized cars and premiu m cars in terms of price (range lies between Rs. 5 lakh to 10 lakh) and seating capacity. It includes cars from major manufacturers like Daimler Chrysler, Hindustan Motors, General Motors, Toyota Kirloskar, Skoda India, Hyundai Motors and BMW. Premium Cars Premium cars fall within the price range of Rs. 7 to 15 lakh. They have the capacity to carry 5 passengers. These cars mainly target higher income group. Premium cars were launched by Audi India, Ford Motors, General Motors, Honda Motors, Hyundai Motors, Skoda Auto, Mitsubishi and Toyota Motors. Luxury Cars Luxury cars are very expensive and their price range is above Rs. 20 lakh. These cars are preferred by the high income group. Luxury cars have the capacity to carry at the most 6 passengers. So far companies like BMW, Daimler Chrysler, Porsche, Rolls Royce, etc. , have introduced these cars in India. Reference # 33J-2010-09-04-01 41 www. auto. indiamart. com/cars (accessed on January 10, 2008). The IUP Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. VII, No. 3, 2010 72 Copyright of IUP Journal of Business Strategy is the property of IUP Publications and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.