Ikeas entry into south america - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3010 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Ikeas Entry Into South America Executive Summary Ikea seeks to continue expanding its retail presence around the world through worldwide franchising of the Ikea concept. We propose an immediate expansion of Ikea into South America, specifically a storefront in Brazil. Using a balanced scorecard approach we address the primary issues in such an expansion. We also believe Brazil is a logical candidate for longer term expansion on the manufacturing (sourcing) side of Ikea and provide supporting analysis for such expansion. Although we have limited access to actual Financials, we believe the initial investment required to be about $20 million. Sales estimates exceed $70million per year. Since costs should also be typical of other sites around the world, expected earnings after tax are 8% of sales. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ikeas entry into south america" essay for you Create order In addition to the need for access to capital, a well-located site for retail activity must be secured. This site would be at the edge of Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo near highway access. Marketing Strategy: All marketing is based on the IKEA business idea: We shall offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, at prices so low, that the majority of people can afford to buy them Although Brazilian customers are used to negotiating on price, we feel a fixed price retail store will do well since the prices are low, and the shopping experience is primarily self-service. Most of the over 6000 products will continue to be produced in Asia and Europe. All products will continue to come through Ikeas distribution channel. Since the majority of furniture comes in a flat package, the distribution method has been proven to be cost effective. The possible need for regional distribution center is a risk factor that would increase investment required. The regulatory environment in Brazil allows foreign investment and the repatriation of profits. With respect to people, Ikea has a strong culture. Ikea is a value driven company that values hard work. About 400 Employees will be hired for the first Ikea Brazil store. Training is available through Ikea University, which is uses traveling instructors and on line training materials. Overall Brazil looks like an attractive entry point into the South American furniture market. Background Founded in the late 1940s by Ingvar Kamprad created the concept of IKEA, a furniture company that provided quality fashionable furniture at prices everyone can afford. Although its business model at the time was much different then the mega stores today, this fundamental approach to furniture has remained the same. Despite its very risk-adverse nature, IKEA became the first furniture company to expand internationally. High bulk to value, high transportation costs, and susceptibility to damage are all issues IKEA was able to overcome with its innovative approach of selling furniture collapsed flat boxes. This approach not only lowered its shipping and inventory costs, but also creatively transferred the labor-intensive assembly costs to the customer. IKEAs innovate approach to adding the consumer to the value chain in effort to keep prices low and quality high has won it very loyal fans everywhere it has reached. Packed to the brim, its stores attract customers from great distances who load up their cars to furnish entire rooms or homes in a single trip. Constantly introducing new innovative new products, its model rooms in its stores and catalogs have provided a creative way introduce its new products to complement its existing product line. The model rooms and catalogs teach the customers how to piece together an entire room from the furniture to the dcor with all IKEA products. Fashionable and trendy it encourages customers to live the IKEA life. Financials Background: Ikea is a privately owned company with an extraordinarily opaque organization. Financial statements are not publicly available. The Ikea Group is ultimately owned by the Stitching Ingka Foundation, a charitable trust based in the Netherlands. The Ikea Group manufactures and sells products. Franchise stores are a part of the IKEA group, as shown in figure 1. However, Inter Ikea Systems, a separate company, owns Ikeas intellectual property. Franchises: Inter IKEA Systems B.V. constantly seeks market expansion, and grants new franchises to markets/territories according to a detailed expansion plan (Company Web Site). Ikea has identified location as a primary success factor, since store sales volume is so dependent on location. Franchises are granted only to organizations and/or individuals that can secure a strong market position and market penetration in the given territory [and have] the financial strength and potential as well as have identified well located sites for the retail activity. Investment required: Based on recent examples, such as the Ikea store opened in Israel in 2003, typical investment is ~ $15M with a leased store. It is estimated that another $5M would be required for the building and infrastructure improvements. It is also estimated that a new distribution center may be required for the region. If this is required, it is likely multiple stores will be needed to justify such an investment. Revenue: With 190 stores, sales top 12.2B Euro. This means on average each store generates 67M euro ($78M/store). To validate this assumption, it should be noted that Germany accounts for 1/5th of turnover with a proportionate 33 stores. Costs: The Ikea store concept requires relatively little human resources, so costs are a function of other overhead such as lease, warehousing, utilities, taxes and advertising. It can be noted that manufacturing is primarily Poland and Asia, as Ikea grows in size, it should consider Brazil as third major manufacturing center for local and worldwide use. Earnings: After tax earnings for the IKEA group were shared in the 1997 book, The History of Ikea. Figures in the book show Ikea posted a profit of $905 million or 8% of sales. Other sources have estimated after tax profits as high as 18%. This indicates the stores are equally profitable, but must be verified before moving forward. Profits and royalties can be repatriated from Brazil. While not all of IKEA stores were profitable, most were. In order to go forward with this project we would want to verify the success factors and make sure our pro-forma financial statements were similar to other successful stores. Planned Store information Size 24,000 to 32,000 square meters Products 6,000 to 10,000 Room Settings 45 to 50 Parking Spaces 800 to 2000 Customer Loading Spaces 20 to 50 Cash Lanes 16 to 30 Restaurant Seating 400 to 700 Co-Workers 380 to 500 Land 24 to 30 Acres Production Brazil has abundance of high quality wood and low labor prices. This is an important reason for IKEA-Brazil to produce the furniture in Brazil and distribute locally. Brazilian taste for furniture indicates that they appreciate wider moldings that the standard American moldings. This along with a few more customizations might be essential to market IKEA products in the Brazilian market. In the late 90s there has been an increase in quantity (+2.5%) and a simultaneous increase in exports (+11%), which show the increasing competitiveness of the Brazilian industry on international markets. Factors at the root of this process are most certainly the use of ever more advanced technology acquired thanks to huge investments in capital goods (in 1996 US$ 220 million was invested in machinery, mainly from Italy, Germany and the United States) which has increased the productive capacity of sector companies, and the effects of the process of opening up to international trade which intensify the significant comparative advantages of Brazil compared to other exporting countries: excellent quality raw materials at low costs and flexible labor. Delivery Latin Americas most important trade show happens at Brazil and this is the most sought after trade show. Brazil stands as the main sourcing country for furniture for the whole of Latin America. Brazil is the largest country in South America and shares its border with a lot of countries. Since the South-east of Brazil is the economic center of Brazil, cities Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo are favorable places to establish IKEA stores. Land transportation is becoming more effective in that about 85% of Brazils people and products are transported by road. Brazilian highways are of modern design and link all the state capitals by paved roads. Problems still arise in the rural and remote areas as water floods the roads making them impassable for days. Sometimes road construction after the floods is delayed inhibiting travel even more. IKEA-Brazil can offer high quality products at low prices with the efficient methods of distribution and close relationships with manufacturers. This will ensure that even during problematic situations like flooding, the majority of the sales are not affected due to transportation issues. The same principle used everywhere else where the need for distribution is cut out by offering flat-packaged items that are warehoused in the stores and picked up by the customers on site, will be the key. The customer is spared shipping, storage and assembly costs resulting in dramatically lower product prices. Issues with the labor workforce Labor is cheap in Brazil compared to Europe and America. But with this cheap workforce and swinging economy of the country comes a multitude of issues that are worth investigating. Half of the labor force in Brazil is employed in the informal sector. Even though the government employs minimum wage, this is hardly followed and the wages are compensated often with respect to the fluctuations in the economy. In Brazil, 50 percent of the workforce is outside formal collective bargaining structures. Thus the labor laws in Brazil might make it expensive to employ workforce. Quality Goals International companies are already sourcing out of Brazil for the past many years. Crossmart Brazil has nearly three decades of experience sourcing product for European catalogs out of 40 Brazilian plants. Crossmart relies on seven inspectors who constantly visit plants to check moisture content, finishes and overall quality. It is estimated that the company currently does $20 million a year in French mail orders alone. In the southeastern production centers of Brazil, we find products with a good qualitative level thanks to the use of modern production processes and suitable machinery. The effects of technological innovation and design created by some important trade fairs in these regions are also worth mentioning. With this kind of a history, the IKEA plant in Brazil should be able to achieve the quality standards that they have been able to measure up to internationally. Their products are not over-engineered to give a greater finish than the customer requires. Nevertheless quality is taken very seriously and the whole supply chain participates. The Ikea definition of quality is that the product must first be available in the store and secondly it must match up to the customers expectations: it must be complete, free from defects and easy to assemble. Returns to stores are analyzed and each product is carefully monitored. Legal and Regulatory It is important to note that Brazil is very friendly to foreign investors domestic investors and foreign investors are treated equally. The largest restriction is that you must obtain a permanent visa in order to invest in Brazil as a foreigner however, earnings may be repatriated after waiting for foreign currency to become available. The Ministry of Labor must approve this visa application. The minimum investment required is $200,000 (US) or the equivalent. The National Immigration Council can make exceptions if the new venture will create at least ten new jobs, or is of social interest. Once the visa is granted it will be valid for two years. At the conclusion of the initial two-year period the Ministry of Labor will perform an evaluation of the business to determine the feasibility of the venture before granting a definite extension. Internal Standards Foreign investors are encouraged to initiate discussions with state development agencies within the country. These agencies are available for government incentive programs. In addition to contacting local agencies it is important to note that a wide range of credit and financing options are available to investors through both foreign and domestic banks operating in Brazil. Finally, foreign investors are expected to import the funds for all major fixed capital requirements. Cultural and Environmental Conditions Personal contact is more important in business than other forms of communications (i.e. telephone or mail). This is largely because the working relationships in Brazil are built on trust. The most common form of doing business in Brazil is through incorporated subsidiaries; branches are very difficult to operate. Joint ventures do not require a local Brazilian partner, however, it is still encouraged. It is essential to establish a network of connections with the public sector in Brazil. The culture in Brazil relies heavily on favors and who you know. These connections are important, but it is important to remember that these connections can, and will, change. Lastly, be prepared to negotiate on prices! Do not expect sales to occur quickly, and keep your best price till last. People IKEA has a company philosophy to create a better life for its customers, as well as its co-workers. This has significantly influenced the companys workplace environment. IKEA received the Family Champion award and is recognized as a great place to work here in America. IKEA empowers their coworkers and respects their personal lives. This has had a tremendous influence on job productivity, growth and development, which ultimately benefits the customer. The IKEA workplace includes many benefits and family friendly initiatives to support co-workers needs. In 2002, IKEA saw a 26% decrease in sales staff turnover. In addition, women represent more than 48% in management positions and are 47% of the companys top earners. This provides a proper fit for both IKEA and the Brazilian workforce. Brazil is a nation in which the richest 20 percent of the people receive 64 percent of the national income. It is a nation in which 40 percent of the people live on the equivalent of $2 US a day and over 20 percent live on the equivalent of $1 US a day. In May 2003 unemployment was up to 12.8%-it highest level in 14 months. For those that did work, the average wages in May 2003 fell to $290 US, 15% lower than a year earlier. However, the Brazilian workforce is renewing. The job market is very attractive to the ages of 25 to 39 years old. Brazilian women are making up a larger portion of the workforce. In 1970, only 18.5 percent of Brazilian women worked outside the home. This has since rose to 51 percent of the Brazilian workforce. The number of High School graduates has also risen from 35 percent in 1994 to 43 percent currently. A.T. Kearneys 2004 Top 12 Ranking for Offshore Location attractiveness includes Brazil: India China Malaysia Czech Republic Singapore Philippines Brazil Canada Chile Poland Hungary New Zealand The A.T. Kearney Offshore Location Attractiveness Index analyzed the top 25 off-shoring destinations against 39 measurements in three major categories: cost, people skills and availability, and business environment. The study team assigned weights reflecting the drivers of off-shoring decisions based on A.T. Kearney research and engagement experience. Because cost advantages have been the primary impetus behind off shoring, financial factors constitute 40 percent of the total index weight. People skills and availability and business environment each received a 30 percent weighting. Cost advantages and a large workforce Brazils strong points. IKEA has responded to national needs and cultural sensitivity issues. This has been a challenge for IKEA, but IKEA is meeting these challenges by finding a balance between country level autonomy and centralized intervention. To maintain service, quality and logistic standards, franchisees are audited for performance. The headquarters provides extensive training and operational support to the workers of all kind. The new organization has become flatter and is delegating more responsibility to subsidiaries. In addition, IKEA is committed to social policies to both employees and customers. IWAY provisions include health and safety standards, employee conditions such as access to rest areas and toilets, working hours and a minimum wage. IWAY is enforced worldwide but the criterion varies according to local culture and employment legislation. This is an additional benefit for the Brazilian workforce, where there has been some disparity in working conditions for minorities and women. IKEA has developed a mentoring program for learning and personal development of both the mentee and mentor with the expectation that by helping people to be partners they will become better employees. The evolution for the program is for IKEAs mentees to become IKEAs future mentors and Partners for Growth to become self-sustaining and seamless with the culture. IKEAs program is innovative, not only because it is grounded in the values of IKEAs culture, but also because it focuses on personal learning and development. It will help to secure its future as they expand, by creating a diverse group of leaders. Partners for Growth is now entering its second phase and is creating a culture where mentoring is available to all managers at IKEA. IKEA has launched Partners for Growth throughout the organization. Partners for Growth facilitates individual learning, promotes personal and professional growth and development, and has four strategic goals: Develop Leaders from top to bottom Support career development across the board Develop and support diversity through IKEA organization Strengthen IKEA culture References: Welcome to the Smart State, Queensland Australia https://www.sd.qld.gov.au Welcome to the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce https://www.brazilchamber.org Foreign Investments in Brazil https://www.cni.org.br/produtos/com_ext/src/doing05.pdf Isreal Investment News, Third Quarter 2001 https://www.moit.gov.il/root/Hidden/ipc/InvestNews17.htm The Diamondback Online, June 26, 2003 https://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/06/26/news6.html Human Environment and Design, International Retailing https://www.hed.msu.edu/internationalretailing/company/IKEA/ Improving Supply Chain Management in the UK Furniture Industry, Case Study Ikea Trading Area Poland https://www.pyetait.com/furniture-supplychain/docs/Case-Study-IKEA.doc Ikeas our vision https://www.ikea.com/content/about/vision/ Burt, Tim (1998). Ikea rated among Swedens top three businesses, Financial Times (London), Front Page- Companies Markets, pp. 23. The miracle of Amulet, Guardian Unlimited https://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1240462,00.html Brazil and Its History https://mdmd.essortment.com/brazilhistory_rmfq.htm Furniture Today, Brazil showing Good growth, March 22, 2004 https://www.furnituretoday.com/article/CA419023.html?display=Special+Report Mentoring Relationships: Using Partner Preparation tools. Mentor, Vol. 6, No 4.

T-Test Ratio Literature Review - 1267 Words

There are 11 females who are ages 50 to 70 that gave the overall health rating as 5 and smoke less than 10 in one day. Among 339 individuals who rated fatigue score in the past 7 days higher than 3, 23% of these are Hispanics who had a Charleston chronic disease score of less than 2. When compare with total participants, Hispanics who had a fatigue score greater than 3 and a Charleston chronic disease score less than 2 are only 79 out of 2,356 participants, accounting for 3.35%. A t-test and an OLS regression were used to determine the differences of pain rating in the past seven days between males and females. The t-test output indicates a significant difference of pain score between females and males, t (2130) = 5.8629, p0.001.†¦show more content†¦Consistent with the result of regression test, the F test is also 31.40(p0.001). Moreover, black and other race/ethnicity have a significantly higher age than white race/ethnicity. So, age at that time of interview differs by race. According to the table, the majority of participants are Black, accounting for 55%, following by Hispanic, white and other race/ethnicities. Of these, 58% are females. The mean of fatigue score is 2.66 (S.D.=0.94) and 43% reported the fatigue score as moderate level. The participants rated the various pain score from 0 to 10 and the mean of pain score is 4.64 (S.D.=3.01). Other factors such as a satisfaction with social activities score, mental health score, and quality of life score in moderate level with 39%, 36%, and 42%. While, nearly 42% of participants rated a physical health score as lower level. These model including of quality of life, mental health rating, Physical health, satisfaction with social activities, pain score, race/ethnicity, and sex explain 33% of the variance in fatigue rating (R2 = 0.33, F(9,1697) = 92.34, p 0.001). There is a strongly significant relationship between fatigue score and a set of predictors. Hispanic and other race/ethnicity have not a statistically significant effect. For calculating the estimated value of fatigue score, we can put this information into this equation: Unstandardized slope: Fatigue rating increases by 0.0954 units with each 1Show MoreRelatedWhat Is The Relationship Between Dividend Pay Out Ratio?1000 Words   |  4 Pagesreveals that the tolerance coefficients for all variables are more than 0.10 whiles VIF falls between 1.0 and 1.1 which indicate a low collinearity among the variables.In this section, the relationships between the dependent variable (dividend pay-out ratio) and each of the independent variables (profitability, growth opportunities, firm size, liquidity, and leverage) for all periods will be described. This is to identify a possible correlation between the two variables, that’s single regression. 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Escape by W.S. Maugham Free Essays

â€Å"ESCAPE† By William Somerset Maugham The text under interpretation is â€Å"Escape† by William Somerset Maugham. W. S. We will write a custom essay sample on Escape by W.S. Maugham or any similar topic only for you Order Now Maugham was a well-known English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was the son of a British diplomat. He was educated at King`s school in Canterbury, studied painting in Paris, went to Heidelberg University in Germany and studied to be a doctor at St. Thomas Hospital in England. So, he put his hand in different activities and that`s why he is versatile and experienced person. S. Maugham was critical of the morals, the narrow-mindedness and hypocrisy of bourgeois society. Such novels as â€Å"Of Human Bondage†, â€Å"The Moon and the Sixpence†, â€Å"The Theatre† and others came under his pen. He was also the master of the short story. Among them are: â€Å"Colonel’s Lady†, â€Å"Friend in Need†, â€Å"Lion’s Skin†, etc. S. Maugham was among the most popular writers of his era, and reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. Maugham’s style of writing is clear and precise. He doesn`t impose his views on the reader. He puts a question and leaves it to the reader to answer. I also like his revealing the weak sides and vices of human nature skilfully. His books are chatty and easy to read. This is clearly viewed from the given extract. â€Å"Escape† is a story about common people in common situation, and Maugham manages to tell it with the sense of humour and in a very interesting way. The essence of â€Å"The Escape†, to my mind, is that Roger and Ruth have diverse approaches towards the relations. Of course, the men and the women like the first step: flowers, attentiveness, passion. But then their paths diverge. The romance disappears, the man looks for the way out, he craves for new emotions, but the woman deems that the relations should develop into the marriage. And â€Å"The Escape† is the example of such a mismatch. The story can be logically divided into four main parts: the exposition, passages about Ruth’s and Roger’s love, Roger falls out of love and the break-up. The story has a straight line narrative structure with author’s digressions at the beginning. I think that the beginning of the story serves as its subject matter, where the author recounts his point of view on marriage. He convinces us that if a woman once made her mind to marry a man nothing but instant flight could save him. As an example he told a case, which happened with one of his friends, who seeing the inevitable marriage menacing before him, took ship and spent a year traveling round the world. He hoped the woman would forget him, but was mistaken. When he got back thinking himself safe, the woman, from whom he had fled, was waiting for him on the quay. This funny thing supports the idea that the inevitable loom of the marriage frightens some men and they try to avoid it. It should be mentioned, that he describes that awkward situation very skilfully and in a very ironical way. It could be confirmed by some cases of irony, used by the narrator – â€Å"instant flight† and â€Å"inevitable loom menacing before him†, â€Å"escaped with only a toothbrush for all his luggage†, which show us fear and trembling of men before the difficulties of the marriage. Maugham establishes realistic setting to his piece of writing. As the author uses the first-person narrative structure we can guess that the narrator is the secondary character of the story. The main ones here are Roger Charing and Ruth Barlow. To describe them, Maugham uses the direct characterization. For example, he gives it when speaks about of Ruth’s eyes using the epithets (â€Å"splendid†, â€Å"moving†, â€Å"big and lovely†), a detached epithet (â€Å"poor dear†) – all in the ironic way. Further on the narrator says that he knows only one man who escaped successfully. Once upon a time his friend, Roger Charing told him he was going to marry. Roger was tall and handsome, rich, experienced middle-aged man. Of course, many women wanted to marry him. But he was happy to live the life of an unmarried man: the epithets â€Å"sufficient experience†, â€Å"careful† give the direct description of his lifestyle. But then he met Ruth Barlow. He fell in love with her. He immediately wanted to look after her and make her happy. Ruth was twice a widow, she was younger than Roger. She was quite good-looking and she had big, beautiful, dark eyes and she had the gift of pathos. When a man saw those big, sad eyes, he wanted to help Ruth. The epithet â€Å"defenceless† expose the power of her look. It was Ruth’s mode to get what she wanted because she had no other means (money for instance). This â€Å"gift† helped Ruth to reach her goals. The metaphor â€Å"the gift of pathos†, the epithets â€Å"splendid dark eyes†, â€Å"the most moving eyes†, â€Å"big and lovely eyes† and the repetition of the word â€Å"eyes† make us pay our attention to this peculiarity. And Ruth made her mind to marry Roger: he was rich, considerate, and tactful and was glad to take care of her, so he was the best variant for her. He didn’t let down and made a proposal of marriage to her and they were going to marry as soon as ossible. While reading we came across a lot of pure literary words (gift, splendid, wonderful, hazards, sadness, lovely) and some cliches (â€Å"the world was too much for her†, â€Å"stand between the hazards of life and this helpless little thing†, â€Å"how wonderful it would be to take the sadness out of th ose big and lovely eyes†) which are peculiar to the description of ordinary situations concerning love affairs, so we see what kind of story â€Å"The Escape† is. The narrator provokes us to perceive it ironically. Through Roger’s vision, Ruth was very unlucky. Indeed, she seemed to be very miserable, everything was wrong with her. If she married a husband he beat her; if she employed a broker he cheated her; if she engaged a cook she drank. She never had a little lamb but it was sure to die. We can observe hopelessness of Ruth’s life through the epithets â€Å"helpless little thing†, â€Å"rotten time†, â€Å"unfortunate†, â€Å"poor dear†, the metaphor â€Å"a little lamb†, parallel constructions â€Å"if she married†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and pure literary words such as â€Å"sufferings†, â€Å"hazards†, â€Å"sadness†. Roger took an interest in her destiny and was ready to relieve it: the repetition of the pronouns â€Å"she† and â€Å"her† in Roger’s speech, the epithet â€Å"dreadfully sorry† prove my assumption. The epithets â€Å"very happy† and â€Å"pleased† make us believe that it wasn’t a nuisance for him. But according to the narrator’s opinion, Ruth was two-faced woman of few ideas: he called her stupid and scheming. This epithets, the simile â€Å"as hard as nails† add some points to her description, so it again proves that the method of character-drawing here is direct. We see two people, Roger and Ruth, as the future family, so this is the idea of this extract of the text. The author describes the first part of their relations which were rather standard. As thousands of men and women, they met, fell in love and decided to be together. But then, on a sudden, Roger fell out of love. This was the second part of their relations. There was no evident reason. Perhaps, his heart-strings were no longer touched by Ruth’s pathetic look. Roger became acutely conscious that Ruth had a mind to marry him. He gave a solemn oath that nothing would induce him to marry Ruth. But he was in a quandary. He was aware that Ruth would assess her feelings at an immoderately high figure if he asked her to release him. Besides, he didn’t want people to say that he jilted a woman. The epithets â€Å"acutely conscious†, â€Å"a solemn oath† and â€Å"an immoderately high figure† stress the importance, significance of his decision; as to the epithet â€Å"pathetic look† and the metaphor â€Å"heart-strings† (at the same time it is a cliche), they produce the humorous effect. Falling out of love is the most terrible thing I can imagine. Recently it was an acute pleasure for Roger to do everything for Ruth. He was charmed, but, as I suppose, it wasn’t a serious and profound feeling – Roger lost it too easily. It is obvious Ruth was a narrow-minded woman and she didn’t really love Roger. But there are some arguments to be said in her defence, she lonely and wanted to be protected. Probably she would be a good wife. The repetition of the expression â€Å"to have a mind to† reveals the conflict of Roger’s and Ruth’s interests. Ruth desired to have relations of long duration – she cried for the moon. On the contrary, Roger wanted to escape with no loss. And again we are the witnesses of the usual continuation of the love story. It’s rather banal. Roger kept his own counsel; he remained attentive to all her wishes. It was decided that they would be married as soon as they found a suitable house. Roger applied to the agents and visited with Ruth house after house. It was very hard to find a satisfactory one. Sometimes houses were too large, sometimes they were too small, sometimes they were too expensive and sometimes they were too stuffy, sometimes they were too airy. The idea is that only such dishonest, shabby act as the flat-chase tactics seemed to be appropriate for Roger. I think, it was like a committing a crime. Roger’s behaviour wasn’t fair, it was even disgraceful, but unfortunately such conduct is not uncommon, the men trick the women very often, because their attitude towards the relations differs. Parallel constructions â€Å"sometimes they were too large, sometimes they were too small, sometimes they were too expensive and sometimes they were too stuffy†, the metaphor â€Å"house-hunting†, the epithet â€Å"innumerable kitchens† describe Roger’s scheme of the trouble-free parting. Firstly I took Roger’s side, because I consider that each person should have a right for free choice, but then I was sorry for Ruth, Roger tired her out, she didn’t understand what was happening. The epithet â€Å"exhausted† demonstrates her state brightly. At last Ruth revolted. She asked Roger if he wanted to marry her. There was an unaccustomed hardness in her voice, but it didn’t affect the gentleness of his reply. Roger persuaded her that they would be married the very moment they found a suitable house. Ruth took to her bed. She didn’t want to see Roger, but he was as ever assiduous and gallant. Every day he sent her flowers, wrote that he had some more houses to look at. The epithets â€Å"assiduous†, â€Å"gallant† display his dissimulation. A week passed and he received the letter: Ruth let him know that she was going to get married and claimed that Roger didn’t love her. He answered that her news shattered him, but her happiness had to be his first consideration. He sent Ruth seven orders to view. He was quite sure she would find among them a house that would exactly suit her. So, we can see that Roger appeared to be very smart and sly person. He appeared quite cute to predict Ruth’s following actions. When he got the hang of Ruth, he pretended he was still in love very gallantly, until she got the hang of him, and I should say it was a more civilized way of jilting a woman than just to leave her. So, I think the message of the story is that a woman can be sly and scheming, but a man can make it his way also. This story carried me with its eternal intrigue – the war between male and female. We may be in earnest about it or may try to ignore it, but it really takes place and this problem will exist until the end of human history. How to cite Escape by W.S. Maugham, Papers

Sociology and Sociological Imagination free essay sample

Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Sociologys subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from social stability to radical change in whole societies. Unifying the study of these diverse subjects of study is sociologys purpose of understanding how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures. Sociology is an exciting and illuminating field of study that analyzes and explains important matters in our personal lives, our communities, and the world. At the personal level, sociology investigates the social causes and consequences of such things as romantic love, racial and gender identity, family conflict, deviant behavior, aging, and religious faith. At the societal level, sociology examines and explains matters like crime and law, poverty and wealth, prejudice and discrimination, schools and education, business firms, urban community, and social movements. At the global level, sociology studies such phenomena as population growth and migration, war and peace, and economic development. Sociologists emphasize the careful gathering and analysis of evidence about social life to develop and enrich our understanding of key social processes. The research methods sociologists use are varied. Sociologists observe the everyday life of groups, conduct large-scale surveys, interpret historical documents, analyze census data, study video-taped interactions, interview participants of groups, and conduct laboratory experiments. The research methods and theories of sociology yield powerful insights into the social processes shaping human lives and social problems and prospects in the contemporary world. By better understanding those social processes, we also come to understand more clearly the forces shaping the personal experiences and outcomes of our own lives. The ability to see and understand this connection between broad social forces and personal experiences what C. Wright Mills called the sociological imagination is extremely valuable academic preparation for living effective and rewarding personal and professional lives in a changing and complex society. Students who have been well trained in sociology know how to think critically about human social life, and how to ask important research questions. They know how to design good social research projects, carefully collect and analyze empirical data, and formulate and present their research findings. Students trained in sociology also know how to help others understand the way the social world works and how it might be changed for the better. Most generally, they have learned how to think, evaluate, and communicate clearly, creatively, and effectively. These are all abilities of tremendous value in a wide variety of vocational callings and professions. - Sociology offers a distinctive and enlightening way of seeing and understanding the social world in which we live and which shapes our lives. Sociology looks beyond normal, taken-for-granted views of reality, to provide deeper, more illuminating and challenging understandings of social life. Through its particular analytical perspective, social theories, and research methods, sociology is a discipline that expands our awareness and analysis of the human social relationships, cultures, and institutions that profoundly shape both our lives and human history. Development of Sociology Sociology is the youngest of the recognized social sciences. Auguste Comte in France coined the word sociology in his Positive Philosophy published in 1838. He believed that a science of sociology should be based on systematic observation and classification not on authority and speculation. This was a relatively new idea at that time. Herbert Spencer in England published his Principles of Sociology in 1876. He applied the theory of organic evolution to human society and developed a grand theory of social evolution. Lester F Ward an American published his Dynamic Sociology in 1883 calling for social progress through intelligent social action which sociologists should guide. All these founders of sociology were basically social philosophers. They proclaimed that sociologists should collect, organize and classify factual data and derive sound social theories from these facts. While they called for scientific investigation they did relatively little of it themselves. Emile Durkheim gave the most notable early demonstration of scientific methodology in sociology. In his Rules of sociological Method published in 1895,he outlined the methodology which he pursued in his study Suicide published in 1897. Instead of speculating upon the causes of suicide ,he first planned his research design and then collected a large mass of data on the characteristics of people who commit suicide and then derived a theory of suicide from these data. Courses in sociology appeared in many universities in the 1890s. The American Journal of Sociology began publication in 1895 and the American Sociological Society was organized in 1905. Whereas most of the early European sociologists came from the fields of history, political economy or philosophy many of the early American sociologists had been social workers, ministers and nearly all were from rural backgrounds. Urbanization and industrialization were creating grave social problems and these early sociologists were looking for scientific solutions. They saw sociology as a scientific guide to social progress. The early volumes of the American Journal of Sociology contained relatively few articles devoted to scientific description or research but carried many sermons filled with advice etc. By 1930s the several sociological journals were well filled with research articles and scientific descriptions. Sociology was becoming a body of scientific knowledge with its theories based upon scientific observation rather than upon impressionistic observation. - Significance Importance Of Sociology Sociology makes a scientific study of society: Prior to the emergence of sociology the study of society was carried on in an unscientific manner and society had never been the central concern of any science. It is through the study of sociology that the truly scientific study of the society has been possible. Sociology because of its bearing upon many of the problems of the present world has assumed such a great importance that it is considered to be the best approach to all the social sciences. Sociology studies role of the institutions in the development of the individuals: It is through sociology that scientific study of the great social institutions and the relation of the individual to each is being made. The home and family ,the school and educaton,the church and religion, the state and government ,industry and work ,the community and association, these are institutions through which society functions. Sociology studies these institutions and their role in the development of the individual and suggests suitable measures for restrengthening them with a view to enable them to serve the individual better. Study of sociology is indispensable for understanding and planning of society: Society is a complex phenomenon with a multitude of intricacies. It is impossible to understand and solve its numerous problems without support of sociology. It is rightly said that we cannot understand and mend society without any knowledge of its mechanism and construction. Without the investigation carried out by sociology no real effective social planning would be possible. It helps us to determine the most efficient means for reaching the goals agreed upon. A certain amount of knowledge about society is necessary before any social policies can be carried out. Sociology is of great importance in the solution of social problems: The present world is suffering from many problems which can be solved through scientific study of the society. It is the task of sociology to study the social problems through the methods of scientific research and to find out solution to them. The scientific study of human affairs will ultimately provide the body of knowledge and principles that will enable us to control the conditions of social life and improve them. Sociology has drawn our attention to the intrinsic worth and dignity of man: Sociology has been instrumental in changing our attitude towards human beings. In a specialized society we are all limited as to the amount of the whole organization and culture that we can experience directly. We can hardly know the people of other areas intimately. In order to have insight into and appreciation of the motives by which others live and the conditions under which they exist a knowledge of sociology is essential. Sociology has changed our outlook with regard to the problems of crime etc:It is through the study of sociology that our whole outlook on various aspects of crime has change. The criminals are now treated as human beings suffering from mental deficiencies and efforts are accordingly made to rehabilitate them as useful members of the society. Sociology has made great contribution to enrich human culture: Human culture has been made richer by the contribution of sociology. The social phenomenon is now understood in the light of scientific knowledge and enquiry. According to Lowie most of us harbor the comfortable delusion that our way of doing things is the only sensible if not only possible one. Sociology has given us training to have rational approach to questions concerning oneself, ones religion,customs,morals and institutions. It has further taught us to be objective, critical and dispassionate. It enables man to have better understanding both of himself and of others. By comparative study of societies and groups other than his existence ,his life becomes richer and fuller than it would otherwise be. Sociology also impresses upon us the necessity of overcoming narrow personal prejudices, ambitions and class hatred. Sociology is of great importance in the solution of international problems: The progress made by physical sciences has brought the nations of the world nearer to each other. But in the social field the world has been left behind by the revolutionary progress of the science. The world is divided politically giving rise to stress and conflict. Men have failed to bring in peace. Sociology can help us in understanding the underlying causes and tensions. The value of sociology lies in the fact that it keeps us update on modern situations: It contributes to making good citizens and finding solutions to the community problems. It adds to the knowledge of the society. It helps the individual find his relation to society. The study of social phenomena and of the ways and means of promoting what Giddens calls social adequacy is one of the most urgent needs of the modern society. Sociology has a strong appeal to all types of mind through its direct bearing upon many of the initial problems of the present world. - Socio-logical Imagination The Sociological Imagination The sociological imagination is the ability to situate personal troubles within an informed framework of larger social processes. Emile Durkheim Emile Durkheim was one of the founders of sociology. * Because they tried to understand the larger processes that were affecting their own personal experience of the world, it might be said that  the founders of sociology, like Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, exercised what C. Wright Mills later called the sociological imagination. * C. Wright Mills, a prominent mid-20th century American sociologist, described the sociological imagination as the ability to situate personal troubles and life trajectories within an informed framework of larger social processes. Other scholars after Mills have employed the phrase more generally, as  the type of insight offered by sociology and its relevance in daily life. Another way of describing sociological imagination is the understanding that social outcomes are shaped by social context, actors, and social actions. * the sociological imagination Coined by C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination is the ability to situate personal troubles and life trajectories within an informed framework of larger social processes. Examples * An analogy can help us better understand what Mills meant by the sociological immagination. Think of a fish swimming in the ocean. That fish is surrounded by water, but the water is so familiar and commonplace to the fish that, if asked to describe its situation, the fish could hardly be expected to describe the water as well. Similarly, we all live in a social milieu, but because we are so  intimately  familiar with it, we cannot easily study it objectively. The sociological imagination takes the metaphorical fish out of the water. It allows us to look on ourselves and our social surroundings in a reflective way and to question the things we have always taken for granted. Karl Marx Karl Marx, another one of the founders of sociology, used his sociological imagination to understand and critique industrial society. Read More Rate This Content: Top of Form Good Needs Improvement Bad Bottom of Form Want help studying The Sociological Imagination? Get the Flashcards Create a Study Guide Take a Quiz The Sociological Imagination Early sociological theorists, like Marx (Figure 1), Weber, and Durkheim (Figure 0)), were concerned with the phenomena they believed to be driving social change in their time. Naturally, in pursuing answers to these large questions, they received intellectual stimulation. These founders of sociology were some of the earliest individuals to employ what C. Wright Mills (a prominent mid-20th century American sociologist) would later call the sociological imagination: the ability to situate personal troubles and life trajectories within an informed framework of larger social processes. The term sociological imagination describes the type of insight offered by the discipline of sociology. While scholars have quarreled over interpretations of the phrase, it is also sometimes used to emphasize sociologys relevance in daily life. C. Wright Mills In describing the sociological imagination, Mills asserted the following. What people need is a quality of mind that will help them to use information and to develop reason in order to achieve lucid summations of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves. The sociological imagination enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals. Mills believed in the power of the sociological imagination to connect personal troubles to public issues. As Mills saw it, the sociological imagination helped individuals cope with the social world by enabling them to step outside their own, personal, self-centered view of the world. By employing the sociological imagination, individual people are forced to perceive, from an objective position, events and social structures that influence behavior, attitudes, and culture. In the decades after Mills, other scholars have employed the term to describe the sociological approach in a more general way. Another way of defining the sociological imagination is the understanding that social outcomes are shaped by social context, actors, and actions. In his book by the same name, C. Wright Mills coined the same famous phrase sociological imagination, which is used throughout sociology today. The sociological imagination is the concept of being able to think ourselves away from the familiar routines of our daily lives in order to look at them anew. Mills defined sociological imagination as the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society. It is the ability to see things socially and how they interact and influence each other. To have a sociological imagination, a person must be able to pull away from the situation and think from an alternative point of view. Read more about sociological imagination and the book with the same title. References: http://sociology. unc. edu/undergraduate-program/sociology-major/what-is-sociolo