Standardisation Vs Customisation

Standardisation Vs Customisation A spectacular globalisation has been observed in the international business due to regional economic integration, advances in transportation, communication, technology and liberalization of worldwide trade policies (Czinkota Ronkainen, 2004; Keegan, 1999).ÂÂ   With the growing international business, international marketing has become more complex and diverse, (Terpstra, 2000; Cateora Ghauri, 2006) environment that is uncontrollable, unpredictable resulting uncertainty in business environment. International business is not only sending goods and services to foreign market but also to deal with different issues that make international marketing more complex, in particular geographical borders, different political systems, business regulations, currency conversions and cultural variety (Keegan, 2002; Geri Ian, 2009). Convincing cases can be put forward for both a standardisation or customisation approach to global marketing practice. These arguments are keenly explored; drawing from examples of Coca-Colas international marketing programme to reveal key points. This report discusses the contemporary issue facing by the global companies in marketing their products. Part One Issue: Global Marketing Standardisation Vs Customisation Global versus local marketing strategy have been a major debate in cross-national business development over decades for global brands (Levitt, 1983; Solber, 2002). The issue here is if the companies should follow a standardized marketing program to different consumer groups in different countries or a customised one by adapting their strategy according to the needs and habits of the specific country. The explanation for this confusion can be supported with two variables, awareness of local market condition at the headquarters and the level of headquarters influence in decision making of local marketing. This dilemma of standardising and customised marketing is mainly due to key factors like cost, ethical issues, legal restrictions, media, culture, and markets. For example taking the leading beverage company Coca-Cola (2003) into consideration it global campaign Life tastes good has been backed just after 2 years after its launch. Now the companies advertising headquarters operates ac cording to the local market needs rather than the draft developed at central headquarters. In addition to this it is also argues that product category is also a key factor in making advertising decisions (Summerfield, 2002). Kay (2002), president of Toronto consulting firm The Glasgow Group in similar fashion says technology and clothing brands tend to fit well with standard marketing but food and beverage products face difficulties with cultural mismatch, category development, brand name and local economy. Another example for customized marketing is McDonalds, a food chain, which customises its marketing strategy as well as products according to the needs and culture of the countries. The products launched in each country differ according to the cultural requirements and habits, economic development and affordability of the targeted class. This is considered to be issue because of the complexity created by the issue in the decision making process of international managers. As the main motive of the advertising is to influence the companys customers in selling their products, it is important for the company to decide if their advertising campaigns are influencing its customers globally in all regions. Thinking from a strategic point of view organisations marketing with a standardised marketing strategy implies offering standard product at standard price through standard distribution system, supported by similar promotional programmes in different counties, with different market requirement and in some cases completely opposite markets, this supports customising approach. On the other hand Cohanim (2002), Vice president of marketing and communication of IBM (Past), says IBM looks at the globe as a single market and IBM try to operate as a single global market, the company supports this by stating the solutions for their industry, customers, products and services are similar for all countries in which they are operating. Critical Analysis: Global Marketing is the strategy involving the four Ps of marketing i.e. Product, Price, Place and Promotion to deal with the markets according to the geographical and cultural adaptation. Complete Standardisation marketing strategy is to offer identical product line and features at identical prices through identical distribution channels endorsed by identical promotional programs. The other extreme of this would be Complete Customisation marketing strategy to develop distinct tailored products, pricing, promotion and distribution policies with no specific standard elements (Imad, Naresh 1995). Many writers have endorsed standardisation instead of customisation for international marketing (Britt, 1974; Clark, 1975; Obrien, 1986). This argument is pleasing as it can be estimated an outstanding sales for a standard global product. Levitt (1983) in his Globalization of Markets states that If a company forces costs and prices down and pushes quality and reliability up while maintaining reasonable concern for suitability customers will prefer its world-standardized products. Also the cost factor, which can be reduced by single marketing strategy when moved to low-cost market, helps the organisation to maintain the quality of the product (Walter, 1986; Yip, 1989). It is also observed that most of the international marketing campaigns are showing attention towards the standardised approach of advertising (Varder, 1992). Some researches conveyed that industrial products lend themselves more easily to standardisation than consumer products (Hite and Fraser, 1988) still, product categories cant be considered as great factor in standardising international marketing (Saimee Roth, 1992). In US, EU markets it is found that businesses with standardised products are well established and gain the advantage of create a standard image of their products (Bharadwrj et al, 1993; Rosen et al, 1989). The other important factor that encourages standardisation is reduce in unit cost, this gain a competitive advantage for the global companies who can easily penetrate into the price sensitive markets and drive the small competitors out of market. Walliser Usunier (1998, p. 530), in their review article, conclude that even though opportunities exist to standardize the strategic levels of international advertising, mainly on a regional basis, considerable adaptation of exceptional elements in international advertising campaign is inevitable. The standardisation or the customisation depends on the products and the notion of the consumers towards the product. Products like laptops, computers, televisions, cameras, watches, cosmetics, and clothing associated with fashion and status, etc are marketed on the basis of their world class recognition and hence a standard approach to campaign the products is used. A customised approach in such cases might not be preferred as they are advances in technology and thus the consumer demands in such cases have universal acceptance of these global products (Yvette Reisinger, 2008). This kind of globalization leads to homogenization of consumer acceptance and adaptation of such goods. But products like food and beverages, services like banking and insurance solutions depend on the habits and tastes and needs and wants of the targeted ethnicity. For example, McDonalds recipes differ from each country it operates and are accustomed to the eating habits of the locals. The pricing of such pro ducts too is done by considering the spending ability of the targeted class. A standardised approach in such case would possibly result in a failure of the product in international markets. Yvette Reisinger (2008), in his book describes the failure of the fast-food concept in France which is well admired in China. The Chinese consumers prefer faster service with low waiting time where as the French consumers seek distinctiveness and identity of the service. The study thus implies that a standardised or a customised technique of marketing products might not be feasible in all cases and depending on the influencing factors; thus, either of them or sometimes both of them might have to be considered. This is understood by a thorough research of the behaviour and adaptations of the countries while launching a product and depending on the mindset and acceptability of the consumers in those geographies (Salah Hassan, Erdener Kaynak, 1994). Philip Kotler in his Global Standardization Courting Danger (1986) describes few such failures of products belonging to renowned brands due to non-customization. Philips initially failed to make profits in Japan due to larger size of the coffeemakers and later did well after reducing the size to accommodate Japanese kitchens. Mattels Barbie doll, a famous product introduced in foreign markets, could have made positive profits with its standard western features accepted by many countries with a lower price m odel. This could also be counter argued by having a culture specific meaning of dolls and the need to have their features reflect a national look with would obviously earn better profits due to wide acceptance (Philip Kotler, 1986). Even though the Barbie sales were good with its western features in 60 countries, the sales in Japan have flourished only after the features of the doll were modified to reflect Japanese. This doesnt completely mean that Mattel has done well in those 60 other countries and leaves behind a dilemma that if there were customized features representing the nations, they could have done better. A proper and complete understanding of these two strategies i.e. standardization and customization is necessary for global marketing and thus enables us to channelize the knowledge to leverage the opportunities in international markets. The idea is not to debate on which of the both is better but to investigate potentiality and research on which of the strategies suit the product (Philip Kotler, 1986). The possibility is that, by applying each of them independently could be successful or by a combination of both the strategies is to be decided while the promotional strategy for the product is being designed. This could be realized by a primary market research in the geographies where the product is being launched and the cultural, economic, political and infrastructural adaptations and limitations of the countries. This is quite necessary for successful marketing and promotion to launch any product in the international markets and to be noticed and appreciated by the consumers of the product. A predetermined notion in this regard is dangerous and might in turn result in a disaster. Depending on the study conducted before the launch, it is then necessary to plan accordingly, the marketing strategy that needs to be implemented (Levitt, 1983). In international markets striking a balance between standardisation and customisation is vitally essential for the product to be successful globally (Amanda 2004). The element for success is an accurate assessment of market forces currently facing the specific brand and how to best take the advantage of this market environment. It is probably one of the reasons that Coca Cola is the worlds most powerful brand as stated by Interbrands Global Brand Scorecard in 2003, estimating its brand value at $70.45Bn(No. 1-0085). Part Two Organisation for Research: Coca Cola, worlds largest manufacturer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages is the best example for the global marketing. We have considered Coke due to its global recognition and also for its efforts to remain a leader by dealing with the issues in standardisation and customisation strategies. The organisation currently operating in more than 200 countries with over 450 brands and a portfolio of more than 3000 beverage products worldwide, constantly competing with its international rivals as well as local players in the countries it is operating in, to revive its position as a leader in the domain. The vast business structure of Coca Cola has led to prologue of innumerable marketing strategies and theories which have constantly been modified to maintain the brand as a global paramount. Achieving such a position all over the world is no cakewalk for any organisation and involves complex marketing strategies to deal with boundless problems encountering across the world in different countries. A detailed analysis of different strategies and theories implemented by Coca Cola in executing its marketing plan across the world could help us to understand the concepts of standardisation and customisation better, and the advantages and disadvantages of both these theories. Issue and Facts: For any company that is continuously growing it is vitally necessary that it does not contain geographical limitations and that is one theory that Coca Cola has excelled in. On July 29th when the company announced its second quarter results, a raise in profit of 43% has been observed due to overseas growth even though it suffered weak domestic volume (Source 1: NY times). Since the time Coca Cola has started its global expansion, it has either become a leading beverage brand in countries worldwide or it tried to acquire the topmost beverage seller of that country. A recent such deal that Coca Cola tried to make is in China (Source 2: NY times), which unfortunately couldnt be completed due to government restrictions. Reportedly, Coca Cola tried to acquire a Chinese juice maker Huiyuan in the $2.5Billion deal (Source 3: CBS News). The company has ensured an equal market spread across the world and that is how it still made wonderful in spite of the weak economy back home in the United States, by its overseas markets (Source 4: Barrons). Recently in the month of June, it has announced the release of Green Tea Coca Cola in Japan, which they claim is good for health and beauty (Source 5: WBST). The range of products that the brand releases in different countries differs with the local adaptations, tastes and needs of the people. The marketing strategies and ad campaigns too differ depending of the mindsets and interests of people. In the Asian Countries of India and Pakistan, the caption goes as Jo Chaho Ho Jaye Coca Cola Enjoy, by which the brand is recognized in those countries. Most of the captions and marketing plans of Coca Cola are such that they seem to the people to identify and relate themselves with the brand(Ref: 25, 25). The Colalife campaign is another example of Cokes strategy to support the social cause for the Third World countries by supplying social products like Vitamin A tablets in their crates for people who direly need them (Source 6: PFSK). In Spain, Coca-Cola withdrew its 2-liter bottle after discovering that few local refrigerators had large enough compartments (Philip Kotler, 1986). The evidences of such a global leading brand in following the strategy of customization and adaptation regionally in spite of maintaining its international brand image makes it one of the worlds most powerful brands. Literature: Issue Analysis: The Coca Cola Company mission is to expand their business by understanding the trends and forces that will help them to sustain by creating value and making difference (Coca Cola Mission Statement). In the process of achieving this mission, they believe that consumer demand drives everything they do but also brand Coca Cola will always be the core of their business(Ref: 27). The focus on market is by getting into the market to listen, observe and learn what their consumers, customers and partners need. They wish to create a brand image that would inspire creativity, passion, optimism and fun (Coca Cola Mission Statement). The point here is to observe the possibilities of sustainability, which is a key factor in a global market. One should always understand the fact that to be Global, one needs to be local. With a history of more than hundred years, the company has created a brand value for itself for its core business by the name Coca Cola or Coke and thus, is widely recognized by it . The idea now is to sustain its global model by constantly endeavoring new and innovative products that best suit the markets of the countries it is operating in. The theories of standardization and customization have been utilized constantly by this firm to maintain its core brand value as well as making the people feel it as local with its adaptive and customized brands and marketing. The emotional connection that they make with consumers while providing them with product quality and variety builds brand value and drives preference for their beverage products. The issue is, to maintain such an emotional bonding with their customers, they need to listen to their customers and respond to them according to the needs. Various ethnicities have various habits and thus different tastes. The proper control of top management and their readiness to listen to their business customers worldwide and executing marketing plans through proper research and analysis is one the main reasons that Coca Cola is an example for its business model and marketing strategies. They have dealt with the issue of varying needs of their customers by launching products that resemble the countrys ethnic habits and taste. A standardized approach in this case could prove dangerous as, if the product is not welcome by the people, no matter how best the marketing plan is and how well it was received in the home country or for that matter any other country, if people of one particular country dont like the product, it will result in a disaster in that nation thus forcing the com pany to withdraw its operation due to such failure. A proper method would be to deal with their local necessity and simultaneously promote the core brand to achieve standardization. This way, even though customized products are being offered to the people, the core brand value is always promoted. The Coca Cola Company, with its experience in serving the world for more than a century, has excelled in the art of global marketing by customizing its products according to needs and also by maintaining the core brand Coca Cola or simply Coke across the world. Conclusion: The Coca Cola Company, in their 2008 annual review, mentions that We are just getting started. The reason is because currently they are selling 570 billion servings per year which makes it 18,000 servings per second. Estimates show that over the next 12 years the population worldwide would grow by more than 800 million people. In addition, 1 billion new people would enter the middle class population and nearly 900 million people will have migrated to urban centers. That means more consumers with more money who have ability to purchase the ready-to-drink beverages to thrive business. In an attempt to understand and test the product sustainability, the company continuously launches new products with intense marketing campaigns in different countries. Depending on the consumer response and market survival, it either retains the sale of product or withdraws it from the market. In this process of satisfying their customer needs, Coca Cola is constantly gaining experience and is getting re ady for its future targets by getting closer to its customers utilizing the theories of customization and standardization simultaneously and managing their effects intelligently to eliminate any negative effects and addicting people with its adaptive fondness Read more: http://www.oxbridgewriters.com/essays/marketing/global-marketing.php#ixzz2Bwx0DLy9

What Keeps Me From Writing Essay examples -- miscellaneous

What Keeps Me From Writing When I was a child I liked to write letters to my friends. I had a lot of pen-pals. Also, I had no problems with essays during my grade school years. I did not need much time to create an essay, or a journal, or something else for my writing class. The older I become, the more difficult it gets for me to write. Perhaps, I have more problems, needs, or other various things in my life that keep me from being able to focus on writing. Therefore, when I read â€Å"The Watcher at the Gates† by Gail Godwin, I saw myself there. In this essay, Godwin illustrates examples of many things that may be obstacles to some people to start writing. Also, she suggests several ways that may help people to overcome such a problem. Although I have different kind of excuses to not start writing, they all have the same meaning, purpose, and consequences as in Godwin’s essay: take me away from writing. There are some of my favorite excuses such as having no ideas to write about, other important things to do, and enough time before the deadline, that give me no good chance to begin writing. Still, I know that I must turn in my assignments on time, and this helps me to put aside these excuses. The first reason why I don’t sit down and write is that I don’t know what to write about. I just have nothing in my head to write about the particular topic. Often, I begin with a couple of sentences and stop because I don’t have good thoughts to continue. In these cases, begin to ...

Wondrous Strange :: Character Analysis, Kelley Winslow

Life is the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death. â€Å"It is believed that in life no one can change your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change† (de Angelis, Barbra). The struggles that the main character, Kelley Winslow, faces strongly affects herself, as well as drives the plot for the reason that she struggles with the decisions she makes, she encounters physical hardships as well as mental that allows her to eventually find her identity. Some people may say that a person has not found themselves; however, you do not find yourself. People create ones self. During the process of creating ones self, you have to know what you fear, and what you cannot live without. Kelley learns what she is afraid of, and who she does not want to lose. â€Å"†¦fear of losing him, sorrow of what he has already risked for her† (Livingston 274). In the novel Kelley finds out that she is adopted. â€Å"Emma†¦ Was I†¦ adopted† (Livingston 222). In continuation to this, Kelley learns from her aunt, Emma, that she is adopted. She also leans more about where she came from, who her birth parents are, and about faerie history. This proves that Kelley wants to know more about where she came from, which leads to making her own identity. In order to create herself, Kelley needs to know more about her heritage. She also learns what she likes, and does not like and what she wants to do with her life. â€Å"Kell ey was speechless. She dreamed of this†¦ This is it. This is my big break!† (Livingston 5), â€Å"Kelley was a Faerie princess. In defiance of the Faerie king, she had taken up her destiny on her terms" (Livingston 316-317). This shows that she accepts herself, in addition to gaining her goals. Kelley Winslow goes went through a huge development, and journey in finding herself, even through the many obstacles she faces. Decision is a mental process you conduct to result in a making of a selection of a choice. Kelley Winslow had made various decisions throughout her life, which had made an impact on her characteristics. Kelley says, â€Å"Hey! Do you need help?" (Livingston 32).

Tourism Essay -- Traveling, Service Qualities

It is generally agreed that tourism is fragmented. It is made up of various sectors or subsidiaries such as transportation, accommodation, attractions, amenities, catering, entertainment, eating and drinking establishments, shops, activity facilities (Leisure and recreation), and many others. These sectors provide products and service for individuals or groups o tourists who travel away from. Consequently, tourism is an amalgam of the products and services that its various subsectors make available or tourists. The provision of these products and services depends on the linkage between various sectors and their mutual interactions. Tourism is the most wide-ranging industry, in the sense that it demands products rom many sectors of the economy (Edgell, 1990) and employs millions of people in different sectors. For example, airplanes and buses must be manufactured to transport tourists; computers must be produced to make hotel booking and airline reservations; Steel, concrete, and glass are need to build hotels and restaurants; fabrics are needed to make cloths; meat, wheat, and vegetables must be grown to feed visitors. No other industry has so many linkage and interactions with so many sectors of the economy (Edgell, 1990), and delivers so many different kinds of products and services to consumers. Suppose we take a tourism provider as the example for this paper. Without any doubt they should have some sort of service which posses some competitive strategies. According to page et al (2001) in Williams and Buswell (2003) the careful management of the tourist experience is an absolutely vital and complex requirement. So here some examples of services and experience which can provide by a tourism coordinator are follows: .. ...roviders set up certain policies that are deemed comparable to their image and being suitable to their target market. Those policies particularly initiated by management or a service team (Kandampully et al, 2001). They may be developed through a formal process or may automatically evolve from experience and preferences. Policies may be detailed in company documents or simply published by word of mouth throughout the organization. In spite of the system, service policies set the standards for the provision of guest services in the company. Service standards can be only as good as the resultant performance. Although service policies may establish rules and performance standards for staffs while they are not perform effectively. Some companies develop wide-ranging service policies only to motivate staff while they fall short in performance (Kandampully et al, 2001).

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Eight

And so he kissed her. He couldn't help it. No, he couldn't stop it. His hand was on her arm, and he could feel her skin, feel the soft warmth of it, and then when he looked down, her face was tilted toward his, and her eyes, deep and blue but so completely unmysterious, were gazing up at him, and in truth there was no way – simply no way – he could do anything in that moment but kiss her. Anything else would have been a tragedy. There was an art to kissing – he'd long known that, and he'd been told he was an expert. But this kiss, with this woman – the one time it should have been art, it was all breathless nerves, because never in his life had he wanted someone in quite the manner he wanted Miss Grace Eversleigh. And never had he wanted quite so much to get it all right. He couldn't scare her. He had to please her. He wanted her to want him, and he wanted her to want to know him. He wanted her to cling to him, to need him, to whisper in his ear that he was her hero and she'd never want to so much as breathe the air near another man. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to devour her. He wanted to drink in whatever it was that made her her, and see if it would transform him into the man he sometimes thought he ought to be. In that moment she was his salvation. And his temptation. And everything in between. â€Å"Grace,† he whispered, his voice brushing across her lips. â€Å"Grace,† he said again, because he loved saying it. She moaned in response, a soft whimpering sound that told him everything he wanted to know. He kissed her softly. Thoroughly. His lips and tongue found every corner of her soul, and then he wanted more. â€Å"Grace,† he said again, his voice hoarser now. His hands slid around to her back, pressing her against him so he could feel her body as a part of the kiss. She was not corseted under her gown, and every lush curve became known to him, every warm contour. He wanted more than the shape of her, though. He wanted the taste, the smell, the touch. The kiss was seduction. And he was the one being seduced. â€Å"Grace,† he said again, and this time she whispered – â€Å"Jack.† It was his undoing. The sound of his name on her lips, the single, soft syllable – it shot through him like no Mr. Audley ever could. His mouth grew urgent and he pressed her more tightly to his body, too far gone to care that he'd gone hard against her. He kissed her cheek, her ear, her neck, moving down to the hollow of her collarbone. One of his hands moved along the side of her rib cage, the pressure plumping her breast up until the upper curve was so close to his lips, so tantalizingly – â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was more of a whisper than anything else, but still, she pushed him away. He stared at her, his breath rushed and heavy. Her eyes were dazed, and her lips looked wet and well-kissed. His body was thrumming with need, and his eyes slid down to her belly, as if he could somehow see through the folds of her dress, down, down to the V where her legs met. Whatever he'd been feeling just then – it tripled. Dear God, he hurt with it. With a shuddering groan, he tore his gaze back up to her face. â€Å"Miss Eversleigh,† he said, since the moment called for some thing, and there was no way he was going to apologize. Not for something that good. â€Å"Mr. Audley,† she replied, touching her lips. And he realized, in a single blinding moment of pure terror, that everything he saw on her face, every stunned blink of her eyes – he felt it, too. But no, that was impossible. He'd just met her, and beyond that, he did not do love. Amendment: he did not do the heart-pounding, mind-fogging, overabundance of lust that was so often confused with love. He loved women, of course. He liked them, too, which he was aware made him rather unique among men. He loved the way they moved, and he loved the sounds they made, whether they were melting in his arms or clucking their disapproval. He loved how each one smelled different, and how each moved differently, and how even so, there was something about them all as a group that seemed to brand them together. I am woman, the air around them seemed to say. I am most definitely not you. And thank heavens for that. But he had never loved a woman. And he did not have any inclination to do so. Attachments were messy things, given to all sorts of unpleasantries. He preferred to move from affaire to affaire. It fit his life – and his soul – much better. He smiled. Just a little one. Exactly the sort one would expect from a man like him at a time like this. Perhaps with a little extra tilt in one corner. Just enough to lend some wry wit to his tone when he said, â€Å"You stepped into my room.† She nodded, but the motion was so slow he couldn't be sure she even realized she was doing it. When she spoke, there was a certain dazedness to it, as if perhaps she was talking to herself. â€Å"I won't do it again.† Now, that would be a tragedy. â€Å"I wish you would,† he said, offering her his most disarming smile. He reached out, and before she could guess his intentions, took her hand and raised it to his lips. â€Å"It was certainly,† he murmured, â€Å"the most pleasant welcome of my day here at Belgrave.† He did not let go of her fingers as he added, â€Å"I very much enjoyed discussing that painting with you.† It was true. He had always liked the smart women best. â€Å"As did I,† she answered, and then she gave her hand a gentle tug, forcing him to relinquish his hold. She took a few steps toward the door, then paused, turning partway around as she said, â€Å"The collection here rivals any of the great museums.† â€Å"I look forward to viewing it with you.† â€Å"We shall begin in the gallery.† He smiled. She was clever. But just before she reached the door, he called out, â€Å"Are there nudes?† She froze. â€Å"I was wondering,† he said innocently. â€Å"There are,† she replied, but she did not turn around. He longed to see the color of her cheeks. Vermillion, or merely pink? â€Å"In the gallery?† he asked, because surely it would be impolite to ignore his query. He wanted to see her face. One last time. â€Å"Not in the gallery, no,† she said, and she did turn then. Just enough so he could see the sparkle in her eyes. â€Å"It is a portrait gallery.† â€Å"I see.† He made his expression appropriately grave. â€Å"No nudes, then, please. I confess to a lack of desire to see Great-Grandfather Cavendish au naturel.† Her lips pressed together, and he knew it was with humor, not disapproval. He wondered just what it would take to nudge her further, to dislodge the laughter that was surely bubbling at the base of her throat. â€Å"Or, good heavens,† he murmured, â€Å"the dowager.† She sputtered at that. He brought a hand to his forehead. â€Å"My eyes,† he moaned. â€Å"My eyes.† And then, bloody hell, he missed it. She laughed. He was sure that she did, even though it was more of a choking sound than anything else. But he had his hand over his eyes. â€Å"Good night, Mr. Audley.† He returned his hand to its proper place at his side. â€Å"Good night, Miss Eversleigh.† And then – and he would have sworn he'd been prepared to allow her to depart – he heard himself call out, â€Å"Will I see you at breakfast?† She paused, her hand on the outer doorknob. â€Å"I expect so, if you are an early riser.† He absolutely was not. â€Å"Absolutely I am.† â€Å"It is the dowager's favorite meal,† she explained. â€Å"Not the chocolate and the newspaper?† He wondered if he remembered everything she'd said that day. Quite possibly. She shook her head. â€Å"That is at six. Breakfast is laid at seven.† â€Å"In the breakfast room?† â€Å"You know where it is, then?† â€Å"Haven't a clue,† he admitted. â€Å"But it seemed a likely choice. Will you meet me here, to escort me down?† â€Å"No,† she said, her voice dipping slightly with amusement (Or exasperation? He couldn't be sure), â€Å"but I will arrange to have someone else lead you there.† â€Å"Pity.† He sighed. â€Å"It won't be the same.† â€Å"I should hope not,† she said, slowly shutting the door between them. And then, through the wood, he heard, â€Å"I plan to send a footman.† He laughed at that. He loved a woman with a sense of humor. At precisely six the following morning, Grace entered the dowager's bedroom, holding the heavy door open for the maid who had followed her with the tray from the kitchen. The dowager was awake, which was no great surprise. She always woke early, whether the summer sun was slipping in around the curtain edges, or the winter gloom hung heavy on the morning. Grace, on the other hand, would have gladly slept until noon if permitted. She'd taken to sleeping with her drapes open since her arrival at Belgrave – the better to let the sunlight batter her eyelids open every morning. It didn't work very well, nor did the chiming clock she'd installed upon her bedside table years earlier. She thought she would have adapted to the dowager's schedule by this point, but apparently her inner timepiece was her one rebellion – the last little bit of her that refused to believe that she was, and forever would be, companion to the dowager Duchess of Wyndham. All in all, it was a good thing she'd befriended the housemaids. The dowager might have Grace to start her day, but Grace had the maids, who took turns each morning, slipping into her room and shaking her shoulder until she moaned, â€Å"Enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How strange about Mr. Audley. She would never have pegged him for a morning person. â€Å"Good morning, your grace,† Grace said, moving to the windows. She pulled open the heavy velvet curtains. It was overcast, with a light mist, but the sun seemed to be making a good effort. Perhaps the clouds would burn off by afternoon. The dowager sat up straight against her pillows, queenly in her elaborately styled, domed canopy bed. She was nearly done with her series of morning exercises, which consisted of a flexing of the fingers, followed by a pointing of the toes, finishing with a twisting of her neck to the left and right. She never stretched it side to side, Grace had noticed. â€Å"My chocolate,† she said tersely. â€Å"Right here, ma'am.† Grace moved to the desk, where the maid had left the tray before hurrying off. â€Å"Be careful, ma'am. It's hot.† The dowager waited while Grace arranged the tray on her lap, then smoothed out the newspaper. It was only two days old (three was standard in this region) and had been neatly ironed by the butler. â€Å"My reading glasses.† They were already in Grace's hand. The dowager perched them on the tip of her nose, taking a gingerly sip of her chocolate as she perused the paper. Grace sat in the straight-back chair by the desk. It was not the most convenient location – the dowager was as demanding in the morning as she was the rest of the day, and would surely have her hopping up and down and across the room to her bed. But Grace was not permitted to actually sit next to the bed. The dowager complained that it felt as if Grace were trying to read over her shoulder. Which was true, of course. Grace now had the newspaper transferred to her room once the dowager was through with it. It was still only two and a half days old when she read it, which was twelve hours better than anyone else in the district. It was strange, really, the things that made one feel superior. â€Å"Hmmm.† Grace tilted her head but did not inquire. If she inquired, the dowager would never tell. â€Å"There was a fire at Howath Hall,† the dowager said. Grace was not certain where that was. â€Å"I do hope no one was injured.† The dowager read a few more lines, then answered, â€Å"Just a footman. And two maids.† And then a moment later: â€Å"The dog perished. Oh my, that is a shame.† Grace did not comment. She did not trust herself to engage in early morning conversations until she'd had her own cup of chocolate, which she was generally not able to do until breakfast at seven. Her stomach rumbled at the thought. For someone who detested mornings as she did, she'd come to adore breakfast fare. If they could only serve kippers and eggs for supper each evening, she'd have been in heaven. She glanced at the clock. Only fifty-five more minutes. She wondered if Mr. Audley was awake. Probably. Morning people never awoke with only ten minutes to spare before breakfast. She wondered what he looked like, all sleepy and rumpled. â€Å"Is something wrong, Miss Eversleigh?† the dowager sharply inquired. Grace blinked. â€Å"Wrong, ma'am?† â€Å"You†¦ chirped.† She said this with considerable distaste, as if handling something with a particularly foul smell. â€Å"I'm so sorry, ma'am,† Grace said quickly, looking down at her hands folded in her lap. She could feel her cheeks growing warm, and she had a feeling that even in the morning light and with the dowager's diminished vision, her blush would be clearly visible. Really, she should not be imagining Mr. Audley, and especially not in any state of dishabille. Heaven only knew what sorts of inappropriate sounds she would make the next time. But he was handsome. Even when all she'd seen of him was the lower half of his face and his mask, that much had been clear. His lips were the sort that always held a touch of humor. She wondered if he even knew how to frown. And his eyes†¦Well, she hadn't been able to see those that first night, and that was almost certainly a good thing. She'd never seen anything quite so emerald. They far outshone the dowager's emeralds, which, Grace was still chagrined to remember, she'd risked her life (in theory, at least) to keep safe. â€Å"Miss Eversleigh!† Grace jerked upright. â€Å"Ma'am?† The dowager pierced with a stare. â€Å"You snorted.† â€Å"I did?† â€Å"Are you questioning my hearing?† â€Å"Of course not, ma'am.† The dowager abhorred the notion that any part of her might be susceptible to the usual impairments of age. Grace cleared her throat. â€Å"I apologize, ma'am. I was not aware. I must have, ehrm, breathed heavily.† â€Å"Breathed heavily.† The dowager appeared to find that as appealing as she had Grace's earlier chirp. Grace touched a hand lightly to her chest. â€Å"A bit of congestion, I'm afraid.† The dowager's nostrils flared as she peered down at the cup in her hands. â€Å"I do hope you did not breathe on my chocolate.† â€Å"Of course not, ma'am. The kitchen maids always carry the tray up.† The dowager evidently did not find any reason to ponder that further, and she turned back to her newspaper, leaving Grace alone once more with her thoughts of Mr. Audley. Mr. Audley. â€Å"Miss Eversleigh!† At that Grace stood. This was getting ridiculous. â€Å"Yes, ma'am?† â€Å"You sighed.† â€Å"I sighed?† â€Å"Do you deny it?† â€Å"No,† Grace replied. â€Å"That is to say, I did not notice that I sighed, but I certainly allow that I could have done so.† The dowager waved an irritated hand in her direction. â€Å"You are most distracting this morning.† Grace felt her eyes light up. Did this mean she'd escape early? â€Å"Sit down, Miss Eversleigh.† She sat. Apparently not. The dowager set down her newspaper and pressed her lips together. â€Å"Tell me about my grandson.† And the blush returned. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† The dowager's right eyebrow did a rather good imitation of a parasol top. â€Å"You did show him to his room last night, didn't you?† â€Å"Of course, ma'am. At your directive.† â€Å"Well? What did he say? I am eager to learn what sort of man he is. The future of the family may very well rest in his hands.† Grace thought guiltily of Thomas, whom she'd somehow forgotten in the past twelve hours. He was everything a duke ought to be, and no one knew the castle as he did. Not even the dowager. â€Å"Er, don't you think that might be a bit premature, your grace?† â€Å"Defending my other grandson, are we?† Grace's eyes widened. Something about the dowager's tone sounded positively malevolent. â€Å"I consider his grace a friend,† she said carefully. â€Å"I would never wish him ill.† â€Å"Pfft. If Mr. Cavendish – and don't you dare call him Mr. Audley – really is the legitimate issue of my John, then you are hardly wishing Wyndham ill. The man ought to be grateful.† â€Å"For having his title pulled from beneath his feet?† â€Å"For having had the good fortune to have had it for as long as he did,† the dowager retorted. â€Å"If Mr. – oh, bloody hell, I'm going to call him John – â€Å" Jack, Grace thought. â€Å"If John really is my John's legitimate son, then Wyndham never really had the title to begin with. So one could hardly call it stripping.† â€Å"Except that he has been told since birth that it is his.† â€Å"That's not my fault, is it?† scoffed the dowager. â€Å"And it has hardly been since birth.† â€Å"No,† Grace allowed. Thomas had ascended to the title at the age of twenty, when his father perished of a lung ailment. â€Å"But he has known since birth that it would one day be his, which is much the same thing.† The dowager grumbled a bit about that, using the same peevish undertone she always used when presented with an argument to which she had no ready contradiction. She gave Grace one final glare and then picked up her newspaper again, snapping it upright in front of her face. Grace took advantage of the moment to let her posture slip. She did not dare close her eyes. And sure enough, only ten seconds passed before the dowager brought the paper back down and asked sharply, â€Å"Do you think he will make a good duke?† â€Å"Mr. Au – † Grace caught herself just in time. â€Å"Er, our new guest?† The dowager rolled her eyes at her verbal acrobatics. â€Å"Call him Mr. Cavendish. It is his name.† â€Å"But it is not what he wishes to be called.† â€Å"I don't give a damn what he wishes to be called. He is who he is.† The dowager took a long gulp of her chocolate. â€Å"We all are. And it's a good thing, too.† Grace said nothing. She'd been forced to endure the dowager's lectures on the natural order of man far too many times to risk provoking a repeat performance. â€Å"You did not answer my question, Miss Eversleigh.† Grace took a moment to decide upon her reply. â€Å"I really could not say, ma'am. Not on such a short acquaintance.† It was mostly true. It was difficult to think of anyone besides Thomas holding the title, but Mr. Audley – for all his lovely friendliness and humor – seemed to lack a certain gravitas. He was intelligent, certainly, but did he possess the acumen and judgment necessary to run an estate the size of Wyndham? Belgrave might have been the family's primary domicile, but there were countless other holdings, both in England and abroad. Thomas employed at least a dozen secretaries and managers to aid him in his stewardship, but he was no absentee landlord. If he had not walked every inch of the Belgrave lands, she would wager that he'd come close. And Grace had substituted for the dowager on enough of her duties around the estate to know that Thomas knew nearly all of his tenants by name. Grace had always thought that a remarkable achievement for one brought up as he had been, with a constant emphasis on the Wyndham place in the hierarchy of man. (Just below the king, and well above you, thank you very much.) Thomas liked to present to the world the image of a slightly bored, sophisticated man of the ton, but there was quite a bit more to him. It was why he was so very good at what he did, she supposed. And why it was so callous of the dowager to treat him with such a lack of regard. Grace supposed that one had to possess feelings in order to have a care for those of others, but really, the dowager had quite gone beyond her usual selfishness. Grace had no idea whether Thomas had returned the night before, but if he hadn't†¦well, she wouldn't blame him. â€Å"More chocolate, Miss Eversleigh.† Grace stood and refilled the dowager's cup from the pot she'd left on the bedside table. â€Å"What did you talk about last night?† Grace decided to feign obtuseness. â€Å"I retired early.† She tilted the pot back, careful not to drip. â€Å"With your very kind permission.† The dowager scowled. Grace avoided the expression by returning the chocolate pot to its spot on the table. It took her an impressively long time to get it just so. â€Å"Did he speak of me?† the dowager asked. â€Å"Er, not so very much,† Grace hedged. â€Å"Not very much or not at all?† Grace turned. There was only so much interrogation she could avoid before the dowager lost her temper. â€Å"I'm certain he mentioned you.† â€Å"What did he say?† Good heavens. How was she meant to say that he'd called her an old bat? And if he hadn't called her that, then he'd probably called her something worse. â€Å"I don't recall precisely, ma'am,† Grace said. â€Å"I'm terribly sorry. I was not aware you wished for me to take note of his words.† â€Å"Well, next time, do so,† the dowager muttered. She turned to her newspaper, then looked up toward the window, her mouth in a straight, recalcitrant line. Grace stood still, her hands clasped in front of her, and waited patiently while the dowager fussed and turned and sipped and ground her teeth, and then – it was hard to believe, but Grace thought she might actually feel sorry for the older woman. â€Å"He reminds me of you,† she said, before she could think the better of it. The dowager turned to her with delighted eyes. â€Å"He does? How?† Grace felt her stomach drop, although she was not certain if this was due to the uncharacteristic happiness on the dowager's face or the fact that she had no idea what to say. â€Å"Well, not completely, of course,† she stalled, â€Å"but there is something in the expression.† But after about ten seconds of smiling blandly, it became apparent to Grace that the dowager was waiting for more. â€Å"His eyebrow,† she said, in what she thought was a stroke of genius. â€Å"He lifts it like you do.† â€Å"Like this?† The dowager's left brow shot up so fast Grace was surprised it did not fly off her face. â€Å"Er, yes. Somewhat like that. His are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Grace made awkward motions near her own brows. â€Å"Bushier?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Well, he is a man.† â€Å"Yes.† Oh, yes. â€Å"Can he do both?† Grace stared at her blankly. â€Å"Both, ma'am?† The dowager began lifting and dropping her brows in alternation. Left, right, left, right. It was a singularly bizarre spectacle. â€Å"I do not know,† Grace said. Quickly. To cut her off. â€Å"Very strange,† the dowager said, returning both of her brows back to where Grace hoped she'd keep them. â€Å"My John could not do it.† â€Å"Heredity is very mysterious,† Grace agreed. â€Å"My father could not do this† – she took her thumb and bent it back until it touched her forearm – â€Å"but he said his father could.† â€Å"Aah!† The dowager turned aside in disgust. â€Å"Put it back! Put it back!† Grace smiled and said with perfect mildness, â€Å"You will not wish to see what I can do with my elbow, then.† â€Å"Good Lord, no.† The dowager snorted and waved toward the door. â€Å"I am through with you. Go see to breakfast.† â€Å"Shall I have Nancy help you dress?† The dowager let out the most amazingly long-suffering sigh, as if a lifetime of aristocratic privilege was just too much. â€Å"Yes,† she agreed gracelessly, â€Å"if only because I can't bear to look at your thumb.† Grace chuckled. And she must have been feeling especially bold, because she did not even attempt to stifle it. â€Å"Are you laughing at me, Miss Eversleigh?† â€Å"Of course not!† â€Å"Don't,† the dowager said sharply, â€Å"even think about saying you're laughing with me.† â€Å"I was just laughing, ma'am,† Grace said, her face twitching with the smile she could not keep contained. â€Å"I do that sometimes.† â€Å"I have never witnessed it.† Said as if this meant it couldn't possibly be true. Grace could not say any of the three rejoinders that immediately sprang to mind – That is because you are not listening, your grace. That is because I rarely have cause to laugh in your presence. or What of it? So instead she smiled – warmly, even. Now this was strange. She'd spent so much of her time swallowing her retorts, and it always left a bitter taste in her mouth. But not this time. This time she felt light. Unfettered. If she could not speak her mind to the dowager, she didn't much care. She had too much to look forward to this morning. Breakfast. Bacon and eggs. Kippers. Toast with butter and marmalade, too, and†¦ And him. Mr. Audley. Jack.

Identify Barriers to Effective Communication Essay

Communication can be hard when people speak different languages or use sign language, and it can become frustrating when you don’t understand what a person is saying. Barriers can occur when people find it hard to pass on or receive information because of impairment such as being death or bind which is quite common impairments. If a person is ill or feeling emotional this can also affect the way they communicate as they may be to upset and unable to get the right words out. At times service providers jargon can also be a barrier when they use big technical words to describe something and we are unsure of the term. The same can happen with young people and their slang words for instance, I have came across young people describe say a film as being sick, but to my misunderstanding they actually thought the film was really good so in this case the word sick means good, this is an example of a word meaning something totally different to what you believe it means. The environment y ou are in can also become a barrier to communication in certain circumstances such as, a wheelchair user not being able to see a shop keeper or receptionist as the counter is too high or a person with poor vision not being able to read signs as they are too small, faded or have words missing. So there can be a lot off barriers to overcome when trying to communicate effectively.

Transcript of A Moonlight Fable by H.G. Wells Essay

A Moonlight Fable H.G.Wells Background Beginning Middle Ending Ending Cont. Middle Cont. Symbols H.G. Wells was an English author in the science fiction genre. He is known as the â€Å"Father of Science Fiction.† He began studying in biology and soon wrote novels on the Darwinian theory. Wells is known for his haunting and unpredictable stories. A mother sews a suit for her son and he loves it so much he wants to wear it all the time. His mother insists that he keeps it safely locked away until a special day. He adored it so much that he dreamt about it, but would only wear it once a week. His mother let him wear the suit as long as the buttons were covered in tissue so they wouldn’t tarnish.The boy was attentive to the buttons and saw them getting duller, which caused him anxiety. On night, when the moonlight shined through the window, the boy finds the urge to put the suit on. He tears all of the tissues and protective items off. He hurries out of his house and into his mother’s garden in the suit. He runs carelessly through the garden letting the thorns rip the jacket. He then runs into the duck pond and swims around. After swimming in the pond, he sees a moth and lets it fly around his head. He chases it and falls into a pit without noticing. The next morning, he is found dead at the bottom of the pit. Moonlight-Opportunity to change When the moonlight the story, the man begins to venture into wearing his suit The moonlight in the garden drives him to run through the thorns Buttons-Hopes and happiness Throughout the story, his happiness is suppressed and hidden like the buttons When he takes of the tissue, he is liberated and can finally be happy Garden- freedom In the garden, the boy is happiest and can be free When he dies in the lake, he is smiling showing that he was finally free and happy Symbols Cont. Setting & Characters Characters: the young boy and his mom Setting: In their home and church, not time is specified, most significant occurrences are during the night Important Quotations â€Å"It seemed to him the moonlight was not common moonlight, nor the night a common night, and for a while he lay quite drowsily with this odd persuasion in his mind.† â€Å"He did not care, for he knew it was all part of the wearing for which he had longed.† â€Å"‘Do you think my clothes are beautiful, dear moth? As  beautiful as your scales and all this silver vesture of the earth and sky?'† A Moonlight Fable By AYESHANUML90 | May 2013 Page 1 of 2 Summary and analysis of A Moonlight Fable by HGWells? Literature and Language Questions Answers.com > Wiki Answers > Categories > Literature & Language * Coke KahaniA story of our lives, happiness & togetherness, on your TV Screens.www.facebook.com/cocacola * FablesFind, Create, Share Infos With Attrakt Custom Searchwww.attrakt.com/ Ads Best Answer In this short story by H.G. Wells, a young man loves a suit that his mother sews for him. He loves this suit so much, he wants to wear it all the time. His mother however insists he keep the suit safely packed away until his wedding day. It was green and gold and woven so that I cannot describe how delicate and fine it was, and there was a tie of orange fluffiness that tied up under his chin. And the buttons in their newness shone like stars. He was proud and pleased by his suit beyond measure, and stood before the long looking-glass when first he put it on, so astonished and delighted with it that he could hardly turn himself away. The boy loved his suit so much that he dreamt about it. He would often take the suit out of it’s storage and admire it. His mother allowed him to wear the suit on Sundays to church, but with tissue covering the buttons so they wouldn’t tarnish and tacked on protective guards on the elbows and cuffs so they wouldn’t tear. Whenever the boy would peek at the buttons under the tissue wrap, he would notice they were becoming duller and duller, and this would cause him anxiety. One night he sees the moonlight shining into his bedroom and he gets out of bed with an urge to put the suit on. He makes up his mind to tear off the protective tissue and guards off the suit. Thought joined on to thought like things that whisper warmly in the shadows. Then he sat up in his little bed suddenly, very alert, with his heart beating very fast and a quiver in his body from top to toe. He had made up his mind. He knew now that he was going to wear his suit as it should be†¦