7 Time Management Tips for Academic Writers

7 Time Management Tips for Academic Writers Between a 12-credit course load and work assignments, the life of a student- whether part-time or full-time- can get stressful. But before you down that eleventh cup of coffee and spend yet another sleepless night trying to meet deadlines for academic writing assignments, here are seven time management tips for academic writers to make your semester less stressed.With the right kind of time management, your academic writing assignments can be less stressful. Photo by Kaylah Otto on Unsplash.#1. Establish a timeline and stick to itTheres really no way around it- academic writing requires time and preparation. This is especially true if you are in advanced undergraduate classes or graduate school. Gone are the days when you could procrastinate on a writing assignment, stay up all night the night before the due date to get it written, then still manage a good grade on the result. Its simply impossible to pull of when advanced research is involved.When youre given an assignment that will be due in one month, first determine the steps that will be involved with that assignment. For most academic writing assignments, such as essays or research papers, these steps will include:A trip to the library or online research to find sourcesTime to read through the sourcesTime to take notes and cite the sources usedTime to outline the intended direction of your writing and develop a thesis statement/argument/hypothesisTime to write the rough draftFinding an editor or second pair of eyes to look over your workTime to complete the final draftTime to complete the list of references or sources in a standard formatDepending on the scope of your assignment, locating and reading through your sources could take anywhere from an hour to several weeks, so its best to get started on this part of the academic writing assignment as quickly as possible. Some professors also place parameters on the types of sources you use or the dates they were published, which can add additional time and s tress to this part of the process.If your academic writing project is a thesis or dissertation, obviously, there are many more steps involved than the basic ones listed above. However, regardless of the assignment given, its important to plan out the steps that will be involved and establish a workable timeline that you can stick with.#2. Turn off your phone and social media accounts while writing/researchingWeve all been there- that moment when youre focused on a topic of study, or in the middle of writing, and your mind begins to move toward a deeper level of analysis. You begin to think clearly, the words flow smoother, and then suddenly†¦ding! A Facebook notification comes in and you lose it all.How much time did it take you to get to that place of focus- the place you found before the notification distracted you? Ten minutes? Maybe more? Youre now back at square one, with muddled thoughts, and a looming deadline that requires you to once again find focus.When youre in the process of researching and writing, constant interruptions can cause more delay than you realize, because its more than those few seconds of interruptions. Its the added minutes required to once again focus your thoughts on the task at hand, and often, those minutes add up to hours if enough distractions are around you. This is especially true of social media, which can end up causing you to waste time on scrolling through yet more mindless memes and cute cat photos.#3. Outline your writingWriting without outlining is like driving a train with no tracks. To achieve a cohesive, well-written essay, you need an outline that gives you a general direction to take. It will help save time in the end by ensuring that your writing moves in the right direction.The time you should spend outlining your essay is dependent on the time you have to write it. For example, if its an in-class assignment and you have an hour to write it, obviously, you shouldnt spend more than 5 to 10 minutes on the ou tline. However, if you have a month to pull together an academic essay assignment, you should spend several days creating an outline that will include all of the necessary elements the essay requires (e.g., introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion).If your academic assignment requires an abstract, your outline will be useful in writing it. The outline should contain an introduction to the problem, your thesis statement, and the points or hypotheses you plan to make. All of these will be necessary when composing your abstract.#4. Create your citations as you goAs you read through your sources and conduct research on the topic, go ahead and make a citation for each source used in the citation format your assignment requires. This is best done on note cards, placing the quote to be used on one side (along with the page number) and the full citation on the other. From this point, all that will be required is alphabetizing the sources used and typing them out in a references list. This is a great time-saving method and will cut a large chunk of time out of whats required to prepare the final draft before submitting your essay.To save even more time with citations, if while youre reading over your sources and you have access to the laptop youll be writing your paper on, go ahead and put the citations in a saved file. Some word processing programs will even put the citation in the correct format based on the citation style you choose. You can also use online resources such as Citation Machine to help with this part of the writing process.#5. Set a daily word count goal while writingAfter establishing a timeline for your academic writing assignment, you should know exactly how many days you have to work on the writing portion. Divide that amount equally by your word count requirement and make sure you reach your word count goal each day you write.For example, if your essay should be four to five pages long, double spaced and not including the citation port ion of your paper, that is approximately 1,200 to 1,500 words (300 words per page of double-spaced writing is a good estimate). If you have a week to research and turn in your assignment, set aside a day for research and gathering sources, a day for outlining and reading over sources, three days to write (with a goal of hitting 500 words a day), a day to have someone proofread and edit, then a day for you to wrap up the final draft.#6. Take breaks away from the screen and booksWhile taking breaks might seem counterproductive to saving time, it isnt. The strain of staring at small text in your source material and the bright light of a screen creates added tension that is best avoided by taking consistent breaks away from your research and writing work. Not doing so can produce headaches, blurry vision, eye strain and trouble sleeping- all of which could potentially affect your ability to work and think clearly the next day.If possible, be sure to take these breaks by going outside an d breathing in fresh air. If you cant manage to get outside for a few minutes, other healthy options are meditating, closing your eyes and listening to music, a yoga flow, and holding a plank position for several minutes to reduce stress on the lower back.When writing and researching, be sure to take these breaks by going outside and breathing in fresh air. Photo by Joshua yu on Unsplash.#7. Plan ahead for someone to check your workYou can spend days writing and preparing your academic paper, but a few misspelled words or grammar errors can end up costing you a passing grade on your work. Thats why you dont want to rely on software to check your work for errors.While your word processing program and online programs such as Grammarly might seem like a good option, particularly when youre pressed for time, evidence shows that they fail to catch even simple grammar and spelling errors.If you cant pay a professional editor to edit your work, many universities offer peer editing services in computer labs, libraries, or some other convenient spot on campus. Often, these services are free to students, but may require you to schedule an appointment in advance. If this is the option you end up taking, on the day you receive your assignment, be sure to call ahead and find out how to schedule a peer review session of your paper and leave yourself an extra day after that review to make any changes to the rough draft.However, you manage to do it, always have a second pair of eyes look over your writing before you turn it in as a final draft. Sometimes, its easy to miss even the most blatant grammar and spelling errors after focusing on one document for a long time. And no amount of research or preparation will make an essay full of typos an easy A.

Balance of Payments and Exchange Rates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Balance of Payments and Exchange Rates - Essay Example The balance of payments comprises all of the economic transactions between members of one country and members of all other countries. This includes any trade of goods and services, investments, payments and loans. The balance of payments is made up of several accounts. The current account includes goods trade, services trade, income and transfers of ownership. The capital account includes transfers of assets and acquisitions. The financial account is made up of direct investments into the country, portfolio investments, and various investments. In order to balance out the current and financial accounts should offset each other (Moffett, Stonehill, Eiteman 2006, 73). When there is more money coming in than going out balance of payments will be in surplus, and when more money has gone out than come in there will be a deficit. This is what can affect exchange rates as we will see below. Exchange rates are the value of one country's currency in relation to that of another country's currency. In other words how much is your unit of currency worth in another country's unit of currency. Exchange rates reflect the supply and demand for a country's currency in the world market. However some governments, depending on their monetary policy, may seek to ensure their currency has a certain value in the market. A country with a fixed exchange rate policy maintains a set level for their currency by using reserves to either buy up excess currency so flood the market with currency when there is a demand. Floating exchange rate countries let the market determine their exchange rate; this is normally done by a country with a strong economy. A country operating on a managed float uses factors such as interest rates in order to influence the price or their currency in the market and keep it around a certain level. A government's monetary policy can influence the effect that balance of payments has on exchange rates. Linkages There are significant links between a country's balance of payments and exchange rates. As Layton, Robinson and Tucker (2005, 56) point out "Each transaction recorded in the balance of payments requires an exchange of one country's currency for that of another." The level of a country's exchange rate has an impact on the balance of payments and vice versa. Surplus in the balance of payments usually means that the demand for a country's currency is greater than supply; on the other hand a deficit in balance of payments indicates there is too much of a country's currency in the market. How significant an impact depends on a country's exchange rate regime (Moffett, Stonehill, Eiteman 2006,

Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Euthanasia - Essay Example In passive euthanasia, no action is taken to prolong life, and death occurs naturally. In Great Britain, Lord Joffe has introduced a bill which would legalize assisted dying. Although this bill was introduced in 2004, it has not had a chance of passing until recently. The reasons for this is that society has changed with respect to the issues surrounding euthanasia. This paper will examine the arguments against euthanasia, and the arguments in favor of it, and make a conclusion about whether or not euthanasia should be legalized in Great Britain. Arguments against Euthanasia There is not a doubt that Christianity, as a religion, has profoundly influenced the debate surrounding the right to die. However, before Christianity was established, the practice was condoned, even honored. In Ancient Greece, one could apply to a tribunal for the right to die, and, if successful, would be given hemlock to ingest. The practice was even the subject of parties – the elderly and the infirm would ingest their poison at a banquet that honored their lives . This changed with the beginning of Christianity, and Christianity, as a religion, was the basis of outlawing the practice. Early Christian thinkers, such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine were influential, describing euthanasia as a grave sin. The church continued to influence the debate, even during a period of time during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment of the 18th Century, in which the practices resurged, yet were kept in abeyance by the Church. 7 The Church’s reasoning on the rejection of euthanasia is that the act is inherently wrong. Therefore, because of the fundamental objection to the practice, the Church remains opposed, no matter how much good may come out of it.8   Christianity also believes that it is a sin because life is a gift from God, and, unless one is defending one’s own life, or defending others, life is not to be taken away.   According to this view, man is made in God’s image, so it is not for man to end his own life.9   This is not to say that the Church advocates for keeping someone alive by any means possible. In fact, the official Christian perspective on heroic measures to sustain life is that these measures should not be taken. Denying or withdrawing heroic measures is differentiated from euthanasia because one, euthanasia, is actively ending life and the other, denying heroic measures, is simply letting somebody die. Also, one is intended, and the other is unintended.10   Because the official Christian perspective on h eroic measures is clear, this principle would encompass â€Å"Do Not Resuscitate Orders† and removing patients from ventilators.11   Therefore, the official Christian stance on euthanasia is that it is forbidden. According to Lin (2003), another reason why the Church has taken this stance is because of the Sixth Commandment, which is â€Å"Thou Shalt Not Kill.†   This Commandment, in turn, is based on the view that only God has the power of life and death, and euthanasia effectively usurps this authority.12 St. Thomas Aquinas based his objections to the practice on this view, citing Deuteronomy 32:39, which states that God â€Å"will kill†¦and will make to live.†13 Hatzinikolaou (2003) bases his objections on the respect for the dying process. According to him, death is sacred and the last moments of a person’s life are the moments which should be respected.   It is during these moments, according to Hatzinikolaou (2003) that man has the chance to repent and prepare for his soul to be

Managing User Accounts In Linux Essay Example for Free

Managing User Accounts In Linux Essay Linuxs most notable advantage over other operating systems such as Windows and Mac is security and in order for a user to modify critical components of the system, such as user accounts, is to have access rights of a ROOT. The root is at the top level of Linuxs user hierarchy and has all the privileges to access all resources. To login as root, a user must use the command su username. After pressing the ENTER key, the system will prompt the user to type in the corresponding password. After entering the correct password, the user will inherit full access privileges including the right to modify other users account information. Attempting to enter the correct password will deny the user from inheriting the roots privileges. # su [screenshot] Let us now attempt to create a new user called bozo. But first, let us check if that username is not yet taken. # id bozo [screenshot] Since username bozo is still available we can now create his user account. # useradd bozo -d /home/bozo -u 600 We have just created a username called bozo and makes his default folder under /home/bozo and gave him the UID of 600. by the way, UIDs are unique identifiers of users. Users can be a representation of both human users and services running in the Linux system. UIDs are used by Linux in relation to his password and privilege information stored in the /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow and /etc/group. One of the very first thing Linux does when creating a new user is to copy the files from the skeleton folder, which contains whatever files the admin wants to give to new users, into the newly created users folder. Now, let us try to take a look at those files by displaying a detailed listing of files including hidden ones. # ls –la /home/skel/ So far so good. Now let us try creating another user and call her bozoette. # useradd bozo -d /home/bozo -u 600 We had an error. As stated earlier, UIDs are unique. Since we attempted to create a user and assigned the same UID with bozo, the system denied our request. But what if we do want give bozoete the UID #600? One of the many ways to do it is to first change bozos UID, say 601 and then create bozoettes user account using the newly-vacant UID of 600. Change bozos UID from 600 to 601. # id bozo # usermod -u 601 bozo # id bozo Then create bozoettes new account with UID 600. # useradd bozoette -d /home/bozoette -u 600 Now we have two new users bozo(uid:601) and bozoette(uid:600) with user directories /home/bozo and /home/bozoette, respectively. Note that user accounts remain inactive until a password is assigned to them. Let us now activate the two new user accounts by assigning passwords to them. # passwd bozo # passwd bozoette Users bozo and bozoette are now active and users can now login to the system using the correct username and password combinations for the accounts. REFERENCES Linux Headquarters. Adduser: Adding A New User. http://www. linuxheadquarters. com/howto/basic/adduser. shtml Advanced Horizons. Linux Users. http://www. ahinc. com/linux101/users. htm Mario P. Free November 28, 2007. Tutorial @HowTo. fm. Command Line User Management. http://howto. fm/e/a/title/Command-Line-User-Management-in-Linux/ Notaras, George. 6 November 2005. G-Loaded! User management from the command line http://www. g-loaded. eu/2005/11/06/manage-users-from-the-command-line/

The Law of God and the Laws of the Cities in Philo of Alexandria :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

The Law of God and the Laws of the Cities in Philo of Alexandria ABSTRACT: I evaluate the position of philosophy within Philo’s theory of education as well as its relation to encyclical studies and to the highest forms of knowledge. According to Philo, true knowledge is knowledge of the law of God. Such is the role of philosophy. There exists a strong relation among the various fields of study reflecting the order that exists in all spheres of reality. Order and harmony are the same in an individual, in a state, and in the cosmos. Order and harmony reflects the law set down by God, who is both creator and foundation of such an order. The study of higher truth and the attempt to reach wisdom enlightens secular knowledge and behavior as well. The question is not merely one of maintaining political order; it is, rather, one of adhering to the order established by God. Such order is not open to discussion or alteration. My aim is to study the position of philosophy within Philo's theory of education, its relation to encyclical studies and to the highest forms of knowledge. As true knowledge is the knowing of the law of God and all the studies should aim to transmit and explain it, philosophy gets its role within this view point. There is a strong relation among the various fields of study, as one and the same the order is in all the different spheres of reality. Order and harmony in an individual and in a state are the same as in the cosmos; they are the order and the harmony of the law set down by God, who is both creator and foundation of such order. So, one and the same the law is for an individual, for a state, for the cosmos.(1) Thus the study of higher truths and the attempt to reach wisdom enlightens also secular knowledge and behaviours. There is no difference between unbalance within a city and within a soul; the first relies on the second and the transgression of the Law consists in abandoning the observance of divine word. It isn't only a question of knowing how to maintain a situation established by rulers or by individuals ethically engaged, but also of following an order and a law which come from God, which, as such, are not discussable and alterable. However, many peoples in the world don't relate to divine law.

ALDI & Australia

The retail industry in Australia is considered as one of pillars of its economy. The industry has improved immensely as the players in the market have increased and the variety of commodities has expanded immensely. At present, the industry is populated by companies that range from multinationals to small and medium scale. Among the players, ALDI Australia is considered as a major player in the industry. The firm has expanded from a single foreign branch to a major retail chain. It operates in the main markets of Australia and in other regions across the country.ALDI was taken from the original name of the company which was Albrecht Discount. Before expanding to Australia, ALDI established its presence in Germany Gradually, the company operations stretched to other locations across the world. ALDI is regarded as one of the biggest supermarket chain worldwide. In Australia, ALDI has approximately 160 retail chains. This number is expected to grow as ALDI continues to be aggressive in the industry. Despite strong competition, ALDI Australia has managed to establish its own identity and has already controlled a significant portion of the market.It is imperative to study the current situation within ALDI Australia. The outside environment of the company is another important aspect to investigate. The succeeding discussion will focus on the capacity of ALDI to dominate the market. This requires evaluation of the capacity of ALDI and the external aspects that can affect its performance. The strategies used by ALDI have been working so far. But there are still rooms for improvements that needed to be manifested. II. The External Environment Porter (1979) introduced the concept of five forces that seeks to analyse the competition in an industry.This serves as an effective tool used in creating a picture of the retail industry. Based on the model, there are four forces that have to be assessed to determine the condition of the fifth force (McGahan, 2004). These interact with other to determine the overall condition of the market. The five forces model is critical especially to retail firms. The level of competition in the industry is high. Hence it is imperative for ALDI Australia to appraise the situation of the industry. The threat of new entrants shows the possible repercussions of the openness of the industry which is high in the industry.The current condition of the industry coupled by the continuous increase in demand justifies the viability of the industry as an investment hub for new entrants. New entrants, however, have to consider the barriers that can affect their success. Australia is a major market and houses consumers with high buying power. This means that the opportunity for retailers to operate is high. In addition, demand for consumer products has remained high. The emergence and threat of substitutes shows the low tendency, but suddenly emerging alternative retail firms.The conventional form of retail includes the shops and stor es located in strategic areas. With the advent of technology, several forms of retailing have flourished. Online retailing has become a threat because most consumers have patronised the online retailing scheme instead of the traditional shopping. The bargaining power of the consumers determines the capacity of the consumers to purchase the goods and price sensitivity. It has to be noted that most products in ALDI are demand inelastic and the income per capita in Australia is one of the highest in the world.This means that price changes will have gradual effect to the buying decision of the consumers. Moreover, the buying capacity of Australian households can satisfy their needs and have spare for luxuries. Buyer preference is also another major consideration. Consumers in Australia are dynamic and susceptible to changes. It is important to weigh company goals with consumer requirements. The bargaining power of the suppliers which is high provides the capabilities of the supplier to meet the demand of the industry. Basically, the agricultural industry of Australia is of quality as evidenced by the fresh food sold in retail stores.In addition, raw material is cheaper making retail products highly affordable for consumers. Australia is also highly accessible some Asian countries. The possibility of importing products is given and savings gained from such strategy are high. ALDI has all the resources to satisfy the demands of the consumers and sustain changes. These factors sum up the rivalry among competitors, which intensify in the industry. The retail industry is highly competitive and can potentially allow investors to succeed. It is evident that ALDI will continually face threats both industry based and substitutes.ALDI Australia is in an environment where it can take advantage of the opportunities. Intense competition leads to quality retailed food and eventually benefits for the customers. III. Internal Aspects Deming (1986) mentioned the need to attain qua lity results in all the process of production. The technical process pertains to the emphasis of quality in the different stages of operations. The rationale behind this strategy is that the continuous inclusion of quality in the process will result to highly competitive and superior products.The social process is provided by Juran (1974) in the assumptions of TQM. The social process includes the provision of suitable tools to boost the tendency of workers to prioritise quality. ALDI Australia has to evaluate its capacity within to achieve sustainable success. One significant observation that can be made is that the company has wide range of quality food sources. This is in references to the responsible food sourcing that the company adopts. At present, ALDI boosts up to 700 different grocery products. The supplies of the company are considered as one of its valuable resources.Because of its outstanding food production materials, the quality of the finished products has improved. Bo osting the food with the finest inputs allow the company to effectively satisfy the needs of the consumers. The quality sources also make the company more cost-effective. Another important resource of the company is its identity. This is established through the brand name of ALDI. The brand has the gained the distinction of being the most trusted retailer in Australia. Over the years, the brand name has been embraced in different areas of the world.The credibility of the company is one of its intangible resources that deserved to be recognised. It is known as one of best stores in finding cheap commodities. ALDI Australia greatly depends on its employees for positive results. Indeed, the performance of the workers will influence the success of the firm. ALDI Australia boasts a workforce loaded with competency and talent. The hiring system of the company ensures that the best are selected at the end of the process. The company provides comprehensive training programs to continuously equip the employees with the skills needed in the industry.At present ALDI have over 2,000 employees across Australia. This manpower is one of the most valuable components of the retail store. It addresses the needs of the consumers and provides top-notch service. The stores are regarded as one of the finest. The stores of ALDI Australia are uniquely designed suit the shopping preference of its customers. All ALDI stores have similar sizes and designs. Unlike conventional retail shops, the stores of the company provide an aesthetic environment for buyers. The company emphasises of proper location which makes the stores effective.The success of the stores is credited on the ability of the firm to match substance and form. It is important to instil in the minds of the consumers that more than quality food, buying at ALDI Australia stores is a wonderful experience. The franchises that the company has established worldwide has helped the company is establishing global market presence. T he supermarkets represent ALDI overseas and such resource has provided huge dividends. Several investors in other countries have noticed the increased attention given to the food products of ALDI. This will translate to better opportunities for the supermarket in the future.IV. Company Strategies Strategies of firms are considered to lean towards the strategic scope focusing on the demand, and the strategic strength concentrating on the supply. Porter (1980) further simplified the method by reducing the strategy to three dimensions that include: cost leadership, differentiation, and segmentation. These aspects will be used to analyse the strategy of ALDI Australia in its objective to remain at the forefront of the competition. ALDI values the cheapness of its products. Low-cost goods available at ALDI stores entice most of its consumers and prospects.The cost leadership strategy values efficiency. ALDI has been providing several programs to improve its efficiency. Specific strategie s involve the establishment of distribution centres. Transportation expenses were reduced because of accessible distribution points. The logistic system has been improved to reduce non-performing components of the distribution process. The differentiation strategy of the company is assigned to the research and development team. ALDI have been working with suppliers. This is the initial process that will eventually lead to better products and innovative solutions.Workforce efficiency is a major issue that the company includes in its strategies. Incentives are also provided to workers based on the quantity and quality of work. The performance of the firm is highly dependent on the manner in which customer service and operational activities are manifested by the employees. The contribution provided by the personnel along with the top-notch products sum up the offering of ALDI Australia to its customers. Porter (1985) identified primary activities and support activities in the process o f value-adding. ALDI Australia has been dedicated in maximising value and minimising cost.The company has provided top-notch inbound logistics with its equipments and machines transferring the raw materials without damaging the freshness. The handling of the food from the farmlands to the processing site is meticulously managed. Moreover, the manner in which the food are packed and processed follows quality procedures. In the processing part, ALDI Australia has devoted all necessary resources to maintain the high value of food taken from the finest farms in Australia. ALDI retails stores are designed to ensure the high quality of its products.After the products have been placed in distributions centres, the sales and marketing team will work (Bonn, 2007). Aside from the television and print advertisements, the company has relied on the Internet to introduce ALDI Australia in the market. In addition, the stores of ALDI Australia are highly accessible ensuring that shoppers will exper ience no problems while purchasing food. The customer service initiative of the company is highly recognised since service is extended after the purchases are completed. The company has been using storage devices that emphasise on the freshness of the products.Products that have long shelf lives are safely stored in areas free from causing damage. The transportation arteries from the company to the distribution sites are improved and results to fast travel. Cost is reduced through efficient storage devises and the consumption for energy is decreased using better delivery systems. The company strictly follows a low price philosophy. In most convenient stores, products are usually priced with high mark-ups. The strategy of ALDI is to sell in high quantity at lower prices. ALDI has created an efficient checkout system (Bonn, 2007).This is implemented to prevent customers from spending time queuing when making payments. Aside from the checkouts, ALDI Australia has a systematised product display. Customer can easily identify the location of the goods needed without hassles. Although company savings are important for ALDI, the retail store understands that customers also need to be provided with ample savings in all forms. ALDI Australia sells a wide variety of products. Some stores are limited, but ALDI caters to the needs of its customers. As stated earlier, ALDI sells at least 700 kinds of products in its stores.These products range from highly perishable to preserved products (Bonn, 2007). Aside from food, ALDI also sells other merchandises used for general purposes. The firm has been using a stringent quality control process. ALDI personnel ensure that damaged products are segregated from the intact goods. The inventory system of ALDI also assures that the fresh stocks are provided to the consumers. Expansion is one of the goals of the company. ALDI targets its store count to be in the 200 level by 2008. This means that ALDI Australia will be established in oth er areas where demand is high.At present the store count of ALDI Australia is at 165 shops. Although the target still huge, it is highly realisable considering the capacity of the company. ALDI Australia remains committed to serve its customers and make the stores closer to households. V. Strategy Analysis In the retail industry, the success of strategies can be measured through operational decisions and marketing decisions (Bonn, 2007). Both are strengths of the ALDI Australia and remain as the fundamental driver of success. Because of its selling philosophy, the most logical method of market segmentation is by income.The social structure of households in Australia is part of the middle to upper levels. Aside from this group, ALDI Australia can control the lower bracket in the society. These groups are the consumers with the lowest income. The cheap products offered by ALDI Australia fits their budget. In theory, positioning refers to the perceptions developed in the minds of the t arget market. It entails the creation of image of the brand and the entire organisation (Trout and Rivkin, 1996). Positioning is purely procedural and relies on the completion of stages before making further improvements.Consumer preference is the most important aspect in this process. In addition, ALDI has to target the specific needs before making its position. It is evident that ALDI has established a niche in the industry. From this position, ALDI can become a strong player in the market. Combining the different aspects associated to marketing is vital to the company. The development of marketing mix entails strategies that are design to ensure consistency in the quality of performance (Culliton, 1948). Price and product quality are the two main components of the mix. Low price is insufficient to attract the consumers.Combining such aspect with high product quality creates better chances of succeeding. Strategic management is one of the staple initiatives being implemented by AL DI. Mintzberg (1989) observed that strategy is linked to plans and the behaviour patterns within organisations. The technical process of realising strategic management is divided into two areas. The first phase regard planning as course for intended strategy and the patterned actions are the realised strategies. The process of strategic planning has allowed ALDI to meticulously evaluate their positions in different markets.In addition, strategies of ALDI have remained generic. But ALDI has realised the need to make the strategies flexible to satisfy various needs of consumers. Lewin (1983) stated that corporate social responsibility highlights the duty of the organisations to their stakeholders. Instead on focusing on corporate activities, firms have decided to undertake endeavours with perceived social relevance. This has been one of the weak spots that ALDI needs to improve. Although financial gains from the process are low, ALDI can further improve its reputation. In the retail i ndustry, perception is an important influence to buyers.Firms that tend to provide aid to community activities are being supported by consumers through purchases. Benchmarking is another aspect that has to be developed by ALDI Australia. McNair and Leibfried (1992) contends that benchmarking is designed to leave the past behind and embrace the future. The benchmarking process has many defining aspects. It has to be purposeful, externally focused, measurement based, information intensive, objective, and action generating. All practices performed according to the needs of the firm. VI. Recommendations ALDI Australia is successful because of the pay less strategies and sound management fundamentals.The company needs to sustain its strengths and slowly eliminate the weaknesses. A foreign venture appears to be logical because the domestic market is starting to become overpopulated. The firm has to boost is project refresh and continue the dedication to provide the best infrastructures an d workforce. Combining these components with effective management and good strategies will ensure the robust growth being enjoyed by ALDI Australia. Expenses for advertisements cover most of the budget allocated for marketing. ALDI Australia has to provide inputs on matters that will improve the advertisements.The firm also needs to provide funds for the airing of the advertisements on televisions and even radios. Advertisements done using newspapers and other prints need to reflect the essence of Marks and Spencer food products. The advertisements in the websites need to be easily viewed and accessed (Drummond and Ensor, 2001). These initiatives have to be combined with traditional processes. It is also important for ALDI Australia to maintain balance between price and quality. There are criticisms made by competitors that ALDI’s initiative to sell goods in low prices is driven by the sub-par quality of goods.Ensuring that prices remain competitive is a must for ALDI. But th e company has to continuously address the need to keep product quality high. Through this strategy, ALDI will go on and improve its performance. References ALDI Australia. (2007). Company Philosophy. Date extracted: 9 November 2007, from: ALDI International. (2007). Date extracted: 9 November 2007, from: < http://www. aldi. com/> Bonn, I. (2007). â€Å"ALDI in Australia†, in Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. Hill, by Hil, C. W. and Jones, G. Spring, IA: Houghton Mifflin College.Coriolis Research. (2000). ALDI in Australia: Whaty will be the Impact? Auckland: Coriolis Research Limited. Culliton, J. (1948). The Management of Marketing Cost. Boston: Harvard University – Graduate School of Business Administration. Deming, W. Edwards. (1986). Out of Crisis. Cambridge: MIT Centre for Advanced Engineering. Drummond, G and Ensor, J. (2001). Strategic Marketing Planning and Control. London: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd. Juran, Joseph. (1974). The Quality Control Handb ook 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw Hill. Lewin, T. (1983). The New York Times.â€Å"Business Ethic’s New Appeal. † McGahan, A. (2004). How Industries Evolve – Principles of Achieving and Sustaining Superior Performance. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. McNair and Leibfried. (1992). Benchmarking: A Tool for Continuous Improvement. Oliver Wright Publications. Mintzberg, Henry. (1989). Mintzberg on Management. London: Free Press. Porter, M. (1980). Competitive Advantage: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: Free Press. Porter, M. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press.

Transformative Learning Theory The Importance Of...

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