Existentialism In World Literature - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 5991 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/09/26 Category History Essay Type Review Did you like this example? The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 EXISTENTIALISM IN ANITA DESAI’S FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN NAGAPPAN SETHURAMAN Existentialism as a philosophy is historically and culturally of European origin. Ever since it was recognised as the dominating philosophy of the West in the midtwentieth century, it has left â€Å"its impact on literature [which] has both been substantial and significant† (Chatterji 10). Existentialism does not offer a set of doctrines or a single philosophy system. It has been diversely defined and interpreted by various thinkers over the years. Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 EXISTENTIALISM IN ANITA DESAI’S FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN NAGAPPAN SETHURAMAN Existentialism as a philosophy is historically and culturally of European origin. Ever since it was recognised as the dominating philosophy of the West in the midtwentieth century, it has left â€Å"its impact on literature [which] has both been subs tantial and significant† (Chatterji 10). Existentialism does not offer a set of doctrines or a single philosophy system. It has been diversely defined and interpreted by various thinkers over the years. As a result, â€Å"as a philosophy, existentialism by its very nature defies and abhors systematisation† (Ahmad 10). Nevertheless, it is possible to identify certain traits of this school of thought. All the existentialists â€Å"emphasise the importance of the individual as well as his freedom and responsibility for being what he is† (Das 423). In their attempt to describe man’s â€Å"existence and its conflicts, the origin of its conflicts, and the anticipation of overcoming them† (Ahmad 13), existentialists focus their attention on certain aspects of human existence. Srivastava enumerates them as follows: b) it is never safe and ever at the mercy of chance, c) it is full of suffering, of one variety or other, d) it is full of conflict, e) it is rotted in guilt, f) it cannot escape from the final situation of death (185). These tenets of existentialism have been widely reflected in the literature of the world since the advent of Sartre who established an interaction between literature and philosophy in his writings. John Macquarrie sums up the essence of existentialism as, â€Å"On the whole, it has been the tragic sense of life†¦ that has been prevalent among the existentialists† (Macquarrie 164). Almost all great writers of the present generation have handled the doctrines of existentialism in their works. This is the main reason why â€Å"man’s alienation, dread, absurdity, bad faith, responsibility, commitment to freedom, anguish are the very hallmarks of 20th century literature† (Ahmad 5). As a novelist, Anita Desai exhibits a strong inclination towards the existentialist interpretation of the human predicament. In particular, she voices â€Å"the mute miseries and helplessness of marr ied women tormented by existentialist problems and predicaments† (Prasad 139). A woman novelist, Desai has won a niche by exploring the emotional world of women, bringing to light the various deeper forces at work in feminine sensibility as well as psychology. This predilection leads her to examine the psyche of her women protagonists when they are confronted with the absurdity of life. This draws her attention to the darker side of life. She projects a tragic vision in her novels by placing her female protagonists in hostile situations. Desai further examines her women protagonists as individuals who find themselves forced into uncongenial environments, fighting against the odds. This problem of the The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 tragic tension between the individual and their unfavourable environment acquires the dimensions of existential angst. Starting from her first novel Cry the Peacock to the latest Baumgartnerâ €™s Bombay, all her novels highlight the existentialist’s predilection for portraying the predicament of man. Many critics have traced shades of existentialist thought in the novel of Anita Desai. Time and again her themes and characters have been interpreted in the light of existential philosophy. In this regard it has been pointed out: Desai’s chief concern is human relationship. Her central theme is she existential predicament of an individual, which she projects through incompatible couples- very sensitive wives and ill matched husbands. She is a minute observer and perceives everything mutely, minutely and delicately. Whenever she creates a poetical situation, she gives it a perfect poetic treatment to every detail (Singh 12) Anita Desai’s characters are self-conscious of the reality around them and they carry a sense of loneliness, alienation and pessimism. She adds a new dimension turning inward into the realities of life and plunges into the de ep-depths of the human psyche to score out its mysteries and chaos in the minds of characters. Particularly Fire on the Mountain has been identified as â€Å"the lyrical fictionalization of the quintessence of existentialism† (Gupta 185). A close study of the texture and theme of the novel in relation to the tenets of existentialism justifies the above observation. It has been noted that â€Å"Fire on the Mountain displays skillful dramatisation of experiences of certain women embroiled by the cross way of life† (Choudhury 77). This novel deals with the existential angst experienced by the female protagonist Nanda Kaul, an old lady living in isolation. It also projects the inner turmoil of a small girl, Raka, who is haunted by a sense of futility. Thirdly, it presents the plight of a helpless woman, Ila Das who is in conflict with forces that are too powerful to be encountered, resulting in her tragic death. Thus, the existential themes of solitude, alienation, the futility of human existence and struggle for survival form the major themes of the novel. Fire on the Mountain falls into three sections, each further divided into several short chapters of unequal length. The first section titled â€Å"Nand Kaul at Carignano† runs into ten chapters. This section deals with Nanda Kaul, the main protagonist’s lonely life in Kasauli. â€Å"Raka comes to Carignano† forms the second section and it contains twenty one chapters. It portrays Nanda Kaul’s change of attitude towards Raka, her great granddaughter. The final section â€Å"Ila Das leaves Carignano† is divided into thirteen chapters. This section presents the tragic end of Ila Da, Nanda Kaul’s childhood friend. In all, the book runs to 145 pages. The structural unity, as suggested by the section captions is offered by Carignano, Nanda Kaul and Raka, running counter to one another complemented by that of Ila Das also provide unity of structure. Like the other works of Anita Desai, the present novel contains neither any story value nor events that are interesting by themselves. The entire novel revolves round the existential angst experienced by the women protagonists. In this novel, â€Å"the story element is very thin and there is practically no action except for the tragic end† (Indira 96). The story revolves round the inner lives of the two female protagonists, Nand Kaul and Raka. Nanda Kaul is the wife of Mr. Kaul, the Vice-Chancellor of the Punjab University. When the novel begins, Nanda The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 Kaul is living in Carignano, far from the madding crowd. She is leading a life of isolation and introspection. She shuns all human company. Even the postman’s arrival to deliver the letter is frowned upon by her. But this seeming quietude does not last long. Raka arrives at Carignano to convalesce after her typhoid attack. The old woman and the young girl live in double singleness. But as days pass by, Nanda Kaul finds herself drawn towards Raka, something she had not expected. But the little girl refuses to be befriended and escapes into the hills looking for company in solitude. Ila Das, Nanda Kaul’s childhood friend visits Carignano to meet Raka. A one time lecture in the Punjab University, Ila Das had lost her job subsequent to Mr. Kaul’s retirement. She has come to Kasauli now in her new capacity as an officer in the social welfare department. She fights against child marriage by enlightening the local people about the evils of this practice. This invites the wrath of many of the villagers of whom Preet Singh is one. His attempts to barter his little daughter for a tiny piece of land and a few goats have been successfully thwarted by Ila Das. He is lying in wait to settle his score with her. One evening, when Ila Das returns late from Carignano to her humble house in the valleys, he waylays he r, rapes and murders her. When the news of Ila Das’s death is conveyed to Nand Kaul over the phone, she is rudely shocked and falls dead. Raka unaware of her great grandmother’s death, rushes into the house proclaiming wildly that she has set the forest of fire. Nanda Kaul, Raka and to some extent Ila Das, are embodiments of the existential predicament experienced by the individual in an un-understanding and even hostile universe. A detailed examination of the characters of these protagonists brings to light how Anita Desai has succeeded in giving expression to her existentialist world-view through these characters and by a subtle use of imagery and symbols. When the novel begins, Nand Kaul is presented as a recluse. Living all alone, except for the company of the servants who dare not disturb her privacy, she brooks no human presence. â€Å"She wanted no one and nothing else. Whatever else came, or happened here, would be unwelcome intrusion and distractionâ₠¬ (FM 3). She spends her days in isolation, musing about her past and experiencing the existential ennui. â€Å"From the musings of her agitated mind it appears that as the wife of the vicechancellor for the Punjab University and the mother of several children, she has lived a very busy and tiring life â€Å"(Raizada 44). Anita Desai unfurls her past in the form of long interior monologues punctuated by authorial interruptions, Nanda Kaul had witnessed only betrayals and demands in life before her retirement to Kasauli. She had lived a monotonous life receiving and treating the endless stream of visitors who used to call on her vice-chancellor husband. Her husband had carried on a life-long affair with his mathematics mistress Miss David, whom he would have married, had she not been a Christian. Again, the memories of her children make Nanda Kaul shudder at the very thought of her past. As a mother of several children, all demanding and unaccommodative, she had been given t oo many anxious moments. Now all alone in Carignano, a house associated with many weird stories, Nanda Kaul feels that loneliness is the only essential condition of human life. Whenever she looks at the tall pine trees that stand out from among the underwood, she is reminded of her own alienation. Not exactly conscious of what she is waiting for, nonetheless, she is awaiting the inevitable end to all human existence: death. She is haunted by the existential angst which has led her to conclude that human life is basically a lonely struggle against the odds of life. In her case the odds have manifested themselves in the form of an adulterous husband and cantankerous children. Strongly convinced The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 that life and dealt a raw deal to her, she has resolved to find the meaning, if any, of her existence in isolation. â€Å"She treasures her freedom, her privacy, glad her responsibilities towards her family a re over, glad she needs nobody and nobody now needs her† (Krishnaswamy 260). This has coloured her outlook on life to a large extent. Her reaction to the arrival of the postman and Raka, her invalid great granddaughter, makes it appear that she has become a misanthrope. But the truth seems to be that she is a sensitive person preoccupied with the real nature of her existence as opposed to the illusory life of her past as a vice-chancellor’s wife and mother to children. â€Å"If Nanda Kaul was a recluse out of vengeance for a long life of duty and obligation, her great grand daughter was a recluse by nature, by instinct. She had not arrived at this condition by a long route of rejection and sacrifice [like Nanda Kaul], she was born to it, simply â€Å"(FM 48). Desai’s above observation about Raka’s character at once brings out the similarity and difference with that of Nanda Kaul’s in their mental make up. Raks’s characters has been in troduced by the novelist as a foil to Nanda Kaul’s. If Nanda Kaul symbolises a particular aspect of existentialism, which is examined elsewhere in this chapter, Raka epitomises another aspect of the existential predicament: the influence of her parents on her life. Anita Desai makes Raka both young temperamentally and solitude-loving. When Raka is first introduced, the reader is informed that she is the granddaughter of Asha, the most problematic of Nanda Kaul’s daughters. That she is an unwelcome intruder into Nanda Kaul’s life is suggested by an image. As Nanda Kaul first looks at her greatgrand daughter who is walking towards her, she reminds the old lady of an insect: Raka slowed down, dragged her foot, then came towards her great grandmother with something despairing in her attitude.. She turned a pair of extravagantly large and somewhat bulging eyes about in a way that made the old lady feel more than ever her resemblance to an insect. (FM 39). Howev er, the old lady is shocked to see the pale and gaunt little girl and is moved to pity. But â€Å"to Nanda Kaul she was still an intruder, an outsider, a mosquito flown up from the plains to tease and worry† (FM 40). Raka herself does not bother much about the â€Å"blatant lack of warmth†(FM 40) exhibited by her great grandmother. She prefers to stay away from company. Like a wild animal newly caged, she keeps prowling barefoot in her room, looking at the stone heaps. She is not interested in flowers or playing as children of her age normally tend to do. By using two reptile images successively in a span of two pages, and by a suggestive hint about Raka’s lack of interest in play and flowers, Desai impliedly establishes that there is something weird about her. Soon through several interior monologues enacted in Raka’s subconscious mind, the reason for the abnormality in her is unfolded. The daughter of an ill-matched couple, Raka has been witness to t he brutality and futility of human existence. She is haunted by the recollections of the nightmarish nights that have made her almost a child-stoic. Somewhere behind them, behind it all was her father, home from a party, stumbling and crashing through the curtains of the night, his mouth opening to let out a flood of rotten stench, beating at her mother with hammers and fists of abuse-harsh, filthy abuse that made Raka cower under her bedclothes and wet her mattress in fright, feeling the stream of urine warm and weakening between her legs like a stream of blood, and her mother lay down on the floor and shut her eyes and wept. Under her The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 feet, in the dark, Raka felt that flat, wet jelly of her mother’s being squelching and quivering, so that she didn’t know where to put her feet and wept as she tried to get free of it. Ahead of her,no longer on the ground but at some distance now, h er mother was crying. Then it was a jackal crying. (FM 72) The sudden shift from the interior monologue about her bitter past to the present observation of the jackal crying, the latter superimposed on the former brings out Raka’s predicament. By doing this, the novelist likens the haunting memories to the crying jackals. So Raka’s life is a close encounter with things that are wild and frightful- be it the memories of her mother beaten to pulp by a drunkard father or the chilling cry of the jackals. Instead of trying to escape from this harsh and unnerving experiences and memories, Raka goes farther and deeper into them as if to fathom the bottom of such wild realities. After some initial hesitation, she ventures deep down the ravine to the Monkey Point- a place not frequented by others and from where the cries of the jackals are heard: No one ever came here but Raka and the cuckoos that sand invisibly. These [the cuckoos]were not the dutiful domestic birds that called Nanda Kaul to attention at Carignano. They were the demented birds that raved and beckoned Raka on to a land where there was no sound, only silence, no light, only shade, and skeletons kept in beds of ash on which the footprints of jackals flowered in gray. FM 90) This passage effectively coveys Raka’s plight and significance. She is at once a little girl with a splintered psyche and an unmistakable symbol of the individual’s quest for meaning. The jackals are symbols of the mystery of life and Raka’s walk to the Monkey Point is symbolic of her search for something unknown, yet inevitable and indispensable. Not all children would dare to brave the rough terrains of the ravines and impending menace of the jackals. Similarly, not all human beings are conscious of the futility of human existence nor are they in search of newer values. The existential theme of quest for meaning undertaken by those who refuse to remain merely as members of the multitude is well brought out in the lonely and mystified wanderings of Raka. In this respect it has been pointed out by Shantha Krishnaswamy: Her [Raka’s] childhood has hardened her into a little core of solitary self-sufficiency and now, a young girl up here in the mountains.. her spirit is defiant enough to go chanting ‘I don’t care, I don’t care, I can’t care of anything’ (FM 73). The conventional sweet smells and sounds of girlhood are ignored, she feels drawn by scenes of devastation and failure. The forest fires tingle her and she bursts from the shell of Carignano like a sharp, keen edged explosive to set fire to the mountainside. (Krishnaswamy 261, 262) The concluding part of the foregoing observation concerning Raka’s predilection for the forest fires needs elaborate analysis for it has symbolic overtones. Ever since her arrival at Carignano, Raka evinces a keen interest in wild fire. This obsession with the forest fire provides yet a nother dimension with the forest fire provides to her existentialist preoccupations. Immediately after her arrival at Carignano, on witnessing a fire in the forest she becomes obsessed with forest fires for they seem to her the empirical manifestation of her inner conflict: whether to continue with her mediocre and painful and aimless existence imposed upon her by heredity and environment or to revolt against their dictates and attempt to create her own values. The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 By an elaborate expression of her free will and demonstration of her ability to choose and act, she sets the forest on fire towards the end of the novel. The fire created by her is the result and manifestation of her existential angst to destroy the old and meaningless to make room for the new and significant. It is an affirmation of her search for values in an otherwise futile existence. Ila Das is the third female protagonist of the nov el. Unlike Nanda Kaul and Raka who are central to the story, her role is only marginal. Nonetheless, Anita Desai has projected yet another aspect of the existentialist philosophy through her character. â€Å"Her life suggests another dimension of misery and meaningless existence† (Jena 30). She is first introduced to the readers, when she calls Nanda Kaul on the phone and informs her of her intended visit to Kasauli to meet Raka. She speaks in a â€Å"hideous voice† (FM 21) and is rather plain in her looks. Through a long interior monologue in Nanda Kaul’s mind, the readers are informed of her past. She was Nanda Kaul’s childhood friend. She had also served in the university as a lecturer, thanks to Nanda Kaul’s good offices. But soon after the death of Mr. Kaul she had been ousted and had struggled a lot before finding the present employment as a social welfare officer. A poverty stricken loner of aristocratic of child marriage, a practice r ampant among the tribals. This lands her in an unenviable situation. She finds herself fighting a lonely battle against a mindless multitude. But she is not cowed down by adversity. She remains steadfast in her conviction and refuses to make any compromises. Though she is aware of the dire consequences that she might be forced to encounter, she remains faithful to her cause. She succeeds in stooping several such child-marriage, the prominent one being the marriage of Preet Singh’s seven year old daughter. Sustaining herself on a meagre pay and putting up with the inevitable condition of loneliness, she wages a valiant battle against the dictates of the society. Finally, she pays a dear price for her convictions and refusal to compromise. She is raped and murdered by Preet Singh who has been dying for revenge. Though Ila Das plays a minor role in the novel, she is also an allegorical figure. She not only lives in isolation but also braves the brute majority with conviction and commitment as her tools. True, she meets with a tragic end but has made her existence significant in exhibiting courage and determination in the face of stiff resistance and threat to life. †Her real involvement in people’s welfare assumes tremendous symbolic significance â€Å"(Jena 30). She epitomises the existentialist concept of struggle against the odds of life. â€Å"For the existentialist, man is never just part of the cosmos but always stands to it in a relationship of tension with possibilities of tragic conflict† (Macquarrie 17). She stands for the thinking individual who dares to exercise her free will and act according to her choice rather than submit meekly to the odds of life. The mindless tribal society in general, and Preet Singh in particular, represent the malevolent aspect to human existence-forces that are bent upon thwarting the individual’s purpose and undoing her. â€Å"One of the many ways of defining tragedy sees it as a clash between the aspiration of human freedom and creativity with a cosmic order that is stronger and defeats man â€Å"(Macquarrie 189). Though Ila Das loses her chastity and life in the process of her struggle with such brute forces, her life has nonetheless become meaningful by virtue of the fact that she chooses a cause, fights for it and sacrifices herself in trying to accomplish her task. An examination of the use of symbolism and imagery in the novel proves beyond doubt the novelist’s existential concern. She portrays a tragic world where no compromises are made, no epiphanies are exploded, to be totally destroyed, as the The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 sensitive, the visionary suffer nothing but suffocation and oppression. So, the content of the novel is sheer violence. The lives of the principal characters are ‘unloved’ and ‘unlived’. (Indira 95,96). In keeping with this concept, An ita Desai resorts to the effective employment of imagery and symbolism in Fire on the Mountain. Her predilection for prey-predator imagery abounds in this novel also. Images of ugliness, loneliness, destruction and annihilation are consistently used in order to reflect the existential tone of the novel. An atmosphere of solitary introspection is created with the help of several images. For example, when she receives a call from Ila Das, Nanda Kual â€Å"turned her head this way and that in an escape. She watched the white hen drag out a worm inch by resisting inch from the ground till it snapped in two. She felt like the worm herself, she winced at its mutilation â€Å"(FM 21). The same is continued in the next page also: â€Å"Still starting at the hen which was greedily gulping down bits of worm, she thought of her husband’s face and the way he would plait his fingers across his stomach†¦ â€Å"(FM 22). This prey-predator image of hen pecking at a worm is sug gestive of Nanda Kaul’s present inner turmoil. Her past suffering at the hands of the adulterous husband and her present awareness about the harsh realities of life are both successfully established by this image. Another important image employed recurrently is that of the pine tree that stands burnt and alone, which is often an object of attraction for Nanda Kaul: â€Å"She was grey, tall and thin †¦ she fancied she could merge with the pine tree and be mistaken for one. To be a tree, no more and no less, was prepared to undertake†(FM 4). Again, this image also contributes to the existentialist theme of the novel. â€Å"Nanda’s sense of identification with the pine trees suggests her desire for absolute stillness and withdrawal from life†(Indra 97). The image of the charred pine tree is repeatedly employed in the novel. Raka is reminded of the futility of existence while she looks at the lonely hills and charred pine trees: â€Å"This hill, with its one destroyed house and one unbuilt one, on the ridge under the fire-singed pines, appealed to Raka†¦ There was something about it- illegitimate, uncompromising and lawless†¦. The sense of devastation and failure drew her, inspired her â€Å" (FM 90). Images of insects like lizards, birds like eagles and parrots, and â€Å"the thematic image of the ‘fire’ with its connotations of violence and urgency occur at regular intervals, warning the reader of the impending tragedy† (Indira 96). The critic S. Indira sums up the significance of imagery in Fire on the Mountain quoting D. H. Lawrence and the novelist herself:It is the charming mosaic of imagery woven so skillfully by the novelist that makes the Novel a work of art. Quoting D. H. Lawrence who said ‘If I eat an apple, I like to eat it with my senses,’ Anita Desai herself stated that the novel in which she attempted this closeness of man and beast, earth and vegetable was Fire o n the Mountain. Imagery alone makes it possible and, in the process, the novel gains a richer texture and greater depth. As a critic says, â€Å"this novel deprived of its imagery, would be an ugly skeleton, chilling the reader† †¦ The significant house imagery, the images of plants, colour, atmosphere and moon- all contribute to the textual density and symbolic centrality of the novel. Indira 96) Another important aspect of this novel’s narrative technique is its symbolism. There are several symbols that deepen the philosophic implications of The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 the novel. To start with, Carignano, Nanda Kaul’s present abode, is symbolic of the loneliness and barrenness of human life in general and Nanda Kual in particular: What pleased and satisfied her so, here at Carignano, was its barrenness. This was the chief virtue of Kasauli, of course- its starkness†¦Occasionally an eagle swam thr ough this clear undoubted mass of light and air . FM 4) The lonely house is symbolic of the lonely life of Nanda Kual and Raka. The barrenness and starkness associated with its symbolise an essential human condition –alienation which is the key note of all existential philosophy. The eagle symbol, like the house symbol, is repeatedly used in the course of the novel to highlight another aspect of existential philosophy, namely quest. The sight of the eagle flying high, makes Nanda long to be able to soar like the bird: â€Å"An eagle swept over†¦. its wings outspread, gliding on currents of air without once moving its great muscular wings which remained in repose, in control, She [Nanda Kaul] ad wished, it occurred to her, to imitate the eagle-gliding, with eyes closed† (FM 19). This longing for soaring above the reach of deterministic confines is the hall mark of Raks’s characters. To emphasise this aspect, the novelist employs the eagle symbol while descri bing Raka’s walk to the Monkey Point. â€Å"She was higher than the eagles, higher than Kasauli and Sanwar and all the other hills†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (FM 61). Thus Nanda Kaul’s wish and Raka’s attempt merge in the eagle-symbol, which denoted their existential angst and quest for values. The forest fire scene has symbolic overtones. Like the â€Å"The Fire Sermon† in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, the fire in Fire on the Mountain â€Å" †¦ is a destroyer. It is also a purifier† (Brown 557). By making use of the universal fire symbol. Anita Desai endows Raka’s character with allegorical implications. Raka, the invalid restless little girl who is the product of a broken home, becomes the symbol of the existentialist’s perception of the individual who finds herself in this hostile and futile world. Yet out of compulsion, she strives to find or create values and significance for her existence. In this regard it has been observe d that the symbolic implication of the forest fire is reinforced by the title of the novel, Fire on the Mountain is highly significant from the thematic point of view. The mountain symbolises Nanda Kaul and the fire is symbolic of Raka’s wild nature. â€Å"Nanda is the ‘rocky belt’, dry, hardened by time and age. Raka is silent, swift and threatening like forest fire†¦ The novel, thus [sic] may be noted as a story of inabilities of human beings to ignore the world, to place oneself in another’s position†(Choudhury 79). Another factor that adds to the philosophical implications of the novel is the frequent allusions to books and poems. As in other novels in Fire on the Mountain too Anita Desai uses poetry, and this time it is a poem by Hopkins: I have desired to go Where springs not fail To fields where files no sharp and sided hail And a few lilies below And I have asked to be The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I à ¢â‚¬â€œ Jan, 2005 Where no storms come, Where the green swell is in the havens dumb, And out of the swing to the sea. (FM 87). This poem has some connection with he character of Nanda Kaul who quotes it and the poem signifies her desire to be away from the humdrum of life, to a heaven of nature far from the madding crowd. By introducing this poignant stanza from Hopkin’s poem, Anita Desai highlights the theme of alienation which is the central theme of the novel. The same effect is achieved by introducing an allusion to a passage from The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon which begins with a title ‘When a Woman lives Alone’ and through the image of a dilapidated house â€Å"with a poignantly desolate look â€Å"(FM 27). This image has symbolic overtones as it suggests the lonely and desolate life of Nanda Kaul herself. Again, when Nanda Kaul is in the company of Raka, there is an allusion to The Travels of Macro Polo (FM 87). The reference to this book reminds the ‘Cape of Good Hope’. This also adds to the symbolism of the novel. This is miniature adventure like the one Marco Polo undertook in search of something new and promising. Thus, the characters of Nanda Kaul, Raka and Ila Das are studies of women in isolation. Essentially a writer of existential inclinations, Anita Desai examines three important aspects of this school of thought through her protagonists. The predominant traits of existentialism are alienation, quest and conflict. These three aspects are epitomised in the lives of three female protagonists. Nanda Kaul is a study in alienation and existential angst. Raka symbolises the individual’s quest for meaning in an otherwise futile life. Ila Das stands for the eternal conflict enacted in the human drama between the individual and the forces of determinism. One common ground for these three characters is that they are women who live in isolation both out if choice and compulsion. Desai has examined th e predicament of women in wilderness by placing these three characters Kasauli, a place surrounded by hills and valleys, for removed from civilisation. She has consciously done it to examine the predicament and psyche of women in isolation. By placing her female protagonists with nature herself as the backdrop, Anita Desai has endowed a symbolic and universal significance to the plight of her protagonists. In this regard it has been pointed out: Essentially, Desai is a novelist of existentialist concerns, chiefly considering what F. H. Heinaman described as ‘the enduring human condition. ’ In her novels, she has ably dwelt upon such existentialist themes as maladjustment, alienation, absurdity of human existence, quest for the ultimate meaning in life, decision, detachment, isolation and time as the fourth dimension, focussing on how women in the contemporary urban milieu are bravely struggling against or helplessly submitting to the elentless forces of absurd life ( Prasad 140) To sum up, Fire on the Mountain invites comparison with Shakespeare’s King Lear. In this great tragedy, when he dramatises the agony of betrayed father, Shakespeare removes Lear from the palace and places him in the wild heath- a hostile place- to suggest that the plight of Lear is identical with the suffering of every wronged father. Shakespeare employs animal imagery to indicate the rotten and corrupt world of the dramatis personae of King Lear. Images of ugly and evil animals like jackals and wolves are recurrently used creating an animal imagery that reinforces the thematic concern of the play, namely the tragedy of human life, The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 personified in the life of Lear, a victim of indifference in old age. Anita Desai’s use of imagery of King Lear. By making use of the images of insects and animals like mosquitoes, lizard and jackals, Desai hints at how her female protagonists d espise the absurdity of their existence. They either withdraw into a shell like Nanda Kaul or like Raka, long for something new or is made miserable by the environment as in the case of Ila Das. Similarly, by making Kasauli the location of her novel, Desai has endowed it with a wider appeal where the boundaries of region, religion and time cease to exist. This novel contains the core of the novelist’s existential world-view in that all the three characters are nothing but the manifestations of her alter ego that gives expression to her outlook on life. It may not be an exaggeration to her outlook on life. It may not be an exaggeration to say that Fire on the Mountain merits a place in the galaxy of existential masterpieces like Kafka Trial, Camus’ The Plague and Sartre’s Nausea. WORKS CITED PRIMARAY SOURECS 1. Fire on the Mountain. London : Penguin Book 1977. SECONDARY SOURCES 2. Ahmed, sheikh musthaq, Existential Aesthetics. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers , 1991. 3. Brown, calwin s. The Reader’s Companion to World Literature , New York : Penguin , 1984 4. Chatterjee, Margaret. â€Å"Introducing Existentialism† Ed. Chatterjee. New Delhi: Arnold – Heimannn, 1983. 17-30. 5. Choudary, Bidulata. Women and society in the novels of Anita Desai. New Delhi: Creative Books , 1995 6. Das, Ras vihar. â€Å" Existentialism† History of Philosophy Eastern and Western. Vol. II . Ed. Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. London: George Allen Co unwin Ltd, 1953 7. Gupta, Balarama G. S. â€Å"Fire on the Mountain: A fictional metaphor of Existentialist Philosophy. † Perspectives on Anita Desai. Ed. Ramesh K. Srivatsava Ghaziabad: Vimal Prabhashan, 1984 The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 1, No. I – Jan, 2005 8. Indira ,s. Anita Desai as an artist. New Delhi: Creative Book, 1994. 9. Jena Seema, Voice and vision of Anita Desai. New Delhi: Ashish publishing House, 1989. 0. Krishnaswamy, Shantha, The woman in Indian Fiction in English. New Delhi; Ashish publishing House, 1983 11. Macquarrie, John Existentialism. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1972. 12. Prasad, Madhusudan, Anita Desai : The Novelist. Allahabad: 13. Raizada, Harish â€Å" The Haunted protagonists of Anita Desai† perspectives of Anita Desai. Ed. Kamesh k. Srivastava, Ghaziabhad: vimal prabhakaran, 1984. 31 – 53. 14. Singh, R. A. Existential characters of Arun Joshi and Anita Desai. Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot, 1991. Prof. N. Sethurman, Ph. D. , PG Research Dept. of English, Pachiyappa’s College, Chennai-30, Tamilnadu, India. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Existentialism In World Literature" essay for you Create order

Statistical Test For Your Data Analysis - 1154 Words

Data Analysis and Interpretation In selecting the appropriate statistical test for your data analysis, you need to identify the question or hypothesis for the study. Are you trying to compare groups, interested in finding out if there is a relationship between two or more variables, or are you trying to predict. Some factors to consider as well are the following: (1) Research design, (2) Level of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio, (3) Number of groups, and if they are correlated (dependent) or independent, (4) Number of variables, and know which is the dependent and independent variable, and (5) Know when to choose a parametric versus a non-parametric test. The flowchart and the Appendix E section of the book on How to Use SPSS eighth edition of Brian Cronk (2014), was used as a guide to answer the questions below. Answer this question for the four studies below: Which statistical test you would use to analyze the data collected for these variables? Study A* Variable 1 is psychiatric patients’ gender; and Variable 2 is whether or not the patient has attempted suicide in the past 12 months. Answer Chi-square test of independence tests whether or not two variables are independent of each other (Cronk, 2014). The question here is, is there a relationship between gender and whether or not the patient has attempted suicide in the past 12 months? Does the relationship differ for males and females? The independent variable is gender and the dependent variableShow MoreRelatedStatistics Is Making Sense Of Common Data And Knowing When You Use Data Essay1611 Words   |  7 Pagesand fostered the spread of education. Statistics is making sense of common data and knowing when you use data analysis techniques, and formulas while making connections between them. Statistics enables the collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and organization of data. 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Define - â€Å"Statistical Hypothesis Testing† – â€Å"Inferences in Business† – and â€Å"Predictive Analysis† 3. Importance of Hypothesis Testing in Business with Examples 4. Statistical Methods to perform Hypothesis Testing in Business Intelligence 5. Identify Statistical variables required to compute Hypothesis testing. a. Correlate computing those variables from the data available in normalized tables arranged in row x columns. 6. Computing Statistical Hypothesis Testing forRead MoreThe P Value As A Measure Of The Evidence Against The Null Hypothesis1279 Words   |  6 PagesThe p-value is a measure of the strength of the evidence against the null hypothesis. The p-value is the probability of getting the observed value of the test statistic, or a value with the even greater evidence against Ho, if the null hypothesis is actually true. The smaller the p-value, the greater the evidence against the null hypothesis. If we have a given significance level, then we reject. 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Operations Management and Information Systems Free Essays

string(116) " processes rather than providing unlimited functions which may be available in other open-source software packages\." Introduction: Operations management in the contemporary business environment requires the application of various strategies which enhance reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness in the process of getting goods to the final consumer. An important aspect of operations management includes supply chain management which suggests that it is essential for a firm to be aware of how it will deliver goods to the final consumer and through which channel or mediums. The contemporary business environment requires the use of technology to support operations management and to enable effective communication with various parties in the production and supply chain process (Bonaccorsi Rossi, 2003). We will write a custom essay sample on Operations Management and Information Systems or any similar topic only for you Order Now Accordingly, this report focuses upon a boutique business by the name of Heelz and is based in England. The business has gradually grown over the years and now amounts to seven stores out of which two are located in Spain. Thus, the business is looking to internationally expand and gain market share in the European market. Due to the recent expansion, the owner of the business, Sally has purchased a warehouse in South England. Sally wants to launch an e-commerce arm to her existing business but is not interested in incurring excessive additional expenditure. As Sally’s boutique, Heelz and the three new shops she has bought from Zapatos have completely different technological systems; she needs to integrate the two new parts of the business and must also addâ€Å"b2c† e-commerce functionality within her business. Sally’s requirements include full integration of these information systems with the retail stores and not only relying upon return/exchange or purchase o f goods via courier. Sally requires advice on whether the use of open source software is appropriate for her business as she feels that the use of packaged software would be a highly expensive option. This report will focus upon the use of open source software and compare it to the use of packaged software. The report will begin with a general analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of using open-source software. The report will then continue with a comparative analysis of using packaged software and apply it to Sally’s situation in order to determine whether the use of open-source software is appropriate for the business. The report will then continue to explain the Strategic Systems Information Planning Process and conclude with a summary of the main points made in the report. Advantages and Disadvantages of Open-Source Software: The use of open-source software is a relatively new concept which has become increasingly popular over the years. One of the biggest reasons for this popularity is because the use of open –source software is completely free. However, as the software is developed by a non-profit community, it also suffers from some disadvantages. The first advantage of open-source software is free to use and it is also free to distribute to various consumers (Lerner Tirole, 2002). Moreover, it is also easy to modify open-source software. The use of open-source software involves very low costs which amount to only a fraction of the costs associated with using other similar packaged software (Dahlander Magnusson, 2008). Open-source software is accessed by a large community of people thus bugs are fixed instantly and users do not have to wait for the next release of the software to fix problems. Thus, the use of open source software enables the use of a secure and stable code. The use of open-source software is not dependent upon any particular company or person and the use of the software can continue whether the company or the person exists or not. Open source software uses a format which is easily accessible for everyone and does not have problems of being incompatible with certain formats. Moreover, there is no need for the use of anti-piracy measures and complex licensing models like those used in packaged software (Weber, 2004). However, there are various disadvantages of using open-source software which include not being straightforward or easy to use. Thus, such software cannot be learnt in a day and require extensive training or the hiring of a professional before they can be properly used. All functions are not easily used on open-source software and there may be some problems in integrating proprietary software with open-source software. Hardware functions may have a problem in being compatible with open-source platforms which makes it vital to use third-party drivers (Lakhani Von-Hippel, 2003). Hence, it is highly advisable that adopting open-source platforms should not be a choice based upon the low-cost involved. Thus, firms should appropriately analyze and understand the requirements of open-source platforms before they decide to implement and use them in their business (Crowston, Howison, , Annabi, 2006). Advantages and Disadvantages of Packaged Software: Packaged software include IT solutions which are bought from companies offering a whole solution to IT applications with various functions. Such software includes customer relationship management software, enterprise management software, and other solutions which help companies organize their customer records and operations and provide an efficient flow of information from one party to another. Using packaged software solutions enables a firm to use smaller programs in which applications are all together. As packaged software solutions are offered at an expensive price, the software packages are also easy to use. Moreover, they also offer a number of functions integrated into one package and thus means it is easier for companies to connect all of their outlets or stores with one software solution (Chen Popovich, 2003). However, there are also certain disadvantages associated with the use of packaged software which include the fact that once a bug or a defect is discovered in packaged software, it may take substantial time to fix this problem or it may only be corrected when a new version of the software is developed. Moreover, purchasing a packaged software solution may be highly expensive for a firm and may require ample effort in integration with all the IT systems of the firm. Moreover, packaged solutions have limited functions and are thus focused upon certain processes rather than providing unlimited functions which may be available in other open-source software packages. You read "Operations Management and Information Systems" in category "Essay examples" Hence, while packaged solutions do offer substantial advantages to the consumer, they also pose a certain number of disadvantages as well. Accordingly, it is important for a firm to analyze whether it is appropriate for it to use a packaged solution or whether it is appropriate for it to use another IT solution according to its specific requirements (Reinartz, Krafft, Hoyer, 2003). Analysis: Sally’s boutique, Heelz, has expanded to a large extent and is now internationally dispersed in Europe with three outlets. Moreover, as Sally has added a warehouse in South England to her business, there is a need for her to be able to integrate all of her retail outlets, warehouse, and her customers via one system. While Sally does not wish to incur immense overhead costs, she is more interested in using open-source software packages to integrate her e-commerce system. However, as mentioned above, while using open-source software platforms may be low-cost and economical for some firms, it is vital to not only consider the low-cost aspect of using open-source software but a firm should consider its particular circumstances (Xu et al, 2002). In Sally’s case, using open source software would provide her with an economical solution, a variety of functions, and the ability to make the software compatible with different systems. However, the problems posed with the use of open-source software are that it is less reliable, may not be efficient, and may also be highly confusing to use. It may also be problematic to use open-source software while attempting to integrate it with various hardware systems. As Sally has to integrate various parts of her business with her â€Å"b2c† e-commerce solution, she requires a reliable network which would also be customized to suit her needs and appropriately attend to the requirements of the Heelz brand name. Thus, while she does not want to incur excessive cost, using open-source technology may not be appropriate to suit the reliability and efficiency needs of her business. Moreover, she is likely to incur excessive costs by using open-source technology as she would probably have to train workers to use the software that she opts to use and it would be difficult to integrate the software on all the hardware systems in her various stores (Parvatiyar Sheth, 2001). Accordingly, as Sally’s operations are dispersed across borders and she needs to integrate the stores, warehouse, and her customers with one another, she needs a reliable and efficient solution which will be easy for her customers to use, easy for her workers to use, and will also best project the Heelz brand name. Hence, it is most appropriate for Sally to use a packaged software solution for her business rather than using an open-source platform (Wilson, Daniel, McDonald, 2002). The next section of this report will explain how Sally can go about integrating various parts of her operations including her warehouse, stores, and customers with one packaged software solution. Customer Relationship Management Software: As Sally wants to set up a â€Å"b2c† e-commerce system and integrate its warehouse and stores through one IT solution, it may be most beneficial for the company to use customer relationship management software. Such software can provide the company with a number of functions which include placing orders and making payments via credit card and other means, communicating with customers, making new offers, and ordering new stock when there is insufficient stock available. Thus, the company will remain in touch with customer demands, be able to forecast future customer preferences, communicate with customers and receive feedback regarding previous stock, and inform customers of new forthcoming stock. Moreover, using such software can make it easier for the company to anticipate future demand trends, keep accurate customer records, and design effective marketing campaigns based upon customer preferences and feedback. It will also enable the company to appropriately manage its supp ly chain and order stock that is needed instead of piling up unwanted stock (Ryals Knox, 2001). In order to integrate CRM software upon all of its systems, the company must ensure that all of its systems are compatible with the software selected and then must install the software upon all of its systems including the company’s warehouse, retail stores including the newly purchased ones from Zapatos, and with its customers. As the software may be relatively easy to use, the company must simply make all of its employees familiar with the use of these systems through one to two training sessions and can then use the systems to their advantage (Mithas, Krishnan, Fornell, 2005). Using a packaged software solution can enable the company to make maximum use of the functions it offers and integrate the software effectively within all of its dispersed operational outlets. Moreover, the company can opt for an economical packaged solution and as it may be a one-time investment, it may not incur the company excessive overhead costs. However, considering the fact that reliability and efficiency are very important for the company because of its growing size and needs, the company should not opt for an open-source IT solution (Mendoza et al, 2007). Conclusion: Thus, according to the specific requirements of Heelz boutique and its growing size, this report concludes that it is most appropriate for the company to opt for packaged solutions in order to integrate its various operational outlets and its customers. The company cannot opt for open-source technological platforms because of their complex nature and because the company’s needs are likely to change often in the coming years. Moreover, the company requires a highly reliable and stable solution which can help the company grow its operations and effectively communicate with its customers (Jayachandran et al, 2005). Accordingly, this report recommends that the company opt for a packaged customer relationship management solution to meet its need for â€Å"b2c† e-commerce with its customers. The company can optimize its use of a customer relationship management software by choosing a low-cost package which is compatible with the hardware installed on the systems of all its stores and its warehouse. Accordingly, the company will be able to efficiently and effectively communicate with its customers, enable them to place orders and track their shipments, provide feedback and complaints, and be informed of new products amongst many other things. Moreover, the company can keep accurate and up-to-date records regarding customer preferences and future demand forecasts (Jayachandran et al, 2005). References Bonaccorsi, A., Rossi, C. (2003). â€Å"Why open source software can succeed.† Research Policy. Vol. 32(7) pp. 1243-1258. Chen, I. J., Popovich, K. (2003). â€Å"Understanding customer relationship management (CRM): People, process and technology.†Business Process Management Journal. Vol. 9(5) pp. 672-688. Crowston, K., Howison, J., Annabi, H. (2006). â€Å"Information systems success in free and open source software development: Theory and measures.†Software Process: Improvement and Practice. Vol.11 (2) pp.123-148. Dahlander, L., Magnusson, M. (2008). â€Å"How do firms make use of open source communities?.†Long Range Planning. Vol.41 (6) pp.629-649. Lakhani, K. R., Von Hippel, E. (2003). â€Å"How open source software works:â€Å"free† user-to-user assistance.†Research Policy. Vol. 32(6) pp.923-943. Lerner, J., Tirole, J. (2002). â€Å"Some simple economics of open source.†The Journal of Industrial Economics. Vol.50 (2) pp.197-234. Parvatiyar, A., Sheth, J. N. (2001). â€Å"Customer relationship management: emerging practice, process, and discipline.†Journal of Economic and Social Research3 (2) pp.1-34. Reinartz, W., Krafft, M., Hoyer, W. D. (2004). â€Å"The customer relationship management process: its measurement and impact on performance.†Journal of Marketing Research. pp. 293-305. Ryals, L., Knox, S. (2001). â€Å"Cross-functional issues in the implementation of relationship marketing through customer relationship management.†European Management Journal. Vol.19 (5) pp. 534-542. Weber, S. (2004).The success of open source 368. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wilson, H., Daniel, E., McDonald, M. (2002). â€Å"Factors for success in customer relationship management (CRM) systems.†Journal of Marketing Management. Vol.18(1-2) pp.193-219. Xu, Y., Yen, D. C., Lin, B., Chou, D. C. (2002). â€Å"Adopting customer relationship management technology.†Industrial Management Data Systems. Vol.102 (8) pp. 442-452. Mithas, S., Krishnan, M. S., Fornell, C. (2005). â€Å"Why do customer relationship management applications affect customer satisfaction?.†Journal of Marketing. pp. 201-209. Mendoza, L. E., Marius, A., Perez, M., Griman, A. C. (2007). â€Å"Critical success factors for a customer relationship management strategy.†Information and Software Technology. Vol. 49(8), pp.913-945. Jayachandran, S., Sharma, S., Kaufman, P., Raman, P. (2005). â€Å"The role of relational information processes and technology use in customer relationship management.† Journal of Marketing. pp. 177-192. How to cite Operations Management and Information Systems, Essay examples

Companies Or Across National Borderlines †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Companies Or Across National Borderlines? Answer: Introduction Global marketing, often referred as, International marketing, is the form of marketing which is carried out by various overseas companies or across national borderlines, which includes identification of market, marketing, targeting the markets, mode selection and also implementing some strategic decisions for competing in the international markets. The world is becoming increasingly global in the terms of production, capital, technology, people, business and information (Mobley, Wang Li, 2012). The report mainly discusses about a well known Australian based organization, Technology One which is one of the most important and leading organizations operating in the information technology field. Founded in the year 1987, it is currently in the leading position in the market of Australia (TechnologyOne. 2017). The report highlights the realistic market entry options for the organization in the target market, including the advantages and disadvantages along with the reasons. Furthermore, it identifies the potential market segments, that is, the target markets and their way of servicing. It discusses about the marketing strategies, the positioning strategies and the future prospective of the company and recommendations, with a brief explanation of what Global marketing really is. Summary from the previous assignment The Global marketing can be defined as the art of conveying and conceptualizing a final service and product across the world, in the hope of achieving the international marketing community. If Global marketing is done correctly and properly, then it has the power to take any company to its next level. Various strategies should be implemented, keeping in mind the region or the place the company is marketing its products. For example, the menu of any restaurant say, KFC varies from place to place, based on the region or location the restaurant is serving. Any company focuses its marketing on its items which are popular within the country. Global marketing is very important for the companies which provide services and products that are having a universal demand, such as food, automobiles, household items and others (Kraidy, 2017). From the previous assignment, it is evident, that the organization has huge opportunities in the market of China. However, there are many issues which they may face. It is highly important for them to overcome the challenges effectively and efficiently, in order to grab the global opportunities. The competitive nature of the organization has also been analyzed in the previous assignment. There are certain threats and weaknesses of the organization which can however be overcome. Effective implementation of the business strategies can help them gain more market share in the international platform (Chow, 2015). Screening of Market Selection Presently, China leads the world in the information technology field. It is regarded as the worlds innovation hub. Therefore, in the previous assignment it was concluded that the organizations opportunities in the Chinese Market are huge. The selection of the market is done, keeping in mind, the political environment, growth, economic status, social environment and others. Among all those, Chinas business friendly initiatives and political structure, helps in attracting foreign investors. The socialist state is under the dictatorship of peoples democracy which is led by working class. It is based on peasants and workers alliance. Thus, the country is in its developing stage, generating innovations due to its political structure, which has helped them, become the innovation hub of the world. Moreover, the availability of skilled and cheap employees is also beneficial in this business scenario (Bradley et al., 2012). Overseas market selection process In this part of the report, the five stages of overseas market selection are discussed. Firstly, segmentation is done in the selection process that is, dividing the market into subsets of the consumers common needs or demands or characteristics. Market segmentation is done after measuring the size of the markets purchasing power; accessibility that is, the degree of service; sustainability or profitability and action ability. Secondly, selection of the market is done based on the segmentation criteria, after development and screening of the segments (Dunn, 2016). Thirdly, micro segmentation is done, which are the general and specific characteristics. The factors like geographic, linguistic, political, demographic, economic, industrial, technological, religion, education, social, culture, personality, lifestyle and attitude plays an important role in the micro segmentation process. Fourthly, the availability of skilled and cheap workers effects the international market selection. Last but not the least, selecting or choosing the right mode to enter the market, which can be direct or indirect. Direct modes include the distributors or the agents who export directly and indirect modes refer to the broker, export department, trading companies and export agent buyers (Dunning, 2012). There are vast off shoring advantages for manufacturing in the country of Mexico, thus, it is becoming one of the major and largest economy of manufacturing in the world. From aerospace to electronics and automobile manufacturers, a wide range of industries are strategically planning to make use of Mexicos resources, in this highly competitive world. There are huge advantages in manufacturing at the Mexican companies, using their resources and labor, thus, Technology One will have high opportunities in operating their business effectively and efficiently in the Mexican market (Ertug et al., 2013). Reason to choose Mexico The reasons for choosing this new market are discussed in this part of the report. Firstly, the advantage of saving costs, with skilled and cheap labors with affordable infrastructure. Secondly, manufacturers can easily export their products at cheap rates. Thirdly, Mexican labors are cheap as well as qualified, with 93% literacy rate. It makes product manufacturing possible at the country itself. Fourthly, Mexicos culture, environment and robust economy help the business in mitigating and balancing economical risks effectively. Last but not the least; it is easier to enter the market of Mexico as well as beneficial doing business in that country, due to favorable accessibility of shelter and business climate (Jadhav, 2012). Objectives The performance planning of any organization refers to the operational and strategic planning processes, which requires capturing of information source in order to drive and measure the performance of the organization and its behavior. It is important to document the organizations unique strategic objectives and vision. Usage of planning templates helps in tracking the implementation, which in turn reflects the differences in scale, terminology, structure and time frames. It is important to align planned activities as well as strategic goals (Khan, 2012). The main objective of the Technology One organization is specific, that is to hit the international platform, in terms of financial and market share. It is measurable as the progress can be tracked throughout, achievable as it is realistic and practical and taking the market into consideration, it is attainable. It is relevant as it will help in contributing to the Mexican society. Moreover, it is time bound as the company will esta blish in less than a year because of its fame in other countries (Jadhav, 2012). Alternative market entry strategies as a new company The market entry strategy refers to the planned way of delivering and distribution of services or products to some new target market. It is the way of establishment and management of contracts in some foreign country. Establishing an industry in the Mexican market will be beneficial for Technology One organization. The alternative strategies to be undertaken are, directly setting up an entity, exporting products, usage of resellers or distributors, outsourcing, licensing, franchising, joint ventures and others (Kraidy, 2017). These are advantageous for the company. However, there are few challenges or disadvantages for starting an industry at the Mexican market, those are discussed here. Issues related to security as it is a developing country, labor unions, logistics and financing, availability of adequate resources, bureaucracy and cultural differences can pose a serious threat for the companys growth and progress (Mobley, Wang Li, 2012). Moreover, selection of a target market helps the company to understand what type of audience they are catering to. The advantages are; higher sales value, higher chances of developing strong brand value or equity, operational costs become lower and fewer resources are needed. The challenges are; it becomes costly while developing a specific target market, risks may arise as the seller may have a wrong perception of the customers needs and desires, limitations of the market strategy and selection of market may limit the companys income (Stevens et al., 2012). The advantages for the generic strategic options are; cost leadership strategy which consistently helps in reducing the business costs, differentiation helps in emphasizing the strengths of production and resale, focusing on the cost and differentiation focus approach. The challenges are; by stressing too much on the competing brands the company may fail to take care of the customers demands and needs, technological challenges may arise, cost inflation and others (Hill, Cronk Wickramasekera, 2013). Having analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative strategies, it can be said that starting a new venture strategy would be beneficial for the company because it is a well established organization in Australia, with the consumers highly satisfied with their services. Selection of the target market when entering the new country would be disadvantageous. This is because, the company will not be fully aware of the Mexican culture and diverse group of people as well as their requirements. Moreover, the company should be well aware of the new set of competitors in the new country, thus, these factors must be kept in mind (Cavusgil, Ghauri Akcal, 2012). Alternative target market selection Each and every customer has some specific choices, demands and desires. The factors that play a major role, while selecting a target market, is the customers age, gender, probable behavior, lifestyle and others. Typically, it involves segmentation of the market, targeting the global markets, positioning as well as repositioning offerings, niche marketing and concentrated marketing. The preferred strategy is targeting the global markets as it helps in getting brand recognition on the international platform. Technology One is a leading market in Australia, therefore, the customer base is strong. It will not be a problem for the company to position its market in some other developing company, preferably Mexico. The main market of the company is the family focused shoppers who can be served with a huge range of technologies, youth as they love changes, the business market as well as the government market with cyber security services (Walker, 2015). Market selection process While selecting the market the following processes are to be undertaken by the company. Market segmentation helps in dividing the market into subsets of the consumers common needs or demands or characteristics. It is basically done by measuring the size of the markets purchasing power; accessibility that is, the degree of service; sustainability or profitability and action ability. Micro segmentation helps in identifying the general and specific characteristics, that is, the factors like geographic, linguistic, political, demographic, economic, industrial, technological, religion, education, social, culture, personality, lifestyle and attitude. The availability of skilled and cheap workers as well as the right mode, effects the international market selection (Tang, Yang Wu, 2016). Target market selection process through alternative entry modes to Mexico It is easier to enter the market of Mexico because of the advantage of saving costs, availability of skilled and qualified workers at cheap rates, the business climate of the country helps in balancing the risks and exporting products at cheap rates. Importing distributors helps in developing a good relationship with the target market as well as better information feedback. Indirect exports helps in getting fast accessibility to the market with no financial or little financial commitment. Moreover, it has low risk rates (Beamish, 2013). Possible positioning for each target markets The possible positioning for each target markets are, directly setting up an entity, exporting products, usage of resellers or distributors, outsourcing, licensing, franchising, joint ventures and others. Directly setting up an entity will be advantageous for the company. However, there are few challenges or disadvantages for starting an industry at the Mexican market. Issues related to security as it is a developing country, labor unions, logistics and financing, availability of adequate resources, bureaucracy and cultural differences can pose a serious threat for the companys growth and progress (Walker, 2015). Alternative generic strategies The Porters most effective generic strategies are cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and focus strategy, which fits with the corporate level strategies. Cost leadership strategy consistently helps in reducing the business costs, differentiation strategy helps in emphasizing the strengths of production and resale, focusing on the cost and differentiation focus approach. Focus strategy helps in focusing on the customers needs and requirements building a strong base of customer loyalty (Beamish, 2013). Recommendations Having discussed the situation of Technology One organization, it can be recommended that it is easier to enter the market of Mexico because of the advantage of saving costs, availability of skilled and qualified workers at cheap rates, the business climate of the country helps in balancing the risks and exporting products at cheap rates. Importing distributors helps in developing a good relationship with the target market as well as better information feedback. Indirect exports helps in getting fast accessibility to the market with no financial or little financial commitment and lower risks rate (Khan, 2012). The factors that play a big role, while selecting a target market, is the customers age, gender, probable behavior, lifestyle and others. It involves market segmentation, targeting the global markets, positioning as well as repositioning offerings, niche marketing and concentrated marketing. The preferred strategy is targeting the global markets as it helps in getting brand recognition on the international platform. Technology One is a leading market in Australia, therefore, the customer base is strong. It will not be a problem for the company to position its market in some other developing company, preferably Mexico (Stevens et al., 2012). The positioning for each target markets are, directly setting up an entity, exporting products, usage of resellers or distributors, outsourcing, licensing, franchising, joint ventures and others. These are advantageous for the company. However, there are few challenges or disadvantages for starting an industry at the Mexican market. Issues related to security as it is a developing country, labor unions, logistics and financing, availability of adequate resources, bureaucracy and cultural differences can pose a serious threat for the companys growth and progress (Jadhav, 2012). The advantages for the generic strategic options are; cost leadership strategy which consistently helps in reducing the business costs, differentiation helps in emphasizing the strengths of production and resale, focusing on the cost and differentiation focus approach. The probable challenges are; by stressing too much on the competing brands the company may fail to take care of the customers demands and needs, technological challenges may arise, cost inflation and others. However, it is being expected that effective implementation of the strategies can help Technology One gain more market and financial share in the global platform (Dunning, 2012). References Beamish, P. (2013).Multinational joint ventures in developing countries (RLE International Business). Routledge. Bradley, S. W., McMullen, J. S., Artz, K., Simiyu, E. M. (2012). Capital is not enough: Innovation in developing economies.Journal of Management Studies,49(4), 684-717. Cavusgil, S. T., Ghauri, P. N., Akcal, A. A. (2012).Doing business in emerging markets. Sage. Chow, D. (2015).The Legal System of the People's Republic of China in a Nutshell, 3d. West Academic. Dunn, D. H. (Ed.). (2016).Diplomacy at the Highest Level: The evolution of international summitry. Springer. Dunning, J. H. (2012).International Production and the Multinational Enterprise (RLE International Business). Routledge. Ertug, G., Cuypers, I. R., Noorderhaven, N. G., Bensaou, B. M. (2013). Trust between international joint venture partners: Effects of home countries.Journal of International Business Studies,44(3), 263-282. Hill, C. W., Cronk, T., Wickramasekera, R. (2013).Global business today. McGraw-Hill Education (Australia). Jadhav, P. (2012). Determinants of foreign direct investment in BRICS economies: Analysis of economic, institutional and political factor.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,37, 5-14. Khan, I. (2012). Impact of customer satisfaction and retention on customer loyalty.International Journal of Scientific Technology Research,1(2), 106-110. Kraidy, M. (2017).Hybridity, or the cultural logic of globalization. Temple University Press. Mobley, W. H., Wang, Y., Li, M. (Eds.). (2012).Advances in global leadership. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Stevens, R. E., Loudon, D. L., Gordon, G., Williams, T. (2012).Doing business in Mexico: A practical guide. Routledge. Tang, C. S., Yang, S. A., Wu, J. (2016). Sourcing from suppliers with financial constraints and performance risk. TechnologyOne. (2017).Technologyonecorp.com. Retrieved 31 August 2017, from https://www.technologyonecorp.com/about-us Walker, D. W. (2015).Kinship, Business, and Politics: The Martinez del Rio Family in Mexico, 1823-1867(Vol. 70). University of Texas Press.

L. A. Live Exploring the Concept

A Tribes Travels Through the Paths of Rhythm essays

A Tribe's Travels Through the Path's of Rhythm essays WRT 205: Hip Hop America: A Critical Inquiry A Tribes Travels Through the Paths of Rhythm Watch me bust they sh*t , and thats just what A Tribe called Quest did, emerging onto the Hip Hop scene with a new flavor and attitude never before seen in a genre primarily dominated by gangster rap. Comprised of Q-Tip, Sharobi, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Phife, The tribe debuted in 1989, releasing the album Peoples Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm one year later. Throughout the 90s, the group evolved into, without a doubt, one of the most articulate Hip Hop groups. They address a variety of issues from date rape to the trials and tribulations of the rap industry before their break up in 1998, after the release of their album The Love Movement. As trendsetters they created a style of Jazz-Hop that inspired a number of artists that followed such as Arrested Development and Mos Def. One of the later albums, Beats, Rhymes and Life employs a different cover style, a different group logo, and the addition of group member Consequence, making it obvious that the mus! ic might also move to a different beat. Musically, the main difference between this album and the others are the beats and background music. Although worth buying and necessary for the progression of the groups success, (Bush) the album does not highlight the same ideas, or musically reflect what the first album and the original group stood for. If the group had stuck to the ideals depicted in their first album they would still be traveling on their paths of rhythm today. Push It Along is the first track off the debut album. It sets the stage for the Tribe, and the soon to be famous rappers Q-tip and Pheife, to introduce themselves to the world in a burst of mellow jazzmatic rhymes and rhythms. The song addresses the worlds attitude towards the African American male, the effects ...

Elasticity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Elasticity - Essay Example The essay explains the three elements of elasticity and their respective implication on the organisations. By elaborating on the different needs of elasticity the essays proposes to identify the implications of the concepts on the organisations. Furthermore, with the use of examples, the paper intends to illustrate the different concepts that are related with the practical implications of the same on the organisational backdrop. The ‘price elasticity of demand’ is defined as â€Å"is the ratio of the percentage change in the quantity demanded of a commodity to a percentage change in price† (Jain, & Ohri, 2010). Price is one of the most important factors that determine the amount of goods that is likely to be demanded by the consumers. The change in price of a product has a direct impact on the overall demand of a consumer. This measure of elasticity helps in identifying the sensitivity of consumers based on their individual needs of demanding a particular product as per the change in price. The price elastic goods are often noted to be having a huge shift in the quantity demanded based on a slight shift in the price of the product. It is noted that determination of price of a commodity in the economy is quite significant (Hirschey, 2008). Price elasticity is the most common type of elasticity of demand and is measured in terms of the reaction that a product has towards change in price. T he following equation helps in determining the measure of price elasticity of demand. The above equation illustrate that the price elasticity of demand helps in measuring the sensitivity of a product towards percentage change in quantity demanded based on price. The same could be justified using graphical representation. The graph depicts that at A the price of the commodity is denoted by P whereas the demand of the commodity is denoted as Q. Notably, with the fall in the price of commodity from P to P1 the quantity of the commodity

Paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Paper 2 - Essay Example At the beginning of the story the readers are mislead to believe that Mrs. Mallard â€Å"was afflicted with a heart trouble† (Chopin 2009). Within the context of the whole story â€Å"heart trouble† has a double meaning. The author here tries to hint that the heart trouble might not be the heart disease that Mrs. Mallard is thought to suffer from. Besides the literal meaning, heart troubles are also connected to the feelings and inner spirituality of people. The use of the passive voice â€Å"was afflicted† speaks about the impossibility of Mrs. Mallard to act as she wishes. And because of her faint heart Josephine – her sister and Richards – a close family friend, reveal her â€Å"gently† the heart-breaking news of her husband’s death. They way in which her sister delivers her the news is in â€Å"broken sentences†. Broken sentences contrast with the fear of her family to break her heart. The use of oxymoron – â€Å"rev ealed in half concealing† suggests that the revelation of the death of her husband, conceals Mrs. Mallard’s inner feelings. Someone else’s feelings are also concealed in this paragraph. Mrs. Mallard’s husband’s friend Richards is depicted as impatient. Unclear clues are scattered throughout the paragraph. Richards assures himself of the truth, he hastens to Mrs. Mallard’s home and uses â€Å"less careful, less tender† language to bear her the â€Å"sad message†. There is an opposition here. â€Å"Less careful† might mean that Richards is both clumsy and rough man, but it can mean that he also conceals his feelings for Mrs. Mallard, as she is already married. By being less tender he will show to Mrs. Mallard that he has a strong personality and emotions to her. The â€Å"sad message† is employed ironically here. It is both ironic and sarcastic that sad message can bring happiness to two people

Labour education and extensive employee development Essay

Labour education and extensive employee development - Essay Example Employee learning explains the process of acquiring knowledge through curiosity to learn. It is a mind-set that has anxiety to get information. Employee learning and labor education will definitely increase the abilities and competency of the employee (Dixon, 1999). Employee development and labor education have become the burning questions for today’s human resource management. Increased downsizing brought by organizational change has amplified the needs of employee development because the labor is needed to be more flexible and responsive at all levels. In the recent years, employee development schemes have seen exponential growth because the learning atmosphere in organizations is boosting. Donaldson (1993) asserts that the organizations have realized the importance of workforce and the need for their education and development in work place (as cited in Lee, 2012). Developing employee abilities can make them more adaptable to internal and external working requirements and definitely add to their learning and confidence which bring in higher productivity to the organization. A research by Lound, Rowe and Parson (2001) confirms that EDS (Employee Development Schemes) have been employed at extensive levels both in public and private organizations. These schemes add loyalty, confidence, and commitment which boost learning in the work place. IRS (1993) puts it as: â€Å"Employee development schemes are proving to be one of the successes of human resource management. They can have real business advantages, creating some of the right conditions for organizations to transform themselves into what has been called the ‘learning organization’, but what might as appropriately be termed the ‘continuously changing organization’, given economic imperatives and a positive impact on individuals’ self-esteem and confidence (as cited in Maguire, 1997). Chris Argyris referred to this commitment as a â€Å"psychological contract†

Factors Affecting Consumers

Factors Affecting Consumers The topic of this study, namely factors affecting consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars in Malaysia. Hybrid cars are developed to reduce the level of gas emissions into the air and increase fuel economy. As fuel prices rise to the point where many consumers can no longer afford to drive as much as they once have, automobile manufacturers have been faced with many new challenges. Hybrid car are very similar to the gasoline powered automobile most people drive today, the difference is the hybrid cars on the road right now are gasoline-electric hybrids. Many gas powered hybrids are and will be in the available in market today and some that will be coming to Malaysia, that include Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and etc. However, there are very few hybrid cars is to be seen in Malaysia. Only 327 hybrid cars were sold in 2010 (Ahmad, 2011) and 297 total units sold in the whole 2009 (Mahalingam, 2011). BACKGROUND OF STUDY To investigate the relation between independent variables which are price, design, excise duty, fuel economy, consumers environmental consciousness and dependent variable which is consumers purchasing behavior in purchasing a hybrid car. This research study is to examine the association of the independent variables that impulse buying behavior of consumers on purchasing a hybrid car in Malaysia. RESEARCH PROBLEM The innovation of the fuel efficient and environmental friendly hybrid vehicles is becoming popular nowadays. Today, many consumers include Malaysians are becoming more sensitive to rising oil prices and becoming more environmentally friendly, Malaysians are considering the option to buying hybrid vehicles which that can saves them money and make a positive impact on our environment. A research is conducted to find out the consumer behavior of Malaysians and to investigate the factors affecting the consumers purchasing decision of hybrid cars. The questions arise are: Will customers consider hybrid cars are actually worth the money they spend? Will the rising of oil prices leads them to pay more attention to a cars fuel economy? Does the design of the hybrid cars affect their purchasing decision? Does the removal of excise duty for hybrid cars affect their purchasing decision? Or will their environmental consciousness suggest the purchasing of a hybrid car. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE The main objective is to find out the factors that affect consumers purchasing decision of hybrid cars in Malaysia. Through the application of many new and innovative technologies, the hybrid is an extremely efficient vehicle that also significantly reduces emissions. As a result, hybrid vehicles have been gaining in popularity because they are cheaper and consumer enjoys numerous incentives for purchasing a hybrid vehicle. However, the prices of hybrid vehicles in Malaysia are far more expensive compared to the prices in other foreign countries. RESEARCH QUESTION This study is only going to focus on the determinants of consumers purchasing decision of hybrid car in Malaysia. How price of the hybrid cars influence consumers purchasing decisions? What is the relationship between the design of the car and the influence it posses to consumers during decision making to purchase? Does excise duty on hybrid cars affects consumers purchasing decision? How a cars fuel economy will influence the purchasing decisions of consumers? Will a consumers environmental consciousness plays a role in their decision making to purchase a hybrid car? 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY Our study focused on the factors that affect consumers purchasing decision of hybrid cars. This study will determine whether price, design, excise duty, fuel economy, and environmental consciousness will affect consumers decision to purchase hybrid cars. It is important to find out how a consumer is willing to pay for a hybrid car and to know will the design; fuel efficiency and the removal of excise duty on hybrid car influence their purchase decision. There are consumer who will buy a hybrid car because it can save fuel and money, but there are consumers who are not willing to pay a high price for the hybrid car as well. It is crucial to determine the perspective of consumers since they are the end users of products and services. Hence, this study is important to analyse the various factors that influences consumers idea on purchasing, so that it is easy for manufacturers to take vital decisions to fulfill the demand of the consumers. 1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY This study will be focusing on the factors affecting consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars in Malaysia. The study also focuses mainly on the automobile manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda. Nowadays, vehicles serve as a very important role in our current society where everyone needed transportation to continue their daily lives. Acquiring a car nowadays is considered a necessity, compared to the past where it was considered a luxury (CorpeduCar, 2010). At present time, a car has become our need for easier and faster transportation and to be on time with our daily activities (Harvey, 2011). Surveys have been done by individuals as it is always a best and direct way to obtain opinions from the consumers. This research will be focusing on generation X and Y. Survey questions to understand more about consumers behavior on purchasing a hybrid car will be distributed to consumers from generation X and Y. Generation X and Y were born between the years in 1960 till around 2000 according to Mark Winburn (2010) (as cited in White, 2010, p.4). This study carries out for respondents who are living in Peninsular Malaysia. Consumers from generation X and Y, being the largest generational demography is more concern about the looks and price of the vehicles. Full of gleaming sports cars and eco-friendly vehicles aimed at consumers from generation X and Y. (White, 2010) 1.8 ORGANISATION OF REPORT Chapter 1 This chapter shows the definition of the topic which is about hybrid cars. The factors affecting consumers purchasing decision of hybrid car is examined by using the independent variable that are price, design, excise duty, fuel economy and environmental consciousness. We tend to understand the problems before we conduct our research. After understanding the research problem, we conduct 5 objectives to study on. Chapter 2 We focus on literature review for this chapter. We define the terms of our research variables and also describe further about how and why is these variables related to this research. Chapter 3 For this chapter we are focusing on research methodology. Operational definition of research variable is done in this chapter. Besides that, we did some hypothesis in this research and also the description of the sources use in the research data. After that we describe about the sampling design of our research and also defining the instrument and measurement used in the research. Lastly is to explain how data is analyzed. Chapter 4 This chapter shows the results of the research. In this chapter we include descriptive analysis or demographic analysis and mean analysis. After that we did the normative test to every research variable. Then, we test hypothesis we did earlier end finally, we end up by doing the regression analysis. Chapter 5 This chapter shows some discussion and conclusion of the research. Besides that it shows the suggestion for future, limitation of study and etc. 1.9 SUMMARY In this introduction, a brief overview is given about hybrid cars. This chapter has also identified the research problem and research objectives for this study. The independent variables and research questions are stated for this study. The next chapter gives a more detailed explanation and a literature review for the topic. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 INTRODUCTION This study finds out factors that influence consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. Through this research, there are five variables that influence consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars which are pricing, design, excise duty, fuel economy, and environmental consciousness. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that affect consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. In this chapter, literatures from past researchers are cited to support and explain the given variables in this study. 2.2 OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE This chapter will provide a description of the literature relevant to this study. This research seeks to examine the influence of price, design, excise duty, fuel economy, and environmental consciousness on consumers purchasing decisions. A theoretical framework will show the independent variables and dependent variables that is explained through this chapter as well as giving an overview of what has been reviewed by past researchers. 2.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Figure 2.1 Factors that affects consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars Independent Variable Dependent Variable Price Purchasing Decision H1 Design H2 Excise Duty H3 Fuel Economy H4 Environmental Consciousness H5 Source: Adapted for this study 2.4 INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Price Price is one of the variables in this research. Product price are demonstrated to be the variables affecting consumers decisions. According to Chang (2009), price plays several roles in consumers purchasing decision making. For example, price can be an indicator of the degree of perceived sacrifice needed to purchase a product and an indicator of the level of quality. A higher perceived price leads to higher perceived quality and consequently to a greater willingness to buy. At the same time, the higher perceived price represents a monetary measure of what must be sacrificed to purchase the product, leading to a reduced willingness to buy. Consumers purchase decision are affected by price, a particular product may seem too expensive at its regular price, but a good value when it is discounted. Similarly, consumers will be motivated to shift to another brand or use a product less with an increase in price (Litman, 2004). Consumers make their choice, based on the information regarding all the products available on the market and price is an important factor of decision making (KazaKevitch, Torlina Hendricks, 2005). Price is always an important attribute in the decision-making process (Hermann et al., 2007; Lalwani Monroe, 2005; Chang, 2009; Webb, 2011). Playing a more complex role than often attributed to it, price has been a determining factor in consumer choice (Monroe, 1990; Chang, 2009). Consumers remembered information on past and present price and are able to acquire complete information on the attributes of products being considered as options, the objectives of which are to minimize the price paid (Chang, 2009). Progressive Insurance and NADA conducted a poll shows 46% respondents stated that price is still number one concern in their most important new-car attributes ranking (Bryant, 2006). In an interview showed that car buyers indeed consider price an important factor in their purchase decisions (Herrmann, Xia, Monroe Huber, 2007, p.51). In an analy sis of consumers willingness to buy a hybrid car, the purchase price would influence the willingness to buy according to (Tanaka et al.) as cited in (Kishi Satoh, 2005). A study published in UK found as many as 71% of customer said that price was the most important factor that influences car purchase (Bikash, Pravat Sreekumar, 2010, p.51). In a survey of 1,524 adults by the Japanese motoring organization JAF, 61% said it was important that the car was economical (JAF, as cited in Okamura Cairns, 2003). Consumers in Generation Y are concerned with price and getting a good value (Wolf, Carpenter Petrela, 2005). Most of the interviewees in the study conducted by Webb (2011) are very price conscious and that price is an extremely important factor and is the bottom-line when purchasing a product. The biggest concerning factor for purchasing a product was determined to be price (Webb, 2011). Hence, it is reasonable to suggest that price is one important component in influencing consum ers purchasing decisions taken by all age groups, including young adults on hybrid cars. By referencing the existing literature on price, it is hypothesised that: H0: There is no relationship between the price of hybrid car and consumers purchasing decision. H1: There is a relationship between the price of hybrid car and consumers purchasing decision. Design Design is one of the variables in this research. Consumers have expectations when buying a product. Through what consumers have acquired from their cultural environment, consumers motivation to buy and even to pay a high price is based on a value judgment, like and dislikes of a sociological and psychological nature. In Webb (2011) studies, majority of respondent in strongly agree (UK-31%, US-39%, Other-38%) and agree (UK-48%, US-46%, Other-46%) that the design of the product is a considering factor when buying. According to Jung et al. (2010), it is known from consumer surveys that the design of cars greatly influences on consumers affection and therefore leads to their purchasing decisions. Additionally, Jung et al. (2010) study provides a basis of understanding underlying consumers affection in terms of user-centered design. In order to improve consumers affection and influencing their purchase decisions as consumer spends more and more time in cars, manufactures are developing in terior design requirements to achieve positive results (Cho, 2005; Jung et al., 2010). There are hundreds of designs available on the market and it is difficult for consumers to choose one that catches their interest. Therefore, a cars body design plays a very influential factor (Hagemann, 2011). Dull and ugly cars do not sell, consumers will not be attracted to design that just does not look particularly good at all (Cato, 2009). Designs have a certain positive causal relationship with purchase intention indirectly and are important factors affecting purchase decision. Therefore, automobile manufacturers should consider designing heterogeneously and individually for vehicles to satisfy consumers fashion and individual needs on the basis of the quality assurance (Wang Li, 2010). In Nielsen (2010) online survey, the Nielsen Company looked at the factors most important to consumers when choosing new cars in the current economy. Surprisingly, 85% will consider buying if the new car we re available now and met the key requirements such as design, dependability and durability. 12% of the respondents will consider buying the hybrid car if it had a unique design that set apart from existing car models. Design adds value to the product, giving it distinction to attract consumers who are more focused on the design and brand name. By far, price is a big indicating factor within any demographic group for buying products, alongside with the design of the product itself (Webb, 2011). Marketers should design the brand or product to match the way consumers understand, utilise, and emotionally connect themselves to a product. Hence, it is reasonable to suggest that design is one of the important factors in influencing consumers purchasing decisions. By referencing the existing literature on design, it is hypothesised that: H0: There is no relationship between the design of a hybrid car and consumers purchasing decision. H2: There is a relationship between the design of a hybrid car and consumers purchasing decision. Excise Duty Excise duty is a tax or sometimes called duty in its simplest form and it is defined as levy and collection of duty on manufacture of goods (Kanak, 2002). Excise is imposed on consumption that is discouraged by the government such as alcohol and cigarettes, the production or sale of certain goods, normally luxury items as well as on gasoline and other fuels. On the other hand, excise is considered an indirect tax, meaning that the producer or seller who pays the tax to the government try to recover the tax by raising the price paid by the buyer. The Websters New International Dictionary, as mentioned in Kanak (2002), excise duty is any duty, toll, tax or an inland duty or impost levied upon the manufacture or sale or consumption of commodities within the country or tax upon pursuit of certain sports, trades, or occupations usually taking this in the form of fees or licenses. In Malaysia, excise duty is imposed on automobiles. Cost is a major barrier to adoption. For example, a Toyota Prius is priced slightly under RM 180,000 before excise duty exemption. As cars are more of a necessity these days, overpriced cars are inhibitive for consumers. Before the exemption of excise duty, hybrid cars are considered expensive. Although they dont cost as much as a sports car but they are by no means cheap for consumers. In Malaysia, existing taxes on cars, particularly excise duties are high. Excise duties should be exempted by the government for all hybrid cars if they are serious about encouraging hybrids (Yeoh, 2010). The government decision to grant full excise duty exemptions on hybrid vehicles below 2,000cc until year end that had been announced during the tabling of Budget 2011 in October 2010 had lower the prices of hybrid cars. Public awareness of the benefits of hybrid cars has picked up considerably with lower price after excise duty waiver, and with that, sales of such cars has increased (Mahalingam, 2011). Toyota Prius is priced at RM 139,900 in Peninsular Mal aysia after full exemption of excise duty which lasts till the end of 2011, makes it an attractive proposition for Malaysian drivers (Standing a hybrid apart, 2011). Excise duty exemption on hybrid cars is like a shot in the arm to this vehicle segment (Mahalingam, 2011). The spike in demand for hybrids has been fuelled primarily by the Governments decision under Budget 2011 to grant full excise duty exemptions on hybrid cars below 2,000cc unti Dec 31, 2011. Representative from UMW Toyota stated that the company had received over 470 bookings for Toyota Prius and 946 bookings for the Honda Insight since the Governments budget announcement (Mahalingam, 2011). Since the Government announced the exemption of excise duties (at Budget 2011) last year, demand for hybrid cars have shot up, said MAA President Datuk Aishah Ahmad in Mahalingam (2011) news article. The sales of hybrid cars had risen and consumers in Malaysia are more aware of the benefits of hybrid cars since the exemption of excise duty. Hence, it is reasonable to suggest that exemption of excise duty on hybrid cars is one of the important factors in influencing consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. By referencing the existing literature on excise duty, it is hypothesised that: H0: There is no relationship between excise duty and consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. H3: There is a relationship between excise duty and consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. Fuel Economy Fuel economy refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance travelled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed. Fuel economy indicates how far a vehicle travels on a unit of fuel. Fuel economy is one of the variables in this study. When it comes to making their final decision about which vehicle to buy, fuel economy is one of the factors that consumers focus on. Fuel economy is the number one factor driving consumer decisions about green vehicles (named by 57% of respondents) and more respondents in China and the U.S. pointed to fuel economy (Dixit et al., 2009). According to the 2008 Advanced Automotive Features Study, it is reveals that some 38% respondents indicate that they would sacrifice vehicle performance for better fuel economy (Fuel economy, 2008). Eighty percent of consumers surveyed by the latest research from ExchangeandMart.com.uk in Fuel efficiency (2011) article said that a cars fuel efficiency directly affects their purchasing decision. Consumer Reports, 2009 in Jeffrey Gonder (2011) article found that prospective vehicle buyers listed fuel economy as a top factor of interest. Power Asia Pacific, (2010) found improved customer satisfaction with auto dealers in cases where those dealers provided advice for maximizing fuel economy when driving (Jeffrey Gonder, 2011). This further supports the thesis that consumers have some interest in fuel economy with the right encouragement. Increasing fuel economy standards encourages greater automobile use by reducing the cost per kilometre travelled (Thorpe, 1997; Agostini, 2010). Due to fuel price increases, consumers purchase more fuel efficient vehicles (Litman, 2004). A report comes from Market Intelligence research performed by the online arm of Kelley Blue Book reports that fuel economy has become a much more important part of the criteria buyers use to select their next vehicle (Bain, 2011). In the midst of escalating concerns about the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions, enviro nmentalists hailed the superior fuel economy and wide range of the hybrid-electric engine as a critical breakthrough that could help save the environment without inconveniencing consumers (Thatchenkery, 2008). According to a survey by the Consumer Federation of America, fuel economy ranks near the top in consumer priorities in general (Zhuang, 2009). The survey found that 76% of customers intend to buy a vehicle with fuel economy averaging five miles per gallon greater than the mileage of their current vehicle. Hence, it is reasonable to suggest that fuel economy is one of the important factors in influencing consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. By referencing the existing literature on excise duty, it is hypothesised that: H0: There is no relationship between fuel economy and consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. H4: There is a relationship between fuel economy and consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. Environmental Consciousness Environmental conscious can be known as affective traits that can signify an individuals likings, dislikes, worries and consideration about the environment (Yeung, 2004; Sinappan Rahman, 2011). The consumers spending pattern and preference has been growing and changing over time. People nowadays are more aware of the environmental issues. Generally, consumers tend to have a positive attitude towards green purchasing when they are aware of the environmental issues (Sinappan and Rahman, 2011). According to Soonthonsmais study in (Sinappan Rahman, 2011), a green consumer is defined as consumers who are conscious of and interested in ecological issues. All products and services that have environmental impact are put into their considerations and these consumers initiative is to reduce them to the minimum. As mentioned in Sinappan Rahman (2011), few studies were done on environmental consciouness (Barr et al., 2003; Milfont and Duckitt, 2004). The study done by Lee as cited in (Sinappa n Rahman, 2011) among Hong Kongs young consumers revealed that environmental consciousness is the 2nd top predictor of green purchasing behaviour. This result is consistent with Sinappan Rahman (2011) study where environmental consciousness is the 3rd top predictor of green purchasing behaviour. Consumers who have high concern on the environment often consider on how the quality of the environment can be improved and they would definitely engage themselves in buying environmentally friendly products, such as a hybrid car. According to KÃ ¶szeghy, (2004), a study performed in the United States levels of consumers environmental consciousness was identified. There are the true-blue greens who are firmly environmentally conscious persons, exhibiting this in their actions. They crisply refuse products of firms having doubtful environmental performance and give preference to environment friendly products. Greenback greens are the youngest and best educated people who support environmen talism with money rather than with any action or their time. These are wealthy people, ready to pay extra cost for environment friendly products. Demand for environment friendly products appears among environmental conscious consumers. The quality of the environment is important, which is taken into considerations in their purchase decision. Firms should take segments formed by the level of consumers environmental consciousness into account in their decision making process (KÃ ¶szeghy, 2004). Business today had changed, they are acknowledging that being environmentally conscious is being competitive and green products provide competitive advantage (Introduction to Environmental, 2006). Hence, it is reasonable to suggest that environmental consciousness is one of the important factors in influencing consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. By referencing the existing literature on environmental consciousness, it is hypothesised that: H0: There is no relationship between environmental consciousness and consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. H5: There is a relationship between environmental consciousness and consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. 2.5 DEPENDENT VARIABLES Purchasing Decision The purchasing decision process is a stage that a buyer passes through in making decisions about which product or service to buy. Every day consumers are faced with purchasing decision. A better understanding of how consumers decide what to purchase is critical to the success of a product. Purchase decision occurs when the consumer actually makes the purchase. It includes the product, method of payment, package, location of purchase and all other factors that are associated with purchasing the product (Wolf, n.d). It is insufficient to understand how consumers arrive at their purchase decision because there are personal, psychological and social factors that influence the purchase decision. Understanding of these factors is essential to effectively market products. In this study, we focused on five variables, which are price, design, excise duty, fuel economy, and environmental consciousness as the factors that affect consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. As mentioned in the literature review, these five factors are reviewed and explained on how they affect consumers purchasing decision. This is important to marketers and they need to understand clearly about their consumer to be able to market their product with a good understanding of these purchasing decision processes. 2.6 ITEMS OF MEASUREMENTS 2.6.1 Price 2.6 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE Table 2.1 Summary of literature Dimension Authors Price Chang, 2009; Litman,2004; KazaKevitch, Torlina Hendricks, 2005; Hermann et al., 2007; Lalwani and Monroe, 2005; Webb, 2011; Monroe, 1990; Bryant, 2006; Herrmann, Xia, Monroe Huber, 2007; Kishi Satoh, 2005; Bikash, Pravat Sreekumar, 2010; Okamura Cairns, 2003; Wolf, Carpenter Petrela, 2005 Design Webb, 2011; Jung et al., 2010; Hagemann, 2011; Cato, 2009; Wang Li, 2010; Nielsen, 2010 Excise Duty Kanak, 2002; Yeoh, 2010; Mahalingam, 2011; Ahmad, 2011 Fuel Economy Dixit et al., 2009; Jeffrey Gonder, 2011; Agostini, 2010; Litman, 2004; Bain, 2011; Thatchenkery, 2008; Zhuang, 2009 Environmental consciousness Yeung, 2004; Sinappan and Rahman, 2011; Barr et al., 2003; Milfont and Duckitt, 2004; KÃ ¶szeghy, 2004; Lee, 2008 Source: Adapted for this study 2.7 SUMMARY The five variables, which are, price, design, excise duty, fuel economy, and environmental consciousness plays an important role in consumers purchase decision. This study explored the five variables, which are, price, design, excise duty, fuel economy, and environmental consciousness by referencing the existing literature on how they affect consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars. On the previous research, price plays an important role in purchasing an automobile. Price is always an important attribute in the decision-making process. Designs have a certain positive causal relationship with purchase intention indirectly and are important factors affecting purchase decision. It is known from consumer surveys that the design of cars greatly influences on consumers affection and therefore leads to their purchasing decisions. With a lower price after excise duty waiver, public awareness of the benefits of hybrid cars has picked up considerably and leads to more sales. Fuel economy h as become a much more important part of the criteria buyers use to select their next vehicle. In business today, environmentally conscious is being competitive and it provides competitive advantage. The quality of the environment is important, which is taken into considerations in consumers purchasing decision. Chapter 3 Methodology 3.1 INTRODUCTION The main objective of this research was to determine the factors affecting consumers purchasing decision on hybrid cars in Malaysia. In this chapter, various topics was discussed includes hypotheses development, research design, sampling technique, sources of data, scales and measurement, questionnaire design, data collection method, and statistical data analysis. After identifying the various independent variables, a hypothesis to test the validity of the relationship with dependent variable was developed. Next, the research design and sources of data were also elaborated. As this study was using the survey method of questionnaires, therefore the sampling technique, questionnaire design and measurement was in explained detailed. Finally, data collection method and statistical data analysis was also explained. 3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURE 3.2.1 Type of study This study will take place in urban areas in Malaysia where transportation is a necessity for consumers to travel around from place to place. Consumers like working adults who need vehicle to go to work and travelling in the urban area are more concern about the vehicles they drive. 3.2.2 Nature of study This study found that design was positively correlated with price. Consumers have expectations when buying a product. Consumers motivation to buy and even to pay a high price for a product is based on value judgment. Value can and has been added in several different ways. For example, through recognizable mark or signature of the designer that can add value to the product. Another way to adding value is through symbolic capital, which refers to the enhancement or the power that emanates from the designers name, which in turn evolves into a signature, mark or brand of the designer or manufacturer. Design adds value to the product, give it distinction. As a result, consumers are willing to pay a premium for the product. Independent variables in this study which are price, design, excise duty, fuel economy, and environmental consciousness are all positively correlated to the dependent variable, which is purchasing decision. Consumers concern of the price and whether the product is worth what they paid for. This brings a positive relation that influenced consumers p