A survey of student attitudes to university fees Essay

A survey of student attitudes to university fees - Essay Example Example include Market Research Surveys Government Surveys Public Health Surveys Public Opinion Polls Censuses may be another example of quantative research. Although a census does not include a sample/portion of the community, it surely does include many others modern survey methodological aspects such as interviewers and questionnaires. Surveys are an important tool for research. With the help of surveys we may be able to gather precious information not only for research purposes but also for public information. Surveys are not restricted to one field or line of information. Information may be gathered for marketing, sociological, psychological and many other aspects and fields of study (Advanced Research Seminar On Cognitive Aspects Of Survey Methodology & Jabine, 1984). A survey was conducted regarding tuition fees and related issues. Most of the respondents were international which were paying a comparatively high tuition fees. As expected, all of them were of the idea that the tuition fees were high and should be cut down. A few students were happy with their fees but it is believed this was due to the fact that they were either UK home students or EU students. Furthermore, it was highlighted that most of the international students relied on their parents to pay their tuitions fees while a few were dependent on student loans. 80% of the respondents believed that the tuitions fees of UK was considerably higher than their home countries. This may have been said to be due to different economic conditions and foreign exchange risk between the two countries but with 65% respondents claiming the tuitions fees to be considerably more, is a matter to be looked into. Respondents also claimed that such huge tuitions fees is a cause of distress for their parents back home. Few even went on saying that their family could not afford the tuition fees but still managed sending them abroad to study and obtain a degree. The students responding were usually from developing nations which have a bad economic condition as compared to that of UK. They also higlighted that if a parent is to spend so much on one siblings the rest may have to suffer and sacrifice their standard of education. The main reason cited for getting a degree was for the purposes of a job with some respondents thought to be confused of their basis of studying at a university. Nearly all of the students were of the view that the government should be paying for their tuitions fees and ensure that no financial stress and constraint should take place while studying. Respondents also were of the idea that at least some part of the fees if not all should be paid by the government. The recent floating idea of an increase in tuition fees is a prime ongoing debate. It was believed that tuition fees shall be increase further (BBC News, 2012.) After the previous tuition fees rise Parents believe that supporting one of the children had been financially tough and an increase shall only and only increase their burden. Furthermore, parents feared that their children shall be facing huge debts if they plan to obtain a degree. Many students were also of the view that they shall be put off with higher tuition fees (BBC News, 2010). Ttihe increase in tuition fees also witnessed many protests and strikes with students even been arrested (the Guardian,

Distributive justice, position of John Rawls,Robert Nozick, Milton Essay

Distributive justice, position of John Rawls,Robert Nozick, Milton Friedman, James Donaldson(comparing the relationship of state - Essay Example According to Rawls, distributive justice serves to ensure that all is done in a manner that guarantees equality for all; nothing should be done to damage or hurt another person. The principles of the model include that every demographic group should be offered access to the same goods and treatment as all others, where for instance, the poor receive the same healthcare services as the wealthy. Further, the advocates of this model hold that there is a need to change the outlook of our institutions, so as to ensure that they help in improving the lives of the disadvantaged within the community (Lamont, 43). On the other hand, Nozick views that distributive justice would be fair, in the case that it defined three main areas, including the ways that properties not owned by anyone can be acquired; the transfer of goods from one person to the other, and the course of rectifying past injustices – which arose from the violations of acquisition and transfer of goods (Wolff 57). Nozick views that the transfer, acquisition and the rectification of ownership should not necessarily be patterned to anything else. For example, he states that a gift or things acquired by chance can be duly owned and warranted. The distribution of property is fair, as long as it is done according to the rules of acquisition, rectification and transfer. The arguments used by Rawls in supporting his distributive justice include that all goods and liberties should be distributed equally among all people and the opportunities for positions or offices should be advanced in equitable manner (Wolff 57). Thirdly, the more advantaged within the society should contribute towards the betterment of the lives of the disadvantaged. The flaws in Rawls arguments include that he does not regard the entitlement of more goods or opportunities, which may be warranted due to individual traits. Secondly, the arguments do not accommodate for the acquisition of properties that are not claimed by any person, as well as the differences in the views of different people about equitability. Nozick argues that distribution patterns cannot be patterned and can never be representative of all cases requiring the exercise of justice among different individual, which calls for human rationality and differentiated preferences (Wolff 81). Other arguments by Nozik include that the distribution of good within the society arises from the aggregation of decisions about the talents to nurture, the location to live in and what to buy. Unlike in the cases where the model of acquisition or transfer is unjust, according to a theory of justice, the entitlement of property may not be questionable. Some of the ways of acquisition that may be unjust include fraud or stealing. The flaws of Nozick’s model include that the possibility of an unjust central distributor is not ruled out, the injustices of dispersed people are not explored, and the questions about the rights channels of distribution are not explor ed in details. Further, he refutes the paternalistic nature of the justice system, which can be evidenced through the structures of contracts, rights and the taxation structure. 2. The position that best characterizes Friedman’s position is this: B-â€Å"Business and/or corporate decision makers have moral obligations to society in general†. This is the theme behind his arguments; because his libertarian explanation of distributive justice is in favor of an operational free-market where there are

The topic is Young Goldman Brown. discuss the readings. What did you Essay

The topic is Young Goldman Brown. discuss the readings. What did you think of each of the stories Did it have any meaning in your life Is it still relevant today Things you didn't like - Essay Example Goodman seems that he believed in his father and grandfather until he met the elderly man in the forest who could be the devil: the old man claimed that he knew both of them. The old man, however, proves his erroneousness when he asserts that even Faith is corrupted. He seems to trust Faith exceedingly and has to consult with her every time he necessitates anything. Goodman lacks a true religion, and this makes him susceptible to transformations and his faith shaken. Hawthorne, however, believes that the Puritan religion is exceptionally corrupted since most of its followers also have a dark side including the founders- his grandfather and father. Although the activities that occurred in the forest are not evidently stated whether they are real or a dream, Goodman’s life and beliefs will never be the same again since either way he would still be distressed. In today’s societal setting, one has to choose what to believe, but it should not be too distant from the beliefs of others. Young people should not be influenced by their ancestor’s beliefs, and should do what they are contented with; this makes these readings relevant today. The things I did not like is the fact that Goodman had to consult with Faith when he wanted to do anything, showing how he was unable to make his own

Dramatic Importance of Similar Themes Essay Example for Free

Dramatic Importance of Similar Themes Essay A distinct art form like a poem, novel or play, a short story is a short piece of writing, having few characters, conflicts, a theme, a setting and a point of view, usually fewer than 10,000 words. Every detail contributes to the unity of effect. Most short stories can connect if they include similar elements, characteristics or qualities including character development and themes. In the short stories: A Deal in Ostriches, The Beautiful Suit, and The Triumphs of a Taxidermist, all written by H. G. Wells, there are similar features in the way the author writes about the theme of humans going through major changes in their lifetime, which shows how important this fundamental is in the plot development of a short story. Whether the change is positive or negative; all humans go through many changes that could as well be life altering. In A Deal in Ostriches, this theme is situated to play out a role, so the main character goes through a dramatic change from start to finish, ending with a twist to show the main characters true side. In The Beautiful suit, the main character goes through his major change at the end as well, starting off as a man boy, but dying happily in the end. In The triumphs of a Taxidermist, the taxidermist starts off as a man of an unintelligent nature, but concludes in the founding of an extinct species of a New Zealand bird, showing his true identity. These factors help prove that the consistency of having the same theme, helps plot development and structure greatly in short stories. In A Deal in Ostriches, the theme is showing that the main character goes through a vivid change in his life and role as the story progress to the finish. The main character Padishah, tends to be a loyal character who needs help finding his jewel. We believe he is against Potter, who is trying to steal his jewel for his own contentment. In the end we consider the fact that Padishah changes throughout the story and turns against everyone to be on Potters side. This story concludes with a bit of a twist, â€Å"A week or so after landing I was down Regent-street doing a bit of shopping, and who should I see arm-in-arm and having a purple time of it but Padishah and Potter. †(Wells 4) This shows that even if someone is reliable or trustworthy at the start, it does not mean they will never change. Padishah is a perfect example of how life situations will always change over time. In The Beautiful Suit, the main character is a little man, who goes through a major change at the end of the story, showing the theme of how life changes can occur in very little periods of time. He starts off as a sad man because his mother would never let him wear his favourite suit, but dies happily in the end. â€Å"But his face was a face of such happiness that, had you seen it, you would have understood indeed how that he had died happy. †(Wells 4) He is the one who changes his feelings; he decides to go out and live his life the way he wanted to. One night he decided he was going to do everything he ever wished to do, including wearing his suit. We find out that his negative attitude turned into a positive one just by changing the way he felt he should be doing things. This little man starts his life in a way he did not feel was right, so he took a chance to turn his life around, and he did. He died happily, just as he wished he would. This shows the theme of human life changing noticeably, and how it can also change in an encouraging way. In The triumphs of a Taxidermist, the main character who is a taxidermist starts off hiding who he truly is, but ends up showing how truly smart and sneaky he is in the end. The taxidermist does not tell or show anyone his uniqueness until the end of the story when he reveals that he found a species of a New Zealand bird which is extinct. One man questioned â€Å"Is it one of those big birds recently extinct in New Zealand? †(Wells 2) No one truly believed that the taxidermist actually founded this spices, but life is full of unexpected surprises. If you are gentle and composed, you can always change your ways in life and become a man of great power. The taxidermist showed that humans go through major changes or chose to make those changes themselves, sometime throughout their lifetime. In conclusion all three of these well written short stories by H. G Wells, brought me to the attention that similar themes, such as the theme of humans going through major changes, is very important in plot development of a short story. These short stories all include a main character that goes through dramatic changes from start to finish presenting its similarities. Everything has something in common; you just need to be imaginative to find it out.

A Chinese Multinational Computer Hardware Marketing Essay

A Chinese Multinational Computer Hardware Marketing Essay Lenovo Group Limited is a Chinese multinational computer hardware and electronics company with its operational headquarters in Morrisville, North Carolina, United States and its registered office in Hong Kong. Its products include personal computers,  tablet computers,  mobile phones, workstations,  servers, electronic storage devices, IT management software and  smart televisions (Wikipedia, 2012). Lenovo is the dominant supplier of computers in Mainland China; however,  current economic system is transferred to be more globalised, integrated and interdependent. Thus for many enterprises or just like Lenovo, to have a plan on the international expansion strategies is of the essence. This report will analyse Lenovo PC businesss marketing mix and marketing strategy through environment, target market, positioning, and 4P. Brand History and Evironment 1.1 Brand History In 1984, with an initial capital outlay of only RMB200,000, (US$25,000) Lenovos founding chairman Liu Chuanzhi, together with 10 like-minded colleagues, launches the New Technology Developer Inc which was named Legend at that time (Lenovo Company History, n.d.). By 1989, now known as Hong Kong Legend has branded out into motherboard manufacturer and it has changed its name to Lenovo and launched itself on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1994 (Malone, 2004). In 1996, Legend became the market share leader in China for the first time and introduced the first Legend brand laptop to consumers. In 2005, Lenovo completes the acquisition of IBMs Personal Computing Division, making it a new international IT competitor and the third-largest personal computer company in the world (Lenovo Company History, n.d.). According to the data, Lenovo has become the worlds second largest supplier of  personal computers  during the third quarter of 2011, which held around 13.5% of the worldwide compute r market as of October 2011 (Conn, 2011). Today, Lenovo is a global corporation with significant operations on six continents and operating in more than 60 countries and selling products in 160 countries (wikipedia, 2012). 1.2 Internal Environment Figure 1 Marketing Environment Competitive Economic Macro-environment Micro-enviroment Political-Legal Technological Social-Culture Competitors Customers General Public Distributors Suppliers Internal environment Men Money Machinery Materials Minutes Started from a square room, only 11 individuals Lenovo Group, currently has more than 10,000 employees. Facing with rapid development of the internet, April 2000, Lenovo Group restructured the whole company, from the division as the core system to a subsidiary of the core change in the system. Today, Lenovo has the most advanced technology in China, the high-level professionals, and abundant capital support, for example, its gross profit margin improved 11.7 percent in 2011 (Lenovo, 2011). Meanwhile, the Lenovo Groups management level has been committed to developing the development strategy, implementing the management philosophy, maintaining and carrying forward the corporate culture, in order to make the Lenovo to become a long-term, large scale high-tech enterprise. 1.3 Micro-Environment 1.3.1 Bargaining power of suppliers PC belongs to sophisticated instrument; therefore, the worldwide major CPU vendors are only two: AMD and INTEL. So the CPU suppliers has a strong bargaining power. On the other hand, there are many hardware providers in Chinese mainland, so for Chinese PC market, the local brand Lenovo has obvious advantages. 1.3.2 Bargaining power of buyers Because more and more PC brands can be chosen by consumers in global market, consumers have the ability to replace a companys products with the goods or services from a competing firm. 1.3.3 Potential new entrants and Threat of substitute products Because the cost of entering the PC market is high and the PC industry require the patent as a basis to develop the company, the threat of new entrants can be moderate. Additionally, the product like smart mobile phone may become substantial product for PC. It has many functions like PC which bring the large value to the customer. However, in the short term, it has little impact on Lenovos marketing strategies. 1.3.4 Rivalry among competitors In Chinas PC market, Lenovo is the number one PC vendor, which occupies the largest proportion of Chinas PC market share. Overall, rivalry is moderate in China. However, facing with HP, Dell, and Acer etc. in global market, Lenovo has to enhance the function of its PC products and the quality of sevices in order to gain competitive edges in some specific markets. Figure 2 illustrates the market share in U.S. PC market during the third quarter in 2012. Figure 2 Preliminary U.S. PC Q3 2012 Market Share by Vendor Chart by  The Mac Observer  from IDC data 1.4 Macro-Environment 1.4.1 Political-Legal environment In the 1980s, Chinese Academy of Sciences invested a lot of money when Lenovo needed financial support to develop itself. Indeed, Lenovo has a strong political background in China and it has been regarded as the birthplace of Chinas computer technology. Additionally, as a global company, Lenovo has to comply with unfamiliar laws and regulations. 1.4.2 Economic Environment Firgure 3 Lenovo RD Center in ShenZhenWith the increase income of Chinese consumers, people increasingly like to put money in hi-tech products, such as laptop, digital camera, and smart mobile phone. However, in global market, with the deepening of European debt crisis, the global economic are facing deflation and the unemployment rate are shotting up. Consumers wil be more prudent to make decision in purchasing. 1.4.3 Technological Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences which has 1,800 talents in From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediathe field of computer technology can povides efficient and effective support to Lenovo during RD process (Wikipedia, 2012). A prevalent trend that some hi-tech companies have cooperated with PC firms, such as HuaWei and Cisco, improving the existing products and offering better customer service challenges the PC leader of Chinas market. 1.4.4 Social-Cultural Environment To remain competitive, Lenovo must be sensitive to societys demographic shifts and changing values. However, in the global PC market, because the characteristics of the population, values and attitudes of consumers, and lifestyle are various, it is difficult to satisfy every consumer. Additionally, raising the awareness of consumerism is important to current companies. 1.4.5 Competitive Environment The competition of hi-tech products is very fierce in global market. Lenove are facing with some outstanding company, such as Apple, HP, and Dell. The products from different companies with various distinguishing features attract consumers to buy, which increase the level of competition. Furthermore, the indirect competition also has an impact on this market, such as smart mobile phone and iPad, because Wi-Fi makes the Internet available via radio waves and can be accessed at any number of public hot spots. Target Market and Positioning 2.1 Target Market Market segmentation is an inevitable trend in a mature market. The target market for a product is the specific segment of consumers most likely to purchase a particular product. Marketers should try to isolate the traits that distinguish a certain group of consumers from the overall market, in order to serve consumers and maximize the profit. 2.1.1 Geographic Segmentation From 2009 to 2012, Lenovo divided the overall market based on mature market and emerging market. However, from January 2012 onward, Lenovo gave up this method of market segmentation, while Lenovo divided the global market into four parts: Chinese market, North American market, EMEA market (Europe, Middle East and Africa market) and Asia Pacific Latin American market. In this four parts, Chinese market has a large number of population, which means great potential for profit growth. In contrast, North American market is relatively difficult to enter, because it is a mature market and consumers are loyal to former brands, such as Dell and HP. Overall, Lenovo combine its marketing efforts for countries and regions that share similar population and product-use patterns instead of treating each country or region as an independent segment. 2.1.2 Demographic Segmentation Gender: the purchasing habit of women can not be overlooked in PC market, because most woman buyers focus the stylish appearance and lightweight portable design rather than the computer performance, such as software and hardware. Age: tweens and teens usually use their computer for study and online game, while Generation X use their computer for work and social contact. Lenovos two main PC products ThinkPad and IdeaPad are different. Specifically, The IdeaPad design marked a deviation from the business-oriented  ThinkPad  laptops, towards a more consumer-focused look and feel (Jackson, 2008). Income and Expenditure patterns: because the income directly determine the purchasing power of consumer, Lenovo PC products are distributed across low end market, mid-range market and high end market. Figure 4 ThinkPad logo and IdeaPad logo From Lenovo official website 2.1.3 Psychographic and Behavioural segmentation Lenovos marketers quantify aspects of consumers personalities and lifestyles to create goods and services for a target market. For example, Lenovo products advertisements are different in Mainland China and America. Because consumers in China focus on the performance of the product while American consumers focus on the spirit that the product convey. Furthermore, most Chinese PC consumers like comparing goods before taking money form their wallet, while European consumers prefer to pursue high-quality product and to make decision quickly. 2.2 Positioning From the view of laptop market structure, business market account for the largest proportion of laptop market share, especially in government, manufactoring industry, school and university, and financial industry. From the view of sales, mid-range market is the most important part while the sales in low end market increase rapidly. The target market selection of Lenovo PCs is based on market size, development prospects, business goals and competitive advantages. To maintain the leading position in the Chinese market, Lenovo PCs must be on the market for comprehensive coverage. Specifically, Idea-branded focus on individual and family consumer market with low price and stylish design, which targets to low end market. While Think-branded focus on medium and small business, not-for-profit organizations, which is committed to provide a stable, safe, and high-quality computer product. Furthermore, because of the acquisition of IBMs personal computer business, Lenovo have the ability to en ter the high end business market. IBM PCs regard the high end of key account market as the target market. The distinct level of Lenovos marketing positioning helps distinguish its products from those of competitors and provides a basis for marketing communications. Marketing Mix Variables 3.1 Product Strategy Lenovo targets clearly its product strategy at the diversification development in such a new information era. Lenovo leads the PC industry in product innovation and it mainly focuses on PC business. Therefore, we divide products of Lenovo into two parts: laptop and desktop. 3.1.1 ThinkPad IdeaPad ThinkPad were originally an IBM product, which is line of business-oriented laptop computers known for their boxy black design (Wikipedia, 2012). ThinkPad series is made up of T series, X series, L series, W series, and ThinkPad Edge and each of them has their own feature. Specifically, T series is the most popular ThinkPad because of its performance and portability; X series is the thinnest and lightest with the longest battery life; L series is the green choice for professionals; W series is defined as a portable workstation. The IdeaPad line of consumer-oriented  laptop computers  was introduced in January 2008. The IdeaPad is the result of Lenovos own research and development (Wikipedia 2012). IdeaPad consist of U series, Y series, Z series. Specifically, U series is a stylish choice for everyday use; Y series design for gamers, movie buffs and audiophiles; Z series has a balance of price and multimedia features. 3.1.2 ThinkCentre IdeaCentre There are two series of ThinkCentre: ThinkCentre Edge Series (stylish, business-class) and ThinkCentre M series (sophisticated space-savers, dependable business partners). ThinkCentre is a system that combines reliability with ease of use. The marketing concept of ThinkCentre is You name the challenge, well bring the solution. IdeaCentre were described by HotHardware as being uniquely designed, with users needing to gaze on each one to see which design would look best in your place.(Willington, 2011). Indeed, IdeaCentre desktops come in all shapes and sizes.   Theres the skinny all-in-one that hides its working bits, the tiny nettop no larger than a book, and the regular desktop that traditionalists will view with satisfaction. Figure 5 Lenovo IdeaCentre 3.1.3 Service and Warranty From hothardware.comLenovo services is various depending on different kinds of customers. For example, Lenovo offers a comprehensive portfolio of value-added services that support the full lifecycle of Lenovo assets to large enterprises while Lenovo offers warranty support services and accidental damage protection to personal and home. 3.2 Promotion Strategy Lenovos prior goal is to create a new and successful international brand by the advantageous promotion of IBM; therefore, advertisement is the best option for this goal. Then promotional activities are also in effective and direct ways. 3.2.1 Advertising Lenovos personal computer mainly targets some individual clients made up of personal and home groups, and some small-and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, the advertisement should be designed differently according to different segments. However, IBM aims at high-level computer market oriented to large organization for commercial functions. Therefore, advertisement strategies for ThinkPad are designed in an orientation of commercial application. Because consumers in China focus on the performance of the product while American consumers focus on the spirit that the product convey, the style of Lenovo advertisement is different globally. 3.2.2 Personal Selling The marketing strategies for individual users and large enterprises are different in requirements to sales person. As for individual users, what sales person need are a full set of materials of new products, like specific introductions, on-site demonstration disc, some certifications, and some samples. In addition, the training offered to salesperson is necessary including sales technologies, products knowledge, and companys regulation. In contrast, for the large enterprises, Lenovos salespersons play pivotal roles in promotion. Because they do not only promote products, but also perform necessarily in public relations, sales, training, commerce and customer services. 3.2.3 Sales Promotion Public Relation Because of two different product orientations, they will be differentiated in promotional activities. Personal and home groups consumers will mostly buy from stores or agents, and their purchasing behaviors are readily influenced by promotional activities. Therefore, users promotional activities are more effective for this type of users. However, ThinkPad goes oppositely since its users are mostly large enterprises commercially, and they unlikely go into some stores to buy a ThinkPad. Therefore, promotional activities will not work the same effectively as individual users do. Thus some special activities will introduced, such as inviting them to products exhibition or new products training, trial for new products for VIP clients, or organizing some member club to promote new products by conference, traveling, or sightseeing to enhance brand images and improve the knowledge or ThinkPad products. It is worthy mentioning that Lenovo was an official computer sponsor of the  2006 Winter Olympics  in  Turin,  Italy, and the  2008 Summer Olympics  inBeijing. In July of 2012, Lenovo and the National Football League (NFL) announced that Lenovo had become the NFLs Official Laptop, Desktop and Workstation Sponsor. 3.3 Pricing Strategy The objective of Lenovo is to capture a substantial market share and attract more and more buyers to buy its products. Lenovo pricing stratrgy is based on offering the consumers high quality at low price as well as competitor pricing. Lenovo has always maintained a product mix such as bread and butter products like 3000H series and high end products like ThinkPad and ThinkCentre, which helps Lenovo develop a vast range in its prices. The pricing of some models in America market are as follows: Lenovo  Y Series Laptops are priced  from $600- 1000 Lenovo U  Series  Laptops  are  Priced from  $500- 800 ThinkPad XZ series are priced from  $1000- 2000. Obviously, the laptop price is so competitive in current commercial situation that it should be considered at the first place of production based on a short lifecycle in high-technology industry. Therefore, perception value pricing of Lenovo is adapted to gain an acceptable profit. The middle and high-level Lenovo products are priced to compete in market, therefore, the price of these products should be referred to competitive products. Indeed, For comparable products, Lenovo priced its products at about two-thirds of foreign-made PCs (Xie, 2004, p. 412). In order to maintain the largest share and leader position in Mainland China and remain competitive in global market, Lenovo is a market follower after Dell and HP and this pricing strategy can allow them to ensure values as well as the optimal price of the products. Additionally, Lenovo constantly offers discounts on its  products through its showrooms and online purchases which are often in the range of  25-30%. Also there are many coupon codes and promotional codes available on all product models which add to the total discount. 3.4 Place Strategy 3.4.1 RD Center and Marketing Center Because HongKong is a global center of intermediary trade, it has a more perfect and more complete market in information channel than Chinese mainland. So Lenovo established the RD center and marketing center in Hongkong, in order to acquire the timely market information and technology information and thus shorten the product development cycle and closely follow the international trend. 3.4.2 Wide Coverage A direct marketing strategy is implemented to target the new industry and new big organization. However, the combined channel modes of retailors and agents are basically applied in individual buyers. The market Lenovo targets is not only China, but also other countries. The scope and extension it covers is featured to be in large quantity, wide distribution, and diversity of channels. Therefore, Lenovo choose intermediate channels like provincial retailors or regional wholesales in order to occupy a greater market. 3.4.3 Outlets and Sales Channel Most PC buyers purchase their products through retailer. Lenovo find that Internet buying is convenient for customers to compare products, specifications, prices and after-sales services. Some loyal customers like to buy products in Lenovo specialty shops. Today, Lenovo has the excellent distribution channel consist of 6,000 retail outlets in China that nearly impossible for foreign and even most domestic competitors to replicate. Figure 6 lenovo specialty shop From File Photo/ China Times 3.4.5 Transportation and Stock Level Modern logistics is important to Lenovo, that is say, Lenovo transportation is based on customer needs, carrying the products form supplier to demand side with the most economical cost. From 1995, Lenovo began to implement SCM system (Supply China Management). In 2004, Lenovo carried out VMI mode (Vendor Managed Inventory), thus almost 90% inventory were outsourced to Third-party logistics firms. 4. Cohesive Marketing Mix The 4Ps strategies of Lenovo forms a cohesive marketing mix in an effective and innovated way. Lenovo is transcendent in a vision of its market orientation and products innovation. It develops a systematic strategy with a good combination of two different brands in different levels. By definition, Lenovo improves its products designs and quality to reach an international level in order to meet the requirements of PC users all around the world. Regarding to its market orientation, Lenovo covers low level, medium level, and high-level products, targeting various users ranging from individuals to large enterprises. The pricing is also tactically different in different levels, so that Lenovo products can reach different users from personal utility to commercial application. In addition, it also optimizes different distribution channels and lowers the cost of producing by different segmentations of personal computer users by an application of direct market penetration to individuals and c ombined marketing channels to those large enterprises. Therefore, the promotion should also be designed in a different ways, from advertisement to salesperson training. The market mix of Lenovo successfully integrates product, price, place and promotion strategies in its market orientation and its maximum profits. Only in this way, can such a growing Chinese brand enter an international market to compete with its innovation and creation. 5. Target Market and Marketing Mix Variable There are many methods to segment the overall market. After that, the company will choose the appropriate market as their target market. As to Lenovo, from 2009 to 2012, Lenovo divided the overall market based on mature market and emerging market. However, from January 2012 onward, Lenovo divided the global market into four parts: Chinese market, North American market, EMEA market (Europe, Middle East and Africa market) and Asia Pacific Latin American market. Specifically, in mature market like North America, Lenovo covers low level, medium level, and high-level products, targeting various users ranging from individuals to large enterprises. Additionally, Lenovo is a market follower after Dell and HP and this pricing strategy can allow them to ensure values as well as the optimal price of the products in North American market. In contrast, Lenovo attack emerging market, such as Kenyan market, with cheap PCs, and the product range is fewer than American market. Furthermore, The Group s PC business across the mature markets are facing challenges in the retail channel due to significant slowdown in consumer demand. On the other hand, Lenovo begin to set up more specialty shops in Africa and Latin America, because people there dont adapt to online shopping and the demand from enterprise and government is low. Overall, Lenoovos target market will be considered when making decision about the four marketing mix variables. 6. Positioning Strategy Facing the volatile market and ever-shifting needs of customers, Yang Quanqing (2001), Chief Executive Officer, said that Our Protect and Attack strategy is working and will continue to guide our execution. Lenovo aims to extend the leadership position and increase profitability in China and relationship business in mature markets. In contrast, in emerging markets and transactional sales in mature markets, Lenovos focus will be on capturing growth. Although in recent years, Lenovo aims to extend the business beyond the traditional PC arena and to capture opportunities globally in the rapidly growing areas including mobile internet, smart TV, etc., the PC business remains as the Lenovos core business and Lenovo consistently accelerate the growth and expand market share by delivering quality products to customers around the world. Lenovo outgrew the worldwide PC market in unit shipments, and gained market share across all geographies, products and customer segments, making it the worlds fastest growing PC company. Lenovo divides its PC brand into two parts: Idea-branded and Think-branded. Specifically, Idea-branded focus on individual and family consumer market with low price and stylish design, which targets to low end market. While Think-branded focus on medium and small business, not-for-profit organizations, which is committed to provide a stable, safe, and high-quality computer product. The positioning strategy of Lenovo PC business is very effective. The company saw a record high in sales and market share despite an ongoing downturn for the overall PC industry. Based on data from IDC, Lenovo held  15.7 percent of the global PC market by November 2012, its highest market share ever. 7. SWOT Analysis 7.1 Strengths Lenovo is the leader in chinese PC market, accouting for over 30 percent market share. Under the support and protection of government policies, Lenovo can focus on product research and marketing. There are about 6,000 Lenovo retail outlets in China that nearly impossible for foreign and even most domestic competitors to replicate. Globally, after the acquisition of IBM PC division, Lenovo brand image has been enhanced. More and more overseas customers are willing to purchase Lenovo PC products. Lenovo has the excellent distribution channel not only in china but also all over the world. 7.2 Weaknesses Globally, the single marketing channel leads the products and services mainly sold by monopolized stores. Lenovo does not has its own core technology and it has to follow Intel trend. Too many staffs lead to the overstaffed orginizational structures. The human resource, technology, and capital need to be intergrated after the acquisition of IBM PC division. 7.3 Opportunities PC market is dynamic. prompt response to market changes and solid execution with a clear vision are crucial to continued growth of Lenovo. There is a potential for great development in Chinese market and other emerging markets. 7.4 Threats Acer, Dell and HP are the main competitors in global PC market. Today, there are too many cheap PC products appearing in the world and the market protect in some countries is strong. In addition, some smart mobile phones like iPhone can become the substitute. 8. Conclusion 8.1 What Is the Company Doing Well Liu Chuanzhi (2011), the chairman of the board, stated that we will continue to invest in innovation, marketing, and branding to protect our core business and drive growth through attacking. Four parts have been considerated in making decision in Lenovo: credibility, differentiation, product life-cycle, and evolution. Specifically, first of all, Lenovo is the leader in Chinese PC market, and the brand recognition and traditional reputation of Lenovo are very good in China. In global market, from 2005 to 2010, the Group used IBM logo optimally to build brand Lenovo, which led Lenovo to be known by overseas customers. Second, the differentiation of PC products in performance, style, and services make Lenovo have the ability to deliver the high quality, reliability and durability to meet various of customers demand. Third, every product has its own lifecycle. Facing with this problem, Lenovo delicates some new product strategies in light of the lifecycle as follow: improve products desi gn and products innovation, decrease of product costs and optimize the distribution, and integrate service system and develop the service quality. At last, The PC market is expected to experience more and rapid evolutions in the future. Lenovo continues to leverage spirit of innovation and history of technological breakthroughs to into new product categories and drive future growth. In addition, Lenovo actively took step in asserting its position as a global leader by launching its new global branding campaign. Known as Lenovo: For Those Who Do, the campaign captures the essence of who we are as a company, and the customers we serve. Lenovo does more than just build technology; it creates engines for the worlds doers and the mind-blowing things they create. The Groups breakthrough products are made to serve people on the quest to build whats next. 8.2 Suggestion Lenovo do not have its own core technology in PC business, which means Lenovo have to highly rely on CPU vendors like Intel and AMD. Therefore, in oreder to maintain market share and competitive advantages in global market, Lenovo should allocate more money to technological innovation and product upgrade. Other than that, Lenovo can copy Dell success model, which Lenovo can invest in special computer for certain industry, such as financial industry, education industry, in order to expand the coverage of the products. Lenovo pricing stratrgy is based on offering the consumers high quality at low price as well as competitor pricing. However, in recent years, more and more individual and family buyers reflect that there is price discrimination existing between Chinese market and North American market. Chinese market is Lenovos test bed. Most new products will be evaluated in Chinese market before selling abroad. However, Lenovo can not use its leadership in PC market to make money, regardless of consumers profit. In mature market, the Groups PC business are facing challenges in the retail channel due to significant slowdown in consumer demand; therefore, Lenovo should set up online-sale network and develop and maintain the relationship with the suppliers,distributors, and large enterprises. Although the brand image has been enhanced in recent years, especially after the acquisition of IBM PC division, Lenovo should continue to emphasize the global concept of product design and implement Protect and Attack strategy which protects the core business in China and relationship business in mature markets while attacking high-growth opportunities in emerging markets.

Muckrakers Essay -- essays research papers fc

Muckraking was a powerful journalistic force, whose supporters made it become so. Muckraking was the practice of writers and critics exposing corrupt politicians and business practices. President Theodore Roosevelt made the term "muck-raker" popular. He once said The man with the muck-rake, the man who could look no way but downward with the muck-rake in his hands; who was offered a celestial crown for his muckrake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake himself the filth of the floor. Some, like Roosevelt viewed methods of muckrakers such as Ida Tarbell, Ray S. Baker, Lincoln Steffens, and Upton Sinclair as these types of people. Others saw these muckraking methods as perfectly acceptable for fighting against the industrial powerhouses. Either way, these muckrakers worked hard to arouse sentiment in the hearts of the public (Reiger 1). Muckraking actually began long before the years of 1900-1902, when the muckraking movement is credited to have begun. Jesus was probably the first muckraker. Years later, Martin Luther exposed the corruptness of the Catholic Church. Also, early Abolitionist works--Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin and Helper's The Impending Crisis used muckraking to get a point across. However, events during the 1890s most directly paved the way for the critiques and exposures of existing conditions. This period was able to reach a limited upper class and the muckrakers were able to expand appeal to the average middle class citizen (Reiger 49-50). One reason for the outspread of muckraking was the explosion of journalism. From 1870-1909 the number of daily newspapers circulated boomed from 574 to 2,600 and the number of subscribers from 2,800,000 to 24,800,000. With this increase, newspaper owners and editors needed new bait to reel in its subscribers. The newspaper editors wanted to replace ordinary town gossip with gossip about the latest events of the city. Therefore, in newspapers they placed the most shocking events and kept the rural mind drooling for more. As newspaper circulation grew, the large newspaper depended much less on political parties and could now even challenge them. Newspapers played on the new human interest, the concern of the wealthy with the affairs of those below them, status-wise. This "story of the poor" became the basic outline for muckraking (Ho... ...direct success. However, indirectly, it was one of the most powerful journalistic movements of our history. The total circulation of the ten muckraking magazines reached over three million. Also, Upton Siclair's novels The Brass Check and The Jungle went over the hundred thousand mark by 1932. A new political movement of reformed capitalism was undergone as the muckraking era pounded out its grievances. Most importantly though, people, partly because of the information which muckrakers revealed, partly because of the visions of better things which reformers brought forth, and partly because of horrid personal experiences, began to regard big business as an enemy rather than a friend (Reiger 194-196). Works Cited Hofstadter, Richard. The Age of Reform. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972. Josephson, Matthew. The Robber Barons. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1962. Reiger, C. C. The Era of the Muckrakers. Massachusetts: Peter Smith, 1957. Sinclair, Upton. "The Consequences of Land Speculation are Tenantry and Debt on the Farms, and Slums and Luxury in the Cities." Upton Sinclair. 1924. <http://home.vicnet.net.au/~earthshr/upton.html> (17 Dec. 1999)

John Proctor

John Proctor BY charited7575 The famous philosopher Aristotle defines a tragic hero as â€Å"The change in the hero's fortunes be not from misery to happiness, but on the contrary, from happiness to misery, and the cause of it must not lie in any depravity but in some great error on his part. † Arthur Miller constructs The Crucible to be a never ending tragic spiral leading to many peoples death which creates several by- products of destruction to everyone in the town of Salem. John Proctor can be labeled as one of the protagonist n the play as the story is partly centered on him.He makes a clearly a suitable character for the tragic hero because he has an integrity stabbing flaw, he has to choose between his fate and his reputation, and as far as morals go, he is definitively better than the other characters in the play although there are many defects in his character. John Proctor is a prime representation ofa tragic hero. The quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering t o high moral principles or professional standards is the definition of integrity and the definition of John Proctor.Proctor is very highly respected in the town of Salem due to his high principles shown. Unfortunately, as the tragic hero, he has done something that has severely damaged his high integrity. Proctor cheated on Elizabeth with Abigail. In a town as religiously influenced as Salem, this hurts Proctor's reputation because committing adultery is against one of the Ten Commandments. Ironically, when asked to recite the Ten Commandments by Reverend Hale, he forgets about the commandment stating, mfou shall not commit adultery.John admits to having an affair with Abigail Williams in the court hearing in hope to prove her accusations false. When they call his wife out, Elizabeth, she is unaware that he has confessed as Danforth states, â€Å"Answer my question! Is your husband a leacher! † Elizabeth then faintly says â€Å"No, sir. † Doing so, she has doomed them both. Having an affair with Abigail Williams ultimately leads to John Proctor's demise, thus proving him as the tragic hero. The great Athenian philosopher Socrates is very similar to John Proctor.Socrates was accused of corrupting the minds of the youth, which he did not necessarily do. Even when he was put on trial and faced with death, he kept his pride and stuck with the truth. He was then executed by drinking poison. John Proctor was accused of being a witch, which he was not. He also never lied to himself and stayed with what he knew was true. John Proctor is faced with the decision to either die and forever keep his integrity, reputation, and name, or live and forever lose all of them. Proctor eventually hooses to die as Hale states, â€Å"Man, you will hang!You cannot! † Proctor proceeds to say, â€Å"l can. And there's your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. † His decision ma kes him a tragic hero because it was the honorable thing to do although it came to his death and his character flaw indirectly caused his death. Although part of being a tragic hero is having flaws, another part of it is being superior in some aspect of your character compared to the other characters. John Proctor's morals are superior to the other characters.He never believes in anyone has been practicing witchcraft after the most of Salem is convinced. He also stood up to Parris in Act One as he says, † the last meeting I were at you spoke so long on deeds and mortgages I thought i were an auction. † Throughout the play Abigail tries to seduce John but he proves time and time again that he has learned from the mistake he made. Proctor also has the pride to keep his reputation which leads to his perish which almost all of the ther characters wouldn't do.The crux of the matter is John Proctor is a true tragic hero which is proved throughout the play. He kept true to hims elf even in the face of death, he learned from his mistakes, and he has an immense amount of integrity that almost all of the characters fail to have within them. John is not perfect and the part of him that is imperfect ends up being the cause of his tragic death. Although the hero side of him shines throughout the story, the tragic side of him is always glaring behind him. John Proctor John Proctor BY charited7575 The famous philosopher Aristotle defines a tragic hero as â€Å"The change in the hero's fortunes be not from misery to happiness, but on the contrary, from happiness to misery, and the cause of it must not lie in any depravity but in some great error on his part. † Arthur Miller constructs The Crucible to be a never ending tragic spiral leading to many peoples death which creates several by- products of destruction to everyone in the town of Salem. John Proctor can be labeled as one of the protagonist n the play as the story is partly centered on him.He makes a clearly a suitable character for the tragic hero because he has an integrity stabbing flaw, he has to choose between his fate and his reputation, and as far as morals go, he is definitively better than the other characters in the play although there are many defects in his character. John Proctor is a prime representation ofa tragic hero. The quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering t o high moral principles or professional standards is the definition of integrity and the definition of John Proctor.Proctor is very highly respected in the town of Salem due to his high principles shown. Unfortunately, as the tragic hero, he has done something that has severely damaged his high integrity. Proctor cheated on Elizabeth with Abigail. In a town as religiously influenced as Salem, this hurts Proctor's reputation because committing adultery is against one of the Ten Commandments. Ironically, when asked to recite the Ten Commandments by Reverend Hale, he forgets about the commandment stating, mfou shall not commit adultery.John admits to having an affair with Abigail Williams in the court hearing in hope to prove her accusations false. When they call his wife out, Elizabeth, she is unaware that he has confessed as Danforth states, â€Å"Answer my question! Is your husband a leacher! † Elizabeth then faintly says â€Å"No, sir. † Doing so, she has doomed them both. Having an affair with Abigail Williams ultimately leads to John Proctor's demise, thus proving him as the tragic hero. The great Athenian philosopher Socrates is very similar to John Proctor.Socrates was accused of corrupting the minds of the youth, which he did not necessarily do. Even when he was put on trial and faced with death, he kept his pride and stuck with the truth. He was then executed by drinking poison. John Proctor was accused of being a witch, which he was not. He also never lied to himself and stayed with what he knew was true. John Proctor is faced with the decision to either die and forever keep his integrity, reputation, and name, or live and forever lose all of them. Proctor eventually hooses to die as Hale states, â€Å"Man, you will hang!You cannot! † Proctor proceeds to say, â€Å"l can. And there's your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. † His decision ma kes him a tragic hero because it was the honorable thing to do although it came to his death and his character flaw indirectly caused his death. Although part of being a tragic hero is having flaws, another part of it is being superior in some aspect of your character compared to the other characters. John Proctor's morals are superior to the other characters.He never believes in anyone has been practicing witchcraft after the most of Salem is convinced. He also stood up to Parris in Act One as he says, † the last meeting I were at you spoke so long on deeds and mortgages I thought i were an auction. † Throughout the play Abigail tries to seduce John but he proves time and time again that he has learned from the mistake he made. Proctor also has the pride to keep his reputation which leads to his perish which almost all of the ther characters wouldn't do.The crux of the matter is John Proctor is a true tragic hero which is proved throughout the play. He kept true to hims elf even in the face of death, he learned from his mistakes, and he has an immense amount of integrity that almost all of the characters fail to have within them. John is not perfect and the part of him that is imperfect ends up being the cause of his tragic death. Although the hero side of him shines throughout the story, the tragic side of him is always glaring behind him. John Proctor John Proctor’s Development The Crucible, first published in 1953, is about the dramatization of the Salem witch trials that takes place in Massachusetts in 1692. In The Crucible, John Proctor is the most significant person that has most effect on the ending. Every decision he makes alter the outcome of the witch trial in Salem. In the beginning, he seems reluctant to confess the truth, but in the end, he finally comes upfront and admits what he has done due to his desire of saving others.John can be compared to a crucible because he is like a vessel that when heated to extremely high temperatures, melts down and purifies owing to the fact that he has changed tremendously throughout the book. John Proctor seems to be self-centered and inconsiderate, but because of his guilt for causing all the persecutions, he becomes ingenuous and forthright. At the outset of the book, it is revealed that John Proctor, a man in his middle thirties, once had an affair with Abigail Williams, a g irl age of seventeen, when Abigail says that, â€Å"I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near!Or did I dream that? It’s she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now† (22). They not only had feelings for one another for a while but, they did more than that. According to the ten laws in Salem, one of the laws states that thou shall not commit adultery. Once Proctor realizes his immoral doings, he immediately stops his relationship with Abigail and refuses her every time she tries to get close to him. An example that clearly exemplifies this is when they are in Parris’s house, talking about what happened in the woods concerning last night.When Abigail and John are left alone inside the room, John says, â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wip e it out of mind. We never touched, Abby† (23). This shows that Proctor has changed since at first he had an affair with Abigail but when she wants to prolong it, he stands up firmly and rejects her. As people are being arrested as a result of Abigail’s accusations, John knows that it is all a pretense.Nonetheless, he doesn’t have any eagerness to help the others that are affected due to his actions. An event that proves this is when Elizabeth encourages him to help the others. She says, â€Å"God forbid you keep that from the court, John. I think they must be told†¦You cannot keep it John† and he replies by saying, â€Å"I know I cannot keep it. I say I will think on it† (53). However, on the night his dear wife Elizabeth is arrested, he promises her that he will do anything in his power to free her and show everyone that Abigail is unscrupulous.He acknowledges that the only way to make others believe that Abigail is telling lies is to tell th em about their affair. In the end, he goes to Judge Hathorne ad Deputy Governor Danforth and admits by saying, â€Å"In the proper place—where my beasts are bedded. On the last night of my joy, some eight months past. She used to serve me in my house, sir†¦She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands† (110).This demonstrates his want to come clean and confess what he had done wrong in the past in order to save his wife and those around him. After John tells the truth, Abigail denies it and acts as if she is a poor girl who is being treated unjustly by others even though she is doing a good deed. When Elizabeth is called forth to tell the real story, she lies in order to protect her husband’s name but, has no knowledge that he himself has confessed. As a result, the judges believe Abigail’s story and sends Proctor to jail.While he’s in jail, people, such as Hale, persuades him to confess even though they know that he will have to lie but, they think that if he confesses, at least he will not be hanged. Proctor wants to live, so he confesses. Danforth then gives him a paper to sign and after John signs it, Danforth demands that he must also go tell the truth to the public as well. However, Proctor says, â€Å"You are the high court, your word is good enough! Tell them I confessed myself; say Proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman; say what you will, but my name cannot—† (143).He doesn’t want to live without his name and tears the paper. As a result, he isn’t freed and is condemned to hang. This reveals at first, he wants to live so he lies, but when the judges want him to confess to the public, he rejects. Even though what he did cost him his life, he is able to have his goodness. Jo hn Proctor’s development has shown that he has truly become a good person and admits to all his actions. Throughout the book, he faces many obstacles which put him in a situation where he has no choice but to tell the truth. These obstacles allow him to make the right decisions and finally change. John Proctor John Proctor BY charited7575 The famous philosopher Aristotle defines a tragic hero as â€Å"The change in the hero's fortunes be not from misery to happiness, but on the contrary, from happiness to misery, and the cause of it must not lie in any depravity but in some great error on his part. † Arthur Miller constructs The Crucible to be a never ending tragic spiral leading to many peoples death which creates several by- products of destruction to everyone in the town of Salem. John Proctor can be labeled as one of the protagonist n the play as the story is partly centered on him.He makes a clearly a suitable character for the tragic hero because he has an integrity stabbing flaw, he has to choose between his fate and his reputation, and as far as morals go, he is definitively better than the other characters in the play although there are many defects in his character. John Proctor is a prime representation ofa tragic hero. The quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering t o high moral principles or professional standards is the definition of integrity and the definition of John Proctor.Proctor is very highly respected in the town of Salem due to his high principles shown. Unfortunately, as the tragic hero, he has done something that has severely damaged his high integrity. Proctor cheated on Elizabeth with Abigail. In a town as religiously influenced as Salem, this hurts Proctor's reputation because committing adultery is against one of the Ten Commandments. Ironically, when asked to recite the Ten Commandments by Reverend Hale, he forgets about the commandment stating, mfou shall not commit adultery.John admits to having an affair with Abigail Williams in the court hearing in hope to prove her accusations false. When they call his wife out, Elizabeth, she is unaware that he has confessed as Danforth states, â€Å"Answer my question! Is your husband a leacher! † Elizabeth then faintly says â€Å"No, sir. † Doing so, she has doomed them both. Having an affair with Abigail Williams ultimately leads to John Proctor's demise, thus proving him as the tragic hero. The great Athenian philosopher Socrates is very similar to John Proctor.Socrates was accused of corrupting the minds of the youth, which he did not necessarily do. Even when he was put on trial and faced with death, he kept his pride and stuck with the truth. He was then executed by drinking poison. John Proctor was accused of being a witch, which he was not. He also never lied to himself and stayed with what he knew was true. John Proctor is faced with the decision to either die and forever keep his integrity, reputation, and name, or live and forever lose all of them. Proctor eventually hooses to die as Hale states, â€Å"Man, you will hang!You cannot! † Proctor proceeds to say, â€Å"l can. And there's your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. † His decision ma kes him a tragic hero because it was the honorable thing to do although it came to his death and his character flaw indirectly caused his death. Although part of being a tragic hero is having flaws, another part of it is being superior in some aspect of your character compared to the other characters. John Proctor's morals are superior to the other characters.He never believes in anyone has been practicing witchcraft after the most of Salem is convinced. He also stood up to Parris in Act One as he says, † the last meeting I were at you spoke so long on deeds and mortgages I thought i were an auction. † Throughout the play Abigail tries to seduce John but he proves time and time again that he has learned from the mistake he made. Proctor also has the pride to keep his reputation which leads to his perish which almost all of the ther characters wouldn't do.The crux of the matter is John Proctor is a true tragic hero which is proved throughout the play. He kept true to hims elf even in the face of death, he learned from his mistakes, and he has an immense amount of integrity that almost all of the characters fail to have within them. John is not perfect and the part of him that is imperfect ends up being the cause of his tragic death. Although the hero side of him shines throughout the story, the tragic side of him is always glaring behind him.