Problem Formulation and Identification Process Essay Example for Free

Problem Formulation and Identification Process Essay It doesnt matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions (Jim Rohn). In the corporate world, leaders are faced with decisions that can make or break the organizations they represent. Several methods, consensus, brainstorming, systematic, and democratic are used in the decision making process. This paper will investigate the decision-making processes most prevalent in each team members organization, compare and contrast them, and will show the most favorable aspect of each style. Consensus The name of my company is Envicor. Envicor is a plastics molding company that manufactures anything that can be made of plastic. This author was recently hired as the national sales manager to oversee Envicors newest product line, sporting goods equipment. This authors job is to promote the sale of portable pitching mounds to a broad range of customers. When it comes to decision making, Envicor uses the consensus method. Consensus is a process using group decision making. The input and ideas of all participants are gathered and synthesized to arrive at a final decision acceptable to all. Through consensus, the company is not only working to achieve better solutions, but also to promote the growth of community and trust. Consensus takes more time, as many resources are investigated before a decision is made. Team members become committed to the decision through consensus. The consensus method gives everyone experience with new processes of interaction and conflict resolution. For consensus to be a positive experience, the group should have 1) common values, 2) some skill in group process and conflict resolution, or a commitment to let these be facilitated,3) commitment and responsibility to the group by its members, and 4) sufficient time for everyone to participate in the process (C.D.T. 2009). The goal of Envicor is to expand our product line to as many customers as possible. After making contact with a catalog company, a meeting is called  in order to discuss the pros and cons of including our product in the catalog. In the meetings, each person gets a chance to give his or her opinion. Once everyone has spoken, a decision is made. By using the consensus method, the group is able to come together and make a decision based on each persons opinion. Advantages and disadvantages exist when using the consensus method of decision making.. Some examples are:Strengths:†¢Encourages cooperation instead of competition†¢Garners trust and confidence; everyone is involved in the final decision†¢Everyone agrees to the final decision no matter whether a majority, minority, or lone voiceWeaknesses†¢Lack of experience may lead to inefficient use of the method†¢Lack of control in meetings, conversation goes off topic†¢No ownership when decision is not correct or no consensus made (Notes on Consensus-Decision Making). Consensus seems to work well for smaller companies because it allows them to actually talk out their decisions and come together. Bigger companies might struggle with this type of decision making process because there might be too many employees and it could waste a lot of time. Brainstorming In the brainstorming model, all employees use free thinking to create ideas that will later be used as part of the projects process. Brainstorming is useful because it allows all employees, some with extensive experience, to give their input. All members contributions allow them to own their role within the group and therefore, believe they have been a larger part of greater good. Like other decision making processes, brainstorming has advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that all decisions are reached by consensus of the entire group. The larger the group is in a brainstorming session, the better the results will be. Everyone works from his or her strengths, weaknesses, experience, and education to find the best results for the project. Next, by making the decision a group project, everyone has a chance to  participate in the decision making process. They are able to voice their objections and give alternative suggestions. This open forum allows ideas to flow freely, and sound decisions are made quickly. A disadvantage of brainstorming is similar to one of its advantages. With more than two or three employees making a decision, the result can become a point of contention and a fight for power within the group. The more people involved in the process, the greater the propensity for debate, creating the possibility of a stalemate. Another disadvantage of brainstorming is something called group think. This occurs when one member of a group makes a statement, and the others follow along. Nothing is accomplished because only one person is making the decision with no alternate suggestions. An open dialogue does not exist; therefore, solutions to problems are not properly explored. SystematicThe systematic approach to decision-making is rational and analytical. (Concise Handbook of Management) This approach employs existing data, and the goal of the decision is the focus of the steps taken to put the decision together. This authors organization uses the systematic approach for making most decisions. A strength of using the systematic approach is that information used to reach the final decision is based on factual data. The goal has been clearly identified; the objective(s) have been defined; the impact of not addressing the issue has been established. A weakness of systematic decision making, an example of which will be described in the following paragraphs, is that the decision can become stalled in the process. Additionally, regardless of how much research is done, if all principal stakeholders are not engaged in the process, a negative outcome is possible. Several years ago this authors company developed a product that was designed to align with current imaging procedures. The equipment is a dual-head injector for use in CT scan. The purpose of the dual-head is to provide Radiologists with the capability of using not only contrast media for the CT exams, but also saline. Benefits of having the saline option developed as  the clinical team became more familiar with the system, but initially the service team was concerned about damage occurring to the injector head if a saline syringe was not used. At that time, without consulting other stakeholders, the service and engineering teams went to work on a solution that would prevent this issue.Several years later, as the clinical team was successfully promoting saline usage, the engineering department began shipping a cap for the saline side of the injector. Yes, the issue had been clearly identified, the objective for the project was defined, and the impact of not addressing the issue had been determined. However, because all stakeholders in the decision were not involved, and because the process took so long, the decision and resulting action became a very expensive mistake. Democratic In this participative form of the decision making process the superior(s) gives complete ownership of the decision to the subordinates (Sager 1999). The democratic decision making process allows for the employees (stakeholders) to have ownership of the decisions that are made. The majority vote wins, which can lead to fast and effective decisions concerning the stakeholders. In this decision making process the adage regarding having strength in numbers reigns true. A drawback to the democratic process can be that no one person takes responsibility for the decision if something goes wrong. It may be hard to pinpoint how the decision came to such a conclusion if it does not work out for the benefit for the stakeholders. In using the example of the Health Insurance Accountability and Portability Act (HIPPA) of 1996, a vote for change by a group of individuals affected by the way health records were handled was applauded, then when implemented, the act became more a hindrance than a solution to a problem. In the vast health systems used there was a need to implement a privacy feature to protect patients information, so the HIPPA regulations were signed into law in 1996. HIPPA was implemented by a democratic decision making process and became popular with health organizations such as Medicare and well known health insurance companies. Later HIPPAs biggest fans became its biggest objectors because the law made it impossible for anyone to get  health information on the patient, including the parent(s) or guardians of minor children and the elderly, unless there was a form signed by the patient, the legal guardian, or POA. HIPPA soon became more frustrating than helpful, and the majority who voted for its implementation became the majority opposing it. So in implementing the democratic decision making process for the good of the people to whom the power is given, it must be made known that with great power comes great responsibility (Uncle Ben, Spider Man Pt1). Contrast and ComparisonProblems and issues are generally inevitable when people are working together. Each individual decision making process can allow for better management of those situations for building a better organization. This does not mean there will be an absence of issues, but whether or not the team resolves the problem effectively. Each decision making process described above demonstrates to the reader the importance of adhering to a process that will work for each organization. The consensus method shows how the power of agreement can lead to a good decision. However, this method can be time consuming and teamwork plays a major role. Brainstorming will allow for creativity and open ideas, but can also cause conflicts and debates among the group members due to so many independent ideas being presented. In the systematic approach to decision making organization is critical. This process bases decisions on factual information. The systematic process can be costly if all members are not involved in the final decision. Democratic decisions are made based on majority input. The stakeholders are in total control of the decision making process. Speedy and effective decisions can be made; however, problems can occur because not everyone who can vote will vote. Then if a decision has a negative impact on the group it can be hard to identify the owner of the problem. The authors of this paper have investigated four types of decision making, consensus, brainstorming, systematic, and democratic. Advantages and disadvantages of each type have been presented, and finally, all were compared and contrasted with each other. References Consensus Decision Making. Aids Coalition to Unleash Power. Retrieved May 19, 2009. http://www.actupny.org/documents/CDdocuments/Consensus.htmlNotes on Consensus-Decision Making. Retrieved May 19, 2009. www.vernalproject.org/papers/process/ConsensNotes.pdfScott, Jonathan T. 2009, Concise Handbook of Management: A Practitioners ApproachChapter 17: Managerial Decision Making and Problem Solving, p131- 138retrieved 5/19/09 from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/pdf?vid=9hid=106sid=f7f74d3b-190b-4f87-ae2e-438809c65b35%40sessionmgr109McConnell, C. R. (2006). Umikers Management Skills for the New Health Care Supervisor. Ch 25 pp.337-345. Sager, K.L., Gastil, J.,(1999). Reaching consensus on consensus Communication Quarterly. 47(1), 67-79.

Promotional Strategies in the Branded Denim Industry

Promotional Strategies in the Branded Denim Industry The global fashion apparel industry is one of the most important sectors of the economy in terms of investment, revenue, trade and employment generation all over the world. Apparel industry has short product life cycles, tremendous product variety, volatile and unpredictable demand, long and inflexible supply processes. The industry has been in a transition over the last 20 years. Some of the major contributors are: Significant consolidation in retail, Increasing use of electronic commerce in retail, and Wholesale trade Given below is a diagram of the types of markets for the fashion industry globally/ India as can be seen comes under Emerging Fashion market. viewer.png Figure: Global Fashion Market. The Indian Fashion Industry Fashion Industry growth in India is mainly driven by the growing exposure of domestic designers at international forums, but growth is also supported by other factors such as the launch of focused business education courses for emerging designers and the establishment of an industry association. The Indian fashion industry has gained international acclaim and recognition at several global forums. This has also helped attract a large number of international clients to the country Rising affluence has increased brand awareness among Indian consumers. According to theNielsen Global Luxury Brands Study, India is among the most brand conscious countries in the world, with 35% of Indian survey respondents reporting to buy designer brands India is considered an attractive market for luxury brands; about 50 premium and luxury brands, including Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Christian Dior, and Chanel, have opened stores in India in recent years. Consumer spending on fashion products has grown at 7.1% annually from 2002 through 2007 Denim Industry in India Denim Brands in India Jeans the working class garment has something about it which has fascinated the poor and the rich alike, and has survived fashion trends and technology changes for over a century. The jeanswear market in India is currently pegged at approximately Rs 6,000 crore the bulk of it in the unbranded market according to recent reports. However, the branded segment is believed to be growing at a faster pace, with brands giving tough competition to one another. According to industry sources, the total size of the jeans market in India is about 40-45 million pairs of denims out of which 44 million pairs are in the value segment(less than Rs 1,000). The Indian retail market size of jeans (men`s and women`s) in 2007 was Rs 3,080 crore with a healthy growth of 18 per cent over last year as per research conducted by Technopak. According to an Indian expert, denim production in India in 2006 was estimated to be at 400 million metres, of which 250 million metres was for domestic consumption and the rest for exports. The Indian denim market is still in the nascent stages but it`s definitely a growing market which is growing in the right direction. Brand-conscious market With changing lifestyles, the organised players are coming up with contemporary designs to target the youthful, stylish, trendy and fashionable consumers. Today`s consumer is educated and very well informed about different brands and knows what to buy and what not to buy. Indian consumers are no longer price conscious rather they are willing to spend money on high-end denim brands. Denims are not only restricted to jeans, shirts, jackets and skirts, but are also a popular choice for accessories like bags, belts and caps. In denims, low rise, slim fit and twisted fit are in vogue. Ripped, brushed, torn, bleached, laser finishes acid and ice-washed are enough to tempt the brand conscious customers. The organised denim players are not only catering to the premium class, but are also catering to the upper-middle and mid-segments as well. Today`s customer is definitely brand conscious and asking for brands. Consumers are looking at innovations rather than just a pair of jeans and T-shirt. The key to catching up with these changes is to innovate, as the Indian denim customer is more variety driven, says Shah. The brand has been quick to gauge that the young Indian consumers were getting bored with just a five pocket pair of jeans and hence Pepe Jeans today is a one-stop destination for the young premium segment customer with its exhaustive range of fashion wear, club wear, and evening wear along with the core jeans. India is an emerging nation and has a huge potential to harness the untapped market. The denim industry has registered impressive growth in the last five years. This growth has also changed the consumer preferences- he has become more discerning and fashion conscious. Major players in the denim market A number of players, both Indian and international, have entered the Indian market. The brands of both categories that were studied are listed below: Indian Players The Indian players include the following: Spykar has established itself as the Indian youth icon and the brand of the Generation Next in the Indian apparel industry, with a vast and staggering array of designer wear- from the first manufactures of Cargo in India unto the authentic five pocket Jeans to fashionable denims, fatigues, jackets, tees, shirts, etc. to trendy bags, belts, caps, wallets, socks and other accessories like shoes, deodorants, junk jewellery, eyewear. Having provided clothing for the last 15 years to the brand conscious youth, Spykar Lifestyle intends to now offer complete styling solutions to patrons through the Spykar Style Lab, with a reach to 3 million customers, influencing the youth culture across India. The brand Deal: was born in the year 2000 and is today an innovative international design company, manufacturing jeans and casual clothing as well as accessories. It is present in over 22 states with 400 points of sale. From the beginning, Deal jeans team turn their back on the style-dictator and consumer fore-casters of the fashion establishment and lead their own tastes lead them. It is for this reason that Deal became the leader in developing the styles, manufacturing methods, fabric and quality control and guaranteeing an outstanding quality product Levi Strauss (India) Pvt. Ltd (LSIL) is a Bengaluru based, wholly owned subsidiary of Levi Strauss Co. (LSCO.). The company markets the Levi`s ®, Dockers ® San Francisco Levi Strauss Signature ® brands in India. The company was established in 1994 and brought authentic American jeanswear to India by launching the iconic Levi`s ® brand. It has since built a strong retail and distribution network spanning more than 250 cities and 750 outlets backed by an equally strong sourcing base. The company, with strength of about 200, is headquartered in Bengaluru. International players The International players studied are the following: Pepe Jeans London: Pepe Jeans London originated from the fashionable Portobello area of London in 1973 as a result of the efforts of three NRI brothers. In a very short span, the brand became the best selling denim brand in England. The company entered the Indian market in 1989 and today is amongst the premium brands in India in this segment. Pepe Jeans is an absolute casual wear brand and sells everything one would associate with such as casual cotton shirts, denim shirts, lightweight jeans, T-shirts, shirts, jackets, cotton casual pants and accessories such as bags, caps, belts, wallets, wrist bands, etc. Lee Cooper: Founded in London in 1908, Lee Cooper offers a wide range of lifestyle jeans and products to men and women of all ages. In 2006, Lee Cooper International entered into an equal joint venture with India`s largest retailer, now known as Lee Cooper India Pvt. Ltd, under which the first franchisee store was opened. At present, the company has 31 exclusive brand outlets, 50 shop-in-shops and 250 selling points in India. By the end of this fiscal, it will double the selling points and add 24 new stores to its kitty. The company aims to grow to 100 stores within the next two years. An investment of about Rs 35-40 crore has been earmarked for retail expansion this year. The competitors at each segment are given below: Super Premium Segment (Rs. 2000+)- brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, AN Jeans, Rocky S Jeans Premium Segment (Rs. 1000-2000)- Pepe, Levis, Lee, Wrangler Middle Segment (Rs. 500-1000)-Most Indian brands cover both Middle and Premium categories Economy Segment (Rs. 300-500)-Ruf n Tuf, Newport, Impact, Thunder as well as in store labels like Westsides SRC and 2Fast4U that are priced between Rs. 375 to Rs. 600 Benefits of this study to the organizations: As compared to the booming international denim market, India is still emerging. Indian brands haven`t enjoyed much success. International brands, which are present in India, are doing extremely well. Competition is increasing with the presence of a number of denim brands in India. To stay ahead of competition, the players will have to raise their standards to international levels; only then will they be able to make a strong foothold in the country. Every company is coming up with aggressive marketing, promotional campaigns and constant publicity to make their brand popular. Various companies have been successful in the Indian market using different approaches and different strategies. For example Pepe Jeans London works on a 360 degrees approach on the marketing communications strategy, involving both above the line and below the line activities. Billboards print advertising in both national and regional newspapers and all lifestyle magazines constitute Pepe`s above the line strategy. The companies in the denim market have to ensure that they have strategies that are successful and make a positive impact on the target segment due to all the competition and the challenges that they face in this environment. With the Indian youth becoming increasingly fashion conscious and with spending power being consistently on the rise, making life easier for the fast-growing premium category of jeanswear brands. On the other hand, it has been tough times for other segments of the business one of the underperformers being a mass-market jeanswear brand. This study helps analyze the promotional strategies of five different popular denim brands in India. This study helps to recognize the success or failure of the brands through the perception that consumers have towards the brand. The study helps recognize the weak points in the strategies. Chapter 2 Research Design This chapter details the procedures that were used for obtaining the information needed to structure the marketing research. It provides details such as the Purpose, Aim of the study, and Scope of the study, Objective of the study, Research methodology and Data collection. Aim of the study: The aim of this study is to observe and evaluate the promotional strategies that are used by Levi Straus, lee and Pepe jeans, Spykar and Deal . Scope of the study: The study was aimed at understanding and analyzing the promotional strategies implemented by Levi Strauss, Lee, spykar, Deal, Pepe Jeans The research was conducted in the geographical area of 1 city- Bangalore North (Karnataka). Objectives: It will present the promotional activities used by the major players in Branded Denim industry. It will present the awareness of the promotional strategies that the consumers have. Further the study will generate some suggestions that could be implemented by the companies. Research methodology: An analytical study, descriptive and quantitative in nature was undertaken to study the promotional activities used in the Branded Denim industry. Based on the data and knowledge gathered thus, a tool in the form of a questionnaire was prepared to elicit primary data for the study. The customers of the company have been used as the respondents for the study. Questionnaire method was adopted to gather necessary primary data. Secondary data was gathered from previous other records, journals, papers and books. The data collected by the study is compiled, classified and tabulated for the purpose of analysis. Analysis was done using averages for data consolidation and interpretation. Methods of data collection: Survey- Through a closed and structured questionnaire administered to 50 respondents of Bangalore City in the area of New BEL Road (Bangalore North). Sources of Data collection: The study required data to be collected from both primary sources and secondary sources. * Primary research -also known as field research, which involves the conduction and compilation of research for the purpose it, was intended. Questionnaires were used to collect the primary data. * Secondary research -also referred to as desk research, is initially conducted for one purpose, but often used to support another purpose or end goal. Secondary research was collected from Internet sites, books, journals, magazines and research materials provided by other research. Sample design: This refers to a set of rules or procedures that specify how a sample is to be selected.   We have used simple random sample  which is a subset of  individuals  (a  sample) chosen from a larger set (a  population). Each individual is chosen  randomly  and entirely by chance, such that each individual has the same  probability  of being chosen at any stage during the sampling process Sample size: The number of elements in the obtained sample. The sample size for this study is 50 respondents. Sampling bias: This refers to the notion that those selected are not typical or representative of the larger populations that have been chosen from. Here we were limited to north Bangalore so it does not reflect the bigger side of the actual population. Limitations: The limitations of the study are as follows: Questionnaires are impersonal, so it is difficult to understand the answers given by the customers also there is a chance that the questions may be misinterpreted, rendering the answer useless to the study. Questionnaires also invite people to lie and answer the questions very vaguely which they would not do in an interview. Though a lot of effort was put in at designing the questionnaires, some peoples preferred answers may not have been included, and this also does not allow for much detail. The research was limited to the city of Bangalore (north Bangalore) The research did not include the infrequent customers of the company, so a lot of valuable input could have been lost Chapter 3 Analysis and Interpretation Q. No. of Male and Female Respondents. Gender No of Respondents Male 26 Female 24 Total 50 Interpretation: From the above chart it is quite evident the numbers of male respondents exceed female respondents. Q. Average age of Respondents. age No of Respondents Less than 20 1 20-30 42 30-40 6 40-50 0 Above50 1 total 50 Interpretation: From the above chat it can be interpreted that the highest range of respondents belongs to the age group of 20-30. Q. what are the different occupation of the respondents. occupation No of Respondents students 31 professional 17 businessman 2 unemployed 0 total 50 Interpretation: From the above chat it is clearly visible that the maximum numbers of respondents are students, followed by professionals. Q Salary of the respondents. salary No of Respondents Less than 2lakh 28 2-4 lakh 15 4-6 lakh 6 Above 6 1 total 50 Interpretation: Since the most respondents are students and are just employed the salary range is below 2 lakh and for professionals it is 2-4 lakhs. Q Do you buy anything of these brands (Levis, Lee, Spykar, Pepe jeans, Deal). Response No of Respondents yes 43 no 07 Total 50 Interpretation: It can be clearly interpreted that 43 out of 50 Respondents have tried one of the brand and rest have not. Break-up of the different brands bought by the sample group: Brand name No. of respondents Levi Lee Spykar Pepe Deal 16 15 6 12 1 Total 50 Q Other than the brand you purchase from, Are you aware of the promotional activities followed by other brands. Responses No of respondents Yes 40 No 10 total 50 Interpretation: From the above chart it can be understood that the people are aware about the promotional scheme of the other brands even if they do not purchase products from the other brand. Levi Q. Why did you buy this brand? Characteristics Number of Respondents Good Service Good Quality Price Design Brand Name Discount Schemes 1 3 10 2 Total 50 Interpretation: it is clearly visible from this chart that most of the people are going for Levis because of the brand name. Q. Would you like to purchase this brand again? Willingness to purchase Number of respondents Yes No 15 1 Total 16 Interpretation: It is clearly visible that all those who have purchased this brand want to go again for this brand. Q. Are you aware of the various promotional schemes available in this brand? Awareness Number of respondents Yes 16 No 0 Total 16 Interpretation: all the respondents are aware of the promotional schemes of Levis. Q. As per your knowledge what type of promotion activity is undertaken by the organisation characteristics responses Advertisement 3 Publicity 0 Personal selling 0 Social media networking 3 Sales promotion(discount offers, seasonal sales, loyalty programs) 10 Total 16 Interpretation: It is found that most consumers are aware of the promotional schemes that Levis has in the form of sales promotions. They also seem to be aware of promotions through advertising and social media networks. Q. If yes how were you made aware? Mode of Awareness No. of respondents Newspapers O Magazine Ads 6 Television Ads 0 E-Mailer from store 2 Word of mouth 9 Others 1 Total 16 Interpretation: it can be interpreted that people are aware of Levis promotional skills because of tools like newspapers and various emails that are being send from the store. 12. What according to you makes the brand more attractive than others? Characteristics Number of Respondents Quality 1 Price 0 More sizes 4 Better customer services 2 More designs 4 Brand Name 5 Brand Ambassador 0 Total 16 Interpretation: From this table we can see that consumers are attracted to the brand due to its brand name- the perception towards the brand is positive and also they feel that more designs are available in this brand Lee Q. Why did you buy this brand? Characteristics Number of Respondents Good Service Good Quality Price Design Brand Name Discount Schemes 1 2 1 3 8 0 Total 15 Interpretation: The graph shows that maximum people bought the jeans from this brand due to the brand name. Followed by the designs available, and no one bought the jeans due to the discount schemes available Q. Would you like to purchase this brand again? Willingness to purchase Number of respondents Yes No 13 2 Total 15 Interpretation: From the table it is obvious that a large number of the respondents would buy jeans from this brand maybe because they have a positive perception towards the brand Q. Are you aware of the various promotional schemes available in this brand? Awareness Number of respondents Yes 12 No 3 Total 15 Interpretation: From the table it can be seen that most consumers are aware of the promotional schemes available in this brand Q.As per your knowledge what type of promotion activity is undertaken by the organisation characteristics responses Advertisement 5 Publicity 0 Personal selling 0 Social media networking 4 Sales promotion(discount offers, seasonal sales, loyalty programs) 6 Total 15 Interpretation: Most of the consumers are aware of the sales promotion schemes like discount offers, seasonal sales, followed by advertising and social media networking. Q.. If yes how were you made aware? Mode of Awareness No. of respondents Newspapers O Magazine Ads 2 Television Ads 0 E-Mailer from store 2 Word of mouth 7 Others 1 Total 12 Interpretation: In this we can see that most consumers were made aware of the available promotional schemes through word of mouth followed by e-mailer from store as well as magazine ads. None were aware of the television ads of the brand. Q. What according to you makes the brand more attractive than others? Characteristics Number of Respondents Quality 1 Price 1 More sizes 2 Better customer services 2 More designs 4 Brand Name 5 Brand Ambassador 0 Total 15 Interpretation: As can be see, the brand is found to be attractive due to the brand name and the positioning of the brand, followed by the fact that consumers perceive that plenty of designs are available in this brand. Better customer service also seems to have made an impact on the consumer. Spykar Q. Why did you buy this brand? Characteristics Number of Respondents Good Service Good Quality Price Design Brand Name Discount Schemes 0 2 4 0 0 0 Total 6 Interpretation: The primary reason that the respondents seem to have bought the jeans was since they perceived the jeans to be cheaper than the other branded jeans. The next reason was since the jeans were perceived as good quality. Hence Spykar can be said to be a value for money brand. Q. Would you like to purchase this brand again? Willingness to purchase Number of respondents Yes No 3 3 Total 6 Interpretation: Only have the consumers who bought the product have the willingness to repurchase the product. The reasons could be that they were dissatisfied with the design, or with the service. Q. Are you aware of the various promotional schemes available in this brand? Awareness Number of respondents Yes 0 No 6 Total 6 Interpretation: Out of the six respondents who had purchased the jeans from this brand, none were aware of any promotional schemes that were conducted by the company. Q. As per your knowledge what type of promotion activity is undertaken by the organisation Since no one was aware of the promotional schemes, this table was Not Applicable Q. If yes how were you made aware? Since no one was aware of the promotional schemes, this table was Not Applicable Q. What according to you makes the brand more attractive than others? Characteristics Number of Respondents Quality 1 Price 3 More sizes 0 Better customer services 0 More designs 2 Brand Name 0 Brand Ambassador 0 Total 6 Interpretation: The main reason that people seem to go for this brand is the price since the jeans are more pocket friendly as compared to the other branded jeans. Pepe jeans Q. Why did you buy Pepe jeans? Characteristics No of respondents Good service 0 Good quality 2 Price 1 Design 8 Brand name 1 Discount Scheme 0 total 12 Interpretation: From the above graph it can be easily interpreted that more people are going for the design in pepe jeans than the other factors. Q Would you like to purchase goods and services from this store again? Responses No of respondents Yes 10 No 2 Total 12 Interpretation: From the above chart it is clearly seen that people are willing to purchase the goods and services as they are happy with their experience. Q. Are you aware of the various promotional schemes and offers available in the store? Responses No of respondents Yes 5 No 7 Total 12 Interpretation: From the above chart we can easily understand that people are not much aware of the promotional schemes carried out by Pepe jeans. Q. As per your knowledge what type of promotion activity is undertaken by the organisation characteristics Responses Advertisement 4 Publicity 0 Personal selling 0 Social media networking 3 Sales promotion(discount offers, seasonal sales, loyalty programs) 5 Total 12 Interpretation: Most of the consumers were aware of the sales promotion strategy followed by Pepe Jeans followed by Advertising. Q .If yes, how you were made aware? Characteristics No of respondents News paper 2 Magazine 1 Television advertisement 5 E-mail 0 Word of mouth 4 total 12 Interpretation: From the above chart its clear that tools like television ads and words of mouth plays a very important role in creating awareness for Pepe Jeans. Q. what according to you made the brand more attractive from the other leading brands of jeans? Characteristics No of respondents Quality 2 Price 1 More fashionable 1 Better customer services 0 More diverse design to choose from 2 More customized product 2 Brand name 4 Brand ambassador 0 total 12 Interpretation: From the above pie chart it can be concluded that the quality, more customized products and more diverse design to choose from are some of the features that makes this brand attractive as compared to others. Deal jeans Q. Why did you buy Deal jeans? Characteristics No of respondents Good service 0 Good quality 0 Price 1 Design 0 Brand name 0 Discount Scheme 0 total 1 Interpretation: Price is the only characteristics that pull the customers to stores. Q. Would you like to purchase goods and services from this store again? Responses No of respondents Yes 1 No 0 Total 1 Interpretation: The person who has bought the product is satisfied and is ready to try the product again. Q. Are you aware of the various promotional schemes and offers available in the store? Responses No of respondents Yes 1 No 0 Total 1 Interpretation: The person seems to know about the promotional schemes that are carried out by Deal jeans. QAs per your knowledge what type of promotion activity is undertaken by the organisation characteristics Responses Advertisement 1 Publicity 0 Personal selling 0 Social media networking 0 Sales promotion(discount offers, seasonal sales, loyalty programs) 0 Total 1 Q. If yes, how were u made aware? Characteristics No of respondents News paper 0 Magazine 0 Television advertisement 1 E-mail 0 Word of mouth 0 total 1 Interpretation: The person is aware of the product through the television ads. Q what according to you made the brand more attractive from the other leading brands of jeans? Characteristics No of respondents Quality 0 Price 1 More fashionable 0 Better customer services 0 More deserve design to choose from 0 More customized product 0 Brand name <

Impacts of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Impacts of the Americans with Disabilities Act Adapted Fitness Activities Congress weighed the interests of the businesses that would need to update their facilities versus the interests of the people that would be helped and decided that helping Americans with Disabilities would be the fairest thing to do. As verbally expressed by the founding fathers of America â€Å"All men are created equal.† Black, white, brown, short, tall, perspicacious, and incoherent, all are engendered equipollently. Therefore every person deserves fair judgement. Unfortunately, it is a profound fact that not everyone is born mundane and capable of task typical for a mundane person, who is liberate from incapacitation. In my opinion, the quote â€Å"All men are created equal† accommodates to promote an amicable environment that avails inspirit parity among people and avails to apperceive the kindred attributes rather than the differences that dissevers men. Even so, with this hope, the incapacitated community still struggles for parity. The Americans with disabiliti es act further goes to destroy those barriers between the community. If everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedom that is set forth in the Declaration, disabled people should not be robbed of their rights. However, they are still devalued from conducting common tasks which puts them at the bottom of the priority list as an employee and even so as a friend. If everyone is entitled to all the rights and liberation that is set forth in the Declaration, incapacitated people should not be purloined of their rights. However, they are still devalued from conducting mundane tasks which puts them at the bottom of the priority list as an employee and even so as a friend. President George Bush signed the ADA into law that serves and protects people with disabilities. This law prohibits discrimination against the disabled by employers and required commercial establishments, public accommodation, and mass transportation be made accessible to disabled persons. hence the law was signed, new doors opened for the deaf and hard of hearing culture for a better opportunity in gaining equal rights. President Bush appointed four titles to protect deaf and hard of hearing people. In â€Å"The ADA and Deaf Culture† by Tucker, B. Title I, prohibits both public and private employers from refusing to hire or promote an individual because of his or her impairment and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for applicants or employees who are deaf or hard of hearing (Tucker 28). If a deaf or hard of hearing employee can pass the essential part of the job qualification, he or she is protected by the ADA to be hired. Also, the ADA prohibits employers to discriminate disabled people in means of recruitment, job applications procedures, pay rates, and promotions. The second title, Title II, â€Å"Requires all state and local government agencies to make all of their services accessible to individuals with disability† (NAD 22). This ensures people with disability to be able to participate in services, programs, and activitie s who can meet the essential eligibility requirements. Such places that must make these accommodations are schools, libraries, police and fire department, public hospitals, jails and prisons, motor vehicle departments, parks and recreation programs, food stamp offices, and welfare and social service agencies. Because these places serves to the public they cannot neglect people with disabilities. Title III gives equal access to public accommodations which removes communication and physical barriers to people with disabilities from private businesses, professionals, and nonprofit organizations. These private entities may not discriminate â€Å"in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, lease, or operates a place of public accommodation† (NAD 28). Such places operated by a private entity of public accommodations are hotels or places of lodging, restauran t or establishment serving food or drink, theater, place of public gathering like convention center, zoo, nursery, bowling alley and more. Title IV requires â€Å"telephone companies to provide both local and long distance telecommunications relay services across the nation† (NAD 34). By providing an accessible telephone system, deaf and hard of people are able communicate much easier and would minimize traveling to relay a message. It also â€Å"requires all television public services announcements that are produced of funded by the federal government to include closed captioning† (NAD 34). With closed captioning, primary source of news and culture information, as well as emergency broadcast warnings will be accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing people. By appointing these four titles, deaf and hard of hearing are insured of their civil rights and acceptance in society. If American pursues to reach equality for all, people of color, language, and ability should b e able to find peace within the differences between themselves. Although the ADA protects people with disability, it is quite difficult to zero in a situation when people of disability are discriminated against during the time of the situation. In some cases the damage was done before justice is served. In one of the cases, a spouse of a pregnant women was denied of an interpreter because he was not the patient. However, he still deserved the right to be informed of the situation of his baby, therefore the judge rule in their favor and were compensated for their trouble. On July 1997 in an article by the New York Times â€Å"Judge Finds Bias at Hospital In Dealings With Deaf Man,† Mount Sinai Medical Center illegally discriminated against the Bravins by not providing an interpreter. Mr. Bravin, a Lexington School teacher for the deaf in Manhattan was unable to learn the Lamaze method to assist his wife give birth. Sinai Medical Center disapproved Mr. Bravin request for an interpreter because it’s Mrs. Bravins who was the patient not Mr. Bravin who was deaf. Nevertheless, Lamaze method is a team effort which Mr. Bravin needed to learn to assist his wife give birth. The judge ruled that the hospital violated state and federal laws requiring accommodations for the disabled (Stewart 1). This example violated the title II of the ADA which was to provide interpreters at hospital settings. Although it was not Mrs. Bravin who needed an interpreter while giving birth and could not interpret for her husband, it was Mr. Bravin who needed it to find the situation of their baby during the birth and the week that the baby was in the neonatal intensive care unit. Mr. and Mrs. Bravin, a family concerned about their baby, should have the right to be informed especially if the baby is in an intensive care unit. Because the hospital did not provide an interpreter the judge ruled in favor of the Bravins and was scheduled the decision on the amount of damages. Even though Mrs. Bravins was hearing, the hospital should have put in c onsideration to provide an interpreter for Mr. Bravin because Mrs. Bravins could not interpret for her husband for she was giving birth. Poor Mr Bravin was left in the dark to figure how he could had help his wife and find out what was happening to his baby. The hospital did not consider Mr. Bravin in the equation, therefore the hospital discriminated against him and are scheduled for the amount of damages. In another situation, a community of deaf and hard of hearing are neglected of their rights. In an article from The New York Times on July 29, 1997, titled â€Å"Judge Rules Fire Box Denies Access To The Deaf,† a federal judge ruled, â€Å"to shrink the city’s fire alarm box system† (Holloway 1) was in violation of the civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing residents of New York. When Judge Sweets ordered the city to refit the boxes that was removed or disconnected as a part of an experiment in 1995, the city reconnected the box system with only a single li ne to the police department, instead of two-button system, one to fire and other to police department. Their defense, fire department contended that single-boxes would drastically reduce false alarms. However according to Holloway, â€Å"Judge Sweet said the one-button boxes were â€Å"unusable† by a hearing impaired person, a violation of the American With Disabilities Act, which guarantees equal access to public services† (Holloway 2). Clearly, by replacing the box systems it reduces emergency calls, but it also prevents deaf and hard of hearing from making emergency calls, thus discriminating them of their right to telecommunications, especially for emergencies. Therefore, Judge sweets denied the city’s request to abolish the fire-box system entirely. Also, as stated by the ADA, state and local government must make accommodations for the disabled. One example where the disabled are severely mistreated is at prisons. In an article from Los Angeles Times, title d â€Å"a Win for Disabled Prisoners; Ruling: Federal appeals court says the state violated their rights during parole hearings,† by Krikorian, G. on November 29, 2001, the state officials was ordered to make it easier for thousands of disabled prisoners and ex-felons to attend in parole hearings by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court Appeals. Krikorian wrote, â€Å"Violations included prisoners who use wheelchairs being left to crawl up stairs to attend their parole hearings† (Krikorian 1) and â€Å"Deaf inmates also were sometimes deprived of interpreters during hearings or had their hands shackled and thus were unable to sign Wilken found† (Kirkorian 2). Evidently, this describes the nature of cruelty that happens in prisons. Although the prison is a place where people need to be disciplined or exiled, there still must be some balance. Aa Kirkorian described, the people who are on parole, who may be scheduled to leave, are still being deprived of their rights. Therefo re, because of the harsh environment disabled people have to face in prisons, the U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ordered â€Å"that the board survey all its hearing rooms to ensure that they are accessible to the disabled, provide interpreters for deaf prisoners, supply assistants for inmates with mental retardation and learning disabilities and establish a grievance process† (Kirkorian 2). With this, state officials would be more lenient than before. These discrimination against the deaf and hard of hearing people would slowly depart as society realizes that these people are incapable to hear and/or understand words because of their disability. Therefore it would be inconsiderate to treat such people without accommodations. Because deaf and hard of hearing have problems communicating and socializing, it is only fair to accommodate for their loss. There are numerous things that these people can do, but hear. If they are assisted for their loss, most would generously reconcile with in society, boosting their self-esteem and making positive deeds. In an article from the Los angeles Times titled â€Å"UPS Ban on Deaf Drivers is Rejected† by Girion, L. on October 11, 2006, a federal appeals court ruled that the United Parcel Services Inc. (UPS) has illegally discriminated against deaf employees by excluding them from driving delivery vans. The San Francisco-Based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the UPS has violated the ADA, employers must justify polices or job requirements that elude a group of people who are disabled. The UPS countered that the case was about safety not disability or discrimination. The Professor of Sanford University of Law, Mark Kelman, stated that the use of deaf dri vers by other companies made UPS’ exclusion a difficult policy to justify under the ADA. Therefore, it was perceived that the UPS was not permitting very much individual analysis; they were rejecting the hearing impaired. Joe Beachboard who is representing employers defended that if a UPS driver has a serious accident, the company would be sued; hearing impaired poses a safety problem because of their inability to hear other vehicles. However, U.S. Circuit Judge Marsh Berzon noted that drivers are offered warning signals when backing up a van, therefore she wrote, UPS â€Å"failed to show that those accidents would not also been avoided by a deaf driver who has compensated for his her loss of hearing by, for example, adapting modified driving techniques or using compensatory devices such as backing cameras or additional mirrors† (Girion 2). In addition, being a safe driver does not merely rely on hearing that is why deaf people are able to acquire a license to drive pa ssenger cars. Consequently, after a couple more hearings, federal ruled to require drivers of vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds or more to meet certain vision and hearing standards. The qualifications lets the companies determine drivers for lighter vehicles. The accommodation serves to allow deaf and hard of hearing employee to drive vehicles and keep their job. In another situation where accommodation are made for the deaf and hard of hearing is in the article â€Å"Dispute in Westchester on Deaf Child Accepted† from the New York Times by Greenhouse, Linda on November 3, 1981. Supreme Court agreed to provide a sign language interpreter for deaf third grader. The appeals was based on the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Apparently, Amy Rowley a deaf student who was adept at lip reading and received help from her hearing aid was performing above average from her class without special help. However, the court ruled â€Å"she was entitled to be able to under stand everything said in the classroom, a goal that could be achieved only through sign language†(Greenhouse 2). Even though Amy Rowley in the top half of her class the court recognized that she is still being denied of her rights. Therefore, the court ruled in her favor to accommodate her for education. With the accommodation she will be given an opportunity to achieve her full potential. Not all individuals with disabilities are protected by the ADA. To be protected, individuals with disabilities must show that they are otherwise qualified for the job they want. They have to prove that they can perform the essential functions of that job with or without reasonable modifications, and they must have a disability that significantly limits them and show that they have suffered discrimination because of the disability. However the Americans with Disabilities Act is one in many steps for the towards the creation of an ideal society

Essay --

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (French pronunciation: ​[maÊ ki dÉ™ la fajÉ›t]; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), often known simply as Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France. Lafayette was a general in the American Revolutionary War and a leader of the Garde nationale during the French Revolution. In the American Revolution, Lafayette served as a major-general in the Continental Army under George Washington. Wounded during the Battle of Brandywine, he still managed to organize a successful retreat. He served with distinction in the Battle of Rhode Island. In the middle of the war, he returned to France to negotiate an increase in French support. On his return, he blocked troops led by Cornwallis at Yorktown while the armies of Washington and those sent by King Louis XVI under the command of General de Rochambeau, Admiral de Grasse, and Admiral de Latouche Trà ©ville prepared for battle against the British. Lafayette was the most important link between ...

Lynyrd Skynyrds Song Freebird :: essays research papers

On their Gold and Platinum album Lynyrd Skynyrd produced a song titled Free bird. It is a very popular song that turned out to be a big hit all over the country. It was written by band members Allen Collins and Ronnie VanZant. I think that this is a very good song with good lyrics that display a lot of meaning. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a southern rock band that has been very popular throughout the late nineteen hundreds. They have produced many songs on many different albums. Songs that come to my mind are What’s Your Name, Simple Man, Sweet Home Alabama, and Free bird. The two main people of this band, or should I say most powerful members were Allen Collins, and Ronnie VanZant. They did a majority of the song writing and seemed to be the two always in the spotlight. One of my favorite songs they produced was Free bird. I have two ideas of what I think this song means. The first one is that I think it is about a guy who is leaving his girlfriend. He says, I must be traveling on now because there’s too many places I’ve got to see. It seems to me that he wants to go because there is other things he wants to do. He wants to be a free man and get away. He also says, that if I stay with you girl things just couldn’t be the same. He states that he is free as a bird now and this bird you can not change. The way I kind of understand it is that maybe he has a problem and she don’t like it and wants him to change, but he knows he cant. I think he comes to believe that the only way to solve the problem is if he just leaves and lives his own life as he wants to. I believe that goes to show why he says he is a free bird that she can not change. Another way I interpreted it, was as a one-night stand and he was talking about what wou ld happen the next day when he has to leave. I think he might like her, but cant change. By changing I think he cant just settle down and be with someone he loves. I think he is too into the one-night stand thing and cant change his lifestyle be dedicated to having a girl friend.

Forest of Voices by Chris Anderson

In Chris Anderson†s essay titled â€Å"Forest of Voices† he talks about the forest around his house and what it means to him. However there is a much deeper meaning to his essay. Throughout the essay, one can get a hint of human interference and human interaction with forests. Anderson once thought of the forest as a place to get away from things and go hike and explore. He, like many others, just saw the trees from his place in town as a line of timber. His thoughts were changed however when he moved up to the boundary of the forest. He started to learn about the trees and how they provide habitat for many animals and different things. Anderson wanted us to know that he supports forests without actually saying it. He gives many clues to this. He tells us his experiences in the forests with different people and hints to what he is feeling. He talks about human interference and what he has been seeing change in the forest. Take for instance the time when Anderson was walking in the woods and came upon a wedding. Another time he came upon a dirt bike race. Anderson came to realize that the forest near his house was a forest of voices. He began to see that the forest had a deep history and many voices to it. The forest also had a certain language to it. This showed him that the forest is a complex place, a natural place, not just something to acquire some financial gain from. The general perception is that trees are only good for three things. The first is lumber to build houses and other buildings. The second is paper for us to write on, and finally, to keep the childhood fear of a dark scary place in the forest stuck in our minds. Anderson came to realize that the forest is a much more complicated and interesting place. He started to experience the forest. He found that satellites now map out forests. He learned that the forest he lived by wasn†t there one hundred years ago, but actually it was a prairie that the Indians burned until the white men and there diseases killed them off. That is when the trees started to grow and a forest took the prairie†s place. Humans interact with forests all the time. Anderson learned of the different types of forest management. He learned that trees fall naturally, trees fall because of disease and trees fall because we cut them down. There are many types of cuts. The clear cut, the two story cut, the slash and burn, and patch cuts are a few examples that Anderson learned about and witnessed first hand. There are many reasons why forests are cut down. One is to benefit economically, with furniture and homebuilding. Anderson talks a little bit about reforestation throughout the essay. There are many methods for planning a forest. The simplest method of replanting a forest is to not plant at all and leave it to nature. A suitable seedbed in which trees will readily take root is integral for successful regeneration. Another method is reducing competition by eliminating grass, weed or shrubs securing a new crop of trees. These will sprout to produce seedlings. Though the weeds were eliminated before, they still grow back, and because of this, poor quality trees will grow. Another method though, is to create a planned forest, where new conifers are grown from seed in a special nursery. Following this is the planting. In many cases, planting is the only means of initiating a new forest. Usually immature forests have to be tended. This means continuing protection from fires, disease and insects and routine thinning to focus the growth on selected crop trees. Yes, it does take money to do all of the methods stated above, but it is worth it to human. In summary of the above, trees are very valuable to the human race economically and for health. Without trees, the environment could worsen to the point where we would be living on one large dessert. We must remember that forests do not grow as easily as they used to because of fires and other disasters. This is why many forests are planned, and cared for. This is also where technology comes into play. The satellites map out the forests that have been planted by us. We also have airplanes and helicopters that put out fires. America sends thousands of people to fight fires across the US all the time. Scientists have studied fires and we now know a lot about how they spread and there danger. Great amounts of money are spent on forests every year to protect it and to log it. There are many reasons why we should have reforestation. One being mostly that we need forest to live! There are not many arguments against reforestation, but there can be some opposition for the land being used by the University. Anderson feels replanting of forests is very crucial to the human race. At the end of the story, Anderson runs back to his home in the forest. This is where he is comfortable. We as humans need a place to go. We need beauty around us. Forests provide this and much more. He states that he wants local and personal knowledge. This means he wants people in the communities that are near forests to be aware of what†s in them. We live in an age of human interference, leaving behind us the past. With the past we are forgetting forests; we must make sure this doesn't happen.

He Garfunkeled Your Mother: a Psychoanalytic Reading of the Graduate

He Garfunkeled Your Mother: A Psychoanalytic Reading of The Graduate The 1967 film, The Graduate, staring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft contains a plethora of human idiosyncrasies that would be of the utmost interest to the psychoanalytic minds of both Freud and Lacan. For this reading, I will focus on the theories of both Freud and Lacan in accordance with textual evidence to prove that Benjamin Braddock never achieves happiness in the end of the film, but has only just prolonged his quest to fight a miserable human existence.The most glaring and obvious reading of this film focuses around the character of Mrs. Robinson. An obvious Oedipal Complex emerges as Ben and Mrs. Robinson begin an affair. As an older woman, who Ben never calls by her first name, Mrs. Robinson becomes a replacement mother for Ben. Ben’s jealousy for his father emerges as Ben begins to understand his father is not worried about his own future, though Ben himself is extremely unsure about what the fut ure holds for his life. In fact, Ben’s father has built a distinctly upper class and well kept home for Ben and his mother.Ben subconsciously senses that his father holds all the power within the family dynamic as the sole breadwinner for the household. Understanding this unstated father-son rivalry, it is predictable through a Freudian interpretation that Ben would ultimately have sex with Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father’s business partner. By doing, Ben can displace his Oedipal desires of wooing his mother to distract from his father’s power and wealth without actually committing incest, and therefore displace his father from a position of power.The focus on mother imagery does not stop there. Ben is often depicted in water in the form of his swimming pool, or staring into the water of his fish tank. Tyson tells us that the imagery of â€Å"dreams that involve water, especially immersion in water, might also be about our relationships with our mothersâ €  (Tyson 21). This explains why filmmakers chose to emerge Ben, in his phallic looking scuba suit, into his swimming pool. This symbolizes Ben’s emersion into the depths of his Oedipal Complex.At one point his parents push his head back under the water, thus illustrating that they are the ones who subconsciously pushing Ben into a state of dependence upon them. Though this backfires as he displaces the need for a mother or parental figure into his relationship with Mrs. Robinson. In this same scene one could conclude that this setting emphasizes Ben’s submersion into a conflict of the id, ego, and superego. Under the water, where there is no language or sound, like the Laconian Imaginary, Ben has to battle with his id, the pleasures he receives from sex with Mrs.Robinson, and his ego, deciding upon the rationality of his decisions. Once he emerges from the water and enters into the Symbolic, he is then again subject to the superego where he must decide if what he i s doing with Mrs. Robinson is right or wrong (Tyson 25). Ultimately, Ben continually chooses to avoid the situation and confrontation entirely and emerge himself and his thoughts in his pool or fish tank in order to repress any further emotional agitation (Tyson 15). The Freudian concept of fetishes is also highlighted throughout the film to serve as a constant reminder and protection to Ben.In the infamous scene between Ben and Mrs. Robinson in the Robinson’s living room, Mrs. Robinson has conveniently placed her legs up on the bar stool next to her. Her legs are spread just enough to seem inviting but not enough to reveal the fact that she has been â€Å"castrated† to Ben. There is even a series of dialogue that occurs as Mrs. Robinson sexily removes her stockings. What is most important about this scene, though, is that the line â€Å"Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me? † is delivered by Ben as the camera focuses on him through a frame made by Mrs.Rob inson’s leg, arched and positioned on a stool. By choosing to frame the most famous line from the movie this way filmmakers can ensure that Ben is still seen by viewers as innocent, protected from shame, and therefore likable, as he has not been subjected to the fact that Mrs. Robinson does not have a penis. Freud also suggests that the fetish is important because â€Å"it also saves the fetishist from becoming a homosexual, by endowing women with the characteristic which makes them tolerable sexual objects† (Freud 843).Benjamin can retain his absolute heterosexuality in the eyes of the viewer even though he is explicitly stating he does not want to have sex with this woman. His attention and focus on her legs informs the reader that he is still interested in her as a sexual being. Soon, though, this view of Ben as innocent is then shattered, as Mrs. Robinson appears to Ben in the next scene as completely nude. After seeing the naked female body, Benjamin is fully awar e that Mrs. Robinson has been castrated. He interjects, â€Å"Oh God,† â€Å"Let me out,† and â€Å"Jesus Christ,† in fear of what his has seen.The playful focus on Mrs. Robinson’s legs is gone and what remains serves as the glaring realization that Ben could be â€Å"castrated† by losing favor or power in his community if anyone found out that he had seen Mrs. Robinson naked. Benjamin eventually uses the premise of castration and phallus as power in an attempt manipulate Mrs. Robinson after their affair has been going on for some time. After deciding he has had enough meaningless sex, Ben asks Mrs. Robinson about her family including her daughter Elaine. Mrs.Robinson insinuates that Ben is not good enough for her daughter and then refuses to answer why he is not deemed good enough for Elaine. Ben then rips the sheet away from Mrs. Robinson’s naked body to reveal that he is still the only one in the room with a phallus and therefore should h old the power, as a way to force her to answer his question. Quickly, Mrs. Robinson covers her body to reclaim power within the situation. The scene escalates to Mrs. Robinson putting on her stockings again, playing Ben’s focus to her legs once more. Ben easily succumbs to her wiles giving back the power of an imaginary phallus to the older woman.This scene exemplifies Freud’s theory of castration anxiety, as the power in the room is switched back and forth between the person, male or female, who seems to be in possession of the phallus. Another possible, though more complicated, reading of the film emerges in a Lacanian analysis. Unlike Freud, who would argue that having a phallus is of the utmost importance, Lacan complicates the idea of power by questioning if it’s more important to have the Phallus or to be the Phallus. Mrs. Robinson perfectly highlights how important it is for women to be the Phallus. Mrs.Robinson wants to be desired by Ben, which is why sh e becomes so angry at the fact Ben takes her daughter on a date. Mrs. Robinson sees her own daughter’s youth and beauty as a threat to Ben’s attraction and affection. This younger woman is a roadblock to Mrs. Robinson being â€Å"the desire of the other† as Ben now wants someone young and single who poses an option of marriage that Mrs. Robinson does and can not (Palmer 1). In contrast, Ben does not desire to be the Phallus. Instead, he’s chasing pavements, in a sense, as his true desire, or ultimate Phallus, is being able to predict his own future.Though at one time he desired to be with Mrs. Robinson, his sense of desire changes as he realizes Mrs. Robinson cannot give him what he wants the way that Elaine can. Only Elaine, with her youth and ability to marry can be the only one who truly cannot give him what he wants, insight into his future which includes the possibility of a wife and children. Under this Lacanian analysis, it is almost impossible to distinguish whether it is more important to have the Phallus or to be the Phallus as both characters are left as equally unhappy. Mrs.Robinson is left feeling undesired as Benjamin literally fights tooth and nail to be with Elaine, and Benjamin is left still unknowing what the future holds for him. The film ends with Ben and Elaine running away from Elaine’s wedding to hop on a bus, take one last glance at what they left behind, and sit facing their future, starting blankly. A conventional reading of this film might conclude that the film has a â€Å"happy ending† since Benjamin ultimately ended up with the girl he had been chasing throughout the movie and therefore should be happy with achieving his goal. Freud and Lacan would both vehemently disagree with this reading.Freud would infer that since Ben continued to repress his feelings and act out his Oedipal Complex he has an obvious perversion that could only be solved or aided with deep and prolonged psychotherapy. Likewise, Lacan would conclude that Benjamin’s continuous pursuit of the Phallus is ultimately futile. Since Ben can never fully predict or understand his future, even when a life with Elaine is imminent, he will never be fulfilled or validated, as he will still have desires he can never realize. Only now, he has the added obligation of carrying Elaine along with him on his never-ending hunt for fulfillment.Works Cited The Graduate. Dir. Mike Nichols. Perf. Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. Embassy Pictures, 1967. DVD. Leitch, Vincent B. â€Å"Fetishism. † The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2010. 841-45. Print. Palmer, Donald D. â€Å"The Real, the Imaginary, and the Symbolic. † Structuralism and Poststructuralism for Beginners. New York, NY: Writers and Readers, 1997. N. pag. Print. Tyson, Lois. â€Å"Psychoanalytic Criticism. † Critical Theory Today: A User-friendly Guide. New York: Routledge, 2006. 11-52. Print.