The Wife Of Bath s Prologue By Geoffrey Chaucer - 1324 Words

Throughout history, it has generally been believed that women are of a lesser standard than that of their male counterparts. There has always been an opposition to this theory that believes that the reverse is true, or at the very least, that the sexes are equal. While some authors place women within their works solely as a filler character, or as support of their male lead, there are some that have written with the intent of the females offering a distinctive viewpoint than that of what the readers might be used to. The roles of women in literature have never been forced to be monotonous, yet that’s how they’ve been perceived. However, there are examples of female characters who have been written with the express purpose of breaking that†¦show more content†¦It is almost guaranteed that were it Grendel’s father, there would not be the same outcry. However, it is believed that because she is in fact a female, it is that fact that really cements the other characters in their rally against her wickedness. Because it is believed that a woman who can commit the things that Grendel’s mother has committed can only be evil. Chaucer made sure it was different for the Wife. Within the Prologue, the Wife is heavily criticized for having had five husbands. She, however, does not see the issue. From her position, the Bible does not ever state how many husbands a woman should take. In addition, she points out how Solomon, Jacob and Abraham all had multiple wives simultaneously, alluding to a double standard and hypocrisy in those who would try and demean her for how many husbands she would take by referring to the Bible for her sin while, in that same Bible, there are stories of the exact same situation she is in, only with men in her place instead of women, and those situations are readily accepted. Chaucer characterized the Wife of Bath as fitting almost every stereotype of what a â€Å"bad woman† would be during his time; the W ife is characterized as a scheming, controlling, manipulative woman who exerts her will over her husband’s and portrays them as good or bad based on their level of submittance to her will.Show MoreRelatedThe Wife Of Bath s Prologue By Geoffrey Chaucer1694 Words   |  7 Pagesthis was the socially accepted norm. Quite often, however, this was not the case as seen in the â€Å"Wife of Bath’s Prologue† written by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Wife of Bath was an unconventional woman who acted like the men of the age in multiple ways. The male pilgrims in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales were uncomfortable with her behavior because she was manlier than they were. The prologue begins with the wife, Alys, immediately stepping out of line and asserting herself as an expert on a subject matterRead MoreChaucers The Canterbury Tales1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales serves as a moral manual in the Middle Ages. In the tales, Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the problems of the society. For instance, Chaucer uses the monk and the friar in comparison to the parson to show what the ecclesiastical class are doing versus what they are supposed to be doing. In other words, it is to make people be aware of these problems. It can be inferred that the author’s main goal is for this literary work to serve as a message to the people along with changing theRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath s Prologue1134 Words   |  5 PagesThe Wife of Bath uses bible verses in â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue.† Further, she employs the verses as an outline of her life to find reason in God to justify her actions. Nevertheless, the purpose of the verses d iffers within each stanza of the poem. The Wife of Bath is a sexually promiscuous, lustful, and manipulative woman. She marries men one after the other as they get older and die. In order to combat and overthrow the speculation and criticism being thrust upon her by societal norms becauseRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath, By Geoffrey Chaucer1251 Words   |  6 PagesThe Wife of Bath, emphasizing â€Å"The Prologue of the Wife of Bath’s Tale† and the â€Å"The Prologue† in Geoffrey Chaucer s Canterbury Tales, is an example of the Middle English concept that male authors reflect misogynistic ideals of society onto female characters.With the Wife of Bath, she is a fictional character, as told by Chaucer, going on a Pilgrimage, with constant ridicule for her sexuality and multiple marriages. Chaucer portrays her as a previously battered wife who uses her sexual promiscuityRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath s Prologue And Tale2067 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"The Wife of Bathâ€℠¢s Prologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† by Geoffrey Chaucer functions as a way to both satirize and represent female equality. In particular, The Wife of Bath challenges the stereotypes of what may appear to be â€Å"normal† treatment of women during this time period (TheBestNotes.com). She identifies the distinctions between â€Å"traditional† gender roles and relates them to passages from the bible, which are then taken out of context. These passages are meant to justify The Wife of Bath’sRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath s Prologue And Tale990 Words   |  4 PagesThe Wife of Bath s Prologue and Tale is about female empowerment it shows strong protagonists. I believe Geoffrey Chaucer used The Wife of Bath’s Tale to advocate for feminism. Chaucer used a strong female character to expose female stereotypes. It was an oppressive time for women in male-dominated society. During the Middle Ages, Chaucer wrote from a woman’s poin t of view something that was not normal at that time. He set his feminist ideals through the characters of the Wife of Bath and the oldRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer View and Change on Judgement968 Words   |  4 Pagesthis judgment process, we also form certain opinions towards that person or an organization. Geoffrey Chaucer is one of these people, but he actually did something about it. He had problems with some social aspects during the 1300s which included the church, gender differences, and hypocrisy. He wrote about these problems in a set of tales widely known as The Canterbury Tales. The first is The General Prologue which describes a pilgrimage to Canterbury that many people endure, but on this specific journeyRead MoreWho Was Geoffrey Chaucer?888 Words   |  4 PagesWho was Geoffrey Chaucer? One of the most unique poets of during the Middle Ages was Geoffrey Chaucer. He was born in London sometime between 1340 and 1344. His parents were John Chaucer and Agnes Copton. John Chaucer was an affluent wine merchant and deputy to the king’s butler. Geoffrey held several opportunities early in his life serving as a noblewoman’s page, a courtier, a diplomat, a civil servant, and a collector of scrap metal. He was given theses oppurtunities because of who his father wasRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath s Prologue And Tale1338 Words   |  6 PagesOut of all the notable medieval authors, only Geoffrey Chaucer penned one of the great stories on the plight of being a woman as retold in The Canterbury Tales. â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale† points out the fallacy of medieval churches view on women being the lesser gender. â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale† follows a woman, the Wife of Bath, who tries to defend the experiences she has had in her life ag ainst the judgements of men. The Wife revealed the prejudice against women at the time

The Military of the Roman Empire - 2082 Words

Military of the Roman Empire The military of the Roman Empire formed the group that held Rome together. They fought with steadfast courage, love for their country, and honor for their people. They overcame some of the deadliest battles, even when they were outnumbered tremendously. There were several ranks and types of soldiers in the Roman Empire. There were around thirty-five to forty different types of soldiers in the Roman Military, all of which I have listed at the end of my paper. When Rome was at its highest point it is estimated that there were around 120 million people living there. At its peak the Roman army contained around 20 million soldiers. There has even been evidence that suggest that there were women in the roman†¦show more content†¦Military engineering was only evident during the peak of Roman military during the mid-Republic to the mid-Empire. Before the mid-Republic period there is very little evidence of military engineering, and in the late Empire it is the same. Only during the central period was engineering a major part of the Roman Military. Military engineering took the form of the regular construction of fortified camps, in road-building, in the construction of siege engines, to the building of roadways for travel of the roman military. Engineering practice led to the invention of siege equipment such as the ballistae. This was a large crossbow that could be used to take down stone walls with just a few blows. Also to the crea tion of siege towers, as well as allowing the troops to construct roads, bridges and fortified camps. All of these led to the ability for Roman troops to, assault settlements easier, move more rapidly to wherever they were needed, cross rivers to reduce march times, surprise enemies, and to camp in relative secure areas, even in enemy territory. Rome used its military aggressively. The Roman army had started from mainly farmers, and gaining new farming lands from other countries, for the its growing population or later retiring soldiers, was often one of the military’s main objectives. Only in the late Empire did the Roman militarys goal become keeping control over its territories. As the territories falling under Rome expanded, and theShow MoreRelatedThe Military Crisis Of The Roman Empire1125 Words   |  5 PagesBefore the military crisis of the Third Century of the Roman Empire, the armies were under proper recruitment, training and deployment. They even had armories dif ferent from the rest. The Roman army was divided into two groups with various functions, which had the overall element of defense. Frontier troops were in charge of the borders, while the mobile field forces were overseeing towns and cities. Frontier troops fought against weak threats like raiding along the border and prevented major attacksRead MoreThe Punic War1028 Words   |  4 PagesSome empires were prosperous and lengthy, while some came crashing right down. One of the most important parts of a civilization is defending and preserving the empire. Throughout history, many different civilizations used a variety of strategies to defend and preserve their empire. Three civilizations that took interesting approaches on preserving their empires were the Roman, Byzantine, and Egyptian Empires. The Roman Empire was said to be one of the most powerful and largest empires in allRead MoreTaking a Look at Ancient Empires663 Words   |  3 PagesAncient Empires such as Gupta, Rome, Maya, and Rome were some important empires.They all have Pros/Cons in their Empire. No empire was perfect, each empire had its own ups and downs. The Romans had a strong military that gained lots of new land compared to the Mayans who did not have a strong military because their military did not help gain lots of land and didn’t really defend their land well like the Romans did. Rome had better beliefs and religion such as Roman mythology which had stronger beliefsRead MoreRoman Empire Essay1583 Words   |  7 PagesE-476 C.E) the Roman Empire had been ruled by a series of Roman emperors who had been increasingly dependent for the highly structured state of bureaucracy. The Gupta/Maurya during the time of (320 B.C.E-520 C.E.) was by way of imperial power based on family lineage. The Roman he artland was centered in Italy. Even after Italy had been conquered, it still stayed at that single peninsula that had been bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps Mountains. As for the Maurya Empire, it was locatedRead MoreEssay on A comparison of Ancient Rome and Pre WW1 United States908 Words   |  4 PagesA comparison of Ancient Rome and Pre WW1 United States Title: The Roman Empire and the Early United States A comparison The purpose of this paper is to show the comparison between remarkable empires that were created in many years apart. I chose to compare Pre-World War I United States and the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire information is said to be recorded between 753BC – 1184 BC (ThinkQuest) and the Pre World War I information is between late 19th century and early 20th century (Encarta)Read MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire was a powerful governing body of extensive political and social structures throughout western civilization. How did this empire fall and were internal factories responsible? Slow occurrences in succession to one another led to the fall of the empire rather than one single event. The fall of the Roman Empire was a combination of both internal and external pressures, not just one, leading up to the complete decay of the cities—Rome and Constantinople. However, one could argue how oneRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire846 W ords   |  4 PagesVance Take Home Essay Final Fall 2014 A1. For an empire that lasted nearly 500 years, the fall of the Roman Empire was influenced by various different events. Four troubled ingredientes lead to the demise of the the greatest empire of all time; politics, money, social, and war. It is important to note that the fall of the Roman Empire does not mean that the romans lost everything, it is just a reference to the fall of the western roman empire. One of the causes of the fall of the west was thatRead MoreRoman Republic And The Roman Empire1146 Words   |  5 Pages Roman Military The Roman Republic and the Roman Empire together lasted for over one-thousand years,and at its height, their extensive territories stretched from the Atlantic Ocean in the West, to the rivers of Mesopotamia in the East, and from the Sahara desert in the South, to the River Rhine in Northern Europe. The one factor that made this spectacular feat possible was the exploits of the Roman Military. The military had succeeded in their expansion campaigns and had successfully defendedRead MoreWhat were the Primary Reasons for the Fall of Rome?1024 Words   |  5 Pagesone of the world’s greatest empires with their excellent military conquering territory from modern day Scotland to Spain. After the Punic Wars and the defeat of Carthage, Rome had full control of the Mediterranean region, establishing colonies in North Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. Julius Caesar became Rome’s first emperor using his military influence. Under his reign, Rome shifted from a republic to an empire under the rule of an emperor and the military. Rome steadily increased inRead MoreRoman Empire Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesThe Roman Empire was one of the greatest and longest lasting empires to date, but by A.D. 476 the empire was divided in two and its downfall was inevitable. There are many reasons for the downfall of the Western Roman Empire, some political some economical, but the four biggest factors were religion, war, size, and the decline of the Military. The problems that brought about the downfall of the Western Roman Empire were not unsolvable, but the leaders lacked the will and organization to fix them

Auditing Challenging-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignmenthelp

Questions: 1.Explain how your results Influence your Planning decisions for the audit for the year ending 30 June 2015 2.Explain why it is a risk and how it may affect the Risk of Material Misstatement in the Financial Report 3.Explain two key fraud risk factors relating to Misstatements arising from Fraudulent Financial reporting to which DIPL may be Susceptible. Answers: 1.Application of Several analytic techniques of analytics to the financial report as well as information of the DIPL: There is a chance of development of the audit plan by the analytic techniques of the report information of the financial nature of the DIPL. At the time the audit is undertaken, the plan of audit can be thought of as a specific guideline requiring to be maintained. In a more specific manner it can be said that the task of maintenance cost of the audits is that in which the assessors are assisted. This is thought to be quite reasonable. It also helps to avoid any nature of problems of client as well as authority misunderstandings. The procedure or the way in which the dissemination of the financial declaration as well as the information is performed, are the analytic approach to the declaration or the financial statement of the DIPL firm. Several mechanisms assist the evaluation process along with the utility. It also facilitates the entire process and the mechanism along with the operations. The analytic approach for the declaration analysis which is by nature, financial has certain benefits. It is possible for several accountants to decipher important information to help them in drawing major business conclusions. This system of work also favours financial analysts. Analysing the financial declaration of a reference point which is common is helped by the analytic approach to the common sizing. This also assists in the comparison of statements financial in nature in terms of several time points or in terms of different corporations. Several lines of mentioned items in the economic report as well as the style of reporting can be understood and analysed by the assessors. Considering an example we can say that the nature in which a particular item is registered the items being the net assets as well as the net liabilities should be considered also along with the owner equity in the financial reporting of the firm as also the digression of the normal has a requirement to be established. The method of analysis needs to be used for the plan execution as well as analysis in connection to the audit which is nothing but benchmarking. This is not improbable as benchmarking is regarded as a procedure for analysis. The variance of the actual economic declara tion found from the benchmark helps in evaluation of the deviation as also in the analysis of the reason behind the detected variance for the root cause (Hayes, Wallage and Gortemaker 2014). In addition to this it can be said that ratio analysis is thought of as an analytic approach of an appropriate nature that assists in the economic declarations in the assessment of the audit plan. Results of the audit planning decisions, their results and influence: The results of the planning decision regarding the audit and its plan are generally influenced by the analytic method of thinking, and their results which are found such that the dissemination of financial statement information can be conducted. Citing an example it can be said that the outcomes of the ratio analysis for example the current ratio of the firm namely DIPL is calculated as 1.42 in 2013, 1.46 in 2014 and 1.5 in 2015. Also it can be said that the profit margin or the ratio of profitability has been enumerated to be 0.068 in 2013, 0.60 in 2014 and 0.06 in 2015. The specific profit ratio helps to reveal the state or condition of the income earned by the net sales of the DIPL firm (Arens et al. 2016). It can also be said that the net income earned by the firm assist the assessor in knowing the nature of the expenses whether high or low. It also helps to understand whether the firm management control the requirement of the budget curtail as well as the expenses of the firm. T he favourable as well as the changes which are unfavourable can be utilized as a reference factor in the audit or assessment of the DIPL firms financial health as also the soundness along with the overall condition of the firm (Knechel and Salterio 2016). The ratio useful for determining the trends both desirable as well as undesirable is the solvency ratio (Cannon and Bedard 2016). It is calculated to be 0.62 in 2013, 0.44 in 2014 and 0.21 in 2015. In order to evaluate whether the total cash flow of the economic corporation is adequate or not in meeting the short and long term liabilities of the DIPL firm the three year period ratio proves useful. The assessors can understand the financial position of the firm relatively in connection to this time period as well as factors unfavourable or undesirable in any way. 2.Identification of inherent risk factors that arise from the business operations of the DIPL: It can be stated that there exists several significant factors which influence audit and also involve incidence of misstatements of the material in the announcements of economic nature concerning specific issues. It can be asserted however that several forms of the systematic as well as unsystematic risks are present which assist in the reflection of financial misstatements in the declarations of the financial companies (Barton and Bruder 2014). There is also a probability of the detected risks being due to both financial as well as non-financial factors that ultimately help avoiding the a definite corporation for reflecting a modest, fair as well as free view for pertinent economic declarations. It can also be asserted that an evaluator has a possibility of finding it challenging to examine and recognise several risks. According to the opinion of William it can be said that the identified risks can be connected to several risks which are associated with the omission with the risks o f several diverse errors that cannot be considered for a specific book-keeper. All in all it can be said that the inherent risk has a chance of coming from the operations of business in connection to the DIPL (Beasley 2015). On the basis of a provided study it can be thought that there certainly are numerous transactions which are specifically deleted by the accountants or the corporation management authorities of the DIPL. However, this can sequentially lead to the inconsistencies that specifically owe the ineffectual marketing strategies, in majority which are assisted by the activities related to marketing (Eilifsen et al 2013). Additionally it can be stated that the economic declarations as also their evaluations reveal that the firm completely failed to attain the level of profit which is considered beneficial for the sales of revenue. In particular it might be due to the failure of the firms management in relation to the concerned particular requirement identification. Also the consequent adjustments of the corporations functionalities are also considered. As a suitable conclusion it can be said that the business organisations failure in analysing the micro and macro economic factors that might pos sibly exist in form of social economic as well as political factors are understood. The poor sales figures of the firm reflect such failures (DeFond and Zhang 2014). It is due to the DIPL workers that several escalations have been received regarding the overall inherent risks. Lack of proficiency and also knowledge of the company employees have led to considerable escalation and risks of the firm. It might also be due to the establishment of a particular work concern concerning the business depending on the staff-members consistency. The non-proficient work forces can also improve the inherent risks as mistakes are bound to occur. Errors of exclusion or removal constitute the misstated announcements being pecuniary on nature. Apart from the facts discussed above, the other noteworthy aspects contributing to the risks inherent are possible to be divided into numerous segments in a particular manner, which cover environmental as well as external aspects, materialistic misstatements in the particular time periods which are not recent and the falsified exercises are also considered. Numerous environmental facts pointing towards inherent risks that constitute swift changes in places where there is a possibility of issue existence connected to the valuation of inventory, generic market competition as also the shortage of adequate capital. The current case of the DIPL and its complexities reveal that the CEOs succession included inherent risks. The aspect of succession of the CEO is different as there lies a certain individuality of the candidates. It can somehow be said that several risks are inherent in the CEO succession method as also the procedure quality regarding the choice, the selection ease as well in the handling process. Thus the process end without the strategy compliance, late initiation as well the CEOs inadequate involvement The given scenario as well as its analysis states that IT system and its implementation has led to several issues. An adequate number of staff were not present to carry out the execution and installation procedure. The testing and the reconciliation were not possible to be carried out before the new arrangement prior to the end of the year. The initial testing process revealed that the steps which were undertaken were not accurate and not in proportion with the accurate time period. The misstatement of the material due to the underlying factors was caused due to it. It was due to the hidden factors involving error or omission in a specific economic declaration. It can be asserted further that the cash receipt and its records by the professionals in the field of finance on behalf of the company have a chance of reaching out to the inherent risks in the mishandling occasion. A proper and methodical sequence is required to be followed by the employees in order to ensure that the account receivables are registered in a proper manner. The receivable ledgers proper maintenance and the proper registration of the account receivables need to be registered. In addition the reconciliation of the bank needs to be recorded in a proper manner. In addition to this, the generated revenue from the e-book taking reprint of the textbooks needs to be considered regarding a complexity of the process (Louwers et al 2015). Along with the valuation process several raw materials at certain costs which are average was unsuitable the average cost being much lower than the present cost of paper. Risk and its ability to affect the material misstatement risk in the financial report: The risks inherent in the procedure can be understood as well as successfully identified due to the susceptibility of an assumption pinpointed regarding the material misstatement. Excessive employee and management pressure: Excess workload on the members of the staff of the firm leads ot poor levels of bookkeeping. Few important issues like the propensity in encountering issues of cash flow, low level of liquidity as well as poor outcomes of operation occur (Nalewaik and Mills 2016). Risks of errors or incorrect misinterpretations: There is the existence of certain reliability as well as the intricacy due to the risk of error as well as the misinterpretation of the risk occurs simultaneously. Integrity of entire management: The management at the DIPL firm essentially does not have the integrity requisite so there is the expectation of the prepared reputation as well as business community as an entirety. Unusual management pressure: There is a chance of misstatements in the declarations of a pecuniary nature due to the incentives in the management. Nature of business entity: DIPL leads to a massive amount of financial growth along with the circumstances of a competitive nature. There is a chance of factors impacting the overall underlying risks in the entities of the business. Identification and understanding of two vital types of fraud risks relate to the misstatements arising from the financial reporting frauds. Risks of fraud lead to the considerable losses of the fraud assets. The dissatisfaction of the work force due o the tremendous work load has a chance of inducing fraud involvement. The most important fraud risks that occur due to the DIPL firm operations include the engagement of the workforce in the fraudulent actions as also the dissatisfaction level of the employees (Duncan and Whittington 2014). A separate fraud risk possible is the reporting financial fraud risk. During the excessive expectation from the outside financers for declaration of financial announcements or for meeting certain targets a huge risk of improper financial announcements is present (William, Glover and Prawitt 2016). Explanation of the risk factor identification: Depending on the case given, it can be asserted that the process of evaluation for numerous several raw material inventories were not suitable as the average cost of paper was much below the cost of paper. The risk of financial reporting can be detected by the monitoring of the control statements over the course of time. References Arens, A.A., Elder, R.J., Beasley, M.S. and Hogan, C.E., 2016.Auditing and assurance services. Pearson. Barton, H. and Bruder, N., 2014.A guide to local environmental auditing. Routledge. Beasley, M.S., 2015.Auditing cases: An interactive learning approach. Prentice Hall. Cannon, N. and Bedard, J.C., 2016. Auditing challenging fair value measurements: Evidence from the field.The Accounting Review. DeFond, M. and Zhang, J., 2014. A review of archival auditing research.Journal of Accounting and Economics,58(2), pp.275-326. Duncan, B. and Whittington, M., 2014, September. Compliance with standards, assurance and audit: Does this equal security?. InProceedings of the 7th International Conference on Security of Information and Networks(p. 77). ACM. Eilifsen, A., Messier, W.F., Glover, S.M. and Prawitt, D.F., 2013.Auditing and assurance services. McGraw-Hill. Hayes, R., Wallage, P. and Gortemaker, H., 2014.Principles of auditing: an introduction to international standards on auditing. Pearson Higher Ed. Knechel, W.R. and Salterio, S.E., 2016.Auditing: Assurance and risk. Taylor Francis. Louwers, T.J., Ramsay, R.J., Sinason, D.H., Strawser, J.R. and Thibodeau, J.C., 2015.Auditing assurance services. McGraw-Hill Education. Nalewaik, A. and Mills, A., 2016.Project Performance Review: Capturing the Value of Audit, Oversight, and Compliance for Project Success. CRC Press. William Jr, M., Glover, S. and Prawitt, D., 2016.Auditing and assurance services: A systematic approach. McGraw-Hill Education.

Planning for International Marketing free essay sample

After reading this chapter you should be able to: †¢ describe the strategic marketing planning process and the role of scenario planning in international marketing †¢ explain the steps involved in the international marketing planning process †¢ develop an international marketing plan †¢ illustrate the challenges to effective international marketing planning †¢ discuss the requirements for practical international marketing planning. Introduction p. 280 The competitive and rapidly changing environment of 2010 and beyond has prompted most Asia–Pacific firms pursuing international opportunities to use strategic market planning to identify, tap and profit from international markets. Successful companies periodically evaluate their market environments in order to assess changes in their opportunities and threats. External and internal environmental changes frequently require them to modify their objectives and sometimes change direction. As discussed in earlier chapters, changes in government regulations, emergence of new competitors, the introduction of new technology and the opening of new markets can change the way in which a firm does business internationally. We will write a custom essay sample on Planning for International Marketing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As they gain experience, develop new competencies and add more resources, firms change their objectives and sometimes their mission. Strategic market planning in international markets is essentially a way of thinking and a mode of acting. In terms of thinking, it challenges international marketers to be constantly sensitive to changes and assess the implications for marketing. In terms of acting, marketers need to be flexible and responsive in the way they plan for and manage the firm’s resources and capabilities. Toyne and Walters (1993, p. 1) provide a useful definition of strategic market planning: Strategic market planning is the systematic and periodic process used by managers to examine the environments in which their company competes, the opportunities and threats they face, the goals and objectives to be achieved, and the products and services offered in order to maintain a viable fit between their company’s capabilities and resources and the threats and opportunities that arise from a changing environment. Its purpose is to identify and develop a corporate purpose, objectives and goals, and plans of action that effectively relate the company, its businesses, and functional areas to their relevant environments and that enables the company to profitably exploit future marketplace opportunities in which it is likely to enjoy a competitive advantage. In this chapter the foundation for effective strategic market planning is laid using an adaptation of a successful Australian firm’s international marketing plan and by exploring the challenges and practical requirements for effective international marketing planning. The context and process of international marketing planning are discussed first. Lecture outline The context of international strategic marketing planning p. 280 The essential steps in scenario planning are: familiarisation – understanding the organisation, key stakeholders, their needs and expectations †¢ discovery – gaining an understanding of current trends and events and anticipating possible future discontinuities in the international environment †¢ scenario building – developing and progressively upgrading a range of scenarios that reflect events, patterns and discontinuities †¢ action and integration – developing appropriate business and marketing strategies which enable the organisation to operate effectively within the scenarios generated. Steps in the international marketing planning process p. 283 The textbook works through a real example of an Australian company, following the steps required in the planning for a new operation of a sales office in another country, following a similar process as that outlined in Case Example 8. 1. 1. Background: †¢ the industry †¢ company history 2. Situation analysis: †¢ business environment o social and cultural factors o technological factors o political and legal factors o demographic trends o seasonal and climatic factors o economic factors †¢ market analysis o the product market market characteristics and forecasts o distribution and pricing trends o positioning o market segments and needs †¢ competitor analysis o competitors’ strengths o competitors’ weaknesses o competitors’ strategies o competitors’ market positioning †¢ organisational resources and capabilities o financial capabilities o research capabilities o produ ction capacity and capabilities o management skills o domestic distribution and suppliers o promotional materials o SWOT analysis. A plan would normally continue on to address the issues of: †¢ foreign market entry strategy target market and segmentation strategy †¢ positioning strategy †¢ marketing mix strategy o product o price o promotion o placement. Evaluation of alternative marketing strategies p. 288 Segmenting international markets p. 288 Firms segment international markets by using one or a combination of segmentation bases. These include: †¢ geographic segmentation – by country or region. Regional markets often self-segment because of agreements such as Free Trade Areas †¢ economic factors – e. g. by population incomes or overall level of development †¢ political and legal factors – e. . type and stability of the government, receptivity to foreign firms, monetary regulations and amount of bureaucracy †¢ cultural factors – e. g. language, religions, values and attitudes, customs and behavioural patterns. Emerging bases of global segmentation p. 289 †¢ Global market segmentation can be defined as country groups, individual consumer groups, or potential customers with homogeneous attributes. †¢ Countries can be segmented by diffusion patterns, i. e. the speed with which consumers in that country adopt a new product or technology. Refer to Figure 8. Segments based on diffusion patterns p. 290. Consumers in lag countries may learn from the product experience of lead countries. †¢ Local differences in each country could als o be the basis of segmentation, i. e. ‘think globally, act locally’. Market positioning for international markets p. 290 What is market positioning? p. 290 Positioning refers to the way a product’s important attributes are defined by the consumers, i. e. the place the product occupies in the mind of the consumers relative to competing products. Refer to International Highlight 8. 2 Pecunia non olet – or does it? Latin for ‘money does not smell’) p. 291. Positioning strategies p. 290 †¢ Positioning takes place in the minds of consumers because consumers cannot re-evaluate products every time they make a buying decision. †¢ There are a number of positioning strategies firms can pursue: o positioning products on the needs they fill or on the benefits they offer o positioning products according to usage occasions o positioning a product for certain classes of users o positioning a product directly against a competitor o positioning a product for different product classes. Choosing and implementing a positioning strategy p. 291 †¢ In choosing the ways that a firm positions itself and its products in an overseas market may be similar to or different from that in the home market. †¢ The challenge facing the international marketer is how to differentiate the product from competing products in the same segment (or position in the market). Refer to Case Example 8. 2 p. 292. Corporate objectives p. 293 †¢ Usually include a mission statement. They often reflect new markets, new business and financial growth. Refer to Case Example 8. 3 p. 293. Marketing objectives and strategy p. 94 †¢ May focus on all or on individual priority markets. Refer to Case Example 8. 4 p. 294. †¢ May involve all international markets that the firm is currently marketing in. Economic evaluation p. 295 An economic evaluation of an international marketing strategy includes planning assumptions, underpinning the logic of the plan, sales and cost forecasts, break even analysis and sensitivity analysis to establish financial benchmarks and to establish consequences of alternative possible outcomes. Detailed financial analysis would normally be appended to the marketing plan. As Case Example 8. 5 p. 295-6 illustrates, some planning assumptions would cover: †¢ market/industry growth †¢ new technologies about to emerge †¢ sales forecasts based on the best, worst and most realistic achievable in the current economic climate †¢ profit and loss forecasts. Implementation and control p. 296 Action plans for implementation p. 296 Action program p. 296 †¢ What will be done? †¢ When will it be done by? †¢ Who will do it? †¢ How will it be done? †¢ How will performance be measured? Budgets p. 297 †¢ Revenue forecasts/budgets. †¢ Cost budgets. Projected profit. Marketing implementation p. 297 †¢ A process that turns marketing strategies into marketing actions. †¢ Successful strategy implementation depends on several key elements. These are: o an action program that pulls people and activities together o the firm’s formal organisational structure plays a role in implementing marketing strategy o t he firm’s decision and reward systems o the firm’s marketing strategies must fit with the firm’s organisational culture. Monitoring of action plan p. 297 Marketing control p. 297 This involves evaluating the results of the marketing strategies and plans and taking corrective action to ensure that objectives are attained. Refer to Case Example 8. 6 p. 298. Challenges to international marketing planning p. 298 †¢ Plans must be realistic! †¢ Plans must be integrated into the business or corporate hierarchy. †¢ There should be financial integration with international marketing at the business strategy level. †¢ Too much emphasis is given to ‘the plan’ document rather than the international marketing planning process. †¢ Team involvement is crucial. The role of external relationships must be acknowledged and factored into the marketing plan. A series of systematic, interrelated steps is crucial in effectively formulating and implementing international marketing strategies. Refer to International Highlight 8. 3 How to wiggle your way into new markets p. 300. Practical international marketing planning p. 299 The approach a firm takes towards international marketing planning is often a reflection of: †¢ the firm’s competitive position in the local market †¢ the history of the firm †¢ the relative importance of the international markets. Market-based and product-based planning p. 299 There are two approaches to practical marketing planning: market-based and product/service-based. †¢ Market-based approach: o starts with an understanding of consumer needs o products are then modified or adapted to suit those consumer needs o service strategies to accompany the physical good may also need to be adapted for some international markets o this approach is most suitable when a new product is being developed or the intention is to modify or adapt an existing product o positioning is a key consideration Product/service-based approach: o this approach is most frequently encountered in practice o firms who undertake this approach take existing products and look towards international markets where the product can be sold in the same or similar functional format as that of the domestic market o this approach should be considered as a possible short-term planning approach with a view of moving towards a market-based approach a s experience in the international arena is gained. Incorporating creative insight p. 301 The international marketer is faced with the challenge of incorporating creative insight into the planning process and identifying new ways of conducting international business. There are a number of ways of encouraging creativity, including: †¢ question all key assertions and recommendations †¢ discuss the areas of planning with people who have a different perspective †¢ allow enough time when writing the marketing plan to reflect the findings and conclusions †¢ the idea or insight must be capable of being implemented. The importance of managerial aspirations p. 01 †¢ The personal aspirations, attitudes and expectations of the firm’s managing director or chief executive directly influence the direction, objectives and activities of the organisation. †¢ It is important for the marketing planner to acknowledge and understand the thoughts and strategic directions proposed by the firm’s leaders. †¢ Key decision-makers within the organisat ion and their aspirations need to be identified by the marketing planner who must then undertake his/her marketing planning activity that conforms to these aspirations. Summary p. 302 Planning and strategy for international marketing follows a series of steps and processes which are practised by most successful international marketing firms. These include a systematic and detailed analysis of the external market environment and the internal capabilities of the firm, a clear understanding of alternatives, concise, measurable and well-communicated objectives and well thought-out marketing strategies supported by time-phased action plans and resource allocation. Financial evaluation leading to forecasts and budgets form the basis for monitoring performance nd taking action to keep the business on target. Tools such as scenario planning are now being used to build flexibility into both company response and planning processes and provide a context for international marketing planning. The centrepiece of all international marketing planning should be detailed market analysis incorporating actionable market segmentation targets. Different approaches to segmentation shoul d be evaluated before a segmentation scheme is settled upon. This leads to alternative choices for market positioning in the targeted markets. An important part of planning for international markets is sales and cost forecasting, break-even and sensitivity analysis and a thorough evaluation of the financial consequences of missing sales targets. The many practical issues to be considered in international marketing planning include the implementation of action plans, the management aspirations of the company, the extent to which the plan can be market based as distinct from product based and the integration of the plan with the rest of the business and its competencies.