Rural Marketing - Free Essay Example

Solar Energy Products Marketing In Rural India Rajshekhar Patne The recently released Global Status Report on renewable says that grid-connected solar Photovoltaics (PV) has been the fastest growing energy technology in the world with 50 per cent annual growth in cumulative installed capacity in last two years. The majority of the above capacity comes from Germany, Japan, Spain, and the US which have installed small PV systems (a few kilowatts to tens of kilowatts) on their rooftops, feeding the electricity into the grid through two way meters and enjoying the benefits of net metered electricity bills at the end of the month. Of the total reported 25 lakh homes worldwide that use solar home systems today, about 3. 6 lakhs are in India, second only to China which has 4 lakh solar home system users. Though this figure looks good the actual situation is very scary. According to the Ministry of Power, Government of India, about 7. 6 crore rural homes still use kerosene for lighting. L ighting the basic amenity is not provided to 56. 5 per cent of the 13~8crore rural homes and 12. 4 per cent of roughly 5. 37 crore urban homes in India which continue to burn biomass, wax candles and kerosene lamps, spending Rs. to 5 per day. Apart from the low levels of illumination provided by these devices, smoke and fire hazards due to accidental pilfering of kerosene and tipping of candles are common. The task of providing electricity to the rural households is a large one. The task is made more challenging by constraints such as the lack of an extensive transmission network throughout the country, the limited generating capacity to serve additional rural markets, and the scarcity of capital for investments in generation, transmission, and distribution. Economic extension of rural electrification is further constrained by the generally small loads and greater dispersion of rural customers, making it difficult to justify the costs of distribution networks. Alternative options to the conventional grid based electrification, such as low cost isolated grid systems, solar, wind and micro hydro are under consideration for serving remote villages and other clusters of customers. Another strong contender, particularly for disbursed consumers and clusters with combined loads too small to justify grid systems is the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for electrification of individual homes or buildings. These are commonly called solar home systems (SHS). The solar lantern, a portable lighting device that uses CFL, has its own rechargeable battery inside that can be charged every day using an 8 to 10 watt solar panel. This is an ideal device to light up homes that currently use biomass or kerosene for lighting. The solar lantern with its solar panel currently costs about Rs. 3,200-3,600 of which the user generally pays only 50 per cent as the remaining amount is supported through a central subsidy. However, an upfront payment of Rs. 1,800 often becomes a deterrent for the prospective user who can afford and probably is willing to pay smaller amounts on a daily or weekly basis. Such scenario can be resolved by Micro finance and effective business model. Dynamics of rural markets differ from other market types, and similarly, rural marketing strategies are also significantly different from the marketing strategies aimed at an urban or industrial consumer. Strategies to be followed in Indian Rural Market- a) Marketing Strategy: Marketers need to understand the psychology of the rural consumers and then act consequently. Rural marketing involves more exhaustive personal selling efforts compared to urban marketing. Different schemes can be proposed for the solar lightning in Rural area: 1. Cash purchase through a single payment (with subsidy) . Cash purchase through payment in monthly installments. 3. Cash purchase of main equipment and charging service fee on daily or weekly basis. 4. Loan to Self Help Group people to buy solar prod ucts. b) Distribution Strategy Apart from making financing schemes we need to think about distribution and promotional model for the same. As the value chain for solar lightning is Manufacturer ( Regional Distributor ( Local distributor (Local retailer (at village level) this makes product costlier. This longer chain can be cut down by making hub spoke model by manufacturer. This model not only for supply of equipments but also should be there for service/repair. According to the Indian Market Research Bureau, around 8000 such melas are held in rural India every year. Rural markets have the practice of fixing specific days in a week as Market Days called Haats when exchange of goods and services are carried out. This is another potential low cost distribution channel available to the marketers. At local level a service person can be appointed who can work on partly basis and repair the solar lanterns. Also if partial equipment is purchased by people then company can establish solar charging station at center and this local person can collect and charge lanterns on daily basis. As most of the time the lanterns are used during 6 pm to 10 pm, a local person can collect these lanterns during morning time, charge it entire day and return it in the evening time. Apart from this he can also collect mobile/telephone batteries, smaller pump batteries and charge it with some minimal amount. This will take care expenses of local service provider. These solar charging stations would be operated and maintained by local youth, NGOs and local enterprises that can be selected through a process offering maximum equity (or any other criteria) and can be trained and incubated for a pre-specified time. These charging stations can be set up using resources from the government (they can be treated as basic infrastructure) or from corporations setting up rural outlets for their own products and services. c) Promotional Strategies: Bottle Water: In most of villages in India drinking water is major problem. To promote solar products in such villages, company can distribute reusable water bottle to villagers which can be filled every day with some minimal amount. A local person can be appointed who can daily distribute water to these homes and also collect solar lanterns for charging at central station. With help of very marginal amount such business model can work in self sustainable basis. Initial setup support can be get from Government in the form of Subsidy, NGO or Charity. Fertilizer Company tie-up: Company can make promotional offers having tie-up with fertilizer companies. This way they can channelize their business with short supply chain. Also this will help to provide free system on bulk purchase of fertilizers pesticides. Conclusion: Solar lightning penetration to 3. 5 lacs house hold compared to more than 7 crore household who are awaiting to see the light in their life is very scary and very opportunistic. The right way of distribut ion, service and promotional model in rural area will be a great opportunity for many Solar Product manufacturing companies. Micro finance and NGOs are very supportive to initialize proper self sustainable business model.

Homes for the Homeless - 1436 Words

Homelessness is a major health issue around the world that needs to be addressed. Many individuals in a community often misinterpret the cause of homelessness. Comments towards homeless people such as â€Å"get a job† or â€Å"go to school† often are used freely by members of soci-ety because they fail to look at the comprehensive of this oppressing issue. Homelessness has a strong link to the determinants of health (DOH), most notably income and social status (Fingfeld, 2010). The article, â€Å"No Funding for Homes for the Homeless† speaks on the issue of homeless-ness within the city of Prince Albert. Furthermore, the article illustrates that homelessness is a community issue not solely an individual issue. Therefore, this paper will discuss the†¦show more content†¦The program coordinator verbalized that without the program the people in need have nowhere else in the city to go for help (Froes, 2011). Refer to the appendix to view the ar-ticle . Homes for the Homeless program is trying to assist members in the Prince Albert com-munity to overcome barriers in order to have a second chance. More specifically, the program is doing its part to form equity in health and assist with social justice in the community. As stated in A Population Health Promotion Framework For Saskatchewan Regional Health Authorities document â€Å"the healthiest societies are those in which there is a relatively small gap between the best-off and worst-off members† (p. 5). However, no single program contains the resources needed to prevent homelessness (Burt, Pearson, Montgomery, 2007). Therefore social action needs to occur in order to keep the program doors open and to address the issue of homelessness. Proposed Solution Critical social theory (CST) can be used as a framework to approach the issue of home-lessness. â€Å"CST examines relationships of power and the underlying structures in society that produce population inequities† (Grahms Christ as cited in Mohammed, 2006). The theory looks at inequities in relation to cultural, political, and economic aspects of society (Mohammed, 2006). Further, the aspects of society that cause remedial differences can beShow MoreRelatedHomeless Veterans: The Fight at Home1367 Words   |  5 PagesHomeless Veterans: The Fight at Home Every night more than sixty-five thousand veterans are looking for a place to lay their heads, they are homeless. For over a decade these men and women of our armed forces have been returning home from the conflicts overseas; each year their presence in the homeless community has increased significantly. The reintegration from a structured military lifestyle to a lax civilian life can make adjusting difficult for service members. These men and women, who haveRead MoreEssay about Alone Without a Home: Homeless and Runaway Youth 1624 Words   |  7 PagesAlone Without a Home: Homeless Runaway Youths Across the country, there are children who leave home to avoid the dangers of home only to face the dangers of living on the streets. For some the urge to leave is short lived and they return home. For others it can be a lifetime of struggle as the situation they once thought was a good solution suddenly becomes a never ending nightmare as they fight to survive and face the harsh reality that they have no place to turn to. 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(Final Draft) Many people become homeless because of reasons beyond their control. Some people have lost their jobs and cannot afford to pay for housing. What is homelessness? Homelessness is defined, by The Steward McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, as someone who do not own their own home or one who can not afford to pay for housing without depriving themselves of essentials needs (as cited by Mind Disorders, par. 1). However, there is a new meaning to homeless today.Read MoreHomelessness Is On The Rise878 Words   |  4 PagesHonolulu, homelessness is on the rise. People become homeless and experience poverty for a number of different reasons. Anderson states that, â€Å"However, during the last decade, the scarcity of affordable housing-coupled with other social and economic changes-thrust many new faces into the homeless population† (13). In 2013 the Department of Housing and Urban Development stated that the state of Hawaii has the second largest population of homeless peopl e (Nagourney). In Honolulu, the price of housingRead MoreA Study Of Mental Disorders Among The Homeless996 Words   |  4 Pagesamong the Homeless, there are around 740,000 individual’s homeless in the United States alone at any given night. Homelessness is everywhere, yet it is unseen. And yet at the same time American’s everywhere often take what they have for granted, especially the roof over their heads. Anna Quindlen discusses these issues in her article â€Å"Homeless†. She writes about a woman she met at a bus terminal one day. The woman‘s bag and raincoat were covered in grime, her name was Ann, and she was homeless. SuddenlyRead MoreHomelessness Persuasive Speech1217 Words   |  5 Pageshas many homeless children that beg to live or peddle. 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Youth become homeless for multiple reasons whether it be because they have aged out of foster care, ran from home, were kicked out of their home, or because they have become homeless along with their family members

Post Traumatic Stress and the Brothers Relationship in...

Henry Fosdick once said, â€Å"The tragedy of war is that it uses man’s best to do man’s worst.† In â€Å"The Red Convertible† by Louis Erdrich, there is a conflict amongst two brothers, Henry and Lyman as ones awareness towards reality is shifted upon the return of the Vietnam War. Henry’s experience fighting in the Vietnam War is the responsibility for the unexpected aftermath that affects their brotherhood. The event of Henry fighting in the war through fears, emotions and horrors that he encounters is the source of his â€Å"Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome [PTSD].† It has shaped his own perception of reality and his relationship with his brother Lyman and the strong bond that they had shared. War changes a person in ways that can never be†¦show more content†¦Henry being so consciously aware of the reoccurring violence and deaths of many soldiers causes him to constantly reminisce about the war in Vietnam and its horrific events . â€Å"PTSD† however, is very common amongst veterans. My father who had fought in the Vietnam War had â€Å"PTSD.† And even after many years of prior to the war, his past always seemed to have consumed his reality. The violent images and emotional feelings about the war in Vietnam have caused him to visualize the war in a form of a nightmare whenever he sleeps. This can explain his frequent sleep talks at night about the Vietnam War as he screams â€Å"giá º ¿t tá º ¥t cá º £Ã¢â‚¬  which translates to kill them all. Of course he had it coming that the cause of his children to become distant towards him was because of his unexplained actions. But nonetheless, it is the result of many pasts that is the responsibility of shaping ones fear and sensation towards life. The returning of a dramatic event disables a soldier to adapt accordingly to everyday life. Ones conscious of reality is infringed upon Posttraumatic experiences of warfare, which unleashes an outbreak of inhumane actions directed towards existence and significant others. As the short story progresses after the event of the Vietnam War, the narrator says referring to Henry that: â€Å"He’d always had a joke, then, too, and now you couldn’t get him to laugh,Show MoreRelatedPost Traumatic Stress Disorder : Louise Erdrich s Novel The Red Convertible Essay892 Words   |  4 PagesPost-traumatic Stress Disorder in Louise Erdrich’s story â€Å"The Red Convertible† About two years ago I moved from Italy to Bethesda, Maryland, with my husband. Since my husband was a patient at â€Å"Walter Reed National Military Medical Center†, I have been able to walk around the hospital and talking to patients and their relatives. I was astonished when I found out that a lot of patients were suffering from PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder). I didn’t know a lot about this disorder, so I did someRead MoreThe Red Convertible1631 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Red Convertible† is about the memorable moments that the Lamartine brothers share together based on their pride for their red convertible. The shared love for the red convertible inspired the lasting memories for the Lamartine brothers; However, precisely like life, the memories were sewn into the brother’s hearts and life continues. Henry Lamartine was drafted into the Vietnam War, while Lyman Lamartine stayed behind on the Indian reservation. The draft will forever change the brothers, andRead MoreEssay on The Red Convertible, by Louise Erdich926 Words   |  4 Pagesshort story, â€Å"The Red Convertible,† Louise Erdrich demonstrates these transformations through the use of symbolism. Erdrich employs the convertible to characterize the emotional afflictions that war creates for the soldier and his family around him by discussing the pre-deployment relationship between two brothers Henry and Lyman, Lymans perception of Henry upon Henrys return, and Henry’s assumed view on life in the end of the story. Throughout The Red Convertible Erdrich embraces the car asRead MoreCompare Contrast Essay852 Words   |  4 Pagesa very harsh and brutal way. Both the stories, ‘The Red Convertible’ and ‘The Things They Carried’ portray the life of a young soldier and how he psychologically gets affected from all the things he had seen in the war. Tim O’Brien’s ‘The Things They Carried,’ is more specific on the experiences of a soldier during a war where as Karen Louise Erdrich focuses more on describing the post war traumatic stress in her short story ‘The Red Convertible’. One thing similar in both the narrations is the VietnamRead MoreThe Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich931 Words   |  4 Pages In the short story â€Å"The Red Convertible,† by Louise Erdrich, there are multiple literary devices used throughout. However, Erdrich most commonly utilizes theme and symbolism. She uses certain themes throughout most of her work, as noted by Keri L. Overall in a literary analysis. â€Å"Indeed, the themes of Erdrich’s stories range from the effects of war on families and personal identity to loss of heritage and family and personal relationships.† Erdrich also employs the use of symbolism in this storyRead MoreThe Fat Girl By Andre Dubus2040 Words   |  9 PagesDubus, â€Å"The Red Convertible† by Louise Erdrich, and â€Å"An Ounce of Cure† by Alice Munro are stories that contain most of the components of analyzing short stories. The short story â€Å"The Fat Girl† by Andre Dubus teaches readers about a real life struggle that is commonly faced by others. The main character of the story is Louise, a young teenage girl who deals with the issues of being overweight. Her mother worries about her weight and tries to control it by feeding her on a diet. While Louise is aroundRead MoreDeterioration Of Brotherhood And The American Dream1777 Words   |  8 PagesHenry and Lyman are two brothers that had it all; freedom, a car, happiness. What almost everyone in life wants, The American Dream. Until Henry goes off to war and the effects of this ruins his brother’s enthusiasm along with his own. In â€Å"The Red Convertible† by Louise Erdrich at first you envy the relationship the two Native American brothers have until it slowly crumbles and becomes bitter and they end up losing sight of the visions they once held. Throughout the story the red olds that they own togetherRead MoreThe Red Convert ible By Louise Erdrich1792 Words   |  8 PagesThe short story â€Å"The Red Convertible† was written by Louise Erdrich. Louise Erdrich was born in 1954 in Little Falls, Minnesota and was the oldest of seven children. Her mother, who was a Chippewa Indian, worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Her father, who was a German-American, was a teacher of Native American studies in a school that was run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Growing up, Louise’s parents told her many stories of the Indian culture growing up. Her parents encouraged her to writeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich2044 Words   |  9 Pages According to â€Å"‘We Will All Be Lost and Destroyed’: Post – Traumatic Stress Disorder and The Civil War† by Eric T. Dean, Jr., â€Å"Psychologists estimate that approximately five hundred thousand to 1.5 million of three million Vietnam veterans may suffer from symptoms of PTSD,† which includes  "wide variety of problems, from alcoholism, drug abuse, divorce, homelessness, and unemployment, to anxiety disorders and suicide† (Dean 1). Not only did the Vietnam War cost many lives and a lot of money, but itRead MoreThe Red Convertible--Analysis1982 Words   |  8 Pagesdifficult task of coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its side effects, because of their experiences in combat. In Lousie Erdrich’s, â€Å"The Red Convertible† and Wilfred Owen’s, â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† we can see how and why a returning veteran, such as Henry, would have trouble readapting to his former environment and handling the symptoms of PTSD. First, in order for us to see what Henry was suffering from, we must first analyze what post-traumatic stress disorder actually is, and how

Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Satisfaction

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Satisfaction. Answer: Introduction: Background of the Problem. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a global management issue for any organization that focuses on competitiveness in the industry/ market. In the recent years, CSR has captured the attention of managers, scholars, and practitioners among others. However, little is still on how and whether corporate social responsibility has impacts on employees regarding satisfaction, performance and turnover (Kotler Lee, 2004). Employees are considered to be the "first customers" to the organization who tirelessly contribute to its success. Therefore, understanding the employees' perception about CSR would help in answering the question about the relation between CSR and employee performance (Rahbek Pedersen, 2015). This paper examines the extent to which corporate social responsibility influence the employee's performance in an organization. Research Topic The research topic to be tested in the study is, "Corporate Social Responsibility as a source of employees' performance and satisfaction in an organization": Case of Coca-Cola Company. Management Decision The findings from this research would be of great assistance to organizational managers, stakeholders, practitioners and scholars in their future research and decision-making (Bryman Bell, 2011). In particular, the research will help in answering the following question; how can the management use CSR in making decisions concerning employees' performance? And how can such decisions affect the company's performance in the market? Research Question The research question for the study is; Is Corporate Social Responsibility a source of employees' satisfaction in an organization? Specific questions to be addressed are (Bryman Bell, 2011); How does engaging in CSR impact the employees' performance? To what extent can CSR be used to improve the employees' morale? Does active CSR participation has an impact on the employees' satisfaction? General purpose would be; To examine Corporate Social Responsibility as a source of employees' satisfaction (Bryman Bell, 2011). Specific Objectives; To investigate how engaging in CSR impact the employees' performance. To evaluate the extent at which CSR can be used to improve the employees' morale. To examine if high CSR participation has an impact on the employees' satisfaction. Hypothesis H1: Corporate Social Responsibility has an impact on employees' satisfaction and performance. References List Bryman, A. Bell , E., 2011. Business Research Methods. 3 edition ed. Washington, DC: Oxford University Press. Kotler , P. Lee, N., 2004. Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause. 1 edition ed. New York: Wiley. Rahbek , E. Pedersen, G., 2015. Corporate Social Responsibility. New Jersey: SAGE Publications Ltd.