Category: Comparative Analysis

Even after the emergence of cross-border business world, the advent of ‘culture-free’ business practices has yet to be transpired that brings with itself the complexities are associated with distinct values and beliefs in spite of the growing interdependence among countries. Both India and China are the countries with great diversity with substantial regional, cultural and religious variations across the country. The existence of a standard management practice that can be applied in any culture is still unsettled. The paper aimed to offer a comparative approach to the management practices followed by Indian and Chinese Organizations. This paper reviews the previous literature that has focused on comparing various issues related to business and management in India and China. The findings indicated that though there are substantial differences in staffing, leading and controlling activities of both the countries, planning and organizing activities offer a vague variation. Moreover, the reason for persistence in practices scaled using dimensions of hofstede’s model. Finally, the paper concludes with the acceptance that no ‘one’ management practice can be adopted across every culture and country.

Introduction

The Asia’s economic giants – China and India – have always had an erratic history. They share a border, have fought a bitter war and continue to compete for geopolitical supremacy in the region. Political ambitions and distrust on either side have sometimes been at the cost of better economic sense (Bhatia, 2016). Despite these incongruities, these countries have fascinated each other over the past two millennia with unique examples of unbroken civilizations extant for over 3000 years, and with significant mutual influence in areas like religion and ordinarily cultural symbols like art, literature etc. (Subramanian, 2007, Anand, 2013).

Both share a past as two of the most prosperous nations on earth (Kalish, 2006). Long before the emergence of Europe, China and India have in their name, a considerate amount of inventions and discoveries, and a higher standard of living (Bhasin, 2007). However, in the early 19th century, both countries suffered a huge plunge and were surpassed by Europe and the US. The situation further became worse, when in the middle 20th century; both countries faced an extreme poverty. For China, fortune began to change when Deng Xiaoping came to power in 1978. He brought about changes in market-oriented and economic policies in the country. For India, the situation actuated as a setback for the financial crisis that was faced in early 1990s. The government started taking gradual steps along a market-oriented path. The consequences of this remarkable upturn are profound and far-reaching and are causing the world economies to relentlessly draw towards them (Quer et al, 2014).

A considerable interest in differing attitudes, behavior, management style and values of managers has arising, attributing to the rapid globalization of the world’s economy and cultural diversification (Hofstede, 2001. Therefore, by establishing relationships between these concepts and management practices and effectiveness, one can deduce the impact of cultural variables on management practices and effectiveness (Anant, 1975).

Literature Review

A great attention has been given in literature regarding the management practices and styles of the international companies, especially China. But the comparison between India and China is very limited and scarce. Moreover, the comparisons have been made on the basis of economic growth, FDI and GDP (Bosworth & Collins, 2008, Agrawal & Khan, 2011), quality practices (Ragunathan et al. 1997, Zhao et al, 1994, Rao, 1999), talent management (Cooke et al. 2013, Ariss et al., 2014).

When it comes to comparing the management styles, U.S. and Japan have received a lot of attention. There is an abundance of literature on both U.S. and Japanese management since they present contrasting managerial approaches. Like in a paper by Culpan & Kucukemiroglu (1993), the management styles of US and Japan is compared in a conceptual model using different six managerial dimensions: supervisory style, decision- making, communication pattern, control mechanism, interdepartmental relationships, and paternalistic orientation. The findings indicated that there is a considerable amount of variations in the management styles of the countries and within each dimensions also. In yet another paper by Weihrich, (1990), Chinese managerial practices were identified and an analysis was made to know which of the two managerial approaches, i.e. U.S. and Japan, would be appropriate to make Chinese businesses more effective and efficient. Some studies have also analogized the culture of countries using Hofstede’s model like the one by Migliore (2011). The inter-relational aspects of personality traits have been assessed quantitatively by the author using five-factor model of personality and Hofstede’s five dimensions of culture.

The comparison between India and China is multi-dimensional. Raghunathan et al. (1997) pointed out significant differences among USA, India, and China with respect to quality management practices. Patrick et al. (2003) in their paper compared the management style of marketing managers in Australia with their counterparts in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Managers in PRC scored higher than their counter parts with respect to the dimensions like information utilization, complexity, group decision-making, risk acceptance and technology orientation. In the paper by Quer et al (2014), a comparative approach to the reality of China and India as regards business and strategic management were presented, analyzing the main similarities and differences between the two Asian giants. The comparison was done on the basis of key factors for success, the entry modes that can be used and the business opportunities offered.

A management style when applied in another culture loses its effectiveness. With the increasing trend of globalization in most organizations, there is an admissible increase in the study of management practices in different countries and how they lead to organizational efficiency. For the purpose of this study, the five managerial functions (Planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling) will serve as a framework for comparing and analogizing the managerial approaches in these two countries. The managerial functions will then be further elaborated and expanded to know the managerial activities.

Objectives

The main objective of this paper is to compare the management practices in India and China and to find out the reason for the differences, if any, in their management. The objectives are framed as follows:

1. To study the management practices prevalent in Indian and Chinese organizations.
2. To analyze the similarities and differences between the management practice of both countries.
3. To know the reason behind the differences in the management practices.

Research Methodology

The present study is based on secondary data only. The major sources of data are management books, articles, journals, and different related research studies. The previous literature that has focused on comparing various issues related to business and management in India and China has been reviewed and synthesized the literature findings in relation to management practices and other spheres as an initial effort towards identifying the differences and similarities between the two countries. Although various models for comparing management practices have been proposed, the present study shall adopt the model used by Weihrich (1990), using the elements of managerial functions.

Management Practices in India and China

To understand the management practices prevalent in India and China, Weihrich model (1990) has been used. The managerial elements involving planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling will serve as a framework for the comparison of managerial activities in both countries.

In both Indian and Chinese organizations, planning has a short and long-term orientation based on the circumstances. The decision making in Indian companies seems to be time-consuming, but when one is able to adjust with these circumstances, a better understanding and smooth decision-making process are achieved (Mark, 2012). Subordinates actively participate in planning, ideation, and related processes, but they look to their leader to finalize and bring closure to the process (Laxman, 2015). Whereas in China, the managers had their authority to make any decision in the organizations acknowledged by their employees but it is not desirable of subordinate to disagree on manager’s idea and communicate directly (Khairullah & Khairullah 2013). Decision making is strongly centralized and hierarchical, where decision flow is from top to down (Weihrich, 2000).

Majority of the Indian Companies follow a functional structure (PwC, 2013), rigidly organized and hierarchical and they maintain a highly centralized power structure (Walker, 2010). The Chinese organization followed a structure that is formal and bureaucratic. As the Chinese economy grows more diverse and new private and foreign-run firms become more common, the organizational structure of all firms is likely to become more flexible and decentralized (Walker, 2010). Moreover, there is a strong organizational culture in China (Weihrich, 2000).

Sources of recruitment in Indian companies are campus recruitment, referrals, and consultancies with increasing online employment agencies and social media hires (Dasgupta, 2018), whereas Chinese firms relied more heavily on schools than on other firms as sources of new employees (Weihrich, 2000, Li et al. 2015). Indian companies invest heavily in their employees, especially their new hires, because they see employees as key to building the organizational capabilities that drive competitiveness (Peter et al., 2010) that applies not only to their current jobs but is used to enhance employee capabilities to accomplish various tasks and to create a flexible workforce (Erwee & Paelmke, 2008). In contrast, Chinese managers do not have a positive attitude to train employees, the training system is defective and there is lack of a superior and tracking system which causes training inefficiency (Sun, 2015). While promotions were supposed to be based on performance, potential ability, and education, the reality was that family ties and good relations with top managers were extremely important for advancement (Weihrich, 2000). In India, work experience, contribution, etc. of the professionals and business managers have more avenue to success, ‘relations’ are not the only reason for success (Capelli et al, 2013).

Indian managers and workers prefer a paternalistic style of leadership where managers assume social support roles in addition to their work-related roles for their employees (Roopal & Sangya, 2012). The Chinese leadership style is also predominantly paternalistic in nature where the leaders are less likely to give rationales for decisions and are more inclined to issue directives known as the ‘directive’ leadership style (HayGroup, 2007). Indians are motivated by both individual and group achievements whereas employees in China are motivated through the group rather than individual achievement (Walker, 2010). The Chinese leader sought to avoid confrontation and come forward to resolve the conflict and establish peace among his subordinates (Weihrich, 2000 & Rahul, 2011).

The Indian managers set the well-specified targets and control the performance to maintain the efficiency and competitiveness. Indian system is based on individual targets because they prefer to be evaluated to be more on qualitative aspects of their work (Shrivastava & Shrivastava, 2012). With respect to China, the group leader is expected to exercise control over the group and the group assumed responsibility for pursuing and achieving group goals and objectives (Weihrich, 2000).

Comparison in Management Practices of India and China

With the help of Weihrich model, various managerial practices that are prevalent in India and China have been analyzed. Management practices vary considerably across countries and across firms. While practices of some countries are considered better than another, the question arises, why one would not just simply adopt the ‘better’ management practices for their own country. The probable reason may be the difference between their cultures (Hofstede, 2001) or due to environmental constraints (Farmer & Richman, 1965). For the purpose of current study Hofstede’s dimensions are used.

It was revealed that the power distance score is higher for both the countries. It indicates a high level of inequality and wealth distribution within the society. But the society accepts it as a cultural norm. Real power is centralized and communication is top-down in directive style (Juhasz, 2014). The individualism score is higher for India which depicts that the people here deal favorably with those they know and trust, and the opinion of close ones including workgroup, neighbors influence the actions of individuals (Thakur, 2010), whereas in China, people place group interest prior to their own interest. In-group considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as family) are getting preferential treatment. Personal relationships prevail over task and company (Stone, 2012). Both India and China are considered a masculine society, meaning they are very driven by successful, competition, and achievements. Long working hours, pays promotion, etc. are considered as a measure of success (MarketMeChina, 2014). In India, there is acceptance of imperfection; nothing has to be perfect nor has to go exactly as planned. India is traditionally a patient country where tolerance for the unexpected is high (Juhasz, 2014). Chinese people need a structure and a plan and would prefer stability to adventure. Chinese people don’t like taking risks, which is why it is so important to build Xin (trust) with them (Stone, 2012). Long-term orientation score of Indian managers is higher than Chinese managers. The culture is more persistent. It is expected that the Indian businessperson will provide detailed business plans because of their need for Long-Term Orientations (Juhasz, 2012). Owing to the high score for Chinese managers, they will dedicate whatever time is required to achieve their goals. This is seen in the very time-consuming Chinese negotiation process (Stone, 2012).

China is still more or less a communist country. This means that all the enterprises there are run by the state. State-run enterprises are usually not efficient and definitely not innovative. On the other hand, the Indian industry is based on innovative enterprises. Given the competitive nature of the world economy, the Indian industry stands a better chance at success in the future (Management study guide, 2016). Relationship building is a very important factor in India, especially at the professional level. In India trend of giving ideal deals to a known person is followed. Therefore, more you maintain the cordial and friendly relations more it is useful whereas Chinese follow very formal relationships in business (Business maps of India, 2010).

Conclusion

Even after the emergence of cross-border business world, the advent of ‘culture-free’ business practices has yet to be transpired that brings with itself the complexities are associated with distinct values and beliefs in spite of the growing interdependence among countries. In fact, the variation in management practices is one of the main variables for the large differences in productivity across firms and countries. Both India and China are the countries with great diversity with substantial regional, cultural and religious variations across the country. It should be impossible to generalize about the society, organizations, and leaders in both countries and also the management practices in the country.

Both these management cultures are in a time of transition – on a local level, cultural values and norms continue to exert a strong influence, while on an international level, the influences of globalization, technology, and Western management practices have increased over the past decades. While China and India are striving to have an exposure and experience of western management practices, the countries around the world, on the other hand, are seeking market penetration and business growth in these countries. Regardless of the pace of change, it is important to appreciate the traditional cultural values such as the concept of hierarchy, the nature of social and community networks, the implication of continuity and stability, and prevalence for flexibility and ambiguity, continue to impact managerial practice and remain influential features of the cross-cultural management landscape.

From the present study, it is evident that the major difference between the countries lies in the areas of staffing, leading and controlling whereas the planning and organizing activities offer vague variations. With their own management practices and styles, we can say that both the countries are taking crucial ladder towards the escalation to reach pinnacles in their own way.

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The capital structure has its impact on cost of capital which influence the earning of the firm, investment decision, value of the firm, operating efficiency, earning available to shareholder etc. the controversy is found in various theories formulated, the time period, the selection of the companies and sector companies on which studies had undertaken forms the research gap for the present study the past few studies on capital structure and its impact on profitability, the study of financial performance by different researcher on cement, power, banking , car manufacturing, sugar industries however very few studies has been conducted recently on comparative analysis of capital structure of automobile companies and more precisely on Ashok Leyland and Eicher. The present study focuses on trend of component of capital structure, relationship between debt-equity ratio and earning per share of shareholders and also considers the study of liquidity and profitability of the two selected companies.

Introduction

The automobile industry is one of the largest sectors in the world and also among the fastest growing sector in the Indian economy. Capital structure refers to the combination of equity and debt used by a firm to finance its asset.it also refers to the fraction of money owing preferred and common stock on company’s balance sheet. Capital structure is an important management decision as it greatly influences the owners ‘equity return, the owners’ risk as well as the market worth of the share. Earlier the Indian automobile industry use to depend on foreign counties for their technology but gradually Indian manufacturer started using their own technology. This will give enhanced profit and will give prospect to new heights. The capital structure or financial leverage decision should be examined from then point of its impact on the value of the firm. The relationship between debt, equity and profitability is examined and an attempt is made to understand this relationship among them. There are various factors that determine the capital structure they are: 1) financial leverage or ‘trading on equity’; 2) growth and stability of sales; 3) cost of capital; 4) cash flow ability to service debt; 5) nature and size of a firm; 6) control; 7) flexibility; 8) cost of flotation; 9) capital market conditions; 10) marketability; 11) government policy.

Objectives

1. To study the relationship between Debt and Equity and Earning per share.
2. To study the profitability of the two companies under study.

Hypotheses

1. H0: There is no significant relationship between Debt and Equity and Earning per share.
2. H1: There is a significant relationship between Debt and Equity and Earning per share.
3. H0: There is no significant relationship between the profitability of two companies.
4. H1: There is a significant relationship between the profitability of two companies.

Literature Review

Dhole Madhavi (2013) in her analytical study of four automobile companies instigated the impact of price movement of shares on selected company performance The study reveals that the sentimental factors do play a role in price movement only in short term but in long run annual performance is sole factor responsible for price movement.

Kumar Mohan, Vasu V and Narayan T. (2016) in their study made an attempt to study the relationship between liquidity and profitability. The data was collected from secondary source for the period of 10 years from 2005-2015. The study reveals there is a positive correlation between liquidity and profitability ratios except return on total assets. Z score value also indicate good health of the company.

Research Methodology

1. Sample size. This paper is focused on the determinants of capital structure in auto industry and for the study the data was collected from secondary source. These companies belong to different segments like HCVs, LCVs, passenger vehicles:
2. Sample Design. This paper is focus on the determinants of capital structure in auto industry and has a case study approach. The companies considered for study in the paper are Eicher and Ashok Leyland.
3. Data Collection. Required secondary data was collected from the annual reports of two major automobile companies in India which is collected from the official website of the companies and money control application. The study on capital structure of the two selected companies is for the period of 5 years that is from 2014-2019.

Limitation of Study

The study is limited to the automobile sector of commercial vehicles, heavy vehicles. There is no consideration of two wheelers, three wheelers and cars. The time period of the study is only of five years and limited to the national boundaries i.e the study is of Indian automobile companies only.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Descriptive Analysis

The debt equity ratio of Ashok Leyland is highest for the year 2015 whereas as EPS in the same year is negative. The debt equity ratio in the range of 1.55 to 1.75 is generating positive and increasing EPS for the company. In the year 2019 the EPS is the highest that is Rs.7.44. As the company increased the debt financing in the year 2015 where the debt equity ratio is highest, the company was not able to give EPS to the shareholders the reason for the same was high debt financing by company which lead to pay high interest to the creditors.

The debt equity ratio of Eicher is in the range of 0.01 to 0.02. The EPS has increased it became almost double in the year 2016 as compared to 2015 where the debt equity ratio reduced by 50%. For the further years from 2017 to 2019 even though the debt equity ratio remained same EPS is increasing by 80/- to 100/-. The constant debt equity ratio is giving the increasing EPS so the line of debt equity is on X-axis and the line of EPS is upward sloping from right to left.

Inferential Analysis

Correlation Coefficient(r) of Ashok Leyland: -0.720168512.

It can be observed from the correlation coefficient value that there is a negative correlation between the debt equity ratio and EPS. Hence the test reveals that there is no significant relationship between the debt equity. Therefore, H0 is to be accepted.

Correlation Coefficient(r) of Eicher: 0.2478.

The debt equity ratio (%) and EPS (Rs) of Ashok Leyland for the period of the study i.e. from 2015 to 2019. The correlation coefficient is applied to test the relationship between debt equity and EPS of the company. It can be observed from the correlation coefficient value that there is a positive correlation between the debt equity ratio and EPS. It means that if one variable is increasing the other variable also increases and vice versa that is there is a direct relation between the two. Hence the test reveals that there is no significant relationship between the debt equity. Therefore, H0 is to be accepted.

The Return on Net worth of Ashok Leland lies in the range of 3.83 to 24.86, the ratio shows the increasing trend in return on net worth of a company from the year 2015 to 2019. The coefficient of variation calculated is 50.93% The coefficient of variation is 17.55% which is too less as compared to Ashok Leyland’s CV, it indicated that there is less consistency in Return on Net worth of Ashok Leyland as compared to Eicher which is not a good sign for the company. The investors would prefer to invest in Eicher on the basis of coefficient of variations the company is giving consistent returns.

Conclusion

From the whole study it is found that the relationship between debt equity ratio and EPS of Ashok Leyland is negative, hence it is concluded that there exists inverse relationship, as the debt equity increases EPS decreases and vice versa. It is observed from the study that there is no significant positive relationship between debt equity ratio and EPS. In case of Eicher it is revealed that the correlation ship between EPS & debt equity ratio is direct. The profitability of the two companies is examined on the basis of return on net worth. The coefficient of variance figure indicates that the Ashok Leyland is not preferable as there is much of variation in the returns on net worth. The investors would prefer to invest in Eicher as there is significant difference between the return on equity of both the companies.

References

1. Dhole, P. (2013). “ANALYTICAL STUDY OF FOUR AUTOMOBILE SECTOR COMPANIES IN PRICE MOVEMENT OF SHARES”. International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management (IJAIEM) Web.
2. KUMAR, N. (2016). FIRM SIZE AND PROFITABILITY IN INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY: AN ANALYSIS.
3. http://www.businessstudynotes.com/finance/financial-management-core-concepts/
4. https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/methodology/
5. https://www.moneycontrol.com/annual-report/eichermotors/directors-report/EM
6. https://www.topstockresearch.com/INDIAN_STOCKS/AUTOMOBILES_4_WHEELERS/RiskPriceAndValuationOfAshok_Leyland_Ltd.html
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Zara

Zara could be a Spanish vesture and accessories complete and could be a extremely recognized complete of the Inditex cluster. Few vesture brands invariably update with the information of the most recent fashion and continue with it. they’re of upper quality and nevertheless, affordable. Zara had ab initio started off as atiny low store in Espana and is currently the world’s largest merchant. Amancio solon, the founding father of Zara is that the fourth richest man within the world.

Ortega established a dress-making factory, Inditex, in the year 1963.After ten years, he had started a small store named as ‘Zorba’ in La Coruna, Spain along with a budget of a meagre 30 Euros. He then changed the name as ‘Zara’ with no other particular intention. That is how the world’s favourite fashion brand of today was born. Zara had slowly expanded from the town in Spain to the rest of the country and then later to Portugal. By the 1990’s the store had expanded into the United States, France and most of the European countries. Today, Zara has close to 6500 stores is existing in across 88 countries around the world.

Zara is the highly successful brand of today. It had beaten all other fashion brands and became the favourite brand for the people who liked to keep up with fashion. Ortega was famous for his view on clothes that are the perishable commodities; which people would love to use. After the usage of the clothes. People would throw them away, just like yoghurt or bread. It is often mentioned that he produces ‘fresh baked clothes’ that would survive the changing street fashion trends for not more than a month or two. When an individual goes to the store after a long time, then they would be changed.

The secret behind Zara’s success is that it always keeps it up with the change in fashion trends. The brand keeps a close look of how there is a change in fashion every day. It makes new designs for its products and puts them in the store in a week or two. Most of the other fashion brands would take six months to get their designs into the market.

Zara is known to be one of the eco-friendly companies. It uses solar panels and wind turbines in the headquarters in La Coruna. Zara is also one of the few clothing brands that produces hundred percent toxic free clothing.

Raymond Limited

Raymond Ltd is the largest integrated manufacturer of fabric in the world in Maharashtra. It has nearly 60%of the market share suiting in India. It is also the India’s biggest woollen fabrics maker. The textile division of the company has a distribution network of quite 4,000 multi-brand outlets and over 637 exclusive retail shops in the domestic market itself. Suitings are available in India in over 400 towns through 30,000 retailers and an exclusive chain is present in over 150 cities across India. Its products exports to over 55 countries including U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and the Middle East. It has over 20,000 design and colours of suiting cloth which makes it one of the largest collection of designs and colours by single company. It is listed as India’s most trusted apparel brand by The Brand Trust Report in 2015.

It is incorporated as the Raymond Woollen mill during the year 1925 by Thane Creek. Lala Kailashpat Singhania took over the Raymond Woollen Mill in the year 1944. In 1958, with lot of hardwork and efforts Mr.Vijaypat Singhania made this small fabric company into a world renowned brand. In the 1968, Raymond had set up a readymade garments plant at Thane. In Nov 2015 Raymond announced that Sanjay Behl would be taking on M Shivkumar as chief financial officer.

The Raymond has been one of the outstanding performance, of recognition and of accolades, over the years. Raymond is the largest exporter of the fabrics and readymade garments to 54 countries including Australia, Canada, USA, the European Union, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Raymond has been awarded the ISO 9001/ IS 14001 certification by the Bureau of Indian Standards, for the design, manufacture and supply of woollen and wool-blended worsted fabrics.

Raymond is the world’s largest manufacturer of the steel files. Over half of the output is exported.Even the Cement Division has not lagged behind. Raymond Cement has won the National Productivity Council awards five years.In 1993, the Business World – MARG Survey of India’s most respected Companies rated Raymond in the Top Ten. And in 1994, they moved up to No.6 (No.2 in quality and No.3 in innovativeness). What is particularly gratifying is the basis of the studies – ratings were given by executives in industry groups – they were evaluated by their own competitors.

Even as far back as 1985, the Harvard business school Association of India, along with The Economic Times, gave Raymond prime the highest corporate Performance Award from among 101 top giants in the private sector. Raymond account for over a third of India’s entire worsted woollen production. Its headquarters is in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Indian Terrain

Indian Terrain Fashions limited is an India-based company, which is engaged in the business of the manufacture and sale of apparel. It even offers work wear and casual clothing for men. It even offers products for men under the brand name, Indian Terrain. The company offers a wide range of garments, including shirts, trousers, t-shirts, shorts, sweaters, jackets and denims. It also offers casual clothing for boys under the brand, Indian Terrain BOY. The Company retails across the country over 800 multi brand outlets.

In the year 2000. Indian Terrain Fashions Ltd is among the leading retailers in India. The company is engaged in selling thegarments in the local market by setting up the exclusive brand retail outlets across india by carrying on business as retailer, importers, dealers in all kinds of suiting, shirting, cotton and man made synthesis knitted fabrics, apparel, home textiles and fashion accessories.

The company’s products are sold through various channels through their own stores and retailed through National Store Chains (NSC)/ Multi Brand Outlets (MBO). Currently, the brand offers a wide range comprising of shirts, trousers, knits, jackets and sweaters. Indian Terrain’s clothing and way products sport a lively attitude to match its like minded customers.

In september 2010, as per the scheme of arrangement, the Indian tract division of Celebrity Fashions Ltd was transferred to the company on a going concern basis with effect from April 1, 2010.

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger is an American premium clothing company, manufactures apparel, footwear, accessories, fragrances and home furnishing. The company was founded in 1985, and today is sold in department stores and over 1400 free-standing retail stores in 90 countries. In 2006, private equity firm Apax Partners acquired Tommy Hilfiger for approximately $1.6 billion, and in May 2010, PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH) (then known as Philips van Heusen) bought the company. Global sales in retail through the brand in 2013 were US $6.4 billion, and $6.7 billion in 2014.

Tommy Hilfiger has a breadth of collections including Hilfiger Collection, Tommy Hilfiger Tailored, men’s, women’s and kid’s sportswear, denim, accessories, and footwear. In addition, the brand is licensed for a wide range of products such as fragrances, eyewear, watches and home furnishings. Tommy Hilfiger is influenced by classic American fashion, or more specifically what the company dubs ‘preppy with a twist’. It targets customers in the 25 to 40 year-old range. Tommy Hilfiger Styles vary from formal suits to casual wear, with a focus on what the Tommy Hilfiger Group website describes as the ‘precision fit, premium fabrics, updated cuts, rich colors and luxe details.

In March 2012, ABC aired a report that 29 workers had died in a factory fire in 2011 in Bangladesh, with the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation included among the factory’s clients. PVH Corp. issued a press release in response, stating they would commit $1 million to a two-year program to help facilitate safety programs.The company, however, announced they would not abandon their manufacturing in Bangladesh. In 2014, PVH was consulting about investing in Ethiopiain relation to Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, with labor rights among the key talking points. In 2016, the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) reported that textile workers in Bangalore were working in conditions akin to slavery. Clothing companies H&M, Inditex, C&A and PVH publicly committed to ‘improving the lives of workers in Bengaluru’ after the report, while PVH also announced it would severally investigate and establish new guidelines for its suppliers.

In 1985, to help him launch his first collection, Hilfiger hired advertiser and graphic designer George Loisto make a billboard for the center of Times Square in New York City. Instead of models, the ad featured the initials of three well-known fashion designers—’PE’ (Perry Ellis), ‘RL’ (Ralph Lauren), ‘CK’ (Calvin Klein), and announced that ‘TH’ (Tommy Hilfiger) was the next great menswear designer. The billboard created a stir in the fashion press, and succeeded in creating awareness of the Hilfiger name.[6] In subsequent years Hilfiger and Lois collaborated again on other ads for the Hilfiger brand. Hilfiger courted the new hip hop market in the 1990s, and rappers like Puffy and Coolio walked during its runways shows.

From 2002 to 2006, Tommy Hilfiger owned the naming rights to the Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theatre amphitheater on Long Island, one of the more popular music venues in the US. Starting in 2010, in collaboration with New York advertising firm Laird & Partners, Tommy Hilfiger Corporation launched the advertising campaign ‘The Hilfigers’. The campaign features a fictional family of Hilfigers wearing the brand’s wear in fun preppy venues. The spring and summer collections of 2015 were displayed at a marriage in Sonoma, California, followed by associate degree American football game sports stadium for fall and winter.

The brand created the publicity tour ‘Prep World’ in the year 2011, which featured specialty pop-up shops in Paris, New York, London, Stockholm, LA, Madrid, Milan, the German island Sylt, and the Belgiantown of Knokke. Tommy Hilfiger made personal appearances with author and preppy expert Lisa Birnbach. The brand’s 30th anniversary was in 2015, and the company celebrated the occasion with a fashion tour. Among other events, in Beijing in May 2015 the brand recreated their New York Fashion Week runway show internationally for the first time.

Improving economic efficiency and effectiveness is one of the priority goals of the leadership of any organization the implementation of which almost always affects the human resource management system. The main functions of management (planning, organization, implementation, motivation, coordination, control) are actually aimed at streamlining and regulating personnel activities, at increasing the efficiency of using human potential through certain methods and models.

Many analyses of literary sources show that the views of specialists on affective and efficient models of human resource management are very different (Bhatnagar & Sharma, 2004). Some researchers believe that there is a close integration of personnel management policies with business strategy, that employees of an organization are a mean, that needs to be properly managed and which should be used without special regrets, to achieve goals and obtain material benefits. Others believe that it should not be such a top-down approach. The majority of specialists, however, emphasizes that the methods of human resource management should vary depending on the solutions chosen for implementation, the state of the labor market, established social norms, postulates of the national culture and many other factors. Because of the importance of the context of the company and people, HRM models are rapidly developing and getting widely spread to fulfill the needs of organizations around the world (Wright & McMahan, 1992). In this essay I will discuss, compare and contrast some of HRM models.

First model is Kaizen method of continuous incremental improvements, which was originally developed in Japanese management. The Kaizen system in human resource management is an additional form of staff motivation, in the event of achievement of certain results of the organization as a whole or its specific division, and also taking into account the individual contribution of the employee to the final results. The Kaizen system focuses on the quality of personnel, because the quality of products and services depends on the personnel. This system involves in the process of improving every employee – from the leader of the highest level, to the ordinary employee. Every employee of the organization suggests small improvements on a regular basis. Proposals are made not sporadically for a month or a year, but constantly. Most of them are not global in nature, but are some minor improvements. This is the essence of the Kaizen system – a large number of small, insignificant improvements leads to a significant improvement in quality (Stone et al., 2010).

Kaizen system is based on five key elements. In order for it to work normally and be an effective tool for improving quality, the organization needs to create conditions for their implementation. These key elements are:

1. Teamwork – all employees must work as a team to achieve a common goal and the desired improvement in performance;
2. Self-Discipline – Kaizen requires each employee to increase their self-discipline in all aspects of labor;
3. Improved Morale – regardless of whether the company succeeds in implementing the changes or not, staff should strive to maintain high morale;
4. Quality Circles – information sharing and interaction within the quality circles allows employees to evaluate the effectiveness of their work based on comparison with the work of others, and thus try to improve their work;
5. Improvement Suggestions – give employees the opportunity to freely offer improvements regardless of the rank held in the management system.

A key factor in a company using Kaizen is attention to the management process. Companies that use Kaizen, like any other, are equally eager to get financial results, but they are guided by the following consideration: if the processes in the company are normal, if they are designed to stimulate employee involvement, then the desired results will come inevitably.

Second model is ‘Overcoming Resistance to Change’ by Kotter and Schlesinger. Strategic changes promise much to some people in the organization in terms of career and professional growth prospects and threaten others who may fear losing their position in the organizational hierarchy or lose their position altogether. Therefore, people in organizations respond to the prospects for strategic change in different ways: some of them become active supporters, others – opponents. Groups facing the need for change face the prospect of changing informal connections, communication channels, behavioral stereotypes and norms. Therefore, they respond easily to calls for resistance to change. Resistance to change by individuals and groups can often be the only and yet powerful force holding back the development of an organization (Coetsee, 1999).

Kotter and Schlesinger offer six approaches to deal with personnel’s resistance to organizational change:

1. Education and Communication. Getting an idea of the upcoming strategic changes helps to realize the need for these changes and their logic. The information process may include one-on-one discussions, group workshops or reports.
2. Participation and Involvement. If strategists involve potential opponents of the strategy at the planning stage, then they can often avoid resistance. In an effort to get involved in the implementation of strategic changes, their initiators listen to the opinions of the staff involved in this strategy, and subsequently use their advice.
3. Facilitation and Support. Support can be provided as an opportunity to learn new skills, free time for employees to learn, just to be heard and get emotional support.
4. Negotiation and Agreement. Providing incentives to active or potential opponents of change.
5. Manipulation and Co-optation. Manipulations in this case involve the selective use of information and the conscious presentation of events in a certain order advantageous to the initiator of the changes.
6. Explicit and Implicit Coercion. Forcing people to reconcile with strategic changes through a hidden or overt threat, or through a real dismissal or transferring to lower-tier jobs.

Third model is the theory of team roles by Raymond Belbin. It is based on the fact that any organization should take advantage of teamwork, where everyone plays only their own role. An important condition for the successful functioning of the team is its clear structure. Then each team member performs his own duties, does not interfere with the other, and at the same time all areas of activity are occupied (Driskell, 2017).

Belbin believed, that nine roles have to be present in the team:

• Chairman – a confident person who uses all his experience in business and clarifies goals, encourages decision making and distributes tasks;
• Teamworker – a cooperative person, who acts softly and diplomatically and is perceptive in nature, listens carefully, builds relationships and eliminates tensions;
• Resource investigator – enthusiastic, sociable extrovert, exploring opportunities and building contacts, which he believes can be useful at some stage;
• Plant – is a creative person with a rich imagination, sometimes too much, and able to offer new ideas;
• Monitor Evaluator – thinks clearly and knows how to track the dynamics of progress towards the goal, studies all options and gives reasonable judgments;
• Specialist – a focused person who knows how to get to work, has rare knowledge and skills that he can share with others;
• Shaper – brings the dynamics to the work and due to the pressure provided contributes to success;
• Implementer – a disciplined, reliable, conservatively thinking and skillfully working person who implements ideas in practice;
• Completer/Finisher – a person who carefully, thoughtfully and responsibly does his job to achieve the best results in time.

By receiving profiles of each team member and understanding which roles (one or more) he or she can play, we can see how all positions in the team are closed, whether there are areas that are closed several times, and those for which there are not enough people.

Even though all three of these models serve different purposes and deal with different problems, they have a common goal. These three models are aimed to help achieve full realization of labor and creative potential which leads to overall economic success and meeting the personal needs of employees. In this case it is done through management by motivation, objectives, delegation and ensuring the implementation through solving the resistance. In other words, they complement each other and help solve several shared and individual problems.

Kaizen cannot succeed in an organization with bureaucratic thinking, filled with rules and procedures, and people who will resist any changes. Kaizen’s strategy will also not work where change is punishable and blocked, formally or unofficially, eradicating any improvement initiatives. Thus, for the introduction of Kaizen technology in the enterprise, there may be a reluctance of employees to change something. They would be much more satisfied with the performance of their duties and nothing more. In this case, model for overcoming resistance to change of Kotter and Schlesinger ensures the implementation of the Kaizen model.

The model ‘Overcoming Resistance to Change’ by Kotter and Schlesinger itself is not perfect and every approach has its own drawback. So, the most common mistake of managers is to use only one or a limited number of approaches regardless of the situation. Successful implementation of the strategy in an organization is always characterized by the skillful application of a number of the listed approaches, often in various combinations. However, successful implementation is characterized by two features: managers use these approaches based on their strengths and weaknesses and realistically assess the situation – this is where Belbin’s delegation of roles can be very important and helpful.

Belbin’s ‘Team Roles’ does not address the important issue of interpersonal relationships that exist within a team. Many teams that look exemplary only on paper cannot function normally in real life, since in practice there is no proper coordination in the actions of their members. In this case, Kaizen can be helpful by ensuring that teamwork, self-discipline, improved morale, quality circles and improvement suggestions are present. This is where the cycle of these three models closes.

Overall, although three models discussed in this paper serve different purposes, Belbin’s model, Kotter and Schlesinger’s approaches and Japanese ideology of Kaizen complement each other and have an overall similar goal, which is to help achieve full realization of labor and creative potential and consequently improve company’s performance and results.

References

1. Bhatnagar, J., & Sharma, A. (2004). The Four Pillars of the Proposed Strategic HRM
2. Dimensions Model. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 40(1), 95-113. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.ranepa.ru:3561/stable/27767940
3. Coetsee, L. (1999). From Resistance to Commitment. Public Administration
4. Quarterly, 23(2), 204-222. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.ranepa.ru:3561/stable/40861780
5. Driskell, T., Driskell, J. E., Shawn Burke, C., & Salas, E. (2017). Team Roles: A Review and Integration. Small Group Research, 48(4), 482-511. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496417711529
6. Stone, K. B. (2010). Kaizen Teams: Integrated HRD Practices for Successful Team Building. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 12(1), 61–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422310365333
7. Wright, P. M., & McMahan, G. C. (1992). Theoretical Perspectives for Strategic Human Resource Management. Journal of Management, 18(2), 295–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639201800205

Introduction

Marketing mix are actions and tactics that a company uses for the purpose of promoting its brand or its product in the selected target market. The application of marketing mix adopted by various companies depends on the size of their business, the location, the advertising strategies chosen by them and a range of other factors It is called a ‘mix’ because each and every component of marketing mix affects the other. Therefore, the total mix should be appropriate for the target customer.

The elements/ components of marketing mix are comprised of 4P’s namely product, price, promotion and place. Nowadays businessmen do consider additional 3P’s namely pace, packaging and positioning.

• Product. Anything that is offered in the market by a brand is called a product. It can be anything as long as it can generate customer satisfaction.
• Price. The price is the value that which the brand intends to sell the product. Pricing of the product depends on various factors and proper value of the product is important to generate high sales and profits.
• Promotion. Promotion is like advertisement where the company undertakes operations to promote its products to target customers in target markets.
• Place. Place means the activities that the company undertakes to make the product available to the consumers/ customers
• Pace. Pace means speed. It is the speed at which marketing tactics are determined and necessary actions are taken.
• Packaging. Packaging is how the product is packed before it is sold to the audience.
• Positioning. This element of marketing mix aims at creating a distinct image of the product/brand in the mind of the customer.

For the purpose of this assignment, a comparative analysis of marketing mix of Maggi and Sunfeast Yippie noodles is written below.

Marketing Mix of Nestle’s Maggi Noodles

As kids and as adults we have always heard Maggi noodles advertising themselves as ‘2-minute noodles’. This yellow packet of noodles has always been a savior to all the teenagers at home and the ones who stay far away from home. Maggi is manufactured by Nestle. Nestle also has other innumerable products like soups, sauces and various other flavors of Maggi noodles.

Product in Marketing Mix of Maggi

Maggi has innumerable products of its own in the market. These products are curated keeping in mind the needs and tastes of all the customers. The various products that are loved by almost every person are Maggi 2 Minute Noodles, Maggi Vegetable Multigrain Noodles, Maggi Vegetable Atta Noodles, Maggi Cuppa Mania, Maggi Oats Noodles.

Place in the Marketing Mix of Maggi

Maggi follows a distribution channel that starts from Nestle that goes to the distributer then the retailer and finally the consumer. Maggi has always had an excellent system of distribution. It has always made sure that the product reaches each and every corner of the world. For example, if you go to the Himalayas, you will find people making and selling Maggi that those places. Therefore, it is evident that the distribution of this product plays a very important part in the success of this product.

Price in the Marketing Mix of Maggi

Maggi uses the penetration pricing strategy because it clearly knows how to penetrate markets everywhere. It has kept a low price all these years because the consumers are mainly the middle-class group people. Therefore, by making the product affordable, volumes of the product are purchased in turn giving huge profits.

Promotions in the Marketing Mix of Maggi

When Nestle launched Maggi in India, its promotional activities aimed at creating awareness amongst kids and women. Toys and utensils were offered as gifts along with the packet of these noodles. This step made it a household name instantly. As we know the famous tagline is also the smartest timeline in the advertising industry. Ironically, no one could coo Maggi in 2 minutes, but people love the fact that it is a quick and an excellent snack.

Tools Used for Sales Promotion of Maggi: 1) Scratch and Win Offers (to introduce new products in the market); 2) Coupons (to attract new customers and retain existing customers); 3) Price Off Offers (to meet and overcome the challenges set by the competitors).

Pace in the Marketing Mix of Maggi

There are clear indications that India is a growth market for Nestle. Nestle India will keep the pace of spending on advertising and marketing activities up in 2020 as was the case in 2019. Therefore, the brand is in a position of aggressive growth strategy.

Packaging in the Marketing Mix of Maggi

Over all these years Maggi has always been packed in a yellow plastic packet with noodles and a packet of its masala in it. The packet of each Maggi has instructions as to how to prepare the noodles, the nutrition value, the ingredients and the manufacturing and expiry date.

Positioning in the Marketing Mix of Maggi

The Indians do not consider noodles as a proper meal. So, Maggi has positioned itself in the ‘snacks’ category. Therefore, over all these years, the brand has developed its identity as a instant food packet with taglines such as ‘2 minutes noodles’ and ‘Easy to cook, good to eat’.

Marketing Mix of SunFeast Yippie Noodles

The advertisements done for Yippie stated that these noodles were made from the need for better noodles. They were made with a different scientific process that did not allow lumping of the noodles. With such a thought, these noodles were introduced in 2010. It is a complete Indian brand and faces cut to cut competition with Nestle’s Maggi noodles.

Product in the Marketing Mix of Sunfeast Yippee Noodles

Sunfeast Yippee Noodles is made up of Aashirvaad Atta with a blend of different spices. Yippee Classic Masala and Yippee Magic Masala were the first products to be launched in 2010.The brand launched its first pasta in tricolor in the year 2013 and its Power up Atta Noodles in the year 2016.

Place in the Marketing Mix of Sunfeast Yippee Noodles

Sunfeast Yippee Noodles also has its spread to parts of India. For the first time, it was introduced in consumer markets in the city of Bengaluru which is the headquarter of its parent company. It uses the distribution channel of its parent company to reach consumer market easily and conveniently.

Unlike Nestle’s Maggi, Sunfeast Yippee Noodles uses the oldest distribution method of manufacturing plants to distributor to stockholders to the retailer and from there to consumers. The company depends quite heavily on its carrying and forwarding that manage to transport the products from one point to another efficiently.

Price in the Marketing Mix of Sunfeast Yippee Noodles

Sunfeast Yippee Noodles belong to a cut-throat industry with very strong competitors. It has to handle its pricing strategy very delicately so as to beat its competitors at their own game. The company has adopted a competitive pricing policy and kept its prices at par with the prices set up by its rival.

Promotions in the Marketing Mix of Sunfeast Yippee Noodles

With target customers who look-out for a healthy in-between-meals snack when hungry, Sunfeast Yippee Noodles believes in the heavy advertisement to market its products in the consumer market. It has launched several ad campaigns via print, digital and visual media to attract and maintain its customer base.

Pace in the Marketing Mix of Sunfeast Yippee Noodles

It looks like Yippee Noodles is relying more on word of mouth. Therefore, the marketing spend is not high as it should be.

Packaging in the Marketing Mix of Sunfeast Yippee Noodles

Yippie Noodles always keeps on changing the packaging os its noodles with respect to the flavor of the noodle. The packet contains noodles and the packet of masala. Similar to other products, this packet also contains has instructions as to how to prepare the noodles, the nutrition value, the ingredients and the manufacturing and expiry date.

Positioning in the Marketing Mix of Sunfeast Yippee Noodles

Like Nestle’s Maggi Noodles, Sunfeast Yippie Noodles has also positioned itself as instant noodles with different taste and with no lumping even after thirty minutes of cooking. Yippee magic masala came in a market with a slogan of ‘Long Non-Sticky Noodles’ to ensure that the customers know that the noodles are true to its word.

Conclusion of the Assignment

Maggi went through all the stages of product life cycle starting from the introductory stage in the year 1982 with no competition at al and high costs. The increasing demand for instant noodles placed Maggi on the growth stage in the year 1985, when it reached heights of sales. With low production costs and generation of high profits it went into the maturity stage. The controversies and ban on the product sent Maggi to the decline stage which later went up again after the relaunch in India as customers demanded it even more. So even with lots of competition and ban put on it, Maggi is still a convenience product and manages to stay in the customers minds of its customers as ‘2-minute instant noodles’. While in the case of Yippie, these Noodles comes from the house of ITC, a brand known for its wide distribution and many products. As a result, Yippee Noodles has deep pockets and it just has to be present in the market so that it wins the market share slowly yet surely. A major problem facing Yippee Noodles is that the market acceptance for the brand is very low. The noodles market is quite populated with Maggi being present in this market. As a result, Yippee Noodles which is a late entrant to this market has not found much acceptance in the Indian Market.

Learnings from the Assignment

What I have learnt while writing this assignment is that, a major strength of Yippee Noodles is that the market is itself growing. The consumption of instant noodles is on the rise because of more and more people liking Noodles for breakfast or for evening snacks. Moreover, because these noodles can be made within minutes, people love the instant availability of a tasty snack. However, the rural distribution/penetration is poor which is a strong point of Maggi is its rural distribution which is missing in the case of Yippee Noodles. Although urban presence is high, rural distribution is quite low. A major threat to the establishment of Yippee Noodles is the dominance of Maggi in the Instant noodles segment. One of the main action plans for Yippee Noodles should be to create a better brand image. Because Yippee Noodles is an Indian brand, it can understand the Indian mindset much better than other companies. Hence, more variety which is localized is expected from Yippee Noodles. By doing this, it can capture the market which is not covered by competitors. Lately, Maggi has utilized this strategy to excellent advantage. Maggi however was recently banned because of excessive lead content in its noodles as a preservative. Such a ban has created health awareness against all noodle brands in the minds of consumers. Health awareness has also resulted in people picking wheat-based noodles much faster than normal noodles. And instant noodles like Yippie should take advantage of this situation.

WhatsApp and Telegram are two highly coveted and extremely popular cross-platform messaging apps that have been designed with the sole intention of facilitating quick and easy communication between its users, whilst promising to respect their privacy; a desirable and necessary trait in this day and age.

Whilst WhatsApp and Telegram may at first appear similar, there are some important differences between the platforms that are worth knowing about. Apart from the obvious point that WhatsApp has a far greater number of users than Telegram, at least for now, one key difference between WhatsApp and Telegram is their differing attitude to users’ privacy and data. Whilst WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for all of its services, Telegram only does so when ‘Secret Chats’ (the end-to-end encrypted mode in Telegram) are enabled. Once users enable Secret Chats, however, they are able to send ‘self-destructing’ messages and photos which can be set to completely disappear after a specific time period.

As most messaging platforms do, WhatsApp and Telegram both boast similar features such as picture-in-picture viewing and stickers. Telegram also has the capacity to save images and send any type of files of up to 1.5GB which is supported across multiple platforms; a feature that WhatsApp has restrictions on.

Another innovative new feature created by Telegram is its self-installed bots, which facilitate app attributes like sending relevant information about the weather or useful new articles to users. They can also set personalized scheduling reminders, play music and create to-do lists, providing an ‘assistant-esque’ approach to cloud-platform communication.

Using Your Data

Alongside storing basic data such as your phone number and having access to your contacts, WhatsApp tracks its users’ location, analyses their user habits, accesses their blocked contacts and more so as to optimize user performance. You can see the full list for yourself by clicking on ‘Request Account Info’ on the ‘Account’ portal in your WhatsApp settings.

By default, Telegram does not use end-to-end encryption, meaning that (at least in theory) Telegram could access its users’ messages. However, end-to-end encryption can be manually activated by enabling ‘Secret Chats’. Once Secret Chats has been authorized, users’ data is secure and they can benefit from all the usual features of end-to-end encryption. Users also have the ability to prevent messages from being forwarded and the option of putting their messages on ‘self-destructing’ mode when Secret Chats is switched on.

Group Chats

Group chats have completely revolutionized the way we communicate with our friends, families and colleagues (to name a few). And WhatsApp is no exception to this rule. In fact, WhatsApp is a leading messaging tool for this specific feature. Whilst standard text messaging apps allow personal communication with friends and family on a relatively small scale, there is scope for large group chats on WhatsApp. By simply opening the app, selecting ‘more options’ and starting a ‘new group’, users have full reign of inviting a range of contacts of up to 256 members into a private group chat where they can communicate free and instantly with one another. The creator of the group is regarded as an ‘admin’, responsible for admitting – or even rejecting – members to the group.

As a cloud-based messaging app, Telegram also has the ability to connect its users via group chats. However, the app has gone that one step further and presented a platform that cultivates mass-communication on a grand scale with group chats of up to 200,000 members. There are two ways to join a group chat. One is by clicking on a link. The other is by seeking out and joining a specific group. To join via an invite link, the user must have an existing Telegram account (available directly from the app itself or on a desktop program). In order to find a specific group, users will have to use their initiative and scour the Internet to discover a group that suits their specific interests. Once this has been identified, users can click on the link and get connected. Private chats will require access by the admin of the group who will approve your request before communicating.

Last Time Seen and Online Status

WhatsApp’s online status allows users to see the last time someone within their contact list was active on the platform and whether they are currently using the app. Important to note: online status does not signify that a contact has read your messages (usually indicated by two blue ticks). It simply shows that they are active on the messaging platform. WhatsApp does allow users to hide their online status from everyone through the app settings for both iPhone and Android devices.

Like the default WhatsApp, Telegram measures a user’s online status based on their activity within the app. This platform also provides users with the ability to hide their online status from their contacts for Android, iPhone and laptop devices.

Self-Destructing Messages

As the name would indicate, self-destructing messages are messages that can be set to delete (or ‘self-destruct’) after a set period of time. WhatsApp authorizes users to send self-destructing messages to add an additional layer of protection and security when communicating on the app. This self-destructing feature enables the message to remain visible for a maximum of 7-days – thereafter it’s a distant memory. To enable this, users can simply open up the respective WhatsApp chat, select the contacts name where they will be able to see a ‘disappearing messages’ option available. By tapping the option, users will be able to trigger the self-destruct option and warrant the 7-day ticking time bomb. There are a few caveats with this option. If, for some reason, the receiver on the disappearing message decides not to open the WhatsApp chat, the message will still be visible within the notification bar. Moreover, any disappearing messages that are forwarded when the feature is off won’t be erased.

Telegram also permits its users to send self-destructing or ‘disappearing’ messages, so long as users have enabled Secret Chats. Secret Chat is a style of end-to-end encryption available within Telegram that enables users to set self-destruct timers on messages, identifiable by a lock icon next to the chat. As they are client-to-client encrypted, which means only the sender and receiver can view the messages, the conversation cannot be forwarded or screenshot to anyone else – giving users ultimate privacy when communicating.

Animated Stickers and GIFS

Animated stickers and gifs are compatible on WhatsApp messaging platform. They appear along the normal sticker packs within the sticker store and are available on both android and IOS devices. There are a few drawbacks to the overall capacity of the stickers, particularly when compared to its telegram counterpart. This is because many animated sticks and GIFS are dynamic, so they occupy more storage than static images. What this means for users is that any animated sticker which exceeds WhatsApp storage limit (100MB limit for media files) will neither be sent nor forwarded to any contacts. Another GIF aspect that can disappoint the users is that the animated stickers have the ability to play once as opposed to a continuous loop (as seen on Facebook messenger and Telegram). In order to replay it, you will have to scroll up and down on the respective conversation.

Telegram has introduced a new format and upgrade to its animated sticker features, coined by the app’s engineers as the TGS format. The benefits of these stickers for users are two-fold: fast loading times and great quality images, all whilst taking up less bandwidth on consumers electronic devices. They use less battery and run 60 frames a second for a smooth and sleek back-and-forth communication. The app’s open platform inspires users to get artsy with their animations and create their very own stickers to share with their friends, family and beyond – surpassing the conventional emojis and GIFS found on your typical social media platforms.

Folders and Saving Options

WhatsApp’s latest update now allow users to store ‘private folders’ within the app for the following: WhatsApp Images, WhatsApp Video, WhatsApp Animated Gifs, WhatsApp Audio, WhatsApp Documents. This new feature is an additional encryption tool available within the app, allowing users to hide media such as images, videos, gifs, audio files and documents downloaded specifically from their WhatsApp chats. As opposed to being visible within the phone’s gallery, the files are hidden by a no-media file, that is only accessible by manually changing the ‘file manager’s settings’ within your phone.

One of the more fruitful features associated with WhatsApp as a communication app is the fact that all messages are automatically backed up and saved daily to your phone’s memory. Depending upon your phone’s settings, you can also periodically back up your WhatsApp chats to cloud devices such as Google drive. If you uninstall WhatsApp from your phone but you do not want to lose any important chats or messages, the platform enables you to manually back up your chats before uninstalling.

A major feature permitted by Telegram is its ability to sort and organize conversations into different sub-sections and folders. As active users who may be part of a variety of group chats, this feature allows them to stay abreast of their messaging notifications without needing to archive them. They can simply navigate to the three-dot menu on their telegram chats and select ‘add folder’ to begin the compiling process. Another interesting feature, that Telegram provides, is the ability to save messages for future use. As opposed to having to download the file, Telegram allows users to save the message and keep it within the platform itself. The Saved Messages chat is always displayed at the top of the list in the sharing and forwarding menus. This makes it easy to save your favorites while maintaining an organized messaging platform. Saved Messages are easy to find: they are accessible both from the Chats list and from the side panel on Android Settings on iOS.

Conclusion

In summary, both messaging platforms boast an array of features that work remarkably for their consumers. Despites WhatsApp ginormous database of 2 billion people in over 180 countries, Telegram is a message app that is continuously on the rise, rapidly expanding in growth with over 500 million users (a 25% increase in just under a year).

Where Telegram lagged behind in terms of video calling, the latest version of the app supports both voice and video calls and can do so on multiple devices – whether it be mobile or desktop.

Undeniably, consumer concerns regarding data, privacy and security are at an all-time high, which is where WhatsApp’s verified end-to end encryption is a prudent feature that consumers are instantaneously drawn to. Although, uncertainty surrounding WhatsApp’s new privacy policies in recent months has certainly propelled telegram into a new cloud-communicating space that may not otherwise have seen such an expansion. And with the likes of signal, another free, privacy-orientated online messaging app which has many of the same features as WhatsApp and Telegram (utilizing end-to-end encryption by default and also providing for ‘disappearing’ messages) encroaching the space – there’s certainly no shortage of messaging apps and services to choose from.

You are a feudal Knight who has traveled to feudal Japan. You visit a samurai, his daimyo, the shogun, and the emperor. Write a letter home explaining the similarities and differences you notice between these people and knights, lords, and monarchs.

• Weapons
• Armour
• Training

Weapons – Samurai

• They had a long and a short sword
• The swords were symbols of honor and status because only samurais, daimyo, and shoguns could carry them
• When a samurai lost his sword it was considered a great loss of honour
• They also carried bows and arrows
• The long sword was used in fighting
• The short swords were used to behead an enemy or sometimes they cut off their opponents’ nose
• If the samurai was dishonored (lost their sword) he was expected to commit ritual suicide, known as seppuku,
• In the 1500s onwards the samurais also carried guns

Armour – Samurai

• Laced together small pieces of leather and iron with silk thread
• The pieces were similar in looks to fish scales
• Together it made the armour flexible and weighed only 10kg
• Armour was decorated for easy identification
• Helmets had horns or frightening images to scare people as well as identify which clan the person was in
• Shaven head and the rest drawn into a ponytail

Training – Samurai

• Training sometimes consisted of walking barefoot in the snow or going long periods of time without food
• Every Samurai’s first duty was to honor and obey his master
• If a Samurai was defeated in battle, captured by the enemy or dishonored in any way they had to follow the code and commit ritual suicide, known as seppuku
• Seppuku was taken out by using their short sword to stab themselves in the abdomen and cut across the body from left to right
• Taking their life this way would prevent them and their family from public shame and disgrace

Weapons – Knights

• Knights owned a long sword, wooden lance with an iron tip, metal-headed mace, battle-axe, and dagger
• The sword was the most important weapon knights owned as it resembled the knight’s status
• The long sword was around 1 meter in length and was to be held with both hands

Armour – Knights

• Knights generally either fought in an army or were on guard duty in a castle

Training – Knights

• Knights begin training in their childhood
• A skillful knight was able to severely injure their armored enemy

Character Profile

Peyton – The name means ‘fighting man’s estate’

Age – 31 – has been training for 19 years

Status – Experienced knight

The Japanese are very different from us Europeans and it brings me great delight to inform you about my journeys in discovering more about the Japanese.

Yours sincerely, Peyton

References

1. Easton, M., Saldais, M., Smith, R., Dumovic, V. and Machar, C. (n.d.). Oxford Big Ideas Humanities 8.
2. Cartwright, M. and Cartwright, M. (2019). The Weapons of an English Medieval Knight. [online] Ancient History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.ancient.eu/article/1238/the-weapons-of-an-english-medieval-knight/ [Accessed 29 Sep. 2019].

“We serial killers are your sons, we are your husbands, we are everywhere. And there will be more of your children dead tomorrow”, the serial killer Ted Bundy cautioned. Serial killers don’t kill out of greed or jealousy. So what makes a person not only murder, but murder multiple people over periods of days, weeks, and years? We will be looking at the lives of 4 different serial killers. Theodore, or ‘Ted’ Bundy, was one of the most notorious criminals of the 20th century. Bundy experienced a difficult childhood. He was shy, which made him a target of bullying. Around the age of three, he became fascinated by knives. He also had a strained relationship with his stepfather. As he grew up, he became rather intelligent and was popular with the ladies. Ted Bundy admitted to 36 killings of young women across several states in the 1970s, but experts believe that the final tally may be closer to 100 or more. The exact number of women Bundy killed will never be known. On January 24, 1989, Bundy was put to death around 7 a.m. at the Florida State Prison in an electric chair sometimes known as ‘Old Sparky.’ Outside the prison, crowds cheered and even set off fireworks after Ted Bundy’s execution.

Notorious serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. People described him as an energetic and happy child until the age of 4 when surgery to “correct a double hernia” seemed to effect a change in Dahmer. By his early teens, he was separated, suicidal, and largely friendless. Dahmer committed his first murder a little after he graduated high school. His victim was a young man by the name of Steven Hicks. Dahmer lured him to his parent’s house and killed him by launching a barbell into his head. He later disjointed the corpse and packed the body parts into little plastic bags, which he buried behind his parent’s house. When Dahmer was a little older, he enlisted in the army but was discharged due to his severe alcohol consumption. Dahmer killed a total of 17 people. Dahmer was sentenced to 16 consecutive life terms in prison. He was killed by a fellow inmate, Christopher Scarver, who claimed that Dahmer was driving him insane.

“We’ve all got the power in our hands to kill, but most people are afraid to use it. The ones who aren’t afraid, control life itself.” – Richard Ramirez

Dubbed the ‘Night Stalker,’ Richard Ramirez was an American serial killer who killed at least 14 people and tortured dozens more before being captured in 1985. As a child, Ramirez was influenced by his older cousin, Miguel, who had recently returned from fighting in the Vietnam War. They smoked marijuana together as Miguel told Ramirez about the torture and mutilation he had inflicted on several Vietnamese women, showing Ramirez some photographic evidence. At age 13, Ramirez witnessed his cousin murder his wife. Ramirez committed small theft crimes, but theft soon turned to violence. On June 28, 1984, 79-year-old Jennie Vincow, was sexually assaulted, stabbed, and killed during a burglary in her own home. What followed was a spree of brutal murders, rapes, and robberies, leaving dozens of victims in its wake. Ramirez eventually was linked to more vicious crimes. Ramirez was formally sentenced to death in the gas chamber on November 7, 1989, and was sent to prison in California to spend the remainder of his days. He spent 24 years on death row and died at the age of 53 from complications related to leukemia.

There have been countless serial killers throughout history, but Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the Night Stalker are among the scariest ones. Ted Bundy was the “romantic” type of killer whereas Dahmer and the Night Stalker were ruthless murderers. Who knows, you could be walking next to a serial killer right now.