Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Famous Thinkers Essay Example for Free

Famous Thinkers Essay There are many famous thinkers that have lived on this earth who have made significant changes to everyones lives. A couple famous thinkers stand out amongst them all. These two are Mr. Bill Gates and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Their contributions society have been great and were based off of their personal, social and political environments. They had both sought to solve problems or issues that people faced and they were able to provide solutions and implement them. The solutions they provided all followed a creative process, which will be compared to each other, and their ideas will be critiqued to discuss what they could have done differently. Contributions to Society Mr. Bill Gates and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have both contributed to society in different ways. Bill Gates had gained immense wealth through the creation and sales of Microsoft Windows, and he is using this wealth for philanthropic reasons. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributes to societies throughout the world. Their contributions range from providing vaccines in Africa, to financial services for the poor in the United States. These contributions affect society as they provide better health by helping prevent illness and helping better the lives of those less fortunate. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lead the change in gaining equal civil rights for African Americans by using nonviolent civil disobedience. The Environment Mr Bill Gates and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived in different environments which attributed to their creativity in solving problems or issues. Bill Gates was raised in a financially responsible family, and attended a preparatory school which allowed him to focus on computer programming. This environment allowed Bill Gates to excel in what he loved and create the Microsoft organization. Bill Gates gained enormous wealth through his creation of Microsoft, which he now uses for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived in a rough environment. He grew up where African Americans where considered a lesser person and were segregated because of their race. This eventually lead Martin Luther King Jr. to take lead in the civil rights movement, which brought him to direct the march on Washington, D.C and give his I Have a Dream speech. Solving Problems or Issues Mr. Bill Gates and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. both address issues in society. Bill Gates addresses issues across the world, where Martin Luther King Jr. addresses civil rights issues in the United States. Bill Gates, through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, currently aids in numerous issues throughout the world. Some of the more widely known issues are support for better education in the United States, and contributions to providing vaccinations in Africa. The issues that Bill Gates seeks to solve is poor education in the United States and to prevent disease and death in developing countries. Martin Luther King Jr. had addressed the civil rights issues to help gain equal rights for African Americans in the United States by use of nonviolent civil disobedience. Solutions The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation works through funding other non-profit organizations working towards the common goal of helping impoverished people, providing health services in developing countries, and helping better the education system in the United States. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a solution to bring the people together and spread the word of equal civil rights through speech, and motivation. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at several different venues through the United States prior to the I Have a Dream speech in Washington, D.C. At the I Have a Dream speech, over 250,000 people attended and marched, showing non-violent civil disobedience. (The Nobel Foundation, 1964). Comparing the Creative Processes Bill Gates creative process was very simple in the fact that he has money, and wants to do good with it. His process was to create the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, find non-profit organizations that share a common goal, support them financially and repeat the process. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a more complex creative process, where he had to bring the African American people together and get the leaders of the United States to listen. Martin Luther King Jr. began by traveling the United States, speaking where civil rights of African Americans where being denied. Through his speeches and travel, he brought together the African American people and accomplished the goal of gaining equal civil rights (The Nobel Foundation, 1964). Critique of Ideas The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation can take an active role in their philanthropic ideals. The foundation currently supports other non-profit organizations that work toward the foundations goals. If Bill Gates could turn the foundation around and actively work towards their goals by doing something themselves, they may achieve greater success as other organization seeking support can follow their lead. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. should not have done anything different. His motives of showing the world that the African American people are humans too, and deserve equal civil rights was conducted in a non-violent manner and accomplished his goal to gain equal civil rights. Conclusion Mr. Bill Gates and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. have provided great contributions to society across the world and in the United States. Their environments helped bring about this desire to contribute as they had both sought to solve problems or issues faced by society. The solutions they provided all followed a creative process, which Bill Gates could have done a better job at and Martin Luther King Jr. couldnt have done better. References Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ King, M. L. (2003). I HAVE A DREAM. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/394023549?accountid=35812. Ruggiero, V. R. (2009). The art of thinking: A guide to critical and creative thought (9th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Longman. The Nobel Foundation. (1964). Martin Luther King Jr. Biographical. Retrieved from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html

Monday, January 20, 2020

microsoft :: essays research papers

There is a requirement for a Vehicle Data Management System (VDMS) by the United States. The military currently has numerous tracked and wheeled vehicles in its inventory, with technical data on their operation and performance available in manuals and reports. Alternatively, there are various vehicle performance computer models and applications, which manipulate characteristics of these vehicles for analytical purposes, but no standard data depot currently exists for collection and storage of this information. This project has developed a means of storing available information about these tracked and wheeled vehicles in a relational database which will allow the user to easily create, retrieve, update, and delete information via a user-interface connected to the database. The purpose of this project was to create a relational database of vehicle information and a user interface for accessing the database. The project allows for a user-friendly environment (Microsoft Excel and Access) that is convenient and efficient for storing, retrieving, updating and displaying vehicle information. The overall objective of this project was to create an updateable, computerized database application, the Vehicle Data Management System (VDMS), which provides a composite reference/storage retrieval system for current information pertinent to characteristics of standard military tracked and wheeled vehicles. VDMS is intended to minimize the individual need for periodic reference to technical manuals, reports, and large vehicle files containing large amounts of data. Currently, there exist much data in various places, (technical manuals, files, folders, envelopes, etc.) and no easy way to store, retrieve, update, and manipulate it. Using Visual C++ (programming language) and Access (database, the goal of this project was to provide a faster and more efficient method to create, retrieve, update, and delete the information contained in these vehicle files. VDMS manipulates vehicle data files that are currently being used as data for vehicle performance models such as the NATO Reference Mobility Model (NRMM). NRMM is an example of an computerized model developed in the early 1970's that combines many mobility-related technologies into one comprehensive package designed to predict the physically constrained terrain/vehicle interaction of vehicles operating in on-road and off-road terrain. Since it's beginning NRMM has been continually updated and expanded as a result of ongoing mobility research and is now in its second release (NRMM II). NRMM provides the NATO members with a standard reference for mobility performance evaluations. NRMM is integrated into other automated models providing the mobility predictions for several other tactical, analytical, and war-gaming models. Currently, the data files are rather large and are not easily read and the data pertaining to these vehicles are stored in text files. These files are not in a format that is easily understood. Having the data in a database allows the user to manipulate and access

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Reflection Paper: Organic Foods Essay

Both organic and inorganic foods pose health risks for consumers. While organic foods are often marketed as being naturally grown and inorganic foods being grown with the use of chemicals and pesticides, both types can pose health risks to the humans that consume them. Due to the varying conditions in which organic foods are grown, they can often contain amounts of chemicals and pesticides. For example, many organic farms neighbor inorganic farms where chemicals and pesticides can be easily transferred by insects and wind, causing chemical contamination to the organic foods being grown. In Nancy Sprague’s counterpoint article she makes a valid point in saying that â€Å"the residue of chemicals nitrates and antibiotics cannot be avoided in the natural environment today, as a broad contamination of the earth’s natural resources is a burgeoning threat that even organic production cannot offset. † Some organic foods are often fertilized with a natural fertilizer: animal manure. Feces from any mammal contain various bacteria that can inflict disease, and may also be transferred to the organic foods grown in it. Sprague also points out that although organic food is being marketed as a healthier alternative, the term â€Å"organic† simply means that a farmer has met a set of standards to be labeled as an organic farmer and does not ensure the safety of the foods. Although organic foods may seem a better alternative than inorganic foods, they both have evidence proving contamination. On the other hand, inorganic farming is openly known to use chemicals and pesticides in order to preserve, stop insect and environmental damage, and to more rapidly produce crops. The questions then become how much contamination do the foods from each group contain, what types of contamination are present, and how do the amounts and type of contaminations effect the food content and in turn, human health? To reach my opinion, I had to become more self-aware to realize that my opinion was based on open ended questions versus factual information which forced me to become mpre knowledgeable on the topic. My initial view was in favor of inorganic foods, yet I found factual information that challenged my view, and I became more open-minded carefully evaluating both sides before I reached my opinion. To decide my opinion, I evaluated the information in the overview, point, and counterpoint articles and then compared it to the vague research that I had previously done on organic and inorganic foods. I then questioned my initial views against the information provided in each article and came to the conclusion that both foods have negative qualities that can effect human health. Before reading the point and counterpoint articles, I was for organic food knowing that is was grown without chemicals and pesticides, and that inorganic farming did the opposite. While reading the articles, my opinion started to shift as I began to understand some of the marketing strategies that make organic foods seem healthier than they may actually be. It was difficult to read the counterpoint on organic foods due to my loyalty to the brand, however, there were some truths that I had to recognize which made me rethink my initial position before reading the articles. Looking at both sides of the issue challenged my way of thinking by forcing me outside of my comfort zone which allowed me to step out of choosing one side or the other, but instead recognizing both the good and bad attributes both organic and inorganic foods have. I did change my ethical stance realizing that organic foods are not necessarily healthier as they are also contaminated, leading me to a greater understanding than what I originally had. Information on precisely how and how much they are contaminated was not found. From the authoritative evidence found in Berger’s article, he explained how manure was used to fertilize organically grown crops and that it is considered a â€Å"natural resource†. In today’s society, it is important to make sound ethical decisions as the decisions we make do not only affect us, but also those around us. It is particularly important to be ethical when making decisions about food, as they directly affect a persons’ health, and if the wrong decision is made, it could cost someone’s life. References Sprague, N. (2009). Counterpoint: Organic food is unnecessary & the current food supply is safe. Point of View, 1, 1. Retrieved August 20, 2011, from the Point of View Reference Center database. Griswold, A. (2009). Organic food: overview. Point of View, 1, 1. Retrieved August 21, 2011, from the Point of View Reference Center database. Berger, A. (2009). Point: Organic foods are a healthier alternative. Point of View, 1, 1. Retrieved August 20, 2011, from the Point of View Reference Center database.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Consumer preferences of small car in India - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 16 Words: 4949 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of factors that influence consumer buying behavior in cars. Specifically, we considered a number of internal factors that influence consumer behavior including perception, motivation and learning. How a consumers attitude, which is a lasting evaluation of a person, object, or issue, can affect what they buy also examined. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Consumer preferences of small car in India" essay for you Create order Reviewed other factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions and buying behavior including personal, social, and situational issues. The personal influences on consumers are important determinants of their needs and wants. Such factors as age, income, family status, and chosen lifestyle are strongly related to the types of products people buy and the specific brands they select. Examined the stages of the consumer decision-making process for buying a car: problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives between different brands of cars, product choice and post purchase evaluation with respect to after sales service, customer relationship, and resale value of the car. Also addressed the impact of the amount of effort expended and of perceived risk; factors associated with relative importance and perceived consequences of the purchase, from the consumers perspective. 1.1 The Decisional Factors Buyer decision processes are the decision making processes undertaken by consumers in regard to a potential market transaction before, during, and after the purchase of a product or service. Consumers have to make different kinds of decisions everyday according to their different needs. Some of the decisions are playing critical roles in consumers daily life, for example, purchasing a new home or purchasing a car, whereas some times the decisions are made on a virtually automatic basis. There are not a lot published research articles available on the decision-framing process. Puto, C. proposed a conceptual model of the buying decision framing process. This model focuses on the information search phase which includes two reference points: an initial which is internal to the company-expectations and buying objectives, and a final one that takes into account the sales message and justification/reward of the offer. These two stages lead to the final choice. Burt and Babin deve loped a model, see FigureThis model is in line with previous one but gives an emphasis on an evaluation phase in the process. This model includes five stages: problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decisions, and outcomes. Locational Marketing mix is used to reinforce the advantages of the car carefully reflecting its core values and positioning. It confirms how and why it will be of interest to various segments of the car-buying public. Influences on the Consumer Purchase Decision Process Marketing mix influences Product Price Promotion Place Psychological Influences Motivation Personality Perception Learning Values, beliefs Lifestyle. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Price Reflecting the Positioning Strategy The company should have a clear understanding of its key target market for e.g. (Young people and other price-conscious car buyers) for small car segment and should design-pricing strategies to best address their needs and the positioning of the car. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Promotion Communicating Publicity in the form of motoring reviews and test drives are critical to the success of a trade launch as this activity should generate sufficient consumer curiosity and interest in the new models. By getting potential car buyers to test drive a car, product usage increases. This has a knock on effect to car sales. The primary above the line medium used to promote and communicate a new car is through advertising. The choice of TV and outdoor advertising makes perfect marketing sense. Socio-Cultural Influences like the cultural influences ,caste setup and hierarchies, sex role playing also laterally or directly influences th e final decision The consumers behaviour is also influenced by (other) social factors as the reference groups , family , social rules and statuses A buyers decisions are also strongly influenced by personal characteristics, like: Age and Life-cycle Stage Occupation or Profession Economic Situation Lifestyle 1.2 Research Purpose To study how internal and external factors influence middle class consumers decision-making processes for buying an entry level car. To study the repurchase, purchase, and post purchase activities consumers engage in when making decisions of purchasing a new car. Understand how situational factors can influence consumer behaviour. Describe how consumers relationships with other people and sources influence their decision-making processes. Primary Objective: To study the buying process and associated behaviors in entry level cars and the perception Indian brands versus Global brands in the minds of the Indian class conscious consumers. Secondary Objective: Evaluate the passenger car segment and assess visible changes that have taken place over the years. Buying behavior with respect to the passenger car segment. 1.3 Scope of the Study At the end of the study , the following aspects would be Covered: Understand how consumer find any visible differences in the global vs Indian brands. How does it effect buying decisions? Influence of the dealers if any in the final decision making process. Environmental influence if any. Extent of availability of alternatives-CSD, Second Hand Cars Market -and their resultant influence of decision making process altogether CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Understanding the automotive purchase process is crucial for automotive manufacturers and dealers. Huge amount of information available to consumers require manufacturers and dealers to understand consumer decision-making and the modes of influence which can affect consumer new car purchasing. Kotler et al. describes the customer buying behaviour as the buying behaviour of the final customers who purchase goods and services for personal consumption. A company get great advantages by understanding how customers respond to marketing stimuli that include the four Ps: product, price, place and promotion. Other stimuli in the customers environment such as economic, technological, political and cultural also affect all customers buying decision. All these stimuli enter the buyers black box where they, through the buyer decision process, are turned into a set of buyer responses. A consumer behavior model, Wheel of Consumer Analysis, was created by J. Paul Peter and Jerry C. Olson (1994) as a basis for explaining car buying behavior. According to the American Marketing Association, consumer behavior is defined as the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives. Marketers can analyse consumer behavior situation according to the three elements using the Wheel of Consumer Analysis the environment, behavior, and affect/cognition . However, because these three factors interact and influence each other, no one factor can be isolated from the other. Parenthood changes the area of responsibility whereby parents are expected to use their power in the interests of their infant, not themselves . The children are used in literature and films to symbolise a lessening in materialistic tendencies of parents, and the authors proceed to show that there are differences between the materialism levels of parents (lower) and non-parents (higher). Many researches h ave been done on the consumer buying process and associated behaviour but the study done by Valerie S. Folkes (from The University of Southern California) actually helped to discover the new meaning of the buying behaviour. He concluded, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ It is the interaction of the situation and the individual that leads to behavior. The study of consumer behavior is justified as a separate domain of inquiry because when situational cues lead people to perceive themselves as customers, they then interpret the world differently than when they do not perceive themselves as customers, and that influences their behaviorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . A study conducted by Evan Hirsh, Steve Hedlund Mark Schweiger in 2001 about the perception of the brands, which concludes that in the absence of a strong brand, price is the only plausible way to affect near-term demand. Hence, curtailing incentives in an effort to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“build brandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  is not likely an economically viable opt ion. Many manufacturers have made brand positioning and development a key item on their marketing agenda. Yet brands are not the product of manufacturers marketing efforts. Instead, consumers base their understanding of an automotive brands value on their accumulated experience with that brands products. If you want to change the Brand, change the products for the better. The research conducted on the buying behaviour of cars and what role does the brand play in it by Sankar Radhakrishnan in June 2001 was a great help for conducting survey on the consumer behaviour for buying cars with relation to the perception of brands. A thought provoking point thrown up by the survey was the view that advertising does not have any impact on the choice of a particular brand by the prospective buyer. Buying a new car often set in motion by emotional need-based factors. The study found that the more rational reasons for buying a car are frequently sparked off by the psychological benefit s that owning a car bring. Emotions also work throughout the purchase process, right down to the choice of the brand. The study found that both rational and emotional factors trigger the decision to buy a car and also operate throughout the purchase process. The study drives home a point that branding is here to stay. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“This is especially true of the category such as cars, where it is often difficult to distinguish between the competing models on purely technical or functional parameters. The brand thus becomes the most meaningful differentiator and a safe choiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . While the functional parameters do trigger the decision to purchase a car and also operate through the purchase process. Many researches have been done on the consumer buying behaviour but the study done by Valerie S. Folkes (from The University of Southern California) actually helped to discover the new meaning of the buying behaviour. He concluded, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ It is the inter action of the situation and the individual that leads to behavior. The study of consumer behavior is justified as a separate domain of inquiry because when situational cues lead people to perceive themselves as customers, they then interpret the world differently than when they do not perceive themselves as customers, and that influences their behaviorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . A study conducted by Evan Hirsh, Steve Hedlund Mark Schweiger in 2001 about the perception of the brands, which concludes that in the absence of a strong brand, price is the only plausible way to affect near-term demand. Hence, curtailing incentives in an effort to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“build brandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  is not likely an economically viable option. Many manufacturers have made brand positioning and development a key item on their marketing agenda. Yet brands are not the product of manufacturers marketing efforts. Instead, consumers base their understanding of an automotive brands value on their accumulated ex perience with that brands products. If you want to change the Brand, change the products for the better. All these points were found very useful from the marketers perspective to improve the image of the brand in the minds of the consumers. Since brand form an important attribute for the decision making of a high involvement product like a car. The ethical and non-ethical practices in marketing are under exercise also . Marketing practice is now busy integrating the potential of information and communication technologies through the utilization of databases and Internet marketing. Billions of potential consumers can now be reached this way. Singhapakdi (1999) showed that marketing managers who perceive an ethical problem in a situation are more likely to have an ethical intention. Hence, we suggest that marketing professionals engage in more thought and reflect on their marketing practices on the Internet. This could lead to a greater consciousness and hence to the develop ment of more ethical intentions and practices. The question of adopting an ethical marketing behavior does not only boil down to providing a firms policy concerning information privacy, it should also be demonstrated in marketing actions. According to Cherrier (2005) there are two ways to view ethical consumption: Conservative and liberal. According to the conservative view consumers need to obey a prescriptive set of ethical norms in order to consume ethically. As the number of marketing messages increases, the more difficult it is to reach out with the intended marketing message. The cluttered marketing environment and the continuous exposure of marketing communication are challenging for marketers. (Rosengren, 2008) Consumer perception and purchase of fair trade products have been a topic of intrigue for researchers for a long time, because of the complexities involved in accurately measuring why and how consumers go for ethical goods. Previous research has attributed the fair trade concept to be of interest to only a small group of usually ethically minded consumers, and recently to more highly educated high income women. Demographics also played a great part in the ethical purchases of consumers, with research from Littrell and Dickson (1999) that fair-trade buyers were demographically homogeneous and consisted of highly educated, well-off women in their forties, with a large portion being teachers, health professionals and social workers. Forte Lamont (1998) found out that there is an increase in purchases based on a companys role in the society, with consumers more likely to purchase from a company that is actively involved in social activities in their communities than those which are not. Social responsibility and ethical purchase is not the dominant issue in consumer purchase decision (Boulstridge Carrigan, 2000) cited in Pelsmacker et al (2005) as most consumers do not carry out what they say they will do during answering rese arch questions. According to Boulstridge and Carrigan, (2000) consumers are expecting that companies have high ethical behaviour and are willing to pay more for products produced by companies with high ethical behaviour. However, products produced from companies that are unethical are still bought, but they are expected to be cheap. The consumers way of retribution against unethical companies are through decreased willingness to pay high prices. Another aspect is how the businees ethics affect business relationships. According to Zineldin (2000) long-term relationships are built on ethical and moral understanding which is crucial for mutal benefits and a rewarding relationship. Furthermore, the importance of business ethics is determined by consumers interest in a just and good society. Making the decision regarding an automobile in not at all different .It vibrates on the same platform and requires similar decisional inputs before the consumer arrives at the final word. The National Surveys Tata Motor s Nano has been ranked last among entry level small cars in terms of customer satisfaction, according to market research firm TNS. In the 2010 four-wheeler Total Customer Satisfaction (TCS) study by TNS Automotive, Maruti Suzuki Indias (MSI) best selling model Alto topped the entry level small car category. Omni and the once bread-and-butter model M800 followed the list. The customer expectations even at the bottom end are rising. The owners of Tata Nano expect more in terms of design and Maruti 800 owners expect better servicing as the years go by. Nano has been having issues following fire incidents with six reported cases since its launch in 2009. Tata Motors had offered to provide additional safety measures free of cost as a precautionary measure, although it claimed that the Nano is absolutely safe. The study pointed out that car owners in Northern India are relatively less satisfied compared to those in other parts of the country, primarily because of after sales services as the age of the car grows.Apart from the entry level compact car segment, MSIs Zen Estilo and A-Star jointly topped the premium compact car category in customer satisfaction. The survey covered 9,300 car buyers, opting for 56 models. In interviews, companies identified two critical issues for the growth of the small car market: Affordability Credit: In Indian terms even small cars are costly the average small car costs around 12 times average annual disposable income. Small, fuel efficient cars will remain the main market .It is not only a matter of the cost of the vehicle in the showroom, it is also the total cost of ownership. But what is changing is that vehicle demand used to be driven by government, by institutions and private companies now it is being driven by private, middle-class consumer demand. And for this set of consumers, affordability is the key issue. The financing and taxation will continue to shape the market for larger cars. The medium segment is still dominated by company cars, the sort of thing that medium- to high-level managers get. Either companies buy fleets, or they offer employees finance. And in this segment a lot will depend on whether there are new fringe benefit taxes. Attitudes: Indians are savers, they are frugal, they are cost conscious, and they are very driven by value for money . Most companies believe that this means that medium sized cars will remain hard to sell in volume but that despite the conservatism of consumers, attitude changes will drive small car sales. There is a huge social shift in India . People are coming from rural areas to the cities, two-wheelers are giving way to four wheelers, and as a result the very small 800-1000 cc car market is going to grow very fast. Plus we are moving to an era of dual incomes, husband and wife both working, and we are also seeing new concerns about two-wheeler safety that support small car sales. A growing percentage of vehicles in the Indian market will run on alternative fuels Crisil Research said the Nano price point would see a 65 per cent increase in the number of families that can afford a car. However, it forecast that at the significantly redefined threshold for car ownership in India, annual car sales have the potential to increase by 20 per cent over 2007-08. Indias entry-level car market is estimated at 400,000 units a year, primarily consisting of Maruti-Suzukis 800 and Alto and some base models of the Hyundai Santro and Marutis Wagon-R, cars that are priced below Rs 300,000 to Rs 3,50,000 on the road. The Nano, which is expected to hit the market in September/October 2008, will be priced at roughly Rs 1,30,000 (Rs 100,000 excluding VAT and transport costs), promising to be the worlds cheapest car. Several other manufacturers Bajaj Auto ,Ford and Honda among them also plan entry-level car launches, but they are unlikely to be at price points as l ow as the Nano. The immediate potential demand for a car at 1.6 million units is based on non-car owner respondents who were asked whether they were aspiring to buy a car any car in the next 12 months. The survey had a sample size of 1 million households, extrapolated to 215.9 million households in India with at least one earner. The survey analysis suggests that the potential buyers of cars are households with an annual income of Rs 200,000 and above that do not own a car. The analysis considers all households that can afford a small car and do not currently own a single car. According to the survey, which had a sample size of nearly a million households, over 12.88 million households out of the 19 million households with annual income above Rs 200,000 currently do not own a car (either new or second hand). In the case of households with annual income between Rs 1,50,000 and Rs 200,000, there are 10 million households that own a two-wheeler, but do not currently have a car. The survey shows nearly 55 per cent of the 1.6 million demand is expected from rural India and smaller towns, with the near-term demand from the six super metros estimated at 0.25 million. Within this, as many as 0.8 million non-car households, who were planning to buy only a two-wheeler may now aspire for a car due to the lower price point for a car like the Nano. If one were to assume that no household, with annual income above Rs 500,000 would buy a small car, the near-term demand estimate is still very high at over 1.26 million units. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research design and method Research Method The study will be divided into three parts: The desk research The field research Report writing The desk research will comprise of evaluating the secondary data to assess the following: Understanding the overall passenger car market. Assess the visible changes that have taken place in the market. Evaluate the current trends in the buyer behavior. Understand the current consumer approaches towards global vs Indian brands. The field research will be re-validation of the findings of the secondary data findings and to achieve the primary objective. Method of data collection: Structured disguised questionnaire will be developed to understand the consumer perception of global vs Indian brands. Sampling: Sample Profile: This will a mix of dealers and prospective consumers of car, selected through the simple random sampling. For the dealer it will be stratified sampling selection technique used. Sample Size : Dealers 10 , Consumers 50 Sampling Technique: Simple random sampling for the consumer and stratified sampling for the dealers. Limitations of the Study Sample size is not large enough to obtain absolute results. Variability may exits. The study is based on the findings of single city only i.e.the Mumbai city only. The research is restricted to the mini cars segment only. The genuineness of data may be questioned . 3.2 Data Method of data collection: Structured disguised questionnaire will be developed to understand the consumer perception of global vs Indian brands. Sampling: This will a mix of dealers and prospective consumers of car, selected through the simple random sampling. The fieldwork would be undertaken with the structured disguised questionnaire to understand the middle class consumers perception of global Vs Indian brands. The Sample Profile comprises of dealers and prospective class conscious consumers of car, selected through the simple random sampling. For the dealer will be stratified sampling selection technique used a sample size of 10. The sample size of consumers comprises of 50. CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS Car purchasing decision is an important decision for most of India young consumers. More than half of respondents made their decision from initial decision to buy to placing the order between two weeks to three months. People get information from different channels, car sales staff, Internet, family/friend word of mouth, car shows etc. From this survey, we find out that with the rapid development of Internet, a lot of consumers start to use Internet to get car information (Internet has become 2nd most used channel to get information and is just behind dealer staff in our study). The Internet is usually the first place for young consumers to go when they want to buy a car; their next step maybe take place in the showroom, then followed by a test drive. The fieldwork is undertaken with the structured disguised questionnaire to understand the consumer perception of global Vs Indian brands. The Sample Profile comprises of dealers and prospective consumers of car, selected t hrough the simple random sampling. For the dealer it will be stratified sampling selection technique used fir a sample size of 10. The sample size of consumers comprises of 50. Simple random sampling is used for the consumer and stratified sampling for the dealers. The age group of the sample profile is depicted in the Diagram1. The diagram reflects the 20-30 years age group comprises 43% of the sample. The diagram 2 reflects the monthly income of the customers surveyed. It shows most of the customers earn monthly income less than Rs. 25,000. By Diag.3 it is found that out 50% of the respondents have more than 2 cars. From Diag.4 5, In Mini-sized car segment, Hundai Santro is owned by maximum respondents followed by Fiat Palio and Maruti Zen. In Mid-sized segment, Hundai Accent is owned by maximum respondents followed by Honda City and Maruti Esteem. Mini-Segment Cars Mid-segment Cars Consider the following Parameters for their Purchase of Cars: Diagrams 6-13 depict the parameters that people consider to purchase a new car. Out of the total respondents surveyed, 45% of the people highly agree, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“BRANDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  as parameter; 50% as STYLE, 58% as MILAGE, 44% as SPACE, 26% as comfort, 54 % as CREDIT SCHEMES, 54% as COLOUR, 34% as accessories. Diagram 14 reflects the respondents need to buy a new car. 48% of the respondents said they would buy a new car as their family size is increased, 46% to upgrade for a better car, and only 6% were first time buyers. Diagrams 15-18 In the mini-segment car companies maximum customers are highly satisfied with the good dealer coverage and the facilities in the outlet of Maruti Udyog. Secondly, most of the customers consider that Hyundai Motors (Korean Company) has emerged to be the No. 1 brand today and with maximum customers being highly satisfied with its after sales service. Tata Motors image and brand is deteriorating. Fiat India is doing average in all aspects CHAPTER 5 FINDINGS 5.1 Implications As the younger people get of buying age, consumers will spend more time on Internet and purchase more and more products by Internet, including cars, therefore, car manufacturers and retail dealers should think about how they should do in the different decision making phases in the e-world and should try to work closely with automotive Internet companies and increase its budgets on Internet advertising and marketing. In the needs recognition phase, car manufacturers may use banner advertising, sponsorships and interstitials which could expose customers to products and services. In addition, car manufacturers and dealers may design some online surveys to get to know what customers really need/want for the cars; In the information search phase, car manufacturers and dealers may provide some online queries which could answer consumers questions and provide useful information for consumers decision making; In the evaluation of alternatives stage, consumers may use community marketing, customer feedback, message boards, customer reviews and blogs/MSN spaces to help customers though the evaluation process toward their final purchasing goal. In the purchase phase, car manufacturers could use gift registries, email marketing and online dialogue functionality to help consumers make final purchase or even additional purchases. In the post-purchase phase, auto makers and retailers may regularly check the positive or negative comments and feedbacks posted on some websites forums by some users. 5.2 The Conclusions On the basis of analysing secondary and primary data, the following recommendations are made with respect to the consumer behaviour of passenger car segment in SAS Nagar: As the age group 20-30 years comprises the major chunk in the sample size, it is strongly recommended to target this segment and design advertising strategy to attract this segment. The most suitable model for this segment would be Mini-size car, considering the quantum of savings and purchasing power. As the most of customers falling in the incomes of less than Rs.25, 000 per month, it is recommended to focus on financing schemes to attract this segment.It is observed that the accelerating growth of Hundai models, viz. Santro and Accent is because of innovations in technology and design coupled with aggressive advertising. It has affected the recalling of Maruti models. It is recommended that Maruti should focus on innovation in design. As for as advertising is concerned, customer is aware of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ËÅ"Maruti brand, but he/she is looking for a change in design. The other brands like Fiat, Honda, still focusing on premium positioning and once the brand is established they may come out with competitive pricing with various models. For any car manufacturer, it has become essential to focus on enhancing brand image. Almost 50% of the customers feel Brand as an important parameter. As mentioned earlier, Innovation in Design should be parallel focus as brand is recognized by the style and design of the model. Considering the income levels of middle and higher middles segment, customer is very much considered the mileage aspect of the car. Much R D is recommended to provide fuel efficiency in the model, which can be projected as advantage over competitors. Cosmetic parameters color, space should be incorporated in the designing of the model. It is observed that customer is more willing to buy a new car than going for seconds. So Car manufacturers may launch exchange sc hemes and offers to push the new models in the market. We can also conclude that the internationality of the brands does have an effect on the purchase decision of the car in the minds of the consumers. As we had already seen that the foreign brands like Hyundai, Honda, Fiat, are doing really well due to their excellence in the product quality, technology, features, price etc. All these attributes does play a very important role in comparison with the local brands like Maruti Suzuki , Tata Motors etc. whose share in the market is declining day by day. Car market in is growing consistently and the flood of new models, aggressive advertising, coupled with competitive pricing and various finance options, customer is very much positive to own a four-wheeler. Observing the recommendations, it may be concluded that car manufacturers already moving the gear to motivate customer with attractive advertising and positioning, and innovations in scheme designing, tie-ups with vario us auto loan providers has ignited the growth fuel and the pricing game has started in the market. So the customer has more choices at competitive prices. So with more car brands set to enter the country, and existing players planning to launch new models, the options available to the prospective buyer are going to increase. However, taking a decision on which model to buy is also going to get more challenging. For the Indian car buyer its perhaps time to get more market savvy. For the prospects of the Indian Car market, the introduction of low priced cars is critical. With the low-priced cars it is possible that the growth of the market will accelerate, as the drop in the car prices may make cars more affordable and increase the number of first time buyers. In addition, low-priced cars may satisfy demand for the second cars for households in the wealthy and upper middle classes. 5.3 Suggestions for future research The current study uses the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“convenience sampleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , so probably it is not representative from a statistical point of view, so for future study, if with more time and budget, future researchers may take random sampling that each member of that population has an equal probability of being selected