The Chinese Economy, Culture & Society

The social values and history have shaped and formed the economical developments and the current environment of business in the People's Republic of China. They have determined the patterns for negotiation and the Chinese perceptions of business, and their feelings towards westerners. The implicit and explicit rules that the Chinese society has on the development of businesses, and the economy in general, are very important issues for any person going into China to understand and consider. In order to achieve a successful partnership between Chinese and Western cultures it is essential to have a basic understanding of history and cultural developments that have shaped the current environment of business. The three pillars of China are economy, culture, and society. The Chinese economy has been formed as a result of centuries of history and development, which reflect the philosophy of China and its current economical position. China started as a mainly agricultural based society with the subsistence group; the family. For more than 2000 years the Chinese economy operated under a type of feudal system; land was concentrated in the hands of a relatively small group of landowners whose income depended on rents from their peasant tenants. Agricultural taxes levied by the imperial government and crop yields subject to drought and floods kept agriculture relatively underdeveloped and organized in small units with the use of primitive methods for basic subsistence. The conclusion of the Opium War of 1840 formally initiated a period of Western penetration of China from the coastal treaty ports. Railroads and highways were constructed, and some industrial development began. Such activity had little impact, however, on the overall Chinese economy. In effect, China was carved up into a number of competing colonial spheres of influence. Japan, which tried to attach China to its East Asia prosperity Sphere, was able to create only isolated nodes of a modern economy. The Chinese Communist party emerged in the 1920s in the midst of a mounting economic crisis caused by foreign intervention and increased landlord influence in the countryside. For more than two decades, it expanded its control over large rural areas by introducing an agrarian program based on the control of rent and usury, and by giving power to peasant associations. On October 1, 1949, the Communist party successfully established a unified national government and economy on the mainland for the first time since the end of the imperial period in 1912. From 1949 to 1952 the emphasis was on halting inflation and ending food shortages and unemployment. The new government initiated a land reform program that redistributed land to 300 million poor peasants into cooperative farms. In 1958 the rural people's communes were established, and these dominated agriculture in China until the early 1980s. The commune was based on the collective ownership of all land and major tools by its members, who produced mainly to meet state planning targets and who were rewarded according to the work they performed, although basic necessities were guaranteed to all members. In the urban-industrial sector, state ownership of property and of industrial and commercial enterprises was gradually extended. Industry grew steadily from heavy investment under the first five-year plan, and the state-owned sector achieved an overwhelming importance. The second five-year plan was introduced in 1958, trying to get China ahead into industrialization. This program was characterized by large investments in heavy industry and the establishment of small-scale versions of such industries as steel refining. The program, however, caused great disruptions in economic management and in rational economic growth, and in 1960 the program had to be abandoned. The Chinese economy then entered a period of readjustment, but by 1965 production in many fields again approached the level of the late 1950s. The third five-year plan began in 1966, but both agricultural and industrial production were severely curtailed by the effects of the Cultural Revolution; a fourth five-year plan was introduced in 1971 as the economy began its recovery. After eliminating the vestiges of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, China's leaders decided to move at a faster pace on all economic fronts to make up for the loss suffered in the preceding ten years. A fifth five-year program began in 1976 but was interrupted in 1978, when the Four-Modernization program was launched. It included the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology. A ten-year plan for 1976-85 stressed improvement in economic management and a larger role for private and collectively owned (as opposed to state-owned) enterprises. This program was superseded by a more modest ten-year plan for 1981-90, but efforts to attract Western technology and investment continued, as did a program of incentives to increase agricultural production. Policies introduced in October 1984 called for further decentralization of economic planning and for increased reliance on market forces to determine the prices of consumer goods. China has potential to be the biggest market of the world with 1.3 billion people. Furthermore, it posses billions of unexplored resources and the biggest and cheapest labor force in Asia. The size and underdevelopment make it a potential monster that has created interest in every investing and developing country in the world. The Chinese economy is an increasing economic possibility for anyone. Chinese culture and society can be divided into two major periods, Imperial China and Communist China. The modern Chinese society can be defined as a combination of centuries of values and communist propaganda achievements. The imperial China had a strong class system where 90% of the people were poor and possessed limited resources to develop culturally, socially and personally. This situation led to the strength of the large family and the basis for the distinctive collectivism of China. The well being of the family and the state are the main goals for any action in society. If actions taken do not contribute to the family or the society as a whole, then the actions will not be regarded as proper. Eliminating almost any form of individualistic thinking. The Chinese Family is the main economic unit of society. The development of the Chinese economy is based on the family. The Chinese family is the economic unit in which members produce and consume in common. Also, it is the religious unit responsible for the performing of rites required for the well being of the family. The social security of the Chinese family relies on the effective performance and interaction between religion and family. These concepts strongly clash with western individualism collection of wealth for personal gain. A clear example of this is the overseas Chinese control family-run business empires that already dominate much of Asia. They invest billions in China, helping their ancestral homeland become the world's fastest-growing economy. Together, China and its approximately 56 million offshore Chinese are the most important commercial and political forces for China and reflect, again the family based economic strategy that they follow. In addition to the traditional imperial Chinese society, the Communist values shape and blend into modern Chinese philosophy. One of the early acts of the Chinese Communist party after it gained control in 1949 was to officially eliminate organized religion. Previously the dominant religions in China had been Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Most temples and schools of these four religions were converted to secular purposes. Only with the constitution of 1978 was official support again given for the allowance of formal religion in China. The constitution also stated that the Chinese population had the right to hold religious beliefs. Moreover, China has a long and rich cultural tradition in which education has played a major role. Throughout the imperial period (221 BC-AD 1912), only the educated have held positions of social and political leadership. In 124 BC the first university was established for training prospective bureaucrats in Confucian learning and the Chinese classics. Historically, however, few Chinese have been able to take the time to learn the complex language and it's associated literature. It is estimated that as late as 1949 only 20% of China's population was literate. To the Chinese Communists, this illiteracy was a stumbling block for the promotion of their political programs. Therefore, the Communists combined political propaganda with educational development. Chinese education has been strongly affected by the communism in China. Since education was for the rich and privileged during imperial age of China. One of the most ambitious programs of the Communist party has been the establishment of universal public education for their large population. In the first two years of the new government (1949-51) more than 60 million peasants enrolled in â€Å"winter schools,† or sessions, established to take advantage of the slack season for agricultural workers. Mao declared that a dominant goal of education was to reduce the sense of class distinction. This was to be accomplished by reducing the social gaps between manual and mental labor, between the city and countryside residents and between the worker in the factory and the peasant on the land. After long periods of breaks and changes in policies colleges reopened in 1970-72. Admission was granted to many candidates because of their political leanings, party activities, and peer-group support. This method of selection ceased in 1977, as the Chinese launched their new campaign for the Four Modernizations. The governments stated goals for rapid modernization in agriculture, industry, defense, and science and technology required high levels of training. Such educational programs by necessity had to be based on theoretical and formal skills more than on political attitudes and the spirit of revolution. After the revolution every thing changed in China. The stability of social values and structure where the highest achievement for the Chinese philosophy. These values where already deep in the Chinese culture; however, they were strengthened with communism and used into the development of China. The Chinese society had become a combination of strong family and moral values and a country thriving for modernization and industrialization. This concept of stability as the highest achievement obstructed the development of China in the past, and still creates problems today. The sole concept of risks disturbs the grounds of Chinese culture in contrast to western society where risk is the main drive for development and investment. The radical change from imperialism and strong class differences to the equality philosophy implemented by Mao Tse Tung created the modern China. Its development from feudalism to communism created a conservative China, with very few attempts to move towards capitalism. It was through the imperial years that mercantilism and trade took place, yet it never flourished, as the capitalistic model westerners know, until China's re-opening to the western world in the 70's. China has always had the elements for development. In fact, they could very well have had an industrial revolution before England. China possessed many key elements that transformed Europe into a modernized industrial economy (compass, printing, gunpowder, etc). Nevertheless, there is much more to China than just industrial and economical development. Thus, when considering developing a business in China one should always consider the cultural factors that makes the Chinese society so strong and differentiating it from western societies. The fact that China wants to grow, does not mean that it will do it with the western models and philosophy, rather it will be with models developed from their own culture. This is the point that can be attributed to cause most of the problems between Chinese and Western cultures, and the point to be accepted in order to be successful in developing a successful business relationship in China. Negotiating in China can be very frustrating. Differences in decision making styles and negotiating tactics cause misunderstanding and tension. Chinese culture is based on the importance of rituals and ceremonies and so is Chinese business. Business meetings are as important as the dealings during receptions. To exemplify the process of dealing with China in order to develop a productive relationship we will use the case of Kentucky Fried Chicken in China. This case includes the different problems and strategies used in the negotiation and development of business in China, specifically in setting up a foreign joint venture. However, the problems that arise and the current working environment of the Chinese economy cannot be understood without first understanding the history and the cultural revolutions that have shaped it. This brief outline of the history of China leads insight into some of the problems and the resolutions that a manager for KFC experienced during his venture with the Chinese. In 1986, Tony Wang was Vice President of the Southeast Asia division of KFC. He had an opportunity of bringing the world's largest chicken restaurant company into the world's largest populated country. Wang was an experienced entrepreneur and had been working for KFC for seven years. No other fast food companies were currently operating in the People's Republic, so Wang did not have anything to go by and had nothing to help him evaluate the attractiveness of the Chinese market. The main downsides of operating in China were huge demands on managerial resources and the low prospects of significant hard currency repatriation. The first decision that Wang was faced with was where to open the location of the first KFC. Obviously there were differences from city to city but a reliable way to evaluate these differences did not exist. Wang was interested in the enormous potential of the Chinese market, but he knew that many other companies had failed in similar ventures. Ta-Tung, (Tony) Wang was born in the Sichuan province in the People's Republic of China in 1944. He moved to Taiwan when he was young and graduated from the Chong-Yuan University with a degree in engineering. He later moved to the United States, and in 1973 completed a masters degree in management science from the Steven's Institute of Technology in New Jearsey. He then attended New York University where, in 1975, he received his post-master's certificate in international business management. Wang joined KFC in 1975 at the headquarters in Louisville. Wang was convinced of the large potential for American-style fast food in China. He attended a lecture by the mayor of Tianjin (the third largest city in China), who spoke of the many opportunities for investment in his city. Wang was asked by the mayor to sit on a council to advise on improving the fast food industry in Tianjin. KFC was currently owned by R.J. Reynolds, who was very interested in getting into the Chinese market to sell their cigarettes. American smokes were in high demand in China. Wang had the support of top management. He spoke perfect Mandarin and English and was as comfortable working in New York as he was Beijing. He also had experience negotiating with the Chinese. As Tony Wang investigated more and more into the necessary requirements his concerns began to grow. He knew that Chinese workers would have problems working under the KFC guidelines, and time-consuming, expensive training programs would be a necessary requirement. As well large capital outlays would be needed to find and negotiate a partnership, to sign a lease and gain operating permits. Wang began to thoroughly research the Chinese market. The first item that he began to look at was location. The reason that this was so important was because the location would have dramatic impact on the profitability, future expansion to the rest of China, and the managerial resources commitments. Four cities were selected as potential locations for the first store: Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing. Tianjin – One of the major advantages of Tianjin was the established contacts that Wang had there. As well, it was only one of three municipal governments in China that were not controlled by the Central Government in Beijing. The major problem with Tianjin was it lacked a convenient supply of grain-fed chickens. Local chickens were fed using fish meal fed chickens. This presented a problem given that the Chinese place great emphasis on freshness and taste. Tianjin also was not a very popular tourist location. Wang expected most profits to be in Renminbi, but some foreign currency would be needed for profit repatriation and purchasing needed supplies, which could only be purchased outside of China. Shanghai – Shanghai has over 11 million people, and is regarded as China's most prosperous business centre. Shanghai is home to a large variety of Western hotels, business facilities and tourists, however it also is not a very popular tourist spot, because of the pollution and loud noise. The investment could not be justified if it did not supply an adequate amount of foreign currency. Shanghai did, however, contain several feed mills and the largest poultry supplier in China. Gangzhou – Gangzhou is located in Southeast China only a short distance from Hong Kong, and is recognized for it preferential treatment for foreign investment. It has greater autonomy in approving foreign investment projects, reducing tax rates, and encouraging technological development. Many tourists visit Gangzhou because of its close proximity to Hong Kong. As well any operations could be managed directly from the existing Hong Kong operations. As well, Wang did not anticipate difficulty finding a supplier for chicken. Beijing – Beijing is the second largest city in China. It is the political and cultural centre and has relatively high levels of affluence and the education of its inhabitants. It is also the tourist centre of China, with many attractions located in and around Beijing. A Beijing location would also give a higher profile. This could be both good and bad. If they received approval from the central government, they would be able to enter the rest of the Chinese market without hassle. However, because of the higher profile, the government might decide that they would not fit in to the Chinese landscape, which would prevent them from ever succeeding. Outside of Beijing there were also numerous poultry farms. Wang knew that the location was the most important detail, and would decide whether KFC would succeed or not. There were currently no other competitors in the Chinese market, so now was the time to strike to take advantage of the situation. The risks were high, and Wang needed to weigh out these risks to estimate whether the expenses would lead to for a huge gain or a huge loss. In early February 1987, Wang decided to open operations in Beijing. This was decided because of Beijing's high amount of tourists and its autonomous municipal government. However, he was feeling more worried about the venture. KFC signed a joint venture partnership. Wang's worries were stemming from the difficulty he had been experiencing getting things done in a city governed by a bureaucracy that seemed impossible to either understand or work with. He felt that he would never be able to find a location in the city and government approval was required on everything. Wang was also concerned whether Chinese workers would be able to meet KFC's demands for cleanliness, quality and service. The establishment of a joint venture was considered essential because Wang described the chinese, â€Å"completely impossible for us to understand. In fact, trying to do so is a complete waste of time.† Trying to understand investment regulations, winning approval for operating licenses, leases, and employment contracts could certainly prevent them from proceeding. A local partner was not required under Chinese law, however Wang felt it would be beneficial in setting up operations and maintaining continued viability. Through ties R.J. Reynolds had with the Ministry of Light, a partnership was formed between KFC and the Beijing Corporation of Animal Production, a Beijing city government-controlled producer of chickens. After careful inspection KFC found that this would indeed work out, as Animal Production already produced three of the approved breeds of chicken required for operations. Negotiations with the poultry producer commenced with Mr. Jue Xia, a senior manager in the Beijing corporation. Xia felt that it would not be able to meet KFC's large demand because they did not have access to large enough reserves of grain. Xia was also hesitant about KFC's quality standards. However, they thought that a partnership with a Western firm would be beneficial for them as they would gain international experience. Xia felt that Tony Wang was unlike most American managers; he was a man he could deal with. The Beijing Corporation helped Wang find a chicken supplier but they lacked close contact with the government agencies that would be essential to setting up operations. So a third partner was needed. Both partners agreed that the Beijing Tourist Bureau would be able to meet their requirements. The Tourist Bureau was responsible for the supervision of the construction and operation of all hotels and restaurants in Beijing. They also had a lot of experience speeding up the construction of many Western hotels, and had many times participated in a joint venture in these operations. During these negotiations it happened that KFC was sold to Pepsico. During this time KFC was the second largest fast food chain in the world. It was initially thought that Animal Production had only come on board because of pressure from the Ministry of Light Industry, who wanted to win points with Reynolds, so the acquisition came at a bad time. As it turned out, however, Pepsico's connections with the government in Beijing were even stronger then Reynolds, so negotiations continued with a renewed interest. To convince the partners to become part of the venture, Wang offered a guarantee of five percent return on equity, much better than they could receive domestically. This sealed the deal in winning over the partners. KFC retained 60% of ownership, The Tourist Bureau received 27%, and Beijing Animal Production took 13%. This was the actual breakdown of assets that each partner was contributing to the arrangement. This deal was privately pre-approved as acceptable in negotiations with the Foreign Economic Development and City Planning Commissions. The approval of the partnership also required on the sharing of the corporation. With one-half coming from KFC and the other half split between the other two partners. The deal also stated that the chairman would be appointed by Animal Production and the vice-chairman would be appointed by the Tourist Bureau. This concerned Wang because of loss of control over operations. Wang countered by establishing the new store as a franchisee, with the franchiser being KFC's head office in Singapore. This would require 3% royalty payments to be paid to the head office, and require the store to purchase its seasoning mixes from the head office, both using hard currency. Wang also appointed a day-to-day general manager in Beijing, who would be appointed by KFC and have control over operations. Although it seemed like all major challenges were over, they weren't. The approval of the partnership did not give any operating authority for KFC in the city. They needed a â€Å"Licence to Execute a Business Activity.† Approval of this required the signatures of the District government, the Commerce Department, the Taxation Department, the Health Department, and the Food Supply and Logistics Department. None of these agencies had any coordination, so approval from each separately was required and this could take months or years. Tony Wang stated: † We are pioneers in China, but so are the Chinese. However, whether they want to learn or not is another story. Many Westerners make the same big mistake in China: they assume that they can just pay to have the required work done or at least expedited. This just doesn't work in China. The Chinese are not motivated by a desire to do things right simply for the sake of doing things right. They don't want your help in speeding up the process. They just want to avoid problems. And unless we can convince them otherwise, we are their biggest problem.† A license was necessary before a lease could be signed, but Wang was worried that a desirable location might not be found. All buildings and possible space in Beijing is occupied. As well, Chinese regulations stated that new tenants would have to guarantee the employment of any workers left jobless when a new tenant took over. This worried Wang because he would be stuck with a number of unskilled Chinese that he would have to employ. Wang wanted the first store that was to be opened to be big and flashy because it would determine the future success of KFC in China. This was strategically a good idea but it ran counter to the culture in China where there was a history of hostility towards Western culture. In February 1987, a license was issued by the city, allowing KFC to operate in Beijing. The Tourist Bureau played an integral role in speeding up the application. Under the license KFC was given a tax remission for two years; profits in three years, four and five would be taxed at 16.5%, with profits thereafter taxed at 33% Wang now had to select a site to open the first location. But no matter where a location was chosen KFC would still require a building permit, as well as hookups for electricity, water, gas, and heating before the store could open. Wang discovered that many of these services were difficult to obtain, and it was not uncommon for applications to not be processed for months. Another concern was the company's need to secure import licenses needed to bring equipment into the country: pressure frying machines, cash registers, blending and cutting equipment for the kitchen. Each item required a separate permit that could take months to attain. During all these negotiations Tony Wang realized that no one had thought to test market the area. It was known that the Chinese liked chicken. From KFC's success in Hong Kong, it was assumed that it would be accepted, but no one had had time to find out for sure and they were forced to cross their fingers. Another problem was finding a reliable supplier of quality potatoes. If they were unable to do this they would have to use mashed potatoes, and Wang did not know how the Chinese would receive this. The largest concern facing Tony Wang was whether or not the Chinese employees could meet the quality, service, and cleanliness requirements. The Chinese employees would have little appreciation for KFC's international standards of cleanliness or product quality. Most domestic organisations lacked any incentive programs, work was seen as something to be avoided, and service was a foreign term. The KFC organization would not allow the store to open if these levels were not met. The ironic part was that Chinese consumers would accept less then what was required. This would create conflict with the partners. Tony Wang also wondered what KFC would do with the soft currency that the venture would generate, and wondered whether or not there would even be any profits. Wang was faced with three options: 1. Pull out – cut the company losses and avoid negative publicity if the venture failed. This would allow for further research and KFC could try to re-enter in a few years when there was more complete information. 2. Go ahead slowly – taking more time evaluating the situation to make sure the partnerships were secure and the market would accept KFC, however this would invite competitor response. 3. Go ahead full – the market had high potential for success for KFC, and, with 1.1 billion people, large potential for profits. Wang decided to go full ahead. The location was finally found. The central government approved the lease because Wang sold them on the idea that the restaurant would represent a symbol and statement of the People's Republic open policy with the West. The lease was finally approved in April of 1987, however they did not have the building permit, which would allow them to make necessary renovations. They also required hookups for gas, water and heating. Applications were continually lost or just went unanswered.

Kids Need Sports

Kids these days are stuck inside doors just playing video games, doing homework, watching television, and that’s just wrong. Kids should be outside playing sports, getting some exercise while having fun. There are many reasons nowadays why kids aren’t playing or end up quitting sports, such as their parents don’t want them to play and get hurt, kids feel that they can’t do the sport or won’t be any good at it. A other reason kids end up quitting sports because they don’t like to lose or be on a losing team but as Muhammed Ali once said â€Å"I never thought about losing, but now that it’s happened, the only thing is to do it right† (Ali).This is a good mindset to have. Playing a sport at a young age helps the child become a better leader, team player, and an athlete that will carry on as they get older. Whoever disagrees that kids shouldn’t play sports should consider all the benefits sports bring to a child’s life and the people around them. Kids that play a sport are more likely to be in healthy, and have better socializing behavior. There are reasons why kids don’t playing sports at an early age due to parents not allowing them, and kid end up quitting sports due to injury and the stress of a sport.Sports are a great way for a kid to stay in shape and have fun. Playing a sports at a young age has a lot of health befits. As stated by Family, Youth and Community Sciences â€Å"According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who participate in sports are less likely to become pregnant as teenagers and are less likely to suffer from depression. There is also evidence that athletic activity can decrease the likelihood of developing breast cancer and osteoporosis. †(â€Å"Benefits of Sports for Kids†). Kids that play a sport at a young age are more likely to have better eating habits, and exercise when they grow up to an adult.As told by Academic Search Premier. â⠂¬Å"Athletes are generally less likely than their nonathlete peers to smoke cigarettes or to use marijuana or other illegal drugs (â€Å"Relationships Between Youth Sport Participation†). When a kid plays a sport they are often on a team which builds socializing skills and teamwork skills. Routledge â€Å"Around the world, there is evidence of sport/physical activity programmes being used to re-engage young people in education and society more broadly (â€Å"The role of physical activity/sport†).Kids that play sports learn how to share, be a leader, have great team work, and be a better person in both the sport and everyday life. Kid will also have better obedience, and respect to their elders and parents. Sports are a great way to find close friends to talk to play with and they would have the same interests and hobbies as the child would have this makes finding friends easier on the child. Parents need to be involved in their child’s life making sure they are up to good; a great way in doing that is to enroll them in a sport.Parents are the one that need to make the push in their child’s life to start playing a sport and finding the sports they would like to play. Often enough parents are also the reason why kids aren’t playing any sports. An example would be a mother doesn’t want her kid to play football because they can get injured and she is to overprotective of her child, but parents need to know that they cannot keep their kids in door all the time this could cause socializing problems, and health problems. As said by Steinberg Academic Search Premier â€Å"As a general rule, kids should start playing sports around age 6 (â€Å"Let's play ball! ). There are many reasons why kids quit sports nowadays. Some of the reason are that the kid is under too much stress and got injured and afraid to play again. The kid could be in a great deal of stress with the sports busy work schedule with practices, games, and film . This could be a lot for a kid to handle. Academic OneFile â€Å"If your child is unhappily stuck in a high-stress situation, De Lench advises, allow him or her to quit. â€Å"As adults, we walk away from situations that aren't good for us, and it's a healthy lesson to teach your child (â€Å"Not just fun and games†).Kids also should just play seasonal a sports not a year round sports so he or she is constantly under stress. Youth sports are essential to a kids’ development to grow and learn. A child without a sport could have health problem when growing up and likely to get into more trouble with drugs. The kids also build social behaviors and leadership traits that well stick with them for the rest of their lives and good friends along so. The things that are stopping kids from playing g sports are parents, cause of injury, and a stressful environment of the sport itself.

A History of Greek Festivals

Together these festivals made up the ‘periodos’ [ 1 ] which was extremely important in furthering the dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points and between Greeks and non-Greeks. The competition between those take parting and the city states they were stand foring is an illustration of how those Pan-hellenic dealingss were developing. Other countries are how the direction of each of the festivals and who really attended these ‘Panhellenic’ festivals. The honor and glorification gained by the masters in each of the four Games was so great that the lone stuff awards straight received from the organizers were Crowns of assorted workss sacred to the Gods that the festivals were dedicated to. [ 2 ] This led to the term ‘periodonikes’ being created which was given to the jocks that had won competitions at all four Games and were considered to be the greatest jocks for this accomplishment. [ 3 ] This could propose that the competition between the jocks would be so ferocious that tensenesss would be created in dealingss between persons in add-on to the city states that they were stand foring. On the other manus it is deserving observing that Olympic masters were non above the jurisprudence in their place province as can be shown in the narrative of Philippos of Croton who was exiled after he became betrothed to a adult female from Sybaris even though he had been winning at the Olympic Games. [ 4 ] The memorials that were bui lt by the city states shows the committedness they had to guaranting the remainder of the Greek universe could retrieve their triumphs for many old ages to come. Not merely were the memorials dedicated to athletic triumphs but the sanctuaries where the four Panhellenic Games were held besides contained memorials honoring military triumphs over other city states. [ 5 ] This suggests the metropoliss were non interested in whether their oppositions were offended and hence strains in the dealingss between them due to the struggles the memorials were mentioning to would go on. Shortly after the creative activity of the four Panhellenic festivals in the early 6Thursdaycentury BC Athens began reorganizing their Panathenaia festival in order for it to include athletic tourneies in add-on to the musical and ecstatic competitions that had been held at that place. [ 6 ] Consequently the Panathenaic festival became more important within the athletic universe yet it was ne’er regarded every bit extremely as the four Panhellenic festivals that made up the ‘periodos’ which can be seen through the usage of expensive stuff awards [ 7 ] as opposed to the Crown prizes masters took off at the Olympic, Pythian, Isthmian and Nemean Games. This suggests the jocks would hold a focal point of winning the awards alternatively of the honor they received through their triumphs. Consequently, the city states they represented would hold had less of an involvement in whether they won if the glorification of triumph was less than that in ‘periodos’ t riumphs and therefore dealingss between different city states would hold been more likely to be unchanged. The lone city state to truly profit from the revitalised Panathenaic festival would hold been Athens as they had the chance to advance their metropolis to visitants from beyond Attica yet it has been suggested that the Panathenaia was ne’er supposed to be Panhellenic and was alternatively supposed to back Athenian national pride which is why dealingss between Greeks remained unchanged. [ 8 ] The last race to be added to the programme of events at the Olympic Games in approximately 520 BC was the ‘hoplitodromos’ which involved jocks running in full armor. This peculiar race besides featured in the other Panhellenic Games which suggests the importance of such a race. Pausanias suggests the race could hold been designed to advance military preparation as contending wars was common in the Archaic Period and the menace of struggle with Iranian forces was increasing. [ 9 ] This ‘military training’ could hold besides been a manner for the city states to expose their military art and hence derive farther glorification from a military facet in add-on to the athletic facet. However Philostratus suggests as it was the last race of the competition that it symbolised the return to a militant nature after the ‘peaceful’ armistices that were established for the continuance of each of the Panhellenic festivals. [ 10 ] The armistices referred to above were designed to advance peace amongst the city states of Greece as it prohibited ground forcess to come in the countries around the sanctuaries where the festivals were held and ensured the safe transition of those go toing the festivals. [ 11 ] However as it may hold ensured peaceable dealingss for city states such as Elis it did non forestall wars from taking topographic point outside of these parts. However holding a armistice in topographic point meant people from all over the Grecian universe and beyond could garner in one topographic point and set up peaceable dealingss with others every bit good as keep them. As minister plenipotentiaries were sent out from the city states where the festivals were held in the months taking up to each of the Games to denote the beginning of them this was a method of advancing the Games whilst at the same clip advertising the city-states themselves and networking with the remainder of Greece as representatives f rom each metropolis would be chosen to have the minister plenipotentiary. [ 12 ] Harmonizing to Pausanias Pisa originally had control over the metropolis of Olympia and hence would hold governed the Olympic Games. However their â€Å"hostility† towards the Eleians caused a war which saw Elis conquer Pisa and claim the site of Olympia as theirs. [ 13 ] This combat over the ‘Panhellenic’ sanctuaries suggests metropoliss would be prepared to pay a war if it resulted in them having the honor that must hold come with bring forthing the most esteemed Games in this period. The existent disposal of the Olympic Games by the city state of Elis was by and large considered to be without prejudice. [ 14 ] The Judgess were Eleian and chosen by Elis and as a consequence it did pull some unfavorable judgment from foreigners such as Herodotus who describes the narrative of when citizens of Elis visit Egypt to inquire them their sentiment on whether the Games were being administered reasonably to which they reply they are non because Eleians themselves could co me in the competitions and therefore they would non be judged reasonably against people from different topographic points. [ 15 ] This suggests Herodotus is belittling the unity of those judging the competitions who had even named themselves as ‘Hellanodikai’ which means ‘judges of the Greeks’ . [ 16 ] It is possible that many other Greeks had this position and so it would hold the possible to make tensenesss within dealingss between those pull offing the festival and the foreigners who were take parting in it. However they may be some truth to these positions as Thomas Heine Nielsen states that Elis was the most successful province to vie in the Olympics with the bulk of triumphs in the boy’s competitions and the equestrian events although you would anticipate more entrants from Elis into these tourneies as they were closest to the Olympic sanctuary. [ 17 ] The history of the locations of the four Panhellenic festivals was important in pulling Greeks from afar as the city states that were bring forthing these Games relied on the fabulous importance of the sites. In add-on to holding sanctuaries dedicated to a major God and world-renowned prophets in topographic points like Delphi these city states managed to utilize outstanding fabulous figures such as Heracles as a method of advancing their festivals. At Olympia Heracles was traditionally the laminitis of the Olympic Games and his undertaking of get the better ofing the Nemean king of beasts was used for the Nemean Games. In Delphi it was thought that there was a battle between him and Apollo over a tripod which surface in the early 6Thursdaycentury BC. [ 18 ] Furthermore, the Isthmian Games were held in honor of Poseidon and as a consequence the Equus caballus races were the most of import portion of the festival at that place. [ 19 ] This mixture of major Gods and heroes from mytholo gy ensured the success of the Panhellenic festivals in add-on to developing the construct of Panhellenism as people from across the Grecian universe would hold identified with these myths which suggests dealingss between them would hold improved. Relationss besides had the possible to be fostered through the construction of the Pythian Games as forfeits and banquets were the lone events on the first two yearss of the five-day festival. This gave rivals and witnesss alike the â€Å"opportunity to socialize and advance sentiments of harmoniousness and community.† [ 20 ] An confederation of city states known as the Amphictyonic League were responsible for puting up the Pythian Games and the readyings for them every four old ages after they had been winning in the First Sacred War. [ 21 ] This is an illustration of Greeks from different topographic points working together and their desire to prolong the dealingss created by their engagement in the war. Producing a festival would hold besides promoted peace and community values which is shown by the Pythian armistice established during each festival. A important historical figure associated with taking the reorganization of the Pythian Games after the First Sacred War was the tyrant Cleisthenes of Sicyon. McGregor besides believes that Cleisthenes of Sicyon was linked with the other Panhellenic festivals every bit good. The narrative of Cleisthenes and his daughter’s suers at Olympia maintains the thought that the Olympic Games were truly a universe phase for powerful leaders to acquire their vo ices heard. However Cleisthenes seemingly favoured the suers from Eretria and its Alliess as they were Ionians and he was traditionally thought to be anti-Dorian. [ 22 ] This suggests divisions amongst those viing could be formed as a consequence of cultural differences and that dealingss could go labored between Greeks from different topographic points as a effect. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the Nemean Games were established by the less dominant city state of Cleonae in concurrence with Argos in resistance to Cleisthenes of Sicyon after Cleonae had secured their freedom from Sicyon. [ 23 ] If this is true so it is farther grounds of the Panhellenic Games being used to do tenseness between city states. On the topic of who was really allowed to vie in the four Panhellenic Games it seemed to be originally sole to the nobility and the wealthy as the funerary games in honor of Patroclus in the Iliad show blue Greeks from many different topographic points compete in the chariot race which was the chief event. Chariot races were preponderantly for the wealthiest as Equus caballuss were expensive and hard to develop which meant they could expose their wealth whilst set uping dealingss with Greeks from different topographic points. [ 24 ] On the other manus this suggests that the poorest in society would non hold competed in the Panhellenic festivals such as the Isthmian Games where the equestrian events were considered to be the most esteemed and so if they did take part it would be in inferior events where they could non derive as much glorification. The suggestion that poorer persons would non vie in the major four Panhellenic festivals is evidenced by the point that they would non hold had the clip for athletic preparation [ 25 ] or to go to the four sanctuaries where each of the four Games were held if they lived a long distance off. Furthermore there were local festivals and games they could hold competed in which would hold been much more practical [ 26 ] but if this was the instance for most Greeks so at that place would hold been less of a fosterage of dealingss between people from different topographic points if they were merely interacting with others from the same community. However by the 6Thursdaycentury BC other events were added to the Panhellenic Games which meant the poorer in society could take part [ 27 ] as they were athleticss that were practiced throughout the whole of the Grecian universe. [ 28 ] This implies that the festivals became more Pan-hellenic as more people from different topographic points would be more likely to come in the competitions. Bury suggests that autocrats were the cause for this alteration as they wanted to defend the common people in order to win their support. [ 29 ] However if this ground is true so Panhellenism would merely be a side-effect of the autocrats desiring to derive more power and keep their reign. In add-on to this the autocrats could besides be a beginning of tenseness within dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points as is shown from the illustration of Cleisthenes of Sicyon trying to put up his ain Pythian Games in Sicyon after the autumn of dictatorship in Corinth meant they had more i nfluence in Delphi. [ 30 ] Relations between Corinth and Elis were besides strained in this period because of Olympia’s refusal to wipe out the names of the Cypselidae from some offerings which resulted in no Eleians being allowed to vie in the Isthmian Games and hence they were non able to derive the extremely esteemed ‘periodonikes’ rubric that athletes longed for. This is an illustration of a city-state utilizing its authorization over one of the Panhellenic festivals to demo their resistance to another city state which would hold had a well negative consequence on dealingss. In contrast Pausanias suggests that it was the â€Å"curses of Moline† that kept the Eleians off from the Isthmian Games. [ 31 ] Officially all free Grecian males were permitted to vie in the Olympic Games but this meant â€Å"females, non-Greeks and slaves were excluded from direct participation.† [ 32 ] However the Judgess make up one’s minding who could come in the competitions must hold been moderately flexible with the regulations as there is no record of person being refused entry on the evidences of their cultural individuality. [ 33 ] As a consequence of this many Grecian settlers from distant topographic points like Sicily and the north shore of the Black Sea came to Olympia during the Olympic festival. [ 34 ] Attending the festivals such as the Olympic Games was a immense benefit to Greek settlements as it meant they could remain in close contact with the mainland and set up connexions with other metropoliss and settlements whilst maintaining a safe distance off from the metropolis it originated from in order to keep its independency. Olympia besides acted as a impersonal land for neigh boring settlements who were at war with each other whilst supplying a beginning of military preparation when jocks competed in events such as the ‘hoplitodromos’ so they could support themselves against non-Greeks and other settlements. Western Greeks were slightly influential in the running of the Olympic Games which can be seen by the add-on of two new events in the early 5Thursdaycentury BC that were popular throughout Grecian settlements in the West. [ 35 ] This suggests dealingss between the settlements in the West and the Grecian mainland were good. For the dealingss between Greeks and non-Greeks Panhellenic festivals caused divisions. One of the narratives from Herodotus shows how Alexander’s rivals tried to take him from the race by claiming that he was non genuinely Grecian. [ 36 ] Another states the response of a Iranian when he is told of the â€Å"crown of olive† that athletes compete for in the Olympic Games and he was called a â€Å"coward† by a Grecian male monarch for it. [ 37 ] This dissentious facet of the Panhellenic Games can besides be seen by the usage of nakedness when viing in the competitions as it was considered absurd for high-level males in cultural groups such as the Persians or Lydians to look bare when practising athletics. [ 38 ] These illustrations show the contrasts between the Greeks manner of thought compared to the remainder of the universe and how this was implemented at the Panhellenic festivals. Ultimately the four Panhellenic festivals that formed the ‘periodos’ were designed in a manner that promoted Greek individuality and therefore dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points were frequently fostered through the shared faith and mythology of the sanctuaries where they were held every bit good as the shared athleticss that the competitions were comprised of. Nevertheless the jocks were ferociously competitory as they were the most esteemed competitions in the Greek universe which suggests tensenesss would hold developed in dealingss between non merely the jocks themselves but besides the city states they were stand foring. Armistices were established during each of the four festivals but this did non forestall war from happening outside of the affected parts. Furthermore it was the blue and the wealthy who chiefly competed in the extremely esteemed events such as chariot racing which would hold received the most honour for winning but with autoc rats presenting more events aimed at poorer persons there was the possibility that more dealingss were being fostered between Greeks from different degrees of society. Overall, the Panhellenic festivals did much to further dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points even if it was non the primary purpose sometimes. On the other manus festivals such as the Olympic Games showed a clear divide between the Greeks and the remainder of the universe and consequently dealingss between them would hold been less developed. A History of Greek Festivals Together these festivals made up the ‘periodos’ [ 1 ] which was extremely important in furthering the dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points and between Greeks and non-Greeks. The competition between those take parting and the city states they were stand foring is an illustration of how those Pan-hellenic dealingss were developing. Other countries are how the direction of each of the festivals and who really attended these ‘Panhellenic’ festivals. The honor and glorification gained by the masters in each of the four Games was so great that the lone stuff awards straight received from the organizers were Crowns of assorted workss sacred to the Gods that the festivals were dedicated to. [ 2 ] This led to the term ‘periodonikes’ being created which was given to the jocks that had won competitions at all four Games and were considered to be the greatest jocks for this accomplishment. [ 3 ] This could propose that the competition between the jocks would be so ferocious that tensenesss would be created in dealingss between persons in add-on to the city states that they were stand foring. On the other manus it is deserving observing that Olympic masters were non above the jurisprudence in their place province as can be shown in the narrative of Philippos of Croton who was exiled after he became betrothed to a adult female from Sybaris even though he had been winning at the Olympic Games. [ 4 ] The memorials that were bui lt by the city states shows the committedness they had to guaranting the remainder of the Greek universe could retrieve their triumphs for many old ages to come. Not merely were the memorials dedicated to athletic triumphs but the sanctuaries where the four Panhellenic Games were held besides contained memorials honoring military triumphs over other city states. [ 5 ] This suggests the metropoliss were non interested in whether their oppositions were offended and hence strains in the dealingss between them due to the struggles the memorials were mentioning to would go on. Shortly after the creative activity of the four Panhellenic festivals in the early 6Thursdaycentury BC Athens began reorganizing their Panathenaia festival in order for it to include athletic tourneies in add-on to the musical and ecstatic competitions that had been held at that place. [ 6 ] Consequently the Panathenaic festival became more important within the athletic universe yet it was ne’er regarded every bit extremely as the four Panhellenic festivals that made up the ‘periodos’ which can be seen through the usage of expensive stuff awards [ 7 ] as opposed to the Crown prizes masters took off at the Olympic, Pythian, Isthmian and Nemean Games. This suggests the jocks would hold a focal point of winning the awards alternatively of the honor they received through their triumphs. Consequently, the city states they represented would hold had less of an involvement in whether they won if the glorification of triumph was less than that in ‘periodos’ t riumphs and therefore dealingss between different city states would hold been more likely to be unchanged. The lone city state to truly profit from the revitalised Panathenaic festival would hold been Athens as they had the chance to advance their metropolis to visitants from beyond Attica yet it has been suggested that the Panathenaia was ne’er supposed to be Panhellenic and was alternatively supposed to back Athenian national pride which is why dealingss between Greeks remained unchanged. [ 8 ] The last race to be added to the programme of events at the Olympic Games in approximately 520 BC was the ‘hoplitodromos’ which involved jocks running in full armor. This peculiar race besides featured in the other Panhellenic Games which suggests the importance of such a race. Pausanias suggests the race could hold been designed to advance military preparation as contending wars was common in the Archaic Period and the menace of struggle with Iranian forces was increasing. [ 9 ] This ‘military training’ could hold besides been a manner for the city states to expose their military art and hence derive farther glorification from a military facet in add-on to the athletic facet. However Philostratus suggests as it was the last race of the competition that it symbolised the return to a militant nature after the ‘peaceful’ armistices that were established for the continuance of each of the Panhellenic festivals. [ 10 ] The armistices referred to above were designed to advance peace amongst the city states of Greece as it prohibited ground forcess to come in the countries around the sanctuaries where the festivals were held and ensured the safe transition of those go toing the festivals. [ 11 ] However as it may hold ensured peaceable dealingss for city states such as Elis it did non forestall wars from taking topographic point outside of these parts. However holding a armistice in topographic point meant people from all over the Grecian universe and beyond could garner in one topographic point and set up peaceable dealingss with others every bit good as keep them. As minister plenipotentiaries were sent out from the city states where the festivals were held in the months taking up to each of the Games to denote the beginning of them this was a method of advancing the Games whilst at the same clip advertising the city-states themselves and networking with the remainder of Greece as representatives f rom each metropolis would be chosen to have the minister plenipotentiary. [ 12 ] Harmonizing to Pausanias Pisa originally had control over the metropolis of Olympia and hence would hold governed the Olympic Games. However their â€Å"hostility† towards the Eleians caused a war which saw Elis conquer Pisa and claim the site of Olympia as theirs. [ 13 ] This combat over the ‘Panhellenic’ sanctuaries suggests metropoliss would be prepared to pay a war if it resulted in them having the honor that must hold come with bring forthing the most esteemed Games in this period. The existent disposal of the Olympic Games by the city state of Elis was by and large considered to be without prejudice. [ 14 ] The Judgess were Eleian and chosen by Elis and as a consequence it did pull some unfavorable judgment from foreigners such as Herodotus who describes the narrative of when citizens of Elis visit Egypt to inquire them their sentiment on whether the Games were being administered reasonably to which they reply they are non because Eleians themselves could co me in the competitions and therefore they would non be judged reasonably against people from different topographic points. [ 15 ] This suggests Herodotus is belittling the unity of those judging the competitions who had even named themselves as ‘Hellanodikai’ which means ‘judges of the Greeks’ . [ 16 ] It is possible that many other Greeks had this position and so it would hold the possible to make tensenesss within dealingss between those pull offing the festival and the foreigners who were take parting in it. However they may be some truth to these positions as Thomas Heine Nielsen states that Elis was the most successful province to vie in the Olympics with the bulk of triumphs in the boy’s competitions and the equestrian events although you would anticipate more entrants from Elis into these tourneies as they were closest to the Olympic sanctuary. [ 17 ] The history of the locations of the four Panhellenic festivals was important in pulling Greeks from afar as the city states that were bring forthing these Games relied on the fabulous importance of the sites. In add-on to holding sanctuaries dedicated to a major God and world-renowned prophets in topographic points like Delphi these city states managed to utilize outstanding fabulous figures such as Heracles as a method of advancing their festivals. At Olympia Heracles was traditionally the laminitis of the Olympic Games and his undertaking of get the better ofing the Nemean king of beasts was used for the Nemean Games. In Delphi it was thought that there was a battle between him and Apollo over a tripod which surface in the early 6Thursdaycentury BC. [ 18 ] Furthermore, the Isthmian Games were held in honor of Poseidon and as a consequence the Equus caballus races were the most of import portion of the festival at that place. [ 19 ] This mixture of major Gods and heroes from mytholo gy ensured the success of the Panhellenic festivals in add-on to developing the construct of Panhellenism as people from across the Grecian universe would hold identified with these myths which suggests dealingss between them would hold improved. Relationss besides had the possible to be fostered through the construction of the Pythian Games as forfeits and banquets were the lone events on the first two yearss of the five-day festival. This gave rivals and witnesss alike the â€Å"opportunity to socialize and advance sentiments of harmoniousness and community.† [ 20 ] An confederation of city states known as the Amphictyonic League were responsible for puting up the Pythian Games and the readyings for them every four old ages after they had been winning in the First Sacred War. [ 21 ] This is an illustration of Greeks from different topographic points working together and their desire to prolong the dealingss created by their engagement in the war. Producing a festival would hold besides promoted peace and community values which is shown by the Pythian armistice established during each festival. A important historical figure associated with taking the reorganization of the Pythian Games after the First Sacred War was the tyrant Cleisthenes of Sicyon. McGregor besides believes that Cleisthenes of Sicyon was linked with the other Panhellenic festivals every bit good. The narrative of Cleisthenes and his daughter’s suers at Olympia maintains the thought that the Olympic Games were truly a universe phase for powerful leaders to acquire their vo ices heard. However Cleisthenes seemingly favoured the suers from Eretria and its Alliess as they were Ionians and he was traditionally thought to be anti-Dorian. [ 22 ] This suggests divisions amongst those viing could be formed as a consequence of cultural differences and that dealingss could go labored between Greeks from different topographic points as a effect. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the Nemean Games were established by the less dominant city state of Cleonae in concurrence with Argos in resistance to Cleisthenes of Sicyon after Cleonae had secured their freedom from Sicyon. [ 23 ] If this is true so it is farther grounds of the Panhellenic Games being used to do tenseness between city states. On the topic of who was really allowed to vie in the four Panhellenic Games it seemed to be originally sole to the nobility and the wealthy as the funerary games in honor of Patroclus in the Iliad show blue Greeks from many different topographic points compete in the chariot race which was the chief event. Chariot races were preponderantly for the wealthiest as Equus caballuss were expensive and hard to develop which meant they could expose their wealth whilst set uping dealingss with Greeks from different topographic points. [ 24 ] On the other manus this suggests that the poorest in society would non hold competed in the Panhellenic festivals such as the Isthmian Games where the equestrian events were considered to be the most esteemed and so if they did take part it would be in inferior events where they could non derive as much glorification. The suggestion that poorer persons would non vie in the major four Panhellenic festivals is evidenced by the point that they would non hold had the clip for athletic preparation [ 25 ] or to go to the four sanctuaries where each of the four Games were held if they lived a long distance off. Furthermore there were local festivals and games they could hold competed in which would hold been much more practical [ 26 ] but if this was the instance for most Greeks so at that place would hold been less of a fosterage of dealingss between people from different topographic points if they were merely interacting with others from the same community. However by the 6Thursdaycentury BC other events were added to the Panhellenic Games which meant the poorer in society could take part [ 27 ] as they were athleticss that were practiced throughout the whole of the Grecian universe. [ 28 ] This implies that the festivals became more Pan-hellenic as more people from different topographic points would be more likely to come in the competitions. Bury suggests that autocrats were the cause for this alteration as they wanted to defend the common people in order to win their support. [ 29 ] However if this ground is true so Panhellenism would merely be a side-effect of the autocrats desiring to derive more power and keep their reign. In add-on to this the autocrats could besides be a beginning of tenseness within dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points as is shown from the illustration of Cleisthenes of Sicyon trying to put up his ain Pythian Games in Sicyon after the autumn of dictatorship in Corinth meant they had more i nfluence in Delphi. [ 30 ] Relations between Corinth and Elis were besides strained in this period because of Olympia’s refusal to wipe out the names of the Cypselidae from some offerings which resulted in no Eleians being allowed to vie in the Isthmian Games and hence they were non able to derive the extremely esteemed ‘periodonikes’ rubric that athletes longed for. This is an illustration of a city-state utilizing its authorization over one of the Panhellenic festivals to demo their resistance to another city state which would hold had a well negative consequence on dealingss. In contrast Pausanias suggests that it was the â€Å"curses of Moline† that kept the Eleians off from the Isthmian Games. [ 31 ] Officially all free Grecian males were permitted to vie in the Olympic Games but this meant â€Å"females, non-Greeks and slaves were excluded from direct participation.† [ 32 ] However the Judgess make up one’s minding who could come in the competitions must hold been moderately flexible with the regulations as there is no record of person being refused entry on the evidences of their cultural individuality. [ 33 ] As a consequence of this many Grecian settlers from distant topographic points like Sicily and the north shore of the Black Sea came to Olympia during the Olympic festival. [ 34 ] Attending the festivals such as the Olympic Games was a immense benefit to Greek settlements as it meant they could remain in close contact with the mainland and set up connexions with other metropoliss and settlements whilst maintaining a safe distance off from the metropolis it originated from in order to keep its independency. Olympia besides acted as a impersonal land for neigh boring settlements who were at war with each other whilst supplying a beginning of military preparation when jocks competed in events such as the ‘hoplitodromos’ so they could support themselves against non-Greeks and other settlements. Western Greeks were slightly influential in the running of the Olympic Games which can be seen by the add-on of two new events in the early 5Thursdaycentury BC that were popular throughout Grecian settlements in the West. [ 35 ] This suggests dealingss between the settlements in the West and the Grecian mainland were good. For the dealingss between Greeks and non-Greeks Panhellenic festivals caused divisions. One of the narratives from Herodotus shows how Alexander’s rivals tried to take him from the race by claiming that he was non genuinely Grecian. [ 36 ] Another states the response of a Iranian when he is told of the â€Å"crown of olive† that athletes compete for in the Olympic Games and he was called a â€Å"coward† by a Grecian male monarch for it. [ 37 ] This dissentious facet of the Panhellenic Games can besides be seen by the usage of nakedness when viing in the competitions as it was considered absurd for high-level males in cultural groups such as the Persians or Lydians to look bare when practising athletics. [ 38 ] These illustrations show the contrasts between the Greeks manner of thought compared to the remainder of the universe and how this was implemented at the Panhellenic festivals. Ultimately the four Panhellenic festivals that formed the ‘periodos’ were designed in a manner that promoted Greek individuality and therefore dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points were frequently fostered through the shared faith and mythology of the sanctuaries where they were held every bit good as the shared athleticss that the competitions were comprised of. Nevertheless the jocks were ferociously competitory as they were the most esteemed competitions in the Greek universe which suggests tensenesss would hold developed in dealingss between non merely the jocks themselves but besides the city states they were stand foring. Armistices were established during each of the four festivals but this did non forestall war from happening outside of the affected parts. Furthermore it was the blue and the wealthy who chiefly competed in the extremely esteemed events such as chariot racing which would hold received the most honour for winning but with autoc rats presenting more events aimed at poorer persons there was the possibility that more dealingss were being fostered between Greeks from different degrees of society. Overall, the Panhellenic festivals did much to further dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points even if it was non the primary purpose sometimes. On the other manus festivals such as the Olympic Games showed a clear divide between the Greeks and the remainder of the universe and consequently dealingss between them would hold been less developed.

Love. Spare Time Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Love. Spare Time - Case Study Example Furthermore, many businesses have been seen to make cost leadership their strategy, business such as Wal-Mart adhere to cost leadership in order to differentiate and maintain their competitive advantage, but Mark does not want to opt for that option either. The fact that no other retailer within a five-mile radius offers the brands being offered by Mark is an edge Mark has over the other retailers if the quality of the brands being offered by him is perceived to be superior by his customers. Even then it is just a matter of time till the growing trend of e-commerce engulfs this point of differentiation of Spare Time Equipment. The facts stated above show that as of now, Spare Time Equipment does not have a sustainable competitive advantage and customers do not come to an outlet just to make friends and build relationships. One thing which Mark has been doing right is to try and differentiate himself on the basis of the service Spare Time Equipment provides over other retailers, the tagline â€Å"We do it right the first time† is attention grabbing and has a feel of excellence in business. As mentioned above, most of Mark’s experience has been in the services sector; therefore differentiating on the basis of providing good service seems very apt and achievable. However, in order for people to avail the services at Spare Time Equipment it is essential for people to first buy the product for which Mark needs to become more flexible. Some amount of consumer promotion to introduce the product with the customers would do more good to Mark than harm. Promotions of limited time discount offers could be run on the radio spots and print ads which Mark has previously used to create awareness about Spare Time Equipment. This would help increase customer traffic at Spare Time Equipment and then it wo uld be up to the sales staff to seal the deal. If Mark does not want to reduce the price of his

GREGGS Bakers. A Short-term Digital Marketing Communications Plan Essay

GREGGS Bakers. A Short-term Digital Marketing Communications Plan - Essay Example These competencies reflect the company’s corporate values of being enthusiastic, supportive, honest, open, appreciative, fair, considerate and respectful. These values are not only meant for the customers but also for the employees who are an integral part of the company’s successful run. The company’s product portfolio includes: breakfast items, bread and rolls, sweets, savouries, sandwiches, and drinks. About two-thirds of the sales are generated by the company’s sandwiches category (Greggs). GREEGGS Bakers strongly believe in the role they play in the society. In order to support the society and pay back what the business owe to the society the foundation for GREGG Trust, later to be called GREGG Foundation, was laid by Ian Gregg in 1987. Also the company is strongly focused on creating more jobs in the society. In this endeavour the company plans to open 500 more stores and create 6000 new jobs in the economy (Greggs). As GREEGGS Bakers plan to improve their presence on the online market and enhance their online presence, there have been some important reasons identified that are the cause of low traffic and therefore a need for an e-marketing plan has been created. With the trend of online industry growing in the last few years, it has become increasing important for different firms to capitalise on these opportunities in order to remain competitive as well as satisfy customers. In addition to this, there has been an increasing number of customers buying food products online therefore GREEGGS Bakers need to understand this situation and capitalise on this opportunity. Environmental analysis Before coming up with a well thought and effective marketing plan it is first important to analyse the internal and external environment thoroughly (Fill, 2009). This in turn allows the company to come up with more related and successful marketing strategies (Gay, Charlesworth, and Esen, 2007). With reference to the online and digital marketi ng it is important for the organisation to evaluate the different trends and consumers’ preferences in order to build more strong relationships (Peterson, Koch, Grone, and Vo, 2010). There are several factors which should be considered while devising digital marketing strategies for example the security concerns (Flavian & Guinaliu, 2006). The social technologies have transformed the whole marketplace (Li and Bernhoff, 2011) Trends on the Online Marketplace: Internet has changed the whole scenario of the market place (Fox, 2010). It is important to come up with proper internet and online strategy (Porter, 2001). In order to

In the Court of Appeals of the State of Illinois Melissa Porter vs Research Paper

In the Court of Appeals of the State of Illinois Melissa Porter vs John Straub - Research Paper Example On November 14, 2011, the District Court ruled in her favor. There was no Motion to Modify Child Support filed by either party. However, the District Court Judge made an Order of Child Support. Pursuant to that Order, the Judge allowed for a deviation from the child support guidelines to accommodate Mr. Straub’s new child, born of his current marriage. There is no Order of Support for that child. There was nothing in the Order addressing unpaid support. STATEMENT OF THE FACTS In October 2011, Melissa Porter sought to regain custody of her son, David, from the child’s father, John Straub. There was an order of Paternity, Custody and Support entered in a Florida court in 2008. Pursuant to that Order, Mr. Straub was ordered to pay $100 per month in child support. His payment history was poor and he was in arrears when Ms. Porter found it necessary to join the Army Reserves to supplement her income in order to properly care for the child. Ms. Porter and Mr. Straub had a ver bal agreement that he would care for his son while Ms. Porter completed Basic Training in the Army Reserves. Mr. Straub was ten months in arrears in his child support obligation at the time he began caring for his son in August 2010. Ms. Porter was injured in a training accident while on active duty and spent several months recovering. Upon her return home, she sought the return of the child and Mr. Straub refused. Mr. Straub filed for custody in the Illinois courts. That filing resulted in an Order granting custody to Mr. Straub. Ms. Porter filed for an Order to Vacate that finding and the District Court for Cook County found in her favor, returning her son to her. During the course of those proceedings, the District Court made a support order, allowing a 20% deduction from the Illinois child support guideline amount to accommodate Mr. Straub’s new child of his current marriage. There was no provision for paying the arrearage. There was no inclusion for the income of Mr. Str aub’s current spouse when calculating the total net income upon which the support amount should be based, nor was there a finding on the record of the guideline amount upon which the deduction would be based. When Ms. Porter objected, the judge instructed the parties to â€Å"take it up on appeal.† Appellant now appeals from the Order Modifying Support. ARGUMENT The facts of the case are not in dispute. All parties were present when the District Court judge modified the child support order to accommodate Mr. Straub’s parental obligation to his new child of his current marriage. The judge deducted 20% from the guideline amount without stating an initial child support guideline amount and the factors at law that allowed him to vary from the statutory guidelines. I. Standard of Review Of the issue presented here on appeal, the standard of review is de novo because there is no dispute as to the facts and the issue is a question of law. In re Marriage of Baumgartner, 393 Ill. App. 3d 297; 912 N.E.2d 783 (2009). See also Einstein v. Nijim, 358 Ill. App. 3d 263, 831 N.E.2d 50 (2005). A judgment is contrary to law â€Å"when an opposite conclusion is apparent or when findings appear to be unreasonable, arbitrary, or not based on evidence.†

To prepare a marketing communications plan to launch a new brand Essay

To prepare a marketing communications plan to launch a new brand (Yumee) into the UK market - Essay Example The report provides a comprehensive marketing communication plan for the new product â€Å"Yummee† a fresh fruit juice to be launched in to the UK market. A market analysis along with target market segments is discussed prior to setting marketing objectives. The marketing communication plan is linked to these overall marketing objectives to ensure a fully integrated marketing communication strategy. The Exotic Juice Company Ltd (TEJCL) is in the second position in the UK’s fresh fruit juice and fruit based drinks such as smoothies market behind the market leader, Innocence. The company has earned a reputation for product quality over the past hundred years of its existence and have a brand image, which is of â€Å"value for money† contrary to the high-end premium priced Innocence products. With their product portfolio currently carting orange, grapefruit and pineapple based products, the company wishes to expand their range with introduction of products, which targets the growing segment of health conscious consumers. After intensive investments in product development and market research, the company is ready to launch â€Å"Yummee† a product made of Yumberry, a â€Å"super fruit† from Australia, which is a rare and precious berry that provides a deep red colored juice and is purported to carry healthy benefits. For a company to be successful in business, it needs to respond to the changes in the market place by developing and implementing business strategies, that takes in to account the dynamic micro and macro business environment (Abell 1980, Thomson & Strickland 2003). The report provides a market analysis of the Fresh Fruit Juice market in UK and also assess the new product, Yummee’s strengths and weaknesses in relation to environmental conditions. . A SWOT analysis can be used in drawing conclusions on how a company can best align its resource base to take advantage of the business opportunities while safeguarding