Ceres Gardening Essay - 1629 Words

Ceres Gardening Company Case Study 1. How has the company grown? What is its basic strategy + how has it evolved? What have been the key factors in the companys growth? The growth of the company has been fueled by the market demand growth in organic products. Ceres increased their revenues by over 75% in just five years, while growing profits by over 25% (based on Exhibits 2, 3 amp; 4). Ceres’s basic strategy started with its founder, Jonathan Wydown, to promote sustainable organic gardens and landscapes to environmentally conscious consumers. Mr. Wydown has been a proponent of soil preservation, biodiversity, and natural fertilizers and pest control. Mr. Wydown was confident that the same principles behind organic†¦show more content†¦These further strengthened Ceres’ production capability. * Distribution Channel – In the early years, Ceres operated primarily as a mail-order catalog company. This was their main distribution channel. The operation was ran well and valued for its quality, reliability, and hands-on customer service. Moreover, Ceres provided a free bimonthly company newsletter, which included gardening tips, introduced new products, and created a sense of community among the expanding customer base. This alternative marketing expanded Ceres’ channel from one time purchase to future incremental (post-sale) reve nues. Eventually, Ceres expanded its channels to include retail channels, and direct sale through a sales force model. * GetCeresâ„ ¢ Program – enabled the average nursery or garden center to stock a sufficient inventory of Ceres’ products to meet the seasonal demands of the customer. If a retailer ran out of seasonal products, the customer would probably not return later, thus a potential loss of sale. Essentially the program meets the challenge of having the plenty of stock of the right product in the store at the right time based on consumer attitudes, behaviors, and preferences. The program also provided incentives to retail storeowners by offering deep discounts to carry inventory and extended payment plans. 2.Show MoreRelatedEssay on Ceres Gardening1447 Words   |  6 PagesCERES GARDENING COMPANY CASE STUDY/G5P/B200 Executive Summary Ceres Company, backed by its innovative GetCeres program, has been capitalizing on a previously untouched segment of the organics market. In capturing a key demographic of consumers, those causal gardeners who demand instant gratification, rather than the extended gardening period, Ceres is eager to expand quickly to capitalize on this opportunity before its competitors.   This strategy is putting extensive strain on the company’sRead MoreCeres Gardening Case800 Words   |  4 PagesCeres Gardening Company: Funding Growth in Organic Products Jonathan Wydown, CEO of the Ceres Gardening Company, scrutinized the figures presented by Annette O’Connell, vice-president of Marketing. It was December 2006, and the two were finalizing the firm’s marketing strategy and objectives for 2007. Having just received the latest industry report on growth and trends, they discussed the implications for Ceres (see Exhibit 1). O’Connell observed: This report confirms what we believed—growthRead MoreOrganic Farming and Ceres Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesCeres Gardening Ceres Gardening Company Case Study 1. How has the company grown? What is its basic strategy + how has it evolved? What have been the key factors in the companys growth? The growth of the company has been fueled by the market demand growth in organic products. Ceres increased their revenues by over 75% in just five years, while growing profits by over 25% (based on Exhibits 2, 3 4). Ceres’s basic strategy started with its founder, Jonathan Wydown, to promote sustainableRead More The Rape of Proserpina and Eves Fall in Miltons Paradise Lost3715 Words   |  15 Pageson its classical precursors. Particularly salient is the first classical allusion, which compares Eden to Enna: Not that fair field Of Enna, where Proserpin gathring flowrs Herself a fairer Flowr by gloomy Dis Was gatherd, which cost Ceres all that pain To seek her through the world (PL IV.268-72) This description closely parallels the Proserpina myth in Ovids Metamorphoses, in which Dis ravishes Proserpina and carries her off to be his queen in the underworld. Ovid begins:Read MoreWe Must Look At The Triple Bottom Line Approach1944 Words   |  8 Pagesenvironment, economy and equality. Another example of how a community approach can be beneficial to sustainability is that of CERES, a community environment park based in East Brunswick, Melbourne. CERES is a sustainability centre that not only displays green technology to the public, but also provides an outlet for people to learn about sustainability in a variety of outlets, from gardening to building. It also provides garden plots for members of the public to rent, which allows people to grow their ownRead MoreCase 1 Fordlandia2871 Words   |  12 Pagesdown from Dearborn, Michigan 7 Fordism in Fordlà ¢ndia ï‚ § Attempting to replicate small-town America, Fordist vision, social engineering in the Amazonas basin ï‚ § â€Å"Civilizing the Jungle† ï‚ § Strict enforcement, controls ï‚ § Prohibition ï‚ § Cultural events ï‚ § Gardening classes, square dance, mandatory poetry sessions ï‚ § Strict diet ï‚ § [†¦] 8 â€Å"Civilizing the Jungle† 9 10 ï‚ § Grandin, G. 2009. Fordlandia. The Rise and Fall of Henry Fords Forgotten Jungle City. London: Icon Books. 11 2. WHAT ARE THE TRADE-OFFS

Essay on The Aim and Importance of Literacy and Numeracy

The aim and importance of Literacy and Numeracy. Literacy and numeracy are an extremely important part of everyday life and the 2 key subjects taught in school; Literacy is the basis of communication, Speaking Listen, along with Reading and Writing. We speak to and listen to people all the time and we contact people we can’t speak to by letter or email. Then numeracy is in the very least the centre of problem solving; money handling; weighing and measuring along with handling data which we all do on a near daily basis, with activities such as: cooking, shopping and keeping check on our bills and bank account . It is important that every child develops these skills as early on as possible so the foundations are there to build on as†¦show more content†¦It is introduce in practical activities such as wood work where students plan and design something they will make, they measure wood, count screws and possibly use problem solving during the activity if it doesn’t go to plan. Students may be encouraged to grow plants, so they can measure and record growth along with plotting the recordings and showing this in a graph. They are encouraged to analyse the data and explain their findings. Other examples of numeracy across the curriculum are geography, history and PE. Geography may be using graphs to see such things as rainfall through out a year or in different places, so reading and understanding data is required, and history may use numeracy by putting events in chronological date order and knowing which occurred fist etc. PE uses measurement in high jump, long jump, discuss, javelin and any other activity where distance or height need recording. Numeracy skills involving money management, addition, subtraction, weights, area, space and measure will be implemented in daily life when shopping, paying bills, checking wages and bank account transactions, along with planning meals, cooking, decorating, ordering curtains, gardening and most DIY projects. Literacy is more easily promoted across the curriculum as all lessons and activities involve speaking andShow MoreRelatedRole, Responsibilities, and Boundaries of a Tutor1474 Words   |  6 Pagesregain the confidence and motivation to learn is part of what makes teaching in FE such a challenging and rewarding profession.† Wallace (2005, p.95) The assignment will concentrate on the importance of structure within the learning programme, how individual barriers to learning must be overcome, and the importance of tutor/learner rapport. A robust induction process is imperative to enable the tutor to understand what has motivated the learner to attend the programme, what they expect to achieve whileRead MoreThe Importance Of Adult Education As An Academic Discipline800 Words   |  4 Pagestechnology and information continue to evolve. 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Additionally the briefing will inform participants can use opportunities to advise students to practice their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, including Government funded free courses that students can avail of and obtainRead MoreTda 3.12 Support Numeracy Development762 Words   |  4 PagesUNIT 312 - Understand Current National and Organisational Frameworks for Mathematics The aims and importance of learning provision for numeracy development are to ensure all students understand that maths is a vital part of everyday life and will continue to be used throughout their life. Primary schools will teach students to learn various methods and techniques to be able to reach the correct answer. The end goal means more students will be able to solve a mathematical problem, independentlyRead MoreThe Early Childhood Education Of Literacy And Numeracy3635 Words   |  15 PagesIntroduction Literacy and numeracy are the most vital skills for any individual in modern society. 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Choice of University and Choice of Course in Australia free essay sample

After the Bradley report which was written following the review of higher education system in 2008, the Australian government has introduced many policies and financial assistance for this demographic in hope of increasing the participation rates to 20 per cent by 2020 (Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, 2008, p. xiv). However, despite steady increases in overall tertiary participation, the inequalities still remain. People with low socio-economic status are not as successful in applying or gaining access to more prestigious institutions as those with medium or high socio-economic status are (James, 2007, p. ). It is not only participation at university level that is affected with this imbalance. Significant social differences can be seen across different universities as well as different fields of study (Reay et al. 2001, p. 858). Study by Ferguson and Simpson (2011) has found, and James (2007) agrees, that students with low socio-economic background are n ot so successful in gaining entry into the courses with more competitive entry requirements like medicine, law or architecture. These students were more concentrated in courses such as education, nursing, IT and business (James, 2007, p. 7). James (2007, p. 7) believes that the same is true for the high demand universities, where low socio-economic status students hold a share of only 11 per cent of all places. These differences can be somewhat accredited to the geographical location of these more prestigious universities as they are mainly situated in the metropolitan areas. However, there are other factors that contribute to this imbalance more so. Some experts believe that students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds may not aspire to attend these universities believing that it is not an achievable goal, or they may not perform academically well enough for more competitive courses. Other studies indicate that it is in fact the psychological factors which create socioeconomic imbalances in higher education participation. This paper will look at rates of participation, aspirations, ability and psychological factors and their affect on the decision making process of low socio-economic status students when it comes to higher education. It will argue that there is enough supporting evidence to conclude that this demographic does not have a lot of impact on university participation, choice of university or choice of course. While overall higher education participation rates have improved, socio-economically disadvantaged people are least represented group in Australian higher education. James (2007, p. 2) states that ‘social class is the single most reliable predictor of the likelihood that individuals will participate in higher education at some stage in their lives’. Undergraduate Applications, Offers and Acceptances Report from the Department of Education, Employment and Work Relations, states that in 2011, 18. 6 per cent of all applicants were from low socio-economic backgrounds, compared to 30. 6 per cent of applicants from high socio-economic group (DEEWR, 2011, p. 15). It also reports that even though applications by low socio-economic status applicants were up by 3. 4 per cent they were less likely to result in an offer. Low socio-economic status applicants had an offer rate of 79. per cent compared to 83. 5 per cent for applications from high socio-economic status applicants (DEEWR, 2011, p. 15). Even though the rates for applications and offers to higher education for low socio-economic demographic have slightly increased, according to DEEWR (2011), this demographic continues to be the least represented at university level. One of the reasons that could explain the current higher education participation numbers by people from low socio-ec onomic background is aspiration. It has to be considered as one of the principal issues in student’s decision making process. According to the English dictionary, to aspire, it means to have a strong desire to achieve something. Consequently, to attend university, an individual needs to aspire to do so. Bowden and Doughney (2010), in their study of secondary students in the western suburbs of Melbourne, have found that those with lower socio-economic status have fewer aspirations to attend university. Instead, they aspire to attend a vocational training institution or gain employment. Difference in spirations among different demographics is mainly influenced by individual’s social systems, such as class, ethnicity, gender, customs and religion (Bowden amp; Doughney, 2010, p. 119). Furthermore, in his research for the Department of Education, Science and Training, James has found that there is a strong relationship between parental education levels and young people’s educational aspirations (DEST , 2002, p. 51). Bowden and Doughney’s study results are consistent with James’ findings, as well as Bourdieu’s concept of ‘cultural capital’, which Harker et al. (cited in Webb et al. 002, p. 22) defined as ‘culturally valued taste and consumption pattern’. Therefore, it can be said that those who come from low socio-economic background are at a disadvantage when it comes to entering higher education due to the fact that they were not brought up with the idea of attending university. Academic achievement or student’s ability is seen as another important factor that needs to be considered when studying inequalities in higher education. This is because in Australia, university enrolment process relies heavily on individual’s academic achievement. Student’s academic record is seen as a main way of entry into the university and acquiring all the benefits that come with having a degree. Teese (cited in Ferguson amp; Simpson, 2011, p. 33) proposed that almost half of low socio-economic status students obtain scores in the lowest academic bands and that only small number of these students receives high academic scores. Ferguson and Simpson conclude that this is due to fewer resources, such as educational, cultural, social and financial, that are available for this group of students, rather than lack of ability. Cardak and Ryan (2009) have come to the similar conclusion. They have found that academic scores of low socio-economic status students are lower due to the fact that their early educational achievements are also lower in comparison to the more advantaged students and their achievements (Cardak amp; Ryan, 2009, p. 444). Both Ferguson and Simpson’s and Cardak and Ryan’s studies agree that students with same ability and same academic scores have the same likelihood of attending university regardless of their socio-economic status. They also agree that the quality of academic results rises with the status. Thus, as they don’t have access to as many resources as their more privileged peers, low socio-economic status students are at a disadvantage when it comes to securing a place at university. Although aspirations and academic ability are very important factors in higher education inequality, it could be said that the psychological factors have most of the influence on person’s decision to attend university. Students from low socio-economic background are more conscious of the existence of barriers to their entering higher education (Harris, 2005, p. 4) and are not likely to encounter diverse influences that might persuade them to participate in higher education (DEST, 2002, p. 50). James believes that students from this demographic are more likely to be doubtful about their academic ability and achievement and they would possibly be lacking financial support (DEST, 2002, p. 50). He also states that they have less confidence in parental support and a stronger interest in earning an income as soon as they leave school. ‘The perceptions and beliefs held by people with low socio-economic status can all be regarded as habitus, which is described as ‘embodied predispositions that are learned early in the life of a young person’ (Harris, 2005, p. 4). As they lack role models, it is very difficult for these young people to see university participation as something that is relevant to them or something they could achieve (Harris, 2005, p. ). In their UK based study of working class secondary students, Reay et al. (2001, p. 865) have found that this group of students were choosing universities where they were most likely to fit in, as they felt more comfortable attending such university and where they could find ‘intellectual and social peers’. Psychological factors play an important role in the decision making process due to the emotio ns attached to them. Low socio-economic status students seem to have a lot more to consider when deciding on their higher education pathway. As the evidence would suggest, students from low socio-economic background, have very little impact on university participation, choice of university or choice of course at present time. According to the government reports, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are highly under-represented at university level. Thus, higher education in Australia is far from being level playing field for some demographics. The most current review of higher education shows that the participation rates at university in general, as well as different courses and institutions are considerably lower for those ith low socio-economic status. The difference between low and high socio-economic status groups is quite significant, despite the government’s efforts to improve these numbers by implementing new policies and strategies. As discussed in this paper, the reasons for inequality are varied and complex. However, most of the researchers agree that it is the family attitudes that are at the core of t he problem. These attitudes have enormous influence on student’s decision making process. However, there is always a possibility for change. Australian universities, in conjunction with schools and government’s help, need to focus on developing new social networks and transforming set beliefs of disadvantaged students. These changes could be achieved through the use of early interventions and positive role models during middle schooling. Only with successful attitude changes will the higher education participation numbers improve for this particular demographic. References Bowden, MP amp; Doughney, J 2010, ‘Socio-economic status, cultural diversity and the aspirations of secondary students in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia’, High Education, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 115-129, SpringerLink, viewed 2 October 2012. Cardak, BA amp; Ryan, C 2009, ‘Participation in higher education in Australia: equity and access’, Economic Record, vol. 85, no. 4, pp. 433-448, Wiley Online Library 2012 Full Collection, viewed 25 September 2012. Centre for the Study of Higher Education 2008, ‘Participa tion and Equity: A Review of the participation in higher education of people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and Indigenous people’, Universities Australia and the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE), University of Melbourne, viewed 4 October 2012, lt;http://www. niversitiesaustralia. edu. au/resources/271/290gt; Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations 2008, ‘Review of Australian higher education – Executive summary’ report prepared by D Bradley, H Noonan amp; B Scales, Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Canberra, pp. xi-xviii, viewed 25 September 2012, lt;http://www. innovation. gov. au/HigherEducation/Documents/Review/PDF/Hig