Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller - 1341 Words

In Arthur Miller’s play â€Å"Death of a Salesman† he demonstrates how a salesman goes through life struggling with his problem and reality. In the beginning, Willy Loman returned home from driving long hours to sell his product. When Willy was beginning to be too loud talking to himself with flashbacks of memories the boys would come down and they all have a fight. In a flashback, Biff went to meet Willy to tell him about school but caught a woman in the room with Willy. From that day on Biff never appreciated Willy and Willy never put any structure on the boys and let the dreams run wild. At the end of the story, Willy crashes the car, killing himself. Biff tried to explain to the family that Willy wasn’t true to himself or anyone else. In†¦show more content†¦Even though Willy was jealous towards Ben, he continues to work his best in his own ways. Willy shows characterization through the motivation of his goals that he wants to show off to his sons so they can achieve them. But intentionally gave his sons goals that are considered a failure because they only related to Willy and both of the boys have different things in mind of a job. With that, Willy is his own unique person that is motivated by being a salesman while his family seems to disagree with him by how he preaches it. Consequently, not everyone understands how Willy’s mind works. He copes by making reality false and his failures behind him. Conflict has a big part in his relationship with Biff. Conflict is the struggles within the plot between opposing forces. Willy has good and bad flashbacks talking to himself and how his life came to be. Willy copes with the failures he has with looking towards the future. One example is how Happy proposed an idea to open a store with Biff and â€Å"Willy: That is a one-million-dollar idea! (. . .) Lick the world! You guys together could absolutely lick the civilized world.† (Miller pg.1538). This shows how Willy’s ambitions are good intention for the boys. Willy takes it to far with talking to much about the future to realize that anyone else is talking and showing their real self. Another example is how Biff was trying to tell him that Oliver did not recognize him and did not even discuss the deal.Show MoreRelatedDeath Of A Salesman By A rthur Miller1387 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican play-write Arthur Miller, is undoubtedly Death of a Salesman. Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman in 1949 at the time when America was evolving into an economic powerhouse. Arthur Miller critiques the system of capitalism and he also tells of the reality of the American Dream. Not only does he do these things, but he brings to light the idea of the dysfunctional family. Death of a Salesman is one of America’s saddest tragedies. In Arthur Miller’s, Death of a Salesman, three major eventsRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller888 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Salesman† is a play written by Arthur Miller in the year 1949. The play revolves around a desperate salesman, Willy Loman. Loman is delusioned and most of the things he does make him to appear as a man who is living in his own world away from other people. He is disturbed by the fact that he cannot let go his former self. His wife Linda is sad and lo nely; his youngest son Biff is presented as a swinger/player while his eldest son Happy appears anti-business and confused by the behaviorRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1573 Words   |  7 Pagesrepresents a character with a tragic flaw leading to his downfall. In addition, in traditional tragedy, the main character falls from high authority and often it is predetermined by fate, while the audience experiences catharsis (Bloom 2). Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is considered to be a tragedy because this literary work has some of the main characteristics of the tragedy genre. In this play, the main character Willy Loman possesses such traits and behaviors that lead to his downfall, and theRead MoreDeath of Salesman by Arthur Miller972 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Death of a Salesman by the playwright Arthur Miller, the use of names is significant to the characters themselves. Many playwrights and authors use names in their works to make a connect ion between the reader and the main idea of their work. Arthur Miller uses names in this play extraordinarily. Not only does Miller use the names to get readers to correlate them with the main idea of the play, but he also uses names to provide some irony to the play. Miller uses the meanings of someRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1628 Words   |  7 PagesArthur Miller wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning play Death of a Salesman in 1949. The play inflated the myth of the American Dream of prosperity and recognition, that hard work and integrity brings, but the play compels the world to see the ugly truth that capitalism and the materialistic world distort honesty and moral ethics. The play is a guide toward contemporary themes foreseen of the twentieth century, which are veiled with greed, power, and betrayal. Miller’s influence with the play spreadRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller949 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Salesman can be described as modern tragedy portraying the remaining days in the life of Willy Loman. This story is very complex, not only because of it’s use of past and present, but because of Willy’s lies that have continued to spiral out of control throughout his life. Arthur Miller puts a modern twist on Aristotle’s definition of ancient Greek tragedy when Willy Loman’s life story directly identifies the fatal flaw of the â€Å"American Dream†. Willy Loman’s tragic flaw can be recappedRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller846 Words   |  4 PagesA Dime a Dozen The Death of a Salesman is a tragedy written by playwright Arthur Miller and told in the third person limited view. The play involves four main characters, Biff, Happy, Linda, and Willy Loman, an ordinary family trying to live the American Dream. Throughout the play however, the family begins to show that through their endeavors to live the American Dream, they are only hurting their selves. The play begins by hinting at Willy’s suicidal attempts as the play begins with Linda askingRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller Essay2538 Words   |  11 PagesSurname 1 McCain Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date: Death of a Salesman Death of a salesman is a literature play written by American author Arthur Miller. The play was first published in the year 1949 and premiered on Broadway in the same year. Since then, it has had several performances. It has also received a lot of accordances and won numerous awards for its literature merit including the coveted Pulitzer for drama. The play is regarded by many critics as the perfectRead MoreDeath Of Salesman By Arthur Miller1475 Words   |  6 Pagesto death to achieve their so- called American dream. They live alone and there is no love of parents and siblings. They may have not noticed the America dream costs them so much, which will cause a bigger regret later. In the play Death of Salesman, Arthur Miller brings a great story of a man who is at very older age and still works hard to achieve his desire, which is the American dream. Later, he notices that his youth is gone and there is less energy in his body. Willy Loman is a salesman, whoRead MoreDeath Of A Sales man By Arthur Miller2081 Words   |  9 Pages#1 â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller is a tragedy, this play has only two acts and does not include scenes in the acts. Instead of cutting from scene to scene, there is a description of how the lighting focuses on a different place or time-period, which from there, they continue on in a different setting. The play doesn’t go in chronological order. A lot of the play is present in Willy’s flashbacks or memories of events. This provides an explanation of why the characters are acting a certain

Development Of The Autonomous Vehicles †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Development Of The Autonomous Vehicles. Answer: Negligence of the humans are the main cause of the accidents that are taking place now a day. These accidents are the main cause behind the development of the concept of autonomous vehicles. The main reason for developing this concept is to save human lives and to make a better plan for the future, aiming at reducing the number of accidents along with other benefits. Driving a car by the humans is not the future of the cars. Autonomous vehicles or AV are the cars that are customized for performing its operations without any human assistance. Autonomous vehicles can sense the environmental conditions along with providing assistance to the vehicle with a proper navigation without any human interference. AV uses a number of ways of detecting the various environmental situation and this includes the use of different techniques like RADAR, laser lights, GPS, Odometry and the computers vision. Certain navigation paths are chosen by the systems that are accurate and also helps in detecting and avoiding the obstacles faced by the car on its path. The CEO of QNX Software System John Chen of Canada wants to turn the cars into a complete autonomous vehicle by making the cars full of applications along with self-controlling of the cars. The car platform of the QNX comprises of a real-time OS. The architecture provided by the company helps many applications to run securely and simultaneously in a stable form. Thereby, helping the company to produce cars that are crash free in case of any technical failures. In the month of December QNX formed an centre for new innovations in the autonomous vehicle in Ottawa. They have kept a prototype of the AV in the centre for the purpose of testing the softwares and the new architectures related to AV. The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario has given the approval to the company for the purpose of testing the autonomous vehicles on the roads of Ontario. The software required by the autonomous vehicles are very much sophisticated and are more secure than any systems of a normal car. The main aim of the company is to produce cars with high security features aiming at dominating the future market of the cars. They are also taking an initiative for providing employment to the local software engineers. The CEO John Chen also stated the various obstacles that are causing problems for the development of the autonomous technology are listed below: Dependability on the software In a disordered city condition the artificial intelligences are not able to function properly. Compromise of the cars computer for example the communication system that exists between different cars. The sensing and the navigation system of the car are susceptible to different weather conditions or due to deliberate interference like the jamming or the spoofing. Recognition and the tracking of the large animals are needed so as to avoid them. For proper operation of this type of vehicle there is a need of high-quality specialised maps. The presence of competition in the radio spectrum that are needed for the cars communication systems. There requirement of evaluating the development, the product and the components of the supply chain in the field program for the system. The need of changing the infrastructure of the roads aiming at proper and best performance of the cars. The cost required for the fully operational autonomous system is very high. The users have to face low costs for the purpose of implementing the autonomous vehicle. Autonomous vehicles can help a lot in saving the lives of peoples. It also helps in the reduction of the time required for the travelling. The efficiency of the fuel also increases. The space required for the parking is also provided to the users. The technology is facing various problems as discussed above. With the opening of the innovation centre in Ottawa it will help the country make its position in the global software market and the development of the autonomous vehicle. The setup of the new innovation centre in Ottawa will provide jobs to many Canadians as well specially for those who are newly graduated. The use of autonomous vehicles can help in preserving lots of human lives. In cases of emergency the driving of a human might seem to be reckless but by the use of artificial intelligence this might be solved in an easy way as they make use of the real time information and the sensors that are fitted into it. Supposing a situation in which the car driven by the human suddenly stops at a signal and another car coming towards it struck it from the behind. But in case of an AV this situation can be avoided. The same car when automated can break the signal in an intersection in case of an emergency if it contains an Evasive mode which is able to stop the cross traffic by making the signal light red when it enters the intersection. The main aim of autonomous vehicle is not to act as an advancement in the future but to act as a new innovation aiming at saving the lifes of humans. Blackberrys QNX is one of the company that has taken an initiative for the production of a fully autonomous veh icle. For this purpose, they have started testing their samples on the roads of Ontario after receiving the permission from the Ministry of Transport. By forming the new innovation centre they aim at providing more employment to the peoples along with increased safety of the peoples. Bibliography: Brottman, M. (Ed.). (2016).Car crash culture. Springer. Fagnant, D. J., Kockelman, K. (2015). Preparing a nation for autonomous vehicles: opportunities, barriers and policy recommendations.Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice,77, 167-181. Gerla, M., Lee, E. K., Pau, G., Lee, U. (2014, March). Internet of vehicles: From intelligent grid to autonomous cars and vehicular clouds. InInternet of Things (WF-IoT), 2014 IEEE World Forum on(pp. 241-246). IEEE. Lozano-Perez, T. (2012).Autonomous robot vehicles. Springer Science Business Media. Maddern, W., Stewart, A., McManus, C., Upcroft, B., Churchill, W., Newman, P. (2014, May). Illumination invariant imaging: Applications in robust vision-based localisation, mapping and classification for autonomous vehicles. InProceedings of the Visual Place Recognition in Changing Environments Workshop, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Hong Kong, China(Vol. 2, p. 3). Rockwood, M. (2015).Reliable, Real-Time Acceleration Measurement Toward Automated Monitoring of Driver Behavior(Doctoral dissertation, Carleton University Ottawa).

Reinforcement and Punishment in Our Daily Life free essay sample

Reinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behaviour analysis for the delivery of a stimulus, (immediately or shortly) after a response, that results in an increase in the future rate or probability of that response. The response strength is assessed by measuring frequency, duration, latency, accuracy, and/or persistence of the response after reinforcement stops. Experimental behaviour analysts measured the rate of behaviours as a primary demonstration of learning and performance with non-humans.For example, rate is measured as the number of times a pigeon pecks a key in a 10 minute session. Reinforcement is the stimulus, event, or situation whose presentation is dependent upon a response. B. F. Skinner, the researcher who articulated the major theoretical constructs of reinforcement and behaviourism, defined reinforcement according to the change in response strength rather than to more subjective criteria, such as what is pleasurable or valuable to someone. Accordingly, activities, foods or items considered pleasant or enjoyable may not necessarily be reinforcing (because they produce no increase in the response preceding them). We will write a custom essay sample on Reinforcement and Punishment in Our Daily Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Stimuli, settings, and activities only fit the definition of reinforcement if the behaviour that immediately precedes the potential reinforcement increases in similar situations in the future. For example child who receives a cookie when he or she asks for one. If the frequency of cookie-requesting behaviour increases, the cookie can be seen as reinforcing cookie-requesting behaviour. If however, cookie-requesting behaviour does not increase, the cookie cannot be considered reinforcing.Reinforcement theory is one of the motivation theories; it states that reinforced behaviour will be repeated, and behaviour that is not reinforced is less likely to be repeated. The sole criterion that determines if an item, activity, or food is reinforcing is the change in probability of behaviour after administration of that potential reinforcement. Other theories may focus on additional factors such as whether the person expected the strategy to work at some point, but in the behavioural theory, reinforcement is descriptive of an increased probability of a response. Primary reinforcementA primary reinforcement, sometimes called an unconditioned reinforcement, is a stimulus that does not require pairing to function as reinforcement and most likely has obta ined this function through the evolution and its role in species survival. Examples of primary reinforcement include sleep, food, air, water, and sex. Other primary reinforcement, such as certain drugs, may mimic the effects of other primary reinforcement. While this primary reinforcement is fairly stable through life and across individuals, the reinforcing value of different primary reinforcement varies due to multiple factors (e. . , genetics, experience). Thus, one person may prefer one type of food while another abhors it. Or one person may eat lots of food while another eats very little. So even though food is a primary reinforcement for both individuals, the value of food as reinforcement differs between them. Secondary reinforcement A secondary reinforcement, sometimes called a conditioned reinforcement, is a stimulus or situation that has acquired its function as reinforcement after pairing with a stimulus that functions as reinforcement.This stimulus may be a primary reinforcement or another conditioned reinforcement (such as money). An example of a secondary reinforcement would be the sound from a clicker, as used in clicker training. The sound of the clicker has been associated with praise or treats, and subsequently, the sound of the clicker may function as reinforcement. As with primary reinforces, an organism can experience satiation and deprivation with secondary reinforces. 3. 1 Increase of desire Positive reinforcement A positive reinforcement may be used as part of a behaviour intervention plan (BIP). Unlike negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement are strategies used to help increase targeted behaviours in students who are experiencing academic or behavioural problems at home and school. How is Positive Reinforcement Used? Positive reinforcement helps students learn behaviours necessary to be successful academically and socially. For example, a students behaviour goal may be to increase the amount of time he stays on-task in class. Positive reinforcement would be used as a reward for improving over a period of time.Positive reinforcement includes any actions, consequences, or rewards that are provided to a student and cause an increase in desired behaviour. They may include rewards and privileges that students like and enjoy. For example, a student may earn physical rewards such as school supplies, healthy snacks, or choice of free-time activities. When choosing a positive reinforcement, it is important for the IEP team to know the child well. If possible, it can be helpful to allow the child to help choose the type of positive reinforcement he would like to earn.Examples: Positive reinforcement increase a students targeted behaviours. Positive reinforcement is similar to rewards, but they are also intended to increase behaviours over time. They are not just a one-time reward for good behaviour. 3. 2 Drawbacks of Positive Reinforcement Positive reinforcement may seem to be an ideal technique to increase certain positive behaviours. Managers may be able to motivated employees using positive reinforcement techniques. However, there can be some drawbacks. First, the use of positive reinforcement techniques may result in people becoming more extrinsically motivated.Extrinsic motivation may undermine creativity. In Amabiles (1985) experiment, people were asked to write two poems. Before writing the second poem, some people were given a questionnaire in which they were asked to rank the importance of some reasons for writing. In one condition, these reflected extrinsic motivation. In another condition, they reflected intrinsic motivation. In the control condition, people did not receive a questionnaire with reasons for writing. The poems in the extrinsic-orientation condition were judged to be less creative, on the average, than the poems in the control condition.Second, the ideal employee may be one who is intrinsically motivated and does not require constant supervision. Intrinsically motivated employees may be less likely to be late. They also may be more likely to excel at their jobs. Thus, positive reinforcement techniques may not lead to ideal employees in a company. 3. 3 Effect of Positive reinforcement for children Positive Reinforcement Can Improve Your Childs Behaviour: Using positive reinforcement is an easy way to nix behaviour problems. You can use positive reinforcement can help you encourage your child to do everyday tasks you need her to perform.Turning off an annoying song when a child asks their parent is an example of negative reinforcement (if this results in an increase in asking behaviour of the child in the future). Another example is if a mouse presses a button to avoid shock. Do not confuse this concept with punishment. There are two variations of negative reinforcement: oAvoidance conditioning occurs when behaviour prevents an aversive stimulus from starting or being applied. oEscape conditioning occurs when behaviour removes an aversive stimulus that has already started. A lot of students are confused about negative reinforcement.Whats the difference between that and punishment? Perhaps some examples of negative reinforcement would be helpful (remember, its reinforcement so the behavior increases, and because its negative, the reinforcement is removed after the response). Negative Reinforcement strengthens behaviour because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behaviour. Punishment, on the other hand, weakens behaviour because a negative condition is introduced or experienced as a consequence of the behaviour. Here are two examples of Negative Reinforcement: 1.A rat is placed in a cage and immediately receives a mild electrical shock on its feet. The shock is a negative condition for the rat. The rat presses a bar and the shock stops. The rat receives another shock, presses the bar again, and again the shock stops. The rats behaviour of pressing the bar is strengthened by the consequence of the stopping of the shock. 2. Driving in heavy traffic is a negative condition for most of us. You leave home earlier than usual one morning, and dont run into heavy traffic. You leave home earlier again the next morning and again you avoid heavy traffic.

Psychoanalysis and the Cinema Essays - Freudian Psychology

Psychoanalysis and the Cinema Essays - Freudian Psychology Psychoanalysis and the Cinema Metz 3 Reduced to its most fundamental procedures, any psychoanalytic reflection on the cinema might be defined in Lacanian terms as an attempt to disengage the cinema-object from the imaginary and to win it for the symbolic, in the hope of extending the latter by a new province: an enterprise of displacement, a territorial enterprise, a symbolising advance; that is to say, in the field of films as in other fields, the psychoanalytic itinerary is from the outset a semiological one, even (above all) if in comparison with the discourse of a more classical semiology it shifts its point of focus from the statement to the enunciation. 7 The institution is outside us and inside us, indistinctly collective and intimate, sociological and psychoanalytic, just as the general prohibition of incest has as its individual corollary the Oedipus complex, castration or perhaps in other states of society different physical configurations, but ones which still imprint the institution in us in their own way. 17 What contribution can Freudian psychoanalysis make to the study of the cinematic signifier?

Delegation & Empowerment Annotated Bibliography

Delegation & Empowerment - Annotated Bibliography Example Curtis, E., & Nicoll, H. (2004). Delegation: A Key Function of Nursing. Nursing Management, 11(4), pp. 26-31. Curtis and Nicoll have managed to discuss delegation and employee empowerment as a key attribute of effective leadership. They have discussed various theories of effective leadership and have used works of other scholars to emphasize on the importance of delegation in an environment where team works is an essential element. Following the outcomes of these theories, they have presented an easy step-by-step guide of effective delegation, whilst discussing benefits of delegation and empowerment for delegators and delegtees. They have also mentioned the factors that can hinder the effectiveness of delegation process and the importance of delegation in organizational settings. Curtis and Nicoll are both highly learned and well-educated lecturers at the school of nursing and midwifery studies, Trinity College, University of Dublin. The work that they have presented mainly address registered nurses and importance of delegation for nurses however that discussion is only limited to the introduction part and rest of it is rather generalized, which can interest any regular reader. This peer-reviewed article will help in understanding the fundamental concepts of delegation and the factors affecting the personnel involved along with the process of delegation, itself. The article further outlines the basic concepts and general layout of the delegation process which will help in understanding the dynamics of this phenomenon.... The article itself sheds light on the importance of delegation and empowerment in today’s organizations. The article asserts that given today’s delayered organizational structure, managers are required to ensure that employees are provided with necessary knowledge and authority to perform the tasks assigned with them effectively. Swarnalatha and Prasanna have discussed the approaches to empowerment of employees along with conditions necessary for empowerment. One positive attribute of this article is discussion regarding the role of organizational structure and policies in employees’ empowerment in the process of delegation. The research has thus moved its focus from personnel to organization which makes it address the holistic dimensions of this process. At the end, the article discussed process and advantages of empowerment at length. Hoch, J., White, K., Starkey, C., & Krause, B.A. (2009). Delegation and Empowerment in CAATE Accredited Athletic Training Educat ion Programs. Athletic Training Education Journal, 4, pp. 139-43. The research contains a quantitative analysis along with theoretical discussion regarding delegation and empowerment of department heads, in this case, program directors. The research helps in identifying the possible reasons behind managers choosing to delegate or not delegate some of their tasks to their juniors. Except Hoch, all the other researchers are PhDs and have authored other articles on the similar subjects. Where other articles were helpful in having literary information about established theories, this research helps in understanding practical implications of these theories. The research has two dimensions. At one end, it sheds light on the program directors/ managers perspective and also identifies

My personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My personal statement - Essay Example With a strong academic background in computer science and economics, it is my belief that thorough training in finance and business from NAME OF SCHOOL HERE will provide the necessary theoretical foundations for me to move forward in my career. Given the current level of demand for specialists in financial/quantitative modeling in Africa and across the world, in addition to the emerging sector of electronic financial instruments and tools, I have a strong interest in positioning my career to participate in these sectors as they emerge in the developing world. My personal strengths, coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit and affinity for business development, have prompted me to submit my application to the Masters in Finance & Investment program. The successful attainment of a Masters in Finance & Investment at this stage of my career will give me both the financial knowledge and the entrepreneurial skills necessary to enhance my management effectiveness. It will provide me with the analytical tools and new skills necessary to position myself as an important player in facilitating electronic equity trades in Africa. I believe that my broad academic background and my knowledge of financial markets and business practices in a developing context make a most valuable and stimulating addition to classroom discussions. A 750 GMAT score reflects my ability for clear and systematic thought and would erase any doubts about my ability to handle the intellectual rigor of the program. Given the confluence of my personal and professional interests, I foresee my career moving initially from serving clients in a financial advisory capacity to a leadership role within a financial entity, preferably within start-up venture. Thus, in the five-year period after I successfully complete London Business School, I figure one of two things will be happening. Either I would have found some inspiring colleagues; conceived of a plan with them, and be preparing to launch a company, or I will find a company prepared to do partake adventurous opportunities in my field and I will be ready to take the helm of their projects or organization. Additionally, I am also drawn to the Masters in Finance & Investment program instead of a more general Masters degree because of the fact that this program provides an extensive choice of electives in the field of finance, which will allow me to tailor my course of study directly to a personal career interest. While I cannot imagine doing anything else, I am also realistic and understand that there are challenges that come with taking an employment break as well as getting the consent of my partner and family members to study abroad. To overcome this challenge, I have discussed my ambition with mentor and superior, who has been quite supportive of my goals. My partner and family members are also extremely excited about the fact that I am internationalising my career. I thoroughly believe that NAME OF SCHOOL HERE will help me by placing renewed emphasis on the technical and analytical skills I need, in addition to a management orientation, coupled with rigorous research methodology. The strengths of this University in finance and investment cohere with my personal research interests and I hope to gain a great deal from my experiences here. A reputation for excellent teaching, challenging

Comparison Between Export Agents and Distributors Essay Example for Free

Comparison Between Export Agents and Distributors Essay Many companies have often found themselves in a dilemma on whether to use export agents or distributors when they decide to venture overseas. This is therefore not a problem constrained to ABLE Limited only. This dilemma often arises from the inability to distinguish between the functions of export agents and distributors. Even with complete knowledge of roles that agents and distributors play in the import and export business, companies still find it challenging to choose the channel to use for distribution of their goods. Perhaps the first step to coming up with a decision on whether to use agents or distributors would be to address the advantages and shortcomings of each. This paper seeks to differentiate agents from distributors which will help in making proper choices when venturing into the export business. Export Agents An agent by definition refers to a person who acts on behalf of a person or company in return for an agents fee. Similarly, an import/export agent acts on behalf of a company to organize import and export deals with customers and suppliers in overseas markets. Import/export agent are at times said to work like brokers only that they serve to bring two parties together for mutual trade benefit. The agents do not engage in physical contact with the goods and their major objectives are to market the principles products, get customers and connect them to the principle who in turn executes the sale directly. To achieve these objectives, an agent usually conducts surveys, negotiates with buyers, undertakes promotional activities and handles any documentation and logistics involved in the sale of goods. It is the duty of an export agent to develop market strategies in targeted countries, introduce potential customers, make contacts and also place orders for the principles goods. When a deal is sealed, the agent receives a commission for sales made in addition to the deposit paid when the agent was hired. The principle also undertakes payment of all the expenses incurred by the agent in marketing and formalizing the deal which involves administration and tax settlements with the foreign government. Before entering into a contract with an agent it is important to establish their affordability, their knowledge of the overseas markets and networks; whether the agents offer their services to a competitor and whether they sell direct to end users or to companies. It is also important o sample sale deals they have made for other companies to establish their ability to benefit the company. The advantage of using an agent is that it saves the company from undertaking the rigorous export procedures. In other words, the company only needs to part with the agent commission and it is assured that their goods enter the overseas market. This is in addition to the fact that the agent knows the market well which is better than starting afresh in an unknown country. The agent undertakes almost all the work so that it is relatively easy for the company. Due to their vast knowledge of the target market, agents prove best when venturing in new overseas markets. As indicated earlier, agents take it upon themselves to advertise the companys product so as to make sales and hence earn a commission. This is likely to make them work harder which is of mutual benefit to the company when its sales increase. Another advantage that the company stands to gain by using agents is that the company may choose to control the agents operations such that it can limit the agent to desired territories. The company can also set the agent free to execute the deals to the best of his knowledge to maximize sales. When using an agent, the company gets to control the prices of its goods in the market since it will deal with customers directly after they are introduced by the agent. There are however disadvantages associated with using agents. Firstly, agents may prove expensive to hire and their commissions may highly reduce the companys potential profits. Secondly, the company bears any market risks and credit risks when dealing with the customers who are introduced. Agents do not purchase from the company directly and neither do they undertake delivery and after sales services. This means that the company may need warehousing facilities as goods await delivery in the overseas market. It must also undertake the provision of after sales services. Export distributors Distributors are companies that buy the firms product for resale in their countries. The distributor acquires possession or title of the good undertakes the risk of resale. This indicates that a distributor acts like a retailer or wholesaler and undertakes the distribution of the goods aiming at obtaining profits from the sales by selling the goods at a higher price the he bought them from the company. The distributor takes responsibility for the shipment of goods to their premises, undertakes the paper work so that the company does not have to bear these costs as opposed to using an agent. The company can appoint distributors available in the market from a list of distributors usually available in international directories. A company can also make use of agents to select distributors to undertake sale of their products. In the appointment of a distributor, the company needs to look out for the warehouse management skills and procedures of the distributor; knowledge of technical characteristics of the companys goods; ability to handle marketing campaigns; credit worthiness and their ability to form a constant market for the firms products. Export distributors are advantageous to the company because they bear all the risks involved in the distribution process in the overseas country. These include tax liability, instances of loss and credit risk. They are convenient in that they provide any necessary after sales services that the goods may require such as installation and delivery. Since distributors aim at making more sales, they are likely to get involved in marketing campaigns which help to expand the firms competitiveness in the market. Warehousing expenses are eliminated because distributors normally have well established inventory warehouses for their merchandise. In many cases, it has proved less expensive to use distributors rather than deal with the customers directly. The distributor handles all the shipment charges and formalities which offers simplicity to the company. Further, the firm does not have to incur agent costs and other costs associated with distribution such as transport costs, logistics and tax liabilities. The absorption of market risks by the distributor is especially advantageous to the company. Since a distributor is likely to offer credit to customers, more customers are attracted to the distributor which increases customer base. The disadvantages of using distributors is that the company is unlikely to exert strict control over their operations. It is upon distributors to act in a manner that is most profitable for them and how they market sell the product cannot be limited. Anti-trust laws in certain countries prohibit companies from dictating prices such that the company may not have control over the prices that the distributor sets. Any mistakes made by the distributor represents the company and this may impact in the companys product demand. Finally, distributors are often known to demand heavy discounts and credit terms since they claim that they are eliminating many trade risks for the company. Conclusion Having identified and scrutinized the applicability of the two methods of selling overseas, it is upon the company to make a decision on which one to take based on the characteristics identified. It is notable that the difference between an agent and a distributor is that the agent is a representative of the company to the customers but does not undertake physical distribution of the goods. The company therefore sells to the customer directly once the agent has convinced him to buy form the company. A distributor on the other hand buys goods from the company which are in turn sold to customers at a profit. There are advantages and disadvantages of using either method of distribution and it is the firms requirements that will determine the choice that ABLE Limited makes. Word Count: 1349 Bibliography Jansson, Hans. Industrial products: a guide to the international marketing economics model. UK: Haworth Press, 1994 Johnson, Thomas. Export/import procedures and documentation. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2002