PreACT Practice Tests Where to Find Them and How to Prep

PreACT Practice Tests Where to Find Them and How to Prep SAT/ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Preparing to take the PreACT? At that point you may be pondering whether you should prepare for it-and what assets you can utilize. Is there a PreACT practice test you can take? What sorts of PreACT assets acts, Inc. offer? Continue perusing to realize why it’s a smart thought to daintily prepare for the PreACT, and get a thorough rundown of the best PreACT practice tests and materials you can use in your examining. Why You Should Prep for the PreACT The PreACT was made to go about as an ACT practice test for tenth graders. Since your PreACT score doesn't check toward any evaluations and isn't accounted for to universities, you’re for the most part not expected to prepare excessively hard (if by any stretch of the imagination) for the test. All things considered, it very well may be a smart thought to do some light prepare, particularly if your definitive objective is to accomplish a high score on the ACT. The PreACT is fundamentally the same as the ACT in substance and structure, so planning for it basically gives you a head start on ACT prep. Therefore, you shouldn't have to read as hard for the ACT when you take it the next year as an eleventh grader. In particular, be that as it may, preparing for the PreACT is essentially an extraordinary method to acquaint yourself with the ACT. Since you'll accept the PreACT as a tenth grader, you'll learn at an early stage what's in store on the ACT and would thus be able to decrease the weight you'll likely feel when taking the ACT just because. Since you know why it’s a savvy thought to prepare a little for the PreACT, what are the best assets you can use in your examining? How about we start with the most elite: official ACT, Inc. materials. Official PreACT Practice Tests Shockingly, there are no official PreACT practice tests. Truth be told, the ACT, Inc. site doesn’t offer any PreACT prep material at all, (for example, practice questions or substance guides). Rather, the sum total of what it has are some broad PreACT-related PDFs and PowerPoints itemizing things like the configuration of the test and why sophomores should take it. The imaginable explanation behind this absence of PreACT practice materials is that ACT, Inc. doesn’t need understudies to want to prepare broadly for the PreACT. (Keep in mind, the PreACT is just a training test for the ACT, so your score won't mean anything!) Another plausible explanation is that, since ACT, Inc. as of now gives test takers such a large number of materials for the ACT, there’d be no reason for making separate PreACT assets. Regarding free ACT materials, ACT, Inc. offers a wide assortment of inquiries and tests-which you can likewise use for your PreACT prep. In any case, before you utilize any of these to read for the PreACT, ensure you’re mindful of the three primary contrasts between the PreACT and ACT. These are as per the following: The PreACT is shorter than the ACT: While the ACT is around three to three and a half hours long (contingent upon whether you take the discretionary Writing segment), the PreACT is an insignificant two hours and 10 minutes in length. The PreACT is simpler than the ACT: Because the PreACT targets tenth graders and the ACT targets eleventh and twelfth graders, the PreACT utilizes a somewhat simpler trouble than the ACT does. Consequently,the most extreme score on the PreACT is 35, contrasted and 36 on the ACT. The PreACT doesn't have an exposition section:Unlike the ACT, which offers a discretionary paper section,the PreACT doesn't contain any such segment. Presently let’s investigate the official ACT assets you can use for your PreACT prep, just as how to utilize them adequately. Rule #1 for utilizing these assets adequately: don't inadvertently take care of them to your shredder. Free Official ACT Practice Tests At present, there are six official, full-length ACT practice tests accessible for nothing on the web. Since the ACT hasn’t changed a lot throughout the years, these tests ought to be useful for your considering: ACT Practice Test 2018-19 (Form 74FPRE) ACT Practice Test 2015-16 (Form 72CPRE) ACT Practice Test 2014-15 (Form 67C) ACT Practice Test 2011-12 (Form 64E) ACT Practice Test 2008-09 (Form 61C) ACT Practice Test 2005-06 (Form 59F) The explanation a couple of years are absent from these tests is that ACT, Inc. utilizes a similar practice test for a couple of years before it discharges another one. For instance, the 2015-16 practice test is precisely the same as the 2016-17 and 2017-18 practice tests. So as to utilize these training tests viably, take themas on the off chance that you were taking the genuine ACT. This implies you'll have to step through every examination in a peaceful spot with no interruptions. Additionally, it's critical to step through the whole examination in one sitting.This way, you'll get an increasingly precise impression of your scoring capacity and can start developing your endurance for both PreACT and ACT test day. At last, make certain to time yourself as per official ACT time limits.Because the ACT is longer than the PreACT is and contains somewhat harder inquiries, these training tests will be somewhat more testing than the real PreACT will be. However, this is anything but a terrible thing truth be told, it implies you'll be extra arranged for the PreACT! Free Official ACT Practice Questions In the event that you’re searching for singular practice inquiries rather than training tests, ACT, Inc. likewise offers a huge amount of test ACT inquiries on its site. You’ll get the accompanying number of inquiries for each ACT area: 75 ACT English inquiries 60 ACT Math questions 48 ACT Reading questions 40 ACT Science questions Out and out, these example addresses structure a total ACT practice test (in addition to eight additional Reading questions). This is equivalent to aboutone and a half PreACT tests. What’s decent about this asset is that you can undoubtedly skip around to concentrate on specific segments should you need to target explicit abilities for the PreACT. In spite of the fact that you can likewise utilize these example inquiries as a full-length practice test, note that they aren’t accessible on paper-simply online-which will make your training less reasonable. Besides, know that ACT, Inc. sets up these inquiries in a somewhat strange configuration in which you are demonstrated the right answers after you answer just a bunch of inquiries. This arrangement makes it hard to step through the entire examination at a time (and almost difficult to utilize official ACT time limits). Paid Official ACT Practice Tests Beside the free materials above, ACT, Inc. offers some paid ACT practice tests for those who'd prefer to press in increasingly official ACT/PreACT practice: The Official ACT Prep Guide 2019-2020:This is the latest rendition of the ACT's legitimate prep book. It incorporates five complete practice tests, just as 400 extra online inquiries (some of which are reused from the free assets above).While you won’t get a lot of substance help with this guide, it’s a superb asset for extra practice tests. It costs about $23 on Amazon. ACT Online Prep Program: This authority online program offers onecompletely special, full-length ACT practice test.The real prep part of the program isn’t that accommodating, so it’s best to utilize this only for the training test. The program costs $39.95. These next assets are as free as this got away from chicken feels. Free Unofficial PreACT Practice Tests Like how there are no official PreACT practice tests, there are no informal PreACT practice tests accessible for nothing online.Because the PreACT is a training ACT and is so like the ACT, most test-prep organizations and sites see no reason for making separate PreACT practice tests. So what would you be able to use? Fortunately, there are huge amounts of free informal ACT practice tests you can use for PreACT prep. Similar to the case with all prep materials, a portion of these training tests are acceptable quality, and some aren’t so incredible. Thusly, it's best toprioritize official ACT materials. Also, recollect that since these are ACT practice tests-not PreACT tests-you can expect there to be a greater number of inquiries that are somewhat harder than what you’ll see on the PreACT. The following are our picks for the best informal ACT practice tests you can use in your PreACT prep, just as tips for utilizing every asset adequately. Ivy Global Ivy Global’s ACT practice test is by a long shot one of the most reasonable informal ACT tests accessible for nothing on the web. Outwardly, it looks practically indistinguishable from an official ACT practice test. In contrast to other informal tests, which are regularly just accessible on the web, this asset is a downloadable PDF, implying that you can accept it on paper-similarly as you will for the genuine PreACT and ACT. Professionals Most inquiries are fundamentally the same as those you’ll see on the ACTin expressions of both quality and trouble. The test is totally allowed to download and utilize you don’t need to make a record or give any close to home data so as to get to it. Since the test is a PDF, you can print it out and take it on paper a similar way you’ll take the PreACT (and in the end ACT). This guarantees you’ll have sensible test-taking practice. Cons There are no answer clarifications for the test; rather, all you get isan answer key (which is incorporated with the test). This absence of direction makes it hard to decide exactlywhy you got certain inquiries wrong. Instructions to Use This Resource Effectively Since this asset is outstanding amongst other informal ACT practice tries out there, I suggest accepting it completely as you would with an official practice test. Once more, you'll need torecreate a reasonable test-taking setting bytaking it ina calm room and following all official ACT time limits. At last, recall that this test despite everything isn't on a par with an official practice test, so just take it once you’ve depleted all official ACT assets. Kaplan Kaplan-an entirely large name in the test-prep world-offers one free full-length ACT practice test when you pursue a record on their site. This test is

What Does Pop Culture Say Essay - 1239 Words

With the advancement of technology bridging the gap between countries, communication has traveled a long way from where it was in the past. With this development comes the fact that countries are becoming closer and closer. This closeness has led to the diffusion of pop culture all across the world. Along with the spread of pop culture, there has also been an establishment of an idea of what is popular in a certain country. Having this establishment let’s others outside of a country configure an image of what the people and country are like. However, many times, these views are disfigured. More often than not the people are misinformed and thus, the images created are not an accurate depiction of the country and its people. It is because†¦show more content†¦Some of the interesting info to come out of the polling included what Europeans viewed as the best of American culture, â€Å"40% said movies and TV were the best American cultural export† (Cohen). These r esults connect to the idea that TV shows and movies create a great influence to those outside of the United States. Of course it is understandable that things like Hollywood would be popular all across the globe. Hollywood is one of the largest movie industries in the world. However, not everyone is pleased with American TV shows and movies. In fact, much of this hate actually comes from citizens of the United States. In the same poll, â€Å"†¦when asked to identify Americas worst contribution to world culture, 32% of Americans pointed to film and television, a far higher proportion than in any other country and the single most popular response among U.S. respondents† (Cohen). Even though many other countries view American TV and films with admiration, Americans believe that it creates the highest negative cultural influence. This is of course compared to what Europeans chose as American’s worst contribution to the global culture which was food. So while some of these polling responses fit what would be expected, some of the American response was unexpected. Thus showing that many countries will have different views on how a country may be like, but in actuality, the actual image may be surprising. Some reasons as to why Americans may not like the ideaShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Essence Of Pop Culture813 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Talk about Pop Music, Talk about Pop Music†¦Ã¢â‚¬  was one of the most catchy phrases of the 1980’s. Just as in the 80’s, today we see many characteristics of â€Å"pop culture† effecting our lives. But, what is â€Å"pop culture?† I spent some time online trying to answer my question and time after time I was led to the same direction: pop culture is what we see, hear, speak, and are otherwise exposed to on a daily basis. 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Corporate Entrepreneurship - 1295 Words

Corporate Entrepreneurship Corporate Entrepreneurship can be seen as the process whereby an individual or a group creates a new venture within an existing organization, revitalizes and renews an organization ,or innovates. Zahra’s(1986) definition of corporate entrepreneurship suggests aformal or informal activity aimed at creating new businesses in established firms through product and process innovations and market developments,whereas sathe(1985) defines corporate entrepreneurship as a process of organizational renewal. Corporate Entrepreneurship has emerged as a much needed ingredient contributing towards the growth of any organization under a changing business environment. Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is widely considered as a†¦show more content†¦There have been dozens of definitions of entrepreneurship. The first of those is the phenomenon that some people, rather than working for somebody else under an employment contract, strike out on their own and become self-employed. These economic entities involve some element of innovation at start-up, and some degree of innovativeness is needed to survive over time. However, innovation is not central to this phenomenon. It is to the second social reality. This reality involves the development and renewal of any society, economy or organization, which is based on micro-level actors who have the initiative and persistence to make change happen. In this reality, ‘entrepreneurship’ means the creation of new economic activities and organizations as well as the transformation of existing ones . Indicators of Contributions to Economic Outcomes 1) Employment : Firms may contribute to the amount of employment generated or to the quality of employment. Firm growth, measured by the number of jobs created (relative to the size of the firm), is often used as an indicator of the quantity of employment generated. The quality of employment is measured in terms of the remuneration offered to employees. 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They use it as shorthand for making decisions that are often isolated from personal knowledge of the problems to be solved. In a hierarchical organization it is used as promotions that can be won by social graces, loyalty to one s boss, and in general, political skills. Decentralized corporation introduce a system that gives the decision to those whoRead More4 Models of Corporate Entrepreneurship1383 Words   |  6 Pageswithin a corporation. For a corporation to stay ahead of times and sustain a competitive advantage in a fast-changing global consumer market, the challenge is for the management to instill the right corporate entrepreneurship strategy across the organization. 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How Does Philosophy And Justice Relate Or Go Hand

How does philosophy and justice relate or go hand in hand? As we grow up we are mentally trained on what justice means and describes in our life. The older we become the more we understand the justice and injustice in our political system. We start to see the politicians who have more money have more votes and eventually end up on top of the pole as opposed to the candidate who wasn’t as rich but could have brought our county more justice. We see the different types of government such as dictatorship and absolute monarchy. We begin to learn the different ways countries function and how many fail or take advantage of the goods and the people. Many philosophers have left us the theories, which we follow today. Many different government†¦show more content†¦We will never be satisfied and always want best for our selves and our families. One of Hobbes arguments on ones desires to be superior to other; describing human beings motive for power, vanity, and pleasure. â€Å" Hobbes held that because humans are selfish driven by greed, without government life would be a war of every man against every man and solitary poor, nasty, brutish, and short; to escape the situation, people must agree to subject themselves to a sovereign and give him the power to enforce peace among them† (page. 541). I agree with Hobbes ideas in this matter and I do feel it’s natural we are born this way. We are born and mentally trained to be better to become better and desire better things for our lives. A life with purpose requires ambition of one to have an ultimate goal or desire to strive to become the individual we want to be. We teach our children that they must go to school to get an education and to become someone powerful in the future and generations go on sharing the same idea. Hobbes believes for violence and politics were very unique and particular. He had an idea that the authority should be obeyed at all times regardless of us liking or agreeing to what we are being asked to do. Hobbed, Locke, and Rousseau shared the same ideas on the authority power over us. They believed those who were chosen to govern had the right to lead in the way they felt

Sex Drugs And Rock And Roll free essay sample

The children growing up at this time listen to music talking about how amazing drugs are, and how great alcohol is. Kids are more likely to try them because the singers they kick up to are talking so highly Of these products and it seems like there are no repercussions. As well as the drugs, the sex part in the saying blew up in the ass for many reasons. One, similar to the drugs, many of the lyrics in the popular songs at the time was about sex, among other things. But also, birth control was created during the time period and grew exponentially in a few years. Over 12. 5 million women were using birth control within seven years from when the FDA approved the pill. In my opinion, rock and roll is definitely dangerous and responsible for influencing the increase of drug use, but at the end of the day every person makes his or her own decisions. We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Drugs And Rock And Roll or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So, yes the music and singers influenced the individual, but ultimately he or she decided to put that drug into their body. But to consider rock and roll irresponsible is ridiculous because a genre cant be responsible for the actions of others.The songs may promote drug use or ranking or sexual acts but most of the times it is what the artist has been through and about his or her life. Everyone should be responsible for himself or herself, so yes the artists are being irresponsible for doing the drugs and such, but the individuals who do such things cannot portray the genre as a whole. If people consider rock and roll irresponsible, then they can consider music in general irresponsible because every genre has certain songs or artists who have negative impacts.The constant promotion of drugs and sex from the major artists may pose a threat to society. Kids learn about all these drugs and alcoholic substances at such a younger age now as apposed to in past years and it is mainly because of the music they listen to and other social forms of media. But the artists should want to sing about the wrongs of drugs and the problems they cost instead of singing about how great smoking marijuana is. These artists in rock and roll promote the use of these drugs and because of that the fans go to the concerts drunk or high and that is why rock and roll gets such a bad reputation.Hopefully the people dont look to Hess artists as role models because of the bad actions these artists do. Also, all the artists overdosing and dying because of these drugs should get the message across to the fans that these drugs are not as amazing as the artists portray them to be. Instead the fans should learn from the mistakes those artists made. Ultimately, rock and roll is still music and because of that they should be able to sing about whatever they want to sing about. The artists should want to send off a good message, but ultimately nobody should be able to censor what the lyrics are.The first amendment is the freedom of speech, and even though some of the songs of rock and roll send off bad messages to the fans, the government shouldnt be able to control what singers can and cannot say. The lyrics are not putting anyone in dangers way, they just state opinions that the singer has. The songs may not have the best message in mind which and personally, think the artists should sing about something more meaningful and more appropriate for the fans but at the end of the day they should be allowed to sing whatever they wish.

Aquinas on the Possibility of Merit †Religion Research Paper

Aquinas on the Possibility of Merit – Religion Research Paper Free Online Research Papers Aquinas on the Possibility of Merit Religion Research Paper Thomas Aquinas is known for having presented both a moral and spiritual view of the world he lived in, yet it is still very much applicable to the world that we live in today. Thomas believed above anything else that the final end of man lies entirely in God and no one else. And while Aquinas attempted to reiterate and model his works after his predecessor Augustine, his views differed, and mainly in one fundamental area. Unlike Augustine, Thomas’ view of man, nature, and the free will is much kinder, desiring for good despite the threat of sin and evil. With that said and done, Aquinas questions merit. Why Can People Merit From God? Thomas compares merit with a reward, saying that they are essentially the same thing. He goes on to explain that God is on a different level than that of man, and even if we attempted to compare ourselves, we could never do so. Furthermore, God does not want our merit, or our reward, he wishes only for fulfillment. This fulfillment meaning that we as his people do what we ought to do using the will given to us by God himself. We can only merit from God by doing this, because if we are successful and we even wish for this merit we must do our deeds and good works. God does not wish to gain anything from these good works he wishes only to be glorified by them. Still if we are unsuccessful in this endeavor it is impossible for us to gain merit from God. Objections to God’s Merit? To successfully go back and answer this question of merit, Thomas first had to raise some objections to this idea that had been brought up in the past. While there were many questions that were raised and still exist today, some are much more fundamentally important than others. It is said that no one can possibly merit a reward by simply repaying what he owes another. In this fashion, how could it be that we could ever merit from God. We owe him so much that we could never get to the point to which we could repay him, let alone surpass this level and wish for a reward for our works. No matter how many good works we do, they can only be used in our vale attempt to repay God exactly what we owe. Thomas calls us â€Å"unprofitable servants,† that we only do what is our duty to do. It is also said that if anyone profits from another that makes him his debtor. However there is no way that God could be our debtor. He is a much higher level than to ever be the debtor, as he started the cycle by giving and because of this we are forever in debt to him, no matter how hard we try or how much good we can do. We are in second place from the start and our lives are only lived in order to fulfill what he has destined for us. And while we will never be able to fully repay him, we still work hard each and everyday to do so, because this action appeases God and will eventually lead him to favor us. Thomas’ Answer to These Objections: Thomas answers these objections by stating that merit and reward are one in the same. We commonly call a reward something that is given to someone in return for his work or labor, as a price for it. To give this reward to someone that has in fact done something for you is justice. And Thomas believes that philosophically speaking, justice is synonymous with equality. Thomas believes that some justices are owed, or even deserved, like a son who deserves something from his father or even a slave that deserves from his master. And while it seems that man would argue that he deserves that justice, this can never be challenged. For man and God both suffer from a great inequality, in fact, the distance between the two is infinite. Therefore, and to end all arguments, the kind of justice that is obtained by and only through absolute equality could never and will never exist between man and God. This is where Thomas believes this argument and any objections have to end, for God and ma n are more like two separate being, meaning that they share no grounds for comparison and because of this the true equality lacks. And it is this equality needed to find if merit can be deserved. So it absence scratches the question and holds no weight for any other objections. Thomas’ Idea of â€Å"Ordination†: Thomas’s idea of a â€Å"divine ordination† is his key component of man ever being able to merit from God. It is this ordination, which is given to us by God that allows us to achieve anything, be it in our eyes, or in the eyes of God. Simply put, man can only receive from God what God has given man the power to work for and earn through his own efforts. God is responsible for creation in the beginning and it was at this time that God gave us all of the tools and abilities that we would need throughout our life. So by using these tools that God has given us, we will be able to achieve great things. These great things will then hopefully fulfill God and his intentions and only then may we receive merit from him. From the beginning of time is has been this ordination that has molded us into what we our. It is because of this divine ordination that we are in debt to God in the first place. This ordination is the gift that was so great that no matter what we do and try to give back to God, nothing, especially no one single act, nor the sum of all of our works ever duplicate or surpass the importance of this ordination that God gave us so long ago. Thus the difference in what God did when he created us all is that he only gave this ordination to man. No other being has been or ever will be blessed or bestowed the same honor. For unlike the other beasts that inhabit the earth, God’s giving us this gift supplied us with free will, something we have only for ourselves. It is with this free will that we can be rational and move ourselves toward actions that we know to be good and to also be pleasing to God. And it is this action alone that could ever be important enough to receive merit. Therefore we say that our free will is meritorious, and this is what separates us from all other creates that God created. Does Thomas’ Ordination Differ From Other Views? While we have studied other differing opinions and views on both the questions of grace and merit and the possibility of predestination, Aquinas’ view differs from all of them. As some believe that God has our futures predetermined and mapped out so that we merely live our lives but have no ultimate effect on its’ outcome, others believe in a two fold strategy. While God does have a plan in mind for us he is open to allow the human the chance to either prove God right or wrong according to his good works, perhaps even to the point in which God ultimate decision about our eternal future may be swayed. Thomas’ ordination presents an altogether different spin on things. Unlike the idea of God having complete control and the final say or even man being able to work to save him self, Thomas believes in God’s belief in us. That is to say that God has already done his part, he has given us the tools that we need. It is up to us to take what he has given us and use it, or simply neglect God’s gift and squander it all away. It is almost like God has a partnership with us, with him being the investor, investing his ordination into us and we being his worker. He has laid us a good foundation and put us on the right track and our actions will ultimately tell if we profit from this investment or we lose it all. Aquinas is the first to say that we can save ourselves, as long as we fulfill God’s wishes for us, and win his favor. And while this may not always seem easy to do, it is not unattainable. Thomas’ Link Between Predestination and Merit: By clearly understanding Thomas’ teaching on predestination, his idea of the possibility of merit becomes more understandable. While he makes it clear that God has given us the abilities to be able to do what it is we do, we must understand that it is our place to work for God. Nothing we will ever do will reward God, for he cannot be rewarded. Our worship of God rewards us instead, for even if we gain his merit, he gains nothing from us, for we do not profit him, we only glorify his name. God therefore will never be a debtor to us; rather he will be a debtor to himself, because it is our right to fulfilled everything that he has ordained. Afterthought†¦. Therefore, although it has been said that we may never merit from God because we may never be able to fully repay God for what he has given us, this may not be the most important issue. Rather, it appears that God would be willing to grant merit to us if he does in fact see that we are working to fulfill the wishes that he ordained in us from the beginning. This fulfillment would bring him happiness and his happiness could bring us his favor and perhaps the gift of eternal life. As long as we know that our role is to serve his name and be thankful for the gifts we have been given, we may be able to work in conjunction with God so that we can both receive just what it is we want. For God, the glory that our good works provide and for us the ultimate gift that only a select few will ever receive. Research Papers on Aquinas on the Possibility of Merit - Religion Research PaperThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionMind TravelBringing Democracy to AfricaHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayGenetic EngineeringMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceResearch Process Part OneHip-Hop is Art

Category Management Essays

Category Management Essays Category Management Paper Category Management Paper Working Paper: Category Management (CM) in Indian Marketing Context M Scalem† , Divyanshu† Ã¢â‚¬   † Management Information Systems [MIS] Department, Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIMC), Joka, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata, West Bengal State, India 700104. Email: [emailprotected] ac. in † Ã¢â‚¬   Consultant, i2 technologies India Pvt Ltd, Andheri (East), Mumbai, State of Maharashtra, India 400 096 Email: [emailprotected] com Abstract Category management has been a potent tool for transformation of retail industry worldwide, especially the US. The USP of Category management is in the fact that instead of the emphasis on brands within a single category of products thereby enhancing competition within a category, it takes a holistic view of the category and attempts to maximize profits for the whole category. By doing so, it professes to optimize profits of the individual brands within the category also. In India, the modern retail industry is in a nascent stage but with a huge potential and a rapid growth projected in near future. There is much scope for venturing into category management, given its proven applicability in the West and its feasibility in transforming Indian retail industry. This paper proposes a strategic framework for implementation of Category Management in India as also the guidelines for doing the same. Keywords Category, Category Management, Indian Retail Industry, Category Captain, Retailer-Supplier Relationship, Retailer-Consumer Relationship. 1. INTRODUCTION Category Management can be defined as a retailer-supplier process of managing categories (distinct manageable group of products) as Strategic Business Units (SBUs), producing enhanced results by focusing on delivering consumer value. Category management was developed as a strategy for retailers to successfully compete in each retail category for the shopper’s loyalty and money. Traditionally, retailers used to assign buyers to purchase brands of specific manufacturers instead of making all purchases within a particular product category. Category Management approach, on the other hand, has put orward a new method of doing business for the retail industry. It recognizes the interrelatedness of products in the category and focuses on improving performance of whole product category rather than the performance of individual brands. The traditional brand–oriented buyers are replaced with category managers who are responsible for integrating procurement, pricing and merchandis ing of all brands in a category and jointly developing and implementing category based plans with manufacturers to enhance the outcome of both parties (Pellet, 1994; Progressive Grocer, 1995 a and b; Supermarket news, 1997). A category is defined as a distinct manageable group of products that consumers perceive to be related and/or substitutable in meeting a consumer need (FMI, 1995) and the Category management insists that retailer’s categories, rather than the manufacturer’s brands, become the focus of management resources. The operating assumption of category management implies that performance in a category at the retail level will result in improvements in the suppliers’ performance whose brands are sold through the category. The category management theory posits that retailers can maximize their sales in the category through an optimal mix of brands, SKUs, and pricing that is determined from the consumer’s perspective and is based on historical sales data (Gruen, 1998). Once the retailer’s sales in maximized in the category, the equilibrium established within the category would be the best-case scenario for each individual brand. 2. CATEGORY MANAGEMENT vs. BRAND MANAGEMENT The approach discussed above runs counter to the manufacturer’s brand management paradigm that views positive result mainly when the brand managers’ SKUs gain shares in the category. Brand management approach postulates that brands require a dedicated advocate to maximize their market potential. It encourages a type of â€Å"Darwinian† environment in which the strongest brands survive. In case a brand is weakening in the market, the brand management principle says it is better to have a sister brand take its position rather than some other brand in the same category. As opposed to the holistic approach of category management, brand management encourages intensification of competition within a category. Competing brands within a category actually give rise to a lot of cannibalization problems where a lot of resources are wasted on countering each other’s competitive moves. This problem would get more severe when consumer loyalties are diminishing and hence this is both a challenge as well as a business problem. 3. INFLUENCE OF ENHANCED RETAILER POWER ON CATEGORY MANAGEMENT The greatest factor that holds category management as the paramount strategic policy of future and keeps it somewhat favorably compared to brand management is the increasing power and sophistication of the retailer. Whereas traditional retailers may have relied on the manufacturer for information and expertise, contemporary retailers are often in a position to dictate marketing policy to the manufacturer. This change has created a two–pronged effect (Zenor, 1994): a) The retailer has started taking many decisions regarding pricing, advertising, merchandising, promotion etc. traditionally associated with the brand manager. b) The strength of the retailer increases the importance of the sales force for presenting a united effort across the firm’s product line. Both these effects have led to the transfer of power away from the brand–management group and coupled with this is the rising interest of retailers in category management. In the recent past, studies have shown the increasing interest of retail chain operators into category management. In a report (Progressive Grocer, 1996), 83 % of retailers viewed category management as the most important issue facing them. In another study (Chain drug review, 1997), Category Management initiatives were shown to be the most important reason behind retailers improving their technology systems. Such trends seem to continue; with its implications on the way principles of category management are getting shaped. 4. THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR CATEGORY MANAGEMENT A very popular report (Category Management Subcommittee et al. , 1995) presented the process of applying category management principles to practice. This report essentially contains the how-to of Category management and lays out eight critical steps that are necessary for a proper implementation of CM by a retailer. We present this framework here to facilitate the understanding of the strategic structure and process surrounding CM to evaluate the outcomes of its implementation effectively. Step 1: Category definition This step determines the products that constitute a category, sub-category and major segmentation. At this step, the retailer assigns products to the various categories based on factors such as consumer usage and packaging. The category definition should include all products that are either highly substitutable or closely replaced. So, there may be a category of soaps with a sub-category of toilet soaps; or there may be a separate category for toilet soaps altogether. Similarly, there may be a category for soft drinks and a separate one for soft drinks in cans, or the second one may be a sub–category. Step 2: Category role This step assigns the category role based on a cross-category analysis that considers the consumer, distributor, supplier, and marketplace. Designing a category role gives the retailer a perspective to allocate resources among various categories. Traditionally, four category roles have been identified and are as follows: a) Destination Categories: These are the ones in which the retailer positions itself as the store of choice to the consumers by offering better value. b) Routine Categories: These are those that the consumer purchases as matter of routine. Toothpastes, soaps etc. form part of this group. Figure 1: The Category Management Strategic process c) Convenience Categories: These are the categories that the consumer finds convenient to pick up at a neighborhood retailer rather than go to a distant retailer offering better value. Stationery products, and certain commodity items form part of this group d) Seasonal/Occasional Categories: These are purchased infrequently or seasonally. Seasonal fruits and similar food items are part of these groups. Some of the seasonal categories may become part of the destination category group in that season for the retailer. Step 3: Category Assessment This step involves gathering and analyzing historical data and relevant information and then developing insights for managing the category. At this stage, a detailed assessment of the sales, profit and return on assets opportunities is done on the basis of an analysis of categories’ components including elements such as sub–categories, brands and SKUs. Step 4: Category Scorecard This step involves establishment of performance measures to evaluate program execution. At this stage, baselines and targets are established. The category role matrix is used here along with other parameters such as GMROI (Gross Margin Return on Investment), return on inventory goals, service levels and so forth. Step 5: Category strategies This step involves the development of marketing strategies for the category. Category marketing strategies can be classified into demand-chain and supply-chain categories. The strategies regarding cash generation, traffic building, profit, transaction, image, and excitement creation come under the demand-chain strategies. The strategies regarding merchandising flow and transaction costs come under the supply chain strategies. Step 6: Category tactics This step involves the determination of optimal category pricing, promotion, assortment, and shelf management that are necessary to achieve the agreed-on-role, scorecard, and strategies. Literature (Category Management Report, 1995) proposes that pricing policies should be applied to the current prices to develop price changes and set overall price changes for the category. Promotional prices should be applied in the development of a promotional plan that includes frequency of promotions and recommended price points. Step 7: Category Plan Implementation This is the stage where the action happens by virtue of implementation. The implementation plan includes what specific tasks need to be done, when each task should be completed, and who is to accomplish each task. The implementation of the category plan is perhaps the most vital linkage in the entire chain. Step 8: Category review This step involves the regular management of the intended results of the overall plan. Reviews should be scheduled at established intervals and listed in the implementation plan. Choice and implementation of category strategies is one of the keys of category management process. Retailers practice category management with several ends in mind, but increasing profitability, increasing revenue and optimizing item mix are some of the most important strategies (AC Nielsen, 1998). With such a strategic framework, the performance of category management is dependent on the strategic and operational efficiencies of the implementation procedure. A lot of factors decide the performance of a particular category functioning under the purview of category management. 5. STRATEGIC MODEL FOR PERFORMANCE OF CATEGORY MANAGEMENT As has been discussed above, a lot of inputs have to be factored into, while devising a model that guides the performance of the category management procedure. Essentially, the performance depends upon the three basic groups involved in category management and the kind of relationships that. These three groups are: a) Consumers, b) Retailers, and c) Suppliers. Category management is provided its operational form at the retail outlet level. Thus the retail outlet, and by consequence, the retailer becomes the central figure in category management strategy formulation and implementation. The consumer is obviously the key to all decision-making and the suppliers form the third part in the sense that they have to perform most of the category management tasks. The two relationships that are keys to category management performance are: (i) Supplier – Retailer Relationship (ii) Retailer Consumer Relationship We propose a model to illustrate the overall interaction of these entities and the effect of the interrelationships as shown graphically in the adjoining figure. We present the performance model of the supplier and retailer relationship to formulate the category management strategies and their implementation. This implementation is mostly reflected at the retail outlet, which is the point of sale as well as the point where consumer choices are manifested. At the retail outlet, the consumer – retailer relationship comes into the picture and the consumer is offered enhanced value through category management. We also propose a model to illustrate the entities and effects of Retailer-Consumer relationship which leads to consumer satisfaction. Consumer satisfaction, if achieved, props up category growth to fulfill the final objective 5. 1 SUPPLIER – RETAILER RELATIONSHIP Even though category management is primarily a retail strategy, the influence of manufacturers and suppliers cannot be negated. It is the manufacturers who have developed the expertise required to determine the efficient assortment, pricing, promotions, and placement of the various brands and sizes of each SKU for the category. Such expertise, coupled with proprietary consumer data, and syndicated market data, enables the manufacturers to pitch their ability to play the role of Category Captain. The concept of Category captain, extensively employed in US, is to implement category management. The Category Captain is a supplier who forms a strategic alliance with the retailer to enable the retailer to develop consumer insights, satisfy consumers and improve performance and profit across the entire category. He is, most often, also the leading manufacturer in the category and the essential task for him is to provide solutions to the retailer that is optimal for the whole category and not only for his own brands and SKUs. Once the retailer identifies the category captain, the retailer provides its proprietary sales information at the store level for the entire category. The category captain then develops the category plan and the strategies for the whole category, including the SKUs of its own, the store brand, as well as competitor brands. Such a plan might actually result in de-listing of many SKUs including some of the captain itself. In such a scenario, the relationship between the retailer and the category captain assumes much significance. The model presented here (Gruen et al. , 20000) illustrates the effects of components of such relationship on performance of the category. Effect of Supplier–Retailer relationship on category performance Where Pi are the postulates: P1: Greater brand management / sales conflict leads to greater supplier opportunism P2: Greater the pre – planning agreement, lesser is supplier opportunism P3: Greater the pre – planning agreement, greater is the plan objectivity P4: Greater the pre – planning agreement, greater is the retailer system trust P5: Greater the pre planning agreement, greater is its implementation P6: Greater the opportunism, lesser the category plan objectivity P7: Greater the objectivity, greater is system trust P8: Greater the system trust, greater is plan implementation P9: Greater the plan implementation, greater is the category performance P10: Greater the objectivity, greater the category performance The above model has a host of processes that comprise of the supplier–retailer category implementation model. Combined with the processes are the postulates that signify the inter-linkages between the processes. We hereby present a brief description of the processes and the postulates. The processes can be categorized in three segments: a) Drivers of category performance ) Antecedents of category performance c) Relationship parameters a) Drivers of category performance These are the factors that aid in enhancement of category performance, if properly implemented. (i) Objective category planning: The chief strength of category management is its reliance on data. The plan then must fully consider the available data and syndicated market area data. A category plan is considered objectiv e when it fairly considers the store and market –level data so that the interest of the consumer is fully accounted for. The incentive to maintain a minimum objectivity of category plans is that by using actual sales data and by incorporating knowledge of the consumer’s needs and wants, the plan should deliver the assortment, placement, and pricing of the SKUs in a manner that enhances the performance of the category. (ii) Category plan implementation: Implementation refers to the actual carrying out of the category plans on the retailers’ shelves. As a mediator between plan objectivity and category performance, the role of implementation is critical. b) Antecedents of category performance i) Brand management / Sales conflict: This is determined by the extent to which the firm’s brand managers place pressure on their own firm’s sales function during the category planning process to favor their firm’s brands. Such a conflict finds its genesis in the essential policy differences between brand management principles and category management principles. (ii) Opportunism: It is the degree to which the supplier firm places its interests above the joint interests above the joint interests of the relationship with the retailer. It also connotes the category captain taking undue competitive advantage of its position in the category. The tendency towards opportunism is best described by the Agency theory. c) Relationship parameters (i) Retailer’s â€Å"System Trust†: This can be defined as the willingness of the retailer to rely on the category captain’s policies. Such trust is essential to category plan implementation and lack of such trust retards category performance. (ii) Supplier / Retailer preplanning agreement: This process involves establishing common objectives, agreeing on the approach, and gaining buy-in from all parties involved in the category management process. (iii) Supplier / CBD team resource commitment: This is the final key factor. It can be considered to be the input of resources and personnel by the partners into the category management partnership. Thus we have seen how supplier – retailer relationship affects category performance. Now we proceed to explore the other relationship in category management, which is between retailer and consumer. 5. 2 RETAILER–CONSUMER RELATIONSHIP We hereby propose a model to signify the aspects of this relationship. Consumer satisfaction has been assigned the utmost importance as the determinant of category performance. We have divided the model into two basic segments, viz. Strategies for enhancing consumer satisfaction and Benefits of consumer satisfaction. While the former deals with the strategies that the retailer should adopt to generate enhanced consumer satisfaction, the latter deals with the impact of enhanced consumer satisfaction on retailer’s macro objectives. I. Strategies for enhancing consumer satisfaction The above model takes into account two broad strategies for enhancing consumer satisfaction. These are: a) Product centric strategies: The product centric strategies at the retailer level include the strategies regarding availability of an optimal product range. The two postulates proposed here are: (i) Product mix: An optimal product mix comprising of a broad product range, optimal price range and innovative and new products enhances consumer satisfaction (ii) Supplier management: An optimal assortment of suppliers in various categories, coupled with proper inventory management policies followed by retailer/supplier enhances consumer satisfaction b) Consumer centric strategies: The consumer centric strategies are those that are devised to positively affect consumer preferences for a particular category. The two postulates proposed in this category are: (i) POS management: The point of sale is the key to the process of consumer choice. We postulate that an effective POS management, comprising of creation of brand awareness at POS, Planogram management, merchandising, and POS promotion enhances consumer satisfaction by offering him more choices. (ii) Services offered: The effectiveness of services offered, including after sales services, trade promotional programs, and relationship marketing enhances consumer satisfaction. II. Benefits of consumer satisfaction Consumer satisfaction has been postulated as the key determinant of category performance. The two key areas that are affected positively by consumer satisfaction are presented by way of our hypotheses as: a) Category growth: We postulate that greater the magnitude of consumer satisfaction with a category, greater is the category growth. Greater category growth has a direct bearing on enhanced profits of the supplier. Hence consumer satisfaction leads to enhance supplier benefits. b) Enhanced retailer assets: We postulate that enhanced consumer satisfaction causes greater purchases from the retailer outlet and hence offers competitive advantage to the retailer. This leads to enhanced retailer assets. Thus enhanced consumer satisfaction leads to greater benefits for the retailer. We iterate that although the importance of retailer consumer relationship has been tried to be mapped in the model we have provided here, the hypotheses need to be validated through market research and consumer patterns. 6. CATEGORY MANAGEMENT SCENARIO IN USA Category management as a concept has been endorsed and applied in the US in a major way. In a recent industry study (Cannondale Associates) where the current practices in category management were assessed by over 250 retailers and manufacturers, including Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie, Publix, Kelloggs, Kraft Foods, Quaker Oats and Tropicana, it was found that the findings could be grouped as per the lines of the following: â€Å"†¦To survive in todays consolidating environment, retailers and manufacturers need to improve their collaboration with trading partners using the newest technologies, be alert to evolving views of private label and trade promotion efficiencies, and incorporate frequent shopper data analyses. According to the study, both retailers and manufacturers attributed double-digit sales growth to category management. Efficient Assortment ranked as the category management skills component of most concern to those surveyed, while Category Definition/Role, Category Strategy, Shelf Management and Pricing ranked high as well. One of the major reasons for evolution of the whole concept of category management in US is the evolution of strong retailing industry and strengthening of the power the retail chains have over manufacturers. The retail chains have grown to become huge business enterprises in themselves. Thus there has been a shift away from the brand management concept of the manufacturers.