Business Insourcing, Self-Sourcing and Outsourcing Research Paper

Business Insourcing, Self-Sourcing and Outsourcing - Research Paper Example On the other hand, self sourcing has its disadvantages which include: Lack of organizational focus, lack of design alternative analysis and lack of documentation. In commerce, outsourcing is the constricting out of a trade procedure to an intermediary. The word "outsourcing" becomes admired in the US close to the revolution of the 21st century. Outsourcing occasionally entails transferring human resources as well as assets from one company to another, but not at all times. Outsourcing is as well used to explain the performance of handing over management of civic services to for-profit companies. Outsourcing consists of both strange and family contracting; in addition to sometimes take account of offshoring or relocating a business, profession to another nation. Financial investments from lower global labor rates are a big inspiration for outsourcing. In sourcing is enhanced for significant Domain comprehension centric actions; trade innovation driven scheme, to generate competitive i ndividuality for business expansion (Click et al., 2005 p.26). Outsourcing is better if position information requirement for detailed duration, repeatable deal based, releasing in-house resources for extra value supplemented area, and suppleness of Ramp-up plus Ramp-down. The outsourcing drawback may also contain miscommunication: the corporations give unreliable service to "yes, we will hold up increased communication plus increased contact points", but the majority of the time they do not adjust scheme timelines plus they indulgence their offshore equivalent as if they were down the lane. Subsequently, they cannot comprehend why the scheme is behind. The world turns out to be more compound, change is accelerate, the current transfer to in sourcing those roles once again is a dial that parties are appreciating they need better flexibility and suppleness that is a bit more complex to attain when purpose are outsourced. Trade and IT also have extra sourcing options than ever, out sou rcing, in sourcing, near shore, on shore, with all these, how to expertise a superior IT sourcing tactic? Corporations outsource to keep away from assured kinds of costs. They outsource the non foundation actions. Among the motives companies opt for to outsource comprise the escaping of regulations, elevated taxes, high power costs, and costs linked with describe benefits in labor-union contract and duties for regime mandated reimbursement. Alleged or definite gross border in the diminutive operate incentivizes a corporation to outsource (Stephen, 2006, p. 14). With compact short-run expenses, administrative management sees the chance for short-run proceeds while the profits enlargement of the customer base is overwrought (Chris, 2006, p. 23). This prompts corporations to outsource for lesser effort costs. Outsourcing can put forward greater budget suppleness and control. Outsourcing allows organizations disburse for simply the services they require, when they require them. It as we ll reduces the want to hire and guide particular staff, conveys in fresh engineering proficiency, and decreases capital and working expenses. In addition, the label outsourcing has been established to be employed for too numerous different kinds of substitutes in puzzling ways. For instance, worldwide software expansion, which frequently

Quantitative Content Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Quantitative Content Analysis - Essay Example The experiment also tests the effect of music on the learning process. It is commonly accepted and proved by research that loud noise impedes concentration and learning. However, some background music might improve the learning process. It is not known what type, genres and loudness are more helpful than others. The effect on different age groups is also unknown (Levy 1999). In one scene, the eye sees a huge number of objects and events that compete for visual attention. Humans rapidly prioritize and focus on critical objects and events and ignore the rest. However, it is not known how people select the most significant objects and events in complex images. Chun (2000) stated that humans use visual context information to find objects in complex scenes. He argued that visual context guides the eyes to select important objects while ignore the rest. In 1967, Yarbus demonstrated that people concentrate on faces and other relevant aspects of scenes. Eyes move more to informative objects within a scene (Loftus & Mackworth (1978), Mackworth & Morandi (1967). Biederman (1982) suggested that context also facilitate recognition of objects within a scene. ... They hypothesized that non changing contextual information guides participants' spatial attention to efficiently find targets. They experimented with identification of targets within old or new visual arrangements. Old arrangements maintained the same spatial configuration of target within its distractors. New arrangements contained changing spatial configuration of target within its distractors. They found that even though participants did not remember repetitions of old configurations, they found targets within old configurations faster than targets within new configurations. They concluded that contextual cueing effect was the reason. Spatial context learning is important because the configurations of different objects are stable with time. Visual context is defined by attributes other than spatial layout such as background knowledge. Background knowledge suggests the presence of some objects more than others and thus gives some objects more attention than others. The presence of one object in relation to another is acquired through experience. Savan, A. (1999) investigated whether Mozart orchestral compositions would improve the co-ordination skills of pupils. To determine the physiological effect of music on participants, she measured blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse rate in response to different sound stimulus. She found that Mozart compositions stimulated the production of endorphin within the brain, which slowed down the physiological parameters of blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse rate and reduced overall body metabolism and hormone production. She concluded that music improved the coordination of pupils. The experiment tests the hypothesis

Clothing And Female Self Image Cultural Studies Essay

Clothing And Female Self Image Cultural Studies Essay A womans physical appearance, size and shape form part of her body image. Body image is a very important aspect of physical appearance. A woman is intimately linked to her sense of self so much so that her body attitude spills over into self attitude. A large factor in the way we perceive the female body is that of clothing. Through clothing we create an image that grounds the initial impression you form in society. The study also states that a womans physical appearance, size and shape are part of her body image. Body image is an extremely important aspect of physiological and interpersonal development of the person (Farinah 2005:19). Kaiser (1999: 97) states that one fact of human beings is that they have bodies and they are bodies, the body is similar to a vehicle for carrying around ones thoughts, feelings and perceptions. Clothing makes up for a substantial part of a womans self image, and can very easily be misjudged seeing as some clothing has the potential to enhance flaws on ones body. BACKGROUND 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT Kaiser (1997:97). states that the way females perceive their bodies are related to social, cultural and historical contexts and influenced by gender as well as other aspects. We can alter the appearances of our bodies through diet, exercise and clothing choices (Li M: 2003 pg). How can women change their appearance without drastic interference with their bodies? Research done by the National Textile Centre(1999:2) stated that according to Labat and Delong, female consumers feel personally inadequate when clothing do not fit appropriately, they tend to blame themselves and feel negatively towards their bodies more willingly than the ill-fitted clothing. According to Simmons, Istook and Devarajan (2002:2) despite of standard sizing systems used, they are almost all based on a myth that we as humans all have mathematically proportional bodies that grow in proportional ways. Body Shapes are classified in 5 groups, the Hourglass body shape, Rectangle body shape, Pear body shape and Apple body Shape. According to McCormack () the fashion industry is ignoring the changing shapes of womens bodies. To get the most out of your image, it is good to know what to wear for your specific body type. This allows one to choose more flattering clothing for your figure and avoid clothing that does not enhance the way you look (What to Wear for Your Body Shape LoveToKnow Womens Fashion.mht) The National Textile Centre Annual Report (1999: 3) informs us that clothing is a very important aspect of our body image, the clothes that we wear reflects our character and personality and helps to constitute our image. Grose (2009:8) reveals that, a cultural ideal body image is an idea created by society through relationships, public figures and media. Kaiser (1999: 98) states that clothing may be perceived differently by individuals in relation to body image. For instance a female may buy a large jacket to wear over dresses with the purpose of hiding parts that she sees as flawed. The fashion industry is ignoring the changing of shapes of womens bodies, designers manufacturers insist on making clothes that fit the traditional hourglass figure, when womens shapes are more likely to be top-heavy, rectangular or pear shaped. Helen McCormack. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Whats the historical perspective on womens body shape? What are the factors that influence womens knowledge on their body shapes and choice of clothing? How does clothing and body affect consumers choices about purchasing and wearing? How can women change their appearance without drastic interference with their bodies? Through these questions asked, the researcher will be able to examine SA woman in terms of understanding varied body shape in relation to clothing and its characteristics. OBJECTIVES The research aims to: Identify the historical perspective on womens body shape. Investigate the factors that influence womens knowledge on their body shape and choice of clothing. Discover how clothing and body affect consumers choices about purchasing and wearing. Determine how women can change their appearance without drastic interference with their bodies. This research will establish if SA women have the knowledge on their body types and educate them on how to determine their shape and how to dress accordingly. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1.6.1 RESEARCH DESIGN The quantitative research methodology will be used. Quantitative research is the systematic scientific investigation of quantitative quantities and phenomena and their relationships. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical methods, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to natural phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. (www.Wikipedia.com ) A quantitative research method is chosen for the reason that the study requires more statistical answers than personal experiences. The study tends to find out if SA woman understand varied body shapes, their own shape and other related enquires. Through a quantitative study the researcher can determine the quantity of women that is in need of advice and knowledge on the mattered subject. 1.6.2 POPULATTION AND SAMPLING The population for the research will focus on South African Females from Pretoria. The researcher will select three groups of individual women with different body shapes, ethnicity and fashion style. This sample will be divided into three groups as follows: Group one: aged between 18 25, students from TUT Arts campus and The University of Pretoria. Group two: aged between 25-40, women in a working environment office? Group three: aged between 41-50 women in a working environment or retired? By creating a sample group that consists of female candidates no more than fifteen. Sampling? These groups were chosen as it is imperative stages in a womans career and life as she starts studying at 18, her career takes flight at 25 and she looks into retirement at age 50. 1.6.3 DATA COLLECTION These three groups will be asked several questions in connection with the research questions previously mentioned. This process will occur by the use of answering questionnaires as research instrument. These questionnaires will consists of a list of questions that enquires information on ideal body shapes personal body complexions, clothing in terms of body image and knowledge of clothing sought. Structured questions will be used on the target group to compile a diversity of answers. The questions will be coded and analyzed. 1.6.4 DATA ANALYSIS Firstly classify academic information, then arrange the data and lastly describe information. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research, 2006) LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS Only South African woman living in (suburb) and city can partake in the study. No males can take part. South Africa is multi-cultural. This factor will be ignored. Culture has an impact on womens lifestyle, spending habits and fashion. Although religion has a impact on fashion, but for the researcher chose to ignore it in this study. Culture (race) also has an impact on fashion but it will also be ignored in this study. Womans income will have an impact on the amount they spend on clothing. This will have an impact on the study. Age. Womans age will be considered in this study; because it has an impact on the way they dress and where they buy clothing as well as the amount spend monthly. Location. Women that stay inner city dress differently from women that stays in a small town or on a farm. Interests. Women with an interest in fashion will spend more on clothing than those women that has other priorities. Career. The environment women work in has a deciding factor to the way they dress. Business women will dress differently from a house wife or a cleaner. 1.8 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Women complain about not looking at their best for the reason that clothes do not fit correctly or enhances flaws. Not all women were born with the ideal body shape or have the time or patience to achieve it. As the researcher my aim and objective is to alert women of the illusions that can be created with clothing to make believe that one has the ideal body shape and that through clothing flaws can be minimized instead of enhanced with the correct knowledge of body analysis and characteristics. In the previous chapter, the introduction and background was discussed. In chapter two the literature review will be discussed, 2.1 Literature Study 2.1.1 Introduction The human race is relentlessly yearning for modifications, from facelifts to haircuts, to slimming pantyhose to liposuction. Everybody seeks improvement for what they are. At one time or another, is there one part of the body that has not, been improved through artifice?(Gross Stone,1994:23 What size should I be?(Farinah 2005:1) A common individual question asked. A persons self image is frequently developed from what people say about her. De Villiers researched, that 60% of the value judgement is completed within the first 60 seconds. You almost never obtain a second option to create a first impression (Farinah 2009:16). Farinah(2009:19) mentioned that body image is a extremely significant aspect of psychological and interpersonal growth of the person, numerous women believe the more attractive they are, the more society will accept them. Throughout history societies have focused on beauty and body shape (Grose 2009:3). Several ancient cultures embellished body parts weve long ignored; Gross and Stone refers to aristocratic Egyptian woman, who would delineate, with a bright blue plant dye, the veins on their breast. Beauty is truth, truth beauty (Keats as quoted by Gross and Stone2009:23), nevertheless, a great deal of what creates physical beauty in civilization engages bending the truth modestly. 2.1.2 Historic Perspective According to Ensler (2006: 14) women are since the beginning of time obsessed about how they look. As a consequence there are historical disparities in the ideal body, (Kaiser 1997: 110) and the shape and size of the mentioned body has been varying for decades (National textile annual report1999: 2).Kaiser explains that during the fifteenth-century European women attempted a pregnant like facade, seeing that fertility was of social importance, subsequent to the plague that desolated Europe. The Arnolfi Wedding 1434, Jan van Eyck. The fruitful image was attained by the use of stuffing e.g. a pillow underneath a very full gown, to creating the appearance of a rounded stomach (Kaiser; 1997: 110). It is noted in the National textile report (1999:2) that women in the eighteenth century were traditionally pear shaped. Throughout the early nineteenth century, women in art and fashion were portrayed with tapered arms and drawn waists (Kaiser 1997: 110). In addition the American paradigm for the female body had progressed from a rectangular shape, to a bell form, to an hourglass figure in the late nineteenth century( National textile report 1999:2).From the twentieth century the ideal female body became rectangular and very slender national textile report (1999:2) The 1920s depicted the boy like figure as an ideal and in order to achieve this look, a teddy was worn underneath sheath like dresses to flatten the breasts (Kaiser 1997:115). Whilst the 1920s fashions reduced the maternal bosom, by the 1950s voluptuous and curvaceous bodies were desired and achieved by the invention of the padded bra (Kaiser 1997:115). The hourglass shape revisited as ideal and was exemplify by Marilyn Monroe, (National textile REPORT 1999:2). At the end of the sixties era, the ideal became a very slim body. (Kaiser 1997:115). The thin is in concept appears to have triumphed since the sixties; but it did not suffice just to accommodate a thin body. In the eighties a new ideal came to light when muscle toned bodies highlighted a thin physique. The nineties conveyed a thin waif like appearance and the latter of the nineties portrayed an ideal figure as slim with body tone. (Nati onal textile 1999:2). 2.1.2.1 The Corseted Women 1880s-1909 Throughout 2.1.3Factors influencing womens knowledge on body Seeing that the body ideal revolutionize over time, civilization changes how it is evaluating its individual image to the developing media representations of perfection (Grose, 2009:9).The National Textile Report (1999:3) researched that Labat and DeLong (1990) established that external factors that has affect on fit consists of societal messages concerning the ideal body, the fashion industrys portrayal of an idealized figure and industry sizing systems. On a more intimate level, individuals employ their bodies as an indicator for self assessment. Bodies recline at the core of many social and political brawls (Kaiser 1997:98). Frustration with fit can also be attributed to numerous of issues that have changed the average body types: watching ones weight, exercising and performance, inconsistent growth rates in alternative sections, dormant daily life and modifications in principles of masculinity and femininity.(Simmons, Istook and Devarajan 2004: 3) A study done by Grose indicates that research has been done in social and cultural aspects that add to the structure of an ideal body image. A lot of these researchers concur that western society prefers a thin body image. Mass media then corresponds this image. The thin ideal body image is found in beauty and fashion magazines, television programming and Internet sites. (Grose, 2009:3) It is unlikely to browse through a magazine without being infiltrated by images of the ideal body type (Grose, 2009: 3) Female Magazines are generally entirely dominated by pictures of faultless idealised bodies (Blood, 65). Rarely it is found that real bodies i.e. non model and/or non-made-up bodies are flaunted in these magazines, apart from makeover articles, which usually indicates exactly how products is the solution to difficulties females have with flawed body parts. (Blood, 65) An ideal body type in cultures is said to be propagated by the media, through displays of thin models and celebrities in photos and script on ways to acquire the perfect look.(Grose 2009: 8) . The most popular subject on television, in female magazines and advertising, is beauty. Research that has been done in this category, propose that from 400 to 600 to more than 3000 advertisements is seen per day. This also implies that at least 56 percent of commercials focused on women, articulate about beauty. Magazine readers are offered with tips from major fashion and womens magazines on how to look great by swimsuit season, how to get tighter thighs in one week, how to use makeup to camouflage wrinkles and how to look like a favourite star. (Lagnado as said by grose, 2004:3) New types of media surface in todays constantly changing technological world, discovering the latest techniques on to convoy messages of the thin ideal body image. (Grose 2009:4) Investigations imply an optimistic relationship between media utilization and the intensity of body image approval. (Grose, 2009:4) girls are urged to analyse their appearance in order to turn into a revelation of true femininity, by fashion and beauty magazines (Grose, 2009:6). Another way body image is calculated is the approach a person measures themselves to her peers and by the steps Body image is also calculated by the way a person compares herself to others and by the steps taken to manipulate ones body to achieve a standard set forth by a force in society, such as eating and exercise habits. (Grose 2009:8, 9) An accepted social ideal body image is an initiative fashioned through media, community people and relationships, by society. Nevertheless, a subjects own body image is instituted internally. (Grose 2009:9) Body image is not only the manner in which we are prejudiced by the constructive and unconstructive criticism of others but also the way we ourselves have professed our own bodies to fit or not fit the cultural ideal(Farinah2005:2). It is also calculated by the steps taken to engineer ones body to attain a paradigm set forth by vigour in society, such as eating and exercise behaviour, and the way an individual matches herself to others. (Grose 2009:8, 9) The theory on social comparison deliberates that individuals ascertain their individuality and body image through constructing judgment between themselves and others.(Grose 2009:12). The looks of other people is deflect through womens recollections of exacting occasions and their fictional projections of how others may see them. (Woodward 2007:3) Our self image symbolizes a very important constituent of the physical self and influences our judgments about ourselves. (Kaiser 1997:98) Many consumers, predominantly female, consider themselves somewhat personally insufficient when clothes do not fit appropriately, as a consequence of sizing discrepancy.(national textile report 1999:2) Rather than blaming poorly fitted clothing consumers guilt themselves and have unenthusiastic feelings toward their own bodies (Labat and Delong 1990) (national textile report,1999:2) A familiar subject in print media is that body image is intimately associated to self admiration, psychological wellbeing, eating behaviour and exercise routines; it is both illustrated in photographs or as displayed measure in articles. (Grose 2009:8) When gazing in the mirror it is an alliance of the personal and the generic, as women judge their own clothed bodies in light of wider social principles and expectations.(Woodward 2007:83). One of the most familiar medical disorders amongst females is weight fixation, the problem commences from a divergence between the cultural supreme and the actuality of being a woman (Kaiser 1997:124). stages of body discontent are calculated in studies interested about the result of the media on body image, while overestimation of body image is more closely related to studies primarily dealing with eating disorders. (Holmstrom 2004) (9)

An Analysis of the Epic Poem, Beowulf - Sources for Beowulf Essay

Sources for Beowulf      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of the characters and episodes and material artifacts mentioned poetically in Beowulf are likewise presented to us from archaeological sources, from literary sources, and from English and Scandinavian records.    â€Å"I suggested in an earlier paper that the Beowulf poet’s incentive for composing an epic about sixth-century Scyldings may have had something to do with the fact that, by the 890’s at least, Heremod, Scyld, Healfdene, and the rest, were taken to be the common ancestors both of the Anglo-Saxon royal family and of the ninth-century Danish immigrants, the Scaldingi† (Frank 60). Scyld, the ancestor of the Danish royal family, the Scioldungas, bears a close resemblance to Skioldr, ancestor of the Skioldungar, although the Beowulf story itself does not occur in Scandinavian literature (Ward v1,ch3, s3, p10). Healfdene and his sons Hrothgar and Halga are mentioned in Scandinavian sources as well; they are identical with the Danish king Hafdan and his sons Hroarr and Helgi mentioned often in The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki. There can be no doubt that Hrothulf, Hrothgar’s nephew and colleague, is the son of Helgi, Hrolfr. And Hrothgar’s son Heoroweard may be identical with Hiorvarr, the brother-in-law of Hrolf in The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki. Hrethric, the son of Hrothgar, may be the same person as Hroereker, the successor of Ingialdr.    Beowulf uses historical sources too. The Heathobard who was predicted by Beowulf to perhaps take vengeance on Hrothgar may be Hothbroddus in Saxo’s Danish History who slew Hroarr (Roe). King Froda in Beowulf and his son Ingeld, Hrothgar’s future son-in-law, correspond to King Frotho IV and his son Ingialdr, both kings of the Danes. In Beowulf the ... ...    Clark, Gorge. â€Å"The Hero and the Theme.† In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.    Cramp, Rosemary. â€Å"Beowulf and Archaeology.† In TheBeowulf Poet, edited by Donald K. Fry. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.    Frank, Roberta. â€Å"The Beowulf Poet’s Sense of History.† In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.    The Holy Bible, prepared by the Catholic Biblical Association of Great Britain. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1966.    The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, translated by Jesse L. Byock. New York: Penguin Books, 1998.    Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000

Educational Psychology as a Career

Name: John Mc Nevin I. D: 11135166 Course: BSc. Psychology Module Code: PS4032 Title: Investigation in to My Possible Career as an Educational Psychologist. Word Count: 910 Educational Psychology (Part One) Educational Psychologists work with students of any age in education and they work and help with the students’ psychological and educational development. They often observe the student within the educational setting and they can then sometimes intervene and recommend ways in which the students’ learning can be enhanced.This intervention can involve the educational psychologist working with the student on a personal level or by working with parents, teachers or colleagues of the student. Report writing is one task which educational psychologist would do one a regular basis, writing reports on students as they assess them. Ed. Psychologists help students to overcome obstacles which can prevent them from learning. They also evaluate the systems of education where the st udents are learning.They also often work with teachers by alerting them to the social factors which may influence a child’s learning. Educational psychologists may also work with children with learning disabilities and special needs, helping to create better learning conditions for them. They have discussions and meetings with the parents and teachers of the student. When they work with parents and teachers of students, careful discussion and consultation is required as the psychologists’ input and advice needs to be understood and seen as relevant to those who know little about psychology.Educational psychologists usually have a number of children/students in their care and another task which they undertake is to keep up to date records on how the learner is coping or hopefully improving. They are also charged with coming up with intervention plans to help in the learners’ educational development. To become an educational psychologist a person must study for a minimum of about 6 years. Firstly a student must complete a psychology based degree which is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland.Post-graduate study is essential. A MA in educational psychology is the next step. UCD offers a 2 year full time course, MA in educational psychology. Educational Psychology is also highly linked with teaching so work experience as a teacher would help greatly in the pursuit of becoming an Ed. Psychologist. Work experience is essential if a person wants to do a doctorate in Ed. Psychology. This is the optimum level of education if a person wants this career. There are many skills needed to be an educational psychologist.Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are vital to interact with the children and students you will be working with. Research and development skills are required. As you would be working with children, patience and sensitivity are essential skills. Good report writing skills are needed along with the ability to sol ve problems. Most of all a person needs to be committed to helping children to overcome barriers to their educational development. In the doctoral training in Ed. Psychology, students gain practical experience working with local councils.Other examples of relevant work experience includes work as a speech and language therapist, as a learning support assistant, an educational social worker, as well as a teacher and as a graduate assistant in an Educational Psychology Service. I found a lot of this information by reading a powerpoint presentation I found on the internet by Dr. Barbara Mc Donnell, Stanmillis University College. The Psychological Society of Ireland is the professional body in charge of regulating the psychology profession in Ireland.The PSI promotes high standards of psychological education and practice and it provides its member with professional networking and promotion. By becoming a student member of the PSI you gain professional recognition and professional accred itation. Students also get a reduced rate to join and membership includes subscription to a monthly magazine which will increase a students’ knowledge of psychology and keeps the members up to date on matters in Irish Psychology. I learned of this by accessing the PSI website. Likely employers of educational psychologists include councils and schools.However in Ireland in the present climate there is little in the way of employment in schools as an Ed. Psychologist so there is then the option to set up a private practice. I was told this when I interviewed an Educational Psychologist named Yvonne Cunningham about Educational Psychology as a career. She gave me a great insight into what it would be like to be a professional educational psychologist and she gave me a lot of the information I gathered for this investigation. Part Two I’ve always enjoyed being educated in school and before choosing to do psychology in college I was seriously considering being a teacher.My mother is also a national school teacher which I believe influenced me to have an interest in education. I also believe that I have very good inter-personal skills and great patience and I thoroughly enjoy working with children. During Transition Year I spent a week on work experience in an Irish speaking National School and I loved this experience of working in education. After researching Educational Psychology as a career I still have a keen interest in it as a potential future career, however I am still undecided.By completing this assignment I have learned a lot about what it is to be an Educational Psychologist and I am a lot more interested in it now after researching it. I am keen to learn more about this area of psychology. References UCD website courses and programmes[accessed 27/02/2012]. Retrieved from http://www. ucd. ie/education/graduateprogrammes/taughtprogrammes/masterofartsineducationpsychologymaep/ Psychological Society of Ireland [accessed 27/02/2012] Retrieved f rom http://www. psychologicalsociety. ie/

Cadbury

Chocolate Consumers Feeling Guilty For The Wrong Reasons†¦ STUDENT NAME: SANA SHROFF STUDENT ID NUMBER: 4069231 Table of Contents i. Introduction ii. Summary iii. Objectives of research iv. Marketing and self-concept v. Motivational strategies vi. Cadbury and its decisions vii. Conclusions viii. Recommendations ix. references Introduction Cadbury has been upgrading its manufacturing facility in Australia since 2001 and has become one of the most popular confectionery brands and flavours in the world.Cadbury has a total of fifty per cent market share in the confectionary market, selling 50 % of the top 20 selling chocolate singles in the world. Cadbury is a market-oriented company, therefore its success relies on satisfying the needs and wants of its consumers. It is able to do so by constantly listening to its consumers and its ability of getting adapted to the constant changes in the environment. In response to these changes, Cadbury seeks to create new products, improve on its existing core brands and browse new ways to add value to those brands. SUMMARYThe given case study recognizes the unethical practices used by Cadbury using palm oil instead of cocoa butter in one of their products to cut down on their expenses. This activity of Cadbury therefore left its consumers and other environmental organisations (WWF) attacked. It tried to gain back their consumers trust by their high profile announcements of using the fairtrade logo very shortly for the Dairy Milk Brand in key global markets. Due to the negative response of customers, Cadbury decided to get back to its Cocoa-Butter only formulae and apologized for non-environmental friendly decision made by them.This report illustrates that with corporate governance, ethical behaviour is an integral part of every business (referring to Cadbury in this case). It outlines the key features of the case study and majors out in the marketing/advertising aspect of Cadbury. It also outlines the relevance of self-con cept to marketing and the connection between motivational strategies and consumer behaviour, with a brief conclusion on the case and separate recommendations for Cadbury.Unethical behaviour and lack of Corporate Social Responsibility may damage a firm’s reputation and make it less appealing to its stakeholders, whereas on the other hand, ethical behaviour and efficient corporate social responsibility can bring significant benefits to a business. OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH Chocoholics: * NZ confectionery market including seasonal products: $490m * NZ chocolate market including seasonal products: $315m * NZ block chocolate market: $100m * NZ Easter egg market: $28m Source: CadburyChocolate is believed to be a stress buster , energizing brainwaves and decreasing your stress level because it contains ingredients that cause the brain to release endorphins(chemicals that make people feel better) & serotonin(anti-depressant). This is why people hog on chocolates or other sweets when the y are angry or depressed. Chocolates therefore act a relaxing notion beneficial to your health. Research shows that the use of chocolates is on the rise global production of cocoa climbing up to 2% each year, reaching approximately 3 million tonnes.An anarchistic study by psychology professor Paul Rozin discovered that chocolates are eaten because of its taste. People eat chocolates because of its taste and its flavour. The activation your body gets every time you eat a chocolate provides feeling to your taste buds makes you come back for it again and again. Marketing & Self-Concept†¦ The principal marketing goal for large business organisations is to focus on the most profitable opportunities in global markets in their own product category and can take the form of quality or quantity or a mix of both.There is a simple logic behind gaining profit with value-by adapting the discernibility and volume in the global market, a business is at its best to provide its consumer with qua lity products accompanied by the best value for money. Another marketing aim is to provide innovation in products along with quality and price which will therefore help increase the volume of sales and market share. Innovation is an approach of being unique and different, an approach that every firm aims by developing their methods of conducting a business.This approach helps firms to stay ahead of the competition. It can be fulfilled by identifying the new opportunities, adapting to the new changes in the environment, assessing the market research information and eventually allocating resources to commercialise on those opportunities. A firm that can easily adapt itself to the changing business environment and the constant changes in its consumers’ perceptions, needs, wants and interests will be able to satisfy its consumers accurately with the most innovative products.The advancement of Cadbury’s Yowie in autralia elucidates these marketing strategies and provides a link between marketing and self-concept. This self-innovation by Cadbury has proven to be a successful product in children’s confectionery market in Australia. It even got voted as the best new confectionery product in the world in 1997 by the world’s grocery press. Yowie is a value for money, awakening and attracting chocolate product relating to a significant cause-the environment. This is how it exemplifies the innovation process from Cadbury of adding more value to a product in a socially fascinating way.This is how Cadbury has built its self-concept by providing its consumers with the benefits that they desire. Self-concept is significant for the study of consumer behaviour because most of the purchases made by the consumers are directly inclined by the image a particular firm has made of it. Marketers need to evaluate this approach of self-concept which will lead them to the development of more effective marketing programs. Compliance and consistency play an impo rtant role in establishing strong relations between self-concept, image of the firm and the final buying behaviour.Appropriate research, analysis and evaluation of the factors affecting the self-concept and their effects on consumer purchasing behaviour will provide more effective market strategic planning. Motivational Strategies The research done for this project shows that consumers do not evaluate the products very accurately & precisely which therefore makes it difficult for marketers to coherent their motivational drives. Consumer buying behaviour depends vastly on the exchange between the inner self and outer urge.Decisions made in the market are influenced by moral values, social relationships, cultural adherence & environmental conditions. We will now extend the list of ways for promotional strategies. there are various strategies used to attract consumers towards the brand and its products. Every consumer segment has its own individual motivation behind buying a particular product. The marketers therefore need to identify and isolate those strategies and perform their promotional activities. This makes it easier to target products and advertising in a more meaningful way to increase consumption.Referring to the given case, the food managers have also paid attention to two types of strategies to resolve motivational conflicts: * Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs * McGuire’s Psychological Motivations. These requirements play a significant role in predominance of consumer behaviour. Motivational conflict is an approach that deals with the colliding motivational drives of the consumers. Therefore here the product is used as a solution to such collision of drives. Maslow’s strategy has already been briefly examined in the given case, therefore we skip to McGuire’s Psychological Motivations.It is a classification system that organizes theories of motives into 16 categories which helps marketers to detach motives likely to be involved in various consumption situations. THE DIVISIONS OF CATEGORIES ARE: * Cognitive Preservation Motives: Identifies whether the brand has been performing well consistently. a. Need for Consistency b. Need for Attribution c. Need to categorize d. Need for objectification * Cognitive Growth Motives Includes self-control, variety, and difference of products and achievement of desires. a. Need for Autonomy b. Need for Stimulation c.Teleological Need d. Utilitarian Need * Affective Preservation Motives To reduce stress, express self-identity to others, protection of ego and need of reward. a. Need for Tension Reduction b. Need for Expression c. Need for Ego Defence d. Need for Reinforcement * Affective Growth Motives To increase self-esteem and develop mutually satisfying relationships with others. a. Need for Assertion b. Need for Affiliation c. Need for Identification d. Need for Modelling. According to McGuire ,these divisions would help to resolve the motivational conflicts of consumer buying a Cadbury.Cadbury and its Decisions†¦ Eventually, coming to one of the major hurdles of the case study i. e. , Cadbury using palm oil in its dairy milk product. Cadbury being a large family-owned business is the giant of New Zealand chocolate manufacturing and the 4th largest confectionery business in the world. Therefor it becomes the first of all brands to catch the attention of the general public. Consumers not only have high expectations out of Cadbury but they even enjoy Cadbury’s nature of reciprocating focus mainly on its consumers.But due to the flash of the palm oil incident, customers stopped buying chocolates in droves and The company lost its title of â€Å"New Zealand's most trusted brand. Cadbury taking the decision of trimming its chocolate block sizes by 50g and replacing the expensive ingredient called cocoa butter by the environmentally perplexed and tremendously cheap PALM OIL as a cost cutting strategy which was aspired to be a smart response to the on-going global recession but foolishly turned out to be a public relations hazard.As for the very first time, Cadbury did not target its consumers in this decision-making process and focused only on their own costs and profit, not its effectiveness. Palm oil is a pugnacious constituent and is one of the principal reasons for global warming and accelerated habitat extermination leading to the deaths of orange-tans in vast numbers and is also considered to be the â€Å"single biggest threat for the survival of orang-utans in the wild†. Abundant amount of the oil comes from the land where existing rainforests have been lacerated and conflagrated just to make way for Palm oil plantations.Consumers got even more excited on Cadbury’s use of palm oil even though there are so many manufacturers out there using palm oil in their products because they had blind trust over Cadbury, it inheriting its brand loyalty since so many years and suddenly they hear in the news next morning that the market leader of the confectionery industry †¦having the largest market share of all†¦the role model for all beginner manufacturers has set the wrong example and followed a non-eco-friendly practice of using palm oil instead of its traditional cocoa butter just to cut down on its raw materials expenditure.This is why Cadbury lost its consumer loyalty all of a sudden. Conclusion Cadbury finally lost against consumer pressure and announced that it has decided to go back to cocoa butter instead of the environmentally harmful palm oil. Cadbury New Zealand managing director Matthew Oldham said he was â€Å"really sorry† and that the decision was in direct response to consumer feedback, including hundreds of letters and emails. Therefore proving that Cadbury can never let down its consumers to make profit and that it is surely a market-oriented firm.Members of the nearly 3500-strong Facebook group ‘Take palm oil out of Cadbury chocolate bars' were jubilant at this news. Auckland Zoo director Jonathan Wilcken also congratulated Cadbury on their decision. Recommendations Cadbury needs to have more diversity in its product portfolio and use its profits in the needed areas of the business, for example-R;D, rather than depending only on its confectionery and beverage market. According to today’s lifestyle, due to rising obesity, more than half of the world has become diet conscious and is obsessed with healthy food and calories counting.Thus this is a threat for Cadbury affecting the demand for its existing core brands. New markets are an opportunity for Cadbury. In countries like China and India, where population is reaching the peak giving rise to consumer wealth and spending power, demand for confectionery products will also increase. REFERENCES * INTERNET * ARTICLES * NEWPAPERS * Peter Stimpson and Alastair Farquharson Cambridge International AS and A Level second edition. * Cambridge international IG business Courseboo k. Cadbury ANALYSIS ON CADBURY’S CORPORATE COMMUNICATION PRACTICE 1. 0Introduction The Cadbury story is a fascinating study of industrial and social development, covering well over a century and a half. It shows how a small family business developed into an international company combining the most sophisticated technology with the highest standards of quality, technical skills and innovation. (http://www. studymode. com/essays/Cadbury-527696. html) 2. 0Company Overview The Cadbury's company began life in a modest grocer's in the UK in the 1820s by Quaker, John Cadbury.The most popular item that he sold was cocoa, which made Mr Cadbury make chocolate. The success of this enterprise led John Cadbury and brother, called Benjamin, to form the Cadbury Brothers business, and in the 1850s they were awarded a Royal Warrant as producers for Queen Victoria, an accolade that the company still holds for the monarchy today. John Cadbury's sons Richard and George took over the company in the 1860s, an d five years later introduced a new way of pressing cocoa butter to form the essence of cocoa.They introduced a variety of different chocolates and began, for the first time to sell assortments in boxes that had attractive designs and pictures depicted on them. In 1905, the now iconic Cadbury's Dairy Milk was launched, which is now the company's flagship product. (http://www. blurtit. com/q4118850. html) 3. 0Mission and vision statement (http://www. studymode. com/essays/Cadbury-Schweppes-Versus-Coke-1151857. html) Company Background: Mission Statement:Our Core Purpose is: Working together to create brands people love. Vision Statement: Cadbury Schweppes is committed to growing responsibly. We believe responsible business comes from listening and learning, and having in place a clear CSR vision and strategy. It also comes from having the processes and systems to follow through and an embedded commitment to living our values. 4. 0Core Values Values: ? Clear Objectives ? Responsibilit y ? Openness and Integrity ? Quality ? Committed People ? Competitive Ability Simple Organisation ? Taking Advantage of Change These values are summarised in the behaviours they engender in our colleagues namely: ? Accountability ? Aggressiveness ? Adaptability 5. 0Logo 6. 0Colours The renowned name ‘Cadbury’ and symbolic purple are manifestation of high-quality sweetmeat according to mindset of the consumers. 7. 0Corporate communication based on type of stakeholders There are two types of -internal Employee engagement -external Website Brocures Promo 8. 0Recognition 9. 0Crisis

United States Vs Wade Involves a Defendant in the Robbery of a Federally Insured Bank essays

United States Vs Wade Involves a Defendant in the Robbery of a Federally Insured Bank essays UNITED STATES v. WADE, 388 U.S. 218 (1967) involves a defendant in the robbery of a federally insured bank who was placed in a lineup several weeks after he had been indicted. The lineup was conducted without notice to and in the absence of his counsel. He was identified by two witnesses as being the robber at the lineup and the trial and was subsequently convicted of the crime. The defendant argues that the lineup violated his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and his Sixth Amendment The question in the case was whether courtroom identifications of an accused at trial are to be excluded from evidence because the accused was exhibited to the witnesses before trial at a post-indictment lineup conducted for identification purposes without notice to and in the absence of counsel. The court held that the lineup did not violate the Fifth Amendment, but did find that the Sixth Amendment guarantees an accused the right to counsel at any critical confrontation by the prosecution at pretrial proceedings where the results might well determine his fate and where the absence of counsel might impede the right to a fair trial. Identification procedures, which had theretofore been treated as a purely factual matter left largely for lay jurors to handle, for the first time took on constitutional dimensions and created a new per se rule of constitution law for identification procedures. The catalyst was the determination that a police lineup was deemed to be a "critical stage," thereby entitling an accused who was forced to stand in a lineup to the Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel. The rule applies to any identification technique and a fortiori to a face-to-face encounter between ...

Israeli-Palestine conflict essays

Israeli-Palestine conflict essays It is no big secret that Israelis and Palestinians have not gotten along in the past couple of thousand years. Reports of violence and devastation come out of Israel almost every day. But what many people fail to recognize is that this seemingly regional dispute has slowly evolved into an urgent global issue. The problem is getting worse and there appears to be no end to the merciless use of violence between the Palestinians and Israelis. Every time a Palestinian suicide bomber kills an Israeli civilian, the Israeli Defense Force retaliates. Every time the Israeli Defense Force destroys a Palestinian home, another suicide bomber volunteers to blow him or herself up. This presumably endless cycle of hostility must be resolved immediately through peaceful diplomacy. There is no longer trust between the Palestinians and Israelis, and it is obvious that they are not determined to resume peace talks without a mediator. Thus the United States must comprise some type of solution to this issue otherwise the violence can, and will, spread across the globe. We can see how this conflict has escalated to this point by looking at the past. Both the Palestinians and the Israelis have very distinct and conflicting religious beliefs. Each feel entitled to the same land, but neither of them wants to share it with the other. The current hostility is concentrated in the nation of Israel, but more specifically the areas of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem. These areas were not part of Israel when it was formed in 1948. Israel attained the territories through many violent conflicts during the latter part of the twentieth century. Before World War II both the Palestinians and Israelis were promised the land. However, after the war, the atrocities of the Holocaust and the petitioning done by the Zionist Movement influenced the British to give the land to the Jews. This triggered Jews from around the globe to begin migrating to Is...

Case study management

Answer 1 Roopali Deshmukh understood the specific objectives of her job and how these objectives and how these objectives fit in with the overall objectives set by the board of directors. Subsequently, she implemented the MBO process as a measure to improve the productivity of her sales team. Effective planning and consistent monitoring on her part as well as the team resulted in the successful implementation of the process. The phases of the MBO process which led to the successful accomplishment of the goals, are hereby discussed: The top management instructed the targets, which set the overall organizational goals and communicated them to the people down the hierarchy. As the marketing manager of the company, having daunting targets to achieve, Roopali initiated the MBO program, inviting participation from her sales team to increase organizational performance by aligning goals and subordinate objectives throughout the organization. The management did not interfere much with the means of achieving the objectives gave adequate autonomy to its employees in the lower hierarchy to implement progress achieve their plans. She examined the current state of affairs, the levels of efficiency of her team, identifying the opportunities and threats that might have a subsequent impact, thus identifying the key result areas to be attained. She motivated the team to decide on their individual roles and responsibilities to achieve the same, and thus the company’s targets. The objectives for each member of the team were mutually set agreed upon, in context with the company targets decided by management. The next phase involved setting specific time frames with respect to achieving the set objectives, post which plans were laid down on the consistently monitoring the performance over the set goals/objectives. Deshmukh effectively and consistently monitored the individual performance of each of her team member in line with the pre-determined plans, while providing positive feedbacks to the team members for their contributions to the company targets. Such a regular monitoring and periodic review helped not only provide feedback, which is essential for completion of work in time, but also motivated the team and each of the member accountable for his/her objectives. It was ensured on consistent basis, that if there were any deviations from the  pre-determined plans/objectives decided by the team, corrective actions were taken to fix them and overcome the deficiencies. The long term organisational targets as laid down by the top management were accomplished subsequently by the team as a consequence of the MBO program, which basically being a form of participative management additionally helps and encourages the employees as it gave them a sense of belongingness in the company, for the management recognizes their effort and participation in the accomplishment of the organisational goals. Answer 2 Management by Objectives (MBO), a term popularized by the famous management guru and author, Peter Drucker in his book â€Å"Practices of Management† (Drucker, 1954) is a democratic and participative style of management, in the sense that it â€Å"requires the managers/employees to set specific objectives to be achieved in the future and encourages them to continually ask what more can be done, is offered as a partial answer to this question of organizational vitality and creativity† (Thomson, n.d.). In simple terms, MBO is a process or system designed for supervisory managers in which a manager and his or her subordinate come together and jointly set specific objectives to be accomplished within a set time frame and for which the subordinate is then held directly responsible (Thomson, n.d.). MBO involves setting up short-term goals for employees in line with the long-term objectives of the organization. MBO is thus an effective tool for planning, control and developmen t in the organisation. The MBO Process The essential steps or elements in the process of management by objectives are hereby discussed: Management Objectives/Targets Reviewed The first phase in the MBO process involves â€Å"reviewing† the targets/goals laid down by the top management, which are then passed down from one subordinate level to another. The MBO approach injects an element of dialogue into the process of passing plans and objectives from one  organizational level to another. The MBO program is initiated by the top management, which sets the overall organizational goals and communicated them to the people down the hierarchy. Setting Employee / Subordinate Objectives The subordinates then collectively develop a group of specific goals, measures of achievement, and time frames in which the subordinate commits himself or herself to the accomplishment of those goals. The subordinate is then held responsible for the accomplishment of the goals (Jossey-Bass/Pleiffer, 1998). Develop plan of action After fixing the objective, the subordinate and superior make an action plan, which will be used by the subordinates to achieve the objective. It requires assignment of specific responsibilities to different departments, division, and individuals. It also requires allocation of necessary resources needed to perform the assigned responsibilities. It also involves setting specific time frames to achieve the set objectives without delays (Daffodil University, 2009). Periodic Review and Monitoring the progress The subordinates/ team members then evaluate/measure their own performances in line with the predetermined targets/ objectives, so as to fix the deviations and take corrective actions for the same. Performance Appraisal The last step in the process involves performance appraisal of the subordinates/employees evaluated based on the objectives/targets. The employees are rewarded and provided feedback based on their performance, which helps motivate them as the management recognizes their effort and appraises them foe their participation and involvement. Advantages of the Management by Objectives Process: Develops result-oriented philosophy: MBO is a result-oriented philosophy. Managers develop specific individual and group goals, develop appropriate action plans, properly allocate resources and establish control standards. It provides opportunities and motivation to staff to develop and make  positive contribution in achieving the goals of an Organisation (Marketing World, 2012). Better communication and Coordination: Recurrent reviews and communications between managers and subordinates helps to maintain congruous relations within the enterprise and also solve many problems faced during the period. Motivation: Involving employees in the whole process of goal setting and increasing employee empowerment increase employee job satisfaction and commitment. This subsequently helps in increasing the employee morale, which has a significant impact on the organisation’ functioning. Effective control: Performance evaluation and monitoring is an integral element of the process of MBO, which is significant for achieving the organisational objectives. Actual performance can be measured against the standards laid down for measurement of performance and deviations are corrected in time. A clear set of verifiable goals provides an outstanding guarantee for exercising better and effective control in the hierarchy (Marketing World, 2012). Expedites personal leadership: MBO enables individual manager to cultivate personal leadership and skills significant for efficient management of activities of a business unit.

How will automation affect operations management practices over the Research Paper

How will automation affect operations management practices over the next decade - Research Paper Example Automation is classified into three categories depending on the purpose; firstly, automation that performs duties beyond human capability or human operators cannot accomplish task within desired duration. The second is automation of duties that human operators perform poorly, and finally, automation of risky or undesirable activities (Singh, Tiwari & Singh, 2009, p.9). Essentially, automation has reduced the number of human resource in operation; similarly, it has reduced human interaction. Further, the cost of automation is very high and requires specialized workers to handle and maintain these systems. Besides, the benefits of automation, there are process that cannot be easily automated. Automation will fuel development of more customized products and shorten production duration. Furthermore, through automation, higher quality goods will be produced as a result of improved product and process design. Some processes will became fully automated, thus requiring minimal human supervis ory control. Similarly, automation will have profound effects on management of human resource and other operations. Essentially, automation will affect the organizational structure by shrinking management levels. This paper will explore how automation will affect designing of products and services and operational processes used to create goods and services over the next decade. Similarly, the paper also outlines the possible effects of automation on other operations management practices such as controlling, planning, and management. How Automation will affect design of products, Services, and operation processes Design in operation management encompasses design of products, services and the operation process. Design automation that is actively evolving... The growth rate of automation is increasing at a high rate due to international competition and availability of skilled labor and capital. Besides, automation is significant because it can lead to higher quality products and higher productivity. Automation is geared to solving a specific problem, thus the problem determines the level of automation. Furthermore, automation helps to performs duties beyond human capability or human operators cannot accomplish within desired duration, or even those duties that human operators perform poorly or/and risky and undesirable activities. Automation will affect product design and process design in future. Design automation, which is actively evolving, will result in development of technology that will automate the design of products from concept design, through design layout and detail design. Primarily, design automation will cut the process duration and increase productivity. Generally, design automation impacts development process in that it speeds design process by 30 percent. Additionally, automation will result in greater levels of customization of products and facilitate faster product designing. Furthermore, customers will access products of higher quality due to improved product designs and processes. Similarly, the operation processes will evolve to be more specialized and subjected to more formal operating controls. In addition, automation will help managers to improve the planning process by aiding in decision-making. Through easy to use and accurate decision support tools, better planning mechanisms will be utilized, hence promote productivity of organizations. Such tools will eliminate human biases and hasten the decision making process.

Strategic alliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic alliance - Essay Example Therefore, they are very pertinent issues for organizations and for the viability of the same. Moreover, author rightly claims that if managers fail to accurately assess risk, they can lose a big opportunity which could have been exploited for greater gains. In the current environment of highly competitive business and escalating cost of healthcare, strategic alliances can provide the firms with competitive advantage and significantly promote business interests at lower cost. Though, failure rate of alliances is relatively high, but correct risk analysis and comprehensive study of pros and con of the strategic alliance can hugely benefit organizations to expand and compete against their rivals. Richardson (2011) says that strategic alliances in healthcare industry have become critical inputs that not only help to meet the challenges of recessive environment but also facilitate easier access to healthcare delivery by larger demographic segment, especially the vulnerable segment of the society. Most importantly, I believe that in the current times, strategic alliances must be encouraged as they tend to divide the risks and double the profit. Richardson, V. (2011) Crossing Strategic Alliance Borders to 2025: Healthcare in an Era of Globalization. Retrieved from

Analysis of primary Document.DOCUMENT 20.3 An account of the birth of Essay

Analysis of primary Document.DOCUMENT 20.3 An account of the birth of McDonald's - Essay Example There were no longer any complications. A hamburger was a fried piece of meat with bread. Cheese would cost more. It didn't matter who did the cooking it was set up the same way as though cooking became an assembly line. There were no longer waitresses or placing orders. It was to be fast and efficient. When they had their meeting, Mr Multimixer went back to his hotel room and conceived of a plan which would put McDonalds all over the country. He returned the next day and saw that the operations were the same as the day before. This was something that was new. No one cooked a hamburger with the same technique as the previous person. In 1956, they opened up the first stores, one of which was in Waukegan. They had problems and had to give discounts and send their most important people to different stores. It proved that without a good corporate headquarters and good training, the McDonalds' image of quality and service would never last. These are the basic elements to success. Opening up the first McDonalds', the corporate office realized that without the motto "QSC and V" (Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value), they could not ask the franchisees to work with them and cook the same way. This was the first instance of name brand awareness. Early in the 1960's people knew, that they could go to any McDonald's and get the same food.

Argument in Support of Illegal Immigrants receiving Social Services Essay

Argument in Support of Illegal Immigrants receiving Social Services - Essay Example Increase in the illegal process of immigration mainly from Mexico to the United States, though has a long history, however, was witnessed most conspicuously since 1970s afterwards. Roots of the problem can be cited within execution of the Bracero Program during World War II (specifically in the year 1942) that allowed US employers to derive temporary workers from Mexico (Lemay 4). Now US being one of the strongest economic powers and having a politically stable democratic structure compared to Mexico, was regarded by majority of such workforce as a convenient shelter that would help them for economic and social prosperity. Thus, while a major part of the temporary workers never left the United States even after expiration of their temporary visas, on the other hand, America’s economic and social stability continued to attract immigrants from Mexico to such an extent that even after demise of the Bracero Program and consequent implementation of the â€Å"Immigration and Natura lization Act, 1965† much success could not be attained in controlling the process of illegal immigration.... The Act further states that applications for asylum or any other â€Å"Temporary Protected Status† will also be rejected by the state authorities (Colton-Sonnenberg 4). While considering the fact that the economic supremacy United States is enjoying owes a great deal to the illegal immigrants, actions taken by the nation against providing them with any kind of social service facilities clearly appear to be maliciously selfish and biased on humanitarian grounds. It has been clearly specified by several legal propositions (such as Proposition 187 of 1994) and Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act, 1996 that illegal immigrants are mainly responsible for economically burdening the nation as well as increased anti-social activism (Koven, and Gotzke 140-142). Illegal immigration, from legal perspective, is clearly an act of offense and a state has every right to take actions against those who are joining the act. However, actions taken by the United States to condemn the offense is offensive in itself as those are violating both legal principle of naturalism and norms of humanity. While evaluating the issue of American socio-economic prosperity, the immense contribution from immigrants and their successors in this scenario has been acknowledged by the former American President John F. Kennedy. He not only recognized the United States as a nation of immigrants but also emphasized on the importance of formulating immigration policy in such a manner so that social welfare of the immigrants is ensured (Colton-Sonnenberg 3). Getting to the roots of immigration problem it becomes clear the flaws in implementing the foreign policy has a major role to play to result in the influx of illegal immigration:

Analyse using stat Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyse using stat - Assignment Example Compare and contrast the findings from the histograms and from the tests with level and logarithmic specifications. H0: sample is not distributed normally H1: sample is distributed normally Decision: Probability value is less than 0.05significance level. Therefore we reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. i.e. price variable is normally distributed Probability value is less than 0.05significance level. Therefore reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. i.e. log price variable is also normally distributed Thus, the results of histogram and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test are consistent. Variable Description Combined K-S Value 1. dist Weighted distance to 5 employment centers 0.000 2. ldist Logarithm of weighted distance to 5 employment centers 0.016 H0: sample is not distributed normally H1: sample is distributed normally Decision: Probability value is less than 0.05significance level. Therefore reject the null hypothesis and accept the alte rnative hypothesis. i.e. dist variable is normally distributed Probability value is less than 0.05significance level. Therefore reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. i.e. log-dist variable is also normally distributed Histogram showed the distribution of dist variable as skewed to the left. However Kolmogorov-Smirnov test yields a normal distribution. ... Mean value of rooms in the given sample is 6.28. Accordingly there are 278 houses with number of rooms bellow the average (sample A) and 228 houses with number of rooms above the average (sample B). Hence the total observations in two samples are different. Therefore we have to conduct unpaired two sample t-test. Mean Difference -8918.208 t-statistics -12.3611 P-value H0: diff=0 0.0000 H1: diff 0 1.0000 Decision: Probability value of H0 is less than 0.05 significant level. Therefore reject H0 which states there is no statistically significant difference between the mean price of houses having rooms less than average and more than average. (ii) houses below and above the average value for nox; Average nox value of the given data set is 5.549. There are 292 observations in the above average category while there are 214 observations in the below average category. Therefore unpaired, two-sample t-test with equal variances can be used. Mean Difference 6199.578 t-statistics 7.9261 P-value H0: diff=0 0.0000 H1: diff 0 0.0000 Decision: Probability value of H0 is less than 0.05 significant level. Therefore we reject the null hypothesis which states mean price of houses which are situated in lower nitrous oxide levels are not statistically different from those houses situated in higher nitrous oxide areas. (iii) Houses below and above the average value for crime. Average number of crimes committed per capita is 3.611in the given data set. Accordingly there are 128 and 378 numbers of observations in the above and below average categories respectively. Therefore, unpaired, two-sample t-test with equal variances can be used. Mean Difference 8471.173 t-statistics 9.8062 P-value H0:

Essay about play Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About play - Essay Example In the beginning of the play, the conditions of living, as described by the house is striking. In addition to this, Walter Lee’s irresponsible nature makes a reader anticipate some kind of change, to alter the balance. Moreover, when Joseph Asagai visits the Youngers’ house, they are in the midst of cleaning up. This point is the fulcrum, since after this point, the ‘process of cleaning’ is geared up towards change. At the end of the play, we see that the family is all set to move into a new house in Clybourne Park, which is symbolic of a change in the physical environment. In addition to this, Beneatha’s life undergoes a change, since she chooses Asagai over Murchison, though it was an expected action. Moreover, the biggest change is seen in Walter Lee’s character, which becomes a round character by the end of the play. The character undergoes an internal change and this is evident when Walter Lee stands up for his family and their principles. Consider the following dialogue spoken by Mama, â€Å"Oh—So now its life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life—now its money. I guess the world really do change .† Thus, Change can rightly be called one of the themes of the play. Another major theme of the play is the concept of ‘dream’. It is closely related to, and can be called a critique of the American Dream, wherein it is believed that every individual must be provided with the opportunities to earn and own a piece of land and lead a luxurious life. All through the play, the concept of ‘dreams’ plays a strong undercurrent. Each member has a particular dream. Mama’s dream is to buy a comfortable house in an all-white locality, while Walter Lee’s dream is to get into business. Ruth is an independent intelligent girl, who wants to steer clear of all the Americanisation, and get in touch with her African roots. Mama is scheduled to get the pension

Analyse using stat Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyse using stat - Assignment Example Compare and contrast the findings from the histograms and from the tests with level and logarithmic specifications. H0: sample is not distributed normally H1: sample is distributed normally Decision: Probability value is less than 0.05significance level. Therefore we reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. i.e. price variable is normally distributed Probability value is less than 0.05significance level. Therefore reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. i.e. log price variable is also normally distributed Thus, the results of histogram and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test are consistent. Variable Description Combined K-S Value 1. dist Weighted distance to 5 employment centers 0.000 2. ldist Logarithm of weighted distance to 5 employment centers 0.016 H0: sample is not distributed normally H1: sample is distributed normally Decision: Probability value is less than 0.05significance level. Therefore reject the null hypothesis and accept the alte rnative hypothesis. i.e. dist variable is normally distributed Probability value is less than 0.05significance level. Therefore reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. i.e. log-dist variable is also normally distributed Histogram showed the distribution of dist variable as skewed to the left. However Kolmogorov-Smirnov test yields a normal distribution. ... Mean value of rooms in the given sample is 6.28. Accordingly there are 278 houses with number of rooms bellow the average (sample A) and 228 houses with number of rooms above the average (sample B). Hence the total observations in two samples are different. Therefore we have to conduct unpaired two sample t-test. Mean Difference -8918.208 t-statistics -12.3611 P-value H0: diff=0 0.0000 H1: diff 0 1.0000 Decision: Probability value of H0 is less than 0.05 significant level. Therefore reject H0 which states there is no statistically significant difference between the mean price of houses having rooms less than average and more than average. (ii) houses below and above the average value for nox; Average nox value of the given data set is 5.549. There are 292 observations in the above average category while there are 214 observations in the below average category. Therefore unpaired, two-sample t-test with equal variances can be used. Mean Difference 6199.578 t-statistics 7.9261 P-value H0: diff=0 0.0000 H1: diff 0 0.0000 Decision: Probability value of H0 is less than 0.05 significant level. Therefore we reject the null hypothesis which states mean price of houses which are situated in lower nitrous oxide levels are not statistically different from those houses situated in higher nitrous oxide areas. (iii) Houses below and above the average value for crime. Average number of crimes committed per capita is 3.611in the given data set. Accordingly there are 128 and 378 numbers of observations in the above and below average categories respectively. Therefore, unpaired, two-sample t-test with equal variances can be used. Mean Difference 8471.173 t-statistics 9.8062 P-value H0:

Hp Compaq Merger Essay Example for Free

Hp Compaq Merger Essay The world’s largest corporate Information Technology merger began in September 2001 when HP announced that they would acquire Compaq in an all stock purchase valued at $25 billion. Over an 8 month period ending in May 2002, the merger passed shareholder and regulatory approval with the end result being one company. The new HP has annual sales of approximately $90 billion which is comparable to IBM, and an operating income of almost $4 billion. The merger was led by Carly Fiorina, the chairwoman and CEO of HP.   The president of the new HP was Michael Capellas who was the former chairman and CEO of the old HP and who has recently resigned and is now the CEO of World Com. Overall, many analysts were critical of the merger from the beginning since both Compaq and HP were struggling companies before the merger. The common question that has been raised by analysts is: Do two struggling companies make a better merged company? Some analysts have indicated that the merger is a gamble and that it is difficult to see any focused logic behind the merge considering that most I.T acquisitions are not successful. Prior to the merger, Compaq has been unable to grow despite previously buying Digital, while HP was trying to grow internally, without much success. Both companies were still adjusting to acquisitions they have made in the past and both were adjusting to new leadership (Fiorina and Capellas). The merger deal also means that there are many overlaps in products, technologies, distribution channels, services, facilities and jobs. Employee morale is a threat to a successful merger as there have been numerous layoffs -15,000 employees. The claimed annual cost savings of about $2.5 billion dollars by the year 2004 amounts to only 3 % of the combined costs of both companies. Gartner Group research has indicated that the merged company has failed to do a good enough job of presenting the benefits of an acquisition of this scale to justify the deal’s risk as it is generally known that technology mergers rarely work. In addition, both companies in the past have struggled to resolve conflicts between direct and indirect sales channels. The cultural background of both companies is quite different and integration will take a long time. The culture at HP is based on consensus; Compaq’s culture on the other hand is based on rapid decision making. From a positive perspective, most botched tech mergers involved companies that were trying to buy their way into new businesses they knew little about, this is not the case with the HP/Compaq merger. Apart from servers and PC’s, they have several areas where their products overlap e.g.: they are both are involved in making data -storage equipment and both make hand held computing devices. In addition, both companies also bring different strengths to the table. Compaq has done a better job in regard to engineering an entire line and HP has been strong in consumer products. The justification provided by HP senior management suggests that a merger will enable them to compete with two of their biggest competitors, IBM and Dell.  In conclusion, it is viewed by many analysts that there will be at least 2 more years of bitter infighting which will cause the new HP to lose direction and good personnel. This is great news for competitors such as IBM and Sun as both of them will be able to pick off the market while the new HP is distracted by the merger. The new HP may be a threat to IBM but not anytime soon. It could take several years to determine if the largest merger in I.T history will be a success or a complete flop. THE IT INDUSTRY PROFILE Information technology (IT) is a broad field that covers all aspects of managing and processing information. IT professionals design, develop, support, and manage computer software, hardware, and networks. From the exuberant growth of its early years to the uncertainty of recent times, the IT industry has stabilized—with job growth rates now rising steadily—and continues to change in order to meet the needs of the business world. While the wild optimism that surrounded the IT industry a few years back has been deflated, the IT industry is adapting to a changing market. New developments such as creating infrastructure for mobile technologies will continue to ensure the vitality and viability of the industry. And as the industry responds to new business needs, it will continue to evolve into a mature profession, a profession versatile enough to adapt to new demands and stable enough to support new innovations and developments. In information technology (IT), India has built up valuable brand equity in the global markets. In IT-enabled services (ITES), India has emerged as the most preferred destination for business process outsourcing (BPO), a key driver of growth for the software industry and the services sector. The IT industry is passing through a phase of mergers and consolidations in India largely in line with global trends. Companies are focusing on organic as well as inorganic growth. Indian IT companies are prowling for potential acquisitions both in the domestic as well as foreign markets. 3 Indian software companies – TCS, Infosys, and Wipro have all crossed the billion dollar mark. Competition in the Indian IT arena is increasing leaps and bounds with global giants like IBM, Accenture, and CSC etc.   Trends over the last five years tell the story of Dell’s increasing market share, at the cost of its competitors. This degree of competition prompted a  merger between HP and Compaq in 2001; IBM has refocused its priorities to lucrative corporate customers. In 2003, the PC industry grew 11 % as a whole. Despite differing focuses, all players saw an increased demand by consumers for new systems. INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPANY PROFILE HEWLETT PACKARD In 1938, two electrical engineering graduates from Stanford University called William Hewlett and David Packard started their business in a garage in Palo Alto. In a years time, the partnership called Hewlett-Packard was made and by the year 1947 HP was incorporated. It began offering stocks for public trading 10 years later. The company has been prospering ever since as its profits grew from five and half million dollars in 1951 to about 3 billion dollars in 1981. The pace of growth knew no bounds as HPs net revenue went up to 42 billion dollars in 1997. Starting with manufacturing audio oscillators, the company made its first computer in the year 1966 and it was by 1972 that it introduced the concept of personal computing by introducing the first scientific hand-held. HP introduced its first personal computer in the year 1980. The company is also known for the laser-printer which it introduced in the year 1985. HP – Product Portfolio * Laptop/Notebooks * Palmtops/PDA * Printers and Printing Consumables * Digicams * Scanners * Monitors * Mainframes Major Competitors * IBM – Servers, PCs, Storage and IT services * Dell – PCs * Canon – Printers, Fax, Copiers and Optical Equipment * Compaq – PCs, Servers and Pocket Computers COMPAQ Compaq Computer Corporation is an American personal computer company founded  in the year 1982. It had the charm of being called the largest manufacturers of personal computing devices worldwide. The company was formed by two senior managers at Texas Instruments. The name of the company had come from-Compatibility and Quality. The company introduced its first computer in the year 1983 after at a price of 2995 dollars. In spite of being portable, the problem with the computer was that it seemed to be a suitcase. Nevertheless, there were huge commercial benefits from the computer as it sold more than 53,000 units in the first year with a revenue generation of 111 million dollars. Company existed as an independent corporation until 2002, when it was acquired for $25 billion by Hewlett Packard. COMPAQ – Product Portfolio * Enterprise Computing Group * Mainframes * Servers * Workstations * Internet products * Networking Products * Commercial Products * Portables * Small and Medium Business Solutions Major Competitors * IBM – Servers, PCs, Storage and IT services * Sun Microsystems – Servers * Dell – PCs * HP – PCs, IT Services and Pocket Computers * Palm – Pocket Computers PRE – MERGER STATS FOR HP COMPAQ RELATIVE PERFORMANCE OF HP AND COMPAQ HP – COMPAQ MERGER â€Å"If HP was progressing at such a tremendous pace, what was the reason that  the company had to merge with Compaq?† Carly Fiorina, who became the CEO of HP in the year 1999, had a key role to play in the merger that took place on 3rd September, 2001. She was the first woman to have taken over as CEO of such a big company and the first outsider too. She worked very efficiently as she travelled more than 250,000 miles in the first year as a CEO. Her basic aim was to modernize the culture of operation of HP. She laid great emphasis on the profitable sides of the business. This shows that she was very extravagant in her approach as a CEO. In spite of the growth in the market value of HPs share from 54.43 to 74.48 dollars, the company was still inefficient. This was because it could not meet the targets due to a failure of both company and industry. HP was forced to cut down on jobs and also be eluded from the privilege of having Price Water House Coopers to take care of its audit. So, even the job of Fiorina was under threat. This meant that improvement in the internal strategies of the company was not going to be sufficient for the companys success. Ultimately, the company had to certainly plan out something different. So, it was decided that the company would be acquiring Compaq in a stock transaction whose net worth was 25 billion dollars. Initially, this merger was not planned. It started with a telephonic conversation between CEO HP, Fiorina and Chairman and CEO Compaq, Capellas. The idea behind the conversation was to discuss on a licensing agreement but it continued as a discussion on competitive strategy and finally a merger. It took two months for further studies and by September, 2001, the boards of the two companies approved of the merger. In spite of the decision coming from the CEO of HP, the merger was strongly opposed in the company. The two CEOs believed that the only way to fight the growing competition in terms of prices was to have a merger. But the investors and the other stakeholders thought that the company would never be able to have the loyalty of the Compaq customers, if products are sold with an HP logo on it. Other than this, there were questions on the synchronization of the organizations members with each other. This was because of the change in the organization culture as well. Even though these were supposed to serious problems with respect to the merger, the CEO of HP, Fiorina justified the same with the fact that the merger would remove one serious competitor in the over-supplied PC market of those days. She said  that the market share of the company is bound to increase with the merger and also the working unit would double. GROWING PROBLEMS AT HP * HP was not adapting to technological innovation fast enough * Margins were going down * IPG (HP’s Imaging and Printing Group) was the leader in its market segment but did not rank anywhere among top 3 in servers, storage or services * Printing line was facing competition from Lexmark and Epson which were selling lower-quality inexpensive printers * Needed to build strong complementary business lines HP’s POSITION BEFORE MERGER * By 2001, as the industry stumbled, meeting growth targets became difficult for HP and it was forced to cut jobs and scrap plans * As a result HP stock price dropped drastically * Turning the company around required more than just strategy from within OBJECTIVES OF THE MERGER * Increase competition with major competitors i.e. IBM, Dell * Cut costs by $3 billion annually by 2004 * Increase earnings for shareholders * Face the challenge of a shrinking market EXPECTATIONS FROM THE MERGER OF HP AND COMPAQ * The merger of HP with Compaq will create superior customer value by expanding its product range and together HP and Compaq can focus on R D in a greater extend. * The second best benefit that the merger will emerge is cost benefit by generating cost synergies reaching approximately $2.5 bn annually. * Drive a significantly improved cost structure, approximate assets of $56.4 billion, and annual revenues of $87.4 billion and annual operating earnings of $3.9 billion. * Adds up to world-class innovation and quality through the merger of two of the leading IT companies of the world. * Larger PC position resulting from the merger likely to increase risk and dilute shareholders interest. * Operations in more than 160 countries and over 1,45,000 employees. * Expand the numbers of the company’s service professionals. * Improves access to the market with Compaq’s direct capability and low cost structure. * Work force reduction by around 15,000 employees saving around $1.5 billion per year. * Improve HP’s market share. KEY POINTS THAT ENCOURAGED THE MERGER DECISION * HP’s failure to meet target (in spite of increased share value) * Merger as the way to fight the growing competition in terms of prices * Merger would eliminate one player in an oversupplied PC market * To compete with IBM and other companies * Reduce costs * 1990’s IT recessionary phase * Merger expected to yield savings projected to reach $2.5bn annually by 2004 * Advantage of more volume of sales * Development of direct distribution capability * Strengthen sales force * Improve customer base ADVANTAGES OF MERGER Merger would create a full-service technology firm capable of doing everything from selling PCs and printers to setting up complex networks. Merger would eliminate redundant product groups and costs in marketing, advertising, and shipping, while at the same time preserving much of the two companies’ revenues. MARKET BENEFITS * Merger will creates immediate end to end leadership * Compaq was a clear No.2 in the PC business and stronger on the commercial side than HP, but HP was stronger on the consumer side. Together they would be No.1 in market share in 2001 * The merger would also greatly expand the numbers of the company’s service professionals. As a result, HP would have the largest market share in all hardware market segments and become the number three in market share in services * Improves access to the market with Compaq’s direct capability and low cost structure * The much bigger company would have scale advantages: gaining bargaining power with suppliers. OPERATIONAL BENEFITS * HP and Compaq have highly complementary RD capabilities * HP was strong in mid and high-end UNIX servers, a weakness for Compaq; while Compaq was strong in low-end industry standard (Intel) servers, a weakness for HP * Top management has experience with complex organizational changes * Merger would result in work force reduction by around 15,000 employees saving around $1.5 billion per year FINANCIAL BENEFITS * Merger will result in substantial increase in profit margin and liquidity * 2.5 billion is the estimated value of annual synergies * Provides the combined entity with better ability to reinvest Even though it seemed to be advantageous to very few people in the beginning, it was the strong determination of Fiorina that she was able to stand by her decision. Wall Street and all her investors had gone against the company lampooning her ideas with the saying that she has made 1+1=1.5 by her extravagant ways of expansion. Fiorina had put it this way that after the companys merger, not only would it have a larger share in the market but also the units of production would double. This would mean that the company would grow tremendously in volume. Her dream of competing with the giants in the field, IBM would also come true. She was of the view that much of the redundancy in the two companies would decrease as the internal costs on promotion, marketing and shipping would come down with the merger. This would produce the slightest harm to the collection of revenue. She used the ideas of  competitive positioning to justify her plans of the merger. She said that the merger is based on the ideologies of consolidation and not on diversification. She could also defend allegations against the change in the HP was. She was of the view that the HP has always encouraged changes as it is about innovating and taking bold steps. She said that the company requires being consistent with creativity, improvement and modification. This merger had the capability of providing exactly the same.

A Financial Study Of Qatar Airways Tourism Essay

A Financial Study Of Qatar Airways Tourism Essay Qatar airlines which ranked amongst one of the best airline in the Gulf States lacking behind Emirates airways has been known to occupy second fiddle. The company recently has launched series of bold steps to re-position it from a second choice airline company to the number one competing head to head with the emirates in the business class segment of the market. Some of the activities include aggressive not only in its growth strategies, but in building its reputation and brand awareness. It places the highest priority on providing customers with the best service and unique accommodations and types of service provided. To do this, it has formed alliances with several different organizations to provide improved and unique services. For example, Qatar Airways has signed an agreement with Showtime Arabia and its new 560 satellite television systems. Qatar Airways is the launch customer for the Tailwind 560, and the service offered through the Tailwind 560 makes it the first internatio nal airline to provide passengers with live television across multiple regions. Introduction Today, the involvement of Middle Eastern airlines in extra-regional operations varies, but is already comparably high. Emirates is offering 82% of its seat capacity on extra-regional services. Most other important carriers from the region like Etihad Airways (74%), Qatar Airways (66%) and Gulf Air (54%) also operate more than half of their seats on extra-regional flights (AEA, 2006). Air France (26%) and Lufthansa (23%) show that the share of extra regional offer for European network carriers is considerably less, indicating that these carriers have stronger domestic markets. It has also projected the following for its financial year outlook. Qatar Airways aims for 40% jump in revenues, says CEO Akbar Al Baker. Defying the global financial downturn, Qatar Airways is expecting to record a 40 per cent increase in its revenues in its current financial year ending March 31, 2011 over the last year, according to the Doha-based airlines chief executive officer.We are targeting a 40 per cent increase in revenues for this year, which is slightly over the increase in the airlines capacity of around 30 per cent. Qatar has also come up with balance marketing Mix to as to shift from competitor of Emirates to main player in the airline industry in the Gulf region. The Airline Industry and The Challenges The commercial aviation industry has been characterized by a cyclic nature since its inception. During times of economic prosperity, passenger traffic demand grows and airlines seek to add capacity to meet that demand. Conversely, during economic downturns, airlines respond to decreased travel demand through cancelling flights, grounding or selling aircraft and generally shrinking capacity. By 2005, a new wave of brash exuberance was experienced in the airline industry, and aircraft orders skyrocketed fourfold, year over-year, to record levels of more than 2000 units, split fairly evenly between Airbus and Boeing. (See Fig. 1.) A sizable portion of aircraft buying originated with airlines based in the Gulf Region. Traffic growth in that region of the world was strong, and carriers like Emirates, Etihad and Qatar began placing large aircraft orders, often in duals of one-upmanship at various air-shows such as Paris, Farnborough and Dubai. The airline industry has been bedeviled in the recent times by economic downturn, skyrocketing fuel costs, perceived threat of terrorism, the potential outbreak of the bird flu virus and massive insurance premiums the international airline industry faces an uncertain, deregulation that has hit major industrialized nation airlines and challenging future. North America is second largest of the four regions examined, with 2827 orders, but with over 80% of these orders being placed for narrow-body equipment (generally 100-200 seats), most of which are destined to join the fleets of LCC airlines in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Europe is the third largest region, at over 2600 orders, also heavily weighted dedicated to narrow-body purchases (70%), again to a large extent ordered to increase the fleets of growing LCCs such as EasyJet and Ryanair. The Middle East is the fourth largest region examined, and though aircraft orders number just over 400, a key distinction from the other r egions is that more than 60% of these orders are for twin-aisle widebody (200-400 seats) and Very Large Aircraft (greater than 400 seats, such as the Airbus A380), as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 1. Aircraft orders of Gulf States: 1995-2007. Source: www.airbus.com, www.boeing.com. Fig. 3. Airbus A380 orders by region. Source: Airline Monitor, November 2007. Situation analysis Company analysis Qatar Airways is the national airline company of Qatar which one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. Since its re-launch in 1997, Qatar Airways has achieved staggering growth in fleet size and passenger numbers. From only four aircraft in 1997, the airline grew to a fleet size of 28 aircraft by the end of 2003 and a milestone 50 by October 2006. Today, the airline operates 68 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. By 2013, the fleet size will almost double to 110 aircraft. Qatar Airways currently has more than 200 aircraft on order worth over US$40 billion for delivery over the next few years (www.linkedin.com). Currently, Qatar Airways has a fleet of 87 aircraft serving 92 destinations worldwide. The company employs more than 15,000 employees across Far East, Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, the Africa, North America, South America and Oceania. Qatar Airways vision is to invest in and maintain, a growing fleet of young and modern aircraft flying to key business and leisure destinations worldwide. Furthermore, companys mission includes safety first, customer focused, culturally aware and financially strong. Moreover Qatar Airways set up its goal which is to be a worlds top airplanes company. Competitors Qatar is strategically located in the Gulf States. It has become one of the business hub and stopover. Its airline industry, has come under increasing competition from competitors such as Emirates, Etihad, Bahrain airlines. Airlines in the Middle East currently account for just 9% of long haul capacity worldwide, but are responsible for about 25% of all global long-haul aircraft deliveries over the next decade (Flanagan, 2006). Dubai-based Emirates Airlines is the largest buyer, with approximately 70% of all new long-haul aircraft orders in the Middle East the airline is planning to more than double its all-wide body fleet capacity by 2012 (Flanagan, 2006). Once all these aircrafts are in use, Emirates Airlines will be the worlds largest long-haul carrier. Other airlines in the region with sizable wide body aircraft orders include Qatar Airways with an order book of about 140 wide-body aircraft and Etihad Airways with about 20 aircrafts pending delivery. Whilst aircraft orders of Gulf carriers represent real fleet expansions, aircraft orders placed by incumbent carriers are mainly used to replace existing capacity (Fig. 1). Overall, aircraft orders by Middle Eastern carriers are valued at 40 billion US D (list prices). Middle Eastern carriers are building their growth strategy on wide-body aircraft that offer expanded range, enhanced passenger comfort, and improved operating economics. These aircrafts will help Middle Eastern carriers to mitigate the likely ongoing slot shortages and congestion problems experienced at some airports. New-generation aircraft are fundamental to the development of long-haul hubs in the Middle East, allowing the carriers to remain competitive by keeping unit costs low (OConnell, 2006). Qatar airways just like other airlines in the Gulf States is part of the government strategy to diversify its revenue base, economies, commerce, tourism and global transport importance. The airline has a rich mission statement which is Excellence in everything we do. According to a survey carried out by Pearce and David (1987) to analyze the mission contents of airline companies, the mission, it showed that Qatars mission statement is one of the best in the world. Amongst 9 points, it has 6 points. Fleet expansion plans of Middle Eastern carriers (as March 2008). Source Journal of Transport Geography 18 (2008) 388-394 Collaborators (worldwide partners, codeshare) Code sharing or codeshare is an aviation business term for the practice of multiple airlines selling space on the same flights, where a seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code. The term code refers to the identifier used in flight schedule, generally the 2-character IATA airline designator code and flight number. Qatar Airways is proud to be codeshare partners with some of the worlds premier airlines such Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, BMI, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, US Airways and United Airlines which indicated as Star Alliance. (Qatar.com) Climate Macro environment (PESTLE analysis) PESTLE Analysis which is an acronym of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, is a tool that aids organization make strategies by helping them to understand the external environment in which they operate now and in the near future. Below is a tabulated External analysis in which Qatar air line operates. Political Looking at both the demand and the supply side of Middle Eastern aviation growth, it becomes clear that the development has both a demand and a supply side impetus to it. The rise of carriers from the region has become possible due to the overall increase in demand for air travel. Additionally, traffic has already been diverted from the established carriers. However, there is also another side to the growth process: Induced demand. This is because of political stability in the Gulf region not only in Qatar. Economic Domestic demand benefits from the topography of the Gulf countries, which favours travelling by air for intra-regional transport. Furthermore, a high per capita income that is still increasing quickly, offers a base for a strong aviation industry. But there are socio-economic constraints, limiting both domestic leisure and business travel potential. Also, wealth is unevenly distributed, with an estimated proportion of 20% to 45% of the population living below the poverty line (AEA, 2006). The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar have a combined 5.5 million people which is only about the population of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. With more people living above the poverty line, the airline industry has a bright future. Social UAE lies in the heart of the Middle East (ME) and is one of the worlds fastest growing economies with a per capita income of US$31,000 (IMD, 2005). Worldwide, in 2006, the ME Travel and Tourism economy was ranked number nine in terms of absolute size (US$150 billion) and is expected to grow to US$280 billion by 2020 (WTTC, 2007a; Husain, 2007a). UAE ranks 18th in the world and number one in the Arab world, according to the global tourism competitiveness report by the World Economic Forum (Rahman, 2007a, b). Global Futures and Foresight, a British think tank expects the investment in tourism and infrastructure for the ME to be about US$3 trillion by 2020, with current investments standing at US$1 trillion which is much higher than what is considered current global expenditure (Husain, 2007a). Non-oil revenues contribute 63 percent to the GDP (UAE Interact, 2007a). Abu Dhabi contributes 59 percent to the GDP of UAE (56 percent which is oil dependent). Qatar strategy is to feed from the Dubai market. Technological Delays, cancellations and diversions are the most visible evidence of the effects of these disruptions on the airlines. Generally, each of these results in aircraft and crews being out of position relative to planned itineraries. Passengers are inconvenienced as arrivals are delayed and scheduled connections missed. As a result, an airline may become responsible for the cost of alternate transportation, lodging, food and, if the delay is sufficiently long, a cash payment to compensate the traveler for any inconvenience. Qatar has achieved great technological feat to avoid such delays unless when the flight is at their hub and they are expecting some flights to make do. Legal Qatar airways is a signatory of open skies agreements. Between 1990 and 2003, the United States implemented a series of Open Skies Agreements, providing a unique opportunity to assess the effect that a change in the competition regime has on prices. In our sample, Open Skies Agreements reduce air transport costs by 9% and increase by 7% the share of imports arriving by air. Those results hold for developed and upper-middle-income developing countries but for lower-middle-income and low-income developing countries Open Skies Agreements do not reduce air transport costs. SWOT analysis SWOT analysis helps to explore the internal and external environmental factors affecting Qatar Airways and hence enable us to make strategic decisions (Aaker, 2005). The recommended strategies that would be adopted in this paper would be based on the on the SWOT analysis of the company. SWOT analysis for Qatar Airways STRENGTHS WEAKNESSESS The only 5-star ranked middle eastern airline Over 90 Destinations Worldwide Codeshare partners with most of the worlds premier airlines Qatar Airways profits from the very low charges at its home airport High ticket prices Young airlines which established in 1994 Operation costs is very high due to investments on airport reconstructions and buying high-class aircrafts OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Qatars favorable location for business The new airport is scheduled to be operational from the end of 2011 Qatar holds a major asean and international sporting activities, recently Qatar won bidding to host FIFA World Cup 2022 . Investing on Environmental Studies (first commercial flight with GTL Jet fuel- without particular emissions in 2009) Unstable political environment of neighbourhood countries High risk of terroristic activities Strong neighbouring state competitors (Emirates Airlines, Gulf Air) Qatar Airways has over 200 aircraft pending delivery with the orders worth more than US$40 billion by Boeing. Company objectives Marketing objectives To help drive their expansion in the UK and internationally, Qatar were looking for an opportunity that would deliver the right audience and broad coverage with year round presence. While Qatar and their agency Starcom were looking at various weather opportunities available in the market, we were convinced that the breadth and depth of our offering via the award winning Sky News would make it a clear winner they agreed. The campaign comprised of 5 different viewing platforms allowing Qatar to reach Sky News desirable and affluent audience via multiple touch points. Coverage also included Sky News International, driving the brand into over 70 million homes and 1 million hotel rooms worldwide. The relationship has now spanned over 4 years with a new 2 year extension just agreed. Objectives Grow brand awareness and perception in the UK and internationally Raise awareness of Qatar as a premium 5-star airline Communicate the quality of the Qatar service Increase share of voice against the competition http://www.skymedia.co.uk/Audience-Insight/Case-Studies/qatar-airlines.aspx Financial objectives Qatar Airways aims for 40% jump in revenues, says CEO Akbar Al Baker. Defying the global financial downturn, Qatar Airways is expecting to record a 40 per cent increase in its revenues in its current financial year ending March 31, 2011 over the last year, according to the Doha-based airlines chief executive officer.We are targeting a 40 per cent increase in revenues for this year, which is slightly over the increase in the airlines capacity of around 30 per cent, Akbar Al Baker, told Emirates Business. He added that the airline will experience a similar capacity increase in the following year. Marketing segmentation and target market Geographic Segmentation: Qatar Airways is currently operating in most of the regions of the world. They are presently hoping to expand their routes to include the south pacific routes of Australia and its neighboring countries. Qatar Airways is a dynamic, high service carrier, which utilizes the geographic location of its Middle Eastern hub to link 72 international cities. See the companys website for more information. Target Market Product Differentiation: Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, stated, By offering a variety of entertainment options, we are able to differentiate our passenger service through live entertainment programming while also setting new standards of comfort to ensure we are the airline of choice (Rockwell Collins, 2005, p. 1). Some of the features of differentiation are: Biggest and best business class in the Middle East Interactive Audio, Video on Demand Entertainment System Largest personal TV screens in the Middle East Electronic seat controls In-seat back massage First Middle East airline in First Class with flat beds. Current Marketing Mix (Ansoff product mix 4Ps) Product Strategy using Ansoff product mix: Services is defined as involving one party offering something that is essentially intangible and where the interaction does not result in ownership of anything (Kotler, 2008). Applying Ansoff product grid matrix, it can be said that Qatar airlines is still in market penetration. This is because the airline as was shown in the introductory section of the work, has projected the number of aircraft it wish to buy before 2012. The attributes of a company in growth stage of company life cycle is expansionary qualities. The attributes of market penetration strategy in which Qatar airways are using include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintain or increase the market share of current products this can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling As part of this growth plan, Qatar Airways will extend its route network to 50 destinations by the end of 2003. It has recently added Manchester and Rome to its increasing route network. It will soon be adding Shanghai, Seoul and Tripoli to its route network. (Airhighways Magazine, 2005, p. 1). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Secure dominance of growth markets. Qatar airlines have been known to dominate the ever busy African- Middle east air routes. The company always has some flights available from any part of Africa to the Gulf States. The topology of the area has encouraged the airline to operate in product penetration strategy of Ansoff product grid. Its sparsely populated area has encouraged travelling by air for intra-regional transport. Furthermore, a high per capita income that is still increasing quickly, offers a base for a strong aviation industry. But there are socio-economic constraints, limiting both domestic leisure and business travel potential. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increase usage by existing customers for example by introducing loyalty schemes .A market penetration marketing strategy is very much about business as usual. The business is focusing on markets and products it knows well. It is likely to have good information on competitors and on customer needs. It is unlikely, therefore, that this strategy will require much investment in new market research. There is no evidence that Qatar airways is investing on market research because they are not expanding into unknown routes such as Kula-lumpur Sydney route. Pricing Strategy: Going-rate-pricing strategy Presently Qatar airline practice what is called Going-rate-pricing strategy. The market leader in the middle- east airline industry remains Emirates. Qatar charges its fare based on the price of Emirates which is slightly higher. This is because being the market follower, Qatar does not need to disturb the established market dynamism because it might not be able to compete on the same level with Emirates. Comparing the price of Qatar and Emirates, on the same route of Kuala-lumpur (Malaysia) Johannesburg ( South Africa): Price of Qatar Airways on 21st Nov returning on 23rd Dec from Kuala-Lumpur to Johannesburg Price of Emirates on 21st Nov returning on 23rd Dec from Kuala-Lumpur to Johannesburg Promotion Strategy Qatar airlines are not practicing product differentiation but it is practicing promotion differentiation. According to its chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker he said that Qatar By offering a variety of entertainment options, we are able to differentiate our passenger service through live entertainment programming while also setting new standards of comfort to ensure we are the airline of choice (Rockwell Collins, 2005, p. 1). Some of their promotion strategies are as listed below and experienced by its passengers are as Biggest and best business class in the Middle East Interactive Audio, Video on Demand Entertainment System Largest personal TV screens in the Middle East Electronic seat controls In-seat back massage First Middle East airline in First Class with flat beds Qatar has engaged the services of Global media industries to help spread the good news. Such TV, Corporate Videos, BBC Campaign to position it as a premium carrier, CNN testimonials from airline staff, Sky News reports as a sponsor of the weather service and Sponsors a travel show through Al-Jazeera. Qatar is a major sponsor of high profile sporting activities such as World Tourism Day, World Travel and Tourism Council Summit, World Economic Forum, Leading International sports events. Qatar airlines was the official sponsor of 15th Asian Games, Doha 2006. The company has come up with a new product called Flying Oryx Newsletter that it distributes to travel agents. The newsletter is also available through its websites. More links could be established to the newsletter through the Internet. The airlines also give away products to passengers that promote the logo of the Burgundy Oryx and Taking you personally, such as watches, computer mouse and hand towels. .Place Strategy: This places a little impact on the business strategy of Qatar. Qatar airways like any other airways have developed a system of getting their ticket. Unlike the normal businesses, whose distribution channel goes from the manufacturer wholesaler-retailer-consumer. The normal business cycle Qatar airline and other airways are from the airline operators to consumers when online booking is done or through traveler agent. Airline operator Airline operator Manufacturer Wholesaler Travelling Agent Consumer Retailer Consumer Consumer Traditional Supply channel Online booking channel Intermediary booking channel Marketing Implementation Budget (short long term projections) Qatar airlines being a government company operates a closed system whereby no one knows their financial projections. But based on Boeings Economic Overview fort the next 20 years, the company predicts an overall economic growth of the international airlines industry will be at 2.9%, the international growth in passenger traffic will be 4.8%, and the largest area of growth will be in cargo at 6.2%. Although the industry will still face highs and lows, which is inherent, the Boeing report says that the long-term outlook is that of positive growth. Part of the factors of positive growth are globalization, increases in international trade, growth of GDP, the liberalizing of regulations in various countries to allow more access and services. World GDP growth is at 2.9% and this is one of the major factors for the growth in the airlines industry. According to that same report, the GDP growth in the Middle East is 3.6%, and growth in the passenger traffic is estimated at 5.5%. Of course, th is growth in higher in regions where the GDP is higher. Other factors affecting increased growth in the Middle East are increasing populations and the belief that oil costs will be sustainable long-term. Integrated Marketing Plan Low cost Qatar airways have the leverage to engage in more competitive prices that what they are offering presently. They should borrow a leave from what Qantas did. Qantas came up with a low cost carrier called JETSTAR. The low cost strategy can compete in the low cost flight category of the airline industry while the parent company keeps their normal standard. Alliances Qatar airways have the brand image to form strategic alliances with many similar airlines where they can get the benefits of economics of scale. This might come in the form choosing one airline company in the continent to form a loop. They might borrow a look from what Singapore airlines deed as shown below. Singapore Airlines Air New Zealand Star Alliance Diners Club Avis Singapore Airlines alliance network; strategic alliance, follower ( Kotler Pg 812, 2008) Reduction of booking agents Commissions and other incentives to sales staff add to the operational cost of the company. These costs either passed on to the customers or absorbed by the organization lowers the margins of the company. The company should come up with a structure of appointing GSA (General Sales Agent) in major cities and towns. They might even pass it to the post office to sale for them since they post office has their fixed cost already running. Web Friendly Site The company should as a matter of urgency design a friendly user web site. Their current web site is not user friendly. They should borrow a cue at Airasia website. Airasia website is fast, user friendly and updates every minutes. This has greatly encouraged customers to use the web more frequently than physical office space thereby limiting people or place contacts to the barest minimum. Conclusion For Middle Eastern players, there are three potential sources of passenger demand. Firstly, domestic demand originating in the Gulf region can add to fill fleets and airports. Secondly, demand can arise from foreign passengers that are bound for Middle Eastern countries may they be leisure or business travelers. And thirdly, stop-over travel that is using the Middle Eastern airports as hubs and that is heading for destinations beyond the Gulf countries can be a source of demand. These factors are favorable to Qatar airlines. However, responding to the growth processes in the Middle East only by cutting costs is an insufficient strategy for the incumbent players. Pricing systems, for example, have been developed in decade-long processes and are difficult to copy. Other important fields and assets for reaction are strategic networks and co-operations, frequent flyer programs and booking systems.