Internal Control Research

To critically analyze the †¢To evaluate the importance of having Internal Control procedures within ‘The Bargain Centre’ Aims: †¢To investigate the number of different internal control procedures used within ‘The Bargain Centre’ †¢To gain knowledge of how the different internal control procedures help secure the business against theft and embezzlement etc. Data collection: In order to carry out my research on Internal Controls within ‘The Bargain Centre Supermarket’ I have observed over a period of time, while I was employed part time, the different type of Internal Control procedures set place.I have also interviewed the owner, and two (2) managers and also three (3) employees to get their views on the Internal Control that are effected within the business A secondary method that was also incorporated into this Internal Assessment (I. A) was the use of the internet to gain general information about internal control systems. I hav e chosen the use of interviews to gather my information because it allowed me to get more in depth information and allowed me to dig deeper and get more information that was really needed to complete the report. ? Data Analysis: According to ‘www. liffnotes. com’: â€Å"Internal Control is the process designed to ensure reliable financial reporting, effective and efficient operations, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Safeguarding assets against theft and unauthorized use, acquisition, or disposal is also part of internal control. † Internal Control principles can be sub divided into a number of categories, a few important ones are: ? Segregation of duties: this requires that different individuals should be assign different duties, rather than one person be in charge of everything, as to reduce theft.For example the cashiers of a supermarket are not responsible for checking the money in their cash register. ?Establishing responsibilities: helps to ensure that all company activities adhere to guidelines unless other course of action is specified by a manager. For example there is a specific price list that has the price of every item with a store, only the manager can give authorization to change the price of a specific item. ?Documentation: provides evidence that financial statements are accurate and makes it possible to double check work.All records of sale and purchases should be kept safe and documented accordingly. ?Physical control: this should provide proper protection of company’s assets. Examples of physical controls are; †¢having fire proof safes and vaults to store cash before taking it to the bank †¢renting a safety deposit box for important papers like title deeds and insurance policies †¢having locked warehouse for inventories or stock †¢fencing company property †¢controlling computer facilities with a pass key which is access only by authorized personnel ?Mechanical control: i mprove accuracy and reliability of accounting information.These can come in the form of cash registers in shops, gasoline pumps in gas/petrol station and time clocks which employees use to show when they arrive at work. ?Electronic control: may be in the form of electronic burglar alarm system, television cameras to monitor thefts, as well as tags which must be removed or deactivated when the item is purchased or else they will trigger an alarm when the customer leaves the premises without having paid for the item. ?Independent internal verification: this is when an employee helps check the work of another to ensure it was done correctly.Internal Control over Inventory/Stock: In many businesses inventory is the most accessible assets, because of this it is made one of the prime target for theft. The business must there for have ways to protect inventory/stock from shop lifting from customers or even embezzlement by employees. A few ways to achieve this would be: †¢Use of survei llance cameras †¢Limiting access to store rooms and using physical control such as locks or vault to secure inventory/stock †¢Using sensitized tags on goods, which if not detached by sales clerk would trigger alarm, as to detour customers from shop lifting.Internal Controls over Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable: One of the most important principals of internal control is that an employee that has custody over cash (or assets that can easily be converted into cash) should not be in charge of accounts receivable records, as to minimize fraud or theft. Records of names of creditors must be recorded and kept safe, while cash disbursements should be made quickly and whenever possible.

Pre-Spanish Philippines

Philippine literature in Spanish Period. Spanish occupied Philippinesin early 15th  century. The First Filipino alphabet is Alibata – when Spanish colonized Philippinesthey changed alibatas into Roman alphabet. Spanish banned the used of Alibata because they believed that it is a work of evil. So Spanish fully introduced the Spanish literary language using many Spanish terms. The European literature was brought by the Spaniards and are assimilated in Filipino song and indigeneous themes.The early printing press in the Philippine is run and monopolized by the Spaniards friars. Spanish colonial period literary genres consist of Pasyon Cenaculo Tibag Carillo – shadow play Political essay Comedia Zarzuela Spanish revolutionary Papers El Heraldo de la revolusion La Republica Filipina La independencia La libertad La revolution During Spanish colonization Filipinos felt that they being harrashed by the Spaniards.Then the Birth of the Propaganda movement and la Solidaridad. T hen Filipino fought and introduce tagalong to be the language of revolution of the nationalist movement. Filipino Spanish literature Pedro Bukakeng – Lam ang Tomas Pinpin ( librong pa aaralan ng mga tagalong ng wikang kastilla ,1610 Gaspar Aquino de Belen   – Ang mahal na pasyon ni Jesus, Christong panginoon natin 1704 Pedro Paterno – Sampaguita, Ninay Dr.Jose Rizal – Noli me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, Mi Ultimo Adios Marcelo Del Pilar – Pag ibig sa tinubuang Lupa, Dasalan at tocsohan, kaiingat kayo Graciano Lopez Jaena – Fray Botod Franscico Baltazar – Florante at Laura Fr. Modesto de Castro – Urbanaat Feliza Emilio Jacinto – Liwanag sa Dilim Jose Palma – Himmo Nacional Filipino, De mi jardin Jose De la Cruz – Ibong Adarna Magdalena Jalandoni – Ang guitara, si Anabella, Ang mga tunok sang isa ka bulak

Population Growth and Company

Introduction The main purpose of the research done in the report is to discover and analyze the strategic intent and various other strategies to evaluate the internal and external influences that the company could go through owing to the dynamic market it operates in. Moreover, the evaluation of these strategies would involve examining the company's performance in United States, the chosen host country. The performance would be looked upon with the use of the company's annual reports since financial position of an organization is an important indicator of performance in the market.The research conducted is based on the secondary research approach considering the fact that the data pertaining to the company's strategies and performance is available at various sources on internet. From the financial evaluation of the company, key findings extracted indicate that the company is running with fruitful profits and is expected to continue its good financial performance in the coming years. The sales growth rates are high and are expected to remain high.Moreover, its worldwide presence makes its inevitable for the company to yield high profits. This is cause if the company suffers a loss in one of the host countries, it offsets by the profit earned in other host countries, a benefit of global presence. Limitations of the study being conducted are numerous. Firstly, the research is a secondary research which may not be as useful in evaluating the internal and external strategies that the company adopts.Moreover, evaluation of the strategic environment may be accurate since the data on their website is authentic, but it may lack the truth which could have been obtained from the company through a qualitative research using the tool f In-Depth interviews with company officials or by gauging consumer perception of their brands, which could have helped in Judging their consumer demand and thus rightful profitability and expectation of future sales. The report would mainly be structured according to the priority of the findings that need to be extracted from the study.The first thing that would be evaluated is the company's and the host country's strategic environment analysis which would first involve the evaluation of various internal and external strategic environmental analytical tools. This would be followed y the analysis of the company's internal environment. The external strategy would be evaluated of the host country, as it serves as an external source. The next section would be dedicated to discussing the participation strategy of the company, which meaner identifying the initial market entry modes that the company used to enter the US market.Moreover, the reason for entry modes used in this country will be discussed as well, with the help of identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the entry modes used, internal and external environment the company had at the mime of its entrance in USA and the key influences that persisted in the coun try and that persuaded the company to expand in this host country. The next section would involve a review of performance of the company. This will be evaluated using financial reports of the company, helping us see the sales growth, profitability, market share and the effort put in for corporate social responsibility activities.Final section would be a forecast based on the secondary research conducted and the findings future prospects in the host country, by forecasting its sales growth levels it could expect in the US market. The forecast will be of the next five to ten years based on the financial performance, market share, sales growth and Corporate Social Responsibility in the host country. This would also help in identifying the key influencing factors that could have an impact on the company's future development in the host country and their impact on the company as a whole.The last section of the report would include certain recommendations based on the findings of the rese arch conducted for this report, thus helping us analytically and practically see whether the suggestions put forth could be implemented and have practicability enough to be used in reality (meaning they are not out of context though they can be hypothetical but must be realistic and implantable). 2. About the Company Deanne, the original company was found in Barcelona, USA in 1919 by Isaac Caracas as a small factory that produced yogurt. He named the organization Deanne which meant â€Å"Little Daniel† after his son Daniel Caracas.The first yogurt began selling in the year 1923 to the pharmacies due to it being recommended by doctors for its therapeutic qualities. Ten years later the company moved to France from USA and the first French factory was built. The company moved to New York later after the World War II and Daniel Caracas employed a Swiss-born Spaniard partner named Joe Metzger. The company name was changed in the USA to Daemon to give it a more American touch. In 1 968, Deanne aired its first campaign on TV. In the years, it launched its first diet (low fat) yogurt named Deanne Designated.In 1992 the company became an official sponsor of the national sports event of Olympics which was held then in Barcelona. Since 1998, the Group of Deanne has been categorized into three business divisions around the globe; Fresh Dairy Products (including courts, desserts and infant foods), Beverages (including mainly packaged water) and Biscuit and Cereal products. Geographically the company is now spread along countries in almost all the continents of the world (Empress, 1998). 3. Company and Host Country Strategic Environment Analysis 3. 1.Internal Environment Analysis The company aims towards resolving 6 issues as objectives of providing quality products to their customers; Innovation and rethink its achievements, embody approach positive power where the company aims to provide health food so as to embody it as a source of pleasure, connect, contact, conve rsation (this statement presents the fact that Deanne makes of use of every available meaner of contacting their customers), securing access to its raw materials, adapting the models and build its future (Deanne adopts the strategy of expanding in new markets (different countries) by adapting its models and products and lastly, growing reconciling economic and social ( this statement represents the fact that a company draws on its environment as measured by economic development. The mission of the company is to grow as a leader while working for the health of the consumers. Another part of its session is that it wishes to become a consultative organ for professionals through the various research activities it conducts and the company's culture.The reason for the company to be a market leader in the food industry is the fact that the company products, varieties in flavors and healthy pleasures. Considering the organizations situation, the company mainly employs the internal strategy of maintaining a sustainable growth levels based on its corporate philosophy or ideally high growth levels of its shares by taking into account the following criteria; supporting profitable Roth in the business account that is an elementary component for the type of industry the company operates in, privileging the operating margin for enjoying the profitability on investments and accomplishing human and social policies (a particular element helping the firm gain huge success).For the firm, to achieve these objective mentioned above, it has to develop a global vision which incorporates the core values that the firm operates on, thus displaying the internal environmental attributes of loyalty, customer relationship and customer satisfaction. Namely, the arioso attributes that the company values and is included in the set of its core values are following; Openness: The company quotes and defines this value in the following words â€Å"Diversity is a source of wealth and change a cons tant opportunity'. Curiosity: This refers to an approach towards awareness and forecasting accurately, being in sync with other people, not accepting rigid ideas and models and imagination. Agility: Energy, suppleness, adaptability, vivacity, speed Simplicity: The term simply refers to the attributes of informality and practicality in a management style.Enthusiasm: Zeal, determination to do something, willingness to achieve goals. Boldness: Willingness to explore new, unconventional ways and take risk. Passion: Conviction, enthusiasm to lead, pleasure of work and the ability to rise above expectations and achieve excellence. Appetite for challenge: Optimistic, zealous and physical desire to grow and take the lead. Humanism: Showing concern for individuals (in this case consumers, employees or citizens). Sharing and Responsibility: Approach emphasizing on dialogue, transparency and teamwork. Responsibility is mainly focused on safety of people and products, thus acting pop- socially and environmentally friendly.Respect of others: Is sensitive to cultural differences, and aims to treat social and commercial partners with respect. Proximity: Mainly this term represent the idea of staying close to everyone like colleagues, consumers and clients, suppliers, stockholders and society. The company earns about 31 percent of sales from emerging markets, which is close to the target that the company has set for business that is 40 percent of the business on emerging markets and 60 percent in developing nations. About 60 percent of the sales of the brand fall under the following brands, Deanne, Avian, LIZ and WAHOO. These brands thus enable the company to optimize its advertising outlays.The advertising outlay serves as a key source that provides the company with fruitful rewards in terms of profitable growth based on the core value innovation and closer customer relationships. Moreover this key strategy has merged with the extension and promotion of brands called tag bra nds like Vitamin for low fat products and Prince for brands pertaining to children. Being a global brand, Deanne consists of various business lines and in each of these branches or lines Deanne is the world market leader. The market leader session that it holds is owing to the factors like marketing expertise, industrial efficiency, the breadth of the product range, and Research and Development (R;D).The company gained its world position by building upon strong position both the closer customer relationships and balanced long term relationships with major retailers, unrivaled acquaintance with local consumers and a recognized capacity for effective communication. Another value that the company caters to and that defines the company's internal environment is the steady thirst for innovation to gain optimum consumer satisfaction. His process of developing a new innovative product begins with the identification of the customers' needs. Since the company attaches great importance to thi s matter, the brand is built upon recognized marketing expertise, efficient R;D, strong brands and unrivalled experience in the categories of nutrition and health. N order to maintain a sustainable growth, the company has gone all the way to build a dual philosophy unique program that has made the business' success inseparable from the respect of people and environment. The company's compassion for excellence has demonstrated its ability o the dynamic market and thus the changing environment it operates in. This the company does so with high potential commitment of their teams and simple structures that promote initiative and past experience they gained (Deanne. Com, 2012). 3. 1. 1 . Value-added Chain analysis Being the largest firm in the food industry, the company has designed its product in such a way so as to differentiate it from its competitors. He strategy to do this is to create the good's perceived value such as it is indicated as being a premium product, create loyalty of the brand in hearts of the consumers and thus achieve low price insensitivity (lesser magnitude fluctuations in demand owing to the changes in price). This the brand does through its focus on the quality, the health and the real taste of their product. Additional elements that add up to the loyalty are creativity, innovation and customers' service. The company spends a huge amount of money on R;D to adapt to the dynamic market. So to achieve this differentiation, the company employs an evaluation approach called Value-added Chain analysis. This method thus helps in understanding the part of operations of the company that create value.It specifies how a product moves from a raw material to its final form which is sold in the market (Annual Report, 2011). For this company, the value chain has been divided into two segments which are namely Primary activities and Secondary activities. 3. 1. 1 . 1. Primary activities The company aims for superior handling of the raw material of its prod ucts so as to reduce the damage to the minimum and thus improve the quality of yogurt. As part of this superior handling thus, the company makes yogurts using the best of ferments and fresh products to provide their customers with high quality food. This remarry activity is known as Inbound logistics.The operations of production along the same lines are aimed to be performed most efficiently. The operational efficiency is achieved by consistent manufacturing of products which they may call attractive and by responding promptly to customers' specifications thus producing products according to their specifications or preferences. For instance, the quality of yogurt is protected and sustained by its packaging. Furthermore, the label on the packaging has the main purpose of attracting customers and providing them with maximum necessary information about the product. The quality is further maintained by owing to its daily production. This is known as outbound logistics.Considering the ma rketing and sale of the function of the company, the company has a strong coordination among its R&D department, marketing department and product development department. According to the corporation, the key to success is product innovation. In the services, the company has the service of client telephone service which responds to the consumers' queries, doubts and takes into account their opinions regarding various things. The secondary activities that take place in the organization are pertaining to infrastructure where the company has highly efficient and developed information systems helping them better comprehend the customers' preferences in purchasing. For understanding the customer, the company implements various tools like phone interviews, focused groups and other types of market research.The company's human resource department has a compensation program that major aims to compensate employees in order to motivate them to work creatively and productively. Deanne further ma kes an immense amount of investment in Research and Development by investing in technologies which thus low them to produce products at a consistently high quality. Moreover, the company has certain systems and procedures installed helping them find highest quality raw materials for production (Deanne Sustainability Report, 2011) 4. External Environment analysis There are various external factors or environmental factors that impact the organization on the whole.One of the major factors that have an impact on the company and can be considered as an external factor is the Demographics of the country in which it is operating. The USA population accounts for approximately 313 million. The median age of the country is 36. Years with the median age of males being 35. 6 years and the median age of females being 38. 2 years. Population growth rate is 0. 899 percent as per 2011, thus indicating a low growth, though the company's popularity in the country is immense. Highest age demographic is on average 65 years. 82 percent of the country's population resides in the Urban cities and towns. Annual rate of change of arbitration in the country as of 2010 is 1. 2 percent. The net migration rate in the country is 3. 62 migrants per 1000 population in July 2011.According to the US law, the articles 4 and 12 state that all yogurts must contain the yogurt† consideration in case they have alive bacterium at high levels. By high levels of alive bacterium the law meaner Yogurt bacterium must not be less than 10 million per gram. The company fulfills this requirement to the highest level and thus faces no breach against law, thus operating efficiently. The country is a Mediterranean country, with people following a Mediterranean diet where yogurt is an essential component of people's diet and thus displays a huge market for the company's product. Not only US families, but families in other countries like Greece and Italy also consume yogurt as an essential part of their die t.The country's specific segments like children, parent's and grandparent's consume the product as a dessert, breakfast and snack or Just for pleasure, thus making the company's product a success in this host country. Moreover, company's products like Vitamin are targeted towards people who are self conscious and wish to look good so as to become acceptable in the society. These societal trends and the country's cultural trend are country's economy has grown substantially regardless of it being a developed nation beforehand as well and thus the willingness to pay higher for food has increased due o the country's economic development. The family consumption levels have increased leading to increased demand of the company's products in the US market.The US economy being the largest and most technologically powerful country has a per capita GAP of $48,100. GAP according to the Purchasing Power Parity (APP) is $15. 04 trillion in 2011. Real GAP growth of the economy is 1. 5 percent. Pop ulation below poverty line amounted to about 15. 1 percent which is very low, thus displaying the company's high demand in the economy. The composition of the industrial sector in the economy on the other hand is 19. percent as of 2011. Highest household income of the country is 30 percent as of 2007, with the distribution of family income, according to the Gin index amounting to 45 in 2007. Inflation rate is 3 percent, which is quite low compared to other host countries. He country comes under the top ten markets in which Deanne operates with a 7 percent share contributed to the total sales growth. These statistics thus display the ideal situation for the company and has thus shown a significant increase in the Group's profits owing to its profitable operations in USA (Index mind, 2012). Being a constitution based federal republic, strong democratic traditions are followed kin the country, thus indicating the country's openness to international participants into the economy. The US government thus divides the country's food products under three differentiations. First category of food products being taxed is those used by humans or animals for their diet, on which the tax levied is 7 percent.The second category is that including bread, flour, milk and milky products, fruits, vegetables and other food products related to this category. The tax levied on these products is 4 percent. The third group includes all products that are not included in the two categories above. The tax levied on these products is 16 percent. Deanne being a food producing company thus has to pay almost all three taxes mentioned, owing to its wide portfolio of food products (Mind, 2012). Being a highly technologically advanced nation, the country helped Deanne make use of its various efficient technical tools, thus making it easier for the company to evaluate and perform market research to find the sales potentials among the various food categories it offers.Looking at the census data, t he R&D expenditure allocated by the government to the manufacturing industries as a percentage of net sales has reduced from 0. 7 percent to 0. 4 percent. This has been due to the government's greater allocation of funds towards the ecological development representing that US nation is an CEO friendly nation working upon sustaining the health of its ecological system (United States Census Bureau, 2012). Considering the geographical location fact Or's that impact the company in the host country, Deanne is highly affected by the US agricultural market as food industry has a major chunk dedicated to agricultural products in the country.Generally the climate of the country is temperate. However in the states of Hawaii and Florida, the climate is tropical, in Alaska it is arctic, in the Great Plains which is situated on the west of the Mississippi River, and the climate is semi-arid. Considering these weather conditions, the company has launched food products taking into account these we ather conditions so as to attract customers to enjoy summers with chilly yogurt products which account for 58 percent, Baby nutrition accounting for 19 percent, Water accounting for 17 percent and Medical nutrition accounting for 6 percent. Deanne US market is an emerging market for the product Missouri†.The operations of the firm are running efficiently owing to its developed economy and high living standards, making the population willing to purchase their product higher compared to even the originating nation Spain. However, despite these fruitful rewards there are certain challenges which the company had to face owing to the existence of various international food manufacturing firms and small competitors in the form of restaurants, food stalls on streets and small scale food manufacturing companies. The introduction of the product Yogurt in the US market has brought about a huge boom in the company's sales. This Greek yogurt had gone through the benefits in the US economy , due to the fact that the economy had highly technologically advanced tools that the company could use for yogurt production.The one major benefit that helped the company flourish in the US economy due to this particular product is the adoption of a new technology which the company adopted so as to assist them in catering to the consumer demand. This technology helped the organization improve to only the quality of the yogurt being produced, but also enhance the quality of other products in the portfolio. However, like any other business, the company faces certain threats in the economy. 4. 1 . Porter's Five Forces Model Analysis 4. 1. 1. Threats of entrants The company when entered the US economy faced the threat of new competitors who might enter the economy. These included competitors like frozen yogurt producers like Tutu Fruit.Apart from that, being the initiator of and identifying the market for yogurt in US, it is probable that the company will face even more new entrants as the time goes by. 4. 1. 2. Power of Suppliers: It might be difficult for the company to operate in the host country owing to its unfamiliarity with the suppliers available and may thus give an opportunity to the suppliers to exploit their power and overcharge for the supplies being provided, thus increasing the company's cost. 4. 1. 3. Threat of Product substitutes: The company also faced the threat of substitute products of yogurts like the frozen yogurt of Tutu Fruit. However, being the initiator, the company is the market leader in yogurt production in the country. 4. 1. 4. Power of buyers:Being a market leader and a multinational, the company has the power to bargain its way from suppliers and gain the benefit of lower cost supplies, despite their unfamiliarity with the product since the suppliers in US would want to be a supplier of such a huge organization. 4. 1. 5. Intensity of rivalry among competitors: Despite being a market leader, the company still faces an intense compe tition in the product yogurt as well as in other product categories launched in the industry (Deanne Sustainability Report, 2011). 5. Participation Strategy After conducting a market research, Deanne identified some of the key success reduce to product and thus elaborate on the success of these products due to these factors. Vitamin, a product category of Deanne, is known for its good taste and low fat.Other factors were the numerous kinds of products that came under this product line. Vitiating includes products like drinks, mousse and a regular yogurt. This was a star product for the company since the company yielded huge amounts of profits from the sale of this product. The other factors that led the company's products to yield high profits are the high quality of products, taste and the health factor associated with these products. The company entered the US economy after conducting a comprehensive research to evaluate the potential of the products it offers. The results showed that US is an emerging market for the product Yogurt, and thus have a huge potential to grow in the US industry.Moreover, the decision of entering the US economy was taken mainly due to its strong economic situation and the availability of advanced infrastructure in terms of the technological tools available their that could help the organization produce its products in high quality. The strategy that it implemented while entering the country is a global strategy the many used while expanding in various countries around all the continents available. The strategy that the company adopted at the time was to achieve high growth rates or maintain a steady growth by establishing itself in the emerging markets of the products in the product portfolio of the company by conducting market research and evaluating the lifestyle trends of the country they target to enter. This is what was done when entering US market.The emerging markets were evaluated on two parameters by the company, the econ omic dimensions of product affordability by looking at the country's income trends and standard of living and alee-addition by evaluating the willingness of buying the product and how much consumers want the product. This the company did in order to stay in closer proximity to the foreign markets they wish to operate in, disperse around the globe to attain higher growth levels and stay more attuned to its market. The major strategy which the company implemented aimed for boosting the company's market share by achieving global presence in the products it offers. This it attempted to do so by focusing on three fundamental priorities.The first priority was to reweighs the reduce portfolios in order to ensure that the prices offered in each country are appropriate considering the country's economic scale of pricing. The second priority was to increasingly focus on the promotion and point of sale events of the company's products to ensure that the promotional and advertising activities a re reaching the right customers and are effective enough to attract their attention. The last priority is to initiate a shift in the advertising of the company's products to bring into limelight and focus upon the product's quality so as to ensure the customers get highest value for the money they pay.Thus the company participation strategy in the host country is mainly to identify the emerging markets in the products they offer and establish in them to attain its broader vision of global presence (Deanne 1 1, 2012). 6. Performance overview The company has been enjoying high profitability and high growth rates since its expansion globally. The company has experienced a solid growth of 7. 7 percent in HI in the first half of 2012 and a 5. 9 percent growth the like-for-like category of the divisions experienced a rising trend in the sales levels in the first half, particularly in the second quarter of the year. In United States, Deanne made 7 percent of its sales in 2011, which amount ed to 19. 3 billion Euro ($billion).

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Marconi Jicks-Managing change in a company in severe crisis - Essay Example First, Managing Individual Emotions and Reactions to Change is the most complex and difficult due to the fact that nobody can please everybody and most especially nobody can satisfy the desire and need of everybody. Each person has needs that define their motivation which ultimately dictate their emotions and reactions. The Marconi stakeholders are no different. The mismanagement of the individual’s emotion and the resulting reaction to change is likened to a virus that can infect everybody making the company collectively resistant to any needed change. Second, Implementing the Change Agenda, Incorporating Hard and Soft Elements, after being threatened July 2001 to be put out of the job, each of Marconi’s remaining employees have their backs against the wall already. False application of the diplomatic or persuasive approach also known as the soft approach may not hold true to everybody the same is true to the opposite or hard approach. And Fifth, Leadership of Change is the least complex and difficult of all the issues since Mike Parton already has the imprimatur to effect change from the leadership of Marconi and is recognized by all stakeholders. Men are nonetheless resilient to change. Adversities or crisis in a culture normally makes the entire society more cohesive in achieving a common goal. However, a crisis that threatens the very livelihood of the employees tends to make each individual to prioritize providing for their family first instead of dwelling in abstract concepts such as the impetus to change. The measure of the conference’s impact can be effectively determined by the amount of change that happened thence and the actual support it garnered amongst the different stakeholders. The conference was able to show the presence of Mike Parton and the commitment of the leadership of Marconi which settled the percolating restiveness in the company amongst the stakeholders. The conference most

American Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Politics - Essay Example Through executive branch, the President takes a role of chief partisan for a political party, and the representative of the rest of Americans citizens. Founders of the executive focused on realities involved in managing anticipations of modern presidency, which is becoming more significant and bureaucratic compared to the past. The executive branch has a vital role of monitoring the American political system. Moreover, the executive has undergone an evolution through a focus on core policymaking, thereby experiencing crucial bureaucratic extension; for instance, approximately one thousand seven hundred people constituted the institution of the presidency. On the other hand, the executive branch of the government specializes in making policies, through the help of political advisors. Therefore, the President acquires the ability to satisfy the needs of the citizens through the executive branch, thereby meeting public expectations. In addition, there are experts in the executives focus ing on national security, agriculture and mass communication. Various developments in the executive branch of the government have led to an increased power of the President in order to keep pace with increased public expectations. The executive has been functioning through basic Constitutional framework, which is developed by the government through share powers. Nonetheless, there are situations when the President fails to meet these expectations and this calls for efforts to be made through the executive to convince other political actors in other branches of the government; in this case, this nature of the executive has led to dependency of the President on action of other branches of the government. The President who is a significant element of the executive has sought assistance from numerous advisors and organization in the process of managing their duties. For instance, the vice President takes the significant role of offering advice to the President; in fact, this is stipulat ed in the Constitution. There are other parties playing the advisory role through closing personal ties with the President; for example, the former U.S President had a tendency of relying on his brother Robert, while George Bush relied on his father for advice (Bond 461). In the executive branch of the government, the presidency has taken a significant role as an organization which comprises numerous individuals. However, the significant element of presidency as an office entails vice President, cabinet and EOP; apparently, there are other people serving as executive branch, who strive in process of accessing President, though some are more frequent compared to others. Judicial Branch: Judiciary as a branch focuses on serving as an adjudicator in democratic political process; in fact, it is a more applicable way of political conflicts resolution. It focuses on ensuring that the government makes decisions that are dependable on core democratic ideology of political liberty, equity an d majority rule. Therefore, a magistrate as a division of the government emphasizes dealing with conflict resolutions, though this is not easy (Bond 550). There are situations where the judges focus on making the necessary effort to embrace and acknowledge legitimate desires of majority based on expression in the law. Moreover, the judiciary branch focuses on dealing with freedom and equity by fostering protection of liberties of minorities from being subjected to infringement.

Intermediate Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intermediate Macroeconomics - Essay Example It happens because of increase in import prices and fall in incentives to cut costs. Hence, a fixed exchange rate would benefit a nation to keep its inflation low and thereby promote its economic growth. As Frankel (1995, p. 40) points out, fixed exchange can be considered as an effective monetary policy for assuring price stability. Similarly, maintaining fixed exchange rate may be an effective strategy to prevent speculation in foreign currency transactions and thereby stabilise the economies. It must be noted that the exchange rate does not remain permanently frozen under the fixed exchange rate system. Rather the exchange rate is timely and appropriately resent so as to ensure fundamental equilibrium in the balance of payments. Disadvantages of fixed exchange rates Even though a fixed exchange rate may be beneficial to promote certainty of future exchange rates, this concept has many disadvantages. Primarily, a fixed exchange rate would cause conflict with other macroeconomic obj ectives. Setting fixed exchange rate may reduce financial transactions’ flexibility and hence an economy may face potential difficulties in responding to temporary shocks. Economists opine that fixed exchange rates may lead to current account imbalances. Proper setting of fixed exchange rate would be a difficult task for regulators because the exchange rate is most likely to impact the economic growth of a country. Varying exchange rates raises potential challenges to multinational corporations engaged in international trade. According to Jain and Ohri (n.d, p. 265), the fixed exchange rate system is to be supported with large international reserves and the author finds it as one of the principal demerits of this system. They continue that a... This essay approves that currency rate fluctuation is one of the threatening consequences of maintaining a floating exchange rate regime. Evidences suggest that frequent currency fluctuations in the global financial market may cause significant problems to firms engaged in international trade. To illustrate, when a British firm is exporting commodities to its US client, a sudden appreciation in sterling would probably make the British firm’s exports uncompetitive and hence the organisation may go out of the business. Similarly, unexpected and significant exchange rate fluctuations may sometimes force a multinational corporation to pay higher costs for its imports and this situation in turn would increase the firm’s vulnerability to bankruptcy. The most argued disadvantage of floating exchange rate is that it significantly weakens internal price discipline and allows greater level of inflation. This report makes a conclusion that from the above discussion, it is clear that either fixed exchange rate system or floating exchange rate system does not have any competitive edge over the other. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages. Hence, regulators must consider their growth priorities while choosing an exchange rate policy. For small nations and developing economies, fixed exchange rate system is more advisable as this policy would enhance their smooth economic development. On the contrary, a flexible exchange rate system may aid developed countries to promote their growth in international market.

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Personal Statement - Essay Example While searching for a major to match with my interest, my brother, who was studying in the States at that time, suggested that I study in the U.S. As I already had English language skills and was very interested in American culture, this was too good to refuse. I eventually came to the U.S. in March 2011 and began taking classes at Bellevue College in June of that same year. At first, I had difficulty getting used to the style of lectures here; this made me nervous during every class. In Korean schools, students do not actively participate in class activities. Instead, they just sit and listen to the teacher talking during the lecture. They rarely ask questions because raising a hand and asking a question in the middle of a lecture is sometimes considered rude. Also, Korean students tend to work by themselves and are not likely to cooperate with classmates. I was used to this style of learning, so the American lecture style, which encourages students to work with partners and ask questions whenever they want to, was very much culture shock. Even though I liked to have conversations with people and was excited to get to know them, it was even hard for me to mingle with other classmates due this cultural barrier. I felt that I was not progressing, so I kept losing my confidence. This lack of confidence created a negative perspective toward me while workin g in groups. I believed that working on my own was much more suited to me. However, over time I have adapted and overcome these cultural differences. The more I worked with partners, the more I was able to see the advantages of group work. As I talked to group members and became closer to them, I realized how helpful it was to share opinions and study together. We shared helpful tips about critical information needed to finish assignments. Group work also enabled me to understand the study material better and helped me get used to college life here. I learned how to cooperate through working together. Also,

Going Green Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Going Green - Essay Example As a result, temperatures within the atmosphere rise, albeit gradually, to cause global warming. The United States Environmental protection agency has listed five gases as composing the greenhouse gases. These are Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, February 2012). Although carbon dioxide is also produced naturally, it (and the other gases) is primarily produced through human activities, especially ‘†¦ through the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of other chemical reactions’ (Environmental Protection Agency, February 2012). This is where automobile manufacture becomes relevant. Green house gases are emitted, not only during the production of cars, but also during their use; i.e. while on the road. This calls for safer methods of production as well as designing ‘green cars’-those that emit less harmful gases or n one at all. Such are solar-powered or electric cars. 2. Reality Check Greenhouse emissions have been on the rise in the last couple of decades thanks to increased industrialization. They have risen â€Å"†¦ by 15 percent since 1990, reaching over 7000 metric tons in 2006.† (CQ Researcher, Feb. 29 2008, Pg 200). ... To curb the effects of global warming, governments, business organizations, activist groups as well as individuals have come out to advocate for more initiative and responsibility-more specifically in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save the planet. The car industry is squarely on the spotlight over taking responsibility over greenhouse gases emissions, since it is arguably the chief consumer of fossil fuel products. 3. The Great Controversy Green products are not costly; neither do they hurt the economy, as some people may have claimed. The problem with such an argument is that the proponents are looking at short term profits and benefits, which may not be immediately realized in the green market. They look at the rate of input versus output; and it looks like a losing game, at least from face value. For instance, relying on solar energy in car production means that we can only reap benefits during the day only- and closing shop at sun set. This means that a 24 hour eco nomy is not possible, and therefore profits may reduce by half. However, this may be the only [greatest] disadvantage with solar energy. On the other hand, we may benefit from a 24-hour economy driven by coal and gas, but we will begin counting our losses sometime soon down the road. Green house effects may be slow, but they are certain. They cause ripple effects that result to consequences that eventually cost more money to mitigate. For instance, more toxic gases are emitted to the atmosphere through industrial wastes; the mean global temperatures rise over time; more ice melts causing dams, rivers and lakes to swell and burst; floods sweep over businesses, animals and humans; more money is required to rebuild the dams, compensate the affected

Therefore the poet is trying to demonstrate Essay Example for Free

Therefore the poet is trying to demonstrate Essay Hopkins was born in 1844, and died just 45 years later in 1889. He was a deeply intellectual and religious man, and became a Jesuit priest in 1877, the same year of which he wrote Pied Beauty. In the poem, the author expresses his gratitude in God for making all the beautiful things that we now see in this world (assuming that what he saw is not that far off from what we now see of course) and how we should all â€Å"praise him†. Significant poetic devices and their significance (eg: Metaphors, symbols, rhyme scheme, form, imagery, repetition†¦ etc) Structure-based analysis 1) Funny rhyme scheme here. ABCABC DBEDE. Note how every rhyming lines are indented to the same extent. This perhaps portrays the different hierarchies of the world that we see today, whether it is caste, wealth or class. He perhaps is trying to link them all together, and express the feeling that there is room for everyone in the kingdom of God, or God sees all, from the rich to the poor, no matter what your social status. The peculiar rhyme scheme could represent the fact that we often find God a very mysterious entity, one who works in mysterious ways. We cannot fully understand why he often does things so out of convention (ie storms, hurricanes) but they are all part of his plan to make everything work. The break in the rhyme scheme illustrates the fact that God is unpredictable, when you start to understand what he does and how he works, the more he changes and does something completely different. Therefore the poet is trying to demonstrate the fact that we cannot even begin to comprehend the concept of God, and that ‘the only thing we are certain about him is his uncertainty. The last line in the poem â€Å"praise him† is indented differently from the rest of the poem, providing a very powerful message for the conclusion, as if the poet was saying ‘Amen’ at the end of a prayer. 2) Iambic pentameter not used, rather Sprung Rhythm is used. This is a poetic rhythm designed to imitate the rhythm of natural speech. It is constructed from feet in which the first syllable is stressed and may be followed by a variable number of unstressed syllables. In this case, the poet uses this to make his poem sound more genuine; emphasizing the fact that he truly feels this sense of love towards God. The fact that it sounds like natural speech also creates a stronger empathy link with the reader and the poet, thus making it easier for the poet to get his point across.

Gambino cleaning products salesman Essay Example for Free

Gambino cleaning products salesman Essay Description of the proposed system Description of the problem A new system of calculating and reporting on cleaning products salesmen is to be designed and implemented. Cleaning products salesmen commission is based on a set of data which is the monthly sales of cleaning products sold by the salesmen. Objectives The new system must: Â  Be automated as far as possible, needing no thorough knowledge of spreadsheets, databases or any other software in order to operate it. Â  Have fitted controls to ensure precision and completeness of data input. Â  Take into account commission payments from monthly sales. Print commission reports for each of the salesmen, and a summary report showing total paid to each salesman and overall total. Include an option to delete commission records previous to a given date so that the file does not increase for an indefinite period. The proposed new system can be shown in a level 0 data flow diagram as follows: A level 1 Data Flow Diagram of the proposed system is as follows: User functions 1. The Commissioning Salesman in the Sales Department will be responsible for entering all details of new cleaning products salesman and new products. 2. An Accounts clerk will have special responsibility for the commission system. 3. The Accounts clerk will enter each month the sales of each product, giving quantity sold and gross sales value (i. e. quantity X cover price). 4. Every 6 months, the Accounts clerk will produce the Commission reports for each cleaning products salesman. This will show the commission that has been earned in the previous 6 months. A payment is then recorded and a cheque issued to each cleaning products salesman to whom commission is due, together with the Commission statement showing sales details, and the statement from the Accounts system the total amount due. Database specification Menu structure The many functions of the Commission System will be accessed by means of a front-end menu, which will have the following structure. The data model There are three main entities in this system related in the entity relationship diagram shown below. Because a many-to-many relationship cannot be applied in a relational database, an additional entity named Salesman/Product is introduced. The ERD can now be drawn as follows: The database for Gambino cleaning products salesman system specification will have the following tables: tblSalesman (SalesmanID, Surname, FirstName). Foreign key in tblSalesman/Product ProductName Text (40) Product title tblProduct SalesTeam Text (40) All salesman who sell a product tblProduct Price Currency Product price tblProduct StandardCommission Number Percentage commission on each product sold 1-10 tblSalesman/Products BonusCommission Number Bonus percentage commission on each products sold 11-20 tblSalesman/Products SalesNumber Number 1=Standard commission 2=Bonus Commission 1 or 2 tblSales QuantitySold Number Number of products sold tblSales GrossValue Currency Data Dictionary Input Specification Three input forms will be required. frmProducts. This will be used to enter product details. frmSalesman This will be used to enter details of a salesman and all products on which they receive commission. The commission percentages for each product will be entered in a subform of the main form. Validation methods: The Product ID will be selected from a drop-down list of existing Product IDs. Once a Product ID is entered, the product name will be automatically displayed. frmTransaction This form will be used to enter transactions. Validation methods: Only valid dates will be accepted. The Product ID will be selected from a drop down list of existing Product IDs. Once a Product ID is entered, the product name will be automatically displayed. Selecting a radio button so that only a valid alternative can be selected will choose the transaction type. Process Specification Commission Calculations To calculate the commission for a given transaction, a query has to be performed to combine attributes from tblTransaction, tblProduct, tblProduct/Salesman and tblSalesman. The calculation of the commission is performed as follows: If TransactionType = 1 (i. e sales) ThenRate = StandardCommissionRate ElseRate = BonusCommissionRate endif Amount = Rate * GrossValue. These processes will be carried out in qryCommission. This query will be the source of both the commission report and the summary report. Maintenance Each year, transactions prior to a given date will be removed from tblTransactions. This prevents the transaction file from becoming too large and slowing down the system. The maintenance will be carried out as follows: Run a Delete query to delete records from tblTransaction. Test Plan Tests will be carried out using valid and invalid data and data at the extremes of acceptable values. The following test data will be used. tblSalesman Salesman ID Surname Firstname STEVED Stevens David. Test urpose Expected result 1 Select enter data from main menu, then select Products. To check if the menu options work and that a Products form opens at a new record. Products form opens at a new record. 2 Enter data from test data set. Try entering an invalid date i. e. 3/9/2001 To check the menu options work and that the Salesman form opens at a new record. Salesman form opens at a new record. 3 Select Enter Data from Main menu and then select Salesman. To check if the menu options work and that the Salesman form opens at a new record. Salesman form opens at a new record. 4 Enter data from test data set. To check if valid data is accepted. All valid data accepted. 5 Try entering product ID of BB113. Test that no product can be entered unless it exists on product table. Record rejected. 6 Select Enter Data from Main menu and select Sales To check the menu options work and that the sales form opens at a new record. Sales form opens at a new record. 7 Attempt to enter a new sale with date 3/9/2001 To test if date is validated. Error message will appear on leaving field. 8 Select reports from Main menu then select Product details. Test to see if the Product details display all products entered. All products appear on the report. 9 Select report from the Main menu then select Commission report. Check to see if Commission report details are correct. User is asked to enter start and end dates for report. All commission is calculated correctly. 10 Select Reports from Main menu the select Summary report. Check that Summary report is correct. User is asked to enter start and end dates for report. All totals are calculated correctly. 11 Add 2 transactions for dates in 1999. then select Maintenance from Main menu and identify deletion of records prior to 31/12/1999 Check that Maintenance option deletes records prior to date user enters. The two records are deleted from table. 12 Add a transaction for 31/12/1999. then select Maintenance from Main menu and identify deletion of records prior to 31/12/1999. Check that maintenance option deletes records for date user enters. The record is deleted from table. 13 Select Exit from Main menu To check if the main menu option works correctly. Database closes. Development Plan The planned schedule for development is given below. Week beggining Task Comments 29/01/2004 Detailed design spec 29/01/2004 Tables created 01/02/2004 Input forms created 15/02/2004 Queries and reports created Reports on products and salesman 21/02/2004 Standard commission report created 27/02/2004 Procedures for clearing file developed Clearing records prior to given date 29/02/2004 Testing and modifications 03/03/2004 Testing and modifications 06/03/2004 Documentation 08/03/2004 Installation and entry of master file data. A period of parallel running will follow with reports produced from old and new systems. Conclusion The system will be implemented by Microsoft Access 2000. It will run on any existing PC. The database will be accessible from any of the Departments which are responsible for keeping the data up to date. These departments include Accounts and Sales departments. The system is expected to be tested and installed by the end of April 2004. Sunit Dhadra 12K AVCE ICT AVCE ICT Unit 1 Sunit Dhadra 12K AVCE ICT.

The Structure Of The Supermarket Industry Economics Essay

The Structure Of The Supermarket Industry Economics Essay This assignment will provide a critical analysis of how a Multinational Enterprise Operates domestically but have foreign ownership by looking at how it creates value, analyzing the industry structure in which it operates and the strategies that it uses within that Industry. As the local markets throughout the world are being deregulated and liberalized foreign firms are looking to locate part of the production process in other countries where there are cost advantages. These might be cheaper sources of labor, raw materials and components or have preferential government regulation. 1.1 Foreign Ownership: Shoprite brand is South Africas largest food retailing which comprises 309 Shoprite outlets. Shoprite goes as back to 1997, started as a small chain of supermarkets. Today Shoprite has managed to increase its operation outside South Africa from one store in Lusaka, Zambia in 1995, to 71 stores in 16 countries, Tanzania being among those countries that Shoprite has its operations. In December 2001 the first Shoprite store in Tanzania was opened at Pugu Road giving a wide range of quality products at affordable prices. Currently Shoprite have four stores in Tanzania, Mlimani City in Mlimani Mall in Dar es Salaam kilombero in Arusha, Pugu Road and Mayfair Plaza in Dar es Salaam. With a wide range of products and at lower prices, always Shoprite has attracted many customers over the years. 2.0 Analysis of an Industry Structure: 2.1The Industry Examining the Supermarket industry through Porters 5 forces (as shown below) shows that the Supermarket industry is intensely competitive, particularly in the low price segment, this competitiveness results from a high bargaining power of consumers, meaning they are able to shop around and switch at no cost . Despite high capital requirements, the threat of entry from new competitors is high in the supermarket industry, with new planned entrants in the future years. 2.2Threat of Substitutes- over all threat Medium as industry is susceptible to changes in the economy/income. More people choosing to go to markets and purchase their needs. Generic substitution- Disposable income spent elsewhere, if economy enters a recession consumers are likely to spend money elsewhere ( small shops rather than in Malls and supermarkets) 2.3 Bargaining power of suppliers- overall supplier power is Low/Medium and changes with the external environment. Food Producers have high cost of production and supermarket can easily take the advantage of this during a fall. Large numbers of food producers -Supermarket owners are likely to find the cost of switching to other producer cheaply. 2.4 Bargaining power of consumers overall consumer power is Medium/High Consumers can shop around as there are many supermarkets in markets Low switching costs for consumers- doesnt cost anything to buy products from Game instead of Shoprite. Creation of comparison window shopping, advertisement where consumers will easily be able to compare products prices and just pick the lowest price. 3.0 Threat of Entry from New Competitors It is not only current rivals that pose a threat to firms in an industry; the possibilities that the new firms may inter the industry also affect the competition. Any firm should be able to enter and exit a market and if free entry and exit exists, then profits always should be normal. The capital requirement to enter the industry is high Many supermarkets planned to be opened in the future. Differentiation: There is no gap in the market- already many existing supermarket. Expected retaliation is high from existing Supermarket, could drop prices to squeeze out new entrants, as demonstrated with Nakumatt 3.1 Competitive Rivalry- HIGH High threat of substitutes Competitors are in balance There are high fixed costs There is no differentiation in the industry 4.0 External Analysis Through analyzing the external environment is easy to understand the industry and make strategic decisions. The purpose of Shoprite external analysis is to understand what may affect the future of the company as a whole. Pastel Analysis: 4.1 Political: these refer to government policy such as the degree of intervention in the economy. In the last five years the government of Tanzania has been amending its foreign policies by providing conducive environment to encourage multinational companies and investor to invest in Tanzania. This is an opportunity for Shoprite since there is going to be free movement of labor, goods, within the east Africa countries. 4.2 Technology: New technologies create new products and new processes. Technology is fast growing in Tanzania such as introduction of ATMs, increase in number of telecommunication companies, with recently introduction of Fiber Optic internet which will give more access of information to individual people. This is opportunity to Shoprite to use the advantage of internet, radio, and magazine to market its products. For examples in last ten years there were few ATMs which bores many customers and businesspersons, because they had to make a huge line into banks for them to do transactions but now is not the same people are more reliable using ATMs which facilitates transaction. Also Telecommunication companies have introduced new technology of money transfer such as M Pesa and Zap which give easy movement of money. On line shopping, and computer aided design are all improvement s to the way the business is done as the result of technology. Through technology Shoprite can reduce costs an d encourage innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organization produce the products. 4.3 Economical These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. The increase of fuel cost can result into high cost of production hence affects the price of product to final consumers. The global economic crisis can have a huge impact to Shoprite as multinational company in its operation likewise to demand of individual is ultimately to be affected. 5.0 Internal Analysis To understand a successful of Shoprite, the internal strategic capabilities must be understood. This section will focus on identifying the key internal strengths and weaknesses (from SWOT). This will be achieved by examining the resources and competencies for Shoprite, applying the VRIO model to these resources and looking at the performance of various business functions within the organization. An organizations resources can be Physical, Reputation, Organization, Financial, Intellectual and Technological (Johnson et al, 2004) the below analysis shows the full extent of Shoprite resources and capabilities and only the key factors will be drawn upon here. Although Shoprite has very strong branding and recognition across Africa, it does not necessarily mean that they have a good reputation or good customer relations. It is one of the low price profit making in the supermarket industry yet they have a bad reputation for not purchasing local commodities and have bad relationship with local farmers who produce vegetables. Most clients complain much on how Shoprite operates, they feel the company just takes their money and have nothing in return to society. As referred to earlier, Shoprite has a very simple, yet effective organizational set up based on the low cost strategy which the owners feel is key to Shoprite success. 5.1 Key factors of this strategy are: Improve distribution over the past 12years, Shoprite has expanded its thrust northward beyond South Africa borders. Currently, 198 corporate outlets serve consumers in 16 countries outside of South Africa (fastmoving, 2009). By open more outlets allows Shoprite to widen market share which increase company profit. By using differentiation strategy Shoprite have been able to segment its customer in different categories. Shoprite is composed of the group checkers, checkers hipper, Ushoprite save, House and home, Ok furniture and Ok franchise Division , for example Shoprite focuses on customers from the middle to lower-income consumers in the living standards measurement 3to8. Low prices this has attracted a large group of customers who their purchasing power is low. 6.0 SWOT ANALYSIS 6.1 Strengths and Weaknesses The key strengths identified from Shoprites internal operations are their stable financial position, good branding, a responsive organizational structure, a strong management team and strong distribution operation. With the strong financial, good branding and strong management has been a motivation for the company growth. Currently Shoprite has 382 operation stores across Africa and one in India. The group continued to extend merchandise ranges upward to cater for a broadening middle class, while retaining the full selection of staple products (Annual report Shoprite). Despite the current depressed economic environment Shoprite is looking five years ahead in planning for growth, intends opening 23 stores in the 2010 financial year. The main weaknesses are its bad reputation for not purchasing local commodities/ products and bad relationship with the local farmers and individuals. Shoprite is taking advantage of its strength (low price strategy) and key competencies (strong brand) to sustain a competitive advantage. The Shoprite (and management team) may not have the best reputation in the industry but does this matter? Shoprite has been extremely successful financially and look set to continue this success in the future, high profit and keeping costs low is the strategy that they are successfully achieving. 6.2 Opportunities and Threats After examining the Strength and weakness it can be seen that there area a variety of factors that need to be taken to the consideration. Shoprite has already taken advantage of key opportunity buy branding and positioning itself as the first Multinational Retailing in Tanzania. After Government provide good business environment such as laying of goods regulations many foreign investor have been interested to invest in Tanzania this can be a threat to Shoprite. Also by introduction of the many banks in Tanzania that has enabled many local entrepreneurs to get loans and open mini supermarket in small towns which is the big threat since more people will be motivated to go those stores and that can reduce Shoprite market share. The key opportunity identified in this market are the increased target market from EAC (East Africa Community ) expansion previously there were only three country but now there five countries where Sudan in the process of the joining the community . Since there w ill be free movement of people within the membership countries hence will increase demand. Shoprite have already taken advantage of internet expansion and this will provide further opportunities ad the internet expansion (introduction of Fiber Optic) that allow online Shopping ( E commerce ) . 6.3 VRIO: A model which allows insight into whether the organizations resources and capabilities translate to the potential for sustained competitive advantage (Johnson et al) Value Rareness Imitability Organization Physical Yes Yes No Yes Reputation Yes No Yes Yes Organization Yes No Yes Yes Financial Yes Yes No Yes Intellectual Yes Yes Yes Yes Technology Yes No Yes Yes 7.0 Key Competencies: Good brand awareness-Shoprite has a strong presence in the public eye which has increase awareness its brand across Africa. Likely in Tanzania Shoprite has large market share because it was the first large Supermarket to be opened. Organizational Structure-Through jointure and opening of many branches and using low price strategy has helped Shoprite to satisfy customer needs. Advance Technology-All Shoprite supermarkets, wherever they are` located, are now equipped with the latest scanning equipment and linked directly to the groups main compture centre. This direct access has great improved stock control and replenishment and using the sales analysis provided enabled store management to monitor closely consume acceptance of product not previously available in a particular outlet. Financial Stability-Despite the groble Economic recession the company total turnover has grown to 20.9%. It benefited from the employment created by the mega infrastructural projects being under taken with a view to the 2010 FIFA world cup in South Africa and the increase in the number and size of social grants. 8.0 The Economic Impact of the MNE Mnes may affect many aspects of countrys economy -balance of payments, growth, employment objectives, and so forth. Under different conditions, these effects may be positive or negative, either for the host country or the home country. In addition, potential gains to host countries go up as local environments become more attractive for FDI. 8.1 BALANCE -OF PAYMENTS EFFECTS Why will Tanzania wants capital inflows? Because such inflows give the country the foreign exchange it needs to import goods and service and to pay off foreign debt. Keep in mind that FDI brings both capital inflows and capital out flows. For the government will be much concerned about the net balance of payment effect and about the possibility that when the books are ultimately balanced, the effect of their net balance of payments may be negative. Lets see what Tanzania will benefit from MNEs. A MNE investment in country may result in a significant injection into the economy of the country. This may provide jobs directly of through the growth of local subsidiary business such as banks, insurance. It may be initiate a multiplier process generating more income as newly employed workers spend their wages on consumption. MNEs May provide training and education for employees thus creating higher skilled labor force. These skills may be transferred to other areas of the country. Often management and entrepreneurial skills learned from MNEs are an important source of human capital. MNE contributes tax revenue to the government and other revenue s if they purchase existing national assets. 9.0 The Problems of Multinational Enterprises The MNE may employ largely expatriate managers ensuring that incomes generated are maintained within a relatively small group of people. The attraction for the MNE may be the large supply of cheap manual labour who they can employ at low wages. This may contribute to a widening of the income distribution. It will also not lead to the transfer of management skills. MNE investment in LDCs often involves the use of capital intensive production methods. Given that many LDCs are often endowed with potentially large low wage labout forces and have high level of unemployment this might be considered inappropriate technology. More labour intensive production methods might be a more appropriate option for alleviating poverty and aiding development. Any resulting growth might be considered anti-developmental. MNEs engage in transfer pricing where they shift production between countries so as to benefit from lower tax arrangements in certain countries. By doing this they can minimize their tax burden and the tax revenue of national governments. As many MNEs are very large and have considerable power they can next influence on governments to gain preferential tax concessions and subsidies and grants. Outward oriented economists maintain that the cycles of poverty will not be broken from within the domestic economy. The level of investment needed to raise productivity and incomes is not possible .Thus foreign direct investment through the MNE activity is essential. By investing in areas and utilizing the factors of production where the LDCs have an absolute and comparative advantage MNEs will lead to a more efficient allocation of the worlds resources. However if this leads to overspecialization and overdependence in certain sectors of the economy then the host country will vulnerable especially if the MNE decides for commercial reasons to leave the country in the future. 10.0 Action Plan for Implementation Planning is indispensable for a company, not too ensure that they stick to plan put to know when they are deviating from it. Shoprite would need to develop a board that will deal with improving the relationship with the local communities. It would be advisable Shoprite reduce importing of vegetable from South Africa instead buy form local farmers this will reduce cost of production since all goods will be locally production hence enable to lower price. The key changes for Shoprites business functions in implementing this strategy would be for the production department as the majority of others aspects will be handles by the service provider. 11.0 Conclusion MNEs play a major role in the country economy development, whoever the government should be more careful with the MNEs by putting laws that will guide them. Same time government should this opportunity as the key for developing the local industries and businesses which will increase government revenue, hence high Growth Domestic Production (GDP).

Rebellion in George Orwell’s 1984 and Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuc

Rebellion in George Orwell’s 1984 and Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest George Orwell’s 1984 and Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest are two excellent and closely related novels. Set in two very different times, these two novels are essentially about the rebellious fighting spirit of individuals. Authority in 1984 is depicted in the form of the Party, which rules over Oceania. In One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Nurse Ratched and her staff are the authority figures. 1984’s protagonist, Winston Smith, fights against the Party, and McMurphy fights Nurse Ratched in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. These two men have several character similarities. The Party and its leader Big Brother play the role of authority in 1984. The Party is always watching the citizens of the Republic of Oceania. This is exemplified in the fact that the government has telescreens through which they can watch you wherever you are set up almost everywhere. Even in the countryside where there are no telescreens, the Party can monitor its citizens through hidden microphones disguised as flowers. The Thought Police are capable of spying on your thoughts at anytime, and can arrest or even kill you on a whim. Not only does the Thought Police find and hunt down felons, but it also scares others into being good citizens. The Party strives to eliminate more and more words from people’s vocabularies. Thus, the Party can destroy any possibilities of revolutions and conspiracies against itself. Its ultimate goal is to reduce the language to only one word, eliminating thought of any kind. The Party makes people believe that it is good and right in its act ions through the Ministry of Truth and through the slogans printed on the Ministry of Truth:... ...o novels have similar authority figures and protagonists. Both novels express the importance of standing up for what you believe in and fighting against authority no matter how difficult. Even though they are both defeated at the end of the novels, the reader empathizes with each of their struggles. The oppressed Winston Smith fought against the evils of the Party while other citizens accepted it and all its lies. Randal Patrick McMurphy battled Nurse Ratched right from the start. He was a leader among the other patients and brought new light to the ward. His fighting spirit, stubborn attitude, and ill temper, however, ultimately defeat him. These two novels were and still are very powerful and moving. Like all novels ever written, 1984 and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest both have their weaknesses. They are, however, well written, gripping, and overall good reads.

Free Slaughterhouse-Five Essays: Dresden :: Slaughterhouse-Five Essays

Slaughterhouse Five  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dresden "In Slaughterhouse Five, -- Or the Children's Crusade, Vonnegut   delivers a complete treatise on the World War II bombing of Dresden. The main character, Billy Pilgrim, is a very young infantry scout* who is captured in the Battle of the Bulge and quartered in a Dresden slaughterhouse where he and other prisoners are employed in the production of a vitamin supplement for pregnant women. During the February 13, 1945, firebombing by Allied aircraft, the prisoners take shelter in an underground meat locker. When they emerge, the city has been levelled and they are forced to dig corpses out of the rubble. The story of Billy Pilgrim is the story of Kurt Vonnegut who was captured and survived the firestorm in which 135,000 German civilians perished, more than the number of deaths in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Robert Scholes sums up the theme of Slaughterhouse Five in the New York Times Book Review, writing: 'Be kind. Don't hurt. Death is coming for all of us a nyway, and it is better to be Lot's wife looking back through salty eyes than the Deity that destroyed those cities of the plain in order to save them.' The reviewer concludes that 'Slaughterhouse Five is an extraordinary success. It is a book we need to read, and to reread.' "The popularity of Slaughterhouse Five is due, in part, to its timeliness; it deals with many issues that were vital to the late sixties: war, ecology, overpopulation, and consumerism. Klinkowitz, writing in Literary Subversions.New American Fiction and the Practice of Criticism, sees larger reasons for the book's success: 'Kurt Vonnegut's fiction of the 1960s is the popular artifact which may be the fairest example of American cultural change. . . . Shunned as distastefully low-brow . . . and insufficiently commercial to suit the exploitative tastes of high-power publishers, Vonnegut's fiction limped along for years on the genuinely democratic basis of family magazine and pulp paperback circulation. Then in the late 1960s, as the culture as a whole exploded, Vonnegut was able to write and publish a novel, Slaughterhouse Five, which so perfectly caught America's transformative mood that its story and structure became best-selling metaphors for the new age. '"Writing in Critique, Wayne D. McGinnis comments that in Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut 'avoids framing his story in linear narration, choosing a circular structure.

Exercise in a Bottle Essay -- Health Diet Weight Loss Papers

Exercise in a Bottle Imagine that it is a Friday night and you are up having a little midnight snack and watching some television. Feeling guilty for eating at such a late hour, you begin to flip through the stations when something catches your eye. It is an infomercial, and usually you just flip right through these, but for odd some reason you decide to watch this one. How could you possibly resist not watching? The commercial begins by showing gorgeous blondes in bikinis, and buff studs in speedos stuffing their faces with hamburgers, pizza, chips and everything that you know should not be eaten in quantity (if at all)! The amazing thing is that these â€Å"people† all have society’s ideal bodies. They are toned, tan, and thin in all of the right places. The commercial proceeds to boast how these women and men never exercise. They don’t need to because they take Enforma’s Exercise in a Bottle! Well now they have gotten your attention--look great, eat what you want and neve r exercise? It sounds way too good to be true! This is what miracle product, Exercise in a Bottle, will promise its potential buyers. But the questions, how does it work, what are they and how do its ingredients work, does it work, and are there any side effects are all key questions to be explored before taking Exercise in a Bottle. After I saw the commercial one night when I was up late snacking with my best friend, I admit that I was definitely tempted to pick up the phone and place an order. I even came close to falling into all of the hype and excitement surrounding this new product when I began my research, but after seeing a more scientific approach to the product, I have changed my mind. WHAT IS EXERCISE IN A BOTTLE? Exercise in a Bottle ... ... EXERCISE. 30(12): 1730-7, 1998 December. 3. Effects of resistance training and Chromioum Picolinate on body composition and skelatal muscle in older men by, Campbell WW., Joseph LJ., Davey SL., Cyr-Campbell D., Anderson RA., and Evans WJ.. JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY. 86(1): 29-39,1999 January. 4. Chromium Picolinate Toxicity; by, Cerulli J., Grabe DW., Gauthier I., Malone M., and McGoldrick MD.. ANNALS OF PHARMACOTHERAPY. 32(4) : 428-31, 1998 April 5. Chronic Renal failure after ingestion of over-the-counter chromium picolinate; by, Wasser WG., Feldman NS., and D'Agati VD. 6. http://www.cellular-phone.com/enformal/products.html 7. http://www.enformanatural.com/enforma.html 8. http://st2.yahoo.com/koolatron/enformasystem.html 9. http://www.evitality.net/store/detail/htm?ID=5 10. www.swmed.edu/library/consubj/fitness.htm

International marketing management Essay

‘Self- Reference Criterion’ 1. Define problem or goals in terms of home-country cultural traits, habits and norms 2. Define problem or goals in terms of foreign cultural traits, habits and norms 3. Isolate the SRC influence in the problem and examine it carefully to see how complicates the problem 4. Redefine the problem without the SRC influence and solve for the foreign market Self-reference criterion (SRC) as an unconscious reference to ones own cultural values, experiences and knowledge as a basis for decisions. The SRC impedes the ability to assess a foreign market in its true light. For example, Americans may perceive more traditional societies to be â€Å"backward† and â€Å"unmotivated† because they fail to adopt new technologies or social customs, seeking instead to preserve traditional values. In the 1960s, a supposedly well read American psychology professor referred to India’s culture of â€Å"sick† because, despite severe food shortages, the Hindu religion did not allow the eating of cows. The psychologist expressed disgust that the cows were allowed to roam free in villages, although it turns out that they provided valuable functions by offering milk and fertilizing fields. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view one’s culture to be superior to others. The important thing here is to consider how these biases may come in the way in dealing with members of other cultures. Self-reference criterion importance to a marketing firm planning to enter international markets for the first time. Importance of Self-reference criterion as a topic of research Self-reference is a topic whose theoretical foundations have so far primarily been studied in the context of logic, the philosophy of language, systems theory, and post-modern culture. In computer science it has been a topic in the context of the recursively of Turing machines. In semiotics, there have been only few studies which have dealt explicitly with this topic, although marginal reflections on self reference can occasionally be found in the context of the theory of reference. Levels and degrees of self-reference criterion: Examples from advertising Just as signs may self-referentially refer to the world of signs, the media may refer to the world of the media in a self-referential manner. Citations, intertextuality, intermediality, met textual references, repetitions, recursions, and references to the communicative situation are some of the symptoms of self-reference in the media. Various degrees of self-reference must be distinguished, from the sign that refers to nothing but itself to the sign that refers only partially to itself and partially still to something else. Furthermore, self reference occurs at different levels of the message in which it occurs. Beginning with the smallest elements of the message, the first three levels of self-reference are derived from Peirce’s trichotomy of the interpret ant: 34 rheumatic (equivalent to the unit of a word), dicentic (equivalent to a proposition), and argumentative self-reference. In extension of this Peircean triad, textual, intertextual, intermedial and communicative self-reference will be distinguished. Communicative self-reference criterion Communicative self-reference pertains to pragmatics, the situation of text production and reception. The roles of the readers or the spectators and the enunciative roles of the authors, the producers, the actors or the players become the topic of the message. Instead of presenting or representing ideas or events in the world beyond the message, the text deals with its own communicative context, its communicative function, and its presuppositions. The text has thus its own pragmatic dimension as its topic. For example, the audience of a film is reminded of the fact that it is participating in the film while sitting in the film theatre. 38 Peter Greeanway’s actors that step out of their role as actors and mingle with the audience, or Alfred Hitchcock, who steps out of the role of a film producer to become an actor are further examples of communicative self-reference. B) International marketer must have knowledge of sub cultural groups Introduction Culture is concerned with social behaviour and attitudes, and this paper aims to highlight its significance for entry into foreign markets. Culture has been defined as â€Å"the integrated sum total of learned behaviour traits that are manifest and shared by members of a society†. Cultural factors have been itemized in the existing literature, but clearly among the most important are: customer beliefs and attitudes; morality, ethics and religion; social and consumption values; language and literature; social systems and social behaviour (especially the family); historical background; arts and aesthetics. Two authoritative studies have identified concepts of culture both as barriers to entry and as dynamic movers (Herkovits, 1970, Clutterbuck 1980). Furthermore, insufficient research attention has focused on defining more conceptual approaches to the internationalization of retailing and there is an even greater paucity of research into strategies for retailer entry modes; this is the main justification for this paper. In researching their approach to overseas markets, retailers must consider that culture can have an impact on their merchandising and promotion. The culture in which a person lives affects his/her consumption patterns and also the meaning that is attached to specific products. When promoting merchandise in a new culture, it is easier initially to appeal to existing culture requirements or expectations than to try to change them. Merchandising and promotion must be sensitive to the basic values of the country and the differences in patterns of consumption. Case Example (1) Entry into the Swiss Market In Switzerland, foreign dishwasher manufacturers and retailers expected the same rapid sales they had first obtained in other West European markets; but sales in Switzerland were so slow that research had to be done to find out why (this research should, of course, should have been done before, not after, market entry). The research showed that the Swiss housewife had a different set of values to, for example, her French and English counterparts; she was very conscious of her role as strict and hardworking, and her responsibility for the health of her family. To the Swiss housewife dishwashers simply made life easy, and this conflicted with her Calvinistic work ethic. As a result of this research, dishwasher manufacturers had to change their advertising – promoting, instead of ease-and convenience, hygiene-and-health. They did this by emphasizing that because dishwashers used temperatures higher than hand hot the process was more hygienic than washing up by hand. Thereafter retailers had no problem selling automatic dishwashers in Switzerland. Source: Author Cultures across countries High context culture – the meaning of individual behaviour and speech changes depending on the situation – nonverbal messages are full of important meaning (Read between the lines) – e. g. Saudi Arabia and Japan, written contracts are not always enforceable as new people move into executive positions (Chile, Mexico) Low context culture – intentions are expressed verbally – the situation does not change the meaning of words – e. g. India, China, Australia, New Zealand Cultural Assessment International retailers need to communicate meaning through the transmission of messages to people of different cultures if they are to succeed in the promotion of their products to enter foreign markets. Misunderstandings caused by cultural differences can seriously damage the image of a firm or product; therefore, in order to ensure the message transmitted is received in its correct form, the retailer needs to be completely aware of the implications of all the elements of the message in the foreign culture. Failure on behalf of the retailer to adapt to the intricacies of national customs and develop a rapport will lead to inadequate market entry strategies. Accurate communications are so vital that any risk of cultural misunderstanding needs to be eliminated. Firms must identify key management positions and insist that they are held, whenever possible, by someone of the same culture. Many firms make the mistake of putting nationals from the parent companies in charge of key positions within their foreign subsidiaries, often on the basis that fluency in the language is sufficient. In attempting to understand the most significant elements of the foreign culture, companies have to be vigilant and ensure a balance is maintained. There is no one method to adopt in the evaluation of other cultures for retailing purposes as the nature of the goods being offered should govern the method of assessment. The retailer must be sufficiently perceptive and guard against the over-exaggeration of the differences or the similarities between the foreign culture and its own. For example, in analyzing the United States market, a UK retailer may overemphasize a perceived common culture stemming from the common language and close political and economic relations. â€Å"A common language cannot indefinitely set the seal on a common culture when the geographical, political and economic determinants of the culture are no longer the same throughout its area. † The withdrawal of Marks and Spencer from the Canadian market in 1999 is a case in point; their precept was that the aforementioned â€Å"perceived† cultural affinity would facilitate acceptance of the St Michael brand name; in short the common language or heritage does not guarantee a common culture. A further complication in determining the important facets of a country’s culture is the existence of more than one culture or sub-culture within many nations world-wide. Table 1 lists a few states with cultural differences based along linguistic groupings and the problems these present to the international retailer. A cultural assessment will reveal a modal pattern, but a truly useful evaluation will also expose considerable variations within a group or a subset group. In fact, for some cultural characteristics, there may be a wider range within a given society than between societies. For example, young professional 25-30 year olds in Spain, France and Italy may have more in common, in terms of values, tastes and aspirations, than with their non-professional compatriots of the same age group. A cultural evaluation can be either static or dynamic. A static assessment serves only to identify the differences in variables between cultures, whereas a dynamic appraisal seeks to indicate which variables will change in the future, in what order and with what speed. For the international retailer, the identification of which changes would be readily accepted or rejected can mean the difference between success or failure. The analysis of a culture to ascertain the peculiarities of the population can be extremely expensive, time-consuming and unwieldy. Therefore, having conducted a rapid survey of key cultural elements of a nation, the international retailer with limited resources may choose to carry out a Partial Cultural Assessment which focuses on key elements fundamental to the success of its operations in any country. Table 2 shows several cultural factors, which could frustrate the progress of the operations in the event of a retailer failing to obtain accurate data from the assessment of the foreign markets; if a single element is incorrectly assessed, the effectiveness of the strategies will be diminished.