Implementation of Supply Chain Management Essay

Supply chain management is an oversight of processes when moving goods from the stage of customer order to the raw material stage and it includes the supply, production and distribution of products to the customer. Every organization has supply chain of different levels, depending upon their size and type of product they are manufacturing. Their aim is to provide the customer with enough information necessary to give the value that they demand and to gain the information regarding the customer too. The ultimate goal for any supply chain management is to reduce its inventory. For a successful supply chain, software systems are provided with web interfaces to provide the customer with enough information they demand. Hershey Foods Corporation and NIKE inc. are both very renowned organizations, one known for its food products and the other for athletic footwear, equipment and accessories for sports and fitness activities. Both of these organizations adopted supply chain management systems in order to lower down their inventories and to increase their profit. But both of them failed in achieving their objective which was to reduce the inventories. The main mistake made by Hershey Food Corporation was, that they hired a supply chain system costing $112 million from SAP AG, Manugistics, and Siebel systems. The supply chain system was supposed to put in data of everything from production to delivery. But getting software from three different providers created unpredicted delays and complex problems in implementation. Also, another mistake made by the organization was that they implemented the whole system at once instead of in stages. So therefore they faced problems in placing the orders and then executing them to warehouse for fulfillment. The problem faced by NIKE, inc. was a bit more complex, as said by 12 technologies marketing Chief Katrina Roche â€Å"NIKE problems were not tied to the software but to the way the software was installed. † (Sridharan, Caines, & Patterson, 2005) Moreover he says that his company accepts the responsibility for â€Å"not being more aggressive in telling them that they needed to follow our implementation methodology. † (Sridharan, Caines, & Patterson, 2005) 12 technologies wanted to track each and every little product of NIKE which made the job more complex and therefore it took their time more than they had expected. The NIKE people made the same mistake as Hershey foods, that they implemented the system before they were ready to execute it. (Sridharan, Caines, & Patterson, 2005) So overall at initial stage supply chain systems were a bad experience for Hershey Foods and NIKE, Inc. There are certain things which if the company would have followed then hopefully the things must have been the other way round. First of all only one supply chain system provider must be hired for the software, as more than one supply chain systems for same job results in failure. Then provider’s implementation methodology is very important for client to follow in supply chain systems especially when they are modified to suit client’s requirement. More over supply chain systems are very complex as they have to track over numbers of product varieties so therefore it must be implemented in stages rather than executing it at once. And if the company is switching from one system to another then first the system should be tested in order to check whether it is fulfilling the company’s requirements or not. ?

Forfeiture Clauses in Construction Contract

In building and engineering contracts it is usual to insert a provision empowering the employer to forfeit certain rights or property of the contractor on the occurrence of certain events. â€Å"Forfeiture clause† is a loose term usually used to describe a clause in a written building contract giving the employer the right upon the happening of an event to determine the contract or the contractor’s employment under it, or to eject the contractor from the site, or otherwise to take the work substantially out of his hands.In standard form building contracts it is usually referred to as ‘determination of employment’ or termination. In this sense JCT SBC 05 clauses 8. 4 and 8. 9 which relates to termination by employer and contractor respectively are forfeiture clauses. It is common in construction contracts to find determination clauses allowing either side to bring their contractual obligations to an end should an event specified occur due to the actions or i nactions of the other.It would seem that common law determination and determination under a clause of contract are alternatives. There are differences between the processes. First, whereas common law determination depends upon repudiatory conduct or a fundamental breach, the grounds of determination specified by the contract need not exhibit these features, although frequently such will be present. Second, the remedies for common law determination are provided by law, whereas with a contractual determination the clause itself must expressly deal with the issue of remedies.Third, at common law in the face of repudiatory conduct or fundamental breach the innocent party need only indicate to the other that he accepts the breach and considers the contract discharged. Under a contractual determination clause the procedure specified must be carefully followed, failure to so may prevent a successful determination. The right of forfeiture may be stipulated to accrue either 1) on the bankrup tcy of the contractor only, or ) on his bankruptcy and also on the occurrence of other events, or 3) on the occurrence of other events only Clause 8. 5. 1 of the JCT SBC 05 states that if the contractor is insolvent, the employment may at any time by notice to the contractor terminate the contractor’s employment. Similarly Clause 8. 10. 1 of the JCT SBC 05 states that the employer is insolvent, the contractor may by notice to the employer terminate the Contractor’s employment under the contract.A provision empowering the employer to forfeit the contract on the bankruptcy of the contractor is introduced into building and engineering contracts for the purpose of preventing a contractor’s trustee in bankruptcy from electing to complete the contract, and such a provision is valid, if it is coupled with a stipulation that the contractor’s contract shall be a personal one; and further, so far as the forfeiture affects the mere licence of the contractor to enter upon the site, it would seem that the revocation of that licence can be conditioned on bankruptcy, as a mere licence does not seem to be included in the definition of property[1].A trustee, however, would be entitled to enter the site to remove property of the bankrupt in respect of which the employer had no right under the contract The validity of a right to forfeit on the bankruptcy of the contractor is dependent on the nature of what is stipulated to be forfeited.In addition to bankruptcy, forfeiture is usually conditioned upon the happening of one or more of the following events: 1)not commencing the work 2) not regularly proceeding with the work for a fixed number of days[2], 3) not proceeding to the satisfaction of the employer or the architect[3], 4) not proceeding with such despatch as, in the opinion of the architect, will enable the works to be duly completed by the time stipulated, 5) not observing some stipulations of the contract[4] 6) leaving the works in an unfinishe d state, or 7)failing after proper notice to rectify defective work, 8) not maintaining the works[5] JCT 05 SBC Clause 8. states: 1. Notice of termination of the Contractor’s employment shall not be given unreasonably or vexatiously. 2. Such termination shall take effect on receipt of the relevant notice 3. Each notice referred to in this section shall be given in writing and given by actual, special or recorded delivery. Where given by special or recorded delivery it shall, subject to proof to the contrary, be deemed to have been received on the Second Business Day after the date of posting. Also Clause 8. 3 of the JCT 05 states: 1. The provisions of clauses 8. 4 to 8. 7 are without prejudice to any other rights and remedies of the Employer.The provisions of clauses 8. 9 and 8. 10 and (in the case of termination under either of those clauses) the provisions of clauses 8. 12, are without prejudice to any other rights and remedies of the contractor. 2. Irrespective of the grou nds of termination, the contractor’s employment may at any time be reinstated if and on such terms as the parties may agree The requirements of the contract must be properly complied with, for the courts construe forfeiture clauses strictly[6], and a wrongful forfeiture by the employer or his agent normally amounts to a repudiation on the part of the employer[7].There must be some definite unqualified act showing that the power has been exercised, although writing or other formality is not necessary unless expressly required. The contract may also require a certain notice to be given, and that such notice must set out the default complained of[8]. In appropriate circumstances the notice may be of a general character and need not necessarily refer to the number of the clause which is being invoked, provided that there is no doubt that it is exercising or purporting to exercise the contractual power of determination[9].But it is obviously preferable to state explicitly the clau se relied on and to follow its actual wording as closely as possible. It also seems that if a material statement in such a notice is made recklessly, without an honest belief in its truth, the notice is a nullity. Forfeiture in reliance on such a notice would be ineffective and would normally amount to repudiation by the employer. When an event occurs which gives rise to the right to forfeit, the power of forfeiture must be exercised within a reasonable time or the employer will be deemed to have waived his ight unless the event is a continuing breach of contract. Where the contract provides for termination of the contract by a warning notice followed by a termination and two notices have been served, a party can only rely on that provision if an ordinary commercial businessman can see that that there is a sensible connection between the two notices both in content and in time as seen in the case of Architectural Installation Services v James Gibbon Windows[10]Also, where the contra ct provides for completion by a certain date and also provides for forfeiture for delay, and the completion date has passed, it is a question of construction whether the forfeiture clause for delay can still be enforced. Thus where the object of the clause was to enable the architect to â€Å"have the means of requiring the works to be proceeded with in such a manner and at such a rate of progress as to ensure their completion at the time stipulated† it was held that the clause did not apply after the completion date[11].But in another contract where the clause provided â€Å"for the execution of the work with due diligence and as much expedition as the surveyor will require†, it was held that the clause was as much applicable to the fulfilment of the contract within a reasonable time as to its completion by the contract date. The parties may agree that any consequences may follow the exercise of a right of forfeiture[12], provided there is no illegality, nor fraud on the bankruptcy law, and the clause is not so onerous that it will not be enforced on the grounds that it is a penalty[13].The employer is usually given the right to take possession of the site and complete the works. In addition, there is frequently a clause vesting the property in unfixed materials, and perhaps plant, in the employer, or there may be merely a right to seize the materials[14] or hold them by way of lien[15] until they are built into the works, or there may be clauses giving the employer rights to use the contractor’s plants and materials[16]. Where the contractor is guilty of any of the defaults specified in clause 8. . 1 JCT 05 SBC, the contract administrator is to issue a written notice specifying the default. If the default is then continued for 14 days, the employer may within 10 days of the continuance terminate the contractor’s employment by using a notice to this effect. Furthermore, if termination does not take place on this occasion, any subse quent repetition of a specified default gives the employer the right to terminate immediately; there is no need (and indeed no power) to issue a second default notice. 17] It is also expressly provided under clause 8. 2. 1 that a notice of termination is not to be given ‘unreasonably or vexatiously’ When an employer, in exercise of his rights under a forfeiture clause, enters and completes the work and uses the contractor’s materials or plant, or holds retention money due to the contractor, he must, subject to the provisions of the contact, account to the contractor. He will have to show that that the materials and plant and money were expended reasonably[18].The Court, it would seem ,as seen in Fulton v Dornwell[19], will make full allowance for extra cost caused by the disruption and delay occasioned by the contractor’s default. Also, where the employer determines the contract under a forfeiture clause because of some breach of contract by the contractor , the employer’s right to damages depends upon the wording of the contract. He may not be entitled to the enhanced cost of completing by another contractor if the breach for which he determined the contract did not amount to repudiation and the contract does not so provide. 20] Termination of contract was examined in the recent case between Ellis Tylin ltd v Co-operative Retail services[21]. Co-operative Retail services Ltd (CRS) is a national retailer which operates from approximately 730 premises across the country. In early 1996 it contracted with Ellis Tylin the task of maintaining and repairing mechanical and electrical plant within its various premises. The contract was for a period of three years with provision for revision of rates of payment at the end of the first and second years.Disputes arose as to the scope and responsibility for works carried out under the agreement and the operation of the contract came to an end three months after the end of the first year. C lause 1. 8 of the agreement concerned the review of fees for the maintenance services and the rights of either party to terminate the contract in the event that agreement could not be reached. Disputes arose as to whether the proper mechanisms for termination had been applied and the court was asked to consider these questions as preliminary issues.It was acknowledged that the right of Ellis Tylin to end the agreement pursuant to clause 18 only arose if Ellis Tylin first took the action described within that clause. This involved making a written proposal for the revision of the amount of the fees after the expiry of ten months from the date of commencement of works. CRS argued that Ellis Tylin had failed to follow this procedure. Counsel for CRS submitted that clause 1. 8 of the contract should be construed either as a determination clause or as a break clause comparable to the type of provision found in leases. Strict compliance was required.The act of contractual determination wa s one which deprived the other party of the benefit of the contract it had concluded. His honour Judge Bowsher QC reviewed textbooks on the subject of contractual termination. In Chitty on contracts (27th edition)[22], it was stated â€Å"the terms of the of the termination notice may provide that notice can only be given after a specified event†. In the Interpretaion of contracts by Kim Lewison QC[23], it is stated â€Å"An option to terminate is construed in the same manner as any other option, and accordingly any condition must be strictly complied with.Any condition precedent must be strictly fulfilled. The clause must be exercised strictly in accordance with its terms†. Also Hudson’s Building and Engineering (11th edition) states[24], â€Å"Exact and meticulous compliance by the determining party with any formal or procedural requirements laid down in the termination clause, for example, as to notices or time limits, will usually be required if a contractu al termination is to be successful†Judge Bowsher added however, that words in a contract should be given a natural and ordinary meaning and he quoted Lord Diplock when he said in Antaios Cia Naveira SA v Salen Rederierna AB[25]: â€Å"if detailed semantic and syntactical words in a commercial contract is going to lead to a conclusion that flouts business common sense, it must be made to yield to business common sense†.Judge Bowsher concluded that whilst Ellis Tylin had given notice earlier than the time period set down in the contract, there could be no doubt of the intention that negotiations should take place for a revision of the fee. Taking into account all the evidence he concluded that Ellis Tylin had given valid notice of termination of agreement. However, subsequent evidence showed that the parties had in fact agreed revision to the fees to be submitted to the second year of the contract.Accordingly the notice of the termination had been overridden, and could no t be regarded as a valid notice. By ceasing to work following expiry of its invalid termination notice, Ellis Tylin had repudiated the contract. The wrongful operation of a termination clause (i. e when you are not entitled to) amounts to repudiation. A contractual power of determination will be wrongly exercised if the events upon which it is conditioned are not established (unless the contract provides for that question to be concluded by a binding opinion or certificate).In the great majority of modern contracts the question will be subject to review by an arbitrator or the courts, however; and it has also been seen that the courts have, under some clauses, been prepared to imply a term that the exercise of the power itself should be reasonable as seen in Renard Construction v Minister of Public Works[26]. Contractual determinations will also be wrongful if exercised prematurely in breach of a contractual time limit, however marginally.It is an unavoidable feature of construction contracts that an employer’s purported determination will in nearly all cases constitute a repudiatory breach, if whatever the general merits, it later transpires that the determination was invalid. In such a case, if the contractor has accepted the repudiation by leaving the site, the owner will be liable for the possible heavy damages attendant upon repudiation and cannot, if he discovers his mistake, restore the contract status quo ante without the agreement of the contractor.The purported exercise of a power to forfeit may be invalidated either by reason of the fact that the events upon which it is conditioned have not occurred; or, that a correct notice has not been given[27], or that that a sufficiently clear election to exercise the right has not been made, or that there has been a been delay or other conduct recognising the continued existence of the contract after knowledge of the breach, if the breach is not a continuing one.Generally, the measure of damages in the case of a wrongful forfeiture falls to be determined by the ordinary common law rules. Per Lord Cranworth in Ranger v G. W. R. y,[28]: â€Å"The right of the appellant (the contractor) would be to recover such amount of damages as would put him in as nearly as possible the same position as if no such wrong has been committed-that is, not as if there had been no contract, but as if he had been allowed to complete the contract without interruption†In Smith v Howden Union (1890), the plaintiff had nearly completed a sewerage contract and the engineer fraudulently refused to certify. The defendants took possession of the works and certain plant. It was held that the plaintiff was entitled to damages for prevention of completion, such damages being what he would have been entitled to if he had completed and the engineer had certified; and judgement was given for the unpaid balance of the contract price, extras properly ordered, extras properly certified, and the value of the plan t seized.The principle remedy for any breach of contract is an award for damages. As a general principle, where an employer is guilty of a breach of a construction contract, the contractor is entitled to damages under two headings. The first is damages for any actual loss that has been suffered, and the second is damages for any profit of which the contractor had been deprived. Where the employer’s breach is sufficient to justify the contractor in terminating the contract, the contractor is entitled to damages reflecting everything which would have een received under the contract, or proportion of it that remains outstanding at the date of termination, less what it would have cost the contractor to complete the work. It has been clearly established that the damages should include the profit element on work remaining to be done as seen in the landmark case of Wraight Ltd v P H & T (Holdings) Ltd[29]. Where, however, the contract is one which the contractor had under-priced and on which the contractor would thus have made no profit, only nominal damages will be awarded for the employer’s breach.This is because as seen in C&P Haulage v Middleton[30], an award of damages should not put the claimant in a better position than if the contract had been performed. But if this procedure was relentless pursued it would lead to a party in default having to pay ‘for all loss de facto resulting from a particular breach however improbable, however unpredictable’. [31] The courts therefore set a limit to the loss for which damages are recoverable, and loss beyond such limit is said to be remote. The famous rule as stated in the case Hadley v Baxendale[32] is: Where two parties have made a contract which one of them has broken the damages which the other party ought to receive in respect of such breach of contract should be such as may fairly and reasonably be considered either (1) arising naturally, i. e according to the usual course of things from such breach of contract itself, or (2) such as may reasonably be supposed to have been in the contemplation of both parties at the time they made the contract, as the probable result of the breach of it† This is demonstrated in the case of Balfour Beatty Construction (Scotland) Ltd v Scottish Power Plc[33].The claimants there, who were constructing a concrete aqueduct over a main road, installed a concrete batching plant and arranged for the defendants to supply electricity to it. The claimants needed to pour all the concrete in a single continuous operation and so, when the electricity supply failed, the claimants had to demolish all the work which had been done. Unsurprisingly, it was held that while the defendants were clearly in breach of contract because of the power failure, they were not liable for the extra losses nvolved in the demolition and reconstruction, since the claimants had not informed them that a continuous pour was essential. It has long been established th at contractor’s claims for loss and expense under express contractual provisions are assessed in exactly the same way as damages for breach of contract. Any disruption to the regular process of work under a contract may lead the contractor to incur administrative costs, such as the diversion of managerial time and effort, at head office.If so, these costs may justifiably be claimed, but it will not be simply assumed that such losses have been suffered. They must be specified and properly supported by the evidence, for example by records of the time spent by individuals in dealing with the particular problem[34]. Where the contract period is prolonged by something for which the employer is contractually responsible, the contractor may may also seek to claim in respect of general office overheads.When making application for the head office overheads part of loss and/or expense under Standard Form Building Contracts, contractors often base their claim on a formula. The Courts ha ve never given approval to the use of formula in this way although they have accepted the use of formulae in certain cases which generally were decided on their own facts. Indeed, the courts have tended to disapprove formulae unless as a last resort or the parties have agreed their use as seen in Alfred Mc Alpine Homes North Ltd v Property & Land Contractors Ltd[35]. Actual costs are normally required.Claims for head office overheads are essentially claims for lost opportunity to contribute to those overheads, because the overheads do not actually change or, if they do, the amount of any extra overheads directly resulting from the delay can be claimed separately. Formulae assume a healthy construction industry and a contractor with finite resources with the result that if he is delayed on a project, he will be deprived of the chance to take other work. Where the industry is sluggish or where the contractor is so large that turning away work does not arise, the latter will face diffi cult problems in showing the lost opportunity[36].There are several formulae in common use notably Emden formula, Eichleay formula and Hudson formula. Also a contractor who has accepted the wrongful repudiation is not restricted to suing for damages for breach on contract. He may, as an alternative, where he has elected to treat the contract as rescinded, sue upon a quantum meruit. The expression quantum meruit means â€Å"the amount he deserves† or â€Å"what the job is worth†. A quantum reuit clause claim is one in which the contractor seeks payment of the reasonable value of work done for the employer.Where the employer is in breach of contract, the crucial question is whether the contractor in such circumstances can simply ignore the contract and instead claim a reasonable sum for all the work done, even if this means that the contractor recovers more than what would have recovered under the contract. In the situation where there is a contract, then the issue in a Contractual Quantum Meruit claim is either the measure of the â€Å"reasonable sum† or the interpretation of similarly wide express terms. The issue is whether the measure is on the basis of cost or market price. There appears to be no hard and fast rule.In the case of an express contract to do work at an unquantified price, the measure is the reasonable remuneration of the contractor Serck Controls Ltd. v Drake & Scull Engineering Ltd[37]. In the case where there was a contract, the assessment of a quantum meruit was usually based on actual cost which would include on and off site overheads provided that it was reasonable and was reasonably and not unnecessarily incurred, plus an appropriate addition for profit[38] Judge Bowsher QC in Laserbore Ltd v Morrison Biggs Wall Ltd[39] had to decide the meaning of the term â€Å"Fair and reasonable payments for all works executed†.He considered that the costs plus basis was wrong in principle even though in some instances it may produce the right result. The appropriate approach was to adopt general market rates.

Reading projects Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading projects - Assignment Example She served as an advisor to the White House on health issues (Blumenthal 1). Her service as the chief of behavioral medicine renders her qualified to write on subjects of nutrition. She also served in the branch of nutritional institute of health in America. Her role as the chief of the institutes renders her a distinguished professional to write on the topic. She served as a clinical professor at Georgetown medicine school. Additionally, she served as a policy and medical consultant at the amfAR. She is equally qualified having served as director of a health commission that guides the president and congress on critical decisions related to health and medicine. The article was published in the U. S. at the Dartmouth College. The collaborating publisher is a senior pursuing a degree in Global Health. She is also an intern at the New American Foundation based in Washington. The intended audience of the article is the public that is affected by the great public concern of obesity. The author intends to address the American public that faces the challenge improper nutrition. Americans living in food deserts are possible targeted audience of the article. They are the group facing a great challenge of proper access to nutritious food. In addition, the article targets the low-income earners that cannot afford nutritious food to prevent the challenge of obesity. Another vital audience of the article is the policy makers. The author encourages adequate funding of programs aimed at improving the public access to proper nutrition including SNAP (Blumenthal 1). She equally highlights the contribution of vital laws such as the Farm Bill to address challenges of improper nutrition. Policy makers and departments mandated to implement relevant policies, therefore, are targeted audience of the article. The author’s purpose in writing the article is to inform and educate the public on addressing the challenge of obesity as a serious health concern. According to

Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Blog - Essay Example In the interim, I discover the expression "Slave" being hash to use in this case thus since, the term is utilized to allude to individuals instead of mechanical and gadgets since a robot is true sense is a machine equipped for doing a complex arrangement of movements consequently. When taking into account the aspect of slavery, we find that being a complex machine devide, it is manufactured and unveiled accordingly in respect to standardization on how much work the machine can handle. Keep in mind that a machine is anything that makes work easier and so Robots are independent machine that has been customized to do something and henceforth the issue of having rights is invalid. Moreover, a robot being a machine gadget is controlled by people, which implies without the presence of individuals, a robot cannot execute any work at all. More so, I don’t feel absolutely quilt while using a robot machine since I know total workload depends on what commands I have initiated towards the machine. I can decide and initiate few commands, more or none and the output produced by this robot is dependent to my

Course of action Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Course of action - Assignment Example MAPR enhances ‘independence in fact’ since limited interaction with any client reduces not only the pressure but also the monetary as well as other inducements, for auditing partners to sacrifice their reputation and independence so as to ‘remain silent’. As a consequence, auditing partners might be enthusiastic to question management on financial reporting and creative accounting issues. Secondly, long audit partner tenure means creation of a comfortable relationship between auditing partner and client, which adversely affects a partner’s show of independence. Thus such improvements as those can be brought by MAPR. The other reason why MAPR is best course of action is on the basis of on introduction of new/fresh eyes. Thus MAPR avoids ‘staleness’ emanating from repetitive previous engagements and thus will enhance quality and integrity of audit, since rotation permits the much needed ‘fresh eyes’ to evaluate the firm’ s financial statements as well as accounting policies/practices (Ottaway, 2013). Evidence-the US general accounting office (GAO), current data on ‘restatement rates’ linking to ‘error or fraud’ in previous financial statements subsequent to the closure of Arthur Anderson in 2002 that demanded compulsory auditor rotation for more than 1200 firms. Thus the data indicates a marked rise in restatement rates for ‘error and fraud’ after auditor rotation. It is evident therefore, that from this research GAO provided a possibly persuasive research demonstrating that â€Å"fresh eyes† actually do expose fraud and mistakes under a MAPR –comparable situation. This is apparent therefore, that MAPR promotes conservative and diligence decision making by partners as they will be alert, specifically at the end of their term, knowing a new auditor will be keenly inspecting their work with a pair of ‘fresh eyes’ (Ottaway,

Cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Cover letter - Essay Example I have always maintained an interest in computer software ever since I was a young child, but it was not until I worked as a summer intern at Perceptive Software in Shawnee, Kansas that I finally knew what career path I wanted to pursue for myself. While there, I was able to work with the software team to design and implement high-quality software, learn how to interface with other team members, and design and test the core components of the software projects. Once I had been hooked on computer software, I applied for and was accepted to a Computer Engineering major at Kansas State University. While studying at university, I have learned how to use various data structures in C++ and JAVA and OOP concepts in computer projects. I have also developed hardware design of digital boards and programming in C and JAVA. Although I have had little exposure to Microsoft .NET/C# and SQL technologies, I will learn as much as I can from the experienced developers who already work at Med Assets. The physical demands and work environment characteristics do not faze me at all as I already perform most of these tasks on a daily basis. Working with others who may have different work traits does not bother me in the slightest. I would also be willing to relocate to Plano, Texas on a permanent basis after I have completed my degree in Computer Engineering. I am looking forward to your response and will be waiting for the outcome. If would like to contact me to discuss this further then please call (785) 643-0378 or send me an email at roesner@ksu.edu. Thank you once again for your time and

Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign Assignment

Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign - Assignment Example ice controls productions and merchandise operations while 800 factories are functional across Asia and Europe which function on the principles of horizontal labor. (Giertz & Keller 2012) Furthermore, Alexander Wang is a fashion designer known for urban wear and has worked on various well renowned brands over the years. The most successful project includes Balenciaga Fall-winter 2013 line which she handled as the Creative Director for the company. Currently, she is engaged in the H&M fashion line which has stirred enough excitement in the fashion industry. Given the communications and advertising strategies of the era, she is herself involved with the marketing campaign where she is also contributing in her personal space as well. The line is utilizing social media as well as other engaging campaigns to appeal to a wider audience as a trend setting brand. (Forbes) The current integrated marketing campaign readily got spiced up due to its affiliation with Alexander Wang, so much so that people had been looking forward to the launch long before the actual launch. Activation events have also been a common tool to generate excitement about the collection, for instance, the launch event at Coachella Music. Also, the look book was launched six months after the launch event, however, it was announced that the pieces were to be revealed only in November (Refinery29 2014). Furthermore, Wang herself instigated a rigorous campaign over Instagram where almost the entire line was launched over Instagram. Wang was intuitive enough and she demonstrated marketing intelligence by posting Rihanna`s casual debut line and keeping the audience in a mystery in terms of how the H&M line would be. Also, her hashtag #ALEXANDERWANGXHM has been quite popular on twitter. The success of the campaign may also be assessed from the fans line up for hours in Toronto to purch ase the collection, while only a few got their hands on the collection (Toronto City News 2014). Thus, most of the frenzy

Dynamics of Hospitality Industry Management report Assignment

Dynamics of Hospitality Industry Management report - Assignment Example The industry has had major the negative impact on environment. The impacts have revolved around the usage of water, electricity, non-renewable energy and food wastage. Some hotels have been accused of spilling industrial refuse into rivers affecting the aquatic ecosystems. The hotel industry is embarking on training and equipment to ensure that employees make conscious decisions that encourage sustainability. This includes formulation institutional policies that enhance sustainability. The hotel industry hopes to reduce the waste output, energy consumption, water consumption and carbon dioxide emissions through adopting renewable energy. 1.1 Purpose of the report The purpose of the report is to analysis the sustainable development issues that the hospitality industry should focus on to ensure the quality of the future generations is not compromised. The report shall recommend solutions that could positively impact the sustainability management programs and unique additional solutions . PART II (SPECIFIC) 2.0 Westin Hotel Macau The Westin Hotel Macau is part of the Starwood Hotels Group. The Hotel focuses on creating a better world experience by placing special attention to communities and environment. 2.1 Brief Background Westin Hotel Macau is a leading luxury resort located in the Greater China. The 208 room hotel is placed in scenic sites to give the guests lasting experiences. The facility is situated on the south Eastern tip of Coloane Island near the Macau international airport. The facility is part of the 185 Westin hotels and resorts worldwide. The hotel has world class facility that aims at giving guests experiences and not just services. Therefore, the management of the hotel has invested in the qualified manpower and new environmental and financial energy management programs. This is likely to make the hotel globally competitive, high in demand and established. 2.2 Mission statement The Hotel has a mission of helping individuals and communities to atta in their maximum potential through strategic perspectives. 2.3 Environmental impact analysis The hotel industry has had a negative impact in the environment. Hotel in the past did not have a comprehensive energy conservation policy leading to the usage of high levels of energy. The equipments used were doubled the energy needs of the hotel. The hotel had little control of the energy consumption and regulation among the employees. This included failure of basic strategies for electricity and water conservation. Most of the energy conservation opportunities were not captured. The negative impacts were seen in the food wastage, unnecessary use of electricity and weak sewerage systems within the entire facility. Most of these negative impacts were propagated by the employees. However, the hotel has developed a comprehensive environmental and energy resource management. This is based on the needs to sustainability. The Westin Hotel managed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by over 3 kilograms in 1998. This happened through performing industry specific energy audits and training hotel staff on the need to conserve energy. The facility uses water from treated sewerage in its main golf course. The employees have been trained to minimize electricity usage i.e. using natural light, eliminating unnecessary usage of the cooling systems and enhancing the efficiency. The hotel is investing in employees to ensure that a minimization of physical wastage. Many hotels are

History of Aviation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of Aviation - Essay Example Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier designed a hot air balloon with the help of their father’s paper factory. This balloon flew at a height of 6500 feet, first thing to fly at such a great height. The astonishing thing about this flight was not its height but, the animals it carried. There were a goose, a rooster and a sheep in a basket carried by the balloon. These were probably the first living thing to fly at such a height proving the fact that flying is possible for a living thing. Later in the year 1783, the two brothers were finally successful in convincing two men, Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis d’Arlandes to be a part of their experiment. This time their balloon flew at a height of 300 feet. The balloon traveled 7.5 miles in less than half an hour. The flight is considered to be the first manned balloon flight in the history. It proved the safety of flying against all the odds and speculations. The flight also showed the less time-consuming side of traveling by air. Even though the first balloon flight of 1783 is still considered the most important breakthrough in aviation. The desire of man to conquer the skies was not yet fulfilled. The ballooning industry was at its top and no other way of flying but through an air balloon was considered possible. Flying was considered possible with the help of a hot air balloon. Then in the year 1853, George Cayley built a triplane glider that carried a man over 290 feet across a valley. This flight is considered as the first flight of a man in an aircraft.... Attempts were made to design wings that could enable a man to fly but all ended up in failures. Then in the year 1853 George Cayley built a triplane glider that carried a man over 290 feet across a valley. This flight is considered as the first flight of a man in an aircraft. The Wright Brothers The researches and attempts to build a machine that could carry a man were at their peak in the early 20th century. The Wright brothers were also one of those who had dedicated to the dream of the world. They taught themselves the methodologies of flying and were always trying to develop a machine that could carry a man in the air. Their work has been considered the most important in the history flying. After many successful glider test flights in the years 1901-02 the flyer was ready to fly in December 1903. The flight of the flyer acted as a major stimulant to the aviation industry and the industry was at its peak in not more than a decade when fighter planes were used in the First World Wa r. The Wright brothers clearly made the first flying machine and boomed the aviation industry. No matter what, they are still considered as the pioneers of aviation. Modern Aviation In the mid of the 29th century, there is remarkable progress of the aviation industry. International and intercontinental air travelling started. Fighter planes were being manufactured at large scale. But, the propeller driven planes were still too slow for a man who always wanted more. The quest for the best continued and jet engines were developed which has almost completely replaced propellers in the modern aviation making the aircrafts faster than sound. Development of safety guidelines have made them much safer than they were earlier. Travelling by air is much pleasant now than it

Unit 2 - Business Resources, Unit 20 - Managing Physical Resources in Coursework

Unit 2 - Business Resources, Unit 20 - Managing Physical Resources in a Business Environment, Unit 16 - Human Resources management in Business - Coursework Example skills, attitude and formalities to work in the conerned company, physical and technological resources of the company and their associated management to improve upon the existing performance, the importance of emplyability, skills and staff retention, sources of external and internal finance and budgetary control, financial state and a discussion on the same and finally calculation and discussion of some important financial ratios along with their limitations. Virgin Atlantic (UK) requires an initial documentation of either a valid EU Passport, or a UK Birth certificate along with a valid NHS Insurance proof or a valid passport with the necessary permits to work in the UK. (Virgin Atlantic, 2012)These documents must be submitted to Virgin Atlantic (UK) even before the selection process has begun. (Virgin Atlantic, 2012)It has to be sent it along with the application for the relevant job opening a candidate is applying to. (Virgin Atlantic, 2012). The application involves attaching an updated CV along with a covering letter and the necessary document which validates a candidates eligibility to work in the UK (discussed above). Under no circumstances the person should have any criminal record or any pending criminal case (Virgin Atlantic, 2012) Virgin Atlantic employs approximately 9000 people all over the world in various countries, with roughly 4000 cabin crew and 700 Pilots. (Virgin Atlantic Airlines, 2014). The main requirements for working at Virgin Atlantic include: â€Å"intelligence, responsibility, initiative and support† (Virginia Airlines Ltd, n.d.)for a candidates fellow workers, this is irrespective of which field of work the candidate would apply to, whether it be Finance, Marketing, Human Resource or Operations. (Virgin Atlantic Airlines, 2014).These requirements enable Virgin Atlantic to identify key personnel and assign them strong roles in order to build on the â€Å"Virgin† brand. (Virgin Atlantic Airlines, 2014) Virgin requires all its

Cola Wars - The Carbonated Soft Drink Industry Essay Example for Free

Cola Wars The Carbonated Soft Drink Industry Essay Threat of New Entry The existing players in the soft drink industry have much advantage relative to new entrants. First, supply-side economy discourages new entrants by forcing them to enter the market in large scale. CSD’s demand side benefits of scale also makes it difficult for new entrants to be accepted by the public. In 2002, a survey found that 37% of respondents chose a CSD because it is their favorite brand, while only 10% said so about bottled water. This demonstrates CSD customers’ high brand loyalty and their lack of desire to buy from new entrants. In terms of capital requirement, concentrate manufacturers only requires $25~$50 million to set up a plant that can serve the entire United States of America. Yet, new entrants may have difficulties competing with major players’ well-established brands and their large scale unrecoverable (therefore, hard to finance) spending on advertising. There is also unequal access to bottlers and retail channels for newcomers. Most bottlers are in long-term contracts with major CSD brands; also, the largest distribution channel, supermarkets, consider CSD a â€Å"big traffic draw†, thus provide little to no shelf space for newcomers. In addition, strong fear of retaliation from major players also makes newcomers hesitate to enter. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Required inputs for CSD are mostly raw materials such as caramel coloring, phosphoric or citric acid, natural flavors, caffeine, and fructose. Almost all suppliers of the CSD industry provide undifferentiated commodities and thus have little bargaining power and almost no strength to integrate forward. Bargaining Power of Buyers End consumers and retail channels can both be considered as buyers in the CSD industry. End consumers are likely to have brand loyalty to their CSD as analyzed in threat of new entry. Thus, consumers are expected to continue purchasing a brand unless there is a significant price increase or substantial change in flavor. Consequently, end consumers have little bargaining power. Retail channels, on the other hand, have more bargaining leverage since they buy CSDs in much larger quantities than end consumers. Yet, for retail channels such as supermarkets (making up almost one third of all retail volume), CSDs are considered a â€Å"big traffic draw†, thus reducing its bargaining power. In addition, fountain outlets (making up another 23.4% of retail channel) also have insignificant bargaining power since they rely on CSD companies’ heavy investment in dispensers, cups, point-of-sale advertising, and many other types of equipment. Threat of Substitutes CSDs are unique in terms of taste and properties. When a consumer craves CSD, it is difficult to find a replacement that can equally satisfy his or her desire. Even after CSD was identified as the â€Å"largest source of obesity-causing sugars in the American diet† in 2005, CSDs still â€Å"accounted for 73.1% of U.S. non-alcoholic refreshment beverage volume (down from 80.8% in 2000)† at around the same time. It is true that consumers are moving towards alternatives that have more natural flavors such as several tea-based drinks and bottled water; yet, CSD firms have quickly adapted to this shift and largely dominated the market of these alternatives. Rivalry Among Existing Competitors Even though rivalry among existing competitors Coke, Pepsi, and Cadbury Schweppes seem intense, the profitability has not been weakened. This is largely because of the high concentration of competition and their focus on promotion, advertising, and other forms of branding instead of waging large-scale price wars. In a way, the success of Coke and Pepsi required the heavy competition on these dimensions. â€Å"Without Coke, Pepsi would have a tough time being an original and lively competitor. The more successful they (Coke) are, the sharper we (Pepsi) have to be.† says Roger Enrico, former CEO of Pepsi. The CSD industry profitability lies within the Cola War itself that forces major players to improve continuously. Through Porter’s five forces analysis, it becomes clear that CSD is so profitable because of the way its industry competition is shaped: high entry barriers due to newcomers’ unfavorable supply-side economies of scale, demand-side benefits of scale, and unrecoverable advertising spending; low bargaining power of suppliers and buyers since CSD requires mainly homogeneous commodities, buyers have high brand loyalty, and retailers rely heavily on CSD firms’ investments; well handled threat of substitutes; and healthy internal rivalry that is vital to continuous improvement.

The Performance Of Unilever

The Performance Of Unilever In 1999, Unilever implemented what they considered to be an ambitious strategy named Path to Growth which they believed achieved a lot in terms of brand focus, global buying, operating margins and capital efficiency (Cescau Rivers, 2007b). However, according to the then Group Chief Executive Patrick Cescau, the strategy failed to transform growth performance (Cescau Rivers, 2007b, 1). Consequently, adjustments were made to the strategy between 2005 and 2006, aimed at reorganizing and streamlining Unilevers organization and to increase awareness of the Unilever brand (Johnson Scholes, 2006). In terms of innovation, Unilever delivered bigger and better innovations, rolled out faster and to more markets (Unilever, 2009, 5). The tremendous success in fast and effective rollout of innovations was enhanced greatly by the one organizational structure (One Unilever) introduced into the business as a result of the adjustments made to Path to Growth (Unilever, 2009a). For example, the Dove Minimising Deodorant has been rolled out across 37 markets and Clear Shampoo across 37 markets. The success in this area has also been reward by the business publication Fast Company which recently recognized us as the fourth most innovative company in advertising and marketing. In terms of cost saving, the business focused on discontinuing and cutting out activities that failed to add value. The restructuring was one such activity. In 2009 alone, Unilever, achieved cost savings of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.4bn, which was better than expected and also improved working capital by à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.9bn (Unilever, 2009a. Despite these and other successes including mergers and acquisitions, operational and sustainability and corporate responsibility, Unilever also failed to achieve some of their targets. For example, in two key markets, India and Spain, we took longer to respond to changing market dynamics and to the intense level of competition especially from low-cost local competitors (Unilever, 2009a, 6). In the processed and packaged goods industry in which Unilever operates, this is a significant failing as the battle for market share is fierce (Ehlers Estes, 2007). Companies primarily achieve this primarily by cost leadership strategies, therefore the need for Unilever to continue on their cost cutting drive cannot be overestimated. Another significant challenge is their inability to develop their brands to top quality status. In their own estimation, product quality is getting better, but we need more of our products to show superiority and there is ample scope to sharpen our communications and to set the innovation bar even higher (Unilever, 2009a, 6). Financial Performance To put Unilevers performance into context, let us look at some of their financial ratios for both the financial year ended 31 December 2009 and ratio averages for a five year period which includes 2006 to 2009. Figure 1: Sales Growth (%) of Unilever, Processed Packaged Goods Industry and SPs 500. Data Source: Yahoo Finance Figure 1 shows Unilevers performance compared against its competitors and the SPs 500 benchmark which has been widely regarded as the best single gauge of the large cap US equities market since the index was first published in 1975 (Standard and Poors, nd). The chart on the left shows the close to 5% decrease in growth of Unilevers sales while the industry average recorded an increase between 2008 and 2009. This reveals that the competition is making inroads in regaining lost market share during the period of the economic downturn. The five year average for Unilever is still showing a positive although it is significantly below industry average. Figure 2 below shows the earnings per share position for the last three years for Unilever. Figure 2: Earnings per share for Unilever (2007 2009) Data source: Yahoo Finance The earnings per share ($) shows the profit attributable to each share held by Unilever for the last three years (McLaney, 2006). Despite a recovery from 2008, the 2009 EPS has fallen again and to levels below 2007s. Figure 3 shows the Price/Earnings ratio compared with competitors and the SP benchmark. Figure 3: P/E Ratio (2009) Source: Yahoo Finance The price earnings ratio is the number of years that it would take at the current share price and rate of earnings, for the earnings from the share to cover the price of the share (McLaney, 2006, 58). This is one of the most important measures investors use to assess a company. Unilever is once again operating below industry average and way below a benchmark of companies in the stock market. This implies that investors are less confident of growth in future earnings (McLaney, 2006, 58) of Unilever compared with industry average and the benchmark of leading companies. In terms of profitability, Figure one shows the position. Profitability Ratios % Unilever Industry SP Gross margin 30.40 38.50 Net margin 9.20 9.80 10.50 5 yr Gross margin 48.60 46.80 37.80 5 yr Net margin 10.10 9.50 11.30 ROCE 15.60 15.00 9.30 ROE 30.60 29.80 20.50 Table 1: Profitability Ratios Source: Yahoo Finance Gross margin figure for 2008 2009 was unavailable for Unilever. The net margin which shows the proportion of profit left for Unilever after all expenses have been taken into account is around the industry average for the period 2008 2009. The 5 year average positions for both gross and net margins are favourable for Unilever, compared to its competitors. Its 5 year gross margin is also significantly better than SPs 500. The return on capital employed (ROCE) and return on equity (ROE) positions are also marginally better than the industry average and significantly better than SPs 500. While the ROCE is a measure of profit as a percentage of total assets less current liabilities, the ROE looks at matters more specifically from the shareholders viewpoint, and reports on profit earned by shareholders after all charges have been accounted for (McLaney, 2006). Table 2 below shows the liquidity and gearing positions of Unilever and comparisons with other companies. Gearing and Liquidity Unilever Industry SP 500 Debt/Equity Ratio 0.83 0.81 1.37 Interest Coverage 48.30 21.00 27.10 Current Ratio 0.90 1.20 1.40 Quick Ratio 0.60 0.80 1.20 Table 2: Gearing and Liquidity. Data source: Yahoo Finance The Debt/Equity Ratio as with all Capital Gearing ratios is concerned with the relative sizes of the funds provided by shareholders on the one hand, and by loan creditors on the other (McLaney, 2006, 56). The higher the ratio, the riskier the business is concerned to be. In this case, the ratio is around industry average and less than the benchmark of top companies, so it should not cause too concern. The interest coverage shows that Unilever can comfortable meet interest payments as they fall due way above the industry average. In terms of liquidity, the current ratio is a measure of whether the current assets are able to meet current liabilities obligations as they fall due. This does not appear to be the case if payment is requested immediately (which a ratio of at least 1:1 will be able to do). In practice however, it is unrealistic to expect to ask for their payments at once unless the business was in serious problems. Therefore, although lower than the competition the current ratio and the quick ratio (which looks at the most liquid of assets, normally excluding inventory) should not cause panic although ways to increase it must be looked at. Brand Awareness According to Unilever, brands and innovation are at the heart of everything we do. We develop our products to keep pace with changes in consumer lifestyles and to appeal to people at all income levels. Success means getting bigger and better innovations into the market faster, supported by the very best marketing (Unilever, 2009, 8). These statements are indeed backed up by initiatives undertaken in the last few years in the UK to increase brand awareness. Some of these initiatives will be briefly described. According to Mathiesen (2009, 19), a recent campaign for Lynx for Men, one of Unilevers mens deodorants, resulted in a 56% increase in (prompted) brand awareness in the UK. This campaign was done through mobile marketing. The campaign sought to achieve the following objectives (Mathiesen, 2009): To enhance awareness of the Lynx brand To market to the 16-24 year old male who are traditionally hard to reach through traditional advertising methods To promote the Lynx brand as attractive to women and modern The success is not only evidenced by the 56% promoted awareness, according to Mathiesen (2009), 86% could recall the Lynx advert and 44% of people felt more positive about Lynx after seeing the add. Not only are Unilever working on improving product branding, they have most significantly moved to increase the company brand image. In March 2009, Unilever UK and Ireland began putting the corporate branding on its product brand advertising including TV, posters and press (Unilever, 2009b), starting with Flora. This move was influenced by research which showed that consumers in the UK and Ireland have relatively low awareness and knowledge of our company, compared to some of our competitors. They are open to the idea of us promoting Unilever more overtly and see this as a sign of honesty and transparency. For a company as large as Unilever, it is surprising that a lot of people who use a lot of their products on a daily basis do not know the name of the company. The same could not be said of its competitors like Nestle or Kraft, for instance. In an industry as competitive as the processed and packaged goods industry, where the extent of competitive rivalry is very high, brand awaren ess is a vital source of achieving and sustaining competitive advantage (Porter, 1998b). Brand Theories Indeed, the importance of Unilever focusing on promoting brand awareness is supported by relevant theory. MacDonald and Sharp (2003, 1), citing Rossiter and Percy (1987) described brand awareness as being essential for the communications process to occur as it precedes all other steps in the process. Without brand awareness occurring, no other communication effects can occur. In other words, a consumer is likely to buy a brand if they are made aware of it. MacDonald and Sharp (2003, 1) also go on to discuss memory theory where brand awareness is position as a vital first step in building the bundle of associations which are attached to the brand in memory (citing Stokes, 1985). Brand awareness is very important when a consumer is making what are usually very quick purchase decisions. According to MacDonald and Sharp (2003), where a customer can identify certain brands, he or she spends very little time looking at unfamiliar brands. Consequently, an unfamiliar brand name or one that is not aggressively promoted risks being ignored, irrespective of the quality of the product. Even after a consumer has formed a consideration set and chosen the few brands from which she will make her purchasing decision, consumers decide to purchase only familiar, well established brands (Keller, 1993). The decision is usually made very quickly as well. According to Dickson and Sawyer (1986), it takes approximately 12 seconds on average for a consumer to view product alternatives and make a choice from different brands. MacDonald and Sharp (2003, 2) also explained that brand awareness affects customers perception of quality. They cited Hoyer and Brown (1990) who found in a consumer choice study that over 70% of consumers selected a known brand of peanut butter from among a choice of three, even though another brand was objectively better quality (as determined by blind taste tests) and even though they had neither bought or used the brand before. This result is even more surprising considering the subjects were given the opportunity to taste all of the brands. Just being a brand dramatically affected their evaluation of the brand (MacDonald and Sharp, 2003, 2). Therefore, Unilever has tremendous opportunities to marry the popularity of their tremendous brand image for most of their products to the corporate brand image. With effective marketing strategies they can generate enough consumer trust and loyalty to dominate entire shopping trolleys of families. This is because in the industry that Unileve r operates in and the kind of products it offers, consumers (buyers) have high bargaining powers. There is also low switching costs which means that a consumer may decide to switch from competitors deodorants to Lynx for the simple reason that the consumer has been used to buying Knorr stock. Recommended Strategy for Unilever Vision We work to create a better future every day. We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. We will inspire people to take small everyday actions that can add up to a big difference for the world. We will develop new ways of doing business that will allow us to double the size of our company while reducing our environmental impact (Unilever, nd). SWOT Analysis Based on an internal analysis of Unilever, their strengths and weaknesses were identified. The opportunities and threats facing Unilever were also determined by undertaking an external analysis. The internal analysis included a review of its financial performance, its marketing function, employees, operations, management, and management information (including technology and RD) which helped to pinpoint Unilevers strengths and weaknesses (Lynch, 2005). The external analysis used the PESTEL and Co. framework which stands for Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Technological, Ethical, Legal and Competition. From this analysis, the opportunities and threats facing the business were identified. Strengths Global company Economies of scale Good profit margins Competitive prices Strong brand image for products Innovation Developing and emerging markets Weaknesses Room for improvement in enhancing brand awareness Negative sales growth Company still not a household name Liquidity Opportunities Focus on sustainability and corporate responsibility Speed of technological advancement Low switching costs Threats Low consumer confidence Low consumer spending Volatile political climate in developing and emerging (DE) markets Global economic downturn Fierce competition Figure 4: SWOT Analysis In terms of Unilevers strengths, as was seen from the financial analysis above, they made good profit and their level of gearing is in line with competitors. They maintain a very strong presence in the developing and emerging markets with nearly 50% of their revenues coming from areas such as India and China. However, they need to increase their brand awareness although they are doing it with targeted advertising campaigns. In terms of opportunities, Unilever are well positioned to exploit the opportunities that result from being seen as a company that takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. For example, to meet their aim of growing their business while reducing their environmental impact, our Code of Business Principles and other operational and business polices are designed to ensure that we consistently maintain high social and environmental standards an d we have established processes to track performance in these areas. Our strategy benefits from the insights of the Unilever Sustainable Development Group, comprising five external specialists in corporate responsibility and sustainability that guide and critique the development of our strategy (Unilever, 2009a) In terms of threats facing Unilever, the threat of political volatility especially in emerging markets are mitigated by Unilevers already strong presence there. There have experience of operating in these markets for a good number of years, therefore, they can cope with the volatility. However, the economic downturn has proved constraining to not only Unilever but its competitors. This has also adversely affected consumer confidence and consequently consumer spending which companies like Unilever depend on for their success. Competition is fierce due to low profitability, fairly equal market share and undifferentiated products (Ehlers Estes, 2007). To be successful in the processed and packaged goods industry, there must exist high brand awareness, effective cost management to be able to charge low prices and the commitment to meet ethical standards. Unilever have the strengths to achieve these and are well on their way to overcome weaknesses relating to brand awareness. Once brand awareness increases and the economic conditions become better then this should impact positively on their business as consumer spending and confidence returns. Strategic Options and Choice Based on the SWOT analysis above Unilever are faced with different strategic growth options which are provided below, based on Ansoffs matrix (Johnson Scholes, 2006): Market penetration of existing products into existing markets Market development of existing products into new markets New product development introducing new products into new markets Diversification new products into new markets Strategic Option 1 (Market penetration of existing products) is recommended with details as follows: Maintain and sustain competitive advantage in the DE markets where which is expected to continue to grow Focus on enhancing brand awareness in the developed markets like the UK Develop cross selling and other initiatives to increase usage by existing customers The rationale behind this strategy is that with such fierce competition, Unilevers rivals will unsurprisingly be doing all they can to increase their market share and that will include offering products at low prices. Unilever, by employing the market penetration strategy, will effectively be doing business as usual, while employing cost cutting measures designed to bolster profits. This strategy is less risky especially in an environment of a global economic downturn (Johnson Scholes, 2006). It is also recommended that the strategy be achieved through organic growth as opposed to other activities like mergers and acquisitions which have high potential for failure. In terms of competitive strategy, it is recommended that a combination of cost leadership and differentiation be employed. Although Porter argues for a single generic strategy (1998b), this is not always the best option because customers will require different thing from the same product. For example, for the success of the Lynx brand is because it combines low price with perceived coolness. This combined generic strategy has great chance of success as it enables Unilever to be price competitive while also using obtained brand loyalty to keep customers from rivals. Choosing the right strategy is important. However, more important is the successful achievement of the strategy. This will involve effective deployment of Unilevers resources (those used in the internal analysis above) to achieve set objectives. Communication is also key to ensure that those responsible for implementing the strategy buy into it sufficiently to be motivated enough to implement it successfully (Johnson Scholes, 2006). Finally, it is important that once implemented the strategy should be monitored regularly with a view of making changes or enhancing it as required to achieve set objectives.

External Influences on Child Development

External Influences on Child Development Divina Hale 1 Referring to lecture and the course reader describe both how the following factors are interrelated and how they can influence concepts of childhood: religion or culture education economy/socioeconomics healthcare *Be sure to discuss these factors as they relate to each other, not independently A+B) Culture heavily influences education during childhood. Different cultures have values that they want to instill in future generations. I think this is seen through subjects that are taught in childhood education. For example, in class we discussed how Americans advocate for basic education, but when it comes to higher education there’s a theme of only going far enough to have the skills to gain a financially secure future. (E. Miller, personal communication, March 13, 2014) In American culture it’s expected that you’ll have a good job and be able to support yourself and a potential family. Originally, this notion was geared more towards men, which is common in many cultures. Men are historically thought of as being the provider for the family. This sort of cultural gender bias has shaped the education of children in many countries. For example, Lee(2010) stated in the article Parental Educational Investments in Japan, that Japanese parents prefer to educate their sons more because they are ultimately the ones who will be the successors of their families while daughters are married out into other families. (p. 1582) It’s not to say that daughters don’t receive any education, but when resources for education are scarce, sons will be the ones to receive education instead of daughters because it gives greater benefits to the parents in the long run. Often this is because the family is short on money or they find that giving their daughter higher education is a waste, so they choose to educate their sons, who will inevitably take care of them when they get old, instead of educating their daughters who will use those skills to provide for a different family. (E. Miller, personal communication, March 13, 2014) C+D) The state of a country’s economy plays a huge role on the availability of healthcare for its population. In North America, for example, it is relatively easy to get some kind of care for even if people don’t have money or healthcare. This is because the economies there are able to support programs that advocate for nationwide medical care. Then there are those economies that aren’t healthy enough to support such programs. For children this can lead to early death or health problems that could have easily been prevented with proper care. The â€Å"Factors in health initiative Success: Learning from Nepal’s newborn survival initiative† article by Smith and Neupane(2011), says that many of the neonatal deaths that occur in Nepal could easily be prevented if the mothers had access to care. (p. 570) For people in these countries, even the most simple of illnesses can be deadly. Something so simple like diarrhea can be deadly when in places like the United States, medication to stop it can be found in almost any store. This shows how not having enough resources in an economy can affect the population and prevent it from flourishing. During one of the lectures we learned that only twenty percent of healthcare posts offer twenty-four hour service. (E. Miller, personal communication, February 18, 2014) Those that have the money for the care they need are limited to when they can receive treatment making it much more dangerous to develop an ailment outside of the hours of operation. Also some of these clinics may take many days to reach if people do not have proper transportation allowing their health problems to become that much more severe and in a child’s case they may not make it to the clinic. These clinics also do not offer care aimed solely for children. The Nepalese government has only established a healthcare system for children in Katmandu. Education From a global perspective, refer to lecture and at least two of the three articles in the reader (Hannum et al., 2009; Lee, 2010; and Lohani et al, 2010) to describe some of the specific challenges associated with educational equality or lack thereof. Referring to lecture and the reader, discuss the unique factors of Nepal in terms of how they influence Nepalese children’s current access to education. A) Two of the most prominent factors that prevent equality of education are gender and financial status. In the United States gender is usually not a factor in education equality, but financial status is. Recently in class we discussed the importance of education in our families and in the United States. We discussed how families with greater wealth are able to send their children to private schools or public schools in better neighborhoods because they have the money to do so. (E. Miller, personal communication, March 13, 2014) Those who are not able to afford such schools are likely to send their children to the nearest school to them regardless of quality. It’s also common for the parents in that family to have received a poor education and so they may not value it as much as they should. This can lead to children not valuing education either and they could lack the drive to do their best in school or decide to drop out. In places such as Japan and China, gender and financi al status play a role in education inequality. The article Parental Educational Investments in Japan says that when resources are low, parents are forced to choose which of their children will receive higher education. The level of education a child receives in Japan is largely dependent on their parents because of little public assistance. Women are also limited by little opportunities to advance and cultural incentives to stay home and care for the family. (Lee, 2010, p. 1582) These problems stifle a woman’s ability to get a better education. According to Hannum, Kong, and Zhang’s(2009) article â€Å"Family sources of educational gender inequality in rural China: A critical assessment†, in China gender differences in education are concentrated in rural areas because children are competing with their siblings for too little resources for education. (p. 475) Educating girls is also considered a waste because their future incomes do not come back to their familie s. B) In Nepal there is a struggle to provide better educations for children. Quality of Nepalese schools depends on the area and the amount of funding the school receives from the government. According to the article â€Å"Universal primary education in Nepal: Fulà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ lling the right to education† by Lohani, Balak Singh, and Lohan(2010), eighty six percent of students attend community schools. Two of the three types of community schools receive little or no aid at all. (p. 356) This leaves financially strained areas around those schools to fund the materials needed for each student. In class we learned that many of the schools are poor in quality and many students of different grades must be taught together. (E. Miller, personal communication, March 13, 2014) This lowers the quality of education that students receive. Students are also encouraged by parents to work instead of attending school. Only seven out of ten Nepalese children make it from first grade to fifth grade and over fifty percent drop out before lower secondary school. Of those who drop out most are girls. Some of the high dropout rate for females is caused by the girls going through puberty. In some areas of Nepal, menstruating females are temporarily exiled and are unable to go anywhere until the end of their cycle. (E. Miller, personal communication, March 13, 2014) This causes female students to fall behind in their studies every month which makes it hard to continue on in school. There are also few female teachers and there are no separate bathrooms for females which can be influence them to dropout. Financial status plays a role in retention too and causes some students to be unable to attend school due to the costs. Many of those who attend are also undernourished and are distracted by hunger during the day, making it hard to retain information. They are often punished by teachers because of their lack of concentration. (E. Miller, personal communication, March 13, 2014) Children in Antiquity Referring to lecture and at least one of the articles in the reader on childhood during antiquity: analyze how families and children were conceptualized during that time and discuss how we know this today. describe what factors determined how much or how little children were valued. *Be sure to differentiate between male and female children as well as ancient Rome or Greek city-states A) According to the â€Å"Children in Antiquity† article by Valerie French(1991), families in antiquity consisted of the normal mother, father, and children plus midwives, tutors, slaves, nurses and many other adults. (p. 13) This shows that child rearing was important in antiquity and was viewed as being a job that extended outside of immediate family. Wealthier families also seemed to control the amount of children they had through family planning in order to restrict the number of heirs to their fortunes. Poorer families also had controlled sizes through limited resources and poor health. Families tended to have two or three children. Occasionally the restrictions on the number of children became a problem, when there were fears that two or three children were not enough to maintain the population. The Romans were much more concerned about not being able to have enough heirs to keep up the aristocracy and not having enough soldiers for their legions. For Romans and Greeks, mothers were often the more lenient between the parents while the fathers were harsher. Romans also had family welfare plans for those in poverty to promote health and family growth. Information about the family and childhood in antiquity are not hard to find. According to our lecture, when historians analyze the information they find they must try to do so in the mindset of the author by making assumptions about their experiences and beliefs about children. (E. Miller, personal communication, February 4, 2014) This allows them to get the most out of the poems, plays, essays and biographies they find. B) For Rome children didn’t seem to have a lot of value. According to Veyne’s(2003) From Mother’s Womb to Last Will and Testament, the head of the family decided whether or not any children born into their household would be raised, abandoned or killed at birth. Abandoned children could be taken by anyone who wanted them and all of these practices were common. (p. 12) This seemed to be a common practice for Greece as well. It seems that in both Greece and Rome, male children had more importance than female. Males were thought to be the ones who would take over the family and in Rome’s case power the legions. According to â€Å"Children in Antiquity†, in Greece female children barely had an adolescent stage because they were married off so soon after hitting puberty. (French, 1991, p. 17) Their education was also very different from that of male children. Usually, after marriage it was up to the husband to complete his wife’s education. Educat ion was thought to be important by Greeks and Romans in order to ensure a good future. According to one of our lectures, Greeks tended to treat females like slaves and they were not permitted to engage in anything related to politics. (E. Miller, personal communication, February 4, 2014) From the articles cited above and class lectures, it seems that Romans and Greeks didn’t value their children as much when they were babies, potentially because of the high rate of neonatal death, but seemed to derive a lot of pleasure from their childhoods. It seems that children only really became of use when they were able to start their own families and take on higher roles in society. Even their education seems to be toward making them useful for the community instead of for the advancement of their minds. Value of children for Greeks and Romans seems to have been really situational. If a child was born and was displeasing to the head of household they were simply cast away or even sold into slavery. Female children seemed to be thought of as expendable child bearers that were not very important in the community and were left to simply care for their families. Renaissance and Puritanism Referring to class lecture and the Sommerville and Greven (i.e., Cotton Mather) articles: describe the cultural context of the Renaissance and how it set the stage for the Puritan view of childhood and emphasis on educational reform. describe Puritan practices and goals associated with each of the following: education, piety, and parenting. Discuss why the Puritans pushed for a more practical school curriculum and how Puritan values have influenced contemporary American culture. A) During the renaissance it seemed like parents became gentler towards their children and began to value them as more than just a way to continue their families. During this time parents began to shy away from so much physical punishment, as had been done in earlier times, because they believed that God was watching them. According to Sommerville’s(1990) article, Childhood Becomes Crucial: The Religious Reformations, reformers became more interested in children because of their concern for the future of the church and the children’s spiritual welfare. (p. 101) It seems like parents became aware that how they treated and taught their children would decide the future of their society. Children were taught more about what was right and wrong which began to set the stage for the wholesome childrearing tactics used by Puritans. Reformers made parents believe that their children could save the world. These reformations gave way to educational that were more rewarding for chi ldren instead of the before used tactics of fear and discipline. The structure of education changed into the system that would be used by the Puritans and one that modern education is based off of. B) Piety: According to Greven’s(1973) article, Cotton Mather: One the Education of his Children, children had to learn at early ages how to practice religion in order to be pious. (p. 43) Children were also encouraged to pray alone to develop their own tactics for prayer. Though adults believed that children had favor with God, they were taught at young ages of His watchful eye and how to stay in God’s favor. According to our lecture, puritans believed that everyone was entitled to a basic education regardless of class or economic status. (E. Miller, personal communication, February 27, 2014) Everyone was taught arithmetic, writing, and reading. Puritans also favored government assistance for schools. These two characteristics are still the base of the modern education system. Class does not determine whether we are educated or not, it only determines the quality of education. Puritan parenting methods have resemblance to methods used in modern times. Today children are encouraged to rely largely on their parents for everything and usually do so without question, until a certain age at least. According to Greven(1973), children should fully rely on their parents to guide them and know that they have their best interests at heart. (p. 44) Puritans wanted to encourage children to trust their parents instead of fearing them as they may have in the past. I also think they wanted to dissuade children from rebelling against their parents as well. According to Sommerville’s(1990) Childhood become crucial: the religious reformations, education became important because puritans believed that without a proper education their children would not be able to properly understand and teach scriptures from the bible. Even girls would be included in this primary education, which was uncommon in earlier times. (p. 105) Puritans only believed in primary education for religious purposes which are similar to America’s views that education is for making mo ney. It’s interesting that in neither time periods is education considered important as a way to increase knowledge. References French, V. (1991). Children in antiquity. In J. M. Hawes N. R. Hays (Eds.), Children in Historical and Comparative Perspective (pp. 13-29). New York: Greenwood Press. Greven, P. J. (1973). Cotton Mather: Some special points relating to the education of my children. In P. J. Greven, Child-rearing concepts, 1628-1861 (pp. 42-45). Itasca, IL: Peacock Publishers. Hannum, E., Kong, P., Zhang, Y. (2009). Family sources of educational gender inequality in rural China: A critical assessment. International Journal of Educational Development, 29(5), 474-486. Lee, K. S. (2010). Parental educational investments and aspirations in Japan. Journal of Family Issues, 31(12), 1579-1603. Lohani, S., Singh, R., Lohani, J. (2010). Universal primary education in Nepal: Fulfilling the right to education. Prospects (Paris, France), 40(3), 355-374. Sommerville, J. (1990). Childhood becomes crucial: The religious reformation. In J. Sommerville, The rise and fall of childhood (pp. 100-110). New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Smith, S. L., Neupane, S. (2011). Factors in health initiative success: Learning from Nepal’s newborn survival initiative. Social Science Magazine, 72(4), 568-575. Veyne, P. (2003). The Roman Empire: From mother’s womb to last will and testament. In Aries, P., Duby, G. A History of Private Life: From Pagan Rome to Byzantium. (pp. 9-32). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Alice Walkers The Color Purple Essay -- Race, Color Purple Essays

Rape, incest, sex, forced labor, and a little reefer on the side. These are all of the components of a novel by Alice Walker. All of these views are illustrated proficiently in Alice Walker’s third novel, â€Å"The Color Purple.† Each one of these aspects had a lasting impression upon the ideals and notions of the time. Walker's writing's helped to break the racial barrier that existed in some people's minds. One way that the barrier was destroyed was through Walker's depiction of an imperfect black person. If a white person wrote about a less than perfect black person than it was considered racist. Now that a black person is writing about other blacks that are foretaking in acts that are, in their eyes, immoral and corrupt, the subject is brought into a new light. These actions are discussed out in the open, and the idea that all people have their own "flaws", is thought to be more fisable. Walker combines all of these issues in her story in a deceptive way. They all are linked together by way of a semi-believable story line with one major overlaying theme. Prescott sums it up nicely, "Love redeems, meanness kills"(p74). This is illustrated in many ways in Walker's novel. One perfect example of this is Mr. _____. Mr. _____, as he is called throughout the novel, was a wife beater, who, having been denied Celie's sister, marries Celie to look after his children. He beats her and rapes her and is just plain nasty to her. Finally, one day, after Celie discovers another mean thing that Mr. ____ did to her, she leaves with her girlfriend to start a new life. Mr. _____ is left all alone. He starts to fall apart. He becomes afraid of the dark, and just gives up on life. That was his meanness that started to destroy his life. Now, just as Mr. ____ is nearing death, his son Harpo, starts to take care of him. Mr.___ starts to love him again. Now Mr.____'s life takes a toward revival. He becomes a new man. Once he starts to love his life starts to look up again. His and his son's love redeemed him. "The more I wonder, he say, the more I love. And people start to love you back, I bet, I say. They do, he say, surprise. Harpo seem to love me." (Walker, pg. 290) Walker's novel is very unique in regards to style. Her use of black idiom is very effective and adds the extra fragment of actuality and authenticity to the story line.... .... Shug tells Celie about how one must forget all other issues they have and stop to notice God’s creations. Celie says, â€Å"Now that my eyes opening, I feels like a fool. Next to any little scrub of bush in my yard, Mr.______’s evil sort of shrink... You have to get a man off your eyeball before you can see anything a’tall.† (204). Celie has been too caught up in her troubles to see the beauty in life right before her. The burdens in her life seem like nothing compared to the splendor of Gods creation. Celie is a good example of how certain qualities of different people can form a strong woman. Unlike Shug, Celie doesn’t need men in her life and doesn’t have to confront that burden. Celie learns to be valorous and stick up for herself from both Sofia and Shug. She always had the power to love and trust but Shug makes it stronger by telling Celie to look past her hardships and notice the gifts that God has given her. By gaining this knowledge Celie transforms into a whole new woman and she is finally happy with her life. She has a high self-esteem and is surrounded by the people she loves. Work Cited: Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Harcourt, 1982. Alice Walker's The Color Purple Essay -- Race, Color Purple Essays Rape, incest, sex, forced labor, and a little reefer on the side. These are all of the components of a novel by Alice Walker. All of these views are illustrated proficiently in Alice Walker’s third novel, â€Å"The Color Purple.† Each one of these aspects had a lasting impression upon the ideals and notions of the time. Walker's writing's helped to break the racial barrier that existed in some people's minds. One way that the barrier was destroyed was through Walker's depiction of an imperfect black person. If a white person wrote about a less than perfect black person than it was considered racist. Now that a black person is writing about other blacks that are foretaking in acts that are, in their eyes, immoral and corrupt, the subject is brought into a new light. These actions are discussed out in the open, and the idea that all people have their own "flaws", is thought to be more fisable. Walker combines all of these issues in her story in a deceptive way. They all are linked together by way of a semi-believable story line with one major overlaying theme. Prescott sums it up nicely, "Love redeems, meanness kills"(p74). This is illustrated in many ways in Walker's novel. One perfect example of this is Mr. _____. Mr. _____, as he is called throughout the novel, was a wife beater, who, having been denied Celie's sister, marries Celie to look after his children. He beats her and rapes her and is just plain nasty to her. Finally, one day, after Celie discovers another mean thing that Mr. ____ did to her, she leaves with her girlfriend to start a new life. Mr. _____ is left all alone. He starts to fall apart. He becomes afraid of the dark, and just gives up on life. That was his meanness that started to destroy his life. Now, just as Mr. ____ is nearing death, his son Harpo, starts to take care of him. Mr.___ starts to love him again. Now Mr.____'s life takes a toward revival. He becomes a new man. Once he starts to love his life starts to look up again. His and his son's love redeemed him. "The more I wonder, he say, the more I love. And people start to love you back, I bet, I say. They do, he say, surprise. Harpo seem to love me." (Walker, pg. 290) Walker's novel is very unique in regards to style. Her use of black idiom is very effective and adds the extra fragment of actuality and authenticity to the story line.... .... Shug tells Celie about how one must forget all other issues they have and stop to notice God’s creations. Celie says, â€Å"Now that my eyes opening, I feels like a fool. Next to any little scrub of bush in my yard, Mr.______’s evil sort of shrink... You have to get a man off your eyeball before you can see anything a’tall.† (204). Celie has been too caught up in her troubles to see the beauty in life right before her. The burdens in her life seem like nothing compared to the splendor of Gods creation. Celie is a good example of how certain qualities of different people can form a strong woman. Unlike Shug, Celie doesn’t need men in her life and doesn’t have to confront that burden. Celie learns to be valorous and stick up for herself from both Sofia and Shug. She always had the power to love and trust but Shug makes it stronger by telling Celie to look past her hardships and notice the gifts that God has given her. By gaining this knowledge Celie transforms into a whole new woman and she is finally happy with her life. She has a high self-esteem and is surrounded by the people she loves. Work Cited: Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Harcourt, 1982.

College Admissions Essay: A Happy Memory Never Wears Out :: College Admissions Essays

A Happy Memory Never Wears Out "Recall it as often as you wish, a happy memory never wears out." Because some of my happiest memories have developed through my volunteer work, I agree with Libbie Fudim. It's always delightful to remember the way a face lights up after I have completed a job for someone. Since my freshman year of high school, I have been involved in over 100 hours of volunteer work. Some areas I have worked in are helping teachers, campaigning for lieutenant governor, University of Mississippi and building houses with Habitat for Humanity and World Changers with my church youth group, working at Countyseat Animal Hospital, and assisting with the Special Olympics at Hernando Middle School. I plan to attend the University of Mississippi and participate in a study abroad program. As a person with a college major in dentistry and a minor in Spanish, I can give back to my community in numerous ways. First, dentists have the opportunity to give back to their communities in monetary ways such as buying equipment for the local athletic organizations, medical clinics, and homeless shelters. Without donations, these places could not survive. Because I love to learn about new cultures, I plan on creating a scholarship fund for students to study abroad. Also, I will participate in mission projects where I buy supplies and give the needy dental care. In my own clinic I will choose a certain day and do pro bono work. "¿ Quieres Jugar al futból?" With a degree in Spanish, I'll start a soccer team for the rapidly growing Hispanic culture in DeSoto County, Mississippi. With the education from college Spanish classes, I will be able not only to communicate with my players but also to translate for the opposing teams that speak English. Also, this will allow people in my community to share other's cultures. Since soccer is a very popular sport in Hispanic countries, my efforts will allow the Hispanic minority to be active and adjust more easily to the United States. I will also volunteer at Baptist DeSoto Hospital by translating information to the patients, doctors, and nurses and at the First Regional Library or the DeSoto Literacy Council, where I can help Spanish-speaking people read, write, or do homework. I have been blessed with a wonderful family who know that succeeding is very important.

Czech Republic :: Czech Europe Essays

Czech Republic We just arrived in the Czech Republic; once part of the Holy Roman Empire and then the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Czechoslovakia (as it was then known) became an independent nation at the end of World War I. The Czech republic is located North of Hungary, South of Poland, East of Germany, and West of the Ukraine and Russia. The capital of the Czech republic is Prague. The Czech Republicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exact position is - longitude, - latitude. Pragueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s coordinates are longitude by latitude. We arrived in the Czech Republic on and left for on . While in the Czech Republic we visited many unique sights. One of the most impressive was Prague Castle. It is the most popular and most visited sight in the Czech Republic, so it was a must see attraction for us. We also went to The Castle St. Vitus, the Cathedral, (which is a gothic landmark), three courtyards, and many huge & beautiful gardens. We visited another church, St. Nicholas, it had a large green cupola. We wanted to get a feel for the people of the country, so we went to Old Town. Old Town is the working heart of Prague, as it has been since the 10th Century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of the buildings we went in had gothic insides and Roman basements. One day we had a picnic on a three hundred and eighteen-meter high hill called Petrin Hill. On top there is actually a network of eight parks. While we were there we stopped at the observatory Petrin Tower. Petrin Tower looks like a small Eiffel Tower and was built in 1891. We climbed the 299 steps for only 25 kc, (which is Czech money). Next we went to Wencelas Square. This square is the center of cultural, financial and everyday life. There are a lot of theaters, shops, store and banks around to use. After our adventure in the square we went to see Josefov, the Old Jewish Quarters. Praguesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ former Jewish ghetto was located in Old Town within the streets of Kaprova, Plouha and Ankozi. During World War II the Nazisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ under the control of Hitler wiped out this community.