Monday, September 30, 2019

Circular Flow Essay

In the textbook, there are two circular flow diagrams. One represents the flows in the macro-economy as a closed system and the other represents the flows as an open system. The circular flow diagrams show how money travels through the economic systems including businesses, households, foreign agents and governments (Editorial Board, 2013). Within the closed and open systems there are two consumers. The first consumers are households that buy goods and services and the second consumers are those businesses that purchase factors to produce. Households enter the goods market while the businesses enter factor markets. The first type of circular flow is that of the closed macro-economy system. This is the circular flow of money. A closed system is an economic model that counts only domestic exchanges but not the foreign agents. This therefore means that without foreign agents, the government or the economy is free of leakages. This system is basically shut off from surrounding environments and is self-contained. An example of a closed system would be the Earth system as a whole. Although energy passes across the Earth’s system boundary, no mass is exchanged throughout the Earth’s system and the rest of the universe (Ritter, M., 2011). The second type of circular flow in the macro-economy is considered the open system. The open system is the opposite of the closed system. It is an economic model that counts goods and services exchanged domestically and between nations (Editorial Board, 2013). In the diagram in the textbook, it indicates the circular flow of money in an open economy system. Open systems allow energy and mass to pass through and across the system boundary. An example of an open system would be the ocean. The ocean is considered an open system because it allows energy and mass to pass through. Energy which is solar radiation, latent heat and mass including water vapor and precipitation all pass across the boundary between the atmosphere and  hydrosphere of the ocean. In the closed system, households spend their money not only on domestic products but also on goods and services. While looking over the diagram should in the textbook, the inner flow of the closed system includes land, labor, and capital given to businesses from households to receive goods and services to the household. Households use the income (wages and salaries) for services offered to business to purchase goods and services from other businesses. On the other hand, businesses use the money received from households to buy factors of production they require. Thus, money flows in a circular motion within the economy. Therefore, the outer flows of a closed system include money from the household to business in order to pay for wages and rent for the houses. In the open system, there are more flow levels to consider. An open system considers the flow of money both domestically and internationally between countries. This system includes the government, households, and businesses. The demand for imports from a foreign economy consists of goods for investment, consumption of government goods. The government however enters the factor market as well as the goods market. It enters the factor market in order to obtain domestic labor, capital, and other factors of production to provide goods and services. The government enters the goods market to purchase these goods and services such as cars, trucks, pens or pencils. After the government lends out public services to the household and businesses, the households sends labor, land and capital to businesses and receive goods and services from those businesses as they pay taxes to the government. The next level flow which is the outer flow consists of money sent from the household to the businesses for wages and rent to be paid for the household. Leakages are taxes, savings, and import expenditures not spend in the economy. There are several leaks in the open system which includes leaks from households to companies, businesses to owners of factors of production and from both households and businesses to the government. Money leakages are created when an American consumer buys imports or when a company in the United States hires someone from India to work as a customer service representative. The households leaks when consumers buy goods and services from foreign businesses, and the money those households save whether in checking accounts or stocking. The business leaks when firms use labor, capital and other resources from foreign households. These leaks then inject money into the system. Injection is considered as things that enter into the households or businesses due to the leaks that were caused in the open system. An injection that comes into the household is that of foreign firms sending wages and rent to US households. An injection that comes into the businesses is that of foreign households purchasing goods produced by US firms. An example of a leakage would be a household buying a foreign car from a foreign company outside the United States. An example of an injection would be households in japan purchasing pens and pencils from firms in the United States. The difference between closed systems and open systems can be defined easily. Getting a better understanding of the two systems and how they work can help us operate throughout our daily lives and the world around us. As we grow we continue to learn about our economy and how the government interacts with households and companies. References Editorial Board (2013). Introduction to Macroeconomics. Web retrieved from http://wow.coursesmart.com/9781934920541/firstsection#X2ludGVybmFsX0J2ZGVwRmxhc2hSZWFkZXI/eG1saWQ9OTc4MTkzNDkyMDU0MS8zMA== Ritter, Michael E. The Physical Environment: an Introduction to Physical Geography. http://www4.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/earth_system/types_of_systems.html

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Marketing and Its Components Essay

Environmental analysis of UK: In order to achieve success in implementing some marketing plan, PEST analysis plays a major role because it allows the organizations to do a complete analysis of political, economic, social and technological aspects of the organization and the evidence can be taken from the example of Tesco UK. The success factor of Tesco can be analyzed from the marketing strategy it has assumed in order to deal with the potential customers of United Kingdoms. However, this company has taken all the basic concepts of marketing under consideration while making its strategic plan. Here is the PEST analysis of Tesco UK. Political: The organizations which have political backup and keeps the political aspects under consideration while marketing its service get promulgation within no time. For instance, Tesco is an international supermarket; its policies are always compatible to the regions in which it provides its services. In UK, it has also kept this thing under consideration and that’s why, got exceptional response from the customers. In this regard, following steps have been taken: †¢It has fulfilled legislative requirements of United Kingdoms †¢There is no violation of Labor law, environmental law, trade law, health and tariff restrictions †¢Policies have been developed keeping the political scenarios under consideration †¢Tesco has also developed its own ethical and sustainability policy keeping the national ethical policy of UK in view Economic: Since UK market is one of the most sensitive markets of the world, economic sustainability is another factor that needs thorough analysis in order to deal with any marketing situation. Most of the consumer within UK requires a product that suits not only their lifestyle but also their budget. Though brand loyalty and trust is also a positive factor that can be regarded as a strong reason for the success of this organization, still some consumers find it difficult to buy costly products. Tesco UK has also kept this thing in view and provided different solutions in the form of competitive prices and sales. However, the economic analysis of Tesco indicates †¢Potential investment of company authorities within UK †¢Payment of taxes on each product †¢Adoption of sensitive price strategy †¢Paying interest rate †¢Extensive participation in regional economic growth Social: The analysis of social factors of Tesco UK is as followed: †¢Targeting young people for product marketing †¢Increasing demand of the international products due to increasing migrants †¢Multi-cultural customers †¢Bargaining power of customers †¢Safety issues like inability of customers to understand product precautions Technological: As far as technological factors are concerned, Tesco has also kept this aspect under consideration while marketing its services in United Kingdoms. †¢Automatic payment system †¢Auto-checking while entering and exiting from supermarket †¢Use of electronic system for cash and balance †¢Implementation of safety cameras in supermarkets †¢Wireless devices †¢RFID Control of Tesco over environmental factors: As far as the environmental factors that are beyond the control of Tesco UK are concerned, it is the competitive forces, suppliers, customers, inflation ratio and technological advancement which have affected sustainability of Tesco in one way or other. Competitors: Potential competitors of Tesco UK are as followed: †¢Wal-Mart †¢Costcutter †¢Carrefour As far as online competitors are concerned, they involve †¢Ebay UK †¢Amazon UK Customer: Another aspect that is beyond the control of Tesco UK is bargaining power of customers. The demands of customers vary with the passage of time and Tesco UK has to assume change management strategy keeping the changing demands of the customers. In this regard, the factors that can affect Tesco directly involve †¢Bargaining power of customers †¢Recession †¢Limited budget of customers †¢Changing requirements according to the trend Inflation ratio: Inflation ratio is another aspect which is beyond the control of Tesco UK since there are several factors which contribute in such cases and if this supermarket gives potential discounts on each product that threats the sustainability of their relation with suppliers. However, this thing is controlled to a small extent through providing different packages and sales in low seasons, Technological advancement: Since with the advancement in technology, consumers are also attracting towards online shopping, online platforms have taken the position of strong competitors. A consumer seeks ease through purchasing products from online portal that can deliver the objects at home. Though Tesco also has its own web portal yet the technological advancement makes it complex for this organization to adopt appropriate strategy in each country. However, through adopting timely change management strategy, this organization can deal with such situation. Section 2: Creating and sustaining competitive advantages: Tesco is the third largest grocery store of the worlds and there are ample potential competitors which can be regarded as the core competent of this organization. However, still this organization has been gaining competitive advantages through sustaining and assuming competitive advantage strategy. As far as the core competitors of Tesco in this industry are concerned, Wal-Mart and Carrefour are two leading organizations that compete with Tesco on global level. The reason why it had remained on third position is that it had initiated its service after a long time. However, it is the competitive advantages which it has sustained in regional as well as global competitive market that it has been positioned on third rank among all supermarkets of the world. As far as the strategies in order to gain competitive advantage are concerned, there are several creative and sustainable competitive strategies which can be developed in order to gain competitive advantage in this industry. In this regard, Porter’s generic strategies can be utilized because all the successful organizations like Wal-Mart and Carrefour have gained such position only through assuming exceptional competitive strategy. The first strategy that can be promulgated in this regard is cost leadership strategy which would enable Tesco to offer its services and products to not only national but international consumers and markets in lowest cost. For this purpose, they would also have to control the overall cost of the operations so that they can easily maintain investment and this price control strategy never affects this organization in one way or other. Through assuming this strategy, Tesco would be able to generate not only potential profit but also competitive advantage as well. If Tesco would use differentiation strategy as indicated by Porter, it would enable this organization to offer its products and services to its customers promulgating unique features and value added services that would attract potential customers a lot. This would also give competitive advantage in the form of brand loyalty of customers and double profit. Differentiation can be generated through assuming novel technological feature, providing value added service, exceptional customer service etc. Another option to create and sustain competitive advantage in local as well as international markets is market penetration. For instance, for Tesco, it might be difficult to assume differentiation or cost leadership strategy since it requires price maintenance. It can also make its marketing sources exceptional. For this purpose, as indicated in Ansoff Matrix, market penetration strategy would prove ample lucrative. It means this organization can gain competitive advantages through penetrating in existing market, find potential sources for promulgating its products and services and then focusing on internal efficiencies in order to come up with the requirements of the consumers. Nevertheless, Tesco can gain competitive advantage through assuming cost leadership and differentiation strategy in global market since it would enable this organization to compete with global giants. However, market penetrations strategy would work if this organization wants to create and sustain exceptional position in local markets like that of United Kingdoms and China. However, it cannot be stated that Tesco used to utilize such strategies without doing market analysis. In this regard, Tesco does market analysis through assessing its market position and contemporary ratio of market growth which enables it to analyze which strategy would enable it to compete on global as well as local level and in this regard, the significance of BCG matrix cannot be neglected. Some organizations used to employ all these strategies collaboratively and consider that there will be competitive advantage that is a wrong notion. That’s why most of them stuck in the middle and ultimately find it difficult to sort out the best option. This is not the case with Tesco since it’s a global organization and its management has exceptional expertise in dealing with such kind of situation assuming the best strategy that can generate passive competitive advantages. Hence, these are some of the potential options which an organization can utilize for competing with the strongest competitor in its relevant industry but before assuming any particular strategy, the organization needs to have its portfolio analysis as well. the examples of Tesco, Wal-Mart and Carrefour can be taken as evidence in this regard since Tesco has assumed strategic option through analyzing its contemporary position in global market and hence, gained successful position as well, Section 3: Product life cycle: A product life cycle possesses different stages like introduction, growth, maturity and decline. However, the marketing strategies vary according to the changing stage of product life cycle and the organizations that use appropriate strategic options according to the requirements of the contemporary scenario, get success in product marketing. On first stage, organizations used to apply marketing Mix elements in which, it suggests specifications of products, appropriate price, promotion strategies and place where it can gain successful position. Different examples can be seen in the form of Toyota motors, McDonald fast food industry and Tesco service providers in this regard. For example, Toyota wants to launch one of its product, the initial strategy that it would adopt will be determining price specifying promotion strategy and place, promulgating product specifications. Product: design, specification, how it works, extra benefits of using it etc Price: initially the cost would be low since this new product would take time to make its position in the markets. Promotion: this section would indicate promotional strategies like launching product providing value added services Place: this section indicates the best market for promulgating new vehicle like United Kingdoms, Canada etc. The second stage is referred to as Growth stage. At this point, the strategic plan differentiated through assuming growth strategy like market development etc. For instance, when Tesco opened new store in China, it achieved growth status through developing market and for that purpose, it affiliated itself with one of the regional supermarkets that enabled this supermarket to have potential growth in new market. The third stage is referred to maturity stage. On this stage, the product or service got its mature status and for its sustainability, different strategies are adopted in order to maintain its position through assuming change management strategy if required. Market penetration strategy is considered the best option in such cases since through constant penetration in market, the contemporary position of the product and service is analyzed. For instance, in UK markets, environment changes are uncertain and this thing affects the requirements of consumers. So, Tesco UK constantly do market penetration in order to sustain its position and cope with competitors. Last stage is referred to the decline stage and it is considered the death of the product. However, some companies assume differentiation and diffusion of innovation strategy in order to sustain its product and regain its mature stage. The example can be taken from McDonalds India. Its product for non-vegetarian though gained ample success in the beginning but soon, customers fed up with it. McDonalds India assumed differentiation strategy and attracted customers through introducing vegetarian burgers and deals. Diffusion of innovation strategy: Diffusion of innovation is one of the effective strategies that can regenerate lost position of a product. Through promulgating product marketing its innovative features, organization can easily cope with decline stage of PLC. There are several examples which can be quoted for proving the authenticity of this strategy With the propagation of KFC and PizzaHut, customers transformed their concentration from McDonalds and this thing affected its profitability ratio badly. The management of McDonalds contemplated to regain its position and ultimately found diffusion of innovation as the best source to deal with this issue. Finally, they introduced McFlurry which attracted most of their customers back. Hence, this thing not only made it possible for the organization to get its customers back but the profitability ratio also increased simultaneously. Hence, marketing strategy plays a major role in developing and sustaining products or services in local as well as global markets but along with using innovative strategy, the organization should also have potential to assume change management strategy according to the contemporary requirements.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Definition on Love Essay

A definition essay on love strives to define it as an emotion felt and displayed by humans, animals, and all living beings in their own way. It is a topic that has been written about through the ages and has found its way into books on literature and religion. Love knows no bounds and language is never a barrier. Wars have been fought over it. People have been and are still influenced by the emotion of love. Some of the best literary works are based on love, and even movie makers bank on it to win over viewers and create a hit. Love can be expressed in many ways. God has shown his love for us by offering us the emotion to share with others. In return, we love God for all the wonderful things he has given us. Our devotion towards God demonstrates love in the form of reverence. The love formed out of respect is the same love we have for our elders, family, and people we look up to. In a love essay, you could elaborate on love that one has for his family. It could be connected with religion, respect, or pure love not based on any conditions. A Romeo and Juliet essay is the ideal love story between man and woman. The word â€Å"romance† has been used in many ways to show love and affection between Romeo and Juliet. In modern society, people who are romantically attracted exhibit their love for each other with the help of cards, gifts, and words of love. The way love is expressed changes materially but the emotion remains the same. Couples find love in sex, affection for each other, and by communicating with each other more frequently. In fact, mankind has evolved through love between Adam and Eve. When you have to write a definition essay on love, aim to write a drama essay that incorporates love as its theme. It would generate interest among readers, and you would find many definition essay examples to choose from. The best way to write such an essay would be to look up dialogues from literary works of famous authors like William Shakespeare. Dialogues are the true expression of love that is exhibited through words. The best part is that you can refer to literary works written through the ages and get inspiration from the one you like the most. There are several other definition essay topics you can choose. It basically depends on the audience you want to write for. The topics could be on relationships in the family. You could write about the love between brothers and sisters. How different is a father’s love for his children from a mother’s love? You need to be old enough to really understand romantic love between two people, which is very intimate and sexual in nature. The aim of your essay differs with age. Choose more complex topics on love as you grow older. The emotion of love is progressive. You would be in a better position to write about love in its various manifestations when you personally experience it. The definition essay on love would truly carry your personal point of view, which of course would make writing the essay very easy.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management BEM2004 Essay - 1

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management BEM2004 - Essay Example It includes a discussion of concepts relating to the meaning of work, globalization and the enterprise culture, which are significant factors that influence the existence of paid employment. Paid employment refers to work whereby the serving holds clear or understood employment agreements that offer them fundamental remuneration that is independent of the income gained by the section or department that the person works. The employer may be a business organization, government, non-profit organization or a family unit. The method of payment differs depending on the agreement. It might be in form of wages that can be paid hourly, weekly or per unit of output. Salaries are equal amounts that are paid regularly to the worker upon expiry of the agreed period; while others such as salesmen are paid by commission depending on the amount they sell (Baruch, 2006). The industrial revolution brought major changes in people’s lifestyles at the turn of the 20th century. The global society that was used to the traditional work such as small scale farming, herding, hunting and gathering was transformed in to a modern society that worked in the emerging manufacturing industries and construction and mining companies. The new industries employed millions of people in the early 20th century. Even though employment opportunities were created in the new industries, the wages that the average workers were paid were insufficient. People worked for long hours and were exposed to injuries (Norberg, 2003). During this early period of industrialization, work was structured in a scientific way whereby people were considered as essential components of the machine. They were taught simple skills that helped them perform special functions in the process of production under close supervision by owners. Under such circumstances, workers were dehumanized by the scientific management that was mainly focused on the results rather than the process of production. Performance based pay made

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Personal Statement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Statement - Assignment Example A few years ago, my dad developed Parkinsons disease. Despite the fact that I am currently pursuing my studies in chiropractic school in Los Angeles, I am the only person in my family with the ability and position to assist him and provide care. Due to the severity of my dads disease, I am forced to drive everyday from San Diego, my home town, to Los Angeles to attend classes on a daily basis. It is in this regard that I am applying for a care giver scholarship in order to learn the various element of care giving. According to a definition explicated by Mayo Clinic, Parkinsons disease is a "Progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement" (para.1). It is important to note that Parkinsons disease develops steadily, and having a close relative or family member with the disease elevates the risk of its development in other family members. The comprehension that development of Parkinsons disease is correlated to genetics and my role as a care giver partly influenced my decision to major in Chiropractics. This has been geared towards gaining knowledge to help my dad cope with the effects of Parkinsons disease and also to learn and understand how to reduce the risk of developing the disease owing to my elevated risks in relation to hereditary factors. In essence, chiropractic is a career path that spotlights on disorders of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and related consequences. As reiterated by American Chiropractic Association (para.1), chiropractic deals with cure and management of neuromuscular and cardiovascular problems such as back and neck pains. Having witnessed my father struggling with the effects of the disease particularly difficulties in walking and back pains, I believed that a chiropractic course would help gain relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities that I could apply in helping my dad cope with the effects of Parkinsons disease. This scholarship will be helpful to me in my

Home Land Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Home Land Security - Research Paper Example In terms of the security issues at port, the maritime transport act was introduced to provide more security in the ports and to decrease the case of smuggling and entry of terrorist. In road transport, the overall surveillance of the transport system increased considerably with implementation of technology to improve the security system. The transportation Security in USA has become matter of prime concern since the September, 11 attacks in the country. The US government dedicated their best efforts in increasing the security system of the country in every mode of transportation. As an initiative to make the transport system more secure, the Transportation Security Administration started operating under the US Department of Homeland Security. The primary objective of the agency was to provide safety and security to the traveling public based in the country so that any an incident like 9/11 does not occur again. Special task was assigned to develop policies to protect the overall transportation system in the country with a special focus on airport security and in the prevention of hijacking of aircrafts. The federal government also adopted special policies to look after the security issues in highways, roads, railways and in ports. Over the years the security in the transportation system have modified in a large exte nt to protect the common public. In the process of securing the transportation system the US government faced massive challenge in as providing security to hundreds of airports along with the sea ports and transit service proved to a daunting task. Much of the responsibility for strengthening the aviation system was assigned to the TSA which came into existence just after the massive attack on world trade center. TSA was engaged with the screening process of the passengers and the property. In the newly reformed security system in aviation, explosive

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Individuals who qualify to be entrepreneurs must be creative with abilities to come up with solutions to curb the emerging challenges in the business atmosphere. As a result of their efforts to utilize the resources available and exploit the opportunities available, entrepreneurs enjoy rewards in the form of increased profits and strong customer loyalty. Leadership and creative characteristics of an entrepreneur One of the major leadership characteristics of an entrepreneur is the ability to form strong teams that are vital in the achievement of their own goals as well as those of the entire business. Additionally, management skills are essential for the success of any entrepreneur. For example, since most of the entrepreneurs are manage and control their employees without being accountable to the directors or other senior people, they should have excellent management skills. In this way, they are able to formulate effective policies that guide other employees in their responsibiliti es. In the same way, entrepreneur must have adequate marketing skills. In this way, they will be able to come up with innovative products that will effectively face off their competitors in the market. Skills in customer care and environment analysis are additional characteristics that assist an entrepreneur in maintaining high level of customer loyalty. Skills in environment analysis are fundamental in the sense that they helps an entrepreneur when undertaking a SWOT analysis especially when expanding his or her venture, while contemplating on going global or when forming merger with related firms. How to become a successful entrepreneur One of the major ways to become a successful entrepreneur is by doing what you enjoy most. By undertaking a business venture in the field that one enjoys, an individual will gain from personal satisfaction and financial gain. To ensure a successful business, an entrepreneur should adopt the culture of planning all his or her undertakings. Business planning is vital on the bases that it helps business owners in analyzing business situation thus making a viable conclusion. Additionally, business planning assists entrepreneurs in developing individual and corporate goals. Being used as a yardstick of raising the business to the next level, business plan is used by successful entrepreneurs, as an avenue of raising extra capital from the investors and financial institutions. Successful companies manage money wisely. In order to ensure that businesses meet the short-term and long-term liabilities it is fundamental to ensure that cash outflow is maintained at the minimum level while the inflows are maximized. A successful entrepreneur must be able to pay for the inventory and services as well as replace tools and equipments that are used in the production facility. One of the major ways of effective money management is to ensure that income generated from the exchange of goods and services is appropriately utilized. In this way, a b usiness is able to meet its goals. Secondly, an entrepreneur must ensure that adequate money is kept to cater for wages, supplies and inventory that are vital for the daily

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Concepts and Problems in Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concepts and Problems in Macroeconomics - Essay Example Japan is a consumer society where consumer spending fuels the economy. Analyzing the relationship between consumer confidence, GDP, and unemployment can give some insight into how closely perceptions are aligned with reality. Figure 1 indicates the relationship between the GDP and confidence levels. Both employment confidence and consumer confidence are closely related. However, the Figure 1 (Data from Worsley 2007) confidence levels trail the change in GDP by 12 months. The GDP bottomed out in 2002, but confidence did not hit a minimum until 2003. Likewise, the decline in 2005 did not impact confidence levels until the middle of 2006 when employment confidence fell and consumer confidence flattened out. Figure 2 shows the relationship between relationship between GDP and real unemployment. The steep rise in GDP between 2002- 2004 precipitated a Figure 2 (Data from Japan: Unemployment rate 2007) steady decline in the real unemployment rate beginning in 2003 and continuing through 2006. The Japanese public is keenly aware of the unemployment rate and is reflected in their spending confidence. The public's real measure of economic health is employment and trails the change in GDP by 12-24 months. Predicting consumer confid... By monitoring the GDP, Japan can expect the unemployment rate to follow the same trend in a period of 12-24 months later. Confidence levels, both consumer and employment, will track the unemployment rate directly. Investors can take advantage of this situation by preparing for an upturn in spending 12-24 months after the GDP begins to move upward. GDP 1. 1. Calculate real GDP for 2005 and 2006 using 2005 prices. By what percent did real GDP grow 2005 GDP = (90*18) + (180*100) = 1620 + 18000 = $19,620 2006 GDP @ 2005 prices = (100 *18) + (190*100) = 1800+19000 = $20,800 GDP Growth = (20,800 - 19620) / 19620 = .0601 = 6.01% 2. Calculate the value of the price index for GDP for 2006 using 2005 as the base year. By what percent did prices increase (90*20) + (180*110) = 1800 + 19800 = $21,600 PI = (21600 - 19620) / 19620 = 1980 / 19620 = .1009 = 10.09% 3. Now calculate real GDP for 2005 and 2006 using 2006 prices. By what percent did real GDP grow GDP 2005 @ 2006 prices = $21,600 GDP 2006 = (100*20)+(190*110) = 2000+20900= 22,900 Growth = (22900 - 21600) / 21600 = 1300/21600 = .0601 = 6.01% 4. Review the GDP information for the past few years from the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Website. Provide a brief summary of the GDP trends over that timeframe and discuss two or three events which may have caused these trends. GDP has generally steadily risen in recent history. It stagnated in the early 70s due the oil embargo. Since Q2 in 2001, the GDP has risen every quarter except Q3 in 2001. This was probably a result of 9/11. The GDP had recovered by Q1 of 2002 and has had steady growth through this period of deficit spending. Hong Kong and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Unit_10_TAEASS403B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Unit_10_TAEASS403B - Essay Example This would also ensure that the assessment that are in relation to the standards of the industry are consistent with the learning outcomes that are relevant and the specific criteria of performance for the qualifications, training fields, units of competency and the levels of qualification. In addition to this, this action would give the assessor knowledge concerning the effectiveness and appropriateness of the system of assessment in their work. It would also help in evaluating the assessment objectives process that would be used, and in confirming the decisions that they would make in relation to the assessment competency. The information regarding the assessment benchmarks could be gathered from a number of sources. This includes other RTOs, industrial associations, professional associations, networks, and the relevant ITABS. In order to prepare, Jeremy and other assessor would need to identify the person to be involved in validation; agree and determine the focus and purpose of validation; identify the particular tools, instruments, methods, situations of assessment, and results of assessment that may come under scrutiny; identify the required standards and benchmarks; identifying the head of the process of validation; finding out the functions and activities of other individuals that would be involved in the process of validation, and agreeing on the approach and method of validation. The rule of evidence shows out that all the evidence must be sufficient, authentic, and current. The assessor needs to gather enough evidence so as to ensure that the assessment candidate would be competent in all the elements of the criteria of performance. The collected evidence needs to be recent to ensure the assessment of current competency thus validity. Additionally the assessors should also make sure that the gathered evidence belonged to the candidate. On the other hand, the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Jennifer Lopez Essay Example for Free

Jennifer Lopez Essay Using the video clip, the magazine article and the newspaper article, analyse how a positive image of a celebrity is presented through the different media. You should compare and contrast the different ways they are presented. I have been given an assignment to discuss a magazine article, a newspaper article and a video clip. I have chosen to discuss Jennifer Lopez. I will be discussing the magazine article first followed by the newspaper article and finally by the video clip. First of all I am going to discuss the picture in the magazine article, the picture we are given is in black white, which, is slightly a disadvantage when talking and discussing articles. The picture of Jennifer Lopez in the magazine article is covering more than half the page; the picture of Jennifer Lopez has been taken from such an angle so the viewers can only see one side of her face. Pictures such as this, which are taken from the side, are very popular. Viewers say they rather have a picture from the side of a person rather than a straight picture from the front. The picture has been enhanced and edited to show the best bit of Jennifers body. I. e. her buttocks. The picture of Jennifers body has been edited such as extra shadow has been placed on the picture of her body to give the look of a healthy and fit looking skin with a golden look, the shadow and enhancement make the curves of her slim and smooth body more attractive which she keeps talking about and attract more viewers. The picture enhances the buttocks with the frilly underwear she is wearing, she wears this to make her buttocks looks smaller as she thinks it is too large, this is one of the reasons she is not wearing a thong although many admirers and fans think her buttocks is the most desired part of Jennifer Lopezs body. The text in the magazine article of Jennifer Lopez is a main part of the magazine as it tells us what we the viewers and readers want to hear and see. The text although compared to other articles may be placed somewhere near the top of the page, this text has been brought down next to her buttocks as when readers read the text, where it quotes straight from the text, derriere(backside), you wouldnt to search for it as it has been correctly positioned so you can look straight over as you read the text. Her name Jennifer Lopez has not been placed in Capital Letters although people think of her as a sex symbol. The magazine article NEW do not seem to mind publishing J-Los age as some people prefer that as a private matter, nevertheless she has the sign of being number 1 on the side of the text which shows that she is a very high ranking lady and a title at the top saying she is (in this magazine) the sexiest woman at this time. The first line of the text in the magazine article is a quotation, which is supposedly from Jennifer Lopez herself. She says, I have a very curvaceous body and I like to accentuate that. She then goes on to say, To me its a beautiful thing. Quotation from anybody in an article is a very persuasive technique to pull new readers to get the interested; the public is pulled in to think like her, which is part of the repetition technique. The quotation, tells us she shows of her body and her beauty to he public. Showing the body can be a good technique in getting large amounts of new readers to get the interested. Repetition is brought in to the text even though it is a short piece of text, the article repeats on how her body has those beautiful curves yet they also decide to talk about her career and some of her personal life. The article brings in a short sentence when they say she married a wrong person such as P DIDDY. What was she thinking, this was quoted when they gave a remark over P DIDDY her ex-husband. This remark makes the male readers think you should have come to me instead. A rhetorical question is used, What was she thinking, this is used when the remarked her ex-husband P-DIDDY, this sometimes make the public think twice before they judge the article and Jennifer Lopez. The magazine article although very short gives a positive impression towards Jennifer Lopez especially at the talk of her body. Remember the magazine article can never have as much impact as the video, this is because the video has motion clips and sound to go with pictures as in the newspaper and the magazine article it is only one picture which may have been enhanced to give it an effect. The newspaper article shows the picture of Jennifer Lopez and her groom to be Ben Affleck. The title is shown as Jennifer Lopez: The Story. It gives an impression of Jennifer as if it were from the beginning. The first few lines of the text are lyrics from her solo song Jenny from the block, where it says, Dont be fooled by the rocks that she has got, these few words dont be fooled by the rocks that shes got, gives us an impression that she is extremely wealthy, the point of bringing these lyrics up is to pull reader to read this newspaper saying that this person is a wealthy person and that she has everything a girl would need. The nest few words are, shes still Jenny from the block, these few words important as they tell us that when she was at a younger age she was poor, may be not that poor, but with the riches she has now the words say she is still the same person she was say 20 years ago. Although she says she is it may not seem so, this is slightly a negative impact to her image as the newspaper continues to say, But with a reported entourage of 20 staff apparently tending to her every whim, it seems hard to believe. Yes this is hard to believe; as she wouldnt have 20 people tending to her every need when she was younger and this tells us fame has affected her. The newspaper tells us Jennifer will be appearing on a T. V. show to find out whether fame has affected or changed her. This newspaper does not give a very good positive attitude towards Jennifer Lopez as the paper says she a Diva which is not a compliment for any star. The next paragraph gives a different perspective as they bring in Ben Affleck her fianci e for her forthcoming marriage. They write saying that her wedding is pronounced the wedding of the year as later she does not get married at all, but this paper is not a new one. Born in New Yorks tough Bronx district in 1970, Jen knew from an early age she wanted to be a superstar and she did become a superstar. The paper is about the life of Jennifer Lopez, you would think they would talk about her childhood first but they bring this subject up in the 4th paragraph, she was supposedly was born and brought up in the Bronx district, but this is false according to information over the internet I researched. Later we find out her parents wanted her to go to college and become a lawyer were she would have made more money than she is making now, which is enough anyway, but she might not have enjoyed it as much as becoming a singer, actress and a star. The paper also tells us her becoming famous was a sudden move from coming through a Janet Jackson song, US comedy and on a big screen with George Clooney in Out of Sight which brought her up to becoming a star. We see Jennifer wanted to be famous as she has got it all looks, career, singing voice and of course Ben. Her picture in the newspaper article does not seem to have been enhanced or edited by the looks of it as it shows herself and her fianci e, the picture has not much to edit, as it is clear enough for the public to know what is going on. Again the newspaper article cannot have a lot of force compared to the video clip, as neither the magazine article or the newspaper article have either motion clips or sound to go with the video. In the video of Jennifer Lopez we see and hear of her becoming famous from the Latina actress herself. While the program runs and shows of Jennifer Lopez in films or singing, the program has a continuous song in the background of her own. Each song they show on the program, they only show clips that the audience and viewers want to see, so they bring out the best bits of the song, while watching the video I noticed she changed her clothes a lot through each screen shot, this may have something to do when they only take the best part of herself when showing in her songs. I noticed she changed her clothes from top to bottom at a total of 8 times. An advantage for us when watching the program is you can hear what she says for real and cannot be made up by some newspaper or magazine article. There is also a lot of dialogue throughout the program as most of it occurs through the interview of Jennifer Lopez. The video shows a very positive image of Jennifer as the video itself is self-promoting a well. Also each screenshot in the songs have also been edited as extra light has been added to give that extra look of the sexy body she has. Jennifer is the centre of attention in this interview as almost every screenshot shows her, the program also shows a little girl trying to dance and sing, this is representing Jennifer when she was at a younger age dreaming of what she wanted to become. Jennifer quotes, I still feel the same exact way as I started, and this is same to her lyrics in the newspaper article as although she may say she feels the same, her dress sense and appearance ahs gone up a level since she became a star. During some of the songs I noticed she dressed mostly in white with a dark background such as a dark blue to bring Jennifer in to the centre of the spotlight, this is a very clever trick indeed not just a persuasive technique towards the public but it also brings her body looks in towards the spotlight. In one of her songs, if you had my love, we see in the video she is silhouetted which gives a kind of a sexual nature of her being and as she goes on to say would you comfort me, this is giving a sexual image to her character. The list of three is brought in the program when it says actor, dancer, singer, also to make a rhythm assonance is used with the word er also with a comment on voyeuristic quality. During the interview with Jennifer Lopez a lot of lighting has been added to show Jennifers beautiful golden, healthy, fit looking skin. Her skin is reflected back in to the camera so it gives the viewers what they wanted to see. I think given reading both the newspaper article and the magazine article and watching the Jennifer Lopez video I think the video would promote better to give a very positive image of herself and her body. I chose this because the magazine article has a very short amount of text with a large picture of Jennifer Lopez, the picture we were given was in black white which was a bit of a disadvantage which I have already said and also the quotes, which are used, may not be for real. I never chose the newspaper article because the paper talks about her life not from the beginning of her life but when she became a star and worked away from there and the picture being rather small with her fianci e beside her. The video is the only source of information, which would be easy for self-promotion and cannot be mistaken for her quote she used as you can take them straight from the dialogue of her interview. The video has music of Jennifers solo played continuously, which for some viewers is attracted to, and her appearance she had at the interview.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Factors Considered in Facility Location

Factors Considered in Facility Location Facility Location is the right location for the manufacturing facility, it will have sufficient access to the customers, workers, transportation, etc. For commercial success, and competitive advantage following are the critical factors: Overall objective of an organization is to satisfy and delight customers with its product and services. Therefore, for an organization it becomes important to have strategy formulated around its manufacturing unit. A manufacturing unit is the place where all inputs such as raw material, equipment, skilled labors, etc. come together and manufacture products for customers. One of the most critical factors determining the success of the manufacturing unit is the location. Facility location is actually a term used in operation management, facility location or location analysis is done so that the better uses of the location can be understood. The company by understanding the materials and production process done nearby the location can save ample time in production process and also save a lot in terms of transportation cost. And also the company can find out optimum position for the location of the company so that all the factors that are needed will be not a long distance from the company. Facility location determination is a critical strategic decision. There are several factors, which determine the location of facility among them competition, cost and corresponding associated effects. Facility location is a scientific process utilizing various techniques. Location Selection Factors For a company which operates in a global environment; cost, available infrastructure, labor skill, government policies and environment are very important factors. A right location provides adequate access to customers, skilled labors, transportation, etc. A right location ensures success of the organization in current global competitive environment. Industrialization A geographic area becomes a focal point for various facility locations based on many factors, parameters and issues. These factors are can be divided into primary factors and secondary factors. A primary factor which leads to industrialization of a particular area for particular manufacturing of products is material, labor and presence of similar manufacturing facilities. Secondary factors are available of credit finance, communication infrastructure and insurance. Errors in Location Selection Facility location is critical for business continuity and success of the organization. So it is important to avoid mistakes while making selection for a location. Errors in selection can be divided into two broad categories behavioral and non-behavioral. Behavioral errors are decision made by executives of the company where personal factors are considered before success of location, for example, movement of personal establishment from hometown to new location facility. Non-behavioral errors include lack of proper investigative practice and analysis, ignoring critical factors and characteristics of the industry. Location Strategy The goal of an organization is customer delight for that it needs access to the customers at minimum possible cost. This is achieved by developing location strategy. Location strategy helps the company in determining product offering, market, demand forecast in different markets, best location to access customers and best manufacturing and service location. Factors Affecting Facility Location If the organization can configure the right location for the manufacturing facility, it will have sufficient access to the customers, workers, transportation, etc. For commercial success, and competitive advantage following are the critical factors: Customer Proximity: Facility locations are selected closer to the customer as to reduce transportation cost and decrease time in reaching the customer. Business Area: Presence of other similar manufacturing units around makes business area conducive for facility establishment. Availability of Skill Labor: Education, experience and skill of available labor are another important, which determines facility location. Free Trade Zone/Agreement: Free-trade zones promote the establishment of manufacturing facility by providing incentives in custom duties and levies. On another hand free trade agreement is among countries providing an incentive to establish business, in particular, country. Suppliers: Continuous and quality supply of the raw materials is another critical factor in determining the location of manufacturing facility. Environmental Policy: In current globalized world pollution, control is very important, therefore understanding of environmental policy for the facility location is another critical factor. Some of the benefits in location analysis include: You get a thorough knowledge of all the factors involved in the production, and ways through which the materials that are needed in the production can easily be accessed. When you do a proper location analysis for your facility you will also come across alternate substitute materials that are readily available and will cost less. You can save a lot on transportation cost for materials, labour, import and export. The materials will be available at a comparatively low cost. The best way to get a task done is by finding out ways through which the task can be done. Location analysis helps you in those aspects. Allows to you differentiate between practical positions to place your facility. Like for example, you cannot build a hazardous facility in a residential area. Gives you access to cheap labour, and needed raw materials like water electricity and many more. Helps in a smooth running of an organization, by seeing to that all that is possibly needed is readily and easily available. Also has very easy access to production, distribution and sale of the products. Allows you to outperform your competitors facilities Once you have found the optimal location then you will very easily overcome all the issues that you are likely to face and have a smooth running of an organization. When you plan accordingly, you will also be prepared to face some minor hindrances. FACILITY LAYOUT For an organization to have an effective and efficient manufacturing unit, it is important that special attention is given to facility layout. Facility layout is an arrangement of different aspects of manufacturing in an appropriate manner as to achieve desired production results. Facility layout considers available space, final product, safety of users and facility and convenience of operations. An effective facility layout ensures that there is a smooth and steady flow of production material, equipment and manpower at minimum cost. Facility layout looks at physical allocation of space for economic activity in the plant. Therefore, main objective of the facility layout planning is to design effective workflow as to make equipment and workers more productive. Facility Layout Objective A model facility layout should be able to provide an ideal relationship between raw material, equipment, manpower and final product at minimal cost under safe and comfortable environment. An efficient and effective facility layout can cover following objectives: To provide optimum space to organize equipment and facilitate movement of goods and to create safe and comfortable work environment. To promote order in production towards a single objective To reduce movement of workers, raw material and equipment To promote safety of plant as well as its workers To facilitate extension or change in the layout to accommodate new product line or technology upgradation To increase production capacity of the organization An organization can achieve the above-mentioned objective by ensuring the following: Better training of the workers and supervisors. Creating awareness about of health hazard and safety standards Optimum utilization of workforce and equipment Encouraging empowerment and reducing administrative and other indirect work Factors affecting Facility Layout Facility layout designing and implementation is influenced by various factors. These factors vary from industry to industry but influence facility layout. These factors are as follows: The design of the facility layout should consider overall objectives set by the organization. Optimum space needs to be allocated for process and technology. A proper safety measure as to avoid mishaps. Overall management policies and future direction of the organization Factors Influencing Location of Industries There are different kinds of industries and each one required different kinds of inputs. Further importance of different inputs varies due to their varying cost or they require in various proportions or ease/difficulty in availability of different inputs or various scale of industrial operation or any such reason. These factors cannot be distributed ubiquitously around the world. The value, bulk, life and care required for different types of produce vary considerably across different type of industries. Similarly different inputs required vary in cost as well as in proportion. Also with changing technology and peoples aspirations the relative importance of these location governing factors changes over time Thus they have different capacity to exert different pull to locate an industry in their favour. Location of Indian Cement Industry Decisions regarding industrial location have a unique place in the fields of industrial management and regional planning because such decisions have long-term implications for the health and well-being of an economy and because they are almost irreversible. Most industries involve huge investments, which generate cash flows over a long period of time and the history testifies that the success of an industry depends significantly upon the appropriateness of its location. Factors Affecting Location Availability of Raw Material The various determinants of the optimum location of a particular industry play varying role in the location of different industries. In the cement industry, availability of raw material and fuel, and transport cost are more significant than the other factors because cement is a weight losing and bulky product. Its weight losing nature argues for location near raw materials while bulkiness favours location near the market. Since Webers (1929) material index (ratio of localized material to output) is more than 1.5 for cement, the net effect of these two factors favours nearness of raw-materials. As a result cement factories are, in fact, located in close proximity to the sources of raw materials. Most cement manufacturing units are established within a radius of 15 to 20 kilometers of limestone deposits. The raw materials required for cement are limestone, clay, and gypsum. Although limestone deposits and clay are available in fairly large quantities all over the country, proximity of railhead is essential for reducing the transportation cost. The availability of gypsum may not affect location for its requirement is only about four per cent. Cement, in most plants in India, is manufactured through the wet process and thus large quantities of water are needed. However, as water is available in good quantities throughout our country, this does not affect location. The only important consideration seems to be the availability of coal since diesel, the alternative source of fuel, is considerably more expensive. The availability of coal pulls the industry towards Bengal and Bihar and, to some extent, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Regional Demand and Supply The region-wise demand for, and capacity and production of cement in India in 1971, the latest year for which data are available, are presented in Table 1. They indicate that demand is in excess of supply in the Eastern and the Northern regions, while quite the reverse is true for the Western and the Southern regions. An examination of the past data indicated that this trend has been prevailing for long. Thus, the market criterion alone would argue for expansion of cement industry in the Eastern and the Northern regions and for its contraction in Western and Southern regions. Managements Interest The choice of location of a new factory to a certain extent depends on the managements interest in a particular region. If the management has country-wide industrial interest, perhaps this factor would not merit attention in location studies. However, if the management has regional or local industrial interest this factor becomes a decisive one. Both these kinds of managements interest are found in the Indian cement industry. On the one hand, we have Associated Cement Companies Ltd. (ACC) and Dalmia Cement (India) Ltd., whose intersts are country-wide. On the other hand, there are cement firms run by state governments, such as Andhra Cement, Madras Cement, and Orissa Cement, whose interests are limited to its development within their own territories. Since South India possesses more regional entrepreneurs willing to float cement factories at present, the Southern region continues to have more cement factories than other regions. Government Policy For quarrying of limestone, the cement industry has necessarily to depend on the government for lease terms. Besides, encouragement and facilities or discouragement and hindrance from government do exert their influence on location. In the early days, the then princely states encouraged the expansion of the cement industry in their territories. Thus, out of eleven factories existing in 1936 at the time of formation of ACC, as many as five factories were in princely states and in case of one, viz., the Punjab, the Provincial Government was directly interested in capital and management. Recently, the governments have evinced keener interest in developing the cement industry in industrially Cotton Textile Industry Cotton textile industry is one of the oldest industry in the world. Since textiles are one of the basic needs of every person there is always sufficient demand for it. Cotton textile industry requires raw cotton, cheap and large labour pool(automation has reduced its importance in some areas), power, good transport, humid climate (large plant may maintains it artificially) capital, market, etc. Cotton is regarded as nearly pure raw material since it looses very little weight in processing and it is very easy to transport raw cotton and cotton textile with nearly similar cheap rates. Thus the pressure of raw material as seen in the case of iron and steel industry is absent here. Thus other locational factors particularly transport, labour, power and market become important. With good transport facility it can be established anywhere but where power supply present. Development of electricity has reduced its dependency on the source of power supply and automation has diluted the need of skilled large labour pool requirement. Now the considerations of market to link the industry effectively with the consumer and employment generating capacity of this industry are becoming more significant in locating this industry. Initially it was in the form of scattered small and cottage industry but latter with the development of spinning and weaving machinery in England it started getting importance as a large regular industry. Britain was first to had a quick enlargement in production pattern of cotton textile industry with home invented machinery. Due to durability, fineness, uniformity and above all cheapness of produce Britain got prominent position in cotton textile sector of the world by giving local small scale Industries very very tough competition. Iron and Steel Industry Iron and steel is one of the most basic industry since it is a close input to many other types of industries. But the pattern of demand and technological changeshas brought some interesting locational shift in this industry. In early days when the iron smelting technology started getting industrial importance in Europe the demand was low and mostly of local nature. At this juncture charcoal obtained from forest wood was used with lime to make sponge iron. Abundant forest was present everywhere and so small plants were located locally near the forest. This led to dispersion of this industry up to midi eighteenth century. During this time the use of coal in iron smelting gradually started maturing. Attraction to coalfield regions was also governed by then available technology and demand. Forest area started shrinking (about one acre of forest log required to smelt five tone iron) demand for iron increased considerably due to starting of heavy engineering works, required iron ore to coal ratio was 1/8, coal producing regions already had some iron work history and pool of labour required, at some places iron ore was found associated with coal and like factors, all resulted into the establishment and shift of iron industry in coalfield areas. The development of the Appalachian region of North America, Liege in Belgium, the South Wales and the Sheffield region of England, etc. are good examples of attraction of coalfield to iron and steel industry. Since late eighteenth to the end of nineteenth century Coal field enjoyed its position and witnessed heavy development of iron and steel and related industrial agglomeration. During this period it has developed sufficient industrial inertia at many places and thus survived successfully even in twentieth century. But not all coalfields witnessed similar developments Those located in remote areas, sparsely populated area and poorly developed area were remained engaged in exporting coal at cheaper rates. This helped in setting of industries also at coastal locations where iron made with imported raw materials are available for export. Japanese plants and to some extent Vishakhapatnam plant of India belong to this category. In last fifty to hundred years the role of market also become significant. A big market helped in setting large integrated steel plant and in providing scrap iron as raw material to reduce transportation cost. So they also attracted iron and steel plant near to them. Since iron and steel is regarded as one of the most basic industry as an indicator of industrial development of a region and so many region hitherto undeveloped and have some capacity are aspiring for it. Here government policies play very deciding role as seen in the case of the development of iron and steel industries in the Chotanagpur plateau of India which also has many other advantages. Thus location of iron and steel industry in the world has responded effectively to the changing nature of different factors of industrial locations.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Marketing Strategies: Bang Olufsen vs. Sony

Marketing Strategies: Bang Olufsen vs. Sony Marketing Strategies and Customer behaviors of High-tech products: Bang Olufsen vs. Sony Introduction The high-tech industry is experiencing furious competition in the global market, especially in the sectors of audio/video, loudspeakers and digital appliances. Bang Olufsen and Sony are both successful organizations offer examples of excellent strategies in their respective markets in the same industry. Compared to Bang Olufsen, Sony is a less expensive brand, which was founded in 1946 in Japan. It is one of the leading electronics and entertainment companies, offering quality digital and media products to the mass global market. Sony stands on a strong foundation of innovation, experience, talent, capital and desire (Sony 2008). Its products and services are available around the world. They are attached with strong design capability, good quality and high prestige. Bang Olufsen (BO) was founded in 1925 by two young Danish engineers, Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen. Known all over the world for spectacular, idea based, quality products (Christensen and Jà ¸rgensen 1997). It produces and develops a wide range of digital appliances as well as audio/video products. This report will assess the effectiveness of distinct marketing strategies of these two organizations, and then identify and analyze their key customer behaviors. Background of the companies 2.1 Sony With its commitment to quality and consistent dedication to customer satisfaction Sony is recognized as a benchmark for New Age technology. Sony adapts Digital Signage, which is a powerful tool to influence Customer behavior, both at point of purchase and at point of sale. Bang Olufsen: Bang and Olufsen have tied with e-commerce giant Amazon to influence their customer behavior, wherein products purchased by the customers will be provided with warranty registration forms which allows customer to register the purchased products for support throughout the life of the product. Key Customers Behaviors Jim Blythe (2006)says that many purchases are made without apparent conscious thought – people often buy as a result of unexplained impulses, or simply fall in love with a product for no apparent reason. In the market of high-tech products, the customer behavior follows the seven stages of CDP (Consumer Decision Process) model . First, they recognize that something is needed in their lives. Then they search for information. The information may be internal (remembering facts about products, or recalling experiences with them) or external (reading about possible products, visiting shops, etc). Based on the information, they conduct the pre-purchase evaluation of alternatives. During the process, they compare a number of factors (such as price, design, functions) of various brands to select the possible alternatives that best fulfill the needs (Yan 2008). Finally, they make the purchase, and then use the product for the purpose of fulfilling the need. The past-consumption evaluat ion will be carried out to consider whether the product actually satisfy the needs or not. They might dispose the product before or at the end of its life cycle (Blythe 2006). A simple goal hierarchy for buying a high-tech product might look like this: Find out which high-tech product best suit the individual needs. Find out which brand has the right product at the right price. Go and buy the product. Bang Olufsen targets the elite group, which can be explained as upper class customers who are educated, well-to-do, cultivated in their interests and highly individualistic and self-motivated. These consumers are normally wealthy with high income and good taste. Most of them have luxury houses/flats and cars. They would like to spend large amount of money to achieve the same quality for their audio and video equipment, long before design-widescreen TVs became fashionable. Bang Olufsen’s designs attract both men and women with a combination of high-end technology, spectacular and often audacious Danish modern styling, excellent performance and extremely functional integration into the typical upper middle class home (Austin and Beyersdorfer 2007). In addition to the luxury offers, Bang Olufsen had introduced a new range of smaller products (such as Serene) with relative lower prices to attract the wealthy fashion-conscious youth market. In a word, these customers are persons who are willing to sacrifice a lot to get the very best in some particular area. For this reason, the step 2 in the goal hierarchy might be missing from their purchasing process as they are wealthy and non-price sensitive, attracted only by the products featured with unique looking, high-end technology, personalization and customization (Dolbow 2002). Compared to Bang Olufsen, Sony’s customers have relatively lower standards of â€Å"lifestyle†, although Sony’s products still have higher prices and better qualities than the industry average. These groups of customers are price-sensitive. They totally follow the CDP and goal hierarchy estimated. Most of Sony’s products are marketed as value for money products with strong brand image and good design. Unlike Bang Olufsen, Sony does not want its products to be zero flaws, but meet the demands of the mass global customers. It limits the application of the high-end technologies such as finer art of design and frequency range to reduce the costs. Individualization is excluded from its production profile for the same reason. Therefore, its products may not be able to fully meet the expectations of one specific person. In such products one feature appeals to one type of person, other features to another, the price, but no features, to a third, etc. But on the whole, the consumer will pay for a number of features that he or she never really wanted and perhaps never will use (Ravasi 2004). Marketing Strategies and Tactics The Bang Olufsen specialist will represent the Bang Olufsen showroom located closest to the customers residence, and the specialist and showroom will then be available for customer services. The Competitive Approach Bang Olufsen always had a more high-brow approach. It competes for upper middle-class discretionary dollars. In the fact, there are no any direct competitors of Bang Olufsen in the high-end electronics industry, because it does not want to make mass-market products with a broad appeal like its competitors – products without any regard for the preferences and needs of the individual end-users. Bang and Olufsen locates the showrooms close to its potential customer’s residence. In addition to the normal working hours, all the services and showrooms are made available to customers by appointment. Resources are selectively employed to serve its end-customers intelligently. Bang Olufsen highlights customization and personalization. It charges premium price to makes individual products for individual people (Hendriksen 2001). Basically, all the products share the same Bang Olufsen qualities, but each of them has a specific design profile that works individually to serve th e end-customers in the market. The integration of unique designs and high qualities are notable selling points of each product. The Quality Approach In parallel with the design and quality, Bang Olufsen, therefore, developed a marketing and communication strategy a lifestyle oriented strategy aimed at a smaller, but more international target group. The targeting strategy was best encapsulated in the advertising slogan of the period: Bang Olufsen is for those who consider taste and quality before price. The products offered by Bang Olufsen are therefore regarded as ‘lifestyle’ products. Each of them is manufactured to the highest standards, and that last 15-20 years instead of the industry typical 24 months. Bang Olufsen conducts a niche marketing strategy by operating under a completely different margin scheme than any of the large, well-sourced players like Sony, Philips, Samsung, Matsushita, Thomason, who all need market share to be visible and profitable (Hendriksen et al., 2002). The Differentiation approach Bang Olufsen is not built on a low cost structure. The advantage of cost leadership does not exist. Each of the products from Bang Olufsen is unique in the market. Product lies not only in the way it looks, but also in the way it works. Intelligent technology, advanced features and unconventional solutions are what set Bang Olufsen apart. Under this strategy Bang Olufsen strengths and skills are used to differentiate the company’s electronic products from those of its potential competitors. The differentiation strategy creates, or emphasizes, a reason why the target customers should buy from Bang Olufsen rather than from its competitors. It also creates a market-based advantage. In this way, Bang Olufsen’s products can command higher prices and margins and thus avoid competing on price alone. In addition, this strategy of BO is hard for potential competitors to imitate, because the differentiation is integrative. All the products are integrations of design, qualit y, aesthetics, and functionality. Marketing Strategies of Sony From a general point of view, Sony conducts a segmentation marketing strategy by dividing products into three main categories: Electronics, Game, and Pictures. This report only highlights the marketing strategy of its electronics division. Sony always responds quickly to catch the popular lifestyle accepted by most of the people. Compared to Bang Olufsen, Sony is more likely to conduct a â€Å"One product for the many† marketing strategy, with mass production to serve the majority of the market. Except the quality, price is utilized as a tool for competing with rivals. In recent years, Sony outsourced most of its non-core businesses such as assembling, packaging to organizations in developing countries for further reductions of its operating costs. The Annual Report 2008 states that Sony successfully re-engineered the company by dramatically reducing operating costs, streamlining the operations. As a result, on an annual basis and compared to three years prior, sales and operating revenue rose 23% (Sony 2008). Marketing 4Ps The report applies a simple marketing mix of 5P’s to analyze the difference between Bang Olufsen and Sony. Product Bang Olufsen Product Strategy Bang Olufsen develops and markets a unique rang of audio/video, communication and multimedia products. All the products are integrations of design, quality, aesthetics, and functionality, which are easily differentiated from the products of other companies (Hendriksen et al., 2002). According to the feature of target customers, Bang Olufsen discovers that their clients usually do not know what they really want. They desire something that could stand out of the mass, or lasts and represents something appeals to them, but not just follow the fashionable style. Bang Olufsen always keep the concept to produce groundbreaking products to satisfy its customers’ needs and update their products more frequently in the dynamic environment. Ground-breaking products have been launched for the audiophile world, with BeoLab 5 named as one of the world’s finest loudspeakers, and within TV (Aigner et al., 2006). Over the past few years, the branded business has extended into new areas. BO has developed sound systems for, so far, six Audi models. These have attracted strong praise with BO being awarded the title of â€Å"Best Brand 2008† in the Car-HiFi category in the respected German auto magazine â€Å"Auto Motor und Sport† (Anthony 2008). In the automotive area, Bang Olufsen has also entered into a strategic partnership with Aston Martin, the UK’s sports car maker, and latest, Mercedes-AMG. Through its Enterprise department, BO focuses on sales to hotels where the company’s products are currently represented in more than 200 five-star hotels across the world. In addition, BO Enterprise has initiated and expanded a number of partnerships with leading property developers for the supply of audio/video products for exclusive property projects (Vej 2007). To ensure that all the products are in the highest standards, Bang Olufsen only concentrates on fewer product categories. Sony – Product Strategy Unlike Bang Olufsen, Sony has a broad list of electronic products. In the fiscal year 2005-2008, it launched the BRAVIA brand of LCD television. It took a strong position in each major market, and became the first to bring to market organic light-emitting diode televisions (Russinovich 2005). Sony mainly focuses on the marketing development to increase the products variety to meet the demands from different customer groups. People at different levels of socioeconomic status may find their favorable products from Sony. Moreover, Sony’s products are normally with a short lifecycle, for example 12-24 months. New products are quickly imitated by the competitors. Therefore, Sony has to update its product lists frequently to catch sales. This typical marketing strategy is also adopted by most of its competitors, such as Apple, Samsung etc. Price In theory, price is really determined by the discovery of what customers perceive is the value of the item on sale. Pricing Strategy of Bang Olufsen According to an online research, the average BO purchase is  £2,800 (Underwood 2005). The prices are much higher than the industry average. The price reflects the product’s quality and brand image (Raun 2009). Customers regard price as one of the notable aspects of Bang Olufsen, which stands for the highest value of design, outstanding performance, durability, and long-term reliable services. Pricing strategy of Sony: Being a premium brand and known for its high quality products, Sony adapts premium prices for the products. It sells its products at comparatively higher price. Promotion Bang Olufsen – Promotion Strategy Bang Olufsen produces differentiated products to satisfy their elite customer group. Around 80% of its sales revenue is generated from between 800-1000 of its customers. It determines that the promotions are only available for a small amount of VIPs, which are especially used to establish the long term relationships with those important customers. Sony – Promotion Strategy Sony adapts dynamic promotion strategies through Marketing communication, Advertising, Sales promotion, Public relations and Direct selling. Place (Distribution) Bang Olufsen – Place (Distribution) Strategy By the end of May 2008, Bang Olufsen has 822 B1 shops across the world, which accounts for 81% of the total turnover. Bang Olufsen dedicates to provide the best services for its customers. Customers could make the appointment online for after working hour services. Because most of its products are very expensive, only small amounts of relatively cheaper products are sold via online dealers. Sony – Place (Distribution) Strategy Sony practices Selective distribution of its products through selective dealers. It distributes products in various channels (Zone-Level, One Level and Two-Level Channels). Sony also distributes through online facility which proved to be more effective and efficient way of distribution. People Bang Olufsen’s Strategy It motivates the people with their knowledge towards technology and provides greater opportunities to explore and carrier growth to achieve. Sony’s Strategy Sony is driven by its mission to offer an opportunity to create and fulfill dreams of all kinds of people, including customers, employees, share holders and business partners. Conclusion This report compares the marketing strategies and key customer behaviors between Bang Olufsen, the very expensive high-tech products provider, and Sony, a less expensive quality high-tech products provider. Although they operate in the same industry, there is no actual competition existing between them as they target different customer groups. Reference Aigner, G., Budzinski, O., and Christiansen, A. (2006). The analysis of coordinated effects in EU merger control: where do we stand after Sony, BMG and Impala, pp. 311–336. Anthony, S. (2008). Sony: Winning the DVD battle but losing the innovation war, Innovation Insights. Austin, R. and Beyersdorfer, D. (2007). Bang Olufsen: Design Driven Innovation, Harvard Business School Case. Blythe, J. (2006). Essentials of marketing communications, Prentice Hall. Christensen, S. and Jà ¸rgensen, J. (1997). Analysing Bang Olufsens BeoLink (R) Audio/Video System Using Coloured Petri Nets, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pp. 387-406. Dolbow, S. (2002). Bang Olufsen Tunes Sales Channel for S20K Plasma-Based TV System, Brandweek, pp. 14. Hendriksen, O. (2001). Long-term Monitoring at Bang Olufsen Office Building, in Editor (ed)^(eds), Book Long-term Monitoring at Bang Olufsen Office Building, City, pp. Hendriksen, O., Brohus, H., Frier, C., and Heiselberg, P. (2002). Pilot Study Report: Bang Olufsen Head Quarter, Paris, France: International Energy Agency. Raun, H. (2009). Strategisk analyse og và ¦rdiansà ¦ttelse af Bang Olufsen pr 21. oktober 2008. Ravasi, D. (2004). Bang Olufsen A, S, Bocconi, Mailand. Russinovich, M. (2005). Sony, rootkits and digital rights management gone too far, Marks Sysinternals Blog, October, Vol. 31. Sony (2008). Sony Global Annual Report 2008, in Editor (ed)^(eds), Book Sony Global Annual Report 2008, City, Sony, pp. Underwood, R. (2005). The case for fanaticism. At high-end Danish electronics firm Bang Olufsen, design is king, Even if it means sacrificing revenue, FAST COMPANY, Vol. 101, pp. 84. Vej, P. (2007). Bang Olufsen Holding, International Directory of Company Histories: Volume 86, pp. 24. Yan, G. (2008). Sony Style in China,:, No. 010, pp. 22-23. Emergency Planning Techniques: Private and Federal Sector Emergency Planning Techniques: Private and Federal Sector Emergency Planning Abstract The basis of this paper deals with the emergency planning techniques of both the private and the federal sector. They each have their own way of writing and carrying out the emergency plans. There are similarities in each and there are differences in each. However, both have the same goal of protecting people and property. Thoroughly discuss how private planning may differ from governmental emergency planning. Should there be any difference? If so, when and how. Planning for a major disaster can take many different forms. On a governmental level, the federal, state, and local governments are responsible for the protection of its citizens. Emergency planning is designed specifically for this area and can come from such things as the use of intelligence gathering and even Congress passing laws like the USA PATRIOT ACT. On a private level, businesses are responsible for the protection of their employees and assets. More often than not, these emergency plans are also dubbed Business Continuity Plans (BCP). These plans help if a disaster like a tornado should strike their area. Even more narrowed down than that, there are even plans for families to help protect themselves in their home. From top to bottom it is kind of likened to a bulls-eye. The outer circle is the Unites States government all the way to the smaller middle part, the individual/family. The bottom line is that it is important to have some kind of plan in place in all levels to ens ure the utmost safety. On the governmental level, one of the main areas of planning and the one that is forefront in the event of a major national disaster is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS was created in response to the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. This particular department heads numerous other agencies that assist in the event of a catastrophe of national significance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which was created by Jimmy Carter by executive order on March 30, 1979. (Woolley, 2005) The main goal of FEMA is to put together a response plant to catastrophes that happen in the United States which surpass the resources and abilities of local and state jurisdictions. States also have their own emergency management agencies but when an incident is too much for them the governor of the state where the incident takes place must declare a state of emergency and make a formal request for assistance to the President of the United States that F EMA and the Federal Government respond to the disaster. Like most government agencies FEMA is under high scrutiny whenever a disaster occurs. In recent years the agency has not gotten very high marks for their efforts. Most notably are their responses to natural disasters like hurricanes. They are often criticized for their response times like in the cases of hurricanes Hugo in 1989 and Andrew in 1992. Most notably was the way FEMA (and the government as a whole) handled Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the wake of Katrina, the United States Congress issued a scathing report on how it was handled noting that elements of the National Response Plan were executed late, ineffectively, or not at all. It cited, in part: DHS and FEMA lacked adequate trained and experienced staff for the Katrina response The readiness of FEMA’s national emergency response teams was inadequate and reduced the effectiveness of the federal response Long-standing weaknesses and magnitude of the disaster overwhelmed FEMS’s ability to provide emergency shelter and temporary housing FEMA logistics and contracting systems did not support a targeted, massive, and sustained provision of commodities (Congressional Select Committee, 2006) Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers FEMA is just one part of the National Plan for emergency readiness. Another agency in the mix is the Transportation Security Administration. This agency was also started as a direct result of the 9/11 attacks and is also under the umbrella of the DHS. As stated in their mission statement, â€Å"The Transportation Security Administration protects the Nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.† (Transportaton Security Administration, N/A) This particular agency is most noted and seen at our nation’s airports but are also responsible for transportation of land and sea as well. Like FEMA, there have been criticisms of this particular department as well. There have been complaints of invasion of privacy, theft of airline passenger’s possessions, and wasteful spending in its hiring practices. FEMA and the TSA are just a couple of the many areas in which the federal government has set its emergency planning into motion. As stated before, the governmental agencies are under a microscope and when something fails (or appears to have failed) it will be put into the spotlight. Citizens often turn to their governments for answers and direction, as they should, when a disaster occurs. Some involved in security planning privately feel that there are those agencies that need to do more in the way of explaining emergency and security plans to employees. However they also believe that the government has come a long way in emergency planning since the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. In the private sector, planning for an emergency becomes more focused. The emphasis is on a much smaller populace depending on the size of the entity whether it be a business, school, hospital, etc. No matter how much planning or preparation an entity does, there can never assurances that all crisis will be handled flawlessly. If a business fails to plan properly, the likelihood of problems during a disaster will greatly intensify. One issue that arises is that the managers of the business and public safety officials sometimes underestimate the issues that may arise during a crisis situation. Administrators normally don’t have experience or prior training with emergency management issues. That is where the area of the Director of Security would come into play. This person would be responsible for writing up the emergency plan (i.e. Business Continuity Plan). Business continuity plans are essential in helping companies stay afloat through any misfortune and aid them in coming back more quickly after the setbacks. Without the BCP companies could be in great danger of going out of business is a disaster occurs. This could not only impact the business itself but the people it employs and the economy of an area if the business is large enough. Mary Carrido, president MLC Associates stated, After the Oklahoma City bombing, 40 square blocks were barricaded off for weeks. This devastated 4,000 businesses; 210 are not in existence anymore. (Rodetis, 1999) Had there been some kind of back-up plan to help these companies more businesses could have been saved. It’s much easer to minimize a risk than to try and recover from a setback. A thorough plan can take a few months or even years to develop, depending on the size of the organization. Unfortunately a recent study by KPMG, LLP, found nearly 40% of respondents either lacked business contin uity plans or had not tested theirs within the last six months. (Rodetis, 1999) In this day and age, especially with the technology available, it is unbelievable that many businesses do not have proper planning. The old adage of not planning to fail but failing to plan comes to mind. The next part to discuss is the really whittled down part, family planning (not the kind where you want to have kids). This is extremely important on this level too because families should do things like practice regular fire drills so the whole family knows where to go or find exits from the house in the event of a fire. These plans should also involve making sure fire alarms are placed properly throughout the house and ensure that the batteries are in working order. Also if some sort of disaster should occur while the family is away, there should be different means as how to contact one another and have a known meeting place if the family is separated. One should determine the type of risk that is most likely to happen whether it be a hurricane, tornado, man-made disaster, etc. and prepare for those risks. According to the FEMA website, it is suggested that enough food, water, and other supplies are stocked up enough to last at least three days. As written in the paper, the governmental and private sectors are different in many ways but the one underlying similarity is the basic need for protection of life and property. The differences are in the way plans are carried out and how they are managed. The federal government would not have to go through the same processes as say a business would to receive assistance. Ultimately some plan needs to be in place on all levels to minimize the risks and if there are areas in the federal level that need to be changed so response times are better or relief aid gets to an area sooner or mandating that all companies have a document emergency plan, then these actions need to be taken. References Congressional Select Committee. (2006, N/A). Executive Summary of Findings. Retrieved July 16, 2007, from United States Congress: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/katrinareport/execsummary.pdf. Rodetis, S. (1999, February 1). Can your business survive the unexpected?(business continuity plans). Retrieved July 17, 2007, from Journal of Accountancy: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-53878194.html. Transportaton Security Administration. (N/A, N/A). Mission, Vision, and Core Values (Who We Are). Retrieved July 17, 2007, from Transportation Security Administration: http://www.tsa.gov/who_we_are/mission.shtm. Woolley, L. (2005, September 12). FEMA Disaster of an Agency. Retrieved July 17, 2007, from newsmax.com: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/9/12/102827.shtml.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Staying Connected Essay -- Technology, Social Medias, Smart Phones

What is the first thing we do when we get on our smart phone? Check Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It is amazing how society stays connected today. With the technology we have, social networking has reached new heights in popularity and usefulness. The applications to social media are endless; from sharing pictures, songs, microblogging, and online dating, there is something in it for everyone. With the endless possibilities of social media, people can use it as a wonderful thing or abuse it to become a bad thing. With great power comes great responsibility, and social media is no exception to the rule. Social media can have a negative impact on society for several reasons. One of the first and main issues is privacy. People put so much information on the internet that they would never tell a stranger. People put questionable pictures on Facebook that are later regretted when viewed by an employer or boss. On Facebook people fill out biographies of themselves from date of birth all the way to where they live. They might as well put their social security number on there for anyone to see. The number of identity thieves has risen drastically over the past decade. With internet stalkers looking up and knowing everything about their victims, it is easier than ever to steel someone’s identity. Another problem with putting information on the internet is that companies take this information and sell it for advertising purposes. From a sales person’s view, this is the perfect opportunity to save money. Marketing teams have been trying to figure out how to specifically target each potential customer as cheaply as possible. Today they have figured out the key to this: social media. Have you ever wondered how the advertisement that pops... ...ocial media has redefined the way we live, for better or worse. It has the potential to be one of the greatest inventions in history. But until citizens become responsible as a whole, we cannot handle this power quite yet. Overall social media does more harm than good today, but with future corrections and revisions this could change for the good of mankind. Works Cited Lee, Ellen. â€Å"Social Sites Are Becoming Too Much of a Good Thing.† San Francisco Chronicle (2006) Rpt. in Issues across the Disciplines. Ed. Jennifer Pickel. Vol. #11. New York City: The City University of New York LaGuardia College, 2011. 152-55. Print. McCarthy, Ellen. â€Å"Oh, What a Tangled Online Dating Web We Weave.† Washington Post, 2009. Rpt. in Issues across the Disciplines. Ed. Jennifer Pickel. Vol. #11. New York City: The City University of New York LaGuardia College, 2011. 152-55. Print.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Scarlet Letter :: Essays Papers

The Scarlet Letter In this novel Hester Prynee is represented in several different ways. Before this story starts she was sent to Boston by her husband (Roger Chillingworth) who was supposed to be meeting her there shortly. He never makes it, she assumes he died at sea. While in Boston she meets Rev. Dimmesdale she has an affair with him and gets pregnent. He then starts to ignore her. Months later when everyone finds out about her illegitimate daughter (Pearl) and that she is un married. She is looked upon with great sin. When she is first introduced into the novel she is in the prison. She emerges wearing an elaborately emroidered scarlet letter â€Å"A† (meaning adultery) on her breast, and carries her 3 month old infant in her arms. She is led onto the scaffold where she has to stand in fron of the whole town as part of her punishment. While on the scaffold she has flashbacks of her old life, this is where we first learn about the real Hester Prynne. The rest of her punishment is that she has to wear the scarlet â€Å"A† for the rest of her life. The Rev. Mr. Dimmesdale pleads with Hester to tell the name of the man she had a sexual affair with, but she will not. After the 3 hours she is lead back to the prison with Pearl. At this point in the novel we learn that back in England Hester was married to a man, Roger Chillingworth. This man is now in Boston and comes to visit Hesters prison cell. Hester and Dimmesdale discuss who is at fault for her affair. He admits that he will find the father though. When Hester is released from prison she has the choice to go anywhere in the world, but she chooses to stay in Boston where she commited her sin and where she will have her punishment. She starts sewing and sells her garments but puritan society never accepts her. Believes â€Å"A† allows her to see sinful and immoral feelings in other people. Hesters strength is most seen when she goes to the Governers mansion to plead for her daughter. In the following years Hester and Dimmesdale start speaking again. Now you will be able to see her weaker side.She falls in love with him all over, they plan to leave Boston and move to Bristol, England and live the rest of their lives there. But they never make it, When Hester dies she is burried next to Dimmesdale. Physically Hester at the begining of the novel is a tall young woman with a figure of