Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Sustainable Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Sustainable Design - Essay Example The balancing of these aspects in the new product development design is the outlook of 'Sustainable product development and design'. "To create sustainable products and services that increase stakeholders' 'quality of life', whilst at the same time achieving major reductions in resource and energy use, will require a significant emphasis on stimulating new ideas through higher levels of creativity and innovation"- e generation Business Learning Centre. Thus it becomes evident that creating new designs may need increased creativity as well as the fullest involvement form the varied strata of people, if new solutions and designs are to be generated which will substantiate the Sustainable Product Design Development. In general 'sustainable development' is to be seen as a basic human concept dealing with the kind of environment the people would like to live in. Sustainable development is a strong image but a provocative one. The best place to get good suggestions on the sustained development is the 'customers'. Many companies have forgotten to talk to customers but have focused inwardly on the technological and improvements required for, primarily eco-design using less energy and less components etc. In many cases such suggestions may not be the right solution but nevertheless, it can be demonstrated that new ideas can reach marketplace if the conditions are right." Quite understandably, the majority of people do not understand the academic concept of sustainable development. Indeed, research for the Department of Environment in the UK, indicated that sustainable development was seen as a government construct to keep people out of environmental issues" Martin Charter and Anne Chick (1997). Keepi ng this context in view, this paper attempts to cover an overview of creation of new sustainable product designs to manufacture products, services and product service systems in so far they address economical, social and environmental issues. This paper also aims to have a re-look in to the past, study the present and suggest possible future solutions to the impact of product design on these issues. 2.0 SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGN-ECONOMICAL ISSUES As we described at the outset, good design and good business go hand-in-hand. The best challenge in business that a firm may face is to arrive at an exact product design even at the first instance so that the rushing to be first to the market will not result in design flaws and the resultant poor performance of the product. This may totally negate any advantage resulting to the firm because of its efficient and quicker 'time to market'. "An effective design process: Matches product or service characteristics with customer requirements Ensures that customer requirements are met in the simplest and less costly manner Reduces the time required to design a new product or service and Minimize the revisions necessary to make a design workable." - (Roberta S. Russell & Bernard W. Taylor III 2003) All the above objectives flow only in one direction; that is to maximize the benefit of the value design. All forces in an organization work in cognition to align themselves with the common aim of achieving market share, sales volume, brand reputation, customer loyalty, profit margin and channel growth and so on. A careful analysis of these

Monday, October 28, 2019

Computer Uses Essay Example for Free

Computer Uses Essay Today’s technology has changed the view of world. Among them computers are one of the best creations of the technology. Computers are the best closer look of new era’s technology. Computers are very useful in our routine life as a source of entertainment, as a medium of education and as a one way of business. First, Computers play a role of entertainer in our life. We can play a game on the computer. We can also download and upload games from the internet or from the game DVD. We can also enjoy music and movies too. For example, If you want to see movies, you can see it online through internet or you can see movie on DVD. Same way, if you like to listen music, you can upload songs from the CD or you get songs from online from the particular music sites. There are so many sites available on the internet like youtube.com, videoshare.com for the movies and video songs. This way we can get relaxation by using computers. Second is as a source of an education. Computers are the best companion for the students. Computer has many kind of services which can be helpful for the students for instance microsoft word, power point, HTML, java, etc. We can use microsoft word for writing purpose, we can use power point to make slide shows. Moreover, there are so many study sites available for online tutoring. It is really a very easy and cheap way for the study. You can find your any type of study related question to study online. In short, computers make study easy and interesting. Last but not least use of computer is as a medium of e-commerce. Today in our busy world people avoid to waste time for their shopping. Now a day consumers like to buy and sell their stuff online. Best example of online shopping is e-bay. On this particular site you get all necessary things like books, electric and electronic items, clothes etc. Moreover from e-bay, you can sell stuff too. I particularly love this site.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Langston Hughes Poetry :: essays research papers

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) absorbed America. In doing so, he wrote about many issues critical to his time period, including The Renaissance, The Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, Jazz, Blues, and Spirituality. Just as Hughes absorbed America, America absorbed the black poet in just about the only way its mindset allowed it to: by absorbing a black writer with all of the patronizing self-consciousness that that entails.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The contradiction of being both black and American was a great one for Hughes. Although this disparity was troublesome, his situation as such granted him an almost begged status; due to his place as a â€Å"black American† poet, his work was all the more accessible. Hughes’ black experience was sensationalized. Using his â€Å"black experience† as a faà §ade, however, Hughes was able to obscure his own torments and insecurities regarding his ambiguous sexuality, his parents and their relationship, and his status as a public figure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of Hughes’ most distinctive styles stemmed from urban nightclubs in which black artists performed for a white audience. Hughes’ great appreciation for the black urban music style is obvious throughout the various rhythms, patterns, and unpredictable improvisations that mirror the chaotic and pulsating tempo of city life. Jazz and black oral influences, as well as social dichotomy are pervasive elements throughout Hughes’ poetry. Like nightclub entertainers, Hughes used the progression of Afro-American music (jazz, ragtime, swing, blues, and be-bop) in order to show the growth and change of a community in conflict, as is shown in â€Å"Subway Rush Hour.† This poem, brimming with sudden and broken rhythms, is characteristic of jazz riffs popular in the 1920s. In â€Å"Subway Rush Hour,† Hughes uses the musicality of his poetry and incorporates it with an important social statement regarding the relation status between blacks and whites. Equality is an ever-present theme throughout Hughes’ poetry. In â€Å"Theme for English B,† Hughes presents us with musical and effective language, an intense social statement, and a very important sense of equality, shocking us into reality. Although â€Å"Theme for English B† was published in 1949, it has many of the characteristics that his earlier works from the Harlem Renaissance possessed. The rhythmic rhyming adds to the musicality of the poem. The language is simple, yet effective in making a very important social statement. An especially intense aura of American separatism is present throughout the poem. A sense of egalitarianism is also present throughout the poem: the instructor is just as much student as the student is professor, young and old each have much to offer the other, and black and white partake of each other.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Ethnic Diversity Essay

Answer each question in 50 to 150 words. Provide citations for all the sources you use. 1. What is diversity? Why is diversity valued? Diversity is the combination of different races of people, religions, and culture. Diversity is important to constantly grow and learn new ideas that will help our society become a better environment to live in. Diversity is value because it allows us to learn different things that may help up us in life, that our own culture does teach, or provide. 2. What is ethnocentrism? In what ways can ethnocentrism be detrimental to a society? Ethnocentrism is a term that is used to describe the tendency that someone will believe his or her own customs and traditions are better than anyone else’s. It is determined that no culture is perfect, and closing society from the great custom of other cultures does not allow one a chance to solve all problems, and learn what others know that we are custom to disbelieve in. 3. Define emigration and immigration. Emigration is a person leaving a country, and Immigration is a person entering a country. E in Emigration can mean exit, and I in immigration can mean in. Many get these to word mixed up, mainly in ones English or History class as a student. For example the United States are prompt with immigrants with an I, and Mexico are accounted for emigrants with an E. 4. What are some of the ways groups of people are identified? Some ways groups of people are identified are by race or creed, gender, religion, raised by one or both parents, or raised outside of their original family. In addition, American cultural group people by age, until you reach 18, one is considered an adolescent, and when one reaches 21, they are considered an adult. 5. Why do people label and group other people? People label and group other people as a barrier to not be taken by surprise. If a certain Copyright  © 2012 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Diversity Worksheet ETH/125 Version 8 2 person done something wrong, and we see more people like that person doing the same, we now label that entire race of people to be the same. The labeling part works as a defense mechanism to not allow someone that we think is bad or good, take advantage of us or we lock out someone we think can be a good friend. 6. Define culture. Is culture limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds? Explain. Culture is the customs of a group of people, by race, religion, beliefs, and tradition. Culture is not limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds. Because there are many different races that have the same religious culture and traditions. For example Indians, Blacks, Iranians, and I am sure there are others that believe in the Islamic religion, and have the same beliefs and follow the same religion traditions. Copyright  © 2012 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Law and Morality

Law and Morality Sir John Salmond described the law as ‘the body of principles recognised and applied by the state in the administration of justice’. They are a set of rules and boundaries that are established by authorities which must be obeyed, otherwise, a sanction may be given. Morals are beliefs, values and principles that are set by society or part of a society, determining what is right and wrong. Phil Harris stated that they are â€Å"standards of behaviour†.Unlike legal rules, compliance with moral rules is voluntary, that are often informally enforced through social or domestic pressure. Law and morals are both normative; they specify what should ideally be done and mark the boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable conduct. However, the ways in which they both do this are different: laws are codes of conduct which a superior power has decided should be compulsory. They are formally enforced by appointed authorities and relate to all members of soci ety.One example is the ‘smoking ban’ which was introduced by the Smoke-Free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2007 and more recently the proposed change to the legislation regarding same-sex marriage under the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, which previously meant that gay marriage was prohibited. Morals can be seen as a set of values which are not enforced by law. They define how one ought to act not how one must act and whilst they are not subject to moral enforcement, they can be informally imposed.There are significant differences between moral rules and legal rules; whereas Laws can be introduced almost immediately by Parliament or the Courts, morals tend not to be backed by legal sanctions and are often reinforced by social pressures; such as family and friends. They can have powerful influences on people’s behaviour, and develop over many years; often heavily embedded in religious and social history. Compliance with moral rules is voluntary and ther e are often no formal punishments.Today we live in a diverse society which has meant that as morals have developed: they have become pluralistic and between individuals or social groups opinions on moral codes now vary. Within Christianity, acts such as abortion and euthanasia are strongly opposed, while other religious groups may not deem these as wrong. Similarly, in Hindu and Muslim communities arranged marriages are encouraged whilst in non-religious communities these are disfavoured.Furthermore, legal rules can enforce strict liability, such as the requirement of wearing a seatbelt in a car or not exceeding a speed limit, whereas moral rules cannot- they can only be broken voluntarily. Legal and moral codes can coincide; law can often be seen reinforcing and seeking to uphold our moral values. For example, Lord Atkins’ ‘neighbour principle’, which is the basis of the tort of negligence and is thought to have derived from the biblical command to ‘love t hy neighbour’ which is also believed to mean do not harm thy neighbour.However, this can be seen as a major problem as morals will consistently change over time, to reflect a change in attitudes, and the law must attempt to keep up in these situations. An example of this can be seen in R v R (1991), which changed the law, so that rape within marriage became a crime. It was viewed that the wife was legally seen as almost the property of the husband, via the marriage agreement. This was view was morally outdated and wrong, yet the law was very slow in adapting this moral view. Another example of how moral change has led to legal change is the case of Diane Blood. Mrs Blood’s husband died from meningitis.They had been trying to start a family and she arranged for sperm to be extracted from him. Following his death she attempted to use the sperm to become pregnant, but this was banned under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. She won the right to have the inseminat ion carried out abroad. Under UK law their births had to be registered with a blank where their father’s name should have been. This was held to be incompatible with the human right to private and family life and the law has since been changed. With actions like theft and murder, they are classed as ‘wrong’ both morally and legally.But for crimes such as parking violations they are not seen as immoral, whilst immoral acts such as adultery are not a criminal offence under UK law. If laws enforce morals, then we are faced with the problem that what one person considers immoral, another might not, making it harder to decide which viewpoint it should sanction. This is established in the case of Gillick, where Mrs Gillick sought a declaration that what she saw as an immoral activity (contraceptive advice and treatment available to girls under the age of consent) was illegal regarding its immorality.There was a conflict, as some saw this as immoral (as it would encoura ge underage sex) whilst others felt that it was moral (as underage sex would occur anyway, but this would help prevent unwanted pregnancies). This shows that if such conflict can arise between law and morality, then the two cannot be viewed as equal. There are further disputes that the law should respond to the changing moral attitudes on euthanasia; the British Social Attitudes Survey 2007 found that 80% of people are in favour of legalising it and despite this, there has been no further change.There are various theories on what the relationship of law and morals should be. The first theory is natural law, which is based on morality. This states that there is a higher law to which laws must conform and one should disregard an immoral law, unless doing so would lead to social unrest. Another theory is positivism, which holds a more scientific view of the law and states that if legislation has been correctly made it should be obeyed even if it is immoral. The Hart/Devlin Debate follo wed the publication of the Wolfenden report in 1957.Lord Devlin was a prominent judge and a supporter of natural law whereas the academic Professor Hart was a positivist. The report recommended the legalisation of prostitution and homosexuality ‘should not intervene in the private lives of citizens or seek to enforce any particular pattern of behaviour further than necessary’ to protect others. Hart, who was influenced by the earlier theories of John Stewart Mill, supported the report’s approach, stating that legal enforcement of morals was unnecessary as it interferes with individual liberty.He believed that law and morals should be separate and the state should not intervene to restrict the freedom of individuals. Mill stated that one should not have to follow society’s morals; they should be free to act as they wish, provided their acts do not harm others and Hart only added to this so that their acts also do not harm themselves. Devlin, on the other ha nd, was strongly opposed to the report on a natural law approach. He felt that society had a certain moral standard, which the law had a duty to support, as society would disintegrate without a common morality and this morality should be protected by the law.In this debate Devlin stated â€Å"individual liberty could only flourish in a stable society; disintegration of our society through lack of shared morality would, therefore, threaten individual freedom†. This highlights his beliefs that law and morality are inseparable and the law should in fact intervene in order to support morality. Jeremy Bentham, a philosopher and jurist, rejected natural law theories as ‘nonsense upon stilts’ and concluded that the validity of law does not depend on whether it is good or bad.Ideally, the law should aim to provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, but even if it doesn’t, it may still be a valid law. He added that what the law is and what it should be are different issues. Contrary to Bentham, Aristotle a 4th century Greek philosopher based his ideas on the laws of nature. He stated that ethics is all about learning to be a ‘good person’ and you should not do anything wrong unless there is a very good reason to do so. These views have been perceived as a ‘balancing exercise’ as it is necessary to determine the correct way to behave by weighing up the benefits against the consequences.The Wolfendon Report supported Professor Hart’s view that law and morality should be separate, however, various cases decided since the report show that judges are imposing their moral views in their judgements, such as in the case of R v Brown and Others, the defendants had willingly consented to sado-masochistic practices. Despite that this act was chosen, they were prosecuted and convictions were upheld based on public policy to defend the morality of society. The law is therefore seen to attempt to upho ld what it considers to be public morality, even if some may dispute the correctness of that moral code.This is a contrast to the case of R v Wilson, at her request the defendant branded his initials on his wife with a hot knife. The scars led to him being charged with ABH S47. COA held his conduct amounted to â€Å"tattooing† and that it was not in the public interest to impose a criminal sanction, still showing that the public and their moral views still influence our law. The differing approaches in these cases clearly show that judges are letting their own moral values affect their judgements. The courts often find themselves at the centre of hugely difficult moral decisions involving life and death.They are often forced to decide between individual rights and moral codes. Diane Pretty contracted motor neuron disease and was confined to a wheel chair. She required no treatment to keep her alive, but had great difficulty talking, eating and sleeping. She was concerned that her husband would be convicted of a serious criminal offence if he helped to end her life and sought the permission of the court for active euthanasia. The courts reluctantly refused her request. This relates to euthanasia which can be seen as both morally and legally wrong, reinforcing the idea that certain views in ociety share the same moral and legal opinion. On the other hand, only a year later it was decided that ‘Miss B’, who was suffering from a terminal illness and receiving medical treatment keeping her alive, had the right to refuse to continue with the treatment. This was allowed as it amounted to passive euthanasia which is legally acceptable. Society considers it wrong to take the life of another human being and these two cases reflect this moral viewpoint. In the case of Re A (2000), Siamese twins who had their major organs conjoined were both at risk of dying.However, separation of the twins would have led to the death of one of them. The parents were a gainst the operation and wanted to put the girls fate in the hands of God. The courts however, intervened and decided the operation should go ahead; it was considered a successful operation if one girl survived while her weaker sister died. This follows Bentham’s views that overall more people would benefit if the operation were to go ahead, although this has caused controversy over which individuals moral code should have applied to the situation.The influence of both Hart and Devlin has continued into more recent cases further fuelling the debate as to whether law should enforce moral values or not. In Shaw v DPP the influence of Devlin was seen in the decision with the court describing the ‘fundamental purpose of the law, to conserve not only the safety and order, but also the moral welfare of the state. ’ This was also seen in Knuller v DPP which raised the issue of outraging public decency.Hart has had influence on the infamous Sexual Offences Act 1967 as we ll as reforms in legislation such as the Obscene Publications Act 1968 and the Divorce Law Reform Act 1969. A substantial body of English law is based on moral rules: there is a close relationship between law and morals, as the law does uphold moral values: the existence of laws that serve to defend basic values, such as laws against murder, rape and fraud prove that the two can work together. They both influence each other to a certain extent with the highly moral Ten Commandments being the basis for the UK legal systems most fundamentally important laws.On the other hand, alcohol or smoking restrictions do not reflect a moral code as they have no negative effect on other people. The extent to which law should be influenced by morality remains topical, as mentioned before with laws regarding same-sex marriage and euthanasia. While it can be argued that a significant section of society has come to adopt the view taken by Professor Hart, there nevertheless remains a widely shared bel ief that weakening of the moral basis of the law is dangerous.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Evidence of Transformation

Evidence of Transformation The declaration of Ka’bah and its surrounding as ‘forbidden’, attracted traders as the Qurayshite formed an oligarchy that extended its forbidden status geographically and made the region economically strong. The Queayshites established a socio religious center within the ‘forbidden’ region where Allah reigned supreme.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Evidence of Transformation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The centralization led to a selective observance of law according to kinship, attracting Arab tribesmen who wanted such privileges (Farah 32). Allah became the equalizing force among the different tribes. However, merchants took over the control of political power from clans, and class brought division between the inner Quraysh and the outer Quraysh. The message brought by Muhammad would bring back this unity (Farah 34). â€Å"But the organization of power among the aristocracy of Quraysh was not complete because their council of oligarchs lacked legislative force and the means to execute decisions without having to resorting to traditional methods. In a society now organizes around functional classes rather than tribal membership, the threat of a blood feud or a protracted vendetta was no longer an effective weapon of social restraint when friction developed within the society†. (Farah 33-34) The above quote makes a critical point in providing the evidence of transformation. It concludes the description of the existing social order in Quraysh before Muhammad (Farah 31). In addition, it offers a narration of the imperfections that existed within the system, which made it inefficient and in need of a solution to the growing injustices. The aristocracy of Quraysh became powerful by forming pacts that quashed clan affiliation in favor of kinship and trade interests. During this time, the socio religious function of Allah as the guarantor of rights outsi de family and tribal members increased (Farah 32). The prominence of Allah helped the Makhzum and Umayya clans to occupy the inner city (Farah 33). However, economic ambitions came before religion and social order, thus the region’s legislation failed to develop at the same rate of its trade and industry development. The traditional methods of the legislature served the region, but did not match the transformed need of the society, which had moved from a classification of tribal affiliation into a classification of economic classes.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second sentence in the above quote informs the reader of the preexisting socio religious condition that was full of injustices before the arrival of Muhammad. Without the imperfections, it would be difficult for the transformation to occur. Alternatively, if a transformation took place with rela tively perfect conditions, then its impact would be negligible. The annihilation of tribal affiliations was a major factor contributing to the co-existence of dissimilar tribes in the Quraysh. Moreover, the declaration and extension of the ‘forbidden’ status of Ka’bah laid a foundation for the assembly of different tribes and their subsequent transformation into the Quraysh. The cohesion allowed the ruling oligarchy to perpetuate social practices such as wage payment for economic reasons. This created a new societal division of the inner Quraysh and their clients and slaves who were on the receiving end of the punitive measures. Muhammad belonged to the outer Quraysh and therefore, identified better with the oppressed (Farah 33). This affiliation would be important for his message to gain prominence. The last part of the quote above is symbolical. Just as the organization around functional classes negated the need for a blood feud, Muhammad would not require the help of the existing political power to spread his message. The fermented state of Mecca already made his message appealing (Farah 34). Farah, Caesar. Islam Beliefs and Observances. Virginia: Barrons Educaton Series, 1970. Print.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Depression

Depression Free Online Research Papers Depression is a mood disorder that is becoming more and more common. The effects this disorder has on its victims is horrible. Diagnosing this disease is not easily done. Luckily when it can be diagnosed there are effective treatments known. Depression affects up to 18.8 million Americans in any given one year period (10 depression myths debunked: knowing the facts about this mood disorder can help you combat it more effectively, 2007). A person with this disorder feels overwhelmed with sadness. Most lose interest in activities they were once interested in (Morris, 2002). Some symptoms also include the display of excessive guilt or feelings of worthlessness. In some cases people lose interest in food and sex. Feeling tired is also common. Trouble thinking or concentrating is common in serious cases. Some people who have depression seem to have no emotion (Morris, 2002). Some serious cases lead to suicide. There are two different types of depression. There is the type of depression that everyone goes through from time to time. Perhaps a person feels depressed after a loved one dies, when a relationship ends, or when there are problems at work but the person is able to overcome the feelings (Morris, 2002). Clinical depression is diagnosed when it is serious, lasting, and well beyond the response to a stressful event (Morris, 2002). Diagnosing this disorder can prove to be difficult. Due to resistance from patients and a lack of societal acceptance, physicians are hesitant to diagnose depression (Are Physicians Hesitant to Diagnose Depression?, 2007). Physicians also report it is difficult to diagnose depression because patients may show different symptoms based on gender and ethnicity (Are Physicians Hesitant to Diagnose Depression?, 2007). A survey administered by Epocrates, Inc. reported that 30 percent of clinicians said it was more difficult to discuss depression with men. In the same survey clinicians found it more difficult to link depression to some symptoms, such as anger or addiction, in men (Are Physicians Hesitant to Diagnose Depression?, 2007). The study also proved that physicians were twice as likely to experience depression as the general public. A national survey determined that depression is the leading cause of missed work days (Are Physicians Hesitant to Diagnose Depression?, 2007). The most common treatment for depression is medication. There are many different types of antidepressants. There is evidence that leads scientists to believe depression is the result of abnormalities in brain chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine. Each antidepressant works on brain chemistry a little differently. They all improve the transmission of serotonin and norepinephrine (Koenig, n.d.). Each antidepressant has side effects. Some antidepressants result in weight loss. If a symptom of the patients depression is overeating or weight gain a doctor could prescribe a type of antidepressant with the side effect of weight loss. Medication has proven to be very effective in treating depression (Koenig, n.d.). Depression can also be treated with psychotherapy or counseling. A person with depression can talk to someone who will listen and try to understand what the individual is going through (Koenig, n.d.). Tips and advice about how to get through the troubling situation can be given to the individual suffering from depression. It is about eighty to ninety percent effective with medication (Koenig, n.d.). Another treatment for depression is electric shock therapy. This type of treatment is extremely effective especially for people who do not respond to medication or who can not take the side effects (Koenig, n.d.). Electric shock therapy has come a long way from 20 or 30 years ago. Today an anesthetic is used when doing the procedure. People are unconscious while the procedure is happening. Only part of the brain receives the treatment (Koenig, n.d.). Usually it is an outpatient procedure. The patient may have to wait an hour or two but are normally released the same day the procedure is completed. There are very few side effects to electric shock therapy and it works to end depression quickly (Koenig, n.d.). Overall depression is a disorder that effects peoples emotions. It is not always an easy disorder to diagnose but when it is there are effective treatments to overcome it. Each treatment has proven to be effective. Medication is the most common treatment. Therapy and electric shock therapy have also proven to be effective. Depression is a disorder that is becoming more common but the research being done is making it easier to recognize and treat. References 10 depression myths debunked: knowing the facts about this mood disorder can help you combat it more effectively [Electronic version]. (2007). Mind, Mood, Memory, 3.4, 7. from Gale Apollo Library (A171539178). Morris, C.G., Maisto, A.A. (2002). Psychology: An Introduction (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Are Physicians Hesitant to Diagnose Depression? (2007, June 7). PR Newswire. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from Gale Apollo Library (A164584386). Koenig, H. (n.d.). What Are The Most Common Treatments For Depression?. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from abcnews.go.com/Health/DepressionOverview/story? id=4355869 Research Papers on DepressionThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Marketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseGenetic EngineeringEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andResearch Process Part OneThe Fifth Horseman

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was an organization established during the Civil Rights Movement. Established in April 1960 at Shaw University, SNCC organizers worked throughout the South planning sit-ins, voter registration drives and protests. The organization was no longer in operation by the 1970s as the Black Power Movement became popular. As a former SNCC member argues: In a time when the civil rights struggle is presented as a bedtime story with a beginning, middle, and end, it is important to revisit the work of SNCC and their call for transforming American democracy. Establishment of SNCC In 1960, Ella Baker, an established civil rights activist and an official with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), organized African American college students who had been involved in the 1960 sit-ins to a meeting at Shaw University. In opposition to Martin Luther King Jr., who wanted the students to work with the SCLC, Baker encouraged the attendees to create an independent organization. James Lawson, a theology student at Vanderbilt University, wrote a mission statement we affirm the philosophical or religious ideals of nonviolence as the foundation of our purpose, the presupposition of our faith, and the manner of our action. Nonviolence, growing from Judaic-Christian traditions, seeks a social order of justice permeated by love. That same year, Marion Barry was elected as SNCCs first chairman. Freedom Rides By 1961, SNCC was gaining prominence as a civil rights organization. That year, the group galvanized students and civil rights activists to participate in the Freedom Rides to investigate how effectively the Interstate Commerce Commission was enforcing the Supreme Court ruling of equal treatment in interstate travel. By November of 1961, SNCC was organizing voter registration drives in Mississippi. SNCC also organized desegregation campaigns in Albany, Ga. known as the Albany Movement. March on Washington In August of 1963, SNCC was one of the chief organizers of the March on Washington along with Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the SCLC and the NAACP. John Lewis, chairman of SNCC was scheduled to speak but his criticism of the proposed civil rights bill caused other organizers to pressure Lewis to change the tone of his speech. Lewis and SNCC led listeners in a chant, to We want our freedom, and we want it now. Freedom Summer The following summer, SNCC worked with CORE as well as other civil rights organizations to register Mississippi voters. That same year, SNCC members helped establish the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to create diversity in the states Democratic Party. The work of SNCC and the MFDP caused the National Democratic Party to mandate that all states have equality in its delegation by the 1968 election. Local Organizations From initiatives such as Freedom Summer, voter registration, and other initiatives, local African American communities began creating organizations to meet the needs of their community. For instance, in Selma, African Americans state the Lowndes County Freedom Organization. Later Years and Legacy By the late 1960s, SNCC changed its name to the Student National Coordinating Committee to reflect its changing philosophy. Several members, particularly James Forman believed that nonviolence might not be the only strategy to overcoming racism. Forman once admitted that he did not know how much longer we can stay nonviolent. Under the leadership of Stokely Carmicheal, SNCC began protesting against the Vietnam War and became aligned with the  Black Power Movement. By the 1970s, SNCC was no longer an active organization   Former SNCC member Julian Bond has said, a  final SNCC legacy is the destruction of the psychological shackles which had kept black southerners in physical and mental peonage; SNCC helped break those chains forever. It demonstrated that ordinary women and men, young and old, could perform extraordinary tasks.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Smoking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Smoking - Research Paper Example To understand and minimize the number of smokers, it is relevant to reduce the number of new smokers (Lindson et al., 2011). Studies show that people who smoke acquire the habit from close friends or parents. Generally, having a close person who is a smoker significantly increases the chances of a person ending up smoking. Mohammed, a cigarette addict confesses, â€Å"I got this bad habit from old brother.† He also got the urge to start smoking from his father and his best friends (Mohammed, 2013). The continued exposure to smokers was the main reason why Mohammed was compelled to start smoking. For this reason, the focus group in prevention measures has to be the closest people (Lindson et al., 2011). According to Mohammed, most people who smoke regret ever starting to smoke because they are unable to stop. Their biggest problem is that due to addiction, they are imprisoned by the vice and are unable to pull out. Mohammed claims â€Å"Smoking almost two packs a day has caused different heal problems to me.† In his statement, it is clear that he attributes deteriorating health to his habit of smoking. He enjoys swimming, but due to the effect of smoking on his lungs, he easily gets tired and his attempts are labored (Mohammed, 2013). Khalid is another smoking addict. He started smoking when he was 14 years old. The main reason that compelled him to start smoking was his older cousin. He attributed his ‘coolness’ to smoke and therefore tried it to be cool (Khalid, 2013). This demonstrates that peer pressure plays a big role in introducing people to smoke. The pressure originates from the people around them. Like Mohamed, Khalid had health issues; he is unable to engage in physical exercises. He easily tires and the effects affect his social life because his family has to deal with medical issues that result from his smoking Khalid says, â€Å"I regret every

Friday, October 18, 2019

The use of isotopes in medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The use of isotopes in medicine - Essay Example This physical difference explains why a process like fractional distillation can be used to separate isotopes. According to Van der Merwe (2002), due to the difference, a single element has the capability of existing in many forms for instance oxygen can exist as oxygen- 15, oxygen- 16 or oxygen- 17. This paper aims having a comprehensive discussion of isotopes, outlying their uses in archeology as well as looking at the future of isotopes in this area of interest. Isotopes are categorized into two main groups; stable and unstable. White (1998) asserts that stable isotopes are those that do not decay over time, while the unstable ones undergo through an ionizing radiation referred to as radioactivity. Isotopes that give off this ionizing radiation are called radioisotopes, for example, carbon- 14 is a carbon radioisotope. In fact, the radioactive process differs from one isotope to the other hence some isotopes have a higher radioactive rate than others. The difference in the radioac tivity rate depends on the ratio between neutrons number and proton number. The higher the ratio the faster the rate and vise versa. Ambrose (2003) explains that the decay rate of isotopes can easily be predicted and determined, thus has widely been used in determining age mostly in archeology. Uses in Archeology Carbon Dating Carbon dating is the most common use of isotopes in archeology where age of organisms is determined in the process (McKinney, et al, 1995). The isotope used in this case is carbon- 14. Normally carbon exists in the C- 12 form, but in few occasions it also exists as C- 14. C- 14 are radioisotopes hence can undergo a radioactive process at a specified rate of the half-life. According to the half-life rate, the proportion of decay is in such a way that the C- 14 to C-12 proportion is always constant. However, this is an unproven assumption that archeology attach to this theory of dating in order to assign ages to their discoveries (Van der Merwe, 2002). The theor y is based on the changes that occur to a living organism when it dies and the process of decay starts. According to the theory, during the living period of an organism, the carbon (C-12 and C-14) proportion in the organisms’ body and that in the environment is equal (White, 1998). This is so because the organism exists in an equilibrium environment as different metabolic processes take place within the organism, causing exchanges between the organism and its environment. In the process organisms are constantly replacing body molecules, a process that is faster in some tissues (skin), and slow in others (bone). However, upon death, the unstable form of carbon (C- 14) will start decaying without being replaced from the environment through radioactivity. Consequently, if some parts of the organism such as bones are found by an archeologist, the ratio of C-12: C- 14 at the time can be used to ascertain when the organism died (Van der Merwe, 2002). An organism that died recently will have a lower ration than the one that died ages ago. Material Classification The isotopes used in this process are mainly those of oxygen through a closer analysis of the ratio of O- 18: O- 16. Ambrose (2003) contends that archeologists use this method in the classification of the different types of glasses as well as in the analysis of mollusk shells as they try to determine their origins and sources. In

Developing individuals and teams Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Developing individuals and teams - Assignment Example Consequently, it can be stated that leading a team is different in comparison to that of leading an individual. With this consideration, a scenario has been considered, wherein as a first line manager, a responsibility is bestowed to monitor six staff. Meanwhile, an annual performance appraisal system is performed within the organisation to set forth individual objectives and targets for development. Moreover, around the year monitoring is performed to gauge the achievement by the end of the year. Correspondingly, the objective of this paper is to evaluate the principles and the aspect of effective leadership regarding individual and team management2. As already stated above, leadership style differs in terms of type and requirement. Adding to that, the principles underlying the use of different types of leadership style also vary based on whether the requirement is for a team of employees or for a single employee. For instance, if seen from a team’s perspective, the leader will gradually take the entire team as a single entity rather than taking into consideration of individual team members. In the context of the entire team, the leader will take into account the team’s performance as a whole and strategize accordingly with the prime intention of surpassing the hurdles towards achieving set organisational goals. In this regard, the first line manager as a leader is required to monitor the team’s performance on the whole to reach better judgement3. However, effective management of individual members within the team should also be kept into equal consideration since the efforts of individual members collaboratively form the entire team efforts. For instance, Steve Jobs can be considered as one such effective leader who led Apple Inc. towards success during his reign. In a generalised sense, Jobs led the organization as a whole rather than concentrating on the strengths and weaknesses of individual employees. On the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Controversy - Essay Example The increased attention on global warming seen in 2007 is attributed to several events including the release of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Reports and the fluctuating oil prices and of Al Gore’s film ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ which gave the news â€Å"hooks into climate change-related stories† (Boycoff, 2010). The amount of news coverage on global warming towards the end of the decade registered an increase to approximately five times the amount of attention given to the issues at the turn of the millennium (Boycoff, 2010). However, in contrast, the amount of coverage on the environment remained at 1.5% at the end of the decade and these figures were even lower in the radio and on network TV. This news coverage saw a decrease for the years 2007 to 2009 when the global economic crisis took centre-stage in the news (Boycoff, 2010). The fact that no large-scale disasters like that of the Katrina hurricane disaster also stalled the coverage of climate change. Boycoff (2010) describes how his assessment of articles on climate change published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times and the Wall Street Journal indicate a widespread disagreement with the fact that humans play a huge role in climate change. This mismatch in information is mostly attributed to the wrong applicatio n of so-called ‘balanced reporting’ (Boycoff, 2010). And this mismatch in data has contributed to the confusion on the issue of climate change. However, this bias which was detected in the coverage was later diminished and was no longer pervasive because the media or news coverage became outdated. A new representation was actually considered, especially as George W. Bush, in the 2005 G8 Summit recognized the fact that the Earth has become considerably warmer and man’s contribution through toxic emissions is a reason for the warming global temperatures (Boycoff, 2010). Other

Five- Year Report for Tesco PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Five- Year Report for Tesco PLC - Essay Example The revenues declined in the year 2011 to a extend of 14% with respect to the previous year due to hike in prices of the UK market where the core business of the company lies and the 2012 showed stable growth by offsetting the fall in profits in the UK markets by its international business. Tesco plc emerged as a prominent figure in the turn of the 21st century .In the years to come Tesco is continuously striving for its expansion efforts in its core business in UK, retail services, international operations and operations in non food business. Till the period 2004 the company has gone for massive expansion plans. The company’s growth trajectory has been exceptionally been good over the years. Business Model of Tesco Tesco has evolved as an eminent player in the market over the last five years. It is basically because of the expertise it possesses in capital, human and financial area which can be harnessed across different geographical boundaries trough its sound business model . Figure 1: Business model of Tesco (Source: Tesco PLC, 2013, p.25) Tesco PCL’s way of creating and delivering value to its customers and associated group is rather simple but yet very effective. Its core business activities in a nutshell can be summarized as buying, moving and selling of products and services to its customers and also making use of the customer’s perspective to provide better value to its customers. The core activities are explained below. The company constantly interacts with its customers through focus groups, ongoing research trackers and social networking sites to take in customer feedback with regards to the pros and cons of its available products. These valuable suggestions from customers are incorporated through adding further value to these products such that the customers can derive greater benefits. It offers to its customers a great range of products and through its broad range of supply chain it makes its products available in UK and Europ e etc with much ease. The company through its vast network of distribution channel and advanced technological system is making the right kind of products available to its customers at the right time. This is achieved through making a proper forecast of customer’s needs through detailed models which takes into consideration of variables like seasonality, weather forecast and the responsiveness of the customers to the promotional efforts. Secondly, its ordering system updates itself on real time basis such that it can quickly replenish its supply stores with the right kind of products at the right time. Whether it is store or online shopping or both Tesco is acknowledged to have delivered greatest shopping experience. Its loyalty schemes, multi-format approach to the stores network ranging from large Extra stores to Metro and Express Convenience stores have made its selling a divine experience for its customers. Due to these core competencies of the company in offering value to its customers it stands out in comparison to its competitor as it market ratings suggest being the first rank holder in UK, first and second position in all markets of Asia except China and

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Controversy - Essay Example The increased attention on global warming seen in 2007 is attributed to several events including the release of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Reports and the fluctuating oil prices and of Al Gore’s film ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ which gave the news â€Å"hooks into climate change-related stories† (Boycoff, 2010). The amount of news coverage on global warming towards the end of the decade registered an increase to approximately five times the amount of attention given to the issues at the turn of the millennium (Boycoff, 2010). However, in contrast, the amount of coverage on the environment remained at 1.5% at the end of the decade and these figures were even lower in the radio and on network TV. This news coverage saw a decrease for the years 2007 to 2009 when the global economic crisis took centre-stage in the news (Boycoff, 2010). The fact that no large-scale disasters like that of the Katrina hurricane disaster also stalled the coverage of climate change. Boycoff (2010) describes how his assessment of articles on climate change published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times and the Wall Street Journal indicate a widespread disagreement with the fact that humans play a huge role in climate change. This mismatch in information is mostly attributed to the wrong applicatio n of so-called ‘balanced reporting’ (Boycoff, 2010). And this mismatch in data has contributed to the confusion on the issue of climate change. However, this bias which was detected in the coverage was later diminished and was no longer pervasive because the media or news coverage became outdated. A new representation was actually considered, especially as George W. Bush, in the 2005 G8 Summit recognized the fact that the Earth has become considerably warmer and man’s contribution through toxic emissions is a reason for the warming global temperatures (Boycoff, 2010). Other

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Leadership from the Organisational Behaviour area of study Essay

Leadership from the Organisational Behaviour area of study - Essay Example Over the decades, numerous theories on the subject of organizational leadership have been suggested and deliberated over. These include, but are not limited to, Transactional Leadership, Trait Theory, Behavioural Theories, which constitute The Managerial Grid and Theory X and Theory Y, Situational Leadership, Participative Leadership, which comprises the infamous Lewin’s leadership styles, Contingency Theory, and Transformational Leadership (Time-Life Books 1994, p.453). Trait or Great Man theory places a leader at a different level in terms of thinking, dreams, ambitions and general intelligence as compared to the normal person. The major assumptions made in this theory include; some habits are specifically suited for leadership, individuals who make the best leaders have the perfect blend of leadership traits and the individuals inherently acquire those traits. Extensive research into successful leaders has been carried out in an attempt to discover some of these traits and if when applied to other individuals, they may also make good leaders. Some of these behaviours include intelligence, assertiveness, decisiveness, innovativeness, flexibility, conceptually skilled, team player, diplomacy, sensitivity to the social environment, dreamer, reliable, good orator, charismatic, dominance, persuasiveness and persistence (Burns 1978, p.654). Behavioural theories assume that leaders are not born, but made and that the best leadership is based on principles that can be practiced over time. These theories approach is not to focus on the inherent characteristics of an individual, but rather those habits that they have picked up over the years that have shaped and nurtured their leadership skills. There are two types of behaviour under this theory that each leader possess as a result of training. These include general concern

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Key to Success Essay Example for Free

The Key to Success Essay Everyone wants to be a success in life. Whether it’s as simple as wining a soccer game or as big as ending up in the Genius World Book, many have goals that most people want to succeed in. In order to succeed, however, there are many traits that could be beneficial to have. Some basic factors that can lead to success are having a positive attitude and being responsible. The main key to success would be to have a positive mind set. Success will take a lot of time and effort and life just reminds humanity to keep on training. Every failure is a closer step to success. Giving up on something won’t help with gaining success or reaching the ultimate goal. For example, if a player wants to score a goal during one of the games and misses the first couple of times, thinking that it won’t be possible won’t get anyone anywhere. Everyone should always believe that anything can happen. It is very important to fuel the mind with positive energy. With positive energy fuel, anyone is capable of accomplishing things that others would have thought to be impossible. Success will come eventually, along with the right actions. Being responsible is another important aspect to being successful. If something is hard, speak up and ask for help because sitting around won’t help. Education and doing well in school will help teens get a better chance at being successful. For instance, doing homework on time is a responsibility that will lead to success at school. A failure to do so will result in a poor grade, which will then affect the overall grade at the end. Managing time efficiently is also crucial in order to gain success. If a certain task is given to do at work and there are other things to complete at the same time, one must try to work around and find time to finish all. This will also increase someone’s chance at success. If an employee is unable to finish the task, there are consequences from the boss. 100 percent responsibility and effort is needed in order to be on the road to success. Having a positive attitude plus the right actions will definitely help in the long run to becoming a success. It’s the little things like these that get people on the right track. Success doesn’t come without difficulty. There is a lot more to it and it will take some time, but thinking positively that anything is possible and being responsible will help get the task done.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Components of Supply Chain Management

Components of Supply Chain Management A supply chain may be defined as the number of business practices that move goods from that of raw materials through supply, production and the final distribution of the goods to the customer. Most manufacturing organizations have a supply chain of some description. It is considered that all effective management practices must take into consideration the efficiencies of the component within the chain in order to avoid loss of quality and important customers within the business. THE PROCESS Within any supply chain there are five key elements: 1) Production 2) Supply 3) Inventory 4) Location and 5) Transportation and Information. Each of these is examined in turn. Production In order to facilitate strategic decision making relative to production it is important to understand both what the client wants and equally what the market demands. This leads to the development of supply chain agility and indicates how many products will need to be completed; the sequence to be completed, the individual components required and which plants are capable of producing them. Each of these decisions needs to focus on items such as inventory management, quality, capacity and the volume of goods to be produced in order to meet the customer need. In addition what techniques of quality control need to be introduced in order to meet the required standards of production? Supply This relates to the facility being able to produce efficient and economical goods whilst maintaining high levels of quality. This can be very hard for companies to achieve, particularly when the product incorporates external sub components made outside of the firm. Hence there is a need to QA external products as meeting a required standard of quality. This not only applies to imported finished goods but also the quality of raw materials being used. When selecting a supplier it is a careful balance of cost, quality, reliability and flexibility. A good supplier relationship helps to build a strategic business relationship. Inventory Other important decisions relate to stock or inventory and as such it is a very fine balance between holding too much inventory and not enough. This becomes an important aspect of supply chain management and it is important to retain optimum levels of stock at different locations without holding too much inventory which creates under-utilized capital. There is also the risk of obsolescence for those goods that exceed their storage dates. Control policies need to examine the procedure for retention of inventory and this involves close customer relationship management. Location Strategic decisions are focused upon such items as the location of production plants, distribution and stock facilities and the location of these facilities to the market. Once customers are established it is important that they are services by having production facilities within close proximity to them. This was an important part of the success of the Industrial Revolution in Britain the mines producing raw materials i.e. Coal, Coke etc. were close to the factories that needed to burn them for power and fuel, together with the steel plants that needed the coal for the furnaces. Transportation Information Transportation decisions are an important part of satisfying customer demand. (Rockford Consulting, 2012). Creating innovation requires good organization of information. Computers and software provide important valuable assists in the achievement of these objectives but it still remains important to conduct regular business process analysis and eliminate any redundancies or duplication of effort. THE THREE COMPONENTS OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT There are three essential important components of Supply Chain Management: Business Processes Management Components Network Structure Each of these can be examined in turn: Business Processes It is the business processes that define both the activities and flow of information within the organization. For example: order processing, customer services, distribution etc. It is important to gain a firm understanding of the business processes by conducting business process analysis. This enables the processes to be optimized by streamlining, elimination of redundant processes and building enhanced processes. Network structure This identifies those partners who collaborate in the supply chain. They are the important key business players. Relationships can be placed into categories for example: Strategic Partners, Manufacturing, Operational and Reserve list. Management Components The management component contains the company philosophy for doing business and the methods that it will deploy in order to carry this out. This should be a clear Executive framework that supports a reliable decision making process. It is important that the managers embrace the culture of the Company and this is clearly demonstrated to both the customers and those who work within the organization. (Jesperson, B.D. 2005) INTERPRETING LOGISTICS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN Logistics may be defined as the function that manages the movement of the materials in the supply chain. This is the movement of materials from the initial supply to that of the final delivery to the customer. The concept of logistics embraces a number of distinct activities like procurement, warehousing, inventory management, order processing, recycling and distribution etc. (Sadler, I. 2007) Benefits of logistics Management- Managers will be better informed and make smarter decisions if they understand the business processes within their organization. This is critical in the achievement of business goals. Efficient logistics management is also an important vehicle in the development of the business marketing strategy. The roots of logistics management can be traced back to WW2 and the military application of mobilizing resources and materials. These early concepts were further evolved in the 1960s with physical distribution management. In the 1990s the advances in communication with Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) enabled electronic transfer of information between organizations. We now have Global Positioning (GP) technology that enables precise tracking of goods on a truly globalized basis. The use of logistics software has the benefit of placing controls within the system and ensures that proper routing choices are made. This includes the selection of the correct carriers and optimal shipping routes. These time savings provide a considerable return on investment. EXPLORATION OF NEW CONCEPTS The external supply chain advances beyond the basic concepts of supply chain management. It brings into play all of the additional business links and the complex levels of interactivity. The integration of all of these steps is extremely complex. One such business that has stepped up to the challenge is that of Ford Motor Company in the USA. They have vertically integrated every aspect of the business from mining to manufacturing. The main driver of these new concepts has clearly been centred on customer satisfaction. One of the goals of integrated supply chain management is to remove barriers in order to allow the free flow of materials. One such barrier is that of shared resources in the supply chain. One new approach is removing this barrier and thereby changing the focus to that of buyer focus. Two existing approaches on the removal of barriers are that of lean thinking and agile manufacturing. Shared resources create a problem by adding to the complexity of planning and control, as such creating a barrier. Buyer focus looks towards splitting the buyer process into more manageable components in order to meet improved performance criteria. In this concept resources are singled out in order to serve one buyer. Hence one buyer serves the whole range of supply products. Supply chain management is a relatively new concept. The origins can be traced back as recent as 26 years to a Booze Allen Consultant named Keith Oliver. It was Oliver who defined the term and provided the early foundation concepts to what we now know today as integrated supply chain management. It was the Japanese who really adopted this approach in manufacturing and adapted the techniques of just-in-time and Ken Ban; these techniques becoming universally accepted and adopted throughout the west. The large software vendors like Oracle and SAP were looking towards computer software solutions for the automation of these complex processes. Despite making advances in this area it is still difficult to point towards a single standard or procedure for adoption in Supply Chain Management. (Thorsten Blecker, 2006) Software Applications JDA is an example of a software Company that claims to have in excess of 6000 world-wide customers and their software covers the entire spectrum of supply chain management. Another leading player in this field is that of the software firm Logility. Other leading software suppliers like ORACLE and SAP have integrated these applications into the more wider ranging Enterprise Planning software solutions. MITIGATING RISKS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN Financial Control The key towards the management of financial risks in Transportation costs is by having an effective budgetary control system. Planned levels of expenditure (budgets) are made for all levels of operating costs and these are measured against Actual results in the monthly accounts. These will produce variances, either positive (underspend) or negative (overspend). Those negative variances that fall outside of a prescribed tolerance level e.g. +/- 10% of the budget figure, should be made the point of financial investigation and appropriate remedial action taken. This could be the result of increased supplier costs, unplanned overspend, an increase in the quality of materials and hence costs. There may be numerous reasons but the objective should be to get the expenditure back within the budget tolerance limit. ( Sodhi, M.S. 2012) Financial control should also be linked to Project Management. In particular examination of contingency plans for alternate suppliers within the supply chain. Lack of appropriate alternative suppliers can expose the firm to unplanned financial risks and cost escalation. The concept of Analytical Risk Mitigation is an approach that explores the relationship between cost and change and this is linked to economic considerations like supply and demand, marginal cost statements, break even analysis. This approach allows firms to deploy risk mitigation strategies that diversify or spread the nature of the risk thereby minimizing the amount of cost disruption to the business. Economic Measures This ties in with logistics and ensuring that measures are taken to mitigate expenditure within the transportation of goods within the supply chain. Logistics may be defined as the function that manages the movement of the materials in the supply chain. This is the movement of materials from the initial supply to that of the final delivery to the customer. The concept of logistics embraces a number of distinct activities like procurement, warehousing, inventory management, order processing, recycling and distribution etc. Benefits of logistics management means that managers will be better informed and make smarter decisions if they understand the business processes within their organization. This is critical in the achievement of business goals. Efficient logistics management is also an important vehicle in the development of the business marketing strategy. The use of logistics software has the benefit of placing controls within the system and ensures that proper routing choices are made. This includes the selection of the correct carriers and optimal shipping routes. These time savings provide a considerable return on investment and reduces the level of risk involved. One of the goals of the integrated supply chain is to remove barriers in order to allow the free flow of materials. One such barrier is that of shared resources in the supply chain. One new approach is removing this barrier and thereby changing the focus to that of buyer focus. Two existing approaches on the removal of barriers are that of lean thinking and agile manufacturing. Shared resources create a problem by adding to the complexity of planning and control, as such creating a barrier. Buyer focus looks towards splitting the buyer process into more manageable components in order to meet improved performance criteria. In this concept resources are singled out in order to serve one buyer. Hence one buyer serves the whole range of supply products. Risks and responses should be reported to the project sponsor and other management stakeholders on project status and progress reports. Risk management items should be also part of regularly scheduled project Steering Committee meetings. When risk events occur, the impact and actual damage to the project are assessed. Appropriate corrective response plans, workarounds and action items are executed. When a risk event does occur, it becomes an issue that has an impact on the project deliverables and as such it is important that these are resolved at the earliest opportunity The probability and impact matrix is a vehicle whereby the Project Manager and his team determine elements of risks involved in the project and the activities or phases where these may impact the project. CONCLUSIONS The larger more complex business operations are moving towards the installation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems that embrace supply chain management. These integrated systems use a single relational database management (rdbms) system. If these are installed properly they can offer significant competitive advantages to the firm. There are however some drawbacks in that they are extremely expensive to set up and install. In addition they propose both complex and expensive maintenance procedures. Some products like that of SAP have had a limited expert resource base to draw from. This has resulted in large in-house training programs and as such added a further layer of expense to the cost of software acquisition. Those firms that have trodden down this path agree that this is an investment over time. The rewards show at a later date once you gain formal control over inventories and the movement of goods in the organization. (Madu, C.N. 2005)

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Destalinization :: Russian Russia History

Destalinization Politics has always been about image. A good image leads to power, it's that simple. Sometimes it is hard to draw the line between a leader who is genuinely interested in improving the lives of his people and one that is interested in filling a few more pages of the already crowded History book. A good example of this is the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its transition time between 1953 and 1964. The tyrannical rule of Joseph Stalin in the USSR was finally over, and the nation sought a new leader; after nearly a decade, one man, Nikita Khrushchev, rose up from the ranks with new ideas for the nation, and an extreme anti-Stalin campaign. But was he truly enraged at the way Stalin ruled or was he using this image in an attempt to capture the same power as his predecessor? The link between the two leaders goes back many years, to nearly the beginning of the communist annexation of Russia. Even today, we find ourselves asking if the politicians we vote for say they will make a r eform to actually help the people, or if they say it as an empty promise in a ploy to get elected or to gain power. Was Nikita Khrushchev a man for the people, or was he simply a puppet with motives unseen to the people that pulled his strings? Joseph Stalin ruled the USSR from 1929 until his death in 1953. His rule was one of tyranny, and great change from the society that his predecessor, Lenin, had envisioned (Seton, 34). Stalin put into effect two self proclaimed "five-year plans" over the course of his rule. Both were very similar in that they were intended to improve production in the nation. The first of these plans began collectivization, in which harvests and industrial products were seized by the government and distributed as needed. The government eliminated most private businesses and the state became the leader in commerce. Stalin also initiated a process called "Russification". (Great Events, 119)" Through this program, he ruled the minority nations of the USSR such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan more strictly. This policy of expansion also helped Stalin seize a large portion of Poland, and it was done under the guise that it was to "enrich the nation." Stalin established a secret police force which was unyielding and went about it's business with an iron fist, bringing down dissenters, revolutionaries, and those that cheated in collectivization.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Bba International Hospitality Management

Marketing Export Plan International Business Orientation Exporting FEBO to ChinaPart 1 Table of content Introduction4 1. Strategic Profile5 1. 1 History5 1. 2 Strategies5 1. 3 What to do in China6 1. 4 Suppliers6 2. FEBO internal analysis7 2. 1 Product position7 2. 2 Marketing capability8 2. 3 Research and development capabilities8 2. 4 Organisational structure8 2. 5 Human resources9 2. 6 Facilities and equipment9 2. 7 Past strategies9 3. Target market (external research)10 3. 1 Selection10 3. 2 Operating risks10 3. 3 Market potential11 3. 4 Costs11 3. 5 Potential local and foreign competition11 . 6 In-depth analysis12 3. 7 Population characteristics and purchasing power12 3. 8 Basic infrastructure including transportation and communication facilities13 3. 9 Cultural factors13 3. 10 Resource13 3. 11 Government restrictions and regulations on trade14 4. Target group15 4. 1 Market Access Requirements (MAR)15 5. SWOT analysis19 6. Critical success factors21 6. 1 The industry21 6. 2 Comp etitive strategy and industry position21 6. 3 Environmental factors22 6. 4 Temporal factors22 6. 5 Managerial position22 Conclusion25 List of reference:26 IntroductionThis report is an export marketing plan, about exporting FEBO to China. The report is divided into two parts. This is the first part which is more about the company at the moment the internal and external analysis. It concludes a strategic profile about the history, the strategies, and what to expect in China. Than as all ready mentioned the internal analysis, what are their capabilities, product position, organizational structure, human resource and their facilities and equipment at the moment. The target market is the external analysis which concludes their market position, risks, cost, purchase power and PESTEL analysis.Then there will be explained about about the target market, what is it now and which segment do they want to reach in China. The report consist about a SWOT analysis from FEBO now and the possible op portunities and threats for the China market. In the critical success factors the industry will be discussed and the competitive strategy and industry position. The second part is more about the implementation about exporting FEBO to china. The different market entries, sales and marketing plan and the technical aspect. But there over later more. 1. Strategic Profile 1. 1 History FEBO was found in 1941 by J.J de Borst, he started with â€Å"Maison Febo† as a bakery in Amsterdam. The founder learned that quality is the key factor of success. So he was always busy with improving the quality of his products. After a while Mr. de Borst decided to expand his assortment with homemade salads and kroketten which were sold as a take away or to eat them straight away. Since, there was a high demand, he decided to close the bakery and continue with a kitchen. FEBO made all the products in its fabric. In addition, shops opened where the products could be sold, through the famous â€Å"w all†. Mr. J. J. e Borst did not want to outsource the production because then he did not have control over the quality anymore. Because of this successful concept in 1978 the first franchise settlement was opened in Amsterdam. A few years later other FEBO’s opened their doors in; Purmerend, Hoorn and Hoofddorp. Those neighbor cities of Amsterdam were chosen, to keep the existing target group also called an overflow area. In 1990 the son of the founder took over the company and built a big kitchen in Amsterdam were they produced all the products, they own this kitchen as well to keep their production in their own hands.Later, other franchised FEBO’s opened their doors in the rest of Holland. Now a day there are 61 branches and 55 of them are franchised. All of those shops need to be modern and to have the same charisma. Hygiene is very important and the counter is the hearth of the shop. Everything is about the product, high quality and quick stock turnover. All t he FEBO’s need to be located on A1 locations, and what is more, they need to have a certain surface, minimum of 80m2. (Febo) 1. 2 Strategies Strategy formulation can be analysed through the model of the Strategic lenses.This model suggests that there are 4 ways of formulating and implementing a strategy. Namely those are strategy as design, as experience, as ideas and as discourse. Companies that formulate strategy as discourse are using models and analytical tools to carefully analyze the situation. FEBO is not implementing this way of strategy formulation. It is more using the strategy as experience way, as the strategies and way of doing business are based on past experience. This can be seen yet from the begging, when FEBO expanded from bakery to franchise fast food because of the experience that this is what the customers want.Moreover, strategy as ideas is to be innovative and use the full potential of employees’ ideas. This is also what FEBO implemented, when th ey found the food walls. The last lens is strategy as discourse and this is to use language to formulate a strategy. This angle of looking at a strategy can be also found in FEBO and more particularly in its logo- The most delicious. This logo passes the strategy of good taste to both its employees and customers. (Johnson et. all, 2008). At the moment FEBO is number one mark leader of the fast food sector in the Netherlands.This also has to do with their strategy; â€Å"Quality stays†. FEBO is continuously busy with improving their receipts and products. Also freshness is one of the strategies, all the products are made the same day as they are sold. The products are made of the best quality of meat, herbs, butter and flower. After they are made they are transport by FEBO`s own trucks to keep the quality high. What FEBO is also very famous for is the concept of getting food out of the â€Å"wall†. This is a typical Dutch, and only at FEBO’s.People have to put so me coins in the machines and they can choose their snack without ordering it. This is considered as Smart strategy, because it created a better brand awareness and now everybody recognizes the food out of the wall as part of FEBO. 1. 3 What to do in China This report is analyzing and considering the possibility of export of FEBO to China. FEBO is a typical Dutch fast food chain, where people can 24/7 get food out of the wall. When exporting this to China it is important that the Dutch style identity and the same products, quality and the â€Å"food wall† are preserved. 1. Suppliers It is important that the products are kept as much as possible the same as they are in Holland. One of the basic strategies of FEBO’s is freshness, which means that is it not possible to export the products from Holland all the way to China. They need to be made in China, some essential ingredients as herbs can be exported, but products as meat and potatoes have to come from China. Those ing redients have to be prepared according to the typical Dutch receipts. This method also saves money, because the company does not have to fly over all the raw ingredients to make the snacks. . FEBO internal analysis An internal analysis of an organisation is performed to evaluate its current position and recourses and determine the strengths and the weaknesses. In this part of the report internal analysis of FEBO will be done on the basis on evaluating its product position, marketing capability, research and development, organisational structure, human resources, facilities and equipment, past strategies. 2. 1 Product position The current products of FEBO are all fast food, which can be taken from a wall.However, what distinguishes FEBO is that its products are fresh and never a compromise on quality is made. The company is choosing carefully the best suppliers and producing its products every day in a fabric in Amsterdam, in that way there is a direct control on the quality. After b eing produced in Amsterdam, the food is distributed through the companies own logistic channels to the 61 shops in the Netherlands. In order to make the product positioning of FEBO clearer, the company will be placed on the strategic clock which can be seen in the graph below. Evaluation will be made on the basis of quality and price.The product of FEBO is differentiated from the other fast food, but differentiation is not their strategy as they are also keeping the prices low. What the organisation is doing can be named as hybrid as they are offering more quality and low price. The combination of the two is normally difficult to manage and most companies provide either quality or cheap product, but FEBO achieves both by selling big quantities and distributing the costs over a big production. 2. 2 Marketing capability The marketing concept and at the same time advertising promise that FEBO is using is the most delicious.The accent of the company is definitely on the quality of the i ngredients and the freshness of the food offered to the customers. FEBO is also having a cheap price, but this is not directly communicated to the customers as sometimes people consider low priced products as low quality products. That is why the marketing capability is all about the high quality and appeal to the customers. This is also the reason why, no matter that it is a franchise company, FEBO apart from know-how and brand is also providing the franchisee with the in-house produced and distributed food on daily basis. 2. Research and development capabilities FEBO extended its range of products throughout the years of its foundation. However, the concept of high quality is something that stays in the company. It is making research and developing only the new products that fit in the major concept. In addition the company is performing a research for every new franchisee and has certain requirements as opening shops only in A1 locations. What is more, FEBO has done a research an d provided a map with possible locations for new shops. If a franchisee suggests another location, FEBO will conduct research and evaluate if it is suitable. . 4 Organisational structure FEBO was opened as a family business and still the director today is a family member. He is already a third generation running the company. His name is  Mr. JR Breast and he is on the top of the organisation. The structure of the company is kept simple with direct relations, so that it can work effectively and quickly. There are several management departments, performing the basic tasks. Namely those are- Quality manager, Franchise manager, Marketing manager, financial manager and Manager company stores.They are all directed and controlled by the director of FEBO. The Franchise manager is working together with a consultant for franchising and the financial manager has financial administration. Moreover, there are two secretaries working in FEBO as well. With this structure every employee has tasks and responsibilities and there is no confusion about who is doing what. The organisational structure of FEBO helps in achieving quick and fruitful relationships with franchisee. 2. 5 Human resources The employees working in the management of FEBO are professionals and are carefully selected.They all contribute to the process of adding value and producing and delivering high quality products to the customers. The human resources that FEBO employs also include their franchisee and the full and part time employees working in the shops, so that is why the management of FEBO is considering each case separately. An approval to be a franchisee of FEBO is only given to the ones that cover the requirements. Human resource force is important for FEBO because quality products cannot be produced by unqualified personnel. 2. 6 Facilities and equipmentThe facilities and equipment of FEBO are very important part of the competitive advantage. The walls or vendor machines placed at the shops of FEB O are something unique. They help in delivering fast service to the customers and are even considered as an attraction by the tourists. Furthermore, the shops which are also part of the facilities of FEBO are only in A1 location, which means that a lot of people pass by them and this is an advantage compared to competitors who do not have such good locations or at least not for all of their shops.Very important facilities for FEBO are its fabric and trucks without which the company will not be able to control the quality throughout its whole chain and will be highly dependent on outside organisations. 2. 7 Past strategies FEBO started as a family owned bakery and because of the success and interest it started growing. It can be said that the strategies were not carefully planned, but they emerged from the everyday doing business and from the customer needs. Moreover, as FEBO`s strategy is to produce in-house to keep the quality, this was a strategy that was formulated from the gaine d experience.The family saw that the customers value the personal touch. That is why no matter that the range of the products is growing and there are more and more FEBO restaurants, the quality is kept high by still holding the production and distribution in house, because the past experience shows that this is the formula for success for FEBO. 3. Target market (external research) 3. 1 Selection The choice of market selection is a key strategic option in export marketing which provide the basic information for export marketing mix decisions.In general, the selection is through identifying and analyzing different possible markets for export market expansion from aspects such as market size, market growth, competitive conditions and government regulations, etc to determine the most suitable target market for the company to export at the current situation. Therefore, the selection for target market can be seen as a really essential process for the exporting and international marketing . FEBO is a traditional Dutch company. In addition, it is liked by most of people in the Netherlands no matter from which nationality they are.Therefore there are a lot of choices of feasible countries for export marketing. According to Douglas and Craig (1983), by examining the operating risks, market potential, costs and potential local and foreign competition, the list of feasible countries could be evaluated and ranked. As the result, the most suitable market would be selected out. However, it still needs to be further in-depth analyzed later. (Albaum, 1998, P132-133) For the reasons above, the following part would be the assessment of different choice markets for FEBO’s export marketing later in order to select the most suitable target market for FEBO.The assessment had been divided into three possible options: a Central or Eastern-European country, a North-American country and an emerging Asian country and would be test as the above four aspects according to Douglas and Craig. 3. 2 Operating risks Operating risks, which is also called business risks, mean the risk arising from a computer’s business. To be more specific, it includes risks from the change of people, system and process during the business. What is more, some factors like fraud risks, legal risks, and physical or environment risks also could be involved in operation risks. Operating risk definition. (n. d)) At this aspect, the three options have almost the same risks if choose to expand because for FEBO the three options are all new markets. If FEBO wants to open new stores no matter in the centre or eastern-European or north-American country or an emerging Asian country, a lots of risks at aspects like manufacturing, transportation or even customers and suppliers would exist undoubtedly. However, among this situation, the emerging Asian country such as China has low labor costs which could also mean low labor risk and can be considered as an opportunity. . 3 Market potential M arket potential means the potential of the new market for the future development. For instance it could include the potential amount of customers, the potential products demands, and the potential profits. From this point of view, the Central or Eastern-European market and North-American market are not suitable because the lifestyle of people there is almost the same as in the Netherlands, although the majority of people like fast food so that there are a lot of customers and high products demands, the alternative fast food, competition of FEBO is very high.Therefore it can be predicted that the potential profits can suffer. However, in an emerging Asian country, like China traditional food still stands in a leading position. Although many fast food companies such as KFC and McDonalds’ become increasingly popular by people there, FEBO still seems a new kind of fast food for the â€Å"get food out of wall†. Time saving could attract more potential customers which would lead great potential profits as the result. 3. 4 Costs Simply the costs contain material, time, resource, manufacture and delivery of the products or services of the company. Cost definition. (n. d. )) Among the three options, only the emerging Asian country like China has low labor costs and low tax, therefore at this point, China accounted for the most of advantages and could be seem as a good choice for FEBO’s export. 3. 5 Potential local and foreign competition The same as what had already been mentioned in the point of market potential, there are too much competition in the Central or Eastern-European market and the North-American market as there are too many similar industries, so FEBO has lower opportunities and higher threats if choose these two options.On the contrary, China, as a developing Asian country, has scant fast food industries which mean less local competition. Moreover, at the beginning of international business, FEBO could seize the first opportunities an d then could be easier foothold in the China market than the other similarly industries or companies which entered later. To sum up, according to those reasons above which got from careful analysis, the best choice of FEBO’s export marketing could be clearly seen as China. 3. 6 In-depth analysis After market selection, the most suitable option for FEBO’s export marketing is China.For further analysis, a number of variables which could also be called indicators are useful for assessing the export potential of the international market—the China market. In order, to have a more complete and detailed overview of the China market, the potential impact of those variables needs to be examined. In accordance with Albaum, G. , generally speaking, the physical characteristics, political tendencies, socio-culture characteristics and economic factors are the four main elements which would influence the results of in-depth analysis.More specifically, indicators would include a list of for instance the physical geography of the country, the local industries. Since it would be much more difficult and complex to examine every indicator, several relatively important variables are chosen to analysis. Those are the following: population characteristics and purchasing power, basic infrastructure including transportation and communication facilities, cultural factors, resource and government restrictions and regulations on trade. (Albaum, 1998, P136) 3. Population characteristics and purchasing power As all known, China has a large population which can be seen as benefit for export because more people means more demands. Therefore, it will be clear that the first choice for FEBO to export is the bigger cities in China such as Beijing or Shanghai. In those bigger cities, there are more people and especially more rich people who have larger purchasing power in comparison to people in other small cities. In addition, Big cities have more competition and the major ity of people there have a fast pace of life.There is a very high possibility that they would like FEBO’s â€Å"get food out of wall† model. As a famous typical Dutch fast food, FEBO could help people save a lot of time from cooking and there is no doubt that it would be accepted and further loved by most people living in the bigger cities of China. 3. 8 Basic infrastructure including transportation and communication facilities Take Shanghai as an example, there are lists of transportation methods that could be choose for transportation such as bus, truck, subway, train and even plane if necessary.For one of FEBO’s strategies of freshness, the bigger cities in China like Shanghai could be ensure the transport the raw materials or final products in time and always keep fresh as their original quality. Second, the same as Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the bigger cities such as Beijing and Shanghai in China also have complete and sound communication f acilities. The internet system is the bridge between the headquarters and branches both in the Netherlands and China as well as that between stores and distributions or manufactories.In a word, no matter which link has problems, the communication facilities could assume the responsibility for exchange information. 3. 9 Cultural factors For the cultural aspect, people living in bigger cities in China are more likely to want to try international food than those living in small cities. The reason is that there are a lot of foreigners living in the bigger cities in China especially Shanghai and Beijing and the local population there is more opened to European cultures.Since different nationalities are living together, they are influenced by each other and it is obviously that more and more Chinese accept and even love the foreign food. Usually people that live in bigger cities in China often have less prejudice or fear, furthermore, they have a more modern lifestyles, and they treat for eigners more friendly. Most of them can speak English or other languages so that they would probably prefer to talk with traditional Dutch employees in FEBO’s stores in China about the lifestyle or environment if the Netherland.They will be able to communicate in English. 3. 10 Resource As mentioned above, one of the strategies of FEBO is freshness which means it is not possible to transport the products from the Netherlands to China every day. To address this problem, the products sold in China’s stores need to be made also in China. Therefore only some essential ingredients as herbs still can be exported to keep products of FEBO in China also have traditional Dutch taste and at the same time could save costs.As China is large and owns many resources, it is believed that most of resources that FEBO needs to make products could be found in China such as meat and potatoes and so on. In addition, human resource is another significant element. The larger population especi ally in bigger cities of China means that FEBO does not need to worry about labor problems. Moreover, the lower labor costs in China could also help FEBO save money and can be a better option than exporting Dutch employees from the Netherlands. 3. 11 Government restrictions and regulations on tradeWith China’s accession of WTO, the government pays more attention on international trade than in the past. In addition, Chinese are encouraged to develop international business abroad and the government also welcomes foreign investments in China. Lowering the amount of restrictions on trade and formulating stimulating regulations on trade are what the government already did and would further developed in the future. Therefore this is a good opportunities for FEBO’s export marketing plan to China. Many encouraging regulations such as lower taxes could also lower the risks of FEBO’s export. . Target group Since the first target market for FEBO’s export plan had be en determined as bigger cities in China such as Beijing and Shanghai, the next step is to search for the most suitable location for FEBO’s first store. After a list of researches, the first destination for FEBO’s export would be Shanghai, therefore the following part would be about the situation in Shanghai. FEBO is a fast food company; so that the target group of it would of course young people as for example students and office people.The young usually like fashion and could easily accept new products. They like foreign foods better than the older people. Therefore the problem is how to attract them come to FEBO. To address this problem, some research had been done. Through the results, there are a lot of European companies established in every district of Shanghai, so that it can be hardly to circle for a specific district for Europeans. For this reason, the final location of FEBO would be the city centre of Shanghai which also could be seen as the a1 location. Gene rally peaking, people come from other places, especially from other countries always choose the most famous food to eat; however, there is another choice, that is to follow with the local people. That is because the natives would choose the best food among the whole city so that there is no doubt that the tourists could find delicious food with the local people. Therefore, to attract more customers, the target group for FEBO at the beginning should be those European people in Shanghai. When people see a lot of European people come to FEBO, then they would come as well.Furthermore, with a lot of European people, FEBO could have a more European environment as it is expected. 4. 1 Market Access Requirements (MAR) Standardized products and services are considered to be a confidence builder, and that can be perceived as safety, healthy, secure, high quality and flexible. So the standardized products or services are widely accepted, commonly trusted and highly valued. There are several st andards for FEBO to export to China. This part will be discussed by different aspects. In this part, PESTEL will be used to analysis these factors. Political:It is an important economic development strategy for China to bring more foreign investment, so Chinese government offers more preferential policies to foreign companies. The most relative policy for FEBO is tax; it is lower than in Netherlands. Chinese government announced that foreign companies have to pay 25% of income, which is lower than 25. 5% in Netherlands. FEBO will earn more money because of this low tax. And for the new foreign companies, if they want to operate more than ten years, and then in the first two years, they can exempt from corporate income tax. It is a good open policy for FEBO to enter to Chinese market.Economic: Source from official says that the economic in China is optimistic. Generally, Chinese economic is increasing rapidly. Ranked seventh in the world GDP, GDP growth rate is the first in the world . It is suitable for FEBO to develop to China. Social: Although China has a long history, Chinese people are becoming more open to different cultures than other countries with deeply embedded local customs. Nowadays, the educational level is high, and Chinese people can adopt more foreign customs and values. In some big cities, the pace of life is fast, so people prefer fast-food than traditional one.As it can be seen that McDonald, KFC and many more foreign fast-food stores opened in China, FEBO can be next good choice for them. Technological: FEBO has more or less the same technologic as other fast-food stores. But for some sauces and some special traditional Dutch food, FEBO has its own technologic. What is more, FEBO will use this Dutch fast-food technologic also in China. Environment: As food industry is famous and quickly developing in China, FEBO can catch up with the situation, and develop to Chinese market. After FEBO set foot in China, there will be more jobs for local peo ple.It will also bring competitive crisis to relative stores, and this will promote the virtuous circle of competition in the market. FEBO can be an environmental company, and will do more changes on environmental item, so it could be more adopted than other non environmental friendly business. Legal: FEBO has to obey the laws and relative constraints, some important legal issues are described detailed as below: * FEBO first has to obtain the certification of International standard organization (ISO), which is the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standard.FEBO is a Dutch brand, and if it wants to develop to Chinese market, then it becomes an international business. If FEBO gets the ISO application, it will bring a lot of advantages to the business: * Strengthen quality management and improve enterprise efficiency. If FEBO implement at ISO, it can be scrutinized in according to international standard quality system for quality management. It will greatl y improve work efficiency and product qualification rate, and rapidly increase their economic and social benefits. * Access to international trade pass, it is conducive to across international technical barriers.Especially in the â€Å"World Trade Organization†, member countries exclude the tariff barriers each other, so certified is the main way to eliminate trade barriers. * To be an invincible position in the competition of product quality. Quality competition has become the primary means of competition in international trade. ISO certification can help FEBO improve the product quality stably. * What is more, to enter Chinese market, it is essential for FEBO to have Market access barriers for other relative stores. So FEBO has to get certificate from Chinese food industry. FEBO has to meet China`s health, safety, quality and environmental objectives.As it has been mentioned in the previous part, some essential ingredients as herbs can be exported. So the technical trade ba rriers of China can help FEBO realize these policy objectives by restricting entry of unsatisfactory products at the border. The barriers can be divided into mandatory approval and voluntary approval. * Mandatory approval CCC (China Compulsory Certification) is the fastest way to enter Chinese market. It is a system to replace the Compulsory Supervision System for Product Safety Certification and the Safety License System for Import Commodities.Besides, for the food products, FEBO has to comply with the Chinese GB standard. * Voluntary approval FEBO can apply for the CQC(China Quality Certification) Mark certification. This safety products certification system involves hundreds of products divided into over 50 categories, which include protecting consumers’ personal and property safety and safeguard their rights and interests, improving the product quality of domestic enterprises and increasing the product competitiveness in the international market; and also facilitating for eign products accessing into the domestic market.The products categories that not covered under CCC certification can be subject to the CQC Mark certification. So CQC Mark certification can be regarded as the replenishment of CCC certification. There are several items in CQC Mark certification, and what FEBO needs to get are: CQC Safe&Performance Product certification, and CQC Environmental Product Certification. If FEBO can have two powerful certifications to ensure its quality and safety, it will be treated as a European fast-food brand that with very high quality.Strengths * Number one fast food chain in the Netherlands * 61 shops in all big cities in the Netherlands * A1 locations only * Big target segment * longer opening hours) * Unique â€Å"food out of the wall† concept * Large assortment * FEBO mobile * Daily fresh produced products * High owners equality * Own their production (logistics and production)| Weakness * Lot of waste because of large assortment * Lack of control because of all the different franchises * Cost a lot of money / time to manage the hole distribution channel * Only in the Netherlands| Opportunities * Easy expansion though franchising * The pace of life is fast, and people do not have much time to cook and eat. | Threats * Cheap image * People get more aware of healthy food * Not much option for expansion in Holland (, most big towns and cities of Holland already have a FEBO) * Lots of competition fast food restaurants| 5. SWOT analysis In this chapter the swot analysis of Febo in Holland, will be presented in a table. After having the current SWOT analysis of FEBO, further opportunities and threats for FEBO in China are formulated. Opportunities| Threats| * China has joined WTO, it is being economic globalization, and there is a large space market in China. * China is a new market for FEBO development. As the results show – other fast-food brand has created a score higher than the local business in China * Accordin g to the analysis, it will be the golden age in the next 20 years for China’s economic growth; China will continue to grow as one of the most active region of economic growth. So the financial situation is satisfied. * Chinese consumption level and hierarchy of consumption are increasing. * The tax burdens are less than European countries because of China’s open policy. * No special European food in China, especially traditional Dutch food. | * Other fast-food brand has opened chain stores in China and occupied a vast market, like McDonald and KFC. The gap of brand image in the fast-food industry in getting smaller and smaller. * After China joined WTO, more and more fast-food brands keep their focus on the huge Chinese market. They bring advanced production technology, marketing ideas and service modes. So the relative position of FEBO has a lot of competitors. * New technologies and more modern fast food threaten to displace FEBO and its products. | 6. Critical succe ss factors In general, Critical Success Factors (CSF’s) are the critical factors or activities required for ensuring the success the business. The term was initially used in the world of data analysis, and business analysis.Critical Success Factors have been used significantly to present or identify a few key factors that organizations should focus on so that they are successful. As a definition, critical success factors refer to â€Å"the limited number of areas in which satisfactory results will ensure successful competitive performance for the individual, department, or organization†(Critical Success Factors – CSF analysis, (n. d. ). According to Rockart and Bullen, there are five key sources involved in critical success factors. To better understand FEBO, it will be analyzed on the five parts. 6. 1 The industry In addition to several common CSF within the same industry, there are also many different and unique CSF for different companies.FEBO is a leader in the fast food chain within the Netherlands, so that it has some common CSF like other fast food companies, for instance low price, flexibility and convenient, customer orientation and high quality. Apart from these, FEBO has the unique CSF to be the most famous one among others with its â€Å"get food from the wall†. Because of the revolutionary way of getting the food quickly and easily, FEBO is so successful in the Netherlands. 6. 2 Competitive strategy and industry position Different strategies are used to deal with different situation, and different value/ price position could lead to different markets. Therefore, different strategy and position would gain different market shares and risks at the same time for the company.For example, the values of the company, or the target market and target group the company choose will all impact the CSF’s of that company at a given point in time. FEBO position itself as fast food so that it needs to deliver tasty food to the cu stomers while the service should be quick at a reasonable price and available at any time. Only achieved these can FEBO stand out among the fast food industry. FEBO achieves this with the CSF of holding production and distribution channel in house. 6. 3 Environmental factors The environmental factors mean that any changes in economic, regulatory, political or demographic would affect the CSF of the company. (Critical Success Factors, Guide on How to Write University Essays and Dissertations(n. d. ) This aspect of factors could not be controlled by FEBO, but since FEBO wants to export to China market, so that it already gained a lot of advantages at this point. For instance, China has many regulations to encourage the foreign investments. In addition to that, China is a developing country so that the political development and economic performance of China is very promising. Therefore these all could be seen as the CSF’s for FEBO in the future. 6. 4 Temporal factors These usual ly relate to short-term situation and are influenced by some specific events. These kinds of factors often result in internal organizational needs and changes. A temporary CSF for FEBO can be finding a suitable A1 location and reliable franchisee at a certain destination.This is a CSF which has to be given great attention when expanding to China, because without a good franchisee and good location, there is no way that the shop is successful. 6. 5 Managerial position It is an additional aspect and is important when considered from an individual’s point of view. It highlights individual contribution for the CSF’s of the company. It is normal that the company would be wholly successful if it has many successful managers in different specific area and take good control of each department. At this point of view, FEBO’s CSF are manufacturing managers took the responsibility of provide good quality of products, and the store managers did well in building good relation ship with customers with offering kinds of services. Strategic capability applied to FEBOThe capabilities of a company can be broadly grouped into four categories- Threshold recourses, threshold capabilities, unique resources and core competences. Each of them will be explained and applied to FEBO (Johnson et. all, 2008). * Threshold recourses Threshold recourses are tangible or intangible assets that the company needs to have in order to fulfil the minimum customer requirements. If a company does not have those resources, the customers will not buy from that brand. However, as this is the minimum and every company in the same business needs to have the same to survive, these recourses do not create competitive or superior advantage (Johnson et. ll, 2008). FEBO has the threshold physical resources of having a fabric, machines and shops for selling. Without this the company will not be able to deliver its offering to the customer. Moreover it has the financial resources of its franch isee and company equity. The human threshold recourses of FEBO comprise of the managers who direct the franchisee and the franchisees and their employees at the shops. These all are the minimum resources and without having them, FEBO cannot exist. However, just the presence of these resources is not important. The customer expects that they are deployed in the right way to deliver value. * Threshold competenceThreshold competences are the abilities that are necessarily to satisfy the basic needs of a customer in this case, the minimum expectations from a fast food restaurant (Johnson et. all, 2008). As FEBO is in the business of fast food shops, the threshold competence that it needs to posses in order to have customers is to deliver tasty food to the customers. Moreover, the service should be quick at a reasonable price and available at any time, because that is what all the fast food restaurants are doing. * Unique resources Unique resources are those tangible and intangible asset s that the company posses and are better or different from the competitors.Those resources give competitive advantage (Johnson et. all, 2008). In the case of FEBO the most obvious unique resource it has are its vending machines in the shops. Those are easily recognisable by customers as being part of FEBO and deliver superior- quicker service. In addition, a unique intellectual resource is the brand of FEBO. It is already for a long time in the market and customers know it and value it. The business system of FEBO can also be regarded as a unique resource as the company is keeping production and distribution in house by having its own fabric and trucks. Those are things that are usually outsourced in the fast food industry. Core competence Core competences are the abilities of the personnel to deploy the resources in a way that delivers more value than competitors. The core competences are the key to achieving competitive advantage as they are more difficult to imitate (Johnson et. all, 2008). The core competence of FEBO is to in-house produce and distribute its high quality food quickly to all its A1 shops in Holland. The achievement of quality and at the same time speed makes it possible to sell fresh products in the shops. What is more, the high quality is achieved by using only the best suppliers and carefully choosing the franchisee that represent the brand.So, the core competence of FEBO is embedded in its supply chain. The whole functioning of the operations of FEBO, synchronizing the work of quality suppliers, employees and machines in the fabric, quick logistics, A1 shops and skilled franchisee add to the process of delivering the best quality to the customer. Through the big volumes, FEBO is also keeping the prices of its products down. Conclusion The idea behind the report is to analyze the possibility to expand FEBO to China. To sum up, FEBO opened as a bakery and the experience showed the successful strategy of producing in house and franchising s hops for fast food. The main strategy of the company is resolved around quality and freshness.FEBO is implementing the hybrid quality/price strategy and it is marketing proposition is the â€Å"most delicious†. The structure of the organisation is flat, which makes it effective. FEBO possesses the key facilities- vendor machines and own production. The reasons why to chosen target market is China is because, the labour cost are low, fast food popularity is increasing, Government is stimulating international investments through low taxes, the competition in the fast food is not that fierce yet, the country has the basic recourses to produce FEBO`s products and because of the large population, the target market is also expected to be bigger.More specifically Shanghai is chosen for the first shops as it has good transportation and communication connections and the people in the city are more open to different cultures, which also have a fast pace of life and tend to eat fast foo d, moreover, a bigger proportion of the population is speaking English. In addition, the early adopters of FEBO in Shanghai will be targeted to be the European people. When there are enough European customers this will built trust in the local Chinese population and they will perceive it as exotic and quality food. In order to enter the Chinese market, FEBO has to obtain ISO, China Compulsory Certification and China Quality certification. Having these will make it easier and cheaper for the company to begin business in China and the local population will see it as a quality chain.The critical success factors for FEBO were found to be the get food out of the wall, tasty food with high quality and good choice of franchisees who keep the traditional way of business and the image of FEBO. And last but not least, the unique resources and core competences of FEBO are the walls, the brand name, the business system, quality and speed at the same time and the coordination of the whole supply chain. List of reference: 1) Albaum, G. , Standskow, J. Duerr, E. Dowd, L. , International marketing and export management, Prentice Hall, 3rd edition, 1998 2) CCC US OFFICE – China AQSIQ, CCC Mark, CCC Certificate, 3C Certificate – Your fastest way to enter China Market. (n. d. ). 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