Impact of Brand Image and Advertisement on Consumer Buying Behavior Essay

Impact of Brand Image and Advertisement on Consumer Buying Behavior Impact of Brand Image and Advertisement on Consumer Buying Behavior Muhammad Ehsan Malik, Muhammad 1 2 Mudasar Ghafoor, 3Hafiz Kashif Iqbal, 4Qasim Ali, 4Hira Hunbal, 4Muhammad Noman and 4Bilal Ahmad 1Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan Dean Economics and Management Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan 2School of Business, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom 3School of Business and Economics, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan 4Department of Business Administration, University of the Punjab Gujranwala Campus, Pakistan Submitted: Apr 27, 2013; Accepted: Jun 3, 2013; Published: Jun 20, 2013 Abstract: Brand image and advertisement play a crucial role to boost up any business performance as brand image is an implied tool which can positively change people’s buying behaviors and advertisement is behaving as a driving force for any business as it’s an effective source to convey your message and stay in customer’s mind. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of brand image and advertisement on consumer buying behavior in the general public at Gujranwala city. Questionnaire survey was used to collect the data by using non probability convenient sampling technique. A sample of 200 questionnaires was used in which 175 responses were collected within the period of one month. Findings show that brand image and advertisement have strong positive influence and significant relationship with Consumer buying behavior. People perceive the brand image with positive attitude. Study depicted that teenagers in Gujranwala are more conscious about their social status so they prefer branded products and advertisement affects their Consumer Buying Behavior positively. In the last of article limitations of research, implications and suggestions for further research also included. Key words: Brand image Advertisement Consumer Buying Behavior INTRODUCTION can build long term profitable relations with customers. People in our society are so conscious about their any business can positively affect the behaviors of status and they prefer to use branded products to show people regarding brand image, satisfaction and loyalty. off their status symbol. Brand is considered as implied At present time in global and emerging markets device through which any business can attain the business war is not only on price but customer attraction, attraction of people and can enjoy the competitive edge. loyalty and relationship matters a lot. Companies are so In our local scenario it also considered as a valuable asset conscious about their customer’s satisfaction. for any business as it can change peoples’ buying Advertisement plays a crucial role for any business to behavior. It can play a vital role to expand any business. boost up its performance graph as it is a powerful strategy Brand image development is a long term process and it to attract your customers toward your product. In can prove a strong weapon to fight with your competitors. Pakistan advertisement also becoming a driving force for Customers rely on branded products and mostly prefer to any business because it can force people to change their buy products with well known brand name. Marketing behavior regarding your product in positive sense. valuable strategies and tools can develop the brand of Advertisement is a dominant and leading weapon in all any product. If brand is managed in effective ways, a marketing tools due to its positive impact on consumers’ business can enjoy maximum number of customers and buying behavior. It’s an effective way to communicate Refine quality of products and social

Hospitality Human Resources Management Essay

In organisations today, the scope of human resource management is vast but there are three main functions that human resource management is comprised of – strategies, plans, practices, processes and policies; attract, manage, develop and reward; and contributing to the overall performance of the organisation. Throughout this literature review the different approaches that various authors take when outlining the what activities, tasks and functions contribute to the role of an human resources manager in organisations will be discussed as well as the features that are unique to the industry and affect the role of human resources manager in hospitality. I will also make an executive suggestion as to which human resource approach I feel is the most appropriate for organisations in the hospitality industry from the readings used in this literature review. The main sources that will be referenced in this literature review include Rudman (2010), Armstrong (2006), Baum (2007) and Fà ¡ilte Ireland (2005). Human resource management is an important role within organisations and businesses which focuses closely on both the recruitment and the overall management of employees within organisations and businesses. It is a strategic approach when it comes to managing people in the work place and works to create, as well as reinforce, a work environment that is positive for organisations employees. (Heathfield, 2013). When recruiting new employees, the human resource managers of organisations look for candidates who are highly experienced in the organisations field, possess a wide variety of skills that can be applied within the organisation, and have a positive working attitude and good work ethics which they will apply to the organisation or business. Human resources management is the control of an organisation’s employees; according to Rouse (2011) an organisation’s human resources management department is in charge of creating, implementing and overseeing all policies that ar e to do with the behaviour of the organisation’s employees as well as the organisation’s behaviour towards the employees. Human resources management can be defined in many different ways and everyone  has a different view on what human resources management is comprised of. It is said that up until the 1980’s human resources management was known as personnel management, and making the change from personnel management to human resources management offered organisations a new beginning. It offered organisations new beginnings as human resources management, according to Rudman (2010), is based on three key aspects; commitment and engagement, integration and fit, and flexibility and adaptability. As human resources management can be defined in various ways it is apparent that authors will have different views on what human resources management is as well as what the tasks and activities are that make up the role of a human resources manager in organisations. The roles and functions of a human resources manager are viewed differently by organisations but all organisations do have a human resources function whether they openly recognise it or not. Human resources management uses a human resources system as a means to operate. This human resources systems amalgamates the philosophies, strategies, policies, processes, practices and programmes of human resources management. (Armstrong, 2006). Armstrong’s (2006) human resources management activities model, which was based on Becker and Gehart’s (1996) human resources management model, views the role of the human resources manager in organisations to comprise of ten key components. The ten key components of Armstrong’s (2006) human resources management activities model include organisation, an employment relationship, resourcing, performance management, the development of human resources, reward management, employee relations, health and safety, welfare services as well as employment and human resource services. These ten, supposed, key components of the human resources management activities model can also be matched to a human resources model Armstrong (2006) claims. This human resources model shows that human resources and the structure that an organisation is built on should be managed in a way that harmonises them strategically. It is also said that there is a human resources cycle which is made up of four functions that are generically performed in all organisations. These functions include selection, appraisal, rewards and development according to Armstrong (2006) who believes that the human resources cycle starts with selection, then goes on to appraisal – or  performance management which it is also known as – before splitting off into two sections, rewards and development, before finishing the cycle with performance. This model and matching human resources cycle explain human resources management in a way that appears to cover every aspect of it simply and effectively . Where Armstrong’s (2006) human resources management model talks about there being ten key components of human resources management and are simple, Rudman (2010) goes into more detail when defining the scope of human resources management. Rudman (2010) said that the scope of human resources management is influenced by how big, or small, an organisation is along with other characteristics and it â€Å"†¦covers everything an organisation does to attract, manage, develop and reward†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 8) employees who help the organisation achieve its goals. This scope of human resources management means that Rudman (2010) see the role of a human resources manager as consisting of activities, but he also talks about there being five main elements when it comes to human resources management. The five elements that Rudman (2010) suggests are the core elements that make up human resources management are staffing the organisation, managing people and performance, developing people and performance, rewarding people and performance, and managing employment relations. Staffing the organisation works towards attracting and acquiring any of the human resources that an organisation needs in order to achieve the organisation’s goals while managing employment relations aims to balance both the interests of the employers and their employees so that the organisation can work to achieve their goals. When an organisation manages people and performance it encourages their employee’s contribution and commitment to both the organisation and the organisation’s overall performance while developing people and performance ensures that the organisation’s employees have the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies that are required for the present performance and future performance of the organisation. When organisations reward people and performance it influences the behaviour and performance of the organisation’s employees by encouraging them with future contributions as well as recognising their past achievements. These fiv e core elements make up what Rudman (2010) believes to be the scope of human resources  management. While Rudman (2010) suggests that there are five elements that make up the scope of human resources management, and Armstrong (2006) claims that there are ten key components that comprise to make up his human resources management activities model which has a complementary matching human resources management model; there are many other perspectives when it comes to discussing what makes up the role of a human resources manager. Another perspective is that of Baum (2007) who suggests that there are eight aspects that combine together to make up what the role of a human resources manager involves. Baum’s (2007) views on what human resources management is good practice is adapted from Fà ¡ilte Ireland (2005) model of what good practice in human resources management is. The eight aspects that Baum (2007) and Fà ¡ilte Ireland (2005) suggest are activities that contribute to what a human resources managers role is are flexibility, participation, performance management, recognition, reward, communication, learning and development, and empowerment. A human resources manager needs to be flexible according to Baum (2007) because they need to ensure that the organisation can match their demands with the availability of their staff whilst recognising the employee’s work-life balance also needs to be managed. Performance management is an important aspect of a human resources managers role according to Baum (2007) as carrying out regular staff performance reviews within organisations will ensure that both individual performance and team performance is being delivered to the standard of the organisation leads to rewards and recognition, two aspects that Baum suggests are important. Ensuring that employee’s good efforts are recognised within their peer group and are celebrated will ensure that employees continue working to the same standard so that they can gain either monetary or non-monetary rewards. Learning and development is also important when it comes to the role of a human resources manager as having access to both on-site and off-site courses and learning opportunities for employee’s ensures that employee’s work is up to standard and they are up to date and speed with what they are required to do for the organisation to achieve their goals. Developing, managing and rewarding people and performance appear to be  common, and important, functions of what a human resources manager role consists of according to Baum (2007), Fà ¡ilte Ireland (2005), Rudman (2010) and Armstrong (2006) human resources management activities models. The three models that have been discussed all have similar functions but Armstrong’s (2006) seems to cover every aspect of what I think human resources management entails in a more in-depth way compared to how Rudman (2006) explains it. However, each model is specific and suggest what they see as the most important functions of human resources management and activities of a human resources manager. In the hospitality industry human resources management departments are often considered, and talked about being, a cost center. A cost center is a function in an organisation that does not produce any direct profit but adds to the overall cost of running an organisation. Human resources management is considered a cost center in the hospitality industry as measuring the outcomes of human resources management efforts is not always clear to see and the same goes for the results of managing employees. Many hospitality organisation’s face challenges including the business environment continuously changing rapidly, increasing competition and changing customer demands but the changing technologies of today are making it easier for organisations to share information and replicate competing organisation’s work practices and strategies. (Cho, Woods, Jang & Erdem, 2006). Cho et al (2006) found that human resources management issues and challenges are becoming increasingly important to an organisation’s performance where as Becker & Gerhart (1996) have argued that decisions regarding human resources management influence the overall performance of an organisation because human resources management aims to improve the efficiency of organisations as well as increase the revenue of the organisation. A major issue that human resources managers face in the hospitality industry is employee retention as there is a personnel shortage. There is a decrease in the number of teenagers that are available to work in the hospitality industry as the majority of them are looking for jobs that allow them to work nine to five, Monday through Friday and have the weekends off. However, in the hospitality industry this is never the case and, in the vast majority  of cases, employees are required to work over the weekend. Because of this decrease in availability of teenagers wanting to work in the hospitality industry, Bonn & Forbringer (1992) suggested that human resources managers are going to have to explore and develop new target markets and methods when it comes to both attracting and retaining employees. According to Davidson & Wang (2011) jobs in the hospitality industry are being characterised by the levels of labour turnover being quite high with a fair amount of employees leaving their current hospitality jobs for opportunities in different industries. This high labour turnover means that employees are not happy with the work they are doing but, in some conditions, it can also indicate that employee’s cannot reach the unrealistic expectations of the organisation they are working for. However, some other reasons have been known to be the cause of high labour turnover in the hospitality industry and these include; there being a lack of future career opportunities; the job-scope being dissatisfactory; and conflict between management and employees. Human resources managers are required to think of new ideas that will want people to work for their organisation so that there is a low labour turnover. If an organisation has a low labour turnover this means that their employee’s are satisfied with their jobs, they feel both safe and healthy in their work environment, and their work performance is deemed satisfactory from the employer’s perspective which is very important. Being able to attract and retain employee’s in one of the key components that is part of the activities and functions that comprise the role of a human resources manager. There are several different approaches that can be taken when it comes to human resources management; these include hard or soft, best practice, best fit and strategic. Two different approaches of human resources management are hard or soft. These approaches are opposing views on different human natures and control strategies; hard human resources management can be viewed as the basic functions whereas soft human resources is the advanced functions of human resources management. Soft human resources management is all about the self direction of individuals and in the center of the approach to managing people is trust, self-regulated behaviour and commitment. With soft human resources management employees are treated as  the most significant resources within an organisation and it focuses on the employee’s needs, roles, rewards and motivating them. This makes employee’s the greatest asset within an organisation and they are vital to the success of the organisation. Human resources managers ensure that they select the best candidates, provide them with training and development of a high and appropriate quality and are rewarded in regards to their value to the organisation. Whereas hard human resources management focuses on the strategic objectives of the organisation and human resources is treated like an equal function of production. Hard human resources management aims to minimise the cost of labour and make it flexible and people are often referred to as employee’s with this particular approach to human resources management as it reinforces that employee relations can be because of franchising, outsourcing or subcontracting. Strategic human resources is an approach that has a goal to use people in the most effective way in regards to the organisation’s strategic needs. This approach is designed to aid organisations meet their employee’s needs in the best way possible. It requires human resources managers to not only think and plan ahead different ways for the organisation to meet the needs of their employee’s but also ways for the employee’s to meet the needs of the organisation as well. (Becker & Huselid, 2006). Strategic human resources management is having the ability to plan for the employee’s needs as it helps improve and increase the amount of skillful employee’s whom choose to keep working for an organisation. Becker & Huselid (2006) suggest that improving and increasing this amount will reduce labour turnover costs, and the money that organisations would have to spend on attracting and recruiting new employee’s. The best practice approach to human resources management is based on there supposedly being a set of human resources management practices that are best suited and that using these practices will lead to the organisations overall performance being superior to their competitions. It aims to develop employees, increase their level of commitment to the organisation, with the intended outcome to improve the overall performance of organisations and create a competitive advantage that is sustainable. When it comes to this  approach to human resources management, what may work for one specific organisation may not necessarily be the best practice for another organisation as it may not fit the style of management, strategy, or working performance of that organisation. (Armstrong, 2006). Whereas the best fit approach to human resources management works on emphasising the significance that ensuring the human resources strategies are appropriate for the organisation. Human resources managers a re required to take into account bot the needs of the organisation and its employee’s. With this approach it is up to the organisation to decide what works best for them and what will fit their operational and strategic requirements according to Armstrong (2006). The most suitable approach to human resources management in the hospitality industry in my opinion, based on the findings of this literature review, is the best practice approach. This is because this approach aims to develop employee’s, increase their level of commitment to the organisation, and have an outcome that improves the overall performance of the organisation. When working in the hospitality industry it is important to attract and recruit the people best suited for the organisation and adopting this approach to human resources management it will ensure that the commitment of employee’s is enhanced and improved which, in turn, improves the overall performance of the organisation. There are a range of human resources practices that are significant to organisations when trying to attract and retain employee’s who will constantly deliver service of a high quality. These practices include selection and recruitment, teamwork, retention, training and developme nt, appraisals and rewards, and employee relations and they are all important to the human resources management in the hospitality industry. References Armstrong, M. (2006). A handbook of human resource management practice, 10th ed. London: Kogan Page. Baum, T. (2007). Human resources in tourism: Still waiting for change. Tourism Management, 28(6), 1383-1399. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/science/article/pii /S0261517707001033 Becker, B & Gerhart, B. (1996). The impact of human resource management on organisational performance: Progress and prospects. Academy of management journal, 39(4), 779-801. Becker, B. E., & Huselid, M. A. (2006). Strategic human resources management: Where do we go from here?. Journal of Management, 32(6), 898-925. doi: 10.1177/0149206306293668 Bonn, M. A., & Forbringer, L. R. (1992). Reducing turnover in the hospitality industry: an overview of recruitment, selection and retention. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 11(1), 47-63. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/science/article/pii/ 027843199290035T Cho, S., Woods, R. H., Jang, S., & Erdem, M. (2006). Measuring the impact of human resource management practices on hospitality firms’ performances. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 25(2), 262-277. Davidson, M. C. G., & Wang, Y. (2011). Sustainable labor practices? hotel human resource managers views on turnover and skill shortages. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tour, 10(3), 235-253. doi: 10.1080/15332845.2011.555731 Druker, J., White, G., Hegewisch, A. & Mayne, L. (1996). Between hard and soft hrm: Human resource management in the construction industry. Construction management and economics, 14(5), 405-416. doi: 10.1080/014461996373278 Fà ¡ilte Ireland. (2005). A human resource development strategy for irish tourism: Competing through people. Retrieved from http://torc.linkbc.ca/torc/downs1/Strategy%20for%20Irish%20Tourism%5b1%5d.pdf Heathfield, S. M. (2013). What is human resource management?. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/g lossaryh/f/hr_management.htm Nickson, D. (2007). Human resource management for the hospitality and tourism industries. (1st ed.). Boston, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. O’Neill, J. W., & Davis, K. (2011). Work stress and well-being in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(2), 385–390. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2010.07.007 Rouse, M. (2007). What is cost center? Retrieved from http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/definition/cost-center Rouse, M. (2011). What is human resource management (hrm)?. Retrieved from http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/human-resource-management-HRM Rudman, R. (2010). Human resources management in new zealand (5th ed.).

Drug Court Program in NJ Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drug Court Program in NJ - Term Paper Example The thesis statement which has been used in this paper is that: There is an immediate need to expand the drug court programs and the expansion should be in terms of program structure, underlying ideas, the area of jurisdiction, and manpower. The existing Drug Court Program, though very well structured, has not been very successful. The program started in 1996-97 and by 1999, it got well structured and the number of such courts reached 472 (Franco 2010 p.5). Drug courts started a societal shift toward therapeutic jurisprudence. The focus moved to the person rather than the crime. Frequent personal interactions with the professionals of the drug court team have helped people to recover to some extent. Though the program created more productive people for the society, in creating a healthy society it has not been very successful. In the year 2010-11, the percentage of employed people entering the program is 29%. Upon graduating the number rose to 84% (New Jersey Courts, 2011, p. 24). Now there can be some discrepancies in those numbers. The real scenario can be seen from the health benefits data. Upon entering the program, 15% of the people were considered healthy; but while graduating, only 48% of the people were labeled a s healthy. Though 33% rise is very attractive, the percentage of unhealthy people is quite substantial at 52% (New Jersey Courts, 2011, p.24). This staggering percentage is a clear indicator of the fact that the program, though very rigorous, is not very effective to create people of sound mind and body. It seems like a short time fix which is more evident from the 2009-10 annual report. Here the health benefits increased from 17% to 53% upon graduating (New Jersey Courts, 2010, p.20).

Write a response paper about the given article Essay

Write a response paper about the given article - Essay Example s Somers, the author of the article refutes this common belief and illustrates how using the dictionary authored by Webster in its unedited versions presents a wealth of vocabulary and its usage in English. This paper will offer a response to the article by James Somers. James Somers is the author of the article that criticizes many modern dictionaries. Having spent a lot of time with McPhee, a great novelist and author in the American society, Somers developed an interest in the English. Although he had opined that his dictionary was a reliable companion to improve his vocabulary, he really used it. However, he noted the differences in McPhee’s use of the English language a specifically his continued use of a unique dictionary. These two aspects prompted to inquire from McPhee on the differences between his preferred dictionary and those used by many people. Although initially it was his responsibility to find out why this happens, McPhee first illustrated how the meaning of Webster’s book was outstanding and the concepts introduced by the dictionary proved to be very compelling. After Somers discovered that the Webster dictionary was the critical tool that McPhee had relied on, Somers ventured into its use. Over many years, he has be en using the same dictionary which has immensely improved his written and spoken English (Somers n.p). In this article, Somers’s introduces his subject by illustrating how words are searched in the dictionary and the kind of responses yielded by the searches. Using an example of the term â€Å"Sport,† he demonstrates to the leader how limiting many dictionaries are in offering relevant and more provisional results. Using the testimonial from McPhee, the author develops his argument basing it on his comparison of the description of words in the Webster dictionary as well as other common dictionaries. Using words such as sport, fustian and pathos, the author elaborates the differences between the two dictionaries. After giving an

Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalisation on China Essay

Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalisation on China - Essay Example Similarly leveraging of huge natural resources for the growth and development of the economy to be a powerful country in the world has been possible in the backdrop of globalization with economic reforms. The environmental impact due to global warming is very important from the international perspective and for sustainable development, because the economic development at the current level by exploiting the natural resources at this level is not sustainable in the long run. The Sustainable Development according Bruntland (1987) means â€Å"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.† (The World Bank Group, 2001) Background The Chinese economy based on state owned industrial undertakings and collective communes, was ineffective in achieving the desired economic growth in the country which aspired to become a leading international power. The economic reforms introduced during the period of Deng Xi aoping in the late 1970s aimed at catching up with the developed countries gave a fillip to a system of decentralized market-based economy. Goodhart, C. and Xu, C. (1996, p. 34) state â€Å"Following the decision to open the economy, and to increase the role of market forces and reduce the burden of state subsidies on foreign trade losses (since the RMB was artificially overvalued), China began to decentralize its foreign trade and foreign exchange systems in 1979†. The country was successful in establishing the phenomenon of ‘regulated market economy’ without compromising political control of the party. Consequently the foreign direct investment into the country has grown significantly aiding the growth process over the period of time. Environmental Impact The issues related to environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions and global warming in the negotiations at the international level has gathered momentum starting from Kyoto Protocol. China being t he world's largest greenhouse  gas emitter is constrained to take measures in line with the world opinion and committed to 40 to 45% reduction in CO2 emissions from 2005 level by 2020 in the recent Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December 2009.   Finamore (2009) states â€Å"a carbon intensity target will require each province and major enterprise to measure, report and reduce their CO2 emissions and energy consumption, year-on-year, acting as a driver for greater efficiency and renewable†. The US and China as the major greenhouse gas emitters are expected by the world community to take proactive measures in containing the greenhouse gas emissions. Climate Ark (2007) states â€Å"The world faces a global warming disaster if the United States and China do not take decisive action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, a leading economist said at the U.N. â€Å" Evidence China Daily (2011) states that the new issue of the British "Nature" magazine published the first two st udies to draw definitive conclusions that human activity caused global warming is indeed global rainfall, snowfall intensity increased, an increase in natural disasters such as floods†. Unseasonal droughts, floods and other natural disasters have been closely associated with global warming. The social and environmental consequences of the industrial activities

Assess the extent that the UN has been successful since its creation Essay

Assess the extent that the UN has been successful since its creation - Essay Example The Role of the United Nations). What is role is the UN playing today? Has the UN really been able to achieve the target of maintaining peace throughout the world? Has it really become the instrument of the super powers to fulfill their selfish motives? Since its creation a number of questions have been raised on the credibility of the UN. Big nations are bypassing the charter of the UN so how far is it relevant? Is it really going the League of Nations way? The most recent case has been the case of Kosova, where the UN controls the administration. Is that the role UN is supposed to play? Or is that UN was compelled to take on the Kosova due to the hegemony of the super power. Was really the war on Kosova by NATO essential? These are the questions, which are bound to come up while discussing the role of the UN in the world stage. If the UN has really made mistakes in Kosova, has it really understood its mistakes or is it still repeating them? The study indeed shows that the mistakes are still being committed. Is only preventing the war sufficient for the world peace? Can the world be peaceful without the welfare measures? And how relevant is UN really today, when we have seen the recent Afghan war and the Iraq war. These are the questions, which we shall try to answer in our discussions. These are the never ending and controversial questions. The Preamble of the UN clearly states that United Nations was founded to prevent and resolve international conflicts and help build a culture of peace in the world. These intentions are clearly reflected in the departments and the programs of the UN. The UN is taking care of everything that can be the source of the conflicts. The conflict can occur amongst the States or within the States and their causes can also be different. The former can be due to the land dispute, water dispute or other natural resources dispute. The conflicts within the State can be due to religious tensions, due to illiteracy, due caste system

Augmented Reality Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Augmented Reality Application - Essay Example The virtual scene which is generated through this process by the computer is designed so as to enhance the perception of the virtual world that the user is either interacting with or viewing. The main goal of the augmented reality is to help in creating a system whereby the user cannot be in a position to tell the difference between the real world and the virtual augmentation of it. Currently the Augmented Reality is used in different entertainment joints, engineering design, military and robotics, the process of manufacturing among others. (Roche, 2011) The video stratum mainly requires three main steps, which includes; Recognition of the object, face, image or the body. The second is tracking which is the real time localization in the space of the specific object, image or body. The third one is the mix which is the superposition of a media which is usually on top of the face, body, object or image. The process of these three often takes less than forty microseconds in order to det ect and match the fluidity in human eye for up to 2h5 images in every second. (Huang, 2013) For the past 3 decades, we have been entertained by different video games. The Augmented reality is moving the entertainment from the common graphics frequently seen in televisions. The technology blurs a thick line between what computer generates and what is real through the enhancing the senses of smell, sense and see. On the specific spectrum existing in the virtual reality and helps in the creation immersive real world and computer generated, the augmented reality is closer to the world. After using the technology, I realized that it adds sounds, graphics, smell and haptic feedback to the real and natural world just as it exists. Both the cell phones and the video games are vital in the development of the augmented reality. People from different professionals, tourists and even people from the military are now in a position to benefit from the possibility of computer generated graphics in the specific field of vision. It is axiomatic to argue that the augmented reality is changing the way people view world today especially its users. It is no doubt that technology changes the way we do business across the globe, but it is clear having used the app, that AR has taken the real feeling to the next level. The feeling after using the app makes it interesting that I needed to use it more. FOUR EXAMPLES The AR information in the four examples is amazing. Watching the segment gives one a sense and a feeling of wanting to watch again. It brings the world to its real form. In the first example of the movie, Posters, the app, gives an example of an individual watching a movie using the app. It tries to capture different pictures from the room to the field where he captures the picture of the ecosystem. It is just amazing the connecting it brings with the nature. The understanding of the application is made easier through the use of this system. The capturing of the whole seque nces portrays attractive images which appear to be real. The images are also very sharp and clear making one to have the feeling of watching the movie on a 3-D basis. (Sood, 2012) In the movie and scanning, it will be possible to scan the top movie posters using the Layar app so as to make it possible viewing the trainers, find information about the movie, see the critics. Using

Financial analysis ( case study ) comparison between two firms Assignment

Financial analysis ( case study ) comparison between two firms - Assignment Example The purpose of financial analysis is therefore spread among the users of financial statements who have defined reasons for accessing the statements. For example, to determine the firms’ ability to pay bills or debts, use of assets efficiently, dividends per the share and the profits gained from its business. This paper hence seeks to give a detailed strategic review and financial analysis of two organizations: Morrison and Target. The purpose of financial analysis is significant and pivotal to the mentioned users of financial statements: it helps the stakeholders such as investors with the provision of more detailed information on the businesses of the company. the information from financial analysis can be used to determines the profitability of a firm and investors may derive conclusions as to whether to invest in such firms or not. The analysis of financial statements is useful to one and every stakeholders such as the employees, managers, creditors and suppliers, governmen t agents, researchers, customers, lenders and financial analysts. This is so as financial analysis result reflects the trends of the financial growth of the firm and this motivates them in strengthening their relationship with the firm. ... On the other hand, the vertical analysis is the analysis carried out on the balance sheet and the profit and loss account. The figures in the statements on the vertical analysis are calculated as the percentages of the totaled amount. Ratio analysis will be used to interpret the financial conditions and to examine the past and present performance as well as the strength and weaknesses of the firms. Background A strategic review of the firms Morrison Plc has various core competencies in the industry. Some of the core competencies from which the firm derives competitive advantage include: production of various forms of pastry and proprietary recipes; production of seafood, enrobe meat, vegetables and sauce in pastry that are carried out in facilities inspected by the government; producing sauces and fillings in house; and manufacturing of products with combinations of starch with vegetables, protein and sauce. In the industry, Morrison firm has expertise in categories such as: pastry e nrobed products like puff pastry, portable pastry like sweet and savoury snacks, short crust pastry baked or unbaked, and dinners or bowls such as family entrees and pasta entrees (Morison, 2009). In the industry by market share, Morrison is the fourth largest grocery. They offer freshest food and ingredients to their customers. This promotes marketing issues in the industry which has been implemented in marketing mix and brings a feeling of belonging into real market environment by the customer. In the industry, Morrison focuses on the corporate social responsibility strategy which is an extension to their vision, to be the food specialist for everyone. Morrison also owns 13

The Cold War Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Cold War - Assignment Example 2010) That said there was plenty of room for disagreements and competition to erupt between the two; There are three are reasons that generally gave the United States little choice but to become a part of the Cold War. The first was the issues of free elections that Poland should have been able to participate. But due to under the table deal making by Stalin with Hitler during World War II the Soviet Union would not allow Poland their free elections. For this reason President Truman made it clear that as our allies we were required to aid and support them; the same was true of our Mediterranean allies.(Henretta et al. 2010) This pushed us into involvement. Next, was the arms competition. The aforementioned arms race left America little choice but to participate in the Cold War, or else face the Soviet Union becoming more powerful and far more dangerous. Lastly, the United States being entering into the Cold War had a great deal to do with ideology and philosophical belief systems. Th e Cold War represented the war between Democracy and Communism. Defeating the Soviet Union was the same as gaining the upper hand over Communism. Ultimately, the United States and the Soviet Union did not destroy each other, or the rest of the world, obviously. However, some scholars today will tell you that the Cold War did not end in the 1960s, as often stated; it did not until the Soviet Union officially fell decades

US Presidents and the Presidency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

US Presidents and the Presidency - Essay Example The most outstanding leaders in American history include the founding fathers or early leaders: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson; those who presided in times of internal and external conflict: Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt; intercontinental political leaders like James Monroe who declared the American hemisphere off-limits for European colonialist invaders; Woodrow Wilson and his isolationist and international concepts. Erstwhile stately global leaders presiding throughout the Cold War period like Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy. Other notable presidents are those who rebuilt the American economy including Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. The 21st century has heralded the threat of international terrorism particularly against American interests in addition to the current global financial crisis. The 43rd president George W. Bush was the first president of the new millennium who has been accused of inciting and provoking the wrath of the Islamic terrorists. The current president, Barrack Obama is also remarkable historically in being the first African American president in addition to have being the only one born outside the continental USA. One of the most outstanding American presidents is Abraham Lincoln the 16th US president, who has been credited for his significant leadership, preserving the United States union when it was threatened by bitter internal turmoil from the breakaway southern Confederate states. The main cause of the conflict was the latter opposition to the abolition of slave trade in the US intended to grant African Americans freedom; hence, he is accredited for ending slavery in America. Lincoln successfully consolidated his power base within the Republican Party by integrating the moderate Copperheads faction and the abolitionist Radical Republicans as well as gravitating public opinion to his favour. During his famous Gettysburg

Jot Case Study Essay Example for Free

Jot Case Study Essay There is a large number of companies of various sizes which design and sell toys to retailers globally. Most toy companies outsource the manufacture of their toys and currently 86% of the world’s toys are manufactured in China. Most of the rest of the world’s toys are manufactured in other Asian countries, with only low volumes of products manufactured in Europe and the USA. The toy market is divided up into a variety of sectors, by children’s age range and the type of toy. There are different sectors with toys aimed for babies under one year old; children aged 1 to 3 years and pre-school children of 3 to 5 years. There is a further sector for children of school age of 5 years and upwards. Additionally the toy market is broken down into categories of toys. Research has shown that children aged 2 to 4 years old receive the most toys in quantity but that the most money is spent on toys for the 6 to 8 year age group. Toys sold in the market to those children aged between 9 and 11 tend to be more sophisticated. Some of these games need access to the Internet and most involve more complex programming. The other feature of this age group is that the ‘buyer’ tends to switch to the child from the parent. That is not to say that the child pays the money, more that the child drives the buying decision, always subject to the budget and final say so of the parent. The current trend in toy sales is towards electronic toys and computer assisted learning. Many of these electronic toys are highly developed to be attractive to children. Sales of traditional toys and games have achieved relatively low growth in the European market over the last 10 years, whereas electronic toys and merchandise from popular films and TV programmes have seen reasonable growth. Merchandise from films and TV programmes are licensed to toy manufacturers or toy retailers that can achieve high short-term profits depending on the licensing arrangement and the volume of sales. However, fashion trends are difficult to predict and toy retailers can be left with large volumes of unsold inventories if the toys are unpopular or less in demand than originally anticipated. The toy market is highly seasonal and is dominated by the pre-Christmas sales period. Typically, around 30% to 55% of toy sales occur in the fourth quarter of the calendar year (October to December). China has established itself as a high quality, low-cost manufacturing base for a wide range of consumer products for global markets. It does not, as yet, principally design and create new products, but instead is capable of manufacturing products that have been created by Western companies. It is necessary for the companies which create the designs, whether the product is a toy, a range of clothing or a computer chip, to ensure that the design is protected by registering the design for intellectual property rights (IPR’s). However, in many instances small changes can be made so that ‘copies’ of the design do not breach the IPR. Legal protection of IPR’s is becoming increasingly important in today’s global markets, where resources are sourced in one area of the world, manufactured into finished products in another area (principally in China and other Asian countries) and then sold in other geographical markets. Most toy retailers procure a range of products from many different toy companies. There is a wide range of companies, from small to very large multi-national companies, which operate as toy design and distributing companies. These companies design, patent or license the toys and then outsource the manufacture to specialist toy manufacturers. Most toy companies outsource the manufacture of toys. Contracts are usual in the industry and would normally include clauses concerning design quality, delivery schedules and penalties for breaches of contract. The toy companies then sell their products to toy retailers. There is also a large discount market for toys where toys of inferior quality are sold. The retail prices in this market are often 50% less than in the conventional markets. There are several global toy fairs each year that attract buyers from toy retailers across the world. One of the largest toy fairs is held in Hong Kong in January each year, where new toys are launched for the following Christmas market. Other global toy fairs are held in Europe, Russia and the USA, also early in the calendar year. At these toy fairs, buyers will assess and choose which of the new toys may achieve high sales. The toy fairs attract a wide range of exhibitors that are launching new toys, both large listed companies and small companies. The level of sales achieved by many toy companies will often depend on orders generated from buyers attending these international toy fairs. Therefore, it is important that prototype toys and marketing literature is ready in order to meet the requirements of these global buyers at the start of each calendar year. Jot The Jot brand was established in 1998 by husband and wife team Jon and Tani Grun. The company initially designed a small range of toys that were manufactured in their home European country. These toys proved to be very popular in their home country and Jon Grun then expanded the range of products. By 2003, within five years of starting Jot, the founders were encouraged to see Jot’s products ordered by many large toy retailers across Europe. By this stage the company had grown considerably, and had annual sales of almost â‚ ¬2 million. Commencing in 2004, Jot started outsourcing all of its manufacturing to a range of manufacturing companies in China in order to reduce its cost base and to enable the company to price its products more competitively. By the end of 2010 sales revenue exceeded â‚ ¬8 million and the company had achieved substantial sales revenue growth each year. Jot has seen its sales revenue grow by 16% in the year ended 31 December 2010 and by almost 18% in the year to 31 December 2011. A summary of Jot’s key personnel is shown in Appendix 1 on page 11. Jot’s product range and serviced age groups Jot currently has a relatively small range of 34 products aimed at only 2 age groups. These are the pre-school age group of 3 to 5 year olds and the next age group of 5 to 8 year olds. It currently does not produce any toys aimed at babies aged less than one, toddlers aged under 3 years old or children aged over 8 years old. Jot’s products include a range of toys designed by the company, for which it holds the IPR’s, as well as some licensed toys, for which it pays a license fee to the companies that hold the IPR’s. Jot’s products mainly include electronic features and this is seen as one of the strengths of its products. Jot currently launches around 5 totally new products each year. It also enhances certain aspects of some of its other products to refresh their appearance and features. It also has a range of toys that sell consistently well and have not changed materially for a few years. Jot’s products for the 3 to 5 year old age group include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Construction toys with sound effects and electronic actions. Learning products such as mini-computers which ask questions and the child responds by pressing different keys. Toy vehicles some of which have electronic features such as sounds and lights. Plastic toys which have â€Å"animatronics† to make the toys move, for example, toy dinosaurs. Toy cameras. Electronic learning products to aid learning the alphabet and basic maths skills. Licensed soft play toys based on film and TV programme characters. Licensed plastic figures, cars and machines based on film and TV programme characters, some of which include electronic features that generate movements and sounds, including theme tunes. Jot’s products for the 5 to 8 year old age group include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Toy cameras and simple video cameras. Dolls and action figures some of which move and make sounds. Small hand-held games boxes for playing computer games and educational learning products to improve maths and readings skills. A range of games and educational learning products for the hand-held games boxes. In summary, most of Jot’s toys have simple electronics that make a sound or enable movement. Some of the more advanced toys have simple programming to enable educational aspects of the toy to be more interactive. Jot’s products are sold to toy retailers for between â‚ ¬7 and â‚ ¬38. These are Jot’s selling prices to toy retailers. Most of the retailers will then sell these toys at a large mark-up, which can be as much as 50% to 100%, i.e. a toy procured from Jot at â‚ ¬10 could be retailed to the end customer at as much as â‚ ¬20. Margins vary from product to product and whereas toys aimed at the 9 -11 age group carry more sophistication (and hence risk) they also carry higher margins. In the year ended 31 December 2011 Jot’s actual sales volumes were over 706,000 units across Jot’s entire range of products. The total sales revenue for the year ended 31 December 2011 was â‚ ¬9,866,000, which resulted in an average selling price of just under â‚ ¬14 per unit. Over 80% of Jot’s product sales are sold to retailers for â‚ ¬20 or less. Financials and shares Jot has achieved a high annual growth in sales, with sales revenue reaching â‚ ¬9,866,000 in the year ended 31 December 2011, a growth of 17.9% from 2010 (â‚ ¬8,371,000 sales revenue for year ended 31 December 2010). Additionally, it has achieved an operating profit margin of 5.58% in the year to 31 December 2011, a rise from the previous year’s profit margin of 5.41%. An extract from Jot’s accounts for the year ended 31 December 2011 is shown in Appendix 2 on page 12. Jot’s Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 December 2011 is shown in Appendix 3 on page 13. Jot is a young, growing company that is dependent on loan finance. Jot has three bank loans totalling â‚ ¬1,600,000, each at an interest rate of 10% per year, which are due for repayment as follows: †¢ †¢ †¢ Bank loan of â‚ ¬500,000 due in January 2014. (about 14 months from the ‘current date’ Bank loan of â‚ ¬500,000 due in January 2015. Bank loan of â‚ ¬600,000 due in January 2020. Jot’s bank has been very responsive to the company’s needs for cash in order to fund its growth but has indicated that at the present time it would not be able to provide any additional long-term finance. Jot has an overdraft facility of â‚ ¬1,500,000, which the bank has stated is the maximum limit. The current cost of its overdraft is at an interest rate of 12% per year. At 31 December 2011, Jot’s overdraft was â‚ ¬960,000. Jot’s business is highly seasonal with a significant proportion of sales occurring in quarters 3 and 4. As Jot builds up its inventory in preparation for higher levels of sales in quarters 3 and 4, cash flow is negative during the second half of the year. This is because outsourced manufacturing for the majority of all products occurs mainly from the end of quarter 2, during all of quarter 3 and the beginning of quarter 4. Jot is a private limited company and not listed on any stock exchange. It has 40,000 shares in issue, each of â‚ ¬1 par value. The company has an authorised share capital of 200,000 shares. To date, the Board of Jot has not declared any dividends. The shares are held as follows: Number of shares held at 31 December 2011 Jon Grun Tani Grun Alana Lotz Boris Hepp Michael Werner Total 12,000 12,000 8,000 4,000 4,000 40,000 Percentage shareholding % 30 30 20 10 10 100 Production of toys Jot has its own in-house team of designers who are involved in designing toys that are unique, innovative and fun to play with. The production of new toys is split into two stages. Firstly, the design stage involves the design team developing a new toy and after it has been approved, the second stage is where the operations team is responsible for contracting an outsourced manufacturer for the mass production of each product. The head of Jot’s design team is Alana Lotz, Product Development Director. She is responsible for researching the market trends in toys globally and establishing the availability of new innovative technology that could be incorporated into new toy designs. This is what helps to make Jot’s product range innovative and at the ‘cutting edge’ of new technology, as the products incorporate new technology electronic chip components. Research and development work on new product development usually occurs between May and December each year so that the new products have been fully tested ready for the annual launch of Jot’s new range of toys each January. Jot currently launches 5/6 totally new products each year and the development costs are generally between â‚ ¬0.1 and â‚ ¬0.25 million for each new product. The total design and development costs are around â‚ ¬1.2 million each year. This is included in administrative expenses in Jot’s statement of comprehensive income. Jot has just finalised its range of new products for 2013, so as to allow time to produce marketing literature and prepare prototypes ready for the global toy fairs being held in January to March 2013 in various locations around the world. The design team which is based in the UK develops all new products through the following stages: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Brainstorming for new ideas. Designing a new product using Jot’s CAD / CAM IT system. Production of first prototype. Market research and improvements through to production of second prototype. Sign off by design and management team. Application for intellectual property rights (IPR’s) for each product design. The design team is kept fresh by the introduction of new designers each year. Good designers are kept on but those that are seen as burnt out are let go. Early in 2012 a new designer was employed named Indy Kaplia who had some radical new designs to offer. One of these toys (a flying spaceship) had been rushed into production in time for the 2012 Christmas season and had been greeted well by the retailers. Jot uses a specialised company, based in Europe for the manufacture and testing of all prototype products and there are often two or three stages involved before the prototype product is produced to the satisfaction of the designers. Only when each product is signed off by the design and management team can Jot’s legal team apply for the IPR’s for the product design. Then the approved new product designs go into production by outsourced manufacturers. The designs are then electronically transferred to Jot’s operations team headed up by Michael Werner, Operations Director, for the selection and appointment of outsourced manufacturers. The stages in the production process are as follows: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Designs are sent electronically to outsourced manufacturers for tender. Outsourced manufacturer(s) selected and appointed and volumes and delivery deadlines for production agreed. Packaging designs and artwork are prepared and approved. Production samples are reviewed by Jot’s in-house Quality Assurance team located both in Europe and in Asia. Production is commenced to meet agreed volume and delivery deadlines. Michael Werner is responsible for the selection, appointment and monitoring of Jot’s outsourced manufacturers and all aspects of the management of the outsourced manufacturing process for Jot’s products. Jot’s products are all manufactured by a small number of specialised outsourced manufacturing companies which are all based in China. Jot is responsible for shipments of all products from its outsourced manufacturers to its warehouses or sometimes directly to customers.

Advantages and disadvantages of Specialisation

Advantages and disadvantages of Specialisation Introduction International trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity flows are the two primary methods in which international business occurs and are amongst the most substantial drivers of present time globalisation. With consecutive rounds of multilateral dialogues at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), barriers to trade globally, have been done away with significantly. Likewise, the relaxation and liberalisation of developed countries capital markets during the 1980s has brought about a brand-new age of global capital mobility whereby Foreign Direct Investment is a primary and vital facet to trade globally. Both experiential and theoretical frameworks have incidentally thrived to explicate and predict these patterns in international business, as well as the determinatives and affects of International Trade and FDI flows for both the host and home countries. International Trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories (dictionary.reference.com). FDI Foreign direct investment refers to the long-term engagement of a nation A into nation B for example. It normally requires involvement in expertise, know-how, joint-venture, management and transfer of technology, etc. There are two forms of Foreign Direct Investment: inbound FDI and outbound FDI, bringing about either a positive or negative net FDI inflow and stock of FDI equities, which is the total figure for a given period of time. It is important to note, however, that direct investment does not include investments made by means of purchasing shares. Specialisation Specialisation is the focus of labour in specified, limited duties and functions. It is the name ascribed to the prevalent system of economic consumption, production, and interlinked socio-economic progression and processes, in most industrialised nations ever since the late twentieth century. In fact, trade exists as a result of specialisation and the division of labour, where most workers focus on a limited facet of production and trading, during the process, for different trade goods. Trade exists between various nations and trading blocs because different industries in diverse countries and regions globally have a comparative advantage in the manufacturing/production of certain tradable commodities/goods, or because different countries sizes permit for the benefits of mass production. Intrinsically, trade at market prices amongst different countries/regions benefits both partners involved in the trade exchange. International Trade Theory Adam Smith (1723-1790) was a prominent Scottish economist and political thinker whose famed work Wealth of Nations (1776) set the pitch for work on economics and politics for many individuals and institutions even today. This was, as a matter of fact, the first extensive attempt to examine the nature of capital, the development of industry and the effects of large-scale commerce in Europe. Adam Smiths fundamental argumentation was that people should be free and able to engage in their own private economic interests as much as possible just as long as they do not break the rudimentary rules of justice. In this manner, Smith believed, they would do far more good to advance and promote the publics welfare and interests, more than if the same people were to attempt to assist the public on purpose. Smith named this the invisible hand of the market, though everyone is performing in their own self-interest, they are led to accomplish the good for all like an invisible hand of economic powers. Hence, outside intervention will unavoidably induce calamity. This later became renowned as laissez faire economic policy (economyprofessor.com). Adam Smith (Wealth of Nations) reasoned that economic specialisation could be beneficial to countries as to corporations, back in 1776. Due to the division of labour being limited by the market size, he argued that nations with access to bigger markets will be capable of splitting labour more productively and hence become more efficient in the long run. Smith however, failed to realise that the division of labour is also intrinsically limited by the technology in production coordination (Yu, Zhihao, 2005). The theory of Absolute Advantage was introduced Adam Smith and is apparent between trade counterparts when a country is able to produce more of a commodity/product, with the same resources, than its partner can; it is therefore said to hold a position of Absolute Advantage in the production of that end product. If, however, the other country has an Absolute Advantage in producing a commodity/product that the its partner needs, each will be fortunate if they specialise and trade. Trade is normally mutually advantageous even if one country holds an absolute advantage over its partner country, in the production of both goods being traded. The Heckscher-Ohlin (HO) model was first formed by Eli Heckscher (1919) and Bertil Ohlin, two Swedish economists. Elis Heckschers own student, Bertil Ohlin formulated and detailed the Factor Endowment Theory. He was not just a economics professor in Stockholm, but also a leading political figure in Sweden at the time. Fundamental concepts were further formulated and added subsequently by Ronald Jones and Paul Samuelson amongst others. Due to the difficulty of forecasting the trade of goods pattern in a globe with an abundance of goods, as an alternative to the Heckscher-Ohlin Model, the Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek Theorem that prognosticates the factor capacity of trade has acquired attention in recent years (econ.iastate.edu). The Heckscher-Ohlin Model explicated that countries of the same factor endowments would still trade due to the differences in technology, as this would induce specialisation and thus trade, in precisely the same manner as in the Ricardian Model. Another theory that attempts to predict the patterns of trade is that of the Law of Comparative Advantage (David Ricardo) in the goods with the lower opportunity cost. David Ricardo (1772-1823), during the early 19th century, saw that the theory of Absolute Advantage was a moderate and restricted instance of a more dynamically broad theory. Ricardo, in essence, was sort of a replacement and continuation to Adam Smiths prominent position in British economics. His work went on to shape and influence the aims and methods of the discipline all through the nineteenth century. In spite of his personal substantial work experience, his written material can sometimes come across as being very abstract and often hard to understand. His main stress was on the principles of diminishing returns linked to land rental, which he thought also regulated capital profits. He tried to derive a theory of value from labour application, but found it hard to separate the effects of changes in technology from changes in distribution. The scarceness of natural resources globally, one of the more fundamental concepts of economics, requires that there be tradeoffs, and these tradeoffs lead to an opportunity cost. Whilst the price of a good or service is often-times thought of in terms of currency, the opportunity cost of taking a decision is based on what good or service must be forgone, which would be the next best option, as a consequence of taking the decision. Decisions that require having to choose between two or more options are said to have an opportunity cost. The Law of Comparative Advantage explicates how nations can take advantage of and exploit specialisation and trade. Given any two goods/commodities, the nation manufacturing the good/commodity with the lower opportunity cost is said to have a comparative advantage. In simple terms, it is the capability of a nation to produce a product at a lower cost than others can produce it. Specialising provides that nation with a comparative advantage vis-Ã  -vis other trade players. The basis of trade activities must be directed in a way where each country cuts the opportunity costs of the goods being swapped in their trade exchanges. Heckscher and Ohlins theory, adapted from Ricardos comparative advantage model, suggested that different costs were the result not only of dissimilar labour endowments between countries, but also of different capital and land endowments. For example, a country like Saudi Arabia is much more amply endowed with oil than say France. France, on the other hand, has a rich abundance of skilled labour and capital equipment in the defence industry. Hence the theory would suggest that Saudi Arabia would specialise in producing oil, France in producing defence equipment and that the two countries will trade one product for the other (Anderton, Alain, 2004). Advantages of International Trade and Specialisation Some advantages of International Trade include monetary benefits to the respective countries participating in trade, it can also improve relations between countries and allow for a great cultural exchange. It also allows for more of a choice and assortments of goods that are affordable (value for money) and readily acquirable for consumers, better quality goods, enhanced and increased competition both at the global and national level, closer links and affiliations amongst countries globally, more of an exchange of technical expertise, technology and synergistic know-how, producers locally will endeavour to better the quality of their products, as well as an increase in employment nationally. In the same way domestic trade encourages economic development and prosperity, so does International Trade. International commerce gives rise to specialisation, where a producer produces the good at the lowest cost of opportunity and production to them and thereafter trades for goods that are produced at a higher opportunity or production to them. Not only does International Trade lead to shared benefits by permitting various nations to specialise their industries of those products/commodities they produce at top-quality, but it also lets them import products that international producers are inclined to provide at a lower cost than national producers are willing. Resources do vary between nations and provide certain nations with an advantage of producing certain goods over other ones and turn out to be more profit-making and beneficial to all. By permitting for International Trade, nations can specialise in those products that they can produce efficiently and at the lowest cost and then supply them to consumers at a low-cost, more inexpensive, and more economic price. Additionally, by importing those products from other nations and then exporting goods to those nations, both partners, involved in the trade exchange, benefit in a win-win state of affairs. It is crucial to take note, however, the case of absolute advantage. As mentioned before, absolute advantage is a scenario where a country, due to its natural endowments and or prior experiences, can manufacture more of a product/commodity, with the same quantity of resources, than another country can. However, this does not imply that only because one country has an absolute advantage, the countries trading with this nation will not benefit from the trade. Yes, they still can benefit, in point of fact, that is, conditional upon the relative production costs varying. Advantages of specialisation include increasing rewards and profit returns due to economies of scale, gains from exploiting an absolute or comparative advantage, through which specialisation is explained, more efficiency and productivity as well as focus for producers, less cost to the producer as well as the consumer, better quality end products and a wider range of choice for the consumer, and last but not least, through specialisation in production, countries can increase their income, as well as expand and develop their economies. A strong argument put forward in favour of the concept of free trade would be that it is rather clear and apparent that free trade is beneficial to all partners involved. It helps nations attain a comparative advantage and corporations/industries to focus on specialisation, both of which result in economic benefits, growth, and prosperity. Furthermore, these two concept are big revolutionary contributors to the sophisticated and progressive state of the globes nations in the present time. Without them, we would be decades behind in various ways, particularly from a technological standpoint. Participating in these activities proves beneficial for all trade partners and results in economic prosperity and wealth, therefore, improving peoples standards of living (Rose, Phantom, 2009). Disadvantages of International Trade and Specialisation Some disadvantages of trade include a heavy reliance on a particular nation, national production may also be hindered as national industries may be excelled and eclipsed by their international competitors, affluent nations may have more powers in influencing political issues in other nations and acquire control over weaker ones, and what is more, ideological clashes may come about amongst trading partner countries regarding the processes in trade activities for example. Specialisation in itself, however, can hinder trade. For example, if a nation is too reliant on one specific industry and the prices dip in that industry, then unemployment will take place dramatically. This is an occurrence in several developing nations and is also applicable, for example, to the West Midlands, UK, a region that is heavily reliant on the auto industry. Factors of productions cannot be easily shifted from one area to another, this is known as factor immobility. For instance, if after International Trade, country/company A would diminish the production of product B, then the labour producing product B cannot easily be shifted and re-trained to produce an additional product C, therefore, unemployment will take place. International trade can also pose as a harm to birth industries in the home nation as well, due to their production costs being high in the infant, early stages. Over-specialisation may have devastating effects if, for example, a war breaks out in a country and imports/exports cease. Therefore, the nation never specialises wholly due to political/strategic factors. In addition, if imports exceed exports, the balance of trade payments would be in the red (negative territory), which, in turn, will harm the home countrys economy and may also result in the devaluation of its currency. Word Count: 2,250

Partnership between BP and Marks and Spencer

Partnership between BP and Marks and Spencer The Change is Pervasive power in the innovative modern Market. Here changes are welcomed by the managers to the betterment of the organisation. In order to implement the changes there must be some policies, procedures, work processes and activities need to be under taken .i.e. higher degree to HSSE, Environmental safety, Customer Loyalty and range reviews. The above must be implemented accordingly to full fill external pressure, as well as to meet customer expectations. An on time completion is highly adequate for an organisation to overcome competitions and to disregard fierce in general competition in the market. When we talk about competitions, this can be defined in an academic term that Battle which will target the Organisation in various angles such as traditional competitors and innovative new entrances. Therefore competition is intensified. Also the traditional barriers (Language, Distance, Travelling) has been learned and fixed, however the new challenges are in place to stu dy and over come with a better solution. The main area of focus is to face new entrance who introduces the new innovative tactics to capture the market is still fearful challenge. Reference to the World is a 2Global Village are more and more frequent. This has led organisations to adopt strategies which did not exist traditionally, notably in retail industry. Internally, financial constrains, the requirement to offer best service by value their money, mergers and acquisitions, and empowered teams all affect organisations ability to compete in the market place. There are two main approaches to change, first Prescriptive Strategy planned where an organisation moves from one fixed shape to another and second, emergent a more recent view where change is continues and open ended. An appropriate method of managing organisational change must be found for effective strategy. A carefully planned and thought through strategy can manage change effectively to the organisational success. In this Research Author will be able to highlight what is the method of Strategy has implemented in the case of organisational changes. The change in question is the Partnership of Bp and Marks Spencer. 2. Literature Review Many organisations around the world are in a competitive race which gets difficult every year, with bigger, better and more innovative competitors. In addition the rules of the game are changing with the emergence of new approaches, technology and globalisation. Competitors who have been in other markets suddenly enter the market with new technology, strength, and new approaches, sometimes becoming market leaders. Competitive advantage is at the heart of a firms performance in competitive markets (Porter 2004). Also the Author has selected nearly six Journals to support his research plan further down in to the correct direction. These Journal are talking about various dimensions and directions to consider when creating and managing changes on strategic direction. 1. Balkcom, John E., Christopher D. Ittner and David F. Larcker. Strategic performance Measurement: Lesson learned and further direction. Journal of Strategic Performance Measurement 1, no.2 Performance measurement system have played a key role in developing strategic plan, achieving strategic objectives and motivating managers. From future research managers found that the past measures were not full fill the needs. This is where the invention of new way of performance measurement system should be implemented via formulating a new strategy to the growth of the organisation. 2. Boar, Bernard H. The role of commitment in information technology strategy. Journal of Strategic Performance Measurement 1, no 6(December 1997) : 5-13 A successful IT Strategy requires the ability to constantly refresh the technology and shift direction when adequate. Also a strong commitment to the strategy from employee and to get that strong commitment a well thought out and proactive commitment strategy is needed. Also the following three main commitment is highly required. I. Intellectual Commitment, Emotional Commitment, Political information work. This will highlight the problem area in commitment exist and take action to resolve these to formulate a best strategy to an organisational success. 3.Greenberg, Jeanne and Michael Liebman. Incentives : The missing link in strategic Performances. Journal of Business Strategy 11,no.4 (July-August 1990) Here the author argues that if the organisation to meet their objectives , it is important to develop incentives strategies to motivate management and further down their employees to centralised and develop a best strategy for organisational growth. 4. Campbell, Andrew and Marcus Alexandar. Whats wrong with Strategy? Insight about value creation rarely emerge from planning processes. Harvard Business Review 75, no.6 (November -December 1997) Here the Author argues that directionless strategies result when strategy fail to distinguish between purpose (Exists to do) and Constraints ( Must to do Survive). Also the assert that is unclear which comes first. According to Campbell and Alexander, the basic ingredient of a good strategy, insight in to how to create value rarely results from planning. 5.Newton, Peggy. Communicating key measures throughout an Organisation. Journal of Strategic Performance Measurement 1, no 1 (February- March 1997) The ability to communicate key measures throughout the organisation. Firstly key business drivers are identified , then goals and measures are linked to them at every stage. Communication revolves around goals with each employees actions linked with company- wide goals. Here control board (CEO) will drive the strategic priorities down through all levels. 6.OBrien, William F. Action-Oriented Strategic Planning: Dynamic Planning for Dynamic Times. Journal of Strategic Performance Measurement 1, no 3 (June- July 1997) Strategic planning is critical component in creating an entitys goals and operation direction. This talks about the senior managers responsibilities and how strategies are created from the upper level management. 3. Research Methodology of Project e g, Qualitative, Quantitative etc The report has aimed to develop a theoretical approach in managing strategic change, which includes strategic planning and managing processes. The design of this study will be aimed to be qualitative-case study by studying historical factors from published data, internally and externally, and comparing them with existing models from leading authors. The aim of this research design will be identify external and internal factors influencing the Partnership trading in the ground of Acquisition. Therefore the research design will be a casual comparative method by studying historical factors from published data (Internal and External) and comparing them to competitors. This research will aim to conducting semi-structures interviews with senior Operation managers and structured interviews with store managers in the same network business. Senior managers: I have made an arrangement (Appointment date and time to be confirmed) with the following senior Managers: Head of franchise Marks Spencer-Arranged by Brenda Moss HR Department, Head of Franchise BP-Arranged by Peter Mendez Retail Territory Manager, Project development Manager BP-Arranged by Jeff Buck Retail Territory Manager, Operation Director BP (Mr. Haward Nunn) -Arranged by Gavin Duncan District Manager and System Development Manager ( Anne Hammnghs) -Arranged by Peter Mendez Retail Territory Manger. They will be interviewed with questions such include the function of their department, their capability to cope with new acquired business, and the direct involvement and their part of play in this journey. Store managers will be asked how acquisition has affected their role in the organisation, How they feel the training, recruitment and development has been affected, negatives and positives of acquisitions, refurbishment programme and its negative or positive effects on store Trading. Also few Suppliers ( Exel DHL Supply Chain, Gist M+S Supply Chain, Cuisine de France) will be interviewed through the retail territory managers Peter Mendezs Approval l (Authorized) to collect their feedback and how this new way of trading effected their capacity and capability. The above facilities and support will be provided (Authorised and the date, Time to be confirmed) due to the fact where I am a part (Employee) of the same organisation. 4. If the research is related to a particular organisation its name and evidence of permission granted for this research to be undertaken In order to support my dissertation I have selected a company named BP and Marks Spencer Partnership. The permission has been granted to access and collect all internal dates, other sensitive document from various departments from Head office in Milton Keynes. Also I have been approved to undertake interviews with the following individuals. -Operational Director (Haward Nunn) Arranged by Gavin Duncan District Manager BP -Head of Franchise Marks and Spencer- Arranged by Brenda Moss HR Department -Head of Franchise BP Arranged by Peter Mendez RTM -Project Development Manager BP Arranged by Jeff Buck RTM -System Development Manager BP Arranged by Peter Mendez RTM -Store Managers Interviews BP Arranged by Peter Mendez RTM -Suppliers: Exe, Gist, Cusine de France Arranged by Peter Mendez RTM -Store Manager Fawzy Kabeer (friend ) 5. Chapter Headings and Subheadings 1. Introduction 1.1 The Bp and Marks Spencer Partnership History Background 2. Literature Review Processes 2.1 Strategic Planning 2.2 Managing Strategy 2.3 Value Principles 2.4 Vision 2.5 Objective 2.6 Strategy formulation 2.6.1 Suitability 2.6.2 Feasibility 2.6.3 Acceptability 2.7 The Partnership Strategy 2.8 Strategic Implementation Control 2.9 Strategic Fit 2.10 Strategic Hierarchy 2.11 Growth Strategy Portfolio Theory 2.12 Mergers Acquisition, Internal Development, Joint Development 2.13 Hard Soft Side of Change Management 2.14 Summary of Objectives 3. Research Methodology for project 3.1 Design of Study 3.2 Data Collection 3.3 Data Analysis 3.4 Research Limitation 4. Critical Analysis and Evaluation 4.1 Logical Behind Change 4.2 Dimension of Retail Market Market Revolution 4.3 External Environment 4.4 Internal Environment Benefits 4.4 Managing Strategic Change Effectively 4.5 Type of Change Management 4.6 Gaining Competitive Advantages 4.7 Reason why Strategic Plans Fail 5. Strategies for Strengthening Culture 6. Conclusions and Findings

The Tragedy of Teenage Abortion :: Argumentative Persuasive Essay Examples

The Tragedy of Teenage Abortion In society today, teens are taught by the television and the media that pre-marital sex is not a bad thing. This problem is leading to many teenage pregnancies, that then lead to abortion. All over the world teens are faced with many challenges in their everyday lives. Sex is being portrayed as extremely appealing in the media, but what they don't show is the pregnancies and the unborn child that never asked to be created in the first place that is being discarded. Abortion is in no way acceptable, it is murder of an unborn child. Many doctors will say that abortion is not a bad thing, and it's not murder. They have argued that it is just an embryo, and is not yet a child. In the book The Terrible Choice: The Abortion Dilemma, Glanville Williams, a well-known English criminologist, was quoted saying abortion should be treated like a tonsillectomy. It's a minor operation to remove unwanted or harmful "tissue growth". Both tissues are alive, and contain material substances, chemical compounds, DNA and RNA molecules. They may vary a little, but they are mainly matter which is composed of cells which are composed of chemicals (1-2). The only difference between a tonsillectomy and an abortion is that the fetus can grow and develop into a human being much like ourselves. Joseph Farah wrote an article about abortion in The Human Life Review. In this, she quoted Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology saying, " Babies aren't really people, because they don't have an ability to reflect upon (themselves) as a continuous locus of consciousness, to form and savor plans for the future, to dread death and to express the choice not to die. And there's the rub: Our immature neonates don't posess these traits any more than mice do. Several moral philosophers have concluded that neonates are not persons, and thus neo-naticide should not be classified as murder" (no page). Farah's article also looks at Michael Tooley's, a philosophy professor at the University of Colorado, views. He thinks "there should be some period of time, such as a week after birth, as the interval during which infanticide will be permitted" (no page). More in this same school said that parents should be able to kill their children "up to the time the baby learns to use certain expressions" (no page).

Negotiating Identity: The Frontier in Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville :: Moby Dick Essays

Written during a period of American history characterized by great expansionism, Herman Melville's Moby-Dick may be read as a reflection upon both the rapidly changing geographical frontiers of America, and the accompanying shift of social, political, religious and cultural boundaries. The Pequod's world is governed by laws other than those of the American mainland. Figuratively situated at the frontier of the New World, the ship evokes the mythic American pioneer with the independent spirit, aggression and courage to wrench a nation from the wilderness. Melville lays out a version of the frontier myth that sees redefinition of national identity in terms of man confronting his other, reaffirming the self, and - through Ishmael's survival and narration - returning to civilization having defined what he is not.. Captain Ahab and his obsessive quest for the white whale symbolize in its most extreme form, an American desire to face the wild unknown and to promote national ascendancy thro ugh the confrontation. This paper will examine the seductive but limited conditions under which claims to define American-ness are able to be made in Moby-Dick, through interrogating the way in which the crew's desires are subsumed into Ahab's private vendetta. The notion of the frontier as a place of infinite possibility, where power relations are renegotiated, even as are geographical limits, goes some way towards explaining why, despite Ahab's disregard for his men's well-being, they agree to follow him down his tragic path. Both the license that Ahab's position gives him to compel them into action, and his ability to tap the crew's own belief in the power of the mythical American capacity for self-reinvention, indicate the potential for unbridled violence in the search for the self. Crucially, this highlights the discrepancy between America's claims of its own democracy, liberty and equality, and its national enthusiasm for imperialist conquest and its tolerance of slavery. The pervasiveness of the mythological connection between American self-invention and aggression, is underlined by Slotkin in his claim that the first colonists saw in America an opportunity to regenerate their fortunes, their spirits, and the power of their church and nation; but the means to that regeneration ultimately became the means of violence, and the myth of regeneration through violence became the structuring metaphor of the American experience. (Slotkin, 5) Renowned for the risk it involved, and for the physical demands it made on the sailors, whaling invites many comparisons with both the pioneer's intrepid conquest of the western wilderness, and the march of soldiers into war.

Mertons Strain Theory Essay -- Sociology, Adaptation, Inequalities

In Merton’s (1938) strain theory social structures account for the criminal tendencies found in offenders. Individuals adjust to societal pressures in five distinct ways. Adaptation I, which entails conforming to both culture norms and means, is the most common. The popularity of this adaptation allows a society to function effectively. In contrast, adaptation IV is the least common and gives rise to the rejection of both cultural goals and means. Those that adopt this culture pattern are societal misfits and usually include some such persons as psychotics, psychoneurotics, chronic autists, vagrants, and chronic drunkards or drug addicts. Sykes and Matza’s (1957) control theory postulates that acts of delinquency are generally not approved of even by the delinquents who commit such crimes. First, they don’t believe their crimes are â€Å"right†. Instead, they often show remorse or guilt when faced with the consequences of their crimes. Moreover, this show of shame shouldn’t be completely attributed to deception to pacify authorities. Second, delinquents do have respect for law-abiding citizens (Sykes and Matza, 1957). Often if a delinquent’s offenses are shared with law-abiding people that they look up to or sports heroes perhaps they will show deep remorse. Therefore, delinquents do not hold a set of values that are in contrast with cultural norms. Sykes and Matza (1957) describe two more points, but in light of the two given here there is evidence that delinquency is not the creation of a sub-culture, because a society of those who conform cannot be overlooked. Instead, delinquent acts are internally justified despite their repugnance to the legal system and the rest of society (Sykes and Matza, 1957). There ... ...elihood. In sum, Rosenfeld and Messner (1995), Bonger (1969), and Currie (1997) give examples of how materialism is destroying the lives of US citizens. Materialism is not a facet of liberal or conservative thought (Galston, 1991; Kirk, 1987). Moreover, in both Galston (1991) and Kirk’s (1987) articles there was no attack on capitalism and the market economy. However, the liberal idea of the need for social programs was propounded by Currie (1997), which is counter to conservative ideals. Currie (1997) also showed the need to debunk the conservative â€Å"myth† that there must always be inequalities in society. Besides these points these criminologists are really attacking capitalism and are not on a liberal or conservative platform. Furthermore, Chesney-Lind (1989) doesn’t delve into the government’s political structure based on liberal or conservative views. Merton's Strain Theory Essay -- Sociology, Adaptation, Inequalities In Merton’s (1938) strain theory social structures account for the criminal tendencies found in offenders. Individuals adjust to societal pressures in five distinct ways. Adaptation I, which entails conforming to both culture norms and means, is the most common. The popularity of this adaptation allows a society to function effectively. In contrast, adaptation IV is the least common and gives rise to the rejection of both cultural goals and means. Those that adopt this culture pattern are societal misfits and usually include some such persons as psychotics, psychoneurotics, chronic autists, vagrants, and chronic drunkards or drug addicts. Sykes and Matza’s (1957) control theory postulates that acts of delinquency are generally not approved of even by the delinquents who commit such crimes. First, they don’t believe their crimes are â€Å"right†. Instead, they often show remorse or guilt when faced with the consequences of their crimes. Moreover, this show of shame shouldn’t be completely attributed to deception to pacify authorities. Second, delinquents do have respect for law-abiding citizens (Sykes and Matza, 1957). Often if a delinquent’s offenses are shared with law-abiding people that they look up to or sports heroes perhaps they will show deep remorse. Therefore, delinquents do not hold a set of values that are in contrast with cultural norms. Sykes and Matza (1957) describe two more points, but in light of the two given here there is evidence that delinquency is not the creation of a sub-culture, because a society of those who conform cannot be overlooked. Instead, delinquent acts are internally justified despite their repugnance to the legal system and the rest of society (Sykes and Matza, 1957). There ... ...elihood. In sum, Rosenfeld and Messner (1995), Bonger (1969), and Currie (1997) give examples of how materialism is destroying the lives of US citizens. Materialism is not a facet of liberal or conservative thought (Galston, 1991; Kirk, 1987). Moreover, in both Galston (1991) and Kirk’s (1987) articles there was no attack on capitalism and the market economy. However, the liberal idea of the need for social programs was propounded by Currie (1997), which is counter to conservative ideals. Currie (1997) also showed the need to debunk the conservative â€Å"myth† that there must always be inequalities in society. Besides these points these criminologists are really attacking capitalism and are not on a liberal or conservative platform. Furthermore, Chesney-Lind (1989) doesn’t delve into the government’s political structure based on liberal or conservative views.

Inorganic Ions Include Those of Sodium, Phosphorus and Hydrogen. Describe How These and Other Inorganic Ions Are Used in Living Organisms.

Inorganic ions include those of sodium, phosphorus and hydrogen. Describe how these and other inorganic ions are used in living organisms. Inorganic ions in animals and plants are necessary for vital cellular activity. In body tissue they can also be called electrolytes, which are essential for electrical activity needed to support muscle contractions and neuron activation. Ions also effect how pH changes in the blood and other bodily functions. Ions are also incorporated into the structure of biological molecules. Resting potentials require ions as they play a vital role in the process. In the surface membrane of a cell there are protein carriers. These actively pump Na+ ions out of the cytoplasm to the outside of the cell. At the same time, K+ ions are pumped from the outside in. This active pumping of Na+ and K+ ions requires ATP because the ions are being moved against their concentration gradients. K+ and Na+ ions diffuse back down their concentration gradient but K+ diffuses back out of the cell faster than Na+ can diffuse back in. Which means that there is a net movement of positive ions out of the cell making the inside of the cell negatively charged, relative to the outside. This charge is the resting potential of the cell and is about -70mV. Ions are also used in action potentials. When a receptor is stimulated, it will create a positive environment inside the cell. This is caused by a change in the concentrations of Na+ and K+ ions in the cell and happens when there is a change in permeability to Na+ and K+ in the cell surface membrane at the area of stimulation, which causes Na+ channels in that area to open, Na+ therefore floods into the cytoplasm down the concentration gradient. As this happens the membrane depolarizes. If this depolarisation reaches a certain level, called the threshold level then an action potential has been generated and an impulse will be fired. If it does not reach this level, nothing will happen. Once +40mV is reached the Na+ channels close and K+ channels open. K+ floods out of the cytoplasm so that the overall charge inside goes back down. This stage is called repolarisation. The K+ channels then close, the sodium-potassium pump restarts, restoring the normal distribution of ions either side of the cell surface membrane and thus restoring the resting potential. In response to this the Na+ channels in that area would open up, allowing Na+ ions to flood into the cell and thus reducing the resting potential of the cells. If the resting potential of the cell drops to the threshold level, then an action potential has been generated and an impulse will be fired. In photosynthesis H+ ions are vital in the production of the energy source that is ATP, which is used in several metabolic processes, such as respiration. The photolysis of water produces H+ ions, electrons and O2. The excited electrons lose energy as they move along the electron transport chain, this energy is used to transport the H+ ions (protons) in to the thylakoid, which causes a higher concentration of H+ than there is in the stroma, thus causing a proton gradient across the membrane. The H+ then proceed to move down the concentration gradient into the stroma via the enzyme ATP synthase. The energy from this process is called chemiosmosis and combines ADP with inorganic phosphate (Pi) to form ATP. Light energy is then absorbed by photosystem I (PS I) which excites the electrons to a higher energy level. These electrons are transferred to NADP with H+ ions from the stroma to form reduced NADP. The whole of this process is called non-cyclic photophosphorylation and is part of the ligh-dependent reaction. Reduced NADP is used with ATP to make GALP in the light independent stage of photosynthesis. GALP is either used to replenish ribulose bisphosfphate, a key ingredient for respiration, or make a hexose sugar such as glucose, lipids or amino acids. By means of conclusion, inorganic ions are vital for life on planet Earth. Without ions such as nitrate ions, DNA would not be exist and thus nor would existence.