Literacy Is The Foundation Of Every Student s Learning Essay

Importance of Literacy Literacy is the foundation of every student’s learning, and learning to read English is a particularly challenging task. The OECD Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies defines literacy as: the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals to develop their knowledge and potential and to participate fully in their community and wider society (as cited in Kennedy, Dunphy, Dwyer, Hayes, Mc Phillips, Marsh, O’Connor, Shiel, 2012, p. 40). Additionally, The OECD report (1996) highlighted the role of literacy in promoting competitiveness and employment, democracy and social cohesion, and addressing poverty (as cited in The National Literacy Strategy for all in Malta and Gozo, 2014). However, many research conducted in countries have shown that literacy levels are below the normal rate. Research conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has found that more than 74% of children who enter first grade at risk for reading failure will continue to struggle to read into adulthood. Progress in International Reading Literacy Study shows that children from a low socioeconomic status and migration backgrounds are the biggest group among poor readers (as cited in TheShow MoreRelatedFinal Literacy Statement . I Have Learned A Vast Amount1057 Words   |  5 PagesFinal literacy statement I have learned a vast amount of knowledge after taking this literacy course. My perspective on literacy now, have developed into a notion that literacy is needed for a student’s success. My outlook on adolescent literacy is still that it has wide range of different perspectives. Literacy is the basic method of understanding the material. 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(2014) Common Core Literacy for Math, Math, and Technical Subjects: Strategies to Deepen Content Knowledge (grades 6-12) Ed.: 1. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2014 The schools improvement effort was changed in its instructional practices that aligned with literacy outlook, that would be effective in advancing student grades. This study present findings from an analysis of classroom instruction data collected in 200 classrooms in seven high poverty high school classroomsRead MoreDesign of an Ideal Early Literacy Program1610 Words   |  7 PagesDesign of an Ideal Early Literacy Program Goals I have such an overwhelming feeling come over me when I think about the fact that in a few short months I will be responsible for helping nearly thirty students either learn to read or improve in their reading abilities. It is such an exciting yet daunting task! 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The Battle Of Antietam Was The Turning Point Of American...

The battle of Antietam was the turning point in American history pertaining to the possible division of the nation, the abolishment of slavery, and the success of a democratic government. The battle analysis examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Confederate and Union army leading up to the battle on September 17, 1862. Union and Confederate forces suffered severe losses totaling 22,719 casualties, ending with Confederate forces withdrawing to the south. Broken and unmotivated, Union and Confederate soldiers lost morale and drive to finish the battle. The fact that Lee withdrew from the battle of Antietam was enough of a victory for President Lincoln to justify the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, and prevented the Confederate army from gaining foreign support. The battle analysis of Antietam assesses the invasion of Maryland, human intelligence assets utilized, and failures on both sides of the battlefield. This battle analysis will depict an alternate outcome of the Confederate army winning at the battle of Antietam (Cannon, 1994). President Abraham Lincoln took office on November 6, 1860, three months later eleven states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. Lincoln wanted to eradicate slavery and issue the Emancipation Proclamation. He knew it would be hard to unite the north and south, due to southern reliance on slavery in the cotton fields. Confederates were fully aware of President Lincoln’s plan to abolish slaveryShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of Antietam By Robert E. Lee1046 Words   |  5 Pagesthe American Civil War. The Civil War was fought between the North (Union) and the south. The Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and it was the bloodiest day in American history. Before the battle, the confederacy had a better chance of winning the war. Conflict arose between McClellan and Robert E. Lee which sparked the invasion of the north and the beginning of a long war. McPherson argued in his novel that the battle of Antietam w as the turning pointRead MoreThe Civil War : The Battle Of Antietam969 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1800s, there was a war that happened that caused many people to die in the war, which was Civil War. The Civil War was a war that was fought between the Union and Confederate parts of United States. The Union was in the North, and the Confederates were in the South. There were many reasons why the battles were fought. During the Civil War, the president was Abraham Lincoln. There were many reasons why the war was fought, but the main reason was to keep the country together. Before the war, theRead MoreThe Battle Of Antietam And The Civil War876 Words   |  4 Pages Ryan Prendergast Morrow A/B American Studies First Draft Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, uttered the words,That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. 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According to McPherson the Civil War was constantly changing hands, at some points the Confederates wereRead MoreEssay on Battle of Antietam1561 Words   |  7 PagesThe following case study will be about the Battle of Antietam that took place on September 17, 1862 in Sharpsburg, Maryland along the Antietam Creek. Known as â€Å"†¦the bloodiest single day in American History,† by the end of the day there would be approximately twenty-three thousand casualties of which forty-five hundred to six thousand were dead. The first topic of discussion will be on the history leading up to the morning of the seventeenth in order to establish the mindset of the commanders onRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War960 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever wondered why the Civil War happened or why it was so substantial to American History? What was the battle that changed it all; that made it the history it is today? Many people have made speculations on the causes of the war and what the major turning point was, but cannot really narrow it down. In James McPherson’s Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam he points out the pivotal moments in American history that led up to and changed the Civil War, so that the reader can get a better insightRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War1018 Words   |  5 Pages On September 17, 1862, the Union and Confederate armies met near the Maryland village of Sharpsburg in a battle that still remains the single bloodiest day in American history. The battle consisted of many attacks and counterattacks between Union General George B. McClellan and The Army of the Potomac against Confederate Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Confederates managed to fight relentlessly over the course of the struggle. However, afterRead MoreThe Battle Of Allan Pinkerton s Human Intelligence On The Enemy s Position And Troop Strength Essay700 Words   |  3 PagesMcClellan’s apprehension robbed him of victory and allowed Lee’s forces to consolidate prior to the Battle of Antietam (Davis, 1999). If McClellan had defied Allan Pinkerton’s human intelligence information claiming the Confederacy consisted of 120,000 soldiers, he could have defeated Lee prior to the battle of Antietam (Cannon, 1994). L ee relied heavily on J.E.B. Stuart’s scout unit for reconnaissance missions to gather intelligence on the enemy’s position and troop strength (Cannon, 1994). OnRead MoreTen Days that Unexpectedly Changed America Summary Essay1406 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 1: â€Å"Massacre at Mystic† May 26, 1637 was a fateful day in the history of America. The actions of Major John Mason and his Puritan men set a precedent for the next two hundred years of European and Indian relations. On that clear May night near the Mystic River of New England, hundreds of Pequot Indians were killed by the Europeans and their allies, most of the victims being the elderly, women, and children. This massacre was a massive turning point in the Pequot War, effectively ruining theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Crossroads Of Freedom By James M. Mcpherson1167 Words   |  5 PagesBook Essay Two The book Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam, was written by James M. McPherson to argue why the Battle of Antietam was the battle that changed the cause of the Civil War. While McPherson argued this he also argues that the Civil War had many other turning points and was not settled by just one battle. McPherson’s targeted audience would have to be those interested in the Civil War and the events that led to it. McPherson wrote this great book which came to be an important contribution

Phillip morris Essay Example For Students

Phillip morris Essay Definition of Industry Market Concept The tobacco industry consists of many competitors trying to satisfy a specific customer need. Companies such as Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown and Williamson, and Lorillard hold almost the entire market share in the tobacco industry. While each company has different advertising and marketing techniques, they all target the same customer group. Tobacco companies try their best to generate interest in their particular brand or brands. Companies market a number of attributes that usually include, but are not limited to: taste, flavor, strength, size and image in order to distinguish themselves from competitors (Business Week 179, November 29, 1999). However, all tobacco companies are satisfying the same needs. Many long-time smokers are addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. They smoke because the nicotine is needed to help them feel normal (Focus group). Many addicts go through withdraw without nicotine. All tobacco companies have nicotine in their cigarettes, which fulfills the need of long-time smokers. Other smokers depend on cigarettes in social settings. Many smoke to look sophisticated and mature. Tobacco companies make many kinds of cigarettes that target different groups. Social smokers may perceive certain brands as more sophisticated, and therefore they shy away from other lesser-known brands. For example, a person who smoked generic cigarettes at the bar may be perceived as uncultured. On the other hand, the smoker with the Marlboro Lights may be more socially accepted because they have a brand name product (Focus group). Many types of cigarettes cater to the many markets of smokers who want to portray a certain image in social settings. Tobacco companies do not create the need to smoke, but try to generate interest in their particular brand (Hays, New York Times, November 24, 1999). Overall, the tobacco companies satisfy consumer demand for the millions of adult Americans who choose to use tobacco by providing differentiated products to different target markets of smokers.Industry Concept The tobacco industry has developed a rather large array of products. Companies such as Philip Morris, Lorillard, RJ Reynolds, and Brown and Williamson, as well as the other smaller competitors, all provide the same product- cigarettes. The tobacco industry is filled with fierce competitors. But underneath the brand names and images, the product is relatively the same. All tobacco companies produce an inhalant that is made with tobacco, tar, and nicotine. These materials are rolled in a special kind of slow-burning paper for longer smoking time. The cigarettes are approximately three to four inches long and come in packs of twenty to twenty-five. With so many similarities, one would think that the market would resemble that of a commodity. However, through brand marketing and promotions, each cigarette is uniquely different in the mind of the customer. Boundaries The tobacco industry can be broadly or narrowly defined. Many products use tobacco as the main material. We chose to define the market by focusing on the tobacco and the way it is smoked. Companies such as Philip Morris, Lorillard, RJ Reynolds, and Brown and Williamson are the main competitors in the tobacco industry (Pollack, Advertising Age, August 30, 1999). They produce cigarettes, which are lit and the smoke is inhaled to the lungs. Tobacco products such as cigars, snuff, and chew are considered close substitutes to cigarettes. Cigar smoke is just taken into the mouth, but not inhaled like cigarettes. Snuff and chew do not even contain smoke, but are put on the skin for nicotine absorption. Companies such as Imperial Tobacco, which produce a wide array of chew and snuff products, would be considered a company that provides substitutes to cigarettes. They would not fall in the cigarette industry itself. 2 .Situation Analysis 2.1 Industry Structural Analysis 2. 1.1 Threat of Entry The tobacco industry has a very low threat of entry. A few powerful firms, such as Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Lorillard, and Brown and Williamson, control most of the industry (Pollack, Advertising Age, August 30, 1999). Any new entrants would be sure to receive heavy retaliation from the other companies fighting to keep their share of the lucrative industry. For example, Philip Morris is by far the industry leader with estimated tobacco sales of $46.7 billion is 1999 (Business Week 179, November 29, 1999). They have a huge base of resources with which to attack other competitor entrants. They could easily start promotions such as buy one, get one free or offer coupons at certain times during the year to discourage entrants to the industry. Many small companies will not be able to compete with the capital requirements in the tobacco industry. The barriers to entering the tobacco industry are numerous. First, the high volume of cigarette sales gives existing firms economies of scale, which would be a disadvantage for newcomers to the market. The products currently on the market are differentiated somewhat in their design, but mostly through the large advertising budgets that are used to promote them. Tobacco companies now pour $4 billion a year into promotions and advertising- nine times what they spent in 1971 (Elliot, New York Times, September 22, 1999). These firms have finely tuned distribution channels, which include legions of sales representatives that vie for shelf space. One of the biggest obstacles to a new entrant would be finding a decent place of the shelf with such heavy-handed competition already occupying that space. Store managers may be reticent to give away prime slots for fear of losing discounts or other offers from major players. Government policy is another possible deterrent to enter the market. Large settlements against the tobacco companies have been the norm in the past several years. Although gigantic companies like Philip Morris are able to handle the charges because of their extensive monetary resources, it is difficult to imagine how a small startup company would be able to burden the expense. Switching costs are very high in the tobacco industry. Many smokers are still smoking the same brand they first started smoking (Focus group). Even if the price of their brand is raised, they would not consider switching to another brand (Focus group). Many companies who would want to come into the industry would not easily take away market share, due to high brand loyalty. 2. 1.2 Competitive Rivalry The tobacco industry is a very competitive market. As mentioned above, about four very large corporations control the entire market. Philip Morris is the biggest company in the industry, but others such as Lorillard and growing in brand name (Pollack, Advertising Age, August 30, 1999). All companies battle for market share through heavy advertising budgets and slotting deals. The cigarette market is well into the maturity stage of the PLC, and some might even argue that given the recent anti-smoking campaigns and lawsuits the industry is nearing the decline phase. However, sales show that decline has not yet been reached. As mentioned before, Philip Morris has estimated tobacco sales of $46. 7 billion (Business Week 179, November 29, 1999). Apparently, brand loyalty still exists. Buyers Retailers. The stores that sell tobacco products have a moderate influence on the market. Retailers have some power over manufacturers who need prime slotting to ensure strong sales. However, manufacturers have leveraged quite a bit of power by offering retailers special incentives for giving their products good placement or for installing certain numbers of brand advertisements around the store. To some stores, such as gas stations, losing a major cigarette brand would mean large loss of revenues from customers who would rather go to another gas station to locate their favorite brand. Also, companies are trying to develop closer relationships with bars and coffeehouses. Tobacco companies offer ashtrays, napkins, and matches, saving each buyer thousands of dollars in supply costs (Heuslein, Forbes, January 11, 1999). Retailers now are marketing the brand on coasters and napkins for the company. Consumers. The end-users in the industry also have moderate power. Brand loyalty is very high, and it has been shown that smokers generally chose a brand in their teen year and continue to smoke that brand the rest of their lives (Focus group). However, in the face of a dramatic price hike, consumers have been quick to notice that brands are interchangeable and then go for the lowest price. But the dearth of substitutes for tobacco products makes it difficult for the industry to lose customers all together. Suppliers The suppliers in the tobacco industry have a low level of influence, even though there is no close substitutes that the industry can use in place of tobacco. Tobacco is purchased from farmers, who essentially have to take the market-determined price for their crops. Tobacco is a commodity, so it makes no difference from which supplier a firm buys its materials. The large number of individual farms that supply the industry makes it almost impossible for anyone to raise the price. There is not a threat of forward integration from suppliers because they have none of the tools necessary to manufacture or market tobacco products. The farmers have only the land and equipment necessary to grow the leaf. If they were to try to produce cigarettes, they would probably not be able to compete with the many large companies that have economies of scale (from Threat of Entry section). 2.1. 3 Substitutes The affect of substitutes on profits is also low. Nicotine can be found in cigarettes, as well as cigars, chew, and snuff. But most people will not switch over to chew and snuff if the price of cigarettes rises. Chew and snuff do not substitute for the needs of a cigarette. Cigarettes are smoked for the nicotine and for social acceptance. Chew and snuff are not acceptable substitutes for most smokers; the nicotine is not inhaled but put on the skin for absorption. 3 . Profit Analysis Why are tobacco executives still smiling? Simple: They continue to rake in the huge profits from the category despite a decade-long stagnation in dollar and unit sales growth. (Arrizza, Discount Merchandiser, p 97) Indeed, the tobacco industry has faced much opposition during recent years but still remains profitable. To be specific, there are two main reasons that the industry has continued to be prosperous: addiction and management practices. Government influence and lobbying have also played a smaller role. First, the strong addiction of tobacco has allowed for a very loyal following in the tobacco industry. In fact, most tobacco users are very brand-loyal and therefore less price sensitive than most would think. Not only does this bring in revenue for the companies themselves but for the wholesalers and retailers as well. The average smoker still smokes 1.2 packs per day, which means strong profits for the industry as a whole (Heuslin, Forbes, p 160). Buyer power is lower because the smokers depend on the cigarettes to fulfill their addictions. On average, the industrys profit on cigarette sales is about 23 cents a pack. When the average store sells around 25 packs per day, the industry is bound to make substantial profits (Sullum, Reason, p 18). The loyalty of customers in tobacco has allowed for a successful forecast of future profits in the industry. The management practices of the tobacco industry have also contributed to the industrys success. For example, The Retail Masters program has allowed for strong profits. Retail Masters is a multi-level program of promoting brands in the retail environment. This program has the potential to increase a stores cigarette sales by 11 percent (Arrizza, Discount Merchandiser, p 99). Simply by getting better displays and shelf space, for instance, the tobacco industry could become more profitable. Buyer influence increases because they have the power to delegate displays and shelf space. Overall, if the industry were to constantly maintain better displays and shelf space, tobacco companies as a whole would have a better chance of achieving greater profits. Also, most tobacco companies are introducing new products in order to keep high profit margins. RJ Reynolds, for example, is in the final phase of conducting market studies on its latest product, Eclipse. The company claims the new product reduces second-hand smoke by nearly 90 percent, ridding itself of ash and odors ( Arrizza, Discount Merchandiser, p 98). Tobacco companies are also trying to get a better public image by producing public service announcements such as the Be Smart, Dont Start campaign. And although the industry has been under close scrutiny as of late, their customers are impressed with the message. Again, the marketing management practices behind the tobacco industry bring a promise of strong future profits. As already stated, the profits of the industry look to be good, but there are a lot of changing conditions that might affect the future of the industry. For example, the new product inventions mentioned above could either help or harm the industry depending on how well they do. For example, the new Eclipse cigarette will more than likely be imitated by other competitors, who will also have to invest a great deal of capital to get the product on the market. And finally, tobacco companies are having to pay more and more money for court settlements. Profits can be decreased greatly if money the money is spent defending the company. The government is also a very limiting factor to tobacco. Just over the past decade, the government has passed so many laws that it has forced the tobacco companies to double their prices on cigarette packs. Although the customers still seem to be buying as they have in the past, there is certainly a price ceiling that a customer will not be willing to pay above. It is highly unlikely that the same customers who are currently paying less than three dollars a pack, will pay ten dollars for a single pack of cigarettes. However, if the government keeps increasing excise tax and still allots money to the prosecution during tobacco lawsuits, the industry will be severely handicapped. Overall, as the restrictions of the government increase and lawsuits are lost, the profits of the industry are bound to decrease. Industry Environment The tobacco industry is an environment with many strong competitors that have many opportunities in the market. There are also many threats, mostly imposed by the government. The tobacco companies play off each other for market share and innovate marketing strategies to fight back and keep the smoking demand. The tobacco industry has limited media coverage due to government restrictions placed over the past two decades. The tobacco companies have been prohibited from advertising on television and radio, and even more recently from billboards and outdoor posters because of the harmful side effects their products may cause. Since so many channels of marketing are closed for the tobacco industry, magazines are the most common method of advertising (Elliot, New York Times, September 22, 1999). Even with magazines and other legal forms of advertising, tobacco makers are still running into restrictions. In each magazine advertisement, a Surgeon Generals warning is required to appear with information about tobacco-related health risks that the product may lead toward. Companies have also been required to create advertisements solely about the harmful consequences of using tobacco products. These ads were a result of an advertising war between the tobacco industry and anti-tobacco campaigns. The tobacco companies were mocking the ads and celebrating those who continued to use tobacco. The government intervened and required the tobacco warning advertisements for all tobacco companies (Fairclough, Wall Street Journal, B12, 1999). The government has also intervened with tobacco marketing by altering the slogans and gimmicks the companies use. The government wants the companies to avoid targeting vulnerable markets, such as young children and teenagers under the legal smoking age of 18 years. Since government regulations have become such a threat to the tobacco industry, companies are coming up with creative ways to advertise and appeal to consumers. Some companies are developing smokers lifestyle magalogs, a combination of a magazine and catalog. The issues come out monthly and contain articles about travel, cooking, and shopping. The magalogs do not contain articles about smoking and do not have pictures of people smoking, but they do advertise tobacco products and accessories. The idea of the magalogs is to portray an image that a smokers lifestyle is fun and exciting (Wyatt, New York Times, C5, November, 24, 1999). Tobacco companies are hoping these magalogs will persuade the existing smokers to purchase more. In the past consumers have been proven to remain loyal to one company throughout their lives, but as tobacco prices have steadily increased several times, more brand switching from the premium brands to the lower priced one is occurring. The price increases are decreasing the demand for tobacco products as well. Figures show the number of smokers has decreased 10% in 1999 (Heuslein, Forbes, January 11, 1999). One of the main reasons for the price increases in the tobacco industry is that companies are trying to keep shareholders happy by paying them high dividends. Another reason is that companies need to cover the higher costs that they have incurred from legal settlements with state governments. The premium brand companies are also spending more money on advertising as the prices increase to keep their customers from switching to the lower-cost brands (Fairclough, Wall Street Journal, B12, 1999). The tobacco industry has many strong competitors with varied portions of market share. As of now, the price leader is Philip Morris. When they increase prices, other brands will follow the lead to avoid price wars. Any attempt to take away market share from the leader will result in more harm than good for the lower companies with less share. If a price war were to be started, Philip Morris, with its extensive capital, could easily outprice all other brands (Porter). The smaller tobacco companies could not compete and would soon go out of business. This type of competitive rivalry causes threats to all competitors. The companies with less market share want to follow the trends to avoid losing share no matter how high costs are, and they are trying to gain new consumers as well. The competitors have to watch the price leader carefully to make a competitive strategy. The price leader controls the industry and sets the rules of the game. But the opportunities of the leader and the other companies can be dampened by government regulations. As more restrictions are being placed in the tobacco industry, all companies will lose consumers if they do not find successful alternatives to marketing their products. Once the tobacco gain market share, it is somewhat easy to keep it. The addictive substances in tobacco products give the industry opportunities to keep consumers brand loyal and trying their new products. The environment of the tobacco industry is constantly changing with all of the threats and opportunities. Tobacco makers rely on the key success factor of image in all that they do. The new magalogs are another attempt to create a wanted tobacco users lifestyle, and they will continue to find alternatives around regulations to keep their image up as they fight hard in the competitive environment. Competitive Analysis We have chosen Philip Morris and their brand of Marlboro. Philip Morris is the industry leader and is able to heavily promote and advertise a new product. Marlboro is one of the most well-known brands in the world. We could easily create a line extension and rely on the brand name for customer loyalty. The tobacco industry consists of many competitors striving to provide tobacco products that satisfy the consumers need to smoke. Companies such as Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown and Williamson, and Lorillard are the top four competitors in the tobacco industry that together hold almost all of the market share. While each company targets the same customer group, they have different advertising and marketing techniques. Philip Morris is by far the industry leader with tobacco sales of $46.7 billion (Business Week, 179, November 29,1999). The industry giant is responsible for the development of Marlboro, Virginia Slims, and Basic, three of the best-known brands on the market. Other than producing tobacco products, the company has expanded and purchased Kraft Foods in 1988, the largest food company in the United States in (Business Week 186, November 29, 1999). Krafts affiliation with Philip Morris has led to much scrutiny from anti-tobacco users and a decrease in profits. Philip Morris has a strong advantage with the Marlboro brand. Marlboro is one of the most well-known brands in the world. The brand loyalty to Marlboro will help Philip Morris keep customers. Lorillard is responsible for cigarette brand Newport, which is currently second behind Marlboro (Pollack, Advertising Age, August 30, 1999). Lorillard is the fasted growing brand in the cigarette category, but is still quite far behind Philip Morris (Pollack, Advertisng Age, August 30, 1999). Currently, the company is trying to introduce a new kind of cigarette that would directly compete with Marlboro. The new product would be a non-menthol cigarette, which is a first in the industry because most companies usually introduce menthol cigarettes. Lorillards strength is shown with its creativity. As long as they try new products, they can gain some market share from Philip Morris. Juvenile Delinquency Essay Soft packs were not liked by any participants. More hard packs should be distributed. One point that surprised us was the excitement for prepacked cigarettes. Tobacco companies might have a marketing strategy with prepacked cigarettes. The high price of the cigarettes was noted within the group, but each was willing to pay for their particular brand. Tobacco companies do not need to lower price because the members of the group were still willing to pay. They all saw the brands of cigarettes as being very differentiated, and therefore the industry has very high switching costs. It was also noted that the participants still smoked the same brand of cigarettes that they started out with. Many have not even bothered to try different brands. This is a key point that the tobacco companies need to focus on. If they can get people to start smoking their brand first, then they have a good chance of having that person making a repeat purchase. The tobacco industry is seen by consumers to be very differentiated, allowing the companies to charge higher prices and creating high switching costs. Current Marketing Mix Philip Morris Marlboro is currently in the mature life cycle. The cigarette industry as a whole is in this life cycle. The objectives for the mature stage are to extend the life cycle for Marlboro by maintaining the brand leader position, advertising image, and cannibalizing the product. Marlboro needs to watch competition (RJ Reynolds and Brown and Williamson), maintain high brand loyalty to keep brand leadership, and continue with creating a socially conscious company. The creating of this image as a socially conscious company is a company wide customer orientation. What has helped them remain on top is their size advantage, experience, and well-defined target. Some specific areas that Philip Morris needs to focus on are sales growth, profits, customers, and competition. These will be discussed briefly. We will elaborate on the factors product, pricing, promotion, and distribution in greater detail. Marlboro is currently in a growth maturity stage for sales growth. Although the industry is in the mature life cycle, Marlboro still controls a majority of the share and sales are increasing (1999 Annual Report). With the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, where Philip Morris had to pay a large settlement to past consumers for with holding information about the harmful effects of smoking, sales still increased from 1998 to 1999. This is mostly due to the high brand loyalty of consumers (focus group). As mentioned above, due to the high and unusually strong brand loyalty of the market, profits have increased even with stricter laws and regulations. Pending litigation, smoking could become even more expensive than it already is. Taxes could be imposed to increase price per pack, which would hurt profits if consumers start buying cheaper brands. If government raises the price per pack as a standard and consumers remain brand loyal, profits could increase for the company. Marlboro targets adults over twenty-one and will not use anybody in an advertisement who looks younger than twenty-five. They wish to retain current customers and try to discourage youth smoking. Many smokers start smoking in high school and remain loyal to the brand they start smoking (focus group). Though reality and their strategy are incongruent, they try to target current consumers. The three big competitors in the tobacco industry are Philip Morris (market leader), RJ Reynolds, and Brown and Williamson. Philip Morris (Marlboro) and RJ Reynolds (Camels) own the two main brands. Due to the price increases delegated by the government, cheaper non-premium brands are catching price sensitive customers. If such price increases persist, competition could increase as well. That is only if the prices increase so much that brand loyalty sways. We would like to discuss how these stated strategies of Marlboro effect Porters Five Forces. Buyers are an overall weak force in that they are so brand loyal, they will pay inflated prices for product. They do expect more from the parent company that helps explain the Philip Morris Foundation, a community service charity ran by the people of Philip Morris, and the new slogan for Philip Morris, Working to Make a Difference. The People of Philip Morris. The main reason buyers are a weak force is because of their strong, unwavering brand loyalty. Competitive rivalry is intense in the tobacco industry. With the changing view of smoking by society from one-time glamorous to now outcast and increasing government restrictions with price increases, the consumer pool is dwindling. Luckily, Philip Morris Marlboro has an advantage as brand leader. The three main competitors are struggling to maintain market share, and Philip Morris is succeeding in remaining the market leader. New entrants in the tobacco industry are rare. It is later in the life cycle, so many would-be new entrants are dissuaded by many factors. First is the sheer size of the established competition. They have the upper hand with economies of scale, experience curve, channels of distribution, and high brand loyalty. New entrants also are thwarted from entering the tobacco market by the uncertain future of the market. The pending legal dealings, increased restrictions, and mandated price increases makes the environment risky for new entrants. There are high barriers to entry. Being that the cigarette industry is in the mature life cycle, the number and availability of substitutes should be numerous. There are a few substitutes to cigarettes like chew, snuff, and cigars, but none truly substitute the cigarette. Unlike perfume were the smell is similar enough or clothes that fit well and look nice, the taste and experience of smoking your brand of cigarettes can not be duplicated. This inability to reproduce the experience and taste makes the substitution uncommonly weak for the mature life cycle. As mentioned in the new entrants, channels of distribution are established and the high demand from the brand loyal customers weakens the power of distributors. This is the environment for Marlboro in reference to Porters Five Forces. Although it does not follow the text book definition of the mature life cycle, it is due mainly to the unique industry of tobacco. The competitive strategy of Marlboro is differentiation. Marlboro has a perceived uniqueness industry wide by consumers. The uniqueness of the brand name Marlboro and its image, quality, and taste, is highly valued by customers. The customers value it enough to pay higher prices for the Marlboro brand. Marlboros strategy of differentiation has remained stable and consistent. There are three main strategies Philip Morris has chosen to help differentiate Marlboro. The company has increased the service quality of quick responsiveness to complaints and compliance to federal regulations, assurance of a quality product purchased, and empathy for consumers (smokers and non-) through the services of the Philip Morris Foundation. Philip Morris has differentiated by reputation and brand image as well. The company has remained consistent in their image as a high quality product and an American tradition. Their market expertise, as market leader, has also allowed them to differentiate their product. This strategy reinforces the image as a stable company and plays up the companys longevity and dominance in the market. The current position of Marlboro has been mentioned many times as the brand leader. As the brand/market leader, Marlboro has to defend their position and territory against competition (which as mentioned before is very intense). Luckily for Marlboro, the defensive position is the preferred position. It has becoming increasingly difficult to defend position pending legal results from numerous cases set against Philip Morris and other tobacco companies. If excise taxes ensue (which would increase price of cigarettes by federal government and state) they could lead to a decline in sales, a decline of volume for the entire industry, and a shift from the premium segment (Marlboro and Camels) to the discount segment (GPC) (1999 Annual Report). Given Philip Morris superior defensive position currently, it enables them to have defenses against environmental factors Porter identified as the Five Forces. Marlboro being a differentiated premium brand, this creates a buffer with high price and low cost. The consumers are brand loyal and less price sensitive. New entrants have barriers to entry due to Marlboros brand leader position. The barriers include the high emotional switching cost from Marlboro to a new brand due to high brand loyalty, the high product differentiation Marlboro has created and maintained, and the economies of scale and established distribution channels the com from Marlboros experience. The buffer previously mentioned for the defense against the threat of new entrants, also is a defense against competitive rivalry. It is with this buffer that Philip Morris has the excess resources to fight, identified as the Principles of Force by Ries and Trout. The expertise of the company in the mature industry also is a powerful defense against competitors. As the market leader and the high brand loyalty, Marlboro is less susceptible to price wars. For some of the same reasons mention above, Marlboro has similar defense against buyers. Being less susceptible to price wars because of the high brand loyalty helps the company have greater control over pricing. This could change, though, with price increases and pending excise taxes. For now it does not seem to be a problem, but the future of the industry is uncertain. But for now as market leader, Marlboro can create expectations of higher quality products and service. The buffer so prominent in many of the factors defends against suppliers. The defense against substitutes is Marlboros decreased susceptibility to a price ceiling and the brand name loyalty advantage. Due to the position of market leader, Philip Morris and Marlboro have strong defenses against factors in the industrial environment. Their defensive position allows them these perks and if the market is not too effected by litigations pending, it looks to be a very sustainable advantage. Growth strategies of Marlboro have been product development or line extensions. They have created new products like Marlboro Lights and Marlboro Menthol and introduced them in the same market. They have also employed a family of branding such as specific brands (Marlboro, Virginia Slims, and Newport) that target certain segments and offer different images. Marlboro is well positioned and successfully maintaining the leadership position in the mature life cycle stage. They have retained this position through differentiation and product development. These have helped and will continue to help, if the market stays stable, Marlboro extend the mature life cycle and remain market leader. Now we are going to focus and emphasis some major factors in the current marketing mix not yet discussed. These factors are the product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. The product strategy is differentiation and being widely available through distribution. As market leader, Marlboro has taken the Defensive Warfare. They have had the courage to attack themselves through line extensions, and have expanded the market with their family of brands. Strengths of their product position is that the company has a strong position. They are not over, under, confused, or doubtful in their positioning of Marlboro. It makes sense, is not too narrow, is stable and consistent, and consumers believe in the higher quality of the brand. The high brand loyalty and perceived higher quality help the positioning of the product to be strong. Some weaknesses of the product are mainly environmental. Societys view of smoking has changed. Smoking used to be considered glamorous and beautiful, now most buildings are smoke free. Smokers have to huddle outside in rain, sleet, and shine and enjoy their cigarettes. Restrictions on advertising for tobacco products have increased. Outdoor advertising has recently been taken away. The only traditional medium appropriate to find tobacco product advertisements is print. There have also been legal backlashes due to health risks of nicotine use. A negative view of tobacco companies that is prominent in society is one of shiftiness and shadiness. Plus in medium unavailable to the tobacco companies, there has been an influx of anti-smoking campaigns. But even with all of the weaknesses of the market, Marlboro has remained brand leader. The branding strategy of Philip Morris, as mentioned before, is family of branding. Marlboro follows a family branding strategy. Marlboro would be considered the megabrand and Marlboro Lights/ Ultra Lights/ Menthol would be considered the subbrands. This some what follows Ries and Ries 22 Laws of Immutable Branding. Ries and Ries say that family of branding is good, while family branding takes away from the product. Marlboro follows many of the suggestions made by Ries and Ries. Marlboro has a unique and one of a kind name that helps set it apart from other cigarettes. Marlboro also owns a word, that word is rugged. The cowboy, who embodies a sense of a great American tradition, represents this ruggedness. There are many characteristics highly valued in our society that are related directly to cowboy. Marlboro has also been continuously consistent in their brand imaging (with the cowboy) and packaging. Changes have been slight and industry wide, like the introduction to Lights, Ultra Lights, and hard packs. Some other ways in which Marlboro follows Ries and Ries suggestions are their law of color, law of quality, and law of extensions. As mentioned above, Marlboro has followed Ries and Ries law of consistency. They have done this not only in the handling of their brand image, but also in the look of their packaging. Marlboro does not follow all of the suggestions from Ries and Ries. One is their law of publicity. With all of the trials impending and the changed view of society on smoking and tobacco companies, publicity has not helped the product or the market. Though the Philip Morris Foundation would be an excellent vehicle for publicity, they have decided to advertise. If they would let the newspapers and reporters take the drivers seat, consumers might believe it more. Even with all of the problems the industry is seeing, Marlboro is still the brand leader. The high brand loyalty is the key factor to Marlboros dominance in the market. They achieved brand loyalty by being first movers, becoming established, quality of their product, and consistency. This has helped them endure through the turbulent times in the industry. Brand equity is also very important to the product. Marlboro has a lot of brand equity. It has high brand loyalty that increases trade leverage, attracts new customers, and gives consumers a reassurance in you product. The high brand awareness is due in part of it being brand leader. Marlboro sticks out in the mind of consumers, including non-smokers because of familiarity, and is seen as a brand to consider. The perceived quality is very high for Marlboro. It is positioned as a premium brand and the price leader. Marlboro is also closely associated with its parent company, Philip Morris. Philip Morris is currently creating an image as a socially conscious company. This indirectly creates a positive image for Marlboro. And as the market leader, Marlboro has a competitive advantage. All of these factors increase Marlboros brand equity. This brand equity helps the consumer by increasing satisfaction, confidence in purchase and helps them to process information by setting a reference point. Brand equity helps the firms by assisting in creating efficient and effective marketing programs, increasing brand loyalty, to independently set prices, aid in brand extensions, increase trade leverage, and competitive advantage. This is shown through the increase of shares from 1998 to 1999 (1999 Annual Report) even though there has been an increase in restrictions. The increases help demonstrate the power of brand equity. The nineties ushered in a time of relationship marketing. Customer Services programs were the most popular way many companies played the new game. Marlboro and Philip Morris are no different. Marlboro offers Marlboro Miles to their customers. Collect a certain amount of miles and order items out of a catalogue them have Marlboro written all over them. This gives current customers perk and draws in new customers. Philip Morris started the Philip Morris Foundation, a service charity and created a new slogan. Their community service relief is aiding in creating a new image for the Philip Morris company. Instead of a seedy, shady cigarette manufacture, Philip Morris is helping society and is socially conscious. Some recommendations for Philip Morris and Marlboro are to let the news organizations cover your good work. Perhaps send out press releases of activities the Philip Morris Foundation are involved in. Dont stop the advertisements, it creates awareness and since Marlboro and Philip Morris are so closely associated it helps separate them during the legal mess and hopefully will have a carry-over effect from Philip Morris to Marlboro. They need to continue the programs that are working for them. These things are the consistent image of the brand, being a first mover to comply with government regulations, and in creating the image of a socially conscious company. They also could introduce a new product, a line extension, of the brand leader Marlboro. They need to introduce a product that offers what no other cigarette offers, waterproof packaging. Pricing Strategy Marlboro is a very well known company with many subsidiaries. The pricing strategy followed by the tobacco portion of the company is one where the primary objective is to simply sell the most products possible through promotions and brand-loyalty. For the first part, demand has been proven to be inelastic. Even if the United States Government enacts bills where cigarette taxes grow even further, customer brand-loyalty will still exist strongly. In fact, history has shown that demand is very, very inelastic, meaning higher prices dont necessarily translate into equivalent reductions in consumption. (Kennedy, p30, June 1998) Indeed, the one out of six tobacco smokers that use Marlboro products have proven their preference not to change. Secondly, Marlboro uses a fair amount of discounting in order to retain its customer base. The company, two times a year, will run promotions where consumers can buy two packs and receive a third for free. This has been shown to not only keep customers who are loyal to Phillip Morris, but will also tend to take away from the competition. According to the article, Experts Pick: Marlboro, by Nathaniel Kennedy, every time the campaign is launched, Marlboro gains a substantial portion of market share. (Kennedy, p31, June 1998) However, competitors have follwed the lead of Marlboro. They too run the same promotions that, in turn, balance out the market share that Marlboro had just recently taken. Because competition is so fierce, the majority of Marlboro pricing strategy is to promote lower prices. In fact, Marlboroshows that you dont have to make cars and trucks to make money. It has the second-highest profit margins among the top-ten U. S. manufacturers.(Hedden, p26, October 1996) The reason being is simple. Marlboro does not sell low enough for it to be considered a generic, but it does keep its prices compatible with its closest competitors. For example, in Mexico, Marlboro and its Mexican producer Cigarrera La Tabacelera Mexicana are temporarily reducing the price of Marlboro cigarettes in Mexico by 20%. (p2, March 1997) The move is an attempt to beat the competition of cigarette smugglers, who are illegally importing the cheaper U.S.-manufactured cigarettes and selling them at steep discounts. Furthermore, the company must fight in the face of many legal competitors as well. With three main competitors, RJ Reynolds, Brown ; Williamson and Lorillard, Marlboro strives to keep its products at a quality level and it prices competitive with the other leaders in the industry. The aforementioned laws of the United States governments have also proved to be a stiff competitor to the companys overall successes. Through maintaining low prices, an inelastic demand and well-placed discounts, Marlboro share of the market is more than doubling its closest rival. However, that demand could easily switch hands at any time. Marlboro relies too heavily upon brand-loyalty to assume that it would always be the leader. Newcomers are plentiful, and it will take a lot of work for the company to maintain its current market share. Indeed, with cigarette prices on the rise as much as they are, consumers are more likely to become, in the future, more price-sensitive than they currently are. If Marlboro falls into the age-old trap of incumbent inertia, there is a good possibility that the corporation will lose their number one spot in the industry. To prevent market loss, Marlboro needs to pay close attention to consumers preferences and any new additions to the industry (such as a less harmful cigarette). Marlboro will be able to keep on top of the game. Technology is the key here, and the corporation must do everything possible to be ahead of it. Promotion Strategy The biggest problems that Marlboro faces today are health problems and advertising to children. To combat these issues, the company uses a substantial amount of promotion and goodwill to keep its high-quality name. For the first part, the company is constantly giving to charities and running television commWords/ Pages : 10,492 / 24

Test Bank Essay Example

Test Bank Paper Chapter 1—Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness TRUE/FALSE 1. The Chapter 1 Opening Case shows that Borders was unsuccessful in competing in Internet book sales, but not against brick-and-mortar stores. ANS:F 2. According to the Chapter 1 Opening Case, Barnes Noble and Amazon were more competitive than Borders and adjusted more effectively to changes in the retail book market. ANS:T 3. The Chapter 1 Opening Case illustrates that while Borders was able to achieve strategic competitiveness, it did not achieve above-average returns because of conditions beyond the control of of its top management. ANS:F 4. According to the Chapter 1 Opening Case, Barnes Noble and Amazon were more effective than Borders in using the strategic management process as the foundation for the commitments, decisions, and actions they took to pursue strategic competitiveness and above-average returns. ANS:T 5. Strategic competitiveness is achieved when a firm successfully formulates and implements a value-creating strategy. ANS:T 6. Alligator Enterprises has earned above-average returns since its founding five years ago. Since no other firm has challenged Alligator in its articular market niche, the firm’s owners can feel secure that Alligator has established a competitive advantage. ANS:F 7. The goal of strategic management is to develop a competitive advantage that is permanent. ANS:F 8. Risk in terms of financial returns reflects an investor’s uncertainty about economic gains or losses that will result from a particular investment. ANS:T 9. Average returns are returns in excess of wha t an investor expects to earn from other investments with a similar amount of risk. ANS:F 10. Returns can only be measured in accounting terms such as return on assets, return on equity, or return on sales. We will write a custom essay sample on Test Bank specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Test Bank specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Test Bank specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer ANS:F 11. According to the Chapter 1 Strategic Focus, Huawei was successful in the US market primarily because of its ability to build Guanxi with the US government. ANS:F 12. The Chapter 1 Strategic Focus shows that while Guanxi is an important element of doing business in China, it is unimportant in doing business in the United States as Huawei discovered when it entered US markets. ANS:F 13. Economies of scale and huge advertising budgets are just as effective in the new competitive landscape as they were in the past, but they must be reinforced by strategic flexibility. ANS:F 14. The two primary drivers of hyper-competition are the emergence of the global economy and technology. ANS:T 15. The rate of technology diffusion has been steadily increasing over the last two decades. ANS:T 16. While patents may be an effective way of protecting proprietary technology in some industries such as pharmaceuticals, many firms competing in the electronics industry do not apply for patents. ANS:T 17. Examples of incremental innovations include iPods, PDAs, WiFi, and web browser software. ANS:F 18. The rapid rate of technological diffusion has increased the competitive benefits of patents. ANS:F 19. Apple (Chapter 1 Strategic Focus) is a source of hypercompetition through its development and introduction of disruptive technologies such as the iPod. ANS:T 20. Developed countries still have major advantages in access to information technology over emerging economies because of the significant cost of the infrastructure needed for computing power. ANS:F 21. The rate of growth of Internet-based applications could be affected by the possibility of Internet service providers charging users for downloading those applications. ANS:T 2. The new CEO of Opacity Enterprises is determined to make the long-established firm strategically flexible. The CEO feels that the employees of the company have the ability, training, and resources to engage in continuous learning. The main obstacle the CEO must face is inertia. ANS:T 23. One capability characteristic of a firm with strategic flexibility is the capacity to learn. ANS:T 24. The I/O (industrial organization) model assumes that the uniqueness of a firm’s resources and capabilities are its main source of above-average returns. ANS:F 25. The CEO of Twin Spires, Inc. , is emotionally and intellectually committed to using the resources of the firm to serve the needs of the natural gardening community by providing rare and native plants to individuals and nurseries around the United States. This commitment has carried the CEO through long periods of below average returns on investment. The perspective of the CEO of Twin Spires is consistent with the assumptions of the industrial organizational (I/O) model. ANS:F 26. Although the fast food (or quick-service) industry is unattractive, McDonald’s has earned above-average returns through product innovations, enhancing existing facilities, and buying properties outside the United States. ANS:F 27. The five forces model suggests that firms should target the industry with the highest potential for above-average returns and then implement either a cost-leadership strategy or a differentiation strategy. ANS:T 28. The uniqueness of a firm’s resources and capabilities is the basis for a firm’s strategy and determines its ability to earn above-average returns under the I/O view. ANS:F 9. Research shows that a greater percentage of a firm’s profitability is explained by the I/O rather than the resource-based model. ANS:F 30. The resource-based model assumes that if firms have resources that are rare or costly to imitate, this is sufficient to form a basis for competitive advantage. ANS:F 31. Resources are considered rare when they have no structural equivalent. ANS:F 32. The assumptions of the industrial organizational model and the resource-based model are contradictory. Therefore, organizational strategists must choose one or the other model as the basis for developing a strategic plan. ANS:F 33. An effective vision statement will specify the market to be served. ANS:F 34. An effective vision stretches and challenges people and can result in increased innovation as illustrated by Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs who is known to think bigger and differently than most people (â€Å"putting a dent in the universe†). ANS:T 35. Organizational mission statements typically do not include statements about profitability and earning above-average returns. ANS:T 36. A firm’s mission tends to be enduring while its vision can change in light of changing environmental conditions. ANS:F 37. Organizational stakeholders are the firm’s internal resources, capabilities, and core competencies that are used to accomplish what may at first appear to be unattainable goals in the competitive environment. ANS:F 38. The degree to which the firm is dependent on a stakeholder group gives that stakeholder less influence. ANS:F 39. The needs and desires of organizational stakeholders are inherently contradictory. ANS:T 40. Relative power is the most critical criteria for prioritizing the demands of stakeholders. ANS:T 41. Hourly workers on the production line of a chicken-processing plant are considered organizational stakeholders. ANS:T 42. Customers, suppliers, unions, and local governments are examples of capital market stakeholders. ANS:F 43. When the firm earns lower-than-average returns, the highest priority is given to satisfying the needs of capital market stakeholders over the needs of product market and organizational shareholders. ANS:FPTS 44. Six years ago, Colette Smith founded a successful catering company that specializes in providing a wide assortment of miniature cheesecakes for corporate and social events. Although Ms. Smith is no longer active in the actual production of the cheesecakes, she continues as president of the catering company. Ms. Smith could be considered a strategic leader of this firm. ANS:T 45. Organizational culture refers to the core values shared by the firm’s top-level managers but not necessarily accepted by lower-level employees who are often transitory and not committed to the organization. ANS:F 46. Although organizational cultures vary considerably, one cannot make an objective judgment that some organizational cultures are more or less functional than others. ANS:F 47. Strategic leaders must have a strong strategic orientation while embracing change in the dynamic competitive landscape. ANS:T 48. Profit pools allow strategic leaders to predict the outcomes of their decisions before taking efforts to implement them. ANS:T 49. Corporate-level strategy in a diversified organization requires a common business strategy for each component business. ANS:F 50. An organization’s willingness to tolerate or encourage unethical behavior is a reflection of its core values. ANS:T

Downs Syndrome essays

Downs Syndrome essays All children that are born with Downs Syndrome (previously called mongolism) have a common characteristic appearance and may also share similar congenital birth defects. Dr John Downs, of whom the condition is so named after, found that children who were born with these similar characteristics and that after testing were complete. It was found that there was a common chromosome abnormality, which is known as Trisomy 21 (Cunningham, 1996). Every pregnant woman is at risk of having a Downs Syndrome child. For example 1 in 1,000 women who are 28yrs will give birth to a child with this condition. However, the risk is much greater with a woman who is 38yrs, increasing the risk by approximately 1 in 200 births. Until recently, it was thought that a womans age was the only indicator to the risk involved. However, advances in medical practise can now carry out tests out by looking at a womans hormone and protein levels during pregnancy. Also with the information of the expectant mothers age and the use of maternal screening, two thirds of Downs Syndrome infants can be identified whilst still in the womb. Research into the origins of Downs Syndrome has been carried out worldwide all with one common question in mind; is the condition genetic, thus making it hereditary? However, research that has been carried out has found, that children born with this condition have the same genetic makeup as a child born without the condition. However, there is one difference and that is a child born with Downs Syndrome, will have an extra chromosome. By having just one chromosome extra is enough to tip the finely tuned balance of the human body and will in turn produce physical and intellectual characteristics that are found in Downs Syndrome. It is commonly known that genes are passed from parent to child. And those most have two copies of every gene. In general one copy is passed on from both mother ...

Fortune 500 Company Perks That Will Make You Jealous [Infographic]

Fortune 500 Company Perks That Will Make You Jealous [Infographic] working for a major company definitely has it’s share of stress. but that stress doesn’t come without also receiving some pretty sweet perks. the folks at  chairoffice  have gathered 12 fortune 500 companies  that offer their employees some pretty sweet perks that will make you jealous. check out the infographic below:interested in working for one of these companies? check out the openings for a few of them below:nestlemarriott3mmatteldisneycisco

Boston Fights Drugs Individual Case Assignment 2 Study

Boston Fights Drugs Individual Assignment 2 - Case Study Example 2. Would you have selected focus groups as your research methodology? Why/Why not? List the pros and cons of using focus groups in this situation, as well as the pros and cons of the other suggested methods in the case For such a sensitive issue, the student group should not have selected a focus group but, rather, they should have chosen the on-on-one interview. While the focus group allows people to exchange ideas, the answers they give could be impacted by peer pressure (Mitchell & Jolley, 2013). For the one-on-one interview, there would have been minimal peer pressure, the participants would have the opportunity to talk more, and could even encourage participants to share information that would have been otherwise not shared in a focus group. However, it is more expensive and requires more time for data collection (Mitchell & Jolley, 2013). The pre-screening questionnaire was devised to ensure broad representation of the entire Boston population, while partially disguising why the focus group was being conducted. Questions required participants to identify their favorite commercials, as well as their take on street violence, attitudes on drugs, and personal habits (Rangan, 1994). The interview protocol acted as a guide to direct the discussion to the researcher’s topics of interests. Given the budgetary and time constraints, the group did well in participant screening. However, this did not allow them to pick focus groups from all Boston neighborhoods as they focused on only four neighborhoods and selected a sole young adult group using the pre-screening questionnaires. In the sampling procedure, the student group sought help from Boston officials to recruit participants from various city community schools. They also divided the population into four groups, which were addicts, active users, recreational users, and non-users (Rangan, 1994). Due to a lack of resources to track all the

Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mexico - Essay Example Mexico is situated at around 23 °N and 102 °W in the southern section of North America. The total area of Mexico covers around 1,972,550 square kilometers, where 1,923,040 square kilometers are covered by land and 49,510 square kilometers are covered by water. Northern Mexico is recognized to be dry as well as desert-like while the southern region of Mexico is covered by mountainous jungle. Moreover, Mexico is known as one of the major bio-diverse nations of the world. Mexico’s economy is recognized as the world’s thirteenth biggest economy which is almost the same size as Russia’s as well as South Korea’s economies. Moreover, Mexico is considered as a ‘free market’ economy which comprises a mix industry, services, as well as agriculture (Foreign & Commonwealth Office, â€Å"Mexico: Country Information†). Major Regions of Mexico Mexico consists of nine major topographic regions, these include the ‘Mexican Plateau’, the Gulf Coastal Plain, the Pacific Coastal Lowland, the Southern Highland, the Sierra Madre Occidental, Baja California, the Cordillera Neo-Volcanica, the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Yucatan Peninsula. Moreover, Mexico comprises a wide variety of geographical regions as well as climate variations. The 31 states including Mexico City run the gamut from high desert and scrubland to verdant tropical jungles and stunning sea-coast provinces (Foreign & Commonwealth Office, â€Å"Mexico: Country Information†). Central Mexico is mainly known as a volcanic plateau, which is enclosed by huge mountain ranges. The entire Mexico City is known as â€Å"Old Mexico† for its major agricultural activities which comprise small town and attractive colonial cities that have made Mexico a famous global heritage site. Southern Mexico is renowned as an ecotourism sanctuary which consists of sea coasts, jungles, marshes and mangrove forests that provide adventure as well as beautiful natural s ite for any tourist. Pacific coast is considered as the ‘jewel in Mexico’s crown’ which provides historic attraction such as Acapulco (Foreign & Commonwealth Office, â€Å"Mexico: Country Information†). Groups of People That Make up Mexico According to the present scenario, Mexican people are a blend of descendants from Spanish as well as other various immigrants. From 16th century onwards, people mainly from Europe had started to settle in Mexico and created Mestizos (a group mixed with European and indigenous ancestry). Religion of Mexico comprises 89% of Roman Catholic, 6% of Protestant and 5% inhabitants of other denominations (Foreign & Commonwealth Office, â€Å"Mexico: Country Information†). Languages Spoken in Mexico In Mexico, Spanish is considered as the official language. Moreover, there are around 62 native languages that are still spoken by one-third of the population. The Spanish language which is spoken by native Mexicans is quite dif ferent from the Castilian Spanish which is the original language of Spain (Foreign & Commonwealth Office, â€Å"Mexico: Country Information†). Five Most Popular Dishes in Mexico ‘Cabrito’ is a very famous and traditional dish of Mexico. This dish is prepared with baked baby goat which is gradually cooked over ‘mesquite coals’ which comprise several of Mexican herbs and spices (All about Mexico, â€Å"Culinary†). Another popular dish is ‘

The connection between the Jedi Order in Star Wars and Christianity Essay Example for Free

The connection between the Jedi Order in Star Wars and Christianity Essay For thirty-one years, the Star Wars franchise has brought people infinite hours of entertainment with: movies, video games, comic books, toys, and non-fiction books. However, one recurrent theme that is constant throughout the movies and books is a belief in a higher power. In Star Wars, the Jedi and the Sith believed in the Force. The Jedi believe in using their faith in the Force for the greater good. Most of their belief structure is closely based on some aspects of early and modern Christianity. One Jedi aspect that is closely tied to early Christianity is the rule of two. In the fictionally adaptation of George Lucass Star Wars Episode 1: the Phantom Menace, the Jedi Grand Master Yoda states, Always two there are.a master and an apprentice (Brooks 320). Master Yoda is referring to the order of the Sith, but the same reference can also be made about the Jedi. A Jedi Knight handpicks a Padawan (apprentice) to pass on all their knowledge, to protect each other, and to grow in the ways of the Force. This aspect can also be found in the Bible, in the book of Mark 6:7, Jesus called the twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs (Qtd in Peterson 1834). Dick Staub suggests that Jesus did this so that the disciples could unlearn what they have learned to this point in their lives, so that they could fully rely on God for everything; much like the Jedi rely on the Force (Staub 118). Jesus sent six pairs of his disciples, He gave them the authority and power to deal with the evil opposition (Qtd in Peterson 1834). This is just like to Jedi Order. The Jedi came to serve the Galactic Republic as guardians of peace and justice (Lucas Online). The disciples had almost the same mission. The disciples went and preached peace to everyone, They sent demons packing, they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits (Qtd in Peterson 1835). The Jedi did not heal people, but they did bring messages of peace. Two Jedi played a instrumental role in the blockade of Naboo (plant) placed by the Trade Federation, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi faced a Sith apprentice name Darth Maul. Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon during the battle, but Obi-Wan was successful in slicing Darth Maul in half; this could be compared to the disciples casting out demons. In the book of Luke 11:14, Jesus delivered a man from a demon that had kept him speechless. The demon gone, the man started talking a blue streak, talking the crowd by complete surprise (Qtd in Peterson 1891). However, the greatest relationship between the Jedi Order and Christianity is the belief in a higher power. Even Darth Vader, the image of evil and devastation, believes in a higher power. Darth Vader displays his beliefs during a meeting on the Death Star. Darth Vader raises his right hand as Commander Tagges eyes start to swell; Tagge raises his hands to his throat, while Darth Vader says, I find this lack of faith disturbing (Lucas 31). Proverbs 3:6 says Trust God from the bottom of your heart, dont try to figure out anything on your own (Qtd in Peterson 1091). This holds true with what Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn said to a young Anakin Skywalker, Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, dont think. Trust your instincts. May the Force be with you, Annie (Brooks 164). Now, to me, these two quotes sound completely different, but their meanings are the same. The Bible quote tells believers in God, to fully trust him and that God will provide everything that we need to survive. God will show us the right path to travel down after we spend time fasting and in prayer. While, Master Qui-Gons quote tells us that when you take a quick step back from the situation you are in, the Force will reveal the right course of action, and the accurate path to walk down to complete its will; much like God will reveal to us what the accurate path for us is to complete his will. Both the Jedi and Christians are showing an immeasurable amount of faith (trust) in their particular higher power. The Force (and a Lightsaber) is a Jedis most powerful ally; this can equally be said regarding Jesus with Christianity. The Force and Christ are one in the same, Dick Staub referrers to God as the Lord of the Force (Staub 5). Now, Christ doesnt grant us the power to move objects just by raising our hand like the Force does, but Christ does bestow clairvoyance to us. Psalms 119:35 sates, Guide me down the road of your commandments (Qtd in Peterson 1052). Psalms 119:105 states, By your words, I can see where Im going, they throw a beam of light on my path (Qtd in Peterson 1056). So, that we recognize the correct path to walk down. Works Cited Brooks, Terry. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. Brooks, Terry. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. New York: Del Rey, 1999. 320. Lucas, George. Star Wars: Databank. 5 January 2008. 5 June 2008 http://www.starwars.com/databank/organization/thejediorder/. Lucas, George. Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker. Lucas, George. Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker. New York: Del Rey Books, 1976. 31. Peterson, Eugene H. The Message Remix: The Bible In Contemporary Language. Peterson, Eugene H. The Message Remix: The Bible In Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs: Navpress, 2003. 1834. Staub, Dick. Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters.: Staub, Dick. Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.

Corynebacterium Diphtheriae :: Medical Biology Medicinal Essays

Corynebacterium Diphtheriae Life History: Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the microbial causative agent of diphtheria; however, it is the exotoxin produced by pathogenic strains of the bacteria that cause the symptoms of the disease. Non-pathogenic strains are normal inhabitants of the oral cavity and lack the bacteriophage DNA to produce exotoxin. Pathogenic C. diphtheriae can localize in different parts of the body, including the nasal cavity, the naso-pharynx, the larynx, and the skin. Depending on the localization, the symptoms range from slight to severe (death). The bacteria are spread by direct person-to-person contact; concurrently, humans are the reservoirs for C. diphtheriae. Since the introduction of a vaccine in the 1920’s, diphtheria has not been prevalent in developed countries. Conversely, it is endemic in developing countries, especially in the former countries of the USSR. Characteristics: C. diphtheriae are non-motile, aerobic, gram-positive bacilli (rods). Viewed with a microscope, the bacteria are club-shaped and group in patterns that resemble Chinese characters. Little is known about the details of the adhesion mechanism of C. diphtheriae, but the bacteria are known to produce a neuraminidase. This enzyme is able to split N-acetylneuuraminic acid, which is found on the surface of animal cells. This may facilitate bacterial entry into the host cell. There are four biotypes of C. diphtheriae, gravis, mitis, belfanti, and intermedius. Only intermedius can be differentiated by colony morphology; small, gray, or transluscent lipophilic colonies compared to larger, white or opaque colonies of the other biotypes. In addition, the biotype intermedius is rare in clinical infections, while the belfanti biotype rarely carries the tox gene. Virulence: C. diphtheriae are capable of producing exotoxin. The diphtheria toxin gene, tox, is located on a bacteriophage genome; thus, bacteriophage infection is necessary for virulence. tox is negatively regulated by diphtheria toxin repressor (DxtR), located on the bacterial chromosome, in response to iron concentration within the cell. When iron concentration is low, DxtR does not repress the tox gene because it requires iron to be functional. Thus, when iron concentration is low, the tox gene is transcribed and toxin is produced. Diphtheria toxin is made up of a single polypeptide chain with two portions, A and B. The toxin attaches to a cell membrane receptor of the host cell and is engulfed by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Once inside the vesicle, the disulfide bond between the A and B portion is cleaved and the A portion enters the cytosol, where is can resist degradation for a long period of time.

Hotel and Marketing Mix

B629- Managing 2: Marketing and Finance EMA Problem related to marketing mix and performance measurement By Yennifer Pereira (PI: A8407709) August 2012 Contents Word count: 2415 Section: 1. Description of my organisation 2. Description of the marketing mix 3. Identify, analyse and summarise a problem relating marketing mix 4. Solution 5. Identify, analyse and summarise a problem relating performance management 6. Solution 7. References 1. Description of my organisationTravelodge is budget hotel brand that was launch on the UK in 1985 and currently operates more than 450 hotels in Ireland, Spain and the UK. The company is growing very fast and is planning to operate more than 70,000 rooms, approximately over 1000 hotels by 2020 and be the biggest hotels operator in London by the 2012 Olympics. Around eight million people stay with Travelodge every year, booking the rooms online at the company’s webpage. The chain employs more than 6000 staff and is currently owned by Dubai inte rnational Capital which acquires the chain on 2006.I had been working in Travelodge for three years, working my way through from chambermaid, receptionist to assistant manager, currently been in position lest that 6 months and still learning the company targets and focus in the market. Currently Travelodge is undergoing their biggest remodelling in their hotels in order to gain back the customers lost to Premier Inn their biggest competitors in the low budget market, due to the poor quality in customer service and the quality of service in the previous years. . Description of the marketing mix Marketing mix is refer as creating the right product that will attract the attention of their customers and this can be done by creating the right product, at the right price, in the right place using the appropriate promotions. Travelodge uses the marketing mix technique on their daily basics as part of the revenue team to generate the savers prices that we use online.Travelodge proud itself from providing low prices and clean and fresh rooms to our main stakeholders which are our customers, but in order to achieve that they must have a revenue team in charge of controlling the prices and promotions put online according to the location of the hotel, time of year and other issues, our revenue team works in this by using the 7 Ps of marketing. To start of they focus in the: Product: Our product will always be de same in all the hotels a clean and fresh rooms Price: This is taking into consideration after the hotel is analysing depending the time of year, location, size and other features.For example to book a room in February during the week in Bournemouth will cost you if book in advance as little as ? 19 per night, the same hotel also book in advance for the same day of the week will cost you as much as ? 80, due to the location and the season, in the other hand if you book a hotel in Bournemouth town centre will normally cost you around 20% more that a road side hotel near Bournemouth. That is why is crucial to analyse all the perspectives before setting the prices.Place: This is crucial when planning the revenue of the hotel as a road side hotel will not be as busy as a city centre hotel, or a seasonal hotel is not as profitable in winter as a London hotel in the main shopping street in the same period. Promotion: Travelodge on the daily basic our coming out with promotions to encourage customers to stay with us, a good example of this is that if you book online or by phone on the day, you will get a 10% discount rather that booking direct over the desk.We also encourage guest to purchase food and beverages by always making sure we have promotions available. People: Travelodge focus on hiring the correct team to ensure that our customers has the best service as possible from the moment they book all the way to the moment they check out. This can only be achieved by providing the right training and developing the right skills to ensure customers receive the best customer service. Processes: Travelodge nsures that all our hotels provides the same process across all the company, by ensuring that customers are deal correctly, that layout looks fairly similar, that we provide same services across the hotels and that we always are providing the correct service. Physical evidence: This is the evidence that our customer sees when he comes into a Travelodge and sees that staff all in uniform, everything branded, currently this is our main problem that not all the hotels look the same due to the layout and most of then require a brand update. . Identify, analyse and summarise a problem relating marketing mix Identify Our main focus in Travelodge is pleasing our customers by providing affordable, clean and fresh rooms, but as Travelodge been open since 1985, is difficult to provide the same standard in every hotel, the main problem that we currently have is that our hotels look completely different due to the different refurbishment that we had have over the years, as Travelodge opens a new hotel a new trial runs in that hotel and is use for a few years.Currently when a customer walks into a room in Travelodge they never know what to expect as no all Travelodge’s look the same. Analyse As a customer you expect when you walk into a hotel that will look as similar to the other hotels of the same brand, but when a company has been open for more than 26 years is difficult to maintain the same standard across their hotels. Travelodge is currently having an issue with the Physical evidence in his marketing mix, which is affecting the corporate image in overall.This issue has arise due to cost issues, the company main target in previous years was to spend revenue in building and opening new hotel, as new building arise new refurbishment ideas follow, and different layout happen without been concern on the image and standardization of the brand. Even though Travelodge has been very good in maintaining a set a st rict rule about the advertisement provide in each hotel, all the leaflets and brochures were the same and similar supplier use, the actual hotels rooms due not comply with the corporate image. This in overall affects the perspective not only of the customer, but the staff members.This links with the concept that there are four critical areas of success, the customer perspective that if is currently no been meet, the internal process perspective which are no satisfying customer needs as we are providing in some cases old, out of date and damage rooms, the innovation and learning perspective, also no been accomplish as the repeats customers keeps using this Travelodge’s but no does not sees any improvement or change and the financial perspective which is also no been meet due to having to spend more money in opening hotels and not focusing on refurnishing the old ones.Summary To summarise the problem Travelodge has spend too much money focusing in building new hotels, that focu sing in the corporate image, due to the different layouts in rooms, location of hotels customers expectations are no been meet and this is affecting the perspective no only of their customers but also they employees. 4. Solution Travelodge has realise that this is a major issue and after 26 years has started to listen to our customers complaints and request to update the brand image and improve the rooms.Travelodge has decided to fight back and restructures the image of the company by spending ? 57 million pounds in refurbishment, which 80% of hotels should be completed by autumn, they are planning to change the room design by updating the colours, curtains, acquiring to of the range beds, updating the bathroom to a state of the art power shower, and repaint and redecorate all of the hotels in the company. 5. Identify, analyse and summarise a problem relating performance managementIdentify Travelodge Bournemouth Seafront is currently facing a major problem in performance that is aff ecting the hotel overall and is that due to a fall in cleanliness of the rooms we are receiving a considerable amount of complains on the daily basics that are affecting the way the customer sees the hotel, due to this issues are WYR is not as target by the company. Analyse Every Travelodge receives at the end of the month a scorecard in which it ill inform the hotel what is expected from us, there are targets sets on how many rooms are sold and how much is sold over the bar, but one of the most important things that we look for in the score card is the WYR (Would you recommend), this are the rating that are customers gives us after they have stay with us. Unfortunately there has been a significant drop in are WYR that is affecting us dramatically. SummaryAfter investigating and speaking with our customers we have draw to he conclusion that this is due to the poor standard of cleanliness in the hotel, this was due to the manager been promoted to a new hotel and the hotel had to run through a period without manager on site, due to been the period the hotel was all the time fully book resulting on the staff having to work 6 days a weeks or overtime during all the summer period and the housekeeping department did not have the amount of staff that was needed on the daily basics, as a result they had to clean everyday between 12 to 18 rooms plus there were many issues of not having the right equipment to work. To summarise the problem when the new manager took over he had to face with a big challenge, the performance of the hotel and the targets are not been meet. As a company we use a scorecard (figure 1) that helps us measure the performance of the hotel this divides the hotels into different areas and is clear for as to know that areas that we are failing from the scorecard, if we are doing well a green scorecard can be seen and if is moderate performance will be amber and bad performance will be show in red which is what we are facing in the WYR.Are WYR is spec ifying that room cleanliness is not what customers are expecting this is a result of the issues seen above but also poor management for the last few months as there is not set of measurements in place in the hotel at that moment to see or compare to what is a good room to what in reality we are offering, we did not have the appropriate budget to buy the materials that we require in the hotel or is not been manage appropriately in order to last the time that is require to last. In overall due to poor management during the last month as the consistent of the hotel cleanliness are not been meet and as there was not a manager to be responsible for the hotel or to set targets, the hotel performance drop. 6. SolutionThere are many solutions to resolve this issue the best way possible but it has to be a solution that will benefit the hotel performance and quick and effectively as possible so to improve I come out with a list of effects that can be taking place to start improving the cleanl iness of the rooms. The first issue that the manager should so is decentralise the hotel into areas and give different areas for the assistant managers to focus on, for example one to be responsible for food and beverage, one for health and safety and one for housekeeping area, with the manager overlooking all the department and making sure that everything runs smoothly.The assistant manager or person responsible in the housekeeping department will have to implement the following plan in order to success in the task set firstly is crucial to start by re training the entire housekeeping department in order for then to know what is expected of then and the standards that we need to achieve, secondly an order of products will need to be process in order for housekeeping to have the materials needed to clean the rooms and get the cleanliness up to date, retrain the staff in effectively using the products that they have available without wasting anything, next step will be to make sure t hat a set of task are in place of the linen porter such as cleaning the public areas and making sure that linen and materials are in hand to be use by housekeeping so they do not waste any time having to find then, extra cleaning activities must be set for housekeeper to carry out then every month that can be from a range of task such a kettle discalers, changing shower curtains, mattress protectors and making sure that all the rooms have all the high level dusted done regularly, to top it all daily room checks will have to be carry out by the managers, housekeepers and staff to make sure that every room that is given to a customer is clean as is expected not only by the customer but also by the company. If all of this issues are been done as instructed there such be a difference in the rooms in a short period of time that will help the WYR that in overall will help not only in getting a green scorecard but will make customers satisfy with their stay and willing to repeat their stay with us.Is important to notice that to be able to achieve this a considerable amount of money will have to be spend in getting all the cleaning materials that are require in order to turn around the state of the rooms and a lot of time will be needed to retrain all the housekeeping department in achieving the task but all the managers and hotel staff in making sure the correct rooms checks are carry out daily. 7. References Open University (2009) B628, Managing and managing people; OU: Milton Keynes. www. travelodge. co. uk B629 Understanding Marketing and Financial Information EMA Part 2 Activities and outputs (weeks 15-19) Week 15, Activity 1 Table 15. Advice on outsourcing parks and gardens maintenance operations |Problem identification |Outsourcing parks and gardens maintenance in order to be in | | |budget for the next three years | |Analysis (investigation) |The company has the option to either try to outsource or to | | |maintain the team they already have and try to save the money if | | |possible. Analysing what their currently expenses are and what | | |the company is offering then is better to outsource as the | | |company will run why all the extra costs if they are needed such | | |as extra staff, equipment and other materials. |Conclusion to the analysis (results of the investigation) |To conclude is a better idea to contract the maintenance company | | |for 3 years as they will maintain the same price for the three | | |years and the council will be already aware of how much is | | |expending | |The solution, listed as a set of SMART recommendations |It may take time to adapt to the changes to a new company and as | | |a result staff will suffer from downsizing and being transfer but| | |in overall will result in a profitable result for the council | Week 15, Activity 2 Activity 2- Comparison of absorption and marginal costing The major difference between one and another is that the marginal costing will take into consideration all the variable costs that take to get the product which as a result will always vary from the absorption costs as this will only show just the percentage that the person that wants to sell will want to add on MARGINAL COST = |VARIABLE COST DIRECT LABOUR | | |+ | | |DIRECT MATERIAL | | |+ | | |DIRECT EXPENSE | | |+ | | |VARIABLE OVERHEADS | Week 15, Activity 3 Activity 3- 1. Why organisations prepare budgets: To control better the resources they have and make the company profitable 2. Differences between direct and indirect costs? Both costs should be represented in the financial report to make a clear picture of the reality of the financial situation of the company 3. Fixed and variable costs?Fixed costs are those that will never change and variables can change at any time so is important to present both clearly in the financial reports Week 16, Activity 1 Activity 1 Smallville accounts The differences between creating a income and expenditure account rather that receipts and payments account is that the income and expenditure will explain all that goes on in the business including the loss and profits, will show any outstanding payments from creditors and provides a clear understanding of what is expend and in what areas as how much of the stock is being use. Week 16, Activity 2 Activity 2 Balance sheet for Musical instruments Business Sources ? 000 Resources ? 00 Owners capital 750 Fixed assets 970 Loan 500 Stock 300 Creditors 300 Cash 280 1550 1550 Week 16, Activity 4 Table 16. 2 Advice on maximising reported profit figure |Problem identification |Maximising the report profit figure in order to finish the end of| | |year with a favourable performance | |Analysis (investigation) Robin Williams the owner and chief executive of a catering | | |service business is interested in getting new assesses to his | | |company but in order to do that he needs to provide all the | | |information available to get the financial support he needs, his | | |purpose is to i mprove the financial report by either postponing | | |or going ahead with a few transactions, The focus of this report | | |is to provide as much support in order to make the correct | | |decision. | | |1. First transaction with is spend ? 50. 00 in advertising which | | |will increase in sales by 20% in the next financial year- Perhaps| | |way is a lot of capital that will be invested and will only | | |result in increase in sales for next year. | | |2. Take out goods for his own use- this has to be postponing as | | |will show a lost in goods and not an increase in income. | | |3. Sell goods in credit- this is a great investment as will show | | |in the financial report still as sales but in account. | | |4.Replace a motor van that will cost ? 6000, even though this | | |cost will be divided in 6 years it will still show an investment | | |of ? 1000 this financial year | | |5 . Purchase stocks at a lower price- can be done as will show | | |that we have that quanti ty on assets and has not been a loss to | | |the company. |Conclusion to the analysis (results of the investigation) |To conclude I think that by investing in purchasing goods for a | | |lower price, sell to a customer in credit will help his financial| | |report as even though he will losses in stock he will gain the | | |sales in credit and even though he will lose the capital that we | | |will use to buy stock, will increase his stock | |The solution, listed as a set of SMART recommendations |By making this changes and at the beginning of the financial | | |year invest in advertisement which will help him sell the stock | | |purchase at discount and buy a new van will provide him with a | | |very profitable end of year report and a target for beginning of | | |next financial year. | Week 17, Activity 1 1. Companies hold some assets in form of cash to be able to pay for the expenses they are incurred in the hotel, for example to pay for suppliers, pay bills and other expe nses 2. Holding too much cash in a business can be risky as it is not providing with any investment either in the bank or as stock for the business. 3. The costs of having too little stock is not making the business look very profitable and there is the risk that when stock is needed there is not any cash available to purchase what is needed for the business Week 17, Activity 3 Table 17. Solution to a working capital problem in my organisation |Problem identification |Working capital stock taking too long to be deliver | |Analysis (investigation) |Due to the policy that we have to order food products to be | | |deliver next day, confirmer delivery and process payment which | | |takes 30 days to be pay to the company, there are major problems | | |with the items that are not being deliver to the hotels as it is | | |taking too long for the company to get the payment and realise | | |which item has not been deliver | |Conclusion to the analysis (results of the investigation) |To conclude is crucial that a way is set in which the company is | | |aware of any item that has not been deliver in order to speed up | | |the process of redelivery | |The solution, listed as a set of SMART recommendations |Both companies must agree in the desire idea to resolve the | | |problem which is time consuming | |Strengths and weaknesses of the recommendations |Time consuming, staff needs to be re train which will be cost | | |effectively | Week 18, Activity 3 Financial performance For the hotel that I work for, is required a set of financial reports on the daily basics to be able to get the banking done. These reports consist on the daily trial banking which will explain in detail how much was taking on the daily basics on the different method of payments from example how much was taking in cash, visa, MasterCard, American express and also how much was taking as a prepay before the guest arrive in the hotel.The other report that we use and is very important for us is th e credit cards reports as we need to compare the credit cards against what is showing in the pdq slips reports that are printed 3 times at day at the end of any shift, this will conform that staff is taking the corrected amount of money and reporting it on the system that we use. Third set of reports that are use are the guest on house which explains to use how many guest are in house, which room number are the staying, rate pay and any extra packages, the vacant and occupy rooms which are the reports use in case of a fire and to conclude the arrival list with a list of the guest arriving, rate pay and any packages or special requested. Week 19, Activity 2 |Problem identification |Advice MD about ways in which he can restructure Spellman in | | |order to improve performance. |Analysis (investigation) |Currently Spellman is a very profitable company that focus on | | |buying and selling machinery for ice cream manufactures and also | | |is focusing in providing repairs to their m achinery. | | |The problem that they are facing is that there is one person in | | |charge of making all the decisions and coming out with all the | | |solutions, resulting in problems within the company as there is | | |de motivation, lack of product information and other issues. | |The best propose idea to resolve this problem is for the MD to | | |hire a group of managers that will focus in different areas of | | |the country, in order for every employee to have a manager to | | |respond to and get support, and this managers to have the | | |responsibility of making decisions and solving problems, in order| | |to improve the slow decision problem that the company face before| | |and provide the support needed. |Conclusion to the analysis (results of the investigation) |By having this group of managers available the MD will have more | | |time to focus in improving the business and will have to focus on| | |dealing with this groups of managers rather that all the compa ny. | |The solution, listed as a set of SMART recommendations |Is important to understand that this is a time consuming activity| | |that will require and investment to hire this managers and the | | |time to hire and train the correct staff, and will take time to | | |get the managers train correctly and aware of the business. | | | | |But this will result in staff motivation restore and customers | | |will get the support and solutions quicker. | Week 19, Activity 3 The critical success factors and key performance indicators for airline scorecard The balance scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that focus on the current business activities and compares this to the vision of strategic of the organisation, and it focus in looking at four different perspectives of the business and see how they are performing , this are the financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business process and learning and innovating.Focusing in Ryanair a low cost airline which operates with over 300 airlines with over 30 destinations, their strategic focus in having the low cost in the market and their entire major decisions and focus on this making this their success factor. In order to achieve this they had to take into consideration what do they customers expected for them as a company, which are a cheap, straight forward flight, as they are not expected to get any luxuries in their flights, another key performance indicators apart for their customers’ expectations, is the financial perspective which focus in making sure they are still been profitable, this is achieve by Ryanair by always cutting the luxuries and making sure everything is to their basics.For example charging customers for extra luggage, making sure they print their own boarding pass or pay the penalty which is up to ? 60, offering services such as seat selection and priority boarding for an extra charge, these techniques helps the company reduce costs and increase profits . Focusing in the internal business perspective this can be providing customer support when any issues arise and making sure that their flights are meeting their schedules and as innovation perspective Ryanair is very clever with this as they innovate by finding new routes for their customers and competitive prices in order to maintain market position. Week 19, Activity 4Hospital cancer unit performance indicators of each of the E’s Economy: One performance issues that I’m sure must be important is to maintain cost to certain quantity when referring to getting new beds or material because the other ones are too old, this affects the patient comfort and the staff will have to deal with this resources that can be unsafe to use due to no having a reasonable budget, another one is no having the resources to innovate the drugs, no enough financial support to investigate and get new drugs that can help their patients. Efficiency: Referring to using the minimum amount of reso urces specially when referring to drugs can affect the patient health and the time of recovery, also no having the laboratory services available due to maintain the performance measurement can affect the quantity of patients treated and the staff motivation.Effectiveness: No having the time or resources due to maintain the performance can affect the health of any patient, in the other hand no having the resources to hire and train staff that can deal and provide this treatment is very concerning Equity: Proving access to everyone is crucial, due to the lack of resources and staff this is not always possible and this affects many life’s, is crucial to provide the treatment as soon as possible and often as needed to the patients to be able to save as many as possible. Personally I believe that a performance indicator in a hospital should not be the amount of money spend in treatment, in drugs, in innovating new treatments, training staff or proving comfortable atmosphere to the ir patients but the amount of life’s save.