Analysis Of The Banana Logo - 1161 Words

Ads cater to the fantasies of ordinary working people by showing them that certain products of benefits if they buy the product. These fantasies play with our mind to get us to feel like we need an escape from our stressful lives that s why ads usually use beach setting and sex to sell items. Chiquita is no different, they use their logo to do both by having us retreat to a tropical location and having a woman from the area giving us food. Chiquita’s mascot, Miss Chiquita, both strengthen stereotypes of latina women and women in general while also catering to a relaxing vacation. Today the Chiquita Banana logo is of a woman in a blue circle, she herself is yellow. The logo is small but it clear that it is a women with a fruit bowl on her head which has been a part of her costume since she was invented. While she has went through a few changes some the fruit bowl hat has stayed. Before I go into depth about the different designs she has went through I’d like to point that the Chiquita Banana brand is very proud of Miss Chiquita. While I looked around at the sites of Uncle Ben’s Rice and Land O Lakes Butter, I did not see a single thing addressing the origin of Uncle Ben or the Native American lady. On Uncle Ben s website there is a picture of his face with the slogan â€Å"Begin with Ben† next to it if you scroll all the way down. But that is it for his site, there is no explanation and neither for Land O Lakes Butter. We only see the ad in the top corner of the website. ButShow MoreRelatedThe Touch Screen Generation By Hanna Rosin942 Wor ds   |  4 Pagesgeneration, but I had never stopped to think about the next generation after us. After reading Hanna Rosin’s â€Å"The Touch-Screen Generation†, I began to think about the future and what technology will mean for the later generations. Rosin goes through an analysis of the technological options children have today and the research done over the implications of this new era. I, however, want to further examine Rosin’s choices made in this article to appeal her argument to the audience. First, I believe it isRead MoreDescription of the Whole Nike T90 Laser III Advertisement Essay803 Words   |  4 Pagescamera focuses on new Nike shoe (T90 III) and then Rooney hits the banana shot, which is tough and requires accuracy. All over, it is a very modern advertisement which shows the usage of latest stuff. In the end of the advertisement, first they shows shoes with a slogan master accuracy, which is quite impressive. Second one shows Nike logo with a quotation make the difference. All in all, this advertisement is quite impressive. ANALYSIS We can see they are using the two famous players of soccerRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of The Inglorious Fruits And Vegetables 981 Words   |  4 Pagesthere is one? France launched an advertising campaign that was created by Intermarchà ©, entitled â€Å"The Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables†. I chose this particular video because it utilizes many, if not all of the rhetorical tools. In this rhetorical analysis we will take an in-depth look at the rhetorical appeals, the triangle, and the canons that this advertising campaign forgoes. Intermarchà © is the third largest supermarket chain in France. They support their argument with statistics to begin withRead MoreChiquita Banana Essay3738 Words   |  15 PagesMarketing Cases  |  October 20, 2013 [Name]  |  International Marketing Cases  |  October 20, 2013 Chiquita Banana Chiquita Banana Contents Chiquita Banana Overview 2 PESTEL analysis for the European Union 2 Political: 2 Economic: 3 Sociocultural Factors: 3 Technological: 4 Legal: 4 Environmental: 5 Marketing Mix 6 Product: 6 Price: 6 Place: 7 Promotion: 7 SWOT Analysis 8 Strengths: 8 Weaknesses: 8 Opportunities: 9 Threats: 9 Internationalization StrategyRead MoreBusiness Plan3225 Words   |  13 Pagesthem to buy our product. Competitor Analysis Every business has its competitor that will always be there and assure that they will get your customers. The Competitor Analysis are as follows: Banana Mania is a business which produces and sells products made up of bananas with spin and twist. They can do many products from banana and their twist on it is good. Their logo is also attractive. Banana Mania had products like churon, banana float, and the banana con yelo. After all, their group gainsRead MoreChiquita banana case3460 Words   |  14 PagesContents Chiquita Banana Overview 2 PESTEL analysis for the European Union 2 Political: 2 Economic: 3 Sociocultural Factors: 3 Technological: 4 Legal: 4 Environmental: 5 Marketing Mix 6 Product: 6 Price: 6 Place: 7 Promotion: 7 SWOT Analysis 8 Strengths: 8 Weaknesses: 8 Opportunities: 9 Threats: 9 Internationalization Strategy and Viability 10 Chance: 11 Incoterm 12 Possible incoterms for the company 12 Solution 12 Appendix A 14 Works Cited 15 Chiquita Banana Overview ChiquitaRead MoreMarketing Plan For Launching A Fresh Juice2536 Words   |  11 PagesCompany name: K .MANIA (PVT) Limited Company Company logo: Product name: PEP UP JUICE Product logo: Contents of marketing plan Part: 1 Executive Summery Part: 2 Purposes and Mission Part: 3 Situational Analyses †¢ Product Market Analysis †¢ Distribution Analysis †¢ Competitor Analysis †¢ Financial Analysis †¢ Other Analysis Part: 4 Strategy and objective †¢ Marketing strategy †¢ Marketing objectives Part: 5 TechnicalRead MoreThe Food Truck I Visited1322 Words   |  6 Pagesthe owner of the food truck was to deliver the health concept to people. Each portion of frozen yogurt was sold for six dollars with two toppings on it. Various fresh fruits were included in the choices of toppings, such as kiwi, strawberry and banana. The biggest advantage of Froyo To Go, expressed by the owner, was the healthy and fresh toppings with the frozen yogurt for the image his product shows is healthier and thus more attractive to customers than others. The competition is rather lowRead Moreturon6033 Words   |  25 PagesAngel University where almost every canteen is selling all-time favorite turon. That is why; we had come up to present â€Å"Cardava Turon† as our original product for the YEntrepMan Business Plan. â€Å"Cardava Turon† came from the word â€Å"Cardava Banana† which means â€Å"Saba Banana† in the Philippines. Cardava Turon was made possible because of the booming â€Å"turon† business. We’ve thought that selling â€Å"turon† could be a better idea to produce a product that is known and saleable. But because of our innovative mindRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic in America Essays1082 Words   |  5 Pagesadvertisement for fast food is also everywhere; TV, logos, radio, billboards and schools. In The Obesity Epidemic in America and the Responsibility of Big Food Manufacturers a research study was conducted consisting of the affects of TV ads on children. â€Å"The results showed that American children are bombarded with commercials for unhealthy foods that contain a lot of salt, fat, and sugars†. When children see commercials with chocolate chip cookie cereal or banana sundae pop tarts they cannot wait to eat those

Vidding and Copyright Infringement Free Essays

Many people have become semi famous from others vidding content that they uploaded or appeared in. A few semi famous people, extra ordinary personalities, that come to mind are the Double Rainbow Guy, aka Yosemitebear, Sweet Brown, and Antoine. Without â€Å"vidding† these people would not have had any fame or acknowledgement whatsoever. We will write a custom essay sample on Vidding and Copyright Infringement or any similar topic only for you Order Now There is a fine line between copyright infringement and vidding. One factor that I think plays an important role in differentiating the two is if a video is modified from its original version and an artistic twist is added. Art is intellectual property, and by adding your own property to it, makes it your own. The Double Rainbow video is a great example. This video was up on the YouTube sight for quite some time before being discovered by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel who posted a tweet with the YouTube link on his Twitter account. From there the video spread like wildfire and people were interviewing the maker of the, Paul Vasquez a Yosemite Park resident. Three days later, a well-known auto tuner made a remix video with a song out of the double rainbow video. The song was made available on ITunes and the profits are split 50/50 with Paul Vasquez, who made the original video and the remix auto tuner, known by user name schmoyoho. When the person vidding the original pays royalties or splits profits, then I think this is not copyright infringement because they are paying their dues. If a person profits from using the original version in their new formatted version, then they should have to pay the original owner a portion, it is only fair. I think this is the fine line between self-expression, freedom of speech, and copyright infringement. If you are looking to profit from the content without consent than that is unethical. However, if you are adding your own perception of a television show or video just to express your point of view then this falls under freedom of speech. With social media more popular than ever, there are millions of people copying and sharing original tweets of Facebook posts. We are absolutely unable to monitor every person’s tweets and posts. With such a broad spectrum of what falls under copyright infringement and what falls under self-expression, we as adults have to be able to use judgment based on ethical reasoning. Lawrence Kohlberg categorized different stages of moral development. People have to use their morals and ethical reasoning to draw a line under the copyright laws. You know when you are stealing someone else’s ideas. The bottom line is that credit should be given where credit is due. References: http://knowyourmeme. com/memes/double-rainbow Lawrence, A. T. Weber, J. (2011). Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy (13th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN: 978-0-07-813715-0 How to cite Vidding and Copyright Infringement, Papers

Capitalsim History Essay Example For Students

Capitalsim History Essay CapitalismCapitalism is the name given to the economic system that incorporates free enterprise and a market system by Karl Marx, the founder of communism. By the textbook definition, capitalism is an economic system in which private individuals and business firms carry on the production and the exchange of goods and services through a complex network of prices and markets. (Heilbroner1 13-15) Capitalism is a philosophy that originated in Europe, where it evolved and reached its pinnacle in the nineteenth century. During the nineteenth century capitalism spread throughout the world and to the United States. The United States adopted the ideas of capitalism and put them into practice making capitalism Americas economic system. Capitalism has been for the most part the dominant economic system in the world and has only been challenged on limited occasions by other economic systems such as socialism and communism. (Heilbroner2 36-40)Capitalism, as does any other economic system, has sev eral key characteristics that define it. First, basic production facilities such as land and capital are privately owned. Second, economic activity is organized and coordinated through the interaction between the buyers and the sellers in markets. Third, owners of the land and capital as well as the workers they employ are free to pursue their own self interest in seeking maximum gain from their resources and labor in production. This means that consumers may spend their incomes in whatever way they wish, which is a principle called consumer sovereignty. This principle reflects the idea that under capitalism, producers will be forced by competition to use their resources in ways that will most efficiently satisfy the desires of the consumers. Thus allowing self-interest to drive the economy. The fourth characteristic of capitalism is that there is a minimum of government supervision required. If competition is present, the activity of the economy will be self-regulating. Government action is only necessary when needed to uphold the rights of private property and to guarantee contracts. The most important characteristic of a capitalistic economic system is its goal. According to Robert Heilbroner, The elusive goal for a capitalist nation is to secure, simultaneously, high employment and stable prices. (Heilbroner1 65)The origination of capitalism took place in Europe mainly during the thirteenth century and onward. The developments society underwent in Europe during the Renaissance and the Reformation were vital in the emergence of the modern nation-state. The nation state provided the essential peace, law, and order that are crucial for capitalism to grow. This growth is achieved through the accumulation of an economic surplus by the private entrepreneur and the funneling of this surplus back into the capitalist system for further expansion. Therefore without some minimum of peace, law and order, this cycle would not continue and capitalism would not be succes sful. (Heilbroner 147)As time rolled on capitalism continued to evolve. During the time period between the fifteenth century and the eighteenth century, when capitalism developed in another unique direction called mercantilism. The mercantilist system focused on the interests of the state rather than self-interest. The key idea of mercantilism is a surplus of exports over imports. This idea was the product of the states preoccupation with accumulating national wealth. Mercantilism eliminated much of the self-interest needed for capitalism. Therefore mercantilism did not survive when capitalism evolved to the next step. (Heilbroner1 148-150)Adam Smith, the man who ushered in modern capitalism, attacked the idea of mercantilism. Smith believed in a natural economic order, or one with limited government regulation. Smith also felt the division of labor was important. He thought it was, The extension of markets almost limitless possibilities for society to expand and trade. (Heilbroner2 143) Another key step toward modern capitalism was the Industrial Revolution. This was when mechanical power took over the place of animal power in the production of goods and services. In effect, production became more specialized and concentrated in larger units known as factories. (Heilbroner1 152)When the Industrial Revolution took full swing in the United States, the government adopted Laissez-Faire Capitalism. This meant that the idea of government regulation of business was alien to the prevailing economic beliefs of capitalism. Quite simply the government left business alone and a business either made it or it did not. Adam Smith said, Businesses should be regulated, not by the government, but by the invisible hand of the law of supply and demand. (Newman 339) The theory was, if government kept their hands off, businesses would be motivated by their own self interests to offer improved goods and services at low prices. This basically meant only the fit would survive in the economy. That is exactly what happened and the monopolistic trusts began to rise, which decreased the competition needed for natural regulation. Anti-trust laws were eventually passed and allowed for the restoration of the competition in the market. (Newman 342)During the twentieth century wars, revolution, and depression have buffeted capitalism. The greatest challenge to face capitalism came in the late 1920s to the 1930s during the Great Depression. The Great depression was caused by many reasons, mainly over speculation of the stock market. President Franklin D. Roosevelt restructured the financial system with his New Deal so as to prevent a repeat of the excess speculation that had led to the financial collapse in 1929. Action was taken to encourage collective bargaining and build a strong labor movement in order to offset the concentration of economic power in large industrial corporations. Also modern welfare was introduced through social security and unemployment insurance. These were measures that were designed to protect people from the dangers of a capitalist system. (Newman 492) The New Deal is an example of a capitalist systems remarkable ability to survive and adapt to change. Also the New Deal is an example of how some government regulation can be beneficial to a capitalist system. Westward Expansion Essay Today in the year 2000, capitalism is still the dominant economic system. The question for the future is will Global Capitalization take place and more importantly will it succeed? Global Capitalization is the rise of market capitalism around the world. It incorporates a free market system throughout the world with no economic boundaries. However the question remains how can this be done efficiently and erase all of the current problems? One of these problems for example could be an American company building a factory in Africa and globalize. However the problem could be that the American company is doing business in Africa because there may be certain regulations such as environmental laws in the U.S. that do not exist elsewhere. For Global Capitalism to move into the next stage will require a much more sophisticated look at the costs and benefits of open markets. (Engardio 72-76) Only the future may decide where capitalism is heading, but if the past is any indication, capitalism w ill correct itself where needed and succeed.

Voodoo Fest Essays - Voodoo Experience, Afro-American Religion

NEW ORLEANS VOODOO FESTIVAL 2012 The New Orleans Voodoo Festival is a three day concert that showcases musical talent and art that is held at City Park. ?The New Orleans Voodoo Fest takes place on Halloween weekend from October 26th to October 28th. ?The event includes music, non-stop partying, and mayhem. ?The concert?s entertainment ranges from rock, indie, hip hop, new Orleans bounce, and soul music. ?This year?s line-up include METTALICA, NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE, JACK WHITE, SKRILLEX, THE AVETT BROTHERS, AWOLNATION, BOOTSY COLLINS MANY MORE. ?In addition to music and art there are also rides and food and clothing vendors at the event to enhance your experience as well as nightclubs and authentic Cajun and creole restaurants. ?Late night concerts are also held after the day?s events end so you can party all night long. ?Tickets are on sale now: three day passes for $77, LOA LOUNGE VIP passes for $222, LOA LOUNGE VIP WITH PARKING for $266. If you have any questions or want more information about this event, call Jessee Jones at 504-255-9999 You can also visit the website: http://thevoodooexperience.com

Free Essays on Speech For Condom Distribution In Schools

PERSUASION SPEECH INTRODUCTION Attention Getter: You are 15 and confronted with the very real situation of having unprotected sex with your older boyfriend. You don’t really want to do it, but you don’t want to look like a prude. You ask for a condom and your boyfriend said he thought you had it. You sigh in relief when suddenly he says, â€Å"Let’s just do it without one.† Not wanting to be branded as a prude you commence. The next day everyone is staring and you even heard someone mention the word slut. Two weeks later your pregnant and your boyfriend says it isn’t his. What’s next for you Preview: Unfortunately, situations like this happen everyday amongst our youth. It is unfortunate when a young person’s life is derailed so suddenly because of not using a condom. If only it was readily available to them. I. Does condom distribution in public schools promote sexual activity? A. Making condoms available in public schools gives students the opportunity to obtain relatively large numbers of condoms, which does not lead to increases in sexual activity but an increase in condom use among sexually active teenagers. B. Do condoms reduce the risk of pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)? Yes! -Other than abstinence, the condom is the only effective protection against pregnancies and STDs such as the HIV virus and AIDS. C. The condom is the contraceptive of choice for anyone with any risk of exposure to STDs. -According to the National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education, â€Å"More than half of American teenagers have had sexual intercourse and face significant sexual health risks. D. Each year, over one million teenagers become pregnant, one in seven teenagers contract an STD, and one in five hundred students on college campuses are infected with HIV.† II. It is as though parents and schools have forgotten that some teenagers do not desire to be sexually ac... Free Essays on Speech For Condom Distribution In Schools Free Essays on Speech For Condom Distribution In Schools PERSUASION SPEECH INTRODUCTION Attention Getter: You are 15 and confronted with the very real situation of having unprotected sex with your older boyfriend. You don’t really want to do it, but you don’t want to look like a prude. You ask for a condom and your boyfriend said he thought you had it. You sigh in relief when suddenly he says, â€Å"Let’s just do it without one.† Not wanting to be branded as a prude you commence. The next day everyone is staring and you even heard someone mention the word slut. Two weeks later your pregnant and your boyfriend says it isn’t his. What’s next for you Preview: Unfortunately, situations like this happen everyday amongst our youth. It is unfortunate when a young person’s life is derailed so suddenly because of not using a condom. If only it was readily available to them. I. Does condom distribution in public schools promote sexual activity? A. Making condoms available in public schools gives students the opportunity to obtain relatively large numbers of condoms, which does not lead to increases in sexual activity but an increase in condom use among sexually active teenagers. B. Do condoms reduce the risk of pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)? Yes! -Other than abstinence, the condom is the only effective protection against pregnancies and STDs such as the HIV virus and AIDS. C. The condom is the contraceptive of choice for anyone with any risk of exposure to STDs. -According to the National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education, â€Å"More than half of American teenagers have had sexual intercourse and face significant sexual health risks. D. Each year, over one million teenagers become pregnant, one in seven teenagers contract an STD, and one in five hundred students on college campuses are infected with HIV.† II. It is as though parents and schools have forgotten that some teenagers do not desire to be sexually ac...

Analysis of the Human Rights Act, 1998

Analysis of the Human Rights Act, 1998 Human Rights Law ‘Despite the Human Rights Act 1998, the courts have failed appropriately to limit the scope for the exercise of breach of the peace powers.’ The Human Rights Act 1998 received royal assent on November 9, 1998 and came into force on October 2, 2000. The objective of said Act was to harmonize the domestic law of the United Kingdom with the European Convention on Human Rights. To reaffirm the commitment of the UK to human rights and civil liberties, it is now possible under the said Act to file a claim for violation of the ECHR without going to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Says Weinstein: This ability to transcend national law, and to compel revision of such law to comport with rights guaranteed by the European Convention in a broad range of areas, most often within the exclusive purview of national and local courts, is of historic note. Generally, nation states have been the final arbiters of most issues affecting their citizenry and within their borders. By treaty, the signatory nations of Europe have granted the ECHR binding authority to decide cases affecting their citizenry and other persons subject to their authority. In instances where state law is found inconsistent with an ECHR judgment, the nation at issue is obliged to amend its national law to comport with the ECHR decision. These cases illustrate the concept of what is increasingly being referred to as an evolving European supranational identity. The ECHR grants jurisdiction to any individual, non-governmental organization, or group claiming be a victim of a violation of the European Convention by a ECHR signatory nation, and to bring cases before it, as does, in applicable cases, the European Court of Justice (the â€Å"ECJ†), the court of the European Union, based in Luxembourg. Equally important, it prohibits any public body from behaving in a manner that is incompatible with any of the rights guaranteed under the ECHR. The Human Rights Act has gone a long way in limiting arbitrary actions from public bodies, in particular, police officers. It cannot be denied, however, that the laws on â€Å"breach of the peace† grant have historically been so vast in scope that in some occasions, human rights violations arise. The definition of â€Å"breach of the peace† (also known as breach of the Queen’s peace) has been discussed in the Court of Appeal decision of Howell, where it was stated as follows: We are emboldened to say that there is a breach of the peace whenever harm is actually done or is likely to be done to a person or in his presence his property or a person is in fear of being so harmed through an assault, an affray, a riot, unlawful assembly or other disturbance. It used to be that the prospect of violence alone would not be enough to be considered a â€Å"breach of the peace†, as in the comment of Farqhuarson LJ that â€Å"The act which puts someone in fear of violence taking place entitles a police officer†¦to detain the actor but it is not a breach of the peace, for the violence has not yet occurred.† There has been scant support for this view, such that in the present time, â€Å"breach of the peace† also embraces â€Å"behaviour likely to cause a violent reaction†, even if such behaviour is not of itself violent.

Elements of a total rewards communication program Assignment

Elements of a total rewards communication program - Assignment Example The external force that shall necessitate this action by management is a decrease in demand for the company products. This directly impacts negatively on the company’s revenue thus there shall be no sufficient funds to pay the employees. Inflation can also result to such an action (WorldatWork (Organization), (2007). When general prices increase, the commodity prices shoot up. This implies that the management shall have to spend more funds in purchasing materials, current operating expenses, replenishment of stock, research, marketing and sales expenses increase as well. This consequently reduces the retained earnings of the firm. Stiff competition from competitors and rival firms can result to drastic decrease of sales by the company which will lead to low returns hence reduction of salaries and benefits will be inevitable. The government rules and regulations can be too prohibitive for the company to uphold its echelon of presentation in market. This will also result into reduction in sales revenue hence reduction in the employees’ salaries and benefits (Pauley & Pauley, 2009). The elements of media choices required should be the most appropriate ones that ensure the objectives are achieved. One of the elements that should be employed is the use of graphics and themes which advocate for and complement the mission and values of the organizations. Another element is the use of specific colors, which communicate clear messages to anyone in the public domain. The use of certain words repetitively which philosophically highlight appropriate internal rewards for the employees. Furthermore, there should be internal reward branding that relates closely with the organization objectives, mission and culture. Branding constitutes packaging of benefits, compensation, performance and recognition into symbols. The use of graphics and themes is the hardest to

Practical Project Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Practical Project Assessment - Essay Example The basic idea here is to explore the various elements that compose a horror film and how these ideas may have evolved into current film making practices. The current project starts out with a clear opening image that has been extracted as a long shot except that the image has been processed to provide a certain gloom. The image has been darkened on purpose to portray a large building that is surrounded by empty trees. The camera has been kept at a low angle to look into the building’s top to provide an overwhelming sensation. The contention here was to exaggerate the size of the building and to make it appear as dark as possible. The lower right hand corner of this image is particularly dark and portrays a sense of fear of the unknown. This can be compared with ease to the manner in which typical Hollywood horror films tend to open up – an overwhelming scene of darkness is portrayed that provides the viewer with an automated response that the current film is based on h orror (Carroll, 2010;; Bennett & Beirne, 2011). In addition, the title of the project â€Å"Roommate† has been displayed in the lower reaches of the screen using a contrasting colour and capital letter only. This is intended to provide a stark contrast to the dark and gloomy background to make the inscription prominent (Carroll, 2010; Davis, 2010). The project has been provided with a sinister audio track from the very beginning which is interrupted at 0:02 for a thunder sound effect. This is followed by an inversion of the screen’s colours at 0:06 and 0:07 to portray lightning. The inverted colour screen has a shadowy figure portrayed in all white at the lower right hand side of the screen depicting a ghost. This was meant to provide the audience with a clear idea that this project is a horror film woven around ghosts. However, there is a technical error in the manner in which the lightning and thunder have been portrayed. Typically, lightning is seen first and thunde r is heard later while in the current project this has been reversed. However, it could be argued that the use of lightning and thunder is a common technique used in films to introduce sinister objectives (Landau & White, 2000; Glick, 2011; Landau & White, 2000). Thunder and lightning have been used as early as Frankenstein (1937) right down to modern day classics such as Edward Scissorhands (1990) to portray sinister elements. Most horror films are woven around the concept of thunder and lightning that is also utilised to indicate accentuation as well as climaxes in these films (Mackendrick, 2005; Rosenthal, 1980). The current film is essentially a composition of images taken from the previous term that have been placed together sequentially. As the film opens up, the protagonist is shown walking into a dorm room with clear lightning that tends to reveal the mise en scene very clearly. The dorm room has been portrayed as realistically as possible keeping the element of scattered be longings and student clutter in place. The protagonist’s makeup has been kept minimal and the costume in use is a simple pyjama with a sweater to portray an average student lurking around in a dorm. The protagonist approaches a laptop placed on the table and the camera’s focus changes over to the laptop’s screen. The transition from the protagonist’s face to the laptop screen is a straight cut so that it resembles contemporary practice (Rosenthal, 1972). The other option was to

Foreign Exchange Operation of Mutual Trust Bank Limited Essay Example for Free

Foreign Exchange Operation of Mutual Trust Bank Limited Essay In this regard an organization attachment at Dilkusha Branch of Mutual Trust Bank has been given to me a period of three months commencing from 1st August, 2010 to 31st October, 2010. During this period I learned how the host organization works with the help of the internal supervisor. The internal supervisor assigned me on of the projects and shuffled me around to educate me about the operation of a bank. 1. 2. Significance of the report This internship report is an important partial requirement of four years BBA graduation program. This is because knowledge and learning become perfect when it is associated with theory and practice. By this internship program students can establish contacts and networking. Contacts may help to get a job in practical life. That is, student can train and prepare themselves for the job market. A poor country like Bangladesh has an overwhelming number of unemployed educated graduates. As they have no internship experience they have not been able to gain normal professional experience of establish networking system, which is important in getting a job. Therefore, it is obvious that the significance of internship is clearly justified as the crucial requirement of four years BBA graduation. Scope of the Study Mutual Trust Bank Limited is one of the new generation banks in Bangladesh. The scope of the study is limited to the Dilkusha Branch only. The report covers the organizational structure; background, functions and the performance of the bank have mainly worked in the foreign exchange so my report covers all the activities of foreign exchange department in the Dilkusha branch. While preparing this report I haven’t any limitations the employees of foreign exchange department has helped me a lot and I have use both primary and secondary data which was available to me. 1. 4. Objectives

Cheri Essay -- essays research papers

In Colette’s Chà ©ri, the main character Là ©a is a lustful middle-aged woman who has become lovers with a younger fellow named Chà ©ri. At the beginning of the novel, their relationship is portrayed as being thick with devotion and seems likely to endure forever. But by the end, the two have split indefinitely, leaving Là ©a with unanswered passion from Chà ©ri. What could have caused this relationship to crumble to the point of extinction, even while their love was so strong for each other? Là ©a’s increasing overconfidence toward her relationship with Chà ©ri leads to her hopeless state of naà ¯vety. She becomes so encompassed with thoughts of only Chà ©ri and that she would do anything for Chà ©ri, that he ends up taking advantage of her; in the process, however, he also robs Là ©a of her freedom to love someone else passionately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since Là ©a is a respectable amount of years older than Chà ©ri, she believes that it is her duty to have Chà ©ri taken care of physically and emotionally. For one, the age difference between her and her lover secures her in this thought. She becomes so confident in retaining Chà ©ri under her wing for six years, that she is bold enough to liken their relationship to â€Å"an adoption† (7). Là ©a, at times, even views Chà ©ri as her son and herself as the mother, and the distinction in their age clearly supports her theory. She recognizes though, and is even embarrassed to admit, that their relationship has gone on longer than it should have, longer than any she has ever had (7). Here, time alone contributes to Cheri’s emerging dominance. This blind sense of power that Là ©a experiences, however, leads her mind to return to a state of naà ¯vety. Là ©a is once again an adolescent but Chà ©ri is no longer her bachelor, rather, he takes on the role of her parent. At the moment that she feels as if the relationship is in her control, Là ©a unknowingly grants Chà ©ri the leadership to their love. When Là ©a is finally secure enough to admit that their love might actually last and that she is confident in keeping the controls, this is the point where she looses her hold on Chà ©ri, and he is instead dominant over her. Although Là ©a’s naà ¯vety leads to Chà ©ri’s supremacy, it is also due to Chà ©ri’s realization that he is a man capable of controlling women, especially vulnerable, older women that leads to Chà ©ri’s dominion. Since Chà ©ri is the younger of the two l... ...at his youthful charm has done the trick once more. Chà ©ri’s sudden departure for his wedding and at the end of the novel clearly shows his ability to control Là ©a. He is so powerful, in fact, that Là ©a is no longer able to love someone else passionately. At Chà ©ri’s primary departure for his wedding, Là ©a even has to lie about having a new lover; the love that she possesses for Chà ©riwas simply too strong for her to ignore, although she doesn’t mind lying to others to show a seemingly transitory recovery. She simply doesn’t want people to know that Chà ©ri has affected her, a courtesan. She wants to prove to others, though distorting it to herself, that she is capable of terminating her feelings for Chà ©ri just like he is capable of denying her as well. Là ©a’s strength is clearly also her weakness: although she possesses the ability to be confident and firm, her relationship with Chà ©ri has brought her confidence and willingness to the point of excess, and the boldness she once showed to others has in turn backfired. She is no longer dominant over Chà ©ri in the relationship, but only realizes this after he is gone from her life. She finally understands that he will be the last of her lovers.

Having eaten what would

The day started out like any other one I had. I woke up to the sounds of my mother puttering pots and pans in our yellow-painted sunny kitchen downstairs. Smoothing my pajamas a bit, I went down our creaky stairs, wondering what’s for breakfast and what to wear today. I thought about my still unused black top with a pink print that mom bought the other day at the mall and wondered if I would look good in it.As I got nearer the kitchen, the smell of my favorite toast and scrambled eggs wafted deliciously in the air. Upon reaching the open kitchen door, I greeted mom with my usual big grin and sat facing her, who was washing the dishes that she used for cooking. Having eaten what would have fed an army of hungry soldiers; I drank what’s left of my old coffee mug and dashed upstairs to prepare for school. Having shouted a hurried goodbye to mom and dad from across the house, I hopped to the front porch, the smell of mom’s yummy toast still following me on the way ou t.Looking up, I saw that the skies promises a good day for everyone, with the sun shining comfortably above, and the wind softly touching the leaves of the trees which lined the sidewalk. And because I was scheduled to go to an orphanage after classes are dismissed for a project, I hoped the weather will last till the afternoon. With what I had just wolfed down for breakfast, I literally sang my way to school, getting smiles along the way for my seemingly infectious good mood.The day went by uneventfully, with the exception of my burly economics teacher pointing out that I was looking so much outside the newly-cleaned classroom window he joked if I was wondering why it wasn’t clean enough. When the bell sounded signaling class dismissal, I was one of the first to go out the room, thinking I might as well hurry up and go to the orphanage so I can go home early. This is the first time I was going to an orphanage and I did not know what to expect. Little did I know that my trip to that old, run-down building would change how I see life in general from that point on.Going outside the school building, I saw that the good morning weather did not hold. It was a wet, dismal afternoon, the pendulous branches of the silver maples sweeping the ground. The orphanage was a long, drab rectangular building, three stories high and badly in need of repair.The outer walls were soot- blackened and pockmarked with grey blobs where the plasters had flaked off. A white inner core revealed by recent flaking showed up here and there. Upon entering the orphanage, I immediately sensed the sad atmosphere of the place as it looked dark and dismal to me, but I thought that perhaps it was just the use of the building that made it seemed so.The windows were small and set well back in the blotchy walls. The ground floor was comprised of the director’s sleeping quarters, kitchen, dining room, administrative offices and chapel, all connected by a corridor which ran right around t he building, forming an inner rectangle and overlooking a courtyard on all four sides.However it was the lack of options in the children’s lives that had no choice but to grow up there struck me the most. Although the building was a better place to live in than the streets, the surroundings are disheartening.The profusion of a variety of flowers lining the paved path walk towards the main door of the orphanage did not help much to bring cheerfulness to the place. No pictures or posters broke the monotony. One child said that often, the water did not turn on, and the toilets did not always work. Unlike many children who have homes to call their own including me, the children had no choice about the kinds or even the amount of food, though they had an adequate diet.Each child was assigned a bed with sparsely bedding, placed in two long rows along the third floor of the building, two to each bed for children seven years old and below. The second floor was taken up by the bare cl assrooms where the children were taught. With only a small number of financial contributors, I was told that the orphanage was regularly hard pressed to care for the growing number of orphans.At the time that I spent there, I observed that the children’s day was ruled by the sound of a loud bell – by its shrill ring they would know that it was time to start the afternoon prayers, or eat their main meal. I noticed most of the children have a pleading look in their eyes when they look at outsiders who visit the building. With unwavering gaze, one child, about six years old with a creamy olive skin, enormous dark eyes and a long, shining dark brown hair, constantly followed me around, even when I went inside the office of the orphanage director to ask him several questions.As I walked down a long hallway towards the director’s office, she was like my shadow following my every step. I immediately noticed the peeling paint on the walls of the small office that the ta ll, kindly director invited me in, while seeing from the corner of my eye that the child has reluctantly stepped back to let the director close the wooden door. I brought out the list of questions that I prepared from my backpack, along with my small, black recorder, and I immediately started the interview to which the director answered as much as he can.Straightening up from the hard chair and shaking his hands while thanking him for his time, I headed outside when the bell rang for the evening meal. From all over the old building the orphans began to collect outside the dining hall. In their drab gray uniforms, they all looked the same, dreary and colorless. Just like the orphanage building itself. Thinking back, the orphanage was not a harsh place.It was just sadness hung in the air like a sour smell. I never really saw my life as sad. I was blessed in so many ways that the orphans were not, although these blessings I failed to be really thankful of until that day at the orphanag e.When I got back home, I hugged my mom so tight she had an inquiring look on her face when I let her go, and smelled the appetizing aroma of dinner cooking, the pleasant smell of home. As we sat together had chicken with chardonnay and fresh herbs, I recounted my experience at the orphanage and what I saw there. In the midst of our family talk, I said a silent prayer of thanks for the blessings that I previously took for granted.Before, I thought that I lacked so many things in life. But after a day at the orphanage, I become conscious of every little thing that I am blessed with. Most especially my parents, who were sitting with me at dinner that time; talking animatedly about how we could make the orphans happy, if only for a day.

Critically Assess Geert Hofstede’s Use of Cultural Dimensions

ABSTRACT: Along with the trend toward globalization, communication across cultural and national boundaries has a significant effect on business. The Dutch management researcher Geert Hofstede’s work of culture dimensions is regarded as an approach to measure inter-cultural differences to business for scholars and practitioners. However, such a significant work does not escape criticism. Even though his theory consummates to six dimensions based on varies datum and is widely applied by many academics, McSweedney and many specialists assert his work as an absolute assumption.INTRODUCTION: Nowadays, the country boundaries are shaped by the spread of global communication networks and the development of transportation. Because of globalization, countries are tied closer than ever before. Since the beginning of 1970s, scholars such as Geert Hofstede started to notice the importance of cultural differences for many aspects of business life, in particular, when business related to com municate between people with different cultures. Hofstede (http://geert-hofstede. com/dimensions. html) claimed that â€Å"Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy.Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster. † Such conflicts are determined by the people’s perception which is partly the product of culture. Therefore, in order to avoid the conflict caused by culture, it is important to recognise cultural differences under global business environment. Hofstede’s cultural framework provides a guideline to recognize the differences between cultures and may improve the inter-cultural communication in business area. However, his work is critiqued by scholars and researchers as an unreliable framework.This essay firstly outline Hofstede’s cultural framework briefly and then apply his theory into practical situation to access whether it can improves the inter-cultural communication in the workplace. Afterwards, it will criti que the limitations based on the literatures opposite to Hofstede’s viewpoint. HOFSTEDE’S MODEL: Geert Hofstede’s work is ground-breaking and he himself is considered as the pioneer and pathfinder in inter-cultural study(Bond, 2002 and Sondergaard 1994). He described his significant research result based IBM employees’ attitudes and work-related values around the world.In the past 30 years, he persists to refine his theory from the previous four to six dimensions: Power distance, Individualism versus Collectivism, Masculinity versus Femininity, Uncertainty avoidance and Long-term orientation, and Indulgence versus Restraint (Hofstede et al, 2010). In his book, each country is evaluated by scores on every dimension, thus people can take an insight into the cultural differences by comparing countries’ scores. Power distance (PDI) is defined as that, to what degree people can perceive the unequal power distribution in a society.PDI scores, deriving fr om value of the less powerful people, indicate the level to which members accept power inequality. A low score demonstrates that members of the society prefer equality; whereas a country has a high PDI score means that people accept large power differences. Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV) is the dimension relating to how people ties to others within the community. Individualism pertains to societies whose members tie loosely and concern about themselves and their immediate family. On the contrary, in collectivistic countries people belong to strong and cohesive group.Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS) refers to whether emotional gender roles are distinct or overlap. In masculine societies men are supposed to behave ‘assertive, competitive and tough’, on the contrary, women are supposed to be ‘modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life’ (Hofstede, 2010: 140). Uncertainty avoidance (UAI) related to extent to which members handle anxiety w ith ambiguous and unknown situations. Strong UAI Countries maintain â€Å"rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas†.Countries exhibiting weak UAI encourage practice than principles with a more relaxed attitude. Long-term versus Short-term orientation (LTO) deals with which kind of value is fostered. This dimension is based on Bond’s World Values Survey on â€Å"Confucian dynamism†. Long-term oriented countries foster virtues such as perseverance and thrift for future rewards, whereas short-term orientation focuses on rewards in the present and the past, which means particularly ‘respect for tradition, preservation of ‘face’, and fulfilling social obligations’ (Hofstede, 2010: 239).Indulgence versus Restrain is linked to happiness. An indulgent society permits ‘relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun’ (http://geert -hofstede. com/dimensions. html). On the contrary, restraint countries use strict social norms to control gratification of needs and regulates. Application As the world becomes globalized, to remain competitive and minimize conflicts which are the result of ignoring cultural differences, companies should not adopt an ethnocentric management mode to different cultural staff.To minimize these conflicts, many scholars and practitioners utilize Hofstede’s work of cultural dimensions as a means to narrow the cultural gap in business. One reason why his framework is widely adopted is that his data are collected from varies companies and the fifth dimension is based on ‘Confucian dynamism’. Thus, to access its practical applicability to decrease the negative aspect of cultural differences and to elevate cross-cultural communication level, it is important to apply Hofstede’s work into real cases.Since the late 2009, the famous Japanese auto-maker Toyota struggled into an unprecedented crisis due to pedal quality problems which led Toyota to its historical largest recall in the world. The Economist (Feb. 6, 2010) commented that safety recall is a common issue in vehicle manufacture but Toyota changed the order. In the process of managing crisis, Toyota acted according to Japanese culture without taking the American cultural values into account. It can be said that one reason deteriorates the normal recall cars to a crisis is the ignorance of cultural differences.Some literatures analyse the cultural aspect affecting the crisis and group them into two main points (Feng, 2010, Huang, 2010). Firstly, the Japanese management mode and organizational behaviour is different from American. As a result of the Japanese organizational culture, Toyota responded slowly after the accident. It is reported that on American time 28th August 2009, a Lexus ES 350 caused a fatal crash due to the gas pedal was stuck and the car was out of control (Los Angeles Tim es, Oct. 25, 2009). Yet Toyota did not respond to the accident immediately.US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that documents show that Toyota knew of the problem in late September but did not give response until late January, moreover, â€Å"they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from US officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families† (Thomas, 2010). The second reason is the different communication behaviours between Japan and the U. S. A. In the American hearing and variety interviews, Akio Toyota, the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, spoke implicative, tactful and modest with a large number of modest words without any directly answers (Huang, 2010).In addition, Akio Toyota’s behaviours are understood as hiding the truth by American people. According to Hofstede’s framework, Western culture, represented by the U. S. A. , and such Japanese Eastern culture have significantly differences. The magnitude of the differences has been directly described in ways. See from the figure 1. 1. Figure 1. 1 Japan and the U. S. A It is obvious that there exist large differences between Japan and the United States. One of the most telling to explain the crisis can be the collectivist versus individualist dimension.The fundamental issue related to IDV is the extent of connection between individuals and the group (Hofstede, 1980). From the data provided by Hofstede, Japan, at a score of 46 on a scale of 1 to 100, is a collectivist society, whose group allegiances are strong, cohesive and invoke higher authority. The individuals adhere to the entity and preserve harmony. Thus the Toyota North American office was been called a â€Å"little safety deaf† by LaHood (CBC news, Feb, 2010). The North American office need invoked by the highest authority to handle the accident and the applicable proposal must pass through the whole company.Nevertheless, this system is not adaptable in handling probl ems in America. According to Hofstede, Toyota needs to handle the problem immediately rather than make a long-term agreement. Meanwhile, the high power distance (Japan 54) can be used to analysis the slow response. Japan is a more centralized decision country, and it is therefore all the command should be endorsed by the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda. Because only the CEO can respond to the allegations, the response to the event was hauled in respect to the stakeholders living in a country that has only 40 in the index.As mentioned before, the official recall and apologize came four months later after the car accident has been reported. Yet the stakeholders demanded immediate response to the accident from Toyota regardless from the CEO or other representative. Moreover, during the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, in response to why Toyota responded so slow, Toyoda claimed that do not answered directly but reiterates his plan to set up a g lobal commission to address complains more quickly (CNN Politics, Feb. 24, 2010).This phenomenon can adopt Hofstede’s fifth dimension, long- term versus short-term orientation to demonstrate the inevitability of this divergence. Hofstede himself defines long-term orientation as ‘the fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards' (Hofstede 2010: 239), which means that high long-orientation scores countries (Japan 80) pay more attention to the things that will benefit the future whereas low score countries tend to focus on nearby benefits or rewards. Jealous writes, â€Å"In America, we ultimately judge people on what they are doing today for tomorrow, not for what they did yesterday. (CNN Politics, Feb. 24, 2010). In the hearing, American part were expected that Toyota undertake their obligations by providing continuous plans to the stakeholders. Akio did not account for this and responded indirectly to the solution to the current accident therefore caused Americ ans the disgusted and suspected feeling. Consequently, if Toyota can notice the cultural differences and adopt Hofstede's theory to handle the problem in their American market in the bud, the common recall would not exacerbate American people and became a crisis which will threaten its reputation. CRITIQUE:Culture is deeply rooted in many aspects of business life when people must interact with the people such as suppliers, buyers, employees or stakeholders. The case of Toyota crisis demonstrates that Hofstede’s framework of cultural dimensions is practical to uncover these conflicts in cross-cultural communication. If people could realize the cultural differences concluded by Hofstede and take proper communication style and management mode, the fate of Toyota might be changed. However, the framework cannot act as a textbook to interpret the whole cultural gap even in the case of Toyota crisis.Many intercultural researchers criticized Hofstede’s theory for not providing valuable guiding intelligence or regard it as absolute assumptions. Hofstede did not mention the impact of linguistic on the communication. Different languages and contents have objectively impact on the understanding of the conversation. Take the US-based 3M Company as an example. The company earns $7 billion per year in their overseas market, it become the â€Å"forefront of language instruction by sponsoring an in-house Language Society that provides linguistic and cultural support† to 3M (Frey-Ridgway, 1997).Freivalds (1995) said that the French firm Bull adopted the 3M model to train its employees in the competition of global marketplace and still in success. Language plays an irreplaceable position in the inter-cultural communication. Different types of body languages cause misunderstanding as well. In japan, apology needs humility, in order to be forgiven, Japanese usually avoid eye contact stands for rudeness, offend and provocation, but it would be decoded as disint erest, dishonesty and cunning in western countries (Huang, 2010, Dahl, 2004).Gudykunst and Nishida (1994:2) said that misunderstanding between Japan and American people often â€Å"stem from not knowing the norms and rules guiding each other’s communication†. In hofstede’s model, the data come from the English-speaking company IBM and it is aim to evaluate work attitude and value, this led his theory ignore linguistic and body language difference. Moreover, in the process of communication among Akio Toyoda and the American interlocutor, the stakeholders, the Congress representatives or the media people, misunderstanding occurred continually.As mentioned above, Toyota responded euphemistic to the problem (Huang, 2010). Akio repeated the apology several times and declined to give pithy answers to undertake the obligation and to interpret the information and plan for the stakeholders in the hearing (Clark ; McCurry, 2010). The answer type can be derived from the pa tterns of Japanese communication. Lincoln (1995) studied Japanese and found that due to the politeness cultural they reluctance to say â€Å"no† directly. Hall (1976) separated communication into High-context and low-context.The United States is a typical low-context communication country while Japan belongs to high-context communication. Low-context communication refers to the patterns of communication use explicit verbal to convey meanings, whereas high-context pattern draw heavily on context. This cultural difference is raised by Hall instead of Hofstede. Michael (1997) claim that literatures are lack of specific details and are concluded in broad behavioral terms. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) classified cultures has seven value orientations which is more than Hofstede’s six dimensions and has somewhat different perspectives.Additionally, Dahl (2004) criticizes the theory is the result of very little data, especially from specific companies with limited num bers of questions. This indicates that culture can be separated into more dimensions and those national scores and ranks are not the exclusive guide to improve inter-cultural communications. From Hofstede’s (1980) research, Japan ranks in the middle level of Individualism versus collectivism dimension. Yet Japan is widely stereotyped as a harmonious society.Woodring (2010 cited in Jandt, 1995: 163) used the original Hofstede’s questionnaire to study Japanese students and found that students scored lower on power distance whereas higher on individualism comparing with Hofstede’s original sample. Woodring explained that the different scores might be the result of age; that is means, students may praise more on individualism and equality than the whole Japanese society. About 1990, youths 25 years old and under were named as shin jin rui (literally â€Å"new human beings†), who were described as â€Å"selfish, self-centered, and disrespectful of elders and tradition† by older Japanese.In the description from Hofstede suggested that the Japan is a group oriented and hierarchical country. However, there are evidences to show that the young generation seeks for egalitarian and individualism. This demonstrates that Hofstede’s research can lead to stereotype and this ought to be avoided. Furthermore, this study shows that cultural value is dynamic. Holden (2002) criticizes the â€Å"relative reliance† on Hofstede’s paradigm in the workplace. He points out that the data is outdated as it was collected before 30 years.Hofstede attempts to set a certain form of culture for people to understand specific cultures and he (Hofstede, 2010: 34) states that â€Å"cutlures, especially national cultures, are extremely stable over time†. This has been criticized as â€Å"functionalist ambition of measuring largely unquantifiable phenomena† (Gray and Maloory, 1998: 57). Hostede himself stated, â€Å"There is no such thing as objectivity in the study of social reality: we will too often to be subjective, but we may at least try to be ‘inter subjective’. As His data are come from the questionnaire made by a group of western people, as a result of this, the question are tend to reflect western culture which means Hofstede’s theory has its cultural bias. Meanwhile, there is a debate about what level of analysis is practical for the term â€Å"culture† to be a viable tool. McSweeney (2000) questions the classification of culture in Hofstede’s theory. Hofstede (2010: 10) stated that people are shaped by â€Å"certain cultural trains† from the same country. Although general cultural dimensions can be established at a cultural level, ndividuals may not necessarily reflect the national culture they belong to. Hofstede (1980, 1991) admits that using data from the level of country to analyze the individuals is not appropriate, and labeled it â€Å"ecological fallacy†. He (1991:253) affirms that national cultural level reflects â€Å"central tendencies (†¦) for the country†, it is, not practical to analyze and predict specific individual behaviors or events. Conclusion: Generally overview the assessment, Geert Hofstede’s use of cultural dimensions provides a measurable paradigm to attract people’s attention to cultural differences and contribute to the inter-cultural study.For those people who are involved in international commerce, culture is important for many aspects of business life, thus, if people go into another country to communicate with local company, changing the management process and practices to meet their values is essential. Concluding from the case analysis of Toyota crisis, Hofstede's cultural model indeed provides an effective reference to support better cross-cultural communication as it uncover the reasons of cultural conflict for people to apply appropriate method to minimize its nega tive influence.However, cultural dimension theory functions limited in small space as it is not perfect. It regards culture as a fixed concept and separates it by national boundaries is improper. The data is collected in several decades years before even it has been updated in recent years based on questionnaire in a specific group in international companies from a perspective of western people. Moreover, it narrows culture into six dimensions may potentially disturb the derived value prediction as certain context influences on the individual respondents.The inter-cultural communication conflicts exist no matter how much understanding goes both ways. In conclusion, Hofstede’s work of cultural dimensions is a supplement for supporting better inter-cultural communication, the bilateral respect of culture and positive attitude are the core to successful inter-cultural communication. Bibliography: Bond, M. H. (2002). â€Å"Reclaiming the Individual from Hofstede's Ecological Ana lysis- A 20-Year Odyssey: Comment on Oyserman et al. † Psychological Bulletin, 128 (1): 73-77 CBC news (Feb 2, 2010), â€Å"Toyota slow o react: LaHood- US Transportation Secretary criticizes automaker†. Available at (13 May, 2012) Clark, A. & McCurry, J. (2010). â€Å"Toyota boss offers ‘sincere regrets' for faulty accelerators†, The Guardian, Thursday 25 February 2010. Available at < http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2010/feb/25/toyota-akio-toyoda-congress? INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487> (13 May, 2012) CNN Politics (Feb 24, 2010). â€Å"Toyota president testifies before Congress†. Available at < http://articles. cnn. com/2010-02-24/politics/toyota. earing. updates_1_toyoda-inaba-national-press-club? _s=PM:POLITICS > (13 May, 2012) Dahl, S. (2004). â€Å"Intercultural Research: The Current State of Knowledge†. Middlesex University Discussion Paper No. 26. Available at < http://papers. ssrn. com/sol3/papers. cfm? abstract_id=658202 > (13 May, 2012 ) Feng, Y. (2010). â€Å"Toyota crisis: management ignorance? – a swedish case of consumers perceptions†. Available at < http://hh. diva-portal. org/smash/record. jsf? pid=diva2:349746> (13 May, 2012) Freivalds, J. (1995). â€Å"Learning languages†. Communication World, December: 24-7.Frey-Ridgway, S. (1997). â€Å"The cultural dimension of international business†. Collection Building, 16(1): 12 – 23 Gudykunst, W. & Nishida, T. (1994), Bridging Japanese-North American Differences, Communicating Effectively in Multicultural Contexts Series, Thousand Oaks: Sage, p. 2 Hofstede’s website, available at < http://geert-hofstede. com/dimensions. html > (13 May, 2012) Hofstede, G. (1980) Culture’s Consequences:International Differences in Work-related Values Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and Organizations: software of the mind, 2nd Ed.New York: McGraw-Hill Hofstede, G. , Hofstede, G. J. & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures an d Organizations: software of the mind, 3rd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Holden, N. (2002). Cross-cultural management: a knowledge management perspective. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall Huang, Z. (2010). â€Å" —— â€Å" â€Å" † (From the perspective of inter-cutlural communication to see Japan-America cultural differeces—analysis Toyota â€Å"recall†). Journal of Huaihua University,29 (6) Jandt, F. E. (2009). An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global

Global Business Strategy United Parcel Services

Global Business Strategy United Parcel Services Introduction Globalisation has resulted to an increase in international trade; despite the collapse of Doha negotiations in 2008, trade among countries is increasing. Countries trade through economic policies of absolute and comparative advantage. For effectiveness and efficiency in the trade, transport and communication are important. There are international companies which have invested in global logistic service provision.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Global Business Strategy: United Parcel Services specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More United Parcel Service is an international logistic company which has been in the business for over a century. To venture in international market and remain competitive, there are strategic management decisions made by the company (Joshi, 2005). This paper looks into the company’s global business strategy, it will undertake a PESTLE analysis, use Michael Porters Five Forces an d Three Generic Strategies to evaluate the current strategies of the company. Aim of the report The report aims at using management tools to evaluate the effectiveness of current strategies adopted by United Parcel Services Company. It will evaluate internal and external conditions facing the company. Brief history of UPS UPS was founded as a messenger company in United States of America in 1907. Initially, it only targeted local markets. However the company has grown to a multi-billion company facilitating trade across the globe. Currently it enjoys a strong brand name with presence in all continents. It is respected for its efficiency. It focuses on two services; packaging and logistics services. Daily, the company is able to facilitate businesses in over 200 destinations daily. It uses the e-Commerce, supply chain management and frontiers of logistics to facilitate the transfer of technology, goods and funds (UPS corporate Website, 2010). Depending with the type of goods/services the company is transacting, it chooses the mode of transport to adopt. It ranges from sea, road, electronic transfer and air transport.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The name UPS was rebranded in 2003 with the aim of showing the world its intentions to be the world largest and most efficient supply logistic service provider in the world. Currently the company employs approximately 4,606 employees distributed in different countries. According to a report by Zemanta on July 26th, 2008, Ups is facing systematic problems. This causes unreasonable delay in delivery of services which lead to un-satisfied customers. The failure has been occasioned by system failures resulting to un-updated system. With such a system, there have been times that goods were thought to have been un-transported from their country/destination of origin but after a thorough check, they are f ound in UPS warehouses in the intended destination or other destinations. This has caused unreasonable delay and customers lose confidence with the company. The company maintains alliances with companies situated in different parts of the world where parcels can be dropped or collected by a customer. There are some dropping points which results to loss to the company because of their low flow of customers. Despite this, the company have maintained the outlets. The company has also been facing situations of lost packages. This may be from theft, or ignorance from the staffs (UPS corporate Website, 2010). UPS PESTEL analysis PESTEL is the stands of Political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal analysis. It is a management tool that is used to analyse the external environment that a company is operation in. UPS is operating as an international company and thus its external environment goes further than an analysis of a single countries external environment. The wo rld is facing a rapid increase in international trade. This has been facilitated by globalisation and interdependency that countries have developed. When one part of the world having an absolute /comparative advantage over another, there is a tendency to concentrate on production of such goods and importing those goods and services which it cannot produce efficiently.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Global Business Strategy: United Parcel Services specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More An increase in international trade is an increase in business for UPS as it facilitated the flow of goods and services (Kermally, 2003). Political factors The world is recovering from world economic crisis which started in 2007. It is believed that the crisis started in United States of America after a collapse of financial institutions. It is in the same country that UPS has a strong market. The effects of the crisis are reduced internati onal trade where countries have placed trade barrier, tariffs and non tariffs, to protect their economies from effects of the crisis. This has resulted to reduced business in UPS. World countries were specifically more careful when trading with United States and this affected the company sales. In 2008, there was the collapse of Doha negotiations which were aimed at facilitating international trade without trade barriers (free trade). This could have been a good political decision to the company as it would have seen an increase in trade and thus a demand for supply logistic services from the company (Kotler Lane, 2009). Economic factors The world is recovering from world financial crisis. The crisis had affected international business negatively as trade among countries reduced. This acted to the disadvantage of UPS. One of the ways that the world has used to recover from the crisis is increasing consumer consumption preferences. This is through reducing lending rate of interests. UPS has benefited in such policies and is using the low cost loans to invest in different countries. For example in 2003, UPS acquired Purchasing Menlo Worldwide Forwarding, a company that increased the company’s capacity in air cargo handling. The next year, 2005, the company acquired Overnite company to increase the company’s access in Northern America. During the period, the company also made other acquisition in United Kingdom and Poland. These acquisitions were made possible by deteriorated businesses in these companies which lead to their disposal and availability of affordable capital financing loans. The trend in international business thus has negative effects on UPS but comes with opportunities that the company has utilized for its benefit (Nersesian, 2000)Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Technological factors The world is facing an increased technology improvement. There are new systems developed to facilitate international trade among countries. Other than trade facilitation, there have an increase in technological transfer where UPS services are contracted. To align its services with the new trend, the company have also adopted technology. For example it has introduced cargo tracking systems where it can trace the direction of its tracks or other modes of transport. Technological development has also posed some challenges to the company. This is mostly in electronic money transfer, mobile money transfer and internet fund transfers. This has resulted to reduced business. For example, Safaricom, a Kenyan mobile service provider invented mobile transfer service via phone, in April 2010, the services were exported to United Kingdom and are proving to be more efficient than UPS fund transfer services. UPS has embarked on technological improvement. It has gained a numbe r of awards as the best in technology. For example in 2009, it was given a present by InformationWeek in 500 Most Innovative Business Technology Organizations. The company has a centralised information and technology department. The chief execute officer of IS/IT department is called David Barnes Social factors The world is increasing in population and literacy level. Increased population has lead to demand for better ways of resource management which is facilitated by international trade. From thing angle the company is benefiting as it transport goods and services across borders. There are campaigns urging people , governments and international bodies to respect human rights. With such advocacy, people are moving from one country to another for education, settlement and leisure. This has facilitated the need for service and goods transfers across borders. For example there have been an increased number of students from Africa studying in Australia. This number has created an incre ase in transfer of funds from home country to Australia and forth. With such changes in social trends business in the country have increased (Neumann, Ringbeck Schwegmann, 2000) Environmental factors There is an increase in environmental conservation campaigns all over the world. Different countries are taking different measures to ensure that they protect their environment. International bodies are also playing an important part in ensuring that the different countries adopt different policies aimed at conserving the environment. on 11 December 1997, 37 industrialised countries and the European Union, signed the Kyoto protocol in Japan. The protocol was target to have been fully implemented by 16 February 2005. It was developed by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The main aim of the protocol was to ensure that emission of green house gasses was reduced by 5% below their level in 1990 by the end of 2010. The protocol targeted the major greenhouse emitters and developed measures to be implemented. The protocol has though not been fully honoured but has offered some guidelines on how governments should reduce green house emission. Of late in 2010, there were talks in Copenhagen aimed at devising measures to protect the environment. The talks failed as countries took strong stands against the recommended ways of conservation (Roberts, 2008). UPS does not ignore environmental conservations. It protects the environment by adopting technological measures that reduces pollution. Right from its incorporation it has continuously improved its process. In 1930s, the company was depending on electric vehicles to transport products in new York, at the time, this was a high environmental friendly means of transport instead of using vehicles which used fossil fuel. The company’s vehicles commonly known as â€Å"brown cars† are well serviced to ensure that there is minimal emission from them. The company enjoys as the world’s larges t company with vehicles operating under compressed natural gas (CNG). These vehicles are highly fuel efficient and emit minimal green house gasses to the environment. The company whether in United States or abroad recognises the need to conserve the environment. It is a signatory of responsible business models which gives a mechanism that a company should adopt when undertaking its business (UPS corporate Website, 2010). Legal factors Different countries have different business laws which it requires followed in their country. When UPS gets into a company, it seeks legal advice from legal experts in the country to ensure that it abides by the laws of the country. Where there are international laws, then it abides to them accordingly. UPS Current strategy To evaluate the company’s current strategy, this report will take use porters five forces and three genetic strategies. Porters five forces Porter in 1985, came up with five forces that can be used in analysis current positio n in a company. They are; Suppliers power The company’s suppliers have an influence on the market share that a company is likely to enjoy. If an industry has limited suppliers but a high demand of supplies, then goods are likely to be expensive. To have product differentiation, a company need to have reliable suppliers. UPS being in the service industry has its inputs more skewed to services. Customers requesting for services from the company are seen as the suppliers of to the company. There other supporting materials like packaging bags, vehicles and airplanes. The company has attained a differentiation of its vehicles by their colour. Customers, in this case doubles as suppliers, they supply the company with parcels, cash, and goods of various nature to transport. Companies doing the same business include FedEx, DHL and United States Postal Service. Barriers to entry Companies in an industry place certain barriers to entry in the market. These barriers include economies of scales, low production cost and input access strategy. UPS has been favoured by its strong brand name in the world. It is able to venture into a market and through the strength of its brand able to successfully launch and enter in that country. Access to raw materials is not a problem since the main materials are from customers which the company has entertained through its strong brand name. Because of its size, it enjoys economies of scale and this is can venture into a country and produce at a reduced cost. One of the main strategies that UPS uses to venture in international markets is acquisitions. In 2001, when it wanted to venture in retail mail delivery service business, it acquired Mail Boxes Etc. The company has tapped into the fast growing Asian market and it deepened it service in 2005 when it started a direct route of transfer between U.S. and Guangzhou, China. Threats of substitutes The company is threatened by companies in the same industries and technology. The major companies which threaten the company are FedEx and DHL. They are doing the same business and have a wide customer base. Mobile and internet use has created a threat to the company. This is because the number of letters that were previously sent through the company has been largely replaced by telephone and email communication. Mobile and internet fund transfer has offered a different route to customers to transfer money across borders, this was a business that UPS had invested in. Such seems include PayPal, wire transfer and Mpesa. Buyer power The company targets customers placed in different parts of the world. It offers services that a customer contracts form the company using the internet, sales offices and authorised dealers. The industry is highly competitive and these customers have a choice among similar providers to use. The choice of a company to the other is dependent on how reliable a company is. UPS benefits from a strong brand name and its reliability. This has made the company enjoy increased customer royalty. Rivalry International supply logistic business is highly competitive. to maintain competitive in such an industry, the company require offering consumer oriented services. It should be offer reliable services and aims at developing customer royalty (Hitt, Hoskisson Ireland, 2003). Three Generic Strategies Differentiation UPS has two kind of service that it offers; packaging services and transporting services. To serve its customer right, the company ensures that it makes it packages affordable and available to all classes of people. Those people who are using freight have their special package and those parcels on road have a different rate. Those using water has their package, small and large scale customers are incorporated. To remain competitive the company aims at improving its service to attain more customer satisfaction and loyalty. Lately it invented computer cargo tracking system which is one such development (Hitt, Hoskisson Irel and, 2003). Overall cost leadership The company’s prices are dictated by the bulkiness and the weight that a customer products has. This ensure that there is equality and those customers who are transporting small portions of goods are charged proportionately to these products. The payment system which is electronic facilitate for quick payment for service given. Focus The company has concentrated in one area and dominated. The company has physical station is some countries however in those countries that it does not have offices there are brokers or the website assists customers to get services from the company. When venturing other countries, it tends to follow the trend in the market. Where there are increased business is where the company is investing (Harris, Dennis, 2008). Urgent issues in UPS that need to be addressed Modern service industry is drastically changing. There is a move to a more customer focuses services. customers on the other hand have learnt and unders tood their rights. UPS has evolved over time and its offering consumer satisfactory services however there has been incidences where some cargo already transported or those which have arrived in UPS offices are not recorded. This is ignorance which should be addressed by the management. Where there is ignorance, there is customer dissatisfaction. Thus the company should invest in its human resources management. If there are inadequate staffs, then they should recruit and put on effective motivational measures. System failures are also other issues of urgency in the company. The company should ensure that its computers are working well so as they can serve their customers well. If a customer want to know how far his cargo is, the system should be able to tell (Dann Dann, 2004). Recommendations to improve the services of UPS UPS can be applauded for adopting an E-marketing strategy but more need to be done to ensure that it remains competitive in the changing logistics industry. Some of the areas that it needs to improve are in online businesses. UPS’s website has limited information this discouraging since customer has to wait for a long period of time before he gets a response from customer care desk. The reason for this is that the call centres are only in the head office. What the company need to do is to decentralize this service and make it available to its brokers and local offices. This improve customer’s satisfaction and increasing loyalty. Computers are not always reliable and sometimes they have failed the company. This is when servers are down or under repair. This has hindered the delivery of services by the company. An upgraded technology should be adopted to ensure that there is a backup when a case of system failure occurs (Bocij, 2005). There is a customer care service method that DHL has adopted but UPS has not attained it yet; this is door to door delivery. The company’s service mostly ends up at warehouses or at the port of destination. To ensure more customer satisfaction, there is need to adopt a door to door strategy where it can deliver products right to the consumers. This will assist the company command a more customer base and be the preferred choice of Logistics’ Company. Although it has adopted a cargo tracking system, the system has taken long to mature. It is faced with technological failure and is inefficient to certain countries. The system is monitored from the head office and faces challenges of adequate monitoring. It should be decentralized and customers assured that they will get information about their cargo with precision. Today’s marketing strategy has taken a different approach, this is where alongside computerized marketing, customer-company relation are developed to ensure that it benefits from repeat customers. Although the company has a strong brand name, strategies to retain customers should be put in place (Champy Wang, 2000) Conclusion UPS is an internati onally recognised logistic company with its headquarters in United States. It has been in logistic and supply chain management business for more than a century and enjoys a strong brand name. UPS Business is affected by the environment it’s operating in. There has been a reduced business resulting from global financial crisis, technological innovations and globalisation. To remain competitive in the changing global market, the company has invested in giving its customer good services although it is failed sometimes by computer systems and ignorance of employees and products handlers. References Bocij, Ch.et al. 2005. Business Information Systems: Technology, Development and Management for the E-business. Harlow. Prentice Hall. Champy, J. Wang, A. 2000 Accelerated Logistics: Streamlining the Armys Supply Chain. Santa Monica. CA. Dann, S. Dann, S. 2004. â€Å"Strategic Internet Marketing 2.0†. New York. John Wiley Sons. Harris, L. Dennis, C. 2008. â€Å"Marketing th e e-Business†, 2nd edition. New York. Routledge. Hitt, M, Hoskisson, R Ireland. 2003. Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization. South Western. Thomson Learning. Joshi, R. 2005. International Marketing. New delhi. Oxford University Press. Kermally, S. 2003. Gurus on Marketing. London. Thorogood. Kotler, P Lane K.2009. A Framework for Marketing Management (4th ed.). New Jersey. Pearson Prentice Hall. Nersesian, R. 2000. Trends and Tools for Operations Management: An Updated Guide for Executives and Managers. Westport. Quorum Books. Neumann, C, Ringbeck, J Schwegmann, V.2000. â€Å"Best Practice in Logistics†, The McKinsey Quarterly, p. 19. Roberts, M.L. 2008. Internet Marketing: Integrating online and offline strategies. Melbourne. Thomson. UPS corporate Website.2010. Web. Zemanta, Z. 2008. â€Å"Does UPS have Deep Systematic Problem?†Web.

Facebook- A curator or an enemy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Facebook- A curator or an enemy - Essay Example The article here is trying to address how Facebook is blocking the works of artists who are projecting it through this social networking website. Nevertheless, Facebook is trying to defend its actions by calling it a ‘mistake’. Many artists from all around the world have experienced the same. They have had their pictures and, in some cases, even their accounts blocked. This article is pointing out a recent victim, The New York University of Art, which lost its rights for uploading any images of their artwork, the reason being the violation of rules and regulations of Facebook. The works included nude images, which is against Facebook policy. The University's authority classed this, an unfair action against art; nevertheless, they raised their voice through a blog, complaining about Facebook's rules and regulations. Thesis Statement Blocking the projects of the artists on the medium where individual individuals have complete freedom to express themselves. Isn’t tha t ironic? Rhetorical Aspects of the article being analyzed Purpose, Genre and Style This article was published in The New York Times. The issue being addressed is the problem faced by an institution of art as their work is being deleted and accounts blocked by Facebook as it contains nudity. However, later, the site officials claimed that it was a mistake on their part and they had no intention, whatsoever, of hurting anyone's feelings. Moreover, they encouraged people who had lost their work to post it again. Drawing nude live models is considered the most effective way to develop the basic draftsmanship skill of an artist. Hence, it is considered to be the most important part of an artist’s work. Using Facebook as a medium, artists share their work with art lovers all around the globe. Nevertheless, Facebook blocking their work became a deterrent for these artists. Artists are more emphasizing towards the blocking of the nude content and have been concerned with the fact th at the Facebook officials must have seen that the nude pictures were actual works of art, yet, they decided to block it. The genre is complaining about the careless behavior of world’s largest social network platforms. Angle of Vision The author of this passage seems to blame Facebook for these actions but, in my opinion, if Facebook has some certain terms and conditions then they are free to apply it on all forms of work. Facebook does not allow photos which attack a person or group or images which depict drug use or contain violence or nudity. If Facebook requires it's users to follow certain rules and regulations, then we are all required to follow them as responsible individuals. If they say that a photo should not ‘contain’ nudity, then nudity in any form should be banned. Some people are of the view that Facebook is assailing artists, this, however, is a misinterpretation as according to Facebook's representative, their investigators only check those images that are flagged/reported and then according to the nature of the report (how many people find that abusing) they remove the content. Therefore, if other users are uncomfortable with that image then there is no way that that content should be kept on the site. For an institution like the New York University of Art, there are other ways of sharing their artwork with people interested in art like their own website or blogs. Secondly, seeing these types of drawings in galleries is one thing and seeing them on Facebook is another. Not everyone visits galleries, neither do they have a rule against nudity but on Facebook they do have rules. Many people, who are interested in art but are against nude forms of art, visit these pages much often. Evidence from the article The academy was at loss as their account was blocked and they

Applied Research Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Applied Research Method - Essay Example Furthermore, leaders of these organizations must be able to keep the reputation of their country in mind and expand their knowledge about other countries, so they are able to effectively market to individuals in these countries, as well as in their own (Thomas, Pollock, and Gorman, 1999). Leaders in these companies must see to it that their products and services are of the highest quality. High quality products and services will insure that these companies take the lead in their respective industries. In addition to all of this, it is imperative that company leaders motivate their workers and give them incentives to work hard because hard workers will insure the success and long-term stability of the company. Properly educating workers is also helpful in that this enables companies to develop the means that they need for optimal competitiveness (Petrick, Fall, Scherer, Brodzinski, and Quinn, 1999). In addition to the need to possess these particular skills, leaders of multinational o rganizations must use the resource-based view of the firm along with the theory of competence-based competition. According to an article found in the British Journal of Management, â€Å"The resource-based view of the firm and the theory of competence-based competition can be used in answering basic questions regarding competition and rivalry† (Thomas and Pollock, 1999). It is crucial that such questions be answered if companies want to stay ahead of their competition and remain successful for years to come. There are four multinational companies that we will discuss that made use of all of these skills. As a result, they are very successful today, and they enjoy a reputation of being the lead in their respective industries. There are case studies that prove this to be fact. First, we will look at Capston-Whites Document Management and Production Services (CW). CW is a company that provides products and

Final Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Final - Research Paper Example They give businesses a real time view of how they can improve their operations and operate more profitably. The comments by customers are used to detect any issues that the customers may have with the products of the company. The customers are also able to get an immediate feedback on the queries that they might raise. The role of social media therefore is more significant in the business world. Businesses use social media mainly in marketing their products, creating awareness to both the potential and existing customers (Michaelidou, Siamagka, and Christodoulides 1154). They are therefore able to increase sales as a result and therefore increasing their profitability. Social media therefore has attained a role in shaping the life of people as well as that of businesses. It has enabled people to interact socially with others and has enabled businesses to attain their profitability goals. It has also shaped the life of businesses by improving communication in organization between vari ous groups of employees (Atur and Huberman 494). The commonly used forms of social media are Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Facebook was initially commonly used by college students and the young people to connect socially with their friends. The role of Facebook has however increased as businesses are now using it to carry out their marketing function by creating a Facebook page where the Facebook users can follow and get any updates from the company or raise their queries and comments. Twitter also started as a tool for basically social networking but with time, businesses have adopted its use in marketing their products, releasing important information to their customers and directing attention for new products and special offers in the market (Bosari Para 4). Google+ has also been adopted by many businesses in carrying out their marketing and through it, the businesses have found the ease of increasing their presence in the business social

Describe a paint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Describe a paint - Essay Example ‘The Rock’ was completed in 1948 by Blume which is approximately 3 years from WWII. The war had a far reaching influence on people. The devastations, bombings and violations during the war and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were tremendously offensive for the people. The effects of the war remained on people’s mind for a long period, even when they came across to ‘the rock’ in 1950. The title gave a view to the people that human beings are persistent on living in the world even after the devastating effects of atomic bombings and extreme violence that they faced. It also implied the Earth’s continued existence even after the cruel and brutal acts of the human beings. The human beings are portrayed to be struggling despite of the devastations and conditions around them. This work clearly condemns the negative use of technology. The painting shows destruction and construction at the same time. The destroyed building implies the effe cts of the war which led to destruction of many house and even countries. The men and women struggling to reconstruct or mitigate the losses give a new hope to the people. The smoke moving towards the building which is not constructed yet also guides towards the hope of reconstruction after destruction, however, with some effects to continue with it.

Zone fitness market research

Zone fitness market research According to Kotler, P. (1988) marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups can obtain what they need and what they want. This can be achieved by creating, offering and exchanging products of value with others. The figure below illustrates the core concepts of marketing like needs, wants and demands, Product, value, cost, satisfaction and other concepts. Needs, wants demands Product Value, cost satisfaction Exchange transactions relationships Markets Marketing marketers Fig: 1.0. Core Concepts of Marketing Zone fitness is the new health and fitness company based in Huddersfield. Due to the continued growth of the health and fitness market in the UK, the company was formed. The company offers a range of health and fitness services on a membership only basis. Zone fitness operates 1 mile away from town centre in a place which was previously furniture warehouse. Few of the companys facilities are, rowing machines, exercise bikes, weights etc. One of the important parts of the services to the members is that there is an initial joining fee and the range changes according to the period of membership taken out for. The company was formed by three friends with now previous managerial or marketing experience or knowledge. The company is three years old and now has employs a total of 15 staff. The company is looking to grow in future both in terms of members and also in terms of health and fitness facilities offered but feel it now need to become more effective at marketing in order to face the competition. As a marketing consultant a report has been produced, to increase and improve the companys marketing activities. The overall review of the report covers areas such as, industry analysis, market segmentation, targeting, position, pricing strategy, etc. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS According to Brassington and Pettitt (2006), the industry analysis aim is to determine and understand the evolving opportunities and threats of the markets as they relate to the strengths and weakness of the health and fitness firm. The analysis covers areas such as size, growth, profits, cost structure, competitors, etc. MACRO ENVIRONMENT Economic environment is the general changes the economic conditions and the changes in pattern of the income distribution of the customers as well as the operation of the economic system are responsible for a variety of economic phenomena. These involve factors such as fluctuations, trade, economic growth rate, inflation and recession. (Peter, 2008) Socio-cultural environment is the attitudes towards the physical fitness and general wellness and individual ways of life of the customers and standards formed by the cultures and changing social values. (Johnson, et al., 2008) Political environment is the government with its political involvement and the legislation as the main components which can change the political as well as influence of the key issues in the companies such as policies, regulations etc. (Peter, 2008) Technological environment is responsible for the innovation and changes of the equipments such as tread mills, bikes, weights machines and also supplements. The development and new equipments can have an effect on the future of the Zone Fitness. The technology can change the emergence of the many substitute products. (Armstrong, et al., 2009) MICRO ENVIRONMENT SUPPLIER: Suppliers form an important link to the companys overall value delivery system. It provides the resources needed by the company to produce its goods and services. The Zone Fitness management must watch supply availability such as supply shortages, delays and other events which can cost sales in the short term and damage customer satisfaction. (Gilligan, et al., 2009) CUSTOMER: The Company needs to study the types of customer markets. Consumer markets consist of individuals or households that need services and health care activities for personal consumption. Business markets where the company can sell the services to the employees and for further processing. Reseller markets where the company can buy the facilities for certain profits. (Gilligan, et al., 2009) COMPETITOR: The marketing concept states that to be successful a company must provide greater customer value and satisfaction than its competitors. The Zone Fitness Management must do more than simply adapting to the needs of the customers. They must gain strategic advantage by positing their offerings strongly against competitors offerings. (Armstrong, et al., 2009) MARKET SUMMARY The UK health fitness clubs can be divided into two sectors: health clubs which are privately owned and leisure centres which are owned by the local authorities. Leisure centres which are defined as public facilities are changing to cope up with shifting consumer priorities and financial measures. UK has over 5,750 indoor facilities for keeping fit. The health club is still fairly fragmented, but there are now 10 large chains including David Lloyd leisure, Fitness First, Virgin Active and LA Fitness. (The Leisure Database, 2007) MARKET DEMOGRAPHICS Population of UK: 62,348,447 as of July 2010. Age Structure: 0-14 years: 16.7% (male 5,233,756/female 4,986,131) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 20,774,192/female 20,246,519) 65 and over: 16.2% (male 4,259,654/female 5,612,953) Median Age: Total: 39.8 years Male: 38.6 years Female: 40.9 years (Mouseprice, 2010) MARKET SIZE GROWTH The UK health fitness industry has a revenue estimated almost  £3.6 billion and 11.9% of the UK population are registered as members in the health and fitness or publicly-owned fitness facilities. The membership has been growing up by 3% since 2006 and now there are over 230 new public and private facilities that have been added to the health and fitness industry portfolio. Almost 90% of the UK population lives within 2 miles of a private health or publicly-owned fitness facilities. UK market for health and fitness club has increased by a moderate of 1% in nominal terms, by 2010. (Research and Markets, 2010) On contrary to this, annual growth rates have been declined from 7% in 2006 to just 1% by 2010. Both of which, exerted a downward pressure on disposable income and consumer confidence, reducing demand for health and fitness centres as the money is spent on necessities rather than luxuries. Moreover, annual growth is also believed to have slowed due to increased saturation and competition in the market, which has led to a reduction in membership fees in the private sector. (The Leisure Database, 2007) The membership penetration is 33% higher in London than the UK average and also obesity risk rates are 65% lower in London. The Southwest region is another area in UK to have lower risk in obesity by 34%, but the membership penetration level is higher by 3% the UK average. The regions of North East and South West have largest membership growth in private club memberships whilst the East Midlands topped the impressive growth rates in the public sector. (Corporate Fitness, 2010) 3.0. PORTERS FIVE FORCES A Porters five forces analyses explore five different principal factors, which determine the attractiveness of a health fitness market. Bargaining power of buyers Zone Fitness Threat of new entrants Bargaining power of suppliers Competitive rivalry within an industry Threat of substitute products Fig.2.0. Porters five forces for Zone Fitness Threat of new entrants: The barriers to the new entrants are very high. The main development of private gymnasium and leisure centres on the country which take years and capital required have put smaller companies out of the picture. Some of the health clubs are combined and franchised, but all existing major big companies have sufficient back up support to make themselves unattractive for acquisitions. The domination of some of the big health and fitness companies insure that they can manage a threshold level of profitability. (Euromonitor International, 2010) Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers have low bargaining poor over health and fitness centres due to strong brand power and distribution capabilities of the companies and due to fragmented supplying industry. The need for facilities and equipments is to explore and re-conceive their business models, like by playing on the customers experience issue and to try to arrive at a more profitable but risky mode. These kinds of initiatives might also help moderate the stance of health and fitness companies. (Market and Business Development, 2010) Bargaining power of buyers: Buyers have a strong bargaining power over health and fitness companies because of the range of choices the buyers have. All major companies sell same facilities and at nearly same price so buyer can switch to another company without any doubt. Nearly 94% of customers today have choice of three or more health and fitness companies which can be available to them within 5 minutes of range and many other leisure centres as well. Numerous companies are competing for their business with facilities of varying size and formats. Power of buyers is high and companies that raise prices are likely to lose customers. (Research and Markets, 2010) Threat of substitute products: Health and fitness centres in the available sector are an available alternative for customers, but there has been some convergence between these two sectors as the companies extend their formats. (Euromonitor International, 2010) Competitive rivalry within an industry: The rivalry is intense even though the market is concentrated, especially among the top companies. At a micro level the industry rivalry is centred and a limitation strategy that the major companies resort to if one initiative is successful. The rivalry among major companies is intense and this has led to a price war between companies. This is because the companies sustain the declining profitability without exiting the market and there is no incentive for major companies to rush into extreme and profit eroding price war. (Aaker and McLaughlin 2010) 3.1. COMPETITION Zone Fitness has a highly competitive market in Huddersfield, but the following four will be direct competitors due to their establishment in and around Huddersfield. Bodyzone Fitness Centre Unit 11f/Nortonthorpe Mills/Nortonthorpe Industrial Estate Wakefield R Scissett Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 9LA Website: www.bodyzonefitnesscentre.co.uk Services offered: gymnasium, beauty centre, health club, aerobics, swimming, and sauna and cardio theatre. (The Fitmap, 2008) Fitness First Lockwood Park Brewery Drive Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD4 6EN 01484 429000 Website: http://www.fitnessfirst.com Services offered: gym, cardio theatre, spinning room, x-press workout, crà ¨che, squash, studio, lounge, juice bar, personal trainers, sauna, and steam room, aroma and sun bed. (The Fitmap, 2008) University of Huddersfield Gym Sports Hall Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH 01484 472093 Website: http://www.hud.ac.uk/uni/about/campus_facilities/06_sports_hall/1_html/the_gym Services offered: cardiovascular training, step n tones, boxercise, groove n move, hula hoops, kettlebell, boot camp, pilates, abdominal blast, sports team camp, yoga, kung fu, spinning, tae kwon do and swimming. (Bizplan Cover, 2009) MARKET SEGMENTATION, TARGETING AND POSITIONING Market segmentation can be defined as the process of dividing the total market into segments or target market of consumers with common needs or characteristics and selecting one or more segments to target with a marketing mix. Zone Fitness company needs to know the needs and wants of their customers to better enable them to provide facilities and services that will satisfy the customer needs and wants. This may be problematic as there are numerous health and fitness facilities in the consumer market which the company can satisfy. Therefore, Zone Fitness must divide its market into various needs and wants. This is the process of the segmentation. (Cant, et al., 2009) The company must next decide which market segments needs it can best satisfy. The company should develop its marketing offers such as facilities and membership discounts and the process of deciding which segment to pursue is referred to as targeting market. Therefore, targeting deals with the process whereby a marketing mix is tailored to fit some specific customers. (Aaker and McLaughlin 2010) Positioning refers to the creation of a specific image or perception of the facilities and services by consumers in a selected target market. It is therefore the way in which consumers view competitive brands or types of products. For new products it means how the company wants to compare the new item in terms of its predecessors. The company will need attempt to establish a favourable position for its product by means of marketing communication such as advertising, however as it is believed that the product positioning is limited to advertising is no longer appropriate. (Ouwersloot and Duncan 2008) 4. SWOT ANALYSIS Many companies evaluate opportunities utilizing an analysis framework referred to as SWOT. It is an acronym for strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that can be investigated and can be used in early stages like market planning and decision making for zone fitness. On one hand it operates the matching of vital strengths with major environment opportunities and on the other hand it provides for improvising weaknesses and possibilities of risk in the zone fitness marketing. (Cant, et al., 2009) STRENGHTS: Zone Fitness is more committed towards a result orientated approach to maintain its customers in a highly competitive market. Facilities and health programmes are well taught according to the need of Zone Fitness. Reduction in fees and discount in membership service in entire market of UK. Also Zone Fitness has well trained and qualified staff. Personal services, individual programmes and advice are seen as being a key part of competitive success. (About Health Clubs, 2009) WEAKNESS: Personal training and individual programmes can be expensive. There are no swimming facilities which can be a problem in providing services to a large pool of members. Marketing budget is very short to attract business clients. (NetMBA, 2009) OOPURTUNITIES: Health and fitness clubs are rapidly growing in UK. Increasing health conditions and diseases such a obesity are causing people to join and pay more importance to exercise and health care activities. Health clubs and gym have become a routine of life in the peoples daily schedule. A low income area can be of special focus for zone fitness which is mostly ignored by rival competitors. (NetMBA, 2009) THREATS: One of the main threats could be because of recession and economic downturn, which can slowdown the growth of health and fitness industry. Low cost equipments are also available in the markets for home exercise. Although market is rapidly growing a small level threat can be of low cost offers from well established competitors. (About Health Clubs, 2009) MARKETING MIX Zone Fitness companys marketing mix is based on the factors of product, cost, distribution and advertising. PRODUCT: Health and fitness services: Rowing machines Exercise bikes Weights Aerobics Yoga Steam room Sauna, tanning rooms Massage services and Jacuzzis PRICE: Zone Fitness will be facing a challenge with highly competitive markets such as David Lloyd, Fitness First, etc. Therefore company is offering services at cost less than existing market standards with reduced fees for the under 18s and over 55s and discounts for the family memberships, etc. A new member for yearly membership would pay an initial joining fee of  £100 and a yearly membership of  £500. This would give members an unlimited access of the services and facilities of the company. PLACE: Zone Fitness company is located within the 1 mile radius of the town centre of Huddersfield. The company has a direct supply of their facilities and will not be involving in any kind of franchise or network. PROMOTION: Zone Fitness can use newspapers, magazines, internet, television and radio as the medium of advertising. In addition they could also print brochures for creating awareness in the market about their health and fitness services. (Cant, et al., 2009) INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS (IMC) STRATEGY Integrated Marketing Communications is a cross-functional process of creating and nourishing profitable relationships with customers and other stake holders strategically controlling or influencing all messages sent to these groups and encouraging them. The marketing mix of an organisation for tangible products compress of four elements, these are; marketing communications, price, promotions and distribution. The marketing communication element influences the other three elements; therefore it is important for Zone Fitness to be aware of their relationship between these four elements, while designing and planning the marketing strategy. (Ouwersloot and Duncan 2008) The responsibility of Zone Fitness management is to compile a programme that establishes a framework for the development, implementation, coordination and control of companys marketing communications. The aim of such a programme is to develop an effectiveness IMC programme that targets the customers in an attempt to influence their attitudes and behaviour. STRATEGIES OBJECTIVES Setting the IMC objectives and compiling it with the budget are crucial activities in the marketing communications department. IMC objectives and the budget constitute two basic guidelines and constraint in the formulation of an IMC strategy and for the various elements. The period within which the IMC objectives and strategies must be achieved covers the same period which all activities of the various marketing communication elements are implemented. (Hutt and Speh 2009) IMC objectives and strategies the Zone Fitness can follow are: The objectives must be formulated and once they have been, a provisional marketing communication budget must be prepared on the basis of the formulated goal. Marketing communications development and different strategies for each element are usually the most comprehensive of all phases. Each marketing communications element plays a unique role in achieving the integrated marketing communications objectives. The IMC decisions must be co-ordinated to prevent element being singled out. The decision taken must be synchronised by the company so that the ultimate objective can be reached without any form of duplication and resultant additional cost. After that there should be the development of an action plan for each IMC strategy. This is the operational programme, which is very detailed and contains activities, responsibilities and time frames. The penultimate is the measurement of the IMC effectiveness. It is important to ascertain whether the IMC programme has achieved its objective. The continual feedback on the effectiveness of the IMC strategy and programme so that deviations from the formulated objectives can be evaluated with a view to taking corrective measures. In the overall summary the IMC objectives and strategies must be derives from the marketing strategies and elements such as advertising, personal selling, promotions, publicity, public relations and e-communications must be derived from the marketing communications strategies for Zone Fitness company. (Ouwersloot and Duncan 2008)