Drinking Problems With Alcohol Abuse - 1302 Words

There are two different kinds of drinking problems that people may struggle with at some point in their life. The first is alcoholism, which is the illness that alcoholics suffer from. An alcoholic is an individual who has a physical or mental desire to consume alcohol beyond his or her capacity to control it (O’Connor, 2011). As an alcoholic drinks more, his or her tolerance increases. This means he or she will need more alcohol in order to feel drunk. He or she may also experience a physical dependence; if they do not consume alcohol they will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms. The other type of drinking problem that someone may have to deal with is alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is when an individual’s drinking leads to problems, but they are not physically dependent on alcohol. These problems may occur at work, school, home or in their personal relationships. It can also lead to problems with the law when using alcohol in dangerous situations, such as drinking a nd driving (O’Connor, 2011). Despite the difference, both alcoholism and alcohol abuse are classified as a mental illness according to the DSM-5. Interestingly, there has been an increase in the amount of women who are suffering from these mental illnesses, but their difficulties can be mitigated with the help of group therapy. While it used to be more common to hear about male alcoholics, the number of woman having an alcohol dependency has increased. A large research study conducted by the University ofShow MoreRelatedAlcohol Abuse Essay 171300 Words   |  6 PagesAlcohol Abuse Drinking alcohol is woven into the social fabric of our culture, and indeed many people enjoy the social and cultural connection of sharing a drink together. However, because drinking is so common in our society, realizing you or a loved one has a drinking problem can be a challenge.   The consequences of alcohol abuse are serious. Alcohol abuse causes extensive damage to your health, your loved ones, and society. It results in thousands of innocent deaths each year, and exacerbatesRead MoreAlcohol Abuse Is A Problem Striking The People Of America910 Words   |  4 PagesAlcohol abuse is a problem striking the people of America. There are more than twelve million alcoholics in America, and the numbers only continue to increase. All Americans spend a total of about one hundred ninety-seven million dollars on alcohol in one day! It has gotten so bad that now even adolescents as young as thirteen begin to drink. Disconcertingly, every thirty minutes a person dies from an alcohol rel ated incident. Alcohol has become the number one drug problem in all of America. In factRead MoreThe Plague Of Underage Drinking1356 Words   |  6 PagesThe Plague of Underage Drinking â€Å"Every year in the U.S., roughly 5,000 people under the age of 21 die from an alcohol-related incident including car crashes, homicides, suicides, alcohol poisoning and other related injuries† ( â€Å"11 Facts About Alcohol Abuse†). That is 5,000 more teens or young adults that could be saved from this plague in this society (11 Facts About Alcohol Abuse). Underage drinking and alcoholism is a huge problem in the United States, and as a society need to make a change withRead MoreAlcohol As A Dangerous Deadly Weapon1677 Words   |  7 Pagesamendment, which banned all alcohol from being manufactured, transported, and sold in the United States. But it is ironic how the prohibition just brought in more of what it was trying to outlaw. The American citizens of course did not like this law so they eventually opened more bars and kept drinking illegally. Even going back to indigenous roots of Latino/Hispanics, alcohol has been a huge component to celebrations, traditio ns and social upbringings. The use of alcohol can be seen as one of theRead MoreTeenage Alcohol Abuse1465 Words   |  6 PagesAlcohol Abuse in Teenagers Underage alcohol abuse is a growing problem in the lives of teenagers today. Almost 80% of high school students have tried alcohol (Dowshen). To effectively combat this growing epidemic, teens need to understand the effects of consuming alcohol, and adults need to recognize the problem and effectively prevent alcohol abuse. Though many teenagers do not realize it, alcohol can significantly affect a teen’s life, including short-term impacts on the teen’s popularity andRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol Abuse And Binge Drinking1523 Words   |  7 Pagesstudents will always encounter some type of â€Å"problem† during their college experience. A problem can be something simple such as a lack of adequate parking or more complex such as sexual harassment. â€Å"A new report from Student Monitor asked college students to identify the biggest problems on campus, and their top three answers were cost of education, stress, and alcohol abuse,† (Jacobs, 2014, p.1). College students will be affected by a number of problems during their college career. As a professionalRead MoreIts a Party, Its a Party, Its a Party1122 Words   |  5 PagesAlcohol abuse is a major problem throughout college campuses in America. The majority of college students may not think it is an enormous problem, but it is. Alcohol abuse is among one of the biggest problems that colleges and universities across America face. Speaking at the Senate Committee of Homeland and Government Affairs, Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut stated, â€Å"Alcohol abuse on college campuses has reached a point where it is far more destructive than most people realize and today threatensRead MoreAlcohol Use Among Veterans And The Military Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pages Alcohol Use Among Veterans and the Military Alcohol use and abuse is prevalent among members of the United States military as well as among the veteran population. Binge and heavy drinking is commonplace among the military and veterans. Veterans and members of the active duty military face a unique set of challenges when compared to the civilian population. There is a trend of combat exposure leading to a higher risk to abuse alcohol. For over a decadeRead MoreAlcoholism and Alcohol Abuse1492 Words   |  6 Pagesmortality rates due to alcohol-related accidents and health issues are close to 35,000† (â€Å"Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse). This fact explains how many problems come along with alcohol abuse, and tell about health issues and accidents that could be caused by alcohol. Alcohol can be very dangerous and threaten the lives of people even if they are not the one consuming alcohol. Wrecks often happen and kill innocent people as a result of people drinking and driving. There are many alcohol related deaths inRe ad MoreAlcoholism Is A Major Issue1413 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen for many years. It destroys lives drink by drink. â€Å"It is estimated that between 18 million -- or one in 12 adults -- in the U.S. abuse alcohol or are chronic alcoholics. Nearly 100,000 Americans die each year as a result of alcohol abuse, and alcohol is a factor in more than half of the country s homicides, suicides, and traffic accident (Understanding Alcohol Abuse -- the basics).† Alcoholism is caused by genetic, physical, psychological, environmental, and social factors (O Rouke). It occurs

Annotated Bibliography On Computer Security - 1753 Words

Put your college logo and your information Computer Security Abstract Computer Security Computer security is the consideration for securing resources of the computer. It is the protection of computing systems and the data that they store or access. Any information, the loss, misuse, or unauthorized access to or modification of which could adversely affect the privacy of the data. The protection afforded to an automated information system in order to attain the applicable objectives of preserving the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information system resources (includes hardware, software, firmware, information/data, and telecommunications). Characteristics of Computer Security There are many characterizations of computer security, main are the following: â ¦  Confidentiality. Prevention of unauthorized disclosure of information. â ¦  Integrity. Prevention of unauthorized modification of information. â ¦  Availability. Prevention of unauthorized withholding of information or resources. There are four broad areas of computer misuse: theft of computational resources, disruption of computational services, unauthorized information disclosure, and unauthorized information modification. These four areas correspond to threats to IT security. The first two categories correspond to threats to availability; the third corresponds to a threat to confidentiality; and the fourth to the integrity of the information. Integrity: In lay usage, information hasShow MoreRelatedAnnotated Bibliography On Computer Food Security System1358 Words   |  6 PagesAadhaar Enabled Public Distribution System (AEPDS): PDS is well known to the masses as Ration Card System. PDS is an Indian food security system established by the Government of India under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution on June 1997 and managed jointly with State governments in India. 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Various methods of ensuring privacy and security of patient’sRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography: Internal Control for Information Security1614 Words   |  7 PagesInternal Control for Information Security: Annotated Bibliography Making the case for Network Security. (2012, Apr 19). Retrieved from Wikibon Blog: http://wikibon.org/blog/making-the-case-for-network-security/ This author addresses the central concerns regarding information security in the modern business world using broad strokes to make the importance of network security as a key business operation readily apparent to the reader. As the article is addressed primarily on business managers andRead MoreUses and Abuses of Biochip Technology1704 Words   |  7 Pagesbuy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the Beast or the number of his name.... Bible scholars fear that this passage reflects the modern world, and its use of numbers for authentic identification. 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The term OCTAVE is used to denote f Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability Evaluation SM.It is important that organizations conduct a security risk evaluation in order for them to effectively evaluate

Biodel Inc Free Essays

BUAD 490 3/14/13 Team Written Case Analysis (Concise) Biodel, Inc. BIODEL INC. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Biodel’s use of biotechnology expertise in the three prime areas of Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Immunodiagnostics has led their company into some great opportunities. We will write a custom essay sample on Biodel Inc or any similar topic only for you Order Now Biodel created a synthetic serum to replace fetal calf serum and horse serum, and provide a more consistently available product for scientific researchers. Biodel’s Molecular Biology division used DNA technology to gain 60% of the market share of growth factors and stock the largest collection of commercially available synthetic nucleotides, which was 50% of their sales. Biodel’s research and development in Immunodiagnostics led to the invention of DEMA, a non-radioactive method for measuring a wide array of biologically important substance. The intelligence and vision of Dr. Oscar Feldman drove Biodel to a position of leadership in the biotechnology industry. Dr. Feldman has applied innovations in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunodiagnostics to increase market share for Biodel’s products. Dr. Feldman’s scientific friends and academic contacts offered Biodel high-quality technological advice and links to scientific community, and led to sophisticated research and development advances. Now the company is at a crossroad with decisions and direction necessary. In addition to strategic planning, the company would benefit from a modest re-structuring to streamline operations and prepare for unexpected events. Their future investments should be in areas where patent protection is likely, and in directions and projects that exploit their native expertise in molecular biology and genetic engineering. These technologies seem likely to transform health care in the next two decades. Having survived the threat of bankruptcy, Biodel now has a more balanced contract research portfolio and is poised to develop an even greater impact in the future. CURRENT SITUATION Biodel’s projected revenues for 1980 consist of $1 million in contract research, and around $1. 5 million in research products. The contract research revenue was split 70% from industrial research, and 30% government research. This research included work in Biodel’s three main fields (molecular biology, cell biology, and immunology) as well as cancer chemotherapy and enzymology. These contracts are secured by Dr. Feldman through his relationships with other scientists. The revenue from research products also comes from the three main fields of Biodel. Nucleotides from the molecular biology area account for 50% of revenues, cell growth factors from the cell biology field account for 40%, and immunodiagnostics products account for the other 10%. Research product sales have been growing 35% over the last few years, even with limited marketing efforts. However, Biodel is being outcompeted in the immunodiagnostics market and further growth is not being pursued. Biodel has a very small staff, with the company split up into five different sections: the comptroller, advertising and sales, and then an experienced scientist manages each main field of the company. The scientists who manage their fields are all in charge of research and development, production, and even have some marketing responsibility. Dr. Feldman does not employ a marketing manager or a research director, instead filling both roles by himself. Feldman’s style of management is very informal, preferring to walk around and talk to his employees rather than have them do unnecessary paperwork. The company itself is run more like an academic facility than a business, with the atmosphere more leaning towards challenging each other and making technological advances. In addition, employee turnover is very low so most of the staff is very experienced with the work that the company is doing. The staff is led by Dr. Feldman, who represents the main reason for low employee turnover. Biodel employees describe him as a unique and enthusiastic man, and the reason why the company is so successful. Marketing had been a very inconsistent department, with Dr. Feldman usually assuming all of the major marketing responsibilities. But when Dr. Feldman decided that he needed to market his company more aggressively he hired Mr. Steve Kaplan who had been a marketing manager at a large pharmaceutical company. However, Mr. Kaplan and Dr. Feldman soon disagreed on who should direct Biodel’s marketing strategy. Kaplan proceeded to spend a large amount of money on marketing, including hiring additional salespeople and other staff. These changes resulted in a 65% increase in sales, but marketing costs increased by 500%, which resulted in profits dropping from $95,000 in 1978 to $17,000 in 1979. As a result, Dr. Feldman is reconsidering Mr. Kaplan’s direction in the marketing department. OPPORTUNITIES First, Biodel had under development a synthetic serum that would be used to satisfy growth requirements in cells. This would be an innovative product that could be a substitute for natural fetal calf serum and horse serum. However, a major problem with the fetal serum is the unstable fluctuation in cost. The cost is determined by the supply of the serum and the supply is determined by the number of calves that are slaughtered. The synthetic serum could offer a steady rate. The market is projected at $50 to $80 million. Biodel would have a competitive advantage over the competition and could attain 20% of the market share if they pursue this project. A big problem with this project is the uncertainty that Biodel will be able to receive a patent. That provides a major risk in this investment. Second, another project is available that is extremely intriguing to us. Biodel has the opportunity to produce a new product called DEMA. DEMA is a testing technology based on enzyme membranes rather than radioactivity. This product could be used to test for pregnancy, syphilis, hepatitis, cancer, toxins in food and carcinogens in the environment. DEMA is a healthier, safer, faster and cheaper way of testing than the radioactive method. There are no hazards or side effects to DEMA and it can provide the same results as radioactive tests. The problem with this project is the financial aspect. It is more expensive than the synthetic serum. Investments could total in the millions and the R costs could range from $1 to $3 million. However, this project has drawn the attention of major drug companies who are willing to participate in a joint venture with Biodel, which would help with the costs of the investment. Third, Biodel has been thinking about joining the genetic engineering field. The company has basic but not wide experience if this field but they have been a major supplier of molecular biology products. At the moment, there are four major competitors in the market; Cetus, Genentech, Genex and Biogen. The basic purpose of this field is to engineer a cell to produce a specific biological product. Competitors use the bacterium E. coli as their host cell, for the most part. Biodel has the opportunity to enter the market with a new strategy that involves the use of yeast as the host cell instead of E. coli. He and three other scientists believe that yeast would be a better host cell than E. coli. Yeast has a biochemical machinery that can allow the growth of medically relevant glycoproteins such as Interferon and Urokinase. These glycoproteins are used to inhibit the multiplication of cancerous cells and to disrupt blood clots. The investment costs for this project would be high, including salaries that Biodel would pay for Dr. Ballantine and three other highly successful scientists to work for them. However, the return on such an investment could be immense. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. The Biodel Board of Directors should hold annual or semi-annual Board meetings to review company progress. Dr. Feldman should delegate more. The Board should be expanded by 1 or 2 people to achieve greater diversity and breadth of expertise. Succession planning should be considered in case Dr. Feldman died, or a division head left. 2. Mr. Kaplan’s marketing group should be streamlined and asked to focus on a marketing strategy for DEMA. The marketing group can probably be reduced to lower costs while maintaining the increase in research product sales. Challenge Kaplan to analyze the marketing group to understand the most valuable parts versus parts that are expendable. 3. Among the growth opportunities to pursue, the synthetic growth factor option does not seem likely to succeed. Although it is the least expensive investment, there is uncertainty that the patent protection can be obtained. Furthermore, researchers accustomed to fetal bovine serum may be unlikely to abandon a tried and true method. In contrast, the DEMA technology is a unique opportunity for Biodel. It eliminates the risks and hazards associated with radioactivity, which researchers would appreciate. There is a high likelihood of patent protection. Based on the information in the case, the company needs a better understanding of how to bring this product to market. This could be a great project for Kaplan’s smaller marketing group. 4. Pursue Genetic Engineering, with the advice and guidance of the four academic experts. This is an important initiative and Biodel’s connections with the prize-winning scientists are important. They should be paid per diems and offered stock options. One of the four also should be invited to join the Biodel Board of Directors. APPENDIX A SWOT Analysis S- Strengths Biotechnology special expertise by the 1970’s in – (three prime areas of focus/ other fields) 1. Cell biology – culture technology paid off 60% share growth factor market 40% offspring sales 2. Molecular biology – DNA paid off 60% share growth factor market – stocked largest commercially available synthetic nucleotides (50% of sales) 3. Immunodiagnostics biology a. Sub categories – Cancer chemotherapy – Enzymology Offered high-quality technological advice, numerous links to scientific community, highly sophisticated research and development service Feldman was able to secure contracts with his personal relationships with scientists in the government and industry Low employee turnover W – Weaknesses Molecular biology – — researchers used numerous substitutes Immunodiagnostics biology large firms aggressively entered and has not expanded since 10% of sales of research products -1980 – profitability varied on depending on intensity of product research and development By the 1980’s 60% of company’s revenue was from commercializing research Reliant on government contracts when they started making cut backs – 85% contracts are government – forcing Biodel into 1st layoff (damaging to long-term otential) 55 employees scientists and technicians — no marketing manager or research director hired (Feldman filled both positions with widespread contacts and scientific expertise) Staff meetings rare and no regular reports required from subordinates Poor Marketing – Products sold by mail Depends on word of mouth – trade shows, advertising, direct mail, ad phone solicitation — customer service â⠂¬Å"almost laughable† O – Opportunities Goal to manufacture and market biochemical products developed through their own research Cell Biology – synthetic serums to satisfy growth requirements in cell lines of tissue culture – replacing natural fetal calf serum (most widely used, horse serum was 2nd most widely used). Market of 50 million domestically and 80 million worldwide growing at 15%– no systematic analysis of serum market done Immunodiagnostics- opportunity to enter the market – new test technology based on enzyme membranes rather than radioactivity – new product DEMA – simpler, faster, and less expensive. Market in excess of $100 million and has potential to be over $1 billion. High possibility for a patent and a joint venture with a major drug company. Genetic engineering – exciting advantages/high return on investments Supplier of molecular biology products – nucleotides and synthetic genes sold – supported by genetic engineers – some cases biodel was soul supplier T – Threats Relying on government contracts lead them to the threat of bankruptcy Biodel’s spending strategies APPENDIX B How to cite Biodel Inc, Essay examples

Leadership - Decision Making & Ethics By Writers

Question: Effective leadership, decision making and ethical management are linked both in theory and in practice.How may leaders ensure organisational decisions are made ethically? Use examples to illustrate your argument from organisations with which you are familiar.. Answer: Introduction Leadership is all about creation of a vision, ensuring that the created vision is effectively communicated, living by values, influencing individual behaviour and making tough decisions as and when required(Armstrong Stephens, 2005). Effective communication, inherit charisma, positive attitude, motivation, problem solving and tough decision making are some of the characteristics that define an effective leader. Ethics and decision making is at the heart of leadership and its essential to ensure that they go hand in hand. An organisation that lacks values and ethics fails to build a culture where individuals can grow both professionally and personally. Leadership is not only associated with powers and authorities it also brings with it ethical burdens because while making ethical decisions it is important to ensure that leaders cast light not shadow (Bass Bass, 2009). In order to get an-depth understanding of ethics it is important to analyse the values of the organisation as a whole which include both its leaders as well as followers. Effective leaders and managers have clear understanding for their morals, values, ethical system and decision making. Ethical leaders are characterised by good character and integrity. This assignment conduct an in-depth analysis of the vital role played by leadership, ethics and decision making that help ensuring organisations achieve their desired goals and performance objective. Ethical leaders are responsible for created an ethical organisation which always tend to perform better because they have the capability to attract, maintain and retain right talent which is essential for performing right task at right time (Beerel, 2009). People are considered the most precious asset of an organisation and ethical leadership ensures that this asset is retained and continuously improved (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2012). This assignment studies the various aspects of leadership, ethics and decision making in relation to three leading organisations that have been voted among top ten ethical organisations of the world namely; Starbucks, McDonalds and Zappos. It shows how ethical leaders play a vital role in ensuring organisational decisions are made ethically. Howard Schultz, CEO Starbucks Trust, integrity, relationships and transparency are the four key elements of ethical leadership that lead to the creation of an ethical organisation (Bass Bass, 2009). It is based on six pillars of character namely; trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship (Adair, 2009). It is important to adhere to these six pillars of character in day-to- day decision making in order to ensure that an ethical workplace environment is created and employees are influenced to follow ethical values of the organisation. Ethical environment forms the base of a knowledge sharing culture that is characterised by creativity and innovation (Fisher Lovell, 2006). Starbucks founded in year 1971 is the worlds premier roaster and retailer of speciality coffee which today has around 21,000 stores in more than 35 countries (Starbucks, 2015). Starbucks is recognised worldwide for its high quality coffee and the global supply chain network that help them serve hot coffee to around 60 million people every week. Under the effective leadership of Howard Schultz Starbucks has achieved remarkably unmatched growth and brand recognition. Howard Schultz displays the use of transformational leadership style wherein he possesses high compassion and commitments towards his customers and employees equally (Gallo, 2013). Transformation leadership focuses on bring change by developing vision, communicating it, empowering people to innovate and take risks. According to this leadership style leaders cannot inspire other unless they are themselves inspired. Leadership is all about having a passion and sharing that passion whenever an opportunity arrives (Kelley, 200 7). According to the Ethisphere Institute Starbucks for the eighth year in a row has been recognised as the one of the worlds most ethical companies. Howard Schultz is the key force behind the development of an ethical culture within Starbucks. He has been awarded Stanley C. Pace Award for leadership in ethics in year 2013 by Ethics Resource Centre (Ethics Resource Center, 2014). Established in year 2000 The Pace Award was created to honour individuals that possessed unwavering integrity. He recognised worldwide for his effective leadership, tough decision making and ethical management. He is a practitioner of utilitarian theory of ethics wherein the consequence of an action decided whether the action is right or wrong. He exhibits moral vision and possess the abilities required to convert those visions into specific goals. Being an ethical leader his effective ethical management and decision making helped him develop a value-based organisation that delivers high quality products and services to customers, gives back the community and respects humanity. According to Starbucks values striving to do right things and conducting busin ess ethically are two important aspects of a successful organisation. Starbucks has a Business Ethics and Compliance program in place which help supporting its mission and protecting their culture and reputation in a way that they can provide their partners with enough resources so that they can make ethical decisions at work. One of the best example of Howard Schultz effective leadership, ethical management and decision making was his decision to urge his fellow American CEOs to stop donating money to politicians until they take up their responsibility and start running the government as a successful business (Gallo, 2013). He was the force behind the Create Jobs for USA program where customer donations were combined with loans provided from microlenders to provide financial helps to small businesses in America. His participative leadership style and ethical decision making not only enabled him achieve his career goals but also organisational goals. Jim Skinner, CEO McDonalds McDonalds Corporation is the worlds largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants with a global presence in 119 countries where they serve more than 68 million customers every day from their 35,000 outlets (McDonald's, 2015). Started in year 1948 the company in year 2012 has reported annual revenue of $27.5 billion. It is the worlds second largest private employer (Wal-Mart being the first) with 1.9 million employees including those working for franchises. McDonalds owes its remarkable success to its people. McDonalds has Jim Skinner as its Chief Executive Officer under whose leadership McDonalds has witnessed rapid growth and expansion. Jin Skinner displays the use of transactional leadership style which helped him manage a giant company like McDonalds while ensuring that all business processes are conducted in an ethical manner. Transactional leadership focuses on directing and motivating individuals by appealing to their own self-interest (Hood, 2007). It is based on give and t ake theory where clear performance expectations and goals are defined and rewards or punishments are decided based on achievement of targets. McDonalds is recognised as one of the worlds most ethical organisations and its CEO Jim Skinner has been honoured with awards like Most Respected CEO and Executive of the year. Jim Skinner has developed his leadership skills through years of hard work and industry experience. He possesses all the characteristics of an ethical leader and is recognised for his ethical decision making. He has made McDonalds a highly customer-oriented organisation that lives by its core values. As an ethical leader Jim Skinner has articulated and embodied the values and purpose of the organisation (Howell, 2012). His ethical management has helped him keep the interest of organisations stakeholders and community over self-interest. He is concerned about the growth and development of his employees and provide them ample opportunity to realise their full potential. He was the key decision maker behind the National Hiring Day program wherein 60,000 Americans were offered much-needed jobs. Jim Skinner was a practitioner of deontological theory of ethics wherein he adhered to his obligations and duties while making ethical decision. This ethical principle helped him ensure that customer needs are satisfied in the most effective manner whatever be the situation. His tough decision making has supported McDonalds overcome different challenges while serving the community. Jim Skinner through his ethical management helped ensuring that decisions at McDonalds are made in most ethical manner. Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos Trust, integrity, relationships and transparency are the key elements of ethical leadership which is perfectly visible culture of Zappos which is created by its CEO Tony Hsieh. Started in year 1999 by Nick Swinmurn Zappos in year 2001 had quadrupled its yearly sales making it to $8.6 million. The company is based in Las Vegas, Nevada and is an online retailer of shows and clothes. Tony Hsieh is the key force behind the remarkable success if the company and development of an ethical culture with Zappos. Tony Hsieh is an excellent example of authentic leadership which is a relational process developed by leaders and followers. Authentic leadership comprises of leaders who know and understand themselves, are aware for their values and believes and lives by their values through honest and open communication with followers (Hellriegel John W. Slocum, 2011). Authentic leaders use their good character to win trust and respect from their followers. Their ability to build credibility and ski ll to encourage and respect diverse viewpoints make them people leader (Fox, 2007). They can use both autocratic and participative leadership style as demanded by the situation. Primary focus of authentic leaders like Tony Hsieh is to foster collaborative and relation of trust with employees, customers, stakeholders and shareholders. Tony Hsieh through his effective leadership has not only been able to increase sales figures exponentially but has also developed an organisational culture that has secured Zappos a high position on the Best Companies to Work For list published by Fortune magazine every year (PennState, 2013). Tony Hsieh is recognised worldwide as the most successful CEO whose complete focus is on vision and not money. Ethics is all about deciding what is right and what is wrong (Keen, 2012). A number of ethical theories have been formulated owing to rapid evolution in ethics education. All ethical theories can be divided into two brand categories namely; teleological theories that are related to consequence of an action and deontological theories which are related to obligations and duties (Rezaee, 2009). Teleological theories further comprises of three ethical approached based on which consequences are viewed as ethical or not. Ethical egoism wherein leader is concerned about his own interest, utilitarianism wherein leader is concerned about his own interest as well as interest of large number of people and altruism where leader is ready to compromise his own interest in order meet the interest of other individuals (Murithi, 2009). Tony Hsieh is an example of altruism wherein he is always been ready to compromise his own interest in order to ensure that an ethical culture is retained within the o rganisation. He is a people-oriented leader who is greatly concerned about the growth and development of his employees and thus provides them ample opportunities to realise their full potential. It owes to his strong decision making skills and ethical management that Zappos today considered among some of the worlds most ethical organisations. As an effective leader his complete focus was to use all his powers associated with his position of a CEO to ensure that his entire employee, customers and other stakeholders are happy. He the founder of company named Delivering Happiness which help people identify their passion and convert them into profitable businesses. Zappos under the effective leadership, ethical management and tough decision making skills of Tony Hsieh is famous for an unmatched great employee culture that enable them deliver high quality customer service. Thus, Zappos is another example of an organisation where ethical leaders play a vital role in ensuring that decisions are made ethically. An organisation cannot succeed without four pillars of leadership, ethics, people and decision making. Effective leaders must ensure that all these four success elements are in place and work effectively to achieve desired goals and objectives. Conclusion Ethical behaviour within an organisation cannot be promoted by implementing any ideal solution rather it is only possible by continuous positive approach by its ethical leaders. Ethical behaviour is developed when they are practised by leaders and modelled by their followers. It is important to ensure that ethical decision making is adequately rewarded and acknowledged. Ethical leadership focuses on leading employees based on trust and respect so that good relationships are developed. They are not only concerned about the growth of the organisation but about the growth of the organisation as a whole. It is important to ensure that ethical leaders live by the values they wish to communicate. Howard Schultz, CEO Starbucks; Jim Skinner CEO McDonalds and Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos are some of the best examples of ethical leaders who not only had the power to live by ethical values but also the inherit charisma to influence their followers to live by ethical values shown by them. They have not only enabled their respective organisations achieve remarkable success and emerge as market leaders in their respective industry of business but have also ensured that they perform their duties most ethically towards their customer, employees and the society they live in. They have ensured that all their decisions are made keeping the interest of their stakeholders and community in mind. These leaders possess all the characteristics displayed by ethical leaders and thus serve as an example for other leaders and their actions are followed by other world leaders. Effective leadership, ethics and ability to make tough decisions have enabled them create an organisational culture that itself serve as a competitive advantage against rivals and help them retain their market position. References Adair, J. (2009). Leadership and Motivation: The Fifty-Fifty Rule and the Eight Key Principles of Motivating Others. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Armstrong, M., Stephens, T. (2005). A Handbook of Management and Leadership: A Guide to Managing for Results. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Bass, B. M., Bass, R. (2009). The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications. New York: Simon and Schuster. Beerel, A. (2009). Leadership and Change Management. London: Sage. Ethics Resource Center. (2014). Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Receives Pace Award For Leadership In Ethics. Retrieved 2015, from Ethics Resource Center: https://www.ethics.org/news/starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-receives-pace-award-leadership-ethics Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., Ferrell. (2012). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making Cases. New York: Cengage Learning. Fisher, C., Lovell, A. (2006). Business Ethics and Values. Essex: Pearson Eductaion Limited. Fox, W. (2007). Managing Organisational Behaviour. Cape Town: Juta and Company Ltd. Gallo, C. (2013). What Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Taught Me About Communication And Success. Retrieved 2015, from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2013/12/19/what-starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-taught-me-about-communication-and-success/ Hellriegel, D., John W. Slocum, J. (2011). Organisational Behaviour. New York: Cengage Learning. Hood, J. D. (2007). Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles: An Exploratory Investigation of Traditional and Nontraditional Student Perceptions. MI: ProQuest. Howell, J. P. (2012). Snapshots of Great Leadership. New Jersey: Routledge. Keen, B. (2012). Applied Business Ethics: Power Living Through the Truth. Bloomington: iUniverse. Kelley, K. M. (2007). Organizational Culture's Affect on Ethical Decision-making. New York: Saint Louis University. McDonald's. (2015). About Us. Retrieved 2015, from https://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome.html Murithi, T. (2009). The ethics of peacebuilding. Oxford: Edinburgh University Press. PennState. (2013). The Real Deal: Tony Hsieh as an Authentic Leader. Retrieved 2015, from PennState: https://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2013/07/23/the-real-deal-tony-hsieh-as-an-authentic-leader/ Rezaee, Z. (2009). Corporate Governance and Ethics. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Starbucks. (2015). Our Heritage. Retrieved 2015, from https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/our-heritage Waluchow, W. J. (2003). The Dimensions of Ethics: An Introduction to Ethical Theory. London: Broadview Press.

Valley Homes v Ace Minerals Corp Essay Example

Valley Homes v Ace Minerals Corp Essay Jones is a young, recently hired female salesperson working for Valley Homes, a small company manufacturing and selling prefabricated dwellings. They sell primarily to people wanting to build their own cabins and summer homes. Jones job consists in working out the designs with the customers, pricing that design, and then working out the specifics with the engineering section, which develops plans and sets out the exact specifications for the production of the dwelling. She then follows up with the customer, even providing a contractor to build the dwelling if needed. A large mining company, Ace Minerals Corporation, as part of the development of a huge mineral deposit in northern Manitoba had to build a townsite for the miners and their families consisting of some 50 dwellings as well as a sports and recreation complex. Under the supervision of the vice-president of finance, Li, Ace Minerals published a request for tenders for the supply and erection of these 50 homes and recreation centre. Upon request Ace provided the specifications and the other details of the tendering process, including a statement that 1) once submitted the bid could not be withdrawn before the formal opening of all the bids (2) the lowest bid would be accepted, following the standard practice in the industry. Jones obtained these details and brought them to the attention of the Valley Homes executive arguing that the company had to change their method of doing business from just servicing the residential retail market and get more into the growing industrial sector. This was consistent with conversations that had recently taken place between the president of the company and major shareholders and so it was decided to submit a bid on the Ace Minerals project. We will write a custom essay sample on Valley Homes v Ace Minerals Corp specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Valley Homes v Ace Minerals Corp specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Valley Homes v Ace Minerals Corp specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Jones and Brundel, the sales manager, were designated as the team to develop Valley Homes bid. They worked for several days, enlisting the help of the engineering department completing and submitting the bid on the day specified by Ace. That evening Jones was reviewing the bid and to her horror discovered a significant error in the calculations prepared by Brundel, the sales manager. Jones quickly redid the calculations and found to her added horror that instead of making a 15 percent profit on the deal they would suffer a 20 percent loss. On such a huge order this could be enough to bankrupt the company. On further examination it became clear that Brundel had intentionally structured the error and cleverly hid it in a way that made it very difficult to find. It was only by chance that Jones had discovered the error at all. It was later learned that Brundel as sales manager felt threatened by this business brought in by the upstart Jones and set out to sabotage the project to make sure things stayed the way they were. He felt that when the deal lost money, Jones would be blamed and he could then get rid of Jones with the blessing of the president. Jones brought the miscalculations and conduct of Brundel to the attention of the resident of the company. The president called Brundel into the office, confronted him with what he had done and it was at this point that Brundel broke down, confessed his misconduct and explained that because of his age he felt threatened by Jones and worried that he would lose his position to her. The president fired Brundel outright, and then went to the offices of the mining company. He met with the vice-president of finance, Li, and presented him with a letter explaining the mistake and in a formal way revoking the bid that had been submitted the day before. Although the bids had not yet been opened, Li declared that even though he was very sympathetic to the problems of Valley Homes, he could not interfere with the integrity of the bidding process once the bid had been accepted by the company for consideration. He said that they would simply have to wait until that afternoon when the bids would be opened to determine their fate. When the bids were opened, not surprisingly, Valley Homes was the lowest bidder and their bid was then automatically accepted by Ace. The next day the president of Valley Homes and Jones met a management team of Ace headed by Li, where the problem was discussed. The Ace group confirmed their position but did indicate an understanding of the difficult position that Valley Homes found themselves in. They also pointed out that they realized that it was not in their interests to see Valley Homes fail and not be able to finish the job. They therefore agreed that if the project was satisfactorily completed on time, a bonus of would be paid to Valley Homes of half the difference between their price and the next lowest bid. This would allow Valley Homes to do just a little better than break even on the job, thus avoiding bankruptcy. It was also understood that there would likely be future dealings between these two companies and because of the good relations created in this meeting Valley Homes would give Ace Minerals an especially good deal on the next project. As the project proceeded, a series of payments were made to Valley Homes, all 59 days after the date specified in the contract. As is normally the case with these kinds of projects, there was a clause in the contract whereby Ace would not have to pay interest on any late payments so long as payment was received by Valley within 60 days of the day payable. Eventually the project was finished on time to the satisfaction of all parties, but the bonus was not paid. Valley Homes waited the specified 60 days and when the bonus was still not paid, they went to Lis office for an explanation. They learned at this time that Li had been replaced and they were invited to meet with the new vice-president of finance, Mr. Grey. He explained that over the months Ace had carefully monitored the project and the health of Valley Homes and had decided that they were in better financial shape than either party had anticipated. Bankruptcy was not a threat and therefore the mining company had decided not to pay the bonus. Mr. Grey went on to explain that they were entirely satisfied with the work that had been done and that Valley Homes should in no way take this failure to pay the bonus as an indication of dissatisfaction on their part with the company, the personnel, or the quality or timeliness of the work performed. In fact Greys final comment was that he hoped that the two companies would have many years of cooperative ventures in the future. Discuss the options available to Valley Homes in these circumstances. There is great uncertainty about what the present Anglo-Canadian law of mistake is. No two authors agree in their analysis and the same confusion exists in the case law. Reputable scholars often disagree about the interpretation of the same case. (Report on Amendment of the Law of Contract, at 252) In our case, Valley Homes v. Ace Minerals Corp. , we identified several legal issues that Valley Homes, a small manufacturing and selling prefabricated dwellings company, encountered from the moment they decided to submit a bid on the Ace Minerals project.

Types of Suffixes in English Grammar

Types of Suffixes in English Grammar In English grammar, a suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word or root (i.e., a base form), serving to form a new word or functioning as an inflectional ending. The word suffix comes from the Latin, to fasten underneath.  The adjective form is suffixal. There are two primary types of suffixes in English: Derivational suffix (such as the addition of -ly to an adjective to form an adverb) indicates what type of word it is.Inflectional suffix (such as the addition of -s to a noun to form a plural) tells something about the words grammatical behavior. Discover what famous writers, linguists, and other notable people have had to say about suffixes throughout history. Examples and Observations of Suffixes in English It is often possible to tell the era of a products development by its termination. Thus products dating from the 1920s and early 1930s often end in -ex (Pyrex, Cutex, Kleenex, Windex), while those ending in -master (Mixmaster, Toastmaster) generally betray a late-1930s or early-1940s genesis. (Bill Bryson, Made in America. Harper, 1994) Suffixes display all kinds of relationships between form, meaning, and function. Some are rare and have only vague meanings, as with the -een in velveteen. Some have just enough uses to suggest a meaning, as with -iff in bailiff, plaintiff, suggesting someone involved with law. (Tom McArthur, The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, 1992) In English, only three colours become verbs by adding -en: blacken, redden, whiten. (Margaret Visser, The Way We Are. HarperCollins, 1994) The number of suffixes in Modern English is so great, and the forms of several, especially in words derived through the French from Latin, are so variable that an attempt to exhibit them all would tend to confusion. (Walter W Skeat, Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, 1882) Gazebo: The name is an 18th-century joke word combining gaze with the Latin suffix ebo, meaning I shall. (Encyclopedia Britannica Online) On Suffixes and Word Formation Primary school children would be better at  spelling if they were taught about morphemes- the units of meaning that form words- researchers claim today...For instance, the word magician consists of two morphemes: the stem magic and the suffix ian....Children find the word difficult to spell because the third syllable sounds like shun. But if they knew it was made up of the two morphemes, they could make more sense of the way it is spelled, researchers suggest. (Anthea Lipsett, Spelling: Break Words Up Into Units of Meaning. The Guardian, Nov. 25, 2008) On the -ers Suffix Call it a vast linguistic conspiracy: proponents of the major conspiracy theo ­ries of the day- the truthers, the birthers, the deathers- share a suffix that makes them all sound like whackdoodles. It looks like conspiracy theorists might acquire a permanent suffix in -er, just like political scandals now have a permanent suffix in -gate, Victor Steinbok, a frequent contributor to the American Dialect Society’s online discussion board, observed recently in that forum...Today’s -er groups are not -ists; their beliefs are not -isms or -ologies, theories of social organization like communism or fields of study like sociology. Nor are they -ites, devout followers of a domineering visionary figure, like Trotskyites, Benthamites or Thatcherites. The -ers, the caricature asserts, are not sophisticated enough for that. That is perhaps why -er words, long before truther, have been used to deride political opponents, as in tree hugger, bra burner and evildoer- not to mention th e catch-alls for extremists, wingers and nutters (from wing nut). (Leslie Savan, From Simple Noun to Handy Partisan Put-Down. The New York Times Magazine, Nov. 18, 2009) [E]ven though writers write, bakers bake, hunters hunt, preachers preach, and teachers teach, grocers dont groce, butchers dont butch, carpenters dont carpent, milliners dont millin, haberdashers dont haberdash- and ushers dont ush. (Richard Lederer, Word Wizard: Super Bloopers, Rich Reflections, and Other Acts of Word Magic. St. Martins Press, 2006) On American -or and British -our [T]he o(u)r suffix has quite a confused history. The  Online Etymology Dictionary reports that our  comes from old French while –or  is Latin. English has used both endings for several centuries. Indeed, the first three folios of Shakespeare’s plays reportedly used both spellings equally...But by the late 18th  and early 19th  centuries, both the US and the UK started to solidify their preferences, and did so differently...The US took a particularly strong stand thanks to Noah Webster, American lexicographer and co-namesake of the Merriam-Webster dictionaries...He preferred to use the –or  suffix and also suggested many other successful changes, such as reversing -re to create theater and center, rather than theatre and centre...Meanwhile in the UK, Samuel Johnson wrote  A Dictionary of the English Language  in 1755. Johnson was far more of a spelling purist than Webster, and decided that in cases where the origin of the word was unclear, it was m ore likely to have a French than Latin root...And so he preferred –our  to –or. (Olivia Goldhill, The Case of the Missing us in American English. Quartz, January 17, 2016) On the Problem With -ish Although there is no exact count, Merriam-Webster says there could be as many as one million-plus words in the English language...And yet, with all of those words at our disposal,...we seem to make a competitive sport out of creating brand new ones...[T]heres the suffix -ish, which is increasingly called-upon, fairly indiscriminately, to describe an approximation, or a likeness of something, when in most cases there is an existing word, or two, that would serve just as well: warmish, tired-ish, doing a good job-ish, Clinton-ish. Instead, -ish may be chosen for reasons of expediency, or cuteness. A sampling of some recent headlines from around the web include 5 Ways To Secure Your Happy-ish Ever After (The Huffington Post) because, as the author writes, Happily Ever After is not a thing and Ten(ish) Questions With...WR Jeremy Ross (ESPN) because there are, in fact, 16...-Ish...requires no cleverness whatsoever. Its lazy, non-committal, and confoundingly ambiguous, a symbol of a societ y ever more inclined to take the easy way out or blur the lines. (Peggy Drexler, The Problem With -ISH. The Huffington Post, January 9, 2014) On Some -Somes My favorite word: gigglesome....Familiar words like lonesome, handsome, and adventuresome are from a whole family of words that include some surprises that have fallen into disuse. I heard Red Barber one morning on the radio say the air was chillsome. Others are grievesome, toilsome, and boresome. My favorites of these old words are gigglesome and playsome, both usually applied to high-spirited children. (Bobbie Ann Mason, quoted by Lewis Burke Frumkes in Favorite Words of Famous People. Marion Street Press, 2011) On the Lighter Side of Suffixes Good things dont end in -eum; they end in -mania or -teria. (Homer Simpson, The Simpsons) Were good...at words, too: burgle, burglar, burglary. The Americans go about it differently: burglar, burglarize, burglarization. Maybe theyll move on, soon, and well have burglarizationeers who burglarizationize us, leaving us victims of burglarizationeerage. (Michael Bywater, The Chronicles of Bargepole. Jonathan Cape, 1992) Ive heard of many chocoholics, but I aint never seen no chocohol. We got an epidemic, people: people who like chocolate but dont understand word endings. Theyre probably over-workaholled. (Demetri Martin, 2007)

Critical analysis of Inescapably Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical analysis of Inescapably Me - Essay Example The title of the poem is in sync with the context of the poem as it hints about the action that takes place in the poem i.e. his desire to find escape and solace either in the form of death or in this life by winning his beloved’s affection. The poem is depicted in free verse which means that it does not follow a definitive rhyme pattern and the words are not rhythmic in their flow yet the readers observe an inherent rhythm and flow of the poet’s thoughts. It can be perceived that the poet’s style of writing follows the phenomenon of stream of consciousness i.e. one thought triggers a completely different or new thought. For example he starts off from talking about a clerk in a coffin shop in Hong Kong, which reminds him of a death or loss he has recently suffered, ultimately reminding him of his beloved Ley and his deeply ingrained feelings of love and care for her. Chan’s style of writing or the diction of the poem is very simple yet deep in meaning. By using easy language he encapsulates essence of meaning projecting the importance of love in an individual’s life which has the power of either making an individual the luckiest man alive or the unluckiest one depending on that person’s circumstances and fate. 2.2. ... Furthermore this life is a test where success or failure has the same result however love acts as a potion to make life seem more beautiful and enjoyable. The reference to the â€Å"coffin shop† as well as the last line of the poem where he says, â€Å"before Quentin buys those lead weights like shoes and throws himself off a bridge† (lines 29-30) both depict death. In the former’s case writer reflects on death as a natural process where eventually every individual is going to die. However towards the end the later lines can be perceived as a threat or a desire to die in order to end Quentin’s suffering and pain because otherwise this life is a living hell for him, from which he is unable to escape as the title also hints upon this reality i.e. â€Å"Inescapably Me†. The poet makes use of a variety of colors which adds an element of beauty to the context of the poem. Some of the colors which he uses in the poem include yellow, orange, peach and the checkered floor†. The yellow color symbolizes deterioration or sterility. While orange and peach are the colors of hope and prosperity however death engulfs the individual before he could relish in the bliss of contentment and happiness. The reference to Black and White color can be interpreted as the poets understanding of this transitory life where life is an amalgamation of good and bad happiness and sorrows and as he says in the poem as well that, â€Å"the rice wine poured on to the black-and-white checkered floor. Someone will mop it up later† (line 18) eventually everything comes to an end. 2.3. Allusions Chan in his poem refers to two literary allusions that is â€Å"Le Ballon Rouge† (Line 25) and â€Å"Achilles Heel† (line 10). â€Å"Le Ballon Rouge† is an

Exam Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exam Paper - Essay Example semi-strong form of efficiency is a class of EMH which claims that all public information is calculated into a stock’s current price hence there is no way either fundamental or technical analysis is applicable to achieve superior gains. It claims only non-publicly available information can be used by investors to earn abnormal returns on their investments as all the other remaining information is accounted for in the prices of the stocks and no fundamental or technical analysis will result into above normal returns. Strong form efficiency is the strongest as the name suggests as it states all the information in a stock market irrespective of whether public or private. All such information is accounted for in the stock price and not even insider information could give an investor advantage hence profits exceeding normal returns cannot be made regardless of the amount of research or information available to the investors. If a company trades its shares in a stock market with a s emi-strong efficient market, the investors are likely to use the privately available information to make abnormal returns on their investment. Answer 2 The increase of the interest rates by the central bank results into loans from commercial banks being expensive as they also raise their interest rates to cover for the rise by the central bank. ... Therefore, one thing that has to happen is that the sales by Tintin will have to drastically reduce by a wide margin as the purchases of such goods by consumers will go down due to their escalated prices and a lack in their necessity. In addition, the long run is likely to see the bank adjusting their interest rates to accommodate the changes which results into an increase in the operation costs of Tintin due to increased rates of interest. The increased costs have an extended impact which translates into the reduced earnings of the firm, the economic situation at such times is volatile and the economic component which experiences this is the business people since they find it quite hard to balance between demand and supply. Answer 3 3. (a) There are a number of incomes which are not taxed or are not subjected to income tax. They include:- incomes realized by taxpayers to the extent of debts forgiven, payments from state sickness or disability funds, compensation received under the w orkers compensation act, interest earned from tax exempt municipal bonds, income from the sale of one’s primary residence whether it is sold on profit or at a loss. Others include:- incomes in form of life insurance money and non taxable gifts as a gift is exactly what it sounds like, fringe benefits from employers and child support funds as well as foster care payments. All these are not subject to income tax according to the law. 3. (b) Higher rate tax payers are subjected to a different tax rate brackets as compared to the lower rate tax payers. Therefore as the lower rate tax payers will be paying tax at 20%, the higher rate tax payers will pay the taxes at 40%. Therefore an investor who received a 90

The Autonomic Nervous System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Autonomic Nervous System - Essay Example Each pathway comprises of a preganglionic neurone as well as a postganglionic neurone. Within the sympathetic system, the synapses between these two neurons are located near the spinal cord. On the other hand within the parasympathetic nervous system, these two neurons are located near to, or within the effector organs (Tortora & Derrickson 2009). The effects of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems normally oppose each other. They are termed as antagonists, thus is one system contracts a muscle, the other usually relaxes it. The balance between the two systems concisely regulates the involuntary activities of the organs and glands. Exceptional to note is that it is feasible to control consciously specific activities of the autonomic nervous system through training. Some examples in this include control of the anal and bladder sphincters. With regard to nerve impulse transmission process, the sympathetic nervous system stimulates effectors and produces noradrenalin as t he neurotransmitter at nerve junctions. In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system inhibits effectors and produces acetylcholine at the nerve junction, otherwise called the synapse (Tortora & Derrickson 2009). The autonomic nervous system comprises of motor neurons which innervate smooth and cardiac muscles as well as the glands. These neurons also ensure optimal environments conditions within the systems to ensure maximum support for body activities. The neurons operate via subconscious control and have viscera as most of their effectors. Within the autonomic nervous system, the preganglionic fibers release acetylcholine as the major neurotransmitter. Postganglionic fibers release norepinephrine or acetylcholine whose effects can either be stimulatory or inhibitory. The neurotransmitter effects within the autonomic nervous system on target organs are dependent on the neurotransmitter released. Additionally, such effects are dependent on the type of receptors expressed on the e ffector organs. The divisions of the autonomic nervous system serve similar visceral organs but cause opposite effects. These divisions exemplified by parasympathetic and sympathetic categories help in maintaining homeostasis. Precisely, the sympathetic division mobilizes the body during activity while the parasympathetic division conserves the energy within the body. The role of parasympathetic division is well illustrated when a person relaxes after taking a meal. In such a circumstance, the division plays a role of keeping the energy level consumption as low as possible. As such, the heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rates are kept at lower concentrations. However, during such circumstances, the gastrointestinal tract activity is high as a result of digestion. The skin is warm while the pupils are constricted. On the other hand, the sympathetic division is a good depiction of fight or flight system. This division allows the regulation of activities during exercises. In s uch scenarios, the system reduces the flow of blood to organs while it increases the flow of blood to muscles. Its activity is illustrated by an individual who is under a threat and as such, the heart rate increases with rapid and deep breathing. Additionally, the glucose levels in the blood are high because this important sugar is released from the liver. Furthermore, the skin is cold and sweaty while the pupils of the eyes are dilated due to alertness. Parasympathetic div

Tesco Rapidly Changing Environment Business Essay

Tesco Rapidly Changing Environment Business Essay Todays world is a rapidly changing place. Part of rapidly changing environment that managers face is the globalization of business. Management is no longer constrained by national borders. In order to function and to survive, organization has to interact constantly with the world outside. Developments across a range of factors will have an impact on your business or industry. Business environment is a set of political, economic, social and technological (PEST) forces that are largely outside the control and influence of a business and that can potentially have both a positive and a negative impact on the business. You need to understand how the external environment affects and influences the organization structure. In this situation for achieving high performance manager need to adapt an organization. In this report TESCOs business environment is describe here. Using SWOT and PESTLE analysis tool TESCOs business strategy clearly define. Introduction of TESCO Tesco was founded by Sir Jack Cohen in 1924. In 1919 Jack Cohen started to selling groceries in Londons markets. The Tea is the first product in which the brand name of Tesco appeared in 1920. So the name Tesco comes from the initials of TE Stockwell who was a partner in the firm of tea suppliers. The first store of Tesco was opened in 1929 in Burnt oak, Edgware. Today TESCO is one of the top three international retailers with 366,000 worldwide staff, more than 2500 stores in twelve countries which sales  £41.8 billion. The vision and philosophy of TESCO is that Every Little Helps is behind everything we do. The Corporate Social Responsibility policy objective is to earn the trust of customers by acting good services and good relation between customers and suppliers and by building goodwill. They doing this only for earn customers loyalty and it is core purpose of Tesco. Tesco has four types of store formats for instance, Tesco Metro, Tesco Express, Tesco superstore and Tesco Extra (24 hour) all of them provide different shopping experience but same outstanding value. Tesco sells both food and non-food items. The leading market position improves its brand image and it provides a platform to start private label brands. The items include food, CDs, Books, medicine, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, alcohol, clothes, toys and electrical goods. Tesco has an exciting brand name. It is related with the good quality, honest goods and services that characterize excellent value. A strong brand name and moreover the attractive customer preservation rates are helps the group to introduce more products under its own labels and allocate it to enter new markets. Tesco.com is one of the leading online grocery shopping services in the world and the fourth biggest online retailer in the UK. Amazon, Dell and Argos are placed in the first three positions. Tesco.com serves m ore than one million regular customers in the UK including households from both urban and rural areas. The group has developed tesco.com-only store, an online service, for the customer in the UK with limited accessibility to physical stores. Tesco operates three types of operations: The First one is UK operations; it is categorized by five formats which are different from size, location and products. The largest operation of UK is in new cast. In addition to food, it also operates in the non food fragment items including clothing, electrical goods, home entertainment, stationery, kitchen items and furnitures. The Second operation is outside UK. The other British retailers who tried to expand international business have failed but Tesco has been succeeding to build an international business. It started this operation in 2004. The Third one is Internet operations. In 1994 Tesco also started to operate internet and it is the first retailer in the world who offered home shopping service since 1996. It expanded online ranges as books, wine, movies and electrical goods. From the above information it is clear that although the performance of TESCO has been affected in some areas but it has still value in the market due to reput ation and name of TESCO in the market. However TESCO achieved its target in food sector. TESCO ltd has been survived through competition over the last four years in the market but still it is one of the largest retailer companies in the UK. SWOT ANALYSIS: SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It is the first stage of planning and helps managers to focus on key issues. SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and Threats are external factors. Strengths In global market place TESCO have secured commercial standing because of winning World Retail Awards in Year 2008. This can be used for marketing campaigns to drive advantage towards the demographic base for future growth and sustainability. In an environment where global retail sales are showing decline TESCO Group has published sales gain of 13% for UK markets and 26% growth in international markets. Tesco.com is the worlds biggest online supermarket. Tesco online now operates in over 270 stores around the country, covering 96% of the UK. With over a million households nationwide having used the companys online services, the company has a strong platform to further develop this revenue stream. Profits for Tescos operations in Europe, Asia and Ireland increased by 78% during the last fiscal year. The company has a strong brand image, and is associated with good quality, trustworthy goods that represent excellent value. Since acquiring number one ranking in 1996, Tesco has developed a successful multi format strategy that has accelerated its advantage. Its UK sales are now 71% larger than Sainsburys. Weaknesses: TESCOs position as a price leader in UK markets can lead to reduced profit margins in order to retain the key price points on must have commercial items. TESCO Finance profit levels were impacted through credit card arrears, bad debt and household insurance claims. One of Tescos weaknesses has been its failure to dominate the city centre marketplace. Although it has some prominent city centre stores, e.g. the Carlisle store in the North of England, it has failed to make them universal. Grocer outlets are not set up to operate as specialist retailers in specific areas of product which can be capitalized on by other smaller bespoke retailers. Opportunities: Statistics suggest TESCO is the third largest global grocer which indicates a level of buying power to ensure mainstream economies of scale. The acquisition of whoever provides the opportunity to develop the brand through Asia, specifically South Korea and further grow International markets for the group. The development of Tesco Direct through online and catalogue shopping will grow the use of technology. Providing non food based products with moderate to high margin returns and less focus on sales and margin per foot return to space. TESCO mobile have grown 0.25 million customers in 2008 and moved into profitable status suggesting further growth and development within this technological area can be developed. Threats: Food and non food items raw material cost is rising, will impact profit margins overall. In far East locations exporting restrictions on some non food product areas will reduce margin rates on products with already low margins. American and UK markets have been affected by economic concerns through the credit crunch. Lower available income will impact and strategic focus may need to change to lower priced basic products with less focus on higher priced brands suggesting a switch in price architecture. For TESCO, there is a persistent threat of takeover from the market leader Wal-Mart who has both means and motive to pursue such action. PESTLE analysis: In analyzing the macro-environment, it is important to identify the factors that might in turn affect a number of vital variables that are likely to influence the organizations supply and demand levels and its costs (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1991; Johnson and Scholes, 1993). Because of ongoing changes that impact the whole organization. PESTLE analysis categorizes environmental influences as Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal forces. The analysis examines the impact of each of these factors (and their interplay with each other) on the business. Using these results take advantage of opportunities and to make contingency plans for threats when preparing Business and Strategic plans. Political Factors: Tesco now operates in six countries in Europe in addition to the UK. Tescos performance is highly influenced by the political and legislative conditions of these countries, including the European Union (EU). For employment legislations, the government encourages retailers to provide a mix of job opportunities from flexible, lower-paid and locally-based jobs to highly-skilled, higher-paid and centrally-located jobs (Balchin, 1994). Also to meet the demand from population categories such as students, working parents and senior citizens. Tesco understands that retailing has a great impact on jobs and people factors, being an inherently local and labour-intensive sector. Tesco employs large numbers of student, disabled and elderly workers, often paying them lower rates. In an industry with a typically high staff turnover, these workers offer a higher level of loyalty and therefore represent desirable employees. Economical Factors: Economic factors are of concern to Tesco, because they are likely to influence demand, costs, prices and profits. One of the most influential factors on the economy is high unemployment levels, which decreases the effective demand for many goods, adversely affecting the demand required to produce such goods. These economic factors are largely outside the control of the company, but their effects on performance and the marketing mix can be profound. Although international business is still growing and is expected to contribute greater amounts to Tescos profits over the next few years, the company is still highly dependent on the UK market. Hence, Tesco would be badly affected by any slowdown in the UK food market and are exposed to market concentration risks. Social Factors: Current trends indicate that British customers have moved towards one-stop and bulk shopping, which is due to a variety of social changes. Tesco have, therefore, increased the amount of non-food items available for sale. UK retailers are also focusing on added-value products and services. In addition, the focus is now towards; the supply chain, the own-label share of the business mix and other operational improvements, which can drive costs out of the business. National retailers are increasingly reticent to take on new suppliers (Clarke, Bennison and Guy,1994; Datamonitor Report, 2003). The type of goods and services demanded by consumers is a function of their social conditioning. Consumers are becoming more and more aware of health issues, and their attitudes towards food are constantly changing. One example of Tesco adapting its product mix is to accommodate an increased demand for organic products. The company was also the first to allow customers to pay in cheques and cash at the checkout. Technological Factors: Technology is a major macro-environmental variable which has influenced the development of many of the Tesco products. The new technologies benefit both customers and the company: customer satisfaction rises because goods are readily available, services can become more personalized and shopping more convenient. Tesco stores utilize the following technologies: Wireless devices Intelligent scale Electronic shelf labeling Self check-out machine Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The adoption of Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS), Electronic Funds Transfer Systems (EFTPoS) and electronic scanners have greatly improved the efficiency of distribution and stocking activities, with needs being communicated almost in real time to the supplier (Finch, 2004). Environmental Factors: In 2003, there has been increased pressure on many companies and managers to acknowledge their responsibility to society, and act in a way which benefits society overall (Lindgreen and Hingley, 2003). The major societal issue threatening food retailers has been environmental issues, a key area for companies to act in a socially responsible way. Hence, by recognizing this trend within the broad ethical stance. Tescos corporate social responsibility is concerned with the ways in which an organization exceeds the minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation and corporate governance. (Johnson and Scholes, 2003) Graiser and Scott (2004) state that in 2003 the government has intended to launch a new strategy for sustainable consumption and production to cut waste, reduce consumption of resources and minimize environmental damage. The latest legislation created a new tax on advertising highly processed and fatty foods. The so-called fat tax directly affected the Tesco product ranges that have subsequently been adapted, affecting relationships with both suppliers and customers. Legal Factors: Various government policies and legislations have a direct impact on the performance of Tesco. For instance, the Food Retailing Commission (FRC) suggested an enforceable Code of Practice should be set up banning many of the current practices, such as demanding payments from suppliers and changing agreed prices retrospectively or without notice (Mintel Report, 2004). The presence of powerful competitors with established brands creates a threat of intense price wars and strong requirements for product differentiation. The governments policies for monopoly controls and reduction of buyers power can limit entry to this sector with such controls as license requirements and limits on access to raw materials (Mintel Report, 2004; Myers, 2004). In order to implement politically correct pricing policies, Tesco offers consumers a price reduction on fuel purchases based on the amount spent on groceries at its stores. While prices are lowered on promoted goods, prices elsewhere in the store are raised to compensate. Organizational Business Strategy: To produce great business performance it is necessary to turn strategies and plan into individual actions but it is not easy. Many companies repeatedly fail to truly motivate their people to work with enthusiasm, all together towards the corporate aim. Most companies and organizations know their businesses and strategies required for success. However many corporations especially large ones struggle to translate the theory into action plans that will enable the strategy to be successfully implemented and sustained. Formalization: Formalization is the extent to which rules and procedures are followed in an organization. This element varies across organizations. For example in some organization arrival and departure times to and from work are specified. In other organizations employees will spend sufficient time on the job to get the work done. In some organizations many rules are codified in huge manuals but no one pays attention to them. In others little is written down but rules are informally understood and followed. The most useful definition of formalization is that it represents the use of rules in an organization. The degree to which rules are followed not the degree to which they are codified. In Tesco shift type working system is there. Time punctuation is most important in Tesco. Each and every staff wears particular uniform. Specialization: Work specializations to describe the degree to which activities in the organization are subdivided into separate jobs. The essence of work specialization is that rather than an entire job being done by one individual it is broken down into a number of steps with each step being completed by a separate individual. In essence individuals specialize in doing part of an activity rather to the entire activity. In Tesco according to different positions different roles are there like general manager, purchasing manager, technical manager, finance manager, HR manager, customer service assistance etc. Hierarchy: In a hierarchical organization employees are ranked at various levels within the organization, each level is one above the other. At each stage in the chain, one person has a number of workers directly under them, within their span of control. The chain of command is a typical pyramid shape. A tall hierarchical organisation has many levels and a flat hierarchical organisation will only have a few. Tesco has a flat hierarchical structure with just six levels between checkout staff and chief executive. Each store manager is responsible for their store. External Environment: In retail Tesco is top of supermarket in UK. There are many competitors like Asda, Sainsbury. In current market position Tescos share is more than other retail company. Every year growth of Tesco is increase. In market position Tesco is stable. Culture: Tesco is now in international market. In Tesco many different culture people are working together not any obligation for culture and peoples value is same. In Tesco clear norms and value are there. Professionalism: Training is most important for every company. In some companies training is given by professional way while in small companies training is formal. Tesco gives high professional training. Goals and Strategy: Top management is to determine an organizations goals, strategy and design. Organizations mission is the official goal whereas in organization actually pursues, specific outcomes like resources, overall performance, market, employ development, innovation, productivity are operative goals. Strategy means plan for achieving organizational goals in competitive environment. Goals define where the organization wants to go, strategy how it will get there. Tescos main goal is to create value for customer to earn their lifetime loyalty. For achieving this goal Tesco do something new for customer. Tesco will remove plastic and paper bags. Size: Size of company is determined by number of stores it has and number of employees it has. It is also determined by revenue of company. It had revenue of 47.3 billion pounds for the year 2008. This made Tesco the fourth largest retailer of the world. Tesco is operating as 2318 stores and more than 326000 employees. Conclusion:

How Technology Has Hurt Us :: essays research papers

How Technology Has Hurt Us   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although many inventions have helped us and made our lives easier they have also caused some problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the invention of the car came problems such as air pollution. Cities are becoming more and more congested with people using their cars even for short distances. The government is trying to make this better by making cars pass an emmission control test. Another problem with cars is that hundreds of people die or get seriously injured each year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another technical invention that maybe we would have been better without is weapons. Although weapons were made to protect our country and keep freedom it seems to have done the opposite. Drive by shootings are a daily occurence in our big cities. More people are turning the guns on themselves. Kids bring guns to school with them for protection against people who may use a gun on them for retaliation. Politically its divided the nation on whether private citizens should be able to carry guns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disposable items have caused a big garbage problem. We use everything from disposable pens to disposable diapers. We can stop some of the garbage problem by recycling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Air conditioners are using up allot of our electricity. There are times in the summer when brown outs happen because if our excessive use of the air conditioners. Freon gets released into our environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today people are being kept alive longer and longer. People that have no chance of recovery are being kept alive on ventilators. This causes a great expense to society and an emotional stress on the family. Even though older people may beg to let them die medicine refuses to let them. This is slowly changing with living wills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though we love to watch TV it has also caused problems.

Human Nature is essentially evil in Lord of the Flies Essay

During the 1950s when Golding had written Lord of the Flies war and conflict was amongst them. World War Two had recently ended and there was strong tension between Russia and the West. Russia and America had been building up nuclear weapons since the 1930’s, believing that these weapons would protect them from attack. This is known as the Cold War. In the book Golding constantly gives us hints that war is going on, for example when Piggy reminds Ralph that the plane crashed because they were attacked. The adult world at the time was full of evil and hate which is shown in the book. For example Hitler, whose aggresive ways seem to mirror the actions of Jack, who throughout the novel builds up power, eventually forming a ‘dictatorship’. When the boys arrive on the island the situation is calm. From the beginning we start to see some of Jacks dictitorial traits, this shown by the introduction of the ‘choir boys’ and him wanting to be chief. Most of the boys side with Ralph and elect him as leader. Jack is also described as having red hair, which is often used to portray someone with a fiery personality. Jack is the character who has largest appetite to kill; his highest ambition towards the beginning of the book is to kill the pig. Later on in the novel Roger show clear signs of mounting agressive behaviour. In the beginning he started to show his agression by knocking over sand castes built by the ‘little’uns’ as the novel progresses his actions become ever more violent ending in him killing piggy. Ralph and Piggy unlike Jack believe in fairness and democracy, the conch and piggy’s glasses play an important role in keeping order and sanity within the boys. Towards the end of the novel both of these important items are destroyed. Golding shows that human nature is evil by making the two sainest characters join in the killing of Simon. The glasses symbolised intelligence and thought so when they were destroyed Ralph often metions a ‘curtain’ meaning he can’t think clearly. The beast is first ‘sighted’ by a ‘little’un’ who said he saw a snake like beast in the night that turned out be a creeper when daylight returned. This ‘beast’ is probably the most important factor in book because it symbolises ‘fear in the heart of man’. Initially the boys take no notice of this ‘little’un’ but as time goes on’ other boys believe they have seen the beast but in a different form. Jack tries to show his bravery by offering hunt down the beast. Ralph tries to be rational and explain that there is no such thing but he has difficulty persuaded the other boys. Jack and Ralph believe in totally different principles with this in mind Jack forms his own tribe who are there to hunt and have fun, were Ralph requires the boys to tend to the fire and build shelters. The boy’s fear of the beast increases aswell as the boy’s savage behaviour. The boys regularly perform a tribal dance with one the boys pretending to be a pig dancing and chanting ‘kill pig, cut his throat, and spill his blood’ this chanting is both primitive and pagan. Whether real or imaginary the beast is present in all, it represents what Ralph calls ‘the darkness I mans heart’ this shows that the beast is capacity for evil and wrong doing in all of us. Law and order disintegrates gradually, as the fear of the beast becomes more real over time. The conch and piggy’s glasses were the centre of law, order and democracy so once they were desroyed democracy and order andhad gone with it. Were nearly all of the other boy’s show that human nature is essetially evil, there is one character that stands out for goodness and innocence which is Simon. Simon is shown to be unconventional; he is also thoughtful and kind. He is shown to be good till the end. He often will just go off on his own which eventually puts him it great danger because once he wandered off during the night and a ‘little’un’ saw him and believed him to be the beast. Golding was a very relious man, some people think that Simon represents Jesus. He dies because he tries telling the others the truth about the soldier whom they believe is the beast but they don’t care. He has a conversation with the Lord of the Flies which represents the confrontation between good and evil. Some of the words that Golding uses when he is talking about Simon describe religious scences; the candle bud’s open wide as he sits alone in the forest at dusk which makes you think of church candles. He is the true exception in this book the one that is truly good.

Flipflops Market in the Philippines Essay

Introduction â€Å"Slip into comfortability, on and off the shore† Offshore entered Philippine flip-flop industry in 2003 as an all Filipino-designed palm beach slippers. Amazed with Philippine beaches, Anton Ng dreamt of building a product that will embody these beautiful beaches and will be shared by every Filipinos and the rest of the world. The Filipino-Chinese businessman wanted to offer a pair of slippers that would define comfortability and durability. He named the slippers Offshore, envisioning that these are the pair of slippers that would be worn on and off the shore. â€Å"Philippines is popular around the world for its beautiful beaches and vacation spots, Offshore flip-flops are the perfect companion when you are taking the time off or when you are offshore,† he said. The designing process is crucial for the company whose aim is to showcase the essence of attractive Philippine beaches and the Filipino spirit in whole. Ng believes in the talent and skills of Filipino graphic artists. Offshore hires nimble young designers who would create lively dynamic flip-flop prints. A rigorous selection process is done from all available designs every season where offshore releases a new set of flip-flop collection. The collection theme and color scheme should match the current season trends and styles. A couple of market tests are done across different Asian countries, before mass producing a new design in throughout Asia. After observing consumer responses to the sample slippers, a final selection of successful flip-flop designs will be done. Offshore prods rigorous quality control process in its production line to minimize the volume of product defects and returns. Given its stern quality inspection, it takes a couple of weeks to produce a batch of slippers. The ultimate goal of the company is to provide comfy and highly durable slippers at an affordable price to every Filipino and to the rest of Asia. The company achieves low costs production by acquiring all raw materials  form China and outsourcing the production in China, as well. Although, the designs and prints are purely Filipino, the flip-flop itself is 100% China-made in terms of materials and labor. By doing so, Offshore has competitive in pricing. In fact, Offshore is one of the cheapest brands in department stores. The products have strong focus in Filipino design for everyday casual wear that would complement current fashion trends. However, the local market has perceived Offshore as low-quality china brand. In addition, the company failed to convey its all-Filipino designed-message to the public. Industry Background â€Å"We have to admit that the imported brands of flip-flops paved the way to the re-entry of flip-flops in the footwear business but it doesn’t mean that a Filipino brand can’t join the race. With Offshore, we are hoping that by creating our own designs and even Filipino-inspired ones, we are not only making quality flip-flops, but we are also giving it back to our country. Our goal is simple and straightforward, a pair of Offshore for every Filipino†, said Ng. The word tsinelas (slippers) originated from the Spanish word chinela, traditional Filipino slippers are made from Abaka. It’s has a simple sole with Y-shaped strap. Slippers are household commodities for Filipinos regardless of economic class. Now it’s no longer called tsinelas or slippers, rather flipflops. It can be made from a wide range of materials such as leather, rubber, plastic and even textile. In the old days the most popular local brands of tsinelas were Spartan, Beach Walk, Rambo, and Islander. Each of them has a strong market positioning. Spartan is the durable brand, Beach Walk is soft and comfortable, Rambo has its very thick sole, while Islander is the classy type. The beginning of 2003 marked the success for Brazilian flipflop brands such as today’s market leader Havaianas followed by Ipanema. These brands revolutionized the way Filipinos wear slippers. The trendy, sleek, chic  designs of these slippers immediately made a buzz, dominating the local slipper industry. On the other hand, local footwear industry has experienced 14% decline in sales last year. The Products Offshore has three sets of collections for each season. These are for kids, teens and men. Kids Sizes range from 30-33 fitting 4-8 year old young toddlers. The kids’ Offshore slippers however are designed for only for boys. Teens Offshore offers three slipper designs for teens 1) Plain colored slippers 2) Pastel colored with stripe and dotted prints 3) Flowery prints Men 1) Single strap rubber soles 2) Traditional Y-strap rubber soles with beach designs 3) Y-strap in sports prints and designs The Competition Havaianas is a renowned global brand of slippers originating from Brazil about 50 years ago. The brand is known for its special rubber formula use for producing high quality, smooth, sleek and durable flipflops. It redefined traditional flipflop appearance by offering a wide range of designs from florals to glow in the dark prints. Through time, Havaianas has built a strong brand image throughout the world. People from different walks of life have been spotted wearing this pair of slippers, from football  superstar David Beckham to the royalties like Queen Silvia of Sweden. Hollywood celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise among others seem fond on havstoo. Havaianas entered the Philippines market in 2003. In its first 3 years, the brand sold one million pairs thereby cementing its place in the hearts and ‘soles’ of the Filipinos. ‘All Flip-Flops’ a store devoted solely to selling Havaianas merchandise opened in the Philippines in 2006. Following the success of the first store, 19 more All Flip-Flops stores were opened. Ipanema entered the Philippine market in 2001. Currently, this is the top two brand in the local market. Like Havaianas, Ipanema is also a Brazilian-made slippers way back 1971. It is perceived as flipflops exclusive for women. Although the brand offers men flipflops, majority of its market are women. The sales of flipflops for women even increased after launching Gisele Bundchen collection this year. Gisele Bundchen is one of the world’s top model known for her socio-civic activities. The collection design redefines rubber flipflops designs similar to sandals. The sophisticated colors and elegant cuts and designs made Ipanema look glamorous. It is second best-selling flipflop brand now, but sales are predicted to increase next year, outnumbering Havaianas sales. Banana Peel is the most successful local flipflop brand in the Philippines. It was established in the year 2002. It is known to be the chic and trendy flip flops with smooth rubber soles like Banana cut in rectangular shapes. It places itself in the market as functional and comfortable flipflop. In 2004, the first Banana Peel concept store opened in SM malls, being the first ever flipflop store in the country. As such Banana Peel has strong distribution chains; it is the country’s largest specialty retailer of flip flops having 23 branches nationwide and still growing. Also, it has strong local marketing campaigns having popular actor John Lloyd Cruz and actress Maja Salvador as its endorsers. Market Share According to managing director of Al Amizade Marketing Inc. the bulk of flipflop market are women buyers, accounting for 70 percent; men buyers at 20 percent and the children market at 10 percent. In addition, the flipflops sales for men have grown by last year by 10%. Market Distribution Some well-known footwear companies set-up their own concept stores and rent a private space inside malls and distribute their products having a bunch of their own sales personnels for the customers’ an exclusive buying experience. Bulk of the middle and lower-middle class brands are concentrated in department stores, battling each over other rent space in large department stores and malls. Also premium slippers brands have their own space in department stores as well with much bigger space desirable positions. Normally, Havaianas, Dupe and Ipanema are placed near the entrance of the department store with more visibility. While low priced brands are usually located at the side racks of the flipflop section. Channels of Distribution of Footwear Manufacturers/Subcontractors/ Wholesalers/Suppliers Manufacturers/Subcontractors/ Wholesalers/Suppliers Department Stores/Boutiques/Special Stores Department Stores/Boutiques/Special Stores Final Consumers/Buyers Final Consumers/Buyers Current Marketing Strategies Department Store Slipper Brand Currently, Offshore is one of the numerous flipflop brands in local department stores. It has no separate walk-in or concept store. It is placed in the footwear section of the department together with slippers of the same prices, ranging from Php60-750. It is definitely one of the cheapest pair of slippers in the corner in these areas: SM Department Stores and SM Hypermarket Robinson’s Department Stores Metro Gaisano Department Stores in Cebu and Market Market Other Leading Department Stores nationwide. E-commerce Utilization Offshore has set-up its own user-friendly website where photos of all available designs and collection are displayed. Aside from the website, Offshore products may also be purchase from numerous e-business website such as alibaba.com and olx.com. Low Pricing The table shows the pricing comparison of numerous flip-flop brands in SM department store: CASE ANALYSIS Problem Statement Offshore entered the Philippine market, at the same time as giant globally successful Brazilian flip-flop brands, trying to capitalize on low pricing strategy to compete in the saturated market of lower middle class, where there is no clear distinction of among brand names. Furthermore, the brand failed to strengthen its image as an all-Filipino-designed flip-flop, lacking marketing efforts and campaigns to do so. Strengths Offshore have young designers who would create lively dynamic flip-flop prints and produce products every season where it releases a new set of flip-flop collection. The collection theme and color scheme match with the current season trends and styles. This ensures that the product is in line  with the current market trend and taste of its potential clients and customers. Offshore has a strong quality control. A couple of market tests are done across different Asian countries, before mass producing a new design. The rigorous quality control process in its production line minimizes the volume of product defects and returns. It also ensures that the products produced are in top condition/quality with regards to its durability and comfort that it will give to its users. Offshore enjoys low costs of production by acquiring all raw materials and outsourcing the production from China but still maintains good quality products. Weaknesses Offshore has low brand equity because the market is dominated by the Brazilian flip-flop brands as they set the trend for a new image for trendy, sleek, chic designs of these slippers. The company hasn’t done any marketing ads in the past. Another factor is that its brand name â€Å"Offshore† is quite difficult to be recalled and is not easily perceived as a slipper/flip-flop. Opportunities Offshore is a product that is all-Filipino designed and advocates beaches here in our country. This may help in promoting their product to showcase the essence of attractive Philippine beaches and the Filipino spirit in whole. The government implements intensive promotion for tourism. This will likely increase the tourist population and beach goers in our country which may be used by Offshore as an opportunity to communicate their product as the perfect companion when you are taking the time off or when you are offshore. Threats Offshore is highly dependent on its import in China and they are subject to price fluctuations in the said country. Other countries have travel advisory/bans to our country which not only affects the number of tourists in our country but also the movement/travel of goods and services. Target Market Offshore has a broad geographic and demographic target market- from kids to  adult male and female who seeks a pair of slippers/flip-flops as an everyday casual wear that would complement their current fashion trends. It tries to capture intermediate market by producing comfortable and high quality products in much lower prices catering to the normal market. This is troublesome for the customers, since low pricing is attributable to low quality products. Offshore must make up its mind by tapping the right market for its products. Market Segmentation Flipflop styles and design vary according its target market. The market segmentation is based on the lifestyle of the customer just like garments industry. Since flipflops nowadays are not just everyday casual footwear but a fashion statement too. Three market segments can be identified in terms of buying behavior and income levels. The elevated market includes the upper class socio-economic class (SEC) from upper A to upper C demographics. The customers in this segment can afford purchasing luxury items and wth their profligate way of living. This group shops for imported shoes ranging from Php1,000 to Php2,500 a pair in the local retail market. Preference leans towards Brazilian slippers like Havaianas and Ipanema and German brands such as Birdenstock. They frequented concept stores and even online stores. The intermediate market consumers are primarily concerned with the price and comfort of flipflops. They are composed of middle C to upper D demographics of the SEC’s. This group is given high regard to the value of money. Slippers produced for this market are normally of good quality if not excellent, and prices range from Php250 to Php500 a pair. This group purchases in big department stores such as SM and Robinsons. Last category would be the normal market; this group opts to forego quality for price. This composed of low income laborers such as lower D to E socio-economic class. The price points of flipflops for this group are around Php 50-100. They usually buy in local market places and from sidewalk vendors. Current Position Offshore wants to be known not only as a Philippine flip-flop brand but also as casual footwear that offers utmost comfortable mobility and durability. It offers its product at a lower price with the goal of a pair of Offshore for every Filipino. The Y-axis is for the price and the X-axis is the degree of being stylish (right side being most stylish). Stylish meaning that a person buys a good/product to look good in the public. The international brands (Havainas, Ipanema, and Grendha) are perceived to be more stylish with higher prices. The design and appearance of the products are also a big factor of the perception of the market. Crocs being a high price but a little indifferent/middle with being stylish is caused by the current trend and acceptance of the market with closed front slippers. Offshore implements new product design every season to reflect market trends and style but the product is perceived as a low cost and at the left side of being stylish. The Y-axis is for the price and the X-axis is the durability (right side being most durable). The international brands are perceived to be durable due to their marketing effort and communicating to the market that they use special rubber that makes their product more durable. Another notable in the graph is the local brand Islander. For a long period of time, it has captured the title of being durable in the market because of its thick base. Offshore produces good quality products and the production process undergo a strict quality control; but, the low price level associates it as a China brand with low quality. Marketing Mix Product Although Offshore brags of its creative talented team of young Filipino designers, the designs and collection failed to capture the spirit of Filipino culture. Offshore has three sets of collection which all lack distinctive designs that will relive the Philippine beaches and Filipino  tradition. As shown in the pictures above, the collection normally focuses on stripes and floral prints which look normal. These are usual designs for slippers. Price Offshore is priced at a 100php for all categories (kids, men and women). Its price is almost at the lower bound of the prices in the department store which is 60php and way too far from the price of the market leaders. Offshore is cheap while at the same of good quality. The current price level is perceived by the local market as low-quality china brand. Place Currently, Offshore is distributed in popular local department stores, SM, Robinson’s and others. It is placed in the footwear section of the department together with slippers of the same prices, ranging from Php60-750. Promotions Offshore has set-up its own user-friendly website where photos of all available designs and collection are displayed. Offshore products may also be purchased from numerous e-business website such as alibaba.com and olx.com. Recommendations Positioning Statement Offshore shall be the most-preferred choice of flipflops in the C and D markets for its perceived quality as well as its ability to complement everyday casual wear with current fashion trends. Details of Proposed Positioning and Justification Proposed Positioning Having a low price is not bad, and actually it can work to Offshore advantage since more customers shall shift to them as long as they can communicate that they can provide quality flipflops. The only problem is this: their  price is so low that they are more or less on par with those of the China brands or other local brands which are perceived of having low quality. That is why they are perceived by the market the same way as they perceive the former. Thus, we propose for Offshore to slightly increase their prices to distinguish it further from the other local brands. Increasing the price level at 180-220php will lead their market position move slightly higher and will increase attention from potential buyers. These buyers seek to buy items at a significant price level that they consider an item to be stylish. Again, increasing the price level at 180-220php will lead their market position move slightly higher and will change the perception about the product. The price change will change the perception about the product and avoid being associated with China brands or other local brands. Proposed Marketing Mix and Implementation Product The company should try to create its own women collection as women accounts for 70 percent of flipflop buyers. This will greatly increase its potential customers and potential market share. Other product collection should be maintained especially that there is an upward trend for the purchasing behavior of men. The company should continue its new seasonal products to reflect current season trends and styles. They should try to focus on communicating their beach and filipino designs in their product. They could also produce couple designs or paired Offshore to increase/improve the buying process and venture on producing boxes or bags with delicate design for these products. These boxes or bags will serve as the flipflop holders for customers who still wants to be fashionable even if not wearing their flipflops. Price The current prices of Offshore fall within the price range of other not so popular local brands which are perceived to have low quality. Offshore shall therefore increase its price to distinguish itself from these brands while maintaining its affordability versus foreign brands. Slightly increasing the  price to180-220php will communicate product quality rooted to its strong quality control. To justify the increase in price, the product shall be packaged with intricate designed flipflop holders as discussed earlier. Place Offshore should maintain its distribution strategy in popular local department stores as these place is where people who have the capability to buy such goods often go. The company should request the footwear section of the department to group together the slippers of the same prices, ranging from Php180-300. This strategy would lessen the shelf competition and Offshore would appear as the lowest price in the section but at the same level with other brands with good quality. It is also a chance to showcase its design level with others. The company also may hire sales personnel to further guide customers on what and how the product is and to communicate the message of casual footwear that offers utmost comfortable mobility and durability. Promotions Offshore should try to tie-up with hotels or tourist destination w/ footwear package. This will be helpful in communicating the beach or Filipino designs of the company and at the same time giving the customer memento of their visit in the place or experience. The company may implement various below-the-line (BTL) marketing strategies like giving fliers and placing posters in places with high foot traffic. The company should maintain and utilize its current site to communicate its current products. They can also maximize other social networking device to increase market awareness and also communicate its message in a bigger market.