Potential Impacts of Terrorists Aattacks Term Paper - 1

Potential Impacts of Terrorists Aattacks - Term Paper Example The researcher states that the terrorist attack on September 11 has caused enormous devastation to the society. Nevertheless, the administration had taken serious actions to avert such terror campaign performances but it did not handle to put off the terrorist assault. The management did not have retort systems to aware people of the assault. This was quite difficult for the society to avert the attack. The attack of September 11 strained the government to build up ways to put off terrorism actions like cultural profiling and enrichment of safety measures. Communities have opted to oppose terrorism initiatives to avoid the coming terrorism attacks. The community counter terrorism proposal focussed in avoiding any terrorist assault in the society. Terrorist proceedings have become very familiar in the public like bombing. Terrorists have regularly bombed many constructions leading to deaths. The counter-terrorism plan will assist to stop the bombing of many buildings in the district. The programme stated the methods to be used to oppose the terrorist harassment. The attacks of terrorism have unfavourable effects on humanity and on the nation itself. Such attacks lead to have psychological, behavioural, and neurobiological shock to the civilization. Moreover, such terrorist attacks root to have cognitive effects on the community. It also influenced elderly and disabled people. Vivid research has been done to establish the shock of terrorism on kids, aged people and other people in the community. Researchers disagreed that terrorism like other tragedies has caused gloominess among the victims and their families. The sufferers suffer out of huge losses as a result it becomes very difficult for them to come out of the loss and pain and to live again a normal healthy livelihood.

Web Usability and interactive design Essay Example for Free

Web Usability and interactive design Essay The primary component is the look and feel which has been taken care really well. The combination of colors with a white background is quite vibrant in this website. The font is appropriately large to depict and propagate the message which the site aims to deliver. The layout of the index page provides detail information with respect to the site offerings. The placement of search facility is provided at the top right side of the page which makes it quite relevant. The usable features are as follows: †¢ Search facility is provided †¢ Layout of the page with respect to information depiction is quite well maintained †¢ Examples for certain procedures are provided which makes the site quite useful in nature †¢ Content is clear and simple, there are no flamboyant designs or images. It depicts professionalism in content. †¢ The most important content is presented well for user awareness for the site †¢ The content representation, layout, colors, typefaces are very ethical in practice †¢ Tagline appears in every page †¢ The contact page takes care of visitor feedback using their mail and telephone services The following are the suggestions for making the site more usable: †¢ The content is to some extent low on usability as the process is depicted in simple text and no diagrams or process models charts are used. Having a clear diagram would make the site speak for itself and visitors would be able to visualize the content rather than reading long texts. †¢ Navigation is not quite clear, it cannot be ascertained where one is in the entire process of learning. Links or absolute path names could be used to give a notion to the visitors for the path they have traveled across the website. Site 2: http://www. transparencynow. com/index. html The look and feel is not up to the mark for this site. The following are the features which score on non-usability are as follows: †¢ The look of the site is dull with respect to the above site (site 1). The colors used are not suitable for giving a proper message. The color is not consistent in the navigation of pages. †¢ The font is not enough large to depict and propagate the message which the site aims to deliver. †¢ The layout of the index page provides detail information with respect to the site offerings; the information is so huge that one would be lost in that. †¢ There is no search facility provided at the site. †¢ Tagline does not appear in every page †¢ Long texts make the content quite boring in nature and one would be lost in the information pool †¢ Navigation has not been taken care. The usable features are as follows: †¢ Layout of the page with respect to information depiction †¢ Content is clear and simple, small pictures are provided for propagation †¢ The most important content is presented in the content page well for user awareness for the site. One can improve the site by following the usability suggestions: †¢ The look of the site must be changed with more lively colors so that one gets to have proper look and feel. The color requires being consistent in the navigation of pages. †¢ The font requires being a little larger and more prominent for propagation. †¢ The text must be classified into various groups so that they are given a representation and promote visibility †¢ Tagline must be made to appear in every page †¢ Navigation links with the path names must be provided to enable a user to know where they are. The sites which I visit often are Ebay. com and Monster. com Ebay. com, an online superstore, ranks quite high on usability and has the following features of usability: †¢ Content is presented quite in a coherent manner with short descriptions and images †¢ Colors and text used promote visibility to a high extent †¢ Navigation links and path names are adhered to its full swing †¢ Search facility is provided †¢ Contact and feedback mechanisms are regulated to its full extent Monster. com is one of most recognized sites for jobs that have very high usable features which make it successful in practice. †¢ Content is presented precisely and makes use of text and visual representation in a tightly coupled format †¢ Colors and text used promote visibility to a high extent, it depicts professionalism and at the same time deliver the desired result †¢ Navigation links and path names are taken care well which takes care of the visitor’s coordinates †¢ Search facility is provided that makes the visitor to easily locate information and not scan the entire site †¢ Contact and feedback mechanisms are regulated to its full extent Conclusion The general issues of usability rest on the factors like content, text, color, navigation links, feedback options and others. If a website envelopes all the necessary usable features then it pulls traffic to a great extent and enables them to take an action. I have learned that high usability features is quite necessary to provide visibility to the website over the internet. The layout and content is enormously essential for attracting crowds and allow more clicks to their website. References / Bibliography Usability. gov. Retrieved on 2 October, 2007 from http://www. usability. gov/ . Transparencynow. com. Retrieved on 2 October, 2007 from http://www. transparencynow. com/index. html. Netmechanic. com. Retrieved on 2 October, 2007 from http://www. netmechanic. com/news/vol7/design_no4. htm.

Views of Heaven in From the Fifteenth District :: Fifteenth District

Views of Heaven in From the Fifteenth District Mavis Gallant presents us with a disconcerting view of death in the short story "From the Fifteenth District," where dying is not a salvation from the pains of life but where the dead are forced to suffer eternally. In this story, the author sets out three distinct cases of 'haunting,' except that these hauntings are reported by the dead about the living. Major E. Travella, killed during World War I, is angry that he is being exploited by the church and the public. Mrs. Ibrahim is upset that her doctor and social worker are fighting over her death. Finally, Ms. Essling is frustrated that she is unable to get on with her 'life' after death because of her husband. All three of these individuals are harboring anger and hostility after death and are unable to move on and rest in peace. Major Emery Travella feels as if the church is trying to capitalize on his death. When the Major visits the church for Communion he realizes that the congregation is not there to pay tribute to God but instead, "the congregation sits, hushed and expectant straining to hear [his] footsteps" (282) which signal his haunting of the church. The Major is upset that the church is allowing the congregation to make a mockery of the church by devoting their time to him instead of the Communion which should be the reason they are there. The church is also trying to profit by the Major's haunting by allowing cameras and tape recorders into their place of prayer. Travella feels that the church is sacred and is supposed to be seen as a place of worship, not a place to record abnormal phenomena. Major E. Travella feels that he is not being respected by the congregation, instead, he is being insulted by people only caring about him because he is a ghost, not because of who he was as a living per son. Mrs. Ibrahim is bothered that her doctor and social worker cannot settle their differences in opinion in their accounts of her death. She does not see the point of fighting over her because she is no longer living and has died of natural causes. They are both lying to save themselves from punishment, and even though no one was at fault, they were both trying to place the blame on the other.

Identity, image, and reputation: an interdisciplinary framework and suggested terminology Essay

Building a vibrant and positive corporate reputation is the endeavor of every company, whether it is large-scale or small-scale. Indeed, the growth and development of the company is edged in its ability to enact feasible mechanisms of enhancing corporate reputation. Both internal and external stakeholders depend on corporate reputation to measure a company’s performance. It is from the corporate reputation that a company can define its fundamental place in the market. Ryanair, an Irish airline company with an expansive European market displays the impact of corporate reputation on the performance of the company. Despite the company’s growth over the years, reputational challenges have rocked its performance in a highly competitive business environment. Customer satisfaction, corporate image and corporate identity have suffered heavily because of its negative corporate reputation. In an effort to bolster its affairs with major stakeholders, Michael O’ Leary, the c ompany’s CEO has sought to find ways of effectively managing the company’s corporate reputation. This report identifies the reputational challenges affecting Ryanair, and recommending corporate communication frameworks of improving customer service, enhancing corporate image and identity, developing positive publicity and building a strong corporate reputation for the company. Managing Corporate Reputation             Today’s business environment is extremely dynamic and competitive in nature; a company’s corporate success depends on a myriad of factors. Among these factors is corporate reputation. A company’s reputation fundamentally defines its performance and jurisdiction in the market place. A company’s internal and external environments play instrumental roles in influencing its corporate reputation’s index. In essence, corporate reputation influences the trends that the company’s stakeholders develop towards it, for instance, it affects customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and employee retention (Chun 2005, p 91). In an age whereby businesses are facing numerous challenges, managing corporate reputation is an imperative business strategy, as it will certainly develop internal and external corporate portfolios to initiate success. Managing corporate reputation entails the deliberate articulation of feasible leadership structures and developing coherent internal and external business environments, which consequently result into quality products and services. Moreover, a robust corporate reputation is significant in establishing a vibrant relationship between a company and its stakeholders. According to corporate reputation theory, managing a company’s corporate reputation requires an integration of the fundamental elements that influence its corporate image and identity. Hence, according to Institute of Directors (1999), a positive corporate reputation is a valuable intangible asset that attracts a large customer base and invites investments from potential shareholders. Ryanair is an Irish airline company that since its inception has continued to influence the European airline industry. Despite its far-reaching influence in the market, Ryanair has corporate reputation issues that affect its corporate ima ge and identity, which has strained its stakeholder relations. Addressing the corporate reputation issues require a revamp of its systems in order to build a strong corporate reputation. 2.0 Application 2.1 Reputational challenges             Since its inception in 1984, Ryanair has experienced commendable growth from being a small airline to one of Europe’s largest airline companies. A pertinent aspect that has enabled Ryanair to have an exponential growth in the industry in its low-cost business model; it currently cuts across 28 European countries. With over 8,500 staff members, Ryanair has certainly been establishing itself as a potential destination for airline customers. Despite its massive expansion, reputational challenges continue to rock the company. Customer satisfaction is on the decline, with customers expressing concerns about its awful services. Inconsiderate treatment of customers has damaged the reputation of the company and jeopardizes its ability to grow. For example, customers on business travels continuously express their concerns because of delays and unprofessional ways of handling customers. Moreover, a communication lapse between Ryanair and its major stakeholders has threatened its corporate reputation. Poor communication services with its customers have resulted into degraded services and negative feedback, thus further damaging the company’s corporate image. Decreased profits precipitated by the prevailing corporate trends in the company have also raised eyebrows among its key stakeholders. The decline in the company’s profit index poses a negative corporate reputation since financial stability is an imperative aspect of defining a business’ success. Thus, the reputational challenges call for necessary interventions in resurfacing the company. 2.2 Current situation             Currently, Ryanair’s major stakeholders are not satisfied with the diminishing corporate reputation of the company. Stakeholders are the parties that contribute in the running of a business; they are the people who influence or are influenced by the decisions of the company. The stakeholder theory gives a framework for identifying the interested parties in the business, as well as how the management should accord value to the parties that influence the running of the business (Phillips 2011 p 25). The stakeholders’ concerns stem from the current stunted growth in the company, and its inability to make further breakthroughs in the market. The company’s diminishing corporate image jeopardizes its potential for growth in a competitive market. In view of the stakeholder theory, Ryanair’s management has failed in its mandate to satisfy customers, who are the major stakeholder. Customer satisfaction is on a decreasing streak. Surveys are constantly showing that Ryanair is trailing behind its major competitors in the industry. This is attributed to the high dissatisfaction levels expressed by its customers, in respect to customer services. Provision of quality services is an impetus to market expansion and a large customer base. The absence of this factor has resulted into poor feedback from the customers. Also, Michael O’ Leary, the CEO of the company has noted that there is a need to break from the historical business models and introduce viable and strategic models that fit in today’s corporate world. The concerns of the external stakeholders including shareholders and customers have contributed to the current position of the airline company’s management. Based on a strategic management model, the management of the company is mandated to readjust its internal and external business environments to meet its objectives. 3.0 The challenge 3.1 Scope of the challenge             The biggest challenge affecting Ryanair is a negative corporate reputation in the airline industry. The negative reputation has virtually affected its corporate image and identity. A company’s corporate image refers to what its external stakeholders see (Chun 2005 p 95). For example, the relationship between a company and its customers defines the way they view it. Conversely, corporate identity, describes the strategic values of a company edged in its vision, mission and philosophy (Chun 2005, p 97). Moreover, due to the company’s poor service delivery to customers, negative publicity has certainly taken shape; hence, affecting its relationship with stakeholders. A critical analysis of the current situations facing Ryanair shows that both the internal and external environments of the company face negative effects from the reputational issues. From a strategic perspective, the reputational challenges that Ryanair faces threaten to put it on the losing end of competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is the ability to win out competition in a highly competitive market (Castellion 2010 p 935). Though it is a low-cost airline, the services it offers are not satisfactory to many of its customers; hence, it stands to lose potential customers to other high quality competitors like British Airways. In addition, from a strategic management perspective, the corporate reputational challenges affecting the company pose threats and increases operational weaknesses, which limit its potential growth in the market. From an organizational perspective, the inability of a company to have viable platforms of controlling its resources exposes it to negative consequences including shrinking its corporate identity portfolio (Fombrun & Riel 2004 p 17). The objectives of a company cannot be realized without adequate organizational management. Ryanair’s short-sightedness in its corporate image is attributed to its inability to manage its resources well. Additionally, the failure of instituting a coherent way of integrating the organizational functions of the company negatively affects its overall performance. 3.2 Impact of reputational issues on the organization and its stakeholders             The reputational issues have far-reaching effects on the organization as well as its stakeholders. The enterprise risks losing its customers to other airline companies because of its inability to provide quality services. Customer satisfaction is an important aspect in meeting the clients’ needs, the major stakeholders in a company (Jacobson & Mizik 2009 p 815-817). Based on the case, the company’s casual way of handling customers has the potential of damaging its corporate image. Moreover, the company’s vision and objectives cannot be met with precision because of its blurred potential to make a breakthrough in the market. Reduced profits reported by the company implies that its financial stability faces a major blow; hence, affecting its operations greatly. Shareholders, who are important stakeholders in the company, will certainly be affected by the reduction of the shares value. The reputational challenges affecting Ryanair pose a huge risk on its market share. Additionally, customers fail to get value for their money, and shift their focus on alternative service providers. Suppliers of pertinent resources to the airline company also face the risk of losing the business relationship because of the heightened loss of corporate image and identity. 4.0 Proposal             Based on the case study, Ryanair, through the leadership of its CEO, Michael O’ Leary should enact feasible communication platforms of intervening in the corporate reputation challenges affecting the company. Enacting viable communication channels with its stakeholders will certainly play an instrumental role in restoring a positive corporate reputation. Thus, improving the company’s customer service, identity and image, restoring positive publicity and developing a strong corporate reputation for the company will require a sound communication portfolio with its major stakeholders. Improving the company’s customer service, identity and image             This will require deliberate efforts from the company’s management. Empowering the staff is vital in improving customer services. Zeithaml, V. (2000) asserts that investing in adequate human resource frameworks that increase the capacity of the staff is considerable in improving customer service relations. Training employees on the most proficient ways of serving customers are instrumental in developing viable communication links. This will consequently improve the company’s relationship with its customers, who are imperative external stakeholders. Of importance still, investing in a highly empowered human resource will enhance the company’s corporate identity by meeting its goals and objectives. Meeting the clients’ needs by availing quality services will greatly help  in establishing a cohesive business relationship. Brown et al. (2005), highlight that a customer’s delight is in receiving value for his money. Through providing quality airline services, the company is certainly communicating its desire to meet the needs of its customers. Indeed, the customers’ satisfaction is a way of expressing a continuous and successful business relationship. Consequently, this will undoubtedly improve the company’s corporate image by meeting the customers’ expectations. Instituting a communication platform among the key stakeholders will be pertinent in addressing the reputational issues of the airline company. Based on the expansive nature of Ryanair, it is significant to have an online and accessible feedback platform whereby the company’s management can communicate with its customers. This will enhance the company’s sensitivity to its customers’ needs and make them their primary concern. This is a practical way of enhancing customer service and building a strong corporate image and identity. Gaining positive publicity             Gaining a positive public image is an important step towards the change that Ryanair needs to implement. Having a positive public image is a major boost in the success of any business (Caruana and Chircop 2000, pp 45-50). Given the large European market that Ryanair operates in, embracing a positive public image will enhance its chances of success. Firstly, the management of the company needs to develop organizational management frameworks that control the resources of the company with utmost proficiency. The management of the company is vital in disseminating a company’s functions to the relevant parties. The management, being a major stakeholder in the company has the obligation of ensuring that the internal environment of the company is articulating management issues vehemently. This calls for the employees to work collaboratively with the management in affecting the external stakeholders positively. The effective business communication grounding between the management and employees will produce results that will precipitate positive publicity for Ryanair. As a result, the considerable organizational management will influence positive publicity by increasing customer confidence. An increase in customer confidence is sufficient in arousing the airline’s public image; hence, gaining positive publicity. Customer confidence in the management portfolio of the company will be crucial in diversifying its market jurisdiction. On the same note, advertising agencies and suppliers who form a key component of the company’s external stakeholders will play a crucial role in improving Ryanair’s positive publicity. With credible communication platforms between the external stakeholders and the company, it is without a doubt that the company will develop a positive publicity. Developing a strong corporate reputation             Developing a strong corporate reputation is a fundamental tool in ensuring that Ryanair remains a reputable airline company in the industry. Indeed, this calls for compelling communication frameworks among the stakeholders of the company. True, the airline industry features as extremely diverse; hence, the need for investing in the best publicity platforms. Spreading information is an aspect of publicity that should be implemented with ease in order for the company to increase its chances of success. Information about structural changes in the airline industry should be communicated in the best way possible for the purpose of initiating viable communication structures between the internal and external stakeholders. Thus, initiating feasible publicity frameworks is a credible way of surfacing a strong corporate reputation by improving communication among the key stakeholders in Ryanair airlines. Crisis control in the company is a pertinent aspect in securing a strong corporate reputation in the company. The management of the company should set up platforms for ensuring that crisis management is articulated vehemently. Chun and Davies (2006) point out that the crisis management is imperative in any ambitious company because risks are inevitable in the global market. In this respect, reputational risk management for Ryanair is an integral base in the staging of a strong corporate reputation. Through amicable communication platforms, the internal stakeholders of the company have the capacity to address the reputational issues affecting it. It is necessary to bring together the functions of the management and employees with the expectations of the external stakeholders. This creates a cordial business relation that undoubtedly builds a strong corporate reputation. In essence, in order to enhance the company’s reputational competence, there is a need for the diverse stakeholders to work together in tandem. 5.0 Conclusion             In conclusion, it is evidently clear that managing corporate reputation is an important function of any ambitious company. In the case of Ryanair airlines, its expansive market calls for feasible communication strategies to secure a solid corporate reputation portfolio. The success of the company fundamentally depends on its ability to initiate practical corporate reputation strategies. Training employees, providing quality services and securing effective communication platforms will certainly enhance customer satisfaction and build the company’s identity and image. Thus, this calls for prioritizing the needs of the customers and making them principal stakeholders. Additionally, the need for a credible publicity is significant in the growth expansion of the company’s positive publicity. Lastly, building a strong corporate reputation requires the collaborative actions of all major stakeholders. References Brown, T.J., Dacin, P.A., Pratt, M.G. and Whetten, D.A. (2005). Identity, image, and reputation: an interdisciplinary framework and suggested terminology. Paper presented at the Academy of Marketing Science Conference, Tampa, FL. Chun, R. (2005). Corporate reputation: Meaning and measurement. International Journal of Management Reviews Volume 7 Issue 2 pp. 91–109. Caruana, A. and Chircop, S. (2000). Measuring corporate reputation: a case example. Corporate Reputation Review, 3(1), 43–57. Chun, R. and Davies, G. (2006). The influence of corporate character on customers and employees: exploring similarities and differences. Journal of Academy of Marketing Science (JAMS), 34(2) Castellion, G. (2010). The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking Is the Next Competitive Advantage by Roger Martin and Design-Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean by Roberto Verganti. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 27(6), 931-935.Fombrun, C. J., & Riel, C. B. (2004). Fame & fortune how successful companies build winning reputations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.Institute of Directors (IOD) (1999). Reputation Management: Strategies for Protecting Companies, their Brands and their Directors. London: Director Publications (Director’s Guide Series). Jacobson, R., & Mizik, N. (2009). The Financial Markets and Customer Satisfaction: Reexamining Possible Financial Market Mispricing of Customer Satisfaction. Marketing Science, 28(5), 810-819.Phillips, R. (2011). Stakeholder theory. Cheltenham, Elgar.Zeithaml, V. (2000). Service quality, profitability, and the economic worth of customers: what we know and what we need to learn. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(1), 67–85. Source document

Effects of Globalization Essay

Globalisation has been the most debated topic among businesspeople, economists and politicians in the recent years. Globalisation is defined as â€Å"the shift towards a more integrated interdependent world economy† (Hill, Cronk, & Wickramasekera, 2008). The trend towards greater globalization has been driven by two macro factors. The first factor is the declining trade and investment barriers that have occurred since the end of World War 2 (Hill, Cronk, & Wickramasekera, 2008). The next factor is the dramatic technology developments in recent years in communication, information processing and transportation (Hill, Cronk, & Wickramasekera, 2008). The following research will focus on the positive and negative impacts of globalisation on jobs, wages, the environment, working condition and national sovereignty. Jobs Benefits Heckscher-Ohlin theory asserts that more abundant a factor, the lower its cost (Hill, Cronk, & Wickramasekera, 2008). High population countries like China and India, which provide abundant labours in low cost, can attract more investment from overseas. Hence, globalization can boost greater employment opportunities in less developed countries (Ghose, 2000). For example, the rapidly expanding rose industry in Ecuador generates US$240 million in sales and supports tens of thousands of jobs in Ecuador (Thompson, 2003). Apart from that, India’s computer-software and service, which is undertaking the outsourced office functions for companies based in United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, has employed 1.3 million people in 2006 (Bhattacharjee, 2006). In addition, Accenture, which is a large US management consulting and information technology firm, has recently created 5000 jobs opportunities in software development and accounting in Philippines (Birnbaum, n.d.). Procter & Gamble has also employed 650 professionals who prepare the global tax returns for the company in the Philippines (Engardio, Bernstein, & Kripalani, 2003). The ANZ bank in Australia decided to increase 1100 employees in its Indian Information Technology operations based in Bangalore (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2005). Logitech as one of the world’s largest producers of computer mouse, has employed 4000 workers to assemble mouse in its own factory in Suzhou, China (Chief Executive, 2003). Costs However, globalization critics argue that technological change in globalization that favored skilled workers may have further depressed the demand for low-skilled workers (Goldberg & Pavcnik, 2007). Nissanke & Thorbecke (2008) also claim that new technology is heavily biased in favour of skilled and educated labour. Globalization is a threat for jobs losses to countries with lower cost structures due to lack of regulation or inadequate enforcement of labour, health, safety and environmental standards (Foley, 2006). For example, over 350 workers were retrenched in Australia and New Zealand as the manufacture plant of the iconic boot maker, Blundstone, would be shifted to Asia (Barlow, 2007). Apart from that, the Bank of America cut nearly 5000 jobs from its US-based information technology workforce and transferred some of these jobs to India since the work that costs $100 an hour in the United States can be done for $20 an hour in India (Engardio, Bernstein, & Kripalani, 2003). Apply the mercantilism theory, the ANZ bank’s step to increase employees in Bangalore will cost job loss in Australia while trying to save cost for the bank. Wages Benefits Workers in less developed countries can earn higher wages as a consequence of globalization (Brunner, 2003). Lustig’s study (1998) also shows that wages of skilled workers increased by more than 15 percent. For instance, a worker in Ecuador earns the equivalent of US$210 a month which is substantially above the country’s minimum wage of US$120 a month (Thompson, 2003). Levi Strauss & Co favours to do business with partners who provide wages and benefits that fulfill the applicable laws and match the prevailing local industry practices under the Global Sourcing and Operating Guidelines of the company (Levi Strauss & Co, n.d.). Costs On the other hand, globalization has reduced the wages of unskilled labor relative to high skilled labor in Latin America (Wood, 1997). According to Lustig (1998), wages of unskilled workers fell by 15 percent as a result of free trade. Environment Benefits Although there are many cases that show multinationals have caused many severe environmental damages, there are also multinationals that help preserve the environment. One of the examples will be The Body Shop. The company uses as little packaging as possible in order to conserve natural resources and reduce waste (Bartlett, Elderkin, & McQuade, 1991). Customers are encouraged to bring old containers to the shop to refill as a consequence in getting a discount on the next purchase by doing so (Bartlett, Elderkin, & McQuade, 1991). The Body Shop has made an agreement with the Kayapo Indians, who harvest Brazil nuts in the Amazon rain forest. One of the goals of the agreement is to protect the plants in the Kayapo Indians harvest in the rain forest (Bartlett, Elderkin, & McQuade, 1991). The company is now introducing plastic bottles made from 100 % recycled material. It replaced all its carrier bags with 100 per cent recycled and recyclable paper bags in 2008. It a lso increased the recycled content in the gift packaging (The Body Shop, 2009). Starbucks is another good example to show its corporate ethic in preserving the environment. For example, Starbucks is using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED ® certification program as a benchmark in constructing their high performance green buildings. (LEED ® is short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) (Starbucks, 2010). Starbucks offers a 10-cent discount in the U.S. and Canada to encourage customers to use their own mugs or tumblers for their beverages. Starbucks introduced Grounds for Your Garden in 1995, which offers its customers complimentary five-pound bags of used coffee grounds to enrich garden soil (Starbucks, 2010). Costs Environmentalists believe that globalization can threaten the planet’s ecosystems (Jabbra & Dwivedi, 2004). They argued that the world is facing severe environmental challenges such as global warming, water pollution and acid rain (Jabbra & Dwivedi, 2004). For example, California winemaker Robert Mondavi planned to invest in a project in France to produce high quality wine that would be sold in Europe. However, the plan had been objected by the local environmentalists since they argued that the plan would destroy the ecological heritage of the area (Henley, 2001). The formation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1994 was opposed to allow US manufacturing firms to freely pollute the environment after moving to Mexico (Chaote, 1993). A BHP majority-owned mine was responsible for discharging the by-products from mining into the pristine Ok Tedi river in Papua New Guinea which can cause severe environmental damage. There was a dislocation of the local villagers as a result of the severe pollution (Lafitte, 1995). Shell as one of the largest oil producers in the world has been criticised for causing major oil spill incidents which results in the death of most agriculture and the contaminated of the farming land in Nigeria (Hinman, 1993). The solution to the problem is not to roll back the globalization efforts that have led to economic growth. In fact, it is to get all the nations of the world to set higher limit standard on pollutions. Working Condition Benefits Evidence indicates that foreign ownership improves the working conditions in the process of raising wages (Brown, Deardorff, & Stern, 2002). For instance, some responsible growers in Ecuador have joined a voluntary program aimed at helping customers to identify responsible growers. The growers have distributed protective gear, trained workers in using chemicals, and hired doctor to visit workers at least a week (Thompson, 2003). Under the Global Sourcing and Operating Guidelines of the company, Levi Strauss & Co favours partners who utilize less than sixty-hour work weeks and will not use contractors who require in excess of a sixty-hour work week (Levi Strauss & Co, n.d.). Levi Strauss & Co will only do business with partners who provide workers with a safe and healthy work environment (Levi Strauss & Co, n.d.). Business partners who provide residential facilities for their workers must provide safe and healthy facilities. For instance, Levi Strauss & Co terminated a long term contract with one of its large suppliers after discovering it allegedly forcing 1200 Chinese and Filipino women to work 74 hours per week in guarded compounds on the Mariana Islands (Donaldson, 1996). Unilever has a code of ethics to provide safe and healthy working conditions for all employees. Unilever implemented a coordinated response across all its operations to combat the outbreak of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus around the world. For instance, Unilever provided clear guidelines to its operations on how to respond to the pandemic, posted materials across the office and factory, highlighted the simple steps individuals could take to protect themselves and made sanitizers available in appropriate locations (Unilever, 2010). Unilever requires all its professional drivers worldwide to have regular medical check-ups to ensure their fitness to drive and have also banned the use of mobile phones while driving (Unilever, 2010). Unilever has globally launched a campaign named Lamplighter which involves coaching employees individually on their exercise, nutrition and mental resilience, and monitoring their progress through an initial check-up and six-monthly follow-ups (Unilever, 2010) . Costs According to Schaeffer (2003), globalization has contributed significantly to the poor working condition of workers. Some critics also state that globalization has a deleterious effect on working conditions of workers in most of the developing country (Frenkel & Kuruvilla, 2002). For example, workers in Ecuador always fumigate roses in normal clothes without any protective equipment (Thompson, 2003). Some scientists state that many employees in the industry have serious health problems as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals (Thompson, 2003). A study from the International Labour Organisation claimed that female employees in the industry had more miscarriages than average and 60% of the workers suffered from headaches, nausea, blurred vision and fatigue (Thompson, 2003). Apart from that, Nike has always been accused for violating the employees’ right in the workplace. In 2001, the Panorama team uncovered occurrences of child labour and sweatshop working conditions in a Cambodian factory used by Nike. They work seven days a week, often up to sixteen hours a day (Kenyon, 2000). Workers reported that they were punished to clean toilets or run around factory grounds as a penalty for being late (BBC News, 2001). There were also reports of workers being coerced into sex and being fondled by managers (BBC News, 2001). Workers still work in dangerous conditions such as inhaling toxic chemicals and losing fingers in cutting machines (BBC News, 2002). While auditing 569 factories in 2003 and 2004, Nike found that up to 50 percent of the contract factories restrict workers’ access to toilets and drinking water during the work day (MSNBC, 2005). National Sovereignty Cost Economic globalization has caused the loss of national sovereignty as the inability of national governments to control their citizens (Allison, 2000). Schaeffer (2003) also claims that globalization has prompted a nation to have limited sovereignty. This is because increasingly interdependent global economy shifts economic power away from national government and towards supranational organizations like the World Trade Organisations (WTO), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations. WTO can instruct a member state to alter trade policies that violate GATT regulations. If the violator refuses to do so, the WTO allows other states to impose trade sanction on the transgressor. The European Union (EU) lost its national sovereignty while banning the imports of hormone-treated beef from the United States that might lead to health problem. This is because EU ban was not allowed under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) of World Trade organization (WTO) (Hill, Cronk, & Wickramasekera, 2008). However, EU refused to comply with it and US government imposed 100% tariff on imports of certain EU products (Hill, Cronk, & Wickramasekera, 2008). It shows that EU’s decision is bind under GATT. Nigeria has lost its national sovereignty in the oil industry since the government is afraid to harm the nation’s economy. Not only do the multinationals take all the profits, they also give all valuable positions to foreign specialists brought in. This only leaves bad, low-paying jobs to the locals. As a result, the country does not receive any profit it should for natural resources found on its land. (Combating the exploitation of workers in developing nations by multinational corporations, n.d.). Conclusion Last but not least, it is not surprised to learn the fact that there are winners and losers in the process of globalisation since the costs and beneï ¬ ts of globalization are not equally distributed (O’Hara & Biesecker, 2003). However, â€Å"globalisation has brought more benefits than costs† (Gunter & van der Hoeven, 2004). Globalization is an extremely powerful movement and it is impossible to stop it (Cummins & Venard, 2008). Thus, all countries should involve in free trading in order to enhance the world economy.

Privatization of the American penal system

Privatization of the American penal system Introduction The privatization of the penal system in the United State of America is understood as the transfer of the control of prison and prison-related services from the public sector to the private sector. It is the contracting of the private sector by the federal, state or local government to design, to build and to operate prison services and to run jail services.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Privatization of the American penal system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, private companies may be contracted to provide services like counseling, medical care, food and the maintenance of public prisons and jails. The privatization of the prison system can be traced back to the days of convict lease system, which was practiced by the southern states during the period of reconstruction. This system of convict lease involved the leasing out of prisoners to serve as laborers under the supervision of priva te companies, which could take care of the housing, care and the security of the prisoners. The modern model of prison privatization is different from the ancient model. This is because federal, local, and state governments only contract private companies that are strictly regulated, and only those that are in the position to provide effective care and humane conditions for the prisoners (Joel, 1988). Among the companies that are major players in prison privatization are: Corrections Corporation of America (CCA): this is the oldest, and it operates over sixty private prisons and jails. The GEO group: this is the second largest after CCA, and it operates approximately 47 prison and jail facilities. Cornell Companies: This is also one of the major providers of penal privatization services. It provides such services as drug and substance abuse training, group and individual counseling, life support skills, and educational and vocational training. It places a lot of emphasis on rehabil itation. The USA largely relies on imprisonment as the best alternative to reducing prevalence of crimes. This over reliance on imprisonment is due to the high rates of crimes, public perception, and imprisonment as a political instrument, and miscalculated policies and laws. The rate of imprisonment in the USA is the highest in the world. This is primarily the reason for the demand for privatization of the penal system to relieve the government of the task to handle a large number of prisoners (Hartney, 2006). Debate on Privatization of American Penal System The USA has been acting tough on law breakers and criminal offenders. This has created a lot of problems necessitated by the shortage of prisons’ capacities to handle the pressure of numerous convicted offenders hence resulting in overcrowding, which demands operational outlays and public resistance on the costs incurred in managing prisons. This has prompted the privatization of the penal system to minimize these costs , and it has been actualized in almost half of the American states while others are considering passing legislations to make it operational. Privatization of the penal system is a subject of public debate and there are both opponents and proponents to the debate. In USA, it is the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of prisons to provide prison care and services to inmates. It is also charged with the responsibility of professionalizing prison services to ensure that there is a better administration of all prison operations.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Bureau is responsible for the custody, rehabilitation and care of all inmates in USA. The activities and responsibilities of the Bureau of prisons have in the recent times been usurped by private companies which have been co-opted in the bid to privatize the America penal system (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2011). M y Stand on the Debate: Opposing Privatization of Penal System I totally disagree with the privatization of the penal system in the United States of America. Though the traditional form of the privatization of the penal system relieves the states of the burden of taking care of the inmates, the financial benefits that are obtained from each convict as a payment for the labor services they provide can form part of state total revenue. First, there are several unanswered questions that have raised legal concerns regarding prison privatization. These have been particularly voiced in the state of New York where a lot of reservations regarding privatization of the penal system have been raised due to the fact that in the event that a private company is contracted to guard prisons or the jails, they may be out of context in the exercise of the state’s Taylors law that prohibits public employees from striking. Consequently, a private firm contracted to offer private prison and jail s ervices in Virginia referred as the Keefe Supply Company was sued for using prison labor when the law only permits prison labor to be used for government or civic duties; no court in the country has upheld that privatization of correctional services as unconstitutional. Further more there is an increased fear that the privatization of the penal system will be a perfect opportunity for unscrupulous companies to cut their costs by understaffing the prisons. This is due to the profit motive in their services. This has, however, been taken care of by the contracts which stipulate the particular targets for staffing whereby any private company that does not conform to the terms of the contract risk strong financial penalties (Zito, 2003). There is also concern about recidivism. It has been verified, through several researches, that prisoners in public prisons are less likely to repeat crimes as opposed to the prisoners who are in private prisons. Several jurisdictions consider the privat ization of the penal system as an uncertain venture. Privatization of the penal system is a bad phenomenon due to the fact that private prisons will tend to exploit prison labor for their own profit. There was a case, for example, where the Correctional Corporation of America (CCA) provided several work programs linked to local and national ventures in its state prisons. The prisoners were hired out to perform such tasks as bookbinding, manufacturing, packaging and repackaging, and furniture assembly.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Privatization of the American penal system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This happened in an arrangement between CCA and a third party company which was permitted to operate its activities inside the prison walls. This was against the principle that only permits prison labor to be used by government and Non-Governmental organization and not by any other entity. Such activities by priv ate companies can amount to the misuse of prison labor. There is also skepticism regarding whether or not privatization of the penal system will reduce state, federal, or local government spending. There are also reservations as to whether the prison officers in private prisons have adequate training and whether they can effectively manage the institutions. According to the opponents of privatization, other than opting for privatization of the penal system to avoid overcrowding, overcrowding can be avoided by reducing the penal population. There are also concerns about ethical implications of allowing private companies or organizations that are profit oriented to administer punishment to criminals. Based on the argument by criminologists Michael Reisig and Travis Pratt that central to the debate on the private prison management is the relationship between the state and the citizens concerning how the convicted criminals should be treated; leaving private individuals to punish offend ers therefore lacks meaning, and it is ethically wrong. Consequently, there are ethical issues underlying the business conduct of private companies on how they are be motivated to offer basic and standardized care to the prisoners when their operations are motivated by profit. There have been some arguments and reservations that privatization of the penal system will lead to harsh punishments and sentences for the prisoners. The bottom line is that for a private firm to be profitable, it should be filled in order to maximize on space and facilities (Bosworth, 2002). Furthermore, privately operated prisons have been found to be more expensive than the publicly funded ones. This is against the notion that made states to believe that private prisons can save money.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This notion was proved wrong based on the study and data in Arizona, which concluded that privately operated prisons were expensive to operate than public ones and contracting prison services was likely to cost the tax payer a lot of money. It has also been established that private prisoners only house the healthy prisoners who are cheap to maintain, and they leave the expensive prisoners for the public prisons to maintain (Oppel, 2011). There have been many managerial problems that have been experienced with the privatized prisons. These problems emanate from poor drafting of contracts, limited oversight by contracting agencies and the transfer of inmates with categorization bias requirements in the case where the private prisons may lack enough resources and capabilities to provide for the inmates. Consequently, there may be few companies that are willing to provide privatized prison services hence the government may not obtain the value for its money. Last, I oppose the privatiza tion of the American penal system because there are particular responsibilities that the government is obliged to meet like the safety of the public and the protection of the environment. This, therefore, implies that the provision of prison and incarceration services is the political, social and moral duty of the government. Privatization of the penal system, therefore, will mean that there will be a constitutional competition between the private and the public matters that surround discipline, deprivation of liberty and upholding the constitutional rights of the prisoners. Privatization, may also lead to related issues like of use force and segregation (Austin Coventry, 2001). Conclusion Despite my opposition to the privatization of the American penal system and despite many concerns that are linked to prison privatization, the present trends indicate that intensification of prison privatization is increasing. This is despite the initiatives like FAIR Act enacted during bush admi nistration, which established the requisite quotas for privatization. Privatization does not, however, mean that the government absolutely abandons its responsibility since it will still be the province of the government to identify inmates to be placed under the privatization program; consequently, it is the government that selects the prison facility and the company to be contracted out, and it is the government which oversees and supervises the terms of the contract and ensures that they are followed to the letter, and furthermore, that the government evaluates the performance and progress of the contract. References Austin, J Coventry, G. (2001). Emerging Issues on privatized Prisons. National Criminal Justice Reference Services. Retrieved from: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/181249.pdf Bosworth, M. (2002). The U.S. federal prison. New York, NY: SAGE. Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2011). About the Bureau of Prisons. Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved from: bop.gov/about/index.jsp Hartney, C. (2006). US Rates of Incarceration: A Global Perspective. The National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Retrieved from: nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/2006nov_factsheet_incarceration.pdf Joel, D. (1988). A Guide to Prison Privatization. Heritage Organization. Retrieved from: heritage.org/research/reports/1988/05/bg650-a-guide-to-prison-privatization Oppel, R. (2011, May 18). Private Prisons Found to Offer Little in Savings. New York Times. Retrieved from: nytimes.com/2011/05/19/us/19prisons.html?_r=2pagewanted=all Zito, M. (2003). Prison Privatization: Past and Present. International Foundation for Protection Officers. Retrieved from: ifpo.org/articlebank/prison_privatization.html

Menos Paradox and The Theory essays

Menos Paradox and The Theory essays Menos Paradox and The Theory of Recollection Menos paradox is an argument in the form of a question. As it is written Meno asks, How will you look for something when you dont know what it is.. or even if you come right up on it, how will you know that what you have found is the thing that you didnt know? Socrates states it more simply, A man cannot try to discover either what he knows or what he does not know. This is the matter for inquiry. Socrates stated, He would not seek what he knows for since he knows it there is no need of the inquiry, nor even what he does not know, for in that case he does not even know what he is to look for. Socrates solves this through the theory of recollection. As Socrates stated 82D, the soul has learned everything, so that when a man has recalled a single piece of knowledge -learned it, ...there is no reason why he should not find out all the rest, ...for seeking and learning are in fact nothing but recollection. The theory that the soul has learned everything implies that teaching and inquir y, are simply remembering latent knowledge, thus making it possible to inquire and to be taught knowledge that one was not aware that one had. Menos paradox is, as Socrates states, a trick argument. Socrates tells Meno that he knows this argument and refines Menos paradox by stating it in a different way than Meno originally asked or brought up the argument. Socrates asks how one would look for something when one doesnt know what it is or that it exists; and if one were to find what it is that one were looking for, how would one know that one found it when one didnt know what it was that one was looking for in the first place? This is a circular yet rational and important question. It presents the problems or complication for teaching, such that; the goal of teaching is for the one being taught to learn and to le...

Teaching Personal Space to Children With Disabilities

Teaching Personal Space to Children With Disabilities   Children with disabilities, especially children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, have difficulty understanding and appropriately using personal space.  Its importance is significant since many of these young people when they reach adolescence, become particularly vulnerable to assault or predation because they are unaware of the social and emotional boundaries that are important in the general public.   Deep Pressure Some Children with ASD are what we call deep pressure, and they seek as much sensory input as they can get.  They will throw their arms around not only significant adults in their lives but sometimes to complete strangers.  I worked 5 years ago as a volunteer at a camp at Torino Ranch, maintained by the Torino Foundation.  Ã‚  When my camper came off the bus he threw his arms around me (we had never met,) and I ticked off deep pressure kid, which led to four days of success.  I used that sensory need to keep him calm and appropriate.  Still, these students need to learn appropriate interaction.   The Science of Personal Space Proximics, or the science of personal space, explores how we as humans and as social and ethnic groups use the space around us.  Research has found that in a typical person the amygdala responds negatively to the invasion of personal space.  Research has not been definitive on the effect of population density on the size of personal space, as reported by anthropologists, but this writer has experienced it.  In Paris, in 1985, I attended a concert at the Place de Concord.  There were somewhere in the range of 50 to 60 thousand people there.  Someone started to push at the outside (Word was out that they were thugs [clouchards].)  Amazingly, after several minutes of chanting Assis! Assis! (sit down) we sat down.  Probably a couple of thousand people.  I looked at an American Friend and said: In America, we would have had a fist fight. This, of course, is why its important for special education students to understand personal space.  Students with autism may resist everyone entering their personal space, but all too often their amygdala is not firing when someone comes into their space, and we know they cant understand another persons desire for personal space.   There are three things needed to help them learn this: A metaphor that can help them understand personal space.Modeling to show how we use personal space andExplicit instruction in the use of personal space.   The Metaphor: The Magic Bubble Typical children and typical human beings are able to write their own meta-narrative, the story of their life.  Face it, when a woman gets married she often has a lifetime of plans dancing in her head about the perfect wedding (or her mothers dream.)  Children with disabilities, especially children with autism spectrum disorders, are unable to write those meta-narratives.  That is why Social Stories (TM) or Social Narratives (my name) are so powerful.  They use visual images, a story and often the childs own name.  I will be changing the name in the original document for the children I will use it with. I created the social narrative, Jeffies Magic Bubble, to support students with autism spectrum disorders.  It uses the metaphor a magic bubble to define the invisible space around each of us that is also called personal space.  Children with disabilities love to play with bubbles, so using it as a metaphor will provide a visible understanding of what that space is like.   Modeling Once the model is established by reading the book, make a game of magic bubbles.  Have children spin and identify the edge of their bubbles (arms length is a good compromise between intimate and familiar personal space.) Practice welcoming others into their magic bubbles by putting hands out and greeting others with a handshake. Hi, Im Jeffie.  Nice to meet you.   Make a game of Magical Bubbles by giving students clickers and having others come as close as they can without stepping inside another childs personal bubble.  The student in their Magic Bubble will click when they think the other student or students enter their bubble. Explicit Instruction Read the book Jeffies Magic Bubble aloud as a group.  If students need individual instruction (so they are better at paying attention to personal space) you will want to read it to those students over and over again.   After reading each page, have students practice:  when you get to crossing arms and hands on hips, have them practice.  When you read about Jeffie saying NO!  practice saying NO!  Practice asking friends for a hug.   Be sure that you recognize students who respect each others personal space.  You might want each child to have a magic bubble chart.  Hand out stickers or stars for each time you catch them asking to enter another childs space, or asking another student politely to move outside of their personal space.

Financial Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial Statement - Essay Example Since it should be goal of he company to benefit its shareholders, it is called bottom-line measure of performance. Accordingly it is 22.5 % as calculated below Return on equity= Net profit after tax/ Total equity =m 467/ 2074 = 22.5 % for 2005-06 = " 392/1397 = 28.06 % for 2004-05 The decline in ROE in 2005-06 is due to abnormal increase in other reserves shown under equity... This is also known as Return on capital employed (ROCE) and also calculated on pretax profit. Liquidity/Solvency Liquidity means the speed and ease with which an asset can be converted into cash. Liquidity has two dimensions. Ease of conversion versus loss of value. Any asset can be converted into cash if its price is cut sufficiently. A highly liquid asset is therefore one that can be sold without significant loss of value. An illiquid asset is one that cannot be quickly converted into cash without a substantial price reduction. Assets are listed on the Balance Sheet in order of liquidity meaning that the least liquid assets are listed first. Current assets are Cash and those assets convertible into cash over the next 12 months. Bills Receivable for instance represents amounts collectible from the customers for sales already made to them. These are therefore expected to be realised in the near future. Inventory that is stock-in-trade is the least liquid of the current assets. Current Ratio is one of the best known and most widely used ratios to ascertain company's solvency/liquidity. It is defined as Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities CurrentAssets m 3,666/Current Liabilities m 3,432 = Current Ratio1.07 for 2005-06" " 2,752/ "...Assets are listed on the Balance Sheet in order of liquidity meaning that the least liquid assets are listed first. Current assets are Cash and those assets convertible into cash over the next 12 months. Bills Receivable for instance represents amounts collectible from the customers for sales already made to them. These are therefore expected to be realised in the near future. Inventory that is stock-in-trade is the least liquid of the current assets. The current ratio of 1.07 indicates that company is efficient enough to use all its current assets without keeping them surplus and idle. It has also shown remarkable improvement from the last year's negative current ratio of 0.84. Quick ratio is calculated ignoring the value of inventory included in current assets for its obvious shortcomings of the least liquid of all current assets besides possible overvaluation and inclusion of damaged, obsolete and lost stocks. It can also include over purchased and slow moving items. These will impede liquidity. Quick Ratio or Acid -Test ratio is so named to indicate the current assets sans inventory's quicker liquidity. BA has no stock in trade as mentioned above except for "expendable spares and other inventories" valued m 83 since it is a service industry.

Leadership and Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and Motivation - Essay Example There are many barriers that must be overcome in order to implement meaningful revolutionary cultural change and new ways of thinking and doing business. As managers most of the obstacles that must be dealt with a have to do with employees and the inherent fear and apprehension to change humans have in general. There are a lot of factors that affect how the employees will react to organizational change, as managers we must learn to positively help ease employee concerns, doubts, or questions. Many managers fail to communicate with their employees clearly and effectively. As a result, employee perception errors are quite common when dealing with organizational change. Since the employees are left to their own devices and their doubts, questions or concerns are not adequately addressed, employees will come up with their own conclusions. The perceptual process is complex and there are many cultural, personal, and physiological factors that affect how a person perceives, processes and in terpret any given information (Hodges). In order to manage organizational change successfully managers must learn to understand the perceptual process, the stages involved, and the impact of employee perceptions. By understanding the perception process managers are better able to implement the necessary operational and cultural changes while minimizing barriers to change. An important concept for management to understand is the concept of attribution theory and how it impacts employee’s perceptions.

Company profile for the media company HBO (Home Box Office) Term Paper

Company profile for the media company HBO (Home Box Office) - Term Paper Example The channel is expanding its broadcast continuously by licensing its broadcast to television networks and presently people of about 151 countries around the world are enjoying its original programs. At the same time, HBO’s branded premium pay and basic cable networks are operating in about 50 countries of Latin America, Central and Western Europe, and some parts of Asia as well (http://www.timewarner.com). At the end of 2011, it had about 81 million global subscribers out of which 42.5 million are international premium pay and basic cable subscriber while rest of 39.4 million are nationwide premium pay subscriber. HBO is available in HD on number of multiplex channels like Direct TV, Cox Communication, Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, and Dish Network etc. The year 2011 is the fourth consecutive year when HBO has won 4 Golden Globes award more than any network while it has been the 10th consecutive year when it has won 8 Sports Emmys and 19 Primetime Emmys in 2011 (HBO Annual Repor t, 2010). Strangers No More, a documentary film of HBO received Academy Award for the category of Best Documentary. 1. What do they do in media? HBO mainly operates television films, comedy shows and concerts, motion pictures and original series, and occasionally boxing matches via cable, direct broadcast satellite (DBS), C-band satellite, and microwave (MMDS). The network has offered HBO On Demand. It means HBO has given a wonderful option to its subscriber to watch its programs according to their own schedule. A big share of HBO’s programs consists of egalitarian theatrical motion pictures. For this purpose, HBO acquires license agreements from the producers or distributors of such recently released films. Under such agreements, HBO gets exclusive rights to broadcast and distribute recently released or old films. The license agreement always depends on the performance of films on the box office. High-quality award winning original comedy and theatrical series is another bro adcast segment of HBO e.g., Boardwalk Empire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, True Blood, and Boardwalk Empire. Besides these, HBO also shows boxing matches, family programs, sports news, and commentaries. 2. How long has this business been in operation, what is their history? Charles Dolan, one of the pioneers of cable networks systems in United States of America, presented the business plan of ‘Green Channel’ to Time Life Inc. On 8 November, 1972 the channel became Home Box Office or HBO (Forsyth, 2002). ‘Sometimes a Great Notion’ was the first ever program aired on HBO. In 1973, Time Life Inc took over the control of newly established channel as Gerald Levin became the first President as well as CEO of HBO. Initially churn rate from subscribers was so high. HBO was tumbling and any debacle could have been occurred. At that time, Levin introduced the broadcasting in Massachusetts. Here a preview of service was offered for free on Channel 3. This offer showed promis ing results as HBO gained a good number of subscribers. Later on the same strategy was applied in other states. On 30th September 1975, HBO put on air the first ever live boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and thus became the first television channel which delivered the telecast through satellite medium (http://transition.fcc.gov). HBO launched its companion network Cinemax in 1980 which is still very popular and known for its late night soft-core adult shows and series. In 1981, HBO extended its broadcast from 09 hours to 24 hours. In 1983, HBO presented its first kids’ show. Until 2001, HBO showed number of programs for children when these programs were shifted entirely to HBO Family channel. The decade of 80s

The Learning Society and Learner Identities Essay

The Learning Society and Learner Identities - Essay Example Helping my elder sister to home school her daughter reminded me of the passion that I used to have for learning, and I became interested in going back to schooling myself, and followed the ideas that had been inspiring me when I was much younger. Eventually I settled on beginning a Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching and Learning. I found that I wanted to understand more about the processes that were behind learning, and about how knowledge was imparted from one person to another, and one generation to the next. This was an immediate step for me, and I moved to my Bachelor’s degree immediately after finishing high school. The degree was fascinating, and I learnt a lot about myself and about education. I was certain that this was the area that I wanted to continue to study in and I decided to continue my education with a Master’s Degree in Learning and Development. I was strongly interested in the focus that this degree had on development. This is the degree that I am s tudying currently, and I am glad that I made the decision to do this. Working-class Conflicts One of the conflicts that are often observed between schools and families is through working-class relationships. Working classes inherently have different priorities and viewpoints than many people within the school system, and this can lead to differences of opinion for the direction that the child should go in school and in life (Reay, 2001). Reforms have attempted to make Australian schools more more of the differences between working-class families and other types of families that are encountered. However, issues of class remain present in many schools, as well as in the school system itself (Connel, 2003). The conflict between working-class families and schooling was one that was present... This essay approves that one of the conflicts that are often observed between schools and families is through working-class relationships. Working classes inherently have different priorities and viewpoints than many people within the school system, and this can lead to differences of opinion for the direction that the child should go in school and in life. Reforms have attempted to make Australian schools more more of the differences between working-class families and other types of families that are encountered. However, issues of class remain present in many schools, as well as in the school system itself. This report makes a conclusion that people return to education for many different reasons, and this is especially true for adult learners. For some, education is a chance to increase their skills in order to perform a job better or to make them more attractive for a specific job. For others, like me, education is sought not because it is a tool for a better future, but for the sake of learning itself. In that respect, adult education is for me and many others, a social endeavour and the process of learning are often associated with reinventing oneself. The author gives an example of the conflict between working-class families and schooling which was one that was present during my own secondary education. His parents are both from the working class, with his father being a builder and his mother being employed in the food industry part-time while caring for our family. Both of his parents were more interested in me obtaining skills that were physically demonstrable, rather than abstract knowledge. They wanted him to stay in secondary school until he graduated, because they felt that finishing high school was an essential component of me getting a ‘real’ job. They strongly pushed him to take courses that were more practically orientated, and to avoid ones that were mostly theoretical, with little application to the ‘real world’.

Consumers Telephone Bills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumers Telephone Bills - Essay Example Therefore, the Kettles may be able to contest this bill. When a subscriber   is billed for calls that he or she did not make, then it is the telephone company (in this case DWI) that will have to absorb the cost of these calls.   However, there are also some aspects working in favor of DWI. The Wireless Telephone Protection Act has been signed into law on April 24, 1998 (Public Law 105-172) and the FCC has highlighted the losses to telephone companies arising out of cellular fraud (FCC Report, March 1999). In this instance, although the payments are being collected by DWI, it is actually due to a third party to which DWI has legal obligations by virtue of its contract with the business entity (the dating hotline). Therefore, this scenario also raises the prospect of further losses to DWI through its liability to the third party provider of services.   However, there are also certain obligations that are placed upon customers. (a) They can request the facility of â€Å"blocking † 900 calls from their telephone for a reasonable fee, which the Kettles did not do (b) Any discrepancies in the bill are to be notified to the telephone company within 60 days by the consumer, failing which the customer will be deemed to have accepted those bills. Therefore, in this case, since the account is already delinquent without the Kettles having indicated to DWI that they contest certain charges, the legal position will be that they have accepted those charges and will therefore be obliged to pay them

The Learning Society and Learner Identities Essay

The Learning Society and Learner Identities - Essay Example Helping my elder sister to home school her daughter reminded me of the passion that I used to have for learning, and I became interested in going back to schooling myself, and followed the ideas that had been inspiring me when I was much younger. Eventually I settled on beginning a Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching and Learning. I found that I wanted to understand more about the processes that were behind learning, and about how knowledge was imparted from one person to another, and one generation to the next. This was an immediate step for me, and I moved to my Bachelor’s degree immediately after finishing high school. The degree was fascinating, and I learnt a lot about myself and about education. I was certain that this was the area that I wanted to continue to study in and I decided to continue my education with a Master’s Degree in Learning and Development. I was strongly interested in the focus that this degree had on development. This is the degree that I am s tudying currently, and I am glad that I made the decision to do this. Working-class Conflicts One of the conflicts that are often observed between schools and families is through working-class relationships. Working classes inherently have different priorities and viewpoints than many people within the school system, and this can lead to differences of opinion for the direction that the child should go in school and in life (Reay, 2001). Reforms have attempted to make Australian schools more more of the differences between working-class families and other types of families that are encountered. However, issues of class remain present in many schools, as well as in the school system itself (Connel, 2003). The conflict between working-class families and schooling was one that was present... This essay approves that one of the conflicts that are often observed between schools and families is through working-class relationships. Working classes inherently have different priorities and viewpoints than many people within the school system, and this can lead to differences of opinion for the direction that the child should go in school and in life. Reforms have attempted to make Australian schools more more of the differences between working-class families and other types of families that are encountered. However, issues of class remain present in many schools, as well as in the school system itself. This report makes a conclusion that people return to education for many different reasons, and this is especially true for adult learners. For some, education is a chance to increase their skills in order to perform a job better or to make them more attractive for a specific job. For others, like me, education is sought not because it is a tool for a better future, but for the sake of learning itself. In that respect, adult education is for me and many others, a social endeavour and the process of learning are often associated with reinventing oneself. The author gives an example of the conflict between working-class families and schooling which was one that was present during my own secondary education. His parents are both from the working class, with his father being a builder and his mother being employed in the food industry part-time while caring for our family. Both of his parents were more interested in me obtaining skills that were physically demonstrable, rather than abstract knowledge. They wanted him to stay in secondary school until he graduated, because they felt that finishing high school was an essential component of me getting a ‘real’ job. They strongly pushed him to take courses that were more practically orientated, and to avoid ones that were mostly theoretical, with little application to the ‘real world’.

Economic Effects of Minimum Wage Fixation Essay

Economic Effects of Minimum Wage Fixation - Essay Example On the other hand, the efficiency wage model of labor observes that increasing the wages for the workers will motivate them to work even harder, while increasing their fear of losing their jobs which are well paying (Ehrenberg and Smith, 94). This boosts the morale of the workers and make them highly motivated while undertaking their duties, an aspect that increases their productivity, and by extension, the productivity of the firm and the whole industry. This way, more employment is created, since improved productivity comes with increased opportunities (Ehrenberg and Smith, 378). Thus, according to the efficiency wage model, fixing the minimum wage, to a level higher than the competitive wage level, will promote productivity and discourage labor turnover, thus increase employment. Therefore, assuming the employment will continue rising as it has happened since June 2009, the empirical researchers need to face the following issues, to distinguish the correlation between minimum wage and employment rates, from the causal effect of minimum wage on employment. First, the empirical researchers should understand the issue of market operations, whereby different types of markets will give different results, when it comes to the relationship between minimum wage and employment. For example, an open competitive market will give different results, compared to a monopsony market, when it comes to the correlation between minimum wage and employment (Ehrenberg and Smith, 112). Secondly, the researchers need to understand the nature of the movement of the wages and the maximum level attainable in minimum wage fixation, before the correlation between the minimum wage and the employment changes from...This essay critically review the impacts of the introduction of the theoretic concept of minimum wage fixation into the real economy. This concept has had double impacts on employment and the economy at large. While the main idea behind fixing minimum wage that workers should b e paid is to make the lives of the workers better, through affording them a substantial income, it may affect the same workers, especially those with low skills negatively According to the standard competitive model of labor, fixing a minimum wage has the impact of increasing unemployment, through he creation of involuntary unemployment, where individuals can continuously apply concerted efforts o seek for a job but find none The case is different according to the Monopsony model of labor, which holds that the fixation of minimum wages has the effect of increasing employment, most especially when the wage is being increased from levels lower than the competitive wage, to reach the competitive wage levels On the other hand, the efficiency wage model of labor observes that increasing the wages for the workers will motivate them to work even harder, while increasing their fear of losing their jobs which are well paying The minimum wage can only go high, up to the competitive wage level, after which it will start having negative impacts. An increase in wage level from levels lower than the competitive levels has the impact of boosting the morale of the workers and increasing their levels of motivation, thus increasing their productivity, and consequently that of the firms

Physics in sports Essay Example for Free

Physics in sports Essay When many people think of sports, the topic of physics doesnt always come to mind. They usually dont think about connecting athletics with academics. In reality math, science, and especially physics, tie into every aspect of sports. Sports are a commonality that brings nations together, Soccer, known as football to most of the world, is said to an unspoken language, which unties people from different lands through a passion to play a game. Athletics and sports are made by the people who play, watch, and study them. Without all of the enthusiastic participants, there would be no development, education, and intensity that we all know and love about sports. The one component that reigns over the world of sports that most people dont realize is physics, Gravity, uniform circular motion, projectile motion, and constant acceleration are a few that occur in every sport event that has ever taken place. In the three articles that I chose to write about the concepts of physics are explained in each one. In every article there is the similarity that physics and technology are the reasons for the advances in the sports. In the first article it is evident by the statement, High-tech bats have so enhanced players power that some leagues have taken to limiting the number of home runs a team can hit. (Jay Greene 2,3) Even in the second article with the statement, The higher we can get the COR, the faster the ball would shoot off from the collision ? it would go further. (Coefficient of Restitution 2,1) Lastly in the third article when the author stated, Clearly, pole-vaulting is an example of a sport in which technology has been used to improve athletic performance. (The Physics of pole-vaulting ) Without physics these technological advances could not be made. Although these technological advances dont come without some issues attached. With the new technology of the carbon and fiberglass bats, questions can be asked like, is there a point where advancements have gone too far? If bats are continuing to be modified and made to hit the ball farther, what will happen to the game of baseball? Already some bats are being banned from leagues and players feel they have to take more safety precautions because of the potential injury from the ball speed. I really believe that the bat industry will continue to thrive. As long as there are people out there willing to spend 300 dollars on an illegal bat there is money to be made. As for the golf industry there is the issue of everybody wanting to hit the ball farther, and the golf companies keep putting out new clubs that allow this to be possible. So I really think that the golf companies will continue to hover around the upper limit COR of . 83 for drivers because there is still a really high demand for drivers that hit the ball a long way. For pole-vaulting I see no issue in the near future. It will be exciting to see the new advances made to the poles and to see how high the athletes can get. As for the new sciences in the three articles I really learned a lot. I learned what the trampoline effect was and how it ties into more than just one sport. I learned what the coefficient of restitution was and how it affects the flight of a golf ball. I also learned what strain energy was and how it applies to stored energy. But most importantly I think, is that I learned that without the understanding of physics none of these sports would be organized or be able to make the advances that it has over the years. When it comes down to it everybody is affected by physics in sports. If there are rules and regulations put on products then the producers are affected greatly. The consumers are always affected by what the producers put out for them to have. If they are educated on the physics of the sport then they can make the best possible decision when it comes to picking a product. This also affects scientists; its their jobs to find ways to make the product better, in any way possible by using physics. Lastly if you are just a fan of sports it is more exciting to see the best possible entertainment, and the new technology allows for this. Looking at physics in sports and who is affected by it, its obvious to see that there is a cycle. All of the groups are linked together in one way or another. With the new technology that physics in sports allows, there are many ways that the physical science can be utilized by todays society. Giving a specific example, Baseball is Americas favorite pastime. The studies that are being done on the physics involved in baseball can greatly help the players and thus create a better sport for people to go out and watch. Baseball is a large part of our society, just like any other sport. And the knowledge of the physics involved can help make it a better sport. Staying with baseball, physical science could be utilized by the players if they study the pitcher and see if he gives certain hints that could give away what type of pitch he is throwing such as facial expressions or body movements. This would allow them more time to begin the swing and concentrate more on where the ball might end up instead of what type of pitch is coming. In general though athletes could utilize physical science. While many athletes already know how to fling a baseball, the information could be utilized to make better bats that have a larger sweet spot and also break less. Society in general could benefit because almost all things are flexible and thus have waves and vibrations. This information could be used to make roads and bridges sturdier. On the other hand though it is possible that physical science could affect society in a negative way. If scientists continue to develop new products and technology pretty soon some the world will be run by electronics and gadgets. People could lose their jobs to robots and sports would lose its competitiveness because the technology would be so advanced everybody would have and edge and skill would not shine through. All that is a stretch though, in general I believe that physical science is great for the community and there are many positive ways it can be used by todays society, not only in sports but also in everyday life. In the future I truly see all of the industries discussed in my articles thriving. There is such a high demand for sports and people trying to get any competitive advantage possible that the future looks bright. The baseball bat industry in the long run wont suffer from the new stipulation put on some of their products. Consumers will continue to buy the new bats that the bat companies put out no matter how high-tech they get. As for the golf industry I believe that it will continue to flourish even with the coefficient of restitution controversy. I dont think the USGA will budge on the . 83 upper limit for the COR of a driver on the PGA Tour but manufacturers will find a way to continue to put out new products that hit.

Lack Of Products Differentiation Or Narrow Product Line Marketing Essay

Lack Of Products Differentiation Or Narrow Product Line Marketing Essay This senior paper report examines the Harley-Davidson (H-D) phenomenon. From near bankruptcy to double-digit growth every year, H-D has something working for them. That something is calledstrategic planning and development. With the growing global economy, companies are looking for ways to improve their market share. Many excellent firms have learned how to beat their competitors through then implementation of new management, marketing, and/or manufacturing techniques (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson). H-D is one of those excellent companies whom have challenged traditional ideas. This report will identify those strategies that have worked and brought the company and its shareholders success each year. Today, Harley-Davidson Inc., an employer of 8,100 workers, consists of H-D Motor Company based in Milwaukee and Eaglemark Financial Services Inc. based in Chicago, Illinois. These are strategic business units are they are managed separately based on the fundamental differences in their operations, products and services. In addition, there are nearly 1,500 dealerships worldwide. Harleys commitment toward continuous improvement is exemplified in their financial statements. II. Vision, Mission of Harley Davidson H-D has realized since the 80s an impressive marketing strategy was giving H-D a brand name that more recognized than any other company. Indeed, the strategy was not to focus on reducing the costs, or on the distribution improvement, but the main element was to create customer value. In other words, H-Ds will was to give more credibility, trust, safety, desires, quality of product and service, and thus fidelity to its brand. In order to reach that goal, H-D centralized its marketing on these topics, for example creating a Harley Owners Group who rallies more than 900,000 members worldwide (www.harley-davidson.com). The main interest of this group is to ensure members to know each other, and become a second family who share the same interests, wills, and thoughts. This strategy also ensures H-D to maintain a strong relationship with its customers, and thus a strong brand name all over the world. According to customers, the owners of H-D say that this brand understands them and their n eeds, and also that they are always there if a problem appears. These remarks can be linked with H-Ds values. According to H-D Our values are the heart of how we run our business. They guide our actions and serve as the framework for the decisions and contributions our employees make at every Respect the Individual, and Encourage Intellectual Curiosity (www.harleydavidson.com). This strategy can also be linked with the mission statement of H-D: We fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling by providing to motorcyclists and to the general public an expanding line of motorcycles and branded products and services in selected market segments (www.harleydavidson.com). In order to be successful, organizations must determine clear financial and strategic objectives. (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson) H-D focused on gaining a greater market share, achieving higher product quality than rivals, maintaining a stronger reputation and a better branding strategy than its competitors, increasing levels of customer satisfaction and finally attaining stronger customer loyalty. In the 60s and 70s Harleys strategic intent was based on going shoulder-to-shoulder against the predominantly Japanese companies. Harley could not compete on the price level, and the Japanese products were of superior quality, Harley decided to compete in other areas. Their new strategy was to connect with people on an emotional level. They are not selling a product but a way of life, a way of thinking. Harley changed its strategy from selling products to selling community (Mitchell). And the fact that H-D has developed a Brand stretching strategy can also be an element of Harleys success in developing relationships with customers. Indeed, owners can buy other Harleys products than bikes; it means that they can be more than a biker, they can join Harleys group buying leather accessories or clothes, and even cosmetics. III. Industry/External Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis Threat of New Entry: Low Requiring high capital investment to enter the business because of the scale economies in production, research, marketing and service of this industry is high. Brand Identification of Harley Davidson has been strongly established for years. The entrants will face a big barrier to overcome customer loyalty of Harley. Harley has developed its limited distribution channels via licensed private dealer and distributor. The new entrant of this industry most probably has to create its own distribution channel and make another investment which causes a barrier to entry this industry become high. Powerful Buyers: Low The product is targeted to individual buyer rather than large-volume buyer therefore buyers will have only small power to force the price down. The product is differentiated or targeted for niche market therefore the buyer will not easily find the alternative product. Harley also produces parts and accessories as proprietary components for their bikes which are not produced by other company. There is quite a small number of this industry in the same market. Since the product is differentiated, the customer tends not to price sensitive. Substitute Products: High Customers taste is shifted into Japanese motorbike. Products with the sophisticated features, high quality and new design have been available in the market to adopt the trend-shifting. Other means of transportation which are less season restrictive. Powerful Suppliers: Low The suppliers customer are not fragmented so they have a high bargaining power Switching cost of changing suppliers is not too high since it doesnt require to invest heavily to be a supplier. Competitive Rivalry: High Lack of products differentiation or narrow product line. Industry growth is slow, precipitating fights for market share that involve expansion minded members Exit barriers are high. Harley has a high loyalty to keep the business survive. The rivals, for example Honda, are diverse in strategies, origins and personalities to compete and continually run head-on into each other. Competitor Analysis/Strategic Issues There are four strategic issues that H-D has to face with. The most important is the European market where H-D has to increase its sales, then, linked with the first issue, there is a fierce competition with the Japanese firms such as Honda and Yamaha. The other issues are the womens market and the accessories which are in decline. Harley-Davidson is not very famous in Europe where Harleys market share of 650 cc plus motorcycle is less than 7% (6.6%), while in North America Harley-Davidson has a huge market share (46.4%), 21.3% for the Asian market. The main industry competitors are Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki and BMW. Harley-Davidson is the market leader in the U.S. market with 46.4% market share (Woodyard). Their domestic position is quite secure however the rival companies are all aiming to increase their impact on the North American market. Honda remains the main competitor with a 20.2% market share in North America. Even though they trail behind Harley in the high profit market for heavy bikes, Honda sells more bikes worldwide than H-D. Honda provides a wider selection of products ranging from super sport bikes, cruisers, scooters and motor cross bikes. The popularity of cruiser bikes is increasing and last year the registrations for heavy weight motorcycles rose by 22%, but Harleys share fell from 50.2% in 1997 to 46.4% in 2002 (Woodyard). This means that companies like Honda are quite successful in taking customers away from Harley. Rival manufacturers such as Kawasaki or BMW have all made a serious attempt to establish them at the heart of Harleys market. The Japanese bikes were often considered to be sissy cycles by Harley lovers (Mitchell). This image is slowly changing and the Japanese companies are trying to out Harley the Harley models. Yamaha motor USA is starting to improve its position in its various markets. The U.S. sales have increased for 47% since 1998. Despite these successes, companies have had a tough time in creating an image for themselves particularly in the cruiser markets. Harley continues to dominate the U.S, market and is also the leader in the Asian/Pacific markets with 21.3% market share. So, compared with Honda, its main competitor, H-D is better in North America and in Asia-Pacific, but certainly not in Europe. There is not too much gap between all the competitors, especially between H-D and Honda (21.3% against 19.1%). But, this is totally different in Europe for Harley-Davidson who has only 6.6% of market share; this market is the most promising. Thats why Harley-Davidson has to focus especially its marketing in the European market in order to win market shares, and reduce the gap between its competitors. Moreover, Harley net revenue in Europe is the second behind the U.S. So, if Harley succeeds in increasing its market share in Europe, its net revenue could be in high growth. Then, in order to fully understand its market, and in order to compete in a more serious way its competitors, H-D must identify the distinct segments that their competitors focus on and what distinctive product service benefits they offer. Hondas activities are forcing H-D into a niche market. The company is known for its flexibility and is progressively introducing bigger and better bikes. The Japanese manufacturer is starting to increase its competitive pressure by applying some of the strategies implemented by Harley. Honda is beginning to improve its relations with its customers and is also trying to build a sense of community among its customers. The Honda Rider Club of America is Hondas attempt to achieve the same sense of belonging Harley bikers have with their beloved brand (www.honda.com). The club allows customers to gain 24-hour emergency roadside services. The club also organizes a number of events and rallies for the Honda fans. Honda is also trying to create the next generation of loyal Honda bikers. Honda organizes a number of Motor-Cross Camps for young riders. Some of the main activities include riding courses races and riding trips and family activities, the main way to gain the loyalty of young biker s who will hopefully stay loyal to the brand, as they get older. These community-building strategies are proving to be extremely beneficial for the Japanese firm. The Honda new models such as the Shadow 750, the VTX 1300S are Hondas attempts to steal some of Harleys market share by recreating the Harley feel. Superior technology is the main strategy to achieve this goal. Yamaha is also trying to outperform Harley and is improving its mass customization skills. The Yamaha website offers a section that allows customers to design their own bike and choose the look and functionality they desire. The interface ensures customers to choose from 75 Yamaha accessory items and makes it easy for the customer to purchase the bike online. The Yamaha V Max model, the Drag Star, and the Road Star models attract customers with their slick design and technological tweaks (www.yamaha.com). The Yamaha sports models are also very successful and the company is still maintaining a strong position in worl d markets. European rivals are also trying to make an impact on this lucrative market. Italys Moto Guzzi recently introduced the V11 EV custom cruiser. BMW introduced 3 models of its R1200C cruiser and thanks to clever advertising is beginning to improve its position in the U.S. and Asian markets (www.bmw.com). According to the website, only 10% of the Harleys customers are females. But female bikers are more and more interested by bikes (www.moto-station.com). Yamaha and Kawasaki are trying to take advantage of this growing interest of female bikers and many of their ads feature women on motorcycles. Harley has already understood this new opportunity. Another key issue for the future is the problem of the accessories. Indeed, those products such as perfumes or cosmetics are decreasing a lot. So, Harley-Davidson should take a decision about this unsuccessful strategy of brand stretching. But, this strategy has a lot of success regards to the leatherwear and fashion area. According to me, Harley-Davidson should continue to improve this brand stretching and not leave the market of cosmetics and perfumes. V. Financial Assessment of Industry Harley Davidson Past Current Financial Performance Year 2003 $ 4.6 billion total revenue (up 13% from 02) $ 761 million net income (up 31% from 02) $650 million free cash flow (up 59% from 02) Repurchased 2.3 million shares of stock Return an average equity >20% 291,000 H-D units shipped (up 10% from02) 36% Gross Profit margin (up from 02) Gross profit margin 37.87% of revenue Year 2004 $5.0 billion total revenue (up 8.5% from03) $889 million net income (up 16.9% from 03) Repurchased 10.6 million shares of stock Return on average equity >25% 317,289 motorcycle units shipped (up 9% from 03) EPS 3.0 (20% increase form last year) (Hoovers Online) Trends Forecasts Pushed by an increase in female riders, wider age group, and the broadening appeal of motor scooters and other small, less-expensive two-wheelers, motorcycles sales rose 4.7% to top 1 million for the second-consecutive year (Woodyard). However a market slowdown is looming due to the weak dollar, costs of steel and other materials are rising; this will cause makers to rises prices or take a hit on profits. Currently all segments in the market are increasing, however scooters and classically styled so-called cruiser bikes are of the most heavily increasing and popular segments (Woodyard). Business Models of Firms in the Motorcycle Industry Firms in the motorcycle industry operate in two modes of the business model; Just-In-Time and Built-To-Order. Companies such as Honda and Harley primary focus are on supplying motorcycles through licensed distributors and dealers. Smaller dealers focus on built-to-order where riders can customize performance and style designed to complement their style, size, and skill level. Profit Pools Harleys primary sources of profits come from the initial motorcycle sale, finance contracts, licensing agreements, product upgrades, and accessory goods. Based on this information we can conclude that Harley does a good job of extracting the most margins from its customer base. Key Financial Performance Metrics of Major Players * Market share figure in 2004 ( %) North America Market share 2004 (%) Harley Davidson 48.1 Honda 18.6 Suzuki 10.3 Yamaha 9.1 Kawasaki 7.1 BMW 2.8 Other 4.0 (WoodYard) Key Valuation Metrics of Major Players * Harley Davidson Financial Performance 2004 Market Cap 13,638.01 Earning Rate 20.3% Growth Rate 5.3% P/E 15.10 (Standard Poors NetAdvantage) *SP considers Harley-Davidson to have no competitors hence no competitor metrics are available. VI. Competitive Analysis Strengths Customer Loyalty and Following Very High Product Demand Profitable Product Line and Market Mix Highest Market Share for Motorcycles over 750cc in the United States Union contract that is beneficial to both the Firm and the Employees Significant opportunities in the growing worldwide motorcycle market A proven management team thats committed to build a beneficial relationship with all of the stakeholders for the long term Increased capacity with the construction of new plant and distribution center Increased Segmentation with the purchase of Buell Motorcycle Co. Weaknesses Inefficiency due to Large Production Level More Demand than Supply Lower Than expected Sales in Motor Clothes Lingering rebel biker image Opportunities Electronic commerce and communications Opportunities in the female market niche Threats Tariffs that might exist in other markets Imitation of Harleys products from other competitors. Loss of market share due to low production capacity VII. Market/Customer Harleys customers are not the metal bikers customers who used to be in the past. Indeed, Harley-Davidson attracts now more profession such as lawyers or doctors about 45 years with a medium income level. H-D has developed a brand stretching strategy can also be an element of Harleys success in developing relationships with customers. Indeed, owners can buy other Harleys products than bikes; it means that they can be more than a biker, they can join Harleys group buying leather accessories or clothes, and even cosmetics. Recent trends show there is an increase in the market segment to appeal to women. Roughly 10% of riders in the U.S. are women which offer potential for growth. Although motorcycles are sold internationally, 3 main geographic markets comprise the bulk of motorcycle sales North America, Asia, and Europe. The largest is the North American Market (USA and Canada account for about 60% of this market) accounting for 60% of worldwide motorcycle sales (Klein). With the baby generation aging, opportunities exist for the penetration of new markets. The Japanese market accounting for a great chunk of the Asian Market is an untapped one for foreign manufacturers. Government regulations and trade policies make it difficult for foreign manufacturers to enter though. Most Asians consider motorcycles as a basic means of transportation. Major target areas include China, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. The European Market is another market with great potentials since Europeans have a higher disposable income and enjoy a higher standard of living. Eastern Europe is not offering a good deal mainly because of its unstable political and economic environment. To succeed in these markets, firms are to modify products to meet local needs, provide after sales service, expand distribution networks, and create strong customer relationships (Klein). VIII. Internal Capabilities Issues Issues Exports in Europe are not that easy since the products are going to be acceptable to heavy tariffs, since they come from a country outside the European community. In the future a subsidiary in one of the European community countries would relax the tariffs. Also loss of market share due to low production capacity may also prohibit Harley from gaining potential new customers because of the extended waiting period. Management Depth Harley Davidson has a flexible management that encourages employee involvement by having an open door policy to allow employee to communicate and contribute his and her idea to senior management or CEO (Teerlink). Organization Issues With over 8000 salaried and unionized employees are the key competency to H-D success. Employees are considered as foundation of company success and are the engine to drive company to success, because employee involvement is strong culture in H-D where employees are empowered to take initiative to identify and solve problems. (Teerlink). Value Chain Marketing Advertising Harley Owner Group convoys free advertising Promotions at motorcycles rallies and improve dealer network to broaden appeals to new customers Not much spending on advertising Licensing brand/logo to more than 100 manufacturers thereby increasing exposure to customer Distributing newsletter and promote rallies Human resources Harley Davidson mechanics and dealership personnel were trained at Harley Davidson University. They took course in retail management, inventory control, merchandising, customer service, diagnostics, maintenance, engine service technique. Provide in -dealership courses through its web based distance learning program Service Demo ride in various location through all US Daily rental to decide whether they want to buy Providing training course for inexperienced riders in America, Europe and Asia (25 hour Riders Edge Program) contributed to company increased sales from female buyers (increased from 2% total sales before adapting to 9% in 2003). The company found that woman more likely to purchase after taking training course Financial service to make it more affordable Operations The companys expansion plan of its York and Pennsylvania plants expects to allow the company to increase production to 400,000 units by 2007. Distribution Through dealerships Showrooms offer a large assortment of clothing items and accessories in addition to new motorcycles Dealers are responsible for operating showrooms, stock parts and accessories. 161 dealers in Japan. 50 dealers and 3 distributors in Australia and New Zealand. 7 dealers in South East Asian and East market. Infrastructure Public listed company Quality system Strategy planning are not clear Core Competencies and Competitive Advantage Customer loyalty and brand image Valuable? Yes Rare? Yes Costly to imitate? Yes Non substitutable? Yes A core competence and a sustainable competitive advantage Large-displacement motorcycles Valuable? Yes Rare? Yes (for now) Costly to imitate? No Non substitutable? Yes Yields only a temporary competitive advantage VIIII. Strategies of Harley Davidson As stated earlier, strategic issues that H-D has faced is increased segmentation in the motorcycle industry causing them to shift focuses in their strategy. With the purchase of Buell Motorcycle Co. they have been successfully able to increase their market segmentation by offering high quality bikes at competitive price. This allowed H-D to have to opportunity to move from a differentiation strategy to a cost/differentiation strategy. Harley Davidsons use of the Cost/Differentiation as a Business Level Strategy has proven highly successful since they have been in business. They have always tried to differentiate themselves from everyone else in the motorcycle industry, by producing a brand image that many competitors have failed to recreate. Harley Davidson has two different companies built into one. The first of the two companies produces motorcycles at competitive prices against their competitors. Harley Davidson demands high standards of quality and efficiency and demand lower costs, which will add to a higher quality less expensive motorcycle. Harley Davidson has done extensive research to find out information about their average customer. Harley Davidson concluded that the average motorcycle consumer is a married, college educated, 38 year-old male earning $44,250 a year and his average income is increasing. Research also shows that females represent 10% of the new purchasers. The second company that Harley Davidson implemented is the Costume Vehicle Operations or CVO. This company specializes and customizes the motorcycles to suit the individual owner. Harley Davidson also offers genuine parts and accessories so Harley owners can customize their own motorcycles. The CVO tries to use the differentiation strategy to beat out its competitors. The customization of a motorcycle can prove to be very expensive and time consuming, but Harley Davidson knows that what good is a bike if you cannot show people who you really are. The customers are willing to wait an average of 1 year after placing their order to receive their customized motorcycle. Every other motorcycle manufacturer is trying to imitate Harley and their products. Harley has the top of the industry manufacturing process with large state of the art factories, and distribution, with many small and personalized, to market dealers, who sell their products. Harley Davidsons Corporate Level Strategy tends to favor the Related Diversification Strategy. Their two primary businesses are related to each other in some manner or another. The two divisions, CVO and the Competitive Price Division, are related by using the same suppliers. Although the two divisions serve two totally different responsibilities to the consumers, they are truly related in their strengths to differentiate themselves from all the other competition. Harley Davidson does not do much promotion at the corporate level. Primarily, the local dealers do their promotion. Harley Davidson uses many different types of strategies to help them become on of the most dominant motorcycle producers in the world. X. Assessment Analysis The Senior Paper has given an intuitive look into strategies at work and based on the analysis done it is reasonable to assume that H-D will be successful staying competitive. H-D implemented changes in the 90s to prepare for the future challenges and stay ahead of competition. They have targeted towards improving and expanding manufacturing and creating new products and services. Thus far, the strategies have been very successful and have built strong relationships with all their shareholders. H-D has found new ways to extract margins from its customer base through finance contracts, licensing agreements, product upgrades, and accessory goods. It has expanded it product line to the small and mid-size range with the purchase of Buell Motorcycle Co. They know who their customers are, and which markets they need to expand on. They also have happy unionized workers who share the same values as the management team. Most importantly through the decades, H-D motorcycles have had the ability to generate emotion. This emotion and loyal has never been duplicated by any company to date, and probably never will. If H-D continues to innovate there is not question that they continue to gain market share.