By Using the Structural Functionalist Approach Essay

Rule by the people is what a democracy is made of, this might be achieved by having the party in power elected into office into office by the majority, the term democracy and the practice itself is diverse in each country but it has similar features which characterize all forms. This essay explains the impact or contributions of political parties in a Liberal Democracy using the Structural functionalist Approach. It will also converse the important roles that these political parties play in every political structure, specifically in Zambia. To start with, it will explain what the terms Liberal, Liberal Democracy and Political Parties are; it will also explain the Structural functionalist Approach. Thereafter, the works and critiques of having Political parties will later be discussed. According to Emerson (1920), Liberal is that mind or attitude which wills to understand and respect other people`s behavior, opinions it implies vigorous convictions, tolerance for the opinions of others and a persistent desire for sound progress, Democracy is Rule by the people, especially as a form of government; either directly, as in Ancient Greece, or through elected representatives as in many modern societies (representative democracy). Franà §ois (1998). Therefore Liberal Democracy refers to a broad array of related ideas and theories of government that consider individual liberty to be the most important political goal. Partridge, 1866). A political party According to Schlesinger (1992) is a group organized to gain control of government in the name of the group by winning election to public office. The Structural functionalist Approach is an approach that studies, analyses and views structures and systems in any social setting with regards to the role or functions they play in the development of any society. A political party being a structure in a political system has a vital role or function it plays in society. A liberal democracy may take various constitutional forms: it†¦

Reading skills Essay

Q1: Explain 5 strategies that a teaching assistant might use to support literacy development. The teaching assistant could read to the pupils on a daily basis, this will help pupils learn how fluent reading sounds and this will help them understand how sentences and text can make sense, and will learn when to pause for full stops, question marks etc, and they will also learn how using expression in reading can make a story more exciting and understandable. The teaching assistant can have one to one sessions with a pupil, getting them to read certain passages aloud from a story and then getting them to repeat the passage, this will help with word recognition, and their speed and accuracy will improve the more they are asked to do this. Games or structured computer games where there is some reading can also be used to help with literacy skills, the teaching assistant can play games with a group of pupils, appropriate age related games with simple instructions can be a good learning resource. Building a child’s vocabulary is very important to a pupil learning to read, write and being able to express themselves, a pupils vocabulary will grow if they are in a rich language environment, this will help them when they try more challenging text, so they teaching assistant can help by talking to the pupil and asking if they understand the words and if not explaining what they mean, which will help them learn more words. The teaching assistant could in a group have a reading session, where each pupil could try to guess what will happen next from the line they have just read, this will help to see if any of the pupils do not understand any of the text, the teaching assistant can then help explain any parts that are not understood which will then help the pupil in the future to understand that type of text. Q2: outline the stages of reading development skills. Early emergent readers: these readers are just beginning to understand the concepts of books, they are learning the alphabet and maybe recognise upper and lowercase letters. They are also learning high frequency words and sound words, books in this level include: repeated words, picture support and content that will be very familiar. Emergent readers: these readers understand the alphabet, they also know a lot of high frequency words and they are also grasping how to attack words they don’t know better, books in this level include: more lines per page, harder words in the sentences and less picture support. Early fluent readers: these readers are reading harder text and have more of an understanding of the text, they read more automatically rather than trying to attack the word, they are able to recognise different styles and genres of books and understand what is being read, they are becoming independent in their reading and require a lot less help, books in this level include: books with a lot more pages and much longer sentences, and a lot less pictures to help with their reading and understanding. Fluent readers: these readers rarely need help with any text, they can pause at the correct time, they can also have expression when reading out loud, they are able to read many genres of books and understand what they are reading, and they are able to keep learning reading skills if they read a harder book, they are no longer learning to read, they are reading to learn, books in this stage include: more varied topics, a lot more text and pages, books with no pictures as they are capable of understanding the text without visual references and a lot more challenging vocabulary. Q3: describe the main methods used to teach reading skills There are three main methods that can be combined to teach reading skills, they are: Auditory training, this is where an adult talks, sings and reads to their child, this will put language and sound into the child’s brain, the more they hear the bigger their vocabulary will be, which will help them to learn to read when they are ready to, playing and singing rhyming games will all help the child with learning to read. Phonics: this is the most known and used method to teach reading skills, phonics teaches children the relationship between letters of the written language and the sounds of the spoken language, it teaches children to use these relationships to read and write. This will teach them the alphabet and how these words are written and spoken which will be predictable, this will help them recognise familiar words and help them with harder ones. They are taught to sound out words by learning certain rules that they will memorise, some of these are: blending sounds such as br, fr, wr and bl among others, digraph sounds such as sh, th these letters combine to make a different sound, double vowel sounds. Phonics will start to be taught in nursery or reception and a child will not be able to learn to read without proper understanding of phonics. Whole language: this is a whole-part method of teaching children to read, children are taught to memorise words as one whole word not as parts or broken down, they can do different activities like writing in journals and using pictures to help memorise the words. Children can begin to write early using this method and it can make reading more interesting, but the only problem with this method is that some children may not be able to use phonics and may find it harder to learn new words without the understanding of phonics. Q4: give 5 examples of how a teaching assistant could support and demonstrate writing and spelling skills 1. Get children to discover how different sounds can be written, this can be done by reading books or rhymes that they know and asking the children to listen out for words with a particular sound, for example words with a T sound, words like bite, height, light. They can then be helped to find these letters that make that sound by finding them and circling or underlining them in any book. 2. Choosing words that the children know from a song, poem or book they can learn how a word they know can help them to write new words just by changing the beginning letter, for example the teaching assistant can write words that sound the same but have different beginning letters and then ask the children if they can think of any other words with the same sound that can be added, the examples could be: hat, cat, mat. This can help with phonic awareness which is vital in writing and spelling skills. 3. Correct letter formation is the start of learning to write and develop writing skills, there are many ways a teaching assistant can support a child in this, a couple of examples are: get the child to say out loud how they are writing the letter like a ’round , up and down’, p’ down, up and around’ . The teaching assistant can make some dot to dots of the correct letter formation. 4. Teaching children about different spelling patterns, the teaching assistant and child could look through a book they know and look for spelling patterns, looking for ones that have been chosen like ea, words like: break, treat, bread and lead, the child could then mark the words they find and say them out loud as they find them. 5. The teaching assistant can help children learn how to use a dictionary to help them spell a word they are unsure of, they need to teach them that words in a dictionary are in alphabetical order, so if they know the first letter then they can try to find the word they are looking for, the teaching assistant or teacher can make an individualised dictionary with words that are aimed at a particular level of writing and spelling stage, they could also leave spaces for children to write any words they have learned that are not in the dictionary they have got. Q5: How can a teaching assistant encourage learners to use speaking and listening skills correctly. The teaching assistant can encourage these skills by asking the child to write down what has just been said to them, this is a good way to make sure they are listening properly. Or to ask them to repeat something that is being said, for example another child could be telling a story or event that has happened and if the teaching assistant thinks that someone is not listening then they can ask them to repeat it. If a child does not understand anything that is being said then they should be encouraged to ask questions to help explain, this will show that they are listening to what is being said. Children can show they have listened when they can follow instructions properly and this can seen by asking them what they have to do, or when they make responses or comments to anything they are listening to. If they have watched a film or other type of programme they should be able to recount some or all of the story if they have listened, a group talk on certain subjects would be a good way to encourage speaking and listening skills, letting everyone have a say while all others listen but have some input or comment if they didn’t understand anything. Having a weekly time for any children to stand in front of the class and tell the class of anything they have done or somewhere they have been would be very good for speaking skills, the rest of the class should be encouraged to listen and to ask any questions at the end, if there are any children that are reluctant to speak in front of people, then trying to to encourage them in group discussions will hopefully help them to be more confident and eventually want to speak in front of everyone. Allowing children to have time to chat amongst themselves can also help develop these skills as they will learn to listen and speak at different times, and they should be encouraged not to ignore people because if they do no-one will want to talk to them.

Levendary Cafe Case study Essay

Introduction Levendary Cafà © has grown from a small restaurant that offers soup, salad, and sandwiches in Denver to a multibillion quick casual chain that operates 3500 stores around the U.S. The founder of the Levendary Cafà ©, Howard Leventhal managed to establish a strong market position for the Levendary Cafà © in the U.S and succeeded in creating a $10 billion business model. The Cafà © has two important elements that differentiate it from its competitors, which were offering nutritious soup, salads, and sandwiches, as well as, providing exceptional service for their guests in a genuine, and friendly manner. The company’s philosophy is satisfying customers’ needs by trying to make an impact on their life and look for the long run profit as encouraged by founder, Howard Leventhal to his staff. After 32 years of experience operating in the U.S domestic market and after a slowdown in the company’s domestic growth, the company considered expending its operation internat ionally, more precisely in China, a promising market that had shown  a strong annual GDP growth of 14.5% in previous years, as well as, the arisen number of middle class income. The responsibility of overseeing the China operation was given to Louis Chen, a Stanford MBA graduate, after a two-year contract agreement between Leventhal and Chen in September 2009. A year and six months into the two-year term contract, Mia Foster was named the new CEO of the Levendary Cafà © in February 2011. The public press viewed the new CEO as being inexperienced in the international market in addition to some doubt about Foster’s ability to build a multi-national brand. Louis Chen opened the first store in Shanghai in, January 2010; the first location was in a high traffic business area. Within a year Louis Chen was able to allocate 22 additional locations for the Levendary Cafà ©, due to his strong knowledge of the country’s geography and his ability to speak both English and Mandarin Chinese. However, after a review of China’s operation by the new CEO, Foster was not happy with the way the operation was managed in China, she noticed that the accounting report was not formatted in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). This was the turning point in the relationship between Foster and Chen, who had not met face to face. The new CEO decided to look more closely into the China operation and planned a trip to China to meet with Chen for the first time. Identification of Main Issue The case presented a number of main issues that Levendary Cafà © faced during the expansion into the Chinese market. From the case the main issue was identified as: the Levendary brand image is not consistent in the United States and China because there is a lack of communication between the parent company and subsidiary. The contributing factors to this were the management styles, the lack of standardization, the cultural differences and the limited experience in the foreign market. These issues have been detailed below. Management style The Chinese operation lacks close mentoring and evaluation by former CEO Leventhal, who gave too much freedom to Chen with a very hand off management style. â€Å"Do right by the concept† was the expression that Chen had as a guideline for how to strategize for the China operations. As a result, Chen  was providing little information to Denver headquarter about how the operation is managed in China, which differs from Foster’s management style who appears to be more demanding than the former CEO. There was no clear strategic plan for the operation in China, when Chen was asked about a plan he mentioned that he had no plan. Standardization Foster is more process driven and valued standardization, she believed that the China operation should align with Levendary Cafà © standards in the U.S in terms of reports, and look and feel of the Cafà ©. However, Chen had a different approach where he was trying to open as many stores as he could in a short period of time, paying little attention to the U.S standardized business model. The issue of standardization clearly was another challenge between Denver headquarters and Chen, as he insists in pushing what he thinks is right and resist what headquarter is asking him to do. Cultural Difference Whenever a company is entering a new market it has to take into consideration the cultural differences between countries. Based on the case study analysis, the difference between the two countries in terms of eating out habits and eating preferences seem not to be understood by the Denver headquarter. Denver headquarter believes that it can enforce the same business model applied in the U.S to its stores in China, regardless of local preference. In addition, Foster seems to lack knowledge about the Chinese culture because she was not familiar with the market in China, as she had no experience working internationally. There was a lack of cross-cultural communication between Chen and Foster; even though, Chen had experienced both cultures while studying abroad in the U.S. Limited experience in the foreign market There was a lack of international market experience since the China market was the second market, Levendary Cafà © entered aside from a partnership in Dubai. Due to this lack of experience Leventhal trusted Chen with implementing the needed actions to grow a successful franchise in China. Leventhal entrusted Chen with this given his strong knowledge of the market in China. Leventhal did not understand that entering a foreign market would  take more than knowledge on the country; it would also take strong communication and management skills. Analysis and Evaluation Operational Analysis The operational analysis will cover the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses as well as their external opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis will be on Levendary Cafà © U.S. operations. This report will also look at problems with standardization in the China operations. Levendary Cafà © has gained much strength over its 32 years of business (Bartlett & Han, 2013). The company has created brand recognition around the United States with its 3,500 cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s (Bartlett & Han, 2013). There is good brand consistency across all 3,500 cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s due to standardization of the Levendary product. Each cafà © has a similar design and atmosphere and offer the same core products. Levendary Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s standardization has allowed the company to franchise their product and resulted in expansion across the United States. Currently, two-thirds of the company’s cafà ©s are franchised (Bartlett & Han, 2013). Each region also offers different menu items fr om one and other, on top of the core menu items. For example, fewer soups are offered in the southern regions of the United States (Bartlett & Han, 2013). This adds to the company’s strong business culture of â€Å"delighting the customer† and creating a personalized experience for each customer (Bartlett & Han, 2013). Levendary Cafà © detailed and strict operating standards, policies and practices has allowed for tight control of store level expenses and close monitoring of operations (Bartlett & Han, 2013). The founder, Howard Leventhal, is an entrepreneur who wasn’t afraid to take risks (Bartlett & Han, 2013). His willingness to take calculated risk led to the company using organic grains in its bread and hormone-free naturally raised meats (Bartlett & Han, 2013). Levendary Cafà © became part of the growing trend of consumers wanting healthier and more natural menu options. 81% of Americans over the age of 50 have become more conscious of what they eat (Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada, 2010). Levendary Cafà © target market is white-collar professionals and upper-middle-class women (Bartlett & Han, 2013). Their choice to shift towards healthier menu options is meeting their target markets change in tastes. A fully scaled test kitchen and food science  laboratory also allows the company to meet the changing tastes of their consumers (Bartlett & Han, 2013). The food team, which includes highly trained chefs from the Culinary Institute of America, is responsible for the test kitchen and laboratory, as well as conducting quality checks across all 3,500 cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s (Bartlett & Han, 2013). Levendary Cafà © has a good organizational structure. Each knowledgeable and highly experienced member of the management team knows their responsibilities and who responds to them. There is a clear power structure. Finally, Levendary Cafà © has a strong training program for their retail employees called Operating Tools and Learning (OTL) (Bartlett & Han, 2013). OTL sets operating standards and provides employees with materials to enhance their learning (Bartlett & Han, 2013). All these strengths have resulted in Levendary Cafà © being a successful business in the United States. Levendary Cafà © also has internal weaknesses. The U.S. operations are beginning to slow and investors are losing confidence in Levendary Cafà © (Bartlett & Han, 2013). This is one of the reasons the company chose to expand into China. However, there is no separate international division from the Denver Headquarters and the new CEO, Mia Foster, lacks international management experience. Although Levendary Cafà © personalized touch has led to repeat business, it is also considered a weakness because it slows down the speed of service. Currently, there is a lack of brand recognition in China for Levendary Cafà ©. Finally, financial reports from China are being submitted in their own format and the U.S. operations are then â€Å"massaging† them to apply the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) (Bartlett & Han, 2013). These are all weaknesses for Levendary Cafà ©. Every company faces external opportunities and threats. As domestic business for Levendary Cafà © is beginning to slow, the company must look at opportunities to continue to be successful. Firstly, Levendary Cafà © is part of an emerging category in the restaurant industry called the â€Å"quick casual†. Another opportunity is to expand internationally. Other than the expansion into China, Levendary Cafà © is experimenting with a licensing deal in Dubai (Bartlett & Han, 2013). Some potential threats for Levendary Cafà © are the rising food costs and shifts in food trends. Food costs are beginning to rise due to a variety of factors such as climate change and a rise in oil prices (Oxfam Canada). A cha nge in food trends is a potential threat for any restaurant. If a restaurants’  product does not meet consumer’s tastes, then revenues will decrease. Levendary Cafà © will need to look at their external opportunities and threats. Levendary Cafà © China operations has three areas that need to be standardized: look and feel of the restaurant, menu options and accounting practices. Firstly, all 23 restaurants have a different design and atmosphere. The first location to open was similar to Levendary design standards, but the second location in Shanghai was a takeaway counter with no seating (Bartlett & Han, 2013). Denver Headquarters should understand that they cannot put the same restaurant that is in the U.S., in China. There should be extensive market research conducted on design and atmosphere that would be successful in China. Another option is to follow what Cafà © Coffee Days did in India. Cafà © Coffee Days offers three different formats of stores, ranging from a smaller grab and go coffee shop to a larger cafà © with areas to sit down. Levendary Cafà © could have different formats for restaurants; however each format would have a similar atmosphere to help standardize the brand in China. Secondly, menu options are vastly different across all 23 locations. For example, the Shanghai Koreatown offers dumplings with an average check of $2 (Bartlett & Han, 2013). The Beijing Embassy location offers sandwiches and soups with an average check of $10 (Bartlett & Han, 2013). Some menu items were offered at all locations, such as the chicken sandwich. A solution to standardize the menu is to do something similar to the U.S. operations. All locations would offer the same core menu items, but each region would have some different menu items that vary from one another. Chefs that have been trained in China and educated on different regional tastes should help create the core menu items and the different regional items. The final area that must be standardized is accounting practices. The current financial reports are being sent to the U.S. and massaged to meet U.S. GAAP (Bartlett & Han, 2013). All enterprises in China are required to use the Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) such as the Accounting System for Business Enterprises (ASBE) (China Briefing, 2014). ASBE has similar standings to the U.S. GAAP and the International Financial Reporting Standards (China Briefing, 2014). An international financial analyst should be hired in order to deal with both China and the U.S. financial reports and audits. Financial Analysis A financial analysis of the U.S. and China operations provided information on Levendary Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s current financial status. The income statement for China can be seen below. In China, their food and paper cost is at 51%, which can be attributed to their high number of food options on the menu and the lack of distribution system set up. Once a core menu is created and more locations begin to open, Levendary Cafà © will be able to take advantage of economy of scale and lower food and paper cost. China also has a high occupancy cost at 24%. This could be a result of having to pay extra to get the better locations. In addition the Chinese real estate market is very high meaning that any location is very expensive. During the time of the case study the Chinese real estate was going through a â€Å"golden decade† (Ranasinghe, 2014) which can demonstrate the higher occupancy cost that the Chinese division occurred compared to the United States. The pre-opening expenses (12%) also contributed to the loss of income in the first year for China. After the first year of business, China had a loss of $143,620. China operations also have a lower marketing expense. Marketing is generally not a large expense in China because the local population listens more to radio advertisement, which are cheaper, and rely on word of mouth. Income Statement- China The financial statement of the U.S. operations, which can be seen below, shows that Levendary Cafà © generally follows industry standards. Their food and supply cost are slightly lower than industry standards. Generally, food and supply costs are about 29% of total sales, but Levendary Cafà © food and supply cost are at 24% of total sales. Occupancy costs for Levendary Cafà © are about 4% lower than industry standards. Levendary Cafà © spends more on marketing then industry standards, about 2% higher. Income Statement- United States Cultural Analysis **The above information was sourced from The Hofstede Centre Website (Hofstede Centre, 2010).** By completing a cultural analysis on the two countries, United States and  China, it was easy to determine how the key issue, being communication, came about. Geert Hofstede identified five different dimensions that demonstrate how â€Å"values in the workplace are influenced by culture† (International Business Centre, 2014). The different dimensions that Geert Hofstede identified are: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Masculinity vs. Femininity, and Long Term Orientation vs. Short Term Orientation. Through using these five dimensions one can evaluate how each culture approaches these dimensions and how it influences them in the workplace. The score beside each dimension determines how much value they place towards each dimension. It is interesting to note that on only one dimension, Masculinity vs. Femininity, the two countries have a comparative score. It is with these differences that communication issues between the two countries can be seen. Power Distance The Power Distance Dimension looks at the relationship that people hold with others in that country. China scores very highly on this dimension as people value their superiors and do not act outside of their ranking in society. In regards to the case study it is confounding that Chen is unobservant of his superiors power being Mia Foster. In the case Chen is continually rude to Mia and questions her authority. This can be attributed to two different factors. The first of which is that Chen was originally hired by Howard Leventhal therefore Chen believes that Mia is not his superior. Leventhal gave Chen freedom to expand the Levendary business into China with little guidance or instruction. To have a new CEO enter the business Chen will not feel the need to respect Mia, as he still believes his true superior is Leventhal. In addition Chen, while he is from the Chinese culture, had many experiences and training in the United States. Therefore it can be seen that Chen was of American culture and acted as such. The United States had a low score on the Power Distance so while Chen is with the Chinese branch of Levendary he still has the American cultural values. Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty Avoidance looks at the way that culture embraces uncertainty. With a low ranking in the Chinese culture it is evident that this country looks at laws as flexible. This is seen in Levendary China as the standards between all the restaurants vary and are different from the brand standards that are seen in the United States Levendary stores. In addition the difference in accounting practices can be seen. The China division was very lenient about their reporting of finance to the US Division. Individualism vs. Collectivism This dimension looks at how individuals think and act, if it is for the greater good or if it is for their own well-being. The Chinese culture looks out for the group when making decisions. This is demonstrated in the case when Chen disrespects Mia Foster. He previously considered Leventhal to be his group and when Mia takes Leventhal’s position then he does not recognize her as an insider. This results in his mistrust of Mia and her authority within the Levendary Cafà © company. Masculinity vs. Femininity The Chinese culture has high ranking in this and is seen through Chen’s demeanor. He is very competitive and is eager to be successful. This is seen through his urge to keep his position with Levendary China and the fast pace in which he opened the stores in China. In addition his actions of being very abrasive with Mia Foster is because he feels threatened that she is trying to take over his position with Levendary. He had never had his business interfered before by anyone from the Denver Headquarters so he put his back up when Mia started to interfere with how he was running his operation. Long Term Orientation vs. Short Term Orientation Long Term and Short Term Orientation looks at how a culture is prepared for the future. The Chinese culture is very focused on planning for a long-term future. This dimension demonstrated the American culture that Chen must have picked up on his time in America. With his time managing the Chinese division of Levendary, Chen was very short sighted and opened up a large amount of stores in a short period time. Instead of formulating a business plan, which would encourage growth for the future of the business, Chen did not have one and was simply opening businesses when he found an available location. Parent Company vs. Subsidiary In this case, the parent company would be Levendary Cafà © U.S. operations and  the subsidiary would be Levendary Cafà © China operations. In terms of restaurant size, U.S. restaurants range from 2,500-4,000 square feet. China restaurants are smaller in size; they range from 500-1,500 square feet. These results in less staff needed for China restaurants, approximately 13-20 staff members. The U.S. restaurants need about 24-26 staff members. The larger U.S. restaurants are able to accommodate more customers; they usually have 84-120 seats and can serve anywhere from 560-3,210 guests per day. Due to smaller size, China restaurants have a maximum of 80 seats currently and can serve 260-430 guests per day. In terms of menu options, the only item that is offered in both the U.S. and China is the chicken sandwich. The Suburban U.S./Denver restaurants make more revenue and have a larger square footage then the China restaurants. However, the China restaurants have higher average revenue per square foot. Restaurants in Beijing make $537.33 revenue per square foot and restaurants in Shanghai make $576.00 revenue per square foot. The Suburban U.S./Denver restaurants make $531.50 revenue per square foot. A chart can be seen below which clearly details the difference between the parent and subsidiary company. Alternatives and Recommendations Alternatives Mia Foster is left with a very difficult decision at the end of the Levendary Cafà © case study. As the new CEO of the company she has to make a decision that will result in profitability for the company and chose an action plan that ensures long-term success for the business. As such that are a variety of alternatives that Mia Foster will have to chose from in order to move forward with the company. The following list presents the many alternatives that should be considered: 1. Shut down all operations and solely focus business in the United States. The China division stores look and feel vary from what the Levendary Brand is trying promote in their US Division. In order to continue with the stores in China then restoration will need to be completed to all the stores. Mia Foster will need to determine if the China division profits are worth the renovations and continuation of Levendary China. 2. Fire Louis Chen and hire a new manager for the China Division. Louis Chen has proven hi mself as a capable entrepreneur and someone who is  knowledgeable of the Chinese retail market. However he lacks communication skills, which was noticeable through the expansion of 23 Levendary shops in China that do not fit with the brand image. Chen is also extremely confrontational and may not be the best fit with the new CEO, Mia Foster, as he already had built a rapport with Howard Leventhal, the previous CEO. If Louis Chen cannot properly function and communicate with the US Levendary division then he may need to be replaced by someone with a fresh perspective on the business. 3. Hire a management firm to manage the China Division of Levendary. It is apparent through the case study that the US Division of Levendary has not been able to communicate in an effective manner with an international branch of their company. The Hofstede Dimensions that were listed above demonstrates the cultural differences that separate the two branches of Levendary. With no cultural training Mia Foster and the US Division are not communicating properly with Louis Chen. An alternative to the situation would be to hire a management firm to look after the China division. A management firm with International experience would be a solution to the communication problem because they would understand how to conduct business while ensuring good communication. 4. Create a separate division of Levendary for the China stores. The Levendary stores in China are off brand from the original concept that is seen through out the United States. This is largely due to the fact there is limited communication because the key players in the United States and Louis Chen in China. In order to fix this problem it would be wise to bring the structure that works so well in the United States and duplicate this order in China. With 23 stores in China, Levendary will need a separate branch in China, as it will provide structure to that side of the business. With more supporting players in China, asides from Louis Chen, then Levendary will be able to maintain the brand and in addition, more supporting managers will ensure that communication is maintained between the US Division and the China Division. 5. Make a joint venture with TATA Group to expand into China. The TATA Group is a â€Å"global enterprise headquartered in India, and comprises over 100 operatin g companies, with operations in more than 100 countries† (TATA, 2015). TATA has operating companies in China and as such they will be able to reduce the large operating costs that Levendary China is currently experiencing. As noted in the Analysis and Evaluation section, the operating  costs are very high. Entering into a joint venture with a company who has established infrastructure will help eliminate these costs and allow Levendary to increase their profits for the first couple of years. In addition the joint venture will allow Levendary to be partnered with people who are culturally aware and possess cultural intelligence. 6. Replace the US Division Chief Operating Officer, Nick White. It was easy to identify that communication was a large issue between the US and China Division Levendary. It is easy to target Louis Chen as the main culprit of this issue as he was combative and disrespectful to Mia Foster. However the blame can also be placed onto the COO of the US Division, Nick White because he was responsible for keeping communication with China and overseeing the brand image in China. Nick White clearly let this responsibility go and as a result the China Division does not reflect the US vision for Levendary. If someone has to answer for the mistakes that were made in China than perhaps it should not be Louis Chen but instead it could be Nick White. Recommendation After evaluating all of the above alternatives for Mia Foster and Levendary Cafà © to pursue it was decided that the best alternative would be number 4, create a separate division of Levendary for the China stores. This alternative includes renewing the contract for Louis Chen and brings more managers to China to help grow Levendary in the China market with the vision and brand image of the US Division. Levendary in the United States can contribute a large portion of their success to their hierarchal structure as it allowed for proper communication and good reporting methods. If Levendary China were to create a China Division then it would allow for better communication between the United States and China and Chen would have the support he needs to ensure the brand image is seen between all stores. Action Plan In order to properly implement the alternative that was stated above, an action plan is needed. The action plan is detailed below through three different stages. The Short Term Plan looks at what the business should do in one years time, the Medium Term plan looks at what the business should do in two to three years time and the Long Term plan encompasses a five year  outlook. This is detailed below: Short Term: 1) The first critical step that needs to be taken is to ensure that proper communication starts immediately between Mia Foster and Louis Chen. If the two parties were to sit together and put all of their issues out then they can sort their current problems. Starting with good communication between Foster and Chen will ensure that it continues into their future business dealings. 2) Renew the contract with that Louis Chen has with Levendary China. Louis Chen has proven to be a valuable asset with Levendary Cafà © as he knows the retail market and is passionate about the work that he is doing. While it is arguable that Chen did not complete his work in a successful manner, he was with out support and was given little direction and free reign from the former CEO, Leventhal. With support and proper structure Chen should be able to work within these constraints. Therefore it can be seen that his contract should be renewed for another term with the stipulation that Chen will be working underneath other Levendary managers in China. 3) Denver Headquarters will need to create a business plan for their operations in China. With 23 locations currently in China they will have to decide which locations needs renovations and if all 23 should be maintained. By restructuring the current operations in China, Levendary Cafà © will have a more focused plan that will allow for the China operations to strive. If the Denver Headquarters were to work with Chen and use his knowledge of the China market than they can collaborate and develop a structured business plan. 4) Once a proper business plan has been developed Chen will need immediate support in China. By creating a separate China Division Chen will have the support he needs to standardize operations and reinvigorate the Levendary brand. Managers with cultural training should be placed into the new China Headquarters. Chen will be a regional Vice President however a new top manager will be placed in this division who will be above Chen on the hierarchy and will be the direct contact between itself and Denver. Medium Term: 1) Standardize operations all throughout the China Division. This includes a standardized brand image through all stores and a consistent menu. As with all locations in the United States there are set menu items in all locations  with special items according to the region. Levendary China will need conduct market research that will allow them to understand menu staples that should be available in all locations. In addition regional specialties should be included on the menu. 2) In addition to the standardization of restaurant practices the accounting practices will also need to be redeveloped. As per Chinese law all foreign business enterprises must follow the Chinese Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (China Briefing , 2013). Levendary China must follow â€Å"Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises† (China Briefing , 2013) and the Denver Headquarters should hire an international auditor who can then transfer all numbers to follow the US GAAP. 3) Monitor the new business plan for Levendary China and ensure that it is being properly followed and that brand standards are being maintained. Long Term: 1) Mia Foster should monitor and evaluate China operations on a constant basis. This will ensure that communication is kept to a high standard and that the brand image remains constant. 2) Once operations in China find their place in the market, Levendary China should appoint a Chief Franchise Officer who will develop franchise opportunities in China. This will allow more stores to be built and the brand to have more exposure with less of a expense put on the company. 3) A re-evaluation of their foreign expansion should be completed. The company should decide if they would like to find other potential foreign markets where they could continue the growth of Levendary or if they should focus directly on their domestic growth. Additional Questions 1. As it relates to the case, explain what this passage implies: An old mentor had once told Foster that there were three types of managers in a new business’s evolution to greater scale: the go-getter, the local baron, and the professional manager. All three types could be entrepreneurial in spirit, but not all were equally well suited for the various stages of a business’s growth. Chen was clearly a go-getter who had evolved to become a local baron. The question in Foster’s mind was whether he could transition to become a professional manager. Before answering the question of whether or not Louis Chen can become a professional manager, it is important to  identify the characteristics of one. The discussion in class brought to light that a professional manager is someone that has an understanding of the long term goals of a company, understands the value of standardization among all locations and understands the value and importance of brand image. A professio nal manager should also be educated and trained; furthermore, this individual needs to assume the role of middleman and understand top management’s goals and relay this information to his employees while collecting their feedback. Lastly, the class discussion brought to the surface that a professional manager should have extensive core knowledge on how the company should operate. Further research has shown that a professional manager should know how to plan, organize, lead and control all the efforts of his/her employees to complement the company’s values and standards (Sandeep, 2013). Howard Leventhal chose Louis Chen for his role because of Chen’s energy and enthusiasm. On a personal level it reminded Leventhal of himself at a younger age. Howard had told Chen to establish a strong market position as a base to eventually franchise outlets throughout China with the instructions to â€Å"do the right thing by the concept† but was given the freedom to operate the restaurants as he saw fit (Han & Bartlett, 2013). To enter the market in China Chen said himself â€Å"We just have to be flexible†¦Chinese eat few dairy products, so we should downplay our cheese soup†¦most people arenà ¢â‚¬â„¢t familiar with turkey, but they love chicken, so we’ll adapt the menu just as we do in the States† (Han & Bartlett, 2013). Chen believed that Levendary could succeed if it adapted its food and concept. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary a go-getter is a person who works very hard and who wants very much to succeed (Encyclopoedia Britannica Company). Chen demonstrated the characteristics of a go getter as he opened up the first Levendary Cafà © only three months after returning from Denver. This location was a corner ground floor location in a new high-rise office building and the concept of the restaurant was prominent and luxurious. This restaurant was positioned as casual dining with table service and higher prices than local fast food concepts (Han & Bartlett, 2013). This location proved to be a hit among the white-collar employees working in the building. Because of competition Chen was forced to move quickly to purchase locations for the remaining restaurants and in the first year managed to secure prime locations for good prices and grow the chain to  23 restaurants. Then Chen demonstrated he was a local baron with his in depth knowledge of the Chinese market and was familiar with the neighborhoods in Shanghai and Beijing; his real estate knowledge was a major asset for the Levendary brand. He said it himself that he wa s in the trenches running 23 restaurants that he had built by reading market needs and sending opportunities (Han & Bartlett, 2013). Based on the information collected from the case it does not appear that Chen could develop into a professional manager. Because Chen wasn’t given any direction, he took it upon himself to change the concept, the look and feel and the menu items of Levendary Cafà ©. However, the way he handled Mia Foster and her colleagues from Denver and based on the definition of a professional manager Chen can’t develop into a professional manager and Levendary should look for someone to lead the China team while he continues to focus on the 23 restaurants that he has already built. Chen also became very defensive when Mia tried to communicate with him and based on the definition of a professional, he should be open to listen to their suggestions and input and adapt them to Levendary in China. If Chen had the instincts of a professional manager he would have taken it upon himself to contact his colleagues in Denver to update them on the progress he was making in China and should have taken the standards and values of Levendary Cafà © and applied them in China because that was his responsibility. To become a professional manager Chen would have to see the value of standardizing all the restaurants; however he did provide a great platform for the future growth of Levendary in China and should be kept on the team with certain responsibilities and be made aware of the expectations from Mia Foster. Works Cited Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada. (2010). Health and Wellness Trends : U.S. Market. Ottawa: Government of Canada. Bartlett, C., & Han, A. (2013). Levendary Cafe: The China Challenge. Boston: Harvard Business School. China Briefing . (2013, February 5). China GAAP vs. U.S. GAAP and IFRS. Retrieved February 10, 2015, from China Briefing: http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2013/02/05/china-gaap-vs-u-s-gaap-and-ifrs.html China Briefing. (2014). Retrieved February 10, 2015, from China GAAP vs. U.S. GAAp and IFRS:

Accounting, write a memo about Sony company Essay

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The Training Need Analysis Concept Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Training Need Analysis Concept - Assignment Example The concept of Training Need Analysis has been applied successfully in several corporate companies to depict the learning curve of the employee and estimate their potential towards the company. This analysis incorporates the skill specific to the requirement of the company only. Prior to recruitment, the hiring is based upon the credibility, achievements, and merit of the employee irrespective of its relevance to the actual nature of the job. It is after the recruitment when the employees are evaluated against the requirement of the system, and rather their training plan is developed to improve their understanding and knowledge relevant to the actual need of the employer. The question can be raised that what is the point in the recruitment of the individuals who actually have no relevant knowledge and experience; the answer is that the academic institutions have failed to discuss the actual corporate related issues and in some cases the core industrial and corporate related practices are ignored, therefore the training of the job-seekers continue even after the recruitment. Under the post-recruitment phase, the justification provided in favor of the Training Need Analysis system is that this strategy has been able to align the expectations of the employers with the performance of the employees. The Training Need Analysis is the concept of accountability under which the employees are evaluated on a periodic basis to confirm their coherence with the values and working culture of the employer. The development of the company is based upon the talent and ability of the employee, and the concept of Training Need Analysis is the key to enhance the productivity of the company. The employees are considered as the most important asset by the companies, and the Training Need Analysis is the approach through which companies can inspect and verify the potential of their resources. The Training Need Analysis concept is an audit program through which an employer cannot just e valuate but calculate the technical and managerial skills of the employee. I consider this analysis to be quantitative analysis through which the influence and contribution of the employee can be well monitored. The grey areas relevant to the skills of the employee are identified through this approach, and the shortcomings are treated accordingly. The focus of this analysis is limited to the professional skills of the employees. I understand that Training Need Analysis can bridge the gulf between the employer and employee; the expectations of the employer are listed in the skill analysis module. The employees are then regularly monitored against this module, and each skill of the employee is evaluated on a scale.

Impact of Technology on Customers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Impact of Technology on Customers - Essay Example that investing a significant amount of money on new technology could cause severe losses for the organization if the relevant investment is not paid back within a particular period of time. Current paper focuses on the new technology that Macy’s introduced to its customers. This technology incorporates a wide range of advanced technological features, such as digital receipts and free Wi-Fi. The initial responses of the firm’s customers to this technology seem to be positive, at least as revealed through the reports developed in regard to this issue. In the near future, a more accurate view of the effectiveness of new technology introduced in Macy’s would be available. Taking into consideration the existing findings in regard to this project, as presented below, it could be noted that the particular initiatives have significantly supported the performance of the organization helping towards the improvement of its relationship with its customers. In Macy’s the introduction of new technology was considered as the most effective method for improving the relationship between the firm and its customers. The term ‘new technology’, as used in the case of Macy’s refers to a wide range of features of advanced technology and not to just one technology. In this way, it is expected that the firm will acquire an advantage towards its rivals, a target that has been achieved, as proved by the performance of the firm up to now. Currently, the firm’s stores have been estimated to 850, operating under the name of Macy’s and Bloomingdales (Business Wire 2011). The successful implementation of new technology in all the firm’s stores can be characterized as a challenging task, even if the capital availability of the organization is significant, taking into consideration the fact that in 2010 the sales of the firm reached the $25 billion (Business Wire 2011). ‘free Wi-Fi, digital receipts, cosmetics kiosks and computer tablets for product demonstrations and

Privacy, Security in the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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The Various Legal Aspects Associated with the Warwickshire College Essay

The Various Legal Aspects Associated with the Warwickshire College - Essay Example The college as a whole has been formed as a result of the merger of few other colleges and was established in the year1996. In the backdrop of this, the essay intends to produce an informal report considering the legal aspects of Warwickshire College. Discussion This section generally describes the type of legal status that gets associated with a firm or even an educational organization depended on its types. Since property ownership can be of multiple types and thus the associated legal aspects also vary accordingly. Examples of ownership model include government ownership, cooperative ownership, private ownership, public ownership, collective ownership and other types of ownership. Warwickshire College is an autonomous Corporation with exempt charity status incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (Warwickshire College, n.d.). Additively, the college corporation appears to be made up of the membership of the local community business, stakeholder partners, local authorities and the staff-student members. This organization also abides by the general ‘employment’, ‘diversity’, ‘equality’, ‘health’ and ‘safety’ laws as established by the UK government. Depending on these health and safety principles, the college provides a clean and safe environment for the students and the employees to work. The pricing policy in context to this college generally refers to its fee structure. Concerning fee structure, the college demands a full payment of the course fee before it issues the Visa letter to its students. In certain cases where college fails to issue the Visa letter to students, it provides a complete refund of the submitted course fee to the student after deduction of certain percentage as administrative charges. This refunding process needs to be carried out within three months from the date of refusal of the visa. The variation within the yearly course fee completely depends on t he decision of the college.

Marketing and Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing and Marketing Strategy - Essay Example solely based on the need for a car, and when people believe it would be cheaper and more convenient to use a car rather than the public transportation. One factor that might lead the customers to buy an electric car is the fact that these cars emit low pollutants due to the electric engines. Also, people who are environmental friendly, with an urge to buy an economical car will be more inclined towards the electric cars. Other factors that might lead to people choosing the electric cars include the compactness of the car, economical use of energy, continuous increase in fuel prices across the world and also increase in the maintenance prices. The electric cars basically designed for two people and the car is meant for economical use. The car also emits very low pollutants which are due to the electric engine (Diez & Zollter, 2008). The target market for the electric cars mainly consists of people who are conscious of the environment and looking for a cheaper and more environmental friendly car. The major target markets also include people looking for comfort, safety, ecology and fun while driving. Since this car provides for low Carbon – di – oxide (CO2) emission thus making these cars accepted by almost every country. Electric cars are faced with lots of competition. These cars can be classified as energy saving cars. The positioning of these cars in the markets mainly highlights the best features of the product, like, comfort, agility, safety, ecology, and fun while driving. These cars have also been positioned as money savers and energy savers, along with being fun, trendy and very youthful. The competition faced by the electric cars sectors is also very high. The major competition that the companies will face, is mainly from other similar manufacturers, as well as used car sales. The main reason being, the costs of the used cars are much lower than the new cars, similarly the cost of the electric cars is also much lower than the new vehicles (Porter,

Astronomy - Black Holes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Astronomy - Black Holes - Research Paper Example A black hole is a section in the space-time that traps everything passing across the area because of its exceptionally strong gravity force (Raine, & Thomas, 1). It is significant to note that light is also absorbed by the gravity. It is proven and established that an adequately compact mass is capable of distorting space-time to create a black hole. ‘Event horizon’ is a section around the black hole that is mathematically known as a ‘point of no return’. The absorption of light that passes the region resulted to the name ‘black’ hole since there is total darkness at the region. Astronomers are still making expeditions, and have managed to discover the largest black hole referred to as abyssal a yawn that is believed to be 10 times the size of the solar system. The black hole is believed to have absorbed billions of suns existing in the galaxy (Raine, & Thomas, 1). Black holes are created from heavy stars that have a mass of 20 to 25 times compared to the sun. Their gravity overpowers any force that is holding the stars up, making the cores collapse when the heavy stars ‘die’ (Raine, & Thomas, 1). Next, the star collapses exceptionally that is forced to be contained within its Schwarzschild radius, or event horizon, a region where light is absorbed. It is remarkably tiny, and is believed that a black hole fitting a town is probably having a mass of the sun, and the one fitting on a palm of a person has a mass of the earth. At this point, the materials that are enclosed within the Sachwarzschild radius will continue to fall and collapse indefinitely. The collapsing of the materials will reach a point where laws of physics shatter. Finally, ‘super-massive’ black holes are formed differently from the combination of earlier smaller black holes that were formed at earlier stages of the history (Merloni, Nayakshin & Sunyaev , 18). It is believed that small black holes had grown and sucked in gas from their nearby environment (Merloni, Nayakshin

Radicalization of American Muslims hearings Research Paper

Radicalization of American Muslims hearings - Research Paper Example Some people justify such hearings by saying that different evidences brought up in the courts by authentic witnesses play a pivotal role in cleaning up the mess, which is created by Al-Qaeda. The persistent efforts of Al-Qaeda to destabilize America by radicalizing the Muslim community are way too conspicuous to be ignored and these efforts can be effectively dealt with by proper radicalization hearings. It is believed by the proponents of radicalization hearings that such kinds of things provide a solid platform for probing the growing incidence of radicalization in America. Radicalization hearings are justified by King, the American legislator, who opinions that Al-Qaeda operatives are pretty active in America and these hearings do not aim to uselessly threaten the Muslim community but to raise the radicalization issues that put America in danger. (Goodman, 2011). Still, there are many people who strongly condemn such hearings and believe them to be merely an unfair means of singli ng out a community that is largely innocent and not prejudiced against the American government. They say that the American Muslims should stand up against the fake witnesses brought up in the unjustified series of hearings against the innocent Muslim community.

Health Sanitation Practices Essay Example for Free

Health Sanitation Practices Essay * a protected well or a developed spring with an outlet but without a distribution system * indicated for rural areas * serves 15-25 households; its outreach is not more than 250 m from the farthest user * yields 40-140 L/ min Level II (Communal Faucet or Stand Posts) * With a source, reservoir, piped distribution network and communal faucets * Located at not more than 25 m from the farthest house * Delivers 40-80 L of water per capital per day to an average of 100 households * Fit for rural areas where houses are densely clustered Level III (Individual House Connections or Waterworks System) * With a source, reservoir, piped distributor network and household taps * Fit for densely populated urban communities * Requires minimum treatment or disinfection Proper Excreta and Sewage Disposal Program EHS sets policies on approved types of toilet facilities: Level I * Non-water carriage toilet facility – no water necessary to wash the waste into receiving space e. g. pit latrines, reed odorless earth closet. * Toilet facilities requiring small amount of water to wash the waste into the receiving space e.g. pour flush toilet aqua privies Level II * On site toilet facilities of the water carriage type with water-sealed and flush type with septic vault/tank disposal. Level III * Water carriage types of toilet facilities connected to septic tanks and/or to sewerage system to treatment plant. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine sanitation practices and preferences in sitio ganha-an.By examining differences between current practices and preferences, the study assesses if the communities are satisfied with their current sanitation options and if there is a demand for increased sanitation coverage and better facilities. Water Supply. The major problem for poor people in most countries is access to safe water in adequate quantity, with reasonable convenience, and at an affordable cost. Solutions include local grants to install household gutters and rainwater capture tanks; local wells designed to resist pollution; and small networks of water points served by a local well, borehole, or spring. The supply problems of major cities require integrated approaches that combine demand management, leak repair, backflow prevention, wastewater reuse, and the efficient, sustainable exploitation of sources. Solid Waste Disposal. The interdependence of sanitation aspects is illustrated by the need for adequate solid waste removal to prevent the blockage of rainwater drains. Collection of refuse in hot climates must be frequent since piles attract flies and rats, and it should rely more on local labor-intensive methods rather than on expensive trucks. For the operation to be successful requires close cooperation between the users and providers of the service, and financing must come either from municipal recurrent funds and/or user fees. Excreta Disposal. Large sewerage infrastructure projects tend to be too expensive for the vast majority of urban and rural people in developing countries, and it may be impossible to build a sewage network infrastructure in congested, narrow streets. On-site options include latrines, pourflush toilets, and septic tanks. There should be evaluated at each location according to needs and priorities. As water use grows in villages and towns, wastewater from washing and bathing (sullage) can be cost-effectively handled by a separate drainage system coupled to on-site excreta disposal. Garbage is a never ending cycle. Every day each household produces a significant amount of trash. The more we consume the more garbage we incur. Garbage disposal has been a monumental problem ever since. ( Yapchiongco, 2012) For a lack of historic time series of reliable nationally representative drinking water quality data, the JMP cannot report on the actual water safety aspect of the MDG drinking water target. The proxy indicator used in the global survey methodology – â€Å"use of improved drinking water sources† – does not guarantee that the quality of drinking water consumed by people meets the standards for safe drinking water as proposed in the WHO Guidelines for Drinking water Quality (WHO, 2011). Pollution from domestic and industrial sources, geogenic contamination, and poor sanitation and hygiene all threaten the safety of drinking water sources. In recognition of these threats, many drinking water supply operators and regulators are adopting an integrated risk assessment and management approach that takes risk spots and events into account along the chain of events from source to tap. Strategies include quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), sanitary inspections, the application of health-based targets and water safety plans (WSPs). The practice of household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) can help improve water quality at the point of consumption, especially when drinking water sources are distant, unreliable or unsafe. However, HWTS is a stopgap measure only and does not replace the obligation of a service provider to provide access to safe drinking water. It is intended for people who have no access to improved drinking water sources at all, for people with access to improved sources outside of their home or premises (i.e. when contamination can occur during transport and storage), for people with unreliable piped supplies who have to store water to bridge the gaps between deliveries, and for people in emergency situations. People relying on unimproved drinking water sources who apply an appropriate household water treatment method are still not considered to have sustainable access to safe drinking water. Doing so would absolve the providers of their responsibility to provide safe drinking water and in effect transfer this responsibility to consumers. http://www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/report_wash_low.pdf

Marketing Analysis of Whale Watch Tourism

Marketing Analysis of Whale Watch Tourism Whale Watch- New Zealand’s Ultimate Marine Experience and the Nature-Tourism Market Question One Market Segmentation in the nature-tourism market can be defined as the process through which potential customers with similar needs and characteristics are grouped together so that a tourism organization can apply marketing strategies for the selected market segment efficiently (Oohlala, 2013). Segmentation also involves learning more about customers and making the heterogeneous market into a homogenous market (Bowker, 2014). Segmenting the New Zealand nature-tourism market is viable because it assists in understanding the needs and wants of customers, allocating marketing expenses efficiently, further developing products/services and developing marketing strategies more precisely (Grewal Levy, 2012). The two segments I will divide the domestic nature-tourism market are the: â€Å"Being There† and â€Å"Embracing Life† segments. Comprising of over a quarter of New Zealand’s adult population, ‘Being There’ is definitely an identifiable segment which is large and old. A majority of this segment are aged 55 years or older. They havea female majority and a high percentage of people living alone. The segment can be found throughout all over in New Zealand meaning that it is substantial. Members of this segment have a strong interest in gardening and reading. They also have a positive interest in visiting natural/scenic locations, and are most likely to be a member of church or rotary group. Members of ‘Being There’ are motivated to travel by a yearning to spend time with people they love and appreciate natural/scenic locations. This segment is most interested in sightseeing, natural attractions and walking/hiking and meaning it is a responsive segment for the nature-tourism market. As this segment is relatively wealthy, money is less of a barrier to travel meaning that it is a profitable segment. There are many viable marketing channels that can be used to reach this segment which makes it reachable. These include: Major daily newspapers, special media (e.g. gardening channels/magazines/groups), affinity groups (churches, Rotary, other voluntary groups) are all channels that can be used to reach this market. Another segment for the New Zealand nature-tourism market makes up nearly a quarter of the adult population making it a substantial segment, ‘Living Life’ shares a philosophy to live life to the fullest and embrace nature. This segment is identifiable with a majority of members being aged between 25 and 60 years old. This segment has a dominant family structure of couples with children. Members of ‘Living Life’ can be found throughout all over New Zealand which enables the segment to be substantial. Members of this segment are most likely to have hobbies such as mountaineering, tramping, sight-seeing, boating and gardening at home. This segment is very responsive because vacations are important to them and they holiday frequently within New Zealand. When holidaying in New Zealand, they take part in their favourite activities with their children and partners, away from the pressures of daily life. The ideal holiday for ‘Living Life’ is spending well-earned money on an above all family-friendly, and involves outdoor experiences, scenery and landscapes meaning it is a profitable segment which will spend money on nature-tourism. Key barriers to travel are the amount of annual leave available, work and family commitments. This segment is reachable through channels such as newspaper, media/online (e.g. golf, outdoor, boating, fishing), newspapers and fairs. Question Two In order to evaluate how Whale Watching’s product is perceived by potential customers, it is vital to deconstruct the product into four different levels. This is called the Total Product Concept and we will use this model to deconstruct the product Whale Watch is offering, and evaluate how the company is positioned within the nature-tourism market. Firstly, the Core Product is the fundamental benefit that responds to a potential customer’s need or wants (Elliott, Rundle-Thiele Waller, 2010). For Whale Watch the core benefit for a customer would be being able to observe whales in their natural habitat. This could be for recreational or scientific and educational purposes depending on the motive of the customer. Secondly, the Expected Product is the relative factors that delivers the benefit which forms the core product and fulfil the customer’s most basic expectations (Elliott, Rundle-Thiele Waller, 2010), Whale Watch offers an exciting up-close encounter with the Giant Sperm Whale in their natural environment. In a typical Whale Watch tour, the customer can expect to encounter a wide variety of sea-life and birds. Vessels are crewed by an expert team who are experienced in interacting with the whales. Whale Watch ensures that passenger comfort and safety are always high priority. These are all expected features of the product/service Whale Watch is offering to customers. The Augmented Product offers a combination of benefits that is not a part of the basic level of needs for the customer. It is at the augmented product level where marketers are able to significantly differentiate their products/services from the competition (Elliott, Rundle-Thiele Waller, 2010). Whale Watch is New Zealand’s only vessel-based whale watching experience and the 95% success rate of trips at Whale Watch means that they guarantee an 80% refund and is an example of an augmented service that gives a competitive edge over other companies. Furthermore, it is based in Kaikoura, the Whale Watching capital of New Zealand which provides a unique experience over other locations. Whale Watch is committed to the care and protection of the environment and seeks to minimise waste, promote recycling, use eco-friendly product and minimise their impact on marine life (Whale Watch, 2013). These factors are important for customers who really care about then environment and are conce rned with conservation and the preservation of nature. All these special features and facilities are factors that would help customers to choose Whale Watch over other competitors. The Potential Product of the Product Concept Model comprises all possibilities that could become part of the expected or augmented product. This includes features that are being developed planned as well as features that have not yet been conceived (Elliott, Rundle-Thiele Waller, 2010). In the future, Whale Watch could offer new tours such as swimming with dolphins swimming with whales which would offer a unique, up-and-close, more personal experience. Whale Watch will need to do research on how to bring this programme to life and keep safety measures in mind. Whale Watch seems to be using a differentiation positioning strategies using conservation, nature preservation and a unique approach to attract customers. Whale Watch’s positioning statement is used to succinctly convey their philosophies and approach: â€Å"Whale Watch Kaikoura is New Zealand’s ultimate all year round nature experience offering visitors an exciting up-close encounter with The Giant Sperm Whale† (Whale Watch, 2013). â€Å"We are visitors to the world of the whales and respect it as such at all times. As a Maori owned company, Whale Watch cherishes the twin values of hospitality to visitors and reverence for the natural world† (Whale Watch, 2013). Question Three A service is an act or performance offered by one party to another. They are economic activities that create value and provide benefits for customers at specific times and places as a result of bringing desired change .One of the unique characteristics of a service is that it is inconsistent meaning the service provider cannot provide exactly the same service every time (Brown, 2008). Applying this to Whale Watch’s situation, because of the nature of their service, Whale Watch cannot guarantee the same Whale Watching experience to customers for every tour. Depending on seasonal variations or even the weather on a particular day, every trip will offer a different kind of experience. Customers are not guaranteed to be able to see a consistent number of whales and sea-life on every trip because Whale Watch has little control over this factor. In some seasons of the year, certain animals will not appear at all and on certain days no whales may be sighted at all. Because Whale Watch offers a conservative and completely nature-based experience it cannot â€Å"force† a service and experience for the customer. In order to manage these challenges Whale Watch seems to have particular strategies to target and solve these challenges. Firstly, Whale Watch offers an 80% refund if a tour does not see a whale. Furthermore, Whale Watch staff constantly monitor the weather and respond professionally to any changes. This could a result in a tour being cancelled or safety restrictions placed on children or passengers with medical problems. This is because Whale Watch wants to promote passenger comfort and safety as their number one priority. Furthermore, Whale Watch would want to decrease the chances of a trip a day with bad weather conditions resulting in zero or minimal whale sightings. The on-board plasma screens display a virtual animated tour while the tour is actually taking place so customers will have a larger than life experience even though there may be inconsistency in actual whale and other sea-life sightings. Also, the professional guides and skippers are there in order to maintain consistency in a service with inconsistent characteristics. Whale Watch will make sure that the staff provide a high level of professional service with passenger safety and comfort as their number one priority. This is evident in their constant monitoring of weather and responding professionally.to any changes. Looking at Whale Watch’s philosophy and positioning statement, the company emphasizes that it is Maori owned which has a reverence for the natural environment and is dedicated to conservation, preservation and respect for wildlife. This is a factor that Whale Watch seems to be using to manage challenges of inconsistency of its services. Many customer’s especially nature-lovers and conservationists will respect the company’s philosophies and understand the unavoidable, inconsistent nature of services that Whale Watch is offering. Word Count: 1590 References Grewal, D., Levy, M. (2013). Marketing (1st ed.). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. Oohlala, R. (2013). Tourism market segmentation. Slideshare.net. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/reymarieoohlala/tourism-market-segmentation/ Whalewatch.co.nz. (2014). New Zealand Attractions | Kaikoura Whale Watching | Canterbury NZ. Retrieved from http://www.whalewatch.co.nz/ Brown, A. (2008). Alex Brown: teaching digital marketing and ending horse slaughter. Udel.edu. Retrieved from http://www.udel.edu/alex/index.html/ Bowker, M. (2014). Segmentation, targeting and positioning [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://cecil.auckland.ac.nz/

Irish Immigration to American

Irish Immigration to American Immigration has come a long way in our country. Immigrants have come to this country to capture The American Dream that we see portrayed, nearly every day, on our television screens. Irish immigration occurred as a major rush in 1845. These immigrants came pretty much only came with the clothes on their backs, a little bit of faith, and hope to start a new life in this new world. Like most other immigrant groups, the Irish had it bad. However, unlike other groups of immigration, the Irish had more advantages with their education, politics, and labor unions, which helped them pave their mark in their new American homeland. The Irish famine of 1845, which killed nearly one-eighth of the entire population was the main reason why the Irish immigrated. This was major was because potatoes were the major source of food in Ireland (Donnelly). People ate potatoes to live and survive. People without much money were able to grow them, for they grew in great quantities on just small pieces of land. People had farms of them and grew them to sell them and make money. Potatoes were a godsend for the Irish. Unfortunately, in 1845 a disease or blight struck Ireland. When the blight hit, stemming from a fungus, potato fields turned black. Potatoes rotted soon after they were dug up from the ground. Racked with hunger, people sometimes ate the rotten potatoes anyway and became sick. As the blight spread across Ireland people became desperate (Goldstein 20). The effects of the blight have taken a toll far too great for the people to handle in Ireland and it was time to finally move. Families had no choice and knew that there will be a long period of time before this famine would end. Some believed that they might not even survive through it. The Irish packed their bags and got on ships to America. Some landlords actually bought some Irish their tickets because they knew it would save them money. The method was for the landlords to just but their way out. The landlords bought the people their tickets to ship them off to America. The landlords made promises of money, clothes, and food, so they packed the people in cheap, dirty, and unseaworthy ships. These ships got there name of coffin ships (Johanson). Many of the people who bordered these ships had diseases which were very contagious and easily contracted. People left and right where getting sick and even dying before they even stepped one foot on America. The rides to America on boats took up to eight weeks and with bad weather up to 10 weeks. Still though with all of these mishaps the Irish people still manag ed to have a positive state of mind and were still hopeful of all the fortunes America can bring for them and their families/ Upon arriving in America, The Irish, who were sick, were quarantined and treated. People started to fear that with their conditions they might not even be allowed to enter America. The conditions were horrible and many diseases could not be cured for they were too strong, epically the ones children had. In America the Irish felt as if its a new marriage between two worlds. Some people even poured some soil they brought from Ireland as a symbol of their combination. Now in America families knew it was time to finally experience that America like they always dreamt about. Education is very important for someone who wants to make something out of their lives in America. The Irish knew education offered a promising path to success in America. However, parents found it very difficult for their children to attend school in America. The reason was because most Irish were Catholics. Public schools in America mostly taught by the protestant culture and read from King James or protestant bible.(Henderson) Parents needed a solution, so they came up with the idea of building schools. Parents and cities began to build religious schools to teach their children both academics and Catholic studies.(Jones) When it came to University levels of education, many Irish Americans enrolled in Jesuit Universities, such as Fordham University. With many Irish Americans now enrolled in universities and colleges, they began to receive degrees and enter better professions such as teaching, medicine, engineering, and law. As the number of Irish grew in big cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and New York so did the political power in the Irish communities. Many Irish politicians organized rallies in neighborhoods with family and friends. With politics rising in the communities, Irish Americans soon became mayors and city councilors. The politicians were effective,  but not always ethical: Some Irish politicians used such tactics like bribing people in exchange for votes(Goldstein.p49) In New York a democratic party called Tammany Hall used such tactics. Tammany Hall won most of their votes from their peers, the Irish communities. Tammany Hall helped immigrants with jobs, social services, and sometimes they even just flat out paid them.(Bayliss) Despite its corrupt reputation, Tammany Hall helped many Irish new comers. Tammany Hall also helped many Irish politicians rise higher in politician ranks. Most famous was Alfred Smith who went from Tammany Hall to New York government, becoming governor in 1919. He also ran for presidency in 1928, but eventually lost to republican Herbert Hoover. Alfred Smith reached very high positions in the offices of government, but he missed one major step left for the Irish Americans to achieve, Presidency. However, that all was changed in the 1960s. Nearly 30 years after Alfred Smiths run and nearly 100 years after the potato famine, John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States. Many people did not like the idea of him becoming president, epically because he was Catholic. With Kennedys victory, the last Irish barrier to Irish achievement had fallen. An Irish catholic had reached the highest point of office in America. When the Civil War ended, many Irish Americans went back to work in factories, mills, farms, and mining companies. America was now literally booming with population growth. Cities were now filled with cars, railroads, buildings and so forth. The people who were keeping all of this together were the Irish. With these steady jobs in place more Irish began to go out into newer professions, including the most popular job irish hold in the 20th century, the police force. These jobs were very dangerous and women and children worked these jobs, neither of them had no rights. Some jobs with miners had cave-ins which were common. Poisonous gases sometimes seeped into mines and killed many workers. It was a point that where miners lives were in complete control of the mining company. People can conclude that even though the Irish had there politics and education in line they still had a tough time, just like any other group of people like the now freed blacks or any other ethnicity. However, with this mistreatment the Irish actually stood up for themselves with their unions. All across the nation, laborers began to form construction, factory, and mining unions. They joined prominent national groups such as the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor. They had strikes and fought for child and women rights.(Griffin) We can see here that with the Irish bonding together and working as a whole we can see that they fought for rights like no other group of immigrants and they got what they were looking for. The Irish have come through a long way to get and start a new life from Ireland to America. Fortunately, they had some better ways to things than others. Their politics, education, and labor unions helped them secure their presence in America and helped them start their new generations in this once known foreign land. The Irish are now no longer new comers in America.

Technological Advancements :: essays papers

Technological Advancements On November 7, 1940 the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was hit by winds of up to 40mph. The bridge began to twist and flutter. Some cables snapped and a six-hundred foot section of the bridge fell into Puget Sound. ^Wind is but one disaster, earthquakes are another^ (Jay Stuller 36). Disasters like this one and others could have been avoided if the proper precautions had been taken. Due to the disasters in the world the structures of today and tomorrow are much safer. Today most of these catastrophes are avoided because of the up to date technology, like architecture, predicting the disasters before hand and new techniques used by emergency rescue teams. Some major advances in today^s buildings include such things like the material used. For instance products like steel-reinforced concrete (refer to diagram 3-1), steel framing, and properly braced wood frames for houses are a few examples of how buildings are being retrofitted and new buildings are being built towards protection from disasters. As well, the foundations of the buildings can be built on shock absorbing ^base isolators^ containing springs or alternating layers of steel plates and rubber, to counteract the effects of earthquakes. In Japan architectures have been keeping mind earthquakes while designing and building structures. Unfortunately the buildings were mainly designed to withstand a vertical force. The Japanese buildings were designed to withstand a certain acceleration force, but in January 1995, an earthquake hit the city Kobe devastating the buildings, which were thought to be safe. It just shows, ^that building design criteria are crucial to withstanding effects of earthquakes^ (Gerad Baker 12). The normal Japanese wooden houses that had heavy roofs collapsed, and also newer homes were demolished, as seen on diagram 3-2. This could have been avoided by building the houses with lighter plywood frames with crossbars that distribute force evenly rather than houses with heavy timber walls that collapse under force. As well the materials used to build the structures has a great deal to do with the survival rate of buildings. The use of reinforced concrete is thought to be a major reason why buildings stay intact. It is possible to reinforce older buildings with extra concrete simply and effectively, which has been done in California since 1989. Bridges, a totally different aspect of building, but a very similar method for creating sound structures. During the Kobe earthquake the Hanshin expressway collapsed on its side for a stretch of 600m (pictures seen on page 5). This type of roadway is built upon reinforced concrete pillars. There is steel inside the pillars to increase its ability to bend and flex with the

Expression of Desires In Arabic Women’s Novels :: Arab Culture Cultural Essays

Expression of Desires In Arabic Women’s Novels Picking an original and engaging topic that is able to span all five of the very different authors’ novels we examined this semester proved to be a difficult task. Though there are certainly similarities between each book and overlying themes that connect them, ultimately I didn’t want to get tied down into the shifty and unsafe territory of placing novels together solely because one, they are all written by women; or two, they all emerge out of the Arabic world. However, there are certainly broad themes present in all of the novels, and I chose to focus on how women express, or can’t express their desires and wants, and how the ability to do so leads to agency and freedom in one’s own life. A woman’s desires, sexual and otherwise, seems surprisingly suppressed or not allowed in each novel. When it does emerge, it seems that too often one’s own desire is replaced with the need to be desirable for men, and so these women’s wants are placed aside in favor of the male protagonists’ wishes. I want to explore this topic in each novel, taking a look at when a woman is able to express desire, when it must give way and take second place to a man’s wants, and how, ultimately, it seems to free the women who chose to make their own path according to their wants, dreams, and goals. As we finish the semester and conclude our discussions on Arabic women, I think it’s important to note that though at times these women have agency in their lives, quite often, despite different upbringings, social/political/economic status, regions of habitation, and direct contact with Western influence, they are ultimately unable to take total control of their own lives. Obviously there are varying degrees to which this is applicable, and certainly some of the women are stronger than others, but overall, I think a very key message that all of these female authors are sending out is that women’s struggle for freedom and equality is still a battle that is being fought-- all over the world for sure, but certainly in the Middle East. Pillars of Salt, perhaps the novel with the strongest female character, is the one novel where desire is seen and nothing stops Maha from expressing her wants, both sexually and when it concerns her husband, son, and father.

Nokia Smartphone Strategy Essay

Nokia is a world renowned telecommunications corporation that connects over 1. 3 billion people. Nokia’s mission is simple: Connecting People. Their goal is to build great mobile products that enable billions of people worldwide to enjoy more of what life has to offer. The company started out producing wood pulp and paper, the most influential communication technology in history, in Finland in 1865. By the 1960’s Nokia is a booming business with large production of rubber, cable, forestry, electronics, and power generation, and by the late 1980’s the company was among the very largest T.  V. producers in Europe. Nokia launched the mobile phone era in the 80’s by introducing the first international cellular network and started production of the first vehicle cellular phone. Over the next couple of decades Nokia’s market share was huge and dominated the cellular device market. As the new millennium approached, everything about the market changed. The internet went mobile and consumers wanted phones with all new capabilities. Phones are no longer just for calls, and with these changes came an increasingly dynamic and competitive environment. With this intensified competition the development of the Smartphone is born. Nokia’s position in the mobile phone segment is now being challenged by the iphone and android devices. For the first time Nokia is not in control of the market, and as smartphones progressed, Nokia found a declining market share. There was a clear and obvious need for strategy adaptation, but what would the best path be? The change would be the end of an era for Nokia. Prior to February 2011, Nokia’s smartphone strategy was to use the Symbian and MeeGo platforms. These are linked by a common developer environment (Qt) and service layer (Ovi). Nokia would use MeeGo in the highest end devices and Symbian in everything else. But the termination of the Symbian platform was made part of the strategic plan, as MeeGo would gradually erode Symbian away. In the past Nokia had a â€Å"go at it alone† attitude that was a driving force in their smartphone strategy. The company wanted to control both the hardware and software areas of production. But as the company learned, the market is too complex for this approach. Elop, Nokia’s CEO, stated that â€Å"Nokia has failed to keep pace with market disruptions from its rivals and is therefore lacking in competitiveness, that the battle of devices has been superseded by a battle of ecosystems, and that Nokia has lacked accountability and leadership to drive the company through changing times†. The ecosystem he is referring to not only includes the hardware and software of the device, but developers, applications, ecommerce, advertising, search, social applications, location-based services, unified communications, and many other things. The presence of these ecosystems becomes extremely important in analyzing the strategic options Nokia has for its future. Which path would give Nokia the best chance of building a sustainable and viable ecosystem around their products? In examining their options Nokia developed three different decisions they could make. First option would be to continue with Symbian and MeeGo. Obviously they weren’t very successful with these platforms at the time but they were not fully developed yet, and instead of completely changing operating systems, they could build upon the already developed platforms and proceed with next generations of these originals. It was apparent that MeeGo was not ready to take on the role it was envisioned for but it could possibly be by the time another ecosystem was developed. They would also have to consider if these platforms had been tarnish or already discredited by their overtaking competitors. The company would probably have to make a visible change to disassociate with these failures. But more importantly a major change is needed to accumulate a viable ecosystem for Nokia. No single company can build an entire ecosystem on its own, so Nokia cannot provide itself with opportunities to win this battle between their rivals with this option. Neither of their biggest two competitors operate completely within and it is unrealistic to think Nokia could compete with companies that have so much more accumulated assets. So this first option is not very promising. Second option would be to release an Android device. The biggest advantage to this option would be that Android already has an existing ecosystem. A massive downfall would be that Nokia would be at the mercy of Google. Nokia is a company that has strived on being self-sufficient and this would not be ideal. Google would control too much of the value and differentiation ability, especially in services and advertising. Nokia does not want to join an ecosystem, rather help build one. The company believes they can still differentiate its devices from its rivals and would much rather have the value sharing associated with building a new ecosystem than of just joining one. Also, Android is having difficulties of their own’ and implementing this plan would not make a good long-term decision. This option just does not make very good business logic for Nokia. The third option would be to enter into a partnership with Microsoft and develop a new ecosystem that is mutually beneficial for the two corporations. This is the option that Nokia actually chose to implement. There are many reasons why this was the best decision for Nokia but considering the impracticality of the first two options it was the only realistic one. Obviously Nokia will provide the hardware while Microsoft will provide the software. The most common criticism with Symbian was an inadequate UI/UX, and the design language of Metro, Microsoft’s UI, completely fixes that problem. But also, Microsoft will depend on Nokia’s expertise as it continues development of the Windows Phone. The partnership sees Nokia adopting the new Windows 7 operating system, with the Symbian platform gradually being sidelined. To create a viable ecosystem Nokia and Microsoft are also combining services assets to drive innovation. Nokia Maps, for example, will soon be at the heart of key Microsoft assets such as Bing and AdCenter, and Nokia’s application and content store will be integrated into Microsoft Marketplace. Similarly, Microsoft will provide developer tools, making it easier for application developers to leverage Nokia’s global scale. The Nokia/Microsoft partnership simply just makes sense. The companies are complimentary of one another with very little overlap excluding the Windows Phone. Each company contains valuable assets the other can greatly benefit from making a mutual and equal relationship. While there is still much work needed to be done within the partnership in developing a smartphone that can effectively compete in the market, Nokia has positioned itself in a way that success is much more attainable. Since the partnership, Nokia has launched the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710, both with Windows 7.