Media Journal Assignment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media Journal Assignment - Term Paper Example In order to do so, Walter gets engaged in the drug dealing profession as well as other criminal activities and gradually becomes remarkably expert in executing his operations of producing and marketing drugs accompanied by one of his former students named Jeese Pinkman (AMC Network Entertainment LLC., â€Å"Returns Summer 2013†). Typical Setting The entire series was aired through several episodes. From an overall perspective, the entire series can be observed to represent the negative psychological effects of a fatal disease on an ordinary person which often gets boosted by his feel of insecurity. The objective of the series has thus been to demonstrate how a deadly disease can completely change an average man into a criminal. Major Characters There are nine major characters in the series comprising of Walter White, his wife Skyler White, his son Walter Junior and his former student Jesse Pinkman. The other characters included Mike Ehrmantraut, a former police officer of Phil adephia, Saul Goodman, a criminal lawyer, Hank Schrader, a ‘Drug Enforcement Administration’ officer and Marie Schrader, sister of Skyler White. Other sub characters included Jesse’s friend Brandon, Hank’s companion Steven Gomez Schrader and Jesse Pinkman’s neighbor Jane Margolis (AMC Network Entertainment LLC., â€Å"Returns Summer 2013†). Who/What is missing from the text? No gaps have been observed in the television program setting maintaining a effective flow from one episode to another for the audiences to follow and interpret the information in an unambiguous way. Step 2: Textual Analysis Description Breaking Bad season 3 explores profoundly into the atmosphere of drug dealership and generates an intense and credible situation for the viewers representing the role of media is the revealing of psychology related motivational causes of criminal activities. Using the term ‘breaking bad’, the producer intends to tell that once a person has conducted criminal act and gets involved in bad activities, the psychology of that particular person becomes unable to adapt his/her previous mental frame. The entire series is about how Walter White gets deeper into the drug business and conducts the activities which were entirely new to him with superior skills. He therefore decided to alter his profession from teaching to drug dealing. However, witnessing the consequences of his decision, Walter was also shown to regret and try his best to bring the circumstances at a normal pace. Analysis The series ‘Breaking Bad Season 3’ does not promote people to sell drugs; rather it shows the negative consequences of continuous mental pressure led by dissatisfaction and the fear of inadequate time to accomplish the desired. For instance, in the episodes it has hardly been observed that Walter White gets benefited from the drug business. Due to this unethical profession, his marital relationship gets hampered signif icantly. Although by engaging in drug business, he might have earned significantly more than being in the teaching profession, Walter had lost the support from family for whom this huge earning was meant. As a consequence of drug business, Walter nearly lost his family, as Skyler decided to end her

Marketing Managemant 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Managemant 4 - Essay Example Using the ACCORD model for strategic marketing of the rose plant is recommended in order to maximize the returns. The ACCORD model of adoption will support the innovation by providing an in-depth analysis of the various aspects of the new product. Acting like an underlying checklist, the model will highlight the potential benefits and risks associated with the product, thus assisting the acceptance and adoption. Advantage: The innovative rose bushes, which are created to survive without any pruning, spraying or dusting, surely provide a comparative advantage over the natural counterparts which are rather temperamental and need much more care. The innovation has an edge over the natural plant which needs to be pruned to ensure lush blooms. With the new variety claiming to grow without the usual problems involved with rose bush care, the innovation offers an obvious advantage to the users. Compatible: The new rose plant is extremely compatible with the user’s lifestyle. Unlike the normal rose plant which demands high maintenance, the one developed by Angelica nursery promises prolific flowering with minimum maintenance. The plant is scientifically bred to grow and flower without any specific care requirement so the users can maintain it as per their lifestyle, thus lending a higher level of compatibility to the innovation. Complexity: The innovation is easy to handle and does not require the user to learn any new methodology. Communicating the benefits of the innovation to the customers is hassle free. The level of complexity involved in handling these innovative rose bushes is much less than that of a natural rose plant which demand special attention. Observable: The growth and flowering of rose bushes are observable even with minimal care. This will cause the early adopters to endorse and recommend the product to the others. The innovator segment of the

Buddhism In East Asian Culture History Essay

Buddhism In East Asian Culture History Essay Buddhism is a mixture between a religion and a philosophy compromised of various beliefs, practices, and traditions. Although Buddhism had originally derived from India, it has come to be more associated with East Asian cultures, mainly China and Korea. Nevertheless, these two countries do not completely share the same doctrines; they are not identical. Each region received and accepted Buddhism in a different manner, as they already had their own religion deeply rooted. For instance, the Chinese had embraced the principles of Confucianism and Daoism, and the Koreans believed in Shamanism, the indigenous religion that emphasized spiritual rites and nature. Therefore, it was inevitable that the introduction of Buddhism to these three East Asian countries were not accepted at once. Nevertheless, China and Korea gradually coalesced and adopted Buddhism with their native religious faiths and ethical beliefs. The contributions of Buddhism resulted in overall advancements in both China and Korea. In spite of the conflict that was encountered by the introduction of Buddhism into the already dynamic religions, the principles of Buddhism ultimately conglomerated with the preexisting religions to produce enhancements in China and Korea in various aspects such as _____. Buddhism was born in India. It first spread to China, and then to Korea. It is said that it is uncertain when or how the Chinese first came into contact with Buddhism, but according to the official tradition, Buddhism seems to have reached China by 100 C.E. (de Bary,415 420). Therefore, it can be surmised that the religion was first introduced when Buddhist worshipers came into China from India. Then, Buddhism made its way across China and to the Three Kingdoms of Korea. And because Koguruo is closes to China and is actually bordered by China, it was naturally the first kingdom introduced to Buddhism in 372 C.E. For the same reason of geographical locations, Paekche received Buddhism second in 384 C.E., and finally Silla, much later in 527 C.E. (Lee, 34). Both China and Korea were influenced by the receiving of Buddhism from India; yet because the time period in which they received it, and the order they received it differs, In China, Buddhism was not easily accepted for it met opposition with firm believers of Confucianism and Daoism. It was ultimately acknowledged after having found a mutual premise, and was considered one of the Three Religions among Confucianism and Daoism. However, it was not easy for Buddhism to wrestle against the prevailing religions. For instance, for the conservative and orthodox Chinese, they could not understand why they had to shave their heads and conform to these foreign ways. The Confucians held that the body is the gift of ones parents and that to harm it is to be disrespectful toward them. (de Bary 423). It was one of the requirements for all members of the Buddhist clergy to shave their heads; however, it was met with aversion from the Chinese for they believed that they should not injure any parts of their body. Certain ideas of Buddhism such as the practice of shaving heads were seen as too different for the Chinese to adhere to. Nevertheless, as mentioned previously, Buddhism was eventually adopted by the Chinese. The turning points of these oppositions were the works of Mouzi, a Chinese author who believed that it was possible to be a good Chinese and a good Buddhist at the same time, that there is no fundamental conflict between the two ways of life, and that the great truths preached by Buddhism are preached, if in somewhat different language, by Confucianism and Daoism as well. (de Bary 422). He claimed that people should not have to decide on one religion, but that certain aspects of both sides can be drawn and implemented together. Mouzi also stated that the Chinese should not reject Buddhism for its differences, but rather embrace the ideas that do not conflict with their own. (de Bary 425). Additionally, he discovered that there are similarities between the Three Religions regarding their practices and beliefs. For instance, when asked about the concept of Immortality and how to achieve it, Mouzi exp lained: Talk to immortality is superstitious and unfounded; it is not the word of the sages. Laozi said, Even Heaven and Earth cannot last forever. How much less can human beings!Confucius said, The wise man leaves the world, but humaneness and filial piety last forever.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Yao died; Shun had his [place of burial at] Mount Cangwu; Yu has his tomb on Kuaijià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦To speak of immortality, is this not a great error? (de Bary 426). Mouzi gave examples of the teachings of each religious leader, and proved how immortality in all aspects of religions does not exist. He had replied that neither Buddhism nor Daoism nor any other great leader can provide the route to immortality. With his philosophies, Mouzi was able to slowly connect the Buddhist doctrine to the indigenous, traditional ways of Confucianism and Daoism. The people of China ultimately accepted Buddhism after all of the obstacles and resistance. In Korea, Buddhism was introduced by a Chinese monk to each of the three Kingdoms: first to Koguryu, then to Paekche, then finally to Silla. The Buddhist religion was not received easily by the Koreans, but was met with less hostility than the Chinese. The kingdom of Silla was the most isolated region of the three, and was not yet prepared to accept Buddhist doctrine. The people of Silla held strongly onto their original values and ways of life. (Lee 42). For instance, the twenty-third king of Silla was a monk named Popkong who wanted to spread Buddhism throughout his kingdom. However, his suggestion was greeted by dispute and discrepancy by his ministers. His ministers were against the idea of erecting a building for a monastery when the kingdom of Silla was undergoing hardships due to the lack of crop production and the ongoing battles with neighboring states. (Lee 42). Eventually King Popkong got his wish, Buddhist dieties were spread, and the first monastery was established durin g King Popkongs reign. However, this obstacle was overcome with great sacrifice by the Grand Secretary, who put his life at risk to try to prove to the ministers of Buddhism as the eternal religion. (Lee 42). After the Grand Secretary sacrificed himself, strange things began to happen in the heavens. The sun darkened, wonderful flowers rained from heaven, and the earth trembled violentlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Lee, 43). And with these signs, the king and his officials decided to take an oath to worship the Buddha. Buddhism eventually spread to the three Kingdoms and coalesced with Shamanism, which was Koreas deeply rooted religion, in order to construct a novel belief system that connected the Buddhist idols and the Shamanisms Holy Mother. (Lee, 51). For instance, trees in the Forest of the Heavenly Mirror felled in order to build a monastery. (Lee, 43). The quote above perfectly exemplifies how room was finally made for this new religion called Buddhism in Korean culture in which the tree s represent Shamanism, and the monastery represents Buddhism. Overall, the integration of Buddhism into Korean religion happened more abruptly than in China for the leaders of Korea had legally established Buddhism as its state religion. After struggles, Buddhism finally won the hearts of _____.After Buddhist beliefs have been accepted by the Chinese, Buddhism seemed to have impacted the Chinese in various ways. The coming of Buddhism to China was an event of far-reaching importance in the development of Chinese thought and culture and of Buddhism itself (de Bary 415). First of all, Buddhism brought forth to China a new way of thinking, and opened the minds of its people as it gave the Chinese different perspectives. Also, the influence of Buddhism was great during the unification of northern and southern China Buddhism played an important role in influencing the Chinese people, and had affected their ways and beliefs in areas such as aesthetics, literature, medicine, and philosophy. Buddhism had a great impact on China through its acceptance in Korea, for China The message of Chinese Buddhism to Korea was______________. Buddhism played an important role in influencing the Korean people, and had affected their ways and beliefs in areas such as aesthetics, literature, medicine, and philosophy. Although Silla was the latest recipient, Silla prospered the most from Buddhist doctrine It is important to understand the What contributions did Buddhism make to East Asian culture? What obstacles did it have to overcome, and how did the native culture respond?

A Poetry Explication :: Shakespeare Sonnet Poem Essays

A Poetry Explication "Poetry is the revelation of a feeling that the poet believes to be interior and personal [but] which the reader recognizes as his own." (Salvatore Quasimodo). There is something about the human spirit that causes us to rejoice in shared experience. We can connect on a deep level with our fellow man when we believe that somehow someone else understands us as they relate their own joys and hardships; and perhaps nowhere better is this relationship expressed than in that of the poet and his reader. For the current assignment I had the privilege (and challenge) of writing an imitation of William Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 87". This poem touched a place in my heart because I have actually given this sonnet to someone before as it then communicated my thoughts and feelings far better than I could. For this reason, Sonnet 87 was an easy choice for this project, although not quite so easy an undertaking as I endeavored to match Shakespeare’s structure and bring out his themes throu gh similar word choice. As far as structure goes, Shakespeare’s sonnet and my own are very similar. My 14-line sonnet is written in Iambic Pentameter and follows the abab-cdcd-efef-gg rhyme scheme within three quatrains and a couplet, as does that of Shakespeare. For this reason, my poem follows a meter very close to Sonnet 87. This is also due to the fact that both sonnets contain 10 syllables per line, as well as an eleventh in most lines that derives from weak, or "feminine" verb endings such as "keeping" in the first line of my poem, and "possessing" in that of Shakespeare. Thus, the finality residing in the 10 syllable lines that use masculine endings is accounted for. In addition, my sonnet mirrors Sonnet 87 by starting with "farewell" and ending with Shakespeare’s couplet modified, and one can see his influence in the third quatrain of my poem, which echoes back the last 4 lines of Sonnet 87’s third quatrain. In this way, I was able to mimic most of Shakespeare’s structure while inserting phrases of my own. Throughout the poem I attempted to remain true to Shakespeare’s sonnet by way of word choice, while adding my own twist. My poem alternates between the more archaic (but arguably more beautiful) "thou" and the more modern "you". This is done to tie my poem, written in the present, to Shakespeare’s work of the past.

Environmental Control and Pollution in Nigeria Essay

Civilization has been overwhelmed with fearful reports that mankind is steadily working towards self – destruction through the process of uncontrolled pollution of the environment. A casual look at our surroundings shows reckless attitude of people towards environmental preservation. Due to this development, regulations and standards have been set to ensure cleaner and safer environment. These regulations are enforced by agencies like National Environmental Standard and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) and State Environmental Protection Agencies (SEPAs). There are environment regulations currently in place which include regulation on noise, erosion, flood, for manufacturers of beverages and tobacco, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electrical, electronics, sanitation, emissions that that have to do with air pollution. There are also regulations on pollution, hazards, waste, air, soil, surface and subsurface water that constitute contamination of the environment. We have major forms of pollution such as water, noise, air, land/soil and thermal pollutions which sources include natural disaster, industries, motor vehicles, generation sets amongst others. Without pollution control, the waste products from extraction, production, distribution, heating, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation and other human activities, whether they accumulate or disperse, will degrade the environment. In the hierarchy of environmental control, pollution prevention and minimization of wastes are more desirable to pollution control. Most industries and individuals in this country have erroneously claimed that why they are not able to treat or control their wastes or reduce pollution is that government has not provided the necessary facilities for the management of such wastes. Apart from the basic facilities the government has to provide, each waste generator is responsible for the safe disposal of his or her waste, except when government insists on a particular system. No government builds toxic waste incinerators or chemical treatment plants but all the government can do is to encourage entrepreneurs interested in such ventures by granting special concession, tax relief, removal of duty on imported pollution control equipment. The purpose of setting environmental regulations is to reduce or eliminate health and environmental hazards that induce harm. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION What is an Environment? The African Centre for Environmental Protection (ACEP) defines environment as the totality of surrounding condition and its features. Scientifically, it is described as the combination of physical, chemical, biological and social factors in which a living organism exists that affect the organism, community and influences its development or existence. Environment can simply be considered as the surrounding in which we live, work and enjoy leisure, which consists of air, soil, surface and surface water, providing habitat for mankind and other animals, plant species and serving as a source for food, water, fuel, raw materials and breathing air. Environmental Problems Environmental imbalance gives rise to various environmental problems. Some of the environmental problems are pollution, soil erosion leading to floods, salt deserts and sea recedes, desertification, landslides, change of river directions, extinction of species, and vulnerable ecosystem in place of more complex and stable ecosystems, depletion of natural resources, waste accumulation, deforestation, thinning of ozone layer and global warming. Environmental Pollution Environmental pollution is defined as the undesirable change in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of our air, land and water. It can also be described as ‘the deliberate or accidental contamination of the environment with waste that is created by human action’. As a result of over – population, rapid industrializations, and other human activities like agriculture and deforestation etc., earth became loaded with diverse pollutants that are released as by-products. A pollutant is a substance or effect which adversely alters the environment by changing the growth rate of species, interferes with the food chains, is toxic or interferes with health, comfort, amenities or property values of people. Pollutants are introduced into the environment in significant amounts in the form of sewage, waste, accidental discharge, or as a by-product of a manufacturing process or other human activity. The damage caused to the biosphere may be briefly summarized as follows: 1. Damage to human health caused by specific chemical substances present in the air, food, water and radioactivity materials 2. Damage to the natural environment which affects vegetation, animals, crops, soil and water 3. Damage to the aesthetic quality of the environment caused by smoke, chemical fumes, dust, and noise, the dumping of solid waste and waste water 4. Damage caused by long term pollution effects which are not immediately apparent. The dangerous effects are caused by low level pollution absorbed into the body over long periods of time, for example carcinogenic substances, radioactivity and excessive noise Types of Pollution (a) Water Pollution Water pollution occurs due to the presence of dissolved inorganic materials, organic materials such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other substances found in domestic and industrial waste waters. It also gets polluted due to physical factors such as turbidity, colour, temperature of effluent, associated radioactivity etc. Organic pollutants Organic pollution is due to the presence of high molecular weight compounds such as sugars, oils and fats, and proteins obtained from distillery, canning, sugar and other food processing industries. They impart a high Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) load to the liquid waste. These organic compounds are readily degraded in aqueous medium by soil and microorganisms present in the sewage. During this process, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in the stream is used up. When the DO is reduced below a certain limit, aquatic life is affected adversely. Oil spillage from tankers and ships leads to the pollution of beaches. Some wastes from pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries and coke-ovens contain phenols which are toxic to fish, microorganisms and other aquatic life. Liquid effluents from industries manufacturing drugs, dyestuffs, pesticides and detergents can also be toxic. Usage of anionic detergents which are not biodegradable leads to a lot of foaming and frothing. Inorganic pollutants and heavy metal pollution Alkalis, acids, inorganic salts and other chemicals formed during processing lead to inorganic pollution. Besides being the cause of corrosion of metals, these chemicals are toxic to aquatic life. Industries like paper and pulp, tanneries, textiles and coke-ovens among many others, discharge these chemicals. Inorganic chemicals such as free chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and other sulfides, salts of metals like Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, Cu, Ag etc. are usually found in metal plating liquid wastes, alkali producing units, polyvinyl chloride, coke-oven and fertilizer industries. Pharmaceutical industries also produce large quantities of free acids and neutralized chemicals during different unit processes. Chromates, phosphates, ammonia and urea are typical chemicals found in effluents from fertilizer industries. Pollution due to mercury in chloro-alkali industries has forced to switch from mercury to diaphragm cells although there are many operating difficulties in the latter. Eutrophication is a phenomenon that occurs due to the presence of inorganic matter in the water. Though it is a natural process in lakes and rivers, human activities can accelerate the rate at which nutrients enter these water bodies. Inorganic pollutants containing nitrates and phosphates are essential for plants. When these compounds are present in excess in water body there is an over growth of plant matter creating an imbalance in the aquatic environment. Apart from these factors, effluent waters can have pathogenic micro organisms and harmful substances like organochlorides, phenolic and benzenic compounds that cause various types of acute and chronic diseases among living beings. Therefore, it is most desirable that industrial liquid effluents are pretreated or reduced with undesirable chemicals before being thrown on the land and in rivers, seas or public sewers. If discharged into public sewers they can corrode the pipe lines and treatment equipment as well as reduce biological activity due to the presence of toxic materials. (b) Air Pollution Apart from natural causes, pollution of air occurs due to increased industrialization and urbanization. In nature, thousands of tonnes of dust, sand and obnoxious gases are carried from one place to another by wind, cyclones, volcanic eruptions and forest fires. A healthy man inhales about 16.5 kg air/day. If this air is polluted, intake of oxygen is reduced. Corrosion of materials by acid mist and acid gases like SO2, CO2 and oxides of nitrogen can be very significant. Pollution of air occurs from process industries such as sulfuric acid plants, power station boilers, nitric acid plants, cement plants, foundries, chloro-alkali industries and plastics industries among many others. It is broadly due to particulate matter dispersed in it or gaseous pollutants completely miscible with it in all proportions. Dusts refer to coarser sizes of solids (1-100 microns) that are carried away due to the turbulent forces of flow. Aerosols refer to particles smaller than 1 micron. Smoke is obtained during incomplete combustion of organic matter. The sizes of particles vary between 0.01-1 microns. Fumes, mists and fog are other forms of pollution which could occur due to various operations in chemical industry. Gaseous pollutants are gaseous solutes such as SO2, Cl2, NOx, CO2, CO, mercury or organic vapour dispersed in air. Another source of ambient air pollution is the emission from automobiles. The pollutants in this case are CO, NOx, hydrocarbons, particulate matter and trace quantities of SO2, formaldehyde and lead. Effects of air pollution Global warming (Green house effect) – This is the observed increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and oceans in recent decades. The increased amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (CH4, O3) are the primary causes. They are released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing and agriculture, etc. and lead to an increase in the greenhouse effect. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Acid rain (SOx, NOx) – Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted into the atmosphere. These substances undergo chemical transformations and are absorbed by water droplets in clouds. The droplets then fall to earth as rain or snow. This can increase the acidity of the soil, and affect the chemical balance of lakes and streams. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Depletion of the ozone layer (CFCs, HCFCs etc.) – Ozone layer prevents most harmful UV wavelengths (270- 315 nm) of ultraviolet light from passing through the earth’s atmosphere. The decrease in ozone is due to the production of CFCs and ozone depleting chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethane. It is suspected that a variety of biological consequences, including, for example, increases in skin cancer, damage to plants, and reduction of plankton in the ocean result from the increased UV exposure due to ozone depletion. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Photochemical smog & air borne toxic substances – Photochemical smog is due to the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) in the atmosphere, which leaves a yellow brown haze that reduces visibility. Nitrogen oxides are released in the exhaust of fossil fuel-burning engines in cars, trucks, coal power plants, and industrial manufacturing factories. VOC’s are vapors released from gasoline, paints, solvents, pesticides, and other chemicals. (c) Land Pollution The greatest land pollution by far occurs due to urbanization and concentration of population, garbage, waste paper, packing materials and rejects from households and industries form solid wastes. Land pollution also occurs when deforestation is carried out on a large scale; agricultural operations are extended to forest and mountainous areas, large areas covered with green vegetation are submerged in water by the construction of dams. It can also get polluted when coal, oil, ores, stones, sand and other construction materials are mined and transported. All these operations adversely affect ecological aspects of the environment. Ever increasing demands for paper, fuel, furniture and packing materials due to exploding populations combined with increasing urbanization have aggravate the unhappy situation. The result is that we now live in a rapidly changing environment, the effects of which are not easily predictable. (d) Noise Pollution Of all the pollutions, it is the most insidious and a menace in thickly populated areas. There is ample medical evidence that it affects speech, hearing and the general health and behavior of people exposed to it over extended periods of time. The measurements designed to determine noise levels include the intensity and frequency of noise periods of exposure and duration of noise. The community noise levels are expressed as a weighted sound-pressure level in decibels dB. The sources of noise in environs of industries include metal fabrication processes, high pressure burners in furnaces, rotary equipment like turbines, compressors, pumps etc. pipelines carrying high velocity fluids and solids and vibrating and grinding equipment among many others.

Elimination of Television Jerry Mander Essay

Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television Jerry Mander thinks that with television â€Å"there is ideology in the technology itself. † The four claims in this particular article are that: (1) television itself had come to define the people who use it, (2) the forms by which it is used, (3) its influence on people, (4) as well as the other significant outcomes that may later come from its use. He argued that television is a medium or a means through which people derive, process, and build ideas from. He used parallelism in his challenge or rebuttal argument when he likened television to the army. The army’s mandate is to fight wars that necessitate fighting, killing, defeating and winning over the enemy. It does not follow that the generals chosen to lead the army are the kind born to fight and kill, the same way that television was not conceived to breed the kind of people who watch it. In the concept of the automobiles, he used the climatic word order in his narrative argument. He enumerated the consequences of the invention of the automobile, the need for gas, oil to source it, refineries to process the oil, stations to pump gas into the car. Mander used emotive language in his causal argument to emphasize the change cars brought to people, like when â€Å"they evolved into car people †¦. Cars replaced human feet. † Television like the automobile triggers a lot of reaction from its existence and subsequent use. Advertisements are made on television because consumers watch TV, manufacturers make big sales because their products are advertised, and the line goes on. This argument is related to Mander’s take on Advertising. The evaluative argument on the comparison of television to advertising used a balanced sentence with equal and parallel ideas, when Mander wrote that advertising was â€Å"designed to persuade and dominate by interfering in people’s thinking patterns. † Television for its part has a strong influence on people to take a side of an issue, or to change their minds on others. In his concluding argument he takes the strong position of getting rid of television quickly if ours is to be restored to a sensible and rational and free-thinking society basis the above reasons. Reference Mander, Jerry. (1978). Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television. Harper Perennial.

Fear Loathing in Las Vegas Essays

Fear Loathing in Las Vegas Essays Fear Loathing in Las Vegas Paper Fear Loathing in Las Vegas Paper Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson unmasks the reality of the American Dream. In the book Thompson portrays and reveals the American Dream as dead, but also as an illusion created by American society. The American Dream was originally portrayed as the notion that you must work hard to achieve the wealth you wish to gain, but now the American Dream in reality consists of people cheating their way to the Dream. Thompson depicts this reality with different events throughout the book and by setting the story in Las Vegas. Thompson, from the very beginning, mentions the American Dream to the reader. He introduces the American Dream as if it were real: were on our way to Las Vegas to find the American Dream (6). The American Dream is never clearly stated to be a certain information or idea. But we always assume that the American Dream is achieved through hard work and aspiration to do the impossible. Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo sets out on a Journey to Las Vegas to find the American Dream. Duke and Dr. Gonzo dont realize that the American Dream is only an illusion. : The Dream is always in sight, but you are never able to reach it. l tell you, my man, this is the American Dream in action! (10). They think that, because of the good fortune that that they have received, they are living the American Dream. When Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo set out on their Journey at the beginning of the book, they have a carload of drugs and illegal substances. I think, because they are always high, they are living part of the American Dream of not caring what they do. When they go to Las Vegas, they have no regard for the law at all. In Part Two of the book, Duke and Dr. Gonzo attend the District Attorneys Conference on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs with many law enforcers in attendance. They attend the conference high and go unnoticed in front of all of the law enforcers. Because they are under the influence of illegal substances at the conference and none of the officers notice, it seems as if they are living in an illusion where crimes go unnoticed and therefore are living the American Dream. Being in Las Vegas, you would expect to find crazy people, people on drugs, and eople who Just dont care what they do and let loose. Las Vegas is bright with lights to capture the attention of people searching for the American Dream. Las Vegas is the short cut to the top. People go to Las Vegas to escape the reality of their lives; Las Vegas is the illusion of the American Dream: Still humping the American Dream, that vision of the Big Winner somehow emerging from the last-minute pre-dawn chaos of a stale Vegas casino (57). Because the book is exemplify mainly in Las Vegas, Thompson displays how the city is the perfect place to set the illusion of the American Dream. Throughout the book, Hunter S. Thompson writes about the American Dream. He portrays the American Dream as an illusion and uses many examples and the setting to us perceive the illusion. In the end, the American Dream is only an illusion portrayed by living the high life but by not working hard to get there. The idea of the American Dream is only there to push us in the direction we wish to go in our lives. Fear Loathing in Las Vegas By paigegibo

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO Essays - Government Of The Philippines

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO Essays - Government Of The Philippines GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO Primary life Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was born on April 5, 1947, in San Juan in the Philippine province of Rizal. She is the daughter of former Philippine president Diosdado Macapagal and his second wife, Evangelina (Macaraeg) Macapagal, the daughter of prominent parents who worked as a doctor until the outbreak of war in 1941. Reportedly, Macapagal-Arroyo moved in with her grandmother because she was jealous of her younger brother, Diosdado Jr. After the age of 11, Macapagal-Arroyo commuted between her grandmother's home and her parents. Education Primary Assumption Convent High School; 1954-1960 Secondary Assumption Convent HS; 1960-1964; Valedictorian Tertiary Georgetown University, 1964-66, AB Economics; Dean's Lister Assumption College, 1968, AB Economics Magna cum Laude Post Graduate Ateneo de Manila University, 1978, MA Economics UP School of Economics, 1985, Ph.D. in Economics Political Career Macapagal-Arroyo launched her political career in 1992 at the age of 35, when she successfully ran for the Philippine Senate. She entered government service as an Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry during the Aquino Administration. She was re-elected Senator in 1995 with nearly 16 million votes, the highest number of votes in Philippine history. She also became Executive Director of the Garments and Textile Export Board, steering the garments industry to become the top net dollar earner for the country, and rose to the rank of Undersecretary of Trade and Industry. During her term in the Senate, she authored 55 laws on economic and social reform and was named outstanding Senator several times. She was elected Vice President of the Philippines in 1998 with almost 13 million votes, the largest mandate in the history of presidential or vice presidential elections. When she was elected Vice President, President Joseph Estrada appointed her as simultaneous Secretary of Social Welfare and Development, a post she held until her resignation from the Cabinet on 12 October 2000. She was sworn in as the 14th President of the Philippines on 20 January 2001 by Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. after the Supreme Court unanimously declared the position of President vacant, the second woman to be swept into the Presidency by a peaceful People Power revolution (EDSA II), after Estrada's ousting from presidency. Presidency Highlights LAWS AND POLICIES RA 7844, The Export Development Act RA 7718, The Amended Build-Operate-Transfer Law RA 7843, Strengthening the Anti-Dumping Provisions RA 8179, Further liberalizing Foreign Investments RA 7721, Liberalizing banking in the Philippines RA 7651, Revitalizing and strengthening the Bureau of Customs RA 7916, Creating the Philippine Economic Zone Authority RA 7640, Constituting the Legislative-Executive Development Council RA 1490, Investment Houses Act (Passed on third reading) RA 7661, Extending the Life of the Asset Privatization Trust RA 7903, Creating the Zamboanga Special Economic Zone SBN 345, Promoting the Development of Interisland Shipping SBN 358, Development of Micro and Cottage Industries RA 7882, Providing assistance to women engaging in micro and cottage business enterprises Women's desk to provide assistance to battered wives and other victims of domestic violence RA 7877, Declaring sexual harassment unlawful in the employment, education or training environment and for other purposes SBN 356, Increasing penalties for wife-beating SBN 362, Mandatory employment of women Establishment of the Movement Against Sexual Abuse (MASA) OCW desk to provide assistance to OCWs and their families RA 7833, Excluding the 13th Month Pay and Other Benefits from the Computation of Taxable Income RA 7654, Allocating a Portion of the Incremental Revenue Collected for the Emergency Employment Program RA 7637, Creating the Mt. Pinatubo Assistance, Resettlement and Development Commission RA 7657, Appropriating 10 Billion Pesos for the victims of Mt. Pinatubo Eruption RA 7906, Regulation of the Organization and Operations of Thrift Banks RA 8182, Excluding the Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Foreign Debt Limit in order to facilitate the absorption and optimize the utilization of ODA resources RA 7820, Creating the Partido Development Administration in Bicol region SBN 1176, Establishing Computer Literacy Program in all public schools at the secondary level SBN 1175, Instituting a Public School Teachers Scholarship Program SBN 1728, Ancestral Domain Bill SBN 1044, Institutionalizing a National Strategy for Poverty Alleviation SBN 336, Magna Carta for the Urban Poor RA 7900, Promoting the production, processing, marketing and distribution of high-value crops RA 8175. Amending the Charter of the

Business Model and Strategic Plan Essay Example for Free (#5)

Business Model and Strategic Plan Essay Strategic Plan (66) , Business model (48) , Catering (14) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints For any journey the path must be defined with clear and recognizable details for it to be successful. The concepts of markers and landmarks which define the direction of a journey apply to that of any business. We need detailed plans and objectives as well as landmarks and directions we would like the business to travel. The objective of Two Brothers food truck is to create a trusted and popular place for people of the Wenatchee valley to enjoy a quality meal using locally sourced goods and services at a value which all residents of the valley can easily afford. With this detailed strategic business plan we will discuss the concepts which will guide our plan and the obstacles we may face and how we will work to overcome them. Strategic Objectives, Measures, and Targets The objective is the same in all business and that is to keep the business operational and profitable. The profitability of any business is the main reason for which we strive to open and operate businesses; this fact will be  the main reason to implement fundamental financial objectives. The concept of Two Brothers food truck is to keep costs low, maximize profits while maintaining quality ingredients and service to the consumer. The main factor which way affect the profitability of the food truck is locally sourcing fresh ingredients due to the grow cycle of our region. At some point the truck will have to purchase items from a vendor or local grocer to maintain inventory levels. However the other menu ingredients like breads, meats, and dairy items will in most cases be readily available thanks in part to the availability to local butchers and dairies, we plan on baking our own breads. Thanks to the lack of competitive restaurants using locally sourced items we see no issues wit h these items. Methods of Monitoring and Controlling Two Brothers Strategic Plan We understand the importance of a happy employee and their relation to happy customers and relationships play a major role in any business. We strive to build relationships with the community and place high regard on personalized service to each person that visits Two Brothers whether it our guests are local or people visiting the Wenatchee valley. One major way we intend to ensure this will happen is to always empower our staff and make our staff feel like they are part of this business and guide them to feel as emotionally invested in the ideas and concepts of Two Brothers food truck as we do. We plan to offer incentives like shift meals, paid time off after time invested in the company, profit sharing, company events, and bonuses for college students whom receive exceptional grades, we feel the food truck should be a stepping stone and an example of characteristics they can take with them into their careers. We feel that investing the time and energy in our staff and showing them we care as much about them as we do the business will encourage them to feel the same and want to invest time and energy in our customers to ensure their return business and the customers overall satisfaction. Marketing and Information Technology Strategies and Tactics In today’s era of social media and more and more people using their mobile devices for everyday operations we feel we need to maintain that connection. Luckily for Two Brothers food truck the Wenatchee valley is relatively small and offers great coverage for mobile data with most carriers. We would like  to take that a step further and offer a Wi-Fi hot spot as well as charging stations for most devices, we would like to power these items using mainly solar energy to add to the concept of a sustainable culture we are trying to maintain with the business. We understand the importance of technology and social media in the operations of business and how technology can be an aid in our business operations. We plan on focusing our attention on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets to advertise our business which will provide the customer with daily information on specials as well as access to coupon programs we provide. Using social media will provide an outlet for our customers to provide reviews and feedback on our business. Many people feel that bad reviews can hurt a business; we feel that bad reviews provide an opportunity for us to make a new friend and change a process which may harm our business with future guests. Two brothers would also like to develop a smartphone application for iOS and Android which we find is also lacking with many businesses in the Wenatchee valley. This application will also provide instant access to our business as well as letting us track our market. As far as marketing outside of social media we plan to brand our image using items like car clings, bumper stickers, clothing, and sponsorship of local team sports, we feel that the Wenatchee valley is a closely knit tight community and word of mouth and these visual cues will travel fast into making Two Brothers a household name in the Wenatchee valley. Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Issues Regulatory conditions for mobile food service entities like Two Brothers food truck are rather strict in the Wenatchee valley. We will need to focus on consumer safety within the regards of the regulations put forth by the local health department and maintain or equipment and employee paperwork to remain compliant with these standards. Another important element of the food truck will be a base of operations where we store product and prep for day to day operations. This facility will also have to fall within the guidelines set forth by the health district to ensure food and consumer safety. Two Brothers also plan to offer beer and wine at some point in the future operations of our food truck which is legally allowed in Washington State. We will also have to follow the guidelines set forth by the Liquor Control  Board which are monitoring levels of service, age appropriate clientele, and ensuring on premise consumption only. All of these aspects will be factored into our operational details and regulations will be posted per Washington State RCW’s. Business Model and Strategic Plan Part I The goal is to bring a cross section of favorite foods to the community. Some of these will consist of a local high school favorite the Zombie. The Zombie is fluffy dough stuffed with a variety of meats and cheeses then baked to perfection. Other culinary options will include the popular Cuban sandwich as well as bratwursts, homemade fried chicken, fresh cut fries, and several types of wings and sauces. The goal is to bring in as much locally grown items as well as using local providers for most of our items, keeping it home grown is one of our mottos. We also plan and scratch making as many items as we can to provide the highest quality and freshest product possible, another concept lacking in our town. The goal is to bring the highest quality foods for the most reasonable price that we can. I our idea will be to closely follow what Costco tries to bring to their customers. The goals of Two Brothers food truck are to bring items to customers with little or no access within walking d istance to their locations. We will highlight our operating times to ensure each location we stop at will have ample time to order and receive their items in a fashion congruent with their time frame. We will also provide an â€Å"Order Early† option via text, email, and phone orders so that clients will be able to bypass lines and pick up items whilst on the go. Wenatchee is a smaller mid-size market with many businesses and average options for quick lunch options. Wenatchee offers the same fast food and casual dining as larger cities with a sprinkling of mom and pop restaurants which make up the rest of the options none of which offer high quality ingredients with reasonable pricing structures it is usually either quality or fair price, Two Brothers will accomplish both high quality and fair pricing by operating on volume sales to move business. The plan for Two Brothers is to hand craft all possible food items to cut costs and increase quality of our products because we believe that the more hands something touches through the supply chain the more cost it involves in the end product. This will set us apart from most other options locally and  create an amount of exclusivity of market. What will also help Two Brothers is the relative lack of food trucks within the Wenatchee valley area. We plan to monopolize this fact and create a structure where we remain the top contender with first to market entry with home baked breads, oven roasted meats, and locally grown produce (when available). We will market on our commitment for high quality, price friendly foods which focus on family and togetherness. The vision that I see for the Two Brothers is for it to grow into a family run business with maybe two to three locations in total in the valley, keep it home grown and support the valley by staying true to family, friends, and c ommunity. While the quality and reputation of the establishment are paramount, so is the success of profit. Once I am able to show continued growth and a solid profit margins the possibilities are limitless for expansions. Are good profit margin will also allow for commitments like sponsoring a little league team, giving us a positive public image. The guiding principles or values would be to stay true to myself stay grounded if the business does become a success, and keep my promise to the customers by providing them with fresh food and a fun experience at Two Brothers. The culture of the business reflects my culture and that of my family, and when I say culture I mean that of respecting everyone whom we interact with. We will have a diverse menu because I want a diverse crowd. The social responsibility and ethics would be making sure we only provide fresh ingredients, only buy from the best, and never serve anything that is subpar our internal motto is â€Å"create what you would want to eat.† I will not hesitate to take the opportunity to make things right and apologize on behalf of the business, always treat others the way I want to be treated, and with respect. The business cannot be a success if the mission or vision statement is not only followed but also if the staff and owners do not promote what they inspire. The vision is to have the business grow, but it can do only that if the customers are treated with respect. We as a business must keep our word or promises on the service and products we say we will deliver on. For the business to be successful every promise made must be followed up by not only the owners, but also by staff, and those who we conduct business with Two Brothers. The only way to maintain a competitive advantage over larger chain restaurants, sandwich shops, and fast food joints, is to keep the promise we made in our mission statement,  and continue to stay focused on what is most important, the customer. Strategic Plan Part II: SWOTT Analysis The business world of today the rate of a business succeeding is far outweighed by the rate at which they fail and this needs to be understood when undertaking these endeavors. One of these factors to success or to failure is external factors and how they will work in the operations of a business. In this paper there will be a definition of some external factors for the Two Brothers food truck and how well the business adapts to these factors. We will analyze the supply chain and as well as the operations into consideration along with the identification of other issues and opportunities that may happen. Economic, Legal and Regulatory Forces and Trends One of the biggest driving external forces that can impact my business is the need for people to know where their food is coming from and that it is a good and healthy choice for them. Today’s focus on obesity has many people turning away from the fast food chains like McDonald’s and turning to options like Chipotle for healthier options and knowledge that their food is coming from excellent sources and is handpicked as well as made fresh daily. The Wenatchee Valley is very compact so the ability for people to travel for lunch is easy except the only real options are fast food restaurants dominating a large percentage of the choices. Because these health trends are extremely popular among the many in the valley it is wise to include social factors of healthy living are a huge positive trend for the food trucks fresh philosophy. The active population of the valley is more likely to be health conscious because it is the goal to be in shape and fit with the amount of outdoor recreation in the valley and surrounding areas. Therefore, by eating healthy homemade options provided by the truck, the average Wenatchee resident is a positive external force. Competitive analysis as an external force that we can use to measure the possibility of success or failure or trends which may affect the business. Since the food truck is in the Wenatchee valley and we are known for our agricultural history there is a large population of Hispanics thanks in part to the long history agriculture and the need for skilled labor. Mexican cuisine and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Taco trucks† are quite prevalent in the area and a different style food truck would be an outlier among the usual fast food chains and the family-owned restaurants. This provides an advantage as the food truck has something new, and different to offer. In addition, the resta urant is mobile and can be available in various areas gives it advantages over restaurants and most other food trucks since most are mainly stationary and no longer mobile. Because the food truck will be in a mobile we can monopolize areas where many people work with the least amount of food options available, we have to cater to them this way and offer a quick high quality option for lunch. The Wenatchee valley also has many spots for tourist exploring attractions of the city and events that could support the food truck. Since the warms temperatures of the valley in the summer and the mild winters, I expect people to at least stop for food or for something to drink year round as well as eventually becoming a destination spot for locals. External technological forces/trends could go either way depending on how the business is opened. First impressions do matter – as much as businesses do not want them too especially in the era of social media. Wenatchee is a smaller town so word of mouth spreads quickly via sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Craigslist so in this situation, it is very important that the food truck makes a strong first impression. Also the local newspaper is a popular source of information to the valley and perhaps some sort of coupon or deal in the newspaper would be a good way to attract residents to the restaurant. Because the written part of paper has its counterpart on the web, online advertising would probably be an attractive option in attracting the many tourists which visit the city all year round. Supply Chains Organizations Impacts Considering the resource logistics for any business, a strong force that can negatively/positively affect the food truck is the cost of transportation of materials. Originally, the plan was to hand pick fresh material daily through local growers and vendors. However, this would be inefficient and extremely expensive. It makes more sense that these material are obtained from a local source which can deliver on a weekly basis. These items should be items that would definitely have to be locally or regionally located because they have to contribute to the buy local stay local theme. For  example, the vegetables would mainly be locally grown within the season and meats locally purchased and regionally harvested while any baked goods would be homemade by us using regionally sourced materials. Identification of Issues or Opportunities Culture is another internal force, which can make the food truck a great and popular option. Having a family-owned business with a small group of friendly employees makes a huge difference in how a local business is perceived. Hiring employees who not relate well with the business owners generally results in employees perform their duties but may not love the business or take part in the enjoyment that the owners may have in operating the business; in other words, these employees will do their job but they will not have the passion that family has operating the business. Generally, the friendly service that customers will receive from the deli will likely be an incentive for them to return again. The feeling should be relaxing enough that customers will want to continue to hang out after their meal if they have the time. Over time, places like these become a sort of â€Å"favorite† hang out for people; this is very similar to how bars become places where people can hangout and relax while socializing and eating. With technology being so prevalent and because this is a tight knit valley, it is expected that people will have want to socialize so providing portable seating will be an important element. Leadership is an essential part of any business and can lead to better efficiency. It’s very important for the business to have a good set of leaders. In a small business situation the leaders should be the owners, there is a sense of warmth and gratitude when being greeted and served by the owners/operators. Sometimes, a customer may ask a certain question that requires a bit of prerequisite knowledge about a certain type of food or product and to answer the question. When the owners are available, and a part of the general operations, that knowledge is passed on the other employees when the owner is serving guests. Good leadership also is integral to making a business run smoothly. There usually has to be someone â€Å"in charge† that can direct people around in case they are lost. In this  case, if an employee is making a certain product and is confused on how to finish it or continue with it, the owner can usually step in and aid in the completion of the product. Therefore, a good leader will run the business in a smooth manner while the lack of a leader can result in the business losing money because of customer dissatisfaction (due to problems such as excessive wait for food, bad service, bad food, etc.) The internal strategy will be to keep consumers pleased and to keep their visit to the food truck memorable so they would want to come there again. Operating the food truck as a fun family oriented business will keep people hopefully wanting to hangout and comeback for that family open arms feel. Possibly providing outdoor games and events will give the customer something to keep them occupied and enjoy their stay. To keep the menu a bit unique, there would be a diversified menu by serving specific options and specials on different days of the week. There would also be incentives provided in the form of discounts, punch cards and options for catering a large group of people, such as parties, weddings or other events. Economic forces and trends that can benefit or work against the food truck are most definitely included the price of oil and prices of raw materials. Because transportation is a must in any business to bring items to the truck and the truck to the clients, rising gas prices will hurt business and cost more. Similarly, a lack of local items in the area will also exacerbate the situation and raise prices of raw materials to be used by the food truck. Nice weather in the summer and good snow in the winter increase the draw of tourism to the valley this would increase the number of potential customers increasing business. In regards to regulatory forces/trends that would affect this business would be the health inspection and how they regulate length of time a certain product is fresh. As an example, if health regulations of food trucks are usually more stringent and regulated than say a brick and mortar business since the food truck has the ability to become mobile and the options of  safe storage of foods is limited more so than the regular restaurant. By not following health procedures and safety, laws would be broken and there would be the risk of the business closing or people being hurt by contaminated foods. Because this is a small food truck business, it would not be too difficult to make changes unless the changes are extreme – like the change corresponding to the reliable sourcing of local goods. Making changes to the menu or making different items is usually just a change in how a certain product is prepared. Because food trucks usually provide food made on premise and is easily adaptable to many items this will not be very difficult if changes needed to be made. However, if people were to ask for particular items or drinks these would have to be purchased and that could take some time for delivery. The food truck is a small scale business; it is easier to apply changes than it is for bigger businesses that may be spread out in several locations. The most recent global issue for most business right now is the price of oil. Gas keeps the trucks moving and the equipment operating whether they are buying items, operating as in cooking food items, or moving from location to location gas is an unavoidable cost and rising prices could pose a threat to the sustainability of the business. Other options of clean energy can be examined to ensure the best operating options for the business. Providing great service seems almost nonsensical as every business strives to do so. Small businesses have to make greater strides in this department. Consistency is the key in order to be consistent a system or process is needed for every detail. When there are definite procedures for the everyday tasks the employees and the customers know what to expect. For instance the opening and closing procedures will have specific tasks and duties every day. This type of consistency will keep a positive momentum. Strategic Plan Part III: Balanced Scorecard The reason an individual opens a business is to be successful and make a profits to provide as their livelihood. My vision and my mission for my  business are to be one of the most popular food trucks in the Wenatchee Valley area. In addition, should be a highly respected business and not just another business serving food. Getting to know the customers on a personal basis and prove friendly service that is appreciable and that leaves customer with a sense of superior service that keeps them coming back. But mostly, the food truck will provide great food that people will enjoy to eat and crave. The vision for the food truck is to see it open and available to travel to multiple locations throughout the Wenatchee Valley so that the entire valley can access the unique options we offer. Because the initial location will be near the main medical facility and high school in the southern part of the valley, it can hold a considerable market share over other restaurants in that area of the valley since no other locations exists. After that the financial perspectives include market share, the vision influences the market share in this way and it allows for enhancement of profitability and the competitive position. More restaurants around the valley use the same supply chain operations that the initial food truck would have, keeping the costs relatively the same. Increasing the number of food trucks would, also help to lower prices of raw materials because the business would be buying larger quantities for more trucks and use volume pricing. This in turn would reduce the cost of spending but would increase the profits. The mission values are to provide great tasting food to a large variety of people of different social groups and to provide great service. To achieve such a goal, it is very necessary that some objectives for customer service and employee satisfaction are put into place. Obviously, the amount of satisfaction that the employees will have will translate to a higher level of service they provide to customers. Therefore, increasing employee satisfaction is a must for the food truck. Stimulating and offering incentives to the employees is a great way to keep them productive. A method of stimulating the employees would be to rotate the duties. A rotation of duties ensures that all of the employees understand the functions of the different stations but they also understand all the cleaning duties as well and knowing each station helps in the overall  understanding of the business. This, in turn, affects their productivity and how they relate to the customers. The satisfied customers, in turn, helped to enhance the customer’s value perspective in areas such as customer retention and customer value. Providing warm, friendly service is an asset to the food truck will have and will set it apart from other options in the valley. An objective that should be maintained is to keep the same level of service and customer satisfaction going throughout time. Ways to measure customer satisfaction is how customers react to the food truck on social media sites such as Facebook and Craigslist or frequency in which they visit. Offering a punch card with a reward is way to measure the frequency that they visit the food truck. Obviously, a majority of people frequenting the food truck signifies that the truck is a popular destination and signifies the mass popularity of the truck. Noticing changes in trends can help an owner to understand where problems may exist. An important strategic objective that should be respected in the organization of the food truck is keeping service quick and without any hassle and maintains a high level of quality and service. To achieve this objective, the food truck needs to, again, maintain a fast and reliable service plan for the company. This requires planning, as the employees need efficiently to produce the product that the customer wants. This is not only encompassing the employee perspective but also the customer service perspective. Popular restaurants usually have a method through which they create menu items in an efficient manner. They create recipes and options on the menu which staff and customers can use to guide their experience and production processes. This orderly method that will be developed is essential for the business to run properly because it reduces the work that the employees do and allows the customer more freedom in choosing how they want their foods prepared as well as options available. In addition, I feel like this will be a necessary feature of the food truck because other restaurant businesses serving food create items from various  ingredients and recipes will also be producing their products in a similar procedure. Therefore, to keep competitive and streamlined to business practices of the industry this method should also be used in the food truck. Designing and building a strategic objective is a crucial element for any business to operate successfully in the world today. Creating a mission statement with clear and defined objectives will help guide the business through their operations and should be looked to consistently to maintain the objectives set forth by the business creators. By doing this the management and operations of the business will be understood and how the business relates in the marketplace and how to operate through growth and handle competitors. A foundation of objectives will maintain the core concept of the business when changes or shifts in the market place occur and when new strategies need to be developed to handle these changes. The foundation of any business operation is the consumer and the major influence on whether they become a customer for life is the employee. These two factors are the direct drivers for any business and their happiness can bring about failure or ensure success. When the mission and core values are established and clear then it becomes easier for these two factors to provide the success businesses need to remain operational and sustainable. Reference Pearce, John A. , & Robinson, Richard B. . (2009). Strategic management. formulation, implementation, and control. United States: McGraw-Hill. Thompson, Arthur A. , Gamble, John E. , & Strickland, A. J. (2006). Strategy: winning in the marketplace: core concepts, analytical tools, cases. United States: McGraw-Hill Companies. MacDonald, Denise. (2008, October 15). Mcdonald’s marketing strategy. We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Accessibility or Accountability Annotated Bibliography

Accessibility or Accountability - Annotated Bibliography Example The author of the article discusses the controversies between the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. He addresses the problems that take roots in the melding of NCBH and the IDEA. In the course of the analysis, the author defines that the IDEA appears to be suitable and acceptable for the individuals with disabilities than NCLB and invites the U. S. Department of Education to stop the tension between the two acts. The article is important for the understanding of the issue of the collision between the acts and shows the point of view of the counterparty which is opposite to that one discussed in Kaufman and Blewett's article. Â  The article under consideration presents the results of the research on the effectiveness of the No Child Left Behind Act in increasing student achievement rates. In accordance with the authors of the research, despite the negative predictions, the NCLB Act has a positive influence on the rates of student achievement. The article shows that there are significant improvements not only among students with average achievements but among those ones from low-achieving groups. The article can be used in the research while discussing the positive outcomes of the introduction of the Act to the system of education. Â  In the article, Research Professor of Sociology at John Hopkins University Joyce L. Epstein discusses 1118 section of the No Child Left Behind Act that touches upon parental involvement. More specifically, the author of the article presents her own views on the requirements to parental involvement considered in the NCLB Act, gives a range of example from practice.

Countries adopt a more liberal approach towards cannabis use Essay

Countries adopt a more liberal approach towards cannabis use - Essay Example To achieve this, I will follow a route map that includes three steps that involve showing the use of legislation in allowing cannabis use and the economic effects of policies about cannabis use. The third step involves showing how the nature of people has changed due to the new policies about cannabis use. In the recent past, some countries have started to change their policies about the cannabis use by legalizing cannabis use. Although different federal laws seek to control drug use, different states in U.S like Ohio and Columbia have legalized cannabis use leading to increased access, affordability, and consumption of cannabis (Marijuana Policy Project 1). Indeed, more people including students and juveniles are smoking cannabis, which defines the disadvantage of such policy in some countries or states. Two U.S states have legalized marijuana even as the House voted against the crackdown on medical cannabis. The legislation allowed patients and all adults to consume and grow cannabis in their neighborhoods, which increases the consumption of cannabis in America. As a result, cannabis is the most dominant drug in U.S with the United Nations claiming that about 4% of the global adult population smokes marijuana subject to the new legislations legalizing it (Beckley Foundation 1). Many people live in legalization states or travel to such states, which makes the society experience increased consumption of cannabis. The consumers equally ignore prices, which encourages juveniles and addicts to increase their consumption. Subject to its many uses, cannabis is one of the prominent plants and drugs in the world. By legalizing its consumption, the policy makers knew that such changes would enhance cannabis consumption, encourage more youths to start smoking it, and disregard the negative image that the public place on cannabis (Perkins 1). Subject to the increase in consumption, lack of crackdown on medicinal marijuana, the new

Stage 2 Of Updating Hometown Deli Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stage 2 Of Updating Hometown Deli - Essay Example This paper will attempt to describe how the technology proposed in Stage 1 will be used throughout Hometown Deli to help improve the business into a viable restaurant and local hangout for many more years to come. In Stage 1, the author identified that Hometown Deli was in need of a major improvement since nothing about it has changed since the 1950s. A technological upgrade would allow the store to become more efficient by having information pertaining to customers, recipes, and business accounts stored on computers. It would also, allow the deli to introduce the use of technological services such as Wi-Fi for customers to use while hanging out at the deli. Lastly, it would mean that new ways of advertising would be available, such as using social networks like Facebook or even creating a Hometown Deli blog to gather feedback from its customer base on how the Deli can be improved. Hometown Deli would need to acquire restaurant style point of sale (pos) equipment to help facilitate t he speed and accuracy of improving the restaurant. This equipment would also allow us to keep up with an accurate database of customer information, menus, recipes, inventory, business accounting information, amongst other possible information that could be used. Also, the deli would need to acquire phone lines and an internet connection with a wireless router. The wireless router would serve as the hub for the new Wi-Fi service offered to those hanging out at the Deli. Most of the major components to help with the solution for the integration of the business coming into the 21st Century, technologically speaking, can be found on the web in various packages. The packages that seem to work best come from International Point of Sale.com. From this company you can purchase complete packages consisting of touchscreen monitors, cash drawers, keyboards, the Restaurant Pro Express software, a signature pad, and printers for the receipts among others.

Business regulations and practice assignment Essay

Business regulations and practice assignment - Essay Example ourt decree that Genix to carry out the task as agreed under the contract, especially in the case where Larson has paid for the delivery, but Genix didnt ship the goods. Another one is contract reformation where the contract is written again to incorporate the party intents, as in the situation of Genix falling to prepare shipment the contract is rewritten to include shipment alternatively Genix can cancelled the contract and form a new contract to meet his needs and Larson s what is termed as contract rescission (Miller 267). Anticipatory repudiation is the act of promising party failing to adhere to his/her obligations under the agreed contact, it occurs as a result of one party evincing to carry out the contract, though it can be retracted by the promising party in case there is no material change in the state of promising party besides it becomes cumbersome to retract the contract if the promising party that repudiates fail to maintain the promise (Miller 267).In this context Hammer is very correct since in anticipatory repudiation there is retraction whenever alterations in the position of performing party interim, besides the good has not been sold, hence when Hammer has retracted the repudiation then Moore has breached the contract between

Develop a public relations campaign Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Develop a public relations campaign - Article Example This paper will outline Riordan's PR campaign including its defined target audience, an overview of public relations issues, and implications of ethical issues. In addition, Riordan has implemented a marketing research plan and sought to align its marketing and public relation strategies The Riordan staff consists of 550 people and the company seeks to become a leader in embracing diversity in the workplace. Riordan has conducted research and believes that a strong business case exists for the employment of a diverse workforce. Effectively adopting and practicing diversity policies will benefit the company image, create greater attraction to potential employees, and reduce employment costs through improved retention in the workplace. A website reviewed by Riordan staff (www.embracingdiversity.org) states that, "A diverse team is a team in which every member of staff regardless of their age, gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and regardless of how they operate, or what they look like are valued as an individual and not as a member of a group." Adopting guidelines is the easy portion of the task, with approximately 550 employees, implementing a company wide diversity initiative and gaining acceptance will prove to be difficult tasks. Riordan will have to place resources behind this initiative including Public Relations professional, support staff, and a measurement system. Currently Riordan's tracking and financial systems are not merged, meaning each facility operates independently and there is a very manual process to creating reports and accessing company information. This issue will need to be resolved and can be as a new software operating system has been identified but not approved for purchase. The diversity implementation can be used as further justification for the software. Additionally, Riordan has four manufacturing facilities with one located in China and the other three located in various regions in the United States. Specific Public Relations strategies and tools must be used to ensure a seamless diversity integration process. Target Audience Riordan Manufacturing strives to be a solution provider for its customers and not be a part of its customers' challenges. The company will maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that its employees are well informed and properly supported, it will provide a climate focused on the long-term viability of the company. Riordan must be focused in

What Is Global Civil Society What Are The Compacting Perspectives On Essay

What Is Global Civil Society What Are The Compacting Perspectives On Global Civil Society - Essay Example According to Keane (2003, 54) the civil society is developing and becoming increasingly visible; though its implications to the age-old political arrangement are not quite clear. The civil society remains a complex expedition of a vague and politically disputed phenomenon. The utter heterogeneity of collections, activities, along with networks that constitute global civil culture nonprofits, trade, social pressure groups, sightseers, academics, performers, cultural recitalists, ethnic as well as linguistic associations, among many others poses the risk of making the expression an explanation of everything and naught. Keane even so insists that this expansive thunder does without a doubt function as a civilization or a ‘civilization of civilization’ having rules along with customs of conduct (Keane, 2003, 56). The author acknowledges, though, that global civil civilization is still an embryonic, open-ended community sphere whose aptitude to become more autonomous, better incorporated into authority institutions, and endowed with collective values determines its significance. Global civil society implies the cluster of civil entities across the world operating parallel to government establishment and governed by a code of conduct primarily based on the respect and the pursuit for common objectives (Kaldor et al, 2006, 43). The global aspect denotes the aspect of beyond borders whereby the organizations operate within established national boundaries. Common objectives, structure and operations acts as the basis of it’s uniformity with similar organizations in other countries is. Hence, civil society is a global movement that describes civil constituents of the same calibre spread all over the world having different titles, names and description but sharing similar characteristics, structures, ideals, concepts and practices. Civil society organizations unite in their pursuit for egalitarian ideals of freedom and emancipation. Just like democracy , the original perception of civil society was as a western conception whose sole aim was to spread western ideals in the rest of the world. In as much as such perspectives will always prevail, civil society has outlived its western connotation and translated into a global civilization movement that is well conversant with respective needs of the countries of operation. The structure and conceptual framework may remain western but the implication, scope and application is more of a global phenomenon. Background Civil society is the field external to family, the state, as well as the market in which people connect to advance universal interests. It is from time to time considered to comprise of the family in addition to the private area and then regarded to as the "third subdivision" of society, dissimilar from government as well as business (Chandler & Baker, 2005, 69). Civil society can be broadly described as the cumulative of non-governmental associations and institutions that re present interests along with will of society or entities and organizations in a civilization, which are autonomous to the government. Sometimes the expression is used in the supplementary general sagacity of "the constituents† such as autonomy of speech, a self-governing judiciary, among others that constitute a democratic culture. The expression entered civic discourse in America in the 1980s. The phrase was, however, previously developed in the 18th century, attributed to Adam Ferguson, the "founder of contemporary sociology", and applied in the designation of his thesis on

Develop a public relations campaign Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Develop a public relations campaign - Article Example This paper will outline Riordan's PR campaign including its defined target audience, an overview of public relations issues, and implications of ethical issues. In addition, Riordan has implemented a marketing research plan and sought to align its marketing and public relation strategies The Riordan staff consists of 550 people and the company seeks to become a leader in embracing diversity in the workplace. Riordan has conducted research and believes that a strong business case exists for the employment of a diverse workforce. Effectively adopting and practicing diversity policies will benefit the company image, create greater attraction to potential employees, and reduce employment costs through improved retention in the workplace. A website reviewed by Riordan staff (www.embracingdiversity.org) states that, "A diverse team is a team in which every member of staff regardless of their age, gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and regardless of how they operate, or what they look like are valued as an individual and not as a member of a group." Adopting guidelines is the easy portion of the task, with approximately 550 employees, implementing a company wide diversity initiative and gaining acceptance will prove to be difficult tasks. Riordan will have to place resources behind this initiative including Public Relations professional, support staff, and a measurement system. Currently Riordan's tracking and financial systems are not merged, meaning each facility operates independently and there is a very manual process to creating reports and accessing company information. This issue will need to be resolved and can be as a new software operating system has been identified but not approved for purchase. The diversity implementation can be used as further justification for the software. Additionally, Riordan has four manufacturing facilities with one located in China and the other three located in various regions in the United States. Specific Public Relations strategies and tools must be used to ensure a seamless diversity integration process. Target Audience Riordan Manufacturing strives to be a solution provider for its customers and not be a part of its customers' challenges. The company will maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that its employees are well informed and properly supported, it will provide a climate focused on the long-term viability of the company. Riordan must be focused in

Environmental Analysis Essay Example for Free

Environmental Analysis Essay Sample Responses to Questions 1.Laws and Regulations. What are some key laws and regulations under which this company and the music industry must operate? Key laws and regulations in the music industry might include copyright regulations, contracts, royalty practices in both retail sales and radio broadcasting, anti-trust, advertising regulations, foreign-trade practices. 2.Economy. How does the state of the economy influence the sales of this company’s products? The state of the economy has traditionally had less of an immediate impact on the music industry than on some others. CDs and on-line music sales tend to be low-ticket items, and are less likely to be affected too adversely even by a recession. A key driver of sales is the presence or absence of popular new talent. 3.Technology. What new technologies strongly affect the company you have selected? New technologies permitting on-line music sales, like iTunes, and recording and playing devices like iPod and upcoming cellphone technologies, increase the easy availability and sale of music products. They also allow music companies to avoid the expense of manufacturing and distributing CDs, and sharing sales revenues with retailers. A major downside is that new technologies permit easy copying of music without payment. Technology that can provide copyright protection (e.g., preventing unauthorized copying) may be one solution to this problem. 4.Demographics. What changes in the population might affect the company’s customer base? Demographics affecting the company might include changes in the population of young people who are the primary purchasers of pop music (conversely, the gradual decrease in classical music sales as the demographic for that segment ages), and the growing importance of the Hispanic market. 5.Social Issues. What changes in society affect the market for your company’s music products? Social issues affecting the company include not only the increased tolerance for illegal copying of music, already mentioned, but also the increased fragmentation of public tastes and interests. Objections to obscenity in lyrics, and the rising influence of the religious market, are other social factors influencing the music business. 6.Suppliers. How does your company’s relationship with suppliers affect its profitability? The lower the cost of supplies, the more profit the company will make. In the music industry, supplies are both tangible (the cost of CDs and jewel cases, for example) and intangible (the money paid to artists.) Companies that introduce new artists take bigger risks, but also have smaller costs than companies that record and distribute the music of established acts. 7.Competitors. What companies compete with the firm you have selected? Do they compete on price, on quality, or on other factors? Key competitors in the industry include Bertelsmann, EMI, Sony, Universal, and Warner Music. There used to be many more companies, but the industry has experienced considerable consolidation. (There might be even more consolidation but for anti-trust regulations in the U.S. and Europe.) The companies do not compete on price at all, or even on the quality of their products per se; the main sources of competitive advantage are the companies backlist the music copyrights they own and, even more important, the new talent they are able to find and sign. Most music buyers do not know or care which company is selling the music they are buying. 8.New entrants. Are new competitors to the company likely? Possible? Traditionally, new entrants were extremely unlikely; given the large capital investment the music business requires (millions to launch a new album, for example). That may still be the case, but today potential new entrants include music distributors themselves, like Apple, who can decide to bypass music companies and sign new talent on their own. This is unlikely, as companies like Apple currently do not have the expertise, experience, or perhaps even interest in the business. But it remains a possibility that music companies need to take into account, particularly as on-line distributors become an increasingly important part of the supply chain. In addition, the ability to sell music on line may reduce the need for some well-known artists to rely on the marketing and distribution capabilities of music companies, and to sell directly to consumers on their own. 9.Substitutes. Is there a threat of substitutes for the music industry’s existing products? There are many substitute delivery systems for music, and the music industry is constantly being threatened by non-paying delivery systems. Music itself is more difficult to replace, however time spent on other forms of entertainment may decrease the amount of time and money spent on music. 10.Customers. What characteristics of the company’s customer base influence the company’s competitiveness? Customers in the industry are characterized mainly by the fickleness, volatility, and unpredictability of their tastes. Only a small fraction of new releases succeed and these are new releases issued by extremely experienced, knowledgeable companies, in an extremely competitive industry. Even sales of new albums by well-known groups are difficult to predict, and very few stars maintain their longevity. Customers also think theres nothing wrong with making free copies of music for their friends, nor do they have great affection and respect for music companies. Sample Responses to Discussion Questions 1.What has the company done to adapt to its environment? To adapt to the environment, music companies are taking over more of the supply chain, manufacturing their own CDs and managing their own music clubs. They are making deals with on-line music distributors to sell individual songs. They are also increasing their on-line marketing efforts, as in letting AOL offer its customers music video and song samples. 2.How does the company attempt to influence its environment? To influence the environment, music companies pay slotting fees to retailers to gain shelf space, and pay fees to ensure play time on radio stations. They heavily market new releases. They are aggressively seeking to enforce copyright laws forbidding illegal copying their success in shutting down Napster is an example of that. They are also enlisting the artists themselves in an effort to educate and influence the public on the illegal copying issue. In the U.S., they are also asking the government to pressure China to reduce the widespread music piracy in that country.

Nestle and the food and beverages industry

Nestle and the food and beverages industry Nestle has strong corporate culture which is reflected by the company logo itself. The logo, Good Food Good Life which is always attached to its products is the main guidance for every activity within the company. Nestle believes that good food is the primary source of good health throughout life thus it always puts nutrition, health and wellness as the core of its business. The company tries to further develop and emphasize on these aspects. These three things Nutrition, Health and Wellness can be found in all Nestle products and in the company mission statement as well. Talking about the company culture which is related its people structure, Nestle has the culture of team focused and open door policy which become one of its corporate strengths. The company focuses on collectivism and performance orientation attitude to encourage employees to work harder (Ali et al, 2009). Strategic Purpose Mission of Nestle is to make better food so that people live a better life. There is an apparent relationship between this mission statement and the company logo. As what the company believes in, it strives to bring consumers foods that are safe, of high quality and provide optimal nutrition to meet physiological needs. In addition it also brings the vital ingredients of taste and4rrf4f5f5gt pleasure. Nestlà ©s corporate objective is to be the worlds largest and best branded food manufacturer, whilst ensuring that the Nestlà © name is synonymous with products of the highest quality (Nestle Corporate Objective, 2009). It shows that Nestle has achieved one part of its corporate objective which is to be the worlds largest manufacturer. This objective is related to another objective of Nestle which is the company wants to make sure that the product creates value that can be sustained over the long term for shareholders, employees, consumers, business partners and the national economies in which Nestle operates. The main concern of Nestle is to deliver nutritional value for the customers. Thats why in the website of the company, its clearly stated that Nestle is the worlds foremost Nutrition, Health and Wellness company. The CEO of Nestle, Paul Bulcke once said that the objective is to be recognized as the leader in the Nutrition, Health and Wellness and as the reference for financial performance, trusted by all stakeholders. The statement from the CEO is in line with the fact that Strategic Purpose isnt only concerned with what the organization should achieve but also who has influence over the purposes. In every organization there should be some people that have complex role in affecting the organizational purpose. These people are the stakeholders of the company. Nestle wants the stakeholders are well-served which is returned in the companys long term objective: to create sustainable value for its shareholders which require it to create the value for the societies at first place. 2.0 Industry Analysis The threat of entry At first glance, people may think that food and beverages industry is quite easy to enter. This is true if the consideration is only about the capital requirements. The capital requirement of entry is not high thus enable many parties to open their business in this industry. This opinion is also supported by the fact that many brands are occupying the shelves of supermarket or retailer. But if more factors are taken into consideration, the threat of entry for food and beverages industry is moderately high (medium level). The threat of entry is affected by many factors which are economies of scale, capital requirements, access to supply or distribution channel, customer of supplier loyalty, experience, expected retaliation, legislation or government action and differentiation (Johnson et al, 2005). For this industry there is no specific government legislation that governs the entry of new entrants. The fact is that there are many big players exist in this industry and they are at multinational level which means the retaliation is very great. These big players have broad product lines and they have global marketing strategy that those local brands are not able to compete with. These big companies also have an advantage in term of achieving economies of scale. They have more experiences to give them advantage in terms of cost, customer and supplier loyalty. Entering the food and beverages industry to compete with the big competitors such as Nestle wont be a wise decision unless the new comer has careful attention paid to the strategy. Nestle has the most important thing to retain its customers which is the brand name itself. In 2008, Nestle is one of the companies in the list of 100 Best Global Brand (Best Global Brands, 2008). Nescafe as one of the brand under Nestle was reported to have 13,056 million USD of brand equity. This shows how valuable the brand name of Nestle as the market leader in the industry which cant be imitated by competitors. The brand name is used to differentiate Nestle product from the competitors. Threat of Substitute Threat of substitute is high in the food and beverages industry. There are many substitutes available that might reduce demands for company in the food and beverages industry. To identify the threat of the industry, the company cant only look at close substitute. Threat can be assessed using price/performance ratio and extra industry effects. There is a tendency for food and beverages manufacturers to product broad range of products. These products may compete with one another to gain market share. It means that they become substitute for each other. For example Nestle Koko Krunch Cereal can be the substitute for Nestle Nesvita cereal drink since both of them are intended for breakfast consumption. Because Nestle is offering not all kinds of food and beverages, those unoffered kinds may act as the substitutes for the Nestle products. For example Nestle has coffee in its product lines which is Nescafe, the substitute for it can be the soft drinks which are not in the portfolio of Nestle. In this case the substitutes are also very broad. For certain food such as baby food, the substitute can be breastfeed which is free and offer same or higher value. Power of Supplier The power of supplier in food and beverages industry tends to be medium. The basis of Nestle products are agricultural raw materials such as milk, cocoa, and coffee. By referring to 3 factors that affect the power of supplier, only 1 factor can gives the supplier the power advantage which is the non-existence of forward vertical integration. Supplier power is increasing as many of the food and beverages manufacturer are not involved in agricultural raw material production and dont own or operate farms. Nestle, Cadbury, and Kraft are some of the examples. They rely on the suppliers to provide the raw materials. Nestle itself purchases agricultural materials in either raw or semi-processed form directly from farmers or via trade channels (Raw Materials, 2009). On the other hand, by considering the number of suppliers in the industry and also the switching cost, the dependency to a particular supplier can be reduced. The suppliers are not concentrated that enables the companies to choose the most appropriate suppliers. For multinational companies that have their operations in many countries throughout the world, if one supplier cant offer good price for the company, it can look for the other suppliers (can be in different countries). One issue for some companies is how to get the suppliers that can supply high quality materials as needed for producing high quality finished products. Switching cost from one supplier to another is not high. The bargaining power of supplier depends heavily on the strength of the companys brand. In this case, big companies such as Nestle can take advantage in bargaining. Small scale companies or local companies may feel that the power of supplier is higher as compared to the well-established companies. Power of Buyer Competitive Rivalry Food and beverages industry is a very competitive industry. This is affected by the other 4 factors discussed above. Its not too difficult to enter to this industry, the bargaining power of supplier and buyer are medium and threat of substitute is high. Some other factors also determine the intense of competition. The competitors are of roughly equal size which can make the competition even stiffer. They will attempt to gain dominance over another. For example Nestle and General Mills have joint ventured for breakfast cereal market. By having such joint venture these two companies instead of competing with each other they can gain better success (Jones, 2008). In overall this food and beverages industry has its own attractiveness to attract new comers to enter. Although from the 5 Porter results the industry isnt so attractive, it has its own set of appeal for the business party which is the growing opportunity (profit). If the new comers can have good strategy to penetrate into the market and know how to compete with existing companies, they can gain benefits in the competition. {draw:frame} Since Nestle is operating in world-wide market, the industry life cycle may vary among different geographical areas. In general food and beverage industry is at the growth stage of life cycle but for European market and non-European market they are at the different point of growth stage. Figure below shows the position of the food and beverages industry in the life cycle. Another reason for the difference is the demographic differences between the two different areas. A very important issue that makes European market is hardly to grow is regarding the population growth rates. As compared to other markets, the population growth rate is lower that makes the industry cant grow or generate higher profits for the market players. For food and beverages industry, the consumption is driven by the population growth. Slower population growth means the industry also grows slowly. The industry life cycle analysis is related to the Porter 5 forces. The relationship can be seen from the characteristics of the forces which vary for each life cycle stage. In other words the life cycle can be determined by looking at the 5 forces of the industry. As for the food and beverages industry, since its still at the growth stage the competition will keep increasing (intense rivalry) till it reaches maturity stage. One obvious fact is that in European and North America market the competition is stiffer as compared to the other markets. As shown in the curve before, these 2 markets are approaching the maturity stage while the other markets are just at the middle of growth stage. Nestle knows this thus it put more attention to the Asian market (Jones, 2008). The competitive rivalry is driven by the increasing number of new entrants. The power of buyers at growth stage isnt high but it will increase as the industry goes further in the life cycle. The main reason for this is because of increasing number of competitors to offer more products to the customers. In the Porter 5 Forces analysis it has been identified that the bargaining power of buyers is quite high already. This is because this industry is very broad and the companies can come out with many product selections. When the companies step into the maturity stage by sure they will have even more products providedto strengthen the companys brand. For example Nestle MILO has strong market share and remains a perennial favorite amongst Malaysia consumers. In order to further strengthening the brands image, the company added MILO GOLD to its product range. This was done to keep the consumers loyalty towards the product (Business Review, 2008). Reversely the power of supplier will be lower when this industry reaches the maturity stage. It is because the brand of the company will be more powerful when it enters to the maturity stage. As explained before the power of supplier is relative to the company brands. Currently since the food and beverages industry is still at the growth stage the power of supplier is medium. Nestle is an exception case. For Nestle whose brand is very strong, the power of supplier becomes lower. One proof to show that the power of supplier is low is the presence of Nestle Supplier Code. This Nestle Supplier Code establishes non-negotiable minimum standards that the suppliers must respect and adhere at all times when conducting business with Nestle (Nestle Supplier Code, 2009). The Code also helps in implementing the commitment to foster responsible practices in the company supply chain. It is used to ensure the responsible sourcing and supplier relationships that deliver a competitive advantage for N estle. Not all companies have capability to implement such thing. Suppose Nestle isnt a well-known company, it wont dare to have supplier code, instead it may have to listen to what supplier requires. A major barrier to entry for the growth stage is the learning or experience. Nestle and other companies have gained many experiences that allow them to achieve economies of scale. Pricing during this stage is also declining (lower than the introduction stage) and the profit is also increasing. Nestle and its competitors still have growth opportunity. Another proof to show this industry is still at the growth stage is more differentiated products are being introduced these days. The research center of Nestle is still striving to come out with innovative products and renovate existing ones. Before identifying the key drivers for change, the PESTEL analysis should be carried out. From the key factors in the macro-environment (PESTEL), there are 2 of the factors that influence food and beverages industry the most which are economic and social factor. These two are the key drivers for change in food and beverages industry. Demographic is also one of the factors that keep changing. The main factor within demographic that will impact the operation of the company is the lifestyle. As mentioned earlier, people are shifting to healthier life. The demand for food and beverages that dont fulfill this requirement cant stay long in the competition. But for Nestle this wont affect much since Nutrition, Health and Wellness has been the company focus for years. According to Johnson (2005) critical success factors are those product features that are particularly valued by a group of customers and therefore where the organization must excel to outperform organization. CSF can be related to the differentiation by the companies within the industry. There are 4 common forms of differentiation which can be used by the company which are: product attributes, price, support, and brand image. For the food and beverages industry the most critical success factor will be the product quality and innovation (Nestle: Global Strategy, 2009). It means that for the company to success in this industry, the product quality should be taken care the most while innovation process is also carried out. This is what Nestle has been doing so far. As mentioned before Nestle brand has been the symbol of quality. Innovation is said to be the critical factor because in this kind of industry the company should be able to come out with new ideas to keep pace with the changing customer preferences. Another critical success factor for the food and beverages industry is the healthiness of the products. This is closely related to the key drivers for change as discussed earlier. As people are very concern about their health, the healthiness of the food and beverages they are taking become a key determinant in their purchasing. Many groups of customer valued this healthiness issue thus allows Nestle to conquer big market share. Indirectly the brand image itself can be built from the product attributes thus brand is of the same importance with product quality in food and beverages industry. The company also needs to develop its corporate brand using CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). Probably this factor is applicable for any industry in the business world. As Nestle is the market leader of its industry, by sure it has its own set of core competencies to deal with the critical success factors in the industry. All CSF is of Nestle capability which means it has the resources and competencies to cater all CSF. Without these competencies, Nestle cant sustain its position any longer. This core competency of Nestle has made the company reached the first place in the industry. Quality which is the most important factor for food and beverages industry has been so attached to the Nestle brand itself. Nestle knows that innovation and quality are the key determinants thus it transferred these competencies to the foreign market wherever it entered into (Nestle: Global Strategy, 2009). One of the innovations from Nestle which gives it first mover advantage is its nutrition labeling on all the products packaging. It was launched in 2005 and comprises three elements: Good to know, Good to remember, and Good to talk. These 3 labels can be found in all the Nestle products. There is another first mover advantage Nestle has which is becomes the first in the industry to offer a full range of chilled dairy products with No Artificial Coloring in 2008 (Business Review, 2008). Some examples of the products are BLISS Yogurt Drink, NESTLE Yogurt and YOCO Cultured Milk Drink. It was communicated under the Some Things are Best Left Natural communication campaign and received very positive feedback from consumers. Nestle also has competencies in leading and developing people (Roongrerngsuke, 2006). This is important since Nestle is operating worldwide. As the market in each country is different from the others, the company needs to adapt itself to the macro-environment accordingly. Nestle has the ability in adapting itself to local demand and cultural differences although it operates in global level. It uses local brands in a wide range of local markets and focuses on trying to optimize ingredients and processing technology to local conditions. Doing business in different countries means different ethical standards, different business expectations, and different cultural norms. One example to show Nestles ability in responding to local condition is when it penetrated to Nigeria, the company had to rethink its distribution method (operating a central warehouse) because the road system was poorly developed and much violence there. The global strategy must be backed up with the necessary financial and human resources and knowledge management should be introduced to spread information throughout the company (Nestle: Global Strategy, 2009). Nestle can take advantage of location economies to lower the cost of value creation thus it can achieve low cost position which will give the company even better market shares (Nestle: Global Strategy, 2009). The experience of Nestle itself also can help the company to sustain its competitive advantage in term of lower product price. For Nestle to sustain its competitive advantage shouldnt be a problem. This is due to the value and inimitable of the core competencies of Nestle especially for its corporate brand image and commitment. To achieve what Nestle has achieved so far is very difficult for the other companies. This requires long term experience and investment. The most important thing is that Nestle is aware of the intense competition and keeps improving itself so that competitors cant take over its position. For the nutritional labeling, it was protected by law and other companies cant follow the same thing. Another thing that enables Nestle to sustain its competitive advantage is the intangibility of innovation in Nestle and first mover advantage. Innovation has been the culture of Nestle and it cant be transferred to other parties. Furthermore with the presence of this competency, Nestle shouldnt be worry whenever there are any changes in the industry (macro-environment) especially when people life style change. The company still can come out with nutritious food and beverages to cater the demand of customers worldwide. 5.0 Strategic Directions and Corporate Level Strategies of Nestle Corporate level strategy is also dealing with the product diversity, international diversity, corporate parenting roles and management of portfolio (Johnson et al, 2005). It is strongly related to the strategic direction of the company. Nestle applied international diversity which means it differentiates its products based on the local market and competition. The example has been given in the chapter before which shows the Nestle ability in adapting itself to the local market. In selecting the corporate strategy a firm might refer to Boston Matrix, Ansoff Matrix or use a simple SWOT analysis to establish where the company is and in which direction it wishes to head. Below is the BCG portfolio matrix for Nestle SBU. The classification is based on the performance of the SBU (the profit it generated to Nestle). Most of the Nestle SBU is in the category of star. The SBUs in this category generate high profit for the companies. This is the main reason why Nestle can gain its number one in the industry. All its SBUs are generating profit. Nestle doesnt have any SBU in dog and cash cow category. Take example of Ice Cream SBU to show why its considered as star. Nestlà © Ice Cream registered double digit growth in 2008 (Business Review, 2008). The division continued to spearhead the market with even stronger brand awareness, which saw continuous and sustained brand building efforts even during lackluster market conditions. This SBU can come out with innovative products such as DRUMSTICK Techno, DRUMSTICK Retro ice cream and MAT KOOL Tangle, MAT KOOL Super Blaster and TROPICANA Plus ice confection. In the following years if the innovation is kept carried out, this SBU can still generate high profit for Nestle. Strategic direction or development directions are strategic options available to an organization in terms of products and market coverage (Johnson et al, 2005). There are 4 strategic development directions which are: protect/build, product development, market development and diversification. Nestle has done the 4 strategies. In recent years, the company has pursued a policy of expansion and diversification through acquisition and divestment to achieve a more balanced structure to the business. Product development is the main direction of Nestle and done by the company RD team. As what a director of Nestle said, renovation is to keep pace in the industry; company needs to change at least as fast as consumer expectation. Innovation is to maintain the leadership position; to move faster and go beyond what consumers will tell (Nestle SWOT analysis, 2005). These 2 strategies are intended for internal growth to achieve higher volumes. In 2005, Nestles ice cream business unit for the China Region launched 29 new products to attract more consumers having its quality improved (Nestle Attacks with New Products, 2005). As the multinational company, market development is also very important in order to increase the geographical area coverage. In this case Nestle is expanding the market by geographical area. Nestle expanded to Asia region as it saw good opportunity there. In some cases Nestle used joint venture to assist itself in entering into new market. As a multinational company, Nestle has done some sorts of international strategy such as joint ventures with Coca Cola and General Mills (Nestle SA, 2009). These 2 joint ventures still main for the food and beverages industry (this also can be the example of related diversification). Joint venture with General Mills is to form Cereal Partners Worldwide and joint venture with Coca-Cola is named Beverages Partners Worldwide. The main reason for Nestle to do the joint ventures for its market development strategy is to benefit from the traditional marketing expertise and distribution strength of Coca-Cola and General Mills. These 2 joint ventures also allow the companies to have their market penetration (existing product in existing market). Nestle has related diversification and unrelated diversification. For the related diversification, it can be seen from the wide product portfolio which encompassing baby foods, dairy products, chocolates, breakfast cereals, food seasoning etc. For unrelated diversification, Nestle did it by acquiring or joint venturing with other big companies. For example Nestle acquired Alcon Laboratories Inc. in Texas which is a pharmaceutical company specializing in eye care (Company Related, 2009). Another example of unrelated diversification is the joint venture with LOreal. Nestlà © and LOrà ©al have a close relationship dating back to a shareholder pact made in 1974. Nestlà © holds a 26.4% stake in the worlds largest cosmetics group. Whilst it is unlikely that Nestlà © will take over LOrà ©al in the immediate future, it could well do so in a few years (Nestle SA, 2009). For the future days, Nestle may still come out with market development, product development and diversification. Nestle with its RD team can come out with more and more innovative idea in developing the products and try looking for new market segment. The new market segments can be new geographical unit or based on demographic factor. However for the unrelated diversification Nestle shouldnt go to extensive. It is because the more extensive the unrelated diversification the lower the performance will be. 6.0 Conclusion Conducting industry analysis is very important whenever a company wants to enter into new market. Porter 5 forces and industry life cycle are have-to-do analysis before making decision. However for the existing companies especially large scale companies, they need to pay attention to the future changes that might happen in the industry because these changes will impact the operation of the company in the business environment. Nestle as the leader in the food and beverages industry has its own set of competencies that allow it to conquer the largest market share and left the competitors behind. The core competencies or strategic capability of the company should fit what the most influential factors in determining the success of the company are. It means that the core competencies should be able let the company to sustain its competitive advantages. Portfolio matrix assists the company in determining how to allocate the investment based on the SBU. By understanding this, the company knows the direction it should go. This is related to the issues of market penetration, consolidation, product development and diversification.