Policy and Strategy in Global Competition Essay

Discussion Question 6.1: What are some drawbacks and risks to a broad generic business strategy? To a focused strategy? The two generic business strategies are differentiation and cost-leadership strategies, and they are fundamentally different from one another, both with their own drawbacks and risks (Rothaermel, 2013). These strategies are referred to as â€Å"generic† because they may be used by any type of organization (Rothaermel, 2013). The drawbacks and risks of a differentiation generic strategy is its viability â€Å"is severely undermined when the focus of competition shifts to price rather than value-creating features† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 155). This tends to occur when there is a level of acceptable quality which has emerged as a standard (Rothaermel, 2013). Organizations pursuing this strategy also need to ensure that they are not adding features which add cost but no â€Å"perceived value in the minds of consumers† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 155). The d rawbacks and risks of a cost-leadership strategy are that new entrants may erode the low-cost leader’s margins because of the â€Å"loss in market share while it attempts to learn new capabilities† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 154). Also, the converse of the differentiation strategy issue applies, in that organizations need to ensure that the â€Å"focus of competition shifts from price to non-price attributes† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 154). The organization needs to also be careful not to allow the value of the product or service to fall below the low-cost at which the product or service is offered (Rothaermel, 2013). A focused strategy applies the same concepts as the generic strategies above, but the focused strategy utilizes a more narrow competitive scope than the generic strategies (Rothaermel, 2013). The competitive scope refers to the market segment at which the product or service being offered is aimed (Rothaermel, 2013). An example would be the broad market of wristwatches to the more focused market of luxury watches  (Rothaermel, 2013). Discussion Question 6.4: Create examples of value chains for three firms: one using cost leadership, another using differentiation, and a third using an integration business-level strategy. A value chain is the process in which â€Å"a firm engages when transforming inputs into outputs† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 95). It is made up of primary activities, which add value directly, and support activities, which add value indirectly (Rothaermel, 2013). Primary activities include production phases, sales, marketing, and customer service (Rothaermel, 2013). Support activities include research and development, â€Å"information systems, operations management, human resources, finance, accounting, and general management† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 96). Cost leadership firm: As discussed above, a cost-leadership strategy involves maintaining the lowest price of a particular service or product (Rothaermel, 2013). A prime example of a cost-leadership firm would be Walmart (Rothaermel, 2013 ). Walmart’s value chain would begin with its supply chain, which is made up of suppliers with whom Walmart has negotiated the lowest price possible, at a volume sufficient enough to fill its shelves (Rothaermel, 2013). The next link in the value chain would be Walmart’s distribution and operations. Walmart has been able to reduce packaging and mileage, allowing for significant cost savings (Porter & Kramer, 2011). Walmart’s sheer size creates significant savings through economies of scale (Rothaermel, 2013). Lastly would be marketing, sales, and service, in Walmart’s value chain. Walmart focuses on â€Å"Saving people money so they can live better†, and continues to take innovative steps to do so (Walmart, 2015). The company has even created a mobile app called the â€Å"Savings Catcher† which allows customers to scan their Walmart receipt to capture savings that they would have missed otherwise (Walmart, 2015). This is a marketing effort which impacts sales and services in a major way. Differentiation: Apple is an ideal example of an organization utilizing a differentiation strategy (Rothaermel, 2013). Apple seems to be able to â€Å"create customer needs (even if customers are initially unaware of the need)† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 155). Apple’s value chain will differ from Walmart, and other cost-leadership strategy firms, in that it will have a greater focus on the development of their products and in its marketing and customer service. It will focus on product development in an effort to ensure their products continue to set the bar in their respective  categories (Rothaermel, 2013). Apple will also focus on marketing and customer service to ensure that new and current customers are aware of the products’ areas of superiority (Rothaermel, 2013). Integration Business-Level: Hewlett Packard (â€Å"HP†) is an example of an organization that is using the integration business-level strategy, which is a combination of the differentiation and cost-leadership strategies (Rothaermel, 2013). HP utilizes this strategy because Apple holds the differentiation position while Dell holds the cost-leader position in the mobile devices market (Rothaermel, 2013). For this reason, HP must seek to implement both the cost-saving strategies in supply chain management, like Walmart, and the differentiation strategies in product design, like Apple (Rothaermel, 2013). There are differences, however, in the value chain between HP and the two companies above. HP has sought to cut costs by trimming its workforce, thereby helping in its cost-leadership strategy (Rothaermel, 2013). In regard to its design efforts, HP has improved â€Å"the differential appeal of its product and service offerings† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 162). Chapter 7 Discussion Question 7.1: What strategy might the firm use to unseat Windows in this market? Although the small firm has developed a new product, it is a product which will be introduced into an industry which is most likely in the growth or maturity stage of the industry life cycle (Rothaermel, 2013). As such, the small firm’s best strategy would be to employ a cost-leadership strategy (Rothaermel, 2013). This is the best option because both the differentiation and cost-leadership strategy are viable options during the growth stage, but firms that adopt the cost-leadership strategy which dominate during the maturity stage (Rothaermel, 2013). The small firm’s new product is likely considered a process innovation, as it seeks to accomplish the same tasks in a more efficient manner (Rothaermel, 2013). Discussion Question 7.2: How does the industry life cycle affect business strategy? Detail your answer based on each stage: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. During the introduction stage of the industry life cycle, the companies which tend to be, and stay successful, are innovative and tend to be few  (Rothaermel, 2013). As such, the strategy used during this stage is likely the differentiation strategy, since firms are seeking to establish the uniqueness of their products’ features (Rothaermel, 2013). The growth stage tends to allow organizations to be a little freer to decide which strategy would work best for them (Rothaermel, 2013). It is during this stage that a dominant design, or standard, is established, which means that firms may choose to differentiate their product, or choose to attempt to offer the same type of product at a lesser cost (Rothaermel, 2013). The maturity stage begins to see less design changes and more process innovations within the industry (Rothaermel, 2013). For this reason, it is cost-leaders that tend to succeed during this stage (Rothaermel, 2013). The decline stage differs from those above, as it introduces four strategic options for firms to pursue: (1) exit, (2) harvest, (3) maintain, and (4) consolidate (Rothaermel, 2013). The exit strategy is precisely as it says: it involves the firm choosing to leave the market to pursue other endeavors (Rothaermel, 2013). The harvest strategy means that the firm will still sell the product or service, but will reduce the level of investment in its maintenance and development (Rothaermel, 2013). The maintain strategy is also exactly what it sounds like: the firm continues offering the product or service at the same level as it has been, despite the declining demand (Rothaermel, 2013). The consolidate strategy involves the purchasing of rivals in an effort to shrink the industry, which provides firms employing this strategy to reach near-monopolistic status (Rothaermel, 2013). Discussion Question 7.4: Why are standards important in many industries? As standards get adapted and become dominant, how does this process influence the competitive nature of the industry? Standards are important in many industries because the firm whose product becomes the standard â€Å"tends to capture a larger market share and can persist for a long time† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 175). Once the standard is adopted, the market tends to focus more on process innovation than on product innovation (Rothaermel, 2013). This means that firms are focusing their R&D efforts â€Å"on process innovation in order to improve efficiency† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 177). Since the standard tends to be set during the growth stage,  either the differentiation or cost-leadership strategy is used, for the reasons discussed above (Rothaermel, 2013). Chapter 8 Discussion Question 8.1: When Walmart decided to incorporate grocery stores into some locations and created â€Å"super-centers,† was this a business-level strategy of differentiation or a corporate-level strategy of diversification? Why? Explain your answer. Walmart’s incorporation of grocery stores into some locations represents a corporate-level strategy of diversification, as opposed to a business-level strategy of differentiation. While business-level strategy typically involves individual markets, corporate-level strategy encompasses decisions which impact multiple markets and industries simultaneously (Rothaermel, 2013). Diversification occurs when a firm seeks to increase â€Å"the variety of products or markets in which to compete† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 216). By incorporating grocery stores into some of its locations, Walmart made a corporate-level strategy decision to diversify the products offered in its stores, and the markets within which it chose to operate (Rothaermel, 2013). Chapter 9 Discussion Question 9.1: List some specific advantages of this acquisition for Live Nation. Do you see any downside to the merger?  Some advantages to the acquisition of Ticketmaster by Live Nation include: a reduction in competitive intensity, lower costs, increased differentiation, and access to new markets and distribution channels (Rothaermel, 2013). While these are some possible advantages for Live Nation, mergers and acquisitions do not result in a competitive advantage the majority of the time (Rothaermel, 2013). Shareholder value is usually destroyed after a merger and acquisition, and it is only the shareholders of the acquired company that tend to benefit (Rothaermel, 2013). Chapter 10 Discussion Question 10.1: How might your relationship change as the MNE moves from Globalization 2.0 to Globalization 3.0 operations?  Globalization is the process of increasing â€Å"integration and exchange between different countries and peoples worldwide† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 271). Globalization 2.0 refers to growing business globally from 1945 to 2000 (Rothaermel, 2013). It involved large foreign direct investment, with the  state-side corporate headquarters directing strategic goals and resource allocation (Rothaermel, 2013). Globalization 3.0 covers the time period from 2000 to the present (Rothaermel, 2013). Tremendous strides in technology allow for less need of foreign direct investment, and this stage has allowed the MNE to reorganize as a â€Å"global enterprise with centers of expertise† (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 273). As a small firm supplying a product or service to an MNE, the degree of change which would arise in our relationship, as the firm moved from Globalization 2.0 to Globalization 3.0 operations, would depend heavily on the location and type of services or product provided. The MNE would likely become more dependent on technology for telecommuting and would seek to operate twenty-four hours a day, year round (Rothaermel, 2013). As such, if our service or product was related to the technologies being implemented by the MNE, then the firm would become a larger player in the MNE’s operations. However, if the MNE was able to tap into its own knowledge-base to provide the services or product our small firm provides, then we would no longer be needed by the global giant. References Rothaermel, F. T. (2013). Strategic Management. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Walmart. Our story. Retrieved on January 25, 2015, from http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/

Monsoosn

Monsoosn is a typical seasonal wind in low altitude climate that changes direction between winter and summer season. Monsoon wind typically flow from the geographical land in winter season carrying cool dry air (dry phase), and to the land in summer carrying warm moist air (wet phase), causing a sweeping change in the rain and temperature patterns of the area.The â€Å"monsoon† word is derived from the Arabic word mausim, meaning changing season. Initially the word monsoon was used to describe winds in the Arabian Sea, but with the passage of time it is employed for seasonally changing wind systems all over the world. The difference in the heating of land and water surface results in pressure difference between land and ocean. (Roger G. Barry, Richard J. Chorley, 1998)In the winter to maintain the energy balance between land and water heat is transferred by land- sea breezes. This pressure difference gives rise to monsoon. In winter season the air over the land area is colder than over the oceans, generating a large high pressure area over the Siberia, leading to air movement across the Indian Ocean and South China, causing clear skies for South Asia and East. While the exact opposite phenomenon occurs in summer.In summer monsoon of Southwest Asia wind starts blowing from the ocean the continent with wet shower patterns. The air over the continents land is much warmer than over the oceans, resulting in moisture laden wind movement from the ocean towards the continent. When this humidified air unites with comparatively dry west air flow crossing over the mountains, it starts rising till reaches its saturation point with the development of heavy showers and thunderstorms. (Roger G. Barry, Richard J. Chorley, 1998)The most prominent pattern of monsoon system is seen in eastern and southern Asia; however it has also been prevailing in Australia, West Africa and the Pacific Ocean. A small scale monsoonal system exists in the southern United States called Nort h American, Mexican or Arizona Monsoon. Between July and September the North American monsoon is circulating over southwest North America bringing remarkable increase in rain showers in normally arid regions of Arizona, New Mexico and northwestern Mexico. The west or northwest winds with similarities to the original Southwest Asian monsoon turn more south or southwest having monsoonal circulation brings moisture from Pacific Ocean, Gulf of California and Gulf of Maxico.The monsoon is an important aspect of atmospheric circulation. It brings humid air from over the oceans traveling across the land to the mountains being lifted up due to day time heating from the sun, finally causing thunderstorm and turning out into rain over the land. The large areas in the tropics and subtropics are under the influence of monsoons. In highly populated areas of the world like Asia or India, the monsoon is vital for agriculture for harvesting land and thus the food production. From time to time a str ong monsoon circulation has been seen bringing flood or if the monsoon is late in a specific year, it has been seen causing droughts.A very interesting phenomenon similar to monsoon occurs in smaller spatial and temporal scale, the mountain and valley breezes. The reason behind their occurrence is the same as that of monsoon. During the day the valley and area around it becomes warm heating the air from scorching sun which makes it less dense with a propensity to rise and a gentle upslope wind occurs.This upslope valley wind if carry enough humidity may cause showers and even thunderstorms in warmest part of the day or early afternoon. Exactly opposite to this phenomenon at night slopes cool down quickly causing the air around to cool and blow down from the mountain to the valley forming some sort of gravity wind named mountain breeze. Technically speaking nay kind of down slope wind is called Katabatic or fall wind which is best used for considerably stronger wind than mountain bre eze. (Peter Combs, 2000)The monsoon season prevails from June to September, and is liable for widespread rain leading to flooding across India and Bangladesh. This is a very common phenomenon in this region of world happening time and again. Noticeable monsoon effects are recorded in the history of meteorological study in past.Bangladesh is a low-lying, poor nation of 144 million people, where seasonal floods and cyclones due to monsoon kill hundreds every year. A powerful cyclone in 1991 killed 139,000 people along the coast with a record worst in a decade monsoon rains. (Peter Combs, 2000)In June 2007 heavy rains swept across southern India’s Karnataka state western Maharashtra state killing 38 people. This sweep had also caused flooding and wild storms that had hit also the neighboring Pakistan where 228 people were killed in a week.â€Å"Hundreds of people died last year in South Asia in floods and landslides which are common during the monsoon season. But officials in I ndian and Bangladesh say that this year's flooding is the worst they have seen in over a decade. â€Å"Some 400,000 houses were damaged in floods in 18 of the state's 24 districts,† the chief minister of the Indian state of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, told AFP news agency†. â€Å"Flood waters are continuing to rise in Bangladesh and eastern India, swamping large stretches of land and affecting millions of people.† http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/On August 23 in 2005 hurricane Katrina had developed. It was the one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. Atlantic monsoon season had brought damage in a large extent of the north-central Gulf Coast. Severe loss of life and property had occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana due to flooding of vast area. The hurricane caused much more devastating destruction across the entire Mississippi coast and into Albama as far as 160 km from the storm’s center.New Orleans has a long history of natural disasters being geographically positioned in a region frequently hit by hurricanes. In the year 1915 a category four hurricane had caused Lake Pontchartrain to overflow killing 275 people in the same area hit badly by the Hurricane Katrina.Hurricane Betsy with category three occurred in 1965, flooded half of New Orleans and submerged up to 20 feet in some areas, and left 60,000 inhabitants homeless.Hurricane Camille hit the Mississippi Gulf near to New Orleans in 1969, once more causing destructive flooding in the area and displacement of people. As recorded by National Weather Service report monsoon season throughout 1995-2004 have brought 13.6 tropical storms, 7.8 hurricanes, 3.8 major hurricanes.References:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/Peter Combs. Clouds and Climate Change; Focus, Vol. 46, Spring 2000Roger G. Barry, Richard J. Chorley. Atmosphere, Weather, and Climate; Routledge, 1998

Multicultural education scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multicultural education scenario - Essay Example How multicultural education would be deemed as effective here totally depends on my undertakings. I would have to find out the exact ways through which their understanding of education would increase and make them feel comfortable with the studies at hand. This will propel them to attain education at their best and thus move ahead with the basics of their respective lives in a reasonable way. I would find out how they will be more effective than they are at the present, and thus offer them solutions which are based on pure logic and comprehension. For making them realize that education is the key to open any lock within their lives, I would ensure that education is instilled within them in a very hassle-free way, so is the case with the 4 students who are having special needs and have to bring in a great amount of hard work with each passing day of their lives. It is important to know that the children who hail from the poorest of backgrounds would have to be considered for their edu cation norms more than anyone else. They would have to be given the special emphasis which is direly required in this day and age. Within the aegis of the classroom, these students would be supported by encouragement and special efforts shall be made to let them get acquainted with the other students in the classroom as well. What remains important however is a vision to move ahead in life and find out about its different nuances through hard work, devotion and complete commitment coming to the fore. The types of activities that could be done within the classroom include the making up of groups which shall comprise of students from different backgrounds so that they have a better understanding and interaction levels with one another. This would set the ball rolling as far as their respective domains are concerned, and they would feel better at interacting with the ones who are present within their respective groups. Role-play could be deemed as one of the most looked after propositi ons within the activities that could be inculcated within the classroom understandings, and this shall pave the way for the future success of the classroom in the long run. Each group could allow the others (groups) to learn more because each of these would be able to bring in the very best with the changing activities that they have been offered with. The groups would therefore tie in the results with the comprehension that has been reached upon, as it will assist in a better understanding of how things shape up within their respective realms and how serious consideration should be paid towards realizing where the other group has derived its basis from, in the wake of reaching the desired results (Davis, 2007). The learning tangent is such an important one for the 21 students within this classroom setting because it teaches more than mere education; it makes them realize who they really are essentially. One of the most significant reasons behind preaching multicultural education li es in the fact that it does away with the ailment of stereotyping within the classroom. Nearly all of the students understand that stereotyping someone due to one’s diverse background or merely an ailment is not something which

Role of women in the military and military espionage, both in US and Term Paper

Role of women in the military and military espionage, both in US and other cultures, and cultural reactions to women in the mili - Term Paper Example In the 20th century, there were two World Wars which facilitated to bring equality between men and women due to feminist movements. The insertion of women in all aspects of armed forces expanded effectively. At the time of World Wars, a majority of the women followed the men in every aspect of war such as trailing behind the marching soldiers with the camp equipments, foods and other necessary components in order to provide support to military in every way2. Thesis Statement This paper intends to discuss the role of women in the military and its espionage both in the US as well as other cultures and also how these cultures react in relation to the role of women in the military. Moreover, this paper also demonstrates different scholarly viewpoints regarding the role of women in the military. Furthermore, this paper describes the role of woman in The American Revolutionary War, The Civil War and The World Wars. Literature Review According to Patten & Parker (2011), the women who serve in todays military are quite different from the men, who participate in various ways in order to defend the nation. In comparison to male counterparts, in the US, a larger percentage of women in military are black and a smaller percentage are married. Moreover, women military combat during the incident of 9/11 or September 11 terrorist attacks was quite less than the men combat but the women’s involvement was more at the time of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. From the year 1973, the US military stopped recruitment and developed an ‘all-volunteer’ force, where majority of the women serve an effective combat role, which has increased considerably in recent times3. Kilcullen (2012) affirmed that the United States Army is still in debate whether to admit women in the US Ranger School or not. Moreover, he stated that high level training programs of army school are not for women. There have been certain debates in relation to the US Ranger School due to the fact that th e Army is making a consideration to overturn regulations that have excluded women from infantry battalions. In the year 1991, at the time of Gulf War, Air Force department facilitated women to serve the role of combat pilot. At present, women in army are not given permission to serve as a part of frontline squads, platoons and rifle companies4. Discussion By taking into consideration the American Civil War (1861-1865), it is recognized that a majority of the women played a significant role while serving the community at the time of war. During the period of this war, women protected their farms and families from war effects. Moreover, women also served as military spies and espionage agents during the time of civil war5. When the US declared war against Germany in the year 1917, most of the women groups felt the requirement to join the war and serve the nation. Throughout the American history, intelligence has played a crucial role by which the nation has developed into an internati onal power in terms of its military. Traditionally, women’s contributions and their voluntary participations helped to protect this nation in various ways6. The Civil War was considered not only as a turning point in American history but also in the history of women in America. During the time of the Civil War, women protected their homes and communities, provided medical care for the wounded people

Mesopotamia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mesopotamia - Essay Example History has always been chronicled as a series of political events, rise and fall of dynasties. It is within the framework of political history that the historian has to discern the religious and intellectual emotions of the people living in the ancient world. Although literary sources are not abundant sine they have not been preserved till date, archeological sources including monuments and inscriptions provide us a more or less clear picture of the thought process of the people living in the ages gone by. Polytheistic religious ideas are evident in the inscriptions and dedications of various temples and shrines, the myths and legends of particular gods, the recorded or observed practices of various cults and rituals, hymns and prayers that were transcribed by the priests and priestesses of the temples. The Mesopotamian thought process and religious ideas were characterized by polytheism coupled with a unique pessimism. In Mesopotamia, city-states were theocracies. The king was rega rded as the political and religious leader of the city-state. He was the people’s representative to the gods, and was the ‘First Servant’ of the gods to the people. Individual city-states often adopted a patron god to worship as their chief god. but recognized the validity of other gods and worshiped them on appropriate occasions. However, one god would be chosen as a patron god to aid them in time of war or crisis.... lands on Mt. Nimush, he offers sacrifice to the gods. The gods responded by gathering like flies around the sacrifice having not received any because humanity was destroyed by the flood: "the gods smelled the sweet savour, and collected like flies over a sheep sacrifice." 2. Only the best yield of the land and best animals were sacrificed at these rituals. It was their conviction that Gods could be appeased only by these offerings. So they had to be of optimum quality. The whole community would be involved in these rituals. Localized or private cults dedicated to a particular god that limited membership to a few or an elite also emerged, but the predominant forms of cultic worship involved the whole community; rich and poor; artisan and craftsmen, city-dwellers and country folk. Mesopotamian polytheism had many gods and goddesses that were immortal, but these gods had gender and specific functions or duties, and thus, limited powers. While they may appear to have been powerful and immortal, they were very human, in terms of behavior and emotions. They had the full range of human emotions: they expressed fear, lust, anger, envy, greed; yet the gods also expressed love, compassion, and a sense of justice, as well as, injustice and revenge. One notices an incredible and overwhelming mood of pessimism and insecurity that underlines the Mesopotamian Weltanschauung (world-view). The Mesopotamians viewed their relationship with their gods in this way rather consistently. Since they were devoid of political and personal security, the threat of constant war contributed to a sense of dread, uncertainty, and pessimism. This is potrayed in the "Lament for Ur", in which the goddess Ningal recounts the destruction of Ur in wartime and the sufferings of her

Expanding Your Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Expanding Your Business - Essay Example Further, the company, The Coffee Shop, pricing for breakfast, lunch, and diner dish is pegged at an average of  £10 per meal, including coffee. Coffee and other beverage prices include  £ 2.60 for Espresso,  £ 2.20 for Americano,  £2.20 for Macciato,  £2.20 for Cortado,  £2.65 for Flat White,  £ 2.65 for Latte,  £ 2.60 for Cappuccino,  £ 2.90 for Mocha,  £ 290 for Hot Chocolate,  £ 2.90 for Iced tea, and  £ 2.90 for Iced Chocolate. The English breakfast prices include  £ 7 bacon sandwich,  £ 3.70 poached egg,  £ 8 for has browns,  £ 11 full breakfast,  £ 7 Scottish smoked salmon and scrambled egg, and  £ 10 Omelette meal. The breakfast menu includes  £ 3 porridge,  £ 4 strawberries and pears,  £4 fruit mix breakfast,  £ 2.50 grapefruit, and  £ toasted bread  £ 1.70. The customers can also savor the  £ 12 hamburger or the stomach filling Longhorn Beef hamburger for  £ 19. Furthermore, the average cost of each menu choice is only 30 percent of the total menu price. The remaining 70 percent represents the amount allocated to paying for the expenses of running the business. The expenses include amount paid for electricity, water, and telephone expenses. The expenses also include the amount paid for the salaries of the coffee shop crew of five persons (Warren, 2009). The company is expected to borrow funds to realize the dream of setting up a residential coffee shop. The amount of loan is twenty percent of the total business capital. With a total business investment of  £ 60,000 pounds, the amount to be loaned is only  £ 20,000. Consequently, the company will pay  £ 1,000 interest per year for the use of the loan amount. The amount  £ 60,000 will be used to prepare the residential unit for the coffee business. The total investment is composed of  £ 40,000 investment by the sole proprietor and  £ 20,000 loan amount (Noreen, 2008). The balance sheet shows that the company uses the loan and the owner’s

An Investigation of Unilever Performance Management Assignment

An Investigation of Unilever Performance Management - Assignment Example Performance management refers to the method in improving the work performance of workers to the fulfillment of the company’s goal and objectives (United States Department of Agriculture, 2013; Goodrich, 2013). Moreover, research methodology refers to the systematic procedure in solving a particular research problem (Goddard & Melville, 2001). In this study, the purpose of the study is to examine the effectiveness of the performance management of Singapore Unilever. This comprises numerous sections, namely, research design/report framework, overall research, how to conduct with the literature research, research approach, sampling, data access, methods of analysis, and research limitation. 3.1 Research Design/ Report Framework This study plans to investigate the implementation of the SMART system of performance management in Singapore Unilever. In order to accomplish this, the data collected are obtained from both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data are significant in obtaining raw evidence to investigate a particular study while secondary data are obtained from literary sources like journals and books (Sapsford & John, 2006, p.142; Nicholson & Bennett, 2008). In this study, the primary data are gathered from both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In order to numerically measure the performance management of the company, quantitative research method is used. ... Vartanian (2011) noted that this form of data is important to garner other insights from various authors on the given subject. In this study, literary sources, such as journals, books, newspapers, and government websites are used. 3.2 Overall Research The purpose of the research is to define the significance of implementing the SMART system of performance in the appraisal methods of employees’ work performance in Singapore Unilever. Its objectives include (1) the description of the SMART system of performance; (2) the implementation of the performance system in the company; and (3) the assessment on the results of the implementation of the performance system in the company. Apparently, literature review is also conducted in order to gain scholarly insights on the topic. In order to address the validity of theories reviewed, both quantitative and qualitative approaches are made in forms of surveys and focused group interviews, respectively. The survey was participated by employ ees while the focused group interview’s primary respondents are those employees in the managerial position. To select the respondents for the survey, simple random sampling is used while judgment sampling is used in selecting the participants for the focused group interview. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used for data analysis. Furthermore, distance plays a major role in hindering the researchers to conduct a direct observation to the activities of the company. 3.3 How to Conduct with the Literature Research As defined, literature research is the review of other literary sources like journals and books, in order to obtain additional data that will be used as evidence for a research project (Timmins & McCabe, 2005, p.41). It is important to

Insurgency International Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Insurgency International Context - Essay Example During the last two decades, the world community has been witnessing substantial rise in insurgency in different parts of the world that pose great challenges in terms of security and maintenance of political stability at global level. The outbreak and rise of insurgency is an important issue that has the potential to influence the dimensions of world politics. The reasons behind the rise of insurgency always remain an important point of concern for the social scientists and there have been many research studies conducted to identify the core reasons behind the evolution of insurgency. It is revealed that there are certain country characteristics that determine the possibilities of insurgencies within its boundaries. For instance, the poorer societies are found at high risk positions to encounter insurgency in form of civil war. Moreover, in the countries where there is political instability and abundance of rob able resources there are more chances to encounter the dilemma of insurgency1. It implies that the country characteristics encourage the insurgents to manage organized revolt against the existing authority. It is also revealed that insurgency is promoted through the external support being provided to the insurgents. Byman (2001) explain some important reasons behind the rise of insurgency and tells in some cases, the opponent of the state use to convince the ethnic minorities of the state to put on their struggle against the governments for their rights. The problems and discriminating acts of the government are over highlighted and over exposed to give the minorities an impression that have been massively exploited by the state and it is very crucial for them to raise voice against the established authorities. The minorities are strongly encouraged to resists against the governments in order to establish a system of their own choice where they could be assure of protection of their rights2. An important point within the debate of causes

Aquaculture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aquaculture - Assignment Example Secondly, an investigation of the probiotics is ongoing. Management of the food webs is being done closely, as well as monitoring the quality of water so as to maintain a sustainable aquaculture (Kipp 5). The video by Thornton focuses on the growing shrimp farming in Belize. She explains that there is need to preserve nature by advocating for sustainable practices in shrimp farming though economic gain is a major aim of the business (Seeking Sustainability, One Shrimp at a Time). She advocates for sustainable shrimp farming. In her opinion, a proper understanding of the factors that allow for environmental sustainability is the only option towards preserving the aquaculture (Seeking Sustainability, One Shrimp at a Time). With the setting of the video giving real examples in the society, one can easily relates to what Thornton aims at conveying as well as the passion she has to ensuring that the aquaculture is preserves at all

Information Technology for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Information Technology for Managers - Essay Example Also Microsoft Inc. sells the Xbox video game console, along with games and peripherals. Its online businesses include the MSN subscription and the MSN network of Internet products and services. The companys seven product segments are: Client, Server and Tools, Information Worker, Microsoft Business Solutions, MSN, Mobile and Embedded Devices and Home and Entertainment. (John 1; Reuters 7) Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, its most popular products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, each of which has achieved near-ubiquity in the desktop computer market. Microsoft possesses footholds in other markets, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSN Internet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopaedia. The company also markets both computer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse as well as home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360 and MSN TV. (Wikipedia 8) The website of Microsoft Inc. declares that the company values integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. The website states that they are committed to their customers and partners and have a passion for technology. The company takes on big challenges, and pride itself on seeing them through. Also the website declares that staff of Microsoft Inc. hold themselves accountable to their customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honouring their commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality. (Microsoft 5) Stating proper goals and objectives is extremely important for the company. Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates writes that identifying the primary, focused objective of any process is the way to begin solving process problems. Whether for production processes or internal business processes, the goal should always be a fundamental kind of simplification.