Organisational Strategy & Decision Making Essay

Authoritative Strategy and Decision Making - Essay Example Advertising endeavors is a powerful idea and request organization to routinely screen and evaluate promoting abilities. The appraisal of the vital and showcasing position is finished with the assistance of key apparatuses and procedures like Ansoff’s grid and Porter nonexclusive serious methodologies. The suggested vital activities are additionally given in agreement the key examination finished with the assistance of previously mentioned devices and strategies. 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Introduction Starbucks Corporation, a worldwide and presumed American espresso organization takes part in the selling of espresso, hot and cold beverages, different refreshments and things, for example, cups, tumblers, and cups. The espresso results of the organization hold huge picture and notoriety over the world with the market capitalisation of $40 billion and with the deals of 1.2 billion pounds (Starbucks Jumps as Profit Increases on U.S. Deals Gain 2012). Starbucks Corporatio n works based on statement of purpose ‘to rouse and sustain the human soul, one cup and one neighborhood at a time’ (Starbucks Corporation 2012). The organization is devoted towards sourcing best quality espresso beans so as to convey advanced quality espresso to its clients and known for their veritable assistance, satisfying environment, and predominant quality. The basic article targets examining and evaluating vital situation of the organization so as to decide its key position. Inner and outside review has likewise been acted so as to pick up thought regarding the inward and outer condition of the organization. Investigation of vital position helps in laying out fitting key activity that ought to be received by the organization in coming period. Inner and outer review Internal and outside review examination of the business associations are performed to pick up thought regarding their current abilities and restrictions. Field-tested strategies and methodologies are planned considering surveyed capacities and constraints. In such manner, device named SWOT investigation has been utilized so as to pick up thought regarding their current key abilities. SWOT investigation speaks to quality, shortcoming, openings and dangers. Quality and shortcoming investigation will speak to interior review for organization while openings and dangers will give outer review of the organization. Inward review The most evident quality for the organization is solid brand picture and character of the organization in the espresso business. Starbucks claims an immaculate and unmistakable brand picture in the espresso business. The solid brand picture and character encourage the organization to increase solid toehold and enters new markets over the globe. The organization claims profound item portfolio with unmistakable highlights like Gourmet Coffee, standard dribble espresso, Frappuccino mixed espresso, and some more. The profound item portfolio empowers the organizatio n to target wide client base and conveying advanced buy understanding. The item quality and superb client care supplements and bolster the current brand picture of the organization (Starbucks raises 2013 figure, opposes industry pattern 2012). The standard and dynamic contribution of organization in ecological and moral practices goes about as another quality for Starbucks. Eco-accommodating practices identified with vitality preservation, atmosphere controlling and support are some of such eco-accommodating practi

Is Halls Encoding Decoding Model Still Useful Media Essay

Is Halls Encoding Decoding Model Still Useful Media Essay Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse was composed by Stuart Hall in 1974, which was widely praised in mass interchanges inquire about and made ready for some scholastics to expand upon the hypothetical model of encoding and deciphering among crowd and beneficiary. Messages are sent and gotten between the crowd and the beneficiary, yet the significance of the content is reliant on the crowds social foundation, to acknowledge, dismiss or arrange the content with an edge of getting, (Hall: 1974). This investigation of the model of research will look at the convenience of Halls hypothesis on contemporary mass interchanges explore, and will follow the following ages of crowd inquire about and the use of the model in ebb and flow media today. Right off the bat it is important to perceive that the encoding translating model has a lot more seasoned hypothetical roots. One of the fundamental hypothetical underlying foundations of the model (basic hypothesis) alluded to the post 1933 migration of researchers from the Marxist school of applied Social Research in Frankfurt to the United States (Mcquail: 2000). The school was built up to comprehend the disappointments of Marxism, and Stuart Halls exposition analyzed the broad communications as vital to the way of life of private enterprise with significant talk, this is pertinent to the accomplishment of the model which shows up basically mainstream in taking a gander at free enterprise with an overwhelming media. Furthermore the hypothesis readdressed the subjects of the Use and Gratifications hypothesis looking at crowd control over the media rather then intervened consequences for the crowd (Katz: 1959). The hypothetical examination later presumed that crowds utilize the media to satisfy there own requirements and satisfactions (Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., Gurevitch, M.: 1974). Lobbies hypothesis speaks to a comparable model with exquisite effortlessness, to make it a key book, (Mcquail: 2002). Significantly Halls model spotlights on bunches rather then the person which is progressively helpful for taking a gander at mass correspondences strength because of social class and social legacy. Both the political and hypothetical establishments of the model have suggestions on its pertinence today as its helpfulness is vital to a broad communications ruled society and the driving connection among crowd and media. The model itself depicted by Hall is, The establishment - cultural relations of creation must go into and through methods of language for its items to be figured it out. This starts a further separated second, wherein the proper standards of talk and language work. Before this message can have an impact it should initially be seriously decoded. It is the arrangement of decoded meaning which have an impact, impact engage, teach or convince with complex perceptual intellectual, ideological or social outcomes (Hall, 1974: 3). Corridor (1974) proposes four decoded implications from this model, the prevailing code of favored implications, the expert code transmitting a message meant inside in an authoritative way, the arranged code of adjusted and oppositional components and the oppositional code, clear seeing however with an obvious emphasis and dismissal for crowd, (Mcqual: 2002). This isolation of gatherings was tried by David Morleys The Nationwide Audience in 1980 which praised Halls look into however critically brought forth second era ethnographic research. This was commended by Morley (1992) where he depicted how Halls model offered ascend to decipher media messages and started accentuation toward another period of subjective crowd inquire about, sex real factors and media utilization. Ethnographic research dominating during the 80s analyzed how TV was a social asset in relational peculiarities and the connection of media in regular daily existence, rather then deciphering one program through a solitary medium. Fish composed that one examinations the consistently life of a gathering, and relates the utilization of (a gathering of) a program or a medium to it (1979: 329). This nature of research rises above further into regions, for example, sexual orientation and networks in which Halls model can not spread. Third era crowd investigate offers a constructionist examination of contemporary media in the feeling of how we know and consider our jobs with the crowd and reflexivity of our comprehension of ourselves as the crowd. Radway (1998) accentuated the crowd purpose of takeoff exposed to TV and our self impression of the media and our proficient interest is the place crowd look into lies. Basically second and third era look into investigated all the more profoundly into social constructivism, which praises crowd media connections. Despite the fact that Hall was adulated by Nightingale (1996) for the model looked into media phonetics and social semiotics to join explore techniques and classification in new manners. The crowd comprehension of etymology and there self portrayal through class is a basic region of contemporary crowd look into. After the third era of crowd look into, Schroder (1994) depicted the turn towards ethnography and the ordinarily, as a danger to compose the media as the focal point of research out of presence. Political research tended to later, will show this to be false and encoding/deciphering stays helpful in social and social class on a wide scale. Songbird (1996) condemned the model for the presumption that lone predominant culture is created through TV and the advancement of the model ought to perceive the social authority dispersed through society. Fiske (1997) depicted, the portrayal of the TV message as a site of a battle between predominant philosophies attempting to create a shut book by stopping the open doors it offers to resistive readings, and the decent variety of crowds who, in the event that they are to make the content well known, are continually attempting to free it up to their readings. Crowd cooperation has expanded drastically in contemporary TV, tending to the predominant perusing and offering open doors for shifted results. The rising prevalence of unscripted television shows is a genuine case of a bigger crowd interest, which will be tended to later on. Before taking a gander at the changing media scene and the issues that influence the utilization of the disentangling model in the nearby present. It is first important to focus on David Morley. In The Study of the Nationwide Audience, Morley (1980) depicted individuals from a given sub-culture will in general offer a social direction towards translating messages in specific manners, comparably Hall (1981b) portrayed individual readings of messages will be encircled by shared social developments and practices (p.51). This examination utilized Stuart Halls encoding model and effectively recognized prevailing, arranged and oppositional readings dependent on social foundation. The constraints of this were later noted by David Morley (1992) in his basic postscript in Television Audiences and Cultural Studies where he recognized his terms of class (center and lower) are distinct marks that don't reveal the point by point ethnography of the individuals contemplated. He additionally portray s The Nationwide Audience as starting to expose social practices that could go from religion to science. Along these lines we can recognize that the model does not have the detail wanted to infiltrate the social profundity of the crowd, yet the model can disperse by social and social class on a wide scale. The Nationwide Audience was characterized comparable to writings rather then mediums (Holmes: 2005) yet crowd medium association was additionally analyzed in Morleys postscript. Basically the crowd medium changes the manner in which the crowd gets the content. The web has been the biggest rising social medium in contemporary innovation and is altogether different from TV. TV is viewed as an acoustic medium like radio, in which sound speaks to the secretly experienced likeness a social world portrayed from all headings ( Holmes: 2005, p.114). The Internet presents a universe of data, an augmented simulation connected with communicate systems, intelligent correspondence, and a complete requirement for the crowd to take part. The web and web based telecom were absent at the hour of the first examination shaping a contention that Halls model is obsolete as it doesn't represent changing mediums and New Media content devoured by the crowd. New type has permitted reflection on old mediums familiar to their ontological force (Holmes: 2005). A model is the terrific increment in dynamic crowd interest truly TV, established on a standard of fanciful replacement; and crowds seeing a portrayal of themselves. Utilizing Nightingales suspicion that the model expect just predominant culture is delivered through TV; unscripted television repels a prevailing comprehension through the crowd interest. Fundamentally as Halls model ostensibly just records for a prevailing philosophy, it has incredibly restricted use in taking a gander at crowd cooperation and impact. The ITVs X factor crowd has an expected 10 million watchers, and there are different unscripted television casting a ballot shows, for example, elder sibling, that arent just primetime TV, yet can rule the first page of numerous newspaper magazines arriving at a prevalently bigger dissemination of individuals then TV. Third era crowd inquire about best portrays the crowd interest, in there dynamic job in the media in deciding the result of the spoke to. Social constructivism characterizes unscripted television, and a predominant authority is questionable vanquished. Corridors model coordinates assurance and opportunity by means of the maker and buyer, yet ostensibly frustrates in its linearity. Murdock (1989) reprimands the models overemphasis of the sound component of the reaction. Looking at the fundamental idea of the model to Lasswells remark (known as the Lasswell model) Who (says) What (to) Whom (in) What Channel (with) What Effect presented before Hall, represents the medium

Grant Proposal Writing Service Buy Grant Proposal

Grant Proposal Writing Service • Buy Grant Proposal Grant Proposal Writing Service Home›Grant Proposal Writing ServiceLearn How to Write a Grant Essay Deserving the Highest GradeGrant essay writing is a common assignment in many universities since it allows a student to apply the knowledge and skills attained throughout the course. This assignment is particularly useful for those, who want to cooperate with funding agencies and receive financial support for interesting projects. No wonder, cultivating a positive relationship with funding agencies can help an applicant to get additional financial aid that will be very helpful in the project development. Undoubtedly, like any other assignment, a grant essay has some peculiarities that should be familiar to any student, who wants to succeed with this task. The first rule you should know about grant proposal writing is that it can be rejected. Yes, even if your project is great, your arguments may be not too persuasive or your organization of the ideas may lack clarity. However, good g rant writers never fall into despair! Remember that you always have a chance to revise your essay and submit it once again. Just keep in mind that every mistake is the lesson necessary for your growth. Alternatively, if you do not want to spend much time of grant essay writing, you can find a trustworthy grant proposal writing service and ask it for assistance. We assure you that cooperation with professional writing agency like QualityCustomEssays.com will help you economize your time and bring you only positive emotions. Unlike other grant writing services, our papers are affordable for everyone because our price-and-quality balance is considered the best in the industry of academic writing.

Child Abuse Is The Most Important Part Of Today s Society

The nation’s youth is the most important part of today’s society. These young children are the body and minds that will inherit the nation and its problems. The parent also has a very important responsibility in preparing youth for the world. However, poor parenting skills are too often being transferred to the youth. Poor parenting involves the use of excessive violence as a form of punishment. Children are placed in a horrific situation through abuse instigated by their parents that damages the child physically and psychologically. Children everywhere are being abused by their parents whether it be physical or emotional abuse. In order to help prevent child abuse, one must first understand some of the reasons that parents abuse their children. There is no excuse to abuse one’s child and there have been many studies conducted in order to make correlations between what causes child abuse. A National Incidence Study (NIS-3), was conducted and found a correlation between family income and child abuse. â€Å"Other factors include family structure and size, poverty, alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence, and community violence are contributing factors to child abuse and neglect.†(Rein). All these factors are very stressful and many parents turn to violence to deal with a wailing child. Also, children in poor health are at a much higher risk of being abused or neglected. More and more children are being abused as substance abuse is on the rise. Often times the severity ofShow MoreRelatedChild A buse- a Child Called It1727 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican society today we fail to address several issues that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, child abuse is one of the major issues that our country is plagued with, yet we neglect to bring this to the attention of the entire nation. It is often over looked because everyone has a different view of what exactly defines child abuse. The International Child Abuse Network (ICAN) uses four basis catigories to docunment the child abuse cases. They are: emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, andRead MoreEssay Child Abuse in A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer1710 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican society today we fail to address several issues that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, child abuse is one of the major issues that our country is plagued with, yet we neglect to bring this to the attention of the entire nation. It is often over looked because everyone has a different view of what exactly defines child abuse. The Internat ional Child Abuse Network (ICAN) uses four basis categories to docunment the child abuse cases. They are: emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, and sexualRead MoreMany Women Across The World Cause Complications To Their1657 Words   |  7 PagesMany women across the world cause complications to their unborn child when they choose to abuse substance. There are many types of substance abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse. Most likely when women choose to engage in these types of activities it causes harm to the child and birth defects. Long term and short term deformities and conditions are present in the child. Other factors play a part into why women abuse, substance such as stress, depression, and mental issues. More treatmentRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1488 Words   |  6 Pages â€Æ' In addressing child abuse we are confronted with a series of problems. On the one hand, there is a lack of the true extent of the phenomenon because no data are available and that the issue, often refers to the most intimate spaces of family life. Furthermore, cultural and historical traditions affect the way each society faces this problem. Finally, there are varying opinions as to its definition and classification, as well as the consequences of child abuse may have and its subsequent therapeuticRead MoreThe Case Of Nancy Troy And Her Family1683 Words   |  7 Pagesof Nancy Troy and her family is undoubtedly complex and will necessitate a clinician with the ability to evaluate and address multiple dimensions of Nancy Troy and her family s lives. It will be critical for a social worker to assess the family structure, the impact of violence, trauma, mental illness, and substance abuse, and finally, cultural considerations in order to address all the needs and areas of improvement p resented by the Troy family. Family Structure There are several concerns andRead MoreWhat Makes A Person A Serial Killer? Essay1591 Words   |  7 Pagesthey are known for called a signature.Serial Killers are frightening psychopaths because they don t show human emotions-empathy, conscience, or remorse.What makes a serial killer different then regular people? While the cause is still a mystery today, many people argue over many different theories which come down to the nature vs. nurture question. Are serial killers born the way there are or are they a product of their upbringing? Many people have proposed theories as to why a person becomesRead MoreFamily s Roles And Functions, Childcare Practices, And Emotional Dynamics1673 Words   |  7 Pagesstructure before the 1800’s of white middle class Americans consisted of a male as the head of the family, his wife, and his children. Fathers’ were viewed as the owners of their children and were held accountable for them, more so than the mothers’ were. In order to sustain the family’s survival they all had to work together as an industrious unit on a family owned farm. Most of the goods were produced by the family for the family. For that reason wages were not a significant part of the economy at thisRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pages Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition many children and young adult are diagnosed with today. ADHD is caused by the lack of focus, being overactive, or not being able to control certain behavior. There are many symptoms shown that can lead towards the diagnoses of ADHD, but there are no test that can be used to diagnose the disorder in children and young adults. As more people seem to develop the issue, the central question of, â€Å"Is the disorder even needed?†, comes to mind. OneRead MoreThe Effects of Physical and Verbal Abuse on Children1666 Words   |  7 Pagesrising issues among children in our society today is the verbal and physical abuse they are receiving from their parents and guardians. This is creating unhealthy families and dysfunctional environments where children are the victims of these abusive homes. Another cause of concern is the psychological and emotional detachment abusive children have to endure. These affects occur when they have a history of being neglected or physically abused. A UNICEF on child wellbeing reported that the UnitedRead MoreNature and Social problems1091 Words   |  5 PagesSocial of the Social Problem Child abuse and neglect has been a prevalent problem throughout history and although progress has been made, it continues to till today. Children are subjected to the treatment of the adults surrounding them and have limited capacity to make their own decisions and protect themselves. Children are often defenseless and end up being taken advantage of and this can lead to abuse and neglect, including sexual, psychological, and physical abuse that cause short-term and long-term

Gender Roles The Hunger Games Essay - 1193 Words

Miguel Estrada English 103 Professor Stewart Essay 2 October 6, 2016 Gender Roles flipped? Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games, decided to do something different with her main protagonists, Katniss and Peeta. In the book, they seem to have flipped gender roles that society does not see males and females in such a way. For example, women have often been seen as housewives by society, which has set certain occupations and responsibilities they must abide to. Furthermore, women were allowed to handle activities such as cooking, cleaning and caring for children and men. On another note, men have also had been told they are only capable of engaging in masculine activities. This was limited to working and providing for the family, nothing more. According to the book Handbook on Gender Roles: Conflicts, Attitudes and Behaviors by Amato and Booth, these gender roles are classified as traditional. In the book, Collins tends to switch what each societies gender norms; she challenges what each character is meant to do because of their sex. She wants to prove that men are capable of doing a woman’s job and a woman being capable of completing a man’s job. Katniss and Peeta both do not meet the expectations society has set them to do; in fact it is the total opposite. Katniss Everdeen is an adolescent girl who has been through a lot, emotionally and physically. She is not only a girl from District 12 but she is a girl who takes on challenges that she is notShow MoreRelatedThe Hunger Games : Gender Roles Essay1693 Words   |  7 PagesHunger games: Gender roles For years’ gender roles have effected the way the world works. That idea was created back before women had any rights at all and weren’t really treated as equals. It was believed that a man could do what he wanted because he owned the woman, but she was supposed to be submissive. Every since the beginning of time the stereotype of men and woman has continued to stay the same. That would be until World War II began. It changed the way women were perceived behaviorallyRead MoreGender Roles in the Hunger Games Essay777 Words   |  4 Pagesnatural for people to act outside the boundaries their gender? In todays society the answer is no and most people see it as unacceptable act. In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss must endure a brutal competition where the last kid standing wins. Throughout The Hunger Games several characters such as Katniss and Peeta Mellark both reinforce and undermine gender roles. However The Hunger Games as a whole presents an argument against gender expectations. When people act as we say weird itRead MoreDeviations in Gender Roles in The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins,948 Words   |  4 Pagesan outcast to the rest of the rule abiding world? In the book The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, the main character, Katniss is put against 23 other tributes ages twelve to seventeen, one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts in a fight... to the death. The hunger games gives the winning tribute(s) wealth and power for themselves and their district and the losers die and their district gets nothing. In these games, Katniss has to fend for herself, avoid a savage and gruesome deathRead MoreHow Is Gender Portrayed In The Hunger Games Trilogy By Suzanne Collins1096 Words   |  5 PagesThe proposed dissertation will explore the question â€Å"How is gender portrayed in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins?†. It will answer this by exploring how the genders of the main characters are portrayed in the Hunger Games trilogy c ompare to Susan Lehr’s definitions of what traditional gender roles are often defined as in children’s literature. Her definitions describe males â€Å"†¦ as active, loud, aggressive, unemotional, independent, less mature than girls, strong, handsome, bold, curiousRead MoreThe film The Hunger Games Essay1520 Words   |  7 PagesThe film The Hunger Games, released in 2012 and based off the first book of a literary trilogy, has become a source of entertainment and intrigue among many Americans. Featuring a futuristic and dystopian United States, it has captured the imagination for some and kindled a intense obsession for others. While on the surface this movie might seem to simply be a story with a riveting plot line about young love, vicious combat, and survival, it is much more than that. As most films do, if one takesRead MoreWomen Of The World s Evils1192 Words   |  5 Pageswomen, would argue against it. This idea is reflected in 21st century pop culture. One of the best examples of this is the 2008 book The Hunger Games by Susan Collins. It not only revolutionized the idea of women centered stories, but showed that gender roles are irrelevant. The Hunger Games centers on the main character Katniss and her involvement in the hunger games. It takes place in Panem, a dystopian North America set sometime in the unforeseen future, which is split up into 13 parts, the richRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1454 Words   |  6 PagesThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins tells the tale of Katniss, a determined, independent, and complex woman trying to keep her loved ones safe and protected. Katniss’ personality and appearance contradict traditional leading lady norms, and her relationship and eventual romance with Peeta show the defiance of traditional gender roles in romantic relationships. Katniss and Peeta redefine gender roles in The Hunger Games as she stays true to her raw looks and personality, he embraces thoughtfulnessRead MoreGender Roles Of Women s Literature1661 Words   |  7 Pageswhich gender roles are portrayed in children’s literature significantly contributes to the development of our youth ’s understanding of their own gender’s role and how they are perceived by society. It is important for children to understand gender roles because gender roles are an essential cog in the perpetual machine that develops our society, but these cogs have been replaced with newer, more up-to-date cogs over recent years, so to speak. As society has changed, so has the typical role that eachRead MoreAnnie Get Your Gun By Ethel Merman And Ray Middleton1365 Words   |  6 Pagesperformed by Ethel Merman and Ray Middleton, is one of many examples that are still battled today on the topic of gender roles playing essentially to modern society. Historically, the relationship between female and male has almost always been unequal and oppressive; but, a feminist critic would aim to critique the nature of gender roles. In a feminist theory, it mainly focuses women’s role as well as their social standing in a society. In today’s society, women empower society to promot e matriarchyRead MoreThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1230 Words   |  5 PagesThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in a classic example of a dystopian Text as it is a futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through a bureaucratic, technological, or totalitarian control. Throughout the book their are many forms of powers from wealth, gender, the Capitol, and Peeta Mellark. The totalitarian government run by the capitol is clearly one of the most obvious and dangerous form of power in The Hunger

The Business Activities Study Free Essays

string(151) " manager Troy Dexter who is responsible for the investment decisions of his fund and who chooses between the above asset classes \(asset allocation\)\." This case study is related to the business activities of a hedge fund which performs a macro investment strategy. Its investment manager Troy Dexter seeks for profits which arise from shifts in the real economy. As he considers an end of the Australian housing market boom as likely, he anticipates that Australia’s overall economic growth will slow down, whereas the prices for energy will go up. We will write a custom essay sample on The Business Activities Study or any similar topic only for you Order Now In reaction to those expectations he decides to purchase treasury bonds and stocks of energy companies Against this background Case Study 1 is aimed at classifying Troy Dexter’s two investment decisions as either direct or indirect investments. Such a classification provides different results depending on the party from whose perspective it is assessed. Thus, it is the purpose of the following section of this work to distinguish between the terms direct and indirect investment based on the corresponding point of view using practical illustrations whenever possible. This is to be done after clarifying key terms associated therewith first. Term definition A hedge fund is an alternative investment vehicle which excessively uses financial instruments such as derivatives and leverage and in which an aggressive management strategy is usually applied (Fung Hsieh, 2004). As Capocci and Hà ¼bner (2004) state, a hedge fund’s major purpose is to generate active return (called alpha) for its typically wealthy investor base. As hedge funds are less exposed to capital market regulation than other fund types, they are able to generate – on average – higher returns, but associated with higher levels of risk as well (Lederman, 2012). Troy’s decision to purchase energy stocks is related to his expectation of rising oil prices. Given his expectation turns out to be correct, the share price of oil producing companies will increase. The term â€Å"energy stock market†, however, comprises not only oil producing companies, but all other kinds of energy producing firms, as well as energy infrastructure and energy service providers, too (Henriques Sadorsky, 2008). As Henriques and Sadorsky (2008) note, a rise in the oil price will not only increase the share price of oil and gas producers, but also the market value of those firms which offer substitutes (e.g. solar and wind energy) will increase. This holds as their products become more competitive in such an environment and their turnover is likely to increase. Stockholders who have purchased such stocks directly for their own stock portfolio before a rise in the oil price has taken place, will profit. Their profits, on the one hand, consist of the 4 chan ce to sell those shares at a higher price at the stock market and, on the other hand, of (increased) dividend payments (Bodie, 2013). Treasury bonds purchased in the debt market are usually characterized by less risk than any kind of stock market investment (Sharpe et al., 1999). Given Troy’s expectation about the future economic environment of Australia, his decision to purchase such long-term fixed interest debt instruments is reasonable. This holds as they are issued by the Australian government which is very unlikely to default (Chaudhuri ; Smiles, 2004). On the contrary, as the Australian government has several tools at hand which allows it to make interest payments as promised (e.g. increase taxes), a treasury bond is considered as one of the safest investment forms available in the market (Hull et al., 2005). Investors who have decided to hold treasury bonds in their stock portfolio (direct security investment) can expect a fixed interest on their investment. The historic development of the Australian 10-year treasury bond is illustrated below.   Source: Reserve Bank of Australia, 2017. From this graph it can be derived that the long term trend of Australian treasury bonds is downward sloping. Starting from a level of more than 10.0% in 1995, the interest rate went down to about 3.0% in 2013. Interest rates in the short run are stagnating on a relatively low level of about 3.0%. Based on the fact that Troy Dexter has founded the hedge fund in 2009, it can be stated that his decision was right in the short run: Interest rates, indeed, went up from 4.0% to 6.0% between January 2009 and January 2010. However, it has to be noted that in the subsequent years his expectation turned out to be incorrect: Starting from January 2011, interest rates on the Australian 10-year treasury bond went down to about 3.0% in January 2013. This implies for Troy Dexter as the fund manager that his hedge fund may have generated losses from 2011 onwards as the interest rate of Australian treasury bonds have lacked his expectations. The figure adds value to the topic of this work as it illustrates that the fund manager’s decision to invest in treasury bonds could not have been a smart decision in the long run: Fund investors are indirectly suffering from this decision as they have decided to provide Troy Dexter with parts of their funds which are now invested in a non-optimal security. 1. Direct vs. indirect securities – Northwest Capital Management perspective In order to classify Northwest Capital Management’s investments in treasury bonds and energy stocks from the firm’s perspective, one has to understand the business concept of capital management firms first. Firms such as Troy Dexter’s hedge fund business aim at professionally managing private investor’s funds. They do so by investing customers’ money in a broad range of asset classes, restricted by particular investment goals (Fung ; Hsieh, 2001). However, as Brav et al. (2010) notice, the service such firms provide is not just related to the optimum asset allocation, but financial statement analysis as well as the monitoring of existing investments plays an important role, too. Hedge funds – in contrast to more conservative capital management firms – invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in risky asset classes such as the stock market of even emerging market economies (Jansen et al., 1998). The portfolio composition of an exemplary hedge fund is illustrated in the graph below. Source: Blair, 2001. The figure above already reveals that it is the hedge fund manager Troy Dexter who is responsible for the investment decisions of his fund and who chooses between the above asset classes (asset allocation). You read "The Business Activities Study" in category "Papers" It is important to understand that the private investor is not involved in the daily investment process of the hedge fund, but hands over any responsibility for the invested amount of money to Troy Dexter. 0.50% 0.50% 31% 19% 15% 14% 7% 6% 3% 2% 2% Strategy composition of a hedge fund Short selling Other Equity long/short Macro Relative value arbitrage Event driven Fixed income Convertible arbitrage Distressed securities/high yield Equity markets neutral Emerging markets 6 Derived from this line of reasoning it can be stated that Troy Dexter’s intended purchase of treasury bonds and energy stocks can be considered as a direct securities investment from the firm’s point of view. This holds, because there is no third party involved in Troy’s securities acquisition process (Bodie, 2013). In contrast, it is likely to be assumed that Troy himself owns a trading platform which he can use to exercise any stock market transactions personally and immediately. Even if Troy does not own such a trading platform, the consultation of a stock broker can still be considered as a direct securities investment from Northwest Capital Management’s point of view. This holds because a stock broker can simply be considered as an entity which executes buy and sell orders on behalf of someone else for a particular fee or commission (Pollock et al., 2004). As Pollock et al. (2014) note, brokers are not allowed to alter the order, but execute the transaction only. 2. Direct vs. indirect securities – Investor perspective Taking the viewpoint of an investor in Troy Dexter’s hedge fund, Troy’s investment decisions can clearly be considered as indirect investments. As stated above, the fund manager decides about the allocation across available asset classes. The investor knows about the financial risks tied to Troy’s investment decisions from the prospectus and may have expectations about a desired return, but cannot alter Troy’s daily sell and buy orders. However, this would be a vitally important characteristic of a direct securities investment. As soon as customers have decided to invest in the fund, they have to sign a declaration of consent in which they transfer the responsibility for managing their funds to the portfolio management team (in our case to Troy Dexter) (Philpot ; Jonson, 2007). Not the investors themselves engage a broker who carries out financial market transactions, but Troy Dexter does that on behalf of them using his financial market knowledge. In this context it is important to note that – although restrictions are less strict in a hedge fund – fund managers have to stick to the proposed fund objective and are not allowed to invest in anything which is not related to the praised goal of the fund, although it may be a lucrative investment (Philpot ; Jonson, 2007). This assignment of any kind of right to alter the investment decision related to maximizing investors’ own monetary wealth underpins the indirect nature of a fund investment from an investor’s point of view. The incentives for customers of Northwest Capital Management to provide Troy Dexter with the rights to manage their savings on behalf of them (indirect investment) is related to Troy Dexter’s expertise about financial markets (Capon et al., 1996). Additionally, as Capon et al. (1996) state, the pooling of large amounts of money in the hedge fund provides customers with a lot more market power than they would have when investing on their own. This shows that although private investors cannot actively decide about each investment decision on their own, the indirect securities investment through Troy Dexter’s Northwest Capital Management is utterly worthwhile for its investor base. It can be summarized that investing in a hedge fund implies no direct securities investment from the private investors’ perspective. This is compounded by the fact that private investors of a hedge fund do not own any securities themselves (Droms Walker, 1996). Instead, those securities are entirely controlled by the fund managers who either own a trading platform themselves or contact brokers to carry out deals which are likely to benefit the fund’s investor base. Shareholders are not able to access the fund’s existing investments on a daily basis, but have to rely on the fund managers’ expertise (Droms ; Walker, 1996). This trust, however, may be the basis for higher returns compared to investing individually on any kind of capital market. 7 Furthermore, the indirect securities investment from the investor’s point of view implies that each single investor gains or loses proportionally to his or her investment in Troy Dexter’s hedge fund. This fact stands in sharp contrast to a direct securities investment in which an investor is on his own and has a claim on any gains and losses related to this investment (Bodie, 2013). Instead of having the chance to convert profits right away in a direct securities investment, an indirect investment via a fund prohibits an investor from this right and makes him dependent on the decisions of the fund manager. Recommendations: A common way of how to classify securities is to divide them into either direct or indirect securities. In this context it is of particular importance to distinguish between either an investment manager’s or a private investor’s perspective (Davis, 2004). Conclusion: The statements above have shown that the classification of any kind of investment as being either direct or indirect depends on the party from whose perspective such a classification is made. In the case of a hedge fund one can categorize an investment as an indirect one from the investor perspective and as a direct one from the fund manager’s perspective. This holds as it is not the investor who makes any kind of investment decision, but the fund manager on his behalf. The investor puts trust in the fund manager’s capital market expertise when deciding to invest in a fund and – at the same time – cedes any kind of rights to alter the fund manager’s perspective on the future development of the capital market. In contrast, the fund manager, on a daily basis, has to directly â€Å"step† in the capital market and has to sell or buy certain types of investments. References Blair, F. (2001): Managing the equity portfolio: South-Western College Publishing. Bodie, Z. (2013): Investments: McGraw-Hill. Brav, A.; Jiang, W.; Kim, H. (2010): Hedge fund activism. A review. In: Foundations and Trends in Finance 4(3), p. 185–246. Capocci, D.; Hà ¼bner, G. (2004): Analysis of hedge fund performance. In: Journal of Empirical Finance 11(1), p. 55–89. Capon, N.; Fitzsimons, G. J.; Prince, R. A. (1996): An individual level analysis of the mutual fund investment decision. In: Journal of Financial Services Research 10(1), p. 59–82. Chaudhuri, K.; Smiles, S. (2004): Stock market and aggregate economic activity. Evidence from Australia. In: Applied Financial Economics 14(2), p. 121–129. 8 Cristodoulou, A. (2016): The internal rate of return problems and manners of solution. In: Prospettive e Proposte Mediterranee-Rivista di Economia, Agricoltura e Ambiente. Online available at http://www.iamb.it/share/img_new_medit_articoli/802_32cristodoulou.pdf. Davis, E. P. (2004): Institutional investors. In: MIT press. Droms, W. G.; Walker, D. A. (1996): Mutual fund investment performance. In: The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance 36(3), p. 347–363. Fung, W.; Hsieh, D. A. (2001): The risk in hedge fund strategies. Theory and evidence from trend followers. In: Review of Financial Studies 14(2), p. 313–341. Fung, W.; Hsieh, D. A. (2004): Hedge fund benchmarks. A risk-based approach. In: Financial Analysts Journal 60(5), p. 65–80. Hasan M. (2013): Capital budgeting Techniques used by small manufacturing companies. In: Journal of Service Science and Management. Henriques, I.; Sadorsky, P. (2008): Oil prices and the stock prices of alternative energy companies. In: Energy Economics 30(3), p. 998–1010. Hull, J. C.; Preduescu, M.; White, A. (2005): Bond prices, default probabilities and risk premiums. In: Working paper. Jansen, A.; Mathieson, M. D. J.; Eichengreen, M. B. J.; Kodres, M. L. E.; Chadha, M. B.; Sharma, M. S. (1998): Hedge funds and financial market dynamics 166. Jung, K.; Yong-Cheol, K.; Stulz, R. M. (1996): Timing, investment opportunities, managerial discretion, and the security issue decision. In: Journal of Financial Economics 42(2), p. 159-186. Layton, A., Robinson, T., Tucker, I. (2015): Economics for today (5th ed.). Thomson, South Melbourne, Australia. Lederman, S. J. (2012): Hedge fund regulation. Philpot, J.; Jonson, D. T. (2007): Mutual fund performance and fund prospectus clarity. In: Journal of Financial Services Marketing 11(3), p. 211–216. Pollock, T. G.; Porac, J. F.; Wade, J. B. (2004): Constructing deal networks. Brokers as network architects in the US IPO market and other examples. In: Academy of Management Review 29(1), p. 50–72. Reserve Bank of Australia (2017). Online available at http://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/historicaldata.html. Rudolph, S. (2008): Net Present Value Rule in comparison to the payback and internal rate of return methods. In: Working Paper. Sharpe, W. F.; Alexander, G. J.; Bailey, J. V. (1999): Investments: Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall 6. Titman, Sheridan (2015): Financial Management. Principles and Applications. (7th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson. How to cite The Business Activities Study, Papers

Panera Bread Company

Panera Bread’s Strategy Panera Bread Company has expanded its business rapidly considering the demand of the US market; in addition, it focused on distinctive menu, prompt services, and signature cafà © design to achieve long-term objectives and to become the dominant restaurant operator (Thompson 615).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Panera Bread Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, this company has already launched a catering service in order to expand its market, for instance, people need such service to arrange parties or other gatherings; as a result, this company should carry out this type of effective services while it had earned more than $80 million in the fiscal year 2004/05 from this service. Most closely fit strategy from the five generic competitive strategies: Figure 1: The best strategy of Panera Bread Broad differentiation strategy would fit with this company because Tho mpson (615) stated that the prime objective of Panera Bread is to attract local customers with quality food menu at reasonable price (typical meal costs $7 – $12) and achieve loyal customer base; however, type of competitive advantages are – it offers quality food items, atmosphere and rapid services to attract target consumers. SWOT Analysis of Panera Bread Company Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Figure 2: SWOT Analysis of Panera Bread Company Source: self-generated Strengths Main strongest points are – High customer satisfaction rate in accordance with the survey report of Power and Associates’ and Sandleman Associates; It has more than 66,000 loyal customers who like the products due to excellent taste, flavour and quality; Panera Bread is committed to offer healthy food items; It has well trained employees, chefs, and dealers; Panera B read management team had long experience and outstanding leadership quality to develop good supply chain and distribution channels; It has already received several awards due to maintaining quality of food items; Weaknesses Panera Bread Company needs to focus on the price of raw materials and operating expenses to compete with the rivals; Some competitors have more establishment and brand awareness; Opportunities Thompson (2) stated that Panera Bread has opportunity to expand its business in the international market using broad market appeal, brand awareness and existing customer base; Rising demand and earning from franchise operation would create new business dimension to diversify product line; Financial strength creates new scope to consider vertical diversification; Threats Many large competitors like Atlanta Bread Company offer similar products at affordable costs; Strategies along with marketing policies of the other competitors including franchise food companies; Locat ion and menu selection Core Competencies or Distinctive Competencies According to the view of Thompson (167), Panera’s lineup of bread varieties, quality products and skilled employees are the key success factor and core competencies of this company; therefore, many food its including Panera’s signature sourdough bread, Asiago Cheese items, traditional Italian flatbread Focaccia, Tomato Basil, Artisan Sesame Semolina and classic French bread become more popular items day by day. Panera’s Closest Competitors in Accordance with the Information of Exhibit 9 Thompson pointed out key variables of different fast-casual restaurant chains (about 21 renowned companies), such as, number of locations, financial condition and menu categories to assess completive position; however, considering the presence of different states, it can argued that Chili’s Grill and Bar, Cracker Barrel, and Starbucks are the main competitors of Panera Bread. According to the data of exh ibit nine, Cracker Barrel has about 527 combination retail stores as well as restaurants in 42 states, Chili’s Grill operates in more than 1074 sites in 49 states and 23 nations, Starbucks has business operation in 3000 places in the global market and more than 7500 locations in the local market. However, number of outlets and business operation in the international place are not only criteria to find out closest competitors; however, California Pizza Kitchen, Jason’s Deli, Brinker International, Cracker Barrel, Qdoba Mexican Grill, and Starbucks offer some signature food items and popular dishes.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Panera Bread Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, Thompson analysed the financial position, for instance, in 2005, Au Bon Pain earned $245 million, California Pizza Kitchen generated about $480 million, Qdoba Mexican Grill earned $2.5 billion and Starbucks generated $6.4 billion; however, Panera’s closest competitors is Starbucks considering all variables. The Strategic Concerns and Problems Those Need to Concentrate by the Management The management team of this company should broaden the target market because this company highly targeted urban employees and suburban dwellers to increase demand of the bakery and cafà ©; on the other hand, large competitors have focused more on the mass population. At the same time, the management of Panera Bread Company has concentrated more on the marketing strategy to enhancing the quality and demand of its breads and baked items; however, other strategic issues and problems are – The company has experienced success by selecting suitable place for the restaurant; therefore, the management should always penetrate new market considering market survey reports and population of the area; The management team carry out new campaign like â€Å"chill out† campaign because t hey had gained competitive advantages by taking some successful marketing initiatives to develop awareness and increase multiple meal times; Since the position of the competitors is one of the main strategic concerns, the management needs to increase customer demand and new customer base; The management teams eager to open a number of franchised bakery-cafà ©s in order to meet growth target, but the company not grant single unit franchises, which creates hindrance to expand its business This case study on Panera Bread Company was written and submitted by user Joy Hansen to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.