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.

Santa Ana Winds Ap Lang Essays

Santa Ana Winds Ap Lang Essays Santa Ana Winds Ap Lang Essay Santa Ana Winds Ap Lang Essay Santa Ana Winds Passage Ap Lang In the piece, Joan Didion describes the Santa Ana Winds which hit Los Angeles every so often. The winds are seen as a threatening issue, as Didion describes them as dangerous and unwanted. The passage portrays her view on the Santa Ana winds as something horrendous that makes a dramatic effect on the inhabitants of Los Angeles. In the first paragraph Didion begins by describing the eerie feeling in the air with words that connote an anxious tone, such as uneasy, unnatural, and tension. She does not mention what she is describing in her piece until the next aragraph, which creates suspense and gives the reader the impression that the subject she speaks of is a terrible thing. Once she reveals the subject, the Santa Ana Winds, the piece gains a certain emphasis and the reader instantly connects it with being malevolent. Didion also depicts the scene which many denizens of the Los Angeles area will encounter during the Santa Ana period: For a few days now we will see smoke back in the canyons, and hear sirens in the night (239). In this excerpt she describes how the wind will cause many fires and maybe even deaths, which give the impression that the winds are very dangerous. The author remember how due to the wind [She] rekindle[d] a waning argument with the telephone company (239). The argument had weakened but the winds evoked a rage inside her that burst into uncontrollable actions, revealing how the wind negatively altered her emotions and actions. In the second paragraph of the passage Didion describes the Los Angeles area during the Santa Ana period. The author recalls being told that the Indians would throw themselves into the sea when the bad wind blew (239). This creates an image of the wind being a feared force, which was horrible enough to make native-Americans run and hide. She also depicts the yellow glow in the sky which is sometimes called earthquake weather. Earthquakes are destructive and significantly alter human behavior as they create disparity in the habitant. This clearly reveals that Didion believes that winds are Just as destructive as an Earthquake except the winds do their deeds by activating mechanistic behaviors. Her neighbor, during the Santa Ana period, would tell [her] that he had heard a trespasser, [and] next a rattlesnake (239). This image reveals the winds negatively altering her neighbors emotions and mental state. He becomes increasingly paranoid, defensive, and violent. In the first half of the third paragraph Didion starts off with a quote, every booze party ends in a fght. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands necks. Anything can happen (239). By using a second view of the winds, she grabs the readers attention and also adds to the credibility of her opinion. The quote also emphasized the fluctuation of human actions due to the Santa Ana wind. The author adds that the basis for the effect is also backed by science and further personifies the wind by describing it as malevolent. Although she contradicts herself, she still gets her point across fairly well. She also adds how the doctors hear about headaches and nausea and allergies, about nervousness, about depression (239). In this sentence fragment Didion uses parallelism in order to show a connection between the symptoms which are all caused by the same Santa Ana wind, making them seem more malignant then they really are. In the second half of the final paragraph Didion begins using facts, saying that the children become unmanageable the suicide rate goes up[. ] and in the courts of some Swiss cantons the wind is considered a mitigating circumstance for crime (239). The author uses pathos to get the reader to see how the winds ause people to go wild. Their brains are negatively impacted by the wind. Near the end of the passage the author uses a periodic sentence: In any case that positive ions are there, and what an excess of positive ions does,9in the simplest terms, is make people unhappy (239). Didion uses a periodic sentence to emphasize that ultimately the winds cause unhappiness and despair in the people of Los Angeles. This sums up her opinion throughout the entire piece. Overall, Didion views the Santa Ana winds as pernicious to humans. She uses syntax, imagery, and diction to unveil and reveal her opinion to the reader.

35 Common Prefixes in English

35 Common Prefixes in English If you were a prefix, you could change the same word in different ways.You could make a cycle a unicycle, a bicycle, or a tricycle.(Marcie Aboff and Sara Gray,  If You Were a Prefix. Picture Window Books, 2008) A prefix is a letter or a group of letters attached to the beginning of a word  (or word root) that partly indicates its meaning. For example, the word prefix itself begins with the prefix pre-, which generally means before or in front of. (By contrast, a letter or group of letters attaching to the end of a word is called a suffix.)   Many of todays English words contain prefixes from Greek or Latin. Understanding the meanings of the most common prefixes can help us deduce the definition of new words that we run across in our reading, especially knowing that they can make a word mean its opposite, such as the difference between possible and impossible.Still, we do need to be careful.  The same prefix may be ​spelled in more than one way (pre- and pro-, for instance), and some prefixes (such as in-) have more than one meaning (in this case, not or without versus in or into). Even so, being able to recognize prefixes can help us build our vocabularies.   To Hyphenate or Not? Rules vary as to when a word should have a hyphen separating it from  its prefix. Go by the dictionary if you are unsure. If you are writing a paper for a class and a particular style guide is used, such as MLA, the Chicago Manual of Style, or APA, the stylebook may have a hyphenation guide or a preferred dictionary to follow for which words to hyphenate and which to close up. If a prefix is attached to a proper noun, you generally hyphenate, such as pre-World War II or anti-American.   The following table  defines and illustrates 35 common prefixes.   Common Prefixes Prefix Meaning Examples a-, an- without, lack of, not amoral, acellular, abyss, achromatic, anhydrous ante- before, earlier, in front of antecedent, antedate, antemeridian, anterior anti- against, opposite of anticlimax. antiaircraft, antiseptic, antibody auto- self, same autopilot, autobiography, automobile, autofocus circum- around, about circumvent, circumnavigate, circumscribe co- with, together co-pilot, co-worker, co-exist, co-author com-, con- together, with companion, commingle, contact, concentrate contra-, contro- against, opposite contradict, contrast, contrary, controversy de- down, off, away from devalue, deactivate, debug, degrade, deduce dis- not, apart, away disappear, disagreeable, disbar, dissect en- put into, cover with enclose, entangle, enslave, encase ex- out of, from, former extract, exhale, excavate, ex-president extra- beyond, outside, more than extracurricular, extramarital, extravagant hetero- different, other heterosexual, heterodox, heterogeneous homo-, homeo- same, alike homonym, homophone, homeostasis, homosexual hyper- over, more, beyond hyperactive, hypersensitive, hypercritical il-, im-, in-, ir- not, without illegal, immoral, inconsiderate, irresponsible in- in, into insert, inspection, infiltrate inter- between, among intersect, interstellar, intervene, interpenetrate intra-, intro- within, inside intravenous, intragalactic, introvert macro- large, prominent macroeconomics, macrostructure, macrocosm micro- very small microscope, microcosm, microbe mono- one, single, alone monocle, monologue, monogamy, monotony non- not, without nonentity, nonaggressive, nonessential, nonfiction omni- all, every omniscient, omnivorous, omniscient, omnidirectional post- after, behind postmortem, posterior, postscript, postoperative pre-, pro- before, forward precede, predict, project, prologue sub- under, lower submarine, subsidiary, substandard sym-, syn- same time, together symmetry, symposium, synchronize, synapse tele- from or over a distance telecommunications, telemedicine, television, telephone trans- across, beyond, through transmit, transaction, translation, transfer tri- three, every third tricycle, trimester, triangle, triathlon un- not, lacking, opposite of unfinished, unskilled, ungraceful, unfriendly uni- one, single unicorn, unicellular, unicycle, unilateral up- to the top or north, higher/better upbeat, updo, upgrade, upload, uphill, upstage, upscale, up-tempo

Online learning vs. traditional in class learning Essay

Online learning vs. traditional in class learning - Essay Example tudents the needed skills and knowledge for a good career or better future, the methods are different in such a way that they adopt different teaching styles. With online learning, you don’t have a physical classroom. Your classroom is in cyberspace, in forums and in chats. Your classroom is the website and your account where you can download all the lessons and the exams that your teacher gives you. Sometimes, you don’t even know what your teacher looks like. Although yearly, there are upgrades in online learning as the technology improves website interaction, through web-based videos and streaming, there are also improvements on the methods used by the online educators (Rudestam). When compared with the traditional classroom learning, having a classroom in cyberspace looks more appealing, especially when the student does not need to spend a dime travelling from his home to his school. With a click of a button, you are transferred from one classroom to another unlike in the traditional classroom setting where you would need to walk from classroom to classroom or even building to building, which can be a reason for tardiness . In online learning, there is no excuse to be late in class. Online learning has a more personalized approach compared to the traditional classroom learning (Rudestam; Joyes). Although both learning methods group students together within a class, online learning has the tendency to be more personalized. Online educators would have the opportunity to do one on one session with their students more than a traditional professor would have. Because of the many tasks and the number of students they are handling, traditional classroom educators have the tendency to teach in route, or based on the yearly lesson plan they have to the entire class. Although online learning also has the same tendency when the lessons are not customized but are given with predetermined mode and route (Pan & Hawryszkiewzyc). Since online educators have the capability

Finance Administrator Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance Administrator - Term Paper Example The Financial Resources, including both Governments sponsored programs as well as services offered by Not for Profit Organizations, to ensure that the uninsured patients are carefully treated consist of the following options for the Financial Administrator to select from: 1. Public Health Clinics: Government operated free or down scale clinics for uninsured and medical assistance patients. These often can provide free medication to their patients from their own pharmacies, and may provide lab and radiology services. 2. Medicare: Medicare is the medical insurance provided with social sanctuary. It is a separate program with slightly different eligibility criteria. It is available to retirees, their spouses, disabled workers who have been on social security. People with Medical Assistance get coverage from the state for uncovered expenses (if they are insured and get certain percentage of expenses from the insurance company) or all the expenses are recovered from State if the patient i s uninsured.3. Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program: This program is designed to ensure that patients with highly deteriorating conditions or terminal diseases have access to the new treatments available at low rates or for free.

Nature vs nurture debate referencing to eating disorders

Nature vs nurture debate referencing to eating disorders This essay will be discussing one question that has stumped philosophers and psychologist alike since the eighteenth century. The nature verses nurture debate which has been one of the most controversial questions debated throughout the decade by students and lectures. Galton (1883) was the first to term the phrase nature-nurture. Gross (2005) which questions the amounts our psychological characteristics are due to our genes also the amount our psychological characteristics are due to the environment including social influence what we learn as well as. In psychology two main psychological approaches have put forward .different views on the nature verses nurture issue. The first is the biological approach (nature) which bases it strength on genetics and the study of MZ (identical twins) and DZ (non identical) twin studies in its argument. Nurture on the other hand states that all is a learned process and uses modelling and the environment (including western influence) to explain its argument. Both have strong arguments to support their claims both backed up by empirical evidence and theories. Using eating disorders as a reference especially anorexia and bulimia to the nature nurture Anorexia nervosa is a condition where the person loses weight or tries to maintain a abnormally low weight through dieting often masked by the use of vegetarianism. Whereas bulimia involves binge eating followed by purging (vomiting or over use of laxatives). One way the nature theory explains this disorder would suggest that it is caused by genetics, which could be hereditary. Strober et al (2000) theory gives weight to this by suggesting that first degree relative of women with anorexia were ten times more likely to get this disorder than children from families without anorexia. These results were collated through the use of interviews of 1,831 relatives of 504 probands and family backgrounds. According to this research best-estimate diagnoses was based on all available information. In a further study a year later Stroder et al (2001) went on to suggest that as well as women men could now al so get this disorder. However, it can also be said that environment may play a big part in the development of this disorder. If we take environment as another influence then studies carried out in countries that may be starting westernization could show us if there is a link between eating disorders and different cultures. This can be seen in the nurture argument by suggesting that this disorder is due to environment and western society influence. This helps explain how more eastern countries have now due to pressure of turning to more western ideals in their culture, and ways of thinking, are having more problems now than before, they took on the Western ways. This can be seen in Lee et al (1993) Westernization has been linked to an increase in eating disorders in other parts of the world, including Hong Kong and Japan. Nadaoka et al, (1996) suggested that due to the changing roles for women cultural approval has also been suggested for a slim body. Increased wealth and availability of food, were also thought to be implicated in this change. Dolan (1991) study carried out in the United States which suggested that in it was more common for white women to have anorexia than coloured women; implying that race could be linked to anorexia. However some have argued that this could be due to genetic make-up. Evidence to support Dolans theory has come from Powell Khan (1986) who asked why white women are more prone to eating disorders than black women. Their study revealed that white women were engrossed in how much thinner they looked than black women and showed more concern about weight and dieting. This showed their results as a black society is more tolerant of larger body size than white society and that the black society places less importance on thinness and appears to prefer a more rounded shape. Another theory put forward by the nature approach which backed up Stroders theory. Holland et al (1988) who also carried out twin studies which have also suggested a strong genetic influence as twin studies showed MZ twins have a higher concordance rate than DZ twins. The problem with this study is theres never a hundred percent concordance rate which may suggest that other factors need to be taken into consideration and we have to look at other influences even though there is evidence to support that anorexia and bulimia have strong genetic ties. Furthermore we cannot ignore the strong influence that media plays in the development of this disorder. This can be seen in teenagers and adolescences using their role models as there is an ideal shape which is portrayed by fashion magazines and models as well as other role models and icons. This we call socio-cultural opinion. You may have read/heard in the media stories of celebrities in the public eye being criticised by the media about how they dress, how they look have they put weight on or even have they lost weight. These sort of high profile celebrities such as Victoria Beckham etc have pressure to watch their weight as its constantly under scrutiny and so have been called size zero This supports what the behaviorist claim to be cause of anorexia and bulimia in saying that we learn through modelling. So by high media profiling of these role models and icons we can see how teenagers and adolescences in general may view their own bodies and so this disorder may result from this type of influence, This can be linked to Banduras social learning theory in that children model the adult which can be seen in adolescence and teenagers who have eating disorders. Another explanation from the nature side is that anorexia may be due to unbalanced chemicals in the brain particularly if there is low serotonin. Some studies have linked low serotonin with depression and low self esteem in anorexic patients. Kaye, Ebert, Raliegh and Lake (1984) studies support this theory in which they discovered anorexic patients that had not gained a healthy weight gain were compared to patients who had achieved a normal amount of weight, they put forward the theory which suggests this is due to norapinephrine. The study of genetic research in anorexia is still in its infancy stage unlike established research for example schizophrenia and diabetes. We may discover through future DNA studies a gene specific to anorexia. It may also suggest a link to depression, in playing a part in anorexia bulimia. This however could be argued against in that low serotonin could be the effect and not the cause of anorexia. As mentioned earlier twin studies have been used to strengthen the nature argument but there are flaws with type of study besides the concordance not being one hundred percent. As well as the twins may not be from the same environment. The results may be down to environmental influences rather than just genetic. The nature argument assumes that behaviour is innate and we are born with it and might explain why their arguments strength is based on genetic and hereditarianism theory. Furthermore the nurture argument relies on our environment, which includes cultural and societal pressure as well as media influence. However with the evidence presented in this essay the only conclusion to draw from this question is that anorexia and bulimia can be attributed to a combination of both the nature hypothesis in basing its facts on heredity and genetics and the nurture hypothesis basing its facts on environment, media and social structure. Some people may have a biological tendency to anorexia. However there is strong evidence to support the environmental influence, as this is needed to start it off. As you may have noticed the nature nurture debate is quite complex and not easy to tackle. From the time Galton first thought about this question is it nature or nurture responsible for our development to the present with the breakthrough in technology, we have to study DNA the human blue print. We still dont know the answer both side provide strong arguments but with the evidence this essay has found it would be inconsiderate to assume that one factor is solely responsible for eating disorders. It is obvious that both aspect contribute to anorexia and bulimia

Bare Esentuals in Bangkok

Executive Summary Bare Escentuals, Inc. is an innovative cosmetic company in the United States and the leader in mineral-based cosmetics. They sell not only in the United States, but also internationally in four other countries: UK, Japan, France, Germany, and Canada. However, we are seeking to expand into the Southeast Asia region; specifically, Bangkok, Thailand. The country is considered to be an emerging economy in the take-off stage. The cosmetic market in Thailand is rapidly growing and new entrants are beginning to recognize the opportunity for a growing market share within the region. Within the city, there are a few brand name cosmetic leaders, but none with a mineral-based product. Bare Escentuals hopes to fill the gap in the market with a new type of lightweight mineral-based powder which is in high demand. Thai culture is driven by the all-natural, eco-friendly perspective and we believe our mineral-based cosmetics company will offer a highly-differentiated, healthy, and lightweight product. We feel that our line of powders will best suite this market. The Company utilizes a distinctive marketing strategy and multi-channel distribution model to develop, market, and sell cosmetics, skin care, and body care products under its bareMinerals, RareMinerals, and namesake Bare Escentuals brands. Introduction Since the introduction of Bare Escentuals in the public sector, sales have steadily grown reaching 556 million in 2008. With sales expected to sustain current growth, we have decided to enter a new foreign market in Southeast Asia, beginning in January of 2010 by introducing our product line during the peak of tourist season in Bangkok, Thailand. We have experienced much success in our other foreign markets, and we believe Bangkok is the best city for our product line to continue its strong growth. As this market grows, other investment opportunities could bring us to openings in other major Southeast Asian cities such as Chiang Mai, Phuket, and maybe Singapore. We offer a healthy and lightweight alternative to conventional cosmetics while providing light to maximum coverage for all skin types resulting in broad-based appeal to women of all ages. At Bare Escentuals, we believe that our multi-channel, integrated business strategy enables us to build brand awareness and increase consumer loyalty by providing the best makeup experience possible. Cultural Analysis Religion Bangkok’s primary religion is Buddhism, accounting for 96% of the population. Beautiful temples are all over the city, and it is not uncommon to see monks walking around downtown early in the morning. It is a part of their everyday life, and our company must understand the importance of their religious traditions. Thais believe that supporting the order of monks, or Sangha, brings one closer to Buddhist ideals, and increases the likelihood of better life beyond this one. They make regular offerings to local monasteries as acts of merit-making. Each of the temples in Bangkok is unique, having its own architecture, history, and spiritual importance. Most people visit the temples early in the morning. Insight into their religion allows the company to take certain character traits into consideration when advertising, marketing and promoting the Bare Escentuals product in Bangkok {draw:frame} Language Thai is the country’s national language. It is confusing to many tourists because it utilizes the Khmer script and is spoken tonally. Many westerners focus on speaking Thai, whereas taking the time to learn Thai script would be more beneficial to understanding the basic foundation of the language. The reason for the confusion is that various reference materials written about the language each use a different phonetic spelling with the western alphabet. It is sometimes difficult to see the connection between the letters with multiple sources of information. Foreigners are usually allowed more leeway, since the effort to speakingThai is widely appreciated. Family Life Cultural Values Thais place a strong emphasis on ensuring that everyone has good time, no matter where they are. This emphasis is also common in the workplace. Emotions play a very strong role in their society, which leads one to assume it plays an even stronger role in their decision making. Thais prefer to avoid stressful, personal confrontations or anything unpleasant. They usually make a conscious effort to ensure their feel-good emotions are reserved. The priority which Thais give to their emotional state is perhaps one of the main features of their society that has made the country a rather special place in the hearts of many foreigners over recent years. The Thai enthusiasm for sanuk, or having a good time, is infectious and is a cultural aspect often envied by visitors to Thailand, as it encourages people to listen more often to their feelings, rather than their hea ds. In contrast, most Western societies encourage and reward the use of rational values in the decision-making of their people. Consumer Habits We must know how our customers shop, socialize, entertain, and of course purchase products. Most of Bangkok’s residents prefer to shops in local malls, which house many floors with almost anything one could imagine. In order to reach our target market, we must understand the habits which influence buyer behavior in the region. â€Å"The youth market is critical not only to marketers marketing youth targeted products, but also all consumer products. Building brand awareness in youth is a mainstay for many large consumer products and services. Companies such as Bare Escentuals, who wish to build brand loyalty not only now but for the future, must look towards this market with enthusiasm. Building brand loyalty has the largest potential with the youth market. Certainly the youth market controls a still increasing proportion of disposable income throughout most developed and developing countries in Asia. Entry level salaries are increasing from very low levels in years past, and many middle to upper-class parents are extremely generous with allowances to their children. Thai youth attitudes are affected by the same Buddhist religious and national culture that pervades Thailand generally. In comparison to Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism, this culture encourages individualism, youthful idealism and tolerance and respect for divergent views. It also shares the respect for age and family. At the same time however, it is conservative- embracing change very slowly. Hospitality As a culture in general, Thais go out of their way to make others feel at home and comfortable. Their selflessness is evident in their friendships, too. For example, it is common for the wealthier friend to pay for the bill when having dinner or drinks. When conducting business in Bangkok, our representatives must know the ranks of all employees so as to address each one properly with the correct gestures. It is very important when conducting business with Thailand to show respect. Thais address each other by their given names, preceded by Khun, and reserve family names for formal occasions. In formal situations, foreigners may address Thais by using â€Å"Mr. ,† â€Å"Mrs. ,† or â€Å"Miss† with the given or family names. {draw:frame} The City Bangkok is not only the capital of Thailand but is both the region’s and the country’s major transportation hub. It has one of the most efficient airports in Asia, not the most modern, but very large. The city also has three bus terminals and a centrally located train station. An elevated rail line opened in 1999 to make all parts of the city accessible. Bangkok has a terrific infrastructure to support our business and the delivery of our product to the end consumer. Numerous multinational corporations base their regional headquarters in Bangkok, making it a regional force in finance and business. Its increasing influence on global politics, culture, fashion, and entertainment underlines its status as a global city. In 2009, it was the second most expensive city in South-East Asiabehind Singapore. † The city's wealth of cultural landmarks and attractions in addition to its notorious entertainment venues has made it synonymous with exoticism. The large percentage o f wealthy citizens within the city is due to its rapid modernization, which is often seen in the cityscape and the urban society. Bangkok draws in 11 million international visitors each year, trailing just Paris and London. Bangkok has a population of approximately 6,355,144 residents while the greater Bangkok area has a population of 11,971,000 (January 2008). The capital is part of the heavily urbanized triangle of central and eastern Thailand which stretches from along Bangkok to the heavily Industrialized Eastern Seaboard. Bangkok borders six other provinces: Nonthaburi, , , , and ; all five join to become the Bangkok Metropolitan Area. Political System {draw:frame} Joint Ventures Government Social Programs and Health Care Thailand has an excellent medical care system, with most medical personnel speaking fluent English, as many were trained overseas. One of the larger hospitals with an English-speaking staff is Bumrungrat Medical Center and Hospital. It offers 24-hour emergency room care and ambulance service. Economic Description With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and generally pro-investment policies, Thailand was one of East Asia's best performers from 2002-04, averaging more than 6% annual real GDP growth. However, overall economic growth has fallen sharply- averaging 4. 9% from 2005 to 2007- as persistent political crisis stalled infrastructure mega-projects, eroded investor and consumer confidence, and damaged the country's international image. The growth rate fell to 2. 6% in 2008. Exports were the key economic driver as foreign investment and consumer demand stalled. Export growth from January 2005 to November 2008 averaged 17. 5% annually. Business uncertainty escalated, however, following the September 2006 coup when the military-installed government imposed capital controls and considered far-reaching changes to foreign investment rules and other business legislation. Although controversial capital controls have since been lifted and business rules largely remain unchanged, investor sentiment has not recovered. Moreover, the 2008 global financial crisis further darkened Thailand's economic horizon. Population The population of Thailand is 65,905,410. It is the 20th largest in the world. Exchange Rate The official currency used in Thailand is the baht. It is considered a stable currency whose rate is based on the US dollar. Exchange rates are best at banks and authorized money changers. The baht per US dollar is 33. 37 (2008 est. ), 34. 52 (2007), 37. 882 (2006), 40. 22 (2005), 40. 222 (2004). So over the past five years the baht has been gaining value over the US dollar. Inflation Rate The estimated inflation rate for Thailand in 2008 was 5. 5%. GDP per capita $8,400 (2008 est. ) {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Labor Force Transportation Modes The automobile is the most common form of transportation used by Thais; however, taxis are commonly used because of their great value. The starting fares are 35 baht or $1. 17 US dollars for the first three kilometers and 5 baht or $0. 16 US dollars for every additional kilometer. This is considered to be a great value and is great for not only Bangkok locals, but even for foreigners. Motorcycle taxis are also very common in Bangkok particularly because of common traffic jams. Because of their small size they are the fastest way to navigate through traffic jams. The drivers of the motorcycle taxis can be easily spotted by their bright-colored vests and helmets that are worn by both, the driver and the passenger. Because motorcycle taxis do not have meters, fares are agreed on before take-off. The metro is another mode of transportation that is commonly used in Bangkok, but is more commonly used to travel around the whole country. It is almost like an underground, tunnel enclosed railroad on which trains are able to travel through. The metro is most commonly used by those who have to travel long distances from one Thailand city to another. Fares are based upon distance traveled. Real Estate Foreign Investment Thailand’s government maintains an open, market-oriented economy and encourages foreign direct investment as a means of promoting economic development, employment and technology transfer. Foreign investment in Thailand significantly influenced the buoyant economic growth of the last 15 years, spurring Thailand’s transformation from an agriculture-based economy, to one balanced with industry and manufacturing. International Trade Statistics Thailand's exports were $174. 8 billion (2008 est. ), up from $150 billion (2007 est. ). Thailand's imports were $157. 3 billion (2008 est. ), up from $124. 5 billion (2007 est. ). Their highest-valued imported products were capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, and fuels. Trade Regulations Import duties are generally levied on any imported goods before releasing them from the custody of Customs; except for goods receiving specific privilege that qualifies according to the law. If they receive these privileges, then the duty will either be reduced or be taken off completely. An importer has only three types of duties to pay before the imported goods are released from the custody of Customs: Customs Import Duties with an ad valorem rate Excise Tax for Excise Department and Interior Tax Value Added Tax (VAT) for the Revenue Department There are six duty rates for imported goods, excluding vehicles which have special rates. These duty rates are as follows: Duty rate is 0% for goods that government policy provides not to collect duties Duty rate is 1% for raw materials Duty rate is 5% for primary products and capital goods Duty rate is 10% for intermediate products Duty rate is 20% for finished products Duty rate is 30% for government protected goods All duties shall be levied in accordance with the provisions of Thai Customs Law and the Law on Customs Tariff. Payment of duties shall be made to the Competent Officer at the time of passing the entry. Duties can be paid either by cash or check. Checks must be drawn on the Bank of Thailand but certified checks from other commercial banks will be accepted. Duties or acceptable guarantee must be paid to Customs prior to the examination of the goods. Our duty rate is 20% and will be paid on the profit which we make within Bangkok. If we request a clearance of goods subject to a dispute, such goods can be released either by: Paying the maximum rate of duty and reserving the right to settle the dispute at a later time or Paying the amount of duty declared together with an additional amount covering the maximum payable duty as a guarantee â€Å"In valuing any imported goods for duty assessment, Thai Customs uses the True Market Value principle for such purpose. True Market Value of the goods is defined as the wholesale cash price (exclusive of duty in the case of imports), for which goods of the like kind and quality would be sold without loss at the time and place of importation or exportation, as the case may be, without any deduction or abatement. † For the vast majority of imports, the CIF invoiced price is accepted. However, in some exceptional cases, the value is established by reference to the maximum prices of the goods of a like kind and quality brought into the country in a previous limited period, generally not more than three months for finished goods. Trade Regulations (cont’d) â€Å"As the GATT Customs Valuation Code is now being increasingly adopted by many trading nations for uniform and neutral valuation of goods as well as prohibiting arbitrary or fictitious Customs value,† Thai Customs realizes this necessity and is proceeding towards adoption of this Code. Importers or agents authorized by importers and approved by Customs must comply with the Customs laws and other customs related laws. Importers or agents must pay the full amount of duties and taxes or deposited cash security. Import entry has to be made quadruplicate, accompanied with supporting documents as follows: Invoice Packing list Bill of lading/airway bill Import license (if any) Foreign transaction Form 2 if an import value exceeds 500,000 Baht Other documents (if any) e. g. Form D The cosmetic industry, 446120, is definitely a mature industry, and many of its leaders have been producing quality cosmetics for almost a hundred years. Many of those who are leading the cosmetics industry are oil or cream- based foundations and powders. The Bare Escentualsproducts are mineral-based powders and are made from all natural products. Their powders reach a new market of women, those who are looking for alternative, more natural makeup products. By finding a niche in the market, our company believes in that expanding into the international market will lead to faster growth rates and greater profit margins. With every new market entry, we must realize that the cosmetic industry is different in other regions of the world, especially in Southeast Asia, where our company will open a new store in Bangkok, Thailand. SWOT Analysis Main Competitors Elizabeth Arden Estee Lauder L'Oreal cosmetics. They all have been in business for nearly 200 years combined. With many years of experience comes an elite, high end, and loyal clientele that has been accrued over the many years of operation. These are the biggest threats to the success of Bare Escentuals mainly because of a few points that provides them with a slight competitive advantage in certain geographical areas. These large cosmetic corporations are able to satisfy the desires of so many of their customers mainly because of the large scale of which they operate on. Their demand is driven by the economic conditions of each country they do business transactions in. Although confronted by three of the primetime players of the cosmetic industry, Bare Escentuals still holds their own by maintaining a competitive edge through an alternate way of conducting business. One thing that Bare Escentuals pride themselves on is how readily available their products are made, thanks primarily to the numerous ways in which their customers may accommodate their products. Another edge that Bare Escentuals maintain over the larger companies is how conveniently priced the majority of their products are. Not only can they place a comparable product of their own directly across from your top cosmetic producers such as Elizabeth Arden, but they definitely have the upper hand when it comes to the final price tag. By aggressively pricing their products, they force the entire industry to accommodate in order to maintain a clientele that could change at the drop of a hat in the economy that we find ourselves in today. Elizabeth Arden, Inc. Elizabeth Arden goods are sold in over 90 countries worldwide, with major markets in the United States and Europe and have been a world leader in the cosmetics industry since the 1920s. Strengths: Strong celebrity backing from celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Hilary Duff, and Britney Spears Wide variety of cosmetics Strong growth prospects Weaknesses: Poorly performing retail stores world-wide Steady narrowing customer base Declining market share and profits Opportunities: New business strategy acquisition New product line launches Revamping of customer orientation with hopes to regain market share Threats: More price conscious competitors in the global market Consumer preference Increased competition Counterfeit goods Declining global market Estee Lauder Bringing the best to everyone we touch. † â€Å"By â€Å"the best†, we mean the best products, the best people and the best ideas. These three pillars have been the hallmarks of our Company since it was founded by Mrs. Estee Lauder in 1946. They remain the foundation upon which we continue to build our success today. â€Å"- Estee Lauder’s Mission Statement. Strengths: High-end prestige cosme tics Innovation of new and ingenious products World class marketing strategies to prevent their household products from cannibalizing one another Wide international presence Strong research and development teams Efficient use of all resources Strong growth prospects Weaknesses: Reliance of few customers Diminishing market share Poor reaction to increased competition and global economic change Opportunities: Keeping current customers Reaching new customers (i. e. the teen market) Continuing to grow globally Threats: Increased size of market and level of competition Poor reaction to foreign laws during global business transactions U. S. economic slowdown is halting business around the world L'Oreal This company is a global powerhouse that markets over 500 brands and more than 2,000 products in various sectors of the beauty business. Such products included hair colors, permanents, styling aids, body and skincare, cleansers and fragrances. Indeed, the L’Oreal Group has reached the peak that all cosmetic brands are seeking after. Strengths: Percentage penetration of fragrances and some cosmetics High brand loyalty Customer base that is willing to try new and innovative products Large amounts of resources to spend as far as market analysis, development, and advertising Wearing these premium cosmetics give off an indulgent feel High prices also lead to high profit margins Wide availability of products Weaknesses: Peak sales tend to be very seasonal with severe drop-offs depending upon the time of year or special event in a specific country Decentralized organizational structure can make control very difficult for all employees Opportunities: Direct concentration on the fastest growing fields in the beauty industry (one of which just happens to be cosmetics) Benefiting from increasingly ageing and affluent population in more developed countries, including Bangkok Concentrating on emerging markets mainly because emerging markets is where a large percent of your global economic growth may occur Threats: Increased number of competitors in the industry with comparable products which may also be more price friendly Economic downturn that is quite evident in other countries Spending habits of consumer and the economic crunch that most countries are experiencing Bare Escentuals Since 1976, Bare Escentuals has focused on using only the finest ingredients in their products to insure a new level of customer satisfaction without having to break the seal of their clientele’s wallets. Bare Escentuals, Inc. s one of the fastest growing prestige cosmetic companies in the United States and a leader in mineral-based cosmetics. The Company utilizes a distinctive marketing strategy and multi-channel distribution model to develop, market, and sell cosmetics, skin care, and body care products under its bareMinerals, RareMinerals, and namesake Bare Escentuals brands, and professional skin care products through infomercials, home shopping television, specialty beauty retailers, company-owned bout iques, spas and salons, and online shopping. Strengths: Inexpensive when compared to competition Well formulated to provide the best results for all end users Makes use of all their resources Convenient location and distribution Award winning products for just about every sub-class in the cosmetic industry Weaknesses: Use of many resources trying to convert customers Smaller clientele base Reliance of certain channels of distribution Limited coverage area Opportunities: Newest entry into the Global market Rapid growth in new areas of Tourism Declining customer service from competitors may lead to increased customer base Capitalization of innovative technology that may provide a competitive edge Threats: Economic downturn and inability to adapt to consumer buying habits Instability within the country and the political environment Demand for product Greater competitive growth stream than your own Market Analysis The overall growth potential for the cosmetic market during the 2006-2008 is expected to grow between 15-20%. Superior quality, international branded cosmetic products are expected to do better due to good brand image, brand loyalty, and perception of good quality. Products from the US lead the import market. Meanwhile competition from France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Germany is getting stronger. Hair care and makeup products maintained single digit growth, while skin care and perfume showed better growth at 17 and 15 percent. The product lines of problem-solving cosmetic have good growth potential. These include products such as anti-wrinkle cream, anti-aging facial cream, whitening facial and body lotion. More cosmetic products especially designed for men are becoming popular. Thailand remains a strong manufacturer and exporter of shampoos and other hair care products, color cosmetic and skin care products. Health and Beauty Health and beauty are taken seriously by Thai women. Thai women are known for their beauty all over the world. Therefore, Thailand cosmetics manufacturers are in great demand. Thailand's cosmetics market has experienced a huge improvement over the years following an apparent change in women's behavior, with cosmetics now being seen as a luxury. {draw:frame} Political and Legal Forces There are many political and legal forces that companies must understand. Regulations in labor, pricing, supply chain and consumer protection all have a part in governing our industry. Political and legal forces influence the stability of the business environment. It is an external force that has impacts no one business can avoid, but only can adapt to it. When the government suddenly alters taxation policies, it creates an unfavorable effect of increased taxes and results in prices of goods and services increasing. When the prices of goods and services increase, the cost of production in the business will increase. Laws Make sure the company is aware of all licensing requirements and the requirements of applicable import and export control laws Make sure the company observes all privacy and data protection laws and regulations of other countries and authorities Paying bribes to government officials is not allowed, even if the bribes are common practice To enter into an agreement with an agent (or a department store, in our case) that relates to business outside the US, it has to be approved by Bare Escentuals. {draw:frame} Target Market We want to target two different populations which consist of middle-class women ranging from 15-64 years of age and also the Katheoy population in Bangkok. Thailand has a very high percentage female population with something over 70%. Kathoey or katoey generally refers to a male-to-female transgender person or an effeminate gay male in Thailand. Ladyboy is the term used in English conversations with Thais. Kathoeys are often identified at a young age, and are considered to be â€Å"born that way. † They spend a lot, both in terms of money and time, to appear as beautiful as possible. As a matter of fact, some of these ladyboys or the katoey are so beautiful that they are objects of envy for many women as well. Within that 70% of the Thai population being women, there are a high number of guys who, it might be said, are on the edge. They are male, but with a strong sense and feel of being and wanting to be female. Mission Statement The mission of this company is to make you look and feel your absolute best. Our objective is to provide you with a flawless look, giving your skin a healthy and improved condition and appearance. We help you discover your inner and outer beauty. We are committed to providing and supplying the most creative and innovative mineral-based cosmetics. We provide luxurious skin and body care products that perfectly indulges the complexion and enhances the quality of life for you. By focusing on only the finest natural ingredients and developing pampering formulas that soothe, nourish, and protect, this revolutionary line will take the concept of natural beauty to a whole new level. Marketing Plan Product Bare Escentuals, Inc. is one of the innovative cosmetic companies in the United States and the leader in mineral-based cosmetics. The first Bare Escentuals boutique opened its doors in 1976. Their all-natural and eco friendly approach with their minerals line, which was the first of its kind to launch in the industry, uses ground-up, earth-mined minerals and high percentages of botanical essences. This revolutionary makeup is the perfect mix of makeup and skincare. We will be starting out by putting our starter kit in a store, which consists of 4 powders and 4 brushes. This will give people a taste of the Bare Escentuals brand. This will be the starting point and we may further expand depending on the response of our Bangkok target market. BareMinerals Cosmetics: Is free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other potential skin irritants Is free of fillers and binders Is weightless Provides adjustable coverage-from light to full Will improve the condition of the skin over time All ages and skin types can benefit from bareMinerals, especially those concerned with skin sensitivities, allergies, scars, blemishes, rosacea, wrinkles and pigmentation. The foundation provides impeccable coverage for every skin type and skin tone, and also protects with a natural SPF 15 broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Makeup options are very limited for women in Bangkok, so bringing in not only a new makeup option but a revolutionary one at that should have a great response. Most woman want pale skin and need some sort of protection from sunlight in order to maintain a light skin complexion. Our product has SPF 15 built into the makeup itself which would prevent their skin from getting damaged and making their skin darker than they would want it. Also, the humid weather that is common in Bangkok makes normal makeup run off the face and requires one to completely redo their makeup. Our mineral makeup is soaked into the skin when applied and is made to withstand humid conditions and all day wear. Overall, our product provides women with not only a makeup, but a makeup that actually cares for their skin’s health. Pricing When pricing our product we are going to be using psychological pricing. Price has a psychological value. Buyers will buy a higher priced product because they believe that the high price is a good indicator of value. Their perception is not reality based, it is psychologically based, and therefore buyer behavior is affected by more than the product and price tangibles. Psychological pricing is based on factors such as signals of product quality, popular price points, and what the consumer perceives to be fair. Our product is a high end line of makeup and is considered to be a luxury good. It also is a new type of makeup for Bangkok and therefore they do not have a lot of other makeup to compare it to. For this reason, psychological pricing in combination with marketing and placement of our product, we create a certain worth for our product that gives our market an idea of the high quality and uniqueness of our cosmetics. The price of our product will be based on what our target market psychologically sees it as being worth through all of these things and in comparison with other prices of international cosmetics. We will be using a Revenue Maximization pricing strategy for our starter kit. We are seeking to maximize current revenue with less emphasis on profit margins. The underlying objective is to maximize long term profits by increasing market share and lowering costs. Thailand’s monetary unit is the Baht. 1 US dollar is equal to about 33. 37Baht. We are planning to sell our product for 59. 95 which is equal to about 1998. 3 Baht. The women of Thailand are willing to pay around 600 Baht for a tube of designer lipstick, which is around 20 US dollars. Also, usually a compact of makeup is approximately 1350 Baht which is around 45 US dollars. Our product includes 4 powders and 4 brushes, which more than accounts for the price we charge in comparison to other cosmetics. Also, our product is som ething that is new and very popular. International cosmetics are very popular in Thailand as they do not have a wide variety of makeup locally and they are not of very good quality. Breakdown of Pricing (per unit): Cost of Product : $15. 00 Logistics: $5. 00 Marketing: $10. 00 Total Cost: $30. 00 Retail Price of Product: $59. 95 Potential Profit: $29. 95 As you can see from our breakdown of pricing, we should be able to make a profit from the sale of this product. The cost of the actual product is relatively low and although marketing is a big cost for us it is well worth it and needed for the launch of this product in Bangkok because it is not currently sold there. Overall this should be a rather profitable operation. Promotion We plan on promoting and advertising our product through the use of magazines, billboards, tradeshows, and the internet. One of the main ways of advertisement in Bangkok is with magazines. We plan on placing ads in several of the major magazines like Elle Thailand and Narak, which is actually an online magazine in Bangkok. This will place our product in popular magazines so that people will be able to read a little about our product in order to get them curious enough to then come and try it out in stores. Also placement of our product’s advertisements in some of Bangkok’s most popular magazines will relate our products to what is â€Å"in† and in turn make people wonder what our products are all about. Also, we will advertise through the use of billboards in order to grab people’s attention and to draw them in to learn more about our brand. Mainly our product will shine when people are able to see our product in person where someone can show them how it actually works, but with the billboards we will get the bareMinerals name out there. Since this is most likely the first time many of these people have seen or heard about our product, our first step is just to get people to start asking questions and wanting to know more about us and our products. draw:frame} Though advertising through billboards and magazines will be part of promoting our product, one of the main ways we plan on getting our product out there is by having our product in one of the most well known cosmetic trade shows around Asia. In-Cosmetics has been at the forefront of the Asian cosmetics industry. Rotating between Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, Korea, Thailand and Chine and attracting visitors from 59 different countries, the show has enabled many suppliers and buyers from across the continent to meet face to face. For this reason, In-cosmetics Asia is the perfect platform to help us launch and promote to a captive audience from throughout the region of Asia. There are many exhibitors that will be showing world known top quality brands of perfumes, cosmetics, hair care, skin care, toiletries, salon and spa products and equipment. In-Cosmetics Asia is the leading scientific, business and networking trade event for personal care ingredients in Asia. They rotate the region annually, and the show attracts finished product manufacturers keen to meet international ingredients exhibitors and features highly popular educational seminars. This tradeshow will get us in with some of the best cosmetics in Asia along with some very influential people and companies. This part of our promotion is what could give us that jump start along with a good outlet to possibly expand our business more later on in other parts of Asia. The tradeshow that In-cosmetics held in Singapore last year was attended by 2,202 qualified visitors. These are people who can get the bareMinerals name out there and have it be known by people in Asia, along with possibly wanting to put our product in a store near them. To further help us, this year’s In-cosmetics tradeshow will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. This will put us in the perfect position for us to be in because our product should be in The Emporium by then and the tradeshow will be in town for everyone to really learn about our product. It will be a big exposure event for us. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Placement {draw:frame} We are planning to be located in Bangkok, Thailand which is a key point on round-the-world air routes. It is the political, commercial, cultural, and transportation center of the country, with the only port that can accommodate oceangoing vessels. Specifically our product will be placed in The Emporium Department Store located in The Emporium of Bangkok. It is home to top local and international brands, local and visiting celebrities, and also Kateoy or â€Å"ladyboy† beauty consultants along with high society shoppers. The Emporium is like a polished magazine come to life. It has seven layers of shopper’s paradise, where the first three floors are dedicated solely to world-class, international designer fashions. The Emporium Department Store is a classic among malls of its kind, featuring deluxe fashion brands like Chanel. There is also a never ending Beauty Hall with porcelain faced experts who will consult and help customers like no other. The Beauty Hall is specifically where we will be located in the Department Store. In this space our product will have experts that will be able to show and tell customers what our mineral makeup is and how it works. This mall attracts our target market and will be the perfect outlet to sell our product from. The Emporium Department Store’s Beauty Hall draws in people who are looking for higher end international brands of makeup and are looking for that one-on-one help that this area offers. With this location we will be able to show people how to use and apply our makeup and show them the benefits while they are in the store. This location in itself will aide to the sales of our makeup especially because it is a new product, so many people may not know what it is or how exactly it works. By having a location that has personnel on hand just to help customers with the product we will be able to further spread the word of this new product to Bangkok’s women. Logistics Bare Escentuals, Inc. already has some global exposure in countries such as the US, UK, Japan, France, Germany, and Canada. They are able to deliver their cosmetic products through various distributors; however, wholesale distribution will be the only mean of distribution in Bangkok, Thailand. Due to Bare Escentuals’ company resources; it would be too costly to design a department within the company that would take care of making sure our products would arrive to their Bangkok retail destinations. Instead, a much more cost-effective and reliable option was chosen. Bare Escentuals will be outsourcing their full logistics strategy to APL Logistics, Ltd. APL Logistics offers a wide range of logistic services that include international logistic services. They also have a 250,000 sq. ft. facility located in Bangkok. From this facility, APL Logistics is able to warehouse and distribute products to retailers in the area. Almost half of APL Logistics’ operations come from transporting consumer products to retailers. It is evident that APL Logistics will provide Bare Escentuals with all of our logistic needs. APL Logistics will take our cosmetic products from the US, ship them overseas to Thailand, store them in their local Bangkok warehouse, and distribute our cosmetics products to local retailers of our choice. {draw:frame} Sales, net For our sales, net, we recognize total Bangkok’s population to be 11M with 70. 5% being between 15-64 years old, 35. 6% being women, and 54% considered to be middle-to-upper class. That gives us a total of 1,490,821 as our target market. However, not every single person in our target market will buy our product. We assume that about half of our target market (745,411) will buy our product. If our products cost each person $59. 95, our total sales would reach 44,687,389. However, returns are calculated in our sales, net. We assume that about 25% of our buyers will return our product. That leaves us with total sales, net of 33,515,542. We do not want to make more products than we expect to sell, but we also do not want to make fewer products than we expect to sell. Therefore, a median of 1,118,116 products will be made. Assuming that to make one product it costs us $15. Therefore, our cost of goods sold in Thailand is 16,771,740. Our gross profit is our sales, net minus our cost of goods sold. Selling, General, and Administrative Expense Our selling, general, and administrative costs include third-party fulfillment costs by APL Logistics, research and development costs, legal costs, and advertising costs. Budgets for all the following categories are as follows: 5,000,000, 500,000, 30,000, and 5,000,000 respectively. Depreciation and Amortization Bare Escentuals will not have to buy neither property nor equipment to operate in Thailand. Therefore, neither depreciation nor amortization related to Thailand’s operations will be recognized. Although our new operation in Thailand, may increase stock-based compensation in the US, no stock-based compensation in issued on the international level. No company restructuring will occur for our operation in Thailand to exist. Our operating income comes from our gross profit less all expenses incurred. Interest Expense All of our Thailand’s operations will be funded by Bare Escentuals. Therefore, no interest expenses will be incurred for our Thailand operations. No current debt has been recognized and no debt will be incurred to operate in Thailand. Other Income, net Other income, net decreases is attributable to foreign currency transaction losses resulting from fluctuations in the value of the US dollar as compared to certain foreign currencies. Income B*efore* Provision of Income Taxes Provision of Income Taxes Thailand has 20% duty tax for finished goods that are brought into Thailand that we need to expense for. The 20% tax is taken from income before provision of income taxes. Net Income Net income comes from income before provision of income taxes minus provision of income taxes. Action Plan Marketing Strategy Marketing Objectives Increase product awareness among our target market Inform target market about the benefits of our product and its competitive advantage Decrease or remove potential customers' resistance to buying our product by promoting awareness on how mineral-based cosmetics are better than oil-based cosmetics Goal In the first five years of operation in Bangkok, Bare Escentuals’ hopes to reach at least 25% of our target market. Strategy Implementation TV advertising Print advertising Promote and demonstrate our product at health and beauty tradeshows Because consumers are frequently hesitant about buying a product they know little about, gaining the consumer’s confidence is crucial. We will create a marketing campaign that emphasizes the quality and value of our product while showcasing the benefits of using an all-natural product. We plan to carry out this plan in the beginning of the year with an advertising budget of $5 million. Potential Results Worst case scenario: 0% of our target market or 447,246 people will buy our product at $59. 95 Our cost of goods sold and expenses would be $27,301,740 Even before reaching net income on the financial statement, we have a deficit balance that would prevent us from further business transactions Regular case scenario: If the return of the product remained at 25%, about 186,353 buyers would return our product We would have an operating income of $6,213,802 E ven after reaching net income on the financial statement, we would have a sufficient operating income to continue to operate Best Case Scenario: 0% of our target market or 894,493 people will buy our product at $59. 95 If the return of the product remained at 25%, about 223,623 buyers would return our product Our cost of goods sold and expenses will be $27,301,740 We would have an high operating income of $12,916,901 Even after reaching net income on the financial statement, we would have a superior operating income that would allow us to continue to operate and perhaps start looking at other possible international markets Contingency Plan Bare Escentuals, Inc. ill expand into other foreign markets if we successfully sustain the growth in Thailand as we have in the United States. With careful consideration, we will focus on emerging markets for expansion. We need to look at cost and timing of expansion, economic climate, culture issues, and cash flow of our company. Our company will do ongoing research and rely on solid market analysis in maintaining sales and growth in these markets. If we see that we are not generating revenue or meeting our full potential in Thailand, we will better position ourselves successfully in the market. We will cut advertising costs, conduct research surveys, and focus groups to better determine the needs of our current target market. If we fail to sustain sales and increase market share, then we will be forced to stop selling our product at the Emporium in Bangkok. Though we have suffered a loss, we could develop new marketing strategies and put our focus on other foreign markets. 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