Anorexia Bulimia Why Are American Teens Starving...

Anorexia Bulimia: Why Are American Teens Starving Themselves? Dina Males Mr. James Wieber English 111 Image is very crucial for a teenager; the pressure of school and fitting in with there classmates and friends can be very difficult for a teenager. It is when a teenager starts taking image to the extreme and starts harming themselves by starving themselves. More and more teenagers are becoming anorexic and bulimic and it is not only affecting girls but boys are starting to come out and say they have an eating disorder. Anorexia and bulimia is a disorder that can not be taken lightly and needs to have more focus and the dangers to be taught to youth. Anorexia and bulimia sometimes are thought of as the same, they are not.†¦show more content†¦Some of the immediate physical complaints include constantly feeling cold, bloodshot eyes with dark circles, finger calluses, dizziness, weakness, lackluster hair, moodiness, insomnia, no menstruation, swollen glands, weight loss, sore throat, or dry skin. Some of the long-term effects include extreme weight loss, gastrointestinal pain , diarrhea and/or constipation, malnutrition, loss of tooth enamel, metabolism disruption, heart attack, electrolyte imbalance, and permanent damage to internal organs, kidney failure, and death. Even through all these threats and harmful things that this disorder can cause teens and young adults they would rather look like the super model in the magazine and on T.V. their health is not a concern just the way they think they need to look. People with eating disorders often do not recognize or admit that they are ill. There are different treatment options for someone who has symptoms or has the disorder can do to seek treatment and get better. There are treatment centers that people who suffer with this disorder can seek help. When approaching someone with the disorder you have to approach in the right way or you will offend them and maybe cause more trouble. The most important is treatment is almost always needed. There are treatment centers that someone with this disorder can stay at all over the country. Many teens have to stay at these centers un til they are at a healthy weight again. There is one treatment center inShow MoreRelatedTeenagers Are Suffering With Multiple Eating Disorders1484 Words   |  6 Pagesto the parent that something is not right. Thus, what can we do to resolve this situation among teens? Parents should first become informed towards the issue which their child is facing and take action immediately to save their child from the dangerous activities. It is important for them to realize that their child is in great danger once they begin to do any of these tasks. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are psychological problems which mostly affect teenagers and causes them to become consciousRead MoreBeauty Only Skin Deep: The Reality of Anorexia and Bulimia 1574 Words   |  7 Pagesdisorders in the world; however, the two most common disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Anorexia and Bulimia are found mostly in teens and young adult women (Amjad). Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person will starve them self in order to loose weight. (Amjad) Bulimia Nervosa is another common form of an eating disorder. In this case a person will go through periods of binge eating and then self-induce themselves to purge or vomit. (Amjad) Although we know many things aboutRead More Teens with Eating Disorders Essay2808 Words   |  12 PagesTeens with Eating Disorders In our society today, we are constantly hearing about more and more teenagers, mostly girls, who are suffering from an eating disorder. For reasons that are unclear, these young women are developing potentially life-threatening eating disorders as a way of achieving a perfect model body. There are many different types and classifications of eating disorders, but the two most common ones in which teens suffer from and are diagnosed with are called bulimia nervosa andRead MoreBody Image And Its Effects On Women1539 Words   |  7 Pagespractices are negatively affecting women and how they view themselves. â€Å"Body image begins to form in grade school because that’s when children/people start comparing themselves to others,† said Dr. Gene Beresin, a child and adult psychiatrist and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical. Body image is how a person perceives themselves, including their imagination, emotional, and physical sensations (The Media and Body Image, 1). Teens that suffer from negative body image let the bad thoughtsRead MoreEating Disorders And Anorexia Nervosa2705 Words   |  11 PagesSevere distress or concerns about weight and body image can also be characterize as an eating disorder (National Institute of Health , 2014). Eating disorders usually appear during teen years or young adulthood, but can also develop during childhood or later in life. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Eating disorders are real, but however are treatable medical illnesses. Eating disorders coexist with other medical illness such as depression, substance abuse, or anxietyRead More Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa Essay examples2484 Words   |  10 Pages   Ã‚   Imagine starving yourself to the point of death. Imagine throwing up repeatedly after every meal. This may seem too harsh of a reality to comprehend, but between 30-60% of all United States females are on calorie restrictive diets. (Reel, 3) These diets eventually lead to obsessions about their desired weight and often result in an eating disorder. The two most prevalent disorders today are; Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Bulimia Nervosa affects 2 to 3 % of all women 15 to 40. Many youngRead More We Must Work Together to Defeat Eating Disorders1873 Words   |  8 PagesCurrently, in the United States, â€Å"eight million Americans suffer with an eating disorder† (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 2013, p.1). Though many may think that an eating disorder is only common in a woman’s life, men also suffer from this disease. Taking that statistic further, â€Å"ninety five percent of Americans between the ages of twelve and twenty five have an eating disorder† (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 2013, p.1). MenRead MoreThe Effects Of Technology On Eating Disorders2029 Words   |  9 PagesPederson EN 102-06 28 February 2015 Argument of Fact: The Effect of Technology on Eating Disorders An eating disorder is categorized by unusual eating patterns that attempt to fulfill a psychological void that forms over time. An estimated 30 million Americans suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder, 20 million being women and 10 million being men, at some phase in their life. Hospitalizations for eating disorders have also risen a significant amount. There were 29,533 hospital stays in 2008-2009Read MoreMedia Influence on What Is Beauty Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesEveryone has a different view of what is beautiful. Why are we never happy with how we look? Why are we so quick to compare ourselves to others? The simple answer to these questions is: Media. The media is constantly showing images of what is considered beautiful. These images greatly affect society and often impact the way people view themselves. Most of these images are unrealistic, and send unhealthy expectations to women; however most women are willing to do anything they can to achieve thisRead Mor eEating Disorders and Free Essays8687 Words   |  35 PagesDisorder - Missing Works Cited Developing an Eating Disorder Why is it that people develop eating disorders. There is no simple explanation, and no one answer that applies everyone. There are several types of eating disorders, but the most prevalent in adolescent and young adult females are anorexia nervosa and bulimia (Larocca, 1986). There are six main areas that potentially explain just why it is that people succumb to anorexia and bulimia. These factors are biological, psychological, family, social

Impact of a Deaf Child on Families Free Essays

string(262) " also shown that the time following a child’s diagnosis can be particularly trying on husbands as they are trying to reassure their wives that everything will be fine while privately attempting to deal with their own deep and emotional grief \(Luterman et al\." Impact of a Deaf Child on Families A bird calls and the phone rings. Yet the girl makes no move to listen to one or to answer the other. A baby’s cry goes ignored and the tea kettle on the stove continues to whistle. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of a Deaf Child on Families or any similar topic only for you Order Now Most, but not all cases of childhood deafness and hearing-impairment are diagnosed between the ages of 18 months and 3-years-old (Mapp 50). Sometimes called the invisible handicap, hearing loss explains why sign language is the third most used language in the United States (Jones 54). While recognition of sight problems or physical impairments may be triggered by spotting eye glasses or a wheelchair, deafness must be discovered through acts of direct communication. The girl walks down the hall and does not acknowledge her friend calling her name. The term disabled has been much debated in recent years. It is both a classification of a functional limitation and a branding stereotype that scars a certain type of person. More than 90 percent of deaf children are born into hearing families. Before the 1970s, the impact this group of unique children had on their families and how the family structure adjusted was little studied (Mapp 7). Though raising a deaf child is challenging at times for parents and influential on how siblings are treated, it can also be a rewarding experience and an adhesive to hold together a family. When a child is diagnosed with deafness, it is the flag marking the beginning of a series of potentially draining events for his or her parents. Though many parents say that raising a deaf child differs in subtle yet slight ways from the already challenging aspects of raising any child, they also agree that their child’s disability tends to amplify emotions, especially in the early stages of diagnoses. There are feelings of disbelief, confusion, and disappointment that lead to anger while guilt mingles with a sense of mourning. Through all of these overwhelming responses, parents learn to deal with the seclusion, to recognize the drawbacks of their situation, and to effectively develop strategies for their families. Though it is too generalizing to say that all parents react the same way to their child’s hearing loss, many parents do react in similar manners. It is the hearing parents that are affected the most by the arrival of the news of hearing loss in their child. Deaf parents, on the other hand generally embrace the handicap of their child because they realize they have the resources and language knowledge to help the child. In studies done comparing deaf hildren from hearing parents with those from deaf parents, the children from deaf parents significantly outscored their counterparts in areas such as vocabulary, reading, social skills, and mathematics. An explanation for this may be that the children of hearing parents experience something called â€Å"language deprivation† by which they are stripped of the knowledge commonly passed down through the direct exposure to a language natural to their parents (Mapp 190). For this reason, the stresses of raising a deaf child fall heavier on hearing parents. Many hearing parents feel this diagnosis shatters the illusion that their child is and will be perfect. This loss of innocence is a sentiment that many parents mourn. Many parents of deaf children have had little or no contact with the deaf community and are forced to comprehend a subject entirely foreign to them. Shock is a common response and works well as a defense mechanism that enables parents to begin the stages of mourning the illusionary loss of their normal child (Luterman 6). This shock gradually fades to disbelief as parents grasp at the permanent and incurable meanings of the word â€Å"deaf. Many ask how such a thing could happen in their family and occasionally the hearing problem is kept a secret. Though she was diagnosed in kindergarten, the girl begged her parents to keep her secret for years, senselessly believing that if no one knew about it then the problem did not exist despite the molds she wore in her ears. On top of denial, many families feel overwhelmed and that they have been given too much information in too short of a time period and may feel either ill-equipped to face the challenges of the diagnosis. With this fear often times comes anger and most parents of hearing impaired children feel a fundamental anger without an outlet through which to vent. There is anger at themselves, at the world, and even at the deaf child themselves. Sometimes this anger turns itself inwards and manifests itself as depression; other times it is capable of either strengthening or creating rifts within family systems and relationships. Perhaps one of the most prominent emotions felt by parents of deaf children is guilt. The future they had envisioned for their child has been violated in ways they never expected. Many parents would agree that having a hurting child and being helpless to assist them is one of the most distressing feelings they will ever experience (Luterman 9). Although having a deaf child can be rewarding in many ways it is very hard to see this in the beginning and the diagnosis affects parents in some very unique ways. Since the 1970s, studies have been done directly assessing the impact a deaf child has on families, especially on parents. It became clear from these studies that mothers and fathers deal with the stresses of their ill child in very different ways. Since mothers are typically invested in the daily stresses of raising a deaf child, studies have shown that they are more likely to be very involved in health and safety issues. Fathers on the other hand are typically found to engage in more distant roles of parenting due to occupational time consumption and are more successful at developing relationships with their child that does not revolve around the child’s disability (Luterman et al. 34-35). Studies have also shown that the time following a child’s diagnosis can be particularly trying on husbands as they are trying to reassure their wives that everything will be fine while privately attempting to deal with their own deep and emotional grief (Luterman et al. You read "Impact of a Deaf Child on Families" in category "Papers" 7). The separate roles each parent takes on complement each other by providing unique skills for their child. One of the most emotional taxing yet gratifying parts of raising a deaf child is that the mother is typically the one member of the family most capable of communicating with the deaf child. She becomes not only a mother, but an educator, social guidance counselor, communication specialist, interpreter, and audiologist consultant (Mapp 15). The girl’s mother went to the school district when the girl entered high school hoping sign language classes were available as a precaution in case her half deaf child continued to lose her hearing. They refused to even consider letting sign language qualify for her foreign language requirement. Another recurring theme in the challenges faced by parents is the abundance of ignorance in the faculty of school systems themselves. One frustrated parent wrote said about mainstreaming her deaf child into a hearing school, â€Å"†¦the teacher sometimes forgets†¦her limits and limitations†¦and does something incredibly dumb, such as the time in fifth grade when the teacher gave my daughter an oral spelling test of single words† (Luterman 175). Though most studies have focused extensively on the impact of a deaf child on parents, it is equally important to understand how it affects siblings. Family dynamics as well as parental reactions shape whether the hearing problem will strengthen the family structure or create tenuous situations. The definition of a family is a system of which all parts are inextricably interconnected (Luterman et al. 41). The sibling of a deaf child is typically forced to grow up faster than other children their age and assume greater responsibilities. One of the greatest favors a parent can do for the sibling of a deaf child is to realize that an entire family unit cannot be healthy when revolving around the limitations of one of its members. In 70% of the cases of deaf children, there is one or more sibling involved in the family’s makeup (Mapp 65). These children can suffer from having a disabled sibling because their parents may feel both physically and emotionally exhausted after caring for the child that seems to need more attention. The sibling may feel neglected and guilty that they somehow evaded deafness themselves while their brother or sister is suffering. There may be feelings of shame and embarrassment when an adolescent child draws attention by signing with their sibling in public. Older children may feel a deep rooted anxiety that their own children will suffer from hearing loss. As with the relationships between parents, it is important that siblings be given a venue of open communication to vent their anxieties and frustrations. Clear communication is the key to a successful family structure. It has been found that some siblings may react with attention-seeking strategies like poor academic performance, illnesses, and recurrent tantrums. Other children may internalize their issues and end up with innate resentment issues when they are older (Luterman 143). While having a deaf sibling undoubtedly has drawbacks many siblings reported positive attributes as well. The recurring theme was that compassionate individuals with greater sensitivities to prejudices came from families with disabled children. These siblings also attributed the bond their family shared to their ability to form a cohesive unit during times of crisis (Luterman et al. 50). In order to thrive, it is vital that the family copes properly with the stressors associated with a deaf child. One of the most damaging, yet well intentioned acts a parent of a deaf child can commit is overprotection. Parents of handicapped children regularly underestimate their child’s abilities, thus not allowing the child to make mistakes and learn. Overprotection leads to feelings of incapability and will hinder the child later in life. It must be acknowledged and accepted that even with interpreters, communication in a mainstream school will only be at about 75 percent for a deaf child (Jones 53). Instead of shielding a child from this barrier of communication, a parent must learn to mbrace it as a time of growth and a test of patience. Many parents see having a deaf child as a gift, as an opportunity to tap into strengths they never before realized they had. Though mothers of deaf children are likely to name healthcare providers as sources of support whereas hearing mothers named friends, it seems as though the levels of happiness of both women are consistent (Mapp 118). A parent ’s attitude toward having a deaf child molds not only interfamily relationships, but the success of the child themselves. The original confusion of their child’s diagnosis can morph into knowledge; the anger becomes a steady energy and focused drive, while the guilt turns into a lifelong commitment. The most important part of having a deaf child is that it forces ever member of a family to reevaluate life and realize just how precious of a gift it is. A disability only becomes a handicap when an individual allows it to skew their perception and hinder their accomplishments in life (Duckworth et al. 2). The girl smiled at her parents as she boarded the plane for college. It was through the hard work of her parents that she had made it so far. Never had they allowed her to see herself as tainted. They dealt with their issues quietly and ensured that the girl’s sister was never left behind. Through a sense of humor, teacher meetings, hard work, and patience they had shown her that her limitations led to endless accomplishments. The diagnosis was a hearing impairment and the girl is me. Works Cited Duckworth, Derek and Mark Philp. Children with Disabilites and their Families. New Jersey: Humanities Press Company, Ltd. 1982. Print. Jones, Reginald L. , ed. Reflections on Growing up Disabled. Virginia: The Council for Exceptional Children, 1983. Print. Luterman, David M. and Mark Ross. When your Child is Deaf: A Guide for Parents. Michigan: York Press, Inc. , 1991. Print. —. Counseling Parents of Hearing-Impaired Children. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, Inc. , 1979. Print. Mapp, Idalia, ed. Essential Readings on Stress and Coping among Parents of Deaf and Hearing- Impaired Children. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2004. Print. How to cite Impact of a Deaf Child on Families, Papers

Student Council free essay sample

How to work out these student council speech ideas? Well: If it is your first student council election campaign, use an easy-to-remember oneline message to tell what your thoughts and views are on the position you want. If you go for a re-election, then the major student council speech idea has to be: state in one catchy phrase what your mission statement has been the past years and how you will ontinue your work. 6. Now tell your audience what you think are common needs at campus that ought to be fulfilled right away. 7. Present the solution, draw the contours of the positive outcomes of the strides you want to take for them. Keep in mind that this is a brief and triggering summary of your objectives, most wanted achievements, plans, views and solutions in relation to to the needs of the voters. Consider them as the most important student council speech ideas you can think of. We will write a custom essay sample on Student Council or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 8. Offer evidence why you are the best choice for the position. Avoid exageration of course. All have to be true. Do list your: a. Educational qualifications. b. Outstanding personal qualities. c. Main accomplishments or special activities in high school, college or university. d. And the specific qualifications you can think of related to the position you strive for. E. g. Proven leadership in community volunteering is the right ticket to become student council president. 9. Conclude with this student council statement: invite all to communicate ideas the coming years. Just like you say: My door is always open. I will be in office to fght for your needs. I am always open to suggestions. Mail me or look me up on Facebook. I am looking forward to meeting you! Encourage the voters to visit your webpage if you have one and further inform theirselves as to why they should vote for you. 10. Refer to your introduction statement, conclude that you are suitable, Just in one teasing slogan. Of course in such a way that they will remember your core student council speech idea. And: look and listen how your competitors are doing. Copy their success parts in your own words, improve them. That is my secret bonus student council speech idea! Hello. My name is , and I am the candidate for . Last year

Trans Atlantic Slave Trade free essay sample

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was actually often referred to as the â€Å"Holocaust of Enslavement† which was basically the incarceration and imprisonment of people not for committing criminal offenses but to be put to work for others. The â€Å"Areas that were involved in the European slave trade eventually prospered. (Aca Demon) These areas took advantage of what they had in their own countries and traded for slaves that in result produced twice as much of the product, which made them very profitable. The Portuguese in the 1480’s had discovered uninhabited equatorial islands of Principe and Sao Tome and they ended up developing thriving sugar plantations’ in the rich volcanic soils of these islands and they needed people to work on the sugar plantations so they went to have Africa and brought slaves to man their plantations. (Shillington pg. 69). Then the Europeans saw an opening to trade more east which ended up being the discovery of the New World. We will write a custom essay sample on Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The origin of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was mainly coming from the, â€Å"expanding European empires in the New World lacked one major resource a work force. In most cases the indigenous peoples had proved unreliable†(About. com), the locals were all dying from diseases because the Europeans brought over many diseases and other things and the people already in the New World weren’t used to these diseases and ended up dying. The main reason the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade kept thriving was because of the â€Å"Triangular Trade†, the first part was taking manufactured goods from Europe to Africa and in exchange they would get slaves and that made everyone happy there because the African slave owners would get goods in return for people and the Europeans would get slaves to produce more of the goods they had their slaves producing. The second part of the triangle was the middle passage where they shipped the slaves to America. The final part of this was the produce of the slave plantations in America returned the products to Europe. About. com) The New World was a place in a huge need for more people to do labor because the country was so lavish in crops and new resources. The â€Å"Holocaust of Enslavement† described by Karenga was described as a â€Å"massive killing of about 50 to 100 million lives lost thru mass murder, war, the forcible transfer of populations, and the brutal rigors of the Middle Passage and of enslavement as well as the attendant dehumanization and cultural destruction, one cannot help but conclude that of all the holocausts of history, none surpasses this one. Karenga also goes onto say,† that the Holocaust of enslavement expressed itself in three basic ways 1) a morally monstrous destruction of human life-millions of persons killed, whole peoples destroyed; 2) a morally monstrous destruction of human culture- cities, towns, villages, great works of art and literatures; 3) the morally monstrous destruction of human possibility- the destruction of life-chances and the grounds for human aspiration, freedom, dignity and human solidarity with others† (pg 135 Karenga). The things Karenga say are very true it was basically almost like a job just to survive as a slave. The people who owned you did not care if you were feed well or healthy they just wanted you to do the work they didn’t want to do themselves. These people were sick to force someone against their own will to go all the way across the world just to work on a farm when you can just get a smaller farm and be able to do it yourself. The Africans came over in such bulk as if they almost just agreed to come over and not fight back, but this is very close to the correct thing. The Africans often rebelled and tried to fight back. There are many narratives out their providing stories behind how the slaves tried fighting back. The most common resistance to slavery was â€Å"day to day† resistance which the slaves would break tools, pretend to be sick, light things on fire or just even work really slowly so that they could keep their energy and not get much done (Digital History). The impact of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was very widespread. The main effect which everyone knows which is very negative which is stated in our slides would be the depopulation of Africa taking everyone out of the country and shipping them off to various places defiantly cuts down on the populations and its not like all of them survived their travels many ended up dying (Kapatamoyo). The impact people say that the slaves were harassed until death at sea is really exaggerated, the book says that most slaves didn’t die from being injured out at sea, but mostly from epidemics passed around on the boat killing many slaves (Harrold pg. 38). The reasoning behind this is very believable for the fact why would you pay for something, but kill it before you put it into work that is basically a waste of your money. A huge impact the Trans-Atlantic slave trade had on Africa was also the Demographic impact it messed up marriage patterns and potentially reproducing more people, because they were taking all the males away from African it is a little hard to have a kid without a male involved (University of Calgary). The positive impact maybe one of the only to come out of this was the New World was able to produce so many new things often being called a â€Å"rich† place to come to because of all the opportunities and resources they had there. Europe was flourishing from all of this they had everything they wanted products coming from the New World and slaves going to the new world which made a huge impact on this whole period, because the Europeans looked at it as a flourishing period for them and basically having nothing wrong with it and on the other hand they were just basically ripping Africa apart to feed their own families breaking families in Africa Apart (Slave Voyages) This took so many peoples lives which had a great impact on America growing into a new country while Africa was struggling to get by. The conclusion of all this the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was a huge destruction of one society, but also a stepping stone to produce one of the most influential Countries in the world now. They do say goods things don’t come without sacrifice. This a terrible way to describe how these people were treated, but I know they had to fight for their lives, but I thank them for all the pain and problems they went through to produce this great country for me to live in today.

Middle School and High School Intervention Programs

Middle School and High School Intervention Programs Intervention has become an important tool for servicing students who struggle academically particularly in reading and/or math. School intervention programs are very popular in elementary schools, but what about middle school and high school? The truth is that the older the student is, the more difficult it becomes to get a student who is behind back on grade level. That doesn’t mean that schools shouldn’t have intervention programs in place for their middle school and high school students. However, these programs should embrace the middle school/high school culture where motivating students becomes half the battle. Motivating students will lead to improvement and growth in all areas of academics. It is important to understand that what works for one school may not work in another. Each school has its own culture shaped by many external factors. Principals and teachers need to work together to figure out what aspects of a program are applicable to their school’s unique situation. With that in mind, we explore two different middle school/high school intervention programs. They were designed to motivate students to succeed academically to give those struggling students some much needed extra assistance 8th Hour/Saturday School Premise: Most students do not want to spend extra time at school. This program is aimed at two primary groups of students: Those students are below grade level in reading and/or mathThose students who often fail to complete or turn in work This  intervention program has been designed  with several strategies to help these students. Those include: Requiring students to complete incomplete or missing assignmentsProviding extra assistance on assignmentsProviding extra time to complete assignments when a student has been absentBuilding reading and math skills so as to prepare a student for state testing The intervention program should be run by a reading specialist or certified teacher and could be held during an 8th hour, or an immediate extension of the school day running every day. Students could also participate in this intervention by serving a Saturday School. This is not intended as student discipline but as an academic aid to success. Each of the four components is broken down below: Requiring students to complete incomplete assignments or missing assignments Any student who turns in an incomplete or a zero would be required to serve an 8th hour the day that assignment was due.If they complete the assignment on that day, then they would  receive full credit for that assignment. However, if they do not complete it that day, they should continue to serve 8th hour until the assignment is complete and turned in. The student would only receive 70% credit if they do not turn it in that day. Each additional day it takes to complete an assignment would also add to the count towards a Saturday School as discussed in point four.After three missing/incomplete assignments, then the maximum a student may  score on any missing/incomplete assignment thereafter is 70%. This would penalize students who continuously fail to complete work.If a student turns in a combination of 3 incomplete and/or zeros during a half-term period, then the student would be required to serve a Saturday School. After they have served a Saturday School, it would reset, and t hey would have 3 more incomplete/zeros before they are required to serve another Saturday School. This would reset at the end of each half term. Providing students with  extra assistance on assignments Any student who needs extra help or tutoring on assignments may voluntarily come in during 8th hour to receive that help. Students should take the initiative for this. Providing extra time to complete assignments when a student has been absent If a student is absent, they would  be required to spend the day that they returned in 8th hour. This would allow extra time to get the assignments and to complete them, so there is not as much to do at home.The student would  be required to collect their assignments the morning they return. Building reading and math skills so as to prepare a student for state testing After cross referencing state testing scores and/or other assessment programs, a small group of students could be selected to be pulled in two days a week to help improve either their reading level or math level. These students would be assessed periodically to monitor their progress. Once they reach their grade level, then they would graduate out in that area. This part of the program is intended to give students skills they are missing and needing to be more successful in math and reading. Fast Friday Premise: Students like to get out of school early. This program provides an incentive for students who maintain at least a 70% in all subject areas. The Fast Friday intervention has been designed to motivate students to keep their grades above a 70% and to provide extra assistance for those students who have grades below a 70%. Fast Fridays would occur on a bi-weekly basis. On Fast Friday our daily class schedule would be shortened from the traditional school schedule to accommodate an early dismissal following lunch. This privilege would be extended only to students maintaining grades of 70% or above. Students who have only one class in which they are below a 70% would be required to stay after lunch only for a short time, during which they will receive extra assistance in the class which they are struggling. Students who have two or more classes in which they have below a 70% would be required to stay until the normal dismissal time, during which they will receive extra assistance in each class they are struggling.

Prime Ministers of Canada Since 1867

Prime Ministers of Canada Since 1867 The prime minister of Canada heads the government of Canada and serves as the primary  minister of the sovereign, in this case, the monarch of the United Kingdom.  Sir  John A. Macdonald  was  the first prime minister since Canadian Confederation  and assumed office on July 1,  1867. Chronology of the Canadian Prime Ministers The following list chronicles the Canadian prime ministers and their dates in office since 1867. Prime Minister Dates in Office Justin Trudeau 2015 to Present Stephen Harper 2006 to 2015 Paul Martin 2003 to 2006 Jean Chretien 1993 to 2003 Kim Campbell 1993 Brian Mulroney 1984 to 1993 John Turner 1984 Pierre Trudeau 1980 to 1984 Joe Clark 1979 to 1980 Pierre Trudeau 1968 to 1979 Lester Pearson 1963 to 1968 John Diefenbaker 1957 to 1963 Louis St Laurent 1948 to 1957 William Lyon Mackenzie King 1935 to 1948 Richard B Bennett 1930 to 1935 William Lyon Mackenzie King 1926 to 1930 Arthur Meighen 1926 William Lyon Mackenzie King 1921 to 1926 Arthur Meighen 1920 to 1921 Sir Robert Borden 1911 to 1920 Sir Wilfrid Laurier 1896 to 1911 Sir Charles Tupper 1896 Sir Mackenzie Bowell 1894 to 1896 Sir John Thompson 1892 to 1894 Sir John Abbott 1891 to 1892 Sir John A Macdonald 1878 to 1891 Alexander Mackenzie 1873 to 1878 Sir John A Macdonald 1867 to 1873 More About the Prime Minister Officially, the prime minister is appointed by the  governor general of Canada, but by constitutional convention, the prime minister must have the  confidence  of the elected  House of Commons. Normally, this is the leader of the party caucus with the greatest number of seats in the house. But, if that leader lacks the support  of the majority, the governor general can appoint another leader who has that support or may dissolve parliament and call a new election. By  constitutional convention, a prime minister holds a seat in parliament and, since the early 20th century, this has more specifically meant the House of Commons.

A marketing plan to regenerate the area around Aberdeen Beach Essay

A marketing plan to regenerate the area around Aberdeen Beach - Essay Example Internal marketing audit, external marketing audit, competitor analysis as well as marketing review of the beach has been done in order to make the area attractive for the locals as well as visitors. Mission Statement The purpose of the tourist beach will be to provide an everlasting experience for the visitors of the beach by exposing them with clean and calm environment, latest adventure sports and activities, leisure areas, top class restaurants and nice places to hangout. The beach will be serving all demographic categories starting from kids, teenagers, youngsters as well as adults, professionals, middle aged and senior citizens. There will not be any gender bias and equal opportunities will be provided to men and women in terms of activities and events (Nimwegen, et al., 2008). The beach will be established keeping in mind the environment and local surroundings. The beach will also use latest technologies to keep the pollution and wastages at bay and will make sure that least a mount of wastes are dispersed in the surroundings (Fuchs and Diamantopoulos, 2010). Corporate objective The major corporate objectives of the beach authorities are as follows; 1. Tighten the security of the beach and its surrounding areas so that the trust of visitors and tourists on the beach safety is re-established. 2. Re-position the beach and its surrounding areas as a favourite destination for serene and pollution free holiday. 3. Increasing profitability and return on investment of the marketing and advertising strategies by ensuring proper monitoring and strategic implementation. 4. The corporate vision for the beach will be to provide their customers with the best holiday destination experience from beginning to end, with attractive environmental sites and engaging activities. Internal marketing audit Current situation At present, Aberdeen beach is going through a difficult situation. There has been a decline in number of visitors, especially the locals. Off late, the beach authorities have been criticised for growing unhealthy environment. The area surrounding the beach is not cleaned properly, leading to a garbage land. This has accelerated the growth of mosquitoes and other flies in the corners of the beach. Also, people have started complaining about the pungent smells because of the growing wastes. Another blow to the safety of the beach was done when a dead body was found inside the beach complex. The flow of visitors reduced drastically after the incident. Usage and facilities Currently, the beach is primarily used for walking, surfing and windsurfing. The beach is actually an array of many attached beaches, each having specific qualities and attractions. Thus, while few beaches are mostly used for walking and sigh-seeing, others famous for their high tides and surfing. The beach also has a popular amusement area. Apart from this, the beach is also surrounded by restaurants, cinemas, condones and parks. The Aberdeen beach is actually a part of the Queens Link which is famous for various other attractions such as amusement park, cinemas, restaurants, shopping centres and more. External analysis In order to do a macro and micro environmental analysis a PESTLE analysis of the Scotland tourism is done here. Political Scotland falls in the category of developed economies. Political situation is stable in Scotland. The major

Economic100 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic100 - Essay Example Their portfolio ‘also includes some of the nation’s fastest growing beer brands, such as Hahn Super Dry and Boag’s Draught, and the leading light beer, Hahn Premium Light’ (Lion Nathan 2010). Lion Nathan appears to be in big trouble at the time this article was written and is facing severe supply issues. The strike occurred at Lion Nathan’s factories as a result of a dispute on pay rises. Brewery technicians at the beer giants western Sydney factory began ‘a week of strike action aimed at starving the amount of beer the company can supply over the peak summer period. The factory, which has been at the Lidcombe site since 1978, produces all of Tooheys beer - about 3.3 million hectolitres each year. Brewery technicians make up 84 of about 1100 of the brewerys workers but oversee the recipes and ingredients. The technicians are calling for a 4.5 per cent pay rise and say a 3 per cent offer from Tooheys parent company Lion Nathan is unfair.’ (Hills 2010). The first economic issue in this situation is that there are fewer players in the market. Lion Nathan seems to dominate the market, with a 43% share of the market in 2007 (Hills 2010). This signifies that beer production is a market in Australia which is largely an oligopolistic structure with few large players controlling the supplies. This not only means that the large players control the prices but also that the supply is largely inelastic. With the inelastic supplies, a shift in the demand curve could have a greater impact on the price than if the supply was elastic. The supply is the willingness of the producers to supply to the market at a particular market price. This supply curve is affected by the cost of production among several other factors. In the case of beer manufacturers in Australia, this cost of production has gone up which means that the supply

Walmart Comparitive Strategy Essay Example for Free

Walmart Comparitive Strategy Essay This paper looks at Wal-Mart Stores as the subject of study. This large United States based organization is recognized as the world’s leading retailer and has extensive global operational influence. Wal-Mart has been the object of much research, both by economists, trade organizations and scholars. This company has evolved from very humble beginnings to establishing itself as an ‘economic power’ in its own right. Wal-Mart opened its first store in 1962, in Rogers, Arkansas, based on its founder, Sam Waltons experience in the retailing sector during the 1950s, and a study he conducted prior to opening his first store. In 1972, the Wal-Mart stock was offered on the New York Stock Exchange which led to significant capitalization and growth. During the 1980s, Wal-Mart experienced rapid growth opening Sam’s Club members-warehouse stores and later Supercentres. A recent corporate press release sums up its current status, Today, 10,185 stores and club locations in 27 countries employ 2.2 million associates, serving more than 176 million customers a year† (Wal-Mart Corporate, 2012, p. 1). Understanding the Wal-Mart business model Wal-Mart’s position as the world’s No. 1 retailer inevitably invites strong competition worldwide. This in turn has strengthened this organization’s resolve to maintain their position by utilizing multiple strategies in order to maintain competitive advantage. One of their strategies has incorporated the ability to form relationships or partnerships not only in the United States, but also within the international environment. In order to implement its overseas representation, Wal-Mart has embarked on an expansion program, seeking to maintain both growth and profitability. Its primary methodology in securing partnerships with large overseas retail operations has been primarily by the acquisition of majority shareholdings. Much research has been conducted regarding the viability of acquisition and potential problems inherent within this corporate growth strategy. Effort is directed within this study to ascertain the long term viability of Wal-Mart’s implementation of modern economic principles. This analysis is conducted regarding opinions derived from researched sources either favoring the implementation of trade and comparative advantage utilizing the acquisition mechanism or perhaps the employment of less opportunistic methods. Moreover, the issue of costs and profit maximization will be evaluated relating to the Wal-Mart model in order to establish strategies that can be utilized in order to achieve optimal efficiency. However, there are conflicting viewpoints regarding the best methodology needed to enable such efficiency. Finally, attention is directed at the consumers’ choice, and how it is directed and influenced by strategies implemented within the Wal-Mart corporate business mod el. Competing viewpoints In evaluating trade and comparative advantage via the acquisition trail, Hayward (2002) suggests that multinationals tend to invest in overseas start-ups rather than acquiring existing overseas operations. His argument is based on the premise that for an organization’s planned entry into a foreign market, expertise derived from a multinational’s existing operational and marketing experience is more relevant to overseas market entry than the benefits derived from acquisition. However, he concedes that expansion by acquisition can be enabled by investing in existing overseas operations which have a similar corporate product and management function, or by acquiring a more diverse though related business model, which will allow for market changes to be factored into any risk analysis. Hayward and other sources are accessed, so as to provide a balanced viewpoint of an organization such as Wal-Mart; regarding its choice of acquisition strategy and its effectiveness in achievi ng growth and profitability. Costs and profit maximization is also looked at by enabling research into previously conducted studies. Wal-Mart has exploited costs and profit strategies by utilizing and capitalizing on its ability to offer products at rock bottom prices due to its enormous buying power and also committing suppliers worldwide contractually to price and cost control agreements. This has enabled this organization to take advantage of the economic environment in the U.S. and elsewhere within countries in which it has operations. This advantage leverages its buying power, allowing it to offer the ‘best deal’ by focusing on product costs and potential higher volume of sales; thereby maximizing its ability to impact global retail markets. Jones and Hill (1988, p. 160) maintain that a transaction requiring cost can be more effectively enabled if facilitated within the organization’s corporate infrastructure or â€Å"internalizing†, rather than by enabling such transactions within the marketplace. This paper looks at how Wal-Mart internalized its ability to control costs by facilitating a diversity of acquisitions within overseas markets. Apposing Jones and Hill’s (1988) findings, Denis, Denis and Sarin (1997, p. 135) point to studies which suggest that the â€Å"cost of diversification outweigh the benefits†. This paper seeks to establish more definitively the viability of costs and profit maximization via the acquisition methodology within the Wal-Mart corporate business model. Further attention will also be directed at ‘consumer choice’ and how it is impacted by costs and profit strategies incorporated within Wal-Mart’s operational function. Key to this organization’s diversification strategy has been its ability to supply and meet consumer expectations worldwide. According to research conducted in 1985, it was noted that consumers’ choice was driven by three variable buying habits (Quigley, 1985). Firstly, the consumer tends to select one choice when looking at a product even when offered many alternatives. Secondly, products on offer to the consumer are endowed with a large range of options and variety. Finally, the issue of price is a consideration that needs to be factored into the consumers’ expectations. Countering Quigley (1985), another source points to evidence suggesting that consumer participation is achieved not only by ‘price information’, but also by providing â€Å"non-price information† (Degeratu, Rangaswamy Wu, 1999, p. 8). Here their hypothesis maintains that allowing the consumer too much choice can compromise the consumer’s long term participation as a loyal customer. This tends to counter Quigley’s point of view, from which in part he suggests that the consumer is motivated by a ‘large range’ or variety of choice. Furthermore, Degeratu et al. (1999) argues that establishing consumers’ personal preferences enable choice to be restricted and issues such as price to be focused on specific product choices. This in turn allows the ability to negate competitors’ influence by diverting the consumers’ attention from a wide choice to a product personalized to include aspects such as price and brand. One of Wal -Mart’s key marketing strategies is to attract the consumer by the offering of ‘rock-bottom’ priced consumables. This paper endeavors to establish what really drives and captures consumer choice, with further attention allocated to further research sources in order to establish why Wal-Mart focus so much marketing attention on product price . Anticipated Evidence This study acknowledges that evidence from research offers numerous validated opinions related to the abovementioned trade and comparative advantage, costs and profit maximization and consumer choice. Based on evidence obtained relating to Wal-Mart’s growth and profitability, effort will be focused on accessing credible information from further sources that validates this organization’s decision to implement acquisition strategies that are both strategically sound and beneficial to both the supplier and consumer alike. Moreover, attention will be directed towards obtaining information and data that promotes Wal-Mart’s costs and profit maximization via strategies including the combining and internalizing of available resources. Customer choice will be further investigated so as to establish how this organization was enabled to achieve marketplace leadership by focusing on primarily on consumers’ expectations of price, whilst factoring in important considerations relating to brand and quality. While directing effort into the sourcing process, recognition will be given to the diversity of sources available, with viewpoints garnered from those sources perhaps not directly connected with economics or the retail industry. Additional Information Due to the significance of Wal-Mart’s dominant position within the international retail industry, consideration will be directed at additional factors that may be relevant to its growth and profitability. One factor that perhaps deserves some further researched evidence relates to overall management of costs, not only directly related to products (for resale), but also concerning the cost control of issues such as money transfer, exchange rate mechanisms and entry into overseas markets that is exposed to risks presented by cultural diversity and local traditions. Accessing these and other (perhaps secondary factors), may indeed shed light on this paper’s primary objective which is to establish how trade and comparative advantage, costs and profit maximization and customer choice impact and influence Wal-Mart, based on the variety of information and opinion sourced. Discussion Overview: Three Economic Strategies. Attention is now directed to ascertaining the importance of establishing factors that influence the economic viability of the Wal-Mart business model; whilst acknowledging its consistent historical growth pattern enabling it to become the world’s leading retailer. As briefly mentioned earlier, this study looked at various factors contributing to its critical competitive advantages, leveraged in part by its ability to set up overseas operations by investing in acquisitions. Utilizing the acquisition methodology of growth has raised concerns by previous research regarding if acquisition is the preferred or most efficient way to facilitate growth objectives on an international scale. Moreover, mentioned was allocated earlier to Hayward’s (2002) claim, in which a multinational’s accumulated operational and marketing track record is more influential to successful overseas entry than by enabling the acquisition of another business operation. Further attention will be given later in this study regarding the viability of international growth via acquisition. This study has also verified the implementation of ‘costs and profit maximization’ by the Wal-Mart management structure; thereby allowing this organization to utilize growing financial resources in order to maintain its dominant position within the international retail marketplace. Such dominance was facilitated in part by leveraging its enormous organizational buying power on a global basis in order to extract the lowest product cost from suppliers; thereby increasing the possibility of a higher profit margin. In turn, creating the lowest possible cost retail product range for resale purposes, has allowed effort to be directed to ‘consumer choice’, as without the vital component of consumer participation, no business can enjoy financial longevity or long term sustainability. Perhaps it is important to understand that within the law of economics, comparative advantage is enabled by one competitor retaining the ability to produce a product and service at a lower cost than other competitors; thereby creating an ‘inequality’ of competitiveness. It may be argued that comparative advantage can be further exploited by acquiring competitors rather than engaging in an environment of conflict. This raises the question whether the investment needed to effect acquisition is more financially viable than by directing financial resources to combating potential competitors. Another consideration propagating the argument towards favoring an acquisition suggests that this corporate strategy enables the utilization of resources from a base of existing suppliers and consumers; whereas starting from scratch in an overseas marketplace requires significant resources being allocated to catching up to existing retailers’ marketplace penetration. Strategy based on the latter option may result not only in ‘over-investment’ or excessive capital expenditure, but also necessitating additional time to be allocated to effecting a market entry strategy. As has already been noted, previous research has varying viewpoints regarding which route is more financially effective and sustainable. Therefore, the thesis of this study will be to establish that acquisition, effective costs and profit maximization and targeted consumer choice are invariably linked and are perhaps the most effective economic way to enable growth and profitability, especially pertaining to a large corporate infrastructure such as Wal-Mart. This idea will be demonstrated utilizing the Wal-Mart operational business model, both from a historical point of view and also from its current operational function. Implementation Viability: Three Economic Strategies. As previously noted, this U.S. organization has exploited these three strategies by utilizing the existing infrastructure, consumer base, experience and local knowledge of the acquired company. This has been achieved whilst capitalizing on its own ability to introduce sophisticated management and operating systems, derived and developed both in the U.S. and via a number of worldwide partnerships enabling the procurement of products at rock-bottom prices. In addition, significant investment into hardware and software technology has enabled this organization access accurate data and information quickly and efficiently. Perhaps one of its greatest business strategies in developing comparative advantages was the planned penetration of overseas markets, which may not have been so exposed to such a high level of expertise as their Western counterparts. This expertise has been derived from exposure to the ongoing development of business systems and comprehensive utilization of human resources. Their expertise also incorporated a company and management culture that encouraged the promotion of talent, including enabling the availability of both in-house and external based training. Furthermore, another strategic development facilitating their competitive advantage was the penetration of the Asian marketplace, an area of the world which had not been impacted so severely as in Western markets since the onset of the global economic recession in 2008. Furthermore, due to Asia’s lesser exposure to debt and systemically faulted credit mechanisms, Wal-Mart was able to exploit its penetration of Asian markets due to a higher consumer demand; thereby leveraging their enormous internal buying power by trading with economies such as China and India, in order to facilitate growth and profitability. Overall its penetration of international markets has enjoyed remarkable success and is endowed with multiple opportunities. This fact is verified by a recent analysis of the Wal-Mart business model, â€Å"Over time, the international segment probably has the greatest opportunity to improve sales and operating margin† (Forbes.com, 2012, p. 1). Their strategy of sourcing cheap products by utilizing their enormous purchasing power has enabled this organization to pass on the benefits directly to the consumer, thus facilitating their ability as a leading international retail competitor to compete effectively against more established overseas retail chains. Therefore, due to a severe competitive environment in the United States, Wal-Mart will no doubt continue to take advantage of overseas markets, which may allow it to further utilize their sophisticated management and monetary control systems within an easier and less competitive operating environment. To date, this organization has implemented this advantage by employing a corporate culture incorporating in part, international expansion and penetration by means of acquisition. Furthermore, Wal-Mart further developed their advantage over competitors by employing sophisticated exchange control mechanisms that reduced their risk exposure to fluctuations of foreign currency. Th ey achieved this in part, by pricing their revenues and costs utilizing a strategy of securing a fixed or more stable exchange rate on which to base their costings and revenue forecasts. Whilst acknowledging their obvious success which was enabled in part by their strategic management planning gaining access into global markets, further study from previous research is now directed to the critical evaluation of alternative overseas market penetration strategies. In addition, focus into the feasibility and effectiveness of costs reduction and profit optimization is also included within this investigation. Inevitably this study will also factor in the enhanced ability of the consumer to enjoy options that allow both choice of product, and increased purchasing power due to rock-bottom product pricing. According to a study conducted into organizational fit and acquisition performance, it is argued that acquisitions are known to â€Å"have a high failure rate—nearly half of all acquisitions are rated as being unsatisfactory by managers of acquiring firms† (Datta, 1991, p. 281). It is also surprising to note that companies and organizations targeted by acquiring companies have an above average chance (over 50%) of experiencing a fall in profitability. According to Datta (1991), challenges posed by the corporate targets of acquisition include implementing and combining the operational functions of both the acquirer and the acquired. This is indeed challenging in overseas markets where cultural differences and corporate practices are perhaps significantly diverse in nature. However, balanced against this argument, Datta (1991) did not constructively conclude that the same profit related challenges are faced by acquiring companies. It can possibly be inferred from Datta’s (1991) study that the benefit of acquisition may be more weighted in favor of the company conducting an acquisition. Assuming that this company assumes a majority control over the acquired company’s infrastructure and operational function including an existing consumer base and marketplace penetration, further suggests that the trade and comparative advantage lies with an incoming organization such as Wal-Mart. Supporting this thesis in part, Dussauge, Garrette Mitchell (2000, p. 100) claim â€Å"that no one business can create all resources needed to prosper and grow†, however they continue to maintain that â€Å"collaboration† (p. 100) between competing companies allows each company to possess and leverage â€Å"complementary resources† (p. 100); thereby enabling the exploitation by both participating companies of opportunities within the marketplace. Dussauge et al. (2000, p. 100) further adds that such collaboration facilitates the ability to ensure â€Å"survival and growth†. However, this paper cautions that based on Datta’s (1991) research, such exploitation may be more beneficial to the incoming acquiring company. Attention is now focused on the economic aspects regarding the maximization of profits and minimizing costs. Wal-Marts exposure to exchange risk is significant due to capital investment into overseas markets from which it is assumed that subsequent returns of investment (ROI) will in part be transferred back to the United States. Furthermore, issues such as incurring debt and ongoing initial overseas expenditure including legal costs are also budgeted necessities that require the enactment of currency control mechanisms. Also assuming the implementation of a larger and more diverse product range made available within the newly acquired overseas marketplace, accumulating procurement expenditure for resale products from overseas suppliers and business ‘partners’ will be to be factored into the ‘costs analysis’. To reduce its risk exposure to fluctuations of foreign currency, Wal-Mart has priced their revenues and costs by securing a fixed or more stable exchange rate on which to base their costings and revenue forecasts. The methodology employed to reduce exchange rate risks was by utilizing interest rate swaps; as a report studying Cash flow instruments points out, â€Å"The Company [Wal-Mart] was party to a cross-currency interest rate swap to hedge the foreign   currency risk of certain foreign-denominated debt. The swap was designated as a cash flow hedge of foreign currency exchange risk† (Wikinvest 2008, p. 1). This factor incorporating the leveraging of exchange rate mechanisms has continually facilitated maximized profitability and minimized costs. However, on a cautionary note, exchange rate mechanisms are by no means guaranteed to remove potential exchange rate losses, but can be seen to perhaps ‘dilute’ or lower the risk of foreign currency and exchange rate losses. Furthermore, due to Wal-Mart’s enormous purchasing power and ability to source the lowest priced products and services from cheaper overseas suppliers, minimal costs are achieved whilst also subsequently allowing the maximization of profits to be realized. Moreover, the benefits attributed by optimizing costs and profits, facilitates passing on to the consumer, both choice and low prices. However, revenue based on price and choice is not necessarily conducive and conclusive to enabling long term consumer loyalty. This was noted earlier in a study conducted by Degeratu et al. (1999), in which they argue that giving a consumer too much choice creates an environment in which competitors can compete on a level footing, whereas by personalizing the marketing away from price and a wider choice negates in part the threat from competitors. Conclusion Based on the aforementioned sourced evidence, this study suggests that enabling trade and comparative advantage is indeed viable by implementing expansion and growth via a strategy of acquisition. Despite evidence some pointing to the high failure rate of acquisitions and the possibility of achieving growth by internalizing expansion, such evidence does not disprove that the proven success already demonstrated by corporate organizations such as Wal-  Mart, cannot be continued to be planned and implemented. Perhaps the primary factor allowing this positive viewpoint of acquisition is regarding the significant time needed to build and develop market share in a new overseas market. According to Singh and Montgomery (1987, p. 378), internal development into a new market can take up to eight years in which to achieve â€Å"accrual of returns†. Further supporting acquisition, Singh and Montgomery (1987, p. 379). maintain that such markets may be â€Å"characterized by substantial barriers to entry†, further justifying Wal-Mart’s strategy of comparative advantage by acquisition. Accepting the relative initial high investment of acquisition, as compared to that of internalized growth, creating mechanisms to allow costs efficiency is of vital necessity in order to create positive cash flow and sustainable growth. These findings have showed that the combination of ‘purchasing power’ and mechanisms lowering the risk of exchange rate losses, have in part led to the success of one of the world’s largest companies. Additionally, acquiring existing overseas operational structures provides a company such as Wal-Mart the opportunity to offer the consumer the ‘best deal’ due to the collaboration, ‘expertise’ and infrastructure of two related corporate entities. However, this study would be remiss by not cautioning against the possibility of future areas of conflict between corporate collaborators, in the event of inequality of opportunity between collaborators as highlighted earlier in this paper by Dassa, (1991, p. 13).

The Hurricane :: essays research papers

Lyrical Analysis Presentation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 17, 1966, in Paterson, NJ, Rubin â€Å"Hurricane† Carter was contending for the heavyweight boxing title, when, one night, he was pulled over and suspected of a murder. There was no evidence or witnesses to prove the Hurricane guilty, but the cops needed somebody to blame; so they fixed the trial, and Rubin received the short end of the stick. He was put away for life for a crime he didn’t commit. This is a true story. The song was written by Bob Dylan to bring Rubin’s situation to the public. Rubin Carter was a black man; so many people, including judges and cops, just turned their head. The Hurricane’s verdict was changed after nineteen years in prison. He is now trying to live the life that was taken from him. Dylan’s song, â€Å"The Hurricane† explains how Rubin Carter was proven innocent, but found guilty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shots were fired, and a triple murder was committed. Two people were at the scene, Patty Valentine and a man, but there were no witnesses. The man next to the bodies said, â€Å"I was only robbin’ the register, I hope you understand.† Somehow this burglar is not suspected of the murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The number one contender for the heavyweight title is not even near the shootings. It says â€Å"Meanwhile, far away in another part of town, Rubin and a couple of friends are drivn’ around.† But he was pulled over anyway â€Å"just like the before and the time before that. In Paterson, that’s just the way things go. If you’re black you might as well not show up on the street ‘less you wanna draw the heat.† People were very racist back then, and therefore a black man was always suspected before a white man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The police are at the scene gathering information. The burglar and his partner said they saw two middleweights running, and Patty Valentine agreed with them. A cop sees that the bartenders not dead, â€Å"and though this man could hardly see they told him he could identify the guilty man. The cops have to find a person to blame, and even though it doesn’t say it in the song, Rubin has had trouble with the Chief of Police when he was younger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rubin is hauled to the hospital, so that the bartender could identify him. â€Å"The wounded man looks up through his one dyin’ eye, says, wha’d you bring him in here for?

Major Parties Platforms Essay

Party platform is a list of the principles which a political party has set in order to convince the general public to vote in the political party into the office. It gives the party the objectives and goals that it will follow if it is voted in the office. In the United States they are two major political parties that is the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The democratic party historically has supported the following platforms: ethnic minorities ,organized labor where it has emphasized on labor unions which provide a voting base that support the party and progressive reforms i. e. democratic party in it platform has always supported a more progressive tax structure that is able offer proper services and rule justly to its people. The Party has always favored greater government intervention in the U . S economy and opposed government intervention in the private sector since private sector are effective in helping the poor than the ruling government. On the other hand there is Republican party which historically has supported the following platforms: low taxation to the people due to the increases in the growth domestic product growth and also generate more income to the government, environmental standards , reduction in environment regulation, development of conservative policies in order to promote prosperity in the economy and also government protection. The party also advocates for a strong national defense for its people until recently when interventionist action ended. Republican has also stood up for corporation and individual decision making in promoting economic prosperity whereby one is economically responsible for the action and decision that he decide to incorporate. . Describe the Role of Third Parties in The Past Presidential Elections. The third parties have been of crucial importance in the US electoral process for a very long time. Third parties have sprung up from ideological spectrum although none of them has managed to win the election since the time of Abraham Lincoln. Third parties have much contributed in by pushing issues into light which would have been ignored by majority parties. For example if the issue looked at by third party finds resonance with the voters the major parties are likely to adapt the issue into their platform. Third parties have also helped in increasing voters turnout by bringing more people to the polls therefore impacting the chances major party candidate winning by gathering enough votes, for example in 2004 it was estimated that 33% registered republicans ,43%democrats and other parties contributing for 25%. Third parties also play a major role in the US policy and the political debates despite their minor presence in the congress. Therefore they end up contributing to the changing of the political debate and also the policy making process. Though this contribution the role of the third party depends on seriousness of the candidacy because he or she helps in Making the debate of issues more substantive and less vitriolic for example in 1992 when reform party nominated Ross Perot as the candidate for president. Ross Perot advocated for the reduction of budget federal deficit an issue that was not seriously looked upon in previous elections. By so this was where Perot Ross received a 19% of the total votes. REFERENCES George C. E, Martin P. W and Robert L. (2002). Government in America: People, Politics and Policy. Longman publishers: Texas http://www. wikipedia. com

Good morning Doctor Bert – Creative Writing

Good morning Doctor Bert, how are you? Very good and yes I'm fine thank you. Now then students, this is doctor Bert one of the leading surgeons at saint heart hospital. Today we will be operating on a young male named dusanmandick from Austria. He took an overdose of cocaine and we have to take the remainder out of his stomach before it is absorbed in to the blood stream. Would any one like to volunteer to start making the first incision? No David you can't, you're a porter, for god sake all you do is push beds around all day. Right as no one is putting there hands up I suppose you can do it Carla. Right then put the knife in then, yes very good keep going, right now stop. Suction, no Carla don't suck on the stomach I mean get the machine to suck the blood out of the way. Now we have cleaned that up I want you to start cutting in to the stomach. Marvellous there we go can you see the white powder, success now Carla grab the swabs and start to dab the powder we should be able to save this guys life now. Wait there, his blood pressure is dropping, get a crash team immediately down here, Carla stand back, charging up to 230, stand clear. Still no response, charging to 270, stand clear. Still nothing. Ok Carla start CPR. Stop! There's a beat, right let's get back to this operation. Doctor Bert, doctor Bert wake up, thank you now help Carla out and start stitching back up the stomach. No we can not make your initials the scar. Harry your suppose to be observing not reading the kerrang magazine. I've had enough, Doctor Bert can you please take over. Where did you say he was Harry? He's gone to order a pizza, has this whole world gone insane? To start of with Carla started sucking on the lad's stomach she asked if we could turn the scar in to her initials, and now doctor Bert the person who should be helping me out has gone to order a flipping pizza. GOD ALMIGHTY HELP ME PLEASE? Say that again, your ring fell of your finger and is still in the lad's stomach why didn't you say now we need to open him back up and pull the ring out you stupid girl it would have been so much easier if you said. 56+ Right then Carla he's all yours open him up yes keep going right now get the ring out quickly before we have to start resuscitating him again. Carla get of your phone. Thank you now carry on, there it is grab it now for the final time Carla would you like to do the job of stitching up. Great, don't just look at me get on and do it. Well done team after that sketchy operation we have finally got him back stable with the cocaine out of his stomach, I'm pretty sure no white powder will be entering his nose for a while. Welcome back dusanmandick, no I do not sell cocaine this is a respected hospital not a night club if we find out you have been taking any more crack cocaine there will be no more operations or treatment on the NHS for you. You will have to go private and pay for it yourself.

Free Essays on Declaration Of Indendence

Analysis of Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is a historical legal document. It is written in Virginia by Thomas Jefferson, who will later become our 3rd president of The United States. It is also a political document. It is written to declare the independence of the United States from Great Britain. The tone of the document is dramatic and forceful. Thomas Jefferson starts off with the issue of them wanting to declare the separation from Great Britain, how they no longer wish to be apart of their colony. He goes on with how â€Å"all men are created equal†. Although in this time period he is referring to only white men. These are the enlightenment ideas of equality. The enlightenment ideas come from John Locke. His next statement is that they are â€Å"endowed by their creator†. In many instances he speaks refers to God. It is highly influenced by Christianity. He speaks of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness†. In this time radical men did not know that they had the right to be happy. He speaks of the history of the present King of Great Britain, King George III, calling this a tyrant. He proves King George III’s tyranny by establishing a list of grievances. This is an attack of King George III. He does not want to attack the entire monarchy because he does not want to anger Spain or France. The king himself was not good or bad he was just attacked because of this status as King of England and also the Elector of Hanover. His list of grievances includes the â€Å"tyranny† of the king. He goes on about all the different acts and taxes such as the Declaratory Act of 1766, the Quartering Act, Stamp Act, Tea Act, and the Hat Act. Some of these accusations were exaggerations. Such as the impressments, that when the British Port Police were in need of seamen for their missions, they would take all the drunken men and pick them up on the ship without permission so when the men woke up, they wou... Free Essays on Declaration Of Indendence Free Essays on Declaration Of Indendence Analysis of Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is a historical legal document. It is written in Virginia by Thomas Jefferson, who will later become our 3rd president of The United States. It is also a political document. It is written to declare the independence of the United States from Great Britain. The tone of the document is dramatic and forceful. Thomas Jefferson starts off with the issue of them wanting to declare the separation from Great Britain, how they no longer wish to be apart of their colony. He goes on with how â€Å"all men are created equal†. Although in this time period he is referring to only white men. These are the enlightenment ideas of equality. The enlightenment ideas come from John Locke. His next statement is that they are â€Å"endowed by their creator†. In many instances he speaks refers to God. It is highly influenced by Christianity. He speaks of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness†. In this time radical men did not know that they had the right to be happy. He speaks of the history of the present King of Great Britain, King George III, calling this a tyrant. He proves King George III’s tyranny by establishing a list of grievances. This is an attack of King George III. He does not want to attack the entire monarchy because he does not want to anger Spain or France. The king himself was not good or bad he was just attacked because of this status as King of England and also the Elector of Hanover. His list of grievances includes the â€Å"tyranny† of the king. He goes on about all the different acts and taxes such as the Declaratory Act of 1766, the Quartering Act, Stamp Act, Tea Act, and the Hat Act. Some of these accusations were exaggerations. Such as the impressments, that when the British Port Police were in need of seamen for their missions, they would take all the drunken men and pick them up on the ship without permission so when the men woke up, they wou...

Quotes to Help You Celebrate Everyday Life

Quotes to Help You Celebrate Everyday Life You wake up every morning, wondering what the day has in store for you. It could be a fun day full of happy surprises, new friendships, and accomplishment, or it could be a lousy day with the boss yelling at you, your car breaking down, or your cat running off. Some days are good; some not so good. However, life is always good. Albert Einstein said, In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. If you look at life positively, you may find that a hurdle is a stepping stone to success. Instead of making excuses, you find reasons to succeed. Each failure teaches us important lessons in life. Successes and failures are part of life. Recharge your soul with positive thinking. Start your day by affirming that life is good. Quotes that build positive energy are great stress busters. Quotes Helen Keller: So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.Dan Brookoff: Pain does not have a moral value. Drugs do not have a moral value. Life is good; to be cherished, promoted and supported. We, as physicians, should not be moralizing about pain or its treatments.Euripides: There is just one life for each of us: our own.Boris Pasternak: The great majority of us are required to live a life of constant duplicity. Your health is bound to be affected if, day after day, you say the opposite of what you feel,  if you grovel before what you dislike, and rejoice at what brings you nothing but misfortune.Doug Horton: Life is good when we think its good. Life is bad when we dont think.Samuel Johnson: Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess  and to gain applause which he cannot keep.Bertrand Russell: The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.Jason Zebehazy : Three things are needed for a good life: good friends, good food, and good song. Winston Churchill: We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.Ann Landers: Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead. That is where your future lies.Steven Coallier: Attack life; its going to kill you anyway.Claude Pepper: Life is like riding a bicycle. You dont fall off unless you plan to stop peddling.Ralph Waldo Emerson: It is not the length of life but the depth of life.Samuel Butler: All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it.Josh Billings: Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.Albert Schweitzer: A great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up.Abraham Lincoln: And in the end, its not the years in your life that count. Its the life in your years.Isak Dinesen: Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no i mportance whatsoever. Albert Einstein: There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.Karl Wallenda: Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting.Buddha: On lifes journey, faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day, and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.Sid Caesar: In between goals is a thing called life that has to be lived and enjoyed.Lou Holtz: Never tell your problems to anyone. 20 percent dont care and the other 80 percent are glad you have them.Dr. Seuss: Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind dont matter and those who matter dont mind.Alexander Graham Bell: When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.

N1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

N1 - Assignment Example Communication is one of the primary steps that can dissolve the â€Å"silo† culture of care. The independence and autonomy practice by patients, care teams, organizations, and the healthcare environment should be replaced with interdependence between them (Yong & Olsen, 2010). All the highlighted stakeholders should collaborate in the provision of care to ensure that the goals of care are effectively met. Although the autonomy of each of the above should be maintained, the independence aspect should be replaced with cooperation and collaboration. In other words, all the above stakeholders should work together, instead of operating as single and independent units. A delivery model that seeks to dissolve the â€Å"silo† culture should also encompass redesigning the relations aspect of the model in a way that defines proper relationships between all the stakeholders involved. On the same note, the objectives and goals of health care should be formulated and implemented at an organizational level, as opposed to department-based pursuits of achieving these goals and objectives (Yong & Olsen, 2010). With that, each of the aforementioned stakeholders would partially contribute towards the final outcome. That is to say, the primary goals would be the summation of the achievement of the stakeholders and their

Evidence based practice report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Evidence based practice report - Essay Example using on this topic and conducting an Evidence Based Study on it will help me gain more knowledge and understanding on an area that I would like to further venture in. Reviewing the various studies related to this topic will be an effective way through which I will be able to through acquire up to date information on the selected study area, and to further enhance my ability to promote quality health care among the elderly as well as to enhance patient satisfaction (Bastin, 2009). According to Sacket et al. (2007), the professional practice of nursing through the use of obtained evidence through EBP has been found to improve patient care and provision of health services as compared to the convectional nursing practices. Through EBP, nurses are getting to actively take a role in the process of medical decision as they are able to make use of the most efficient and relevant information obtained through research to decide on the right course of action (Mantzoukas, 2007) This report will also appraise and critic the evidence or research studies available on the selected topic of study. Evidence Based Practice has been defined as a means through which clinical problems and questions are solved through the use of up to date evidence in addition to ones professional skills and proficiency as well as through the incorporation of nursing ethics and patient needs (Melnyk & Fineout-Overhault, 2010; Pierson & Schelke, 2009). EBP is based on the view that the development of clinical practices should be done with regard to the existing and most current evidence or facts, theory as well as research. The continuous transformation in the medical sector as well as the day to developments calls for more research to be done. The information collected through the conducted researches serves as evidence to use in practice. EBP is in this case aimed at enhancing the quality and adequacy of health care delivery and practice (Snyder, 2007). The information collected through EBP serves a

Training and Development in Proctor & Gamble Assignment

Training and Development in Proctor & Gamble - Assignment Example From this discussion it is clear that performance management theories will be used to create a theoretical background for this report.This study outlines that  training and development plays cordial role on aligning strategic objectives of management with human resource pool of organization. There are four basic pillars of training & development and they can be summarized in the following manner. Training- Increasing the performance standard of employees by giving them proper instruction and practice. Develop- This technique creates bigger impact on human resource pool and systematically increases their skill level to perform the work. Educate- Giving instruction to employees in terms of social, intellectual and moral responsibility.  Learn- Employees gain knowledge from their past mistake or they can get experience from ongoing management activity. In 1984, Farnham has indicated that training and development are more relevant to organization’s point of view but education and learning are more relevant to education and academic industry.  Performance management has three discrete components, 1- performance definition, 2- measurement of performance and 3- communication between supervisor and employees.  They have stated that performance appraisal is more closely related to second component of performance management.  Nature of the strategy depends on business objectives of the organization.... In 1989, Harrison defined development as primary activity helping employees and organization to grow in terms of achieving potential up to highest standard (Lundy & Cowling, 1996, p. 243). 2.0 Performance Management Performance management has three discrete components, 1- performance definition, 2- measurement of performance and 3- communication between supervisor and employees. In 1999, Banks & May have clearly segregated performance management from performance appraisal. They have stated that performance appraisal is more closely related to second component of performance management (Landy & Conte, 2009, p. 234). In 1992, Institute of Personnel Management has defined performance management as strategy related to every functional department of organization and designed to co relate with various aspects of organization like culture, style, human resource capital and communication system. Nature of the strategy depends on business objectives of the organization (Armstrong & Baron, 200 5, P.7). One of the fundamental tasks of the performance management department is to look after the performance of employees. Furthermore it ensures effective and efficient performance from the employees. Some of the modern techniques include feedbacks from the supervisors and subordinates, setting benchmarks and comparing with that, 360 degree appraisal method and most importantly applying the concept of Balance scorecard. Balance scorecard gives importance on maintaining coordination between various departments of large organizational structure. Interlinked network of the departments help management to implement balance scorecard concept in two ways. 1- It helps every employee to understand organizational objectives and

Costa Coffee Marketing Plan China Marketing Essay

Costa Coffee Marketing Plan China Marketing Essay This paper aims at outlining the strategic marketing approach of Costa Coffee for entering a new market . Costa Coffee is the British part or retail sales of Whitbread Family. Whitbread is a British Multinational Company and it has franchises worldwide. Whitbread includes Hotels, Restaurants [Household names like TGI Friday], Health and Fitness plus Other Businesses. The contents of this paper include the marketing strategy of Costa Coffee and its expansion plans in China. Introduction The Story The history of Costa Coffee began in a mountain town outside the region of Parma, where there was the house of Costa family. In the late 60s, the Italian brothers Bruno and Sergio Costa, hungry for success, traveled to England, seeking an opportunity for professional advancement. By arriving there, they found how simple the English coffee market was. Motivated by their Italian background and Sergios skills in the roasting of coffee beans, they decided to return to Milan to enrich their knowledge and technique in Italian coffee shops. In 1971, upon their return to London, they bought a three-story building in Lambeth, where they set up their own coffee shop. In the beginning, the Costa brothers worked as producers and wholesalers and were supplying high-class restaurants and specialty stores. Soon, they built their reputation for their dedication to excellent quality of their product. However, in 1978 they had to find some employment for their wives in order not to interfere in their business. Therefore, they decided to create their first coffee boutique in Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, and assigned its management to their wives. This idea experienced tremendous success, and led the brothers to the expansion of Costa coffee boutiques and award their management to relatives and friends. Since the opening day of the first store to date, the same traditional method of slow roasting (18-22 minutes) of coffee beans is used, offering the delicious and fragrant blend Mocha Italia, from 6 Arabica beans and 1 Robusta. Listen Read phonetically Dictionary View detailed dictionary Today, Costa Coffee owns 500 shops worldwide. Costa Coffee believes in its employees skills therefore, it provides intensive employee training at the Cost Coffee Academy. VISION: Costa Coffee vision is to provide the best hospitality to its customers since its range of hospitality products range includes restaurants, hotels and leisure clubs. MISSION: To serve the best coffee in the true Italian style. BUSINESS PORTFOLIO: Costa Coffee has built an unrivaled reputation for coffee excellence, and this is achieved by fully controlling the process, from harvest and selection of coffee beans, from the roasting of the Italian maestros, the choice of engines and compliance with the procedures of manufacture of beverages, ensuring this way that customers can enjoy the same excellent quality coffee at any of Costa Coffee in the world. The drinks are served in 3 different sizes Primo, Medio and Massimo, and the customer can choose between the unique blend of Mocha Italia, or decaf, whole or skim milk and add an extra dose of espresso, flavored syrup, cream, candy or chocolate. There are 15 factors that are combined and help to create the perfect Costa coffee. In addition, in every store worldwide regular controls take place, which ensure consistency and maintenance of quality. Every Costa Coffee has a Barista Maestro (coffee expert) responsible for maintaining the excellence of the drinks served. COSTA COFFEE AND STARBUCKS: Starbucks is the largest competitor of Costa Coffee. Starbucks is the leader in the coffee shop market. Its international presence is in 50 countries. On the other hand, Costa Coffee, is the third biggest coffee specialist in the market with shops in 25 countries. Both companies have an excellent financial performance up to 2005 but in 2008 there was a decrease in revenue and operating profit as a result of the global economic recession. However, in 2009. Starbucks has an improving in cost structure and therefore its liquidity is better than Costa Coffee since it has managed to pay its short term debts. A key factor for both companies is globalization since most leading players in the foodservice market expand their operations in other countries. So the future success of Costa Coffee will be based on its operations outside the UK. The same applies for Starbucks. . THE CHOICE OF CHINA: China is one of the biggest economic forces in the world. Its domestic market is larger so there is a lot of potential for multinational businesses. Its average GDP growth rate is more than 10% despite the global economic crisis (10.9% last quarter 2009) (BBC China economy 2009). International financial analysts believe that the growth of the Chinese economy will continue. Regarding the coffee industry in China, it should be noticed that competition is quite intense but sales in cafes has grown by 8% to RMB36billion (over  £3,487million). It should also be noticed that in 2009 coffee shops chains had a growth of 22% (Euromonitor International August 2009,Cafà ©s/bars China). However, the Chinese market for many international companies is considered a tough market since it is difficult to understand local culture and customeCNY. Therefore, many companies pursue joint ventures and strategic alliances in order to do business in China. In 1998, Starbucks entered China and it has 180 coffee shops. In 2006, Costa Coffee entered China in a different way i.e. through a joint venture with Yueda Group which is based in Jiangsu Province. This was done because a local partner knows the market better so market penetration for the new entrant is easier. However, this also means that Costa Coffee is heavily dependent on Yueda. Costa Coffee has a strong Italian aura that aims at attracting the Chinese market. Affluent Chinese customers want to taste a coffee that is represented by a global brand name. So far, Starbucks has been quite successful in this area. The risk is that by being a partner with Yueda, the brand will be customized too much therefore, Costa will lose its competitive advantage which is the Italian aura. Starbucks has very aggressive expansion plan in China. The crucial point is if Costa Coffee will maintain its brand essence and will not be customized. In this case, Costa Coffee will be a strong competitor to Starbucks. Future trends Strategy The main issue for chained coffee shops is to create a unique experience that cannot be easily copied. The consumers want to enjoy their coffee in a nice environment. The coffee shop space should be comfortable with an ambiente that will be inviting so the consumers will return to the shop again. People will want to live the espresso experience at home so the sales of equipment and coffee will increase as well as the demand for better and higher quality of coffee and beverages in coffee shops. Corporate social responsibility is another issue that chained coffee shops should take care on. They have to prove that they implement ethical practices. Regarding marketing, researchers predict that chained coffee shops will use mobile apps and have social networking tools in the very near future. COSTA COFFEE Financial Data Turnover:  £263.8m (2008:  £216.3m) Operating profit before exceptional items:  £22.7m (2008:  £20.8m) Number of outlets: 881 in the UK, 407 overseas Total Revenue  £ (m) Strategy Our target for Premier Inn during 2009/10 is to deliver around 2,000 new rooms in the UK and overseas. We have a strong pipeline of secured sites and will continue to develop a land bank. Internationally, our first hotel opened in Dubai during 2008 and we will build on this position, intending to open a further two hotels in the Emirates plus one in India. We plan to open around 100 new Costa outlets in the UK in 2009/10. We will capitalise on our strong Costa brand by focusing on new locations, as well as areas where we can replace existing operators, such as in supermarkets, hospitals and leisure facilities. Costa will also continue to strengthen its position across international markets, adding 100 net new stores in the year ahead. MARKETING OBJECTIVES: Enter Greek market and develop a significant market share; Increase product portfolio by new high caliber products; Bring more value to shareholders; Be a leader in its field for customer service; Develop alliances with commercial partners and the communities in which Costa Coffee shops operate. TARGET MARKET Costa Coffee offers a wide range of products suitable for all consumeCNY. So far, coffee in China is consumed in big cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou). Coffee producers have targeted young professionals since they are the most westernized, affluent and open-minded. However, they see it as something that is in fashion rather than a regular habit. Another target group for coffee consumption are returnees i.e. Chinese that studied in Western countries and come back to China. They are also affluent and they are accustomed to visiting coffee shops. Ex- pats are another target group. Chinas economic growth has attracted a lot of investments from foreign companies. Ex-pats are used to drink coffee and their number increases every year. It has been estimated that businessmen from Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as Westerners amount to 30% of customers at multinational chained coffee shops as Starbucks. The above customer base has been quite saturated so there is a need to increase customer base. However, coffee is considered a luxury good and the average Chinese cannot pay for a cup of coffee. The average Chinese annual income is RMB 8000 yuan whereas a small cup of Starbucks coffee costs RMS 12 yuan ($1.5 which is the same price as in USA). In the big cities the average annual income is higher however it is still difficult for someone to consume a cup of coffee. If coffee still goes on being considered as a luxury good, it will happen the same thing as in Japan i.e. it will take China more than 90 years to make coffee popular. Market Segmentation: Based on the above the following market segments were defined: Young / Mature professionals Returnees Ex-pats Students Middle Class Upper Middle Class Single Married Bus section and train/airplane passengers Marketing Strategy: Costa Coffee will follow Market Development strategy and the reason for choosing this strategy will be explained below: CURRENT NEW PRODUCTS PRODUCTS 1. Market Penetration Strategy 3. Product Development Strategy 2. Market Development Strategy 4. Diversification Strategy CURRENT MARKETS NEW MARKETS   Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Coffee is considered a luxury good. This misperception hinders businesses in identifying customer groups and implement marketing strategies. This misperception also hinders the majority of the population to get acquainted with coffee. The same happened in Japan, where coffee was also considered as a luxury beverage with unreasonably high prices. It has taken almost 90 years for Japan to get acquainted with coffee and still per capita coffee consumption is quite low. This makes things worse since Japan sets the trend for Taiwan and South Korea.   Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬In China coffee shops open every day in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. However, the average Chinese cannot afford a cup of coffee everyday. Multinational coffee companies have faced difficulties in developing the Chinese coffee market. Although they know how to penetrate mature markets but they see that they have difficulty in immature coffee markets. These companies need to understand better China and its people. Without understanding them all marketing campaigns will be in vain. A characteristic example is the marketing campaign of Nestle which was targeting at the young middle class Chinese although in reality this class does not exist or even if it existed they would not be heavy coffee drinkeCNY. Starbucks has increased awareness but it needs a different strategy for the Chinese market. Only KFC has been quiet successful. Starbucks success cannot be considered as sustainable since it was based on management, financial power and brand name whereas the Chinese market needs entrepreneurship to advance it and this is what Costa Coffee is planning to do. Coffee has been promoted by the Chinese government through festivals and fashion awards however these strengthened the misperception of coffee being a luxury good. Local coffee shops add too many side things such as food, spirits etc. Therefore, they dilute the idea of coffee. Coffee is a product that does not hurt health, stimulates the brain and it is addictive. Based on researches someone who has drunk coffee three times a week for two months in the row is addicted to coffee. Brain stimulation is important for personal wealth and intelligence. Coffee became popular because coffee shops were focused at making the customer accustomed with coffee. When people get accustomed then the market develops at an extremely fact pace. The coffee shop is important for this development and a coffee shop can be a seated place or coffee stands and carts. It is important to make people drink coffee and then offer them ground coffee. Many companies have found as an excuse the fact that tea is dominant in China and there is no place for coffee in a tea dominant country. However, there are no major tea companies that can compete international coffee giants nor is there a specific promotion to protect tea. On the contrary local society support the development of coffee houses and it is not negative to coffee. Costa Coffee will focus on making people drink more coffee. Its new coffee shops will be around areas where people gather such as Universities, stations and office buildings etc. This can be the best promotion since if one group of people becomes loyal to coffee then it will influence other consumer groups. Costa Coffee will focus specifically on these people and its promotions will be measurable and specific. Coffee has an unbeatable image in China and it is known to everyone. Costa Coffee will be based on the quick service restaurant (QSR) concept. QSR is based on the idea of offering cheap, clean and good food and its purpose is to sell to a wider range of population. Costa Coffee plans to adopt this concept. Coffee has a high profit margin but food is what attracts people to the coffee shop. Costa Coffee already offers more products than coffee; however it should plan to add more snacks that are better suited to local customers and a cheaper but good quality filter coffee for taking away. Many local Chinese coffee shops offer food however, they have not formulated a strategy so they cannot be considered as potential competitoCNY. So far in these shops the restaurant is separated form the coffee house something that it is not the case of Costa Coffee. In the next two years the aim is to introduce new product lines that will be offered at affordable prices for the average Chinese consume r. It should be noticed that this does not mean price cutting since this will hurt Costa Coffees brand name. The location of the new coffee shops is also an important part of Costa Coffee strategy. Up today, the coffee shops were opened at locations where population is dense and the income is high. As a result, the rental prices are quite high. Therefore, Costa Coffee is planning to open new shops at bus stations and other busy intersections where rents are lower and the traffic is big. The marketing strategy that will be followed to China is important since it influences neighboring states such as South Korea which is also a new coffee consuming country. If the model of highly expensive coffee will be followed then the consequences will be similar to Taiwan and Hong Kong where there is a negative trend in coffee growth. à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚     Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths Weaknesses Established brand name worldwide Expensive prices for the average Chinese consumer Wide range of products Starbucks dominant position in the market Third ranked coffee shop chain in the world Coffee is considered a luxury good Know how of Yuda (local partner) Tea is the daily beverage of the average Chinese Opportunities Threats Big market potential a lot of Chinese Consumers that do not drink coffee Stagnant coffee growth due to high prices Unbeatable image of coffee Possible marketing enforcement of tea companies No competitors are located at bus intersections PESTEL ANALYSIS: Political China has a stable political environment that welcomes foreign direct investments. Economic The Chinese economic growth is impressive (10% per annum). Social Although the income of the average Chinese consumer is low, there is a growing middle class -190 million urban households, or 29%. According to McKinsey, middle class is expected to expand to 75% (372 million), by 2025 (DAltorio 2011). Technological New coffee machines are produced so making coffee at home is easier. Environmental There is a trend in producing organic coffee. Legal There are no legal issues involved. MARKET POSITIONING: The positioning strategy of Costa Coffee will be in line with its international strategy i.e. THE ITALIAN COFFEE MASTERS. The competitive advantage of Costa Coffee is the quality of their coffee. The image of the company is that is has a UNIQUE coffee. Another positioning of Costa Coffee is that this excellent coffee quality can be offered with affordable prices (launch of the new take away filter coffee). THE ITALIAN COFFEE MASTERS This is the tag line that will communicate the Italian aura of Costa Coffee to the mass audience. Since Chinese consumers perceive well the Italian atmosphere it is expected that it will attract more people to Costa Coffee. MARKETING MIX: Product: Brand Name: Costa Coffee is a well established brand that signifies luxury, perfection and excellence. Chinese consumers prefer established brand names. Image/Theme: Luxury Costa Coffee is related to luxury. The coffee shops ambiance is trendy and comfortable. Customers will have a nice time in a flashy environment. However, this luxury image should be cleverly related with the new, affordable, take away filter coffee. The message that will be transmitted is luxury can be affordable and can be taken with you. Color Scheme Costa Coffees shops are in warm tones having brown as the main color. Other colors that are used are green, black and white. The purpose of this color selection is the creation of a comfortable and trendy atmosphere. Service: Apart from coffee, Costa has a reputation of excellent service. Hiring and retaining talented employees and train them accordingly is a strategic goal of the company. Product variety: ESPRESSO A short, strong and black coffee, with no milk. ESPRESSO DOPPIO A double espresso shot. For those who like it strong. RISTRETTO An extra short coffee, even shorter than an espresso, with an even stronger flavour. MACCHIATO Espresso topped with just a dash of milk. Yum. AMERICANO Coffee, mixing shots of espresso with hot water. Add milk if you like. FLAT WHITE A rich, full-flavoured coffee with a velvety, smooth texture. Each Flat White is hand-finished with a distinctive pattern. CAPPUCCINO Coffee combining espresso with steamed, frothy milk. Chocolate on top if you have a sweet tooth. CAFFE LATTE Coffee made with steamed milk. Not as strong as a cappuccino, but just as good. MOCHA Espresso with hot chocolate, topped with steamed, frothed milk. (Source: Costa Coffee 2010) Costa Coffee products variety includes iced tea and coffees as well as cakes, pastries, Panini and sandwiches. Prices: Costa Coffee prices are generally higher than other coffee shops. High prices are related to the outstanding quality and taste of Costa Coffee. Therefore, the traditional customer groups of Costa Coffee are high and middle classes. Costa Coffee believes that a reduction in its prices will harm its brand name. However, it wants to increase its Chinese customer base so it will offer a filter coffee for takeaway at affordable prices. Chinese middle class growth rate is significant, it will reach 372 million by 2025, it is a social class that cannot be neglected. Therefore, Costa Coffee is planning in the next three years to offer its products at affordable prices for the Chinese middle class without harming its brand name. Locale / Setting: The next Costa Coffee shops will be at busy intersections e.g. bus, train stations and at areas where office buildings and Universities are located. It will focus again on the big cities like Shanghai and Beijing. The aim for the next three year is to have 30 new coffee shops at both cities. Promotion: Costa Coffee will not do a lot of advertising since its brand name is recognized. However, there will be special sales promotions at its new shops for the new filter coffee that can be taken away. Costa Coffee is based on word of mouth advertising since reputation is very important. MARKET DEMAND It is important to measure the market before launching new products and shops. It is also important to measure the market after the launch of the new products / shops so as to see their effects and gain a larger market share. Growth Share Matrix There are two factors that are important for the expansion to new markets and these are : market attractiveness and the Business Strength. Market Attractiveness Business Strength Factors Rate Factors Rate Overall Market Size 70% increase (2004-2012) Market Share 5.0 Annual Market Growth Rate 7.8 Product Quality 5 Competitive Intensity 4 Brand Reputation 4.5 Technological Requirements 2.5 Distribution Channel 3.5 Inflationary Vulnerability 4.9 Promotional Effectiveness 4.5 Productive Efficiency 4 Managerial Personnel 3.5 Market Attractiveness As it is seen above, the attractiveness of the Chinese market is very high. The annual growth rate of the coffee market is high. There are no significant technological requirements since Costa Coffee already possesses advanced technology. Inflation is quite high and it seems that it will increase in the near future, however the targeted market groups remain unaffected (growing Chinese middle class). Partnership with Yuda will protect Costa Coffee from any possible dangers. Therefore, the Chinese market is very attractive and suitable for coffee shops expansion. Business Strength Costa Coffee is part of the well-known Whitbread Family. The quality of Costa Coffee is unquestionable. Costa Coffee owns more than 500 stores worldwide. Its outlets are in Europe, UK, Middle East, India, Pakistan and China. In order to maintain its excellent reputation, Costa Coffee will continue its policy of recruiting, training and retaining the best available employees in China. Business Strength High Medium Low High Medium Low Costa Coffees Business Strength is high and the overall position is ideal for further expansion into the Chinese market. Projected Sales in CHINA Costa Coffee projected sales are expected to rise to almost 97% in 2012 and this is due to the launch of the new takeaway filter coffee and the new shops at the busy intersections. This rate is expected to slow down (87%) in 2013 and this is because the one time visitors are expected to cease to visit the coffee shops and the existing customer base is expected to remain. An extensive marketing promotion through emails, customer clubs, social media etc. is expected to increase market share. The above numbers are very impressive and expansion seems ideals. Sales forecasts per customer groups are also very promising.: Market 2012 2013 2014 Total Students Youngsters CNY. 20,000,000 CNY. 23,00,000 CNY.6,300,000 CNY 49,300,000 Ex pats and returnees CNY 7,555,000 CNY 7,000,000 CNY. 12,800,000 CNY. 27,355,000 Families CNY. 9,700,000 CNY. 9,850,000 CNY. 17,200,000 CNY. 36,750,000 Professionals CNY. 17,750,000 CNY. 32,750,000 CNY. 92,000,000 CNY. 142,500,000 Totals CNY. 55,005,000 CNY. 72,600,000 CNY. 128,300,000 CNY. 255,905,000 According to the above table it can be seen that professionals is a group that has a lot of potential. This is because the Chinese middle class is rising and the coffee culture is mounting too. Another reason for the increase in sales in professionals is due to the location of the new coffee shops. There will be located in busy intersections where there are many office buildings. Newspapers and other electronic media have approached Costa Coffee and various interviews and programs have been made which boost Costa Coffees reputation even more. BUDGET FORECASTS: The forecasted budget for the upcoming three years is as follows; TYPE 2012 2013 2014 Total Accommodation CNY. 2,000,000 CNY. 5,000,000 CNY. 7,000,000 Training CNY. 1,500,000 CNY. 500,000 CNY. 4,000,000 CNY. 6,000,000 Transportation CNY. 250,000 CNY. 350,000 CNY. 1,000,000 CNY. 1,600,000 Fixtures CNY. 2,000,000 CNY. 7,000,000 CNY. 9,000,000 Total CNY. 5,750,000 CNY. 850,000 CNY. 17,000,000 CNY. 23,600,000 Future promotion and expansion plans: Costa Coffee will be launching more coffee shops in the major cities of China (Beijing and Shangkai) but the plans are to expand all over China after having created a considerable market share in the above cities. The expansion has been planned for the next year that is 2012. In the next two years the next cities where new coffee shops will be located will include Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Costa Coffee is not in favor of extravagant launching campaigns. It supports the use of electronic and social media as well as corporate social responsibility programmes and actions. It also believes in the right location of its shops. So, the marketing activity will be low except the posters that will be in the shops, as sales promotion, advertising the new takeaway filter coffee. ANALYSIS: Costa Coffee has a lot of potential for further intensifying its expansion efforts in China. It already possesses a significant market share in the Chinese market. The reason behind it is the unbeatable image of Costa Coffee and the advertisement (word of mouth) done by people who have visited its outlets. Sales are expected to rise in the following years and they are expected to rise even more in the forthcoming years since Costa Coffee is focusing on the rising Chinese middle class. Students and youngsters in general set the new trends so their influence in increasing coffee consumption and visiting coffee shops is of outmost importance. By further using social media, Costa Coffee is expected to increase its market share in this group. Professionals always seek quiet place to do their official or unofficial meetings. Costa Coffee is an ideal place to do these meetings. Apart from that, Costa Coffees activation in social media will certainly increase its future revenue. In conclusion, it can be said that Costa Coffee has so far implemented an excellent marketing strategy and the new campaign that it will launch for the takeaway filter coffee as well as the location of its new shops will help it increase its sales and gain sustainable competitive advantage. RECOMMENDATIONS: Sales numbers are very promising however the local partner should follow all the below the line activities mentioned. Costa Coffee should continue with low promotional strategies. Apart from posters inside the outlets, Costa Coffee should consider the use of bill boards at the busy intersections.