The general environment includes Demographic Trends Essay Example

The general environment includes Demographic Trends Paper The populations of aging persons increased with geographic locations like the southern warmer states due to retirement age people migrating south. In socio-cultural, being aware of and working cultural variances of local society can help companies prepare and adapt for the future, and changes in local society can create opportunities for the company. Also beware that this is a threat to a companys growth if not monitored. Just like Education levels, Crime Levels per the population ratio and environmental friendly sections of the region. Economic factors also can influence demand for products and services. This Will dictate if it is a want or need, and the costs of producing and providing them, such as interest, Inflation and so on. The technological also cover creation, innovation and technological forecasting. Creating is an idea with profitable potential. Inventing a new product that can or will be produced and sold and monitoring technological advances in industry trends and being able to adjust and react quickly to the change. For business strategic decision, in political and legal forces, the government can control the economy, encourage new business formation, force restructurings, close or punish companies. There is global trend toward deregulation and prevarication. But for different industries, Industries differ in the degree to which political and legal forces exert influence, like wind power energy, tobacco, etc. The global influence is intricate part as it assists in deciding if a company will face the world market or not. The increasing power of the European market and the purchasing power of the Euro will affect any market worldwide. We will write a custom essay sample on The general environment includes Demographic Trends specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The general environment includes Demographic Trends specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The general environment includes Demographic Trends specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer All the above are how the environmental factors can and will affects a business strategic decision and the way business is conducted on a daily basis. Explain the differences between value-based pricing and cost-based pricing. Businesses have methods by which to price their products and/or SE;ices. Value-based pricing and cost-based pricing are two common types companies use to promote goods and services. Having the optimal prices is the way to effective marketing as well as to long-term profitability and success. Both of approaches have pros and cons relative to the other. When a company uses cost-based pricing the company sets a price at a percentage above the cost of production of the product or to provide the service. Value-based pricing sakes an approach differently by considering the potential value the product or service will bring to its customers. Value-Based Pricing A value-based pricing company considers the value of its product or service instead of the cost the company ensues to create and produce it. To do this, the company must determine how much money or value the product or service will create for the customer. This value could originate from factors such as increased efficiency, well being or stability. Companies or individuals that produce medications, chemicals, software and artwork often use this pricing strategy. Cost-Based Pricing Cost-based pricing uses manufacturing or production costs as its basis for pricing. The cost-based pricing company uses its costs of start to finish for finding a price bottom and a price roof. The bottom and the roof are the minimum and maximum prices the product or service; they serve as a price range. If the market conditions are such that the going competitive price is under the bottom price, the company may price at the bottom or attempt to lower its costs to lower the overall price. But ideally, the company should price somewhere in between the bottom and roof. Many companies that reduce in mass quantities use this pricing strategy, such as companies that produce clothing, food products and building materials. Focus Cost-based pricing focuses on the companys situation when determining price. In contrast, value-based pricing focuses on the customers when determining price. A value-based pricing company develops a means by which to calculate the potential value their product or service may bring customers and prices accordingly. Some companies use computer software to determine the value a product or service can offer. Prices When a company uses cost-based pricing, it prices between the price bottom ND the price roof. The market conditions dictate where, between the bottom and the roof, the company sets its pricing. If it uses value-based prices, the company sets its pricing in a range determined by what customers are willing to pay. Generally, the value-based price is higher. Benefits Cost-based pricing generally results in competitive prices. Companies that use this strategy may attract consumers who are looking for inexpensive products and services. The major benefit of a value-based pricing model is the ability to set prices that you know will attract buyers. This generally results from horrors market research. Value-based pricing companies often earn high profits on each item sold, but some consumers may not be willing to pay the high price and purchase from a competitor. Ways that the Elevation Burger Franchise could help and even entities franchisees during a recession: 1. Defer royalties. Thats defer, not forgive. Get a lien to secure the royalties that will be owed once the economy rebounds. 2. Focus on your core business. What attracts new customers and keeps existing customers? Do more of that! Many businesses are simply off track right now. Should you introduce new concepts? Yes, if they make sense now. But if they come at a cost, youve got to ask if the franchisees can afford them. Otherwise, stick with your core business. 3. Get creative with advertising credits. If franchisees are supposed to spend X per month on advertising, encourage them to do more guerrilla marketing. For example, if a franchisee pays an employee to wear a mascot outfit and stand out on the curb and wave in customers, give the franchisee advertising credit, and be liberal. Depending on the industry and circumstances, its almost always a mistake to reduce advertising -? too late for some franchisers. . Renegotiate supply contracts. It wont come as a surprise to your vendors that times are tough and franchisees need some help. Those who think long-term will be willing to rework their numbers now to keep your business when the economy improves. 5. Renegotiate leases. You may not be in a position to step in directly, but you can help franchisees renegotiate with landlords. Many landlords are working with tenants to provide relief; they are not forgiving rents, but they are adding money to the back end of leases. Chances are, your franchisees dont know how to begin that negotiation. Help them! Look at other leases, too. 6. Provide economic coaching. Insist on getting the franchises financial and walk through the numbers with the franchisee. This exercise alone is likely to produce several areas of potential improvement. Show franchisees where to cut and conserve, where to outsource, and how to do more with less for the time being. 7. Work with the banks. Now more than ever your franchisees need you to help them make a good case in front of their bankers. Step up and create presentations that will help wow bankers and other investors. Lenders need to know the franchiser s committed to the business and to the franchisees. 8. Stay calm. If you get emotional, the franchisee will get emotional, too. Even if the franchisee is already emotional, youve got to remain calm and set the example for the franchisee. One of your jobs is to lead. Your job is not to react. In business you will not be able to accommodate everyone but if you can appeal to the masses you will be successful. You must keep in mind that money is a huge stress for everyone no matter the situation so if you can alleviate some of the stress it will benefit all involved. Being a leader in stressful situations is he key to any success being shared with the entire franchise. Not all franchisees will react the same but when they are all still in business many months later they will be happy. The big thing as a franchiser to remember is that you are the boss and you are not in a democracy and if you see for the better on the franchise then make is so. DO not give in to pressure and stand your ground.

Podium vs. Lectern

Podium vs. Lectern Podium vs. Lectern Podium vs. Lectern By Maeve Maddox A reader laments the confusion between these two words: Here in the United States anyway, people are constantly using the word â€Å"podium† (what you stand on) to refer to the â€Å"lectern† (what you stand behind). The reverse, not so much. Confusing these two words erodes the richness of the language. We’re on the verge of having two words for â€Å"lectern† and none for â€Å"podium.† The confusion must be widespread: the OED already notes the use of podium to denote a lectern as â€Å"North American extended use.† I’d call it â€Å"extended misuse.† And it’s not just the North Americans who confuse the words. I discovered this example in a British newspaper: Just days after Sarah Palin revealed she was â€Å"seriously interested† in running for president in 2016, she stood behind the podium at the Iowa Freedom Summit and delivered a bizarre and rambling speech to the audience.- The Independent The Associated Press Stylebook- an American publication- recognizes the difference: lectern, podium, pulpit, rostrum: A speaker stands behind a lectern, on a podium or rostrum, or in the pulpit. The word podium derives from the Latin word for foot. One stands on a podium for improved visibility. For example, a band director stands on a podium to conduct. The word lectern derives from the Latin verb legere, â€Å"to read.† Readers or speakers stand behind a lectern and rest their notes on its sloping surface. In looking for misuses of the words podium and lectern, I used variations of prepositional phrases beginning with behind and on. Note: It is possible to stand behind a podium. For example, athletes stand behind the podium until it is their turn to mount the podium and receive their awards. Standing on a lectern, on the other hand, would be a risky thing to do. Speakers usually stand at or behind a lectern. The following examples illustrate nonstandard uses of lectern and podium: Incorrect: Minutes later, he entered Room 5, stepped onto the lectern for the final time, and tried to summarize how it felt to be leaving a job and a school he felt blessed to have worked for. Correct: stepped behind the lectern Incorrect: Dr. Bryan used no electronic slides or projection system but simply  stood behind the podium and delivered  what was for me the most thought provoking lecture  of the week. Correct: stood behind the lectern or stood on the podium Incorrect: The lecturer stood high up behind a tall podium,  so you could just see the top  of his head. Correct: stood high up behind a tall lectern Incorrect: These people were obviously in full view  of Romney as he  stood  at the  podium  and spoke for more than an hour. Correct: as he stood on the podium Dictionaries notwithstanding, careful speakers will continue to observe the useful distinction between lectern and podium. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†5 Lessons for Mixing Past and Present Tense20 Criminal Terms You Should Know

Cause and Effects Diagram Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cause and Effects Diagram - Research Paper Example The nature of programming is such that it is quit complex with so many concepts and programs. In addition, it consists of several pieces of details connected together. Thus, programmers when developing a new corporate website must have the capacity to pay attention to the tiny details involved in programming and development. Similarly, good memory and the ability to abstract play a crucial role as some of the specific skills that programmers should have. Programming entails a lot of information that needs to be remembered. For example, there is the syntax language with a set of functions prewritten that require to recall and identify the parameters that they would take, as well as the variables and functions associated with them in a particular program. Hence, one needs to have a good memory in order to remember all that stuff and more, as well as their applications. On the other hand, ability to abstract is the most imperative skill in programming, which involves compartmentalizing information into little black box. This technique performs useful tasks, but keeps away some details such that a programmer does not have to remember them all the time. In programming activities such as website development. There are several issues that arise during the process; thus, effective problem solving skills comes in handy when such circumstances arise. Another skill is knowledge of programming languages. This is important because one cannot perform a website development without the knowledge of programming languages (Dudley & Butte , 2009). However, this does not mean knowing all the languages, but knowing just one or two of the programming languages is appropriate in achieving a perfect website development. Knowing programing languages allow programmers to evaluate where a language should be applicable, and where a particular language should not be applicable. New things come up in the information and technology field, which requires advancements in our knowledge, skills, and abilities. Therefore, a good programmer must be open and ready to learn new technology in order to enhance his skills and stay on top of the game despite the changing world. Similarly, entrepreneurial skills highly apply in this field because of the opportunity to grow and expend businesses. Entrepreneurial skills among programmers helps them to see beyond the functions of mere development, and incorporate certain features that may enhance business operations (Brian, 1999). Finally, in the category of personal skills social skills and even social networking skills play a crucial role in programming. Working as a tem to develop a new website, members need have social skills in order to help them understand the issue. Naturally, humans are social beings, and this is one of the factors that improve team performance and leads to success of the development. In addition to the individual skills, there are team skills that programmers must ensure they utilize towards the as developing a successful corporate Web site. This involve manage development time, which ensures that the development everything that you need is according to the stipulated time schedule. In addition, the programmers must

Lawrence's horse dealer's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lawrence's horse dealer's - Essay Example She and her three brothers will have to live their separate lives now. All his brothers have found a way to support themselves but she has nowhere to go. She does not know what to do with her life and she felt that it was the end of the line for her. Her mind was on a turmoil and she thought, â€Å"This was at an end† (Lawrence, n.d.). I think that if she only had money left, she would not have thought of committing suicide. This can be concluded from the statement in the story, â€Å"But so long as there was money, the girl felt herself established, and brutally proud, reserved† (Lawrence, n.d.). But since there was no more money now, Mabel felt there was no reason to live anymore. All she wanted was to be with her dead mother. The other character that completes the love story is Dr. Jack Ferguson. Like Mabel, his life was also dull and pointless. There was nothing but work for him. He even said he hated the â€Å"hellish hole†, his description of the town where he did his practice. There is so much symbolism in this story by Lawrence. One such symbolism is the pond where Mabel tried to commit suicide. It was described as dead and cold. It symbolizes the feelings of both Mabel and Jack before the rescue incident. Both of them did not have any passionate feelings for each other.

Annotated bibliography on cognition for deaf Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

On cognition for deaf - Annotated Bibliography Example The research design was based on the intervention program which incorporated language measures, measures of non-verbal intelligence and vocabulary skills of the sample. The researcher has utilized standard measurement and assessment protocols for each examination. SD (Standard Deviation), PTA (Pure Tone Average), DEIP (Diagnostic Early Intervention Program), TC (Total Communication), FM (Frequency Modulate), PPVT (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test), EOWPVT (Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test), SE (Standard Error) and PLAI (Preschool Language Assessment Instrument). The researcher of this study has acquired the previous experience through literature that appropriate interventions can help deaf or hard of hearing individuals to achieve language abilities similar to a hearing and normal individual. Several empirical researches have influenced the researcher to utilize and assess the outcomes of language intervention on deaf children’s linguistic capabilities. The researcher of this study has examined every deaf and hard of hearing child using standard protocols of EOWPVT and PLAI after the completion of DEIP. Every test was conducted in a separate setting and time on the whole sample. The study explored that the impact of DEIP is significantly better in those children who were enrolled in a younger age than those who were enrolled later. The negative correlation of enrolment age and language outcomes was found at the age of 5 years in the whole sample. The degree of hearing loss did not have a significant impact in the measurements and

Operation Management in Hard Rock Cafe

Operation Management in Hard Rock Cafe 39 years has passed, which creates a fascinating history for one of 100 greatest brand in the world Hard Rock Cafe. Since its establishment in 1971, Hard Rock Cafe has expanded in over 51 countries with 133 Hard Rock Cafes and 15 Hotels / Casinos. The great success relies on many many factors but the core one we can not deny is its changing strategy. Hard Rock Cafe took a shift of serving, from serving food with entertainment to serving food with experience. Based on its direction, its operation strategy is defined to providing experience. Regarding to 10 operation management strategy decisions like Design of Goods and Services, Managing Quality, Process strategy, Location Strategies, Human Resources, Supply Chain Management, Inventory Management, Scheduling and Maintenance, in the long road of development, Hard Rock Cafe has obtained respected achievements in all fields. The world recoginses its reputation and most of us heartly admize it. I myself can not ignore the stories of Hard Rock Cafe eventhough it has not opened in HaNoi where I am living. The story of its changing strategy from times, the story: of its living museum, of its greatest brands, of its employees.step by step take me to the places of Hard Rock Cafe. Sometimes the place is too far and sometimes the place is too near me. It is that those places and stories there help me get different views of Hard Rock Cafe. Based on my knowledge, understanding and research that I am having now, I take some good points and some not good points to give my own views of Hard Rock Cafe. There will be opposite points that is viewed in the concept of analyzing one operation management decision not only in theory but also in reality. The following operation management decisions take my interests and my thoughts. The design of Goods and Services. The outstanding point of designing goods and services in Hard Rock Cafe is DIFFERENTATION. According to Anthony Henry (Understanding Strategic Management 2008), A differentiation strategy is based on an organization producing products or services which are perceived by customers as unique or different, Hard Rock Cafe has built Living museums of Rock experienced by its customers who are in love of Rock. One cafe with its differentiation mainly is that Rocks collection including customes, instruments, piece of music, CDs, souvernirs of the greatest artists like Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen The E Street Band, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrixà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.That living museums are always updated and becoming more and more fascinating to customers with its memorabilia (more than 70, 000 pieces) from the hottest musical artists of the last 50 years. Besides its differentiation, it is recognized that Hard Rock Cafe is a typical symbol of Product concept method a new tool of marketing. Hard Rock Cafe is a combination of experiences, styles, entertainment, awareness of sharing and memories. All products mentioned above are defined in specific, which creates unforgettable experience for its customers. Hard Rock Cafes customers, in fact it is so hard to call them customers as they are members in Hard Rock family, create the style for Hard Rock. Once they come to Hard Rock, a truly deep impression would leave on them. Love all Serve all A guilding service philosophy creates a special place where you or anyone would be respected, regardless of age, sex or class. The place where all express their love for music one international language. The language which gives us more understanding and narrows the gap among strangers. Not only love for music but also love for humans, love for serving humans. In service industry, Hard Rock Cafe created the high connection point between its employees and its customers. Lay out strategy Before discussing Lay out strategy of Hard Rock Cafe, we should look at some pictures of Hard Rock Shop in Ho Chi Minh City. About 48% of a typical cafes sales are from merchandise quoted in Page 83 Principles of Operations Management 2008 by Jay Heizer and Barry Render, this number has shown the success of Hard Rock shops. It has changed its strategy from times, which adapts to the movements of the global. The world has witnessed great achievement of Wal Mart, McDonalds, HSBCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.in retail field. Here it gained 48% of revenue through merchandise, which reveals the growth of retail in Hard Rock. What creates the success? One part of the answer you will find in Layout Strategy of Hard Rock Cafe. Each Hard Rock Cafe has its own Rock shop designed in Retail layout an approach that addresses flow, allocates space and responds to customer behavior quoted in Page 83 Principles of Operations Management 2008 by Jay Heizer and Barry Render. Looking at some pictures above, you can see that one small space display numerous of items like hats, T-shirts, shoes, gifts, picturesthat attract customers. Customers not only are fascinated by items in the shop but also are impressed by the light, the color Black and Red. The combination between Black and Red or the symbol of luxury and attraction calls for purchasing action of customers. Quality Management Hard Rock Cafe establishes its quality standards and takes controls to meet these standards. We will look at some points of quality management in Hard Rock Cafe. Responding to customers needs, taste and expectations, Hard Rock Cafe menus are continuously upgraded and service has been changed. To assess the quality of food and service, it regularly conducts surveys. In the survey, scoring method is used to classify the quality. If the evaluating score of food and service is not up to 7, it will fails. In my opinion, quality management following the method shows strictness, clearness and fair. Hard Rock Cafe also takes advantages of technology to ensure the quality of products and services. Chris Tomasso Vice President of Hard Rock updates monthly Microsoft Project. In a real case, to ensure the performance of the rock concert on time, Chris Tomasso gave customers anticipated surprise. The helicopter was used to take the band in, which overcome an unexpected traffic jam. It was the back-up plan that Microsoft Project had put Chris Tomassos ideas into reality. Moreover, techniques and software support Hard Rock s managers to maintain efficient schedule, to estimate budget performance, to estimate time service, to daily forecast sales, to allocate workforce and to give bonusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.All the things have been done in professional way to meet the standard of the quality management. Regarding to quality management, whenever and wherever, Hard Rock Cafe opens a new cafe, all of us take opportunity to enjoy live musical performances. In opening celebrations in Las Vegas and in Ho Chi Minh City, the shows of Chris Cornell and DMC respectively created a high energy atmosphere and overspread the excitement not only for rock lovers but also for the youth, for the people working in entertainment industry. Through it, we deeply understand how great and strong Hard Rock is. Human Resources In a company, especially in a big corporate like Hard Rock Cafe, there is a lot of tasks for Human Resources Department. Besides the job of recruitment, maintaining, training, creating career development and personal growth, the challenging task Human Resources takes is to providing a nice working environment for employees. According to Hard Rock careers, This place is revolutionaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Why? Because you can be who you are because who you are defines you, the employees are highly respected. Beyond on my understanding, Hard Rock Cafe is creating a working environment in which each of us takes opportunity to prove ourselves and to promote our career path. It is so wise to do that, to attract job-seekers and to create a competitive advantage for Hard Rock Cafe. In October 2010, according to BBC News dated on 13 October 2010 50 jobs at risk as Cardiff Hard Rock Cafe closes. If I were one employee of Hard Rock Cafe Cardiff, clearly, I would be in an unexpected situation as it has closed suddenly as staff prepared to celebrate its seventh birthday. One question here is that whether Hard Rock Cafes employees in Cardiff location are trully informed timely or not? Some employees may find another jobs, some employees may transfer to other Hard Rock cafe in London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Manchester, some employees may be unemployeed. I myself wonder the real case would get any support from Human Resources of Hard Rock Cafe. Furthermore, in Human Resource strategy of Hard Rock, outstanding pay and benefits are a start quoted in Principles of Operations Management 2008 of Jay Heizer and Barry Render Page 445, is an attracting invitation to employees. Honestly, you and I try our best to work for high income, and it is the same for the others or for the employees of Hard Rock. However, in one article posted on BBC News Hard Rock wages below minimum by Martin Shankleman Business correspondent dated on 18 July, 2008, we should seriously consider Human Resources Strategy and its implementation. In this article, the unnamed waiter of Hard Rock said Its an abuse of customers they are being misled in that they believe they are giving a tip when they are subsiding the actual wage. One question raises in my mind, in fact, there is a big gap between outstanding pay and the wage? In the article mentioned above, Its almost insulting, no wonder people leave said the waiter. In my understanding, people leave it means the employees of Hard Rock had given up their jobs. The reason for them to leave is unreasonable pay? I wonder where the point of outstanding pay is. If I read one article in one book, If I saw only things written on Hard Rock website, I would take only one side of the coin or I would see one thing in one direction without arguments, without feedback, without consideration. In general, regarding to 4 operation management decisions (Product and Services Design, Lay out Strategy, Quality Management and Human Resources) I am taking in consideration, the different views are discussed and analyzed in some aspects. Some give us a perfect model of Hard Rock Cafe in operation management. That we highly respect and admire the achievement, the improvement and the innovation of the world leading Corporate. In the other side, we still see some not good points of Hard Rock. In fact, those points may be in argument, may be unresolved, which leads us researching and discovering in reality through our own experience. Only taking a real experience gives us the whole picture with light and shade, with color of black and white, with ideas and the real life. HARD ROCK CAFE HANOI 16 Dec 2009 was one day marking the step of Hard Rock Cafe in VietNam, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City. Hard Rock Cafe Ho Chi Minh is run by Viet Thai International (VTI) the owner of Highland Cafe. Based on its statement The Best of Both Worlds, VTI develops Hard Rock brand following VietNamese tradition. Based on the information I have got throung internet (www.toursvietnam.net), articles, Hard Rock Cafe is not populated. There are so many people asking for raising Hard Rock Cafe Ho Chi Minhs quality standard. Customers there concern too much its price. The problems may face Hard Rock Cafe Ho Chi Minh in developing its business. Those are some views of Hard Rock Cafe Ho Chi Minh. And what about the future of Hard Rock Cafe coming to HaNoi? The youth and rock lovers in HaNoi keep their ears to the ground as it is coming in HaNoi in 2011? What are waiting for Hard Rock Cafe HaNoi? What are the opportunities and challenges for it? OPPORTUNITIES are regarded as an attractive call for Hard Rock Cafe expanding in HaNoi. Hard Rock Cafe will take opportunity to meet the demand of the young population in HaNoi. In 2010, according to General Statistic Office of VietNam, the population in HaNoi is 6.5 million and the number will increase to 7.7 million in 2015. Moreover, most of the population is in the age of working and average personal income is estimated up to USD 4,300 / year. All the numbers creates the great demand for entertainment in HaNoi today and tomorrow. Another point we shoud not miss is that from times, HaNoi youth changes their lifestyle and consumer behavior. The night of 12th November witnessed the youth HaNoi burn themselves with rock. At the night, Tiger Translate Metropolis 2010 gave an impressive show to fan rock in HaNoi. It was a sleepless night of HaNoi youth. We can imagine how expectable and excited the youth welcome Hard Rock Cafe in HaNoi. Due to young population of VietNam and particularly in HaNoi, Hard Rock Cafe may take the advantage of labor cost. The average personal income in HaNoi is around USD 2,000 2,500 / year, which is a big gap comparing to personal income in London or other cities. The income shows how cheap the labor is in HaNoi. Simply, Hard Rock Cafe can balance the cost the benefit. Locally, in comparison with labor in Ho Chi Minh, labor cost in HaNoi is lower than in Ho Chi Minh. Regarding labor cost, HaNoi offers Hard Rock Cafe a very favorable condition. According to Smart Travel Aisa A travel magazine, HaNoi is voted one of 10 attractive tourist destinations in Asia. In 2010, HaNoi has welcomed 1.4 million tourists and the number will go up more, especially in the hope of the worlds economy recovery. During 39 years, Hard Rock Cafes winning strategy is to expand to destination cities. Hard Rock Cafe would not miss the chance of doing business in HaNoi one destination cities in Aisa. In fact, HaNoi residents expect more new kinds of entertainment to attract domestic tourists from other provinces in the North of VietNam. Hard Rock Cafe will gain much benefit with new one in HaNoi from its foreign and domestic toursists. In 2013, according to the report of PriceWaterhouseCoopers about the Prospect for Entertainment and Communications Industry, VietNam will achieve USD 2.3 billion of market value. The report estimate the growth of Entertainment and Communication Industry: 16.7% the highest level. The growth create chances for Hard Rock Cafe and service industry in VietNam. Based on its software and computered programs, it is not difficult for Hard Rock Cafe to estimate potential earnings.Both entertainment industry in VietNam and service of Hard Rock Cafe take benefits of each other and support themselves for development and growth. VietNam has strengths of exporting cafe, textile and agriculture foods. All the things create a strong supply chain for Hard Rock Cafe to choose. One of supply chain strategies Hard Rock Cafe may define is negotiating with many suppliers quoted in Page 457 of Principles of Operations Management by Jay Heizer and Barry Render. Opening a new one in HaNoi, Hard Rock Cafe has in hand numerous of ingredient suppliers. It is so clear that Hard Rock Cafe takes a lot of advantages from them. Cheap and diversified ingredient is one advantage. Another is the long-term commitment of those suppliers because of fierce competition among them. One another is updating menus that satisfy customerstastes and local culture. Opportunities and challenges play as two sides of the coin. One side we should look at to take chances just in time for creating advantage of doing business. In business, we try to search for opportunities of increasing profit, opportunities of expanding market share, opportuinities of remaining our power, our positionComplying with them, challenges continuously occur and force us to be awared of and to overcome. What CHALLENGES are for Hard Rock Cafe with a new one in HaNoi? There is a clear difference between culture of the North and the South, between personality of the Northerners and the Southerners, between life style in HaNoi and lifestyle in Ho Chi Minh. People in HaNoi is more conservative than those in Ho Chi Minh. For a new one, it takes a little longer time to accept, experience and like it. It can be said that conservativeness typifies personality of the Northerners. Because of conservativeness, the life style of HaNoi is not so exciting as it in Ho Chi Minh. Most of people enjoy their lives with family or in a small cafes without much noises. They lead a life in a less quiet and less exciting way than those in the South. From times, they have changed but the tradition have much influence on their changes. The people in the North prefer saving money to spending it. Whenever earning money, their habit of putting money in savings becomes too popular. Unlike the people in the South, overspending is usually avoided. Due to low personally income, when taking any service, they put too much concern on the price. The price may limit their spending on entertainment. This challenge Hard Rock Cafe should take in consideration. The price of real estate in HaNoi is evaluated too high eventhough comparing to Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, LondonLocation plays as vital factor of determining the success of one business, especially the business of Hard Rock Cafe in which location is on the top of concern, research and investment. It is estimated that about 50% operating expenses belongs to location investment. The price of location in destination cities like HaNoi causes headache for investors. This challenge is facing Hard Rock Cafe for a long period as real estate market in HaNoi will be hotter and hotter when the economy recovers, when the finance activities flow strongly and smoothly. From 2010, VietNam Food Administration focuses on the Safety goods. VietNam Food Administration gives Regulations for evaluating the quality of food. Firstly, the main product of Hard Rock Cafe is food and the food quality needs to meet international standards and vietnamese standards. The problem may arise if those standards are defined in different ways and evaluated based on different criteria. Secondly, for suppliers of Hard Rock Cafe in Viet Nam and in the world, what adjustment can be made not to violate the Regulations of VietNam Food Administration. Some suppliers may meet the requirements and adapt to the changes. Some may not meet the requirements and change their own kind of business or stop doing business. There will be a shortage of suppliers, which results in price increase. This challenge sometimes cause problems in quality management. Doing business means searching and capturing opportunities timely. Besides it, facing challenges and overcoming them plays as motivating factor for growth and success. It is so important for us to take business opportunities in developing markets. HaNoi attracts investment due to its development, its undiscovered potential, especially in service and entertainment industry. If I were one of marketing managers taking the task of opening a new Hard Rock Cafe HaNoi, I would recommend one idea as follows. Based on the theory of Differing Marketing Tasks. Even if globally sold product varities are similar, the marketing task can vary geographically quoted in Page 285 Competitive Strategy 1998 by Michael E.Porter, I would carry out one promotional campaign called Love Rock Shop Rock. Why do not I build a connection music network of High schools, Universities and Rock lover clubs in HaNoi? A greeting card valued one souvernir or one small gift of Rock Shop should be presented to the youth in HaNoi before the coming of Hard Rock Cafe. By this way, I would send one message to the youth, encourage them to change their consumer behaviors and excite themselves with Rock, shopping and gift. HaNoi is looking forward to welcoming a high energy of Hard Rock Cafe for tourists, the youth, rock lovers and for the people who have not know Hard Rock yet.

Wal-Mart SWOT Analysis :: essays research papers

Rochester Area Habitat for Humanity The community project selected by our cohort was the Area Habitat for Humanity (AHH). Out of several options, this project was picked on the basis of task verity, task arrangement, and task schedule. A contingency project was also selected at that time. Mission of RAHH is to create and provide affordable homes for low income families. RAHH selects eight to ten families out of hundreds that apply on the basis of income level, credit worthiness, and family size each year. Each adult member of the selected families requires to spend 250 hours in home construction and 35 hours in classroom training on home maintenance. A typical house that RAHH builds is comprised of four bed rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dinning room, a living room, and a garage. The average cost of building each house is about $60000. A finished house can get appraised up to $150000. The house we were selected for our project is located in the North-East. We started the project at about 9:00am on Saturday. Trent Frugal, a member of the RAHH, provided us with a short orientation. In this orientation, we learnt about the RAHH value and the proper process, procedure, and needed precautionary measurement in doing our task. Our task for the day was to put sheetrock on the wall and on the ceiling. Two of eight cohort members had some previous experience in sheetrocking. We divided ourselves into two groups by having one of the experience sheetrockers in each group. The whole effort was based on collaboration and was driven by consensus. Members of the group that I worked with were good hearted, friendly, cooperative. Each of us acted as a true team player by providing opinions, suggestions, and sharing knowledge with in the group. Our task was to scale, cut, and fasten the sheetrock in the wall and the ceiling. A volunteer who was not part of our cohort, an expert builder, was with us to provide some guidance as needed. This provided guidance helped us identify the right materials and the process to complete the task. In doing the sheetrocking task, I quickly learnt the importance of having a cohesive and harmonious team. The whole opportunity was a great learning experience for me.

General Mills Financial Analysis Essay

From ready-to-eat cereal to convenient meals to wholesome snacks, General Mills is one of the biggest food products manufacturers and competes in growing food categories that are on-trend with consumer tastes around the world. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Haagen Daazs, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Totinos, and Cheerios, among others. Main rivals include Kellogg, Kraft, Conagra Foods, and Sara Lee. General Mills sells its products in three segments: U.S. retail (63% of net sales), International (25% of net sales), and Bakeries and Foodservices (12% of net sales). In addition, General Mills sells cereals and ice cream through its Cereal Partners Worldwide and Haagen Daazs Japan joint ventures. General Mills continues building its presence in developed markets and increasing presence in emerging markets worldwide by investing in established brands while also developing new products. The company’s goal is to generate balanced, long term growth. Profitable perform ance through the past years General Mills has shown a strong profitable performance during the past years. The company has achieved during the last 3 years an average RoE of 28% supported by strong efficiency, financial leverage, and a moderate profitability ratio given the nature of the business. This has resulted in a positive trend of the share price that delivered 3 year returns of 44% from 2009. The upward trend in RoE that peaked in 2011 reaching 30.6% reversed in 2012 that closed with a RoE of 24.5%. The RoE drop of c. 600 bps in 2012 compared to 2011 is explained by a reduction in profitability that was affected by high input-cost inflation primarily in food ingredients and energy that was not fully transferred to customers (370 bps Gross Profit Margin drop). Performance was also affected by restructuring actions (60 bps impact on profitability) taken to improve organizational effectiveness to drive future growth. General Mills managed to continue improving efficiency as the increase in sales (3 Years CAGR of 6.7%) outpaced the average assets growth (3 Years CAGR of 5.8%), reachin g in 2012 the highest efficiency ratio (83.8%) of the past 3 years. Efficiency improvement was primarily supported by inventory reduction efforts that, coupled with increase in accounts payable derived from shifts in timing of payments, reduced the cash conversion cycle to 43 days. It is worth noting that during fiscal 2012 the balance sheet had an important growth as a result of the acquisition of the international Yoplait business, including goodwill and other intangible assets of $2.3 bn USD. Sales growth also benefited from the acquisition and will be discussed in the next section. General Mills runs a leveraged operation where, in average, the total assets are 3 times shareholders equity. Leverage ratio has decreased since 2010 as retained earnings have increased at a faster pace than assets driven by strong business performance. A slight revamp in the leverage ratio during fiscal 2012 was mainly driven by an increase in other comprehensive losses related to pensions and postemployment activity, and foreign currency translation that offset retained earnings for the same period. Sustainable growth while generating strong levels of cash flows General Mills has shown a strong, sustainable growth throughout the last years. Net sales increase has been driven by a moderate average growth in the US Retail segment (3.8%), coupled with the expansion in the International business (13.4%). The big year on year increase of 12% in fiscal 2012 is driven by the acquisition of the international Yoplait yogurt business that contributed 7 points of sales growth, while underlying business grew 5%. It is important to note that sales growth has been mainly driven by volume growth with a slight component of net price increase and a favorable mix. Segment Operating Profit has also maintained a sustainable growth. The slowdown during fiscal 2012 and drop of Gross Profit Margin is driven by high input-cost inflation as previously mentioned. Despite high costs, the company managed to increase segment operating profit to exceed $3bn for the first time in the company’s history. General Mills has managed to generate strong levels of cash flowacross the years. Over the most recent 5 years, the company operations have generated almost $10bn USD in cash. A significant portion of this cash has been returned to stockholders through dividends and shares repurchase. In addition, this cash is used to fund Capital expenditure. In the most recent year, the company operations generated $2.4bn of cash compared to $1.5bn in the prior year. The major increase is driven by a favorable change in working capital supported by inventory reduction efforts, prepaid expenses, and other current assets. Cash used by investing activities had a significant increase in fiscal 2012 that is mainly explained by the acquisition of international Yoplait ($1bn USD). General Mills invested in fiscal 2012 c. $700m USD in land, buildings and equipment, similar to previous years. Cash used by financing activities includes a constant payment of dividends and purchase of treasury stock in the last years. In addition, General Mills has been actively managing their cost of funds by issuing / pre-paying long term debt and commercial paper as convenient. General Mills performance has outpaced main competitors in the recent years General Mills strong performance is accentuated when benchmarked against Kellog Co, another of the key food producers. Both companies present similar profitability with General Mills having a lower gross profit margin compensated by lower marketing investment and general expenses. Nevertheless, General Mills has managed to grow sales and has delivered higher returns at a faster pace than Kellog. In addition, General Mills produces higher levels of free cash flow and has grown dividends per share faster. Finally, Kellog has a heavy debt load while General Mills has lower leverage ratio. Solid position to face a challenging, uncertain future In a nutshell, General Mills has shown a strong performance in the recent years and has outperformed his competitors mainly in compound growth rates and value creation. A challenging future lies ahead with uncertain economic environment and increase in commodity costs. Pricing strategy to maintain margin while not impacting market share will play a key variable in the company’s performance. Strong brands, innovations, expansion in diversified markets, and solid cash position and moderate leverage should support General Mills to face these challenges and continue creating value in the following years.

Napoleon Bonaparte Essays - French Emperors, House Of Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte Essays - French Emperors, House Of Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte was possibly Frances greatest military mind ever. He was promoted through the ranks by hard work, dedication and his ability to think quickly. He eventually worked his way up to become the Emperor of France. Napoleon was born on August 15, in the year of 1769. He was born at Ajaccio, Corsica. This was a small island off the coast of North Africa. Napoleon?s parents Letizia and Carlo Bonaparte reserved Napoleon a spot at a French military school, and when Napoleon became old enough his parents sent him away to the school which was in Brienne France. Napoleon was not well excepted by the other students at the school. They felt he was a foreigner and Napoleon became a loner devoting all of his time to his studies. After Napoleon?s graduation he continued his military schooling by going on to attend the Cole Military Academy in Paris. Napoleon spent one year there before he was assigned to an infantry unit as a second lieutenant. His unit did not see much action in its fist few years, but Napoleon still managed to show his leadership qualities. In 1789 the French Revolution began. Napoleon look forward to the revolution, and supported it. In 1793 at the siege of Toulon, loyalist leaders and British troops clashed in fearsome battle. Napoleon fought heroically and the British were driven out. As Napoleon?s reward he was given a promotion to general and his own infantry unit. Ufortunitly Napoleon ran into some bad luck, the leader of the French Revolution Maximilien Robespierre became power hungry and lost control. His own men mutinized against him and executed him. Bonapart was also captured and briefly imprisoned because he was a member of Robspierre?s faction. Napoleon was freed just two months later. In 1795 a revolt began in Paris over a new constitution that was presented by the National Convention, the National Convention was name the of the new government that had taken power in France. Napoleon received orders from Frances military leader to defend the convention, and control the situation. Upon his arrival Napoleon realized that the crowd had turned into an ugly mob. Napoleon was able to take control of the situation, disperse the mob and restore peace. Paul Barras who was in control of the French military was so impressed with Napoleon he promoted him to commander. Napoleons next duty was to carry out a series of operations in Italy that would ideally divide and conquer the Sardinian and Austrian armies in Italy. Napoleons plan was to divide the opposing force into two parts. He would then throw his force at one half before the other half had time to rejoin them. Using this tactic Napoleon destroyed the Sardinian armies. Napoleon could not be stopped. The King of Sardinia started talking of peace but Napoleon did not listen, he continued his path of terror and completely wiped out the Sardinians. Now Napoleon was determined to defeat the Austrians. Napoleon first attacked a large Austrian army in Mantua. The Austrian?s sent four separate brigades of reinforcements to help hold off Napoleons army but it wasn?t enough. Napoleon?s army still defeated the Austrians at Mantua. Napoleon continued to forge his way through the country. In 1797 when he came with in eighty miles of Vienna, the Austrians knew they were defeated and surrendered.. After the surrender Napoleon negotiated the treaty with the Austrians, which obviously greatly favored France. Napoleon in total had won 14 pitched battles and 70 combats. Also whenever Napoleon took over a rich lands he used those lands to feed and pay his army, and then the rest would be sent back to France. This greatly helped their poor economy. When Napoleon returned to France he received a heroes welcome. Napoleon was overwhelmed with the support he got from the people. He knew that this would be the perfect time to pursue an office in politics. Napoleon had dreams of being the next Alexander the great. He asked the government if he could take a large army to Egypt. Napoleon thought that if he conquered Egypt he could attack the English by surprise and cut off their trading routes. Napoleon brought 35,000 troops with him to Egypt. He won

PODCAST Using Self Branding to Grow Influence With Mark Schaefer

PODCAST Using Self Branding to Grow Influence With Mark Schaefer Do you have an idea that you haven’t told anyone about or a project that you want to work on but haven’t planned yet? Maybe you would like to become a leader in your niche but you haven’t done anything to make that a reality. Today we’re going to talk to the marketing genius Mark Schaefer. Mark is the author of several books, including The Content Code, KNOWN, and The Tao of Twitter. He also speaks at tons of marketing conferences and has podcast called Marketing Companion. Mark is going to give us tips on becoming known. He’s done it extremely well and has mentored others in doing the exact same thing. If you’re ready to overcome   your fear of failure to become known, you won’t want to miss today’s show. Information about Mark and his books, particularly his newest one, KNOWN. Mark’s story about leaving corporate work behind and becoming an entrepreneur. Mark’s thoughts on the power of personal branding and the importance of being known. How people can build their personal brand even when they are working for someone else. Mark’s framework for helping people find their places and their spaces. He talks about four steps you can take. How Mark’s book lays out a path for people to follow and begin to see instant results. Links: Mark Schaefer Marketing Companion Podcast Email us a screenshot of your iTunes review! If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Mark: â€Å"Either you’re known or you’re not. If you’re known, you will always have an advantage.† â€Å"In the future, a corporate brand may be less about the accumulation of ad impressions and more about the accumulation of human impressions.† â€Å"Starting and being consistent and not giving up is more important than being brilliant.†

Problems in Total Quality within the Workplace Assignment

Problems in Total Quality within the Workplace - Assignment Example Unfortunately, this in itself has been a perplexing task since TQM has had various definitions for different people. The TQM philosophy revolves around assumptions that are manifested in people, quality, corporations and the role of top management (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). The strategy outlines four core principles that bring about quality improvement. The first pertains to the process control and design which requires training at all levels of the organization (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). The second pertains to elimination of uncontrolled variance in process standards (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). The third relates to the methodical collection of data and finally, the fourth pertains to continuous improvement (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). However, the implementation of TQM and its application to industries is not as simplistic as its explanation; it is plagued by several problems. Recent research suggests that more than 80% of TQM efforts have failed to achieve desired tangible results since top management fails to set SMART goals (Kearney, 1992). Most organizations have failed to realize significant competitive edge through initiation of these efforts. TQM requires a culture whereby organizations are devoted to increasing quality, often at the expense of short term profits. However, several profit organizations take a myopic view when they aim for short term profits rather than quality. In organizations in the public sector, the issue is that of excessive government intervention and influence on the organization’s activities (Sarkar, 1991). State run organizations are often bureaucratic in nature and tend to deviate from quality improvement activities. In such organizations it is difficult to embed the TQM culture. Furthermore, in certain developing countries the culture is such that it negates change and does not encourage empowerment that is fundamental to the achievement

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Case Study - Essay Example It is also regarded as the third largest public organization in the world according to a list released by Fortune Global 500 in 2012. Wal-Mart belongs to the retail sector industry (Adair 41). In addition, Wal-Mart is perceived to be the largest private employer in the universe employing approximately 2 million workers. The departments of Wal-Mart are divided in three retail designs that are popular in America. They include Wal-Mart Markets, Supercenters, and Discount stores. Wal-Mart Markets are utilized to fill the gap between supercenters and discount stores, providing several commodities, for example, pharmaceuticals, groceries, among others. Supercenters are hypermarkets which contains everything in a discount store and a full-service supermarket. Finally, discount stores contain a selection of groceries and general commodities. Organizational Strategy Wal-Mart incorporation has a mission of assisting individuals to save finances so that they can have better lives. This mission was devised by the company’s chief executive officer, Sam Walton. The mission directs all activities undertaken at the company. This means that numerous clients can believe Wal-Mart has daily affordable prices. The vision of Wal-Mart is to provide quality products at daily minimal prices, combined with the provision of pleasant services. This has pushed the company to its position as the largest retailer in the whole world. Wal-Mart employs its vision to establish the value of every innovation it takes into account (Vance and Roy 31). The values of Wal-Mart Include respect for the clients, aiming for excellence, and service to the clients. The values help in showing consideration and respect to the suppliers, customer, neighbours, and associates. The company has developed a strong retail brand and a reputation for value of money as action plans for implementing its strategy. In addition, the company has convenience and contains a broad range of commodities in a single store. Wal-Mart plans to purchase addition retail stores in different areas of the world to implement its strategy of aggressive expansion. How the Principles of Management Are Used In the Application of the Strategy The planning for the organization is carried out by managers who get feedback from every worker, every year, with regard to their points of view of their work situation and the implementation of the beliefs and values in the company. This helps them plan for the company’s activities. The managers organize responsibilities among their workers by placing them in strategic areas in the stores where they carryout tasks such as assisting clients find the commodities they need. They use Sam Walton’s personal values to design tasks that will make sure employees engage in activities that improve the company. The management also has developed a business paradigm meant to satisfy the needs of the customer. This outlines the way employees will work. Wal-Mart has managers wh o aspire to offer clients the services and products they require when they need them. They use the outside-in thinking to lead their teams. Their philosophy and approach put the interest of the client before the capabilities of the organization. There have been control issues in Wal-Mart in the past. The company’s acquisition of local retailers in a number of countries generated control issues between Wal-Mart and the people of the local country, for example, the purchase of