Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Preliminary Test and Solubility Classification of Organic...

Preliminary Test and Solubility Classification of Organic Compound Keene Louise Topacio, Christopher Jay Robidillo Abstract The experiment focuses on how to classify organic compounds by its functional groups. It is done by preliminary test and with the solubility test. Preliminary test used two known compounds also the unknowns. Physical state, color, odor, and ignition test were noted. The known compounds are inorganic and organic compounds. A comparison is made from the observation in the unknown sample, by which we had concluded that there were two organic compounds and one inorganic among the unknowns. In order to have a strong background about the solubility test, we first classify organic compounds of known functional group using†¦show more content†¦In order to have a more distinct result a systematic approach can be considered and it is by solubility classification. First is to test the solubility of the unknown in water. Several structural features of the unknown can be deduced if it is water-soluble. It must be of low molar mass and will usually contain no more than four to five carbon atoms, unless it is polyfunctional. Also, it must contain a polar group that will form a hydrogen bond with water, such as the hydroxy group of an alcohol or a carboxylic acid, the amino functionality of an amine, or the carbonyl group of aldehydes or ketones. Esters, amides, and nitriles dissolve to a lesser extent, and acid. chlorides or anhydrides react with water rather than simply dissolving in it. Test in ether for water soluble compounds are also observed this is to identify fur ther the functional groups in ther unknown. On the other hand, alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and alkyl halides are water-insoluble. Supplementary test such as solubility in hydrochloric acid, then sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, and finally tested in sulfuric acid must be done accordingly. Solubility in one or more of these acids and bases is defined in terms of the compound being more soluble in base or acid than in water and reflects the presence of an acidic or basic functional group in the water-insoluble unknown compound. Methodology The experiment was divided into two parts and the groupShow MoreRelatedUniversity of Nairobi Bsc. Civil Engineering Degree Programme Details6511 Words   |  27 Pageswordprocessing, spreadsheets, database management, mathematical programming, statistics (tabulations and regression), project management. Software developments: knowledge-based systems (A.I.) FCE 181 - Chemistry IA (45 hrs) Inorganic Chemistry: Solubility, precipitation, ion-exchange, nitrification and denitrification, oxidation-reduction reactions, absorption, characteristics and significance of some salts and elements (ammonia, nitrates, phosphates, sulphates, silicates, chlorine, oxygen, ozoneRead MoreNatural Dyes11205 Words   |  45 PagesNatural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates,a or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources – roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood — and other organic sources such as fungi and lichens. Archaeologists have found evidence of textile dyeing dating back to the Neolithic period. In China, dyeing with plants, barks and insects has been traced back more than 5,000 years.[1] The essential process of dyeing changed little over time. TypicallyRead MoreClassification Of Poisons And Its Effects On The Nervous System10120 Words   |  41 Pages AMITY INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC SCIENCES AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH Name: - Sanchari Dasgupta Enrolment No.: - A5905914014 Programme: - B.Sc (Hons) Forensic science Batch: - 2014-17 Title of summer assignment: - Classification of poisons Goal for the first week: - Introduction of the topic Goal for the second week: - Write in brief about corrosive poisons and non-metallic irritant poison Goal for the third week: - Write in brief about metallic irritant poisons Goal for the fourth week:

Monday, December 23, 2019

Analysis on Rebeca Keegans Article on Racial Inequality...

During the semester, race is a big part of the lectures. In class, we talk about how race is distinguishing physical characteristics used to place people in different racial categories (Jensen). The biggest concern with race is racial inequality. Racial inequality is the inadequate or unfair treatment of minorities in areas like income, education, employment, health, the criminal justice system, and media. The article written by Rebecca Keegan from the Los Angeles Times newspaper discusses the inequality of race in media specifically movies. This article relates to the unfairness in films because minorities are poorly portrayed in the majority of films. More often than not, minorities are the â€Å"bad guys† in films. They are caught up in†¦show more content†¦Many people get ethnicity and race mixed up and use the words interchangeably. Ethnicity is different from race because race is the distinguishing people based on physical characteristics, whereas ethnicity is b ased on by cultural aspects. Many believe that race and ethnicity are same but in reality they are very different. In race there is a minority and majority status. Minority status can be presented as the inferior position versus the superior position for the majority status. By inferior and superior, it refers to the more or less life chances that group has. Minority status would have less life chances, meaning they have less opportunities to become successful, have a high income, become employed in prestigious jobs, and overall get the same likelihood to have a better life than the majority. As for the majority, they have a superior position in which it is easier for them to move up the social ladder and be given opportunities for the betterment of their future. Minorities have it worse in the world because they are treated unfairly and are usually the poorest out of everyone. People look down on minorities and the majority thin they are better than the minorities. Keegan writes he r article on how minorities are unrepresented in movies especially. Keegan uses the research and results from a study completed by USCs Annenberg School

Sunday, December 15, 2019

An Unforgettable Experience. Free Essays

The guy who I really adored was Dustin Wong. He was the most handsome guy in the school. I was attracted to him since the first time my eyes locked into his eyes. We will write a custom essay sample on An Unforgettable Experience. or any similar topic only for you Order Now His sparkling green eyes always gave an aura of intelligence. Every time he smiled it made my heart melt like a hot knife cutting through butter. The only one who knew about this feeling of mine was my best friend, Ida. She was a very encouraging friend of me. She even helped me hooked up with Dustin. I was the girl who only focused on my studies and my social life was not exciting. Dustin, on the other hand, was one of the top guys in the girls’ list who was a must-go-date with. His popularity started when he scored a lot of baskets for his basketball team. But most importantly, he was the Captain of the Tiger basketball team. One day, the Tiger Team had a big game with Leopard Team. He played brilliantly with great jump, shots, dunks and assists. His teammates also played their hearts out to win the game. Just two minutes before the game ended, they were trailing 90-96. They managed to force three turnovers, two steals and scored five baskets. Three shots were made by Dustin. Finally, our Tiger Team won by 101-99. Ida and I were very excited and we screamed our lungs out for the victory. Dustin then took the microphone from the announcer. He said in front of hundreds of people that before he left high school, he wanted to tell everyone a secret. He liked someone, a girl. Nobody knew and not even his own friend. Suddenly, the stadium became quiet as all the girls wished that they were the chosen one. Then he said, â€Å"Amanda Ann, I do really like you,† â€Å"What? Did he just mention my name? I asked Ida. I was shocked and felt like fainting at that moment. I could not believe it. It was just like a dream came true. I suddenly dreamed that I was wearing a Cinderella gown and hearing the ringing of bells. Then, everybody in the stadium was staring at me. He then ran towards me and told me that he liked me a lot since the first day I sat foot in this school. I became dumbfounded and my face turned red as all girls w ere very envious of me. Even though this incident had happened a week ago, it was still fresh in my mind. How to cite An Unforgettable Experience., Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Smooth and Efficient

Question: Describe about the Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility for Smooth and Efficient Functioning. Answer: Introduction Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility goes side by side for smooth and efficient functioning of business activities in an organization. Corporate Governance means the mechanisms, relations and processes in which the organization is directed and controlled. It helps in identifying the rights and responsibilities of various participants in the corporation, such as board of directors, shareholders, managers, creditors, auditors and other stakeholders. The practices of corporate governance are often affected by attempts to align the stakeholders interests. Corporate Social Responsibility means the self regulated integration in a business model. This policy aims to ensure compliance with ethical standards and spirit of law (Horrigan, B, 2010). It mainly keeps its focus on increasing long term profits and building shareholders trust by making positive relation with the public and ethical standards to reduce business risk. It wants to get a positive impact from the stakeholders and other communities. Both Corporate Governance and CSR aim in maintaining ethical practices in business and responsiveness towards its stakeholders as it will result in better image of an organization. (Boubaker, S and Nguyen, D, 2014). Overriding goal: Profit or Shareholders Value Fantasy Products Inc. should not only focus on increasing its profit. In an organization it is necessary to maintain a balance between the shareholders value and profits. The discussion that occurred between Blanche and Stanley clearly leaves an impression of dissatisfaction in the ways that company has engaged itself in making profits. It is the CSR of an organization to make its corporate governance policies keeping in mind the rights and need of their shareholders and employees (Simpson, J and Taylor, J, 2013). The primary goal of Fantasy Products Inc. should be to increase the wealth of their shareholders by making payment of dividends and causing an increase in the price of the stock. We know that the executives of Fantasy Products are obligated to maximize the profit of the company and shareholder value maximization is not their obligation, still the rights of the shareholder should not be completed ignored as it may create a bad reputation for the company. A publically owned company raise its funds from investors. Therefore it is very essential to make a significant amount of return to their investors to attract more investments that can bring long term profitability for Fantacy. The shareholders have direct as well as indirect roles in the company. In the stock market they play an indirect role, as an investor will want to invest more only when the company is beating the expectations of the shareholders (Basu, C, 2016). Corporate Governance policies in this company are absolutely formal. The company should make timely disclosure of its profits to the shareholders. In Fantasy, if the management team continues to offer insufficient value of shares, the shareholders will unite to block such moves for their dissatisfaction towards the current management policies. Some other ways in which the company can achieve its overriding goals are Firstly it will be a wrong perception to say that making money should be the overriding goal of a company. Fantasy can achieve the determined goals of the company by increasing the employee efficiency, increase in productivity, customer trust and practicing social and ethical values (Dishman, L, 2012). The efficiency of employees can be increased by allowing the employees to participate in the decision making process hence opening gates for themselves; to become more productive and innovative. Agency Problem in Fantasy Products Inc Yes, it is very much true that there is some sort of Agency problem going on in the company. As Stanley has mentioned in the case study, that company is not taking the consideration of the shareholders while planning its profits and long term goals. Agency problem is the conflict that may arise between the companys stockholders and the management, where one party does not act in the best interest of another (Solomon, J, 2007). In Fantasy Products the agency problem is mainly between the Managers and the Owners. The goal of management is different from that of the shareholders (Kafi, A, 2014). And this is the reason why shareholders are not allowed to participate in the management process directly. In this company the managers are giving priority to their own interest without giving any consideration to the interest of the shareholders. And this results in a conflict between both the parties. In Fantasy it is the shareholders who appointed the managers to work for their interests, but the managers are working for their own benefits. This kind of conduct can be harmful for the company and the stockholders. Another reason that can cause agency problem is when the managers refuse to merger with another company although that would be in the best interest of the shareholders (Sarra, J, 2011). Therefore, to prevent such issues and challenges certain measures should be taken to control the position and power of the management of the company. The shareholders of Fantasy should use several mechanisms to control the activities of the managers. Internal measures include internal audit, change in the payments and salaries of the company managers and by concentrating ownerships (Boubaker, S, Nguyen, B and Nguyen, D, 2012). Good corporate Governance can also help in doing so. Measures should be taken to detect and prevent the inefficient operations of the company by protecting the assets and capital of the company. Internal audit should be conducted regularly to be aware about the financial position of the company and also to ensure that managers have maintained all the compliance as prescribed in the policies of corporate governance. For the availability of external financing and a better approach the company should form a good system of its corporate governance. Fantasy should properly define its priority goals and allocate tasks to the respective managers keeping in mind the benefits and rights of their shareholders. External audit and capital market also has some influence measuring the conflict arising between the management and shareholders. Fantasys Approach to Pollution Control From the information available in the case study of Fantasy Products Inc. we can relate that it is not being able to take effective control measures to control the pollution caused by the company. It is stated that the company is being investigated by the inspectors of State and Commonwealth environment as the company is engaged in polluting the storm water drains and also causing harm to the national park wildlife. This is not the present issue but it is being carried forward from many years. The company has a negative attitude towards the safety and social responsibility of the environment as it thinks that it is very costly and time consuming to take preventive measures to stop such pollution; and it will ultimately affect the profits of the company badly. Fantasy is totally irresponsible in taking pollution control measures as it is unaware about the facts relating to the benefits of controlling pollution while conducting business activities. In order to avoid criticism Fantasy should take suitable measures to prevent pollution. Some of the important reasons are as follows: Reduction on health hazards: There is clear evidence that pollution will bring health hazards such as cancer, lung complications and heart attacks. (Louche, C, Idowu, S and Filho, W, 2010). When pollution control techniques are adopted it not only checks the seriousness of the disease but also supports a healthy life in and around. Risk of liability is reduced: Fantasy is held to pay compensation to those people who are affected by the toxicity and wastes that it produces and releases in the environment. It will be a safe to install devices of pollution control to reduce the liability risk. Cost savings: The cost of operating business can be reduced by an effective pollution control procedure. Due to improper production technology it results in greater wastages that lead to a higher cost of waste disposal and increase the cost of cleaning the plants. Improved Public Image: The policies and practices of Fantasy is likely to influence the attitude of the people as we know that the society is becoming more conscious of environmental quality day by day. In order to earn a good reputation Fantasy has to promote the cause for environment and be socially responsible (Maximiano, J, 2003). Other social benefits: Pollution control can result into other advantages as well like clearer visibility, better quality of life, cleaner buildings and availability of natural products in a pure form (Peddle, R, 2004). Despite of the fact that pollution control techniques acquires a high cost to install various devices that controls pollution, Fantasy should take long term benefits into consideration so as to build trust among the customers and a good reputation to attract more investors to meet the funding that the company requires to carry out day to day activities. Corporate Governance Structure of Fantasy Products Inc The corporate governance structure of Fantasy Products Inc. is totally an ineffective one as it only focuses on profit maximization and neglecting the maximization of the benefits of its shareholders who are the actual owners of the company. The reason behind the poor corporate governance structure of Fantasy Products is its ownership structure, the structure of companys board and the financial structure. The institutional environment such as legal, political and regulatory environment in which a company operate also influences the structure of corporate governance (Urlacher, P, 2008). It is the outcome of political decisions that takes place in the firm. The right of control should be in the hands of shareholders as well to control the activities of the management that is truly for their own benefits (Davies, A, 2006). Fantasy Product should plan a new framework for deciding the goals and objectives of the company if it wants to solve the emerging problems amongst its employees and shareholders. It should realise the importance of corporate governance in a business improved reputation, fewer penalties, fines and lawsuits, and decreased conflicts and fraud. The practice of sharing information related to its profit will increase transparency that will allow people to feel more confident in making investments and maintaining business relations with the firm. Fantasy is not being able to maintain effective corporate governance and as a result it will have to suffer a heavy loss in the coming future. The company is being investigated by the respective authorities and soon will have to face a heavy fine and penalties for not conducting ethical practices and corporate governance. It is high time now, for understanding the importance of corporate governance by Fantasy; they can limit the bad behaviour of their employees by considering their value and the value of the shareholders. If Fantasy still continues to neglect the rights of its shareholders, the shareholders might file a suit against the conduct of the company for the non compliance of corporate governance. Conclusion From this case study we can say that the relation between various shareholders and management of the firm raises many questions related to the process of value creation. The shareholders have specific expectations from the firm and require a specific knowledge and information on this condition. We know that shareholders participate in the value creation and a lot of questions are raised to know the measurement of shareholders value. It should frame its policies according to the needs and wants of shareholders, customers and environment to maintain its goodwill and long term profitability; balancing CSR and Corporate Governance in the best possible manner. Thus, Fantasy Products Inc. should contribute some effective incentive methods to encourage shareholders to make efficient and responsible conduct in order to achieve the common objectives of the firm and that of the partners. Profit maximization is important for every firm but they should not ignore the maximization of shareholders value. Before the disclosure of investigation report, Fantasy should realise its responsibility towards the shareholders and environment protection, to avoid penalties and fines. There is also a chance of being ceased to carry out business activities. References Basu, C. (2016). [Online]. The Importance of Shareholders in Business. Viewed 5 October 2015 from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-shareholders-business-20844.html Boubaker, S and Nguyen, D. (2014). Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility: Emerging Markets Focus. World Scientific. Boubaker, S, Nguyen, B and Nguyen, D. (2012). Corporate Governance: Recent Developments and New Trends. Springer Science Business Media. Davies, A. (2006). Best Practice in Corporate Governance: Building Reputation and Sustainable Success. Gower Publishing. Dishman, L. (2012). [Online]. 6 Achievable Business Goals Your Company Needs To Set Now For 2013. Viewed 5 October 2016 from https://www.fastcompany.com/3003820/6-achievable-business-goals-your-company-needs-set-now-2013 Horrigan, B. (2010). Corporate Social Responsibility in the 21st Century: Debates, Models and Practices Across Government, Law and Business. Edward Elgar Publishing. Kafi, A. (2014). [Online]. Types of Agency Problem. Viewed 5 October 2016 from https://educenterbd.com/types-of-agency-problem Louche, C, Idowu, S and Filho, W. (2010). Innovative CSR: From Risk Management to Value Creation. Greenleaf Publishing. Maximiano, J. (2003). Corporate Social Responsibility: basic principles and best practices: historic philosophical issues in international business. PLDT. Peddle, R. (2004). Implementing Effective Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance: A Guide. BSI British Standards Institution. Sarra, J. (2011). Corporate Governance in Global Capital Markets. UBC Press. Simpson, J and Taylor, J. (2013). Corporate Governance Ethics and CSR. Kogan Page Publishers. Solomon, J. (2007). Corporate Governance and Accountability. John Wiley Sons. Urlacher, P. (2008). New Issues in Corporate Governance. Nova Publishers.

Friday, November 29, 2019

It is significant, I think, that Clarisse objects Essays

It is significant, I think, that Clarisse objects explicitly to the lost social nature of learning, for it shows Bradbury's ideal of learning as a hermeneutical dialogue with two minds engaged in drawing out and re-forming the matter shaped between them. In the Metaphysics Aristotle points out that "experience is formed of many memories" ( I.i .), but by memories he mean s itemized result s of the mind working on data, either sensory or semiotic, and shaping it into knowledge by applying questions and heuristics as a way of " coming to terms " with it. Communication between people is the ideal way to commence this process, but in TV class the communication is monodirectional , and the resulting materiel transmitted to the student remains data rather than knowledge. In fact, the social element of learning is so valuable to memory that even books only represent the voice of a person whom time has rendered inaccessible. In the Phaedrus Socrates remind s his listeners that writing i s only of value as a reminder, but that i t can't be properly questioned because it has no power to listen it can only repeat itself (274D-275A). 3 The relative dismissal of memory as a goal of pedagogy was reflected in the now-famous Bloom's Taxonomy, written in 1956 by a group of educators who sought to clarify the goals of learning and taxonomi z e the tasks by which they were achieved. Although the group hoped to achieve a pedagogical unity between Cogniti ve, Affective, and Psychomotor "domains," the taxonomy is , even after its revision in 2000 , frequently understood as a hierarchy which places " remembering " at the bottom and " creating " at the top. While this echoes the Classical insistence on a solid base of texts grasped in and by the memory and then manipulated as a means of producing new compositions, poo r restatements of the Taxonomy 4 transmitted the idea of memory as the lowest order thinking skill and the one dismissed fastest by students hoping to hone their " cri tical thinking skills." Certain ly, Bloom's Taxonomy reflects m od ernity's view of memory as a " mere " ability to reproduce accurately rote-remembered data, and as separate from the Romantic notion of a Work inspired by ingenium rather than an orderly intellectual process.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Athena Essays - Ancient Greek Religion, Acropolis Of Athens

Athena Essays - Ancient Greek Religion, Acropolis Of Athens Athena Athena Back in time when Greece was making its mark in history as one of the great civilization of the Ancient World, there was a great deal of emphasis on the Gods and Goddesses. To the Greeks the world was governed by the Gods and they were the reason many things happened in the world, mostly thing that where unexplainable. The goddess Athena was one of the many gods or goddesses that played a large role in Greek mythology. Even though Athena was the patron saint of Athens she supported other Greeks outside of Athens, such as, Achilles, Orestes, and especially Odysseus (Athena-1). Athena is know to be the goddess of war, guardian of cities, patroness of arts and crafts, and promoter of wisdom (Images of Women...-1). Athenas name actually came form the Cretan and Mycenean name Athene which predates the Greeks by about 1,500 years (Daly-20). The ending -ene, was set aside for royalty and goddesses, like Helene (Harris-4). She was also called by some Greeks as Pallas Athena. Not many people know where the name Pallas came from. Some legends say she obtained it from the giant Pallas that she killed in the war of the gods and giants (Grant-Hazel 83). Another legend says that Athena accidentally killed her childhood playmate Pallas. By taking Pallas in front of her own, Athena shows the grief that she endured for the loss of her friend (Daly-20). Athena had such an impact on the Greeks that the Romans adopted her and called her Minerva (Minerva-1). The origins of Athenas name is not the only discrepancy that historians have had. The origin of where Athena came form is also a discrepancy. Zeus feared that he would be overcome by a son greater than he born from the intelligent Metis. To prevent this Zeus ate Metis. There for, Athena, in the most common legend, was born fully grown out of Zeuss head after Hephaestus split it open with an ax. Another legend, this one form Crete, says Athena was hidden in a cloud. Zeus hit his head on the cloud and caused Athena to appear (Daly-20). Out of all the cities that Athena helped and protected Athens claimed her as there own. The Atheans believed that the first king of Athens, Erichthonius, was a descendant of Athena (Daly-20). Even though Poseidon was greedy of earthy kingdoms, he challenged Athena for the city. The both of them appeared before the court of gods and goddess to make a judgment. Poseidon presented water to be of use to the Atheans. But the water was salty. Athena presented the olive tree which gave fruit, oil and wood. The court judged that this was a more beneficial gift and let Athena have the city (Daly-100). To show their homage, the Atheans, built the Parthenon. The word Parthenon means virgins place, for Athena was a virgin goddess (Parthenon-1). The east side of the building showed the birth of Athena and the west side showed the contest with Poseidon (Athena-1). Atheans, on the other hand, were not the only people Athena favored. According to Homer the Greeks were greatly benefited when Athena came down from the heavens and stopped Achilles of Phthia from killing Agamemnon. Achilles protested but Athena replied: Down from the skies I come to check your rage if only you would yield...Stop this fighting, now...Dont lay hand to sword...I know it is the truth-one day glittering gifts will lie before you, three times over to pay for all his outrage. Hold pack now. Obey... (Homer-104) Even though Athena was the patroness of war she also had compassion for the Greeks. Athena new if Achilles had killed Agamemnon that would certainly mean defeat for the Greeks. Athena was ruthless, manipulative, savage, and found delight in Trojan blood (Athena, daughter of Zues-1). Athena also is credited with helping a young man that was on trial in Athens for killing his mother. This young man was Orestes and his mother Clytemnestra, both form Argos. Athena having no mother had more compassion for the male figure than female. She considered the crimes of Clytemnestra (killing her husband, Agamemnon) more punishable than Orestes crime (Parada-2). Aeschylus seems to sum it up in Athenas speech to the court in The Oresteia. The Eumenides. ...No mother gave me birth. I honor the male , in all things but marriage. Yes, with all my heart I am my Fathers child. I cannot set more store by the womens death-she killed her husband, guardian of their house...(644) With this trial Athena presented a new

Friday, November 22, 2019

Management and Organizational Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management and Organizational Ethics - Essay Example This is ethically right regardless of its costs and consequences. Actually, BBC, (2012) records that, â€Å"Deontological (duty-based) ethics are concerned with what people do, not with the consequences of their actions.† However, this has not been easy for me subject to the temptations resulting from the convenience and money-saving aspect that comes with downloading music from the prohibited websites. Indeed, despite the knowledge of the adverse effects of such unethical behaviors am always under pressure to do it. However, am aware that if I adhere to my responsibility of obliging to the legal proclamation of music copyright owners and consequently buy CDs from legal stores and outlets, that way I would be adding more benefits to the music industry and securing my nation from terrorism (Dan, 2006). Nevertheless, more than often, I find myself collaborating with a crime to infringe on others efforts thus benefiting myself at their expense. Hence, after failing to establish an effective and consistent commitment to ethical behavior, I feel that I should re-evaluate my policy in order to overcome the challenges on my way. Indeed, Hardin (2006) reckons that â€Å"commitment requires action or series of action and will often lead to success.† As such, since my conscience convinces me that what I am doing is ethically wrong despite the inherent benefits that I derive from it, I must, therefore, redefine my policy to ensure that I strictly abide with the set rules governing the music industry. Most importantly, I know that peer pressure affects my pursuit in this endeavor since all my friends feel nothing about this unethical behavior (Dordrecht, 1992; Arrington, 2009). As such, for me to succeed I must change my friends or at least avoid them during leisure times and holidays. This will reduce the pressure to download such music as my friends usually do it as a hobby.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Management Information Systems Research and its Impact on Sustainable Paper

Management Information Systems and its Impact on Sustainable Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) - Research Paper Example In response, businesses have established information systems, which help keeping track of all their activities right from the planning stage to the delivery of value to the final consumer in the product market (Allingham & Oconnor 160). The highly competitive entrepreneurial atmosphere demands that managers should be clear concerning aspects of the business, should plan effectively, and should be in position to make fast smart business decisions at each stage of the operation chain in order to succeed (Leidner & Elam 139). This has gradually led to the evolution of the Management Information System (MIS), as a tool for supporting the decision making function of the organization; many studies have highlighted the multiple benefits of the MIS as a decision making tool of the organization. However, it is an undeniable fact that the continued deterioration of natural environments in the modern global business era poses greater risks as well as opportunities for the present businesses, which further underpins the need to fine tune the organizational thought processes towards sustainability (Thongpoon, Ahmad, & Yahya 5). In that respect, modern organizations are facing yet another crucial challenge of generating decisions that focus on sustainability and innovative environmental strategies, thereby leading to the evolution of the modern Sustainable SMEs that are fine-tuned towards social responsibility as well as sustainable development. The SSMEs research is still growing, thereby increasingly highlighting the modern SSMEs focus on environmental responsibility as well as technology up-gradation for strategic business advantages. Generally, environmental responsibility encompasses the measures to reduce, recycle material, while technology up-gradation entails the use of computer based systems such as the MISs among other innovative tools. A vast proportion of literature covers the contributions of the MIS to the establishment

Monday, November 18, 2019

South Korea Leads the Way Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

South Korea Leads the Way - Essay Example Another advantage South Korea had over other nation is that their demographics consists of densely populated areas which lower the infrastructure investment required to provide high-speed internet. One of the amazing things about the South Korean case is that the country was able to become one of the leading nation in communication sector in a very short period of time. In 1995 only 1% of the population was online. By 2004 nearly 71% of the population was enjoying internet service in their homes. E-commerce in South Korea generates twice as many sales per capita in comparison with the United States. The gaming industry is one of the profitable and popular business sectors in South Korea. Since internet speeds are so high the new focus in South Korea is providing new exciting services. Innovation has become extremely important in the 21st century. It can be used by businesses as a tool to create new sources of revenue. We are living in a society in which people expect technology to pr ovide them with new products that attract their attention. Another lesson learned from the South Korean case is the importance of cooperation between the private and public sector. The government can provide incentives that lower the cost of doing business for corporations. Another element that allowed the telecommunication sector to thrive in South Korea was the introduction of new companies which created competition. Competition in business creates great benefits for the consumer such as lower prices, better service, and greater variety.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Effect of Globalization on Poor Countries

Effect of Globalization on Poor Countries This paper discusses the development of the globalization process, the meaning of the term globalization and the impacts of globalization and global companies on the world economy, global community, inequality and different living standards in the wealthier and poorer countries. It is pointed out that globalization has both, negative and positive aspects, but it certainly brings a significant change. The developed countries and global companies are carriers of the globalization process which are using very well the global conditions. With the development of information and communication technologies the world has become a single system where a connection between two subjects in different parts of the world is made within a few minutes. An eternal theme during the development of globalization is the discussion of problems of economic inequality and poverty. The question is what are the concrete effects of globalization causes? Who are the losers and who are the winners in this process ? In response to this question there are two opinions. Someone think that if merging the developed and underdeveloped countries follows an increase of inequality and dislocation of production, while others argue that the winners actually are both sides. Is it a game with two winners or one loser? Globalization means a dynamical, political and cultural process that has enabled the rapid development in the fields of transport and communication, which is often driven by the desire of large corporations to conquer new markets. Globalization is a controversial process. There are three types of globalization: Economic globalization means primarily the creation and regulation of a single world market with free competition and encourages development. Opponents on the other hand argue that the large multinational corporations have been using already-earned capital to prevent the creation of competitors with whom to share the market. Political globalization is closely associated with economic globalization. The existence of a single world market reduces the ability of national governments to directly stimulate the development of their economies by setting rules that give priority to our own companies. City decision-making is transferred from state to international institutions, thereby reducing the ability of people to direct election of representatives of government influence in their own development. Cultural globalization is the encounter of diverse world cultures and customs. The flow of goods, capital and people across national borders brings with it the flow of habits, customs and cultures. This process of different people often provokes a different reaction. Some consider the impact of a new culture positive development that enriches the existing culture, while others in the new culture they see a threat to established values and rules (http://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalizacija). Globalization is preceded by an incredibly rapid technological development. There was a combination of information technology and communications. Computer technology, satellite communications, optical cables and mobile phones allow a quick and cheap communication that has, among other things; result in geographic branching of companies. Plants are moved around the world depending on the benefits of natural resources and cheap labour. In most developed countries are formed knowledge industries, while manufacturing plants are located in less developed and underdeveloped countries. Economic globalization has an appropriate infrastructure in which are basic liberalization and free market trade within countries and between them. It is not an ordinary interdependent economy, but it is a system based on strict rules that provide free production and exchange in the world. The globalization process is independent of our will, because it is conditioned by objective laws. Society should be aware of the great advantages and bad effects of globalization. One of the most serious consequences of globalization is certainly excessive increase in economic inequality and poverty. Below I will try to explain more clearly the relationship between globalization, global companies and the differences in living standards. The Affect of Globalization and Global Companies on Poor Countries Globalization creates certain problems for even the most developed countries, because the modern technology leads to a reduction in employment and related social problems and the multinational companies (MNC) often give priority to their own interests over the interests of other countries. Through globalization, developed countries have getting privileges, leadership, profit, control, influence and power, conquer new markets, and expand their sphere of influence and looking preferably for new investments. Developed countries and the multinational companies impose globalization and its rules to developing countries like a long development vision, using the fact that for development of these countries foreign investments are needed and this are offering only developed countries with their rigorous criteria. Who owns the capital of the world? According to Anderson and Cavanagh, among the largest 100 economies in the world, 51 are multinational corporations (MNCs), whereas only 49 are countries. The analysis is based on a comparison of the corporate sales of MNCs and the GDPs of the countries. The study further shows that, out of the 200 largest economies of the world, 144 are MNCs. The combined sales of the top 200 corporations are bigger than the combined economies of all the countries of the world, minus the largest 10. The income of MNCs is 18 times higher than the combined annual income of the 1.2 billion people of poor countries (24 percent of the total world population). The study has found that the growth of sales of top 200 corporations is faster than overall global economic activity. Between 1983 and 1999, their profits grew by 362 percent whereas their combined sales grew from 25 percent to 27.5 percent of the world GDP. Most of these MNCs belong to the rich countries; therefor e, it is natural that MNCs and their respective countries should safeguard their mutual economic, political, and cultural interests under the cloak of globalization. Economies are the catalysts of the globalization process, and they are represented by MNCs and transnational corporations (TNCs), which maintain the highest stakes and stand to gain the maximum benefits. Having poor economic infrastructure and little capital, developing countries very easily agree to host MNCs. At times, their weak regulatory positions are subsequently exploited by MNCs. MNCs either buy out the local companies of the host countries or push them out of the markets by offering cheaper and better quality goods for some time. MNCs carry out research to identify human needs, problems and lifestyles and come up with multidimensional responses, including the development of products and services. What causes them to conduct such researches and produce goods accordingly? Is it for the good of public or maximizin g their own profits? This puts the whole process of globalization in question as its generally proclaimed goal is the good of common people. Before examining what happens when MNCs enter host societies to achieve their commercial objectives, it is pertinent to discuss the problems and strengths of the host societies. (Anderson and Cavanagh. 2000. quoted in Rahman K., n.d.). Unlike developed countries that use the positive effects of globalization, undeveloped countries are not able to actively participate in the expansion of world trade and to attract a greater volume of private foreign investment, resulting in lagging behind the development of global economy. Structural weaknesses and problems of external and internal debt of these countries is a key constraint to economic growth. This limitation is related to the lack of the market, underdeveloped technology and private sector, entrepreneurial and marketing skills, as well as non-transparency of legal and regulatory framework. Globalization is imposing further restrictions in terms of the need to adapt the new competitive international environment to these countries. Globalization and Living Standards It is quite difficult to measure the living standards in the global economy; it is even more difficult to measure these standards in relation to globalization. The living standards are different from country to country because of their national economic structure. Standards of living in the global economy are devised of income, health and education. These broad terms are indexed by GDP per capita, literacy, infant mortality, GNP per head, secondary and primary education, doctors per 100.000 people and so on. Living standards differ because of national economic structure high-income countries are based on agricultural production. They differ within the population and labour market factors with high-income countries have a population with a high level of education and relatively high rates of production. Institutional factors stable government and policies allows for better living standards, economic growth influenced by culture, access to capital and ease of establishing a business, global relations and levels of foreign debt (http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/53146.html). However, the standards of living, or quality of life is not simply a measure of the level of economic growth or change in real GDP, but it is a measure that takes into account the literary levels, education, health care, technological changes and mortality rates. An example of a quality of life indicator is the Human Development Index (HDI) which measures changes in those factors as a result of globalization. Over the last few decades, the HDI of the worlds richest countries have increased as a result of globalization, where growth and development has been attributed to these economies through willingness to embrace market liberalization. However, the HDI of the poorer nations have grown at a slower rate to the richer nations which, as some economists put in, shows that globalization is another word for the continual plundering of the poorer and weaker nations by the rich and powerful economies. It has been strongly argued that the benefits of competition go only to those who can com pete, and poor countries have to negotiate on unequal terms (http://www.bukisa.com/articles/92708_impact-of-globalization-on-economic-growthm-quality-of-life-external-stability-on-market-economies). There have been two important trends since about 1980. The first of these has been acceleration in economic growth in many of the worlds most populous countries particularly the Asian countries of China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam. These countries, which were among the worlds poorest as recently as 1980, have all grown faster than the rich countries, in per capita terms, in the period since then. Largely as a consequence of this improved economic performance in these populous Asian countries, the poorest one-fifth of countries in 1980 had a population-weighted annual per capita growth rate of 4 per cent from 1980 to 1977, compared with 1.7 per cent for the richest fifth of countries over the same period. The second, and much more problematic, trend has been the continued poor economic performance of most of the countries in Africa, with some countries experiencing declines in average living standards, not only relative to the rich countries, but even in absolute terms. These two opposing trends have had important implications for global poverty and inequality over the past decades (Gruen D. and OBrien T., 2002.). As everyone knows, much of the world has been left aside. Most of Africa and Latin America, Russia, all of the Middle East, and large parts of Asia.  Moreover, for many countries, the degree of participation in the global economy varies by region.   In fact, globalization is not global but is mainly limited to northern latitudes.   Linda Weiss points out that as of 1991, 81% of the world stock of foreign direct investment was in high-wage countries of the north: mainly the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada (Kenneth N. Waltz. 1999 quoted in Sidani K. 2003.). The concept of globalization is not really global but based on the very few dominant and powerful countries, and especially the United States.   Many globalizers believe that America had stumbled into the right way of controlling the global market.   Globalization is not such a happy thought for most poor countries, because they are being used by the richer countries.   The rich countries buy the raw material from the poor countries, and then sell their finished products for relatively high prices, thus increasing the financial gap between themselves and the poor countries (Sidani K., 2003).   Conclusion Globalization is a process that has started and that cannot be stopped anymore. It has brought an increasing interaction among the participants of international trade, global networking of the financial markets and growing power of multinational corporations. Today, globalization is seen as a world without borders. Everything begins to be reflected globally. So, today are global products, fashion, consumers and citizens. Globalization can be understood as a stage in the development of the civilization. Globalization often confronts with some anti-globalists all over the world. They have common responses to globalization; regionalism, nationalism and patriotism in order to preserve national and cultural particularities and to some extend protect their economic independence. The strengths and power of the Multinational Corporations are more and more visible in the globalization process. Many countries where these corporations operate and especially those small and poor are just having affiliates of the Multinational Companies because of the enormous financial resources of these corporations. The GDP (Gross National Product) of these countries cannot be even remotely compared with the profit that realizes the MNC. Multinational corporations, however, spread their influence and power in all countries, none can escape. Investment decisions are taken by corporations at global level, transferring capital or resources from one country to another, impacting (un)employment of millions of people and level of economic activity in some countries. What brings the globalization, global businesses and economies and the developing world in the future remains uncertain.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Rome :: essays papers

Rome Personal Imaginative There she was, in all her beauty. She was parked on the corner just were I left her She looked good, She looked hotter than hell. Her shinning poppy red exterior, sparkling likes diamonds. All heads turned by the car’s stunning looks, all ears raised to the sound of the Hi-Po V8 289, equipped with a Paxton supercharger; a sound you just don’t hear but feel. A classic sign of American muscle. My Classic 1966 GT 350 â€Å"Shelby Mustang.† I jumped into the bucket seats, stopping for a moment to observe the car/s beauty , before igniting the engine, only to be satisfied by that usual throaty growl. I eased the stang into first and rolled her out of the car park, towards a set of nearby traffic lights. Here I stopped next to a 1973 Corvette stingray. The Corvette was a nice car, a real looker, and bright orange in colour. The man in the Corvette was about 50 years of age. He was a small man, bald and quite frankly looked harmless; well so I thought. Before I knew it, he looked over at me, giving me an aggressive look, at the same time revving his engine. The look he gave me could only be translated to one thing: He wanted to race. The lights changed to green. Instinctively I slammed my foot on the accelerator, coming down on it like a ton of bricks, and sending the Stang leaping forward as if it was transformed into a wild mustang. The growl of the engine sent vibrations through my body. I was thrown back in my seat due to the force of the acceleration. Behind me I left a wall of smoke, and the smell of burning rubber. In 4.5 seconds I was doing 60 mph, the Corvette growing smaller and smaller through the rear-view mirror. I was amazed. I was doing incredible speeds. At this stage objects out of the window gradually became streaks of colour. I was left unable to distinguish between objects, dodging parked cars and people, within the last millisecond. At those speeds I was enclosed in my own world. I no longer heard the outside world, but only the Magnum wheels screeching, gripping the road like glue. Rome :: essays papers Rome Personal Imaginative There she was, in all her beauty. She was parked on the corner just were I left her She looked good, She looked hotter than hell. Her shinning poppy red exterior, sparkling likes diamonds. All heads turned by the car’s stunning looks, all ears raised to the sound of the Hi-Po V8 289, equipped with a Paxton supercharger; a sound you just don’t hear but feel. A classic sign of American muscle. My Classic 1966 GT 350 â€Å"Shelby Mustang.† I jumped into the bucket seats, stopping for a moment to observe the car/s beauty , before igniting the engine, only to be satisfied by that usual throaty growl. I eased the stang into first and rolled her out of the car park, towards a set of nearby traffic lights. Here I stopped next to a 1973 Corvette stingray. The Corvette was a nice car, a real looker, and bright orange in colour. The man in the Corvette was about 50 years of age. He was a small man, bald and quite frankly looked harmless; well so I thought. Before I knew it, he looked over at me, giving me an aggressive look, at the same time revving his engine. The look he gave me could only be translated to one thing: He wanted to race. The lights changed to green. Instinctively I slammed my foot on the accelerator, coming down on it like a ton of bricks, and sending the Stang leaping forward as if it was transformed into a wild mustang. The growl of the engine sent vibrations through my body. I was thrown back in my seat due to the force of the acceleration. Behind me I left a wall of smoke, and the smell of burning rubber. In 4.5 seconds I was doing 60 mph, the Corvette growing smaller and smaller through the rear-view mirror. I was amazed. I was doing incredible speeds. At this stage objects out of the window gradually became streaks of colour. I was left unable to distinguish between objects, dodging parked cars and people, within the last millisecond. At those speeds I was enclosed in my own world. I no longer heard the outside world, but only the Magnum wheels screeching, gripping the road like glue.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Ethical Considerations Associated

Ethical Considerations Associated with Plea Bargaining Plea bargaining occurs when both sides in a case compromise to settle the matter before having a Judge or Jury decide. More often than not, the defendant pleads guilty to a crime that carries a less harsh sentence than the actual accused offense. The ethical dilemma is one of convenience over Justice. This approach, however, might cause ethical dilemmas, such as inequality in the Justice system. The courts are clogged, prosecutors are overworked, and there is the constitutional demand for â€Å"Speedy Trial. On one hand you have the courts doing their best to manage logjams, and on the other the need to provide Justice. Plea bargaining is done for several reasons such as, the chances of a lengthy trial or the lack of concrete evidence. Courts frequently bargain away charges that are just in order to get a guilty verdict on a lesser charge because they want the case to go away, or they don't want to take the risk in a trial becau se they doubt the conclusiveness of their evidence.Plea Bargains often cut out many court costs and help the legal system move cases along more quickly. This many lead to guilty individuals going free, receiving a fine, probation or a drastically reduced prison sentence for committing a heinous crime. Parties that work on a bargain agreement usually get a lesser sentence than a person who attempts to contest charges through a proper trial. Moreover, Justice can be harmed when the guilty are not properly punished, and this can have a corrosive effect on popular belief in the fairness of the ystem.Whether an ethical dilemma exists with plea bargaining depends on how a person views the ultimate goal of the court system. Those who think the Judicial system should deter crime and work efficiently, see plea bargains as a useful tool. However, those who prize equality see them as ethically dubious. Supporters of plea bargaining may admit to some deficiencies in the court system, however, t he often seemly unanswerable question remains; what's the alternative?

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Ethical behaviour in business Essay

In this task I will be explaining how my business (Ben and Jerry’s) could change or alter some of its practices and showing how these changes would contribute to improved ethical behaviour. The ethical issues I will be working on are CSR and trading fairly. Corporate social responsibility: Businesses do not exist in isolation nor is it simply just to make money; a lot of factors come into play. Customers, suppliers and the local community are all affected by the business and its operations. Ben and Jerry’s products, and the way they produce them all have an impact on the environment. CSR is all about businesses understanding the effects that they have on the community/wider world. Businesses will use this impact in a positive way to benefit both their business and the wider world. CSR means that business such as Ben and Jerry’s will have to take responsible attitude, going beyond the minimum legal requirements (as being ethical is strictly something you don’t have to do by law) and following basic principles that apply. How Ben and Jerry’s are responsible to society? Ben and Jerry’s take on corporate social responsibilities, taking action to achieve more desired goals to expand their business growth and also maintaining open line communication with employees to gain a better outcome. Ben and Jerry’s conduct various CSR activities, some of these include: Use of Fairtrade ingredients- Ben and Jerry’s first started using Fairtrade certified ingredients in 2005; they pledged in 2010 that by the end of 2013 they will go fully Fairtrade. Ben and Jerry’s work with dairy farmers and other farmers from third world countries, they source ingredients like cocoa, vanilla pods and various other ingredients. Fair Trade standards ensure that employees in these countries have good and safe working conditions, work reasonable hours and paid a fair amount for their work. Corporate Philanthropy- Corporate philanthropy in simple terms means a business’s care/love of humanity. Ben and Jerry’s a portion of its pre-tax profits to corporate philanthropy in attempts to become more socially responsible. Corporate philanthropy is led by employees through the B&J’s foundation and community action teams. Ben and Jerry’s award 1.8 million dollars to a philanthropy (an organisation that helps communities and the welfare of others) every year in and around Vermont, where Ben and Jerry’s  was initially set up. Engaging the Community through Community-based Projects- Another way in which Ben and Jerry’s is engaging in corporate responsibility to society is by setting up community –based development projects. The Vermont Dairy Farm Sustainability Project, which was launched by Ben & Jerry’s in 1999, set out to develop practical methods that could be used on day-to-day dairy operations to keep the water quality safe from nitrogen and phosphorus while not sacrificing the economic viability of the farm and making the farm a sustainable business. How can Ben and Jerry’s change/alter corporate social responsibilities (listed above) to contribute even more to improved business ethical behaviour? Ben and Jerry’s do all they can to make sure that they are socially responsible to stakeholders. They have engaged in a wide variety of activities/projects to insure that they do what they claim to do and that is to be as responsible to the wider community as much as they can, this includes Fairtrade, good working conditions, humanitarian concerns and other key factors in making sure that the community is affected in a positive manner. There is no denying that Ben and Jerry’s are very successful in their business operations and also their responsibility toward the society. But there are instances where they can improve on certain things. First of all the business follow all ethical procedures from Sourcing ingredients fairly to protecting the environment to the best of their ability’s, but if you were to be p icky Ben and Jerry’s are unethical in the sense that they are promoting unhealthy food. Now to most people this will not seem like a huge deal, but because obesity levels are on the increase and campaigns have been set up to tackle obesity and unhealthy eating, it seems somewhat of a contradictory move by Ben and Jerry’s to promote and sell Ice cream. This is being very, very picky however as they, like mentioned earlier, they ensure various factors are done ethically. You can argue that their advertisements and marketing techniques do not in any way state the products are healthy, so it’s not that they are misleading people. Some people may say that all Ben and Jerry’s do is sell unhealthy, fattening, chocolate rich ice creams, which can be considered a bit unethical. So in order to tackle this issue and make the company an even more ethically operating organisation, they can introduce healthier ice-cream or produce something alongside their standard ice-creams which is significantly healthier. They can use ingredients that  are healthier/low fat and implement a recipe that is just as good if not better than the original. This would contribute to better ethical behaviour by Ben and Jerry’s because it allows them to give people concerned an option of purchasing healthy (healthier) ice-cream. This will also mean that they are somewhat promoting healthier eating as people will look at them and think highly of them as they are taking these obesity concerns into consideration and doing something about it. Trading fairly: Trading fairly is a movement which strives for fair treatment for farmers. In a fair trade agreement, farmers will negotiate with the purchasers in order to receive a fair price for their products. Farmers who engage in fair trade also aim to pay their workers a fair price, and engage in environmentally-friendly practices. How Ben and Jerry’s trade fairly? Ben and Jerry’s have multiple tasks/missions they conduct to ensure that their operations are done fairly. First of all they are using fair trade. Using the Fairtrade method means that farmers who supply the ingredients get a fair pay, working and living environment. Another way in which they trade fairly is that they give back to society. This may seem like it is not directly trading fairly but Ben and Jerry’s do give something back to society. What they do is that they â€Å"operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally and internationally† ( Source Ben and Jerry’s website). So while they are producing high quality ingredients at the same time they are giving back to society locally, nationally and internationally. How can Ben and Jerry’s change/alter trading fairly (listed above) to contribute even more to impro ved business ethical behaviour? Like with the previous point I struggled to really find an area within Ben and Jerry’s that they need improving on so I had to be picky, the same goes for trading fairly. Ben and Jerry’s seem to tick all the boxes when it comes to trading fairly; I mean they do everything from Fairtrade to providing the community that little something back. But If I were to be picky I think there is one thing that they might have to improve on ever so slightly and that is the marketing of  the products. The criticism that I have for their marketing is that they have allegedly a couple of times offended customers with the names of their ice creams. Now this may not seem like it has nothing to do with trading fairly but it is. The reason as to why it is because customers are ultimately the ones keeping your business going, now if they were offended with the marketing techniques such as naming then they will be put off in the future. Although Ben and Jerry’s have admitted to using â€Å"cheeky names† on their ice creams they do not do this with the intention of offending people although they have mislead/offended a few. Although they have now changed the names of those products and it was a one off incident they’ll be keen to make sure that this does not happen in the future. (The source where I found out about the names of products offending customers- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/19/hazed-and-confused_n_5845650.html) So in order to alter the trading of products Ben and Jerry’s can make sure that in future releases of new Ice cream they choose names carefully and make sure that they do not refer to anything in a bad light . Ben and Jerry’s are known for their innovative names but in order to prevent people from getting offended they can make sure they choose names that are simple in the sense that people won’t get offended. They will have to take into consideration various factors that could offend people and make sure that names that are obvious to offend people are not used and well away from the products they make.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Integrity of Data and Analysis in Marketing Assignment

The Integrity of Data and Analysis in Marketing Assignment The Integrity of Data and Analysis in Marketing – Assignment Example The paper "The Integrity of Data and Analysis in Marketing " is a worthy example of an assignment on marketing.Marketers should be concerned about the integrity of data and analysis that is provided by the National Household survey. This is because the data is of low quality because Canadians are not willing to provide the surveys with the information required to assist the marketers; hence, leaving gaps on what the consumers really want from the marketers. The marketers should be confident using the Census-Plus projection provided by Environics Analytics. This is because it provides an extensive demographic and socioeconomic profile of the Canadian consumers including the DAs (Lamb 67). Additionally, Census Plus projection helps in understanding ethnic customers and diversity among ethnic segments. A private firm can completely replace the analysis and the data delivered by the StatsCan long-form census. Because it is no longer in use as another strategy has been created to establis h what the Canadians have to say about the market. The target experience has clearly indicated that before any company enters a market they should first understand the target profit and break-even analysis. This is because with a clear consideration of the two the company can decide whether the investment is long-term or short-term, as well as, how big they should invest. Target Canada in their Initial situational analysis missed understanding the importance of market sizing (Lamb 90). In that, they did not know what the consumers in Canada wanted, as well as, the sum of money they were willing to pay for the products. Target experience would have been different if they had an online experience because they could have related to the consumers and understood about the range of products they would buy. By so doing, they would have an easier way in segment and market penetration.

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Importance of Public Speaking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Importance of Public Speaking - Essay Example The orators could entertain their listeners in a number of ways such as taking the help of humor, speaking in a sincere manner, using visual aids to add appeal to their speech, adding (or removing) emotions out of their voice and timing the speech in an effective manner. The rate of speech delivery (that is words per minute) should be deliberated so that every person could clearly hear all your words. The speaker should pay attention to his pitch and inflection and work over voice modulation so as to demand highest attention from the audience. Incorporation of vocal variety in speeches is effective mannerism of grabbing audience attention. Pauses also have great significance in speeches and you should know how to successfully use them. While giving us breathing space, pauses also help reinforce the subject matter with the audience- letting them absorb and deliberate over matters of consequence. So, the speaker should use the pause with care drawing out maximum advantage out of it. The voice volume should also be controlled so that everyone in the room hears your voice while you are not sounding loud in their ears. Articulation must be practiced so that every word is spoken with clarity. The words must also be pronounced correctly in the standard order of language. Facial expressions assist in speech delivery. However, you need to choose beforehand which facial expression would suit your speech and practice on it. Finally, the speaker should practice before hand his speech delivery method so that when the day of Speech is an art form that gets better with practice so the speakers should practice the art of speech giving in private as well as in public to master it and become effective public speakers. In the course of speech giving the delivery should be adjusted as and when required so that the message is conveyed to the audience in a clear manner. And lastly, try to make eye contact with your audience

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The Risks to the Health Care Staff and Quality of Service and Essay - 2

The Risks to the Health Care Staff and Quality of Service and Profitability - Essay Example When patients are pursuing the health care talents of care providers, they are usually already experiencing heightened emotions as they attempt to cope with their current health issues. When a client is ill, it can bring feelings of â€Å"guilt, resentment, bitterness, anger, fear, grief and even shame† which, when expressed through less-productive client behaviours, can be â€Å"alarming and unsettling† for care providers (MacDonald, 2004, p.14). For example, in a health care clinic devoted to providing walk-in care to multiple patient demographics, there is always going to be different personalities which adjust to health crises quite differently. Some patients will likely express their fear and anger in more productive, socially-civilized formats while others explode at the health care provider and can even exhibit aggressive behaviour. In this more volatile client environment, health care staff must recognize that these are normal human behaviours and consistently m aintain professional decorum. Unfortunately, however, in more volatile situations where patients are raging out of fear and anger, staff reactions to patient anger â€Å"is often a defensive one that actually fuels more anger† (Thomas, 2003, p.103). For example, in a health care environment where staffing levels are insufficient to meet client demand, the last thing a patient wants to hear are explanations for the delay in service provision. A staffer who offers, â€Å"We’re simply short of help and there are other people ahead of you waiting for service†, will likely create considerable animosity between the patient and the care provider (Thomas, p.103).

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Urban music and youth gang culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Urban music and youth gang culture - Essay Example Urban music is a prominently used term but the nature of its origin is not clear. Today, it is popularly known as a term used in referring to black music or music of black origin made by artists regardless of nationality or descent. Debates and arguments about the term and its wide scope is an ongoing topic among the music industry, music fans and artists across the countries.Urban music is a genre that is very broad. If you look underneath urban music, there are a number of core elements that include hip-hop, R&B, garage and into that obviously comes soul music. Urban music also includes reggae, rock n roll, blues and jazz but the term is most popularly attached or instantly linked to hip-hop. According to J. Decibel, urban music is a cultural movement among African Americans that began in New York City in the early 1970s but it was in the 1980s that urban music or hip-hop became popular1. In Hip-Hop and Youth Culture, Hip-hop is defined as mostly rhyming, rhythmic spoken word art-f orm known as rapping2. It includes a whole larger culture that involves rap, baggy clothing, break-dancing, graffiti, language and a lifestyle.Urban music or hip-hop in particular has become a common form of communication and enjoyed by young adults and children relatively throughout the world. Unlike in the earlier days, this music genre is no longer limited to plain art of music and dancing. In Hip-Hop and Youth Culture, it was mentioned that urban music has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry that has greatly manipulated a lot of industries like automotive design, fashion, television programming, collegiate and professional sports, media marketing and advertising3 . Music is essential in youth culture and in that sense urban music's potential to influence is rampant that it has stringed its way into young people's lifestyles particularly because it is a form of recreation that promotes creativity and self expression. Rapping in particular is a way of pronouncing one's pr ide in his/her community that also becomes a form of competition where a rapper can display his skills and support or defend their respective communities. It is unquestionable that adults tend to defer acceptance of this culture in comparison to young adults. Young adults are more inclined in adopting the culture when they are being reprimanded and especially when they know that adults don't understand nor like what they were into. Young black people embrace the culture because they sympathize to the music that is singing their lives. For young people that do not have any connection to the urban community or urban culture, there is still a lot of question as to why hip-hop or urban music fascinates them and this is nothing new especially for middle and upper-middle class young people. One apparent reason could be fascination to what is prohibited. Another could be that hip-hop music is exciting and offers a brutally honest view of life that embodied the prevailing values of society. Hip-hop and rap music started out as an art form to express social awareness and it did gather success in inspiring a certain amount of activism. It did not achieve the attention of the music industry and the music cable television program MTV though until it turned violent and unpredictable. The music industry became interested on the business possibilities that the music genre's hype could bring. Today with the upsurge of the billion dollar industry that this music genre has produced; unsettled prevalent consequences are emerging. One is the youth gang culture that is said to have influences from the "gangsta" life portrayed in violent lyrics and in the lives of some artists themselves. Violent lyrics pertain to offensive language, chauvinism, sexual promiscuity, fear and discrimination of homosexuals, parental and domestic abuse and the "gangsta" pride of refusing authority. As a result, popular culture readily identifies "gangsta" rap, hip-hop and in effect urban music as glorifying violence, rape, murder and drug

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Future Plan Essay Example for Free

Future Plan Essay Hi, my name is Alberto Bazan. I am eighteen years of age. This year, two-thousand-thirteen Im going tom graduate from Alief Hastings High School. Im going to enroll in a community college in fall for my basic course, and later transfer into a university. My majoring plan is to become a Petroleum engineer. Now that I have some type of experience in the oil field, where I started working after I turned eighteen. The important question is : why am I deciding to go to college? First of all, like some people in this world; love making. So I decided to first choose a career I would like, and would make good amount of money. Second reason is because without knowledge, Im not going to have open opportunities for high-payed jobs. Last but not least; I comprehend that college is very important at this point of our lifetime, because it would help my future in where I can live life without worries of not having the knowledge and skills to get a job. Now in days it is not easy obtaining any job where you can live without worries. From my point of view, I personally think Im not a person to be in school. So therefor, my experience in college can be very harsh at times. I might have ups and downs though out my future career. I know for sure Im going to struggle throughout college, but Im not going to give up in achieving my goals, and to finish my major. Thats why Im going to college!

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Lack Of Products Differentiation Or Narrow Product Line Marketing Essay

Lack Of Products Differentiation Or Narrow Product Line Marketing Essay This senior paper report examines the Harley-Davidson (H-D) phenomenon. From near bankruptcy to double-digit growth every year, H-D has something working for them. That something is calledstrategic planning and development. With the growing global economy, companies are looking for ways to improve their market share. Many excellent firms have learned how to beat their competitors through then implementation of new management, marketing, and/or manufacturing techniques (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson). H-D is one of those excellent companies whom have challenged traditional ideas. This report will identify those strategies that have worked and brought the company and its shareholders success each year. Today, Harley-Davidson Inc., an employer of 8,100 workers, consists of H-D Motor Company based in Milwaukee and Eaglemark Financial Services Inc. based in Chicago, Illinois. These are strategic business units are they are managed separately based on the fundamental differences in their operations, products and services. In addition, there are nearly 1,500 dealerships worldwide. Harleys commitment toward continuous improvement is exemplified in their financial statements. II. Vision, Mission of Harley Davidson H-D has realized since the 80s an impressive marketing strategy was giving H-D a brand name that more recognized than any other company. Indeed, the strategy was not to focus on reducing the costs, or on the distribution improvement, but the main element was to create customer value. In other words, H-Ds will was to give more credibility, trust, safety, desires, quality of product and service, and thus fidelity to its brand. In order to reach that goal, H-D centralized its marketing on these topics, for example creating a Harley Owners Group who rallies more than 900,000 members worldwide (www.harley-davidson.com). The main interest of this group is to ensure members to know each other, and become a second family who share the same interests, wills, and thoughts. This strategy also ensures H-D to maintain a strong relationship with its customers, and thus a strong brand name all over the world. According to customers, the owners of H-D say that this brand understands them and their n eeds, and also that they are always there if a problem appears. These remarks can be linked with H-Ds values. According to H-D Our values are the heart of how we run our business. They guide our actions and serve as the framework for the decisions and contributions our employees make at every Respect the Individual, and Encourage Intellectual Curiosity (www.harleydavidson.com). This strategy can also be linked with the mission statement of H-D: We fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling by providing to motorcyclists and to the general public an expanding line of motorcycles and branded products and services in selected market segments (www.harleydavidson.com). In order to be successful, organizations must determine clear financial and strategic objectives. (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson) H-D focused on gaining a greater market share, achieving higher product quality than rivals, maintaining a stronger reputation and a better branding strategy than its competitors, increasing levels of customer satisfaction and finally attaining stronger customer loyalty. In the 60s and 70s Harleys strategic intent was based on going shoulder-to-shoulder against the predominantly Japanese companies. Harley could not compete on the price level, and the Japanese products were of superior quality, Harley decided to compete in other areas. Their new strategy was to connect with people on an emotional level. They are not selling a product but a way of life, a way of thinking. Harley changed its strategy from selling products to selling community (Mitchell). And the fact that H-D has developed a Brand stretching strategy can also be an element of Harleys success in developing relationships with customers. Indeed, owners can buy other Harleys products than bikes; it means that they can be more than a biker, they can join Harleys group buying leather accessories or clothes, and even cosmetics. III. Industry/External Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis Threat of New Entry: Low Requiring high capital investment to enter the business because of the scale economies in production, research, marketing and service of this industry is high. Brand Identification of Harley Davidson has been strongly established for years. The entrants will face a big barrier to overcome customer loyalty of Harley. Harley has developed its limited distribution channels via licensed private dealer and distributor. The new entrant of this industry most probably has to create its own distribution channel and make another investment which causes a barrier to entry this industry become high. Powerful Buyers: Low The product is targeted to individual buyer rather than large-volume buyer therefore buyers will have only small power to force the price down. The product is differentiated or targeted for niche market therefore the buyer will not easily find the alternative product. Harley also produces parts and accessories as proprietary components for their bikes which are not produced by other company. There is quite a small number of this industry in the same market. Since the product is differentiated, the customer tends not to price sensitive. Substitute Products: High Customers taste is shifted into Japanese motorbike. Products with the sophisticated features, high quality and new design have been available in the market to adopt the trend-shifting. Other means of transportation which are less season restrictive. Powerful Suppliers: Low The suppliers customer are not fragmented so they have a high bargaining power Switching cost of changing suppliers is not too high since it doesnt require to invest heavily to be a supplier. Competitive Rivalry: High Lack of products differentiation or narrow product line. Industry growth is slow, precipitating fights for market share that involve expansion minded members Exit barriers are high. Harley has a high loyalty to keep the business survive. The rivals, for example Honda, are diverse in strategies, origins and personalities to compete and continually run head-on into each other. Competitor Analysis/Strategic Issues There are four strategic issues that H-D has to face with. The most important is the European market where H-D has to increase its sales, then, linked with the first issue, there is a fierce competition with the Japanese firms such as Honda and Yamaha. The other issues are the womens market and the accessories which are in decline. Harley-Davidson is not very famous in Europe where Harleys market share of 650 cc plus motorcycle is less than 7% (6.6%), while in North America Harley-Davidson has a huge market share (46.4%), 21.3% for the Asian market. The main industry competitors are Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki and BMW. Harley-Davidson is the market leader in the U.S. market with 46.4% market share (Woodyard). Their domestic position is quite secure however the rival companies are all aiming to increase their impact on the North American market. Honda remains the main competitor with a 20.2% market share in North America. Even though they trail behind Harley in the high profit market for heavy bikes, Honda sells more bikes worldwide than H-D. Honda provides a wider selection of products ranging from super sport bikes, cruisers, scooters and motor cross bikes. The popularity of cruiser bikes is increasing and last year the registrations for heavy weight motorcycles rose by 22%, but Harleys share fell from 50.2% in 1997 to 46.4% in 2002 (Woodyard). This means that companies like Honda are quite successful in taking customers away from Harley. Rival manufacturers such as Kawasaki or BMW have all made a serious attempt to establish them at the heart of Harleys market. The Japanese bikes were often considered to be sissy cycles by Harley lovers (Mitchell). This image is slowly changing and the Japanese companies are trying to out Harley the Harley models. Yamaha motor USA is starting to improve its position in its various markets. The U.S. sales have increased for 47% since 1998. Despite these successes, companies have had a tough time in creating an image for themselves particularly in the cruiser markets. Harley continues to dominate the U.S, market and is also the leader in the Asian/Pacific markets with 21.3% market share. So, compared with Honda, its main competitor, H-D is better in North America and in Asia-Pacific, but certainly not in Europe. There is not too much gap between all the competitors, especially between H-D and Honda (21.3% against 19.1%). But, this is totally different in Europe for Harley-Davidson who has only 6.6% of market share; this market is the most promising. Thats why Harley-Davidson has to focus especially its marketing in the European market in order to win market shares, and reduce the gap between its competitors. Moreover, Harley net revenue in Europe is the second behind the U.S. So, if Harley succeeds in increasing its market share in Europe, its net revenue could be in high growth. Then, in order to fully understand its market, and in order to compete in a more serious way its competitors, H-D must identify the distinct segments that their competitors focus on and what distinctive product service benefits they offer. Hondas activities are forcing H-D into a niche market. The company is known for its flexibility and is progressively introducing bigger and better bikes. The Japanese manufacturer is starting to increase its competitive pressure by applying some of the strategies implemented by Harley. Honda is beginning to improve its relations with its customers and is also trying to build a sense of community among its customers. The Honda Rider Club of America is Hondas attempt to achieve the same sense of belonging Harley bikers have with their beloved brand (www.honda.com). The club allows customers to gain 24-hour emergency roadside services. The club also organizes a number of events and rallies for the Honda fans. Honda is also trying to create the next generation of loyal Honda bikers. Honda organizes a number of Motor-Cross Camps for young riders. Some of the main activities include riding courses races and riding trips and family activities, the main way to gain the loyalty of young biker s who will hopefully stay loyal to the brand, as they get older. These community-building strategies are proving to be extremely beneficial for the Japanese firm. The Honda new models such as the Shadow 750, the VTX 1300S are Hondas attempts to steal some of Harleys market share by recreating the Harley feel. Superior technology is the main strategy to achieve this goal. Yamaha is also trying to outperform Harley and is improving its mass customization skills. The Yamaha website offers a section that allows customers to design their own bike and choose the look and functionality they desire. The interface ensures customers to choose from 75 Yamaha accessory items and makes it easy for the customer to purchase the bike online. The Yamaha V Max model, the Drag Star, and the Road Star models attract customers with their slick design and technological tweaks (www.yamaha.com). The Yamaha sports models are also very successful and the company is still maintaining a strong position in worl d markets. European rivals are also trying to make an impact on this lucrative market. Italys Moto Guzzi recently introduced the V11 EV custom cruiser. BMW introduced 3 models of its R1200C cruiser and thanks to clever advertising is beginning to improve its position in the U.S. and Asian markets (www.bmw.com). According to the website, only 10% of the Harleys customers are females. But female bikers are more and more interested by bikes (www.moto-station.com). Yamaha and Kawasaki are trying to take advantage of this growing interest of female bikers and many of their ads feature women on motorcycles. Harley has already understood this new opportunity. Another key issue for the future is the problem of the accessories. Indeed, those products such as perfumes or cosmetics are decreasing a lot. So, Harley-Davidson should take a decision about this unsuccessful strategy of brand stretching. But, this strategy has a lot of success regards to the leatherwear and fashion area. According to me, Harley-Davidson should continue to improve this brand stretching and not leave the market of cosmetics and perfumes. V. Financial Assessment of Industry Harley Davidson Past Current Financial Performance Year 2003 $ 4.6 billion total revenue (up 13% from 02) $ 761 million net income (up 31% from 02) $650 million free cash flow (up 59% from 02) Repurchased 2.3 million shares of stock Return an average equity >20% 291,000 H-D units shipped (up 10% from02) 36% Gross Profit margin (up from 02) Gross profit margin 37.87% of revenue Year 2004 $5.0 billion total revenue (up 8.5% from03) $889 million net income (up 16.9% from 03) Repurchased 10.6 million shares of stock Return on average equity >25% 317,289 motorcycle units shipped (up 9% from 03) EPS 3.0 (20% increase form last year) (Hoovers Online) Trends Forecasts Pushed by an increase in female riders, wider age group, and the broadening appeal of motor scooters and other small, less-expensive two-wheelers, motorcycles sales rose 4.7% to top 1 million for the second-consecutive year (Woodyard). However a market slowdown is looming due to the weak dollar, costs of steel and other materials are rising; this will cause makers to rises prices or take a hit on profits. Currently all segments in the market are increasing, however scooters and classically styled so-called cruiser bikes are of the most heavily increasing and popular segments (Woodyard). Business Models of Firms in the Motorcycle Industry Firms in the motorcycle industry operate in two modes of the business model; Just-In-Time and Built-To-Order. Companies such as Honda and Harley primary focus are on supplying motorcycles through licensed distributors and dealers. Smaller dealers focus on built-to-order where riders can customize performance and style designed to complement their style, size, and skill level. Profit Pools Harleys primary sources of profits come from the initial motorcycle sale, finance contracts, licensing agreements, product upgrades, and accessory goods. Based on this information we can conclude that Harley does a good job of extracting the most margins from its customer base. Key Financial Performance Metrics of Major Players * Market share figure in 2004 ( %) North America Market share 2004 (%) Harley Davidson 48.1 Honda 18.6 Suzuki 10.3 Yamaha 9.1 Kawasaki 7.1 BMW 2.8 Other 4.0 (WoodYard) Key Valuation Metrics of Major Players * Harley Davidson Financial Performance 2004 Market Cap 13,638.01 Earning Rate 20.3% Growth Rate 5.3% P/E 15.10 (Standard Poors NetAdvantage) *SP considers Harley-Davidson to have no competitors hence no competitor metrics are available. VI. Competitive Analysis Strengths Customer Loyalty and Following Very High Product Demand Profitable Product Line and Market Mix Highest Market Share for Motorcycles over 750cc in the United States Union contract that is beneficial to both the Firm and the Employees Significant opportunities in the growing worldwide motorcycle market A proven management team thats committed to build a beneficial relationship with all of the stakeholders for the long term Increased capacity with the construction of new plant and distribution center Increased Segmentation with the purchase of Buell Motorcycle Co. Weaknesses Inefficiency due to Large Production Level More Demand than Supply Lower Than expected Sales in Motor Clothes Lingering rebel biker image Opportunities Electronic commerce and communications Opportunities in the female market niche Threats Tariffs that might exist in other markets Imitation of Harleys products from other competitors. Loss of market share due to low production capacity VII. Market/Customer Harleys customers are not the metal bikers customers who used to be in the past. Indeed, Harley-Davidson attracts now more profession such as lawyers or doctors about 45 years with a medium income level. H-D has developed a brand stretching strategy can also be an element of Harleys success in developing relationships with customers. Indeed, owners can buy other Harleys products than bikes; it means that they can be more than a biker, they can join Harleys group buying leather accessories or clothes, and even cosmetics. Recent trends show there is an increase in the market segment to appeal to women. Roughly 10% of riders in the U.S. are women which offer potential for growth. Although motorcycles are sold internationally, 3 main geographic markets comprise the bulk of motorcycle sales North America, Asia, and Europe. The largest is the North American Market (USA and Canada account for about 60% of this market) accounting for 60% of worldwide motorcycle sales (Klein). With the baby generation aging, opportunities exist for the penetration of new markets. The Japanese market accounting for a great chunk of the Asian Market is an untapped one for foreign manufacturers. Government regulations and trade policies make it difficult for foreign manufacturers to enter though. Most Asians consider motorcycles as a basic means of transportation. Major target areas include China, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. The European Market is another market with great potentials since Europeans have a higher disposable income and enjoy a higher standard of living. Eastern Europe is not offering a good deal mainly because of its unstable political and economic environment. To succeed in these markets, firms are to modify products to meet local needs, provide after sales service, expand distribution networks, and create strong customer relationships (Klein). VIII. Internal Capabilities Issues Issues Exports in Europe are not that easy since the products are going to be acceptable to heavy tariffs, since they come from a country outside the European community. In the future a subsidiary in one of the European community countries would relax the tariffs. Also loss of market share due to low production capacity may also prohibit Harley from gaining potential new customers because of the extended waiting period. Management Depth Harley Davidson has a flexible management that encourages employee involvement by having an open door policy to allow employee to communicate and contribute his and her idea to senior management or CEO (Teerlink). Organization Issues With over 8000 salaried and unionized employees are the key competency to H-D success. Employees are considered as foundation of company success and are the engine to drive company to success, because employee involvement is strong culture in H-D where employees are empowered to take initiative to identify and solve problems. (Teerlink). Value Chain Marketing Advertising Harley Owner Group convoys free advertising Promotions at motorcycles rallies and improve dealer network to broaden appeals to new customers Not much spending on advertising Licensing brand/logo to more than 100 manufacturers thereby increasing exposure to customer Distributing newsletter and promote rallies Human resources Harley Davidson mechanics and dealership personnel were trained at Harley Davidson University. They took course in retail management, inventory control, merchandising, customer service, diagnostics, maintenance, engine service technique. Provide in -dealership courses through its web based distance learning program Service Demo ride in various location through all US Daily rental to decide whether they want to buy Providing training course for inexperienced riders in America, Europe and Asia (25 hour Riders Edge Program) contributed to company increased sales from female buyers (increased from 2% total sales before adapting to 9% in 2003). The company found that woman more likely to purchase after taking training course Financial service to make it more affordable Operations The companys expansion plan of its York and Pennsylvania plants expects to allow the company to increase production to 400,000 units by 2007. Distribution Through dealerships Showrooms offer a large assortment of clothing items and accessories in addition to new motorcycles Dealers are responsible for operating showrooms, stock parts and accessories. 161 dealers in Japan. 50 dealers and 3 distributors in Australia and New Zealand. 7 dealers in South East Asian and East market. Infrastructure Public listed company Quality system Strategy planning are not clear Core Competencies and Competitive Advantage Customer loyalty and brand image Valuable? Yes Rare? Yes Costly to imitate? Yes Non substitutable? Yes A core competence and a sustainable competitive advantage Large-displacement motorcycles Valuable? Yes Rare? Yes (for now) Costly to imitate? No Non substitutable? Yes Yields only a temporary competitive advantage VIIII. Strategies of Harley Davidson As stated earlier, strategic issues that H-D has faced is increased segmentation in the motorcycle industry causing them to shift focuses in their strategy. With the purchase of Buell Motorcycle Co. they have been successfully able to increase their market segmentation by offering high quality bikes at competitive price. This allowed H-D to have to opportunity to move from a differentiation strategy to a cost/differentiation strategy. Harley Davidsons use of the Cost/Differentiation as a Business Level Strategy has proven highly successful since they have been in business. They have always tried to differentiate themselves from everyone else in the motorcycle industry, by producing a brand image that many competitors have failed to recreate. Harley Davidson has two different companies built into one. The first of the two companies produces motorcycles at competitive prices against their competitors. Harley Davidson demands high standards of quality and efficiency and demand lower costs, which will add to a higher quality less expensive motorcycle. Harley Davidson has done extensive research to find out information about their average customer. Harley Davidson concluded that the average motorcycle consumer is a married, college educated, 38 year-old male earning $44,250 a year and his average income is increasing. Research also shows that females represent 10% of the new purchasers. The second company that Harley Davidson implemented is the Costume Vehicle Operations or CVO. This company specializes and customizes the motorcycles to suit the individual owner. Harley Davidson also offers genuine parts and accessories so Harley owners can customize their own motorcycles. The CVO tries to use the differentiation strategy to beat out its competitors. The customization of a motorcycle can prove to be very expensive and time consuming, but Harley Davidson knows that what good is a bike if you cannot show people who you really are. The customers are willing to wait an average of 1 year after placing their order to receive their customized motorcycle. Every other motorcycle manufacturer is trying to imitate Harley and their products. Harley has the top of the industry manufacturing process with large state of the art factories, and distribution, with many small and personalized, to market dealers, who sell their products. Harley Davidsons Corporate Level Strategy tends to favor the Related Diversification Strategy. Their two primary businesses are related to each other in some manner or another. The two divisions, CVO and the Competitive Price Division, are related by using the same suppliers. Although the two divisions serve two totally different responsibilities to the consumers, they are truly related in their strengths to differentiate themselves from all the other competition. Harley Davidson does not do much promotion at the corporate level. Primarily, the local dealers do their promotion. Harley Davidson uses many different types of strategies to help them become on of the most dominant motorcycle producers in the world. X. Assessment Analysis The Senior Paper has given an intuitive look into strategies at work and based on the analysis done it is reasonable to assume that H-D will be successful staying competitive. H-D implemented changes in the 90s to prepare for the future challenges and stay ahead of competition. They have targeted towards improving and expanding manufacturing and creating new products and services. Thus far, the strategies have been very successful and have built strong relationships with all their shareholders. H-D has found new ways to extract margins from its customer base through finance contracts, licensing agreements, product upgrades, and accessory goods. It has expanded it product line to the small and mid-size range with the purchase of Buell Motorcycle Co. They know who their customers are, and which markets they need to expand on. They also have happy unionized workers who share the same values as the management team. Most importantly through the decades, H-D motorcycles have had the ability to generate emotion. This emotion and loyal has never been duplicated by any company to date, and probably never will. If H-D continues to innovate there is not question that they continue to gain market share.