Plessy vs fersgeson Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Plessy vs fersgeson - Assignment Example Ferguson, the Committee of Citizens sought a legal redress in the Louisiana Court to challenge the unconstitutionality of ‘separate but equal’ doctrine that allowed racial segregation in public facilities in Louisiana. This followed the arrest of Plessy Homer who despite being a black used a white designated car. In his ruling, Judge John Howard held that Louisiana Stage was justified to enforce such discriminatory laws. The ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court of Louisiana and Supreme Court of US. By arguing in favor of ‘separate but equal,’ this ruling endorsed racial segregation in USA. On the other hand, Brown v. Board of Education was filed by Brown Oliver et al to advocate for the revocation of the laws that had been propagating the segregation of students in public schools. The plaintiffs argued that such laws violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments that support equality. The court ruled that segregation laws in public schools are unconstitutional and should be repealed. By overturning the Plessy v. Ferguson, this ruling paved way for the eradication of segregation in public schools and racial integration in the country. It was indeed, a great victory to the Civil Right Movements that had been piling pressure on the government to end

An Intelligence View of Music Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

An Intelligence View of Music Education - Essay Example This certainly puts a whole new perspective on music education. Parents and teachers can now understand the great potential that resides un-explored in the mind of a child and know that music holds the key to unlock that potential. The narrative style is very simple and easy to follow. That is another achievement by Dr Harvey as he has spared us the high-sounding, difficult to pronounce technical jargon associated with brain studies. Sequential details make it easy to follow the chronology of development in this field. The under-tone of the article is that after knowing the unique qualities of music education, it does not have to remain an "extra-curricular" activity. As Ives said, "Music expands my mind and challenges me to be a true individual". That is good enough reason to make music education a part of education curriculum. Research Proposal Music Education - Just Arts or Smarts "Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective". These words of former President Bill Clinton sum up the point of view of music education proponents. The advocates of music education consider music education essential for development of both intellectual and aesthetic faculties. Several studies have confirmed that music directly enhances learning through increased spatial development. Math and reading are improved by learning rhythms and decoding notes and symbols. So there appears to be cross disciplinary learning in music.[1]. On the internet, www.childrenmusicworkshop.com is a strong advocate of music education. They say that, "it is...â€Å"Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective†. These words of former President Bill Clinton sum up the point of view of music education proponents. The advocates of music education consider music education essential for development of both intellectual and aesthetic faculties. Several studies have confirmed that music directly enhances learning through increased spatial development. Math and reading are improved by learning rhythms and decoding notes and symbols. So there appears to be cross disciplinary learning in music.[1]. On the internet, www.childrenmusicworkshop.com is a strong advocate of music education. They say that, â€Å"it is an anomaly that while music is undermined in our public schools as a legitimate subject for serious study, there is a rise in the body of research demonstrating that music is a valuable tool for educators. Those who consider music to be an extra-curricular activity unworthy of inclusion as a core subject are overlooking the unique qualities that music instruction provides to all children†. [2]. In the words of Dr Arthur Harvey of the University of Hawaii (Manoa) :- â€Å"Three major developments in recent years have strengthened our position in promoting music as a significant and research supported discipline that ought to be the core of the curriculum.

A critical analysis of Liquidity, Profitability and Efficiency

A critical analysis of Liquidity, Profitability and Efficiency the industry average of current ratio is 2.2:1.company A is showing better current ratio of 2.63 as compared to industry average of 2.2 which mean that the company A bears a greater ability to paid its bills . Company B and C have less current ratio as compared to the industry average which means that the performance of these companies are not up to standard however company Cs current ratio is slightly greater than the industry average which shows that the performance of company C is satisfactory. The industry average of quick ratio is 1.5 whiles the average quick ratios of companies A B and C are 1.99, 1.54 and 1.71 respectively which shows that the said companies posses a greater ability to pay their bills however only the company D quick ratio is slightly less than the industry average ratio which is 1.48 which mean the company needs to review its liquidity plans . PROFITABILITY The industrys average of ROCE is 15% and the average ROCE of companies A Is 19.3%, company B is 21.26%, company C is 28.24% and company D is 31.13 which means that the companies are earning a good return on their capital employed. Company C and D gross profit ratios are 53.14% and 56% which are comparatively better than the industrys average of 48% however company B gross profit ratio is 48% which equals the industrys average but company A GP ratio is 43.75% which is less than the industrys average. It is suggested that the company A should reduce its cost of sale or increase its sales revenue. The industrys average of operating profit ratio is 40% unfortunately company A and B both have low operating profit ratio which are 33.75% and 38.28% respectively which indicates that both companies A and B has low control in their operating expenses on the other hand companies C and D have better operating profit ratios which are 46.63% and 48.73 showing that the management of both companies bears a good control on their expenses. EFFICIENCY Companies A B and C have high stock turn over which are 63.88, 75.43 and 71.22 all three companies exceeds the industrys average of 35 days which means that there could be a problem in their demand and supply due to which companies inventory is not easily converted into finish goods hence there are not able to effectively sale their products. Note: Company D stock turn over ratio cannot be calculated because of unavailability of required data. The industrys average of total turnover ratio is 0.9 time and in this regard all the four companies have good total turnover ratio which are 0.95, 0.93, 1.01 and 1.06 showing the good return on their assets. INVESTMENT There is no such parameter by which one can compare the earning per share with the industrys standards. However we can compare EPS among the four companies that EPS of companies C and D are 0.98 and 0.88 is comparatively good than the companies A and B of 0.54 and 0.56 respectively. As far as the position of best company is concerned company D is said to be the best company because of better ROCE 31.13 which means the company is earning highest profitability, EPS 0.88 indicated earning per share is very good and dividend cover 3.68 the shareholders of the company receiving handsome dividend. ANSWER 1 (B) Company D shows a good charm for the shareholders because its earning per share is higher is 0.88 as compare to other companies like A and B but slightly less to company C which EPS is 0.98 however company D also have better dividend cover of 3.68 which depicts that it is paying its shareholder more than any other said company pay however company C once again a big rival in payment of dividend has a dividend cover of 3.38. On the other hand management of company D plays a remarkable role in utilising the shareholders funds hence reducing the long-term liabilities option because of less long term liabilities company D also has to pay less amount of interest on these loans as compare to other companies. Therefore it is suggested to invest in company D from shareholder perspective. ANSWER 2(a) ANSWER 2 (A) CRITICAL ANALYSIS The net present value is a discounted cash flow approach to capital budgeting. The net present value (NPV) of an investment proposal is the present value of the proposals net cash flow less the proposals initial cash outflow. If an investment projects net present value is zero or more, the project is accepted, if not, it is rejected. In this case of Tridad ltd the NPV is -6384.24 which means the value is less than zero therefore the project is not viable for the company. ANSWER 2(B) The internal rate of return is 13% ANSWER 2(C) If a refinancing option (overseas loan) were to be taken then there are many risks that the company might face like FINANCIAL RISKS: forex risk hedges overseas government policies WAYS TO DEAL : There are couple of ways which can be use to deal with the said financial risks Loan with fixed interest rate Buy futures which will give the company assurity of the expected future cash outflow- Reduces uncertainty and any cash problems that could be used due to this. ANSWER 3(A) Proposed profit 91,552 Proposed profit 78,832 Break-even hours 1,393 Break-even hours 1,574 Break-even Sales 208,955 Break-even Sales 340,000 ANSWER 3 (B) Boris Plc has an operating profit of 91552 in scenario 1 and 78832 in scenario 2 at the sale turnover of 345600 and 497664 in scenario 1 and 2 respectively. For achieving the break-even at least 1393 hours in scenario 1 and 1574 hours in scenario 2 have to be sold out so that variable cost can be observed. Break-even techniques are based on marginal costing therefore fixed cost plays a significant role companys operating results and performance. In the long haul fixed cost needs to be fully observed hence absorption costing approach is critical to be planned in the long term decision making plan.

Molding of Society in Saramagos Blindness Essay -- Jose Saramago

To an extent, fear can be used as a way to mold society. The fear of terrorism set out by the event of 9/11 made it a more fear-driven world with growing minds of over analytical, blind, ignorant and assumable citizens, finger-pointing at others. But Jose Saramago's Blindness shows the possibility of fear molding our society. An epidemic of a bright, white blindness affecting all people, such brightness that no one would see anything but the white brightness itself, the novel uses this metaphorically as that we choose to ignore so much of the misery that goes on around us, the awful things that are happening in front of us, the despicable aspects of life. Instead, we chose to see what we want to see.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Look here, blind man, let me tell you something, either the two of you get back to where you came from, or you'll be shot, Let's go, said the wife, there's nothing to be done, they're not to blame, they're terrified and are only obeying orders..." (Saramago 63) This scene involves the blind in the institution, specifically the doctor and his wife that came to ask a guard for any antibiotics for a wounded man. This and other scenes throughout the novel shows the panic and fear from society and the government of this epidemic of blindness rapidly spreading with no reason. And particularly found in this quote is the power and the ability to implant such threat and fear in the blind internees, who are not only afraid of their own life that's hanging by a string because of th... Molding of Society in Saramago's Blindness Essay -- Jose Saramago To an extent, fear can be used as a way to mold society. The fear of terrorism set out by the event of 9/11 made it a more fear-driven world with growing minds of over analytical, blind, ignorant and assumable citizens, finger-pointing at others. But Jose Saramago's Blindness shows the possibility of fear molding our society. An epidemic of a bright, white blindness affecting all people, such brightness that no one would see anything but the white brightness itself, the novel uses this metaphorically as that we choose to ignore so much of the misery that goes on around us, the awful things that are happening in front of us, the despicable aspects of life. Instead, we chose to see what we want to see.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Look here, blind man, let me tell you something, either the two of you get back to where you came from, or you'll be shot, Let's go, said the wife, there's nothing to be done, they're not to blame, they're terrified and are only obeying orders..." (Saramago 63) This scene involves the blind in the institution, specifically the doctor and his wife that came to ask a guard for any antibiotics for a wounded man. This and other scenes throughout the novel shows the panic and fear from society and the government of this epidemic of blindness rapidly spreading with no reason. And particularly found in this quote is the power and the ability to implant such threat and fear in the blind internees, who are not only afraid of their own life that's hanging by a string because of th...

Humans or Robots? Essay

As Americans, we are told from a young age that in order to have a fulfilling life we must work hard to reach the American Dream. We must get an impressive degree; we must get married by age thirty to someone of the opposite sex; we must have two kids—one boy and one girl; and most importantly we must work a nine-to-five job, writing reports at a desk in a successful corporate business. If one does not fulfil these requirements, others expect that they probably were not up to par, or as deserving, as the other Joe Schmo who did. In Daniel Orozco’s short story, â€Å"Orientation,† the narrator is showing a new employee around the office, telling him/her about all of the rules that he/she must follow, about the personal lives of the other employees’, and about the â€Å"perks† he/she will have as an employee. By illustrating the corporate workplace as being void of any human element, the story argues that the workplace is an impersonal and a relentles sly unforgiving environment, and that people should be aware of this crisis in corporate America, and furthermore see the faults of the corporate workplace. The story begins with the narrator telling the new employee rules about his/her phone, and that he/she may not answer it or make any personal phone calls, unless it is an emergency. However, after the narrator tells the new employee what he/she must do in the case of an emergency call, the narrator describes the consequences to not following the rules by saying, â€Å"If you make an emergency phone call without asking, you may be let go† (484). This illustrates the company’s capacity for human emotion (which is obviously extremely low), showing that the company’s value of its rules is more important than any emergency. An emergency is something that comes up unexpectedly and needs to be attended to right away to fix the problem. In this case, the company has no empathy for its employees but rather for the efficiency of the business. The employees are expected to put their job before everything in their lives, even though a job is, in most cases, a source to suppo rt the other aspects of their lives. The narrator goes on to point out the receptionist who is a temporary employee, but is only labeled temporary because historically they always  seem to quit. The narrator states, â€Å"Be polite and civil to our temps. Learn their names. Invite them to lunch occasionally. But don’t get too close to them, as it only makes it more difficult when they leave† (484). The narrator is instructing the new employee to be â€Å"polite† and â€Å"civil† to the receptionist, which contrasts the human tendency to want to be friendly to co-workers. This illuminates the narrator as being robotic and emotionless, just like the company. The narrator and the company alike are incapable of genuine emotion, which is evident when the narrator tells the new employee to be â€Å"polite† and â€Å"civil† but to not get too attached. The emotional ability of the narrator is clearly forced when he/she tells the employee to be â€Å"civil† towards the receptionists, to â€Å"learn their names†, and to â€Å"invite them to lunch occasionally.† The low magnitude of what the narrator perceives as friendly is disturbingly unhuman-like. The narrator has no difficulty telling the new employee to put in the bare minimum of his/her emotional effort, by purely tolerating the receptionist, without being too mean or too nice to her. The narrator expects the new employee to be just as detached and emotionless as the company, because if he/she is not, it would only make it emotionally harder for him/her to endure the emotionless acts and values of the company. In another attempt to make the company appear good, the narrator tells the new employee about the comprehensive health plan that covers the costs of any family illness or tragedy. The narrator uses the example that if anything happened to any of Larry Bagdikian’s daughters, all expenses would be covered and that, â€Å"he would have nothing to worry about† (486). The irony behind this is that if an illness or tragedy happened to any of his daughters, he would have the illness or tragedy to worry about rather than the breadth of his health plan. Like any good father, he would fret about his child’s well-being above any financial costs. This piece of evidence has a strong connection back to when the narrator said that if the new employee ever made an emergency phone call without asking, the new employee would be let go. Another example of how the comprehensive health plan does not take away worry is when the narrator talks about how Barry Hacker’s wife died, and how she was completely covered but she has â€Å"haunt[ed] him† (487) since. The company’s comprehensive health plan shows that the company expects  family illnesses and tragedies to come up, but the company would rather make up for their lack of empathy during the emergency, when it is already too late and has turned into a tragedy. Although the company tries to make the comprehensive health plan look like a perk to the job, Orozco argues that it is more of a plan to compensate for the company’s faults and is purely intended to take employees’ attention away from the corrupt workplace environment. An ongoing pattern throughout the story that illuminates the strict workplace environment is shown in the repetition of, â€Å"you may be let go†. A good example of this is when the narrator states, â€Å"Feel free to ask questions. Ask too many questions, however, and you may be let go† (484). In a humane workplace, there are typically universal rules that, if broken, would result in an employee being fired. However, the company’s rules that will get an employee fired are all irrational. The company expects its employees to act without human error and to balance everything with perfect proportion. This is manifested when the narrator says to not ask â€Å"too many questions† but does not tell the new employee what that exactly means. The amount of questions that the new employee will perceive as too many is subjective, but the narrator sees it as an objective amount and expects the new employee to also see it objectively and without further clarification. The narrator goes on to explain the rules about the coffee pool and the microwave oven. When talking about the coffee pool, the narrator says, â€Å"You are allowed to join the coffee pool of your choice, but you are not allowed to touch the Mr. Coffee† (486). Immediately after, the narrator goes on to describe the rules for the microwave oven when he/she states, â€Å"You are allowed to heat food in the microwave oven. You are not, however, allowed to cook food in the microwave oven† (486). When it comes down to it, the company’s strict guidelines have little to do with the company itself. The rules for the Mr. Coffee and the microwave oven are both very simple and perplexing. Rules are generally used as safety precautions or for efficiency. Touching the Mr. Coffee and cooking food in the microwave oven have nothing to do with safety or efficiency, and have everything to do with the unforgiving and power-driven nature of the company. Through the absence of any human element, the story argues that the corporate workplace is emotionless and harsh and that it sends a negative message to corporate workplace employees. Orozco’s agenda behind writing â€Å"Orientation† was to articulate how corporate bureaucracies exploit their employees by subjecting them to irrational standards and by expecting them to work without human error. I agree with Orozco because corporate businesses tend to care more about the money and the success rate of the business, rather than their employees. This subjects the employees to neglect and in essence makes them slaves to their workplace. The message is not outdated, and the workplace conditions are currently, in my opinion, more taxing than the author intended to portray. The message that we should always be aware of the faults in the corporate workplace will never be outdated, and furthermore it is important to remember our history for generations to come so that the history of corporate workplace conditions does not repeat itself.

Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork ‘Starry Night’ Essay

Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork ‘starry night’ is a classic example of the post impressionism movement. Post-impressionist were artist who rebelled against the limitations of impressionism. They developed person styles that focus on emotional, structural, symbolic and spiritual elements they felt were missing from impressionism. ‘Starry Night’ was created in 1889, earlier that year Van Gogh decided to enter the asylum at Saint-Rà ©my. ‘Starry night’ was inspired by the view from his window in the asylum. The painting was done on canvas with oil paints. The height of the paint 73.70cm & the height being 92.10cm. Van Gogh’s night sky is brimming with energy and it contrasts with the silent village below. The town he depicts in Starry Night is somewhat from his imagination. Though parts of it related to the view of the village, such as the church. Van Gogh includes a cypress tree in the left foreground which gives off an eerie mood. The colours are deep and rich the lines are spiral and curved, the painting is top heavy and the stroke thick and rugged. The sky is organic, it spirals and the colours are deep and rich. The town below is barely noticeable in comparison to the sky which draws all your attention. The Cyprus is gloomy and coarse. It’s spikiness and darkness makes a negative space. â€Å"Throughout his career, Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) attempted the paradoxical task of representing night by light. His procedure followed the trend set by the Impressionists of â€Å"translating† visual light effects with various color combinations. At the same time, this concern was grafted onto Van Gogh’s desire to interweave the visual and the metaphorical in order to produce fresh and deeply original works of art.† –MoMa (museum of modern art.) Van Gogh briefly yet fulsomely explores his special relationship with the darkness. His colours provide and tendency but also an urgency. The clashing of all the colours is exaggerated and visually dramatic. The dominance of the yellow in contrast to the blues; all of the colours complement each other. There are rich blues that sink into greens then into yellows. It looks chaotic, but it’s really very orderly. The landscape is bright, but used to capture the night time. We can tell by the yellow lights in the windows–little splashes of light that bring a vast balance to the bright stars in the sky. This painting is all about balance and harmony. The fact that Van Gogh had painted this from his mental image may have contributed to this piece having such a strong sense of mental dislocation and emotional intensity. One almost feels as if he was hardly  able to contain his feelings and that all his angst and passion seem to just splatter all over the canvas. That it was actually the emotions that were moving the brush rather than his hand. Vincent creat es a perfect balance with line, the contrast between the spiralled night sky and the rough parallel curved Cyprus creates a lovely abstract image. The space and perspective created using line to emphasize the focal points of the painting. The large cypress tree in the foreground should dominate the painting, but we’re drawn to the other elements–the moon, the stars, and the swirling sky because of the definition in their lines. It establishes perspective. It’s definitely in the foreground. The village is in the middle ground, the mountains and sky are background. It’s an amazingly calculated setting. The wavy, turbulent night sky almost mimics the sweeping hillside; makes for a very spiritual feel that carries through the painting. Compared to the human side of the painting (the town) which is very geometric and structural. Which makes you wonder, which part is chaos and which part is formulated? I feel that the town relates to Van Gogh’s life. It’s pretty quiet, everyone’s lights are out while they’re asleep totally unaware of the intense night sky that’s full of life, it makes me feel like he was trying to inform viewers of the ignorance of individuals. I think the village accurately represents a world, all of the people so unaware of raging passions that are going on around them. However to understand starry night to full extent, we must look at the big picture. Vincent Van Gogh was one of the great postimpressionist artists. Postimpressionism was basically a rebellion against impressionism, which believed that art should reflect reality with natural colour and lighting. Postimpressionists believed that art is not meant to imitate form, but to create form. These artists took some inspiration in the world and then painted their world according to their own perceptions. As Van Gogh himself said, â€Å"We may succeed in creating a more exciting and comforting nature than we can discern with a single glimpse of reality.† They had no fixed style – their personal styles reflect on personalities, emotions and soul. Many critics say his bush strokes, odd shapes and painting style were ‘loony’. I don’t think so, tormented and troubled? Maybe yes. But crazy? No! I think Van Gogh executed this painting beautifully, and he knew exactly what he was doing. My interpretation of this artwork is probably different to many, as every  individual has a different one. Everybody seems to be using different codes to decipher this piece. Truth being, no one can really know what Van Gogh’s own interpretations of ‘Starry Night’. For me, I’ve always thought Van Gogh was this tragic, anger-fuelled artist, who wished to do the best for humanity he was capable of. This painting spoke to me of belief and love of gods wonderful creations yet also the unmistakeable feeling of loneliness as if no one really saw things like he did.

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant essays

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant essays A wise man once said There are no perfect people in the world, just perfect intentions. This statement exemplifies Pearl Tull. Pearl is the centerpiece of Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant; a novel which tells the story of her life through the eyes of the people she loved most, her children. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, by Anne Tyler, is a bittersweet novel which demonstrates how one mothers perfect intentions became just the opposite and turned what should have been an ideal family into a group of torn-apart adults who only have a vague idea of what a family should be. Late in her time, as her life was drawing to a close, Pearl Tull laid in her bed with her favorite child, Ezra, nearby. Pearl had become almost completely blind and was about to die, but while her eyes could not see her mind was sharp as a needle. Thoughts rolled in and out of her mind: what should have been, where Ezra should have gone to college, the husband she should have with her, the care her daughter Jenny should have taken about her looks, and most importantly the life she should have had. Pearl had intended nothing but the best for herself and her family but things did not seem to happen the way they should have. Pearl remembers when her intentions first began to sour and turn bad, like milk left in the heat. Her husband Beck, a salesman for the Tanner Corporation, had bought a bow and arrow set for the children. In his eyes this would create the opportunity for the perfect family trip that could bring the family together. The entire family went out on that Sunday, Jenny (the youngest), Ezra (the gentle one), and Cody (the oldest and most troublesome). Cody became extremely upset over Ezra doing something better, acted impulsively and caused an arrow to be shot unexpectedly, hitting his mother in the shoulder. Pearl remembered the trip clearly, as did Cody and Beck. Cody remembered, &...

Lotus Bakery, Case Study Essays

Lotus Bakery, Case Study Essays Lotus Bakery, Case Study Paper Lotus Bakery, Case Study Paper Lotus Bakeries NV International case study Bart Bauwens Director Export November 2010 Personal introduction Bart Bauwens – 1967 Master in Business Economics University of Ghent, Belgium – 1991 Master in Business Administration – National University of Singapore – 2008 Specialisation in Export Management University of Antwerp, Belgium 1/1/2000: Start with Lotus Bakeries Director Sales Marketing Lotus Bakeries Asia Pacific : 1/11/2003 – 31/07/2008 Since 1/08/2008: Director Export Aim of this lecture : Introduce you shortly to Lotus Bakeries, our products and our structure and link it to our export strategy Go over some very simple basic principles to take in consideration in export with focus on 4 P’s Case: introducing Lotus in China Challenge you to think beyond the known and see international business with different eyes Q A. Contents : 1) Who is Lotus Bakeries ? 1. History 2. Products 3. Organizati on 4. Results 5. Corporate Strategy 6. Realisation most important projects 2) Why exporting ? 3) How to start the export adventure ? 4) Case : Introduction of Lotus in China 5) QA 1) Who is Lotus Bakeries ? 1. History 932 1974 1988 2001 2006 2008 Foundation Lotus NV Merger with Corona IPO Lotus brand Acquisition of Koninklijke Peijnenburg (NL) Acquisition of Anna’s Pepparkakor (SE) 2. Products Caramelised biscuits Gingerbread Cakes Waffles Pepparkakor Caramelized biscuits Gingerbread Cakes Waffles Pepparkakor 3. Operational organisation Corporate headquarters in Lembeke 3. Operational organisation Corporate Executive Committee Group Management Team Northern Eastern Europe Belgium Netherlands France UK North America Export 3. Operational organisation Production plants Belgium: 4 France: 2 Netherlands: 3 Sweden: 1 Canada: 1 3. Operational organisation Production plants Canada: Calgary F: Comines Briec SE: Tyreso NL: Enkhuizen, Geldrop, Sintjohannesga B: Lembeke, Oostakker, Meise, Courcelles 3. Operational organisation Logistics centre Belgium – Central logistics centre in Lokeren for Belgium, France, Germany and export 3. Operational organisation Own sales organisations EUROPE San Francisco: USA Canada Singapore: Asia Pacific 3. Operational organisation Other export markets Export department in Belgium for Europe and Middle East Cooperation with specialized importers 4. Results 2009 Evolution of turnover – in mio EUR 300 280 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 56,7 224,5 179,3 152,3 261,1 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 4. Results 2009 EVOLUTION OF TURNOVER in millions of EUR Evolution of turnover 2009 – in mio EUR 275,0 250,0 225,0 200,0 175,0 150,0 125,0 100,0 75,0 50,0 25,0 0,0 1987 1994 1995 2001 2002 2009 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 4. Results 2009 To tal turnover 2009 261. 1 mio EUR Evolution Compared with 2008: + 1. 7% Like for like: stable evolution in 2009 versus 2008, taking in account: Takeover Anna’s Divestment Harry’s Benelux Falling sales Jaffa Cake Bars with expiry of the contract with Mc Vities Geographical turnover 2009 per area N-America 6,1% NE EU 8,1% UK 5,1% Export 5,1% Belgium 30,5% France 14,0% Netherlands 31,0% REBIT and REBITDA 2009 mio EUR 2009 2008 Evolution % Turnover Depreciation and amounts written off REBIT REBITDA 261. 1 (12. 1) 256. 7 (11. 0) + 1. 7 + 9. 8 34. 6 48. 2 34. 0 45. 7 + 1. 6 + 5. 5 REBIT and REBITDA 6 m 2010/ 6 m 2009 mio EUR Turnover Depreciation and amounts written off REBIT REBITDA 6 m 2010 6 m 2009 127. 2 (5. 6) 17. 5 24. 3 Evolution % 125. 9 (5. 5) 16. 1 22. 7 + 1. 1 + 3. 2 + 8. 8 + 7. 4 5. Lotus Bakeries growth strategy General theme of our strategic choices We focus our growth objectives on xpanding our best performing products†¦ †¦not on ‘fixing’ weaker performing products We believe that†¦ â€Å"The better a product is performing, the further it is away from its full potential† 5. Lotus Bakeries growth strategy Choices â€Å"To become the number 1 branded leader in our specialty bakery products by maintaining a clear superior taste experience. We want to achieve sales growth ahead of market growth to create room for more investments into the market. † Original Caramelised biscuits : drive to full potential Pepparkakor: become clear leader in Nordics and focus on US + Export to Japan. OCB spread: make the success sustainable in home countries Gingerbread: sharpen positioning and invest behind stars Waffles: develop star products with international potential Cakes: invest behind stars Private label: be very selective Specific growth objectives based on consumer insights (penetration, frequency, value) Strong trade marketing capabilities to win the war in the store Sharp communication on consumption moments linked with brand essence Format innovations to expand star products Maintained lean and flexible supply model to follow the stars and trade activation 5. Lotus Bakeries growth strategy TOP culture TEAMSPIRIT PASSION OPEN DIALOGUE We are using 3 main brands: Lotus, Peijnenburg and Anna’s: Lotus is the main international brand Home markets NL Speculoos BE/FR Nordics International Pepparkakor Spread Ginger bread Waffles Cakes 6. Realisation most important projects. 6. Realisation most important projects. 5. New corporate website 2) Why exporting ? Geographical objectives Caramelized biscuits: become a global player as market- and brandleader. Geographical objectives Gingerbread : become market- and brandleader in The Netherlands, Belgium, France Geographical objectives Cakes : originally regional. Market- and brandleader in the local market of each speciality. Geographical objectives Waffles: strong presence in countries with own sales office. Geographical objectives Annas Ginger Thins: maintain leading position in Scandinavia and introduce it world wide. Geographical objectives Diversification of the market Need for new turn over Competition in home market Demand from abroad Unique product to bring to the world Love to travel 3) How to start the Export adventure ? How to start the export adventure ? Analysis and home work SWOT – Analyse 5 Forces Model of Porter McKinsey 7S Model Go – No go Practical and start 4 P’s SWOT Analysis 5 Forces Model Porter What determines the average industry profitability ? 7S Model What are our core competences on Company level ? Go – No go Concentric approach Go ? Start 4P’s or 7 P’s 4 P’s More in production oriented industries Product Price Place Promotion 4P’s or 7 P’s 3 extra P’s More in a service industry People Process Physical Evidence 3. 1 Unique product and unique concept for export Some questions on the product The product for export is not the same as the product for your domestic market: Why? Some questions on the product Which products can I sell in export? Why should I export this product? Do I have to adapt the taste, shape, details of the products? What about the local rules in f. i. food safety? What about the local rules in packaging and labeling? What about the size, weight, colour,†¦ of my product? Is my packaging suitable for overseas export (transport, palletisation,†¦. ) Some questions on the product Do I have a story on my product or an unique concept? Does my product requires special production methodes, different from the methodes used for my domestic products? Do I need to do more indepth research? 3. 2 Price structure for export Bott om up calculation Cost price calculation: how much does my products cost basically? Raw materials, labour, overheads, internal transport, warehousing, General Administration costs, †¦ How much gross margin do I need – want ? Bottom up calculation Which Incoterm do we use? Ex Works - inside EU FOB - overseas Others: liability? (CF, CIF,†¦) Bottom up calculation Extra costs for export? Extra packaging extra labels Transport: refer or not? Special transport modus? Extra people involved? Extra documents (certificate of origin, health certificate, transport documents, †¦) Insurance Bottom up calculation Extra costs for marketing support overseas Sampling degustation Introduction Listing fees Actions and promotions Local sales team? Instore activities, publicity, advertising, †¦ Top down check Competition Who is it and what type of products do they sell What is their pricing level? Top down check Market How much spending power do peopl e have? What proportion of that power is spent to products like mine? Is the market price sensitive or not? Potential extra costs barriers Potential Extra Costs Import duties Exchange rate: cost of money Potential extra costs barriers Potential Barriers Tarrifs Import duties, Transit duties (India),†¦ Non-Tarrifs Rules, laws that change,†¦ F. i. closure of Chinese ports during Olympics 3. 3 Place : Local Distribution in export What kind of local distribution ? Different forms of partnership in distribution depending on how complex you want to go Agent : intermediair between you and potential clients. You sell to the local client, the agent gets a commission. Importer: you sell directly to him; he markets your product Importer wholesaler What kind of local distribution ? Different forms of partnership in distribution depending on how complex you want to go Representative office: check the market Sales office: part of own organisation Joint Venture: check the market Local production: own local company Be prepared Who is our local partner ? Checklist. General information: name, address, phone numbers,.. How is he structured? Who are his clients? Geographic structure: e. g. in China: is he all over the country? Own sales people? Logistics: does he has his own warehouse and trucks? How is he organised? What other products does he import – distribute – manufacture ? Be prepared Who is our local partner ? Checklist. Conditioning of the products locally: refrigerator or not, stock capacity, how will he handle our products? Is he a brand builder? Is he market leader? Exclusivity or not? Territorial protection? How to check? Via internet or own network etc Via banks, Chamber of Commerce, business Clubs,†¦ Via Embassy or FIT 3. 4 Promotion : Export marketing Export marketing Brand or Private label ? OEM ? What does our brand means in that country? What is our brand positioning? What is our target public there? Export marketing What actions ? Sampling and tastings How to measure the impact of actions? How to get the exact figures? Nielsen , GFK,†¦ Export marketing Local rules on advertising ? Any restrictions ? Anything we can’t do ? Export marketing Co st of marketing actions : How much budget do we need ? How much is paid by our local partner ? Cultural issues Cultural: position of men and women? Religious rules (written or non written) Language Colours Political issues: avoid . 5 People : Internal Structure Internal structure Do we have an export department ? Do we need an export manager? Who will do the back office? Can we be reached the whole day? Do we master the languages? Internal structure Export needs to be structured Focus leads to succes. Other departments Logistic department : Inter company transport Transport to harbour Export documents Other departments Quality management : What rules? How to use them in a commercial way Other departments IT department : Internet connections SAP Other departments Finance department : Export cost money Other departments General management : Everybody in the company must believe in export Communication with collegues and management: personal PR Take everybody with you in the story 3. 6 Process : Process Procedures, flows, processes etc. by which services are consumed : How does the supply chain go from our suppliers over our company all the way to the end consumer of our product or service? How do we manage and controle those processes? Audits? ISO? 3. 7. Physical Evidence : Physical evidence The ability and environment in which the service is performed What tools do we need to perform and deliver? How can we measure our clients needs and expectations ? How can we meet these expectations ? How to reach customers with other expectations ? 4. Case : Introduction of Lotus in China 4. 1. Prospection phase Prospection phase Since 2000 we started to follow the Chinese market and tried to get insights How is the market organised and structured Who are the local and international players in the market – production and sales ? How does the supply chain looks ? What type of consumers do we have and what is the segmentation we can do ? Prospection phase Partner selection : done by 2004 How do we want to enter the market ? No own production No own company No direct delivery to the retailers ? Via an importer They know the market They take ownership and responsability Prospection phase Partner selection : done by 2004 Who are the import companies? What is their strenght and potential ? What kind of contract do we have ? Analyse 2009 : Analyse of existing partner in view of challenges in growth and logistic power for world expo 2010 : new partner selected 4. 2. Start up phase Start up phase : Products : Only speculoos Focus on coffee + cookie concept Single wrapped packs and family packs Start up phase : Region : China is too big to be seen as one country Different languages Different cultures Different eating paterns †¦ Where do we start ? Shanghai Rest of China (e. g. Carrefour) 4. 3. Growth phase Sales marketing support 2010 : Sales are supported based on a marketing plan What action : sampling and tasting, TG/gondola, 2nd placement†¦ Cost of actions Estimated volume and sales Agreed by Lotus Bakeries Sales marketing support 2010 : Support : Mostly in free sampling goods, participation to exhibitons, tastings †¦ Pricing situation Mostly our price level in the trade is OK. We are cheaper priced then high end brands like Bahlsen, JDS etc†¦ and of course higher priced then local manufactured products. Positioning : sophisticated (from Europe), yet accessable. Brand salience in China Challenges : Need to translate our brand salience and visualise this link with coffee consumption at home. Brand salience in China Challenges : Consistency in our communication: Look and feel of new OCB packaging Sampling booth Website: www. lotusbakeries. cn Action and promotions Brand salience in China Challenges : Technical : how do we make publicity ? What kind of setting ? What kind of models ? Sampling in the basis Possible sampling places and moments ? World expo at Belgian Pavillion Retail in Shanghai during the expo period In atrium or shopping centra Street : sampling in Nanjing Lu, Huaihai Lu and other main shopping streets Bars, hotels†¦ during night events ? Exhibitions : Food Hotel China, Sweets China, at the entrance and corridors, in our booth†¦ Sampling @ Expo In 3 locations : at the entrance of the Belgian Pavillion, in coffee shop and in shop Lotus has developped the wrapper and will give 8. 00. 000 biscuits for free 1 biscuit per second Biggest sampling action for Lotus ever Sampling @ Expo The focus is on one pack : OCB 25X1 which is sold in the pavillion at the same price as downtown Shanghai (22 RMB) Local coordination by PAF trainee Sampling @ Expo Queuing for the Belgian Pavilion Queuing for the Belgian Pavilion sampling sampling sampling sampling sampling In the shop In the shop In the shop In the shop In the shop Questions ? Thank you for your attention www. lotusbakeries. com

67 Causal Essay Topics to Consider

67 Causal Essay Topics to Consider A causal essay is much like a cause and effect essay but there may be a subtle difference in the minds of some instructors who use the term causal essay for more complex topics, and the term cause and effect essay for  smaller or more straightforward topics. However, both terms describe essentially the same type of essay and the goal in both types of essays is the same – to come up with a list of events or factors (causes) that bring about a certain outcome (effect). How or why did something happen? It is important to make a clear connection between each cause and the ultimate effect. The most common problem students face in writing the causal essay is running out of causes to talk about.  It is helpful to sketch out an outline before you begin writing the first draft of your outline. Your essay should include a strong introduction, good transition statements, and a well-crafted conclusion. Topics to Consider You can use a topic from this list, or use the list as inspiration for your own idea. What conditions and events led to the Great Depression?What prompts a change in fashion trends?Why do some people fear darkness?How did some dinosaurs leave footprints?What causes criminal behavior?What causes people to rebel against authority?What conditions lead to a powerful hurricane?What developments led to regional accents in the United States?Why do good students become truant?What causes war?What factors can lead to birth defects?How are insurance rates determined?What factors can lead to obesity?What can cause evolution to occur?Why does unemployment rise?Why do some people develop multiple personalities?How does the structure of the earth change?What factors can cause bulimia nervosa?What makes a marriage fail?What developments and conditions led to the Declaration of Independence?What led to the decline of the automobile industry?What factors led to the decline of the Roman Empire?How did the Grand Canyon form?Why did slavery replace indentured servitude in the American co lonies? How has popular music been affected by technology?How has racial tolerance changed over time?What led to the Dot Com bubble burst?What causes the stock market to fall?How does scarring occur?How does soap work?What causes a surge in nationalism?Why do some bridges collapse?Why was Abraham Lincoln assassinated?How did we get the various versions of the Bible?What factors led to unionization?How does a tsunami form?What events and factors led to womens suffrage?Why did electric cars fail initially?How do animals become extinct?Why are some tornadoes more destructive than others?What factors led to the end of feudalism?What led to the Martian Panic in the 1930s?How did medicine change in the nineteenth century?How does gene therapy work?What factors can lead to famine?What factors led to the rise of democratic governments in the 18th century?How did baseball become a national pastime in the United States?What was the impact of Jim Crow laws on black citizens in the United States?What fa ctors led to the growth of imperialism? Why did the Salem Witch Trials take place?How did Adolf Hitler come to power?What can cause damage to your credit?How did the conservationism start?How did World War I start?How do germs spread and cause illness?How do we lose weight?How does road salt prevent accidents?What makes some tires grip better than others?What makes a computer run slowly?How does a car work?How has the news industry changed over time?What created Beatlemania?How did organized crime develop?What caused the obesity epidemic?How did grammar rules develop in the English language?Where do political parties come from?How did the Civil Rights movement begin?

Millennial Generation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Millennial Generation - Assignment Example As such, the changes associated with this group cannot be easily understood at times. The imprints of the generation are moved in the lifecycle of the people, with the most significant impression being seen among the youth. The millennials are considered to be vulnerable to interference. This is claimed to be as a result of multitasking. Despite science claiming that multitasking is a myth, it is quite evident that this generation shows extraordinary multi-tasking abilities. This is seen in places of work and at home. Millennials have grown exposed to a variety of technological advancements and this has motivated them to carry out several duties and activities at the same time. They are always putting their brains with the extensive multitasking training. Evidence has shown that long time engagement in the simultaneous playing of video games, doing assignments and watching television has reduced the ability of the brain to perform thus, making them more vulnerable. It is, however, worth noting that the multi-tasking has allowed them to increase their brain processing speed making the ability to quickly learn and adapt to new environments. There is a popular belief that millennials are more caring and more community oriented. This is shown by their ability to show concern to their colleagues at home and in their places of work. According to Chip, Ukleja, and Rusch, the caring aspect of this generation comes from the environment that such people grow up in. Their childhood is affected by family and social influences that ensure that they develop to become people interested in extrinsic life goals (102). Several products like reality Television, iWorld, and NCLB exposes the generation to the external world and motivates them to engage others socially and culturally. In the long run, it makes them engaged in external life aspects and promotes a caring attitude or trait among them. The millennials are also more open-minded as compared to other generations.  

Self Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self Evaluation - Essay Example Then, I will come up with the possible strategies to implement them to ensure that I succeed. To successfully complete the program, I will have to be hard working. This is a very important goal that will make it much possible for me to move closer to my main objective. To be hard working means to spend my time doing what is expected of me. So, my strategy for implementing this goal is that most of my time will be spent warming books and other non-book reading materials that are available in the school library. It is only through reading and conducting of research that I will manage to grasp the content of all the subjects that I am currently studying (McClelland, 2003). Hard work will also encompass the initiative of personal studies, group work and consultations with my instructors, seniors and class mates. Hard work is a fundamental value for a good student because it can make it much possible for me to successfully complete the program and succeed. The other goal that will propel me to success is time management. As a student, I need to acknowledge the fact that time is one of the most valuable resources I have at my disposal. At no time should it be misused because, as the saying goes, ‘time wasted can never be recovered.’ To avoid any regrets, I will have to make the best of my time (Reiss, 2002). The first strategy for implementing this goal is through having a well planned personal time table. In my time table, I will have to allocate enough time for each and every activity that I will be doing on day to day basis. However, this will be in line with the general school schedule. If I do this, I will get time to read each and every subject without forgetting about any of them. The other strategy is that I will use is to be disciplined and strictly comply with my schedule at all times. The other goal for succeeding in this program is team work. As a student, I opted to spend my precious time to go to

Consumer decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consumer decision making - Essay Example n opportunity to get in touch with the foreign products and they got enough opportunities to compare the quality and prices of the domestic products with that of the foreign products. Such evaluation from the part of consumers may often change their buying habits. Online marketing and e-commerce are growing day by day and based on that the purchasing decisions of the consumers are also changing. In many cases, a purchasing situation occurs out of the fear of losing social recognition or once the existing product goes out of order. Some of the people have blind belief in brand values while others are more practical. Some consumers may seek further assistance from the supplier to improve the performance of the product they purchased. This paper briefly analyses the consumer decision making attributes. Recognition is a primary psychological need for human beings and hence most of their purchasing decisions were influenced by their desire to get recognition from others. Most of the consumers feel inferiority, if they possess old goods. In many cases, consumers postpone their purchasing decisions until they acquire ample financial resources for executing the purchasing. Once the consumer feels confidence about his/her financial abilities, the next step is to gather information about the product he/she wants to purchase. â€Å"Sources of information could be family, friends, neighbours who may have the product you have in mind, and alternatively you may ask the sales people, or dealers, or read specialist magazines. You may even actually examine the product before you decide to purchase it† (Consumer Buying Behaviour, n. d) Most of the people rely on, advertisements in television, news papers, Super markets and internet for the information regarding the product they want to pu rchase. They will collect information from the friends also. The User’s comments will always be valued more than anything else. Once ample information is collected about a particular product, most

(TV)Media Influence on Youth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(TV)Media Influence on Youth - Essay Example B. Lower the self-esteem of preteens resulting to lowering self -confidence about their bodies. III. Watching many programs consumes much time for academic work and physical exercises A. Result to poor academic performance. B. Contribute to development of obesity and unhealthy weight gain due to lack of physical exercises. IV. We need to promote watching beneficial programs and encourage parental participation in children activities. A. Censored programs are important source of knowledge and entertainment for preteens. B. Parental involvement in child upbringing protects preteen from being negatively influenced by Television. Media plays an important role by shaping our social, religious, economic and political aspects. In this era of rapid technological advancement, information is flowing at unprecedented rate and though there are many forms of accessing information, television remains one of the most common and influential to all people in the society. Young people especially prete ens and adolescents form a major segment of TV audience and according to Comstock and Paik (1991, p51), television programs have major influence on their behaviors. In United States, the public is concerned over the frequent depiction of violent and sexually explicit programs and the harm that the programs present to the youth. This development comes after many studies have established that such programs adversely affect children on short term and long-term basis (Anderson & Bushman, 2002, p234). This paper expounds on the negative influences of television on preteens and adolescents. According to Comstock and Paik (1991, p59), television programs with violent content enhance immediate and long-term development of aggression and violent behavior on preteens and young adults. The intensity of these behaviors depend on the severity of the violent programs, with Rosenthal (1986, p 143) noting that preteens who watch extremely violent programs have higher likelihood of developing severe forms of aggression. Empirical studies have established that short-term exposure to violent programs increases the likelihood of preteens developing physical and verbal abuse behavior, aggressive emotions and violent thoughts. Many research studies attribute aggression by adults later in life to the effects of frequently exposing children to violent content in the television and other forms of electronic media. These behaviors are manifested in the high prevalence of violent crimes such as aggravated assaults, homicide, physical assaults, domestic and spousal violence in addition to rape among others (Freedman, 2002, p37). Behavioral scientists have developed several theories to explain how exposure to violent or sexually explicit content affects the behavior of the viewer. According to Comstock and Paik (1991, p61), violent programs in the television initiates a short-term effect that increases the existing aggressive cognitions in children and young adults. This results to an inc rease in psychological arousal that triggers an automatic reaction to emulate the observed behavior. Therefore, exposure to violent content produces long lasting effect on the young persons, through several learning processes that lead to acquisition of long-term aggressive behavior. The long-term behaviors include development of aggression supporting beliefs, abnormal response to violent behavior such as; tolerating violence, aggression in social

Dr. Wakefields Research & Role Played by Media Essay

Dr. Wakefields Research & Role Played by Media - Essay Example Dr. Wakefield’s research employed rigorous tools and methodologies for which no proper ethical approval was obtained for invasive procedures on children. On the other hand, it was found that Dr. Wakefield had exchanged funds with the lawyers of children’s parents that were made part of the research. The research further employed references of other studies that were conducted by either the coauthors of the same research or his friends. Where autism is a disorder for which little information is present regarding its causative agents and cures, a theory supporting the idea that it is caused by MMR vaccination made many parents believe that prevention from vaccination can benefit their child despite having contradictory evidence in the rates of epidemiological increases after this research. The research was later on criticized by other independent studies which raised questions about the effectiveness of Dr. Wakefield’s work. Presence of a reputable medical journal The Lancet and other media bodies providing coverage to this research further aggravated the situation. A medical journal is usually used by medical practitioners, researchers, and educationists in the same field. However, vetting of Dr. Wakefield’s article by a medical journal allowed journalists and other media channels to disseminate information to local people. As a result, parents refused to provide vaccination to their children in large parts of the world with reported epidemics in the UK, US, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.

The Perversion of the Violent Frontier Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Perversion of the Violent Frontier - Essay Example In turn, the very same media perverted the picture of violence at the frontier. The success and fame of revived the production of American Westerns. Spaghetti Westerns form a significant genre in the history of film industry irrespective of the opinion of the critics. The film by Robert Rodriguez, ‘Desperado’ and the extremely violent action flick by John Woo both are being hailed as ‘modern Spaghetti Westerns.’ Fredrick Jackson Turner is regarded as the father of the advanced study in Western history, he researched some fundamental principles of western violence and found that the ideals of the pioneer have been understood in two forms that are: anti-government sentiment and the other interpretation is the profound faith in egalitarianism. Afterward, Turner explained that the pioneer passionately hated monopoly, aristocracy and special privilege in the social structure. Pioneer had faith in economy, simplicity and in the people’s rule. These people classified the attribute of personal development to be free from government and social limitations. If Turner’s perspective was valid for the situation on the frontier then it would have been easier to accept the conventional concept of the western ‘bad man’ or ‘criminal’ in response to the Turner’s proposition that the Western world was a person’s paradise. The pioneer in Turner’s construct did not have faith in the law and dealt with the matters on his own. Historical research of two about decades brought new theories to explain the relationship between the West and the violence. The book, ‘The Great Plains’ that was published in 1931 and was written by Walter Prescott Webb braided the concept of Western violence into a survey about the entire history of the Great Plains.

Dr. Wakefields Research & Role Played by Media Essay

Dr. Wakefields Research & Role Played by Media - Essay Example Dr. Wakefield’s research employed rigorous tools and methodologies for which no proper ethical approval was obtained for invasive procedures on children. On the other hand, it was found that Dr. Wakefield had exchanged funds with the lawyers of children’s parents that were made part of the research. The research further employed references of other studies that were conducted by either the coauthors of the same research or his friends. Where autism is a disorder for which little information is present regarding its causative agents and cures, a theory supporting the idea that it is caused by MMR vaccination made many parents believe that prevention from vaccination can benefit their child despite having contradictory evidence in the rates of epidemiological increases after this research. The research was later on criticized by other independent studies which raised questions about the effectiveness of Dr. Wakefield’s work. Presence of a reputable medical journal The Lancet and other media bodies providing coverage to this research further aggravated the situation. A medical journal is usually used by medical practitioners, researchers, and educationists in the same field. However, vetting of Dr. Wakefield’s article by a medical journal allowed journalists and other media channels to disseminate information to local people. As a result, parents refused to provide vaccination to their children in large parts of the world with reported epidemics in the UK, US, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.

Sales Strategies Essay Example for Free

Sales Strategies Essay EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The supermarkets in the UK is expanding with retail food products being sensitive to cross-price elasticity in that supermarkets are encouraged to be inventive, which will accomplish an advantage, matched to its discounter competitors (Emerald Group Publishing Limited , 2014). This report will explain the types of sales strategies that Aldi may develop in order to compete with other supermarkets within the same market. Aldi have to be considered as a competitor as society is searching for value and that customer behaviour is a major influence in sales strategies and that Aldi will be successful in future years with their overall strategy. BACKGROUND Aldi opened its first store in the United Kingdom (UK) in the 90’s, currently supporting more than 500 stores in the UK, originally established in Germany.   The challenges that face Aldi are primary in attracting customers. As well as attracting customers, Aldi will have to consider its competitors within the market. There are a number of considerations that would influence customer’s behaviour which impacts on the retail market. Society has a wide range of needs and wants which can be varied and impacts customer’s decisions on a daily basis. The decision that is made is key to the decision making behaviour which results in individuals adapting from situation to situation which would have an impact on all supermarkets (Dibb, 2012). The leading retailer’s share of grocers’ for 2011 and 2012 explains that Aldi versus Morrison’s posted surging returns with Morrison’s showing as losers. Diagram one: Share Market Mintel Report An article (sky news, 2012) reports the company Aldi, has seen profits exceeded over 200% in 2011 to  £57.8m, suggesting customer confidence is low and that customer spending brought on by higher inflation and weaker growth has influenced Aldi success with 40 new stores planned to be developed and open by the end of 2013 generating up to 4,500 jobs. Aldi has now introduced 500 new stores in the United Kingdom (UK) and plans to open new stores in higher more upmarket locations and offer a wide range of products attracting higher-earning customer (Aldi, 2013). This strategy is supported by (Harvey,2000, p. 17) who suggests that in a society, a range of low and high income customers can be brought together by retailers creating an internal niche market, with their own discounted products or with higher branded products, integrating separate ‘segments of customer demand’. As Aldi continue to improve on already continued growth, Morrison’s have to act to attempt to maintain and improve within the retail market competition. This is demonstrated by an article (mail online, 2013) Morrison’s attempt to struggle back, which Morrison’s bosses trust only a reduction of prices  on products will sustain Morrison’s future. chief executive Dalton Philips of Morrison’s confirmed â€Å"The economic backdrop remains difficult for the customer†, as stated (BBC, 2013) Morrison’s report Pre-tax profit fell to  £344m for the first half of the year, compared to the same period last year (2012) with profits reaching  £440m. Diagram Two: Share Market Sky News Comparing Diagram one and Diagram two of the market Share, Aldi demonstrate they have a major influence in the market. Aldi in 2011 had a market share of 2.2% increasing to 4.7% ending May 2014. On the back of Aldi success, Morrison’s market share commenced at 10.4% in 2011 with the figures staying static the following year, followed by a slight increase reaching 10.9% by May 2014. The slight increase in performance may be due to Morrison’s raising a price war with Aldi by reducing its prices on 135 products with expectation that more reductions will follow, estimating  £1bn over a three year period which will be permanent reductions rather than promotions, quoted by chief executive Dalton Philips in an article (The Guardian, 2014). It remains to be seen if this will revive the growth of Morrison’s in the future. OBJECTIVES Outline the background information of customer goods and Supermarkets. Outline the background of Marketing Segmentation. Apply the theory of Market Segmentation used by supermarkets. Detail the tool used for Sales strategy and by key brands to provide competitor advantage. METHODOLOGY In order for the company to identify sales strategies in the market, will carry out what is called â€Å"Market Research†. This process is to furnish the retail company to meet the customers’ needs. (Lescher, 1995) defines market research as â€Å"gathering and evaluation of data regarding customer’s  preference for products and services.† On attempting to interview Robert McDonald the Assistant Store Manager of the Aldi Paisley, but was unavailable for comment on a visit to the store on 29/06/2014. On the back of the store visit, made contact with Aldi Head Office in Bathgate and through social business network LinkedIn but unfortunately Aldi were unable to comment on their sales strategy. SUPERMARKETS IN THE MARKET Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD UK) reported that the United Kingdom market is estimated at  £174.5 billion in April this year (2014), demonstrated 2.8% increase from 2013. IGD forecasts that in the UK, the grocery market value will reach the figures of  £203.0 billion by 2019 potentially an increase of 16.3% from 2014. Today’s market the UK grocery market is made up 6 sections, making the retail market competitive. Based on the pie chart, Hypermarkets and superstores have the market monopoly demonstrating  £73.7bn Sales with Convenience Stores next  £37.4bn and Small Supermarkets the next contender with  £35.5bn. As Aldi come under the â€Å"Discounters† with  £10.8bn, with a continued strong presence within the retail market, this figure can only increase and could be a potential big player in years to come, if the organisation continues to grow as previous years and challenge others. AIDA(R) Module Aldi can use a number of channels and methods to increase promotional activity by using the AIDA module. The module can be used for the following; Awareness: Creating brand awareness to its existing and new customers. Interest: Sufficient customer interest to encourage the buyer to start researching further. Desire: Simply the desire from liking it, to wanting it. Action: Attracting the customer to visit store, signing up for newsletter. Once the organisation has captured the buyer, it must consider the retention of the buyer using â€Å"Retention† methods. The methods can be Social Media, TV  adverts, Newsletters. If buyers are satisfied with your product, a vote of confidence can attract new buyers (customers) to the company brand, rather than its competitors (business case studies, 2014) MODEL OF MARKET SEGMENTATION The process for Market Segmentation is to identify the whole of the market and divide the market into each segment, which allows companies to maximise their own opportunity to generate success. (Dibb et al, 2012) defines Market segmentation â€Å"the process of grouping customers in markets with some heterogeneity into smaller, more similar or homogenous markets.† Without market segmentation, the market would assume that customers would share similar needs and that companies can provide one product to the market (Dibb et al, 2012). Therefore this assumption is not correct and as supported by (Dibb et al, 2012) having a Heterogeneous market describes that customers have different needs and wants. PROCESS OF MARKET SEGMENTATION Dividing the market into segments is called STP. STP consists of three key areas which are Segmentation, Targeting and positioning. Segmentation Segmentation can identify potential opportunities within a market. When designing a market strategy, the organisation can take advantage of the marketing mix approach. The marketing mix includes the four P’s which consists of product, promotion, price and place (Hooley, 2012). Aldi can use this method to take advantage of existing customers as well as attracting new customers. Aldi use the four P’s which can create a process were the right product is sold at the right price, at the right place demonstrating the best possible methods of promotion. Targeting Companies can use targeting as a business tool, making a decision on what key areas of the business within the organisation requires attention. This process is intended to be implemented in key areas such as sales as described (Dibb et al, 2012). Positioning Diagram Three: Company positioning by Customer perception Diagram three is a perceptual mapping of the UK supermarkets based on customer perception. The map illustrates that Aldi have built up a customer following, which shows a change in customer demand and behaviour. Aldi have progressed and competing with Asda and Morrison’s, illustrating that all companies have to be competitive to ensure the individual company has an advantage over its competitors. As customers are more economically aware and seeking value for money, this can be used to target a certain area in the market .i.e. low quality, high quality, low cost, high cost depending on the current times. Customers may wish to purchase lower quality brands over high quality brands as it may be better value with the end result getting more for your money. An example of customers getting more for their money, took a challenge to purchase one item from each store and taste it to see if the difference could be spotted with Aldi and Morrison’s products. Purchasing Aldi own brand of Jaffa Cakes which demonstrated similar packaging to the McVitie’s brand with 24 segments at a cost of  £0.95 a packet, roughly working out 4 Pence a biscuit. Morrison’s selling the main brand of McVitie’s Jaffa cakes also offering 24 segments at a cost of  £2.19 a packet working out 9 Pence a biscuit. Tasting the two brands without knowing which one was from Aldi and Morrison’s, concluded that it was hard to identify which product was from each store. Thus changing to purchase the Aldi brand rather than the main brand (McVitie’s) saving a whopping  £1.24. This experiment can be supported in means of description and cost by visiting www.mysupermarket.co.uk. Aldi:  £0.95 Morrison:  £2.19 Aldi have acknowledged that competitive pricing is a major influence to bring attention and awareness amongst customers with Aldi being able to support quality products at a cheaper cost than its competitors by purchasing products in bulk from its suppliers. Aldi also agree the best possible price from suppliers allowing them to pass the savings on to the customer. To support that Aldi can offer main brands at a cheaper alternative without affecting quality, the cost of a Warburton’s Bread from Morrison’s is  costing  £1.45 with Aldi offering the same product at a cheaper cost of  £0.99 pence (mysupermarket, 2014). Aldi:  £0.99 Morrison’s:  £1.45 POTENTIAL SALES STRATEGIES When looking at Aldi products and comparing them to other competitors within the retail market, it was evident that Aldi are demonstrating three broad sales strategies to maximise profit from new and existing customers by using targeting strategy, pricing strategy and customer retention strategy. Using the current economic times, targeting the customer’s that are looking to save pounds, Aldi are using a sales strategy by offering cheaper alternatives which result in retaining the customer overall leading to company profit (Business case studies, 2014) Aldi introduced a marketing campaign in 2011 using the slogan â€Å"Like Brands, Only Cheaper† using straight forward, no nonsense, simple adverts to advertise their own products. The advert using an old fisherman saying â€Å"Well, there you go then: a fine pair of â€Å"Pollock’s† demonstrating Aldi own product against the main product that it’s the same but cheaper. An advert that won most popular TV advert of 2011 featuring a wife talking about her husband’s penchant for a cup of char before declaring: â€Å"I don’t like tea. I like gin†. Aldi Marketing Campaign 2011. Aldi marketing stragety is to encourage customers to purchase their own brands over the more costly options that are on offer. This campaign suggests its working by the profits the Organisation has seen in recent years as discussed within this report. To this date, the same marketing campaign is still being used (The guardian, 2014) Strong Selling Strategy The retail market is competitive environment with companies expanding and growing availability in the United Kingdom (UK) providing customers more choice. As customers have disposable income to spend, supermarkets are always looking to act on customers emotions. One key observation is displaying the discount price along with the original retail price to influence the customer’s decision on making them realize what a fantastic bargain they are receiving. Aldi.co.uk Supermarkets are always looking to take advantage of an area in the market and Aldi are no different. As reported (Guardian, 2014) Aldi are introducing school uniforms taking advantage of other competitors by offering cheaper alternitvate to other supermarkets and offering parents the opportunity to get their childrens clothing for the coming term in September costing less than the cost of a McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets sharebox. The package by Aldi offers four school essentials at a cost of  £4 when other competitors, Sainsbury’s package is costing  £7.33, Tesco  £6.75 and Asda  £7.50. Managing director, Tony Baines was quoted â€Å"The run-up to the new term can be a stressful time for families. As a result, we were keen to offer parents the opportunity to stock up on superior school uniforms and accessories ahead of the new term with breaking the bank† (Guardian, 2014). As a result of Aldi decision to introduce clothing into the mix, this may see a new price war with other supermarkets trying to compete against Aldi, it still to be seen how this will impact on the other supermarkets and how they will react to the new offering by Aldi. Aldi.co.uk CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Aldi consider the â€Å"Just in Time† (JIT) approach to store management by holding the required stock that the store only requires. As stock is costly with Aldi purchasing stock when required, when stocks are reduced, the companies’ capital improves, allowing Aldi to purchase more stock when required (Jobber, et al, 2006) Aldi.co.uk As Aldi core purpose is to â€Å"provide value and quality to customers† working efficiently and reducing costs allows reinvesting profits back into the organisation. Lean thinking and continuous improvement is fundamental to meet its business goals for growth allowing new properties, suppliers and more savings for customers and offering benefits to employees. An example of Aldi success, a planning application for 46,200 sq. m regional  distribution in Wales has been submitted, according to (IGD, 2014) As Aldi demonstrate continued growth in the UK as the organisation attracts more shoppers that wish to save money on their shop. Aldi have revealed further plans to increase their stores to a minimum of 1,000 stores by the end of 2021 (IGD, 2014). The established German company will support further investment in the UK with 60 new stores to open by 2015, while existing shops will benefit from major refurbishment. On the other side of the bridge, Tesco’s CEO, Philip Clarke became replaceable after 40 years at the supermarket by the head of Unilever’s personal care business Dave Lewis. The news came after Philip Clarke failed to produce the results, the company was looking for after a decline in sales and profit alongside a renewed profit warning (Guardian, 2014). Aldi have taken a percentage of the market, which has impacted on others within, with Tesco and Morrison’s having to invest Millions into the price war to try and stay competitive (Mail online, 2014). As Morrison’s and Tesco have recently issued profit warnings, it suggests that Aldi are winning the price war and making others take notice. CONCLUSION Aldi determined the market using the STP (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning) process. Using this method identifies what type of market Aldi are targeting. Aldi demonstrated using the four P’s, product, promotion, price and place to take advantage of competition and gain more customers. The change in economy has seen a change in customer spending with behaviour changing by searching for alternative and main brands at a cheaper value. It’s worth noting that other supermarkets are feeling the pressure from Aldi and to sustain such a market position and complete with Aldi, it’s worth consideration the reduction of products to match Aldi which was highlighted by Morrison’s chief executive Dalton Philip. Aldi are fulfilling its potential by taking advantage of the market by working efficiently which allows to keep cost at a minimum and enable the company to expand within the UK. The companies campaigns â€Å"Like Brands, Only  Cheaper† have increased the presence of the company’s profile, with continued relationship building with its customers through a number a channels, creating loyal customers. Morrison’s have found it difficult to maintain their position within the market, feeling pressure from Aldi and resulted in a â€Å"profit warning† being issued. It’s therefore clear that Morrison’s have taken the eye of the customer and market, which has shown customer decline and profits dropping due to lack of promotions and low costing products. Unless Morrison’s change their way of thinking, a change in the competition may come in the near future for them. Whether they are able to survive remains to be seen while Aldi continue to be competitive. BIBLOGRAPHY aldi.co.uk. (2014). aldi.co.uk. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from https://www.aldi.co.uk/ Dibb et al (2012). Marketing Concepts Strategies. 6th ed. Hampshire: Cengage Learning EMEA. Emerald Group Publishing Limited , 2014. Emerald insight.[Online] Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=870441 [Accessed 3 June 2014]. Hooley, G (2012). Marketing strategy competitive positioning. 5th ed. London: Financial Times Prentice Hall Mintel Group Ltd, 2014. Mintel. [Online] Available at: http://academic.mintel.com/display/638369/ [Accessed 4 June 2014]. Sky News, 2012. Sky News. [Online] Available at: http://news.sky.com/story/991623/discount-chain-aldi-profits-soar-200-percent [Accessed 3 june 2014]. BBC, 2013. BBC Business News. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24059641 [Accessed 2 June 2014]. Rankin, J., 2013. The Guardian. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/mar/08/morrisons-online-grocery-shopping [Accessed 2 July 2014]. Lescher (1995). Online Market Research. Canada: Addison-Wesley. 4. IGD, 2014, IGD. [Online] Available at http://www.igd.com/our-expertise/Retail/retail-outlook/3371/UK-Grocery-Retailing/ [Accessed 7 July 2014] Business case studies, 2014. Business case studies [Online] Available at: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/aldi/creating-value-through-the-marketing-mix/introduction.html#axzz39B1JV1tj [Accessed 12 July 2014]. Smithers, R., 2014. The Guardian. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jul/16/cheap-school-uniform-discount-wars-aldi-mumsnet [Accessed 18 July 2014] Wearden, G.,2014. The Guardian. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jun/23/morrisons-cut-price-135-items [Accessed 19 July 2014] Plunkett, J,. 2011. The Guardian. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/dec/28/gin-loving-pensioner-top-tv-ad-2011 [Accessed 19 July 2014] Rankin, J,. 2014. The Guardian. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jul/21/tesco-boss-philip-clarke-quits-profits-warning [Accessed 23 July 2014] Steiner, R,.2014. This is money [Online] Available at: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2692087/CITY-FOCUS-How-big-grocers-tough-time-Mail-mans-exclusive-look-Aldi-UK.html [Accessed 19 July

Toyota Strategy Analysis

Toyota Strategy Analysis Automobile sector is known as one of the worlds most competitive and high tech sectors. But it is very difficult to enter into this sector because it needs huge capital to develop an infrastructure to compete with big giants of the market. Toyota corporation is also one the big giants. The following study is an analysis of this. The company was started in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda, now it is the second largest automobile manufacturer in the world after General motors. The following study undertakes the brief analysis of the different strategies implemented in the Toyota Corporation. These strategies were belonging to resource school of strategies and their main emphasis is on product quality. This study also provide us a insight view about the strength and weakness of Toyota and what are the future opportunities for them and what are the threats they can face as well. Introduction: Company Overview: Toyota is one of the leading Automobile manufacturers from Japan. The company manufactures almost all kind of vehicles like Buses, cars, SUVs, Forklifts, industrial vehicles and trucks. It was established in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda. In 1933 in his father factory, which was named as Toyoda automatic looms works Ltd., he established a small automobile unit. Then he visited many automobile plants in the United States. His unit was working to create fuel efficient vehicles in which they got succeeded in 1935. Than in 1937 he formally launched his own company with the name of Toyota Motors Company Limited. Toyota released its prototype small car in 1947. In 1949 the company was near insolvency, does not meet the payroll, and had to deal with the problems of workers. Toyoda left the seat due to economic failure in 1949. Shoichi Saito and Eiji Toyoda who were his successor start the business with modern techniques and injected more capital to take it in running form. They build Kanban system in 1954, to ensure that all manufacturing parts must be available in the stocks. The popular models were Celica which was introduced in 1970, Tercel was developed in 1978 and the most renowned Model Camry was introduced in 1980. Till 1980, Japan had manufactured more vehicles than the vehicles manufactured in United States and Toyota was one step below from the world largest cars producing company GM (General Motors). Toyota and GM motor joined hand in 1984 to build a new combine manufacturing Unit Lexington, Kentucky. After that, for the next ten years from 1980s to 1990s to build new plants in North America Toyota invested 6.5 billion US dollars. They diverted their attentions towards luxurious car manufacturing. In the global recession while every company i s in losses Toyota did not lose its market worth. Toyota has introduced first electricity and gasoline empowered car in 1997. In next two years they sold these cars in Japan up to 30,000. Over the time period its demand increases with a massive rate. Aims of Repot: This Report will provide a complete insight about the strategies of Toyota Corporation. It will tell us about the current business position of Toyota and how they have maintained the competitive advantage in the most competitive automobile industry. This will also provide us knowledge about different strategies used by Toyota. Literature Review Toyotas mission vision Toyota vision: Toyota Company is having very broader visions that depicts from their vision statement which is To be the most successful and respected car company in America It shows that Toyota wants to be the best company of the world but also to be best they do not want to comprise on their quality and customer friendliness. They want to be respected by their customers as well as their all other stake holders. Toyota mission: Toyota is company which is known due to its quality products. They provide their customer best quality and high value products in order to gain their loyalty this is also depicts from their mission statement. To attract and attain customers with high-valued products and services and the most satisfying ownership experience in America. This mission statement tells us that the mission of the Toyota is all about its customer. They want to provide high value products to attract new customers and to retain the older ones as well. Toyotas global strategic decision making Toyota Company has claimed that they will setup technology centers which will gear up their global decision making capabilities. They have faced 8 million orders of new cars per year thats why they need a speedy decision making system. They will increase the different center around the world in order to increase the efficiency of the product and speedy order processing. For this they have decided to build 6 units in North America, 6 in china and 7 units in Europe and many more in other countries. They are trying to be the world largest cars manufacturing company for this purpose they are decided to build Customer first training center in which they will ensure the quality and quantity of the products. The head of Toyota Company Akio Toyoda is giving more emphasis on the quality of the product in order to get more loyalty of the customer. For this purpose he has appointed the five best Chief quality officers around the world Including, For Europe Didier Leroy, For North America Angelo, For Asia Region Sonoda, Masahiro Kato is selection for China, and Africa, Latin America and Middle East he has appointed Two person Katsutada Masumoto and Hisayuki. The Main emphasis of Toyota Companys decision is to gain the customer loyalty and trust. Thats why in their every decision or strategy customer is the main beneficiary person. Recent Credit crunch badly affected the demand and growth of the Toyota. People purchasing powers are very low in this day thats why no one is going to buy new cars. This results a decrease in demand for new cars and eventually it will result in the reduction in the profit of the company. TOYOTA PEST ANALYSIS (P)OLITICAL: Instability is caused due to fuel efficiency an important decision factor for car buyers, increasing the chance of the plug-in hybrid. You can see some consumers will buy a hybrid plug-in like a train, dependence on foreign oil, and one that serves to strengthen the independence of the United States reduce the purchasing power in relation to the government. The Political instability around the world due to war and terror is also a big challenge for Toyota Corporation. (E)CONOMIC: The Oil prices by the concerns of increasing supply and demand will increase the attractiveness of the vehicle features such as plug-in hybrids that are less dependent on gasoline. Government increased tax credits and tax increases for gasoline, the possibility of plug-in hybrids. Global oil consumption has exceeded global production. India and china are growing at 8-10% per year put an enormous demand for oil on the world market prices to stay stable. (S)OCIO-CULTURAL: Positive factor for Toyota is that it is overall market leader with hybrid technology. Consumers will realize more their ecological footprint in the upcoming years. The operation of a hybrid is a status symbol in the young Hollywood. (T)ECHNOLOGICAL: Sales of hybrid vehicles will increase the competitive advantage over competitors with the potential mass market for hybrid technology and has established a strong position to innovate and develop hybrid platform to ward off competition. Next three years, Toyota and Honda are planning to hybrid power train to reduce weight by 50%. They also seek; the price of hybrid technology from $ 4,000 to $ 1,900 per vehicle as much low as possible. SWOT Analysis on Toyota Motor Corporation (S)trengths Toyota is having a very good recognition among 170 countries due to its multinational image. There is massive growth rate over the year around 29.3% with sales turn over around  £131,511 million during 2009. Due to its Lean production system which constitute of TQM a JIT Toyota has gained Worlds No. 1 Position. Toyota is considered now one of the worlds large car manufacturers due to entrance in major market of US, China and EMEA etc. Toyota is having Research and development center which is ensuring quality and environmental friendliness of the products. (Toyota Annual Report: 2009) (W)eakness Toyota is regarding as foreign imports due to the Japan based company. Toyota most of manufacturing Units are located in US and Japan only, while its competitors are taking the advantages of low production cost, cheaper labor and other cheaper management costs. (O)pportunities Due to shortage of Oil and increase in oil prices Toyotas management is looking for other alternatives like gas-guzzling cars and they are looking for new hybrid gas and electric cars production on mass scale. (Toyota Annual Report: 2009) Toyota is looking for cars that can increase performance, fuel efficiency and mainly environmental friendly. To develop the car which are controlled through electricity and fulfills the institutional and social requirements and cost effective for this purpose Toyota has established their Eco-Vehicle Assessment center. (Toyota Website) Now they are looking for big countries for the expansion purpose like Brazil, India, Pakistan, China and Russia. (T)hreats Competitive pressure is increased due to increase in Research and Development and belligerent marketing campaigns. Increase in the prices of raw materials. Decrease in the demand of new cars due to the recent recession around the globe. Purchasing power of the people is almost down to earth. To cater the need of larger family units who demand for larger cars. (Demographic Factor Website) In western countries there is large trend of using public transport instead of their own vehicles, this will eventually decrease the demand for new cars. (Market Research website) Nowadays people are more contented to send their child through school or college busses instead of their own cars. BCG Matrix (Toyotas products) The BCG model depicts that how much priority should be given to the particular business unit. Following is Toyota BCG model: The BCG Model Of Toyota Company Business growth Rate High Stars (Corolla) Question Mark (Cuore) Low Cash Cows (HiLux) Dogs High Low Relative Position Market Share The BCG Model Of Toyota Corolla Business growth Rate High Stars (2.0 D, 2.0 D Saloon) Question Mark (SE Saloon, GLi) Low Cash Cows (Xli 1.3) Dogs High Low Relative Position Market Share Toyota Resources School of Strategy: The Resource strategy is based on the argument that some companies develop a collection of their key competencies in which they can differentiate themselves from their competitors. The Toyota is known for its quality which they have developed after the hard work and commitment of decades. They have invested a lot in their employees, in their structure, in their manufacturing units, and most importantly in their products in order to reach this skill level. Porters 5 Forces and Generic Strategies (on Toyota) Threat of New Entrants: In Automobile business the threat of new entrance in the industry are very low because it is a high tech industry and needs huge amount of capital and innovative technology to establish a manufacturing unit. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Toyota is one of the leading automobile manufacturers and holding a major share in the global market, so it has dominant role on its suppliers but it does not manipulate the rights of suppliers it take cares them and their needs as well. Intensity of Rivalry: The competition is very high in the Automobile industry the larger Automobile companies are General Motors, Ford and Honda are its main competitor. They are having large resources and they can any strategy to have customer without taking care of capital back up. Bargaining Power of Customers: As there is a large no. of substitute available in the market and the bargaining power of customer is high. Threat of Substitutes: Due to many substitutes available in the market for Toyota products as other manufacturers are producing same quality products as well.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   7S Model (7s strategies of Toyota) Strategy Share Values System Style Structure Skills Staff Western Management of the Toyota is giving more importance to the hard side of the seven Ss model which includes structure, strategy and system. They give their more intentions towards day to day activities and daily events and to develop a better organizational structure in order to have and maintain competitive advantage. On the other hand Japanese management of Toyota pay more value to soft side of seven Ss model which includes sills, shared values and staff etc. They pay more intentions to get competitive advantage through their employees, they provide them training and different skills to enhance their working power and they have unique leadership style and unique shared values. DEMAND AND SUPPLY FOR TOYOTA In the market the price is totally depended on the price which is offered by the seller and the prices on which the buyer is willing to buy the product that is called market price. Here we will discuss the Toyotas demand and supply side factors which are the essential elements of the automobile market. The Following factors influence the demand and supply of automobile: 1. The price at which seller is ready to sell in the market after bargaining. 2. The price which at which any potential buyer is ready to buy from the market. In the market the Buyers make an offer for car and the seller has right either to accept it or reject it. Analysis of the Factors which affect the demand and supply of Toyota: The main factors which affect the demand of the Toyota in the UK are population, Income POPULATION The increase in population will result in increase in demand for the products. The increase in the population will increase the long run demand for Toyota cars. When the population increases the people will go for new product this will automatically increase the demand for products which are prevailing in the market. Following charts will show the rightward shift in the demand of the Toyota products which will cause due to the increase in the population around the world. P S D1 D When demand goes up Toyota has to increase its supply to cope with market needs. The New demand for Toyota products is depicted through D1 curve. INCOME Other determinant of demand and supply is the Income of adult. The Toyota Company has to look the income rate of adults before setting their prices. To increase the market share the Toyota has to look the right segment for the right products. As income level goes up the demand for the products also increases. Following charts will show the rightward shift in the demand of the Toyota products which will cause due to the increase in the income level of the population. P S D1 D When demand goes up Toyota has to supply to cope with market needs. The New demand for Toyota products is depicted through D1 curve.    Why is Toyota leading from others? The rise of Japanese manufacturers in the positions of global hegemony in the decades after World War II is well known. In recent years, despite the known problems for Japanese companies like Nissan and Toyota cars worldwide, including continued and even increased its competitiveness. This is based on the philosophy of a competitive advantage, such as the Toyota Production System that is well known. System depends in part on the management of human resources policies, promoting creativity and loyalty of employees, but also and above all, a very efficient network of suppliers, manufacturers of components. Toyota is second on the list, which includes fourteen worlds best manufacturers, including General Motors and Ford. While Honda and Nissan are now also considered high quality cars manufacturers but they can never defeat the Toyota in advantages of suppliers networks, Human resource management and distribution systems in World and in also in the most competitive market United States. Critical Analysis of Toyota: The technology is found all over the world and it is important to experiment for the company is recognized worldwide. In the world of automotive industry, Toyota is considered is to be a leading automobile company from Japan. This status they achieved by spending billions of dollars on new design and innovations in car and mass marketing campaigns. Toyota is in the eyes of consumers has emerged, many cars in the world. Toyota is enjoying a global reputation by building new, innovative and best quality products in affordable prices. As compared to its competitor Toyota is offering lower prices. The quality is the core strategy of the Toyota they do not compromise on it. They believe on a long term relationship with suppliers and with all other stake holders. Typically, the companies do not want to reduce their returns and follow the target strategy is for sale at cost price + profit = Sales prices. But Toyotas is having different approach a bit , which is devised in the car price cos t = profit. Strategic management in all organizations on their activities has a direct impact. This is the reason due to which Toyota is the leading car manufacturers policy; strategic management is attractive which has established in the world. It is easy for your new employees and managers, such as design and installation of the new car, get Training in the Centers which are located near to them. Toyota plans to build more new plants. Toyota is now one of leading automobile dealers due to its strategic management. The result of this strategic architecture, are based on a thorough analysis of corporate resources and skills, as well as the orchestration of strategic resources and capabilities over time in measures of productivity. Product quality of Toyota was compared with five other companies including Nissan, Honda, GM, Ford and Volkswagen. In vehicles problems that Toyota received are one on per hundred vehicles that make top ranked company among industry giants. This is harmonized by a recent test conducted on truck safety, Trucks Insurance Institute of America. In this study, rating of the Toyota Tundra was a good one amongst all its competitors. Impact of additional Assets The Following chart shows the data of productivity of the cars over 6 years from 2003 to 2008 amongst 6 giant car producers including, Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Volkswagen. Above figure shows the employees productivity over 6 the years for different car producing countries. GM motors show very low productivity in terms of per employee. They start from 10,000 $ per employee which is very low they improve over the years but not as compared to others. In the end of 2008 they can just touched the 12500 dollar per employee productivity. The second company is also showing low results in terms of the productivity for per employee. They have fluctuations over the last 6 years. They started with 10300 $ and in the 2007 they crossed 15000 for per employee. But they went down in 2008 to 10800 $ productivity for per employee. Next company is Ford they are showing good growth over the years. The good thing was its having constant growth. They started with 15600 $ and after a constant growth ended with 25000 $ for per employee at the end of 2008. The Toyota is leading amongst the all; they are showing very good results over the 6 years from 2003 to 2008. They started good and end is also good. Toyota started with record opening of 42500$ per employee productivity. They are improved over the years. In the second year they went down little bit but they recovered from the very next year. They ended with the remarkable ending of 62500 US dollar per employee productivity. Even the world No. 1 company cannot compete with Toyota in terms of productivity. Honda is also showing very good results like the Ford Motors. They started very low from 13500 $ and ended with 23000 $ after 6 years. Nissan is also showing fluctuations over the years and the Volkswagen shown very low results as compared to all. BCG model Analysis: According to BCG analysis we can see Corolla line of products of Toyota is falling in stars that show the high growth rate and high market share as well. In needs a lot of investment because every new cent invested in this category will result in high returns. When we make further BCG matrix of Corolla line of product we found that 2.0 D and 2.0 D saloon these two models fall in stars it means these models are having high growth rate and high market share as well. They can earn much more results. SE saloon and GLi lies in question marks they need analysis to increase market shares. Xli 1.3 falls in cash cows and it has slow growth rate and having high market share. The Cuore Line of products of Toyota are having very high growth rate but very less market share as compared to Corolla line of products. Hilex line of products lies in Cash Cow category that have high market share but now low growth rate. It is also about to saturation point. Conclusions Recommendations Recommendations: The Toyota has achieved its current status by maintaining its product quality now they have market reputation so they never have to compromise on quality in every situation because competition is very strong and no room for mistakes.3 Secondly Toyota has good human resource management system as well it can also improve it to maintain its competitive edge. Toyota have many models which are performing very well in the market but on the other hand there are many other models which are just wasting the resources of the company, Toyota needs to do a brief analysis of them and if it is not possible to bring them in stars then company must have to drop these models. For investors, Toyota is still very good option to invest it is having very well past records, high productivity and huge market share and we can expect future demand as well. Conclusion: The Toyota is considered a place with high job satisfaction and to produce the high quality and customer oriented products. Toyota is one of the leading car producer made so many changes in their own plants and as well as their suppliers units as well. Toyota has adopted very successful system and developed a customer oriented market structure. Over the few years we have seen many drastic changes in the Toyota products which resulted in the high growth and more capital share.