The commercial airline industr... free essay sample

The commercial airline industry has grown and changed tremendously over the last four or five decades. Southwest has many strengths and weaknesses, but every company has their strengths and weaknesses. Southwest can safely say that they have many things that they do that are not used in most other airlines. This includes; not charging extra for baggage or fees for changing travel schedules, and offering a sizable amount of in-flight entertainment. The company also only hires candidates that have certain traits, attitudes, and behaviors. They also send their new recruits to their own university. I believe that Southwest is a company that caters to families. To start, Southwests employees are a strength to the company because having employees who have certain attitudes can be a great thing for any company. The hiring process that Southwest employs is that the employees should be a good team player, have a good sense of humor, and treat others with respect. We will write a custom essay sample on The commercial airline industr or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Southwest flight attendants cater to a family-based style because they have a good sense of humor and treat others with respect. This can show children that Southwest is a good option to choose when they grow older and have families of their own. I believe that this is a competitive advantage for Southwest because having good employees will make your customers happy and they will keep coming back. Furthermore, I would say that their advertising campaigns are the best among the other airline companies in the industry. The bags fly free advertising that they have done is great for their business. It helped them in the recent recession of 2008-2009 and it will continue to help when times of financial recession occur. The company uses advertising to show special fare sales to fill seats that would otherwise be empty. I think that this overall would lower the price of tickets sold for flights and helps with having lower operating costs per customer-per mile. Moreover, the bags fly free campaign, to me looks good to families who want to travel around the country, because they dont have to pay for their checked bags. Southwest helps families who have small kids by allowing their parents to check car seats and strollers for free. This can help families who might be poor but need to travel to a funeral or other event across the country. The sizeable amount of electronics or things to do during a flight helps keep the kids in line too. Non-stop or point-to-point flights cost more but there is no need to use a hub for the flights, so there is less travel time. This system caters to families, because parents with children dont want to be waiting at an airport terminal for their plane to arrive where one of their kids may get bored and go stir crazy. This kind of flight can cater to business people too because like families, they dont want to wait either. In addition, the companys use of one aircraft type can help them save on maintenance costs and costs with training the employees that work on and maintain the aircraft. It can save the company money because the company needs less warehousing space for replacement parts. I think they have a partnership with Boeing, and having a partnership with an airplane manufacturing company can give you advantages, and in Southwests case, they get Boeings newest airplanes first. As well as having only one type of aircraft, it could also be a weakness because while Southwest Airlines has international flights, they would need to probably buy bigger aircraft to fly overseas. They acquired AirTran, but the amount of passengers Southwest gets from international travel shown in the case is a small amount towards dominating the international areas they fly. To go along with the weakness that they are not flying internationally, they do have flights to places nearby like places in the Caribbean and Mexico, but they dont really get any international customers. On the other hand, this could be better for them because they can focus on the United States and its customers there. This is in fact what I think they are doing, and they are dominating the airline ind ustry in the US. Having longer international flights would also mean that they may have to go back to the drawing board for how they are going to serve food and beverages on the plane, or tell its customers that there is a new practice for international flights. They would also probably need to change their operating strategy too, because of new languages, cultures, and laws and regulations they would need to deal with. Another weakness is the fact that Southwest has only one class of seating available to its passengers. This isnt bad for families since they dont really want to sit in business class seating with their children. Business people who are traveling and may have their trip paid for would rather have a seat in a business or first-class area than in the coach area, so they would have enough room for work, and wouldnt be bothered by children. I think that business and first-class seating would probably gain additional revenue for the company even if they had only a few seats per flight. In fact, purchasing tickets for Southwest may be a hard task to overcome for some people because depending on if you are booking flights connecting to other airline companies, you may have to go through a travel agency. Going t hrough travel agencies will cost more because of the fees that go with it. I think that if I were to do it this way it would give me a hard time finding the right flight. Also, traveling with Southwest you need to check in 24 hours before your flight to get your boarding position, and it seemed to me to be on a first come first serve basis. So, if you were a little behind, or slow with the process, you would get a boarding position where you would have fewer seats to choose from when boarding your plane the next day. Southwest also has a pretty bad weakness for families, and that is the fact that they dont provide passengers with transfer services. Again, families would have a hard time moving all over the airport with their children. Moving around the airport also takes time, so if a customer wanted to book a flight with transfers, they would want to leave at least 30 minutes in between transfers to get to baggage claim and onto their next flight. This also leaves less time for a meal, snack, or something else before their next flight. Southwests key elements to its culture, is the fact that way back in the early days of the company when Herb Kelleher took the role of CEO, he did many things to help the companys culture become what it is today. He would make it a point to work with the companys employees and find the weaknesses and problems within the company. As part of a quote, he said, You have to treat your employees like your customers. Employees come first, and since you treat your employees like customers they will treat the companys customers well. In this way, you would be benefiting both your employees and customers, instead of just your customers. I think that overall this is a great competitive strategy for them because working side-by-side with your employees makes them feel better. To me, I think most employees like that kind of boss. To conclude, most of the strengths of Southwest are towards families because that is the kind of company they want to be. Its not a bad thing but business people should be involved too. Overall, I think that Southwest Airlines will continue to flourish and become an improved company in the next decade.

How I Self-Published My First Novel at the Age of 50

How I Self-Published My First Novel at the Age of 50 How I Self-Published My First Novel at the Age of 50 Andy Emery  writes fast-paced thrillers set in 19th Century London. Lucas Gedge, the protagonist of Blood Tribute,  had to wait till Andy turned 50 before he could go out into the world. In this guest post, Andy reveals what finally made him take the leap and self-publish his debut novel. Working with ReedsyIt was evident from the beginning that I would need to hire professional help for two important tasks: designing the cover of my book, and editing. I got the cover sorted out early on, but what to do about the editing?I first heard of Reedsy through a webinar run by Nick Stephenson. The fact that I could tap into a large number of potential editors, all vetted by Reedsy and offering services from structural editing through to proofreading, and communicate with them before making a choice, sounded good to me. Using the Reedsy Marketplace is very straightforward. I determined that I would need content and copy editing followed by proofreading. Then I went through all the professionals who seemed to conform to my requirements and requested quotes from five of them.I plumped for Andrew Lowe to do my content and copy editing, mostly because I liked the way he described himself, his relaxed style, and let’s face it, the fact that his fees were not exorbitant. As a first-time novelist, I was apprehensive about the editing process. But early in our first chat on Skype, Andrew put me at ease. He seemed to 'get it',  regarding what I was trying to achieve, and his approach, using Skype sessions and informal email contacts, was very effective. He explained his suggested changes in a constructive and friendly way.After implementing Andrew’s changes, I went straight on to repeat the process for proofreading, and this time chose Katherine Stephen, who again provided a very proficient and professional service.After formatting the book, it was ready to go, and it was published on Amazon on July 12th, 2016. It remains to be seen how it will do commercially, but I’m in it for the long haul, and I’m already working on the second book in the series. It’s been a very satisfying process, and Reedsy’s editors have been a vital part of that.Blood Tribute is available on Amazon, get your copy here!Could your day job also in spire a fantastic thriller? Head to the comments section below and tell us your profession, as well an idea  for a gripping story based on that job.

Middle Eastern Female Contemporary Artists Essay

Middle Eastern Female Contemporary Artists - Essay Example The essay "Middle Eastern Female Contemporary Artists" explores the Female Contemporary Artists of Middle East. Elements of the theater arts are evident in marriage ceremonials, funeral practices and performances of traditional music. Arab artists draw inspiration from the vestiges of the region's ancient cultures, combining older iconography with new insights to create fresh artistic expressions. This fusion of elements is evident in the works of several artists who have been influenced by the ancient symbols of Mesopotamia and the rich imagery of Coptic art. Sawsan Amer's works on glass, for instance, combine traditional iconography with personal imagery, mixing the direct frontality of Coptic icons with representations of birds, both real and imagined. Another artist who joins ancient and contemporary references is Liliane Karnouk from Egypt. "My paintings are in search of a definite cultural union," says the artists. "I belong to a generation trapped between Western and Oriental values." She expresses her search for union by combining tree bark from Canada and the papyrus paper from Egypt in installations such as Black and Green, 1992. This work expresses her helpless outrage at the senseless violence of the Gulf War. The black paperworks represent an initial outlet for her mourning for the human and environmental victims of the conflict. The large spatial canvases were conceived as a visual requiem. The tree bark and green seedlings emerge as a source of renewal. The art of Effat Nagui, a 92-year.... The black paperworks represent an initial outlet for her mourning for the human and environmental victims of the conflict. The large spatial canvases were conceived as a visual requiem. The tree bark and green seedlings emerge as a source of renewal. The art of Effat Nagui, a 92-year-old Egyptian artist "who lives in history," draws upon the ancient cultures of northern Africa. One of the pioneers of modern art in Egypt, Nagui was the first woman artist to have a work acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo, in 1928. Her mixed media works like Icon of the Nile. 1991 (Amirsadeghi, Mikdadi & Shabout, 2009, 167-185) unite concentric circles and the venerable outline of the mummy with remnants of Coptic parchment and crocodile skins to create contemporary images that utilize the magic of antiquity. As Nagui says: "Sometimes the artist needs to use materials and forms from ancient folk art so that he may touch the invisible bases which erected original art. Art is the result of assimilated and inherited culture." (Madkour, 2006, 19-21) Nagui's wooden sculptured surfaces, influenced by Nubian architecture, testify to the dynamic and symbolic roles of art forms. These and other contemporary Arab artists draw inspiration from the past. The Arab East has seen a succession of major civilizations, each creating its own art forms. This is precisely what civilizations are about--creative, centripetal power which fuses old elements with new ideas, giving birth to original and specific new expression. (McEvilley, 2007, 19-21) The Art of Politics The Arab East has been a battleground in the 19th and 20th centuries. War has been a critical feature of recent history in the region, and wars, per se, create turmoil in a society, accelerating the normal

Response Week 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response Week 11 - Essay Example As noted from this event, he does not only have a lot of money and techniques to bribe law enforcement officials from both sides of the border, he also has supporters who are not hired by him. It is not hard to see why ordinary Mexican citizens would be supporting him if he has been keeping their streets safe from other drug cartels members. This just shows the level of insecurity that the Mexican citizens are facing, since they would rather have a drug lord protecting them than law enforcement agencies. This also proves that it would be hopeless not to have El Chapo extradited to United States. Even though most people who have lost their loved ones to death because of this man are happy to see him behind bars, Salazar is right to point out of the harsh reality. This man is still too powerful. Supposedly the Mexican government manages to extradite him, which I believe is necessary, there will still be a problem. As noted by Patricia Adler, Peter Alder and O’Brien (2012), page 390, the war on drugs exists because people fail to see their harmful effects. This means that even if both governments decide to sentence him to death, drug smuggling, human trafficking and people will still be killed by other drug smugglers. When a CEO from a company gets fired, the company does not stop its operations because other CEOs get hired. As much as the two governments want the man gone for good, it is important for law enforcement agencies to remember one thing. The solution to the war on drugs is ultimately a structural one where people will learn that they are part of what it takes to defeat the war. Hastings, D. (2014, February 27). Hundreds march in Mexico for release of drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. New York Daily News. Retrieved from

History of Computers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Computers - Essay Example The study would even outline trend of computer science profession in next 10 years. The beginning stage of computers has its roots in 19th century. Its history is closely knitted with an English mathematics professor called as Charles Babbage. He was able to frame the design of an analytical machine. On basis of this framework computers are being designed in present scenario. Computers can briefly be categorized into three generations. Each generation basically lasts for a specific time frame. These generations individually has delivered improved and new computer or rather further modifications on existing ones. First generation was from 1937 to 1946. Electronic digital computer firstly was designed in 1937 by Clifford Berry and Dr. John V, Atanasoff. It was known as ABC or Atanasoff-Berry Computer. During 1943 for military purpose an electronic computer was designed called as Colossus. It was followed by wide range of other developments encompassing general purpose digital computer. This device was also known as Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer or ENIA C. It was stated that this computer had a total of 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighed 30 tons. These were mainly used for purpose of processing. Computers belonging to this generation were able to perform only one task at a time and possessed no such operating system. Second generation can be outlined from 1947 to 1962. In this generation vacuum tubes were discarded and transistors were utilized due to high reliability. The first computer mainly for commercial usage was introduced in 1951 and this was called as UNIVAC 1 or Universal Automatic Computer. IBM or International Business Machine 700 and 650 series had set their mark in world of computers. In this generation particularly more than 100 programming languages were created. This generation computers possessed operating systems and memory (Dale and Lewis, 2007). Storage media like disk and tape were effectively used along with

The Performance Of Unilever

The Performance Of Unilever In 1999, Unilever implemented what they considered to be an ambitious strategy named Path to Growth which they believed achieved a lot in terms of brand focus, global buying, operating margins and capital efficiency (Cescau Rivers, 2007b). However, according to the then Group Chief Executive Patrick Cescau, the strategy failed to transform growth performance (Cescau Rivers, 2007b, 1). Consequently, adjustments were made to the strategy between 2005 and 2006, aimed at reorganizing and streamlining Unilevers organization and to increase awareness of the Unilever brand (Johnson Scholes, 2006). In terms of innovation, Unilever delivered bigger and better innovations, rolled out faster and to more markets (Unilever, 2009, 5). The tremendous success in fast and effective rollout of innovations was enhanced greatly by the one organizational structure (One Unilever) introduced into the business as a result of the adjustments made to Path to Growth (Unilever, 2009a). For example, the Dove Minimising Deodorant has been rolled out across 37 markets and Clear Shampoo across 37 markets. The success in this area has also been reward by the business publication Fast Company which recently recognized us as the fourth most innovative company in advertising and marketing. In terms of cost saving, the business focused on discontinuing and cutting out activities that failed to add value. The restructuring was one such activity. In 2009 alone, Unilever, achieved cost savings of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.4bn, which was better than expected and also improved working capital by à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.9bn (Unilever, 2009a. Despite these and other successes including mergers and acquisitions, operational and sustainability and corporate responsibility, Unilever also failed to achieve some of their targets. For example, in two key markets, India and Spain, we took longer to respond to changing market dynamics and to the intense level of competition especially from low-cost local competitors (Unilever, 2009a, 6). In the processed and packaged goods industry in which Unilever operates, this is a significant failing as the battle for market share is fierce (Ehlers Estes, 2007). Companies primarily achieve this primarily by cost leadership strategies, therefore the need for Unilever to continue on their cost cutting drive cannot be overestimated. Another significant challenge is their inability to develop their brands to top quality status. In their own estimation, product quality is getting better, but we need more of our products to show superiority and there is ample scope to sharpen our communications and to set the innovation bar even higher (Unilever, 2009a, 6). Financial Performance To put Unilevers performance into context, let us look at some of their financial ratios for both the financial year ended 31 December 2009 and ratio averages for a five year period which includes 2006 to 2009. Figure 1: Sales Growth (%) of Unilever, Processed Packaged Goods Industry and SPs 500. Data Source: Yahoo Finance Figure 1 shows Unilevers performance compared against its competitors and the SPs 500 benchmark which has been widely regarded as the best single gauge of the large cap US equities market since the index was first published in 1975 (Standard and Poors, nd). The chart on the left shows the close to 5% decrease in growth of Unilevers sales while the industry average recorded an increase between 2008 and 2009. This reveals that the competition is making inroads in regaining lost market share during the period of the economic downturn. The five year average for Unilever is still showing a positive although it is significantly below industry average. Figure 2 below shows the earnings per share position for the last three years for Unilever. Figure 2: Earnings per share for Unilever (2007 2009) Data source: Yahoo Finance The earnings per share ($) shows the profit attributable to each share held by Unilever for the last three years (McLaney, 2006). Despite a recovery from 2008, the 2009 EPS has fallen again and to levels below 2007s. Figure 3 shows the Price/Earnings ratio compared with competitors and the SP benchmark. Figure 3: P/E Ratio (2009) Source: Yahoo Finance The price earnings ratio is the number of years that it would take at the current share price and rate of earnings, for the earnings from the share to cover the price of the share (McLaney, 2006, 58). This is one of the most important measures investors use to assess a company. Unilever is once again operating below industry average and way below a benchmark of companies in the stock market. This implies that investors are less confident of growth in future earnings (McLaney, 2006, 58) of Unilever compared with industry average and the benchmark of leading companies. In terms of profitability, Figure one shows the position. Profitability Ratios % Unilever Industry SP Gross margin 30.40 38.50 Net margin 9.20 9.80 10.50 5 yr Gross margin 48.60 46.80 37.80 5 yr Net margin 10.10 9.50 11.30 ROCE 15.60 15.00 9.30 ROE 30.60 29.80 20.50 Table 1: Profitability Ratios Source: Yahoo Finance Gross margin figure for 2008 2009 was unavailable for Unilever. The net margin which shows the proportion of profit left for Unilever after all expenses have been taken into account is around the industry average for the period 2008 2009. The 5 year average positions for both gross and net margins are favourable for Unilever, compared to its competitors. Its 5 year gross margin is also significantly better than SPs 500. The return on capital employed (ROCE) and return on equity (ROE) positions are also marginally better than the industry average and significantly better than SPs 500. While the ROCE is a measure of profit as a percentage of total assets less current liabilities, the ROE looks at matters more specifically from the shareholders viewpoint, and reports on profit earned by shareholders after all charges have been accounted for (McLaney, 2006). Table 2 below shows the liquidity and gearing positions of Unilever and comparisons with other companies. Gearing and Liquidity Unilever Industry SP 500 Debt/Equity Ratio 0.83 0.81 1.37 Interest Coverage 48.30 21.00 27.10 Current Ratio 0.90 1.20 1.40 Quick Ratio 0.60 0.80 1.20 Table 2: Gearing and Liquidity. Data source: Yahoo Finance The Debt/Equity Ratio as with all Capital Gearing ratios is concerned with the relative sizes of the funds provided by shareholders on the one hand, and by loan creditors on the other (McLaney, 2006, 56). The higher the ratio, the riskier the business is concerned to be. In this case, the ratio is around industry average and less than the benchmark of top companies, so it should not cause too concern. The interest coverage shows that Unilever can comfortable meet interest payments as they fall due way above the industry average. In terms of liquidity, the current ratio is a measure of whether the current assets are able to meet current liabilities obligations as they fall due. This does not appear to be the case if payment is requested immediately (which a ratio of at least 1:1 will be able to do). In practice however, it is unrealistic to expect to ask for their payments at once unless the business was in serious problems. Therefore, although lower than the competition the current ratio and the quick ratio (which looks at the most liquid of assets, normally excluding inventory) should not cause panic although ways to increase it must be looked at. Brand Awareness According to Unilever, brands and innovation are at the heart of everything we do. We develop our products to keep pace with changes in consumer lifestyles and to appeal to people at all income levels. Success means getting bigger and better innovations into the market faster, supported by the very best marketing (Unilever, 2009, 8). These statements are indeed backed up by initiatives undertaken in the last few years in the UK to increase brand awareness. Some of these initiatives will be briefly described. According to Mathiesen (2009, 19), a recent campaign for Lynx for Men, one of Unilevers mens deodorants, resulted in a 56% increase in (prompted) brand awareness in the UK. This campaign was done through mobile marketing. The campaign sought to achieve the following objectives (Mathiesen, 2009): To enhance awareness of the Lynx brand To market to the 16-24 year old male who are traditionally hard to reach through traditional advertising methods To promote the Lynx brand as attractive to women and modern The success is not only evidenced by the 56% promoted awareness, according to Mathiesen (2009), 86% could recall the Lynx advert and 44% of people felt more positive about Lynx after seeing the add. Not only are Unilever working on improving product branding, they have most significantly moved to increase the company brand image. In March 2009, Unilever UK and Ireland began putting the corporate branding on its product brand advertising including TV, posters and press (Unilever, 2009b), starting with Flora. This move was influenced by research which showed that consumers in the UK and Ireland have relatively low awareness and knowledge of our company, compared to some of our competitors. They are open to the idea of us promoting Unilever more overtly and see this as a sign of honesty and transparency. For a company as large as Unilever, it is surprising that a lot of people who use a lot of their products on a daily basis do not know the name of the company. The same could not be said of its competitors like Nestle or Kraft, for instance. In an industry as competitive as the processed and packaged goods industry, where the extent of competitive rivalry is very high, brand awaren ess is a vital source of achieving and sustaining competitive advantage (Porter, 1998b). Brand Theories Indeed, the importance of Unilever focusing on promoting brand awareness is supported by relevant theory. MacDonald and Sharp (2003, 1), citing Rossiter and Percy (1987) described brand awareness as being essential for the communications process to occur as it precedes all other steps in the process. Without brand awareness occurring, no other communication effects can occur. In other words, a consumer is likely to buy a brand if they are made aware of it. MacDonald and Sharp (2003, 1) also go on to discuss memory theory where brand awareness is position as a vital first step in building the bundle of associations which are attached to the brand in memory (citing Stokes, 1985). Brand awareness is very important when a consumer is making what are usually very quick purchase decisions. According to MacDonald and Sharp (2003), where a customer can identify certain brands, he or she spends very little time looking at unfamiliar brands. Consequently, an unfamiliar brand name or one that is not aggressively promoted risks being ignored, irrespective of the quality of the product. Even after a consumer has formed a consideration set and chosen the few brands from which she will make her purchasing decision, consumers decide to purchase only familiar, well established brands (Keller, 1993). The decision is usually made very quickly as well. According to Dickson and Sawyer (1986), it takes approximately 12 seconds on average for a consumer to view product alternatives and make a choice from different brands. MacDonald and Sharp (2003, 2) also explained that brand awareness affects customers perception of quality. They cited Hoyer and Brown (1990) who found in a consumer choice study that over 70% of consumers selected a known brand of peanut butter from among a choice of three, even though another brand was objectively better quality (as determined by blind taste tests) and even though they had neither bought or used the brand before. This result is even more surprising considering the subjects were given the opportunity to taste all of the brands. Just being a brand dramatically affected their evaluation of the brand (MacDonald and Sharp, 2003, 2). Therefore, Unilever has tremendous opportunities to marry the popularity of their tremendous brand image for most of their products to the corporate brand image. With effective marketing strategies they can generate enough consumer trust and loyalty to dominate entire shopping trolleys of families. This is because in the industry that Unileve r operates in and the kind of products it offers, consumers (buyers) have high bargaining powers. There is also low switching costs which means that a consumer may decide to switch from competitors deodorants to Lynx for the simple reason that the consumer has been used to buying Knorr stock. Recommended Strategy for Unilever Vision We work to create a better future every day. We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. We will inspire people to take small everyday actions that can add up to a big difference for the world. We will develop new ways of doing business that will allow us to double the size of our company while reducing our environmental impact (Unilever, nd). SWOT Analysis Based on an internal analysis of Unilever, their strengths and weaknesses were identified. The opportunities and threats facing Unilever were also determined by undertaking an external analysis. The internal analysis included a review of its financial performance, its marketing function, employees, operations, management, and management information (including technology and RD) which helped to pinpoint Unilevers strengths and weaknesses (Lynch, 2005). The external analysis used the PESTEL and Co. framework which stands for Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Technological, Ethical, Legal and Competition. From this analysis, the opportunities and threats facing the business were identified. Strengths Global company Economies of scale Good profit margins Competitive prices Strong brand image for products Innovation Developing and emerging markets Weaknesses Room for improvement in enhancing brand awareness Negative sales growth Company still not a household name Liquidity Opportunities Focus on sustainability and corporate responsibility Speed of technological advancement Low switching costs Threats Low consumer confidence Low consumer spending Volatile political climate in developing and emerging (DE) markets Global economic downturn Fierce competition Figure 4: SWOT Analysis In terms of Unilevers strengths, as was seen from the financial analysis above, they made good profit and their level of gearing is in line with competitors. They maintain a very strong presence in the developing and emerging markets with nearly 50% of their revenues coming from areas such as India and China. However, they need to increase their brand awareness although they are doing it with targeted advertising campaigns. In terms of opportunities, Unilever are well positioned to exploit the opportunities that result from being seen as a company that takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. For example, to meet their aim of growing their business while reducing their environmental impact, our Code of Business Principles and other operational and business polices are designed to ensure that we consistently maintain high social and environmental standards an d we have established processes to track performance in these areas. Our strategy benefits from the insights of the Unilever Sustainable Development Group, comprising five external specialists in corporate responsibility and sustainability that guide and critique the development of our strategy (Unilever, 2009a) In terms of threats facing Unilever, the threat of political volatility especially in emerging markets are mitigated by Unilevers already strong presence there. There have experience of operating in these markets for a good number of years, therefore, they can cope with the volatility. However, the economic downturn has proved constraining to not only Unilever but its competitors. This has also adversely affected consumer confidence and consequently consumer spending which companies like Unilever depend on for their success. Competition is fierce due to low profitability, fairly equal market share and undifferentiated products (Ehlers Estes, 2007). To be successful in the processed and packaged goods industry, there must exist high brand awareness, effective cost management to be able to charge low prices and the commitment to meet ethical standards. Unilever have the strengths to achieve these and are well on their way to overcome weaknesses relating to brand awareness. Once brand awareness increases and the economic conditions become better then this should impact positively on their business as consumer spending and confidence returns. Strategic Options and Choice Based on the SWOT analysis above Unilever are faced with different strategic growth options which are provided below, based on Ansoffs matrix (Johnson Scholes, 2006): Market penetration of existing products into existing markets Market development of existing products into new markets New product development introducing new products into new markets Diversification new products into new markets Strategic Option 1 (Market penetration of existing products) is recommended with details as follows: Maintain and sustain competitive advantage in the DE markets where which is expected to continue to grow Focus on enhancing brand awareness in the developed markets like the UK Develop cross selling and other initiatives to increase usage by existing customers The rationale behind this strategy is that with such fierce competition, Unilevers rivals will unsurprisingly be doing all they can to increase their market share and that will include offering products at low prices. Unilever, by employing the market penetration strategy, will effectively be doing business as usual, while employing cost cutting measures designed to bolster profits. This strategy is less risky especially in an environment of a global economic downturn (Johnson Scholes, 2006). It is also recommended that the strategy be achieved through organic growth as opposed to other activities like mergers and acquisitions which have high potential for failure. In terms of competitive strategy, it is recommended that a combination of cost leadership and differentiation be employed. Although Porter argues for a single generic strategy (1998b), this is not always the best option because customers will require different thing from the same product. For example, for the success of the Lynx brand is because it combines low price with perceived coolness. This combined generic strategy has great chance of success as it enables Unilever to be price competitive while also using obtained brand loyalty to keep customers from rivals. Choosing the right strategy is important. However, more important is the successful achievement of the strategy. This will involve effective deployment of Unilevers resources (those used in the internal analysis above) to achieve set objectives. Communication is also key to ensure that those responsible for implementing the strategy buy into it sufficiently to be motivated enough to implement it successfully (Johnson Scholes, 2006). Finally, it is important that once implemented the strategy should be monitored regularly with a view of making changes or enhancing it as required to achieve set objectives.

Putting Capital Punishment to Death :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hanging, the firing squad, the gas chamber, the electric chair, lethal injection; these are some present methods of the death penalty. Capital punishment has been used in America for a long time, and has always presented conflicts. There are many groups that protest capital punishment, and there are many groups that are for it. The controversies it presents have to do with the cost, if it is humane, or if it is moral. With all of these problems taken into consideration, it is clear to anyone that capital punishment is the wrong choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The early forms of the death penalty were not only much less humane than they are now, but much more cruel and unusual. Hanging, one of the earliest forms, is actually still used in 3 states as one form of capital punishment. The inmate would not get blindfolded, unlike most methods, then they would stand on a stool or box. A noose would then be wrapped, and tightened, around their neck. The box or stool is then kicked out from under the inmate, and onlookers watch in anticipation while the inmate suffocates to death. In some cases, the inmate’s neck would break, instantly killing him. (Baird 22)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other early forms of capital punishment were the guillotine and the firing squad. Both of these methods used blindfolds. For the guillotine, the inmate would lay down on their back under a huge blade hanging above their neck. The executioner would then cut a rope, releasing the blade that then slices through the inmate’s neck, decapitating him. For the firing squad, and inmate would be led to a chair in front of a brick wall. A trained firing squad then lines up in front of the inmate. The firing squad then fires their guns at a target on the inmate’s chest. To relieve the guilt of the squad, some of their guns were loaded with blanks, so no one could know if they were the ones who killed the man. The guillotine is not used anymore, but the firing squad is still used in a few states. Anyone can see why these methods are not used as much anymore. (Baird 21)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now to the real controversies. Most people do not realize these inhumane methods of capital punishment are still being used, but the more controversial ones are the methods everyone knows about. One of the older current methods is he electric chair. The electric chair is not the most controversial, even though it is the least humane of the widely used practices.

`A dolls house` act 3 analysis

A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen is about the oppression of women and how they were asked by men to live in a ‘Doll's House.' We see throughout the play how Torvald acts like a dictator with Nora and talks to her condescendingly.However, in Act III things start changing. Torvald's tone becomes harsher, he actually starts treating her like a possession and dresses her up like a doll in all the things he finds most ‘desirable'.After the party he tries to have her in order to satisfy his desire but when Nora reveals Krogstad's condition Torvald tries to use his desire as a point of consolation. When Nora talks to him and tell him her own secret. He unravels. He abuses her verbally and claims she has shamed him. He completely rejects her position.Yet, as soon as the truth is revealed through the letter the maid brings, he forgives her. By then Nora has had enough and decides to leave him unable to live anymore as a possession with no will and a person with no individual identity . She said of her position with her dad and then Torvald as her husband, â€Å"He played with me just as I used to play with my dolls. And when I came to live with you I was simply transferred from Papa’s hands to yours.†It is this Act that summarizes Nora's conflicts throughout the play where she struggled to see herself as an independent woman but was confined by her sense of duty to her husband and society. She felt she was freed and her ties with Torvald severed when he refused to help her and honor her when faced with baseless accusation. It showed her that she had been sacrificing herself for a man who would never love her as she needed to be loved. He valued his possessions more than her and that was something she would not accept.She has discovered that as a woman she has been continuously asked to do her ‘duty' and has done so but she is also expected to remain a plaything for her husband and that she can no longer do. She has discovered that she values her sense of the self, her discovery of herself as an individual over her role as a wife, mother and daughter and she is no longer willing to sacrifice her life for people who cannot return the same emotions for her sake.ReferencesDolls House by Henrik Ibsen

The Address by Marga Minco

Analysis of a Key Passage The Address by Marga Minco In The Address by Marga Minco, the author suggests that people do not realize what they take for granted until they do not have them anymore. In the excerpt, the narrator is in a house with all her possessions, and the daughter of the woman who took all these possessions has no idea what is going on. Long ago, the narrator’s mother had given all her worldly possessions to a strange lady, who always took everything away with a look of greed.The narrator has come to the house with all the possessions, and it suddenly hits her that all her memories are just through the doorway. When she enters, she sees all of her possessions, â€Å"in a room which I both knew and didn’t know†. This one simple line describes how she feels, how though all her memories are in the room, they are not place in the right spot, as if the chronological placement was off, and all her memories are mixed up. I found myself among things I had wanted to see again but which oppressed me in the strange surroundings† describes her confusion, because though everything looked normal, (similar to the way she acts as if nothing is happening) it’s the inside story of every object that is scaring her; how it has her memories imprinted in it, and yet, they are not there anymore, because this is not her house, and she does not own any of this anymore.I scarcely dared to look around me anymore† symbolizes her fright of looking at everything she had and lost, and now they do not belong to her, though she has a slight longing for them in order to have a sense of normality. â€Å"Somewhere on the edge there should be a burn hole in which had never been repaired† this line, when read closely, depicts the hole as a sort of ledge, where her mind is clinging onto, so she may find some familiar feeling in all this strangeness. It also depicts a large bottomless pit, where she wants to throw all the bad feelings and memories away, throw them deep into this hole.The daughter does not notice anything wrong, because she is like a newborn baby: she does not know where any of this comes from, but she does not question it, because she has been raised with these objects. But she is also the opposite of her mother; while her mother stole all the possessions without a worry or a care, she is sweeter, gentler. The daughter is innocent and unknowing of what happened, while the mother is guilty and knows exactly why the narrator is here. When prompted, she (the daughter) talks of how everything in the room is nothing important, how they are all antiques and nothing special.But the narrator then offers a retort of passion and sadness â€Å"you get used to all these beautiful things at home, you hardly look at them anymore. You only nothice when something is not there, because it has to be repaired, or for example, because you’ve lent it to someone†. This small speech shows how she never thoug ht of these possessions and memories as important, but now that they are not with her anymore, now that she knows she cannot take them all back, she feels they describe her life. But it is too late.Near the end of the excerpt, the narrator mentions how, when she was younger, she thought her cutlery was made from silver, but never really thought of it. The daughter laughs, but when she goes to check her own cutlery, the narrator rushes out, to â€Å"forget the address† and everything she ever remembered. This is because she wants to leave every memory she had behind, to start anew. It is her sudden realization that she does not possess these memories anymore that causes her to change and force herself to forget everything from the past.

An Englishman in New York †The Problem Of UK-US English in Freelance Writing

An Englishman in New York – The Problem Of UK-US English in Freelance Writing An Englishman in New York The Problem Of UK-US English in Freelance Writing An Englishman in New York The Problem Of UK-US English in Freelance Writing By Colin Some people see the differences between American English and British English as a problem. I see them as an interesting challenge. And although the title to this article might indicate that I’m English, I am in fact, a British Scot. I am also fully aware there is more to the United States of America than the wonderful state of New York, but I felt it made a good title, so I went with it. Why Has This Difference Come About? The English language arrived in the Americas with the advent of British colonization in the early 17th century. As the British Empire grew, so too did the language, which by 1921 had incorporated around a quarter of the world’s population (approximately 470–570 million people). Since that time, the form of English used in the Americas (particularly in the USA) and that used in the UK, have diverged in many subtle ways, leading to the individual dialects now more commonly known as American English and British English, or on Microsoft Word, as US English and UK English. What Are The Differences? The main differences that have developed between the two strains of English include pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, idioms, and date formatting. A few words have even developed completely different meanings, which can mean something in one dialect, but be a source of embarrassment or insult in the other. Some words may not even be used or are unknown to the other. What Is The Impact? As a freelance writer working from home, I am frequently assigned jobs by companies and individuals, more often than not, from the USA. Telecommuting is an area of freelance writing that I enjoy; working with a local Bed and Breakfast on an advertising leaflet one day, and writing a press release for a US-based dot com client the next. It’s exciting and provides a great way to earn a living. But as this kind of work increases, more often than not I am asked to write articles or essays in the target audience’s own version of the English language. In most cases, this means adapting my work into US English. Is There A Right One Above All Others? No. Clearly it depends on several factors, such as intended readership or editorial preference. A freelance writer should take guidance from both the publication type and the editor when deciding which to use. Where the issue becomes cloudy is when you have a large company with a global audience, or with a company that has separate websites covering different geographical locations. I’ve worked with clients in the past that required two separate articles to be submitted for every one assignment, i.e., one copy of an article in US English for their .com website, and the other in UK English for their .co.uk website. Websites such as our very own Daily Writing Tips, has a global readership, yet the difference in language expectation is highlighted where one readership is of greater number than the other. And so an article written naturally in UK English may stand out against the eye of the US English reader. What Then, For The Freelance Writer? Make a judgment call based on the publication’s intended readership. If there is no information available or it’s too hard to pinpoint, ask the editor. Always remember, though, in the world of freelance writing for the Internet, you won’t be able to please all the people all of the time. But above all, make sure the content is interesting and topical, because if it isn’t relevant, no one will even read it to spot where the differences are. Footnote: Did anyone notice this article was written in US English purely for the benefit of DWT’s US-English speaking readership? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative ConflictThe Possessive Apostrophe25 Idioms About Bread and Dessert

Essential psychology for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Essential psychology for Managers - Essay Example However, despite the challenges, the manager proved to be leader since he was able triumph over the challenges of the time. The leadership, leadership skills, conflict resolution skills and adequate communication skill, skills fire fighting department manager displays the uncertainties and risks that leaders goes through in daily operations while making efforts to achieve their preset goals. Through manager and his team achieving their goals that display how people work to towards self-actualization. This essay will focus on analysis of the Cotton Club Scenario and make use of theoretical approaches which will include, trait approach, behavioral approach and situational approach. The essay will demonstrate how the three approaches were depicted in the interactions between the managers, employees and the conflicting groups. It was during one of the life Jazz performances by a number of international Jazz artists at Cotton Club when the fans got excited and the security personnel could not manage them. Though the club is mainly dominated by African American, there was an equal proportion of white who were fast becoming fan of Jazz music. Issues of racism dominated the club. Jazz until recently, jazz music was considered as an African American music. During the show, the blacks started to charge against the whites. Since the whites had bloated ego, they resisted being intimidated by the blacks because the former considered themselves a superior race. The tow fiery opposite’s sides began to fight against each other. The whites were out shadowed and began to run for safety out the club. During fight, several people had been fatally injured. The whites gathered outside Cotton Club while the African American remained inside the club. Each group was deriving a scheme on how to revenge against the other. The whites looked more organized while the blacks argued on how to attack the whites who had

A critique of tourism policy and planning in Croatia Essay

A critique of tourism policy and planning in Croatia - Essay Example 2. Definition of term 5 3. Statement of the problem 6 4. Tourism vision and policies 6 5. Issues facing developments of tourism in Croatia 7 6. Tourism strategies 8 7. Analysis 10 8. Conclusion 12 Annex 14 Bibliography 15 Executive Summary This study is about tourism planning and management. As tourism has been significant source of revenue and development in the Republic of Croatia, its tourism planning and policies are inspected and analyzed. A critique is forwarded to point out the deficiencies between the policies and the actual performance. The study is subdivided in several sections that discusses following issues: a) key features of the existing tourism patterns, its significance to economy and employment; b) Issues or problems facing tourism in Crotia; c) Institutions working for its development; d) official strategy of the country and, e) finally, an analysis whether the strategies spelled out are realistic and achievable. The Study used available sources of information from the Ministry of Tourism, World Economic Review, and other published information to arrive at an analytical position. Study found out insufficienes on structural development of Croatia leads to its low competitiveness that does not go with its proclaimed tourism policy. A Critique on the Tourism Planning and Policy in Croatia 1. Introduction Tourism has been a significant part of any country’s economic development.... As tourism is a multi-faceted function, its policy, Mato, Bartuloci (2010a, p.255), a professor in Business and Economics in Croatia, said should be determined by the combined economic policy of agriculture, hotel industry, transportation, commerce and municipal services. In Croatia, tourism policy is developed by several organizations. At the top level, there is the Ministry of Tourism. The Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB), the Croation Chamber of Economy, and at the regional level, it comprises of the tourists board, public sector representatives, travel agencies, enterprises and companies, residents, and others who are interested. The CNTCB is founded with a â€Å"view to promoting and creating the identity, and to enhance the reputation of Croatian tourism. The mission also includes the planning and implementation of a common strategy and the conception of its promotion, proposal and the performance of promotional activities of mutual interest for all subjects in tourism i n the country and abroad, as well as raising the overall quality of the whole range of tourist services on offer in the Republic of Croatia.† (CNTCB n.d.) 1.2 Key features of existing tourism patterns, significance to the economy and employment The importance of tourism in Croatia is fully expressed in this country since it depends much from tourism to boost its economy. Tourism in Croatia created 135,000 jobs in 2011, (12.3% of total employment). Economic indicators of the World Travel & Tourism Council (2012) showed a positive outlook and brighter promise for tourism in Croatia . Figure 1 below shows a picture of tourists’ arrival that records to 9,334.8 (thousand) in 2009 and a international tourism receipts of (US$ millions)8,889.4 for the same year.