Consideration - Pre-existing Duties and Part Payment of Debts Essay

Consideration - Pre-existing Duties and Part Payment of Debts - Essay Example The facts of the case were that a borrower, Cole, owed Pinnel [the lender] the equivalent of  £8.50 [ £8-10s-0d] which was to be repaid on 11 November. At the lender’s request, the borrower paid  £5.11 [ £5-2s-2d] on 1 October, which the lender claimed to accept in full settlement of the debt.    The lender then successfully sued the borrower for the outstanding amount.   The House of Lords held that since no consideration was exchanged to enforce the promise of the lender to accept part-payment of a debt on the due date from the borrower, then the lender could pursue full payment of the debt at a later date. This remains the general rule at common law.   However, in Pinnel’s Case, it was also said that the agreement to accept part payment would have bound the lender if fresh consideration had been provided to show accord and satisfaction.   This might be: The facts of the case were that a borrower, Cole, owed Pinnel [the lender] the equivalent of  £8. 50 which was to be repaid on 11 November. At the lender’s request, the borrower paid  £5.11 [ £5-2s-2d] on 1 October, which the lender claimed to accept in full settlement of the debt.    The lender then successfully sued the borrower for the outstanding amount.   The House of Lords held that since no consideration was exchanged to enforce the promise of the lender to accept part-payment of a debt on the due date from the borrower, then the lender could pursue full payment of the debt at a later date.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou) Essay Example for Free

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou) Essay In I know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou shows us a dark side of American history and how racism and discrimination can affect people, but she also shows us the power of the human spirit in our ability to overcome negativity and succeed in spite of great difficulties in life. One of the earliest examples of race relations in the book symbolizes the major separation of opportunity for black and white children. On the second page of the book, Marguerite explains how she wished that she would â€Å"wake up in a white world, with blond hair, blue eyes, and she would shudder from the nightmare of being black. † Thus, from the beginning of the book, race relations were one of the major themes. The way that Marguerite was thinking at this point, was the same way that other young black children were thinking during this time. They were so use to the white children being praised, they felt that if they looked that way, they would be praised and have the finer things in life as well. According to Valà ©rie Baisnà © (1994), â€Å"Angelous autobiographies in the midst of literature, were written during and about the American Civil Rights movement. The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Lupton states that Caged Bird captures the vulgarity of white Southern attitudes toward African Americans. Angelou demonstrates, through her involvement with the black community of Stamps, her developing understanding of the rules for surviving in a racist society, something she is not able to articulate for many years, when she finally writes the book. Angelou also vividly presents racist characters so real one can feel their presence.† Maya Angelou’s early experiences with racism are so powerful, that in 1982, during an interview with Bill Moyers in Stamps, she is unable to cross some railroad tracks into the white part of town. Bill Moyers was an American Journalist and public commentator. Critic Pierre A. Walker (1995), characterizes Angelous book as political; he stresses that the â€Å"unity of her autobiographies serves to underscore one of Angelous central themes: the injustice of racism and how to fight it.† Walker (1995) also states that Angelous biographies’, beginning with Caged Bird, consists of a sequence of lessons about resisting racist oppression. This sequence leads Angelou, as the protagonist, from helpless rage and indignation to forms of subtle resistance, and finally to outright and active protest throughout all six of her autobiographies. Maya Angelou used all that she has been through to write her stories. Her childhood was not really a child hood because she had to accept what had happened to her and move on which caused her to grow up faster than normal. The events that took place in her life made her the strong woman that she is today. She decided not to let her situation define her, instead, she decided to define her situation. Far too many times there are individuals who allow things that happen to them tear them down and they never seem to recover, but not Maya Angelou. She was determined. During the time that this book was written, there were a lot of things going on in the country. One major event was the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was a time in American History where Blacks were protesting and fighting to be able to have the same rights as a those of non-blacks. Bibliography Angelou, Maya (1969). I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House. Random House Inc is the worlds largest English-language general trade book publisher Baisnà ©e, Valà ©rie (1994). Gendered resistance: The autobiographies of Simone de Beauvoir, Maya Angelou, Janet Frame and Marguerite Duras. Amsterdam Walker, Pierre A. Racial protest, identity, words and form in Maya Angelous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.. College Literature 22.3 (1995): 91+. Academic OneFile. Web. 8 Aug. 2012.

The Lottery Winner :: Essays Papers

The Lottery Winner SETTING: The book starts out in Manhattan, New York in modern times. The book mostly takes place in New York city but throughout the book they also travel to London, England, cypress point spa, and several other places. The book ends back in Manhattan, New York. CHARACTERS: 1. Alvirah Meehan is a former maid that is near her sixties and has quit her job after her and her husband struck it rich in the winning of the lottery. Alvirah started taking interest in helping people with murders and other problems that she ran across while traveling across the world. After she had won the lottery the New York Globe news paper had asked her to write about all of her different adventures. 2. Willy Meehan is around his sixties, he has blue eyes with white hair. Willy is a former plumber who quit his job after wining the lottery with his wife Alvirah. Willy enjoys traveling with Alvirah to all the different places. He is very supportive and help full to Alvirah in her interest of helping others with there crimes. He also enjoys helping the poor or just those people that can't afford to hire a plumber so he dose the job for free. 3. Brian who is somewhere around his twenties, he is an up and coming famous play writer. Brian is the nephew of Willy. Brian is first introduced in the first story called "The body in the closet". He was staying at the apartment of Willy and Alvirah were a body was found in there closet at there return from there trip to England. He becomes the main suspespect in the murder because he was the last be in the apartment. This was not a good thing for Brian because his career was just taking off with all the great plays he was writing. Brian becomes very lucky with the help of Alvirah as they prove his innocence. Brian then was able to go back on with is writings of the plays. 4. Cynthia Lathem was found guilty for the murder of her father in the second story. It all happened when she was in her junior year of the Rhode Island School of Design when her step father Stuart Richards was found shot to death in the study of his mansion.

Adidas Is One of the Largest Companies in the Sporting

ADIDAS MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS EFFECTIENESS ADIDAS MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS EFFECTIVENESS TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Executive summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 2. Introduction 2. 1 Adidas Overview†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 2. 2 Europe sports equipment market overview†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4, 5, 6 3. Situtational Analysis 3. 1 PESTEL Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7, 8 3. 2 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 3. 3 SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10, 11 4. Consumer Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12, 13 5. Marketing Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 6. Communications Mix 6. 1 Sports sponsorship†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15, 16 . 2 Celebrity endorsement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16, 17 6. 3 Product placements†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 7. Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 8. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 9. Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦19 1. Executive summary| This report will measure the effectiveness of Adidas’s advertising campaign. To achieve this goal this report will go through the French market analyse and the target consumers. Moreover, SWOT, PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analysis demonstrate the different opportunities in future for Adidas and the multiple factors influencing the sports equipment industry.Adidas is one the leading company in the sports equipment industry (with Nike, Reebok†¦), recognizable with its three bands, and since few years he is launching very effective campaigns. This effectiveness it’s due to the celebrity endorsement. This report will be introduced by the introduction of the overview of Adidas’s market and secondly the sport equipment market in general. 2. Introduction| 2. 1 Adidas Overview Adidas is one of the largest companies in the sporting goods industry. The group has divided its operating activities by major brand into three divisions: Adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf.The group operates through more than 170 subsidiaries in Europe, the US and Asia, each focusing on a particular market or part of the manufacturing process. After the financial crisis of 2008 and economic difficulties of 2009, Adidas came back strongly in 2010 and can show an excellent year. The Group generated a record â‚ ¬ 12 billion in sales, a growth of 9%, clearly outpacing his major competitors. 2. 2 Europe sports equipment market overview Adidas offers sports equipment for all sports. It provides footwear and apparel for each sport (cricket, football, running etc)England cricket team, sponsor Adidas R. Madrid football team, sponsor Adidas As we can see in the table 1, in Europe the sports equipment market grew by 2. 1% in 2011 to reach a value of â‚ ¬13. 9 billion (Marketline 2012). And according to recent figures this growth will continue to increase, for more than 10% between 2011 and 2016 (Marketline, 2012). Table 1: EUROPE SPORT EQUIPMENT MARKET FIGURES| Year| â‚ ¬ Billion| % Growth| 2007| 12. 7| | 2008| 13. 1| 3. 1| 2009| 13. 3| 1. 9| 2010| 13. 6| 2. 0| 2012| 13. 9| 2. 1| Source: MarketlineThe graph above clearly demonstrates that the French market is the most important as far as the sport equipment market is concerned, with a total value of â‚ ¬3. 7 billion in 2011. The German and UK market, with respectively 18% (â‚ ¬3. 5 billion) and 18. 3% (â‚ ¬ 3. 5 billion) of the market share, follow it. And then comes the Italian and Spanish market (Marketline, 2012). These five markets cover more than 72% of the European sports equipment market. Source: Marketline The most valuable segment in this industry it’s clearly the ball sport equipment segment.Adidas is well presen t, as they make footballs for the World Cup, UEFA Euro and the Champions League. These three competitions are the most watched all around the world (715 millions people watched the 2006 World Cup Final). FIFA World Cup 2010 UEFA Euro 2012 Champions League 12/13 According to the graph the less valuables segments are racket sport equipment (9. 5%) and golf equipment (13. 6%). By adding both figures they are still inferior comparing to the ball sport equipment (25. 5%). 3. Situtational Analysis|As mentioned above this report will analyse the leading sports equipment market, in this case the French market. 3. 1 PESTEL Analysis Through this PESTEL analysis we will analyse which factors any company has to consider, while entering the French sports industry. POLITICAL: France is a highly centralized country; an elite group is dominating in the state and the corporation sectors. This situation persists despite attempts to decentralize power in last few years. Furthermore, according to the r ecent report â€Å"corruption is perceived to be widespread in French politics†. Datamonitor, 2011) ECONOMICAL: From 1999 to 2007 France’s exports share in eurozone felled by 16%, and French exports were of a value of $595 billion in 2010 (declined by 4. 6%). This will affect the prospects of the French economy in the near future. (Datamonitor, 2011) For a company like Adidas, which exports a lot to Asia with a total market of â‚ ¬2, 972 million in China and other Asian markets, it can effects their sales. (Marketline, 2012) SOCIAL: The French population is becoming aged. Indeed, more than 17% of the population have more than 65 years (Insee, 2012).The Government is expecting to allow 4% of the GDP to healthcare, pensions and dependency care related to the aged people. (Datamonitor, 2011) TECHNOLOGICAL: After the industrial age France is moving towards technological age. Indeed, we can see it by the number of patents deposited at the US Patent and Trademark Office ( USPTO), the figure reached 124,723 in 2010. (Datamonitor, 2011) In the other hand, the Government will withdraw the concept of Young Innovative Company, it will have is impact on the industrial growth and may reduce investments in the country. (Datamonitor, 2011) ENVIRONMENTAL:France was very active to prepare agreements on environmental protection and sustainable development and in the strengthening of international governance. In addition, with Norway, France initiated the Global Forest Partnership in 2010. (Datamonitor, 2011) But as the technological factors, the country is not encouraging and fulfilling his agreements. Indeed, last year France was assigned to the EU Court of Justice by the European Commission for its lack of attention in the industrial emissions regulations. The European Commission was telling that France has more than 60 factories that have not got environmental authorization of the EU. Datamonitor, 2011) LEGAL: Foreign investments increased by more than 20% co uple of years ago, 782 projects lead to nearly 32,000 job. Most of these projects were related to the renewable energy sector. In 2010, non-national companies based in France created two million jobs. Many of the government’s tax and labour reforms have been met with cynicism and public protests. The government may increase weekly working hours from 35 to 39 and abolish the wealth tax l'impot de solidarite sur la fortune. However, these moves will face public outrage and demonstration. 3. 2 Porter’s Five Forces AnalysisWe aim to measure an industry’s attractiveness and long-term profitability through Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Adidas and his competitor, as Nike, have reach to branch out in to retail after the industry of sports equipment has seen in recent years a great development of forward integration (as sportswear manufacturers). Despite the presence of major groups, in the French market of sports equipment, the market is still fragmented. Buyer power is becoming very strong, as there is a wide range of products available, and the existence of numbers of retailers and also the fact that some large firms have integrated forwards into retail.The expenses in sports equipment and apparel vary following the emergence of trends for particular sports. Another factor that influence purchases is the weather. It’s still possible to enter the French market by producing for example small quantities of custom-made golf and to have some economies of scales such as bulk buying. But, as seen in recent years the uninspiring revenue growth makes entry a less attractive for new entrants. The reliance on sales of sports equipment is reduced as many firms sell sports footwear and apparel in the French market. Rivalry is weakened as many large companies outsource their manufacturing. Marketline, 2012) Source: Marketline 3. 3 SWOT Analysis SWOT ANALYSIS| Strengths| Weaknesses| * Strong portfolio * Continuous research and development * Stro ng performance after 2010 FIFA World Cup * Worldwide presence | * Dependence on third party manufacturing * Unfunded postretirement obligations will impact cash flows adversely| Opportunities| Threats| * Reorganization to improve efficiency * Sponsoring major sports events * Global footwear market is growing| * Counterfeit products * Competition * Fluctuations of foreign currencies |Adidas has in his portfolio three brands, as follows: Adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Adidas is well present all around the world, Reebok is improving day by day (for instance Thierry Henry is sponsored by Reebok), and TaylorMade-adidas Golf is the less known brand of his portfolio. Because of their policy to encourage research and development allows Adidas to come out with new and better products to face competition of Nike. As mentioned above Adidas makes football for major football competition and it benefits of the success of these competitions.After the establishment in the European and A merican markets, Adidas is targeting Asian market (total market of â‚ ¬2, 972 million in China and other Asian markets). (Marketline, 2012) As Adidas outsource 95% of his production to Asian country (32% of his suppliers are Chinese) it cannot control the quality of his product. Indeed, several products made in China have been recall by many US companies after the publication of the Consumer Product Safety Commission report. The company cannot tolerate a lack of quality in front of Nike, in order to keep market shares.The company provides retirements benefits to most of their employees. According to a recent report, the company planned pensions of â‚ ¬67 million but they reached â‚ ¬74 million, so an unfunded status of â‚ ¬7 million. (Marketline, 2012) In order to enhance its efficiency Adidas undertook reorganization. Indeed, the company moved to a function-related structure from a vertically integrated brand structure. Adidas has many agreements for sports events: * Au stralia Olympic Committee until 2016 * Japan Football Association until 2015 * Spanish Football Federation until 2018 * Argentine Football Association until 2022 FIFA World Cup 2014 * UEFA EURO 2016 * UEFA Champions League * 11 year global agreements with the NBA (official sponsor NBA, Women’s NBA and the NBA Development League) These events will help the company to en enhance its brand image and awareness among customers and also to strength its profitability. The global footwear market, not only the European market, has shown a growth in recent years. According to Datamonitor, the global footwear market grew by 2. 6% in 2009 to reach a value of $196. 3 billion. Footwear, clothing, accessories and sportswear are the largest segments, accounting for 67. % of the market's total value. Market’s forecast will reach the value of $230. 8 billion by 2014, representing an increase of 17. 6% from 2009. (Marketline, 2012) With the development of Asian countries, and the outsour cing of manufacturing of western companies in these countries, the counterfeit has increased and it’s a reel threat for companies. Adidas his facing competition of big companies, we identify as Adidas main competitors Nike, Puma, Callaway Golf Company and New Balance. As last threat we see the fluctuations of foreign currencies.For instance, in India a brand like Adidas is for the high-class society otherwise they cannot afford a football shirt, which cost about 60?. (Marketline, 2012) 4. Consumer Analysis| CONSUMER SEGMENTATION BASES| Behavioural| Demographic| * User status * Usage rate * Usage occasion * Brand loyalty * Benefits sought | * Income * Age * Sex * Race * Family| Psychographic| Geographic | * Values * Opinions * Attitudes Activities * Lifestyle| * International * Regional| This table shows the consumer segmentation bases that any company can use.They are usually the same regardless of the sector. Companies use segmentation in order to divid into groups’ c onsumers that have some characteristics and needs in common (Doole et al. , 2005). Hence, the company can attract easily those groups with specifics products. As his main competitor, Nike, Adidas target particularly young and middle age that practice sport. Another category of Adidas’s consumers has made by teams’ supporters (Real Madrid sold 1. 4 million shirts, Goal. com). Furthermore, there is a turnover of â‚ ¬1. 2 billion in goods related to football (Reuters 2012).Because of is large portfolio the company attract different customer markets with each brand, for instance golf interested consumers with TaylorMade-adidas Golf. The following perceptual map shows the positioning of Adidas as a company offering high quality products for a High price. Foot Locker and K-Swiss try to attract people with a lower income, whereas Nike and Puma apply the same price-quality strategy than Adidas. The competitive advantage of Adidas in comparison to those two companies, howeve r, is its positive brand image. At least, in the decision-making units (D. M.U) we may be influence by friends, the press or by the company’s advertising. The person who buys, decides and uses is usually the same. 5. Marketing Objectives| As any company, which is not the leader in his sector, Adidas has as objective to try to extend his market shares and in long terms strategy to be the leader by a continuous research and development of innovation. Through these innovations steps Adidas can provide comprehensive solutions to his customers (Kotlet and Keller, 2009). One of the reasons of Adidas’s campaigns effectiveness is his brand awareness with his three bands logo.And also is slogan â€Å"Impossible is nothing†, outpace our limits; make the impossible possible. In a survey reported by SportsOne (2010), 98. 8% of the respondent pool aged 13 and up that purchased athletic footwear or apparel could associate at each one of the brand elements to the company name. And another key factor is the role of celebrity endorsement. Through this marketing tool fans can associate themselves to the celebrity and to the brand. 6. Communications Mix| In order to target a wide audience and to build its brand equity, Adidas uses several marketing communications tools.According to Duncan and Moriarty the brand delivers impressions, that can strengthen or weaken customers views of a company, on each contact it has with his customers. Kotler and Keller reinforce this as they said the shape and colour of the package, the product’s style and price, the store decor, the salesperson’s (dress and manner) communicates to buyers. 6. 1 Sports sponsorship Because they benefits of a large coverage, sports activities are more attractive to sponsors (Fill, 2011). Indeed, sport events are the most sponsored because: * They attract large audience * Simplistic measure of segmentation Events duration permits to be more visible As shown above Adidas’s mai n segment is football with a market share of 34% (Chazouilleres, 2010). Therefore, Adidas’s sponsorship with major football teams has been motivated because of â€Å"the attraction of large and specific target audiences with whom a degree of fit is considered to exist† (Fill, 2011). Amongst football teams we can mention clubs like Real Madrid (2nd largest fans group in world), Chelsea (6th); national teams as Argentina, Spain; and of course the sponsorships of major football competition for years (FIFA World Cup, Olympics†¦). |Sponsorship is one of the important parts of the communications mix because it allows companies to communicate without the clutter of advertising. Of all types of sponsorship sport has captioned most attention and money (Fill, 2011). 6. 2 Celebrity endorsement In particular, a celebrity endorser should have a high level of visibility and a rich set of potentially useful associations, judgements and feelings (McCracken, 1989). Therefore, cele brities can play a more strategic role for their brands, not only by endorsing a product but also helping to design, position and sell merchandise and services.In these last years Adidas has sponsored many famous football players as Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham. Nowadays the main celebrity endorsed by Adidas is definitely Lionel Messi. They aim to attract football fans, and Adidas launched couple of weeks ago special football shoes for Lionel Messi (AdiZero F50, with a computer chip inside). 6. 3 Product placements Another tool of the communications mix is the product placement. This tool consists of putting his products, usually, in movies. Adidas uses this media because it’s a â€Å"billion dollar market† (Scevak, 2001).But since a decade product placement is not only made in movies but in all types of TV shows (Steinberg and Vranica, 2004). Since the release of â€Å"Blades of Glory†, we know that figure skating without Adidas is simply not the truth. The m ain characters guide you through the whole movie. In 2007 Adidas was already present in â€Å"Norbit,† â€Å"Stomp the Yard† and â€Å"The Messengers†. 7. Recommendations| For the future Adidas should be more aware about his brand image. Outsourcing 98% of his production in Asian country can affect his brand image because of the poor quality these manufacturers offer.By outsourcing his production can damage is research and development, which cost a lot. These two things, innovation and lack of quality, don’t match. Adidas should handle it as soon as possible in order to extend his market shares and face the competition. The company should continue to sign celebrities as they currently do. The celebrity endorsement is the main key of the marketing campaigns. But Adidas should not only focus on football market (even if is reliable market). It shows that company depends a lot on it. If in the future the market goes down, Adidas can be heavily affects by this .An ultimate recommendation can be to reinforce his presence on social networks as its use is growing amongst the youth market. 8. Conclusion| In this report we gave an overview of Adidas and the European sports equipment market. And we remarked that Adidas is the leading group in football industry, and the 2nd in sports equipment industry (after Nike). Then the report focused on the French sports equipment market. We analysed the market through two analyses, as follows: PESTEL, Porter’s five forces; and we made the SWOT analysis for Adidas. Targeted consumer are analysed nd marketing objectives are given to know how Adidas approach these consumers. We choose three different tools – sports sponsorship, celebrity endorsement and product placement – in order to explain the communication strategy used by Adidas. Finally, recommendations are done on how, in future, Adidas can maintain his leading position in the football industry and how to extend market shares and how face the competition. 9. Bibliography| Marketline (2012) Industry Profile – Europe Sports Equipment Marketline (2012) Industry Profile – France Sports Equipment Datamonitor (2011) Country Analysis Report FranceDatamonitor (2011) Company Profile adidas AG Institut national de la statistique et des etudes economiques –Insee (2012) Bilan demographique SportsOne (2010) Doole, I. , Lancaster, P. and Lowe, R. (2005) Understanding and managing customers, Essex: FT Prentice Hall Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2009) Marketing Management, 13th Edition, Pearson International Edition Duncan, T. and Moriarty, S. (2006) â€Å"How Integrated Marketing Communication’s ‘Touch Points’ can operationalize the service-dominant logic†, The Service-Dominant Logic of Marketing: Dialog, Debate, and DirectionsFill, C. (2011) Essentials of marketing communications, 1st Edition, Prentice Hall Steinberg, B. and Vranica, S. (2004) â€Å"Prime-Time TV’s N ew Guest Stars: Products†, Wall Street Journal, January 13, 2004 McCracken, G. (1989) â€Å"Who is the celebrity endorser? Cultural foundations of the endorsement process†, Journal of Consumer Research, December 1989, 16 Scevak, N. (2001) â€Å"The Evolution of Product Placement† Available URL: http://www. internetnews. com/bus-news/article. php/785431/The+Evolution+of +Product+Placement. htm

Domain Name Essay

Browsing through different domain servers, I would suggest a well known and established company. I would suggest the use of GoDaddy. com. I have personally used the service and can attest to their customer service available 24/7 via telephone and live chat. The provider also offers free personalized email, DNS control and status alerts for the page. The prices are competitive with other companies with assistance in not only hosting the site, they will assist in the building and maintenance of the site. As far as domain name, at the time of searching the domain name of FreeFluShotsForElderly. org is available. I would suggest the use of a . org vs another due to the public misconception of their view towards the extensions. A normal individual may recognize a . org extension as a non-profit vs if it was a . com and not believe it to be non-profit. The name, while long, also would be easily memorable in terms of the elderly as well as being easily located with search engines as well. Another possible alternative is to continue with a purchase like this and purchase similar domain names along the same lines and with different extensions for a cheaper price. With the purchase of the additional domain names, you can reroute users from those sites to your â€Å"trunk† site that is being maintained. Not only would this assist with individuals typing in the wrong address, it would assist with people who are looking for different sites that are mistakenly brought to this organization’s site.

20 Evocative French Words

20 Evocative French Words 20 Evocative French Words 20 Evocative French Words By Mark Nichol English has borrowed words from other languages indiscriminately, and has done so for hundreds of years. Often, this happens even when a perfectly sound native or imported synonym already exists, but sometimes the new term gains its footing because it expresses a concept better than an existing term, or conveys a connotation or nuance no other single word or phrase does. But speakers and writers of English don’t always use the word as it is intended, leading to semantic drift. In the interests of preserving the purity of some highly evocative terms, here are twenty such words acquired from French: 1. Bà ªte noir (literally, â€Å"black beast†): someone to whom one is averse 2. Cachet (â€Å"seal†): originally, a seal or mark of approval; now, also (and primarily) used in a figurative sense meaning â€Å"prestige† (though it has additional meanings in philately, or stamp collecting) 3. Calque (â€Å"copy†): a literal translation of a word or phrase into one language from another, as in French-to-English vers libre (â€Å"free verse†) or English-to-French seconde main (â€Å"second hand†) 4. Dà ©tente (â€Å"relaxation†): an easing of political tensions; specifically, the thawing of the Cold War during the 1970s 5. Élan (â€Å"rush, impetus†): high spirit or enthusiasm 6. Ennui (â€Å"annoyance†): annoyance or boredom 7. Fà ªte (â€Å"feast, festival†): a celebration, or to celebrate 8. Haute couture (â€Å"high fashion†): High-quality custom tailoring, referring either to specific garments or to the industry; sometimes called simply couture 9. Lagniappe (from yapay, â€Å"to increase,† from the native South American language Quecha, by way of American Spanish and Louisiana French): a merchant’s small gift to a customer; in general usage, a modest bonus 10. Malaise (â€Å"discomfort†): a feeling of poor mental or physical health, or a sense of cultural unease 11. Mà ©tier (â€Å"work, ministry†): a type of work or other activity at which one excels 12. Panache (â€Å"small wing,† from Latin through Italian): flair or flamboyance 13. Parvenu (â€Å"new arrival†): an upwardly mobile newcomer to a socioeconomic class (synonym: â€Å"nouveau riche, or â€Å"newly rich†); the term is pejorative 14. Patois (â€Å"native or local speech†): a nonstandard dialect, especially the speech of uneducated or provincial speakers, or a jargon 15. Raconteur (â€Å"one who recounts†): a storyteller, or anyone skilled at relating anecdotes 16. Riposte (â€Å"retort†): originally the name of a fencer’s offensive response to an attack; now, also refers to the verbal equivalent, either spoken or written 17. Rouà © (literally, â€Å"broken on the wheel†): a hedonistic man (synonyms: libertine, rake); not to be confused with roux, a word for a flour-and-fat mixture used as a thickener 18. Sang-froid (literally, â€Å"cold blood†): self-possession under pressure 19. Savant (â€Å"one who knows,† from savoir, â€Å"to know†): a learned person, especially a specialist; also a shortening of â€Å"idiot savant,† a clinical term for a mentally disabled person with anomalous skill or ability in one area of learning, or a casual term for someone whose knowledge is almost exclusively in one subject 20. Timbre (â€Å"quality of a sound†): the particular characteristics of a musical note or other sound 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food†7 Patterns of Sentence StructureUsing "May" in a Question

Volleyball Expectations Essay Example

Volleyball Expectations Essay Example Volleyball Expectations Essay Volleyball Expectations Essay My expectations from the team this year are to be good teammates for one another and everyone on the team. This looks like welcoming, encouraging, and helping each other during workouts, practice, and games. It doesn’t mean that everyone has to be best friends, but just that the players treat each other as our motto: â€Å"It’s a team thing†. My expectations from the coaching staff this year are to watch and correct individual mistakes and not to let bad habits go unnoticed. I like how the coaches will focus on what we are doing and talk to us about how to fix anything.The personal attention for everyone helps us all to become better players. Skill wise, I bring to the table for this team that I am able to get a good pass to the setter, can play serve receive, and I have a jump serve. I focus on back row because it all starts with a pass. In terms of attitude and leadership, I bring to the table for this team a positive attitude. If a teammate gets discouraged ab out what they’re doing, I want to encourage them to play the next ball and not worry about their mistakes.For leadership, when we are out on the court and come together in the middle to talk, I tell the girls that what we need to focus on or add motivation to finish a game. At this time, I perceive my strengths are that I am a fast learner and work at correcting my mistakes after instruction. I feel that my weaknesses are that I haven’t learned all of the plays. For example, I’m most comfortable with hitting a 4 as an outside, and although I’ve been introduced to other hits I’m not as familiar with them.I see my role on the team this year as an all-around volleyball player. My role is to be a more efficient hitter/blocker, play defense, and go after every ball as hard as I can. I am to keep the ball in play no matter what. My individual short term goal for the next week at practice is to work on my hitting. I need to get more power and load up on m y step-close so I can jump higher. I also need to time my approach better to the ball (depending on its tempo) because at practice I was either too early or too late.My short term goal for our team for the next week at practice is to talk more on the court, because it was pretty much silent last time. We only really talked after coach pointed it out. And even then, we didn’t keep it up. Also, to call for the ball as loud as we can when hitting so the setter can hear us. A lot of confusion can be avoided this way. My individual long term goal for this season is to be able to become a better-rounded volleyball player. I want to improve on my hitting- I am off on my timing and on’t get low on my step-close to jump higher. Also, I want to be more accurate on hitting certain areas on the court. I want to be able to set and pass more on target as well, especially on out of system. My long term goal for our team this season is to be a team that other schools don’t want to play because of both our consistency on defense and offense. I want our team to dig up balls that has the other side wondering how we were able to manage to get the ball up and hitting the ball so hard that the other players are hesitant to go after it.

War of 1812 - Causes

War of 1812 - Causes Having won its independence in 1783, the United States soon found itself a minor power without the protection of the British flag. With the security of the Royal Navy removed, American shipping soon began falling prey to privateers from Revolutionary France and the Barbary pirates. These threats were met during the undeclared Quasi-War with France (1798-1800) and First Barbary War (1801-1805). Despite success in these minor conflicts, American merchant ships continued to be harassed by both the British and the French. Engaged in a life-or-death struggle in Europe the two nations actively sought to prevent the Americans from trading with their enemy. In addition, as it depended upon the Royal Navy for military success, the British followed a policy of impressment to meet its growing manpower needs. This saw British warships stop American merchant vessels at sea and remove American sailors from their ships for service in the fleet. Though angered by the actions of Britain and France, t he United States lacked the military power to halt these transgressions. The Royal Navy Impressment The largest navy in the world, the Royal Navy was actively campaigning in Europe by blockading French ports as well as maintaining a military presence across the vast British Empire. This saw the size of the fleet grow to over 170 ships of the line and required in excess of 140,000 men. While volunteer enlistments generally met the services manpower needs during peacetime, the expansion of the fleet during times of conflict required the employment of other methods to sufficiently crew its vessels. To provide enough sailors, the Royal Navy was permitted a follow a policy of impressment which allowed it to draft into immediate service any able-bodied, male British subject. Often captains would send press gangs to round up recruits from pubs and brothels in British ports or from British merchant ships. The long arm of impressment also reached onto the decks of neutral commercial vessels, including those of the United States. British warships made a frequent habit of stopping neutral shi pping to inspect crew lists and remove British sailors for military service. Though the law required impressed recruits to be British citizens, this status was loosely interpreted. Many American sailors had been born in Britain and became naturalized American citizens. Despite possession of citizenship certificates, this naturalized status was often not recognized by the British and many American sailors were seized under the simple criterion of Once an Englishman, always an Englishman. Between 1803 and 1812, approximately 5,000-9,000 American sailors were forced into the Royal Navy with as many as three-quarters being legitimate American citizens. Heightening the tensions  was the practice of the Royal Navy stationing vessels off American ports with orders to search ships for contraband and men who could be impressed. These searches frequently took place in American territorial waters. Though the American government repeatedly protested the practice, British Foreign Secretary Lord Harrowby contemptuously wrote in 1804, The pretention advanced by Mr. [Secre tary of State James] Madison that the American flag should protect every individual on board of a merchant ship is too extravagant to require any serious refutation. The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair Three years later, the impressment issue resulted in a serious incident between the two nations. In the spring of 1807, several sailors deserted from HMS Melampus (36 guns) while the ship was at Norfolk, VA. Three of the deserters then enlisted aboard the frigate USS Chesapeake (38) which was then fitting out for a patrol in the Mediterranean. Upon learning of this, the British consul at Norfolk demanded that Captain Stephen Decatur, commanding the navy yard at Gosport, return the men. This was refused as was a request to Madison who believed the three men to be Americans. Subsequent affidavits later confirmed this, and the men claimed they had been impressed. The tensions were heightened when rumors circulated that other British deserters were part of Chesapeakes crew. Learning of this, Vice Admiral George C. Berkeley, commanding the North American station, instructed any British warship that encountered Chesapeake to stop it and search for deserters from HMS  Belleisle (74), HMSà ‚  Bellona (74), HMS  Triumph (74), HMS  Chichester (70), HMS  Halifax (24), and HMS  Zenobia (10). On June 21, 1807, HMS Leopard (50) hailed Chesapeake shortly after it cleared the Virginia Capes. Sending a Lieutenant John Meade as messenger to the American ship, Captain Salusbury Humphreys demanded that the frigate be searched for deserters. This request was flatly refused by Commodore James Barron who ordered the to ship be prepared for battle. As the ship possessed a green crew and the decks were cluttered with supplies for an extended cruise, this procedure moved slowly. After several minutes of shouted conversation between Humphreys and Barron, Leopard fired a warning shot, then a full broadside into the unready American ship. Unable to return fire, Barron struck his colors with three men dead and eighteen wounded. Refusing the surrender, Humphreys sent across a boarding party which removed the three men as well as Jenkin Ratford who had deserted from Halifax. Taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Ratford was later hung on August 31 while the other three were sentenced to 500 lashes each (this was later commuted). In the wake of the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair an outraged American public called for war and President Thomas Jefferson to defend the nations honor. Pursuing a diplomatic course instead, Jefferson closed American waters to British warships, secured the release of the three seamen, and demanded an end to impressment. While the British did pay compensation for the incident, the practice of impressment continued unabated. On May 16, 1811, USS President (58) engaged HMS Little Belt (20) in what is sometimes considered a retaliatory attack for the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair.  The incident followed an encounter between HMS Guerriere (38) and USS Spitfire (3) off Sandy Hook that resulted in an American sailor being impressed. Encountering Little Belt near the Virginia Capes, Commodore John Rodgers gave chase in belief the British vessel was Guerriere. After an extended pursuit, the two vessels exchanged fire around 10:15 PM. Following the engagement, both sides repeatedly argued that the ot her had fired first. Issues of Neutral Trade While the impressment issue caused problems, tensions were further heightened due to Britain and Frances behavior regarding neutral trade. Having effectively conquered Europe but lacking the naval strength to invade Britain, Napoleon sought to cripple the island nation economically. To this end he issued the Berlin Decree in November 1806 and instituted the Continental System which made all trade, neutral or otherwise, with Britain illegal. In response, London issued the Orders in Council on November 11, 1807, which closed European ports to trade and barred foreign ships from entering them unless they first called at a British port and paid customs duties. To enforce this, the Royal Navy tightened its blockade of the Continent. Not to be outdone, Napoleon responded with his Milan Decree a month later which stipulated that any ship that followed the British rules would be considered British property and seized. As a result, American shipping became prey for both sides. Riding the wave of outrage that followed the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, Jefferson implemented the Embargo Act of 1807 on December 25. This act effectively ended American foreign trade by prohibiting American ships from calling at overseas ports. Though drastic, Jefferson hoped to end the threat to American vessels by removing them from the oceans while depriving Britain and France of American goods. The act failed to achieve his goal of pressuring the European superpowers and instead severely crippled the American economy. By December 1809, it was replaced with the Non-Intercourse Act which allowed overseas trade, but not with Britain and France. This still failed to change their policies. A final revision was issued in 1810 which removed all embargoes, but stated that if one nation stopped attacks on American ships, the United States would begin an embargo against the other. Accepting this offer, Napoleon promised Madison, now president, that neutral rights would honored. This agreement further angered the British despite the fact that the French reneged and continued seizing neutral ships. War Hawks Expansion in the West In the years following the American Revolution, settlers pushed west across the Appalachians to form new settlements. With the creation of the Northwest Territory in 1787, increasing numbers moved to the present-day states of Ohio and Indiana pressuring the Native Americans in those areas to move. Early resistance to white settlement led to conflicts and in 1794 an American army defeated the Western Confederacy at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Over the next fifteen years, government agents such Governor William Henry Harrison negotiated various treaties and land deals to push the Native Americans farther west. These actions were opposed by several Native American leaders, including the Shawnee chief Tecumseh. Working to build a confederacy to oppose the Americans, he accepted aid from the British in Canada and promised an alliance should war occur. Seeking to break the confederacy before it could fully form, Harrison defeated Tecumsehs brother, Tenskwatawa, at the Battle of Tippecano e on November 7, 1811. During this period, settlement on the frontier faced a constant threat of Native American raids. Many believed these were encouraged and supplied by the British in Canada. The actions of the Native Americans worked to advance British goals in the region which called for the creation of a neutral Native American state that would serve as a buffer between Canada and the United States. As a result, resentment and dislike of the British, further fueled by events at sea, burned brightly in the west where a new group of politicians known as the War Hawks began to emerge. Nationalistic in spirit, they desired war with Britain to end the attacks, restore the nations honor, and possibly to expel the British from Canada. The leading light of the War Hawks was Henry Clay of Kentucky, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1810. Having already served two brief terms in the Senate, he was immediately elected Speaker of the House and transformed the position into one of power. In Congr ess, Clay and the War Hawk agenda were supported by individuals such as John C. Calhoun (South Carolina), Richard Mentor Johnson (Kentucky), Felix Grundy (Tennessee), and George Troup (Georgia). With Clay guiding debate, he ensured that Congress moved down the road to war. Too Little, Too Late Seizing upon the issues of impressment, Native American attacks, and the seizure of American ships, Clay and his cohorts clamored for war in early 1812, despite the countrys lack of military preparedness. Though believing that the capture of Canada would be simple task, efforts were made to expand the army but without great success. In London, the government of King George III was largely preoccupied with Napoleons invasion of Russia. Though the American military was weak, the British did not wish to fight a war in North America in addition to the larger conflict in Europe. As a result, Parliament began debating repealing the Orders in Council and normalizing trade relations with the United States. This culminated in their suspension on June 16 and removal on June 23. Unaware of developments in London due to the slowness of communication, Clay led the debate for war in Washington. It was a reluctant action and the nation failed to unite in a single call for war. In some places, people even debated who to fight: Britain or France. On June 1, Madison submitted his war message, which focused on maritime grievances, to Congress. Three days later, the House voted for war, 79 to 49. Debate in the Senate was more extensive with efforts made to limit the scope of the conflict or delay a decision. These failed and on June 17, the Senate reluctantly voted 19 to 13 for war. The closest war vote in the history of country, Madison signed the declaration the next day. Summing up the debate seventy-five years later, Henry Adams wrote, Many nations go to war in pure gayety of heart, but perhaps the United States were the first to force themselves into a war they dreaded, in hope that the war itself might create the spirit they lacked.

Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Research Proposal Example Thus, while consumers may have desired to buy new electronics, especially high-tech equipment, most could not do so because they had limited ways of generating capital that they could use to allow the purchases (Hartman, 2010: p38). This can be seen in the losses suffered by such electronics companies as Motorola Mobility and Blackberry, which emphasized the profound effects of economic recession. The research will seek to evaluate the effects of the recession on behaviour of the consumer in the UK electronics industry, particularly with regards to the smartphone industry. Understanding the response of consumers to the economic downturn with regards to their buying behaviour is imperative for companies seeking to ensure future success (Chakrabarti, 2011: p56). While signs show that the UK economy is stabilizing, leading to questions about this research’s relevance, the changes to consumer behaviour by recessions tend to last for a long time. Therefore, even as economists signa l the end of the recession and beginning of recovery, this is unlikely to be reflected immediately by consumers in their buying behaviour. The UK economy’s current state has heavily burdened many companies across the country. The declining spending and tendency to save among consumers led to profit losses for many organizations, which have been predicted by experts to have long lasting effects (Ver Eecke, 2013: p82). Today, consumers are more aware of the pitfalls bedevilling spending above one’s means with improved financial education. This trend will portend challenges for marketers because the consumers now tend to do need evaluation, while also showing more selective behaviour in buying decisions. Thus, companies will be required to conduct a re-evaluation of marketing strategies with the aim of identifying effective was of product marketing, focusing on delivering value and meeting needs of the consumer (Chaston, 2009: p40). If the marketing

Conflict Scenario Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflict Scenario - Assignment Example On the other hand, Bryan clearly falls under a different type and finds it hard to accept Jane’s personality. On handling the conflict, Jane is assertive in her use of the competition mode. Although she is very experienced, she has little qualification, no technology know-how and feels threatened of being replaced and made redundant by more qualified, junior staffs like Brandon, to the extend of using her rank to justify her actions. It does not help that Brandon is well-liked by their boss. Likewise, Brandon is also assertive in his use of the competitive mode. To avoid conflict, both employees should cooperate using the collaboration mode as this offers a win-win situation for a long-term benefit. This mode offers effective cooperation from both sides by meeting the needs of each other and acknowledges everyone’s importance to the organization. As the supervisor, approaching both Jane and Brandon to discuss the situation is necessary. In addition, their roles should be set out properly to provide a clear distinction of each other’s task to avoid further conflict and misunderstanding. When tackling conflict, it is better to use emotional intelligence in resolving the

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Personal Branding Plan - Research Paper Example I believe I can swim in the fenland of life, in the streets and not come out stinking, and hunt monsters without turning into one. Through my interest in others and genuine concern for my community I develop lasting, fruitful relationship with my colleagues and increase the citizens trust in law enforcement agencies. My interest in law enforcing, however, goes beyond community law enforcing, as I would like to widen my boundaries and practice law enforcing on a broader scale. The priority function of the Border Patrol is preventing illegal entry of aliens and weapons, including weapons of mass destruction into the country (Defle, 2002). This particular line of duty has always fascinated me and holds a great appeal for me as it is my aspiration to help develop a peaceful nation. Becoming a Border Patrol Officer is a step towards maintaining internal peace as it is a border patrol officer’s main aim to prevent terrorists and terrorists’ weapons from entering the country by securing the states borderline (Defle, 2002). Their agents work round the clock on assignments, in all kinds of terrain and weather conditions. Agents also work in many isolated communities around the country. Several years as a law enforcement officer have strengthened my endurance and perseverance ability. Therefore, this line of work is an ideal match for my experience and skills (Defle, 2002). Private security is involved with ensuring the safety and security of individuals and property, as well as sensitive organization information and intellectual property. Being a private security officer is often a hard job and at the same time honorable merely because the employee is constantly risking his life with regard to protecting other people (Defle, 2002). The job requires a certain degree of willingness and dedication as well as the sense of being responsible for other people. I believe I possess these qualities. Private

Discuss the Hong Kyongnae Uprising of 1812. What were the main causes Coursework

Discuss the Hong Kyongnae Uprising of 1812. What were the main causes and how did leaders rally support for their cause - Coursework Example The major causes of this revolt, which rocked PyÃ… ngan, the Northern Province, included regional bigotry and poor harvests (Buswell, 2006). The province of PyÃ… ngan was neglected by the central government, causing a dire regional inequality with other areas. The disgruntlement with socioeconomic inflexibility combined with debauched irregularity and corrupt leadership instigated people to gang up the inept dominion. The provincial tax frauds triggered the Chinju insurrection, which was masterminded by learned individuals who resorted to defend the interest of the public against corrupt officials. The people who supported the rebellion were those who were fed up with the corruption in the government (Fuqua, 2011). They had a common goal of deposing leadership that was an epitome of moral decadence, with public officials engaging in various corrupt deals and committing various atrocities without shame. As such, they managed to sway a large number of people to fight for a common int erest of establishing a responsible government. Following this serious revolt, many people from the countryside flocked Chinju nabbing the armed forces commander and assassinating the

Singapore Tourism Profile Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Singapore Tourism Profile - Research Paper Example This tourism profile will examine certain aspects of Singaporean culture and life that have a direct impact on tourism in Singapore and throughout the region. Role and Significance of Major Cities Singapore is quite unique in that it is a city-state. By definition, this means that it is a one-city country, similar to Vatican City. The only geographical distinction in Singapore is that, over time, they have named a few small town and villages in the remote parts such as Tao Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, and Bedok. The major city of Singapore is the economic hub of Southeast Asia and is one of the prosperous and most expensive cities to live in globally (Henderson 124). Cultural Factors Through the years, Singapore has become a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and British influence. This has created a rich and diverse culture that has evolved over the years into what it is today. Modern day Singapore began largely as a large fishing village under the auspices of the British Empire. The unique aspec t of the Singaporean culture is that many different ethnicities have coexisted alongside each other for so many years that there is little separation along racial lines today (Phua, Berkowitz, & Gagermeir 1255). While there is certainly a class struggle taking place, as in most first world countries, the country is not divided by ethnicity. When visiting Singapore, tourists would be interested know that the family structure is extremely strong. For the most part, Singaporean families are quite small, averaging only one or two children. The exception would be ethnic Malays, who tend to have more children (Phua, Berkowitz, & Gagermeir 1255). The cost of raising a family is extremely expensive on the island, likely accounting for the small family size. Because of this, the family unit is central to the culture. Because of the focus on education, young people are delaying getting married, particularly women, limiting their childbearing years. This has created a potential problem in term s of under population, already represented in the amount of foreign labor that the country depends on to keep advancing. The population growth in Singapore is one of the lowest in the world. While it is difficult to say that any country has truly achieved gender equality, Singapore certainly appears to be headed in that direction, if they have not already arrived. Women currently hold high positions in both the government and private business sectors. Women and men alike have the same rights when it comes to politics, employment, and education (Heng & Low 249). In addition, both men and women have rights to maternity leave, making this a unique part of Asian culture and similar to many countries in the rest. As tourists prepare to travel to the Republic of Singapore, they should note that the many residents are bilingual. Most Singaporeans speak English as their main language, although people from the West will note some variations in word choice and accent. In addition to English, many people will speak Mandarin Chinese, Malay, or Tamil. The educational system in Singapore it structured in English, with a child’s second language being taught as their foreign language. Climate and Topography Singapore itself is only 269 square miles in total. An interesting fact is that this makes the land size only four times bigger than the District of Columbia in the United States. The island is located just to the south of the Malaysian Peninsula, which,

Discuss the Hong Kyongnae Uprising of 1812. What were the main causes Coursework

Discuss the Hong Kyongnae Uprising of 1812. What were the main causes and how did leaders rally support for their cause - Coursework Example The major causes of this revolt, which rocked PyÃ… ngan, the Northern Province, included regional bigotry and poor harvests (Buswell, 2006). The province of PyÃ… ngan was neglected by the central government, causing a dire regional inequality with other areas. The disgruntlement with socioeconomic inflexibility combined with debauched irregularity and corrupt leadership instigated people to gang up the inept dominion. The provincial tax frauds triggered the Chinju insurrection, which was masterminded by learned individuals who resorted to defend the interest of the public against corrupt officials. The people who supported the rebellion were those who were fed up with the corruption in the government (Fuqua, 2011). They had a common goal of deposing leadership that was an epitome of moral decadence, with public officials engaging in various corrupt deals and committing various atrocities without shame. As such, they managed to sway a large number of people to fight for a common int erest of establishing a responsible government. Following this serious revolt, many people from the countryside flocked Chinju nabbing the armed forces commander and assassinating the

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Assignment Example Some of these programs have shown great success, while others have not. The purpose of this paper is to examine specific population issues in China, India, and Japan and to determine what practices are currently working, and what still remains to be done. China China is now well over a population of 1.4 billion people and it continues to grow. This amounts to a staggering figure of twenty percent of the global population. Because of this China, is now facing serious social and economic problems as a result of this burgeoning population. Population strain has lead to a depletion of land and natural resources, caused severe pollution problems, and had lead to deplorable living conditions amongst the poorest of the Chinese people (Qu, Cui, Yan, Peng, & Zhang, 2011, p. 2077). One can say, however, that the Chinese government saw these problems coming and have worked feverishly to do something about it. In 1979, China implemented the famous one-child policy. Beyond one child, families wou ld be taxed up to 50% of their income or possibly lose their employment, making it unlikely that many would violate the policy. In the end, families who agreed to have only one child would receive certain benefits. Women who got pregnant without authorization or by accident were encouraged to terminate their pregnancy. The result of this program has been mixed. Fearing punishment, many government official falsified population reports, leading to estimates that the number of births reported in China may be off by as many as twenty-seven percent. In the end, population growth has slowed somewhat, but at great costs. There have been political consequences, as many Western countries have criticized China for the policy, particularly their views on birth control and the rampant termination of pregnancies. China has, however, seen tremendous economic growth in recent years, but many fear that there will soon be an imbalance of males and females in the country. This is a result of many Chi nese families working to have a male as their only child, causing an imbalance in the ratio of males to females (Fischer, Winiwarter, Cao, & Ermolieva, 2012, p. 246). If this continues, there will be a reversal in population growth as time goes on, making it difficult for the younger generation to support a growing and sizeable elderly population. India Like China, overpopulation in India a serious concern and one that needs to be addressed. Unlike China, however, India has been able to do little to reverse the trend. India still has the majority of its population living in abject poverty. Add to this the fact that India has not progressed much in the way of feminine rights in recent decades, and one can easily see why the population has gotten out of control (Bloom, et. al., 2010, p. 18). The government has attempted through the years to reduce population growth, but most have not succeeded to any great extent. The ironic part of this problem is that India has sufficient land size and a lot of agricultural potential to support the over one billion that live there. The reality is, however, that the resources are not equally distributed and that a majority of the people of India is not having their basic needs being met. Indian, being faced with the reality that they simply cannot handle the population growth that is occurring, has attempted to

Aquarius Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Aquarius Case Analysis Essay 1) Analyze Aquarius in terms of the five contextual variables: * Goals: Aquarius has realized a huge problem in regards to the rapid turnover of their major accounts. An agency reorganization would be a realistic goal in changing their competitive techniques. This reorganization might be able to set them apart from the other agencies by reducing their response time and increasing the communication between the different departments to boost efficiency. * Culture: In my opinion I believe that Aquarius has a very low and undefined organizational culture. It seems like the employees are all looking out for themselves and trying to get ahead of everyone else. These values although unwritten provide the glue to having everyone on the same page and are absolutely essential in providing clients with top of the line work. * Size: Since Aquarius is a mid-sized firm with various specialists on the professional staff of the operations and marketing divisions I would say they have anywhere from 1000-1500 employees. With this many employees it is critical to have effective communication between the different departments. This would in turn increase flexibility in this unpredictable environment. * Environment: Changes in the environment is the main reason why the agency is considering the need for reorganization. It is typical for advertising agencies to gain/lose clients quickly, this is why is it so essential to have everyone in the organization effectively communicating with each other in order to satisfy their clients and reduce turnover. * Technology: Aquarius has a number of different specialists on their team that work together in assisting their clients, but there is always room for improvement in regards to better communication. It would seem to me that Aquarius would have a number of different programs and internet sites to assist them achieving their services. 2) A new organizational structure that takes into consideration the contextual variables in the case and the information flows is the divisional structure. This structure is suited to fast change in an unstable environment and provides high product or service visibility. A major problem that occurs in Aquarius is that each client account is coordinated by an account executive who acts as a liaison between the client and various specialists. Unfortunately this isn’t followed because sometimes the account executives don’t even know what is going on until a week later. The divisional structure leads to customer satisfaction because product responsibility and contact points are clear. This in turn involves high coordination across functions which will make everyone check with the executive first to get approval before contacting the client. Coordination across functions will allow their services to adapt to the requirements of the individual clients and perform beyond their expectations. This structure would allow Aquarius to achieve their goals while increasing their organizational culture as a whole and being able to adapt more quickly to this unstable environment. 3) Would a matrix structure be feasible for Aquarius? I my opinion I believe that a balanced matrix structure would be hard to implement and maintain. This is due to the fact that account executives as one side of the authority structure would often dominate over the specialists. In order for the account executive to do their job correctly they need everyone on their side and in coordination to run important information by them first. Perhaps a better alternative would be a product matrix where the executives have primary authority and the specialists assign technical personal to the projects and provide advisory expertise as needed. With dual authority I feel that it would be frustrating and confusing for everyone, there needs to be a clear contact points. There would always be a need for frequent meetings to resolve any conflicts between the different authorities, it would simply just require to great of an effort to maintain the power balance.

Impact Of Internet Journalism In West Africa Media Essay

Impact Of Internet Journalism In West Africa Media Essay Communication studies, according to Wikipedia(2011),is an  academic field  that deals with the processes of  communication commonly defined as the sharing of  symbols  over distances in space and time. Hence, a communication study encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation  to speeches to mass media outlets such as  television broadcasting. Communication studies, as a discipline, are also often interested in how audiences interpret information and the political, cultural, economic, and social dimensions of speech and language in context. Journalism is one of the branches of communication studies which have to do with proper or in depth investigating and reporting of events and issues to a large (broad) audience. Journalism like other discipline is guided by some ethics; the idea behind journalism is to accurately inform the masses or citizenry on an event or issue that concerns them. According to Wikipedia (2011), in modern society, news media has become the chief purveyor of information and opinion about public affairs; but the role and status of journalism, along with other forms of mass media, are undergoing changes resulting from the Internet, especially Web 2.0. Still on the Wikipedia (2011), the Internet carries a vast range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to support electronic mail. Most traditional communications media including telephone, music, film, and television are reshaped or redefined by the Internet, giving birth to new services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and IPTV. Newspaper, book and other print publishing are adapting to Web site technology, or are reshaped into blogging and web feeds. Although, internet journalism was practiced by some journalists which made little or no impact on the audience, but the September 11 attack on the US world trade centre brought it to limelight. Thus, this made internet journalism the most effective in the communication industries. According to Allan (2002), Journalism after September 11 examines how the traumatic attacks of that day continue to transform the nature of journalism, particularly in the United States and Britain. In Nigeria, it brings together an internationally respected group of scholars and media commentators to explore journalisms present and future by engaging with such pressing issues as trauma, free speech, censorship, patriotism, impartiality and celebrity. Journalism after September 11  raises vitally important questions regarding what journalism can and should look like today. In providing answers, it addresses topics such as: journalism and public life at a time of crisis; the role of sources in shaping the news; reporting by global news media, such as CNN; current affairs broadcasting; news photography and trauma; the emotional well-being of reporters; as well as a host of pertinent issues around news, democracy and citizenship. In her article, Bunz (2009), said journalists are coming to terms with the internet changing the way they research, organise their workflow and distribute their content. The biggest publications all over Europe have, for example, Twitter channels, led by the UK with nearly 70% and followed by nearly 40% in the Netherlands. 35% use blogs to research stories and 13.5% even have their own independent blog. In Nigeria, Some media organizations have already established a strong presence in the internet. For example, The Guardian Newspapers (www.ngrguardiannews.com), The Thisday Newspaper group (www.thisdayonline.com), The Independent Newspaper group (www.independentng.com), New Age Newspaper (www.newage-online.com) and so on have continued to be veritable sources of news and information to both Nigerians at home and abroad. However, the speed and spread of internet network in Nigeria are still not in comparable to that of the developed countries. The unstable state of the internet in Nigeria is another great challenge facing the masses which makes it difficult for an average Nigerian to log in the above websites in search of news. The Nigeria internet providers like mtn, glo, celtel, starcomm etc continue to maintain or work on their net to make sure they satisfy their customers in terms of making it more efficient and faster. Though these internet providers work hard to maintain their network, it can be said that they are not there yet. With this inefficiency in the internet, the journalists will find it difficult to communicate through. Few people who can afford a laptop or computer will be reluctant to pay their monthly subscription from the internet providers, then an average Nigerian who pay an exorbitant amount in a cyber cafe for an airtime to browse the internet will be disappointed because of the slow or inconsistency of the network. The media were and are still facing a lot of challenges which will definitely take years to overcome. In his book, Agbese (2006), said the commonest forms of communication technologies in the 1990s were fax machine, pagers, personal computer and Telephone. These technologies helped with communication and production. However these technologies were not readily available to everyone in Nigerian media houses. Most times only top staffs and owners had access to or owned form of communication technology. In the early to mid-1990s, computers were not available to all members of the staff. Most media had just one computer which only the typist had access to, to prepare stories for the publication. Lately, according to Nworah (2011), it can be said therefore that the Nigerian media are measuring up with their counterparts in other parts of the world by maintaining strategic presence on the information super highway. But any such attempt at rubbing shoulders with the western media stops just with the internet sites which some Nigerian media organisations have managed to set up as other facilities and resources are still largely unavailable to Nigerian journalists. For example, company sponsored laptop computers with mobile internet access, digital recording devices, open access mobile telephones and salaries that take into consideration global trends, market prices and national inflation rates. Again, for internet journalism to sway or be successful in Nigeria, the concepts of the popularised FAN (free readers association of Nigeria) need to be eradicated. The acronym is used to refer to the practice where people cluster around newspaper vendors stand to read newspapers and maga zines without actually buying any one. This in a sense show or reflect the socio-economic situation which an average Nigerian finds himself or herself into. An average Nigerian cannot afford a laptop and going to the cyber cafe to pay for an air time to listen or read news amidst the huge amount paid for the air time and the inconsistency of the internet is unthinkable. This in a large extent affects internet journalism among the media organization in Nigeria. Nworah (2011), also opined that The matter of indifference among the Nigerian masses is largely compounded by the fact that Nigerian advertisers have not yet started taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the internet, to advertise their products and services in the websites of some of these media organisations, only a few advertisers are doing this at the moment, it was hoped that such advertisements may actually increase to a height so that the free news now readily available on the internet can be subscribed for and also to make up for the shortfall from the hard copy sales. Nevertheless, the advent of internet may permit readers to log on to the websites and then freely read any newspaper or magazine of their choice, but this obviously will have a huge negative impact on revenues as less hard copies will be bought and the great lost will be on the media organization. The fear definitely deters media organization from using internet journalism as the lost from hard copy will negatively affect them. Looking at the way internet journalism has affected communication and the masses of the developing country like Nigeria, can this be said of other countries in West Africa? This research proposal will explore the impact of internet journalism so far in Nigeria and the effects on the media organizations and the masses. RESEARCH AIM: The aim of this research proposal is to evaluate the effects and impacts of internet journalism in West Africa, thus using Nigeria as the country to be studied. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: This research proposal will base its questions on the following: How effective has internet journalism proven among the journalists in Nigeria? What impacts have internet journalism on the masses (audience) of Nigeria? Has the non stability of internet helped the Nigerian journalists in accessing stories efficiently? How often an average Nigerian does has access to the internet? RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS: (a)(i).This research will consider the null that Internet journalism has proven effective among the journalists in Nigeria. (a)(ii).The alternative hypothesis is that the internet journalism has not proven effective among the journalists in Nigeria. (b)(i).This research will consider the null that the internet journalism has impacts on the masses (audience) of Nigeria. (b)(ii).The alternative hypothesis is that the internet journalism has no impacts on the masses (audience) of Nigeria. (c)(i).The research will consider the null that the non stability of the internet has not helped the journalists to access stories efficiently. (c)(ii).The alternative hypothesis is that the non stability of the internet has helped the journalists to access stories efficiently. (d)(i).The research will consider the null that an average Nigerian does not have access to the internet. (d)(ii).The alternative hypothesis is that an average Nigerian does have access to the internet. Deliverables: As it has been described in the objectives of the research project, the main purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects and impacts of internet journalism in Nigeria, West Africa. The final product of this research project will be a report, containing the effects of Internet Journalism in Nigeria, West Africa. Research Methodology: Different 150 internet news readers in Nigeria will be approached to collect the data. There are two kinds of data. Primary data Secondary data Primary data includes the information from the respondents. This also includes responses by the different age groups and geographical locations in the country. Secondary data will tell about the impact of Internet journalism in Nigeria. To collect the data, different newspaper companies will be contacted. Similarly, to assess the changes in internet journalism, their website users views will also be found out. The tools to collect this data will be the surveys. For this, website users and newspaper customers will be interviewed, where as to know the views of customers, different questionnaires will be prepared to ask them different questions. To analyze the collected data, different statistical techniques will be used. Resources: The most important thing to carry out any research project is to know the background, research objectives, and research methodology of the research project. For this literature is searched out. The University Library will be the primary source to review the literature. Books in hard and soft form will be obtained from the library. Similarly, different research journals and articles in the library will be valuable assets to prepare a comprehensive research report. To prepare the questionnaires, surveys done by the newspaper companies to know views of customers, will be used. Similarly new questionnaires, depending on the situation, will also be prepared. Project Plan: The project is divided into three stages. Literature review Interviews of newspaper customers Report writing Literature Review: To carry out any research project, a research must be able to review the literature. This makes researcher aware of work, done by other people in the respective field. The main source of literature is the journals, in which different researchers publish their findings of problems. Interviews of newspaper customers: In order to know the effects and impacts of internet journalism in Nigeria, West Africa, the users of different newspaper websites will be interviewed. They will be asked about the positive and negative points of internet journalism. Similarly, customer views will be taken through the interviews. Considering all these views, suggestion to improve the internet journalism will be advised. Report writing: The final product of the research project will be a written report. The structure of my report will be divided in following categories, Introduction: In the introduction, history of internet journalism will be discussed and how different newspapers implement internet journalism will be discussed. Aims and objectives: In this part of report, purpose of the research project will be stated very clearly; what are the aims of the study and what are the problems, which will be discussed in the report. Research methodology: This is the core part of the report. After stating the problem, different research methodologies will be explained to gather the data. The primary source will be the interviews of the customers and internet news readers. From these interviews, impact of internet journalism in Nigeria, West Africa will be assessed. The questions asked to customers will be provided in the appendix of report. Conclusions: After describing the problems and research methods, suggestion will be advised to eliminate or solve the highlighted problems. Risk: In order to carry out any research project, it is very important to study all the aspects of the project. One of the main aspects regarding any project is the risks involved. There are also some risks involved, regarding the research project under consideration. One risk can be privacy. Newspaper companies employees can be duty-bound and show reluctance to give information about their websites. Impact and Beneficiaries of Research: The main objective of this research activity is to investigate the effects and impacts of internet journalism in Nigeria, West Africa. This research can be very helpful for the information sector

Preserving Our Earth :: essays research papers

Preserving Our Earth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America's endangered areas are deplinishing daily. Natural disasters are a major factor in their disappearance, but the most prominent factor is mankind. Even though procedures are conducted daily to preserve our home, these areas slowly crumble within our grasps. Protection of these areas is essential, as our whole race depends upon resources derived from these lands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the lush greenery to the sparkling blue waters, all is majestic in its fullest. This is why I believe almost all of these wonderful places should be preserved. Mankind has come too far to throw it all away for his greedy purposes. Many believe that our secluded wildlife areas should be available for the public. But what is to be offered through this? Many recreational activities I presume, but what about our biggest environmental concern - pollution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pollution is so widespread throughout our world that it is overwhelming. Drinking water supplies are contaminated with runoff from nearby factories and even with pollutants from our own backyards. Demands of skyscrapers and condominiums wipe out our decreasing rainforests. This drudges wildlife from its natural home and into the havoc that is ours. Millions of acres of beautiful land are destroyed daily to satisfy the needs of mankind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But has anyone contemplated the needs of our wildlife? When their homes are incinerated, where do they run for shelter? Where will wildlife obtain its food and oxygen if the sources are gone? Not much is done about our destructive ways, we sit back and let money and greed take power. The solution is just a whisper away. The preserved areas should remain untouched. Hunting should be outlawed in these protected lands. If a family is starving and has to resort to this brutal deed, then restricted areas should be permitted.

Comparison Between Healthy Food and Junk Food Essay

In today’s generation, healthy and unhealthy food plays a big role in youths and adults. Many people don’t really understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods, many don’t actually know what the result of eating too many unhealthy foods can do to the body. There are big differences between eating healthy food, unhealthy food and what the result of excessively eating them can do to the body. In the ongoing battle of ‘healthy vs. unhealthy foods’, unhealthy foods have their own advantage. While fast food may appear to be addictive; the ingredients may not be what is causing the addiction, rather, the habitual convenience. In this day in time, America is to lazy to cook raw, nutritious goods at home; society would rather stop by a local fast food restaurant and spend money on junk food that contains poor nutritional value, is high in fat, has preservatives, chemicals, artificial colors and flavors. Unhealthy food can hurt the body in many ways and can create diseases like: obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are major diseases and problems for the body. Sometimes you can counteract them and become healthy again, while others are irreversible and can lead to death. There are products and foods that are meant to be healthy but the producers add chemicals in them to be substitutes for the â€Å"bad stuff. † Some crop foods say that they are â€Å"all natural† when they really contain chemicals that have been added into them from the start of the process. Unlike unhealthy food, healthy food is obviously better for you and your health. people who eat healthy foods tend to have the ability and the energy to do hard work. When someone eats food that is rich in vitamins, proteins, iron and other important nutrients, they will be free from diseases and obesity. For children healthy food is necessary for proper growth and development. Parents can provide a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins to make sure that their child get the right nutrients that they need to maintain a balanced diet. Although people believe that they are saving money by getting â€Å"junk food†, they are actually wasting money. In an article written by the New York Times, Is Junk Food Really Cheaper? it states that for â€Å"a typical order for a family of four†¦ costs, at the McDonald’s, about $28. † where as a healthy meal at home costsâ€Å"$14, and feed four or even six people. † Therefore it is actually cheaper to eat a well balanced meal at home, rather than a stop by the local fast food restaurant. Both junk food and Healthy food can be appetizing to your tastebuds but the clear choice to digest into your body is healthy food. Children and adults will benefit plenty by eating the right balanced foods and maintain a healthy living.

Poh Kong

1. 0 COMPANY PROFILE POH KONG founded in 1976, as a pioneer jeweller has transformed itself from a traditional jewellery until the middle of the recognition of the most important jewellery brand as synonymous with excellence associated with the design, quality and superior craftsmanship. Listed on Bursa Malaysia since 2004, POH KONG has been hailed as the largest jewellery retail chain in Malaysia with a network of 100 branches across the country with manufacturing facilities. It has been successful in developing and promoting its own brand and become the sole distributor for many international brands.POH KONG in-house brands including Tranz, Happy Love, Anggun, The Art of Auspicious, Bunga Raya Gold Bar, and many more to come. POH KONG is the licensee for Disney Collection is the sole distributor for luxury Schaeffer pearls from around the world. POH KONG using a differential image of the brand and retail concept to meet the needs of different customers. Apart from POH KONG and Diam ond & Gold outlets, retail concepts such as POH KONG Gallery, Diamond Boutique, Jade Gallery, Tranz Boutique and Oro Bianco are available. 2. The General Environment 2. 1 Political Jewellery retail chain Poh Kong Holdings Bhd expects the price of gold to be on an upward trend this year(2012), fuelled by demand for the precious metal as investment. Movement of gold prices would depend on the political stability in Iran, where Poh Kong gets its supply. Poh Kong’s AGM expect that if war starts in iran, gold prices may increase by 30%. Last year, gold hit above US$1,900 per ounce but has since fallen to US$1,620 this month. Demand for gold globally is still on upward trend.The company are still seeing double-digit growth globally on gold bullion and bars, so there is still a potential for the company to move forward. Besides that, the high price of gold would bring higher margins for Poh Kong as the cost is passed down to retail customers. On bank offering gold investment, althou gh there is a bit competition, Poh Kong’s sales are not affected as customers still come bak to them. 2. 2 Economic Poh Kong Holdings Bhd is expecting a better financial year ahead, spurred by increased demand for gold from the public.When the price of gold escalates, the company’s selling price to retail customers increase in tandem. A higher gold price, therefore, has a positivr impact on the revenue. The biggest jeweller in the country by the number of outlets says its sales are not affected by the volatility in gold prices. Instead, sales of gold bars increase, as the rich look for a safe investment. Analysts say the company can ride the increased appetite for gold as a â€Å"safe investment class†, especially amid economic and financial uncertainties.The US Federal Reserve’s decision to pump more money into the financial system with a second round of quantitative easing will also mean more money going into commodities like gold, which will drive pric es even higher. However, this would also mean higher inflation, which would fuel the upward trend of gold prices. For FY2010, Poh Kong reported an 11. 24% rise in net profits to RM31. 61 million on the back of a smaller 3. 62% increase in revenues to RM561. 24million. EPS was 7. 7 sen, up from 6. 93 sen the year before. Net profit and operating margins increased in FY2010 to 5. 63% and 9. 8%, respectively, from 5. 25% and 9. % in FY2009. 2. 3 Social Poh Kong Group's CSR initiatives are in line with Bursa Malaysia's framework centered towards the workplace, marketplace, community and environment. As a socially responsible company, the corporate citizenship is integrated into a sustainable business model that goes beyond shareholders interests, for the betterment of society. Corporate’s CSR programme embraces responsibility for the Company's actions and encourages a positive impact through its activities by its employees, caring for consumers, giving back to the under privilege d through societal welfare work and environmental protection.The Group aligns its corporate activities to social causes with the various target publics as we endeavor to create a more caring community and make a significant difference in the lives of many in society. In this respect, Poh Kong recognizes its CSR is to foster mutually beneficial relationships with our stakeholders and society through active participation and help improve the living standards of the surrounding communities. 2. 4 Technological Science and technology are closely related in the gold mining process, especially in the extracting and processing of the metal. Gold is a golden ellow metal, which is solid at room temperature. Gold can be extracted in many ways. Mining for gold is only worthwhile financially where there is a significant concentration of it found in ore. The fixed price of gold in 1934 increased from $20. 67 U. S. to $35 U. S. per troy ounce. This price remained fixed until 1968 which discouraged hard rock mining for gold because increased inflation (which raised the cost of mining production) prevented the mining companies from making a profit. 3. 0 Task Environment Analysis Gold mines tend to have a huge impact on the environment.From digging out a huge pit, to disposing of the left over chemicals and tailing. If a gold mine isn't managed properly it can have some very negative impacts on the environment. A common impact is when water used in the mining process is polluted with chemicals from the factory and then put back into rivers and streams. Cyanide used to extract gold can pollute the rivers and kill fish and other. 3. 1 Green Awareness In contributing to the environment, Poh Kong believes in green awareness activities and eco-friendly measures that reduces the carbon footprint generated by the organization's infrastructure and working towards reducing wastage. . 2 Energy Conservation Through the combined effort and dedication of each employee, environment-friendly lifestyles that promote green technology are practised. This include using light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) for energy saving lighting, the automatic shutdown of desktop computers while not in use, maintaining air-conditioning at comfortable, but lower temperatures, switching off non-essential lights and equipment, and the recycling of materials have all reduced costs savings. 3. 3 On a Green QuestWe help minimise the impact on the environment by restricting the use of hazardous substances, undertaking the safe disposal of waste discharge and the monitoring of pollution levels for a clean environment. Poh Kong believes in minimum wastage and is working towards a zero waste discharge policy in the jewellery manufacturing process. The Company takes back gold products at end-of-use or end-of-life for responsible reuse, recycle, remanufacture or recovery of the gold in the refining process.The Company's aim is to provide and maintain a clean environment for sustainable development for current and future generations. It strives to fulfill the social, environmental and ethical obligation which is vital in global environmental sustainability. 4. 0 SWOT Strength POH KONG is a well-know brand and is attractive for those who admire beautiful jewelry. The POH KONG is successful in designing, provided quality product and the hardware to make the jewelry. POH KONG also listed in BURSA MALAYSIA, so the company succeed attract many customers buy their products.The different design and different concept is set to target the different market segmentation as to fulfill the customer requirement. POH KONG Holding Berhad offered jewelry to wedding, jade, international, diamond or gems and many else according to customers taste. POH KONG has its own expert to designing the product to make it more luxury. The price offer is based on the government policy, so the price is not so expensive and everyone is affordable. Weakness Some POH KONG company branch is not selling all products, because the shop offer limited space.So, the customer just can take an order through cataloged or browser. As a result, it might lose some customer or decrease customers’ satisfaction due to take time in sending the stock to the customers. Besides that, some customers also complain the POH KONG is less option if compare with other competitors. Consequently, majority customers move to support other company. Opportunity Using the latest technology might help the company growing faster. POH KONG can save their production cost by used new technology and produce large quantity jewelry.The company can perceived it as cost advantage and offer a reasonable price for the customers. POH KONG also received the payment method by credit card, this is convenience to the customers when they buy expensive jewelry. Moreover, they also used the online marketing to market their product, the costumer can visited the website to get the latest information. POH KONG has a big business formulation, such as distributor to the international brands such as Tranz, Happy Love, Anggun, The Art of Auspicious and Bunga Raya Gold Bar.Also, they distribute for Schoeffel Luxury Pearls from German, Luca Carati and Verdi from Italy, Angel Diamond from Belgium and Cocoro from Japan. Threats The strict of government policy might influence POH KONG gain profit in business. Next, due to the increasing number of competitors, POH KONG was facing the problem of pricing war. This is because majority customers will choose the company which can provide reasonable price with good quality products. As an existing many competitors, they will purposely offer lower price to attract more customers.The problem of pricing war between competitor had lead to POH KONG frequently innovation unique and special design product in order to attract and maintain customers. The competition has result in POH KONG more power used several ways to become a big retailer in the industry, the subjective is to increase their profit and market share. 5. 0 TOWS Internal Factors (IFAS)ExternalFactors(EFAS)| Strength (S) | Weaknesses (W)| Opportunities (O) | SO strategies-POH KONG is a well-know company and distribute the jewelry into international market. The expertise enabling creates various products with new technology. -all the product price are according government policy, so the company successful gain cost advantage. -With the POH KONG operate outlet in all state, the company can gain the cost advantage when they selling large quantity with lower price to the customer| WO strategies- The company should use the latest technology to producing more quantity products. – POH KONG company distributes their product over the international market as to compete with competitors. POH KONG company selling various products with lower price as to fulfill customer requirement around the international market. | Threats (T)| ST strategies- POH KONG company set a goal to become a leader in jewelry retailers as to face the competition problem. -The price of POH KONG is according to government policy, so they can avoid pricing war between competitors. -POH KONG has follows the government policy to manage their business, as to gain their profit. | WT strategies-Due to many competitors, POH KONG had faced the pricing war. The strict of government policy lead to POH KONG branch unable to fulfill customer requirement. -As many competitors in market, POH KONG have to compete with others as to become a big retailer in market. | Strength and Opportunities (SO) POH KONG is a well-known company in jewelry industry, so they can use their reputation to distribute the products into international market. The expertise in POH KONG might useful to generate a creative idea in creates various products with the latest technology.POH KONG was comply with the government policy to gain their cost advantage and open outlet in all state by selling large amounts of products with lower price to the customers. Weak ness and Opportunity (WO) POH KONG company should be used the latest technology to produce large amount and more quality products, it is important for customers have more option from variety products. POH KONG develop a strategy plan by export their products into international market and selling various jewelry with lower price as to fulfill customers expectation.Strength and Treats (ST) POH KONG based their strength to set a goal as become a big retailer in jewelry industry. Otherwise, POH KONG also set their price based on government policy, so they can avoid pricing war from competitors. As to gain more profit and increase the market share, POH KONG have to comply the government policy. Weakness and Treats (WT) Due to existence competitors in market, POH KONG has faced pricing war between the competitors. Because pricing is an important asset for company to attract more customers in order to increase company.As the strict of government policy lead to some POH KONG branch was unab le to fulfill all customers requirement. As a result, POH KONG is require to set a goal to become a big retailer in jewelry industry. 6. 0 Ratio Analysis Formula: – 1. Liquidity Ratios| Current ratio = | Current assets Current liabilities| Quick ratio = | Current assets – inventory Current liabilities| Inventory to net working =capital | Inventory Current assets – current liabilities| . Profitability Ratios | Net profit margin = | Net profit after taxes Net sales| Return on investment (ROI) = | Net profit after taxes Total assets| Return on equity (ROE) = | Net profit after taxesShareholders’ equity| 3. Activity Ratios| Inventory turnover =| Net salesInventory | Net working capital turnover = | Net salesNet working capital| Asset turnover = | Sales Total assets| 4.Leverage Ratios| Debt to asset ratio = | Total debt Total assets| Debt to equity ratio = | Total debt Shareholders’ equity| Current liabilities to equity = | Current liability Shareholder s’ equity| Analysis 1. Liquidity Ratios ( i ). Current ratio 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 484,863,174 RM 198,367,638 = 2. 44 times| RM 419,387,537 RM 120,116,086 = 3. 49 times|For current ratio, year 2011 is 2. 44 times and 3. 49 times in year 2010. It is decreased 1. 05 times in year 2011 if compare with year 2010. 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 484,863,174 – RM 443, 668, 132 RM 198,367,638 = 0. 21 times| RM 419,387,537 – RM 383,614,269 RM 120,116,086 = 0. 30 times| ( ii ). Quick ratio Fo For quick ratio, year 2011 is 0. 21 times and 0. 30 times in year 2010. It is decreased 0. 09 times in years 2011 if compare with year 2010. ( iii ). Inventory to net working capital 011 year| 2010 year| RM 443, 668, 132 RM 484,863,174 – RM 198,367,638= 1. 55 times| RM 383,614,269 RM 419,387,537 – RM 120,116,086 = 1. 28 times| For Inventory to net working capital year 2011 is higher than 2010, which is 1. 55 times (2011) and for year 2010 is 1. 28 times. It is increased 0. 27 times in year 2011 if compare with year 2010. 2. Profitability ratio ( i ). Net profit margin 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 41,204,606 x 100 % RM 487,653,434 = 8. 5 %| RM 32,516,897 x 100 % RM 389,023,737 = 8. 36 %| ( F For net profit margin, year 2011 is higher than year 2010, which is 8. 45 % and 8. 36 % in year 2010. And year 2011 is increased 0. 09 %. ( ii ). Return on investment (ROI) 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 41,204,606 x 100 % RM 576,408,981 = 7. 15 %| RM 32,516,897 x 100 % RM 509,641,678 = 6. 38%| For ROI, year 2011 is 7. 15 % and 6. 38 % in year 2010, which is increased 0. 7 % in year 2011 compare with year 2010. ( iii ). Return on equity (ROE) 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 41,204,606 x 100 % RM 345,996,853 = 11. 91 %| RM 32,516,897 x 100 % RM 310,537,172 = 10. 47 %| In year 2011, ROE is 11. 91 % and 10. 47 % for year 2010. That is increased 1. 44 % if compare with year 2010. 3. Activity Ratios ( i ). Inventory turnover 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 487,653,434 RM 443,668,132 = 1. 0 ti mes| RM 389,023,737 RM 383,614,269 = 1. 01 times| In year 2011, inventory turnover for Poh Kong Holdings Berhad is 1. 10 times and 1. 01 times for year 2010. It is increased 0. 09 times for year 2011. ( ii ). Net working capital turnover 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 487,653,434 RM 484,863,174 – RM 198,367,638 = 1. 70 times| RM 389,023,737 RM 419,387,537– RM 120,116,086 = 1. 30 times|For net working capital turnover, year 2011 is 1. 70 times and year 2010 is 1. 30 times. It is increased 0. 40 times in year 2011 if compare with year 2010. ( iii ). Assets turnover 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 487,653,434 RM 576,408,981 = 0. 85 times| RM 389,023,737 RM 509,641,678 = 0. 76 times| For assets turnover, year 2011is 0. 85 times and year 2010 is 0. 76 times. It is increased 0. 09 times in year 2011 if compare with year 2010. 4.Leverage Ratios ( i ). Debt to asset ratio 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 230,412,128 x 100% RM 576,408,981 = 39. 97 %| RM 199,104,506 x 100 % RM 509,641,678 = 39. 07 %| For debt to asset ratio, year 2011 is 39. 97 % and 39. 07 % in year 2010. It is increased 0. 9 % in year 2011 if compare with year 2010. ( ii ). Debt to equity ratio 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 230,412,128 x 100% RM 345,996,853 = 66. 9 %| RM 199,104,506 x 100 % RM 310,537,172 = 64. 12 %| ( For debt to equity, year 2011 is 66. 59 % and 64. 12 % in year 2010. It is increased 2. 47 % in year 2011 if compare with year 2010. ( iii ). Current liabilities to equity 2011 year| 2010 year| RM 198,367,638 x 100% RM 345,996,853 = 57. 33 %| RM 120,116,086 x 100 % RM 310,537,172 = 38. 68 %| For current liabilities to equity, year 2011 is 57. 3 % and 38. 68 % in year 2010. It is increased 18. 65 % in year 2011 if compare with year 2010. 7. 0 STRATEGIC DIRECTION 7. 1 Expand on more outlets. POH KONG is planning to open more stores as part of local development. Continuous expansion channels out a several locations from urban center to small towns, is intended to create opportunities and revenue grow th of large and provide accessibility and convenience to their customers through its extensive retail network with owned or partly owned establish branches throughout Malaysia. 7. 2 Produce a new range productPOH KONG company has decided to produce a new range of platinum jewellery targets a younger age group. This new network will complement POH KONG Gold jewellery available and meet the needs and preferences more users. New machinery and equipment will be available to support expansion of the product. 7. 3 Expand retail operation in Australia and China POH KONG has a vision to expand its retail operations outside the country in Australia and China as the initial target market. The feasibility study will be conducted to assess the viability of setting up retail gold jewellery branch, taste and preference in new markets.If everything else goes well, they decided to set up branches in Australia and China. POH KONG’s vision is to spread its wings to local outside in order to in crease income. 7. 4 Planning to franchise the concept POH KONG is planning to franchise the concept to potential retail local entrepreneurs. This enabled POH KONG to open the lock brand and retail experience. New franchise outlets will bring POH KONG brands and potential locations such as Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, in areas which do not have a personal faith establish a branch. This new revenue stream will increase the income of POH KONG. 8. 0 Board of Director YG BHG DATO’ CHOON YEE SEIONG (Executive Chairman and Croup Managing Director) * MR CHEONG TECK CHONG (Executive Director) * MADAM CHOON NEE SIEW (Executive Director) * MADAM CHOON YOKE YING (Executive Director) * MADAM CHOON WAN JOO (Executive Director) * DR CHOONG TUCK YEW (Senior Independent Non-Executive Director * ENCIK FAZRIN AZWAR BIN MD NOR (Independent Non-Executive Director) * DATIN SHIRLEY YUE SHOU HOW (Independent Non-Executive Director) The board of Poh Kong Holdings Berhad is committed to in still a corporate culture of good corporate governance which is practiced throughout the company and its subsidiary companies.The group acknowledges the importance of corporate governance in enhancing its business prosperity and corporate accountability with the absolute objective of realizing long-term shareholders’ and stakeholder’s value. The group will continue to endeavor to comply with all the key principles of the Malaysia Code Corporate Governance in an effort to observe high standards of transparency, accountability and integrity. This is to sustain optimal governance with conscientious accountability for continuous effectiveness, efficiency and competitiveness of the group.