Pregnancy Essays - Roddy Doyle, The Snapper, The Van,

Pregnancy Snapper stands for a baby, child, kid, which is the main matter of the book. The story evolves around the pregnancy of the main character. But to snap means you change moods very easily, because of the hormonal changes during a pregnancy. Biography: Roddy Doyle was born in 1958 in Dublin and has grown up there, in Kilbarrack, to be precise. Kilbarrack is a suburb in the north of Dublin, close to the sea. He was a Geography and English teacher there and thus stayed in touch with all generations of his neighborhood. He loves that part of town and knows that inside the aggressive, foul mouthed, drunken "eejits" there is (more often than not) a heart of gold. At one point Doyle felt that the only way to express his true love and sympathy for the suffering people around them was to write about them. His first book The Commitments was made into a very succesful movie by Alan Parker and it helped to establish Roddy Doyle's reputation as a writer of best- sellers Bibliography: The Commitments (1987). The Snapper (1990) The Van (1991). Paddy Clake Ha Ha Ha (1993). The Woman Who Walked into Doors (1996). Genre: lt's a novel about a working-class family which has to deal with the pregnancy of the daughter. Motto: This book is delicate to Belinda Characters: Main Characters. -Sharon, a girl being pregnant and giving birth to a child of a married man from the neighborhood. -George Burgess, the father of Sharon's child. -Veronica, the mother of Sharon. -Jimmy sr, Sharon's father. Minor Characters -Jimmy jr, Sharon's brother who has decided to be a famous discjockey. -Tracy, Linda (= twins), Darren and Les, the rest of Sharon's brothers and sisters. -Yvonne, Jackie and Mary, these are the best friends of Sharon, with whom she spends quite a lot of their time (and money) in a pub, getting "pissed" (=drunk) -Paddy, Bertie and Bimbo, the pals of Jimmy sr. Ordering of time: The story is built up very simple, it is told chronologically. Setting: The setting, like most of Doyle's work, is a suburb exactly like the one he lives in himself. He calls it Barrytown, and it is a working class-suburb with tiny houses, lots of children in the streets, unemployment and heavy drinking (barry means happy in Irish). Narration: The story is told by the omniscient point of view, so the reader gets an insight in what the characters are thinking and feeling, or when Sharon is feeling pain or sickness during her pregnancy, or when Jimmy sr. was mad at Sharon because she was pregnant and wouldn't tell him who the father was. Language: The English being used by the characters is mostly Irish dialect, which means that they pronounce "jezus" like "jayses", and they use lots of insulting words. You could say they speak slang. Theme: In Barrytown exists a great sense of togetherness both within the family and in the local community, but sometimes things happens which can cause a divide. Sharon getting pregnant of a married man and not telling who he was, is an example of such an event. The book could also be entitled as: "Nine months in the life of a family in a Dublin suburb". Plot/outline: The Rabibitte family lives in Barrytown, a north-Dublin suburb. One day, after dinner, Sharon Rabbitte tells her parents that she is pregnant. The father and Sharon are having a big row, because she refuses to tell who the father of the child is. Sharon goes to buy a book which describes the details of pregnancy. When she is in her 1 l th week signs start to show. The time has come to tell her friends, but she keeps postponing it, because she knew they would ask who the father is. Her friends are sympathetic and delighted for her. One night Bimbo, a pal of Jimmy sir, told him that he heard that George Burgess said that Sharon was a great little ride. Jimmy sr. was furious and wanted to crease him. When Jimmy sr. got home he warns Sharon for George. The next day Sharon goes to George and told him to stop or else she would tell his wife (they were both drunk and made a mistake). A few days later George has disappeared, because he has told his wife about Sharon. George his wife tells the community that Sharon has seduced her husband. Sharon decides to deny everything and makes up a story about a Spanish sailor for her

Introduction to Bipedal Locomotion

Introduction to Bipedal Locomotion Bipedal locomotion refers to walking on two legs in an upright position, and the only animal to do that all the time is the modern human. Our ancestor primates lived in trees and rarely set foot on the ground; our ancestor hominins moved out of those trees and lived primarily in the savannas. Walking upright all the time is thought to have been an evolutionary step forward if you will, and one of the hallmarks of being human. Scholars have often argued that walking erect is an enormous advantage. Walking erect improves communication, allows visual access to farther distances, and changes throwing behaviors. By walking upright, a hominins hands are freed to do all sorts of things, from holding babies to making stone tools to throwing weapons. American neuroscientist Robert Provine has argued that sustained voiced laughter, a trait which greatly facilitates social interactions, is only possible in bipeds because the respiration system is freed to do that in an upright position. Evidence for Bipedal Locomotion There are four main ways scholars have used to figure out whether a particular ancient hominin is primarily living in the trees or walking upright: ancient skeletal foot construction, other bone configurations above the foot, footprints of those hominins, and dietary evidence from stable isotopes. The best of these, of course, is foot construction: unfortunately, ancient ancestral bones are difficult to find under any circumstances, and foot bones are very rare indeed. Foot structures associated with bipedal locomotion include a plantar rigidity- flat foot- which means the sole stays flat from step to step. Secondly, hominins that walk on the earth generally have shorter toes than hominins who live in trees. Much of this was learned from the discovery of a nearly complete Ardipithecus ramidus, an ancestor of ours who apparently walked upright sometimes, some 4.4 million years ago. Skeletal constructions above the feet are slightly more common, and scholars have looked at the configurations of the spine, the tilt, and structure of the pelvis, and the way the femur fits into the pelvis to make assumptions about a hominins ability to walk upright. Footprints and Diet Footprints are also rare, but when they are found in a sequence, they hold evidence that reflects the gait, length of stride, and weight transfer during walking. Footprint sites include Laetoli in Tanzania (3.5-3.8 million years ago, probably Australopithecus afarensis; Ileret (1.5 million years ago) and GaJi10 in Kenya, both likely Homo erectus; the Devils Footprints in Italy, H. heidelbergensis about 345,000 years ago; and Langebaan Lagoon in South Africa, early modern humans, 117,000 years ago. Finally, a case has been made that diet infers environment: if a particular hominin ate a lot of grasses rather than fruit from trees, it is likely the hominin lived primarily in grassed savannas. That can be determined through stable isotope analysis. Earliest Bipedalism So far, the earliest known bipedal locomotor was Ardipithecus ramidus, who sometimes- but not always- walked on two legs 4.4 million years ago. Fulltime bipedalism is currently thought to have been achieved by Australopithecus, the type fossil of which is the famous Lucy, approximately 3.5 million years ago. Biologists have argued that foot and ankle bones changed when our primate ancestors came down from the trees, and that after that evolutionary step, we lost the facility to regularly climb trees without the aid of tools or support systems. However, a 2012 study by human evolutionary biologist Vivek Venkataraman and colleagues points out that there are some modern humans who do regularly and quite successfully climb tall trees, in pursuit of honey, fruit, and game. Climbing Trees and Bipedal Locomotion Venkataraman and his colleagues investigated behaviors and anatomical leg structures of two modern-day groups in Uganda: the Twa hunter-gatherers and Bakiga agriculturalists, who have coexisted in Uganda for several centuries. The scholars filmed the Twa climbing trees and used movie stills to capture and measure how much their feet flexed while tree-climbing. They found that although the bony structure of the feet is identical in both groups, there is a difference in the flexibility and length of soft tissue fibers in the feet of people who could climb trees with ease compared with those who cannot. The flexibility that allows people to climb trees only involves soft tissue, not the bones themselves. Venkataraman and colleagues caution that the foot and ankle construction of Australopithecus, for example, does not rule out tree-climbing, even though it does allow upright bipedal locomotion.   Sources Been, Ella, et al. Morphology and Function of the Lumbar Spine of the Kebara 2 Neandertal. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 142.4 (2010): 549-57. Print. Crompton, Robin H., et al. Human-Like External Function of the Foot, and Fully Upright Gait, Confirmed in the 3.66 Million Year Old Laetoli Hominin Footprints by Topographic Statistics, Experimental Footprint-Formation and Computer Simulation. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 9.69 (2012): 707-19. Print. DeSilva, Jeremy M., and Zachary J. Throckmorton. Lucys Flat Feet: The Relationship between the Ankle and Rearfoot Arching in Early Hominins. PLoS ONE 5.12 (2011): e14432. Print. Haeusler, Martin, Regula Schiess, and Thomas Boeni. New Vertebral and Rib Material Point to Modern Bauplan of the Nariokotome Homo Erectus Skeleton. Journal of Human Evolution 61.5 (2011): 575-82. Print. Harcourt-Smith, William E. H. Origin of Bipedal Locomotion. Handbook of Paleoanthropology. Eds. Henke, Winfried, and Ian Tattersall. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2015. 1919-59. Print. Huseynov, Alik, et al. Developmental Evidence for Obstetric Adaptation of the Human Female Pelvis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113.19 (2016): 5227-32. Print. Lipfert, Susanne W., et al. A Model-Experiment Comparison of System Dynamics for Human Walking and Running. Journal of Theoretical Biology 292.Supplement C (2012): 11-17. Print. Mitteroecker, Philipp, and Barbara Fischer. Adult Pelvic Shape Change Is an Evolutionary Side Effect. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113.26 (2016): E3596-E96. Print. Provine, Robert R. Laughter as an Approach to Vocal Evolution: The Bipedal Theory. Psychonomic Bulletin Review 24.1 (2017): 238-44. Print. Raichlen, David A., et al. Laetoli Footprints Preserve Earliest Direct Evidence of Human-Like Bipedal Biomechanics. PLoS ONE 5.3 (2010): e9769. Print. Venkataraman, Vivek V., Thomas S. Kraft, and Nathaniel J. Dominy. Tree Climbing and Human Evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2012). Print. Ward, Carol V., William H. Kimbel, and Donald C. Johanson. Complete Fourth Metatarsal Andarches in the Foot of Australopithecus Afarensis. Science 331 (2011): 750-53. Print. Winder, Isabelle C., et al. Complex Topography and Human Evolution: The Missing Link. Antiquity 87 (2013): 333-49. Print.

Construction Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Construction Safety - Assignment Example There is need therefore to have a way of applying these in such a large project with many contractors. All contractors need to come together and establish compliance standards that revolve around waste management, hazards avoidance measures, spill management and cleanups etc. Contractors are supposed to ensure monitoring is done as routinely as possible (Chen and Li, 2006). This ensures that the standards are being followed: this can be through a neutral Site Inspector. Workers need to be trained together on the environmental safety and ISO standards to be upheld at the site. The contractors need to demand to know the construction safety record of fellow contractors so as to ensure that safety of their workers is not to be compromised. This way, only competent contractors are to be contracted. Contractors need to ensure that their individual employees are well qualified to offer the highest possible service in regards to environmental safety. Lastly but not the least is the need to have a regular evaluation process in place for all contractors to be evaluated on

The Moral and National Education Controversy in Hong Kong Essay

The Moral and National Education Controversy in Hong Kong - Essay Example Hong Kong is a like a second home for most of the people of China. Irrespective of the fact that China is growing and is open up to the rest of the world, it still faces a restrictive enough present and an uncertain future. This makes them chose to give birth outside of China. Apart from this, some people give birth to their children outside of China to avoid the one child policy. Others do it to reap the benefits of the country the child is born into. This might include, the right to education, freedom to travel, good social services, etc (Birth rights battle: China vs. Hong Kong 2012). This has lead to the plans to adopt Chinese civic education into the Hong Kong public school curriculum. This has created huge sparks of protests among the residents of Hong Kong. They believed that the young minds were being brainwashed’ by the pro-mainland (China) propaganda (National education raises furor in Hong Kong 2012). A ‘Moral and National Education’ subject was introdu ced against which 90,000 people protested on the streets. The controversy inflamed after the government’s National Education Services Centre distributed a booklet to the schools. This booklet was entitled ‘The China Model’. Provocative statements such as China are ruling party is progressive, selfless and united. Events which are integral in China’s history have not been mentioned. ... The idea behind national education is to supplement the original moral education curriculum with that of the national education. Some of the teaching course material that was made public depicted patriotic education being carried out inside China by the Communist Party for years. They argue that the framework of nationalism is being used to address history and culture. People in favor of this subject (Chinese liaisons mainly) supported their stance by arguing that the same is being carried out in the West. The ironic thing is that when it comes to politics, the people of China resolutely decline to follow any of the Western models. Moreover, they argue that in the West, national education is inseparable from their political systems, speech environments and concepts of human rights (China Media Project 2012). People of the National Education Services centre are optimistic about the subject being introduced. They argued that this one subject cannot brainwash the people of Hong Kong as they have access to a lot of information. Protestors argued that how there should be some flexibility regarding the implementation of National Education. Specific lessons to be taught in the classrooms can be chosen. Apart from this, national education can be incorporated as a broader theme. The government has adopted a very broad approach. They did not want to preclude any topic from the curriculum, whereas many critics wanted specific topics to be discussed and not all. Moreover, people believe that the government does not keep a track of what is being taught nor will they supervise anything. A pluralistic approach of teaching the same subject will be adopted. The government

Nurse Ratched Essay Example for Free

Nurse Ratched Essay A former army nurse, Nurse Ratched represents the oppressive mechanization, dehumanization, and emasculation of modern society—in Bromden’s words, the Combine. Her nickname is â€Å"Big Nurse,† which sounds like Big Brother, the name used in George Orwell’s novel 1984 to refer to an oppressive and all-knowing authority. Bromden describes Ratched as being like a machine, and her behavior fits this description: even her name is reminiscent of a mechanical tool, sounding like both â€Å"ratchet† and â€Å"wretched.† She enters the novel, and the ward, â€Å"with a gust of cold. † Ratched has complete control over every aspect of the ward, as well as almost complete control over her own emotions. In the first few pages we see her show her â€Å"hideous self† to Bromden and the aides, only to regain her doll-like composure before any of the patients catch a glimpse. Her ability to present a false self suggests that the mechanistic and oppressive forces in society gain ascendance through the dishonesty of the powerful. Without being aware of the oppression, the quiet and docile slowly become weakened and gradually are subsumed. Nurse Ratched does possess a nonmechanical and undeniably human feature in her large bosom, which she conceals as best she can beneath a heavily starched uniform. Her large breasts both exude sexuality and emphasize her role as a twisted mother figure for the ward. She is able to act like â€Å"an angel of mercy† while at the same time shaming the patients into submission; she knows their weak spots and exactly where to peck. The patients try to please her during the Group Meetings by airing their dirtiest, darkest secrets, and then they feel deeply ashamed for how she made them act, even though they have done nothing. She maintains her power by the strategic use of shame and guilt, as well as by a determination to â€Å"divide and conquer† her patients. McMurphy manages to ruffle Ratched because he plays her game: he picks up on her weak spots right away. He uses his overt sexuality to throw her off her machinelike track, and he is not taken in by her thin facade of compassion or her falsely therapeutic tactics. When McMurphy rips her shirt open at the  end of the novel, he symbolically exposes her hypocrisy and deceit, and she is never able to regain power.

Situational Analysis Of International Marketing Environment Marketing Essay

Situational Analysis Of International Marketing Environment Marketing Essay There can be many reasons for wanting to be internationalized like saturation in the home market, the desire of export your product and catch new type of customers in new markets, little opportunity to growth in the own countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ HM wanted to get a strong brand and arrive to the best cities and establish their shops. They are looking always for the best cities and places to build their shops in order to get more and more customers all over the world. When they decided to internationalized, their wish was to become in a great famous brand, and finally they got it, because as I said, it is a well-known company situate in 47 different countries which is also planning to build new shops in more different ones. (See appendix2) Target Market HMs primary target market is based on consumer both men and women between 18-34 years old. In order to satisfy the target customer, they produce good design clothes with good quality and all that in very cheap prices, so that, the customers of HM are very satisfied with it because it offers them everything they want. (See appendix 3) Market Selection Criteria (Keegan, W., J. and Schlegelmilch, B., B., 2001) When a company wants to be internationalised in a new country it must answered this question so as to know exactly where to establish their brand: (See appendix 4) Which market is the best? Philippines Portugal As it can be seen in this two graphics, without a shadow of doubt it can be said that the most secure country to enter in is Portugal. First of all, although this graphics not shows the complete reason, it is the main reason for choosing Portugal. As it can be seen, in Philippines the corruption is really high, the government is not as competent as in Portugal, the infrastructure is not as prepare as in Portugal to be able to build storesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Finally, making the positive and negative points of each country, it is clear that Portugal is the best option not only because of these results, but also because the geographic location of the country. (Global Competitiveness Report, 2012-2013) (See appendix 5) Portugal OPPORTUNITIES THREATS POLITICAL Parliamentary representative democratic republic ECONOMIC High income mix economy The financial crisis ECOLOGCAL Many land hectares Ecology conservation Laws TECHNOLOGICAL Pioneer of technology The financial crisis FASHION INDUSTRY Growth in the industry The financial crisis LEGAL REGULATORY Control competition Not allowed aggressive competition (Technology Portugal, 2009) (Economy of Portugal, Wikipedia, 2012) (Politics of Portugal, Wikipedia, 2012) (See appendix 6) Competitors (See appendix 7) Indirect Competitors HM does not have many Indirect Competitors in the sector, however, it is one that is strong and that it is gaining presence in the online shopping: (See appendix 8) HM ASOS Direct Competitors As everywhere nowadays, in Portugal also there are many fashion retailers that are establishing their shops in many cities so as to get more benefits and became much more international. In the case of HM, it would have many competitors, and the main one it would be Inditex. (Retail Index, 2012) (See appendix 9,10,11,12) HM vs. Inditex The major competitor of HM is Inditex, this table shows what main differences are between them: Outsourcing of Core Activities Group Model Competitive advantage Segmentation Communication No own factories 80% is produced in Asia Cheaper Major margins 39,7% of cost upon sales Need to create collection well in advanced Single chain Major margins in the short run Collaborations with Luxury brands, singersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Own industries 40% is produced in Europe Major flexibility Major ability for growth 44,3% of cost upon sales New collection every 2 weeks Different Chains Major dynamism and growth in the long run Collaborations with new designers, actorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Moda Rapida, 2012) Customers in Portugal In all countries the customer do not have the same purchasing habits, how are the shopping habits of Portuguese young consumers? Factors that influence in clothing purchasing At the time of purchasing clothes, young consumer In Portugal prefers not to have anybody behind them asking all the time if they need any help, that is, they prefer to go to big stores and have a look for everything and then if they need any help ask to a staff although they think that are really impersonal places. They prefer to be free, they want to be comfort when they are shopping. Shopping Behaviour and the influence of others Portuguese young consumers prefer to go shopping alone for many different reasons: More freedom of movements: They like to go alone as they dont need to be all the time calling to the other person come here, go there and so on. More independence in choice: Young consumers do not like to be influenced by anyone; they like to buy things without any other opinion, if they like it they would buy it without having anybody prejudicing them. Individual decision: As it is individual decision, nobody would be saying anything bad about the clothes. Purchasing choice criteria What customers are looking for at the time of buying clothes? They based their purchase in some factors that finally are the ones that makes someone to take the decision of buying one thing or another. Low Price Comfort Good Design Good Quality Brand Name Does not have any influence in purchasing criteria as nowadays almost all brands are equal. (Information sources and clothing,2012) (See appendix 13) Perceptual Map Low Quality High Price High Quality Low Price INDITEX CORTEFIEL MODALFA CA HM PRIMARK MANGO GAP In order to create the perceptual map, I use my perception about the fashion brands in the world, that is, I collocated each of the company in the position that I perceive. As it can be seen, in the same square we can find HM and Inditex, but for my point of view, although the price of Inditex is more expensive, the quality is much better so that its positioning is greater than HMs one. Apart from this, it can be said that for young people, Cortefiel and Mango are so equal in the quality and in the price, besides this, GAPs and CAs quality is very high, that is, the price and the quality of their clothes are equated. Finally, as for the brands with the lowest quality, although their low price is so attractive for punctual occasions, customers prefer to buy in companies that offer them a major quality. Recommendation I really recommend HM to go to Portugal as it can offer many advantages to HM starting with its geographical location. Although the financial crisis is affecting many consumer, as HM has very low prices Portugal can be a very viable market as young people would be able to get fashion clothes with their low income and as nowadays the physical aspect is gaining importance, HM would find a very good opportunity in Portugal. (About HM, 2012) Appendices Appendix: HM 1980/90 Stores open in Germany and Netherlands. Stores open in France, and the use of celebrities to the advertisements 1947 1977 1976 1974 1968 1964 1952 Sales of cosmetic started. First store opened outside Scandinavia, In London. Listed on the Stockholms Stock Exchange Hennes buy the fish store Mauritz Widforss, and the name is changed to Hennes and Mauritz. First store opened in a foreign country, in Norway. Hennes open in Stockholm First store open in Và ¤steras (Sweedem), with the name of Hennes 2012 Plan to open Bulgaria, Latvia, Malasya, Mexico and Thailand. 2011 HM open in Romania, Croacia and Singapore. 2010 First stores open in Soth korea and Turky. Monki goes to Asia, HM home open in Sweden. 2009 First store open in Russia and in Beijing. HM home is launched, Weekday and Monki open in Germany 2008 First store open in Tokyo. Adquisition of Weekday, Monki and Cheap Monday brands. 2007 First Asian store open in Hong Kong and in Shanghai. Expansion of online sales. COS stores launched. 2006 Major expansion of online and catalogue sales 2004 Initiates designer collaborations with luxury brands 2000 Stores open in US, Spain and in many European countries. HMs presence all over the world HM world map.   Ã‚   300+ stores   Ã‚   200+ stores   Ã‚   100+ stores   Ã‚   50+ stores   Ã‚   20+ stores   Ã‚   10+ stores   Ã‚   1+ stores   Ã‚   Upcoming stores (HHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HM_world_map.svgHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HM_world_map.svgM world map, Wikipedia, 2012) HM Group HM, as Inditex, is completed by many different brands, that is, HM is a group that is composed by some different brands: HM: It produces a broad and diverse range of fashion for men, women, youth and children, furthermore, it also sales cosmetic, accessories and products for home. COS It offers customers a combination of timelessness and distinctive trends, for both women and men. Monki: It is a very creative brand that offers to the customer the opportunity to express itself. Weekday: It offers urban fashion for men and women always at the best price. Cheap Monday: Cheap Monday combines influences from street fashion and subcultures with a catwalk vibe. HMs expansion strategy HM is so conscious at the time of opening new stores in other countries, that is, it thinks that the stores should make much stronger the brand and attract customer giving them the best shopping experience as possible. When HM is moving to a new country, so as to see if it would be profitable or not to enter in, it analyses the political, economic, demographic, and infrastructural environment. It creates very modern stores in all countries that it establishes its business so as to offer a great shopping time to the customer. Furthermore, it is working in making its stores much more ecological so as to save the world and do not damage it. HM is looking for a great expansion in the future; it is planning to open many new stores in many different countries, so as to create a very strong brand. HM SWOT analyses Strengths Brand recognition: Low Price and style: It has presence in al over the world and people know it because of the fashionable clothes that sale in a very cheap price Operational efficiency: As it has a great control in the logistic area, it is able to have low cost and maintain really good margins. Opportunities Untapped potential in emerging markets: As the lifestyle is changing everywhere, people are much more aware of its physical aspects, so that, the fashion is gaining presence. Internet retailing: The fashion industry is increasing every day, and nowadays with the help of internet they can growth in an incredible manner, it gave them a great opportunity to growth. Weaknesses Reliance on outsourcing: The reliance of Inditex products put HM in critical situation as Inditex appeals much more to customers. Modest presence in emerging markets: It a well-known brand in the whole world, but the major presence is only in Europe and in North America. Threats Non-food expansion of grocery retailers: Many supermarkets like Tesco, are thinking in competing in the clothe industry with HM. Fast fashion becoming more competitive: Its major competitor is Inditex, that also does fast fashion, but new competitors also are appearing very strong (Ryerson, 2009) Vertical Integration HM has a vertical integration strategy in which was pioneer establishing it some years ago. Due to this strategy, the company is now able to collect information about the sales and customers and use it in order to make a better strategy always so as to get more profits for the future and catch much more customer. (Europa.eu,2012) LCCP, GCCP or FCCP? In the case of HM, it can be said that this company is GCCP( Global Culture Cultural Positioning), as they are a multinational that says to the customer that is part of the global family. Although they need to adapt maybe their strategy in each of different country, they sale their brand as a global company; actually all their products are the same in all countries, they offer the same products for the customers of different places, Being the part of the global family is the message that they are selling to the customers mind. (HM, 2012) Appendix: Internationalization Motives There are 2 kinds of motives that prompt the companies to internationalised, Proactive and Reactive motives. In the case of HM there are some points inside those factors that do not have any sense, so only the main points are going to be explained. Proactive Motives Profit and growth goals All companies want to growth, and so as to get it, the best option is to go abroad and establish their brand in new countries. This is one of the main reason why the companies want to internationalized, in order to become bigger and be well known in the whole work. Managerial urge It is a motivation that the managers of the business have; their motivation is to be part of a company that works all over the world. Foreign market opportunities/market information HM could see many opportunities to growth in foreign markets as is a company that have great presence all over the world. However, it is not established in all countries, so if it wants to become a bigger brand, it should observe what opportunities offered each country and see if it is profitable or not. Economies of scale-learning curve Being internationalized, offers HM the advantage of the economies of scale as it could produce high amount of clothes at the same time with very low costs. (Hollensen, S., 2007) Reactive Motives Competitive pressure HM could be scared for example of the competitive pressure of Inditex as it has a great strategy that helps it to continue in the top level. If the company see that other brands are growing all over the world and are gaining customers and getting profits, the not internationalised company also would want to get all that. So for that reason, HM would like to enter in more and more countries so as to be a great company. Domestic market: small and saturated HM was created in Sweden many years ago, but as the market was becoming so small to compete there, it decided to enter in new countries so as to growth its presence. Extend sales of seasonal products As maybe the demand in the home country is not very big and it does not give the opportunity for the company to get the desire profits, they would find new opportunities to get what they want in foreign countries. (Hollensen, S., 2007) Appendix: How to choose the target market? Targeting is the action of evaluating and comparing the different groups of consumers and chooses which is the most suitable for the company. Companies have to base their research in 3 points: Current segment and the growth: It will be enough profitable to the company to centre only in that segment? Competitive intensity and potential competition: If that segment has a great competition, it is suitable to enter in? Compatibility and feasibility: If that segment give problems to the companies, could another company catch them? (Keegan, W.J. and Schlegelmilch, B.B., 2001) When HM creates its brand he had surely been thinking about these points at the time of creating its designs. When the companies are creating their collections they must be thinking on the target market as they are the wanted customers and they should create those clothes appeals to them. Appendix: Market selection Criteria Market Potential Here the company should analyse if the market satisfied completely the customer and also if the customers has the necessary ability to purchase the product that the old retailers offer them. (International market selection, 2004) Market Size: The companies need to observe how much of the market it can expect they could afford. Market growth: They have to observe how much have grown this sector in that country during all the years so as to know if they would find an increase or a decrease in the industry. Competitive Intensity: The Company have to make a great research relating with the competitors of the industry in that country so as to know in what position they are and how strong are the competitors. Entry Barrier: In all countries are entry barriers to foreign companies so as to protect the future of the home country industries. They should make many deals so as to finally get into a new market. Political Environment The government of a country affects a lot the business life because of the changing policies, regulations and laws. Furthermore, the government of each of the country is who choose which businesses will receive protection and which is going to face an open competition. Furthermore, the political stability of a country will affect the action that government will take, and finally that actions will have many influences in an enterprise. (Sirkeci, I. and Cawley, R., 2012) Economic Environment Nowadays the economy has change radically, due to that factor, all countries are now potential targets for every company. When a company has to make research in global marketing, the economy dimension of the world is crucial as it has great influence in this point. (Keegan, W.J., Schelegelmilch, B.B., 2001) Demographic Structure The company should observe how has change the demographic in the objective country so as to control the evolution of the Target customer. Purchasing Power It has to know how is the purchasing power of the objective customer so as to know if they are going to get benefits or loses in that country. Infrastructure The retailers need to observe if the infrastructure of the country is good or not in order to build factories and stores in that country. The country must have strong infrastructure so as to build powerful companies, strong social, economic, aerialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦infrastructure. Appendix: Philippines and Portugal So as to choose the most appropriate country to enter in, many things must be analysed as it can be seen in the paper. However, not only those shown points are important, there many other things like the GDP, unemployment rate, population, innovationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that should be take into account when an enterprise want to be opened in that country. Philippines Population: 93,6millions GDB per capita: 2,007$ Infraestructure: 3,1 Macroeconomic environment: 5 Goods market efficiency: 4,1 Having a look to these different score between 1-7, it is clear that Portugal is much more secure country to establish their company. Although the most relevant dates had been explained before in the pages, these are also very important at the time of choosing the country to enter in. So finally, Portugal is the country that will be analysed for the report. Labor market efficiency: 3,9 Financial market development: 4 Technological readiness: 4,6 Portugal Population: 10,7 millions GDP per capita: 21,559$ Infraestructure: 5,5 Macroeconomic environment: 4,2 Goods market efficiency: 4,3 Labor market efficiency: 3,8 Financial market development: 4 Technological readiness: 5,3 (The Global Competitiveness report, 2012-2013) Appendix: Portugal Political Environment Portugal has a constitutional republic and a parliamentary system in which a semi presidential regime is established. The prime minister is elected every four years and is the person who led the government, furthermore, the president of the government is elected every five years. (Doing business in Portugal, 2012) Economic Environment There can find many industries that have established their main company in Portugal, for example, in the case of Inditex, it has one factory there, as the production is cheaper than in Spain. But although been a developed and high income country, it has the lowest GDP in Western Europe, and besides, the population has the lowest purchasing power of the European Union. (Economic of Portugal, Wikipedia, 2012) Regulatory Environment The Law 18/2003 In Portugal is create to maintain a competitive economy, not to have an unfair competitive and so heavy one. The law prohibited the company to make agreements that would affect the competition between economic agents in national territory. In addition to this, the companies are not allowed to make a very aggressive competition so as not to affect the sector in that country. (Doing business in Portugal, 2012) Fashion industry Nowadays the textile industry in Portugal represents just under the 10% of outputs. The situation in Portugal is not the best, but the companies that are surviving are having great profits, so people are seen as an optimist market. Many different brands produce their clothes in Portugal like Fred Perry, Inditex, Paul Smith because the process is not as expensive as in other European countries, , however, although the industry is surviving, all the companies has suffered losses during the financial crisis. Every type of industry are suffering now due to the 2008 financial crisis, in many countries many companies closed their factories, nevertheless, the textile industry in Portugal is growing up again ,so slowly, but is growing. Every brand are getting now profits, so for HM it could be a great opportunity as the industry is having good results nowadays. Besides, it must be said that HMs strategy is very similar to Inditex ones, its clothes are so cheap and finally a country that is s uffering a lot because of the crisis , population wants to have the opportunity to buy cheap fashionable clothes. Inditex is having great results in the country, so as HM prices are cheaper, why it would not get many profits? Portugal as I said, can offer HM many great advantages. (UK reuters, 2012) Barriers to enter in country There many barriers in all countries for different companies that want to establish their brand there are (Hollensen, S., 2007): General Market Risks The main barriers are the great competitiveness that HM could find in Portugal, the different culture and language, because the Swedish and Portuguese people are so different at the time of working and also the language is totally different. In addition to this, it is no easy to find a new distributor in a foreign country, they should make alliances an all of that work so as to get a great position, and finally, it must be said that it is a very difficult work to adapt all the company for that new culture and make a great company overseas. Commercial Risks Although Portugal is in Europe too, there are always delays in the delivering of the export products or some damages in them. Beside this, there are always changes in rates and that could have a great influence in the cost of a company. Political Risks This subject is a little bit special; companies have to take caution as politics have great influences in all countries. HM have to take into account how is the law of the exports in Portugal, what type of restrictions have impose the government, the thoughts of the citizensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Opportunities of entering in the Portugal Investing in Portugal it would give companies many advantages for many different reasons (Doing business in Portugal, 2012): Strategic access to market Due to the Portugal economic openness and also because of its strategic geographical position it can offer great opportunities to different companies between EU and also different markets. As it has relations with Brazil and is near Africa, it offers great advantages so as to make exports and imports. Cost competitive, qualified and flexible workforce The Portuguese employers are known for having great attitudes at the time of adapting their self to new technologies, strategies and so on. Excellent environment to live and work It is a country that offers the companies very secure areas and ensure the security for their production, and so on as it is very pacific place. Infrastructure As during the last year Portugal has made great investment so as to modernizing its communication infrastructures, it is great country to establish a company as it can be adapted very easily to the new technologies that the company will bring with it. Appendix: Competitors Threats of New entrance Rivalry among existing competitors Threat of Substitute products or services Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers (Keegan, W.J. and Schlegelmilch, B.B., 2001) Market 5 forces Referring to HM, although it is a great company, its major competitor is doing everything much better than it does. HM it would be the new entrance in that country and of course all those competitors like Inditex, Cortefiel and so on, would be threat of it as they would need to fight with one more company. However, knowing that new entrance, those companies may start making much more deals with the suppliers so as to have the ability to offer better products and service to their customers and not lose them. Finally, HM has a great positive factor to the consumers that could be a great advantage to its competitors. It makes many alliances with famous designers like Versace, Moschinoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in order to create new collection that are attractive to young consumers as they feel with higher status. Inditex should be worry about that as luxury brands are so attractive to consumers, but if it continuous doing a hard work it will be as everywhere the winner of the sector also in Portu gal. Appendix: ASOS ASOS is an online beauty store that provides the customer many products of different brands in very cheap prices. That is, the consumer can buy in the same website clothes from many different brands like Adidas, Armani, Topshopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it sales hundreds of brands, thats why it became so attractive to the customer, because it can find in the same place clothes from everywhere. ASOS was created firstly in United Kingdom in 2000, but them while it was gaining presence in whole Britain; it started going abroad and gaining presence in many countries of Europe. After that, the market of US was prepared to ASOS arrival as everyone wants to have the opportunity to buy many brands product in the same place. (ASOS, 2012) Appendix: MOFALDA Modalfa is a Portuguese fashion brand that offer the customer very fashionable clothes in a cheap prices. In Portugal, as I explained before, it is a great competitor for HM as it offers the customer similar opportunities as HM does. (Modalfa, 2012) Appendix: CORTEFIEL Cortefiel is the first brand created by Cortefiel group in 1946, which offer the customer an elegant and comfortable style with very high quality. With this personal style, Spanish brand has open its road for many countries and it is very strong competitor for many other companies. Its target customer is based on men and women between 35-45 years, and although HM is addressed to young people, finally all type of consumers are important for every company. (Cortefiel, 2012) Appendix: CA CA is a fashion company that has presence in 20 different countries of Europe. People have a very good perception about CA, it offers 10000 different products in all the countries, and although its high prices, the products have very high quality, the clothes lasts for years so people do not mind to pay more for those clothes. (CA, 2012) Appendix: Inditex The Inditex group is the most powerful competitor of HM. Inditex has many different brands inside, that are very famous and makes it the more and more strong everyday: ZARA: Zara has presence in 85 countries and it has opened 1671 stores in the best places of the cities. For Zara there is no any limit, they want to be in all the countries of the world in the future, and due to its great strategy it can get it as it is opening new stores every day. Pull Bear: It was create in 1991 especially for young people as it has very juvenile style. Is it one of the most profitable brand in terms of Urban clothes as every young people go there to get urban style clothes. Massimo Dutti: It has 567 stores spread in 53 different countries. It offers Urban and casual styles both for men and women, its target market is based on men and women adults, thats why the growth of the prices and the change in the style comparing with other brands. Bershka: It was launched in 1998 and nowadays it has 839 stores in 63 different countries, and as it is known, it appeals basically to the young target market. Stradivarius: It produces clothes, accessories, shoesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and its clothes are combination of elegant and hippie clothes that appeal a lot for young people. Oysho: Oysho sells the latest fashion trends in womens lingerie and intimate apparel Zara Home: It is specialised in home decoration and linen things that attract so much to women because of it reasonable prices. Uterqà ¼e: It is the newest brand of Inditex and it is the most expensive brand of the group. (Inditex group, 2012) Zara is the most powerful brand of the group, is the main competitor of HM alone as I said. In the above image appear where Zara has its stores. (Zara targetmap, 2012) Appendix: Customers The culture in which the consumers have been grew up have many influences in the p

Industry analysis on ABS-CBN

Lopez  family-controlled ABS-CBN Corp. said it expects profitability throughout the year with the support of its airtime revenue after gaining in the first quarter of the year. In a briefing, Geronimo C. Estacio, ABS-CBN officer in charge for Finance, said profits for the full-year of 2006 may come from its airtime revenue, given the higher rating of the network’s primetime shows. Estacio said ABS-CBN posted a net income of P121 million in the first quarter of the year from P132-million losses in the same period in 2005. In the first three months of the year, ABS-CBN audience share averaged 32 percent compared with 43 percent of its rival GMA channel 7. On primetime, ABS posted 35 percent share from 36 percent compared with GMA’s 43 percent from 46 percent. The company attributed its profit turnaround to the lower cost base that resulted from last year’s manpower optimization and judicious production cost spending, as well as from license fees for the migration of North American DTH (direct-to-home) subscribers to DirectTVs platform. License fees from DTH amounting to P409 million were booked in the first quarter of the year. Total subscriber base of ABS-CBN Global grew by 22 percent year on year, which translates to 2. 1 million viewers worldwide by-end March. The Lopez-led company also said airtime revenues, which accounts for 60 percent of the total, grew 4 percent to P2. 26 billion in the first quarter of the year from P2. 18 billion in the same period in 2005 as it continued to strengthen its primetime programs. Gross revenue rose by 14 percent to P3. 95 billion, driven by license fees from DirectTV and higher airtime revenues. When Kris Aquino announced she and co-host Korina Sanchez might be in the United States late this year to tape some of their â€Å"Morning Girls† daily show, ABS-CBN International (NA) received lots of calls for the specific dates. â€Å"The response was amazing even if nothing has been firmed up,† said Rene Encarnacion, senior vice-president for international operations of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. and managing director of ABS-CBN Global Ltd. ABS-CBN International is one of four subsidiaries of Global, which is, in turn, a wholly owned subsidiary of ABS-CBN Broadcasting. With access to 25% of total Filipino-American households, ABS-CBN International accounts for 70% of gross revenues generated by Global. â€Å"The North American operations used to account for 85% of total revenues but that has happily dropped as we follow Filipinos abroad. There are Filipinos working in every country in the world except Bhutan,† said Encarnacion. Using a market yardstick of between 50,000 to 70,000 households, each household made up of five to six people, Global has presence in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe. In Asia, the company works with local partners. It services Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates through subsidiary, ABS-CBN Dubai; and England, Germany and Italy through another subsidiary, ABS-CBN Europe. â€Å"The Filipino-American market is so huge, there’s still a lot of penetration to do. Just maintaining our 25% market means we’re already growing. This is not a transient market; they are in the US for good and they have large disposable incomes,† said Encarnacion. Bundling Entertainment accounts for 65% of Global’s product mix. The company maintains four channels, which are either directly beamed to the homes of subscribers or by satellite. These channels are segmented by content, offering 24-hour news, the best of Channel 2 shows, and Philippine movies as well as sports and culture. Global pays royalties to ABS-CBN Broadcasting and its content-producing subsidiaries. It also sources other suppliers of content, such as the Philippine Basketball Association. Global holds the international broadcast rights for the PBA games. In a classic bundling strategy, the company has built on its existing relationship with customers to push non-entertainment products, all of which are billed through one cable statement. The nature of technology opens so many opportunities. We have become a distribution one-stop for everything from entertainment to courier services to retailing Philippine-made products to our customers. It’s a convenient pipeline that other Philippine media companies have not yet fully exploited,† said Encarnacion. Global also sells pre-paid US-to-the-Philippines cards which offer 60 minutes to 100 minutes of telephone use. The cards are offered to retailers for private labeling or sold in-house under the brand name, Sarimanok. Arm’s length Global was incorporated in the Cayman Islands last year, although its North American subsidiary has been in business for the past nine years. Consolidating ABS-CBN’s international operation is part of the strategy to sell Global shares through an initial public offering two or three years from now. Part of the proceeds will pay off the $25 million advanced by ABS-CBN Broadcasting, mainly to put up the transmission infrastructure. â€Å"We have an arm’s length relationship with our parent company. It’s important that we show we can and have been going it alone,† said Encarnacion. The company generated in excess of $40 million in gross revenues in 2002, accounting for close to 70% of total revenues generated by all ABS-CBN subsidiaries. On a consolidated basis, subsidiaries accounted for 20% of ABS-CBN’s total revenues in 2002. Money-makers This year, Global sees a 20% growth in gross revenues and a 30% growth in subscriber base through the three-pronged strategy of better programming, more non-entertainment products, and improved customer relationships. For one, programming for the American market will no longer be targeting solely first generation immigrants but their children and their grandchildren as well. The first generation of Filipino-Americans are nostalgic about the Philippines and they want to keep abreast with what is happening back home. The second and third generation understand and accept their Philippine heritage but they have their own distinct buyer preferences in terms of, say, what kind of music they want to listen to. We want to secure more programs developed by Fil-Ams for Fil-Ams,† said Encarnacion. For another, programs such as â€Å"Balita Middle East† developed for foreign audiences may soon be shown in the Philippines because of their relevance to Filipino viewers. Balita Middle East†, which has a segment where overseas Filipino workers can interact with their families in the Philippines, is the second highest rated show in the 24-hour cable news channel, ANC. From a wider perspective, Global intends to balance its revenue stream and be less dependent on the American market. It formally launches ABS-CBN Europe in Italy this month. It is also asking itself whether or not it makes sense to continue its partnerships in Japan or Australia, which have been delivering on their bottom line commitments.

Analysis on Successful and Failed Company

Analysis on Failed Company 1. Kodak Kodak founded in 1880 by George Eastman. Eastman Kodak, the 131-year-old film pioneer that has been struggling for years to adapt to an increasingly digital world, filed for bankruptcy protection on January 2012. (Merced, January 2012) Example: In 1996, Kodak introduces Advantix Preview film and camera system, which Kodak spent more than $500M to develop and launch. One of the key features of the Advantix system was that it allowed users to preview their shots and indicate how many prints they wanted.The Advantix Preview could do that because it was a digital camera. Yet it still used film and emphasized print because Kodak was in the photo film, chemical and paper business. Advantix flopped. (Mui, 2012). Reasons of Failure: Kodak’s strategic failure was the direct cause of Kodak’s decades-long decline as digital photography destroyed its film-based business model. Kodak’s missed opportunities in digital photography. Kodak mana gement’s inability to see digital photography as a disruptive technology, even as its researchers extended the boundaries of the technology, would continue for decades.George Eastman, who twice adopted disruptive photographic technology, Kodak’s management in the 80’s and 90’s were unwilling to consider digital as a replacement for film. The transformation from analog cameras to digital camera was failed. This limited them to a fundamentally flawed path. They cannot compete with the gradual rise of the mobile phone camera ( Apple iPhone, Samsung) and others strong competitors ( Nikon, Olympus, Canon). Kodak mistakes that people, in after the picture will continue to print it out, but this kind of thing more and more impossible.From this perspective, photo sharing more for communication, rather than personal memories. 2. Pets. com (internet and new technology failure) Launched in August 1998, Pets. com was created to sell pets food and accessories via the internet. Users of the site could browse through different categories, choose products they like and have them conveniently delivered to their home. On 7 November 2000 Pets. com announced that it could no longer continue as a business, and as such became the first US dot. com on the stock market to close. Pets. com folded after having burned through $300 million in less than two years.Over 300 people lost their jobs and the site was shut down. In a statement made to the press on that same day, CEO Julie Wainwright explained the situation. ‘It is well known that this is a very, very difficult environment for business-to-consumer Internet companies,’ she said. Reasons of Failure: Perhaps the main problem was that Internet users weren’t ready to order their pet food online. After all, dog food is dog food, and there clearly weren’t enough people searching for rare pet items that they wouldn’t be able to find in their hometown.In 1998, people will rathe r driving down to the shops and getting the pet food and accessories on the spot, rather than wait a few days delivery period. The strategy of offering extreme discounts clearly wasn’t working. According to Dan Janal, author of Branding the Net, the cost per customer acquisition for Pets. com was about US $80. He said ‘There’s no way you make that back when you sell a product with a paper-thin margin†¦ ’ But its discount policy wasn’t Pets. com’s only problem.It had also introduced free shipping – which was proving increasingly expensive for the company to sustain, especially when customers were ordering very little. One of its major mistakes was the excessive spending on marketing and advertising. During its lifetime Pets. com spent more than $70 million on marketing and an average of $400 to acquire each new customer (Bucholtz, 2000). Pets. com advertised more heavily than any other online pet e-tailer. Pets. com spent too much money on building awareness, and too little time questioning whether its Web site was a viable business in the long term. 3. Tesco in Japan Japan is the smallest of Tesco's 13 international businesses, consisting of 129 stores in greater Tokyo and making less than ? 500m in annual sales, according to analysts' estimates. According to Guardian News (August 31, 2011) noted that Tesco has decided to sell its Japanese business after eight years there. On June 18, 2012 Tesco sell half its operations in the country to Japanese retailer Aeon Corp. for a nominal sum, the first of a two-stage exit. The two companies will form a joint venture, with Tesco investing some 0 million pounds (($63 million) to finance further fund restructuring. After that, Tesco will have no further financial exposure to the Japanese business. Reasons of Failure: †¢Lackluster economic growth In the almost decade-long period (it entered in 2003 through acquisition of local player C Two-Network) it was operating in the market, the retailer never seemed able to gain scale and traction in a notoriously difficult retail sector. In 2011, Tesco Japan made trading losses of ? 35m. †¢Wrong partner In Japan, C Two-Network at the time of acquisition had 78 stores and annual revenues of less than $0. 5 bn.By any stretch of the imagination it was not a major player in the Japanese retail sector. Plus, some of its stores required plenty of investment. †¢Tough competition Tesco’s competitors had been operating before the entry of Tesco and had built strong market dominance. Launching Tesco Express seemed a logical move given the existing store portfolio and the format’s success elsewhere. However, it faced stiff competition from local c-store giants such as 7-Eleven, LAWSON, FamilyMart and Ministop. In addition, these players have also expanded into residential price-focused supermarkets – LAWSON STORE 100.Beside this, rivals such as Seven & I and AEON have really investe d in improving their own ranges in recent years. ? 4. Harley Davidson Harley Davidson (H-D), the American motorcycle manufacturer has a loyal brand following not only in the U. S. but also in many countries across the globe. It also introduced a range of accessories to match the bike. A chain of retail shops sold H-D branded merchandise like T-shirts, jackets, caps, gloves, helmets key chains, socks, ornaments etc. Reasons of failure: A brand over-extension In the 1990s, it extended the brand too far and moves into inappropriate categories.The company introduced products like ties, infant clothes, wine coolers, aftershave and perfumes. Even the loyal fans did not like the idea, as it did not resonate with the tough brand identity. However, Perfumes and wine coolers were eroding the mystery of the H-D brand. After strong criticism from the loyal customers, the company pulled of many inappropriate products. H-D had learnt a branding lesson. More products did not mean more revenue and overextending the brand meant a short-term focus. The company has now admitted its mistake, and stopped producing perfumes and other inappropriate products. . Pan Am Pan American World Airways was one of the most famous brands of airline on the planet in the 1980s. Pan American World Airways known as Pan Am was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until it ceased operations on December 4, 1991. Reason of failure: †¢Tragedy – terrorist attack In 1988, disaster struck. A Pan Am plane (flight 103) on route from London to New York disappeared from radar somewhere above Scotland. Later it emerged that a bomb had gone off in the cargo area, causing aircraft to break in two.In total, 270 people were killed, including 11 on the ground. This horrible nature of the tragedy make Pan Am name was tarnished and could never recover. Despite the company’s constant promises of commitment to increasing its airline’s security, the public was simply not willing to fly with Pan Am due to decline in confidence. ? 6. Kellogg’s in India Kellogg offered Corn Flakes, Wheat flakes, Basmati rice flakes (ready to eat cereals) in India. Despite offering good quality and being supported by the technical, managerial and financial resources of its patent, Kellogg’s product failed in the Indian market.In April 1995, a 25% decline in sales happened in India. Reasons of failure: †¢Over confidence and ignorance of cultural aspects Kellogg’s believed that it is going to introduce the new breakfast products, heavily on the quality of crispy flakes. But pouring hot milk on the flakes made them soggy. Also Kellogg in its advertising campaigns hinted that the Indian breakfast was not nutrition and that Indian breakfast was not good for health. This deeply hurt the sentiments of the home maker. Once the home maker’s ego was hurt they psychologically turned themselves against the concept of corn flak e based breakfast. Lack of understanding Indian consumer’s behavior and habits India is a country that has a history that comprises of traditional practices, which also include the regular and long followed eating habits. Kellogg’s failure was the fact that the taste of its products did not suit Indian breakfast habit. †¢Premium pricing policy Another reason for the low demand was deemed to be the premium pricing adopted by the company. The prices of its products were too much than the nearest competitors like Mohan’s Cornflakes. ? Analysis on Successful Company 7. Starbucks in ChinaHoward Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks announced that China will become its largest market outside the United States. It has opened over 500 outlets in the country, which are more profitable per outlet than in the U. S. China will soon become the biggest market outside the United States for Starbucks. The keys to Starbucks were to: †¢Create products tailored to China’s unique cultural tastes Instead of trying to force onto the market the same products that work in the U. S, Starbucks developed flavors (e. g. green tea-flavored coffee drinks) that appeal to local tastes.Rather than pushing take-out orders, which account for the majority of American sales, Starbucks adapted to local consumer wants and promoted dine-in service. †¢Position its brand as â€Å"aspirational† to allow higher product pricing. The average coffee sold in China is far more expensive than in the U. S. Carrying a Starbucks cup is seen as a status symbol, a way to demonstrate sophistication and the capability to afford a personal luxury for the up-and-coming middle class in China. Starbuck's high pricing strategy of specialty drinks allows it to have its Chinese outlets be more profitable per store in China despite the lower sales volume.Overall in Asia, its operating margins are 34. 6% in 2011 versus 21. 8% in the United States. †¢Differentiate itself from its competitors Starbucks build-in spacious, comfortable air-conditioned or heated stores attracting professionals for business meetings. Starbucks former strategy was centred in offering a high quality product to a narrow consumer segment (coffee lovers). By offering high quality, these lead customers to have a lower sensitiveness on price, opportunity for higher margins, and an increase of customer loyalty. ? 8. Subway The main reason for their success is they are going with the right trends.Since people now are more concern on healthy lifestyle, food with less calories and more nutritional food. Subway constant expansion has turned us from choosing McDonald to ‘Eat Fresh’ value meal. At the end of 2010, Subway had 33,749 restaurants worldwide, in comparison to McDonald’s which had 32,737, the BBC reports. A major promoter of the Subway brand, and a huge boost to the company’s image, has been Jared Fogel, the young man who decided to go on a diet that simpl y consisted of Subway sandwiches. He was hundreds of pounds overweight, and successfully lost this weight on his Subway diet.Subway achieved its rapid growth, in part, by opening outlets in non-traditional locations around the world. It had very strategic in planning its locations. These include a car showroom in California, an appliance store in Brazil, a ferry terminal in Seattle, a riverboat in Germany, a zoo in Taiwan, a Goodwill store in South Carolina, a high school in Detroit and even a church in New York, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Subway Restaurants are pretty small; this mean their cost are very low and can fit basically anywhere. Another great idea Subway had was to introduce the 5 dollar foot long.As money becomes tighter and tighter, consumers didn’t want to waste money on lunch. For 5 dollars, you can get a decent amount of their subs. The nice, round price that can be paid with one bill has led to a song and tons of sales. 9. Blackberry in Indone sia Compared to all countries in Southeast Asia, Indonesia does have the largest number of BlackBerry users. The BlackBerry came to Indonesia in 2004, when Research In Motion (RIM) formed a partnership with local telecommunications company PT Indosat. There are about three million BlackBerry subscribers in Indonesia. Atika Shubert , 2009). Blackberry discovers the habits of the users in Indonesia. Indonesians love to use their phones to type and chat. People from all walks of life here like to form online communities and share information, especially on their BBM profiles which is ideal for this type of social engagement. So they come out with the phone that with keyboards and touch screen function. The iPhone's touch screen has less appeal in this respect. Another reason is price. Blackberry phones cost about $500 when sold new, compared to an iPhone that costs around $900.But if bought on Indonesia's â€Å"gray market† — in order words, smuggled in tax free — then a BlackBerry can be purchased for around $300. That caters not just to Indonesia's high-end businessmen but also to the country's growing and fashion-conscious middle class. (Atika Shubert , 2009). Another reason is accessibility. Indonesia's Internet infrastructure is expensive and not always reliable. Getting a home broadband connection can cost as much as $100 a month. For many Indonesians, it's easier, and cheaper, to get a web-enabled phone. (Atika Shubert , 2009). 10. Tesco in South KoreaTesco had been evolving itself, adjusting to the local market. It even change the name itself from Tesco to Home plus. When grocery chain Tesco wanted to expand their market share in South Korea without increasing the number of stores. They came up with a brilliant idea. Due to the people in South Korea work long hours and less leisure time. Also increase populations possess smart phones. They thought of an efficient way to sell their products. The Korean subsidiary Home Plus put up billb oards in subway stations with their range of products, accompanied by QR, or Quick Response codes.All people had to do now is scan the QR codes with their cell phone and the groceries were delivered to their doorsteps. The South Korean market remains Tesco’s largest international business with sales of ? 4. 5bn and profits of almost ? 300m. (ReWiring Businees, 2011). According to Tesco’s Business Review in Asia, their Home plus concept is delivering remarkable results with sales growth of 33% and profits went up to over 50% in South Korea. They otherwise continue to make good progression with establishing a strong brand in Asian markets. List of referencesAtika Shubert (December 28, 2009). CNN tech: BlackBerry boom in Indonesia. Available from the world web: http://articles. cnn. com/2009-12-28/tech/indonesia. blackberry_1_blackberry-phones-iphone-mobile-phone? _s=PM:TECH Brand Failure (November 14, 2006). Internet and new technology failures: Pets. com. Available from the world web: http://brandfailures. blogspot. com/2006/11/internet-and-new-technology-failures. html Casestudyinc. com (Mar 12, 2012). A brand extension mistake by Harley Davidson . Available from the world web: http://www. casestudyinc. om/harley-davidson-brand-extension-failure Gray, Paul (December 23, 2009). Pets. com – A Classic Example of Product Development Failure. Available from the world web: http://www. brainmates. com. au/brainrants/pets-com-%E2%80%93-a-classic-example-of-product-development-failure Merced, Michael J. De La (January 19, 2012). New York Times: Eastman Kodak Files for Bankruptcy. Available from the world web: http://dealbook. nytimes. com/2012/01/19/eastman-kodak-files-for-bankruptcy/ ReWiring Business (July 4, 2011). Tesco goes virtual again – Application of few success factors in South Korean retail business.Available from the world web: http://www. rewiringbusiness. co. uk/tesco-goes-virtual-again-%E2%80%93-application-of-few-success-fact ors-in-south-korean-retail-business/ Mui, Chunka (January 19, 2012). How Kodak Failed. Available from the world web: http://www. forbes. com/sites/chunkamui/2012/01/18/how-kodak-failed/3/ USA Today ( Feb 10, 2012). Rein, Shaun, CNBC. com Contributor: Why Starbucks succeeds in China and others haven't. Available from the world web: http://www. usatoday. com/money/industries/food/story/2012-02-12/cnbc-starbucks-secrets-of-china-success/53040820/1

The Know-Nothing Party Opposed Immigration to America

The Know-Nothing Party Opposed Immigration to America Of all the American political parties in existence in the 19th century, perhaps none generated more controversy than the Know-Nothing Party, or the Know-Nothings. Officially known as the American Party, it originally emerged from secret societies organized to violently oppose immigration to America. Its shadowy beginnings, and popular nickname, meant it would eventually go down  in history as something of a joke. Yet in their time, the Know-Nothings made their dangerous presence known- and no one was laughing. The party unsuccessfully ran candidates for president, including, in one disastrous effort, former president Millard Fillmore. While the party failed at the national level, in local races the anti-immigrant message was often very popular. Adherents to the Know-Nothings strident message also served in Congress and at various local levels of government. Nativism in America As immigration from Europe increased in the early 1800s, citizens who had been born in the United States began to feel resentment at the new arrivals. Those opposed to immigrants became known as nativists. Violent encounters between immigrants and native-born Americans would occasionally occur in American cities in the 1830s and early 1840s. In July 1844, riots broke out in the city of Philadelphia. Nativists battled Irish immigrants, and two Catholic churches and a Catholic school were burned by mobs. At least 20 people were killed in the mayhem. In New York City, Archbishop John Hughes called upon the Irish to defend the original St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Mott Street. Irish parishioners, rumored to be heavily armed, occupied the churchyard, and the anti-immigrant mobs that had paraded in the city were scared off from attacking the cathedral. No Catholic churches were burned in New York. The catalyst for this upsurge in the nativist movement was an increase in immigration in the 1840s, especially the great numbers of Irish immigrants who flooded East Coast cities during the years of the Great Famine in the late 1840s. The  fear at the time sounded much like fears expressed about immigrants today: outsiders will come in and take jobs or perhaps even seize political power. Emergence of the Know-Nothing Party Several small political parties espousing nativist doctrine existed in the early 1800s, among them the American Republican Party and the Nativist Party. At the same time, secret societies, such as the Order of United Americans and the Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, sprang up in American cities. Their members were sworn to keep immigrants out of America, or at least to keep them segregated from mainstream society once they arrived. Members of established political parties were at times baffled by these organizations, as their leaders would not publicly reveal themselves. And members, when asked about the organizations, were instructed to answer, â€Å"I know nothing.† Hence, the nickname for the political party that grew out of these organizations, the American Party, formed in 1849. Know-Nothing Followers The Know-Nothings and their anti-immigrant and anti-Irish fervor became a popular movement for a time. Lithographs sold in the 1850s depict a young man described in a caption as Uncle Sams Youngest Son, Citizen Know Nothing. The Library of Congress, which holds a copy of such a print, describes it by noting the portrait is representing the nativist ideal of the Know Nothing Party. Many Americans, of course, were appalled by the Know-Nothings. Abraham Lincoln expressed his own disgust with the political party in a letter written in 1855. Lincoln noted that if the Know-Nothings ever took power, the Declaration of Independence would have to be amended to say that all men are created equal except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics. Lincoln went on to say he would rather emigrate to Russia, where despotism is out in the open, than live in such an America. The Partys Platform The basic premise of the party was a strong, if not virulent, stand against immigration and immigrants. Know-Nothing candidates had to be born in the United States. And there was also a concerted effort to agitate to change the laws so that only immigrants who had lived in the U.S. for 25 years could become citizens. Such a lengthy residency requirement for citizenship had a deliberate purpose: it would mean that recent arrivals, especially the Irish Catholics coming to the U.S. in great numbers, would not be able to vote for many years. Performance in Elections The Know-Nothings organized nationally throughout the early 1850s, under the leadership of James W. Barker, a New York City merchant and political leader. They ran candidates for office in 1854, and had some success in local elections in the northeast. In New York City, a notorious bare-knuckles boxer named Bill Poole, also known as Bill the Butcher, led gangs of enforcers who would fan out on election days, intimidating voters.   In 1856 former president Millard Fillmore ran as the Know-Nothing candidate for president. The campaign was a disaster. Fillmore, who had originally been a Whig, refused to subscribe to the Know-Nothing’s obvious prejudice against Catholics and immigrants. His stumbling campaign ended, not surprisingly, in a crushing defeat (James Buchanan won on the Democratic ticket, beating Fillmore as well as Republican candidate John C. Fremont). End of the Party In the mid-1850s, the American Party, which had been neutral on the slavery issue, came to align itself with the pro-slavery position. As the power base of Know-Nothings was in the northeast, that proved to be the wrong position to take. The stance on slavery probably hastened the decline of the Know-Nothings. In 1855, Poole, the partys main enforcer, was shot in a barroom confrontation by a rival from another political faction. He lingered for nearly two weeks before dying, and  tens of thousands of spectators gathered as his body was carried through the streets of lower Manhattan during his funeral. Despite such shows of public support, the party was fracturing. According to an  1869 obituary of Know-Nothing leader James W. Barker in the New York Times, Barker had essentially left the party in the late 1850s and threw his support behind Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln in the election of 1860.  By 1860, the Know-Nothings Party was essentially a relic, and it  joined the list of  extinct political parties  in America. Legacy   The nativist movement in America did not begin with the Know-Nothings, and it certainly didn’t end with them. Prejudice against new immigrants continued throughout the 19th century. And, of course, it has never ended completely.

Eugenics essays

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Recruitment and selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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