Critical Analysis two Prescribed Journal Articles Essay

Critical Analysis two Prescribed Journal Articles - Essay Example d social norms, or simply because these individuals cannot reach a win-win consensus and one among the conflicting party feels that their needs are being targeted for criticism. This article covers virtually every dimension of conflict, giving it more reliability. The article also involves different aspects of psychology, such as emotional outcomes or using various hostile actions to project one’s emotions on another and, generally, conflict requires a negotiation style in order to resolve it. It also involves sociological elements such as cultural values and how one within the organisation related to cultural symbols and diversity. A secondary article, â€Å"Intraprofessional relations in nursing† describes a primary methodology as an explanatory research case study that measured nurses’ interactions in three different wards of a real-time hospital environment. It describes a rigorous data collection effort and then proposes the consequences of multiple, complex interactions between nurses and their emotional responses to these conflict scenarios. It offers various findings about the nurses involved in the study and how they balance their emotional responses to perceived or actual conflict that occurs in everyday nursing practice. The article entitled â€Å"Conflict within nursing work environments: concept analysis† by J. Almost describes a secondary research effort to uncover the causes of conflict, rather than attempting to use different conflict management theory to come up with a working solution to problems in the nursing workplace. Therefore, it is somewhat exploratory in nature, though through the use of secondary research sources. The target audience for this paper is generally the practicing nurse, any clinical administration team, and the management systems that govern the nursing work environment. It is not aimed at the general public. In its literature review, it describes the idea of concept analysis, using different supporting literature to

Aids work Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aids work - Coursework Example Under the Global Fund program started in 2002, rich countries decided to reduce debt on the indebted poor countries which also helped improve the poor countries’ condition. Ways recommended by the UN Millennium project of 2005 similarly established ways in which rich countries could help poor countries. 2005 onwards, annual aid for health in the poor countries rapidly increased and so did their health status. Critics of the aid programs are causing harm to the poor countries. They are underestimating the effectiveness of aids to poor countries. Fact is that in a highly globalized environment of the present age, countries depend on each other. Poor countries depend on rich countries for assistance. Research statistics show that financial and medical aid programs are working effectively in resolving the issues of poor countries. Therefore, critics should not criticize these programs and let them be implemented effectively. This was a very informative article about the usefulness and status of aids in improving the conditions of the poor

Reconfiguration of Invoices and Payment Methods Essay Example for Free

Reconfiguration of Invoices and Payment Methods Essay This proposal lays out the benefits and impact of applying technology in order to reconfigure invoicing and payment method acceptance at Sunny’s Landscaping. The company suffers from low collection rates and long collection times. Its traditional method of work and invoicing is both ineffective and costly. Additional staff is required just to attempt to collect past due bills which are oftentimes erroneous and outdated. Moreover, the company would further benefit from a customer database that would compile all work orders and reduce or eliminate redundancy. The lack of technology use has put the company at a disadvantage in the industry. Problem The issues to be addressed are to lessen collection time of payments while simultaneously reduce overhead costs, create a customer database that can be accessed through marketing, finance, and customer service departments, and greatly improve upon operational processes. Approach Establish if implementing a handheld credit card acceptance method at the point-of-sale will effectively reduce payment collection time and give the company a competitive advantage. Further determine if electronic invoicing and database creation will eliminate redundancy and reduce costs. Methodology Meet with appropriate department heads—finance, customer service, operations, marketing—to determine how each will benefit by the reconfiguration and how to maximize profits from those benefits. Decide which database program would be most compatible for meeting the needs of the organization. Additionally, establish the costs and time associated with educating and training staff on the products and software being introduced. Allocate the time and expense and determine the best quarter to implement the changes. Company expenses, due to lack of payment collection and overhead, severely cut into profits. Immediate payment by way of a mobile credit card processing adapter at time of service will help increase company profitability and efficiency. Each program will tie into the next. The credit card processor will automatically generate electronic invoices to be emailed to the customer. These invoices will be housed in a database that will collect and store releva nt customer information. The impact on the company as a whole will be positive as departments will have the ability to share information and collaborate for optimal efficiency. Milestone 1 Problem The issues to be addressed are to lessen collection time of payments while simultaneously reduce overhead costs, create a customer database that can be accessed through marketing, finance, and customer service departments, and greatly improve upon operational processes. Company Background Sunny’s Landscaping was formed in 1976 by one man in Pennsylvania and started operations with only two additional employees. Sunny’s provides construction of ponds rock walls, irrigation, lawn maintenance, flowerbed design, and all landscaping needs to its customers. It has grown to employ as many as seventy-five people and has net revenues of almost one million dollars per year. Sunny’s (The Company) services both residential and commercial properties with commercial generating nearly 75% of its annual revenues. In the early 1990’s the Company began providing additional services, such as snow removal and ice buildup prevention that would allow it to stay operational year-round. With these additional services came an increase in new accounts; most of which have been residential. The profit increase with respect to the new accounts has been mediocre at best. The Company’s inability to collect payment on the new residential account s has begun to severely decrease profits and it has been proposed to reduce services. In an effort to continue all service and grow, the Company has begun to seek solutions. Approach Internal financial research has shown that decreased profits are due to a multitude of issues including the high number of delinquent or late accounts, excessive staffing expenses, and a general lack of sufficient and effective use of technology. Determine if introducing a new method of point-of-sale payment collection will reduce expenses related to residential accounts. Further determine if an electronic invoicing process will enable the Company reduce staffing costs while simultaneously creating a customer database. Methodology Convene with all the appropriate departments—finance, customer service, operations, marketing—to determine how a database should be constructed so it is cross functional for each department. The company currently uses Microsoft Access for its customer list. Information pulled from this list is oftentimes outdated and erroneous. It is inappropriate software to use in order to transfer customer information to an invoice. This process increases work hours and is redundant. As work orders are issued and workers are dispatched, each should be provided with the ability to adjust the invoice electronically onsite for immediate customer payment. The method used now is to issue the order, perform the work, adjust the invoice if necessary, and then mail it out in the traditional fashion. The increase in new residential customers has also caused an increase in non-payment. The use of a mobile credit card processor could help reduce this payment delinquency. Options/Solutions Sunny’s Landscaping has very little collaboration amongst its departments and few tools to work with. Each department is independently operated from the others and has not yet adapted to the influx of residential accounts. Whereas, the larger commercial accounts are well known and recognized, the smaller residential accounts are given very little customer service. The Company must find a solution that will reconcile both the residential and commercial accounts with company’s overall needs and each department’s ability to operate. One centralized system would allow the Company to function as a whole. The Company has a need for a system that can accomplish three goals: 1. Generate invoices 2. Allow for point-of-sale credit card processing 3. Create a database that is cross functional All three systems must work in tandem and allow information to flow from one process to the next. For example, as work is completed a foreman requires the ability to generate an invoice on the spot. Then they must also have the ability to accept payment from the customer. Lastly, the customer’s information and work performed must be electronically transferred into the database where other departments will be able to access it for a follow-up service. Marketing could use the information for promotional mailers, customer service could use it to obtain feedback, finance would use it for records, and operations could use it to find out the type of service performed. If one system can be constructed that will support all three functions, it will reduce costs company wide, allow for customer informat ion to be used effectively throughout all departments, and increase profits while reducing delinquent accounts. Milestone 2 Sunny’s Landscaping will need to research further to determine if and what additional resources will be required to reconfigure its invoicing and payment methods. It must also determine how much training will be required for frontline workers and supporting staff. Sunny’s Landscaping should consider the following questions prior to making a decision about which software and hardware to use: 1. What point-of-sale device will allow for data to be stored in a database and extracted for invoicing? a. Is there one device that is superior over the other in price and performance? b. Will this device need any additional in-house hardware to function? c. Will customer’s financial and personal information be stored and processed securely; how can we ensure customers that it is? 2. How long, if at all, will funds be held for before deposit? 3. Will one database be able to support all the functions that each department requires? 4. Can prior customer’s information be easily entered into the new database? 5. Will a lack of mobile or internet connection affect point-of-sale processing; and if so, how are payments accepted otherwise? Point-of Sale Device The two most compatible devices with Sunny’s Landscaping needs are SquareUp and Intuit GoPayment. Each device works similar to one another. Research has shown the greatest differences are in payment deposit time and customer service. SquareUp appears to have a longer slower deposit time of funds, especially with new accounts. Moreover, the first few months of service do not allow new customers to withdraw entire deposit amounts. According to the SquareUp website, this payment hold is to reduce fraud. GoPayment by Intuit seems to have the greatest customer satisfaction. GoPayments device hardware also seems to be of a better, more secure design as can be seen in the figure below.

Nestle and the food and beverages industry

Nestle and the food and beverages industry Nestle has strong corporate culture which is reflected by the company logo itself. The logo, Good Food Good Life which is always attached to its products is the main guidance for every activity within the company. Nestle believes that good food is the primary source of good health throughout life thus it always puts nutrition, health and wellness as the core of its business. The company tries to further develop and emphasize on these aspects. These three things Nutrition, Health and Wellness can be found in all Nestle products and in the company mission statement as well. Talking about the company culture which is related its people structure, Nestle has the culture of team focused and open door policy which become one of its corporate strengths. The company focuses on collectivism and performance orientation attitude to encourage employees to work harder (Ali et al, 2009). Strategic Purpose Mission of Nestle is to make better food so that people live a better life. There is an apparent relationship between this mission statement and the company logo. As what the company believes in, it strives to bring consumers foods that are safe, of high quality and provide optimal nutrition to meet physiological needs. In addition it also brings the vital ingredients of taste and4rrf4f5f5gt pleasure. Nestlà ©s corporate objective is to be the worlds largest and best branded food manufacturer, whilst ensuring that the Nestlà © name is synonymous with products of the highest quality (Nestle Corporate Objective, 2009). It shows that Nestle has achieved one part of its corporate objective which is to be the worlds largest manufacturer. This objective is related to another objective of Nestle which is the company wants to make sure that the product creates value that can be sustained over the long term for shareholders, employees, consumers, business partners and the national economies in which Nestle operates. The main concern of Nestle is to deliver nutritional value for the customers. Thats why in the website of the company, its clearly stated that Nestle is the worlds foremost Nutrition, Health and Wellness company. The CEO of Nestle, Paul Bulcke once said that the objective is to be recognized as the leader in the Nutrition, Health and Wellness and as the reference for financial performance, trusted by all stakeholders. The statement from the CEO is in line with the fact that Strategic Purpose isnt only concerned with what the organization should achieve but also who has influence over the purposes. In every organization there should be some people that have complex role in affecting the organizational purpose. These people are the stakeholders of the company. Nestle wants the stakeholders are well-served which is returned in the companys long term objective: to create sustainable value for its shareholders which require it to create the value for the societies at first place. 2.0 Industry Analysis The threat of entry At first glance, people may think that food and beverages industry is quite easy to enter. This is true if the consideration is only about the capital requirements. The capital requirement of entry is not high thus enable many parties to open their business in this industry. This opinion is also supported by the fact that many brands are occupying the shelves of supermarket or retailer. But if more factors are taken into consideration, the threat of entry for food and beverages industry is moderately high (medium level). The threat of entry is affected by many factors which are economies of scale, capital requirements, access to supply or distribution channel, customer of supplier loyalty, experience, expected retaliation, legislation or government action and differentiation (Johnson et al, 2005). For this industry there is no specific government legislation that governs the entry of new entrants. The fact is that there are many big players exist in this industry and they are at multinational level which means the retaliation is very great. These big players have broad product lines and they have global marketing strategy that those local brands are not able to compete with. These big companies also have an advantage in term of achieving economies of scale. They have more experiences to give them advantage in terms of cost, customer and supplier loyalty. Entering the food and beverages industry to compete with the big competitors such as Nestle wont be a wise decision unless the new comer has careful attention paid to the strategy. Nestle has the most important thing to retain its customers which is the brand name itself. In 2008, Nestle is one of the companies in the list of 100 Best Global Brand (Best Global Brands, 2008). Nescafe as one of the brand under Nestle was reported to have 13,056 million USD of brand equity. This shows how valuable the brand name of Nestle as the market leader in the industry which cant be imitated by competitors. The brand name is used to differentiate Nestle product from the competitors. Threat of Substitute Threat of substitute is high in the food and beverages industry. There are many substitutes available that might reduce demands for company in the food and beverages industry. To identify the threat of the industry, the company cant only look at close substitute. Threat can be assessed using price/performance ratio and extra industry effects. There is a tendency for food and beverages manufacturers to product broad range of products. These products may compete with one another to gain market share. It means that they become substitute for each other. For example Nestle Koko Krunch Cereal can be the substitute for Nestle Nesvita cereal drink since both of them are intended for breakfast consumption. Because Nestle is offering not all kinds of food and beverages, those unoffered kinds may act as the substitutes for the Nestle products. For example Nestle has coffee in its product lines which is Nescafe, the substitute for it can be the soft drinks which are not in the portfolio of Nestle. In this case the substitutes are also very broad. For certain food such as baby food, the substitute can be breastfeed which is free and offer same or higher value. Power of Supplier The power of supplier in food and beverages industry tends to be medium. The basis of Nestle products are agricultural raw materials such as milk, cocoa, and coffee. By referring to 3 factors that affect the power of supplier, only 1 factor can gives the supplier the power advantage which is the non-existence of forward vertical integration. Supplier power is increasing as many of the food and beverages manufacturer are not involved in agricultural raw material production and dont own or operate farms. Nestle, Cadbury, and Kraft are some of the examples. They rely on the suppliers to provide the raw materials. Nestle itself purchases agricultural materials in either raw or semi-processed form directly from farmers or via trade channels (Raw Materials, 2009). On the other hand, by considering the number of suppliers in the industry and also the switching cost, the dependency to a particular supplier can be reduced. The suppliers are not concentrated that enables the companies to choose the most appropriate suppliers. For multinational companies that have their operations in many countries throughout the world, if one supplier cant offer good price for the company, it can look for the other suppliers (can be in different countries). One issue for some companies is how to get the suppliers that can supply high quality materials as needed for producing high quality finished products. Switching cost from one supplier to another is not high. The bargaining power of supplier depends heavily on the strength of the companys brand. In this case, big companies such as Nestle can take advantage in bargaining. Small scale companies or local companies may feel that the power of supplier is higher as compared to the well-established companies. Power of Buyer Competitive Rivalry Food and beverages industry is a very competitive industry. This is affected by the other 4 factors discussed above. Its not too difficult to enter to this industry, the bargaining power of supplier and buyer are medium and threat of substitute is high. Some other factors also determine the intense of competition. The competitors are of roughly equal size which can make the competition even stiffer. They will attempt to gain dominance over another. For example Nestle and General Mills have joint ventured for breakfast cereal market. By having such joint venture these two companies instead of competing with each other they can gain better success (Jones, 2008). In overall this food and beverages industry has its own attractiveness to attract new comers to enter. Although from the 5 Porter results the industry isnt so attractive, it has its own set of appeal for the business party which is the growing opportunity (profit). If the new comers can have good strategy to penetrate into the market and know how to compete with existing companies, they can gain benefits in the competition. {draw:frame} Since Nestle is operating in world-wide market, the industry life cycle may vary among different geographical areas. In general food and beverage industry is at the growth stage of life cycle but for European market and non-European market they are at the different point of growth stage. Figure below shows the position of the food and beverages industry in the life cycle. Another reason for the difference is the demographic differences between the two different areas. A very important issue that makes European market is hardly to grow is regarding the population growth rates. As compared to other markets, the population growth rate is lower that makes the industry cant grow or generate higher profits for the market players. For food and beverages industry, the consumption is driven by the population growth. Slower population growth means the industry also grows slowly. The industry life cycle analysis is related to the Porter 5 forces. The relationship can be seen from the characteristics of the forces which vary for each life cycle stage. In other words the life cycle can be determined by looking at the 5 forces of the industry. As for the food and beverages industry, since its still at the growth stage the competition will keep increasing (intense rivalry) till it reaches maturity stage. One obvious fact is that in European and North America market the competition is stiffer as compared to the other markets. As shown in the curve before, these 2 markets are approaching the maturity stage while the other markets are just at the middle of growth stage. Nestle knows this thus it put more attention to the Asian market (Jones, 2008). The competitive rivalry is driven by the increasing number of new entrants. The power of buyers at growth stage isnt high but it will increase as the industry goes further in the life cycle. The main reason for this is because of increasing number of competitors to offer more products to the customers. In the Porter 5 Forces analysis it has been identified that the bargaining power of buyers is quite high already. This is because this industry is very broad and the companies can come out with many product selections. When the companies step into the maturity stage by sure they will have even more products providedto strengthen the companys brand. For example Nestle MILO has strong market share and remains a perennial favorite amongst Malaysia consumers. In order to further strengthening the brands image, the company added MILO GOLD to its product range. This was done to keep the consumers loyalty towards the product (Business Review, 2008). Reversely the power of supplier will be lower when this industry reaches the maturity stage. It is because the brand of the company will be more powerful when it enters to the maturity stage. As explained before the power of supplier is relative to the company brands. Currently since the food and beverages industry is still at the growth stage the power of supplier is medium. Nestle is an exception case. For Nestle whose brand is very strong, the power of supplier becomes lower. One proof to show that the power of supplier is low is the presence of Nestle Supplier Code. This Nestle Supplier Code establishes non-negotiable minimum standards that the suppliers must respect and adhere at all times when conducting business with Nestle (Nestle Supplier Code, 2009). The Code also helps in implementing the commitment to foster responsible practices in the company supply chain. It is used to ensure the responsible sourcing and supplier relationships that deliver a competitive advantage for N estle. Not all companies have capability to implement such thing. Suppose Nestle isnt a well-known company, it wont dare to have supplier code, instead it may have to listen to what supplier requires. A major barrier to entry for the growth stage is the learning or experience. Nestle and other companies have gained many experiences that allow them to achieve economies of scale. Pricing during this stage is also declining (lower than the introduction stage) and the profit is also increasing. Nestle and its competitors still have growth opportunity. Another proof to show this industry is still at the growth stage is more differentiated products are being introduced these days. The research center of Nestle is still striving to come out with innovative products and renovate existing ones. Before identifying the key drivers for change, the PESTEL analysis should be carried out. From the key factors in the macro-environment (PESTEL), there are 2 of the factors that influence food and beverages industry the most which are economic and social factor. These two are the key drivers for change in food and beverages industry. Demographic is also one of the factors that keep changing. The main factor within demographic that will impact the operation of the company is the lifestyle. As mentioned earlier, people are shifting to healthier life. The demand for food and beverages that dont fulfill this requirement cant stay long in the competition. But for Nestle this wont affect much since Nutrition, Health and Wellness has been the company focus for years. According to Johnson (2005) critical success factors are those product features that are particularly valued by a group of customers and therefore where the organization must excel to outperform organization. CSF can be related to the differentiation by the companies within the industry. There are 4 common forms of differentiation which can be used by the company which are: product attributes, price, support, and brand image. For the food and beverages industry the most critical success factor will be the product quality and innovation (Nestle: Global Strategy, 2009). It means that for the company to success in this industry, the product quality should be taken care the most while innovation process is also carried out. This is what Nestle has been doing so far. As mentioned before Nestle brand has been the symbol of quality. Innovation is said to be the critical factor because in this kind of industry the company should be able to come out with new ideas to keep pace with the changing customer preferences. Another critical success factor for the food and beverages industry is the healthiness of the products. This is closely related to the key drivers for change as discussed earlier. As people are very concern about their health, the healthiness of the food and beverages they are taking become a key determinant in their purchasing. Many groups of customer valued this healthiness issue thus allows Nestle to conquer big market share. Indirectly the brand image itself can be built from the product attributes thus brand is of the same importance with product quality in food and beverages industry. The company also needs to develop its corporate brand using CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). Probably this factor is applicable for any industry in the business world. As Nestle is the market leader of its industry, by sure it has its own set of core competencies to deal with the critical success factors in the industry. All CSF is of Nestle capability which means it has the resources and competencies to cater all CSF. Without these competencies, Nestle cant sustain its position any longer. This core competency of Nestle has made the company reached the first place in the industry. Quality which is the most important factor for food and beverages industry has been so attached to the Nestle brand itself. Nestle knows that innovation and quality are the key determinants thus it transferred these competencies to the foreign market wherever it entered into (Nestle: Global Strategy, 2009). One of the innovations from Nestle which gives it first mover advantage is its nutrition labeling on all the products packaging. It was launched in 2005 and comprises three elements: Good to know, Good to remember, and Good to talk. These 3 labels can be found in all the Nestle products. There is another first mover advantage Nestle has which is becomes the first in the industry to offer a full range of chilled dairy products with No Artificial Coloring in 2008 (Business Review, 2008). Some examples of the products are BLISS Yogurt Drink, NESTLE Yogurt and YOCO Cultured Milk Drink. It was communicated under the Some Things are Best Left Natural communication campaign and received very positive feedback from consumers. Nestle also has competencies in leading and developing people (Roongrerngsuke, 2006). This is important since Nestle is operating worldwide. As the market in each country is different from the others, the company needs to adapt itself to the macro-environment accordingly. Nestle has the ability in adapting itself to local demand and cultural differences although it operates in global level. It uses local brands in a wide range of local markets and focuses on trying to optimize ingredients and processing technology to local conditions. Doing business in different countries means different ethical standards, different business expectations, and different cultural norms. One example to show Nestles ability in responding to local condition is when it penetrated to Nigeria, the company had to rethink its distribution method (operating a central warehouse) because the road system was poorly developed and much violence there. The global strategy must be backed up with the necessary financial and human resources and knowledge management should be introduced to spread information throughout the company (Nestle: Global Strategy, 2009). Nestle can take advantage of location economies to lower the cost of value creation thus it can achieve low cost position which will give the company even better market shares (Nestle: Global Strategy, 2009). The experience of Nestle itself also can help the company to sustain its competitive advantage in term of lower product price. For Nestle to sustain its competitive advantage shouldnt be a problem. This is due to the value and inimitable of the core competencies of Nestle especially for its corporate brand image and commitment. To achieve what Nestle has achieved so far is very difficult for the other companies. This requires long term experience and investment. The most important thing is that Nestle is aware of the intense competition and keeps improving itself so that competitors cant take over its position. For the nutritional labeling, it was protected by law and other companies cant follow the same thing. Another thing that enables Nestle to sustain its competitive advantage is the intangibility of innovation in Nestle and first mover advantage. Innovation has been the culture of Nestle and it cant be transferred to other parties. Furthermore with the presence of this competency, Nestle shouldnt be worry whenever there are any changes in the industry (macro-environment) especially when people life style change. The company still can come out with nutritious food and beverages to cater the demand of customers worldwide. 5.0 Strategic Directions and Corporate Level Strategies of Nestle Corporate level strategy is also dealing with the product diversity, international diversity, corporate parenting roles and management of portfolio (Johnson et al, 2005). It is strongly related to the strategic direction of the company. Nestle applied international diversity which means it differentiates its products based on the local market and competition. The example has been given in the chapter before which shows the Nestle ability in adapting itself to the local market. In selecting the corporate strategy a firm might refer to Boston Matrix, Ansoff Matrix or use a simple SWOT analysis to establish where the company is and in which direction it wishes to head. Below is the BCG portfolio matrix for Nestle SBU. The classification is based on the performance of the SBU (the profit it generated to Nestle). Most of the Nestle SBU is in the category of star. The SBUs in this category generate high profit for the companies. This is the main reason why Nestle can gain its number one in the industry. All its SBUs are generating profit. Nestle doesnt have any SBU in dog and cash cow category. Take example of Ice Cream SBU to show why its considered as star. Nestlà © Ice Cream registered double digit growth in 2008 (Business Review, 2008). The division continued to spearhead the market with even stronger brand awareness, which saw continuous and sustained brand building efforts even during lackluster market conditions. This SBU can come out with innovative products such as DRUMSTICK Techno, DRUMSTICK Retro ice cream and MAT KOOL Tangle, MAT KOOL Super Blaster and TROPICANA Plus ice confection. In the following years if the innovation is kept carried out, this SBU can still generate high profit for Nestle. Strategic direction or development directions are strategic options available to an organization in terms of products and market coverage (Johnson et al, 2005). There are 4 strategic development directions which are: protect/build, product development, market development and diversification. Nestle has done the 4 strategies. In recent years, the company has pursued a policy of expansion and diversification through acquisition and divestment to achieve a more balanced structure to the business. Product development is the main direction of Nestle and done by the company RD team. As what a director of Nestle said, renovation is to keep pace in the industry; company needs to change at least as fast as consumer expectation. Innovation is to maintain the leadership position; to move faster and go beyond what consumers will tell (Nestle SWOT analysis, 2005). These 2 strategies are intended for internal growth to achieve higher volumes. In 2005, Nestles ice cream business unit for the China Region launched 29 new products to attract more consumers having its quality improved (Nestle Attacks with New Products, 2005). As the multinational company, market development is also very important in order to increase the geographical area coverage. In this case Nestle is expanding the market by geographical area. Nestle expanded to Asia region as it saw good opportunity there. In some cases Nestle used joint venture to assist itself in entering into new market. As a multinational company, Nestle has done some sorts of international strategy such as joint ventures with Coca Cola and General Mills (Nestle SA, 2009). These 2 joint ventures still main for the food and beverages industry (this also can be the example of related diversification). Joint venture with General Mills is to form Cereal Partners Worldwide and joint venture with Coca-Cola is named Beverages Partners Worldwide. The main reason for Nestle to do the joint ventures for its market development strategy is to benefit from the traditional marketing expertise and distribution strength of Coca-Cola and General Mills. These 2 joint ventures also allow the companies to have their market penetration (existing product in existing market). Nestle has related diversification and unrelated diversification. For the related diversification, it can be seen from the wide product portfolio which encompassing baby foods, dairy products, chocolates, breakfast cereals, food seasoning etc. For unrelated diversification, Nestle did it by acquiring or joint venturing with other big companies. For example Nestle acquired Alcon Laboratories Inc. in Texas which is a pharmaceutical company specializing in eye care (Company Related, 2009). Another example of unrelated diversification is the joint venture with LOreal. Nestlà © and LOrà ©al have a close relationship dating back to a shareholder pact made in 1974. Nestlà © holds a 26.4% stake in the worlds largest cosmetics group. Whilst it is unlikely that Nestlà © will take over LOrà ©al in the immediate future, it could well do so in a few years (Nestle SA, 2009). For the future days, Nestle may still come out with market development, product development and diversification. Nestle with its RD team can come out with more and more innovative idea in developing the products and try looking for new market segment. The new market segments can be new geographical unit or based on demographic factor. However for the unrelated diversification Nestle shouldnt go to extensive. It is because the more extensive the unrelated diversification the lower the performance will be. 6.0 Conclusion Conducting industry analysis is very important whenever a company wants to enter into new market. Porter 5 forces and industry life cycle are have-to-do analysis before making decision. However for the existing companies especially large scale companies, they need to pay attention to the future changes that might happen in the industry because these changes will impact the operation of the company in the business environment. Nestle as the leader in the food and beverages industry has its own set of competencies that allow it to conquer the largest market share and left the competitors behind. The core competencies or strategic capability of the company should fit what the most influential factors in determining the success of the company are. It means that the core competencies should be able let the company to sustain its competitive advantages. Portfolio matrix assists the company in determining how to allocate the investment based on the SBU. By understanding this, the company knows the direction it should go. This is related to the issues of market penetration, consolidation, product development and diversification.

The Appendix to Frederick Douglass Narrative Essay -- Narrative of th

O th sin th white folks `mitted when they made th bible lie. You're lucky that my people Are stronger than yo' evil, Or yo' ass, would `a got the heave-ho. Ice Cube, The Predator Frederick Douglass certainly knew that his narrative might be taken by many of his readers as a conscious rejection of Christian faith. Accordingly, he informs his readers that the inclusion of an Appendix at the end of his tale should be seen as an attempt to "remove the liability of such misapprehension" from their thoughts. Such an act implies that the Appendix owes its existence to factors lying outside of the narrative, and, indeed, Douglass often utilizes the Appendix to pre-empt criticism by railing against his accusers: Dark and terrible as is this picture, I hold it to be strictly true of the overwhelming mass of professed Christians in America. They strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Could anything be more true of our churches? They would be shocked at the proposition of fellowshipping a sheep-stealer, and at the same time they hug to their communion a man-stealer, and brand me with being an infidel, if I find fault with them for it. (Douglass, 328.) This reveals the self-conscious relation of Appendix to main text, it's very inclusion highlighting the need Douglass felt to clarify his religious convictions. Such a necessity is indicative of a self-conscious struggle within Narrative of the Life to maintain a coherent "voice" while simultaneously conforming to prescribed notions of slave-narrative form. Abolitionist rhetoric, also, brought pressure to bear upon Douglass' approach, his patrons always a factor in the formulation of so overtly political a text. Douglass' mentor, William Lloyd Garrison, and Wendell Phil... ...arrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845. Henry Louis Gates, ed. The Classic Slave Narratives. New York: Mentor, 1987. Eric J. Sundquist, ed. Frederick Douglass: New Literary and Historical Essays. New York, Cambridge University Press, 1990. Donald B. Gibson. Faith, Doubt and Apostasy. Waldo E. Martin, Jnr. The Mind of Frederick Douglass. University of North Carolina Press, 1984. William Loser Katy. Breaking the Chains: African-American Slave Resistance. New York: Atheneum, 1990. James Brewer Stewart. Holy Warriors: the Abolitionists and American Slavery. New York: Hill and Wang,1976. Henry Louis Gates.The Signifying Monkey. New York: Oxford University Press,1988. Gates. The Trope of the Talking Book. David Van Leer. Reading Slavery: The Anxiety of Ethnicity in Douglass' Narrative.

Comparison of Stereotypes and Stereotyping in A Dolls House and The Breakfast Club :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

Stereotyping in A Doll's House and The Breakfast Club      Ã‚   When you see someone with expensive jewelry, driving a Lexus with tinted windows, rap music blaring from a mega stereo system, do you assume that he is a punk or drug dealer? This is an example of stereotyping. How are stereotypes assigned? Often they are created by society and are based on gender, race, religion, age, or social standing. Henrick Ibsen focused on the theme of stereotyping in his play A Doll's House.    In A Doll's House, Nora is seen as more an object than a person. When the play was written, women in general were viewed as wives and mothers, not individuals. Nora skillfully plays the part of obedient wife as Torvald questions her about what she did in town, assuring him that she "would never dream of doing anything [he] didn't want [her] to (Ibsen 933)." In "The Breakfast Club," the characters' peers designate stereotypes as a result of a combination of social status and behavior. Brian is "the brain" because he is an A student, Bender is "the criminal" on account of his rebellious behavior, and so forth. In his essay to Mr. Vernon, Brian addresses the stereotypes that have been placed on him and his peers:    "...we think you're crazy to make us write this essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us...in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at seven o'clock this morning. We were brainwashed" (Hughes).    In agreement with the opening quote from the movie, these characters "are quite aware of what they're going through" (Hughes).    Stereotypes are superficial, however, and when they are peeled off they often reveal something completely unexpected. When Torvald receives the letter from Mr. Krogstad and learns of Nora's secret, he begins to see her as "a hypocrite, a liar...a criminal" (Ibsen 974). When the conflict is resolved and it becomes clear that no one will suffer because of her forgery, Torvald returns Nora's stereotype of vulnerable woman, telling her he "wouldn't be a proper man if [he] didn't find a woman doubly attractive for being so obviously helpless" (Ibsen 975). In "The Breakfast Club," the teenagers have been aware of their stereotypes for quite some time.

How Permanent Are Permanet Markers

For my science fair project, I figured out what solvent would work best to erase permanent marker. The solvents I tested were: lemon juice, vinegar, water, and rubbing alcohol. I tried each of these solvents on a permanent marker line on plastic, paper, fabric, and wood. In this research paper, I will be talking about what a permanent marker is, how they are made, why they work so well, what rubbing alcohol is and its common uses, what vinegar is and its common uses, what water is and why water is so essential, and what exactly lemon juice is.I will also be talking about how plastic is made, how fabric is made, how wood is made, and how paper is made. A permanent marker is a type of writing utensil that is used to create permanent lines on almost any surface. The ink of a permanent marker is water resistant, contains propanol, butanol, diacetone alcohol, and different dye colorings, and can vary between all colors from black to yellow. The process of creating a Sharpie permanent mark er is not very long or complicated. First, the barrel of the marker is molded out of a plastic resin.Screen printing is added to the barrel, including information such as the description of the color of the ink and the Sharpie logo. A filament made out of cotton material is used to hold in the ink as it is inserted into the barrel. A needle is used to inject the permanent ink from the opposite end of the barrel. Then the writing tip is applied. The cap is placed on the Sharpie marker and the permanent ink is slowly absorbed into the tip of the marker. The Sharpie is the most popular permanent marker company worldwide.The brand â€Å"Sharpie† was founded in 1857 and sold ink and glue. Any permanent marker’s ink must contain three ingredients to work. These ingredients are colorant, carrier, and resin. The colorant is what gives the ink its color. Colorants in permanent markers are often pigments, instead of dyes, because pigments fade less easily and do not bleed throug h paper. Dyes are soluble in water, whereas pigments are not. Dyes cannot withstand light as long as pigments can, although dyes are generally available in a wider spectrum of colors.Carriers are what transmit the dye to the paper. They must be able to evaporate quickly once the ink is used. Carriers used to be made up of chemicals such as xylene and toluene, but were vastly replaced by alcohol-based markers in the 1990s. The resin is what causes the ink to stick to a surface. It must have a â€Å"sticky† quality. The resin forms a film over the pigment once the carrier evaporates. The reason that permanent marker works is because permanent ink soaks into a surface, whereas regular erasable ink does not soak into surfaces, but binds to surfaces.Permanent ink is made with resins and dyes dissolved in glycol and water. The ink dries when the glycol or water evaporates and it soaks into the surface, leaving a permanent mark. There are ways to effectively remove ink from permanen t markers. Alcohol will work to erase permanent marker on almost any surface. Many items, such as hairspray or deodorant, contain alcohol and could effectively erase permanent marker. Baking soda is another well-known permanent marker remover. Vinegar was one of the solvents I experimented with. Vinegar is the product of the fermentation of ethanol.The very slow fermentation process can take weeks or even months and occurs naturally. With a machine to help promote oxygenation, however, fermentation can be as quick as a few days. The typical pH of vinegar can range from 2 to 3. 5. Vinegar can be used for many things, such as a cooking ingredient or condiment, it can be used for household cleaning, it has medicinal properties, and it even has agricultural applications. Lemon juice was another solvent I experimented with. Lemon juice is exactly what it sounds like. It is lemon juice squeezed from a lemon.Lemon juice has similar nutritional values as the whole lemon. Lemon juice is an e xcellent source of Vitamin C and can help your body against harmful germs and bacteria. Lemons are also antioxidants and can help the brain and nerve cells as well as having calcium to help your bones and teeth. The solvent that worked best in my experiment was rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is a denatured alcohol especially used as an antiseptic. It can also be used to cool, warm, or soothe skin. It can inflame the skin and if ingested, may potentially be fatal.Rubbing alcohol consists of 2 ingredients: isopropyl alcohol and water. In fact, rubbing alcohol consists of so much isopropyl alcohol (70%) that it is often referred to just as isopropyl alcohol. Water was the final solvent that I used in my experiment. Water is essential for anything and everything. Human beings need water to stay hydrated and survive. All living creatures need water to stay hydrated and survive. Everyone uses water every day; whether it’s to shower, brush their teeth, to drink, swim, wash their h ands, or to water plants.Seventy percent of the world is made up of water. Water contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, and is often referred to as H2O. The H2 stands for the 2 oxygen atoms and the O stands for oxygen. Water can be a liquid, solid, or gas. Water in its regular state is a liquid, can be frozen to form ice, which is a solid, or boiled at 100 ° C to evaporate it and turn it into water vapour, which is a gas. Plastic was one of the surfaces I used in my experiment. Plastic comes from the Greek word plastikos, which means fit for moulding.Plastic is made using a long and complicated process. First, petroleum is drilled and transported to a refinery. Then, crude oil and natural gas are refined into many petrochemical products such as fuel for your car, ethylene, and propylene. Catalyst is combined with ethylene in a reactor, resulting in polymer, a powdered material. Afterwards, the polymer is combined with additives in a blender. The polymer is put in an extr uder, where it gets melted. The melted plastic is now cooled and a machine cuts the plastic into small pellets. The pellets are shipped to industries.The industries manufacture plastic products by melting the pellets to a semifluid state, putting it in a mould under great pressure, and hardening it. The mould opens and the product is completed except for detail work. Another surface that I used in my experiment was paper. To make paper, first trees are specially harvested like crops for the purpose of making paper. Logs of wood are put through a machine that takes off all the bark on the tree. Then, wood chippers cut the wood into 1 inch bits and the bits are put inside a pressure cooker with chemicals and water.The pulp is then washed, refined, cleaned, and turned to slush in a machine that beats the pulp. Color dyes, coatings, and other substances are mixed in and the slush is pumped onto a moving wire screen. The water is drained away on the screen and is recycled. The web of slu sh is rolled between large rollers to remove a large amount of the excess water and to ensure smoothness and uniform thickness. The resulting product is run through heated drying rollers to remove all of the remaining water. The completed paper is wound into large rolls, which can measure up to 30 feet wide.A slicer cuts the paper into small, more manageable rolls. The paper is now ready for use. Wood was the third surface I used in my experiment. The process for making wood is quite simplistic. First, logging companies cut trees down and bring them to a mill. There, they are prepared for particular uses. Machines cut the logs into boards and are sealed or pressure-treated to preserve them. Then the boards are either sold through a lumberyard or sold directly to companies which need them. Fabric was the final surface that I tested the removal of permanent marker on. Cotton fabric also has a lengthy process.First, the ginning, which is the method of separating cotton fibres from seed pods. This is done by machines in a cotton field. Then, the cotton fibre is spun. Yarn is produced from spinning cotton fibre. In this stage, the cotton yarns are made of different thicknesses. Afterwards, a machine weaves threads of yarn, which eventually turn them into cloth after weaving many threads together. Now, the cloth is basically constructed, but must go through some detail work. First, the cloth goes through singeing, which is the process that burns off excess fibres sticking from the goods.Then, the cloth goes through scouring, which is the cleaning of the fabric. Then, some fabrics are bleached to make it a lighter colour. Mercerizing, which is the dipping of fabric in alkali to make it stronger, shiny, durable, shrink free, and stretch free, comes next. Finally, the fabric is treated with chemicals to make it more durable, and it is shipped off to companies that will either use or sell it. Vinegar, water, lemon juice, and rubbing alcohol all have many uses around the house, but when it comes to erasing permanent marker, rubbing alcohol definitely beat the rest.