Evaluation of the Environment of AW Malaysia - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3402 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Ecology Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? PURPOSE OF REPORT This report will present a finding from strategic evaluation of the environment of AW Malaysia. It also presents a turnaround strategic for AW Malaysia which increases the chance of survival. SCOPE OF THE REPORT In this report that will be microenvironment analysis, internal analysis, macro environment analysis, as well as any strategic to AW Malaysia. It also given strategic option and explain about the implementation of strategic, and finally the recommendation for AW Malaysia to turnaround. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Evaluation of the Environment of AW Malaysia" essay for you Create order LIMITATION OF AW MALAYSIA In 2001, AW Malaysia was bought over by KUB Malaysia SDN BHD. In 2008, boarded on a destructive expansion drive to renovation and expand its objective. However, the company reported that will close 24 AW outlet that is not making money will be shut down or repositioned, which include 24-hour AW drive-in restaurant in Petaling Jaya in this year. OVERVIEW OF AW MALAYSIA AW Restaurants is a chain of fast-food restaurant well-known by its draft root beer and root beer floats. It was the first fast food franchise restaurant in Malaysia and Asia. AW is still operations until today. AW is committed to deliver customers with delicious, safe meals and operation restaurants that meet the highest food safety standards. It also quickly became a favorite gathering place for students, especially from the nearby secondary school such as La Salle and Assunta. The fast food industry is growing rapidly. It has more doubled in a few years such as, Mcdonald, Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King and Subway. Within this year, AW lost its market and plan to close down 24 outlets in Malaysia because they wish to relocate its business and operations to attain sustainable growth in future. AW are undertaking a counteractive strategy and reviewing the performance of each outlet. AWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s market gradually been replaced by other fast food restaurant due to the lack of a dvertising. The image of AW brand image is easily substituted by other fast food restaurant that always doing all kinds of advertising, because AWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s branding is not strength enough to stick in customerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mind. According to group managing director Wan Mohd Nor Wan Ahmad, he state that 24 outlet in Malaysia will close down in this year, to relocate its business and operations to attain sustainable growth. He will only retain outlets that have heavy traffic based on the increase in sales, and looking at ways to increase customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ satisfaction. The AW outlet is predictable to reopen in 2018, added by the source. The losses were mainly recognized to the groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s food operations, directed by its subsidiaries AW Malaysia. AW Malaysia challenged major setbacks in the 2011 fiscal year where it recorded losses totaling RM44.5 million, 50% which was caused by impairment losses. (Wan Mohd Nor Wan Ahmad, 2014) Members of the pub lic had expressed their frustration over the imminent closure of the iconic restaurant in December. (Local Business Daily, 2014) A Facebook page à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Save iconic AWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  was set up barely hours after the report surfaced. The page has gathered 260 likes within five hours of being set up, checked by The Rakyat Post. The iconic AW Malaysia is going to be revamped and will only be shut for the next three years to expedite the construction of the KUB Tower project. (The Pakyat Post, 2014) AW needs to be strategized or it will never happen of revamping after three years, and go bankrupt. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS In considering the micro and macro impacts on a business, internal and external factors must be considered. There is a variety of tools in planning to sider these impacts of businesses, including the PESTLE, SWOT, and Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 5-Forces Analysis. Macro environmental Analysis A macro environmental analysis has been conducted using PESTLE tool, which is political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental. The findings of AW Malaysia have been summarized in the table shown below. APPLY TABLE (Table 1) The macro environmental analysis review AW Malaysia faces more threats than opportunities. The most serious the economic loss, the harder to invest on development of AW Malaysia which company has relied on. In political factors and legal view, Government introduces the Good Service Tax (GST), and all those application of licenses which involve law and regulation, affect the prices for consumer. Legally, the problems of cleanliness and hygiene caused the problem in maintenance. In economic factor, the increasing of francized of other fast food restaurant such as Mcdonald, KFC, Subway and Pizza Hut impact the economy downturn in short period very quickly. The cost of raw material increases also affect AW faced major setback. The inflation of rate increases which caused impairment losses. Social factor of AW is there are out of young people budget. Due to the economic factor, which leads to increasing of prices, young people are not affordable for the fast food. Besides, currently a lot of people start to increase health condition and increase living condition, so many people started to quit or stop eating fast food. Therefore, AW Malaysia end up by reporting that AW Malaysia will be reposition its business and operation to achieve sustainable growth by close down 24 outlets in Malaysia in end of this year. For technological factor, AW outdated computer system and lack of invention and development system, affected the attractiveness to the customer. Environmental factor of AW are ecological footprint because AW reduced packaging and use more recycled material wherever possible. AW eliminated own paperboard fry cups in favors of a paper bag, containing at least 70% recycled content. This impact A W brand was eco-friendly and ecological fast food restaurants. Micro Environment Analysis A macro environmental analysis has been conducted using the Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Five Forces. Five forces analysis assumes that there are five important forces that determine competitive power in a business situation. APPLY TABLE (Table 2) The micro environmental analysis review AW Malaysia faces more threats than opportunities. The bargaining power of buyer are strong, the cost to consumer of switching from AW to those competitors. AW are deal with powerful buyers, which often able to switch to other competitors easily. The supplier power of AW Malaysia is weak which affect many competitive suppliers. Number of supplier of AW is high for each key input, mostly frozen food, which a lot of supplier on market. The supplier doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the power and strength to control over AW in pricing. The threat of new entry of AW is easy to enter and exit, it also few economies of scale in place and training easily available. This impact new competitor is able to enter quickly and weaken the position of AW in Malaysia, and lead the reducing of profit. A threat of substitute of AW is strong which impact many affordable substitutes. There are too many similar fast food restaurants in industry which are more attractive in service and product. AW seldom improve and develop in their business, therefore is easier to let other substitute to weaken AW position. Competitive rivalry is high leads to buyer and supplier can switch to competitor with equally or more attractive product and service. AW have many competitors with offering equally or attractive products and services, so AW have little power in the situation, because supplier and buyers will go to competitors of AW if consumers do not get a good deal from AW. Internal Environmental Analysis AW Malaysia has a state of great-tasting ingredients, farmed with care. AW is proud to have high standards when it comes to AW food and drinks, which can taste it in everything they serve. AWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s product are patented that need to apply for franchise license which are unique resource. Unique logo design license of AW are hard to get shows that AW are unique resource. AWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s food is not fully utilized which mean supply more than demand. This lead to waste of food, it shows that AW are threshold competency. AW Malaysia are unique resource and threshold competency, this explain that AW stay marginally. SWOT Strength of AW is the first fast food restaurant invented in the United States in 1919. AW Malaysia has listed in The Malaysia Book of Records as the first franchise restaurant in Malaysia. AW also became the first Drive-in restaurant in Petaling Jaya as Iconic AW outlet. AW symbol, The Great Root Bear and their company orange color stated in peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mind. Weakness of AW, due to the problems or repositioned or close down outlets that cost its lost profit because location is not considered or rented fee is too expensive, so AW is closing down 24 outlets in Malaysia. AW has not advertised comprehensively in Malaysia. People might not find the latest promotion of AW. however the competitors have strong advertised in anywhere caused the people will almost forget AW existing and lost its reputation in the market. In order to serve the food on time and make sure the food quality is fresh by commit some improvement on their servicing and food quality. The price of AW is slightly higher than other competitors. AW having a Sen Saver lunch set but after included all the charge of beverage and service tax, it cost around RM10, which are out of budget for a normally student or worker. People could switch to mamak stall rather than fast food restaurant. AW did not fully use of the technology of updating their detail of outlets location and closing down outlets information at website and social network, which confuse consumer. Opportunity of AW is having reasonable saver lunch treat meal to target in teenage which giving them to have more affordable meal set with food quality, in the same time save their budget. AW can plan to have more Festival Promotion such as Chinese New Year, Ramadhan dinner and etc, to interest another target market. People can have their Ramadhan open dinner in AW. AW also can come out with a new set meal with collectibles gift but only for limited time only. Due to strong competitors in the market, AW have to strengthen in a dvertising or commercial by publicize their products or brand image astutely to avoid consumers forget about their existing in the market due to strong competitors in the market. AW also can increase publicity in market by corporate with some big event such as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Running Dayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  or visiting to orphanage. Threats of AW are there are lots of other fast food restaurant competitors are challenging with AW is increasing rapidly in the market. Having fast food will increase a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s risk of health by weight gain and obesity. Expensive fast food restaurants rented fee costly in increasing franchise in everywhere. Fast food restaurant chain changes in approach of leading in coming years which lead economic crisis. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE In last year, AW Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s revenue is predictable to reach RM42 million by Dec 2014. For 2014, AW is expected to push up the fast-food operatorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s revenue to RM60 million next year. KUB announced a net loss of RM61.86 million for financial year ended Dec 31,2011 compared to a net profit of RM11.48 million in 2010. (Bernama, 2012) according to Datuk Wan Mohd Nor, he said that AW need to be capital inoculation but not selling it. He also state that working hours in shopping malls are limited and the rent is expensive, so the fast-food chain was continuously improving and optimizing its resources in present outlets to better serve its customer. To achieve profit, accounting a corrective strategy and reviewing the performance of each outlet. Any outlet which not making profit will be shut down or repositioned. Besides, preserve AW loyal customers and grab new segments like youngsters and lower middle income earners via value treats. Increase on the adv ertising and marketing strategy to create consciousness for public to after AW repositioned or open new outlets in Malaysia. KUB which is owner of AW targeted to list AW on Bursa Malaysia in 2015. STRATEGIC OPTION Basic Strategic To achieve profit with revenue of RM60 million in 2015, AW Malaysia need to be consolidation and turnaround. 40% of stake in AW Malaysia Sdn Bhd are not selling decided by KUB Malaysia Bhd (owner of AW) as the fast-food chain is assertive of a profitable turnaround after restrategize its business operations. The new outlets need to be concentrated in bustling in Klang valley where are predictable to push up the fast-food operatorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s revenue. 24 outlets of non-profitable outlets in Malaysia close down for business consolidation exercise. By doing this action, in the same time increase AW strength by develop core competences and downsizing company weaknesses. AW Malaysia needs to be strengthen performance by property, argo, engineering and construction, and food sectors in the quarter contributed to higher profits. AW CEO Samad Mohd Shariff told to the media after briefing on its 50th anniversary event in Petaling Jaya about, reviewing at the process of opening better stores in good locations and this will bring in the revenue. (Malaysian Reserve, 2013) Strategic Direction To achieve profit with revenue RM60 million in 2015, by using Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Generic Strategy method is suggested to apply differentiation in AW Malaysia. Due to the price and product service of AW, their cost is not the lowest in the industry, but the target market of AW is broad due to AW brand image value. AW has many strong competitors such as McDonald and KFC which are strongly advertised, in order to strengthen the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"First Fast food Restaurantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ in Malaysia slogan, AW needs to make their product and services different and more attractive to their competitors. To make a success of a differentiation strategy, AW need to have good research, development and innovation by having transformation of buildings and well train staff. AW need to strengthen the ability to deliver high quality product and service since the cost are not low but giving better value for customer. AW can implement it by giving out limited toys or attractive gift in seve ral set meal, and also offer promotion of buy more get more with attractive packaging and food, make sure the food are fresh and quality. AW competence on the signature Root Beer Float, they can make good use of the uniqueness of innovation of the product and strongly advertise that no other competitor cannot imitate. Because of the productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s unique qualities, if suppliers increase their prices the firm may be able to pass along the costs to its customers who cannot find substitute products easily. Specific Strategic To achieve profit with revenue RM60 million in 2015, in Ansoff Matrix strategy, AW should be using market penetration method to boost up their business. AW is the first fast food restaurant in Malaysia; therefore there is existing product to existing customers. AW need to practice several ways to achieve the target. AW should be changing the pricing, packaging, and adding minor features and most importantly, strongly increase advertising or add more sales people to increase sales. AW owners giving out discounting, vouchers to win business from competitors through competitive pricing. Besides, AW also can introduced fat free or low fat version of set lunch to counter a trend towards reduced consumption since people start to increase health condition. AW can plan to have more Festival Promotion to push dinner set for target market like family to have their gathering open dinner in AW. By choosing market penetration, this strategy is the lowest risk to have growth of AW Malaysia for s urvival. (Igoh H. Ansoff, 1957) STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION The current style of the management of AW Malaysia is middle of the road leader in Blake and Moutonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Leadership Grid. Manager of AW did not push their staff to hit sales or stress them with cleaning up the environment. Manager did not offer additional training or opportunities to attend promoter training. Customer gets their order on time alright, but no additional services like welcoming customer from the door to the seat. As a result, employees of AW neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their job, and their performance is average. Brandy is a middle-of-the-road-leader. The leader of AW has balanced concern for both production and people, settles for average performance from employees. This leadership is good, but AW manager leadership can be better. Manager should perform like team manager, which very concern about people and high task concern. With this style, AW could maximize the concern for both task and people. At the same time, employees promote active participation and teamwork creates open and comfortable environment, enough to keep staff motivated. (Kat, 2014) In Hersey and Blanchard model, AW Malaysia manager has leadership of participating or supporting. Leader attitude is low task focus with high relationship focus. The worker atmosphere is good but the tasks are not well commitment, able but unwilling or insecure in doing task. Staff of AW can do the job, but is refusing to do and showing insufficient commitment. Manager did not fear about reminding them what to do instead of concern with finding out reason the staff is rejecting and thence encourage them to cooperate. In this case, AW manager are suggested to be delegating and observing, a low task and low relationship style where the leader allows the group to take responsibility for task decisions. Staff at this level has do not need for support or frequent praise, although as with anyone, occasional acknowledgment is always welcome. Staff must have an attitude with h igh willingness and ability to change or motivated. (Hersey, 1999) STRATEGIC CONTROL The balanced scorecard complemented traditional financial measures with criteria that measured performance from three additional perspectives, such as got those of customers, learning and growth, internal business processes and financial. Some companies move beyond early vision for the scorecard to determine its value as the foundation of a new strategic management system. By using that way, the scorecard addresses a serious shortage in traditional management system. (Robert S, 2014) There are four processes in managing strategy, which is translating the vision, communicating and linking, feedback and learning and business planning. AW are recommended to apply this strategy by controlling the company vision and strategy. This strategy helps managers to build a compromise and let managers communicate their strategy up and down the organization and link it to departmental and individual goals. The scorecard would give manager of AW a way of confirming that all levels of the organi zation understand the long-term strategy and that both departmental and individual objectives are united with it. This strategy enables AW to integrate their business and financial plans. When managers use the motivated goals set for balanced scorecard measures as the basis for assigning resources and setting primacies, they can undertake and synchronize only those initiatives that move them toward their objectives. With this strategy also gives companies the volume for strategy learning, company can monitor short-term results from the three additional perspectives and appraise strategy in the light of recent performance. (David P.Norton 2014) CONCLUSION In conclusion, AW Malaysia Sdn Bhd needs to be innovated. By referring to strategy that mentioned in the report, it will have chance of survival and profitable.

Harry Frankfurt s Arguments For The Compatibilism Of...

In this paper, I will consider Harry Frankfurt s arguments for the compatibilism of determinism and freedom of will, as presented in Freedom of Will and the Concept of Person and some problems that arise with his reasoning. I will claim that those problems do not come from any propositions central to Frankfurt s argument, but rather from his neglect of the issue of the relationship between freedom of will and moral responsibility. I will argue, that Frankfurt makes an invalid implicit assumption that the connection between freedom and responsibility is biconditional. I will also claim that if this mistake is corrected, Frankfurt s argument can be made immune to some criticisms commonly presented in response to it. Frankfurt begins with several crucial definitions. First, he defines first-order desires as desires to act, and second-order desires as desires to want. He then defines an agent s will (or a first-order volition) as a first-order desire upon which the agent eventually acts, and an agent s second-order volition as a desire that some first-order desire become the agent s will. Frankfurt defines a person as an agent who has second-order volitions, as opposed to a wanton - an agent (possibly rational) which has no second-order volitions. Frankfurt defines freedom of will as an ability to bring one s will into correspondence with one s second-order volitions. He then proceeds to show that freedom of will, defined in this way, is in no wayShow MoreRelatedThe View That Determinism Is Not Incompatible With Free Will3559 Words   |  15 PagesMichael Colon Dr. Buchholz, D. Introduction to Philosophy I 11/01/2014 Compatibilism: Discussion and concerns Compatibilism is defined as â€Å"the view that determinism is not incompatible with free will.† In this holding, if determinism were valid, a person still has free will. One of the initial forms of compatibilism is the holding that to be imbued with free will â€Å"is simply for one’s choice to cause one’s actions. Free will is basically doing what one wants; in the example of Hume, free will is basicallyRead More The Free Will Debate Essay2989 Words   |  12 PagesThe unique ability that each and every individual possesses that enable him/her to control their actions is known as free will. Free will is directly connected to two other vital philosophical issues: freedom of action and moral accountability, which is the main reason why the debate is so vital. Simply stated, a person who has free will refers to an individual’s ability to choose his or her route of action. However, animals also appear to suit this measure, further adding to the debate beca use free

And of Clay Are We Created Free Essays

In And of Clay are We Created, the author uses Acuzena to show Rolf how they are alike, and show how everyone has their own clay they are buried in. The author, Isabel Allende, wrote this story after seeing an event similar to this on the news in 1985. In the story, when Rolf finds Acuzena trapped in clay, he sees a lot more. We will write a custom essay sample on And of Clay Are We Created or any similar topic only for you Order Now This girl is trapped with no way out. No hope. All he needs is a pump to rescue her but no one will bring one. It makes him see himself in her, trapped in memories, trapped in the past. We are all buried by something. Rolf was buried by memories of the war and what it did to his family, the rage of his father, and his guilt for the death of his sister. Everyone has things of the past that keep us from moving on, the way that Acuzena was held by the bodies of her brothers and sisters, which kept her from being pulled out of the quagmire. The author was trying to show us how in life, there will always be avalanches. We are just responsible for the way we deal with them. The title, And of Clay are We Created, means that we all will have experiences throughout life, but we have the ability to be transformed from it. It can also be a spiritual reference to God creating from clay and then they ended covered in clay. The story really shows how someone can go their whole life hiding from something that they will never escape from until they dig in and climb out. It also shows how Rolf thought that he had left his past behind, but it resurfaced in this experience. He had to come to realize that his only way out of this was to accept death as Acuzena did in the end. How to cite And of Clay Are We Created, Papers

A Report on Child Labor Cause - Consequences - and Cure

Question: Describe about a Report on Child Labor: Cause, Consequences, and Cure? Answer: Although we are residing in the 21st century with increased advancements of the century, yet there are some issues and social disabilities that still exist in our surroundings. One of such social curse has been the problem of child labor. It is regarded as one of the most concerning global issue. As defined by the international Labor Organization (ILO), child labor refers to the economic activities that are performed by children below 15 years of age. Children below this age limit are not permitted legally by law to work for livelihood. However, several parts around the world are completely ignorant about the fact and they mostly employ young children in serious economic activities (Carpenter and Rodgers). It has been a common phenomenon that children are inevitably engaged into labor market since decades, and so this raises the need to conduct a careful analysis of the major issues, outcomes, and prevention of such a fatal social concern. Child labor is pre-dominant even in the society of the present century due to numerous factors which lead to its growth. Firstly, there is a sheer lack of clarity. It is not possible to address this problem of child labor unless people stop confusing child work with child labor. Child work refers to the process by which young children or kids are made to learn the habit of doing their work by themselves, like that of preparing their own beds, cleaning their bedrooms, or helping with family members (Kozhimannil et al.). These are the basics that every child is supposed to learn from young age. However, child labor depicts a totally different concept. In this case, children are made to work forcefully against the law and this employment of children below the age of 15 years may be hazardous for them. So, it is important for all individuals to understand the difference between the two concepts. The social issue of child labor derives benefit from young children or kids and imparts them with several severe health-problems (Manacorda and Rosati). These children are exploited economically as they are paid the minimum amount possible by their employers. So, our society is one of the most crucial factors for such a social problem. Other factors include poverty and market forces. Since the cost of labor market is on a rise and labors are quite expensive to be employed, it has become a common tendency of employers to employ children at the cost of their tenderness and to receive the maximum profit possible (Polakoff). Also, children are easier to be controlled and managed as per the demands of the employers. These children do not ask for bonus or benefits. Moreover, the families fear of poor economic conditions that may be fatal for their survival. For ensuring a steady income for family, the families are more interested in engaging the young children of the family into work. Another factor for child labor is politics as well as administration policies regarding rights a nd welfare of children. As per specific administration policies of individual nations, the exact number of children engaged in economic activities is invisible or made restricted, and so there is no official existence of such an issue. The lack of economic resources for enforcing legislation regarding the educational system within the developing nations increases the exact number of such victimized children who start working at a very tender age instead of studying. There is a lack of congruence amidst values, economics, and laws (Simpson and Knox). The issue of child labor is being supported by customers who purchase goods from firms who have a track record of exploiting children in sweatshops. Young children are made to work at these sweatshops for long hours, in hazardous conditions in absence of any additional benefits. This is a form of exploitation of the young lives. The problem has a severe negative impact upon the mental and physical conditions of the children. It also affects their health and educational interests. They are not only exploited but also their lives are put to danger at every step. Moreover, these children are deprived of their basic rights and that of education. Immense level of exploitation causes harm to their social, mental, psychological, moral, and spiritual development(Chang, Jiyeun and Byung-You Cheon). As stated by the International Labor Organization, children are often compelled to work under harsh working conditions like hazardous work environment, lifting heavy loads, lack of drinking water, etc. These adverse work environments result in physical disfiguration as well as prolonged health problems in children. Studies of ILO have identified that such exploitations of children often affect them in the long run especially throughout the phase of adulthood due to illness or injury. The most significant and concerning imp act is that these children are deprived of their fundamental right of education. At the expense of education, these children are exploited and moreover these affect their health and welfare in the long run. As per the records of the Statistical Information and Monitoring Program on Child (SIMPOC), children engaged in economic activities are negatively impact upon the learning and awareness of children. In certain places like that of Cambodia and Namibia, the children are even more affected due to adverse work hours. Extended work hours do not allow children to acquire education and learning if they desire to pursue. These children are exposed to low level of social significance and are unaware of their own rights and environments. There is a strong and positive role that adult education plays in improving the childs learning. The negative impact of child work on learning is remarkably robust. To recommend about some effective measures to counter this social issue, it may be said that it is important to reduce overall poverty of the society at large in order fight this social problem. As long as poverty exists in the society, children at lower levels throughout the world would be compelled to work and get exploited by employers at the cost of their childhood. Secondly, it is important that education is made compulsory for every child (Chang, Jiyeun and Byung-You Cheon). This can be done by implicating some legal obligations or creating favorable work conditions for the children to visit educational institutions, and also reducing the cost to households for attending schools. Moreover, motivations such as arrangement of food, shelter, literary programs must be made available to the children and families for supporting acquiring of education. Also, raising public awareness by improving children knowledge of work hazards, raising parental awareness of the loss of human capita l that may be associated with child labor, and changing the emphasis of policy makers are to be incorporated. Improved awareness is more likely to lead to cooperation between local communities, non-governments organization, and governments to put pressure on employers (Carpenter and Rodgers). It is hard to create policies that protect the child because child labor is a universal activity that occurs cross-cultural where it is necessary activity in one culture and dangerous in another, therefore, in order to provide protection it is necessary to be as comprehensive as possible in creating a definition of what child labor is. To conclude, it may be said that the problem of child labor the problem of child labor has been in existence and perpetuated from the ancient period to our present day in one or other form, due to several socio-economic and political factors such as, poverty and illiteracy, yet the root cause for the prevalence of child labor is ignorance of people. The future of the nation depends on how its children grow and develop. Consequently, it is the duty of society to look after every child with a view to assuring full development of its personality. In other words no child below the age of fifteen years should work at anything but school. References Carpenter, Seth B., and William M. Rodgers. 'The Disparate Labor Market Impacts Of Monetary Policy1'.Labor History46.1 (2005): 57-77. Web. Chang, Jiyeun, and Byung-You Cheon. 'Female Labor Supply And Its Impacts On Household Level Income Inequality'.koreanjournaloflaborstudies20.2 (2014): 219-248. Web. Kozhimannil, Katy Backes et al. 'Employment During Pregnancy And Obstetric Intervention Without Medical Reason: Labor Induction And Cesarean Delivery'.Women's Health Issues24.5 (2014): 469-476. Web. Manacorda, Marco, and Furio C. Rosati. 'Local Labor Demand And Child Labor'.SSRN Journaln. pag. Web. Polakoff, E. G. 'Globalization And Child Labor: Review Of The Issues'.Journal of Developing Societies23.1-2 (2007): 259-283. Web. Simpson, Kathleen Rice, and G. Eric Knox. 'Fundal Pressure During The Second Stage Of Labor'.MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing26.2 (2001): 64-71. Web.

The African Lion Essays - Lions, Leopard, Panthera, The Lion King

The African Lion The lion is known as king of the jungle because of its huge size and ferocious appearance, the most common type of lion is the African lion. The African lion has the genus species Panthera (panther, leopard) leo (lion). Panthera leo has the common name lion and comes from the felidae family. Panthera leo is in the mammali class and has the order carnivora(Bush Gardens, 1996). Lions live in sub-Saharan Africa in grasslands and semi-arid plains in prides which is a group of lions that live in the same area and share hunting duties(Bush Gardens,1996). Lions are the only truly social cat species, usually a pride consists of two males, seven females, and any amount of cubs. The lionesses are usually sisters or cousins that have all been together since birth. The average mature male stands four feet at the shoulder, weighs in around 450 pounds and is around eight and a half feet long plus his tail. The female on the other hand is considerably smaller and weighs in at a average of three hundred pounds. Lions usually have a light or dark brown plain spotless coat, white coated lions are sometimes found in southern Africa but they are not true albinos (African Savannah). The male lion reaches sexual maturity at the age of five years and the lioness- which is the female lion, reaches its sexual maturity at the age of four. Lionesses in a pride usually enter breeding season together and later give birth at the same time which allows the lionesses to share nursing and other maternal duties. The lioness is pregnant between 98 and 105 days until it gives birth to a average of 3 cubs, unfortunately only one of those cubs will survive the first year of life due to the harsh conditions in their habitats (Bush Gardens, 1996). At birth the cubs are blind and move very slow. The cubs weigh less than five pounds (Wild Animals) and are marked with spots which sometimes stay on their legs and belly until they are fully grown. (African Savannah). When the cubs reach five months of age, they weigh an average of fifty pounds but they still act playful like a kitten. In most cases, when the cub reaches nine months of age, their spots disappear. When the cubs come to the age of a year and a half, the mother teaches them to hunt (Comptons 1993, 1994). The male lions have a brown mane which grows darker and fuller as the lion ages (African Savannah) and at the age of three the mane slowly starts to show up. The average lion in the wild that lives past the age of one lives between 15 and 18 years and reaches its prime or time it is the strongest at the age of eight (African Savannah). Lions eat a variety of different prey and usually hunt at night(Comptons,1993, 1994-African Savannah). They prefer to eat wildebeast more than anything else, unfortunately they can only do so when migration brings the herds through the prides range. When the wildebeast herds are not migrating they eat buffalo, zebra, antelope, giraffe, and warthogs (African Savannah). When prey cant be caught, lions will steal food from other animals-usually from the hyenas. If absolutely no food can be found, lions will have to go to a last resort of eating snakes, termites, peanuts, fruits, and even rotten wood (Wild Animals). Although only one out of four hunting events is successful, dominant males always eat first, lionesses next, and the cubs are forced to fight for scraps and leftovers (Bush Gardens, 1996). Due to the fact the lion is inactive up to twenty-one hours a day and does all their hunting at night, they have to be able to see at night (Bush Gardens, 1996). The size of lions eyes are bigger than humans and lions only need one sixth of the amount of light humans need to be able to see (Garman, 1997). Lions also have many other special characteristics that help them hunt and survive, some are listed below. The adult lions roar can be herd up to five miles away, this can be a warning that there is intruders or it can help guide strayed

If I Was vs. If I Were

If I Was vs. If I Were If I Was vs. If I Were If I Was vs. If I Were By Maeve Maddox In 1964, when Sheldon Harnick wrote the lyrics for the musical Fiddler on the Roof, he had the poverty-stricken Russian milkman Tevye sing â€Å"If I were a rich man.† In 1992, affluent rock star Bon Jovi sang â€Å"If I was your mother,† but then in 2008, Beyoncà © sang â€Å"If I were a boy.† Clearly, both forms persist in popular usage. Curious to see how the two constructions compare in the world of pop music, I searched a site called ReverbNation. According to the search results, â€Å"If I Was† and† If I Were† as song titles are tied at â€Å"over 500 songs† each. According to linguist Geoffrey Pullum, co-author of the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (CGEL), there’s no significant difference between using was or were in what the CGEL calls â€Å"the irrealis form of the copula.† (A copula is what linguists call a word that links subject and predicate. Irrealis is unreal.) In Pullum’s view, both â€Å"if I was† and â€Å"if I were† mean the same thing in such a statement. A web search will bring up both acceptance and rejection of the â€Å"if I was† construction. Merriam-Webster illustrates its discussion of the usage by pointing out that F. Scott Fitzgerald used both forms for statements of unreality. Here are two: I wish I were twenty-two again †¦ - F. Scott Fitzgerald, letter, 27 Dec. 1925. †¦ if I was Vassar, I wouldn’t take you †¦ - F. Scott Fitzgerald, letter, 18 Apr. 1938 The M-W editor concludes: Clearly there is a choice to be made here, and if Fitzgerald could use either form, so can others. Unfortunately, not everyone will agree with Merriam-Webster on this one. To many people, â€Å"I wish I was a rich man† is not standard usage. There are contexts in which â€Å"if I was† can be justified. For example, â€Å"If she was ill, no wonder she left the party early.† In a statement that does not describe reality, or the possibility of reality, were is still the better choiceif only because a great many employers, clients, and customers still regard â€Å"if I was you† as nonstandard usage. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†List of Greek Words in the English Language

Visual Communication in Advertising and How It Meets Form Follow Essay

Visual Communication in Advertising and How It Meets Form Follow Function Criterion - Essay Example Although there are many functions that can be applicable to various forms, this paper will be geared towards messages conveyed by still graphic designs in signs and advertisements. Why The Interest on Form and Function in Graphic Design and Visual Communication? The reason behind choosing advertising was based on the fact that the advertising sector can be viewed as the most competitive area where an object of design has to capture audience’s attention and inform effectively in the shortest possible time through correct application of elements of visual communication. I believe that role of visual communication is vital in modern advertising culture where people are bombarded with visual information through various media channels. It is possible that at this stage the balance between ‘form follows function’ becomes shifted more towards emphasis on ‘form’ as a factor that will secure audience’s attention and response. This may lead to exaggerate d and imaginative design efforts aimed at describing an item with simple straightforward function. This overemphasis can be observed in many modern TV commercials where the entire story line and acting and special effects can be deployed to promote something as trivial as new variety of a morning cereal. However, the question now is if such efforts towards the production of form serve the function of selling the product. Review of Literature Graphic design is defined as â€Å"the ‘art’ of communication – to inform, educate, influence, persuade, and provide a visual experience†(Resnick, 2003, p. 15). Lawrie (2008) claims that the visual communication of ideas or concepts is the primary function of graphic design while evoking feelings, either emotional or kinaesthetic ones, are considered its secondary function. Graphic designers intend their designs to effectively carry out its meaning and that its target audience clearly understand it. For this to be effe ctive, the designer should know how his target audience ascribes meaning to the design, so he is required to adopt to their perceptual views and share their experiences (Lawrie, 2008). A simple example would be the separate icons for toilets for men and women. The most basic icon of a woman with a flared skirt posted at the door of a toilet can be easily identified by anyone so women know it is the toilet for them and men will not enter that door because it is clearly not for them. This basic example shows the effectiveness of the relationship between form (simple icon for gender) and function (to identify which toilet is for women and which one is for men). However, going a step beyond the basic design such as putting in more feminine details for the female icon and masculine details for the male icon may trigger a stronger emotional or kinaesthetic response. An example would be giving the effect of feeling like royalty when they enter the toilet with the icon of either a king or a queen at the door. These two kinds of icons have different forms, and the function of identifying which toilet to use is the same, however, the second example may evoke a more personal meaning and experience. The previous examples illustrate Hollein’

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics - Essay Example He asserts that what we require, in order to live well, is maximum appreciation of the manner in which such goods as pleasure, friendship, virtue, wealth, and honor match together as a whole. In order to apply that general comprehension to particular situations, we must acquire, through significant habits and upbringing, the ability to view each occasion, which course of behavior or action is best backed by reason. Thus, practical wisdom and knowledge as Aristotle understands it, cannot be acquired by solely learning general rules. Human beings must acquire them through practice, social and emotional skills that ensure that we put our general comprehension of well being into practice in manners that are suitable to each occasion or situation. In his book 9 chapter eight, Aristotle explores the necessity of friendship in life of human beings. He argues that some people believe that when fortune is kind to them, they do not see the need of having friends, which according to Aristotle i s irrational thinking that expresses human selfishness. It is a disputed case whether a happy man requires friends or not. It is argued that those who are supremely self-sufficient and happy have no need of having friends for they posses things that are good and therefore being happy and self sufficient they need nothing further. On the other hand, a friend is another self which man is unable to provide by his own efforts. Aristotle argued that it seems weird when one gives all good things to a happy and self-sufficient man, not to give friends, who are viewed as the greatest of external goods. And if it is more plausible of a friend to do well by another person or man than to be well done by, and to bestow rewards is a characteristic of the good man and of virtue and it is rational and nobler to do well by friends than by unknown individuals or strangers. Therefore, the good man will need people for them to prosper and do well in their lives. This situation propels us to ask whethe r we need, friends in adversity or for success/prosperity, on the assumption that a man in adversity requires people to give rewards on him, and those who are successful need people to be more successful than they are. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics tries to explain the system of principles contained in men and how they affect the society. A dynamic debate arises with a question of whether a man has a duty to love oneself most or someone else. People criticizes those who are most lovers of themselves by calling them self-lovers and tend to consider good men who act for honor’s sake, friend’s sake and endures his own interest. But facts conflicts with these arguments where it is said by men that, one should love best one’s best friend of which man in this case, is his own best friend and ought to love himself more. It is suggested that, possibly if those self-lover would act justly and temperately in assigning themselves the great share of wealth, bodily p leasures and integrity, then no one would blame them. Such people would therefore differentiate themselves from other self-lovers by striving towards what is noble and straining to do noblest deeds. This suggestion therefore, shows that a good man ought to be a lover of self. A complex question is moved to a

Case study 11 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

11 - Case Study Example Janice should consider getting support from the hotel’s executives through Tony for her group business. In addition, Janice should focus HR practices to increase collaboration amongst group members and their superiors or supervisors. The best way to deal with group businesses is to employ HR strategies. Thirdly, Janice can use heritage relationships to form and organize these groups. Janice should first find out existing trends in the lodging sector. Second, Janice should determine the most promising domestic and visit trends. Third, Janice should find out The Christopher Hotel’s rivals and their success so far. The fourth step is finding out the likely accommodation market sectors in the region. Lastly, Janice can find out the residence and average room rate that a new property at can accomplish. Janice can simply find out what the competition is up to by visiting their website and associate blogs or social media accounts. If the competition has not posted the specifics and time of these activities on these sites, Janice can attend a conference held by competition and pick up news about their events and successes. Other ways for finding out the operations and timing of the competition is compiling a report, enrolling their suppliers, or even employing

Fujifilm Product Portfolio Analysis Marketing Essay

Fujifilm Product Portfolio Analysis Marketing Essay Photocentre is a one stop imaging shop in The Sultanate of Oman. It is a subsidiary division under The Zubair Holding Company. The Zubair Holding Company is a family business based in Oman established by the Omani entrepreneur Mohammad Al Zubair in 1967, back then it was called Muscat Trading Company. The Zubair Holding Company consists of sixty wholly owned groups of companies, subsidiaries and associates in Oman, the Middle East, India, the Far East, Europe and the USA. The diverse portfolio of The Zubair Holding Company includes automotive, real estates, home and business solutions, furnishing, heritage and culture, marketing communications and publishing among others. History Mohammad Al Zubairs passion towards photography led him to establish Photocentre which started as a small shop offering basic photography services to the customers in 1972 (which was his first source of income). Today, Photocentre has become one of the leading and trusted names in photography and imaging across the country. Photocentre is a distributor of some of the worlds leading brands such as: Fujifilm, Fujinon, Broncolor, Fujitsu, Epson, Hama, Hasselblad, Manfrotto, Mitsubishi Pelican, and Praktica. The brands extend to offer a wide range of services which include: photography, developing and printing, photo enlargement prints, customized framing, digital photo editing among many others. Client Portfolio Photocentres client portfolio consists of a range of reputable governmental bodies and private companies in Oman which includes but not limited to: Royal Court Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Supreme committee of Town Planning, Palace Department of Photography, Shangrila bar Al Jissah Resort and Spa, Bahwan Engineering Company, Intercontinental Muscat. Location Photocentre showrooms are located in two major areas in Muscat, the capital city of Sultanate of Oman. The electronic consumer products are also available in 13 major hypermarket and consumer electronics chains: Carrefour, Lulu hypermarkets, Sharaf DG, Extra and E-MAX.(www.photocent.com) Fujifilm The marketing strategy will focus on one of the main leading brands offered by Photocentre which is Fujifilm. Fujifilm was founded in 1934. It offers a wide range of consumer products such as: Digital cameras, 3D image products, Binoculars and other supplies. In the business sector it offers medical systems, graphic system, and recording media among many. (www.fujifilm.com) Fujifilm milestones: Fujifilm introduced the first digital camera in the world with removable media in 1988. Fujifilm made the first single use recyclable camera in the world in 1986. Fujifilm ranked number eight globally in 2007 on the volume of cameras manufactured. Vision and Objectives The vision: To offer happy memorable experience to our customer Photocentres long term objectives For Fujifilm brand are: Continue to diversify our offerings in the imagining and photographic services. Increase the market share of the brand by 30% by 2017 Currently Fujifilm digital cameras ranked number three with nearly 14% market share. Expand our network across the country to reach 80% coverage by 2017 Currently Fujifilm covers 40% of Oman and it is available throughout 13 different hypermarkets and nearly 20 partner shops across the country. . Achievability of the objectives in current market conditions: To measure the achievability of the objectives under the current market conditions PESTEL analysis is conducted. The following analysis will focus on the main three factors that affect the brand: Technological Factors: The consumer electronic industry is an unstable industry. Companies that offer technology solutions to consumers are in fierce competition to provide the latest trends in technology; this led to a shorter life cycle for products belonging to this category including digital cameras. A well-known example for a failure to adapt to new technology is Kodak example, after being rated one of the worlds five most valuable brands. (The Economist, 2012) Kodak recently reported a third-quarter loss of $222m, the ninth quarterly loss in three years (The Economist, 2012) due to their reluctant attitude to accept moving from film cameras to digital cameras. While Fujifilm the long term direct competitor acted fast, diversified and sought new outlets for expertise, that revenue of film went from 60% of its profits in 2000 to simply nothing, (The Economist, 2012). The digital camera market faces a major threat from the smart phones market as well, as consumers are rapidly relying on their smart phones attached cameras to click pictures. Although, the threat is increasing, some companies such as Canon believe that smart phones cameras would not pull the rag from under the digital camera, (Hiyama, H. 2012). Canon sees good potential in the Oman market for its new range of products especially from universities, print shops and other institutions, (Times of Oman, 2009). Despite the Smartphones threat the digital camera market is rapidly increasing which is evident by the number of new models with new and richer features releasing day after day. (Seymour, 2010) Economical Factors The Research and Markets Offers Report: Global Digital Camera Market 2011-2015, 2012, explains that the increase in the spending capacity and the perspective of a digital camera as a primary or secondary household accessory has increased the purchasing of digital cameras in the emerging markets. As a result of the increasing purchase of digital cameras in the emerging markets, the global vendors are expected to have a higher percentage of their sales from the emerging markets during the period 2011-2015. On the other hand, price is considered the top decision factor across most cameras segments. But when consumers consider the cameras with prices above $300, price then becomes the least important factor, as features; brand name, performance, and latest technology become priority (Tarr, G. 2010). According to Oman Consumer Electronics Report Q4 2010 Omans consumer electronics devices market is a very promising market. The consumer electronic market is forecast at $480.0 million in 2010, this is expected to increase to $593.2 million by 2014, driven by new technologies and the growing popularity of digital lifestyle products. Also, the government strategy to move towards the digital world has shifted the mindset of Omani consumers and increased their digital product purchasing. The report addresses that Spending is expected to pick up again after 2010, as new technologies and features such as higher capability and feature-rich products and the rollout of 3G and 4G services play as demand drivers. On the other hand, growth is forecast to remain below pre-credit crunch levels in 2010-2014, as consumers feel the effect of the regional property slump and credit tightening. Sociological Factors Consumer technology products are proving to be a key component of a higher quality of life for many consumers in the GCC region. They are gaining a huge popularity in the region simply because they are status symbols and consumers are willing to purchase the latest trends with little consideration to the price especially when it comes to smart phones and tablets. In Oman culture and art are highly regarded by people and photography is a very popular hobby. Omani talented photographers are being recognized internationally and regionally, and due to increasing number of demand on photography, The Sultan Qaboos has issued a decision to establish an association under the name of Photography Association at the level of a Directorate to be affiliated to the Minister of The of Royal Court. (Royal Orders to Establish Photography Association, 2012). Fujifilm product portfolio analysis Globally, Fujifilm is well known for its digital cameras and copiers; however the company has altered its product portfolio over the past 10 years to the business side in an attempt to survive the decline of traditional photographic film by diversifying their product offerings into areas such as medical equipment and materials used in flat-panel displays. Now, the medical product line accounts for 12% of Fujifilm revenue and the flat-panel display generates 10% of its revenue (Osawa, J. Inagaki, K, 2012). The business to consumer segment competes in consumer electronics industry , the product portfolio consist of digital cameras with eight product lines ( X, S, F, Z,XP, T, J , A and 3 D cameras) , film photography, instant cameras with one line that consist of four models ( Instax Mini 7s, Instax Mini 8, Instax Mini 50s ), Binoculars and camera accessories. This report focuses on the (input) product offering of Fujifilm brand which are the digital cameras as they are the most profitable products in the consumer segment. The focused market is Omans market as Photocentre is based and operates in Oman only. BCG Matrix tool is used to analyze Fujifilm (camera) products portfolio, the focus here is on the Fujifilm product portfolio distributed by Photocentre: Stars F series, S series and the instant cameras are the stars of Fujifilm, as they have a high market growth and a high market share. Question Marks X series and the Z series have a high market growth but a low market share. Cash Cows J series has a low market growth but a high market share. J series is at the mature stage of the product life cycle and it is considered the most profitable category. Dog A series has a low market growth and a low market share. Due to the introduction of new models in other series the A series is considered outdated and customers are hesitant to buy cameras with basic features. Photocentre is trying to get rid of the remained stock of this series and does not plan to promote it in the future. Further analysis: Stars: The S series is doing will not only in Omans market but in America and other parts of the world, Ron Gazzola, marketing and operations VP, Fujifilm North America stated that they had great success and saw a lot of market share growth with the long-zoom S-series cameras, like S2700 and S1800. (Tarr. Greg ,2010). Although instant cameras are not using any of the digital cameras technology, they are doing very well as many consumers need to get a printed version of their clicks instantly, something that digital cameras dont provide. Also , the low cost of the cameras is another attractive factor for its huge popularity, prices start from AED 280 , the profit is made from selling the film which costs AED 30 for 10 photos. Question marks: The Z series was designed keeping in mind female shoppers, to increase the market share from this product line promotional efforts must be targeting a niche market, such as causal young female photographers as the models of this series are very fashion oriented as it comes in fashionable feminine colors. This series also offer the ease of uploading the images to Facebook and Youtube. New Products: The X series has introduced two new models recently: FUJIFILM X100S The FUJIFILM X100S these models come with the new technologically advanced APS-C X-Trans CMOS II Sensor and improved EXR Processor II, the X100S is mow one of the worlds fastest autofocus speeds of up to 0.08 seconds (Ottawa, 2013) Therefore, the X series have a potential in becoming a star because of the launch of these new models Fujifilm product portfolio caters to different needs and come in different price ranges, making the objective of offering diversified products and services to the consumer an achievable long term objective if the purpose was on strengthening the offerings not just extending them. Customer perceived value Fujifilm promises their digital cameras customers a value that exceeds their expectation More than you imagined is Fujifilms brand promise which it communicates to its customers. Fujifilm works to create a balance between innovative technology and at the same time offer value for money. One of Fujifilm methods to achieve this objective is mass produce. Fujifilm has developed ways to mass-produce highly advanced new products so that they are affordable for users and profitable for manufacturers. (Daly, T, 2002) an example of that is Fujifilms (NANO CUBIC ) technology, Fujifilm successfully applied this technology to the available mass production lines, which led to a lower cost to convert existing manufacturing facilities and, ultimately, a lower price for the end user. Customer value from market trends perspective: Award winning products: Fujifilm products are known for their good technology, many of their cameras have won awards the recent one was for the X-Pro1 which has won the award European Professional Compact System Camera 2012-2013 along with many other awards. (www.fujifilm.com) Fujifilm provides a wide range of technical features in its cameras such as : a wide range of memory storage capacity, high resolution photos even in the most affordable ranges, a wide range of zooming capacity, image stabilization features: ensuring blur free and sharp images, a wide range of battery life capacity, High speed continuous shooting , Video recording as a standard feature , among many others. The cameras come in various colors to satisfy different tastes such as pink, blue, orange, red, purple along with black, sliver and white. Sleek designs to satisfy fashion-conscious camera shoppers. Protective features for adventures camera shoppers or those who love outdoor shooting: the protective features are: water proof, freeze proof, heat proof and dust proof. High quality lenses. All Fujifilm Finepix cameras use the world renowned Fujinon Lens that is used popularly in numerous situations including satellites in outer space, TV/film, security and compact cameras. ( Daily News, 2011 ) Price ranges: Fujifilm cameras come in different price ranges that starts from below 300 AED to 10, 00 AED. Organizational Value: Solid, trusted and long term relationship: Photocentre has been the exclusive dealer of Fujifilm in Oman since 1984. Moreover, Photocentre has been in the market since 1974 this offers customers the assurance of dealing with an experienced and trusted dealer. Photocentre network is extended to two dedicated showrooms in prime locations in Muscat and 13 selling points in hypermarkets and consumer electronic chains: Carrefour, Lulu hypermarkets, Sharaf DG, Extra and E-MAX. Photocentre have more than 11 customer services employees to assist and answer consumers inquires. Efficient stock management: Fujifilm warehouse is located in Dubai, this insures that Photocentre updates and replaces stock in less than a week time. Photocentre offers its customers a range of added value services such as : An extended warranty, Fujifilm as a manufacturer offers a one year warranty while Photocentre offers two years warranty for Fujifilm products. Trade- in offer, Photocentre offers their customers the opportunity to exchange their old camera from any brand with a new Fujifilm camera (or any other brand from the available range). Product testing: as per the commercial rules in Oman, returning products that can be tested in store is not permitted. However, Photocentre offers their customers a free rental on certain Fujifilm ranges, to allow customers to test the cameras outside the store. Theses values will ensure the achievability of the objective of extending the Fujifilm network across the country and for increasing Fujifilm market share. Competitors Key Direct Competitors: Given the wide range of products offered by Fujifilm they compete with different brands in different categories: On the compact and low-end category: Fujifilm competes with Nikon, Yashika, Samsung, Olympus, Sony and Panasonic. On the semi-professional category: The brand competes with Olympus, Canon, Nikon and Samsung. On the mirror-less category: The brand competes with Olympus, Samsung, Canon and Nikon. The following table illustrates Fujifilm top two competitors in the compact low end category: Marketing Mix Fujifilm Sony Nikon Product Finepix JX550 Cyber-shot DSC-S3000 Coolpix L25 Price AED 240,9 AED 299 AED 207 Place Photocentre showrooms and all major hypermarkets Three retailing shops in Muscat and two in Salalah Kimji Ramdas showrooms and all major hypermarkets Promotion In-store and print promotions and online , dedicated website for Photocentre and a page for Fujifilm In-store and print promotions, no dedicated website for the dealer, browsers directed to Sony global website. In-store , print and online promotions, dedicated website for the dealer with a dedicated page for Nikon Indirect competitors: Smart phones: The Research and Markets Offers Report: Global Digital Camera Market 2011-2015, 2012, suggests that the rapid penetration of smart phones in the global electronics market has been restricting the growth of the digital cameras markets, and as the quality of the Smartphones camera improves, the need to purchase a digital camera decreases. President Hiroyuki Sasa of Olympus had mentioned that the market for compact digital cameras shrank at a faster speed and scale than they had imagined as smart phones with a camera spread around the world. (Hiyama, 2012). On the other hand, smart phones cameras cannot compete directly or fiercely with digital cameras as they still lack some of the digital cameras basic features: zoom, exposure flexibility and sharper images. (Graham, J. 2011) Instagram With more than 11 million active users, Instagram the social photography application is considered an indirect competitor to digital cameras. (www.practicalecommerce.com) this application enables users to click pictures through their smart phones and with high-tech editing features make them look like professional photos. The application is also popular because it allows users to share these photos instantly with their friends through Facebook and Twitter. Migrating needs that may affect the industry Fujifilm has been looking at different industries to find new applications for its existing technologies as well as borrowing their technologies for their own innovations through mergers and acquisitions, as well as business alliances. (Osawa, J. Inagaki, K, 2012). Fujifilm has also been innovative in adopting new ideas for its digital cameras, one example of that is when Fujifilm launched the (finepix 40i), (appendix 1) camera with MP3 player, and it was considered one of the hottest products of the year 2000. As the cameras attached to smart phones depend on wireless instant photo sharing, digital cameras consumers are increasingly demanding similar features on their digital cameras. According to the market Insight Corporation: consumers who hold a strong preference for the Fujifilm brand expressed the largest increase in Wi-Fi interest compared to other consumers preferring other brands , therefore the need to connect via Wifi network is one of the major needs for the digital cameras industry. Another migrating need is to connect the camera with a GPS system to enable including the location of the picture taken when printing the photos. Strategic benchmark companies Quality and Performance : BMW BMW, the ultimate driving machine offers cars in different designs, sizes and prices however it maintains the performance at the ultimate level in all the series. Also BMW is known for introducing technological features ahead of its competitors. As Fujifilm offers wide ranges of products that differ in their functions, prices and styles quality and performance must be at the ultimate level. Customer Service : Virgin America Virgin America is well-known for providing an engaging and extraordinary customer service experience. In order for Fujifilm to succeed in this regard it has to listen to the customers and engage them to not only exceed their expectation but to satisfy the unmet needs. Responsiveness to market needs : Procter Gamble Procter and Gamble hold a strong product portfolio and continuously impress consumers with innovative products that help make their life easier without compromising on quality and added values making it difficult for consumers to consider a competitive brand. Being proactive in the consumer electronic ever-changing industry is vital for a brand like Fujifilm. Superiority : Harvard The name Fuji in the Japanese language refers to: an extinct volcano in Honshu that is the highest peak in Japan, the name indicates that the brand seeks to be on the top. When speaking of top ranked universities in the world, Harvard comes at the top of the mind. For Fujifilm to stay ahead of its competitors and dominate its market, the brand should be inspiring and sought -after. Target Market Fujifilm consumers can be divided in two major segments: Demographics: Fujifilm digital cameras consumers are both male and female; however the more colourful options of the cameras are aimed to the female market. Fujifilm targets middle class consumers while some of its cameras are also affordable for the lower middle class. In terms of age, Fujifilm offers cameras for all age groups, starting from Fujifilm INSTAX mini film (appendices 2) which designed to be children friendly which is a a star product , to other ranges for adults up to age 70. Psychographics: Those who love adventures and travel can chose the range that comes with the protective features, while fashion conscious consumers may go with the sleek designs and bold colours. Those who want the camera for just capturing special family moments may chose the low end category. And those who are passionate about photography will chose the semi-professional and mirror less category.

Nike Sweat Shops Essay -- essays research papers Business

Nike Sweat Shops I am writing this letter to express my concerns over Nike's labor practices in Asia. There has been much debate and controversy recently concerning Nike's Asian labor practices. It is very difficult to determine which side of the argument to defend, as both acknowledge the problems yet put a completely different spin on the facts. I will try to show that Nike has created a cloud of smoke in Asia that the public cannot see through. Nike does not own any of the factories that produce its products in Asia, and subsequently they do not directly employ the workers or management. They contract out work to factories that make all of the products and run all of the factories. They have a massive amount of leverage when dealing with these factories because of the huge contracts they supply. To ensure good labor practices, Nike has a Code of Conduct that every contractor must agree to in order to receive a contract. The Code of Conduct in theory condemns and prohibits child labor, requires that workers be paid fair wage, imposes caps on the days and hours that a worker can be forced to work, prohibits mistreatment or discrimination of workers in any form, and states that factories must implement programs that benefit worker?s health and safety. There are 1000 Nike employees worldwide monitoring operations across the globe. The most consistent criticism of Nike is that the workers in the factories are not aware of the Code of Conduct that was agreed upon, espec...