Effects of Peer Pressure on Decision Making Essay

Our Peer-to-Peer interaction affects us every day. From decisions, we make, to the places we go. It is human nature to listen and learn from other people. Though we would like to think we have control over outside influences, studies show that our surroundings play a key role in how we function. Solomon Asch’s (1950) social experiment demonstrated, consumers often modify their responses, consciously or subconsciously, when surrounded by others with conflicting opinions. Peer Pressure is only rising in today’s society; it can’t be escaped! Our teenagers are the most influenced by peer pressure. Peers influence people because they want to fit in, be like peers they admire, do what others are doing, Its only natural for people to identify with and compare themselves to their peers as they consider how they wish to be (or think they should be), or what they want to achieve. see more:negative effects of peer pressure Peer Pressure is essential to social development. Its can’t be escaped! In turn peer pressure can develop a good character, if its learned to be worked the right way. There are 3 main goals that individuals have in the long term: †¢Accuracy – in that individuals seek practical, consistent actions that are reproducible, through the information they already have and the actions that they do. Think of it as a need to achieve goals effectively and with the greatest perceived reward. †¢Affiliation – in that individuals seek gratification that their actions ingratiate them with other individuals. Think of it as a need to create social relationships with others in a meaningful, maintainable manner. †¢Maintenance of a Positive Self-Impression – in that people have a constant want to increase their own self-awareness so that they can feel better about themselves. Think of it as a need to behave in a manner that boosts their pre-existing self image – through action, statement, belief etc.

Article review

The headline of the article is â€Å"The Eternal Coffee Break†. The topic of the given article is about the idea that the office of the future may become more like home due to computers and electronic communications. The first paragraph deals with the advice from Frank Becker, a professor at Cornell university who studies the pattern of office work. HIS advice Is connected with the idea that companies need to devote more office space to creating places like well-tended living rooms, where employees can sit around In comfort and hat.Mr. Becker also predicts that the central office will become a place where workers will be meet to discuss Ideas and to reaffirm their loyalty to fellow employees and the company. Then the author tries to explain the situation of convenience and real results and not their volleyballs. Managers, says Mr. Becker, will also have to abandon their long-cherished notion that a productive employee Is an employee who can be seen. Appearing on time and looki ng busy will soon become Irrelevant.Technology and new patterns of office use will make companies Judge people by hat they do, not by where they spend their time. Nowadays there are a variety of devices, software, social networks for the implementation of negotiation between employees and directors such Seep and so on. Experts believe that telecommuting employment is beneficial as for employers and as for workers. Employers in this case may involve specialists with high qualifications, living far from the location of the company and save on rental space for offices. Employees also can work without leaving home.This is especially true for people with disabilities. If a person lives and works at home, then he wouldn't have to bear the additional costs of transport and housing lease. However, there are some disadvantages of distant work. First of all, distant work can't replace live communication between employees. Secondly, work at home prevents personal life blurs the distinction bet ween them, and this can have a negative impact on family relationships. The article is actual cause we're living in a rapidly developing society with a growing set of technologies.Article review By Savanna roofless at Cornell University who studies the pattern of office work. His advice is places like well-tended living rooms, where employees can sit around in comfort and workers will be meet to discuss ideas and to reaffirm their loyalty to fellow employees real results and not their visibility. Managers, says Mr. Becker, will also have to abandon their long-cherished notion that a productive employee is an employee who can be seen. Appearing on time and looking busy will soon become irrelevant. Distant work can't replace live communication between employees. Article Review Since a very long time, it was common for company excutives to take little or no responsibility and active service in Germany but we are now noticing a change since the chairman of Siemens, Gerhard Cromme, resigned from Germany's corporate governance commission after a company scandal. This change involves company heads being more cautious and they now realize that they are accountable.The time has now changed and issues such as the bribery case of Siemens, the largest European engineering group, can no longer remain hidden. The company heads now have to be more responsible for their actions because of stern new regulations in Germany, the increasing international investor community and crucial inspection done by U.S regulators of companies that have U.S securities listings.The companies need to be more careful in their dealings because of the very strong check is now kept over the company transactions and other issues and also because the consequences are very harsh. The casual rela tionships between the higher and lower levels of management in an organization need to be finished. The strong check on companies and globalization is responsible for the increase in such scandals as these activities can no longer remain private.When something like the bribery case of Siemens happens, the word spreads and it really spoils the company’s image in front of the entire world.The damage that this causes is then very hard to cover, therefore the companies now strive hard to avoid such situations. The whole world now knows that Siemens offered approximately $2 billion in order to bribe other companies into giving them various contracts all over the world. Other cases include the case of Deutsche Telekom of tracking private phone calls to find out who was giving away information regarding their internal affairs, Volkswagen’s use of prostitutes and vacations to win labor leaders into their board.Strong investigation is going to be done against the Siemens as thi s is considered as the largest case ever by Joshua Hochberg, a former chief of the fraud section at the U.S. Department of Justice and one of the lead investigators into the collapse of the energy firm Enron after its scandal.The trend of casual relationships between the higher levels and lowers levels of a company started after the Second World War. The companies were desperate to rebuild the infrastructure and this gave the labor the advantage to manipulate the company in exchange for higher wages.This strong power that is given to the labor representatives in Germany is odd and not that common. The reasons responsible for a slow change in the set up of companies in Germany are quite a few.   First of all, Germany is doing quite well as it is economically, therefore the people do not see a need to change.The Germany’s corporate sector very conveniently solves all its issues without involving many people. Another reason responsible for this slow change is that the firms re sponsible for something get punished by regional rather than federal prosecutors. However, this is now changing as people are now punished for their actions and businesses are now realizing it.Because of this strict control and check by new regulations in Germany, the increasing international investor community and crucial inspection done by U.S regulators of companies that have U.S securities listings, every kind of business will have to be more careful in how their business is run.These businesses can no longer be lazy and carefree in their operation. They must realize that in this world of Globalization, it is impossible to hide anything from the world; therefore, they would have to operate accordingly.

“Connected, but Alone” TED Talk

The TED talk, â€Å"Connected, but alone† by Sherry Turkle talks about how big of an influence technology had become in our generation and how it changed our social interaction. Sherry Turkle talked about how we turn to our phones or other gadgets to have a feeling of acceptance, companionship and interaction. She elucidated in her speech that people nowadays neglect social interaction with others around them and would rather tap away on their phones. She ended her speech hoping that technology can bring people back to the real world and connect us all with each other. I do agree that technology connected us to the world enabling us to learn more about the things around but in the long run, cultivated a feeling of isolation in us. Technology had connected us to the rest of the world but not with each other. At this day and age, technology had become a primary necessity for us. Professionals, students, employees or anyone rely mostly on technology to make their work easier for them. It is continuously developing and improving to make new inventions or improve old ones. Technology has done a lot of good things for us especially for Filipinos. It is not new for Filipinos to have at least one family member as an OFW and we find it hard to communicate with them regularly which is one of the problems that technology has fixed. Now, we can talk to anyone in the world no matter how far they are for us, for free. But even with these good benefits, we often tend to isolate ourselves from the real world and ignore the things or people around us. I can relate to this because as a teenager who grew up with computers and gadgets, I also feel that sometimes, since I can do everything in the internet, I would just stay in the house and tap away on my phone. Sometimes people would attend parties or other formal gatherings to interact with friends or family but now, some are just doing it to take pictures to post on Facebook or Instagram, flaunting their outfits to get a lot of â€Å"likes† which has now become a measure of confidence for some people. Families would sit around the dining table but instead of talking to each other about how their days went, everyone would be on their gadgets. We are also introduced to â€Å"virtual friends†, or people we find online and chat with them. While this is also a good example of how technology has made communication easier for us, when we actually feel the need to talk to someone personally and want to be around people, we feel lonely because we spent too much time online instead going out and meet up with friends. Sherry Turkle ended the TED talk by saying that we need to focus on the ways that technology can lead us back to our real lives. While technology brought about a lot of innovations to make work easier for humans, we must not completely rely on it and we must experience the world in real life and not just through a screen. Overall, the TED talk was effective and accurately describes how our generation utilizes technology for communication. I hope that this TED talk may serve as a wake-up call to not lose our connection with people in the real world and use technology to further improve communication without completely disregarding actual and real-life interaction.

British class and gender formation during the nineteenth century Essay

British class and gender formation during the nineteenth century - Essay Example With this underlying premise, it can be argued that the economic conditions during that time due to the Industrial revolution perpetrated the spread of a unique kind of class and gender consciousness. However, it must be noted that this in no way undermines the role and importance of other factors. This argument does not state that the only factor responsible for the changing class and gender consciousness in 19th century England is purely economic in nature. Rather, the economic condition during that period is the most important determinant in class and gender consciousness due to it being inescapable; and because it is inescapable, it became the ground from where the cultural approach—which basically states that English ideologies and rhetoric are more significant in the construction of class and gender identities—sprouted. What the economic condition did was that it aggravated other factors, such as language and rhetoric, and this prompted the â€Å"making of the En glish working class,†1 as well as the â€Å"sexual crisis.†2 This paper will show, through notable writings that aim to explain the Industrial Revolution and the resulting class and gender consciousness through the cultural approach, how the economic factors surrounding these explanations cannot be avoided. These are the evidences that this argument will use in proving the premise that the economic situation at that time is the most important factor as it is both ubiquitous and inescapable. Athough these readings use the cultural approach, they still could not help but highlight the underlying reason for these experiences and rhetoric—and that is, the economic condition of that time, whether in the provinces or cities, became the set that staged the changes in familial and societal relationships. In order to better understand the economic conditions of 19th century England, the Industrial Revolution must be discussed

Journal opinion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journal opinion article - Essay Example The article of Scism and Tergesen Getting Smart about Annuities attempts to address the economic issue in the U.S economy. The authors attempt to reveal the changes in the stock market because of the shift from defined benefits to pension plans contribution in the U.S economy. Annuity markets have started expanding but the slow economic growth in the global market has become a major problem. Annuity refers to the payment made for life insurance or it is simply referred as the U.S financial products; thus the article attempts to address the way consumers can become elegant about annuities. Annuity issue has become among the most aspects for the recent decades because of the need to improve the quality of life (Scism and Tergesen para. 1). Although financial advisers have not been popular with annuities, it has become one of the hot products in the U.S market. The products do not offer the potential for outsized gains but there is a guarantee for some benefits (Scism and Tergesen para. 3). Consumers need to be smart when dealing with these products because there are some associated risks that may arise including investment losses but it appears that annuities have irrefutable appeal. At first, annuity offers a way for restoring some financial security for golden years but there is no clear evidence that retirees with standard paychecks will be happier than those relying on exclusively social security supplement. It appears that annuities will not offer contentment to consumers; hence one needs to be smarter before making a decision about life annuity. Moreover, annuities in the contemporary global financial markets have an undeniable appeal for those grappling with investment losses (Scism and Tergesen para. 4). The problem with this is because investors may have a common idea about the importance of annuity but a few of them may recognize the strategies available for making these financial products a part of their assets. Therefore, it is crucial for one to figu re out the total amount of products one needs to purchase maybe whether he or she wants to put money to work immediately or slowly and what to invest with the remaining balance. Scism and Tergesen offer significant and best ways that one should do in order to achieve success or avoid any financial losses (Scism and Tergesen para. 3). One of them is the immediate gratification because immediate annuity can enable one to convert payment for a month, quarterly or yearly income for life. Although most immediate annuities are fixed, immediate annuities can offer considerable higher sustainable revenue than the ones being generated from the venture portfolio. For example, an older a man who purchases an immediate annuity is likely to receive about 8.4 percent of the total amount which he instead (Scism and Tergesen para. 5). This is significant because the payment has interest rates and they are guaranteed to continue increasing for the rest of one’s life. Another way is longevity rider and this is one way of preserving more for purchasing a differed-income annuity (Scism and Tergesen para. 7). This generates an income for life and one may benefit; however, the economists have attempted to argue as to whether it is significant for one to purchase for a longevity rider or conventional immediate annuity. This is in case the financial benefits outweigh the annuity pool; thus one may likely to undergo losses. However,

Asian philosphy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Asian philosphy - Article Example The first major problem that generally applies to most Indian translations such as Yoga Sutra is the absence of moral significance particularly due to the western domination. On the other hand, the second major problem with the current translation is specific to Yoga Sutra and is largely attributed to the failure to make clear distinctions between Yoga and other Indian school of philosophies such as Advaita Vedanta and Sankhya. Ranganathan The new translation of Yoga Sutra not only elaborates the moral and philosophical insights of Patanjali’s philosophy but also lays bare its originality within the context of tradition (Ranganathan 26). In my view this is has been particularly achieved through increased sensitivity to translation theory as well as paying more attention to the theoretical nature of the moral of â€Å"Tharma† In my view, although Yoga primarily stands for meditation of the mind, the contemporary parlance has shifted its reference to include the philosophical aspects of the tradition. Some of the Patanjali’s non Yoga historical sources include Buddhism, Judaism, Sankhya and Jainism. However, Patanjali is closely associated with Sankhya tradition more than any other philosophy schools. Lastly, the originality of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra philosophy is particularly evidenced by the way he has effectively blended and synthesized the various traditions he has drawn

The New Product Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The New Product Marketing Strategy - Essay Example They are assembled from imported parts from various regions of the world. However, principal design works were done particularly at Sony’s research facilities in Japan. The brand name is not only used in Televisions but also on other products such mobile phones. Sony used Bravia as a brand name to emphasize the quality of their television products that were believed to have a high resolution in the market (Morrison & MacMillan 2007, p. 65). In 2014, the name Bravia evolved from being just a brand name of being a subsidiary of Sony. The mother company Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation based in Japan (Tracy 2014, p. 49). The Corporation is a diversified business with a primary focus on the production of electronics (TV, gaming consoles, refrigerators). It is noted the Bravia has a wide range of television products and other such as accessories, mobile phones, Green TV Sony Bravia Internet T vans Video. Its television products have outstanding features which include: a full HD LED Display (1920 * 1080), X-Reality PRO Picture Engine, Motion flow XR 200, Smart TV with Built-in Wi-Fi, easy Wall mount solution as well as USB Recording and Playback (Morrison & MacMillan 2007, p. 87). The company recently launched a new Bravia TV, namely Android TV which has actually revolutionized the clients viewing experience. Android TV has enhanced pictures, beautiful design, and innovative control. This product has 4K Processor which enable it has stunning picture quality. It has inbuilt precision detail enhancer, precision mapping that let it brings out lifelike colors, as well as dynamic contrast enhancer. As in any business, the success of a particular business lies within the ability of the management to position itself strategically and so establish the products or services being offered (Cavinato & Flynn 2006, 78). Additionally, Arnold

The Travels of a T-Shirt - Government Subsidies Essay

The Travels of a T-Shirt - Government Subsidies - Essay Example In agreement with government subsidies, this form of government intervention reduces the cost of production and encourages the producers to increase output. Government intervention/producer subsidies are of various forms. An example is state subsidies. State subsidies are financed from general taxation or by borrowing (Schuster, 2006). Government subsidies cause various productive firm’s supply curve to shift to the right. The amount spent on subsidy by the government is equivalent to the subsidy per unit multiplied by total output (Day & Schoemaker, 2005). A direct subsidy commonly offered by a government to supplement consumer’s demands has the effect of boosting demand. This results in an outward shift of demand. Examples of subsidies include an input subsidy, bails, fiscal assistance (loans and grants), government grants to cover losses made by business and a guaranteed on the factor cost of a product. Subsidies make sense in various demand and supply situations of the economy. The travels of T-shirt in Global Economy represents some of the scenarios in which subsidies may play a crucial role in the examination of market forces, power and politics of world trade (Rivoli, 2015). The overall international trade topic is a very crucial topic to discuss in the abstract though when this topic is focused on a single product, it is easy to be dealt with (World Bank Group, 2011). Subsidies in the international trade in most cases dwell with specific products. Only in extreme cases in the world economy do subsidies deal with conglomerate products. Through the story of travels of T-shirt, globalization advocacy is portrayed critically as the major issue behind international trade and individual country’s economy development (Prono, 2006). The competitive economic markets and increased living standards at the expense of the maximum and minimum wage bills among different

Laughing All the Way to the Bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laughing All the Way to the Bank - Essay Example Consequently, one maybe compelled to advance his education by getting an MBA. However, the reality and frustration soon sets in when even after achieving higher credentials, no promotion is forthcoming. To this end, Adams came to the reality that it was not always guaranteed that the highly qualified and best suited candidate for a job gets a promotion. In addition, hard work done by one employee is normally accorded to another less deserving employee. Moreover, based on his comic strip on Dilbert, Adams present the view that only the ‘bright but clueless’ individuals are hired. Consequently, employees are promoted on the basis of low competence rather than merit. From Adam’s viewpoint, in addition to his economic degree, he had gone a step further to achieve an MBA. All of his extra effort was centered on the belief that he would achieve promotion. However, after realizing that no promotion was forthcoming, and a stagnated career, Scott Adams was compelled to qui t his job. It is quite evident that Scott Adams was frustrated with the corporate world. This was after realizing that job promotion and high academic qualifications are not always intrinsically linked. Consequently, Scott Adams opted to go fulltime into his entrepreneurial job as a cartoonist following its initial popularity and potential to flourish. What sources of information and expertise did Adams use in starting and developing his business? Did the start-up of the Dilbert cartoon follow the typical pattern of entrepreneurial start-ups? Why or why not? The concept of Scott Adams cartoon strip, ‘Dilbert’ was initially inspired through his personal experiences as an employee in the bank. To this end, Scott Adams cites that he used Dilbert to channel the frustration, absurdity and stress of working life that he experienced in the corporate world of America. In the onset of ‘Dilbert’s’ prominence, Scott Adams changed tact in the sourcing of informa tion for Dilbert’s development. To this end, Adams sought customer opinion by attaching his email address to every cartoon strip. The purpose for attaching his email address was to draw in suggestions and comments that would develop the Dilbert comic strip further. Consequently, Adams would receive between 350 and 800 feedback messages daily. The start up of Dilbert cartoon did not follow the typical pattern of entrepreneurial start ups. Foremost, Adams started off his cartoon strip while still working at Pacific Bell. To this end, his method off start up contravened the classical model norm that usually calls for total commitment and resource allocation for start up. Moreover, owing to the fact that Scott Adams started off his cartoon strip while still working, he incurred few risks. To this end, majority of classical entrepreneurial start ups involve the incurring a high extent of risk. For example, if the risk of failure in the enterprise comes to pass, the entrepreneur in most cases has no fallback plan. To this end, he/she risks not only losing investments made but also an optional resource pool. However, in Scott Adams case, if he failed in his cartoon strip, he had an immediate fallback plan within his job security. This is in recognition that Adams had not yet quite his job while starting up Dilbert. Adams claims that his success is due primarily to luck and persistence; do you agree or disagree? Do you think his advice is helpful to potential entrepreneurs? Why or why not? Based on Scott Adams view on

EDUC ASSIGNMENT Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

EDUC - Assignment Example Effects of the policy to professional practice 2.2. Strength of the policy 2.3. Weakness of the policy 2.4. Factors undermining the policy 1. Policy Synopsis 1.1. Identity of the policy This study is a discussion of Federal Australian education policy. This paper will concentrate on the policy we have identified, entitled â€Å"Transformative ICT and Education Policy†. The code reference for this study is ICT4E. It was formed and began operating effectively from June 28, 2005, as an education policy in Australia that is accessible online. The policy is available on the URL http://apo.org.au/node/25007. It is downloadable as a html web page or a portable or protected data file. 1.2. History and background The policy emerged from an analysis of the elements of the current generation. The society was being changed using Information Technology and communication. The Federal Australian government discovered that Information and communication technology favored other important aspec ts of development such as the economy, work environment, residential homes and businesses, the affairs of the government, medical sector and transportation. It however neglected the area of education. The government then decided to make it a policy in country to provide support to the education sector by application of information technology. In 2004, the government began the strategic plan of making the transformative educational ICT policy a reality in the entire nation of Australia (Ball, 2008). In the recent and the current educational sector, the educational policy has been addressing the issue of computer proficiency to transform the students from novices to experts. Students use information technology to share educational resources, to communicate effectively and to socialize with others. The policy offers influential centre stages in the position of advanced studies. This study focuses on improving design at universities. The implementation of the education policy on Informa tion and Communication Technology works in three different levels of priority (Tomei, 2010). 1.3. Aims of the policy The policy aims at improving the education quality among students in the education institutions. The main aim is to ensure that the composition of human resources is highly equipped for quality performance in work places. It also aims at improving the processes of research and educational trainings. This was to promote the green agenda while reducing the cost of document printing on papers. Minimal paper use was seen as a means of protecting the environment from degradation, because it implied reduced cutting of trees (Pelgrum & Law, 2003; Abbott, 2001). 1.4. Funding Arrangement and structure The federal Australian government of Australia identified the financial aspect of the policy as a critical challenge. The challenge was to do with establishment of ICT environments in all learning institutions with the international standards of set up. Funding of the program off icially takes place through Digital learning revolution with an aim to create a direct contact of one on one. The educational sector conducts massive procurement of the devices and softwares at discounted rates, to reduce the size of the budget (Jimoyiannis, 2011). 1.5. Implementation Process Top of Form The implementation of this project makes use of 5 projects to enable teachers as well as the school administration to make the optimal utilization of ICT in the learning environment such as a typical classroom. One of the implementation projects

Australian business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian business law - Essay Example The law of contract is perhaps one of the most important dimensions of the whole legal systems of any country. In Australia, a contract of Law, as in other countries, is concerned with the regulation of agreements, especially in relation to the exchange of goods and services for money or other considerations like goods or services. The law of contract, an important branch of Common Law, plays vital role in vesting legally enforceable rights in each party against the other party. The law of contract also states about the corresponding liabilities of both the parties and its impacts on both parties’ legal rights as well. This piece of paper presents a law-case analysis in relation to the main elements of contract including offer, acceptance and breach of contract. This paper analyzes whether a person, who entered in to contract and unknowingly breached the contents, will be legally rightful to claim and the other party will be legally liable for it. Anthony kept his laptop value d $3000 in a cloak room while he visited a casino. When he gave it to the cloak room, he was given a document. He signed on the bottom half of the document and top half has been given to him. He noticed that the bottom half of it has writing below the area identified for his signature, but he didn’t read it. He placed the top half of the document in his pocket and was lost while walking around the casino. When he claimed his laptop from the cloak room, he was told that his laptop has already been taken by somebody else. The writing, which he hasn’t read while signing, was stating that â€Å"The casino takes no responsibility for any loss incurred by the person(s) depositing goods into this cloak room whether by any act or omission of the casino, its employees or agents†. There has been a valid contract between Anthony and cloak room, including offer and acceptance. Anthony has accepted that cloak room is not responsible for any loss due to his mistake. While bot h these parties entered in to the contract, Clock room offering the safe-custody service and Anthony accepting it, clock room put a condition and Anthony signed on it, without carefully noticing what in it. The legal perspectives of this case will be detailed below: Case Analysis The elements of the law of contract The contract usually consists of basic three elements, offer and acceptance, consideration and intention to enter in to the legal relation between the parties1. There is no valid contract unless there are agreements between two or more persons. Offer and acceptance between two or more parties make a legal contract. Consideration is that each party in the contract has agreed to do some thing on behalf of the other. Normally speaking, it is the price one pays or agrees to pay to the other for the bargain. As its third element, the contract would be valid only if both the parties have intended to enter in to the contract while they entered2. When it comes to the case of Anth ony and Cloak room, it can be found that there has been a valid contract between both the parties. Cloak room has agreed that they will keep his Laptop valued $3000 until he demands. There were offer and acceptance between them too. Cloak room offered their service of keeping things in safe custody and Anthony accepted it for a certain consideration. Both the parties were in true intention to enter in to this legal contract as well. The contract between Anthony and Cloak room was therefore merely legally valid and genuine. According to the contract, Anthony must get back his laptop on his request. But, he didn’t get it back due to that he missed the document and that has been used by some one else to collect his laptop. During the contract being made, cloak room has put a condition that he must bring the document back to claim his belongings and he signed on the contract. His signature was legally an acceptance of the contract as well as the

Athenian Democracy 4 Essay Example for Free

Athenian Democracy 4 Essay Who really made our type of government? We surely didn’t. It was amazingly the people of Athens. It started in 508 BC and is still around as we use it. It remains a unique and intriguing experiment in direct democracy where the people do not elect representatives to vote on their behalf but vote on legislation and executive bills in their own right Participation was not at all open, but the in-group of participants was constituted with no reference to economic class and they participated on a scale that was truly phenomenal. The public opinion of voters was remarkably influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters. Only adult male Athenian citizens who had completed their military training as ephebes had the right to vote in Athens. We have had that and many other laws changed around the government. In our government every few years the people vote on new people to represent them, hence the name â€Å"Representative† Democracy. However the Athenian people also voted on some of their leaders but that was done in the Agora, which is where every male land owner who is over the age of twenty would meet. This meeting was called the assembly. The assembly could be best related to our State Representatives. Then just above them was the council of 500, who monitored the assembly and gave them topics to discuss, as well as bills to vote on. Above the council of 500 come the Magistrates. The Magistrates job can be best described as the â€Å"Police in the Government. † Their job is to ensure that all the laws are being followed and act accordingly when they are not. The Magistrates, despite the amount of power that they hold, are still not the highest government official in the Athenian democracy, after them comes the Council of the 10 Generals. The Council of 10 Generals was in charge of the military. The Athens didn’t start by being a democratic city. It was started by Cleisthenes whose reforms turned Athens from an oligarchy (government by the few) to a democracy (government of the people). The key to Athenian democracy was Cleisthenes redrawing of the social-political landscape of Athens and Attica. The chief magistrate of the city was often called the Archon eponymous or ruler. His responsibilities included conducting investigations of legal cases, in particular those that involved the state. He was responsible for protecting the orphans and heiresses with no family and to appoint the choregos who was in charge of organizing the religious festivals. The move towards democracy reflects other changes in society. In the prehistoric period, throughout Greece, aristocratic families have provided the main fighting force, as cavalry. In the seventh century the Greek city-states develop the new military idea of the heavily armed soldier, the hoplite. A remorseless phalanx of hoplites becomes as effective on the battlefield as the tank in modern times. These soldiers provide their own weapons and armor, but this is expensive. Several of the Greek oligarchies, including that of Athens in the sixth century, reflect the power of this middle class of citizens. A strategic change of direction by Athens, early in the fifth century, gives these poorer citizens a new power. The military effort is diverted into building up an Athenian navy. Triremes, the fast warships of the time, need men to row them. Suddenly every citizen has a part to play, and the crews of a fleet of warships have a self-evident political strength. A more radical democracy, introduced by Pericles in 462, is almost an inevitable result. Approximately one hundred officials out of a thousand were elected rather than chosen by lot. There were two main categories in this group: those required to handle large sums of money, and the 10 generals, the strategy. One reason that financial officials were elected was that any money embezzled could be recovered from their estates; election in general strongly favored the rich, but in this case wealth was virtually a prerequisite. Generals were elected not only because their role required expert knowledge but also because they needed to be people with experience and contacts in the wider Greek world where wars were fought. In the fifth century BC, principally as seen through the figure of Pericles, the generals could be among the most powerful people in the polis. Yet in the case of Pericles, it is wrong to see his power as coming from his long series of annual generalships (each year along with nine others). His office holding was rather an expression and a result of the influence he wielded. That influence was based on his relation with the assembly, a relation that first lay simply in the right of any citizen to stand and speak before the people. Under the fourth century version of democracy the roles of general and of key political speaker in the assembly tended to be filled by different persons. In part this was a consequence of the increasingly specialized forms of warfare practiced in the later period. Elected officials too were subject to review before holding office and scrutiny after office. They too could be removed from office any time the assembly met. In one case from the fifth century BC the 10 treasurers of the Delian league (the Hellenotamiai) were accused at their scrutinies of misappropriation of funds. Put on trial, they were condemned and executed one by one until before the trial of the tenth and last an error of accounting was discovered, allowing him to go free.

Dell Business Analysis: Organisation and Effectiveness

Dell Business Analysis: Organisation and Effectiveness Summary The research is about study of distribution channel management at Dell Computers, UK. My work is more practical in nature, studying the Distribution Channels of Dell, both at a strategic and an operational level. I would be analysing the business function on its efficiency and effectiveness, comparing with the other industry performers. I would mostly be comparing the function against Sony Electronics, the most respected name in multi-channel distribution network; Acer, pioneer of value computing products and proprietary brands like Advent. The research aims to analyse and study the distribution channel of Dell in UK, distribution channel of its competitors, efficiency and effectiveness of Dells Distribution channel as compared to its competitors. And based on the research and analysis propose recommendations to enhance its effectiveness. The literature review section of the dissertation explores the definition of distribution, channel, and distribution channel and distribution channel management. Apart from that the section also examines the activities and the levels of distribution channel. The latter half of the section focuses on the distribution strategy adopted by Dell, Sony and Acer. Research is conducted by means of case study as well as survey. Case study analysis incorporates the study and effectiveness of the distribution strategy of Acer, Sony and Dell. Two set of questionnaires are designed to collect data from the end customer and the channel partners. Apart from that secondary data is used from from books, journals, company reports and documents, government websites whereas primary data is collected by means of survey questionnaire distributed channel partners and the end customers. In all 50 questionnaires are collected duly filled out of 60 questionnaires being sent out to the end customer whereas the questionnaire for the channel partners was send to 50 channel partners out of which only 30 responses were received. Questionnaires were sent out using survey distribution services of a web site. Care was taken to ensure that diverse demographic is covered for the survey. The research has its own drawbacks such as the work limited to the English market. Financial and time constraints of my semester mean that Im not able to conduct a global research that would be more apt in this case. Another limitation is most of my work is conducted through a personal observation method; as such it is prone to my personal bias. Thirdly distribution channel model is a sensitive piece of company information. As far as information on the competitors distribution channel is concerned its bit difficult. CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter will introduce the topic, specify the key aim and objectives of the dissertation, discuss the research approach and state the dissertation outline. The key aim of this chapter is to establish the foundation for the research topic by giving out basic information. 1.1 Introduction The research is about study of distribution channel management at Dell Computers, UK. The dissertation is more practical in nature, studying the Distribution Channels of Dell, both at a strategic and an operational level. I would be analysing the business function on its efficiency and effectiveness, comparing with the other industry performers. I would mostly be comparing the function against Sony Electronics, the most respected name in multi-channel distribution network; Acer, pioneer of value computing products and proprietary brands like Advent. Dell Inc. is a multibillion dollar, multinational technology firm that manufactures, develops, sells and supports personal computing and computer related products. Dell has seen a rapid growth to become one of the top three vendors in the PC manufacturing industry, and has seen a substantial increase in share price and market value. While many other companies were unable to handle the demands of the competition, Dell has proved successful in such an environment. The main key to success to Dell has been its two innovative practices that is direct sales and build-to-order business model. This model is simple as a concept but highly complex to execute, especially in the present conditions of rapid growth and change. Dell has continually renewed and extended its business model while striking a balance between control and edibility. Dell made changes in its design, manufacturing, procurement, and logistics processes to reduce the costs, and to speed up the entire distribution system. It has expanded into International markets and it started making notebook and server product lines which has led to extraordinary profits for dell, and has given a great market value for the company. Dell has reached sales of $18.2 billion by the year 1998, with a profit of $1.46 billion, and Dells market share in the PC market grew from 3% in 1995 to 9.2% in the year 1999 with stock price increasing by 40 times. Dells market capitalization has reached $100 billion. 1.2 Research aim and Questions The primary purpose of my research work is to analyse the role distribution channels play in the functioning of a business, both in the long run and in the short run. My study is to present a detailed description of the unique distribution channel adopted by Dell Inc., analyse its efficiency and effectiveness, identify possible loopholes and put forth recommendations for development. My study is being undertaken with an aim to answer the following research questions: * How are the various distribution channels organised within Dell Inc.? * How does it compare with its competitors? * How effective and efficient is this channel management at Dell? * What can be done to make it better? The four research questions are the guiding blocks of my entire research and all of the work would be done, keeping them in view. Distribution Channels within Dell: I would be looking at Dells innovative distribution channel management which has literally revolutionised the importance of Direct Marketing in the consumer electronics space. Direct marketing is still the primary distribution mechanism within Dell. I would be documenting the evolution of this concept within Dell right from its customized sales regime during PCs Limited to the complex and sophisticated systems that it employs currently. I would be presenting a visual of the entire distribution network that it stands at today. Comparison with its competitors: I would be comparing the dynamic distribution systems of its arch rivals. Sony and Acer are the brands that I would be concentrating upon. I would be looking at the strategies adopted in different economies, though my primary concentration would be on the English markets. Efficiency and Effectiveness: I would be conducting an efficiency and effectiveness test of Dells powerful distribution network against its competitors. This would be an empirical study. I would be concentrating on the parameters of Customer Satisfaction and Vendor relationship management. Recommendations: Finally, I would be putting forth recommendations for future developments along with the cost benefit analysis of such implementations. 1.3 Research approach The study is conducted by collecting secondary data and primary data. Secondary data is collected from books, journals, government websites, company documents whereas primary data is collected by means of survey questionnaire distributed among channel partners and the end customers. Participants of research would be intermediaries in the distribution network and the end customer. In order to select the participants the study has made use of stratified random sampling method in order to make sure that major demographic segments are represented while selecting the samples (Rao Skinner, 1996). Questionnaire design consists of two parts. The first part contained the demographic information while the second part dwelled on each of the subjects perception on each variable using five point likert scales from 1 (â€Å"Strongly Agree†) to 5(â€Å"Strongly Disagree†). The study did not require any assistance from a third party or any other institution. In order to collect data the study made use of web portal survey to distribute survey and get responses. The system was designed in such a way that the respondent have to submit all the answers. Out of 60 questionnaires, responses for 50 surveys were obtained. The duration for the survey was kept as two weeks, a reminder mail was being sent to the respondents at the end of week one to remind them. 1.4 Importance of the study Organizations have been undergoing strategic changes over the past decade. More so in the past couple of years. The current recession has proved that risk management and strategic planning are most vital for an organizations long lasting and self-sustaining performance. My work will strive to highlight one such areas of strategic thinking and inform the senior management about the benefits involved. 1.5 Research Scope My work would primarily be concentrated on the UK market. Though Dell is a global corporation with intermediaries present across the globe, all working towards forming an effective value chain to maximize business potential and ensure efficiency in operations; UK being the second biggest market after the US will be a general approximation of the entire organizational behaviour. Furthermore, the cosmopolitan nature of London and demographic diversity ensures that it would be a close estimate of the general population. 1.5 Limitation of Research I intend to undertake my research as comprehensively as possible. As in any research work, inherent are some unavoidable drawbacks in my study. Few of them are: * Financial and Time Constraints: As outlined before, the scope of my work is limited to the English market. Financial and time constraints of my semester mean that Im not able to conduct a global research that would be more apt in this case. * Personal bias. Most of my work is conducted through a personal observation method; as such it is prone to my personal bias. However as the person who is to do the entire research right from formulation of research questions to recommending solutions, I would be most qualified to comment on the topic. * Information Constraints. Distribution channel model is a sensitive piece of company information. Though I have secured access to Dell, wherein I could do all the data mining myself, the extent of information that I would be able to muster about the rivals model is still to be seen. 1.5 Dissertation outline The structure of the dissertation is as follows Chapter 1: Chapter 1 encompass introduction to the topic, followed by brief background into the research topic. This beginning chapter also lays bare aims and objectives of the research followed by structure of the thesis. Apart from that this chapter also gives information on the research approach adopted and the limitations of the research. Chapter 2: The literature review section of the dissertation explores the definition of distribution, channel, and distribution channel and distribution channel management. Apart from that the section also examines the activities and the levels of distribution channel. The latter half of the section focuses on the distribution strategy adopted by Dell, Sony and Acer. The final section compares the distribution strategy by all the three players. Chapter 3: The thesis then moves on to methodology section wherein the research model, research framework and data collection methodology is discussed. Questionnaire method is used to collect the necessary data from the consumer. Chapter 4: This chapter explores data findings Chapter 5: This chapter presents the conclusion. Chapter 6: This includes references using Harvard referencing style Chapter 7: This includes the Appendix 1.6 Summary The chapter introduced the topic of the dissertation, specified the key aims and objectives of the research. Discussed the research approach in form of secondary and primary data collection through the means of questionnaire and clearly stated the limitations of the research in brief. The chapter also outlines the research structure specifying the contents of each chapter. Chapter 2: Literature Review During my research, I would primarily be looking towards the concepts of Distribution Channel and its management. I would be guided by the various contributions in the field, though my work would primarily be influenced by the theories and suggestions of Philip Kotler in the area. A Professor of Business Studies at the Kelloggs Business School, Kotler is often regarded as the ‘Father of Modern Marketing. My work also coincides with various other management thinking like Consumer Behaviour, Relationship Management, Marketing Mix and Optimization, among others. 2.1 Definition 2.1.1 Distribution Kotler (1996) states that distribution is a key element in the marketing mix (place amongst the 4Ps). It is the systems and practices in use which make a product or service available to the consumer of such a product or service. 2.1.2 Channel Channel is defined as â€Å"a set of interdependent organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for consumption or use† (Gorchels, West, Marien, 2004). It can also encompass physical movement, warehousing, ownership of the product, presale transaction, post-sale activities; order processing, credit and collections; and other different types of support activities (Gorchels, West, Marien, 2004). 2.1.3 Distribution Channel The Distribution Channel is the chain of intermediaries, each of them passing on the product or service to another intermediary until it reaches the consumer. The business dictionary defines it as â€Å"The route by which a product or service is moved from a producer or supplier to customers. A distribution channel usually consists of a chain of intermediaries, including wholesalers, retailers, and distributors, that is designed to transport goods from the point of production to the point of consumption in the most efficient way† (Dictionary, 2010) Another definition of Distribution channel states â€Å"A group of independent and interdependent organizations involved in the sale and movement of goods and services to the end users may be called a distribution channel or network† (Gorchels, West, Marien, 2004). More specifically, a distribution channel is: * The transfer of goods from manufacturer to the end user. * Route of a company for distributing the goods. * The process of moving goods from the manufacturer to the consumer. * A supply chain consisting of all parties in between production to the end user. 2.2 Types of channel members The activities in the distribution channel can be carried out by the marketer himself or it can be carried out by specialist organizations. The specialist organizations and the channel members can be categorized into two types. * Resellers * Specialty Service Firms. Resellers are the companies which usually buy and take the ownership of the products from the manufacturer with the intention of selling to end consumers. An organization can have one or more than one reseller in the chain. The network or chain of resellers is known as reseller network. The resellers can be further classified into: Retailers: A retailer sells the product directly to the end customer. Wholesalers: Wholesalers buy the products from manufacturer or other wholesalers and then they sell the products to the retailers. Industrial Distributors: They are the ones who sell products from one business to other, they are suppliers who buy the goods and sell it to another firm. Specialty service firms are organizations that do not take the ownership of the products. They also provide additional services along with the products. Specialty firms can be: Agents and brokers: They are the firms which bring together the suppliers and buyers and mediate the sale and they charge a fee for this kind of service. Distribution service firms: They provide services which help with the movement of goods in the distribution channels like transportation, processing and storage of goods and products. Others: They are the firms which provide other services to the channels in distribution like insurance, routing assistance etc. The distribution channels consist of many parties among which each of them is trying to meet their objectives. Relationships between channel members should be strong with each others especially on which they are depending for the further distribution of product. 2.3 Levels The arrangement of the distribution channels can be classified into two types: * Independent channel arrangements. * Dependent channel arrangements. Independent channel arrangements: In this type of arrangement the channel members negotiate deals with others which do not result in the binding of the relationships. Channel members are free to make arrangements which they feel is in their own and best interest. An individual member decides what is best for them and not the entire channel. This is also called conventional distribution arrangement and often significant conflict as each member decides what is best for him and not in concern with the entire channel As shown in the figure 2 there are four levels of distribution channels. Channel 1 is called the direct marketing channel which is the distribution of products or services from the manufacturer to the customer. The best example for this channel is Dell which does not makes use of any intermediaries to distribute its products to end customers; there are no retailers, agents or wholesalers. The channel does not have any intermediaries. This type of channel helps to eradicate the excess cost and also helps to have good control over the quality and marketing. The other three channels fall in the category of â€Å"indirect marketing channels†. As shown in the figure 1, the second channel has one intermediary, if the market is a consumer market the one intermediary is basically a retailer. Electronic consumer goods market of UK is an example of second type of channel arrangement. In this type of distribution arrangement the companies sell good to large retail chains, example would be Sony, Canon, and HP selling their electronic goods to large retail chains such as Dixons. These retailers in return sell the goods to the end customer. As shown in the figure Channel 3 consists of two levels which are the wholesaler and the retailer. The role of the wholesale in this channel is to buy the products at bulk from the manufacturer and then sell the same to retailer in smaller quantities. This model works best for retailers on small scale and not for big chains such as Dixons. This type of distribution channel is best when there are large number of small retailers and not big companies. Example in this case would be the medical drugs distribution market in the UK. The fourth channel has added level to it in the form of agents who work as intermediary between manufacturer and wholesaler. The agent acts as representative for both the sides. This works in textile market. Figure 2 gives information on the four types of distribution channel. Dell follows the manufacturer to direct customer channel thus discarding the intermediaries in between. Source: http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Management_Science_II/Pdf/1_4.pdf A direct distribution channel is where a company sells their products direct to consumers. While direct channels were not popular many years ago, the Internet has greatly increased the use of direct channels. Additionally, companies needing to cut costs may use direct channels to avoid middlemen mark-ups on their products. Distributors, wholesalers and retailers are the primary indirect channels a company may use when selling their products in the marketplace. Companies choose the indirect channel best suited for their product to obtain the best market share; it also allows them to focus on producing their goods. Though, in practicality, a number of other players exist, they can be generalised to the above. The specific channel of distribution adopted by a company depends, to a major extent, on its business model, the industry type and the scale of its operations. As an Instance, Sony has its own set of company operated exclusive showrooms. The strong brand equity of Sony, the scale of its business and clearly identifiable product differentiations that it enjoys with the consumers, allow it to leverage on its economies of scale and scope by operating its own outlets. Directly, this result in better margins for the company and indirectly it helps building on its already demanding brand leadership. Dell, on the other hand, relies more on online sales. This is because of the organization of its service delivery utility. Dells business model is based upon its centralised manufacturing facilities, rather than the nuclear organization at Sony. Online sales suits such a strategy by negating the high costs of transportation and inventory planning issues involved. A manufacturer selling a physical product might require three channels: Sales Channel, Delivery Channel, and Service Channel. In Our case, Dell uses telephone and internet as sales channels, express mail services as the delivery channel and local repair people as its service channel. 2.4 Distribution Channel Activities Distribution includes different range of activities (Richard Gay, 2007) * Linking many suppliers to provide wide range of consumer choice * Assist the exchange process identify the needs of the buyer in the context of product categories, quantities, range etc. and devise manufacturing, inventory and packaging schedules to fit. * Marketing information: This encompass collection, distribution and analysing marketing research information such as the past sales data about the players within the organizations marketing environment. * Promotional activities- This involves setting of promotional objectives and activating the various elements of the marketing communications mix and measuring their effectiveness, this will encompass identify and communicate with prospects. * Pricing: Deciding on the sales terms and conditions at each stage of the value chain * Risk management This includes analysis and resource sourcing required for involvement in the channel , the degree of control and influence and the potential benefits such as revenue and profit generation. * Physical Distribution Management It includes the transportation all aspects of warehousing management and information flows. Other Activities that may be part of the distribution channels are as follows: * Order Generation. * Handling of Goods. * Shipping of Goods. * Storage of Goods. * Display of Goods. * Promotion of Goods. * Sale. * Feedback. 2.5 Distribution Channel Management Distribution Channel Management is all about getting the product or service to the right people at the right time under the constraints of profits, efficiency and effectiveness. Successful marketing does not end when a business has developed a product or service and has found its appropriate target audience with a view to selling it at the right price. The next issue that needs to be faced is how they are going to distribute and sell this product/service to these people- the consumers. When a product/service is purchased by a consumer, it may have been bought directly from the business, or it may have been through a number of intermediaries (wholesaler, retailer, etc.): these are known as distribution channels. Small businesses need to acknowledge the different types of distribution channels to utilize sales potential. Distribution channel management involves a lot of channel decisions, strategic alternatives and numerous linking concepts, all of which would be explored in my research paper. Distribution channel management involves a lot of channel decisions, strategic alternatives and numerous linking concepts. The PC industry is driven by rapid technological improvements in components, particularly microprocessors, other semiconductors, and storage devices. The improved performance of hardware has been matched historically by increased complexity of software, creating demand for the latest hardware. Figure 2 PC Supply Chain This means that time is a critical competitive factor in the industry in two ways: * Firstly, excess inventory loses value (at an estimated 10% per month 😉 and costs money; * Secondly, products incorporating the most advanced technologies are in high demand and carry a price premium. As a result, companies that minimize inventory and bring new products to market faster can reduce costs, increase market share, and maintain higher margins. Two factors come into play in determining the ability of PC companies to manage inventory and introduce new products. First is the standardized, modular nature of the PC. PCs are built from standard components, using common architectural interfaces determined largely by Intel, Microsoft, and, earlier, IBM. PC makers also can outsource much of their production and purchase components from a well-established production network of contract manufacturers and components suppliers. This makes it quite easy for PC companies to introduce new PCs with the most advanced technologies. By the 1990s, PC makers could no longer gain much of an edge by virtue of design and manufacturing, as everyone had access to the same technical information and supply base. The difference among PC companies was determined increasingly by the second factorâ₠¬â€the structure of distribution. The traditional distribution system of the PC industry is an indirect model often referred to as â€Å"the channel†. The PC maker sells its products to distributors, who buy products from many manufacturers and then sell them to a variety of retailers, resellers, system integrators, and others, who sell products and services to the final customer. This distribution system was an effective means for distributing high volumes of PCs with a variety of configurations to reach a broad customer base. However, it had inherent weaknesses that left it vulnerable in a time-based competitive environment. First was its reliance on market forecasting to drive production. Even the most successful PC makers, such as IBM, Apple, and Compaq, were chronically bedevilled by their inability to accurately forecast demand in a market driven by ever shorter product cycles. They were either caught with short supplies of hot products, causing them to lose sales to competitors, or stuck with excess inventories of slow sellers, which clogged the distribution channels and often had to be sold at a loss to move them out. Even with the best forecasting, the indirect model was plagued by the need to hold inventory at each step. In the early 1990s, it was common for PC makers to have up to 90 days of inventory on hand and in the channel. The high inventory costs and lack of responsiveness of the indirect channel meant that there was an opportunity for someone who could a way to circumvent the channel. The company that seized this opportunity was Dell, which pioneered a new business model based on selling PCs directly to the final customer, and building the PC only when an order was received Selling directly removes two links in the supply chain where inventory could build up and also enables Dell to know its final customers, provide better service to them, and promote repeat or expanded sales to them. Build-to-order production allows Dell to introduce new technologies as soon as customers want them and makes it possible to adjust production to demand very quickly. It also means that Dell does not purchase components and assemble PCs until it has received payment from the customer, giving the company a negative cash conversion cycle in which it receives payment from customers before it must pay suppliers. The current environment for the computer hardware industry is shaped by several macro forces. Primarily, Dell and its competitors are influenced by economic, demographic, technological and national forces. Government, social, physical and national forces peripherally affect the computer hardware industry to varying degrees. The commoditization of the personal computer—a vital tool for business and consumer. Customers- are a key driver for the economics of this industry. Corporate spending accounts for 80% of all technology spending, and economic conditions decreasing business capital expenditures has a negative and direct impact on the computer hardware industry. While this industry is mature in the U.S., leading to decreased growth expectations, computer spending by other countries around the world will likely fill this void. Pricing in the computer manufacturing industry is extremely competitive. IT reflects the rapid pace of technological change and decreasing PC costs. Since 2000, the prices of chips and disk drives declined and the standardization of primary components of PCs led to a decline in PC prices. Direct sellers, including Dell, have traditionally been able to under-price indirect sellers in the industry including Compaq and HP. However, most PC vendors now offer a desktop model for less than $500 and a laptop for $700. Key success factors for companies in this industry continue to evolve as the industry matures. Specifically, they include: * Competitive prices * Superior relationships with suppliers * Product customization for business and consumer customers * Quality customer service * Excellent cost structure 2.5.1 Channel Issues Some of the channels issues that the companies face are as follows Product related issues Promotions related issue Pricing related issues Target market related issue Product related issues: The nature and type of the product decides the distribution option that should be chosen for the product. A few products require special handling. Ex. Flowers, Fragile goods etc. Promotion related issues: The type of promotions that are required to sell the products to the customers also decides the distribution options; there are products which require an extensive contact of the sales person with the customer like automobiles etc. and there are products which require no sales assistance from the sales person like milk etc. Pricing issues: The price at which the marketer desires to sell their product also decides the distribution option for the channel if a product is prices really less it cannot have many members in the distribution channel as each one of them looks at making their own profit in the channel. Target market issues: The distribution channel is successful only if the product can reach the right customer. Choosing a distribution channel is the path to reach the target customer. A key decision in setting of a channel arrangement is for the marketer to choose the approach to reach his target customer in the best possible manner. 2.6 Dell 2.6.1 Company Background Dell Inc. is a multibillion dollar, multinational technology firm that manufactures, develops, sells and supports personal computing and computer related products. Based out of Texas, it employ

Swot Analysis In Terms Of Strength Marketing Essay

Swot Analysis In Terms Of Strength Marketing Essay PapaRich is a moderm kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies at affordable Malaysian prices. PappaRich kopitiam has multiplied from one kopitiam to 41 shops around Malaysia, one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. Thailand would be a good market for PappaRich to enter because Thailands GDP by sectors show as high as 45% for service industry. This clearly shows us that PappaRich can invest in Thailand to serve the community with Malaysian authentic, classic, and timeless kopitiam meals. Using the SWOT analysis, in terms of strength, the PappaRich serves the community with Malaysians kopitiam meals with affordable prices with a classic coffee shop ambience. In terms of opportunities, economically the GDP and inflation rate has been steadily increasing in recent years. Interest rate fell sharply due to the US financial crisis. The Thai Baht appreciated against MYR and a result of that, the revenue generated in Thailand comparatively to the Malaysian Ringgit would be higher. The weakness for PappaRich to go into Thailand which is the food that PappaRich is serving might not be accepted by the locals. Besides that, the threats to the company are the political instability due to street protests. PappaRichs success as of today is due to its successful differentiation business level strategy to set them apart from other companies from the same FB industry. PappaRich focuses on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience is what captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. The best way for PappaRich to enter the Thailand market is the franchising market entry strategy. To become a successful FB franchisors that can go nation, PappaRich (the franchisee) can sell the franchisors trade mark, product or services, or trade name and benefits from the franchisors help and support in Thailand market. In return, the franchisee from Thailand need to pays an initial fee to PappaRich and then a percentage of the sales revenue. In cultural analysis, there are five areas to be concerned, the cultural analysis of Thailand and Malaysia is shown respectively; PDI 64;104, IDV 20;26. MAS 34;50, UAI 64;36, LTO 56. This is further elaborated in the pages to come. 2.0 Introduction Many years ago, to enjoy a classic kopitiam meal in Malaysia, such as half-boiled eggs, toasted bread with kaya and butter, and a cup of coffee, one will have to travel many miles back to their hometown. Kopitiam is a traditional breakfast and coffee shop found in South East Asia. Since the establishment of PappaRich in 2006, one need not go the distance. PappaRich is a modern kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies at affordable Malaysian prices. In four years, the string of PappaRich kopitiams have multiplied from one kopitiam in Selayang Mall to 41 shops around Malaysia, one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. It has emerged as a formidable player in the local and food beverage chain. PappaRichs philosophy is to serve authentic, classic and timeless kopitiam meals, the traditional Malaysian style where the locals can mix and mingle in the ambience of a relaxing atmosphere with a sense of belonging. In Thailand, PappaRich intends to serve the Thai community the same philosophy it currently serves the Malaysian community. As there are not many kopitiams in Thailand that serves authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine, PappaRich intends to venture into Thailand by becoming one of the pioneers in serving the authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine. As seen in the diagram on the left, the services industry holds a 45% stake of the total market share for GDP composition in Thailand. Examples of the services industry include the tourism sector and the FB sector. Due to the high stake of the services industry in Thailands GDP percentage, investing in PappaRich in Thailand may be a wise investment choice. Furthermore, potential customers from the tourism sector would be an added advantage to the company into raking in more potential revenue. 3.0 Situation Analysis 3.1 SWOT Analysis 3.2 Strengths As mentioned in the introduction, PappaRichs philosophy is to to serve authentic, classic and timeless kopitiam meals, the traditional Malaysian style where the locals can mix and mingle in the ambience of a relaxing atmosphere with a sense of belonging. This concept is a major strength in branding the kopitiam brand in Thailand as there arent many affordable restaurants in Thailand that serve traditional kopitiam meals. This places PappaRich as one of the pioneers into introducing the cuisine to the Thai locals. Furthermore, it will further strengthen its reputation as being one of the most original and authentic kopitiam in Thailand. Another major strength of the company is its emphasis on clientele service. In the FB industry, it is important to note that service is one of the main priorities in differentiating a good restaurant and a bad one. Thus, PappaRich places much emphasis on its clientele service to not only lure first-time or one-time customers but reoccurring customers, over and over again. 3.3 Weaknesses A major setback that hinders the kopitiam business into the Thai market is the different taste buds between the Thai and Malaysians. Only the adventurous ones may venture out of their comfort zone into eating Malaysian kopitiam cuisine. Furthermore, street food is popular and cheap in Thailand, thus the locals may not be very willing to pay extra for Malaysian food. Besides that, PappaRich and the kopitiam concept is a rather new brand in the region, and thus may acquire more time to be familiarised by the locals. Also, the management style used in Malaysia may not be applicable to the culture of the locals and thus, new management style may have to be devised to suit the employees in Thailand. 3.4 Opportunities and Threats In recent years, Thailand has been politically unstable due to street protests and riots. It is important to note that such political instability is a major disadvantage to the business. This is because, the employees of the company may engage themselves into the protests that halts production and services of the restaurant. Furthermore, a demonstration will hinder potential customers from leaving their homes to eat out as they may fear for their safety. An improvement of technology has both pros and cons to the setting up of the new company. It can improve the cooking standards of the restaurant as better kitchen equipments are purchased to monitor the quality of the food. Furthermore, improvement of the equipments may reduce cooking time that increases efficiency. In time, more customers can be served and profit can be increased. However so, an improvement in technology can bring about an increase in capital cost due to expensive kitchen equipments. As seen in the graph above, the GDP rate of Thailand has been steadily increasing in the last couple of years. However, during the US financial crisis in 2009, there has been a slight fall in GDP. It may be wise to hold back the venturing of the business into Thailand for a couple of months to ensure the stability of the market. During the 2009 US financial crisis, the inflation rate went negative, to as low as -4 showing a shrink of the economy. However so, in 2010, Thailand has begun to pick up the pace and shows that there has been a boost in the economy. As the consumers expectation and confidence is strengthened, Papparich can start investing into Thailand. Unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing over the years. As unemployment falls, more people in the community will have income to spend on goods. As such, it is a good idea to invest into Thailand. Hopefully, when the company decides to invest in the country, there will be people to be employed as staffs. A fall in interest rates in recent years is an advantage as we can apply for loans at low interest rates to set up restaurants in the country. This will encourage more franchising options. Comparitively, the Baht rose 0.115% against the MYR. There are both pros and cons to this situation. Pro, the revenue generated in Thailand comparitively to the MYR would be higher and the con, more money will have to be pumped into Thailand to set up the restaurant, comparitively to the MYR 4.0 Business Level Strategy In order to measure the feasibility of Thailand as a strategic location for expansion, we have to look into the business level strategy of PappaRich. Every organization has a competitive strategy to plan how it will compete in its business and this applies to PappaRich as well. PappaRich is a food beverages (FB) industry that focuses on serving quality authentic traditional Malaysian delicacies at affordable prices and that is their competitive advantage and what sets them apart other regular kopitiam. Aside from that, the ambience of PappaRich has also been one of their greatest assets as the decorated surroundings are chilling and hence many people would choose to go to PappaRich to enjoy one of their specialty; coffee made from locally roasted coffee bean while catching up with friends and family. Theyre also located everywhere as they have over 41 outlets in Malaysia as of today and this brings great convenience to their customers as the nearest outlet is just around the neighbourhood. This is PappaRichs aim in their investment into the Thai market as well that people would have a pleasant experience every time they set foot in PappaRich. With Michael Porters five forces model, managers can determine and control the rules of completion and create a sustainable competitive advantage. Firstly, PappaRich is an FB industry with barrier to entry; PappaRich must comply with the standard set by the Thai government in its policy, the high level of capital needed for investment may be hard to acquire as the result of the recent US financial crisis and also the brand identity may be unknown to most consumers as it is new in the market. Furthermore, economies of scale may also be another barrier to entry for PappaRich as existing companies in Thailand enjoys low cost of production due to this factor and there is no way PappaRich could compete with them in short term period. If PappaRich were to venture into the Thai market, it might face substitute companies such Hailam Kopitiam, Station 1 caf and Old Town Kopitiam and Madam Kwan which are also strong growing FB companies with similar business concept that may also be trying to expand internationally to Thailand as well. Not to mention, the substitute companies that are already in Thailand such as Coffee Bean and Starbucks. However, in terms of bargaining power, many consumers would choose PappaRich over Starbucks for coffee as the price is more affordable in PappaRich. The supplier also plays an important role in determining the feasibility of PappaRich as a good investment opportunity in Thailand as supplier determines the cost of operating and this will affect the total profit of the business. PappaRich can get their supply of raw material from suppliers such as President Rice Products Public Co. Ltd, Siam Future Farm and Exotic Food Co. Ltd. Lastly, the current rivalries that are already in Thailand would also affect the profitability of PappaRich if it were to venture into Thailand as it is a very competitive industry and the competitions are intense. In terms of the target market of PappaRich, it would target the middle income group of consumers as the prices are moderate. It would not fully use the cost leadership strategy which refers to the basis of having the lowest cost in the industry as there are many other companies that have comparable price ranges with PappaRich. Also, PappaRich is a contemporary classy type of coffee shop with required standard of decoration which further increase their cost and this doesnt comply with the low cost leader strategy. In fact, PappaRichs success as of today is due of its successful differentiation strategy to set them apart from other companies from the same FB industry. PappaRich focus on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience is what captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. 5.0 Market Entry Strategy Expanding a company to new market can increase the sale, brand awareness and achieve business stability. To entering new market, we need to study the size of the country, number of opportunities and sheer geographical size. Besides that a proper market entry strategy requires market research so to give us a vision about the existence opportunity, understand the competitive landscape and see who are our potential customers. Foreign market entry can be done via four mechanisms which are exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising. Exporting is the most traditional way to go into foreign market by direct sale of the domestic-products to the country. This can be done through an export intermediary such as commissioned agents and trading companies. Exporting do not require the goods or product must be produce in the target country therefore there is no necessary to invest in foreign facilities. PappaRich is a FB business through serving Malaysian Traditional Delight at their outlets cafe. This mechanism is not suitable for PappaRich extend to Thailand because they are providing service but not produce goods. Licensing is an essential permit to enter a new market. A license is a legal contract to run a business. The licensee is about to pay a fee of exchange for the right to use the property of licensor such as trademarks , patents , and production techniques . For PappaRich, the licensing support comes in the form of outlet setup, outlets designs, menu and recipe of PappaRich, chef and waiters training by experienced Pappa licensing trainers. Joint venture is a legal entity formed when two parties equally invest in terms of money,time and effort on the same project. Basically joint venture happen when one individual want to extend his business to nation while he has no enough of capital to do so and need to find a partner from the target country to run the project together. The joint venture may be an easier first-step for PappaRich to extend to Thailand before go to franchising. PappaRich can reduce the entry risk by using Thailand partners assets through joint venture. Besides, the inadequate knowledge of legal environment can be solve. Through joint venture, PappaRich can start the business at little or no costs. Franchising is another form of licensing. Franchise occurs when the franchisor grants a licence to the franchisee to use their business idea. To become a successful FB franchisors that can go nation, Papparich (the franchisee) can sell the franchisors trade mark, product or services, or trade name and benefits from the franchisors help and support in Thailand market. In return, the franchisee from Thailand need to pays an initial fee to PappaRich and then a percentage of the sales revenue. In a conclusion, we found that franchising is the best way for PappaRich to go into Thailand market as Papparich is FB industry which gives servicing to community. 6.0 Cultural analysis Diagram 1 Country PDI IDV MAS UAI LTO Malaysia 104 26 50 36 Thailand 64 20 34 64 56 Table 1 6.1 Power Distance Index (PDI) Hofstedes PDI measures the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations accept and expect that power is distributed unequally (Geert HofstedeCultural dimensions). On the scale, Malaysia has a score of 104 and Thailand 64. Thailand does not have a large gap between the wealthy and the poor, but have a strong belief in equality for each citizen. Thailand has the opportunity to rise in society compared to Malaysia. Malaysian employees see their managers as being far more superior to them and perceive them as unapproachable. This attitude gives the managers a sense of superiority and empowerment. In Thailand however, people view themselves more as equals hence there is a lot more communication between the employees and managers. 6.2 Individualism Individualism is the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups (Geert HofstedeCultural dimensions). Thailands and Malaysias IDV is at 20 and 26 respectively. A low score, as Thailand and Malaysia has, indicates the society is more of a collectivist than an individualist. This manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member group, is that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. Therefore in Individualism, it can be said that Thailand and Malaysia stands almost the same. Employees in both countries are very team orientated; therefore the managers do not need to make any changes. 6.3 Masculinity Masculinity versus its opposite, femininity refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. Thailand has the lowest masculinity ranking among the Asian countries listed at 34, while Malaysia is listed at 50, compared to the Asian average of 53 and the World average of 50. This lower level is indicative of a society with less assertiveness and competitiveness, as compared to one where these values are considered more important and significant. This situation also reinforces more traditional male and female roles within the population. Therefore it can be said that Malaysia is doing better than Thailand in terms of assertiveness and competitiveness. Thailand should improve in this area in order to continue to compete. Malaysians tend to be a bit more to being assertive and aggressive while Thai employees are more laid back and more accepting of feminine traits. Therefore managers from Thailand have to be stricter in order for their employees to be more efficient. 6.4 Uncertainty avoidance index UAI deals with a societys tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to mans search for truth. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations (Peruvian Attitude On UAI) The UAI indicates the societys low level of tolerance for uncertainty. In an effort to minimize or reduce this level of uncertainty, regulations are adopted and implemented. The ultimate goal of this population is to control everything in order to eliminate or avoid the unexpected. As a result of this high UAI characteristic, the society does not readily accept change and is very risk adverse. The Thailand rank of 64 is slightly higher than the Asian average of 58 while Malaysia is slightly below average of 36. It can be said that Malaysia is doing quite well while Thailand should start to accept change and implement policies to control everything. The Malaysian managers in Thailand will have to change the way they manage their employees and actually put into place more guidelines and rules to get the best out of their Thai employees. 6.5 Long-Term Orientation Long-Term Orientation is the fifth dimension of Hofstede which was added after the original four to try to distinguish the difference in thinking between the East and West, defined as the degree to which one plans for and considers the future, as well as values traditions of the past.( Making Sense of Cross Cultural Communication) Below are some characteristics of the two opposing sides of this dimension: Long term orientation: -persistence -ordering relationships by status and observing this order -thrift -having a sense of shame Short term orientation: -personal steadiness and stability -protecting your face -respect or tradition -reciprocation of greetings, favors, and gifts Thailand measure a middle ranking being listed at 56 while Malaysia has no measures of LTO therefore no comparison can be made between both countries. 7.0 Recommendation Based on both SWOT analysis and Porters competitive force framework, it is the right decision to further the investment of PappaRich Group Sdn. Bhd to Thailand as it has the qualities and potential to penetrate into Thailands market. PappaRich is a modern kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies that is currently doing very well in Malaysia. However in Thailand, PappaRich intends to serve the Thai community the same philosophy it currently serves the Malaysian community. As there are not many kopitiams in Thailand that serves authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine, PappaRich intends to venture into Thailand by becoming one of the pioneers in serving the authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine as well as Thailands own authentic delicacies. Setting up a food industry in Thailand is certainly a wise investment as services industry holds a 45% stake of the total market share for GDP composition in Thailand. Besides that Thailand has a lot advance in the improvement of technology, this can improve the cooking standards of the restaurant, and better equipment in the kitchen which will enhance efficiency and improve in the quality of the food and drinks. In addition, after the 2009 US financial crisis, Thailand has begun to pick up the pace and shows that there has been a boost in the economy. As the consumers expectation and confidence is strengthened, Papparich can start investing into Thailand. Based on the cultural analysis by Hofstedes framework, by comparing PDI, IDV, MAS, UAI, and LTO, the employees and managers in Thailand are more team orientated, more laid back and more accepting of feminine traits, and dominant. The type of managers in Thailand will be suitable to handle PappaRich, although they are not perfect, they are trainings available to improve their standards to achieve better efficiency and to increase productivity. PappaRich is slowly being recognised globally as it has build up a good reputation internationally in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong. Referring to the market entry strategy, requires market research so to give us a vision about the existence opportunity, understand the competitive landscape and see who our potential customers are. Foreign market entry can be done via four mechanisms which are exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising. The strategies of exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising have to be done efficiently in order to enter a new market. Lastly, based on Michael Porters five forces model in the business level strategy, managers can determine and control the rules of completion and create a sustainable competitive advantage. PappaRich is an FB industry with barrier to entry and it requires high level of capital to start up the business. Besides that the brand identity of PappaRich might not be well known in Thailand, it faces substitute companies that are already in Thailand such as Coffee Bean and Starbucks. However, in terms of bargaining power, many consumers would choose PappaRich over Starbucks for coffee as the price is more affordable in PappaRich. The supplier also plays an important role in determining the feasibility of PappaRich as a good investment opportunity in Thailand as supplier determines the cost of operating and this will affect the total profit of the business so maintaining a good relationship with the supplier will definitely give and advantage to the company. The investment to Thailand is a goo d choice as PappaRich focus on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience has also captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. 8.0 Conclusion After much evaluation from the swot analysis, business level, market entry strategy and the cultural analysis, it is concluded that Thailand is a good choice of investment location for PappaRich to venture into internationally. It can also be one of the pioneers of Malaysian food cuisine in Thailand as there are very few coffee shops that serve authentic Malaysian delights in Thailand as of today. Thailands increasing GDP is also another attraction to investment in Thailand as it shows the stability of the economy and the higher expected return on profit because of the appreciation in Thai Baht against Malaysian Ringgit if PappaRich were to venture into Thailand. Other advantages in investing into Thailand include attracting the locals in Thailand to experience new and different culture and delicacies. Furthermore, this provides Malaysian in Thailand a taste of their hometown within reach. Although there are many advantages in investing in Thailand, there ought to be some setback on the investment too and they are such as the political instability of the country which may hinder the operation of the business if the employees were to go on riot. Moreover, the political situation in Thailand may also cause the consumers to be fearful of leaving the house to dine out as it is unsafe. Lastly, from the uncertainty avoidance index, it has shown that Thailand is rank 64 while average in all other countries are at 58, this means that Thailand is very risk adverse and do not like any changes in their countries so they would have very strict policies and laws regarding foreign investment being parked in their country.

The Effects of Stigma and Labeling on Mental Illness Patients and Their

Mental Illness, that name conjures up a vast array of frightening images in the minds of the general public and media; an unfair image that is stigmatizing for the sufferer. The stigma is also pervasive in the mental health field, where patients who receive treatment are sometimes treated unfairly by the practitioners, who are supposed to help them in the first place. This is what my paper will discuss, the effects of stigma and labeling on patients and their families. I have culled many sources from scholarly papers, that back up my claim. I will describe what I thought of about the articles and how they pertain to the main points I am trying to make. In our society today, mental health treatment is considered to be much more humane and scientific, rather than the barbaric treatment given to mental health patients in the past. Although the psychiatric profession has considerably advanced, there seems to be a growing consensus from many mental health consumers and families, that the stigma of the past is still present in the treatment of mental illness today. It is considered inhumane to deprive someone in getting adequate treatment for their mental illness, but that is what is happening to many disabled mental health consumers. The majority of mental health consumers cannot afford to get the advanced treatment that is available to them, unless they either have enough money or good insurance coverage; most however do not. It is usually impossible to get into the specialty psychiatric clinics, like Stanford and UCLA, where treatment is very advanced and up-to date, therefore consumers have to be treated often within the county's mental health system; which is very rated very poor. In the article published by: Sharon Bowland, ... ...ple with mental disorders. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 43(3), 183-200. doi:10.1080/00048670802653349. Kondrat, D., & Teater, B. (2009). An anti-stigma approach to working with persons with severe mental disability: Seeking real change through narrative change. Journal of Social Work Practice, 23(1), 35-47. doi:10.1080/02650530902723308. Rao, H., Mahadevappa, H., Pillay, P., Sessay, M., Abraham, A., & Luty, J. (2009). A study of stigmatized attitudes towards people with mental health problems among health professionals. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing, 16(3), 279-284. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2850.2008.01369.x. Wesselmann, E., & Graziano, W. (2010). Sinful and/or possessed? Religious beliefs and mental illness stigma. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 29(4), 402-437. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Creating A Writing Technology :: Writing Technology Technological Papers

Creating A Writing Technology In reading Tribble and Trubeks’ â€Å"Writing Materials† I learned that writing is a product of historical circumstances and cultural values as well as of individual invention.(2). The reading selections enabled me to realize just how much I and many others take modern technology for granted. In the book writing itself is defined as technology, which threw me off very early in this assignment. I’d previously only thought of technology as something that uses electricity or some type of battery. I do understand that writing has been in many ways perfected by technologies such as the typewriter and computer but writing itself as a technology still seems to be a bit beyond me. My lack of understanding did make this project a little difficult yet interesting but what was more difficult was the project itself. Trying to compose an idea for an invention was a very trying task, but after lots of thought and checklists, I was able to produce an idea that I thought feasible. I found it very easy to think of many different ideas at once and then go through them one by one checking off the things that were wrong or unnatural about them. One of the first ideas I explored was writing in mud. It was natural, I didn’t need many materials and it seemed easy enough. But I came to the conclusion that the text would be difficult to see, as well as understand and the mud would probably crumble into pieces. Another idea I explored was writing in the sand. There were many things wrong with this idea. First, whatever I kept the sand in would be unnatural. Also if the sand was moved, so was the text and lastly where in heck was I going to find sand in my apartment complex. Finally I found an idea that I thought just might work. I would write a message on the bark of a tree with leaves using that sap from the tree to make the leaves stick to the bark. It seemed easy enough, everything was natural but the only thing was that it probably wouldn’t last very long. This I figured would only be a minor obstacle because as with the invention of all new technologies there would be a few glitches.