Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Vital Management - Assignment Example The organization has vital choices like creating key coalitions with neighborhood retailers, offering cost initiative and serious estimating. Chapter by chapter list Strategic administration of TESCO grocery store 14 1 Strategic administration of TESCO general store 1 Executive rundown 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Business condition 5 PEST structure 5 Political components 5 Economical variables 6 Social elements 6 Technological elements 7 Porter’s five powers 7 Threat of new contestant 7 Bargaining intensity of providers 8 Bargaining intensity of shoppers 8 Threat of substitutes 9 Bargaining intensity of contenders 9 Internal investigation 9 Swot examination 11 Challenges confronting the association 12 Strategic alternatives 12 References 14 Introduction Food retail part in the United Kingdom utilizes more than 3 million individuals. This makes it the biggest business in the economy. Be that as it may, a developing number of markets are going under exceptional weight i n light of amateurish treatment dispensed on partners in the gracefully chain. Tesco and different general stores are focused on vital improvement organizes that lead to expanded efficiency. This report gives a key administration examination of Tesco grocery store. ... Joined Kingdom is Tesco’s biggest market. In this market Tesco works under Metro, Express, Extra and Superstore pennants. The retailer has enhanced to non-food lines for example apparel. Tesco conveys near 40,000 food items. The organizations mark items work at three levels. The greater part of the stores contain corner stores. Along these lines, it has developed to happen to the main petroleum retailers in Britain. Tesco individual fund is a retailing administration offered by the general store is an offered to grow its piece of the pie. Business condition The business condition on a retailer assumes a focal job in its benefit. Organizations are feeling the squeeze to recognize their duty to the general public. The presentation of assessments that focus on the expanded promoting of greasy food will undoubtedly influence the exhibition of the grocery store (Stone 2009). The connection among shoppers and supplies has likewise been influenced as a result of the ‘fat taxâ⠂¬â„¢. The nearness of ground-breaking contenders has prompted exceptional value wars. In certain occasions, the outside market condition is unfriendly and governments attempt to shield the nearby businesses from remote rivalry. Government approaches that advance imposing business model controls have been accused for restricted access to certain business sectors and fragments. Such approaches have the ability to lessen the purchasing intensity of buyers. Separation is progressively turning out to be troublesome due to unfortunate rivalry and government obstruction. Tesco has built up an approach in which it decreases the costs for fuel dependent on the measure of deals at its staple goods. The retailer remunerates by bringing costs up in different stores. Bug structure Political factors Besides the United Kingdom, Tesco works in six nations in Europe. The authoritative and

MBA 510 Problem Set I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MBA 510 Problem Set I - Essay Example b. Process the mean deviation. 3.24 square root ((N-Mean)^2+(N1-Mean)^2.../n)= Square root (42/4)= 3.74 c. Process the standard deviation. 3.74 square root ((N-Mean)^2+(N1-Mean)^2.../n-1)= Square root (42/3)= 3.74 b. Lind Chapter 5: Exercises 8, 66 8. An example of 2,000 authorized drivers uncovered the accompanying number of speeding infringement. Number of Violations Number of Drivers 0 1,910 1 46 2 18 3 12 4 9 at least 5 Absolute 2,000 a. What is the analysis The examination is the social event of the informational index b. Show one potential eventA driver has under two speeding infringement c. What is the likelihood that a specific driver had precisely two speeding infringement 18/2000 = .009 d. What idea of likelihood does this outline Relative recurrence 66. A study of college understudies in the School of Business at Northern University uncovered the accompanying with respect to sexual orientation and majors of the understudies: Major Sexual orientation Accounting Management Finance Total Male 100 150 50 300 Female 100 50 200 All out 200 100 500 a. What is the likelihood of choosing a female understudy 200/500 = .4 b. What is the likelihood of choosing fund or bookkeeping major 300/500 = .6 c. What is the likelihood of choosing a female or a bookkeeping significant Which rule of expansion did you apply 250/500 = .5 The expansion rule of autonomous occasions d. Are sex and significant free Why No, the information is reliant upon sexual orientation e. What is the likelihood of choosing a bookkeeping major, given that the individual chose is male 100/300 = .33 f. Assume two understudies are chosen arbitrarily to go to a lunch with the leader of the college. What is the likelihood that both of those chose are bookkeeping majors Acct major = .4 Both acct major = .4*.4 =... 68. The American Automobile Association checks the cost of gas before many occasion ends of the week. Recorded beneath are oneself assistance costs for an example of 15 retail outlets during the May 2003 Memorial Day weekend in the Detroit, Michigan, zone. 70. An ongoing article recommended that in the event that you gain , 25, 000 every year today and the expansion rate proceeds at 3 percent for every year, you'll have to make 33,598 out of 10 years to have a similar purchasing power. You would need to make 44,771 if the swelling rate bounced to 6 percent. Affirm that these announcements are exact by finding the geometric mean pace of increment. 38. The bookkeeping division at Weston Materials, Inc., a national producer of unattached carports, reports that it takes two development laborers a mean of 32 hours and a standard deviation of 2 hours to raise the Red Barn model. Expect the gathering times follow the typical conveyance. 44. The quantity of travelers on the Carnival Sensation during one-week travels in the Caribbean follows the typical conveyance. The mean number of travelers per journey is 1,820 and the standard deviation is 120. 60. In building up guarantees on HDTV sets, the maker needs to set the cutoff points with the goal that couple of will require fix at producer cost. Then again, the guarantee time frame must be sufficiently long to make the buy appealing to the purchaser.

Summer at last

Summer at last Last year, I spent the entire summer working at ETS in Princeton, New Jersey, which is very close to home. Planning for summer 2011, I knew I wanted two things 1) travel farther 2) focus on architecture. The answer was MISTI. MISTI (The MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives) matches MIT students with all-expenses paid internship and research opportunities at various top universities, institutions, and companies around the world. Currently, there are 11 branches of MISTI (China, Japan, France, Brazil, Italy, Germany, India, Israel, Mexico, Spain, Africa). This summer, I have friends going to India, Japan, China, France, and Spain. As for me, I’ll be going to Beijing, China. I’ve been looking at MISTI since CPW/orientation days, and it’s always been between China and France (although its actually possible to do MISTI multiple times!). You see, there is usually a language requirement to the MISTI programs and the two languages I’m really interested in are Chinese and French. Since I ultimately decided to concentrate in Chinese , MISTI-China was the logical follow-up. From mid-June to mid-August, I will be working with a professor in the architecture department at Tsinghua University (colloquially called China’s MIT), helping with public facility projects like schools which is a hugeeeee contrast from normal coursework at MIT. In a few days, I’ll be turning 20 years old. In my last days as an official “teenager”, I’m preparing all I can to travel alone internationally for the first time. Of course I’m excited about experiencing a different stream of architecture than what I’ve been exposed to at MITthe foodthe attractionsthe shoppingand everything distinctively-Chinese China will have to offer. But as I anticipate the trip, I find myself looking forward most to reaffirming the reality of certain memories. So far, I’ve lived half of my life in China and the most recent half in America. But for some reason (probably by the essence of how memory functions), my memories of “China” are blurred. I recall images and dialogues sometimesonly to find that my immediate attempt to grasp harder leads to doubts of whether the memory had been real or just some vivid dream sequence from the past. So I’m interested in finding authenticity â€" the feeling of being in a completely different worldthat’s also completely tangible where my memories may have actually happened. Hoping for favorable Internet conditions in China so I can blog there. :) Edit: I just read Jess Kim(10)’s entry about MISTI Japan, and I really appreciate her point about valuing the ethnic diversity in America. That’s something I think about all the time and recognize as uniquely-American. I haven’t really tried to articulate this thought in anticipation of my trip to China other than blurting out randomly “There will be Chinese people… in China… speaking Chinese…all the time…” My friends look at me with the no duh face…but what I really mean to say is Jess’s point about how homogeneity vs. diversity is such a strong force. I’ve grown to like being just another ethnic flavor in America. Homogeneity is so unfamiliar to me now I can’t imagine living in a country composed of predominantly one kind of people, one shared heritage. But that is what I’m expecting to see in China and I can’t wait to see how reality measures up.

Travel Vocabulary Quiz for ESL Students

The Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe - 2007 Words

The Tell Tale Heart Research Paper In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† by Edgar Allan Poe, Poe delights readers to a very thought out and psychological based short story of a very in depth murder from the murderer’s perspective. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart: Overview† it is proven that: â€Å"One of the most powerful contributions that Edgar Allan Poe made to the short story genre was his insistence that every element of the work contribute to the story’s overall effect. Poe frequently gave this aesthetic demand realistic motivation by making his central character or narrator so physically obsessed with a mysterious phenomenon that everything in the story irresistibly revolves around it, held in place by the psychological equivalent of centrifugal force.† (May) And Mr. Charles E. May could not be any more correct about the phenomenal Edgar Allan Poe. The idea that Poe creates his characters with psychological struggles is proved through his use of dopplegangers between two main characters, the use of motifs related between the eye and the ‘I’ as well as the heart beat and the ticking of the clock, and lastly through the presence of insanity with sexual connotations. It is no secret at all that Edgar Allan Poe was an exquisite man and like most extraordinary people they have an outlet to express themselves. For Poe this outlet was writing, with his writings Poe was able to express his own psychological struggles through his characters and twisted plots. One literary technique Poe used that mostShow MoreRelatedThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe1161 Words   |  5 PagesOut of a vast quantity of these English historians, one stood out to me, his name is Edgar Allan Poe. Poe’s writing had its own unique gothic and horror style. The story, The Tell-Tale Heart is one of his very popular pieces of literature, it not only tells a story, but uses Poe’s unique style of writing to silently incorporate different genres, themes, and symbolism to create a sub-story within the text itself. Poe was born in Boston Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. At the young age of just 2 yearsRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe1569 Words   |  7 PagesIn the short story â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† author Edgar Allan Poe employs several literary devices such as symbolism, allegory, and imagery. These devices enable us to see and better comprehend the story’s events through the eyes of the narrator. The narrator explains that he is extremely nervous but clarifies that he is not insane; he even goes so far as to share an event from his past to prove that he is not crazy. He believes that he loves the old man and has nothing against him except his horribleRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe Essay1477 Words   |  6 Pagesyourself and others that you weren’t in the wrong for doing something bad? Well, the narrator in the story The Tell-Tale Heart does. Edgar Allan Poe is known to write stories that are of Dark Romanticism. Dark romanticism is a literary genre that showcases gothic stories that portray torture, insanity, murder, and revenge. The story â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† is no different. Edgar Allan Poe does a great job with making the readers wonder throughout this short story. This allegory makes reader’s questionsRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe986 Words   |  4 Pagesbade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream.† The Tell Tale Heart is one of Edger Allan Poe’s most famous and creepiest stories. The premise of this gothic short story is that a man’s own insanity gives him away as a murderer. By usi ng the narrators own thoughts as the story Poe displays the mental instability and the unique way of creating a gothic fiction. While other stories written by Poe reflect this same gothic structure and questionable sanity, this story has aRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe author Edgar Allan Poe created a beautiful writing piece called â€Å"Tell Tale Heart†, which included literal elements such as mood, tone, and point of view. The story included a tremulous mood for the reader to be able to feel the excitement of the story. According to the text â€Å"Tell Tale Heart†, it states â€Å"And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror.† This illustrates that the details of the storyRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe1030 Words   |  5 PagesA Guilty- Mad Heart â€Å"Burduck then goes on to ponder how Poe used cultural anxieties and psychological panic to advantage.† (Grim Phantasms, G.A. Cevasco). In The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, a nameless man narrates the story of how he murdered an elderly man because of his eyes. In his short story The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe shows the themes of guilt and the descent into madness through the narrator, in this gothic horror story. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many gothic tales throughout his lifeRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe1133 Words   |  5 Pages Written in 1843, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe incorporates nearly all of the gothic elements. While this piece of art may not contain all of the gothic elements, it is the epitome of a gothic short story. In The Tell-Tale Heart, the setting seems to be inside an old house, which strengthens the atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The madness and overall insanity of the narrator illustrates the sense of high, overwrought emotion. The presence of creaking hinges and the darkness representRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe1644 Words   |  7 Pages Edgar Allan Poe was a prominent American writer whose writing reflected his tragic life. He began to sell short stories for profit after being forced to leave United States Military Academy for lack of financial support. Over the next decade, Poe published some of his best-known works, including The Fall of the House of Usher (1839), The Raven (1845), and The Cask of Amontillado (1846). It is in these stories that Po e established his unique dark writing style that often have the recurring themeRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe879 Words   |  4 PagesIn between guilt, paranoia and obsession The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe uses several literary elements to support the themes of the story. The story is based on a gruesome murder of an old man. The author uses madness, obsession and guilt as themes to prove how the narrator is truly twisted and insane. Madness is the first theme of the story; in the beginning the narrator tries to convince the audience he is not mad (insane). â€Å"TRUE!... nervous very, very nervous I had been and am; but whyRead MoreA Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe1156 Words   |  5 Pagescontain some level of madness. For example in the short stories â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† by Edgar Allan Poe, both of the main character in these stories believe that they are perfectly wise, but their out of control behaviors proves that they’re mentally ill or to be more specific insane. In the short story â€Å"A tell-tale heart† the unknown narrator is telling us a story about his neighbor who is an old man but his of a vulture: blue pale eye is what

The divisions within Northern Ireland society have as much to do with class as religion or nationality Free Essays

The history of Northern Ireland, a state created in 1921, has not been a peaceful one, and the study of the country has been as turbulent – it could be said that there is a ‘meta-conflict’; a conflict about the conflict. The causes of these troubles are varied, and it is far too simplistic to reduce it to just a religious one – although the Protestant faith is now synonymous with unionism, and Catholicism with nationalism, there are in fact many reasons for the divisions within the society. The conflict has become one of national identity, class and political and economic equality, as well as, some have argued, culture. We will write a custom essay sample on The divisions within Northern Ireland society have as much to do with class as religion or nationality or any similar topic only for you Order Now These are all endogenous, i. e. internal, explanations for the fractious nature of Northern Irish life in recent decades, but others have placed the blame on external – exogenous – sources, claiming the behaviour of Great Britain or Ireland (or both) are responsible for the current situation. The roots of these divisions are buried under centuries of conflict, betrayal and mistrust, and, whilst religion played an important part, it was part of a wider economic and political battle. It is important to take these into account, but one of the problems facing Northern Ireland is the sheer amount of unresolved history that underlies every movement and decision. This essay will therefore take the recent ‘Troubles’ as its main focus; that is, the causes and effects of the collapse of the Stormont assembly on 24th March 1972 and the imposition of Direct Rule by Westminster, ending in 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement. Whilst this tentative agreement has by no means brought a complete halt to the violence and divisions in Northern Ireland, there was considerable hope, that has not yet proved to have been completely unfounded, that it would signify the beginning of the end. Northern Ireland had the second highest church attendance in Western Europe after the Republic of Ireland, with 95% of Catholics and 45% of Protestants attending church on a weekly basis in 1969 and there can be no denying the fact that the divisions within Northern Irish society have been given religious labels – on a superficial level at least it is a battle between Catholics and Protestants. If this is so, then it is not unreasonable question to ask just which of the two is principally at fault. Patrick Buckland is just one who feels that it is the Protestant community who see the conflict in religious terms, claiming â€Å"For Catholics the problem was largely political; for Protestants largely religious†. They feared the resources and the power of the Roman Catholic church, with 69% of Belfast Protestants in 1994 believing the Church had a ‘significant, ‘powerful’ or ‘too powerful’ influence in the government of the Republic of Ireland. This fear of the Catholic hegemony, that would swamp and overrun their own way of life and form of worship, helps explain their hostility towards the minority in the North. As an ethnic group, they are defined by their religion, which inevitably shapes their communities, their politics and their outlook. It could even be claimed that they fall back on their faith because they have no national identity of their own. Four features of unionist politics during the period 1972-1998 were clearly influenced by religion. The refusal to reach any significant accommodation with the Catholic minority, the steadfast rejection of any contemplation of an united Ireland, the desire to maintain the Union to preserve the Protestant way of life and the support for the evangelical Democratic Unionist Party were all bound up with Protestantism – the last point echoed in Steve Bruce’s claim that â€Å"the Northern Ireland conflict is a religious conflict [because]†¦ that is the only conclusion that makes sense of Ian Paisley’s career†. Finally, the anthropologist Don Akenson claims that the conflict stemmed from the Ulster Protestants’ belief that they are God’s ‘chosen people’, and this explains their sense of superiority, their ability to discriminate against their Catholic population without qualms and their determination to retain the autonomy of the Six Counties, their ‘promised land’. However, it is also possible, as many Unionists have done, to blame the divisions on the Catholic religion. Many extreme loyalists claimed that nationalism is nothing by the tool of the Vatican in an attempt to ‘turn back the tide’ of Protestantism. Whilst this view is perhaps a little extreme, they pointed to the ‘religious genocide’ that took place in the South between 1941 and 1971, when the Protestant proportion of the population fell from 10% to 4. 1%, the legal enforcement of Catholic morality that caused the Protestant emigration to the North and the Papal law ensuring that the offspring of ‘mixed’ relationships were raised as Catholics. Unionists also argued that it was the Catholic hierarchy that consolidated the divide by teaching a Catholic, southern Irish national identity within their schools, that it was their refusal to accept the legitimacy of the Union and its security forces that led to the downfall of the first Stormont Assembly. They were also incensed by the Church’s refusal to excommunicate members of the IRA, as they did during the Civil War between 1922-3, and their willingness to bury IRA dead and hunger strikers in consecrated ground. This, coupled with the discovery of IRA weapons on church land, led to the belief, in Unionist circles at least, that the Church played an active role in the conflict. It was this strident and violent Catholic nationalism that linked Protestantism to unionism – after all, there were a small number of Catholic unionists, which is not to be expected if Protestantism and unionism had been one and the same from the very beginning. Despite all this, it must be remembered that the conflict was not a theological one, and that religion alone cannot explain the divisions within society. Although Northern Ireland still does have one of the highest church attendance figures outside the Republic, in line with the increasingly secularisation of the rest of the UK and Europe, numbers fell (just 29% of Protestants and 67% of Catholics went to church weekly in 1998) as the conflict developed, intensified and continued. The period 1972 and 1998, saw Northern Ireland become an increasingly secularised state – between 1981 and 1987 the divorce rate increased at the same rate as Great Britain’s and the number of births outside marriage doubled – yet the divisions continue. If the conflict was the result of purely religious reasons, it would be expected that there would have been a correlation between areas most afflicted by the Troubles and the degree of religious intensity of the inhabitants, but this simply was not the case – the most devout communities were to be found in the countryside, but the vast majority of the violence was carried out in the cities, which recorded much lower church attendance figures – in 1992 it was estimated in one Belfast Catholic parish just 38% of the population attended mass on a weekly basis. The same should have been true for the paramilitaries, that those most committed to the cause would also have been the most devout, but there is considerable evidence that many only turned to religion after incarceration; most famously, many of the hunger strikers led by Bobby Sands in 1981 had converted to Catholicism once in jail. There has also been a careful avoidance by the main political parties in the province to avoid religious labels – the DUP was formerly the Protestant Unionist Party, but swiftly changed its name to the Democratic Unionist Party in 1971 – preferring terms such as ‘social democratic’, ‘unionist’, ‘nationalist’ and so on, and they pursue political and economic – not religious – policies. It should also be pointed out that even if they did have religious labels, it would not have necessarily meant that the conflict was a religious one – numerous European political parties, the German CDU being just one example, proudly possess a religious name. Between 1969 and 1994, only one Protestant cleric was killed, and he, the Reverend Robert Bradford, was a hardline, outspoken UUP MP, and both sides, to a greater extent, respected the sanctity of churches and churchmen. An important point in this issues is that there is, in fact, nothing intrinsically religious about Catholics taking up arms in the late 1960s/early 1970s against a perceived aggressor or oppressor. This was not a ‘holy war’, not a crusade, but a fight against the inequalities and discrimination they faced. Nor was the Protestant discrimination of Catholics inherently religious – Catholics were treated unjustly because they were seen as disloyal to the state, not because of their rosaries and belief in transubstantiation. The question of whether the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ were prompted by the religious tensions is best summed up by John McGarry and Brendan O’Leary when they said â€Å"There is no need to invent ingenious religious agendas to account for militant republican paramilitarism† and the same is true for the loyalists. There are a number of other, more fundamental and realistic issues that explain the divisions within the province. There were clear class divisions within Northern Irish society throughout the twentieth century that could be said to have had an effect on the development of the Troubles. Stated crudely, there a disproportionate of the middle classes were Protestant, whilst Catholics were much more likely to make up the working classes. In 1971, 69% of Catholics were manual workers, in comparison to 59% of Protestant, and throughout the period the number of unskilled Catholic workers rose, whilst Protestant figures fell. Thus the Northern Irish conflict could be seen in terms of a Marxist struggle – one where the mainly Protestant elites were attempting to maintain the status quo against the demands of the Catholic working class. However, this would be to oversimplify the problem, and overlooks the not insubstantial Catholic middle class and ignores the significant influence the Protestant working class were able to exert on the Unionist leadership. If it had been an issue of class, then it would not be unreasonable to expect that political parties would have organised along class lines, but this was not necessarily the case. Whilst the UUP was heavily dependent on the support of the Protestant working class, this was not at the expense of middle class votes. The differences between the DUP and the UUP were not class-based, but simply political, although it could be said the SDLP attracted more middle-class nationalist support than Sinn Fiin before 1998. It might also have been expected that the small Catholic middle class would have been more unionist in character, if it had merely been a class struggle. Therefore to perceive the divisions in society as being along class lines is misleading, but there is a case for looking at the economic inequalities between the two communities, and the effect that they had on the formation and character of the conflict. In 1989, the Northern Ireland Office Minister Richard Needham said â€Å"If work can be found for 10,000 unemployed boys in West Belfast †¦ that in itself will do more to impact on the political and security areas than anything else. In all societies, political stability is linked to economic prosperity, and the fact that, for most of the period 1972 to 1998 the Northern Irish economy consistently underperformed economically in comparison to the mainland. At times in the 1970s, unemployment reached levels as high as 12%, whilst Great Britain had enjoyed full employment. Key staple industries, such as textiles, ship- and airplane building suffered from fierce overseas competition and by the 1970s were in near-terminal decline. Political extremism, and, by extension, paramilitarism was always more prevalent amongst the disadvantaged on both sides of the religious divide rather than the more affluent; a considerable proportion of the violence emanates from deprived Catholic and Protestant ghettos. Therefore there is some truth in Needham’s statement – if Northern Ireland’s economy had been stronger, then perhaps the more violent nature of the conflict could have been contained. A very important economic issue was that of discrimination. In 1971, 17. 3% of Catholic men were unemployed, in contrast to just 6. 6% of Protestants. Twenty years later, the figures were 21. 3% and 9. 6% respectively. For those Catholics in work, they could expect to be paid considerably less than their Protestant counterparts. Direct and indirect discrimination against Catholics were inherent in the economic inequalities they faced. Thus the roots of the conflict can be seen in Catholic demands for an improvement in their economic situation, but attempts, especially under the leadership of Terence O’Neill, to address these discrepancies had an important consequence: the Protestants became increasingly more determined to protect their economic privileges. They began to complain of what Birrell called ‘reverse relative deprivation’, that is, during the 1970s Protestants began to feel relatively deprived as the gap between them and Catholics began to close, which led to an increased resistance to anti-discrimination policies, which in turn fuelled Catholic discontent. By the 1990s, the violence of loyalist paramilitaries were being attributed to the perception that Catholics were now doing better than Protestants, thanks to ‘reverse discrimination’ in their favour – this point of view was especially prevalent in the Shankhill area of Belfast, as uncovered by the 1993 Opsahl Commission. Another economic motive that could help explain the divisions within Northern Ireland was the clear financial disadvantages of abandoning the Union. In the words of McGarry and O’Leary, â€Å"Protestants are said to be more loyal to the half-crown than to the Crown†. One of the reasons Unionists were so opposed the idea of a united Ireland was because it would lead not only to the end of their economic advantages, but to a general decline in the average standard of living, seeing as the Republic simply could not guarantee degree of expenditure on the province as Britain – by the early 1990s, the subsidy given to Northern Ireland from London actually exceeded the Republic’s income tax revenue. This does not explain the continued nationalist support for and end to the union, even when aware of the inevitable economic disadvantages, but it is an important factor in understanding Protestant intransigence. However, economic factors alone simply cannot explain the divisions that led to the outbreak of the ‘Troubles’, or their continuation for so long. As Trotsky pointed out, if mere deprivation was the cause of revolutions, the masses would always be in a state of rebellion. If economic reasons were the cause of violence between the two communities, it would be expected that periods of depression would be accompanied by an intensification of conflict, which simply was not the case: after the 1958 slump there was no outbreak of violence, and the ‘Troubles’ actually started during a period of relative growth, falling unemployment and increasing prosperity, which would point to a political, rather than economic, trigger. Whilst political extremism is more likely to be found in underprivileged areas, repression (especially in the case of nationalist groups) was still as major reason for joining paramilitary forces, rather than objective deprivation. As already mentioned, there was no economic incentive for the Six Counties to unite with the South, especially before the Republic’s emergence as a ‘Celtic Tiger’, but the British subvention of the province also does not fully explain Protestant unionism, for it increased considerably during the years of Direct Rule, and in 1972 it was nowhere near the i3. billion it was in 1998. Unionism was driven by the belief in the right to self-determination and the resolve to preserve the Protestant way of life, not an economic self-interest, and equally, â€Å"Nationalism has a social psychological basis rather than a purely or largely materialist foundation† (McGarry and O’Leary). For shared material experiences to shape a community in any significant way, they must firstly, according to McGarry and O’Leary, have a deep sense of national identity formed through shared historical or geographical experiences and facilitated by common culture, language or religion. Whilst economics clearly played a crucial role in consolidating existing divides, it does not explain the existence of the divisions in the first place. The violent divisions in Northern Ireland society can all be traced to the problem of national identity. Culturally, there was no real divide between the two communities, except over fairly superficial matters such as sport and newspapers. Religious, economic, class and cultural issues, whilst important in understanding the complexity of the Ulster question, are not, in themselves, enough to explain the underlying causes. In terms of religion, whereas the Catholics were a single denomination, the various Protestant denominations were united only by the fact that their non-Catholicism, which was not strong enough to produce a strong enough degree of cohesiveness. Religious labels, however, were used as a demarcation between the two communities. Unionists were not united by their religion, their class or their economic self-interest, but by their identification with the rest of the United Kingdom, by the fact that they considered themselves to be British – even when the government did not necessarily agree. Equally, nationalists were united in the belief that they are Irish, and spiritually and ethnically a part of the southern Republic. People were members of a ‘religious community’, considered to be a ‘cradle’ Catholic or Protestant regardless of their actual religious or non-religious conviction; their religious label was an ethnic label. Whilst churches maintained and reinforced the social boundaries, through religiously driven activities, and the high rates of endogamy (in 1968, 96% of the population had parents of the same religion, whilst between 1943 and 1982 just 6% of all marriages were mixed), the persistence of segregated schooling (just 2% of primary and secondary school pupils in 1994 attended an integrated school) and residential separation, the divisions were originally caused by something else: â€Å"religion reinforced nationalism, not the other way round†. Thus political and economic discrimination of the Catholics by the Protestant majority can be explained in terms of Protestant fears that their national identity would be lost in a united Ireland. Their determination to remain a part of the United Kingdom, and their extreme reluctance to grant significant civil rights to the Catholic minority was as a result of their fear of losing their way of life, as well as just an unwillingness to relinquish their privileged status. As McGarry and O’Leary succinctly put it: â€Å"National and ethnic attachments tend to be much more binding and explosive in historically established and stable communities than alternative solidarities, like gender or class† and this is especially true of Northern Ireland. There are many aspects of the divisions in Northern Ireland society that this essay has not addressed. More could be said about cultural differences, and the long-term political discrimination, such as gerry-mandering, faced by Catholics that led to the Troubles between 1972 and 1998. External factors, such as British and Irish policy, and other long-term historical factors, such as the nature of British colonialism of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, such as the impact of plantation on the political dynamic of the province. It is impossible to blame the Troubles on class conflicts, for Protestants and Catholics simply do not divide neatly into a unionist middle class and nationalist working class. Economic factors did have a significant impact on the development of grievances and intransigence, but also only provide an incomplete picture. Superficially, the conflict can be seen in religious terms – after all it is often described as Catholics against Protestant, as well as nationalist versus unionist. However, in recent decades, as Northern Ireland follows the general European trend for secularisation, and church attendance figures continue to fall, the religious labels are a sign of ethnicity, rather than belief. The entrenched nature of the divisions between the two communities, in the face of improving economic and political conditions and increasing secularisation during the period 1972 and 1998 means that there must have been a further, deeper cause for the conflict, and the question of nationality – British or Irish – is more convincing than the other, admittedly important, possibilities. How to cite The divisions within Northern Ireland society have as much to do with class as religion or nationality, Papers

Thomas Friedman on Globalisation and Structure †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Thomas Friedman on Globalisation Structure and Strategy. Answer: Thomas Friedman on Globalisation 3 Eras of Globalisation World is flat In this video, Thomas Friedman is giving an insight of three great era of globalization. He explains these periods through providing some of the changes that have occurred from 1492 until now. One of the key ideas from this video is the transformations which have occurred and the factors which triggered globalization from initial era up to date. In terms of country globalization, Friedman argues countries were the agents of globalization and bases his argument on countries colonizing other nations (Juergensmeyer, 2014). Friedman urges that the second era of globalization lasted between the year 1820s to 2000 and was defined and spearheaded by companies globalizing. In this era, companies started expanding to other countries in the search for markets and labor. He also says this era moved globalization from size medium to size small. From this argument, it shows that Friedman felt that globalization was going small in terms of size. The era of globalization between 2000 until now is n ot defined or spearheaded by countries or companies globalizing (Asefa, 2010). He says that the current era is characterized by what he terms as new, unique, and terrifying aspects. One of the important ideas Friedman derives from the third era of globalizing the reason which triggers individual globalization. According to his sentiment, what is unique, exiting and terrifying in this era is the degree in which it empowers and requires individuals to globalize themselves and think themselves as potential connectors, collaborators and competitors with other individuals anywhere in the world (Thomas, 2013). The primary point of Friedman in this video was trying to explain globalization in terms of size and the purpose of globalization in each era. There are numerous companies which can benefit from Friedmans ideas (Bss, 2010). One of these companies is Hunter mason in Sidney. This is because this firm is one of the fastest growing in Australia and using Friedmans views can assist it to expand to not only in Australia but also in the global market. The company can use Friedman concept to globalize bit by bit. For example, it can start by testing the global market through beginning with small investment and end up establishing huge investment if it finds the market fit. Friedman argued that globalization has had different transformations and therefore this company can look at the changes in the present era and work based on it. The idea of a company globalizing to search for markets and labor may be beneficial for this company. The company can use Friedmans concept through its Human resource department to look for the countries with cheap and reliable labor. This Company can also use this department to look for the countries whe re it can cope with the labor regulations (Spooner, 2015). The marketing department can play a significant role in analyzing the global market and finding which country best fits the operations of this company. This can be through analyzing consumer buying behavior, analyzing competition and so forth. Themanagement should always factor in all individual views concerning expansion of this company to other countries because Friedman argues that the current era of globalization is individual and is characterized by energy, curiosity and passionate of the power of individual and Structure and Strategy BCG's Yves Morieux provides an insight of organization and competitive advantage. The primary idea in this case was trying to explain why organization should be taken as the central component of attaining a competitive advantage. He argued this by saying that organization is the central determination of competitive advantage because its strategy determines the behavior of the people. According the Morieux, the major organizational advantage of the organizations in the next decade will be the ability to organize and leverage the intelligence of its people (Russo, 2010). According to his view, competitive advantage in companies is made of the organization, behaviors and team habits. This means companies which do not consider these factors are likely to face challenges in trying to challenge their rivals in terms of competition. Moreiex also argues that lack of perceiving signals concerning threats and opportunities may lead to wrong decisions. This indicates that organizations which wa nt to succeed in competition must analyze the opportunities and weaknesses in both their companies and in the market (Thomas, 2012). Another key idea from the video is that the main aspect of organizational strategy is the ability to translate the strategy into structure, processes and systems of the organizations. Another important point which Morieux tries to deliver is how bureaucracy emerges. According to him bureaucracy in organizations emerges from very valuable and respectful principles like efficiency and equity. The last key point which he derives is that the nature of company organization determines the ability of a company to come up with sound strategy. One of the companies which can benefit from these ideas is landlease group. This is because this company operates in the building and manufacturing sector which has been classified as one of the most competitive sector in Australia. This company is also a multinational corporation, meaning it competes with different companies in different countries and therefore it should use the right strategies to attain a competitive advantage (Kaushik, 2016). One of the ways which this company can use these ideas are ensuring it is well organized. Themanagement should ensure there are clear mediums of communication, team work, and all levels ofmanagement works together to ensure proper competitive strategies are established in the organization (Kumar, 2012). Themanagement should also ensure that there is equity and efficiency in the organization in order to attain bureaucracy. The company can also employ these ideas by ensuring the marketing department analyses both the company and the market to find out the possible weaknesses and opportunities. This will assist in coming up with the right strategy on how to compete. For example, making use of the strengths and weaknesses identified can assist the management to plan on how to differentiate its products, segment the market, price its products, target customers and so forth. Morieux pointed out that the main aspect of organizational strategy is the ability to translate the strategy into structure, processes and systems of the organizations. The company can attain this through ensuring all staff members are trained on how to convert the competing strategies which the company has established into structure, processes and systems. Bibliography Asefa, S., 2010. Globalization and International Development: Critical Issues of the 21st Century. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Bss, M., 2010. The Nation-State in Transformation: Economic Globalisation, Institutional Mediation and Political Values. Aarhus University Press: Aarhus, Denmark. Juergensmeyer, M., 2014. Thinking Globally: A Global Studies Reader. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Kaushik, M., 2016. Factors That Contribute towards Competitive Advantage: A Conceptual Analysis. IUP Journal of Business Strategy, 13(1), p. 2016. Kumar, s. P., 2012. Management of Business Processes Can Help an Organization Achieve Competitive Advantage. International Management Review, 8(2), pp. 56-89. Russo, M., 2010. Companies on a Mission: Entrepreneurial Strategies for Growing Sustainably, Responsibly, and Profitably. Stanford Business Books: Stanford, CA. Spooner, B., 2015. Globalization: The Crucial Phase. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology: Philadelphia. Thomas, K. J., 2013. Globalization and Developing Countries: A Global Participation Model. Economics, Management and Financial Markets, 3(4), pp. 88-99. Thomas, M., 2012. Competitive Strategies for the 21st Century: Theory, History, and Practice. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Russian Accounting Essays - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Russian Accounting The previous Russian accounting standards are still being used and creating much turmoil today. Financial statements are inaccurate turning profits into losses and changing losses into earnings (vice versa). One issue covered in the article was the strict enforcement of laws. The soviet central planners don't give accountants enough freedom for them to think for themselves. Instead of allowing accountants to set depreciation rates according to real wear and tear the state publishes a book dictating the life span of everything from wooden chairs to tools. Another issue covered in the article was the banking problems in the Russian nation. Russian banks keep obsolete equipment on their books for a long period. The Central Bank is attempting to change this and is pressuring the banks to disclose the true state of their finances. The two issues discussed in the article give the idea of a big cultural characteristic of the Russian nation. The use and understanding of Hofstede's chart was a useful resource when reading the article. The use of statutory control was clearly evident. As well as the use of secrecy for their financial statements and banking system was easily understood. Business Reports

How to Write a History Essay on the Internet

How to Write a History Essay on the Internet This is the last part of a three-part guide on the Internet’s History. The first part 11 facts on Internet history for a proficient essay was where you learned some interesting and informative facts about the Internet’s history. The second part 20 topics on Internet history for a proficient essay helped you in selecting a topic, plus provided you with a sample essay on one of those topics. Now it’s time to discuss how we’re going to write an the essay on Internet’s history: Structure The most basic element of a history-related article is thesis and proof. Furthermore, there are more segments such as introduction, development of arguments and a firm conclusion. These are the basic guidelines that all scholars use for their history-based essays. Thesis If you’re looking to write a history essay on the Internet, then you’ll need to come up with a thesis. This thesis will have a statement which is your basic argument on what the entire essay is based on. This argument will be your perception on the topic that you’ve chosen. Later on in the essay, you’ll give evidence and show research to support your thesis. The more original the thesis, the better your essay and final grade will be. Evidence As mentioned above, it is vital that you back your thesis up with strong evidence. The trick is to come up with an impressively unique thesis and provide enough evidence that it raises doubts, at the very least. Since its an historical essay on the Internet, you should mention dates and quotes so that there is a certain level of authenticity to your research. Your work isn’t finished after only  mentioning some interesting facts and figures. They need to be persuasive, reasonable and presented in a systematic manner so that it convinces readers that your thesis is rock solid. Guidelines, Rules and Procedures Before anything else, we urge you to go through all guidelines mentioned by your professor. The topic itself can sometimes be misleading. If the topic and essay content do not match, then your essay on Internet history might be rejected. Words like Describe, Evaluate, Compare, Contrast or Analyze all mean very different things. Give the right referencing as required and submit your work with complete confidence. Key Points The best way to go about this kind of essay topic is to organize all your ideas on a piece of paper. You should give an order to the list of arguments and their evidence. This allows you to see whether your arguments and evidence match your thesis. Make sure the essay is well-articulated, all the paraphrasing speaks well to the topic, and the train of thought is demonstrated. If you want your train of thought to shift slightly, make sure this transition is smooth. Finally, conclude your essay in a descriptive paragraph that covers everything. The conclusion should touch on all the key points of the essay: your thesis, arguments, evidences and what you proved. That is all. We wish you the best of luck for your college  essay on the history of the Internet.

The Extent to Which Global Warming May Impact the Oceans Biological Research Paper

The Extent to Which Global Warming May Impact the Oceans Biological Systems - Research Paper Example Controlling gas emissions and pollution worldwide has been a critical challenge for governments worldwide. Up to now a series of plans has been developed for securing the limitation of the negative effects of human-related activities on the environment. The results of the relevant efforts seem to be disappointing. In many cases, this failure has been related to the lack of funds for the support of the relevant programs. However, such claim could not be accepted especially since schemes have been developed at the international level for securing the funding of these plans by all countries, according to their economic performance. At this point, the following question appears: how climate changes tend to be continuously increased, at international level, even if the measures taken by most governments are extended? It should be noted that the literature developed in regard to this subject may not always refer directly to global warming but rather to climate change and its effects on the ocean’s biological systems. This is because global warming is considered as closely related to climate change, even as an aspect of climate change, so the emphasis is often given to climate change in general and not specifically to global warming. It is implied that the assumptions made after the relevant research are also related to global warming. It is proved that, indeed, global warming is able to impact these systems. Then, the exact consequences of global warming on the ocean’s biological system are checked and analyzed. It is revealed that the role of global warming on the alteration of ocean’s biochemistry, as related to the ocean’s biological systems, is higher than expected.  Moreover, no signs seem to exist for the limitation of the phenomenon. Instead, the research deve loped in this field indicates the continuous decrease of the ocean’s marine organisms and the continuous deterioration of the ocean’s overall biological systems.  

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

History - Essay Example Globalization is a continuous process that is yet to be realized in some developing nations. However, historians believe that it began in Europe, during the BCE. This discourse is about the history and the demand among other relevant aspects of globalization. History records that the earliest globalizations were realized when there was need to expand the trade links and capacities between two major trading partners, namely Indus and the summer during the 3rd millennium B.C.E. This occurred during the Hellenistic era, associated with the introduction of Greece culture into commercialized zones like India and Spain among others. Some historical records that Alexandria is among the first cities to embrace globalization, even though others believe it adopted globalization few decades after the initial globalization was recorded. Greece main force to expand its operations and trade with other regions was the issue of importing wheat among other major raw materials. The commodity was entir ely transported by the ships and canoe among other water transport vessels that existed during the Hellenistic era. Several trade links were later established and the three main links were the Han dynasty, the famous Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire among others. There was an expansion in transport routes from the borders of ancient China to Rome to enhance international trade. Furthermore, there was increase in Greece Ships sailed to the furthest corner of India among other Asian nations, in search of wheat among other raw materials. First globalization was meant to enhance international trade between the earliest Asian and European nations; however, it came with several negative implications to the societies involved. The Chinese from the Han Empire developed some conflicts that led to ancient war with other Asian Kingdoms like the Persians and the Indian Kingdoms among other Asian kingdoms. Han who was the ruler of Wu Empire declared war with the Yuezhi Kingdom, with the main aim of taking control of the Tarim Basin. Globalization was further enhanced by the Muslims during the golden age, when more trade routes or links were established between the Radhanites or Jewish and the Muslim community. The two communities developed their technology, trade and agricultural practices after some interactions. Muslims resolved in producing large volumes of Sugar, cotton and wheat among other crops. Small part was internally consumed while the rest was transported to European region, for international trade purposes. The second phase of globalization also called proto-globalization occurred in the 16th and 17th century when European Empires explored other developing regions and this resulted to influence of the European culture and trade among other aspects. Portuguese and Spanish empires were the first to make such movements or initiatives and they colonized the United States and Horn of Africa among other territories. The British and the Dutch also followed and th e expanded or rather global trade links which further led to establishment of multilateral companies like the Dutch East India among others. There was an increased trade trend in food and slaves to the European regions. Slave trade promoted the spread of communicable diseases in both Africa and Europe, more so along the trade routes. The final stage of

European Union Regional Policy

European Union Regional Policy After the Second World War, there had been attempts to re-unify the war-torn countries in Europe. However, there were many obstacles along the processes made. Problems still existed between rival countries such as between France and Germany, and economic situations in the European countries after the war was in a need of development. In order to cope with such problems of economy and relation between these countries, a community was created in 1951 by having first coal and steel as their central shared interests. This European Coal and Steel Community later developed in to the European Economic Community and finally in to the well-known European Union. This kind of community allows its member to improve their economic conditions through custom union and free trade, while advances their diplomatic relationship through their interactions. Efforts to integrate Europe can also be seen in 6 enlargements of the Union; allowing other states of Europe to join after they have accepted the co mmunity law. However, allowing other states to be members of the Union means there will be differences between the new and the old members of the union especially in economic terms. The most significant enlargement was the 5th enlargement in 2004 which was when the ten poor states in Europe decided to join the Union. In order to lessen the financial gaps between the members, the Regional Policy came in and played a major role in improving the economic disparities between states to allow their economy to grow. This paper will be focusing on the background of the regional policy, reasons why it is needed, main objectives, geographical eligibility, and who decides the funding. Background The idea of balancing the economic status of member states in the community has been there since the very early years of the European integration, or around 1950s. There were three sectors of financial support which were created during 1957- 1988; the beginning of the integration, to help funding the development missions of the European Community; the European Social Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In 1986, the cohesion policy was introduced after the agreement on the Single European Act with the objectives of re-uniting and developing the economy of member states all together. However, in order to achieve the goal of market development through support and competition between states, the members of the Union have to be equally strong or at least, the differences between countries shall not be very high in economic sense, or the poorer ones will not be able to survive within the Union. Reasons for having the European Regional Policy The European Union expansion has been achieved, but only in the number of members, not in economic and social development terms. Different countries have different financial and social status, but to unite them together and to improve their economic growth, these differences have to be reduced to the extent that they will not affect the countries with economic and social disadvantages in a negative way, but allow them to grow stronger together and compatible with the more-developed nations in the community. The enlargement in 2004 has included 10 poorer countries in Europe in to the Union; Poland, Cyprus, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania and other 2 later on in 2007; Romania and Bulgaria, in to the European Union; making its numbers increased to 27 members (the EUs 5th Enlargement, 2004). The population of the union has increased significantly by 20%, but there was only 5% increase in the GDP or the Gross Domestic Product of the Union. The problem here is that now the GDP per person is lower than the average level of the European Union-27 in the percentage of 25% (one in four regions); making it a need to diminish their differences (Regional Policy, 2009). It is an idea agreed by all of the Unions members that in order to improve the economy of each state and of the union as a whole, competition within the market is required. To survive in the competitive market and to improve its economy, a state needs to make itself capable of competing. The regional policy is there for financing the in-needed regions projects and helping the countries within the union to reach their goal of economic expansion, competitiveness, and solidarity. Ideas and technology can also be shared between states as in the process of development. Main objectives There are three main objectives divided by the Union; Convergence, Regional Competitiveness and Employment, and European Territorial Cooperation, and three structural funds and instruments; the European Fund for Regional Development, the European Social Fund, and the Cohesion Fund. The policy for integrating and balancing the economic and social conditions in Europe is also known as the Cohesion Policy; whose current budget of 2007-2013 is 347.41 billion euro or around 35.7% of the overall budget of the European Union (Regional Policy, 2009). The Convergence Objective aims to promote economic growth and social development for the least-developed members of the Union in order to gain their ideal convergence. The areas of concern are environment, tourism, culture, transportation, energy, education, health, risk prevention, etc. The funding for this objective is consisted of around 282.8 billion euro (81.54% of the total Cohesion Policy funding) provided by the EFRD, ESF, and the Cohesion Fund [ibid]. The Regional Competitiveness and Employment objective helps supporting regions to toughen their economy by investing on the public and private sectors of the regional economy to emphasize on competition, attractiveness and employment. By doing so, they believe that it will provide more works with better standard for the people of each region which will also improve the regions economic and social conditions. This objective also has its aim on preserving the environment, improving transportation and communication system. The amount of funding for this objective is 55 billion euro (15.95% of the total Cohesion Policy funding) provided by EFRD and ESF [ibid]. The European Territorial and Co-operation objective is funded by the European Fund for Regional Development with the amount of 8.7 billion euro (2.52% of the total Cohesion Policy funding) [ibid]. This objective aims at improving the integrated regions social and economic conditions, transnational cooperation, and underlining the effectiveness of the Regional Policy. Geographical Eligibility The state members who are eligible for receiving the Cohesion Policy Fund are mostly countries from the 5th and 6th enlargements in 2004 and 2007, whose Gross National Income (GNI) are less than 90% of the average of the European Union. Regions which get this kind of funding are; Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia (Regional Policy, 2009). Spain is another country that fits in this category, however, for Spain it is a special case since its GNI was low enough for this category when EU had 15 members. In order to deal with this matter, Spain was put under the â€Å"phasing-out system,† so the country will not be much affected after the ten poorer states join the Union in 2004. The Convergence objectives funding is available for countries whose Gross Domestic Product per person is lower than 75% of the European Union average (Regional Policy, 2009). Examples of regions in this category (EU-25) are; the whole Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia, parts of Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Italy, France, United Kingdom, and Portugal. For the phasing-out system; which was introduced to help reduce the effect it might have on the poor countries receiving this funding before the poorer 10 countries join the EU, which concerns countries who were eligible at the time when EU had 15 members are some regions in Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The Regional Competitiveness and Employment Objectives funding is available to regions who are not supported by the convergence objective, and until 2013- whose GDP is higher than 75% of the EU-15 average. Examples of these regions are those in Eire-Ireland, Greece, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, etc. The geographical eligibility for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective consists of cross-border cooperation; transnational and interregional cooperation- including regions within a distance of 150km. alongside of inner, outer land borders, and maritimes. Who decides funds? The European commission will discuss with its member states about the cohesion policy and the strategy for dealing with each states conditions in order to reduce the existing disparities between the more developed and the less developed regions within the Union. After come to an agreement, the Commission will draw out a proposal and hand it over to the European Parliament and the European Council who will take it into consideration and decide on the structural funds and their regulations. Conclusion The expansion of the European Union is going well throughout the decades; however, after accepting new members from the poorer regions, especially in the enlargement of 2004, the European Union has faced with a bigger problem of social and economic differences between member states. In order to cope with this matter, the Regional Policy has been emphasized on more than in the past to improve the newly-joined-less-developed regions and the old-less-developed regions economic and social status, so that they are compatible with the more developed countries. In order to improve the European Unions economic and social status, the market has to remain its competitiveness and solidarity, meaning that if the poorer countries are less capable, they may not be able to survive or improve their economy, but financially and socially fail. The Regional Policy helps improve the smaller bits of the member states in regional scale to make better environment for the future stronger economy of the cou ntries and strengthen their conditions, so that they will be able to compete in the domestic and international market, improve their social and economic situations and also those of the Union as a whole. References Regional Policy, 2009. Regional Policy. European Commission. [online] Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/history/index_en.htm [Accessed 20 March 2010]. The EU`s 5th Enlargement, 2004. The European Union in the World. Enlargement. [online] Available at: http://www.dellbn.ec.europa.eu/en/enlargement/index.htm [Accessed 20 March 2010]. Malais J. Haegeman, H., 2009. Analysis on the European Union Regional Policy. European Union Regional Policy. [online] Available at: http://www.iiuedu.eu/press/journals/sds/sds1_july_2008/07_SECC_03.pdf [Accessed 20 March 2010].

Social Networking: A Negative Influence on Young Adults Essay -- Socia

Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In have gained a widespread audience across the world. Although the original intentions of these social sites were positive, these mediums of social interaction now have negative effects. Young adults aged 14 – 26 are the demographic which make up the vast majority of social media users and thus are the most effected by social media. Social media has negative effects on young adults. The use of social media by young adults has harmful psychological effects, creates antisocial effects, and negatively consumes time. Social media has harmful psychological effects on young adults. Social websites generate cyber bullying, depression, and a lack of independence. Cyber bullying is extremely prevalent among young adult users of social media. Many young adults claim they â€Å"have seen more bullying over the internet than in real life† [6]. The prevalence of online bullying is attributed to the lack of consequences that follow. Cyber bullies tend to think that they will get away with their crime without any consequences and â€Å"81% of youth agree that bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person† [2]. Victims of cyber bullying have a lowered sense of self worth. This lowered sense of self worth has devastating effects: According to psychologist Anthony Pellegrini, Bullying is a specific form of aggression and one that is used deliberately to secure resources like friends, self-esteem, and self worth. Sites like Facebook and MySpace make this easy through public posts and retaliations that encourage other mutual â€Å"friends† to join in. In fact, peer to peer harassment and bullying is the most common disadvantage to these sites. â€Å"This is where students are finding their identity and terrorizing each other. Cyber bullying is contributing to a generation of socially maladjusted adults and social networking sites are paving the way. The hostile environments on these sites have helped cause this generation of girls to become superficial and cutthroat by behaving more like or worse than boys." This electronic meanness can lead to depression and more serious, suicide. [3] Bullying has been made widespread through social media and has been the root of many suicides in young adults. Suicide as a result of bullying is so widespread that â€Å"every  ½ hour a youth who has been bullied will complete suic... ... adults become aware of these hazardous effects and take action to combat them. Works Cited 1. Cherry, Kendra. "What Is the Social Comparison Process?"  About.com  Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. 2. "Cyberbullying Statistics."  InternetSafety101.org: Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. 3. Gilliam, Natalie. "The Potential Dangers of Social  Networking."  The Potential Dangers of Social Networking. N.p., 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. 4. Kulbarsh, Pamela. "Bullycide: Suicide as a Result of Bullying."  Officer.com. N.p., 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. 5. Lauritsen, John. "Is There A Link Between Social Networking And  Depression?"  CBS Minnesota. N.p., 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.    6. Nelson, Cordelia. "Free Executive Summary."  Negative Effects of Social Networking. N.p., 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. 7. Pagliarini, Robert. "Is Social Networking Bad for You?"  CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. 8. "The Effects of Social Media on Teenagers."  SociallyActive. N.p., 22 Nov. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. 9. Turkle, Sherry. "The Flight From Conversation."  The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.   

Mang Inasal Essay

I. Executive summary Mang Inasal is a locally owned fast food restaurant in the Philippines that will be soon, positioned as an international franchise through our creative approach to the company’s image and detail presentation. Mang Inasal will provide a combination of excellent food at value pricing, with fun packaging and atmosphere. Mang Inasal is the answer to an increasing demand for BBQ’ed fast food, to be consumed while having quality time with your friends or family in the shopping mall. In today’s highly competitive environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate one fast food outlet from another due to its variety of product line and services. Dubai, a city state, is now becoming the model metropolis in the Middle East’s new economic boom. With more than a total population of 2.106 million (2013), mainly from neighboring countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines), Dubai’s import in meat, vegetables and so on in its sector is the strongest in the region. Our main priority is to establish one fast food restaurant in a crowded mall, preferably in one of prominent shopping malls in Dubai. Later, our effort will be a further development in our service and product line in the surrounding area. This plan is prepared to obtain a location for the initial launch of this concept. Additional financing will need to be secured for the fast food restaurant. The financing, in addition to the capital contributions from shareholders, will allow Mang Inasal to successfully open and expand. The initial capital investment will allow Mang Inasal to provide its customers with a value-driven, entertaining experience through the creativity of its founders. Mang Inasal will entice the diverse culture to bring their friends and family with our innovative environment, fresh-cut Chickens, and selection of unique signature sauces. II. Business overview A. Business profile History Mang Inasal (Ilonggo term for Mr. Barbecue), the Philippines fastest growing barbecue fast food chain; serving chicken inasal, pork barbeque and other Filipino favorites, was first established on December 12, 2003 in  Iloilo City by businessman Edgar Sia II. Apart from the usual food presentations of multinational food company copycats, Mang Inasal endeavors to adhere to elements that bear a distinctively Pinoy stamp-grilling with charcoal, rice wrapped in banana leaves, a marinade concocted out of local spices and herbs, bamboo sticks for skewers, and the ambience that encourage skinamot (Ilonggo term in eating with the hands) whenever chicken inasal is served. In the year 2014, seven marketer’s decided to franchise Mang Inasal . They decided to penetrate the new market in Dubai, with the use of their experiences in the marketing field, they will try to capture the new market of the Middle East to patronage Mang Inasal to the population of Dubai. They will try to use the cultural, economic, political, and technological environment of their market area for their advantage in order for them to achieve their objectives and goals as a marketeer, with the use of the cultural diversification of the country we marketeers will try to cater this diverse cultured by offering new product lines such as grilled lambs and chicken for Muslims and original mix recipe of Mang Inasal such as pork inasal and chicken inasal for non-Muslim customers. In using our SWOT matrix we will try to consider our strengths and opportunities in gaining new insights, marketing strategies, and programs to adapt and improve our brand equity towards our market. B. Background of the product Mang Inasal is a fast food restaurant chain; its vision is to be the first choice and leading fast food chain everywhere nationwide. Its mission is to provide great tasting products and quality services to our customers with a great pinoy ambience fast food chain nationwide. Develop, motivate and retain employees in providing benefit programs, employment security and good working environment by applying new technologies for better and easy way of serving. Do our best to provide good quality products and services to our franchisees with fairness and integrity. And provide livelihood programs to the community by treating them as our business partners. If you want a great deal to satisfy your enormous appetite, the Mang Inasal Menu is the one to choose from. With the most reasonable prices covering a variety of meals, the Mang Inasal menu will make you feel like a winner! Really, your money’s worth is guaranteed with filling and satisfying meals. Have you ever heard of unlimited items offered by restaurants? Well, the Mang Inasal Menu offers unlimited rice and that’s the best deal a Pinoy can ever want. Eating big servings of chicken and pork is gratifying with cups and cups of rice. Mang Inasal is a Filipino restaurant chain that offers delicious chicken barbecue as the main product. Its recipe is uniquely delicious with big chicken servings marinated, skewered over charcoal and served over banana leaves; it’s a real Pinoy recipe everybody loves. The Mang Inasal Menu is excellent; everything in it is 100% delicious. Mang Inasal has a variety of product line raging from BBQ’ed Chicken legs to Grilled Fish with unlimited rice, and its desserts are the Leche Flan, Toron Split served with a two scope ice cream covered in choco syrup, and the famous Halo-Halo Filipino Styled dessert, served drinks are Sago at Gulaman, Iced tea, Coca cola and hot coffee. It has been one of the most favorite eateries nationwide with over 445 branches and growing, and a staggering 10,000 employees system, it has become famous and profitable for any individual to finance as a business. During Mang Inasal ’s reign in the fast food chain it has consistently growing over the past year finishing in the top 3 in the most visited fast food chain in the Philippines and Edgar Sia aim is to be top two in the Fast food chain industries beating Chowking in it’s position. Below are some menus that Mang Inasal serves to its customers: PABORITO/FAVORITE MEALS (UnliRice) PM1 Chicken Leg w/ Rice Barbecued chicken leg and thigh with unlimited rice PM1.5 Chicken Leg (spicy) w/Rice Barbecued chicken leg and thigh with unlimited rice (in spicy flavor) PM2 Chicken Breast w/ Rice Barbecued chicken breast and wing with unlimited rice PM3 Pork Inasal w/ Rice 3 sticks skewering pork, barbecued in inasal way, unlimited rice PM4 Sizzling Fish w/ Rice Sizzled Bangus fish with unlimited rice PM5 Sizzling Pork w/ Rice Sizzled pork with unlimited rice PM6 Roasted Fish w/ Rice Roasted boneless Bangus with unlimited rice PM7 Grilled Liempo w/Rice Grilled liempo marinated with sweet and spices with unlimited rice Others Bangis Sisig Sizziling Pork Ensaladang Talong SULIT/AFFORDABLE MEALS SM1 1pc Chicken Inasal w/ Rice Chicken Inasal is a grilled chicken dish and one of the well-known Ilonggo dishes with unlimited rice SM2 2pcs Pork Inasal w/ Rice Pork Inasal is a grilled pork dish and one of the well-known Ilonggo dishes with unlimited rice MERIENDA/SNACK MEALS Pansit Bihon/Bijon Pancit Bihon or Pancit Guisado is a Filipino noodle dish and is a staple second to rice. Dinuguan at Puto Cake Pork blood stew, blood pudding stew, chocolate meat served with 3 puto cake DRINKS/Beverages Sago’t Gulaman Sago at gulaman drink is sweet, thirst-quenching and popular during the sizzling summer months. Softdrinks Mang Inasal serves some of the most popular fast food chain such as sprite, coke and royal Iced Tea Freshly brewed each day from a premium blend of tea leaves. Tea is a natural source of protective antioxidants Coffee Mang Inasal serves piping hot brewed coffee for our customers DESSERTS Halo-Halo Halo-halo is a popular Filipino dessert with mixtures of shaved ice and evaporated milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans, jelly and fruits. It is served in a tall glass or bowl. Leche Flan/Creme Caramel Crà ¨me caramel flan or caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top, as opposed tocrà ¨me brà »là ©e, which is custard with a hard caramel top. Turon Split is a dessert made out of banana concealed in a lumpia wrapper With Mang Inasal s variety of product line and with a very high value brand name and profitable institution it can compete with other fast food chain nationwide, but can this ever growing business be used in other countries, can it’s business practices and product lines and system be brought on foreign soil not just to challenge its competitors head on but to prosper as a fast food chain and complete its vision as the leading BBQ fast food chain in the country? Below is an analysis of the environment of where Mang Inasal Branch will prosper, its analysis includes Company analysis, Competitor Analysis, Customer analysis, and Environmental analysis which includes the PEST or Political, Economic, Social or cultural and Technological analysis in which the Franchised Mang Inasal branch will launch. C. Background of the Market The destination of where Mang Inasal will prosper will be in the nation of UAE specifically in Dubai. Why Dubai? Why did choose the country Dubai instead of any other country? Because Dubai is the mecca for growth is the no.1 country in the oil business giving us an advantage in making use of its economic growth? And it stands in having the highest imports in any other UAE capitals in all of the Middle East but above all we choose Dubai for one single purpose. And that purpose is Food. People in Dubai love to eat, and as a fast food chain business that is one great news for us, but what separates us from our competitors’ is the product line that we offer because statistic shows that people in Dubai likes to eat rice since rice is the best side dish when eating meat with sauce or vegetables. The imported food of Dubai consisted mainly of fish, rice, bread, dates, yogurt, homegrown vegetables, and meat from sheep, goats, and camels. And this are most consumed food that people eat in Dubai D. Situational analysis Company Analysis Goals The goal of our company is to be the first choice and leading barbequed fast food chain of everywhere nationwide, and to provide great tasting product and quality services to our customers with the use of different kinds of products we will try to capture the large market in our new market area and cater their culture by offering new product lines that are made from lamb/sheep products. With the use of our marketing expertise we will try to analyze what is our opportunity and threats in our environment to maximize our growth in the fast food industry. Focus Our restaurant focuses on customers who loves to eat food, whose customer classes are mostly class C’s D’s and E’s since the product of Mang Inasal are affordable and cheap, and whose customers that has an active lifestyle in eating, our restaurant’s new product line are specialize in chicken, pork and possibly new product line lamb with unlimited rice to align its food chain culture towards the culture of our target market. Strengths Our strengths as a fast food chain is endorsement, large target market, market leader in barbeque fast food chain, accessibility, and strong commissary system in which case we can utilize these strengths to create new marketing strategies and programs in developing new product and services to offer in our growing and diverse market. Weaknesses Our weakness as a fast food chain is unhealthy food, Filipino culture,  brands under the Mang Inasal , commissary struggle, and lack of research for other countries since Mang Inasal is under Jollibee Corporation McDonalds can consider us as a threat in the market area and that the lack of technology can cause a delay in our R and D in improving our restaurant’s products and services. Customer Analysis Number The total population of Dubai is 2.106 million (2013) Approximately 85% of the expatriate population (and 71% of the emirate’s total population) was Asian (chiefly Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan). About 3% of the total population of Dubai was categorized as â€Å"Western†. In addition, 16% of the population (or 288,000 people) lived in collective labor accommodation were not identified by ethnicity or nationality, but were thought to be primarily Asian. Approximately 85% of the expatriate population (and 71% of the emirate’s total population) was Asian (chiefly Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan). About 3% of the total population of Dubai was categorized as â€Å"Western†. In addition, 16% of the population (or 288,000 people) lived in collective labor accommodation were not identified by ethnicity or nationality, but were thought to be primarily Asian. Type Our restaurant focuses on the market area of Dubai a fast growing country, whose cultural heritage of the people are both religious and hospitable people, but in Dubai as their culture diversifies and meets new culture that will conflict their own belief, our restaurant will try to manage and use this diverse culture in our favor, such as using the most delectable food of Dubai: Lamb as our new product line. Value Drivers As our value drivers we will use our variety of products and combine some of them to create new promos and products such as free upsize drinks, Pancit bihon/bijon perfect combo, Solve sarap and many more value propositioned products. Decision Process We will use our traditional advertising to let our restaurant be known to the target market, with the use of controlled advertisement of every six months  monitoring to see how customers respond to our billboard, flyers, and TV advertisement but statistic shows that Mang Inasal favorable ways of advertising are through Social media, TV, Events and Experience and Word of mouth. Next is trying to penetrate the new market through the use of discounts and promo’s due to our grand opening in the new target market for the first month, and maintain its standard customers a day and invest in improvement towards the target market. Competitor Analysis Market Position As a threat our competitors has the advantage to be the first known fast food chain in the country such as McDonalds, Burger king, Del Taco, Wendy’s, Hardee’s, KFC and Pizza hut. But what separates our restaurant towards our competitors is the unique product line that we offer, since we offer BBQ’ed and Filipino styled desserts products with the use of the most popular side dish that the food industry can offer which is Rice, we can patronage and capture the market through the use of our product line and cater new product line to adapt to the culture of Dubai. Strengths The strength of our competitor is Cost advantage, strong management, real estate, pricing power, innovative culture. Financial leverage, asset leverage, supply chain, size advantages, economies of scale, cost advantages, unique products, technology. The strength of our competitors can cause major problems in our brand recognition process of our restaurant, since some of our competitors are known brands; it can cause problems in the decision process strategy and in our brand awareness towards our competitors. Weakness The weaknesses of our competitors are Negative publicity, Unhealthy food menu, Job and high employee turnover, and Low differentiation. The weaknesses of our competitors that are mostly towards its employees can be an advantage for our restaurant, in which case we can use this to offer new jobs and programs for our workforce. Collaborators Mang Inasal is currently under Jollibee food corp. who owns 70% of Mang Inasal ’s market share but as a fast food chain Mang Inasal is now currently profitable since the owner of its large market share is the no.1 leading Fast food chain in the Philippines with over thousands of branches both nationally and internationally making it a main player in the Fast food chain industries, with its other fast food subsidiaries such as Greenwich, Red Ribbon, and other businesses. III. Target Market E. Market Segmentation Geographic Segmentation Dubai is located on the Persian Gulf, in the northeast of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is the second largest emirate with an urban area of 3885 sq. km and the city is roughly 35 sq km. However it will expand to twice that size with the addition of the man-made islands; the Waterfront, the three Palms, the World, the Universe, Dubai land, as well as the construction in the desert. Psychographic Segmentation The UAE culture mainly revolves around the religion of Islam and traditional Arab culture. The influence of Islamic and Arab culture on its architecture, music, attire, cuisine and lifestyle are very prominent as well. Five times every day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques which are scattered around the country. Since 2006, the weekend has been Friday-Saturday, as a compromise between Friday’s holiness to Muslims and the Western weekend of Saturday-Sunday. Behavioral Segmentation Dubai buying behavior: Consumers in the three largest emirates tend to shop more at hypermarkets and frequent the smaller shops and convenience stores for last-minute food needs. In the more distant suburbs and the less-populated areas of the federation, smaller grocery and convenience stores play an important role in food shopping. The number of hypermarkets is increasing steadily with retail chains such as Carrefour, Spinneys and Lulu dominating the big format supermarket trade. These key retailers tend to partner with foreign companies to procure imported food products  directly, while small format grocery retailers rely on consolidated deliveries for replenishing their stock levels. The continued growth in both affluence and the expatriate population has created the need for a diverse range of food products in the UAE the food retail sector has responded by providing a range of foods and ingredients suiting the tastes of the different ethnic groups in the country. Data monitor has evaluated a number of food categories and projected growth at retail in most areas, particularly chilled foods, bakery/cereal products, savory snacks and pasta/noodles. F. Macro Environment PEST ANALYSIS Political and Legal Environment Overview of the Political System of United Arab Emirates: The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ra’s al- Khaimah and Fujairah. The United Arab Emirates gained its independence from the UK on December 2, 1971. Its constitution was established on independence, and was made permanent in 1996. The form of government can be referred to as a federal presidential elective monarchy, as the president is elected from among the absolute monarchs who rule each of the seven emirates. Economic Environment The UAE, the world’s eighth largest oil producer, maintains a free-market economy with minimal restrictions on private-sector activities, international trade and capital movements. Despite the impact of the global economic downturn, the UAE’s economy has proved to be remarkably resilient. Higher oil prices, increased government spending and a noteworthy resurgence in tourism, transport and trade have contributed to the upswing in the economy. In addition, the successful restructuring of debt owed by high-profile companies, solidarity among the emirates and accommodative monetary and fiscal policies have all played a role in bringing stability to the market. The Economy of Dubai is mostly in the tourist sector and other finances of the country with over 50% of the countries finance is covered and 5% in oil 10% in real-estate, 12% in transportation and communication and 13% manufacturing. Social and Cultural Environment Dubai’s culture is rooted in Arabic and Islamic tradition Dubai is built on foundations that are rich in history and tradition. Dubai is a forward-looking society that is equally bound to its culture and heritage. Dubai has always been renowned for its tolerant outlook; Dubai has built a reputation for being open to new ideas and ways of doing things. This has enabled Dubai to become a global center for innovation, tourism and business. Sophisticated: Dubai is a city with style and charisma. Dubai has successfully fused sophistication with charm. It has redefined the meaning of luxury with its stunning hotels, award-winning restaurants and its position as an international shopping destination. Energetic: Dubai has an aura of vitality and a get-up-and-go spirit. Visitors are struck by the ingrained optimism and spirit of adventure and innovation that permeates through all layers of the community. To a holidaymaker, a business traveler or a resident, Dubai is a place where there is always something exciting to see and do. Embracing: Dubai aims to bring together the best in people Dubai’s success is based on the vision and commitment of its leadership, the generosity and aspirations of its people and the contribution of many people from different parts of the world, many of whom have chosen to make Dubai their permanent home. This creates a blend of many cultures that coexist peacefully. But in a religious country Dubai is a very conservative country having a strict dress code and with a very diverse culture in its social class. Technological Environment Dubai is today recognized as an international trading port. While rapid sophistication of the 21st century technology has changed the face of Dubai from timeless deserts to a thriving economy with strengths in trade, services, manufacturing and technology, Dubai maintains a fine balance of cultural legacy and a modern metropolis. G. SWOT Analysis Strengths Endorsements Large Target Market Market Leader in Barbeque Fast Food Chain Accessibility Strong Commissary System Weaknesses Filipino Culture Unhealthy food Brands under the Mang Inasal Commissary struggles Lack of Research for other countries Opportunities Local Culture and Tradition Cultural Diversity Philippines- Agricultural Nation New Brand Acquisition Urban Development Threats Foreign-owned and Local SME’s Global Financial Crisis Increase in Oil Prices Sanitary Issues Standards/ Health and Safety Political Instability H. SWOT Matrix Strengths 1. Endorsements 2. Large Target Market 3. Market Leader in Barbeque Fast Food Chain 4. Accessibility 5. Efficient Commissary System Weaknesses 1. Filipino Culture 2. Unhealthy food 3. Brands under the Mang Inasal 4. Commissary struggles 5. Lack of Research for other countries Opportunities 1. Local Culture and Tradition 2. Cultural Diversity 3. Brand Acquisition 4. Urban Development 5. Philippines being an Agricultural Nation SO Strategies (S3+05+03) Consider raising their own chickens (S3+S2+04) Expand network of stores to newly developed areas in the country (S3+03) Acquire business in order to penetrate new market WO Strategies (W2+03) Acquire restaurants that serve healthy food and introduce a healthy product line. (W5+02) Intensity research on other countries’ culture in order to cater effective marketing strategy towards customers culture and lifestyle Threats 1. Foreign-owned and Local SME’s 2. Global Financial Crisis 3. Sanitary Standards/ Health and Safety issues 4. Oil Prices 5. Political Instability ST Strategies (S5+T3) Continue adherence to standards and become a benchmark in the government sanitary health standards (S2+S3+T5) Strengthen advertising to reinforce market leadership amidst (S3+T2) Create more affordable meals towards the target market (S1+S3+T1) Intimidate competitors by reinforcing market dominance through the use of specialized BBQ product line WT Strategies (W5+T1) Intensify research on culture and develop marketing strategies to cater diverse market preferences (W2+T1) Can cater new product lines for a new market segment to fill in the gap between healthy foods and unhealthy foods IV. Marketing Strategies 1. Product/Service Strategy For our Product strategy we will use the most common strategy of Mang Inasal which is the Product development strategy – As seen in the analysis of Mang Inasal operations the past years, this strategy has been proven beneficial to the company. With good research and development, Mang Inasal is capable of continuing to produce products that fit well to the taste of their market. They could also continue innovating their current product line so as to continuously remain ahead of its competitors. And to compliment this strategy: Cost Leadership strategy – Best value strategy. In this strategy we can create a new product line to cater to a unique segment of their market. For example, creating a healthier product line for those who are weight and health conscious would be ideal. 2. Pricing Strategy For the pricing strategy our cost leadership would be best since our product are already affordable for the market, all we need to consider is the new product line that we have to offer towards our customers in order for us to capture new market segments and to achieve our goal in being the leading BBQ’ed specialized fast food chain in the country. And with our new product line we can assess the gap between the healthy foods and unhealthy foods, and cater the culture of non-muslim by offering non pork products such as lamb and goat. 3. Place/Location Strategy For the location strategy we will place our restaurants near hotels or inside malls but more specifically the Zamatao mall in Dubai which houses many competitors such as McDonalds, Burger king, Hardee’s, Wendy’s and so on, but these competitors are just indirect competitors since their product line differs from us, as a competitive edge, our fast food chain will be  placed in front of other fast food restaurant to intimidate our competitors and in order for us to capture our desired target market with the use of our new product lines and unique product position, since our products differ from their product line we can have the advantage of product positioning 4. Promotional Strategy In our promotional strategy we will use a controlled advertising having a 6 month monitoring towards the reaction of the customers in our advertisement to do further study in analyzing negative and positive factors in our promotional strategy and focusing on the positive reaction and lessen the negative factors of our advertisements and through the use of online and TV advertisement we can make our product known to the target market. 5. Positioning Strategy With the use of the diverse market we can cater and create new product lines to capture new segments of the market, and we should keep to our new market for now, and should avoid risk in the new market to prevent any major financial problems towards our restaurant in order for us to keep an update in our budgeting and opportunities in gaining new technology/insights in our environment to use as an advantage for our restaurants, and with the use of new insights we can raise new supply system in the new market to eliminate unnecessary cutbacks/problems in the inventory of our products and services. I. Financial Statement Requirements to become a franchisee If you are interested in becoming a franchisee of Mang Inasal, there are a few requirements you need to look into. Here are the franchise details of Mang Inasal: Franchise fee: Php 15 to 30 million Franchise fee inclusive of: use of brand, operational support, opening marketing support, and training support Product security deposit: Php 800,000.00 Franchise term: 7 years, renewable Store space requirement: 150 square meters to 200 square meters Advertising fee: 2% of gross sales Royalty: 5% of gross sales Estimated cost of renovation: Php 7 million to Php 9 million Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Operating Income (EBIT) 7,000,000 Depreciation Expense 800,000 Loss on Sale of Equipment 70,000 Gain on Sale of Land (500,000) Increase in Accounts Receivable (300,000) Decrease in Prepaid Expenses (200,000) Net Cash Flow from Operating Activities 6,870,000 Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Sale of Equipment 700,000 Sale of Land 3,000,000 Purchase of Equipment (500,000) Net Cash Flow from Investing Activities 3,200,000 Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Payment of Dividends (250,000) Payment of Bond Payable (300,000) Net Cash Flow from Financing Activities (550,000) Net Change in Cash 500,000 Beginning Cash Balance 400,000 Sending Cash Balance 10, 420,000.00 J. Balance Sheet ASSETS Current Assets: Prepaid Expense Inventories Other current assets 1,800,000 1,700,000 500,000 Total Current Assets 4,000,000 Noncurrent Assets: Property And equipment (Fixed assets) Deferred tax assets Other noncurrent assets 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 Total Noncurrent Assets 3,000,000 TOTAL 7,000,000 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current Liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued expenses Credit Card Payable Loan payable 3,000,000 2,000,000 500,000 Total Current Liabilities 5,500,000 Equity: Capital Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Retained Earnings 425,000 350,000 725,000 Total Equity TOTAL 1,500,000 7,000,000 V. Breakeven point In the Breakeven point our price per unit is Php 115 our variable cost is Php 99 and our estimated total fixed cost is Php 600,000: Price per unit – Php 115 Variable cost – Php 99 Total fixed cost – Php 600,000 600,000 à · (115 – 99) 600,000 à · (16) 37,500 units 115 x 37,500 = Php 4,312,500 The breakeven point in sales is 4,312,500 per month VI. EXIT PLAN For our exit plan strategy, we decided to sell-out the company in case of bankruptcy or other major financial problems, because sell-out is the most easy way in earning back the owner’s equity and the same time earn dividends afterwards – it clearly is in our interest to ensure our firm is a good fit for the buyer and therefore more likely to prosper. In other words we would create a win-win situation for both our company and the firms who are willing to buy the company’s asset and other subsidies.