The Exchange of Dirty Hypodermic Needles

The Exchange Of Dirty Hypodermic Needles For Clean Ones, Or The Sale Of Clean Ones. Is it the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean ones, or the sale of clean ones necessary for our society? The exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean, or the sale of clean ones is very necessary and important because our society is in need of solutions on how to prevent and decrease the big amount of infections and death that these type of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis c are causing.A lot of people do not protect themselves as they should because of lack of information. Many people think that HIV and many other diseases are spread only through sexual contact and not through needles that have been used and infected with these diseases appearing by others. I totally agree that the exchange between dirty hypodermic needles for clean ones, or sales of clean ones is going to provoke a huge positive impact in people’s life and health because they will be more aware of the damage that such negligence would cause if they are not well informed.First, the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean one, or the sale of clean ones it’s important because our society needs more solutions on how to prevent infections and diseases. Often we try to find and fix these types of problems before even looking where they coming from in order to create solutions for it. According by The Lindesmith Center, New York City by 1994, 125,000 people had developed AIDS as a result of injecting drugs with unsterile syringes and over a third of new AIDS cases stem from injection drug use.There are many ways people can stop this big increment or at least prevent them. The best way you can prevent such infections or diseases is to stop injecting drugs or never start using them, go to programs where they can help you with these types of things such as substance abuse. If you continue to inject drugs, always use new, sterile syringes and never use more than once or share syring es, needles, water or other drug preparation materials.Do not share toothbrushes, razors and other items that may be contaminated with blood. Tattooing or body piercing may also increase the risk of infection and always, always practice safe sex. Second, the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean one, or the sale of clean ones program is need to create more knowledge to those people who still ignore the big consequences that the exchange of needle can cause to their life and health. We, as part of this society, must show greater interest in our health.According to the Massachusetts statewide harm reduction coalition, this program of exchanging used dirty needles for new ones is a big step and it promises to provide these syringes through different courses and manuals explaining how and why it is best to do this instead of keep using the same needles that others might have used since these can cause infections and diseases to many more people. Also, it offered information and counseling about these diseases as how we can avoid them and prevent them, as also about drugs and sex among others.However, many people are still against these types of programs because they think that instead of helping our society to reduce the large number of infected people caused by the mishandling of dirty needles injections with these programs, it will make them increase; According to them people will consume more and will became more addicted because of it. I do not agree with this kind of assertion because it is a complete lie that because of information and the exchange of a needle people will consume more, at least there is still nothing that can prove it.In the other hand, there are many articles and studies that prove as the use of needle exchanges increases, the use of shared needles decreases according to the Lindesmith Center, New York City. In conclusion, I think the exchange of dirty hypothermic needle to clean ones, or the sale of clean ones is very important fo r us and our society because along with this, people will be more safe and well inform since the lack of information that some of us have according to these type of situations.Many people get infected because of their negligence for example, tattooing with needles that have been used by others or as most cases injecting drugs using the same syringe of another person. In the future, if these type of issues continue without something that can stop it or at least prevent it like the program that a lot of states have â€Å"exchanging a dirty hypodermic needle for a new one† the amount of people infected will be much greater than we think.

The Day the Cowboys Quit

Ashley Tran 9:00 AM History 1301 Lori Lehtola John Brown John Brown was an abolitionist who had a big hatred over slavery. His feelings of hate were so strong over slavery that it led him to seize the United States arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. John began a huge massacre along the Pottawatomie Creek along the Kansas territory. It all began on the month October and the year of 1859. Brown had a psychotic way of thinking and doing things. John’s great plan was to arm slaves for a future rebellion.He was an anti-slavery man and tried to do everything in his power to keep slavery from happening in Kansas, but he was also a murderer. I believe that he told people he was anti-slavery, which he was, but had a feeling inside him that liked taking other people’s lives. The three authors who contributed to the article about John Brown were W. E. B. Du Bois, Robert Penn Warren, and David S. Reynolds. Their respected backgrounds impacted their views of Brown and his actions. W. E. B. Du Bois’s background was greatly respected by Brown’s article. W. E. B. elieved that because of John Brown’s actions over slavery, it gave everyone his or her right to freedom. According to Du Bois, all men are equal and are no less than one another. Du Bois stated that â€Å"slavery is wrong† so we must â€Å"kill it†. His opinion is respected by John’s actions because he views it in a way in which that what John Brown did was right. He earned us our freedom. If it weren’t for what Brown did, we wouldn’t have our freedom. W. E. B. was one of the most influential African American intellectuals of the 20th century. He played a founding role in the NAACP, which was a path breaking civilization.Because of how Du Bois viewed John Brown’s actions and how he strongly believed that what he did about slavery was right would be an impact on why he got involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Pe ople. Robert Penn Warren believes that even though John Brown had such an enormous religious faith, God was not on neither sides of John Brown nor the South. What Brown did was abnormal and not Godly, according to Warren. Robert’s background has impacted his view on John Brown in a way that he believed Brown was responsible for his criminal- like actions.He believes that what Brown did to the proslavery was not based on God. Meaning, it wasn’t a God based decision, it was more of a Godly excuse he used towards his criminal actions. Robert mainly focused on themes of Southern culture and history. His personal understanding of John Brown’s actions has greatly impacted his history about the south and his knowledge about its history of culture. David S. Reynolds wonders how John Brown could spare murder with such a religious faith. David stated that Brown â€Å"used violence in order to create a society devoid of slavery and racism. He believed that John Brown didn ’t just do it for slavery, but did it because his goal was a democratic society; race, religion, and gender didn’t even matter. David has his particular opinion about Brown’s actions because he thought that what Brown did to these proslavery people wasn’t for the reason he said for doing so. Reynold’s background has impacted his view on John Brown and his actions because he can inform others about his opinion on Brown’s actions. His opinion †reflects a twenty-first century on Brown informed by the September 11, 2001, terrorists attacks on the United States. Basically, he thought of John as more of a terrorist than a hero of slavery. W. E. B. Du Bois, Robert Penn Warren, and David S. Reynold’s were all impacted in different ways by John Brown’s actions. Their own particular opinions were based on how they viewed John Brown’s actions. John’s huge massacre at Pottawatomie Creek was his psychotic way of handling things. He was a murderer of proslavery and his excuse was God. These three authors who contributed to John Brown’s article were interested in African American society or Southern history. Their view on John Brown’s history has impacted their own.

IKEA Brand Scorecard Final Essay

Introduction The brandscore card is an essential element used to evaluate the overall equity of a brand. The scorecard is an effective way to asses the unmet needs of the brands customers, it enables the brand to stay relevant and effective in the marketplace in a methodological manner. The scorecard should be able to fill any gaps that have developed within the brand’s approach to management and its strategic direction, as well as developing and maintaining a functional management system that can grow as the brand grows, while remaining comprehensive and completely brand relevant. (Kaplan and Norton, n.d.) In terms of evaluating the current situation of a brand, a brand scorecard enforces a successful management plan by directly addressing what is at the core of the brand. It allows for the brand managers to objectively rate their brand against their own set of standards, based on their strategy. Brand Planning 1 IKEA’s Mission & Vision In order to create a viable scorecard to measure against the IKEA Brand against, it is important to define exactly what the vision and the mission of the IKEA Brand is and if they honour their vision and mission. According to IKEA’s business concept , â€Å"At IKEA our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them†(Ikea.com, 2014). From their own definition of what their vision is it can be said that they aim to vastly improve the quality of the lives of people who are in a lower income bracket, whilst still maintaining a certain level of product superiority and status. The IKEA brands vision is to use the concepts of conservation and minimalism to their full potential, by focusing on the effectiveness of simplicity and the functionality of each product rather then purely the aesthetical components. The price of each IKEA product makes a large part of what their brand vision entails, â€Å"Low prices are the cornerstone of the IKEA vision†(Ikea.com, 2014). By using their low prices as the foundation of their brands vision, Ikea fulfils a widespread and need for product availability. 2 Potential Goals In line with the Ikea vision there will always be consumers in need of their products. By following their current goals such as: Keeping prices low – at design phase, there are strict product requirements which need to be met in terms of function, efficient distribution, quality and impact on the environment. A certain level of quality is always maintained – by using effective negotiation skills and carrying out rigorous quality control evaluations on their materials. Awareness and measurement of their brand environmental impact – Ikea are transparent in their approach to choosing suppliers and using sustainable materials that can be recycled and renewed as well as monitoring and controlling a high standard of their social and working conditions. Consumer friendly product – throughout the supply chain, Ikea is true to their environmentally friendly approach from raw materials all the way to the end user. Reduce carbon emissions – IKEA gave 9000 bycicles to their employees as well as subsidized their employees’ fairs to work. This increases healthy living for their employees and reduces carbon emissions. They also designed their water cans to stack on top of each other neatly, reducing the amount of trips it would take to transport them to the stores. Maintain existing stakeholder relationships – Ikeas ensures that the communication lines between suppliers, manufacturers and of their  stakeholders are clear and concise according to both their vision and mission. In order to access the potential goals of the Ikea Brand, it is necessary to consider the following statement â€Å"It’s not difficult to manufacture expensive fine furniture: just spend the money and let the customers pay. To manufacture beautiful, durable furniture at low prices is not so easy – it requires a different approach. It is all about finding simple solutions and saving on every method, process or approach adopted – but not on ideas.† (Ikea.com, 2014). We have identified two potential goals for Ikea: Simplistic Assembly Process – their assembling instructions are crafted so that consumer can easily interpret the instructions in a straightforward manor resulting in easy product assembly. Bettering current environmental impact – ensuring that they maintain their current best practice with specific reference to their means of distribution and manufacturing, by making sure that they are highly aware of the environmental impact of the resulting increased traffic that may occur from erecting stores. 3 Corporate Objectives To produce cheap and affordable product for the public and their customers To provide a better life for those who cannot afford expensive products To ensure that their customers find what they are looking for in their stores. To provide low prices without compromising on quality 4 Situational Analysis 4.1 Macro: Economical – High profits, high growth and good profit margins has contributed to the retail market. Social – IKEA have formed partnerships with WWF and UNICEF in order to educate others to be aware of child labor and destroying forests. Technological –IKEA have use excellent recycling methods and also encourage their stakeholders to use technology to their advantage in terms of efficiency. Environmental – IKEA have implemented regular measurement tools and inspection to monitor all noise, water, air pollution such as the â€Å"E-Wheel† (IKEA, the Times 100) Legal – IKEA has in store terms and conditions and abide by industry best practice in the suppliers that they choose to work with and the standards that they demand on manufacturers in terms of the law. 1.2. Market The market – 43 manufacturing units in 12 countries. The Chinese market has almost doubled due to large urbanization needs. (Li Fangfang, China Daily USA, 29 August 2013). IKEA has almost 300 stores in 36 countries and 42 distribution centres in 18 countries and over 1000 suppliers. (National Geographic, 2013, n.d) Competitors – IKEA’s main competitors are: Wal-Mart Stores, Ashley furniture industries, Howden joinery group. IKEA have the competitive advantage because they have researched where to find the best resources, they have developed the latest technologies in manufacturing, they have encouraged their suppliers to use the latest in research and development and the have built sustainable relationships with their stakeholders. Consumers – IKEA has a wide spread target market as they have such a vast variety of products that are trendy and extremely affordable. It appeals to those wanting the latest styles but also to the market that cannot afford costly furniture. Location – IKEAS stores are generally located just outside of the main town due to their stores being so large. 4.3 Micro – SWOT Analysis Strengths: Powerful Brand Image Wide range of products & Styles Funky up & up-to-date Swedish designs Cheap & Affordable Able to assemble your own furniture One stop shop Friendly atmosphere and layout of their stores They have restaurants and day care Strong global sourcing Weaknesses: Assembling furniture yourself may not appeal to certain clusters of consumers Not too many stores across the globe For those looking for a quick shopping experience, the store might be unappealing IKEA Swedish designs could limit their target market Quality of furniture is not built to be life long Opportunities Untapped Markets (Africa) Make consumers more aware of IKEA Open high end stores or smaller express stores Create more online store presence Threats Increasingly competitive pricing Social trends such as a slow down in first time home owner buyers Economic factors such as less spending power due to recession effects 5 Key Issues Quality of Products – some products may vary in quality from country to country. Things such as a countries standards for manufacturing may not be as high compared to another country and therefore the end product could be different. Size of organisation – if there are any changes implemented to IKEA’s strategy or operations, it is difficult to roll out to their entire organisation as they are so massive. Differentiation – with the current  economic climate, many furniture stores are producing low cost furniture but may not have the same sustainable values as IKEA. This makes it challenging for IKEA to keep their costs low as well as try and differentiate themselves from their competitors. Spending Power – The economic recession has hit consumers hard and therefore they have less spending power which has lowered expenditure on goods such as furniture. 6 Assumptions The Ikea brand assumptions are based upon their established and successful financial revenues: The Brand has remained current, both socially and culturally. The brand is empathetic and touches the consumers on an emotional level. There is a considered environmental plan that the brand is aware of in all of its practises. The brand focuses on upholding ethical business practises, it is transparent. 7 Segmentation, targeting and Positioning IKEA targets young and fashionable people as its main consumers; in particular those love modern furniture and accessories. Therefore, its products are more colourful and novel. In addition, IKE fixes the products’ prices at a lower level, which is quite attracting for the average consumers, such as white-collars. IKEA mainly target the younger market who like innovative products. 8 Brand objectives To increase market share in news segments such as Africa, Asia and South America. The benefits of this would be increased profits, brand awareness and increased market share. Reduce costs to appeal more to their intended target market in order to increase market share. One way in which IKEA are trying to cut costs is by 9 Strategies and plans IKEA plans â‚ ¬1.5bn investment in wind and solar energy through to 2015 as part of new sustainability strategy in order to be completely independent from using energy and resources. This will protect their consumer from price spikes and their own organization from fluctuating resource and energy prices. IKEA plan to become an energy exporter with their renewable energy.  IKEA has dedicated and committed themselves to making sure that delivery trucks are at least 60 to 70 per cent full. They will replace 1.2 million light sources in stores with low energy consumption LEDs, as well as only sell LED lights in their stores from 2016. (Will Nichols, BusinessGreen, part of the Guardian Environment Network theguardian.com, Tuesday 23 October 2012) 10 Communication Objectives To develop better communication and integration strategies so that IKEA has the same brand quality through their organisation internationally. 11 Task Budget The Ikea brand focuses on their project management, employee management and their resource management processes by directing all employees in a positive manner, â€Å"IKEA co-workers enjoy many advantages and opportunities from working in such a free and open environment – but all freedoms are counter-balanced with expectations. For example, the expectation that each co-worker is able to assume responsibility for his or her own actions. Although on the surface it is evident that we have a lot of fun together working at IKEA, at the same time all are expected to be very hardworking and conscientious. Here are some more examples to illustrate give and take, IKEA style.† (Ikea.com, 2014) By ensuring this positive management style they are able to entrust their business objectives to the right employees. Each task is managed and set according to specific and expected outcomes. The tasks and objectives can be achieved through their smart brand management and budgeting correctly. 1 – The IKEA brand makes a point of acknowledging its brand history and the various ways that it has left a brand footprint within its brand environment. There are however inconsistencies between what the employees think of the brand and what the consumers think of the brand. It can be recommended that the employee engagement efforts transcends into the appropriate marketing strategies targeted to the consumer. By doing so there will be a far more holistic brand perception. 2- The IKEA brand is targeted at a lower income bracket and it does this successfully by continuously seeking to source affordable and quality suppliers. The importance of continuously having their correct target market in mind is always a census thought in the mind of the brand managers. 3- The IKEA brand strictly sticks to their current corporate identity, all the brand collateral is consistent, they make a point of doing all marketing on an international level. However they must be couscous of their various contact points ( mainly at the smaller branches) as these are sometimes overlooked. 4 – IKEA is able to deliver a consistent product, there are various return policies in place that allows the consumer the ability to deal with any product issues in a simply and easy manner. 5 – IKEA is responsible towards all its stakeholders, it maintains the relationships by using proactive objectives to direct all of its future  interactions. The brand can improve its equity by reinforcing the current brand image internally, engaging with all the levels of employees. 6 – IKEA offers products that are appropriate to their brand visions, they better the lives of the consumers. 7 – IKEA offers various and innovation products. The brand should continue with their irreverent approach to innovation. 8 – IKEA has a pricing strategy that is unarguably inline with their brand identity. The pricing strategy has set a ideal brand expectation to the IKEA consumer, It is however of utmost importance that IKEA is alway consistent in terms of pricing. 9 – IKEA is aware of and involved with every product that they product, each is treated as potential development and there is no apparent product hierarchy. 10 – The IKEA brand is a green focused brand throughout its entire supply chain, it upholds a impeccable environmental process. However there is room for improvement within their distribution sector. References Businesscasestudies.co.uk, (2014). Introduction – Building a sustainable supply chain – IKEA | IKEA case studies and information | Business Case Studies. [online] Available at: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/ikea/building-a-sustainable-supply-chain/introduction.html#axzz3BWC79qBb [Accessed 24 Aug. 2014]. Ikea.com, (2014). Our business idea – IKEA. [online] Available at: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_SG/about_ikea/our_business_idea/index.html [Accessed 24 Aug. 2014]. Ikea.com, (2014). Our low prices – IKEA. [online] Available at: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_SG/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/our_business_idea/our_low_prices.html [Accessed 25 Aug. 2014]. Kaplan, R. and Norton, D. (n.d.). The balanced scorecard. 1st ed. http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/the-critical-issues-faced-by-ikea-marketing-essay.php Will Nichols for BusinessGreen, part of the Guardian Environment Network theguardian.com, Tuesday 23 October 2012 http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-08/29/content_16929111.htm http://money.howstuffworks.com/ikea4.htm (National Geographic, 2013, n.d, http://www.natgeotv.com/ca/megafactories/ikea-facts) Essays, UK. (November 2013). An Analysis Of Market Segmentation Of Ikea And Bandq Marketing Essay. Retrieved from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/an-analysis-of-market-segmentation-of-ikea-and-bandq-marketing-essay.php?cref=1 Essays, UK. (November 2013). Competitive Advantage And Problems Faced By Ikea Marketing Essay. Retrieved from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/competitive-advantage-and-problems-faced-by-ikea-marketing-essay.php?cref=1

Demonstrating general management and presentation skills in the Case Study - 1

Demonstrating general management and presentation skills in the context of employee management and the regulation of employees - Case Study Example Such ways of management only create unmotivated and antagonized staff who then become unproductive. Intelligent communication is very important when giving directives to the employees. When emphasis is required, firm but respectful directives can be given in a good manner. In a case where a manager has committed a mistake, it is only honorable that they own up to it. This instill a sense of responsibility in their management skill and they may gain credibility and trust by their staff. It is not appropriate that they try to pass the blame to other people. A manager who accepts responsibility is more likely gain support and respect from its staff than one who runs away from them. Such managers then find it easy to proactively correct their mistakes and make them never to happen again. In a case where, in an organization, the sales of a particular month have risen, praising and rewarding the staff is a very noble practice for managers to do. Most managers like taking credit and basking alone in glory as if it was their own efforts that made the sales to rise. There are many cheap ways of rewarding the staff that make them motivating and not necessarily interfering with the organization’s budget. The manager will then build a good rapport with the staff that will help the organization realize even bigger goals. John is a manager at Times Investments. Recently, when he found out that one of his staff had misbehaved in the office during his absence, it was very amazing how he handled the situation. Everyone expected that Charles, the junior staff who had misbehaved, would be punished or even be sacked. However, John summoned Charles to his office and pardoned him for the mistakes he committed and only urged him to prove to John, by working hard, that he is really apologetic. John said to him, â€Å"I know that everyone makes

Lean Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lean Management - Essay Example This may further impact on growing economic aspirations of developed and developing countries, which will require fewer resources that create less environmental pollution and greenhouse gases. At the same time, these improvements in production and logistics have given consumers a growing range of higher quality products at lower prices through many different sales channels. Federal Express' originally thought of delivering packages within 24-hours and they did. In 1983, Lens Crafters followed suit by assembling eyeglasses in one hour. Dell computers maintains it market share and profit level even when the competition is very stiff by made-to-order computers in a very short time. What is common in all of these entities The answer is Lean and its application in their respective organization. Add nothing but value (Eliminate Waste). In Lean, it is a primary task to determine what adds value and what activities add value to a product. Then, one will be able to determine the essentials of an activity and reduce or eliminate waste. Unfortunately in any organization, nobody wants to admit that his or her job is sometimes just waste. Breakthroughs are recognized upon recognition of waste. If an activity or cost does not add value, then it should be considered as waste or if an activity; or cost can be forgone with, then it is waste. Taiichi Ohno, the executive of Toyota Production System identified several sources of waste in a manufacturing industry: Overproduction, Inventory, Extra Processing Steps, Motion, Defects, Waiting, and Transportation. Center on the people who add value. Organizations would not admit that their own people are waste at times, unless they are asked which of their employees or system adds value to their output. Unless they can identify areas where people become the value-adding system in the work place, they will not know which is essential and which is waste. The criteria to determine the people who do the work that add value: Resources, Information, Process Design Authority, and Organizational Energy. Usually in a manufacturing entity, the design of tasks is divided to the unskilled worker doing the routine tasks (manual) and the managers doing the production tasks like planning, forecasting and so on. When problems arise, the task of solving lies on the managers and not on the frontline workers who knew what went wrong. This is due to the fact that these workers are not tasked, encouraged and even involved on these matters of production dilemma. They simply asked to keep or maintain the production quota. Womack (1990) stated that a truly lean organization transfers the maximum number of tasks and responsibilities to the workers who add value and place a system for detecting or recognizing defects. In this way, it empowers people to add value to their work. It reorients human resources to become a flow of value and not a functional expert. In the production of Toyota cars, the management figured out how to reduce multiple stamping and create a

Profile of Offshore Financial Center - Bahamas Term Paper

Profile of Offshore Financial Center - Bahamas - Term Paper Example Particularly for the offshore company, it requires to perform several checks and researches into the preferred offshore financial center to ensure that investing in that market can guarantee fruitful financial returns (Zorome, 2007). It is against this background that periodic environmental assessment analyses are performed for various offshore financial centres to test their financial viability for specific offshore companies and offshore countries. In the current paper, the spotlight is put on Bahamas as an offshore financial center to critically understudy the viability of that financial market as a preferred entity to use to raise capital Intel Corporation prior to doing an initial public offer. The profiling of Bahamas as a viable offshore financial center is done along six major parameters as outlined below. Secrecy and Views In the financial market, such as the offshore financial center, issues of secrecy and views are very important for the determination of financial transpar ency of a given center. It is for this reason that the need to study the secrecy and views that prevails on the Bahamian offshore market, such as financial secrecy is very important for making decision on the selection of the country as an entity for raising capital for an initial public offer. Nyangosi, Arora and Sing (2009) has explained that situations of financial secrecy exists when financial institutions refuse to disclose crucial financial information to the appropriate authorities for tax decision making and other criminal law enforcement policies. In effect, a higher scoring on financial secrecy index is a negative indication for satisfactory financial transparency. Meanwhile according to the Tax Justice Network (2011), the scoring for Bahamas in financial transparency is 83%, indicating an unacceptable level of secrecy and suppression of views. From the graph below, it will be noted that from a 15 financial secrecy indicator, Bahamas scored negative marks for most of the i ndicators. Source: Tax Justice Network (2011) For investors wanting to choose Bahamas as a preferred entity to use to raise capital for Intel Corporation prior to doing an IPO, the risk of not knowing the legitimate financial values and figures for most indicators that will be necessary for taking stock market decisions prevails (Breiman et al, 2009). Having stated the above however, it is important to stress the point that new policies and reforms have started emerging in Bahamas that make incumbent upon the country to have a free economy and exchange information as specified in Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) guidelines (Riyadh, Akter and Islam, 2009). Proximity to US Proximity has always been said to be an important factor in the determination of an offshore financial center destination for raising capital for Intel Corporation ahead of an initial public offer. This is because most offshore companies that operate in offshore financial centers do so b y operating parent companies that govern and run the key organizational

Media Study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media Study - Coursework Example The aim of having as much information on one page is to save on printing results. This results in properties been placed wherever space is available to accommodate them. In order to find a property the customer would essentially have to go through the whole brochure which is time consuming. Additionally, the customer will be overwhelmed with too many options. Furthermore, if houses are sold the customer is not aware until contact is made with the sales agent. New Communications Context – Online Publication The product will be digitised so that it can be uploaded online. The first page of the magazine will have different sections indicating the types of properties available - townhouses, two family houses, apartments, etc. These will be hyperlinked to the relevant pages. There will also be requirements for additional inputs to narrow users search. See New York Mag (n.d.). These will include inputs for lower and upper limit of price range and location. Here the customer will not have to waste time searching through irrelevant information. All relevant pages in the online brochure will be linked to the home page. The online edition will also allow the potential purchaser to view the property inside out by way of a virtual tour of the house. Additional information on the property will be accessed by way of a hyperlink. These include contact details.

Islamic banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Islamic banking - Essay Example The laws governing Islamic banking aim at protecting the interests of the public (El, Tiby 3). This paper will discuss why Islamic banks are becoming popular to the extent that they can extend their services to most parts of the world. The paper will also discuss how Islamic banking can be the solution to the economic problems that emanate from the financial crisis. Over the past few years, Islamic banking has become a popular form of banking; as a result, Islamic banks have expanded their activities to most parts of the world. A crucial factor that has led to the significant spread of Islamic banking is because the banks do not charge interest. Islamic banks oppose the charging of interests on loans since some investments financed by loans may not perform well. Islamic banking tends to prohibit only the forms of finance where there are interests charged. As a result, the relationship between borrowers and banks is guided by the risks and returns that the two entities share. Islamic banking holds that since profit is not guaranteed, there is no need to charge interests. This notion has led to the spread of the ideals of Islamic banking in most parts of the world (Aziz & Gintzburger 270). It is worth noting that another factor that has contributed to the expansion of Islamic banking is the use of lease-based transactions, commonly referred as Ijarah. This form of transaction in Islamic banking is becoming popular, especially in the United States financial market. Ijarah refers to a form of leasing whereby there is the acquisition of the asset by the bank, after which the bank leases the customer the asset. This means that the customer will finally be the owner of the asset, either through the purchase of the asset at an agreed price or through leasing the asset (Aziz & Gintzburger 271). The spread of Islamic banking also emanates from the Murabaha service offered by the bank. This can be regarded as the most popular form of Islamic financing.

Organisational Insights Analytical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organisational Insights Analytical - Essay Example nies play at different markets and engage in different industries, they are of equal scale in terms of organisational structure and number of employees. Comparing and contrasting both companies with respect to their individual industries will provide significant insights on the nature of organisations, in general. Strong Market Position in Scarborough – The company has a strong retail brand that built a reputation for selling quality goods at bargain price (Boyes, 2006). Boyes’ strong market position in Scarborough enhances the customer perception, company reputation, provides economies of scale and presents a platform to launch new products. It also enhances the brand image of the company. Strong market position enables the company to penetrate the market more effectively and serve a wide range of customers. (Best R. J., 1997) Balanced Product Mix – Boyes, Scarborough is engaged in operating a chain of department stores. The company’s key products include apparels, accessories, confectionery, cosmetics, electrical appliances, furniture, gifts, groceries, house wares, home decorative, stationery and toys. They sell virtually everything for the home and family (Boyes, 2006). A balanced product mix coupled with friendly and helpful services allowed Boyes to serve multiple customer segments which heighten its revenue growth. It provides greater choice to customers and encourages customer loyalty. (Best R. J., 1997) High dependence on Scarborough – Boyes is heavily dependent on the Scarborough market. Concentration of operations in the Scarborough area makes the company vulnerable to market conditions and environmental instability in this area. It puts the company in a competitive disadvantage relative to rivals and competitors with larger presence in different market geographical areas (Porter, 1985). As a business based largely in UK, Boyes is particularly exposed to any economic downturn which affects customer spending. Expanding product

Compare Social Control Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare Social Control Methods - Essay Example Additionally, Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Index has also been applied while making the comparative analysis of the societies under examination. Social control is viewed to be the system applied for regulating the activities of the individuals within a political set up. In simple words, it is the mechanism observed by the political authorities for the eradication of individual and collective criminal behavior and deviancy for the protection and welfare of the citizens. Actually crime is aptly stated as a social phenomenon that exists in every social establishment of the world since the known human history. Theories have been articulated and researches have been conducted in order to explore the reasons behind committing of crimes on the one hand, and devising the methods to purify the society from offences on the other. Though theorists suggest political, social, economic, psychological and ethno-racial motives behind the involvement of the individuals into offences of different kinds, yet no society could be able to eliminate such harmful activities from the very face of its culture. Somehow, different societies have established different social control methods for the maintenance of peace and order. ... 07: 231) Thus, fear of being cursed, rebuked, penalized and punished serve as powerful social control; the same is applied to Pakistan and Israeli cultures. Social, political and religious institutions including family, peers, church/mosque, classrooms, workplace, cultural values, religious faiths and law enforcing agencies are the methods of social control in the contemporary era. Pakistan is a south Asian Muslim state, where an overwhelming majority claims to be following the Islamic cult, laws and norms. Though the Pakistanis cite religious beliefs in everyday activities, yet they seldom observe these teachings in their true spirit. On the contrary, western statutes of law have been in vogue to formally regulate the activities of the people. Moreover, social norms, cultural values, taboos, traditions, customs and conventions are also prevailing as the regularity authority for the informal social control. These traditional institutions, including arbitrary councils work at local le vels, which are headed by the religious and political personalities, and determine the punishments for the law breakers. Hence, in the societies where the individuals observe strong family and tribal bonds, the crime rate observes significant decline. Social control theory aims to state that strong social bonds cause the inhibition of delinquency, whereas weak social bonds offer little resistance to offending. (Booth, Farrell and Varano, 2008:1) The same is the case with Pakistani society, where women involved into extra marital sexual union and adultery have fear of being killed at the hand of one or more male family members including father, brother, husband, in-laws and tribe. Similarly, provincial and linguistic affiliations and bonds forbid the people to inflict offensive attacks upon

Land Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Land Law - Essay Example 1 As such, the good order of property law is disrupted by proprietary estoppel. In successful proprietary estoppel claims, the court may transfer, change the nature of, or totally rescind proprietary rights. This is accomplished without first requiring the parties to comply with the strict formality tests to which property rights transactions are subject.2 Moreover, it seems that proprietary estoppel violates the all – important principle of property law that there has to be consensus for transfer of interests in property. The underlying notion is that the law of property should function in a manner that protects individual property rights. In addition, while applying it, the court should desist from involving itself in issues related to distributive justice. These issues are the preserve of the legislature and other branches of law. 3 As such, a certain amount of support is provided to proprietary estoppel by those who believe that it permits the courts to redistribute property rights, with scant regard for the owner’s consent. Such thinking is challenged by those who contend that equity should not trespass into realms, wherein the parties can be expected to control their relationship by means of a binding contract. 4 In Yaxley v Gotts,5 the court reiterated that in accordance with the principles of proprietary estoppel, it was unconscionable for a promisor to break the promise made to the promisee. A very important conclusion to be derived is that an agreement that does not comply with Section 2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989, can all the same be enforced by resorting to the doctrine of proprietary estoppel.6 In Pritchard v Briggs, the Court of Appeal held that an interest in land was not created by a right of pre – emption, acting in isolation. What was required, in addition, was the

Shylock Is a Jew in a Predominantly Christian Society Just as Othello Is… Essay Example for Free

Shylock Is a Jew in a Predominantly Christian Society Just as Othello Is†¦ Essay Question: ‘Shylock is a Jew in a predominantly Christian society just as Othello is†¦living in a predominantly white society. But unlike Othello, Shylock rejects the Christian community as firmly as it rejects him. ’ (W. H. Auden, ‘The Dyer’s Hand’, 1963. Quoted in ‘Shakespeare’s Comedies’, edited by Lerner, Penguin 1967. ) In light of the above quotation, compare and contrast Shakespeare’s presentation of prejudice, considering how audiences of different periods might react to it. (2000 words) Shylock’s presentation of prejudice has been received in immeasurably different ways by audiences of different generations, and the portrayal of the attitudes of Shylock and Othello towards their intolerant societies are ones that still arguably offer a valuable view towards prejudice in our present-day societies. ‘Shylock is a Jew’. Four words from the above quotation which arguably encapsulate the main running theme throughout the whole of The Merchant of Venice. From a Venetian viewpoint, Shylock is a Jew; therefore he is different; therefore we will exclude him. Shakespeare shows this through many different examples, from the racist views expressed by ‘good Antonio’, to the expressions used by the high courts of Venice; the Christian community expressing a certain divide and prejudice towards Shylock and the Jewish minority. This ‘rejection’ of the Jews is notably explored in the views expressed by Antonio early on in the play, when the loan of ‘three thousand ducats’ is negotiated. Bassanio attempts to convince Shylock through kind words and offers of dinner- the ‘Christian’ way of kindness; possibly the only instance of kindness offered to Shylock throughout the entire play. However, as soon as Antonio enters, the tone changes; Shylock goes from being referred to as ‘sir’ by Bassanio to ‘The devil’ by Antonio. Antonio would ‘spit on thee again’, and this particular example highlights that, despite the fact Antonio is attempting to receive a loan from Shylock, prejudice is still inherent in his every word and action. The Christian community ‘rejects’ Shylock, no matter what he may do of benefit to them; and, as a result, is rejected in like. The harsh treatment Shylock receives (such as curfew and a barrage of cuss-words) is reflected in the way that he ‘rejects the Christian community as firmly as it rejects him’; for example, when offered dinner, Shylock launches into an expletive, hate-fuelled speech about Christianity, claiming that pork is ‘the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into’, and firmly stating that he ‘will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you’. Shylock is rejecting the Christian community with every moral fibre in his body, and seems to only take the bond of Antonio to hold some kind of leverage above him, namely the term of ‘the forfeit/ Be nominated for an equal pound/ Of your fair flesh’; a foolishly agreed term that is taken full advantage of. Shylock is treated harshly, and as a result takes full advantage of the fact that legally he can kill Antonio; thus rejecting the Christian community. Othello, however, is the polar opposite of Shylock’s ‘stand-alone’ attitude; though being the outsider ‘in a predominantly white society’, he attempts to fit in, and be loved by the aristocratic Venetians. Shakespeare presents the prejudice inherent in Venetian society in a slightly different way; though Shylock and Othello both are used by the ‘majorities’, and thrown out when not needed, Shakespeare presents a play that explores the prejudice through a different angle. Othello is the war-hardy soldier needed by the whole of Venetian society to fight the Turkish aggressors, who angers Venetian society by taking a white woman; Shylock is a Jew whose possessions are needed by Antonio alone, who angers Venetian society by daring to claim what is rightfully his. In Othello the audience receives an impression that, though Iago is manoeuvring everybody towards his own aims, Othello is clearly in the wrong when murdering his wife; therefore he is rejected by the ‘society’, and this is morally ‘right’. In The Merchant of Venice the audience feels that, actually, Shylock is morally wronged by the Christians; and this rejection by society leaves a bitter taste. An audience in Elizabethan times would have been left with (in both plays) a feeling of discontentment in the treatment of the two key characters; despite the obvious inherent prejudice in society at this time towards ‘moors’ and Jews, Shakespeare’s manipulations of stereotypes in his works (e. g.the ‘kind’, Christian Antonio is an oppressive character who almost gets his comeuppance) were aimed to alter (or at least make the audience question) their views on minorities. Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock can easily be seen as a plea for tolerance towards the Jewish community in England at the time. For example, Shylock’s famous ‘If you prick us, do we not bleed? ’ speech is designed to throw a human perspective on the matter; that the ‘Jews’- peoples that have been so discriminated against that any racism against Jews has its own nametag are human too. Shylock’s most memorable speech is a cry for humanity and equality, which has resounded down the ages. As Alexander Granach (a German actor who portrayed Shylock in the 1920s) in his autobiography ‘From the Shtetl to the Stage: The Odyssey of a Wandering Actor’ writes; Shakespeare ‘gave Shylock human greatness and spiritual strength and a great lonelinessthings that turn Antonios gay, singing, sponging, money-borrowing, girl-stealing, marriage-contriving circle into petty idlers and sneak thieves. ’ This will undoubtedly have had a slight effect on the audience, showing them that the supposed ‘villain’ of the piece is simply following a twisted, unmerciful version of the ‘Golden Rule’, an ethic of reciprocity that is cited in Christianity; ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. In this play, Shylock is indeed doing ‘unto others’ how they do unto him. Shylock’s actions, instead of being a stereotypical cruel, vengeful Jew who only cares about his ‘diamond gone (that) cost me two thousand ducats’, are transformed by Shakespeare into an often-misinterpreted statement about the hypocrisy inherent in both society and religion at this time. Shakespeare’s magic lies in the fact that he managed to change two persecuted minorities, who prior to being dramatically personified by Shakespeare had been held up in plays as mockeries of creatures, to human beings with the emotional capacity to feel love and hate. Othello is no longer a ‘black ram’ held up by Iago as crudely ‘topping (the) white ewe’, he has become a symbol of the outsider used for other’s purposes. In Othello’s doing of ‘ta’en’ of Desdemona, he turns Venetian society against him, and is only needed for the purposes of defeating the Ottomans. 300 years on, and this example is still relevant; Paul Robinson, a black actor who went on to portray Othello on Broadway in 1943, drew comparisons between Othello’s situation and the situation of a coloured man in America in the 1930s; ‘while (Othello) could be valuable as a fighter he was tolerated, just as a negro who could save New York from a disaster would become a great man overnight†¦however, as soon as Othello wanted a white woman†¦everything was changed, just as New York would be indignant if their coloured man married a white woman’. In this way, Shakespeare’s portrayal of minorities is relevant for all societies where ethnical persecution takes place, no matter what the time period. However, Shakespeare’s underlying meaning of equality has been twisted. David H. Lawrence famously quoted ‘Never trust the artist, trust the tale’; and indeed, this ha what happened with Shakespeare’s intentions for Shylock and the grim reality. For example, the character of Shylock was used in anti-semetic propaganda by Hitler in Nazi Germany to promote the scapegoating of the Jews; Shylock is held up by a local newspaper in Konigsberg, Germany in 1935 as ‘cowardly and malicious’ when ‘properly understood’, a line that undermines both the intelligence and self-esteem of local people upon reading (in that they did not read enough into the play), and the true meaning of The Merchant of Venice. Upon saying that the deeper meaning is that Shylock is cowardly and malicious, they are mistaking the shallow, surface meaning for a deeper one. As Harold Bloom commented in 1999, ‘It would have been better for the Jewish people had Shakespeare never written this play’; here, Bloom is obviously commenting on the fact that people only took away the shallow meaning, not the deeper, politically-charged (for the times) meaning that Shakespeare is attempting to convey. In a manner seemingly parallel to that of Nazi Germany, Shakespeare’s messages are being sorely misunderstood even nowadays. Shakespeare and his plays (in present-day, less inherently racist society) are being taken away from younger generations, such as in British schools whose teaching is becoming impeded by the P.C nature of today’s ‘Big Society’. Texts and plays key to British education (such as ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘Othello’) are being considered to blatent in their language (eg. ‘whore’, ‘moor’) to be studied at an age of 15/16; in an age when arguably the anti-racist messages of Shakespeare need to be implemented. In this way, whilst previous generations of audiences may have held up Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ and ‘Merchant of Venice’ as examples of injustice and hypocrisy, today’s audiences are holding them up as too blatent in their use of ‘inappropriate language’. Shakespeare’s messages of equality are, once again, being misunderstood; especially if people do not understand the messages that ‘the Great Bard’ is attempting to convey. For example, in 2008, nine students at the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School (a Jewish comprehensive school) in Hackney in East London refused to sit an exam on ‘The Tempest’ purely because they felt that Shakespeare was anti-semetic owing to his severely-misunderstood portrayal of Shylock. Othello has also often been held up and received down the centuries as purely a negative stereotype; even as recently as 2008. Robert Fisk writes in ‘The Guardian’ that ‘Othello was a Moor, a black Muslim, a mercenary (in the service of Venice) – and a wife killer’. One can assume that this is how he would have been viewed in most predominantly-white countries up until the fall of racism and the increase of diversity; thus missing the fact that Iago is both the catalyst and trouble-starter. The mannerisms and attitudes of the characters provide a key insight into the prejudices inherent in society, through both the actions and thought-processes provided by Shakespeare. For example, Othello almost unconsciously uses racist terms to describe himself, providing a derogatory edge to his words. This is shown best in the soliloquys given to Othello, especially when he doubts the good nature of Desdemona; he feels that his ‘name, that was as fresh As Dians visage, is now begrimed and black, As mine own face’, i. e. that his previously good nature is now smeared. However, Othello associates his own face as ‘begrimed and black’, in that he sees his very self as something dirty- and that white (i. e. ‘Dian’s visage’, a marble-white Greek goddess) as something good, clean, and pure. Othello appears to have internalised the racist ideologies preached by Venetians such as Brabantio, and this especially comes to heed in the murder of Desdemona. Seeds planted by Iago act as a catalyst to the problem put in the open by Brabantio at the start of the play; that Desdemona would never ‘Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom Of such a thing as thou’. This, ultimately, is something that the entire play relies on; this comment, made in the heat of the moment by Brabantio, ultimately delivers death unto his daughter. Othello begins to doubt Desdemona’s love and honour due to the fact that he has internalised such racist opinions as ‘blacks and whites should not mix’, and is driven crazy by this. As already mentioned, Robert Fisk spoke of the ways in which Othello would have been viewed; not as somebody noble, but as somebody ‘different’, and (though many in the Elizabethan audience may have been able to sympathise with the beating of Desdemona) a ‘wife killer’; and indeed, this is a way in which some still see him today. Shakespeare, just like Othello and Shylock, lived in a predominantly white and Christian society, and recognised the prejudices inherent in English society; indeed, his plays reflected society. However, as Chung-hsuan Tung wrote, ‘Shakespeare recognizes the existence of racial differences but he is not a racist. Shakespeare is†¦an impartial, humanitarian dramatist preaching interracial liberty, equality, and fraternity. ’ Bibliography. Alexander Granach ‘From the Shtetl to the Stage: The Odyssey of a Wandering Actor’ Paul Robinson – ‘My Fight for Fame; How Shakespeare Paved My Way to Stardom’ The Merchant of Venice, Edited by John Russell Brown, ‘the Arden Shakespeare’, 2007 Othello, edited by E. A. J. Honigman, ‘the Arden Shakespeare’, 1997 John Gross – ‘Shylock: A legend and its Legacy’ Robert Fisk – ‘Offended by Shakespeare? Let’s ban him. ’ Guardian, 8th March 2008. Harold Bloom ‘It would have been better for the Jewish people had Shakespeare never written this play’, 1999. Chung hsuan-Tung – ‘The Jew and the Moor: Shakespeare’s Racial Vision’, 2008.

Reducing Plastic Bag Usage In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences Essay

Reducing Plastic Bag Usage In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences Essay The Hong Kong government and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) have launched an environmental levy of plastic shopping bags in July 2009 which aims to reduce indiscriminate use of plastic bags. After one-year of implementation, it is conducted that limited contribution is achieved. Our organization understands the awareness of the indiscriminate use of plastic bags which burdens the landfills and raises the visible environmental problem in Hong Kong. In this paper, we are writing to suggest two proposed policies in terms of extension of the levy scheme: (1) extend the scale of the levy to all retail outlets; and (2) embrace all types of plastic bags into charge. All of these aim to reduce the use of plastic bags more effectively in Hong Kong. Furthermore, we will discuss the effectiveness and concerns of the proposed policies with related references and successful cases from other countries e.g. Ireland, which has already introduced its plastic bag levy in 2002. Lastly, t he paper ends with a recommendation on broadening the scope of the levy scheme by corresponding measures. In 7th July 2009, the Hong Kong government and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) introduced the Environmental levy on plastic shopping bags (the scheme) in order to reduce indiscriminate use of plastic bags and arouse consumers awareness on the visible environmental problem in Hong Kong. The government proposed the scheme with a levy of 50 cents for a plastic shopping bag in a variety of retail outlets. After one-year of implementation, the government conducted that per-capita disposal figure of plastic shopping bags is over 1.8 per person in 2009 which is lowered than the figure conducted in 2005. The accomplishment is appreciated. (EPD, 2009) After a head start of one-year of implementation, it is potential for the scheme to be extended with a broader scope due to its incomprehensive outcomes and the presence of loopholes. Therefore, we are writing to suggest two proposed policies in terms of extension of the levy scheme which aims to reduce the use of plastic bags in a more effective way. Background information 3.1 Statement to the Problem The indiscriminate use of plastic bags is a major visible environmental problem in Hong Kong. From the Landfill Survey'(2005) which is conducted by EPD, it is estimated that more than 23 million of plastic bags are disposed in the landfill every day. In 2009, EPD took into account to this problem with the introduction of Environmental levy on plastic shopping bags. Nevertheless, according to the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (HKRMA)(2009), it is estimated that the scheme achieved a limited contribution with only 6% reduction of plastic bag usage after one-year of implementation. The estimation reflects that long-term implementation and extension of the scheme is needed to deal with the problem while the benefit of the extended scheme would probably go directly to environmental protection. 3.3 Our organizations interest with respect to the problem Our environmental organization understands the rising awareness of the indiscriminate use of plastic bags which lead to major visible environmental problem. Our objectives are tackling environmental issues and undertaking research for further advice to government policy in terms of environment protection. The survey conducted by GHK indicated that it takes 20 to 1000 years to decompose the plastic bags in the present landfills. In addition, the usage of plastic bags is increasing simultaneously. (GHK Hong Kong Ltd, 2007) With respect to the limited contributions achieved from the existing scheme, we have drawn up two policy options for the extension of the existing scheme which aim reduce the use of plastic bags and encourage consumers to change their behavior towards sustainable consumption. Policy options Current policy and situation There are only a total of 41 prescribed retailers registered under the levy scheme and about 3000 qualified retail outlets are subject to the current scheme. They are including supermarkets, convenience stores, and personal health and beauty stores. The number of registered retailers shows that the scope of the levy scheme is limited while 96% of retail outlets are still not subject to the scheme. In addition, it is conducted that 3 million of levy is collected in the first season after implementation of the plastic bag levy. However, a clear proposal is usually absent to tell how the revenue raised from the scheme is spent. According to EPD (May 2007), the definition of plastic shopping bags under the levy is that bags that are made wholly or predominantly of plastic with carrying handles, holes or strings. It turns out with the increasing use of alternative bags or wrapped packages, e.g. laminated plastic bags, non-woven bags and fruit bags. For example, supermarket chains were circumventing the levy and many retail outlets are starting to sell prepackaged products. Proposed policies Broaden the scope of the levy scheme (1)Extend the scale of the levy to all retail outlets (2)Embrace all types of plastic bags into charge Policy option (1) Extend the scale of the levy to all retail outlets 4.2.1a) Implementation The current policy apparently shows that the scope of the implement scheme is limited to achieve a more comprehensive goal. With respect to the limitation, the levy scheme should be implemented extensively in all kind of retail outlets in Hong Kong. The remaining 96% of retail outlets, including small-scale, individual neighborhood retail stores and local wet markets should be all covered in terms of the extension of the levy scheme. 4.2.1b) Effects and advantages The extension of the implement scale of retail outlets would further reduce indiscriminate use of plastic bags and arouse peoples attention to serious environmental problem. Ireland is a successful case among all countries implementations while all kinds of retail outlets are subject to the levy which a 15 Euro cent tax is paid for a plastic shopping bag. Nevertheless, Ireland achieved a dramatic reduction 94% of plastic bag usage is reduced with the effect of the levy scheme. (Frank, Simon Susana, 2007) 4.2.1c) Concerns and disadvantages Under the extension of implementation, we concern that some small retailers could not afford a computerized or new cashier system to handle the levy (most of the retailers in wet markets). Therefore, it is difficult for them to collect cash manually before submitting the levy to EPD. Apart from that, oppositions from different sectors would be raised, especially for those retailers which plastic bags are necessary used. For example, butchers in Ireland strongly opposed to the levy because of its hygiene reason. (Frank, Simon Susana, 2007) Therefore, the government should determine whether the exemption is needed for several kinds of retailers with corresponding measures. Policy option (2) Embrace all types of plastic bags into charge 4.2.2a) Implementation We suggested that all types of plastic bags should be embraced into charge. It means that all kinds of bags which are made of wholly or predominantly of plastic, including laminated plastic bags, non-woven bags and fruit bags are all imposed to the scheme even they contain carrying handles, holes or strings. In addition, the levy collected is suggested to go directly to an environmental fund for the expenditure of environmental disposal projects and educational purposes. 4.2.2b) Effects and advantages The scheme fills in the loopholes of the existing policy in terms of the revised definition of plastic bags. All kinds of plastic bags, including wrapped, packing product bags and fruit bags are all applied to the scheme. In Ireland, all kinds of plastic bags are embraced into charge with 15 Euro cents. It achieved with a dramatic reduction (94%) of plastic bag usage. From the successful case of Ireland, we anticipate that the embracement of all kinds of plastic bags into the scheme would effectively reduce the use of plastic bags by consumers and make a link between price value and good environmental behavior among the public. In addition, the levy which goes directly to an environmental fund avoids absence of reporting how the revenue is spent by the General Revenue and gives support to environmental disposal projects. For example, the revenues from the scheme in Ireland are ring fenced in an Environmental Fund which is controlled by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and L ocal Government for administration cost and capitals of environmental program promotion. (Frank, Simon Susana, 2007) 4.2.2c) Concerns and disadvantages We concern that there would be a rise of alternative use of paper shopping bags under the implementation of the proposed policy. As all kinds of plastic bags are subject to the levy, paper bag is the shifting target for both retailers and consumers. We are worrying that a single paper bag produces 2.7 times as much solid waste as the equivalent plastic bag. (GHK Hong Kong Ltd, 2007) According to the Hong Kong Plastic Bags Manufacturers Association executive vice chairman Ricky Wong Wai-ki, the materials and energy used for producing nonwoven recycled shopping bags is more environmental-unfriendly. (GHK Hong Kong Ltd, 2007) Therefore, the government is responsible for further action on tackling the problem of alternative use of paper bags. Recommendation Indiscriminate use of plastic bag is one of the major visible environmental problems in Hong Kong. The introduction of the Environmental levy on plastic shopping bags is necessary to tackle this problem. However, the limited contribution achieved from the scheme urged for a proper modification and more effective extension. Our organization suggests to extending the scale of the levy scheme to all retail outlets while 96% of them are still not subject to the scheme. Therefore, the enlarged scale of the levy would be an effective way to further reduce indiscriminate use of plastic bags and arouse peoples attention to serious environmental problem. The feasibility of the proposed policy is high in long terms with comprehensive planning and certain corresponding measures (for example: promotions, educational activities and distribution of fabric reusable shopping bags) supported by the government. We are anticipating to accomplishing a good environmental behavior developed among the public with this strong publicity campaign. Implementation(s): Study and learn from foreign successful cases of implementing plastic bag levy (e.g. Ireland) Conduct a comprehensive review with evaluation after 1-year implementation of the levy scheme Consult public, retailers and industries opinions on the extension of the levy scheme Broaden the scope of the levy scheme in terms of scale of scheme and the types of plastic bags a) Extend the scale of the levy to all retail outlets b) Embrace all types of plastic bags into charge Organize educational talks to all primary and secondary schools to promote the reduction of indiscriminate use of plastic bags Giving out fabric reusable shopping bags to students and less privileged families every year in order to encourage consumers to change their behavior towards sustainable consumption Reinforce the existing environmental campaign with sufficient promotion Bring your own bag (BYOB) Conclusion Due to limited contributions achieved in the existing environmental levy on plastic shopping bags, an extension of the levy scheme is necessary to achieve a more comprehensive goal. Our organization suggests two policy options, including the extension of the scale to all retail outlets and embraces all kinds of plastic bags into charge. From the successful case learnt from Ireland, we ensure that the implementations of these similar policies are effective. Therefore, it is necessary for the Hong Kong government to extend the levy scheme in terms of scope in order to achieve a sustainable consumption of plastic bags.

Pros and Cons of Organisational Mergers

Pros and Cons of Organisational Mergers Abstract The purpose of this paper was to take a look at a topic of our choosing and determine how it relates to a human resource management issue. The topic that was decided to discuss was what the pros and cons are of organizational mergers. We also planned on looking at how organizational mergers affect both the success of the organization and the employees within the organization involved in the organizational merger. Lastly, we went on to look at whether this issue has an HR relationship of if it more of a management issue. Overview So for my topic project I came up with a proposal to investigate what the pros and cons are of organizational mergers. I also planned on looking at how organizational mergers affect both the success of the organization and the employees within the organization involved in the organizational merger. Therefore, we will start by creating an outline of what we will be looking for followed by the research needed to answer the questions asked by the outline. Once we have completed this we will look at a Q A from a human resource professional’s point of view. Lastly, we will conclude by determining whether the pros of organizational mergers outweigh the cons of organizational mergers and if there is any kind of success that comes from organizational mergers for the organization and the employees. Outline Now to begin the following is the outline we will use to start our topic project. WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF ORGANIZATION MERGERS (Moadhadi, 2015)? What are the pros of organizational mergers (Moadhadi, 2015)? The first pro of an organizational merger is a larger network of economies (Moadhadi, 2015). The second pro of an organizational merger is an increase in research and development (Moadhadi, 2015). The third pro of an organizational merger is all the other economies of scale (Moadhadi, 2015). The fourth pro of an organizational merger is that it allows for the avoidance of duplication (Moadhadi, 2015). The last pro of an organizational merger is that it helps with the regulation of monopoly for the industry (Moadhadi, 2015). What are the cons of organizational mergers (Moadhadi, 2015)? The first con of an organizational merger is that there can be higher prices (Moadhadi, 2015). The second con of an organizational merger is that consumers now have less choice (Moadhadi, 2015). The third con of an organizational merger is that there can be job losses (Moadhadi, 2015). The last con of an organizational merger is that the larger organization can suffer diseconomies of scale (Moadhadi, 2015). WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF MERGERS THAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN GO THROUGH (Moadhadi, 2015)? The first type of organizational merger is a horizontal merger (Moadhadi, 2015). The second type of organizational merger is a vertical merger (Moadhadi, 2015). WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF MERGERS ON THE ORGANIZATIONS (Moadhadi, 2015)? A merger can cause employees to display a new attitude (Moadhadi, 2015). Mergers may cause employees to disapprove of the new regulations (Moadhadi, 2015). Mergers may cause concerns with whether the current benefits and compensations for each of the employees will stay the same (Moadhadi, 2015). There may be employee resistance to the new integrations (Moadhadi, 2015). WHAT KIND OF RESISTANCE TO ORGANIZATIONAL MERGERS CAN EMPLOYEES HAVE (Moadhadi, 2015)? The first reaction is because they have a fear of control loss (Moadhadi, 2015). The second reaction is because there can be excess uncertainty (Moadhadi, 2015). The third reaction is because it may have been a surprise for them (Moadhadi, 2015). The fourth reaction is because the work environment is becoming different (Moadhadi, 2015). The fifth reaction is because there are changes in the way the work is completed (Moadhadi, 2015). The sixth reaction is because they may have competency concerns (Moadhadi, 2015). The seventh reaction is because there may be added responsibilities (Moadhadi, 2015). The eighth reaction is because the employee may have new risks on their company investments (Moadhadi, 2015). The ninth reaction is because the current work may be affect by unsettled matters prior to the merger (Moadhadi, 2015). The tenth reaction is because there may be a risk of the company downsizing due to economic losses (Moadhadi, 2015). Research Before we discuss what the pros and cons are of organizational merger we have to know what a merger is first. So what is a merger? A merger is a chosen fusion of two or more organizations with approximately equivalent stipulations into a single organization (Merger. 2015). Now that we know what a merger is so we can now begin to look at what are the pros and cons of organization mergers. We can begin by looking at what the pros of organizational mergers. There are five major pros to an organizational merger. The first pro to an organizational merger is a larger network of economies (Pettinger, 2012). Basically, this means that by merging the new company now has a much broader network to cater to. The second pro to an organizational merger is there is an increase in research and development (Pettinger, 2012). This basically means that the new company is able to come up with better top of the line inventions or designs. The third pro to an organizational merger is all the other economies of scale (Pettinger, 2012). This is basically dependent on what type of merger has taken place. If it is a horizontal merger it will be much larger than if it was a vertical merger which will still expand, but it will be less than that of a horizontal merger. The fourth pro to an organizational merger is that tit allows for the avoidance of duplication (Pettinger, 2012). This basically means that the market is no longer over populated and that the market is now only influenced by one company instead of two. The last pro to an organizational merger is that it helps with the regulation of monopoly for the industry (Pettinger, 2012). This basically means that the government limits the new company’s pricing so that the consumers do not get hurt. The pros of an organizational merger do so much for the new organization so what do the cons of an organizational merger limit the new organization too? There are four major cons of an organizational merger. The first con to an organizational merger is that there are higher prices (Pettinger, 2012). This basically means that now that there is only one choice in the market that they can make their prices less competitive which will make the new prices of the company become a little bit more expensive. The second con to an organizational merger is that consumers now have less choice (Pettinger, 2012). This is really straightforward in the sense that the consumer can no longer chose between the two rivaling companies now they can only chose the one company. The third con to an organizational merger is that there can be job losses (Pettinger, 2012). This is also straightforward in the sense that if the new company is considered as an aggressively merged take over than the employees may h ave to fear the loss of their jobs in under preforming departments. The last con to an organizational merger is that the larger organization can suffer diseconomies of scale (Pettinger, 2012). This basically means that with the merger that the new company may not be able to maintain control and with such problem may lose the ability to motivate their employees. Now these are just a few of the pros and cons of organizational mergers. We will also look into two types of mergers that organizations can go through (Merger. 2015). Earlier I mentioned two types of mergers which we will now explain. The first type of mergers is an organization to organization merger known as a horizontal merger. The second type of mergers is an organization to supplier merger known as vertical merger (Merger. 2015). Now the last things we will look into is how these types of organizational mergers affect the individuals that work within these organizations. With a merger of organizations the employees may begin to show some new attitudes (Kokemuller, 2015). Another issue that may occur is that the employees may not approve of the new regulations (Kokemuller, 2015). There may be concerns with whether the current benefits and compensations for each of the employees will stay the same (Kokemuller, 2015). Lastly, there may be resistance with the integrations of each of the organization’s employees. These are just a few issues that could arise within a newly merged organization (Kokemuller, 2015). With more research we can understand this so much better. Now the last issue is slightly inevitable but there are ways to make the resistance to these changes a little bit more manageable (Bolognese, 2002). By keeping in mind these top ten reasons why the organization’s employees are resistant the organization can limit the amount and length of their employee’s resistance to the new merger (Kanter, 2012). The first reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because they feel they have loss control (Kanter, 2012). The second reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because there is a new excess uncertainty (Kanter, 2012). The third reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because it may have been a surprise for them (Kanter, 2012). The fourth reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because everything seems to becoming different (Kanter, 2012). The fifth reason an organization’ s employees might be resistant to the merger is because the way things used to be done are gone (Kanter, 2012). The sixth reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because they have concerns about their competence (Kanter, 2012). The seventh reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because there may be more responsibilities (Kanter, 2012). The eighth reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because it may affect their organizational investments (Kanter, 2012). The ninth reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because not everything from before the merger was settle appropriately and may cause issue for everyday work (Kanter, 2012). The final reason an organization’s employees might be resistant to the merger is because the new organization might be downsizing due to a loss of funding instead of expanding (Kanter, 2012). With this in mind we can better understand how mergers impact the organization and their employees (Kanter, 2012). Now that we know what the pros and cons are of organizational mergers and how they can affect the newly established organization and their employees let us look at how a human recourse professional is made. Interview of an HR Professional The follow Q A is of my interview with Judy Whimmer an HR professional of 15 years. With CSL Plasma 1) How did you meet the requirements for a human resource administrators status? Answer: The function of a human resource administrator requires somebody that is able to relate with others on a private level and aids them in meeting their goals, while at the same time obeying the companys guidelines (Whimmer, 2015). With that said, I believe that with my 15 years of skills I am more equipped to interact with both employees and consumers (Whimmer, 2015). Since my previous job allowed me to understand what the guidelines of a human resource administrator are (Whimmer, 2015). I now know that human resource administrators have to remain aware of these guidelines while operating (Whimmer, 2015). 2) What are your strong suits and weak points as a human resource professional? Answer: As I deal with an employee’s dilemmas I have a tendency to get overly involved in their problems (Whimmer, 2015). Yet, I believe that this aspect has allowed me to understand their dilemmas better (Whimmer, 2015). After understanding their problems I am able to suggest to them possible solutions while remaining within the company’s limits (Whimmer, 2015). I have come to understand that experiences like this have helped shaped my attitude towards problems that my staff has had in the past and has allowed me to help them while remaining loyal to this company (Whimmer, 2015). 3) According to you, what are the qualities that a human resource administrator must have? Answer: I feel that an administrator has to have understanding, instinct, adaptability, elasticity, concentration, and above all an employee needs to be in touch with what has to be done on a daily bases (Whimmer, 2015). 4) Why did you choose a human resource career? Answer: It was because I enjoyed being involved when new employees are hired (Whimmer, 2015). The reason I enjoy this because human resource administrator are able to help recognize the right people and how they will fit in the company (Whimmer, 2015). It was as a recruitment officer that I found that I enjoyed the human resources field and adopted a human resource profession (Whimmer, 2015). 5) What are the major roles and responsibilities of a human resource administrator? Answer: The role of a human resource administrator is to care for the strategic and functional responsibilities of all of the human resource disciplines they work with (Whimmer, 2015). 6) What are the responsibilities of a human resource administrator? Answer: The responsibilities of a human resource administrator can include, but are not limited to staffing, education, structural progress, interaction, operation progress and administration, income and benefits, crew development, developing staff relationships, forming directions, motivational trainings, evolving company rules and processes, and handling health care programs for employees (Whimmer, 2015). 7) Why did you decide to get into HR after you graduated? Answer: I was looking for a job when I got my first opportunity as a human resource administrator (Whimmer, 2015). I picked it up and gradually realized that I had a liking for it (Whimmer, 2015). I improved my skills by remaining up to date on any new advances in the field (Whimmer, 2015). I also went and acquired a professional degree in the human resource field. It was one of the best choices in my life (Whimmer, 2015). Conclusion So now we have looked at an outline of what we will be researching, we have conducted our research, and we have even chatted with a real life HR professional we will now take the time to determine whether the pros of organizational mergers outweigh the cons of organizational mergers and if there is any kind of success that comes from organizational mergers for the organization and the employees. To begin the amount of pros to an organizational merger are much more significant than the amount of cons an organization merger has. I also feel that what an organization gains from a merger is much more rational than what may potentially occur to both the consumers and the employees. I also feel that the pros to an organizational merger are better than the minimal issues that may come from the cons of an organizational merger. Now with this said we also have to look at if there is any kind of success that comes from organizational mergers for the organization and the employees. To answer th is it solely depends on a few things. The first thing is to determine what kind of merger we have on our hands. For example if the merger is horizontal than the success of the merger is dependent on whether the merger takes well by the employees and the consumers. So let us say we have two hospitals that merger this is a great example of a horizontal merger and can have some major recourse in the sense that the doctors may now fear the loss of their jobs and may even resent the new changes or even management and their decision to merger in the first place. We will now look at the other side. For example if the merger is vertical than the success of the merger is dependent on whether the merger takes well by the consumers. So let us say we have a retailer and a third party soda vendor that decide to merger. The retailer now has to make sure that the inventory of their newly merger supplier takes well versus that of the sodas of other non-merged vendors. With all of this said the succ ess of a merger is really dependent on a handful of situations and if they are not the right situations than the successfulness of an organizational merger tanks rapidly. Therefore, I have to conclude that the pros of organizational mergers do outweigh the cons of organizational mergers and the any kind of success that comes from organizational mergers for the organization and the employees is dependent on situational factors and depend on how well the merger is taken by all the parties involved. I also feel that the effects of organizational merger can be controlled by HR Professionals such as the one we interviewed. References Bolognese, A. (2002). Employee Resistance to Organizational Change. Retrieved May 26, 2015, from http://www.newfoundations.com/OrgTheory/Bolognese721.html Kanter, R. (2012, September 25). Ten Reasons People Resist Change. Retrieved May 26, 2015, from https://hbr.org/2012/09/ten-reasons-people-resist-chang.html Kokemuller, N. (2015). Post-Merger HR and Cultural Issues. Retrieved May 26, 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/postmerger-hr-cultural-issues-14400.html Merger. (2015). Retrieved May 26, 2015, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/merger.html Moadhadi, S. (2015). Merger Proposal. Retrieved June 6, 2015, from https://api.turnitin.com/dv?o=545723293u=1007168898s=3student_user=1lang=en_ussession-id=e954f4cc236d3d4b1434f6533eb8d641 Pettinger, T. (2012, February 22). Pros and Cons of Mergers. Retrieved May 26, 2015, from http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/5009/economics/pros-and-cons-of-mergers/ Whimmer, J. (2015, June 5). Human Resource Professional Analysis [E-mail interview].

Discrimination in America Essay -- essays papers

Discrimination in America Prejudice is the negative attitude based on false generalizations about members of different racial and ethnic groups. From prejudice, discrimination is born. We all are guilty of discriminating other people, but one can only speculate the factors that bring about this hatred towards one another. Although a single cause cannot account for the presence of racism, factors such as socialization, self-justification, and competition are a few human attributes that lead to acts of racial discrimination. At an early age, children begin the process of socialization. In order for one to be able to communicate with others, it is essential for one to learn to socialize with the people around them. One cause of racism is what a young child learns from his or her parents. Parents become the sole teaching source in terms of the values and beliefs that are picked up by their young and impressionable children. Vincent Parrillo, a chairperson of the Department of sociology at William Paterson College, suggests that individuals are molded by the people around ...

Dedicated Police Officers in the Film, End of Watch Essay -- Criminal

End of Watch (Ayer, 2012) is a film which follows the lives of two police officers, partners Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, in the Los Angeles Police Department. The movie is shot in the style of a documentary and because of this the film centralized on these two officers and their patrols. When the film began Taylor and Zavala had just successfully apprehended two suspects in a high speed car chase which they were praised for by other officers and members of the department. From then on out the officers made a number of impressive arrests, rescues, and discoveries the two partners made throughout the film. Unfortunately for the Taylor and Zavala, their successfulness in investigating and apprehending locations and suspects of a drug ring caught the attention of the leaders of a Mexican drug cartel. A hit was put out on Taylor and Zavala by leaders of the Mexican drug cartel because they were becoming a nuisance. This hit was carried out by the same Latino gang members who had previously done a drive-by shooting of a rival gang. The officers were enticed towards their imminent deaths with a car chase which was set up by the Latino gang members. This chase led them towards an apartment complex which was rigged with many gang members and artillery to ensure that neither Taylor nor Zavala would survive. The two were ambushed but decided that gunning their way out was their best option. When the officers made it to an alley they were met by another Latino gang member who fired at Taylor and Zavala, hitting Taylor once in the chest before being shot and killed by Zavala. Zavala went to aid Taylor who appeared to be quickly dying and called out for help. Before police back up arrived the original Latino gang members found Zavala in the... ... of risks come with being a police officer. Solutions used to deter and prevent crime in the film End of Watch (Ayer, 2012) focused on police and the duties officers perform while on patrol. In the movie police officers played a central role in the capture of many gang and drug cartel members. This was told through the perspective of officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala. Therefore, the solution to crime concentrated on the police involvement, in this case Taylor and Zavala, through their presence, protection, arrests, and investigations. This solution could be generalized and would be possible through the hard work of dedicated police officers. Works Cited Ayer, D. (Director). (2012). End of watch [Motion picture]. USA: Exclusive Media Group. Seigal, L. J., & Worrall, J. L. (2012). Introduction to criminal justice (13th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Product Level Planning

Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Market analysis 3 SWOT Analysis 4-7 Objectives 7 Marketing Strategy 8 Action Program 9 Financial Projection 10 Feedback & Control 10 Conclusion 11 References 11 Executive Summery Cement Industry is highly important segment of Bangladesh’s Industrial sector & Plays a vital role in socio-economic development.Although cement industry of Bangladesh has witnessed its ups & down in recent past but in last decade it has recovered & now it’s a self-sufficient industry of Bangladesh not only fulfilling domestic needs of Bangladesh also exporting a huge amount of cement to other countries, bringing foreign reserves & help in up lifting Bangladesh’s GDP. Bangladesh is currently operating at their maximum capacity due to the boom in commercial & industrial construction within Bangladesh.In this report I have selected ‘Anchor' cement, Olympic Cement Ltd (OCL) of ‘Khansons Group’ simply called gray cement & we will descr ibe how they do product planning for that? Khansons Group has extended its industrial arena by putting-up a clinker grinding cement plant named as ‘Olympic Cement Ltd'. The plant is located at Rupatoli, Barisal all in a row along with its textile industries. The finished product (cement) has been branded as ‘Anchor' & the same has become popular in the local market. This cement project commenced its initial production at 800 tpd and gradually increased the production to the level of 1,600 tpd.Olympic Cement Ltd (OCL) is one & only cement factory which has targeted to meet the entire demand of cement in Southern Bengal. As a result, OCL has concentrated its sales on a soaring trend by increasing production volume. OCL is maintaining the reputation of its quality product and aiming at the extended project in days to come. Current Market Situation Overall Market Situation Bangladesh cement industry is the 40th largest market in the world. There are 70+ cement factories in B angladesh and daily production capacity is 16. 687 Million MT.In January 2012, Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau released data confirming that cement exports had witnessed a 21% increase in the first seven months of the current fiscal year (July 2011 – January 2012). The boost in the cement sector is because of the rising construction activity in the country & increasing development expenditure by the govt. Due to this the sales of cement sector will also rise every year. Product Situation Since Cement is a specialized product, requiring sophisticated infrastructure & production location, so, Most of the cement industries in Bangladesh are located near/within a river side that are rich in clay.Iron & mineral capacity so ‘Anchor’ cement is situated near to the bank of river ‘Kirton Khola’. Anchor cement installed capacity is 1,600 tpd at present with the turnover of 50 crore in a year. Competitive Situation: In competitive situation we will describe all the competitors of Anchor Cement producing gray cement. There are 70 + firms in the market along with Anchor Cement. All these companies are using different marketing tactics to grape as much market share as possible but they are acting like a cartel under the tree of APCMA.They are producing same quality of cement with all most same price and features that’s why competition in the market is very tough for local as well as foreign market. All are using same bulk & penetration strategies to cover major portion of the market. Some are using cost leadership strategy but due to cartel act behavior they are not getting the target results that they want to achieve. Currently Crown cement is the market leader while Anchor cement is a niche in the national market but it is the leader in the local market of Barisal & southern part of Bangladesh. Distribution Situation:Anchor Cement Company uses different channels of distributions to transfer the gray cement from company t o the different part of Bangladesh. †¢ACC > Whole Sellers > Retailor> Customer †¢ACC > Retailors> Customer †¢ACC > Customer †¢ACC > Regional Offices > w/s Retailors Macro-Environmental Situation Macro environmental factors directly or indirectly effect the production of the company & its market. Macro- Environmental factors are the factors that are not in the control of the company. These factors are†¦.. 1. Political 2. Law & order situation 3. Cultural values 4. Technological change . Demographic trends 6. Economic Condition 7. Inflation Opportunity & Issue Analysis After completing the market analysis now we will do analysis of opportunities & issues for the ACC. Opportunity is a chance of progress or advancement that is available in the market & the company has to avail it for the progress and profitability while issues are the weakness or threat for the company to avoid or settled down. For this purpose we have to do SWOT analysis of ACC. Strength of ACC Strengths are the internal positive factors of advantage that a company possesses. Following is the strength of ACC. Installed Capacity: Installed capacity of company is 16. 687 Million MT daily & they are producing 6007. 32 MT per annum so they can exceed the production easily by proper implementing their marketing mix strategies & it will directly increase profits of the company. oRaw Material: Anchor Cement Company is situated near the bank of the river kirtonkhola. So they can easily avail the huge reserve of raw materials with a very low cost as compare to other competitors’ as their cost of material is high. oHigh Quality of ACC: Quality of ACC is much better than the standard set by Bangladesh & importers.Quality of production is better than most of the competitors in the market. oCheap Labor: They are using cheap labor market of Bangladesh which is strength of them & due to this their price is low as compare to other compotators. oGood Govt. Policies: Local & federal govts. Policies are supportive & favorable to the cement sector. They are getting many benefits in term of electricity etc from BD govt. So over all ACC is enjoying good environment created by Government. Weakness of ACC Weaknesses are the internal negative factors of a company that should be avoided or to be controlled.Following are the negative factors of ACC. oNot Utilization of Full Capacity: ACC is not utilizing its full capacity of production of gray cement. They can produce more per annum so not utilizing their full capacity is also their disadvantage which they should convert it into opportunity. oFuel & Electricity Charges: ACC cost comprises more than 50% costs of fuel & electricity. So they should minimize these expenses as much as they can. It can really help them in uplifting their market share & growth & profit as well. They can convert their system or can generate their own electricity by investing in this sector. Management: ACC major boards of directors are from th e same family which is also a negative factor of them. So they should introduce competent personnel’s in the company for the growth. oFreight Charges: Freight or transportation charges to other parts of the country are also a problem for them which should be settled down as soon as possible. They should minimize their expenses to avail greater markets present in other parts of Bangladesh. Opportunities for ACC Opportunities are chances for progress or advancement that is available in the market and the company has to avail it for the progress and profitability.These are positive external factors. Following are the opportunities available for ACC. oGovernment Development Expenditure: Govt: is spending huge amount on development projects like roads, schools, hospitals, dams & infrastructure etc. ACC can avail these opportunities by responding on time to these projects. oConstruction of Big projects: Recently there are many big projects are going on Bangladesh like construction of Jamuna future park, many high rise buildings etc, also in nationwide & in Barisal.ACC should explore all these opportunities to increase its market share. oDemand of Bangladeshi Cement: Recently Bangladeshi cement demand is increasing day by day in foreign markets so ACC can improve its foreign market share. This will be very favorable & profitable for them. Threats for ACC Threats are the negative factors that are available in the external environments. These are unhidden threats that are waiting for & company should be ready or prepared to tickle down all these threats for their existence & survival. Following are the threats available for ACC. High Energy Prices: Energy prices are constantly increasing in Bangladesh & worldwide which is directly affecting the profitability of ACC because major portion of cost consists of fuel & energy expenses so they should find out alternative source of energy to minimize the cost of goods. oHigh level of Taxes & Custom duty: High level of c ost & custom duty are affecting its profitability. So govt. should take constructive steps for the development of the industries. oCompetitors: There are 70+ firms in cement industry which make the competition very tough.Each firm is striving to get as much share as they can and they are using different tactics to excel their sales. So, ACC should take proper steps for its growth while taking into consideration all the Competitors. oPolitical Instability: It is also a main threat for ACC because it brings changes in laws & regulation accordingly. Objectives After analyzing all the factors now we will set the objectives or targets we can say, for ACC that is going to be achieved in the next financial year of the company. Our objectives should be ? Specific ?Measurable ?Achievable ?Realistic ?Time bound There are 2 kinds of objectives which are: Financial Objectives †¢Marketing Objectives Financial Objectives: Financial objectives are related with the financial performance of the company or simply objectives that relate to finance. Following are the financial objectives that we can set for ACC for 2013. ?Profit after taxes should be 60 crore ?Cash flow should be 10% high Marketing Objectives Financial objectives should be convertible to marketing objectives. Marketing objectives are related to market or overall industry. Following are the marketing objectives of ACC. Sales should be 50% high Exports should be 40% Average price should be up to 450 pgSales of 5,00,000 tons should be achieved in 2013 Expand the number of dealers Market share should be up to 5% Marketing Strategies Strategies are the game plan or road map to achieve the objectives set by the company by utilizing its resources. Following are the marketing strategies that should be used: oNew Markets New markets in outside & inside of the country should be achieved. oDistribution outlets Distribution outlets or big distributors must be located in all the targeted markets. oAdvertisement 2% budget should be allocated for advertisement campaign on bill boards & certain media channel. Low pricing strategy Low pricing strategy should be adopted as compared to competitors. oAlliance Alliances should be made with distributors & realtors in important markets & preference should be given to them. oSales force Sale force or sales agents should also be hired in remote areas with 5-8% commission. oMarket Research 10% Budget should be allocated to market research to know competitors, customer behavior & new markets. oLower cost of goods strategy Cost of the cement should be low down to earn maximum profit Action Programs Marketing strategies should be supported with action programs or day to day plans.Each strategy should be broken down in to small programs or action that can easily be implemented. It tells us that which marketing strategy is to be completed by whom, when how & what will be the cost of that? ?Sales department have to do 25 crore sales after every 4 months. ?Production department have to produce 0. 25 million tons after every 4 months. ?Purchase department should purchase furnace oil & raw materials 5% less as compared to previous year. ?Management should reduce unproductive expenses @10% as compared to last year. ?Other incomes should be increased up to 10 crore as compared to last year. Marketing department should achieve their target within given budget on the basis of six months. Financial Projections †¢Following are the overall projection for year 2013. In millionsIncrease Sales500060% Cgs (Cost of goods sold)(3200)36% Gross Profit120080% Other Expenses18010% Other Income2040% Profit Before Taxes800 Taxes200 Net Profit60020% Feedback & Control In the last stage of product level planning we will consider does the company actually achieved its objectives or not. In this step we will compare the actual results with the standards set out there in the planning stage.According to the above results & figures ACC has achieved all the targets & g oals efficiently & effectively. They have properly implemented the planning as compared to previous year so they have achieved the level of performance what they want. Even more fruitful results have been achieved. Usually, Anchor Cement Company carries out three types of controlling strategies which are as under.. oAnnual Plan Control ACC usually do audit or check up at the end of year that whether that have achived their annual goals/objectives or not regarding sales, profits, market share & growth etc.They want to know the gap between actual & standard, if found any & then will fix it down in the upcoming period. If they have performed much better then they watch out the reasons behind that to implement forever in the organization. oAudit Control Internal Audit is carried out by the internal auditors. External Audit is carried out by external auditors. oStrategic Control Strategic Control is the step of the last section. In strategic control usually they evaluate whether the Anch or Cement Company marketing strategy is appropriate to the market condition or not.If not they do Changes in it to make implementable in the market. They change their strategy according to the market situation that changes so rapidly. Conclusion From the above analysis we can easily conclude that how a company usually does their product or marketing planning. I pick Anchor Cement Company collect data from different sources (mainly from web) & then make the palling for them accordingly. All the above discussion gives us a bird’s eye view regarding a good product planning that a marketer can do. References http://www. khansonsgroup. com www. scribd. com Marketing Management- Philip Kotler, 11th edition