GECON 200 Essay Example

GECON 200 Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on GECON 200 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on GECON 200 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on GECON 200 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer GECON 200 Torre, Pablo. Indianapolis will bid to host 2018 Super Bowl. Sports Illustrated. July 18, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012.The City of Indianapolis struggled to clinch the hosting of the 2018 Super Bowl tournament amid renewed economic and public relations scandals and controversies. The city had hosted previous Super Bowl competitions but due to economic problems, had lost the qualifications to do so over a period of three years. Led by the Mayor Greg Ballard, the city expressed their interest in presenting a formal bid on Wednesday amid cheers from different stakeholders such as organizers who assisted in the planning of the February 5th games and other events leading up to it. The financial benefit that was expected from hosting the Super Bowl reached up to $152 million in direct economic impacts and other related benefits.The Mayor made an approximate that around 84 cents in every dollar for the tournament stayed in Indianapolis. A study on the economic impact of clinching t he tender to host the 2018 Super Bowl estimated that over 100,000 visitors would grace the city within the ten days before the games begun and over 200,000 visitors during the course of the tournament. The host committee chairperson Mark Miles said in a separate comment that corporate donations had exceeded $ 1.8 million that would be allocated to the games in 2018.Retrieved from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/07/18/indianapolis-super-bowl-2018-bid.ap/index.htmlFitzpatrick Dan Kapner Suzanne. Big Banks Prepare another Round of Cuts. Wall Street Journal. July 18, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012.The Wall Street Journal ran an article on the proposed budget and expenditure cuts aimed at banks and other financial institutions. Global financial companies were preparing for downsizing programmes in the wake of unstable markets, shaky stock prices and skewed economic growth. Led by Credit Suisse Group AG and Bank Of America Corp., the drive to introduce new cost c uts was much later taken up by Citigroup and other financial institutions. Most notably was Goldman Sachs who made an outright admission that the economic times were dire and downsizing was critical to survival. Canadian biggest banks also took an inspection of the different ways in which their expenses could be lowered in the preparation of slower growth and profit margins. Analysis done by experts such as John Aiken predicted the grappling situation by most international banks needed a quick intervention which downsizing could easily offer. The head-count reduction was however not considered the first option that most banks had. Aiken mentioned that some banks were looking into fiscal measures such as altering their variable compensation structures to defer payments rather than cutting jobs.Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444097904577535180303693776.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection#articleTabs%3DarticleFareed Zakaria Tax and Spend. Times Magazin e. July 23, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012.The issue of job creation featured in an article on Times Magazine on Monday that signaled the lower rates of job creation that were beginning to be acceptable by the populace. Over the month of June, around 80, 000 jobs were created which showed a slowing down in the economic recovery of USA. The past recessions were always accompanied by a spring back that featured growth in the employment rates. However, the rate of employment after recessions has been on a receding trend. In the 19th century, jobs were available in less than fifteen months of climbing out of recessions. However, in the 20th century, this period tended to stretch up to 39 months.Currently, the Times put the employment availability period after the 2008 recession at sixty months. This information was seconded by a study done by McKinsey. Fareed, in the article, attributed this phenomenon to two major forces: globalization and the spread of the Information Age. These two factors were cited as being responsible for the economic growth for many previously third world countries in Asia and South America. They have also expanded the economic activities within America. The downside to the impact that these two forces had was that they made it easier for capital-intensive economic growth that made wageworkers a last resort within America.Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2119336,00.htmlRandall W. Forsyth. The Euro’s Fate Barrons. July 14th 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012.Amid the recent events happening in Europe particularly the elections in Greece, the economic recession and the European Union leaders summit, the announcement by Airbus to establish its first production firm in the U.S. was perhaps the most surprising and intriguing. This was the first sign that the economic crisis that plagued Europe had finally begun taking its toll on domestic companies. In following the footsteps of BMW and Mercedes-Benz , Airbus was not only running away from the harsh economic conditions but also the waning power of the Euro. The best solution to aid the rising unemployment rates and deficits in growth would be through monetary reflation. By lowering the bar to have a cheaper Euro, Europe would still be able to retain its competitiveness in the international financial arena, end its debt crisis and salvage the Euro in one move. This proposed solution had been applied earlier in the last decade with excellent results that bolstered the rate from $1.60 to around $1.22. Debasing the Euro may therefore be the best solution that Europe has in surviving the tough economic times.Retrieved from http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424053111904184504577519232109403716.html?mod=BOL_hpp_cover#articleTabs_article%3D1Dean Hoff Meyer. Capital One repays consumers to end card probe. Richmond Times Dispatch. July 19, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012Capital One was on Monday compelled to compensate its cus tomers over $120 million over federal charge claims that it tricked its shareholder into overspending on add-on services like credit monitoring and payment protection. Richmond’s largest private employer faced a charge against them presented by the court that had violated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Act that was created to protect consumers from exploitative companies having hidden exorbitant fees. A large chunk of the compensation by Capital One was expected to go directly to the consumers. The McLean branch of Capital One was reported to have paid up to $150 million to consumers, $35 million to the Comptroller’s Office and $ 25 million to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.Richard Cordray, the director at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau commented in a press conference over the Capital One issue by saying that such problems were not isolated to Capital One and that he expected other companies to follow the same trend in compensating gullible cu stomers who were unfairly taxed or coerced out of their money. A representative at the Clear Point Credit Counseling Services also pointed out that there were no requirements for consumers to add services to qualify for loans or credit.Retrieved from http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/news/2012/jul/19/tdmain01-capital-one-repays-consumers-to-end-card–ar-2067611/Edward Wyatt. Despite Stronger Financial System, Report Cites Threats to U.S. Market Stability. New York Times. July 18, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012 Among the biggest threats to the stability in the American financial markets was the uncertainness in the Euro zone countries, the fiscal uphill faced by America at the end of every fiscal year and a weakening federal regulatory panel. The assessment by the Financial Stability Oversight Council that was made up of regulatory heads forms the Exchange Commission. The Federal Reserve and other agencies painted a grim picture for the American economic future. The Council particularly mentioned cyber threat as an emerging threat as well as the fact that many financial institutions might have focused on complex trading strategies at the expense of their security that could result in losses due to a change in short-term interest rates. The council also cited certain financial market utilities as posing the largest threat and recommended the increased monitoring of these utilities. Most of them were clearing agencies that facilitate the operations of trades of financial instruments. Other outcomes of the study done included reforms for the money market funds that were expected to make the funds less susceptible to investors if they were to run losses. Greater customer protection and segregation of customer assets were other recommendations passed by the council. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/business/economy/report-cites-threats-to-market-stability.html?_r=1ref=business Helft Miguel. JC Penney CEO: It may get worse before it gets better. July 18, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012In a conference at Fortune Brainstorm Tech, the JC Penney CEO, Ron Johnson predicted doom for one of America’s leading mobile and online application developer. The introduction of Ron Johnson as the head of Fortune Brainstorm Tech coincided with one of the worst times for the firm. The company had experienced setbacks in their marketing experiments that flopped dreadfully. The firm had also lost most of its customers by withdrawing the discounts and coupons that it previously offered. Sales had dropped sharply and the customer traffic to their stores had dipped significantly. In a rebuttal by critics, Johnson announced that he would stick to his plan of maintaining competitive prices in order to attract customers.Ron Johnson also mentioned the adjustments that were planned for regional stores. He announced the revamping of the technology infrastructure by installi ng an Oracle system that included an improved mobile checkout system and RFID tags that were expected to speed up purchases. However, even with these reforms, Johnson warned that the company might experience more losses before it fully recovered and recorded growth. Ron proposed a start-up approach that hinted the possibility of downsizing and a nod from the company board. He also negated claims that physical stores were being ousted by online retailing. Retrieved from http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/18/jc-penney-ron-johnson/ Paul R. La Monica. Will Facebook earnings be THAT bad? Money. June 18, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012 The floating of shares by the world’s richest social networking site, Facebook was followed by predictions that the earnings from the shares would not be as rosy as expected. Basing their arguments on the behavior that the stock had in the two years since it debuted, most critics placed Facebook shares alongside similar flops such as Nokia, Yahoo and Hewlett- Packard. The Facebook shares went down more than 10% within a week and this was from a10percentage rise from its June low of $25.52 that triggered an alarm among economists on the future of its earnings. The sluggish global economy was one of the reasons for the dismal share performance that also affected other firms likewise. Facebook however had a problem with finding ways through which they could profit off mobile users even as the consequences of acquiring Instagram at exorbitant prices caught up with the compa ny. The poor performance in the stock market may be due to a realization that Facebook might have been a victim of too much publicity during its IPO period. However, the article stated that it might be too early to write off Facebook as a failure. On the contrary, the mistake lied in the way the IPO was poorly handled. The company will still be able to attract experts and invest in developers that will help it grow.Retrieved from http://buzz.money.cnn.com/2012/07/18/facebook-earnings/?iid=HP_MP_RiverLouboutin Christian. Duchess doesn’t need advice. People Magazine. May 24th, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012Christian Louboutin commented on the sensational debate over whether the Duchess of Cambridge’s top-of-the-line fashion franchise might be in need of advice from top designers by pointing out the success that she has achieved so far by depending on her market skills. The thirty-year old duchess, Kate Middleton came into the international spotlight after launching the red-soled shoes that were posted at extravagant prices and purchased by prominent figures all over Europe. The sales figures for the branches of clothing lines, footwear and other fashion stalls that were owned by Miss Middleton showed a strong selling power even in the continuing economic instability in America and Europe. One of the stores, Debenhams adopted a cutomer-centered approach by meeting the customer’s needs and preferences especially on key events such as Christmas and Mother’s Day.The total investments by the royalty grew by 34.9% in the first quarter of 2012 and currently stand at 42%. The chief executive at Debenhams stated that their approach involved communication with customers alongside stocking great value increased their sales growth exponentially. Similar sentiments were echoed by the top leaders at Jenny Peckham. Kate Middleton became a significant economic figure in Europe after her economic activities were credited with giving the British economy over$1.6 billion boost through fashion sales.Retrieved from http://www.peoplemagazine.co.za/article.aspx?id=22325h=Louboutin:-Duchess-doesn%E2%80%99t-need-adviceChristopher S. Rugaber. US home construction makes slow, steady comeback. Daily News Record. July 18, 2012. Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012Within America, the general trend in the housing sector has been the increase I the erection of houses. This urgency to build housing facilities contributes to the long-awaited recovery that could boost the U.S. economy. Housing economists commented that the housing sector was expected to recover faster than it had. However, builders had started responding to buyers who were attracted by lower prices, lower mortgage rates and rising rents. This has increased the appeal for purchasing homes. The increased construction activities were reported to have coincided with higher stock prices for building firms and increased confidence in the housing sector.The bulk of the market was estima ted to be single-family homes who contributed the largest growth as was indicated by the highest number of permits taken since March 2010.This housing sector rejuvenation also influenced the Dow Jones industrial average which closed up at 103 point. The continued resurgence in the housing sector was predicted to benefit the flailing American economy that was weakened by lower consumer spending and slow employment rates.Retrieved from http://www.dnronline.com/hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-07-18-Housing%20Starts/id-93ebc4fd0d814560b100c0ffaa4e33f9 Preeti Kulkarni .Why top-up home loan is a better option in emergency. The Economic Times. July 18, 2012.Web. Accessed on July 18, 2012 The article Why top-up home loan is a better option in emergency discussed the hidden ramifications and benefits that a top-up home loan could have in times of an emergency. Most home loans are considered heaven-sent opportunities through which many people can own a h ouse. Most financial gurus also advice individuals to take out these kinds of loans. The problem however would arise when they needed money urgently. Preeti urged new home owners who were interested in taking up such kinds of loans to consider additional loan or top-up loans. Banks generally offer top-ups at lower rates than the actual loan. One of the benefits of top-ups cited in the article included the extension of such loans to the existing home loan borrowers. This meant that it was only offered to existing clients of certain banks that would explain the comfortable tenure of top-ups loans that would sometimes go up to 20 years. In considering a potential candidate for a top-up loan, the banks consider the value of the property, the repayment trend, the outstanding initial loan and the ability to repay the top-up loan before approving the loan.Retrieved from http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/personal-finance/loan-centre/home-loans/analysis/why-top-up-home-loan-is-a-better-opt ion-in-emergency/articleshow/15036450.cms

Buddhism †History Philosophy and Ideas -

Buddhism – History Philosophy and Ideas - Contents1. Introduction2. The place of Buddhism in context of other world religions3 History of Buddhism4.The three traditions of Buddhism4.1 Theravada4.2 Mahayana4.3 Vajrayana5 Ideas of Buddhism5.1 Four noble truths5.2 Noble Eightfold Path5.3 Nirvana6. Reference1. IntroductionThe teachings of Gautama Buddha, the prince Siddhartha, who lived 500 BCE in India, spread since the 200s over China. Reason for this dispersion can be found in the silk road. This road was a famous road for merchants and had influence even to Japan and Korea.Buddhism flourished in 700s and 800s until it was prohibited in China.Today Buddhism attract followers worldwide and is considered a major world religion. It is the fifth-largest religion in the world behind Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and traditional Chinese religion. Today there are around 350 million people practising this religion.Buddhism is even studied scientifically in the West. E.g. the meditation. Many long-term practising Buddhists, for instan ce, have been shown to have physically different brain structure, in areas associated with spiritual happiness or profound joy.The following paper will tackle the topic of Buddhism, its history philosophy and ideas. First of all I will explain the present status of Buddhism in context of other world religions. After that the history will be presented. In this chapter I tried to focus on the main parts of historyand give an overall outline. Therefore I used bullet point to cover up most of the facts.Chapter four deals with the three traditions of Buddhism. Differences and similarity in the three schools Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana are shown. The fifth chapter deals with the most important ideas of Buddhism. This paper focuses on the four noble truth, the Noble Eightfold Path and Nirvana.2. The place of Buddhism in context of other world religionsBuddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy and a...

Customer Service Operations and Excellence Essay

Customer Service Operations and Excellence - Essay Example The same can be achieved through effective customer service operations. The concept of achieving excellence in service through effective customer service has now transcended to various fields in general and academic libraries in particular. Service institutions such as universities are mainly focused on providing optimum quality service to the students, by way of enhanced support services for education, as a means to retain students and improve their academic performance (Sander et al., 2000). Academic libraries exist purely to offer services to the students, which include a range of activities such as offering professional reference services to enable the students to effectively use the various resources that the library has to offer; respond to online queries for references; assist in information delivery services such as shelving and re-shelving books, periodicals etc., among many others (Hernon, Altman, 1996). This paper on customer service operations and excellence aims to discu ss and analyze the various issues related to the management of academic libraries, with the help of appropriate theories and models and conclude with recommendations for improving the services operations to achieve better results. Managing Libraries: Overview One of the primary objectives of libraries is to store and record detailed information about books, in order to serve the 'customer' i.e. students in a better manner. Academic libraries in particular, deals with preserving and recording comprehensive information with regard to scholarly publications as well as the primary resources which are used by the students for achieving scholarships. The libraries in general and academic libraries in particular have recently undergone significant changes over the past couple of years, especially with regard to the manner in which information is stored and dealt with. Such rapid transformations can be largely attributed to the fact that the development of information technology has penetra ted almost all aspects of human life, and academic libraries are no exception. Such changes has brought about a significant transformation in the manner in which libraries are governed, and managed; followed by changes in its organizational structure, skills sets required of library staff, as well as the range of facilities made available to the customers (Budd, 2005). Libraries across the globe are now increasingly accepting and accommodating such changes, in order to enhance their service quality. According to the management at University of California Library: â€Å"The continuing proliferation of formats, tools, services, and technologies has upended how we arrange, retrieve, and present our holdings. Our users expect simplicity and immediate reward and Amazon, Google, and iTunes are the standards against which we are judged (University of California Libraries, 2005, p. 7).† Considering the wide ranging transformations brought about by technology, the management of librar y services must be reviewed to accommodate and cope up with the changing times. However, it must be noted that despite the rapid changes which have penetrated almost all the aspects of management within academic libraries, customer services still remains the same and uninhibited. The key role of librarians still surrounds provision of optimum services to the users, by offering high quality services.

Ozone Depletion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ozone Depletion - Assignment Example Closer to the ground, in the troposphere, ozone is considered a pollutant with harmful effects on breathing and plants. However, the layer of â€Å"good† ozone lies in the stratosphere, between 20 to 40 kilometers from ground. It blocks most of the harmful ultraviolet rays that increase the risk of skin cancer, reduce yields in certain crops and also stress marine life from reaching the earth from sun (â€Å"Ozone - Good Up High Bad Nearby† 2009). The depletion of the ozone layer has been most noticeable over the Antarctic region where a â€Å"hole† is seasonally created every year in spring since late 1970s. This hole, actually a large area in the stratosphere with severely depleted ozone, grew to 26 million square kilometers in 1998 and its largest size recorded was in 2006 when it touched 29 million square kilometers (â€Å"Ozone hole maximum is up on 2007† 2008). The stratosphere above the Antarctic is crucial to maintaining the global average concentration of ozone layer. Ozone is unequally distributed around the globe and is concentrated near the poles (Is total ozone uniform over the globe?). The flow of winds to and from poles keeps the ozone in circulation globally. Depletion over the Antarctic, the area of highest concentration, contributes considerably to the net effect of overall ozone reduction in the atmosphere. It is also here that the thinning of this layer is most dramatic. Unlike other places, the chemicals, such as CFCs, that destroy ozone get trapped over the Antarctic during the dark winter through a unique phenomenon, the â€Å"polar vortex†, and become part of clouds that are unique to this region. Extreme cold also creates ice crystals in these clouds. During spring and summer, as the temperature warms, the ice crystals initiate reactions that break down the CFCs into more active chlorine molecules. These, in turn, break down the ozone molecules into oxygen (â€Å"Ozone Facts: What is the Ozone Hole?† 2009). As the ice

The delivery of adult social care is going through a period of Essay

The delivery of adult social care is going through a period of profound challengechallenge and change. Give a critique of the so - Essay Example The 2010 report of the Department of Health has assured additional funding of ?2 billion by 2014/15 but there had been programmes which funds were discontinued and without any clear direction as the Department seem to grapple with opposing demands as well as criticisms and evaluation outcomes. This paper will try to identify and evaluate relevant provisions of current adult social community care, critically analyse the current adult social care policy agenda and its impact on social work provisions, and critique the social care policy agenda and how it will impact on future social work provision with a focus on an adult with learning disability. It will also incorporate in the discussion the theories of normalisation, biological, social model/neo-liberal, social valorisation and person centred approach, medical model and social models. Discussion Government Initiatives The most recent effort of the government about social care is to address empowerment of communities and individuals to address local challenges. Adult social care policy applies the â€Å"putting people first† (PPF) approach that helps individuals become more independent, and in control of their own lives through their choices. This is called â€Å"self-directed support† where individuals choose their options for home care, hiring personal assistant, or use Adult Social Care (East Sussex County Council, 2010, P 1). High quality services are geared towards making people healthy and in-control of the kind of support they are provided. The Department of Health promotes in the system freedom with the aim to strengthen communities and individuals as autonomy replaces dependency. Another value promoted is fairness addressing the question â€Å"how do we pay for care?† (Department of Health, p 4). The government vies for clear, comprehensive and modern framework that considers both carers and adults who need support. The third value promoted is responsibility where Communities are e ncouraged to become innovative in creating networks of support for individuals. As the Department of Health suggested, â€Å"Care must again be about reinforcing personal and community resilience, reciprocity and responsibility, to prevent and postpone dependency and promote greater independence and choice,† (p 5). The main goals of PPF are: introduce self-directed support prevent problems through early intervention ensure availability of the different types if support for everyone help people use support networks (East Sussex County Council, 2010) . For social care workers, assessment and eligibility criteria may remain the same but changes may be in the care services and solutions that individuals may chose. Social workers involved in the process may include those working in Adult Social Care, voluntary or independent sector, or personal assistants. Carers are provided more involvement in decision-making through assessment of needs as well as planning for support. This will help the team or group involved in the importance of each contribution as well as understand the support the carer or social worker may need. The support plan involves an action plan that includes the list of things to do, by whom and a time table. The team of professionals will then have their roles defined. Additional funding for the future provides a cushion for policy-making and the implementation of improvement as well as redesigning of services to gain

A swot and BCG matrix of Morrisons retailer

A swot and BCG matrix of Morrisons retailer Marketing strategy is a method of focusing an organizations capabilities and resources toward a defined task which leads the organisation toward sale promotion and target marketing place. Marketing strategies are the combination of product promotion, distribution, pricing, relationship management and other elements; identifies the firms marketing goals, and explains how they will be achieved, ideally within a stated timeframe. Marketing strategies are concluding the target market segments, positioning, marketing mix, and allocation of resources. In recent years, several conceptual frameworks have been developed to better understand the processes of strategy formulation, and for such processes, the term strategic marketing is used to describe the decisions taken to develop long-run strategies for survival and growth About Morrisons We are the UKs fourth largest food retailer with  403 stores. Our business is mainly food and grocery the weekly shop. Uniquely we source and process most of the fresh food that we sell though our own manufacturing facilities, giving us close control over provenance and quality; and we have more people preparing more food in store than any other retailer. Every week nine million customers pass through our doors and 124,000 colleagues across the business work hard each day to deliver great service to them. With competitive prices and hundreds of special offers, we are proud to save our customers money every day. Definition of Strategic Marketing Marketing Strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. (Baker Michael 2008) Principles of marketing strategies People Oriented Marketing The purpose of marketing strategies is to create the added advantage of the company. The strategies that are supported to the customer orientation is the most important one because the customer is the king of market. The Cost Of Something Is What You Give Up To Get It. Marketing strategies are planned according to the pricing of their products. Company set their pricing that are supported their products and customer are likely to buy it. Reward System Strategies Strategies are prepared to satisfy the customer and employees. Bonus Cards, loyalty cards are the rewards that organisation gives to their customers just to retain them. Competitive Advantages Marketing strategies are prepared according to the competitive advantage of the competitor. Marker Base Assets Marketing strategies are supported to the brand name, brand image, company name and then cash them to gain advantage. Vision of Morrisons food specialist for everyone Food specialist We really understand food we know where it comes from; we pack it and make it in our factories; we make it in our stores; and we employ craft skills in every store. For everyone Great food which is also: great value; and for every day, not just special days. This vision is supported by our brand values and strategic objectives. Brand value Our brand values are important to delivering our strategy and underpin all our strategic objectives. Fresh, Value and Service are discussed in the right-hand box above. SMART Analysis: SMART is an acronym which tells us that when ever we set any companies objectives they should be ,S =Specific M= Measurable A = Actionable or Achievable R = Realistic T = Time Frame Morrisons strategy Keeping things simple: Our vision to be the Food Specialist for Everyone is now well advanced. Our constant focus on freshness, great value and outstanding service is appealing to more and more people. And were now closer to more customers, having opened 43 new stores last year. Morrisons share of UK grocery market For the financial year 2009/10 the grocery market was worth  £90.2bn, an increase of 4.7%. Morrisons market share continues to increase as we move from National to Nationwide. Morrisons market share(percentage %) 2007 2008 2009 2010 11.9 12.1 12.3 12.6 Morrisons share of grocers UK 2010 (percentage %) A. Morrisons 12.6% B. Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys (combined) 63.5% C. Premium (combined) 5.8% D. Discounters and others (combined) Morrisons market share growth was greater than the total market growth year-on-year and as a result we grew market share. The top four supermarkets combined accounted for around 76% of the market. (Source: Kantar Worldpanel) Market share growth in 2009/10 (Percentage %) SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis in the technique to understand the internal and external analysis of the company that tell companies strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat of the company. STRENGTH Market share growth in 2009/10 Store estate development Acquisition of co-operative stores Opening of 34 new stores Food specialist Specialist in food Owen supply chain Own distribution channel Morrison form for food Owen packing factories Instore preparation of food Quickest turnaround time between order and delivery Employees education programme (MBA) WEEKNESSES Lack of the customers trust Very less number of stores Less Advertisement Little bit high pricing OPPORTUNITY Home Delivery extension of small stores to cover the more customers start the new business line as Morrisons pharmacy Move into non-food retailing in the UK. Entry into new retail segments, such as drugstores, department stores, speciality units Increase the number of stores to cover the more population areas THREAT Low pricing of competitors Communication is weak High competition Open market for entering new competitors Purchasing of co-operative store are not maintain Morrisons standard Uncertainty will affect the sale and profitability of the company Competitive Analysis Competitive analysis conducted for the comparison of company to the other different companies/ competitors. It tells the company that where their products are and where the other have, they are in the good position are their competitor. Competitive analysis is tells advantages and the weaknesses of the companies over the competitors. Morrisons have strong competition with Tesco, ASDA, and Sainsbury etc. Boston Consulting Group Matrix Star High growth business or products that competing the market where they have competitive advantage/ edge as compare to the competitor. Normally heavy investments are required to exist in the market. Morrison may not fall in this part of the matrix. Cash Cows Business growth is low or product having relative market share. There is normally low business and little investment is required to retain in the market. Good leadership and strategies are required for growth. Morrisons is in this area of matrix. Question mark Business or product have low market share but exist in the high growth market. Businesses in this area are required high investment but they have potential to grow high. Management have to make some growth strategies that Morrison have done and now in the growth position of the market. Dogs Businesses or products have low market share and unattractive market. Business fall in this area may generate profit to come on breakeven point. Pricing strategies There are number of pricing strategies that companies used in according to their purpose that are fit and matched with objectives and goals. The strategies are: Premium Pricing Economy Pricing Penetration Pricing Psychological Pricing Skimming Pricing Captive Product Pricing Product Bundle Pricing Promotional Pricing Geographical Pricing Morrisons are used various pricing strategies from the above mentioned strategies. Economy Pricing Morrisons are using this strategy in their products that are daily use items. All most all the grocery items are under economy pricing scheme. Psychological Pricing Morrisons are also adopting this pricing technique just for psychological impact on the customers. For example 99P Promotional Pricing Morrisons are using this strategy for promotional items. Example: buy 1 get one free or two item 2 pound etc. STP Strategies STP is another type of marketing strategies that companies kept in mind while formulating its marketing strategies. STP stands for S- Segmentation T- Target P- Positioning Segmentation Demographical Geographical Psychological Behavioural Geographical Company divided its area into different parts than these subareas are also divided into regions. Morrisons have divided its UK market into 4 parts that are the states then these are divided into cities and then cities are divided its sides like central, north, east, west, northwest etc. Distribution and channel strategies Morrisons have their own distribution channel that is use to deliver its products to the retail stores for the end use of customers. Fresh foods are taken from own forms than they distribute to the concern factory for packing and finally distribute to the retail stores effective and efficient use of the supply chain management.

Free Essays - Impact of the Title of The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Impact of the Title of The Awakening By using an evocative title like In The Awakening, Kate Chopin creates a spark of interest that makes the reader ponder over the events in the novel, wondering if there's more to the story than the text. Chopin's title is as figurative as her novel; The awakening is not in a literal since, as one would expect, but rather in terms of Edna's "awakening" from her life of ignorant servitude to society, which shows that the purpose of her work is to get her readers to think for themselves. Edna Pontellier's process of awakening is the focus of this novel. Edna's "awakening" begins when Edna starts "to realize her position in the universe as a human being." (page 57) At this point, Edna starts to think for herself. This happens relatively early in the novel, and spans the course of the book. Edna's Awakening seems to come in short bursts, one level at a time. She gains her next "level" when Edna "denied and resisted" (page 78) her husband, which was unheard of in that time. Edna's awakening is well illustrated when she wakes (literally) and asks "How many years have I slept?" (page 85) Edna relates her life to that point to her own slumber, unthinking and passive until she "awakens." At this point, the world is exposed for what it is in truth, not what society masks it to be. Edna fully "awakens" in her own death, finally acknowledging her love for Robert and her own loneliness. When Edna takes her own life, it shows that she no longer has anything to live for, save a love that will never amount to anything. Just before Edna goes into the water, a "bird with a broken wing," (page 175) symbolizing Edna, drowns, as does she.

Prelude no 15 in Db major by Chopin

The song Prelude no.15 by Chopin, also known as the raindrop prelude is written in ternary form, which means it's an ABA structure. It's structure unlike many other preludes has a very clear Ternary form structure with a coda at the end to finish the piece nicely. Section A is written in Db, while section B is written enharmonically in C# minor. Although it is in Ternary form the piece can be split into 4 parts. The Coda, A, B, and A again. Melody and Rhythm Just like the name of the piece, Raindrop, throughout the piece sustained notes are used to act as the continuous raindrops falling. During the piece such as in the first bar, Chopin uses descending notes and arpeggio's to represent falling raindrops. He also uses septuplets and turns to create similar effects. He changes to the relative minor and dominant keys to create variation within the melody. Tonality The Raindrop Prelude is written in Db major with 5 flats. Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb. The piece is generally tonal and uses many different relative keys to create variation throughout the piece. Texture. Although the Raindrop Prelude is written and played on one piano the texture is generally quite thick throughout. Chopin, in the B section, uses a technique called doubling to create a powerful and a build up of the texture. This is where a note is played in octaves in both hands creating a more emotional feeling as well, as a feature of romantic music. The texture could be described as both polyphonic and homophonic as the melody above the pedaled notes is more complex but fits in with many of the sustained notes. Use of Piano. Because Prelude no. 15 is written for piano Chopin uses the abilities of the piano very well to create variation among sections. For example, in section B the melody is played in the Left hand rather than the Right which created a low forceful and powerful sound. Also by using pedaled notes in both the harmony and melody the sound of the piano created the feel of raindrops. Chopin also wrote Prelude no. 15 because many pieces of music were created for the piano in the Romantic era as the instrument was developed and made bigger which enables it to create Cantabile sounds and sustained slurs with pedals. Also piano's were now able to make larger ranges of dynamics, articulation and pitches because of the use of hammers on strings and the extension of octaves.

Learn About Spanish Interrogative Pronouns

Learn About Spanish Interrogative Pronouns Quà © and cul  are two words that can be confusing to people learning Spanish, because they can be translated as the same word into English, namely, what.  It is sometimes said that  quà ©Ã‚  is closer to what in meaning, and  cul  is closer to which. But that rule isnt always true. When to Use Accent Marks The two words, when they have  accents, are used as interrogative  pronouns  in questions to mean what or which.  Quà ©Ã‚  is the same in the singular and plural forms; the plural of  cul  is  cules. Accented  forms of these words appear only in exclamations and in questions, which includes an  indirect  question. The accented  quà ©Ã‚  is found most often at the beginning of a sentence, although  it sometimes follows de  and other prepositions, especially in indirect questions.  For example,  Ã‚ ¿De quà © color es la  camisa?  meaning, What color is the shirt?   Without accents, normally que  and  cual are not being used as a question. Most often, they are connecting words or, technically speaking, relative pronouns, translated to mean which or that. They can stand for either feminine or masculine objects as well as ideas or concepts. An example of this usage is a popular phrase,  Creo que sà ­, meaning, I think that is so. Use Cases of Quà © and Cul When Asking Questions There are a number of ways to ask questions using the words  quà ©Ã‚  and  cul.  A speaker can ask for a definition, like What is this?, which uses quà ©.  Or, you can ask for a choice selection from a group, What looks better, this red blouse or this black one?, which uses  cul. Quà ©Used for Definitions A number of examples may help explain usage of quà © asking for a definition:  Ã‚ ¿Quà © es una ciudad?,  meaning, What is a city? Or,  Ã‚ ¿Quà © hace un presidente?, meaning,  What does a president do? Or,  Ã‚ ¿Quà © significa talanquera?, asking, What does talanquera mean? Quà ©Used Before Nouns Quà © is usually the interrogative pronoun that is used right before nouns. For example,  Ã‚ ¿Quà © casa prefieres?,  meaning, Which house do you prefer? Or,  ¿Quà © libro leà ­ste?,  asking, Which book did you read? CulUsed Before Forms of Ser Cul  is used before  es  and other forms of the verb  ser, meaning to be, when not seeking a definition. For example,  Ã‚ ¿Cul es tu nà ºmero de telà ©fono?,  meaning, What is your phone number? Or,  Ã‚ ¿Cul es tu problema?,  meaning, What is your problem? Or,  ¿Cules son las ciudades ms grandes?,  asking, What are the biggest cities? Cul Used toMake a Choice Cul  is used to suggest or ask for a selection or choice from a group. For example,  Ã‚ ¿Cul miras?,  meaning,  Which one are you looking at? But,  ¿Quà © miras?,  would be used to ask when you want to know, What are you looking at? An example of the plural form of the interrogative pronoun used in making a choice would be,  Ã‚ ¿Cules quieres?, meaning,  Which ones do you want? But,  ¿Quà © quieres?,  would be the proper way to ask, What do you want? Quà © as an Idiom An  idiom  is an  expression, word or phrase that has a figurative meaning traditionally understood by native speakers. For example,  Ã‚ ¡Quà © lstima! meaning, What a shame! Or,  Ã‚ ¡Quà © susto!  meaning, What a fright!   Some of the most common idiomatic expressions that are used daily in native Spanish speech  are  ¿Y quà ©? or  ¿Y a mà ­ quà ©?,  both meaning, So what? Or,  Ã‚ ¿Para quà ©? or  ¿Por quà ©?,  meaning,  Why?

Top 10 Work From Home Jobs You Should Consider

Top 10 Work From Home Jobs You Should Consider Working from home sounds a little like winning the lottery, or having a pet unicorn. There are so many scams out there, but also real, valid employment opportunities that let you actually work from home. Though there are more than 50  scams to every legitimate posting, there are real jobs out there. These are particularly beneficial to parents who want to spend more time with their kids, military spouses who have to follow their partners to bases around the world, retirees, and anyone homebound by disability. But many entry-level workers are also increasingly attracted to these sorts of flexible positions. and some companies are seeing the cost-cutting merits of an increasingly telecommuting workforce. Here are 10 of the best stay-at-home careers for you to look out for when weighing your prospects.1. Virtual Assistantsome companies or individuals can’t afford a full-time employee but still need administrative and assistant help. if you’d make a great assistant and ca n set up a company of your own, or work for an existing one, this is a potential opportunity.2. Medical Transcriptionfor a median wage of $17+ per hour, you could listen and type up doctors’ dictations. it often requires the ability to listen through thick accents, environmental noise, and even chewing, but it can be good work nonetheless.3. TranslatingIf you’re fluent in more than one language, you can translate audio or text files- particularly with culture and idiomatic differences in mind. and this field is projected to increase by 29% in the coming decade, as more companies are willing to hire competent translators from different geographical locations. median hourly wage just under $21/hour, and government (highest paying) gigs paying a median annual wage of over $52k per year.4. Web Development/DesignMost of the home-based hiring is now being done in the it sector. web developers and designers are in such high demand that it is one of the easiest fields in which to find remote work- if you have the relevant skills and talent.5. Call Center RepLots of call centers are giving way to home office workers staffed individually in their own location. some companies hire you directly, while others hire you as on a subcontract basis. pay might be by the minute, not the hour, and likely won’t include time spent between calls. But it’s still a decent gig.6. Tech SupportTech support specialists are also hired by call centers to work remotely. It’s considered one of the top work-from-home jobs and expected to increase by over 88,000 jobs in the coming years. If you’re tech savvy enough, it might be the move for you.7. Travel AgentIf you’re well-traveled, good with logistical details, and a bit of an entrepreneur, you could easily start your own at-home travel agency. This business concept has increased markedly in the last decade, and is expected to grow even more.8. TeacherThere are more and more opportunities out th ere for students to learn remotely. Another, similar option: marketing yourself as a private, virtual tutor.9. Writing/EditingLong considered the white whale of employment opportunities, there are real jobs to be found out there in this field. writing blog posts, revenue sharing, proofreading- these are only some of the gigs you could get.10. Franchise OwnershipOwning a business can be the key to your financial freedom- and to never having to go into an office again. franchises are an easy first option, as most of the most complicated legwork was already completed for you in advance. the best bets involve the newest trends in the green movement, wellness, or technology.Do be wary of scams. make sure the hirer is an actual, established company, that the posting includes its real name and an actual email with that company’s name in the address, that there is an hr contact available for questions you might have, that it contains similar information about perks and compensation t hat a â€Å"normal† job description might include, that there is an application/interview process of some kind, and that samples of your work and/or references are requested.

Nalysing the impact of Confucianism on customer behaviour and Literature review

Nalysing the impact of Confucianism on customer behaviour and perception of western brands - Literature review Example China has about 1.3million HNW individuals making it one of the most attractive wealth management markets and thus the high street fashion brands expand to China to make profits (BBC News, 2012). Sale of goods in china is exploding despite of tax importing the Chinese market. Online consumption of western product by the Chinese consumers by 11% in the next five years or so and sales of the brands will grow by twice by about 25% a year. China is the largest consumer of Louis Vuitton and accounts for about 15% of global sales (The Economist, 2011). The Chinese market have proved to be an important market for most of the western brands as the top five most recognised brands in China are imported overseas. In the Chinese market the top brands which have successfully made are Nestle S.A, Chanel, Samsung Group, Apple Inc, Sony Corp, Nike Inc, Starbucks Corp, Canon Inc and other brands. With other western and luxury brand such as Armani, Louis Vuitton and Gucci were also reported to show hi gh in rating among the western brands. Thus it was analysed and stated that China prefers foreign brands (China.org, 2012). The continued rise of consumers in China and rising demand for western brands has proved to be helpful for the luxury sector. The Chinese market is expected to become the leader in consumption of luxury brands by the end of 2014 and contributing about 40% of growth in the next 10 years overtaking Americans and the Japanese. China is predicted to have consumers who will be able to afford luxury brands and products (Smither, 2012). Americans fast food companies such as KFC, Mc Donald’s, Dunkin Donuts have succeeded in China and it is mainly because of the brand image possessed by them of being trustworthy and healthy. According to China market research group, the consumers view these brands as healthy as the Chinese fears tainted ingredients as compared to fats. Thus it quite clear that the way the consumers based in China tends to view the brands is diffe rent from how the brands are perceived in other countries. Thus the success depends on localising the brand. One such example is of Renault, which localised it product in order to appeal to the young professionals in China. The new initiative is to become part of larger trends of retailers who are offering localised services, special products to the Chinese consumers and access the lucrative market (Train, 2011). However there have been incidents when brands have not succeeded in creating brand image for the Chinese consumers. The main reason why brands tend to fail in China is they do not adapt to the concept of localisation of the product. Groupon which happened to close 13 of its stores in China is the latest example of western internet company to fail in Chinese market. The company failed mainly because of local understanding of the consumers, arrogance, management structure were the factors lead to failure of Groupon in China. These are the four main reasons for failure of Groo pons. Arrogance Groupon used to pay highest salary based on market standard and atract5ed the top employees of its competitors. The company also assumed that this

Econometrics; empirical research paper; cigarette and education Essay

Econometrics; empirical research paper; cigarette and education - Essay Example Richter’s assertions confirm Godin’s argument that if at all an individual cumulate the number of hours/minutes spend while smoking and then compare with the level of output, then the relationship will not be proportional, rather lopsided. To determine the reliability and validity of the Richter’s and Godin’s assertions, data was collected and analyzed. The data variables were years of schooling, cigarettes smoked per day, years of smoking and annual income. The results from the collected data follow below; From the above multiple regression model with years of schooling as the dependent variable and years of smoking, annual income ($) and number of cigarettes smoked per day, the regression equation can be formulated as shown below; (Where Y = Number of smoking years, I = annual income and C = cigarettes smoked per day). From equation 1, a unit increase in years of smoking means that the person spend few year in school by a factor of 0.029 holding annual income and cigarettes smoked per day constant (controlling for annual income and cigarettes smoked per day constant). Further, an increase in cigarettes smoked per day by one cigarette means that the person spend few year in school by a factor of 0.016 holding annual income and years of smoking constant (controlling for annual income and years of smoking). The effect of years of schooling on the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the number of years is significant at 5% level of significance [t = -4.963, p