Macroeconomics - Industrial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macroeconomics - Industrial Economics - Essay Example Concentration ratios are calculated depending on the largest firms’ market shares. If 90 percent of industry is produced by four largest firms, then hat indicates an oligopoly and the four firms have a good market share (Curry and George, 1983). At the low end concentration, a zero percent concentration means that there is perfect competition meaning the number of firms is too large that the largest firms have no percentage of the market. On the other hand, 100 percent concentration ratio implies that there is a concentrated oligopoly. It therefore, means, there is monopoly. 0 to 50 percent concentration ratio can be interpreted as a low concentrated industry. In this, oligopoly is at the top while monopolistic competition falls at the bottom. Medium concentration takes a 50 to 80 percent concentration and is considered to be very much oligopolistic. High concentration ranges from 80 to 100 percent concentration (Curry and George, 1983). ... Concentration ratios of eight firms range from 88.5 to 97.4. Concentrations are on the upper end indicating high oligopoly almost coming to a monopolistic market structure. From the data above, considering the concentration ratios, it shows that in the first two years, there is less oligopoly. It then increases in the year 2002 where it is at highest. Then due to high turnover, there are more firms joining the industry which causes the concentration ratios to lower reducing oligopoly. Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is another measure of market concentration. In calculating it, the market split of each company that is competing in the market is squared, then summing the results. It can range from zero to 10,000. The higher the market’s concentration, the closer it is to being a monopoly and the less competitive it is (Curry and George, 1983). Considering the investigations conducted, it showed that the market concentration is highest in the year 2002 which is 1577, and it is lowest in year 2000. This indicates that the market was less competitive in the year 2002 than in 2000 which were more competitive. The competition then increases from 2003, goes down in the following year then starts to decline again. Since the market’s results ranges from 1,000 to 1,800, it can be termed as a moderately concentrated market. We can therefore, conclude that it has some oligopoly. To what extent do the major studios - those named in the CR4, CR6 and CR8 indices - outperform the market? In the economic model, competition among firms that are rivals reduces profits to zero. But competition is imperfect and firms are not price takers. Industry concentration is used to measure rivalry. A high concentration ratio shows most of the

Epic Story Essay Example for Free

Epic Story Essay Epic Story I’d like to call upon the fiction gods to empower this story to be extravagant. The cold storm carried on with its overwhelming booms from the thunder shaking the house from the outside. Terrified, the blond haired Juliet sat in the corner of her darkened closet attempting to go unnoticed by the intruder stalking around her house. She sat there hugging her legs, praying that he wouldn’t hear her soft whimpers of fear. She listened quietly to the footsteps walking around her once safe home. They began to come closer, she could feel her heartbeat pick up, and he began to slowly approach her inadequate closet hiding spot. Her heart began to beat ferociously. Staring up at the door handle, she knew all of her efforts to escape this ordeal unharmed had been abandoned. The handle twisted, she looked for something, anything to protect herself with, and she came up empty handed. Sheepishly, she attempted to cover herself further with her father’s overcoat. The door began to open, she huddled as close to the corner as she could, wishing she could just sink through the walls to safety. She was in tears now, trying her hardest to muffle them, she thrust the jacket into her quivering mouth. Then, with just enough of an opening to see the intruder’s cold murderous eye; it stopped with a loud crash coming from the kitchen. Juliet froze, in anticipation of what was to come next. The intruder left her closet to investigate. Juliet knew this would be her one and only chance to escape; she quietly snuck out of the closet and began to run towards the backdoor. Halfway there she heard the deafening sound of a bullet leaving the barrel of the intruder’s gun. Looking around she caught a glimpse of her mother’s frail body crumple to the ground through the reflection of a mirror. In agony, she pushed herself to go on towards the freedom of the door. She grasped the handle and swung it open. Running out into the rabid storm, she scanned the yard for somewhere safe, glancing behind her, she saw the intruder catch sight of her, she ran as fast as her legs could take her towards the gate, away from this nightmare. Halfway there dividing her from escape, she felt a large mean hand catch her arm and swing her around. Fighting his grip she flailed her arms and punched him, but doing no harm, he dragged her back into the house. With one large blow to the right side of her head, she blacked out. She woke up to throbbing on the right side of her head. Attempting to grasp it, she found her hands were tied together against a pole, along with her feet, and tape over her mouth. She looked around and saw her sister tied up across from across the room, her head hung over. She also saw a large table in the middle of the dirty basement. On the right was a staircase, and coming down it was the intruder. He carried a large tool bag that clanged whenever he took a step. He walked over to her sister, untied her and laid her on the table. While he prepared to harm her sister, Juliet began to fidget out of the chords that held her hostage. She got one hand free, then the other, going unnoticed, she untied her feet. Waiting for the opportune moment, she charged towards the intruder, jumping on his back and strangling his neck with all her might. He was staggering about, he got close to a wall and crashed her into it; she crumpled to the ground in pain. He punched her again, and again, and again, until she was bloody and bruised. At the verge of consciousness, he stopped. Opening her eyes, she saw her sister hitting him with an axe. ~~~ They opened the door and the brightness from outside filled their heart with hope. They walked hand in hand towards freedom. (I figured out this was supposed to be a true story after I finished†¦.. whoops! )

Pearl Harbor Essay -- Discrimination Japanese Japan Essays

Pearl Harbor During the early 1940’s, World War II was upon the United States of America. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. was ready to go to war with The Empire of Japan. During this time, many U.S. citizens grew great hatred toward anyone of Japanese ancestry. People began to become paranoid and treated any Japanese person with great disrespect. All of this started with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the attack, many Japanese people were sent to concentration camps. Many of them were either put in jail because of their race, or just because they refused to go to the concentration camps. This also happened in David Guterson’s fiction book, Snow Falling on Cedars. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese citizens were looked upon as traders, taken to concentration camps, and many were accused of crimes that they did not commit. Pearl Harbor is on the island of O’ahu in Hawaii. At approximately 8:00 A.M., on December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the United States of America. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto orchestrated this surprise attack. Three hundred and fifty-three Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. (Pearl Harbor Remembered) Before this, no formal declaration of war had been announced. Nearly 100 U.S. ships were in the harbor the morning of the attack consisting of battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and other support ships. (Pearl Harbor Remembered) Fortunately, over half the U.S. Pacific fleet was out to sea. During the same time, the Japanese also attacked Hickam Field. Eighteen Army Aircraft were destroyed or damaged as they set on the runways. (Pearl Harbor Remembered) These aircraft included bombers, fighter planes, and attack bo... ...es and make fun of them since the US was at war with Japan. Many people were also paranoid of the Japanese and accused them of being spies and even forced them to live in concentration camps. Finally, some Japanese citizens were even accused of crimes only because of their Japanese ancestry. Work Cited Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company,1994. Michalowski, Mark. "Concentration Camps." Online posting. May 1997. America's Concentration Camps. 4/17/01. <http://www.ionaprep.pvt.k12.ny.us/projects/intrnmnt/intrnmnt.htm>. Unknown. "Landmark Race." Online posting. 1944. Korematsu v. US. 4/17/01. <http://lawbooksusa.com/cconlaw/korematsuvus.htm Unknown. "Pearl Harbor." Online posting. March 30, 2001. Pearl Harbor: Remembered. 4/17/01. <http://www.execpc.com/~dschaaf/overview.html>. Pearl Harbor Essay -- Discrimination Japanese Japan Essays Pearl Harbor During the early 1940’s, World War II was upon the United States of America. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. was ready to go to war with The Empire of Japan. During this time, many U.S. citizens grew great hatred toward anyone of Japanese ancestry. People began to become paranoid and treated any Japanese person with great disrespect. All of this started with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the attack, many Japanese people were sent to concentration camps. Many of them were either put in jail because of their race, or just because they refused to go to the concentration camps. This also happened in David Guterson’s fiction book, Snow Falling on Cedars. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese citizens were looked upon as traders, taken to concentration camps, and many were accused of crimes that they did not commit. Pearl Harbor is on the island of O’ahu in Hawaii. At approximately 8:00 A.M., on December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the United States of America. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto orchestrated this surprise attack. Three hundred and fifty-three Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. (Pearl Harbor Remembered) Before this, no formal declaration of war had been announced. Nearly 100 U.S. ships were in the harbor the morning of the attack consisting of battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and other support ships. (Pearl Harbor Remembered) Fortunately, over half the U.S. Pacific fleet was out to sea. During the same time, the Japanese also attacked Hickam Field. Eighteen Army Aircraft were destroyed or damaged as they set on the runways. (Pearl Harbor Remembered) These aircraft included bombers, fighter planes, and attack bo... ...es and make fun of them since the US was at war with Japan. Many people were also paranoid of the Japanese and accused them of being spies and even forced them to live in concentration camps. Finally, some Japanese citizens were even accused of crimes only because of their Japanese ancestry. Work Cited Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company,1994. Michalowski, Mark. "Concentration Camps." Online posting. May 1997. America's Concentration Camps. 4/17/01. <http://www.ionaprep.pvt.k12.ny.us/projects/intrnmnt/intrnmnt.htm>. Unknown. "Landmark Race." Online posting. 1944. Korematsu v. US. 4/17/01. <http://lawbooksusa.com/cconlaw/korematsuvus.htm Unknown. "Pearl Harbor." Online posting. March 30, 2001. Pearl Harbor: Remembered. 4/17/01. <http://www.execpc.com/~dschaaf/overview.html>.

Alcohol abuse among college students at univeristy of south carolina

Alcohol is a drink made by mixing yeast with sugary substances such as corn, barley and rye. The mixture is then left to ferment for some time. Once consumed it is absorbed into the body systems through the stomach and the small intestines and affects the mind making the person who had consumed it lack proper coordination. It leaves the body by being excretion through the kidney, lungs and the liver.Many college students consume alcohol as a way of forgetting certain situations in their college life that is stressing them, make friends and even maintain them. But in actual sense alcohol only suppresses the problem for a very short duration of time after which the negative effects to the individual manifest themselves such as poor personal health, poor concentration in school and financial constrains.Excessive use of alcohol leads to neglect of major responsibilities such as schooling and this state is termed as alcoholism that has no cure but can only be controlled (Presley, Meilman, & Cashin, 1996).Starters mainly consume alcohol varieties that are less concentration but upon advancing they get to very concentrated brands that eliminate the desire to drink fast.Alcohol Abuse among College StudentsThe African-American students within the campus drink less compared to white counterparts. The students who engage in heavy drinking are usually aged between 18-29 years and drink up to three times in a week with very few going up to five days; this clearlyindicates that alcohol is readily available within the campus and that the alcohol-control policies are somehow lenient.Though this should not generalize that all students drink, a good number of students have never tasted alcohol within the institution.The availability of alcohol within the community surrounding the Campus draws students towards alcohol even if the campus authorities are against it.In order to lower the levels of alcohol abuse among students of drinking age which is set at 21 years by the federal l aws, the university encourages students to drink responsibly and behave in a mature manner (O’Malley & Johnston, 2002).To reduce alcohol abuse the university has ensured that those students selling alcohol within the campus premises have a commercial license that governs their conduct.  The university has ensured that alcohol is sold in designated points such as the students centre and not just anywhere and this helps reduce its accessibility thus reducing its abuse. Any misconduct upon being drunk should be reported to the campus dean within twenty four hours of such offence and appropriate punishment administered according to the law (Presley, Meilman, & Cashin, 1996).

Ethnicity and Culture in Disease Prevention Essay

Importance of addressing race, ethnicity, and culture when developing programs for prevention of disease Name: Subject: Instructor: Date: The campaigns against diseases have a number of times botched as a result of non-recognition of environmental, biological and behavioral factors as major determinants as of individual health. In public health, the three terms (ethnicity, race and culture) are often used interchangeably. The implementation of disease prevention programs in a community requires full knowledge of the health status of its members. With this regard, racial and ethnical categories often define populations in a manner that is meaningful to their health status (Nnakwe, 2009, p. 337). The concept of race, ethnicity and culture plays a significant role in understand human behavior. Thus it is rational to incorporate the aspect of race, culture and ethnicity a when designing disease prevention programs in communities. For instance, designing a disease prevention program require the use of social ecological framework. The framework focuses on interactions between an individual’s physical, cultural and social setting and thus it may be the only necessary move in a fight against disease in an ethnic group. In this case, the knowledge about a disease should not only be transferred but also needs to be cultivated thought peer support, supportive social norms and cultural values. Consider a case where the government decides to put up a facility for provision of free condoms at the core of a very conservative community as part of a program for prevention of HIV/Aids. Will such a program receive support from the community? Of course not as this will be taken as a violation of the community’s cultural values since it may lead to moral decay among its members. Therefore cultural values of a community must be addressed and prevention programs should be aligned with those values. Health care providers need to train on cultural competency in order to understand barriers and influence of culture and society on health behaviors as well as the use of behavior change tools that are culturally sensitive. Ethnicity /race may also affect, directly or indirectly, the success of a disease prevention program in a community, e. . cultural beliefs about HV/Aids (Edelman & Mandle 2005, p. 48). For example the risk of obesity starts at a person’s prenatal period. Race/ethnicity may therefore affect the prevention of obesity since it influence the timing of pregnancy, number of pregnancies together with intervals between pregnancies. In conclusion, the public health approach towards prevention of disease mus t into consideration culture, race and ethnicity within a social ecological framework as an effort towards sustaining a disease free society.

Excel workbook Essay example

Excel workbook Essay example Excel workbook Essay example Tom Hopkins Akin 12/8/13 The Twinkie Failure, and How to Fix it What’s the problem? My article, ‘Hostess Twinkie Defense is a Management Failure’, spoke about the problems with Hostess’ approach to staying relevant and why their collapse was completely the managers fault. By discussing primitive cost-cutting techniques, the failure to adapt, and the managers’ inability to take blame, this article sheds a light on the primary influencers of the failure. The main problem made was the firm’s inability to adapt to the changing tastes of the market and their ineptitude of successfully marketing their products. Why did the Problem occur? This problem occurred for many reasons, as virtually no major problem has one cause. That being said, the main causes of this failure have to do with not being able to adapt to the market and act accordingly to the changes. By sitting back and only attempting to cut back on costs and work with a small margin of error the company left themselves very vulnerable to market shifts. The article compares Hostess’ problem to Sears’, which went through a similar problem -23 straight quarters of declining sales (Hartung)- of an inability to adapt. What is my Remedy? After reading through this article and looking at other examples found online I have developed some ideas and have come up with a remedy of my own to fix Hostess’ problems, and prevent them from coming back. As I have learned in all of my classes with Akin is that you need to know your customer base and be able to keep up with their ever-changing needs. I would devote more money to market research and hold more focus groups so that I could

The Marketing Mix Essays

The Marketing Mix Essays The Marketing Mix Essay The Marketing Mix Essay Running Head: The Marketing Mix: Distribution Channels What might the inventors of new â€Å"flying cars† need to consider to develop a distribution strategy for their proposed products? Customers are more sophisticated than ever before and they have access to high quality information from the internet, so they make decisions based off excess information. The first step that should be considered to sale Flying Cars is a centralized location. Once a location is established then what would be the most cost-effective way to create demand for Flying Cars? Followed â€Å"by how do customers want to shop and buy? I think the best distribution channel for selling Flying Cars would be the producer to wholesaler, to retailer to consumer. As for the Distribution Intensity, I think the best bet would be the Exclusive Distribution. The first step that should be considered is a centralized location. Producers find that it is an issue to figure out where to invest. They have to pick the ri ght place to sale their product. I don’t think that an airline would necessarily be the right place to sale the Flying Cars because an airline consists of large planes and thousands of people a day. If a Flying Car is going to be used as something that people can take to work, school, grocery store, and ect. Then perhaps they should be sold in an area where regular cars are sold. Once a location is established then what is the most cost-effective way to create demand for Flying Cars? A transportation method can be created to implement both a driving and flying status. Consumers would be thrilled to be able to commute faster and alleviate the traffic jams. An advertisement through television coupled with radio commercials would be a suffice way to ensure that the word is going out to the public on the latest and greatest transportation method. In addition to this way of advertising the producer can also advertise through internet, billboards, flyers, and magazines. Customers would eventually be persuaded through advertisement to want to purchase a Flying Car. I think the best distribution channel for selling Flying Cars would be the producer to wholesaler, to the retailer to consumer. The wholesaler will get the products from the manufacturer, usually in very large quantities, and in turn sells them to retail establishments at a higher up price. The wholesalers can also sell to institutions and professional groups. This will take the burden of distributing off the manufacturer and allows them to focus on developing and advertising new products. As for the Distribution Intensity, I think the best bet would be the Exclusive Distribution. This is when the manufacturers grant certain dealers special rights to sell the product. This type of distribution is used for selling cars, and because it is the same concept for Flying Cars, it would be beneficial to use the same strategy. The retailer benefits from the lack of competition, and the manufacturer benefits from a greater sales commitment on the part of the retailer. Furthermore, exclusive distribution gives the manufacturer better control over the way the product is merchandised. References: indusperfgrp. com/newdiststrat. htm wisegeek. com/what-is-a-wholesaler. htm The Marketing Mix Essays The Marketing Mix Essay The Marketing Mix Essay The major marketing management decisions can be classified in one of the following four categories:* Product* Price* Place (distribution)* PromotionThese variables are known as the marketing mix or the 4 Ps of marketing. They are the variables that marketing managers can control in order to best satisfy customers in the target market. The marketing mix is portrayed in the following diagram:The Marketing MixThe firm attempts to generate a positive response in the target market by blending these four marketing mix variables in an optimal manner.ProductMicrosoft needs the Xbox to be the leader in the gaming market and needs a competitive advantage over the Sony Playstation and the Game cube. Xbox has many features, which will appeal to different audiences. From the SWOT an analysis I conclude the Product should contain the following features:* A good reputation with customers* Development potential* To become the hardware giant not just the software giant* To have good game development companies behind the XboxThe Xbox has many functions such as a DVD player which only can be activated by purchasing remote control which is sold separately, Microsoft should decide that to give this free with the Xbox when someone purchase it, because the competitor Sony Playstation 2 has a DVD facility; as to my secondary information I done a questionnaire, and I asked what do you consider first when buying a games console, and the results showed that 10 people said graphics, 4 people said DVD Compatibility and also 4 people said price and 2 people said broadband compatible. This tells us that 4 people from 20 people who done the questionnaire said they would buy a console which had DVD compatibility; people are willing to pay extra for extra features. This tells us that Microsoft needs to include the remote control, and also that Microsoft need to grow the Xbox brand even bigger.PlaceA product is unlikely to be successful if customers find it difficult to purchase, so place is a v ital part of the marketing mix. After doing my research I found out the many people by gaming related products from the High Street, Microsoft needs to continue to attract new shops to sell their product, also Microsoft needs to sell their Xbox to a respectable businesses such as these,Microsoft needs to continue the relationship with stores like these; they cannot afford to sell the Xbox to corrupted businesses which can ruin the Xbox, but also they need to sell the Xbox to as may outlets as possible. Also in my survey I found out that many people like to buy products from the Internet, on the Internet you can find the Xbox for sale on many websites such as these,www.gameplay.com, www.game.uk.com and www.amazon.co.uk.PricePrice is another element of the marketing mix. Microsoft must decide how to price its product. In making this decision Microsoft has to consider, what the prices are set by competitors, how price can be used to increase sales of the product, whether the price will cover costs of production, whether customers are willing to pay that set price and different pricing strategies such as skimming or penetration pricing. For the Xbox Microsoft need to use the penetration pricing strategy because, Microsoft needs to build market share and also from my primary information I found out that price was the one of the main consideration when they considered in buying a games console.Penetration pricing pursues the objective of quantity maximization by means of a low price. It is most appropriate when:* Demand is expected to be highly elastic; that is, customers are price sensitive and the quantity demanded will increase significantly as price declines.* Large decreases in cost are expected as cumulative volume increases.* The product is of the nature of something that can gain mass appeal fairly quickly.* There is a threat of impending competition.As from above penetration pricing is appropriate as for one reason, if there is a threat from competition, th is is very true because Microsoft have lots of competition, and by pricing the product lower than the competition, they can persuade the public to buy the Xbox. All the prices can be found in table 1 in the secondary information section.PromotionMicrosoft needs to decide how best to promote the products they make and sell. The decision involves weighing up the relative cost of each form or promotion and how best to target their customers. Microsoft needs to use this promotional mix to promote the Xbox.Advertising Actual game play footageMicrosoft need to continue to advertise the Xbox on television, when they are advertising they need to show, what the Xbox can do, they need to show a bit of game play of the video games so people can see the graphics, because in my primary information I found out that that from my research that 10 out of 20 people, half of the people that I handed out the questionnaire out, said they would consider to purchase a games console, if it had good graphic s. This is good for Microsoft because they have produced a very powerful console and they need to show it to the public so they know what the Xbox is about. Also I feel that Microsoft can advertise in magazines, because from my primary information I found out that 4 out of 20 people were subscribed to gaming a magazine, which is nearly quarter of people that I handed out the questionnaire.Sales PromotionMicrosoft needs to work with the retailers to produce the best sale promotions from its competitors. They need to make offers such as buy the Xbox and receive free games with it. They have started to do this with different retailers, as you can see below I found this on the Internet, it was a offer, you got the console, an extra controller, Halo, and a free copy of MGS2 Substance which just has been on released on the Xbox on 28/03/2003.Xbox Console + Joytech Controller + Halo + FREE MGS2 Substancestreet price: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½257.96gameplay price:à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½199.99you save: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 57.97FREE DELIVERYà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½312.48 currency converterUsually sent within 3 dayscategory: Hardwareage: 15 years old and above.Promotion from www.gameplay.comMicrosoft needs to continue doing this working with the retailers and also giving the retailers trade discounts so they can pass on the savings to the public so they can buy the Xbox.Personal SellingMicrosoft needs to sell the Xbox personally because they need to target their audience so they can market their product to the right people who are willing to purchase the Xbox. I feel that Xbox should do this buy sending leaflets explaining what the Xbox is about, to schools, youth centers and colleges, where mainly the age group that they are targeting usually are.Public RelationsMicrosoft needs PR because it is free and also the Xbox can be promoted for free. For Microsoft there are many third party magazines about the Xbox, as you can see from the picture that there is a magazine which has been produced by a third party company, they need to continue to build their brand so third party magazine companies have a interest in them and also when people go to the Newsagent they might decide to buy the magazine and decide to buy the console. Also the Xbox has been through many newspaper reviews, newspapers cannot do reviews if a company does not advertise or continue to promote the product, Microsoft needs to continue this, when the public read the reviews about the Xbox that might decide them to purchase the Xbox.Direct mailMicrosoft needs to use direct mail because they need to market their Xbox to certain members of the public, who are willing to buy the Xbox. They can use many different ways in which they can promote the Xbox using direct mail.When you buy an Xbox you are given a registration card to fill in ; send back to the company, when the people send back the registration card Microsoft will have knowledge of who has purchased their console. Microsoft can use this information to send promotional materi al to their existing customers; Microsoft can use this information to send special offers to existing customers. The special offer can include, that if a family member or a friend of a existing customer buys a Xbox console they are given a free game; this will appeal to Microsoft because they are using existing customers to market their Xbox to new customers, who might be in the same age group, or they might fit into the same criteria which Xbox are looking to market their Xbox at.Also Microsoft can use these two other methods:SponsorshipMicrosoft Xbox has sponsored Linkin Parks Projekt: Revolution tour, which included bands such as, Cypress Hill, Adema and DJ-ZTRIP. The 19-city tour started on Jan. 29 in Colorado Springs and concluded in Las Vegas Feb. 24.Linkin ParkPhoto: APThe tour sponsorship marked the first deal between the game and a music partner. Also Xbox is in year two of a three-year Agreement with footwear company Vans and PepsiCos SoBe. Late last year Xbox concluded it s launch marketing program with Tricon Global Restaurants Taco Bell. The Xbox will likely partner with a soft drink brand by the summer, said Cindy Spodek-Dickey, group manager or national consumer promotions and sponsorships for Xbox.Microsoft needs to sponsor big band concerts such as the Linkin Parks concert, because bands like Linkin Park attract huge audiences to their concerts, with the Xbox logo all round the stage people will see the Xbox logo and they might decide to buy it, also what Microsoft can do is that before the concert begins they can show linkin Park playing the console and having fun, this may also lead the audience to go out and buy the Xbox because they will see their favorite band playing the Xbox.Internet PromotionMicrosoft can also promote the Xbox by using Internet promotion, they can do this by using e-mail because a person might be registered with a gaming website and they might receive gaming news every fortnight they might links of stores websites where you can purchase the Xbox, Xbox can pay these websites to do this. Also Xbox have advertised on their own official website where they give you a list of the places where you can purchase the Xbox, this is because if someone visits the website and they decide that the Xbox is the console for them they do not have to leave there seat and they can chose the best package deal for them. This is good because from my primary research I found that 5 out of 20 people I handed out the questionnaire purchased their gaming related products from the Internet.

How to write for non-accountants - Emphasis

How to write for non-accountants How to write for non-accountants Finance is a murky place for many people. Money comes into the bank account and it goes out again. And the process in between is something of a mystery. But even if your clients are financially savvy, it can still be difficult to explain money matters. Accounting has its own language and is often riddled with jargon that even experienced business people can sometimes find difficult to understand. (I know: Im one of them.) Writing financial information in accountingese can waste time and money. If your clients are unclear about what your figures mean, theyll ask for further clarification. A single document could lead to several hours of unnecessary (and frustrating) follow-up phone calls. Thats one reason why the tide is turning in the financial industry. Leading firms such as Deloitte, Ernst Young and Grant Thornton have commissioned specialist writing training programmes. And more accounting firms are following suit, adopting plain English in all their written communications. The other is that the Financial Services Authority keeps a watchful eye on adverts for financial products and services that are misleading. So as a finance professional, you still have to make sure your writing is not just legal, but effective. Here are six steps to clear client communication. One: put your reader first Many accountants overestimate the knowledge their clients have. Even if you have been working with a client for many years, theres no guarantee they really understand the nuances of finance. Get back to basics by asking yourself the following questions: What is the document about? Who will read it? How much do they already know about the subject? What do they absolutely need to know? How important is the subject to them? How interested are they in the subject? Use the answers as a guideline for the amount of detail that you need to include in your document. Two: avoid a mind-dump of ideas Whether youre writing an email, contract or report, do plenty of ground work before putting pen to paper. Brainstorm all your ideas using a mind map and then put your points in order of importance. If youre having trouble getting started, ask yourself the questions: Who? What? Where? When? and Why? Becoming clear in your thinking helps you to create clearly structured documents that are easy to follow. Three: communicate technical terms in plain English Financial abbreviations and other technical terms can be useful when communicating with colleagues but they can confuse clients. For example, the term accrual rate may seem simple but it still needs to be accompanied by an explanation of how the interest is built up. Similarly, never assume that your clients will understand terms such as smoothing, arbitration and cap and collar rate. You dont need to dumb down your writing, just make sure you provide clear, concise explanations. Four: avoid verbosity Often though its the words in between the jargon that cause the problem. Never add in redundant words into your writing. For example, I herein enclose details of your asset classes for the aforesaid investment, as requested sounds complicated, archaic and stilted. A much simpler way of writing it is, I enclose details of your investments, as requested. Five: opt for verbs instead of nouns Verbs help to give sentences movement and life. So write, We will decide on our next steps on Monday, rather than A decision will be made on our next steps on Monday. The word decide is more powerful than decision. And the first sentence is also written in the active voice, so it is punchier. Six: keep sentences short and sweet Aim for your sentences to be a maximum of 20 words. If you make your sentences longer, its likely your readers will have trouble making sense of what you mean. Remember, clear language makes sound business sense. It sends out the message that you have nothing to hide and that your words are as transparent as your financial dealings. Robert Ashton is the Chief Executive of Emphasis.

About a memorable experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About a memorable experience - Essay Example These make me overlook the negative side of life, with all the bad experiences it presents. They always remind me that the bad experiences never last, and it is always a matter of time before I smile again. Among all the good experiences I have had, there is only one, which will remain embedded in my mind forever. This is one bittersweet, but memorable experience that has in many ways, influenced my life, especially the way I perceive the world today and the things therein. It all started as a joke, and little did I know that this could culminate into a life-changing experience. On this warm summer afternoon, I asked my friends for their opinions about what we would do for my birthday, as the normal house parties had become monotonous, and I wanted a different experience. â€Å"How about this time round you be the one giving out gifts? Give gifts to people on your birthday!† one of my friends suggested. â€Å"That sounds great . . . but how?† I wondered. â€Å"The homeless!† another friend quickly suggested. The six of us agreed to make it our project, and we started counting down days. Each person would start keeping stuff, which we would take as our gifts. Each one of us would also save little money to buy food and other stuff. With only one and a half months remaining to my birthday, everyone was committed to playing their role. When it was only two weeks remaining, we identified the homeless people we would visit and set everyt hing in order. Finally, it was the eve of my birthday. I invited my friends to our house so we could set all the stuff in order in preparation for the next day. Both my friends’ parents and my parents were happy with our plan and offered us a little more money and stuff to add up. When morning came, we all were happy and anticipated for the unfolding of events in that day. My mum offered to drive us to the designated place. In an hour’s time, we arrived at our destination. We unpacked our luggage and went ahead to

Life Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Life Problem - Essay Example Underlying this conflict is the different opinion the siblings have on whether Edith's actions regarding were in accordance to Maurice's wishes. As Edward states, his father would have wanted all his children to benefit from the estate. Thus, Edith's choice of naming Nancy as a joint tenant is a major conflict among children because as the law of survivorship states, the interests of a deceased joint tenant cannot be passed on by will, but should be passed directly to the surviving joint tenant. In this case, all of Edith's jointly owned properties will be passed on to Nancy after her death unless formal actions are taken up to sever the joint tenancy or include the three children as tenants in common. Furthermore, structural conflicts are also present that make communication, and consequently understanding, difficult. Geographically, all three siblings have left Queensland and now reside in other parts of Australia and the world. Hence, physical communication barriers can cause anxiety and strain relationships, especially for the siblings who have not seen each other in more than 10 years. It also increases the window for misinformation. Edward and the others can also feel threatened by Nancy and Rajiv because of Edith's dependence on them, their residence in the estate, and their control over Darlington. It causes Edward to believe they are disadvantage against Nancy. Edith's health conditions also puts time constraints because as their mother and owner of the estate, she is the only person who can enforce changes in the distribution of Darlington through severing her joint tenancy with Nancy or including the three children as tenants in common without damaging relationships. Such circumstances indicate that relational conflicts are brewing because while Edward and the others feel threatened by Nancy, Nancy feels that her siblings are rallying against her or that they do not appreciate her sacrifices for the estate. These conflicts, although seemingly immaterial, plays an important role in the negotiation because it determines each party's attitude and possibly create a negative behaviour among the siblings, hampering communication even more. While there is a number of methods available, negotiations are the most efficient, viable, and appropriate method to resolve the conflict. As Edward explained, a legal proceeding is not only complicated, but their claims may also be weakened because it is be difficult to establish an enforceable trust based on their father's will. Their geographic location also makes legal proceedings difficult logistically and financially. Furthermore, with Edith's old age and health conditions, it will not benefit anyone to place stress on her. Thus, unless the children can come up with a negotiated outcome acceptable to all, and approach Edith with the outcome in hand, further disagreements among the children can only worsen Edith's condition. It is also important for Edward to understand that if taken to court Nancy's contributions to the farm, Edward and his party's absence and seeming lack of interest in the farm and their mother's welfare, and Nancy's residence in the

Management Accounting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management Accounting Report - Essay Example Therefore, while running a business, the management has to focus both on overcoming the current economic hurdles as presented by the existing business environment, as well as focusing on how the anticipated future challenges can be overcome. One of the most vital tools for enhancing business survival in a challenging and competitive business environment is enhanced marketing/outreach efforts (Hoque, 2005 p472). This strategy ensures that a business keep reaching new customers and markets, while ensuring that it still keeps the current market base well informed on its product or service range. Promotion and advertising are strategies that helps a business to remain relevant and competitive, considering that the more the number of people who knows about the existence of the business and its products, the higher the chances of such a business getting more customers. Considering that enhanced marketing/outreach efforts covers both the existing and the prospective clients, a business that advertises and promotes its products is better placed to overcome competition, than a business that does not make any efforts to make more people know about its existence and its offerings (Cullen, et al., 2013, p12). Therefore, in order for organizations to increase both customer and organizational value, enhanced marketing/outreach efforts, aimed at both the current customer base and the potential customer zones, in essential. Knowing and focusing on business Niche Competition in the business environment serves to disorient many business organizations, leaving most of them unsettled on the products or services they would actually offer, or the main client base they are targeting to serve. This is because, the business try to evade the competition by shifting to a different market or product/service offering, where they feel that they may not be faced by stiff competition (Matt, Chenhall, & Euske, 2007 p17). However, considering that the business environment is very dynamic; they end up being faced by the same competitive challenges, thus disorienting the business even further. However, when a business focuses on knowing and serving its niche market, it will understand fully the needs of the customers, and thus tailor-make its products or services to match the specific needs of the niche market (Cullen, et al., 2013, p7). This way, the business is able to cultivate customer loyalty and goodwill, which in turn enhances the repeat purchase from the customers, and thus helps the business to overcome the forces of competition that could face the business (Kloot, 1997 p47). Development of supplier/vendor retention and recruitment programs While the customer is the most important focus for any business organization, the suppliers and the vendors play a very pivotal role in enhancing the success of a business (Matt, Chenhall, & Euske, 2007 p21). The competition in the modern world is not only for the markets and customers, it is also about the sources of cheap and efficient raw materials for a business, and also about a smooth channel of distribution, since all these aspects plays a vital role in enhancing the success of a business, while determining how effective such a business is in the market. Therefore, through

Insider Trading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Insider Trading - Essay Example Insider trading simply refers to trading in securities with possessive influence of material nonpublic information (Shin, 1996). Prohibition of insider trading derives the force of law under the federal securities law Rule number 10b-5, promulgated by courts pursuant to Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act enacted in 1934. Additionally, the Insider Trading Sanctions Act ("ITSA") enacted by the congress in 1984 and the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act ("ITSFEA") of 1988 basically expanded the definition of persons in â€Å"control" of information capable of giving undue selective advantage to certain investors (O’Brien, 1995). In particular, â€Å"insiders’ not only refer to managerial officers, directors and controlling shareholders, but also covers corporate outsiders in possession of inside information disseminated to them by either true or constructive insiders. Under the foregoing legislative initiatives, insider trading is a violation of the ethical coded conducts laid down and monitored by the federal government and the Securities Exchange Commission, which is an extension of the government. Ordinarily, company employees as well as clients will most likely have access to material non-public information regarding possible advisory courses supposedly taken by clients or public companies (Harris, 2003). As an employee of Medivac, Manny was an insider with full knowledge of a proposed merger between her employer and Medtronic. Though the position held in the company is not mentioned in the case beforehand, Manny is seemingly knowledgeable enough of the treasure in waiting, perhaps with a basic understanding of insider trading regulatory principles to evade the consequential effects of violation scenarios. As stated above, the violation of insider trading law traditionally involves the purchase and/or sale of securities aided by "insider" material information that is/are non-public.

Kung Fu Panda 31;13-34;50 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kung Fu Panda 31;13-34;50 - Essay Example The music directors have carefully incorporated music which very strongly conveys the emotions and feelings of the talking animals in the movie. It is worth noting here that it is otherwise difficult to convey this through dialogues and visuals. This essay examines the role of music and sound in a particular part of this movie. The part of the movie evaluated here is 31 minutes 13 seconds to 34 minutes 50 seconds. The selected section of the movie follows the philosophical encounter that Po, the protagonist of the story has with Master Shifu who is the trainer of Po. Master Shifu ridicules Po with regard to his poor body image and his easy going attitude. Panda is shocked to see the martial art skills of the other animals and realizes his incapability all the more. Po fails miserably in exhibiting his martial art skills and is was made fun of by other animals. The chosen part of the movie shows the intellectual confusion of the chosen hero who is unsure of living up to the expectations of the kingdom. The scene in the beginning shows Po sneaking into Jade Palace. The sound used in expressing the sneaky behavior of Po who is trying to get inside the palace has succeeded in expressing the insecurity that the panda has. The creaking sound of the wood on the floor increases all the more as Po tries to make no sound. Master Crane who is woken up by this sound comments that the Panda does not belong to that space and Po approves of it. The creaking sound in the background just before this dialogue very well supports the Panda’s insecurity and disengagement with that physical space. Silence is very well used in this scene to contribute to the depth of Panda’s feelings. The lighting integrates with this idea. The lighting, composition and the space gives the feeling of moonlight filtering in through the windows. The camera angle which follows the shadow of the Panda also supports the general theme of the scene. The Point of View shot takes the

Musuem of Tolerance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Musuem of Tolerance - Essay Example I visited the holocaust section, tolerance centre, and the multimedia learning centre of the museum. The two and half hour guided tour was full of new information and an episode of holocaust memories revisited. And I entered the tolerance centre through the prejudiced door. It was a moment of realization that we all hold prejudices which can grow to dangerous proportions and can become a threat to others, if left unchecked. The drinking fountains named â€Å"whites only† and â€Å"coloured† once again reminded me of the world of prejudices. The pseudo gas chamber that I saw just moments before rushed into mind again when I saw these two labels. The concentration camp gate that shows two gates with the labels, â€Å"able bodied† and â€Å"children and others†, was a shocking sight that evoked history like lightning. It was through this kind of a gate that children and weak bodied adults walked through into gas chambers in concentration camps to get exhumed alive. And even after such suffering, human prejudices continue to exist. The quotations and slogans written on the walls especially attracted and inspired me. The skit that showed the contemporary racial prejudices was also well enacted. The :point of view diner† was another unique experience for me. The simple example shown on this interactive show leads smoothly to bigger racial and discrimination related questions. The message that every one is responsible for what is happening in our society seems extremely relevant to me. I watched the film on genocide in the small theatre. And then the holocaust section. But I felt the narration is a little bit vague and inaccurate as was observed by many others (Marcuse). But I really felt like experiencing â€Å"a living social document† (Miller, 248f). The film show that followed made me realize that it was ordinary people put in not so ordinary situations who committed all these genocides and crimes. The voices in the mock Wannsee conference

Kung Fu Panda 31;13-34;50 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kung Fu Panda 31;13-34;50 - Essay Example The music directors have carefully incorporated music which very strongly conveys the emotions and feelings of the talking animals in the movie. It is worth noting here that it is otherwise difficult to convey this through dialogues and visuals. This essay examines the role of music and sound in a particular part of this movie. The part of the movie evaluated here is 31 minutes 13 seconds to 34 minutes 50 seconds. The selected section of the movie follows the philosophical encounter that Po, the protagonist of the story has with Master Shifu who is the trainer of Po. Master Shifu ridicules Po with regard to his poor body image and his easy going attitude. Panda is shocked to see the martial art skills of the other animals and realizes his incapability all the more. Po fails miserably in exhibiting his martial art skills and is was made fun of by other animals. The chosen part of the movie shows the intellectual confusion of the chosen hero who is unsure of living up to the expectations of the kingdom. The scene in the beginning shows Po sneaking into Jade Palace. The sound used in expressing the sneaky behavior of Po who is trying to get inside the palace has succeeded in expressing the insecurity that the panda has. The creaking sound of the wood on the floor increases all the more as Po tries to make no sound. Master Crane who is woken up by this sound comments that the Panda does not belong to that space and Po approves of it. The creaking sound in the background just before this dialogue very well supports the Panda’s insecurity and disengagement with that physical space. Silence is very well used in this scene to contribute to the depth of Panda’s feelings. The lighting integrates with this idea. The lighting, composition and the space gives the feeling of moonlight filtering in through the windows. The camera angle which follows the shadow of the Panda also supports the general theme of the scene. The Point of View shot takes the

Technology review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Technology review - Essay Example Turnitin.com: turnitin.com is an effective plagiarism checker which means its work is to verify and check for any plagiarism that prevails in the paper. It is a very reliable website for instructors which aim to compare the work submitted to the teachers with works on the web in order to check the reliability and uniqueness of the work. It is easily available and online communities can be made through which the instructor can evaluate and access the work. K5learning.com: k5 learning again is an interactive platform for young learners who seek to develop their skills through fun. K5 is a website which accesses young learners and enhance their abilities. Online tests are taken, assessments are done and help is provided to those who need reinforcement so that an effective learning mechanism is generated. Freevideolectures.com: it is an online resource for many learners out there who can easily access online the lectures of reputable teachers regarding various topic of study. This site enables learners to gain knowledge regarding various subjects having lectures of almost 30 respectable universities. This websites offers a vast range of courses and lectures which students aid from to develop better understanding in a convenient and cost effective manner. Tutorphil.com: is an online site to overcome the workload and ease down the frustration level among students. It provides learning methodologies and gives advices and tips to overcome the problems while structuring an essay. It is an interactive site which helps to device proper essays with ease and convenience. At this point I would like to choose my three sites which according to me are the most reliable to generate effective learning. My three sites which I will focus on in my essay are lore.com, turnitin.com and freevideolectures.com. If these three sites are integrated then a very convenient mechanism can be generated which will aid in learning. The reason why I think

Developing yourself Essay Example for Free

Developing yourself Essay Findings: The CIPD profession map is a tool used to support the profession as a whole to develop products and services, yet it also accelerates the professional development of individuals. The map was created and is used by individuals and organisations; it’s a vital resource if you are working or connected in the HR profession. Whatever sector and/or size of an organisation the professional map is a great help, whether you are a specialist or generalist in talent, reward, learning development, employee relations and engagement. There are three key components to the map, which are: professional areas, behaviours and bands and transitions. The core professional areas show how a HR professional should think and look at tasks, then how to influence the relevant employees to the best outcome. There are then eight further areas surrounding the professional areas and when they are all combined, create the role of a great hr employee. Each area is essential to any business. The eight areas are: service delivery and information, organisation design, organisation development, resourcing and talent planning, learning and development, performance and reward, employee engagement, employee relations and service delivery and information. Once professional HR areas are covered, behaviours are the next vital key to becoming an effective HR professional. There are eight behaviours and they require an employee to be a strong character that leads by example and is confident when advising and influencing all levels of staff from entry to high level. Each behaviour is divided into four bands of professional competence. Each behaviour also lists a number of contra indicators which illustrate negative behaviour. Comment on the activities and knowledge specified within any 1 professional area, at either band one or band two identify those you consider most essential to your own or other identified hr role. Conclusion: A HR practitioner should ensure the services they provide are timely and effective. Different customers have different needs in a HR role and you need to prioritise conflicting needs. Shown below are different customers to  a HR practioner and examples of what needs they may have. Managers look to human resources for sound business advice on how to review, analyse and address people issues. They expect the HR services to be timely and accurate. Supervisors expect human resources to be available on an as-needed basis to help solve people issues. They expect, and frequently demand, help interpreting company policies, expediting personnel matters and preparing or completing paperwork. Most importantly, supervisors expect to learn from their interactions with human resources in order for them to return to their work unit and handle personnel matters. Associates look to human resources to provide, explain or confirm information about company policies and procedures. They expect human re sources to be an empathetic ear to their concerns and to help them solve work-related problems. They expect human resources to anticipate problems and to provide sound recommendations to management. To the applicant, human resources are the company. Applicants expect accurate information about employment opportunities, fair consideration of their qualifications and courteous treatment. An example of how you would prioritise conflicting needs is shown below: When in a HR role a supervisor may need a report by the end of the day completing, a manager may need you to sort a conflict between two members of staff and a member of staff may be dealing with bereavement and is upset. You would then organise how and who or what task is the priority and arrange how it will all be dealt with or completed. In this situation I would delegate the report to another member of staff, I would then arrange a time to address the issues between the two conflicting members of staff then I would then deal with the member of staff with bereavement as I would see them as the highest priority. Then all issues and tasks should be completed/ resolved by the end of the day. This shows how you have an empathetic ear to concerns, you are helping solve work related problems and you are completing tasks under a time scale with organisation and delegation. Communication methods: Employee communication is about the HR aspects of communication from management to employees and of course employees to management. The first aspect is downward communication this is where management communicate to employees the second aspect is upward communication and this is when  employees communicate to management. Managers have to communicate with employees all the time that they are at work it is impossible not to, plentiful communication with employee’s has been shown to be linked to good company performance. Communication could be formal or informal. Smaller company’s often rely on informal methods and have few formal methods of communication with employees. In some cases they prefer to encourage social events for promoting mutual communication. Shown below are some examples of communication: Downward communication: Upward communication: Workforce briefings for all or part of the workforce on key issues Employee attitude surveys Quality circles, regular meeting with all or part of the workforce Suggestion schemes Appraisal interviews Employee forums Newsletters, electronic circular and dvds Project teams With communication you can come across issues these are: Subject What is communicated is the most important issue. HR can send a message to employees only on subjects which they choose to communicate with them. For example, certain information may not be passed on to certain employees because the organisation may not want to disclose this information. Quality You do not want to give too much information as employees may have problems digesting it. You need to make sure the quality of communication is high. Depth The depth of the information must be fit for purpose for example it may be too detailed and confusing for those who it is aimed at as it may have initially been designed for a management circular, re-worked slightly and the circulated to part time workers. Receptiveness Employees should feel that they are being listened to; they may voice their  ideas but feel that they are not listened to, and this would then create a negative effect amongst them and actually demotivating them. Action on their views may or may not be considered a good idea, but employees should then receive feedback on their views. Regularity Employees learn to trust the communication if it is regular and tells them important information. Regular communication means it is less likely rumours which are incorrect circulate in workplaces. A balance must be made between giving people information so regularly that they are swamped with it, and too infrequently so that uncertainty arises. Timing Information may be released when leaked information has already reached employees as rumour and it may then be treated with contempt. Information may be released too early or too late. A good example of this is redundancy information. Employees themselves are sensitive when they read about their own redundancy in the newspaper or see it on the news. You should inform employees of this information at the relevant time so they find out from you first. In the HR role you are likely to have an important role in building managers presentational and communication skills, since operational managers are often appointed mainly for other skills that they have, they may need help in developing their interpersonal skills. HR professionals have people issues at the forefront of their minds, they may advise on where and when sensitive meetings such as appraisals or disciplinary meetings might be best held. HR professionals can act as advisors to individual operational managers on how to communicate to employees on issues such as their pension or legal rights, or alternatively communicate directly with the individual employee’s on such subjects. These matters are of vital importance to employees, for whom areas like pensions and benefits packages are central issues. Getting communication right in these areas is therefor also at the centre of HR professional jobs. HR professionals sometimes have to advise both senior and operational managers on employee’s feelings on different subjects. It is usually the HR professionals who are called on to run or at least source and oversee employee attitude surveys, forums etc. to some extent they may also try to act as employee advocates in order to maintain employee commitment and motivation. HR has a key role to play in improving  communication including by providing training and coaching for other managers and workers which can improve their informal and formal communication. Effective Service delivery is a vital key in a HR role shown below are the key points of how to achieve it to a high standard. Delivering service on time: Delivering service on a budget: Dealing with difficult customers, Handling and resolving complaints: When dealing with difficult customers that may have a complaint or issue there are certain ways to deal with the situation so that it does not escalate and gets resolved. Firstly you need to identify the complaint and get as many facts together as possible. You always need to listen and empathize whilst clarifying that you both understand. Then you would log the complaint and investigate why, who, how and what evidence. Once that is achieved I think it is best to identify an end goal so there is something to aim for and the issue should then be resolved. When trying to resolve the situation always keep the complainant updated with any progress and also make sure you are following the company’s policy and try and keep it to the smallest time frame. Once the situation is resolved I would then try to investigate why it happened and how to prevent re-occurrence. In a HR role I believe you should be committed to treating customers with courtesy and respect at all times, responding promptly to all enquiries made by telephone, email, post, fax, or in person, ensuring accuracy of administration, respecting and maintaining confidentiality, equality of opportunity in employment, updating skills through continuous professional development, regularly and systematically seeking, listening to and acting upon the views of customers. I think a HR function should obtain much more thorough feedback from its internal customers these are line managers, senior managers and employees. This should cover both what they need from HR, and their user experience of current services. Such feedback, as this study illustrates, can generate a clear overview or ‘footprint’ of the HR function in a particular organisation. It can provide fresh insights and help the HR function to focus its efforts in areas that add value to the  business. Bibliography: http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/professional-areas/service-delivery-information.aspx

Erp implementation at maruti suzuki ltd

Erp implementation at maruti suzuki ltd Maruti Suzuki ltd. was established in 1981 in India as and since its establishment Maruti Suzuki ltd has been leader of the Indian car market. It is a subsidiary of its parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan. Maruti Suzuki Ltd is the largest selling passenger car company in India and controls more than 45% of the Indian car market. The company is headquartered in New Delhi. On 17th September, 2007 Maruti Udyog Ltd was renamed to Maruti Suzuki Ltd. It has two manufacturing plants in India; one is in Gurgaon and the other is in Manesar. Both units when combined can produce around 500000 units per annum. Till now the company has a portfolio of 15 passenger vehicle. It is listed on BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) as well as NSE (National Stock Exchange). What is ERP Every automobile company today has a very large amount of data to deal with. If the data is not integrated and is not available in consolidated form and at one place, it is very difficult for the users to access the data. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a basically a software tool for integrating the business as a whole with an aim of effective use of the management resources to improve the efficiency and working of the organization. It is a tool that integrates all the divisions and functions of the organizations into a single software program which runs on a single database and facilitates information sharing and communication among the various departments of the organizations. Need for ERP Every automobile company today has a very large amount of data to deal with. If the data is not integrated and is not available in consolidated form and at one place, it is very difficult for the users to access the data. In todays scenario, it is very important to share the data among the various divisions and departments of the organization in order to improve the efficiency and working. At every point or juncture, the information can be viewed and can be accessed. ERP is also used to integrate the value chain activities in the automobile industry. Enterprise Resource Planning also plays a major role in managing the inventory as it is one of the most important aspect in the automobile industry. Operational excellence is also achieved with the help of ERP. Thus, ERP has now become a necessity and need in the automobile industry and in companies like Maruti Suzuki ltd. Introduction Maruti Suzuki Ltd. uses Pre Implementation Before implementation of the ERP, the company used to depend upon its home grown, disparate systems to manage its business. But these systems were inefficient and were not able to communicate with each other and thus required a lot of manual work like entering data multiple times. And it was very difficult for the staff to generate the results and reports. There was a lack of control over processes. The company also added four new business sectors in 2002 which also required constant attention and human intervention and thus making it difficult to manage the system. Also, before implementing ERP company faced problems like poor information quality and huge turnaround time. There was no real time access to information which made it difficult for the company staff to access and obtains the latest, updated and correct information. Strategies for ERP implementation Maruti Suzukis Chief General Manager Rajesh Uppal said that the company was looking for an expandable and a flexible system that can be easily managed. Thus this will lower down the complexity of the system (IT environment) and also would reduce the dependence on some people to handle and manage the system. By implementing ERP there will be a single standardized Oracle platform and thus will also help the proper scaling of the system. The company adopted a phased migration strategy from its old legacy systems to the Oracle E Business Suite. Post Implementation There was a smooth transition from the old legacy systems to the newly adopted Oracle E Business Suite. The company selected Oracle Consulting to determine the companys requirements, to design the system, to develop the project plan, to deploy the software, to manage the parties involved and finally to provide the three months post implementation support to the company. The training programs were also designed for the employees. Under the training programs the user manuals were provided. There was also Train the Trainer program and Train the super users program under the Training programs. Financial Insight The company observed that with using the old multiple systems, there was lack of control over the data and information quality and processes. It was difficult to manage finances and the divisions lagged behind each other. But with the implementation of the E Business Suite, Maruti Suzuki was able to standardize on a single financial management platform. Standardization helped the company to keep and maintain tight control over the Accounts payable, accounts receivable and comprehensive general ledger. Also the efficiency improved and there was less confusion with the introduction of the standardized data formats and processes. Rajesh Uppal (Chief Manager IT) said that the completed the year end close on time without any hitch. Hyperion The company has been using Hyperion software for the last two years. It has been used to analyze the budgets across Marutis nine subsidiaries. It also helped the company to conduct financial reporting in compliance with the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) in India. The system is integrated with the Oracle Financial and is now being used by 10 (approximately) budgeting staff in the companys finance department. It has helped the company to improve their forecasts and also enabled Maruti to quickly respond to the changes in the market conditions thus enhancing their competitiveness. Hyperion can be easily integrated with the Oracle Financials Module. Procurement Oracle Purchasing was implemented by Maruti to handle the procurement of the services, goods and indirect consumables. Before implementing this Purchasing system, the companys subsidiaries either depended on spreadsheets or used the elementary or fundamental system to handle the process thus leading to rise in costs and excess of inventory. The major changes this system brought in the company was the cost reduction and better inventory management. It also helped to reduce the number of vendors thus reducing the costs. An automated workflow sends purchase orders along the chain and keeps the staff aware of the procurement activity. It has provided working staff the capability to track the process from order to payment. HR Workforce Management Maruti was quick enough to discover that the systems they were using were not able to manage the employees. Thus it felt the need of a single integrated system that could easily help them to manage the human resources. After the implementation of the Oracle Human Resouces module, Maruti observed that it had a better control over the functions such as leave and compensation management, payroll, recruitment and training and staff development. As the information is stored in a single database, the system enabled the staff to access the entire history and the details of the employees. Oracle self Service HR was also implemented which freed the HR staff from elementary duties (like changing details and addresses of employees). Thus, it helped Maruti to hire good quality people. Future Plans After the success of the HR, Procurement and Financials modules, the company can implement the Oracle Advanced Supply Chain Module and Oracle Enterprise Asset Management. The company can integrate more of its processes with ERP systems. This would help the company to access the real time information across all the different departments and divisions of the company.

Piagets Cognitive Theory Essay -- piaget piagets psychology developme

Psychology Piaget's Cognitive Theory Cognitive development is the development of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving, and decision-making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Historically, the cognitive development of children has been studied in a variety of ways. The oldest is through intelligence tests. An example of this is the Stanford Binet Intelligence Quotient test. IQ scoring is based on the concept of mental age, according to which the scores of a child of average intelligence match his or her age. IQ tests are widely used in the United States, but they have been criticized for defining intelligence too narrowly. In contrast to the emphasis placed on a child ¡Ã‚ ¦s natural abilities by intelligence testing, learning theory grew out of work by behaviorist researchers such as John Broadus Watson and B.F. Skinner, who argued that children are completely malleable. Learning theory focuses on the role of environmental factors in shaping the intelligence of children, especially o n a child ¡Ã‚ ¦s ability to learn by having certain behaviors rewarded and others discouraged. During the 1920s, a biologist named Jean Piaget proposed a theory of cognitive development of children. He caused a new revolution in thinking about how thinking develops. In 1984, Piaget observed that children understand concepts and reason differently at different stages. Piaget stated children's cognitive strategies, which are used to solve problems, reflect an interaction between the child ¡Ã‚ ¦s current developmental stage and experience in the world. Piaget was originally trained in areas of biology and philosophy and considered himself a kinetic epistemologist. He was mainly interested in the biological influences on how we come to know. He believed that what distinguishes human beings from other animals is our ability to do abstract symbolic reasoning. Piaget ¡Ã‚ ¦s theory, first published in 1952, grew out of decades of extensive observation of children, including his own, in their natural environments as opposed to the laboratory experiments of the behaviorists. Although Piaget was interested in how children reacted to their environment, he proposed knowledge as composed of schemas, basic units of knowledge used to organize past experiences and serve as a basis for understanding new ones. Schemas are continually being modified by two complementar... ...ings different from theirs. Furthermore, they can understand situations from the viewpoints of others. Intelligence is characterized by number, length, liquid, mass, weight, area, and volume. They can perform logical operations in relation to concrete external objects. They can now decipher their thinking, or focus on more than one dimension of a stimulus at a single time. They cannot solve abstract or hypothetical problems, however. Piaget ¡Ã‚ ¦s fourth and final stage, the formal operations stage, takes place from 11 or 12 to 18 and beyond. In early adolescent years, the development of the ability to reversibility and conservation to abstract, verbal, and hypothetical situations takes place. They also begin to make speculations about what might happen in the future. Adolescents are also capable of formulating and testing hypotheses, and dealing with abstract concepts like probability, ratio, and proportion. In this stage start the perception of analogies and the use of complex language forms such as metaphors and sarcasm. Teenagers can comprehend philosophy and politics and formulate theories of their own. Abstract concepts and moral values become as important as concrete objects.

Natural Calamity in Uttrakhand

As a child I was amused at the premonition of the Soothsayer when he predicted the Death of Julius Caesar, who out of sheer vanity not only discarded his advice, but also admonished him for the same. A similar analogy can be drawn to the travesty that now surrounds Uttarakhand, the sole exception being, the vanity and obliviousness of the Government has gravely pulverized the State Exchequer and costed the lives of its own denizens, as against the death of one ruler. The blame game, which is a necessary by product of every mishappening in our country, has already begun, where both the Central Government as well as the State Government are rebuking each other and their predecessors in chair for faulty policy making, ineffective implementation, absence of rescue and relief strategy, steaming constitutional debates on whether the present system should be governed under Entry 56 of the Union List or under Entry 17 of the Sate List, and the classic press release phrase â€Å"mis-governance†. What lies on the other hand of this scale is innumerable unreported deaths, devastation of public property, and over sixty thousand stranded people, who are yet to be afforded anything as remotely close to the term â€Å"relief†. Genesis of the Problem and Observations made by the CAG Report India boasts of being ranked sixth in terms of largest hydel power generation capacity countries. Domestically, hydel power accounts for 1/4th of India’s dependence on energy. The Hydel Power Report of Uttarakhand published in the year 2008, categorically acclaims that the State has the potential to harness almost 20,000 MW of electricity through hydel power. Blinded with such ambitious target, the State Government failed to notice, either deliberately or otherwise, the very first objective on the same page, which has been reproduced as: â€Å"To harness the environment friendly Renewable Energy resources and enhance their contribution to the socioeconomic development of the State. Another important objective which the State while implementing the said project, was oblivious to, is â€Å"To enhance the use of energy sources that assist in mitigating environmental pollution. † The current policies, as the CAG Report categorically points out, are aimed at aggravating and not mitigating environmental pollution, and have been a cause of the floods in and around the region. Periphrastically speaking, the ngoing havoc that was witnessed in Uttarakhand was preordained in the report published by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India as late as in 2009, reproaching the Central Government and the Government of Uttarakhand for its dual role of faulty hydro power policy making as well as ineffective policy implementation. Some of the main concerns highlighted in the CAG Report are: 1. Due to the over ambitious policy of the State Government to create multiple river channels, and multiple power projects on the same tributary, a serious endangerment of environment is certainty. With over 42 Projects currently functioning, and 203 projects in construction and clearance stage, at every 6 – 7 kms stretch, there will be a dam to obstruct the flow of the river. 2. All the projects are based on high seismic areas in and around districts chamoli, rudra prayag, pithoragarh, Almora and despite severe earth quakes in 1720, 1803, 1991, and 1999 the multiplicity of hydro power projects, without adequate counter seismic measures continue to run rogue thereby causing serious risk to the lives of the people. 3. There is a clear enumeration of Flash Floods which would result in severe destruction to life and property in and around the low lying areas of the hills. Table Appended to the Report has further highlighted various instances wherein such flash floods have occurred previously in the same areas. 4. No evidence to suggest that for failure to comply with the conditions of Environmental Impact Assessment, a penalty was imposed on the builders. 5. Failure of the nodal agency to ensure submission of quarterly and half yearly compliance reports by the management. . Flagrant Negligence towards Environmental and Security Concerns. 7. The adverse impact on the ecology was further underscored by the fact that almost 4 out of 5 Power Projects have shown the complete drying up of river beds to a trickle resulting into severe impairment and devastation of the ecology, and imbalance in the water table resulting into drying up of natural aquifers in the nearby areas. 8. According to International Standards, the minimum discharge of river downstream should be maintained at 75 % so that the aquatic life remains intact. However, the present projects are discharging downstream river by 90 % and above which results into complete devastation of the aquatic life. 9. Faulty Pre-Feasibility Survey Reports, which gives inaccurate data for evaluation of the hydro power station, which means serious short comings in ascertaining whether the location to construct is feasible or not, questions on plant efficiency and what would be the impact of soil erosion, etc. remain in a state of serious jeopardy. 10. As much as 38 % of the total projects which have been granted an Environmental Clearance have failed to carry out mandatory plantation. By – Passing The Law As per the Gazette notification issued by the Central Government under Sections 2 and 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, the area surrounding the river Bhagirathi from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi, which is 135 kms stretch, was declared to be â€Å"eco sensitive area†. A total area of about 4179. 59 sq km came under the eco-sensitive zone. This will impose restrictions on quarrying, commissioning hydropower projects on Bhagirathi, and construction of roads in the prohibited area. Besides, it will impose a ban on felling of trees and setting up of factories to manufacture furniture and other wooden items. For the purposes of effective implementation, the State Government, with the help of the local NGO’s and people was mandated to formulate a Zonal Master Plan surrounding the area, whereby every hydel power which is below 20 MW of Power Generation Capacity had to take a clearance from the State Ministry. However, the State Government opposed the said notification in May as they were not â€Å"consulted† before this policy was formulated; among concerns voiced by the citizens that an embargo on development would send them back to the Stone Age, which in reality was not what the notification envisaged. This mutual blame game and inter-ministerial trifles have led to such travesty. Today the very area surrounding Bhagirathi and parts of Uttarkashi are the worst hit areas of the State. Travesty of Environmental Clearance. Another notification issued by the Central Government warrants deliberation. It was mandated that before sanctioning the projects, or before expanding or modernizing hitherto existing projects, it was obligatory to procure an Environmental Impact Assessment Clearance from the Central Government and the State Government. Every Hydel Power project was subjected to the same strictures as have been mandated under Section 3(1) and Section 3(2) (v) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Such an EIA has to be in conformity with the Standards laid down by the National Environment Policy, and the guidelines that have been made under Rule 5 of the Environment Protection Rules. There are four stages before procuring an Environmental Clearance: 1. Screening wherein the projects are divided into two categories, those to be assessed by the Central Government (Category A Projects which are over and above 25 MW capacity power projects), and those to be assessed by the State Government (Under 25 MW Capacity Power Projects). 2. Scoping by which the Expert Committee determines on detailed concerns (current and probable) regarding Environmental Depletion or damage, at which stage the Committee is empowered to allow or reject the application seeking commencement of the project. 3. Public Consultation which provides for a public consultation held in the auspices of the site, obtain responses of all stake holders, villagers, etc. in writing and to be supervised by the State Pollution Control Board, but which specifically excludes â€Å"modernization of irrigation projects† out of its domain. . Appraisal which means the detailed scrutiny by the Expert Appraisal Committee or State Level Expert Appraisal Committee of the application and other documents like the Final EIA report, outcome of the public consultations including public hearing proceedings, submitted by the applicant to the regulatory authority concerned for grant of environmental clearance. In addition to the aforementioned checks and balances, there is a periodic Post Environment Clearance monitoring which are to be submitted on a half yearly basis by the management. This provides a very rosy picture of the law that governs such clearances; however the reality is far from such notion. For instance, according to the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, as much as 38 % of the total industries and projects functioning in the area, and which have received a green signal to operate, have not complied with the mandatory plantation of trees in and around the site. This has resulted into serious deforestation in the hilly areas, which results into soil erosion. Himalayas being young fold mountains, have a very unstable soil compaction, as compared to other mountain ranges, because of which soil erosion can assume cataclysmic proportions, it is also the reason why rivers are changing their natural course and cutting deep crevices in the hills, wreaking havoc amongst those who stand in its way. Are we to blame? This is one perpetual question, which warrants a sordid introspection. Reports have also suggested that illegal construction of motels, rest houses, guest houses, hotels and restaurants have been made in the river bed, whereas a notification issued by the State Government clearly prohibits any illegal construction in or around 100 metres from the river bed. This is supplementary to the damage that has already been carried out by the Government. Media reports further stipulate that there was no effective functioning authority in the name of â€Å"State Disaster Management Authority†. The moot question that now faces us is whether this calamity was â€Å"natural† at all, or was it brought about by our own fallacies, inactions, deliberate obliviousness, and negligence. History is replete with instances of civilizations crashing under the might of Natural Forces, and with the present rate of depletion, the future of the Upper Gangetic Basin and the Himalayas hangs in a very delicate balance.

Gay Marriage Rights

After the legalizations in Massachusetts and, most recently, California, gay marriage has been a growing trend in the United States. In the 8 months since the legalization, more and more gay couples have been rushing to California to tie the knot. However, California and Massachusetts are not the first to make an effort to strengthen the bonds of homosexual couples some European countries including Denmark, Holland, some Scandinavian countries, and others have legalized same-sex marriage and have found the results positive. Gay marriage has been a contradictory issue since gay men and women began requesting marriage licenses.However, gays are denied their rights to marriage licenses, which is denying then their rights as American citizens. Gays should be treated equally to heterosexuals and granted their rights to marry the person they love, whether they are the same or opposite gender. Although the idea of a same-sex wedding hasn’t been legal long enough for statistics to be developed on children of same-sex marriages’ developmental upbringing, or that they are harmed by their environment, many people seem to think that they will be less healthy or normal if the couple that raises them are homosexual.People believe that the children will grow up to be gay, or different from any normally raised child, if they don’t grow up in a â€Å"normal† family. The results of studies testing these ideas are quite contrary to the popular belief of heterosexual couples. In fact, the studies show that children raised by gay couples seem to be more adjusted than the â€Å"normally† raised ones. The argument that children raised in homosexual households will grow up to be gay is completely illegitimate.In a study of over 300 children of homosexual parents, there have been no indications that there are any disturbances in the development of the child’s sexual identity, or the lifestyle that the child will live later in life. In reality, most children raised by heterosexuals are not raised in normal households. With divorce also becoming popular we have families with three kids and only one parent. There is no doubt that homosexuals want to have children, and not only is the ban of gay marriage denying their rights to be married, but also denying them their rights to have a two-parent family with children.Some also say that marriage is between a man and a woman for procreation purposes, and that gays cannot naturally produce children. If this were the case then wouldn’t the state prohibit marriage between heterosexuals when one, or both, are sterile? If the purpose of marriage is, in fact, for procreation then who’s to say that post-menopausal women should have the right to marry? Children in foster care and orphanages are also a problem, so why not kill two birds with one stone and give gays their rights and orphans or unwanted children a home and a family that loves them?Another argument against gay marriage is that it is against religion. Whose religion? Some religions, such as Buddhism, actually celebrate gay marriage. The fact that gay marriages are illegal goes against not only the gays’ rights, but their rights also. And the fact that people are bringing the bible into their arguments also means that other religions religious rights are being infringed. The bible has no standing in American law, this was made clear by the first amendment of the United States constitution, and no one has any right or authority to set rules based on something they take as a moral injunction stated by the bible.The Christian and catholic religions cannot speak for all religions, and the United Stated government is allowing them to do just that. The main purpose of our government is to preserve the rights of the citizens, and at this, our government has failed. Homosexuals are not the only people being denied their rights, but also the members of certain religions that support same-sex marriages. Along with this, people also say that gay marriage would force churches that have an objection to perform gay marriage to perform same-sex weddings.There is no law stating that any church would be required to marry any couple, heterosexual or otherwise, that they do not wish to. Gay marriage would not change the churches right to refuse to sanctify any marriage that they do not wish to. It would only give churches the opportunity to legally wed gay couples if they would like to. None of the arguments above are valid. So now, let us examine the true reasons that people oppose the marriage of homosexual couples.Most people just are not comfortable with the idea. For years now, society has promoted the idea that two men or two women being married is wrong. This is mostly because of the arguments mentioned previously. However, none of those objections make sense! So neither does the idea that gay marriage is wrong. Being uncomfortable with a proposal is not a valid reason to oppose it. It is selfish to infringe other human beings’ rights for your

My initial regional marketing strategy Essay

In pricing, most of my pricing strategies were just following my competitors, because I have the faith that their prices are the results from the competition in that market. It is true that we should put an eye upon our main competitors, because they have the important information we need. For example, in Brazil, when I found the main competitor of me spent 35 million dollars on the promotion on Family & Healthy products, I realized that I could not I Ignore the promotion on this kind of product any more. So I invested about 5 million dollars on it immediately.Furthermore, I found that a big number of the competitors produced the medium toothbrushes and few of them put their heart into producing small and large products. And more people in all of the markets choose medium toothbrushes than other products. Therefore, I focused upon the medium products from the 1st period to the 6th period. What’s more, once I entered a new market, I chose only several medium products to produce because the data told me that the medium toothbrushes are the most popular products and the most profitable products. After I ran the actions I prepared, I got positive net contribution finally. In promotion, I always consulted the strategy from my competitors, because I believed they could survive in the market, meaning that their promotions were not bad. I usually was the second or third in promotion among all the companies. In addition, I arranged the promotion by the sales force after I arranged the sale force by the shopping habits of the customers in the native market. In pricing, I chose almost all the medium products because I thought the medium is the most practical. And I chose some small and large products, in order to collocate with the medium ones. In advertising, I also consulted from my competitors. However, I put all of my advertising into a continued advertisement. Especially in large market, such as Brazil and Mexico, I focus on the Family/Economy products, because I think the family is the group, who has the biggest buying power. 2. Changes and Rationale My first steps were 1st Brazil in period 1, 2nd Argentina in period 2, 3rd Mexico in period 4, 4th Chile in period 5, 5th Peru in period 7, 6th Venezuela in period 9. And the 10th period is the remaining period for me to do some adjustments to make a better result of the simulation. In order to  get a better performance, I rearranged the steps into 1st Brazil in period 1, 2nd Argentina in period 3, 3rd Mexico in period 4, 4th Venezuela in period 6. The reasons why I changed the order is that when I entered Brazil, I got the top market share immediately. After that I set a plant in Brazil, but I need time to improve the capability of the plant to support that markets I am going to enter later (we can only add 100 units of production in Brazil every year). As a result, I stayed at Brazil for another year. At the third year, I entered Argentina instead of the second year. As for the fourth market I entered. I used to enter Chile at the 5th period. However, at this time, when I entered Mexico at the 4th period, it needs some time for me to enlarge the market in Mexico. Consequently, I chose to enter into the 4th market at the 6th period, which is actually the requirement from the MBA 558 professor, corresponding to the class syllabus. What’s more, when I chose Chile, who was my first choice for the 4th market, I found that the work-force in that country was really high and the advertising cost was also too expensive. I abandoned it because I believe I didn’t have enough money to support this strange market at that time. And then I chose Venezuela to replace it because it was a little country and it was easy for me to handle. Moreover, its work force cost is low and market is normal, unlike Chile. 3. Performance Objectives VS Actual Performance After I ran the period 1 and period 2, I got a negative net contribution. That is inevitable and reasonable, because when I entered Brazil, I started the plant immediately and invested huge money on the promotion and advertisements. Moreover, I arranged nearly 100 people working on the sales and the price was also not too high. As a result, the cost of products sold was really high, which is why the net contribution was negative. However, as I invested huge money on the promotion and sales, and the price was not too high. I got lots of unit sales totally. It means that, I already have a relatively big mark share with the competitors. Because the market share is truly important especially for the new comers, I still felt optimistic about my wonderful future in Brazil. That is to say we must bear the negative net contribution at first and try to get positive net contribution later, which needs us have the enough support of finance. Every time I entered a new market, I got a negative contribution in the first period. However when I  enlarged my productivity and raised my price, I got a positive contribution in the following periods. I didn’t have a specific objective in every market, but the actual performance was that I have the biggest market share in Brazil, which is my most important market. And in other markets, I was always top 3 company in market share. I have the overall biggest market share. It seems like my strategy was not bad but need to be improved if I want to have the biggest market in every country. 4. Key Strategy Entry Steps Important markets first, Largest markets first. Sale force, Promotion, Pricing, Allowance and Advertising According to the shopping habits of the customers, rich status of the countries and competition situation. SKU  When I entered a new market, I focus on several medium products, because medium ones are the most practical and popular. After I occupied some market share, I developed some other products. In rich countries, I focus on healthy ones. By contrast, in poor counties, I drew attention into the economy ones. Among the children, I only sold medium products, because the children don’t have so many different requirements 5. Company Position for the future After the 10 periods, I have the biggest market share in Brazil, which is my most important market. And in other markets, I was always one of the top 3 companies in market share. In total, I have the overall biggest market share. It seems like my strategy was not bad but need to be improved if I want to have the biggest market in every country. In the future, I will try to enlarge my market share in the other countries, except for Brazil, in order to get the biggest market in every country. After that, my company should find a good way to get more net contribution, as my company was not the one who has the largest net contribution. 6. Lessons from the simulation experience The entry steps when my company want to expand  I should find a most important and large country to enter first and then expand step by step. In every new market, what I need to do step by step.  At first, I should focus on the specific product or some specific products, instead of kinds of ones. After I occupy some market share, I will try to produce other kinds of popular products How to arrange sales force and promotion upon it I would search the information about the shopping habits of the customers at first and then analyze it. After that, I arrange the sales force and the promotion. How to price the products and make the allowance Before I price my products, I should consult my competitors, because their prices represent the market supply and demand. As for the allowance, I will make it based on my price. When my price is raised, I would also raise my allowance. How to advertise Before I invest my money into the advertisements, I should find my target market and then try to consult my competitors in that specific market. And then I will make a advertisement corresponding to my competitors and my steps to enlarge my market share. What’s more, I would still stick on a advertisement if I have it for many years, because I believe I have a competitive advantage in it. How to arrange the plants I chose Brazil as the location of the plant because I thought Brazil has the sufficient work force, a big market and also the central location. Nevertheless, I made a mistake upon the production in the plant that I added its capability by 100 million units every year, making the depreciation so high. If I restart the simulation, I would control the power of the plant according to the sales. 7. Conclusion From the simulation, I learned how to do the streamlined global expansion with working as the country-manager and how to use different strategies in different periods, which are the vital things that I learned from this course.