Saturday, August 31, 2019

Elements of gambling Essay

There are two elements of Gambling, including game of chance and gambling mentality. Chance means people cannot control the outcome of an event but with possibility of winning. Player wagers money on irreversible bet in which the outcome relies on chance. Gambling mentality means the willing to take risk. To gamble on something is to take a risk on something in which the stake is involved. Pathological Approach to problem gambling Problem gambling is defined as pathological gambling under APA DSMVI. Pathological gambling is an impulsive control disorder in which there is a chronic and progressive failure to resist impulses to gamble. The concept of addiction of gambling is similar to alcohol and drug addiction in APA model. Gambling is a kind of process addiction. Gamblers enjoy the excitement, tension and anticipation over than the outcome of a gambling event. Gamblers described having the feeling of â€Å"high† similar to that experienced form cocaine in â€Å"outer-body†. There is a dominance in which people have intense preoccupation with gambling to the exclusion of other interests. There is also a problem of tolerance. It means gamblers will eventually spend more money than they intended on gambling, they will lose track of time and control over money betted. In other words, they will gamble from simple to complex high risk and high return betting. We can also see the gamblers have withdrawal symptoms, like irritable, nervous angry and restless. Action gambler Mahjong Tends to be arrogant Desire to control Self-centered, insecure, disregard for authority Easily frustrated, impatient and demanding Highly competitive but given up on the conventional way of competition Attracted to competitive games and those required skills Likely men who started their gambling activities at an earlier state. Gambling gives them a sense of self-enhancement and self-expression Escape gambler Lack of confidence / no self-esteem due to insufficient knowledge and skills Games with no skills involved, e. g. slot machine because no one will judge them Likely to be women who began gambling much later in life than action gamblers Gambling is an emotional reaction to whatever personal or relationship issues they are trying to escape from. Later pathological explanations on problem gambling All pathological gamblers were involved in social gambling for a period of time before they lost control over gambling A significant stressor or greater exposure to gambling often precipitated the sudden onset of pathological gambling. Modern Pathological explanations on problem gambling Modern pathology theories do not argue for determinism but instead rely on the concept of probability- in the sense of â€Å"the relative frequency of occurrence†, â€Å"relative chances of happening†- explain pathological gambling. E. g. Medical Model Medical Model-BlumeAn explanation for deviant behavior that locates its source within the individual and assumes that the behavior is the result of physiological, constitutional, or organic characteristics of the person interacting with the environment. Different psychological and physiological causes of gambling:1. Genetic abnormality that provide a predisposition for disease 1 / 2 2. Mental illness- resulting from obsession or a compulsion3. Abnormal level of dopamine=/=occurrence of sickness It depends on its interaction with other risk factors e. g gender, family influence, ageSolution: Counseling and financial management Weakness: Classical -> Ambiguous judgement.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Alibrandi essay Essay

In the movie Looking for Alibrandi, director Kate Woods uses many techniques to help you understand the main character, Josie. Some of these techniques are internal dialogue and voice-over narration, day-dream sequences and colour enhancement. All these techniques help viewers to have a better understanding of Josie’s character. The first technique that Woods uses that is very effective appears in an important part of the movie. Internal dialogue is used so that we can hear how Josie is feeling about the things she is going through. An example of this is in the opening scene when it is the Italian community’s â€Å"Tomato Day† and Italians get together to peel and stew tomatoes for tomato sauce. From voice-over narration we can hear Josie’s internal dialogue and understand that Josie doesn’t identify with this old-fashioned get together at all. We hear exactly what Josie thinks of it: â€Å"You might think this is all quirky and cute, but I find it really embarrassing. You would think we were still in Sicilly, but they left there 50 years ago†¦ I’ve got to get out of here! So therefore voice-over narration is a clever technique for helping viewers understand that Josie does not identify with her Italian-Australian heritage or the traditions they follow, and this is particularly useful in the opening scene because it explains what may lie at the heart of Josie’s challenges and conflicts to follow. The second technique used by the director to help us understand more about Josie is the day-dream sequence. Whenever Woods want the viewer to understand that Josie is having a day-dream the film is in slow motion and in sepia tones. An example of this is when Josie has a crush on John Barton, who is from a private boy’s school. She imagines herself standing beside John who is now the Premier of Australia and that she is Mrs Alibrandi-Barton. Cameras are snapping, tickertape is flying and reporters are wanting to speak to her. Another example of a day-dream sequence is when Josie is watching Carly, a very rich and spoiled daughter of a racist talk-back host, getting out of the car on the first day of school. We can tell its day-dream because suddenly Carly is walking very slowly and waving like a movie star. This scene shows us that Josie is very jealous of Carly because she is beautiful, rich and her family is friends with John’s. So therefore, Woods has helped viewers to understand that Josie has a strong imagination and how Josie feels about John Barton and Carly. Finally, Woods uses colour enhancement to help us understand more about Josie. This is when the director uses strong Sepia tonesto show us that Josie thinks what is happening is old-fashioned. At the very beginning of the opening scene viewers are presented with a panning shot of Josie’s Italian family busily making tomato sauce. We are given the impression that this is set some time in the past. When Josie starts talking the colour changes to full colour. From this technique we learn that Josie doesn’t regard ‘Tomato Day’ as part of her world, or the world of modern Australia. So therefore Woods’ use of strong sepia tonings right at the beginning of the opening scene helped us understand that Josie was straining against expressions of her Italian-Australian heritage. In the closing scene it is â€Å"Tomato Day† again but the whole thing is filmed in full-colour with Josie taking part in the stirring and dancing with Nona. Instead of escaping to the beach, she invites her friends in. This helps us understand that by the end of the movie, Josie is comfortable with her Italian-Australia heritage and has therefore overcome some major personal conflicts about her identity. In conclusion, in the movie Looking for Alibrandi, director Kate Woods was able to help viewers understand main character Josie’s opinions and conflicts through the verbal techniques of internal dialogue and voice-over narration, and visual techniques of day-dream sequences and strong sepia tones. The dialogue allowed us to understand what Josie was thinking and it lets you get into the frame of mind of the leading character of the movie. Day-dream sequences were important because they disclosed Josie’s fears and hopes for the future while strong sepia colour helped us to know that Josie thought that her family was old-fashioned.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Media Ethics Case Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media Ethics Case - Research Proposal Example Journalists are pillars of our society and they need to be ethically correct in discharging their duty to disseminate correct information to the public at large. Violation of academic trust through plagiarism, cheating, falsifying information or aiding and abetting in any of the nefarious activities are now serious offences and they are considered as totally unacceptable conduct in all areas of work, including journalism. Hence their professional honesty is crucial in promoting correct facts and interpretation on issues and topics that are socially, economically and politically relevant. During the Second Lebanon War between Hezbollah military and Israel forces, there was widespread damage to civilian infrastructure, including to the main airport of Beirut. War causalities also included killing of innocent civilians. The media had lapped up the war that had generated mass reaction all through the world. The photos of freelance Lebanese photo-journalist had generated mass hysteria against the Israel attacks which had damaged civilian places and displaced millions of the people from their home. Reuter later admitted that these photos were digitally altered (BBCNews, 2006). Altering the photographs digitally for vested interests was ethically wrong. The journalists are supposed to present the real situation to the people so the people can correlate with the event and accordingly propose a course of actions. In this case, the digitally altered photographs were meant to show gruesome and grotesque footage of war torn area and people and incite Muslims for the acts of terrorism and indirectly garner support for Hezbollah militants in their war against the Israelis. The actions of the Lebanese photo-journalist will have long term implications not only for the said journalist but the whole cadre of the journalist would become the target for vested interest and

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Critically evaluate the rules that apply to misrepresentation and Essay

Critically evaluate the rules that apply to misrepresentation and non-disclosure in insurance contracts - Essay Example Incorrect, incomplete or incorrect answers during application or material fact non-disclosure may go up to the contract’s roots and jeopardize its continued existence. The association between the insured and the insurer is regarded as one where mutual responsibilities of good faith and trust are overriding. During application time, indispensable facts are customarily recognized by the applicant but may be challenging to the insurer to make certain. The insurer is thus, vulnerable and needs the material facts so as to establish whether to issue a policy or not, what particular omissions it may need, and the amount of premium to charge. In fact, there are two diverse duties on the applicant at the time of the application. Normally, a broker or an agent interviews an applicant to complete the process of application. Based on the nature, as well as, type of the insurance coverage wanted, the application will have numerous questions concerning the background, health, business activities and various other aspects of the applicant. The application will characteristically have a declaration that is executed by the applicant and that the answers availed are complete, full, and true. Consequently, there are two isolated essential issues2. The first issue is that of any misrepresentation of answers by the applicant in the questions on the application. The second issue is that of non-disclosure of any facts by the applicant that are within his or her knowledge, and which are essential to the insurance. In the event that an insurer takes a stand that a policy is void because of non-disclosure or misrepresentation, it is not required of the insurer to determine the insured’s motives. The motives of the insured are irrelevant provided the misrepresentation are of a fact identified by the insured that could be viewed by a rational insurer as substantial to the risk. Typically,

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Light and Telescopes and Gravity Research Paper

Light and Telescopes and Gravity - Research Paper Example Optics is a common term used to refer to the study of light and its interactions with matter. Reflection is the bouncing back of light on a surface, in most cases resulting in image formation. Refraction on the other hand denotes the bending of the rays of light when passing through one medium to another (124). The speed of light in different transparent materials with ordinary matter is lower than that in a vacuum. For instance, the velocity of light in water is 75% the speed of light in a vacuum. The behavior of light is dependent on its wavelength and like other electromagnetic radiations high frequencies translate into lower wavelengths and vice-versa. Light is made up of photons/ quanta of lower energy levels which evoke excitations (electronic) in the molecules it interacts with resulting in variations in the chemistry/ bonding of the molecule. In the lower portion of the spectrum of light, the radiation (infrared) is no longer visible as the quanta of these radiation lack energy sufficient to elicit variation in molecule retinal of the eye retina, hence no visibility (at least not via quantum absorption) (Walker, 418). Over the limit of visible light, UV radiation is not visible to human eyes because it is absorbed by the internal lens below 400nm and the cornea below 360nm. In addition, the human retina’s cones and rods cannot detect radiation of wavelength below 360nm and are destroyed by such radiation. The main source of light on earth is the sun with approximately half of the EMR from the sun in the visible light region. However, there are a plethora of other light sources and mechanisms of producing light such as bioluminescence, electroluminescence, sonoluminescence, scintillation, radioactive decay, triboluminescence, particle-antiparticle annihilation, chenkov radiation, and so on. Light is either measured via photometry or radiometry. Light applies physical pressure on objects along its path with its

Monday, August 26, 2019

Fruit of the Loom Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fruit of the Loom - Research Proposal Example The main focus of the business is on producing consumer clothing of wide range catering to the needs from children to senior citizens. The overall business model of the firm is based upon selling its merchandize to chain stores and other outlets which than sell out the products of the company to the general public. The overall product range of the firm is really diverse and includes underwear as well as designer socks aimed at mass market accessed through these superstores and other chain stores. Fruit of the Loom does not sell directly to its customers through its own outlets. Firm also sells designer socks and sell them in different varieties aimed at different target customers. The overall range of socks includes designer socks for men, women, boys, girls as well as toddlers. This diversified range of products therefore caters to different needs of the customers while at the same time provides essential utility. The different ranges according to gender however are further divided into suitable categories such as â€Å"Everyday Basics†, â€Å"Stays Back†, â€Å"Odor Special†, â€Å"Sport Stretch†.1 The range of designer socks therefore covers almost every market segment and is rightly placed in the market to cater to the needs of mass market while at the same time offer designer looks and utilities. ... Such situation therefore may indicate that overall demand for designer socks may be low as consumers may not be willing to spend on high priced items. Social & demographic factors Designer clothing always suggest prestige and honor and those who use such type of clothing often attempt to build such image. As such designer products are often used by the consumers falling in high income earning groups. Technological trends Technology is shifting towards making designer socks fit to different needs of the consumers. Add-ons such as ankle support, no-fading of colors, odor-control technology etc are some of the key technological changes which will further create niches in the market. Firms focusing on offering such technological add-ons therefore can certainly be dominating in the market. Regulatory issues Regulatory issues may come in the form of health related regulations which may force firms to adapt certain technologies and practices which can reduce the health risk associated with the use of such products. Further, issues like improper labor standards, child labor as well as unhygienic conditions in countries from where raw material is imported can create significant challenges for the firms to deal with. Five Forces Analysis Threat of new entrants Though the overall cost of entry may be not be relatively high however, it may be relatively difficult for newcomers to dominate a market which is full of already established players in the market. Though consumers may prefer a certain image or attachment with a designer brand however an innovative product by a new entrant can disrupt the market. As such the overall threat of new entrants may be

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Fashion Retailer Zara Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Fashion Retailer Zara - Assignment Example The essay "Fashion Retailer Zara" discovers the marketing strategy of Zara. Zara designs all its clothes and majority of it is in Spain (about 80 percent). It focuses on shorter response time, which enables it to meet the constantly shifting fashion trends. However such moves do not take months, but this swift process is complete within in 30 days. And with this short time, Zara identifies the trends, design it clothes, supply it to all its stores. In short it means catching up a trend when it is in vogue in the fashion circles, rather than discusses it for months and then ask the overseas producers to work on it. On the contrary, even the smallest retailer takes up. Three to four months research, thinking, discussion for any such project, while bigger retailer take up to 9 months to produce to similar result. When the analysts start to forecast the fashion trends, Zara moves ahead for next trend. The trend identification is done through extensive research process in which every one in the organisation is involved. In the manufacturing environment, Zara’s product development teams fashion shows and catwalks and exhibition and then translate the latest fashionable ideas into products. Zara development teams visits universities and clubs to track the customer’s preferences and choices and understand the changing consumer’s needs. There are also teams in the international arena who also observe the latest fashion trends and report to the head office. Zara mangers also help in tracking customer.... t the Zara mangers also help in tracking customer demands through sales analysis, all of this process enables Zara to meet customer's needs and be ahead of its rivals. The research is not traditional research, but it includes email and phone calls from various stores to head office, to which Zara manufacturing machinery responds by designing the proposed item within 2 weeks time. Thus we can see, that it is the lead time and keeping up with the fashion trends which makes Zara the leader of the fashion industry. Low Risk Low Production Normally any proposed item (apparel) among other retailers is made in bulk, which always has the risk being a failure. Zara reduces this risk by producing in lesser quantity, thus instead of going for bulk production, it prefers fewer items. This approach gives Zara's double benefit, such as lesser risk and creating more demand by making artificial scarcity, which means it can charge more and earn extra profit. It is natural with all objects especially fashion products; they become more desirable making them more profitable for the company. Normally it is very rare to find a product in its early launch days, a customer has to request the item, which is taken into notice by the store manager and produced within a shortest period of time. Another benefit of this approach is that if the product does sell well, it can be easily scarped back due to lesser quantity, which is not possible for other retailers or in some cases it is moved to another location, where it is selling well. Leading in Innovation As for other retailers their profits comes through mass sale and bulk production. Zara instead produce more styles (new items) than any other retail store and generates profit through greater number rather than bulk production. For

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Art Through the Ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art Through the Ages - Essay Example Imagination should not only form the basis for understanding 19th century art in the context of political, technological and social changes, but it should also help in developing the ability to locate art work in history. It is crucial to consider the convictions, expectations and prejudices of the spectators and artists in art during this historical period. Style refers to the distinguishing manner of producing an artistic object and the way the spectators look at the object. Style is a historian’s extraordinary sphere. However, because of its subjective assessment, it is rarely used by historians. Style in art provides a useful tool for creating chronology. In art history inquiry, defining artistic style comprise a vital element. Several different types of style exist; regional, period and personal style2. Regional style refers to the usage of variations in style attached to geography. Like the object’s date, its place of origin and providence can determine its charac ter. Artwork from the same location but made ages apart can have similarities, unlike contemporaneous work from differing locations. For instance, a historian can differentiate Egyptian art from Mexican or Italian art made during the same age. Variations in the two sets of art exist, which make it possible to differentiate the artwork. Through regional style, art in the 19th century can be studied and used to show the ideas and aims of the artists in this period3. In 1820-1860, romanticism and naturalism came out through the work by Delacroix in Liberty Leading the People and in Rude and Corot’s work. Their work portrayed emotional reactions against neo-classicalism. These artists used nature, patriotism, supernatural, heroism and glorification of the past to show changes in politics, technology and social aspects of life. For instant, peasants were used to show that the society, during this time, was composed of peasants. This means that not many technological advances had b een made during this period. The emotional reactions against neo-classicalism also showed the political nature of 1820-1860s. The work by Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, portrays the emotional hatred of neo-classicalism. The art also depicted the peasant workers in their farms or homes. The hatred of neo-classicalism and the peasant workers showed political resentment towards neo-classicalism and the lack of technological knowledge and application in daily duties. The work also portrayed hints of patriotism in people, especially in protecting themselves against neo-classicalism4. Realism followed by naturalism came out in 1850-1870s through the works of Daumier, Hogarth and Eiffel. During this period, art portrayed positivism based on facts and not emotions. Industrial progress had begun to take root during this period. Eiffel designed the Eiffel tower during this period. This signified an age of advancement because man thought of complex achievements. The industrial revoluti on resulted in changes, in the society, because people could afford food and luxuries after working in the industries. Artists like Eiffel who designed the Eiffel tower explored into the technological world by designing a complex structure that had technological complexities. The growing steel industry provided material for the construction of his design. This period did not witness much political skepticism as the people had a positive outlook of the political future. The industrial and technological development kept

The Modest Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Modest Proposal - Assignment Example 3. The tone is satirical. Swift uses symbols and gestures which does not hit directly into the point but requires one to imagine and understand what he means. For example he says, â€Å"I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child wells nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; an I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout† (Swift). This means that a child born in a wealthy family is likely to succeed in life more than born in a poor life. 6. Swift presented evidence of the poor and the suffering. The title of the article is okay but if fails to prove the recommendations required solving the challenges faced by the poor mothers and their children. 9. In overall, it is a good piece of work. It is challenging and it certainly drives the point home. However, Swift should have provided recommendations like curbing inequality, theft, hunger, and distribution of resources in addition to offering quality education to the society as a way of curbing the

Friday, August 23, 2019

Ethics Worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics Worksheet - Essay Example The wife is, obviously, lying for her husband and trying to protect him. Socially, she has not done any wrong in doing so, and since the police have not been able to convict the husband, they are bound by law and cannot carry out further investigation without due cause. The other issue at hand is the belief of the police officers that the husband was driving while intoxicated. They checked the hood of the car, which was warm, suggesting that it had been very recently used. They also observed the husband drop the car keys and put them in his pocket while he was walking up to the front door. After carrying out a check, they retrieved a set of car keys from his front pocket, but the husband denied driving and said he was out walking. The wife maintained she had not driven either. However, it was obvious that the husband was lying. The husband failed to pass the intoxication tests satisfactorily, and it was established that he was, indeed, intoxicated; his alcohol was on the scale of 0.2 0 on his breath. It is socially unethical, and legally unlawful, to drive intoxicated. However, since the officers did not observe him driving themselves, they are unable to take any action. Q3: 3A: Claimant 1: The husband. He is the person who would be convicted of two crimes, domestic violence, and intoxicated driving, if the crimes were to be proven. Therefore, he would prefer that the police do not find sufficient evidence to convict him. To that end, he has got his wife to lie for him as well. From the perspective of the moral agent, the obligation of justice is owed to the husband. All the preliminary evidence points towards him being guilty. He is on socially and legally unethical grounds, and to make it worse, he is lying about it. He should be dealt with justice, and convicted. 3B: Claimant 2: The wife. She has a minor role to play in the case. She was the victim of domestic violence, but now she denies it, and there are no visible signs of violence about her to convict the husband for that. She is also lying for her husband. For the sale of her husband, she would prefer the authorities not to find him guilty, and she would prefer the police not to find sufficient evidence to convict him. That is the reason for her lying. The obligation owed towards her is beneficence, and she should be dealt with it. If indeed she is the victim of violence, then she should be taken into protective custody and her problem solved. She should also be given the confidence that she can still live her life with her husband convicted, so that there is no need for her to lie to protect him. 3C: Claimant 3: The police officers. They have strong belief of the husband being guilty based on their observations, and they would prefer for the husband to be convicted of the crimes, because they believe he is lying about them. The experience of the older police officer also point towards this verdict. However, since they do not have sufficient proof, such as visible signs of domestic violence and the actual observation of the husband driving while intoxicated, they should deal him with the moral obligation of non-injury, since they can protect bringing unnecessary harm to the couple. Q4: Alternative 1: The police do not convict, based on insufficient evidence. Best case scenario, the husband does not repeat the mistake again. Worst case scenario,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share Essay Example for Free

An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share Essay In his essay, â€Å"An Obsession the World Doesn’t Share†, Roger Cohen describes in detail the way other countries view the actions of the United States Government and President Bush (New York Times, 2004). Mr. Cohen’s main idea throughout the article is how the United States government is reacting, or not reacting, to world issues due to the focus on 9/11/01. The author uses countries such as South Africa, and Brazil to make his point that these countries are facing severe problems and the USA, which has always been seen as a â€Å"helping country† is now focused on terrorism. Supporting viewpoints of his main idea are the fact that in Canada, a recent statue of President Bush was erected in the same form as Iraq’s past leader, Sadaam Hussein. In addition, the author notes the AIDS epidemic in South Africa; and the economic factors in Latin America. Mr. Cohen continues his main idea by making the suggestion that any good the USA government has done (i. e. giving money to support AIDS education), is overshadowed by the fight on terrorism. Mr. Cohen’s point in this article is to inform Americans about how the rest of the world views their country. His central argument seems to be that despite the good our government has done, it is completely overshadowed by our dire need to revenge for 9/11 terrorist attacks. The author uses facts to back up his argument from what seems to be reliable sources, such as the government of these nations, and Ambassadors for these countries. The tone of this article is informative, the author presents his arguments without bias and his personal judgments are few. The author uses a logos appeal, presenting his argument as a logical, reasonable one. Although it does not appear that there are many weaknesses in his argument, some information is excluded, namely that of President Bush’s view, because Bush’s view was not clearly stated, this alone may make the author slightly biased towards the other countries, who are in effect asking for our help. This writer accepts Mr. Cohen’s argument. I believe that all the good the USA may be doing for other countries, IS overshadowed by what seems to be revenge for not only 9/11 but for the Gulf War as well. The fact that our government is intent on punishing Middle Eastern countries, which had little or no involvement in 9/11, speaks volumes about what is important (fighting and not assisting). In this article, the author states, â€Å"The problem is the perception that Bush uses immense power in an egotistical way. (NY Times, 2004) This writer strongly believes this to be the truth as evidenced by the fact that Hussein of Iraq was a main focal point of the terrorism instead of the one who committed the crimes (Bin Laden). As assumed from this article, President Bush is not well-liked by other countries and even Americans are growing tired of Bush’s so-called priorities. In sum, Mr. Cohen has presented an aptly named title of how the world negatively views our government. Unfortunately, most Americans do not differ on this viewpoint.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Ancient Egypt’s Comparison with Mesopotamia

Ancient Egypt’s Comparison with Mesopotamia Ancient Egypt’s farming system compared with Mesopotamia Ancient Egyptians had an easier life compared to the other ancient civilizations because of their reliable agriculture system. Geography played a big role, especially in farming. Due to geography, Mesopotamia and Egypt had different farming methods, weathers, environment, and flooding seasons. In fact, Egypt’s great farming system led them to have better conditions to farm than Mesopotamia because of flooding, the rivers and irrigation and the farming tools that they used. Economy, crops, flooding, and the weather varied between Mesopotamia and Egypt. Geography, flooding seasons, different farming tools, and methods led Egypt to have a better agriculture system than Egypt. The difference between geographies, which includes the environment, was the main factor that the farming was different in Mesopotamians and Egyptians. Flooding influenced farming in Mesopotamia and Egypt. However, flooding helped Egypt but it influenced badly in Mesopotamia. Egypt is settled on the world’s longest river, the Nile, which flows from south to north because of the geography of land. Unlike Mesopotamia, Egypt had a predictable flooding seasons. Farmers, knowing when to expect floods, were able to schedule growing seasons around when crops needed water. Not only did flooding help with good timing with farming, but it also provided rich soil from the flooding. The Nile River floods between June and October (Louis, and Jennifer). After floods, there would be a fertile land along the river which Egyptians used to plant and grow things such as fruits and vegetables (Gill, 29). Flood played a big role in farming and growing crops in Egypt. On the contrary, growing crops were more difficult for Mesopotamians because of the difference in geography. Mesopotamia had limited natural resources because of the unpredictable floods (David, 117). Farmers had no prediction when it was going to flood, which gave the farmers hard times finding the right season to farm. Unlike Egyptians, Mesopotamians lived in the city-states which were based on farming and trade. The city-states were a group of small cities which needed unity with one the other. Also, they were isolated from one another geographically and so the independence of each city-state became important. Farming played a big role in city-states. However, Egypt did not have a good environment, especially the flood was the main problem. Floods destroyed villages and took many lives (David, 121). The floods sometimes caused rivers to change courses and due to this farmers had a lot of trouble with crops. Sudden floods forced Mesopotamians to create an organized agricultural sys tem to help them with farming and growing crops. Mesopotamia was very dry, hot and had little rainfall. Farmers had hard time finding water for their crops. Farming was hard for Mesopotamians due to the hot weather and bad environment conditions (David, 122). Flood was not the only cause of having different farming system, but also due to using different tools and farming methods. Using different tools in farming and farming in different environment such as soil and weathers led Mesopotamia and Egypt to harvest different crops. Egyptian grew a lot of crops due to good weather and soil. Egyptian farmers grew crops such as wheat, barley, vegetables, figs, melons, pomegranates and vines (Barrow). Also, they grew flax which was made into linen (Barrow). Out of all the crops that the Egyptian farmers harvested, the most important crop was grain because ancient Egyptians used grain to make bread, porridge and beer (Barrow). Moreover, grain was the first crop that they grew after inundation. Once the grain was harvested, they grew vegetables, such as onions, leeks, cabbages beans and lettuce (Barrow). Crops differed between Mesopotamia and Egypt because of the environment, but also due to the different tools that they used to farm. Ancient Egypt ian had simple farming tools such as winnowing scoops, hoes, rakes, flint-bladed sickles and ploughs (Barrow). Farming methods, and tools also took a big role in Egypt to have a reliable farming system. Moreover, Egypt was geography isolated by deserts, mountains and seas which allowed their crops to grow well. Mesopotamia had only few crops to grow due to the geography and flooding which influenced the Economy. Due to unpredictable floods, Mesopotamians did not know when to farm. For some farmers, when it was time to harvest, flooded unexpectedly and swept away all the crops. However, the farmers raised few crops which were grains, fruit, vegetables, and barn yard animals. One of the methods that the farmers used was by filling the containers with seeds. Cows would pull plow seed and the seeds would go into the ground (Louis, and Jennifer). Mesopotamian people invented the seeder plow, which enabled farmers to carry out the tasks of seeding and plowing at the same time. The plow created a long, narrow trench made in the ground as seed was dropped into a funnel (Gabriel). The Mesopotamians further enhanced the technology of the plow by learning how to use ox to power it (Gabriel). There were few farming methods, however, Mesopotamia did not have enough methods than Egypt (Louis, and Jennife r). Due to the lack of farming methods, the Mesopotamian farmers hand harvested most crops. Because of the unpredictable flood, and lack of farming tools and methods, Egypt had a better profit in crops and had developed farming system. Along with the farming methods and tools, Mesopotamian and Egyptians were both influenced by geography (McIntosh, 56). Egypt, irrigation led to an increased food supply and helped water dry lands with streams, canals, or pipes. Due to irrigation, farmers could plan for the seasonal flooding. Nile River played a big role in farming because the river provided silt whenever there was a flood, so Egypt was ready for flood and they did not have to worry about the right time for farming. Also, after floods, there would be a fertile strip along the Nile River that was about 12 miles wide (Louis, and Jennifer). Moreover, this benefited the soil, due to this they had rich fertile soil which was good for farming. Not only good fertile soil land, but also the economy boosted. Farmers had a lot of profit due to growing crops. Crops were able to boost the economy because of irrigation. This increased food supply, fertile lands, canals, pipes, and farmers suffered less. Due to Egypt’s geogr aphy, economy boosted because of crops. On the other land, Mesopotamia had hard time with their economy because of their geography. Mesopotamia depended on Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, however, they sometimes brought unpredictable floods (Wallenfels, 28-29). Unlike Egypt, Mesopotamia was overwhelmed with a large amount of silt. This silt was a constant cause of problems in the manmade irrigation systems (Grigg, 22). Not only the silt was the problem, but also the salt was the problem. Right below the surface of where Mesopotamia was, there was a large cluster of salt deposits. This high saline content of the soil made farming in Mesopotamia much more complex and difficult than it was in Egypt. Also, any time the irrigation waterways were not able to be maintained, a lack of the large food would result. Due to the salt deposit and overload of silt caused a decline in economy and crops in Mesopotamia (Grigg, 21). Above all, Egypt had better and suitable environment to grow crops which developed their farming skills as well as their economy. Also, there were many farming methods and tools which led them to grow more crops, and no longer had to do hand harvested crops. Egypt’s distinguished geography, farming methods, and farming tools helped to set them up to be more advanced and outstanding society than Mesopotamian civilization. Works Cited Bertman, Stephen. Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford UP, 2005.  Print. Cline, Eric H., and Jill Rubalcaba. The Ancient Egyptian World. New York: Oxford UP, 2005.  Print. David, A. Rosalie. Geography of Ancient Egypt. Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. New  York: Facts On File, 2003. 117-22. Print. Louis, and Jennifer. Farming and Agriculture of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Farming and  Agriculture of Egypt and Mesopotamia. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. Roaf, Michael. Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. Arlington, VA: Stonehenge, 1992.  Print. Wallenfels, Ronald. World Eras, Volume 8: Ancient Mesopotamia, 3300-331 BCE. Detroit: Gale,  2004. Print. Gill, Vernon Dale, Tom (1974). Topsoil and Civilization, University of Oklahoma Press. Grigg, D.B, (1974). Agricultural Systems of the World. Cambridge University Press. Jacobsent, Thorkild (1982). Salinity and Irrigation Agriculture in Antiquity, UndenaPublications. Leonard, Jonathan Norton, (1973). The First Farmers, Time Life Books. Louis, and Jennifer. Farming and Agriculture of Egypt and Mesopotamia.Farming and Agriculture of Egypt and Mesopotamia. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

An Analysis Of Sainsburys Supermarket

An Analysis Of Sainsburys Supermarket Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury along with his wife Mary Ann in London and then gradually grew to become the largest grocery retailer by 1922. Sainsburys is the UKs oldest major food retailer with their first store opened in 1869. It strives to keep up with its trusted heritage of quality with best services. Past: In the early 1990s Sainsburys, market leader so far, lost its position to Tesco and in 2004 it came down to no. three after Tesco and Asda. The downfall involved many reasons including changing managements, lack of innovative strategies, failing to assess the impact of loyalty cards scheme, unhealthy acquisition in Egypt and a misleading marketing strategy which failed to communicate the right message to the consumers. Present: Sainsburys started to fight back and be noticed after Justin King took over the management role in early 2004 and came up with a revival strategy under the name of Making Sainsburys Great Again. The process involved a no. of mergers and acquisitions of small chains in the south east England and the Midlands. The new message of Try Something New Today went really well with the media and the consumer led by the famous celebrity chef Jamie Oliver it encouraged buyers to innovate in their kitchens and make their food interesting. Future: The supermarket industry has reached a saturation point in the UK. How long can Sainsburys go on opening up new stores at locations such that its stores do not start to cannibalize each other? Using the Ansoff Growth Matrix two future strategies are suggested for Sainsburys: Opening up of Sainsburys Travels and Tours Product Development On the basis of the success potential in the travel business, Sainsburys might venture into the Travel and Tours business by way of Product Development as per Ansoff Growth Matrix tool for future strategy selection. Sainsburys has a very high probability of success as measured with the help of SWOT analysis and assessing the keys to success and the critical factors. Sainsburys China Market Development Sainsburys might opt for the Market development strategy by offering the supermarket business to the land of opportunities China. The move will be mad after the necessary PEST analysis has been done and companys SWT has been assessed with Chinese perspective. Sainsburys Strategic Corporate Development History: 1990 to 2004 Corporations are required to add value by mans of their business. The goal is to manage and control the businesses for a long term and sustainable success. The corporate level strategy deals with the choice of the business and the growth and development related to it. Sainsburys enjoyed the position of the leader in the UK supermarket industry up to the early 1990s. It had sustained its image of a name trusted with quality and service. British like old names with some history behind them. The company started to lose its grip in the early nineties due to a number of reasons. There was a change in management after the longtime CEO John David Sainsbury retired. He was replaced by David Sainsbury who bought about a change in the management style. Although the times were changing and some of the people in the management thought strongly about launching loyalty card schemes and also favored introduction of non-food items in the stores, both the options were rejected by the fresh management. The biggest rival Tesco had gradually moved up on the market scales and the internal indecisions help it get hold of better deals from suppliers. We will analyze Sainsburys approach in view of Ansoff Growth Matrix perspective. Ansoffs matrix is a tool that helps businesses decide their product and market growth strategy. Market Penetration: The strategy had been the simple approach of Market Penetration Strategy. As per Ansoff Matrix, this can be easily explained as the company keeps on offering the same product into the existing market. From 1993 onwards Sainsburys was unconsciously moving forward on the basis of wait and see policy. Up till now Sainsburys had enjoyed the position with no real threat. It started with price cuts on almost 30 of its labels, three months after came up with Tesco Value Lime. The move affected Sainsburys profit margins. Product Development: This made the management realize to offer something new to the customers and after Tesco came up with new format stores named Tesco Metro serving the town centers in 1994, Sainsburys responded with announcement of Sainsburys Central format. This approach is interpreted as Product Development strategy where a new product is introduced into existing market. The new project offered shopping facilities to the small towns was initiated leading to Country Town stores. The stores were formatted keeping in mind the distance the buyers have to travel for their weekly grocery shoppings. The new service enabled the customers to do so without going to large, out of town stores. They were mainly planned to be opened I the south east, which has always been Sainsburys strong hold. The 1st store was opened by the end of 1998 in Ongar (Essex). These stores have now been standardized as per the regular stores and they maintain even trading terms Setbacks: The company fell behind yet again in 1995 when the management failed to realize the importance of loyalty cards schemes and refused to go ahead with launch of any such offer. They had to reconsider their decision 18 months later after Tescos club card was introduced. In 1996 the company ventured into opening up of Sainsburys Bank. In addition it acquired Texas Homecare for 290M (GBP) in 1996. These expansions had a major effect on the financials and Sainsburys announced first fall in profits in 22 years. Another reason which affected Sainsburys sales was the perception among the customers that it is more expensive than its rivals. The marketing campaigns failed to convey the message that Sainsburys offers as good quality and value for money as its rivals. The marketing failed to communicate the required message of low cost and high vale and the company endured the consequences. The year 1996 saw Sainsburys losing its position of market leader to Tesco. Acquisition and Divestment: Sainsbury attained 80.1% of share in an Egyptian distribution group SAE. The group provided retailing services in Egypt with 100 stores and almost 2000 employees at the time or acquisition. The decision was criticized by the analyst as it was made during the most testing times of Sainsburys history. The reason behind the decision might have been the success Tesco outside UK. However the meager results shown by the Egyptian business led to the divestment of the share and sale of shares in 2001. The brand re-launch In 1998 the company again went under a management change and George Bull, the new Chairman took over and decided to re-launch the Sainsburys Brand. The new management targeted to revive Sainsburys corporate identity and started with the launch of a new logo, going for a slightly informal font and new slogan of making life taste better. Staff uniforms were redesigned The company underwent a Business Transformation Program (BTP) after the appointment of Peter Davis who showed significant improvement in the companys turnover and exceeded the targets. The BTP involved a 3.00bn (GBP) upgrade of the stores, distribution and IT equipment. The distribution setup included construction of fully automated depots which cost 100m (GBP) each and was later criticized by the new management. Sainsburys moved into the current headquarters at Holborn in 2001. The Nectar loyalty card scheme was launched in 2002 which replaced the Sainsburys Reward Card. Current Strategic Situation: 2004 to date: At the end of March 2004, new CEO Justin King joined the company who came up with a recovery plan for Sainsbury under the banner of Making Sainsburys Great Again. It was a three year recovery plan which was very positively received by the media and the stock market. The strategy involved laying off redundant staff from the head offices and recruiting additional staff for shop floors to increased and improved customer service quality. Sainsburys was having major issues with its stock availability, inventory and supply chain management. The new depot monitoring systems were to be implemented and IBM was given the deal to upgrade the system. Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestments: In 2004 Sainsburys new management under the Making Sainsburys Great Again plan to concentrate on its strong UK customer base, divested the American subsidiary Shaws. It was sold to Albertsons. The no. of convenient stores was increased through an acquisition of 54 Bells Stores chain which was based in the north-east of England. Another Acquisition took place with purchasing o 114 stores of Jackson Stores based in Yorkshire and the North Midlands. The acquisition took place in November 2004. Another small chain of 6 stores was acquired from SL Shaw lt. in April 2005. New Marketing Strategy Try something new today: Sainsburys is at a critical stage at the moment. Sainsburys Supermarkets have gone through a period of dramatic regression, in which they have been surpassed by rivals Tesco and, more recently, in 2004, Wal-Mart-owned Asda. (Global Market Information Database, 2004). It is not easy for an established and old UK brand to vanish off from the market but the competitors have. While it is rare for major brands to disappear completely from the UK high street, these competitors have acquired share from Sainsburys by way of their commitment to low and attractive prices, whereas Sainsburys has been focusing on its Business Transformation Program and has indulged itself in promoting an image of quality, and value rather than being affordable The present day UK customers which have a huge percentage of non British are heavily influenced by the economical changes and are passing through tough times. The message which has been conveyed by the Tesco and Asda was received warmly as it assured them of a combination of quality and assurance along with low price. As a result, Sainsbury is still considered comparatively expensive just because it failed to convey the message through proper marketing. A massive marketing campaign of Try Something New Today was launched in September 2005, which was designed to make people go off the shopping routine encourage them to be more adventurous in food eating. Under the campaign umbrellas, the spokesperson for the campaign Jamie Oliver encouraged the customers to be. The message conveyed was it supplies quality food as well as the only one offering useful ideas to make your food interesting. The aim was to reach and convince all the customers and not only the well off. Sainsburys is attempting to respond forcefully to the challenges it faces, however competition in the UK market is becoming increasingly intense, and Sainsburys faces a difficult struggle to regain the ground it has lost to rivals that continue to expand aggressively The management has a continuous approach towards work with responsibility. They attempt to provide fresh food and innovate with respect to customers needs. It serves over 18.5 million customers every week. The large stores offer over 30000 products along with complementary Non-Food products e.g. the TU clothing range which has over 1 million transactions every week. Along with other services, an Internet based shopping service has also been made available, keeping in trend with the changing requirements o the customers, to almost 90% of UK households. The company has a chain of stores with 537 supermarkets and 335 convenience stores, hence a total of 872 stores in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, including Hypermarkets (super large stores- Sainsburys stores- main plus), Sainsburys Central and Sainsburys local (supermarket and local convenient stores format main mission). The company has been eyeing the opportunity of expanding its business outside the UK. Especially the hyper potential in Asia (especially South East Asia and China). By analyzing Tescos huge success in the market outside UK, Sainsburys venture might not be far away. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsburys Strategic Direction for the Future: Sainsburys has a history of innovation and it continues to strengthen its relationship with its customers and has gone ahead with the growth of their convenient store operations, the online offers and the Sainsburys Bank. They have a constant approach towards developing new offers in line with the evolving customers demands resulting in operational growth and profitability. http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar08/businessreview/corporateobjectives.shtml Choosing a Strategy: A marketing tool for making the market strategy is the Ansoff Matrix, which gives us strategic choices for obtaining our business and market objectives. It offers four choices which deal with marketing and growth of existing or new products in existing or new markets. Ansoff On the basis of current scenarios there are two pathways for Sainsburys to opt from, for a sustainable growth and presence for a long time to come. Product Development Strategy: Sainsburys has a huge loyal customer base. The suggested new service product through Sainsburys Travel and Tours will provide these customers to utilize yet another trustworthy service by their trusted name. Market Development Strategy: Although Sainsburys has not yet ventured into the International market but the step might not be that far away keeping in mind the huge success TESCO has had in the international market. Sainsburys could venture into international expansion keeping in mind the growing and still unsaturated markets of China and Southeast Asia. Product Development Sainsburys Travels and Tours: Sainsburys can opt for launching Sainsburys Travels and Tours is by choosing the Product Development Strategy and is introducing a new product into existing market. The growing Travel and Tours market will definitely have a positive effect on the Sainsburys portfolio by increasing its profits and hence strengthening its business. Why Product Development? The Sainsburys Travels and Tours will provide the company to excel and achieve its strategic goals on the basis The supermarket industry has become fairly saturated in the UK and at present Sainsburys is eyeing to expand itself in the International market but it will be a while before it actually does. The Travel industry is a growing market and has a huge potential of growth. The new product will benefit the company earn huge profitability margins which are becoming hard to achieve I the supermarket industry. The Sainsburys has a huge loyal customer base which will be utilized for promotions and marketing purpose. The project has a high probability of success given a chance of a fresh new product offered by a supermarket chain. Market Demographics: Although year 2009 has seen the worst recession since 1930, there are definite signs that the cycle is now turning. Travel industry has suffered consequences of economic crush but the consumer confidence is indicating escalating progress. UNWTO is expecting a reasonable growth of 5% in 2010. There was an upward trend during the last quarter of 2009 which showed 2% upswing. The development is further strengthen by the Air Transport Data from IATA, which shows passenger traffic strength since September 2009 Asia is expected to show the greatest recovery being less effected by the economic crush (comparatively). Growth is also expected to resume in America and Europe. A large number of countries around the world have shown positive growth in the first two months of 2010. Overall the total of tourists arrivals during the first two months of 2010 was 119 million showing 7% improvement as compared to 2009 SWOT The SWOT analysis summarizes the vital strengths and weaknesses of the company. This SWOT analyses the new product line and reviews the opportunities and threats which Sainsburys may face Strengths Image differentiation with respect to Brand name The customer to employee ratio is low Staff is highly trained and customer focused Loyal customer base An interesting, diverse and new product offered by a trusted service provider Established network of outlets Weaknesses Difficulties related to finding employees with required skills and attitude Presenting the customers with interesting offers on continuous basis Lack of experience in the new industry Business limited to UK only Opportunities rapidly growing market all over the world Growing number of people with increasing need and desire for holidays The existing Utilizing the existing Nectar database for identifying potential customers Threats Lingering effects of the slump in economy Natural disaster such as he recent Icelandic volcanoes eruption Highly competitive industry Key to success Sainsbury has always aimed to be the consumers first choice for food, delivering quality products with great service at a competitive cost. The company is striving to achieve the objective of leading margins with diverse market and delivering strong profits every year. The new product will benefit the company earn huge profitability margins which are becoming hard to achieve in the supermarket industry. Critical Issues: What can go wrong? The Sainsburys already has an established huge no. of loyal customers who would be happy to have an option o a different kind of service offered from their trust worthy service provider. The expectation for a stable turnover is based on the fact that it is an established name offering a new product on the basis of its goodwill. How likely it is to happen? The expected growth can be effected by increasing inflation rates. The Travel Industry faced a huge blow after 9-11 incident. What are the consequences? Any unforeseen incident like this (God forbid) will have long lasting effects on the companys growth, profitability and future expansions and plans. Competitive Advantage Nectar Loyalty Card Database The database can provide an excellent competitive advantage because It will help the management to design the product, offerings, and travel and tour packages as per the preferences. The database can also be utilized to acquire knowledge about customers such as No. of family members Spending habits Income estimates Preferences with respect to food etc. Holiday routines Market Development Strategy: Sainsburys could also opt for the Market Development strategy with offering its existing product of Supermarket and offering it to a new market by venturing into a growing international market such as China. China is the promising power in todays business world and its domestic market allows huge potential for international companies with promising growth. Sainsburys is the third largest supermarket name in UK after Tesco, which already has a huge presence outside the UK and Asda which is owned by the industry giant Wal-Mart. The immediate rivals have other sources /markets to benefit from other then UK. But Sainsburys has so far only focused on the UK market and from last two decades its concentration has almost completely been occupied by gaining back the lost market shares from its competitors. For Sainsburys to venture into a new market, a PEST has to be made to know the market better and plan the strategy accordingly. PEST Analysis China: Political and Legal: Since 2001, china has entered into WTO and its market is open or multinationals to trade in. In china, supermarket industry is not considered as a prestigious as some other industries so the government rules and regularities are not so tough. The government is favoring development in the supermarket industry. Social: The demographics of china show that population growth rate 0.629% (2008) in which the youth from 0-14 years comprises of 20.1%. The Chinese customers have become more concerned about issues related to health and safety after the 2008 melamine contaminated milk issue. As per the current shopping trends in China, people prefer to buy in person (online buying is almost non-existent especially daily grocery). The families are very small units on average maximum of 4-5 per unit in sub urban areas where as mostly population in the larger cities is singly. Chinese prefer to buy on daily basis, fresh produce as per days requirement. Technology and development: China is a vast country with underdeveloped infrastructure so there will be immediate warehouse setup requirements. Chinese households have a very low trend of keeping refrigerators at home so big weekly supplies trips will take time to adjust in the culture. Environmental Factors: The plastic bags have been recently stopped in china. The govt. is still trying to establish regular and long term procedures for recycling. All these factors will be required to be kept during the planning and project development phase for Sainsburys China. Furthermore we will perform a SWOT analysis for Sainsburys with respect to its entry in the Chinese market. Strengths: Over a century of supermarket and retail experience Ambition for growth Experience from failed International acquisitions as Egypt. Weaknesses: Cultural difference Expansion will be slow initially Opportunities: A very large market size Huge potential of industry growth Govt. policies favor the Industry Expansion opportunities in the rural/western parts of China Changing consumer awareness with respect to shopping habits Threats: Immature market Rivalry to increase immensely Weak infrastructure Untrained local staff Increasing prices of raw materials Strategic Recommendations: Based on the above analysis Sainsburys should consider a slow and steady expansion strategy in China for long term results and sustained presence. Initially the stores should be opened in the urban and economically grown regions where customers will more readily adapt to change and new trend. Gradually then, on the basis of acquired knowledge, preferences, culture etc Sainsburys should venture into the suburban and rural areas. Sainsburys should use the critical factors involved in the success of the strategy such as It should strive to obtain consumers trust by offering good quality products at affordable prices. Health and safety measures should be the first priority so that no incident like the contaminated milk will occur. China is a big country and the company should fully utilize this factor for the locations o the stores. The locality factor should be given priority wile employing the Chinese as trust and ownership has a great value in Chinese culture. China is a growing country and its economic conditions will affect the pricing of the products Sainsburys should work on differentiating itself from the rivals from day one for developing long tem and healthy relationship with the consumers. Once Sainsburys makes its entry into China market, there is no looking back from the kind of growth and expansion opportunities it may provide. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsburys ) Conclusion: During the last decade of 1990s and early 2000s saw Sainsburys going through a very testing time in its history. It lost its no. 1 position to Tesco and then no. 2 to Asda. Time saw Sainsburys make some serious lack of judgments on behalf of management decisions related to adapting to the changing times, acquisitions and divestments. The management made a serious lack of assessment while deciding for bringing out the loyalty card scheme. The profit margins were affected as the companys marketing campaign failed to register with the consumers. The mid 2000 saw Sainsburys coming out again to be a Supermarket force lead by Justin King. The new campaigns Making Sainsburys Great Again and the companys new slogan of Try Something New Today succeeded in reach the customers positively. Given the market saturation of the industry Sainsburys has been suggested two options for business expansion using Ansoff Growth Matrix tool. Product Development Sainsburys Travels and Tours Market Development Sainsburys China The necessary SWOT and PEST analysis tools have been used to assess and measure the factor involved and could affect the growth suggested. The Travels and Tours Industry promises growth based on demographics provided by the WTO and the UK travel forecasts. The loyal customers of Sainsburys would be more the happy to have another product offered by their trustworthy service provider. Sainsburys China will provide an opportunity for immense growth of supermarket industry in a vast and massive population of China. Sainsburys should take a steady approach by starting from the urban areas and slowly expanding in the remaining country while studying and adapting to the new culture and country.

Monday, August 19, 2019

How Wilfred Owen Challenges The Romanticised & Glamorised Picture Of Wa

How Wilfred Owen Challenges The Romanticised & Glamorised Picture Of War This essay is to explain and to show how Wilfred Owen challenges the glamorised image surrounding the war. This glamorous image was created by the media in order to get people to join up for the war, as a result of the propaganda people believed that it was honourable to go to war and you would be regarded as a hero. To do this I will need to present evidence, using quotes and commentating on his various writing techniques. To show this I am going to write about two of his poems: Dulce et decorum est and Disabled. Both of these poems are renowned for challenging the propaganda created by the media and proves that it was all lies created to make people sign up for war and it's not in any way honourable, heroic, glamorous or romantic to die in the war. These poems have credibility because Owen has first hand experience in the war as he served in WW1. He uses this to his advantage and writes truthfully and openly to crush any remaining propaganda that may still say that it is sweet and fitting to die for your country. Dulce et decorum est is a poem that follows a nameless man through a day during WW1 and describes some of the things that he saw. He writes that they look 'like old beggars'. This is an effective simile because when you think of 'old beggars' you think of dirty, scruffy, weak ill people, which is a complete contradictory to the image of a soldier that the media created using propaganda. They were 'coughing like old hags'. This is a simile. 'hags' are unhealthy and unfit and this is not what soldiers are expected to be like. 'All went lame, all blind;/Drunk with fatigue.' This is written in the past tense and it is ono... ... same but it is put in different style of writing. At the end in Dulce he directly addresses the reader, angrily and definite. Disabled has the same message but instead of telling you what you should and shouldn't do it makes you think. The message is there but in a different way. The characters in each poem are completely different. Dulce's character is written about in first person narrative and the man who dies is anonymous, which I think symbolises how you don't have to know some one to be permanently affected by their death. It shows that death can strike anyone. The man died by accident. Disabled though gave us a history of the character, so we knew a little bit about his personality and what he used to be like before the war. I think this shows us how much one person can be changed and how his life has been ruined just because he couldn't say no.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Criticism of Religious Hypocrites in Molieres Tartuffe Essay -- Tartu

Criticism of Religious Hypocrites in Tartuffe      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moliere rocked the 17th century French world with his comedy "Tartuffe" in 1664. Although, religious factions kept the play banned from theatres from 1664-1669, "Tartuffe" emerged from the controversy as one of the all-time great comedies. Tartuffe is a convincing religious hypocrite. He is a parasite who is sucking Orgon, the rich trusting father, for all he is worth. Orgon does not realize that Tartuffe is a phony, and caters to his every whim. For instance, he reneges on his promise to let his daughter Mariane, marry Valere. Instead he demands that she wed Tartuffe, whom she despises. He also banishes his own son, Damis, from his house for speaking out against Tartuffe and all of his son's inheritance is promised to Tartuffe.    Tartuffe is nothing more than a traveling confidence man who veils his true wickedness with a mask of piety. Orgon and his mother Madame Pernelle are completely taken in by this charade. On the other hand, Cleante, Elmire, and Dorine see Tartuffe for the fake that he really is. Cleante is Orgon's wise brother who speaks elegantly about Tartuffe's hypocrisy. Through Cleante, Moliere most plainly reveals his theme.    Spare me your warnings, Brother; I have no fear Of speaking out, for you and Heaven to hear, Against affected zeal and pious knavery. There's true and false in piety, as in bravery, And just as those whose courage shines the most In battle, are least inclined to boast, So those whose hearts are truly pure and lowly Don't make a flashy show of being holy (Meyer 1466).    In speeches such as these, Moliere wanted to get across the fact that it was false piety he was condemni... ...rtuffe" historically it becomes clear the courage it took for Moliere to perform this play, knowing that he would be ostracized by the church for the rest of his life. At Moliere's death, Bishop Bossuet said, "God is showing his anger against Moliere" (Bishop X). However, by using the historical viewpoint, we can see that Moliere actually died a hero, knowing that he had always fought for what he believed.       Works Cited Bishop, Morris. Eight Plays By Moliere. New York: The Modern Library, 1957. Fernandez, Ramon. Moliere: The Man Seen Through the Plays. New York: Hill and Wang, 1958. Gassner, John. Comedies of Moliere. New York: The Book League of America, 1946. Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1989. Walker, Hallam. Moliere. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990.    Criticism of Religious Hypocrites in Moliere's Tartuffe Essay -- Tartu Criticism of Religious Hypocrites in Tartuffe      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moliere rocked the 17th century French world with his comedy "Tartuffe" in 1664. Although, religious factions kept the play banned from theatres from 1664-1669, "Tartuffe" emerged from the controversy as one of the all-time great comedies. Tartuffe is a convincing religious hypocrite. He is a parasite who is sucking Orgon, the rich trusting father, for all he is worth. Orgon does not realize that Tartuffe is a phony, and caters to his every whim. For instance, he reneges on his promise to let his daughter Mariane, marry Valere. Instead he demands that she wed Tartuffe, whom she despises. He also banishes his own son, Damis, from his house for speaking out against Tartuffe and all of his son's inheritance is promised to Tartuffe.    Tartuffe is nothing more than a traveling confidence man who veils his true wickedness with a mask of piety. Orgon and his mother Madame Pernelle are completely taken in by this charade. On the other hand, Cleante, Elmire, and Dorine see Tartuffe for the fake that he really is. Cleante is Orgon's wise brother who speaks elegantly about Tartuffe's hypocrisy. Through Cleante, Moliere most plainly reveals his theme.    Spare me your warnings, Brother; I have no fear Of speaking out, for you and Heaven to hear, Against affected zeal and pious knavery. There's true and false in piety, as in bravery, And just as those whose courage shines the most In battle, are least inclined to boast, So those whose hearts are truly pure and lowly Don't make a flashy show of being holy (Meyer 1466).    In speeches such as these, Moliere wanted to get across the fact that it was false piety he was condemni... ...rtuffe" historically it becomes clear the courage it took for Moliere to perform this play, knowing that he would be ostracized by the church for the rest of his life. At Moliere's death, Bishop Bossuet said, "God is showing his anger against Moliere" (Bishop X). However, by using the historical viewpoint, we can see that Moliere actually died a hero, knowing that he had always fought for what he believed.       Works Cited Bishop, Morris. Eight Plays By Moliere. New York: The Modern Library, 1957. Fernandez, Ramon. Moliere: The Man Seen Through the Plays. New York: Hill and Wang, 1958. Gassner, John. Comedies of Moliere. New York: The Book League of America, 1946. Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1989. Walker, Hallam. Moliere. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990.   

The Game of Runescape :: Games History Runescape Essays

The Game of Runescape For many, the world of Runescape is an unfamiliar world. Runescape involves many players in a medieval world of ghosts, goblins, and dangerous dragons. By fighting these monsters, characters can level up and get stronger. Each combat level that a player acquires increases his or her character’s strength by one point. People outside this discourse community would have a difficult time trying to understand everything that is going on in this internet game. Even people playing for years might not know everything there is to know about the game. It takes about two weeks to understand and incorporate Runescape’s terms and ways to trade, but that two weeks goes by plenty fast. Breaking things down to its simplest parts is a tough thing to do, but it puts the world of Runescape into view for others that have not heard about the game. Interacting with the other players of Runescape and understanding what the other people are trying to say are key survival techniques tha t must be used in order to last in this game. In order to understand the game of Runescape, a player must first understand the pagan religion. The pagan religion concentrates on witchcraft and wizardry. A lot of the game centers on witches and wizards and the ability of a character to use magic. Pagans today still believe in witch craft and the ability to cure or even prevent certain illnesses from spreading to a community of people. The world of Runescape will help players delve deeper into the pagan traditions and help them understand more about their religion. A beginning player of Runescape must first understand what some commonly used words and phrases mean in order to play the game. â€Å"Noob† for instance means a newcomer or newbie to the game of Runescape. Many high leveled characters will tend to use this word frequently when speaking to lower leveled characters. Noob is a fairly new term and only used by more experienced people. This word groups all newcomers into a negative category of being ignorant and gullible, because many new comers to the game do not know all of the tricks that experienced players know. As soon as a player increases his or her combat level to at least level thirty, the word â€Å"noob† would no longer pertain to them.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Jwellery Industry in India

THE JEWEL INDUSTRY OF INDIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO GITANJALI INTRODUCTION INDIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY India is a leading player in the global gems and jewellery market. The gems and jewellery industry occupies an important position in the Indian economy. It is a leading foreign exchange earner, as well as one of the fastest growing industries in the country. The two major segments of the sector in India are gold jewellery and diamonds. Gold jewellery forms around 80 per cent of the Indian jewellery market, with the balance comprising fabricated studded jewellery that includes diamond studded as well as gemstone studded jewellery. The Indian gems and jewellery industry is competitive in the world market due to its low cost of production and the availability of skilled labour. In addition, the industry has set up a worldwide distribution network, of more than 3,000offices for the promotion and marketing of Indian diamonds. The sector is expected to register a compound annual growth of (CAGR) of 13% during 2011-13, according to a report â€Å"Indian Gems and Jwellery Market Forecast 2013†. (By research firm RNCOS). MICHAEL PORTER’S 5 FORCE MODEL FOR JEWELLERY INDUSTRY INTER- FIRM RIVALRY- HIGH There are two types of rivalry. 1) Inside India & (2) Outside India. †¢Large presence of unorganized sector. 0. 2 Million Gold jewellers and over 8,000 Diamond jewellers †¢International rivals Such as, China †¢Threat from producing nation like S. A. & Russia. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS – MEDIUM In jewellery industry the suppliers are S. A. , UAE, Australia, US, Congo, Botswana, Russia , DTC. †¢Few Alternatives of cutting & polishing. †¢Skilled labour †¢Bargaining power of India is enhanced because India is largest consumer of gold jewellery. BARGAING POWER OF BUYERS- LOW Divided in two types 1. Domestic buyers & . Foreign buyers †¢As investment (Demand increase) †¢Bargaining power of Indian exporter is high because Majority of the world's rough diamond production is cut and polished in India THREAT OF SUBSITUTES- LOW Substitutes are Real assets, Stock market, ; Bank deposits ; Mutual fund investment and other types of jewellery like imitation Jewellery, bagasra jewellery, stone jewellery etc. †¢Second preferred investment behind bank deposits †¢Status and standard of living increase so demand is increasing at High rate BARRIERS TO ENTRY- LOW TO MEDIUM * Low capital requirement Government subsidy * EXIM policy ; government’s rules ; regulations are high * Skilled manpower is essential * Advanced technology required. GITANJ ALI | | | | | Vision To emerge as a jeweller of choice, in terms of quality, style and surpass all levels of customer satisfaction. Mission To assimilate the expertise of trained personnel and state-of the art machinery, so as to nothing, but the best. Values Are Integrity, Solidarity, Credibility and Perfection. The Gitanjali Group which was established in 1966, and is one of the earliest diamond houses in India. By 1968, it was accorded a ‘Sight† by the Diamond Trading Company Ltd. London and Gitanjali became one of the first Sight holders in India. It has received over 50 National and Council awards from the Ministry of Commerce for outstanding exports. It is one of the leading diamond exporting companies in India. Presently, Gitanjali Group has highly modernized diamond cutting and polishing facilities in India. The group strengthens its core business of loose diamonds with international association. Internationally, business patterns of the diamond industry. The Group has positioned itself to manufacture and promote diamonds as well as studded jewellery right up to the retail level. Gitanjali Group one of the leading integrated diamond ; Jewellery manufactures ; Retailers in India with turnover of Rs 3467 Cores. The Company has strong brands such as: * ASMI Asmi was launched in 2002 by the Diamond Trading Corporation. All the years the brand has been endorsed by various actresses such as Kajol, Parizad Zorabian ; Mandira Bedi. All these women epitomize the different strengths that an Asmi woman is identified with fire – spirited, goal oriented ; with an inner fire. NAKSHATRA Nakshatra is one of India’s most reputed diamond jewellery brands, achieving an iconic status within three years of its launch in 2000. Today, it is a leading diamond jewellery brand, patronized by women of fashion in almost all segments of society. * SANGINI Sangini is a high profile brand launched by the Diamond Trading Company, and Spectrum Jewellery , a joint venture between the Gitanjali Group and Sanghavi Exports, promotes the brand in India. * DIYA DIYA is the distilled essence of the Gitanjali Group’s four-decade long engagement with jewellery. It is the first B2B diamond jewellery brand for manufacturers and the trade. It offers exquisite designs, selected after a rigorous India-wide survey of 6,300 women – some of which are already acknowledged classics. * BEZEL Bezel is a watch store from the stable of the Gitanjali group products includes watches and writing instruments. Brand mix will include GLL brands ; brands from outside. * WORLD OF SILVER It has been conceptualized for offering silver gifts in various product categories like Home decor, Office Utility, Bar Sets, Table ware, Devotional Collections and Artefacts. It range of International Brands , Greggio from Italy and Frazer ; Haws from UK, offering best of the brand value and perceived value   while making gifting a lifestyle statement. It caters to the high end, up market ; value conscious niche cliental. * GILI Gili’s brand identity is to ‘Embrace the Gili way of easy elegance’. The Brand characteristics are Stylish, Contemporary, Extrovert, Enthusiastic and Self-made. And its Design concept is easy to wear, highly contemporary and trendy designs * D’DAMAS D'damas India Jewellery is a joint venture between Gitanjali Group and Dubai-based Damas based in  Mumbai. It has a presence in 159 towns and cities across  India. It main area of business is manufacturing and marketing of gold, diamond, silver, platinum branded jewellery's in  India. It has six sub brands – Lamhe, Glitterati, Vivaaha, DER, Solitaire and Saumya. It is also only international brand in  India. D'Damas India also used as manufacturing base and will export jewelleries to markets like Saudi Arabia, Japan, US and Europe markets. * MAYA GOLD MAYA is the brand from the Gitanjali Gold Collection specifically aimed at the Indian wedding market and similar festivities and traditional occasions for gift-giving, especially from parents to daughters. Lucera, Calgaro, Rivaaz, Kashvi, Stefan Hafner, Ezee Diamonds, Aakanksha, Rosato, Shuddhi, Parineeta, Sagaee and Menz are some other brands which sell its products in India through its vast network of 1,250 outlets including outlets in host stores. In fact, five of the top six brands in the Indian market are owned or managed by Gitanjali. These brands manifest the significance of the group in the Indian Jewellery retailing market. Additionally, the Company operates 143 retail Jewellery stores located across the United States through the acquisitions of Samuel Jewellers and Roger Jewellers. Activities undertaken by Gitanjali:- * Sourcing and Trading of Rough Diamonds * Diamond Manufacturing * Distribution and Trading of Polished & Cut Diamonds * Jewellery Manufacturing and Exports * Jewellery Sourcing (Local & International Markets) * Manufacturing Branded Jewellery * Retailing Branded Jewellery OBJECTIVES * The main objective of this term paper is to understand the value chain and its strategic distribution presence of GITANJALI in India. * To conduct a market survey in order to know the 1) Consumer perception about jewellery. 2) Brand awareness of various brands in jewellery market. 3) Parameters which the consumer considers while buying jewellery. * To critically examine the company and the environment by conducting the SWOT and PORTER’S 5 FORCE ANALYSIS. * To analyze and evaluate the financial performance of GITANJALI over the years. To highlight the CSR initiatives and the CORPORATE GOVERNANCE taken up by GITANJALI to uplift the society. * To study about the aggressive retail strategy and its growing focus on International and Domestic Reatail. SWOT ANALYSIS OF GITANJALI STRENGHTS †¢Large integrated diamond & jewellery player and having an international presence. †¢Pioneers of branded jewellery in India. †¢Strong marketing & distribution network. S trong retail presence in India and in U. S. 112 distributors and 1246 outlets in India and 143 outlets in U. S. Strong brand equity and broad product range Such as, Gili, Asmi, Nakshatra, Sangini, D’damas, Vivaaha, Maya, Giantti, Desire, Samuels etc. †¢Visionary leadership (Acquiring Nakshatra, Samuels, Rogers etc. ) †¢Expanding manufacturing capabilities in Mumbai and at special economic zone in Surat to address increasing demand. †¢Net Worth is 3,460. 37 million Rs. So we can say that it is financially very strong company. †¢Sight holder status with DTC through a promoter group company. †¢Highly skilled, qualified and motivated employee. WEAKNESSES †¢There may be conflicts of interest between them and certain of their Promoter group companies. As the major raw material requirements need to be imported, companies normally stock huge quantities of inventory resulting high inventory carrying costs. †¢Technology is less improved compared to Ch ina and Thailand’s company. OPPORTUNITIES †¢New markets in Europe & Latin America. †¢Growing demand in South Asian & Far East countries. †¢Industry moving from a phase of consolidation. †¢Expansion possibilities in lifestyle and luxury products in India like watches, leather goods, Platinum jewellery because increasing disposable income of people. THREATS †¢International Competition:-China, Sri Lanka and Thailand’s entry in small diamond jewellery. †¢Increase in the price of Gold & Diamonds. †¢Other local competitors. According to the data 97% jewellery sales are by family jewellers. †¢Threat from producing nation like S. A. & Russia. VALUE CHAIN OF GITANJALI * Sourcing and Trading of Rough Diamonds * Diamond Manufacturing * Distribution and Trading of Polished & Cut Diamonds * Jewellery Manufacturing and Exports * Jewellery Sourcing (Local & International Markets) Manufacturing Branded Jewellery * Retailing Branded Jewellery DISTRIBUTION AND RETAIL STRATEGY OF GITANJALI GITANJALI RETAIL BUSINESS * Gitanjali has strong retail presence in the world’s largest markets for jewellery. Retail business is a major Contributor in Gitanjali’s revenue. Gitanjali has over 2000 plus retail outlet across India and in the process of expansion in tier II and III cities to cater to new segment of the cu stomer. * USA is a largest jewellery consuming country and 45% of worldwide diamond jewellery sales are made in the United States. In FY 2007-08, Gitanjali made a strategic acquisition in USA, including Samuels and Rogers, and now has about 137 stores in Centre and across USA, being expanded to 200 stores in the near future. * Samuels and Rogers of Gitanjali are the 8th largest branded jewellery retail chain in US. * Gitanjali’s integrated supply chain business model has given an advantage to survive and post profit despite of US recession. * Gitanjali retail business has spread through all channels and in all geographies, across all the market segments * Net Profit has gone up because of shift in market from wholesale to retail. | | * | RETAIL EXPANSION STRATEGY IN INDIA * The Changing Socio – economic factors in India created a clear opportunity in Lifestyle and Luxury markets in India. These changes in retail environment have created opportunity for establishment of modern retail formats. Keeping this in view Gitanjali has embarked on an aggressive domestic retail expansion plan. * Gitanjaliâ₠¬â„¢s strategy is to increase the market share of various brands and its positioning in the market. Strategy is to generate demand for branded diamond jewellery in the future. Flagship product brands of the company are able to convert themselves into retail brands. * The group has introduced many promising brands to its bouquet. The new collection includes World of Solitaire, World of Silver, ME Solitaire, Maya, Gitanjali Menz, Maya Bridal, Bezel and many more. | * Gitanjali notable innovation has been its dramatic breakthrough from the confines of traditional distribution of jewellery and launching of mass distribution through variety of channels. By passing the old world of neighborhoods proprietary jewellery stores, it brought its new world branded jewellery into the world of super stores and department stores, dedicated jewellery marts and chain stores supported by international certifications of scientifically tested purity and authenticity. * Gitanjali is even marketing its br anded jewellery directly by mail order catalogue Gitanjali placed its jewellery brands right into the context of the new consumer’s shopping environment of new and global branded personal goods and accessories. Gitanjali supported its brand with high-visibility positional branding in both mass and local up-market media. With this multi – tiered mobilization of formats, Gitanjali is well placed to advance and realize its vision of global leadership. GITANJALI FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE The Company is making conscientious efforts in addressing the large market opportunities that exist in the Diamond Segment both in India and abroad. India, China, Israel and Belgium are the leading players in the diamond cutting and polishing industry. India accounts for 60% of the global polished diamonds in value terms, 80% in caratage and 90% in pieces. TURNOVERS & PROFITS During the end of the financial year March 31, 2009 the sales and other income increased from 26,549. 08 Million to Rs. 26,940. 64 Million. The net profit before tax stood at Rs. 1,307. 20 million as against Rs. 1,486. 75 million in the previous year. The net profit after tax stood at Rs. 1,267. 69 million as against Rs. 1,381. 55 million in the previous year. FINANCIAL REVIEW Gitanjali Gems consolidated results of operations for the year ended March 31, 2009 include business and operations of the various subsidiaries/joint ventures. The company has achieved overall sales growth for the year ended March 31, 2009 of about 5% compared to last year. The gross revenue from diamond segment has decreased by 10% whereas the gross revenue from jewellery segment has substantially increased by 24% and thus the ratio of diamond and jewellery in the sales mix accordingly has improved more favourably towards jewellery from 55:45 last year to 47:53 for the year ended March 31, 2009. HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR 2010| * | * Jewellery Sales turnover increased by 60% to 1,098 cr. in FY10| * | * EBIDTA gone up by 44% to 102 cr. in FY10| * | * Operating Profit registered a growth of 51%, stood at 91 cr. | * | * PAT of FY10 stood at 41 cr. registering an increase of 39%| * | * Gems and Jewellery Sales volume grown to 1812 cr. reported a growth of 63%| NINE MONTHS FY10 vs. NINE MON THS  FY09 * Jewellery Sales turnover increased by  43%  to  Rs. 2703 cr. as compared to  Rs. 892 cr. in nine months period FY09 * EBIDTA gone up by  37%  to  Rs. 307 cr. from  Rs. 223 cr. in nine months period FY09 * PAT of nine months period FY10 stood at  Rs. 139 cr. as compared to Rs 120 cr. in nine months period FY09 registering an increase of  16% * Operating Profit of nine months period FY10 stood at  Rs. 283 cr. as compared to  Rs 201 cr. in nine months period FY09, registering an increase of  41% GITANJALI CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY (CSR) INITIATIVES AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE HUMAN RESOURCES The Company believes investing in people through creating an environment where people are valued as individuals and are given equal opportunities for achieving professional and personal goals. The Company’s focus on development of Special Economic Zones includes huge employment opportunities and the Company already initiated through setting up training centre in SEZ Hyderabad which has a capacity to train more than 1,500 workers in diamond and jewellery manufacturing. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The Company’s philosophy of Corporate Governance is based on preserving core values and ethical business conduct, commitment to maximize shareholder alue on a continuous basis while looking after the welfare of all the stakeholders which is primary responsibility of the Board of Directors, Management and employees. The Compliance of clause 49 of the listing agreement has undoubtedly raised the standard of Corporate Governance in India. However, regulatory directives and enforcement wil l not be sufficient to create a best in class transparent organisation. The corporate governance philosophy is based on the following principles: * Satisfy the spirit of the law and not just the letter of the law. Be transparent and maintain a high degree of disclosure levels. * Continuously innovate and adapt the Corporate Governance * Practices so as to meet new demands and tap new opportunities. * Comply with the laws in all the countries in which we operate. * Management is the trustee of the shareholders’ capital and not the owner. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The CSR initiative under the name Sambhav brings together the different social programs that Gitanjali has been associated with over the years. These are programs in the fields of education, health, providing employment to PWDs. It focuses on integrating all of them and other different initiatives like Saksham, Saakshar, Sujyot and Sneh. The focus will be both on strengthening the existing programs as well as developing new ones too. It further aims to take this CSR initiative to new heights and is in the process of channelizing all their strengths and efforts to form a strong CSR team within the company to encourage and promote a wide range of social welfare activities internally or in partnering with other NGOs and government bodies. SOME ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY GITANJALI Rose day celebration for cancer patients | Gitanjali Gems Limited supported Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA)   in its celebration of  The rose day  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a  day to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. CPAA reaches out to cancer patients through medicines, counselling, research and rehabilitation. | | * Special rakhies by special children Gitanjali gems continues to support to ADAPT (spastic society) by orga nizing a sale booth of their products at Gitanjali gems Marol office  on 11th Aug 2011,  on the eve of Rakshabandhan. We repeated the achievements of last year by motivating and appreciating the efforts of these specially abled children by having sale of products close to  Rs 10000/-. The staff was extremely enthusiastic and extended their support through 100% participation. * Presentation on ‘Diabetes awareness and healthy life style’ Today Diabetes is one of the fastest growing lifestyle disease, with Indians   being the largest population affected by it. A presentation on diabetes awareness and healthy life style was organized on 25th July 2011 at  Transmission house ,Marol , for the benefit of the employees . It indicated the causes , symptoms ,prevention and cure for diabetes. A full house attendance showed the concern most of us have about this booming disease. | * Lecture on ‘The damaging effects of tobacco’ at Gemplus| | | As a part of SAMBHAV , CSR initiative ,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Damaging Effects of Tobacco† were highlighted at a presentation made under the Tobacco Intervention Initiative (TII) program of the Indian Dental Association (IDA) for the staff and workers of   Gem plus ,Gitanjali Gems, Mumbai   on 11th June 2011 by Miss. Tejal Rajgor. Tobacco leads to heart and blood vessel disease, heart attack, chest pain, sudden cardiac death, stroke, peripheral vascular disease (Gangrene of legs) plus it is also   responsible for cancer of various parts of the body like mouth, throat, lungs, stomach, kidney, bladder etc. Gitanjali Gem’s staff members felt that there was an urgent need for more prohibition of tobacco usage and this won’t happen until there is a public outcry, so meetings like these are designed to generate awareness in the hope of making the come community forward to request change.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Recommendation for the Location for Maigue-Pascua’s RTW’s Expansion Essay

Introduction This document is to suggest the appropriate property to hold the expansion of Maigue-Pascua’s RTW. After their second bi-monthly meeting for this year, owners decided to pursue the building of a new branch to cater the needs of their growing number of customers. Other preparations, such as the budget allocation and manpower, are already taken care of except for the location. This recommendation report proposes several spots that would suffice the needs of the company. Background Maigue-Pascua’s RTW has been established since 2009 owned by Ms Jinky Maigue and Mr James Pascua. It offers fair-priced yet high-quality and trendsetting garments that’s suitable for their target demographic: students/teenagers. Due to the increasing demands for their products, the business partners opt to have a business expansion and to make a new image of being a top-line clothing store. Financial and marketing strategies are already made for this project but their main problem is the location. They currently have one branch, which is conveniently placed in the heart of the market. Now, they are looking for a place wherein they could offer the same convenience and is also low-priced. The partners also want to venture on broadening their market scope. Options/Proposals †¢ A stall on a mini-bazaar outside a high-end village. Located on its right side is another clothing shop and on the left are a few more vacant stalls. It costs P60000 per month. †¢ A P72000-worth of monthly rent for a stand between a bank and a drugstore near a public market. †¢ An establishment on lease for P61000 on an upscale shopping centre. It is placed near a coffee shop/bookstore and in front of the centre’s leisure park. †¢ A kiosk beside a food stall built on a public park. Its monthly rent is P50000. The expanses of all the proposed locations are all approved by the business partners. Criteria/Requirements The location should be customer-friendly, convenient, marketable, and reasonably-priced and should offer a wider market scope. Other matters, such as the expanse and the interior, were already taken into consideration on the first phase of planning. The aforementioned considerations should be followed in deciding for the location of the company’s expansion. Comparisons The points of comparisons are the following: ambience, competitions, price and demographics. Ambiance. The stall is favourable to the residents of the nearby village due to its close proximity but the atmosphere of the mini-bazaar is not fitting to the new image that the company wishes to build. The stand, on the other hand, is misplaced. The location is not suitable for an apparel store. Consequently, the air in the establishment portrays the exact change that the owners want for their business. And lastly, the kiosk sets a good mood for it is placed on a recreational area. Competitions. All of them don’t have a nearby shop that offers the same product except for the stall. Price. The prices of the four locations range from P50000-P72000. The kiosk is the cheapest and the stand is the most expensive. Demographics. The stand and the kiosk don’t meet the entity’s customer target because their locations are too public while the establishment and the stall are in line with their goal of widening their scope from the student/teenager to the upperclassmen. The latter are more likely to bring in the desired customer due to its location. Conclusion Based on the comparisons aforementioned, these conclusions were drawn: 1. The most suitable ambience is from the establishment on the shopping centre. 2. The monthly rent of the kiosk is the lowest. 3. The stall’s location is more likely to have competition. 4. The  establishment and the stall best suit the new target market of the entity. 5. The establishment gives off a good atmosphere, is reasonably-priced, has less competition and matches the new demographic of the entity. Recommendation Maigue-Pascua RTW should consider using the establishment on the shopping centre for several reasons. First, it is in sync with the new image that the entity wanted to build up. Second, it is relatively cheap for a store in a fancy centre. Third, it would help in bringing in a new demographic in the entity’s customer. Having a branch in a shopping centre is quite a huge risk but with the projected sales of the company and future influx of customers, the company will pick up in the long run.