Cultural Issues Of International Business - 1821 Words

Culture can be defined as â€Å"the sum total of the beliefs, rules, techniques, institutions, and artefacts that characterize human populations† (Ball et al, 1999 p.258). Sociologist generally talk about a socialization process – referring to the influence of social groups upon an individual, and the interaction of that individual with other members of society. Key elements of culture include language, religion, values, attitudes, customs and norms of a group or society. Cultural issues present a significant challenge to businesses; particularly international businesses. This is because businesses involve people. Every business employs people, sells to people, buys from people, and is owned and regulated by people. International people involve people from different national cultures - these cultures affect every aspect of business functions, including but not limited to: recruiting and managing a workforce, marketing and distribution, purchasing of raw materials, deali ng with regulators, and securing funds. The challenges that cultural issues present to international business is that of creating and nurturing cultural awareness; identifying and understanding the dynamics of culture; recognizing behavioural patterns and practices that affect the business; and coming up with strategies for dealing with cultural differences. Cultural awareness can be described as awareness of the various norms, practices, and other cultural variables of a country. This is an important aspect toShow MoreRelatedCross Cultural Issues in International Business2688 Words   |  11 PagesFestivals of Fiji 4 Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day 4 The Lovo Feast 4 Culture 5 The Three Cultures Model 5 Cultural Frameworks and Dimensions 6 Hofstede 6 Trompenaars Hampden-Turner 7 Hall 8 The Johari Window 9 GLOBE Research 10 Comparison of Cultural Frameworks and Dimensions 11 Management Approach 12 Conclusion Recommendation 13 APPENDIX A 14 References BibliographyRead MoreThe Impact Of Culture On International Marketing Communication1486 Words   |  6 PagesSUMMARY Cultural factors have long been known to impact the communication and success capability of competition in conducting worldwide business. The objective of this report is to recognize the importance of cultural factors occurring in marketing communications. 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From your research you are required to put together a research report document which can be used to assist businesses who are considering trading internationally. Your work should be a result of your own independent research and contain references throughout

Non governmental organizations Free Essays

Non-government organizations are organizations that are not controlled by government and are non profit making. Their purpose is to provide a service or object in which they are formed for they offer social welfare services to workers and communities in which they operate they play a major role in the society because they determine family structures, family relation and also the education system that would produce effective man power for them and others. NGO, s has control over political power nationality and even power over borders. We will write a custom essay sample on Non governmental organizations or any similar topic only for you Order Now (Steve. Witt. (2005) They also contribute to the needs of the poor, deals with issues of the religion in a given area and hence impact heavily on the attitude and values that a given community adapts to. NGO, s helps in the contribution of the humanitarian affairs that serve the communities interests. NGO, s also deals with national and multilateral policy making and even local actions, .NGO, s provides employment to the citizens and assist in matters of dividing international authority, help to research, assess, report and publicize details on behalf of those accountable to them. (K.Rodman, (1998). They also deal with stability and security issues. Most non-government doesn’t depend heavily on the government for funding but the government may assist them partially with funds. They thus do not involve government representative within their organization and they also don’t involve them in their decision making process. AREAS OF INEFFECTIVENESS, UNACCOUTABILITY AND   Ã‚  Ã‚   ELITIST NATURE OF NGO, S Non-governmental organizations are supposed to be effective on their objectives and also accountable to those they serve. However, this non government organization have increasingly failed by being unaccountable to those they are supposed to work for, they have continually been ineffective in their performance and they have adapted to elitist nature whereby they segregate themselves from others and only work for their own selfish interest and for the interest of those whose status they consider important to their affairs and has influential power that makes them be treated preferentially this attitude can be termed as a mechanism of elite capture. (Steve. Witt. (2005) â™ « The ineffectiveness, the unaccountability and the elitist nature of NGO, s is evident among much renowned organization and this can be seen to be true when one assesses their performance with regard to the current debate on good governance and civil society. (K.Rodman, (1998). Roles of good governance The current debate on good governance and civil society emphasizes on peace building, democratization, quality leadership, responsibility and proper civil institutions. NGO, s should assist in helping in peace building in countries in which they are situated, they should be involved in the resolving existing issues in the country for example by  Ã‚   helping to find solutions to a countries conflicting issues when they arise, mediating disputing groups when there are ethnic tensions caused by political instability, coming up with measures that will reduce tribalism, nepotism and corruption, help in recovering the economy when the country is experiencing economic depression, assisting the needy   in their surrounding environment for example when natural disaster arise such as flood, earthquake ,terrorist attacks among others, Stabilizing political turmoil being experienced in that particular country and many other issues. (K.Rodman, (1998). However, the current non-government organization do not engage themselves with this issues on the contrary instead of doing this, the NGO, s have left this in the ruin of government and civil societies. Non-governmental organizations have also in some instances contributed to peace downfall by supporting one side of the worrying groups rather than being neutral. They tend to favor that group that have influential power and assumes those who are less powerful. This has made them to be unaccountable and untrustworthy and cannot be depended upon by both the government and the members of the societies who would have otherwise depended on them. The management allows political influences when making decisions which imposes a negative impact to all the organization stakeholders and employees who oppose the decision on the basis that they are not consulted and. this causes conflicts, lots of job turn over, redundancy and withdrawal and this leads to job inefficiency. (K.Rodman, (1998). They have been ineffective with regards to matters of enhancing democratization. This is because they have indulged in politics funding complains and supporting certain politicians who have influence upon them and this has contributed heavily in the reduction of democracy as they do not play their role as pressure group to pressurize the government to observe democracy. Non governmental organization have also been ineffective to help in matters of maturation of nation’s policy and economy other than participating in development and transformations, this organizations involve in the achievement of their own interest that is; what will benefit them other than what will be beneficial to all who are accountable to them, they pursue their own goals without incorporating the objectives of government and civil societies and this leads to lack of goals commonality hence retarding the government policies such as poverty and illiteracy eradication. Leadership Leadership and quality management are important for any country or institution to have good governance. Non governmental organization are poorly managed because of lack of qualified staff because the recruitment of workforce is based not on technical competence and merit, but on favoritism and thus the management have no proper management skills, the employees under such management thus work with a lot of skepticism and heavy opposition and most of them resist changes and all the rules that the management enforces and this leads to difficulties in implementation of proper practices, policies and procedures that are fundamental in developing strategies that ensures that organizations objectives are met. (K.Rodman, (1998). This also has led to poor selection of policies and allocation of resources. The leadership style in current non-governmental organization is that of authoritative and bureaucratic which ignores human elements due to impersonality of interpersonal relations. This style of leadership imposes rules, norms and procedures to be followed. The leaders make decisions and demands everyone to follow, they do not allow the other members of staff to be involved when making decisions and they harshly react when the rules they enforces are not properly followed this causes slow development, work delays, inefficiency and frustrations to citizens, employees and any other stakeholders and this reduces the effectiveness of NGO, s as a whole. (Carrie Meyer, (1999), Corruption eradication is a key issue in good governance especially in Africa. . NGO, s are faced with issues of corruption where they demands bribery to assist in matters they were supposed to deliver to the citizens without demanding any form of payment and this makes them unaccountable to those who rightfully depended on their services. (sH.Englund, (2004) There’s also a lot of misappropriation of funds and lack of proper fund management. This causes inadequate funding leading to shortage of resources to implement their policies and this can also eventually lead to the liquidation of the organization. When organization funds are mismanaged it causes serious implications, which makes the organization unaccountable and inefficient, which leads them to a step back to transparency and accountability. This vice has passed on to civil societies and government at large. Environmental issues NGO, s engages in activities that are harmful to the surrounding environment. This is by social unethical and unaccountable activities. For example, they may engage in activities that involves emissions of exhaustive gases that pollute the environment or even have technological machinery that produce disturbing noises around the environment they are situated in. They often do not take   proper measures and responsibility   to eradicate this implication arguing that since they are a non profit making organizations, members of the communities should take care of their environment and the fact that they are in needs of the organizations   services   they should allow them to deliver them respectfully without dealing with environmental issues. This causes negative impacts to the community and it has hampered the life of the society and animals especially where there is water and air pollution. They can be termed as negligence of the virtue of accountability to the society.( K.Rodman, (1998). NGO, s has turned into a mechanism of elite capture. They tend to involve only the elite in formulation of their policies. (H.Englund, (2004) There is lack of representation of civil society as a whole and the marginalized social movements are sidelined. Regional consultative of African non-governmental organizations, s and civil society organization lay foundation for the governance forum stressed on role of women in leadership. It has been observed that there is evident gender inequality within these organizations. Few non government organizations in Africa have observed this as few women are employed or hold decision making positions in management of NGO, s. the elites in NGO, s have various skills that they can utilize in government running but they are trapped in the NGO, s. in addition, instead of involving the locals to do various jobs they subcontract them. (Carrie Meyer, (1999), NGO, s has been ineffective because of selective area of operations. They concentrate in certain areas than the others. This makes those sidelined areas not to enjoy their operations. The NGO, s may not operate in certain areas that have poor infrastructure, lack of effective communications and lack of technology. This has led to unequal distribution of resources. The NGO, s have not helped in establishment of proper running civil institutions and instead they leave this role to the government   Conclusion In order to ensures that non-governmental organizations work effectively and successfully there is need to ensure that there is interactions of workers, formal and informal groups, government itself and any other influential factors to the organization. Democratic involvement by this organization should be considered as it is equally and critically important in enhancing the effectiveness of this organization. (Carrie Meyer, (1999),   They should be committed to implement their services to all interested stakeholders successfully. They should also avoid favoritism and avoid authoritative leadership and adapt to other ways of leading that will bring about motivation and morale of workers in the organization. Non governmental organizations should also ensure that they take responsibility and take the necessary actions required of them when their activities imposes harm to the surrounding environment. (Steve. Witt. (2005) They should also ensure that all non-governmental organizations are effective, efficient and accountable and are not expressed as mechanism of elitist capture. References: l   Steve. Witt. (2005). Changing roles of NGO, s in the creation. l   Sangeeta Kamat. (2002), development hegemony, American university press l   Carrie Meyer, (1999), The economics and politics of NGO, s in Latin American; praeger publisher. l   Maha abreirahman, (2004), the politics of NGO, s in Egypt; the American university press 5H.Teegen(2003) international NGO, s as global institution; Journals of international management l   K.Rodman, (1998). Think globally; vol 12 l   Daniel .a. Bell and Jean Marc (2004) university press l   H.Englund, (2004), prisoners of freedom; human rights and Africa poor. l   S, Goonahlak, (2006). Journal, foreign funded l   Lyal.s.Sunga, (2003), NGO, s involvement in international human rights monitoring How to cite Non governmental organizations, Essay examples

Lifestyle Influence of Consumer Behavior †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Lifestyle Influence of Consumer Behavior. Answer: Introduction Consumer behaviour is influenced by many factors, which plays an important role in the governance of final purchasing. The different kinds of consumers have different kinds of buying habits and behaviours. The behaviour in generally is influenced by many factors such as needs, feelings and the barriers to buy products. These factors are highly important for multinational companies as they use this strategy as their weapon to penetrate deep into the customers minds (Ammi, 2013). The chosen organization for this assignment is Woolworths Supermarkets. The chosen organization is necessary to understand the importance of a customer journey map, which these organizations use as their marketing strategies. They use these strategies to mould the perception of the customers into their favour. The main purpose of this assignment is to understand the behaviour of customers with the help of some important theories and concepts behind the consumer perception of buying. Reflection of buying behaviour Before I did not know anything about the customer journey map to a shop, I did not care that much on my entire journey to the shopping. However, I had also gone through the stages, which plays an important role in constructing the customer journey to a shop. The customer journey map has immensely helped in understanding the real psychology behind the buying behaviour of consumers. I initially did not have any idea of a structure that works behind the decision-making before the purchasing of a product. However, the customer journey map have made me realized that even I used to undergo some kinds of processing before the final execution of the busying takes place. The customer journey to buying has helped in analyzing my own perceptions while going for the shopping. Based on all the perceptions, which I am able to derive with the help of a customer journey, following are some of my perceptions that I make before making the final purchasing (Belk, Askegaard Scott, 2012): I generally select my preferable locations or malls before going out for a shopping The preferred location might be because of the branding values or the availability of the malls to my living destination When I opt out for a particular mall, I generally think that there would be high range of products, which are not feasible to my pocketing values I usually have my own perceptions that I would stick to my pocketing values; however, sometimes I find this difficult to be persistent with my thoughts Once I step into the market, my perceptions is changed accordingly by looking onto the available range of products and their marketing styles I am usually being attracted towards the highly designated products However, the shopping does happen in a series of confusion and making of decisions I sometimes throng towards a particular product because that particular product raise my desire; however, all of a sudden I am landed to the ground when I look into the price tagging This is something very strange part of my behaviour that even make myself confuse on how I am behaving like this However, I entirely enjoy the sort of behaviours, which I have regarding the buying of products One more interesting part of my buying behaviours is the presence of less affirmation on my decision, which a good salesperson can anytime use to their benefits This has happened to me in past that I was not interested towards a product however, the intense convincing power of the salesperson did actually made me shop of the particular product I am very fascinated towards good products but I am very choosy also when it comes to the product pricing Some of the consumer behaviour related concepts are very relevant to my characteristic, which is reflected on my way of shopping and the desire to initiate a shopping. Some of the behavioural traits for the shopping may include such as following (Goldsmith, 2016): Disposition of goods to the garbage Usage of experiences to enhance the buying practices Decision making in the influence of several factors that also include salespersons selling skills Changing attitudes with respect to the shopping environment majorly influenced by high-end class standard of the shopping malls These are some of the buying behavioural traits, which have helped me immensely in constructing my own buying behaviour (Griskevicius Kenrick, 2013). The lens of consumer behaviour theory Different brands use different theories and models to change or actually inspire the perspectives of buyers for earning a high rate of revenues from the shoppers. Following are some of the theories, which marketers of todays world use it to perfection to mould the buying behaviour of customers (Haghshenas et al., 2013): Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen postulated the theory in the year 1960s. The concept behind the postulation of the theory was the decision-making skills of the consumers, which they develop quite before they move to the shopping. According to this theory, consumers are acting as rational actors who actually make their decisions based on their own interest (Juster, 2015). Abraham Maslow postulated the theory in the year 1943, which emphasize the importance of needs fulfilment for people. It includes five stages, which states the different level of needs that common people requires in specific. The five stages of needs are such as physiological needs, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. These are some of the needs of a common people, which they look for being motivated. Different marketers use these five stages very effectively in attracting the perceptions of consumers (Kahle Chiagouris, 2014). Hawkins Stern did believe and argue the traditional form of making of buying behaviours. Hawkins Stern argued that the traditional form of making decisions could be made adjoined to the creation of impulse in average number of customers with the help of external attracting agents. External influencing agents can be anything such as salesperson skills. Marketers use this form of skills to mould the perception and buying decisions of average number of customers (Kardes, Cronley Cline, 2014). Overview of Consumer research on different theories The above-mentioned theories for buying behaviour of consumers do very well hold their own ground in the perception of consumers for buying. The observation made on the personal traits for the shopping and on those who are related to one by means of friendships or some blood relations, the variations of decision making for shopping can well be seen. In most of the cases, shoppers have their mindset for a particular product or a brand, which they never change under any circumstances (Katiyar Katiyar, 2014). However, some are there who are motivated to do shopping by means of several things such as buying traits of some other peoples in contact. They used to have initially no such intentions for buying the particular product; however, they do so after observing the buying reasons of their close ones. The reasons actually excite their feeling towards the shopping. The feeling and the desire actually do shape such peoples mind, which result in shopping the product despite having no such prior intentions for that (Lantos, 2015). Other kinds of shoppers are also observed at the market place, which neither had any prior intentions for the shopping nor are they influenced by any others shopping traits. However, they are influenced by some external factors such as effective moulding skills of salespersons. Nevertheless, the conversion rate is comparatively lower than that of traditional customers. From the perspectives of organizations, it is important that they receive all kinds of customers to their market place, as every single customer is an asset (Mullen Johnson, 2013). Today in the modern era of business, shopping malls or supermarkets often include variety of brands for a particular product to provide customers a wide range of options. This is the one implication of consumer behaviour, which different companies use to mould the perceptions and buying behaviours of customers to earn the maximum benefits. Offering a single brand for a particular group of product is not a healthy selection for holding their nerves (Oliver, 2014). The modern era of shopping has made this a compulsory strategy for numerous of multinational companies to offer wide range of brands. Moreover, modern day customers prefer to compare the offerings of different products for its pricing, affordability and quality. These are some of the factors, which dictate the customers for making decisions on product selection. In other words, this is nothing but the manipulation of customers mind by offering comparable products. This is nothing but the creation of impulse in customers for buying the products, which is indeed the adherence to one of the mentioned theories of buying behaviour. This is because that they have all the brands available at one place, hence, they need not to go anywhere else for the purchasing of products of their choices (Rani, 2014). The above diagram clearly illustrates the phenomena of consumer behaviour. It shows the modelling of consumer behaviour, which happens in a collection of three stages such as strategy making by the firm, understanding the market place reactions and then analyzing the consumer behaviour. This is extremely helpful in redesigning the strategies for affecting the buying behaviours of the customers based on the collected data on the buying nature of consumers. Relevance of the mentioned theories The above-mentioned theories are very much relevant to my personal trait for buying, which I had mentioned in the reflection section. The mentioned theories are not entirely related to my personal buying behaviour. However, some of the theories are strongly relevant to my personal trait. Theories on personal needs and impulse creation are very much related to my characteristic of buying. I normally plan for shopping when there is a need for some product. I even make my own decisions about the products and the brands; however, I find it difficult to stick to the set plan. This is because of the fact that the external environment of the shopping malls of my choices often attracts me towards those products, which I had not planned before. I am never fixed at one product (Safi Ramay, 2013). For example, once I went to the mall for buying a Samsung Smartphone. I even planned for my shopping quite prior to my visit to the mall, which I did at home by searching the best phone of my needs a t the Google platform. However, once I stepped into the mall, I just found myself undecided on the products, as there were wide ranges of products of other brands. Most interestingly, the other brands were best in features than the one I anticipated. However, even after that, I was undecided and did not have any intention to change my selection, as those products were slightly higher than my budget. Nevertheless, one of the salesperson approached to me and started convincing me towards some other product such as Sony. The salesperson made me realized that the offer is not a waste if I spent a few higher. The salesperson did actually change my perception and created an impulse towards the Sony Smartphone. I finally landed up shopping the Sony Smartphone, which I had never thought before. The example very well explains the fact that my perception of shopping and the relevant buying behaviour is very much influenced by some of the established theories on the buying behaviour of consume rs (Solomon, 2014). Implications of consumer behaviour on Woolworths Different supermarkets have different strategies to cope with the varied range of buying behaviours of different consumers. This is because of the fact that different supermarket brands use different strategies to attract the perception of customers. In addition to this, different supermarket uses a very similar strategy, which is as the following: This is how every supermarket chains strategise the selling of their products. Woolworths along with Coles form the duopoly in the Australian Retail market. Woolworths is specialized in different kinds of groceries items. Apart from that, it is also engaged in selling several kinds of magazines, stationary items and DVDs. It is the largest supermarket chains in Australia. It has well studied the buying nature of consumers and the effective forces behind the making of decisions. This is because of the fact that Woolworths are now considering on its new strategy, which states that low prices, always. This just shows the strategy making of the Australias largest supermarket chain. They understand the importance of consumer behaviour, which is because of the fact that they quickly scuffle from their existing strategy to the most effective strategy. The declining sales of Woolworths in the year 2015 have forced them to change their existing strategies to retain their existing customer bas e and to add more customers that are new. This in other words explains the implications of consumer buying behaviour, which force the leading brands to reshape their existing strategies (Van Raaij, van Veldhoven Wrneryd, 2013). The changes of existing strategy can be anything ranging from the reduction of product pricing to its quality enhancement. Another strategy, which Woolworths does make, is the offering of discounted pricings on the multiple unites of the same product. These all strategies used by Woolworths simple goes on telling a fact that different leading brands are worried of changing consumer behaviour. The varied range of different perceptions and buying behaviour of customers do influence the strategy making of such companies. Indeed, it is influenced differently at the different stages of their business just to match up with their changing behaviours (Cameron, 2017). Woolworths is one of the most renowned names in the Australian retailing market; however, consumer behaviour has even not left them apart from being influenced. This is one such fact, which strongly governs the fact that consumer buying behaviour does affect the business of leading brands and its different stakeholders (Vidyavathi, 2012). On a same note, Woolworths did force its suppliers to reduce the costs of raw materials to be cost-effective in terms of manufacturing of the products. Woolworths being one of the leading supermarket chains in Australia doe very well explain the dominion power of consumer behaviour. Moreover, consumer behaviour is a challenge for the companies and for its marketing teams, which construct the customer journey map to support their companies having effective control on customers perceptions (Zinkan, 2012). Conclusion Consumer behaviour is one factor, which has challenged the strategy making of many leading companies in past and continued to do so in the present as it is evident from the example of Woolworths. The company has considered different kinds of strategies in past, which it again reconsidered in the year 2015 for meeting with the changed behaviour of customers. The highly incremented ranges of differing consumer behaviours and the elevating market competition in between different companies have posed ample pressures on the strategic management team. This is for such treasons that company such as Woolworths are considering relevant changes in their strategies tom match up with the changing customers perceptions. References Ammi, C. (Ed.). (2013).Global consumer behavior. John Wiley Sons. Belk, R. W., Askegaard, S., Scott, L. (Eds.). (2012).Research in consumer behavior. Emerald Group Publishing. Cameron, N. (2017). Woolworths details 3-year strategy to become customer centric. [online] Cmo.com.au. Available at: https://www.cmo.com.au/article/574302/woolworths-details-3-year-strategy-become-customer-centric/ [Accessed 29 Apr. 2017]. Goldsmith, E. B. (2016).Consumer economics: Issues and behaviors. Routledge. Griskevicius, V., Kenrick, D. T. (2013). Fundamental motives: How evolutionary needs influence consumer behavior.Journal of Consumer Psychology,23(3), 372-386. Haghshenas, L., Abedi, A., Ghorbani, E., Kamali, A., Harooni, M. (2013). Review consumer behavior and factors affecting on purchasing decisions.Singaporean journal of business economics, and management studies,1(10), 17-24. Juster, F. T. (2015).Anticipations and purchases: An analysis of consumer behavior. Princeton University Press. Kahle, L. R., Chiagouris, L. (2014).Values, lifestyles, and psychographics. Psychology Press. Kardes, F., Cronley, M., Cline, T. (2014).Consumer behavior. Cengage Learning. Katiyar, A., Katiyar, N. (2014). An empirical study of Indian consumer buying behavior of FMCG products (with special reference of bathing soap).International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations,2(1), 211-217. Lantos, G. P. (2015).Consumer behavior in action: Real-life applications for marketing managers. Routledge. Mullen, B., Johnson, C. (2013).The psychology of consumer behavior. Psychology Press. Oliver, R. L. (2014).Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge. Rani, P. (2014). Factors influencing consumer behaviour.International Journal of Current Research and Academic Review,2(9), 52-61. Rios, M. C., McConnell, C. R., Brue, S. L. (2013).Economics: Principles, problems, and policies. McGraw-Hill. Safi, A., Ramay, M. I. (2013). Corporate social responsibility and consumer behavior: a study from Pakistan.Information Management and Business Review,5(4), 194-202. Solomon, M. R. (2014).Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being(Vol. 10). Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Van Raaij, W. F., van Veldhoven, G. M., Wrneryd, K. E. (Eds.). (2013).Handbook of economic psychology. Springer Science Business Media. Vidyavathi, K. (2012). Consumer Lifestyle Influence of Consumer Behavior with reference to automobile industry in Chennai.Zenith International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, II (4), 37-50. Zinkan, G. (Ed.). (2012).Advertising research: The internet, consumer behavior, and strategy. Marketing Classics Press.

What Happened free essay sample

I lay down looking at my ceiling,talking to myself, and notice how The value for something we once cherished can be lost and forgotten over time. Everyone has something to value. I value technology, history, and patience. Most people are not like me and I am aware of that, but in todays society we need to value our history a bit more for our futures sake. If value is something we base a majority of our standards on, then what is happening to the present and what will happen to the future generations. We do not even take the time to address that fact that times are changing, so where does that leave us? Media has influenced us in many ways, but the way we use this technology can bring our values to a lower standard.The thought that run through my head can be described in three simple words, lack of participation. We will write a custom essay sample on What Happened? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Nowadays instead of hip new games that disappear within the year, we need to focus and involve ourselves around politics and news in order to stay aware, stay alert, and develop our nation in a more unifying way. We hold the power, yet we choose unwisely to act upon it by simple gestures such as not voting, not taking the time to understand the laws thats are being enforced, or even worse not being aware that this is our nation and we choose who runs it for us. Our values are being diminished because of the lack of participation. If you think about it, just about everything we have been exposed to has foreshadowed our future. For example, ever witness one of those coaches that lets his or her favorite players of the hook and not pushes them beyond their limits. How about those teachers that let you take the whole year on one assignment you end up losing after day one. It is people like these that have lost their value, so now they do not wish to pass it on. Now do you see the problem that as time passes on, things change, moral values lost, and history becomes your caregiver. In some cases, it is situations like these that develops the responsibility in yourself and others; however, being a student is recalicent I have to admit but what we lack is votive. A desire in going after the task we have yet to accomplish. Natural rights, Consent of governed, Limited government; does any of this ring a bell? All these concepts excited back in the 1800’s to 1900’s that basically state, â€Å"we are the best and we do the best for our country†.These concepts added value to our choices, but are now being forgotten due to the new ideas of technology, that on some occasions can be rendered useful to societies â€Å"younger crowd†with its use of social media allowing us, total access to the news on the streets from around the globe at anytime and anyplace. Media has its ups and downs, but its effecting the way we see our society and thats the problem.

International Marketing Strategy of Fortescue Metal Group

International Marketing Strategy of Fortescue Metal Group Executive Summary The external and internal environment of Fortescue Metal Group has been analyzed in this report. The external environment presents several threats, which include high competition, tariff barriers to foreign market entry, high bargaining power of buyers of iron, and high suppliers’ bargaining power.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on International Marketing Strategy of Fortescue Metal Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main opportunity that is available to FMG is the expected increase in demand for iron in China and other emerging markets. Moreover, the company has the opportunity to increase its market share because of the low threat of new entrants and substitutes. FMG’s strengths include access to huge iron ore deposits, extensive railroad networks, and a talented workforce. However, its overdependence on the Chinese market is a threat to its long-term profitability. Overal l, the company’s resources and capabilities will improve its long-term success. Case Study Report: Strategic Management Introduction Fortescue Metal Group (FMG) is a leading producer of iron in Australia. Since its inception in 2003, the company has achieved rapid growth through cost reduction and expansion of production capacity. The aim of the company is to become the lowest cost producer of iron in Australia (FMG 2014). This paper will provide a detailed analysis of the internal and the external environment of the company to determine its competitiveness. The aim of the analysis is to identify the internal and external factors that are likely to influence the company’s ability to succeed in the long-term. External Environment PESTEL Analysis International trade policies are the main political factors that influence the performance of firms in the iron industry. Protectionist trade policies such as subsidizing domestic iron producers prevent competition in major mark ets such as China (Hau, Chatterjee Jingliang 2011, pp. 68-81). In emerging markets in Africa and the Middle East, high import duties reduce the competitiveness of imported iron.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economic growth and exchange rate are the main economic factors that affect iron producers and exporters. Strong economic growth in China and emerging markets in Asia and the Middles East will continue to increase the demand for iron in the next five years (KPMG 2014). Exchange rate fluctuations have both positive and negative effects on export revenues. An appreciation of the Australian dollar against major currencies such as the yuan and euro makes iron exports from Australia to be more expensive in international markets. The reverse effect occurs when the Australian dollar depreciates. The major social factors that influence the competitiveness of ir on producers include increased population growth and urbanization in emerging market economies, as well as, lack of experienced personnel in Australia’s iron industry. High population growth and increased urbanization will increase the demand for housing, which in turn will increase the demand for iron in the international market (KPMG 2014). However, lack of experienced personnel means that Australian iron producers must incur high staff development costs. Production and transportation technologies have a significant effect on the competitiveness of iron producers. Companies that lack access to efficient third party transportation systems are unable to improve their competitiveness. Access to cheap energy and efficient mining technologies improve the competitiveness of companies in Brazil and China (Beresford, Pettit Liu 2011, pp. 32-42). Environmental regulations and access to iron reserves are key determinants of success in the iron industry. Nearly all companies in the g lobal iron industry are incurring high costs due to prohibitive carbon emission fees (Inglezakis Zorpas 2011, pp. 566-580).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on International Marketing Strategy of Fortescue Metal Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although Australian and South African companies have access to high quality iron ore, their counterparts in China and Brazil are losing their competitiveness due to limited access to high quality iron ore. Anti-trust law is the main legal factor that influences competition in the iron industry. The Australian Competition Tribunal has the power to declare private railroads to be open access tracks. This limits the incumbents’ ability to prevent entry into the industry (Tian, He Yi 2005, pp. 67-88). Moreover, the competition laws determine the extent to which companies can combine their resources to create synergies. For example, if the joint venture between BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto is blocked, the two companies will lose the opportunity to save $10 billion annually. According to the PESTEL analysis, the main threats to the competitiveness of FMG are limited access to third party transportation systems, tariff barriers to market entry, high carbon emission fees, and exchange rate fluctuations. This means that the company must be able to reduce its operating costs in order to overcome threats such as high import tariffs and carbon emission fees. The opportunities that are available to FMG include the expected increase in demand for iron and availability of high quality iron ore in Australia. Thus, the company can increase its sales and profits by increasing its production to cater for the expected increase in demand. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Suppliers’ Bargaining Power The main suppliers in the iron industry include owners of land with iron ore deposits, suppliers of fuel, and manufacturers of mining equipment. Owners o f land such as the Aborigines have high bargaining power due to the limited supply of land with iron ore deposits.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Suppliers of fuel have high bargaining power due to their low switching costs (KPMG 2014). They can easily shift their supply to other industries such as manufacturing and transportation, which are able to offer high prices. Suppliers of mining equipment have high bargaining power since their products are highly differentiated. The high bargaining power of suppliers means that iron producers can be exploited through high prices of key supplies. Threat of Substitutes Iron is mainly used in the production of steel. In the steel industry, â€Å"scrap metal is the only substitute for iron† (Beresford, Pettit Liu 2011, pp. 32-42). The threat of substitutes is low since iron performs better than scrap metal in terms of quality and availability. The low threat of substitutes means that iron producers face little competition from sellers of scrap metal. Buyers’ Bargaining Power Buyers (steel mills) have a high bargaining power due to their ability to implement backward integr ation strategies. For example, China’s Hunan Valin Iron and Steel Group has invested in FMG to improve its access to iron. The high bargaining power of buyers is also explained by their ability to make bulk purchases. Buyers are also price-sensitive since they focus on reducing production costs in order to improve their profit margins (FMG 2014). The high bargaining power of buyers will continue to put a downward pressure on iron prices, thereby reducing the profits of iron producers (Doole Lowe 2008, p. 121). Threat of Entry The threat of new entrants is low because the incumbents have economies of scale in production and transportation, which acts as a barrier to entry. For example, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto restrict access to their railroads, thereby preventing new companies that cannot construct their own railroads from joining the industry. Other barriers to entry include huge financial capital requirements and the incumbents’ control of major mining sites. The low threat of new entrants is an opportunity to the incumbents to defend their market shares (Czinkota Ronkainen 2012, p. 57). Competitive Rivalry Competition is very high because of the high concentration of the industry. The top three largest firms control over 70% of the market, thereby increasing competition for the remaining 30% of the market. Fixed costs are also high since the industry is labor intensive. Although competition is high, the global market for iron is expected to grow by 11% in the next three years (KPMG 2014). The high competition will reduce the profits of iron producers. According the Porter’s five forces analysis, the factors that are likely to have adverse effects on the competitiveness of FMG are the high bargaining power of buyers, high bargaining power of suppliers, and high competition. This means that the company must respond to suppliers’ high bargaining power by reducing its operating costs (Terpstra, Foley Sarathy 2012, p. 73). Simila rly, it must be able to respond to buyers’ high bargaining power by reducing its prices. These strategies will enable the company to overcome competition. The expected growth of the market is an opportunity to FMG to expand its production capacity to earn high profits. Most Significant Resources and Capabilities The most important resources and capabilities that are shaping FMG’s competitive position include the following. First, the company has access to huge iron ore reserves in Pilbara. In 2013, the company’s iron ore reserves in Chichester and Solomon increased by 12% (FMG 2014). Access to high quality iron core enables the company to compete effectively by meeting its effective demand. In addition, the reserves will enable the company to continue with its mining activities in the next decade. Second, the company is capable of expanding its railroad and production capacity to meet the demand for its products. This enables the company to avoid delays in fulfi lling orders. Third, the company has a highly experienced and talented workforce. In addition, it has an effective organizational culture that promotes commitment and staff retention. As a result, it will be able to achieve product and process innovation (Freeman 2010, p. 89). Finally, the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives focus on strengthening its relationships with the local communities. These include providing training and employment opportunities to Aboriginal groups. This strategy enables the company to avert resistance from the local communities who provide land for mining. These resources will enable the company to expand its operations in future. Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths The company has the following strengths. First, the company is financially stable. It has been able to realize a strong growth in profits in the last four years. In 2013, FMG reported a pre-tax profit of USD $1,746 million, which represents a 12% growth (FMG 2014). Secon d, FMG has a cost advantage in the iron industry. The company is able to maintain low operating costs, which in turn enables it to increase its profit margins. Third, the company has focused on forward integration through joint venture agreements with major buyers of iron such as Hunan Valin Iron and Steel. This enables it to defend its market share. Finally, FGM has an extensive railroad and port infrastructure in Australia. Currently, the company is expanding its railroad to cater for the increase in its transportation activities. The railroad enables the company to reduce the time and the financial resources that it requires to transport raw materials to the production centers. It also enables the company to transport its products in a cost-effective manner and to earn additional revenue from companies that use it for transportation. Weaknesses One of the main weaknesses of the company is its overdependence on the Chinese iron market. The company is likely to make huge loses if t he demand for iron reduces significantly in China. Another weakness of the company is its inability to raise external capital to finance its expansion. Lack of access to external funding will slow the pace at which the company will expand, thereby denying it access to available growth opportunities (Sadler 2003, p. 91). In sum, FMG’s excellent financial performance will enable it to attract investors. Thus, it will overcome its inability to access external capital. The company’s cost advantage will enable it to charge low prices to gain market share in other countries. As a result, it will be able to reduce its dependence on the Chinese market (Witcher Chau 2010, p. 117). Capacity to Succeed in the Long-term The company has adequate capacity to succeed in the long-term due to the following reasons. To begin with, its iron ore reserves at the Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak have a lifespan of 20 years. This means that FMG is assured of access to iron ore in the next ten years. Apart from the existing reserves, the company has focused on extensive exploration to increase its iron ore reserves. In 2013, the company formed a joint venture with China’s Baosteel Group and Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group to exploit huge iron ore deposits at its Iron Bridge reserve (FMG 2014). The Iron Bridge project will significantly increase FMG’s access to high quality iron ore. Moreover, the Iron Bridge reserve is a credible threat to entry that will enable FMG to prevent its competitors from expanding their capacities (Doole Lowe 2008, p. 56). Apart from having huge iron ore reserves, FMG continues to pursue its forward integration strategy to increase its market share. In 2013, Formosa Plastics Group completed its steel plant, which is the largest in the world (FMG 2014). Similarly, Baosteel Group is the second largest producer of steel in the world. By partnering with these companies, FMG will have the largest market share in the long-term. Conclusion The main threats in the iron market include high competition, environmental regulations, high buyers’ bargaining power, and high suppliers’ bargaining power. The opportunities that are available to FMG include the expected increase in demand for iron and low threat of substitutes. The company is capable of overcoming these threats due to its strengths and resources, which include access to large iron ore deposits, extensive railroad networks, strong financial performance, and forming joint ventures with the largest buyers of iron. However, the company needs to reduce its dependence on China’s market by increasing its exports to other emerging markets. References Beresford, A, Pettit, S Liu, Y 2011, ‘Multimodal supply chains: iron ore from Australia to China’, Journal of International Supply Chain Management, vol. 16. no. 1, pp. 32-42. Czinkota, M Ronkainen, I 2012, International marketing, Oxford University Press, London. Doole, I Lowe , R 2008, International marketing strategy, Sage, London. FMG 2014, 2013 annual report. Web. Freeman, E 2010, Strategic management, Sage, London. Hua, S, Chatterjee F Jingliang, C 2011, ‘Achieving competitive advantage in service supply chain: evidence from the Chinese steel industry’, Chinese Management Studies, vol. 5. no. 1, pp. 68-81. Inglezakis, V Zorpas, A 2011, ‘Industrial hazardous waste in the framework of EU and international legislation’, International Journal of Environmental Quality Management, vol. 22. no. 5, 566-580. KPMG 2014, Quarterly commodity insights. Web. Sadler, P 2003, Strategic management, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Terpstra, V, Foley, J Sarathy, R 2012, International marketing, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Tian, Z, He, Y Yi, G 2005, ‘The pricing behavior of firms in the Chinese iron and steel industry’, Asian Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 17. no. 3, pp. 67-88. Witcher, B Chau, V 2010, Stra tegic management, McGraw-Hill, New York.

A View from the Bridge Essay Example for Free (#27)

A View from the Bridge Essay ? Eddie Carbone, the protagonist of the play, is in many ways a tragic hero and like all tragic heroes has a fatal flaw. Eddie’s harmatia is his incestuous feelings for Catherine. Arthur Miller has used the character of Eddie as an everyman perhaps to show that any person can make mistakes with ones feelings. Through the character of Eddie we witness the downfall of a decent man who loses control of his actions.  In the early stages of the play, we see Eddie over protective of Catherine but possibly in a paternal way when he says ‘I don’t like the looks they’re giving you†¦heads are turning like windmills’ although it is quite normal for a father to protect his daughter Eddie’s problem is really with how the men are looking at Catherine rather than her well beings. The reader is also made aware that Eddie has made a lot of sacrifices for Catherine ‘I took out my own mouth to give it to her’ clearly when it comes to his family Eddie puts other people before himself this is also evident as he allows Marco and Rodolfo, people he has never met before, to stay illegally at his home. Later in the play there are clues about his true feelings for example when Catherine lights Eddie’s cigar she does it eagerly saying ‘here! I’ll light it for you’ the cigar is a phallic image and hints Eddie’s subconscious desire for Catherine as it gives him unusual pleasure. Eddie is unaware of his attraction to Catherine so his feelings are manifested in hatred towards Marco and Rodolfo. Eddie’s dislike for Rodolfo is displayed almost immediately after they arrive as ‘he is coming more and more addressed to Marco only’ this suggests that Eddie has no intentions of getting to know Rodolfo as he feels threatened by him. Miller builds up the aggressive nature of Eddie’s behaviour and also how quickly he establishes how volatile he can be. In the middle of Rodolfo’s song the playwright shows us how unsettled Eddie is when the stage directions indicate that ‘Eddie rises and moves upstage’. When he interrupts Rodolfo he is very sharp. At no point does he use his name but instead calls him ‘kid’. Superficially it seems he is preventing him from singing for his own safety but already the reader is aware that there is something more bubbling under the surface, especially when Miller tells us that Eddie’s face is ‘puffed with trouble’. The shocking actions of Eddie when he kisses both Catherine and Rodolfo shows further evidence of their love for one another as Catherine screams ‘Eddie! Let go, ya hear me! I’ll kill you! Leggo of him’ here we can see that the love between Catherine and Rodolfo is much stronger than that of Eddie and Beatrice, and how it is taking over from Catherine’s affection for Eddie. At the beginning of ‘A View from the Bridge’ Eddie and Beatrice are presented as having a loving and close relationship. It is when in Act 4 Eddie is waiting for outside his apartment for Catherine and Rodolfo to arrive home that Beatrice is blunt with him and says ‘when am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie’ it shows us she doesn’t feel like his wife because he is distracted by Catherine, it also suggests they don’t sleep together as husband and wife. Beatrice is a good woman and a good wife. She tries to warn Eddie against his feelings for Catherine but it shows us that he can’t do anything about them so therefore is basically doomed. At the end, there is reconciliation between Eddie and B when they come together and share their love with Eddie’s dying words ‘Then why – Oh, B!’ this is Eddies eventual realisation of his love for B. Eddie’s betrayal not only comes a shock to the audience but is incredibly ironic as in his previous dialogue Eddie retold the story of Vinny Bolzano and said to Catherine ‘ you think I’m blowing steam here’ this shows that Eddie thinks its unimaginable for someone to betray their own family. He gives his opinion and says ‘Him? You’ll never see him no more a guy do a thing like that? How’s he gonna show his face? Here Eddie is disgusted even by the consideration of telling on a fellow Italian. It also shows that he feels strongly about the ‘Italian law’ which makes it more surprising when he goes against it as it suggests that his incestuous feelings for Catherine turned him into a complete different person. Miller presents Eddie as a respectable image in the community, a husband and a guardian. Eddie feeling as a jealous lover leads him into conflict with his community. He placed his desires above family responsibilities. His respect and honour meant everything for him , but he was blinded by his love for Catherine, so everything else was forgotten. Eddie dies for, not that of the community values but for his own pride. A View from the Bridge. (2017, Oct 23).

Age discrimination in employment in the U.S Research Paper

Age discrimination in employment in the U.S - Research Paper Example Solis Hilda (2008) observes that ADEA prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in terms, conditions and privileges of employment such as hiring, promotion, termination, training, compensation and benefits. Despite this, employers find themselves stereotyping old age which according to the Act is any applicant or employee aged 40 years and above and hence discriminating against such employees. In â€Å"Age Discrimination by Employers,† Segrave Kerry (2001) argues that age discrimination is rampant in the most centralized and fastest growing industries. Age discrimination at work environment in the U.S is a result of the financial risks that older people present for companies due to lack of productivity, increased health insurance costs and high salaries. Productivity in employment is associated with high performance organizations and employees. It is achieved through use of high skilled, committed and motivated employees. Most employers view old people as having deteriorating physical and mental abilities hence unable to perform their jobs effectively despite the fact that some old people have the ability to perform better than young people. The nature of work keeps on changing as the economy moves from manufacturing to service sector. Most jobs thus require use of technology as opposed to manual skills held by older people. Young people are able to keep up with advancing technology as opposed to the old people who are nearing retirement age and hence see no need in investing in skill advancement. If they happen to lose their jobs, it is difficult for them to be absorbed in the job market due to lack of the required skills. For example, since the introduction of computers most jobs that require tedious paper work have been simplifie d. Information is recorded in the computer where it can be retrieved easily and large amount of work can be done with less time hence improved productivity. However, not many old people have learnt computer technology thus making