The Young and Elder Consumers of SONY in United Kingdom Essay

The Young and Elder Consumers of SONY in United Kingdom - Essay Example at there will be an â€Å"increased intergenerational heterogeneity in total spending† – i.e., the effect of pension reforms will tend to change the intergenerational distribution of income, shifting stronger expenditure to the elderly in countries which provide more thorough coverage of retirees’ social benefits than other countries. (1) A Sony product has been designed for old people and the disabled is the BRAVIA LCD television series for the European market, that incorporates standard features such as an audio description function providing the consumer a narrative soundtrack for the visually challenged and impaired, and digital video teletext for those who have loss of hearing function. (2) Sony’s Reader digital device, another product made available in the US, Canada and Europe, stores hundred of books in one unit, but allows readers who have difficulty with their vision to adjust the size of the text on the screen. (3) All Sony TVs also come with adjustable headphone sets that may be used simultaneously with the speakers to be able to enjoy the television program with their non-hearing impaired family and friends. 2. The competition environment, (you can choose three comany) to the older people, you find some resources on what new products these companies developed targeting at older people in recent years.(150-200 words) Teh, J 2009 â€Å"Make-in-Singapore Phone, iNO Mobile, for Elderly to Debut in PC Show,† TechieLobang 11 June 2009. Accessed 18 June 2011 from http://techielobang.com/blog/2009/06/11/make-in-singapore-phone-ino-mobile-for-elderly-to-debut-in-pc-show/ Foresight Technologies of Singapore, making iNO Mobile, for elderly and young children. The phone is described as simple, with the basic features and large number key pad, which will serve the uses of the elderly and young who are not tech savvy but need to get only the fundamental functions. Called the CPO9, the mobile has a candybar design and will sell for a very reasonable

International marketing Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International marketing - Dissertation Example The main focus of an interpretive approach is on processes which help in surfacing up the meanings and negotiating them (Schwandt, 1999). Interpretive approach focuses on the individual and uses one of among several qualitative data collection techniques and analysis processes. This approach further branch out into several other approaches, having different views (Alvesson and Skoldberg, 2000; Lindlof, 1995). The one used in this research is Hermeneutic; which according to Martin and Sugarman (2001) is an approach which â€Å"moves beyond both scientism and social constructionist, accepting the self-interpreting nature of humans within their social-cultural context, but not reducing them completely to these origins†. Hermeneutics can be considered as an approach which enables the researcher to further explore the meaning of the desired topic so as to get an in-depth understanding of it (Alvesson & Skoldberg, 2000). This approach is subjective and uses more personal qualitative techniques. It focuses more on comprehending the situation involved and analysis of qualitative data (Gummesson, 2000). According to Patton (2002), the qualitative data can be collected by means of interviews; structured or semi structured; documents and observations. For this research, data was collected by conducting semi structured interviews. This technique was employed owing to the fact that the research so far done in this area has data and results that have certainly become outdated. Thus to emanate more latest information from within the concerned industries so that it could be useful for further study and exploration, interviews were done which would yield rather up to date and more interesting facts. These interviews have helped the... From this research it is clear that every country has its own communication pattern. For the success of an international business there is a strong need of focusing on relationship development that is â€Å"an integrated effort to identify, build up and maintain a network of relationships with employees, inter-organizational partners and customers for mutual benefit† which significantly require a well thought integrated communication strategy. Thus success of Mc Donald’s working in over 115 countries simultaneously can be taken as an example of it modification of selling and communication techniques to effectively communicate with its various stakeholders. Owing to the importance of relationship building among various stakeholders with varied cultural background, comprehending the role of communication is essential for any company with international business. The intercultural barriers can be effectively removed by imporved and adapted and selling process accordingly be cause if not it leads to the widening of gap between the two culturally different parties thus affecting the rapport of the company, personal bonding and log term compatibility which in turn can badly impact the marketing efforts of the company thus it becomes essentially significant for any company to first analyze the communication pattern of the country it wants to work in and then build the relationship by appropriate communication channel and thus communication. According to the second respondent, they have well established guidelines for conducting marketing in varied countries, however, owing to the fact that culture varies these guidelines are modified accordingly.

The importance of the Viet Cong in the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War Essay Example for Free

The importance of the Viet Cong in the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War Essay Assess the importance of the Viet Cong in the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War. The Second Indochina War, which was waged throughout 1964-75, was an undefined success for the Communist cause. Whilst this result was derived from a combination of both intrinsic and international factors, due credit must be given to the extremely vital role that the ‘Viet Cong’ successfully executed. Whilst the ‘Viet Cong’ may have resembled a dynamic and competent fighting force, the foundation of their infamous reputation was primarily based upon their use of guerilla warfare tactics. These tactics, unlike conventional warfare, involved a combination of unpredictable and even primitive military strategies which is reflected in the maxim â€Å"When the enemy advances, withdraw; when he defends, harass; when he withdraws, pursue.†[1] Such tactics enabled Communist forces of the NLF to become an elusive and deadly arch-rival. To further enhance their military capabilities, Communist forces excavated a vast network of underground tunnels which were reinforced with concrete, in an effort to survive artillery bombardment as well as air strikes sanctioned under operations ‘Barrel Roll’ as well as ‘Rolling Thunder.’ As seen in ‘Source 1’ the Viet Cong also implemented various booby trap systems using punji stakes, mines and deep pits in an effort to maim and potentially kill US and ARVN forces. These tactics were extremely successful for they not only accounted for â€Å"73% of total US casualties and 11% of combat deaths†[2] but they also denied the victims of such acts any targets to shoot at, for the VC usually deserted the area. What enhanced the success of such tactics was that when these maimed soldiers returned home, they took with them a demoralizing message of the atrocities occurring in Vietnam. The psychological victory of the TET offensive, January 1968, also highlighted the strategic importance of the Viet Cong. The battle, which lasted all of a few days, involved a major deployment of VC and other Communist forces against 36 major towns within South Vietnam. The offensive concluded with the VC symbolically siegeing the US embassy in Saigon in a deliberate ploy to both humiliate and expose the US’s inability to quell the spread of Communism. Despite the fact that the VC were crippled after the almost suicidal battle, the event represented a major turning point in the Vietnamese conflict. As a result, the following night international broadcasts were made which expressed the flawed nature of LBJ’s foreign policy. Consequently the guerrilla tactics implemented by the ‘Viet Nam Cong San’ were vital to the success of the Communist regime for they gradually wore US and ARVN forces down in a war of attrition and psychological victories. Another contributing factor to the Communist victory was their ability to engage in a ‘total war of attrition.’ This concept of ‘total war’, which was described by General Ludendorff in 1935, involves â€Å"the complete mobilization of all resources, including policy and social systems, to the winning of war.†[3] The Viet Cong fulfilled this concept for not only did they sacrifice their material possessions, but more importantly their lives. Whilst the VC were obviously devoted to the cause, unfortunately this was not a uniform policy throughout all Communist units, for many individuals had personal agendas to fulfill, often involving the black-market. The well known phrase â€Å"Soldiers by night, farmers by day†[4] epitomized the Communist people’s whole hearted commitment to the cause. This contrast in roles was a valuable tool for it ensured that the home front remained productive, whilst also enabling the Viet Cong to dissolve back into society after combat, so as to fight another day. What furthered the importance of the Viet Cong’s ‘total war’ strategy was that allied soldiers would often exterminate whole villages in retribution for fallen comrades, often killing unarmed civilians. Evidence of this can be seen in My Lai massacre of 1968, in which 450 women and children were executed for ‘harboring’ VC forces. Source 2, a quote by Robert McNamara, accurately summarizes the repercussions of such a successful Communist strategy stating, â€Å"The picture of the world’s greatest superpower killing 1,000 non-combatants a week, while trying to pound a tiny backward nation into submission†¦ is not a pretty one.†[5] In comparison to the committed nature of the Communist forces it appears that the United States fought a limited war which was justified by Lyndon Johnson in 1965 for Vietnam was only a â€Å"little piss-ant country.† [6] Unlike the VC who were quoted to â€Å"take on tanks, if necessary, with bows and arrows†[7] the US were always too concerned over the repercussions of their actions rather than having a committed aim to quell the ongoing conflict. Throughout the conflict it is obvious that US Foreign Policy was always â€Å"fighting with one hand behind its back†[8] due to LBJ’s attempts to maintain his ‘guns and butter’ approach which involved balancing civil works as well as ‘prolonging’ the Communist conflict. The United States incapacity to end the conflict was further highlighted by their fear of provoking Soviet or Chinese involvement. On many occasions, US forces had the ability to severely cripple the Communist campaign, but yet their incompetence always seemed to get the better of them which is why they never ‘got the bloody job done.’ The ‘Viet Nam Cong San’ ability to seduce the ‘hearts and minds’ of the Vietnamese home front was a vital stepping stone to the Communist victory. As a result of the intimate contact that NLF forces had with villagers throughout the conflict, an almost unbreakable bond was formed. Unlike the Allies who attempted to indoctrinate and relocate villagers through the use of ‘strategic hamlet programs’, as well as the NVA who were renowned for the use of shock tactics, the VC successfully offered support and protection in a passive manner. Consequently the VC’s relationship with villagers was extremely valuable for it often resulted in the donation of intelligence, concealment and in some cases converted soldiers. The importance of this relationship is highlighted in the quote â€Å"By 1967 US personnel couldn’t breathe without the NLF actively knowing.†[9] In comparison, the United States public was rife with division over the Vietnamese conflict. This division in America exposed the US politician’s inability to even win the hearts and minds of its own people let alone a competing nation. An extract of Source 3, â€Å"War is not simply a conflict between armies; more and more it is a struggle between competing social systems†[10] highlights the United States need for civil unity. However the anti-war movements, highlighted by the Kent State University killings as well as the ongoing debate between the ‘doves’ and the ‘hawks’, did not permit the stable and devout home front that was required to achieve victory. The final, and in a sense the most crucial, factor highlighting the importance of the Viet Cong was their strict observance to a program of logical and decisive aims. Unlike the Americans, who it seemed only aimed to â€Å"prolong the life of a corrupt and inefficient political system†[11] the NLF, of which the VC are a member, had a clear program of ambitions. Source 4 is a reliable document which illustrates such goals, the first and foremost being to â€Å"Overthrow the camouflaged colonial regime of the American imperialists and the dictatorial power of Ngo Dinh Diem.†[12] Consequently the Viet Cong’s progressive strategies were extremely important for they not only dictated the path the conflict would take, but also when and by what means they should engage in combat. In comparison to the VC’s established goals, an American author, William Broyles Jr, stated that â€Å"There was no single goal in Vietnam; there were 2.8 million goals, one for every A merican who served there†¦ the end one being to get out of Vietnam†[13] In hindsight, the dynamic role that the Viet Cong played throughout the Vietnamese conflict was vital to the Communist victory. Whilst the Viet Cong did match the large scale fighting of the NVA, its effective use of guerrilla warfare substantially crippled both the moral and fighting capabilities of the US and ARVN. Their selfless dedication to a state of ‘total war’ and their capacity to win the hearts and minds of the people essentially laid the foundations upon which Communist forces were able to launch a successful final campaign. Finally, their unwavering devotion to the Communist cause arguably provided the defining blow to the foreign imperialist’s occupation of South Vietnam. ________________ [1] ‘The Vietnam Experience; FIGHTING FOR TIME’ [2] ‘VIETNAM; THE VALOUR AND THE SORROW’ [3] http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ [4] ‘ATLAS OF CONFLICTS; THE VIETNAM WAR’ [5] ‘ATLAS OF CONFLICTS; THE VIETNAM WAR’ [6] ‘CONFLICT IN INDOCHINA 1954-1979’ [7] ‘Contested Spaces; CONFLICT IN INDOCHINA’ [8] ‘VIETNAM; THE VALOUR AND THE SORROW’ [9] ‘VIETNAM; THE VALOUR AND THE SORROW’ [10] ‘THE AGE OF WAR; The United States Confronts the World’ [11] ‘VIETNAM; THE VALOUR AND THE SORROW’ [12] ‘Contested Spaces; CONFLICT IN INDOCHINA’ [13] ‘ATLAS OF CONFLICTS; THE VIETNAM WAR’

Sainsburys Opportunities for Expansion: Analysis

Sainsburys Opportunities for Expansion: Analysis 1. Introduction The aim of this report is to analysis the accessibility and strategies for Sainsburys to entry India retailer market. Based on findings, the report employs Dunning OLI theory and Porters diamond framework to discuss the possibility of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), gives recommendation on whether Sainsburys should access Indian supermarket sector or not. Furthermore, it provides some available strategies for addressing and strengthens risks and opportunities in India. Strategies comprise of several elements, which include entry mode, location choice, main products, human resource strategy and marketing strategy. As known, with huge domestic demand and fast growing GDP rate, India is one of the fastest growing emerging markets. Although, bearing various restraints for MNEs, it also has high potential in economic development, which makes India one of the ideal destinations for multinational enterprises (MNEs). Strict commercial regulations set by Indian government pose additional potential risks for MNES to cooperate with local enterprises. By giving emphasis on regulation aspect, this report also examines Sainsburys ability for surviving in the competitive market. Wal-Mart and Tesco have invested capital into India market for a while. Some people keep positive think that they can successful survive in local competitive market. But some people still keep looking this new market. No matter what difference of MNEs consideration, Invest in India seems a new trend in many industries. Based on very different opportunities and risks, what kind of strategy does Sainsburys can develop in India, and that is our group learning from here and concerning. 2. Company profile Sainsburys is the third biggest supermarket retailer in the UK. There are more than 290 convenience stores and 502 supermarkets across the UK. According to statistic provided by Datamoniton (2010), more than 18 million customers visit Sainsbury every week. The financial performance is excellent for the past few years, as reported the pre-tax profit increased by 57.3% from  £466 million in 2009 to 733 million in 2010. (Key note, 2010). Food and grocery are the main products, despite of displaying high-end products from other independent suppliers, the own brand which accounts for 40% of its sales, also showed promising driving power. Moreover, its new strategy is to develop more products of private labels and promote local organic products (GMID, 2010). 3. Macro and micro investment environment analysis The macro and micro investment environment analysis integrated two methodologies. Basically, this report adopts Dunnings (1988) OLI theory to critically examine Sainsburys ownership, location and internalization conditions in India. However, due to the limitations of OLI theory, the report also employs Porters diamond theory to help to give full interpretation. It would contribute to give a depth and board analysis of investment environment. 3.1 Ownership analysis Table1. Ownership analysis Advantages Disadvantages Capital advantage High reputation for offering good quality food to customers Low demand of electric energy Less FDI experience in Asia Relatively weak demand of matched customers Low level infrastructure and poor electricity supply In terms of Sainsburys ownership, there are three principal advantages. 3.1.1 Strong capital position Sainsburys has stronger position that superior to the Indian local biggest retail companies. Compared Pantaloons Retail Limited, which is the biggest Indian retailer with an asset of Rs 1030.16 million, Sainsburys has a net current assets  £4,966 million in 2010 ( £1=Rs47.273, Feb, 2011) (Sainsburys annual report, 2010, refresh annual report, 2009-2010, Yahoo finance, n. d.). Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar, the subsidiaries of Pantaloons, are the first and second biggest retail shops in India (Techchandani, n. d.). 3.1.2 Serve for customers Sainsburys has strong awareness of offering good quality foods to customers. In the UK, proprietary, a system that retailers indicate quality assurance by selling products under their own labels as their brand products, is a common method (Holleran, Bredahl and Zaibet, 1999). Under this system, Sainsburys sells foods as its brand, and consumers trust its brand (Cotterill, 1997). It is because the high quality own brand merchandise that enhanced Sainsbury brand influence, also improved supply chain management, to fulfill the customers, suppliers and Sainsburys needs (Baidu, 2011) 3.1.3 Low electric energy store operating skills During 2009 to 2010, Sainsburys reduced its consumption of energy 2.5% despite of extending over 6% of its space by introducing eco-light bulb for store operation (Sainsburys, 2010). India is fifth biggest energy consume county and its energy supply is in a poor condition (India Energy Market Overview, 2010, Central Electricity Authority, 2010). Therefore, operating stores in instable electric condition, this low energy store operating skill might be competitiveness when competing with others (Sainsburys, n. d.). 3.1.4 Weakness On the other hand, there are also limitations. Though, Sainsburys is operating a head office in Hong Kong and it trades Asian products directly to Sainsburys in the UK, the operating type is not a retailer. Without investment or operations overseas as a retailer company, Sainsburys is lack of experience (Import Bureau, n. d.). 3.2 Internalization analysis As relative data mentioned, it shows that immature supply chain management and poor quality of infrastructure and technology skills are keys to add transaction costs. Recently, Sainsburys is aggressively developing strategy of private label, it includes food and non-food product (GMID, 2009). In order to maintain high quality and low costs own-brand, logistics management and advanced technology play critical roles. However, India supply chain is not well developed. For example, many food suppliers cannot prevent food spoil in hot weather. Therefore, Sainsburys cannot exploit local logistic to link present strategy of private label (GMID, 2010). Furthermore, it is a challenge for Sainsburys to decrease transaction costs effectively in India. Tsao et al (2010) reported that it is high spoilage rates around between 25% and 30% in grain supply chains. Besides, lack of information technology, logistics concepts make the service price greater crop costs approximately over 2.4 times. Sainsburys incurred high costs by 210% despite the fact that wholesalers, retailers and the intermediaries are the foundation for determining the final price. By contrast, in the western countries, the rates are approximately 3% and between 50% and 100%. Therefore, in this immature environment, Sainsburys may greatly shrink its margin. 3.3 Location analysis Advantages 3.3.1 Market size (Porters diamond) The organized retail sector makes up 5% of the Indian retail market. According to a research, investment in the organized retail market was around $ 503.2 million in 2009, and will increase to $1.26 billion in the next four to five years. Indias retail sector is expected to have a 10% increase in its compound annual growth rate and also estimated to reach US$ 833 billion by 2013 and US$ 1.3 trillion by 2018 (Business maps of India). 3.3.2. Increasing demand (Porters diamond) Nowadays, potential investors are attracted to the Asia Pacific retail market because of their population size and growth prospects, the relative immaturity of many markets in these regions helps them to take advantage by organizing the retail sector and increase the share of overall retail sales (Business Environment Outlook, 2010). The A.T. Kearneys annual Global Retail Development Index for 2010 categorises the retail market in India is as the fifth largest destination in the world and also the third most attractive emerging market for investment in the retail sector (Market Overview, 2010). 3.3.3. Low Labor costs (Eclectic paradigm) A new survey shows that labor costs in India are euros 2,024 a year, while the financial cost of employing a worker in Belgium, Sweden and Germany is more than euros 50, 000 per year (SiliconIndia news, April 2005). Besides, there is a high level of qualified English speaking workforces in India. 3.3.4. Competition condition According to the retail market data, the table shows that India maintains the 2nd position with a high score of 63 for its market entry potential. This simply reflects Indias underdeveloped retail market as well as the absence of local and multinational competition. India also recorded a good score for the value of retail sales and prospects for retail growth. In this market, there are local mom and pop family stores and the existing supermarket brands occupying the majority domestic market, as well as multinational brands which are planning to enter. Mom and pop family stores still dominate supermarket business. Since the large super market chain has not build an effective supply chain yet, it leads to the increase of products prices. Moreover, people prefer the service, as most of these shops offer home delivery, easy credit, and gifts and discounts for customers, by contrast, large supermarket cannot offer as good service as Mom and Pop. In addition, more than 2000 supermarket chain closed in 2008 due to these little shop and economic downturn. It is a significant challenge for the most supermarkets now and future (Srivastava, 2009). Despite of the existing 15 stores spanning India, Marks Spencer Reliance India are planning to open 35 stores over the next five years. Carrefour SA, the largest retailer of Europe, is planning to open who lesale stores in India by 2010 and has planned to set up the cash-and-carry outlet in the National Capital Region. Mahindra Retail, a part of the Mahindra Group, is also planning an investment at about $ 19.8 million. Threats Table2. Asia pacific retail business environment ratings Source: India Retail Report Q3 2010, pg. 10 3.3.5 Limits of Potential Returns Within the country structure category, India drops to the bottom of the table with a score of 40 indicating that a high score for the size of its population is balanced by low scores for its small urban population and spending capacity of its general population (Business Environment Outlook, 2010). In terms of retail market data, the table shows that India maintains the 2nd position with a high score of 63 for its market entry potential. This simply reflects Indias underdeveloped retail market as well as the absence of local and multinational competition. India also recorded a good score for the value of retail sales and prospects for retail growth. 3.3.6 Risk of Realisation of Returns The market risk data shows that India has the second lowest score. This signifies that the regulatory environment would affect factors relating to market entry. The country risks data also rating India as the second lowest. This shows that India possesses a high score in the areas of economic instability and policy, moderate in the areas of financial risk, short-term economic rating and short-term political rating. Finally, India has a poor score for long-term inflation, institutions, physical infrastructure, market orientation and labour infrastructure (Business Environment Outlook, 2010) 3.3.7 Infrastructure of advanced factor (Porters diamond) The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011 reports that Indias infrastructure is in serious need of upgrade especially in respect to transportation and energy supply (World Economic Forum). In relation to this, much of Indias farm produce gets to rot to market because of few refrigerated trucks and lack of modern transport logistics management (The Telegraph, 2011). Table3. Indias development stage Source: Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011 The diagram above shows the stage of development in comparison with the rest of the world. The diagram indicates that India is still in stage 1 which is the factor driven stage. India scores 3.5 out of 7 with respect to its infrastructure which is quite poor and needs an upgrade. It is very important to possess efficient infrastructure because it is a critical determinant for economic growth and it determines the location for economic activities and this helps to connect markets between regions and also reduce the cost of marketing in another region (World Economic Forum) 4. Recommendation Based on analysis of Dunning OLI theory and Porters diamond, the shortages makes Sainsbury cannot fulfill all elements at the same time. Despite of Indias huge market size and fast growing economy, there are still shortcomings which will affect Sainsburys investment. It lacks good infrastructure, high level of corruption, long-term inflation, unstable government policies and issues with government regulations on FDI. Furthermore, it is facing the competition from both local competitors and other multinational enterprises which are investing or planning to. A good example for lack of infrastructure is the need for more enough refrigerated trucks to preserve farm produce during transportation to the markets and this can also be related to the lack of a modern transport logistics management. Lastly, it may not have cost efficiency as invest supermarket in India. Therefore, we strong recommend Sainsburys do not direct invest supermarket in India now. However, we support the second option for Sainsburys. We suggest that Sainsbury enter India in the term of operating as a supplier business. It based on followed reasons: 1. In July 2010, Dean Nelson reported that India is making a move to deregulate its retail sectors so as to allow British supermarket giants like Tesco and Sainsburys has the opportunity to set up new stores throughout the country. 2. More also, Britain is hoping that India will lift its restrictions in various sectors like banking, insurance, financial and professional services so as to allow law and accountancy firms to practice there. It is believed that the establishment of British Universities in India would help meet the high demand for higher education (The Telegraph, 2011). The purpose of this relationship is to exchange knowledge and technology that can both benefit the two nations and can help the growth of mutual trade and investment. Although the relative regulation has not passed yet, it actually can give investors more confidence. Hence, we suggest Sainsburys can start with supplier business and prepare for establishing supermarket someday when the timeliness is rape for it. Furthermore, it will benefit Sainsburys to own more competitive advantages in the future. 4.1 Entry modes of Sainsbury There are several modes that the multinationals can apply, such as joint venture, mixed venture with the government and take part in privatisation. However, as mention above, there are various regulations making the joint venture the only possible mode. There are both advantages and disadvantages regard with joint venture. 4.1.1 Advantages From ownership aspect, it can reduce the capital of investment since local government accounts for 51% and organization owns 49% share. This can decentralize the risk and save the capital because this model can substantially reduce risks of being subject to nationalization or other types of adverse government interference. Another benefit is Sainsbury take the advantage of partnership in terms of original channel, reputation, knowledge, technique and existing system. For example, Sainsburys can share local knowledge and marketing experiences with local partner, such as management system, skills, language and culture that are necessary for competing in India. Moreover, the local company can help to handle many issues with local government, such as labour dispute, environment and union issues. 4.1.2 Disadvantages Nevertheless, this entry mode also is facing several shortcomings, such as the multinationals are easy to lose control over the technology, unable to engage in global strategic operation, and easy to lead to conflicts over goals and objectives. Because of Indias restrictive commercial laws, instead of operating as a retailor, Sainsburys can only form an alliance with domestic conglomerates to undertake wholesale-only operation, such as outlet, cash-and-carry wholesale stores, before the government loosen its restriction over this field. 4.2 Wholesaler advantages in India Sainsburys is good at developing own brand product in UK. And, some India enterprise start to realize the advantages of own-brand, such as decrease unites costs and enhances customer loyalty. The market orientation of Sainsburys is upper class level in the retailer or wholesale areas, and the main customer group is targeted at middle class and even higher. Moreover, in terms of the consumer behavior is rapidly changing in India; some tend to seek for the high-quality product with low price and the brand name. Thus, it successfully increases the market demand of the own brand goods of Sainsburys. In sum, Sainsburys can adopt high-end and differentiation strategy via private label for increasing competitions in market (GMID, 2011 Key note, 2011). 4.3 Localization Kerala state is chosen as the best location for Sainsburys subsidiary because of the optimal investment environment and considerable population of middle class. From the investment environment perspectives, in addition to the well-constructed infrastructure, the education popularization, universal health insurance is the highest across India and as well. The average income in local around $1,040, and the economic growth rate around 13.5 % and high level of FDI ($2.6 billion) between 2000 and 2008. Retailer, tourism, education, IT and IT service are main industries there. Literacy rate is 90% of local residents, and it has a widely influence of making people to accept a concept of higher quality food and other product. (Ministry of economic affairs of ROC, 2010) The follow table gives more information in terms of competitive advantage by Porters diamond. Table4: competitive advantage on Kerala state Factor endowment Educated population rate higher than other state in India Developed natural resources and agricultural environment Well Infrastructure Demand condition Increasing awareness of brand and food quality in south India. People have well educated and higher consumption capacity Health food is excepted to become important to urban consumers Relating and support industries Generate spillover effect due to flourishing farming industry Develop rapidly in Service industry Firm strategy, structure, and rivalry Increasing rivalry including local and international enterprise, e.g. Hindustan Unilever, Nestlà © Export-oriented food industry in local enterprise Sources: GMID, 2010 Moreover, according to OLI analysis in previous sections, it can substantially reduce threats if Sainsburys invest in Kerala. For example, the skill of food manufactory and infrastructure are superior to other places in India. The local government intends to build advanced transportation network to link with other big cities. It can release the stress of food spoil, and it will cover a greater region in south India for Sainsburys. Furthermore, high degree of education is the key to implement Sainsburys strategy (i.e. quality product and own brand). 4.4 Marketing strategy When Sainsburys run business in India, its high quality reputation will be able to opportunity on it marketing activities, on the other hand, cultural differences will be a risk. To utilize the opportunities and manage the risk, target marketing strategy and localization strategy might be useful (Salomon, et al., 2009). For example, Sainsburys high quality reputation is its competitiveness, so if it focuses on quality sensitive Indian customers it can make clear discrimination with competitors. Also, localization of products, promotion and price is also important for Sainsburys to success its business in India. For example, over 80% of people are Hinduism and they do not eat beef and many people are vegetarians (Hill, C. W. L, 2011). About the population, young age structure (0-14 years) is 30.5% and it is higher than U.K. and it might affect its offering products promotion (Central Intelligence Agency, n. d.). 4.5 Human resources management Superior human resource management (HRM) can be a sustained source of high productivity and competitive advantage in the global economy (Hill, 2011). There are three types of staffing policy. According to the International Business, if Sainsburys use the global standardization policy, it has two advantages which use HRM efficiently, and build a strong culture and unofficial management networks (2009). However, it still has some disadvantages, such as high cost, and limitation from national immigration policies. When Sainsburys invests in India, it needs to estimate the consumption ability and business performance of India, and then to calculate initial personnel cost which has to accordance with local regulations and culture, to carry out with Sainsburys organization chart recruitment. There are two stages of recruitments (see Table 1). Table5. Strategy of recruitments Strategy Advantage Disadvantage Short term Internal recruitment External recruitment Part time recruitment To build human resource database Have more time option and retention talents High cost of HRM Lack talents Expatriate failure Middle and Long term To train staff Cultural training Practical training Compensation Department rotation To develop international view To decrease culture myopia To improve local responsiveness Training and relocation costs increase Need a higher compensation structure Source: HRM, n. d.; International Business, 2011 As can be seen from the above table, the short term illustrates that internal recruitment is the fastest method for HRM, but it does not have any assist to build a new HR database in India. At the beginning of the investment, Sainsburys needs to spend high price for HRM (HRM, n. d.). After this stage, training staff is very important, because it can get some benefit such as developing international view for employees which will cost a lot than before. Sainsburys needs to consider this point and makes a balance about the cost.

The Magic Of Chaos By Peter Carroll :: essays research papers

The Magic of Chaos Crowley certainly helped put the boot in against monotheism but the process was already well advanced. Science, which had basically evolved out of renaissance magic, had more or less finished monotheism as a serious parasite on advanced cultures. Crowley was enthusiastic about science and appropriately so for his era, but in the work of Austin Spare we begin to detect a certain foreboding. However it is Spare's work that appears more austere and scientific when compared to some of Crowley's more baroque symbolic extravagances. Spare rejected the classical symbologies of forgotten ages and sought the magic of his own personal arcana. Using the minimum of hypotheses he evolved a magic from his own racial memories and subconscious. Independently of complex systems he developed effective techniques of enchantment and divination requiring only ordinary language and pictures. Spare's work forms the bridge between an older style of magic brought to fruition by Crowley (which derived most of its appeal, power and liberating potential from its religious style of anti-religion) and the new magic. The new approach is characterised by a kind of scientific anti-science. This is increasingly becoming known as Chaos Magic. It would be no more useful to dub Chaos Magic as pseudo-science than it would be to dub Crowley's ideas as pseudo-religion. It is astrology as it is normally practised that is mere pseudo-science much as satanism and freemasonry are pseudo-religion. Chaos Magic attempts to show that not only does magic fit comfortably within the interstices of science but that the higher reaches of scientific theory and empiricism actually demand that magic exists. This is somewhat analogous to the way in which many religious theories implied the possibility of theurgic or demonic magic. The best magic has always had a strong antinomian flavour. The most remarkable magicians have invariably fought against prevailing cultural norms and obsessions. Their victories represent not only a personal liberation but also an advance for humanity. History bequeaths us no records of the renegade shamanist magicians who must have brought about the advent of paganism, but we know a little of the anti-pagan magicians who created monotheism: Akhenaton, Moshe, Gautam, and so on. As monotheism became a steadily more repressive and obscene force, a new generation of magicians arose and fought it. Some fought too openly and were destroyed; others were more subtle and planted effective seeds of destruction on a purely philosophical level, and others hastened its destruction by taking theological and theurgical ideas to outrageous conclusions. The roll of honour is here much larger, including such notables as Gordiano Bruno, Cornelius Agrippa, John Dee, Cagliostro, Eliphas Levi, and recently, The Magic Of Chaos By Peter Carroll :: essays research papers The Magic of Chaos Crowley certainly helped put the boot in against monotheism but the process was already well advanced. Science, which had basically evolved out of renaissance magic, had more or less finished monotheism as a serious parasite on advanced cultures. Crowley was enthusiastic about science and appropriately so for his era, but in the work of Austin Spare we begin to detect a certain foreboding. However it is Spare's work that appears more austere and scientific when compared to some of Crowley's more baroque symbolic extravagances. Spare rejected the classical symbologies of forgotten ages and sought the magic of his own personal arcana. Using the minimum of hypotheses he evolved a magic from his own racial memories and subconscious. Independently of complex systems he developed effective techniques of enchantment and divination requiring only ordinary language and pictures. Spare's work forms the bridge between an older style of magic brought to fruition by Crowley (which derived most of its appeal, power and liberating potential from its religious style of anti-religion) and the new magic. The new approach is characterised by a kind of scientific anti-science. This is increasingly becoming known as Chaos Magic. It would be no more useful to dub Chaos Magic as pseudo-science than it would be to dub Crowley's ideas as pseudo-religion. It is astrology as it is normally practised that is mere pseudo-science much as satanism and freemasonry are pseudo-religion. Chaos Magic attempts to show that not only does magic fit comfortably within the interstices of science but that the higher reaches of scientific theory and empiricism actually demand that magic exists. This is somewhat analogous to the way in which many religious theories implied the possibility of theurgic or demonic magic. The best magic has always had a strong antinomian flavour. The most remarkable magicians have invariably fought against prevailing cultural norms and obsessions. Their victories represent not only a personal liberation but also an advance for humanity. History bequeaths us no records of the renegade shamanist magicians who must have brought about the advent of paganism, but we know a little of the anti-pagan magicians who created monotheism: Akhenaton, Moshe, Gautam, and so on. As monotheism became a steadily more repressive and obscene force, a new generation of magicians arose and fought it. Some fought too openly and were destroyed; others were more subtle and planted effective seeds of destruction on a purely philosophical level, and others hastened its destruction by taking theological and theurgical ideas to outrageous conclusions. The roll of honour is here much larger, including such notables as Gordiano Bruno, Cornelius Agrippa, John Dee, Cagliostro, Eliphas Levi, and recently,

lord of the rings :: essays research papers

The Lord of the Flies William Golding’s book, The Lord of the Flies is a wonderful, fictional book about the struggle and survival of a group of boys trapped on an uninhabited island. This book kept me very interested and made me want to keep reading. The characters were very diverse and each had very appealing qualities in themselves. The setting is brilliantly described and the plot is surprisingly very well thought out. Many things like these make this book such a classic. Although there are not many characters in The Lord of the Flies, there are many different personalities and differences between them. The first character in the book is Ralph. Ralph is twelve years old with blond hair, and is the most charismatic of the group. He is described as being built "like a boxer," is somewhat charismatic and is chosen for chief, who makes it his job to lay down rules and try to organize a society. Throughout the novel he is always in conflict with Jack, who wants to be chief himself. Ralph and Piggy agree with each other’s ideas, but Ralph doesn’t realize how important Piggy really is to him until the very end of the novel. Although Ralph never reaches the understanding about the Beast that Simon does, he knows right from wrong. Jack is about Ralph's age, with a skinnier build and red hair. His freckled face is described as being "ugly without silliness." From the very beginning, he seems to harbor emotions of anger and savagery. At first, he is the leader of his choir group, who becomes hunters as the book progresses. Finally, his savage personality and ability to tell people what they want to hear allows him to overtake Ralph as chief. Jack does not believe that the Beast exists and is the leader of anarchy on the island. From the start of the novel he does not like abiding by rules of any kind. He simply wants to hunt and have a good time. Not seeming to care about being rescued, Jack and his tribe are examples of the Beast running rampant. In the beginning of the story Jack, still conditioned by the previous society he had been apart of, could not bear to kill a pig that was caught in the brush. As the plot progresses he becomes less and less attached to any societal norms.

The School Vouchers

Susie is a young girl who lives in Florida. Since kindergarten, she has attended a nearby private school. Her parents willingly pay her tuition, even though doing so forces them to cut other corners. They do not mind these sacrifices, since they know that their daughter is getting the best education they can give her. Jesse lives downtown, in the inner city. She attends the local public school and struggles through her classes. Her mother would like to send her to a private school, where there is less violence and a calmer atmosphere, but cannot afford it. Then, Jesse†s mother learns that a voucher system has put into place for the entire state of Florida. Jesse†s inner city, spray-painted elementary school received a failing status, so she can receive a voucher to attend the school of her choice. With the money she receives from the voucher, Jesse†s mother is able to send her daughter to the same private school that Susie attends. Is it fair that Susie†s parents pinch pennies while Jesse†s mother send her on the bus for free? While meaning well, does the voucher system inadvertently discriminate against children like Susie whose parents must work extra hours to put their children through private school? Is the voucher system really the answer to the problems with American education today, or a way to transfer them somewhere else? American public schools have always had their flaws. In the nineteenth century, colleges complained of under-prepared freshmen; students who could not write an essay or even spell. A main controversy was bilingual education for newly naturalized immigrants. As America entered the early 1900s, the debate turned to the use of entertainment in the classroom. Teachers felt that they must put on a show in order to keep the attention of their pupils. The abandonment of phonics in the 1920s and 30s was believed to be the reason why the job market consisted of those with inadequate educational preparation. Social promotion and the replacement of the â€Å"three R†s† with emotional stability and attitude courses were the causes of concern in the 1940s. The 1950s brought an awareness of low standards. It was found that American children were lagging behind the average standards of the rest of the world. Safety in schools also became an issue; incoming teachers were warned of the â€Å"phys! ical courage† necessary to teach. Illiteracy became the main focus on the 1960s and 70s. Phonics (or the lack thereof) was once again to blame (Rothstein 2). Now, at the beginning of a new century, what problems have been fixed? Illiteracy is still high, American standards are still low, and graduates are still unprepared. Each generation feels that schools are worse than the generation before. America has been attempting to solve the problems with its education system for 200 years, but nothing has changed. According to Rothstein: Schools are not up to the task of readying young people for the challenges of the next century. An apparently watered down curriculum ensures that all students, regardless of whether they have mastered necessary skills, can graduate. â€Å"Social promotion† without requirements to master grade-appropriate skills is now commonplace, so even elite colleges must run â€Å"remedial† courses for freshmen in basic math and literacy, and business executives complain that high school graduates are ill-prepared for even relatively unskilled jobs (2). Are these complaints not the same ones that appeared a century ago? Improvement is desperately needed, but where should it start? Cleveland, Milwaukee, and the state of Florida have suggested an answer: a school voucher system. Voucher proponents believe that the system which they support is a starting place. Voucher proponents across the nation believe that through this program, which places the burden of improvement upon schools, progress can be made. The voucher system recently implemented in Florida is built around competition. The public schools have standards which they must uphold. Each year the state gives each school a letter grade which rates that school†s ability to keep the given standards. If the school receives an â€Å"F,† it stands to lose a great deal of its student body because of vouchers. This failing grade qualifies the children enrolled in the school to participate in the voucher program, giving each student between $3000 and $4000 to attend a private school (Kaczor 1). In theory, the system appears to be a well-planned step in the right direction. By penalizing â€Å"failing† schools and providing for their students, it seems progress could be made. Voucher proponents believe that by giving schools grades, each one will strive to be the best, receive an â€Å"A,† and gain a higher enrollment. However, will it really make a large impact upon the innumerable problems which exist in today†s education system? This year, only two of Florida†s 2500 public schools received a failing grade. And, in these two schools, only 52 students chose to participate in the state†s voucher system (Kaczor 1). While 52 children may be having a better school year, what about the hundreds of others across the state suffering from a poor education? Certainly, those 52 students are not the only ones in the state of Florida who were receiving a less than adequate education. Yet, the state granted approximately $200,000 to support the voucher system. If that money had b! een given to the schools, they could improve themselves, so that they were no longer considered â€Å"failing.† Instead, they were penalized by a drop in enrollment. How then can a failing school be expected to improve? As soon as it receives such a stigma, its students leave and funding is terminated. Ralph Neas, president of People for the American Way, told the press, â€Å"The voucher program is costing millions of dollars that would be better spent on improving education for the majority of Milwaukee†s schoolchildren† (Whitmire 1). The voucher system implements a great amount of tax dollars to aid a relatively small number of students. While seeming to neutralize problems in American education, it simply creates more by denying failing schools the chance to improve. There is another major loophole in the voucher system: there is no way to calculate if any improvement has been made in the academic performance of students using vouchers. A comparison between public and private school students† achievements is prevented because each uses different tests. In Cleveland, where an inner-city voucher system, is in place, researchers have reached no clear conclusions about the program†s effectiveness (Whitmire 1). Without this information, there is no way to determine if giving children a voucher brings scholastic improvement. There are definite problems with the American education system; problems the nation has battled for more than a century. Reform is needed, but the school voucher system is not the answer. If the plan would go nation-wide, 50 million children would be dropped at the doorsteps of private schools. Currently, only 10 percent of families send their children to private schools (Tyack 2). This small number of elite schools could not possibly accommodate the boom in enrollment caused by student with vouchers. What then? It is very likely that private schools would spring up overnight in response to the sudden number of children seeking to use government money at private schools. Who can guarantee that these schools will be of a better quality than the public schools which came before them (Roberts, Glenn 22)? If the voucher system were implemented, public school, as they are currently known, would cease to exist. The tax dollars necessary to fund public school improvements and the voucher system simultaneously do not exist. Our public schools need immediate attention to the condition of their physical plants, the training of their teachers (many of whom teach in areas which they have no special expertise), the size of their classes and the equipment and supplies they need, and the quality of their hopes for the children entrusted to them. They need the money that vouchers would bleed away (Roberts, Glenn 23). Instead of taking this money away form the nation†s failing schools, it should be pumped into them and put to work. Education tax dollars should be put to work solving the problems in American schools. The voucher system is an escape out the back door. It simply transfers all of the issues out of the public schools, placing them in the hands of the private community.