New ideas of 15 groups of people in retailing Essay

New ideas of 15 groups of people in retailing - Essay Example Notably, improving the store policies will enhance effectiveness, cohesion, and utilization of the available space and resources in the retail. The proposed ideas are effective, essential, and yields positive results within a short time. We should try our best to invite past customers to come back to shop. We can achieve this by addressing their queries and establishing constant communication with them for purposes of understanding their views on our retailing and store keeping. We can also get the past customers back to our retail by sending surveys with rewards to them. This will include short phone surveys that will derive important information on customers’ views, likes, and dislikes about the store and products with an aim of increasing the efficiency of the store. As an enticement, we can offer them cash rewards for any goods they buy from the store. This will encourage past customers to present their grievances and offer the management an opportunity to offer remedies for bad experiences with an aim of preventing target customers from such experiences. Ideally, this strategy has been effective in many organizations and departments since it enhances efficient customer service, address to customers’ feedback, and enable the store to meet the customers’ needs. Past customers will pass the effectiveness to target customers. Present customers define the growth, turnover, market position, competitiveness, and success of the retail. As such, the store must strive to address and satisfy their needs by making their shopping experience enjoyable and reducing complaints and unpleasant experiences. In maintaining the present customers, we should make an urban outfitters loyalty program. Many stores have membership card. Urban outfitters store does not. We should encourage them to subscribe to the membership of our store by

The European Human Rights Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The European Human Rights Act - Essay Example "In contrast to the importance attached to the democratic accountability of Parliament, institutional checks and balances, and the rule of law as means of safeguarding individual liberties, comparatively little significance was attributed to the European Convention on Human Rights before passage of the Human Rights Act." (Akehurst, Michael & Malanczuk, Peter 1997 p.65) This may be seen as a surprise considering the fact that the UK was an early signatory to the European Convention, and the UK was instrumental to the drafting of the human rights convention. The effects of the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights on the English Legal System however, seem to be limited by the constitutional doctrine of dualism, which distinguishes international law from national law. "Considerations of national and parliamentary sovereignty require that treaties alone are unable to alter the internal laws of the UK, because the executive alone enters into treaties on behalf of the United Kingdom. Otherwise, the government could evade parliamentary scrutiny of its proposals through the exercise of its treaty-making powers." (Human Rights Act Research Project 2001) Therefore, as treaties are not self-executing the terms of these treaties must be incorporated into an act of Parliament in orde... courts. "While the European Convention, as an agreement between national governments, imposed obligations on the United Kingdom in international law, it did not impose obligations on Parliament or the government under British domestic law." (Council of Europe 2000) Another challenge is posed by the desire to upgrade the legal status of the individual rights as described in the substantive provisions of the European Convention, while at the same time ensuring the preservation of traditional or orthodox notions of parliamentary sovereignty. "The courts are not given the power to invalidate acts of Parliament that are incompatible with the rights listed in the European Convention, but may only issue a declaration of incompatibility, which does not itself affect the validity or enforceability of an incompatible act." (Akehurst, Michael & Malanczuk, Peter 1997) Thus, the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights has had a significant impact on the English Legal System, and to the concept of parliamentary sovereignty. 2. a) Do you believe that section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998 creates a new rule of statutory interpretation for judges Yes, section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998 does create a new rule of statutory interpretation for judges. "The Human Rights Act 1998 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000. The Act makes available in UK courts a remedy for breach of a Convention right, without the need to go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. It also totally abolished the death penalty in UK law, although this was not required by the Convention in force for the UK at that time" (British Medical

Public Relation Tactics in the Hotel Industry

Public Relation Tactics in the Hotel Industry Introduction The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself. According to an American educator and writer Peter F. Drucker. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself. According to Al Ries Strategy and timing are Himalayas of marketing. Everything else is Catskills Marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. A marketing strategy should be centered on the key concept that customer satisfaction is the main goal The tourism consumer is the critical judge of successful marketing and public relations activities. In todays increasingly competitive marketing environment there has been a shift from traditional marketing techniques towards more aggressive and varied approaches to marketing and communication. The change from transactional to relationship management in marketing over the past fifty years has been marked by improvements in consumer satisfaction and client recommendation of repeat purchase of products and services. Brands today are often built with effective PR campaigns and then maintained through a blend of marketing and PR tactics. The impact of the Internet is having profound impact upon PR and Marketing practices enabling PR practitioners to conduct two way communications in order to maintain and enhance customer relationships. MARKETING The Oberoi Group Oberoi Hotels Resorts is famous the world over with providing the right blend of service and luxury. Internationally acclaimed for all-round excellence and unparalleled levels of service, Oberoi hotels and resorts have received innumerable awards and accolades. The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambore has been ranked the worlds best hotel by Travel and Leisure Readers Poll for 2010, The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra has been ranked the fifth best in the world, The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur is ranked the thirteenth best and The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur has been ranked the fifteenth best hotel in the world. . Trident hotels are five-star hotels that have established a reputation for excellence and are acknowledged for offering quality and value. At present there are nine Trident hotels in India. These are located in Mumbai at Bandra Kurla and Nariman Point, Gurgaon (Delhi National Capital Region), Chennai, Bhubaneshwar, Cochin, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur. The Oberoi Group also operates a Trident hotel in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. The Groups commitment to excellence, attention to detail and personalized service has ensured a loyal list of guests and accolades in the worldwide hospitality industry. THE OBEROI The Oberoi, Mumbai (Location) Located in the citys prime business and shopping district of Nariman Point, The Oberoi, Mumbai has been completely redesigned to be the ultimate destination for contemporary style and luxury in the city. Overlooking the Arabian Sea, the hotel is full of space and serenity. Luxuriously appointed guestrooms have been meticulously planned with a host of innovative features using the latest technology. The Oberoi, Mumbai is located on Marine Drive, the famed boulevard along the coast in South Mumbai. An hours drive from the airport and only minutes away from the business, financial and entertainment districts, the hotel is also well located to visit the citys tourist attractions. The hotel offers a rich variety of dining experiences ranging from an all day dining restaurant serving global cuisine, to an Italian Restaurant and a signature Indian restaurant under the direction of a Michelin starred chef. An ideal location for business meetings and conferences in Mumbai, venues range from private meeting rooms at the 24-hours Business Centre to the conference rooms on the top floor of the hotel offering sweeping views of the Arabian Sea. The Oberoi, Mumbai is the ideal hotel for discerning business and leisure travelers. Porters fives forces model is an excellent model to use to analyse a particular environment of an industry . So for example . if we were entering the hotel industry, we would use porters model to help us find out about: Marketing Strategy of Oberoi Hotels Marketing strategy is a method of focusing an organizations energies and resources on a course of action which can lead to increased sales and dominance of a targeted market niche. A marketing strategy combines product development, promotion, distribution, pricing, relationship management and other elements; identifies the firms marketing goals, and explains how they will be achieved, ideally within a stated timeframe. Marketing strategy determines the choice of target market segments, positioning, marketing mix, and allocation of resources. It is most effective when it is an integral component of overall firm strategy, defining how the organization will successfully engage customers, prospects, and competitors in the market arena, corporate strategies, corporate missions, and corporate goals. As the customer constitutes the source of a companys revenue, marketing strategy is closely linked with sales. A key component of marketing strategy is often to keep marketing in line with a co mpanys overarching mission statement. The Oberoi Group, founded in 1934, operates 28 hotels and three cruisers in five countries under the luxury Oberoi and five-star Trident brands. The Group is also engaged in flight catering, airport restaurants, travel and tour services, car rentals, project management and corporate air charters. Oberoi Hotels Resorts is synonymous the world over with providing the right blend of service, luxury and quiet efficiency. Internationally acclaimed for all-round excellence and unparalleled levels of service, Oberoi hotels and resorts have received innumerable awards and accolades. The Oberoi group has tradition of pioneering in the hospitality industry, striving for unsurpassed excellence in high-potential locations all the way from the Middle East to Asia-Pacific. The basic strategies of the Oberoi hotels are: They provide reservation facilities through toll free numbers and online registrations Oberoi hotels and Resorts has partnered with Indias certified airlines to make consumers satisfied. They promote their service through mileage point which provides customers and travelers some offers depending on their points. Providing special offers such as Himalayan Adventure, exotic honeymoon, exotic vacations, Business travel plus etc. Creating and developing customer loyalty Customer service is important for small businesses of any industry, and developing customer loyalty can increase overall engagement and satisfaction with a company. The concept of Marketing emerged in the mid 1950s when the scope shifted from a make-and-sell-attitude to a more customer focused sense-and-respond attitude. In other words the businesses started to find products for their customers rather than finding customers for their products2. Direct marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and other relationship marketing concepts have been a topic of discussion for practitioners and academics for the later part of the 20th century and is widely claimed to be the future of marketing. Some academics have stated that the concept of relationship marketing is the biggest change in 50 years of marketing and is bringing marketing back to the preindustrial era when the producers and consumers dealt directly with each other3. Relationship marketing is an umbrella term with many subfields and is in general more connected with high-level strategic thinking. CRM has in contrast a stronger connection to marketing strategies over the customer lifetime and understanding the customers needs, attitudes, life stage, profitability and lifetime value. Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, Virgin Atlantic, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car ranked number one in hotel, airline, and rental car industry customer satisfaction, respectively in 2009. In 2009 Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, an Indian brand associated with ultra luxury hotels, earned the highest customer satisfaction score among all hotels (93.7). Midscale without food and beverage (+0.5 to 84.0) improved more than any other segment in 2009. The customer wants value for money and is generally getting discerning. Modern day research being conducted reveals that customer loyalty is taking a back seat. It is now about being innovative, and it is about fulfilling a need not saying, Youre my customer for the last 20 years, and therefore you should be my customer over the next 20. The Oberoi is an organisation that is training oriented, and which has built its brand over the last 30 years. The Oberoi has also exported its brand to some extent internationally. 2Kotler et al., 2009 3Sheth Parvatiyar, 2000 The system therefore that is being put into place is Learn, Perform, Deliver, Reward. A lot of structures are being put into place which are transparent and they created an entire communication drive in order to let people understand how these transparent structures would help them on an ongoing basis. Their vision is to develop their company to achieve world-class standards consistently. The company strategy is based on five important criteria. Job functions have been made more meaningful with new designations and responsibility levels. Rewards will no longer be based on a ten-year system but on performance. With increased responsibility will come greater authority. For greater efforts and increased productivity our people will be rewarded, and Finally, their people shall have more career opportunities in our rapidly growing organisation. They do both internal external customer surveys. When these come in, they have small teams that work towards improvement. Their focus is on Strong People, Product and Processes. Communication has played a tremendous role in getting people to believe them. Oberoi Hotel is synonymous the world over for providing the right blend of service, luxury and quiet efficiency. Internationally recognized for all-round excellence and unparalleled levels of service, Oberoi Hotel has received innumerable awards and accolades. A distinctive feature of The Groups hotel is their highly motivated and well trained staff that provides the kind of attentive, personalized and warm service that is rare today. The hotel provides best facilities like: Combining the finest of all that is contemporary and the best in latest technology with the timeless traditions of Oberoi Hotels Resorts, The Oberoi, Mumbai is the leading choice of business and leisure travelers. The meetings and conference facilities at The Oberoi, Mumbai are designed to accommodate exclusive and intimate business meetings and social gatherings. The well appointed Business Centre features nine meeting rooms that accommodate up to 20 guests. Network and relationship marketing Relationship Marketing was first defined as a form of marketing developed from direct response marketing campaigns which emphasizes customer retention and satisfaction, rather than a dominant focus on sales transactions. As a practice, Relationship Marketing differs from other forms of marketing in that it recognizes the long term value of customer relationships and extends communication beyond intrusive advertising and sales promotional messages. With the growth of the internet and mobile platforms, Relationship Marketing has continued to evolve and move forward as technology opens more collaborative and social communication channels. This includes tools for managing relationships with a customer that goes beyond simple demographic and customer service data. Relationship Marketing extends to include Inbound Marketing efforts, PR, Social Media and Application Development. Just like customer relationship management, (CRM), Relationship Marketing is a broadly recognized, widely-implemented strategy for managing and nurturing a companys interactions with clients and sales prospects. It also involves using technology to organize, synchronize business processes, (principally sales and marketing activities), and most importantly, automate those marketing and communication activities on concrete marketing sequences that could run in autopilot, (also known as marketing sequences). The overall goals are to find, attract and win new clients, nurture and retain those the company already has, entice former clients back into the fold, and reduce the costs of marketing and client service. Once simply a label for a category of software tools, today, it generally denotes a company-wide business strategy embracing all client-facing departments and even beyond. When an implementation is effective, people, processes, and technology work in synergy to increase profitabil ity, and reduce operational costs. Relationship marketing also stresses what it calls internal marketing. This refers to using a marketing orientation within the organization itself. It is claimed that many of the relationship marketing attributes like collaboration, loyalty and trust determine what internal customers say and do. According to this theory, every employee, team, or department in the company is simultaneously a supplier and a customer of services and products. Brand identity and strategy Developing a brand strategy can be one of the most difficult steps in the marketing plan process. Its often the element that causes most businesses the biggest challenge, but its a vital step in creating the company identity. A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. Its important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. A brand is the source of a promise to the consumers. Its a foundational piece in the marketing communication. Defining a Brand This is the first step in the process of developing brand strategy. By defining what the brand is one can create the foundation for all other components to build on. The brand definition will serve as measuring stick in evaluating any and all marketing materials and strategies. Determining The Brands Objectives Critical to effective brand management is the clear definition of the brands audience and the objectives that the brand needs to achieve. The objectives have to be defined and a plan has to be put into place that would help to succeed in meeting them. Focusing on Target Audience The power of brand relies on the ability to focus. That is why defining target market will help to strengthen the brands effectiveness. Discovering and Crushing Brand Barriers When creating the brand strategy for a product or service it is important to perform a careful analysis to determine principal barriers. These barriers are also known as market conditions that can keep the product or service from achieving success. Brand Packaging and Identity Branding is someones identity in the marketplace and the Oberoi brand says what it should. The company image is all about the appearance of the packaging. Successfully out-branding ones competitors is a continuous battle for the hearts and minds of the customers. The proposition the brand strategy makes must be very compelling, attractive and unique among competitive offerings. The proposition must also be consistently reinforced throughout all phases of an organization, from senior executives to customer service, research and development, business development and even any business partners. The brand statement, often called the brand promise or proposition, is a derivative of branding research. It states the benefit of buying and using the companys products or services. For Oberoi industry the brand statement is Our commitment is that every guest leaves satisfied. Oberoi Hotels which is an Indian brand associated with ultra luxury hotels. Founded in 1934, Oberoi manages 30 hotels and 5 luxury cruises under the Oberoi and Trident brands. All the hotels owned by the company across the many segments in India operate under the Oberoi brand name. The usual trend in the international hospitality industry is to have distinct brands for each segment that a hotel group operates in. This strategy ensures that the brand equity is not diluted when the brand enters the business segment or economy hotels segment. But the Oberoi brand has not treaded this path till now. The Oberoi Group has removed the Oberoi brand names from six of its hotels which are not luxury hotels. Simultaneously, it has brought all the luxury palace-hotels previously called villas under the Oberoi brand to convey the brand spirit and strengthen the brand equity. This strategy ensures that Oberoi preserve their brand equity and also facilitates the expansion to other segments by endorsing the sub-brands with their parent brand names. With the Indian travel and tourism industry expected to grow at an annual rate of 8.8% to US$90.4 billion in 2015, these brand maneuvers become very important to ensure the famous Indian hospitality brands are up to the global challenges. Viral and guerilla marketing Guerilla Marketing: Unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. Viral marketing: Marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message. The concept of guerrilla marketing was invented as an unconventional system of promotions that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget. Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional, potentially interactive, and consumers are targeted in unexpected places. The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking concept to generate buzz, and consequently turn viral. The term was coined and defined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing. Guerrilla marketing involves unusual approaches such as intercept encounters in public places, street giveaways of products, PR stunts, or any unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. More innovative approaches to Guerrilla marketing now utilize cutting edge mobile digital technologies to engage the consumer and create a memorable brand experience Guerrilla marketers use all of their contacts, both professional and personal, and examine their company and its products, looking for sources of publicity. Many forms of publicity can be very inexpensive, or even free. Levinson says that when implementing guerrilla marketing tactics, small size is actually an advantage. In The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook, he states: In order to sell a product or a service, a company must establish a relationship with the customer. It must build trust and support. It must understand the customers needs, and it must provide a product that delivers the promised benefits. The Oberoi group has actually implemented this strategy in providing their services and maintaining good relationship with their customers. Strategic Customer Relations For larger-scale enterprises like The Oberoi group, a complete and detailed plan is required to obtain the funding, resources, and company-wide support that can make the initiative of choosing and implementing a system successfully. Benefits must be defined, risks assessed, and cost quantified in three general areas: Processes: Though these systems have many technological components, business processes lie at its core. It can be seen as a more client-centric way of doing business, enabled by technology that consolidates and intelligently distributes pertinent information about clients, sales, marketing effectiveness, responsiveness, and market trends. Therefore, a company must analyze its business workflows and processes before choosing a technology platform; some will likely need re-engineering to better serve the overall goal of winning and satisfying clients. Moreover, planners need to determine the types of client information that are most relevant, and how best to employ them.4 People: For an initiative to be effective, an organization must convince its staff that the new technology and workflows will benefit employees as well as clients. Senior executives need to be strong and visible advocates who can clearly state and support the case for change. Collaboration, teamwork, and two-way communication should be encouraged across hierarchical boundaries, especially with respect to process improvement.5 Technology: In evaluating technology, key factors include alignment with the companys business process strategy and goals, including the ability to deliver the right data to the right employees and sufficient ease of adoption and use. Platform selection is best undertaken by a carefully chosen group of executives who understand the business processes to be automated as well as the software issues. Depending upon the size of the company and the breadth of data, choosing an application can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year or more. 4DestinationCRM.com (2002) 5TechTarget (2009) Strategy Checklist: Planning for CRM and Customer Service Success The three phases in which strategic consumer relations support the relationship between a business and its customers are to: Acquire: Strategic consumer relations can help a business acquire new customers through contact management, selling, and fulfillment.6 Enhance: web-enabled CRM combined with customer service tools offers customers service from a team of sales and service specialists, which offers customers the convenience of one-stop shopping.6 Retain: CRM software and databases enable a business to identify and reward its loyal customers and further develop its targeted marketing and relationship marketing initiatives. Over the last decade, too many organizations have assumed that their products or services were so superior that customers would automatically keep coming back for more. But in order to compete effectively in todays marketplace, organizations must change their strategy to become more customer focused, not product focused. Strategic consumer relation is the best way to integrate this customer-facing approach throughout an organization. 6 James A. OBrien George M. Marakas (2009). Enterprise Business Systems. Management Information Systems. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Effectiveness of e-marketing An e-marketing strategy is needed to provide consistent direction for an organizations e-marketing activities that integrates with its other marketing activities and supports the overall objectives of the business. For many companies, the first forays into e-marketing or Internet marketing are not the result of a well-defined, integrated Internet strategy; rather, they are a response to competitors activities or customers demand. There is no evidence to suggest that the approach to developing and implementing a strategy should be significantly different for e-marketing. Established frameworks for corporate strategy development or strategic marketing planning should still be followed. These frameworks provided a logical sequence to follow which ensures inclusion of all key activities of strategy development. However, with e-marketing there is an even greater need for a highly responsive strategy process model where rapid reaction can occur to events in the marketplace. The use of Soviet-style 5 year planning does not seem appropriate; a preferable approach is an emergent e-marketing strategy process that is part of a continuous improvement. E-business or e-marketing strategy process models tend to share the following characteristics: Continuous internal and external environment scanning or analysis are required. Clear statement of vision and objectives is required. Strategy development can be broken down into formulation and selection. After strategy development, enactment of the strategy occurs as strategy implementation. Control is required to detect problems and adjust the strategy accordingly. They must be responsive to changes in the marketplace. There is four stage models for e-marketing strategy development: 1. Strategic analysis. Continuous scanning of the micro and macro-environment of an organization are required with particular emphasis on the changing needs of customers, actions and business models of competitor and opportunities afforded by new technologies. Techniques include resource analysis, demand analysis and competitor analysis, applications portfolio analysis, SWOT analysis and competitive environment analysis. 2. Strategic objectives. Organizations must have a clear vision on whether digital media will complement or replace other media and their capacity for change. Clear objectives must be defined and in particular goals for the online revenue contribution should be set. 3. Strategy definition. Strategy definition may be denoted by eight factors: Target market strategies. Positioning and differentiation strategies. Resourcing Internet marketing priorities significance to organization. CRM focus and financial control Market and product development strategies. Business and revenue models including product development and pricing strategies. Organizational restructuring required. Channel structure modifications. 4. Strategy implementation It includes devising and executing the tactics needed to achieve strategic objectives. This includes relaunching a web site, campaigns associated with promoting the site and monitoring the effectiveness of the site. The travel industry survives as one of the better performing sectors in e-commerce. With no fulfillment and no need for online payments, the hotel industry is well positioned to capture the full potential of ecommerce while avoiding many of its risks. Despite the burst of the Internet bubble, the promise of the Internet for hoteliers is still real: Online distribution can reduce costs, attract affluent customers and lessen dependency on more traditional and expensive distribution channels. The Oberoi group is providing effective e-marketing services to their customers. Conclusion: Through this assignment I have found that the main purpose of hospitality and tourism industry is to entertain a guest with goodwill. Oberoi hotel is using all the marketing strategies and has developed good customer relationships, which is the reason for their increasing and worldwide growth. Oberoi hotel is always offering a range of facilities and business services like as internet, fax machine. I have found that Oberoi Hotels Resorts are synonymous the world over for providing the right blend of service, luxury and quiet efficiency. Internationally recognized for all-round excellence and unparalleled levels of service, Oberoi Hotels Resorts have received innumerable awards and accolades. A distinctive feature of The Groups hotels is their highly motivated and well trained staff that provides the kind of attentive, personalized and warm service that is rare today. The Groups new luxury hotels have established a reputation for redefining the paradigm of luxury and excellence in s ervice amongst leisure hotels around the world. Recommendation: With the completion of this assignment I know much about how to run a business smoothly and what is required to become a good and successful business man and get good profit. One should be very much clear about what the needs of the customers are and how to satisfy them. Every businessman should give focus on the customer needs because this is first and foremost thing in business. If we make strategies before starting any business then we wont have to face many problems. Organizations should be arranging and delegating work for accomplishment of their goals. Relationship Marketing refers to a long-term and mutually beneficial arrangement where both the buyer and seller have an interest in providing a more satisfying exchange and is essential for any industry to reach high status. A key principle of relationship marketing is the retention of customers through varying means and practices to ensure repeated trade from preexisting customers by satisfying requirements above those of compe ting companies through a mutually beneficial relationship.

How to Write an Essay :: Process Essays

Process Essay - How to Write an Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Writing a college essay can be a very difficult task. However, there are techniques to help make this task easier. The writing process is a three stage approach to planning and creating a college essay. These stages are known as prewriting, writing, and revising. If a student follows this process, she will write a good paper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first stage of the writing process is called prewriting. There are five prewriting techniques that help writers to understand the topic and purpose of the writing assignment and limit the topic to a manageable and appropriate idea. The techniques are brainstorming, freewriting, diagramming, making a list, and preparing an outline. In brainstorming, you generate ideas for you writing. A writer might view a film and discuss or write their impressions, write a list of ideas for an essay, or discuss a topic with a group of students. You might ask yourself some questions such as What? Why? When? Where? How? and Who? In freewriting, you write non-stop about a subject for a certain amount of time. Spelling or punctuation, mistakes, and finding exact words do not matter. It helps you to get a clearer picture of what you are trying you say. Diagramming is helpful for people who think in a visual way. You can put your idea in a circle or block and branch off examples or other ideas pertaining to it. The fourth technique is making a list. You list as many items you can that has a relation to your topic. Your goal is to make details and to gather as much material as possible so you have something to start with when you go to write your paper. The last technique is preparing an outline. The thesis statement is clearly stated on the outline and a specific outline format is followed. Outlining gives you a sense of organization and allows you to see quickly if you have enough support for your ideas. After the writer is done prewriting, she moves on to the next step.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second stage for the writing process is called writing. In the writing phase, you make decisions about developing and organizing your ideas into writing and discover what you know about the subject. Insights gained from the prewriting phase help shape ideas into meaning for yourself and others. The writer may prepare a rough draft, focusing on the purpose of the writing and choosing a suitable form for a specific audience. You need a thesis to work with first. The thesis will be your guide while you write your essay.

Case for a National Missile Defense

The United States political groups and those specialized public and private sectors outside the government have evidently manifested strong interest in deploying a ballistic missile defense to protect the United States from attack. The ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) Treaty prevents nationwide defense but actually allows the United States to launch up to 100 interceptors for long-range ballistic missiles at a single site (Causewell, 2002 p.75). On the other hand, critics and socially concerned groups have provided many thoughtful arguments for saying that NMD should not even continue or progress in its development (Lindsay, 2002 p.144). The current trend of argument nowadays brought by the public pressuring sectors and those concerned in the countries militaristic defense is the abolishment of the treaty. Many supporters of National Missile Defense (NMD) state that the United States should initiate an amendment or abrogation of ABM treaty so that it can further execute the development of NMD for the maximizing the countries’ defense potential (Causewell, 2002 p.75). To consider, there are actually many political personnel in the Congress that do not agree with the Clinton Administration’s approach arguing that the threat justified the more rapid deployment of an NMD system. Significantly, there have been a wide debate and argument accompanied by this procedure. Most objection are concerned mainly on the defense status of the country upon the initiation of the project, while positive side argues that this kind of technology might provide the United States the potential to obtain the edge of their defense system. In the study, the primary discussion involves the issue on NMD and its actual presence in the United States. The main inquiry of the discussion resides to the fact of proving the most appropriate argument for the paper to support. This accompanies evidences and historical accounts that are shown during the whole course of the discussion. Discussion Historical Background The United States has pursued the development and deployment of defenses against long-range ballistic missiles since the early 1950s. It launched a treaty-compliant area located in North Dakota during the mid-1970s; however, its operation was closed only after a few months. President Reagan initiated a development plan in order to further enhance the program into a more intensive defense during the time of early 1980s, but these programs were reverted back on several occasions during the Reagan and Bush Administrations (Causewell, 2002 p.75). Most evidently, from the historical perspective, the Clinton Administration initially centered its attention in developing the technological aspect of the NMD project; however, in 1996, the administration itself   provided an outline indicating a strategy to initiate the further development and deployment of an NMD system by 2003 if the threat warranted and the technology was ready (Causewell, 2002 p.76). During January 1999, the Clinton Administration announced that it had adjusted this program to permit deployment in 2005, and would decide in summer 2000 whether to proceed with deployment of up to 20 at a single site (Causewell, 2002 p.76). Fortunately, this statement of the administrator was modified in February 2000 to include and permit the 100 interceptors. Most knowingly, the Bush Administration prefers to possess an intensive and robust NMD program that is likely to include land, sea and space-based assets. As the statement of the President exemplified, he remarked intensively to the Administration’s commitment to missile defenses in a speech on May 1, 2001 (Causewell, 2002 p.75). This scenario even proves that the initiation of NDM is within the plans of the Bush administrator; hence, its existence as one of the Government’s military and defense program is present. The U.S Senate’s votes last October 1999 against the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the renewed drive in recent years toward the deployment of a U.S. The issues on NMD system have initiated the analysts in the United States and international aspect to express their concern about the apparent U.S. trend toward a unilateral approach to security (Patrick & Forman, 2002 p.242). The Clinton Administration provided different aspects about the deployment of an NMD system. These components provided by the administration served as the primary guide in the technical management of the program. As per the administrations instructions, these components included an assessment of the threat to the United States form long-range ballistic missiles, an assessment of the maturity of the technology and the feasibility of deploying an effective system, consideration of the implications for the ABM Treaty and the possibility of gaining Russian agreement on amendments, the potential costs of the prospective system, and the environmental implications of deployment (Causewell, 2002 p.75). Many political groups questioned the Administration’s commitment to NMD funding and deployment. News and arguments point out that the government provided these additional funds in order to speed up the construction and development of the NMD program; however, this resulted to more inquiries and curiosity among the concerned public. In additional to this government effort, the Administration even passed legislation from both the House and the Senate passed on NMD deployment to further increase its phasing. Considering the Congress and White House have evidently merged and controlled the by the Republican Party, the advocates and supporters of NMD should expect a congressional approval for Bush administration plan (Causewell, 2002 p.75). Theories on Problems at Stake Political parties present in the Congress and other concerned sectors have a strong preference for the launching of ballistic missile defense (BMD) system to add up to the defensive power of the United States. In can be recalled during the time Soviet Union collapse that occurred predominantly in 1991, Iraq utilized their Scud missiles in the event of Persian Gulf War, and the use of ballistic missile technologies, all piled up as primary risk of the United States. Significantly, there are two historical scenarios in the summer of 1998 that provided these significant concerns (Causewell, 2002 p.76). First, during the accounts that occurred in July, from the congressionally-operated committee headed by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld concluded that United State’s search to further enhance their long-range ballistic missiles might be able to attain such target in the span of 5 years of deciding; however, it is essential that the United States should have, at the very least, warning before conducting the tests and deployment of such missiles. Second, during the ending periods of the month of August, North Korea flight tested 3-stage ballistic missiles. Even though the third stage of this missile did not make it through during its first flight, and this missile would not have possessed such range to attain the continental United States, North Korea manifested that it had built the technology for â€Å"staged† missiles, which has been an important discovery and influence in the field of longer-range ballistic missiles development (Causewell, 2002 p.76). According to political groups, the threatening aspect of this NMD program to the United States is from the fact that only a handful of countries, most of which are probably not now close to having operational intercontinental missiles. These groups have argued that the United States are not yet prepared for building a fully operating NMD system, and the risks involved are too extensive to initiate such goal. One of the problems that might arise is that enemies can attack the United States in ways that do not require long- range missile. The situation of NMD can make the nation vulnerable to other nation’s possible attack. Moreover, NMD could jeopardize arms control and related efforts such as the Nunn-Lugar cooperative threat reduction program intended to secure nuclear warheads and materials within Russia (Lindsay, 2002 p.144). Considering that Bush Administration still has no initiated a detail blueprint or outline for this program in terms of its prospective missile defense architecture, or any detailed and documented motives to initiate the withdrawal from the ABM Treaty. However, in meetings with NATO defense ministers in Brussels on June 7, 2001, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld stated that the Bush Administration would purse in the facilitation and enhancement of missile defenses and that scrapping of the ABM Treaty was â€Å"inevitable† since it greatly prevented both testing and launching of missile defenses (Causewell, 2002 p.76). In the United States, opponents of the CTBT and proponents of NMD assert that their views are driven not by isolationism or unilateralism, but rather by their belief that post—Cold War threats demand new approaches to U.S security. However, the perceived resurgence in U.S. unilateralism nevertheless has grave consequences for both U.S. and international security. A particularly troubling aspect of recent U.S behavior has been the overt dismissal of the views of allies on the issues of CTBT ratification and NMD (Patrick & Forman, 2002 p.242). Recommendation and Policy Options In providing these recommendations, there are certain things that need to be considered in order to come up with the rightful justifications of the decisions made. First, ballistic missile technology, such as long-range missile technology and NMD, is currently being developed in other countries as the use of it in defensive power is being considered progressively. There is a factual possibility   that Iran, Iraq, or North Korea will obtain the capacity to attack the United States using this technology. Hence, this is the initial point to consider in defending against this type of advanced technology for the reason that, the United States might be overrun by these features if they will not incorporate such technology within their defense system (Lindsay, 2002 p.144). Second, the technology for shooting down the enemy’s incoming missiles is not as feasible and accurately done in real time setting—particularly when matched against the small long-range missile arsenals that countries such as Iraq, Iran, or North Korea could plausibly facilitate in the years ahead (Lindsay, 2002 p.144). The use of enhanced sensors, computerized systems, and missile technology should soon provide the possibility of carrying out a high-reliability intercepts. The advantage of this is the promulgation of enhanced interceptors and substitutes it for the use of Nuclear Bomb. Third reason to consider is the ending the cold war that initiated an opportunity to recap the contribution of U.S missile technology to its national security policy and in U.S.-Russian relations. Fourth, the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is considered as one of the major threats in the United States can be nullified by the developing the NMD. As for the missile technological experts, they claim that the development of this NMD and enhancement of its features and missile technology can potentate in the development of such super-defensive nation. Lastly, nuclear deterrence, while reliable in most circumstances, cannot always guarantee its success as it is also not as feasible type of defense. Such Deterrence should not be assumed to apply under such circumstances, since the threats present against the country would already be confronting extreme annihilation even if it did not use NMD against the United States. For these five reasons, the advantage for pursuing the development and initiation of the NMD program dominate; hence, from its summed up rationale, the strength the United States can obtain with the use of such technology centers in the fact that they can actually provide massive defense advantage over the possible attack of other countries that may have the potential of using the same kind of technology. Conclusion In the discussion of the study, the prime conditions that have been obtained is the wide support of NMD progression among the political and military groups for the reason of U.S advancement in the field of national defense. From the discussion above, five recommendations are previewed in order to depict the advantages of incorporating such system in the national defense, which as a whole, pertains to the advancement of country’s defense against outside threats. This project has been preferred by Bush administration, although arguments have been present to the ABM treaty and other support groups negation of project’s launching and development. References Causewell, E. V. (2002). National Missile Defense: Issues and Developments. Nova Publishers. Lindsay, J. M. (2002). Defending America: The Case for Limited National Missile Defense. Brookings Institution Press. Patrick, S., & Forman, S. (2002). Multilateralism and U.S. Foreign Policy: Ambivalent Engagement. Lynne Rienner Publishers.   

Luca Pacioli

Fra Luca Bartolomeo de Pacioli (sometimes Paciolo) (1445–1514 or 1517) was an Italian mathematician and Franciscan friar, collaborator with Leonardo da Vinci, and seminal contributor to the field now known as accounting. He was also called Luca di Borgo after his birthplace, Borgo Santo Sepolcro, Tuscany. Luca Pacioli studied in Venice and Rome and became a Franciscan friar in the 1470s. He was a travelling mathematics tutor until 1497, when he accepted an invitation from Lodovico Sforza (â€Å"Il Moro†) to work in Milan. There he collaborated with, lived with, and taught mathematics to Leonardo da Vinci. In 1499, Pacioli and Leonardo were forced to flee Milan when Louis XII of France seized the city and drove their patron out. After that, Pacioli and Leonardo frequently traveled together. Upon return to his hometown, Pacioli died of old age in 1517. Pacioli published several works on mathematics, including: Summa de arithmetica, geometria, proportioni et proportionalita (Venice 1494), a synthesis of the mathematical knowledge of his time, is also notable for including the first published description of the method of keeping accounts that Venetian merchants used during the Italian Renaissance, known as the double-entry accounting system. Although Pacioli codified rather than invented this system, he is widely regarded as the â€Å"Father of Accounting†. The system he published included most of the accounting cycle as we know it today. He described the use of journals and ledgers, and warned that a person should not go to sleep at night until the debits equalled the credits. His ledger had accounts for assets (including receivables and inventories), liabilities, capital, income, and expenses—the account categories that are reported on an organization's balance sheet and income statement, respectively. He demonstrated year-end closing entries and proposed that a trial balance be used to prove a balanced ledger. Also, his treatise touches on a wide range of related topics from accounting ethics to cost accounting.

buy custom Easy Jet Case Study essay

buy custom Easy Jet Case Study essay Easy Jet Airline Company was founded in 1995 by Stelios Haji-loannou, a graduate from London Business School. The development of Easy Jet Airline was to compete with traditional airline carriers by undercutting the cost. The company was one of the first low cost airlines in the UK, with flights from Luton to Scotland. The company had two Boeing aircrafts with a capacity of 148 passengers each and the cost of one seat was $28.5 one way. In 1998 the company launched their website to improve their market. However, Haji-loannou denounced the use of internet in the company, as he suggested it did not improve the overall development of the business. In August 1999, the site had a turnover of 38 % from the sale of tickets, an equivalent to the sale of more than 136 000 seats. Currently, Easy Jet website provides 98 percent of its bookings (Boru, 2007). To ensure growth of the online market, the company increased its online discount to $2.51 for one trip, which was higher than any other airline. By the month of September 2000, the internet sales of the company reached 85 percent of the total sales made by the company. In 2003 the company had managed to capture 90% of online sales. Additionally, in 2002, Easy Jet expanded its routes and fleet by obtaining British Airways low-cost subsidiary. Easy Jet Company has reduced Boeing fleet from 73 to 30 and has acquired 106 aircraft Airbuses. The Company operates 137 aircrafts with 289 routes in 21 countries. During the establishment of Easy Jet a lean operation was required to cut the cost. Haji-loannou established a single sales channel to achieve and survive. Likewise, he was encouraged by different companies like Direct Line insurance that worked in collaboration with the airlines, thus enabling it to meet its short and long-term plans. The basic trial was established in 1997, where Haji-loannou observed closely on its popularity. The company had telephone reservation system for selling the seats. The number of callers rose daily from the call reservation system. This led to lack of space in the call centre, due to its growth. This called for a transaction site of $10 million to either build a call centre or sell over the internet. The company decided to sell tickets over the internet due to high demand of passengers. Easy Jet success was achieved by the founder vision and adaptability as well as market business model. The company had direct sales operations, which boosted the market. In addition, it was easy to integrate the call centre into a central booking system. Some of the low cost propositions for Easy Jet were no in-flight meals, no network tie-ups, no travel agents and no tickets. The customers were given personal identification numbers, a factor that significantly customized the products and services offe red by the firm (Denton, 1998). Strategic Evaluation - Situation Analysis Environmental Analysis Easy Jet Airline success was substantially influenced by environment around the organization. Easy Jet concentrates on keeping its prices down to be ahead of competitors. The customer expectation on low cost carriers is flying cheaper. Low income people are given opportunity to travel to and from the UK at an affordable price. The firm has expanded its routes to North African region, therefore expanding their markets. The customers require more convenient ways of flying and booking. This has resulted to Easy Jet increasing the fares if booking is not done in advance, which is at times higher than their competitors. This encourages the customers to book in advance using internet since it is cheaper (Desiraju and Shugan, 1999). To gain competitive advantage, Easy Jet has to keep track of technological developments in aircraft manufacture and e-commerce. The company uses Airbuses, which are lighter and fuel efficient. Likewise, the firm innovated Easy Jet holidays, thus offering hotel and flight packages to the customers booked directly on easyjet.com (Gale and Holmes, 1992). There are several factors, which influence the economy of the Easy Jet and its operational costs. These factors include congestion of customers and increasing fuel prices among other notable environmental factors. To respond to high fuel prices, Easy Jet can stock large amounts of fuel to avoid short term price effect increase. To ease congestion of customers, Easy Jet should expand their routes and increase their fleets. The company vision is to have 120 airbuses by 2015 in the market domination. Easy Jet contributes to the environment through production of friendly planes, which do not emit carbon to the environment. This is due to the fact that carbon emission in to the air pollutes the environment, thus affecting the flora and fauna. Likewise, the customers contribute to the environment by paying small amount of money to Easy Jet which they invest in environmental projects. Easy Jet airline is affected by competitive forces, which affect its market. One of the competitive forces is threat from other substitutes of travel. Other modes of transport such as cars and trains threaten low cost airlines since they are flexible and comfortable. Another threat is from new entrants. To enter in the market, high capital is required to buy aircrafts. Easy Jet does better in the UK than in the rest of Europe region, since there are few market entrants in the UK. Expansion of new market in European countries for Easy Jet is difficult due to companies such as TUI, which are setting up low cost operations. Similarly, it is difficult for new carriers to find suitable airports due to lack of landing slots and takeoffs. Power suppliers are another competitive force, which affects the airline. There are many airplane manufactures in the airline industry. Easy Jet depends on one particular manufacturer of aircraft, a factor that may significantly poses a threat to the airli ne if the company fails. The high price of fuels in the international markets is another factor that affects the profitability of the firm. For instance, in the last five years, price of fuel has increased by almost 300% to $147.6 per barrel globally. The other competitive force is the power of buyers. Easy Jet is a low cost airline hence the buyers shop around for better prices on the internet. This forces the company to review its prices regularly to be ahead. Consequently, rivalry among existing firms is another competitive force affecting Easy Jet. Major competitors of Easy Jet in the UK are MyTravelLite, BMI and Ryan Air. In European countries the competitors are Air Berlin, German Wings and Virgin Express. These competitors affect Easy Jet market and target different segments (Gallego and van Ryzen, 1994). SWOT Analysis To review the marketing strategy of Easy Jet, strengths, weaknesses, threats and all the possible opportunities need to be reviewed. Strengths Easy Jet has different strengths which makes it stay ahead of the competitors. One of its strengths is strong e-business. Use of internet to reserve booking has improved the market of the airline. Flexibility and innovation is another Easy Jet strength (Done, 2004). Use of internet to book seats has increased convenience and flexibility to the customers. Differentiation on pricing is another strength which boosts Easy Jet. Easy Jet has different prices depending in the season. The company charges slightly high during high seasons and low during low seasons. Similarly, the company has strong financial position. Likewise, the company has a powerful branding of their services and products. Easy Jet has several products which improve the image of the company. These products include easy hotel, easy van, easy bus, easy cinema and easy gym among others. These products are available on their website hence boosting their market. Weaknesses Despite the success of Easy Jet both in the domestic and international markets, it has several weaknesses. First, the company has no customer retention policy. Secondly, Easy Jet lacks service and business focus, thus making the low cost model unappealing. Thirdly, focus on convenience and focus on price are reaching to their limit hence expanding becomes difficult. Opportunities Easy Jet airline has various opportunities. One of Easy Jets opportunities is future growth for the company. Ful service airlines are withdrawing from regional market to focus on profitable routes, hence leaving the market for low cost operators. This is a great opportunity for Easy Jet to invest. Another opportunity for Easy Jet is short break market. This market is providing growth for Easy Jet rapidly (Gallego and van Ryzen, 1997). Threats There are several threats facing Easy Jet airline market. First, it is difficult to expand new routes from London. Secondly, the airline market is saturated; hence stiff competition from other airlines. Thirdly, there is high competition in demanding incentives from communities. Fourthly, economic downturn affects business travel times, hence time consuming. Fifthly, the company faces threats from terrorists which affect their market. Likewise, political instability, as currently witnessed in most of the Arabic countries, such as Syria, Egypt, Libya among other, affects their market since they cannot effectively offer their services. PEST analysis PEST analysis describes macro-environmental factors which influence organizational environment. They include Political, Economic, Social, and Technological (Jones, 2007). Political Factors Easy jet organization is likely to be influenced by war in the Middle East. Likewise, there is a threat from European parliament which is forcing low cost airlines to pay three times higher the current price. Economic Factors One of the economic factors likely to affect easy jet is rise in fuel cost, environmental restrictions, and congestion, since it may outlook higher insurance and security costs. Secondly, globalization will boost air traffic. Thirdly, introduction of Europe currency will increase easy jet business. Social Cultural Factors Firstly, use of promotions will be friendly to the customers thou may affect customers if they find that is not the actual price. Secondly, it may be difficult to win German and French cultures since they use credit cards on the internet and phones. Technological Factors First, easy jet will be required to keep technological developments in order to gain competitive advantage. Secondly, use of cost synergies and distribution on the internet will affect costs and prices. Resources and Company Capabilities For an organization to be successful, the success key factors must be determined and evaluated. There are different key success factors that have led to the success of Easy Jet Airlines Company. These factors include baggage delivery, punctuality, safety and low prices. These factors are threshold of customer expectation in any airline company. Likewise, possibility of one-way tickets enhanced Easy Jet success, since other airlines did not offer it. In addition, use of internet to book flights direct improves the market share of the company, due to the fact that it saves time and is convenient. Easy Jet success factors evolved from the company low-cost business model. The model has different characteristics. One of the characteristics is selling ticket directly via internet as well as deducting travel agents commission. This saved time and was convenient to customers. Dynamic seat pricing is the second characteristic of the model. Easy Jet charges high during peak season and low during less busy periods. This has improved the market as well as maintaining the customers. The third characteristic is that the model has low cost prepositions which are used as revenue generating opportunities. Point to point is another characteristic offered by the model. The company has one type of aircraft to reduce the cost of maintenance and staff and crew training. Similarly, this has created economy scale for purchasing spare parts and aircrafts as well as increasing operational flexibility. Another characteristic of the model is that it offers short destination routes with single class ca bin. Easy Jet Resources Easy Jet airline has different tangible and intangible resources, which boost its markets. Tangible resources include financial and physical resources. Easy Jet has 137 aircrafts which are fuel efficient. The airline has strong competitive advantage from new entrants barrier. Easy Jet has dedicated airport slots which are important assets for the company. Likewise, it forms a competitive advantage for the airline. Easy Jet stocks fuel in advance to beat the oil price fluctuations, thus ensuring that the company does not occur loses due to fuel prices. The firm responds to opportunities fast due to financial reserves. Intangible resources include cultural, reputational and technological resources. E-Marketing Strategies for Easy Jet E-Marketing for Easy Jet has led to the rapid growth of the company. E-Marketing is a process of achieving marketing objectives by the use of electronic communication technology. E-Market tool used by Easy Jet is the use of website to sell tickets. E-Tools support marketing in several ways. First, it assists in identifying ways of using internet for marketing research to find out customer wants and needs. Secondly, they help in anticipating demand for digital services. Thirdly, they improve customer satisfaction through electronic channels. They also improve profit margins of a company (Grant, 2005). Setting up e-market for Easy Jet was to reduce manual labor and booking centers cost. The use of internet reduces cost of issuing tickets, reduces tasks, reconciliation, processing and distribution of tickets yearly. This improved administration and management purposes in the business. However, e-market needs logic to be useful to the company. Easy Jets e-strategy scaled down call centre operations as most of the tickets were sold online. The use of internet has also made flights cheaper as compared to that of competitors, thus benefiting the customers (Johnson and et al, 2006). One of the benefits to the customers is that they receive discounts when they book online for each journey. Easy Jet did put all cheap flight online to attract more customers, hence beating their competitors. Customers are able to make bookings, transfer flights, as well as requesting email confirmation duplicates. In addition, customers are able to reschedule their flight bookings and online check for its customers. The website offers an option to the customers to select speed boarding, which enables passengers to board flights before other customers (www.easyjet.com). Easy Jet uses pricing strategy to improve its markets. Pricing approaches used including good value pricing and value added pricing. Easy Jet offers quality services which are of low cost and exceed customers expectations. Easy Jet makes savings through eliminating travel agents from the chain and reducing administrative costs. The company does not offer in-flight refreshments to the passengers. Likewise, the check-in luggage is charged, hence reducing basic air fares. To guarantee good services, Easy Jet ensures the records match with that of major carriers and the passengers are in the plane on time. Value-added pricing includes in-flights and pre-flights. The preflight area has lounges, which are accessible to business passengers. The area has television sets and food stations accessible to the passengers. The in-flight area has comfortable seats, dining and entertainment areas, which are for the passengers who board the first class and business class. E-marketing moulds the passengers according to specifications (Porter, 2004). Another marketing strategy is through promotions. The company runs its promotions online and sometimes in the newspapers. The use of internet has helped in beating the demand of rising number of customers. Promotions are offered online to passengers who book online. This eases congestion in the telephone reservation system as well as in the call centre. Easy Jet uses subcontractors to assist them in their operations. Innovative programs are put up by the management to improve relationships between suppliers and subcontractors. Some of these innovative programs include performaance rating programs and workshops (Desiraju and Shugan, 1999). Value Chain Analysis Easy Jet guarantees long terms contract to ensure delivery in location, time and amount of the aircraft. The operations are carried out by handling reservation staff. The use of online reservation system enabled the firm to cut cost on travel agents and commissions. Further, the use of subcontractors to handle flight services ensures that activities are carried in a convenient way. Outbound logistics ensures final distribution of services and products to the customers. These activities include safe, comfortable and punctual flight trips to the customers. Easy Jet planes are efficient due to large number of customers. Sales and marketing department creates awareness to the audience of its services and products. However, the firm has one weakness of not offering incentives. For instance, there are no refunds if the customers miss their flights. This puts off customers, hence low frequent fliers. The supporting activities for the firm include procurement, technology development, human r esource management and firm infrastructure (Jones, 2007). To outperform other firms in an industry, there are different generic approaches used. One of the generic strategies is overall cost leadership. This strategy ensures low costs to the customers, which increases the profits in return. There are three success criteria used to ensure effective use of this strategy. They include feasibility, acceptability and suitability. Suitability is the strategic position of an organization in terms of expectation of the stakeholders, strategic capabilities of the firm and strategic position of the environment. The strategic position of environment of Easy Jet indicates that this strategy is suitable to environmental factors. The factors of setting up, growing and availability of business model determine the market position of this company. The strong financial background and basic knowledge in transport business made it possible for Easy Jet success. Customers expectations of low market cost made it possible for Easy Jet to venture into the business (Kretsch, 1995). Acceptability is concerned with expected performance of the strategy. To determine Easy Jet strategy, stakeholder reactions, risks, and returns should be verified. Non-financial and financial returns are verified to determine the profit margins in terms of cash flow, pay backs and capital returns. Continuous improvement in profit growth indicates good choice of strategies. Feasibility, access competences and resources of a company are used in accessing the strategy. There are two ways to determine feasibility. They include break even analysis and financial feasibility which help in identifying competences and resources for the strategy (Desiraju and Shugan, 1999). Legal and Ethical Issues Businesses that are using e-commerce system are faced by a lot of ethical challenges. Legal and ethical issues facing e-commerce include consumer protection, computer crimes, taxation, free speech, intellectual property and privacy. Information collected from customers should be protected from hackers. There are different ways private information is collected. They include internal directory, emails, web browsers and user groups. To book flights on Easy Jet website, the customer is required to register by filling in registration form. This information is stored in the database and can be viewed by third parties. Easy Jet should introduce security measures to protect the customer information from hackers, which may destroy their market. The website contains cookies that help the users to maintain user status. Likewise, these cookies improve online services as well as customizing sites. To protect the information, cookies should be deleted from the website. In addition, anti-cookie sof tware can be used to protect cookies from hackers (Rhoades and Waguespack, 2006). There are several principles which protect privacy. One of the principles is to register with the government on legal remedies. Secondly, individual accessing the information should have authentication information to ensure that only individuals with the right have access to the information. Booking confirmation copies should have Easy Jet trade marks to ensure they are genuine. One of the ethical issues is misleading and false advertisements. The use of these advertisements may make the organization to lose its market to its competitors. Another ethical issue facing internet business is the use of obfuscating language. This destroys the market of the company hence there is a drop in profits. Another ethical issue is lack of clear requirements and procedures in the website. This may mislead the customers while booking tickets therefore this may bring about conflicts. Likewise, information may not be linked properly in the website where information is collected in the database. This m ay lead to vital information being left out during registration or ticket purchasing (Desiraju and Shugan, 1999). Future Suggestions and Improvements Easy Jet Company matches well with environment and strategies. Easy Jet has considered competing on services, routes and prices aggressively to drive entrants out of the market. In addition, Easy Jet has strategic decisions of reviewing the cost and routes offered by its competitors. Easy Jet Company targets travelers on leisure since business individuals travel to wide spectrum of destinations. The company needs to review its fleet and ventures into all cities to expand its market. However, the operating costs should not increase. Further, more emphasis should be put on direct marketing such as customer retention scheme. Easy Jet can start selling shares in environmental programs in the website to collect money for charity work. This will promote its market, since the customers will be giving back to the community. Further, the airline should venture into the use of green form of energies in all its branches. This will significantly reduce the firms carbon printing, a factor that wi ll substantially enhance long-term sustainability of our environment. In conclusion, Easy Jet is one of the most successful low cost airlines in the world. This has been contributed by introduction of internet booking to passengers who uses their routes. Factors which influence the economy of the firm and its operational costs include congestion of customers and increasing fuel prices among other environmental factors. Easy Jet airlines competitive forces include threat from other substitutes travel, this threat from new entrants and competitive force is the power of buyers. The strengths of the firm include strong e-business, differentiation on pricing, financial position and powerful branding of their services and products. Easy Jets weaknesses include no customer retention policy, lack of service and business, high focus on convenience and price. They are reaching to their limit hence expanding becomes difficult. Easy Jets threats to its business include difficulties in expanding new routes from London, stiff competition from other airlines, high co mpetition in demanding incentives from communities, economic downturn affects business travel times, hence time consuming and political instability in the countries. Low-cost business model characteristics include selling ticket directly via internet as well as deducting travel agents commission; dynamic seat pricing, low cost prepositions, point to point and short destination routes with single class cabin. Easy Jet responds to opportunities fast due to financial reserves. Intangible resources include cultural, reputational and technological resources. Tangible resources include financial and physical resources. E-Tools support marketing in several ways. First, it assists in identifying ways of using internet for marketing research to find out customer wants and needs. Secondly, they help in anticipating demand for digital services. Thirdly, they improve customer satisfaction through electronic channels. Fourthly, they improve profit margins of the company (Desiraju and Shugan, 1999). It is notable that the website offers to the customers an option to select speed boarding which enables passengers to board flights before other customers. Legal a nd ethical issues facing e-commerce include consumer protection, computer crimes, taxation, free speech, intellectual property and privacy. Buy custom Easy Jet Case Study essay

Beowolf and Jesse Ventura essays

Beowolf and Jesse Ventura essays Beowulf and Governor Jesse Ventura of Minnesota have many similarities and differences. They are both thought of as heros. Jesse Ventura is a self-created political figure and Beowulf was a made up legend. Jesse Ventura won as a third party candidate for the governor of Minnesota and Beowulf defeated Grendel in a battle, which were two incredible accomplishments. Jesse Ventura and Beowulf are also two very un-modest heros, and they speak their minds. They are both thought of as heros, though they came from different time periods and led totally different lives. Jesse Ventura was a navy SEAL, a movie actor, and a professional wrestler. He created his image to be a larger-than-life warrior type. He worked hard, running as a third party candidate for the governor of Minnesota and won. Beowulf was a made up legend who had super-human qualities. During the Dark Ages Beowulf was an epic that was told by the Anglo-Saxons. Beowulf was brave enough to fight Grendel with his bare hands and the author tells us that Grendel: Saw that his strength was deserting him, his claw Bound fast, Higlac's brave follower tearing at His hands. The monster's hatred rose higher, But his power had gone. He twisted in pain, And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder Snapped, muscle and bone split And broke. The battle was over, Beowulf Had been granted new glory. (P. 21, ln 102-110) Jesse Ventura was a wrestler, but he never harmed his opponent as badly as Beowulf did. Both Beowulf and Jesse Ventura were strong, champion-like figures. Jesse Ventura ran as a third party candidate for the governor of Minnesota even though most third party candidates don't have a chance. Democrats and Republicans have been known to exclude third party candidates from debates. Third party nominees have to make due with less press attention and money. When they do receive...

Analysis Of Jane Eyre s The Madwoman s The Attic Essays Jane Ey

On the surface Bertha’s existence is seen as an obstacle to Jane’s happiness with Rochester and a scandalous secret shame of Rochester’s. A closer examination of Bertha’s circumstances and how she came to be at Thornfield can conclude that her madness is simply product of being alleviated of both her wealth and independence in the male-dominated society of Victorian England. Her regression into a madwoman due in part to her confinement is carefully surmised from Jane’s first impression her when she is i... ...of the Victorian era and perhaps, in some ways, by having such a placid protagonist and a passionate minor antagonist could be reflective of the authors own conflict between submissiveness and rage. The madwoman in the attic, a phrase employed by theorists Gilbert and Gubar (Donaldson, 2002) as they developed an argument about what exactly the â€Å"Madwoman in the Attic† represented. Perhaps she embodied all the pain and rage that the author of the text felt. One can be locked away, hidden, diagnosed as mad, however, you cannot ignore the intensity of her character: her hardheartedness, sexual potency and mind make her an unforgettable character. Instead of doing away with such a burden of a person the character chooses to end her own life. If the madwoman in the attic was reflective of Bronte herself what might it mean for her to kill off her fictional passionate self?

Did Edward Snowden do more good or harm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Did Edward Snowden do more good or harm - Essay Example he security and peace of the Britain and other populations in the west, then the Snowden leaks have been devastating and have caused a lot of harm (Scruton 2013; Whitehead, Hope and Swinford 2013). On the other hand, there are those who say that the Snowden leaks have done worlds of good. One, the leaks have awakened the American public to the reality of the massive, pervasive and unauthorized intrusions into their privacy by government. Such awareness has in turn caused many Americans to speak out and spark a debate into extent of civil liberties and the right to privacy on the one hand and the need of government to secure its well-being and the safety and peace of the general population through the conscious trespassing of those liberties on the other (Desilver 2014; Newport 2013). On balance, this paper argues that Snowden’s actions have both had done harm and good A nuanced consideration of the arguments from both sides of the debate tell us that the consequences of his ac tions are complex. The underlying issues of personal freedoms and civil liberties versus government policing and surveillance in pursuit of securing the peace has ever been a source of tension in a rich and never-ending tug and pull dynamic between these opposing forces (Mirkinson 2013; Scherer 2013). On the one hand we have legal experts opining that the surveillance programs and tools used by the NSA and counterpart agencies in other countries are in essence necessary evils in a world where terrorists have access to the same technologies, and where those programs and tools have aided in the suppression and arrest of terrorists and their activities (Omand 2014; Johnson et al. 2014). 9/11 is being highlighted in discussions of how such surveillance programs have averted potential recurrences of such an event moving forward from that catastrophe, in an argument in support of the general view that by compromising such activities to detect and prevent 9/11 events, Snowden has terribly

Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Obesity - Essay Example Over the last centuries, research indicated that obesity was related to rich households where food was in plenty thus individuals could afford to overindulge. However, recent studies have shown a deviation from the traditional perspective where the findings indicate that households with higher risks of obesity were the poorest families in the United Kingdom (UK). This can be attributed to the fact that poor families are not in a position to afford adequate and nutritious diets. They instead tend to buy junk food, which is relatively cheaper and convenient because some nutritious diets require time to prepare and other accompaniments. This paper aims at discussing the title ‘In Western society, the poor are now for the first time in history, proportionately the most obese portion of the population’. Obesity generally translates to having too much body fat, which contributes to their being overweight. Obesity leads to reduced life expectancy because of the health risks it exposes people to like diabetes type 1 and 2, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. Obesity is caused by the consumption of excessive high-energy food intake, lack of physical activity and through genetic susceptibility although this is rare phenomena. Lack of physical exercise and adequate diets are leading causes of obesity. Consumption of low quality diets rich in energy and sugar content lead to accumulation of fat in tissues and consequent weight gain (Murphy 22). Lack of physical activity that is encouraged by a sedentary lifestyle contributes to lack of exercise. All of these factors combined, result in reduced morbidity of an obese individual because their weight becomes too much to bear. Their legs become swollen due accumulation of water caused by stress subjected to them by the excess weight. Obesity is a leading killer condition in the world, but it does not kill directly, it is the health risks that being obese one expose to, that cause death. The sad fact is that it is a preventable and treatable condition, but it continues to kill millions of people every year all over the world. The most effective mode of preventing obesity is leading a healthy lifestyle by consuming nutritious diets and maintaining proper physical health through exercise. Treatment of obesity follows the same principles applied in prevention, which are the most effective, and user friendly. There are other methods, which are considered extreme by some people, and they include surgery to remove excess body fat. Liposuction is such a surgical procedure where excess fat if sucked from an individual’s abdomen. The best way to manage obesity is by dieting which means consuming food that is low on high energy and sugars, and instead increase intake of vegetables and fruits. Physical health is also a vital component of managing obesity. Earlier research studies indicated that obesity was a condition associated with the rich, people of affluence. During the middle ages in Eur ope, rich people were revered for being obese, and it was an accepted norm, which represented their stature. In countries like Japan and China, obesity was referred to as the disease of the opulent in society. In more recent times, research studies have established a changing trend in the prevalence of obesity among rich households. The trend has changed from rich families having individuals who are obese to poor families having people who are obese. This

FMRI ( T) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

FMRI ( T) - Essay Example Therefore, it is needed to be avoided for preventing the future banking crisis. For this purpose, the proposals have been suggested in the second part of the paper. It is suggested that the division of bank into commercial and investment banking has fewer risks and it is a desirable option in contrast to the unified banking which is more risky but fostered more growth of the banks. The paper is meant to discuss the serious issue of banking crisis and suggest ways to mitigate the chance of future economic crisis globally. For this purpose, the paper covers two major sections in which the first part explains the term systemic risk and systemically important financial institutions. However, the second part describes and evaluates various proposals for introducing banking reforms concerned with the separation of the commercial banking and investment banking sector. The systemic risk can be defined as the condition in which the entire financial setup receives a major setback (Cox, & Larsen, 2011). It can be contrasted to the risk of damage done to the one financial aspect only and implies the collapse of a whole financial system. In other words, it is the major financial downfall which results from the various external and internal causes. It has also been described as the financial instability or disruption of a financial system which is generally catastrophic in nature. Hendricks (2009) has defined systemic risk in following words: "A systemic risk is the risk of a phase transition from one equilibrium to another, much less optimal equilibrium, characterized by multiple self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms making it difficult to reverse." The definition given above used theoretical terms to explain the concept of systemic risk and does not include economic terms in it. However, it suggests that systemic risk is the type of risk which can occur when a particular change occurs in terms of a transition from one phase to

SURROGATING BODIES, EMBODIMENT OF THEORIES Essay

SURROGATING BODIES, EMBODIMENT OF THEORIES - Essay Example For instance, Hollywood serves as being a good laboratory for social scientists in order to discuss key elements, phenomena and possibilities or potentials of modern society. Similarly we will conduct an extensive analysis and hold relevant discussion especially through Surrogates and at the same time touching to some core concepts of Foucault, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Agamben and Zizek. The study sociology or social sciences particularly in theory form through popular culture is something familiar for the recent history of intellectual production. However, in conjunction with the above mentioned names on a topic regarding body, life and power, it is entirely new in the ground of popular culture and it can cause a productive / fruitful discussion and thinking process if it is taken in an inter-active and trans-disciplinary academic approach. The Surrogates is one Hollywood movie directed by Jonathan Mostow, based on a comic book written by Robert Venditti and drawn by Brett Weldele (Ven ditti and Weldele, 2006). It provides us the opportunity to discuss several sociological-philosophical concepts of critical thinkers in the West.in the same film the near future of the world and society is discussed in the film.at first the film was designed for military equipment and later it became readily available and affordable to members of the public. The technology enabled people to get involve in social life without limit and the users were kept safe from communicable diseases, crimes as well as discrimination, war among others. It was called as â€Å"a revolution in how we live.† Where people could remain their home and vicariously interacted with the real world through their robotic duplicates in other words their Surrogates and regardless of who you are, you could be anybody with these human-like machines. In power and politics, Michael Foucault has inspired critical thinkers and social movements especially from the second half of 20th century until now by showing critical thinkers in the modern sense that power is a biological process and has deep connections on social constructions of â€Å"body†. He further went on by clarifying that body is not â€Å"individual† at all and in modern times it is marked and socialized through complicated and intertwined ways of domination. Reality in the 21stcentury philosopher Jean Baudrillard explained the meaning of reality. His concept was based on accession of real rather than its destruction. He also criticized consumer society and the theory of body and politics. He claimed that, all contradictory currents are integrated in some circuits and transcription. He went further by accepting surrogates ideas by saying that bodies of people have become technical apparatuses themselves. In the invisibility of â€Å"real body† robots have taken places of real bodies, and in his words, they turned into the reality, or there is no reality apart from them. The â€Å"thing† we call bod y today has become a huge brain / mind and the bedroom turned into the skull.In the case of Surrogates, physical body operating in the society is separated from inside entirely and all real or biological body became â€Å"inside† as a closed and invisible unity. This time technologies and their applications do not seem so â€Å"irreversible† at the first sight. The movie Surrogates is maybe a further expression of this

Strategic Planning For Digital Marketing Communications Research Paper

Strategic Planning For Digital Marketing Communications - Research Paper Example Based on the outcome of this analysis, the management of the organization gets a clear perspective of the possible ways in which it might utilize the opportunities and deal with the threats successfully. Although this analysis is similar to the analysis made for any other for-profit organization, there are certain key differences. Oxfam NGO also faces some of these problems. Managers in a non-governmental organization (NGO) need to consider the impact of factors such as volunteer staff, fundraising, volunteer staff and long-term goodwill. Since these organizations do not depend on profit for their survival, the above-mentioned factors play a major role in achieving success in the long run (Turkishweekly, 2013). From the analysis (see SWOT table in appendix), it has been found that in the NGO industry, organizations face several challenges in conducting marketing communication activities. Some of the noteworthy challenges are briefly discussed below. General issues Challenge Absence o f strategic planning Many organizations in the NGO sector do not run as proper business enterprises, they face the lack of strategic planning. However, this lack of planning often creates indecisiveness or barriers in the path of marketing. Oxfam faces this problem of strategic planning at the marketing level (Ngoconnect, 2009). ...NGO industry issues Challenge Lack of funds Fundraising remains one of the major concerns for non-profit organizations. 80% of Oxfam’s activities depend on the financial assistance provided by its members, associates, and private partners while the government provides 20% of assistance (Oxfam, 2013a). Finding private donors is a challenging task. Depending on the status of the economy, the financial conditions of the donors fluctuate. Poor networking Some NGOs are not very successful in establishing strong networks with clients and other NGOs.

FMRI ( T) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

FMRI ( T) - Essay Example Therefore, it is needed to be avoided for preventing the future banking crisis. For this purpose, the proposals have been suggested in the second part of the paper. It is suggested that the division of bank into commercial and investment banking has fewer risks and it is a desirable option in contrast to the unified banking which is more risky but fostered more growth of the banks. The paper is meant to discuss the serious issue of banking crisis and suggest ways to mitigate the chance of future economic crisis globally. For this purpose, the paper covers two major sections in which the first part explains the term systemic risk and systemically important financial institutions. However, the second part describes and evaluates various proposals for introducing banking reforms concerned with the separation of the commercial banking and investment banking sector. The systemic risk can be defined as the condition in which the entire financial setup receives a major setback (Cox, & Larsen, 2011). It can be contrasted to the risk of damage done to the one financial aspect only and implies the collapse of a whole financial system. In other words, it is the major financial downfall which results from the various external and internal causes. It has also been described as the financial instability or disruption of a financial system which is generally catastrophic in nature. Hendricks (2009) has defined systemic risk in following words: "A systemic risk is the risk of a phase transition from one equilibrium to another, much less optimal equilibrium, characterized by multiple self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms making it difficult to reverse." The definition given above used theoretical terms to explain the concept of systemic risk and does not include economic terms in it. However, it suggests that systemic risk is the type of risk which can occur when a particular change occurs in terms of a transition from one phase to

Strategic Planning For Digital Marketing Communications Research Paper

Strategic Planning For Digital Marketing Communications - Research Paper Example Based on the outcome of this analysis, the management of the organization gets a clear perspective of the possible ways in which it might utilize the opportunities and deal with the threats successfully. Although this analysis is similar to the analysis made for any other for-profit organization, there are certain key differences. Oxfam NGO also faces some of these problems. Managers in a non-governmental organization (NGO) need to consider the impact of factors such as volunteer staff, fundraising, volunteer staff and long-term goodwill. Since these organizations do not depend on profit for their survival, the above-mentioned factors play a major role in achieving success in the long run (Turkishweekly, 2013). From the analysis (see SWOT table in appendix), it has been found that in the NGO industry, organizations face several challenges in conducting marketing communication activities. Some of the noteworthy challenges are briefly discussed below. General issues Challenge Absence o f strategic planning Many organizations in the NGO sector do not run as proper business enterprises, they face the lack of strategic planning. However, this lack of planning often creates indecisiveness or barriers in the path of marketing. Oxfam faces this problem of strategic planning at the marketing level (Ngoconnect, 2009). ...NGO industry issues Challenge Lack of funds Fundraising remains one of the major concerns for non-profit organizations. 80% of Oxfam’s activities depend on the financial assistance provided by its members, associates, and private partners while the government provides 20% of assistance (Oxfam, 2013a). Finding private donors is a challenging task. Depending on the status of the economy, the financial conditions of the donors fluctuate. Poor networking Some NGOs are not very successful in establishing strong networks with clients and other NGOs.

Accolade vs Sega Essay Example for Free

Accolade vs Sega Essay Accolade would definitely be wrong in every aspect of this story. Accolade’s lawyer’s argument that Sega’s security codes were an interface standard is also wrong in a lockean based economy. This is because interface standards are publicly owned by everybody and can be duplicated without permission. Nothing is publicly owned in a Locke based perspective. The utilitarian view would also favor Sega’s software code as being private property, but for different reasons. This view suggests if Sega didn’t have property rights to its genesis and affiliated profitability, then Sega would lose incentive to create new ideas beneficial to the marketplace. This theory of utility also suggests Accolade and Sega should both have taken a different approach to how they did business, or lack of business, with each other. Sega should have granted accessibility to its gaming console for a small fee. This would have made Sega and Accolade more profitable to society because Accolade’s games would benefit Sega’s industry. The Marxist theory would take Accolade’s side to this story. This theory would suggest the software that Accolade decoded belongs to the general public for their benefit to make a profit. Sega owns only the game console and not the software that is used to run it. Accolade’s lawyer’s argument that the software is an interface standard would stand lawful. I personally agree with the utility theory most because if there wasn’t any incentive for new ideas and technology, then there wouldn’t be any. People and companies put a lot of effort and resources into new ideas. A person would not put any time and effort into a good idea, especially if they cannot make any money from it. He or she could not make any money off of their idea because people would just steal their idea and profit from it themselves. If there were no copyrights or patents protecting ideas, we could all be living in an unindustrialized world. I believe Locke’s theory of private property is most appropriate for this case besides the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals final decision that agreed with Accolade. Sega was using the lockean approach to private property with its security software. Accolade duplicated their software code without permission and infringed on Sega’s copyright. The story, in the end, basically agreed to Sega’s argument. 2. I believe Accolade Stole Sega’s property because American law has held to the theory that individuals have a right to do what they want with their property, and government has no right to interfere with an individual’s private property even for the good of society. Accolade would’ve benefited from using Sega’s product, but the law states it is Sega’s property, and they can do what they please with certain legal constraints. Sega did not grant Accolade a license to market games on their property. If Sega did grant them a license, then it would not be stealing. If I did not grant a person permission to use my car for their benefit and they drove off with it, I would call the police because someone stole my car. 3. I believe Accolade went too far in trying to reverse engineer Sega’s source code because Accolade already knew Sega didn’t want them marketing games on their new gaming console. If Sega wanted Accolade games on their console platform, wouldn’t Sega license them to do so? Sega specifically made that security code so game companies like Accolade would not benefit from Sega’s property. Sega wanted to be the sole maker of games for their console and they had the right to do that with their copyrighted property. With that said, I believe Accolade reverse engineered the software knowing it was morally wrong. I do not believe a company has the right to reverse engineer any product it wants. Taking an all ready thought of idea and creating a new product is different than copying another product verbatim. Reverse engineering affects the theory of utility. The incentive to come up with new ideas would be lost because there would be no reward for it. Let’s say Microsoft had the ability to create a new operating system and knew it could be reverse engineered the day they released it to the public. Would Microsoft put forth the effort, time, and resources to make this new product? I know I wouldn’t because Microsoft’s competitors could produce the same product with less overhead. This would be giving Microsoft’s competitors an advantage because they could sell the same product for less money. This would potentially put Microsoft out of business. Economies inevitably couldn’t evolve to serve societies better. Works Cited Velasquez, Manuel G. Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2012. Print.