The Wallingford Bowling Center Case free essay sample

Five alternative solutions are; more advertising, offering incentives to customers during slow hours to increase sales, use the extra space and rooms to generate income by renting that space, closing the business during slow times, put the business on the market to gauge potential profit from sale. In evaluating the alternatives we determine the adequacy of the alternatives that have been generated. More advertising would provide a larger customer base especially for the slow periods in turn increasing profits, but it may not be an adequate solution because of the company’s position of operating expenses; however it could increase profits by luring in more customers especially during times when capacity is low. Offering incentives to customers is an option that could provide more customers that otherwise would not have visited the business. Using the extra space of the bowling alley as a rental for special events especially during slow hours could provide a potential profit in space that would otherwise go unused. We will write a custom essay sample on The Wallingford Bowling Center Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Closing the business during slow hours would be a very viable option because it would save on operating costs and in turn increase the profits. Testing the market with this business could also be an option, although the profit pool has not been desirable, the business seems to be established which could be very attractive to potential buyers. It would at least be worth a look to see what kind of profit margin could be reached with a sell. Making the choice involves the concepts of maximizing, satisficing, and optimizing. I think that by shutting down the business during slow times we will be maximizing because we achieve the best possible outcome in that we increase occupancy and sales at the same time while decreasing expenses. After the choosing the alternative it must be implemented with careful planning that highlights a clear plan of what will happen and also take time to identify potential problems and potential benefits that could result from implementation. Evaluating the decision will involve evaluating the implementation of our chosen alternative by collecting and analyzing information on how well the decision is working. Question 2 As a general manager I would utilize the group decision making process by having controlled brain storming sessions that involve all employees in the company. All of the employees could potentially bring an idea or ideas to the table because creative ideas usually arise when there is total freedom of ideas minus criticism. I would first do it by email and then by a group. Question 3 I think this case provides a good background for involving group decision making because there happens to more than a few possible fixes, ultimately the owners make the decisions but they have a pool of resource and creativity within their workforce that could provide insight. Sometimes in a group format people can become anxious and uninhibited, conform to the ideas of others, set low standards, and engage in non creative behaviors such as telling stories totally unrelated to the matter, complimenting each other, and repeating ideas. Wallingford could combat these disadvantages by instructing the participants to write down ideas silently, using a facilitator, setting high performance goals, and using an electronic format so that people aren’t competing for air time.

Target Costing Is An Approach To Managing Product Costs Essays

Target Costing Is An Approach To Managing Product Costs Essays Target Costing Is An Approach To Managing Product Costs Paper Target Costing Is An Approach To Managing Product Costs Paper This paper discusses the usage and procedure of mark bing for merchandise development and cost direction and why it should be used in merchandise planning. To explicate the mark bing procedure, benefits, and jobs with its usage, the writers utilize a instance survey of a domestic fowl treating company fabrication place repast replacings for sale through supermarkets. Testing the efficiency and effectivity of ABC theoretical accounts, utilizing assorted methods, has been widely highlighted in early empirical surveies. The survey makes usage of secondary informations available from early empirical literature on execution of ABC theoretical account in banking industry. Although, the theoretical account proved to be successful when implemented in the banking industry, figure of jobs still remain acute, which prevents from monolithic debut of a new theoretical account within a sector. In response, some recommendations were drawn to plan a method of get the better ofing or deciding many of the issues around ABC. The distribution of acceptance over industries confirmed the outlook that piecing houses show a comparatively high acceptance of mark casting. The acceptance of these techniques appears to be related to an intense competitory and unpredictable environment. Similar to aim projecting surveies in Japan and Germany, the chief aim for following these techniques in the sample is to cut down costs. The merchandise development and design sections appear to be taking in the mark cost direction procedure, while the accounting section is merely reasonably involved. Finally, the most often adopted organisational signifier for mark cost direction is team constructions, in which multiple maps combine cognition and capablenesss in the merchandise development procedure. Introduction Target costing is an attack to pull offing merchandise costs and gross borders that works rearward from the monetary value a client will pay for a specific merchandise with a specific characteristic set, sets merchandise cost marks based on that merchandise s expected gross border and so manages the development procedure to accomplish the marks. This is different from how many companies approach merchandise costs, where the squads may put marks based on historical informations and anticipation, and so put the monetary value by adding a specific per centum of borders. Target bing topographic points client value at the centre of the fiscal determinations that a development squad makes about a merchandise. To make this efficaciously, a squad needs to cognize such things as how much extra a client will pay for a specific characteristic or degree of public presentation, which countries of the merchandise may be over-performing or particularly hard to fabricate, how to re-think a merchandi se design to do it easier and less expensive to bring forth, and how to spouse with providers to drive down costs. The thought is to rethink our premises about a merchandise and inquire our clients straight to give us guidance on the elements of the merchandise that create the most value for them so that we can present them more efficaciously and extinguish everything else. The chief benefit of this attack is increased gross borders, chiefly by cut downing direct labour and stuff costs for the merchandise. One design end can be fewer parts, which leads to nest eggs in stock list direction throughout the supply concatenation. The same techniques normally lead to merchandises that are easier to transition to fabrication, more dependable and easier to keep, which besides drives down development, guarantee, service and support costs. Surprisingly, this attack can do clients happier, excessively. By simplifying the merchandises to cut down extra characteristics and complexness, we can do the merchandises easier to utilize and keep from the clients position. They besides benefit from lower service and support costs, and higher dependability. The mark bing construct grew out of a demand for makers to better merchandise cost direction and merchandise development. The traditional cost direction, cost accretion and allotment methods used for decennaries and still predominant in the fabrication and services sectors have failed as tools for merchandise development, planning, and cost direction. This is because they focus on the merchandise s cost instead than on the outlooks of clients and the merchandise design itself. Furthermore, traditional cost systems inundate directors with accounting studies that routinely overstate the cost of high-volume, standardized merchandises and understate the costs of low-volume, customized merchandises. ( Lockamy III and Smith, 2000 ) . In 1999, Cooper and Slagmulder defined three phases of mark costing: Puting the market monetary value: In this stage, Marketing sets a mark monetary value for the merchandise, and provides the development squad with a prioritized list of characteristics that will present a merchandise that the client will purchase at the mark monetary value. Pull offing the merchandise cost: The development squad sets a mark cost for the merchandise that will run into the organisation s outlooks for gross border. They set up a procedure for supervising merchandise cost through the development rhythm. Pull offing subsystem and portion degree costs: Using bing merchandises and competitory informations as ushers, the squad creates a budget for each subsystem and major constituent. The squad so develops a scheme for shuting any spreads between the expected costs and the mark cost and engineers the merchandise to accomplish the costs. Along the manner, the squad continuously proctors both subsystem and merchandise degree costs to measure advancement towards shuting the spread and turn to the issues that arise. These three stages provide a comprehensive focal point on merchandise cost throughout the merchandise lifecycle that pulls together the full development squad. In the beginning, Marketing is to a great extent involved in puting the mark monetary value and assisting the development squad understand comparative value for characteristics and public presentation parametric quantities. Manufacturing people get involved early in one instance, every bit early as the construct stage, to supply early feedback on production procedure options and their costs. Procurement and providers besides get engaged to lend thoughts for shuting the inevitable spreads between projected merchandise costs and targeted costs. The demand to better productiveness and merchandise quality resulted in many companies following new cost direction methods, including activity-based cost direction, kaizen costing, just-in-time stock list direction, entire quality direction, and mark costing. ( Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ) . Of the foregoing cost or direction methods, mark bing stands entirely as the best agencies to heighten merchandise development, pricing, and direction of production and merchandising costs. This paper argues for greater usage of mark costing. The first subdivision of this paper gives an overview of empirical literature on ABC theoretical account, and in peculiar, an execution of the theoretical account in fiscal services ( chiefly in banking ) industry. The research supports an statement for a demand to implement ABC theoretical account at service industry in order to be able to understand the behaviour and causes of costs. The undermentioned subdivision illustrates a practical facet of ABC in banking industry. The survey makes usage of secondary informations taken from academic beginnings. It inside informations the phases of ABC methods and presents the benefits. Most significantly, the documents draws attending to the obstructions that many Bankss face while seeking to implement the ABC in pattern. Finally, the last subdivision will reason the thoughts in this paper by pulling recommendations to the bank direction that make it easy to get the better of the jobs in the procedure of implementing ABC. Literature Review Target costing has been defined by the Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing International as a set of direction tools and methods designed to ( 1 ) direct design and planning activities for new merchandises, ( 2 ) supply a footing for commanding subsequent operational stages, and ( 3 ) guarantee that merchandises achieve given profitableness marks throughout their life rhythm. ( Cf. Shank, 1999 ) . Cooper and Slagmulder depict it as a procedure for guaranting that a merchandise launched with specified functionality, quality, and gross revenues monetary value can be produced at a life-cycle cost that generates a satisfactory degree of profitableness. ( Cf. Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ) . The procedure is design-centered and has a market goaded focal point, which, unlike the conventional cost direction techniques, allows houses to merchandise off quality and functionality to accomplish mark costs as a last resort. ( Castellano et al, 2003 ) It really focuses less on costs and more on client demands. The inquiry is non How much will the merchandise cost? but How much can the merchandise cost? Karo describes mark bing as a complete cost-reduction plan, non a simple cost-reduction technique, but a complete, strategic net income direction system. Horvath describes it as a portion of the cost-management map for a merchandise throughout its life rhythm. ( Cf. Shank, 1999 ) The cardinal elements of the procedure is that it is a planning tool where facets of the merchandise, cost and otherwise, are considered over the merchandise s whole life rhythm. Besides, it is a cross-functional procedure, much like good strategic planning. A topic that receives increasing attending in accounting literature is the usage of cost in formation and cost direction during merchandise design ( Anderson and Sedatole, 1998, Davila, 1999 ) . The major statement for pull offing costs during merchandise design is that after the merchandise development phase most costs have been designed into the merchandise and can non be influenced any longer. One of import technique that can be used for pull offing merchandise costs during the design phase is target casting ( Kato, 1993 ; Ewert and Ernst, 1999 ) . Target casting is basically concerned with puting a mark cost to be achieved in the merchandise development procedure, such that a sufficient net income border is realized when the merchandise is brought to the market. In the literature, mark casting is viewed as a strategic direction accounting system, as it focuses on long-run cost direction attempts ( Chenhall and Langfield-Smith, 1998 ; Ewert and Ernst, 1999 ; Guilding et al. , 200 0 ; Tani, 1995 ) . Toyota developed the construct in the sixtiess. It is used more in Japan than anyplace else in the universe. Lockamy and Smith study that in the early 1990s over 80 per centum of Nipponese assembly fabrication houses were utilizing mark costing, including all houses in the Nipponese transit equipment industry but none in the paper and mush industry ( Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ) . The remainder of the universe has non as readily adopted mark bing, although many companies adopt certain facets of it. It has been peculiarly slow to be adopted in the U.S. Banham studies that in the twelvemonth 2000 merely about 65 U.S. houses utilised mark bing. Of these, 85 per centum were discrete-parts and finished-product makers. Some of these houses include Boeing, Eastman Kodak, Caterpillar, and Daimler-Chrysler. A study of those U.S. houses reveals favourable, although non exceeding, consequences from using mark costing. ( See the study consequences in Banham, 2000. ) Peter Zampino, manager of research at Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing International ( CAM-I ) , noted that U.S. houses tend to follow mark bing when they are in crisis manner. In his sentiment, U.S. houses tend to hold the sentiment that in good economic times a company does non necessitate mark bing ( Banham, 2000 ) . U.S. houses like the construct of cost direction, and many use the techniques describ ed in this paper, but they do non follow the disciplined mark bing procedure and the cross-functional engagement in merchandise, production, and supply concatenation planning activities ( Banham, 2000 ) . In literature, mark casting and mark cost direction are frequently associated with Nipponese companies. Empirical research into the patterns of mark casting has chiefly been performed by Nipponese research workers for the Nipponese state of affairs ( Kato, 1993, Tani et Al, 1994 ) . Few attempts have been made to look into whether these patterns are besides are relevant for and make occur in non-Japanese state of affairss ( some exclusions are Chenhall and Langfield-smith, 1998 ; Guilding et al. , 2000 ; Horvath and Tani, 1997 ) . One could anticipate that as the drivers for utilizing such methods are non idiosyncratic to Japan ( i.e. , the desire to recognize a net income border on merchandises, under certain market features ) , they could besides be used in a non-Japanese state of affairs, even though the existent application of such patterns may divert from the typical Nipponese manner. Chapter 2 2.1 Research Methodology and Data Collection The ABC theoretical account follows a two phase methodological analysis, foremost, by puting the relationship between resources and activities through the usage of allotment bases and direct tracing. Then followed by an application of cost per unit of activity to the ingestion of activities by specific cost objects, normally merchandises or clients, for the intent of mensurating costs. In banking industry, the ABC provides an efficient manner of forming the aggregation, processing, and coverage of cost information for determination devising and scheme preparation in a competitory economic environment. The survey is chiefly based on empirical probe of the efficiency of implementing ABC in banking industry. Hence, the research paper will do usage of a secondary information on banking industry contained in early empirical surveies. The banking industry of Uzbekistan could non function as a research object, due to the fact that ABC has non been introduced in, yet. However, sing big benefits of holding ABC in topographic point, the paper urges policy shapers and direction to get down its execution. The secondary information is chiefly drawn from interview and questionnaire consequences. 2.2 Target Costing in Process The mark bing procedure is composed of a figure of distinct activities and determinations. It begins with a finding of the merchandise, its features and qualities, and its optimum merchandising monetary value. This is likely the most of import measure in the procedure. The merchandise itself will finally find the costs necessary to bring forth and sell that merchandise. Butscher and Laker depict this first measure as including ( 1 ) definition of the mark sections, ( 2 ) designation of the competitory advantages and disadvantages, ( 3 ) placement of the new merchandise within the mark sections, ( 4 ) fine-tuning the merchandise design and pricing, and ( 5 ) market simulations ( Butscher et al, 2000 ) . Market research is an indispensable component of this first measure. Whether done within or outside the house, market research should concentrate on the desires and concerns of the client. What does the client privation? What design features does the client like or dislike, need or does nt necessitate. The client s perceptual experiences as to quality, monetary value, and value are besides of import. The selling research is used to find the monetary value clients are willing to pay for the merchandise, given its functionality, quality, and the replacement merchandises offered by viing houses. ( Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ) The information obtained from the client will let merchandise interior decorators to concentrate on those desired qualities and characteristics. However, the merchandise must be advanced and integrated new characteristics and outstanding merchandise features to guarantee merchandise distinction and a sensible merchandise life. The mark merchandising monetary value is determined based on the market for the merchandise as designed. Obviously, when a maker sells its merchandises in more than one market or through different channels, it may sell the same merchandise at different monetary values. For illustration, pharmaceuticals manufactured in the U.S. are exported at lower monetary values to Sellerss in Canada and Mexico than they are sold for in the U.S. In such instance an mean merchandising monetary value should be used ( Cooper et Al, 1999 ) . The 2nd measure in the procedure is the finding of the coveted net income or aim net income border. Net incomes and net income border should be sensible and cover planned costs, extra required investing, and decommissioning or disposal costs over the merchandise s life rhythm. Similarly, the net income border should be sufficient to back up go oning merchandise research and development. ( Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ) Some companies, for illustration, Sony Corporation, construct in more flexibleness in set uping the coveted net income or aim net income border. There, they allow for trade-offs between different merchandises, i.e. , within the merchandise group some merchandises will hold some net income borders higher and some lower. ( Cooper et Al, 1999 ) The coveted net income border should be based on, and meet, the company s aims or policies. Calculation of the allowable merchandise cost is the 3rd measure in the procedure. The allowable merchandise cost is the difference between the mark merchandising monetary value and the mark net income border. The aim is to run into the cost restraints placed on the company, or as Cooper and Slagmulder describe it, set uping the mark cost decrease aim. The 4th measure in the mark bing procedure is finding the nature and sum of the merchandise fabrication and selling costs and really guaranting itself that it can achieve those mark costs. These costs can non transcend the allowable merchandise costs, unless palliating fortunes, such as a targeted merchandise release day of the month, order continuing with the merchandise before sufficient costs decreases are obtained. This portion of the mark bing procedure terminals when the house discovers a manner to fulfill the client demands at the mark cost or when the merchandise is abandoned ( Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ) . What has been the company s past production and selling costs? Will new cost nest eggs be required? What will be the consequence of merchandise alterations? In what countries can one moderately anticipate cost nest eggs? How shortly must the merchandise be released? Will the allowable cost require alterations in the supply concatenation? These are merely some issues that may originate in continuing through the procedure. Because from time-to-time there are unexpected cost overproductions due to design-related jobs in the production procedure, a company may construct in a shock absorber or modesty for the production director of 5-10 per centum to cover such costs. In finding what costs are necessary and placing ways to cut down costs, a company may utilize other cost direction techniques like value technology, benchmarking, design for industry and assembly, and quality map deployment. ( Cooper et Al, 1999 ) Besides, uninterrupted cost decrease may be available through kaizen costing. Integration of the assorted maps, such as accounting, buying, selling, production, logistics, and technology in planning activities will be necessary here to cut down unneeded costs and work procedures. As the mark bing attack is a cross-functional squad attack, ab initio it is clip extended but the final payment for the extra planning costs should come subsequently in nest eggs in production and the supply concatenation activities. Notwithstanding that cost decrease is normally favourable, in mark bing cost rationalisation, non cost minimisation, is the end. This is consistent with techniques like value technology, which is performed to redesign the merchandise, its fabrication procedure, and its distribution and service systems. ( Lockamy et wholly, 2000 ) Cooper and Chew argue that a merchandise s cost demands to be subjected to the examination of the market place from the beginning of the development activity. ( Cooper et Al, 1996 ) Benchmarking helps avoid the flightiness in mark bing in such state of affairss as internal subassembly and can assist to cut down costs, particularly when value technology is used early in the product/production development phase ( Clausing, 1996 ) . In add-on, benchmarking provides a tool for mensurating the effectivity of mark costing. For illustration, Eastman Kodak set a benchmark of a 10:1 return on the costs associated with implementing mark costing. If it cost the company $ 100,000 to hold an applied scientist work closely with clients in merchandise design, the return on that activity would hold to bring forth at least $ 1 million in cost decreases ( Banham, 2000 ) . Cost decreases should be sought in the maker s internal activities and external sourcing. Although a maker has important legal and ethical duties in keeping safety and wellness of its employees, clients, and users of its merchandises, and legal and regulative demands go more and more burdensome every twelvemonth, companies must cut costs wherever possible. Sometimes, nevertheless, cost nest eggs are merely non possible, and the merchandise features must be scrutinized once more to insulate cost nest eggs. The supply concatenation should be scrutinized and utilized for cost decrease chances. The supply concatenation is much more of import for companies using mark costing. Ellram notes that supply direction and the buying map is peculiarly critical at the initial phases of the mark bing procedure when developing component-level mark costs and when activities and alterations are happening to accomplish mark costs. Furthermore, provide direction can play a really of import function in pull offing, monitoring and bettering costs in the supply concatenation ( Ellram, 2002 ) . When geting constituent parts or necessary services, supply direction may happen it necessary to work more closely with providers. Additional cost nest eggs may be accomplishable by making trading spouse relationships with the providers. The maker s main applied scientist or merchandise director might seek to help or supply inducements for a provider to redesign a portion or production procedure to accomplish cost nest eggs. Furthermore, the company and the provider may join forces to develop and better merchandises and heighten the value and satisfaction provided to clients. ( Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ; Banham, 2000 ) The trading spouse relationship may make administrative cost nest eggs through EDI, B-2-B ( business-to-business ) minutess, or by supplying inducements or wagess for inventing originative cost decrease steps ( Cooper et Al, 1999 ; Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ) . In order to keep the trading spouse relationship, nevertheless, the company must let the supplier-trading spouse to have a sensible compensation doing continuance as a trading spouse worthwhile. The trading spouses, including the company using mark costing, must be assured of profitableness and survivability. ( Lockamy and Smith, 2000 ) . This portion of the mark bing procedure is iterative. Costss are estimated determined for the merchandise as designed. It may be necessary to reconsider certain of the design features given the cost factors. A finding would so hold to be made to cancel the merchandise characteristic or to revise it, which would necessitate another reappraisal of the production and supply concatenation procedures and costs. Finally, the mark bing procedure requires supervising to do certain the procedure has been effectual. Merchandises must be changed from time-to-time and new merchandises added to bing merchandise lines, and these activities will necessitate merchandise and cost planning every bit good. 2.3 Defining Target Costing Methods in Selected Industry Chapter 3 3.1 Research Analysis Mentioning to the current survey Target casting was defined as consisting of a casting method ciphering the maximal allowable cost monetary value by deducting a needed net income border from the expected merchandising monetary value. Most of the endeavors in industry, particularly the electronics, fabric and preciseness equipment industries make comparatively high usage of these techniques. This confirms to outlooks, as assembly industries are considered the most executable industries for the usage of mark costing. This diverseness of names used implies that many houses have developed a system based on similar rules as mark casting, without being familiar with the construct and its rules. Therefore, in empirical research into these types of systems it seems reasonable to concentrate on the features of the system used, and non on its theoretical name. An account for the insignificance of the figure of rivals is that this step may include small information about the in 10s of the compe titory environment, which is theoretically most of import. During the merchandise development procedure several ends have to be realized at the same time, for which purpose mark projecting systems can be supportive. Different ends to be realized are high merchandise quality, client satisfaction by developing functional merchandises that fulfill their demands, fast merchandise debut ( clip to market ) and low costs. Based on the literature we expected cost decrease to be the most of import ground for following a mark casting pattern, as its chief intent is to present merely profitable merchandises to the market by achieving equal cost degrees. The inquiries about the organisation of mark casting in the study were related more to the TCM procedure. They measured the engagement of different functional sections in the application of mark casting, and the organisational signifier used for the mark casting patterns. ( shown in table 2 ) TCM squad rank is besides a step of engagement, alth ough it is merely enlightening about the presence of the section in the squad, and non about the grade of engagement. 3.2 Decision This exploratory study survey suggests Dutch listed fabrication companies make comparatively high usage of projecting techniques similar to the construct of mark casting, although these systems come by in a diverseness of names. These techniques are adopted across industries, of which the collection industries are the major users. The findings suggest that these techniques are comparatively more frequently adopted under fortunes of intense competition and high environmental uncertainness, for which conditions, harmonizing to the literature ; the usage of mark casting is good. The consequences suggest that the chief aim for following these techniques was to cut down costs. This end seems to hold been achieved by respondents, as the major benefit derived from the mark casting patterns was cost decrease. The sections Product Development and Product Design are most to a great extent involved in the application of mark casting, while the Accounting section seems to be least involved. The house s mark casting attempts are chiefly organized in squad constructions, in which cognition and capablenesss of different organisational maps are combined to work on the mark cost. Wijewardena and De Zoysa ( 1999 ) , for case, provide an overview of some specific features of Nipponese companies under which the direction accounting systems operate, dwelling of corporate determination devising, alone company doctrines, farm outing schemes and the firm-specific instruction and preparation of direction comptrollers. It wil1 be clear that in this exploratory analysis it wil1 be hard to touch upon these issues. Qualitative research may be a preferable research methodological analysis to widen the analysis to these issues. From this research we can reason that Dutch listed fabrication houses use projecting techniques that are similar to the construct of mark casting ; the casting method identifies a mark cost by deducting a needed net income border from an expected merchandising monetary value. However, this survey provides small insight into the existent organisational procedures and actions that proceed, and are initiated by these mark costs. In add-on, the function and importance of the mark projecting system in relation to the usage of other direction accounting systems wil1 be worthwhile analyzing, as the recent study research by Chenhall and Langfield-Smith ( 1998 ) and by Guilding et Al. ( 2000 ) has shown merely modest grasp for mark projecting systems by Western houses. As banking merchandises become progressively complex, as shared services become more widespread, and as indirect costs consume more budgets, the ABC theoretical account can function as an first-class analytical tool for the fiscal services sector.

A market analysis of the McDonalds corporation

A market analysis of the McDonalds corporation McDonalds is a popularly known Market Leader in the Fast food Industry or better known as the ‘Burger’ Industry. Started in the year 1948, it has managed to emerge triumphant in spite of a number of companies entering the industry. The company has successfully established a popular brand image. In fact the growth of fast food has been named after the organization as ‘McDonaldization’. Marketing involves identifying what customers demand and striving towards meeting their demands. Marketing Audit involves analyzing the company’s various aspects and evaluating the company’s marketing strategy. It involves in bringing out the pitfalls in the organizations functioning. The following pages contain the analysis of McDonalds Corporation. We have researched the various facets of the organization functioning as to how well they have managed to reach customers. There has been an analysis of the industry aspects like the customers, competitors and the su ppliers. Also the Macro Environmental analysis along with the SWOT has been performed. We have analyzed the current Marketing techniques. On analyzing the current situation of the company and the market in the fast food industry we have provided some recommendations which might prove to be useful for the organization on its successful implementation. Introduction The statistics figures show that the global fast food market reached a value of $102.7 billion in 2006, growing by 4.8%. Meanwhile, analysts forecast that in 2011, the global fast food market will â€Å"have a value of $125.4 billion, an increase of 22.2% since 2006† (â€Å"Fast Food: Global Industry Guide†, n. d.). McDonald’s is the worlds leading company in the fast food industry. It has more than 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries serving millions people around the global. The company’s success was as a result of the policy they follow, known as the Q.S.C. Fast, Friendly Service; R estaurant Cleanliness; and a menu that provides Value). The company was first started as a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino by the two brothers Mac and Dick McDonalds in the year 1948. It was later bought by Ray Kroc, who was their franchising agent in 1961 and opened his first McDonalds in Illinois. The company’s menu initially consisted of Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, French Fries, Sodas, Milkshakes, milk and coffee, although it has grown considerably since. The company follows a unique business model described as the â€Å"three legged stool† wherein the three legs are the owners/operators, suppliers and Company employees. It is an organization that develops, operates, franchises and services a worldwide system of restaurants that prepare, assemble, package and sell a limited menu of quickly prepared, moderately priced food. McDonalds has pioneered food quality specifications, marketing and training programs, and operational and supply systems, all of which are c onsidered the standards of the industry throughout the world. Marketing Mix Every business organization must develop an effective marketing strategy. The 7 P’s is used to continually evaluate and re evaluate business activities. The seven Ps are product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning, and people. The 7 P’s are used to ensure that the company is on track and achieve maximum results.

Neo Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Neo Liberalism - Essay Example There are many problems that it has introduced, but has been unable to provide answers. There had been mixed reactions as some of the happenings had been good and some of them were unpleasant. Dictatorships had been giving way to liberalism and this is definitely a positive step in the right direction. How long it might last, one cannot answer today. There exists another fear that Neo liberalism could widen the gap between the poor and rich. It is felt that World Bank, Inter American Development Bank and International Monetary Fund like powerful monetary institutions have imposed a situation of reducing profit rates felicitating the corporate few who are in bad business ventures, to revive their economic position. "Neo-liberalism is a response to a dual crisis that emerged in the mid-1970s for the ruling class. On the one hand capitalists faced a 'crisis of accumulation' - the capitalist system was stagnating and profits had fallen from the rates achieved immediately after the Second World War. Secondly, a rising tide of workers' struggle in the 1960s and 1970s posed a threat to the political power of the ruling elite" http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.phparticlenumber=9655 It is difficult to guess if Neo liberalism would bring the same future to all cities, or the result would be diverse in accordance with the city. But we can make very clear assumptions that it would definitely make the cities look and feel alike. There is a suggestion that the growth of cities is connected with the growth rate of national economy and most of the economic activities are focussed in the cities. "Indeed by the end of the 1980s the World Bank claimed that over half of all GDP in the greater majority of developing countries could be traced to urban areas", (Allen, 1999, p.248). The link between cities, particularly the cities in the developing countries, is a new one. As there had never been anything sweeping the earth the way globalisation did, it is understandable. No doubt, at one time, Imperialism ruled the world, but compared to the all-pervasive nature of neo-liberalism, effects of Imperialism were remote, and were limited to the particular colonies, even though there was a great impact on world trade and business. It lacked the power and all-grabbing tendencies of today's financial and marketing institutions. "The ideological persuasion exerted increasingly by these and other institutions mirrors the types of influence at work at the level of the global economy" (Allen, p.248). It has made the Governments to take a different view of their cities and attend to all needs of the cities mainly with the intention of fitting them into the global network, so that they could be showcased as their trophies and achievements of Neo liberalism. Some thinkers, economists and sociologists are of the opinion that cities should be limited and their unbridled growth should be curbed. They say this without taking into consideration the importance of cities in history or their current position as significant players economically, socially and politically. Another assumption is that the role of markets and economic institutions and their reforms are compatible with the city life of the inhabitants. Persisting doubt is if macroeconomic policies and regulations would be sufficient for the growth of the cities.

Sholud Expectant Mother Be Tested for Drugs Essay

Sholud Expectant Mother Be Tested for Drugs - Essay Example The nation splits into a huge rift as we sit back and watch. No one wants to handle this sensitive issue. Not even the sovereign government of the USA. I know if I posed the very question before you today, none of you would want to stand alone and speak his mind. Yet you have all opted to respect the fourth amendment rights of the expectant mother at the expense of the innocent fetus. Ladies and gentlemen, let me confirm my heartfelt sentiments by asking you this very question again: should the expectant mothers undergo drug testing? Kindly let me breakdown this complex of prenatal drug testing for you, honorable people of the United States. According to the famous scientist, Sannersted, drug can be defined as any substance that when taken in can change the normal functioning of the mind (1996). This general description cages even the medicine we take from the hospitals in the cocoon of drugs. However, I would like all of us to shift our attention from the medicinal drugs. That sounds creepy, isn’t it? Yes. Think of the hard drugs in the major streets of our beloved nation. If you thought cocaine and heroin are only meant for ‘bad guys’ then think again. These drugs have found their way into our homes. Through the small crevices on our walls they have slithered into the heads of our expectant mothers and wives. I know many of you now wonder, like I do, why a woman with sound mind should deliberately take such drugs when she knows very well that she is carrying a fresh brain inside her womb. Well, not all expectant mothers do this intentionally. A handful of them usually do not even know they are pregnant while abusing the drugs. Funny, isn’t it? Nonetheless, this lack of knowledge does not make the effects any different; drugs have the same severity on the expectant mothers. Let me solve the aforementioned mystery first: most people will take drugs for

Prevention Program Resource Guide Essay Example for Free

Prevention Program Resource Guide Essay

The Boomerang Effect in our Modern Times Essay examples -- Foreign Pol

The Boomerang Effect in our Modern Times Reason, I sacrifice you to the evening breeze. Aime Cesaire    I agree with the assertion that Aime Cesaire  made on  Discourse on Colonialism  that the process of colonialism inflicts a â€Å"boomerang effect† on the colonizer. It is important to determine that colonialism is defined as â€Å"a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another...† by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Aime Cesaire prefers to define colonization as what is not: †¦neither evangelization, nor a philanthropic enterprise, nor a desire to push back the frontiers of ignorance, disease, and tyranny, nor a project undertaken for the greater glory of God, nor an attempt to extend the rule of law.(32) Cesaire’s words are aware of the European voices that excuse the horrors of colonialism behind the lie of bringing civilization to the savages. But colonizers didn’t know that they were planting the seeds of hate, the roots for fantastic tales about superior races and skin colors. Inevitable, the colonizers found themselves oppressed by the same savagery that they had tolerated during the colony. Historically, the process of colonization was almost the same for any region since the discovery of the so-called New World in 1492. The king sends an ambassador to the new territory. The ambassador negotiates with local powers and other foreign power the borders of the new colony and establishes a central office as the new administrative power. This new office was in charge of the caudation of taxes, managing the army and giving justice. After some years the foreign power absorbs local powers thanks to its technological and military advances. The process to achieve domination is characteristic by ... ...ith the â€Å"creativity† of the â€Å"ocuppys†, and the city said that in general there were not incidents to report, more than 200 people spend the night in jail just to think different. The brutality that U.S. accused the Taliban to promote now is promoted by this country. The boomerang is coming back. Bibliography A Poetics of Anticolonialism. Robin D.G, Kelley. Monthly Review Press. New York: 2000. Book. Aimà © Cà ©saire."  London Independent  (19 Apr. 2008): 46. Rpt. in  Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 280. Detroit: Gale, 2010.  Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. Contemporary Literary Criticism.  Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter and Deborah A. Schmitt. Vol. 112. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999.  From  Literature Resource Center. Discourse on Colonialism. Aime Cesaire. Monthly Review Press. New York: 2000. Book.

Fall Of Romanian Republic And Julius Caesar History Essay

When people imagine a great imperium, most think of Rome. The Romans had great thoughts and programs which would hold made any current imperium seem bantam. From the great enlargement led by consummate tacticians to the immensely progress authorities which our authorities is modeled after today, the Romans had a fantastic hereafter, if non for its many defects. The early enlargements led to the separation of an already seesawing societal category, the authorities had many holes which rewarded the wealthy and the greed of Lords and people of power weakened a authorities which could hold been to the full polished. The rise of Julius Caesar after the agreement with Pompey would hold been longer lived if the senator ‘s powers were n't relinquished for the â€Å" better of the people. † All of this and more would finally take to the autumn of the Roman Republic and subsequently the Roman Empire. There were many factors which led to the autumn of the Roman Republic which inclu de the battle of authorities breakability, the negative influence of the Gracchi, the First Triumvirate and the absolutism of Julius Caesar. To understand how Rome finally fell, one must get down before the little city state grew. After the concluding Roman male monarch was exiled, Rome attempted to construct a little, but slightly effectual authorities described as an oligarchy or ruled by â€Å" few † ( Asimov 28 ) . As a Republic, the Romans gave power to a leader by electing him into office, similar to what we do today. This official, known as the pretor, was kept in cheque by another pretor who was in office. Efficaciously, nil would go on unless both wholly agreed on an issue which better notes their place as consuls. Today in the American authorities, there are three subdivisions ( Executive, Legislative and Judicial ) which appear to be efficient plenty to properly â€Å" look into † each other. Like our executive subdivision, the Roman consuls were in charge of the military and led them into conflict ( Asimov 24-25 ) . Similarly to the American Judicial subdivision, Romans had their ain Judgess call ed quaestors which overlooked all of the tests. This was the beginning of a suited system of regulating, but the issue was the people who could be elected to keep these places were of a certain category. The two chief societal categories in the early Roman Republic were the patricians and the plebeians, plebs for short. The patrician category consisted of Lords and wealthiest land proprietors. The plebs were the mundane societal category of normal, mundane citizens which included merchandisers, workers, and the hapless. During the beginning of the immature authorities, the lone people who could be elected into the taking places were the patricians. This restriction of power led to a split in the two categories. Basically, the voice of all was non heard because merely the patricians were able make of import determinations affecting mundane activities and lawmaking. Not merely was the state of affairs unfair, but the deficiency of attention for all citizens increased the separation of categories. The illustration Asimov gives is this: â€Å" Why should the patrician attention? He was good plenty off to last the difficult times. And if a common husbandman went into debt, the debt Torahs were so rough that the plebeian would hold to sell himself and his household into bondage to pay off the debt. It would be the patrician landholder to whom he was in debt and for whom he must so break one's back. ( 29 ) This deficiency of attention forced the plebs to seek alternate manner of life. In 494 B.C. , a big population of plebs left Rome to make their ain authorities. This move initiated the patricians to compromise with their overpoweringly big populations of plebs. This via media gave the plebs a voice in the authorities, but was still really limited. The new voice of the plebs were the tribunes. These elected functionaries merely represented other plebeians and could merely voice their sentiment on public issues. The add-on of these new functionaries added another cheque to equilibrate Roman authorities. An illustration of this was the freshly added ability of the tribunes veto an unjust jurisprudence ( Asimov 30 ) . Although it appeared the Roman Lords attempted to be more just, the greed and â€Å" loss of power † to the tribunes made internal discord evident. The tribune ‘s safety became more a big issue after the incident with Coriolanus incident. These and similar events led to the codification of Roman jurisprudence in 450 B.C. This was an effort to forestall the patricians in senate from â€Å" flexing the jurisprudence. † Besides, it gave the tribunes the ability to support both themselves from the unjust advantages established by the patricians and their lives. Ten patrician work forces, called decemvirs, were elected to keep power until the Torahs were finished. The new Torahs were written on bronzy tablets and were therefore called the Twelve Tables which was the foundation of their jurisprudence ( Asimov 32 ) . Again, the adaptative ability of the Romans resulted in another reasonable solution. Whenever a job arose, they were able to decide the issue. The inquiry so is why were at that place so many issues during this epoch? Even after they moved on to a apparently better authorities, the patricians and plebeians arrived at another route block. The decemvirs, harmonizing to Roman tradition, stayed in power even after the Torahs were written. More issues that revolved around the battle of entire control plagued the senate. Again the plebeians wanted to go forth because of these events, but big part of the population forced the patricians to listen and the decemvirs relinquished their place. Soon power would be more equally spread as the plebeians place to better influence legislation increased and the integrating of the two categories in matrimony allowed the less fortunate more chances ( Asimov 33 ) . With more and more chances to go a stable and just authorities, Rome was on the right way. Although they took a measure in front in their adulthood, there was a important reverse many historiographers believed contributed to the autumn of Republic. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, better known as the Gracchi, were two brothers who sought extremist reform which many believe increased tenseness in the senate and diminished power due to a big separation of thoughts. Their male parent was both a politician and military leader, which theoretically gave them the tools to win. After his decease in Spain Cornelia, the Gracchi ‘s female parent, made certain her boies were knowing citizens before they were combatants. Her dedication to her lone â€Å" gems † would craft the foundation of a politically strong, but socially destructive dreamers. The older Gracchi, Tiberius, initiated the way to reform after witnessing the horrors of unfairness and societal inequality in Rome. In 134 B.C. he was elected as a tribune and his first effort to convey equality was the thought of a land reform. Basically, his program was to do the available land more evened out to all citizens of Rome ( Asimov 138-40 ) . Although this was a healthy progr am for the plebs, the job began with the current landholders. The patricians, both in senate and out, were angered by this impression. Although there technically was a jurisprudence which supported Tiberius ‘ reform, the affluent patricians would lose a great part of their land ( Asimov 139 ) . To protect their land, his oppositions used their governmental system and pecuniary strength to derive an advantage. Since no new jurisprudence would be pass if a veto by the tribune party was raised, their scheme was to purchase their manner into protection. The other tribune at the clip was a adult male name Marcus Octavius, who was believed to be a friend of Tiberius. After a few payoff from the patricians, Octavius proved to be a friend merely to the highest bidder. The usage of his power to blackball successfully prevented the new reforms to be passed. This caused Tiberius to gesticulate the remotion of his former friend and co-tribune. In fact, this improper move granted the senate more grounds to take this extremist. His decease was at hand after his term so he attempted to hold himself reelected illicitly. This ended ill due to his oppositions claim of Tiberius ‘s effort to be a sovereign. The Republic would hold nil to make with this once more, so Tiberius did non go a tribune once more. After he lost his place in the senate, he was viciously murdered by his oppositions and dumped into the Tiber River ( Asimov 140-41 ) . Finally, Gaius played an of import function for the reformists. After his brother ‘s decease, he was elected a tribune a

Paradise Lost Essay

Paradise Lost is divided into twelve books. In Book I Milton explains the theme of his work, man’s disobedience to God, his expulsion from Heaven and the story of the rebel angels sent to Hell. In Book II the angels meet in council to decide what they will do. In Book III God makes a speech on man’s freedom to choose between good and evil. In Book IV Satan observes the happiness of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In Book V God sends Raphael to warn Adam. In Book VI the war in Heaven in described. Book VII and VIII tell the story of the creation of the Earth and the universe. In Book IX Satan persuades Adam and Eve to taste the forbidden fruit. In Book X God’s Son pronounces the sentence of expulsion. In the last two books Adam and Eve abandon paradise. Paradise Lost is an epic poem. Milton chose the epic genre because of the greatness of the subject. He follows the typical epic conventions in his masterpiece, such as the opening with the statement of the theme. This epic takes place in the universe, in Heaven, Hell and Eden. The main characters, God, Satan, Christ, Man and the fallen angels remind the warriors and heroes of the classical epic, even though they are more philosophical heroes. Milton knew the Copernican cosmology but he based the universe of Paradise Lost on the traditional Ptolemaic system because he thought that this conception was fixed in the minds of the people and it had limits within which it was easier for him to work. In Milton’s Heaven God created the Earth, fixed in the centre of the Universe, and he put his life and thoughts in the natural world so that the external reality reflects the divine soul. In Paradise Lost evil and good are opposed. However, Satan has many characteristics of the epic hero, courage, leadership, initiative. Milton has sympathy for his Satan because he himself was a rebel against the political and religious authority. Both Milton and Dante said that their works had divine inspiration but they had contrasting ideas about Satan’s physical appearance and meaning. Dante’s Satan becomes a means of punishment and it resembles a mythic monster, with wings and three heads. Milton’s Satan is a symbol of God’s justice and it takes several forms, first it is a fallen angel, then it has an inhuman form and finally he becomes a snake. The style of the poem is elevated, the poet used a new kind of magnificent blank-verse.

Multiple Main Characters in Your Story Follow These 3 Tips

Multiple Main Characters in Your Story Follow These 3 Tips 3 Tips for Featuring Multiple Main Characters in Your Story Writing a novel with multiple main characters   can seem insurmountable. Who’s on stage when, and what do you do with the others at the same time? When your top priority is crystal clarity for your reader, you must somehow weave different perspectives in a way that makes sense. Common wisdom says you get one perspective or point-of-view (POV) character per scene, preferably per chapter, and usually per book. My latest novel, The Valley of the Dry Bones, has one perspective character throughout. Though it’s written in third person, it’s limited to just my lead character’s perspective. He is the camera, so everything that happens on every page is seen through his eyes, heard through his ears, and any internal dialogue is his. That’s the easiest, most direct, and clearest way to handle POV. Using more than one is not for the faint of heart. It’s complex and tricky, and only more so if you go beyond two. I first used two perspective characters when I wrote my novel Left Behind. So why did I do it? Because the scope of my story demanded it. I needed my airline pilot (Rayford Steele) to get around the world- and I told a cosmic tale that also impacted him and his immediate family. But meanwhile, I also needed my globe-trotting journalist (Buck Williams) to be where Rayford wasn’t. If your story likely requires more than one main character to make it work, it’s crucial you learn to deftly navigate featuring multiple main characters. So what’s the secret? A few clear guidelines can make it work. Here are three: Need help writing your novel?  Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. How to Successfully Feature Multiple Main Characters 1. Think Reader-First You want nothing to stand in the way of the reader’s experience. She should know who your POV character is without having to re-read or ferret it out. When I began a scene Rayford Steele’s mind was on a woman he had never touched, there was no question he was the main character and that we would experience this scene through his lens. For some reason, many beginning writers mistakenly assume that rendering a scene from one character’s perspective means it must be written in the first person from his or her point of view. As you can see from the example above, it can be done just as well in third-person limited. Also, remembering that you get only one POV character per scene should keep you from head hopping- where readers get a peek inside the minds of others. Say Jim is your POV character and he notices Mary is scowling. You can say, â€Å"Jim thought Mary looked skeptical, so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But you cannot say, â€Å"Mary was skeptical. She doubted Jim knew what he was talking about.† If you do, you have hopped into her head mid-scene and have either switched the POV from Jim to Mary, or you have slipped into an Omniscient Viewpoint where the author is not limited to one person’s perspective. You know all and tell all, and unless you are a master like J.K. Rowling, you’re unlikely to sell such a manuscript. I’ve written 192 books, two-thirds of those novels, and I wouldn’t even attempt such a thing. In Left Behind, when I switched to my second POV character, I added double the space between paragraphs (and some authors or publishers also center a typographical dingbat like * * * between paragraphs, just to make things clearer) and introduced him this way: Next to a window in first class, a writer sat hunched over his laptop. He shut down the machine, vowing to get back to his journal later. At thirty, Cameron Williams was the youngest ever senior writer for†¦ Handling it that way ensured that no reader could miss that I had switched from Rayford in the cockpit to Buck in first class. 2. Make Your POV Characters Distinct In subsequent books in the Left Behind series, I used as many as five different perspective characters for one novel. That made it even more vital to make clear to the reader who my perspective character was whenever I switched. But just as important, my individual perspective characters had to be crisply distinct from one another. I established Rayford as a middle-aged family man, while Buck was younger and single. Another perspective character was female, another an elderly man. The more distinct the better. Some novelists have multiple perspective characters speak from their POVs in the first person. That can make it easier to distinguish between characters, provided you work hard to give each his own voice, pace, vocabulary, and delivery. 3. Choose Carefully The point of having multiple main characters is to allow your story to expand geographically. But you may find, as I did, that eventually your perspective characters wind up in the same scene. Then from whose perspective do you tell it? If one of your main characters is most main, if you know what I mean (in Left Behind  Rayford and Buck were both strong leads, but Rayford was really the star), stick with that character. Otherwise, choose the one who has the most to gain or lose in the scene. You Can Make This Work As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when you try to tell a story featuring more than one main character, but if you’re careful and intentional and always consider your reader first, you can enhance a story this way and make it something special. Our best writing often results from working through such difficult challenges. Need help writing your novel?  Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. Tell me how you’ve handled multiple main characters, or pose any questions raised by this post. Connect with me in the comments below.

W.L. Gore Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

W.L. Gore - Assignment Example In this regard, the company manufactures lifesaving cardiovascular equipment and guitar strings. The manufacturing operations of the company are spread across China, Scotland, Germany and Japan. The company is renowned for its innovative fabric known as GORE-TEX that has led to its achievement of over 2,000 patents globally. Its brand is visible in jackets, head ware, boots, gloves, guitar strings and NASA astronauts’ space suites (Gore, 2008). The work ethic of employees is based on lattices that promote direct interaction between associates. Thus the employees transcend to leaders subject to their attributes in attracting followers and gaining the respect of their colleagues (Gore, 2008). Furthermore, each manufacturing plant is allocated a minimum number of associates since it maximizes returns and synergies as well as contributing to the improvement of quality. In addition, the company continuously constructs new manufacturing plants within its area of operations. For example, there are 18 manufacturing plants within a radius of 30 miles in Delaware OF United States (Gore, 2008). In this regard, the employees of Gore have exhibited a positive attitude in their wo rk and increased quality of output. This has led to the company’s success in which it has consistently been listed as among the top 100 companies to work in as an employee. The company is renowned for a structure that goes against the conventional business leadership model in that it employees a structure that is hierarchy free. In this regard, the company has no managers, job titles or descriptions (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2011). The only structure is composed leaders and associates. The company equally does not have any union representation or defined Human Resource procedures or policies. In this regard, the company is not aligned with the standard or conventional Human Resource structure. In addition, the company promotes the philosophy of ‘natural leadership’ in that

Eco-innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Eco-innovation - Essay Example Organizational change occurs when there is a company making a transition from its current state to some other desired future state. Managing the organizational change can be characterized as the process of planning and then implementing change in organizations in a way as to minimize the employee resistance and resulting cost to the organization while side by side maximizing the effectiveness of the innovation effort. Todays the business environment requires all companies to undergo changes almost more often if they wish to remain competitive. Some of the factors such as the globalization of markets and the rapidly evolving technology force the businesses to respond if they wish to survive. Such changes or innovation might be relatively minor , for instance in the case of installing a new software program or they could be even quite major, for instance as in the case of refocusing a complete marketing strategy, transforming a company in face of continual foreign competition or fighting off a hostile takeover. Online free dictionary defines construction industry as an industry that builds housing. Construction Industry is today one of the most booming industries worldwide. This industry covers mainly urban based areas who are concerned with preparation as well as the construction of real estate properties. Though, the repairing of existing building or even making certain alterations may also falls under Construction Industry. This industry usually categorized into three basic categories: All three types of construction project require unique teams to plan, design, construct along with maintain the project. At times the construction industry has to bear heavy maintenance cost that results in much losses for the industry. It is important that for such a big industry to properly plan its activities and utilize such measures that decrease the ever increasing maintenance cost. Mostly, the maintenance occurs after construction and therefore the