Econ question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Econ question - Essay Example As the author correctly notes, the situation should not be oversimplified and he suggests that rejecting inherited wealth would lead to an equal society. On the other hand, the power of hereditary wealth cannot be used in the demonstration of particular thresholds of disparity typical of the developed nations in the twentieth century. At a particular point in the twentieth century, hard work was the guaranteed way of achieving a good living, then the considerable changes associated with the interwar era made things different. The changes have little involvement with the increase in the productivity of workers as compared to the effect that was felt by the very rich in the interwar era. The societies that were exceptionally imbalanced had been developed based on extreme concentrations of wealth, which made it possible for a small class of individuals to survive on capital income alone. The working rich did not simply overtake the rest of the population during the interwar period. The author dedicates most chapter seven in his book to a comprehensive walk through the data that explains the elements that influenced changes in distribution of income throughout the last century. The distribution of income for the French was extremely compressed by the interwar era, but disparity started to increase swiftly in the after the war because of the quick recovery and increased focus on reconstruction than on distributional concerns. This tendency in the direction of increased disparity stopped by the political changes that took place on the late sixties, but disparity started increasing again in the early nineties. In the division of his analysis, Piketty tries to develop a clear distinction between the contemporary definition of labour and inheritance, and the dissimilarity between income form labour and income from wealth. He

The Effects of Cyberschools on Public Education Essay

The Effects of Cyberschools on Public Education - Essay Example When the Western Pennsylvania cyberschool opened in the 2000-01 school year, 525 grade 12 students were enrolled in it. In the 2001-2002 school year, 996 students were enrolled (KPMG Consulting, 2001). Indeed, demographic figures are a testament to the success of the Western Pennsylvania cyberschool for, not only are enrolment figures steadily n the increase but, an increasing number of students and parents are opting for cyberschool as a preferred alternative to public schooling, with the result being that that while 48% of the enrolled students are former home schoolers, 52% are former public school students from twelve south west region counties. Added to that, 27 of the enrolled students are classified as gifted' and 117 are special education needs students (KPMG Consulting, 2001). The implication here is that, within Western Pennsylvania at least, cyberschooling is emerging as a viable, valid and vital alternative to public schooling. Within the parameters of the outlined problem, the research shall attempt the determination of the impact of cyberschools on public education, with the focus being on Western Pennsylvania. 3 Definition of Key Terms The focus of this action research is well-defined and limited to the relationship between public schooling and cyberschooling, on the one hand, and the emergence of cyberschools as an alternative to both home and public schooling. The focus, as stated, allows for the identification of three key terms, those being cyberschools, public education and home schooling. Each of these terms shall now be defined in order to contextualize their usage in the... The focus of this action research is well-defined and limited to the relationship between public schooling and cyberschooling, on the one hand, and the emergence of cyberschools as an alternative to both home and public schooling. The research and data analysis carried out allows for the statement of a set of conclusions. The first of these is that the public school system is under tremendous strain, both because of increasing student populations and decreasing qualified teacher populations. The consequence of the aforementioned is the decreasing capacity for effective education and an ever dwindling ability to ensure the safety and security of students on school grounds and property. The stated has led many parents to turn to Homeschooling and, eventually, to cyberschools. As pertains to cyberschools, the research data allows for the conclusion that it is an effective, viable, vital and feasible alternative to both public education and Homeschooling. This paper makes a conclusion that given that no data was found on the actual effect that cyberschools have had on the public school system, it is difficult to present definitive conclusions regarding this relationship. Nevertheless, one may assume that cyberschools will be integrated into the public school system in due course, thereby relieving state and federal governments of a substantial percentage of the cost involved in the maintenance and running of public schools and allowing access to education for those who, for a variety of reasons, had no previous access. In other words, cyberschools will not function as a threat to public schools but as a support system.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ Essay Example for Free

The resurrection of Jesus Christ Essay The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central aspect of more than two billion Christians in this world and billions more who have since put their faith in Jesus these last two thousand years. The Christian religion is unique in the fact that its founder proclaimed that he is the son of God and that if one simply believes in him, they shall obtain eternal life. There is no other religion similar to that. Salvation cannot be found on this earth or in the completion of daily tasks and rituals but is a gift, given to God through Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is so important that the entire faith relies upon this event. If Jesus was, as other religions attest: only a prophet, then Jesus is therefore made a liar and the greatest con artist in the history of the world. However, if he is who he was he is, then Jesus is the only way in which one receives eternal life. It can therefore be seen how important the resurrection is to Christians and they are reminded of such sacrifices as well as the importance of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, this Easter Sunday. In the Old Testament, the Scriptures profess of a savior who will come to save man from his sins. Amazing detail can be seen in these Old Testament passages concerning where this savior would come from, how he would be received by the public and authorities and how he would die and then be raised from the dead. When Jesus was preaching that he was the Messiah, this was seen as severe offense of blasphemy towards the Jewish authority, as they were still waiting for their savior to come. According to the Bible, and specifically the New Testament, Jesus Christ came to this world to save man from his sin. With the plague of thousands of sins committed by any individual with an average lifespan, he therefore cannot enter God’s kingdom of heaven, which is holy, with a body and works that are unholy. It then comes upon Jesus Christ to be the savior of God’s people by sending on this earth, his only son which died on a cross, was buried and then was resurrected on the 3rd day. In the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, in which the life and times of Jesus are given, the resurrection is described in all of these accounts. One such can be found in the book of Matthew 27:52-53. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. (Bible, 2000 p. 689) The resurrection is repeated in all four of the Gospels, due to its utter necessity of understanding if one wishes to consider himself a Christian and deserving, only through the death of Jesus Christ, eternal life in heaven. According to the Bible, after Jesus was resurrected, he began to preach to his followers before he ascended into heaven. Eleven of his twelve disciples considered the resurrection so very important, ten of them chose death, imposed upon them by different state authorities which feared this new religion and its appeal, then deny what they had seen for themselves. This is a testimony to the power and importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to Christians. The book of Acts, or Acts of the Apostles, goes into detail, the actions of the apostles as they adhere to the Great Commission, the order given by Jesus before he was crucified, that it is the main purpose of Christians to spread the teachings and promises of salvation, as seen only by Jesus Christ. To Christians, the Great Commission is still in effect today and is what propels missionaries to travel all over the world, teaching and preaching the news of Jesus Christ and his promises of eternal salvation. In all of these teachings, the resurrection is included, or rather seen as the most important aspect of the Christian faith and plan for salvation. â€Å"If Jesus was not resurrected from the dead, then he is only a man and the Christian faith is based upon a myth.† (Johnson, 1998 p. 45) This then makes the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be of the utmost importance. For those who believe in the resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection takes on a special meaning. This sacrifice of Jesus, the one who is seen by Christians as the perfect and blameless son of God in order to save fallible sinners from the torment of hell, is an important and emotional sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that motivates Christians, not only in their faith but also in the continuation of their church attendance and private and public devotions. The Christian martyrs in the immediate centuries following the resurrection of Jesus, gladly went to be fed to the lions or killed in some other way in order to try and duplicate, although not copy, the sacrifice that Jesus made for those who believe in him. Even contemporary Christians are moved by the sacrifice of Jesus in this manner.   The 2004 film The Passion of the Christ compelled a lot of reaction. One of the reactions by the audience was humility and even tears as they saw what might have happened to Jesus in order that he may save their souls from heaven. If the resurrection of Jesus never was attached to these sacrifices of being beaten and crucified, then he would not be the one who had come to fulfill prophecy and therefore, would have been seen as a heretic and there would have been made, no special attention to Jesus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The resurrection of Jesus remains central to the faith of Christians. Without the resurrection, the prophecies of the Old Testament remain unfulfilled and Jesus was nothing more than the greatest deceiver in the history of the world who received a fitting punishment. However, if the resurrection did occur and the promises of Jesus are then attached to his claim that he is the son of God and all that he said is true, then belief in the deity of Jesus and his resurrection, still remains the only way in which an individual receives eternal life in heaven. As it is written in the famous Bible verse John 3:16: â€Å"For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life.† (Bible, 2000 p. 825) Jesus Christ still remains the most important figure in human history. Had the resurrection never occurred, it seems doubtful that his importance would have rem ained the same. WORKS CITED The Holy Bible. (2000) London: Oxford Press. Johnson, P (1998) The Importance of the Resurrection. New York: Century Press. Gibson, Mel The Passion of the Christ. Icon Productions

The Vision Mission Values Management Essay

The Vision Mission Values Management Essay From the very beginning Sam Walton used the strategy still used by the corporation he founded; a wide variety of low priced goods, more availability by later store hours, buying goods in large quantities from the lowest priced wholesaler and passing on the savings to his customers. With low prices came large sales volume and that allowed him to purchase even cheaper goods from his suppliers. Sam Walton had great distribution methods as well. He built his stores near distribution centers so that items could be delivered quickly, usually within 24 hours. Sam Walton was more than Everyday Low Prices and distribution that catapulted the company to the top. Show More Show Less Walmarts mission today is still, save money, live better this sums up their primary goal, and gives a clue as to who the target market could be. Walmarts intention is to provide the lowest prices. Their customer base is the low income, and lower middle class that seek low prices. Walmart is found in almost every city in the United States, and more specifically in rural and suburban areas. Walmart uses alot of research to locate areas to open new stores, and even more to know what to stock them with. Its difficult to discuss, Vision, Mission and Values without understanding with clarity what the 3 stand for. Vision: The difference that the business wants to make. What will make it better than the rest of the other companies. Mission: How do we plan on carrying this work out; this is the way we plan to do things. Values: This is the nitty gritty; the walk to the talk. The Wal-Mart Vision statement states that The vision of the Global Ethics Office is to support ownership of Wal-Marts ethical culture to all stakeholders globally. Since the first store opened 50 years ago, the store has worked toward making a difference in people lives. The Founder of the company, Sam Walton believed that the service his customers received was very important. Sam Walton shared his vision with his employees and made them accountable for the way his first stores were operated; and later his other stores as well. Mr. Walton assigned greeters at the store entrances, and had them learn customers names. He lowered prices, and was committed to his customers even when his competitors thought that was a sure way to fail. Walmarts Mission is to improve the life of the community they serve through opportunities in employment, volunteer opportunities of its employees, cash or grants, its mission is to improve and help the people of the communities they are in. Globally, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $958 million in cash and in-kind contributions during fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2012.( Walmart Foundation). Three basic Values guide Wal-Mart employees: Respect for the Individual, is about valuing workplace diversity, everyone is a valued employee, and co-worker. Customers are greeted, and treated with respect. Sam Walton believed in creating an environment that is open and inclusive of all personnel and customers; and treating all people respectfully. In 2012 WalMart operates stores in 27 countries and under 69 different names. Service to Customers. Customer service comes before and after a sale; that includes prices that are affordable, and lower than competitors, and finally, Strive for Excellence; excellence doesnt mean being perfect. Striving for Excellence does mean doing the best job in all that you do, and to do it over and over again, as many times as it takes to get it right. Organization Business: Products and Services Traded on the New York Stock Exchange, Walmart is a corporation. The official name of the company is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.) Wal-Mart sells everything! Walmart Supercenters are warehouse size buildings, with sizes varying from 98,000 to 261,000 square feet, with an average of about 197,000 square feet (Walmart Annual Report, 2012) These stores stock everything: its a full-service supermarket with a meat dept., bakery, delicatessen, frozen foods, dairy products, produce, seafood and pharmacy; electronics, automotive, houseware, cosmetics, toys, garden centers, one hour photo processing lab; additionally some have fuel pumps in the parking lot. Some Walmarts are equipped with automotive service departments, garden centers, optical center, portrait studio, and numerous alcove shops, such as cellular phone stores, hair and nail salons, local bank branches, and fast food outlets, in the El Paso stores it is Mc Donalds (Longo, 2007) Products, Services and Initiatives requiring HR support. When Sam Walton opened the door in 1962 to the first Walmart, it was operated under a 3 basic belief code: respect for the individual, service to the customer and striving for excellence. Things havent changed much, the Walmart corporation still uses these vvalues; and continues to improve on them; always looking to improve the service to their customers and each other on a daily basis (http://careers.walmart.com/company-beliefs-and-values/). Walmarts open door policy, and open communication is what is credited with the success that Walmart has experienced when dealing with its 2.2 million associates and customer needs (http://careers.walmart.com/hr-benefits ) Walmart employees know they can openly discuss concerns with the management team. Wal-Mart Stores, with 2.2 million employees, tops the first published list of the worlds 500 largest corporate employers (http://www.myglobalcareer.com/). The Human Resource department at Walmart uses the strategy of fitting the employee to the best suitable job to fit the associates cognitive ability, and interests. (Chuck Russell, 2003). Its very important that they hire the best suited person for the job as mistakes can cost large sums of money! According to Dr. Pierre Mornell, if you make a mistake in hiring, and recognize and fix the mistake within six months, the cost of replacing that employee is two and one-half times the persons annual salary. ( Mornell, 2003). Training and development doesnt stop when the associate is hired, it isnt a one time thing, it continues on during the career of the associate, its meant to improve and empower the employee during his service at Walmart. Employees are told the history about the making of Walmart, and shows the roles and responsibilities of the employee, and those of support staff. After the initial orientation every department has its own training to strengthen the individual strengths, and chart career paths. All these initiatives are aimed at making employees stay within the organization more favorable. This empowers the employees and gives them the incentive to remain within the company. (Sullivan and Zaino, 2005). Walmart offers many training and development opportunities.It isnt unusual for a company to train an employee upon hiring, and nevr retrain, or continue to train an employee; but that isnt the case at Walmart. Walmart considers training as part of their regular work environment, this company invests a lot of time in maintaing a ongoing training program for employees. The purpose of the continuous training is to assist associates in maintaining, and or obtaining the needed skills to prepare for climbing the corporate ladder. Walmart likes to hire from within the company, as they like people already educated in their corporate culture. Leaders Out in Front is what Walmart calls the program that places the associate in charge of their own portfolio. This program also places the training in the first line of contact with the associates, the Assistant managers, Market manager, Store managers, and Co-managers, it is believed in the Walmart culture that associates having training with the first line of contact they are continuously training, and strengthening their skills. In 2007, Walmart started a program called Stores of Learning. In this program they use virtual classrooms to show chosen employees about the most effective methods of service delivery. Training and development isnt a only new employee training, its an ongoing event at Walmart. Its a very important part of an associates life (Career Development, 2010). Walmart uses skill assessments to determine, and improve their employee labor, and knowledge of their job skills. The company has instituted a program known as the Associate Investment model where supervisors evaluate employee competencies. This methods of employee assessment is particularly accurate owing to the fact that it allows the assessment of the evaluation process. This means that in case evaluation was done poorly, the company can detect it and makes their employees more prepared for future eventualities. (King, 2006) The company vigorously trains the employees, this helps Walmart to know that the employee is well trained in his job function and knows all the components of his job. Part one of the process is called on boarding. Since the employee must know his job, and all job functions, this can also be called the information phase. The next step is called the fundamental track phase. During this phase the employee is expected to know and understand the responsibilities associated within the scope of his job. Walmart hopes that this information helps the employee to better understand the function of his job and well as build a foundation from which to grow. The third phase of the program is called advanced track phase. In this area employees are taught how to plan their careers. For Walmart this is the portion of the training that guarantees that employees are aware, and knowledgeable in all the steps needed to prepare them for them to get to become promotable, and, or transferable to different positions within the company. Associates are urged to assess their own skills, and opportunities within Walmart,and to guage if they are tracking with the needed job criteria. The above program instructs employees on resume writing, interviewing skills, career planning, and being pro-active in seeking job opportunities within the company. Sam Walton liked to promote people within the Walmart family before seeking outside candidate, and today the same idea still functions within the Walmart culture, promote from within! The training, available through the Human Resource Department is meant to have a readily available pool of talent from the employees. Walmarts executives believe that while other retailers outsource a large part of their production process, Walmart wants to keep talent from within their company to fill vacancies as they arise. The fact that the company has leadership programs for their managers, supervisors, and line staff is proof that they are commited to assisting the employee develop, grow, and remain productive within the Walmart family. The companys Vice presidents feel that the people who have paid their dues, done the job, and prepared should be the ones getting the promotions within the company (Marquez, 2005). It is estimated that the human resource department at Walmart spends a large amount of time in the training, and maintaining, as well as preparing employees to embrace the best opportunity that comes their way. Since Walmart is worldwide they also believe that they are successful because of the consistent manner in which the associates are trained worldwide. Walmarts Human Resource Department has been working on preparing employees to work worldwide, in any environment by preparing them with the correct language, customs, and corporate requirements need to be a success in that area. Because Walmart wants to keep its competitive edge always sharp they also spend thousands of dollars in training their Human Resource Department in the latest hiring, and training practices in any country where they operate. The Walmart corporation does not consider training for any employee to be just an internal issue. They educate themselves in what other companies are doing to make them successful.(Walmart, 2008) Organization Markets Save Money. Live Better. This is the core of what Walmarts Marketing department uses to communicate to its customers every day. The yellow, happy smiling face is what Walmart uses to tell people about its lower prices. Marketing communication is a very important function of marketing. The product and services offered at Walmart would mean nothing if it werent communicating it through various media: collateral, advertisements, internet, packaging, printed media, displays, and logos to name a few. The ultimate goal of marketing communications is to make sure that the shopping population thinks of Walmart as the best place to shop, the place where they will save money, and have a better life because of it. ( more here)..> Organizational Core Competancies A core competency simply stated is what a company does best. For Wal-Mart that means lowering its operating costs, selling at a low price and still making a profit. Wal-Mart is a company that has taken what it does best, which is to deliver products at the lowest possible price, and incorporates it into their vision Low prices. Live better, and made it its competitive edge. Walmarts culture of hiring hardworking, and diligent, customer service oriented employees has paid off for the company. The founder, Sam Walton called his employees associates, and treated them like partners; thus making them feel like they were valued and wanted. Walton belied in his associates input, and valued what they had to say about improvements, and how to make the store better: additionally, he wanted his customers to know that no matter where his store was the customer would always receive the lowest prices and top notch customer service. . Low Cost Operations. Wal-Mart focus has always been on small rural towns. In 1962, the first store was in Rogers, Arkansas, and even then it cut prices so low, and drew customers away from its competitors; the trend to do the same has continued throughout the last 50 years; and in fact this is their mission statement in practice. As the US economy goes into slumps people look for lower, better prices, and Walmart has always been there to rescue the bargain shopper. Â   Distribution. Walmart has a total of 42 regional distribution centers, and 1 transportation office in every one. Each distribution center is over one million square feet. The distribution centers handle a total of about 6,500 tractors with 55,000 trailers. These vehicles moved more than 5.5 billion cases of merchandise last year. There are also specific distribution centers for Sams clubs as well for groceries, jewelry, pharmaceuticals. The Walmart online also have their own distribution centers. They are all located within a 250 mile radius of the stores they service, and most are open 24/7. The trucks deliver their loads, and most return within the same day, to start the process again the next day.( http://careers.walmart.com/distribution-and-transportation-opportunities) Strategic Planning for Organization and H.R. involvement. Charles Holley, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. executive vice president and CFO stated at the shareholders meeting in November, 2011. Our business model is built on our promise that Walmart customers can count on us to deliver low prices every day across a broad assortment, Holley explained. This in turn leads to customer loyalty and higher sales. These growth and leverage initiatives will contribute to our strong earnings growth. (Edgell Communications, 2011) In May, 2011, Wal-Mart President and CEO Mike Duke told its share holders that the next step for Walmart was to expand globally and market to the next generation customer. He also outlined a five-point program at the shareholders annual meeting that would help sell more products online and abroad, but keep cost down. Hoping to tap into those that carry smart phones and spend time on social media , his 5 point priority plan includes: Growth by adding customers, opening new stores and acquiring other retailers. Keeping costs low and passing the savings to customers. Building a global Internet business. Developing talent, including a greater focus on women and minorities. Expanding the company sustainability effort Organizational Development and Change Initiatives Organizational Assesment Processes Human Capital Assesment Processes Training, Development and education Management and Leadership Supervisory Team Building Sales and Marketing Customer Service Safety, Quality and Technical Career Management and Development Programs Succession Planning Performance Management Restructuring of the Organization Job Enlargement, Job Enrichment Personnel Services Payroll HRIS/ HRIM Compensation and Benefits and Pay for Performance Evidence Legal Services : How Provided Other Services by Function: Financial Budgets and Contro;, Bonus systems, etc.

Ghost Story of a Hell House :: Ghost Stories Urban Legends

Ghost Story of a Hell House The legend that I collected is a popular local myth about an old building and its resident out in the woods near the story's location. The person who told this story to me is my roommate; he is a white, middle-class, twenty-year-old who is studying government and psychology. I collected the story from him in our apartment one Tuesday night, sitting on our couch amidst a group of friends while listening to some loud music. The teller’s performance of the story is important to note. Due to the loud music and distracting atmosphere, the story was not told very smoothly. The teller made a lot of pauses and had to repeat himself several times. Furthermore, the teller did not know any solid facts, such as specific dates. Everything that he mentioned in terms of time were clearly estimates, as indicated by his facial expressions and verbal pauses. The teller prefaced the story by trying to get me to recognize the location of the Hell House. We had gone hiking around the state park where near the house, and he explained its location by saying â€Å"you know that hill and those woods near the train tracks at the bottom of the mountain†¦Well, Hell House is over near there. I’m sure you’ve seen it dude.† I admitted that I knew where it was so that he would go on with the story, even though I was certain I hadn’t seen any creepy looking houses when I was over in that area. He continued the story by explaining that the place was originally â€Å"Mount Saint Mary’s† college in Old Catonsville, Maryland during the 1800s. He then said â€Å"oh right, it was actually a women’s school.† He paused here for a minute and then carried on to tell me that most of it burned down in the 1930s and a whole lot of people died. After a moment he said â€Å"actually it may have been the 10s or the 20s, I’m not so sure.† The only thing that remained after this fire was an old burnt up house that the groundskeeper lived in and continues to live in. The teller then said that the groundskeeper was â€Å"seriously old and weird† and that he is not sure whether he is alive or dead, but he made sure to emphasize that â€Å"if he is still alive he is probably real [expletive deleted by author] old.

Class Conflict in Britain :: Politics Political

Class Conflict in Britain "Class conflict has gradually been diluted by growing affluence." "The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle." This famous opening line from Marx Communist Manifesto refers to the struggle between the labouring, working classes and the bourgeoisie owners of the means of production. The proletariat are exploited by the capitalists for profit and are therefore forced to live in poverty and dire conditions. Marx predicted that eventually the proletariat would overthrow this capitalist system and replace it with a system which is often referred to as Communist - whereby the workers have control. Today, whenever the words 'class' or 'class conflict' are mentioned people usually turn to Marx definition and picture the poor worker fighting for better pay, better living and working conditions. The typical class conflict is typified as workers versus the owners, or bourgeoisie. In Britain this struggle did not develop in the way that Marx predicted - there has never been a genuine proletariat revolutionary threat. In its place has been a tradition of reformist socialism with the Labour Party and the Trades Unions being the main campaigners. In Britain the traditional class conflict is often depicted as Labour Party versus Conservative Party. The Labour Party have fought for workers rights and have been supported at elections by the working class, whereas the Conservatives have drawn most of their support from the middle classes. It is argued that today this traditional class conflict, depicted in no better fashion than the Miners' Strike of 1984, has been diluted by growing affluence. In otherwords the working class have become economically better off. They were given the right to buy council houses, to own shares and have, it is argued, become more middle class. The working class today have a lot more to lose in a fierce class struggle and are therefore happy to uphold the system. The huge decline in the traditional industries, such as coal, has coincided with a rise in the size of the non-manual, service industry - the sphere in which the 'middle classes' tend to be employed. In 1964 50% of the workforce were employed in the manual sector, compared to 36% in 1992. These figures coincide with a 15% rise in the non-manual, 'petty bourgeoisie' jobs. Whilst there may be some truth in this 'embourgeoisement' theory, there is also no doubting the fact that it is an exaggerated view. To say that 'we are all middle class' (Blair 1998) is an absurdity. Class conflict may have been subdued but not only because of growing affluence. The capitalists have managed to silence what was once a

International dairy queens decision Essay

International dairy queen is a successful company that owns licenses and services to dairy queen restaurants, orange Julius stores and karmelkom shoppes. Currently, international dairy queen operates over 6000 chains globally and the number is yet to increase as international dairy queen seeks to venture more into the Middle East market. Environments International Dairy Queen Stores’ decision to open a subsidiary in Bahrain presents challenges and opportunities to the company. Before developing any strategy plans International Dairy Queen should perform a SLEPT analysis which is a critical look into social, legal, economic, political and technological influences. This is because it will not operate in a vacuum and these environments indirectly affect business activities. In addition these business environments are constantly in a changing state and companies need to be aware of these changes. This enables the company to stay ahead of these changes and act in a proactive way rather than reacting hurriedly to adapt to the changes. In the Middle East, Bahrain particularly stands out as the ideal location because it has numerous opportunities. Bahrain is a vibrant country with a multicultural population owing to the numerous tourists that visit. Many people refer to it as the ‘Middle East lite’ due to its substantial resource endowment, vibrant market economy and state of the art infrastructure, stable political system and high investment rating. International dairy queen would do well having business in Bahrain. The population is large and diverse plus the hot climate and tourist attractions attract restaurants business. The description above of Bahrain demonstrates that, indeed there are untapped opportunities for international dairy queen. The general pointers to a mature economy that include a ready market for goods and services, a friendly legal environment as well as a stable political system are evident in the case of Bahrain. There is need though to avoid over glorifying the country by giving a brief of some of the potential challenges that international dairy queen will have to contend with if entry into Bahrain market will prove to be a success. The political system comprises of all processes, structures and activities that prevail in a country. On the other hand, the legal system comprises of the laws and regulations enforced in a country. (Lucas, 2000) In international business, there are global legal issues that prevail beyond country’s boundaries such as intellectual property, product safety and liability and anti-corruption regulations. The political/ legal framework in Bahrain lays out the regulations and laws governing trade. Particularly, there are rules governing registration of companies import tariffs, ownership, trade registrations, customs payment and so on. International Dairy Queen Stores will have to comply with these laws and regulations if it is to trade in Bahrain. In addition, there are laws that stipulate environment regulations. This regulation prohibits creation of pollution, or any culture that contravenes moral standards. International Dairy Queen is a well established company whose activities are eco friendly. Laws regarding registration of foreign companies are stiff but not impossible. The government permits wholly owned foreign companies. However, restrictions on the importing products from parent company are imposed. Laws regarding employment stipulate the number of employees who must be sponsored from the local community. Licensing is easy as the government stretches good will to foreign investors. International Dairy Queen has to critically look into these laws and rules and their impact to its operation before proceeding any further. Lastly, health and safety laws are enforced to protect the customers from substandard goods that may cause harm to consumers. International dairy queen should pay attention to the rules that directly affect its operations. Social factors and cultural factors are equally important. These factors encompass the tastes, preferences, lifestyles, fashion, demographic factors and patterns of behavior. (Lucas, 2000) it is important to note that the tastes and preferences of people are very dynamic. The attitudes of people also change. The vast population largely comprises of young and aged fun loving people. The numbers of foreigners, who visit the country, make the setting ideal for International Dairy Queens products. Citizens of Bahrain love the good things in life. They have an expensive taste and International Dairy Queen Stores’ products match this standard. The current trend towards eating healthy diets and sugar free products may have an impact on international dairy queen. Cases of obesity in children and the negative effects of high sugar consumption raise concern among consumers. This will mean that international dairy queen invests in promoting it desserts and probably develop tasty and high quality sugar free desserts to cater for the sensitive consumers. Although the change in customers’ tastes and preferences differ across different age groups, International Dairy Queen Range of products caters for all. When evaluating the economic factors in the external environment, the key areas that one needs to look at is the interest rates, wage rates, general level of prices i.e. inflation rate and the customer’s purchasing power. (Lucas, 2000). The economy of any country tends to fluctuate from time to time. This characterized by periods of booms and repressions. The direct impact of these changes is price increase. Currently Bahrain’s economic condition is stable. Interest rates are low and demand high. People disposable income are high and they are willing to spend more on luxuries as dining out and International Dairy Queen comes in. by locating its stores at strategic locations where impulse buying is constant for 8instance the shopping malls, beaches and gas stations. International Dairy Queen can take advantage of this situation to expand in the Middle East in this case Bahrain. Technological factors are vital and need to be considered. This is because technology gives organizations a competitive advantage and facilitates globalization. Whenever one assesses the technological factors of any place the following questions come to mind. Does the technology enable production of high quality goods and at a cheaper cost? Does the technology offer innovative products that allow better ways of operating? Most importantly, does the technology provide better or new ways of communicating with customers? These questions play a guiding role in deciding what technology to utilize in order to gain a competitive edge. Technology in Bahrain can be described simply as state of the Art. Their transportation and communication system is highly advanced and the people are highly skilled. Given that international dairy queen is a dedicated company to quality it has to ensure that the franchisee are highly educated and its employees do not compromise on quality service delivery. Hence the highly skilled population in Bahrain should come in handy when a franchise opens. International Dairy Queen being a company involved in mass production is particularly keen on acquiring fast and efficient technologies. Total quality management is also of great importance to International Dairy Queen Inc. This is because its dairy products are very sensitive to quality. International Dairy Queen Inc is dedicated to satisfying customers’ expectations and the technological advances in Bahrain facilitate this. Bahrain has all the facilities the company needs thus setting a part Bahrain as the country of choice in the Middle East. The advanced communication system in Bahrain will facilitate easy communication with customer if international dairy queen decides to use customer relationship management to market its products. Markets The characteristics of the market place are vital in international dairy queen’s decision on pricing. There are various types of markets and they include commodity markets, controlled and uncontrolled markets, vertical high and vertical low markets. In the case of international dairy queen, it operates in a commodity market. This is because it has many buyers and competitors and at the same time non unique products. Thus, they enjoy minimal price flexibility. (Sunjen, 2000) The pricing of International Dairy Queens products will greatly depend on the presence of competition, economic conditions, cost of production and laws regulating prices in the new market (Bahrain). In addition, factors such as product awareness, prospects perceptions, ability to pay, products life cycle, elasticity and cost of channels of distribution will similarly affect pricing of international dairy queen products. (Sunjen, 2000) Most countries impose laws which regulate prices of goods such that prices don’t fall below a predetermined level. This is meant to prevent dumping. In this case International Dairy Queen is not affected; however, the economic conditions will influence pricing of International Dairy Queen Products. How so? Inflation causes increase in prices of virtually everything; raw materials, wages, interest rates hike. The cost of production reflects on final cost of a product. If the technology used to produce a product is costly then final cost of a product is also high. International Dairy Queen has invested greatly in modern facilities and state of the art technology. Most of the processes are automated. This will play a significant role in minimizing cost of production. In addition, costs of acquiring raw materials increases during inflation which eventually translates to high price of goods. Pricing of a product is influenced by the force of demand and supply. This is because if demand for a product increases prices of the product will also increase. This is the theory. However, this is not always the case. In the presence of competitors firms react by reducing their prices so as to retain customers to competitors. International Dairy Queen being a new company in Bahrain should consider to competitors and its comparative advantage. International dairy queen is a new company in Bahrain. This being the case its existence is unknown to people in Bahrain. The goal of International Dairy Queen should therefore be creating awareness and penetrating the market in Bahrain. This in itself will influence pricing. for example, using a promotional strategy. This is whereby it lowers prices of its products as a way of promotion. The effect is that customers get attracted to sample the range of products and make repeat purchases. A customer’s perceptions about a company’s product greatly influence pricing. How so? Positive perceptions regarding quality and superiority enable a company to price its products highly. Alternatively, the intention or desire to appeal and identify its product with the high class group should influence pricing. This is called premium pricing and a company using this strategy will price its products expensively as an indicator of quality. The availability, quality and cost of distributive channels influence pricing in that the eventual cost is transferred to the consumer. International dairy queen uses franchises to market its products thus eliminating the risk of long distribution channel and ensuring quality service to its customers. (Idq website) products usually undergo life cycles and each stage in a products life cycle dictates its price differently. Products in n early life cycle attract higher prices. International dairy queen being new to Bahrain enjoys this advantage as its products are still new to the market. D1 D2 This graph shows the effects of S changes in production (supply) and P1 purchasing power (demand) and P2 how these changes offset the equilibrium. Q1 Q2 Source: Self Organization Organizational structures vary across organizations depending on the objectives of a firm and its culture. This structure is important because it gives a frame work of allocating functions and processes to different departments in the organization. In order for a company to be successful in its operations it needs a good structure. A good structure is one that is efficient and flexible yet facilitates smooth communication and relationship among different sections in the organization (salaman, 2001) there are different types of organizational structures. They include; centralized and decentralized structure, hierarchical structure, tall structure, matrix structure and flat structure. It seems to me that international dairy queen uses the hierarchical structure. This is because each level is one above the other and each manager has a given number of staff directly under his span of control. The organizational structure International Dairy Queen Inc has both formal and informal structure. The formal structure shows the flow of hierarchy from the top level management to the lowest level. An organizational chart has been used to show the level of hierarchy in International Dairy Queen. International Dairy Queen has a centralized system and all the subsidiaries follow the same centralized system. That is all the department report to the director and all the employees report to their respective managers in the various departments. The informal structures within the company although not written on paper has strong presence within this company. Staff groupings are productive because they improve level of motivation and sharing of information. The company encourages productive groupings. The concept behind International Dairy Queen having this organization structure is to clearly show the relationship among the people in the organization. It also gives little of different position. The departments also have their own department organization structures. The purpose behind having this organizational structure is that flow of information is enhanced. This is especially so true for a big company such as International Dairy Queen. Absence of such a structure would cause distortion of information, and inefficiency. The structure shows a diagrammatic illustration of how departments should relate and the hierarchy of authority. The organizational structure allows free flow of information which enables the company to coordinate its various activities. This in turn increases the efficiency of services. Corporate Chart Source: Self Process Understanding the business process assists in gauging the success of a company in terms of higher profit gains, physical expansion, better quality products, increased market share and accumulation of assets. According to Davenport (1993) he defines a (business) process as â€Å"a structured, measured set of activities designed to produce a specific output for a particular customer or market. It implies a strong emphasis on how work is done within an organization, in contrast to a product focus’s emphasis on what. A process is thus a specific ordering of work activities across time and space, with a beginning and an end, and clearly defined inputs and outputs: a structure for action. Taking a process approach implies adopting the customer’s point of view. Processes are the structure by which an organization does what is necessary to produce value for its customers. † The business process allows an organization to measure how well the business is doing and measure whether the products and services meet customers’ needs and requirements. (Barnes, 2001). The success of International Dairy Queen Store’s investment depends a lot on how much its consumers get value for their money. Consumers of the company’s dairy products should perceive that they get the best their money can buy. Therefore, value adding should start right from the suppliers, production and packaging to distribution and selling process. At each stage, the product should be improved without adversely hiking price of the final product. Consumers should get best quality at minimal cost. Customer process analysis focuses mainly on acquiring and retaining customers as well as satisfying their needs. Adding value to customers requires in depth study into impacts of pricing, timely distribution, variety and so on. Time and cost is essential and should be analyzed so that it is cost effective. In the case of International dairy Queen Stores, its success in Bahrain depends greatly on the strategy the company will employ in attaining its goals. The marketing program should anticipate customers’ needs and cater to them. A modernized system of informing customers and getting feedback is essential. Relationship marketing, where customers’ queries and suggestions are personally addressed needs to be analyzed. Furthermore, the efficiency of implementing market programs and the dedication of employees to quality service delivery needs to be analyzed. The production process can be enhanced through the use of modern technology so that the time needed to produce a product is reduced. Conclusion In summary the decision to venture in the Middle East is timely. As seen the business environment tremendously affects the business. They can either affect your business negatively or positively. Therefore, it is advice able for international dairy queen to manipulate their effects to work out for its benefit. Markets are dynamic and there influences on pricing of products are significant. International dairy queen has a variety of options in determining its prices depending on its goals. A clear understanding, consideration and implementation of the issues discussed plus international dairy queen’s vast experience trading in foreign countries will come in handy in building a successful subsidiary in Bahrain. Bibliography Barnes, W. ed. (2001) Understanding Business: Process. London: Routledge. Davenport, T (1993) Process innovation: Reengineering work through information Technology. Boston. Harvard business school press. Lucas, M. ed. (2000) Understanding Business: Environments. London: Routledge. International dairy queen: The Middle East. Retrieved from http://www. dairyqueen. com/en-Intl/DQ+Around+the+World/Middle+East/default. htm accessed on August, 29, 2007 Salaman, G. ed. (2001) Understanding Business: Organizations. London: Routledge. Suneja, V. ed. (2000) Understanding Business: A Multidimensional Approach to the Market Economy. London: Routledge.