Action Plan of the cooperative food Essay

What do they do about their plan.The plan will take according to year ahead. That means when any employee join in the organization they will be sitting with the manager they have to make a plan about their targets. Target means what is their vision and objectives. When they set their plan they would be planning on that.After that they do. Do refers what r u going to do and how are u going to do? So its like whatever their vision and objective. Accordingly their employee they have to do their work and they done their vision and objective. Next they will be reviwed that means where are they and what trac are they? And are they satisfying their customer or customers giving feedback. Those things are rivewed. And later it will be evaluated. On evaluation overall performance will be evaluated. According to how they have treat customers support and customers satisfaction. Every company has some strengths and weekness. Cooperative has also some proble. In Amstrong theory we find that compan y concentrate on their mission,vision and objective. In cooperative they have vision and objective but they don’t have mission. They calculate vision is a mission. Because they don’t know what is their mission? They have something lacking. They don’t care of their employee they always concern about their company that means customers. If we consider Blake Mouton Theory we will find that manager never follow middle of the road management. Manager follow impoverished management. In this particular theory company gives more concentrate on production not on the employee. Amstrong want to manageing people but cooperative follow their own style,because their thing is customer is more important than employee. They want to be best cooperative store in the uk. That’s what they want to expand their company. They concernless about their employee. For example. If any employee are going to out of the org they wont identified him or they wont recognized him. If any employee claim that,I stayed here three years,but I did not get any promossion or I did not get anything. They will said ok,if u r not happy u can go out. They never consider about their employees hardwork only they consider how employees cooperative with cus tomer. And what are the feedback from the customer and the productivity.They always want to finish their work just on time. They always gives emphasis on service and availability so that customer offer and great service is delivered.

Mystic Monk Coffee Essay

Introduction Mystic Monk coffee company is a cloistered monastic environment where monks from the Carmelite monastery of Clark, Wyoming spend their daily manual labour hours roasting coffee (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420). The monks are a religious sect of the Catholic church and are fully dedicated to their religious and spiritual side, which requires most of their daily hours, be spent praying or contemplating in silence; this leaves little time to spend on coffee roasting productions, especially due to the small population of monks that are able to live at the Carmelite monastery. There were many restrictions that the Carmelite monks faced with their coffee productions such as having restricted roasting capacity, inadequate land and partial workers. Father Daniel Mary, the prior of the Carmelite order, had a vision of expanding the small monastery of 13 monks, by creating a new Mount Carmel in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming. There is a nearby location called the Irma Lake Ranch that would include a large house, caretaker house, guesthouse, a gothic church, a convent for Carmelite nuns, a hunting cabin and a dairy and horse barn; this would allow the monks to expand their opportunities, as well as expand their Carmelite monk residents (Thompson, 2012, pg. 421). This vision is everything that Father Daniel Mary ever dreamed, the only thing prohibiting the change, is that the Irma Lake Ranch will cost the monks $8.9 Million. The Mystic Monk coffee company only earns money based on their coffee sales (11% of revenues) and donations from private donators; the Carmelite monastery received a $250,000 donation which they can use at their discretion (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420,423). The following report will take a look at the options that are available to the Carmelite monks and what would be the most strategic plan that should be enforced in order for the monastery to be successful. External and Internal Analysis S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths * Fair trade/ Organic Arabica beans * Variety of coffee flavors * Accessories (t-shirts, cups, CD’s) * Online shopping is available * Tea has been added to selection * Free labour/ No wages paid * Affordable/ reasonable retail price * Membership â€Å"coffee club† * Favors catholic market (large)| Weaknesses * Limited roasting capability (540 lbs/day) * Limited production due to worship * Cant expand due to limited land * Coffee is not a necessity (trend?) * Caffeine is highly addictive (health) * Purchase beans instead of growing * No business expertise/ experience * No absolute competitive advantage * Poor earnings (11% of revenues)| Opportunities * Expand availability into grocery stores * Collaborations (Keureg, Tassimo) * Other purposes (weight loss, bio fuel) * Increase advertisements * Expand into international market * Start a franchise * Open coffee shops (Starbucks, Tim’s)| Threats * Poor coffee growing season * Natural disaster/ weather * Eco nomic Conditions (recession) * Established competition (Folgers, nabob) * Others’ personal religious beliefs * Dependant on donations/ revenues| (Mystic Monk, n.d., pg. 1) Alternatives The Mystic Monk coffee company has to look at their options before they are able to make a decision regarding the continuation of their business. The two options that are available to the Carmelite monks at this point in time are: 1) stay at the current location of Clark, Wyoming, and continue operations as they are and use some donation money to purchase another roaster to help increase production or 2) see if the owners of Irma Lake Ranch would â€Å"gift† them a portion of the ranch without monetary repayment, as a donation, and they would pay the owners as a lease to own the remaining balance of the land, until a breakeven point has been reached. Discussion of Alternatives The first option is to stay at their current location to continue operations as they are. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) retaining their donations and revenues to improve their current monastery, 2) there is little to no risk involved. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is little opportunity to expand the Mystic Monk Company, 2) they cannot easily increase their Carmelite population. The second option is to move to a nearby area, which would involve purchasing the Irma Lake Ranch. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) the Mystic Monk Coffee can increase production easily, 2) there is a large opportunity to expand, 3) the new Carmelite monastery would allow its population to double. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is a tremendously high level of risk involved, 2) the owners may not gift the monks any land. Recommendation After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, a decision has been concluded that the most practical and strategic option would be to receive a portion of the Irma Lake Ranch, as a â€Å"gift† without monetary repayment, then pay the land owners on a lease to own schedule with the increased earnings projected from the new Mount Carmel location. This is the most logical selection if they want to expand and improve their Mystic monk coffee brand, as well as their community; the Carmelites will have no opportunity to grow or expand if they choose to stay where they are and continue on as they have been, as well as soon they will not be able to keep the supply at an adequate level to cover the demand for their products. The Carmelite monastery would have more financial opportunities available with this purchase, such as milk production from the dairy cows, horse rides on the trails through the forest, increased population to help roast and package the coffee. Also, the monks would have sufficient land to be capable of growing and producing their coffee beans without the need of suppliers, which in turn will decrease the cost of goods sold and drastically increase the Mystic Monk’s net profit margin from the current 11% of the sales revenue. The risk on this investment is exceptionally high, but if it is successful, the reward and pay off could be far greater than projected. Action Plan A realistic action plan must now be devised, to ensure that the previous decision is executed correctly, otherwise the Carmelite monks and the Mystic Monk coffee company will not be successful. The monastery is incapable of affording the Irma Lake Ranch with the funds that they currently have, including the $250,000 donation. The Mystic Monk coffee company should confront the current owners of the Irma Lake Ranch and see if they would be willing to â€Å"gift† them a portion of the property without monetary repayment, which could be considered a donation; the remaining balance owing on the land could be contracted as a lease or rent to own situation, where a breakeven point would be reached in a reasonable time frame. Also, because the property has been â€Å"gifted† to the Carmelite monks, they would be eligible to receive a tax break, which would significantly affect their financial status. The new property would be able to offer the monastery an opportunity to expand their brand by introducing tourism, sustainability and other financial opportunities. If the Mystic Monk coffee company decided that they would be capable or growing their own beans on the new land, they would be able to drastically cut costs on the cost of goods sold and eliminate suppliers, which in turn will increase their marginal earnings from the sales revenue. All of these new opportunities are realistic and show that the increased earnings would rapidly and effortlessly be able to pay off the remaining balance owing to the original Irma Lake Ranch owners. Conclusion In conclusion, the Mystic Monk coffee company has been successful with its entrance into the coffee market, however demands are increasing and new opportunities are being presented to the Carmelite monastery. If they wish to grow and expand their business and community, they are going to need to take the risk which is to relocate to a more practical location, ideally the Irma Lake Ranch. Irma Lake Ranch offers many new prospects to the Carmelite monks, which they would not be exposed to if they stay at their current location. This property can allow them to be independent from suppliers and venture into new venture projects such as introducing horse trail rides and milk from the dairy cows. Although the monks are a non-for-profit group, the sales revenue will mostly be paid to the original property owners until the principal amount is depleted, the rest of the money from earnings and donations will be put towards building, growing and maintaining the new Mount Carmel Monastery. References Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. (n.d.). Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/storefront.php Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M. A., Gamble, J. E., & III, A. S. (2012). Case 1. Crafting and Executing Strategy (18th Edition ed., pp. 420-424). New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.

Learnings in Operations Management from Henry Ford, Sloan and Toyota Essay

The success of Henry Ford till 1925s Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. He didn’t even invent the assembly line. But more than any other single individual, he was responsible for transforming the automobile from an invention of unknown utility into an innovation that profoundly shaped the 20th century and continues to affect our lives today. Model T (A car for everyman) In simple terms, the Model T changed the world. It was a powerful car with a possible speed of 45 mph. It could run 25 miles on a gallon of gasoline. It carried a 20-horsepower, side-valve four-cylinder engine and two-speed planetary transmission on a 100-inch wheelbase. It was Henry Ford’s foresight which saw the potential market of automobiles. In his opinion transportation was a basic need of human and if affordable anyone would be willing to buy it. It was with this vision of delivering automobiles to everyman that Ford started to experiment with different production methodologies to lower the cost of production. Influence of Frederick Taylor on Henry Ford Frederick Taylor was a contemporary of Henry Ford. His theory of scientific management had a big impact on Henry Ford. According to Henry Ford, the assembly line was based on three simple principles: â€Å"the planned, orderly, and continuous progression of the commodity through the shop; the delivery of work instead of leaving it to the workman’s initiative to find it; an analysis of operations into their constituent parts.† A scientific approach to these principles, the next logical step in the organization of work, had already been enunciated by Frederick Taylor in what is now called as scientific management. Henry Ford used the techniques specified by Frederick Taylor in increasing the efficiency of his process. Taylor’s scientific management consisted of four principles: 1. Replace rule-of-thumb work methods with methods based on a scientific study of the tasks. 2. Scientifically select, train, and develop each employee rather than passively leaving them to train themselves. 3. Provide â€Å"Detailed instruction and supervision of each worker in the performance of that worker’s discrete task†. 4. Divide work nearly equally between managers and workers, so that the managers apply scientific management principles to planning the work and the workers actually perform the tasks. Learnings from Henry Ford and Model T Assembly Line/Mass production In 1913 Henry Ford started production of Ford Model T in a sliding assembly line. Though assembly line was used previously used in different industry but it was mostly for products which had small number of parts. Model T on the other hand had many more components. Sliding assembly line of Henry Ford was inspired by overhead trolleys used to dress up beef. Henry Ford thought that the same technique can be used for automobile too. A breakthrough came in April 1913. A production engineer in the flywheel magneto assembly area tried a new way to put this component’s parts together. The operation was divided into 29 separate steps. Workers placed only one part in the assembly before pushing the flywheel down the line to the next employee. Previously, it had taken one employee about 20 minutes to assemble a flywheel magneto. Divided among 29 men, the job took 13 minutes. It was eventually trimmed to five minutes. This approach was applied gradually to the construction of the engine and other parts. According to Henry Ford: The principles of assembly are these: (1) Place the tools and the men in the sequence of the operation so that each component part shall travel the least possible distance while in the process of finishing. (2) Use work slides or some other form of carrier so that when a workman completes his operation, he drops the part always in the same place—which place must always be the most convenient place to his hand—and if possible  have gravity carry the part to the next workman for his own. (3) Use sliding assembling lines by which the parts to be assembled are delivered at convenient distances. Advantages of assembly Line : In his autobiography Henry Ford (1922) mentions several benefits of the assembly line including: Workers do no heavy lifting. No stooping or bending over. No special training required. There are jobs that almost anyone can do. Provided employment to immigrants. The gains in productivity allowed Ford to increase worker pay from $1.50 per day to $5.00 per day once employees reached three years of service on the assembly line. Ford continued on to reduce the hourly work week while continuously lowering the Model T price. Interchangeable/Standard Parts Centre to the concept of assembly line was the concept of interchangeable parts. Interchangeable parts meant that all the cars had same components at same place. This saved time which could have been wasted in sorting and identification of different parts. Henry Ford made sure that all components were standardised in the production of Model T. But it was not only parts which were standardised, Henry Ford also standardised all the processes. Following Frederick Taylor’s â€Å"One right way  to do the task†, Henry Ford devised the best possible way for a process. These were usually devised by detailed study of every task, time measurements and dividing tasks into small, controllable and reproducible steps. Labour policies Ford astonished the world in 1914 by offering a $5 per day wage ($120 today), which more than doubled the rate of most of his workers. The move proved extremely profitable; instead of constant turnover of employees, the best mechanics in Detroit flocked to Ford, bringing their human capital and expertise, raising productivity, and lowering training costs. Ford announced his $5-per-day program on January 5, 1914, raising the minimum daily pay from $2.34 to $5 for qualifying workers. It also set a new, reduced workweek. Ford’s policy proved, however, that paying people more would enable Ford workers to afford the cars they were producing and be good for the economy. Ford explained the policy as profit-sharing rather than wages. Franchising Ford pioneered the franchise system that would be applied to other industries, such as MacDonald’s and many other franchise giants. He put a Ford plant in every country that was on good terms with the U.S. and started the trend toward global corporations. Ford mapped out the whole system, from standardizing the car to franchising dealerships to creating a global network, and he did it all with no precedents to learn from. Just in Time (Henry Ford’s Contribution) Ernest Kanzler worked with Henry Ford in reducing the inventory costs at Fordson tractor plant. Kanzler noticed that during the Great War, excessive supplies were brought into the Fordson Tractor Plant prior to production. He found that these excess supplies tied up valuable plant space and millions of dollars. To remedy this, Kanzler reorganized inventory schedules so that raw materials and pans were bought only when needed and that the freight cars used for  delivery of these pans were used immediately to transport finished Fordson tractors to dealers. The success of General Motors post  1927 (Sloan) Mr. Sloan was elected President of General Motors in 1923, succeeding Pierre S. du Pont, who said of him on that occasion: â€Å"The greater part of the successful development of the Corporation’s operations and the building of a strong manufacturing and sales organization is due to Mr. Sloan. His election to the presidency is a natural and well-merited recognition of his untiring and able efforts and successful achievement.† Mr. Sloan had developed by then his system of disciplined, professional management that provided for decentralized operations with coordinated centralized policy control. Applying it to General Motors, he set the corporation on its course of industrial leadership. The next 23 years, with Mr. Sloan as Chief Executive Officer, were years of enormous expansion for General Motors and of a steady increase in its share of the automobile market. Changing with times While Henry Ford’s success with Model T was based on providing a mean of transport to everyone, Sloan realized that by 1925s just getting a mean of transport was not important. People were now more conscious about the looks and features of car too. He changed the organisation and production system at General Motors to keep up with these changes and provide an advantage over Ford who were still producing only one model at a time. Learnings from Alfred Sloan and General Motors Annual Model Change/Planned obsolescence To maintain unit sales, General Motors head Alfred P. Sloan Jr. suggested annual model-year design changes to convince car owners that they needed to buy a new replacement each year, an idea borrowed from the bicycle industry. In his autobiography, â€Å"My Years with General Motors,† he penned this thought  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The changes in the new model should be so novel and attractive as to create demand . . . and a certain amount of dissatisfaction with past models as compared with the new one.† Decentralisation in Organisational structure Alfred Sloan split General Motors into divisions, and each division was run as a company within a company. Sloan said the company was  Ã¢â‚¬Å"coordinated in policy and decentralised in administration†. He supervised the decentralisation of the organisation into divisional operating units, placing in charge of each an executive with total authority for his own activity. In order to give coherence to the decentralised organisation, Sloan deliberately maintained a degree of central control. Decentralisation he saw as analogous to free enterprise, and centralisation to regimentation. He believed that elements of both were necessary to successful business. At the same time as dividing the company into separate units, he developed a system which enabled the units to support each other, therefore establishing a much stronger organisation as a whole. Price Segmentation Sloan realized that he can’t compete with Ford in price wars. Instead what he did was to have a model in every price segment. This way they can take some chunk of Ford’s low price range with Chevrolet cars while giving multiple options to users at higher ends. His theory was to provide â€Å"A car for every purse and purpose†. This proved very successful in the long run and have become a must do thing for big businesses in all kind of industries. Financing A company was founded in 1919 by General Motors Corporation as the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) to be a provider of financing to automotive customers. This proved very beneficial in the long run as Ford had no such system and it negated the effect of low prices provided by Ford to some extent. Inventory  control and production control Sloan devised a system where inputs from retailers and individual organisation was used to decide the production plans for future. He asked every office to give three estimates- pessimistic, realistic and optimistic. These reviews were used to forecast and plan the future production. Also, it was used to decide how much inventory needed to be kept. Fact Based planning and Decision Planning Sloan always put an emphasis on fact based decision making. Even when working under his predecessors Durant and du Pont, he always went to them with changes in system based on data. Something which du Pont readily accepted and was important in selection of Sloan as next President of General Motors. The success of Toyota in the 70s and 80s The history of Toyota started in 1933 with the company being a division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works devoted to the production of  automobiles under the direction of the founder’s son, Kiichiro Toyoda. Kiichiro Toyoda had travelled to Europe and the United States in 1929 to investigate automobile production and had begun researching gasoline-powered engines in 1930. Toyoda Automatic Loom Works was encouraged to develop automobile production by the Japanese  government, which needed domestic vehicle production, due to the war with China. Need for innovation After WWII, Levels of demand in the Post War economy of Japan were low and the focus of mass production on lowest cost per item via economies of scale therefore had little application. Kiichiro Toyoda again visited many automobile companies in US and Europe. He found that production strategies haven’t changed much in last 20 years. He asked Taiichi Ohno to devise a system as cost efficient as Ford for the Japanese economy. Taiichi Ohno took his own tour of different facilities in US. Having visited and seen supermarkets in the USA, Taiichi Ohno recognised the scheduling of work should not be driven by sales or production targets but by actual sales. Given the financial situation during this period, over-production had to be  avoided and thus the notion of Pull (build to order rather than target driven Push) came to underpin production scheduling. The working of Toyota production system has been very well documented in Jeffrey Liker’s book â€Å"The Toyota Way†. Some tools from Toyota production System Jidoka It may be described as â€Å"intelligent automation† or â€Å"automation with a human touch.† This type of automation implements some supervisory functions rather than production functions. At Toyota this usually means that if an abnormal situation arises the machine stops and the worker will stop the production line. It is a quality control process that applies the following four principles: 1. Detect the abnormality. 2. Stop. 3. Fix or correct the immediate condition. 4. Investigate the root cause and install a countermeasure. Kanban (Just In Time) Kanban cards are a key component of kanban and signal the need to move materials within a manufacturing or production facility or move materials from an outside supplier in to the production facility. The kanban card is, in effect, a message that signals that there is a depletion of product, parts, or inventory that, when received, the kanban will trigger the replenishment of that product, part, or inventory. Consumption therefore drives demand for more production, and demand for more product is signaled by the kanban card. Kanban cards therefore help create a demand-driven system. Kaizen Kaizen is a daily process, the purpose of which goes beyond simple productivity improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates overly hard work (â€Å"muri†), and teaches  people how to perform experiments on their work using the scientific method and how to learn to spot and eliminate waste in business processes. In all, the process suggests a humanized approach to workers and to increasing productivity: â€Å"The idea is to nurture the company’s human resources as much as it is to praise and encourage participation in kaizen activities.† Successful implementation requires â€Å"the participation of workers in the improvement.† People at all levels of an organization participate in kaizen, from the CEO down to janitorial staff, as well as external stakeholders when applicable. The format for kaizen can be individual, suggestion system, small group, or large group. 5 Whys The 5 Whys is an iterative question-asking technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem.The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem. (The â€Å"5† in the name derives from an empirical observation on the number of iterations typically required to resolve the problem.) 5S There are five primary 5S phases: They can be translated from the Japanese as Sort, Systematize, Shine, Standardize and Self-Discipline. Sort: Remove unnecessary items and dispose of them properly Systematize: Arrange all necessary items in order so they can be easily picked for use Shine: Prevent machinery and equipment deterioration Standardize: Maintain everything in order and according to its standard Self-Discipline: To keep in working order Ohno Circle Taiichi Ohno was well known for walking onto the shop floor and drawing a circle on the ground. He would then go and stand in the circle and observe, think and analyse. Learn what was actually going on. From this study he would then have enough knowledge to improve the process. Three types of waste Muda: any activity in your process that does not add value. MUDA is not creating value for the customer. Mura: Any variation leading to unbalanced situations. In short: UNEVENNESS, inconsistent, irregular. Muri: Any activity asking unreasonable stress or effort from personnel, material or equipment. In short: OVERBURDEN Andon Andon is a manufacturing term referring to a system to notify management, maintenance, and other workers of a quality or process problem. The alert can be activated manually by a worker using a pullcord or button, or may be activated automatically by the production equipment itself. The system may include a means to stop production so the issue can be corrected. Learning from Toyota Production System The Toyota Way A brief summary of points given in Toyota Way: Section I: Long-Term Philosophy Principle 1. Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals. Section II: The Right Process Will Produce the Right Results Principle 2. Create a continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface. Principle 3. Use â€Å"pull† systems to avoid overproduction. Principle 4. Level out the workload (heijunka). (Work like the tortoise, not the hare.) Principle 5. Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time. Principle 6. Standardized tasks and processes are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment. Principle 7. Use visual control so no problems are hidden. Principle 8. Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes. Section III: Add Value to the Organization by Developing Your People Principle 9. Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others. Principle 10. Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company’s philosophy. Principle 11. Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve. Section IV: Continuously Solving Root Problems Drives Organizational Learning Principle 12. Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation (genchi genbutsu). Principle 13. Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions rapidly (nemawashi). Principle 14. Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement (kaizen). References http://corporate.ford.com/our-company/heritage/heritage-newsdetail/672-model-t http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_line http://www.sloan.org/about-the-foundation/who-was-alfred-psloan-jr/ http://corporate.ford.com/our-company/heritage/historic-sitesnews-detail/663-highland-park http://www.thehenryford.org/EXHIBITS/HF/ http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/08/henryford.asp http://www.vectorstudy.com/management-gurus/frederick-taylor http://www.shmula.com/fords-contribution-to-just-in-time/371/ http://www.willamette.edu/~fthompso/MgmtCon/Scientific_Manage ment.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence http://inspiredeconomist.com/2012/09/20/the-greatest-inventionplanned-obsolescence/ http://www.mbsportal.bl.uk/taster/subjareas/busmanhist/mgmtthin kers/sloan.aspx http://www.economist.com/node/14298890 http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/anil.kashyap/research/papers/gene ralmotors.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_P._Sloan The Toyota Way – Jeffrey Liker My Years with General Motors – Alfred Sloan

Body Systems

Brenda Young Several systems in the human body maintain its proper function. These systems fight disease and infection; maintain proper blood flow to lungs and body, and dispose of any waste that the body no longer needs. Learning how each system works was educational and quite amazing. Our immune system fights off bacteria, viruses, and disease. Our environment if full of harmful toxins that our bodies are subject to daily.Most of the viruses are harmless, and our immune system can protect against them. The few that are able to invade our body's defenses can cause terrible disease and possibly death. A virus by itself is incapable of reproducing, it is not until the body and cells become invaded that disease can set in. In a short amount of time, the infected cells generate hundreds of thousands of new viruses released into the bloodstream where they are free to infect other cells.Skin, inflammatory response and the immune system are three defenses our body uses to fight disease and infection (Chairs, â€Å"Immune System,† 2013). Without the digestive system, the protein ND starch in our food could not be broken down into usable molecules, and therefore would be useless. Digestion and absorption of the food we eat is done so with the help of several organs in our body. The nervous system and the endocrine system control the digestion process.Once we have chewed our food and activated the release of saliva, the brain sends a message to our stomach where a protein- digesting enzyme from glands in the stomachs lining is released. Two hormones then circulate in the blood entering the pancreas where pancreatic Juice containing food- setting enzymes and sodium bicarbonate is released and food is broken down for the body to use and absorb (Chairs, â€Å"Digestive System,† 2013).The entire way the human body functions are interesting and unbelievable. By maintaining good health with nutrition and exercise, we help the immune system fight infection and ou r digestive system can easily dispose of and break down the food we eat. When our body is healthy, our minds are healthy. References Chairs, D. D. (2013). Human Body Systems: Structure, Body, Environment (2nd De. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBooks Collection database.

Oration About Environment Essay

Power crisis is a perennial problem particularly among nations which are dependent on foreign countries for their energy source. Oil is an expensive commodity, but it is the life-blood of developing nations in their quest for comfort in life. The life of the business world in said countries depends on a highest degree on power run by oil. But they will have to bear the price of oil in order to maintain operation. Energy for household use is therefore given the backseat in importance due to its high cost. We need alternative source for that matter. Our country, the Philippines, is believed to have rich source of fossil fuel. However, the problem is how to mine it. Foreign investors are usually allowed by government to explore prospect sites. For example, one latest findings of reservoir sands and hydrocarbon at Dabakan in Mapun island, Tawi-Tawi in southern Philippines by the Exxon Mobil Corp., is now in progress. This discovery of hydrocarbons considered to occur naturally in unprocessed petroleum has prompted the company to invest another $100 million for the drilling of another well, news reports says.Significant oil and gas reserves have also been discovered in Malampaya and Galuc fields in Palawan. There are other sites of more fuel reserves being mined by foreign investors and yet our country imports expensive oil. Isn’t it embarrassing that our country which is rich in fossil fuel underneath, is again being threatened by power shortage, the timing of which is projected to be on the 2010 election day? In fact, it is already beginning to happen these days. Here, let me share you my personal observation and suggestions to my countrymen along this energy problem. I want to share my views and opinion, in the hope that it would also serve as an eye-opener to people in underdeveloped or developing countries as well, in the following oration piece I wrote for my daughter in high school which she delivered as a contest piece. From this , you can deduce about the state of our power problems more than 15 years ago and which is still gaining intensity now. Please allow me to give a backgrounder to this oration piece. My daughter emerged champion in a city division oratorical competition when she was in fourth year high school in 1994. She garnered a gold medal. She represented the division schools in the next level, regional contest. She didn’t make it there though, but the experience was something she cherishes to this day.

Migrants from Asia and the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Migrants from Asia and the Middle East - Essay Example The book reads like a story of a society determined to rise out of the dredges of the disadvantages of diversity so as to achieve unity in all its quarters as it strives to retain its right to be different. The material contains the all important implication that understanding different lifestyles and ways of living gives people a broader perspective in their own lives - this thought can be called a summation of all the ideas in this book. Strangers to these Shores goes on to give an insight into various communities and so called minorities who have the potential to deliver us to unknown lands and their unknown cultures. The United States of America has a salad bowl for its cultural and social structure, owing to the fact that it is basically made up of immigrants pursuing the "Great American Dream". These immigrants fall into a variety of groups and minorities struggling to keep their basic identity intact and yet, contribute to the American mosaic of cultures and minorities. When on the discussion of minorities, it would be incomplete without a mention of Asian and Middle Eastern Immigrants. This group has emerged as on of the largest and most sizable immigrants to the United States of America. According to national figures and statistics, every fourth person in New York alone belongs to India or some country around it. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to find an entire chapter dedicated to this group. Chapter nine of Strangers to these Shores is called "Other Asian and Middle Eastern Americans". The paper in your hand is a summary of this chapter. Firstly, let us deal with the word "other". The use of this word in the chapter's title silently underscores the fact that this group has been relegated to the minority status. Moving on, it would be imperative to define "Asia" and the "Middle East", out of a need to distinguish between the two. While Asia widely refers to Middle Eastern states as well as countries like India, Pakistan, China, Japan and other South East Asian states, it is quite clear that the cultures are poles apart. A notable factor of this chapter that has to do with the broad definitions of these areas is the fact that it takes the Middle East and the rest of Asia i.e. when it says "other Asian immigrants", separately. That should suffice as a clear demarcation for the rest of the paper. In the course of this paper, the author seeks to educate the readers by starting out with facts that have to do with understanding the topical and current nature of the experiences of these people as compared to their black and other European counterparts. Since most of these peoples found themselves migrating to the United States since the 1965 Immigration Act, their basic trait is that they are comparatively unusual and still very "non - Western". Further, while many have been able to achieve a respectable social status, a majority of them have minimal participation with native-born U.S. residents owing to their cultural differences. These differences, like those of the groups who have come to settle down in America way before them, will be resolved only over time - i.e., when

Three Firms and its Marketing Opportunities Research Paper

Three Firms and its Marketing Opportunities - Research Paper Example Firms that take advantage of existing marketing opportunities give themselves an advantage and can grow its revenues appreciably. Firms can take advantage of existing marketing opportunities by making their relationships with existing clients deeper and therefore generate more business or expanding their footprint through mergers and acquisitions. This paper will review the marketing opportunities for three American firms namely Net App, Salesforce and Edward Jones. These have been chosen randomly from a list of American companies and also for their uniquely innovative services and existing marketing opportunities. Literature review Net App 1. This is currently the fifth largest data storage firm in the USA whose revenues increased by 33 percent in 2009 (â€Å"CNN Money†, 2011). Net App offers online storage solutions to companies and firms who have need for large volume storage of its data but does not want to invest in a data storage service of their own and so outsource sto rage to Net App. The increasing use of the internet and computers in business means there is always going to be a lot of data and information available that needs storage and management. With increased digitization for instance, people would be happy to have a scanned copy of their documents stored somewhere safe in a digital format for replacement in case of loss or damage or just renewal. Net App offers efficient, affordable and powerful stogie solutions for organizations. A marketing opportunity exists for them to tap in a bigger way into the domestic/ individual data storage and management solution and include offsite backup and restoration systems for clients. Almost every computer, portable or smart phone user knows very well the headache and costs of loosing personal data for instance losing a whole laptop with say all your project data and with no serious backup; it means purchasing a new laptop, software and starting the project all over again. People are relying more on da ta and information as economic drivers for enterprises and businesses, which poses its own new risks. Research and information indicate that firms that suffer computer outage for more than ten days never recover fully financially. Also half the businesses and organizations suffering such problems will be out of business within five years (Smith, 2003). This affects businesses greatly and costs a lot while individuals also suffer a lot of anguish due to lost data through theft, device failure, viruses attack, or human error. Starting and offering such a service in addition to its corporate data storage solutions would present a new and unique marketing and growth opportunity for Net App. The danger with this opportunity is that handling individuals is far more complex and may lead to a lowering of quality of service. 2. This marketing opportunity is a home run since it will involve the company starting a completely new product and business line. The new product line is likely to be a high capital intensity enterprise and it does not have the highest chances of failure (Samski, 2011). 3. The risk in undertaking this opportunity for Net App would be a large capital outlay and it would take time to develop, refine and promote. There is a chance consumers may not take it up as well as envisaged by Net App leading to losses. The opportunity is also risky in that it does not have the highest chance of succeeding. Management may not be comfortable with the risk and if not shared

Theatre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theatre - Essay Example Her dialogues were very spot on, and if there is any blame to be made on her part, it should be directed towards the original play instead of her performance. Others were not so great. Kate Herrell in her role as Virginia had trouble delivering the frustrated sarcasm of an actress whose career seemed to be fading away. The reaction to her first criticism regarding her performance in The Golden Egg was not as violent as that of someone who dopes and pops pills should have been. She had all the dialogues and swear words a funny crude character requires, but somehow, she returned not as many laughs as she could have. Other characters generally fulfilled their roles well, from Ira (played by Craig Ewing) the theatre-critic, to Emma (Fina Romero) the witty know-it-all oldie. Most of the one-liners presented by Ira were especially funny, as he explains why he ridicules the play when he does: Hey, I didn’t write this shit. 3. Where the play was particularly lacking was with the perfo rmance of J. Nick Dickert, who played James. He was in the lead role, but displayed little characteristics of a leading actor. James’ nature was displayed too humbly in my opinion. ... ike â€Å"He has all of my mannerisms and none of my walk†, in reference to the actor who played the role James turned down, should have been wonderfully sarcastic, but they were not. The supporting roles of Gus, the coat boy and Peter came in handy in those times, played by Noah Mittman and Christopher Lynch respectively. Mittman did a great Southern accent as Gus. 5. Directing The cast helped each other in terms of acting because of the great direction. Eileen Kearney did a wonderful job portraying the inner workings of a theatre production which the regular audience is very quick to judge. Her choice of comic cast shed some light on Mcnally’s mind-frame as it must have been when coming up with this play, which had more to show than simply portraying the backstage workings of a recently held play. The director brought to light the lack of loyalty that actors often share. They pretend to like each other only up until the point when the play is cast in a bad light, such as when a bad review comes in, which quickly turns everything into a blame game. I especially liked the way Eileen brought in the bad news, whether it would be via Emma reading the Times newspaper or through the television, and all the focus of the audience would turn towards the controversial characters of Virginia, James (who pretended to like the play) and the kleptomaniac director who hates praise Frank. This was supported by the beautiful set design which put Julia’s, the producer’s wealth on display seems as everyone was confined to her room as the reviews piled in. The lighting focused on the actors and never on objects of concern, so that the focus was always on their expressions as opposed to the television or the newspaper. The ambient light was kept to a minimum for this reason. The

Effect of Unions on Workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effect of Unions on Workers - Essay Example For example, in the United States such unions as Teachers, professional athletes (NBA and NFL unions) and United Auto Workers are successful. The successful union must ensure the members welfare is to their best of interest. The union achieve this through increased collective bargaining and speaking with one voice. The unions, therefore, provide better wages and salaries, better working conditions and other benefits. The Unions within particular professional are most likely to be successful. From example, teachers and professional athletes in US have remained successful. This is because, there can be quickly banded together as they share teething problems. In addition, the union membership is vast and hence they remain a force to reckon as the government must proactively consider before squashing them. The policies and tactics that make union successful is through active contribution to the union by members. Also, ensuring that the members adhere to the laws governing the union is central to the success of members. The unions can also use strikes and boycotts to convey their grievances to become stronger. Further, the union leadership is also key to the success of the union. The political environment is necessary to unions. The government would always try to squash the activities. Therefore, those political environments such as political party’s campaigns may make promises to union members for support (Markowitz, 2000). When such parties ascend to power, they may fulfil the promises made to union members. On the other hand, when they fail, such members may find

Levendary Caf Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Levendary Caf Assignment - Case Study Example The CEO and other senior executives should consider either relocating or making several trips to China just to check how the business is doing. That way, your support and effectiveness as the CEO will be felt and Chen will realize that he needs to reason with you not to impose things even where changes should be respected. 2. Chen has a difficult personality that lead to a moment of disagreement in one of the meetings. Applying self-deprecating humor where you laugh over issues as a way of expressing connection in communication could help you in knowing how to handle the problem. 3. Between you and Chen, there is a standoff that needs to be addressed. There is what you believe is the right thing to do and Chen has another thing to do. Creating an open door policy where you present yourself as presentable will make it easy to communicate to Chen despite the fact that you are the boss. Chen has proved to be difficult but for a worthy reason. He feels he has built the brand in China alone and opening 23 outlets has been his major achievement. With that in mind, Chen has also tried to provide the China market with what he thinks will sell in China. However, he has not maintained the company’s standards that are important for the establishment’s uniqueness. Foster on the other hand, you are in your first job as a CEO of an already established brand. To address that, Chen and other executives need to be taken for a refresher course in corporate management and brand management. Remember Chen did no go through formal hiring process as well as he could be in his first senior position in the corporate arena. Taking him and other executives for the course will enhance his skills. However, this is likely to raise criticism from Chen and the China market stakeholders. Some may see it as an act of intimidation. It could be classified as an action towards an inco mpetent worker, of

Gourmet Express Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gourmet Express - Essay Example This business targets young urban professionals with a large income and do not want to eat at the hotels, are willing to have services offered at a pay and their leisure time is limited but prefer food cooked at home. Since the customers do not have time to prepare everything, they have to make orders which will be delivered. The primary competitors would be restaurants and grocery stores offering delivery services. The three levels of government are; the federal government which consists of two houses, the senate and House of Representatives. It has responsibilities that include social security, foreign affairs, currency, defense and trade which are exercised through the prime minister. The federal government reverses the power to allow or barn one from opening a business. The territory government and the State is the decision making body, its responsibilities include; consumer affairs, justice, education, health, forestry, main roads and transport. The state is mainly concerned abo ut the consumer affairs and ensures products in the market are to the required standard (Brough, 2005). . The local government has a body that makes decisions known as shire council or city council. It has a number of responsibilities which include; garbage collection, building regulations, public health and land subdivisions. The local authority must ensure that the premises under which the business is run meets the set standards and is neat. The economic factors that will affect Gourmet express are; Economic development and growth. This dictate the amount of money the whole society that you rely on for business earn. The company targets large income earners who want services at their doorstep at a pay. Demand and supply will also affect Gourmet Express services and products. Demand is the ability and willingness of consumers to purchase a commodity and supply is the business ability to provide for the consumers demand (Brough, 2005). . There are several social trends that are chan ging the business environment. Consumers want to know more about products, people want to know if the company’s products can cause harm to the environment, if the workers of that particular company are treated well? Gourmet Express has to ensure there is smooth coordination to be successful because disclosure of information is mandatory. Advertising has to be done well for success of the company because traditional advertising is less effective. Technology has become key for the success of every business, the management of Gourmet must put up with the pace of technological changes. The business must put up with new development methods and processes that arise since, there are new inventions daily and there they are supposed to be implemented in the business environment. There are many environmental factors that influence business in an economy which include; financial, political, social, employees, product quality and manufacturing. The management of Gourmet Express has to be very keen on all this because they can affect the business negatively. If there is political instability in a country a business will encounter losses because there will be no customers to sell its products to. SWOT analysis is important because it provides helpful information to the company in matching the capabilities and resources of the firm with the competitive environment where it operates. The strength of

History and Impact of Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History and Impact of Computing - Essay Example Its formation was intrigued by the demand for work force by the 100th battalion war department. Recruitment of the military personnel involved both Americans and Japanese volunteers. Though 2100 Japanese were recruited, they felt that the unit that was created was a strategy by the white military to protect themselves. In addition, their reluctance to join the army was because the elegance forms required the Japanese to denounce their nationality. In regards to this, most Japanese youth felt that it was an insult to their emperor (Black, 2001). The Caucasians held the official position in the regiments. The group participated in several wars such as the wars at Luciana, Belvedere, and Livorno. The casualty percentage of Japanese-American units was rated at 314 percent. Recognition for the lost lives of the volunteers was made through awards for their courage and bravery in the battlefields. Just like the African-Americans dedication in the Second World War, President Truman honored t he Japanese-Americans for their devotion to wars in Italy and Southern France. The Armed Forces was desegregated in order to allow equality and fare enrolment. The success of the war was ascribed to role the Japanese Americans played. More importantly was the war against Japan where they acted as translators and interpreters. Their service in the Military Intelligence Service was manifested in their ability to capture Japanese secret communication thus making orders to Japanese officers and quick elucidations of their enemies’ military communication code. Their involvement was significantly felt at Saipan and Okinawa. They calmed down terrified civilians due to the terror threats that were propagated by their Japanese government. They also convinced some Japanese soldiers until they surrendered (Black, 2001). Despite the 442nd impeccable service that earned the rest of Japanese-soldiers respect, the West Coast perceptions of these soldiers were different from that accorded to the Americans soldiers. Though the 442nd regiment survivors had earned the country victory in the wars, they were reunited with their families who had been placed in isolation camps. Similarly, the Japanese war veterans were harshly treated in their homes. Their residents were constantly set a blaze or vandalized and most restaurants and local shops dined offering their services to them. Though some soldiers were disbanded from wars during Italy’s post-war occupation duty due to their Japanese ancestry, President Harry Truman honored their efforts by pinning the seventh Presidential Unit Citation on the 442nd unit’s color. The reactivation of 442nd regiment unit in Hawaii following its inactivation in Honolulu proved the unit as an organized reserve unit. The recent recognition of the Asian Pacific Americans veterans of the U.S Army Second World War was held on 21 day of June in 2000. The move was an effort towards correction of the racial prejudice that had character ized United States during WWII. In regards to this recognition, the 442nd Japanese infantry earned twenty-one medals. The American Navajo Code Talkers During World War II, which started from 1939 to1945, approximately 50,000 New Mexicans were involved in almost every assault the United States marine forces raged on areas such as Peleju, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and Guadalcanal in the

Death of a Salesman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death of a Salesman - Essay Example According to the study Charley who is Willy’s neighbor has been kind and generous enough to lend some money to him every other month so that the latter’s expenditures could be somehow or the other curtailed but Willy in all seriousness is too proud to agree to all this -- a job from him. This paper highlights that time is one such issue, which has been particularly taken care of here, and an effort is made to focus on the very problems that led to his untimely death at the hands of a suicide. Taking into perspective, his fight with loneliness, time and old age, he said, "After all the highways, and the trains, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive. Also, the manner in which his son Biff has been talking to him of late concerning Willy’s brother’s death a while back, has made matters all the worse for Willy whereby by his standards, he has started to think that no one takes him seriously and everyone’s avoiding him due to one reason or the other. This forces him to give up his life and he seriously starts to think about it. In the end, he does so what he had planned and he gives up his life by hitting his car with a tree at full speed. He gives his life because his age cannot cope up with the changing tides of the time and hence he decides that he has got no role in this world, therefore, death is the only way out (of misery and loneliness).  

Potlatch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Potlatch - Essay Example Mauss sees this gift exchange as a system of total services that combines both sacrifice and revenge and this cycle continues, until it exhausts itself into destruction. Thus for Mauss, the potlatch is driven more by the spirit of destruction rather than generosity. Therefore, he is more interested in exploring a totally different aspect of gift giving that is outside the dominant moral code of the capitalist and consumerist society of the West. The Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian have been studied for this aspect of religious exchange or sacrifice that resembles the phenomenon of potlatch. The potlatch, which is a gift, therefore becomes a symbol of sacrifice and demands an equal sacrifice, whose debt is not automatically cancelled always but may produce forth a fresh demand for exchange of gift and so forth. Thus Mauss says that by exchanging gifts that are symbols of power and status a kind of peaceful equilibrium is maintained and it is dangerous to not involve oneself in this sacrifice if gifts. "The Indian tribes of the North-West America, again, practice the "potlatch" system, consisting in two tribes or chiefs engaging in a competition of prodigality; whoever is the richer gives the most and destroys his possessions if necessary. All this, however, in order that he himself may prosper, since in this manner he shows that he has power"2 However, in Arguing with Anthropology, Karen Margaret Skyes argues that the economies of sacrifice seem to be a misnomer for the depth and crux of the issues that potlatch raises perhaps because Potlatch shakes the common sense of the capitalist ideology, which expresses the angst it expresses by the sheer generosity it shows through the exchange of warring gifts by displaying how much one can give to the other. It therefore stands for the total system of social status without which the ethnographic groups have no identity! Therefore, to gather social respect they agree to endanger their well being. Potlatch probably conjures up the fantasy of modern power, which combines luxurious self-destruction - an obsessive and slow yet megalomaniac suicide of a society on the whole and shatters the myth of progression towards the capitalist future. Or is it somewhat similar to where we as westerners are headed It is an ironical similarity - potlatch, self-destruction and capitalist consumerist philosophy converge at a point - buy at any cost and death by excess. Potlatch has been variously criticized as giving beyond reason - but is the capitalist economy reasonable Does presenting an island to a friend any less extravagant or any less unreasonable than a potlatch One can argue that it does not dangerously bind the recipient into any form of obligation to give back a gift of equal proportion. Yes, it may not - but in a capitalist society excess of ceremony is also a political game that fascinates and horrifies at the same time - it is an excessive display of power or a counterpower to som ething that already exists. Thus, festivities are always a symbol of subversion of power, and it is a separate display of power that already exists or which is seeking to overthrow the existing power and seek prominence. Let us also consider the exchange of gift that happens in the Indian society, which is also called dowry, is another

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words - 1

Politics - Essay Example Succeeding the steamed powered mechanization of industry and transport is the electrification of industry, transport and home. Electricity is seen to be a radical technology in three ways: â€Å"First, it was closely related to scientific activity, as no technology had been before†¦The second characteristic of electrical technology was its generic nature. An example of this generic nature is the fact that electric power was used as an input for a range of industries, as well as playing an important role in the emergence of the chemicals industry which introduced completely new products and processes of production. Third, the generation of electricity used different inputs (steel and coal) from earlier technologies, thereby encouraging the growth of these sectors as well† (Simonetti,337-375). The rise of the two countries USA and Germany started in this revolution. â€Å"By the end of the nineteenth century, Britain had a well-developed educational system, a system of production based on family firms, a financial market developed around the financing of trade and large investments (joint stock companies), a strong patent system, and an empire of colonies that could serve as markets for its growing industry. The leading sectors of the economy consisted of a range of consumer goods industries, notably, textiles, metalware, paper, food, watches, and some producer good industries such as shipbuilding and textile machinery. Its industrialization and urbanization had begun before the emergence of the railroads† (Simonetti, 347). â€Å" â€Å"However, the situation was quite different in the USA and Germany. Following the completion of the Union after the American Civil War (1861) and the unification of Germany (1871), both economies had large domestic markets. In both cases, railroad investments were made to connect the different parts of the country, and both economies enjoyed the benefits of a continent-wide system of transportation by

Training Manuals at Strident Marks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Training Manuals at Strident Marks - Essay Example Through its IPO, the company exposes itself to public scrutiny and speculation. The company's decision to venture into other profitable products further requires a finance department which will ensure that only those lucrative investments are pursued. Thus, the role of its finance department becomes more emphasized. The training module which will be given to members of that functional area should be designed so as to guide the new employees in conducting valuation analysis. It is recommended that the training module be composed of three distinct parts: the role of the financial department in attaining the goals and objectives of Strident Marks; the different valuation techniques and their applications; and including qualitative issues in valuation analysis. This paper believes that in order for the employees to appreciate their jobs, they should be able to place themselves within the organization. It is imperative that the training manual shows especially to the new employees their essential role in the organization. Doing this will further boost the morale of the employees and motivate them to do their jobs. Seeing one's place in the organization will enhance the commitment of employees specially the new ones. The next two parts will be the

Lan Yu Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lan Yu - Essay Example In this movie, Chen Handong who is a successful businessperson takes Lan Yu home with him just to have fun. He is clear that all he wants to do is have fun and they will eventually break up. In our society today such is the trend for the opposite gender couples. They are in it for the fun and not the relationship. Lan Yu falls in love with Handong but he finds out that the man is cheating which is the case for opposite gender couples. All form of couples can cheat and this is no different for the gay couples (Kwan, Lan Yu). Make-ups and break-ups are prevalent in opposite gender couples. People break-up and later in life, their paths cross and they decide to try it again. This is no different for the gay couples as seen in this movie. Handong is worried that Lan Yu has been caught up in the violence in Tiananmen Square and looks for him. This was after their first break-up and he takes him back. When anyone wants to settle they may have doubts about their current partner and this may spill over to refusing to settle down or changing the partner. This is an experience that is faced by both the opposite gender couples and gay couples. Handong has an affair with Jingping because he is not sure if he wants to settle down with Lan Yu (Kwan, Lan Yu). The movie Lan Yu has depicted homosexuality as a socially accepted norm where Lan Yu and Handong’s sister hold a welcome-home party for Handong. Hangdong’s family shows great support for the couple’s relationship. The real situation in china is different. Families due to the following reasons do not support LTGB groups in this country. According to tradition, a man must marry the opposite gender in order to have children, which is considered a very important aspect of life. The wife is also supposed to care for the husband and thus many families do not allow this kind of marriages or relationships to exist. Socially this is not acceptable and most families do not support the idea of one marrying

Antology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Antology - Essay Example Because the African slaves lacked conventional means through which they could express their feelings about slavery and the pain that they were going through, as well as the kind of kind of suffering and torment that they were put through. There are many aspects about the slavery that remain unknown, most of which are contained in the content of these poems. One false impression about the slavery then was that Africans lost all of their ties to their homeland in Africa, and that they gave up their culture to take up the new culture of the Americans. Many of the people associated with anthology poetic work assume that editing journal is a mere and easy work as far compilation, conceiving and organization facets is concerned. As a scholar and an academia, compilation of any anthology work does not earn you any reputation when consideration of original essays articulated. Anthology is organized an accompanied by poetry multitude abound. An anthology however is a collection of various poe ms from different poets, analyzing a common norm. Anthology poetic contains an aspect of long distance running and typically usually depicts the interest of people with diverse and special interest in this discipline. From perspective point of view, an anthology is termed as an organized chronological aspect portrayed in culturally manner as well as thematically. However, some of the anthology poetic work entails best known, best loved as well as most of the influential poets analyzed and articulated in several languages. The anthology is one of the poetic works that is based on the cultural norms and this norm repeats their selves over and over. Teachers as well as anthologies use anthology poetic work to analyze array of styles as well as voices for the purpose of understanding to their students. According to the research from various scholars, various anthology collections are kept thematically, which is whimsically and organized in a clear manner. Anthology poetic contains an as pect of long distance running and typically usually depicts the interest of people with diverse and special interest in this discipline. The appropriateness and themes incurred within the anthology poetic works is believed to be associated with organized principals, characterized by voices ranges and entailing visions of most appropriate artistically works of anthology. Due to the prevailing technology, many people globally have been introduced to incredible cultural and artistically riches. This has resulted to the growth of this discipline at large hence increasing the number and compilation of anthology poetic work as well as its rate for publication. It has been simplified nowadays that when one visit any poetry bookstores section will be able to access several poetry collections of poetry written on the basis of political activists, folklorists, islanders, or any number of other offerings. Many of these collections celebrate poetry written or beloved not by academics but by peo ple with more common roots, which many contemporary lovers of poetry consider a plus. Meanwhile, thematic similarities are observed from diverse poetic works with organizing principles. More so, number of opposing views or unrelated experiences is becoming increasingly popular as a way of inviting readers to consider that a narrow viewpoint doesn’t invite understanding. A poetry anthology that gathers poems written by Arab and Jewish poets, for example,

Advantages of Public Transport Essay Example for Free

Advantages of Public Transport Essay Public transport can be defined as a system of vehicles such as buses and trains which operate at regular times on fixed routes and are used by the public . In Malaysia , the number of vehicle on the road has been increased in every year . It shows that the public now is affordable to have at least a motorcycle as their daily transport rather than use the public transport. The public should not use the public transport because the risk of being the criminal victim will increased , the people need to wait a long time for the public transport and the public cannot have comfort in their journey to their destination . Firstly , the disadvantages of using public transport is the risk of being the criminal victim is high . Many criminal case is being reported is causes when the public using this kind of transport . Raped and snatch crime is the most common cases that causes by the public transport . As example , when a woman used the public transport such as bus lonely , she will sit beside someone that she do not know the background,behavior or its intention to her . It is also dangerous when a person in a crowded train, many people aroud her will take advantage to snatch her wallet unconsciously. In addition , when using the public transport , people cannot have a comfortable journey to their destination . Some of the public transport such as bus is usually dirty and smelly . It will make the passenger uncomfortable due to that condition instead they using their own car . Beside that . hen there is too much passenger in a train or bus , it is impossible to have a seat although they pay same fare as well as other people. Some special people such as disabled person and old folks may be treated bad when they are in the public transport . Moreover , the disadvantages of using public transport is the people need to wait for a long time to have a bus or train . People will waste their time during they waiting for the public transport instead they used their own transport to go whenever they desired anytime . As example , when a person is having an emergency such as death in the family while he using a public transport , it will be take a long time for him to reach his destination on the time . However, there is an advantage when using the public transport in which it will prevent the environment from pollution such as air or land . Furthermore, when using the public transport , the traffic jam in a city also can be reduced at the same time because the causes of the traffic jam is when there is too much vehicle entering the city. When there is too much vehicle , the percentage or risk of an accident to occur is also high. As the conclusion , the usage of public transport is more contributed to the disadvantages to us. People should emphasize and realize that when they using the public transport ,risk of being the criminal victim will increased , the people need to wait a long time for the public transport and the public cannot have comfort in their journey to their destination.

Monopoly - economics Essay Example for Free

Monopoly economics Essay In this chapter, look for the answers to these questions: ? Why do monopolies arise? ? Why is MR P for a monopolist? ? How do monopolies choose their P and Q? ? How do monopolies affect society’s well-being? ? What can the government do about monopolies? ? What is price discrimination? Economics PRINCIPLES OF N. Gregory Mankiw Premium PowerPoint Slides by Ron Cronovich  © 2009 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning, all rights reserved 1 Introduction ? A monopoly is a firm that is the sole seller of a product without close substitutes. Why Monopolies Arise. The main cause of monopolies is barriers to entry – other firms cannot enter the market. Three sources of barriers to entry: 1. A single firm owns a key resource. E. g. , DeBeers owns most of the world’s diamond mines 2. The govt gives a single firm the exclusive right to produce the good. E. g. , patents, copyright laws 2 ? In this chapter, we study monopoly and contrast it with perfect competition. ? The key difference: A monopoly firm has market power, the ability to influence the market price of the product it sells. A competitive firm has no market power. MONOPOLY MONOPOLY 3 Why Monopolies Arise 3. Natural monopoly: a single firm can produce the entire market Q at lower cost than could several firms. Example: 1000 homes need electricity ATC is lower if one firm services all 1000 homes than if two firms each service 500 homes. MONOPOLY Monopoly vs. Competition: Demand Curves In a competitive market, the market demand curve slopes downward. But the demand curve for any individual firm’s product is horizontal at the market price. The firm can increase Q without lowering P, so MR = P for the competitive firm. 4 Cost Electricity ATC slopes downward due to huge FC and small MC ATC 500 1000 Q P A competitive firm’s demand curve $80 $50 D Q 5 MONOPOLY 1 10/23/2012 Monopoly vs. Competition: Demand Curves A monopolist is the only seller, so it faces the market demand curve. To sell a larger Q, the firm must reduce P. Thus, MR ? P. P ACTIVE LEARNING A monopoly’s revenue Common Grounds is the only seller of cappuccinos in town. The table shows the market demand for cappuccinos. Fill in the missing spaces of the table. Q 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 P $4. 50 4. 00 3. 50 3. 00 2. 50 2. 00 1. 50 7 1 TR AR n. a. MR A monopolist’s demand curve D Q MONOPOLY 6 What is the relation between P and AR? Between P and MR? ACTIVE LEARNING Answers Here, P = AR, same as for a competitive firm. Here, MR P, whereas MR = P for a competitive firm. Q 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 Common Grounds’ D and MR Curves P TR $0 4 7 9 10 10 9 AR n. a. $4. 00 3. 50 3. 00 2. 50 2. 00 1. 50 8 MR $4 3 2 1 0 –1 Q P MR $4 3 2 1 0 –1 $4. 50 4. 00 3. 50 3. 00 2. 50 2. 00 1. 50 0 $4. 50 1 2 3 4 5 6 4. 00 3. 50 3. 00 2. 50 2. 00 1. 50 P, MR $5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 0 1 2 3 Demand curve (P) MR 4 5 6 7 Q 9 MONOPOLY Understanding the Monopolist’s MR ? Increasing Q has two effects on revenue: ? Output effect: higher output raises revenue ? Price effect: lower price reduces revenue ? To sell a larger Q, the monopolist must reduce the price on all the units it sells. Profit-Maximization ? Like a competitive firm, a monopolist maximizes profit by producing the quantity where MR = MC. ? Once the monopolist identifies this quantity, it sets the highest price consumers are willing to pay for that quantity. ? Hence, MR P ? MR could even be negative if the price effect exceeds the output effect (e. g. , when Common Grounds increases Q from 5 to 6). 10 ? It finds this price from the D curve. MONOPOLY MONOPOLY 11 2 10/23/2012 Profit-Maximization 1. The profitmaximizing Q is where MR = MC. 2. Find P from the demand curve at this Q. Q Costs and Revenue MC The Monopolist’s Profit Costs and Revenue MC ATC P D MR Quantity As with a competitive firm, the monopolist’s profit equals (P – ATC) x Q P ATC D MR Q Quantity Profit-maximizing output MONOPOLY 12 MONOPOLY 13 A Monopoly Does Not Have an S Curve A competitive firm ? takes P as given ? has a supply curve that shows how its Q depends on P. A monopoly firm ? is a â€Å"price-maker,† not a â€Å"price-taker† ? Q does not depend on P; rather, Q and P are jointly determined by MC, MR, and the demand curve. So there is no supply curve for monopoly. MONOPOLY 14 CASE STUDY: Monopoly vs. Generic Drugs Patents on new drugs give a temporary monopoly to the seller. Price The market for a typical drug PM When the patent expires, PC = MC the market becomes competitive, generics appear. QM D MR Quantity QC MONOPOLY 15 The Welfare Cost of Monopoly ? Recall: In a competitive market equilibrium, P = MC and total surplus is maximized. The Welfare Cost of Monopoly Competitive eq’m: quantity = QC P = MC total surplus is maximized Monopoly eq’m: quantity = QM P MC deadweight loss Price Deadweight MC loss? In the monopoly eq’m, P MR = MC ? The value to buyers of an additional unit (P) exceeds the cost of the resources needed to produce that unit (MC). ? The monopoly Q is too low – could increase total surplus with a larger Q. ? Thus, monopoly results in a deadweight loss. P P = MC MC D MR QM QC Quantity MONOPOLY 16 MONOPOLY 17 3 10/23/2012 Price Discrimination ? Discrimination: treating people differently based on some characteristic, e. g. race or gender. Perfect Price Discrimination vs. Single Price Monopoly Here, the monopolist charges the same price (PM) to all buyers. A deadweight loss results. Price Consumer surplus Deadweight loss ? Price discrimination: selling the same good at different prices to different buyers. PM MC ? The characteristic used in price discrimination is willingness to pay (WTP): ? A firm can increase profit by charging a higher price to buyers with higher WTP. Monopoly profit D MR QM MONOPOLY 18 Quantity 19 MONOPOLY Perfect Price Discrimination vs. Single Price Monopoly Here, the monopolist produces the competitive quantity, but charges each buyer his or her WTP. This is called perfect price discrimination. The monopolist captures all CS as profit. But there’s no DWL. MONOPOLY Price Discrimination in the Real World ? In the real world, perfect price discrimination is not possible: ? No firm knows every buyer’s WTP ? Buyers do not announce it to sellers Price Monopoly profit ? So, firms divide customers into groups MC D MR Quantity based on some observable trait that is likely related to WTP, such as age. Q 20 MONOPOLY 21 Examples of Price Discrimination Movie tickets Discounts for seniors, students, and people who can attend during weekday afternoons. They are all more likely to have lower WTP than people who pay full price on Friday night. Airline prices Discounts for Saturday-night stayovers help distinguish business travelers, who usually have higher WTP, from more price-sensitive leisure travelers. MONOPOLY 22 Examples of Price Discrimination Discount coupons People who have time to clip and organize coupons are more likely to have lower income and lower WTP than others. Need-based financial aid Low income families have lower WTP for their children’s college education. Schools price-discriminate by offering need-based aid to low income families. MONOPOLY 23 4 10/23/2012 Examples of Price Discrimination Quantity discounts A buyer’s WTP often declines with additional units, so firms charge less per unit for large quantities than small ones. Example: A movie theater charges $4 for a small popcorn and $5 for a large one that’s twice as big. Public Policy Toward Monopolies ? Increasing competition with antitrust laws ? Ban some anticompetitive practices, allow govt to break up monopolies. ? E. g. , Sherman Antitrust Act (1890), Clayton Act (1914) ? Regulation ? Govt agencies set the monopolist’s price. ? For natural monopolies, MC ATC at all Q, so marginal cost pricing would result in losses. ? If so, regulators might subsidize the monopolist or set P = ATC for zero economic profit. MONOPOLY 24 MONOPOLY 25 Public Policy Toward Monopolies ? Public ownership ? Example: U. S. Postal Service ? Problem: Public ownership is usually less efficient since no profit motive to minimize costs CONCLUSION: The Prevalence of Monopoly ? Doing nothing ? The foregoing policies all have drawbacks, so the best policy may be no policy. ? In the real world, pure monopoly is rare. ? Yet, many firms have market power, due to: ? selling a unique variety of a product ? having a large market share and few significant competitors ? In many such cases, most of the results from this chapter apply, including: ? markup of price over marginal cost ? deadweight loss MONOPOLY 26 MONOPOLY 27 CHAPTER SUMMARY ? A monopoly firm is the sole seller in its market. Monopolies arise due to barriers to entry, including: government-granted monopolies, the control of a key resource, or economies of scale over the entire range of output. CHAPTER SUMMARY ? Monopoly firms maximize profits by producing the quantity where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. But since marginal revenue is less than price, the monopoly price will be greater than marginal cost, leading to a deadweight loss. ? A monopoly firm faces a downward-sloping demand curve for its product. As a result, it must reduce price to sell a larger quantity, which causes marginal revenue to fall below price. 28 ? Monopoly firms (and others with market power) try to raise their profits by charging higher prices to consumers with higher willingness to pay. This practice is called price discrimination. 29 5 10/23/2012 CHAPTER SUMMARY ? Policymakers may respond by regulating monopolies, using antitrust laws to promote competition, or by taking over the monopoly and running it. Due to problems with each of these options, the best option may be to take no action. 30 6.

Case Analysis Of Dippin Dots Marketing Essay

Case Analysis Of Dippin Dots Marketing Essay The case analysis of Dippin Dots utilizes tools such as Porters Five Forces Mode, Contingency Framework, SWOT analysis and Value Chain analysis to research Dippin Dots position. These tools have also been used to analyze its potential for the expansion of its franchises. From its inception, Dippin Dots has prided itself on being The Future of Ice Cream, but in recent years the company and the industry as a whole has been relatively flat. This case will review the issues as well as offer alternative solutions that might resolve some of the issues and issue recommendations that the company should consider. Introduction Dippin Dots is an ice cream snack that was created in 1987 by Curt Jones. This product was created by a patented six step flash-freezing process that uses liquid nitrogen. Currently Dippin Dots is operating over 400 franchise locations and is selling products such as ice cream, frozen yogurt as well as frozen ice (Dippin dots, inc., 2011). The company is currently utilizing the marketing slogan as its ice cream being Ice Cream of the Future Dippin Dots Inc. is a privately traded company meaning they do not offer or trade its company stock to the public or in the stock exchange. This company also has global licenses that reach to 10 different countries outside of the United States of America. Most of Dippin Dots are manufactured at their headquarters in Paducah, Kentucky. Dippin Dots believes that through its flash-freezing the ice cream ingredients would lock in flavor as well as freshness (More info, 2011). The company is home to the nations largest -50OF commercial walk in freezer. The once patented company lost its freezing process patent in 2007 through a series of lawsuits. This patent was deemed invalid because Jones had made over 800 sales of the product prior to applying for the patent (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. C209). Problem Statement Given the case study on Dippin Dots Ice cream a few problems have been identified. Firstly the company is faced with an issue of its previous customers becoming uninterested in the product. Secondly Dippin Dots has seen a significant reduction in franchising numbers since the year 2000. Finally the company is no longer the only company who offers flash-frozen ice cream. All of these factors have contributed to the recent stagnant growth of Dippin Dots. Through extensive research several recommendations will be made in this analysis to address the previously mentioned problems that Dippin Dots faced. Strategic Analysis Contingency Analysis Dippin Dots is facing an issue of whether or not they should continue to expand both its franchises in the midst of a flattened market or should it continue to reduce its number of franchises that it allows to operate. Dipping Dots can also expand into different markets with the most popular being the in-home ice cream market which it has stayed away from in years past do to the shelf life of the product. The contingency analysis below will analyze the different market conditions scenarios and the possible consequences and outcomes that the company might face. Market Condition Scenarios /Possible Consequences Market Continues to flatten out Market starts to grow/ Buyer spending increases Cut back on number of franchises globally Cutting back the number of franchises will cut down some of the overhead expenses for the company if the market continues its trend of flattening out This is the more likely of the two scenarios. If the company continues to cut back on the number of franchises that it has globally and the markets grow then it might not be able to handle the demand for that product which will give competition an advantage if they are better equipped. This is the less likely of the two scenarios. Keep number of franchises where they are This strategy will be more costly than the option to cut back the number of franchises like it has been doing over the past several years. If the market starts to grow then this will be a profitable option. While this decision is profitable the company must be cautious to not over expand in case the market shrinks again. Continue to expand in to different markets such as the in-home ice cream market If the market continues to react the way it is currently, this would result in a failure of entering a new target market. This new target market coupled with a growing market could prove to be one of the most profitable options for Dippin Dots. Value Chain Analysis The value chain analysis of Dippin dots is fairly typical. The different aspects that make up this analysis are its franchising opportunities, finance department and financial information, technical development, marketing and how it converts its traffic to buyers Franchising Dippin Dots, Inc. has very strict rules when it comes to its franchising opportunities. Dippin Dots offers two types of franchising opportunities: an event-based opportunity and a store-based opportunity. In 2008 the initial franchise fee was $12,500 just to be able to use the name. This also came with an initial investment range that topped out close to a quarter-million dollars (Book, p.c208). The companies website gives extra criteria in which owners must meet before they can become a franchise. A few examples of the criteria includes: the location has to be around great neighbors (beach, tourist areas, movie theatres or restaurants) and have great space (good visibility, strong mixture of pedestrian and auto traffic, must be within 800-1000 sq feet and have appropriate signage) (Dippin dots franchising, 2011). Finance Dippin Dots is a privately traded company which makes its financial records and information on its financial department virtually impossible to find. While researching financial information and information about the finance department, the only relevant information that could be accessed was that the director of finance is Sheri Dikin (Dippin dots, inc., 2011). Technical Development (R D) Innovation has always been the driving force behind Dippin Dots, Inc. Their Research and Development departments are constantly looking for the next big thing. New products, such as Coffee Dots, are hopeful in the efforts of Dippin Dots to return to the top of the innovative throne. Marketing Marketing could very easily be a strong point for Dippin Dots. Each of the companies 400 franchises place  ½% into the companies overall advertising fund (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. C209). While most marketing it targeted at youth, one set of marketing techniques proved to be highly successful. One thing that consumer value is the approval from celebrities. In 2008 Oprah Winfrey had Curt Jones on her show to talk about the product and after she tasted it, she gave Dippin Dots a thumbs-up approval (Horovitz, 2009). Conversion from traffic to buyers The bulk of Dippin Dots sales are based at what the company calls Fun Places. The organization classifies theme parks, major league sports venues and water parks (The original beaded, 2007). Dippin dots is also starting to be involved in on-line sales with the product being delivered in a cooler packed in dry ice. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Innovative Product Brand Recognition Advertising Fund High Prices Limited places that the product can be sold Storage Issues Target Marketing Opportunities Threats In-Home ice-cream market Different forms of Ice-cream Competitors such as Frosty Bites and Mini Melts Strengths: The first strength for Dippin Dots is what made them famous, their innovative product. Dippin Dots has claimed to re-invent ice-cream (The original beaded, 2007). Innovation is has a great impact on consumers, especially when its based on a technology that hasnt been seen or used before. This was the case with the flash-freezing technique that Dippin Dots employed. Dippin Dots also has a brand recognition that gives them a slight advantage of its competitors. Being the market share leader in high profile locations gives Dippin Dots a brand that is viewed hand in hand with Fun Venues. Any franchise of Dippin Dots must agree to give one-half of one percent to the general advertising fun. This creates strength because with over 400 franchises worldwide, Dippin Dots advertises globally instead of having each individual store be held accountable for its own advertising expenses. This allows for the company to be more unified in its advertising efforts. Weaknesses: The first weakness of Dippin Dots is its extremely high prices. Prices range from an individual Pre-Packaged Dots for $2.50 to a 2.5 gallon tub for $50.00 (Check out dippin', 2011). These high prices are an extreme weakness since the market for ice-cream products as well as an overall buyer downturn in America. Coupled with high prices, Dippin Dots is weakened in the locations in which they can sell their products. The product has to be served at sub-zero temperatures, -10 to -20 to be exact. This makes it nearly impossible to be consumed unless it is near a retail location (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). This also causes storage issues. Because of the fact that Dippin Dots can only hold it shape for roughly 2 weeks any type of inventory is virtually impossible. This means that if they dont sell their product it goes to waste within two weeks. Target marketing is usually a good thing and it is the first step in creating a marketing plan. For Dippin Dots it was act ually the opposite. Dippin Dots targeted a market that consisted of a younger demographic (The original beaded, 2007). Limiting your demographic, in this case, will also limit your profits. Some of Dippin Dots customers feel like they are being ignored and want something new to keep up with their claim of being the ice-cream of the future. Opportunities: This case only revealed one opportunity for Dippin Dots. Based on one of the companys weaknesses, the move from solely an out-of-home ice-cream company to one that encompasses in-home as well could be very promising as well as profitable. Exploring this market would be difficult based upon the shelf-life of the product, but if Dippin Dots was able to fix this it would add a convenience factor to the marketability of the product. For instance, if you wanted to curb your craving for Dippin Dots at 2am on a Sunday morning, the way the company was set up in the case wouldnt allow you to get any of their products. If there was some way to enhance their product to where it could be bought and frozen in a household freezer, the product becomes that much more valuable and convenient. Also based upon the 2008 numbers there is an $8.9 billion on ice cream products that were strictly for at-home consumption (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. c205). Threats: Dippin Dots faces a few threats based off of the information given in this case. The first threat is the presence of different types of ice cream. Most of the novelty ice creams could be found at local supermarkets and at a cheaper price. This brings into question, how willing is the buyer to be loyal to Dippin Dots when it can get the other types of ice cream wherever they desire. Secondly the competition from companies who offer the same flash-frozen ice cream is starting to become an issue. If companies like Frosty Bites are marketing its nitrogen frozen ice cream as The Ultimate Ice Cream Sensation and the failed lawsuit to halt Frosty Bites production, it will be hard for Dippin Dots to contain as much of the market share as it currently has (Mehl, 2004). Five Forces Analysis The reasoning behind Michael Porters five forces analysis is to be a model for industry analysis. This is done on an industry by industry basis because different industries can sustain different rates and levels of profitability. This analysis takes into consideration the variance in industry structures. Dippin Dots is classified to be in the frozen dairy industry. The degree of rivalry The degree of rivalry in the frozen dairy industry is relatively high. Not only does Dippin Dots compete with other flash-frozen companies such as Frosty Bites and Mini Melts but they are also in competition with their more traditional counterparts. According to the yahoo directory, there are currently 43 companies who sell ice cream and frozen dairy products nationally, with more companies selling world-wide (Yahoo! directory, 2011). This rivalry is fuelled by the availability of most products. Nearly every convenience store and grocery store that you go to sells multiple brands of ice cream or other frozen dairy products. Based upon a high buyer power companies in this industry must compete to have a quality product that its consumers must enjoy and offer it at the lowest price that they can. The threat of new entrants The threat of new entry for the frozen dairy industry is extremely low. There are several barriers to entry that a company must fight through in order to join the industry. Each of the eight sections that are categorized in the frozen dairy industry has different and high standards that are regulated by the federal government (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). Things such as different percentages of fat content, weight per gallon and package size make smaller companies with less cash flow for RD nearly impossible to be successful. High start-up costs are another determining factor as to why the threat of new entry is low. Porter says that one thing that would make threat of new entry low is if brand names are well-known. In this industry there are several known brand names including: Dippin Dots, Good Humor, Ben Jerrys and Klondike. The threat of substitutes There is a medium threat of substitutes. The frozen dairy industry is mostly consumed by the same consumers of other desert. If something was to go on with the currently flat industry, many of the consumers would be able to switch to items such as cakes and pies and other deserts. This makes the probability of product substitution high. With this being known the frozen dairy industry has to find more ways to make customers want the frozen dairy products over alternative dairy products. Currently there is also a trend of consumers heading towards a more health-conscious treats (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). Buyer power The buyer power for the frozen dairy industry is mixed. There are two types of buyers for this market, there are the individual consumers and then there are the retail clients. Individual consumers are more brand-conscious when it comes to this market, meaning that they look at the brand first before they look at the price. Retail clients are the opposite. While frozen diary is a multi-billion dollar industry, it does not make up a significant portion of a food retailers business, which will increase buyer power and heighten price sensitivity at the same time (Ice cream in, 2008, p. 15). The buyer power becomes mixed due to the fact that the consumer still drives the retailers purchases based upon their demand. Supplier power Overall the supplier power for frozen dairy products is moderate. In regards to large manufacturers there is a strong negotiating position and there is also an absence of fixed-term agreements. This makes for the cost of switching suppliers and supplier power to be low (Ice cream in, 2008, p.15). The dairy companies are slightly larger than most of the frozen dairy product companies, and since the companies must maintain a certain level of quality the strength of dairy suppliers is relatively high. Alternative Solutions Utilize the innovation that brought you your initial success Dippin Dots must get back to doing some innovative things that brought them their success from the companys inception. Curt Jones and the rest of his executive staff must make their products stand out at a time in which the market for frozen dairy is stagnant. Its recent efforts have shown that they are taking a step in that direction. In 2009 Jones mentioned that the company was going to try and take its innovative lead business a step further. Keeping the same flash-frozen technique, Jones has gone on record to say that he will be offering coffee dots. All you would need to do is add hot water and the consumer would have freshly brewed coffee. He has affectionately given Coffee Dots the same slogan as its ice cream counterparts by calling it The Coffee of the Future (Horovitz, 2009). Dippin Dots needs to pump money into its Research and development team to find the next big things that will help their company if not the whole industry out of the slump that it currently faces. Dippi ng Dots has made its money being ahead of the curve and without added funding to its RD other competitors may take that competitive advantage. Get rid of targeted market Target marketing in a business strategy is very risky. Targeting a certain market may be risky since it can hamper the organizations ability to quickly respond to changes in the markets condition and needs (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2009, p.252). With target marketing a narrow segment can be accessed less expensively through outlets such as the internet. Dippin Dots was targeting the youth which seemed like a good idea at first. The problem with targeting the youth is that they become older and then they arent targeted again. As seen in the case the adults who still purchase the product are looking for something different from the brand. One customer went on record as saying How can this stuff keep continuing to call itself the ice cream of the future? Well the future is now (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c209). Integrate more health conscious items to the company Frozen dairy products arent considered to be the healthiest of industries. By definition ice cream must have at least 10 percent butterfat in it before the additions of its bulky ingredients (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). In recent years there has been a trend towards a more healthy option for after dinner treats. Companies like Nestle and Haagen-Dazs have been offering a low-fat option since 2004. Coupled with the fact that the company needs to be more innovative, it must also become more health-conscious. With a number of consumers going to healthy alternatives such as frozen yogurt and smoothies, Dippin Dots must do something to ensure that they are not losing their consumer base. Increasing product differentiation will also allow them to reach out to a broader market. They must be careful not to go away from the product that made them so successful, but reach out to different markets such as the health-friendly market. Doing something as simple as offering a no-sugar pro duct will show its diabetic consumers, who might not been able to eat the normal product, that they are concerned about them as well. Take no action Doing nothing is always an option. This option poses the most risk for Dippin Dots. If the market continues to flatten out like it currently is, then Dippin Dots and the rest of the market could find itself in more trouble than they currently are. Many would agree that this reactive stance might not be the best stance in regards to growth, if the market continues in the slum that it is in Dippin Dots could potentially save itself a lot of money in the long run. This alternative may also allow for competition to move ahead if Dippin Dots sits back and waits for the market to improve. Recommendations In regards to the overall United States economy, it is recommended that Dippin Dots should continue its expansion efforts and broaden its target market. Based off the above analysis there are a few steps in which Dippin Dots can approach the current problems faced with the following steps: Focus on creating a non- seasonal product that you can market equally year round. (Coffee Dots or Smoking Joes a good start) Keep innovative breakthroughs secret and ensure that all patents are filed correctly. This will hinder competitors from stealing ideas. Put the advertising fund to good use. Continue to build brand equity through the use of celebrities such as Shaq and Oprah. Switch slogan. Ice Cream of the future isnt as promising as it initially was. This approach will allow Dippin Dots to continue to have a competitive advantage with its innovative efforts through its Research Development departments. Currently Dippin Dots has brand recognition advantages over its competition but without working on some of its weaknesses one of the other competitors might close in on the market share. Conclusion The frozen dairy industry and Dippin Dots has faced a reasonably flat market over the past decade. This has made the company reduce its number of franchises in every year since 2005. Dippin Dots has also fluctuated on its position on Entrepreneurs Franchise 500 lists. Through careful analysis of the company and the industry I have illustrated a few alternative solutions for the company that might stimulate potential growth as well as made some recommendations that Dippin Dots should strongly consider. Since Dippin Dots is a privately traded company, its financial records arent made public. These financial records could have given more insight to the financial health of the company and could have yielded some other recommendations. One thing that became completely evident through this case analysis, Dippin Dots must continue to build upon its brand equity and sustain its innovative advantages over its competitors if it wants to stay relevant in its industry.