An examination of the ranging and merchandising of a selected product Essay - 1

An examination of the ranging and merchandising of a selected product category in a retail store - Essay Example The effectiveness of the food retail market of Tesco by supermarkets can be assessed by stating the incidence of Hungary wherein, even during the crisis Tesco displayed its dominance in the food supermarkets. Tesco supermarket has a dominant position in the UK and has rendered services to millions of the customers and increased the level of profit. Tesco, one of the principal retailers, reported a fall in the profit for the first time since 1990s due to the wastage of food in the supermarkets. Thus, Tesco is now facing competition from its key competitors such as Sainsbury’s as the grocery supermarket is alleged to face wastage in the food products. The customers of the supermarket of Tesco have been viewed to express their anger against the quality of the food sold. The study intends to examine and evaluate the food product in the supermarket with reference to Tesco and critically evaluate the strategy of merchandise employed by Tesco to gain its dominance in the market (Cori olis Research, 2004; BBC, 2013). The supermarket of Tesco is a well-designed grocery store with various food products to satisfy the requirements of the people. Supermarket of Tesco is one of the largest and has a large floor space with a variety of food products available. The architecture and the layout create greater convenience for the customers to locate the required food products in Tesco. The supermarket of Tesco is of great relevance because of the different availability of the food products at a reasonable price under one roof. The various food products such as grocery, packaged food, bakery and baby food satisfy the desires of every customer due to the availability of different food items. To meet the customer requirements, Tesco offers different products of a single company based on the food product range. The product line offered by Tesco food include the bakery items, Fruits, vegetables, diary , eggs, meat, fish, poultry, frozen

Problems facing the maxis bank

Problems facing the maxis bank We come into contact with organization from the cradle to the grave. Indeed, organization regulate and dictate so many aspect of people lives, giving many of people somewhere to work, entertaining them, when people are leisure and developing new product and services for their enjoyment. Basically, it is not the same case for Maxi Bank, which got 30 branches and was established for over forty years. Their new Administration and Project Manager John who actually replaced their current project manager, who has resigned, highlighted some serious organization problem such as communication problem among the staffs, because of the high turnover since last eight months. The worst and difficult issue that John discovered is the lack of motivation and the job dissatisfaction. Employers can be made aware of concerns in the workplace that would normally go unspoken. Many serious issues in the workplace do not get discussed because they may be uncomfortable or difficult. By increasing the communi cation channels among staffs for instance participation in the group meeting, avoid isolation, motivation and the job satisfaction concept within a company, John can more efficiently resolves concerns, lower the staffs turnover, increase employee satisfaction, find a way to solve Annies problem and more accurately assess issues and so on. Problems John the new Administration Department has noticed some of problems that Maxis Bank have, since he engaged in this company. Starting, with, the poor supervision in Maxis Bank. Supervision is an extremely vital part of a workplace that intends to maximize its success potential.   It naturally follows, then, that poor supervision in a workplace is among the primary obstacles to achieving potential successes by a business.  Louis V. Imundo 1993, p 55. For Maxi Bank, a quality supervisory team should be employed and trained to ensure the very finest results from their individual employee groups. These supervisors should have their own support system, and their importance should be made very clear, to ensure the highest degree of productivity. Or, if the supervisor is not present enough, or is too overbearing, then the reaction from employees will only be fear, resentment, and displeasure in their work Dick Grote 2006 p. 45. The productivity will not be as good, and the employee turno ver will increase. Often having few staffs in an organization, that came from different department such as the case study lead to poor communications among them and . As in any relationship, communication is the key to a strong business relationship. This can be the relationship between business and customer, or, equally as important, the internal relationships among different employees within the company. Communication can be improved in virtually every workplace, no matter the industry or size.   After all, it is the only way for information to effectively spread throughout the business so that everybody can be informed to the degree that they required to properly achieve their goals. Luthans1998 p.145   Another problem occurred in Maxis is there poor employee morale in the workplace. By facing this kind of problem, there is a high risk of employee burnout and overall dissatisfaction. The cause of the poor employee moral can be structured as first a negative event within the workplace, such as a firing, downsizing, or other dramatic and unwanted change , or arguments or other forms of tension among staff members or between staff and management. Overwork, or a consistently heavy workload. The feeling of unappreciated or underappreciated for the work done, the conditions of the workplace. The rigid supervision involved in the work being done, and unsupportive or weak supervision that does not offer enough input or guidance Bennett. R, 1997: p.119 This is an extremely expensive way to do business because it leads to poor productivity, isolation and increased absences from work. The high absenteeism in Maxis Bank led to the non submission of their tasks on time. Moreover, staffs in Maxis felt to be underworked, because according to Annie, she complained that her job is monotonous and repetitive.The staffs feel to be underworked for doing uncreative, and repetitive work, which always to high absenteeism and turnover as well Giddens.A, 1971 p.23. . And lastly, the absence of leadership in the Maxis Bank created an issue within the staffs. People want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. This type of person leads by positive example and endeavors to foster a team environment in which all team members can reach their highest potential, both as team members and as people. They encourage the team to reach team goals as effectively as possible, while also working tirelessly to strengthen the bonds among the various members. Kouzes, Posner, Barry Z. (1987). Good leaders are made not born. If people have the desire and willpower, they can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience Burns, 2010, p. 43. Basically, John should hire a good, effective and trust leader who can lead the staffs in a good way for the benefit of the Maxis Bank Reason why problems occur? For most part of the twentieth century, managers realized that if their employees were satisfied with their jobs, then that satisfaction would translate to working hard. Therefore, happy workers are productive workers. It is true that in the case of Maxis, Annie was not productive, since she claimed that she attended few interviews with other bank. Organizations with more satisfied employees tend to be more effective than organizations with fewer satisfied employees. Dissatisfied employees are more likely to miss work. Although this is true, other factors also do play a role, for instance organizations that provide liberal sick leave benefits encourage all their employees to take sick days. Hence, satisfied employees have lower levels of turnover while dissatisfied employees have higher levels of turnover. Research also suggest that an important moderator of the satisfaction-turnover relationship is the employee`s level of performance. For better performing employees, the level of satisfaction is less important in predicting turnover. When employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, they`ll respond somehow. It is not easy to predict how exactly they`ll respond. One might quit, another might responds by doing personal work at the workplace, or may take leave and increase the absenteeism. Workers in any organization need something to keep them working. Most times the salary of the employee is enough to keep him or her working for an organization. However, sometimes just working for salary is not enough for employees to stay at an organization. An employee must be motivated to work for a company or organization. If no motivation is present in an employee, then that employees quality of work or all work in general will deteriorate Herzberg, F., Mausner, B. Snyderman, B.B. 1959, p. 341. Basically, staffs in Maxis Bank are unmotivated and dissatisfy that why critical issues in the Maxis arose. Alienation is one of the factor of unhappiness and isolation that workers in hardly feel when theirs works are not a relevant or important part of the workers lifes, that they do not really belong to the work to the work community health (Karl. M, 1971p.59). It is associated with feelings of discontent, isolation and futility. Alienation workers perceive themselves or powerless and dominated. Work is seen as unrevealed to real life; it becomes simply a means to achieve materials ends. Alienation has been observed most often on automated assembly lines where work is extremely repetitive and personal relations with others workers are difficult to establish. Great unhappiness can result from alienation; indeed, it can adversely offer the workers mental or physical health. In the case of Maxis, John found that each staff is working in isolation and difficult to establish a relation either professional or friendship with others. 2- Some theorists have defined and explained the concept of motivation as a process that account for an individuals intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal. Many contemporary authors have also defined the concept of motivation. It has been defined as: the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction Kreitner. R, 1995 p. 44; a predisposition to behave in a purposive manner to achieve specific, unmet needs Buford, Bedeian, Lindner, 1995, p. 56; an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need Higgins, 1994, p. 78; and the will to achieve Bedeian, 1993, p. 675. Basically motivation is operationally defined as the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals. Why do we need motivated employees? The answer is survival (Smith, 1994). Motivated employees are needed in our rapidly changing workplaces. Motivated employees help organizations survive. Motivated employees are more productive. To be effective, managers need to understand what motivates employees within the context of the roles they perform Kovach, 1987, p.65. Of all the functions a manager performs, motivating employees is arguably the most complex. This is due, in part, to the fact that what motivates employees changes constantly Bowen , Radhakrishna, 1991, p. 62. For example, research suggests that as employees income increases, money becomes less of a motivator Kovach, 1987, p. 72. Also, as employees get older, interesting work becomes more of a motivator. Understanding what motivated employees and how they were motivated was the focus of many researchers following the publication of the Hawthorne Study results Terpstra, 1979,p. 98 The basis approaches that have led to our understanding of motivation are Maslows need-hierarchy theory, Vrooms expectancy theory, and Adams equity theory. According to Maslow, employees have five levels of needs (Maslow, 1943), physiological, safety, social, ego, and self- actualizing. Maslow argued that lower level needs had to be satisfied before the next higher level need would motivate employees. Herzbergs work categorized motivation into two factors: motivators and hygienes (Herzberg, Mausner, Snyderman, 1959, p. 125. Motivator or intrinsic factors, such as achievement and recognition, produce job satisfaction. Hygiene or extrinsic factors, such as pay and job security, produce job dissatisfaction. Vrooms theory is based on the belief that employee effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards Vroom, 1964, p. 150. Rewards may be either positive or negative. The more positive the reward the more likely the employee will be highly motivated. Conversely, the more negative the reward the less likely the employee will be motivated. Adams theory states that employees strive for equity between themselves and other workers. Equity is achieved when the ratio of employee outcomes over inputs is equal to other employee outcomes over inputs Adams, 1965. p. 134 Basically, the best motivational theory that suits the Maxis Banks case is the reinforcement theory. This theory can be traced to the work of the pioneering behaviorist B.F. Skinner. It is considered a motivation theory as well as a learning theory. Reinforcement theory posits that motivated behavior occurs as a result of reinforces, which outcomes are resulting from the behavior that makes it more likely the behavior will occur again. This theory suggests that it is not necessary to study needs or cognitive processes to understand motivation, but that it is only necessary to examine the consequences of behavior.   In reinforcement theory a combination of rewards and/or punishments is used to reinforce desired behavior or extinguish unwanted behavior. Behavior that is reinforced is likely to continue, but behavior that is not rewarded or behavior that is punished is not likely to be repeated. Skinner, B.F. Science and Human Behavior. 1953. The most important principle of reinforcement theory is, of course, reinforcement. Generally speaking, there are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement results when the occurrence of a valued behavioral consequence has the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. The specific behavioral consequence is called a reinforcer Iwata, B. A. (1987, p. 67. An example of positive reinforcement might be a salesperson that applies extra effort to meet a sales quota (behavior) and is then rewarded with a bonus (positive reinforcer). The administration of the positive reinforcer should make it more likely that the salesperson will continue to exert the necessary effort in the future. In the case of Maxis Bank, according to Annie affirmation she refused to handle extra job other than her current job scope. If the positive reinforce come into it for instance rewarded her with a reward, she would not refused to handle extra job and the level of the motivation will rise automatically. Rewards can therefore assume a number of different forms, though there are two main forms:  extrinsic rewards, which take the form of cash payments and employment  benefits, like staff discounts,  occupational, pensions,  health insurance, and  company cars; and  intrinsic rewards  such as  job satisfaction, recognition, personal development, and the social status which may be attached to particular job roles. Negative reinforcement results when an undesirable behavioral consequence is withheld, with the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. Negative reinforcement is often confused with punishment, but they are not the same. Punishment attempts to decrease the probability of specific behaviors; negative reinforcement attempts to increase desired behavior. Thus, both positive and negative reinforcement have the effect of increasing the probability that a particular behavior will be learned and repeated Iwata, B. A. 1987, p. 68. An example of negative reinforcement might be a salesperson that exerts effort to increase sales in his or her sales territory (behavior), which is followed by a decision not to reassign the salesperson to an undesirable sales route (negative reinforcer). The administration of the negative reinforcer should make it more likely that the salesperson will continue to exert the necessary effort in the future. Reinforcement theory suggests to managers that they can improve employees performance by a process of behavior modification in which they reinforce desired behaviors and punish undesired behavior .Moreover, for John case, reinforcement theory will be the best appropriate to motivate his 10 staffs, increase the desire behavior, or increase the probability of a behavior reoccurring. Consequently, both positive and negative reinforcement have the weight of increasing the probability that a particular behavior will be educated and repetitive. For instance, in Maxis Bank, both positive and negative reinforcement will have the effect of modified or punished the undesirables behavior of the staffs such as the absenteeism, the high turnover, the work isolation and increase the desirable behavior for instance handling extra job, attend all the interviews with the others banks, if bonus or rewards and maybe motivation words are applied. 3. Group dynamics  is the study of groups, and also a general term for group processes Ringer, T. M. 2002 p 172. Relevant to the fields of  psychology,  sociology, and  communication studies, a  group  is two or more individuals who are connected to each other by social relationships.  Because they interact and influence each other, groups develop a number of dynamic processes that separate them from a random collection of individuals. These processes include norms, roles, relations, development, need to belong, social influence, and effects on behavior. The field of group dynamics is primarily concerned with small group behavior. Bass, Bernard 1990, p. 31 A group comes together to focus on finding common solutions or building a final project to the organization. This can be very effective to the project or solution because individuals in different roles in the workplace, different backgrounds and different experiences have a variety of points of view that they are able to contribute (Dimock, H.G.1993). Working in groups is often more efficient and motivates group members to achieve more in a certain period of time as group members motivate others to do their best and people often feel the need to be competitive (CSU 2009). Bringing out the competitive nature in people focused toward a common goal can often be a very productive strategy. In the Maxis case, the organization got employees came from different departments, different roles lead different experiences, but the thing is there is not group team in Maxis Bank. Each employees work in isolation. Some staffs in Maxis Bank are very independent and prefer to work alone rather than in groups. They feel that their best work comes from completing projects individually. (Burgess H. 2007). Dealing effectively with groups of people is a skill that will serve us in all areas of our lives.   It can also be a challenge- because people as individuals tend to have their own ideas about how they relate to a group, and not all of these ideas work very well in practice.   Theres a profound difference between a set of individuals and a cohesive group, and weve all felt that difference- where a group is tightly related and conscious of itself, the group is vastly more capable than the sum of its parts.   Where individual members are unconscious to the needs of the group, often the group is weaker than the sum of the individual members capabilities. Skinner, B.F. Science and Human Behavior. New York: Macmillan, 1953. Iwata BA. Negative reinforcement in applied behavior analysis:, pp. 67 68 Buford, J. A., Jr., Bedeian, A. G., Lindner, J. R. (1995). Management in Extension (3rd ed.). Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Extension. p. 56 Terpstra, D. E. (1979). Theories of motivation: borrowing the best. p. 98 Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley. p. 150 Bennett. R, 1997: Organisational behaviour, 3rd edition, pp.119 Karl.M, 1967: The rise of the working class, p.59. Herzberg, F., Mausner, B. Snyderman, B.B. 1959, The Motivation to Work p. 341 Luthans1998: Organisation behaviour, 8th edition, p.145 .Discipline Without Punishment Dick Grote 2006 p.45 Leadership James MacGregor Burns, 2010, p. 43 Kreitner, R. (1995), Management, Sixth Edition, p. 44 Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company Higgins, J. M. (1994). The management challenge (2nd ed.). New York: Macmillan p. 78 Bedeian, A. G. (1993). Management (3rd ed.). New York: Dryden Press. p. 675 Kovach, K. A. (1987). What motivates employees? pp.65 72 Bowen, B. E., Radhakrishna, R. B. (1991). Job satisfaction p. 62 Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., Snyderman, B. B. (1959). The motivation to work, p. 125 Adams, J. S. (1965). Inequity in social exchange. In L. Berkowitz (ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology. p. 134 Effective Supervisors Louis V. Imundo 1993 p.55 Bass, Bernard (1989). StogdillsHYPERLINK http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/002901820X/bigdogsbowlofbis/ Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and Research. New York: Free Press. Bass, Bernard (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 18, p.31. Blake, Robert R. and Mouton, Janse S. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co. Bolman, L. and Deal, T. (1991). Reframing Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Kouzes, James M. Posner, Barry Z. (1987). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Lamb, L. F., McKee, K. B. (2004). Applied Public Relations: Cases in Stakeholder Management. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Routledge Bacon, S. B. (1988).  The effects of racially homogeneous and heterogeneous Outward Bound groups on the self-report survey scores and drop out rates of minority students. Greenwich, CT: Outward Bound USA. Ewert, A. (1992). Group development through experiential education: Does it happen?  Journal of Experiential Education,  15(2). Ewert, A., Heywood, J. (1991). Group development in the natural environment: Expectations, outcomes, and techniques.  Ã‚  Environment and Behavior,  23, 592-615. Ewert, A. McAvoy. L. (2000).  The effects of wilderness settings on organized groups: A state of knowledge paper. In D. N. Cole S. F. McCool (Eds.)  Proceedings: Wilderness science in a time of change  (pp. 13-26). Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Kerr, P. J., Gass, M. A. (1995). A group development model for adventure education. In K. Warren, M. Sakofs, J. S. Hunt (Eds.)  The theory of experiential education  (pp. 285-296). Boulder, CO: Association of Experiential Education Neill, J. T., Dias, K. L. (2001).  Adventure education and resilience: The double-edged HYPERLINK http://wilderdom.com/abstracts/NeillDias2001AdventureEducationResilienceDoubleEdgedSword.htmsword.Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning,  1(2), 35-42. Neill, J. T. (2002).  Social support helps people grow.  Horizons,  17(Spring), 32-34. Neill, J. T., Dias, K. L. (c.2001).  Challenge and support in Outward Bound: The double-edged sword.  Outward Bound International Newsletter,  10(1). Peak Experiences (n.d.).  Issues of importance in forming a team. Ringer, T. M. (2002).  Group action: The dynamics of groups in therapeutic, educational and corporate settings. p. 172

Free Yale Admissions Essay: Great Expectations :: College Admissions Essays

Great Expectations    My name is Rob Geis, and I am currently a senior at Henry Clay High School. I have a GPA of 3.4. I was inducted into the National Honor Society during the last semester of my tenth grade year with a GPA of 3.5. My main hobby is playing the guitar. I participated in the school's band from my ninth grade year until my eleventh grade year. My specialty is playing the snare drum/tuba. I entered competitions for the guitar, winning numerous trophies.    Now in my senior year, I work in a private law firm as a law clerk. As soon as my last class ends, I go straight to work. I am an outstanding student, because I meet my academic standards as well as my job standards four days per week. I am also sergeant at arms of the National Honor Society. I participated in the National Honor Society community service that they organized. I sometimes participate in collecting lots of canned goods for the less fortunate people in our community. I participated in the Children's Intervention Project for three years at Mercy Hospital-Detroit, teaching young children about substance abuse prevention. That was a rewarding experience. I am a member of Greater Grace Temple. I am active in the music ministry, playing my guitar.    I plan to attend a four-year college of engineering, to pursue a career in the field of electrical engineering. That's the only thing I will concentrate on during the next five to six years. After I establish myself in that, I plan to get deeper in my career by studying for one or more advanced degrees.    One of my goals is to give back to my community. I feel that my community needs a role model that came from the same community. Many people achieve their career goals, make a little money, then leave their neighborhoods for a better one. I believe in coming back to help make the one I'm in better. I plan to invest money into the community for more recreational buildings and schools or invest in making the environment better, so that it is more suitable for the people that live there.

Nutritional Study Worksheet Essay

Select one of the following topics to research: Coffee or caffeine Eggs Low-fat diets Low-carb diets Other nutrition topic approved by your instructor Research your topic using 2 nutrition articles that discuss your topic, but provide opposing viewpoints. Use the Internet, the University Library, or the search links provided in the Week 2 Electronic Reserve Readings to locate the articles. Write 50- to 200-word responses to each of the following questions based your findings. Use your own words and provide examples to support your answers. 1. What topic did you choose? Discuss the position of each of the two articles you selected. I choose eggs for this assignment. Each artlice talks about different nutritional value of eggs. For example one article focuses on how eggs can affect a persons hunger and in return help them maintain a healthy calorie count which can help them to maintain a healthier weight. The second article focused on how eggs are with cholesterol. 2. What health claims are stated in the articles, such as drinking coffee every day will lower one’s risk for cancer? The first article I read talked about eggs helping you control a hunger. They  claimed that eggs are healthier alternative to control your hunger. They did a study on a group od obese indiviuals who ate eggs with toast and low car jelly, and the second group ate a bagel with cream cheese and nonfat yogurt. Study showed that the group eating eggs was statisfied longer, which in return had them eating less. The second article I read talked about how eggs don’t affect your cholesterol. They had two diferent groups of healthy adults. The first group ate eggs for breakfast and the second group ate oatmeal. The study showed that eggs didn’t affect there cholestreal, it didn’t rise or lower it. 3. Do any of the articles’ claims seem too good to be true? Does it seem that the authors are seeking personal gain in any way? Explain your answers. I don’t think the articles seem to good to be true, they compared to different groups to one another to see if there hypothesis was either supported or not. They didn’t seem one sided, or trying to get personal gain from the statemetns. They were done by different schools, they were tring to better understand eggs, and the health of individuals. 4. What are the respective sources of these articles (testimonials, peer-reviewed study)? Both my articles were study completed by different schools such as Yale, and Saint Louis University. I would trust these sources the articles where put togethere by Science Letter Editors, â€Å"NewsRX†. So they were studies completed by different Universitys, which is how we obtain a great deal on other medical information. 5. Is the information presented in each article new or has it been studied extensively over time, achieving the same results? Both articles did there study over time. The first study about eggs affecting your hunger, they randomly separated the obese indiviuals in the study into two different groups had them eat the different breakfast meals prepared for the study. The study for the eggs affecting cholesterol as well was done  over time, they separated the healthy adults into two groups. They did mention in the article though that they did see the indivuals eating oatmeal had lower cholesterol. 6. Now that you have gone through the details of each article, do you have any reservations about the information in either one? If so, explain why. Has the process of analyzing the two articles changed your opinion on the topic? Explain your answer. I never thought much about eggs filling you more then other foods. I do eat eggs for breakfast I just don’t eat too much because I tend to get tired of them quickly. However I have heard things about how they affect your cholesterol, since I am young I am not concerned about my cholesterol levels. However now reading an article about a study that has been conducted I am informed so I can compare the knowledge I gained from it to other articles I may read in the future. Diet & nutrition; egg nutrition center-cofunded study indicates eggs for breakfast aid weight control. (2006). Science Letter, , 510. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/209128523?accountid=458 Diet & nutrition; study suggests that eggs may not contribute to heart disease in healthy adults. (2005). Science Letter, , 559. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/209238077?accountid=458

Case Study of “Sterling Marking Products Inc Essay

Coming into my role in 1986 to oversee the international marketing, Sterling had begun exporting sub-assemblies to the U.K. Sterling is now utilizing Julius Blumberg to expand sales into the US. Our sales within both markets are currently not living up to what the International Marketing Committee believes to be our true potential. Regarding sales within the US, Sterling needs to leverage the knowledge and information gained from doing business through Julius Blumberg to establish a direct line of sales within the country. Simply being in a catalog of another company is not meeting expectations. We need to leverage the aggressive, direct sales methods we saw succeed; given that Blumberg does not feel comfortable with this line of marketing, we should look to establish a subsidiary within the country to gain direct oversight over the operations. With close proximity of major urban centers to our Canadian offices, I feel that this can be accomplished with minimal risk. Noting that the increase in lawyers and incorporations year over year is 10x that of Canada the possible returns outweigh the overall risk involved in seeking a more direct expansion into the US market. Looking at the current environment in the UK, I see a different situation and path. The UK represents Sterling’s best potential market in Europe given its legal requirements for seals and its 2.5x yearly increase in lawyers and incorporations compared to Canada. Unfortunately, with a VAT of 15%, manufacturing within the UK will decrease overall margins. Continuing to manufacturer within Canada at our current facilities will alleviate the VAT and only subject us to the 4.7% tariff. We will also be able to forgo any additional manufacturing facility costs, or at least delay them until we have significant market penetration. I recommend, that we approach a direct partnership with one of the three smaller agents in the UK market; either Jordan, Davis, or London Law. In our approach to potential partners, we should leverage our ability to enter the market ourselves and push them out of the market in our contract negotiations. I would recommend that we do not approach Bolson’s as we will gain more leverage on the lesser three since they would have more to lose by another major producer entering the market (ie they get pushed out of the market completely). This partnership will allow us entry into the UK at minimal overhead costs and put us in a scenario where we can drive how our product is positioned and marketed while leveraging the local market understanding and knowledge of the partnering  company. Currently, we have been approached by representatives in additional countries. I highly recommend that before we move into another international market we strengthen our approach and sales penetration in the US and UK. Once successful, I believe that we should begin working towards penetration in the Japanese market. With 82,000+ lawyers and a similar GNP per capita to Canada and the US, Japan may represent our next best opportunity to expand internationally.

Athenian daily life essays

Athenian daily life essays In Ancient Greece, boys go to school, while the girls stayed at home to help their moms cook and look after the household. In Athens, it was a man's world. In the family, the father was the head of the family. The wife stayed at home and ran the household. The husband could divorce, if the wife was unfaithful or had no children. The marriage was arranged by the father or a close male relatives or guardians. For women life didnt extend far from the home, which was thought to be their sole realm of existence. Though they ranked higher than slaves did, they were treated in many of the same ways. Just like slaves, their mothers trained women as adolescents what their domestic duties were. They were secluded from all males, including those in their family. The main purposes are to have children to continue the family name and to honor the parents. Athenian women had virtually no political rights of any kind and were controlled by men at nearly every stage of their lives. Since men spent most of their time away from their houses, women dominated Athenian home life. The wife was in charge of raising the children, spinning, weaving, and sewing the familys clothes. She supervised the daily running of the household. In a totally slave based economy, ample numbers of female slaves were available to cook, clean, and carry water from the fountain. Only in the poorest homes was the wife expected to carry out all these duties by herself. In a sense, poor women lived freer lives than that of the aristocratic women they served. They could work in the fields or sell in the marketplace, pretty much going about their way as men did. (McKay page 76) The Greeks were polytheistic people. Meaning they believed in more than one god. Its impossible to say exactly how many gods there were because different Greeks worshiped different gods and some small villages worshiped the main gods and their own village gods. There are hund...

Tobacco And Western Culture Essays - Human Behavior, Smoking, Health

Tobacco And Western Culture Essays - Human Behavior, Smoking, Health Tobacco and Western Culture Grade Received on Report : 89 Essay 1: Tobacco and Western Culture The use of tobacco dates back to the 17th century. The primary reason for its beginning was purely economic at first. It later became apparent to researchers over the decades that tobacco was more than just a commodity to be traded for economic gain. It was actually a drug, nicotine, which developed into physical dependency and had adverse side effects as people began to live longer. Further research at the social level, revealed its social impact on the western culture. It didn't take long before early traders began to realize the economic benefits of trading tobacco as a primary cash crop. Its known influences were completely overlooked to maintain the desired income and trade benefits. In western culture, early settlers, saw tobacco as a primary source of support for the family. It was entirely possible to grow tobacco and live a very good lifestyle. During the early years, tobacco was not seen as a bad thing. Instead, it was actually a way of life. As time passed, govermental agencies also began to see the economic benefits produced by the tobacco industry. Taxing the crop became very lucrative and later resulted in subsidizing the farmers as needed to maintain taxation levels. The advent of production cigarrettes soon opened doors for manufacturers which hadn't existed before. A cheap and easy method of providing tobacco users a manageable product soon led to widespread use in the western world. This attitude soon began to chang! e, however, as researchers began publishing reports on the ill effects of smoking and tobacco use. Tobacco lost a lot of its social influence when people began to understand its physical effects. Tobacco use was linked with birth defects in pregnant women. Lung cancer was directly linked to smoking in 1950 by the Cancer Control Department in the New York State Health department. It became very clear that the past opposition to smoking and tobacco use was substantiated. It had also become clear that smokers were in a group alone from the rest of society. Just as other groups grew and shrank with the times, so would the smokers. Nicotine had been discovered to be the dependency factor in tobacco and soon ranked a classification with other social drugs like alcohol and caffeine. Its use was seen to be just as severe as these and warranted just as much focus in the social arena. This didn't stop people from using tobacco. The reasons for tobacco use had already become more complex than just physically damaging. Tobacco use had grown to be a social instrument. It can be easily proven that people smoke for different reasons. Stress is now a large part of society and nictotine tends to reduce the stress factor. There have also been reports of the soothing effects nicotine provides during times of prolonged strain on the brain. This is typically due to long hours of reading or studying. The ability of nicotine to soothe the mind allows the brain more concentration and thus the individual is able to more easily comprehend the task at hand. Despite the good and bad effects of tobacco use, it still continues today and I feel that it will be some time before smoking is completely removed from society. Actually, it's not half bad considering the alternatives of the 21st century. Consider pulling up in your car next to someone at a stop light smoking a cigarette and think about seeing someone smoking marijuana. Which would you prefer? Essay 2: Birth Control The main reason to limit the population in a given society is to insure that a balance between the resources available and the number of people is not exceeded. It is fundamental to the survival of a given society that everyone has enough food, housing, and work to maintain certain social standards. This has been done in many ways throughout the centuries. Birth control methods range from religious belief to medical fact to social superstition. In all cases the limiting of newborn has effectively kept people out of anarchy. In looking at the history of birth control, it is easy to imagine why the population must be regulated. Even today the situation is being