Propose a New Positioning Strategy for Acl Product

New market positioning for a new product Introduction ACL Clean has been a successful product in the Hampshire and the company expanded into the Essex region Market. However sales were low and public awareness was lacking. The company was using the majority of its funds on the products line extension and little on advertisement and product placement. This is the key factor in the poor sales in Essex because the public isn’t aware of ACL Clean and its benefits.In order to make ACL Clean a more successful and well known product, funds used for the product line extension need to be diverted to advertising in order implement a new positioning strategy in the Essex market. The best way to implement a new positioning strategy would be through the marketing of ACL Clean to first time buyers of cleaning equipment. In order to do this ACL Clean will need to promote sales, advertise, and become established in the public. Background In January 1990, ABC cleaning Ltd commissioned the clea ning equipment division.The cleaning equipment division expanded more by introducing new products. In the Hampshire area, effective promotion has helped ACL clean become a success. Market awareness is upwards of 80% and brand loyalty is high despite the high price. Advertising is used in the Hampshire for promotion. Ads target general cleaning equipment owners because the market is segmented more according to benefits sought rather than any demographic such as age, gender, or income. The major media is television using commercials with a humorous approach stressing quality and safety.ACL clean then decided to work on developing the product line, as well as branch into the Essex market. These line extension products were also offered in Essex as well as Hampshire, and there was no competition for ACL clean because other companies didn’t enter into this new â€Å"unknown† category of cleaning equipment. Over 5 years in the Essex market and sales are still low. The produc t is available in most key outlets like Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury, and also in smaller chains. There is little sales promotions, since the website for ACL clean is where the sales promotions are. But there is no awareness of the site.The same pricing strategy is used in Essex as in the Hampshire, but ACL clean has not worked on justifying the cost in consumer’s minds. Furthermore the product line extensions took the majority of the budget leaving no funds for advertising. Without advertising there is no brand loyalty in Essex like in Hampshire. Too much has been put into the product line extension and not enough into the positioning strategy. As a result there is weak positioning and low awareness of this product. Statement of Problems The main concern is that ACL clean has an ineffective positioning strategy in that one was never established for the Essex market.The product was introduced and the line extensions were added, however no effective marketing was done to target the market they were introducing the product into. The lack of establishing a new positioning strategy in Essex has lead to low product awareness, no brand loyalty and low sales. Also, no advertising has resulted in little product position in the consumers mind. Essex consumers are unaware of the product and its benefits because there have been no commercials or ads or promotion of any kind. Strategies Alternative 1 The current positioning strategy has no strengths and many weaknesses as demonstrated in the lack of sales.Therefore a new positioning strategy must be developed. A target market should be defined so that advertising, marketing and public relations can be more focused and effective. ACL clean is a great product with high quality and safety, and with increasing health awareness and infection control campaigns by health authorities people, are more inclined to clean their homes more often. So by targeting the first-time buyers in the market, ACL clean could be effectively prom oted as a great product to help households enhance a healthy environment.This demographic is likely around the age of 25-35. Mainly people out of school, beginning a career or becoming more established, and are able to make a major purchase like a cleaning equipment and want one that will last them for as long as possible. Promoting ACL clean as the product that will achieve this will increase product awareness, create brand loyalty, and ultimately increase sales. However, as many first-time buyers have been using other cleaning equipment or have used other products related to car care, introducing ACL clean as a premium product will be a daunting task ecause there is already an established brand loyalty to other products, even though they are not as good as ACL clean. With establishment of the original ACL clean product in the market the opportunities of the line extensions are limitless. A great way to promote ACL clean in the Essex market would be through public relations. A grea t strategy would be to sponsor an event such as a cleaning equipment show in Essex region. Alternative 2 Another effective means of marketing ACL clean to the Essex Region as a great product with quality safety benefits would be through alliance with healthcare companies and local authorities.Alternative 3 Advertising is the most obvious and effective choice to place ACL clean in the consumers mind, just as it has in the Hampshire. Through TV commercials, magazine ads, and banners on web pages, the name and product information relation to ACL clean would be widely visible. Since TV is a major media source, having commercials that target the demographic of first-time buyers, would make the greatest impact for ACL clean. TV spots during primetime TV on major Essex stations would be seen by millions of viewers. Creating commercials that are exciting and fresh of the special features of ACL clean will catch viewer’s interest.

Term Paper Proposal on Parthenon

Paper Proposal Name of Student: Class, date & school: Subject: Tentative title: ARC 2701 – History of Architecture I On-line Class – Spring 2013 Florida International University The Parthenon, Iktinos and Kallilrates, Athens, Greece, 447 – 432 B. C. E. â€Å"The Architectural Perfection of The Parthenon† Description: The Parthenon has the reputation of being â€Å"the most perfect Doric temple ever built. † And by looking at it with the naked eye, one could most certainly agree.A closer look at the Parthenon’s structure and proportions reveals that there is not a single straight line within the temple; that small fact alone is what sparked my interest in this topic. The genius architects truly out did themselves with the clever use of optical refinements to create a structure that truly resembled perfection. This section will examine the architectural uses of entasis and the various other methods of optical trickery present in the Parthenon.T he skillful approach at these methods by the architects is responsible for the aesthetic perfection of the structure. In addition, I will explore the geometric irregularity that starts at the base, or stylobate of the structure and is a common theme carried on throughout the Parthenon. The temple begins with a foundation that is only of rectangular origin and more resembles a dome shaped floor. I will continue to explore the slight adaptions made by Iktinos and Kallikrates to further perfect the internal structure of the temple.These adaptions include small details of varying column diameter and spacing due to the positioning and lighting of the columns in reference to the structure. These minute modifications and illusions created by the architects were able to keep the Parthenon’s structure seemingly perfect regardless of the time of day, or angle the structure was being viewed from. Lastly, I will explore even more subtle features that truly awe the minds of admirers. Thes e include the specific positioning of corner columns with platforms lower to the ground than those in the middle.Along with examination of the columns out on the peristyle as they are tapered and slightly curved towards the top giving viewers an image where the columns seem thicker and swollen towards the roof, seeming as if the columns are distressed just by supporting the massive weight of the roof. These perfect imperfections and optical illusions put into place by Iktinos and Kallicrates are what make the Parthenon the pinnacle of Greek temple architecture.Bibliography: Darling, Janina K. Architecture of Greece. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2004. Dinsmoor, William B, and William J. Anderson. The Architecture of Ancient Greece: An Account of Its Historic Development. London: Batsford, 1950. Lawrence, A W. Greek Architecture. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1967. Rhodes, Robin F. Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , 1995.

The defining activities and principles of ethnographic research Essays

The defining activities and principles of ethnographic research Essays The defining activities and principles of ethnographic research Paper The defining activities and principles of ethnographic research Paper Essay Topic: Sociology The term ethnography relates to a specific method upon which a researcher goes through to understand a certain situation. These methods involve the ethnographer becoming interrelated either covertly (whereby the researcher does not let the participants know who they are; either they hide their identity or they observe from a far) or overtly (whereby researchers inform participants of who they are) with the people under investigation and within their daily lives. As Marvin Harris and Orna Johnson (2001) state, ethnography literally means a portrait of people, ethnography is a written description of a particular culture- the customs, beliefs and behaviour- based on information collected through fieldwork. This ethnographic method starts with a selection of the culture upon which they wish to observe and understand. The ethnographer then researchers this specific culture and identifies variables of interest, typically these will be variables perceived as significant by members of the culture. The ethnographer then has to decide how they will gain entrance, this is especially difficult when done within covert ethnography as there is pressure in whatever circumstance it is to not stand out and look like an intruder or ethnographer. It is not unusual for ethnographers to live within their chosen society for months or even years, yet it doesnt take long in most cases for the ethnographer to gain cultural immersion. The middle stages of ethnographic research rely on the ethnographer gaining as much information as possible; this can be done through a range of both qualitative data as well as quantitative. This is their fieldwork and is vital when carrying out such investigations. When they feel as though they have enough data, or that staying within such a society wouldnt benefit their research anymore they leave, they then use their field work for their data analysis and theory development whereby the ethnographer strives to avoid theoretical preconceptions. As the ethnographer often gets very involved in the research, rich qualitative data can be yielded from ethnography, but as this type of research needs to be gained over a long period of time and can often invite an array of different opinions, other research methods may be used within the study, therefore quantitative data can be gained from methods such as questionnaires, interviews, experiments and observations. This specific form of social research can be identified as triangulation as it combines different methods so that the strengths of one complement the weaknesses of the other. There are a range of different types of ethnography not just that of covert and overt methods. Micro and Macro ethnography tends to study the narrowly or broadly defined cultural groupings. Whereas Emic and Etic ethnography is considered a research approach to the way in which members or non-members perceive and interpret behaviours and phenomena associated with a given culture. There are a number of documentaries that have been broadcast across our television screens recently whereby ethnographic research has been the main focus. Journalists have particularly taken to ethnographic research as it gives more depth and intensity to their so called stories and interests the public greatly. Donal MacIntyre for example has managed to make a career out of ethnographic research, as he has covertly managed to fool people in to believing that he is not a journalist and is therefore one of them. His research method has in many circumstances worked very well as he has managed to prove a variety of things that could not have been done overtly. One of Donal MacIntyres most famous and well recognised ethnographic study was in 1999. He wanted to show the public just how dangerous football hooligans are and how much they relish violence. In just eighteen months Donal MacIntyre infiltrated the Chelsea Head-Hunters (the hooligan firm for Chelsea football team) with the help of hidden cameras and recording equipment, the results were just what he wanted. In preparation for this ethnographic study MacIntyre had to watch hours of Chelsea videos and had to leaf through pages of literature to enable him to become culturally immersed within the hooligans. He pretended to be a drug dealer, and a very successful one at that. He moved into the same block of flats as the main ring leader of the Head-hunters and even hired out a i 45,000 Mercedes to look the part. Donal MacIntyre was born in Ireland so for eighteen months he had to loose his accent. To get involved he started to take the Head-hunters to away games, he slowly became one of them and at one point even ended up in a fight at one of the football matches with them, he stated in his documentary that it was real. He got very badly hurt, yet he was getting what he needed from the investigation so decided to carry on. He even went to the extremes of having a Chelsea tattoo on his arm for authenticity, which he is now getting removed. Sitting in Donals i 45,000 Mercedes on more than one occasion was Andrew Frain (nicknamed nightmare) who boast on the documentary about slashing an off duty police officer. He also spent one particular journey to a football match with Leicester on the phone arranging a 150 man riot. Within in all ethnographic research, observation is one of the main methods upon which a sociologist or ethnographer can collect their fieldwork. Yet, they do not just observe people as and when they need to decide when and where to observe people and to actually observe the specific things that relate to the investigation. With such an immense study it is often difficult to keep the fieldwork observations completely related to the specific variables of interest. In Donal MacIntyres case he took the role of becoming a complete participant, whereby he took a very highly active and involved participation within the group being examined, the Head-hunters. (Fulcher Scott,Sociology,2nd edition, p88) Although this may seem easy, it is very difficult to actually gain the information needed as it is difficult to ask questions or raise specific issues that would make it obvious that the researcher is not a participant. Therefore the researcher has to remain within the role and sometimes can get so involved within it that it is difficult for them to then be able to analyse the findings. Also without recording equipment it may be difficult to remember everything before you get the chance to write it down, also with a recording you can replay it as many times as you like and get different opinions upon it yet without this your evidence is subject to watch you saw, which can lead to a bias view. Donal MacIntyre stated that the very difficult eighteen month investigation was traumatic and very scary. Donal spoke of his fear for life on many occasions. As the documentary was aired on the BBC, the police had the evidence to arrest two of the main ring leaders of the Chelsea Head-hunters. One was jailed for seven years and one was jailed for six and they both have been banned from attending football matches for twenty years. Through this specific ethnographic investigation Donal managed to gain evidence and information on an aspect that the Head-hunters would have not been willing to discuss elsewhere. The Head-hunters didnt feel the need to lie as they may have in an interview for example as they assumed that Donal was their friend. As Donal gained an insider status he had access to their so called native language. However, although this type of methodology was considered the most efficient when getting truthful, reliable and valuable information, it has had its consequences upon Donal. Since the investigation Donal has received a number of death threats, his car has been spray painted, he has been mugged and beaten up and he now lives in constant fear within a safe-house. This shows the extremes and amount of work people are prepared to go through to get the result they want. Donal MacIntyre has put his own safety aside as he wanted to prove to the public what hooliganism was really like. Ethnographic research is a method which involves so many different types of research; therefore it is considered that it is a very good way of investigating cases which are not just a yes or no answer. Although some people state that covert ethnography is wrong as you are leading people to believe you are somebody that you are not, many sociologists view is that the only way you are able to get a reliable result is through being covert, because people will always try to make themselves sound or look better if they know they are being investigated, whether they mean to or not.

BAA Strategic Management Issues Essay Example

BAA Strategic Management Issues Essay Example BAA Strategic Management Issues Essay BAA Strategic Management Issues Essay BAA Strategic Management Issues BY Elodte7788 1. Introduction The following report has been undertaken to evaluate the strategic management issues concerned with the British Airport Authority (BAA). Strategic management is concerned with the overall direction of the whole organization. (Finlay, 2000). With the aid of a provided case study the strategies which are currently in place have been recognized and evaluated and the evidence has been used along with research carried out in textbooks and online Journals and the internet. The models provided by strategic management theorists have enabled possible future strategies to be valuated by showing a range of strategic options and how they will be best suited to a large organization in their industry. The report has been split into subsections due to the complex nature of BAAS operations and because of the many different internal and external factors which can affect the organization. The first section of this report gives a general introduction to the BAA company with an evaluation of their mission statement and the various stakeholders involved. The second section concentrates on an internal evaluation of the environment and identifies the strengths and eaknesses of the organization. The corporate culture is outlined and the resources are analysed by evaluating the company against models such as Porters Value Chain and the Cultural Web. Once an internal analysis has been carried out it is necessary to undertake an external analysis which constitutes the next section of this report. An external analysis is concerned with the environment in which BAA is operating, and therefore it is inevitable that the airline industry as a whole is evaluated. Porters five forces are used to analyse the competitive environment and the industry life cycle is valuated in order to help suggest possible strategies to keep the organization from going stagnant. The final section of the report looks at developing strategies and the problems associated with implementing these strategies. SAF analysis is used and proven to be a vital way of developing effective strategies. Issues of control are also examined. 2. Purpose of the organization 2. 1. Mission evaluation A majority 0T Duslnesses essentlally use an organlsatlonal vlslon ana mlsslon to establish the general direction of the firm with organizational objectives focused to define more specific targets. It seems that it may be too complicated for BAA to draw up a mission statement as need get all their stakeholders together, besides they also do not know what the future holds. The fact that there is no mission statement enables things to be more flexible and also can be changed. The downside however would be critical. Ferrovial the key major stakeholders could be considered as the highest players in this organization, yet BAA tends to be moving on regardless not it cannot be static. BAAS values are considered in terms of how the organization is run and include: To assess environmental impact on surrounding communities To provide a health and safety environment To achieve excellent value for their stakeholders and passengers To assess economic benefits and create employment for the local communities To inspire their team, encourage teamwork, sharing learning and open communication BAA continue to state that the way in which the organization run is much more than Just simply hitting targets and profit margins and it has certain responsibilities to society that they take very seriously suggesting each our their directors, employees and suppliers strive to meet its core commitments. . 2. Stakeholder analysis Stakeholders are those individuals or groups who depend on an organization to fulfil their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organization depends. Oohnson, etc. , 2006) It is important to understand expectation of all groups in detail, and how they are likely to seek influence over an organizations mission and strategies. Oohnson, etc. , 2006) Stakeholder mapping could be used to identify stakeh older expectations and power. It underlines the importance of two issues: how interested each stakeholder group is to impress its expectations on the organizations purpose and choice of pecific strategies, whether stakeholders have the power to do so. Oohnson, etc. , 2006) Figure 2. 1 The power/interest matrix The figure 2. 1 power/interest matrix shows managers and major shareholders are key players, have both high power and high level of interest. Employees, local communities, minor shareholders are keep informed groups, suppliers, media and aircraft manufacturers are keep satisfied. 2. 3. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility is identified as a concept whereby companies iintegrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their nteraction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis by Green Paper presented by European Commission in July 2001. (Cited in Hooley, etc. 2008) Strength in corporate social responsibility may bring competitive advantage. ( Branco Rodrigues, 2006, cited in Hooley, etc. ,2008) Questions of social responsibility are increasingly significant, posing both risks and opportunities. 3. Internal envlronment analysis 3. 1 . Resource Analysis When assessing BAAS overall situation, the identification of the strengths and weaknesses its internal environment was an important element. The functional area f the organization was considered when auditing the resources, as this is where resources become deployable. In terms of its Physical resources BAA currently own and operate seven I-JK airports and also have stakes in eleven airports outside the I-JK. With air travel demand now forecast to double, the company plan to invest E8 billion in South-east airports, E500 million in Scottish airports and include a fifth terminal for Heathrow, yet owe E7. billion in debt and are facing a credit crunch, so in terms of Financial resources they have none. The Intangible resources could nclude reputation through brands such as popular airports, established relationships with travellers as are surveying 70,000 passengers to get views each year and also the local community. BAA also has a reputation of its products and serv ices the firm own, for example retailers, world duty-free, and other luxury brands they own. Ferrovial is one of the worlds leading construction groups who specialise in four strategic lines of business, Airport, Construction, Transport infrastructure and Services. Through its subsidiary Cintra, Ferrovial also specialise in the construction nd construction of 20 toll road concessions around the world and are also experience to manage around 250000 car parking spaces. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) control all flight paths and aircraft routes at UK airports, regulates airlines, airports and National Air Traffic Service whereby it could be considered BAA has established relationships with these organizations. BAA also has an established relationship with the government and a good reputation as the year 1986 saw the Airports Act being passed, authority dissolve as all its property rights and liabilities were passed to them. In terms of assessing Human resources BAA has specialist knowledge of the unique airport environment that allows them to successfully iintegrate retailing in an balanced, yet BAA has no established culture and with a current clash of culture between Ferrovial and BAA could be the result of the its recent departures. As result human capital may be affected such as the assessment of skills, knowledge, and decision making abilities, training and expertise of employees, adaptability of employees therefore could affect the level of commitment and loyalty. The revenues from commercial activities in retailing account for a ignificant proportion of its total revenue, helping BAA maintain some of the competitive charges faced with. The intangible resources over time may become more important than the tangible as they can be the main source for competitive advantage an example of this may be ensuring a good reputation of its products and services are maintained. . 2. Porters Value Chain When examining the internal environment of BAA it is useful to use Porters Generic Value Chain (1985). When Porter uses the term Value its meaning can be defined as follows; Value is measured by the total revenue, a reflection of the price a firms product ommands and the units it can sell. A firm is profitable if the value it commands exceeds the costs involved in creating the product. (Cole, 1997). Figure (3. 1) below shows Porters Generic Value Chain taken from Cole, 1997 and as can be seen it shows that it splits the organization into five different operations, which are categorised as primary activities. In terms of an organization such as BAA inbound logistics will be the receiving of goods for sale in their retail outlets, bars and restaurants within the airports owned by BAA, and it is possible to count the input of assengers into the airports, as the airports are where these activities take place. Operations are the activities which occur within the airports and for BAA this will include check in, security, retail, and passport control. The best way to regard outbound logistics for BAA is the successful movement of passengers through the airport and onto their designated flights with the minimum of delays. Marketing and sales concerns the different operations and services provided by BAA and the different ways in which the products and services can be purchased and inducing the customer to do so. Cole, 1997). The service section can be described as, the activities associated with providing service to enhance or maintain the value of the product. ( Porter, 1985). There are linkages between the activities and they are not isolated from one another. One aactivity often affects the cost or performance of other ones. (Lecture notes, lecture 4). The support activities which are shown going vertically on the top part of the model are self explanatory, except for the term procurement, which in this model can be regarded as the purchasing function. Figure 3. 1 Porters Generic Value Chain The BAA case study reveals that; BAA is a complex company and much of our work is done in partnership with other businesses and organizations. This has to be taken into consideration when assessing the company using Porters Value Chain. A list of services to be iincluded under BAAS control include: Airlines. These are other organizations and would probably be best categorised in both the inbound and outbound logistics sections as they are inputs into the organization and also help carry passengers out of the airports once they have experienced the services on offer. Civil Aviation Authority. A ital part of the operation including safety measures which are a primary concern in every organization within the aviation industry, especially in todays climate. Commercial services. Such as catering, shopping, car hire and banking services. These are operations which are not outsourced and are therefore profitable and add value to the organization. A customer can prepare for his travel within the airport allowing convenience and this adds value to the customers perception of the experience. Immigration National Air Traffic services. Public transport operator. These are extremely beneficial partnerships as they rovide customers with easy access into BAAS airports and help produce the infrastructure, thus creating great value to the organization. For BAA, the primary activities are well coordinated between them (infrastructure, operation, outbound, marketing ana sales, servlces) ana contrlDute to tne Important actlvlty 0T Its airports However the new security measures causing flight delays and long waiting time queues can represent an obstacle for the outbound. Another cause of flight delays and waiting time can also be accredited to the size of infrastructure too small for handling an increasing number of passengers. The infrastructure has been affected by the management of Ferrovial. English managers left since the takeover of Ferrovial. Also the debt of Ferrovial has lead to reduce the effective of its employees touching the human resources management. However value can be added in technology development and procurement. The procurement of extra security equipment can help to overcome the problems of delays and waiting time, and therefore improve the operations of BAA. 3. 3. cultural web The cultural web identifies 6 inter related elements that help to make up what Johnson and Scholes call the paradigm of the work environment. BAA has no established culture. However BAA should be also confronted with Ferrovial since this last one can have influence on the company. Since the takeover, BAA is under a strict control. This has provoked some clash and English managers dissatisfied with the new rules of Ferrovial, left. Also the debt of the company has lead to redundancies within the company and Ferrovial is accused to be only cost driven. The group is not popular with the media either. There is evidence that BAA is reluctant to the new management of Ferrovial and in the paradigm we can therefore mention a clash of cultures. Figure 3. 2 Culture Web Figure 3. 2 Culture Web helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a company. It can make realise that sometimes corporate culture can be elusive: the intentions of a company are different from the reality. The cultural web can be used to correct this gap by taking each element aside and compare after the reality with what the company wants as for its culture. Henceforth, the company knows more precisely what aspects need to be changed. For BAA, there is some evidence showing a gap between strategic intent and reality. For example in the statement, BAA says it is ital that we engage our stakeholders in open and honest discussion implying that they have good relations with them. However, more recently the relations with stakeholders have been affected especially with the media, politicians and regulators. Most of companys statements are too idealised. It is not really about what people (employees or customers) experience daily and does not really consider the real values and practices of the company. What can be questioned in the cultural web is the control. Ferrovial imposed its rules without adapting to the English market. This ffected the relations with shareholders and the management structure of BAA as English managers left. It was in the interest of Ferrovial to keep these managers as they had more experience of running a company like BAA and knew the English market better. A strategy more appropriate for the company would have been to adopt a participative leadership (Likert, 1961). It mearns for the company working in cooperation with its employees by taking account of their ideas and suggestions. Even if at the end the company makes the decisions, they remain open to new ideas. 34 cultural lypes Another important and useful way of analysing the internal sectors of the organization is to look at the cultural types that exist within BAA as an organization. In order to do this the report looks at three different models. Firstly, BAAS strategies will be compared against the Miesling and Wolfe model (1989), and this is shown below in figure (3. 2). Figure 3. 2. The Miesling and Wolfe Model. On the model above two crosses have been plotted. The first cross at the bottom of the model marked BAA indicates what the authors believe where BAA would put themselves with known cause and effect relationships and a dynamic approach to nvironmental change. However, it is thought that the environmental change will be more stable than BAA would portray themselves. This is because any reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will easily be outweighed by the annual increase in air travel through their airports. It is also going to have to expand into green environments for their expansions such as terminal 5 at Heathrow. Therefore, the second cross, which lies in the computational planning style/analytical decision making indicates a more realistic position for them to lie. Greenley (1989), describes a computational style as; based on an ideal model of planning using a rational pproach, where perfect knowledge of the environment leads to an analysis which can result in decision making which is devoid of irrational behavior. It assumes a long-term rationale of profit maximisation and assumes that the personal aims of managers coincide with company objectives. Greenley, 1989). The second model to be used is a more simplistic approach to cultural types within an organization and is illustrated below in figure (3. 3). Figure 3. 3. Classification of generic cultures, Deal and Kennedy (1982). Once again the same principal has been used where two crosses have been plotted onto the chart. This model is done by analysing the degree of risk the organization is willing to take against the speed of feedback give n to the company. The cross labelled BAA is where the authors believe BAA would put themselves, but the cross in the process culture is the more likely position with a slower speed of feedback and a lower degree of risk taken than BAA would make out. The result of this model, the process culture seems to be ssimilar to the results of the Miesling and Wolfe model, which showed analytical decision making. The last model to be used is the Miles and Snow (1978) who identify hree dominant organizational cultures; The defender culture which view change as threatening, this is not possible in the airline industry as changes happen rapidly. BAA has also shown evidence that they are prepared for change with the implementation of new technology and the expansions in progress. Therefore, the defender culture can be discounted. Prospector cultures thrive on change with flexibility in management. BAA does not show much evidence of flexible management and therefore leaves the last culture, which is the analyser culure, which matches the results of the other two models used. Miles and Snow (1978) describe the analyser culture as those that seek steady growth in the market through very detailed planning and control systems. (Lecture 3) 4 External Environment Analysis Analysis of the operating environment helps to identify current and potential strategic position. The macro-environment analysis consists of broad environment factors that impact on all organizations, which provided by the PEST framework to identify. Then the five forces framework would be used to understand how the competitive dynamics within and around an industr y are changing. 4. 1 . PEST Model It is important to build up an understanding of how changes in the macro- environment are likely to impact on individual organization. Oohnson, etc. 2006) The PEST framework would be used to identify how future trends in the political, economic, social and technological environments might impinge on BAA. It helps managers consider how strategies might need to change depending on the different ways in which the business environment might change. There is PEST analysis as following which show some of the main factors influence the organization. These factors are not independent of each other, may are linked. Political Air Transport white paper in December 2003 and Follow-up report in 2006 by the government set out the UKs ppolicy for sustainable aviation industry. Air transport portal of the European Commission adopted a communication in September 2005 setting a strategy for reducing the climate change impact of aviation. EIJ Emissions Trading Scheme introduces the policies across Europe to tackle emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The new ELI-US Air Transport Agreement takes effect on 30 March 2008. European airlines can fly without restrictions from any point in the EIJ to any point in the US. This ppolicy will bring more competition, but also security and environment issues. Economic factors In 2001, aviation contributed ‚Â ¬13 billion to I-JK GDP which is 2% of total GDP. The UK aviation industry directly employs about 200,000 people. Aviations provision of transport infrastructure on which many other parts of the economy depend. Airlines and airports invest around ‚Â ¬2. 5 billion a year. Socio-cultural factors There is more travelling by flight nowadays on both leisure and business purpose. Aviation has now replace shipping as the primary mearns of transport for high-value, nternationally competitive goods and services. Technological factors Governments Transport White Paper in July 1998 clears out the future technology will take-up in the I-JK. Technologies predicted to enter service before 2030 with developments in the 5 to 10 years time period and potential to substantially enhance capacity and mitigate environmental impact. Technological advance will be fundamental to introducing substantial capacity improvements, such as Wake Vortex technologies, sophisticated management systems and data link technologies Training of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers trained aircraft maintenance engineers to meet he needs. New aircraft A-380 reduces noise, only as 25% of 747 competltlve envlronment o e P rt rs Hve Forces This tool was created by Harvard Business School professor, Michael Porter, to analyze the attractiveness and likely-profitability of an industry. Since publication, it has become one of the most important business strategy tools. Buyers Buyers are the customers of BAA, including passengers, airlines, retailers and other tenants. As BAA is dominant in the I-JK market, Buyers have limited choice for other supply sources. Also BAA is an international company meaning that they are dealing ith passengers from all over the world. Therefore Buyers are not Just located on one place, they are not concentrated. This aspect limits the power of Buyers. Substitutes Substitutes for BAA are the other airport companies in I-JK, Manchester Airport Group, Abertis, Peel Airports. Substitutes are not a real threat for BAA. BAA deals with 147,6 million passengers and the second bigger group coming after BAA, which is Manchester Airport Group deals only with 28,3 million of passengers. These figures show the dominance of BAA. Suppliers Suppliers include retail suppliers, equipment suppliers and construction suppliers. Not enough information was provided on the suppliers. Services from suppliers should be really in demand from BAA, as they have an important aactivity and they generally invest huge amounts in construction but also in security. Threats of entrants To enter this market, an industry needs huge capital requirements. Therefore economies of scale are extremely important as a company needs to spread the cost over the market. As well, government policies do not facilitate the entrance to the market as they already restrict airports expansion for existing companies. This market is subject to strict regulations. Competitive rivalry This can be a synthesis of the previous aspects seen before. There are high barriers to entry the market. As well the power of buyers, suppliers and substitutes are limited. Competition between carriers will intensify across the Atlantic as US and European airlines open now, unrestricted, routes. BAA is not subject of real competition as they dominate the market and their dominance in the market is now being questioned by the OFT (Office of Fair Trade) as passengers will not benefit from lower charges and the potential benefits of the Open Skies agreement will be iminished. . 3. Industry Life Cycles Industry life cycles comprising four phases of an industry, which are introduction, growth, maturity and decline. (Haberberg Rieple, 2001) The authors point out the industry life cycle is a simplification of reality that glosses over a lot of exceptions. Figure 4. 3 Industry life cycles Figure 4. 3 shows the aviation industry is in the growth phase, when the industry becomes established and the number of firms and sales of the product grow rapidly. There may be some improvements in the industry and in the process technology used. In the growth phase, there are still enough customers to go around, so competition is unlikely to be fierce. 4. 4. Evaluation of opportunities and threats Evaluation of opportunities and threats is the final stage of external audit. The key opportunltles Include: Growth of aviation industry and growth of airport capacity provide development capacity. New technologies, such as new aircraft could reduce noise. Potential new market outside the UK The key treats include: Capacity However, expedition of Heathrow airport also is a treat, more capacity mearns more difficult on operation, required experiences staff. Security issue is still one of major problems for BAA in the future. Environment issue is another threat for BAA, limit environment effect is the )Â ¤flrms social responsibility. Figure 4. 4 below shows classifying the opportunities using measures of probability and internal capability. New technology in quadrant Exploit with maximum interest, both potential international market and growth of industry are in quadrant Investigate, with great potential for BAA, but low internal capability, which mearns further investigation. Figure 4. Evaluation of opportunities Figure 4. 5 shows the evaluation of threats. Two major threats in quadrant Prepared, BAA has greater capability to deal with such probable threats, thus are prepared. Environment issues is in quadrant Monitor, that is more uncertain, although this threat are currently unlikely, it may became so in future and thus BAA must monitor it. Figure 4. 5 Evaluation of threats The aviation industry is facing significant technical and pr actical capacity constraints and due to long-term nature has been slow to address these. Environmental and security issues are exerting sthrong pressures on the industry and its ability to grow. 5. Developing and implementing strategy 5. 1 . Recommend future strategies and evaluation of strategies The Anoff product/ market growth matrix (figure 5. 1) provides a simple way of generating four basic alternative directions for strategic development. It explicitly considers growth options. Product development and market development could be the two better way for BAA future strategy. Figure 5. Anoff product/market growth matrix BAAS existing strategy of airport development may now well be broken. The plans over the next 10 years airport expansion, however The Competition commission are ow deciding whether their dominance of the market translates into distortion of the market, or wnetner proper long-term planning can De aellverea Dy a large, staDle, well regulated group. Britains Office of Fair Trading (OFT) argues that the competition between airports is much more critical at the moment, as they believe the barriers to entry that hamper the market. There were factors taken into account when selecting a strategic route forward for BAA in terms of its Suitability, Acceptability and Feasibility and tools and approaches were also used to help select the correct strategic group. 5. 1 . 1. Development of Airports Suitability Suitability is concerned with whether a strategy addresses the key issue relating to the strategic position of the organization. BAAS plan for airport expansion over the next ten years is appropriate to the product life cycle and the relative position of the firm within its competitive environment. Reasons for this include the fact that their in a dominant competitive position and are in in an industry that is in the growth stage. BAA is also sthrong in terms of its competitive position as are able to attain cost leadership and are able to be defended. The proposed strategy of airport expansion ill eventually generate more passengers that will allow an increase consumer spending, for example, retail accommodation. The organization is prepared to handle capacity in terms of no. of passengers, therefore service quality should improve, which in turn may create a demand for airport usage by airline companies. The reinforced linkages in the (internal) value chain from the strategy of airport expansion will create an oopportunity to improve its competitive position and boosts the linkages in the value chain, so could allow them to increase prices in its products as overall passenger service should provide value for money. Acceptability Airport expansion is likely to satisfy key stakeholders, for example, shareholders, employees, managers, customers, however may have an effect on local communities, pressure groups. The fact that there is a credit crunch is not going to eliminate any financial risk to the company and due to such developments there is no guarantee of their being service quality as reasons for this may include BAAS human capital not being used to its full advantage to enable retailing to be iintegrated in a balanced way that supports efficient airport operations, enhances the travellers experience and ake the most of the commercial opportunities available. Feasibility BAA has an experienced security and fire service yet there is no established culture which may affect its human capital as may not be able to enable iintegrated retailing in a balanced way that supports efficient airport operations. As a result it could affect the assessment of skills, knowledge, and decision making abilities, training and expertise of its employees, adaptability of employees therefore could affect the level of commitment and loyalty therefore may not have the resources required to sustain n competitive advantage.

An Overview of Lingua Franca and Pidgins

An Overview of Lingua Franca and Pidgins Throughout the course of geographic history, exploration and trade have caused various populations of people to come into contact with each other. Because these people were of different cultures and thus spoke different languages, communication was often difficult. Over the decades though, languages changed to reflect such interactions and groups sometimes developed lingua francas and pidgins. A lingua franca is a language used by different populations to communicate when they do not share a common language. Generally, a lingua franca is a third language that is distinct from the native language of both parties involved in the communication. Sometimes as the language becomes more widespread, the native populations of an area will speak the lingua franca to each other as well. A pidgin is a simplified version of one language that combines the vocabulary of a number of different languages. Pidgins are often just used between members of different cultures to communicate for things like trade. A pidgin is distinct from a lingua franca in that members of the same populations rarely use it to talk to one another. It is also important to note that because pidgins develop out of sporadic contact between people and is a simplification of different languages, pidgins generally have no native speakers. The Lingua Franca Arabic was another early lingua franca to develop because of the sheer size of the Islamic Empire dating back to the 7th Century. Arabic is the native language of the peoples from the Arabian Peninsula but its use spread with the empire as it expanded into China, India, parts of Central Asia, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and parts of Southern Europe. The empire’s vast size exhibits the need for a common language. Arabic also served as the lingua franca of science and diplomacy in the 1200s because, at that time, more books were written in Arabic than any other language. The use of Arabic as a lingua franca and others such as the romance languages and Chinese then continued worldwide throughout history as they made it easier for diverse groups of people in different countries to communicate. For example, until the 18th Century, Latin was the main lingua franca of European scholars as it allowed easy communication by people whose native languages included Italian and French. During the Age of Exploration, lingua francas also played an enormous role in allowing European explorers to conduct trade and other important communications in the various countries in which they went. Portuguese was the lingua franca of diplomatic and trade relations in areas like coastal Africa, portions of India, and even Japan. Other lingua francas developed during this time as well since international trade and communication was becoming an important component to nearly every area of the globe. Malay, for instance, was the lingua franca of Southeast Asia and was used by Arab and Chinese traders there prior to the arrival of the Europeans. Once they arrived, people like the Dutch and British used Malay to communicate with the native peoples. Modern Lingua Francas United Nations The Pidgin In order to create a pidgin, there needs to be regular contact between the people speaking different languages, there needs to be a reason for communication (such as trade), and there should be a lack of another easily accessible language between the two parties. In addition, pidgins have a distinct set of characteristics that make them differ from the first and second languages spoken by the pidgin developers. For example, the words used in a pidgin language lack inflections on verbs and nouns and have no true articles or words like conjunctions. In addition, very few pidgins use complex sentences. Because of this, some people characterize pidgins as broken or chaotic languages. Regardless of its seemingly chaotic nature though, several pidgins have survived for generations. These include the Nigerian Pidgin, the Cameroon Pidgin, Bislama from Vanuatu, and Tok Pisin, a pidgin from Papua, New Guinea. All of these pidgins are based mainly on English words. From time to time, long-surviving pidgins also become more widely used for communication and expand into the general population. When this happens and the pidgin is used enough to become the primary language of an area, it is no longer considered a pidgin but is instead called a creole language. An example of a creole includes Swahili, which grew out of Arabic and Bantu languages in eastern Africa. The language Bazaar Malay, spoken in Malaysia is another example. Lingua francas, pidgins, or creoles are significant to geography because each represents a long history of communication between various groups of people and is an important gauge of what was taking place at the time the language developed. Today, lingua francas especially but also pidgins represent an attempt to create universally understood languages in a world with growing global interactions.

Hotel& Restaurant Food Allergy Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hotel& Restaurant Food Allergy Questions - Essay Example Others include allergens associated with fish and fish products. The allergy protocol also takes into consideration the possible allergens that may result from nut products as well as sesame seed products and sulphites. The most common allergies vary in degree of their severity. There are quite a number of customers who have reported experiencing some mild upsets. It is only in isolated cases that a customer has reported experiencing a severe anaphylactic reaction. Our staffs are trained on how to handle patients who are allergic to different types of foods. For that matter, most of our packaged products are accompanied by a list of allergens that are likely to be contained within the packaged food products. The staff members are also candid in suggesting to our clients several types of foods that are allergen-free as well as those that have minimal allergen concentrations. The menu contains an accompanying column that identifies the foods that contain allergens as well as their levels. The customers are easily able to identify the foods that contain no traces of allergens in them. Some clients are also specific in liaising with the chief chefs to prepare food rations that are allergen-free depending on their preferences. Such orders are prepared within short periods of time to satisfy client requirements. As part of our safety food program, there are specific sets of kitchenware that have been specifically designed to prepare any special orders. This has been the company policy for quite a long time. With the high rate of return and regular customers, it has become a norm to prepare their food rations with special utensils. At the first instance of accommodation into the restaurant, guests are advised to notate their food allergy concerns at the time that they make their bookings. The customers are advised to liaise with the chief chef as well as the manager on duty. The information is communicated to the staff who will be designated to prepare

Supply Chain Class--Company analysis Case Study

Supply Chain Class--Company analysis - Case Study Example For the last 25 years, many companies have been negatively affected by the failure of their supply chain an aspect that has caused some of these companies to be acquired by their competitors at very low prices. Other failed companies have resulted to loss of a lot of investor’s funds thus resulting to their closure and court litigation as the investors seek for compensation. This paper will discuss common mistakes that are done by the company leading to supply chain disasters. One of the key mistakes that companies make is failure to do an extensive research on the suitability of the technology in improving their supply chains. For example, in its effort to improve production, Foxmeyer failed to research on how effective the new ERP system and the highly automated DC would be. Despite the efforts by the consultant to notify the company management that some areas of the new technology were not properly functioning, no step was taken. That ignorance has also greatly contributed to the supply chain disasters. Lack of undertaking feasibility studies that involves the evaluation of the benefits and costs associated with the supply chains is also a mistake that led to their failure. It is vital to note that before any company invests in new technology or a supply chain, it is essential to calculate the returns that are expected. For example, despite being an experienced manager, Robert Smith, the General Motors CEO failed to evaluate the performance of the robot technology leading to a supply chain problem that entailed loss of billion dollars in the investment (Supply Chain Digest, 2009). Lack of adequate market research is also another mistake that companies have made. Market research is crucial since it allows a company to initiate system that will provide products that will meet ready market. However, some companies such as Webvan, an online grocer invested in automated warehouses that reduced the company capital to a great extent yet the market demand for its products was very low. The same case applied to Cisco. On its part, Cisco, failed to initiate an inventory visibility study as well as adoption of poor market research leading to piles of products that were not demanded in the market. As a result, Cisco wrote down its inventory while the stock decreased by 50%. The company has yet to recover. During the planning stages of the management, most of the companies that faced the supply chain disasters did not skilled man power to undertake the task. As result, the managements were not aware of the repercussion of either adopting new system or even entering new markets. For instance, in its effort to move its production facility from Manila to low costs countries in 1994, Aris Isotoner resulted to reduction of costs by 50% while the Isotoner unit was sold to Totes. A mistake of poor estimation of the number of products and the delivery time is also a major cause of the supply chain disasters. For example, in 1999 Toys R Us.com compan y failed to realize that its system was not able to produce and deliver thousands of orders to its customers. This created a negative public image even though the company outsourced the supply to the Amazon.com. One of the companies that experienced a notable supply chain disaster was Apple Incorporation. Despite being a market leader in the production and selling of personal computers in 1990s, the company was faced with an issue that made it lose huge market share. In 1995,