Depression - Family and Community Experience Assignment

Depression - Family and Community Experience - Assignment Example The results are severe for patients below six years as opposed to the other category. Studies on the expressed emotions shows that families of patients suffering from chronic depression are easily predicted by higher levels of Expressed Emotions. Patients suffering from disorders associated with mood record a poor outcome from medical experts. Other studies indicated that spouses found it hard to share with the public about their spouses and this leads to reduced marital activities with the patient. In the long run, it happens that the patient feels unattended to and this further complicates his situation. This however results when the spouse to the patient feels embarrassed about the patient’s condition. Impacts of chronic illness and depression sharply differ from one society to another and from one country to another. Despite the variations, what is common is that the situation bears with it serious cost implications. A patient suffering from depression is considered a wast e to an economy in terms of productivity, this by it self is a form of a negative cost. Attempts in curative or reduction are yet other cost. In most set ups, human life is taken to be paramount and the responsibility is not left to the family alone but to the entire society. In some cases there is inability to persevere in a marriage where the patient is either a wife or husband. It makes the spouse to have mentality of trying to get their way out. This is attributed to effect in the sexual behavior and performance which is not at par or anyway near the satisfaction level achieved before. In chronic situations, it leads to dysfunctioning of the whole act as earlier stipulated as lack of interest or mood. In the recent past, it has been noted with keen interest that patients suffering from chronic depression pose a great burden o the family members and those destined to take care of them. What this implies is that the care givers have to reduce the time the have to undertake in doin g their personal activities such as leisure and other social activities after their relative has been diagnosed with depression. The family will tend to be more worried about the future with increased symptoms, effects and consequences. The effects are more staunch in families with poor base are compared to their rich counterparts. The community as whole participates in the sense that support can easily be mobilized from the social networks. The support can either be financial or just moral. Handling of depressed patients has effects as well. Parents of children with depression are reported to have a higher likelihood of contacting or suffering from psychological disorders such as the same mental depression. Thus children require more attention compared to adults. Therefore the risks in handling children is much greater compared to adults Educational support has been advanced on that note that is found capable of assisting relatives in provision of care to patients suffering from ch ronic depression. Although sources indicate that the much that has been advanced is too little and a further research is recommended. Such education is technically referred to as psycho education and it was purposely developed to assist in mitigation of the enormous difficulties and challenges encountered by

Lost and Found Essay Example for Free

Lost and Found Essay It’s a story that many people have lived through, from one side or the other. You’re a child in a busy department store, tethered to your mother’s side by her firm grip on your hand, your eyes constantly drawn left and right by the colorful displays. She lets go to grab something or talk to a salesperson, and you see an exciting toy or stuffed animal and run to it. After playing with it for a few minutes you try to walk back, but your mother is gone. First a wave of confusion hits you, but it is quickly overcome by dread. You are alone and lost in a sea of noise and people. When great philosophers or authors talk or write of being â€Å"lost† they can mean all sorts of things, but few are as visceral as the feeling of being lost that a child in a situation like that can experience. Even if there’s a good chance the child is in no danger at all, the feeling of dread that accompanies feeling alone and lost in a crowded department store can be terrifying. Most people will have their first feeling of being lost as being literally, physically lost as children, whether it is in a department store, or in a large park, or simply down the next street. It makes sense, then, to start defining what it means to be â€Å"lost† with the experience of a child. What about that deep, philosophical â€Å"lost,† though? When people say they feel lost (as opposed to being physically lost) they often are referring to alienation of some sort. One way that people address alienation that serves as a good comparison is religion. People who believe strongly in their religion will often feel like they are spiritually â€Å"in place.† On the other hand, if some tragedy or crisis of identity strikes, they might suddenly feel spiritually lost. The same dread that a child who can’t find his mother feels in the department store can be felt by an adult who experiences a tragic accident and loses their belief in their religion. These definitions of lost could apply five hundred years ago just as easily as they apply today. I believe, though, that every era has challenges that are unique to it, and the information age is no exception. The â€Å"information age† really is aptly named, because in today’s fast-paced world we are hit with more information than any humans have ever faced. As modern people, we are constantly inundated with a flood of information everywhere we turn. Magazines and newspapers and books and nutrition labels and billboards and television programs – they’re all feeding us new information every waking moment. All these mediums pale in comparison to the true information mother lode though: the internet. With computers, people gain access to the vast majority of the world’s information at their fingertips. With the increasing popularity of internet-connected smart phones and tablet computers, though, this information is not only at our fingertips but alwa ys at our fingertips. What does the internet have to do with alienation and being lost? The sensory overload that Wikipedia and Youtube provide can be great for keeping people entertained, but it can also be all too easy to get lost in. Many people know the feeling of logging onto a computer or smart phone with a single goal in mind – sending an email, perhaps, or checking the weather next week – and spending not five minutes but an hour and a half, as the myriad attractions of the digital age distract them. Just like the child in the department store, people can be drawn to the colorful displays of the internet, and realize only when it is too late that they are lost. So, then, we can define (at least) three different ways that people can be lost. There is the physical â€Å"lost† – not knowing where you are physically. There is also the spiritual â€Å"lost† – not feeling at peace with your own existence. Finally, there is the information age â€Å"lost† – being trapped, pinned beneath ever-growing piles of information that your mind will never have time to process all of. All three of these forms of being lost have something in common: they feel bad, but are actually ultimately helpful. Since it’s been established previously that being lost is connected to being alienated, it might seem contradictory that it is actually a good thing. After all, those feelings associated with being lost – hopelessness, dread, despondence – are all quite uncomfortable and even painful to feel. Nobody likes to feel like they don’t know where they are in life, like they are out of place. No child likes the feeling of separation from their loved ones. And certainly nobody likes to look up and realize they’ve just wasted three hours of their lives they’ll never get back watching funny videos about cats on the internet. Overall, all the emotions that being lost makes people feel are negative – but all the negativity serves a purpose. Without darkness, there’s no light, and without being lost, there’s no being found. There’s an old stereotype that people who are on a bad path in life will never be able to clean up their act until they hit the lowest possible point, and in a way getting lost can be like that. Realizing that they are lost can be the ultimate wake up call. It’s easy to demonstrate how getting lost once or twice in a physical way can help someone. Going back to the example of the child in the department store, what is most likely to happen is that the child will have a harmless scare for a while and then be re-united with its mother. While in the short-term both the child and its parents will be scared, in the long-term the child will hopefully learn not to stray far from its parents in an unfamiliar place. If the person getting physically lost is an adult instead of a child, they may learn the value of being more prepared (by bringing a map on a road trip, perhaps) or even the value of asking other people for directions. Spiritual periods of being lost can be similarly helpful to a person’s growth and development. Someone who’s faith has never been tested may continue to go on acting as they do while life is easy, but if things get harder they won’t know what to do. On the other hand, if someone experiences a tragedy or unexpected twist in their life their faith might be challenged and tested. Even though they may feel horribly lost during this period, they may emerge from it with a new, stronger faith in their beliefs. On the other hand, if they find their beliefs to be lacking, they may instead have new personal revelations and growth that will lead them to a belief system that they more truly support. Getting lost in the information age is less easy to define than the more traditional ways people get lost. In many cases, people embrace the information overload and dive right in. Every day, people’s jobs and education can require them to submerse themselves in the sea of information that is the internet. It is hard to say what the consequences of people being inundated with so much information will be. The easy access (and unavoidable flood) of information is a relatively new thing, that has only been around to this degree for at most a bit over a decade, so the implications have yet to be seen. What is it to be lost? There are at least a handful of answers to this question, but in the broadest terms possible, being lost is being alienated from one’s surroundings. Everybody gets lost from time to time in one way or another, and that will likely never change. Getting lost can be uncomfortable and scary, but getting lost is an important part of life. Through getting lost and then finding themselves again, people can grow and learn more about themselves and their surroundings. So what is it to be lost? To be lost is to be in a state of change: to be lost is to be down, but coming back up, to be in trouble but in hope of being found again.

Flash! :: essays research papers

FLASH!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On august 6, 1945 an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Thousands of people died instantly from the initial blast. Others died later because of flash burns and radiation sickness. Those who lived had to move away from their homes and toward the parade grounds and parks. Any doctors that were uninjured had to work nonstop all day and night mending wounds. Some people mysteriously die and others are unrecognizable because of the flash burns covering their bodies. The few people that had survived the blast had to try to put their lives back to normal. Homes had been destroyed and family members killed. Now new people had started moving into Hiroshima once news spread that is was safe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book Hiroshima was an enlightening view of what went on during the atomic blast and the days after. The part that sticks most in my mind was when Mr. Tanimoto was trying to help burn victims on the shore of the river. When he grabbed the one woman’s arm to pull her out to the boat he was using to transport injured people chunks of her skin slid right off. I could visualize the skin coming off because of a similar but not nearly as extreme of an experience. I had burned my arm on an oven rack and when I was wiping off my arm the skin peeled right off. As I read the section I could imagine a large piece of skin peeling off of a human hand and I thought that I would lose my dinner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another thing that remained in my memory throughout the novel was that people put their beliefs before their injuries. Mr. Tanimoto mention that he was ashamed that he could walk when he saw all of the injured people lying about unable to move. Dr. Sasaki didn’t sleep for the first three days because he knew it would be wrong to. Amazingly though, the injured had no shame they walked naked with burns from head to toe and thought nothing of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bomb fell silently and as in struck the ground a bright flash lit the whole city. The residents who lived through couldn’t seem to realize what kind of bomb it was. Some thought it was a cluster of many bombs. Rumors spread that a plane that had flown over had sprayed gasoline all across the city. Another said that magnesium powder had been dropped and reacted to the power lines.

Swarovski Branding Strategies & Products

SWAROVSKI. Branding for luxury goods Group G. Members: Truong Anh Bao Nguyen Yunkyung Choo Lilit Nagapetyan CONTENT: 1 History 2 Concept 3 Brand Strategy 4 Marketing Mix 5 Positioning 6 Services 7 Target Consumer 8 CBBE Pyramid 9 SWOT analysis 10 Competitors 11 Recommendation 12 References 1. HISTORY: 1882 Daniel Swarovski (1862-1956) invents a revolutionary machine that allows crystals to be cut more precisely than with existing manual methods. 1895 Daniel Swarovski founds the company in Wattens, Tyrol, with the vision of bringing joy to people through crystal.His guiding principle is still followed by the company today: â€Å"To constantly improve what is good. † 1949 SWAROVSKI OPTIK is founded, and goes on to become a leading manufacturer of precision optical instruments for hunting and nature observation (binoculars, telescopes, rifle scopes, range finders, and night vision and optronic devices). 1956 The first Swarovski crystals for chandeliers and lighting are launched, and in 1977 are registered under the STRASS Swarovski Crystal name.Today they adorn classical chandeliers, suche as those in the Palace of Versailles and the Metropolitan Opera, New York, as well as more modern lights. Swarovski starts to manufacture precision-cut gemstones. 2002 Swarovski develops Crystal Fabric: countless tiny crystals create a delicate shimmer over a variety of materials. 2003 In conjuction with leading fashion and jewelry designers, â€Å"Runway Rocks† is founded – a collection of unique jewelry pieces featuring crystal for the catwalk, showcasing design and innovation 2009 At the â€Å"Baselword† watch and jewerly exhibition, Swarovski launches its first watch collection. . CONCEPT More than a century ago, Daniel Swarovski, its founder, once said â€Å"A diamond of everyone† that sparkles everyone's lives, Swarovski today has been thriving for the best to serve its customers, being one of the finest crystal producers in today’ s global industry. Mission Through the mastery of the poetry of precision we continue to be market leader, driving force and reliable partner within our industry to meet people’s desire for adornment and delight since 1895 as * manufacturer, marketer, and retailer of premium jewelry and customer products ranging from decorative objects to lighting and accessories. manufacturer and marketer of premium jewelry stones for customers. * Swarovski provides high quality products and services and anticipate, fulfill and exceed consumers’ desires and customers’ needs. * Swarovski offers our colleagues and teams fulfilling challenges that inspire them to be innovative and creative. 3. BRAND STRATEGY: Not so long ago Swarovski was not very famous and didn't have any branding strategies. ‘For a long time Swarovski didn't â€Å"brand† its product. And back then it wasn't really about branding as it is nowadays.We had to develop a hard-core communications strateg y – a PR strategy – which we pitched to the editors and designers. ‘ said Nadja Swarovski, Swarovksi Vice president of International Communications. Today, Swarovski is almost omnipresent everywhere from fashion awards, catwalk shows, film premieres; its crystals are used by fashion designers from the edgiest Central Saint Martins graduate to the hallowed ateliers of Armani, Dior and Chanel. This is where the real success of Swarovski lies: by aligning the company with the most avant-garde young fashion talent.When the hottest British designers of the time, Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy and Julien Macdonald used Swarovski crystal mesh – a fine fishnet gauze studded with tiny crystals – in his catwalk show, it immediately changed people's perception of the brand. ‘The McQueen show provided a visual that was very different to the standard idea people had of us,' Nadja says. The company then began to re-establish the company's links with the f ashion world, sponsoring younger designers who are in need of capital to make their label take off.Nearly ten years later this winning formula is still producing results. Designers, no matter how edgy or cool, all seem to want to use Swarovski crystals and accept sponsorship. ‘If you're a young designer starting a collection, it's great to have crystal in there because it makes it more haute couture,' Nadja says. ‘It adds elegance, a seriousness, credibility. In fashion, if you have something to prove, then couture, or at least craftsmanship, is the right track. â€Å" Not only enraptured the fashion world, Swarovski also moved on to the film industry.Some of Swarovski's most high-profile projects have been Moulin Rouge, where the sets and costumes groaned under the weight of Swarovski crystals, Titanic and the recent Bond films. During Oscar season Nadja sets up camp in Los Angeles, and stylists can browse the Swarovski jewellery, shoes and handbags with a view to dres sing their clients on the red carpet. These days Swarovski crystals adorn everything from iPods and mobile phones to Maria Sharapova's new Nike tennis dress. They even covered, whisper it, Jordan's wedding dress. 4.Marketing Mix Products: The Swarovski Crystal range includes crystal glass sculptures and miniatures, jewelry and couture, home decor, and chandeliers. They're best known for imitating â€Å"colored germs† All sculptures are marked with a logo. The original Swarovski logo was an edelweiss flower, which was finally replaced with the current swan logo in 1988 Subsidiary companies: Swarovski Fashion accessories and crystal-based ornaments. Daniel Swarovski Jewelry, handbags, accessories and interior design objects. Swarovski Optik Optics.Atelier Swarovski Fashion and jewellery designers. Swarovski Crystal Palace Avant-garde lighting and design (chandeliers etc. ). Swarovski Elements Crystal designs. Swarovski Gemstone Business Gemstone designs. Swarovski Lighting Swar ovski finished lighting products and solutions with crystal for architecture. Tyrolit A bonded grinding and dressing tools company. Swareflex A road safety products specialist. Schonbek A crystal chandelier manufacturer. Touchstone Crystal Swarovski's direct sales company for ready-made jewelry PlaceAll boutiques are beautifully set up and conveniently located in the fashion mall/heart of big 19 metropolitan cities from Dubai, Madrid, Hongkong to New York City over 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Also online website is available with convenient shipping services Price 100$ to $42,800/item Promotion Promotion is via press, social network (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube) as well as via traditional and on-going sponsorship for young talented artists/ designers to use Swarovski crystals in any kinds of their designs in fashion show, film awards, etc.Therefore, the best season to promote Swarovski crystals is during the fashion week (twice a year- January to March and from September to October) and movie/film award ceremonies seasons (October to February) 5. Positioning Swarovski is positioning itself as a luxury fashion by creating a customer experience to let people know Swarovski’s brand values of innovation and modernity. They would like to position themselves as creating premium, high-quality products for the consumers. They are trying to be a market leader in the luxury jewelry industry by innovating continuously.Recently, Swarovski hired Yellowdoor as retained agency, which will focus on positioning as an affordable luxury brand. * Luxury fashion brand * Market leader in the luxurious crystal industry * Multi-faceted business * Affordable luxury brand 6. Service * Collection of rings, pins, earrings, pendants, necklaces, hair jewels, cuff links, charms, brooches, bracelets, bangles and gifts. * Large variety of color options * Vast selection of gifts available for fewer than $100 * Magazine and group for Swarovski enthusiasts. * Free shipping standard on orders more than $95 * Customized gift messages Free gift wrapping and bag * Scheduled delivery * Right to return (2 week return policy) * Product warranty * After sales services 7. Target Customer Swarovski's target customer is â€Å"every female† from 17 to 71 in terms either of buying or gift receiving because they offer diverse products to such a broad range of people. Even though each group (tweens, generations X,Y and Baby Boomers) has its own needs and values, Swarovski meets most of them. Swarovski Jewellery bases most of its market on women of age 25 and above by creating bridal, business, classical and sophisticated collections.It also include men accessories such as bracelets and watches, and of course kids over 6 years old. Also, one of the biggest Swarovski's market target today is fashion industry. Swarovski crystals are affixed to everything from Victoria's Secret bra sets and Kawasaki motorcycles, to the clothing collections of such as Dolce ; Gabbanna and avant-garde vintage revisionists Imitation of Christ. 1) Women collection of * Sophisticated * Business * Classical * Bridal collections 2) Men MEN’s collection * Rings * Bracelets * Necklaces 3) Kids * Disney collection Hello Kitty collection 4) Other Industries: Swarovski crystals are affixed to everything. * Victoria's Secret bra sets * Kawasaki motorcycles * Clothing collections * DJ Headphones 8. CBBE Pyramid Resonance: HIGH LOYALTY Brand resonance is high due to active loyalty of customers Consumer Judgments: GLOBAL BRAND WITH RICH HERITAGE Perfect and innovative crystal products High quality production Consumer Feeling: PRESTIGIOUS ELEGANCE Prestigious, elegant, fragile, dedicated, timeless Humble and sophisticated Feels like a fairy Brand Performance: EXCELLENT SERVICESExtremely durable, serviceable Offers timeless, high quality crystal products Innovative product lines: Optik gears, etc. Brand Imagery: GLAMOROUS Glamorous luxurious crystal pro ducts Women/young ladies with high income, high taste of elegant sophisticated jewelries Brand Salience: HIGH DEPTH & BREADTH Extremely high recognition on the crystal market Most known for its crystal jewelries product line If it's crystal, it’s nothing else but Swarovski! 9. SWOT Analysis: Strengths Strong brand identity and high company reputation World widely recognized market leaderCheap materials, high added value products Craftsmanship (durable quality) Online store New techniques Perfection High quality After sales services Weaknesses Expensive production in Austria Repetitive design Opportunities Diversity of customers of all ages New markets in Latin America ; emerging markets in Asia Various product lines through collaboration Unlimited design according to crystal cutting Threats Cheaper competitors Imitators/substitutes Relies on disposable income of consumers Slowdown in market growth Cheaper artificial crystal 0. Competitors Price: Cartier – Swarovski â⠂¬â€œ Pandora – Preciosa Reputation in jewelry market: Cartier – Swarovski – Pandora – Preciosa Variety of jewelry products: Pandora – Swarovski – Cartier – Preciosa Quality of crystal: Swarovski – Cartier – Preciosa – Pandora 11. Recommendation †¢Product Strategy Swarovski should expand its business in the jewelry market, having more product lines as well as jewelry designs since it's already has a reputation in the crystal industry: Extend their product lines (perfumes, watches, Home electronics , etc. Extend their jewelries products (leather bracelet, wedding ring, etc. ) Focus on jewelry customization †¢Place: Establish stores in Latin America and expand business in emerging markets †¢Pricing No changes †¢Promotion No changes 12. REFERENCE: http://www. swarovski. com/ http://www. brand. swarovski. com/Content. Node/home. fr. html#/en/aboutus/ourevolution http://www. brand. swarovski. com/Co ntent. Node/home. fr. html#/en/aboutus/spirit http://swarovskijewrley. blogspot. fr/2010/09/week-4-marketing-environment. html http://online-jewelry-review. optenreviews. com/swarovski-review. html http://www. brandchannel. com/ http://www. prweek. com/uk/news/890882/Swarovski-hires-Yellowdoor/? DCMP=ILC-SEARCH http://fashion. telegraph. co. uk/news-features/TMG3361538/Swarovski-the-glitz-spirit. html http://www. crystalfanaticsclub. com/about_swarovski. php http://globalfashionanalytics. com/ritejl/brending/157-marketingovaja-strategija-v-ljuksovom-segmente. htm http://news. naver. com/main/read. nhn? mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=101&oid=001&aid=0005922714

Miss Essay

Marketing Management Individual Assignment 1. The definition of EPRG orientation and its practice in international companies/local companies * ethnocentric (home-country oriented) An ethnocentric firm views the business from the perspective and values of the home country. Policies and practices are likely to be designed by home-country nationals with little or no variation for international operations. Ethnocentric oriented international companies believe that anything worked at home must also work abroad. For example: Nissan using ethnocentric orientation during its first few years of exporting cars and trucks to the U. S. market. Nissan’s cars were designed for mild Japanese winter, the vehicle were difficult to start in many parts of the U. S. during winter there. In northern Japan many car owners would put blankets over the hoods of their cars. Nissan’s assume that Americans would do the same. * Polycentric (host country-oriented) In contrast with ethnocentric, a polycentric firm operates according to the principle that each country of operation is different. Polycentric is a highly market-oriented. Each market is considered unique, that’s why the marketing mix, product strategies, pricing strategies etc is different for each country. Example: Citicorp’s financial services around the world operated on a polycentric basis. James Bailey, one Citicorp executive, offered this description of the company: â€Å"we were like in a medieval state. There was a king and his court, are they in charge? No. The land barons are who were in charge. King and his court may declare this or that, but the lord barons who went and did their thing to their appointed land. With that statement we can interpret that even the owner of company in headquarter stating this and that, but each country has some differences, and we should makes some changes in order to make our company succeed in other country. * Regiocentric (regionally-oriented) Firm treats a region as a uniform market segment and adapts a similar marketing strategy within region but not across region. For examole: Mc Donald not serving pork and slaughter animals through Halal process only in Middle East and some muslim-dominated countries. * Geocentric (world-oriented) The geocentric approach considers the whole world as a single market and attempts to formulate integrated marketing strategies. The firm recognizes both similarities and differences in cultures and markets. Best practices are adopted on a global basis and adapted for local conditions where necessary. Nestle and other multinational company is using geocentric orientation. Colgate Palmolive is an example for a company which using geocentric approach. It has been operating internationally for 50 years and its products are households in more than 170 countries. 2. The practice of each of the entry modes (exporting, licensing, franchising, contract manufacturing, strategic alliances, joint ventures and foreign directt investment) please provide example for each entry strategy done by each local company and international company * Exporting The home company exports their product to host country company/distributor. It is the safest entry strategy to start expanding company overseas. By exporting we would learn the market situation in overseas market. And it is less risky and less cost than to manufactures the goods in host country. The example of exporting is kecap Bango and bumbu Bamboe in European market, especially French. Kecap Bango and bumbu Bamboe export their goods to Indian and Asian store in France. The target market is of course Indonesian consumer who lives there. Another example is Teh Botol in carton pack, it sells its product by helping of Indonesian embassy in Paris, France. * Licensing In licensing the home firm agrees to permit a company in host country to use the manufacturing, processing, trademark, know-how or some other skill provided by the licensor. For example, Coca Cola give license to United Bottlers to make Coke in Zimbabwe. Franchising A home company which using franchising (franchisor), grants another ( a company or individual) the rights to distribute goods or services using franchisor’s brand and system in exchange for fees. Mc Donalds is known to use franchise as its market strategies through the world. In Indonesia, alfamart and indomaret are using franchising as their strategy. But they still using it within Indonesia not overseas. * contract manufacturing In contract manufacturing the firm decide to enter by contracting a manufacture of its product in target market. In example GAP contract manufacture in developing countries to manufacture and sells them. The products can be made to the conditions and specific requirements of the local market * strategic alliances Strategic alliances firm unite with competitor to pursue a set of assented goals remain independent after the formation of the alliance. The partner firms share the benefits of the alliance and the control of the performance of assigned tasks and the partner firms contribute on a continuing basis to one or more key strategic areas. For example, in 2005 Adidas (a German company) announced its acquisition of Reebok. Mr. Herbert Hainer, the CEO of Adidas, expected to cut costs by 125 million Euros in the next three years by sharing information technology, synergies in sales and distribution, and cheaper sourcing. However, the new combined company will continue to run separate headquarters and sales forces, and keep most distribution centers apart * joint ventures In joint ventures the firms in which two or more investors share ownership and control over property rights and operation. In Zimbabwe, Olivine industries have a joint venture agreement with HJ Heinz in food processing. * foreign direct investment The firm makes a direct investment in a production unit in a foreign market. It is the greatest commitment since there is a 100% ownership. The international firm can obtain wholly foreign production facilities in two primary ways; It can make a direct acquisition or merger in the host market and It can also develop its own facilities from the ground up. Multinational company are already using foreign direct investment, like Nestle in many countries in the world including Indonesia, Unilever, etc

Methods of evaluating location alternatives Essay Example

Methods of evaluating location alternatives Essay Example Methods of evaluating location alternatives Essay Methods of evaluating location alternatives Essay Know your customers: Every business should know who your customers are, do you know them, most of the organizations think that they know, but often they are wrong. It is very important to understand who your customers are. It is very important to know your regular and frequent customers and if the organization knows who their frequent customers are, it will help to identify other areas that may have demographics with similar characteristic. Before selecting a new location for the business, Rotis management should consider on this factor. Trade area: Trade areas come in many shapes and sizes, so the organization should know what area they intend to serve. Trade areas are not actually round, square, or rectangular, instead they usually reflect irregular shaped pattern. It correspond to road or street pattern, it is altered by competition, physical and psychological barriers, and the demographic of the local residents and employees of the certain area. So Rotis management needs to consider which is the realistic area and can attract more customers. Structure of the market: Every city, town, neighborhood, building, house has a structure and it is determined by physical and psychological barriers. Socio-economic characteristic, street and motorway patterns, industrial and commercial concentrations, type of employment, income, age, topography, and other factors, and by identifying these most important benefits of the structure, Roti can substantially improve the opportunity for success. Demographic area: When organizations select or look locations, they have to consider on the local areas population, because if you are taking help of the leasing agent or a real estate broker, they usually throw away the population numbers, or you may also be given a computer generated data listing the population, households, age, and income of the given area. The organization should develop their own feel for the market, they can also consider how much population growth is expected in certain period of time. The most important element is not how many people reside in the population area, but it is rather who are the people, what are their ages and what is the income. So every organization should clearly analyze these facts. Accessibility: Access mainly occurs at three levels, so the organizations have to analyze these three levels. 1 whether there is easy access to the business location, 2 the access to the particular site and (3) lastly whether this access is via adequate curb cuts, traffic signals or others, and if the access is poor it can be overcome by reputation or promotion, especially when competition is at its peak. Rotis management have to consider whether there is an easy access for their customers and suppliers where they are going to re-locate their restaurant. Competition: Most of the organizations in todays era thinks that they are unique, and some are, and some not. Therefore, competition is a significant factor that an organization should consider before choosing a location. Organization must determine competition and measure its importance. You should know the sales, service level, production level of your competitors, and if the one do not know answer to above all, how can they determine their own success. Roti should know all the main Indian restaurants in the area they are going to choose. They should also observe and research how customers are attending these restaurants and at which hours. Visibility Exposure: Here visibility means ability to see or recognize the location, as its exposure is being seen and recognized over a long period of time. Visibility can create huge success and opportunities for the business. Visibility is the most important factor that a restaurant or any business should consider before selecting a particular location for you business. Restaurants location is as important as the food it serves. Management of Roti should consider all the above factors before selecting a new location to relocate their restaurant. I will suggest them that they should try to find the location near the commercial area or office towers. The new location should be easily accessible for the people and the suppliers and it can be easily reached by walk or drive. The new site should avoid facing another restaurant because it may mislead the customers to enter the wrong place when they want to come to your restaurant. The new location they are going to select should be in the convenient zone, the transportation tool and pedestrian can pass it conveniently. The also need to consider the nearby parking lot has enough space for your customers vehicles. They should also consider the location in well known dining area, location near the street corner and the street name should be well known, because everybody will know when they pass by it no matter car driver or pedestrian. And when people feel hungry or they think the location is convenient they will come to the restaurant enjoying your place without hesitation. So in the nutshell we can say that the management should say that they the location they are going to select should be convenient, in well known area, easily accessible, in the busy area, and enough parking space. Methods of evaluating location alternatives The decision where to locate is based on many different types of information and inputs. There are different models and techniques available which will help organization to organize site information and that can be used as starting point for comparing different locations. For Roti I have selected the most popular method the factor-rating method. Decisions from this method will not be made based solely on these ratings, but they will provide a good way to organize and rank factors. We con also consider it as a quantitative approach.

Tata Steel Case Study Analysis Essays

Tata Steel Case Study Analysis Essays Tata Steel Case Study Analysis Paper Tata Steel Case Study Analysis Paper Introduction The Tata Group is a very large group of businesses that dominate markets in India. The organization has established itself as a leader in markets such as the airline industry, hotel, software, investment, and steel industry. There is a long history of corporate responsibility within the group, and it is no surprise that all Tata companies have adopted a Tata Code of Conduct as well as many international standards. Tata Steel is one of twenty-eight major corporations within the Tata Group. Founded in 1907, it is the largest private sector steel company in India. Operations are spread across the country, with the steel manufacturing unit at Jamshedpur, and other manufacturing and mining activities situated in the states of Jarkhand and Orissa at eight locations. The Tata Group headquarters is based in Mumbai, Maharastra. This paper provides an overview and analysis of the accounting problems that Tata Steel is faced with after acquiring a foreign company. Company Profile Tata Steel, incorporated in 1907 by Shri Dorabji Tata, is Indias largest private sector steel company belonging to the Tata Group. The company manufactures finished steel, both long and flat products like hot and cold rolled coils and sheets, galvanized sheets, tubes, wire rods, construction re-bars, rings and bearings. The company markets its products in brands like Tata Steelium, Tata Tiscon, Tata Pipes, etc. The company is among the lowest cost producers of steel in the world. Its main plant is located in Jamshedpur, having a manufacturing capacity of 5 MTPA (million tonne per annum) while its processing units, captive iron ore and coal mines are located in the states of Orissa, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal. With its head office located in Mumbai, the company functions through a network consisting of trading arms and operation and projects sites spread across countries in the continents of Asia, Europe and America. Apart from Steel there are six Strategic Business Units or divisions for Bearings, Ferro Alloys and Minerals, Rings and Agrico, Tata Growth Shop, Tubes, and Wires. It operates in more than 20 countries and has a commercial presence in over 50. In the past few years, Tata Steel has invested in Corus (UK), Millennium Steel (renamed Tata Steel Thailand) and NatSteel Asia (Singapore). With these, the company has created a manufacturing and marketing network in Europe, South East Asia and the Pacific-rim countries Problem Tata Steel Faces Tata Steel is faced with a very serious, and somewhat complex, problem. The company has global ambitions. By that I mean the company wants to establish itself as a power and contender in the global marketplace. Tata Group acquired UK based Corus Group, a well established steel company in its own right, by way of a $12. 1 billion deal. The deal was partly funded with a $6. billion dollar loan that was primarily denominated in Euros. The currency in which the Corus Group earned most of its revenues was Euros. It made sense for the Tata Group to fund the deal in Euros in order to avoid exposing the debt to currency risk. The problems that the Tata Group would face due to this deal brought about an issue that the organization really did not have much experience in dealing with. Because of the currency denomination issues with this dea l, the Tata Steel would have a liability of over $600 million on its financial books. Although, the reality of the situation is that Tata Steel has a sound and balanced financial structure and accounting practices. Because of international accounting laws that India and the Tata Group have adopted, on the books it looks as if Tata Steel is carry more liabilities or debts than it really is. This is significant because an investor or shareholder would look at the company’s financials and think that the organization is not as financially stable as it really is. Tata Steel used Indian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (IGAAP) to prepare their financial statements. IGAAP merged with the global accounting system known as the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The problem with this is that by IFRS standards the merger, or natural hedge, was not recognized. IGAAP and IFRS both mandated that foreign currency loans be denominated in the borrowing company’s home currency for accounting purposes. This created a reporting problem for Tata Steel when in reality there was no financial problem with the deal. SWOT Analysis of Tata Steel Strengths Global position in steel industry Tata Steel is one of the most prosperous and profitable steel companies in the world. The acquisition of Corus and other global steel companies have bolstered Tata’s position in the marketplace and made it one of the top steel companies in the world. Corporate governance Tata Steel has had a very good record for corporate governance. It has set the benchmark in global corporate governance principles of accountability, transparency, and equity for others to follow. Tata Steel has been consistently receiving prestigious awards at both the national and the international arena. The company was awarded the Best Governed Company Award in 2006 for corporate practices presented by Asian Centre for Corporate Governance. Brand value The Tata Steel brand, owing to its highly ethical and a socialistic approach to business, has made its name synonymous to trust. The acquisition of Corus made Tata Steel an even more reputable and powerful company. Tats Steel was a well known brand even before the acquisition of Corus. The addition of Corus makes Tata Steel one of the most well known and productive companies in the world. Innovation of Tata Steel Tata Steel has the lowest operating cost for steel manufacture in the world. Further it has displayed effective means in adopting an eco-friendly and sustainable approach towards the manufacture of steel thus proactive measures are undertaken to ensure the employees health and productivity through ergonomically designed work stations and by protecting them from occupational hazards. Adaptability to the fast changing global business environment Tata Steel has displayed immense agility in the recent past during the global financial crisis. Its virtuosos of various fields have adopted various methods like lowering production and even shutting down steel plants due to the lack of demand, managing the balance sheet efficiently etc. The company has 70% of its procurement of raw materials for its operations in Asia through long term contracts and so its margins can be shielded from the nuances of the volatility of the financial markets. Management Team Tata Steel has a highly credible management team who has displayed their skills in expanding the company through various innovative methods. The company has successfully acquired Nat Steel of Indonesia, Millennium Steel of Thailand and more importantly UK based Corus. The company’s virtuosos of finance have been able to find innovative ways to tackle the company’s debt and keep the bottom line in the green zone despite lower demand and a lot of accumulated debt. Weaknesses Debt burden Tata Steel has a total debt of $9. 8 billion USD on its books, much of it from the Corus acquisition. The company plans to refinance $6. 5 billion of its long term debt. It has an unfavorable debt to equity ratio which means the assets of the company are largely financed through debt. With the steady increase in inflation most countries are beginning to tighten credit and liquidity in the money markets. As a result of inflation increases, interest rates are on the rise as well. An increase in interest rates means an increase in the company’s liabilities. This will further add to the degradation of Tata Steel’s balance sheet. Conservative accounting practices India has very conservative accounting standards. The system works within the country but lacks flexibility and adaptability when it comes to reporting differences in currency. Because the Tata Group has global aspirations, the company must deal in various currencies when doing business with global companies. The problem lies in the rules governing the accounting practices within India. All foreign currencies must be converted to the home countries currency when reporting on financial statements. Technology Many steel companies have implemented different technologies into their plants to make production and productivity more efficient. There is a new fluorescent x-ray technology that some companies have adopted. Tata Steel is lacking in this area. Tata Steel has failed to adopt new technology to lower cost, improve production, and improve employee safety standards. Procurement philosophy of its subsidiaries The largest subsidiary of Tata Steel, Corus, has high exposure to spot prices and a higher operational gearing among the larger European steel companies. Hence it has the risk of volatility associated with pricing, one of the key elements in determining profitability of a commodity company. Opportunities Competitive position Tata Steel is the second largest producer of steel in India and the sixth largest producer in the world. Over the years Tata Steel has been acquiring various steel companies around the world, the latest being Corus. There is a lot of room for Tata to grow and further establish itself as a perennial power in the global marketplace. Technological advances Tata Steel has shown immense integration abilities in the past. With the acquisition of Corus it has been able to integrate the high end technological knowledge into its production facilities. The company has also been able to produce high quality steel at lower prices and significantly improve its operating margins. Infrastructure opportunities India has geared up for rapid expansion in the field of infrastructure. The Government of India (GOI) has earmarked Rs. 1, 70,000 crore for infrastructural spending for the fiscal year 2010- 2011 and the trend is set to escalate up to the fiscal year 2025 when India is slated to become the third largest economy in the world. Further many private players either independently or by undergoing public private partnerships (PPP) has also come into the fray. The consumption of steel has been steadily increasing with the rapid investment in the infrastructure and real estate projects. The annual steel production of India has touched 200MT and according to governments steel policy is expected to touch around 250 MT by 2013-2014. The demand for Indian made steel is escalating overseas out of the 200 MT of steel currently produced in India around 50% of it is exported. In the first six months of the fiscal year 2009-2010 the Indian steel export almost doubled to 9. 3MT from 4. MT in the same period the previous fiscal year. The country’s iron ore exports during April-October 2009 period grew 20 per cent over the year ago period to 53 million tons. Accounting practices India’s accounting regulations does a disservice to many of the companies who operate globally. Because of the reporting regulations, Tata Steel has a liability on its balance sheet that realy doesn’t exist. The currency conversion rules hinders Tata Steel from putting together a balance sheet that reflects its actual holdings and activities. Tata Steel has an opportunity to help change the accounting standards in India to allow companies to report their financial activities accurately so that shareholders will have an accurate view of the financial position the company is in. Demand for steel The demand for steel is on arise both domestically and internationally as a result of the enhanced focus upon infrastructural development. Secondly with other steel projects of international giants POSCO, ARCELOR MITTAL stalled due to land acquisition problems the prices of steel are slated to soar. In the month of April 2010 the steel prices were increased by Rs. 2500/ton and this is just the brink of the U-Shaped economic recovery and the prices are slated to rise further in the near future. Acquisitions In the aftermath of the financial crisis various mineral assets are available globally at a price which is just a fraction of their prime value. The government of various countries has been putting up coal blocks under the hammer. Tata Steel has been very active in the asset acquisition space and has bagged various coal blocks in Asia, Africa etc. which is essential for its security of raw materials. Threats International competition Companies like the Indian Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal’s Arcelor Mittal and Posco have landed on the shores of India. These are amongst the largest steel producers in the world and have a high chance of eating into the market share of Tata Steel. Indian market is also plagued with cheaper Chinese made steel which is ubiquitously available and is significantly digging into the market-share of all Indian steel makers including Tata Steel. Down Economy Tata Steel has a very large debt of 9. 8 billion USD on its books and has a huge interest burden. With the volatility of the financial markets and the tightening of credit and liquidity by the banks, interest rates are slated to go up and would further increase the interest burden of the company. Regulatory issues in India The government of India has chalked a strict norm for the clearance of a plant through environmental impact assessment (EIA). To get clearance from the concerned authority demands more than eight months thus leads to delay and project cost escalation. Albeit the governments’ steel policy has been pro industry in order to increase the steel capacity at a brisk pace.