https://www.echeat.com/ Brazil Apparel And Footwear Market to Reach USD 154,251.6 million by 2017: Ken Research Women 2013-10-30T04:14:58.787-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Brazil-Apparel-And-Footwear-Market-to-Reach-USD-154,251_6-million-by-2017-Ken-Research-34981.aspx Risk Management Program: Paramount Canada's Wonderland Background Information Tornoto's, Paramount: Canada's Wonderland (PCW) is located just outside the city of Toronto, Ontario. This particular outdoor theme park provides guests with over 200 attractions (Victoria Falls High Divers and Arthur's Baye Stunt Show), wild rides (Shockwave TM and Drop Zone Stunt Tower), a wide selection of roller coasters and a 20-acre water park for the whole family. The park is open starting near the end of May and stays open until the end of September or early October depending on the weather. This theme park would definitely be a time to remember, but before this amusement park lets anyone through the gates, there are many risks that should be dealt with. In order for the PCW to be fully operational, they would need to develop a risk management program. This will ensure safety for both the customer base as well as the people involved with amusement park's daily operations. The individuals that run daily operations would range from the chief executive officer; to the employees working the gates; to the performers in the stunt shows. In order to develop a risk management program, there are six main areas that must be covered in order to avoid, reduce, retain, and insure PCW. These six areas include: determination of objectives, identification of risks, evaluation of risks, consideration of alternatives and selection of the risk treatment device, implementation of the decision, evaluation and review. By going through these areas in detail, PCW will be in a greater position to deal with possible risks. Determination of Objectives There have been an increasing number of accidents occurring throughout the amusement park industry. Risk management should be considered for every amusement park, including Toronto's, Paramount: Canada's Wonderland. Furthermore, not only does risk management help reduce tension in everyday environment, but it also can be considered value-added as patrons will have a renewed feeling of safety when visiting PCW. Since safety for patrons and maintaining a profit are the greatest objectives for PCW, then a properly conducted risk management program will help to achieve this. If the safety of patrons is maintained, PCW will maintain a profit because the public will be satisfied and keep returning. Moreover, this objective of safety is an obligation for PCW to provide society with utmost protection from injury; therefore, legal legislation installs businesses to have a social responsibility. For example, PCW should 2008-03-16T03:56:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Canadian-Risk-Management-Program-an-Assesment-33538.aspx Challenges of Information Systems When talking about the vast field of Information Systems there is not just one pressing issue, there are three: Accuracy, Usability, and Time. Without the combination of these three factors a business would go under in the matter of months. The first of these three and probably the most important of these is the accuracy of the information. The information that you provide someone with in order to make vital decisions must be precisely accurate. If one piece of data is incorrect it could mean the difference between life and death, literally. For example, if a doctor receives false information about a patient’s allergies he may give that patient medicine that could eventually kill them. Another recent instance where inaccurate information caused a catastrophe is with Enron. They falsified financial information causing the company to collapse. If a news station were to give a report that was invalid, they would lose their credibility and respect from the people. Accuracy is a must when it comes to information that is provided to make decisions of any kind. Another major issue involving information systems is the information’s usability. If the business uses software to access the information it has to be easy to use and understand for the end-user as well as the executives. The information needs to be easily accessible from the hardware where it is stored. Also, if the information is generated into a report form of some kind, the report must be made so that it can be interpreted effortlessly in order to make precise decisions. The information provided should have value to the decisions at hand. The final of the three most significant challenges of the field of Information Systems is the time factor. As time progresses everything is built bigger and faster and people seem to be always operating at a faster pace, therefore information needs to be received at a faster rate. If a person or business does not get the information in time to make a prompt decision they could lose out on many opportunities. This concept all started when the phone was introduced and people could be connected to each other in an instant, instead of waiting a week for a letter in the mail. Now as the internet has 2007-04-23T04:32:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Challenges-of-Information-Systems-33113.aspx Market Analysis For DVD Recorders The consumer market is ready for the Pioneer DVD Recorder. It all started whenever the CD player was introduced. After the CD came the DVD, and then finally the CD burner. This just proves that consumers are interested in the ever-fast growing technology. We live in a society that is moving right along with the technological advances. The market potential for this product is great seeing how society has turned over to recording things on disc rather than video or tape. It is just another great innovation in the technology world that makes our lives easier. Now with the Pioneer DVD Recorder, consumers are able make their lives easier by recording all of their music, movies, and home videos onto a tiny disc(pioneerelectronics). Total Potential Market: In deciding the potential size, I found the number of residents with a television set. There are approximately 100,000,000 households that own at least one television(Lexis-Nexis). I feel that these people are potentially in the market for this product. Next, moving onto location, I have found that everywhere across the U.S. would fall under our potential market. Advanced technology is found throughout America, and this is why the whole U.S. is included in this category. Finally, trends must be determined when deciding your total potential market. Today, electronics and technology is growing faster than ever before. The trend in the U.S. seems to want to keep up with what is advanced in the electronic industry. Target Market: I feel that it would be much more successful to market this product to households that already own a VCR or a DVD player. These are the people that would be much more likely to buy this product because it would benefit them the most. Second, you must narrow the location of where you would market this product. In determining this you want to think of where this product is most widely used. While researching the Lexis-Nexis Statistical Universe, I found that people living in urban areas are much more likely to be interested in buying this product. With that information I would first market this product in cities such as New York and Los Angeles. These are both large cities that are of age when 2007-04-23T04:31:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Market-Analysis-For-DVD-Recorders-33112.aspx Competition Among Processor Makers AMD and Intel It is hard to imagine that there is any other processor than Intel. There is a processor called AMD (advanced micro devices) currently leading in the silicon race for the fastest processor at an affordable price. No longer shall Intel lead the market when AMD makes its name superior. A CPU is a microprocessor that is generally constructed with millions of tiny switches called transistors that are imbedded in silicon. The outer shell is ceramic with gold pins protruding out of the processor to make a connection with the motherboard. The function of the processor is to take the data from memory, (a storage device) or an outside controller like a keyboard, joystick, or scanner. This is determined in the program by sending messages to the processor in binary language. Binary language is sent to the processor commanding the transistors to flip on or off, (on equals one and off equals zero). The processor is placed on a motherboard with a bus speed of that to match the processor. This allows the processor to go as fast as the wires making up the bus can handle. This means the less resistance in the wire the faster your system can run. The bus is measured in megahertz (MHz) and is connected to the memory for the processor to store in memory. The faster the operation can occur the better the system operates. The CPU has a clock speed that tells you how many operations can happen in one second. A CPU's clock is found by multiplying the processor megahertz by 1,000,000. If you have a 500 MHz processor then the operations will equal 500,000,000 per second. The operation, is the individual commands sent by the program. The faster the processors bus and clock speed the faster FPU's (floating point units). This is the mathematical part of the processor. This allows the binary to work faster. Now that the processor has been explained. Why is AMD is better? In the beginning, AMD made CPU's (central processing units) in the second IBM compatible desktop systems ever developed. There are now three competitors in the processor race; AMD, Intel, and Transmeta Crusoe (not yet on the market). The relevance of this is that Intel's Processor will still be the most expensive CPU with no extras. Intel has had problems in the past as Kam, 2007-04-18T18:25:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Competition-Among-Processor-Makers-AMD-and-Intel-33004.aspx Report on the Music Industry Despite a year of headline-generating turmoil, musicians, techies, media executives and lawmakers gathering for the second Future of Music conference on Monday will find that much remains unresolved on the digital-music landscape. Over the past year, recording companies managed to force the shutdown of the free online song-swapping service Napster and launch services of their own. But they also saw new threats sprout up hydra-like in the form of second-generation free services such as Kazaa and Morpheus. Recording artists won a battle with the industry when they secured the right to be paid directly for Internet-based broadcasts. But they still wield little control over the music they create, advocates say. Tech firms launched a steady stream of digital-music devices and services but saw funding for new ventures dry up in the face of lawsuits and a weakened economy. And players on all sides won the attention of Capitol Hill, only to see the Sept. 11 terror attacks wipe digital-music issues off the congressional agenda. "It's really changed very little, which is unfortunate, because I think change would be very productive," said Eric Schierer, a digital-music analyst with Forrester Research. On their own Despite the presence of Capitol Hill players and music-industry heavyweights, the tone of Monday's conference is expected to be distinctly anti-establishment. Conference organizer Jenny Toomey, an activist and musician with the punk band Tsunami, hopes to shine the spotlight on independent artists who retain control of their music. Panelists will include musician/entrepreneurs such as Ian Mackaye of Fugazi and Dave Fagin of the Rosenbergs, who have found success outside usual music-industry pathways. Napster CEO Konrad Hilbers is scheduled to speak as well. But although the buzz on and off the dais will likely focus on the recording industry's recent moves, 2001 may be remembered as the year the industry finally caught up with the digital revolution that has swept up so many music fans. The industry won a key court battle with Napster, forcing the hugely popular song-swapping service to remove all copyrighted songs from its system. Napster, which shut down in July, is expected to test a new, industry-sanctioned service this week. Recording companies also launched their own digital music services last month, MusicNet and Pressplay, which offer limited access to some music 2007-03-20T04:15:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Report-on-the-Music-Industry-32855.aspx Introduction The research proposal begins with an overview of Krispy Kreme’s functioning industries as well as current trends within them. The document progresses by describing the corporate structure of Krispy Kreme, specifically outlining company values and philosophies. To help develop the research, various store formats are discussed, followed by an in-depth analysis of Krispy Kreme’s financial situation. The following pages also place Krispy Kreme in the context of today’s market and illustrate the brand image and different products. The document attempts to combine research, analysis and recommendations to determine if a so called cold doughnut will allow Krispy Kreme to expand globally. Industry Information Krispy Creme Doughnuts, Inc. competes with several industries, to include: Ø Baked Goods Industry Ø Food Industry Ø Restaurant (Eating Places) Industry Ø Cakes and Pastries According to the National Restaurant Association, Americans will spend about $354 billion at the nation’s more than 815,000 eating and drinking establishments. “Statistics indicate that restaurants have become an increasingly important part of American lifestyle over the past few decades” (Bread, Cake, and Related Products, 2003, ¶4). When evaluating the restaurant industry, fast-food type restaurants like Krispy Kreme have led way, and the growth of franchising since the 1970s has also propelled the growth (franchises have almost tripled their share of the market). However, starting in the late 1990s, competition decreased in mature markets because they were becoming saturated with fast-food restaurants. During this time, the restaurant industry began to see an influx of themed-eating places trying to redefine their images. For example, T.G.I. Friday’s began mostly as a single’s bar, but evolved to a family-oriented dining place. Another trend in the restaurant industry started in the mid-1990s when restaurants and supermarkets began to prepare foods for carry-out (commonly referred to as “home meal replacements”). Today, restaurants report that over 50 percent of their revenues come from carryout sales (Restaurants, 2003). Despite the economic downturn in 2001 due to September 11th, the restaurant industry recently began to pick up momentum. In Western Europe, the fast food part of the restaurant industry has seen growth as well (Restaurants, 2003). One trend in the restaurant industry is the increased use of computer and telecommunications technology to provide greater convenience and speed. These technologies include vibrating paging systems, wearable computers, and alarms (Restaurants, 2003). The bread, cake, and related products industry also researched new technology 2007-02-17T17:01:19-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Krispy-Kreme-Inc,-proposal--32639.aspx RETAILING Introduction: The word retailing is derived from the French word ‘retailer’, meaning ‘to cut a piece off ’ or ‘to break a bulk’. in simple terms, it implies a first-hand transaction with the customer. Retailing involves a direct interface with the customer & the coordination of business activities from end to end- right from the concept or design stage of a product or offerings, to its delivery & post-delivery service to the customer. The industry has contributed to the economic growth of many countries & is undoubtedly one of the fastest changing & dynamic industries in the world today. According to a report by the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) investments in organized retailing – which includes shopping malls, retail chains etc. – doubled from Rs.1, 000 crore in January 2000 to Rs. 2,000 crore in January 2001. YEAR URBAN RURAL TOTAL 1978 0.58 1.76 2.34 1984 0.75 2.02 2.77 1990 0.94 2.42 3.36 1996 1.80 3.33 5.13 1999 2.40 3.60 6.00 Retailing & the marketing mix: Customers are first introduced to the product at the retail store. Organizations sell their products & services through these retail outlets & get feedback on the performance of their products & customers expectations about them. Retail stores serve as communication hubs for customers. Commonly known as the point of sale (POS) or the point of purchase (POP), retail stores transmit information to the customers through advertisement & displays. Hence the role of retailing inh the marketing mix is very significant. Retail Marketing Mix: The retail marketing mix consists of the following elements: PRODUCT OFFERINGS: this refers to the product mix that the store retails for customers after a careful study of what their needs & wants are. By matching customer preferences with an assortment of merchandise offered within the stores categories, the retailer gets an ideal basket size per customer. The basket size contains the mix of items a customer buys during a visit. PLACE: This is the location of the store & its catchments boundaries. The key to optimizing the element of place in the marketing mix is to undertake local marketing efforts besides the national marketing plan. Determining the market share of the store in the catchments area gives an indication of its performance & efficiency. PRICE: Price is an important element in the marketing mix as customers are very price-sensitive. Pricing is of different 2007-02-04T19:28:21-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Retail-Industry-32589.aspx Two Wheeler Market in India INTRODUCTION: The Indian two wheeler market has a size of over Rs 100,000 million. The Indian two wheeler segment contributes the largest volumes amongst all the segments in automobile industry. Though the segment can be broadly categorized into 3 sub-segments viz; scooters, motorcycles and mopeds; some categories introduced in the market are a combination of two or more segments e.g. scooterettes and step thru’s. The market primarily comprises five players in the two wheeler segment with most of the companies having foreign collaborations with well-known Japanese firms earlier. But most of the companies are now planning 100% subsidiaries in India. In the last four to five years, the two-wheeler market has witnessed a marked shift towards motorcycles at the expense of scooters. In the rural areas, consumers have come to prefer sturdier bikes to withstand the bad road conditions. In the process the share of motorcycle segment has grown from 48% to 58%, the share of scooters declined drastically from 33% to 25%, while that of mopeds declined by 2% from 19% to 17% during the year 2000-01. The Euro emission norms led the existing players in the two stroke segment to install catalytic converters. All the new models are now being replaced by 4-stroke motorcycles. Excise duty on motorcycles has been reduced resulting in price reduction, which has aided in propelling the demand for motorcycles. Fierce competition has also forced players to cut prices in certain models. CURRENT SCENARIO: Motorcycle sales grew by an annual average of 27% over f 1995-2002, and constituted nearly 66% of total two wheeler sales in F2002, up from just 24% in F1995. Average monthly motorcycle sales have increased five-fold since F1995 to almost 250,000 units in F2002. The current share of the leading three companies is shown in the pie chart. And this clearly shows that hero Honda is the current market leader with a 49% market share. Hero Honda has been an early entrant in the 4 stroke segment of the two wheeler industry. With a right mix of product styling and pricing the company helped garner a larger market chunk of the 4-stroke market as compared to Bajaj Auto. A shifting consumer preference towards motorcycles also enabled the fast growth of the company in the last few years. Hero Honda motorcycle sales jumped 40.6% in April at 135,961 units from 96,672 units it sold in the corresponding month last year. The 2007-02-02T17:25:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Two-Wheeler-Market-in-India-32525.aspx Telecommunication Infrastructure in Malaysia Executive summary The writer of this report is working as the Vice President of Competitive Intelligence (vPCI) on a multi-national and multi-business company. The CEO has asked the vPCI to investigate whether the company should enter the Malaysian market. The company’s product is telecommunication infrastructures. The purpose of the report is to analyze and evaluate a major telecommunication infrastructure development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from January 2003 and for the following five years. Furthermore, the vPCI is supposed to prepare a briefing for the Board of Directors to indicate how a relevant competitive intelligence system might be established. The 3G industry in Malaysia is on its move, the licenses to offer products and services in the 3G infrastructure will be awarded in July, 2002. The government’s will is that, no matter how many licenses, only one infrastructure system should be put up. In the SEPT-analysis, I found that Malaysia is an attractive country to enter since its economy will continue to grow. Furthermore, the government is eager to achieve industrialized nation status, which increases the driving forces for new technology in Malaysia. In Porter’s five-forces-model I found that the telecommunication industry is not that attractive in Malaysia, due to few customers and high competition. I think the only cost for trying to get the infrastructure contract is to set up a CI system and monitor customers, competitors and country issues as government statements and economical changes. Since the costs for setting up the CI system and the annual monitor costs are low compared to the potential, I think we should try to get the contract. Concerning the CI system, I think we have to set up one immediately in order to monitor our customers, competitors, and country issues. The team should consist of managers from every function of the company. The team’s tasks is to identify sources, collect data and information, analyze data and synthesize information, and make strategic proposals to the CEO and Directors of the Board. Table of contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Introduction to the industry 2 2.1 Industry outline 2 2.2 Telecommunication’s relevance 3 3 Analysis 3 3.1 Analysis of country issues 3 3.1.1 Social factors 3 3.1.2 Economic factors 4 3.1.3 Political factors 4 3.1.4 Technological factors 5 3.2 Analysis of city issues 5 3.3 Analysis of industry issues 6 4 Competitive intelligence system 7 4.1 Evaluation of the CI system 8 5 Strategic advises 9 6 References 10 6.1 Authors 10 6.2 Articles on World Wide Web 10 6.3 Articles on World Wide Web (no author) 10 6.4 World Wide Web, organizations 11 6.5 World Wide Web, competitors 11 Appendix A 12 Country outline 12 Appendix B 14 City outline 14 Appendix C 15 Evaluation of the sources 15 Appendix D 16 Setup and annual cost of the CI system 16 1 Introduction The background of this report is that the writer is working as the vice 2007-01-03T21:28:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Telecommunication-Infrastructure-in-Malaysia-32204.aspx Industry Report on Telecommunications Technology Today, telecommunications technology affects lives to a greater degree than ever before. Communication has evolved over many years from the earliest attempts at verbal communication to the use of sophisticated technology to enhance the ability to communicate effectively with others. Every time a telephone call is made, a television is watched, or a personal computer is used, benefits of telecommunication technologies are being received. The concept of telecommunications may be defined as the transmission of information from one location to another by electronic means. Telecommunications is using electronic systems to communicate. Life is changing constantly and has been changing faster since the rapid advancements in telecommunication. Because of continuing attempts to find better and more efficient ways to communicate, the process of communication has steadily improved. Many of these improvements were made without the use of electronic technology. Human beings’ earliest attempts at communication were through nonverbal means such as facial expressions and gesturing. The use of these nonverbal signs, prehistoric people were able to communicate emotions such as fear, anger, and happiness. More specific motions, such as pointing, allowed them to convey more information . Verbal communication probably started with a series of disorganized but meaningful sounds (grunts and snarls). These sounds slowly developed into a system of organized, spoken language that truly allowed humans to share information (Croal 59). Writing, which is the use of symbols to represent language, began with early cave drawings, progressed to picture writings such as hieroglyphics, and finally evolved into the handwritten language we use today (Croal 61). As civilization developed, people found it necessary to communicate their ideas to one another over greater distances. The earliest method of transporting information was to carry it from place to place; but as the development of commerce made speed an essential part, greater effort was expended to increase the rate at which ideas were transmitted (Croal62). The search for rapid transport of information led to the formation of the pony express in 1860 (Cozic 77). Although the pony express required several weeks to carry mail from the East Coast to the West Coast, it was a vast improvement over the earlier methods. The pony express was not the only time humans teamed up with animals to attempt to improve communications. Dogs and pigeons were used to carry messages, especially during wartime . Most, if not all, of the early forms of communication 2007-01-03T15:36:19-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Industry-Report-on-Telecommunications-Technology-32181.aspx Industry Analysis Report on E-Commerce Just about everyone in America has at least heard the term E-commerce. However, many people are not familiar with the history of it or the many forms in which it occurs. E-Commerce is defined as the exchange of goods and services over the Internet. According to the 2000 Government Census 1 out of 5 people have purchased something online. However, the U.S. Department of commerce says that only 1% of all retail trade in the U.S. was made over the Internet. There are many different reports available about the growth of E-Commerce, however they pretty much all stick to the same general idea: there has been incredible growth in the past, but it is now starting to slow. E-commerce has been around almost since the inception of the Internet. Yet, It didn’t take off until the release of Mosaic in 1993, the first graphical Web browser. Mosaic allowed users to bring up pictures and other graphical objects on the web. This was not widely used; big corporations and government agencies mostly used it. In 1994, Marc Andreessen, one of the developers of Mosaic, co-founded Netscape Communicator Corp., they released the Netscape Navigator, the second graphical Web browser. The freely distributed Netscape brought worldwide interest to the Internet and web. It marked the beginning of a new business era. In 1995, Microsoft stepped in the web browser market, released the Internet Explorer version 1.0. Newer versions of this have become the prominent web browser out today. E-Commerce grew more and more with each release of the newest browser. In January 1996 there were only 100,000 websites published online, last year there were over 7 million websites online. Nearly 60% of all Americans have access to the net from home. Of all the industries worldwide, it is very rare that we see one grow as fast as the Internet. In just about 10 years, it has grown from being unheard of or used by the public, to one of the most widely used resources for information and advertisement. There are many different forms E-Commerce today. The biggest and best know form of E-Commerce are companies that started as non-Internet companies but now offer their services online. These companies usually allow online ordering and information about their products or services. Some examples of these would be Sears, Dillards or 2006-10-03T20:28:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Industry-Analysis-Report-on-E-Commerce-31493.aspx Report on the Wireless Industry Since 1989, the wireless industry began to explore by adapting digital technology replacing the existing analog network as a means of improving capacity due to the increase of wireless service demands. Digital has a number of advantages over analog transmission: • Economizes on bandwidth • Allows easy integration with personal communication systems (PCS) devices • Maintains superior quality of voice transmission over long distances • Difficult to decode • Can use lower average transmitter power • Enables smaller and less expensive individual receivers and transmitters • Offer voice privacy At that period, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) was chosen to replace Motorola’s Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) technology which known today as narrowband analog mobile phone service. FDMA allocates a single channel to one user at a time. FDMA is wasteful of bandwidth: the channel is assigned to a single conversation whether or not somebody is speaking. Moreover, it cannot handle alternate forms of data, only voice transmissions. Qualcomm then introduced the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology to compete against TDMA technology to provide digital service. Now the two major competing systems (TDMA and CDMA), have been a topic for debate throughout the wireless community over which technology has the superior quality. WHAT IS TDMA? TDMA is digital transmission technology that allows a number of users to access a single radio-frequency (RF) channel without interference by allocating unique time slots to each user with thin a channel. The digital conversations from a single transmitter occupy different time slots in several bands at the same time In TDMA, the access technique used exercises three users sharing a 30-kHz carrier frequency. TDMA is also the technology used in Europe where Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is the digital standard used to provide wireless access and in Japan where Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) is used as the standard. TDMA was chosen for these standards due to the reason that it enables some essential features for system operation in an advanced cellular or PCS environment. A single channel can carry all four conversations if each conversation is divided in short fragments, is assigned a time slot, and is transmitted in corresponding time bursts. TDMA also offers the ability to carry data rates of 64kbps to 120 Mbps. This enables service providers to offer short message services as well as bandwidth-intensive applications such as multimedia and videoconferencing. Unlike 2006-09-20T03:46:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Report-on-the-Wireless-Industry-31456.aspx Comsumer Buying Process and the Book Industry “Describe the major stages in the consumer buying decision process, and discuss their importance for purchasing a book. What might be the impact of the Internet on the purchase?” The consumer buying decision process can be explained through six different steps. The different steps overlap frequently and are not isolated. Two or more steps in the process may also take place at the same time. The process of buying a book is what we call a routine purchase or in other words a low-involvement process. Need Recognition The first and most important step in the buying decision process of a book is the recognition of need. These needs are recognized whenever consumers get aware that there exists a disparity between their current situation and some desired goals. The problem recognition motivates the individual to achieve the desired state of affairs. The disparity arises from several different reasons. A book may serve as tool to make a journey “faster” and more pleasant by entertaining you, it may be essential for your current academic situation or it can serve as a supplementary with another product or service. The need for special knowledge in order to satisfy certain needs may recognize the need for a book. This can for example be a book for traveling, food, DIY and other purposes. Internal or personal influences are the unique needs, perceptions, motives, values or characteristics consumers have. External or interpersonal factors that often have a great influence are friends, business associates and magazines. As we will see later when all the steps are individually explained, many of the steps in the “book” buying decision process can take place at the same time. The Search Process Search is the second step in our process. This is the step in which the consumer gathers information related to the product or service that was found needed in our first step. As purchase of a book is a low-involvement purchase, the search step is not as extensive compared to high-involvement purchase decisions. But say someone was about to invest in a dictionary series; this would be a high-involvement decision process. Due to large differences in quality and price, the search process would be much more extensive compared to the purchase of single book. But some form of search will in most cases take place. Before buying a book, one usually ask friends or read book critics in 2006-08-27T14:58:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comsumer-Buying-Process-and-the-Book-Industry-31295.aspx Airline Industry: A History of Southwest Airlines In 1967 Southwest Airlines was a vision by and investment adviser Rollin Kind and his lawyer Herb Kelleher, they wanted to start a different kind of airline. Rollin King already had a small charter that ran between the smaller Texas cities. This new airline at first was to fly between the three largest cities in Texas, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. The company was first names Air Southwest Company, it later received its name of Southwest Airlines. The next year in 1968 the Texas Aeronautical Commission approved their planed to fly between the three major cities. In the next couple of years the company went off to a flying start by the next couple of years it had acquired four planes and employed about 200 people. In the first year of operation the company lost over $3.7 million dollars. It wasn’t until the next year and a half that it was able to turn a profit and ever since then has been doing tremendous. Herb Kelleher, who in 1982 took over as President, CEO, and Chairman of the board. He was well respected in his position focusing on employee and customer satisfaction. By 1978 Southwest was the most profitable airline in the industry, and had already carried its 5 millionth passenger. The stock for Southwest was now listed in the New York Stock Exchange as “LUV.” By 1996 the market had added Florida and California to expand in their services. By the year 1999, in the summer Southwest has now acquired 55 cities and 29 states that they operate out of, they fly more than 2400 flight a day. Recently, last year in October Southwest was able to fly into Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, with this, it makes them the 5th largest in the industry. External Threats The greatest potential threats to Southwest, were to be new low-cost entrants to the industry. Some of these start-ups were initiated by major airlines sucha s Delta Express, U.S airway’s Metro Jet and Shuttle by United. These units sought to replicate Southwest’s short-haul routes, low cost practices and fares. Other threats that Southwest faces is that other airlines have the capabilities to fly into and out of more cities and bigger airports. Southwest does not offer frequent flier mile programs that allow their customers to accumulate 2006-08-07T13:08:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Airline-Industry-A-History-of-Southwest-Airlines-31127.aspx The Entertainment Industry in America Background The entertainment industry demonstrates a multi channel structure, with companies owning several forms of companies in each link of the value chain. The industry is converging toward a single model, which combines production of content with multichannel distribution. All companies try to sell content in many ways, e.g. movie, TV show, book theme park, etc. All but two of major players in the industry conform to this model. Non-conforming companies have regulatory barriers (foreign owned) or do so out of choice. Some companies (Disney) buy distribution channels, i.e. networks (ABC); others build their own (News Corp., Time Warner) or do both Viacom (WB, CBS). The newest trend is to combine production and distribution with added distribution possibilities of internet (AOL Time Warner, Vivendi Seagram) CONTENT DISTRIBUTION Resources Creation Delivery Retail Actors/Writers Television Production/Movie Production Broadcast Television Networks/Cable television Networks Movie distribution Local Affiliates/Local cable companies/Local theaters In this industry we find vertical integration through direct ownership, as well as commercial transactions via long-term contracts and one-time “spot market” transactions. Ironically, even the resources can be “owned” – as in the case of the old “studio system” which tied actors to studies for a number years. In today’s industry, these arrangements are still in place, with actors signing on for “x number of picture” contracts with various studios. Production companies can either be independent or owned by integrated companies. In either case, production from one company may be sold to a competing network or distributor. Finally, local television affiliates and local movie theaters are sometimes bound by contract, sometimes entirely independent, or sometimes owned by networks. This last situation is usually the case with large metropolitan areas, where the networks want to have a closer link to the customer. Agents and other facilitators play a commercial conduit role of helping to bring together various people and companies along the value chain. The reasons for vertical integration include lowering risk (regardless of where profits are) and locking in distribution for high-risk production. But production companies supply all networks and networks access all suppliers, so motive for consolidation is as much to gain bargaining leverage as to lock in distribution. All companies are 2006-07-30T21:02:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Entertainment-Industry-in-America-30839.aspx Financial Statement Analysis In the healthy and growth inducing economic scenario of the 2000’s, P&G has seen double digit revenues growth to around $56b in 2005. Keeping its costs low has seen it achieve healthy profit margins of around 11% - 12%. Refer Table 1. Table 1 Margins P&G (in %) 2003 2004 2005 Gross Margin 49 51.2 51 Profit Margin 11.96 12.61 12.79 Financial Health: P&G is a stable company operating in a very mature and stable steady growth industry. It has an average Return on Assets of 12.5% and a high average Return on Equity of 43%. It turns its Inventory around 12 times a year, which is also an industry average . One weak aspect of P&G is its relatively poor liquidity position. One reason is the high STD (short term debt). P&G, being a low risk firm is able to get STD at low interest rates and hence uses this instead of LTD. It generates huge positive free cash flows to ensure prompt payment of interest. I feel P&G prefers STD due to its speed and flexibility (no covenants). Another reason for the low liquidity is its almost equal balance between its A/R and A/P. While a firm of its size should be able to work on its supplier’s capital, P&G surprisingly has not been able to that. Unilever has the highest A/P deferral period in the industry, thus leveraging its size to get a better bargain from the suppliers. P&G however, has an industry average A/P deferral period. The only reason I see P&G doing that it believes in treating suppliers better than its competitors by paying them on time as promised. This is part of P&G’s best practices philosophy and also of treating suppliers as partners. Therefore this weak position is not an indication of poor financial management, rather a reflection of good relations with suppliers. P&G finds itself in a commoditized market, with most of its products required for daily use. Growth in this industry depends on demographic factors such as population growth and advertising and marketing strategies more than anything else. Hence it can have leverage itself by issuing long term debt which currently is 14% of its total capitalization. Efficiency Ratios: P&G has an average CCC of around 40 days . A firm like P&G should 2006-07-23T08:42:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Financial-Analysis-on-P-G-UL-and-KMN-30498.aspx The Indian Carpet Industry India, like many other countries, has always used wool as the basic material of the carpet. Other materials commonly used are silk and cotton. Silk carpets are particularly high quality pieces. In the beginning of the carpet making century, only natural dyes were used to color the wool. Madder, as well as other wild vegetables, was the most important element of this dying process. "Other natural elements used to make dyes are tumeric root (light yellow), pomegranate skins (darker yellow), rhubarb (dark red and copper red), grass or "kusa (green), and kikar tree leaves (brown). These natural dyes were usually prepared in the carpet maker's own home" (Ruedin 1984). Presently, India and most other countries producing rugs, generally use synthetic dyes (Ruedin 1984). These synthetic dyes come from manufacturers or professional dyers. This is very unfortunate. It is impossible to create carpets that emulate those of yesterday, with the use of synthetic dyes. Patterns to these knotted Indian carpets are essentially the most important aspect of the carpet itself. For 2,500 years the only patterns that were used were floral, arabesques and rhomboids and animal patterns. Although these patterns are still present today, we do see elements of western influence in some designs. However, what seems to be the pattern to follow in India is the traditional Oriental style (Ruedin 1984). India's carpet industry, unlike the past is like any other industry trying to make it in the marketplace. As a result, India has adopted many popular designs that may not be indigenous to India, such as the Chinese patterns as well as Persian designs. "Indian carpet makers have adapted the talim, (a roll of paper marked with a code indicating the number of knots to be woven in their respective colors), as their way to make their products" (Ruedin 1984). The master weaver will read the colors of the talim outloud and the carpet knotters will follow his directions. The talim is made up of the following colors: green, white, pink, yellow and garnet. The number of knots to be woven is then indicated by the sign next to the color (Ruedin 1984). Most Indian carpets are unique to the region from which they come from. The five major carpet producing regions in India are: Kashmir, 2006-07-22T17:49:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Indian-Carpet-Industry--30472.aspx Analysis on the Fur Industry The fur Industry is an area of commerce that encompasses farming or trapping certain furbearing animals, processing their skins for sale to manufacturer’s of fur garments and marketing finished garments to retail outlets. The term fur refers to any animal skin or part that has hair, fleece, or fur fibers attached, either in a raw or processed state. Skins of furbearing animals are also called peltries or pelts. From earliest times, fur has been a prized commodity. Exploration in the New World made furs more readily available, and as early as 1530 regular shipments of beaver pelts were sent to Europe from the colonies. The beaver, trapped by Native Americans, was a main source of barter at trading posts that later grew into such cities as Chicago; St. Louis, Missouri; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Spokane, Washington; and Detroit. II FUR FARMING Fur farming, or raising animals in captivity under controlled conditions, started in Canada in 1887 on Prince Edward Island. Animals with unique characteristics of size, color, or texture can pass those characteristics on to their offspring through controlled breeding. Fur farmers customarily crossbreed animals (mate different varieties from the same species) and inbreed animals (mate close relatives) to produce furs with desirable characteristics. The silver fox, developed from the red fox, was the first fur so produced. Today, so-called mutation minks ranging from white to near black and from bluish to lavender and rosy-tan colors, each with exotic trade names, are raised on thousands of fur farms, as are chinchilla, nutria, and fox. Fur-farmed animals provide a steady supply of fine-quality, well-cared-for peltries. III MARKETING CHANNELS FOR FURS North American fur trappers and farmers have come under increasing pressure from foreign competition. By the late 1980s, the Scandinavian countries produced 45 percent of the world supply of peltries; the USSR supplied 31 percent, the U.S. 10 percent, and Canada only 3 percent. Retail sales of furs in the U.S. grew from less than $400 million in the early 1970s to $1.5 billion by the mid-1980s, then stagnated at between $1.8 billion and $2 billion annually. The fur industry has also been hurt by protests from animal rights activists and the increasing popularity of artificial fur. Trappers send peltries to local collecting stations or to dealers who send them on to receiving houses, where they are prepared for auction. Prime furs, those caught 2006-07-18T19:16:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-on-the-Fur-Industry-30373.aspx Comprehensive Analysis of the Computer Industry COMPETITIVE FORCES The U.S. computer hardware industry is one of the biggest in the world with Compaq, IBM, Dell, Gateway and Hewlett-Packard being the main players. This was one industry that was selling 150 million units in one year, (jpmorgan.com) but with economy not looking so good, things are likely to change for PC makers too. Now more than ever before, the companies in the computer industry are competing as fiercely as possible to make things better for their firms. They are fighting for new customers and are targeting markets they were not willing to exploit before. Traditional approaches and market strategies are giving way to newer ideas and innovative moves. RIVALRY AMONG EXISTING COMPANIES Rivalry among competing firms The competition among the firms fighting for market shares has been intense Just as growth was slowing in the computer industry, Dell launched an all out price war in the fourth quarter of 2000 to gain market share. Hewlett Packard and IBM responded to this by saying the price war was “irrational”, (fortune.com). This helped Dell leap to number one in the worldwide market share and has left its competition scrambling to catch up. The only player to follow Dells lead has been Gateway and they lost 523 million in the first half of this year, laid off 3000 workers and closed 37 stores (Business week online). The implications of this intense competition are that companies have no room for error or inefficiency’s. International Data Corp said that the price war has driven down prices on average 25% this year. This means shrinking profit margins and layoffs at all major companies, (Dell 5700, HP 6500, Compaq8500.) Even though consumers are benefiting from lower prices now, in the long run they may see less technological advancements in their computers and peripherals as companies cut cost to try to earn a profit. IBM: International Business Machine has been in operation since last many decades and offers a whole range of solutions from technologies, systems, products, and services to software and financing. The company has been divided in a three-tier structure of Technology, Personal Systems and Enterprise Systems. Other major services offered by the world leader in technology innovation are divided in segments such as GLOBAL SERVICES SEGMENT, a SOFTEARE SEGMENT, A GLOBAL FINANCING SEGMENT AND AN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SEGMENT. The Financial position of the 2006-07-13T13:15:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comprehensive-Analysis-of-the-Computer-Industry-30213.aspx Examining the Motorcycle Industry Today For the last century, motorcycles have been a major influence to international culture. Back in 1885 Gottlieb Daimler created the first gas-powered motorcycle, with the mindset of function over form. It was nothing but a wooden bicycle frame, with a simple four stroke engine attached (Solomn R. Guggenheim Museum). At that point motorcycles were very experimental. While in the beginning they weren’t much to look at, they truly proved their usefulness in both World Wars. For instance, Harley Davidson created motorcycles for the United States in World War I and World War II, BMW for the Axis in World War II and Honda for Japan in World War II (Solomn R. Guggenheim Museum). After playing their parts in the major wars, one at a time each major motorcycle company gradually moved towards racing (that is with the exception of Honda which was originally created with racing in mind) (Solomn R. Guggenheim Museum). They each took their part in different racing categories and were all quite successful. In present day the motorcycle industry is a broad one. Motorcycles satisfy everyone, from people who like to tour, to off-roaders, to those who like to race. They even play a big part in law enforcement. The motorcycle industry can easily be split into two main categories: domestics and imports. The domestic market tends to lean more towards big body style bikes or “hogs”, with a lot of power and size. However, non-US countries lead the biggest portion of the industry. Imports encompass all other styles of bikes but are usually stereotyped by “café racers”; bikes with high power to weight ratios. The domestic market is a small yet powerful portion of the world market for motorcycles. The only well known player in the domestic market is Harley Davidson. The domestic market of motorcycles has become a major part of American culture. It has created a large and very cult-like following with a “ride or die” mentality. Harley Davidson Harley Davidson was started in 1901 by a couple of entrepreneurs named William Harley and Arthur Davidson, who wanted to “take the work out of bicycling.” They started out slow but by 1909 the company produced what later became their trademark engine: a 45degree V-Twin (Bacon 14). This new motorcycle was nearly 800cc, produced 7hp and could reach a 2006-06-20T18:00:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examining-the-Motorcycle-Industry-Today-29734.aspx Overview of the Advertising Industry in the UK I. Introduction The UK advertising industry has been at the forefront of the global market for several years now and is set to stay that way. The reason the advertising industry in the U.K has become world leader is due to a number of factors, primarily due to the strong economic structure in the U.K at present, but also a result of a number of political, economic and commercial events that have required active promotion. British advertising has gained a reputation over the past years as being the worlds most creative and effective, with adverts such as the Tango campaign, Hello Boys and Levis pushing the industry to the forefront. II. Market Analysis 2.1 Market Size The UK advertising market is a growing market; between 1992 and 1999 the advertising expenditure rose by 171% to exceed £15 billion in 1999 for the first time. The following graph illustrates the strong growth this market has experienced. Source: Advertising Association Key events that were partly responsible for this development were the Millennium, the Sydney Olympics 2000 and the launch of Digital Television in the UK. The enormous competition in new technology market such as Internet or mobile phones is also a reason why advertising expenditure increased so strongly. Market forecasts predict a further growth; expenditure is prognosticated to increase by 60% by 2004 so that the market value would reach £19 billion. (Euromonitor 2000) 2.2 Market Segmentation In 1999, Newspaper and Television advertisings are with the biggest market segment, they totally account for 58% of the total expenditure. It is followed by Direct mail with 12%. All sectors have grown constantly since 1993 and further increase is expected for the future. The introduction of digital television and the emergence of more private channels could result in a much stronger growth in this sector. Appendix 1 and 2 and 3 illustrate the growth in the different segments with a graph and a table. 2.3 Porter’s Five Forces Rivalry between existing firms There is intensive rivalry in the market because agencies need constantly to win new accounts. The normal procedure is that agencies pitch for new business, but even for existing accounts clients often demand a repitch. Accounts of important clients are worth millions of pounds and agencies compete directly with each other therefore rivalry is an important factor in this market. Threat of new entrants Clients organise pitching and switch agencies regularly to ensure that their 2006-06-15T00:35:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Overview-of-the-Advertising-Industry-in-the-UK-29522.aspx Issues in Today's Global Automotive Industry What are the most important characteristics of the global environment in the automobile industry, especially those opportunities and threats faced by the top players in the industry? Why so? If a list was made of the top economic sectors with the greatest influence on the American economy, one could make a strong argument for including the automotive industry. A prime example of the validity of that claim was evinced when “durable goods, such as cars, made up over 90% of the spike in consumption at the end of 2001.“ (Wolkomir 34) Since consumer spending is now the prime indicator of the state of our economy, the success of our auto industry is very important to the future of our economy. In the last few years, many were quick to dismiss stalwarts of the Old Economy. In light of the astronomical growth of the "New Economy" technology sector in the late 1990’s, the auto industry seemed to be filled with lumbering, corporate behemoths. With the recent crash of the technology sector, the automotive industry is again in the spotlight, along with many other manufacturing industries. Even though sales have been up recently, the automotive industry still faces many challenges. These challenges must be overcome in order to ensure the survival of the industry's major players. In this paper I will discuss what GM, Ford, Daimler-Chrysler, Toyota, and the remaining handful of smaller manufacturers must do in order to stay on top in the future. Each one of these companies is faced with its own unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that must be properly addressed. As a whole though, they all face similar issues. I will address those issues in this paper. If any one of these companies is not careful to handle these issues in the coming years, then it stands the chance of being absorbed by another company or going under. I will attempt to outline the future of this industry in general, and what several of the major corporations involved must do to stay on top of the game or survive. There are literally thousands of elements that are involved in shaping the future of an automotive firm. For the sake of simplicity and brevity, I have tried to divide it into four different areas: product, market, 2006-06-11T02:26:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Issues-in-Today-s-Global-Automotive-Industry-29177.aspx Competition in the U.S. Automotive Retailing Industry Retail establishments in the automotive industry primarily engage in the retail sales of new or used automobiles. These establishments often maintain repair departments, and carry stocks of replacement parts, including tires, batteries, and automotive accessories. The economic and business characteristics of the automotive retail industry starts with their marketing and distribution channels. Nationwide, the auto industry retailers generate around 533 billion dollars each year. Developed largely before World War II, the current automotive industry was structured when demand was well above supply. Presently, over capacity in combination with demands for an innovative blend of products and services is swaying the industry into consolidation. For example, the purchasing alliance between Ford, GM, and DaimlerChrysler has formed the world’s leading business-to-business Internet company in terms of scale of operation and revenue. This online enterprise brings together all of their suppliers, streamlining their entire chain supply. These types of activities represent a significant percent of the value of a new vehicle and are an important potential source of cost savings. The changes in this area reflect a shift from capital-intensive-operations (involving inventory investment) to information-intensive-operations (providing the right vehicle at the right time). This shift is leading to the development of the flexible and highly entrepreneurial structures as mentioned above. The U.S. is a highly diverse market consisting of regional sub markets. Local environments, regional characteristics, economics, and lifestyle all come into play. In the past, mass produced vehicles was an accepted practice in the automotive retail industry. Today, however, mass produced automotive models are not working in the American market. In response to the shift in consumer preferences, the variety of products supplied by the automotive industry has risen dramatically. For example, in one target market, lifestyle changes shifted from a one person per family wage earner 2005-08-28T08:59:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Competition-in-the-U_S_-Automotive-Retailing-Industry-27802.aspx The Hospitality Industry The Food and Hospitality Industry has become one of the biggest employers in our state. It now has attained a much higher status in society and demands high standards of work from its employees. Employment opportunities are many, but eagerly sought by a vast majority of people. For this reason as in any other established business, interviews are conducted. Through these interviews, the interviewer looks for personal qualities and interpersonal skills in a prospective employee to fulfill the job requirements. One of the most important things that an employer looks for are personal qualities. These consist of: a keen attitude, a friendly disposition, neat appearance, a willingness to work, confidence, cleanliness, personal hygiene, deportment (efficient) and honesty, among the many others. Interpersonal skills basically include the ability to interact with people and using initiative to deal with problems which may arise if the customer is not satisfied. If interpersonal and personal skills are exercised then they will greatly contribute to a happy and successfully working environment. This can be accomplished by remembering to keep in mind the fundamental aspect of any catering establishment which is to "Always acknowledge that the customers are the most important people in the business, and nothing is more important than serving them." - An introduction to catering. Due to the fact that a large amount of job satisfaction can be found in the food and hospitality industry, jobs are very often sought after. Many who wish to enter the industry usually do so by gaining a apprenticeship . Apprenticeships in the hospitality industry usually last between 2.5 years to 4 years. These apprenticeships mainly consist of 'on the job training', combined with full time practical work experience, along with future training at TAFE. Apprenticeships are usually categorized into : bread making and baking, butchering and small goods making, cooking , pastry cooking and waiting. To gain a apprenticeship today in South Australia a person needs to be at least 15 years old. Also the applicant is required to have at least reached year 10, and to have a good grounding in basic mathematics. Apprenticeships are administered by the state government and before applying for one it is recommended that one registers their interest with a job centre. When a employer takes on a apprentice, there is a probationary period of three months before the contract is signed, this ensures that the employer will 2005-08-15T01:12:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Food-and-Hospitality-Industry-27651.aspx Adolph Coors in the Brewing Industry The brewing industry in 1985 can be analyzed using Porter's five competitive forces: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, substitutes and rivalry among existing competitors. All five competitive forces jointly determine the intensity of industry competition and profitability. Furthermore, the five forces narrow in on why the brewing industry became more concentrated and key features defining industry success. In the brewing industry, barriers to entry were high. Fixed costs increased as a percentage of revenue necessitating brewers to have higher production capacities/minimal efficient production scale to achieve economies of scale. This could be achieved by doubling brewery production, which decreased unit capital costs by 25 percent. In addition, high capital requirements existed since $35-$45 million was required in launch costs and advertising for a new brand. These financial requirements implied a competitive advantage for large brewing companies who were spending approximately $1200 million (about 10 percent of sales) in advertising in 1985. An entering firm had limited access to distribution channels as the wholesalers who served the largest brewers did not carry other brewer's beer. The bargaining power of suppliers is medium since the removal of price controls for aluminum led to sharp increase in can prices and therefore raised cost of packaging materials and for the brewers. Some companies, like Coors, reduced these costs by starting can recycling programs to decrease their dependence on new raw materials. Bargaining power of buyers was high as the independent wholesalers who purchased the beer, and sold and delivered to retail accounts earned low profits. The average return on sales for wholesalers had fallen from 3 percent in 1981 to 2.1 percent in 1984. In addition, the increasing production capacity, desire for companies to enter new markets and promote new products and cost reductions led to a 30 percent decrease in beer prices between 1960 and 1980. Pressures from substitute products was minimal as advertising affected consumers willingness to substitute among beers. Finally, the rivalry among existing competitors was high as the number of brewers making less than one million barrels per year decreased from 90 percent in 1959 to 45 percent in 1983. Furthermore, since the domestic beer consumption was flat, rivalry among brewers was intensified because any gains in sales by one brewer resulted at the expense of its competitor rather than through growth of the overall market. Hence, the industry 2005-08-14T00:27:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Adolph-Coors-in-the-Brewing-Industry-27612.aspx Case Study of Automobile Industry Research on General Motors Description of Automobile Industry: Automobile industry is the modern manufacturing industry including commercial vehicles (CVs), cars, three-wheelers and two-wheelers segments. The automotive industry has been playing a leading role in spurring growth in economies throughout the world since the industrial revolution. It is a sector characterized by not only tremendous potential growth, but also very high profile trade disputes, and intense competition. In the 21st century, the automotive industry confronts greater challenges as the industry undergoes fundamental changes. Research on GM: General Motors is the world's largest automotive corporation operating in over 70 countries with a presence in more than 200 countries, more than 260 major subsidiaries, and a total of 395,000 employees worldwide which translate into global opportunities that span the planet. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in more than 190 countries. General Motors is involved in Telecommunications, Aerospace, Defense, Financial and Insurance Services, Locomotives, Automotive Systems and Heavy Duty Automatic Transmissions. In all GM does, their philanthropy and commitment to the environment in which they live, is unsurpassed in the industry. GM Brands: GM's automotive brands are Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, HUMMER, Oldsmobile, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. In some countries, the GM distribution network also markets vehicles manufactured by GM Daewoo, Isuzu, Subaru and Suzuki. GM Vision: To be the world leader in transportation products and related services. Will earn customers' enthusiasm through continuous improvement driven by integrity, teamwork and the innovation of GM people. In 2002, GM sold more than 8.5 million cars and trucks, nearly 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. GM set industry sales records in the United States, its largest market, for total trucks and sport utility vehicles. GM became the first manufacturer to sell more than 2.7 million trucks in a calendar year and the first to sell more than 1.2 million SUVs. GM also increased its market share in the North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America/Africa/Mid-East regions. Company Culture of GM GM has defined six core values for the conduct of its business The 6 core values define what GM wants to achieve and what GM wants to stand for as a company. They are not only the road map for corporate social responsibility: they are 2005-08-05T03:28:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Case-Study-of-Automobile-Industry,-General-Motors-GM-Focus-27560.aspx Boom and Bust: Financial Deregulation and the East Asian Financial Crisis of 1997/1998 East Asia's attraction to foreign savers was a direct result of genuine growth in that region. This required productive investment in the construction of physical and human capital to increase the future productivity of workers. In turn, workers engaged in capital construction required food, clothing and shelter etc. (consumption), which was generally provided by the savings of other people. Because human capital are qualities such as education and knowledge, only physical capital contributes to the genuine growth of GDP per capita also seen as living standards. To understand why there is so much attraction to foreign savers, we need to see what the region in question can offer investors. Investors have a choice of how to finance their investment: using their own saving from wages/salaries, from business profit, or by borrowing or 'drawing' on the saving of other persons. Although using personal saving or business profit for investment may be simpler, it is not always the most cost-effective since the priority of nearly all firms is to profit maximize. In order to do so, drawing on the savings of others allows access to a greater pool of saving and rate of investment, despite the downside regulations to protect the interests of savers and dependence on a continued flow of other persons' savings. In the case of East Asian economies, decades of uninterrupted growth in living standards were partly based on high domestic saving (what is left after consumption spending on living expenses). In comparison, foreign investors' living standards were higher and so an investing economy (such as the US) would likely choose to supplement its domestic saving with foreign saving. Foreign saving is made through the current account of the balance of international payments; when this account is in deficit, the country is drawing on foreign saving each year by the extent of the deficit. This therefore provides a surplus for the East Asian economies. Allocation of savings is rationally decided by a person's expectations of return and risk and hence a greater risk of loss requires a greater expected future return. However since the future is unknown and therefore inherently risky, the assessment of return and risk are mostly affected by the emotional state of the decision maker. When prices accelerate or plunge to unsustainable heights or depths respectively, it could be said that greed and fear are dominating rational 2005-08-01T07:31:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Financial-Deregulation-and-the-East-Asian-Financial-Crisis-27505.aspx Wireless Technology Industry Report (2005-06) •The forecast where a technology will be on the future of wireless LAN •The current level of wireless technology •The development of wireless networking •The influence on the future of wireless LAN •The trend of the time of wireless networking Background In June, 1997 the IEEE, the body that defined the dominant 802.3 Ethernet standard, released the 802.11 standard for wireless local area networking. IEEE 802.11 standard supports transmission in infrared light and two types of radio transmission within the unlicensed 2.4GHz frequency band: Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS). The followings are development of wireless standards: Local Area Networks (IEEE 802) Wired Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) Wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11) High Rate Wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11b) Mode 2.4 GHz/54 Mbps Wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11g) 5 GHz Wireless LAN/WAN (IEEE 802.11a) Wireless Personal Area Network (IEEE 802.15) Fixed Broadband Wireless Access (IEEE 802.16) European 5 GHz/54 Mbps WAN (HiperLAN2) Short Distance Device Interconnectivity (Bluetooth); HomeRF Wireless LAN Wide Band Frequency Hopping (WBFH) Current Technology The most sparkling stars of wireless networking technology today is IEEE 802.11b.The 802.11b wireless networking has enjoyed a rapid increase in adoption in enterprise settings and in educational and institutional networks. More recently, particularly in the past year as adapter and access point prices have lowered dramatically, 802.11b wireless network products have been making inroads into home and SOHO applications. Initially, the demand for 802.11b in the home was driven by people who used a wireless-equipped notebook computer at work, and then took it home and wanted the same freedom from wired connection there too. As prices for wireless components came down, and as home networking to share broadband Internet connections increased, 802.11b was and still is the go-to choice, even in households to which no one comes home with a wireless-enabled notebook from work. Development of wireless technology The interference and performance issues at 2.4-GHz have the wireless LAN industry headed for the open 5-GHz frequency band, where the opportunity exists for a much cleaner wireless networking environment. Similar to the 2.4-GHz band, the 5-GHz spectrum does not require a license for use throughout much of the world. In addition, 5-GHz is void of interference from microwaves and has more than twice the available bandwidth of 2.4-GHz, thereby allowing for higher data throughput and multimedia application support. The open 5-GHz spectrum offers an opportunity for the industry to create a unified wireless network for a broad range of devices and applications. IEEE 802.11a 2005-07-19T05:24:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Wireless-Technology-Industry-Report-27335.aspx Business Systems in Kenya Business systems do not operate in a vacuum, they operate in an environment of institutions. A theory of business system is derived from this, which acknowledges that business systems differ from country to country because of different historical development of institutions. Four elements are important within an institutional environment: · Financial institutions · Social structure · Market structure · Technological and innovation systems. FRAGMENTED BUSINESS SYSTEMS IN KENYA PUBLIC SECTOR In general there are three sorts of business sectors in Kenya. Firstly the parastatals, characterized by their monopolistic production. Their management is highly indigenised, appointments of top managers however are often politically motivated. Parastatals is a term applied, especially in Africa, to an organization established by a government but which, through its constitution and budgetary arrangements, enjoys a great degree of operational freedom and insulation from direct political interference. The memorandum and articles of association are the founding documents of the company. The articles of association define the powers and functions of the different organs. A fairly standard provision in every company's articles is that the business of the firm be managed by the directors and gives the directors the right to exercise all powers. The exceptions are those that are required by the Companies Act or articles to be exercised by the company in a general meeting. Shareholders in a general meeting can therefore not deprive directors of such powers. The finance management act prohibits the board of a parastatal from taking certain decisions that directors ordinarily are empowered to take. For instance, a public entity and its accounting authority (the board) is prohibited from participating in a "significant" partnership, trust, unincorporated joint venture or a similar arrangement. It cannot acquire or dispose of a significant asset or, more problematically, make a significant change in the nature or extent of any interest in a partnership, trust or unincorporated joint venture unless it has the prior approval of the minister concerned. The shareholders' compact also seeks to give shareholders more rights than they would usually have in a private sector firm. While the framework admits boards should have total accountability for all corporate activities, it still states functions such as making decisions on acquisitions, disposals and so on and appointing senior management are functions that are "best performed by the shareholders". The role of the board is reduced to being a participant in such processes. PRIVATE SECTOR Secondly the private sector, which is dominated by non-indigenous traders, such as 2005-01-08T08:18:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Business-Systems-in-Kenya-26146.aspx Online Recruitment Service The twenty-first century has ushered in many alternative ways in which to do business. Specifically, Human Resource Management has been challenged to keep up with today's fast tools of technology. We will explore the pros and cons of utilizing the internet for recruitment of personnel for staffing purposes. The areas we will consider are cost, time, interviewing techniques and skills in an effort to justify the use for on-line recruitment services. In a recent survey it was reported that 32% of 203 respondents were using the internet as a primary recruitment source; this is up from 20% in 1996. Computer related positions were the most commonly filled through the Internet postings (accounting for 59% of the workers hired) followed by technical (39%), engineering (29%), consulting (21%), sales (15%), management (14%), marketing (14%), accounting (10%), as well as various other job classification. (Dessler) This alone shows success with electronic recruiting for many employers. The obvious reason for using on-line recruitment would be instantaneous access to a wide pool of applicants. This lessens the time it takes to get the message to a targeted area. Additionally, it takes little time to set up an account and get the process going. Payment can be made easily over the internet, which also eliminates time and money. The cost ratio for internet advertising rather than the traditional means such as newspaper, etc. may also be greater. One must consider the amount of time an applicant can stay on the system and/or the employer may advertisement in comparison to a $50 to $100 ad which will be advertised perhaps only two or three days. There is competition between the on-line recruiters so a cost savings is possible with due diligence. Electronic links allow the recruitment process to be better managed since applicants can view opportunities, look at job descriptions and related details, and the potential to submit letters and resumes online. (SHRM) This gives the employers an added targeted area with a wider variety of links. There is obviously a greater need for urban employers rather than rural employers. There may be more competition among companies and thus making on-line recruitment more attractive. Rural areas are typically slower in catching on to technological changes unless they are part of a large corporation. State and federal statutes require that an 2004-12-26T00:40:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Online-Recruitment-Service-Industry-26039.aspx I don't know if this is really an "industry report" but it's on outsourcing which relates to any industry. Outsourcing in Today's Business World In a world of globalization, U.S. companies are constantly seeking strategies to become more competitive. Important objectives of the strategic response have been to reduce costs, stay ahead of competition, and enhance profits. Outsourcing has become a main cost-cutting strategy in the twenty-first century. It occurs when a company moves work out of the enterprise. A special report in the Canadian Business Review magazine refers to outsourcing as a strategic tool. The author, Michael F. Corbett, states that in the 1920s and 1930s, the model hat has shaped our thinking about organization has been that of a large, integrated corporation that own, manage, and directly control most or all of its assets and resources. However, today's organizations are increasingly turning to outsourcing and changing the way they do business. As a result, outsourcing becomes a tool that challenges managers to think about creating more flexible organizations based on core competencies and mutually beneficial, long-term outside relationships. I agree with the author in this area. It is impossible for any organization to have expertise in all areas of the company. Therefore, it is wiser to outsource some of the work to other organizations that can do it more efficiently in order to save time and money. How well this process will work depends on the relationship between the parties. Therefore, it is a key element to develop a fair and honest relationship in which both parties can benefit by working together. The author further went on to explain that as organizations adopt an outsourcing strategy, they often find themselves beginning to focus more on their expertise. In another word, organizations are assessing their strengths and advantages and doing the right thing. I totally agree with the author in this sense because it reminds me of the economist David Ricardo's principle of comparative advantage. The theory states that gain will be maximized when each nation, in this case organization, specializes in producing those products for which it has the greatest economic edge. The author says that organizations are asking themselves, "How do I bring the greatest value into my organization to deliver the end product to my customers?" This shifts the traditional focus 2004-12-25T23:52:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Outsourcing-in-Today-s-Business-World-26035.aspx