Global Marketing and RD Essay Example

Global Marketing and RD Paper Global Marketing and R D Chapter Outline OPENING CASE: Dove – Building a Global Brand INTRODUCTION THE GLOBALIZATION OF MARKETS AND BRANDS MARKET SEGMENTATION Management Focus: Marketing to Black Brazil PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES Cultural Differences Economic Development Product and Technical Standards DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY Differences between Countries Choosing a Distribution Strategy COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Barriers to International Communication Management Focus: Overcoming Cultural Barriers to Selling Tampons Push Versus Pull Strategies Management Focus: Unilever—Selling to India’s Poor Global Advertising PRICING STRATEGY Price Discrimination Strategic Pricing Regulatory Influences on Prices CONFIGURING THE MARKETING MIX Management Focus: Castor Oil in Vietnam NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT The Location of RD Integrating RD, Marketing, and Production Cross-Functional Teams Building Global RD Capabilities SUMMARY CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS CLOSING CASE: Levi Strauss Goes Local Learning Objectives 1. Explain why it might make sense to vary the attributes of a product from country to country. 2. Articulate why and how a firms distribution system might vary among countries. . Identify why and how advertising and promotional strategies might vary among countries. 4. Explain why and how a firms pricing strategy might vary among countries. 5. Discuss how the globalization of the world economy is affecting new-product development within the international business firm Chapter Summary This chapter focuses on the marketing and RD activities of global firms. The chapter begins with a re view of the four elements that constitute a firms marketing mix: product attributes, distribution strategy, communication strategy, and pricing strategy. We will write a custom essay sample on Global Marketing and RD specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Global Marketing and RD specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Global Marketing and RD specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A firms marketing mix is the set of choice that if offers its customers. Many firms vary their marketing mix from country to country depending on differences in cultures, levels of economic development, product and technical standards, the availability of distribution channels, and so forth. The chapter discusses the strategic implications of each element of the marketing mix for an international firm. The link between marketing and RD is also discussed. The author stresses the point that selling a product on a global scale may require that a firm vary its products from country to country to satisfy local preferences. This may require a firm to establish RD centers in different parts of the world, and closely link RD and marketing in each region to ensure that the company is producing products that its overseas customers will buy. Opening Case: Dove – Building a Global Brand Summary The opening case explores how Unilever’s reconfigured its marketing mix for its Dove brand. Historically, Unilever had customized its products and marketing campaigns for each market, a strategy that not only resulted in duplication of effort, but also in organizational complexity. In 2003, Unilever shifted its strategy to develop a more globally standardized approach for Dove. The company now uses a basic message for the brand, and allows some customization at the local level. Discussion of the case can begin with the following questions: QUESTION 1: How would you describe Unilever’s approach to international markets prior to 2003? What were the advantages of this strategy? What were the drawbacks of this approach? ANSWER 1: Prior to 2003, Unilever more or less approached each market individually. The company often developed entirely different products and marketing campaigns for each market. In India for example, the company developed a shampoo designed to clean hair that had been oiled. But it also developed entirely different products for both Hong Kong and China. This strategy of customizing products, packaging, and messages to individual markets while allowing the firm to cater to the individual needs of customers also led to high costs, complexity, and confusion within the organization. QUESTION 2: In 2003, Unilever adopted its Real Beauty strategy. Explain how this new strategy differed from its traditional approach to foreign markets? How should this new approach help Unilever’s international sales? ANSWER 2: Unilever’s Real Beauty strategy involved establishing a basic product and message that could be used across several markets, but that allowed for tweaking at the local level. So, rather than developing a Dove shampoo and message for the Indian market, and for the Chinese market, and so on, the company used a basic message that Dove stood for the beauty of all women, and then the product and message was adapted to local markets. So, while the basic message is the same, in the Latin America, ads might show women touching each other, but in the United States, the ad might show women standing apart from each other. Moreover, the Real Beauty message was carried through other products like body gels and skin creams allowing Unilever to further reduce its costs. So far, the new strategy seems to be working. Dove is now a leading brand in the global market place. Teaching Tip: To see learn more about Unilever’s international operations and its Real Beauty strategy, go to {http://www. unilever. com/}. Lecture Note: To extend this discussion to Unilever’s efforts to market a new shampoo in several countries, go to {http://www. businessweek. om/globalbiz/content/feb2008/gb20080215_454648. htm? chan=search}. Chapter Outline with Lecture Notes, Video Notes, and Teaching Tips INTRODUCTION A) This chapter explores how an international business can perform marketing and RD activities to reduce the costs of value creation and add value by better serving customer needs. B) The tension that exists in most international businesses between the need to reduce costs and the need to be responsive to local conditions is particularly predominant in this chapter as we look at the development and marketing of products C) The four elements that constitute a firm’s marketing mix, or set of choices the firm offers to its targeted markets, are product attributes, distribution strategy, communication strategy, and pricing strategy. THE GLOBALIZATION OF MARKETS AND BRANDS A) Theodore Levitt wrote lyrically about the globalization of world markets. Levitt’s arguments are worth quoting at some length since they have become something of a lightening rod for the debate about the extent of globalization. B) The current consensus among academics is that although the world is moving towards global markets, the continuing persistence of cultural and economic differences among nations acts as a major brake on any trend toward global consumer tastes and preferences. In addition, trade barriers and differences in product and technical standards also constrain a firms ability to sell a standardized product to a global market. Teaching Tip: Some firms area in the business of helping firms go global. One example is Global Reach {http://www. glreach. com/eng/intltrade/index. hp3} which focuses on international Internet marketing. MARKET SEGMENTATION A) Market segmentation refers to identifying distinct groups of consumers whose purchasing behavior differs from others in important ways. Firms must adjust their marketing mix from segment to segment. The goal is to optimize the fit between the purchasing behavior of consumers in a given segment and the marketing mix. B) International managers ne ed to consider the existence of segments that transcend national borders and understand differences across countries in the structure of segments. C) For a segment to transcend national borders, consumers in that segment must have some compelling similarities that lead to similarities in purchasing behavior. D) Where such similarities do not exist, there must be some customization if the firm is to maximize performance in the market. This customization may be in the product, the packaging, or simply the way in which the product is marketed. E) Global market segments are much more likely to exist in industrial products (e. g. , memory chips, chemical products, and corporate bonds) than in consumer products. Management Focus: Marketing to Black Brazil Summary This feature explores how companies are marketing to Brazil’s black population. Although Brazil is home to a sizable racial minority, to date companies have essentially ignored the market segment. Now however, companies are beginning to target the group using products and promotions specifically developed for the market. Discussion of the feature can begin with the following questions: Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Describe the differences between the black population in the United States and the black population in Brazil. What are the implications of these differences for the Brazilian culture as a whole? Discussion Points: Racial discrimination in the United States has made the country’s black population an identifiable subculture. In contrast, in Brazil racism has been more subtle, and the black population has not been excluded in the manner found in the United States. In fact, Brazil has encouraged marriages between blacks and whites. In the end, most African-Brazilians think of themselves as part of a culture that transcends race, rather than as black or white. Most students will probably suggest that this attitude promotes a more cohesive culture where biases toward or against certain groups are not prevalent. 2. How has Unilever targeted the black population in Brazil? How does the company’s strategy in Brazil differ from its strategy in other countries? What does your response tell you about Unilever’s overall global marketing strategy? Discussion Points: Because Brazil’s blacks think of themselves as falling into a range of skin tones, rather than being simply black, Unilever’s approach to the Brazilian market has been to target the entire population rather than certain segments. The company’s advertisements show people with different skin tones, not just blacks or whites, and its products are labeled as being for tan and black people so as to cover a greater range of consumers. Students will probably note that this strategy indicates that Unilever is using a localization approach for its marketing. Teaching Tip: Unilever’s web site {http://www. unilever. com/} is an interesting one to visit. You can click on countries and brands to see how the company sells its products in different markets. Lecture Note: To extend this discussion to include some of Unilever’s other efforts in foreign markets, consider {http://www. usinessweek. com/globalbiz/content/sep2007/gb20070926_123492. htm? chan=search} and {http://www. businessweek. com/globalbiz/content/aug2007/gb20070824_230078. htm? chan=search}. ? PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES A) Products sell well when their attributes match consumer needs. If consumer needs were the same the world over, a firm could s imply sell the same product worldwide. But consumer needs vary from country to country depending on culture and the level of economic development. In addition, firms are limited by countries differing product standards. Cultural Differences B) Countries differ along a whole range of cultural dimensions, including tradition, social structure, language, religion, and education. At the same time, there is some evidence of the trends Levitt talked about. Tastes and preferences are becoming more cosmopolitan. Economic Development C) Just as important as differences in culture are differences in the level of economic development. Firms based in highly developed countries tend to build a lot of extra performance attributes into their products. Consumers in less developed nations do not usually demand these extra attributes, instead the preference is for more basic products. Product and Technical Standards D) Notwithstanding the forces that are creating some convergence of consumer tastes and preferences, Levitts vision of global markets may still be a long way off due to national differences in product and technological standards. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY A) A critical element of a firms marketing mix is its distribution strategy, the means it chooses for delivering the product to the consumer. B) Figure 15. 1 in the text illustrates a typical distribution system consisting of a channel that includes a wholesale distributor and a retailer. If the firm manufactures it product in the particular country, it can sell directly to the consumer, to the retailer, or to the wholesaler. The same options are available to a firm that manufacturers outside the country. Differences between Countries C) The four main differences between distribution systems are retail concentration, channel length, channel exclusivity, and channel quality. Retail Concentration D) In some countries the retail system is very concentrated, whereas in other countries it is fragmented. In a concentrated retail system, a few retailers supply most of the market. A fragmented retail system is one in which there are many retailers, no one of which has a major share of the market. Channel Length E) Channel length refers to the number of intermediaries between the producer and the consumer. If the producer sells directly to the consumer, the channel is very short. If the producer sells through an import agent, a wholesaler, and a retailer, a longer channel exists. F) In recent years, the Internet has helped to shorten channels as has the entry of large discount retailers to some markets. Channel Exclusivity G) An exclusive distribution channel is one that is difficult for outsiders to access. Japans system is often held up as an example of a very exclusive system. Channel Quality H) Channel quality refers to the expertise, competencies, and skills of established retailers in a nation, and their ability to sell and support the products of international businesses. The quality of retailers is good in most developed countries, but is variable at best in emerging markets and less developed countries. Choosing a Distribution Strategy I) The choice of distribution strategy determines which channel the firm will use to reach potential consumers. Since each intermediary in a channel adds its own markup to the product, there is generally a critical link between channel length and the firms profit margin. J) A long channel also has benefits. One benefit of using a longer channel is that it economizes on selling costs when the retail sector is very fragmented. Another benefit is increased market access. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY A) Another critical element in the marketing mix is communicating the attributes of the product to prospective customers. A number of communication channels are available to a firm. They include direct selling, sales promotion, direct marketing, and advertising. B) A firms communications strategy is partly defined by its choice of channel. Barriers to International Communication C) International communication occurs whenever a firm uses a marketing message to sell its products in another country. The effectiveness of a firms international communication can be jeopardized by three potentially critical variables: cultural barriers, source effects, and noise levels. Cultural Barriers D) Cultural barriers can make it difficult to communicate messages across cultures. The best way for a firm to overcome cultural barriers is to develop cross-cultural literacy. Source and Country of Origin Effects E) Source effects occur when the receiver of the message (the potential consumer) evaluates the message based upon the status or image of the sender. Source effects can be either positive or negative. A subset of source effects is referred to as country of origin effects (the extent to which the place of manufacturing influences product evaluations). Lecture Note: The class can be stimulated to think of some positive and negative source effects (German autos vs. German wine, Italian cuisine vs. British cuisine). Noise Levels F) Noise tends to reduce the chance of effective communication. In this context, noise refers to the amount of other messages that are competing for a potential consumers attention. Management Focus: Overcoming Cultural Barriers to Selling Tampons Summary This feature examines Procter Gamble’s (PG) efforts to bring tampons to the world. After purchasing Tambrands in 1997, PG found that marketing strategies that were successful in the United States failed to generate sales in many other parts of the world. PG, in an effort to reach new customers, has developed a new marketing strategy that is based on direct selling and relationship marketing. The strategy is currently being tested in Mexico, and if successful, will be implemented in other South American markets. Discussion of the feature can begin with the following questions: Suggested Discussion Questions 1. How has culture affected PG’s efforts to sell tampons around the world? Discussion Points: Culture has played a significant role in PG’s effort to sell tampons. While tampons are commonly used in North America and much of northwestern Europe, sales are almost nonexistent in other parts of the world. Many cultures link the use of tampons with a loss of virginity. The company has been forced to take a personal approach to marketing, and include education as part of its strategy. 2. PG has resorted to direct selling and relationship marketing to sell tampons. In your opinion, would these methods work in the United States? Why or why not? Discussion Points: Most students would probably argue that direct selling and relationship marketing would not be necessary in the United States where tampon usage is already high. Teaching Tip: To further explore Procter Gamble’s international marketing efforts, go to {http://www. pg. com/en_US/index. html}, and click on â€Å"PG Global Operations. † To see how PG changes its marketing mix across countries, click on several countries and follow a few products. Push versus Pull Strategies G) The main choice with regard to communication strategy is between a push strategy and a pull strategy. A push strategy emphasizes personnel selling whereas a pull strategy emphasizes mass media advertising. Th e choice between push and pull strategies depends upon product type and consumer sophistication, channel length, and media availability. Product Type and Consumer Sophistication ? H) A pull strategy is generally favored by firms in consumer goods industries that are trying to sell to a large segment of the market. In contrast, firms that sell industrial products or other complex products favor a push strategy. Channel Length I) Using direct selling to push a product through many layers of a distribution channel can be very expensive. In such circumstances, a firm may try to pull its product through the channels by using mass advertising to create consumer demand. Media Availability J) A pull strategy relies on access to advertising media. A push strategy is more attractive when access to mass media is limited. Video Note: China now has more Internet users than any other nation in the world – a situation which is sure to attract the attention of many companies that market or advertise their products using this medium. However, as the iGlobe Growing Internet Use in China Reflects Changing Society points out, Internet users in China tend to be quite different from Internet users in other countries like the United States. The Push-Pull Mix K) Push strategies tend to be emphasized more in the following circumstances: †¢for industrial products and/or complex new products, †¢when distribution channels are short, and when few print or electronic media are available. L) Pull strategies tend to be emphasized more in the following circumstances: †¢for consumer goods products, †¢when distribution channels are long, and †¢when sufficient print and electronic media are available to carry the marketing message. Management Focus: Unilever—Selling to India’s Po or Summary This feature explores Unilever’s innovative global marketing strategy. Unilever maintains a substantial presence in many of the world’s poorer nations where low-income levels, unsophisticated consumers, illiteracy, a fragmented retail distribution system, and unpaved roads make marketing difficult. Still, the company has managed to succeed thanks to its efforts to customize its marketing strategy to the local market. Discussion of the feature can begin with the following questions: ? Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Discuss the effects of India’s culture on each of the components of Unilever’s marketing strategy. What can Unilever learn from its experiences in India? Discussion Points: In India, Unilever faces numerous challenges to its marketing strategy. Income levels are low, consumers are unsophisticated and illiterate, the retail distribution system is fragmented, and the road system is poor. However, by adapting to the environment, Unilever has built a small, but successful business in the country. Because most consumers do not have access to television, the company posts advertisements in common meeting areas such as village wells and marketplaces. The company also takes part in weekly markets where it not only sells its products, but it also gives away free samples. Unilever has also made a strong effort to fit in with the country’s retail system, and stocks its products in small size packages in about 3 million stores, many of which are very tiny. 2. Is Unilever’s strategy in India a push strategy or a pull strategy? Explain. Discussion Points: Most students will suggest that Unilever’s strategy in India is a push strategy. The country has few mass media options, and consequently has been forced to take a unique approach to developing awareness of its products among consumers. Unilever representatives frequently establish a presence in locations where people tend to congregate such as riverbanks where clothes washing takes place, or the village well or marketplace. Teaching Tip: As noted earlier, Unilever’s web site {http://www. unilever. om/}is worth a visit. Go to the company’s Indian site by selecting it from the list available on the homepage and compare the company’s marketing efforts there to the strategy used in other countries. Global Advertising L) In recent years there has been much discussion about the pros and cons of standardized advertising worldwide. For Standardized Advertising M ) The support for global advertising is threefold. 1) It has significant economic advantages. 2) There is the concern that creative talent is scarce and that one large effort to develop a campaign will produce better results than 40 or 50 smaller efforts. ) Brand names are global. Against Standardized Advertising N) There are two main arguments against globally standardized advertising. 1) Cultural differences among nations are such that a message that works in one nation can fail miserably in another. 2) Country differences in advertising regulations may block implementation of standardized advertising. Dealing with Country Differences O) Some firms have been experimenting with tactics that allow them to capture some of the benefits of global standardization while recognizing differences in countries cultural and legal environments. PRICING STRATEGY A) International pricing strategy is an important component of the overall international marketing mix. Issues to consider include the case for pursing price discrimination, strategic pricing, and how regulatory factors influence prices. Price Discrimination B) Price discrimination exists whenever consumers in different countries are charged different prices for the same product. Price discrimination can help a firm to maximize its profits. C) For price discrimination to work the firm must be able to keep national markets separate and different price elasticities of demand must exist in different countries. The price elasticity of demand is a measure of the responsiveness of demand for a product to changes in price. Demand is said to be elastic when a small change in price produces a large change in demand. Demand is inelastic when a large change in price produces only a small change in demand. D) The elasticity of demand is determined by a number of factors, of which income level and competitive conditions are probably the most important. In general, price elasticity tends to be greater in countries with lower income levels and greater numbers of competitors. Strategic Pricing E) The concept of strategic pricing has three aspects, which we will refer to as predatory pricing, multi-point pricing, and experience curve pricing. Predatory Pricing F) Predatory pricing involves using the profit gained in one market to support aggressive pricing in another market. The objective is to drive competitors out of the market. ? Multi-point Pricing Strategy G) Multi-point pricing strategy becomes an issue in those situations where two or more international businesses compete against each in two or more distinct (national) markets. H) The concept of multi-point pricing refers to the fact a firm’s pricing strategy in one market may have an impact on their rival’s pricing strategy in another market. In particular, aggressive pricing in one market may elicit a competitive response from a rival in another market that is important to the firm. I) The managerial message in all of this is that pricing decisions around the world need to be centrally monitored. Experience Curve Pricing J) Many firms pursuing an experience curve pricing strategy on an international scale price low worldwide in an attempt to build global sales volume as rapidly as possible, even if this means taking large losses initially. Firms using experience curve pricing believe that several years in the future, when they have moved down the experience curve, they will be making substantial profits and, moreover, have a cost advantage over less aggressive competitors. Regulatory Influences on Prices K) Firms abilities to engage in either price discrimination or strategic pricing may be limited by national or international regulations. Antidumping Regulations L) Dumping occurs whenever a firm sells a product for a price that is less than the cost of producing it. M) From the perspective of an international business, the important point is that antidumping rules set a floor under export prices and limit firms’ ability to pursue strategic pricing. Competition Policy N) Most industrialized nations have regulations designed to promote competition and to restrict monopoly practices. These regulations can be used to limit the prices that a firm can charge in a given country. CONFIGURING THE MARKETING MIX A) Standardization versus customization is not an all or nothing concept. In reality most firms standardize some things and customize others. When looking at the overall marketing mix and message, one often finds some aspects of standardization and some aspects of customization in all products depending on local requirements and overall cost structures. Management Focus: Castrol Oil in Vietnam Summary This feature focuses on the strategies and experiences of Castrol Oil in marketing its GTX brand of motor oil around the world. Castrol Oil is the lubricants division of the British chemical, oil, and gas concern Burmah Castrol. Castrol Oil’s GTX brand of motor oil is marketed as a premium brand. The feature focuses on the company’s entries into the lubricants markets in Thailand and Vietnam . Castrol has a unique strategy of appealing to consumers who drive motorcycles, in hopes of developing brand loyalty and retaining these customers as their countries develop to the point where cars are more common. This strategy worked well in Thailand, and is currently under way in Vietnam. Discussion of the feature can begin with the following questions: Suggested Discussion Questions 1. In underdeveloped countries like Thailand and Vietnam, the conventional forms of media that are common in developed countries, like glossy print media and television, are often absent. This problem is particularly pronounced in Vietnam. Describe how Castrol Oil overcame this challenge. Does the company’s approach seem prudent to you? Explain your answer. Discussion Points: In Vietnam, Castrol Oil has focused on developing consumer awareness through the use of billboards, bumper stickers, and signs that are displayed at roadside garages and motorcycle cleaning shops. In addition, Vietnam was one of places visited by soccer star David Beckham as part of a global marketing campaign for the company. Students will probably argue that given the lack of alternatives, Castrol Oil has done well with its communications strategy in Vietnam. 2. Would you describe Castrol Oil’s communications strategy in Vietnam as a push or a pull strategy? Explain your answer. Discussion Points: Students will note that a pull strategy generally relies on access to advertising media such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the Internet. Because mass media options are limited in Vietnam, Unilever has turned to alternate communications methods such as stickers, billboards, and gas station signs. Accordingly, students will probably conclude that Castrol Oil is using a push strategy in Vietnam. ? 3. Castrol Oil emphasizes a premium pricing strategy. What elements of the company’s communications and distributions strategies support this premium pricing strategy? Discussion Points: Castrol Oil has priced its product at about three times the cost of cheaper imports from Taiwan and Thailand. Accordingly, the company has developed a slogan that indicates that Castrol Oil is the best quality lubricant in the market. Students will probably note that the company is currently focusing on targeting motorcycle users based on the assumption that consumers in this market will start driving cars when they become more affordable. Teaching Tip: To see more about how Castrol Oil handles its international marketing, go to {http://www. castrol. com}and click on the various country options to compare the products and services that are offered in different markets. Lecture Note: To get an applied look at how two companies market their products around the world consider visiting the web sites of Cadbury {http://www. cadbury. com/Pages/Home. aspx}and Kraft {http://www. kraft. com/default. aspx}. Both companies sells their products in many countries around the world, and by clicking on the various country locations, students can get a feel for which elements of the marketing mix have been standardized, and which have not. NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT A) Firms that successfully develop and market new products can earn enormous returns. Firms to need build close links between RD, marketing, and manufacturing. Video Note: One issue which firms must contend with is protecting their proprietary property. The iGlobe China Rising: Intellectual Piracy in China explores how many companies have been negatively affected by intellectual piracy by China. The Location of RD B) Ideas for new products are simulated by the interactions of scientific research, demand conditions, and competitive conditions. Other things being equal, the rate of new-product development seems to be greater in countries where: )More money is spent on basic and applied research and development. ii)Demand is strong. iii)Consumers are affluent. iv) Competition is intense. Integrating RD, Marketing, and Production C) The need to adequately commercialize new technologies poses special problems in the international business, since commercialization may require different versions of a new product to be produced for different countries. D) A firm’s new product development efforts need to be closely coordinated with the marketing, production, and materials management functions. This integration is critical to making certain that: †¢product development projects are driven by customer needs, †¢new products are designed for ease of manufacture, †¢development costs are kept in check, and †¢time to market is minimized. Cross-Functional Teams E) One means of achieving cross-functional integration is to have cross-functional product development teams. Effective cross functional teams should be led by a heavyweight project manager with status in the organization, include members from all the critical functional areas, have members located together, have clear goals, and have an effective conflict resolution process. Building Global RD Capabilities F) The need to integrate RD and marketing to adequately commercialize new technologies poses special problems in the international business because commercialization may require different versions of a new product to be produced for various countries. G) Integrating RD, marketing, and production in an international business may require RD centers in North America, Asia, and Europe that are closely linked by formal and informal integrating mechanisms with marketing operations in each country in their regions, and with the various manufacturing facilities. H) Some companies allocate product development responsibilities using a global network of RD centers that develop the basic technologies for new products which are then picked up by RD units attached to global product divisions and used to generate new products to serve the global marketplace. Critical Thinking and Discussion Questions 1. Imagine you are the marketing manager for a US manufacturer of disposable diapers. Your firm is considering entering the Brazilian market. Your CEO believes the advertising message that has been effective in the United States will suffice in Brazil. Outline some possible objections to this. Your CEO also believes that the pricing decisions in Brazil can be delegated to local managers. Why might she be wrong? Answer: While babies’ behinds serve the same function in all cultures, and the products technical standards may be similar, sensitivity to bodily functions does vary across cultures. Thus, the advertising message may need to be changed for different attitudes towards what is appropriate advertising. Likewise, where it might be progressive to show an ad with a male changing a diaper in some countries, in other countries this message could be lost or misinterpreted. Another consideration would be the noise level created by the advertising message of competitors products, which may well be different in Brazil. While local demand and price elasticity decisions should play an important role in Brazil, pricing should not be left solely to the discretion of the local managers. Since this is a global business, your firm will likely be competing in Brazil with some of the same competitors as elsewhere. Thus pricing decisions in one country can have an impact on pricing and competition in other markets. Similarly, your firm may want to position and price the brand similarly across different South American countries. 2. Within 20 years we will have seen the emergence of enormous global markets for standardized consumer products. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer. Answer: One could either choose to agree or disagree, while the best answer would likely hedge it somewhere in the middle. There are already enormous global markets already for products like Coke and Levis, but it is questionable whether there will ever be a global consumer market for Norwegian lutefisk. More global consumer markets will likely emerge, but there will continue to be national distinctions for many products. Lecture Note: In the fall of 2008, Levi Strauss was set to launch a global marketing campaign for its 501 jeans. 3. You are the marketing manager of a food products company that is considering entering the Indian market. The retail system in India tends to be very fragmented. Also, retailers and wholesalers tend to have long-term ties with Indian food companies, which makes access to distribution channels difficult. What distribution strategy would you advise the company to pursue? Why? Answer: The firm should sell to either wholesalers or import agents. Because the retail system in India is very fragmented, it would be very expensive for the firm to make contact with each individual retailer. As a result, it would be more economical for the firm to sell to wholesalers or import agents. Import agents may have long-term relationships with wholesalers, retailers, and/or other import agents. Similarly, wholesalers may have long-standing relationships with retailers and, therefore, be better able to persuade them to carry the firm’s product than the firm itself would. 4. Price discrimination in indistinguishable from dumping. Discuss the accuracy of this statement? Answer: In some specific instances this statement is correct, but as a general rule it is not. When a firm is pricing lower in a foreign country than it is in its domestic market, it can be difficult to distinguish dumping from price discrimination unless it is clear that the firm is selling at below cost in the foreign market. Yet when costs are reasonably well known and all prices are above these, or if the firm is pricing lower in its domestic market than in foreign markets, it can be reasonably concluded that price discrimination rather than dumping is occurring. . You work for a company that designs and manufactures personal computers. Your company’s RD center is in North Dakota. The computers are manufactured under contract in Taiwan. Marketing strategy is delegated to the heads of three regional groups: a North American group (based in Chicago), a European group (based in Paris), and an Asian group (based in Singapore). Each regio nal group develops the marketing approach within its region. In order of importance, the largest markets for your products are North America, Germany, Britain, China, and Australia. Your company is experiencing problems in its product development and commercialization process. Products are late to market, the manufacturing quality is poor, and costs are higher than projected, and market acceptance of new products is less than hoped for. What might be the source of these problems? How would you fix them? Answer: The dispersion of activities makes sense products are produced in the lowest cost location and marketed by people familiar with local conditions. (The RD in North Dakota must be a historical fluke. Yet this makes the coordination task extremely complex, and information required for successful commercialization is likely not being effectively communicated among all the appropriate people. Greater cross-functional integration in the new product development process should help to improve product development and commercialization. Closing Case: Levi Strauss Goes Local Summary The closing case explores how Levi Strauss, the manufacturer of blue jeans, changed its international marketing strategy to regain its competitiveness in the mid-2000s. Levi Strauss had watched its sales fall from $7. 1 billion in 1996 to just $4 billion in 2004. The company had failed to keep up with changes in the fashion market, and was out of touch with its consumer. A three part turnaround strategy was implemented, and by 2006, the company was beginning to see some improvements. Discussion of the case can begin with the following questions: QUESTION 1: What marketing strategy was Levi Strauss using until the early 2000s? Why did this strategy appear to work for decades? Why was it not working by the 2000s? ANSWER 1: Prior to implementing its turnaround strategy in 2005, Levi Strauss had been selling essentially the same product the same way around the world. The company was able to standardize its marketing mix because differences between markets were not well defined, and it was able to capitalize on its trademark name. However, during the 2000s, competition became more intense, and variations between markets more distinct. Levi Strauss, with its one-size-fits-all approach to markets saw sales drop significantly. QUESTION 2: How would you characterize Levi’s current strategy? What elements of the marketing mix are now changed from nation to nation? ANSWER 2: Most students will probably suggest that Levi Strauss is trying to pursue a transnational strategy that allows it to standardize some parts of the marketing mix, yet gives national managers the ability to tailor other parts of the marketing mix to local markets. One of the first issues Levi Strauss addressed as part of its turnaround strategy was reducing its domestic cost structure. The company closed its remaining domestic factories and shifted production to low cost locations. Levi Strauss also introduced additional products such as its Signature line that could be sold in low priced outlets like Wal-Mart. Finally, the company decentralized its marketing to local managers giving them flexibility to adapt to local market requirements. As part of the new strategy, new styles were introduced to meet differing style preferences. In addition, the company also revamped its promotion to reflect regional differences. Price and distribution were also changed. Pricing is now done on a market-by-market basis according to the competition in each market. QUESTION 3: What are the benefits of Levi’s new marketing strategy? Is there a downside? ANSWER 3: The changes Levi Strauss made to its strategy seem to be working. Growth is expected to be especially strong in developing markets. Most students will probably note that the decision to give national managers more autonomy meant that while the company lost the benefits of economies of scale in advertising and production that it had previously had, consumers’ demands were better met. However, some students may point out that the new strategy means that differences between national markets became are now more pronounced—a change that could be an issue further down the road. QUESTION 4: What does the Levi Strauss story tell you about the â€Å"globalization of markets†? ANSWER 4: Theodore Levitt suggested that consumer tastes and preferences are becoming more global, and that standardized consumer products will become the norm. In fact, Levitt might argue that in the world of blue jeans there are strong similarities in groups such as the teen market that run across national borders. However, he might be surprised to find that strong cultural preferences also seem to exist in the market. For example, Japanese consumers prefer skinny, black jeans, while women from South Africa prefer jeans with a little more room in the backside. Many students might conclude that while there are some similarities in markets, many of the similarities are too broad to allow for a standardized marketing mix around the world. Teaching Tip: To see how the recovery at Levi Strauss has progressed, go to {http://www. levistrauss. com/} and click on â€Å"International† then explore the various topics including values and vision, and company transformation. Lecture Note: Levi Strauss seems to be taking a more standardized approach to its marketing campaign. The company began a new campaign in the fall of 2008. More details can be found in the Wall Street Journal July 18, 2008, p. B7 â€Å"Levi’s Marketers Hope One Size Fits All†. Continuous Case Concept As automakers seek to expand their market share in foreign countries, they are challenged by the age-old question of whether they can sell the same model everywhere or whether a new model must be developed to meet the needs of each individual market. Some companies like BMW and Mercedes believed, when they made North American expansion a priority, that they needed to be closer to the market in order to get a real feel for local design preferences, and so consequently moved their production to the United States. Other companies like Hyundai and Kia have established design centers in Germany to take advantage of like minds and knowledge of the local market. Honda is predicting that buyers in India will be more attracted to motorcycles than traditional vehicles. Honda, together with its Indian partner, sold more than 4 million two-wheelers in India in 2007. In Japan, automakers are trying to figure out how to get younger drivers interested in actually owning cars. Japan’s younger generation is seemingly indifferent to the notion of car ownership, preferring instead to spend their money on other things entirely. ? Ask students to discuss how Ted Levitt would view the world’s auto markets. Would he believe that standardization of the marketing mix is possible, why or why not? Did Henry Ford have the right idea (you can buy the car in any color as long as it is black)? †¢Next, develop a list of attributes that might be important in a car. What do Europeans consumers want in a c ar? How does this compare to the average American or Japanese consumer? For example, does the rugged pick-up truck driver image work in Japan? Does the sleek, powerful European car work in China? Then, consider the notion of a world car—a car that could be successful in any market. What factors could prevent the development of such a product? Consider issues related to culture, distribution, a country’s level of economic development, and so on. †¢Finally, consider mistakes foreign automakers could make when designing their cars for foreign customers. How could the presence of a joint venture partner help the company avoid these mistakes? This exercise can be used as a summary discussion for this chapter, or it can be broken down into segments. For example, the second question of this exercise works well as an introduction to international marketing. The first question can be addressed after discussing the notion of standardization of the marketing mix, and at this point, you might also revisit the second question. Finally, the third question allows you incorporate previous discussion of the benefits of a joint venture to international marketing. globalEDGE Exercises Use the globalEDGE Resource Desk {http://globalEDGE. msu. edu/ResourceDesk/} to complete the following exercises. Exercise 1 You are the marketing manager of a diversified food and beverage company. Preliminary market research indicates that Peru holds significant opportunities for your products. Using an analysis of the Food and beverage industry in Peru that you found on Austrade, the Australian government’s trade portal, prepare a short report identifying the factors that need to be considered when formulating the marketing strategy for this country. Answer: The information can be gathered by searching the phrase â€Å"Austrade† at http://globalEDGE. msu. edu/ResourceDesk/. The Austrade site is found under globalEDGE category â€Å"Research: Multicountry. † Once on the website, click on â€Å"Export Markets† menu and select â€Å"Industries within Countries,†. Then select â€Å"Food and Beverage to Peru. Search Phrase: â€Å"Austrade† Resource Name: Austrade Online Industry and Country Information Website: http://www. austrade. gov. au/Industry-overviews/default. aspx globalEDGE Category: â€Å"Industry: Industry Specific† Exercise 2 A. T. Kearney publishes an annual study to help retailers prioritize their global developm ent strategies by ranking the retail expansion attractiveness of emerging countries based on a set of criteria. Find the latest version of this Global Retail Development Index. What criteria are used to identify the attractiveness of the retail environment in emerging countries? Are there any countries in the top 10 that surprise you? Answer: The A. T. Kearney report can be accessed by using the search term â€Å"Global Retail Development Index† at http://globalEDGE. msu. edu/ResourceDesk/. The PDF report has the top 30 countries listed. The web page as well as the report describes in detail the criteria used. Search Phrase: â€Å"Global Retail Development Index† Resource Name: A. T. Kearney: The Global Retail Development Index http://www. atkearney. com/main. taf? p=5,4,1,131 globalEDGE Category: â€Å"Research: Rankings† Additional Readings and Sources of Information The Arab World Wants its MTV http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/07_43/b4055067. htm? chan=search Jack Daniel’s International Appeal http://www. businessweek. com/innovate/content/oct2007/id20071010_651037. htm? chan=search One World, One Car, One Name http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/08_12/b4076063825013. htm? chan=search Jaguar: Finally Ready to Roar? http://www. businessweek. com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/mar2008/db20080325_325999. htm Avoiding Faux Pas When Exporting http://www. businessweek. com/smallbiz/content/jun2007/sb20070627_897013. htm? chan=search

Case of barclay memorial hospital Essays

Case of barclay memorial hospital Essays Case of barclay memorial hospital Paper Case of barclay memorial hospital Paper By browsing on the brief history of the Barclay Memorial Hospital, one will notice one thing that would immediately be blamed for its bankruptcy- bad leadership. BMH was beforehand performing excellent on the aspects of financial, managerial and services including the morale of the employees. As has been mentioned, BMH has been in the business for fifty years and it is to be stressed that those years has been spent for excellent services rendered to its clients (p. 95). Being a district hospital, it should have pretty good edge on other private hospitals especially on matters of legal affairs. It does have the edge in lower service fees over private hospitals because it operates as government owned business and therefore is supported by tax revenues from the district. It is also an advantage for BMH to be a district hospital because it could have a better service appeal or service loyalty on the part of the district residents having the sense of ownership the district hospital. BMH has an established edge in the market because of the fact that it is the most desirable choice of maternity hospital (p. 96). Its attentive nurses and newly renovated private rooms are enough to make their services more appealing. The annual number of patients that has availed of its services is an evidence of its financial health. With 325,000 patients every year, we can estimate that it has about 900 patients everyday which means that its 300 bed-capacity is fully utilized assuming that part of the 900 patients are out-patients or has stayed just about two days at BMH. With $120 million gross annual revenues, one will understand that it is generating $10 million monthly or around $350,000 everyday. With 600 full time employees, BMH must have been financially stable to pay for their salaries and benefits. Although it was not clearly stated what percentage of this gross revenues were spent in operating expenses, we can say that the hospital is financially healthy. The first major bad decision that BMH management did was to merge with Valley Physician Group (VPG) and the Physician Hospital Organization (PHO). What was obviously wrong here is that they know that VPG and PHO’s first requirement is to have BMH be privatized. This means that BMH would have to lose its benefits when it was just operating as a district hospital. Another thing is that there would obviously be changes in its management strategies and at least the board of directors, the key management personnel and of course the implementation of its bylaws. With privatization and merging with VPG, BMH can no longer decide on its own because it has already allowed other people to intervene in its business affairs. The result then was its bankruptcy. There was no clear explanation as why BMH management decided to join VPG and PHO when its operations are said to be at a healthy stage. In my opinion there was no sound basis for deciding to do so because there seems to be no need of joining VPG or PHO as a marketing strategy or as part of survival catch up. Because there are already more people involved in the running the hospital, there were already more people who have their own vested interests intertwined in the affairs of BMH and that what was bad here is the reality of conflicting interests over BMH operations. BMH had elected an abusive CEO who was so irresponsible of letting his patients wait long enough that high-paid staff were made idle. With the CEO’s conduct, it had spent utilities and operating expenses including the excessive use of supplies so irresponsibly that it took just sometime to let BMH lose almost all of its capacity to generate income. Obviously, BMH was not able to control the poor management style of its key management personnel and that the board of directors just let that thing happen until BMH crashed down. It was of BMH’s luck to have Schilling who was able to have the courage and the will to save what was left of BMH. Schilling at first was a good choice because of his ability to eliminate the hospital’s deficit, he was able to bring back the benefits of the employees and even increased their salaries, reduced the percentage of expenses versus their revenues and most importantly, he was able to bring back BMH into a district hospital. Schilling however had a problem with delegation of authority. It may not seem to be an indication of irresponsibility for letting Porter, the COO to make the most of management affairs. However he must have placed too much confidence on the COO who does not seem to be a good leadership pick. It is not clear whether Schilling was aware of the authoritarian style of Porter’s leadership or that Schilling just ignore the situation. Whatever is the case, Schilling cannot be excused for leaving almost everything in the hands of Porter. Another major bad decision made by the CEO was that of keeping the strategic plan confidential from the rest of the board members. First, I would say that this decision was highly unethical based on the fact that business ethics require that management affairs should be kept transparent to the members of the board as the major decision makers of the business. Secondly, it is improper to keep the board member wondering what was going on with the plans. In fact, planning should involve the members of the board since they are the major stakeholders of the business. Lastly it was improper that Schilling made the strategic plan a surprise for all. The bad side of this step is that it the said plan has not been reviewed by the members of the board and in that case, whatever the loophole contained therein has not been corrected nor was being noticed. This was what happened to Schilling’s strategic plan which later turned out to be faulty for having his financial projection resulted to $24 million loss (p. 101). The most immediate result was that Schilling lost support from the members of the board including the management. In an organization, I believe that the most important part of leadership is of establishing a formidable relationship with its members- from the top management to the least of the personnel at the bottom of the organizational chart. It is vital for a leader to have the support of at least the majority of its members in order that he will be able to implement his plans well enough because of the support and loyalty he gets from the members. It is vital that communication lines are kept open, in two-way, in order that vital information flow freely in that line for decision-making purposes. Losing support from employees and other organizational members, especially the decision makers, would make a leader inefficient. I believe that it does not take a brilliant CEO to run a profitable company; rather I believe that a responsible, sensitive and lowly CEO can run a company with a healthy working environment. Schilling is good but was weak enough to tolerate the existence of Porter and Mavory in his way. The consultant should start working here. Carson as the newly hired consultant, although is expected to work independently, should first work on having the support of the members of the board and the major decision-makers at BMH. More than Porter, Carson must be able to eliminate the kind of Mavory who was not actually a troubled physician but a troubling one inside BMH. The old strategic plan developed by Schilling should be replaced since there was already evidence that it was faulty especially on the financial projection. Carson should be able to develop a new strategic plan with the participation of the members of the board. This will be the first step Carson can do to get the support from the members of the board. She has an actual experience with this kind of situation and I would assume that she exactly know how to have things done. However, I would suggest that Carson be able to work on the conflicts on interests among the members of the board especially that of Mavory. Carson should be able to get the support Mavory has from the other board members as starting point. Getting their support away from Mavory would be sound enough to make the implementation of the plan run smoothly. Carson should also work on making black and white statements on what specific files and information should be kept confidential and from whom. Everything should be clear enough for everybody in order to ensure that there would be no excuse when violators are reprimanded. It is not required that Carson becomes tough and authoritarian. She just needs to clear everybody’s stand and the extent of their authorities. It is also not necessary for Carson to prevent the employees from unionizing. I would argue that unions are important part of a company. Unions can become a leader’s support team especially when these unions could feel that they are being paid enough concern and attention by the management. They would not in any do anything to bring the company down because it would be at their lost. Unions only take steps against the management when they see that their security in the company is threatened. Carson should then focus on working with the management in preparation for the Joint Commission for the accreditation. The politics inside BMH cannot be completely eliminated but Carson can control the situation. The members of the board are assumed well-educated and with that they know what ethical considerations they should prioritize. Meanwhile, Carson should be able to get solid support. Carson should ask for the speedy preparation of the Joint Commission accreditation requirements by eliminating the direct control of Mavory over the process. This can be done by redirecting the attention of Mavory from the accreditation process and the revision of bylaws into her participation in the deliberation of strategic plan Carson is working at. Taking Mavory out of the Joint Commission accreditation will ease up the process and then it would go smoothly without somebody bothering the employees concerned. As with the board members, Carson should start separating their responsibilities. These leaders should be given separate set of concerns that would also keep them from direct intervention with the affairs of each division. For example, one board member should be assigned for managing the service-rendition affairs of the business and each should be given target accomplishments at certain time intervals. The other members can be assigned to direct management of the building facilities and the purchases of equipment and the maintenance of existing ones. The other can be assigned to the legal affairs of BMH. Each should then be reporting to the consultant or referring their plans at time intervals. With this, each member is kept from direct intervention to all the affairs of BMH although as board members, everything should be held transparent to them. This is the very reason why Carson should have regular board meetings for reporting purposes. I believe that it is also beneficial for Carson to hire independent auditors who would be responsible for checking inconsistencies on each division. This would eliminate the fear of each division that the evaluation result will be biased or one is being favored over the other. Transparency should be maintained at all times without the necessity of each member to be personally asking confidential files. As had been mentioned a while ago, when good and efficient leaders are already established, it would necessarily follow that employees’ moral would be uplifted; their loyalty will be brought back as usual to their leaders. Employees who are working with a healthy environment would be productive and thus would render better services than before. It is the excellent services rendered by BMH that enabled it to become profitable and so the quality of services should be kept high in order to gain a good market share.

Can the war on terror be undertood in terms of realism Essay

Can the war on terror be undertood in terms of realism - Essay Example This shouldn’t be startling as they all have a common origin and considering the complexity of the subject, it deserves this literary stretch. If Marxism and Christianity can have various interpretations, so can realism. John J. Mearsheimer, professor at the University of Chicago was once asked what realism says about terrorism, and his answer was, ‘Not a whole heck of a lot, Realism†¦..is really about relations among states, especially among the great powers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Realism doesn’t have much to say about the causes of terrorism’1. It would be better to take a look at various realism theories before going into the details of the war on terror. Realism is a ‘philosophical disposition’ in the words of Robert Gilpin; many commentators have considered it a general orientation and not a set of explicit rules. According to Ferguson and Mansbach, it is a set of normative emphases that shape the theory and an ‘attitude of mind’ with distinct and perceptible flavours in the words of Edward Garnett. Sandra Rosenthal considers realism a ‘loose framework’ while Colin Elman considers it a ‘big tent’ that has room to accommodate a number of theories and notions2. Realism is a methodology of understanding international relations and many scholars and thinkers have placed themselves in the growth of this method that is why it has been delimited in its projection and analysis. It is a little difficult to enclose terrorism or ‘war on terror’ in one definition of realism. Terrorism is a concept that has reached all corners of the earth. No place on this planet is oblivion of this concept, especially after the sad September 11 attacks on the twin towers of U.S. and the America’s ‘war on terror’. This phrase has redefined domestic conflicts and territorial skirmishes. Prior to 9/11 attacks and the alleged ‘war on terror’, terrorist groups were indigenous of their terrains but now just like international trade and

Is the cost of college too high Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is the cost of college too high - Essay Example Since the economy is going down and that too at a considerable rate, there are many problems that need to be faced by the parents when it comes to giving in their best with regards to their kids’ study domains. The reason why the cost of college is too high is because the college expenses have increased in the recent years. There are the fiscal elements involved with college as well, whereby the books, stationery and all other student related affairs and connected with curricula has become expensive. This has meant that the students are being properly kept a check upon both by their parents as well as the college authorities who are bringing in more problems with each passing day. There are definitive problems that have come about with the passage of time, and all of these have basically brought about quite a level of distress within the minds of the parents as they have to pay for their children at the end of the day (Baptist, 2001). What is even more distressing is the fact that the cost of college has entailed within it the unexpected costs as well, which has included the entertainment fees, the different taxes and so on and so forth. All of these problems have come about within the worst possible times because now is the era where people are running after saving more and more money, yet what happens here is a totally different matter altogether. The cost of college has become a real problem as the tuition is a necessity in the times much like today since education demands quintessential significance. The uneducated and illiterate individuals cannot make it within the different life domains as has been proven time and again. The wealthy are self-sufficient and thus have no problems with the rising college tuition costs but it is the poor who are finding it hard to make both ends meet. It is a fact that something constructive within these ranks needs to be brought about and that too quickly. Probably the right thing would be to make college tuition fre e for all the kids or it could also be a possibility that the primary level education is targeted as being available at a nominal cost all over the country. Being rich must not help; being able to survive the tenacity which comes with attaining education is what is deemed more pertinent. College tuition brings a sense of understanding within the student that he can always find a support system within education. He can ask his teachers for that extra help which he is in dire need of (Redmon, 1999). The college tuition thus builds the much needed corrective system whereby once he fails within the educational domains, he can always stand up with the encouragement drawn from the education attained at the hands of the college tuition realms. Now if these regimes are expensive, your guess is as good as mine. The students would eventually back off from the college tuition measures and look to narrow down their educational facets. They would rather stick to all-day college at the end of the day as one can decipher that this would not help them much. Thus what can be deemed here as appropriate is that they should be given a proper chance to understand the basics of education by going through the rigors of the tuition system and for that the cost issues need to be adequately addressed in entirety. Having high prices of textbooks means that a college or a university is limiting the

English Legal System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

English Legal System - Essay Example These rights are classified as 1. Right to life 2. Prohibition of torture 3. Prohibition of slavery and forced labour 4. Right to liberty and security 5. Right to a fair trial 6.No punishment without law 7. Right to respect for private and family life 8.Freedom of thought, conscience and religion 9.Freedom of expression 10. Freedom of assembly and association 12.Right to marry 13.Prohibition of discrimination 14.Restrictions on political activity of alien's 15.Prohibition of abuse of rights 16.Limitation on use of restrictions on rights. The new Act has not altered the powers of the judiciary as against the legislature and executive but brought the English law on par with the other nations in the world who recognized and give prominence to the Human rights. By bringing this act into force the English law established that the government is to protect the Human rights of the individuals and there fore brought the actions of public sector, local government and social and health care departments within the ambit of the act. From the date its inception all the statues made are subject to the scrutiny of the Act. That is to say all the Acts and Rules shall comply the provision of the New Act. The human rights enumerated in the new act are not new to any democratic country. These rights are protected either directly or indirectly through some machinery. Similarly prior to this new act the United Kingdom too protecting these rights through European Court of Human Rights, since it is a member of the Council of Europe and the laws of European Court which guarantees the Human rights are binding on United kingdom. The new act brings into its ambit all the central, and local government authorities such as National Health Service, Inland Revenue and police. And the acts of the non-government bodies ranging up to private nursing homes and Telecommunications,. The act does not spare the action of the private individuals impinging the rights more specifically protecting the children, who are subjected to torture from their parents in the process of imposing the discipline. The act maintained the perfect balance by imposing the responsibilities too on the persons to maintain the peace on the principle of one's liberty should not jeopardize the rights of the others. Powers of the court under the act: 1. Power to scrutiny the administrative actions of the public authorities. Under the Act court have been vested with the power to scrutiny the administrative actions and to restrain such authorities from misuse and improper use of their administrative powers when they are violating by acting in contravention of the Human rights enumerated under the act. With this power the court can safeguard the individuals from the inhuman treatment, discrimination, Privacy to property etc. 2. The act does not give absolute powers to the courts. As the law of land which is known as the Constitution of such nation, is supreme in all respect the Act too considered the same and maintained pride of the legislature by not giving over riding powers to the courts in this Act on the enactments made by the legislature. The act allows the public authorities to implement the law made by the Parliament in spite that it is infringing the rights. But keeping

The Use Of Icts In The Airline Industry Tourism Essay

The Use Of Icts In The Airline Industry Tourism Essay Information and communication technology is the new style of doing business in a useful method. This method was using since 1930s. in past 15 years this system have followed by various industries such as retail, banking, telecommunication, government, tourism etc This method covers huge series of applications like internet, wireless, Digital Cameras Wi-Fi, VIOP, GPS, Digital Radio, etc. all the industries are trying to apply this method from one way or the other to develop their business performance. in an article they have mentioned (daily telegraph IT) that majority of organizations will not 24hrs without the help of ICT This growth was expected and this made the work easier and faster. This is the main reason why outsourcing of work start. The cost of making was condensed and so was the cost of goods. This technical development has removed the national limits and helped various industries to go worldwide, thus mix markets as well as market across the world. This rapid growth in the technology has lead to the concept of E-Business and E-Commerce. With e-business there are various advantages due to the presence of global audience, online transaction, etc. This is playing a major role in reshaping the tourism sector across the world. This concept of ICT has brought people much closer to the tourism service providers. Now, customers do most of their holiday or travel plans online. Many tourism companies are adopting this technology. The tourism sector being one of the traditional sectors it was not a smooth ride in taking up this technological advancement. Many small could not afford this kind of investment. They had to terminate a lot of workers as after this advancement there was minimal response to the traditional high street travel agencies. Although physical services are the core products of industry, it is dominated by information systems. (Shankar, 2008) ICT for business and the travel industry in particular: Information technologies have made high changes in the environment by using the new technologies in business. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) can provide powerful planning and planned tools for organizations when properly applied and used can bring more advantages for promoting and strengthening their competitiveness. The increase of the Internet, as a main stream communication media and as an info-structure for business dealings has a high range of designed implications for businesses and for the travel and airline industries mainly ICT revolutionized business processes and practices The current ICT developments have vast implication for the business, structure. And plan of organizations. The computation of future market will leads to a great extent and it will depend both such as development and purpose of these technologies. The creation of the World Wide Web will forces most of the organizations will make to re think about two things i.e., In which they are performing their business. How they can re-engineer their business methods. The business can be performed more efficiently by system, by facing so many new opportunities and challenges. ICTs contribute towards good organization, output and competitiveness development of both inter-organizational and intra-organizational systems. The affiliation between ICTs and competitive advantage and their performance is still vague. Even though there is an indirect and complex sporty relationship between ICTs and success, it is difficult to be measure and describe. Technologies have already developed a wide range of functions including business functions, external environment monitoring, communicating with associates and with clients in high level. Clear planned goals and obligation are basics for the growth of a proper ecommerce plan and the growth of web sites and other technological solution. The growing mobile technologies and mobile business are estimated to modify severely a number of industries and to force business to think again about their strategic management. ICT in the travel and tourism industries The main function of travel and tourism industries is run by ICT. The internet will allows them to demonstrate their products clearly and they can communicate easily with the customers. Intranets will provide friendly environment access for employees of organization , extranet will shows authorized partners with the ability to use computer information to operate through online, so many internal management applications shows the planning and operational management and marketing of travel organization. ICTs support all business functions and are critical for operating in the travel industry as a worldwide. Few other industries rely on so many partners to work together directly for delivering their products and few other value chains are as involved as the one for travel. ICTs provide the tools to look for important and profitable place market segments, to identify their value added components Cost success and suppleness are serious assets contribute by ICTs in this process, as they help the cost decrease and make best use of effectiveness. The power of ICTs on travel business is enveloping, as information is serious for both day-to-day operations as well as the planned management of organizations. On the strategic level, travel organizations have to constantly assess for all elements of their outside surroundings, as well as their opposition and customer requirements, and so, adapt themselves in order to improve their competitiveness. Using ICTs, tourism organization can make a distinction their product customizing the final product and by adding value according to person supplies. ICTs support the strategic management of travel business by allowing long-term result making and by providing a platform for teamwork and dealings between associates. ICT will help the complete industry to operate by empowering internal procedure, coordinating partners, as well as by interact with future travelers and the general public. As a result, the recent ICT developments have develop the entire system and have thoughtful implications for both the strategic and planned management of travel organizations. Most important that they have severely changed the industry structure and polluted the competitiveness of all players in the market. Airlines and the Internet revolution Internet was introduced in 1990s and due to the development of intranet and extranet have forced on airlines to make a changes in their panning on technical improvement in order to enhance their competitiveness. Finally airlines have identified that the internet is important product to handle distribution costs and to modify the structure of the industry. In 2001 that British Airways CEO ROD Eddington said that BA spent 1.1 billion of pounds on distribution and that have became the third most costly after labour and fuel In the Internet era, GDSs is as self-governing business from airlines developing their offer to provide the backbone for the complete industry to establish the info structure for the dealings undertaken by high number of Internet travel entrances. In addition, they slowly reinvented themselves to main technology suppliers for a broad range of tourism organizations as well as airlines, travel agencies and Internet travel portals. At the same time a number of plain airlines appear in both countries i.e., Europe and the US. These airlines concentrated on lower input cost in as many areas of their operations. They also developed simple distribution strategies and took full benefit of the Internet for converse with their clients. Internet near the beginning adopters, such as both well-established and newly-established airlines recognized a clear opportunity. They invested a lot in order to develop their on-line brand name and to gather the important market share. Some of the high established airlines, such as American Airlines. Recently established airline industries such as Bratthens, Rynair and Easyjet they have adopted the Internet from the early stages. Several carriers even decorated their aircraft with their Internet address at the same time as they arranged special promotions with the media to make transfer to their web sites. They provide incentives for consumers to book online and ensured that they were not distributed through the GDS in this way airline are forcing their clients online. Easy Jet and Ryan is a good example: In the year 2002 the majority of airline booking have done through the internet and the consumers have got the 5 pounds discounts on their original. No frills airlines are managed by the Internet and other ICT tools, made the industry reengineer. By introduced a number of ICT-enabled innovations including: Electronic/paperless tickets Transparent and clear pricing led by proactive and reactive yield management Single fare tickets with no restrictions on staying or Saturday nights rules Commission capping and publication of net fares Financial incentives for self-booking online Auctions and online promotions Powerful Customer Relationship Management Systems Online and context-relevant advertising As the customers are enjoying the facilities which have provided by the airlines and the customers are benefited by low rates provided by the airline. Therefore some of the airline have followed the no frills carriers to develop their online marketing and to also satisfy the customer needs HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE USE OF ICTs IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY: Most of the airlines are using advanced ICTs and mostly the airline functions highly depended on ICTs. Sharing and partnership is perhaps one of the most important areas of ICTs contribution. Majority of low-cost to be dependent on support on ICTs for displaying their availability and for the communication and transaction with their clients. ICTs have the equal importance in operations management and contribute for the improvement of procedure and processes and also good facilities such as in flight entertainment and good customer service Most of the airlines have been investing on ICTs service since 1950s. They have introduced ICTs to get effective, quickly, quality and exact procedure of their inventories (reports) in which to communicate easily with travel agencies and with others. When the airlines have changed the date, time and route to update easily with in fraction of seconds for the clients. SABRE computer reservation system (CRS) was introduced in 1962 by American airlines alternatively to expend its Boeing 770 fleet by 50% (8-12 aircrafts). This project have described as a technically to feel amazement to represent a program task that increase the power of coding efforts which is needed for NASA Project Mercury . In mid 1970s SABRE have made as a powerful inventory control system. SABRE made base for the changes in flight plans for aircrafts, tracking spare parts, managing events for crews and for developing the level of decision support system for the airlines management. Then after all the airlines have followed the same system to provide the facilities to satisfy the clients (customers, consumers) needs. In 1970s USA air transportation deregulation made airlines to make a changes in their fare and routes. This have made a huge growth of air traffic and increased the demand for information, CRS gave a chance for airline to improve their internal organization and CRS have made into powerful tool (product) to control the airlines inventories (reports) in this way CRS made airlines to communicate easily with travel agencies, consolidators, other distributors by providing update routes, availability price standards. Because of deregulation airlines have increased the tariffs and computing and communication needs. Agents and others have used newly introduced computer technologies to control their reservation and to get easily about tariff information. Slowly CRS have became strategic business unit (SBU) in its own way, because of one reason i.e., huge usage of this in airline (airline are using more because due to this they have increased their income or sales ratio). In 1980s airlines and CRS executives realized that air transportation was a fairly small and has large travel experience then travel agencies are demanded to increase the number of carriers from a single terminal and to increase the value of information on destination. CRS were developed to much and introduced GDS (Global distribution systems) by offering a huge range of tourism products, such as hotels and car rental reservations. SABRA system have developed there database to include their itinerary and inventory from other airlines, the same procedure have introduced in EUROPE to develop the Galileo and Amadeus GDSs, then GDS have became backbone of airlines by providing good communication between airlines and travel agencies. GDS will handle millions of tariffs in their database by making 40 millions of changes in their inventories in every month. Finally GDS have developed their standards to control more than 500,000 passengers records and nearly 2000 messages in each second. In 1990s GDS have became like a travel supermarket by offering information and reservation capacity by providing high level of travel products such as accommodation, car rental, exact plans for non- air transportation etc., GDS offer a chance for travel agencies to access their essential information on their screens and to develop the travel schedule (itinerary) from the convenience of one inter-connected system. GDS have became a one of the marketing, important procedure for scheduled airlines operational and strategic agendas as they can control and distribute the majority of airline seats. Due to some changes CRS results into four major GDS such as SABRE, world span, Amadeus and Galileo. These four GDS have the permission for recruiting the travel agencies and they select their own market place by increasing number of value added services for travel agencies and airlines. The below table will shows ho GDS moved highly successful business in their own way by getting and providing high profits for airlines, travel agents and others. S/ no Company Period ending Worldwide locations segments per year (m) Total revenue (m) Operating expenses (m) Operating income or loss Operating margin Other income Less taxes Net earnings /loss (m) Net margin Sales and marketing support: Airlines contain lengthy used internal Computer Reservation Systems. Airline are using this to co-ordinate easily with GDSs and with the airline Internet site in order to increase the sales and marketing by distributing inventory globally .airline is using these systems to issue electronic tickets and to sale their e-tickets in hyge number by travel agencies over all the world. Inter views suggested that they greatly need to encourage their web site as their primary reservation path and as an alternative to the GDS/travel agency route. Such systems link all partners in the handling process, automate procedures, and support smooth communication flow. Airlines try to do something by use technology to improve their effectiveness and therefore they attempt to combine new technologies such as electronic scales, stacker systems, handheld terminals, and bar coding to increase their usage competence and to reduce preparation costs. These systems will support the airline internally such as administration, accounting, and passenger or goods handling process by coordinate inventory management, sales and marketing, yield and revenue management, ticketing, and departure control systems and other departments. Airlines will use decision support systems to control traffic and bookings on computer reservation systems because in order to identify customer activities, traffic flows or trends, as well as the performance of followers and sales agencies. This system will also follow the pricing of their challenger for several city join up. These systems will also permit airlines to charge their situation against the performance of their competitors and also accept positive and immediate actions. A broad information foundation will show the way to more right decision for heart airline plan and arranged activities, such as marketing sales, schedule planning, yield management, and pricing. Distribution, marketing and sales support with partners In the past majority of marketing and distribution of airline are done by the travel agencies for the distribution of their products. Then now the air line are linked travel agencies is normally facilitate by the global distribution systems and they provide the info structure for the itinerary building and facilitate for the total transaction. Airline high level management employees have explained that they like to communicate with the travel agencies on Extranet, by using internet in order to avoid the GDS bookings fees. For example British airlines have developed a separate web site for the travel buy and sell (www.batraveltrade.com). They have developed this website to develop the extranet in order to make easy the process. Some of the travel agencies slowly find out the useful financial features. For example if the customers are using the credit card payment they will charge the airlines for the credit card payment, in the same way KLM provided the web fares for only extranet GDS fares are more expensive to cover the additional costs. Airlines also employed numbers of General Sales Agencies in all regions that they have to stop the person who are operating in their own office do not operate their own offices. They have appointed by international airlines to secure business from IATA and non-IATA agents in markets anywhere agency networks are so far to be fully automated and where airlines need monetary security to cover business risks. They also involved in their reservations and distribution in local and they will maintain the good relationship with the executives to promote the product in the market. Now a day the travel agencies are buying the seats in a large quantity and selling in local market by providing the discounts to customers. These discount rates, can be updated through online for the customers by using ICT Resource Management Systems Airlines are needed to maximize the consumption of their most expensive resources such as human resources and fleet, for that they have to ensure that their tools and aircraft are efficient and its ability fully used. Maintenance Control systems have manages some things such as aircraft maintenance, commercial, and operational requirements. Airlines have to make sure that aircraft and other equipment is frequently maintained and also that technical problems and unprepared services are deal with as capably as possible to minimize out-of-service periods whilst minimizing service disruptions. These systems are built-in with proper systems for allowing airlines to arrange parts and other consumables online, at the same time as engineering systems may be included for providing online manuals and technical support. Technical documentation management systems such as create, distribute, and manage complex technical data and documents. Hence, airlines aim to maximize task force utilization by improving maintenance, repair and repair performance. The airline will get this result by optimizing the supply chain network, aircraft downtime, and materials management. Airlines will manage their crew schedule through crew management systems. Planning duty schedule is a difficult process as there are several key limits including skills and they should have the ability to operate tools, level, immigration problems, rest periods, and cost of rest periods. Crew management systems use complete crew record to start pairing construction, schedule making, and crew manage in order to optimize the human resources performance. They need to be coordinated with all associated activities, such as flight arrangement, operations manager, crew contact, flight meeting, etc. These systems will also undertake a number of usual tasks, such as inspection legalities, publishing rosters and announcements, and administrate hotel accommodations, deadheads and pick-up services. Communicate setting up information with crews (notices) and next duty period (briefings) as well as information regarding flight load, crew composition, aircraft and airport details is also critical. A number of intranet solutions facilitate this process. It is the coordination of all these systems that ensures that airlines enjoy operational efficiency and are empowered to achieve their long-term strategy SWOT ANALYSIS: What is SWOT analysis? Swot analysis is a planned method; this method is used to extract the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in any business project. This analysis will identify the internal and external factors that are useful to achieve the product. Strengths: the point or a quality or a power of a company that are helped to achieve the product. Weakness: the point or a quality or a power of a company which are harmful to achieve the product. Opportunities: the external situations which are helpful to achieve the product of a company Threats: external circumstances which can do the damage to achieve the product. SWOT ANALYSIS OF ICTs IN AIRLINE INDUSTRY

Use of Fantasy in Langston Hughess On the Road Essay -- On The Road e

Use of Fantasy in Langston Hughes's On the Road Langston Hughes's short story "On the Road" begins and ends realistically enough: his protagonist, Sargeant, enters a strange town one winter's night during the Depression and finds himself without shelter, as many did during this era. Hughes gives Sargeant the additional burden of being an African-American in the "white" part of town; therefore, he faces the perfectly plausible obstacles of shelters that "drew the color line" and racist police officers who beat and imprison him. But despite the realistic beginning and ending of the story, Hughes places an elaborate fantasy segment involving Sargeant talking to a stone Christ who has "broken off the cross" in the story's middle. Hughes uses this fantasy segment to condemn the hypocrisy of many so-called Christians. That the town's "Christians" are hypocrites is established by Hughes before the fantasy sequence. Hughes foreshadows the Sargeant-Christ conversation by having the townspeople reacting in a very un-Christian, racist manner to Sargeant's desire to enter t...