A Research Study On Corn Dumping Into Mexico Post Nafta...

Provide a response to four of the following topics. Please identify which topics you are addressing and be sure to cite all information taken from course material. Each response is worth 15 points. *For accurate inference, researchers need to analyze data drawn from representative samples. Discuss some of the practical limitations to doing so for qualitative and quantitative approaches. Based on what we learned from lesson 12, there are two main camps of where researchers like to draw their data. Depending on what kind of an argument and analysis you want to make I think it is adequate to incorporate both. For example I am currently working on my capstone which is a discussion of corn dumping into Mexico post-NAFTA and the effects it has had on the peasant farmer in Mexico. I cannot just talk about the quantitative component of this action which included numbers on inflation, tons, subsidies, the price of corn, numbers and numbers and more numbers. What is going to bring it all together is the interviews in some of the documentaries about these displaced farmers in Mexico and a lot of the undocumented populations in the United States that were also displaced by the corn dumping policies of the United States after the implementation of NAFTA. With the qualitative approach I will be able to provide the depth component to my capstone because it will be focused on a small number of interviews of these farmers who represent many of the peasant farmers of Mexico.Show MoreRelatedEu, Nafta, Asean12786 Words   |  52 PagesAccording to the  Stockholm International Peace Research Institut e  (SIPRI), France spent more than â‚ ¬44 billion ($61bn) on defence in 2010, placing it third in the world after the US and China, while the United Kingdom spent almost  £39 billion ($57bn), the fourth largest.[110]  Together, France and the United Kingdom account for 45 per cent of Europe s defence budget, 50 per cent of its military capacity and 70 per cent of all spending in military research and development.[111]  In 2000, the United KingdomRead MoreInternational Management67196 Words   |  269 PagesHodgetts, Fred Luthans, Jonathan Doh. 6th ed. 2006. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-07-811257-7 ISBN-10: 0-07-811257-5 1. International business enterprises—Management. 2. International business enterprises—Management—Case studies. I. Doh, Jonathan P. II. Hodgetts, Richard M. International management. III. Title. HD62.4.H63 2012 658 .049—dc22 2011002070 www.mhhe.com Dedicated in Memory of Richard M. Hodgetts A Pioneer in International Management Education iii

Effectiveness of Social Networking Sites - 10096 Words

CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Human beings according to Aristotle are social animal. In this regard, it is not difficult to comprehend why social networking sites today have taken over the scene in the internet world. The success of social networking sites is due to the number of people living away from the people they loved, those people that they once frequently interact with or those people that would love to interact and keep track with people that they know that are not virtually around. This kept everyone in touch with the people that are not virtually around, as well as those people that you see every day. This works with a simple update on what is going†¦show more content†¦The increase in medium of marketing and advertising further add to such confusion. For instance, Dr. Rangathan further claimed that if a product claim is that it can fulfill the need of people with both dry and oily skin as it has some special ingredient/(s)/technology. One has to see how vulnerable the product is from c opying or duplication and what is there in the product that cannot be copied or duplicated. Mere telling of the story of adaptation without understanding the vulnerability would never help in the market place. The simple story of skin lightening products would tell us how the adaptation and vulnerability will go together. The great need of being fairer (with light or white skin) was well galvanized by companies initially. The first promise was that if one use the product for a particular number of weeks would become fairer. Many other companies later introduced their products with similar or near similar claims. Subsequent to that, the promise period got shortened from weeks to days to hours to get the desired benefit of skin lightening. Companies were trying to sell the promise than the product. Relative thereto, it is important to identify how advertising and promoting products through social media help the target consumer decide for or against patronizing cosmetic products. The m ention premises enable the researcher to come up with differentShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Social Media On University Education Essay1610 Words   |  7 PagesOver the past 500 years, the influence of the mass media has grown rapidly with the development of technology. Social media and more specifically social networking have gained a vast amount of attention as a key concept in innovative ways to communicate in university education. Although there has been a large amount of critique both by academics and citizens interested in the effects of social media on university education. 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Study revolves around the effects on youth of modern socializing in new era. Some recommend-aions are made on the bases on the findings of this study. Also, the study came out with some of the consequences of individual disorganization. Introduction Social media is known as new media with having many features.It provides many facilities likeRead MoreSmall Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted1744 Words   |  7 Pagescontribution of web-based social networking to the advent of progressive social movement and change. Gladwell’s bold declaration that the revolution will not be tweeted is reflective of his view that social media has no useful application in serious activism. Contrasting various elements of the â€Å"high-stakes† lunch-counter protests in Greensboro, North Carolina in the 1960’s with the â€Å"low-stakes† activism achieved through social media, Gladwell concludes that effective social movements powerful enoughRead MoreThe Importance of Social Media to Activism Essay1706 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Importance of Social Media According to Dictionary.reference.com, activism is the policy or action of using campaigning to bring about political or social change. A huge campaign that is well known across the world, the Civil Rights Movement, was brought about by Martin Luther King, Jr. King risked his life everyday to ensure justice and equality for the African American race. â€Å"Small Change† by Malcolm Gladwell gives insight on how activism is more effective than social media, especially from

Concept of Cross-Cultural Management-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Concept of Cross-Cultural Management. Answer: Introduction The following repot has been developed in response to the interview answers provided by Geetha, a young professional lady from Singapore who has been working in Australia in two different companies for many years. Geetha, as it has been comprehended from the interview, stays in Sydney and she is trying to stay fit in the Australian society and culture through adapting the relevant and ongoing social and cultural structure of the country. Due to the advancement of technology such as the sprawling up of internet and the increased awareness amongst people, cross-cultural management is becoming an essential tool with reference to interaction and the building of relationships amongst people belonging to different backgrounds (Thomas and Peterson 2017). Cross-cultural management is also important in order to promote multiculturalism and to eradicate racism (Ivison 2016). The main objective of this report is to analyze the cultural differences in terms of work environment between two nations drawing inference from an interview conducted of a person with reference to being born and brought in a different country and working in a different country. Further elaboration of the report would be made by highlighting some the personal details of the person being interviewed and the life of an expatriate (Kymlicka 2012). Additionally, a deep analysis with reference to working abroad would also be made with reference to the views given by the respective interviewee (Tjosvold 2017). Finally, the report would arrive into a conclusion by throwing light over the essential aspects with reference to cross cultural management and the importance of analyzing cross-cultural management as far as the future is concerned. Recommendations with reference to the effectiveness of cross-cultural management would also be made (Chanlat, Davel and Dupuis 2013). Interviewee information With reference to the interview conducted, the name of the interviewee is Gheeta who is originally from Singapore and currently working in Australia. Gheeta is a female who has been working in Australia for three years in her current organization. Previously, she worked in another organization in Australia for eight years. As imbibed from the interview, Geetha initially came to Australia with an objective to pursue post graduation and finally bagged a job after completion of a course of two years duration. Presently, Gheeta is working at a licensed pediatric care unit where the duration of work is only one day a week. Interview insights As implied from the interview, it is observed that the management of workplace conflict and negotiation in Australia is different from Singapore. Gheeta while being interviewed mentioned that in Australia, dichotomous situations with co-workers are managed and resolved in an amicable manner rather than being at the loggerheads at the workplace. In an Australian workplace, there are many methods with reference to addressing issues at the workplace amongst workers thereby implying that it is extremely important to adopt the various working methodologies with reference to doing things (French 2015). As far as the power distribution at the workplace in Australia is concerned, it follows an egalitarian approach in comparison to Singapore where the distribution of positions is quite hierarchical in nature. In the interview, Gheeta mentioned that in Singapore, doctors are considered superior to nurses. However, in Australia, doctors and nurses are considered to be on the same footing. The aspect relating to social relationships at an Australian workplace is individualistic in nature even while working in groups as imperative from the interview. This implies that the ideas of a person is respected and duly appreciated by peers and coworkers. Furthermore, teamwork in Singapore follows a collectivistic approach (Adekola and Sergi 2016). The work environment with reference to the relationships at the workplace in Australia is harmonistic in nature. As imperative from Gheetas interview, an employee can correct a Chief Executive Officer of a company. However, in Singapore, rectifying a mistake made by a person having higher status is considered quite disrespectful implying that the work environment in Singapore is mastery-oriented (Friedman et al. 2012). The time and pattern of work in Australia follows a monochromic approach at workplace. In Australia, punctuality is one of the most important factors with reference to the accomplishment of a specified task. Additionally in Australia, working for long hours is not the norm thereby maintaining a perfect balance between professional and personal aspects of life. On the contrary, in Singapore, the work culture follows a poly chronic method such as stretching beyond the stipulated hours of work. However, the pattern of work is dependent on the objectives of the organization in both Singapore and Australia. With reference to aspect of uncertainty and social control, Australia follows a universalistic approach. Geetha stated in the interview that every employee was provided an opportunity with reference to look at the problems within the union and impart their ideas for addressing the problems and find out ways for the improvement in order to effective functioning of the organization. However, in Singapore, the approach relating to uncertainty and social control is particularistic in nature thereby implying that not everyone is given a chance to address workplace issues. In the end, Gheeta recommended that while working abroad might be a daunting and experience for a first timer, it widens up the horizons and outlook of the person concerned. Additionally, working abroad would also result in the inculcation of multiculturalism in the person concerned. Furthermore, highlights that one should always go ahead when provided with an opportunity to work in a different country. Analysis of the Interview: Personal Reaction Level: With the help of the interview conducted with Gheeta it has been comprehended that she has been facing different challenges in terms of adaptability of culture and language. However, she has been trying to cope up with the new environment and circumstances. As a matter of fact, there has been a clear understanding that the Australian society has been a direct influence upon determining the cultural move and deciding the acceptability of the workplace culture in association with the social culture. For instance Geetha has narrated an example pertaining to the organizational behavior and the treatment to the working seniors. In Australia, she feels, there is a workplace harmony maintained by the organizational leaders. If the employees feel that the seniors are committing mistake he or she is rectified and there is a fair chance of acceptance. On the other hand, workplace culture in Singapore is slightly different from that in Australia. Rectification to the seniors is considered to be a disrespectful act by the subordinates. Analytical Level: With reference to the interview held with Gheeta, it is observed that working in another country helps to get to know the work culture of the particular country. Gheeta also pointed out that the experience of working in Australia has hitherto been incredible compared to Singapore. The interview presents an overview of the modus operandi of the Australian workplace. Furthermore, from the interview, one can conclude that the concept leadership with reference to workplace varies from country to country as influenced by the respective cultures, traditions values and customs. The interview also implies that it is important to respect coworkers irrespective of their backgrounds. This means that there should not be any form of racial discrimination in the workplace thereby promoting multiculturalism amongst workers. Additionally, the Australian workplace is quite liberal in nature as imbibed from the interview with reference to rectifying the respective Chief Executive Officer. As drawn fro m the experiences of working in Australia from Gheeta, it is imperative that any person with a broad outlook must explore opportunities with reference to working in Australia. Furthermore, it can also be observed that a workplace in Australia does not discriminate on grounds of religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural origin. Experience in working at a different country also helps in personal career growth and dealing with people from different cultures and backgrounds in a more effective manner. The most important aspect in the interview is the opportunity to be given to the employees to present ideas at the workplace. This implies that the employees in an Australian workplace help for addressing the problems and issues arising at the workplace through their personal approach. With reference to the globalization of national economies, nations have to adopt different ways of management at workplace. The interview implies that adapting to different cultures aids in understanding the modus operandi of workplaces in a better way with reference to the nations. Additionally, the interview also implies that in the contemporary world, cross-cultural management is extremely important for a person since it gives an opportunity to learn as far as working in various kinds of workplaces is concerned. Furthermore, the interview highlights that making a decision with reference to working in a different country might be quite daunting for a person but assimilating to a work in environment in a different country is a learning experience for a person. The interview also gives a reaction that misunderstandings and disagreements in an Australian workplace are resolved in an amicable manner rather than making personal attacks on each other. Self-belief amongst employees is the key thing with reference to the completion of a task at an Australian workplace. While the workplace atmosphere in Singapor e debars the questioning of higher authorities, the Australian workplace allows employees to criticize even the highest person in the workplace. This implies that the work culture in Australia is quite incredible as far as the promotion of equality amongst people in the workplace is concerned. Moreover, the work environment in Australia in comparison to Singapore is designed to motivate employees. Additionally, the Australian workplace lays emphasis over addressing people by their first names instead of titles that is contrary to the work culture of Singapore. The Australian workplace etiquette signifies that one should respect coworkers irrespective of their cultures and lifestyles (Okoro 2012). This implies that one should have the ability to work in multicultural teams thereby not developing any kind of racial attitudes towards coworkers. The internet has made it more feasible in order to get to know about the work culture and opportunities to work in different countries depending upon the rules and regulations relating to immigration such as work permit policies (Emmering and Boyatziz 2012). Current rules and regulations in Australia with reference to immigration imply that skilled workers outside Australia can immigrate to Australia based on their work experience, English speaking skills, educational qualifications, age and other concerned factors(Collins 2013). The interview also signifies that while working in Australia, Gheeta had more autonomy as compared to working in Singapore. This further implies that the Australian workplace allows employees to make their own decisions relating to the task in question compared to Singapore where the consultations of the superiors is one of the most important aspect while arriving at a conclusion of a decision relating to a particular task. The concept of equality at the Aus tralian workplace also sheds light upon the fact that people belonging to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community would be treated on par with while making applications for jobs and while exercising their job duties. This implies that any form of homophobic act would not be tolerated in an Australian work environment (Mann 2012). The Australian workplace also lays emphasis on punctuality and not working for long hours (Kawar 2012). On the contrary, the Singaporean workplace lays emphasis on multitasking and stretching beyond the normal working hours. As far as respecting people are concerned, people in Australia are respected for who they are and in Singapore, people are respected according to their positions in the society and the job duties they perform as per their occupations as imbibed from the interview. Working abroad also sprawls up cross border business transactions (Takahashi, Ishikawa and Kanai 2012). Additionally, it also leads to the enhancement in the revenue generation due to international trade. Furthermore, working abroad also results in the boom of the tourism industry of the respective country thereby leading to the sprawling up of hotels that leads to the creation of more and more employment opportunities. Moreover, planning to work abroad also improves the ability to take and mange risks thereby being more skilled to adapt to different cultures and being more responsive to cultural transitions (Caligiuri and Tarique 2012). The key thing for the efficiency of cross-cultural management is the promotion of multiculturalism (Modood 2013). Spreading the concept of cross- cultural management across the world is quite vital as far as the sprawling of multinational companies is concerned (Soutphomasane 2013). Cross-cultural management also plays an important role in the success of a diversified workplace (Mobley, Wang and Li 2012). Conclusion Therefore, from the above discourse, it can be concluded by stating that the concept of cross-cultural management is justified and appropriate. The above discourse signifies the work culture of Australia with reference to the interview given by Geetha who moved to Australia after being born and brought up in Singapore. Additionally, the interview also makes a comparison between the modus operandi of workplaces in Singapore and Australia. The above discourse further implies that promotion of multiculturalism is extremely important with reference to the efficient functioning of a diversified workplace. It is recommended that training in maintenance of diversity at the workplace should be imparted as a part of industrial training so as to promote equality at the workplace. It is further suggested that workplace bullying on racial grounds should be strictly banned and the propagators of such kinds of acts must be stringently dealt with. However, the above discourse fails to specify the m easures required in order to address the issues which arise in a Singaporean workplace. Thus, the comparison made between the workplace at Australia and Singapore in terms of cross-cultural management is analyzed and thoroughly explained as imbibed from the transcript of the interview. References Adekola, A. and Sergi, B.S., 2016.Global business management: A cross-cultural perspective. Routledge. Caligiuri, P. and Tarique, I., 2012. Dynamic cross-cultural competencies and global leadership effectiveness.Journal of World Business,47(4), pp.612-622. Chanlat, J.F., Davel, E. and Dupuis, J.P., 2013.Cross-cultural management: culture and management across the world. Routledge. Collins, J., 2013. Multiculturalism and immigrant integration in Australia.Canadian Ethnic Studies,45(3), pp.133-149. Emmerling, R.J. and Boyatzis, R.E., 2012. Emotional and social intelligence competencies: cross cultural implications.Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal,19(1), pp.4-18. French, R., 2015.Cross-cultural management in work organisations. Kogan Page Publishers. Friedman, R., Liu, W., Chi, S.C.S., Hong, Y.Y. and Sung, L.K., 2012. Cross-cultural management and bicultural identity integration: When does experience abroad lead to appropriate cultural switching?.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,36(1), pp.130-139. Ivison, D. ed., 2016.The Ashgate research companion to multiculturalism. Routledge. Kawar, T.I., 2012. Cross-cultural differences in management.International Journal of Business and Social Science,3(6). Kymlicka, W., 2012. Multiculturalism.Social Justice and the Welfare State, in: Gary Craig/David Gordon/Tania Burchardt, pp.53-75. Mann, J., 2012. The introduction of multiculturalism in Canada and Australia, 1960s1970s.Nations and Nationalism,18(3), pp.483-503. Mobley, W.H., Wang, Y. and Li, M. eds., 2012.Advances in global leadership. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Modood, T., 2013.Multiculturalism. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Okoro, E., 2012. Cross-cultural etiquette and communication in global business: Toward a strategic framework for managing corporate expansion.International Journal of Business and Management,7(16), p.130. Soutphommasane, T., 2013.Don't Go Back to Where You Came From. UNSW Press. Takahashi, K., Ishikawa, J. and Kanai, T., 2012. Qualitative and quantitative studies of leadership in multinational settings: Meta-analytic and cross-cultural reviews.Journal of World Business,47(4), pp.530-538. Thomas, D.C. and Peterson, M.F., 2017.Cross-cultural management: Essential concepts. Sage Publications. Tjosvold, D., 2017.Cross-cultural management: foundations and future. Routledge.

Sustainability of tourism in Bhutan free essay sample

Bhutans tourism industry began in 1974. It was introduced with the primary objective of generating revenue, especially foreign exchange; publicising the countrys unique culture and traditions to the outside world, and to contribute to the countrys socio-economic development1. Since then the number of tourists visiting Bhutan has increased from just 287 in 1974 to over 2,850 in 1992 and over 7,000 in 1999. By the late 1980s tourism contributed over US$2 million in revenues to the royal government. In 1989, the royal government raised the tourist tariff. That year only 1,480 tourists visited Bhutan but the government still earned US$1. 95 million through tourism. By 1992 tourist revenues contributed as much as US$3. 3 million and accounted for as much as 15-20% of the total of Bhutans exported goods and services. The royal government has always been aware that an unrestricted flow of tourists can have negative impacts on Bhutans pristine environment and its rich and unique culture. The government, therefore, adopted a policy of high value-low volume tourism, controlling the type and quantity of tourism right from the start. Until 1991 the Bhutan Tourism Corporation (BTC), a quasi-autonomous and self-financing body, implemented the governments tourism policy. All tourists, up to that time came as guests of BTC, which in turn operated the tour organisation, transport services and nearly all the hotels and accommodation facilities. The primary responsibilities of the Department of Tourism include ensuring compliance by travel agents with the tourism policy of the royal government, including the regulation of the number and segments of foreign tourists; fixation of rates for trekking, expeditions, and cultural tours; receiving of tourist payments and processing of tourist visas; issuing and ensuring compliance with guidelines and regulations related to tourism activities; ensuring conservation of culture, tradition, environment and protection against ravages of pollution and exposure from tourism activities; and developing new opportunities for generating growth and foreign exchange through protective tourism, and to undertake research and development in such areas. Currently the minimum daily tariff set by the Department of Tourism for both cultural tours and treks is US$200 for the high season and US$165 for the low season2. There is no quota or limit on the number of tourists allowed to visit Bhutan. Rather the volume of tourists coming to Bhutan has been limited by the capacity constraints of tourism infrastructure due to the pronounced seasonality of tourism in the country. March/April and October/November are the top tourist seasons as the weather is best for 85 Journal of Bhutan Studies trekking and cultural festivals are taking place in different parts of the country. So far the royal governments overall objective of maximising foreign exchange earnings while minimising adverse cultural and environmental impacts of tourism seems to have paid off. The tourism industry has made significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the country, especially after the privatisation of the industry in 1991. A high level of profits is available to tour operators and an increasing number of Bhutanese entrepreneurs are investing in the tourism sector. Bhutanese have also found employment as guides, cooks, transport operators, and hotel and restaurant owners. Tourism contributes significantly to rural incomes through earnings from tourist transport and portage. Tourism has also provided the impetus for the development of the service sector, including hotels, restaurants, transportation and communication. Another visible impact of tourism has been the promotion of the indigenous cottage industry and the setting up of handicraft shops in Thimphu and other frequently visited areas. Bhutans main tourism attractions are its traditional culture and way of life, its religious festivals, historic monuments and its pristine environment. Bhutan has received much international acclaim for its cautious approach to development that places a high priority on conserving the nations natural and cultural heritage. Protecting nature and culture is part of the Bhutanese value system and is an important aspect of the traditional way of life in Bhutan, and the tourism policy reflects these concerns. The policy of imposing a high tariff has succeeded in making tourism in Bhutan an exclusive and distinctive experience. However, with the increase in the number of tourists coming to Bhutan every year there is a need to monitor and evaluate the environmental and cultural impacts of tourism and offer measures to reduce any adverse impacts. World tourism is evolving as well as growing and tourists increasingly want to engage in recreational or sporting activities, learn more about local cultures or develop special interests. Among these special interests is the natural environment resulting in what is commonly termed eco-tourism. This offers new opportunities and challenges for Bhutan. 86 Sustainability of Tourism Bhutan is keen to develop its tourism industry in a way that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. It should be recognized that tourism in Bhutan has been sustainable so far due to the sound environmental and cultural policies of the royal government which has considerable authority over setting policy direction. The future sustainability of tourism will, however, depend on greater participation from the tourism industry. The tourism industry must realise that our environment and culture are the basic resources on which it thrives and grows. It must recognize its responsibility for conservation and sustainable natural resource management by committing to and working within principles and guidelines to achieve sustainable tourism development. The sustainable development of tourism will require partnership and cooperation within the tourism industry, and between the industry, government, tourists and people. Local input and involvement are also important for the long-term sustainability of tourism in Bhutan. If local residents and communities are part of tourist operations and receive benefits from tourism, then the goals of the local communities, tourism operators, and the government can be met. Environmental and Cultural Impacts of Tourism Although tourism in Bhutan is referred to as a model for other fragile mountain areas where there is much concern over the societys traditional heritage, there has emerged a number of pressing tourism-related environmental and cultural problems in the last few years. Among the problems currently encountered are3: The destruction of vegetation through the cutting of slow-growing trees for firewood. This is particularly more pronounced in Bhutans high alpine regions through which most of the trekking routes are located. The local people in these areas rely on wood for fuel and tourism adds more pressure on the forests. Erosion of delicate vegetation is another visible problem associated with tourism in Bhutan. Although tourism activities are not solely responsible for erosion in the high mountain areas, the use of horses and yaks during treks have a significant impact. Also local residents tend to increase the size 87 Journal of Bhutan Studies  of their domestic herds for transport contracts with the tourism industry, which in turn adds to the limited carrying capacity of fragile mountain ecosystems. The creation of garbage trails from the indiscriminate disposal of nonbiodegradable waste is another visible environmental problem associated with the tourism industry. It has been pointed out that tourism is promoting changes from sustainable farming and cropping patterns to other more profitable and less sustainable livelihoods to meet the needs of affluent tourists. Some people also argue that interactions with tourists have led to the erosion of Bhutanese culture and value systems. Several steps have been taken by the royal government to address these problems. The Department of Tourism has banned the use of firewood on treks. Tour operators now use liquid petroleum gas or kerosene. The Department also levies a fine of Ngultrum 5,000 on operators who continue to use firewood on treks and for littering. Although the fine is not very substantial, operators might not get trekking permits for the next season if they are charged with two violations in a particular season. The Department has also constructed permanent campsites, rest houses and toilet facilities along the more popular trek routes. The Department of Tourism has conducted several training courses for guides and has instituted a system of licensing cultural and trekking guides. All guides employed by any tour operator in Bhutan have to be licensed. This ensures that all guides have basic training in trekking and mountaineering techniques and are briefed on all aspects of tourism in Bhutan with special emphasis on the environmental and cultural issues. Problems that Affect the Future Sustainablity of Bhutans Tourism There are other problems associated with tourism in Bhutan that might affect the sustainability of the industry in the long run if they are not addressed now. These include: Seasonality : Tourist arrivals in Bhutan are subject to pronounced seasonality. March/April and October/November are the top months as the weather is ideal for trekking and religious and cultural festivals are taking place all over the country. January/February and June/July are the months. Sustainability of Tourism with the lowest activity as the weather is too cold or rainy for trekking and there are hardly any significant cultural events taking place. The seasonal nature of tourism leads to a highly inequitable distribution of visitors throughout the year adding pressure on the limited infrastructure during the peak seasons. As a result there is a severe shortage of facilities during the peak seasons and private operators resort to makeshift arrangements that may not meet the desired quality of service.. As such tourism is mostly limited to the western valleys of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Wangdiphodrang, and the central valleys of Trongsa and Bumthang. Insufficient Product Diversification: Tourism in Bhutan is so far mostly limited to cultural tourists, sightseers and trekkers. In 1999, out of a total of 7,158 tourists there were 6,328 cultural tourists and 830 trekkers. Although Bhutan has vast potential for other forms of tourism and special interests 89 Journal of Bhutan Studies such as sports tourism, adventure tourism and nature tourism, the process of product diversification is just beginning. The Department of Tourism lacks both Weak Institutional Base: manpower and finance to manage and monitor the tourism industry effectively. There is a lack of qualified manpower, particularly at the management and entrepreneurial levels. There are no formal hotel and tourism training institutes in the country. Most companies have problems in attracting and keeping adequately trained employees at all levels. Involvement of the Local Community: The government and local communities are now beginning to argue that local communities need to be more involved in the business and should receive more benefits from tourism. Local community involvement is currently limited to providing tourism transport and portage. Lack of Substantive Tourism Research Base: Proper research, surveys, feedback, statistics, data collection and processing and research related to tourism development are needed for making sound policy decisions in the future. Deterioration in Pricing Integrity: Although the governments policy allows a high margin of profitability to tourism operators, increasing competition has brought about undesirable results. This has led to a break down in pricing integrity. Operators are resorting to discounts and rebates to foreign operators in order to snatch business away from competitors. This practice not only has a direct impact on the royal governments policy of high value low volume tourism but also leads to deterioration in the quality of services provided. 90 Sustainability of Tourism Sustainable Tourism in Bhutan4 A few countries including Bhutan have demonstrated that tourism is not ugly. Bhutan is perhaps the best example where controlled tourism has been effective in ensuring the sustainability of the industry in the long run. It has contributed significantly to foreign exchange earnings and government revenues, to income and employment generation and to regional development to a certain extent. It has created opportunities for the development of locally owned and operated private sector enterprises. Tourism has been an important mechanism for publicising the countrys culture and traditions to the outside world, and interactions with tourists have contributed to a sense of national identity, making Bhutanese proud of their country’s unique culture and environment. Tourism has further enhanced the need to conserve the countrys natural and cultural assets. Bhutans tourism potential is considerable with comparative advantages in many areas to ensure economic growth and diversification. Cultural tourism, eco-tourism and adventure/sports tourism (rafting, canoeing, climbing) which are based on the countrys natural beauty, biodiversity and unique and distinct culture offer numerous opportunities for further development of the industry. The tourism industry can also generate jobs at a time when unemployment is becoming a problem with limited job opportunities in the government and private sector. Bhutan has a clearly established framework for the development of tourism. It has clear tourism policies, excellent tourism resources, a developing and expanding private sector, qualified and experienced personnel, established marketing channels and contacts. In short, the initial phase of setting up the tourism sector, of privatising the industry, and of establishing Bhutan as an exclusive, distinctive destination has been achieved. The future development of tourism should now involve a process of refinement whereby attempts are made by the industry itself to mitigate any negative environmental and cultural impacts; explore and develop the numerous niche markets, such as eco-tourism, that offer significant growth potential and are consistent with the other development objectives of the royal government; and increase the participation of local communities in tourism activities. 91 Journal of Bhutan Studies The future development of tourism should still be guided by the concept of high-value tourism and should include a well-defined and effective policy on sustainable tourism. Such a policy should continue to advocate caution and control instead of aggressive tourism development, and be inclusive rather than sector-based. The policy should also promote value consciousness and heritage conservation. Bhutan has considerable tourism resources today because of the cautious approach adopted by the government. This approach should be applied to policies regarding the future development of the industry to ensure that tourism development is consistent with the royal government’s goals of environmental and cultural preservation. A cautious and controlled policy will also allow periodic monitoring and review to ensure that the country’s tourism develops sustainably, avoiding the negative impacts of tourism. As tourism is a wideranging social and economic activity that is multi-sectoral by nature, such a policy should include inter-ministerial committees to facilitate coordination between different ministries, agencies, and the industry. Bhutan’s traditional way of life and  culture, its religion and its pristine environment have always been the main tourist attractions. A sustainable tourism policy should ensure that these values are promoted amongst visitors and that our cultural and natural heritage is preserved. The following are a few issues that need to be addressed urgently to ensure that tourism in Bhutan remains sustainable. Organizational Development: The future sustainability of tourism will depend largely on the effective functioning of the Department of Tourism and the industry association (Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators). To this end there is an urgent need to strengthen the capacity of the Department and establish an effective co-ordination and organization of the private sector. Product Development: The addition of facilities and services which will improve and enrich the tourism product, lead to greater visitor satisfaction, contribute positively in terms of environmental, economic and sociocultural impacts will further help to reduce the seasonal nature of tourism and also spread tourism activities and benefits to other regions of the country. There is also a need for the development of more niche, high-value special interest market segments e. g. Photography, zoology, ornithology, 92 Sustainability of Tourism botany, white water rafting. Related to product development there is a need for more emphasis on a classification system for tourism facilities and specification of minimum standards. Marketing Strategies: The collection and processing of more complete market information, and improved analysis of characteristics of market behaviour is another basic requirement for developing future policies and plans. Also the development of new products and attractions requires effective joint marketing initiatives that combine public and private resources. Human Resource Development: The development of human resources, not only within the Department of Tourism, but also within individual private operators and other bodies is a must for the success of future programs. With careful planning and management of the industry and the appropriate inputs, the tourism industry in Bhutan could well surpass its economic expectations without eroding the cultural and environment of the country. To this end several initiatives have already been undertaken to a) build up the resources to finance development of the industry b) involve all relevant partners in drafting future policies related to tourism; and c) form an industry association that will take steps to promote, encourage and assist in the development of tourism in Bhutan. The Tourism Development Fund The Tourism Development Fund was set up by the Department of Tourism in 1999 to fund tourism development in the country. The Department collects US$10 per visitor from tour operators and it is intended that this fund will be available for the maintenance of tourism infrastructure, joint marketing programmes, and development of new tourism products (ecotourism and adventure sports such as white-water rafting and kayaking). The fund has also been utilised to set up the office of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO). The Tourism Development Committee 93 Journal of Bhutan Studies Tourism is not a sector in itself but a wide-ranging social and economic activity that is multi-sectoral by nature. As such, it poses problems of coordination between a variety of different government ministries and agencies. For this reason special inter-ministerial committees or councils are necessary to provide the necessary degree of co-ordination useful to ensure that tourism development plans take into consideration the concerns and sensitivities of all the sectors involved. In Bhutan the Tourism Development Committee was established with the following functions: a) to act as the apex body to oversee all matters related to tourism development in the kingdom of Bhutan; b) to provide advice and guidance to the Department of Tourism in carrying out its functions; c) to approve all plans and programs drawn up by the Department of Tourism in consultation with the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) and other relevant organizations on an annual basis; d) to approve the annual budget for the development of plans and programmes to be allocated out of the Tourism Development Fund (TDF); and e) to act as a medium between the government and the private sector and facilitate effective and expeditious resolutions of issues emerging from time to time. The Committee consists of 12 members from government agencies as well as the private sector. It is hoped that the wide representation on the Committee will ensure that issues related to the cultural and natural integrity are addressed at this committee during the development of future plans and policies. The Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) The Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) was formed in December 1999 with the overall objective of bringing together all the private sector interests involved in the tourism industry. One of the objectives of ABTO is to establish a channel for closer and more effective collaboration between the tourism industry and the Department of Tourism. ABTO is also the first step that the industry has taken to create a mechanism for self-control and self-regulation. Ecotourism 94 Sustainability of Tourism The royal government has realized that it is now time to think strategically about the need for and the impact of future development of tourism in Bhutan. There is a need to monitor and review the impacts of current policies and to develop further guidelines to ensure that the industry grows in a sustainable manner. Numerous policy documents of the royal government, including Bhutan 20205 and The Middle Path- Bhutans National Environmental Strategy6- have recognized the need to promote ecotourism as a way to achieve sustainable tourism development in the country. There is considerable scope for ecotourism in Bhutan as it offers significant growth potential and is consistent with the other development objectives of the royal government while enhancing the cultural integrity of local people. The countrys rich biological resources that includes over 165 species of animals and more than 770 species of birds offer vast opportunities for ecotourism. Also within Bhutans borders there are over 60% of the endemic species of the eastern Himalayan region. Bhutans rich floral wealth also includes more than 50 species of rhododendrons and over 300 species of medicinal plants that are used in traditional herbal medicine. Such a rich natural environment coupled with the royal governments conservation policy are what make Bhutan a prime destination for ecotourism. Ecotourism is considered the fastest growing market in the tourism industry today and with Bhutans enviable resources, it should explore ways of developing this market. Bhutan must, however, be careful and aware that not all forms of ecotourism are well designed. As in other sectors of tourism, lack of planning and foresight even in well-meaning ecotourism projects can cause serious negative impacts. It may lead to the exploitation, and destruction of ecologically fragile areas where tourists might not have been allowed if not for ecotourism. Proper management is needed to reduce the adverse impacts on environment and culture from other forms of tourism. Developing this niche market will require a national strategy to balance nature-oriented tourism, foreign exchange earnings, and protection of the natural resources such as protected areas. Therefore, it is imperative that the government and the industry define ecotourism in the Bhutanese context, addressing both tourism policy and the potential for specific nature-related tourism products. Such an exercise will help determine the nature of ecotourism development in Bhutan. Ecotourism must be compatible with 95 Journal of Bhutan Studies  effective conservation and operate within the areas natural capacity, for the regeneration and future productivity of natural resources. Ecotourism must minimise ecological footprints and give proper consideration to local cultures and local people in the areas they visit, and ensure that these people have an equitable share in the economic benefits of tourism. Ecotourism must be undertaken in Bhutan very carefully so that it is a positive force for conservation and environmental protection that also provides a unique opportunity for raising awareness and enhancing support for conservation. Therefore, if Bhutan is to explore its ecotourism potential, the following investments will have to be implemented7. Marketing and Marketing Survey The first stage in developing the nations ecotourism industry will be to conduct basic market research to determine the types of infrastructure, information, trips, and accommodations that will attract potential tourists. With proper and active marketing of the uniqueness of Bhutan as a tourist destination, it is likely that tourists might be willing to pay more than the current minimum tariff to experience Bhutans biodiversity and culture. However, it must be recognized that the promotion of opportunities must go hand in hand with the development of more information about biodiversity, training of guides, and development of infrastructure. The royal government and the tourism industry must undertake a marketing survey to better understand the potential for this type of tourism in Bhutan and to identify specific areas where Bhutan has a comparative advantage. Training and Capacity Building A weakness in Bhutans present tourism is the lack of well-trained and knowledgeable guides, especially for specialist tours like bird watching, photography and flora tourism. A formal system of training and accreditation will help the country provide the high standards expected by specialist tourists. Ecotourism requires trained guides who have knowledge of specific parks and other sites and who are able to identify the biodiversity of the region. The Biodiversity Action Plan of Bhutan points out that many local residents in Bhutans parks have considerable expertise of the local biodiversity and that the prospects of using them as guides should be explored in order to increase employment opportunities for them. 96 Sustainability of Tourism The Biodiversity Action Plan also proposes that Bhutan encourage natural history tours with organisations that can supply their own guides with some knowledge of the region and pair those visiting guides with local people who could enhance their own knowledge. In the long-term strategies will have to be developed to build up this important human resource that is a vital component of ecotourism. Information Although much has been written about Bhutans rich biodiversity and pristine environment, there is a genuine lack of interpretive materials that can be used by interested visitors to Bhutan and school children, particularly field guides and biodiversity tour guides. For ecotourism to be a success the royal government and the tourism industry needs to invest in the development of basic scientific information on the countrys biodiversity. Infrastructure Promoting ecotourism in Bhutan will require the development of appropriate infrastructure. Although this type of tourism traditionally requires fewer infrastructures than other forms of tourism, many countries have built elaborate facilities within protected areas in the name of ecotourism. Such developments have given ecotourism a bad name with protestors calling it eco-terrorism instead. The development of ecotourism in Bhutan should be limited to development of trails and access routes, and basic interpretative facilities like visitor centers. It is recommended that the development of infrastructure for ecotourism in protected areas undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment to ensure the suitability of the project and to prevent costly environmental degradation. 97 Journal of Bhutan Studies The Role of the Government The role of the government is important to ensure that the low-impact scale of ecotourism is not exceeded and that proper planning is undertaken before ecotourism initiatives are implemented. Strong government controls are also necessary to ensure that tourism practices by the private sector are environmentally and culturally sustainable. In most countries, ecotourism has either failed or not lived up to expectations as it has been promoted without an overall strategy, effective protected areas management plans, and without consultation or inclusion of local communities. Therefore, the government must adopt a national ecotourism strategy to improve the environmental and cultural success of ecotourism. Such a strategy should aim to co-ordinate government and private efforts to achieve positive economic, environmental, social, and cultural impacts of tourism. Excessive or unmanaged visitation adversely affects ecotourism sites, both ecologically and culturally. Also the ecological and cultural value of the sites diminishes if visitation is not managed properly. Limitations on visitors must be imposed in order to maintain the ecological and cultural integrity of a ecotourism site. The Biodiversity Action Plan for Bhutan advocates that the most derisible approach to control visitor number is to maintain the existing fee charged by the royal government, while setting limits to the total number of tourists visiting the country and allocating tradable rights to the existing tour operators. The document argues that operators would thus have to pay the government the current $70 per visitor per day fee, but then would be free to charge what the market would bear. Using this approach, the government would also seek to direct visitors to other parts of the country or to other seasons of the year through either regional quotas or limits in hotel construction in the more busy regions of the country. 98 Sustainability of Tourism Current Status of Ecotourism in Bhutan. Several workshops on ecotourism have been conducted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), the World Wildlife Fund, and the Nature Conservation Division (NCD) of the Ministry of Agriculture. An Ecotourism Management Plan for the Jigme Dorji National Park was drafted in 1998. Also the Integrated Community Development Programmes (ICDP) that are being implemented in several areas have made attempts to get local communities more involved in managing tourism within their own communities. Such community-based tourism is being encouraged in Laya and Soe within the Jigme Dorji National Park. The RSPN has drafted an Ecotourism Management Plan for Phobjikha valley which has been declared a conservation area for the endangered Black-Necked Cranes. The ecotourism management plan for Phobjikha aims to integrate the conservation of the winter habitat of the Cranes and development of the Phobjikha valley by providing the local community with ecologically sustainable income opportunities to boost the local economy. The programme aims to promote the development of alternative energy, eco-tourism, conservation and education programs, Black-Necked Crane research, and monitoring and development of infrastructure for ecotourism. As such the Phobjikha programme is the first real attempt at developing ecotourism in Bhutan. The prime objective of the RSPN is the conservation of the winter habitat of the Black-Necked Cranes. The society hopes to achieve this by promoting ecotourism in the area. The society works closely with the International Crane Foundation (ICF), based in Wisconsin, USA, which organises tours for its members to Phobjikha every winter. The International Crane Foundation pays US$100 per person over and above the regular tourist tariff to the RSPN to support its work. The RSPN gives 50% of such earnings to the Phobjikha Area Development Committee, a local community organisation. The Bhutanese tour operator also pays RSPN 10% of its earnings from any group that comes through the ICF. The RSPN uses the money to maintain the basic infrastructure in the area. So far, the RSPN has built a photography hide from which to observe the cranes and also developed footpaths to improve access in the area. It is also building a 99 Journal of Bhutan Studies visitors centre and is educating tourists and other visitors on the need for conservation in the Phobjikha valley. Although critics are of the opinion that promotion of ecotourism in Phobjikha attracts more tourists and thereby cause more disturbances to the cranes, the RSPN program with some refinement can be a good model for ecotourism in other areas as it: a) offers a source of financing for development or maintenance of an important natural site; b) promotes local economic development; and c) provides needed foreign exchange and national benefits. This is the first such project in Bhutan that endeavours to promote partnership between an international organisation, a local tour operator, an NGO and the local community. More active commitment and involvement of the tourism industry and the participation of local communities in tourism activities, including the sharing of financial benefits, are important ingredients for the future success of ecotourism in Bhutan. The government must continue to play the lead role in policy and programme co-ordination, which are developed in partnership with the tourism industry and local communities. One of the most quoted benefits of ecotourism is that its success rates are much higher if it is conducted as a partnership between the government, the tourism industry and local communities. Bhutan has immense potential as an ecotourism destination and it must explore ways in which this form of tourism can be implemented effectively in partnership with the private sector and local communities. 100 Sustainability of Tourism Conclusion Bhutan is in a very fortunate position in terms of tourism. While tourism resources are being destroyed elsewhere, Bhutans assets in the form of its natural environment and culture are well preserved. The international community has lauded the countrys policy of giving the highest priority to environmental and cultural preservation. This has further increased the profile of Bhutan as a prime tourist destination. The tourism industry has created a wide range of opportunities for Bhutanese who have begun to grasp economic opportunities offered by the industry. Tourism has also been a self-financing mechanism for promoting the countrys environment and facilitating an awareness and understanding of the uniqueness of this country. Tourism has resulted in some adverse impacts but the government has recognised the need to address them. Tourism has also promoted Bhutanese culture by creating employment opportunities for traditional musicians and dancers and encouraged the resurgence of local festivals in different parts of the country. Although the government still maintains control over the industry, it has become much more diverse and complex since it was privatized in 1991. The private sector is being more involved in not only monitoring itself but also in developing future tourism policies. Tourism bodies like the Tourism Development Committee and the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators have been established to foster partnership between relevant sectors involved in the industry and within the industry itself. Both the organisations are still in their formative stages but have crucial roles to play in determining the future sustainability of tourism in Bhutan. Ecotourism offers a way of achieving the benefits of tourism in a way that is consistent with the countrys development philosophy. Adventure sports: rafting and kayaking is another form of tourism that is being promoted in Bhutan. Bhutan has a comparative advantage in this area as it is endowed with free-flowing and challenging rivers. Opening up rivers around the country for white-water rafting and kayaking will bring tourism to parts of the country that are otherwise not visited and help distribute tourism benefits to these areas as well. Other innovative schemes8 such as providing meditation centres in national parks, replicating traditional and religious festivals so that the real ones are not corrupted, and sponsoring exhibitions 101 Journal of Bhutan Studies of traditional ethnic minority cultures with the aim of returning a fair share of tourism revenues to these communities, offer avenues for sustainable tourism. A Tourism Master Plan is under preparation and once completed will provide a guide to the future development of the industry. However, there should be extensive consultation between various stakeholders before the document is formally approved and implemented. So far the governments policy of high value-low volume tourism has been successful in regulating the growth of the industry and maintaining the number of visitors at an acceptable level. To ensure that our valuable tourism resources are developed in a cautious manner the government must continue to regulate tourism through its pricing policy. It is also time for the government to think of a well-defined and effective policy on sustainable tourism, especially ecotourism. Only the government can provide the strategic planning base for tourism and ensure that valuable and fragile habitats are identified, that baseline monitoring is carried out, and that the overall needs and implications of tourism are assessed. For major developments, environmental impact assessments should be carried out. The tourism industry also has a fundamental role in maintaining the sustainability of tourism in Bhutan. Individual firms can take the lead role by showing how self-regulation can work in practice, by taking voluntary action to reduce pollution, by initiating and abiding by the Codes of Best Practices, and by educating clients. The tourism industry association must continue to develop and adopt such codes of conduct and good practice, and provide members with the information to implement them. The industry association must also develop mechanisms for effective selfregulation and introduce sound environmental practices. Lastly, local involvement and input are essential for the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of tourism in Bhutan. If local communities are involved and have a stake in tourism activities, it will be in their interests to ensure that tourism is sustainable. Furthermore, partnership between the government, the private sector, and the local people can open up a wide range of opportunities that make good economic sense and benefit all the partners. Tourism will be sustainable only if 102 Sustainability of Tourism Tourism planners and operators give due consideration to the carrying capacity of our natural resources, recognise that people and communities, customs and lifestyles contribute to the tourism experience and, therefore, accept that these people should also get some of the benefits from tourism. Notes 1 Edward, Inskipp â€Å"Sustainable Tourism development in the Maldives and Bhutan,† UNEP industry and Environment, vol 15, no. 3-4, July-December 1992. P. 34. 2 These prices include services for land transport, accommodation, food, sightseeing, guides and cultural programs. 3 National Environment Commission, Royal Government of Bhutan: The Middle Path-National Environmental Strategy for Bhutan. 1998. â€Å"Tourism and Its Effects on the Culture and the Environment† p. 52 4 Sustainable tourism in the context of this paper means that tourism continues to generate revenue, especially foreign exchange; publicize the country’s unique culture and traditions to the outside world; and play an active role in the country’s socio-economic development in a manner that is consistent with the royal government’s policies aimed at sustainable development. Sustainable tourism therefore means that the growth of the industry will place emphasis on the preservation of the country’s culture, environment and traditional lifestyle.

Price Wars free essay sample

The key players in the wireless industry are Verizon Wireless, ATT, Sprint, and T-Mobile. With these four companies controlling 90% of the market, there are no other ‘key players’ in the industry. U. S. Cellular is not quite a ‘key player’, however they do hold approximately 2. 4% of the customer nationwide and must be in the overall picture. In addition, the data suggests that the pool of potential people that would get a cell phone is almost entirely saturated so it does not look as if there is any room for additional competition. If a price war will reduce margins, as the case suggests, why would any company ? embrace this strategy? Price is the most attractive marketing gimmick to attract competitors’ customers. As the case told, the cell phone subscribers have nearly topped 260 million in the US and the country’s population is 305 million. The remaining 45 million maybe too young for a cell phone or they have already decided they do not want to have a cell phone. We will write a custom essay sample on Price Wars or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This condition created no more new customer so wireless companies will compete each other to attract its competitors’ customers. Certainly, the existing customers will be reluctant to move to another wireless company without an interesting offering. The existing customers have to change their cell phone number that is not comfortable so the company should attract the competitors’ customer by offering low price. In the middle of rigor competition, the company should put attention to the competitor-based method to set its price. Furthermore, the case told that low price would have a risk of causing harm to their economic bottom line. Thus, the wireless company should formulate the marketing gimmick to compensate its low price. For example, Verizon lowers its voice plans price but in the flip side Verizon eliminates the data plan bonus. In addition, JP Morgan estimates that only 2% of wireless subscribers will end up with lower bills. Price wars do not always harm the companies or reduce margin as a whole business but it will stimulate company’s creativity to create a marketing gimmick to attract competitors’ customers. On what other strategy elements could the wireless companies compete? With a potentially unsustainable pricing war, companies will need find other methods to compete with each other. Currently, ATT and Verizon both battle back and forth between whose networks are bigger and whose 4G data speeds are faster. As the cellular data speeds continue to increase, this will surely continue to remain one of the major competition points between the service providers. Another competition point that is beginning to emerge is the ease and frequency with which customers can upgrade phones. With the capabilities of the new smartphones changing almost daily, customers who want the newest, best phone will be likely to move their contract to a provider who allows them to upgrade more often. These additional services are things that some customers will be willing to pay more for and can offer the service providers a way to help boost the margins that have been hacked by the pricing war. Which wireless provider do you use? Why? Given the benefits of each firms wireless ? program, did you make the best provider choice? Justify your answer. One team-member uses ATT as the wireless provider because his employer pays for the service. The building in which they are located is made of steel, making it problematic for cellular signals to penetrate. Of the four major providers, ATT is the only firm that is able to service our office, which is where the majority of employee phone usage takes place. Due to this functional issue, our wireless provider options were severely limited. Nevertheless, ATT still manages to offer a price break, and as a business this makes the plan more cost effective. Additionally, our employees were utilizing smartphones years ago, when ATT had an unlimited data plan. This plan feature has been extended for our company, which is not available at the same price point with other wireless providers.

SWOT Analysis of Apple Inc. Essay Essays

SWOT Analysis of Apple Inc. Essay Essays SWOT Analysis of Apple Inc. Essay Paper SWOT Analysis of Apple Inc. Essay Paper History of Apple Inc. Since its origin in 1976. the Cupertino headquartered transnational has recorded monolithic growing beyond the industry of personal computing machines. It has become a taking participant in planing and marketing consumer electronics. computing machine package and distribution of digital media content. Although sing a period of coggling gross revenues of its personal computing machine line and ouster of Steve Jobs in 1985. the acquisition of Next in 1996 marked a turnaround for the company. With Steve on board. the CEO led a corporate doctrine of prioritising recognizable merchandises and simpleness in design that has established Apple Inc. . a shaping trade name through its revolutionizing nomadic media merchandises and calculating devices ( Gupta A ; Prinzinger. 2013 ) . In today’s information and engineering sector. Apple Inc. is arguably among the most advanced organisations incorporated in the last four decennaries. Although being an information engineering giant that brought to the market merchandises and services that revolutionized the planetary consumer markets. Apple’s success emerges from incorporating advanced engineering with Steve’s airy personality. stressing corporate secretiveness and simpleness of undertaking squads in merchandise design ( Mallin A ; Finkle. 2011 ) . The success narrative of the corporation is attributed to its mileposts in the 2nd reign of Steve. including the world’s 2nd largest information engineering company by gross. the 3rd largest nomadic phone shaper. and the most admired company from 2008-2012 ( CrunchBase. 2014 ) . SWOT Analysis Performing a SWOT analysis involves the rating of a company based upon its internal strengths and failings. alongside external chances and menaces to obtain elaborate position of its hereafter. Organizational Strengths Invention The information and engineering environment show a clime of accelerated growing with rivals endeavoring to carry through better merchandise portfolio through invention. Apple accomplishes invention through relentless oppugning. re-imagining and iterating on every facet of the merchandise through design. development and selling. to condense it into a signifier. which straight meets their customers’ demands ( Webb. 2012 ) . This invention civilization enables the company design and market revolutionizing merchandises despite confronting tougher competition every morning. This civilization being nurtured since its origin enables the company to prolong its impulse by working at the same time on hardware. package and services that derive great client experience ( France-Presse. 2013 ) . Invention sustained through proactive orientation enables the company to avoid cases. it would see complete out-performance of nimble rivals. Consequently. the company emphasizes incremental inventions and the extension of its merchandise line to work emerging market spreads and output optimal client experience. The secretiveness nucleus emphasized by Apple doctrine. sustains a originative ambiance within the company through close competition between undertaking squads. Clarity of focal point by the Apple Design Teams enables the undertaking members to travel to extreme lengths in work outing the most intricate of jobs and give to detail that leads to the holistic merchandise experience ( Webb. 2012 ) . Against the modern-day feeling that invention outputs solutions to challenges confronting the organisation. Apple sustains existent subject and echt appetency for achieving better merchandises and services. which involves concentrating on terminal users in the full development procedure. Given the modern age of ubiquitous invention. Apple’s think-different image enables the company to present market-disrupting merchandises by concentrating on inventions that suit the consumer market it understand and the originative market it focuses upon ( Ezop. 2011 ) . Although rivals are besides advanced. the originative agitation of its merchandises including the iPod. Mac Pro and iOS7 demonstrate Apple’s advanced civilization. a nucleus competency driving it towards future success. Design With rivals working difficult to turn over out the alone design in their merchandises. Apple derives its repute from its merchandises that generate unbelievable trade name trueness. The company sustains this through handpicked design squads that commit on a outlook that extend beyond the completion of the undertaking within the stipulated clip. Here. the company nurtures a collaborative environment and committedness of different squads in researching new kingdoms of possibility. and polish all parts of the development procedure to present a superior solution ( Webb. 2012 ) . Sing the eternal competition posed by challengers such as Nokia and Samsung. Apple sustains its big customer-base by striking back with merchandises that revive its design infinite. The company manages this through product-line extensions and incremental inventions that provide a makeover such as the iOS7 owing to its alone multi-layered and semitransparent experience aimed at wowing end-users acquiring bored wit h Io ( Tokerud. 2013 ) . Emphasis on alone design infinite in Apple sustains the company’s repute that attracts immense client trueness. With its clients wishful of high-end merchandises. the company achieves this by piecing a design squad of huge endowment to prolong its repute of quality digital media and calculating devices. For case. Apple’s specifying qualities are about utilizing: easiness and simpleness with an intense focal point on cut downing the component down to its most simplistic and indispensable footing ( Webb. 2012 ) . The company accomplishes this through repeated paradigms by make overing on the product’s bantam inside informations. This translates into a differentiation channel that facilitates the company’s innovativeness right from its research centres to the selling of its merchandises. Similarly. Apple leading in the design infinite furthers the Apple civilization of invention. which attracts client trueness demonstrated in strong fiscal public presentation ( Jurevicius. 2013 ) . Organization Weakness Premium Pricing Apple Inc. carves out a market place through its premium pricing scheme attributed to its quality-packed merchandises and alone designs. While the company markets its merchandises viewed as high-end devices to bring forth the best client experience. it risks losing out its market portion to rivals siting high with cheaper merchandises utilizing the Android operating system. Sing the tough economic times strangulating the disposable incomes of consumers. Apple hazards losing loyal clients in India and China as they switch to cheaper trade names from rivals ( Jurevicius. 2013 ) . Although the company leverages its economic systems of graduated table. it continued invention. ensuing in packaged merchandises that attract premium monetary values that hardly factor in the client fiscal affordability. This forces clients to seek inexpensive replacements from rivals. Incompatibility of Apple Operating System Apple merchandises operate through unique hardware and package system that is entirely compatible with its merchandise series. In this respect. terminal users are limited to Apple merchandises and experience surety. as they can non incorporate with merchandises from other makers. unlike their opposite numbers utilizing Microsoft runing systems. This limitation is unpopular in consumer markets pitching towards planetary integrating. therefore the penchant to remain accustomed to competitors’ merchandises including Microsoft and Intel merchandise lines. This leads to stagnant market portion with possible to worsen as Apple can non act upon its possible clients and carry them to leap into utilizing Apple’s closed ecosystem merchandises. therefore a long-run gross border diminution ( Jurevicius. 2013 ) . Switch overing to merchandise lines compatible with selected merchandises from other makers would protect the eroding of its market portion. Organization Opportunities Explosive Demand of Smartphones and Tablets The desire of consumers to encompass technological promotions that enable them to deduce maximal end product from their Mobile and calculating devices is driving an explosive demand of smartphones and tablets. In a dramatic mark of how consumer gustatory sensations have shifted to new. more exciting radio merchandises. planetary factor gross for smartphones and tablets are lifting every twelvemonth as end-users find more value in their versatility and utility ( Segundo. 2013 ) . As these merchandises drive the demand for smart-connected devices ( SCD ) section following consumers switch to detailed use forms. it opens chances for tablet and smartphone makers. Sing that the market is still sing its accelerated enlargement period. Apple should work such chances by diversifying its tablet and smartphone lines through market-oriented attack to prolong and better its gross revenues gross. Growth in Mobile Advertisement The planetary demand of nomadic advertizement is speed uping in tandem with the mass incursion of nomadic phones across the universe. This arises in the aftermath of planetary interconnection in the information epoch owing to the technological promotion taking to low-cost communicating appliance. This presents an chance for nomadic advertizement channels as most organisations seek to retain direct contact with their mark clients. This is a dual-win chance for Apple to foster the incursion of its smartphones and prehend advertizement through its iAd advertisement platform ( Jurevicius. 2013 ) . As the company incorporates iAd in its closed ecosystem of its merchandise lines. this would interpret into gross beginnings given the personal relationships nomadic users set up with their phones. Entry to this nomadic advertisement section would tag a new beginning of gross as companies embrace iAd advertisement channel to make their consumers. Menaces Rapid Change in Technology Today’s environment is driven by rapid technological promotion that threatens its bing comparative advantages. This has made it easy for other technology-based companies encompassing the latest techniques let go of better merchandises every twenty-four hours. faster than Apple would alter its merchandise lines. Leting that. companies that fail to maintain abreast with the competition have seen their gross lines decline as clients switch to cheaper and better merchandises that yield more satisfaction for them. Apple may shortly fall a victim. Although Apple’s success is based upon advanced merchandises. acceptance of replacement merchandises such as Android by its challengers make its debuts have undistinguished impact in the extremely competitory market ( Jurevicius. 2013 ) . Particularly. the incursion of the Android operating system drains the power of iOS power. therefore reduced gross where Apple can non act upon consumers buy its merchandises. Agile Competition The company operates in extremely competitory sections where rivals are endeavoring to outwit each other through latest advanced designs. In peculiar. Apple faces menace from turning presence of reprisal merchandises and services from Nokia. Google and Samsung companies as they gear towards market enlargement. For illustration. Nokia is seeking to shoot fresh impulse into its smartphone scheme with merchandise releases that answers the iPhone domination ( Parker A ; Ward. 2009 ) . This would consequentially cut down gross as other companies adopt a similar scheme. besides the entry of new operators in the Apple-dominated sections. Sing the looming force per unit area from Samsung’s over cardinal constituents interpreting into higher monetary values for its application processors. Apple faces lifting production costs that could farther gnaw its long-run net income borders. already sing gradual eroding by the incursion of rivals’ merchandises. Drumhead Extension of the merchandise lines under its simpleness and leading design scheme enables Apple to prolong its enormous growing in the information-technology and consumer electronics sector. Although variegation of the company’s merchandise portfolio to integrate digital media and nomadic merchandises attracts immense gross. client focal point in its merchandises has grown Apple to the most valuable organisation. Unlike its challengers. Apple applies a alone doctrine of better invention and its lead in the design infinite to foster its trade name repute that translate to stronger fiscal returns. However. the company must endure down stiff competition from challengers such as Samsung. Nokia and Microsoft through high-end inventions. Furthermore. variegation to work chances such as nomadic selling channels and unsaturated SCD markets would give more gross. Unless Apple keeps gait with the technological promotions such as Android easing the release of merchandises by its challengers. curtailing its loyal clients to a closed ecosystem of its merchandises is neer plenty screening to its long-run nutriment of its trade name repute. MentionsCrunchBase. ( 2014 ) . Apple. Retrieved January 08. 2014 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. crunchbase. com/company/apple Ezop. ( 2011 ) . The Patterns of Successful Innovation. Retrieved January 08. 2014 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. ezopandassociates. com/nwsltr201109. html France-Presse. A. ( 2013 ) . Apple’s ‘magic’ and invention its biggest strength. says CEO Tim Cook. Retrieved January 08. 2014 from hypertext transfer protocol: //gadgets. ndtv. com/mobiles/news/apples-magic-and-innovation-its-biggest-strength-says-ceo-tim-cook-330109 Jurevicius. O. ( 2013 ) . Strategic Management Insight of Apple. Retrieved January 08. 2014 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. strategicmanagementinsight. com/swot-analyses/apple-swot-analysis. Html Mallin. M. L. . A ; Finkle. T. A. ( 2011 ) . Apple Inc. : Product Portfolio Analysis. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies. 17 ( 7 ) . 63-74. Parker. A. . A ; Ward. A. ( 2009 ) . Noki a main pledges assault on Apple in war of the smartphones. Financial Times. Segundo. E. ( 2013 ) . Combined Smartphone and Tablet Factory Revenue to Exceed Entire Consumer Electronics Market This Year. Retrieved January 08. 2014 from hypertext transfer protocol: //press. ihs. com/press-release/design-supply-chain-media/combined-smartphone-and-tablet-factory-revenue-exceed-entire Tokerud. J. ( 2013 ) . Apple Strengths and Weaknesses 2013. Retrieved Janaury 08. 2014 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. tokerud. com/apple-strengths-and-weaknesses-2013/ Webb. J. ( 2012 ) . 10 Success Principles of Apple’s Innovation Master. Retrieved January 08. 2014 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. innovationexcellence. com/blog/2012/04/30/10-success-principles-of-apples-innovation-master-jonathan-ive/

Shirley Chisholm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

Shirley Chisholm - Essay Example She was active in the League of Women Voters, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Political League, and the Brooklyn branch of the NAACP, and served in the New York State Assembly from 1964-68, the first black woman from Brooklyn to serve in the Assembly. In 1968 Shirley Chisholm ran for U.S. representative from the Twelfth District under the slogan, "Unbought and Unbossed" and won the election by 788 votes. She attended the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago as a New York state national committeewoman. The first black woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, Chisholm voted against the anti-ballistic missile and the SST, co-sponsored a day-care facilities bill with Bella Abzug, supported the Equal Rights Amendment and the right to abortion, and helped to found the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971. Chisholm entered the presidential campaign in 1972 and earned 152 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach before withdrawing her candidacy. She served in Congress until 1982, continuing to work for equal rights for blacks, women, and other minorities. She was married to Conrad Q. Chisholm in October 1949. Chisholm commented on her 1972 campaign for the presidency: "I ran because someone had to do it first. In this country everyone is supposed to be able to run for President, but that's never really been true. I ran because most people think the country isn't really ready for a black candidate, not ready for a woman candidate. Someday. . . ." ( The Good Fight, Chapter 1, 1973) When Shirley Chisholm decided to make a historic run for Congress in 1968, her candidacy was greeted, once again, with dismay by black male politicians within her district. Publicly they voiced concern about Chisholm's "independence" from the local Democratic leadership, but privately they objected to her because she was an uppity woman. Chisholm won the primary only to discover that her Republican opponent James Farmer (the former director of the civil rights organization Congress of Racial Equality) planned to make a campaign issue of her gender. His strategy backfired; and Chisholm, who had cleverly responded by organizing the women of her district, beat Farmer by a margin of 2.5 to 1. Four years later when Chisholm entered the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, she faced an even more uphill battle. First, the Democratic front-runners had more money and larger, professionally trained campaign staffs than did Chisholm. Second, Chisholm's race and gender made her candidacy "suspect" in the eyes of the press, the political elite, and among many voters; few people were willing to see her as a "serious" candidate (a point she laments in her account of the 1972 campaign, The Good Fight). Third, Chisholm's candidacy created a political dilemma for two groups, feminists and the civil rights establishment, predisposed to support her. Should they support her because of her strong congressional record on women's rights and civil rights, or should they use their political clout to extract promises of support for their issues from someone (like George McGovern) who stood a better chance of capturing the Democratic party's nomination In the end, although

Critical success factors (MBA) Assignment Essay

Critical success factors (MBA) Assignment - Essay Example This paper will review the literature on what are the key factors that determine success of any project. The term success factor itself has been defined different by different researchers. While Clarke (1999) refers to it as ‘key success factors’, Belassi and Tukel (1996) call it the critical success/failure factor. Cooke Davies (2002) calls them merely ‘success factors. According to Torp et al. (2004, pp2) noticed â€Å"CSFs to projects moved from a mechanistic approach to success determination which was relying on purely technical system and the traditional Cost-Time-Quality constraints to a combination of social and technical systems†. Cooke-Davies further clarifies that project success is more difficult than project management success because the goals and methods are liable to change. Project success is measured against the overall objectives of the project while project management success is measured against the cost, time, quality and performance. Cooke-Davies further distinguishes between success criteria and success factors. People also differ on the number of success factors that are critical for project success. Daniel (1961), in an article published in Harvard Business Review, highlighted the type of information needed to support top management activities. He recognized the significance of non-financial data in order to achieve organizational goals and suggested that an organization’s information system should be centered on providing three to six success factors that help an organization achieve success. Rockhard in 1979 defined critical success factor (CSF) as the limited number of areas in which satisfactory results will ensure successful competitive performance for the individual, department, or organization (ESCC, 2006). He stressed that CSFs are the few key areas which have to be just right for the organization to flourish and for the manager to achieve

Film Mini analysis City of God ( 2002) Assignment

Film Mini analysis City of God ( 2002) - Assignment Example A lot of people start chasing the animal and shouting at others to catch it. The narrator, whose nickname is Rocket (Buscape), finds himself very close to the chicken and tries to grab it. At this point he realizes he is right in the middle of the way with the police and the criminals at each side. He starts talking about how it is harsh to live in that favela and says an expression that can be literaly translated into: "If you run away, the beast catches you, if you stay still, the beast eats you". That means that there are no options once you are in that place, in that kind of situation. The only question is how you're gonna make it until the next day. This scene is intense since its beginning because it shows how desperated the chicken is to escape. All other chickens are being killed and scalped, but that one managed to run away while the motion of the camera can capture that escape closely. However, the lucky chicken will probably be eaten sometime later. That might be the case with people. Some of them struggle not to get involved in the surrounding criminality, but not all of them succeed. Rocket and many others lived the same reality.

Relationship between Social Groups and Religious Beliefs

Relationship between Social Groups and Religious Beliefs Assess sociological explanations of the relationship between social groups, religious beliefs and religious organisations Different social groups, all show different trends in relation to religious beliefs and religious organistions. This essay will only very briefly touch on the difficulty of defining religious organisations, as this is not its focus. It shall split the social groups into three major categories, age, ethnicity and gender; and attempt to distinguish reasons behind varying levels of religiosity. Religious organisations are difficult to define. Many sociologists, from Troeltsch to Wilson, attempt to define into four different categories, churches, denominations, sects and cults. There however is the problem when there are components which fit many different categories, this can arise when religions change current form (e.g Christianity started off as a small sect eventually becoming a church with its own denominations) as well as times when religions have properties of multiple categories (the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, sect or denomination?). Different social groups are generally attracted to different religious organisations, in the class system there is evidence that people of lower classes tend to lean towards world-rejecting sects whilst higher classes choose world-accepting churches and cults. There are clear differences in religious beliefs and participation between genders. Whilst there is a large majority of men in priesthood running churches (some changes in recent times in the Anglican denomination however only last month, October 21st, numerous news outlets reported how conservatives within the church were rebelling against such changes are leaving to join Catholicism) the majority of people who practice inside religions are female. This is shown by in 2005 1.8 million women in England were churchgoers, as against 1.36 million men. This supported Miller and Hoffman (1995) thesis that women express greater interest in religion and attend church more often. Other sociologists put forward similar theories with Bruce (1996) estimated that twice as many women were in sects then men. In attempt to explain these differences the Davie analyses the differences between women and menà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s proximity to birth and death, she assumes that men do not have as close conn ection to these life processes meaning women are closer to the ultimate questions. This can be criticised as using the term closer to the ultimate questions is ambiguous, it could mean either closer to pondering about the question or closer to the answer; and even without the ambiguity it seems to overlook the men who work in professions where these life processes frequently occur and levels of non-belief among them, such as Doctors. Another explanation put forward for levels of female participation is that religion serves as a compensator for deprivation. Glock and Stark (1969) and Stark and Bainbridge (1985) argue that three main types of deprivation exist which are common among women explaining their high levels of sect membership. These include organismic deprivation, stems from physical and mental health problems, ethical deprivation, stems from evidence that women tend to be more morally conservative and social deprivation exists from evidence that women tend to be poorer. Assuming, without evidence, that Stark and Bainbridge carried out extensive research before coming up with their compensation for deprivation thesis it should be analysed to its validity in contemporary society. There have been many changes in society, such as wealth of women becoming higher, wages becoming more equal and receiving higher promotions than previously available; also there is evidence that women tend to vote, what would be g enerally be considered, more progressive or liberal could challenge Glock, Stark and Bainbridges thesis. In other social groups within society there is also evidence of varying levels of religiosity depending on ethnicity. According to policy studies institute (1997) the majority religions associate themselves with Christianity (around 72%) however different ethnicities make up this figure, ranging from white British members to those of black African or Caribbean origin. Other religions exist consisting of Muslims, Hindu and Sikhs make with almost all members coming from ethnic backgrounds originating in the Indian subcontinent. The Policy Studies Institute (1997) showed how white Anglicans where least likely to find their religion as important in their lives comparatively with African Caribbean Protestants who rated their religion as very important in their lives. Muslims were also found to have high levels of belief with Hindus and white Catholics being more in the middle of the table. Bruce (2002) attempts to explain these ethnic differences, he argues that religion is used as a cultural defense factor, becoming something to be unified under in an uncertain or hostile environment. This explains why migrants are more likely to be religious in a new country and explains why the native population inside a country has falling levels of church attendance. Bird (1999) supports this finding; he found religion as a unifying power within minorities. He also found that religion can aid with coping with oppression in a racist society, this is shown by the white churches in the UK not actively welcoming black Africans or Caribbean Christians. These both seem logical and explain how when migrants are integrated into society they start to leave the church. Will Herberg (1955) gives the reason, which isnt very different than Bruce of Cultural transition, instead of a means in which religion is used to defend culture; it is used as an integrator into new societies instead. This is also supported by the diminishing levels of religiosity among integrated social groups. It is most probable that both are equally relevant to ethnicity and religiosity, this, in fact, was shown by Ken Pyrces (1979) study of the African Caribbean community. There are big differences between the age of people and their religiosity. The general pattern is the older a person is the more likely they are to attend religious services. The English Church Census, however, found two exceptions to this rule. The under 15s are more likely to attend then other age groups because they are forced to do so by their parents, over 65s were more likely to be sick or injured to attend religious worship. It should be remembered that attendance at church, just as the levels of under 15s show, does not reflect accurately levels of belief. Other age groups could attend church for other elements, such as the social offering of religion, rather than the religious doctrine. Voas and Crockett (2005) attempt to explain these differences, they use the concept of the ageing effect, which is the view that people turn to religion as they get older. There is also the generational effect this is where each new generation becomes less religious than the one before. The latter being the imperative as its claimed that each generation is half as religious as previous generations. To evaluate this claim, the ageing effect, people starting to face their own mortality and turning to spirituality is in a sense logical. The church offers faith-based answers and provides a world in which death is only the beginning. It seems obvious that people facing the own demise would be attracted by this; it could also be supported by the evidence, English Church Census does support the idea that there is a higher number of older people than young in religion. The Kendal project showed people turn to spirituality when they get older therefore making them more likely to attend church . This supports the Ageing factor. The generational effect is supported by the English church census; the levels of the 15-19 year olds fell very sharply since 1979, showing how the new generation had a lower level of religiosity. Religiosity varies among lots of different social groups, the people who choose different religions generally all have different reasons for doing so. Ethnicity, gender, class and age are all different reasons why someone would want to join a particular religious organisation and have varying levels of religiosity. What is not explained however is what is the most important element, it is quite possible for a person to fit into all four categories, be a member of an ethnic minority; female; working class and young, what would, to this young female, be the most important part of her religiosity and her religious participation.