Managing Change in Organisations: Supermarket Case Study

Overseeing Change in Organizations: Supermarket Case Study Meena Bazar one of the chain stores of the Bangladesh which serve in Bangladesh from 2000. Meena Bazar, the principal really national grocery store chain was established with the guarantee of all year. Superstores are set to blast in the nation as the present market players are wanting to open a few hundred additional outlets in the following scarcely any years to adapt to the rising interest from the customers. With a solid 15-20 percent yearly deals development, around 30 organizations with in excess of 200 outlets have just made raid into the business since Rahimafrooz, one of the biggest business bunches in Bangladesh, presented Agora, a chain superstore, in the capital 10 years prior. Qualities of the Meena Bazar is Size considers serious purchasing terms, Strong senior administration, Flexible organizations. Chances of the Meena Bazar are Forming or consolidating a key coalition with providers, Growth of non-food, Growth of accommodation and conservative hypermarket positions, Effective utilization of Clubcard database to build bushel measure and Develop extra administrations. Meena Bazaar can effectively execute the hierarchical culture to the specialist. They have a clothing regulation in the outlets. From this the purchaser can undoubtedly tress out who will serve them and can support them. Another culture is that they are exceptionally mindful about the time. They have a decent hierarchical holding. The best hindrance to adjusting to constant change lies with the administration of individuals as opposed to innovation. In Meena Bazar, the consistent endeavors of compelling usage and use of the HR systems make it workable for the organization to perform well in the market. The expanding benefit yean in and year out is a proof of the fruitful HR practice. Viably using the new assets may require a transition to an item group structure. it might even require scaling back and the end of capacities that are not, at this point vital to the associations strategic. It appears that the serious issue experienced by Meena bazaar is because of the not very many outlets in everywhere throughout the Bangladesh. Furthermore, the issues additionally emerge in view of the deficient information on its administration about the utilization of vital administration and other administration frameworks. Presentation: Meena Bazar one of the chain general stores of the Bangladesh which serve in Bangladesh from 2000. Meena Bazar, the primary genuinely national grocery store chain was established with the guarantee of all year newness, moderate cost, and the most pleasurable and bother free family shopping experience for all. Holding consistent with this conviction, Meena Bazar has caught the hearts of customers everywhere. Because of our persistent extension plans, we are searching for keen, persevering and proactive youngsters to be a piece of our dynamic group. Here the Meena Bazar is the chosen association for the investigation and access this association for the discover our which will assist with doing hitter execution of it. Bangladesh chain superstores divisions: Superstores are set to blast in the nation as the present market players are intending to open a few hundred additional outlets in the following scarcely any years to adapt to the rising interest from the customers. With a solid 15-20 percent yearly deals development, around 30 organizations with in excess of 200 outlets have just made invasion into the business since Rahimafrooz, one of the biggest business bunches in Bangladesh, presented Agora, a chain superstore, in the capital 10 years back. The yearly turnover of the superstores now remains at around Tk 15.0 billion (1500 crore), as indicated by Bangladesh Supermarket Owners Association (BSOA). Bother free shopping condition, sterile products, new vegetables, meat and fish at the grocery stores are acquiring energy about the clients, showcase administrators said. The general store biggies have endeavored the gigantic development drive to draw in the customers, who despite everything rely upon spontaneous wet markets to purchase their day by day basics. They state that an ascent in sorted out retailing would offer the customers sterile nourishments at serious costs, contrasted with those offered by retailers in the kitchen markets, where items are sold for the most part in unhygienic condition. The ascent in the quantity of grocery stores, as per experts, will enhance the selections of customers and lift their spending, so genuinely necessary for financial development, while the wet markets will likewise improve quality and administrations following in the strides of general stores. Be that as it may, 10 years back, the retail-level exchange was in the possession of thousands of little dealers in the wet markets and the basic food item shops in urban communities and stayed out of the focal point of the huge business houses. The scene started to change in 2000 when Rahimafrooz Superstores, working Agora, moved in to hold onto a cut of the retailing and discount exchange, which has been developing at 6 percent, on a normal, every year. In the previous decade, numerous little and enormous grocery stores made presentation, effectively pulling in center and upper white collar class shoppers, a segment of whom are step by step diverting to chain stores from the wet or kitchen markets, superstore administrators state. Dhaka-based Agora presently runs four outlets, Meena Bazar nine remembering seven for Dhaka, PQS five, Prince Bazar two, Nandan five and Swapno 70 including 30 outside the capital. Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) additionally runs 11 stores in the capital. As per administrators, in excess of 600 chain retail outlets are relied upon to be set up in the following five years trying to draw in more clients. With the ongoing opening of an aggregate of 70 branches, ACI has differentiated the retailing business. Presently it intends to open around 500 stores in the nation in the following five years. Mamunur Rashid, showcasing director of PQS, said they are wanting to spread the super shop business by opening three additional stores this year and another 10 in the following a few years. The departmental stores with the principle center around food things running from a wide assortment of fish, meat, vegetables to organic products, pastry shop, dairy and basic food item things likewise offer an immense range of other family unit, individual consideration and various items. Shoppers can purchase as much as about 20,000 results of various types from such a store, the administrators brag. General stores have effectively made a discovery in the urban way of life with the possibility of every single fundamental product under one rooftop. In the beginning of the business, around 500 clients would visit a market outlet every day. Presently somewhere in the range of 5,000 clients go to a store regular, they state. Meena Bazar SWOT Analysis Qualities Size takes into consideration serious purchasing terms Solid senior administration Adaptable arrangements Solid hypermarket portfolio Inclusion the Mega City Dhaka Expanding level of speculation Solid value message and offer at serious cost than the competetors Growing non-food and online offer Effective conveyance Shortcomings Can not spread the outlets everywhere throughout the Bangladesh Expanding topographical spread makes center around explicit Markets troublesome Presented to macroeconomic troubles in certain business sectors Global development requires significant venture High dependence on Dhaka Market Poor CSR and network sway Openings Shaping or consolidating a vital collusion with providers Development of non-food Development of comfort and conservative hypermarket designs Viable utilization of Club card database to expand crate size Build up extra administrations Dangers Faces scope of various contenders globally Expanded degree of eating out Move towards premium doesn't sit with Meena Bazars conventional qualities Prohibitive arranging rules Political restriction to the intensity of stores will in general spotlight on Meena Bazar Vermin Analysis for Meena Bazar (P)olitical Factors For business enactments, the administration urges retailers to give a blend of openings for work from adaptable, lower-paid and privately based employments to profoundly gifted, more generously compensated and midway found occupations. Likewise to satisfy the need from populace classifications, for example, understudies, working guardians and senior residents. Meena Bazar comprehends that retailing greatly affects occupations and individuals factors (new store advancements are frequently observed as decimating different employments in the retail division as customary stores leave business or are compelled to reduce expenses to contend), being an innately nearby and work concentrated area. Meena Bazar utilizes enormous quantities of; understudy, debilitated and old laborers, regularly paying them lower rates. In an industry with an ordinarily high staff turnover, these laborers offer a more elevated level of devotion and consequently speak to alluring workers. (E)conomical Factors Monetary components are of worry to Meena Bazar, since they are probably going to impact request, costs, costs and benefits. One of the most compelling components on the economy is high joblessness levels, which diminishes the viable interest for some merchandise, antagonistically influencing the interest required to create such products. (S)ocial/Cultural Factors Current patterns show that British clients have moved towards one-stop and mass shopping, which is because of an assortment of social changes. Meena Bazar have, in this way, expanded the measure of non-food things ready to move. Segment changes, for example, the maturing populace, an expansion in female specialists and a decrease in home feast readiness imply that Bangladesh retailers are additionally concentrating on included worth items and administrations. Likewise, the center is presently towards; the own-name portion of the business blend, the gracefully chain and other operational upgrades, which can drive costs out of the business. National retailers are progressively hesitant to take on new providers. (T)echnological Factors Innovation is a significant large scale natural variable which has affected the advancement of a considerable lot of the Meena Bazar items. The new advances advantage the two clients and the organization: consumer loyalty rises since merchandise are promptly accessible, administrations can turn out to be more persona

Euro Disney: First 100 Days

The greatest factor that ascribed to Euro Disney’s disappointment is maybe its aspiration of attempting to oblige a wide range of nationalities and taking care of an enormous European populace without recognizing the objective market and further comprehend its amusement inclinations. When all is said in done, Disney should thoroughly consider the assets expected to satisfy its focused on advertise, all the more significantly it ought to figures out what are the key parts that added to Disney’s achievement, and whether these segments are transferable across social limits. The absence of understanding social contrasts has forestalled Disney to practice its center competency of conveying great administrations to its visitors. While certain Disney’s qualities are effectively transferable to Euro Disney, for example, building captivating rides and attractions, making various topics and dreams land, choosing a focal area that are effectively available for visitor, and giving a total get-away bundles by building lovely retreats around amusement park. The core of Disney’s key achievement, be that as it may, exists as far as its can tell and cast member’s cooperations with the visitors. Above all else, Euro Disney doesn't has the assets to convey a similar nature of clients administration as found in the US and Japan, Europeans laborers has distinctive hard working attitudes, and they don't normally reveres the American culture and in this manner are not eager about having the Disney soul to develop inside them. Also, Europeans are habituate to scholarly diversion, and top notch food encounters; which are not what Disney is about. Thirdly, on the grounds that Euro Disney’s endeavor to take into account such a large number of nationality, it has not appropriately characterized its focused on advertise, thusly incapable to modify a framework that works for dominant part of the visitors. All together for Euro Disney to be effective, Disney need to make sense of who the objective clients are, and how might they pull in rehashed visitors or draws new guests. From that point, they can adjust to the way of life, and make bargains to fulfill its clients that satisfies Disney’s guideline.

Controlled Drugs in the Controlled Substance Act

Controlled Drugs in the Controlled Substance Act Addiction Drug Use Print Controlled Drugs in the Controlled Substance Act By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Updated on January 20, 2020  Moussa81 / Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery In This Article Table of Contents Expand 5 Schedules of Drugs Schedule I Drugs Schedule II Drugs Schedule III Drugs Schedule IV Drugs Schedule V Drugs View All Back To Top Controlled drugs are substances that are controlled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This act categorizes all substances, which are regulated under federal law into “schedules,” depending on how potentially dangerous they are. 5 Schedules of Drugs The five “schedules” of drugs, detailed below, should not be confused with the five “classes” of drugs, a different way of organizing drugs according to their main properties. The five classes of drugs are narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids. The schedule the drug is placed under depends on its medical use, its potential for abuse, and its safety or how easily people become dependent on it. Careful consideration has gone into this categorization. The control of drugs through law exists to protect people from the harm that these drugs can do. It is based on research from many different sources into the potential harmfulness of the drug, both to individuals and to society. The Many Potential Legal Ramifications for Using Drugs Schedule I Drugs Schedule I drugs or substances have a high potential for abuse. They currently have no federally accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. Examples of Schedule I substances include heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), and methaqualone. Schedule II Drugs Schedule II drugs or other substance also have a high potential for abuse. They differ from Schedule I drugs in that they do have a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions. Abuse of schedule II drugs may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. Examples of Schedule II substances include morphine, phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, methadone, and methamphetamine. Schedule III Drugs Schedule III drugs or other substances have less potential for abuse than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II. They have a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence. Examples of Schedule III substances include Anabolic steroids, codeine and hydrocodone with aspirin or Tylenol, and some barbiturates. Schedule IV Drugs The drug or other substance has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule III. The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule III. Examples of drugs included in Schedule IV are Darvon, Talwin, Equanil, Valium, and Xanax. Schedule V Drugs The drug or other substance has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule IV. The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in Schedule IV. Examples of Schedule V drugs include cough medicines with codeine. Is It Actually Illegal to Use Drugs Without a Prescription?

The Creation of Israel was the Turning Point - 2997 Words

Following the partition plan in 1947, the state of Israel was created in 1948. I will be discussing the extent to which the creation of Israel was a turning point throughout a hundred year period. The conflict can be split up into 3 different strands which include: Arab Israeli, Palestinian-Israeli, Western involvement. The Arab-Israeli conflict is the regional conflict that erupts in 1948 when the newly created Arab states invade Israel and is partially resolved by 1996. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the local conflict throughout the 100 year period between the native Palestinians and the Israeli’s, it is still unresolved. Western involvement represents the foreign nations that were associated in the conflict. My main argument is that the creation of Israel was the principle turning point for the Arab-Israeli dispute strand because; it transformed a civil war to an interstate conflict. I also feel that it was the principle turning point for the Palestinian-Israeli stran d because, it saw a huge change in policy and led to the dissolution of the Palestinian people with many fleeing into surrounding Arab nations, this is known as the Palestinian problem. The Suez crisis was the pivotal moment for the Western Involvement strand because it saw a new era with the start of the Cold War’s influence in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The creation of Israel meant that the Israeli’s were able to fulfil their long term aspiration of creating their own state, which had been fuelled byShow MoreRelatedThe Treaty Of The Old Testament1718 Words   |  7 Pagesmake a promise, or make a covenant with them. However, an important distinction needs to be made here. A promise can be broken without severe consequence. 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Consumer Attitudes Towards Growth Of Amana Takaful Insurance - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2248 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Changing consumer attitude towards growth of Amana Takaful Insurance Introduction The need for safety and security is very basic to human nature. In todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, world one cannot think of trade and commerce without insurance. No financial planning and risk management can be complete without life insurance. The concept of insurance as it evolved initially was an arrangement of mutual help in times of need and distress rather than a business proposition for risk management as practiced today. Takaful is derived from an Arabic word which means solidarity, whereby a group of participants agree among themselves to support one another jointly against defined loss. In a Takaful arrangement, the participants contribute a sum of money as wholly or partially tabarruà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (donation) into a common fund, which will be used mutually to assist the members against a defined loss or damage (Islamic finance service board report 2006) Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Consumer Attitudes Towards Growth Of Amana Takaful Insurance" essay for you Create order Takaful is a risk management concept that is based on mutuality and partnership. When simply translated Takaful means Joint Guarantee in which several parties are involved. It brings people together in a joint effort towards safeguarding the interests of all by pooling in their donations so that the unfortunate few may benefit from the contributions of fellowmen. Thus, they become joint owners of the fund and help safeguard its interests. The rise of Takaful was due to the perennial need for a scheme of insurance void of interest, uncertainty and chance to be replaced with transparency, justness and mutual benefit. Takaful is an Islamic insurance concept which is firmly grounded in Islamic financial principles, observing the rules and regulations of Islamic law. This concept has been practiced in various forms for over 1400 years. (https://www.takaful.lk/takaful_conceptnew.php) Amana Takaful insurance started its operation on 1998 pioneering the Takaful concept in Srilanka. Currently company offers both General and Family insurance solutions. Listed in the Colombo stock exchange and operations have expanded to many part of the country and also in Maldives. Amana Takaful is the first insurance company in Srilanka to pioneer the process of refunding surplus at the end of each policy term. (Amana Takaful Annual Report 2009) The need of Takaful is currently felt in the market with the introduction of many Islamic financial solutions as well as dedicated Islamic financial Units among the conventional institutions; recently the numbers have been on increasing trend. Presently Amana Takaful insurance provider in the country and has been in the forefront of spreading the word of the Takaful way of insurance that has grown to be liked by many and revered by all for more than 10years. Peoples awareness about the Takaful industry in the country has increased during the last decade. Currently Takaful has 18 branches in the country and fully fledge operation in Maldives. With the current peaceful situation in the country economy is expected to grow and Oppurtunities for insurance industry growth is very high. To reap the benefit of the current development Amana Takaful insurance should be equipped with all the resources to face challenges posed by the market. The purpose The purpose of the research is to explore the mechanism to change consumer attitude towards growth of Amana Takaful insurance. Goals of research To identify the reason for customer purchase of Takaful Oppurtunities for Takaful Insurance To Identify The challenges in the market To Identify the required changes in the company for growth Importance of the issue Currently only Takaful operator in the country and being in operation for ten years company profit margin remains very low comparatively to the conventional competitors. Identification of core cause of the situation will be beneficial to plan in long term and identify the appropriate future direction of the company. Literature Review According to Billah (2001) the objective of Takaful is to diversify the risk among the members. In a practical sense, Takaful can be visualized as a method of joint guarantee among participants against loss and damage that may be inflicted upon any of them. The members of the group agree to guarantee jointly that should any of them suffer a catastrophe received certain amount of money to meet the loss and damage Islam aims at establishing a peaceful society. Peace in the society can be ensured only when there is guarantee against à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Riskà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (subsistence) for all individual constituting the fund-pooling institute. Insurance is to act as a risk transfer mechanism, to provide peace of mind and protect against losses. Either can handle risk: assumption, combination, transfer, or loss prevention activities. Insurance schemes utilize the combination method by persuading a large number of individuals to pool their risks into a large group to minimize overall riskà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Ali, 2000). According to Al-Omar (1996) the risk sharing is very important with in Islamic finance. The shariahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s manages the risk sharing by insisting on the use of well- defined contracts when financial transactions taken place. The contract is to be clear and well formulated to avoid all kinds of misunderstanding and confusion. In this way the uncertainty is lowered and the desire to minimize the risk is met Conventional insurance and Takaful has certain operational differences According to Archer Abdel (2002) the shariahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s does not allow certain condition as interest (riba) and gambling or speculation (maysir). From shariahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s point of view, business and investments made by Muslims must be conducted in responsible and committed way. Further describing the distinctions Billah (2001) describes the distinction between the conventional insurance and Takaful business is more visible with respect to investment of funds. While insurance companies invest their funds in interest-based avenues and without any regard for the concept of Halal-o-Haram. Takaful companies undertake only shariah compliant business and the profits are distributed in accordance with the initially agreed ratios in the Takaful contract. Likewise they share in any surplus or loss from the pool collectively. Takaful system has a built-in mechanism to counter any over-pricing policies of the insurance companies, because whatever premium charged, the surplus would normally go back to the participants in proportion to their contributions. The nature of the principles of Takaful is different from the conventional insurance because all the operation in Takaful is in line with the Shariah principles. The operation of Takaful is based on the principle of Al - Mudhuraba which is profit and loss sharing techniques which is alternative to interest (Riba) in Conventional Insurance. In Takaful the element of uncertainty is eliminated as subscription and compensation is concerned Takaful in Srilanka Presently Amana Takaful is the only provider of Takaful insurance products and services to the market. Amana Takaful insurance has been in the forefront of spreading the word of the Takaful way of insurance that has grown to be liked by many and revered by all for more than 10years. Peoples awareness about the Takaful industry in the country has increased during the last decade. The versatility of the product range is also a strength that helped to satisfy the needs of customer. Currently Takaful industry lacks an strong and highly capitalized market to meet the growing demand of customers. Sixteen (16) of them are composite companies, Seven (07) of them engage in only General Insurance business and two (02) companies engage only in Long Term (Life). Currently , 43 insurance broking companies were registered with the IBSL in terms of Section 82 of the Act. Insurance Broking companies and Insurance Agents as intermediaries have made a valuable contribution to the industry. Presently the tariff is not observed in the market by the insurers. The gross written premium from Long Term (Life) and General Insurance Business in 2009 is added up to Rs.57,919 Million. In the year 2008, the overall gross written premium was Rs.58,166 Million. Corporate Governance Practice Generally, corporate governance in Islamic insurance institutions distinguish in many forms to that of its conventional counterparts, most importantly Islamic finance institutions need to ensure that they comply with the Shariah (Islamic law) meaning that unlike secular governance practices Shariah would first examine at the transactional structure to find whether the process involves any activities or elements that contradict the profits generation. Also Islamic insurance institutions must invite customers to contribute an active role in the governance process. Regulatory and legislative issues The insurance industry is regulated in terms of the provisions of the Regulation of Insurance Industry Act,No.43 of 2000 (RII Act). The Insurance Board of Sri Lanka (IBSL) was established under this Act in order to develop, supervise and regulate the insurance industry in Sri Lanka. Over the past year, the IBSL has embarked upon several activities to develop, supervise and regulate the insurance industry with a view to ensuring that the best interest of the Policy-holders and potential Policy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" holders. During the previous year IBSL has strengthened its monitoring process in order to ensure the financial stability of insurance companies and insurance brokers.By virtue of powers vested in the IBSL in terms of Section 15 of the Act, eighteen (18) Insurance Companies (Insurers) registered with the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka (IBSL), are presently underwriting insurance business. Methodology The method which will be used for the research is a combination of qualitative and quantitative. (van Maanen,1983) defined the qualitative method as an array of interpretive techniques which seek to describe, decode, translate and otherwise come to terms with the meaning , not the frequency of certain more or less naturally occurring phenomena in the social world. (Orna and Stevens,1995) describe research can be regarded as being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"searching by means of careful, critical investigation in order to discover something specificà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. In addition analytical and comparative approaches to research will also be applied where Appropriate by conducting scrutiny on relevant documentation with reasonable broad and in-depth study of the subject matter and making some comparison where necessary. This is to ensure coverage on the locus and focus of the issue under-studied are reasonably justified in holistic nature and thus retaining the scientific characteristics of this study (Mohd Nasir, 2004) Sampling Frame The population that has been identified in this study are the customers , employees, insurance users , financial institutes and potential population to insurance products. Quantitative research is justified here because the findings are expected to be representative of the target population. The larger the sample is, the more likely the results will be representative of a larger population (Rose et al, 2005; Saunders et al, 2000, p.155). The chosen sample, the method of data collection, the time requirements and the financial limitations. Judgemental sampling is a form of convenience sampling based on the judgement of the research in the selection of a relevant respondent to the study (Malhotra Birks, 2006, p.364). Both methods have also been chosen based on their small cost and time requirements (Saunders et al, 2000, p.177). Judgement will be used to analyse the individual motives to Islamic financial products Data collection Method Questionnaire will be design and use for gathering information required and further In order to establish the trueness of this assertion, interviews will be conducted with the sample. Field study using observation and interviews approaches will also be carried out in an effort to validate the above assertion in the hypothesis and thus ensuring the reliability of the findings from this study. The interviews were aimed at getting into the insight of the understudied issue from the perspective of the operators, users, regulators and both external and internal auditors. Secondary Research Research will involve secondary research and data will be gathered using sources such as journal articles, trade press and the internet. The aim will be to explore the mechanism and the possibilities of converting customers toward Amana Takaful insurance. Data collection process Two techniques used for data collection and questionnaire completion will be conducted through Emails and questionnaire delivery/collection techniques. Questionnaires delivered via email are easy to administer and to return. It also is cost advantageous. Email also guarantees that the respondent is representative of the target population. This technique also has the advantage of being more secure in terms of control, access and response (Witmer et al.,1999) and (Saunders et al., 2000). The other technique used is the delivery/collection of questionnaires was direct face to face interview with the sample population. Limitations The major limitation of this study is the methodology used for the sample, the research design, questionnaire design and the data collection. The sample can be seen as one key limitation for this paper in terms of representation and size. Even though the sample chosen limit the irrelevance of the findings, other demographics should have been considered. This would have allowed the results to be more representative of a broader scale. In addition, the size of the sample makes conclusions on open to critique. A large sample would have been tougher to get while including participants from different backgrounds and demographics, though it might have increased the relevance of the findings and the overall credibility of the research. Conducting quantitative research alone can be seen as a limitation as well. The validity of the results from the questionnaires would be better supported with the addition of a focus group or depth-interview. Access and Ethical Issues Access My personal influence will be used to make contact with the relevant individuals within the sample. Further relevant regulatory bodies will be contacted by an introductory letter, outlining the purpose of the research, how they might be able to help and what would be required. Ethical Issues Since the subject area surround some ethical issues pertaining to Islamic belief research will be conducted avoiding these matters and sensitive issues will not be taken up on the research.

The New World Free Essays

The Spanish, French and English explored America and left a lasting mark on the New World’s development. Different methods of colonization were used by the Spanish, French and English. The Spanish and English had similar ways of colonization, and the French had quite a different style. We will write a custom essay sample on The New World or any similar topic only for you Order Now When he Spanish conquered the New World, they were the most wealthy and powerful of the three. The Spanish brought epidemic disease that depopulated areas over many years causing civilizations to collapse, along with brutal killings of Natives. Spanish integration with the Indians over time resulted into a modern distinction between Latinos and Spanish into a new population. Forced labor and Christianity pushed the Spanish wealth into accidental discoveries of Tobacco, Chocolate, and Vanilla Spices. The English were similar to the Spanish of their brutal behavior towards the Natives, slavery and the epidemic of disease. On discovering the America’s, a belief of new shipping lanes were formed. This proved to be an advantage for trading because it provided quicker routes. Agriculture was founded and traded due to success of using slavery. Gold, copper and the products of farming were traded and used for power. The French had a very different approach unlike the Spanish and English, as they used commerce versus conquer. Accidently being discovered while exploring, the French came across the Natives and started trading furs. This turned out to be long lasting relationship and provided a different way to cohabitate with the Native’s, instead of taking the land. The Spanish, English and French had similarities that were common. The English colonies were better fed and clothed as the French and Spanish had much larger empires. Slavery, trade routes, farming and religion were very common of all, and benefitted in establishing the New World. Faraher, J. M. , Buhle, M. J. , Czitrom, D. , Armitage, S. H. (2009). Out of Many: A History of the American People (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. How to cite The New World, Papers

Influence of marginal and absorption costing mething and their similarities Essay Example

Influence of marginal and absorption costing mething and their similarities Essay Influence OF MARGINAL A ; ABSORPTION COSTING Fringy cost is fundamentally a portion of variable cost, which includes the direct labor, Direct Material and Direct Expenses. Fringy cost should be defined as the accounting system where variable system should be charged to the cost of units and the fixed cost for the period of clip which is to the full aggregative part. Its particular value is in determination devising. Fringy cost = Variable cost + Variable Overhead The fringy cost is straight with the volume of production and fringy cost per unit is the same, which consist premier cost that is cost of direct labor, stuff and other variable operating expense. It will be incorporate the fixed cost. The fringy cost is the cost which has been incurred to bring forth an excess unit of production is called fringy cost. We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of marginal and absorption costing mething and their similarities specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of marginal and absorption costing mething and their similarities specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of marginal and absorption costing mething and their similarities specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Example If an organisation has produce 1000 unit at cost of ? 20,000 Where as if the addition in 1 unit i.e. 1001 unit and cost would be ? 20200 Then MARGINAL COST would be ? 200. ADVANTAGES OF MARGINAL COST Fringy cost is fundamentally have an advantages of the cost control by and large facilitated to avoiding the fixed operating expense cost and concentrated on to the keeping the consistent of fringy cost utile to assorted degrees of direction. It is fundamentally help to understand to the variable cost and fixed costs. It besides shows the relationship between the cost, monetary value and their volumes. The fringy cost would be aid to the short term net income planning by the interruption even charts and net income graph, and aid to the direction determination. With the fringy cost company can acquire maximal return to the concern. The effects of the production and gross revenues policies are more clearly seen and understand with the fringy cost. Disadvantage There are certain disadvantages would be associated with the marginal costs which are as under. It is really hard to segregate to understand the all the cost which are fundamentally misdirecting the consequence. It should be ignored the fixed cost, which show different image at the clip. The job is that the over or under the overhead cost is apportioned on estimated footing and non on the existent. The clip factor is besides play an critical function where public presentation between two period will bring forth deceptive consequences. ABSORPTION Costing Absorption cost means the cost which includes all the fabrication costs which are absorbed by the unit of green goods. On the other manus, the cost of a finished unit in stock list will include direct stuff, labor and all the variable cost and fixed fabrication operating expense. Absorption costing is contrasted with variable costing or direct costing with the other fabrication operating expense. ADVANTAGES OF ABSORPTION COSTING In soaking up costing will traveling to include all the cost which are related to the concern activities like fixed cost, variable cost and production cost. This cost is besides used for the readying of the fiscal histories when the production of the company should be remains changeless but sale would be fluctuate. DISADVANTAGES OF ABSORPTION COSTING The disadvantages of the soaking up bing would be emphasised on the entire cost i.e. variable and fixed cost. It is non utile the direction for the devising determination about the planning and controlling. An illustration show that difference between fringy cost and soaking up cost. XYZ Ltd. is being started their operation in 2008. There is certain information available for May 2008 to July 2008 about the company s production. To cipher fringy and soaking up cost. Particulars ? Selling monetary values per Unit of measurements 100 Direct Labour Per Units 20 Direct Material per Unit 10 Fixed Factory Overhead Per Months 30000 Variable Factory Overhead per Unit of measurements 5 Fixed Selling Operating expenses 1000 Variable selling Overhead per Unit of measurements 4 Budgeted activities which was expected that 2000 units to be each month green goods and sold for each month were as follows MAY June July Unit of measurement SOLD 1000 800 1300 Unit of measurement PRODUCE 1000 1300 1000 MARGINAL COST Particular MAY June July Gross saless 100000 80000 1100000 Lupus erythematosuss: Variable Cost of Goods sold ( ? 35 ) 35000 28000 385500 PRODUCT CONTRIBUTION MARGIN 65000 52000 71500 Lupus erythematosuss: Variable Selling Operating expense 4000 3200 4400 Entire CONTRIBUTION MARGIN 61000 48800 67100 Lupus erythematosuss: Fixed mill Overhead 30000 30000 30000 Fixed Selling Operating expenses 1000 1000 1000 Net Net income 30000 32800 30100 Absorption Cost Particular MAY June July Gross saless 100000 80000 1100000 LESS: Cost of Goods sold ( ?65 ) 65000 52000 71500 A A 28000 38500 Attention deficit disorder: Absorption of mill operating expense 9000 -3000 GROSS Net income 35000 37000 35500 Lupus erythematosuss: Fixed Selling Operating expense 1000 1000 1000 Variable Selling Operating expense 4000 3200 4400 Net Net income 30000 32800 30100 MARGINAL COST Vs ABSORPTION COST After utilizing the two techniques we had seen that the net net income would non be same at every clip because of following ground. Over and Under Absorption overhead cost In soaking up costing, fixed operating expense can neer absorbed precisely because of trouble in calculating cost and volume of end product. If these balance of under or over captive because of costing net income and loss history, the existent sum incurred is non shown in it, whereas fringy costing is really fixed overhead incurred in entirely charged against part which will be some difference in net net incomes. Difference in Stock Valuation In fringy costing work in advancement and finished stock are valued at fringy cost but in soaking up cost it is calculated as production cost, and that is the ground net income will be different Many of clip soaking up cost and fringy cost consequence would be find as Absorption costing net income = Marginal costing net income Absorption costing net income gt ; Marginal costing net income Absorption costing net income lt ; Marginal costing net income

Struggle College Short Essay Essays

Struggle College Short Essay Essays Struggle College Short Essay Essay Struggle College Short Essay Essay The sun hit our backs hard as we ran through the picturesque Niles hills. â€Å"Two more miles to go†, yelled my teammate who was a few yards behind me, â€Å"and then man, we can finally get some water. † Well, there was not going to be any water for me; I was fasting for the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan, running on an empty stomach, and knew that the next drop of water entering my body would only come at sunset. Running those ten miles every day on nothing but the strength of will, epitomizes my true character and hunger for challenge in life. It is hard to imagine life without one having to face any challenges. A lot of the challenges we face as human beings are similar but what makes each person different is the way we face our challenges. Some people shy away from challenges and then there are others who do not push themselves to their limits and reach short of their goals. Then there are others that are able to overcome some of the challenges but eventually back down because they can not take the heat. I, on the other hand consider myself a fighter, someone who does not back down from life’s hardships and strive to fulfill my goals. And then we have a rare bread of people that are fighters. When the going gets tough and people around them start falling, these people stand tall while overcoming adversity. I describe my self as a fighter who doesn’t back down from a challenge but feeds on the pressure. I understand that life is not made up of smooth sailing all the time and you need to always fight through the thick and thin of life. I consider myself a fighter, someone who will work hard and push himself to his limits in order to achieve his goals and ambitions. Through such experiences I have come to believe that if I can put mind over matter there is nothing that I can’t accomplish.

Mexican Revolution Battle of Veracruz

Mexican Revolution Battle of Veracruz Occupation of Veracruz - Conflict Dates: The Occupation of Veracruz lasted from April 21 to November 23, 1914, and occurred during the Mexican Revolution. Forces Commanders Americans Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher757 rising to 3,948 men (during the fighting) Mexicans General Gustavo MaassCommodore Manuel Azuetaunknown Occupation of Veracruz -  The Tampico Affair: Early 1914 found Mexico in the midst of civil war as rebel forces led by Venustiano Carranza and Pancho Villa battled to overthrow usurper General Victoriano Huerta. Unwilling to recognized Huertas regime, US President Woodrow Wilson recalled the American ambassador from Mexico City. Not wishing to directly intervene in the fighting, Wilson instructed American warships to concentrate off the ports of Tampico and Veracruz to protect US interests and property. On April 9, 1914, an unarmed whaleboat from the gunboat USS Dolphin landed at Tampico to pick up drummed gasoline from a German merchant. Coming ashore, the American sailors were detained by Huertas federalist troops and taken to the military headquarters. The local commander, Colonel Ramon Hinojosa recognized his mens error and had the Americans returned to their boat. The military governor, General Ignacio Zaragoza contacted the American consul and apologized for the incident and asked that his regrets be conveyed to Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo offshore. Learning of the incident, Mayo demanded an official apology and that the American flag be raised and saluted in the city. Occupation of Veracruz -  Moving to Military Action: Lacking the authority to grant Mayos demands, Zaragoza forwarded them to Huerta. While he was willing to issue the apology, he refused to raise and salute the American flag as Wilson had not recognized his government. Declaring that the salute will be fired, Wilson gave Huerta until 6:00 PM on April 19 to comply and began moving additional naval units to the Mexican coast. With the passage of the deadline, Wilson addressed Congress on April 20 and detailed a series of incidents that demonstrated the Mexican governments contempt for the United States. In speaking to Congress, he asked for permission to use military action if necessary and stated that in any action there be no thought of aggression or selfish aggrandizement only efforts to maintain the dignity and authority of the United States. While a joint resolution quickly passed in the House, it stalled in the Senate where some senators called for harsher measures. While debate continued, the US State Department was tracking the Hamburg-American liner SS Ypiranga which was steaming towards Veracruz with a cargo of small arms for Huertas army. Occupation of Veracruz  -Taking Veracruz: Desiring to prevent the arms from reaching Huerta, the decision was made to occupy the port of Veracruz. As not to antagonize the German Empire, US forces would not land until the cargo had been off-loaded from Ypiranga. Though Wilson wished have the Senates approval, an urgent cable from US Consul William Canada at Veracruz early on April 21 which informed him of the liners imminent arrival. With this news, Wilson instructed Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to take Veracruz at once. This message was relayed to Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher who commanded the squadron off the port. Possessing the battleships USS and USS  Utah and the transport USS Prairie which carried 350 Marines, Fletcher received his orders at 8:00 AM on April 21. Due to weather considerations, he immediately moved forward and asked Canada to inform the local Mexican commander, General Gustavo Maass, that his men would be taking control of the waterfront. Canada complied and asked Maass not to resist. Under orders not to surrender, Maass began mobilizing the 600 men of the 18th and 19th Infantry Battalions, as well as the midshipmen at the Mexican Naval Academy. He also began arming civilian volunteers. Around 10:50 AM, the Americans began landing under the command of Captain William Rush of Florida. The initial force consisted of around 500 Marines and 300 sailors from the battleships landing parties. Meeting no resistance, the Americans landed at Pier 4 and moved towards their objectives. The bluejackets advanced to take the customs house, post and telegraph offices, and railroad terminal while the Marines were to capture the rail yard, the cable office, and the powerplant. Establishing his headquarters in the Terminal Hotel, Rush sent a semaphore unit to the room to open communications with Fletcher. While Maass began advancing his men towards the waterfront, the midshipmen at the Naval Academy worked to fortify the building. Fighting began when a local policeman, Aurelio Monffort, fired on the Americans. Killed by return fire, Monfforts action led to widespread, disorganized fighting. Believing that a large force was in the city, Rush signaled for reinforcements and Utahs landing party and Marines were sent ashore. Wishing to avoid further bloodshed, Fletcher asked Canada to arrange a ceasefire with the Mexican authorities. This effort failed when no Mexican leaders could be found. Concerned about sustaining additional casualties by advancing into the city, Fletcher ordered Rush to hold his position and remain on the defensive through the night. During the night of April 21/22 additional American warships arrived bringing reinforcements. It was also during this time, that Fletcher concluded that the entire city would need to be occupied. Additional Marines and sailors began landing around 4:00 AM, and at 8:30 AM Rush resumed his advance with ships in the harbor providing gunfire support. Attacking near the Avenue Independencia, the Marines methodically worked from building to building eliminating Mexican resistance. On their left, the 2nd Seaman Regiment, led by USS New Hampshires Captain E.A. Anderson, pressed up the Calle Francisco Canal. Told that his line of advance had been cleared of snipers, Anderson did not send out scouts and marched his men in parade ground formation. Encountering heavy Mexican fire, Andersons men took losses and were forced to fall back. Supported by the fleets guns, Anderson resumed his attack and took the Naval Academy and Artillery Barracks. Additional American forces arrived through the morning and by noon much of the city had been taken. Occupation of Veracruz - Holding the City: In the fighting, 19 Americans were killed 72 wounded. Mexican losses were around 152-172 killed and 195-250 wounded. Minor sniping incidents continued until April 24 when, after the local authorities refused to cooperate, Fletcher declared martial law. On April 30, the US Army 5th Reinforced Brigade under Brigadier General Frederick Funston arrived and took over the occupation of the city. While many of the Marines remained, the naval units returned to their ships. While some in the United States called for a full invasion of Mexico, Wilson limited American involvement to the occupation Veracruz. Battling rebel forces, Huerta was not able to oppose it militarily. Following Huertas downfall in July, discussions began with the new Carranza government. American forces remained in Veracruz for seven months and finally departed on November 23 after the ABC Powers Conference mediated many of the issues between the two nations. Selected Sources National Archives: The United States Armed Forces and the Mexican Punitive ExpeditionDavis, Thomas (2007). With No Thought of Aggression Military History Quarterly. 20(1), 34-43.

Classroom Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classroom Design - Essay Example This means that activity areas must separated by physical objects or partition areas or provide "visual cues" as to their demarcation lines through visual clues such as color, lighting or change in height for ceilings and partitions. Butin further writes that a typical preschool classroom should have at least four distinct activity zones, as follows (Butin, 2000, Key Spaces in Early Education Centers section par 3): - Dramatic play zone. Providing "home-center" props, such as kitchen appliances, living room furniture, or a theater area, facilitates such play. While the dramatic play zone should be adjacent to the gross-motor skill zone to allow for easy movement between the two, a clear division between the spaces should be visible to promote a sense of semiprivate space. - Arts and crafts zone. This is the "wet" area of the room where children can experiment with sand, water, paint, paste, and other messy materials. The arts and crafts zone should be next to a water source, such as a sink and gooseneck faucet, and should have a washable floor covering. Good task lighting is also important for doing art projects. - Quiet zone. - Quiet zone. Young children need personal space that permits intimate interaction with an adult and provides a space for solitary play, looking at books, or simply resting. The quiet zone should have carpeting, comfortable chairs and pillows, a low bookshelf for books and stuffed toys, and a space (that may need to be out of reach of toddlers) for objects such as plants or an aquarium. In addition according to Butin, "the classroom should also have a self-contained bathroom that is equipped for toilet training and diaper changing". Modifications of classroom design for children with special needs: 1. For children who are mobile only through a wheelchair, the classroom space might be expanded from the recommended 50 feet per square, to enable both children with disability and those who are typical to enjoy the classroom setting. 2. Another accommodation for children in a wheelchair or who walk with the help of crutches is to provide more spaces for moving around in all areas of the classroom. 3. Ramps may also help children in wheelchairs to move to elevated portions of the classroom or childcare facility. 4. Children with ADHD or attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, might be given a separate area for work where they can be by themselves while still be able to work with other children. 5. To lessen distraction and for closer monitoring, children with ADHD might be better placed near the teacher or the facilitator during lessons or interaction. 6. Children with ADHD might benefit from being positioned in an area where there is less opportunity for distraction such as a window. 7. To accommodate children with autistic syndrome who are much more sensitive to stimuli, lighting may be modified to make it more neutral. 8. Another accommodation for autistic children is for the rooms to be painted white since autistic children need calming visual sights as much as possible. 9. Another modification for autistic

Animal Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Animal Rights - Essay Example Which is why for all the valuable things animals could do for mankind, man or at least a great majority of human beings, have thought to also accord animals similar rights as human beings. In the United States, these animal rights are enshrined in a number of laws and statutes that ensure protection to animals and that prosecute individuals who are involved in animal abuse. The Michael Vick Case Michael Vick was a football quarterback playing for Virginia Tech when he was sighted for his prowess in the football field and eventually awarded a crack at the National Football League via the Atlanta Falcons. It was during his stay with the Atlanta Falcons that Vick had the best time in his life as a league contract athlete when he led the Falcons in their bid for the NFC championship against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ironically, it was also during this time that Vick probably had the worst time in his life when it was discovered that he engaged in drugs and professional dog-fighting. While Vick had denied these allegations attributed to him, evidences linking him to the illegal activities had surfaced. In August 2007, Vick admitted to the NFL Commission that he had bankrolled and participated in the dog-fighting operation. He was promptly suspended by the NFL. And sooner after that, following an intense investigation by the FBI, Vick admitted to killing dogs himself, and was sentenced to 23 months in prison and pay a substantial fine for running a â€Å"cruel and inhumane† dog-fighting ring. He spent 21 months in jail and was committed on his last two months to house arrest. During this last part of his sentence, Vick thought of going back to professional play. After some negotiations that included professional monitoring by his probation officers, he signed up with the Philadelphia Eagles that signaled his re-entry to normal professional football. Lessons from Vick’s Case The Vick’s case offers a lot of insights and lessons that people could lea rn much from. One such insight is the observation that there are people, or groups of people, who would look at animals as objects of passion or consumption or prey and would not share a bit of humanity towards them. They would ignore that there is value in seeing animals, particularly pet animals, as capable of returning a caring gesture or a training effort as have been documented in many cases involving particularly pet dogs which grew under the protective and loving care of their owners. Jennifer Leonard, a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History (Reilly) writes: â€Å"We know that dogs were useful for lots of things in Stone Age culture as draft animals, in hunting, for warmth, and for protection.† In many cases, pet animals have proven themselves indispensable to human beings in providing company, care, assistance and many more valuable roles. An example of such an instance was the baby abandoned by her mother deep in the forest in Kenya sometime in 2005. A stray dog, which must just have given birth to her baby pups, heard the cries of the baby and dragged her to be with her own

Operation management of Primark and Atlas Honda

Operation management of Primark and Atlas Honda INTRODUCTION The report describes the operation management of PRIMARK and the ATLAS HONDA LIMITED PAKISTAN which are two different companies in two different industries. PRIMARK in garment industry is a big retailer in the high streets for the readymade cloths which is basically belongs to tertiary sector (service) in which it distribute/sell the manufactured goods(cloths)in his retail stores and the ATLAS HONDA is a joint venture which manufacture and sell automobiles which is in manufacturing industry. This report is structured in a way that describe both companies 1: Competitive priority 2: Marketing strategy and also compare and contrast their operations in their industries and report also include the analysis of their internal factors as capacity planning, inventory management, quality control and the external factors as environment, innovation. After the report we will be able to understand the operating management of the two different industries which help us to gain knowledge to design one best operating model which help us in both industries. Before forwarding to the report structure as discuss above we need to know about both companies to be familiar with their operations. PRIMARK PRIMARK is the subsidiary company within the ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS and one of the biggest retailer in UK who sell readymade clothes with stylish fashion, design and variety at affordable prices. It focus on womenwear, menwear, childrenwear and home products. In 1969 the first store opened in DUBLIN(IRELAND) in the name of first Pennys store and till 1973 the number of stores reached at18 in all around the IRELAND, in the following year it expanded to GREAT BRITAIN and opened his first stores in DERBY and BRISTOL and in within next 10 years the number of stores become 22 in each. After expansion to GREAT BRITAIN, in 1995 PRIMAK applies the acquisition policy in his expansion and acquire first BHS ONE-UP discount chain in UK 16 stores,then CO-OP with 11 stores, 11stores from retreat ion of A C. After 2005 PIMARK moved to Europe for more expansion and opened stores in SPAIN,PORTUGAL,HOLLAND,GERMANY,BELGIUM. Till September 2010 it has 150 stores in UK. Its competitors are NEXT, ZARA, GAP, RIVER ISLAND etc which compete in different bases of competitive advantage. We take only UK market for the Primark business operation. http://www.primark.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=eb44df4565934edca627dac6ec12145a Last access 10th march 2011 ATLAS HONDA LIMITED (AHL) PAKISTAN ATLAS HONDA LIMITED PAKISTAN is a joint venture of ATLAS GROUP and HONDA MOTOR CO.LTD which manufacture and sell motorcycles. The company was created by the merger of Panjdayar LTD and Atlas Autos LTD, in 1988. AHL manufactures and markets Honda motorcycles in collaboration with Honda Motor Company. The Company also manufactures various hi-tech components in-house in collaboration with leading parts manufacturers like Showa Atsumitech, Nippon Denso and Toyo Denso. Honda motorcycles are by far the largest selling motorcycles in the country with an unmatched reputation for high quality, reliability and after-sales-service. ATLAS HONDA manufactures four models of motorcycles 1: CD 70 2: CD 100 3: CG 125 4: CG 125 DELUXE Company has two big inhouse manufacturing capability at Karachi (Sindh) which manufactures 300 units of CD 70 only and Sheikupura (Punjab) plants which manufactures all four models. A vast and growing network of over 1600 sales service and spare parts dealers has been established in all over the country. Company has more than 60% of market share in Pakistan motorbike industry, it exports the products to Bangladesh and Afghanistan. http://www.atlashonda.com.pk/company. Last access 10th of march 2011 COMPARISON/CONTRAST OPERATIONS IN BOTH ENTITIES In any organization the operation function is the part of organization which produces the products and services for that entity, it is not called with same name all the time but it is concerned with managing the core purpose of organization which produce some mix of products and services. nigel slack, stuart chambers, robert johnston , alan betts (2009).operations and process management. 2nd ed. england: pearson education limited. 1-1. In another words the operation is defined as the systematic design, direction and control of process that transform input into services and products for internal, as well as external. Primark and Atlas Honda are two different companies in two different industries, one is a retailer in service industry and 2nd is in manufacturing industry. the service sector create value or add value to the product and manufacture industry produce the tangible product so some similarities and contrast appeared in their operations which can be analyzed and criticize on the basis of their marketing strategy and their competitive priority. MARKETING STRATEGY Market strategy is developed by the entities to fill the gap between current performance and the forecasted performance which is the objective/targets of the entity to achieve, so the company develop the marketing strategy for its product in target market for targeted customers to make them aware to the products and service it provides. Cim,bpp, 76-77 2008 We can use the Ansoffs growth model which is used to analyze the product and market of the company in its marketing strategy. cim (2007). professional diploma in marketing. 3rd ed. london: BPP. 76-78.http://franteractive.net/resources/Ansoff-Matrix.GIF We will use this model to define and criticize the marketing strategy of the Primark and Atlas Honda. MARKETING STRATEGY STRATEGY PRIMARK AHL Market penetration Y N Product development Y Y Market development Y Y Diversification N N Primark has its objective of DELIVERING VALUES AND TRADE ETHICALLY http://www.primark.co.uk/ethical/values last access 10th march 2011 Primark use the leaflets drop, ads on bus shelters, the London Underground and radio ads. university of wales, marketing, database source complete Above marketing strategy used by Primark for his new stores in BRITAIN and it opened six more new stores one of which is in the oxford circus. According to Ansoff model we can explain the marketing strategy of Primark as follows Market development strategy which is in new market in existing product so the entry from Ireland and to Britain and other European countries is the example of entry in new market. Product development is in new product in new market, so Primark products are women, men, child wears but it include homemade garments as well, product development strategy basically elicited the customers to come in the store for all his garment needs. But the problem in market development strategy is the high distribution cost which Primark used to distribute his merchandise which it get form Asian countries and distribute them to his different stores which cost him high and reduce his profit. http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2009/gb20090616%5f4 498429.htm. Market penetration is to enter in the market with the low price to compete in the market as the GILLETTE company sell his MACH 3 new product in the market on 60% of cost which is the best example of market penetration to enter in the market with low price, so the entrance of Primark in the BRITAIN garment industry is the market penetration in the presence of GAP,NEXT etc, with low cost strategy, but market penetration strategy has the main criticize is that it starts the price war in the market and through the small entities out of business Diversification is to diversify from the industry to another industry which comes into unrelated diversification so the parent company of Primark ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOOD, who diversify from food to garment is the unrelated diversification. But Primark has it self not any diversified activity in any other industries. ATLAS HONDA use mostly the electronic media for his products marketing as internet, television ads, salesmen etc. For CD 70 and CD 100 Atlas Honda target middle income families and mostly these bikes used in villages due to the brand loyalty and durability. CG 125 and CG125 DELUXE these both bikes target the special segment of market with the customers who want to pay more for high speed and beauty of the products. DIVERSIFIATION is the Honda joints venture in Pakistan as Atlas Honda is his related diversification in motorbike industry. The problem with Atlas Honda in his joint venture is that it manufacturing units in Pakistan and the changing political parties and insecurity affecting its this diversified product making units which affect the motorbike production and the business as well. Product Development is the four type of product CD 70, CD 100, CG125, CG125 DELUXE are the example in market for product development, the Atlas Honda believe in quality in return of high prices which opened the ways for his competitors with low cost and low price strategy like Chinese company STAR, SOHRAB, LIFAN etc. which affect the market share ( 63% in Pakistan) and the profit of the company. Market Development strategy of ATLAS HONDA is it exporting the products to Bangladesh and Afghanistan is its market development in other countries, this means the distribution cost will be high for Atlas Honda and affect his sale and profit in the market. COMPETITIVE PRIORITY Competitive priority include low cost operations, top quality, consistent quality, delivery speed, on time delivery, development speed, customization, variety and volume flexibility, these are the competitive priorities which set a company aside and superior to the rest of the companies in the industries by the result of his operations, it is not necessary that a company acquire all of them to compete but it can get any mixture of them to perform well. Under we show the similarity and contrast in the competitive priority of the PRIMAK and ATLAS HONDA LIMITED. It is need to be cleared that under the table the element of competitive priority is categorized in four broad concepts. COMPETITVE PRIORITY C.P PRIMARK ATLAS HONDA LTD QUALITY TOP QUALITY N Y CONSISTANT QUALITY Y Y COST LOW COST OPERATIONS Y N TIME DELIVERY SPEED N Y ONTIME DEIVERY N Y DEVELOPMENT SPEED Y Y FLEXIBILITY CUTOMISATION N Y VARIETY Y Y VOLUME FLEXIBILITY Y Y QUALITY Quality is different for different customers, quality is simply defined as the completeness of features, value for money, conformance of specification, reputation. Consistent quality In the case of Primark and the AHL both companies products have the similar feature of consistent quality as in the Primark in garment industry sell fashion cloths for men, women, children and homemade products and AHL in motorbike industry both meet their design and specifications on the continuous basis to maintain the consistent quality of their products Top quality on the other hand the AHL is manufacturing and selling the top quality motorbikes in the motorbike industry of Pakistan thats why AHL has 63% market share in the market but the Primark is selling low quality products in the garment industry of Britain against his major competitors GAP, NEXT, ZARA which is the major difference in both of companies. COST Cost feature include manufacturing cost, value added cost, running cost, service cost and selling price is included Low cost operations: Primark is the strategy of low cost on which it sell its outsourced garment products to the customers by adding its services with its efficiently designed and operation process (appendix 2).so this strategy in the motorbike industry of AHL in Pakistan is applied by Star company and Titan company is the example of low cost operations. So in the Primark business the low cost operations credit goes to its supplies from its suppliers who operating their activities in low wage and other low production cost countries like Bangladesh. But the AHL is differentiate strategy for its product so its premium charges for his products in the market and this example in the garment industry is the ZARA, NEXT, GAP etc in the garment industry of UK. AHL operations are in house system in which a efficient manufacturing process is undertaken with all new production and management techniques (JIT, MRP, TQM)and charge the highest price in the market. (appendix 1show the process of operation in both companies) TIME Time included the delivery time, manufacturing lead time, due date, frequency of delivery, rate of production of the entity. AHL has its two manufacturing plants one is in Karachi and 2nd is in Shekhupura, AHL has Karachi plant produce 300 units of motorcycle per day. AHL has design its process efficiently to minimize the manufacturing lead time and fulfill the customers orders on time but again this internal efficiency depend on suppliers relation and efficient supply chain. The production example given 300 units for Karachi plant is the best example of manufacturing speed which is short and good for the company and this in return help on time delivery system where demand occur. The Primark outsourced its garment products from ASIAN countries mainly from Bangladesh, so according to the nature of the business in its industry the Primark has face fast development speed in the products because its products become out of fashion very fast so Primark has need the good relationship with its supplier because of its fast changing industry nature so wants the continuous deliveries. AHL also used the product development in its manufacturing plants in KARACHI and SHEHUPURA for introduction of new products. FLEXIBILITY Flexibility include the customization, variety and the volume of the production. The AHL production have all the customization, variety and volume features are included for example the four different products it produce is one feature of customization, variety and volume in production process is to support larger volume production and quickly manage within fluctuating demand which is again come in AHL production system in which it produce four type of customized motorbikes for targeted customers market with the production capacity of 600000 per year. The variety and volume flexibility is also seen in the Primark retail stores in which large amount of fashion cloths for all men, women and children are on the shelf and in the warehouses but the customization is in the product is not inside its process because it sell the products TO general public in the market. B: criticize 1: CAPACITY MANAGEMENT Capacity information is used by the companies to analyze and maximize their output, understand the companies capacity cushion and use the information for long and short term decision for expansion strategies. Capacity planning is a systematic approach to three issues pertaining to capacity,estimating the amount of capacity required, evaluating the alternative methods to augmenting the capacity and devising methods to use capacity effectively. b.mahadeven (2007). operations management theory and practice. new delhi: dorling kindersley. 219-221. The firm go through the situation of overcapacity, appropriate capacity and inappropriate capacity. The size, time and capacity become the constrains in the organizations. The company use the expansion and see and wait policy to cope when they face the constrains for example the BRITISH AIRLINE use the seats as his capacity, PRIMARK floor space and the ATLAS HONDA use his machines or the process in the one constrain theory as a capacity which become the constrain at the time of demand. In short time company use to manage itself within capacity but in long term it use to expand by acquisition or investment in the operation process. The capacity management take long time to manage if it applied by expansion policy with the large investment in operations to cope with demand but in short term lose the increased demand. Capacity planning included the judgment with based on the experience and the capacity planning used to get the economy of scale but after an specific point this benefit turns into the marginal increased unit cost which start to reducing the profit. b.mahadeven (2007). operations management theory and practice. new delhi: dorling kindersley. 219-235. Inventory management. Inventory management can be defined as Systems and processes that identify inventory requirements, set targets, provide replenishment techniques and report actual and projected inventory status. The companies use the different inventory methods for managing inventories 1: Just in time (JIT) In the JIT method the company use the pull strategy according to which it place orders when it requires for production or demand by customer. CIMA P7, CIMA PUBLISHER,2005 2: Economic Order Quantity(EOQ) The EOQ system is a quantitative method for inventory management , which minimize the inventory holding cost and ordering cost by use of a formula : à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡2*A*CP/CH 3: SAFETY STOCK Is a PUSH POLICY, safety stock is normally used traditionally to cope with unanticipated demand so the large buffer stock is retained in the big warehouses to manage with the unforeseen demand otherwise the company lose the sales and there will emerge the danger to lose the customer so company pay more to stock the inventory and pay more to stocking. 4: ABC INVENTORY is use to cauterize the inventory according to their value in organization . The companies used to manage their inventory because on average, 56 cents out of every dollar of revenue (i.e. 56 percent of revenue) to cover the direct cost of purchased goods, with this percentage figure being even higher for the typical wholesaler or retailer (Monczka et al., 2002; Handfield, 2002). Add to this figure the indirect cost of having to manage inventory of purchased goods (which has been estimated to be 30-35 percent of the value of purchased goods see Chase et al., 2004)and the total cost of purchased goods inventory can be quite alarming. The inventory management need the investment and warehouse which used by PRIMARK who received the outsourced supplies and distribute to other stores in Europe which cost him high and reduce profit. The inventory management polices as JIT and ABC systems want the basic changes in operation and the process and affect the emplyees as well to understand the them. New inventory policy as JIT want supplier commitment because it change the whole supply chain and want the amendment in suppliers system so it affect all supply chain system. organizational management and information system,2005,oxford,c.i.m.a The PRIMRK and the AHL need to decide the inventory management system before the decision of capacity management because the JIT system not need high investment on expansion policy. PERFORMANCE MEASURE Here we use two type of performance measure 1: Multidimensional performance measure Balance scorecard 2: Qualitative performance measure Matrices 1: BALANCE SCORECARD The balanced scorecard translates mission and strategy into objectives and measure into four different perspectives provide a framework, a language, to communicate mission and strategy, it uses measurement to inform employees about the drivers of current and future success. By articulating the outcomes the organization desires and the drivers of those outcomes, senior executives hope to channel the energies, the abilities, and the specific knowledge of people throughout the organization towards achieving long term goal. It should be used as a communication, informing, and learning system not controlling. (adopted, Kaplan and nortan, 1996, p.25) Balance scorecard does not lead to a single aggregate summary control for example if we use RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) it conveniently show how things are going. No clear relation between the BSC and shareholders value. Measure may give conflicting signals and confuse management. For example high customer satisfaction lead to falling financial indicators. BSC involves substantial shifts in corporate culture to implement. So if the AHL and the PRIMARK use the balance scorecard for their performance measure the above problems also occur in the system. So the capacity management and the inventory management comes in the internal business process part of the balance scorecard. Supply chain value Normally porters value chain model used for analyzing the operating process in manufacturing industry but we can use it in service industries as well. These activities are linked with each other to create value for the customer in the product and service. (appendix 1 shows the value chain of both companies). But the supply chain value add two more componenets in the value chain. Supply value chain à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ company value chain à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ customer value chain According to a July 16 report in The Wall Street Journal, Nissan Motor Co. halted production at four factories in Japan and at two auto manufacturing plants in the United States for three days in July due to a delay in the shipment of engine control units from supplier Hitachi Ltd. Hitachi officials said the delay was caused by a shortage of semiconductor chips from its suppliers. Nissan, which had adopted the Lean model about five years ago and dramatically reduced its inventory, said the production stoppage will reduce the companys output by 15,000 vehicles. However, Lean expert Matt Wrye, who writes the Beyond Lean blog (beyondlean.wordpress.com), said that Nissans issues were the result of a misapplication of Lean techniques. If you had hiccups in procurement, Lean behavior would ask questions around what are the hiccups in procurement, he wrote. Then Nissan would solve [these] problems, not arbitrarily start to add more suppliers just in case they have a similar hiccup in the future. http://www.isixsigma.com/index.php?option=com_k2view=itemid=1699Itemid=156 last access 22 march 2011 Total Quality management TQM is a process and philosophy of achieving best possible outcomes from the inputs, by using them effectively and efficiently in order to deliver best value for the customer, while achieving long term objectives of the organization. r.ashley.rawlins (2008). total quality management. london: authur house. 5-10. TQM involves the three main components Customer satisfaction involve conformance to specification, value, fitness for purpose, support, psychological impression Employee involvement include cultural change, teams. Continuous improvement is based on the philosophy of KAIZEN theory, to improve in each aspect of the entity. Quality as four type of cost Prevention example check the inbound logistic Appraisal example quality of inbounds Internal failure include cost of failure before sell to customers External failure example warrantee, guarantee TQM is the continuous improvement in the product and services which is not enough because the quality is what the customer so the AHL not only continuous improve the process but also make sure the customers needs in his products. TQM is not easy to apply but it needs a long time to internalize in the companies all aspect and it is also expensive for any company for example if Primark want the quality in his services it need to implement in each activity. TQM want the employee commitment so it is not easy to get the person to do what you want . TQM wants the cultural change in the organization which is a challenge for the organization and if not implemented successfully its become the danger for the companys survival. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_n12_v47/ai_14858551/?tag=content;col1 last access 21 march 2011 1:

Tablet Computer Market Analysis (Economics)

EC180 Economics Assignment Tablet Computers Market Table of Contents Table of Contents2 Brief Introduction3 1. Factors affecting Demand4 2. Price and Income Elasticity6 3. Price Discrimination8 4. Fixed and Variable costs9 5. Scale Economies10 7. Market Structure12 8. Barriers to Entry13 Summary and Conclusion14 References14 Brief Introduction In this report, the market of ‘Tablet Computers’ will be analysed. ‘A  tablet computer is a complete  mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or  personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat  touch screen  and primarily operated by touching the screen’ Editors PC magazine (2010).These products are gaining increased popularity in today’s world. Apple, Microsoft and Lenova are already in this market, with Apple’s popular product, the ‘I pad’ leading the market share. This relatively new market `will be thoroughly investigated using various microeconomic theories and findings . 1. Factors affecting Demand In economics, demand is defined by  the desire to own anything, the ability to pay for it, and the willingness to pay (Sullivan & Sheffrin,2003a) The diagram below shows the demand curve. Factors affecting demand would cause a shift in the demand curve.An increase in demand will cause an outward shift to the demand curve (D1 > D2), thus increasing the market equilibrium price. A decrease in demand on the other hand will cause an inward shift of the demand curve ( D1 > D3), decreasing the market equilibrium price. The diagram proves the ‘Law of Demand’ which states that quantity demanded for a good decreases as the prices increases. The following are the factors that affect the demand of a good or service. * Price * Income * Substitutes: Price of substitutes * Trend * Number of consumers in the market/ populationPrice: One of the main factors affecting demand would be the Price of the product or service. There is an inverse relationship be tween the price of the product and it’s quantity demanded. As the â€Å"Law of Demand† says, the quantity demanded for a product decreases as it’s price increases. Therefore the higher the price of tablet computers the lower the quantity demanded. Income: Another major factor which affects the demand for a good would be consumers’ income. The higher the income, the higher the demand as consumers will have more disposable income.Tablet computers are a relatively pricey and a luxurious good, therefore only consumers with a relatively high income will be able to afford them. Price of substitutes: The price of substitutes of this product would also be a factor affecting the demand for the product. A substitute good offers the same services to the consumer as good A, if the price of a substitute good would increase, the demand for the original good would increase as consumers want to pay the least they can for the same product. Therefore an increase in the pri ce of for e. g. Laptops would cause an increase in the demand for Tablet computers. 2.Price and Income Elasticity Price elasticity of demand measures the relationship between a change in quantity demanded and a change in the Price. It shows the percentage change in quantity demanded caused by a percentage change in price. This can show the extent of movement along the demand curve. PED = % Change in quantity demanded % Change in price There are a number of factors which can influence the price elasticity of a good: Availability of substitutes- One major factor of influencing the price elasticity of a good would be the availability of its substitutes. The greater the availability, the greater the elasticity.The availability of substitutes like Laptops and Desktops in this market is quite high, therefore tablet computers have a high price elasticity. Necessity or Luxury- Luxury products tend to have a greater elasticity as consumers don’t actually ‘need’ them. Neca ssity products on the other hand like ‘tobbacco’ or ‘petrol’ for certain consumers can have a very low elasticity as consumers will be willing to pay a higher price. Tablet computers are a luxurious good, therefore they have a greater price elasticity than for example petrol which could be regarded as a ‘neccassity’ good in today’s world for certain consumers.Proportion of income required by the item – The higher the proportion of income required by the product, the higher the elasticity will tend to be. This is because consumers will be more careful and hesitant to purchase a good which would acquire the majority of their disposable income. The price of tablet computers can range from around ? 300 to ? 650. Income elasticity of demand  measures the relationship between a change in quantity demanded and a change in income. It is measured by the following formulae: YED = % Change in quantity demanded % Change in consumer’s income Normal goods’ have a positive income elasticity of demand, this means that an increase in income will lead to an increase the quantity demanded as well. ‘Inferior goods’ on the other hand have a negative income elasticity of demand. An increase in income will lead to a fall in the quantity demanded for the product/service. Tablet computers are a normal good therefore it will have a positive income elasticity of demand. They can also be considered a luxorious good therefore the demand responds by rising more than proportionate to a change in income. The income elasticity of demand ill be more than +1 so demand for tablet computers would be elastic relative to income. 3. Price Discrimination As cited by Krugman (2003b, p142) ‘Price discrimination exists when sales of identical goods or services are transacted at different  prices  from the same provider. ’ Firms often use price discrimination as a method of maximizing profits. However there are two main conditions for discriminatory pricing to work 1) Differences in the Price elasticity of Demand between markets: There must be a different price elasticity of demand from each group of consumers.Firms can then charge a higher price to the group with a price inelastic demand and a relatively lower price on the other hand to the group with a more price elastic demand. 2) Barriers to prevent consumers to switch suppliers: There must be certain barriers to prevent consumers from switching from one supplier to another if the other supplier is offering the same good at a lower price. One common price discrimination method the firm could use for the sale of tablet computers would be the ‘third degree (multi-market) Price discrimination.This method involves charging different prices for the same product in different segments of the market, it is linked directly to consumers’ willingness and ability to pay for a good or service. The market can be separated by geogra phy, so a higher price can be charged to overseas markets if demand is more price inelastic than in home. In today’s knowledge world, many firms use the internet to price discriminate. Many websites can gather enough information about consumers and their buying habits to give sellers an opportunity for discriminatory pricing.One example of this would be Dell, ‘which charges different prices for the same product on its web pages, often depending on whether the buyer is a state or local government, or a small business. ’ In this case the same method can be applied to the sale of the tablet computers. 4. Fixed and Variable costs Fixed costs are costs to a business that are constant, they do not vary with the quantity of product/service produced. Variable costs are costs to a business that actually do vary with the quantity of product/service product. Fixed + Variable costs = Total costs Fixed costs: * Land purchased for production of goods, for e. . an industrial fa ctory * Salaries of staff paid on monthly rates, independent of how many hours the employees work. * Advertising: Marketing Campaign for launch of product. * Electrical equipment like lighting or air conditioning which may be kept running even in periods of low activity. Variable costs: * Cost of Raw materials * Salaries of staff paid on an hourly basis, hours can be varied therefore it is a variable cost. * Electrical equipment, as the company grows, the more the plant will be run therefore more electricity will get used which makes this a variable cost. 5. Scale EconomiesEconomies of scale in economics, refers to the cost advantages that an enterprise obtains due to expansion. A firm can experience reduced averaged costs in the long run by increasing output or ‘expansion’. There are 5 types of internal economies of scale. 1. Technical: Only large firms can afford to invest into expensive quality machinery. This makes them more cost effective by making use of large sca le capital technology which brings down cost per unit. New entrants generally don’t have that much capital to start off with, therefore suffer with high production costs and lower efficiency. . Purchasing: This is when firms buy large quantity of raw materials and get them in a lower cost per unit. Large firms in this market like Apple can buy their raw materials in bulk and get discounts from suppliers, thus achieving low production costs. 3. Financial: Larger firms are usually believed to be more trust worthy by the financial markets. They are able to negotiate cheaper finance deals and therefore get better deals at banks. Banks prefer to do business with larger experienced firms as they usually take a bigger loan therefore banks get a bigger interest.Smaller banks on the other hand can face higher rates of interest on loans. 4. Marketing: Large firms can afford the most effective and expensive types of Marketing whereas new entrant firms could find it difficult to raise en ough capital to compete with promotional and marketing methods. At times, incumbent firms can deliberately invest heavily on advertising making it difficult for the new entrants to survive in the market. This is known as ‘market power theory of advertising’ (Moffatt,2008)  . 5. Managerial: Large businesses can have specialist managers in every area.This can lead to much more efficiency therefore lower costs. The market for Tablet computers has an oligopolistic market structure, where a few large firms dominate the market (this is explained in further detail in section 7 of this report). Therefore large firms like Apple, IBM and Microsoft will enjoy the benefits of Economies of scale to a high extent making it difficult for new entrants to survive in the market. 6. Minimum efficient scale and Diseconomies of Scale The minimum efficient scale achieves production of a good at the lower possible point on it’s LRAC curve.Long run average costs are minimized at this point, and it is not possible for the firm to produce the good at any lower cost. The efficiency is maximized at this point. The MES can be used to determine the most likely market structure of the market. For example, if the MES is small compared to the overall size of the market, then will then be a large number of firms in the market. The market will be more contestable and firms would behave in more of a perfectly competitive manner. (Carlton and Perloff, 2005) Diseconomies of scale occur when a business grows so large that the costs per unit increase.This often only happens in extremely large scale production. A business can experience difficulty in communication as it expands. There are more workers and more managers. Communication has to be passed down many levels of hierarchy; therefore messages can be distorted leading to workers being unsure of what they have to do. Multi-national firms have production in different countries which also makes communication more difficult wi thin the business. To avoid this problem very large businesses often de-merge and break themselves into smaller units.Workers down the order can feel demotivated playing a small role in a very large firm. They can feel unimportant which eventually leads to more sick days off and therefore decreasing efficiency of labour. In the case for the tablet computer market, there are already very large incumbent firms like Apple and Microsoft who have grown and diversified themselves into different markets. These firms are so large that it is likely that they have diseconomies of scale. New entrants can therefore see this as an opportunity. The diagram below illustrates Economies and Diseconomies of scale.It is however important to understand that not all firms will experience diseconomies of scale. Therefore it is possible the LRAC (Long Run Average Costs) curve is just downward sloping. 7. Market Structure Market structure are the competitive characteristics of the market. They are used to determine the potential for profits and market efficiency. There are four main types of market structures:  perfect competition,  monopoly,oligopoly, and  monopolistic competition. ’ The market structure of a firm is determined by various factors.A summary of the four basic types of markets in and their key characteristics is shown below using this table. Charectristics| Perfect Competition| Oligopoly| Monopoly| Monopolistic Competition| Number of firms| Many| Few| One| Many| Type of product| Homogenous| Differentiated | Limited| Differentiated| Barriers to entry| None| High| High | None| Economic Efficiency| High | Low | Low | Low| After analysing the tablet computer market and its characteristics, the market structure of tablet computers seems to be oligopolistic. An oligopoly is a market structure in which a market is dominated by a small number of sellers.The tablet computer market currently seems to be dominated by large firms like Apple, Lenova/IBM, HP who own a l arge percentage of the market share. As mentioned earlier in this report, the barriers to entry in this market are fairly high which is one of the characteristics of an oligopolistic market. At the moment, 8. Barriers to Entry Barriers to entry are obstacles that make it difficult for new entrants to enter the market. The higher the barriers to entry, the lower the threat of competition. The main barriers for the tablet computers market would be the following: 1.Economies of Scale: As mentioned previously in Section 5 of this report, economies of scale could also be a barrier to entry in this market. Large incumbent firms like Apple and Microsoft have significant cost advantages which allow them to produce their tablet computers at lower costs than small or new entrant firms. Therefore new entrants would have lower profit margins making it difficult to survive in the market. 2. Customer Loyalty: Another advantage the incumbent firms would have in this market would be having customer loyalty.Large firms like Apple and Microsoft already have existing customers in the market who are loyal to their brand. Especially with the presence of Apple which definitely has high customer loyalty. This would make it extremely difficult for a new firm to enter the market as many of the consumers would still rather stick a trust and more experience brand. 3. Sunk Costs: One major barrier to entry would be the existence of ‘Sunk Costs’ in this market. Sunk costs are the costs to a business which cannot be regained when exiting a market.A new entrant to the tablet computers market would have to invest heavily in Advertising and Promotion methods. In case the firm doesn’t succeed and decided to exit the market, the cost of this investment cannot be retrieved. The sunk costs involved in this market could be high due to large incumbent firms like Microsoft and Apple’s existence. 4. Advertising – Apart from advertising being a sunk cost, it can also play another role in make it difficult for new entrants. This was explained in Section 5 of this report ( Market power theory of advertising ) 5. Patents Summary and ConclusionThe market for tablet computers is an oligopolistic market. Large firms like Apple, HP an IBM seem to be owning the majority of the market share which could it make it very difficult for new firms to enter and survive in the market. The market is also relatively elastic which could limit profits. In addition the existence of high barriers to entry and economies of scale benefits enjoyed by incumbent firms will not help new entrants. Price discrimination is possible for this product, however only to a certain extent. References Carlton D. and Perloff M, â€Å"Modern Industrial Organization† Fourth Edition, 2005 Editors PC Magazine. Definition of: tablet computer†. PC Magazine. Accessed April 17, 2010. Krugman, Paul R. ;  Maurice Obstfeld  (2003). â€Å"Chapter 6: Economies of Scale, Imperfect Competition and International Trade†. International Economics – Theory and Policy  (6th ed. ). p. 142. Sullivan, Arthur; Steven M. Sheffrin (2003a). Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 79. Sullivan, arthur; Steven M. Sheffrin (2003b). Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 157.