Monday, September 30, 2019

Nestle Case Study

NESTLE CASE STUDY With reference to the Nestle case study, provide one example which clearly illustrates a link between topics or concepts drawn from at least two pre-requisite modules. The Nestle case study provides a number of examples which illustrate links between Strategic management, Methods of Enquiry and Accounting for decision making concepts. Nestle is one of the oldest of all multinational business. Nowadays, Nestle is one of the biggest food and nutrition companies in 86 countries in the world. Hill, 2009 pp). Nestle was involved with a range of acquisitions in the last years in order to extend its line of products and try to expand on a geographical scale. Since its sales are reducing in developed markets, Nestle has the opportunity to expand business in up and coming countries, which is going to generate more profit for the company. Up and coming countries is one sector that Nestle is going to invest money in because it has the potential to be a strong and attractive ma rket.Nestle feels confident in doing so because in such countries population economy and technology has experienced a rapid growth. (Datamonitor, 2006). Nestles long-term strategy is to identify the quickly expanding countries first and get into the market as soon as possible in order to take advantage of other competitors. However, it first has to hold the leading position in the developed markets where it is currently placed. Also Nestle has to hire local managers and staff in the developing markets that understand the local market dynamic and culture.As explained above there is a link between Nestle’s strategy and the Strategic management, because companies employ managers from respective countries in the local companies due to the fact that they understand the local market dynamics. By hiring local manager they can take advantage of the local knowledge and own culture of the country. FIGURE 1 Figure 1 Source: Own diagram It is a huge advantage that Nestle works with local managers in fast rising emerging countries. As a result, Nestle will have quick results which lead to quick profits.As we can see in FIGURE 1 above, Nestle is closely related to the Strategic management module because companies will have a range of research(reports) on fast growing countries. Therefore, they will have the ability to balance the services they are able to provide (food, cereals, coffee, chocolate, drinks, ice cream, etc) (Nestle 2011), with the price that customers are willing to pay. For example, if people cannot afford the Nestle products then they will not expand in such countries but focus their attention and invest in countries where people are able to buy their products.Also, Nestle is connected with methods of enquiry with Emerging markets. Companies will have less space to roam around and make decision considering that much of their movements are controlled by the market reaction. This means that emerging markets are countries with social or business activiti es in the process of rapid growth and industrialization. The Nestle case study as clearly explained above illustrates a good link with the Strategic Management/Methods of Enquiry and the Market dynamic/Emerging markets respectively. Does it make sense for Nestle to focus its growth efforts on emerging markets? Why?The recent financial crisis that reverberated throughout the globe was a clear indicator of the interdependence and the codependence that globalization has created while simultaneously making it clear to everyone that the emerging economies, especially those that make up BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are more resilient than western economies, thus making them engines of growth that have helped the recovery effort in the last few years. Therefore from that point of view alone it can be stated that yes, Nestle’s strategy to focus its growth efforts in developing or emerging markets is indeed a sound one.However this does not mean that the ability of these mar kets to recover faster than the western economies should bebe sole reason for such a decision. Rather there are many more and varying reasons that need to be taken into consideration. The onset of globalization for one thing has helped uplift the living standards of many in China and India and millions of families have climbed out of poverty and are able to aspire to better life styles and a better standard of living, thus creating new markets companies like Nestle (Latshaw and Choi, 2002, pp. 7). Next as has been stated in the case study, the number of individuals who can be considered as middle class in these two economies alone will exceed 700 million in the coming decade, which is more than the entire population of 500 million in the European region or the 300 million in the United States, thus making this a very lucrative market for Nestle and one that needs to be exploited with immediate effect (Crook, Bratton, Street & Ketchen, 2006, pp. 09 – 412). Besides the above Ne stle as a multi national company has a decentralised structure and has often emphasised the need for attracting, recruiting and selecting host country nationals to be employed in its’ manufacturing plants across the world and this again is a very strategic and wise decision (Cesnovar, 2006, pp. 227 – 229).By decreasing unemployment rates, being socially responsible corporate citizen and helping to uplift the standard of living in these regions of the world, the company is earning the respect of the population, which can soon be converted to public relations win, thus it can be stated that this strategy makes immense sense at the present time (Mclean, 2006, pp. 36).Last but not least it should also be stated that by gaining ‘first mover advantage’ of providing basic food stuffs through which brand loyalty is created the company stands to gain much as most consumers will not switch to other brands but rather decide to stick with the trusted brand even when t hey are ready to move to the more upscale and upmarket products that are provided by the company (Gratton, Hailey, Stiles & Truss, 1999).Therefore it can be stated that from every point of view, whether it is as a consumer products manufacturer or an employer, Nestle stands to gain much through this growth strategy of focusing on emerging markets. What is the company's strategy with regard to business development in emerging markets- Does this strategy make sense- From an organizational perspective, what is required for this strategy to work effectively?As is clear from the information that has been provided in the case study, Nestle uses a variety of different strategies to develop its business activities and markets in the emerging markets. While many maybe of the opinion that only one or two strategies should be used in order to ensure that synergies of scale are gained and that there is consistency across the operations, such a customization of strategy to meet the specific need s of an economy is highly commendable (Marshall, Smith & Buxton, 2009, pp. 4 – 18). For instance in countries like India and China, Nestle has entered the market by providing low cost brand name basic food stuff like condensed milk and infant formula, in doing so the company has also located its manufacturing plants within the countries and the regions, employed host country nationals and helped uplift their living standards.Thus not only has the company provided them with a livelihood by employing them and purchasing local produce from local farmers and businessman, but in doing so has also created loyalty to its brand, which is something priceless (Karake-Shalhoub, 1999). As the living standards and the income levels of these individuals and entrepreneurs increase, they will no doubt continue to be loyal to the Nestle brand and purchase the more upscale and products that are sold by the company, when they are ready to move from basic food stuffs to more branded and upscale foods stuffs like cookies and chocolate.Likewise another strategy that is being used by the company is to enter markets like Nigeria and China and invest in basic infrastructure to ensure smooth distribution channels, while many may see this as a waste, in the long run, the company has gained a strong foothold in the marketplace, created job opportunities and further increased the visibility of its brand nd thus increased entry barriers for the competition (Sims, 2003), thus it can be stated that this is indeed a very good business development strategy that is being followed by the company at the present time. From an organisational perspective for an a strategy to work effectively it is necessary to ensure that the strategy is developed in such a manner that it would fit the market needs and help the company to gain a comparative advantage (Oladunjoye & Onyeaso, 2007, pp. 92 – 598). Based on everything that has been stated above and the manner in which Nestle’s is cur rently operating in China, India, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, it is clear that the company has adopted many different successful strategies that are helping it to gain a competitive edge in these markets while continuing to benefit from the ‘first mover’ advantage that it has created for itself. Through research on NESTLE, identify appropriate performance indicators.Once you have gathered relevant data on these, undertake a performance analysis of the company over the last five years. What does the analysis tell you about the success or otherwise of the strategy adopted by the company? An analysis of Nestle’s performance indicates that the Company has been able to improve its performance over the years. The sales of the Company reached a record of US $73 billion, and growth in profits was 20. 7% in 2005. In 2005, Europe amounted to 30% of sales, Americas 34%, and Asia, Oceania and Africa 17% of the sales.Nestle is aware that it need to adjust its offering if it is to reach its target of 5-6% growth per year. (Country Monitor, 2006). Public Image – In a world that is becoming increasingly complex, consumer needs and wants continue to become more sophisticated on a daily basis. Unlike in the past when companies could simply mass produce and sell products to the end user, today, consumers are demanding more not only in terms of pricing and quality but also in terms of corporate social responsibility.Therefore it is necessary for Nestle to continuously monitor and manage its public image and it is also very important from a strategic perspective that the company is seen as a socially responsible corporate citizen (Niederhut-Bollmann & Theuvsen, 2008, 63 – 68). Compared to many other multi national companies, Nestle’s has not earned the public ire for being irresponsible socially, however as the global slave trade for chocolate manufacturers comes to light it is essential that Nestle’s looks at ways an d means to ensure that it is not ensnared in such a public relations nightmare.Sales Growth – This is a very important performance indicators and should give the company a sense of its successes and failures in terms of strategy. Currently the company has been doing very well on this front and should carefully monitor the external and the internal environments for any factors that may pose a threat to its continued success in this area (Roberts, 2001, pp, 25 – 28). Following a growth strategy in emerging markets is actually a very good strategy that has paid off and continues to pay off, however this does not mean that the company can afford to be laid back on this score.Market Share – By gaining ‘first mover advantage’ the company has been able to gain and retain its market share through the years, however it is also necessary that the company continues to learn from its past mistakes in Japan and other countries, where it did not take the competit ion seriously and therefore has lost much in terms of market share that it could otherwise have gained (Odagiri, 1992).Blue Ocean Strategies – As markets continue to mature and other markets continue to develop it is imperative that the company focuses its attention on research and development and creates ‘blue oceans’ in order to find new markets (Gubman, 2004, pp. 13). This is something that Nestle is currently lagging at and needs to pay particular attention to with immediate effect.Based on everything that has been stated above it is therefore clear that while the company does excel in areas such as managing its public image and sales growth, there is much more improvement needed to be made in the search for innovative market strategies that will help force it to success in the future. How would you describe Nestle's strategic posture at the corporate level; is it pursuing a global strategy, a multidomestic strategy an international strategy or a transnationa l strategy? Figure 2 – Which Structure to Choose? Source: http://www. wiziq. com/tutorial/380-International-StrategyIllustrated above is a depiction of the different corporate level strategies that can be adopted by multi national companies the world over. Such strategy is often chosen on the degree of need for global integration and local market responsiveness (Kaplan and Norton, 2001, pp. 87). Based on the information that has been provided in the case study it is clear that Nestle is a company that need to gain a high level of local market responsiveness due to the variety of different business development related strategies that is pursuing in different parts of the world.For instance while in the Middle East it has entered the markets by building five different lines of products that it hopes will be distributed across the region as trade barriers fall, in countries like China and India, it is pursuing a different strategy of meeting the basic food needs of the populatio n with items such as infant formula and condensed milk. It is the intention of the company in these markets that once standards of living increase, they can leave these Niche markets and provide consumers with more upscale and upmarket products like chocolates and cookies.Further it can also be stated that as a company with only 1% of its revenue being earned in the home country and 8000 different brands, global integration is a must (Lowson, 2002). Therefore it is the opinion of the writer that Nestle need to choose between the multi domestic strategy and a transnational strategy and not swing from one to another, because doing so would only result in the company loosing focus of its final aim, which is to be a global consumer food products leader (George, 2007, pp. 6 – 71). Based on the information that has been provided in the case study it is the opinion of the writer that Nestle’s should choose a transnational strategy because it balances both the global integrati on needs of the company and the local market responsiveness that is necessary to ensure that the company’s products will be competitive and continue to meet the needs of the local population in the emerging markets that it is operating in (Marks, 2005, pp. 1).While many maybe of the opinion that the company should continue to pursue its multi domestic strategy as it has worked well for it in the past, the changing needs of the global environment and the development taking place in the emerging markets make it necessary to gain synergies of scale and global integration for the many brands that it has under its belt and therefore a transnational strategy is the best option for Nestle’s in the future (Barney and Hesterly, 2008).Does this overall strategic posture make sense given the markets and countries that Nestle participates in? Why? The overall strategic posture of Nestle makes a lot of sense given the fact that it is operating in virtually every country in the worl d, with a huge presence in the emerging markets. According to Hill (2006), that multidomestic strategy is appropriate in a market where the pressures for local responsiveness is very high and as a results the pressures for the cost reduction is low.Especially, pressures for local responsiveness can be very high in some productions, such as food, chocolates, dairy nutrition and etc. From the time when consumers have many national differences in tastes and preferences, distribution channels, competitive conditions, business practices, culture and government policies in the markets in which Nestle operates, therefore following a multidomestic strategy is beneficial for the Company.The difference in cultures and purchasing power (Prahalad et al, 1998) in the middle class population in emerging markets imply that in order for a first mover to gain advantage, it must be willing to adapt its product and offer in accordance with the needs of the local market. Figure 3 Source: http://www. do cstoc. com/docs/5632428/Ethnocentric-Polycentric-Geocentric-Diagr ams As stated in the previous section the overall strategy that is currently being followed by Nestle’s is one that focuses on local market responsiveness over global integration, which in effect results in a multi domestic strategy (Shackman, 2007, pp. 79 – 488). It is no doubt however that such a strategy has indeed helped the company to gain the level of success that it currently enjoys in emerging markets, and therefore can be considered as good. However we should always remember that strategies should promise equal or more success in the future as they do for the company today (Cabrera and Cabrera, 2003, pp. 41) and therefore reviewing the strategy from such an angle would work to the benefit of the company in the long run.The company currently follows a regiocentric attitude as is clear from the illustrations above, while it can be reiterated that this type of structure and strategy works to the ad vantage of the company, in the long run as the emerging markets being to mature and the company continues on its mergers and acquisitions strategies to enter new markets in Eastern Europe, it will become essential that the company gains some level of global synergy and integration (Mcwilliams, Van Fleet, & Wright, 2001, pp. 1).Therefore it is the recommendation of the writer that the company begins to embark on a transnational strategy with a Geocentric attitude, which will eventually help it to have a more global view with flexibility to make necessary changes at local level whenever and as frequently as needed (Donaldson & O'Toole, 2002). Therefore in conclusion it can be stated that even though the current strategic posture makes sense, it needs to be reviewed and modified if the company is to continue to penetrate, gain and retain market share in the emerging economies as well as the developed economies the world over (Mockler, 1999).Is Nestle's management structure and philosop hy aligned with its overall strategic posture? The overall structure and the strategy of the company as stated previously and has been made clear to the reader throughout the case study, is that the company pursues a multi domestic strategy, due to the need to have a high responsiveness to the local market needs (Drejer, 2002).While this is impressive, the company goes further to also ensure that it is staffed by local nationals in the host countries and that power and authority is decentralised as much as possible, again indicating that the management structure is indeed very much aligned to its philosophy of local autonomy and its multi domestic strategy (Silverman, 2002).However instead of relying on the local managers alone, the company also has a pool of at least 700 expatriate managers who travel from one country to another ensuring that the local and regional strategies of the company are upheld and global integration is a possibility (Mintzberg & Rose, 2003, pp. 70 – 277), while this may sound like a sound and often a wise move on the part of the company, the fact that none of the regional international managers get involved in local level stratey design and the fact that none of the local level managers are involved in the global strategy design and development leaves a disconnect that can cost the company dearly in the long run and therefore it is necessary to take a close look at the integration of both and make changes wherever necessary (Betz, 2001).Based on everything that has been stated above, it is therefore the opinion of the writer that greater global integration is necessary as the company moves forward and hopes to retain its place as a market leader by gaining large shares of the market in emerging economies, which it has strived hard to build over the last few decades. In effect it is therefore necessary to ensure that there is high levels of global integration and simultaneously ensure that there is high levels of local market re sponsiveness as well (Lefkowith, 2001, pp. 20).As stated previously this is only possible if the company follows a transnational strategy and this strategy and philosophy should be made a possibility by changing the current management structure within the company to one that allows for regional managers to gain an understanding of local issues and challenges and vice versa. This will help the company to align its goals and objectives both on an international local level and thus be more integrated in both spheres. Read more: http://www. ukessays. com/essays/marketing/nestle-case-study-assinemnt-marketin Nestle Case Study NESTLE CASE STUDY With reference to the Nestle case study, provide one example which clearly illustrates a link between topics or concepts drawn from at least two pre-requisite modules. The Nestle case study provides a number of examples which illustrate links between Strategic management, Methods of Enquiry and Accounting for decision making concepts. Nestle is one of the oldest of all multinational business. Nowadays, Nestle is one of the biggest food and nutrition companies in 86 countries in the world. Hill, 2009 pp). Nestle was involved with a range of acquisitions in the last years in order to extend its line of products and try to expand on a geographical scale. Since its sales are reducing in developed markets, Nestle has the opportunity to expand business in up and coming countries, which is going to generate more profit for the company. Up and coming countries is one sector that Nestle is going to invest money in because it has the potential to be a strong and attractive ma rket.Nestle feels confident in doing so because in such countries population economy and technology has experienced a rapid growth. (Datamonitor, 2006). Nestles long-term strategy is to identify the quickly expanding countries first and get into the market as soon as possible in order to take advantage of other competitors. However, it first has to hold the leading position in the developed markets where it is currently placed. Also Nestle has to hire local managers and staff in the developing markets that understand the local market dynamic and culture.As explained above there is a link between Nestle’s strategy and the Strategic management, because companies employ managers from respective countries in the local companies due to the fact that they understand the local market dynamics. By hiring local manager they can take advantage of the local knowledge and own culture of the country. FIGURE 1 Figure 1 Source: Own diagram It is a huge advantage that Nestle works with local managers in fast rising emerging countries. As a result, Nestle will have quick results which lead to quick profits.As we can see in FIGURE 1 above, Nestle is closely related to the Strategic management module because companies will have a range of research(reports) on fast growing countries. Therefore, they will have the ability to balance the services they are able to provide (food, cereals, coffee, chocolate, drinks, ice cream, etc) (Nestle 2011), with the price that customers are willing to pay. For example, if people cannot afford the Nestle products then they will not expand in such countries but focus their attention and invest in countries where people are able to buy their products.Also, Nestle is connected with methods of enquiry with Emerging markets. Companies will have less space to roam around and make decision considering that much of their movements are controlled by the market reaction. This means that emerging markets are countries with social or business activiti es in the process of rapid growth and industrialization. The Nestle case study as clearly explained above illustrates a good link with the Strategic Management/Methods of Enquiry and the Market dynamic/Emerging markets respectively. Does it make sense for Nestle to focus its growth efforts on emerging markets? Why?The recent financial crisis that reverberated throughout the globe was a clear indicator of the interdependence and the codependence that globalization has created while simultaneously making it clear to everyone that the emerging economies, especially those that make up BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are more resilient than western economies, thus making them engines of growth that have helped the recovery effort in the last few years. Therefore from that point of view alone it can be stated that yes, Nestle’s strategy to focus its growth efforts in developing or emerging markets is indeed a sound one.However this does not mean that the ability of these mar kets to recover faster than the western economies should bebe sole reason for such a decision. Rather there are many more and varying reasons that need to be taken into consideration. The onset of globalization for one thing has helped uplift the living standards of many in China and India and millions of families have climbed out of poverty and are able to aspire to better life styles and a better standard of living, thus creating new markets companies like Nestle (Latshaw and Choi, 2002, pp. 7). Next as has been stated in the case study, the number of individuals who can be considered as middle class in these two economies alone will exceed 700 million in the coming decade, which is more than the entire population of 500 million in the European region or the 300 million in the United States, thus making this a very lucrative market for Nestle and one that needs to be exploited with immediate effect (Crook, Bratton, Street & Ketchen, 2006, pp. 09 – 412). Besides the above Ne stle as a multi national company has a decentralised structure and has often emphasised the need for attracting, recruiting and selecting host country nationals to be employed in its’ manufacturing plants across the world and this again is a very strategic and wise decision (Cesnovar, 2006, pp. 227 – 229).By decreasing unemployment rates, being socially responsible corporate citizen and helping to uplift the standard of living in these regions of the world, the company is earning the respect of the population, which can soon be converted to public relations win, thus it can be stated that this strategy makes immense sense at the present time (Mclean, 2006, pp. 36).Last but not least it should also be stated that by gaining ‘first mover advantage’ of providing basic food stuffs through which brand loyalty is created the company stands to gain much as most consumers will not switch to other brands but rather decide to stick with the trusted brand even when t hey are ready to move to the more upscale and upmarket products that are provided by the company (Gratton, Hailey, Stiles & Truss, 1999).Therefore it can be stated that from every point of view, whether it is as a consumer products manufacturer or an employer, Nestle stands to gain much through this growth strategy of focusing on emerging markets. What is the company's strategy with regard to business development in emerging markets- Does this strategy make sense- From an organizational perspective, what is required for this strategy to work effectively?As is clear from the information that has been provided in the case study, Nestle uses a variety of different strategies to develop its business activities and markets in the emerging markets. While many maybe of the opinion that only one or two strategies should be used in order to ensure that synergies of scale are gained and that there is consistency across the operations, such a customization of strategy to meet the specific need s of an economy is highly commendable (Marshall, Smith & Buxton, 2009, pp. 4 – 18). For instance in countries like India and China, Nestle has entered the market by providing low cost brand name basic food stuff like condensed milk and infant formula, in doing so the company has also located its manufacturing plants within the countries and the regions, employed host country nationals and helped uplift their living standards.Thus not only has the company provided them with a livelihood by employing them and purchasing local produce from local farmers and businessman, but in doing so has also created loyalty to its brand, which is something priceless (Karake-Shalhoub, 1999). As the living standards and the income levels of these individuals and entrepreneurs increase, they will no doubt continue to be loyal to the Nestle brand and purchase the more upscale and products that are sold by the company, when they are ready to move from basic food stuffs to more branded and upscale foods stuffs like cookies and chocolate.Likewise another strategy that is being used by the company is to enter markets like Nigeria and China and invest in basic infrastructure to ensure smooth distribution channels, while many may see this as a waste, in the long run, the company has gained a strong foothold in the marketplace, created job opportunities and further increased the visibility of its brand nd thus increased entry barriers for the competition (Sims, 2003), thus it can be stated that this is indeed a very good business development strategy that is being followed by the company at the present time. From an organisational perspective for an a strategy to work effectively it is necessary to ensure that the strategy is developed in such a manner that it would fit the market needs and help the company to gain a comparative advantage (Oladunjoye & Onyeaso, 2007, pp. 92 – 598). Based on everything that has been stated above and the manner in which Nestle’s is cur rently operating in China, India, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, it is clear that the company has adopted many different successful strategies that are helping it to gain a competitive edge in these markets while continuing to benefit from the ‘first mover’ advantage that it has created for itself. Through research on NESTLE, identify appropriate performance indicators.Once you have gathered relevant data on these, undertake a performance analysis of the company over the last five years. What does the analysis tell you about the success or otherwise of the strategy adopted by the company? An analysis of Nestle’s performance indicates that the Company has been able to improve its performance over the years. The sales of the Company reached a record of US $73 billion, and growth in profits was 20. 7% in 2005. In 2005, Europe amounted to 30% of sales, Americas 34%, and Asia, Oceania and Africa 17% of the sales.Nestle is aware that it need to adjust its offering if it is to reach its target of 5-6% growth per year. (Country Monitor, 2006). Public Image – In a world that is becoming increasingly complex, consumer needs and wants continue to become more sophisticated on a daily basis. Unlike in the past when companies could simply mass produce and sell products to the end user, today, consumers are demanding more not only in terms of pricing and quality but also in terms of corporate social responsibility.Therefore it is necessary for Nestle to continuously monitor and manage its public image and it is also very important from a strategic perspective that the company is seen as a socially responsible corporate citizen (Niederhut-Bollmann & Theuvsen, 2008, 63 – 68). Compared to many other multi national companies, Nestle’s has not earned the public ire for being irresponsible socially, however as the global slave trade for chocolate manufacturers comes to light it is essential that Nestle’s looks at ways an d means to ensure that it is not ensnared in such a public relations nightmare.Sales Growth – This is a very important performance indicators and should give the company a sense of its successes and failures in terms of strategy. Currently the company has been doing very well on this front and should carefully monitor the external and the internal environments for any factors that may pose a threat to its continued success in this area (Roberts, 2001, pp, 25 – 28). Following a growth strategy in emerging markets is actually a very good strategy that has paid off and continues to pay off, however this does not mean that the company can afford to be laid back on this score.Market Share – By gaining ‘first mover advantage’ the company has been able to gain and retain its market share through the years, however it is also necessary that the company continues to learn from its past mistakes in Japan and other countries, where it did not take the competit ion seriously and therefore has lost much in terms of market share that it could otherwise have gained (Odagiri, 1992).Blue Ocean Strategies – As markets continue to mature and other markets continue to develop it is imperative that the company focuses its attention on research and development and creates ‘blue oceans’ in order to find new markets (Gubman, 2004, pp. 13). This is something that Nestle is currently lagging at and needs to pay particular attention to with immediate effect.Based on everything that has been stated above it is therefore clear that while the company does excel in areas such as managing its public image and sales growth, there is much more improvement needed to be made in the search for innovative market strategies that will help force it to success in the future. How would you describe Nestle's strategic posture at the corporate level; is it pursuing a global strategy, a multidomestic strategy an international strategy or a transnationa l strategy? Figure 2 – Which Structure to Choose? Source: http://www. wiziq. com/tutorial/380-International-StrategyIllustrated above is a depiction of the different corporate level strategies that can be adopted by multi national companies the world over. Such strategy is often chosen on the degree of need for global integration and local market responsiveness (Kaplan and Norton, 2001, pp. 87). Based on the information that has been provided in the case study it is clear that Nestle is a company that need to gain a high level of local market responsiveness due to the variety of different business development related strategies that is pursuing in different parts of the world.For instance while in the Middle East it has entered the markets by building five different lines of products that it hopes will be distributed across the region as trade barriers fall, in countries like China and India, it is pursuing a different strategy of meeting the basic food needs of the populatio n with items such as infant formula and condensed milk. It is the intention of the company in these markets that once standards of living increase, they can leave these Niche markets and provide consumers with more upscale and upmarket products like chocolates and cookies.Further it can also be stated that as a company with only 1% of its revenue being earned in the home country and 8000 different brands, global integration is a must (Lowson, 2002). Therefore it is the opinion of the writer that Nestle need to choose between the multi domestic strategy and a transnational strategy and not swing from one to another, because doing so would only result in the company loosing focus of its final aim, which is to be a global consumer food products leader (George, 2007, pp. 6 – 71). Based on the information that has been provided in the case study it is the opinion of the writer that Nestle’s should choose a transnational strategy because it balances both the global integrati on needs of the company and the local market responsiveness that is necessary to ensure that the company’s products will be competitive and continue to meet the needs of the local population in the emerging markets that it is operating in (Marks, 2005, pp. 1).While many maybe of the opinion that the company should continue to pursue its multi domestic strategy as it has worked well for it in the past, the changing needs of the global environment and the development taking place in the emerging markets make it necessary to gain synergies of scale and global integration for the many brands that it has under its belt and therefore a transnational strategy is the best option for Nestle’s in the future (Barney and Hesterly, 2008).Does this overall strategic posture make sense given the markets and countries that Nestle participates in? Why? The overall strategic posture of Nestle makes a lot of sense given the fact that it is operating in virtually every country in the worl d, with a huge presence in the emerging markets. According to Hill (2006), that multidomestic strategy is appropriate in a market where the pressures for local responsiveness is very high and as a results the pressures for the cost reduction is low.Especially, pressures for local responsiveness can be very high in some productions, such as food, chocolates, dairy nutrition and etc. From the time when consumers have many national differences in tastes and preferences, distribution channels, competitive conditions, business practices, culture and government policies in the markets in which Nestle operates, therefore following a multidomestic strategy is beneficial for the Company.The difference in cultures and purchasing power (Prahalad et al, 1998) in the middle class population in emerging markets imply that in order for a first mover to gain advantage, it must be willing to adapt its product and offer in accordance with the needs of the local market. Figure 3 Source: http://www. do cstoc. com/docs/5632428/Ethnocentric-Polycentric-Geocentric-Diagr ams As stated in the previous section the overall strategy that is currently being followed by Nestle’s is one that focuses on local market responsiveness over global integration, which in effect results in a multi domestic strategy (Shackman, 2007, pp. 79 – 488). It is no doubt however that such a strategy has indeed helped the company to gain the level of success that it currently enjoys in emerging markets, and therefore can be considered as good. However we should always remember that strategies should promise equal or more success in the future as they do for the company today (Cabrera and Cabrera, 2003, pp. 41) and therefore reviewing the strategy from such an angle would work to the benefit of the company in the long run.The company currently follows a regiocentric attitude as is clear from the illustrations above, while it can be reiterated that this type of structure and strategy works to the ad vantage of the company, in the long run as the emerging markets being to mature and the company continues on its mergers and acquisitions strategies to enter new markets in Eastern Europe, it will become essential that the company gains some level of global synergy and integration (Mcwilliams, Van Fleet, & Wright, 2001, pp. 1).Therefore it is the recommendation of the writer that the company begins to embark on a transnational strategy with a Geocentric attitude, which will eventually help it to have a more global view with flexibility to make necessary changes at local level whenever and as frequently as needed (Donaldson & O'Toole, 2002). Therefore in conclusion it can be stated that even though the current strategic posture makes sense, it needs to be reviewed and modified if the company is to continue to penetrate, gain and retain market share in the emerging economies as well as the developed economies the world over (Mockler, 1999).Is Nestle's management structure and philosop hy aligned with its overall strategic posture? The overall structure and the strategy of the company as stated previously and has been made clear to the reader throughout the case study, is that the company pursues a multi domestic strategy, due to the need to have a high responsiveness to the local market needs (Drejer, 2002).While this is impressive, the company goes further to also ensure that it is staffed by local nationals in the host countries and that power and authority is decentralised as much as possible, again indicating that the management structure is indeed very much aligned to its philosophy of local autonomy and its multi domestic strategy (Silverman, 2002).However instead of relying on the local managers alone, the company also has a pool of at least 700 expatriate managers who travel from one country to another ensuring that the local and regional strategies of the company are upheld and global integration is a possibility (Mintzberg & Rose, 2003, pp. 70 – 277), while this may sound like a sound and often a wise move on the part of the company, the fact that none of the regional international managers get involved in local level stratey design and the fact that none of the local level managers are involved in the global strategy design and development leaves a disconnect that can cost the company dearly in the long run and therefore it is necessary to take a close look at the integration of both and make changes wherever necessary (Betz, 2001).Based on everything that has been stated above, it is therefore the opinion of the writer that greater global integration is necessary as the company moves forward and hopes to retain its place as a market leader by gaining large shares of the market in emerging economies, which it has strived hard to build over the last few decades. In effect it is therefore necessary to ensure that there is high levels of global integration and simultaneously ensure that there is high levels of local market re sponsiveness as well (Lefkowith, 2001, pp. 20).As stated previously this is only possible if the company follows a transnational strategy and this strategy and philosophy should be made a possibility by changing the current management structure within the company to one that allows for regional managers to gain an understanding of local issues and challenges and vice versa. This will help the company to align its goals and objectives both on an international local level and thus be more integrated in both spheres. Read more: http://www. ukessays. com/essays/marketing/nestle-case-study-assinemnt-marketin

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Explain How to Manage Disagreements with Children, Young People and Adults Essay

Very often in my life I have found myself in the middle of the conflict. We have to be very wise, diplomatic and try to help to solve the problem if somebody asks us to. Many times people know how to sort it out or what must be done to solve the problem but they are too emotionally involved and at that moment and they simply are not able to do anything. If such a situation happened it is good to listen and give them time to calm down. It can take just few minutes or longer period of time. Important thing is to keep patient; this may be hard to do but it is important to keep a cool head. At times I am required to mediate discussions over a period of time until both parties feel that the issue has been resolved to their satisfaction. Might be conflicts at work, between husband and wife, among friends, among children at school or at home. 1. Firstly when we want to manage disagreements the skill of listening to both sides of the conflict and assessing the whole situation is required before making any decisions. I Also checking their non-verbal communication and make sure I am aware of what caused the conflict in reality. Working with Roma children I found out that sometimes they bring their conflicts from previous disagreement. Verbal conflicts are easier to manage than physical disagreements. 2. Secondly I must be completely sure that both sides want and are ready to resolve the conflict. If the children stay angry or refuse to communicate helping them to negotiate will be impossible to do. Few days ago one Roma boy was hit by another friend. They kept saying different stories what happened to them as they were looking at this problem from their own point of view. Other children witnessed the incident and helped by explaining what happened. Sometimes I ask both sides separately as this gives more of a clearer picture and I make sure they are honest. 3. Next important issue during the whole process of helping to manage disagreements is that I will act as a helper for resolving the issue but allow them to have some responsibility in sorting the problem out. They must do it by themselves. I can lead the discussion or help them to find resolution this will encourage them to sort differences and enable them to feel proud. We have to know the personalities of children or adults involved. Otherwise, not knowing the weakest points can cause barriers and this will result in the problem not being solved. 4. Another very important point is win/win resolutions. This means that both parties will gain once the disagreement has been resolved. Once I feel that I have identified the real issue, I will point it out to them and ask them if they agree. This will end the disagreement and will also dismiss any future problems that may occur. When any disagreement happens be creative solving it. Try to think of as many different solutions to the problem as you can. The mediator and the parties involved should try to think through the conflict before any meetings, and then again when you get together and begin your discussion. Allow your discussion to flow in as many different directions as they can, as long as emotions don’t get too heated, in order to resolve the conflict effectively. The most important thing is to take other peoples feeling into consideration.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Brief on Saakshar Bharat

The programme aims to further promote and strengthen Adult Education, specially of women, by extending educational options to those adults who having lost the opportunity of access to formal education and crossed the standard age for receiving such education, now feel a need for learning of any type, including, literacy, basic education (equivalency to formal education), vocational education (skill development), physical and emotional development, practical arts, applied science, sports, and recreation. Programme Framework of Saakshar Bharat The programme framework as provided in Saakshar Bharat document is as under: Objectives:The Mission has four broad objectives, namely, Impart functional literacy and numeracy to non-literate and non-numerate adults, Enable the neo-literate adults to continue their learning beyond basic literacy and acquire equivalency to formal educational system, Impart non and neo-literates relevant skill development programmes to improve their earning and living conditions, Promote a learning society by providing opportunities to neo-literate adults for continuing education. Targets and Special Focus Areas:The Government has set a National Goal of achieving by 2012, 80 percent literacy rate and reducing gender gap in literacy to 10 percent In addition, minimising regional, social and gender disparities with Special Focus on Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities, disadvantaged groups, adolescents and low literacy States and tribal areas is the other national target. This target has to be achieved through formal schooling of 6-14 year old children and literacy programme of adults. In order to achieve 80% literacy, the principal target of the Mission is to impart functional literacy to 70 million adults in the age group of 15 years and beyond, to reduce gender disparity, 60 million of 70 million will be women. To reduce social disparities, within the overall target, 14 million will be Scheduled Castes (10 million women + 4 million men), 8 million Scheduled Tribes (6 million women + 2 million men) and 12 million minorities (10 million women + 2 million men). An auxiliary target of the Mission is to cover 1.5 million adults under basic education programme and equal number under vocational (skill development) programme. To minimise regional disparities, all districts that had adult female literacy rate of 50% or less as per 2001 Census are being covered under the programme. In addition, Left Wing Extremism Affected districts irrespective of their literacy rate are also eligible under the programme. As 84% of illiterate population lives in the rural areas, the prog ramme is being implemented only in the rural areas of the eligible districts. Whereas, in the urban areas, the demand for residual literacy will be met by innovatively using new actors like Jan Shikshan Sansthans, State Resource Centers, NGOs, social groups and any other institution through Public Private Partnership (PPP) or any other mode. Strategy: Saakshar Bharat will cover all adults in the age group of 15 and beyond though its primary focus will be on women. Basic Literacy, Post literacy and Continuing Education programmes, form a continuum, rather than sequential segments. For the volunteer based mass campaign approach, provision has been made for alternative approaches to adult education. Adult Education Centres (AECs), are to be set up to coordinate and manage all programmes, within their territorial jurisdiction. State Government and Panchyati Raj institutions along with communities would be valued stakeholders. Vigorous monitoring and evaluation systems are to be installed. Last, but not the least, budgetary support has been enhanced substantially. Teaching–Learning Programmes: To respond to the demand for literacy and address the diverse needs of the non and neo-literate adults, an assortment of teaching learning programmes, including Functional Literacy Programme, Basic Education Programme, Vocational Education and Continuing Education Programme are being offered as an integrated continuum. Functional Literacy Programme Programme Objectives:Literacy Programme (LP) aims at achieving the first objective of the scheme, that is, two Impart functional literacy to non-literate adults. Functional literacy, in context of the programme, implies achieving self-reliance in Reading, Writing, Arithmetic (Numeracy) and becoming aware of the causes of one’s deprivation and moving towards amelioration of their condition through organization and participation in the process of development; Acquiring skills to improve the economic status and general well being; Creating an aware and responsible citizenry (Imbibing values of national integration, communal harmony, conservation of the environment, women’s equality, and reproductive behavior etc. ). Literacy Programme Framework:The programme entails identification of non-literates through a survey, area wise mapping of their learning needs and imparting them instructor based teaching of about 300 hours spread over 3 months or beyond, depending on motivation of the learner and local conditions. Successful completion of the 300 hours of instructional learning would enable the learner to read and comprehend unknown text (news paper headings, road signs etc); apply skills of writing in day to day activities like writing applications and letters and filling up of application forms, etc., and compute simple problems involving multiplication and division. A certificate will be issued to every successful learner based on a professional evaluation of learning outcome. This will open up opportunities for further education through Open Learning Systems. Classes are convened at such time and venue as would be suitable to the learners. Volunteer-based Mass Campaign Approach: Under this appro ach, volunteer teaching takes place on a mass scale. A volunteer acts as a mobiliser, trainer and teacher and is responsible for imparting literacy, on an average, to 8-10 learners. The implementing agency at the operational level, will be responsible for identification of the potential learners as well as volunteers, their batching and matching, making arrangements for their training, distribution of literacy kits to learners and volunteers, keeping track of the progress made by each learner-volunteer group, ensuring that the momentum of learning is not lost, while simultaneously ensuring that learning takes place at the pace suitable to the learner. Incentives to the Volunteers and Learners Voluntary Literacy Educators are not paid any remuneration. Since highmotivational level of Voluntary Literacy Educators is critical, they need to be motivated through different means including public recognition, at different levels, of their contribution besides other incentives and rewards. Although budgetary provision has not been made for paying honorarium to Literacy Educators but, State Government, Gram Panchayat or NLMA through any other funding source, including do nations or public private partnership, may consider paying the same to them. Flexi Approach:Though Mass Campaign Approach continues to be the dominant strategy, the scheme discounts a homogenous approach uniformly throughout the country. To ensure that basic literacy is provided through a variety of context specific and group specific approaches. Implementing agencies may adopt any approach/model or a mix of approaches/models, including the illustrative formats outlined below: Centre-based Approach: a. Resident Instructor: In the eventuality of qualified Volunteers not being a resident within a particular village, instructors may be engaged from outside the village or community to live with the community and provide instructional teaching to the learners and assist them in completing basic literacy course. On an average, one Resident Instructor will be required to teach at least 30 learners in a period of one year. The Resident Instructor will be provided an honorarium as per NLMA norms. In this approach the centre will function for about 7-8 hours every day, and individual/groups of learners will attend classes for a couple of hours or more depending on the free time available to them. The instructors will be especially chosen for their sensitivity to issues of gender and caste equality, and their commitment to Constitutional values of democracy and secularism.b. Residential Camps: The residential camps are organized, specially for adolescents and young adults in the age group of 15-25 years, who might have already completed primary education (Standard IV/V) but later relapsed to illiteracy for want of follow up; and those who dropped out of the school system, and are now too old to rejoin school and those altogether excluded from systematic education. Identified young adults and adol escents are being motivated to participate in residential camps, which are organized at a suitable location in the Blocks. c. Part-residential Camp – Part-volunteer-based Approach: Provision has been made in the scheme to cover group-specific learners, such as non-literate members of self-help groups, women’s groups, or members of gram panchayats, or persons who may have joined together in a common cause. There are many such groups in the country today and many of them also function as a forum for credit and savings. It would provide for basic literacy in camps conducted for a suitable period, keeping in view the convenience of the beneficiaries, interspersed with guided learning in volunteer mode. These camps would enable learners to acquire literacy skills of pre-determined levels, simultaneously, providing opportunity for discussion and debate on issues relevant to their living and working conditions. Basic Education Programme Framework: This programme is designed to achieve the second objective of the scheme, namely, â€Å"Enable the neo-literates to continue their learning beyond basic literacy and acquire equivalency to formal educational system†. Arrangements have been made to enable young adults to continue their learning till they are able to achieve equivalence levels with Grade III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII and beyond in the formal school system or through the Open Learning System. The Open Basic Education (OBE) programme initiated by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and other State Open Schools have been taken as the starting point. INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS (upto March, 2012) Although Saakshar Bharat Programme was launched on 8th September, 2009 but, the programme became operative from 1st October, 2009. The programme initially faced several challenges. It got revived after long hiatus and was as good as a new one. There was no formal implementation structure in the States. It heavily depended on spirit of Voluntarism. The programme envisaged for the first time involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions at Gram Panchayat, Block and District levels as the implementing agencies. Lot of preparations like environment building, formation of Management Committees at different levels, opening of Bank Accounts of each  implementing agency, authorisation of funds under the ICT based Fund Flow Mechanism, Training/Orientation of Resource Persons and functionaries and Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions, Preparation and Distribution of Teaching Learning Materials were required to be done to streamline the functioning of the programme. The following initiatives were taken during the last two and a half years of the functioning of the Saakshar Bharat Programme: Environment Building, M otivation and Mobilisation For environment building and mobilisation, an effective communication strategy was required for creating sustainable demand for literacy, making visible the importance and relevance of literacy and making literacy campaign participatory and voluntary. A strategic communication group was formed under the Chairpersonship of Dr. D. Purandeswari, Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The group approved a comprehensive communication strategy for mobilisation and environment building which entailed a multi media approach.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Clinical Services Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Clinical Services Manager - Essay Example As the report discusses it is best to get in touch with the training institute that the mental health unit usually associates itself with. In addition, it would be a good preparation to considering house training, instead of sending the trainees to an institute. For the hiring purpose, a market analysis that estimates the cost-to-company for two E grades would be the right approach. Based on the inputs of all these exercises, a total cost plan should be submitted in front of the Accountant and the Clinical Services Manager. A clear break–up of the cost plan can help John convince them in the most effective manner.From this essay it is clear that planning timelines and a proper schedule will also help John in implementing all the changes in a smooth manner. Once the funding is approved, John can use this plan to prioritize and schedule. The authorities can also use this plan and see if the implementation can go as per the timelines. One thing that John should keep in mind while making timelines is that accurate date ranges should be mentioned. Also, it would be good to keep an option of flexibility so that any changes due to unforeseen or unexpected circumstances can be accommodated into the plan. Therefore, instead of keeping a very tight schedule that can go awry in difficult situations, it is recommended that he creates a flexible dateline with some extra days accounted so that the implementation can happen within the schedule decided. Â  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management Assignment - 1

Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management - Assignment Example The firm has anticipated that fund withdrawals by members who have invested for at least five years will exceed fund inflows (from new and existing contributors) by 7% per annum on average for the subsequent five years. A suggested interpretation of this 7% figure is: (Cash outflows during year – cash inflows during year) / Total assets at 1/1/2014 = 7%The trend, therefore, calls for strategic measure to be taken to ensure the continued survival of the initiative. The investment committee will have to establish strong measures to ensure that the competitors do not out do the Morris Capital.Over the last few years, the world’s financial system has gone through its greatest crisis since the Great Depression. Rigorous financial predicaments have come into sight concurrently in a number of regions, and the economic crises are being felt all through the universe as a consequence of the increased interconnectedness of the worldwide economy.To successfully achieve competitive advantage Morris capital must initiate investment strategies to meet the deficiency that will be incurred after the initial investor members’ start withdrawing their money from the initiative. The investment committee will appreciate using either the active or passive investment approaches. The investment committee is obliged with;†¢Ã‚  How to come to a new level of growth and sustainable profitability in an environment of low interest rates (Bernstein 2001)†¢Ã‚  Rebuilding asset quality and strengthening their capital adequacy

Public Administration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Public Administration - Research Paper Example However, new public management (NPM) overrides the earlier new public administration (NPA) and develops to cover wide areas of management functions. Classical Public Administration establishes principles and structures of organizations, which should guide in public administration, while the NPA counters classical PA through anti positivist, anti technical, and anti bureaucratic aspects and propose for relevance, change, values, and equity goals in public administration. NPM brings in the aspect of governments to operate just like businesses and relies on price change and neo Taylorism theories. Post modernism proposes for active participation of citizens or the society in dialogue and debates of public policies, before and during implementation to reflect their needs. It is build upon Haberman discourse theory. Finally, the paper draws a conclusion between public and private sectors. Keywords: Public Policy, Public Administration, Managers, New Public Administration, Classical Public Administration, New Public Management, Post Modern Public Administration, Organizations, Government, Principles, Change, Theory, Public and Private Sectors, Business, Efficiency Public administration is only a specific part of the broad concept of administration. In the past, people and even scholars have had differences in agreeing to which field the study best fits. Some argued that it best fits in science, while others believed it was an art or philosophy. Basically, since the scientific study of the facts of administration exist, it makes it a science, just as a field of philosophy, it deals with human beings and their management, and due to practical application of knowledge, it then becomes attached to art. The word administration focuses its attention on the cooperativeness of groups’ behavior to generate the basis value, which is efficiency.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Serology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Serology - Research Paper Example The DNA can be a very powerful source of evidence. However, there are debates about the uses serology has been put to and in recent years these debates have become more rancorous. One of the most radical transformations in evidence collection in recent years in the criminal justice system is the use of DNA. Considered by some to be a silver bullet, conclusively proving guilt, DNA’s significance can be hard to defend against and may create an insurmountable burden for an innocent defendant. It is documented that there is a high level of error in laboratories, and it is possible for DNA samples to be switched. This is an important consideration when evaluating the uses of serology. An accident like this combined with circumstantial evidence would almost certainly result in a guilty verdict. Likewise, sophisticated criminals have been known to plant false DNA evidence at the crime scene in order to shift attention away from themselves. This are important things to keep in mind when considering

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Modern Education Thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Modern Education Thought - Essay Example Little (1995), believes that the main aim of â€Å"the autonomy is to equip learners to play an active role in participatory democracy† (p. 176). Benson (2008) agrees with Little when he says, â€Å"because the concept of autonomy in learning draws its meaning from the concept of personal autonomy, it is centrally concerned with the kind of learning that best helps people to lead autonomous lives† (p. 4). Here it confirms that autonomy revolves round individual freedom and human rights to facilitate him/her for making their choices and it is a lifelong process. In the broader sense the learner autonomy enable the person to lead autonomous life. The prominence of autonomy is to create a sense of human dignity. We should be autonomous individuals and autonomy for learning is an essential part of attaining our personal autonomy. An autonomous individual rely on himself/herself while living an independent life which is responsible for his or her own actions rather than blam ing others. To give support to our understanding it is important to know the aims and purpose of education. The main aim of education can be achieved if the person follows the autonomy of learning. According to aim of education envisioned by Piaget, ‘children acquire moral values in the same way they acquire knowledge--by constructing beliefs internally through interaction with the environment.’(Constance, 1982).He pointed out the importance of mutual respect to develop autonomy. The Piaget’s theory postulates as how the cognitive development of an individual focuses on the surroundings and the concepts that are conceived from these factors directly impacts ones learning. It brings in the thought to change... Paul Friere is the famous literacy educationist from Brazil who came up with the principles of critical pedagogy.He referred to the cycle of bringing the issues of the daily life, involving the knowledgeable level of the student and moving to action and then leading to reflection. The students shall know to â€Å"read the world through the word†. The Critical pedagogy is the study of oppression in education based on the issues and questions rose in sexuality, colonialism and how it will shape in nature and the purpose of education. In simple terms critical pedagogy is the way, how teacher asking ‘why’ is simple and the students freely asking the same way as ‘why am I learning this’ has to be executed. â€Å"Revolutionary critical pedagogy operates from an understanding that the basis of education is political and that spaces need to be created where the students can imagine a different world outside of capitalism’s law of value†¦where pat riarchal hierarchies of oppression can be ended†. The idea of autonomy is to understand the responsibility and be judgmental while taking the decision and development of rationality according to the changing situation. Marxism has made a mark on its own all over the world. Marxism was followed by the Brazilian Educator Paulo Freire. In his book of Pedagogy of Oppressed mentioned that â€Å"education makes sense because women and men learn that through learning they can make and remake themselves.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Analyzing Stories Assignmrnt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing Stories Assignmrnt - Essay Example With the incessant teaching of Miss Moore about facts of life regarding the poor and the rich, Sugar, one of the students came to realize her point during this trip where she reckoned that not even all of their money for their food in year cannot be summed up to buy the toy boat they saw in the store. Although the storyteller was quite annoyed at the conversation, the irony in the story is expressed at the end where she turned out to be the more serious type of a person who was struck with the exchange of ideas. Sylvia decided to be alone so she could think about what happened through the day while Sugar who seemed to be more reflective, turned out to be more concerned of where they were going to spend the change of Miss Moore that she never asked. Most of the characters in the story are static, showing no change in their personalities. For instance, Mercedes presented herself to be the more affluent among them, telling them about what she has and what she could have if she asks her dad to buy things for her. Rosie Giraffe on the other hand has always been the troublemaker, being reckless in her actions and words, waiting for a chance to get to whoever gets caught in her trap. The same is true with the other minor characters that are not the focus in the story but seemed to have been used as standards to differentiate the other characters. Sugar is a flat character because although there was no change in her, there was a time in the story that she became reflective and showed signs of becoming a round character. However, the end of the story reveals that she did not seriously consider her thought that might have changed her life and character. On the hand, where Sugar left her reflections, the main character picked her senses. Sylvia is a dynamic character showing a change in behavior towards the end of the story, taking time to herself to reflect on the things that happened that day. She, from the beginning of the story showed

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Timeline 1995 1996 Starbucks Coffee International is established. In August, Starbucks opens its first Starbucks store outside of North America in Tokyo, Japan through a jointventure agreement with Sazaby Inc. In December, Starbucks opens its first store in Singapore through a licensing agreement with Bonstar, Pte Ltd. 1997 In December, Starbucks opens its first store in Makati City, Philippines through a licensing agreement with Rustan Corporation. In July, Starbucks opens its first store in Bangkok, Thailand through a licensing agreement with Central Pattana, Plc. Coffee Partners (Thailand). In October, Starbucks opens its first store in Auckland, New Zealand through a licensing agreement with Restaurant Brands, Ltd. In December, Starbucks opens its first store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia through a licensing agreement with Berjaya Group Berhad. 1999 In July, Starbucks opens its first store in Seoul, South Korea through a licensing agreement with Shinsegae Department Stores Co. , Ltd. In June, Starbucks Coffee International acquires 100 percent equity of Coffee Partners (Thailand), forming Starbucks Coffee (Thailand) Ltd. In July, Starbucks opens its first store in Sydney, Australia through a joint-venture agreement with a local Australian entrepreneur. In December, Starbucks Coffee International acquires 50 percent equity of South Korean operations from Shinsegae Department Stores Co. , Ltd. , creating a joint-venture partnership in South Korea. Starbucks opens its 100th Japanese store, in Akasaka. Starbucks is named â€Å"Number One Restaurant Chain† by Japan’s Nikkei Restaurant Magazine and â€Å"Best Product of the Year† by South Korea’s Joongang Daily Newspaper. 2001 2002 Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. begins offering stock options for part- and full-time partners. In February, Starbucks Coffee International acquires 100 percent equity of its operations in Australia, forming Starbucks Coffee Company (Australia) Pty. Ltd. In May, Starbucks opens its first store in Jakarta, Indonesia through a licensing agreement with PT Mitra Adiperkasa. The first Starbucks Coffee Ambassador Cup is held in the Philippines. Starbucks Coffee Company (Australia) Pty. Ltd. inaugurates the Bandaged Bear Day Appeal. Starbucks receives the â€Å"Nikkei Superior Products and Service Award† in Japan. 2003 Starbucks launches the first Asian Commitment to Originsâ„ ¢ coffee, Muan Jai Blendâ„ ¢, sourced from the hills of Northern Thailand.  ©2009 STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 1998 1998 2000 2004 In July, Starbucks Coffee International acquires 100 percent equity of its operations in Singapore from Bonstar, Pte Ltd. , announcing the formation of Starbucks Coffee Singapore Pte. Ltd. Also in July, Starbucks Coffee International acquires 49. 9 percent equity of its operations in Malaysia, forming Berjaya-Starbucks Coffee Company Sdn. Bhd. Starbucks celebrates the opening of its 100th store in South Korea. 2005 Starbucks helps fund a free pediatric clinic in Penang through collaboration with HOPE worldwide Malaysia. Starbucks introduces ready-to-drink Starbucks Discoveries ® chilled cup coffee, in Japan and Taiwan. The drinks mark the company’s first RTD coffee offerings outside of North America. Starbucks introduces Starbucks bottled Frappuccino ® coffee drinks in South Korea. 2006 In August, Starbucks celebrates its 10th anniversary in Japan. Starbucks celebrates the opening of its 100th store in the Philippines and its 600th store in Japan. Starbucks introduces Starbucks Doubleshot ® espresso drinks in South Korea. 2007 In December, Starbucks celebrates its 10th anniversary in the Philippines. Starbucks celebrates the opening of its 100th store in Thailand and its 200th store in South Korea. Starbucks introduces Starbucks Discoveries ® chilled cup coffee in South Korea. 2008 In February, Starbucks celebrates the opening of its 100th store in Malaysia. In July, Starbucks celebrates its 10th anniversary in Thailand. In September, Starbucks introduces Starbucks Doubleshot ® espresso drinks in Japan. In October, Starbucks celebrates its 10th anniversary in New Zealand In November, Starbucks and partner Dong Suh Foods donate more than 3,000 books to sponsor the Starbucks Discoveries ® Dream Library program in Jeju Island, South Korea. The Dream Library marks the first charitable outreach program sponsored by Starbucks Global Consumer Products. In December, Starbucks celebrates its 10th anniversary in Malaysia. 2009 In February, Starbucks appoints Arun Bhardwaj interim president, Starbucks Coffee Asia Pacific. ###  ©2009. STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Ecological Factors Influencing Terrestrial Plants And Animals Biology Essay

Ecological Factors Influencing Terrestrial Plants And Animals Biology Essay Ecology was first defined by Ernst Haeckel in 1866 as the science of relations between organisms and their environment (Bramwell 1989). The study of ecology has developed over the years from an initial descriptive field of study in the 19th century to a more quantitative, experimental and analytical discipline in the 21st century (Mayorga et al. 2002). The definition has also developed. Krebs (1972) gave the following more defined definition, Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. He omitted the use of the word environment. It is clear however that the interactions to which he referred are the very factors which create the environment and so a more complete definition which marries the definitions given by Haeckel and Krebs is suggested as follows by Begon et al. (2006): Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and the interactions that determine distribution and abundance. It is necessary to take a historical aspect and to discuss Island biogeography to understand the present distribution of plants and animals within the United Kingdom. The fauna and flora of islands are determined historically by events that occurred that affect floral and faunal populations. The initial event is generally seen to be the movement of land masses followed by glaciation. Pliestocene glaciation is largely the event determining the present day patterns in distribution of Flora and Fauna in the UK (Begon et al 2006). Recolonisation of plants and animals is dependent on distance from other populations and the ability of some animals to disperse and reproduce, grow and survive, once they arrive in a suitable environment. There are two notable contrasts with continental Europe, Britain has a relatively impoverished mammal fauna as several species, such as the garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus and the beech marten Murtesfuina, now found on the western edge of the continental ma inland, failed to recolonise Britain after the last ice age (Mitchell-Jones 1996). Reptiles and amphibians species are also more diverse on the continent than in the UK. There are only 6 native species in the United Kingdom, by comparison with a single species in Ireland which is further from Europe and Europe itself boasts over 87 reptilian species (Silva et al. 2009). Inter actions between organisms and their environment can be viewed at three different levels, the individual, as part of the population and as part of the community. To discuss the factors affecting the distribution of plants and animals in the United Kingdom it is necessary to look at all aspects. The scope of the interactions which will be discussed here are outlined in figure 1. The term niche is very frequently misunderstood as and often used loosely to describe where an animal lives, this is more correctly its habitat. A niche is a summary of the organisms tolerances and requirements, how they interact to define the conditions and resources needed by an individual or species in order to practice its way of life (Begon et al 2006), and the time it occurs there (Mackenzie et al 1998). The niche of an animal is generally larger than that it actually inhabits, This is the fundamental niche which is characterised by conditions (temperature, relative humidity amongst others), within the tolerable limits of a species provided that there are enough resources available i.e. food, accommodation and that it is not limited by interactions with other organisms such as predation and competition and that it is not prevented from getting to the suitable area (dispersal). Hutchinson (1957) identified the Fundamental niche from the realised niche with the latter being the m ore limited spectrum of conditions and resources that allow an animal to persist even in the presence of competition and predation. The primary conditions influencing animal distribution are as outlined in figure 1. These are portrayed as one dimensional but clearly the effect of temperature will be affected by the effect of winds and humidity. Conditions are defined as variable environmental factors which organisms respond to. They are non depletable, the organism cannot use them up (Mackenzie et al. 1998) l Figure 1. Factors affecting distribution of plants and animals in the United Kingdom Temperature is a condition which affects the rate of development in organisms, in fact many cold blooded animals incubation and development is given in degree days rather than in actual time. What is really required is a temperature-time continuum also referred to as physiological time. An example of how temperature affects not 1 but ultimately 2 species in their realised niche and distribution is given by Randall (1982) In this case The rush moth (Coleophora alticolella) lays its eggs on the flowers of the rush Junctus squarrosus and the caterpillar uses the ripe seeds as its food resource. The moths and the larvae are little affected by low temperatures so there is no reason why they cant extend their niche further up in altitude however at the lower temperatures above 600m the seed of the rush fails to ripen and so there is no food resource for the caterpillar. The temperature related limit of tolerance has been reached for the rush, which in turn limits the niche of the caterpill ar giving us the realised niche. The pH of soil and water can have a strong influence on plant and animal communities. Plant roots tend to be damaged in soils below pH3 and above pH 9 due to the pathogenic effect of toxic levels of H+ or OH- ions. Soil pH also has an effect on the uptake of nutrients and the concentration of toxins, tolerance levels vary for pH but only a minority of plants can grow at pH less than 4.5 (Begon et al 2006). Kidd and Proctor (2001) investigated the role of the toxicity of hydrogen (H+) as an explanation of the reduced plant growth observed in the grass Holcus lanatus L. (Yorkshireà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fog) and the tree Betula pendula Roth (Silver Birch) in very acid soils. They collected soils and seeds from a range of acidic to more alkaline environments from 4 Scottish sites. It was shown that there was separate adaptation in the various populations to H+ or Al3+ toxicity which was closely related to the edaphic characteristics of the original site from which they were collected. The fact o f plant adaptation to H+ toxicity supports the view that this is an important factor in very acid soils (Kidd and Proctor 2001). Salinity is another condition which affects the distribution of organisms. The presence of salt in the soil water offers osmotic resistance to water uptake. The main effect of salinity is to cause osmoregulatory problems similar to those encountered in drought and freezing conditions. Salinity mainly affects organisms close to the sea or around inland salt sprins/ ponds. The main adaptation of plants isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ . Salt marshes encompass a broad range of saline concentrations from full strength sea water to non saline conditions. And has plants that are halophytic by degrees. Wind plays a major role in plant dispersal. Only small light seeds with special adaptations can be dispersed by the winds. These adaptations are to facilitate the seeds remaining airborne longer which means they can be carried greater distances. Such adaptations usually involve hairs or outgrowths which increase the surface area to catch the wind The flower ovary containing the seeds becomes a dry hollow container with one or more openings. The containers are shaken by the wind, scattering the seeds through the openings, dispersing them all around the immediate area. (Photo:http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/seed_dispersl/wind.htm) Wing-like outgrowths on the fruit (which contains the seed) make it spin as it falls from the parent plant. This spinning delays its fall so that the wind may carry it some distance away. (Photo:http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/seed_dispersl/wind.htm) Wind also has a negative effect on the distribution of organisms in that it has been implicated in the problem of soil erosion of arable lands and of sand dunes., thereby reducing their capacity to sustain plant communities. We cannot discuss the factors influencing the distribution of organism n the United Kingdom without looking at the effects of the activities of man. Man does have a positive impact in the management of resources and in the study of, collection of and interpretation of information ecology and ecosystems. However he also has a negative effect in that man is the perpetrator of the majority of effects leading to environmental pollution. These include the clearing of land for operations totally wiping out local habitats, the leaching of metals into the environment and the dumping of copper, zinc and lead around mines. Many of these metals are present already but at lower concentrations and some are vital nutrients for organisms in the surrounds but the practice of mining can elevate their presence to lethal levels (Begon et al 2006). Power plants and other factories may emit sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide which facilitate the problems with acid rain. After much analysis, researchers n ow know that acid rain causes slower growth, injury, or death of forests. It is practical to assume that if it has this effect in forests it may also retard the growth of other plants which affects a resource required in the energy flow of an ecosystem and will ultimately affect the core of that system. (National Geographic 2010) (http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain-overview/) When pollution occurs, animals often find away to combat the stress and overcome the effects this is evidenced in the well known example of the peppered moth. However while the development is a reaction to industrial pollution there are many other factors at play, such as genetic variability. With the increasing industrialisation in Britain, the peppered moth survived by developing a darker coloured form which was better camoflaged from predators when it landed on the soot darkened trees after the lichens had died off. (Majerus and Stevens 2006) CLIMATE Furthermore Berry et al (2003) have undertaken a study which shows the vulnerability of terrestrial habitats and species distribution in Britain to climate change which is essentially the temperature increase of 0.6 °C over the past century. They contend that with such changes that it is not safe to assume that a species historical range of distribution will remain suitable. Organisms face hazards in everyday life, they develop ways to combat or counteract these hazards, however occasionally the disturbances are on such a large scale they are to b

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Investigating Alcoholic Fermentation and the Affects of Yeast on Dough :: essays research papers

Biology Lab Report Investigating Alcoholic Fermentation and the Affects of Yeast on Dough Aim: The aim was simply to investigate whether or not yeast had any affect on causing dough to rise when baked and to experiment with alcoholic fermentation eg. to see if it gave off carbon dioxide. Introduction: Following a few weeks of fermentation theory, groups of three to four were assigned and told to conduct a series of experiments involving the affects of fermentation. My group consisted of myself, Won Jin, Brendan and Sun-Ho and we chose to investigate alcoholic fermentation and the affects of yeast on dough, more specifically to see if yeast caused the dough to rise in anyway. We followed the instructions in our biology textbook on page 129. Hypothesis: According to what I’ve learned, I would expect that the yeast does indeed cause the dough to rise due to the carbon dioxide gas given off by the yeast. For our alcoholic investigation, I can safely assume that carbon dioxide will be given off as the formula for anaerobically respiration in alcoholic fermentation for turning glucose into alcohol is [ Glucose -> Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide + Energy ] so obviously Carbon Dioxide is a part of this. Also I assume that the fermentation will give off heat and the sugar will probably be turned into alcohol. Materials:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ca. 100 g flour   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Water   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yeast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10 per cent solution Glucose   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liquid Paraffin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Four Test Tubes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lime Water (Used as an indicator) Practical: Our first experiment was to see if yeast impacted dough in anyway and to do this we brought in supplies such as flour and yeast. We followed the instructions and made three groups of dough. For each group we added 50 g of flour and added a little bit of water while mixing it. Due to my lack of â€Å"kitchen skills† I had to throw away my first two attempts, as they had gotten too sticky. But like they say, third time’s the charm and we finally made suitable dough. We mixed warm water and yeast together in a bowl and added about 10 g of sugar, which is necessary for the dough to expand. We split the dough into two smaller mounds and added the yeast solution with only one of them to see the difference of dough with yeast and dough without yeast subjected to the same conditions to analyse the difference. We placed both mounds of dough on top of a windowsill where we would leave it for an hour.

How Romance Is Celebrated In Literature :: essays research papers

The course of time has opened many doors in terms of romance. The present age not only consists many different forms in which love can be expressed, but exhibits the essence of romance that dates back to the dawn of time. Love has existed in many forms throughout time. There is no better example than in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In this tale, when love is most apparent, the most crucial events occur to develop this "tragedy." Firstly, the lustful romance of Mercutio and Benvolio, Romeo’s comrades have never been in true love, their ideas of love is based merely on physical attributes, whereas ‘love is skin deep’.Mercutio, in contrast with Romeo knows not of true love, as "He jests at scars that never felt a wound." (II.ii.1) His idea of love is when he tries to "conjure" Romeo to respond. His childish, immature attitude towards love is expressed when he describes Rosaline’s features:"Her high forehead" and "quivering thigh"(II.ii.18-19). This lustful idea of romance is only emphasised when he describes Rosaline as "An open-arse and thou a poperin pear!"Rosaline, Romeo’s initial unrequited love seemed irrelevant once Romeo had set his eyes upon Juliet. This may portray a side of Romeo, which shows that as easily as he falls ‘in’ love, he can fall ‘out’ of love. However, Romeo and Juliet’s love was pure and ideal, and because of their forbidden love, it leads them to their graves. Upon seeing Juliet all alone, talking in soliloquy, Romeo proclaims, "It is the east, and Juliet is the Sun," this metaphor enhances Juliet’s beauty as it is exaggerated and pronounced as the beauty of the sun. The forbidden love of Romeo and Juliet is spawned from the feud between the two households; Capulet and Montague and throughout Juliet’s ‘supposed’ soliloquy, she ponders over the prospect of the two families’ names: "What’s in a n ame?" (II.ii.43)Upon hearing this, Romeo, who reciprocates the romance, replies belligerently "Had I it written, I would tear the word." (II.ii.57)Convinced that their love was pure, Juliet has been sold, in an unconventional act for a woman in those times, she takes the initiative and plans their future together;"If that thy bent of love be honourable,Thy purpose of marriage" (II.ii.143-144)Leading to the departure of Romeo and Juliet from the balcony scene, Shakespeare has made use of juxtaposition when Juliet sullenly states, "Parting is such sweet sorrow" (II.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

My Personal Battle with Gender Discrimination Essay -- essays research

My Personal battle with Gender Discrimination You know that feeling. When you can feel the blood gathering in your cheeks, your clammy fists clench, and your limbs tingle, wanting to spring out and smash something. Then you yell, whine, complain to anyone who will listen. Their only condolence is, â€Å"boys will be boys†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every year in August, my family on my mom’s side gathers at my aunt and uncle’s house for a family reunion. They own a huge portion of land in the heart of Missouri containing several ponds, a creek, a golf course and lots of camping area. The property is a haven for the outdoorsman, which seems to inspire testosterone in my uncles, male cousins, and even my father. I have been a tomboy since I could walk; I always preferred building forts outside to playing with Barbies. I played soccer instead of volleyball, I bathed in a creek instead of the bathtub, and I rode my bike more than I walked. I HATED wearing dresses and often preferred running around in the dirty jeans and an oversized tee-shirt. I was deemed â€Å"the weird kid† in elementary school. As a child, my feisty nature compelled me to argue for respect and attention from the adults in my boy-favoring family. My grandmother especially favored my male cousins over the female cousins; however, my constant spirit and determination won my Grandmother’s attention and honor of being her favorite grandchild.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have several traditions at the Schulz family reunion including tractor rides, storytelling, and card tournaments. Then, there were the traditions that I fought: the men’s fishing trips, golf, and horseshoe tournaments while the women make dinner. After the daylong events, the men would arrive back to the campsite, eat the prepared food, and go back to their previous activities while the women cleaned up and did the dishes. Out of the four days, the men made possibly one meal. I brought this up to my mom, and she replied by saying â€Å"If we didn’t do it, the men never would.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being a very â€Å"boyish† girl, I always wanted to go on the fishing trips. What could be more fun than riding a mile on a trailer pulled by a tractor down a giant hill on a snake infested path to a creek filled with bass, frogs and other Missouri natives? One time, I got the courage to ask my dad if I could go on the fishing tr... ...rpillars out of his trees when the boys wouldn’t. I have dealt with gender discrimination all of my life. Granted it has always been very minor cases, but it still weakens my spirit. I want to feel like I can do anything I dream, but sometimes people don’t take me seriously because I am a girl. That is why I have been on a conquest to impress and gain the respect of the people in my family who haven’t taken me seriously. I have become a very dedicated skier and soccer player not only because I love the sports, but also because I wish to advance in a male-dominated sport. When I ski or play soccer with my male cousins, they always try to point out my mistakes rather than my talent, even though I am much better than them. It seems like a hopeless goal. No matter how talented I become, I don’t receive their compliments because I am a girl. I hate being discluded from the activities that I love because of my gender. I hate being told that I can’t possibly do something because I am a girl. I also hate the fact that no matter how much I accomplish, my accomplishments aren’t as important because I was born a girl. Someday, I will show them that I can do anything they can do, better.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Organising people to achieve objectives Essay

Organising people to achieve objectives Within our company of facilities management, most of the day to day running is based around organising and delegating tasks to our supply chain. This takes a lot of different considerations as to who we send the tasks to. All of our suppliers are vetted thoroughly through our system before any works can be issued to them. Not only do they have to have the necessary legal information available i.e. insurances etc. but we also have to vet their engineers. We have to ensure they are all CRB check. (Criminal Records Bureau) However, there is also other elements of information we require from them to assist us within day to day running. Suppliers have to identify within their initial registration what disciplines they are able to cover showing that they have engineers with the associated skill sets, qualifications etc. They also have to identify which regions within the country they have coverage for. Once the suppliers have completed their registration form (Please see example attached in appendix) it is sent to a director for approval. Once approved, the supplier will be set up on our system. We as a company then have to ensure that all of the helpdesk staff know exactly what suppliers are on our books, what disciplines they cover and what areas in the country they cover. A client will send a task through  to the helpdesk. This can be via phone, email or portal. A helpdesk member of staff is then expected to ascertain what discipline the task should be logged under and also decide what priority the job should go on. Once this is complete, they then have to send the task to a supplier. This is where the information from the supplier’s registration shows its importance. The helpdesk member would have identified, when logging the task, what the discipline is and what region the site is in. They can then filter through the suppliers to see which is most capable of completing the work satisfactory. Therefore it is extremely important that we make effective and efficient use of the registrations, to ensure we get the task complete effectively through organising and delegating to the suppliers. One technique used to schedule and allocate work to suppliers is our PPM planner. (Planned preventative maintenance programme) This planner is set up for every client to ensure that any assets within the buildings that we look after are registered and maintained on a schedule. This includes compliance items. (Please see example attached in the appendix) When planning these works, we have to identify which supplier is appropriate to be assigned to carry out the works. For example: if we are planning in an annual fire extinguisher test, we need to ensure we use a su pplier who has demonstrated that they have engineers qualified to complete this test providing a compliance certificate where appropriate. This will apply across all disciplines within the planner. Human resources play a very important role within the company. They assure output and quality. They ensure that our any staffs put forward to be a potential candidate appears capable for the position following their curriculum Vitae. They will then identify training and development needs with the staff in the company. Later they will help to conduct appraisals and reviews. Human resources are able to work with KPI implementation within the staff. However, our HR will offer incentives too. Hr will ensure that we have key staff members capable of doing the positions above them. The reason this is important is if a staff member left who was highly dependable upon, we need someone who is capable of slipping in there to cover and so not to leave us exposed. At the same time, this shows that member of staff good promotion aspirations. Human resources are also responsible for protecting the company legally. Ensure that we are all up to date with compliance and legislation. However, it is important to remember  that HR are there to support the employe es as well as the company. Delegating to achieve objectives After supplying the training, recently I delegated the responsibility of a particular task to one of the helpdesk members. I emailed through the lift insurance reports for a client’s estate of 127 buildings. I asked the staff member to take the responsibility of thoroughly reading through the entire reports identifying any defects that have been highlighted. I then instructed the staff member to upload these documents to the assigned buildings. I then instructed them to extract the defects from the report and log them on the system assigning them to the lift supplier. At this time, I also attempted to empower this member of staff by explaining that this will be their responsibility from now on. I went on to explain that by reading these reports, she would learn to understand a bit about lifts and therefore would be able to assist account managers on lift project works. There are sometimes barriers to delegating within my organisation. One of the most common barriers I personally face is a self-imposed obstacle of â€Å"it is quicker and easier to do things myself† this obviously can also be deemed as â€Å"I do not completely trust my employees to get the job done to the expectation†. However, we do have many mechanisms to support delegation within our workplace. Our suppliers are required to sign a contract and SLA (Service level agreement) during the stage of registration. This supports our delegation, expectation to suppliers. To monitor the outcome of this, we conduct contractor/supplier reviews quarterly. We will discuss their SLA’s and KPI’s (Key performance indicator) at this meeting and if necessary, provide support to achieve their best. We also use a similar method for our staff members in the office. They are obviously presented with a contract which includes their job role expectations before the commencement of work. We conduct 6 monthly appraisals with staff to monitor their work. Feedback, recognition and reward techniques are all extremely effective within our workplace. When receiving feedback, normally it is generally very helpful and supported. We will always use good feedback and attempt to elaborate on it and action. Negative feedback can always be very useful also as it gives us areas to improve. We always try to give recognition to our employees where necessary as we have a good history of proving that this is a very  good motivational technique. Obviously by motivating the staff, we are more likely to get their best performance. This motivation also is apparent when using reward techniques. Reward techniques can be a variety of things for example: promotion, new responsibilities, financial rewards etc. All of these prove very effective within the workplace.