Queen Elizabeth I Essay Example for Free

Queen Elizabeth I Essay Having come into power under abnormal circumstances, Queen Elizabeth faced many inter-related challenges throughout her forty-four year reign. She was a moderate politician but a popular presence in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Era, an era that witness a flourishing of arts with the English novel, the British seafaring prowess and perhaps most noticeably, the British defeat of the Spanish Armada. Despite these victories, Queen Elizabeth’s legacy is a troubling one for historians. Queen Elizabeth faced many attacks from her critics for a variety of reasons. Some believed that since she was the illegitimate child of King Henry VIII she was unfit for rule. This was perpetuated by both her brother and sister who tried to disown her and keep her from power. As with many of her foes, they would be defeated. Another front from which Queen Elizabeth faced scrutiny was from her fellow members of the monarchy. They were dissatisfied with her motto of â€Å"I see, and say nothing. † Because she was never married and was at the forefront of establishing the unpopular Church of England, Elizabeth’s ethical judgment was often called into question. In addition, her military record was haphazard. Although they famously defeated the Spanish Armada, Britain had other military engagements in Ireland, France and the Netherlands that were not nearly as successful. For too many in her party, she was only half-heartedly engaged with politics and her highest priority was in the cultural scene and the power it accorded her. Queen Elizabeth I is a famous historical figure whose complete story has yet to be told. As the last reigning ruler of the Tudor Dynasty, she ruled for forty-four years and saw Britain rise to prominence on the global stage.

Managing Change in Organisations: Supermarket Case Study

Managing Change in Organisations: Supermarket Case Study Meena Bazar one of the chain super markets of the Bangladesh which serve in Bangladesh from 2000. Meena Bazar, the first truly national supermarket chain was founded with the promise of year-round. Superstores are set to boom in the country as the current market players are planning to open several hundred more outlets in the next few years to cope with the rising demand from the consumers. With a strong 15-20 per cent annual sales growth, about 30 companies with more than 200 outlets have already made foray into the industry since Rahimafrooz, one of the largest business groups in Bangladesh, introduced Agora, a chain superstore, in the capital a decade ago. Strengths of the Meena Bazar is Size allows for competitive buying terms, Strong senior management, Flexible formats. Opportunities of the Meena Bazar are Forming or merging a strategic alliance with suppliers, Growth of non-food, Growth of convenience and compact hypermarket formats, Effective use of Clubcard database to increase basket size and Develop additional services. Meena Bazaar can successfully implement the organizational culture to the worker. They have a dress code in the outlets. From this the buyer can easily tress out who will serve them and can help them. Another culture is that they are very aware about the time. They have a good organizational bonding. The greatest barrier to adapting to continual change lies with the management of people rather than technology. In Meena Bazar, the constant efforts of effective implementation and utilization of the HR strategies make it possible for the company to perform well in the market. The increasing profit yean in and year out is an evidence of the successful HR practice. Effectively utilizing the new resources may require a move to a product team structure. it may even require downsizing and the elimination of functions that are no longer central to the organizations mission. It seems that the major problem encountered by Meena bazaar is due to the very few outlets in all over the Bangladesh. In addition, the problems also arise because of the inadequate knowledge of its management about the use of strategic management and other management systems. Introduction: Meena Bazar one of the chain super markets of the Bangladesh which serve in Bangladesh from 2000. Meena Bazar, the first truly national supermarket chain was founded with the promise of year-round freshness, affordable price, and the most pleasurable and hassle-free family shopping experience for all. Keeping true to this conviction, Meena Bazar has captured the hearts of shoppers all over. Due to our continuous expansion plans, we are looking for smart, hardworking and proactive young people to be part of our dynamic team. Here the Meena Bazar is the selected organization for the study and access this organization for the find our which will help to do batter performance of it. Bangladesh chain superstores sectors: Superstores are set to boom in the country as the current market players are planning to open several hundred more outlets in the next few years to cope with the rising demand from the consumers. With a strong 15-20 per cent annual sales growth, about 30 companies with more than 200 outlets have already made foray into the industry since Rahimafrooz, one of the largest business groups in Bangladesh, introduced Agora, a chain superstore, in the capital a decade ago. The annual turnover of the superstores now stands at around Tk 15.0 billion (1500 crore), according to Bangladesh Supermarket Owners Association (BSOA). Hassle-free shopping environment, hygienic commodities, fresh vegetables, meat and fish at the supermarkets are earning appreciation of the customers, market operators said. The supermarket biggies have attempted the massive expansion drive to attract the shoppers, who still depend on unplanned wet markets to buy their daily essentials. They say that a rise in organized retailing would offer the consumers hygienic foods at competitive prices, compared to those offered by retailers in the kitchen markets, where commodities are sold mostly in unhygienic condition. The rise in the number of supermarkets, according to analysts, will diversify the choices of consumers and boost their spending, so much needed for economic growth, while the wet markets will also improve quality and services following in the footsteps of supermarkets. But a decade ago, the retail-level trade was in the hands of thousands of small traders in the wet markets and the grocery shops in cities and remained out of the focus of the big business houses. The landscape began to change in 2000 when Rahimafrooz Superstores, operating Agora, moved in to seize a slice of the retailing and wholesale trade, which has been growing at 6 per cent, on an average, annually. In the past decade, many small and big supermarkets made debut, successfully attracting middle and upper middle class consumers, a section of whom are gradually turning to chain stores from the wet or kitchen markets, superstore operators say. Dhaka-based Agora now runs four outlets, Meena Bazar nine including seven in Dhaka, PQS five, Prince Bazar two, Nandan five and Swapno 70 including 30 outside the capital. Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) also runs 11 stores in the capital. According to operators, more than 600 chain retail outlets are expected to be set up in the next five years in an attempt to attract more customers. With the recent opening of a total of 70 branches, ACI has diversified the retailing business. Now it plans to open about 500 stores in the country in the next five years. Mamunur Rashid, marketing manager of PQS, said they are planning to spread the mega-shop business by opening three more stores this year and another 10 in the next two or three years. The departmental stores with the main focus on food items ranging from a wide variety of fish, meat, vegetables to fruits, bakery, dairy and grocery items- also offer a vast array of other household, personal care and miscellaneous products. Consumers can buy as much as nearly 20,000 products of different kinds from such a store, the operators boast. Supermarkets have successfully made a breakthrough in the urban lifestyle with the idea of all essential commodities under one roof. In the early days of the business, around 500 customers would visit a supermarket outlet daily. Now some 5,000 customers come to a store everyday, they say. Meena Bazar SWOT Analysis Strengths Size allows for competitive buying terms Strong senior management Flexible formats Strong hypermarket portfolio Coverage the Mega City Dhaka Increasing level of investment Strong price message and offer at competitive price than the competetors Expanding non-food and online offer Efficient distribution Weaknesses Can not spread the outlets all over the Bangladesh Increasing geographical spread makes focus on specific Markets difficult Exposed to macroeconomic difficulties in some markets International expansion requires substantial investment High reliance on Dhaka Market Poor CSR and community impact Opportunities Forming or merging a strategic alliance with suppliers Growth of non-food Growth of convenience and compact hypermarket formats Effective use of Club card database to increase basket size Develop additional services Threats Faces range of diverse competitors internationally Increased level of eating out Move towards premium does not sit with Meena Bazars traditional strengths Restrictive planning guidelines Political opposition to the power of supermarkets tends to focus on Meena Bazar PEST Analysis for Meena Bazar (P)olitical Factors For employment legislations, the government encourages retailers to provide a mix of job opportunities from flexible, lower-paid and locally-based jobs to highly-skilled, higher-paid and centrally-located jobs. Also to meet the demand from population categories such as students, working parents and senior citizens. Meena Bazar understands that retailing has a great impact on jobs and people factors (new store developments are often seen as destroying other jobs in the retail sector as traditional stores go out of business or are forced to cut costs to compete), being an inherently local and labour-intensive sector. Meena Bazar employs large numbers of; student, disabled and elderly workers, often paying them lower rates. In an industry with a typically high staff turnover, these workers offer a higher level of loyalty and therefore represent desirable employees. (E)conomical Factors Economic factors are of concern to Meena Bazar, because they are likely to influence demand, costs, prices and profits. One of the most influential factors on the economy is high unemployment levels, which decreases the effective demand for many goods, adversely affecting the demand required to produce such goods. (S)ocial/Cultural Factors Current trends indicate that British customers have moved towards one-stop and bulk shopping, which is due to a variety of social changes. Meena Bazar have, therefore, increased the amount of non-food items available for sale. Demographic changes such as the aging population, an increase in female workers and a decline in home meal preparation mean that Bangladesh retailers are also focusing on added-value products and services. In addition, the focus is now towards; the own-label share of the business mix, the supply chain and other operational improvements, which can drive costs out of the business. National retailers are increasingly reticent to take on new suppliers. (T)echnological Factors Technology is a major macro-environmental variable which has influenced the development of many of the Meena Bazar products. The new technologies benefit both customers and the company: customer satisfaction rises because goods are readily available, services can become more personalized and shopping more convenient. The launch of the Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) initiative provided the shift that is now apparent in the management of food supply chains. Meena Bazar stores utilise the following technologies: Wireless devices Intelligent scale Electronic shelf labeling Self check-out machine Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Industry Analysis: Porters Five Forces Threat of New Entrants The Bangladesh grocery market is primary dominated by few competitors, including four major brands of Agora, PQS, and many small chain shop. That possess a market share of 70% and small chains of with a further 10%. Over the last 10 years, according to, the grocery market has been transformed into the supermarket-dominated business. Majority of large chains have built their power due to operating efficiency, one-stop shopping and major marketing-mix expenditure. This powerful force had a great impact on the small traditional shops, such as butchers, bakers and etc. Bargaining Power of Suppliers This force represents the power of suppliers that can be influenced by major grocery chains and that fear of losing their business to the large supermarkets. Therefore, this consolidates further leading positions of stores like Meena bazaar and Agora in negotiating better promotional prices from suppliers that small individual chains are unable to match. In return, Bangladesh based suppliers are also threatened by the growing ability of large retailers to source their products from abroad at cheaper deals. Bargaining Power of Customers Porter theorized that the more products that become standardized or undifferentiated, the lower the switching cost, and hence, more power is yielded to buyers Porter M. Meena Bazars famous loyalty card Clubcard remains the most successful customer retention strategy that significantly increases the profitability of Meena Bazars business. In meeting customer needs, customizing service, ensure low prices, better choices, constant flow of in-store promotions enables brands like Meena Bazar to control and retain their customer base. Threat of Substitutes General substitution is able to reduce demand for a particular product, as there is a threat of consumers switching to the alternatives Porter M. In the grocery industry this can be seen in the form of product-for-product or the substitute of need and is further weakened by new trends, such as the way small chains of convenience stores are emerging in the industry. In this case Meena bazar, PQS and Agoras are trying to acquire existing small-scale operations and opening Metro and Express stores in local towns and city centers. Bargaining Power of Competitors The grocery environment has seen a very significant growth in the size and market dominance of the larger players, with greater store size, increased retailer concentration, and the utilization of a range of formats, which are now prominent characteristics of the sector. As it was mentioned above, the purchasing power of the food-retailing industry is concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of retail buyers. Assessment of Meena Bazar: An organizations performance can measured through some features. The features are given below and assess the Meena Bazar Human Resources Human resources are an organizations most important asset. Ultimately an organizations distinctive competences lie in the skills and abilities of its employees. Because these skills and abilities give an organization a competitive advantage, organizations must continually monitor their structures to find the most effective way of motivating and organizing human resources to acquire and use their skills. Typical kinds of change efforts directed at human resources induce (1) new investment in training and development activities so that employees acquire new skills and abilities; (2) socializing employees into the organizational culture so that they learn the new routines on which organizational performance depends; (3) changing organizational norms and values to motivate a multicultural and diverse workforce; (4) ongoing examination of the way in which promotion and reward systems operate in a diverse workforce; and (5) changing the composition of the top management team to improve org anizational learning and decision making. Assessment of Meena Bazar: Meena Bazaar have only seven outlets in Banladehs. They have 70 people who directly involved in the outlets for customer service. Another 20 personnel have worked in the background for the management of the outlets. From the assessment, found that the management of Meena Bazaar have not take any initiative for formal training of their worker who are directly involve with the custom service to improvement of the service quality. For that reason many times the worker face problems in the outlets and occur many unexpected situation. Meena Bazaar can successfully implement the organizational culture to the worker. They have a dress code in the outlets. From this the buyer can easily tress out who will serve them and can help them. Another culture is that they are very aware about the time. They have a good organizational bonding. In the Meena Bazaar there is not any reward system for the outlet managers. If there was any rewarded system to them who can achieve the highest sell in his outlet the manager will motivate to sell more and more. By which the organization can earn more and more profit. Changes in the nature of work over the last years have a reflective and alarming impact on the roles of the HR within the new modes of organizational flexibility as well as leveling power of information technology. Generally, the emergence of HRM as a universal remedy for integrating business strategy and people management has exposed personnel practitioners to a fresh set of role challenges and managerial expectations that have stressed out the gaps between the HR language and reality. Further, the attempts to capture the changing environment of the HR personnel roles in response to major transformations in the workplace, the associated rise of HRM, and the competitive advantage of the whole organization through its manpower are few aspects that HR functions embark upon. Organizations are now faced with leaner structures and increased competition which in turn are generating a rapid pace of change in the workplace. The greatest barrier to adapting to continual change lies with the management of people rather than technology. In Meena Bazar, the constant efforts of effective implementation and utilization of the HR strategies make it possible for the company to perform well in the market. The increasing profit yean in and year out is an evidence of the successful HR practice. Functional Resources Each organizational function needs to develop procedures that allow to manage the particular environment it faces. As the environment changes. organizations often transfer resources to the functions where the most value can be created. Crucial functions grow in importance, while those whose usefulness is declining shrink. An organization can improve the value that its functions create by changing its structure, culture, and technology. The change from a functional to a product team structure, for example, may speed the new product development process. Alterations in functional structure can help provide a selling in which people are motivated to perform. The change from traditional mass production to a manufacturing operation based on self-managed work teams often allows companies to increase product quality and productivity if employees can share in the gains from the new work system. Assessment of Meena Bazar: For Meena Bazaar the functional resources includes its availability of the products in every outlets. From the assessment Meena Bazaar is not fully successful to available the products in every outlets in at time. It is happen for their distribution system. The distribution system is not so strong to reach to the outlets at a time. Anther matter for the super chain shop the inventory system should be very strong. Because if the customer cannot find his / her desired regular product then can switch any time. The one of the competitor of Meena Bazaar is Agore. The agora offer the new shape of product to their customers. But Meena Bazaar can not do that frequently. Technological Capabilities Technological capabilities give an organization an enormous capacity to change itself in order to exploit market opportunities. The ability In develop a constant stream of new products or to modify existing products so that they continue to attract customers is one of an organizations core competences. Similarly, the ability to improve the way goods and services are produced in order to Increase their quality and reliability is a crucial organizational capability At the organizational level, an organization has to provide the context that allows it to translate its technological competences into value for its stakeholders. This task often involves the redesign of organizational activities. 113M, for example. has recently moved to change its organizational struchire to better capitalize on its strengths in providing IT consulting. Previously, it had been unable to translate its technical capabilities into commercial opportunities because its structure was not focused on consulting, bu t on making and selling computer hardware and software rather than providing advice. Assessment of Meena Bazar: The inventory management system should be very strong and automated in the chain super shop. The Meena Bazar have a inventory software for their inventory management. But their inventory management software is not the customized automated. If the inventory and selling information store in a central software and the central store can see the status, the management can easily send the desired product. So the technological capabilities is not so updated. By the inventory management system the manufacturing company can be benefited in many ways. The basic function of inventories is to act as a buffer to decouple or uncouple the various activities of a firm so that all do not have to be pursued at exactly the same rate. The key activities are (1) purchasing, (2) production, and (3) selling. The term uncoupling means that these interrelated activities of a firm can be carried on independently. Without inventories, purchasing and production would be completely con trolled by the sales schedules. If the sale of a firm increases, these two would also increase and vice versa. In other words, purchasing and production functions would depend upon the level of sales. It is, of course, true that in the long run, the purchasing and production activities are and, in fact, should be tied to the sales activities of a firm. But, if in the short term they are rigidly related, the three key activities cannot be carried out efficiently. Inventories permit short-term relaxation so that each activity may be pursued efficiently. Stated differently, inventories enable firms in the short run to produce at a rate greater than purchase of raw materials and vice versa, or to sell at a rate greater than production and vice versa. Organizational Capabilities Through the design of organizational structure and culture, an organization can harness its human and functional resources to take advantage of technological opportunities. Organizational change often involves changing the relationships between people and functions to increase their ability to create value. Changes in structure and culture take place at all levels of the organization and include changing the routines an individual uses to greet customers, changing work group relationships. improving integration between divisions, and changing corporate culture by changing the top management tram. These four levels at which change can take place are obviously interdependent; it is often impossible to change one without changing another. Suppose an organization invests resources and recruits a team of scientists who are experts In a new technology-for example, biotechnology. If successful, this human resource change will lead to the emergence of a new functional resource and a new technological capability Top management will be forced to reevaluate its organizational structure and the way it integrates and coordinates its other functions to ensure that they support its new functional resources. Effectively utilizing the new resources may require a move to a product team structure. it may even require downsizing and the elimination of functions that are no longer central to the organizations mission. Assessment of Meena Bazar: The organizational capabilities include the value system that delivery to the Meena Bazars customers. The main weakness of Meena Bazar is their organizational capability . Because their number of outlets is only seven and only centralized in Dhaka. They should have to expand their outlets to all over the Bangladesh. The all products of Meena Bazar have not produce in their own farm. So they have to maintain the relationship with the supplier. If the supplier is not supply the batter goods, Meena Bazar also can not serve the batter goods. To improve the quality of the served product they have to make good relation with supplier. Proposed Action Strategy 1: Product Development The retailers in the Bangladesh represent Gemcom Groups largest sales and marketing channel which encompass national and regional grocery supply stores and mass merchants. Distributors represent Meena Bazar second largest channel and generally sell to both traditional and resellers and retailers. In Bangladesh, Meena Bazars market share is still relatively high. Meena Bazar Corporation has more than distributors located in Dhaka. Strategy 2: Product Penetration The company uses the store as a venue to sell its products. This is accomplished through the use of marketing campaigns and product bundles. The company is able to build awareness of its products and brands through mass media advertising, public relations efforts and branded Internet properties. The company also makes it a point to receive feedback from its customers through market research. The company then uses these feedbacks to refine its product development efforts and marketing strategies. The company also initiated an e-commerce strategy to increase online sales and provide new innovations in business class which increases customer satisfaction. Strategy 3: Efficiency and Effectiveness Meena Bazars direct to customer model solve the problem for additional capital for marketing and sales. By selling directly to consumer it eliminated retailers along the way. One advantage of this kind of system is that the firm is continuously in contact with its customers and they are benefiting in two areas concerning sales and marketing, seeing sales trends and learning about unmet costumer demands. Strategy 4: Technology Improvement Technology is an important source of competitive advantage. And this is considered a strength of Meena Bazar because the firm enjoys better access to technology. Meena Bazar introduces the latest relevant technology much more quickly than companies with slow-moving indirect distribution channels. Techniques for change Revolutionary Change Revolutionary change is dramatic, rapid and broadly focused. This radical shift may mean new ways of doing things, new goals or a new organizational structure. The three important components of revolutionary change are reengineering, restructuring, and innovation, as described by Jones and George. Revolutionary change is appropriate within the technology industry, where swift advancements often happen. Although an organization cannot plan for every situation, scenario planning may be most appropriate to predict potential revolutionary change. In scenario planning, a business envisions possible future outcomes and creates a plan to deal with each one. Technological change increases is a process of a decision. Management can take decision it by within a meeting and implement. So the it goes under Revolutionary Change process. By setup a central server, Meena Bazar can control the inventory management system in centrally. Automated system can facilated the organization to check out inventory before the stock out. The inventory and distribution is considered as one of the most important aspects of any companies that are involved in a supply chain. It can help them to manage and control the overall flow of products of materials that are used in production and distribution. The said importance is the reason why, most of the companies are already using the technology of WMS. It is a computerized system that helps many companies to incorporate the different aspects of their operations in order to control the physical flow of their supply chain. The all outlets can easily maintain same quality and attract the customers. Benefits of invent ory system: Increased productivity of Meena Bazar managers Sales and customer satisfaction Increased profitability Mobile, real-time access to point of sales (POS) reports from store systems Easy integration with inventory management Evolutionary Change Evolutionary change is described as incremental, gradual and narrowly focused. This change is constant. Evolutionary change may be a carefully developed, long-term goal that an organization is moving toward. One tool that can promote and direct evolutionary change is strategic planning. Under the Evolutionary Change the human resource training and development is running. Because. The training and development process is not finished with in a period. The process of training is given below Organizational Capabilities developing includes make more outlets for Meena Bazar. Because people like to take everything with in the hand. So no one find the Meena Bazars out lets even though the price and the quality is more comparable to others. Another matter is that when Meena Bazar provide the discount offer the competitor also offer some benefits. So the main strength will if Meena Bazar increase its out let. The outlet increasing process is not done quickly. Because lot of research and the organizational is needed for the decision. Conclusion It seems that the major problem encountered by Meena bazaar is due to the very few outlets in all over the Bangladesh. In addition, the problems also arise because of the inadequate knowledge of its management about the use of strategic management and other management systems. This way, the empire of Meena Bazar will remain get the highest position in the chain grocery market in the Bangladesh.

Chocolate Industry Is Becoming A Global Phenomenon Marketing Essay

Chocolate Industry Is Becoming A Global Phenomenon Marketing Essay Introduction Chocolate Industry is becoming a global phenomenon. Globally appetite for chocolates shows no signs of waning but a shift in consumption pattern is increasingly evident. In the year 2009 global confectionary market was estimated to be 88,740.2US $ million industry .From the year 2004-2009 it has grown by 33.2 % in terms of retail value .In terms of value chocolate confectionery market is the largest category accounting for almost 60% of the total sales. The giants of chocolate business have all dominated their respective regions for decades eg :-Kraft in Us,Cadbury In Britain. Cadbury Schweppes was formed by a merger in 1969 between Cadbury and Schweppes. Since 1842 Cadbury has gone from strength to strength. The most recent step to the success ladder for Cadbury is the takeover of the company by US food company Kraft which makes the company global confectionery leader. It has an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum, candybar .Since then the business has expanded into a leading international confectionery and beverages company. Through an active programme of both acquisitions and disposals the company has created a strong portfolio of brands which are sold in almost every country in the world. This report aims to throw light on Chocolate confectionery industry leader Cadbury with target market in India .A rapidly developing economy such as India would further gives me a chance for a much deeper analysis of the industry and overall market environment. Cadbury in India: Cadbury began its Indian operations as a trading company in 1947 with brands such as dairy milk, gems, 5star Bournvita and perk etc. Cadbury India Ltd is a local subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes which holds in excess of 90 % shares in it. Cadbury in the last six decades has become synonymous with the word chocolate in India .It is one of the Classic examples of the brand coming to symbolise a product category. Innovation is also essential for ongoing success despite chocolate market being dominated by consistent performers .Cadbury India Ltd dominates the chocolate market in India with over 70%.It operates in four categories viz. Chocolate Confectionery, Milk Food Drinks, Candy and Gum category. Some of the key brands are Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 star,  Perk,  Ãƒâ€°clairs  and  Celebrations. Market size The FMCG market in India is estimated to reach 27 billion in 2009. It is very highly fragmented market .In India the Chocolate confectionery market grew almost 22% in current value terms to reach Rs27 billion in 2009.Cadbury India Ltd is the leader in confectionary market in India Leading Brands in the market Nestle is the 2nd market leader with a share of 33% followed by Amul at 3.63%.Other competing products in the market are KIT KAT, NESTLÉ Eclairs ,Polo, Nestle Milky bar Nestle Bar one is one of the biggest competitor of 5 star ,Amuls Chocozoo product ,Amuls Milky Bar etc Brand Positioning A brand position is the market place a brand is perceived to occupy or what the brand stands for in a world of brands .This position includes the associations it has in the mind of the consumer .It includes the associations it has in the mind of the consumer .It includes all aspects of a brand: the product attributes, benefits and values. (MooijiMariekede, 2005). In a survey conducted by the Business world magazine in 2007 Cadbury had been ranked 5th in the FMCG sector in a survey on Indias most respected companies. PORTERS ANALYSIS New Entrants Rivalry Buyers Substitutes Suppliers Porter (1980) suggested that five main forces shape competition at the level of strategic business units and that a systematic analysis of each in turn can help managers identify the keys to competitiveness in their particular industry (Hooley, 2003) Rivalry among existing companies-Moderate Cadbury is undoubtedly the market leader in the Indian chocolate confectionery market .The main players in the chocolate confectionary market is Cadbury followed at 58.3% by Nestle at 33% and domestic brand Amul (Gujarat Co-operative Ltd) at a very small share of 3.63%.Private labels have not made an entry in chocolate confectionary .With Brands such as Cadbury and Nestle enjoying a strong brand equity as well as market dominance retailers have not ventured into the category as of 2009 .Since 2004-2009 the market shares by the companies have not seen a major change .Nestle is the only competitor with diverse range of product portfolio where as Amul core activity is in dairy products and it has a much smaller product portfolio than the leading players in India. Amul Chocozoo is the companys key innovative brand which does not have any parallels in the market. In India Cadbury enjoys very strong brand loyalty a classic example is the Worm Controversy in the year 2003 during the festiva l period in Diwali but a year later company was able to gain back the consumer confidence .Cadburys value share melted from 73 per cent in to 69.4 per cent during the year 2003.The recovery began in May 2004 when Cadburys value share went up to 71 per cent. This faster recovery was possible due the trust and loyalty of the consumers with the brand. Also due to strong brand loyalty Cadbury enjoys price elasticity and product differentiation plays a very small in competitive rivalry of the confectionery market. Threat of New entrants- Low In addition to considering existing rivals an organisation should also consider the potential for new entrants to emerge. Threat of new entrants in an industry depends upon the height of a number of entry barriers .In the chocolate confectionery market the capital cost of entry would be very high since Cadbury and Nestle being the only two companies with more than 70 percent share in the market. To compete with such well established MNCs it requires high investment making the threat of new entrants very low. Cadbury as a brand enjoys strong brand loyalty and emotional attachment by the consumers any potential new entrant will encounter resistance in trying to enter the industry .Brand loyalty will also be a significant factor in increasing the costs for consumers of switching to the products of new competitors. Threat of Substitutes-Low A substitute can be regarded as something that meets the same needs as the product of the industry .The extent of threat from a particular substitute will depend upon factors such as extent to which the price and performance of the industries product and performance of the substitute can match the industries product and the willingness of the buyers to switch to the substitute .In case of Cadbury the switching costs for the consumers is very low .Also consumers are very loyal to the brand making the threat of substitutes very low Bargaining power of suppliers- Moderate Cadbury Schweppes has around 40000 suppliers worldwide.  [1]  Parent company provided cocoa seeds and clonal materials for 8 years of operations to Cadbury India Ltd .It started cocoa farming in India to reduce dependence on imported cocoa beans. Cadbury India imports about 50 percent of the cocoa requirement .List of Key ingredients and their approximate percentage requirement is shown the below chart: Other Dry Fruits-3% Edible Oil-5% Malt Extract-9% Sugar Liquid Glucose-17% Milk (Powder/Liquid/Condensed)-20% Cocoa Beans/butter/powder -46% Like stated above key ingredients Sugar and Cocoa are bought from the commodity markets. Milk is bought regularly from farmers in the area near the factory to complement the supply coming from the original directly operated farm. Barley for malt is bought from four to five wholesalers. Manufactures have very little control over the prices of Sugar and Cocoa since they are mostly set by the government. Rest of the ingredients have less proportion as compared to cocoa and sugar hence their bargaining power is low. Over the recent years there has been growing concern of the trade policies and child labour issues in the cocoa industry Cadbury product Dairy Milk has been fair trade certified . Bargaining power of buyer- Moderate The extent to which buyer of a product exert power over an industry depends upon number of factors. To identify the bargaining power of the buyer for Cadbury its very important to identify who are the customers and consumers for the company .Customers are the people who sell the products to the people who consume them, for Cadbury they are the retailers and the distributors and consumers are the direct end people who consume. In the supply chain for Cadbury buyers include consumers, wholesalers, and supermarket chains. Market for the chocolate industry is highly fragmented. Existing brands such as Cadbury and Nestle have a strong presence of differentiation and brand loyalty leading to weakening of the buyer power. Major purchase in terms of volume is by the retailers giving them a better bargaining power but Cadbury enjoys good brand loyalty hence making it comparatively weak. Consumers have become accustomed to the brand and generally seem reluctant to shift loyalties to newer brands. Porters Generic strategy CADBURY Source: Competitive advantage As a competitive strategy, differentiation refers to a product or service that is different or somehow unique as perceived by the customer. (Grigsby Stahl, 1997)A firm can achieve differentiation for its products or services in a number of different ways .Cadbury India adopts the differentiation strategy to set itself in a unique way in the competitive envoirnment.Cadbury has over the decades build a brand image for the company through extensive advertising people have started associating with the brand emotionally and are very loyal. Cadbury has always tried to connect emotionally through its advertisement with the consumers .Company also regularly uses customer surveys as a means to align the advertisements with evolving consideration sets of customers and uses packaging as a tool to communicate quality. For example adds such as Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye Is Diwali Ap Kisse Khush Karenge which means something sweet for the Diwali festival clearly shows the bond the company is trying to connect with the consumers. It also tries to add extra features into the product. Cadbury India invests heavily in advertisement for its products .This plays a very important role in differentiating strategies because the customer gets convinced that there is something different about the product. Differentiating firms usually employ substantial consumer research efforts to identify changing consumer tastes. Cadbury regularly invests in consumer research and research and development for its products .It regularly tries to innovate with the products. Company goes by the value it sets for itself i.e. performance driven, values led. Resource Based View A resource based view inside out perspective is fundamentally different from Porters outside in perspective. A resource based view of the firm draws an important distinction between comparative parity and competitive advantage (Barney ,1991).Parity is achieved by choosing and executing a business strategy comparable to that of competition firms .Generic strategy models are seen as leader to parity with the competition .By contrast ,competitive advantage requires that firms be unique by developing and deploying resources in unique ways that add value and are difficult to imitate (Gerhart Rynes, 2003).Resource based view says that a organization possess resources that are inputs into its production process .There are three such capital inputs: Physical, human and organizational .The use of these resources is determined by characteristics inside the company .When these characteristics are appropriate and an organization can achieve both competitive and a sustainable superior performanc e-usually expressed by relatively high levels of return on investment .The organization acts a collection of assets and capabilities providing a capacity for a sets of resources to effectively perform activity tasks. A firm can sustain a competitive advantage by the organization responsive to rapidly changing market conditions by both maintaining the development of existing resources and capabilities and creating new ones. An organization needs to identify these capabilities which provide it with a competitive advantage. Resources are of two types tangible and intangible .These resources for the company can be intensified using the VRIN model. Valuable Rare Imperfectly Imitable Non Substitutable With the Cadburys analysis of the external as well as internal environment of the firm i found below resources which can help to sustain competitive advantage in the market. Tangible assets Ranking from level 1-5 (Where 1 is the highest) Financial capital 1 Human resource 2 Intangible assets Brand reputation 3 Loyalty of customers 1 Goodwill 2 Research and development 5 Distribution network 4 Distinctive Capabilities Culture and values 1 Cadbury India has been decades in the Indian market and now enjoys a strong reputation and has maintained its market leader position for many years it has the largest market share in the Indian chocolate industry of more than 70 percent. Thus I would rank financial capital as no 1 tangible asset of Cadbury India. Cadbury India has been ranked as the 7th Great Place to Work and the No. 1 FMCG company in India in 2008, by the Great Place to Work Institute.  It is the fourth time that they have featured amongst the Great Places to Work in India. Cadbury India has also been awarded the Bronze Award for Excellence in People Management in the Great Place to Work 2007 survey conducted by Grow Talent Company Limited and Business world. The award recognizes Cadbury India as a national leader in the area of Human Resource Management. Thus making it very useful tangible asset for the company.  [2]  Cadbury India is a built upon reputation for fine products and services. Capabilities are more difficult to delineate and are often described as invisible assets .For Cadbury India undoubtedly it is the culture and value of the organization which it has carried on decades .It is a value driven company To summarise the essential elements of the resource based view from Cadbury Indias point of view are the resources stated as above which give the firm its distinct advantage and sets its apart. Also the role of management in converting these resources into positions of sustainable competitive advantage leading to a superior performance in the marketplace. Cadbury Indias Business Relationships with Stakeholders: Stakeholders are the customers, shareholders employees, suppliers, communities. I would be aiming to analyse the business relationships Cadbury has with its stakeholders, how it builds up long term relationship which is mutually beneficial and a collaborative effort Government Communities Employees Customers Stockholders Cadbury India Educational institutes, Future generations, Poor Media, Competitors, Suppliers Trade associations, Public Interest Group Unions, Political parties, Creditors Environment, Religious Groups A firm must satisfy the interests of all its participants since this will promote the interest of the shareholders. A Firm should try to enhance the interest of all the stakeholders. It should have a stakeholding approach to business behaviour. Cadbury India take part in various programs and activities for the overall community its shareholders etc.As part of its corporate social responsibility programme they promote physical activity and education that helps improve consumer health and prevent obesity  .They are also helping to build understanding of the energy equation particularly amongst children. Cadbury India does not vend its confectionery or carbonated soft drink products in primary schools and only vend these products in secondary schools by invitation and in line with nutritional guidelines set by the school. Company regularly invests in new science and increasing our scientific resources within our business. Were working with others (including government, campaigners, shareholders and customers) to help find solutions. weve withdrawn from advertising directed specifically at children aged less than eight years where theyre the majority of the audience and weve introduced a global Marketing Code of Practice, whi ch includes specific reference to children. Cadburys Marketing code Supporting sensible consumption and balanced life style also signifies the company values towards the consumers  [3]   Good relationships with supplier and other stakeholders can also provide an increased repertoire of insights and responses, greater efficiencies and more opportunities for creating problem solving. This is especially important for Cadbury constantly tries to innovate its products and services to maintain their market share .Since Cadbury has a strong stakeholder relationship it also provides the company with a measure of stability in a turbulent environment. During the Worm infest crisis of 2003 it was very difficult time for the company but due to the solid relation it has with its customers, stakeholder it was able to win back their trust and gain the largest market share by 2004. Analysis and Conclusions: Cadburys competitive advantage comes from highly related and producing similar products lines based on existing technologies .For example Cadbury dairy milk, Dairy milk shots. I feel since Cadbury targets similar product market some of the customer bases Moreover it has the ability to offer big portfolio to meet customer needs .Since Cadbury is already the market leader in the chocolate confectionery in India it can focus on the current portfolio effectively using this as a base to venture into new products or entering into similar industry. Also it can be noted that the markets that it has already captured are in to the maturity stage and product needs constant innovation and development to sustain in the long run. India has a vast population though Cadbury has a very large and diverse distribution network still there would be lot of untapped market potential it should concentrate on getting the best distribution system. Also as the market develops consumers become more experienced and discerning and look for more benefits from the products they choose. Cadbury should regularly try to re-work exiting brands and develop new ones to meet consumer demands. Bibliography Abbott, John C..  Agricultural Marketing Enterprises for the Developing World: With Case Studies of Indigenous Private, Transnational Co-operative and Parastatal Enterprise. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990.   Barney, J.B., (1991), Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management; 17, (1), pp.99-120 Campbell, David J., Bill Houston, and George Stonehouse.  Business Strategy: An Introduction. Manual ed. St. Louis: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999 Clegg, Stewart, Martin Kornberger, and Tyrone Pitsis.  Managing and Organizations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd, 2008. Gerhart, Barry, and Sara L. Rynes.  Compensation: Theory, Evidence, and Strategic Implications (Foundations for Organizational Science). 1 ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc, 2003. Grigsby, David W., and Michael J. Stahl.  Strategic Management: Total Quality and Global Competition. New York, NY: Wiley, 1997. Hitt, Michael A., Robert E. Hoskisson, and R. Duane Ireland.  Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases. 9 ed. Mason, OH: South-Western College Pub, 2010. Hooley, Graham J., Nigel Piercy, and John A. Saunders.  Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning. 3 ed. London: Financal Times Management, 2003. Print. Mooij, Marieke de .  Global Marketing and Advertising: Understanding Cultural Paradoxes. Third Edition ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc, 2009. Moschandreas, Maria.  Business Economics. 2 ed. New York: Cengage Learning Business Press, 1999. Mujamdar, Ramanuj.  Product Management in India. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall Of India Pvt.Ltd, 2004. Steiner, George A., and John F. Steiner.  Business, Government and Society: A Managerial Perspective. 12Rev Ed ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Svendsen, Ann.  The Stakeholder Strategy: Profiting from Collaborative Business Relationships. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998. Food fight. Economist, 00130613, 11/7/2009, Vol. 393, Issue 8656 Academic Search Premier Business strategy: an introduction By David Campbell, George Stonehouse, Bill Houston Business, government, and society: a managerial perspective : text and cases  By George Albert Steiner, John F. Steiner Nestlà © : Chocolates Confectionery.  Nestlà © : Home  . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Dec. 2009. . Welcome to Amul The Taste of India .  Welcome to Amul The Taste of India  . N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Dec. 2009. . Cadbury Global We apologise for the delay.  Cadbury Global  . N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2010. . Cadbury India Ltd..  Cadbury India Ltd.. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. . Chocolate Confectionery India report-2009-Euromonitor http://0-www.portal.euromonitor.com.emu.londonmet.ac.uk/Portal/ResultsList.aspx Cadbury India Ltd- Company factfile -Euromonitor International-http://0-www.portal.euromonitor.com.emu.londonmet.ac.uk/Portal/ResultsList.aspx Cadbury India Ltd Packaged Food India- Euromonitor International-http://0-www.portal.euromonitor.com.emu.londonmet.ac.uk/Portal/ResultsList.aspx

Bill Gates :: essays research papers fc

William â€Å"Bill† H. Gates: The Man with Windows William â€Å"Bill† H. Gates was born on born on October 28, 1955 to William Henry Gates, Jr. and the late Mary Gates at Seattle Washington’s Swedish Hospital. Gates is the second born of three children; Kristi is the first-born, she is a year older then Bill, and Libby, is the third born and is nine years younger. Bill follows in his ancestral lineage by being a successful executive. â€Å"His grandfather established his own furniture business†¦ [His] father created a newspaper with classified ads and a sports section that was so respected for its accuracy it won him seats in the press box at local games†¦and become a corporate lawyer†¦. [His mother Mary] was very active socially and politically†¦[she was a ] board member of Berkshire Hathaway, First Interstate Bank, Pacific Northwest Bell and the national board of United Way.† (W.H.G.III 1-4) Gates was very energetic as a child; from rocking his cradle to extreme curiosity of the world around him, he never stopped. He was extremely interested in the flourishing aerospace industry and the 1962 World Fair. While he was at the World Fair, he met what would ultimately be his life long career, a computer. At the time, it was comparable to what we would consider excellent now: the UNIVAC. â€Å"As a young child, he was extremely smart, surpassing all his classmates. By the time he was nine†¦young Gates had already read the entire world Book Encyclopedia!† (Encarta 2) Gates’ school experience was not a normal one. He was one of the brightest in his class and he had an inversed attitude to match. By the time he was in third grade his intelligence had altogether been coupled with extreme behavioral problems and at times emotional immaturity. As time passed his parents worried more and more because his talkative and extremely sarcastic personality was keeping him away from what they knew he was capable of doing. Eventually, his parents ended up sending Gates to a psychiatrist, which was one of the best things they could do because â€Å"[it] opened up is mind to a new way of thinking.† (Gates: Road pg 35) His parents knew Gates was smarter then he seemed so they looked for a way to channel his intelligence. They decided to send him to Lakeside School, an all boys reformatory. While he was their, he got involved in the Contemporary Club, which would help him in the future.

The Beneficial Head Start Program Essay -- essays papers

The Head Start program is a beneficial one that helps youth overcome educational setbacks. In order for one to understand the benefits of the program one must know what its goals are, how its goals continue to be accomplished, what specific setbacks are remedied from it and how others feel about it. Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that has an overall goal to prepare children from low-income families for school (The Administration For Children And Families, 2002). To prepare a child for school the program has the goal of meeting educational, health, social service, and parental needs. â€Å"Head Start also wants to help bring about a greater degree of social competence in these children (Mallory and Goldsmith, 2002).† The program has met a goal of impacting child development and day care services, and the increasing availability of services offered to low-income families and their children (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2002). There are many factors that play a part in the accomplishment of these goals. Head Start meets educational needs by ensuring that each child is exposed to different learning experiences that nurse intellectual, social, and emotional growth (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002). The children are in an atmosphere for gaining knowledge but at the same time are placed with peers whom they can build social skills and form relationships with. Health needs are met due to the program’s emphasis on early detection of medical problems. Each child in Head Start becomes involved in a health program. The health program covers immunizations, medical, dental, and mental services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002). Immunizations are ... ...t in any benefits offered by the Head Start program.† This is the time when that statement is proven wrong. â€Å"In 1968, Head Start began funding a program that eventually became called Sesame Street. It is a Carnegie Corporation Preschool Television Show that is still aired to this day (The Administration for Children and Families, 2002).† Granted some people have not viewed the show , however, their children may have. If that is not the case plenty of people are still familiar with the name and concepts of the show Sesame Street. The Head Start program is extremely beneficial to communities across the United States of America. The program set goals, continues to accomplish them, remedies educational setbacks for low-income families and children and raises debates about the success of such programs which only pushes them to strive harder to reach their goals.

Cold environments Case Study- Alaska Essay

Location * State in the United States-international boundary with Canada to the east, arctic ocean to the north * Largest state in United States by area, however least densely populated Economy * GDP in 2007: $64,333 * Per capita personal income : $40,042, rank :15th in nation * Oil and gas industry dominates the Alaskan economy * More than 80% of states revenues derived from petroleum extraction * Main export : seafood , agriculture represent only fraction of economy * Largest employers: * Providence health and services : 4000+ av. Monthly employment in 2010 * Walmart: 3000-3259 av .monthly employment 2010 History * First oil claims in Alaska made in the 1890, noted oil sea pages on iniskin bay and cold bay- not pursued by Russians * 1898- first Alaskan wells drilled in Iniskin Peninsula * Alaska’s first productive oil drilling operation was at Katalla, on the Gulf of Alaska, south of the Copper River delta * In 1911 several new wells in the district began to produce significant oil, costs not big enough to justify extraction * In 1960, following the statehood of Alaska and the creation of the state natural resources agencies, oil companies bought exploration leases for work in Cook Inlet * The boom in economic development and population growth after the discovery of oil was immediate and still continues Types of Development in Alaska * Oil and Gas industry- major oil fields developed along central north slope * Oil production accounts for 93% of Alaska’s unrestricted general fund revenues. * Since statehood, Alaska has received $164 billion in revenues from oil * Development in the fishing industry- sea provides endless harvest worth billions of pounds. Over 3 million lakes, 3000 rivers and 34 000 miles coastline- bountiful fishing regions in the world * Salmon fishing industry- worth $11 billion a year * Provide thousands of jobs, long term economic engine * Pollock fishery- 1,252,000 million metric tons- 2.7 billion ponds annum * Seafood- top export commodity. 2009- 1.6 b dollars. Accounted for 50% states total exports. * Seafood processing accounts 71% of manufacturing jobs in ALK. * Fishing industry- generated 54 000 jobs- short seasonal * Mining- historically a cornerstone of alaska’s economy. Today, mining industry brings broad range of benefits- offering highest paid jobs in the state. * Produces zinc, lead, copper , gold, silver, coal * Alaska’s 7 largest mines Provided more than 2,250 full time jobs of 9500 total mining ind jobs in state * Mining creates public revenue by paying state and local taxes * Help support local economies in both urban and rural Alaska. * Issues: spent $300 million on exploration last year * drilling costs and fuel expenses have risen sharply * Facts and economic impact-cumulative value of mining industry: $4.4 bil. 2011 * Minerals are the states second largest export commodity. Accounted for 31% of states export total- zinc and lead from Red Dog mine * Approximately 200 placer mines produced 70,000 ounces of gold, as well as platinum, in Alaska in 2011. In addition to Alaska’s active precious-metals mining industry, there were more than 120 active rock quarries, and sand and gravel operations throughout the state. Pressures on Cold Environment * Alaska is unique state- economic development in it’s remote, petroleum based economy- resembles oil rich developing nations than other US states * Realtively small size of the Alaskan economy can discourage production for local use. * Geography wise- their location is at a disadvantage. Difficult to transport oil to other countries * Trans Alaska pipeline * Pipeline flows through natural biomes, upsets animal trails, carries potential of a devastating leak * Woodland destroyed- also people’s homes affected

Essay on A memorable day Essay

India is a country of different communities belonging to different religions. So almost every day we see a festival being celebrated with joy and fun. The festivals make our life colourful and charming. There are some religious festivals, some are based on seasons and some are of national importance. They are celebrated with great joy and fun. The Indian religious festivals are Deepawali and Dussehra, Id-ul- Fitr and Id-ul Zuha. X’mas day and the New Year’s day, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Jayanti, Guru Nanak’s Birthday etc. Though these festivals are marked by different communities, yet they are celebrated by all without any ill-will and communal hatred. Festivals promote the feelings of com ­munal harmony. Holi, Baisakhi and Basant are important seasonal festivals. Basant declares the arrival of spring season. Holi is a festival of colours. It marks the end of the winter season. Baisakhi is the seasonal festival of the Punjab. It is celebrated at the end of harvesting season. The Independence Day, the Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti are national festivals. These are celebrated with great joy by all the communities throughout the country. The Independence Day is cel ­ebrated on 15th August, 1947 on this day we got freedom from the British Empire. The Prime Minister hoists the national flag on the Red Fort on this great historic day. The Republic Day is celebrated on 26th January. On this day a colourful parade starts from Vijay Chowk which ends at the Red Fort. Gandhi Jayanti (Oct. 2) is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi-the father of nation. Thus we find that the festivals bring a new charm in the life of Indians.