Developmental Behavioral

The following concepts are explained by definition and I have provided examples of each as they apply to the developmental behavioral approach. The first one I will discuss Is Negative Reinforcement, This Is the strengthening of a behavior by the removal of an unpleasant consequence. An example of this might be a toddler having a tantrum every time you take his pacifier away, but then as soon as he gets it jack the tantrum stops.So by giving It back to him the behavior was negatively reinforced by the tantrum stopping and us, giving it back to him every time he cries. There are several other concepts that will be discussed next. Intrinsic Reinforcement: Feelings of pleasure and personal satisfaction derived from working on accomplishing a task, discovering something new, or seeing a problem. An example of this is, a child learning to write may get frustrated if they can't get it down Immediately. With a little encouragement and praising the child will continue to try ND not give up.P ositive Reinforcement: Something that follows a response and results in the increase of that particular response. A pleasant consequence. Examples are, helping a child achieve balance when learning to ride a bike, sitting next to the child when they are working hard on an art project, asking questions, nodding and thumbs up on a good Job. Natural and Logical Consequence: Natural consequence would occur without a parent's or teacher's intervention. Logical consequence is determined by an adult that is related to the child's original inappropriate behavior.Examples of these are, a child refusing to take a nap so that they can stay up late to watch their favorite show, consequence Is they child falls asleep early and misses their show. Another example is a child purposely coloring on the table when told not to do that the consequence might be that the child will have to clean that table as well as the other tables. Withdrawing or Withholding Reinforcement: Taking away something special . A child being told several times to share the blocks or they may not play with them.The child continues to be mean so he consequence Is that the blocks get taken away. Incompatible Behavior: an inappropriate and an appropriate behavior can't take place at the same time. A child listening to a story and another child shouts out. The two things can not be done at the same time by the same child t n the Child being Good' Respond positively and reinforce the good behavior. If a child is playing in housekeeping and they are sharing nicely when they normally would not. The child should be praised for doing such a good Job sharing.Reminders, Redirection, Reprimands: A gentle reminder o not do something usually works if it doesn't then a very stern â€Å"NO† at eye level may be needed, followed by a brief explanation. If the child still insists on doing it then they may need to be removed from the situation briefly. The sand box is a good example. The child throwing sand after bein g reminded not to several times might need to sit briefly why throwing sand is not the right thing to do. This brings me to my last few examples. Sit and Watch and Time Out: Sit and watch is a mild time out for children who have a hard time understanding expectations.It meaner the child sits out for a min or two to watch the other children playing appropriately. Time out is an extreme reinforcement it includes removing the teachers attention, other children, materials and equipment. It should be used as a last resort. An example of this is children spitting or biting, they are told that their teeth are not for biting, if they do it again they need to be removed to think about it. They should sit for no more then 1 min for every year of age. If it continues a one on one might be needed to help the child lean about his behavior.

Legalization of Marijuana for Recreational Use

Hewlett-Packard| Legalization of Marijuana for Recreational Use| Introduction to Ethics: Theory and Application| | HP| Assignment # 4 | Nichole Hysel| Legalization of Marijuana for Recreational Use On a cold January afternoon in a small community, a police officer is called to a residence for suspected domestic issue. As he arrives, he can hear shouting coming from the house. He knocks on the door and a boy of about five years old, who is dressed in nothing but shorts, comes to the door. He stands with the door open, a slice of bread in his dirty hand, smiling at the officer. He has seen the officer at the home a few times in the past.The child has also been over to the officer’s house to play with his children. The officer’s wife and the boy’s mother work together at the local grocery store and the boy’s father looks after him while his mother is at work. After the officer talks to the parents about their issues, which always seem to be basic domestic iss ues, he heads for the door. The boy follows him, hugs his leg, looks up and says, â€Å"Can I come with you? † The officer responds, â€Å"Sorry buddy, not today. † Two weeks later, on a bitter cold afternoon, the mother comes home from work to discover the child is gone.The same police officer searches along with the majority of the community. The boy is found an hour later on a rural country road. He is taken to the emergency room and treated for hypothermia. He is then taken in by Child Protective Services. The father is charged with possession of marijuana, his 2nd offense, along with intent to deliver. The mother has had enough and has turned the father in for growing a few plants in the basement and selling it to his buddies. After 7 days, the child is returned to his mother. He had been under the care of the police officer and his wife.Marijuana is the most widely used, illegal drug in the world. â€Å"It is estimated that 119 million to 224 million people used cannabis in 2011,† reports, Glenn D. Braunstein, M. D. and Vice President of clinical innovation at Cedars Sinai Hospital. Marijuana is considered a depressant, stimulant and hallucinogen. It has recently been legalized, as a recreational drug in two out of 50 states, Colorado and Washington. In these states, those who are 21 and older can possess up to an ounce of marijuana, it will be sold and taxed in state-licensed stores, much the same way alcohol is sold.In the state of Colorado, cultivation of up to six marijuana plants per person is allowed. Both states prohibit public use. Is it morally acceptable for marijuana to be legalized as a recreational drug? After exploring my own experiences, the possible pros and cons of legalization, and the social contract, utilitarian, and the ethics of care theories, I do not think it is morally acceptable. My personal opinion about the legalization of marijuana is that it should not be legal. While I have seen both negative and positi ve effects of marijuana use, it has affected me and my family in a negative way.I am aware that it can be used recreationally and have no affects. I also know that it can be addictive and have negative effects, both physically and mentally, when used on a regular basis. It is my personal opinion that the negative effects associated with marijuana outweigh the positives. I believe that if something has the potential to do harm to those who chose not to partake, it shouldn’t be legalized. I don’t believe that we should take the stand that because it is less harmful than alcohol, it should be legal.I believe that marijuana is dangerous, especially to today’s youth who use marijuana without considering the consequences. It is my fear that legalization could send the message to youth that it is acceptable to use marijuana as a coping mechanism. I do not want my children to be tempted to use a drug as a crutch, to relax or temporarily solve their problems. There are s everal reasonable arguments for legalization of marijuana. They are based on the idea that attempting to control its use causes more problems than it solves. The argument seems to be, that it isn’t going away so we may as well benefit from it.It is projected that by legalizing marijuana we could reduce the strain on our justice system, drastically cutting crime and possibly eliminating drug trafficking of marijuana. The production and sales of marijuana, by the government would save lives, create jobs and generate money that could be used for social progression, education, and healthcare which would in turn better the lives of everyone in society. Laws against use for those under 21 will prevent youth from obtaining the drug. I feel that benefitting from anything that is already illegal and proven to be a problem is immoral.Since we cannot guarantee that society will benefit from legalizing marijuana, it should not be legal. Age restrictions do not prevent youth from obtainin g alcohol; therefor I do not believe age restrictions on pot will deter them either. It is important that we use what we know about alcohol abuse as a whole, rather than use it as an excuse, due to the fact that it is perceived as more harmful, to legalize marijuana. Other arguments for legalization are based on free will and respect for autonomy. The belief is that, we all have the right to make choices for ourselves, using our own rational thought.If we are the only person who knows our needs, we can be the only person that can decide what is best for us. Marijuana users take the stand that,† If we are in our own homes, using marijuana, who are we harming? † I respect an individual’s right to choose as rational beings, unfortunately, not everyone is rational. Laws are put in place to protect us and benefit us as a society. Children suffer when parents use drugs in their presence. When children are under the care of a parent who is under the influence of a drug, their safety is sometimes being compromised.A few examples could be, a parent choosing to use money to buy marijuana instead of food or clothing, an inability to drive in an emergency situation and lack of focus and reasoning. I am not saying that pot use automatically makes a parent neglectful. I know several daily users who seem to be acceptable parents, even while under the influence. Yet I ask myself, could they be better parents? When a parent uses marijuana or any drug, legal or not, in the presence of their children, it sends the message that it is ok. Legalizing the drug will cause more parents to use in front of their children.I believe this will cause more children to use. Arguments against the legalization of marijuana tend to weigh heavily on the slippery slope argument, that any softening of the laws as they pertain to drugs will cause a bigger problem. It is anticipated by The Office of National Drug Control Policy that legalizing marijuana will increase use of the dru g and, consequently, the harm it causes, thus adding to the burden on the criminal justice system. They also report that legalizing the drug will make it less expensive and more attainable to youth.Because it is illegal in most countries, we have far less clinical evidence about pot’s effects than many other drugs. The only authorized source of marijuana research comes from the University of Mississippi and is controlled by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, they report that use of marijuana impairs memory in regular users, especially in youth. It impairs driving, inhibits productivity, causes depression, and can be addictive. It is also thought that those predisposed to addiction, will have an easier time obtaining and using the drug as a possible gateway drug.These are problems we face while it is not legal, if legalization will increase usage, these will become a more widespread problem. Utilitarianism states that we ought to choose the action which is the one that maxi mizes the overall â€Å"good† of the greatest number of individuals. The problem of drug use, from the utilitarian perspective, rests on the consequences of using the drug and whether or not it will benefit the majority of the population, now and in the future. In order for us to say that it is morally bad, we need to prove that the consequences in legalizing marijuana will be bad.The problem is, we cannot definitively say what the consequences will be. But, we can use what we learn from other areas that have or are in the process of regulating pot for recreational use. Studies done by the Drug Free America Foundation, report that based on experiences where marijuana has been legalized, the number of marijuana users tend to double or triple. This could mean an additional 17 to 34 million young and adult users in the United States. Recently, Here and Now, a talk show on local public radio in Colorado, had guest Dr. Christian Thurston, medical director for an adolescence substa nce abuse treatment program in Denver.He stated, â€Å"Young patients seeking addiction treatment for marijuana tell me that pot helps them with their anger, ADHD and that it helps them to sleep. † Thurston also said, â€Å"While marijuana can have medicinal value for adults, it can be very harmful to teens. † He also states that, â€Å"We’ve seen, starting in the late 1980s, that adolescents exposed to marijuana have about a two to four-fold increase of developing psychosis. We have good evidence now that adolescence exposure to marijuana affects intelligence, cognition, learning and memory. † Jann Gumbiner, Ph. D. licensed psychologist at the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine, who specializes in adolescent and child psychology reports, â€Å"About 10% of users will develop problems that impair their work and relationships. Many more will come to depend on pot for relaxation and social purposes. This will be problematic if they donâ⠂¬â„¢t learn more effective coping mechanisms and come to rely on marijuana instead of solving their problems. † It is my fear that legalization could send the message to youth that it is acceptable to use marijuana as a coping mechanism.Since we know teens are likely to suffer long term affects, and that legalization will cause more teens to use the drug, we are likely to see serious negative effects that could greatly impact society in the future. Social Contract theory also plays a big role in legalization of marijuana. Social Contract theory is based on the set of rules governing behavior that all rational people accept, on the condition that others accept the rules as well. What the majority of society feels and believes plays a very big role in our lawmaking process. Lawmakers tend to go with what their constituents want, in order to get votes.In the past society has placed a negative stigma on marijuana use, making it hard for those rallying for legalization to be heard . Recent statistics show society’s view on marijuana is changing. A Gallop Poll recently found that 50% of Americans think marijuana should be legal for adult use. This percentage is up by 4% from the previous year. This is in large part due to the fact that our younger generation is more supportive, while opposition generally comes from the older generation. It makes sense that as the older generation leaves, the younger generation’s opinion will be the majority.As popular opinion changes, it makes sense that we will be likely to see more states attempt to legalize marijuana. It is troublesome to me that information about marijuana is usually either directly for or against the drug. Internet articles are almost always directly for or against legalization. It is very hard to get unbiased facts. It is my concern that people, especially impressionable youth, aren’t getting the facts and are using how they feel as a basis for their opinion on marijuana. These youth , will soon decide what laws will govern society. The minimum conception of morality says we ought to at he very least, do what are the best reasons for doing while giving equal weight to the interests of each individual affected by our decision. I do not believe we should make something that is illegal, legal based on the idea that we might be able to control it even possibly benefit from it. We cannot say what the consequences will be. This is the major defect of the utilitarian theory of ethics. It does not take in to consideration that often times we cannot project the outcome of moral decisions. We cannot guarantee that the majority of society will benefit from legalization of recreational marijuana.There are too many questions involved. Could it make dealers even more competitive? Are there unforeseen costs that will take away from the suspected benefits? Will current dealers stop growing and selling? What will the effect on society be, given that legalization will most likely cause usage to greatly increase? If we don’t know the answers to such serious issues, we shouldn’t act. It is important that we use past experiences as examples. It is proven that history can be a valuable tool when attempting to predict an outcome of a hypothetical act.It is my hope that we learn what is best, by using what we learn from the areas that have legalized pot. I am aware that my personal perspective has a lot to do with having children and my sense to protect them from all things negative, taking the ethics of care position. Carol Gilligan, internationally acclaimed writer, psychologist, American feminist and ethicist, believes a woman’s basic moral orientation is one of caring, in a personal way, not just being concerned for humanity, in general. She believes that an ethic of caring for those close to you should not be inferior to that of an ethic of principle.I tend to agree; if we want for everyone, what we want for those we love and care for wo n’t the world be a better place? In summary I believe, based on what we do not know about the effects of legalizing marijuana, we should not legalize it. To say the problem isn’t going way so we may as well legalize it and benefit, is irresponsible. There is a trend showing increased usage with legalization. We aren’t able to predict the affect that increased usage will have on society. If we are to use alcohol as a guide at all, it should be as an example of what legalizing harmful substances can do to society.It is anticipated that legalizing marijuana will entice youth even more, causing future issues. While marijuana use will always be a problem in youth, I believe educating youth with factual information about marijuana will help them make better choices and allow us to have laws that will most benefit society in the future. As Walt Disney quoted, â€Å"Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children†. Work Sited â€Å"187,000 Lb. of Mari juana Annually? Legal Pot Business to Bloom in Washington. †Ã‚  Business Money 187000 Lb of Marijuana Annually Legal Pot Business to Bloom in Washington Comments.N. p. , 08 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Braunstein, M. D. , Glenn D. â€Å"Weeding Through Marijuana Facts and Fiction. †Ã‚  The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 01 Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Legalizing of Marijuana Raises Health Concerns. †Ã‚  Well Legalizing of Marijuana Raises Health Concerns Comments. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Marijuana: An Unbiased Analysis. †Ã‚  Marijuana: An Unbiased Analysis. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Medical Marijuana: The Government's View. †Ã‚  National Drug Prevention Alliance & PPP  » USA. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Principles and Theories.   Principles and Theories. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Rachels, James, James Rachels, and Stuart Rachels. The Elements of Moral Philosophy: 7th Revised Editio n. London: Mcgraw Hill Higher Education, 2012. Print. Swanson, Emily. â€Å"Marijuana Legalization Poll Finds Americans Want Federal Government To Leave States Alone. †Ã‚  The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Turner, Dan. â€Å"Marijuana Legalization: States Send Message, Feds Aren't Listening. †Ã‚  Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. The White House. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

Childhood Obesity: Parents dilemma Essay

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal discomforts are some of the many serious health effects that should be the nightmare we all avoid. So why it is that in today’s society we are faced with the alarming fact of half of our population being obese, which are the causative agents to these malicious health problems? It seems as if this is an ongoing problem that may never cease to exist. Why? If the quandary of obesity isn’t realized and address it would not be acknowledged as a problem, therefore it would not be corrected. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, child obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 95 percentile to children of the same sex and age. Obesity is an excess proportion of total body fat. A child is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. The most common measure of obesity is the body mass index or BMI. Obesity is rapidly becoming a world wide epidemic, and is starting with our children. Stanford (2001) proposes that the escalation of obesity could be the greatest health threat the world will face in the 21st century. Stanford is highlighting that childhood obesity is a growing health dilemma with a deadly prospect, but who are to blame? In this world today the roles of parents are becoming more demanding than ever before. Our basic knowledge of a parent is one that guides and teaches how to live and survive in this complex world. They are the ones that influence and set out lessons to learn and morals to live by, they are the ones to protect you from harm and detour you from their previous mistakes. Becoming a parent one takes on endless responsibilities and countless blames. However, a parent is only human and can only take full responsibility for certain decisions and behaviors made by their child or children. According to Oxford, a child is defined as a young human being below the age of full development which is 18 and childhood is the period of being a child. Obesity is one of the many hefty misconceptions placed on parents, as we over look the alliance with genetics, environmental and psychological factors. Childhood obesity is in fact highly associated with genetics. A child is in its developmental stage; therefore, genetics plays an accommodating position in the development of obesity. Hills (2011) assume that â€Å"recent studies of genetic syndromes of obesity in rodents have provided insights in to the underlying mechanisms that may play a role in energy homoeostasis. In recent years, research has begun to identify human disorders of energy balance that arise from defects in these or related genes [42]. These mutations have been shown to result in morbid obesity in children without the developmental features that commonly accompany recognized syndromes of childhood obesity. Most children probably have some genetic predisposition to obesity, depending on their family history and ethnicity.† There is no denying that genetic alone is the cause for childhood obesity but it is a major fact that it is a large contributor to this chief health hazard. Harvard (2012) remarks â€Å"subsequent work on the relationship between the FTO gene, physical activity, and obesity yielded contradictory results. (16-18) To arrive at a more definitive answer, investigators recently combined and re-analyzed the data from 45 studies in adults and 9 studies in children—nearly 240,000 people in all. (19) They found that people who carried the obesity-promoting FTO gene variant had a 23 percent higher risk of obesity than those who did not.† Nonetheless, genetics is a contributing factor, and the reality of it is that it can be controlled by means of healthy eating habits and exercise regiments. However, why should parents be blamed for uncontrollably giving their child the â€Å"obesity curse† which was given to them? Determination of a healthy choice is not an easy one for a child when there are a variety of endless environmental factors that alter decision making. Children spend time away from their parents almost 50% of the time in a day which can be spent at school, child care and community environments, while parents meet the demands of world. The development of a child can be a very confusing one based on decision making. It is difficult for many children to make healthy food choices when the environment they are exposed to encourage great availability to high-energy-dense foods and sugar drinks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stipulate, â€Å"a recent study among children showed that a high-energy-dense diet is associated with a higher risk for excess body fat during childhood. Sugar drinks are the largest source of added sugar and an important contributor of calories in the diets of children in the United States. High consumption of sugar drinks, which have few, if any, nutrients, has been associated with obesity. On a typical day, 80% of youth drink sugar drinks.† Today the schools provide students with vendor machines, school stores, canteens or snack bars lighted up like candy land where you can eat to your hearts content. Cafeterias and lunch programs are no different; Hoang Do Wendt (2009) explains a report by USDA in the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study shows that typical school lunches derive 35% of their energy from fat and 12% of their energy from saturated fat, which is higher than the recommended levels of 30% and 10% respectively (USDA 2001). Various lunch vendors and programs want to meet the satisfaction of their buyers, which are the children. Lehmann (2010) proposes that â€Å"even in the face of an obesity epidemic, cafeteria directors say they need the brand-name meals to keep their programs running. Schools and other food distributors are concerned with purchasing and distributing food that would be appealing to children. The choices made by most of the lunch vendors doesn’t exactly encourage healthy eating h abits, as their goal is to reinforce children’s taste for fast food for that golden dollar. In close relation to environmental factors, the additional causative agents of childhood obesity are psychological factors. The weight of depression, low self esteem, and social anxiety plays a major role in childhood obesity. Acceptance for a child, in relation to his or her peers places pressure on their mind and in their bodies. Lawson alleged that at the center of obesity-depression link is biology, notably the hormonal pathway known as the HPA axis. It is the route of communication between the hypothalamus, the peanut-sized part of the brain that governs parts of the nervous system, and the pituitary and adrenal glands, which secrete a variety of hormones, which work together to maintain chemical equilibrium when the body is under stress. The HPA axis is responsible for releasing cortisol, the so-called â€Å"stress hormone.† It plays a critical role in energy metabolism as well as other functions. The problem is, cortisol prompts the body to deposit fat around the abdome n, a pattern that is especially hazardous to health. Chronic stress also begets depression. â€Å"Obesity, depression and behavioral disorders have all been linked to abnormal functioning of the HPA axis,† says Mustillo. It is a fact that many children today battle depression due too many environmental stressor at home, school and friendships. Depression is coped many ways, however in relation to obesity, the comfort is found in food. This over loveable obsession for food in relation to depression contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle followed by an extension of psychological factors. Low self-esteem is also a contributing factor of obesity. When a child suffers from this disorder, what ever discussion, education, talk on caring for their body would travel through one ear and out the next. Eating may become a source of reassurance in reference to how they are feeling. Lawson discloses by acknowledging that there is an interaction between what’s outside your body and what’s inside. â€Å"Obesity carries a large social stigma and may bring on depression if it negatively affects self-esteem, body image or social mobility. It may even disrupt the normal hormonal pathways. Then again, depression may also bring on obesity, if a child lacks the energy to exercise or is immobilized by stress.† Dealing with social ills, social anxiety is one strongly associated with children and their social relationships. Children greatest fear in their psychological development is rejection from their peers. Some children shy away from the normality of having peers for different reasons. Many children are victims of bullying and social discrimination, for many, there only source of comfort is food. Martyn-Nemeth et al (2009) found that low self esteem is clearly associated with over eating and weight gain in adolescents. Many other studies indicate t hat overweight and obese children and adolescents have moderately lower self esteem than non obese peers. There are numerous types of psychological factors and they play with different approaches to obesity. In one study, 70% of obese children had at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor and 39% had two or more. It is heartrending to announce that there is a substantial amount of children affected by obesity today. We are all knowledgeable of health risks caused by obesity which includes physical and emotional dilemmas. These health risks can also create a shadow to follow children in adulthood. If children are overweight or obese, when in adulthood the affects are likely to be more severe. There are multiple factors in this occurrence of childhood obesity which makes food preferences and consumption questionable. Those factors does however, include parent influence and education. It is not denied that parents are totally out of being the causative agents of childhood obesity. They are however a massive contribution with this underlying problem, but we have to think out the box. Think about a thirteen year old girl entering puberty, whose parents love her unconditionally and her mother prepares all meals according to the national food guide, but yet still battles obesity. Are her parents overweight? What kinds of foods does she have access to at school? Is she suffering from depression or social neglect? One can’t look at an obese child and say I blame the parent. For all its worth that parent maybe the only struggling for help and answers. Obesity is a worldwide crisis, affecting millions of children from different ethnicities, cultures and religions. Does this mean that the millions of children affected, parents are to blame? Obesity can only be corrected by addressing all possible contributions to this dilemma. Therefore, the blame for childhood obesity needs to be lifted of the heads of parents and tackled by the world at large. Works Cited Fernando L. Vazquez and Angela Torres. Behavioral and Psychosocial Factors in Childhood Obesity. Hills, Andrew. â€Å"Genetics of Childhood Obesity.† Journal of Obesity 11 (2010) Lawson, Willow. The Obesity-Depression Link Philadelphia Lehmann, Deborah â€Å"Why School Cafeterias are Dishing Out Fast Foods† Intechopen Retrieved from http://www.intechopen.com/books/childhood-obesity

Cross calture issuse in international business Essay

Cross calture issuse in international business - Essay Example Each group has slightly different opinion. The main step for business growth IKEA took is to hire non Chinese managers and Chinese co-workers. The cross culture issues in international business Influence of cultural differences between china and Europe on IKEA IKEA is an international company owned by non-governmental organization. IKEA is the abbreviation of Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. each term in its abbreviation has its own history. Ingvar Kamprad is the Swedish 17 year's old man who founded this company in 1943. this man was grown up in Elmtaryd and his home parish is in Agunnaryd. it is the world's largest retailer that designs and sell knock-down or flat pack furniture, home appliances and accessories. IKEA also launched a family mobile (Aug 8, 2008), a virtual mobile network running on T-mobiles. IKEA is known as one of the best company which does a lot for the third world. It built an image for the low price furniture but for the Chinese customers the case was opposit e when IKEA opened the first store in Shanghai, China (1998). Most of the Chinese likes to visit IKEA store but they mostly of them just wandered there and only few can by the items because of high prices. IKEA tried to low down their price but still their product became luxury for the Chinese customers. In the beginning IKEA had to face many challenges. For success in business it is much necessary to understand the cultural values of the country where you are setting your business. For IKEA, to achieve the strategy goal in china means to understand the culture and socio-economic conditions of china. In terms of culture and business practices, economical and political changes in china IKEA suffered with many ups and downs. The main issue for IKEA is to understand the environment and cultural difference which influence the Chinese customer's behavior. Hofstede's Cultural dimensions Geert Hofstede had done the influential work to demonstrate the cultural differences. He identified fiv e major dimensions along which cultural values vary: high vs. low power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, and uncertainty avoidance vs. uncertainty acceptance and short-term vs. long-term orientation. Difference between china and Sweden culture In china culture dominant values in society are masculine. Caring of others and the quality of people and life are not so important but the importance is given to the assertiveness, acquisition of money and things. In china society muscularity, assertiveness and challenges are preferred over co-operation and good working relationship. Another important cultural trait of china is the high power distance. This means that the distance between subordinates and superiors in china is relatively high then west. We can consider it as a shape of narrow triangle in which the mangers placed on the apex while subordinates on the base. The management is not so common or in practice. This high power distance is basically roots from the imperial tradition in china. Until 1911, the emperors were given so high value that extremely they were called the sons of god. This resulted as an unequal relationship in the society. The subordinates are restricted to obey and owe their superiors in exchange for protection and consideration (Sriramesh, vercic, 2003, p 26). The local government institutions in china are powerful and mostly they operate on discretion. This is the main

Corporate strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Corporate strategy - Essay Example rter’s Five Forces, PESTLE Analysis, SWOT Analysis and Stakeholder Analysis to obtain an in-depth idea regarding the opportunities of the company to prosper in its industry (Johnson & et. al., 2011). Cookson Group PLC is one of the world’s largest ‘materials science group’ which attempts to deliver advanced materials by facilitating innovative technologies to its customers all over the globe. Cookson operates through various branches located all over the world along with 15,500 employees covering more than 40 nations as its production zones and more than 100 countries as its marketing zones. Cookson can be observed to possess highly effective core competencies, which have certainly added to its efficient market position within the current market scenario (Cookson Group Plc, 2012; Wit & Meyer, 2010). Cookson offers its products in six categories; i.e., Joining technologies, surface Chemistries, steel flow control, foundry technologies, advanced factories and fused silica. Cookson is further recognized as one of the largest worldwide suppliers of materials used for PCBs assemblers and the packaging industry semi-conductors. This particular product line is also known as Alpha which is used basically to fasten electronic equipments such as semi-conductors and capacitors with bare boards in order to form essential electrical as well as physical connection among the boards and its devices (Cookson Group Plc, 2012). The product line of surface chemistries is one of the largest suppliers of ‘electro-plating chemicals’ to the international electronics, jewelries and automotive industries. This division is known as ‘Ethone’. This division is also quite popular in terms of technical innovation, where ‘Ethone’ has a track record regarding the delivery of ‘leading-edge’, facility of advanced technology within fabrication of semi-conductor which is demonstrated as ‘Via-Form multi-generation copper damascene portfolio’ (Cookson Group Plc,

Analysis Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis - Dissertation Example As of January 31, 2012, the 10-K report of the company states that the revenue of the company was calculated in terms of â€Å"282,180,170 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value outstanding.† Clearly, this is a representation of stiff market performance that is accounts for reasons why the company continues to have a very wide market position. Presently, the company’s strategy for growth is focused on merger with emerging competitors in developing economies. Pepco Holdings Inc. (POM) Reviewers have for long judged Pepco Holdings Inc (POM) as a major competitor for Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company (OGE) mainly because of the closeness in market strategy held by the two companies. It would for instance be seen that both companies focus on have a business strategy that â€Å"remains focused on being a top-performing, regulated transmission and distribution company† (10-K of POM, 2011). In terms of market size and capacity, the company controls a total of 4.60 billio n dollars (Yahoo Finance, 2012). Fortunately for the company, it continues to experience an upload rise in its market stock value. This is represented on almost all major stock markets in the world including the New York Stock Exchange. Such a performance has contributed to the increase in total operating revenue of the company from $ 5,920M in 2010 to $ 7,039M in 2011 (10-K of POM, 2011). Wisconsin Energy Corp. ... With an impressive market capacity of 9.4 billion dollars as of 2012, the company has positioned itself in the market at such a strategic standing that its main focus has been to deal with corporate groups and entities instead of individual customers. With this group related strategy, the company keeps recording a rising trend in its annual revenue with a revenue rise from $ 7,420M in 2010 to $ 9,139M in 2011. South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (SCG) The major area of business dealing where South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (SCG) poses as the strongly competitor of Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company (OGE) is in the area of market margin. This is so said because the two companies have an unusual competition for the same customers in a manner that is not very common with other major competitors. More to this, the company can boost of a very formidable market performance on different stock exchange markets. NASDAQ (2012) for instance quotes the market value of South Carolina Ele ctric and Gas Company (SCG) as $ 6,493,822,800 with a current market yield of 4%. This is clearly a huge market struggle for Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company (OGE) that keeps its market strength along similar margin. According to the 10-K Report of the company for 2011, much of the company’s success is attributed to its current strategy, which focuses on employees as the major pillar for organizational transformation. Value Chain Analysis NI is one of the main comparative firms of OGE in the U.S. Diversified Electricity Generator Industry. The significant parts in the value chain that add value for OGE are marketing and sales, services, firm infrastructure, human resource

China will be the next global superpower Research Paper

China will be the next global superpower - Research Paper Example Defining a Superpower When we look at the generic use of the term ‘super power’, the term refers to those selective states with power. Power in this perspective is defined by a series of prominent variables put together. These could be economic wealth, population size, military strength, and the possession of sophisticated nuclear armaments. Alice Lyman Miller, a professor at the National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School defines a super power in the following words â€Å"a country that has the capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere in the world, and sometimes, in more than one region of the globe at a time." A super power comprises of four components that are dominant over all other qualifying elements; Military, economic, political and cultural. Hegemony, a Greek term for leadership plays a critical role in paving way for this supremacy. It is the ability to dictate policies of other nations. If we look back towards Roman and British empires this feat was accomplished by brute force. Germany attempted to benefit from it in the late 1930s and Russia’s efforts to work at it never really succeeded in the global sense. China however is often looked upon as regionally hegemonic. The U.S. achieved hegemony not just through sheer military might but through economic, political and cultural influence – factors that many perceive are diminishing now. A few years back, the presidential hopeful Ron Paul echoed what many analysts perceive: The "dollar hegemony" — U.S. currency's strength and attractiveness —  has been a key factor in U.S. dominance, but "our dollar dominance is coming to an end." And China has become a great power in a "spectacular" rise over the past two decades (Miller). China China is one of the earliest recorded human settlements in the world with nearly 4000 years of continuous history. It covers an Area of 16,800 square kilometers and has a population of about $1.3 7 billion. It is a communist state and its GDP is about $ 4.99 Trillion. Its currency is the Yuan and the capital of China is Beijing (China facts, web). China's population of 1.3 billion renders it the most populous nation on earth, accounting for a fifth of the world's population; while at almost 10 million square kilometers it is the third largest country after Russia and Canada. Its 2.25 million troops form the world's largest armed force. China's reputation as a major military power is crowned by the possession of nuclear weapons that are capable of all ranges and delivery modes. Economically, it is the world's fourth largest trading nation, having risen from 32nd  in 1978 and 10th  in 1997. Its GDP at 13% of world output (at purchasing power parity) is second to the US. China, inheritor of 5,000 years of civilization, is also the world's fastest developing economy in the present age, having grown an average of 9.5% annually for the past 20 years. Such high growth rates, lo w labor costs and a huge emerging market, have attracted the world's highest levels of foreign direct investment. Since China joined the World Trade Organization in December 2001, it has also become one of the most open economies in the developing world, with average tariffs dropping from 41% in 1992 to 6% after accession to WTO. China’s education system Despite the economic, military and political growth of China its education system due to the presence

Social Media in E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Media in E-commerce - Essay Example It can be done by posting meaningful photos of the company daily activities together with posting discussion questions and participating in discussions with fans. Another way that the social network can be used to promote business is by giving the social media followers a value proposition. This could be for example through giving a company page fans and followers discounts on products. This would give the clients reasons to follow the business on ecommerce. In order for the social media to be effective n should know which media is mostly preferred by the kind of market the organization targets (Rana & Noman 2009). For instance, if it targets professionals, they are more likely to be found on LinkedIn rather than Facebook. The company should also ensure that the content they provide on their social media pages is valuable and build the trust of the users and hence the company brand. The company should ensure that it respond to clients queries and comments in the most amicable way. It is also important to ensure that the social media are linked to the company website by providing links to the website. This is an inexpensive way of increasing t he number of visitors to the website and this again increases the company rating in search engines (Funk 2012). Social media should be used together with YouTube which can be used to showcase the company products in

Accounting for Strategy and Management Control Assignment

Accounting for Strategy and Management Control - Assignment Example various analysts and researchers with an aim to prove the difference and analyse the affect of such differences of functional management on the organisation at large. Based on the similar context a research paper was conducted by two authors, Teerooven Soobaroyen and Bhagtaraj Poorundersing with the article titled as â€Å"The effectiveness of management accounting systems: Evidence from functional managers in a developing country†. The research paper was concentric on the key issue of examining the accessibility of different management accounting systems and the value which these systems pertain for functional managers. To relate the issue with the impact of economical factors, the authors had a chosen environment of a developing economy, i.e. Mauritius located in Africa. The design methodology used by the authors to conduct this paper was concentrated on the survey method of interviewing the production and marketing managers of manufacturing companies. Further the data was analysed through the implementation of regression-path. On the contrary, any kind of research paper conducted posses certain limitations and certain advantages as well. For instance, the paper by Teerooven Soobaroyen and Bhagtaraj Poorundersing, concentrates on examining the managers’ point of view related to the implications of different management accounting systems. This certain attribute simultaneously have certain advantages and a few disadvantages. On one hand, it has an advantage to identify the problems of the realistic practices faced by the managers, while on the other hand it ignores the perception of workers in terms of task uncertainty. These kinds of limitations generally occur due to the personal perceptions of the author(s), the research methodology of the paper, and the time allocated for the research. This study therefore, is emphasised on the critical analysis of the advantages of the research paper and its limitations to successfully attain the determined objective.

Writing Workshop Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Workshop Paper - Essay Example In this method, students are exposed to different forms of writings and genre, in order to evaluate their proficiency and give appropriate recommendations. In addition, writing workshops allows teachers to meet the needs of individual student according to their weaknesses and strength. This paper presents a proposal on how to incorporate a writing workshop in the classroom. The writing workshop must have a predictable structure, regular time and a workman-like atmosphere for writing. This implies that activities of a writer’s workshop should have a definite time schedule that is accompanied by a realistic list of expectations and outcomes (Trachsel, 2005). The schedule is analogous to a classroom or a lesson timetable. My writer’s workshop will have a program that is spread across five days and according to available tasks. The basic steps of the writer’s workshop (WW) will be: 5 days a week 60 minutes per day Mini-lesson Writing time Author’s chair To ach ieve the objectives, the classroom will require having a special setup that facilitates the writing exercise. Firstly, we will need to label one of the corners of the classroom as the writing workshop. Students will then be required to arrange their chair and desk in a row formant in order to facilitate the exercise. Secondly, the WW will require books, which the student will use for the exercise.

Knowledge Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Knowledge Management - Essay Example Coming to the skills and ethics that I have and the skills that are required for carrying out the research, it is clear that there is some amount of gap between my current skills and what is required. I have very good and promising plans for the research, but these ideas can come to fruition only if they follow the set path of academic data gathering and research and knowing how to write properly. I have to carefully follow ethics and maintain the required ethical behavior while conducting the research. The ethical behavior can be compromised in a number of factors such as bias, plagiarism, reuse of data, institutional review board, reviewing and reporting results. Bias can occur from actions of the researcher as well as the respondents. It is true that many of my colleagues would be ready to help me complete the research and I also would have sufficient organizational support. However, this should not lead to a situation where ethics are compromised. I should not wittingly or unwitt ingly attempt to goad and direct the research subjects to give responses that I want. In effect, the research should be clear, unbiased and be natural. It is also important that all instances of plagiarism be avoided and this extends to beyond citing sources used in the paper. Efforts should be taken to carefully avoid any previously published research and the research should be original in content, thoughts and spirit. Plagiarism can be avoided by paraphrasing; carefully rewriting the content but this is not observing the spirit.

Linking instruction Essay Example for Free

Linking instruction Essay Teaching is always perceived as a straightforward process whereby teachers provide instruction and students learn. With this perspective, teaching is seen as a simple instruction–learning process. In actual practice, it is more realistic to view assessment as an integral component of the teaching process. In fact, it has been estimated that teachers devote at least one-third of their professional time to assessment-related activities (Stiggins Conklin, 1992). Assessment can and should provide relevant information that both enhances instruction and promotes learning. In other words, there should be a close alignment between theory, instruction and assessment. With this expanded conceptualization of teaching, instruction and assessment are integrally related, with assessment providing objective feedback about what the students have learned, how well they have learned it, how effective the instruction has been, and what information, concepts, and objectives require more attention. Instead of teaching being limited to an instruction–learning process, it is conceptualized more accurately as an instruction–learning–assessment process. For example, a misaligned curriculum, instruction, and assessment had been seen as one factor that led to poor student achievement. In the past, standardized norm-referenced tests, used traditionally for accountability, have only partially aligned with curricular materials and classroom instruction. These conditions obviously result in poor test scores (Burger, n. d. ). Using the standards-led alignment approach, this policy sought to align, integrate, and connect components of schools as systems (e. g. , assessments, curriculum, instruction, and accountability). According to Linn Herman (1997), standards-led alignment should use local content standards as the focal point to: †¢ foster the use of multiple assessment sources and methods, †¢ describe how classroom and accountability assessment relate to each other, †¢ align accountability and classroom assessment with learner outcomes, and †¢ ensure that teachers and administrators use appropriate forms of assessment, are skilled in interpreting data, can plan for re-teaching activities using data, and can evaluate the impact of specific programs and instructional strategies. To begin the alignment process, Allington and Cunningham (2002) advocated a comprehensive policy review to determine where all system elements connect (e. g. , curriculum, instruction, and leadership). Stiggins and Conklin (1992) illustrated the important role that teachers play in the process of aligning instruction and assessment methods with theory: As a nation, we spend billions of dollars on educational assessment, including hundreds of millions for international and national assessments, and additional hundreds of millions for statewide testing programs. On top of these, the standardized tests that form the basis of district-wide testing programs represent a billion dollar industry. If we total all of these expensive, highly visible, politically important assessments, we still account for less than 1 percent of all the assessments conducted in Americas schools. The other 99 percent are conducted by teachers in their classrooms on a moment-to-moment, day-to-day, and week-to-week basis. In summary, if an educational institution wants to have effective teachers, they needs incorporate in their educational paradigm to link theory in the methods of instruction and assessment. Instruction and assessment are both instrumental parts of the teaching process, and assessment is a major component of a teacher’s day-to-day job. Knowing the connection of these, teachers can obtain information that promotes self-understanding and they will have more ability to help students plan for the future. For example, parents and students can use assessment information to make educational plans and select careers that best match a students abilities and interests. References Allington, R. L. , Cunningham, P. M. (2002). Schools that work: Where All Children Read and Write.Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Linn, R. , Herman, J. L. (1997, February). A Policy Maker’s Guide to Standards-Led Assessment. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States. Burger, D. (n. d. ). Using Standards-Led Policy to Align Assessment and Accountability Systems. Honolulu: Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. Retrieved 2 November 2006 at http://www. prel. org/products/re_/standards-led. htm. Stiggins, R. Conklin, N. (1992). In Teachers’ Hands: Investigating the Practice of Classroom Assessment. New York: SUNY Press.

A Financial Study Of Qatar Airways Tourism Essay

A Financial Study Of Qatar Airways Tourism Essay Qatar airlines which ranked amongst one of the best airline in the Gulf States lacking behind Emirates airways has been known to occupy second fiddle. The company recently has launched series of bold steps to re-position it from a second choice airline company to the number one competing head to head with the emirates in the business class segment of the market. Some of the activities include aggressive not only in its growth strategies, but in building its reputation and brand awareness. It places the highest priority on providing customers with the best service and unique accommodations and types of service provided. To do this, it has formed alliances with several different organizations to provide improved and unique services. For example, Qatar Airways has signed an agreement with Showtime Arabia and its new 560 satellite television systems. Qatar Airways is the launch customer for the Tailwind 560, and the service offered through the Tailwind 560 makes it the first internatio nal airline to provide passengers with live television across multiple regions. Introduction Today, the involvement of Middle Eastern airlines in extra-regional operations varies, but is already comparably high. Emirates is offering 82% of its seat capacity on extra-regional services. Most other important carriers from the region like Etihad Airways (74%), Qatar Airways (66%) and Gulf Air (54%) also operate more than half of their seats on extra-regional flights (AEA, 2006). Air France (26%) and Lufthansa (23%) show that the share of extra regional offer for European network carriers is considerably less, indicating that these carriers have stronger domestic markets. It has also projected the following for its financial year outlook. Qatar Airways aims for 40% jump in revenues, says CEO Akbar Al Baker. Defying the global financial downturn, Qatar Airways is expecting to record a 40 per cent increase in its revenues in its current financial year ending March 31, 2011 over the last year, according to the Doha-based airlines chief executive officer.We are targeting a 40 per cent increase in revenues for this year, which is slightly over the increase in the airlines capacity of around 30 per cent. Qatar has also come up with balance marketing Mix to as to shift from competitor of Emirates to main player in the airline industry in the Gulf region. The Airline Industry and The Challenges The commercial aviation industry has been characterized by a cyclic nature since its inception. During times of economic prosperity, passenger traffic demand grows and airlines seek to add capacity to meet that demand. Conversely, during economic downturns, airlines respond to decreased travel demand through cancelling flights, grounding or selling aircraft and generally shrinking capacity. By 2005, a new wave of brash exuberance was experienced in the airline industry, and aircraft orders skyrocketed fourfold, year over-year, to record levels of more than 2000 units, split fairly evenly between Airbus and Boeing. (See Fig. 1.) A sizable portion of aircraft buying originated with airlines based in the Gulf Region. Traffic growth in that region of the world was strong, and carriers like Emirates, Etihad and Qatar began placing large aircraft orders, often in duals of one-upmanship at various air-shows such as Paris, Farnborough and Dubai. The airline industry has been bedeviled in the recent times by economic downturn, skyrocketing fuel costs, perceived threat of terrorism, the potential outbreak of the bird flu virus and massive insurance premiums the international airline industry faces an uncertain, deregulation that has hit major industrialized nation airlines and challenging future. North America is second largest of the four regions examined, with 2827 orders, but with over 80% of these orders being placed for narrow-body equipment (generally 100-200 seats), most of which are destined to join the fleets of LCC airlines in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Europe is the third largest region, at over 2600 orders, also heavily weighted dedicated to narrow-body purchases (70%), again to a large extent ordered to increase the fleets of growing LCCs such as EasyJet and Ryanair. The Middle East is the fourth largest region examined, and though aircraft orders number just over 400, a key distinction from the other r egions is that more than 60% of these orders are for twin-aisle widebody (200-400 seats) and Very Large Aircraft (greater than 400 seats, such as the Airbus A380), as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 1. Aircraft orders of Gulf States: 1995-2007. Source: www.airbus.com, www.boeing.com. Fig. 3. Airbus A380 orders by region. Source: Airline Monitor, November 2007. Situation analysis Company analysis Qatar Airways is the national airline company of Qatar which one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. Since its re-launch in 1997, Qatar Airways has achieved staggering growth in fleet size and passenger numbers. From only four aircraft in 1997, the airline grew to a fleet size of 28 aircraft by the end of 2003 and a milestone 50 by October 2006. Today, the airline operates 68 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. By 2013, the fleet size will almost double to 110 aircraft. Qatar Airways currently has more than 200 aircraft on order worth over US$40 billion for delivery over the next few years (www.linkedin.com). Currently, Qatar Airways has a fleet of 87 aircraft serving 92 destinations worldwide. The company employs more than 15,000 employees across Far East, Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, the Africa, North America, South America and Oceania. Qatar Airways vision is to invest in and maintain, a growing fleet of young and modern aircraft flying to key business and leisure destinations worldwide. Furthermore, companys mission includes safety first, customer focused, culturally aware and financially strong. Moreover Qatar Airways set up its goal which is to be a worlds top airplanes company. Competitors Qatar is strategically located in the Gulf States. It has become one of the business hub and stopover. Its airline industry, has come under increasing competition from competitors such as Emirates, Etihad, Bahrain airlines. Airlines in the Middle East currently account for just 9% of long haul capacity worldwide, but are responsible for about 25% of all global long-haul aircraft deliveries over the next decade (Flanagan, 2006). Dubai-based Emirates Airlines is the largest buyer, with approximately 70% of all new long-haul aircraft orders in the Middle East the airline is planning to more than double its all-wide body fleet capacity by 2012 (Flanagan, 2006). Once all these aircrafts are in use, Emirates Airlines will be the worlds largest long-haul carrier. Other airlines in the region with sizable wide body aircraft orders include Qatar Airways with an order book of about 140 wide-body aircraft and Etihad Airways with about 20 aircrafts pending delivery. Whilst aircraft orders of Gulf carriers represent real fleet expansions, aircraft orders placed by incumbent carriers are mainly used to replace existing capacity (Fig. 1). Overall, aircraft orders by Middle Eastern carriers are valued at 40 billion US D (list prices). Middle Eastern carriers are building their growth strategy on wide-body aircraft that offer expanded range, enhanced passenger comfort, and improved operating economics. These aircrafts will help Middle Eastern carriers to mitigate the likely ongoing slot shortages and congestion problems experienced at some airports. New-generation aircraft are fundamental to the development of long-haul hubs in the Middle East, allowing the carriers to remain competitive by keeping unit costs low (OConnell, 2006). Qatar airways just like other airlines in the Gulf States is part of the government strategy to diversify its revenue base, economies, commerce, tourism and global transport importance. The airline has a rich mission statement which is Excellence in everything we do. According to a survey carried out by Pearce and David (1987) to analyze the mission contents of airline companies, the mission, it showed that Qatars mission statement is one of the best in the world. Amongst 9 points, it has 6 points. Fleet expansion plans of Middle Eastern carriers (as March 2008). Source Journal of Transport Geography 18 (2008) 388-394 Collaborators (worldwide partners, codeshare) Code sharing or codeshare is an aviation business term for the practice of multiple airlines selling space on the same flights, where a seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code. The term code refers to the identifier used in flight schedule, generally the 2-character IATA airline designator code and flight number. Qatar Airways is proud to be codeshare partners with some of the worlds premier airlines such Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, BMI, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, US Airways and United Airlines which indicated as Star Alliance. (Qatar.com) Climate Macro environment (PESTLE analysis) PESTLE Analysis which is an acronym of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, is a tool that aids organization make strategies by helping them to understand the external environment in which they operate now and in the near future. Below is a tabulated External analysis in which Qatar air line operates. Political Looking at both the demand and the supply side of Middle Eastern aviation growth, it becomes clear that the development has both a demand and a supply side impetus to it. The rise of carriers from the region has become possible due to the overall increase in demand for air travel. Additionally, traffic has already been diverted from the established carriers. However, there is also another side to the growth process: Induced demand. This is because of political stability in the Gulf region not only in Qatar. Economic Domestic demand benefits from the topography of the Gulf countries, which favours travelling by air for intra-regional transport. Furthermore, a high per capita income that is still increasing quickly, offers a base for a strong aviation industry. But there are socio-economic constraints, limiting both domestic leisure and business travel potential. Also, wealth is unevenly distributed, with an estimated proportion of 20% to 45% of the population living below the poverty line (AEA, 2006). The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar have a combined 5.5 million people which is only about the population of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. With more people living above the poverty line, the airline industry has a bright future. Social UAE lies in the heart of the Middle East (ME) and is one of the worlds fastest growing economies with a per capita income of US$31,000 (IMD, 2005). Worldwide, in 2006, the ME Travel and Tourism economy was ranked number nine in terms of absolute size (US$150 billion) and is expected to grow to US$280 billion by 2020 (WTTC, 2007a; Husain, 2007a). UAE ranks 18th in the world and number one in the Arab world, according to the global tourism competitiveness report by the World Economic Forum (Rahman, 2007a, b). Global Futures and Foresight, a British think tank expects the investment in tourism and infrastructure for the ME to be about US$3 trillion by 2020, with current investments standing at US$1 trillion which is much higher than what is considered current global expenditure (Husain, 2007a). Non-oil revenues contribute 63 percent to the GDP (UAE Interact, 2007a). Abu Dhabi contributes 59 percent to the GDP of UAE (56 percent which is oil dependent). Qatar strategy is to feed from the Dubai market. Technological Delays, cancellations and diversions are the most visible evidence of the effects of these disruptions on the airlines. Generally, each of these results in aircraft and crews being out of position relative to planned itineraries. Passengers are inconvenienced as arrivals are delayed and scheduled connections missed. As a result, an airline may become responsible for the cost of alternate transportation, lodging, food and, if the delay is sufficiently long, a cash payment to compensate the traveler for any inconvenience. Qatar has achieved great technological feat to avoid such delays unless when the flight is at their hub and they are expecting some flights to make do. Legal Qatar airways is a signatory of open skies agreements. Between 1990 and 2003, the United States implemented a series of Open Skies Agreements, providing a unique opportunity to assess the effect that a change in the competition regime has on prices. In our sample, Open Skies Agreements reduce air transport costs by 9% and increase by 7% the share of imports arriving by air. Those results hold for developed and upper-middle-income developing countries but for lower-middle-income and low-income developing countries Open Skies Agreements do not reduce air transport costs. SWOT analysis SWOT analysis helps to explore the internal and external environmental factors affecting Qatar Airways and hence enable us to make strategic decisions (Aaker, 2005). The recommended strategies that would be adopted in this paper would be based on the on the SWOT analysis of the company. SWOT analysis for Qatar Airways STRENGTHS WEAKNESSESS The only 5-star ranked middle eastern airline Over 90 Destinations Worldwide Codeshare partners with most of the worlds premier airlines Qatar Airways profits from the very low charges at its home airport High ticket prices Young airlines which established in 1994 Operation costs is very high due to investments on airport reconstructions and buying high-class aircrafts OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Qatars favorable location for business The new airport is scheduled to be operational from the end of 2011 Qatar holds a major asean and international sporting activities, recently Qatar won bidding to host FIFA World Cup 2022 . Investing on Environmental Studies (first commercial flight with GTL Jet fuel- without particular emissions in 2009) Unstable political environment of neighbourhood countries High risk of terroristic activities Strong neighbouring state competitors (Emirates Airlines, Gulf Air) Qatar Airways has over 200 aircraft pending delivery with the orders worth more than US$40 billion by Boeing. Company objectives Marketing objectives To help drive their expansion in the UK and internationally, Qatar were looking for an opportunity that would deliver the right audience and broad coverage with year round presence. While Qatar and their agency Starcom were looking at various weather opportunities available in the market, we were convinced that the breadth and depth of our offering via the award winning Sky News would make it a clear winner they agreed. The campaign comprised of 5 different viewing platforms allowing Qatar to reach Sky News desirable and affluent audience via multiple touch points. Coverage also included Sky News International, driving the brand into over 70 million homes and 1 million hotel rooms worldwide. The relationship has now spanned over 4 years with a new 2 year extension just agreed. Objectives Grow brand awareness and perception in the UK and internationally Raise awareness of Qatar as a premium 5-star airline Communicate the quality of the Qatar service Increase share of voice against the competition http://www.skymedia.co.uk/Audience-Insight/Case-Studies/qatar-airlines.aspx Financial objectives Qatar Airways aims for 40% jump in revenues, says CEO Akbar Al Baker. Defying the global financial downturn, Qatar Airways is expecting to record a 40 per cent increase in its revenues in its current financial year ending March 31, 2011 over the last year, according to the Doha-based airlines chief executive officer.We are targeting a 40 per cent increase in revenues for this year, which is slightly over the increase in the airlines capacity of around 30 per cent, Akbar Al Baker, told Emirates Business. He added that the airline will experience a similar capacity increase in the following year. Marketing segmentation and target market Geographic Segmentation: Qatar Airways is currently operating in most of the regions of the world. They are presently hoping to expand their routes to include the south pacific routes of Australia and its neighboring countries. Qatar Airways is a dynamic, high service carrier, which utilizes the geographic location of its Middle Eastern hub to link 72 international cities. See the companys website for more information. Target Market Product Differentiation: Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, stated, By offering a variety of entertainment options, we are able to differentiate our passenger service through live entertainment programming while also setting new standards of comfort to ensure we are the airline of choice (Rockwell Collins, 2005, p. 1). Some of the features of differentiation are: Biggest and best business class in the Middle East Interactive Audio, Video on Demand Entertainment System Largest personal TV screens in the Middle East Electronic seat controls In-seat back massage First Middle East airline in First Class with flat beds. Current Marketing Mix (Ansoff product mix 4Ps) Product Strategy using Ansoff product mix: Services is defined as involving one party offering something that is essentially intangible and where the interaction does not result in ownership of anything (Kotler, 2008). Applying Ansoff product grid matrix, it can be said that Qatar airlines is still in market penetration. This is because the airline as was shown in the introductory section of the work, has projected the number of aircraft it wish to buy before 2012. The attributes of a company in growth stage of company life cycle is expansionary qualities. The attributes of market penetration strategy in which Qatar airways are using include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintain or increase the market share of current products this can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling As part of this growth plan, Qatar Airways will extend its route network to 50 destinations by the end of 2003. It has recently added Manchester and Rome to its increasing route network. It will soon be adding Shanghai, Seoul and Tripoli to its route network. (Airhighways Magazine, 2005, p. 1). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Secure dominance of growth markets. Qatar airlines have been known to dominate the ever busy African- Middle east air routes. The company always has some flights available from any part of Africa to the Gulf States. The topology of the area has encouraged the airline to operate in product penetration strategy of Ansoff product grid. Its sparsely populated area has encouraged travelling by air for intra-regional transport. Furthermore, a high per capita income that is still increasing quickly, offers a base for a strong aviation industry. But there are socio-economic constraints, limiting both domestic leisure and business travel potential. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increase usage by existing customers for example by introducing loyalty schemes .A market penetration marketing strategy is very much about business as usual. The business is focusing on markets and products it knows well. It is likely to have good information on competitors and on customer needs. It is unlikely, therefore, that this strategy will require much investment in new market research. There is no evidence that Qatar airways is investing on market research because they are not expanding into unknown routes such as Kula-lumpur Sydney route. Pricing Strategy: Going-rate-pricing strategy Presently Qatar airline practice what is called Going-rate-pricing strategy. The market leader in the middle- east airline industry remains Emirates. Qatar charges its fare based on the price of Emirates which is slightly higher. This is because being the market follower, Qatar does not need to disturb the established market dynamism because it might not be able to compete on the same level with Emirates. Comparing the price of Qatar and Emirates, on the same route of Kuala-lumpur (Malaysia) Johannesburg ( South Africa): Price of Qatar Airways on 21st Nov returning on 23rd Dec from Kuala-Lumpur to Johannesburg Price of Emirates on 21st Nov returning on 23rd Dec from Kuala-Lumpur to Johannesburg Promotion Strategy Qatar airlines are not practicing product differentiation but it is practicing promotion differentiation. According to its chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker he said that Qatar By offering a variety of entertainment options, we are able to differentiate our passenger service through live entertainment programming while also setting new standards of comfort to ensure we are the airline of choice (Rockwell Collins, 2005, p. 1). Some of their promotion strategies are as listed below and experienced by its passengers are as Biggest and best business class in the Middle East Interactive Audio, Video on Demand Entertainment System Largest personal TV screens in the Middle East Electronic seat controls In-seat back massage First Middle East airline in First Class with flat beds Qatar has engaged the services of Global media industries to help spread the good news. Such TV, Corporate Videos, BBC Campaign to position it as a premium carrier, CNN testimonials from airline staff, Sky News reports as a sponsor of the weather service and Sponsors a travel show through Al-Jazeera. Qatar is a major sponsor of high profile sporting activities such as World Tourism Day, World Travel and Tourism Council Summit, World Economic Forum, Leading International sports events. Qatar airlines was the official sponsor of 15th Asian Games, Doha 2006. The company has come up with a new product called Flying Oryx Newsletter that it distributes to travel agents. The newsletter is also available through its websites. More links could be established to the newsletter through the Internet. The airlines also give away products to passengers that promote the logo of the Burgundy Oryx and Taking you personally, such as watches, computer mouse and hand towels. .Place Strategy: This places a little impact on the business strategy of Qatar. Qatar airways like any other airways have developed a system of getting their ticket. Unlike the normal businesses, whose distribution channel goes from the manufacturer wholesaler-retailer-consumer. The normal business cycle Qatar airline and other airways are from the airline operators to consumers when online booking is done or through traveler agent. Airline operator Airline operator Manufacturer Wholesaler Travelling Agent Consumer Retailer Consumer Consumer Traditional Supply channel Online booking channel Intermediary booking channel Marketing Implementation Budget (short long term projections) Qatar airlines being a government company operates a closed system whereby no one knows their financial projections. But based on Boeings Economic Overview fort the next 20 years, the company predicts an overall economic growth of the international airlines industry will be at 2.9%, the international growth in passenger traffic will be 4.8%, and the largest area of growth will be in cargo at 6.2%. Although the industry will still face highs and lows, which is inherent, the Boeing report says that the long-term outlook is that of positive growth. Part of the factors of positive growth are globalization, increases in international trade, growth of GDP, the liberalizing of regulations in various countries to allow more access and services. World GDP growth is at 2.9% and this is one of the major factors for the growth in the airlines industry. According to that same report, the GDP growth in the Middle East is 3.6%, and growth in the passenger traffic is estimated at 5.5%. Of course, th is growth in higher in regions where the GDP is higher. Other factors affecting increased growth in the Middle East are increasing populations and the belief that oil costs will be sustainable long-term. Integrated Marketing Plan Low cost Qatar airways have the leverage to engage in more competitive prices that what they are offering presently. They should borrow a leave from what Qantas did. Qantas came up with a low cost carrier called JETSTAR. The low cost strategy can compete in the low cost flight category of the airline industry while the parent company keeps their normal standard. Alliances Qatar airways have the brand image to form strategic alliances with many similar airlines where they can get the benefits of economics of scale. This might come in the form choosing one airline company in the continent to form a loop. They might borrow a look from what Singapore airlines deed as shown below. Singapore Airlines Air New Zealand Star Alliance Diners Club Avis Singapore Airlines alliance network; strategic alliance, follower ( Kotler Pg 812, 2008) Reduction of booking agents Commissions and other incentives to sales staff add to the operational cost of the company. These costs either passed on to the customers or absorbed by the organization lowers the margins of the company. The company should come up with a structure of appointing GSA (General Sales Agent) in major cities and towns. They might even pass it to the post office to sale for them since they post office has their fixed cost already running. Web Friendly Site The company should as a matter of urgency design a friendly user web site. Their current web site is not user friendly. They should borrow a cue at Airasia website. Airasia website is fast, user friendly and updates every minutes. This has greatly encouraged customers to use the web more frequently than physical office space thereby limiting people or place contacts to the barest minimum. Conclusion For Middle Eastern players, there are three potential sources of passenger demand. Firstly, domestic demand originating in the Gulf region can add to fill fleets and airports. Secondly, demand can arise from foreign passengers that are bound for Middle Eastern countries may they be leisure or business travelers. And thirdly, stop-over travel that is using the Middle Eastern airports as hubs and that is heading for destinations beyond the Gulf countries can be a source of demand. These factors are favorable to Qatar airlines. However, responding to the growth processes in the Middle East only by cutting costs is an insufficient strategy for the incumbent players. Pricing systems, for example, have been developed in decade-long processes and are difficult to copy. Other important fields and assets for reaction are strategic networks and co-operations, frequent flyer programs and booking systems.

Company Analysis Of Tony And Guy Hairdressing Salon

Company Analysis Of Tony And Guy Hairdressing Salon Tony and Guy hairdressing salon is a multinational corporation, which deals with hair care business. The company has not only competent management team but also qualified, dedicated and committed. The company has more than 200,000 employees worldwide. The Dubai branch has two branches with one of them performing poorly due to lack of planning and proper management (http://www.toniandguy.com/). Toney and Guys experienced employees are well trained will always ensure the success of the company. Tony and Guy hair care salons mission statement is to ensure that, the hair care services reach all the people all over the world. It also seeks to ensure its customers and potential customers get high quality services that are reliable, accessible, and universally acceptable. The hairdressing salon business, since its inception, has had the main goal of becoming the leading provider of hairdressing and care services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The salon, as the business is known, has shown without doubt its capability and potential that it can achieve success, if it is provided with the required financial resources. It is one of the leading international hair care companies in the world and it has a commitment and continuous service improvement. It dominates the market because it has the largest market share and customer base in the industry, in all the regions of its operation. The company is driven by the returns it is targeting and this has made it to gain growth and success by providing relevant and reliable hair care services to its esteem customers. In addition, the company offers variety of hair dressing services to its customers depending on their needs (Perry Sherlock, 2008). Though the company has not been performing well, there are recent reports of trivial improvements attributable to improved economic growth, leading to increased customers and subsequently increases in profits. Its services have attracted millions of customers and potential customers, who have ensured a consistent stream of revenues to the firm no matter the numerous challenges it is facing. The firm is targeting everybody in the market irrespective of the age, gender, ethnic group, tribe, religion, or nationality. The hair care firm has established many salons in major and strategic sites in Dubai, where customers can locate with ease and they are accessible to all. The firm advertises its products and services through the TV, radio, beauty magazines and the firms well-established website where people can access it wherever they are. There is stiff competition in the industry because of rapidly changing fashion trends, peoples taste, and preference. The firm is strategizing to ensure it outperforms its competitors and gain a competitive advantage. Its services are of high quality that meets the customers requirements and standards. The firm should improve on the marketing strategy to appeal to many customers to accept the services of the company. An aggressive advertising and promotional campaigning in all media, both locally and internationally should be planned and intensified. This will ensure the firms services are provided and marketed to many people (customers and potential customers). For the firm to expand its operations, it needs one million US dollars ($1000000). The funds will be used for campaigning, opening new salon centers, training employees and purchasing new equipment that will ensure the customers hairstyle is done according to his or her expectations in order for him to get satisfied. This will in the end, ensure that, the firm retains and maintains the customers for a long period. Building trust and loyalty in customers requires total commitment and dedication from the employees and the top management. The success or failure of the firms services will be measured based on the customer increase or decrease in number, profits, and comments from the customers about the firms services and products. If the numbers of customers are increasing, then, the firm is becoming successful and vice versa. The set goals, targets, and objectives of the firm can be used to measure the firms success or failure. The firm should open several branches in strategic locations that the customers can easily locate and serve according to their expectations. The management especially the human resource department should employ permanent employees with the required skills, knowledge, competencies, and experience. The employees should be continuously trained to equip them with new technology and any changes in the industry, which are deemed important (http://www.toniandguy.com/). 2.0 Introduction Tony and Guy is an international hair care business, which was established in London, United Kingdom in 1963 by the two brothers Giuseppe (Guy) and Gaetano Mascolo (Toni). Their two younger brothers Anthony and Bruno later joined the two brothers. The organization has more than 400 salons and it has been able to win many hairdressing awards for many years. For example, in 2006, it won the South West Hairdresser of the Year and it has won the London Hairdresser of the Year (11 times) consecutively. The organization has its own in-salon television station known as Toni and Guy TV and a UK Magazine. In addition, the firm has opened many salons and academies around the world in countries such as Canada, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Sweden, Russia, New Zealand, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Norway, and United States of America. The company manufactures its own hair care products such as styling, hair irons, and shampoo. The companys main aim is to expand its services to all parts of the world by providing quality services. The company has a sister salon group known as Essensuals headed by Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck and Christian Mascolo; both are Tonis children (Perry Sherlock, 2008). The Dubai branch was established in the year 2000, which gave everyone a wakeup call as the new salon, which was the first to be opened in UAE. It was not only the best salon but fair and reliable to all customers depending on their income level and ability to use the services. The color department at Tony and Guy do many color corrections from other salons work that they had not performed as per the customers expectations. After a few years, the performance in one of its salons was negatively affected in that performance targets were not met. The salon had hairdressers who were unqualified because they had not undergone the required stringent London Academy training. With the poor services provided, it has led to poor comments about the services provided about the salon; hence affecting its image and reputation of the firm negatively (Perry Sherlock, 2008). 3.0 Situational analysis Situational analysis is concern about internal and external environment, direct and indirect competitors (local shops with cheap prices), target market, and the positioning the firm would take. 3.1 Target market and positioning of the firm The firm targets the whole United Arab Emirates, and further expansion of its operations to other continents so as to become the market leader. The firm targets all the people irrespective of their age, gender, race, ethnic community, religion, economic status, and place of residence (urban or rural). This target market will ensure that the firm dominates the market before the competitors venture in. By targeting everybody in the market, it will ensure that, no one is discriminated and every one will feel satisfied. This is a positioning strategy that will ensure the firm gains competitive advantage over its competitors. In addition, the firm has set different prices for the product so as to ensure people with different income or economic status are reached. This is a positioning strategy because the firm is meant to serve all the people rather than other salons (competitors) who only target the urban rich people. The firm is therefore, positioning itself by offering high-quality products at affordable prices. The services and products have been made readily available, reliable, and accessible to all at the required quantities (http://www.toniandguy.com/). 3.2 Internal environment Internal environment is about microenvironment; what is happening within the firm and that can be controlled within. It deals with the explanation of SWOT Analysis. SWOT is the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that affect the business operations from within. The firms strengths are: the firm has organized for customer training on how to maintain the different hairstyles after it has been plaited. This is strength because the customers will be taught on how to maintain the hairstyle for long before the next hairstyle hit the market. The salon has its own products sold at cheaper prices than its competitors in the industry do. Those with low income can afford because they are packed in small units that they afford due to their meager earnings. This is strength because no customers are discriminated based on income; hence attracting more customers. The services of the salon are of high quality than the competitors. This has helped the salon to gain the competitive advantage and dominate the market since 2000. The well-trained, competent, and qualified employees have made the salon to retain its customers and increase its profit margins. The courtesy, respect, dignity, and openness with their customers have made most of their friends and workmates to seek the salon services. Customers complaints are taken seriously and corrected or improved where needed, in order to ensure they get satisfied with our services and products at all times. The company values the customers because they determine the success or failure of the company. Though the firm has numerous strengths, there are a few weaknesses needed to be addressed and corrected. The location in which the salon is located is surrounded by a crowded area. The streets leading to the hotel in which the salon is in has many businesses therefore; the potential customers may not recognize it because of the congestion due to its poor location. Some of our customers and potential customers sometimes end up in the hands of our competitors due to our poor location in the street. This has made the saloon lose some customers because of lots of noises, hooting, people shouting and dust which is not health for our customers as they take their way to the location of the salon. The branchs employment criterion where employees are on a contractual basis has affected the firm negatively. Our customers keep on getting new employees and to get used to them will take time; and the moment they get used to one another, the employee quits forcing the employer to get another expert. Customers prefer to be handled by one employee for a long time because he or she will be used to him or her. Most of the customers have shifted to the other branch and to some of our competitors because it has experienced knowledgeable and permanent employees who can be relied upon. Employees on contract have offered poor-quality services to the customers because their aim is to be paid and go (Perry Sherlock, 2008). The high rate of employee turnover is a weakness in the side of the management (human resource department) and therefore, they should focus on employing permanent employees with the relevant skills, competences, and experience. This has affected the firms reputation because once the customers expectations are not met; they will look for same services from the competitors. This is a weakness, and at the same times a threat because the competitors will capitalize from the same weakness. Our major threat is our competitors who have opened many branches in all strategic locations within the city; but the firm has a long-term strategy of expanding its branches to all strategic locations so as to counter the competition. The other threat is from our competitors who have lowered the prices of their products and charges for their services. Some of our customers have decided to change; hence, it is a threat because the company can close down. The salons opportunities are numerous, and the firm has utilized them fully. The firms competitors concentrated the marketing of its services and products in the major urban areas only; but the Tony and Guy salon has expanded its services to the rural growing centers and towns so as to reap from the large readily available market. Our products are of high quality than the competitor; hence, it is an opportunity to maximize returns. 3.3 External environment External environment is also known as macro environment analysis. This entails factors that are beyond companys control. These are political, economical, social cultural, technological, and legal (PESTEL). Political analysis is about government change and political stability of a country. If there is political stability in a country, then business will prospers because there are no interruptions such as wars and conflicts. The government usually introduces new policies and guidelines in the industry, which sometimes affects the business operations negatively. The policies may be costly and time consuming due to the procedures and processes that must be followed during implementation. The government has been supportive and cooperating on various policies; in that, the government authorities and departments in charge of the industry has been engaging all the stakeholder for talks, discussions and consultations in case there are new guidelines and policies to be introduced. Economical factors can be a major challenge to the firm if it is not stable financially, when profits are decreasing, or when it is making losses. Because there is no taxation in Dubai, the banks increase interest rates without consultation because it is vested with power and authority to do so. If the firms returns are unstable, the company may end up making huge losses due to the costs associated. If the labor unions pressurize the companies to increase the employees salaries and other remunerations, the firm may close down if its profitability was not stable. This is because; it is from the profits that the company will increase salaries, repay the loans and to expand its operations (Perry Sherlock, 2008). Social cultural factors concern the change in taste and preferences, fashion, cultural beliefs and norms and likes and dislikes. When new styles and fashion hits the market, the salon has to adjust even if it means incurring more costs. Changes brought about by the fashion and tastes and preferences require further training and expenses for the employees. Some of these changes are inevitable, and the firm must adjust so as to fit into what the customers want in all market segments. With hair styles and its hairdressing products, most people want what is in fashion, and therefore, hairdressers must be updated to know the new hairstyles so that customers may be retained and to attract new ones because of the quality services offered. Different people, races, tribes, gender, and religions value certain hairstyles and products; this therefore, calls for the salon management together with the employees to understand what different customers needs. Technological factors are crucial in hairdressing because technologies keep on changing rapidly. Different hairstyles require different equipment and machines to be used. Technological advancement is costly and the already existing technologies become obsolete. The new hairstyles and fashion requires new machines and equipment to be used so that the customer gets satisfied. Technology also requires employees to be trained on the use of new technologies. Due to the stiff competition and fear of losing customers, the firm has to adjust its budget to purchase new equipment. With the new technologies, the firm is able to provide quality services, and to gain competitive advantage. Customers are sensitive and want to get value from their money by getting services from salons with the modern, advanced technology. Legal factors are important external factors in the business operations. Laws are the guiding principles in any business. Laws must be adhered to, otherwise, the business will be deemed illegal if it fails to comply with them. Implementation of laws is costly and sometimes the government can set stringent rules if it wants to you out of the market. In hairdressing associated with salons, the government can set laws banning the use of certain hairdressing products or certain hairstyles; hence affecting the firms sales and profitability. Some of these laws can make the firm lose its customers and to close down. Some of the laws can deter the firm from expanding to certain regions or from transacting certain business dealings. 3.4 Marketing Strategy Tony and Guy salon is working marketing strategy that would enable the company regains the control of the hair treatments market globally. More so, the company is working towards reviving and rejuvenating operational the Dubai Branch that has not been performing well. The organization has set aside $ 1000000 for the processes in the marketing strategy. The conservative, limited marketing budget will spread among such activities as marketing efforts renting showrooms in high-traffic areas in cities where there will not only be more visibility of the Tony Guy products, but also its professionally trained staff will offer hair treatment services at subsidized rates, and show case the organizations product and services. Apart from the existing outlets, the activities will be conducted in selected well-traveled, popular malls located in high human traffic areas. Although, it will be costly to lease these locations temporarily, as they are charged above the normal rates, part of the high cost of rents will be offset of the sales made during the exercise. The other proceeds will be used to finance more visibility through sponsored marketing events and activities such as road shows and other activities. The marketing strategy is composed of the following activities: Advertisements: there will be Advertisements in country specific and international magazines, journals, newspapers and other publications. Those publications that have wide readerships among women and youth will be give priority since these groups the biggest junk of the target market segments. Since not all the target markets may be reached by advertisements in publications, alternatives means of reaching them will have to be decided. One way will be using large billboards in major roads feeding major world cities. Electronic mediums such Television Commercials, radio and Internet Sponsored events and roads shows will be another marketing strategy to be used. 3.4.1 Mission The major objective of marketing strategies will be to inform the customers and those potentials customer that Tony and Guy products and Salon Services are not only available locally, but also that the company is committed to providing reasonably priced, convenient hair styling and the organization exists to attract and maintain customers. Their services will meet or exceed the expectations of their customers and eventually result in secured and protected future markets. 3.4.2 Marketing Objectives The marketing strategies will increase repeat customers by at least 9% per quarter. Product visibilities and awareness is to be boosted by 14% Non-performing branches such the one in Dubai is to maintain positive, steady growth each month. 3.4.3 Financial Objectives Ultimately, the marketing objectives of the marketing strategy must translate into sales. Upon full implementation of the marketing plan, the following effects are anticipated or targeted sales: 10% increase for products sold per year. Growth of the profit margin by 3% per year. Full recovery of sales and ultimately profitability in the Dubai branches and other branches initially performing poorly throughout the worlds; one year since the inception of marketing programs. 3.5 Target Marketing Target marketing as part of the strategy will enable Tony and Guy; to reach different market segments as demonstrated below: Men: past statistics show that men at least 70%-75% of men use hair make up, thus implying significant clientele potentials. Relevant communicational tactical ads will to reach these groups will be used. Upper-end and lower-end women markets: The biggest proportions (about 90%) of the revenues to the hair industry come from female customers. Women have generally been found to be fond of identifying themselves with classy, expensive, and fashionable products and services. Although they can be discriminated by class and prices, the quality of services and functionality of different brands of Tony and Guy brands will greatly influence this segment of the market. There therefore, great potential market in the women populations. Young Mothers with Children: Young children are an emerging market in the hair treatment industry. A typical family salon has playing facilities for children, where children safely spend their times as they wait for their parents or as they wait to be served in the Hairdressing and treatment. Each of the three groups will be targeted separately. The Tony and Guy outlets and the new-leased promotional centers will prepare its staff to offer quick and convenient services to the male customers. Outlets will close late at night 8 pm in high traffic centers and security services will be acquired from security companies. Throughout the periods, no appointments will be required, and most of the salon services will be on first come first serve basis but quick, convenient, and satisfactory to the customers. As for women, research has shown them to prefer the allure of classy salons, although practically not everyone can afford such luxury. For this reason, Tony and Guy will provide the different hair treatment services but strictly within the normal range prices. Tony and Guy will focuses their marketing strategies on these customers by put emphasis on the classy, ultra hype styling that Tony and Guy will offer at all their outlets all over the world during the promotion period or the time of implementing the marketing strategies. Entertainment will be offered. To reach both the high end and low-end market at the time while appealing wit classy but affordable services and products, Tony and Guy advertisement will be made to appeal to all. The advertisement while communicating the classiness of the services and products will also emphasize of the affordability. Above all, advertisements will demonstrate that making up and treating ones hair with companys products and or services is a necessity, as basic as clothing. It will communicate that it no longer a secondary need but a basic need for every woman. With the latest finding confirming that there is an emerging market in children for the hair industry, Tony and Guy cannot ignore the segment. To win the Children market, Tony and Guy, will focus its marketing strategies towards young mothers visiting the Salons with children by investing in kids toys, playing facilities, and offering hairdressing services friendly to children. In addition, the children will receive special rates that would entice the customers to visit the salons again. The tactical advertisement will be tuned to appeal to this group while reaching other segment with the same message. 3.6 Positioning Tony and Guy Salon marketing strategies will position the organization in the industry strategically to be a one stop-shop convenient and affordable place for services and products. While reaching families a corporate entity, the salons also will appeals to individuals with all the outlets prepared to offer quality services and products at competitive rates even after the promotional periods. Tony and Guy will be offering one-stop services and building it competitive edge by striving to achieve its desired positioning through; The staffs are incentivized to offer quality client services throughout. While Tony and Guy will invest time and money into training the employees, other concerted efforts will be arranged to ensure that clients receive the best possible experience that would make them loyal to the Salons and eventually turn them become long-term clients ultimately leading to improvement of the companys services and products reputations. Through its superior customer service, Tony and Guy will be in a position to effectively and competitively out-perform its competitors both retail and big dealers operating in the industry. Excellent customer services throughout all centers: Tony and Guys competitive edge will be based on superior customer service. The company recognizes that the hair treatment industry has crowded market with challenging situations id differentiating its products and services from those of the competitors. To stand out in the market, Tony and Guy, take advantage of its combined, concerted efforts to sell the hair products while at the same time operating salons. The two activities not only give an opportunity to customers to try the products and services but also enables them experience the quality of services and products the company offers. Tony and Guys have been trained in the London Academy in quality customers services. This will enable the company, throughout its branches spread across the globe, to continuously offer or provide superior customer attention. The staff will be as much as possible be flexible to the needs of the customer. 3.7 Strategy Pyramids To create a change, the old marketing strategies, with rejuvenated efforts, the single most apparent objective is to position Tony and Guy to be a prime one-stop hair-service shop for the family internationally. The pyramids marketing strategy attempts to first furnish all customers in the industry with the available products and services at the Tony and Guy Hairdressing and Salon before developing a firms customer base and eventually working towards improving customer referrals and loyalty. The message that Tony and Guy will be selling will be communicate and recruit the entire family into quick, professional services that come with excellent customer service at affordable rates. Various mediums will be used to communicate the message. During and after the promotions, the messages will continue to be communicated through in-store and storefront displays through all the outlets and partnering retail salons. This will be convenient and cost effective method that will attract potential and existing customers that walk around the or near the outlets and retail centre. This will complement the initially and conventional strategies of using publication and print mediums local and international regular publications newspapers. 4.0 Marketing Mix Tony and Guy marketing mix will carefully perform market research too selectively to influence customer behavior in favor of the services and product of the company. Theoretically, a typical marketing mix model is comprised of the 4Ps of marketing namely: pricing, Place (distribution), Promotion and advertising, and Product. 4.1 Pricing Tony and Guy Salon pricing system will be founded on a competitive pricing model that while making the services and products affordable remains competitive relative to competitors prices. This pricing strategy will be the most fundamental element that needs serious considerations in each market. Although the pricing of services and products by Tony and Guy will be guided by the current levels and those of the competitors, the company will strive to offer optimal prices, affordable and compelling to the customer, yet giving reasonable returns. During the promotions, the prices will be subsidized, but at a minimum, the revenues must offset the promotional expenses. Thereafter the new set of optimal prices will be offered for the products. Each markets retail outlet will be issued with pricing guidelines. Tony and Guy acknowledge the difficulty in standardizing prizes in all the markets considering the variations in income and economic levels. For this reason, each segment of economic separated by national boundaries and currency will have specific pricing model guidelines. Independent salons franchised to offer Tony and Guy products and services will be given discounts to together with customer identification to the loyal ones (Westwood, 2000). 4.2 Price Policy While Tony and Guy Company Salon admit that pricing is the most important element that influences customer or rather buyer behavior and the same determine the profitability of any enterprise, the company intends to develop policies that would assist the managements and retailing outlets in setting optimum pricings that are enticing to customers. These prices will be so strategic that that it will affect the overall performances and the future competitiveness of Tony and Guy. Attracting new clients and keeping the customers, will be the key agenda in the pricing policies to be developed. Because of these affordably but competitive prices, Tony and Guy will use other strategies expand its market. Larger sales volumes will compensate the lower prices. In this case, the best method that the company sees as what will attract customers and keep them. For the prices to be competitive and appealing to customers, the organization devises strategies and conducts feasibility analyses of custome rs experiences at different pricing scenarios. This requires some market research and testing to determine customer behavior at different selected rates. The Tony and Guy Hair products and hair treatment services will use the fixed price in specific regions, with similar market segment description such demographic, cultural, and economic situations. This policy involves determining the price for customers who are willing to purchase the product with the same prices, given the same-shared market conditions and environment. Though it sounds discriminatory in nature, the prices will be fixed in such a way that it will be very easy for the company to administer and in the end be able to maintain a good will within the customers. This strategy will enable the company to use a higher pricing in better economic markets to compensate the minimal rates charged in the markets, whose economic and average income levels are lower. This is one of the strategies often recommended for company multinationals operating in countries having different economic performances (Westwood, 2000). 4.3 Place (Place of Distribution) and Worldwide Marketing (Promotion) Tony and Guy Salon being an international company that deals with hair treatments products and services, has a strategic marketing plan program for its product and services with a world wide scope. Since the birth of the organization in United Kingdom, the company has always catered for the demand of its customers across the globe. Consistent with this global reach, the company has always been aware of its customer around the globe. In line with this element of the marketing mix and consistent to the marketing strategy, the strategy has always been to formulate and invent products exceeds the needs and preferences of the company customer wherever they are in the world. With much investment in research and development of Tony and Guy salon products, the organization has already identified the specific needs required in most parts of the world, including the strict Islamic Middle East (Perry Sherlock, 2008). Following adaptation of its products to meet the specific hair needs of customers in a different part of the globe, To