Enhancing Employability in Marketing The WritePass Journal

Enhancing Employability in Marketing Introduction Enhancing Employability in Marketing ). Current trends also include co-marketing in which various brands allied in a particular field come together in marketing campaigns such as consumer, trade and press events for mutual benefit. Complementary businesses create partnerships which enable them to benefit from economies of scale, and enables increased exposure to new audiences (Gruber 2004). Also included among current trends are in-store merchandising which include posters, branding, brochures, product displays and the securing of valuable shop floor space for merchandise; in-house expos that are used to showcase product portfolio and entire brand to trade and press; product placements in movies, sitcoms, games and other media; direct marketing and public relations; and outdoor media campaigns targeting key commuter areas and areas with greater potential consumer reach which result in increased web traffic and enquiries by consumers (KTLLC report 2012). The traditional marketing platforms such as newspaper ads, magazine placements, and commercials on television and radio are still quite effective but are, however, challenged by the emerging technologies and are slowly losing the significance that they have had in the past (Roberts 2007). There are contemporary (non-traditional) forms that have emerged with the success of emerging technologies but these platforms are yet to gain prominence and therefore are not yet highly effective though they have huge potential (KTLLC report 2012). These are inclusive of mobile marketing which entails mobile advertising, as well as, the use of marketing apps and branded apps on mobile to reach consumers with brand messages; crowd sourcing which is an open innovative model pioneered by sites such as Threadless.com in which customers are engaged to design and vote on new product designs; and geotargeting which entails the use of popular tools such as local websites offering discounts and review opportunities making it easy for consumers to find deals and engage with the businesses in their neighbourhoods and beyond creating local marketing campaigns which are highly targeted (Ebling 2007). During my placement, I was also tasked with the management of databases containing customer information while ensuring the smooth and effective operation of general processes and procedures pertaining to the Brand Management team. These processes include the coordination of general Public Relations activities; magazine subscriptions; implementation of new policies into the department; cross-brand trade promotion analysis and the maintenance of cross-brand expenditure tracking tools such as the advertising log, among other expenses. With regard to Brand Specific activities, I was tasked to assist Fisher Outdoor Leisure’s brand managers with specific brand activities such as the devising of strategy and alignment of messages for the commute and leisure cycling categories, new product launches, overall brand building, trade and consumer communication, and the implementation of an integrated marketing plan. Employability Various selection methods are used by recruiters, employers and agencies in the search for individuals to form organization’s workforce and to enable these organizations to achieve their success and objectives. The traditional method is the form in which written applications are sent either directly to employers or to agencies which is followed by robust interviews to screen candidates for appropriate fit to the organization’s objectives (Srinivasan 2009). Registration with job recruitment agencies or job search firms, as well as the personal network/word of mouth is more prominent as employers through their relationship with the agency or its network are able to gain valuable insight into the track record on current or previous roles of a candidate and thereby avoid the rigor associated with screening for appropriate candidates (Jacoby 2005). Temporary staff recruitment by employment agencies is also a method of recruitment in which an agency recruits and offers individuals for employment in organizations on a temporary basis (CBI report 2009). ­Ã‚ ­ Choice of candidates from work placement candidates and interns is also prominent in some organization’s hiring activity as these individuals are deemed to have gained valuable experience and have been observed at work, tried and tested for appropriateness (Salary Market Insight report 2012). Advantages of work placement The main advantage of a year-long work placement for second year undergraduates is that it gives the individual useful experience of the job market and valuable experience on what goes on in the business environment or in various organizations (CBI report 2009). It also enables an individual to make appropriate decisions on their career path before they actually make necessary decisions regarding coursework paths, the areas that they would like to continue with as their chosen careers.   Work placement also enhances the chances of finding work with the respective companies as the individuals who have had gained experience on work placement are deemed more valuable than new recruits who would require extensive time-consuming training (CBI report 2009). Disadvantages of work placement A disadvantage arises from the increase in time spent in college, with the addition of a full year to enable the year-long work placement program. Also a disadvantage is the timing, as in second year, a student is not quite adequately informed about their career choices and paths and this might affect their choice of work placement programs (Brown 1998). Ease of obtaining work placement Organizations and employers in the modern day are cautious and risk averse, concerned with keeping the headcount within consistent which causes a dip in hiring activity. This caution also affects the work placement programs as these are paid positions which should contribute to the overall objective (Salary Market Insight report 2012). Getting work placement in this regard is therefore not easy under these circumstances and constraints. Organizations continue to seek specialist skills that will make immediate tangible impact on their bottom lines fighting for the high calibre, high quality candidates often in a limited talent pool. This has necessitated the use of screening and elimination processes to acquire the best fit with successful candidates often being those who have previous relevant and valuable experience (Salary Market Insight report 2012). This locks out candidates from the work placement category as this constrains opportunities for entrants into the job market with low skills and a huge requirement for training, therefore, making the finding of work placement opportunities a challenge. However, employers and universities have a duty to prepare tomorrows workforce through the development of their skills and attributes such as self-management, team working, understanding of key drivers for business success, problem solving, communication and literacy, entrepreneurship, and a positive attitude among other skills and attributes. In light of the limited talent pool and the difficulty in finding people with specialized skill sets, it is essential that organizations create work placement opportunities that enable the development of these desired skill sets and traits (CBI report 2009). This endeavour therefore eases the finding of work placement opportunities overall and enables companies attract quality graduates and post graduates with the desired skill and trait sets. Work placement fit in my career plan In the development towards my career in marketing, work placement at Fisher Outdoor Leisure Limited fits very well in my plan as it has given me invaluable insight and practical experience with regard to the marketing and advertising field. This opportunity has also enabled me to develop a number of skills and attributes that are often required in the job market and that enhance my chances in the job market upon graduating. The various tasks that I engaged in during my work placement covered a huge part of what marketing entails and were representative of the actual tasks that would comprise my future role in my career. My intention in preparing myself for the job market and enhancing my chances therefore includes identifying my skills sets and desirable attributes and those that I lack so as to further my personal development and employability. The skills that I intend to develop include entrepreneurship which includes risk taking, creativity and innovation which my work placement at Fisher Outdoor Leisure greatly helped me develop through the engagement in the marketing tasks. An attribute also developed at Fisher Outdoor Leisure Ltd. is communication through my involvement in developing marketing messages and general communication with trade and customers which required effective listening and questioning; problem solving skills through the situations in my particular responsibility and daily tasks with the requirement for creative thinking in developing advertising programs and strategies. It is evident therefore that my work placement was very important in development towards my future career. In my development towards my career, I need to develop self-management trait better in terms of developing flexibility, resilience, readiness for any responsibility and tasks, as well as, assertiveness; and to generally develop a positive attitude, openness to new ideas and a drive to achieve that will enable success in my chosen career path and contribution in my particular job. I would also need to develop number skills and the application of numbers that would be useful in analysis and evaluation of various data and information in the markets and in my particular professional field. This would require that I develop an understanding on the application and use of various Information technology tools and software, as well as taking relevant professional courses upon completion of my undergraduate studies that would build my capacity for such analysis and evaluation appropriate for my career. After graduation, I would also seek short term volunteer positions or internships that would enable to gain in understanding of key drivers for business and to fill up idle time that will result with the completion of my undergraduate study. This endeavour would benefit me in enhancing practical experience gained, adding on to my track record and overall skill thereby improving my employability and ease in getting a hiring. Conclusion This report has detailed my work placement which was undertaken at Fisher Outdoor Leisure Limited, a UK cycle distributor. My tasks and duties as Brand Assistant in the company entailed engagement in communication with trade customers, Market analysis, Corporate Brand development, enhancement of operational effectiveness in the marketing department, and involvement in Brand specific activities generally. The report has also delved into current trends in the Marketing and advertising industry taking an overview of the various platforms including social media and the online platform, the traditional print, TV and radio and the emerging contemporary platforms such as mobile marketing, crowd sourcing and geotargeting. It has also discussed the ease of obtaining work placement identifying the advantages and disadvantages of such work placement in second year undergraduate; overall employability and the skills and attributes that enhance such employability; and my personal endeavour towards employability and the development towards my future career. References Ataman, M., C., Mela, and H., Van Heerde, 2008. Building brands. Marketing Science, forthcoming. Burgess, S., and J., Steenkamp, 2006. â€Å"Marketing renaissance: How research in emerging markets advances marketing science and practice.† In: International Journal of  Research in Marketing, 23 (4). CBI Employability Report, 2009. Graduate employability – CBI/UUK Report. Jacoby, S., 2005. The Embedded Corporation. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. KTLLC communications report, 2012. Creative Solutions for Converging media. Salary and Market Insight Report, 2012. Michael Page. Roberts, J., U., Kayande, and S., Stremersch, 2007. Impact of marketing science on practice. European Marketing Association Conference Presentation. Srinivasan, S., and D., Hanssens, 2009. Marketing and firm value, Journal of Marketing  Research, forthcoming. Brown, S., and K., Eisenhardt, 1998. Competing on the Edge. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Gruber, M., 2004. Marketing in new ventures: Theory and empirical evidence. Schmalenbach Business Review, 56(April 2004), 164-199. Ebling, C., and D., Klapper, 2007. Dynamic effects of promotions in choice data: Differences with respect to whether, what and how much to purchase. Marketing Dynamics Conference 2007. Delre, S., et al., 2007. Targeting and timing promotional activities: An agent-based model for the take-off of new products. Journal of Business Research, 60 (8), 826-835.

TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS - Assignment Example The prevalence is expected to increase in the future. The paper will seek to describe the tools for management of disease along with various goals as well as the influence of cultural diversity on the tools. There are five essential tools for management of type 2 diabetes. The important first tool is lifestyle modification. The initial stages of the disease can be controlled through diet and exercise alone (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), 2014). In advanced stages, lifestyle and diet change plays a significant role in glycaemic control as well as reducing cardiovascular development. Exercise helps in improving metabolic control as also lead to improvement of glucose tolerance (RACGP, 2014). In terms of diets, one should focus on low-fat diets and more nutritious foods. Eating low-fat diet food has been shown to help in cardiovascular protection (RACGP, 2014). The other thing is a regular evaluation. The evaluation helps in identifying factors that may be affecting diabetic person health (RACGP, 2014). The diabetic people may have other challenges to deal with such as other medical conditions, work, and even stress. The other tool is an HbA1c test. The affected person should regularly be tested so as to assess how well the condition is being controlled. The HbA1c goal for diabetic patients is one lower than 48 mmol/mol (NHS, 2013). The target helps in eliminating challenges such as eye disease, kidney diseases, and heart disease. The other tool of management of the disease is through medication. The medication is meant to sustain long-term glycaemic regulation and also to prevent complications associated with the disease (RACGP, 2014). Such therapy may entail control of blood pressure (BP) as well as the level of lipid. The goal of BP for the patient is 6-8 mmol/l at fasting and 8-10 mmol/l in normal time while the lipid goal is 2 mmol/litre (RACGP, 2014). This helps

Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Team - Essay Example Social groups of relative similarities functioned and develop them own system of values and accordance making them united in their own concept and apart from the other social groups. Thus with this concept, cultural diversity has predominantly existed as how society themselves strive and develop to the point of their current state. However, this innate and basically natural concept in the society has been always a massive hindrance for the establishment of social unity and uniformity especially on the principal level of a team. Since the team-building concept’s main agenda is the establishment of a uniting factor and bond among its members, their own personal and cultural diversity has always been a challenge for the said aim. Common problems and challenges such as uniqueness in the dominant language, dissimilarities with social norms and acceptable principles, differences concerning perception and opinions, and others often become a problem in the team-building aspect. In general, diversity produces stratification and division thus unification is being hindered. Indeed, cultural diversity in the aspect of team building is one of its main weaknesses. However, cultural diversity in a certain team can also serves as its potential strength producing advantages apart from its common disadvantages. Having a culturally diversified group is also beneficial because it can basically cover much more grounds than groups of only single culture. This concept is true because having a multicultural society in a single group will produce more and significantly different opinions and ideas and with the merging of these different ideas, a single group can produce a statement or an idea that is generally valid since it actually addresses point of views from each culture. It is like having a representative from each culture joining together to create a concept that will unify their principles and eliminate their differences. In

Market Entry Strategy: Analysis Of Wal-Mart In India

Market Entry Strategy: Analysis Of Wal-Mart In India Generally in formulating a plan the business turns to the choice, in the situation whenever the object is to locate a market which would make their business money spinning or in the situation a new market is to be ventured into. At times when there is no plan of action, venturing into an untapped market will seem tricky, thus recognized the term market entry. According to Cinco (2003) the vendor must be able to differentiate their supply ways that might be beneficial either to the company or to the nature of alternatives it can be able to add value. So to increase its market share, the vendor must have competitive sustainable benefits, the time to build-up their proposal and other resources. In the era of competition vender must posses some attributes that are hard for competitors to copy (Barney, 1991). For the companies that are aspiring towards entering a foreign market, there are various modes that could be employed for the gaining of access. They are as follows Licensing Exporting Franchising Joint ventures or strategic alliances Establishing a subsidiary that is wholly owned Exporting This refers to the transferring of the services or production over the boundaries of the nations and the majority of the companies initiate their plans of expansion into another nation by means of this process of international expansion by exporting the goods produced in abundance and best quality and then they move on to follow other available strategies to gain their entry and make their presence felt stronger. There are many advantages that are associated with the process of exporting like the nation that is planning to gain access to a foreign market can control production by means of maintaining the facilities of production at the home land itself and then can transport the services or products to other nations (Miller, 1998). Licensing This is nothing but a arrangement by means of which the international company who is naturally the licensor offers the company where it plans to enter or the licensee one among the following Rights of trademark Rights of patent Copyrights Know how on the product and its associated processing Any of the above would be offered to the nation in exchange for a payment from the country who buys it or a specific performance Following are the list of things paid or offered by the nation that has bought the rights from the other nation Agree to produce the service or the product which any one of the above rights have been bought Agree for marketing the product or service in an area that has been already assigned Agree to pay money to the nation that has sold the license that is proportional to the volume of sales that is obtained by selling the product as royalty (Minor et al, 1991) Franchising This refers to an agreement through which the franchiser is involved in the selling of the rights of the product so that the name of the brand can be used by the franchisee and in return, a payment of a big sum of money can be made. Along with this the profit gained by the franchisee could be shared with that of the franchiser. This mode of gaining market entry has been used by the companies involved in marketing and services whereas the mode of licensing is used by the companies involved in marketing (Mintzberg and Quinn, 1992) Strategic alliances and joint ventures The concept of forming strategic alliances and the formation of combined ventures are clubbed together since the formation of strategic alliances is rather weaker than that of the joint ventures. Hence we can define a strategic alliance as the agreements that are formed between the participating firms so that the activities of value chain of the companies could be aggregated for the gaining of advantage in competitive terms. In majority of the cases the strategic alliances are formed between two concerns that are equal competitors in the same field. But a joint venture is nothing but a venture that is formed between a foreign firm with that of a national firm and in this alliance, the foreign firm would have sufficient equity stake in order to have a strong hold on the management functions but still not a complete hold so that it can have full domination of the venture at hand. Hence the equity share possessed by the international firm could be varied and this can range from 10 to 90 percent, but normally this would be from 25 to 70 percent (Johnson and Scholes, 1999). Wholly owned subsidiary This is nothing but a mode of entry where the company that initiated has a total and complete ownership of the stock possessed by the subsidiary. This type of wholly owned subsidiary could be set up by the process of acquisition or by the process of setting up a wholly new entity. The advantages of establishing a wholly owned subsidiary is many. In case if the company possesses a lot of competitive advantage in terms of its technical background, it can have a 100 percent hold on it and hence there is no control exerted by any external forces. A wholly owned subsidiary also helps in benefitting greatly from the process of strategic co-ordination at the global level. Another advantage of this system is that a company can enjoy the total benefits offered by the economies of location and also from that of the experience curve effects (Keegan and Green, 1997) The retailing giant Wal-Mart has been successful in the obtaining of a toehold in the sector of retail in India by means of adopting the mode of entry as a joint venture and has had a significant impact on the traditional system of retail existing already in India. Importance of market entry strategies There are many studies existing to show that the position of first entry into market provides the entrant with a lot of advantages in terms of stock prices, sustenance and other events as well. But there are chances of success for the other people who enter later as well because they can adopt specific strategies in the market that would help them for positioning themselves better. When some of the pioneering industries have attained the present status, eventually they become very much self-satisfied and would not be able to fulfill the dynamic and ever increasing demands that are posed by the market place. Hence the market entry strategies and the strategies adopted to gain a cutting edge in the market is greatly dependant on the market atmosphere and also on the range of players who exist in the market and their strategic positioning as well (Kanagal, 2006). Hence to maintain the leading position in the market, the pioneer industries should always be prepared to react to the change s occurring and also to expect the possible threats and the new entries. For instance, a leading player can react to the new entries by bringing about reductions in price and thereby decreasing the business value for the new entries. Other modes of reacting are by taking control over the major channels of distribution. Hence a comprehensive perception of the strategies of defense in the market along with a good timing sense complemented by a fool proof decision making plans will make the entry into markets and tackling the customers easier for the entrant (Evans, 2008). Overview of Emerging Economies: BRIC Nations According to World bank (2010) emerging economy is the term given economies or nations having middle to low per capita income. Around 20%of world economy and about 80% and about 80% of world population is represented by such emerging market economies (Burt et al, 2002). BRIC is a short form utilized to represent the speedily developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Goldman Sachs (2008) has identified BRIC nations is leading world economies by 2050. Data collected on BRIC nations shows that put together BRIC nations have a GDP of 15.435 trillion dollars, 25% of total land and about 40% of world population. RETAIL MARKET IN INDIA: A Scenario The Indian retail industry is still in the embryonic state. This segment has not been paid any attention post Indian Independence (1947). The extent and size and growing populace all are factors which offer an assurance for the retailing sector to develop in the future. The retail setting of India has conventionally centered on small, mom-pop shops which are located next to the residences of people. People have the facility to make payments on a monthly basis in such shops apart from interacting personally with the proprietors. Such shops are also endorsed by committees formed by people living in the localities. Services such as courier pick up and local promotions are facilities provided complementary by the stores. If people face a crisis they may request the proprietors to open the shops even when it is night time (Berman and Evans 2006). Indians usually prefer such stores. The segment pertaining to retailing is not structured and very few rules are followed by the stores. Such st ores comprise of nearly 92% of the total retail shops in the country. The residual 8% organized stores have emerged in the 2-3 years gone by thanks to ever-growing economy and opening up of the Indian economy.  A study undertaken by Market Graph (Research Firm based in New Delhi, India), in June 2008 concluded that the value of trade in India was around INR 12,000 Bn. As per the report it was stated this segment is the second largest provider of jobs for people of the country (Covey 2005) . The retail segment of India is imbalanced as the total market share of ordered retailers is only around 2% according to Bill and Bill (2004). The scenario was the same even in developed nations initially in the previous century; the materialization of huge retail stores including Wal Mart, Sears and McDonalds was the reason of quick development of the structured retail and increasing merging of the retail business in the advanced countries. It is the quick increasing incomes and changes occurring in the way people live which is transforming and encouraging the development of the structured retailing in the West (Kotler, 2004). The structured retail sector in India also shows promise as the purchasing power of Indians has increased while the rapidly growing middle class imitates the Western existence (Srivastava, 2007). Thanks to the tremendous growth of the Indian economy (2002-2008), individuals have more money to spend and they now expect to increase their standard of living. This was a reason for large renowned Indian businesses to venture in the retail business. During 2007-2008, around 33000 retail shops found their way in the country. Products offered by such shops included garments, provisions, fruits and vegetables, Electronics Auto. The next 4-5 years will see several new stores being introduced in the country. This phase of retail development is likely to recede by 2014; the market leaders will be those who are successful and have accurate skills related to operations in this sector. Retail stores who fail to follow suitable strategies related to marketing and consumer satisfaction will be forced to shut shop. The sales growth of US$ 392.63 billion in 2011 to US$ 674.37 billion has been forecasted in India Retail Report (BMI, 2011). Ever increasing upper class consumer base coupled with increase in construction of organized retail infrastructure have been identified as key factors behind its growth. McKinsey and Co (2010) has reported and expected increase from 5% to 14-18 % in organized retail market, which is expected to reach US$ 450 billion by 2015. Regulations and relaxations of the Indian market The business environment in India was characterized by an atmosphere that has been regulated to a high degree by a system of license that is pervasive and by tariff barriers that are high and this was the case till the year 1991. In the year 1991, there have been many sweeping reforms introduced by the Indian government and the other succeeding governments have also consistently operated so that the whole course of the economy of India has undergone a radical change (Bajpai and Sachs, 1999). The nation of India is one of the largest economies next only to China in the continent of Asia. There are a large number of investors from the foreign nations who are being attracted to India particular in the sector of retail. This trend has been happening ever since the market in India was subject to the processes of liberalization as well as privatization (Das, 2001). The nation is now being looked upon as a thriving market for the investment purposes in spite of the hassles in the bureaucracy and also shortcomings in the facilities and infrastructure in India. The nation also presents with a huge capacity for investment from abroad and the nation has realized this and hence in keeping with this trend, the nation is encouraging the entry of players from that of the foreign market. Also the nation also uses English language as the medium of communication for the business purposes, governmental policies and administrative issues and these factors offer a friendly environment for th e investors. Hence any company that aspires to be a leader in the global arena cannot afford to ignore India which is one among the emerging nations of the world (Bajpai, Jian and Sachs, 1997). In the present scenario India experiences the fresh spirit of economic freedom that is helping the nation to introduce changes that are far reaching and helping it to unleash the great capacity of the economy of India. An array of reforms have been introduced that helped in the additional deregulation and stimulation of foreign investment and these steps have pulled the nation to the forefront in the row of leading international players (Sreejith and Raj, 2007). Some of the obvious strengths possessed by India are the skills in information technology and soft wares and the huge capacity for e-commerce. There also exists a strengthened consensus from the political arena in the concept of economic liberalization at the level of central government and state governments (Das, 2001). These combined factors promises a continued and increasing strength in the policies pertaining to the investors in a friendly manner and have led to the formation of opportunities in ample amounts for the inv estors at the foreign and the domestic level. Overview of the Indian retail Industry The industry of retail in India is divided in to unorganized and organized sectors and the activities of trading that are being undertaken by the retailers who are licensed and are liable to pay taxes like the sales and income tax is called as organized retailing. The organized retailing is inclusive of the hypermarkets that are backed by the corporate and the chains of retail and the businesses in retail that are being owned privately. Retailing that is not organized is inclusive of the formats of retailing that is of low cost. This is inclusive of the kirana shops that is located in the local areas, general stores that are manned by the owners and the beedi or paan shops, stores of convenience and the carts pulled by hand, the vendors on the pavement etc. there are new trends coming up in the retail scenario of India and this sector has a rate of growth of over 45 percent which amounts to the three year growth rate and hence it is one of the sectors with rapid growth among all the other sectors (India Retail, 2008). There are new and innovative formats like the departmental stores that have come up and this is replacing the specialty stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets etc. Particularly in the metros, malls in the western style have started appearing and these malls are now spreading out to cities in the second rung and these promise the consumers in India a shopping experience that is unparalleled (Johnson Tellis 2007). There is a high degree of fragmentation in the retail sector of India because over 97 percent of the businesses being run in the country is by the retailers who are not organized. Hence organized retailing in India is still at its infancy even though there are lot of attempts that are being made to bring an increase in its relative proportion to over 10 percent by the end of the year 2010. This would also bring about tremendous opportunities for the aspiring young players. This sector also provides the largest resource for employment next onl y to the agricultural sector and also is penetrated deeply in to the rural parts of India. This sector is also involved in the generation of over 10 percent of the total GDP of India (Das, 2006). FDI in the Indian Retail According to Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP, 2010) India had an inflow of US$ 1,392 million in October 2010 through FDI. In total US$ 122.68 billion has been channeled in to India from April 200o to October 2010. Decision to implement consolidated FDI policy has provided India with a respected position as a key partner in trade on international scale. Policy allows foreign investor to their funds through automatic route, do not mandate any permission prior to investment from the government of India (IBEF, 2010). In a survey Earnest Youngs 2010 have ranked India as 4th most attractive destination to invest. Similar results have been published in various repots like UK Trade and Investments, Japan Bank for International Cooperation and United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCAD), which have ranked India as second most lucrative destination following China in next three years (IBEF , 2010). As mentioned earlier the retail sector in India has been kept closed for the foreigners so that the means of livelihood of over 15million kirana store owners and the small shop owners would be safe guarded. It has now allowed only 51 percent of direct investment when it comes to retailing with single brands with the proper permission obtained from the Indian government. In the sector of whole sale trading also there is foreign direct investment allowed. The retailers with single brands like Fendi, Nike, Louis Vuitton and Toyota can have their own operations in India. There is another company called Metro which now has its operations by means of trading on a whole sale basis. There are also options being invited by the policy makers in such a way that the interests of the retail community at the local level are also not affected (Bajpai and Sachs, 2000). The Indian government is also considering the opening of the retailing for sports goods, stationery items, electronic goods, equipme nt for building etc. But the tough part for the government is that it has to maintain the delicate balance and a equal space for all the players. Hence due to the FDI policy that permits over 51 percent of one brand has made options for entering of Nike which sells foot wears, Lladro that is involved with porcelain items, Louis Vuitton that sells watches, textiles, shoes, accessories for travel, etc, Damro that sells furnitures, Fendi that sells luxury goods, Argenterie Greggio that is involved in the selling of cutlery, gifts and silverwares and the retail trader of Cars- Toyota. The successful entry of these players is also attracting others into the Indian market like a luxury industry in France that plans to cover the domestic luxury segment (Guruswamy, 2005). Major players in the Indian retail industry There has been tremendous growth in the retail sector of India with players like Ambanis, ITC, Bharti airtel, Rahejas and a lot of other investors, who are involved in the making of significant contributions in the sector which would lead to the emergence of retailers at the international level. These retailers have the power to make proper bargains with the suppliers and can reap the benefits of the economies of scale. Hence the process of discounting has become a widely accepted practice (SIA, 2003). In the international arena, India is looked upon as the last option left because the sector of retail in the nation of China has almost become saturated. At the same time the restrictions imposed by the government of India on FDI are also giving hard times to the international giants like the walmart and Tesco and a lot of other aspirers. The present scenario is that, only 51 percent of foreign direct investment has been allowed by the government towards shops with single brands like t he Reebok, Nike etc. but the international retailers are also taking other available routes for gaining access to the Indian market in an indirect manner by means of entering in to licensing agreements that are strategic and franchisee agreements. There is also whole sale trading on cash and carry basis being opted by the international players because there is permission to 100 % foreign direct investments when it comes to trading on a whole sale basis ( Narayanaswamy and Zainulbhai, 2007) Pantaloon Retail Pantaloon retail has its head quarters in the city of Mumbai and this retailer possesses a retail space of over four million sq. feet. It also has about 140 stores that are spread over 32 indian cities. The retailer is also involved in the provision of employment to over 15,000 indians and reaped a turn over of about 20 billion rupees for the financial year of 2005-2006. Lifestyle International The major activity carried out by the Life style is the running of outlets for retail as well as departmental stores. The main focus of Lifestyle is the operation of department stores in the high end format. The company possesses two names for its brand- SOGO as well as Jiuguang through which all the operations of the retail business are carried out. RPG enterprises One of the leading and largest conglomerated of business in India are the RPG enterprises and the company has a turn over of about 1.6 billion US dollars. The assets of the company itself amount to about 2 billion US dollars. This enterprise was the most rapidly growing group at the national level right from its inception in the year 1979 and possesses a chain of over 20 companies. It also has its operations in over 7 sectors of business like retailing, information technology, transmission, life sciences, power, tyres and entertainment. Trent (Tata) This group has a relatively recent origin and with its establishment in the year 1998 and has been successfully operating chains of retail stores in the nation in a fast manner. The company took its initial step in 1998 by opening Westside a retail chain for life style after which there was the opening of star India Bazaar in the year 2004. Star India Bazaar is a hypermarket that offers a large range of products at the cheapest prices. The growth of Trent continued with the acquisition of Landmark which is the largest retailer of Music and books. Shoppers stop It was in the year 1991 that this major retailer began its journey by the corporate group of companies owned by K. Raheja. This has now developed to the extent that it has become the sole brand for fashion and Lifestyle for entire family. Viveks limited This retailer is the leading player in the section of household appliances as well as consumer electronics in India. Viveks has over 15 showrooms at world class standards in over 3 major cities like Salem, Banglore and Chennai. The retail occupies a retail place of about 1,00,000 square feet. The annual turn over generated by Viveks is around 1 billion rupee.

System Description Case Study

The beginning step in studying a productive system is to develop a description of the system. Once the system is described, we can better determine why the system works well or poorly and recommend production-related improvements. Since we are all familiar with fast-food restaurants, try your hand at describing the production system employed at, say, a McDonald's. In doing so, answer the following questions:a. What are the important aspects of the service package?The key aspects of the service package are: waiting time, quality food, delivery time, billing time, courtesy of the service personnelb. Which skills and attitudes are needed by the service personnel?The service personnel should have the following skills and attitudes: empathy with the customer (understand customer’s preferences), proactively approaching customers and greeting them, expertise with all the menu items (contents of each item), relationship building capability with customers etc.c. How can customer demand be altered?The customer demand may be altered through use of special pricing and promotional schemes. For example; a new meal comprising (burger, French fries, cold drinks, dessert etc) can be offered at a discount during launch phase so that customers can try it out. Also, customers ordering items worth more than $40 (or any other amount) might be offered a free meal (take home).d. Describe the process flow of the production/delivery system.The process flow of the production/delivery system would be as follows:Customer enters the McDonald Outlet -> Occupies the seat after waiting -> Orders the items from the menu to the Front staff -> Front Staff passes on the orders to the kitchen staff -> Orders is prepared by the kitchen staff -> Food item delivered to the customer -> Customer takes the food -> Customer asks for check -> Front staff gets the check -> Customer makes the payment -> Customer leaves the outlete. Can the customer/provider interface be changed to include more Technol ogy? More self-serve?Yes, the customer/provider interface can be changed to include more technology. For example: customer can enter into McDonald and order their food through a kiosk and pay the amount through a credit card on the kiosk itself. The ordered items are automatically passed on to the back staff for delivery within a stipulated time frame. The customer takes the food and leave the outlet without any interface with the front or back staff.f. Which measures are being used to evaluate and measure the service? Which could be used?Measures that are being used to evaluate the service are: speed of delivery, quality of food, efficiency of the back-staff, etc. are used to evaluate and measure the service. Some other measures that could be used are: waiting time (before ordering, for food and for the check) would be critical for evaluating the service.How does it measure up on the seven characteristics of a well-designed service?The seven characteristics of the service design ar e:CharacteristicMatch with current evaluation measures for McDonald case Operating FocusFocuses on speed of deliveryUser friendlyFocuses on courtesy, relationship management of staff RobustNot considered as staff is directly interfacing with the customer. However, if we assume kiosk based ordering and payment; then back up of staff should be there for any unforeseen problem in kioskConsistentPerformanceAll the staff are trained on different processes so the services are replicated Effective links between back office and front officeLinkage between front staff (taking orders) and back staff (preparing food) is establishedEvidence of serviceFeedback about the changes in the outlet and any other product changes need to be highlighted to the customer through Point of Display Cost-effectiveMore than being cost effective it should provide value to the customer. The quality of food (+speed of delivery, ambience etc) against the amount paid measures the value to the client

Race and Racial Group Essay

Search the Internet for groups and organizations promoting racial equality to help you complete this assignment. You may also refer to the Internet Resource Directory in Ch. 13 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Using the information from the text and your web search: Identify one racial group from the list below:  · Hispanic American/Latino Write a 500- to 750-word paper from one of the perspectives below:  · A historian writing about the racial group in a book chapter  · A news reporter writing a newspaper article or blog entry about the racial group  · An individual member of the racial group, writing a personal letter to a friend who is not a member of that racial group Answer the following questions:  · What have been the experiences of this racial group throughout U.S. history?  · What have been the political, social, and cultural issues and concerns throughout American history?  · What legislation meant to constrain race within prejudicial boundaries was enacted? How did the various groups you researched fight this legislation? What legislation meant to alleviate prejudicial boundaries has been enacted? How did the various groups you researched promote this legislation? Assignment: Historical Report on Race Purpose of Assignment Students explore a variety of resources on racial equality and write a paper from a historical perspective relating to the experiences of a particular racial group in the United States. By understanding the history of experiences of various groups, students will be better prepared to connect historical experience to racial diversity today. Resource Required Internet Resource Directory in Ch. 13 of Racial and Ethnic Groups.

Quotations from Leonidas of Sparta