Industrial Grinders Case Essay

G’s large quantity of steel rings are on hand and the substantial inventory of special steel for their manufacture. And this steel as inventory can’t be sold. I. G had manufactured industrial machines for sale in numerous countries for nearly 70 years. It means it has market to sale rings no matter whether it is steel or plastic ring. These rings could be supplied for their own machines too. In general the plants were allowed considerable leeway in administering their own affairs. Bridgeman has right to make market strategy in time. During slack periods, company has a policy of employing excess labor on various make-work projects rather than laying the men off. At that time, the salary is at about 70% of regular wages. Low labor cost will decrease the cost of production. There are a lot of steel rings on hand and can’t be sold. The total book value of these inventories exceeded $93,000. Large inventory means less liquid cash. Maybe it influences operation in the future. Now I. G only has steel rings and these rings have higher cost than plastic rings. Also the lives of steel rings are shorter than plastic rings. I. G’s competitor Henri Poulenc has already started selling plastic rings at the same price as steel rings. And if I. G makes plastic rings, it can start selling only after 4 months so by then Henri Poulenc will take over more market shares. The competitiveness of I. G is very weak now. The ring innovation is an opportunity for I. G, but also a kind of threat. When instead of steel rings, plastic ring I. G starts using it gives I. G a chance to reform. It could cut down the cost and improve the quality of rings. If I. G switches from steel rings to plastic rings successfully, it could expand business and get more profits because of low cost, so it’s an opportunity. However, the competitor had plastic rings in advance than I. G, so it’s threaten for I. G. Competitor could use this advantage to get more business. It maybe threat to I. G’s operation and profits. In the early 1970, Japanese manufacturers had successfully entered the field with low priced spare parts. Other companies also had appeared with low quality and lower price machines. The competition would become more intense. More competitors share one market, so each supplier needs to improve competitiveness. It’s a new challenge. After analyzing internal and external situation of I. G, we can say that I. G has strong operational capacity. However, the core problem is what to be done about the steel inventory. I. G should start developing plastic rings as soon as possible and start using those. Because the core of competition is production, even though steel ring still has its value now, the plastic ring will substitute for it sooner or later. The strong competitor of I. G is Henri Poulenc. It has already introduced plastic rings. Only if I. G produces plastic ring in time it can compete with Henri Poulenc and stop them from grasping more market share. In addition, plastic ring has lower cost and longer life than steel ring. The Table A shows the cost of 100 plastic rings is $66. 60, but 100 steel rings cost $263. 88. Obviously, if they sale at the same price, 100 plastic rings will get $197. 25 more profit than steel rings. However, Anders Ericsson, the development engineer, estimated that the plastic rings could be produced by mid-September, so before mid-September, I. G has to sell steel rings on hand. Fortunately, Henri Poulenc was said to be selling the plastic ring at about the same price as the I. G steel ring, so I. G wouldn’t get strong shock from Henri Poulenc. Of course, Henri Poulenc will get higher profit, but only analyzing from the price, I. G and Henri Poulenc are in the same position, so it depends on demanders’ preference which kind of rings they like. And I. G could sell the steel rings in different markets, which are not covered, by plastic rings of Henri Poulenc. It avoids direct conflict. Steel inventory is a big weakness of I. G, so it’s a good time to consume a large amount of steel. Assuming the sales continued at the current rate of 690 rings per week before mid-September, it would consume 19400 steel rings. During the slack time, I. G could ask labors to convert the steel inventory into rings to satisfy the supply amount before mid-September, because at that time, the labor cost will be about 70% of regular wages so that decreases the cost to produce steel rings. Those steel rings only need to satisfy the supply amounts for 4 months using, because after mid-September, plastic ring will be used instead of steel. If there are more steel rings converted than demanded, I. G will pay for labour cost from their pocket. It will waste resources, time and money. So nothing definite can be said about the steel inventory.

Inustry Competitor Analysis-Casino Hotel

Executive Summary The center of our industry and competitor analysis research is MGM Mirage, the second largest casino hotel operator in the world with $7. 2 billion in revenues in 2008. The only company that surpasses MGM Mirage by revenue and scale is Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. with $10. 8 billion in revenues in 2008. Other competitors that should be considered are Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd with respectively $1. 7 and almost $1 billion in revenues in 2008. Our group focused on researching the degree of threat and the likely future competitive moves that Harrah’s Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands Corp. nd Wynn Resorts Ltd will undertake in short (next 3-6 months) and long term (next 1-3 years). In order to be able to consider the competitors’ degree of threat and future moves we completed a pair-wise two-step competitor analysis that included research and comparison of market commonality, competitive asymmetry, resource similarity, intentions, bel iefs, relative resource differences, past moves, and counter moves for all abovementioned competitors versus MGM Mirage. After the completion of our research, we concluded that presently, MGM Mirage is in a direct competition with only one of its competitors-Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. The other two competitors, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd, do not represent a direct threat to MGM at the moment; however, their strategic moves should not be overlooked, because of their similar product offerings, geographic expansion plans and targeted consumer base. In order for MGM Mirage to be ahead of its competition, the company should focus not only on geographic expansion in US, but also on international expansion including through cooperative arrangements with other industry players, improved operational efficiency to minimize costs and technological advancement to maximize revenue. Focal Firm MGM Mirage, the focus of our research, is one of the leading companies in the casino hotels industry. The firm emerged from the consolidation between MGM Grand and Mirage Resorts in 2000. Some of its most recognized brands are MGM Grand, Luxor, Bellagio, and The Mirage. The company became the largest by revenue within its category after acquiring Mandalay Resort Group for $7. 9 billion in 2005, however was surpassed by Harrah’s after the acquisition of Caesars. The firm owns 16 properties in Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan and has 50% investments in four other properties in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, and Macau, China. MGM acts mainly as a holding company and the majority of its operations are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiaries1. MGM’s strategy is to develop and maintain its competitive advantage through strong portfolio of resorts; â€Å"in-house† resorts operations to ensure outstanding customer service and to allow for maximum revenue and profit generation; execution of sustainable growth strategy; and leverage of brand name and management assets1. The time line of our research study is 2008-2011. The company owns, invests, and manages resorts in different market segments and it focuses on premier resort ownership in each geographic market. The largest segment is Nevada; however, the company is looking as well for new markets with growth potential. Some of the risks associated with the current strategy are linked to limitations in geographic diversifications-all major resorts are concentrated in Las Vegas and some of MGM’s largest competitors operate in the same geographic area. MGM’s revenue for 2008 was $7. 2 billion. Competitors The world’s largest competitor in the casino hotel industry Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. founded in 1937 in Reno, NV. The company owns, operates, and manages over 50 casinos in US and UK in different industry sectors. Its operations include casino hotels, riverboat casinos, Indian casinos etc. This firm, as well as other major competitors in the industry, expands primarily through mergers and acquisitions. A recent example of this strategic behavior was Harrah’s acquisition of Caesars Entertainment, which made the company the largest one in the world by revenue, followed by MGM Mirage. In 2008, two private firms – Apollo Advisors and TPG Capital, acquired Harrah’s. Since the beginning of 2009, the company has had some major difficulties with revenue generation. The firm’s facilities boast more than 3 million sq. ft. of casino space and 39,000 hotel rooms and suites. The company obtains more than 70% of its revenues from gambling. Its US properties are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Harrah's also owns and operates the World Series of Poker tournament and brand, and manages casinos on Indian reservations. Globally, the firm owns or manages casinos in UK, Egypt, South Africa, and Macau, China. The company’s revenue for 2007 was $10. 8 billion. Las Vegas Sands Corp. founded in 1988 is another well known company that operates in casino hotels and development niche. It is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some of its well known brands are The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, The Palazzo Resort–Hotel–Casinos, the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and Venetian Macao Limited, a developer of multiple casino hotel resort properties in Macao, China. The company is expanding further with the opening of Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 2009. The firm’s revenue for 2008 was $1. 7billion. Wynn Resorts Ltd was formed in 2002 by a former Mirage Resorts chairman and CEO Stephen Wynn. The company has two casinos in Las Vegas-â€Å"Wynn Las Vegas† and â€Å"Encore at Wynn Las Vegas†; one in Macau, China and another one, scheduled for completion in 2010, in Macau, China. Wynn Resorts’ revenue for 2008 was a little less than $1 billion. Industry predictions for future attractiveness and implications for MGM Mirage; Research question The casino hotel industry is sensitive to changes in the consumers’ disposable income; domestic and international travel volume; proximity to consumer base; as well as government regulations. The total gross revenue from gambling was $90. 9 billion in US in 2006-an increase of 7. 7% in comparison with the previous year. In 2009, the Casino Hotels industry is estimated to generate $42,324 million in revenue. The competition in the industry is very high and will probably continue to increase. Around 95% of casino visitors are local2. The casino hotel industry is in its mature life cycle stage. The industry shows signs of slow revenue growth. Lower profits triggered consolidations in the mid 2000’s amongst the major industry players- Harrah's merged with Caesars and MGM merged with Mandalay. These two players account for a third of the total industry revenue. Due to the saturation in the domestic market, some of the large industry operators are expanding internationally, mainly to UK and China, which further increases the competition in these countries. The downturn in the economy will most likely lead to continuous slow growth in the near future. The industry structure has shown that with high barriers to entry, moderate rivalry that is limited to 4-5 main competitors, and limited bargaining power of buyers, near-term profitability should be obtainable. There are growing negative social, political, and economic forces that will additionally impact the growth aspects of the industry. Approximately 70% of industry growth is related to these external forces, while 30% of industry growth is related to changes in industry structure. The negative consequences of the external driving forces outweigh the positive consequences of the industry structure. MGM Mirage accounts for approximately 14% of the total market capitalization of the industry and 15% of the total industry revenues and it will most likely follow the industry trends during the next one to three years. Therefore, the casino hotel industry appears unattractive for MGM Mirage. Keeping in mind these industry and competitor characteristics our group focused on researching the degree of threat and the likely future competitive moves that Harrah’s Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands Corp. nd Wynn Resorts Ltd will undertake in short (next 3-6 months) and long term (next 1-3 years). Pair-Wise Two-Step Competitor Analysis Model A pair-wise two-step competitor analysis model was utilized in order to understand and analyze MGM Mirage and its competitors’ future moves. The model consists of researching and evaluating the following aspects of rivals comp ared to the focal firm: market commonality, competitive asymmetry, resource similarity, intentions, beliefs, relative resource differences, past moves, and viable counter moves. The model provides a comprehensive understanding of the focal firm, the focal firm’s competitors, the rivals intentions, and facilities the extrapolation of feasible strategies for the focal firm (See Figure 1) 3. The first step of the model is to identify the degree of threat a competitor poses to the focal firm by defining the competitors and evaluating the focal firm and each one of the competitors as a pair in terms of market commonality, competitive asymmetry, and resource similarity. Competitors are identified as â€Å"firms operating in the same industry offering similar products and targeting similar customers†4. Competitors in this evaluation are limited to Casino Hotels, NAICS code 72112, which are classified by the US Census Bureau as an â€Å"industry that consists of establishments primarily engaged in providing short-term lodging in hotel facilities with a casino on the premises. The casino on premises includes table wagering games and may include other gambling activities, such as slot machines and sports betting†. Market commonality is defined as â€Å"the degree of presence that a competitor manifests in the markets its overlaps with the focal firm (multi-market competition)†5. Throughout this analysis, geographic regions as well as product types or offerings percentage contribution to gross revenue are utilized to analyze market commonality. Resource similarity is defined as â€Å"the extent to which a given competitor possesses strategic endowments comparable in terms of both the type and the amount to those of the focal firm (value chain)†6. The primary resources utilized to contrast organizations engaged in the Casino Hotels industry are financial strength, image, brand, product offerings, number of years in operation, number of casinos, and expansion plans. Identifying resource similarity of competitors is crucial because firms with analogous resources tend to implement comparable strategies, possess similar strengths, and suffer from similar weaknesses. The final phase of the first step in the competitor analysis model is to explore competitive asymmetry, which defines â€Å"What are the differences in market share across markets? Who has more market power? Where? †7 Competitive asymmetry helps to rank the degree of threat of competitor to the focal firm. The second step of the model consists of deriving competitor’s future moves and strategy from the information compiled in step one and their beliefs, intentions, and past strategic moves. Competitor’s beliefs consist of beliefs about their organization’s position in the market, the industry prospective, the focal firm, and the organization’s mission. Competitor’s beliefs provide a window into their intentions. The second phase is to infer competitor’s intentions such as primary objective, target market, attitude towards risk, and ownership objectives. The model used to analyze MGM Mirage’s competitors focused on debt to determine attitude towards risk, expansion focus to determine target market, and brand image to determine ownership intent. In order to reinforce the inferences made about a competitor beliefs and intentions, a timeline of the competitors past strategic actions are analyzed. Past actions of a competitor consist of changes in pricing model, product mix, promotions, and target market. In addition to the competitor’s past actions, the duration, frequency, and reason for past actions require additional analysis. Implementing the pair-wise two-step competitor analysis model provides estimations about a rivals future moves, when the moves will occur, how a rival will respond to the focal firm’s strategic moves, and what types of strategic moves to which the competitor is vulnerable. Understanding the focal firm’s competitors and their competitor’s future strategies and responses can be used to provide the focal firm with an edge in creating a sustainable competitive advantage. Methodology The group first looked to identify our research objectives, which primarily consisted of identifying the competitors to MGM Mirage who operate Hotel Casinos, analyzing the competitors using the pair-wise two-step model of competitive advantage to predict future strategies that would create a competitive advantage for the focal firm. Secondary research was conducted to determine the extent of research on consumer attitudes towards gaming, consumer demand for gaming, gaming consumer demographics, gaming statistics, and information pertaining to competitors of MGM Mirage who operate Hotel Casinos. A plethora of information was available on these topics from individual publications to industry overviews, and even more recently a casino hotel study, which helped to lay the foundation. Secondary research helped to focus the research questions and to provide general information about U. S. gaming consumers. The U. S. Census Bureau provided information and classification codes to help narrow down the research and potential competitors. Secondary data consisting of annual reports, public filings, news articles, business publications, analyst projections, and industry associations provided a magnitude of statistics and information. Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. Overview Harrah’s Entertainment is the world’s largest casino operator. The firm has long history and operates more than 50 casino hotel and golf facilities around the world. It went public in 1971. In 2008 the firm went private after its acquisition by Apollo Advisors and TPG Capital. It has more than 85000 employees and it focuses on first class facilities, services, operational efficiency, and technology leadership. Intentions Harrah’s intention is to be the number one or two casino operator in almost every major market in the US. The company is living up to their intention. There are only two major domestic markets where the company is noticeably absent Colorado and Detroit. In 2008, Harrah’s purchased Casino Windsor and rebranded it as Caesars Windsor. Although Windsor, Canada is across the river from Detroit, the company does not consider it to be part of the Detroit market. Harrah’s vision statement states the company strives for â€Å"each of our brands to be the overwhelming first choice for casino entertainment of its targeted customers†8. This statement suggests the company is committed to the entire brand portfolio and that brands are not used to merely fill the gap between price points. The statement also suggests the company is not satisfied with being the first choice but strives to be the overwhelming first choice. Harrah’s intentions are focused on the company being the best in the industry. Beliefs Harrah’s believes that their â€Å"differentiated and highly efficient business model provides competitive advantage†9. The company describes their strategy as a circular flow chart in which a strong brand portfolio builds customer loyalty which the company uses their decision science capabilities to further improve their brand portfolio thereby repeating the process. Harrah’s believes this business model will lead to same store gaming revenue growth and cross-market play. Harrah’s also believes their recent cost cutting initiative will provide tremendous operating leverage once revenue growth returns. The majority of the cost cuts have been in labor and benefits followed by marketing. Since Harrah’s was taken private, the company has substantially improved productivity. The company believes similar operational excellence will repeat itself in their recent cost cutting initiative. Past moves, countermoves, and timing Harrah’s has almost never been a first-mover to a new market. The firm did not enter Las Vegas until 1980, about 43 years after opening their first casino in Reno, Nevada. Even then, Harrah’s did not enter the market on its own. The firm gained a Las Vegas property when the company was acquired by Holiday Inns, which already owned a property in Las Vegas. In a similar sequence, Harrah’s entered also late to Atlantic City and was nudged into the market by their parent company, Holiday Inns. It was actually MGM Mirage that first proposed to build a property in Atlantic City in 1979. Despite having blueprints, the MGM Mirage property was never built, which opened the door for Harrah’s to enter Atlantic City a year later with a Holiday Inns project. In 1992, Holiday Corporation spun off their casino business from their hotel business and it wasn’t until 1995 that the casino segment was renamed Harrah’s Entertainment. Again, Harrah’s was a second-mover in another market. This time it was the international market. Harrah’s opened their first international property in New Zealand, almost a full year after MGM Mirage purchased their first international property in nearby Australia. More recently, Harrah’s has continued to take a conservative approach to international development with their wait-and-see attitude with regards to Macau, China and Singapore, the two regions driving international efforts at other casino operators. Harrah’s has even followed quickly behind MGM Mirage in acquisitions. In June 2004, MGM Mirage announced the purchase of Mandalay Bay for $7. 9billion. Not to be outdone, a month later, Harrah’s announced the purchase of Caesars Entertainment $9. 4billlion. The past actions of Harrah’s suggest the company will not be the first into new a market. Relative resource position As the largest and most diverse casino operator, Harrah’s has greater resources relative to MGM Mirage. Based on total assets, Harrah’s is nearly a third larger than MGM Mirage. Harrah’s operates 56 properties in 6 countries where as MGM Mirage operates 20 properties, all but the company’s Macau property are located in the US. Despite being larger in total size, the size of each of Harrah’s properties is considerably smaller than each of MGM Mirage’s properties. 10(See Figure 2) Harrah’s also has the industry’s leading customer loyalty program alled Total Rewards. Total Rewards allows players to earn cash, comps, and other benefits for playing at the company’s casinos. There are over 40 million members in the program and the company tracks approximately 80% of all gambling. Approximately 45% of all tracked play is cross-market play (guests who visit more than one Harrah’s property)11. The company considers the Total Rewards program â€Å"the engine† to generate same store gaming revenue growth and cross-market play through superior marketing and technological capabilities12 . The information in their customer database allows Harrah’s to profit by allowing them to monitor the play of all members and to focus marketing efforts on the highest return uses. Total Rewards benefits Harrah’s by driving revenue, optimizing costs, and maximizing profitability. Predictions Short-term In the short-term, Harrah’s actions will be determined by their financial position. Currently, Harrah’s has a large debt overhang, which will reduce the amount of further debt the company is willing and able to take on. Harrah’s is not expected to make big capital spending projects however; the company will remain focused on their intention of being the number one or two casino operator in almost every major market in the US (See figure 4). Harrah’s is predicted to increase non-gaming revenue by utilizing information gleaned from their Total Rewards program. As mentioned earlier, the Total Rewards program is one of the company’s largest relative resource advantages. In terms of product mix, Harrah’s has one of the lowest percentages of non-casino revenue to gross revenue of the four major casino operators. When further analyzing non-casino revenue, one will notice that Harrah’s has the lowest percentages of Entertainment, Retail, & Other revenue to gross revenue. The firm can use the Total Rewards Program to increase the non casino revenue mix. Its members will use their cards at stores, restaurants, and events in a manner similar to how they scan their cards while gambling. Harrah’s can encourage them to start scanning their cards at places other than the slot machine or the blackjack tables by providing discounts on purchases. Harrah’s could also count retail points in a method similar to the metrics used for gambling points like time spent gambling, amount wagered, etc. This information would show which restaurants, shops, or events are truly desirable to their customers and it could be mined from the Total Rewards database. Since the majority of Harrah’s customers are local, this strategy would not be a national strategy it should be tailored to specific properties (See Figure 3). Additionally, Harrah’s will seek a partner to continue construction on their Margaritaville property in Biloxi, Mississippi. The property is a $700 million project, which already includes the singer-songwriter and Mississippi native, Jimmy Buffett, as a partner13. Plans for the project were first announced in 2007 and a year later, the company announced construction will be delayed citing a poor economic environment. The primary reason for the desire for an additional partner is due to mounting financial costs but a partner should also provide experience in property construction and development, an area where Harrah’s is relatively inexperienced due to their focus on growth through acquisitions. Harrah’s should continue construction on the property because the economies of Gulf Coast region have held up relatively well due to higher reliance on the energy industry, which has benefitted from rising energy prices in the past year or so and is predicted to do well in the near future. Harrah’s has reaffirmed their commitment to the project and has received interest from prospective partners. Moreover, Harrah’s should continue with its regional expansion as legislation and financing permits. The past actions of the industry indicate that casino operators enter a state immediately after legislation allows slot machines and video table games like poker and blackjack. Once casino operators establish a presence in new markets, they strongly lobby for expansion of operations, which is typically successful in permitting full casino operations including table games. This sequence has recently repeated itself in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Indiana. It is predicted the next states will be Ohio, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Harrah’s already has a presence in Ohio when they purchased a bankrupt, horse-racetrack outside of Cleveland earlier this year. Since a bill was just passed in Ohio to allow slots, we believe Harrah’s will start to add slot machines to their new property outside of Cleveland. In repetition of the usual sequence, legislation was recently proposed to allow four full-service casinos in Ohio. This domestic expansion strategy will not risk cannibalizing sales from their other properties because the typical Harrah’s customer is local and the company does not have any properties east of Indiana except for Atlantic City and outside of Philadelphia. Long-term In contrast to short-term strategies based on domestic projects, Harrah’s is predicted to focus on international efforts in the long-term. During the past four years (2004-2008), the US casino and gaming sector experienced compound annual growth of 3. 7%, which includes a growth rate of -1. 3% in 2008 and is on pace for a decline of 8. 4% for 200914. Estimates of future growth are not very optimistic either. Growth is not anticipated to occur until 2011 at which time, it is expected to be gradual. Over the next 5 years (2010-2014), the domestic industry is estimated to grow at an annual rate of 4. %15. On the other hand, international growth has been much greater and is anticipated to continue. During the same year period (2004-2008), the international casino and segment industry experienced a compound annual growth rate of 7. 0%. Recent performance has also been strong including growth of 6. 2% in 2008. Future international estimates include a compound annual growth rate of 5. 8% from 2008-201316. Harrah’s will focus internationally given the attractive growth opportunities. As the figures suggest, growth in the casino industry is anticipated to be in the international market. Harrah’s has relatively lower percentage of gross revenue derived from outside of the US, only 10%, versus their three largest competitors who average 48%. Harrah’s actions acknowledge a focus on international expansion. A month ago, Harrah’s hired Peter Murphy, an executive from Disney, to oversee strategy and development because of his international efforts at Disney. One of the first areas Murphy will be asked to expand will be Macau, China, which passed Las Vegas as the largest casino gambling region in 2007. Harrah’s is also predicted to partner with a casino operator that already holds a gaming license in Macau. Currently only six operators have gaming licenses in Macau including Las Vegas Sands, Wynn, Galaxy Entertainment, Melco Crown Entertainment, STDM, and a partnership between MGM Mirage and Chinese casino mogul, Pansy Ho. It is most likely that Harrah’s will partner with Melco Crown Entertainment (Melco). Melco is an Australian-based company that focuses on the mid-market customer like Harrah’s. Harrah’s first international expansion effort in 1996 was in nearby New Zealand. Despite not having a gaming license, Harrah’s already has a presence in Macau. The company owns a 5-star golf center, which includes a golf school led by Butch Harmon, the number one golf instructor in the US. Perhaps more importantly is the land Harrah’s owns in Macau, including the 175 acres of their golf center. The location of the land is also beneficial as it is adjacent to one of only two bridges into Macau from China. Earlier this year, Michael Chen, Harrah’s Asia president, said, â€Å"as the largest gaming operator in the world, we have an interest in the largest gaming market in the world†17. Harrah’s is also predicted to develop online gaming operations for the UK market. Harrah’s, along with MGM Mirage, are the two largest proponents to legalize online gambling. Earlier this year, Harrah’s established a subsidiary in Montreal to formulate an online gaming strategy. Mitch Garber, the former CEO of online gambling giant PartyGaming, was selected to lead the operation. Despite being headquartered in Montreal, Garber’s hometown, the UK market is the most probable future market. Also in the past couple of months, online gaming was approved in the UK. Harrah’s is familiar with the brick-and-mortar casino operations in the UK as well. In 2006, the company acquired the London Clubs International. Establishing online gambling operations in other countries may also provide inroads to the online gambling in the US. As mentioned earlier, Harrah’s is a strong proponent of legalizing online gambling and has been lobbying to have legislation introduced. Harrah’s lobbying efforts appear to have started to bear fruit based on the introduction of a bill that proposes that online gambling be legalized and regulated in the US by Representative Barney Frank18. Additionally, Harrah’s will acquire The Lodge Casino and Hotel outside of Denver. This move is consistent with Harrah’s intention to be the number one or two casino operator in almost every major market in the US. In 1991, casino gambling was legalized in Colorado. Harrah’s entered this market with two casinos in 1993 through Eagle Gaming, which Harrah’s owned 1/6th. In 1996, Harrah’s sold the Colorado properties due to limited growth and uncertainty about taxes. Except for Isle of Capri, a $33M market cap company, no major casino operator has operations in the Colorado market. Most large casino operators are hesitant to enter this market because bets are limited to $5. Harrah’s focus on slot machines and low-rollers will suggest that the company will reenter the market. Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) History Las Vegas Sands is a casino resort company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the world's leading casino based company with a market capitalization of 9. 72 billion as of August 2009. At one point in 2007, it had a market capitalization of $43. 7 billion, making its majority shareholder, Sheldon Adelson, one of the world's richest men. The company owns and operates The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino, and the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas and the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem(TM) in Eastern Pennsylvania. It also owns and operates The Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel and the Sands Macao in the People's Republic of China (PRC) Special Administrative Region of Macau. In addition, LVS owns the Four Seasons Hotel Macao and is also developing the Marina Bay Sands(TM) integrated resort in Singapore. Furthermore, LVS is developing the Cotai Strip(R), a master-planned evelopment of resort-casino properties in Macau. At completion, the Cotai Strip will feature approximately 21000 rooms from world-renowned hotel brands such as St. Regis, Sheraton, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont, Raffles, Holiday Inn, and InterContinental. While the company's flagship property, The Venetian, is in Las Vegas, less than a third of LVS' total revenues came from Las Vegas by 2008. Macao gamin g industry revenues increased every year for a decade until 2007 and then fell in 2008. In January 2009, the revenues had dropped more than 30% from their levels in January 2008. Nevertheless, Las Vegas Sands’ three Macao properties generated 69. 6% of total revenues during 2008. After incurring a net loss of $164 million in 2008, LVS has set aside $3 billion in cash reserves as a cushion for its debt obligations. Perspectives The company's primary business objective is to provide a premium destination casino resort experience in order to drive superior returns on invested capital and to increase asset value. To achieve this objective, the company operates a â€Å"must-see† destination resort at a premier location in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. LVS captures premium room rates through a differentiated superior all-suites product. It drives hotel occupancy and casino utilization through the link to the Expo Center and the Congress Center. LVS caters to a higher-budget customer mix by offering a unique combination of assets and facilities. The firm leverages the casino resort's premium co-branding strategy to drive revenues and targets premium gaming customers. Culture of Las Vegas Sands (Big risks and big rewards) Experienced Las Vegas operators have historically been richly rewarded for taking big risks. For example, Adelson, LVS Chairman and CEO, constructed the $105 million Sands Expo & Convention Center in 1990-the largest privately owned building of its kind in the country. When it opened critics viewed it as a foolhardy expenditure for a gambling town that had a publicly funded convention center. With the $1. 5 billion Venetian, which opened in 1999 next door to the Sands convention center, Adelson raised the stakes, betting that his flourishing trade show business could fill an upscale megaresort. He lured convention goers to the Venetian with bigger rooms and more hotel amenities, charging top room rates. Adelson proved to be a big risk taker and a big winner. He eventually refinanced the property and paid down the expensive loans, making the 4,049-room Venetian that opened a 1,000-room hotel expansion in 2003, one of the most profitable casinos of all time. By making piles of money on hotel rooms, Adelson helped redefine a business that had focused on gambling revenue at the expense of other amenities. His success at the Venetian was imitated by competitors such as Mandalay Resort Group, now part of MGM Mirage, which opened a 1. -million-square-foot convention center in Mandalay Bay in 2003. The convention business, a big part of the Strip’s growth after 2001, has helped to maintain high room rates in Las Vegas during traditionally slower periods creating year-round demand. Las Vegas Sands was once the envy of Wall Street. In fall 2007, with seemingly unlimited growth prospects in Macau, which was the most lucrative gambling market in the world, the company’s share pric e reached $150. Shortly after that, the company market value plummeted more than 90 percent. Some industry analysts argue that LVS executives played a key role in the financial decline, pushing ahead efforts to dominate the Macau gambling market and stretching the company thin, even as indicators showed that credit was drying up and tourism was faltering. Operations in Asia (Recreating the Las Vegas Strip in Asia) Macau, a semi-autonomous province of China, began welcoming Western casino operators in 2002 in an effort to rise above its roots as a seedy gambling den and broaden the region’s appeal to Asian tourists with Las Vegas-style resorts. Las Vegas Sands was the first Western company to open a casino in Macau, in 2004. The early bet paid off. The company recouped its $240 million Sands Macau construction budget within a year of the opening. The casino, which has more than 600 table games yet fewer than 300 hotel rooms, primarily offered to Chinese gamblers for free, gained a foothold ahead of the resorts that followed. The company appears to be performing respectably in desperate times, including achieving 92 percent capacity at the Venetian and 95 percent at Palazzo, at rates of more than $200 a night in quarter three of 2004. The Venetian Macau attracted a record 6. 6 million visitors that quarter. As the lead architect in Macau, Las Vegas Sands, which beat out American competitors for rights to build one of two casino resorts to open in Singapore in the coming year, is well-positioned to compete for opportunities in places such as Japan and Taiwan, where observers argue that casinos are simply a matter of time. Trends LVS has large exposure to the Macao gaming market and the company will fight any new or potential competitor there. In 2008, 69. 6% of LVS's total revenues came from Macao. The Venetian Macao alone produced $1. 9 billion in revenues during 2008 while the company's Las Vegas properties produced only $1. 3 billion that year. The Macao gaming market is largely dependent on the Chinese market and economy. While Macao gaming industry revenues had increased every single year for nearly a decade up until 2007, gaming revenues for the region started to decrease in 2008. Industry revenues in January 2009 dropped by 30% in comparison with revenues gained in January 2008 as the global economic crisis affected Asian gamblers. LVS is committed to Macao market exposure with its â€Å"Cotai Strip† development in the works and if the market continues to worsen, Las Vegas Sands could see its bottom line affected accordingly (See Figure 5). Despite economic slowdown, LVS is expanding. The company is building new resort in Singapore, called Marina Bay Sands, and in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, called Sands Bethworks, despite the slumping casino industry that is causing companies like Riviera Holdings to default on their credit lines. Because LVS has already begun construction on these resorts, the company cannot cut the casinos funding even as it laid off over 11000 of its staff in 2008 to cut costs. As a result, the company has accumulated heavy debt. In March 2009, LVS had over $10 billion in debt from financing aggressive growth projects. The company has about $3 billion in cash to cushion upcoming debt obligations but LVS's expansion investments occurred at the beginning of a global recession, worsening the firm’s financial positions. At the end of 2008, LVS' assets were valued at $17. billion, over 38% higher than its $12. 4 billion in liabilities. Macao's gaming laws and taxes are relatively new and have a few precedents, making them quite vulnerable to sudden change. China has a large and affluent middle class, but for many years travel and currency restrictions have made it difficult and undesirable for visitors to come to Macao. The Chinese government relaxed many of these restrictions in 2002 whe n it first granted gaming licenses and ended its state-run gaming monopoly. As a result, the Macao gaming market grew to generate over $928 million in revenues in January 2009. Predictions (short and long term) for Las Vegas Sands In the next 1- 2 years the expectation is that Las Vegans Sands will maximize the cash flow from its current operations in Las Vegas and Macau, including through the implementation of annualized cost savings. At the same time, the firm needs to complete on time and on budget the properties currently under development in Singapore and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in order to stay afloat. Long term Las Vegas Sands will keep increasing investments in Cotai Strip, the area that is rapidly transforming Macau into a world-class resort destination. The company could potentially expand in Japan, Thailand, and India as it looks for growth opportunities in the vibrant Asian region. Wynn Resorts, Limited (Ticker: WYNN) Wynn Resorts, a Nevada corporation, was formed in June 2002, is led by Chairman and CEO, Stephen A. Wynn, and is a leading developer, owner, and operator of destination casino resorts. Wynn Resorts owns and operates three casino resorts: â€Å"Wynn Las Vegas†, â€Å"Encore at Wynn Las Vegas†, and â€Å"Wynn Macau†. In addition to these three properties, Wynn is currently constructing Encore at Wynn Macau, an expansion of the Wynn Macau resort. During 2008, the casino resort business experienced difficulties due to a number of factors affecting consumers, including a slowdown in global economies, contracting credit markets, and reduced consumer spending. Steve Wynn is the preeminent designer, developer and operator of destination casino resorts and has developed brand name status. Wynn’s involvement with the casino resorts provides a distinct advantage over other gaming enterprises. All of the Wynn resorts are designed and built to provide a premium experience. The casinos are marketed as full-service luxury resorts and casinos in the leisure, convention, and tour and travel industries. The resorts are marketed directly to gaming customers using database marketing techniques, as well as traditional incentives. While there is significant competition in the Las Vegas and Macau markets, Wynn seeks to differentiate from other major resorts by concentrating in its fundamental elements of design, atmosphere, personal service, and luxury. Intentions / Beliefs of Wynn Resorts In relation to MGM Mirage, Wynn Resorts competes in similar geographic markets, primarily Las Vegas and Macau, with secondary markets in Atlantic City, Riverboats, etc. However, based upon Wynn’s detailed disclosures in its public financial statements, press releases, and transcripts from earnings calls, Wynn Resorts believes that it has a fundamental core competency in providing an atmosphere of the utmost luxury. Therefore, it may be possible that while Wynn Resorts and MGM Mirage compete in the same geographic markets, the companies will compete for a slightly different customer base. Wynn Resorts has consistently targeted those customers with a very large net worth and require the most luxurious accommodations. In that regard, Wynn Resorts has found that it is not necessary to typically use comps and other forms of customer promotions to attract the wealthiest clients. The company attempts to portray itself as the top-tier casino-hotel, providing unmatched services for those individuals that demand the very best in customer service and quality. Therefore, it appears that Wynn’s intentions are to attract customers through the marketing of its luxurious hotel-casino properties, particularly in Macau. In Wynn’s 2008 annual report, expansion plans were described for the Macau geographic area. â€Å"We have commenced construction of Encore at Wynn Macau, a further expansion of Wynn Macau. Encore at Wynn Macau will add a fully-integrated resort hotel to Wynn Macau, planned to include approximately 400 luxury suites and four villas along with restaurants, additional retail space and additional VIP gaming space. We expect Encore at Wynn Macau to open in 2010†19. In addition, Wynn Resorts has improved approximately 142 acres of land for use as a golf course in the Las Vegas area. However, no future improvements are planned due to the current economic environment. Based on these disclosures, MGM Mirage management can be certain that Wynn Resorts continues to belief that its best prospects for growth are in the Asian gaming market, evidenced by its expanding construction projects in the Macau region. Wynn Resorts also believes that future development opportunities in the Las Vegas area may present profitability. However, current economic conditions may not make these development projects profitable in the near-term. Meanwhile, Wynn Resorts expects that MGM Mirage’s CityCenter project, along with other Las Vegas expansion projects by industry competitors present significant competitive challenges in the near-term. Past moves, countermoves, and timing of Wynn Resorts Since its inception in 2002, Wynn Resorts has attempted to distinguish itself amongst the fierce competition in the casino industry by developing casinos that are â€Å"state-of-the-art†, cutting-edge, and luxurious. Wynn Resorts attempts to attract the wealthiest of customers that have a propensity to spend more of their disposable income on luxury items, specifically gambling-related activities. As a result, Wynn Resorts is not overly concerned with differentiating their products based upon price. Wynn Resorts is focused on product differentiation. This is evident by Wynn Resorts statement that â€Å"we are attempting to differentiate the Wynn products. However, at this time, we are uncertain how our customers will value the existing Wynn properties on a relative basis†20. Wynn Resorts is attempting to differentiate its casinos from one another not based upon price, but based upon qualitative factors such as the availability of restaurants, spa services, shopping boutiques, nightclubs, etc. Typically, competitors in the casino industry have limited strategy initiative options. These options include expanding to new domestic markets, expanding to new international markets, and providing additional services at pre-existing casino-hotels. During the past several years, Wynn Resorts has chosen to avoid providing additional services at pre-existing casino-hotels (i. . Wynn Las Vegas), but instead move forward with large expansion projects both domestically and internationally (Encore at Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau). Relative resource position of Wynn Resorts As of year-end 2007, Wynn Resorts held approximately 8% of the total market share in the Nevada region, as compared to 18% market share owned by MGM Mirage. As stated previously, Wynn Resorts currentl y has three casinos, two in Las Vegas, one in Macau) as compared to MGM Mirage’s twenty casinos. Recently, Wynn Resorts has been noncommittal in its disclosures regarding future expansion projects. Wynn Resorts is in a position of strength in terms of financial stability, as its financial statements display large amounts of current assets along with positive cash flows and manageable debt ratios. Wynn Resorts has a risk-averse attitude towards the growth of its balance sheet. The company is not highly leveraged and has over $1 billion in cash to assist in absorbing losses during the current recession. An additional source of competitive advantage for Wynn Resorts is the leadership of Stephen Wynn. Mr. Wynn has several decades of experience in the gaming industry, and has been instrumental in the construction of the Bellagio, the Mirage, and Wynn Las Vegas. Generally speaking, Steve Wynn is known as â€Å"The Man Who Helped Reinvent Las Vegas†. Mr. Wynn’s importance to the organization is paramount, and â€Å"The loss of Stephen A. Wynn would significantly harm Wynn’s business†21. When considering brand and image, Wynn Resorts has strong brand loyalty amongst customers in the â€Å"high roller† community, as well as strong brand recognition in Las Vegas and Macau. However, due to the lack of presence in other areas of the United States, Wynn Resorts is not currently leveraging the notoriety of its brand name and Steve Wynn’s reputation as an innovative leader in the industry. Predictions (short and long term) for Wynn Resorts Given the strong financial position of Wynn Resorts and their historically selective approach to casino expansion, Wynn Resorts will not expand the number of casinos in operation in the near term (12- 18 months). On November 2009, Wynn Resorts has stated to its shareholders that they would not focus efforts on expanding in the U. S. until the business environment improved. Instead, it is predicted that Wynn Resorts will instead make enhancements to their two existing casinos in the Las Vegas market. â€Å"In response to our evaluation of our Las Vegas operations and the reactions of our guests, we have and expect to continue to make enhancements and refinements to our resort,† the company said this week in its quarterly financial report in November 2009. The projected expansion in the casinos will enhance the availability of pools, food and beverage services, and nightlife offerings. MGM Mirage may respond to Wynn’s actions by also expanding upon its casino customer offerings. Furthermore, MGM Mirage should also avoid direct casino expansion during a depressed economic environment. Instead, MGM Mirage should strive for financial stability while attracting customers with non-gaming services and accommodations. Being that Las Vegas is a mature market with several strong competitors, MGM Mirage may consider its presence in other domestic regions in the Midwestern section of the United States. Over the next 18 – 48 months, however, Wynn Resorts will continue to engage in competition as it relates to worldwide casino expansion. By analyzing the growth in industry revenue, and the statistics described regarding market commonality, Wynn Resorts will most likely directly engage in a battle with Las Vegas Sands for market share position in the Macau region. Additionally, Wynn Resorts will continue its financially frugal decision-making patterns by purchasing racinos and undervalued real estate properties with the intention of capturing profits through capital appreciation. These types of purchases by Mr. Wynn and Wynn Resorts have been consistent with actions portrayed during the past three years. MGM Mirage may engage in the competition for casino expansion in the Macau region, but should be cautious in making full-scale investments into a casino market already fully dominated by Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts. Instead, cooperative arrangements and joint ventures may be suitable alternatives (See Figure 6). Summary and Conclusions The casino hotel industry is sensitive to changes in the consumers’ disposable income, domestic and international travel volume; proximity to consumer base, as well as government regulations. The industry structure consists of high barriers to entry, moderate rivalry that is limited to 4-5 main competitors, limited bargaining power of buyers, allowing for the possibility of near-term profitability. The pair-wise model utilized provided a comprehensive understanding of the focal firm, the focal firm’s competitors, the rivals intentions, and facilities the extrapolation of feasible strategies for the focal firm. In order for MGM Mirage to create a competitive advantage, the company should focus on geographic expansion in US and on international expansion, through cooperative arrangements with other industry players, improved operational efficiency to minimize costs, and technological advancement to maximize revenue. In the short term, MGM Mirage may be able to extract profits from the market by creating a competitive advantage but long term the industry structure, negative social, political, and economic forces will negatively affect the growth aspects of the industry.

Increasing Of Indonesia Population And Its Impact On The Business Essay - 1

Increasing Of Indonesia Population And Its Impact On The Business - Essay Example Family-planning programs have contributed to a decline into approximately 1.04% as per now. Given the current trend, United Nations (UN) projects Indonesian population to surpass 270 million by 2025, go past 285 million people by the year 2035 and increase beyond 290 million by the year 2045 (Indonesia Population 2013). After which, the country shall experience a decline from 2050. Perhaps, two-thirds of Indonesia’s populace shall reside in town areas according to United Nations estimations. From a business perspective, this trend provides an opportunity for commercial success and snack shall maximize the provisions of the population. The demographic distribution of Indonesia makes it an excellent market for promotion of the snack bar. The nations' entire population comprises of mainly the youths providing an economic advantage. The median age of the population is 28.1 years. Young population offers a potentially significant target market and very accessible. Females dominate the society, and when categorized into sexes, the male median age is 27.7 years while female age is around 28.7 years (Worldometers 1). Indonesia consists of 13,667 islands, but citizens inhabit only 6,000. Out of this, five islands namely Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Irian Jaya, and Sulawesi are mainly populated. The total land mass of Indonesia is around 1,919,317 square kilometers (Indonesia Population 2013). Over the past forty years, Indonesia registered a remarkable rate of urbanization. Thus, half of Indonesia’s whole population lives in towns. In regards to this, current the distribution of population establishes a positive development, as industrialization and urbanization are essential for growth and trades. The snack bar trade will likely experience stiff direct competition from other snacks on offer in Indonesia particularly, Gorengan and Bakso. Gorengan refers to a friend bite.

Monopolistic Competition versus Monopoly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Monopolistic Competition versus Monopoly - Essay Example Monopolistic competition is comprised of a group of producers with identical products. The competition between the producers is not determined by the prices of the goods they supply but rather by how differentiated their products are (Salvatore, 2006, p.238). In this kind of competition the producers that are involved take the price that the rival producer is charging and use it on his own product not considering the consequences of the price. The scenario is different in a monopoly. Here, a single firm is the sole supplier of a given product as is the case when Wonks bought up the individual competitors and joined them to make up a single firm. The main characteristic of a monopoly is that the producer has a higher market share than that which is expected within a perfect competition. Another characteristic of the monopoly set up is the lack of substitute products in the market denying the consumers a choice. In this paper, we are going to analyze the consequences of a monopolistic competition being transformed into a monopoly. The hypothesis developed is; analyzing the effect that transforming a group of companies in a monopolistic competition into a monopoly will have on consumers, government and the company. Discussion In order to better understand the transformation, a closer look at the characteristics of both a monopolistic competition and a monopoly is required. In so doing, one can then draw parallels and differences that arise. In a monopolistically competitive market, a firm acts as a monopoly does in the short run, however in the long run, the market resembles a perfect competition since there is entry by more competitors and the gains accrued by having highly differentiated products diminish as does the possibility of the producers gaining economic profits. Consumers are very aware about the qualities of the products that the rivals offer since the differences are not evidenced by price. This model therefore is characterized by well informed custom ers and the producers rely on brand uniqueness to trigger a brand loyalty in consumers. In this model, there is no barrier to entry or exit. The model can thus be attractive to a large number of producers with identical products as there are no rules against entry. Likewise, there are no rules that may hinder a producer exiting the market when it is no longer attractive. Lastly, producers exercise a certain degree of control over the prices they charge. Although the control they have is limited, a producer can decide to price his products differently from the market price. The government can usually intervene in a monopoly in order to accomplish a determined goal or simply to cushion the consumers against extortion. Otherwise, when a monopoly is not coerced to perform in a certain way, the most typical goal is to maximize profits. The producer accomplishes this by producing few goods and charging them at a high price. The producer is thus a price maker in contrast to one in a monopo listic competition Monopolies often have barriers to entry where other sellers find it extremely hard to enter the market (Burkett, 2006, p. 155). This may be due to the structure adopted by the monopoly that discourages competition or may be sanctioned by the government. The major characteristic of a monopoly, however, is the fact that only a single producer is present in the given market. Here, it is assumed that

Punishment and Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Punishment and Morality - Essay Example There are and always have been two sides to this issue. What follows is an inquiry into issues which are integral to the cause of giving the punishment to offenders; both sides shall be represented therein, and the most plausible option shall be elucidated. Essentially, giving the punishment is considered as a moral obligation in almost all cultures and theologies around the world. It is taken as a compulsory act of reprimand, without which the integrity of the justice provider is lost, and essentially the entire process of equality suffers an emotional blow. The act of kindness is hence lost, and there surfaces an immense feeling of betrayal and anguish on part of the victim. Conversely, the other side presents an equally convincing argument. For one, many offenders around the world do not have the exposure and luxury to understand and deal with the environment they live in. To add, an offender goes through several ups and downs during his life, which psychologically turns him into a law-breaker - so does he actually deserve retribution Though this may jeopardize the act of beneficence, but it is deemed necessary. After all, the true beneficence lies in the cure of the offender, and if this cannot be actualized at the end of the day, then the utilitarian process would have drastically failed. The judiciary frequently ignores their offenders' wishes when they consider the appropriateness of punishment giving.

Cell Chemistry (mod 2 SLP) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cell Chemistry (mod 2 SLP) - Essay Example The natural heat and intense pressure of the earth act on the mass and bacteria convert the matter into precursor substances for the formation of hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons migrate to the surface through permeable rock layers or get trapped in impermeable rock membranes (Simanzhenkov, 2003, pp. 14-16). Autotrophs are organisms that can make their own food from the available substances through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis while Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot make their own food and thus depend on other organisms including plants and animals for food. Examples of Autotrophs are algae, plants and certain bacteria. Examples of Hetetrophs include omnivores, carnivores and herbivores. Both photosynthetic autotrophs and chemosynthetic autotrophs organisms produce their own food from the surrounding substances. Photosynthetic autotrophs also known as phototrophs make their own food by using light energy to convert organic compounds to food. Chemosynthetic autotrophs also known as chemotrophs make their own food by using light energy to oxidize compounds such as Hydrogen sulphide. The first photosynthetic pathway, photophosphorylation, uses light energy to produce ATP and reduction electron carrier, NADPH+ H+. Nitrogen fixation reduces atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. Both photophosphorylation and nitrogen fixation are reduction pathways. The Nitrification process is an oxidation pathway that produces nitrate from the oxidation of ammonia and the second photosynthetic pathway, Calvin-Benson cycle is also an oxidation process uses energy from NADPH+, H+, ATP and carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates. Bioassay is a test used to measure the effects of a substance to living things. The procedures determine purity concentration and biological activity of substances. The scientists used a bioassay in the study since assays are acute

Maritime Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Maritime Economics - Essay Example Maritime economics refers to the business of shipping which is considered to be quite intriguing. The shipping industry which marked its commencement with the transportation of cargoes has been witnessing increased significance owing to the related advantages and prospects in the field of international development (Cullinane, 2011). Shipping is considered to be a service based industry that is believed to grant the sustenance with regard to the global trade. The subject of maritime economics is believed to have developed and grown based on the study that is supposed to relate to the past record of shipping, for instance contractual understanding relating to shipping as well as trade (Talley, 2012). Performance evaluation indicators are considered to be essential in order to gauge the operating competence with regard to the shipping industry. It is regarded as essential to draw attention to the condition related to operation performance with the intention of further enhancing the performance. There has been stated to remain available numerous kinds of indicators for the reason of using them for assessing the results attained by the shipping companies or the seaports. The prevailing indicators are believed to be of great use owing to their easy computability with the help of the accessible information. The application of the indicators would enable the evaluation of the performance of a particular shipping company and ascertain the degree of contentment of the obtained results. The performance indicators is learnt to gauge the performance of the shipping companies in sectors like tanker, offshore, container, dry bulk and other miscellaneous sectors (Trujillo & et. al., 1999). It needs to be mentioned in this regard that the indicators related to performance measurement is not regarded as structured, comprehensive or constant. The indicators that are used to gauge the performance of the shipping companies is done with the

Design Process and Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Design Process and Appraisal - Essay Example Materials: The original bridge was constructed from granite stones but the in the second bridge latest technology at that time was used and concrete beams and slabs were used along with concrete piers for the construction. Along with the reinforced concrete the architectural work is done by grey Cornish granite and Portland Stone. Opinion about the design The use of reinforced concrete beams under the footways and the road supported by slabs is a very good design by strength point of view but if we consider the aesthetics and the building heritage of London the original design of the bridge should have been preserved by using arches. This would also have eliminated the need of the cantilevers which are present now. The design calls for supporting beams only at the outside edges, which is actually a very good feature as it lets light enter the underside of the bridge which makes it very pleasant for the river traffic. To guard against the possibility of subsidence from scour the piers are given jacks which can be used to level the structure. The architecture of the bridge is also important and in order to preserve the building architecture of London various stones, mainly the Portland stone has been used in cladding. Millennium Bridge Type of Bridge: Steel Suspension Bridge Purpose: To facilitate pedestrians crossing river Thames in London Age: 9 years Dimensions: The width of the bridge is 4 meters (13 ft) and the total length is 325 meters (1066 ft). It can support 5000 people on it at a time. Materials: The Millennium Bridge is mainly constructed of steel with steel cables and steel armatures. The transverse arms are also made of steel while the deck of the bridge is made of aluminum as it is a very light metal and the use of aluminum in the deck has reduced the load on the armatures and cables. Opinion about the design The design of the millennium bridge is basically steel suspension design which initially posed some problems and the bridge was ultimately cl osed just after 2 days of its 1st opening due the intense vibrations due to resonance. But the corrections were made later during a period of 2 years. The use of aluminum deck is the best feature of the design in my opinion because since it is a pedestrian bridge the strength of the deck is not an issue here so in order to make the design cost efficient and sustainable the loads on the cables and armature have been lessened by the use of aluminum in the deck which is a very light material as compared to steel or concrete. Moreover while designing a bridge entirely of metallic structure proper considerations should be given to the design as the modifications are very difficult and costly in nature as the case of the millennium bridge tells in which the bridge was closed for 2 years and an additional cost of 5 million pounds was spent on the modifications. Tower Bridge Type of Bridge: Bascule and suspension bridge Purpose: Tower Bridge is basically a road bridge for usual traffic Age: 116 years 7 months Dimensions: The total length is 286.5 meters. The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270Â  feet (82Â  m) long. The pedestrian walkways are 143Â  feet (44Â  m) above the river at high tide. Materials: The towers are made of steel whi

Proving The Biblical Flood (Noah's Ark) Term Paper

Proving The Biblical Flood (Noah's Ark) - Term Paper Example To this end, God instructed Noah to construct a huge Ark that would shelter his family and also a pair of every animal and bird species in the world. It is stated that Noah complied to each and every of God’s commands and secured himself, his family plus the select pair of every animal and bird species in the Ark. Afterwards, the book of Genesis details a mega flood that rained for 40 days and 40 nights. To this end, Genesis 7:21-22 states that all flesh perished that moved on the Earth, every man, cattle, birds, beasts and all the creeping things (Beitzel, Barry, Barry L. Bandstra, and Laurie, 24). Only the people and land animals on board the Ark were spared. After, one hundred and fifty days, it is stated that the water receded from the Earth. Unfortunately, a majority of sceptics and atheists normally dismiss the Great flood as one of the many mythological tales. Most critics like to point out that there is no evidence on Earth for Noah’s flood. However, The Bible a nd especially the Book of Genesis is a true historical account of the universe. ... This fact is credible considering that all global surface water covers three quarters of the Earth surface. Evidently, some secular geologists have supported the theory that all the continents were once whole and not divided by the massive oceans of today. To this end, it is also a valid point that the receding waters of the flood were sufficient to effect the continental separation changes. Evidently, the Biblical scriptures state that God created the ocean basins by raising the land surface from the water so that the floodwaters may recede to a safer place. Most critics of the Great Flood normally seek for geologic evidence from proponents of the Great Flood. Evidently, a number of Christians are blind to the geological evidence that support the occurrence of the Great Flood. To this end, they have bought in the evolutionary idea that asserts that ‘the present is the key to the past’ (Shimmeal, 67). However, in examining whether the Great Flood really took place, direc tion from Biblical evidence is a starting point. Evidently, in Genesis chapter 7 to chapter 8, it states the fountains of the deep were fractured and water was expunged from within the earth’s core for 150 days. Furthermore, the heavens opened up and there was a global torrential rain for 40 days and nights. To this end, all the mountains and hills were immersed in water. In addition, all creatures on the land were swept away and died. Consequently, in attempt to check for evidence, one would expect to discover billions of dead animals and plants that have been buried and fossilized in layers of mud, sand and lime. Furthermore, such sediments would have been deposited instantaneously by water, within

Week 1 journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 1 journal - Essay Example According to (Millie, 2008) most of the antisocial behavior in children are brought up by poor parenting. Children in their industry vs. inferiority developmental stage according to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory, learn a lot by observation. These children, when exposed to poor parenting, would emulate what the parents do and socialize the acts as the societally acceptable norms. Drawing an inference from the video â€Å"in the shadow of feeling,† I have come to understand that psychopathy is a trait attained by individuals at different stages of development. From interviews with doctors, business people and the identified psychopaths, the video give an insight on psychopathic cases that have not committed an actual crime (Bar-Levav, 2008). The intensity of the condition as well as the level of the provoking factor influence commitment of a crime by psychopathic children. Nevertheless, genetic predisposition is found to be one of the major psychological factors that expose children to psychopathic condition. Consumerism, which is the ever-growing desire to possess a greater amount of goods and services is equally associated to psychopath. Consumerism as psychopathy trait can be linked to childhood development, especially if the child was brought up in an environment with little resources. Consumerism thus acts as a compensatory mechanism for the earli er deprivations. Resch, F., Parzer, P., & Brunner, R. (2008). Self-mutilation and suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents: Prevalence and psychosocial correlates: Results of the BELLA study. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 17,

Cultural Boundaries Essay Example for Free

Cultural Boundaries Essay Youth culture has been studied from several ideological perspectives on assumptions that they are ‘not isolated and untouched by the surrounding culture’ (Keyes, 2000). This notion has lead researchers to assume that youth culture is not part of ‘growing up’, but a phenomenon that occurs as a precipitation of the social, political, cultural and ideological factors. There is not one monolithic youth culture that defines all young people. Popular youth culture embraces a diversity of sub-cultures or â€Å"tribes† such as skaters, druggies, snobs, band geeks, Satanists, Jesus freaks, techno-goths, computer dweebs, blacks, Latinos and white trash. Groups distinguish themselves by dress, style, music, body modification practices, race, ethnicity, and language. (Hines, 1999) Thus a researcher, who intends to study the ethnic, racial, political, cultural, sociological or linguistic aspect of a subculture, often ends up in analysing one of the factors and tend to romanticise or over-politicise these aspects. Thornton’s study on club cultures and Nava’s treatise on youth and consumerism are good examples in this genre. The debates on how best to conceptualise both the structural and cultural transitions of young people remains a central issue in the sociology of youth. In these debates cultural approaches have been criticised for neglecting the role of social divisions and status inequalities in lifestyle ‘choices’ (Bennett 2002). The cultural night lives of young people have provided fertile ground for social researchers. There have been explorations of the character and division of dance scenes (Thornton 1995), the relationship between femininities, women’s clubbing experiences and feminism (Pini 1997a, 1997b), clubbing experiences (Malbon 1999) and the relationship between drug use and clubbing (Henderson 1993; Merchant Macdonald 1994; Forsyth 1997). What has not been studied so well is how people become clubbers, what practices this entails, what kind of young people invest in this lifestyle, what resources are required to do so, whether this process is gendered as well as if and how this experience has impacted on their sense of identity. Earlier studies portrayed Rave culture as being a social arena where social divisions were put aside and anyone and everyone mixed together (Henderson 1993; Merchant Macdonald 1994). Yet, more recent studies suggest that distinctions do operate between ‘mainstream’ and ‘hip’ club scenes (Thornton 1995), that ‘nightlife provision exploits existing cleavages in the youth population, and segregates young adults into particular spaces and places’ (Hollands 2002, p. 153). Given this it seems important to unpack further the nature of boundaries: the divisions between ‘us and them’: the boundary work that we do and how boundaries are constituted in social interaction. Thornton asserts ‘club cultures are taste cultures’, but as she also points out, practices of distinction do not just involve taste and cultural hierarchies are numerous (1995, p. 3). What other practices of distinction are involved in identification and differentiation processes, both within and between club scenes? It seems unlikely that these processes and practices are wholly elective. Young people’s experiences of clubbing, their lifestyle ‘choices’, need to be contextualised and conceptualised in such a way that recognise that some young people are more able than others to engage in particular styles of life, and consumer and cultural activities, such as clubbing. Boundaries are about both the individual and the collective, notions not new to youth research. Willis (1978) suggested that ‘becoming’ a hippie or a bike boy involved not only cultural knowledge, but also a process of developing group sensibilities, and these sensibilities could be used to identify and differientiate one group from another. The notion of ‘becoming’ is a way of exploring both individual and group processes (Becker 1991): how young people learn to use ‘recreational’ drugs, learn particular practices, affiliate with a culture, lifestyle or social group and invest in additional forms of identification, as well as encounter cultural barriers that constrain participation and processes of ‘becoming’. Symbolic interactionist theories would suggest that notions of what and who you are, as well as what and who you are not, only become meaningful and significant through interaction with others. When social anthropological and symbolic interactionist conceptualisations of boundaries are brought together they can help us understand how people come to form into collective groups, groups that construct shared meanings through interaction. Symbolic boundaries, group life or how ‘people do things together’ (Becker 1986), are interactional resources that groups draw upon to create their own boundaries. These notions offer a fruitful way to explore the relationship between the individual and the group, and the divisions between ‘us and them’ found in the empirical studies exploring the cultural night-lives of young people. Moreover, it may be that identifying as and ‘becoming a clubber’ may only acquire meaning in relation to and in contrast to those who do not identify as or become ‘clubbers’.

Bus reservation Essay Example for Free

Bus reservation Essay The purpose of this report is to explain detailed description of Bus Reservation System. It will explain the aim of the project, the limitations of the system, interfaces of the system, what the project will do, what kind of future works may be done. 1. 2 Maintenance An accredited bus operator may demonstrate compliance with this requirement by: †¢ accessing manufacturer’s specifications and/or any other reference material deemed appropriate for the age, make and model of the buses in the accredited bus operator’s fleet †¢ developing and implementing service schedules 1. 3 Objectives This project is based on a scenario. In this scenario, customer wants to know bus services with their time and date when he decided to travel. He can do this by a phone call or going to agency. In both situations, he will meet the employee who work at the agency and get information about services, its departure time, departure date, destination time, suitable seats etc. If he decides to reserve a ticket, then employee will take some personnel information from customer and will reserve a seat that customer selected. Travelling is a large growing business in Turkey and other countries also. It becomes very difficult to keep bus services records and customer information. Our project will be useful in the Bus Reservation System. This project’s aim is to satisfy a facility to reserve seats, cancellation of seats and different types of enquiry like seat status, service enquiry and service time. 1. 4 Limitations This project has some limitations. Firstly, services are only between Laoag-Manila and Manila-Laoag. Secondly, each day there are three services for each direction at 9. 00 am, 1. 00 pm and 8. 00 pm. Thirdly, ticket can be reserved by an employee who works at the agency. Namely; customer cannot reserve a ticket. Finally, man and woman cannot seat side by side if they do not know each other. 1. 5 Problem Customers have to go to the counter to buy bus ticket or ask for bus schedule. Customers need to pay cash when they buy bus tickets and sometimes needs to queue up for hours to get bus tickets. Besides that, customers are also not allowed to buy bus tickets through telephone because the bus companys telephone line is always busy. II. Flowchart III. Screenshots This shows the title of our system which is the Reservation System. As we can see we put the name of the programmer. Then press any key to continue the program. This data shows to fix the first few errors or warnings, since they may be causing all the rest. A compiler warning indicates youve done something bad, but not something that will prevent the code from being compiled. You should fix whatever causes warnings since they often lead to other problems that will not be so easy to find. Compiler messages usually list the file and line number where a problem occurs. Nonetheless, errors often occur on the lines prior to what the error message lists. Especially check the line immediately preceding where the error message indicates. Finally, note that some compilers may choose to call something an error while others may just call it a warning or not complain at all. As we can see we have no warnings and errors. After the welcome form then system opens the login form. Here user has to enter valid user id and password. There are shown as below.. This shows the main menu where you can choose your reservation. This shows the different choices of bus, we have deluxe, air-conditioned bus and ordinary bus. You can also choose the time you want.

Digi Telecommunication Sdn Bhd

Digi Telecommunication Sdn Bhd DiGi Telecommunication Sdn. Bhd. is a company which contribute mobile communication. DiGi accomodate a absolute range of effortful, adaptable and easy to use wireless services to facilitate and enhance the lives of its customers. DiGi made value for their customer by choosing the most applicable cutting edge high tech so that customers gain the advantage from the products and services that provide them alternatives, advancement and authority. DiGi have a creation companionship as a lead in voice and data prepaid services that have determined industry benchmarks for inspiration and innovation. DiGi Postpaid bring out top quality call together with value-added mobile and data service to all customers. There are some competitors that DiGi faced with. One of the main competitor is Maxis Berhad. Maxis Berhad is the leading mobile communications service contributer in Malaysia over 11.4 million mobile subscribers. Maxis Berhad offered some services. Such as, prepaid, postpaid, 3G service and Maxis Broadband. While another competitor is Celcom Axiata Berhad, also known as Celcom, is the oldest telecommunication company in Malaysia. Celcom is now generally a world figure for mobile communication. They had extended the original frequency band for GSM from 900 MHz to 1800 MHz. Celcom provide Virtual Mobile Operator services(VMO) and rural communications services by using CDMA Technology and Satelite Phone. IT and IS used by DiGi Telecommunications 3G coverage 3G is the current wireless technology. DiGi Telecommunications has used 3G network that named as Turbo 3G which launched on December 2009. Besides, it also promoted 4G DiGià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Turbo 3G with a speed approximately 14.4Mbps HSPA. Several areas in Malaysia had coverage with Turbo 3G. Turbo 3G is available for the users of DiGi for the broadband, postpaid and prepaid use. It provide users to get the data and information by the wireless access from anytime and many place. Users can suft the internet with the higher speed and they are able to make the video call, listen to music or viewing movies with higher quality than before. E-payment E-payment is a e-commerce transaction which the buyers and sellers will deal by electronic payment for buying and selling purposes via internet. Digi Telecommunications has integrated with iPay88 and PayPal for e-payment options. MySimplified, DiGi classified portal were forced with iPay88 so that the online payment services are available for the mySimplifieds members to do the transaction through the internet. Debit and credit instruments were provided to the them via the local bank. Meanwhile, the Storefront launched to let the sellers to accept the payments from payers via online channel. CRM CRM data is the most crucial information in any company. In order to control the performance of the company, DiGi Telecommunications decided to associate with iZeno and SugarCRM to conduct Sugar Professional On-Site. SugarCRM is a provider of commercial open source customer relationship management, so-called CRM software. It increase ability in achieving deeper analysis of CRM data and combine it with other companies data. SugarCRM applications have been choose by more than 5000 customers under lock-in based and proprietary alternatives. This software help DiGi Telecommunications Company in leads identification and tracking, proposal generation, account validation, approval matrix, contract generation, order fulfillment tracking, billing system integration and reporting. Recommendation Digi Telecommunication Malaysia provides a variety of mobile communication services, but we suggest that the company can launch 4G WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) in the future. WiMAX is developed to provide a common framework for wireless connectivity in fixed, portable, and mobile environments. It is also act as a scalable wireless access technology designed to provide high throughput over long distances. As we know, there are many types of internet connectivity today like broadband wireline, WiFi, and even dial-up. But all these types of connectivity have some disadvantages, for broadband the service can be expensive which is depended on the provider, and it is sometimes unavailable in many rural areas. For WiFi, it has limited range against coverage, and for dial-up, it is simply slow. WiMAX is designed to overcome all these problems. It provides the high-speed connection of broadband even with higher data transfer rates. Besides that, it also offers wireless access which has the range far exceeds WiFi. This is because WiMAX consist of two hardware components that is a WiMAX tower and WiMAX receiver. This WiMAX tower provides coverage to an estimate 30 mile radius by connecting to internet using a high-bandwidth wire line connection. In addition, we also recommend that the Digi Company to produce Digi-m-Trak mobile asset. This asset will provide reliable, cost- effective monitoring and management. The Digi-m-Trak system ensures constant to access information at any time and from any place. Digi-m-Trak transceiver will collect data such as location, speed, fuel levels, temperature and vehicle security system status for vehicle GPS. The information will saved in the secure database sent from the transceiver over a GSM and GPRS wireless network. From here, we know that Digi-m-Trak will give a lot of visibility to safety and security of divers, vehicles, and goods. From here, we know about the benefit of Digi-m-Trak mobile asset, so it is strongly recommended that Digi Company can launch this new mobile asset in order to gain competitive advantage in this global environment.

Faith Vs. Temptation :: essays research papers

Faith vs. Temptation Temptation, at one time or another, has touched all of our lives. What made us choose one path over the other? Was it your faith in God, your knowing of what was right and wrong, or was it the influences of the loved ones you not only surround yourself with, but the one you have trusted to lead down the straight and narrow. All of these questions come to light in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown. Hawthorne’s tale is of a young, newly wedded man, and his internal struggle between faith and temptation. Set in Salem, at the times of the witch trials, Young Goodman Brown begins to question his own faith as the devil himself sheds new light on Brown’s strong beliefs. “With heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the Devil!';… Or will he? Young Goodman Brown prepares to leave on his lonely, life-changing journey, by first saying good bye to his wife of three months. Faith as his wife is called, for symbolic reasons I’m sure, fears for her husband and wishes him to stay. This good bye is Brown’s chance to choose faith over temptation. “Poor little faith, thought he, for his heart smote him. What a wretch am I to leave her on such an errand!'; Brown gives in to temptation. This won’t be the last time. Being scared and alone on his journey, Brown talking to himself says, “What if the devil himself should be at my elbow!'; A few more steps and Brown now has a companion; coincidence? I think not. “The only thing about him that could be fixed upon as remarkable as his staff, which bore the likeliness of a great black snake...like a living serpent."'; It was after this initial greeting and Brown noticing his companion’s walking stick that Brown once again was torn between his faith and the temptation of the errand he was on. Goodman Brown tries to convince himself he is doing wrong and turn back. “Having kept covenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples touching the matter thou wot’st of.'; The devil tempts Brown in to continuing. “Let us walk on, reasoning as we go; and if I convince thee not thou shalt turn back.'; Again Brown gives in to temptation. “Too far! Too far! Exclaimed the goodman, unconsciously resuming his walk.

racism Essay -- essays research papers

Racism An underlying problem is promoting racism. It is the fact that a lot of people believe, and try to make they believe, that racism no longer exists. Many people today live their lives oblivious to what is happening in the world around them, often trying to convince themselves that racism is not a problem in their world. Others know all about the problem, but don’t really realize that they themselves could possibly be adding to the problem by discriminating against someone else’s human rights, and at the same time going around saying how open-minded they are. One of the main problems of racism is that many people live in racist conditions, without even seeing it. Often times it’s in their school, workplace, community, or even in their own homes. People often tell jokes with racist slurs, and while we know not to laugh at ones about blacks, it seems that ones about other races like Chinese and Hispanic are okay. We tell ourselves that they are just jokes, but not to those who they are ridiculing. We are all perpetrators of this and we usually feel that these types of jokes are harmless. They can be harmless and maybe at times we even think they are funny, but they are also hurtful and degrading. Some of the biggest racists are those who don’t even know that they are, and even say that they aren’t. These people are racist because they cannot comprehend what is happening and do not realize what they are saying is racist. Until they come to grips with this problem, in th...

Mexican Immigration Before and After World War II Essay -- Mexicans Al

Mexican Immigration Before and After World War II Coming from a life of poverty and despair would cause anyone to search for a better life; a life in which there is the belief that all of your dreams can come true. This is the belief that many Mexican immigrants had about â€Å"El Norte,† they believed that the north would provide them with the opportunity that their life in Mexico had not. Many Immigrants believed that the United States was â€Å"the land of opportunity,† a place to find a successful job and live out the life that one only dreamt about living. The North was an open paradise for the immigrants. They were told by the people who had already ventured to the north that the United States was a â€Å"simple life, in which one could live like a king or queen, but in reality immigrants were treated like slaves in the new country that promised them their dreams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most Immigrants who enter the United States are searching for work and the opportunity to live a better life. They are from small towns deep within Mexico that do not offer much opportunity for the people of the town to live a prosperous life and to provide for their family. In the small town of Sierra Mixteco, men women and children arrived in town at various times of the day bent over loads of fire wood gathered from the mountains to sell in the town market. For those who did not sell fire wood, they spent their time making straw hats to sell in the markets of larger towns, both of these jobs only provided pennies a day for the families to survive on. So the stories that the men brought back from the North gave the people of the small towns the hope that a better life did exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was typical for the men to travel to the north first in order to find a job and set up the life for his family. In the town of San Geronimo, 85% of all men over the age of 15 had left the village in search of work in other parts of Mexico and in the United States. The men would make the trip alone and would send the money that they had made to their wives and children back in the village. The trip to the North was long and very dangerous. For the men who entered the country illegally, the trip could even be deadly. For the men who did have some money, they would hire a â€Å"coyote,† a man who would help them cross the border for a price. Sometimes coyotes were legitimate people who sought to help others, while... ... wish come true by finally making it to the North, all of their dreams did not come true. As seen through the decades, there was not an abundance of jobs available to immigrants and those that were available were low paying. Many immigrants simply worked until they had made enough money and then went back home to Mexico. In the fall for example, after the harvest in the valley, families of Mexican and American children would load up and head back to Mexico for weeks and months. School teachers would say, â€Å"What a shame it was that Mexicans did that to their children† (taking them out of school to travel back to Mexico). The life of immigrants was not all that they had expected, many were homesick for their native land, but yet they did not want to convey to their families how depressing life was in the United States; they only shared the good news. The immigrants at first certainly did not have the opportunities they were promised but they did contribute greatly to our national image and wealth. They also filled a large void after the war started and were given skilled jobs in return for stepping up. All information taken from: The American Identity CD www.Wikipedia.org

Marketing Plan Bo’s Coffee

INTRODUCTION Perhaps one of the most commonly traded commodities, one of the most closely monitored and understandably one of the products revered with much affection. Coffee has been an integral part of the Filipino’s life. Coffee, along with sugar and rice, is probably found in every household in the Philippines regardless of socio-economic status. Coffee has been made synonymous with morning rituals, afternoon breaks and hospitality, it would never do to run out of the deep brown brew especially when company was around. Very recently, another image of coffee was introduced into the minds of Filipinos. Coffee as a social symbol. This trend was induced by the proliferation of coffee shops where people can buy coffee and consume it in an atmosphere optimized for its ultimate enjoyment. These coffee shops have become the new temples and common houses for the public, mixing the strong brew with a hodge-podge of different sensory experiences and good vibes. This paper concentrates on the conduct of one such coffee shop. One that was the first of its kind in the South, providing for the citizens of Cebu a coffee experience akin to that abroad. Coffee Centrale, The Bean Co. Inc. , more commonly known as â€Å"Bo’s Coffee Club,† has recently set its sights on the NCR market after a successful seven-year run in the Visayas-Mindanao region. The Paper seeks to provide a bold and aggressive Marketing Plan to help the company spread its wings and assert itself as a significant player in an industry dominated by foreign franchises. The Paper is based on a Usage, Attitude and Image study to better understand what exactly people find appealing in their choice of coffee shops. It is complemented by research that is ensured accurate and up-to-date to glean valuable insight into the lives and perspectives of the target market. The researchers advise strategies shown in this Paper based on current research and careful analysis. Detailed action plans will then be presented, outlining how each of these operational strategies can be fulfilled with the greatest positive financial and competitive benefit to the subject firm.

Persuading the Teacher to let me do my Research Paper on Prison Essay

Abstract The United States is currently face up an overcrowding crisis in its prisons today. Increased rate of hatred and the refusal by the relevant state regimen to expand the number of punitive facilities has ascribe a strain to the knowing prisons. This has been tardily been revisited in the raceal forums with c entirelys from the concerned stakeholders to destination the perspective before it gets out of hand. Overcrowding gibe to prison authorities has reached peak levels to an completion that inmates are forced to share cells. The prejudicial impacts of overcrowding are known and they include ill bequeath and a higher likelihood of illness spreading (Paulus, P et al 112). This situation needs to be arrested. at that place exist many strategies on the table that gutter be used to curb overcrowding. These would ambit from building new facilities, alternative correctional methods and proper designs of the correctional facilities. (www.johnhoward.ab.ca). The pur pose of this inadequate essay is to apply all the compelling and writing schools acquired, use them to convince my instructor on why I should be allowed to tackle the above topic. In this paper, I shall look at the re mentions that are theyre touching on this topic, and use them to arrange a solid case and site regarding the topic. This all is meant to prove to my instructor that this is a topic worthy tackling and that I am the right person.The possible thesis disputation for the essay will be The federal brass should allocate adequate resources to facilitate the problem of overcrowding in our prisons. This thesis statement emanates form a personal touch sensation and strong conviction that the situation as it stands in our prisons breeds more problem that it seeks to solve. The government has a key duty to succeed essential services to all the citizens of this nation in spite of the status in life. The inmates are no lesser piece beings than us ad deserve all the reso urces possible to make their stay in prison meaningful. There are ii very peculiar(prenominal) reasons that have moved(p) my intense interest group of covering this specific topic. The depression is my background and secondly is my interest in championing for human rights. Having been born and bred in a crime prone milieu I have a first hand experience with criminals and a rectify understanding of why people cocker in crime. The political, cordial and economical factors that tin lead to crime. The prisons are supposed to be correctional facilities and not to excessively punish and waste the potentials possessed by the inmates. In writing this research paper I intend to utilize a pear-shaped number of resources. The Internet and the library will provide a good source of information on overcrowding. Goggle educatee for causa has dowers of articles covering this topic. For example an article by Anne Bolduc our move prisons provides utilitarian insights (Pg 45-57). From the library, a book by Stephen D, et al (Americas correctional crisis, Pg 12-56) focuses on the topic. There will be supplemented by otherwise journal articles and materials from the web. This is an interesting topic and I plan to invest a lot of my time to expound more on the existing information.Works CitedPaulus, P, Cox V & McCain, G Death rates, Psychiatric commitments, business line pressure and perceived crowding as a function of institutional crowding. environmental psychology and non-verbal behavior, 3, 1978. 107-116 prison overcrowding. John Howard ships company of Alberta, 1996. Retrieved on 21/09/07 from http//www.johnward.ab.ca/pub/c42.htmAnne Bulduc. Our crowded prisons, animals of the American academy of political and social science. 1985, 45-57Stephen D. Gottfredson, Sean McConville. Americas Correctional Crisis. Prison populations and public policy. Greenwood Press, 1987, 12-56