Free Essays on American Economics

Most of the problems of the United states are related to the economy. One of the major issues facing the country today is social security. The United States was one of the last major industrialized nations to establish a social security system. In 1911, Wisconsin passed the first state workers compensation law to be held constitutional. At that time, most Americans believed the government should not have to care for the aged, disabled or needy. But such attitudes changed during the Great Depression in the 1930's. In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act. This law became the basis of the U.S. social insurance system. It provided cash benefits to only retired workers in commerce or industry. In 1939, Congress amended the act to benefit and dependent children of retired workers and widows and children of deceased workers . In 1950, the act began to cover many farm and domestic workers, non professional self employed workers, and many state and municipal employees. Coverage became nearly universal in 1956, when lawyers and other professional workers came under the system. Social security is a government program that helps workers and retired workers and their families achieve a degree of economic security. Social security also called social insurance (Robertson p. 33), provides cash payments to help replace income lost as a result of retirement, unemployment, disability, or death. The program also helps pay the cost of medical care for people age 65 or older and for some disabled workers. About one-sixth of the people in the United States receive social security benefits. People become eligible to receive benefits by working in a certain period in a job covered by social security. Employers and workers finance the program through payroll taxes. Participation in the social security system is required for about 95 percent of all U.S. workers. Social security d... Free Essays on American Economics Free Essays on American Economics Most of the problems of the United states are related to the economy. One of the major issues facing the country today is social security. The United States was one of the last major industrialized nations to establish a social security system. In 1911, Wisconsin passed the first state workers compensation law to be held constitutional. At that time, most Americans believed the government should not have to care for the aged, disabled or needy. But such attitudes changed during the Great Depression in the 1930's. In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act. This law became the basis of the U.S. social insurance system. It provided cash benefits to only retired workers in commerce or industry. In 1939, Congress amended the act to benefit and dependent children of retired workers and widows and children of deceased workers . In 1950, the act began to cover many farm and domestic workers, non professional self employed workers, and many state and municipal employees. Coverage became nearly universal in 1956, when lawyers and other professional workers came under the system. Social security is a government program that helps workers and retired workers and their families achieve a degree of economic security. Social security also called social insurance (Robertson p. 33), provides cash payments to help replace income lost as a result of retirement, unemployment, disability, or death. The program also helps pay the cost of medical care for people age 65 or older and for some disabled workers. About one-sixth of the people in the United States receive social security benefits. People become eligible to receive benefits by working in a certain period in a job covered by social security. Employers and workers finance the program through payroll taxes. Participation in the social security system is required for about 95 percent of all U.S. workers. Social security d...

Useful Guide To a Composition Essay Writing

Useful Guide To a Composition Essay Writing Before explaining how to write a composition, it is worth to be aware of its simple difference from an essay. The idea of the latter is concentrated on a particular thing or character, while composition’s themes go far beyond the frames that define the essay and even could have an abstract subject. Nevertheless, there are also some recommendations on how to write a well-structured and easy-read composition. The process of writing an essay can be represented as a chain or a sequence of individual elements, stages, and operations. The student may divide the whole process for a few phases – preparation, composing and structuring, finishing. That’s what this composition essay writing guide is all about. Preparation Defining the format of the composition is essential at the very beginning. The most popular forms include: ‘For and against’ is a composition essay, in which the main part represents an equal number of â€Å"against† and â€Å"for† arguments supported by the evidence or examples. A parity of ideas on both sides is vital for creating a balanced position, and the student’s opinion is expressed only in the results part. ‘Personal Opinion’ is a type of composition essay where the author expresses his/her position on a given topic, and the central part contains the justification of such an opinion and examples. ‘Problems and Solutions’. In this type of composition essay the author describes the vision of a particular problem, how to solve it, and its consequences. After the format is defined, there go the brainstorm and selection processes. Brainstorming is everything that comes to mind on the subject is recorded. At this stage, it is crucial to develop the mindset and generate a sufficient number of ideas. Some ideas are selected from the previous notes made by the method of annotation. The focus is set on those ideas that are directly related to the topic. For example, in case of â€Å"for and against,† the concepts could be conveniently written in two columns, where the student simultaneously records the evidence (or arguments) and keeps the ideas â€Å"for† equal to the number of â€Å"against.† Annotating, especially during reading, is a strategic intellectual skill, rather than an uncomplicated mechanical presentation of the author’s thought or position. While doing the annotating, the student selects the relevant material and develops his/her understanding of the theoretical views and empirical data, in other words facts of the kind that either confirm or refute the idea. When reading texts, the student makes notes and compares one narrative piece to another, remarks the points that will be useful in subsequent work or represent some exciting and meaningful data from theoretical or empirical approaches. Composing and Structuring Before starting to write the essay, it is worth to write some outline of the draft structure and then â€Å"switch† to the writing of the first draft that might be further revised by the student or professor initiative. Outline is the creation of a plan for a future essay: the student selects ideas that will be used in the introduction, the primary part, and the results. There are about three paragraphs in the primary section, where each theory or idea is considered in the first or second sentence, and the rest of the sentences are devoted to evidence or arguments. A rough draft is writing an essay according to the plan, not forgetting about advanced grammatical constructions, sophisticated vocabulary, formal style, and word-links. Finishing Verification and final version comes when student carefully scrutinizes the written essay regarding the presence of errors and makes the corrections; he/she verifies whether all thoughts are logically linked to each other and form the necessary reader response. The Key to Write Composition Essay Writing the composition essay takes place in a short time frame, so students often choose to skip one of the stages to win time. For example, they start writing right away, hoping that the relevant ideas will appear themselves in the process of writing, or do not check the essay for errors. Naturally, illogical and inconsistent text with a large number of elementary level errors cannot get a high grade of the examiner. Nevertheless, keeping an eye on time is just as necessary in order not to leave the argument unfinished. Hence, the key to writing the right composition essay includes: the clear understanding of the requirements of the examination task; the observance of the structure of the composition and the passage of all stages of its writing; explicit time management. Choose an Interesting Topic and the Questions When choosing a topic, the student first must make sure that he/she has correctly shaped and understood it. Since the matter can be interpreted differently, there are several approaches to its coverage. Therefore, the student needs to choose one version of an interpretation or strategy to be able to substantiate his/her vision of the problem. The content of the topic can cover a wide range of issues and require the involvement of a large volume of literature. In this case, the student has the opportunity to formulate a hypothesis according to which only some aspects of this problematic issue will be illustrated in the composition (namely, it’s primary part). A student gets rid of unnecessary difficulties if he/she does not go beyond the specified range of issues. The choice and the vision of the student should be argued with appropriate evidence. Next, it is necessary to make a plan and structure based on the decision of the student about the hypothesis of work. When writing the composition, the student must remember: the number of opinions is the same as the number of people. Therefore, the author should be as objective as possible, keeping his/her position well-supported by arguments and illustrated by examples. Only then the thesis statement will avoid criticism. Besides, it might be difficult to find an illustration of literature for the separate topics; therefore, some examples from real life will be more fitting. Here are some composition essay questions and examples of illustrations: In what epoch from the past you would like to live? (Example: romantic melodrama ‘Midnight in Paris’ directed by Woody Allen, the main character is Gil Pender). Is the value of a photo has faded away with the advent of digital cameras that have allowed to make an unlimited number of photos? Should tobacco products be forbidden to sell worldwide? (Example: Bhutan became the first country to ban tobacco in 2010. â€Å"Tactical arguments†: the economies of most countries are receiving substantial excise taxes; a vast number of people smoke; thousands of farmers and industrial workers hired by tobacco companies will lose their jobs in the event of a ban. The arguments â€Å"against†: tobacco accelerates aging, primarily the skin of hands and face; it promotes faster appearance of wrinkles and jaundice; the owners of monopoly companies earn crazy money from the sale of tobacco; the smokers provoke the most of fire cases in the United States; about a thousand citizens die annually as a result of fires from the cigarette butts; tobacco causes the cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, and the increase in blood pressure which ultimately leads to diabetes, heart attack, or infarction). Is there a friendship between a boy and a girl? What is the effect of gadgets on your learning during the lesson? (Example: Microsoft’s founder and owner Bill Gates forbade their children from using phones until they reached the age of fourteen). Do people who have committed brutal crimes deserve the death penalty? (Example: One of the most famous serial killers of the Soviet Union, Andrei Chikatilo, was executed in 1994. The sentence was read to him for almost an entire day; he was found guilty of more than sixty-five murders in which most of the victims are children. However, before he was arrested, two innocent people were executed as suspects sentenced for the crime that not they but Chikatilo committed). Is it necessary to adhere Grammar rules in spelling and punctuation in an Internet message or SMS? (Example: Read who is referred as â€Å"Grammar Nazi†). Classic Structuring and Logics There is also some logic to adhere to get perfect results: Statement (clear position). The thesis is the student’s direct answer to the topic question (if not, he/she must formulate the question by himself/herself). When formatting the thesis, it is worth to use the keywords given in the topic. Proof (convincing explanation in the arguments). The student gives at least two compelling indications that defend the thesis. Remember: the examples should correspond to the number of arguments. Explanation (illustration of evidence in the examples). The student provides information from a reliable source in the illustration. Each instance proves a separate argument. It is worth to remember that in the example the student must clearly explain how it illustrates the argument and, hence, the thesis. What Makes Examples Essential? Examples in work are needed to illustrate the thoughts, to show that the reasoning is justified, that something similar has already been said about the matter (for example, about a work of art) or it has already been happening with someone in real life. In the examples, the student has the opportunity to explain in more detail what is meant by the arguments and, finally, the thesis. A good argument is always based on an example. Illustrative examples give weight to the arguments, make them â€Å"stronger,† and protect against criticism of opponents. There must be at least two types of examples in the product: An example of fiction or other arts (cinematic, fine art, theatrical, and musical). An example is a historical fact or a case of socio-political or personal life. Examples, like arguments, must be convincing; the facts presented in them interesting, objective, fully illuminated, authentic, and unambiguous. Some Tips for Picking the Ideal Examples for Composition Essay Writing With the insertion of arguments into the text, the examples should acquire a specific linguistic design. Therefore, first of all, the student has to indicate that now there will follow an example/ sample/illustration of the problem that he/she have been talking about in the argument. An example is always a fact taken from a reliable source. Frequently, when the composition essay is related to the art subjects, the examples are particularly necessary for visualizing the thought. Therefore, it is important to note all the data about this composition and not to make mistakes. Next is the scheme how to pick and substantiate the illustrative examples in composition: The motivation of example (1 sentence, might be included in the previous one). This element of the example is the most important. It depends on how many points the student insert in his/her work. To motivate the example means to explain how it illustrates an argument. It can be done in the first introductory sentence or the next paragraphs. Explanation of the image / problems (3-4 sentences). In the following sentences, it is worth to reveal an artistic image that illustrates the argument. The student explains in detail how the hero chosen by him/her represents a model of the problem raised in the argument. There is no need to tell the full story of the book. Citation (1 sentence). If there is no such element in the example, no points will be removed. But still, if the student remembers the relevant (!) quote from the analyzed work, it is worth it to indicate it. Mini-conclusion (1 sentence). Successful completion of the example is a sentence in which the student will once again return to the illustrated argument and summarize the issue. It does not interfere with the logical transition to the next paragraph of the composition. For instance: Topic: Every society has its music, painting, and literature. The different types of art exist since the very human creation. It is characterized by a rich history. Besides, what is the most important art for the society and the individual? Thesis: I am fully convinced that art is an important factor in the positive development of both an individual and a society as a whole. Bonus Information from Our Expert Writers: How to train yourself in writing the composition? To remember the structure of the composition well, it is necessary to practice the writing of its parts. It is worth considering the plan/outline before writing any composition essay. The student should not be afraid of this word: it does not look like the typical plan for a summary. It will turn into a short composition with approximately seven sentences that thoroughly cover the author’s position. Such mini-composition essays are recommended to write daily (trying to fit in five minutes) to refine the logic of the statement. Composition essay example: minimal guidance Mini-text with Displayed Problem. Quite often people can hear the idea that it is worth talking â€Å"in his/her language† with a rough and unskilled person because he/she does not understand the other approach. At the same time, many believe that when we start â€Å"playing† with such people in relationships by their rules, we will not be different from them anymore. Questions for The Theme. How to deal with disobedience and dishonesty of another person? Requirements for Writing. Formulate the thesis, present two or three convincing arguments that will confirm the opinion. Illustrate the thoughts with references to examples of fiction or other types of art (indicate the author and the title of the work; note the problem raised by the artist and the artistic image through which problem is solved; quote from the literary piece), historical facts or occasions. Do not retell the content of the artwork and do not give a full description of the images. Formulate the conclusions. We do hope that these composition essay writing tips are of use to you!

PESTEL analysis of Quick Service Restaurant and identify the key economic and social factors within that environment. The WritePass Journal

PESTEL analysis of Quick Service Restaurant and identify the key economic and social factors within that environment. PESTEL analysis of Quick Service Restaurant and identify the key economic and social factors within that environment. IntroductionSOCIAL FACTORS   REFERENCESRelated v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Introduction Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} PART A: Undertake an analysis of the environment in which your organization (or one with which you are familiar) is operating and identify the key economic and social factors within that environment. Explain how these are likely to impact on the business strategy and operations of the organization. There is no organization that exists in isolation without an environmental interaction[AM1]  . Strategy planning in any organization will enhance competitive advantage in which the external environment needs to be well understood. To do this, there are different factors that affect business strategy and operations of an organization, though it depends on the organization and the environment they are. Since organizations are operating in a very dynamic environment, they will need to address issues relating to competitive strategy in order for them to gain competitive advantage and to maximize profit. According to Worthington et al (2004[AM2]  ,) the external environment comprises of spatially diverse influences, economic, political, legal, and social, technological which affects business activity in different ways and impact on all aspects of the transformation process of the law. Worthington et al (2004) also stated that the environment of a business organization is the totality of forces, factors, or institutions which are potentially relevant in carrying out of company’s operations; hence relationship between a business organization and its surroundings is very symbolic in nature. That is, it is two way relationships – environment interacts with organisation and vice versa. Environment analysis is an evaluation of the possible effects of an external forces and conditions on an organisation’s survival and growth strategies[AM3]  .   PESTEL (Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors) is one of the major techniques for identifying factors which impact on business organisation; some of which span more than one element – example, a mix of economic and environment though, external forces require an organisation’s response as well. Mr Biggs is one of the Quick Service Restaurant and a subsidiary of United African Company (UAC) Nigeria Plc; a very successful quick service restaurant business in sub region Africa, established in August 1986, provides the largest fast food restaurants retailers in West African countries that has 180 branches in Nigeria and have spread over to Accra, Ghana with many branches in 2003.   In scanning the environment in which Mr Biggs operate, the economic and social factors will be closely looked at. Boddy (2008) highlighted economic factors as having serious effect on the business organisation, some of the key factors being interest rate, inflation, recession, corporation tax, VAT, GDP.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Inflation is the persistent increase in the general prices of goods and services† Wyplosz and Burda, (1997). BOGOF(Buy-one-Get-One-Free) which is one of the strategies used by Mr Biggs, can be affected by inflation. Inflation aid in increasing suppliers costs, which inversely push up the prices of Mr Biggs products hence. This trend will in turn affect the general operations of Mr Biggs in sales, in that sales will drop due to the increase in prices.     Also, interest rate which is the rate at which company pays on their loans, affects the business. Generally, the higher the interest rate, the lower the company borrows.This will affect the operations and strategy of Mr Biggs in that the cash flow needed to augment the day-to-day activities like paying wages, restocking etc, will be affected to a large extent. The company strategy will also  Ã‚   change to securing a low cost supplier, which normally implies compromising the quality of products supplied. High unemployment rate can have adverse effects on Mr Biggs sales for it will affect the purchasing power of the buyers and thereby reduce the effective demands for their products.   Mr Biggs strategy will be forced to switch to strategies that will encourage repeated purchases from existing customers. This will mean management absorbing the cost of most operations; hence this will have a multiplier effect of reducing profit. These economic factors are largely outside the control of the company, but their outcome on performances and the marketing mix can be profound. SOCIAL FACTORS   These includes population changes, aging population, differences in national culture and health issues. People are more conscious of health; their consumption attitude is changing drastically for they have freewill to choose. Mr Biggs, being a socially responsible member of the community in Africa; they support schools – both secondary and tertiary institutions in their social programs. Everyday of the year, Mr Biggs always make something exciting happening because of their creating relationships. By supporting young people in schools, it create more social intimacy between Mr Biggs and the students for younger people tends to visit the restaurants more than the aged ones because they have higher consumption power than the older ones. It is on record that Mr Biggs gives out bursary to poor students from Primary, Secondary, Polytechnic and University levels. It[AM4]   is noted, that younger people have power and more access to online shopping than the older ones. The types of food demand by the consumers are constantly changing because they are more aware of health issues. Mr Biggs believes in creating relationships, they usually do something to improve the lives of their immediate communities every week or every other day even if it is just a ‘smile that we put on somebody’s face’; this start from their security officers to the top managers. The Core purpose and values define how Mr Biggs do its business, how they value and treat their customers. Their responsibilities are well defined and perfected to meet the needs of communities where their business operates and strengthened the relationship between them and the environment in which their business strategy continues to deliver strong results. Their philosophy of â€Å"have a bigg experience† expresses these wide-ranging responsibilities. They recognise their impact on society and are trying to sustain the benefit they bring to society. Whatever they do, the principle of treating ‘customers as a king’ is highly imbibed in Mr Biggs for they put their customers at the heart of everything they do. Conclusively, Armstrong, (2008[AM5]  ) opined â€Å"companies need to be good to customers to gain sustainability which means environmental and community stewardship. It also needs permission from government to operate within the confines and the organisation would get a good status†. Beyond reasonable doubt, Mr Biggs satisfy the opinion of Armstrong school of thought as it has recorded tremendous growth and remarkable success through its total commitment to the satisfaction of its teeming customers. This is helping this organisation in no small way as it is becoming the main issue in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa in Quick Service Restaurant Business. Mr Biggs has been enjoining good patronage in its environment and they have been giving back to the society that shot them to limelight in form of their welfare package. By this, it will strengthen and sustain the relationship between Mr Biggs and its environment. Part B: Explain how the business strategy and operations might change in order to respond effectively to the factors that you have outlined in Part A. Drucker, (1999[AM6]  ) defines strategy as â€Å"†¦purpose is to enable an organisation to achieve its desired results in an unpredictable environment. For strategy allows an organisation to be purposefully opportunistic.† Business strategy encourages great success and develops to monitor the progress of an organisation by taking into consideration the customer’s interest as well as shareholders and employees. In the view of Burnes, (2009[AM7]  ) â€Å"Strategy is an act of maintaining the position of sustainable competitive advantage in the environment where business organisation operates.† Strategic approach to be deployed by organisation is based on the managerial choice within their limit in terms of national, organisational and environmental factors. An organisation that is profit oriented can only achieved their aims when they motivate and stimulate their employees. This will help them to perform more effectively and efficiently towards achieving p rofitability and organisational goals and objectives. Most organisations are trying to improve and review strategy frequently as there is a rising need if organisation would want to gain competitive advantage. In Nigeria, the environment is very unstable and in year 2003; Mr Biggs embark on franchising in order to respond effectively to the volatile environment where it is to enhance its stipulated goals. Besides they continually updated their strategy to compete with their competitors and based on their quality stuff, it makes it more outstanding among their competitors like Tantalizer Restaurant and The Chicken Restaurant. Strategy could be initiated to enhance business breakthrough in a very volatile business competitive environment. In this regard, Mr Biggs involves modern machines by the dictates of technological evolution to meet challenges that may come up as a result of change in customers taste. It is very important for a company to have an idea of its competitors’ strengths and weaknesses together with their characteristics. This will help them in planning and updating their strategies – for instance, making their products a unique one such as differentiation in pricing and products design. Most organisations used to compare their prices with their competitors, having comparism site like â€Å"Go Compare† make it easier for customers to make their choice. Where organisations expand externally, vertical integration needs to be encouraged. Mr Biggs is planning for expansion to two different countries in 2011 including UK as per on-going discussion with UK firms (Businessday, Dec.14 2010). Rodger and Mac Culloch, (2001) opined that â€Å"firms develop through internal growth and in appropriate circumstances.† This is true because organisation is in total control of all units of production and they can do substantially without borrowing with the supp ort and cooperation of all departments. This will bring a sustainable help during unexpected high interest rates. This will increase and controls the business profit margins, reduce cost of transportation and improve the supply channel and also creates barriers to competitors. Mr Biggs, being the biggest fast food business in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa embarking on rebranding process aimed at delivery as much they spend on increased value to its customers (Businessday, 2010). Mr Biggs was voted as the most trusted fast food brand in year 2010 in Nigeria due to their excellent strategies and performances.   Strategy Reassessment – Mullins (2003) is of the view that â€Å"in today’s fast-changing world, strategy reassessment may happen much more quickly, as competitive and technological developments cause firms to quickly change their entire strategies and business models.† This is based on periodic assessment either quarterly or annually whereby companies evaluate their performances in line with the external environment. Mr Biggs used to reassess their performances in intervals, for instance, they are trying as much as possible to involve new marketing strategy that is in tune with the dynamic nature of business globally. Additionally, Porter (1980) in Boddy, (2008) identified three types of generic strategies among which Mr Biggs adopted by focusing on corporate customers, families, adults and children by fully involve in schools social functions and every children from kindergarten to higher institutions, for example Universities. Little kids identify their big ‘B’ logo and forces their parents to the restaurant all the time. Apart from this, they utilises differentiation strategy by standardize their products and make it of higher quality than their competitors. Though some customers are not bothering about how much they spend on quality, but all they really concern about is to get quality products. Mr Biggs always produce quality foods that meet International Standard Organisation requirement for human consumption – that are hygienic and nourishing to promote good and healthy living.   In conclusion, business strategy, operations plus activities in Mr Biggs are being affected by austerity measure, government budget review – that affect the purchasing power of consumers; population change, different national culture, government budget review, change in consumers’ taste, modernisation (technological evolution). These require the business to change their strategies in order to take advantage of the opportunity and respond to the challenges within the business environment. An articulated and integrated strategy must be in continuous use and part of it be preserved as this will go a long way in providing organisation with the treasure of strategy and reserved techniques that germane to the enhancement of the organisational goals and the environment, (Emphasis mine).   REFERENCES Armstrong, M. (2008) Strategic Human Resources Management: A Guide to Action. 4th Edition. London and Philadelphia. Boddy, D. (2008). Management: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Harlow: Financial- Times Prentice Hall. Burnes, B. (2009). Managing Change: A strategic Approach to organisational Dynamics. 5th Edition. Harlow: Financial Times-Prentice Hall. Businessday (2010): How Mr Bigg’s Nigeria plans to compete in European market. Retrieved from www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index. Drucker, P.F (1999) Management Challenges for the 21st Century. Great Britain: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. mrbiggsonline.com/ Pettinger, R. and Frith R. (2000) Mastering Organisational Behaviour. London: Macmillan Press Ltd. Rodger B.J and Mac Culloch, A. (2001) Competition Law and Policy in the EC and UK. London and Sydney: Second Edition: Cavendish Publishing Limited. Mullins, Walker, and Boyd. (2003) Marketing. 3rd Edition. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill. Worthington, I., Briton, C. and Rees, A. (2004) Economics for Business: Blending Theory in Practice. UK: 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall. Wyplosz, C. and Burda, M. (1997). Macroeconomic. 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press. v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} There is no organisation that exists in isolation without an environmental interaction[AM1]  . Strategy planning in any organisation will enhance competitive advantage in which the external environment needs to be well understood. To do this, there are different factors that affect business strategy and operations of an organisation, though it depends on the organisation and the environment they are. Since organisations are operating in a very dynamic environment, they will need to address issues relating to competitive strategy in order for them to gain competitive advantage and to maximise profit. According to Worthington et al (2004[AM2]  ,) the external environment comprises of spatially diverse influences, economic, political, legal, and social, technological which affects business activity in different ways and impact on all aspects of the transformation process of the law. Worthington et al (2004) also stated that the environment of a business organisation is the totality of forces, factors, or institutions which are potentially relevant in carrying out of company’s operations; hence relationship between a business organisation and its surroundings is very symbolic in nature. That is, it is two way relationships – environment interacts with organisation and vice versa.    Environment analysis is an evaluation of the possible effects of an external forces and conditions on an organisation’s survival and growth strategies[AM3]  .   PESTEL (Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors) is one of the major techniques for identifying factors which impact on business organisation; some of which span more than one element – example, a mix of economic and environment though, external forces require an organisation’s response as well.    Mr Biggs is one of the Quick Service Restaurant and a subsidiary of United African Company (UAC) Nigeria Plc; a very successful quick service restaurant business in sub region Africa, established in August 1986, provides the largest fast food restaurants retailers in West African countries that has 180 branches in Nigeria and have spread over to Accra, Ghana with many branches in 2003.    In scanning the environment in which Mr Biggs operate, the economic and social factors will be closely looked at.    Boddy (2008) highlighted economic factors as having serious effect on the business organisation, some of the key factors being interest rate, inflation, recession, corporation tax, VAT, GDP.      Ã¢â‚¬Å"Inflation is the persistent increase in the general prices of goods and services† Wyplosz and Burda, (1997). BOGOF(Buy-one-Get-One-Free) which is one of the strategies used by Mr Biggs, can be affected by inflation. Inflation aid in increasing suppliers costs, which inversely push up the prices of Mr Biggs products hence. This trend will in turn affect the general operations of Mr Biggs in sales, in that sales will drop due to the increase in prices.        Also, interest rate which is the rate at which company pays on their loans, affects the business. Generally, the higher the interest rate, the lower the company borrows.This will affect the operations and strategy of Mr Biggs in that the cash flow needed to augment the day-to-day activities like paying wages, restocking etc, will be affected to a large extent. The company strategy will also  Ã‚   change to securing a low cost supplier, which normally implies compromising the quality of products supplied.    High unemployment rate can have adverse effects on Mr Biggs sales for it will affect the purchasing power of the buyers and thereby reduce the effective demands for their products.   Mr Biggs strategy will be forced to switch to strategies that will encourage repeated purchases from existing customers. This will mean management absorbing the cost of most operations; hence this will have a multiplier effect of reducing profit.    These economic factors are largely outside the control of the company, but their outcome on performances and the marketing mix can be profound.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SOCIAL FACTORS – These includes population changes, aging population, differences in national culture and health issues. People are more conscious of health; their consumption attitude is changing drastically for they have freewill to choose. Mr Biggs, being a socially responsible member of the community in Africa; they support schools – both secondary and tertiary institutions in their social programs. Everyday of the year, Mr Biggs always make something exciting happening because of their creating relationships. By supporting young people in schools, it create more social intimacy between Mr Biggs and the students for younger people tends to visit the restaurants more than the aged ones because they have higher consumption power than the older ones. It is on record that Mr Biggs gives out bursary to poor students from Primary, Secondary, Polytechnic and University levels. It[AM4]   is noted, that younger people have power and more access to online s hopping than the older ones. The types of food demand by the consumers are constantly changing because they are more aware of health issues. Mr Biggs believes in creating relationships, they usually do something to improve the lives of their immediate communities every week or every other day even if it is just a ‘smile that we put on somebody’s face’; this start from their security officers to the top managers. The    Core purpose and values define how Mr Biggs do its business, how they value and treat their customers. Their responsibilities are well defined and perfected to meet the needs of communities where their business operates and strengthened the relationship between them and the environment in which their business strategy continues to deliver strong results. Their philosophy of â€Å"have a bigg experience† expresses these wide-ranging responsibilities. They recognise their impact on society and are trying to sustain the benefit they bring to society. Whatever they do, the principle of treating ‘customers as a king’ is highly imbibed in Mr Biggs for they put their customers at the heart of everything they do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusively, Armstrong, (2008[AM5]  ) opined â€Å"companies need to be good to customers to gain sustainability which means environmental and community stewardship. It also needs permission from government to operate within the confines and the organisation would get a good status†. Beyond reasonable doubt, Mr Biggs satisfy the opinion of Armstrong school of thought as it has recorded tremendous growth and remarkable success through its total commitment to the satisfaction of its teeming customers. This is helping this organisation in no small way as it is becoming the main issue in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa in Quick Service Restaurant Business. Mr Biggs has been enjoining good patronage in its environment and they have been giving back to the society that shot them to limelight in form of their welfare package. By this, it will strengthen and sustain the relationship between Mr Biggs and its environment.                Part B: Explain how the business strategy and operations might change in order to respond effectively to the factors that you have outlined in Part A.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Drucker, (1999[AM6]  ) defines strategy as â€Å"†¦purpose is to enable an organisation to achieve its desired results in an unpredictable environment. For strategy allows an organisation to be purposefully opportunistic.† Business strategy encourages great success and develops to monitor the progress of an organisation by taking into consideration the customer’s interest as well as shareholders and employees. In the view of Burnes, (2009[AM7]  ) â€Å"Strategy is an act of maintaining the position of sustainable competitive advantage in the environment where business organisation operates.† Strategic approach to be deployed by organisation is based on the managerial choice within their limit in terms of national, organisational and environmental factors. An organisation that is profit oriented can only achieved their aims when they motivate and stimulate their employees. This will help them to perform more effectively and effici ently towards achieving profitability and organisational goals and objectives. Most organisations are trying to improve and review strategy frequently as there is a rising need if organisation would want to gain competitive advantage.    In Nigeria, the environment is very unstable and in year 2003; Mr Biggs embark on franchising in order to respond effectively to the volatile environment where it is to enhance its stipulated goals. Besides they continually updated their strategy to compete with their competitors and based on their quality stuff, it makes it more outstanding among their competitors like Tantalizer Restaurant and The Chicken Restaurant. Strategy could be initiated to enhance business breakthrough in a very volatile business competitive environment. In this regard, Mr Biggs involves modern machines by the dictates of technological evolution to meet challenges that may come up as a result of change in customers taste.   Ã‚      It is very important for a company to have an idea of its competitors’ strengths and weaknesses together with their characteristics. This will help them in planning and updating their strategies – for instance, making their products a unique one such as differentiation in pricing and products design. Most organisations used to compare their prices with their competitors, having comparism site like â€Å"Go Compare† make it easier for customers to make their choice. Where organisations expand externally, vertical integration needs to be encouraged. Mr Biggs is planning for expansion to two different countries in 2011 including UK as per on-going discussion with UK firms (Businessday, Dec.14 2010). Rodger and Mac Culloch, (2001) opined that â€Å"firms develop through internal growth and in appropriate circumstances.† This is true because organisation is in total control of all units of production and they can do substantially without borrowing with the support and cooperation of all departments. This will bring a sustainable help during unexpected high interest rates. This will increase and controls the business profit margins, reduce cost of transportation and improve the supply channel and also creates barriers to competitors. Mr Biggs, being the biggest fast food business in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa embarking on rebranding process aimed at delivery as much they spend on increased value to its customers (Businessday, 2010). Mr Biggs was voted as the most trusted fast food brand in year 2010 in Nigeria due to their excellent strategies and performances.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strategy Reassessment – Mullins (2003) is of the view that â€Å"in today’s fast-changing world, strategy reassessment may happen much more quickly, as competitive and technological developments cause firms to quickly change their entire strategies and business models.† This is based on periodic assessment either quarterly or annually whereby companies evaluate their performances in line with the external environment. Mr Biggs used to reassess their performances in intervals, for instance, they are trying as much as possible to involve new marketing strategy that is in tune with the dynamic nature of business globally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additionally, Porter (1980) in Boddy, (2008) identified three types of generic strategies among which Mr Biggs adopted by focusing on corporate customers, families, adults and children by fully involve in schools social functions and every children from kindergarten to higher institutions, for example Universities. Little kids identify their big ‘B’ logo and forces their parents to the restaurant all the time. Apart from this, they utilises differentiation strategy by standardize their products and make it of higher quality than their competitors. Though some customers are not bothering about how much they spend on quality, but all they really concern about is to get quality products. Mr Biggs always produce quality foods that meet International Standard Organisation requirement for human consumption – that are hygienic and nourishing to promote good and healthy living.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     In conclusion, business strategy, operations plus activities in Mr Biggs are being affected by austerity measure, government budget review – that affect the purchasing power of consumers; population change, different national culture, government budget review, change in consumers’ taste, modernisation (technological evolution). These require the business to change their strategies in order to take advantage of the opportunity and respond to the challenges within the business environment. An articulated and integrated strategy must be in continuous use and part of it be preserved as this will go a long way in providing organisation with the treasure of strategy and reserved techniques that germane to the enhancement of the organisational goals and the environment, (Emphasis mine).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      REFERENCES    Armstrong, M. (2008) Strategic Human Resources Management: A Guide to Action. 4th Edition. London and Philadelphia.    Boddy, D. (2008). Management: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Harlow: Financial- Times Prentice Hall.    Burnes, B. (2009). Managing Change: A strategic Approach to organisational Dynamics. 5th Edition. Harlow: Financial Times-Prentice Hall.    Businessday (2010): How Mr Bigg’s Nigeria plans to compete in European market. Retrieved from www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.    Drucker, P.F (1999) Management Challenges for the 21st Century. Great Britain: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.    mrbiggsonline.com/    Pettinger, R. and Frith R. (2000) Mastering Organisational Behaviour. London: Macmillan Press Ltd.    Rodger B.J and Mac Culloch, A. (2001) Competition Law and Policy in the EC and UK. London and Sydney: Second Edition: Cavendish Publishing Limited.    Mullins, Walker, and Boyd. (2003) Marketing. 3rd Edition. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill.    Worthington, I., Briton, C. and Rees, A. (2004) Economics for Business: Blending Theory in Practice. UK: 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall.    Wyplosz, C. and Burda, M. (1997). Macroeconomic. 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press.   [AM1]This seems to be a bold statement with no theoretical underpinning. You always need to back up your statements with what an author(s) have said.   [AM2]   [AM3]   [AM4]You will need to support your statements with   evidence from an article, journal or so please   [AM5]Page no please   [AM6]Page no   [AM7]Page no Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Blog about Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Blog about Public Relations - Essay Example This is what ethics commands. But take for instance one would like to get votes from people and yet his score card is very low. He or she might resort to propaganda as a PR tool. He will boast of projects he or she did not initiate and in the end people might trust him. The politicians might also say false information about their opponents in order to gain political mileage. Though unethical it might lower the PR of the opponent. Governments may also resort to unethical means in order to maintain their PR. They may promise things they know they cannot fulfill. For example, the government may promise to employ all its citizens in the period of about three years when it well knows this is not possible. This would be propaganda which is unethical but it really works in most cases. Ethics means doing the right thing. Every government or organizations needs to employ ethics in its undertakings in order to raise their public relations. Public relation is how an individual, organization, or government is perceived by others. It is a communication tool. Some individuals, organizations have resorted to propaganda in order to raise their public relations but this discussion argues otherwise (Moloney, 2006). It is important to give the right information in order to raise your public relations. Let us for example take a business organization. The business may try to give false information about their products in order to realize higher sales. This might work at the start but as people realize they might shun away from such a business. This will lower the public image of such an organization. It is just important to do everything ethically in the business and this will help raise your business PR (Campbell and Scaife, 1998). Governments must also do the right things in order to raise their PR. A government may fool its citizens once, twice but not forever. Once the people

Lesson Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lesson Plan - Assignment Example This study aims: This section of the study as aimed would bring out the possibility of having the children understand the basics of sun activities. To do so, a history on how the sun positions had been predicted by ancient groups of people and how these particular activities actually helped them to tell the time of the day. The history on the use of Stonehenge could be cited alongside this particular discussion. To make the discussion more interactive, through the help of modern technology, a presentation on how and where the sun rises and sun sets would very much help in the explanations. [a perfect source for this is the presentation shown in Astronomy.com: http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspxc=a&id=2270] Since the lecture would last for 15 minutes, the educator is expected to make most of the time, keeping the attention of the children towards the subject through making the presentations rather interesting on the part of the students. Objectives: this section of the lesson plan shall enable the students experience the positioning of the sun as it rises and as it sets on their own personal noting. To be able to do so, the teacher shall give the students a chance to get out during the first day of the lesson and go to their own appointed groups, plan for the process they are to take, appoint individuals to certain tasks and proceed with the process for the next three days as part of both their homework and their class activity. Materials Needed: Note pads/ Chart record Film for eye protection on observing the sun Activities: Depending on the size of the class catered to, the teacher shall divide the children into several groups that would best fit their number. After the groups are formed, they would be instructed to go out and set their own place in the grounds, have that area marked and they would observe the sun from there. Since the time when children are allowed to stay in the school territories is limited, the teacher shall ask if it would be possible for the students to keep their records with them and based from that record, they would be asked to preempt the next positions of the sun during the rest of the day, which includes both the sunset and sunrise. For a three day period, observation of the sun would be pursued. At the end of the third day, the students are to be asked to collect their completed data so as to have them prepared for a presentation on the fourth day of the lesson. PART 3: Presentations of Understanding Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes Type of Teaching: Group Presentations Objectives: To help the children see the situations happening on the sun and why these things happen in their own ways, through their own

Risk Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk Assessment - Essay Example Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Body Table 1.0 III. Conclusion IV. References Introduction: It is without question that the risks facing children on the World Wide Web are expansive. The risks associated with chat rooms and strangers on the internet have been the cause for many law enforcement investigations and new protocols and restrictions towards what minors can and cannot do on the internet. Likewise, even secondary schools have been instituting policies which ban educators from â€Å"friending† their own students on social networking sites due to the perceived risk and liability that this entails. However, although the risks to children online and more specifically in social networking are vast, growing, and varied, few studies have attempted to present what risks are the most prescient and to what extent. This type of analysis is beneficial in determining proper policies and procedures in order to mitigate these risks. As such, this brief analysis will make a curs ory review of the risks associated with social networking as it applies to children and then construct a risk assessment of these threats in order to more succinctly describe the threats that children face in the social networking sphere. ... Accordingly, the levels of restrictions that users can chose to set regarding what information is shared/distributed with others is at the prerogative of the user. However, children are unlikely to entertain the full scope of how privacy can affect their lives. Additionally, the decision of what to share, what not to share, to what extent to share, and who to share it with is also likely not a cognitive ability that children will fully grasp the significance of (White, 2012). Without question, privacy is an issue that affects all users; however, with respect to children, the danger is specifically high. For purposes of this analysis, privacy concerns (as they relate to children on social networking) have been labeled a high overall risk. This is due to the fact that privacy violation and over sharing are so expansive as well as the fact the severity associated with that risk exceeds the category of privacy itself. With respect to privacy, the threat to children online can begin and e nd with this category. If it is taken seriously, the succeeding categories are redundant; however, if not heeded at all, this privacy category is a gateway to each of the others. Regardless of the particular privacy mechanism in question, the increasing rate of identity theft, issues relating to what to share and how to share it, and the fact that privacy encompasses all of the dangers that are extant to children online makes it the most prescient issue associated with the problem. When one stops to think about it, the proper amount of online privacy will stop sexual predators from finding their victims, will hamper cyber bullying, and will serve to protect the child in most other situations. As such, privacy is the paramount concern with relation to social networking. Likewise, a

Performance Management Through Benchmarking Simulation Essay

Performance Management Through Benchmarking Simulation - Essay Example The Nursing Administrator reasoned out that there is unavailability of equipment at the floor where the patients are being treated. She said that nurses spend most of their time looking for equipment on other floors that's why patient care is affected. Because work was getting delayed, nurses are not able to check anymore if the equipments are sanitized. Sometimes improperly cleaned equipment was used. The Materials Manager suggested purchasing enough equipment to be made available for each floor. But according to the Chief Financial Officer, Lenity annually spends much to ensure sufficient equipment and he guaranteed that there is enough for hospital requirements. He advised that nurses should instead be more careful about equipment handling. I favored the assessment of Chief Financial Officer Eric Danemar concerning proper handling of equipment. That will certainly diminish the risk of nosocomial infection. I didn't think that there is a staff or equipment shortage. The dillema of the heightening nosocomial infection rate can be resolved by efficient equipment management. I also took note of the fact that the simulation concentrates on the management of medical equipment. Although I correctly identified the root cause behind the rising nosocomial infection, upon fully understanding the... ied the root cause behind the rising nosocomial infection, upon fully understanding the details from Ian Watt's explanation, I noted that I must meticulously look on the reports to guarantee decision accuracy. ESTABLISH AIRWAY 1. Which two recommendations did you make to improve the equipment management process at LHAC Why Basing my decision on available information and advice of the staff, I decided that Nurses to Return Equipment and Equipment to be Terminal Cleaned as the best mix of processes to improve the medical management system. The combination of these two options earned the highest percentage in the JCAHO Compliance Index. With a budget constraint of $300,000, I instantly rejected the use of disposable equipment from the improvement options. Although disposable equipment is cheaper and more hygienic than reusable ones, its implementation cost is the most expensive among the process improvement options. On the other hand, concerning appropriate metrics to measure the new processes, the three metrics I selected are Total Cost of Managing Equipment, Utilization versus Cleaning Log Ratio, and Equipment Incidents Resolved. This decision was based on my understanding on the Evaluating Metrics. 2. What was the outcome Mr. Watts said that I have done well by recommending the best strategy. Re-designating some of the existing hospital personnel as Inventory Clerk was definitely a great way to ensure effective equipment management at LHAC. Suggesting terminal cleaning of equipment was also a good option. I have recommended the optimal mix of process improvement options. The Chief Operating Officer was happy with my performance in this area. The new equipment management process at LHAC has been a success. Centralized inventory has solved the problem of