BUS499 MOD 1 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BUS499 MOD 1 CA - Essay Example The new management also planned to convert the organization’s 30 percent of the incremental revenue to operating profit. The company’s third goal was to double its earnings per share. On the basis of which agencies were making money for the company and which were not, the company categorized its business units into three categories namely ‘lead, drive, and prosper’ (Melter). Each agency category has been assigned with different strategic charges. The business units that had less than 50 employees and were less likely to become a gigantic agency ever were categorized as prospers. The company’s most business units fell under the prosper category. Since prosper units were not expected to attain a tremendous growth rate, the strategy chosen for this type of business unit was to achieve high profit margins. The business units that had 50-150 employees were categorized as drive agencies which were assigned with the goal of maintaining or gradually improving their revenue base in addition to expanding their margins. Finally, the largest business units like New York, UK, and China were given the lead agency status. Since lead agencies were expected to achieve rapid growth and to allocate lion’s share of the investment, the company management paid particular attention to this type of business agency. The strategy specifically created for lead agencies was to develop ‘permanently infatuated clients’ and to particularly focus on large revenue earning clients. In addition, the organization also developed several strategies that greatly related to a customer perspective. One of those strategies was to create ‘big fabulous ideas’ or BFIs that are able to â€Å"transform the businesses, brands, and reputations† of the clients (Melter). For this, the organization stated the need of an ideal environment and inspirational leadership in every unit. The firm’s key strategy was to

Explain the impact of relevant legislations Essay Example for Free

Explain the impact of relevant legislations Essay In this task I will explain the impact of relevant legislations / regulations on two types of employment contract of the company New Forrest logistics as well as analyse the impact of the legislation of the two contracts of the company. Contract 1 The key contrasting differences between the two contracts in question is that contract 1 the job title is for a secretary. Its hours of work are stated as 16 hours a week. Which means that it is part time temporary employment? While a member of time is on maternity leave. The employ will be required to be flexible with regard to the hours as he and she will work in accordance to the employers needs. The employee will be paid on an hourly basis. Being a temporary position, no pension scheme will be available to the employee. The employee will be required to complete a monthly signed timesheet as a record of the employees work schedule. No payments will be made for any unused holiday. In case of sickness for more than 3 days, in order to be entitled to statutory sick pay, the employee will need to provide a sick note, further if the employee wishes to leave before the end date he or she will need to provide a weeks’ notice. The employer two will provide the employee with one weeks’ notice of termination before the end date given in the contract, or else he has offered his/her basic salary in lieu of notice. However no notice will be provided to the employee in case of dismissal. With regard to disciplinary procedures, in case of serious problems, the employee will either be given verbal warning which will be recorded in his or her personal file (for a period of normally 6 months) or a first written warning will be given which will also be recorded in your personal file. This could then if need arose be followed by a final warning which would also be recorded in your personal file. Contract 2 The key points in contract 2 which differ from contract 1 are the job title which is that of a Personal assistant to the Managing directors. It in contrast to contract 1, it is fulltime appointment with the hours of work being 35 hours a week. The employee will be paid a salary which will be subject to revision from time to time. This job title also includes a probationary period of 3 months from the start date. As regards time keeping, it differs in that there is no need to sign in and the employee is required to have a responsible attitude towards keeping time. In contract 2 unlike contract 1, the employee is entitled to full annual holiday entitlement of 28 days exclusive of bank holidays. With regard to sickness, in contract 2 the employee will be entitled to a contractual pay for the first 6 months of any period of sickness. However the employee will need to complete a self certification form if ill for 7 days or less. If sick or 8 days or more than a medical certificate needs to obtained from the doctor. The employee in contract 2 is entitled to maternity or paternity leave. The employee will also be entitled to participate in any pension scheme operated by the company. The retirement age is stated to be 65 years. With regard to confidential information the key difference is that employee is not authorised to disclose any confidential information related to companies business affairs irrespective whether he resigns or is dismissed. Regarding Notice, the employee is entitled to one weeks’ notice after 4 week of employment. A copy of the companies’ grievance procedure is contained in the staff handbook and even the companies disciplinary and dismissal procedures are also contained within the staff handbook. The employee is required to take steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of him/her and others affected by his or her work. The employee also needs to have knowledge of fire regulations and necessary precautions. The organisation is an equal opportunity employer, thus no employee can be discriminated against on any grounds. Wage salary Contract 1: The wages for the Jobsite will be  £9.50 an hour before national insurance contributions and tax deductions. Contract 2: the employee’s salary is  £26,000 as stated in the appointment letter. This will be subject to revision from time to time. The employee will be paid monthly. According to law the main wage rate is  £6.19. Therefore it is essential for new Forrest logistics to have knowledge and awareness of different pay rates and confirm to them. Now I shall analyse the impact of the national minimum wages act 1998 on the 2 employment contracts of the company New Forrest logistics. This act is an important piece of legislation that the company is advised to follow very closely. This act sets the minimum wage levels an employee is entitled to per hour in accordance with the age group the employee falls under. The current wage of those falling under the group of 21 and above is  £6.08 and that falling under the group of 18 to 20 is equal  £4.98. This legislation will obviously have an impact on both the contracts of employment drawn by New Forrest logistics as they will have to state in the contract what wages they will pay the concerned employees. Thus they will need to ensure that they abide by the act and pay the employees the correct wages in accordance with the age group. If they violate the legislation, they will be liable legal action. Grievance procedure Contract 1: The employee will be required to comply with the grievance procedures which will be detailed in the staff hand book. Contract 2: it is stated in the contract that the employees are expected to comply with the companies’ grievance procedures, a copy of which is contained the staff handbook. The law states that if the employee is not satisfied with the decision, he or she has a right of appeal. Thus NFL needs to be aware of this in case it runs into problems. More over it is also necessary that all employees are thorough knowledge of the grievance procedure. The grievance procedure is another legislation that will impact both of these contracts. The main impact that it will have on the both the contracts is that by law the organisation will be bound to give a clear detailed grievance procedures to the employees through the staff handbook and staff intranet. Furthermore the employer will also need to be aware that if the employee is not satisfied with the decision he or she has the right to appeal and if correct remedial action is still not taken, he or she can refer the case to an employment tribunal. This legislation ensures that all procedures including appeals against grievance decision or appeals against a disciplinary or dismissal decision are clearly detailed in the staff handbook. Both the contacts abide and comply with the legislation. Holiday entitlement Contract 1: it is clearly stated in the contract that the holiday year is from 1st January to 31 December. It is also stated that payments will not be made for any unused holiday. It is further stated that any holidays must be agreed with the employer at least four weeks in advance and lastly should the employee exceed his or her holiday entitlement, it will be deducted from the final pay packet. Contract 2: also states that the holiday year runs from first January to 31 December. The employees’ full annual entitlement of 28 days exclusive of bank holidays is also clearly stated therein. It also states that all holidays must be in agreement with the company and lastly except in exceptional circumstances no more than two weeks holiday entitlement maybe taken at any one time. Health and safety Contract 1: there is no mention of health and safety in the contract. Contract 2: employees are reminded that they are responsible for observing and complying with all health and safety rules and to work at promoting health and safety at work not only for themselves but also for their fellow employees. NFL is duty bound to ensure that they comply with all health and safety rules within the workplace and to place total importance on the health and safety and the welfare of employees at work. NFL also needs to follow the health and safety act at work 1974. If NFL does not do so appropriately then they are able liable to criminal prosecution. Therefore NFL needs to put all procedures and policies in place in order to ensure that employees follow them carefully and remain safe. Maternity and paternity Contract 1: There is no mention of Maternity or Paternity in this contract. Contract 2: this contract states that an employee who is pregnant has the right to the time off with pay. The right to Paternity is set out in the Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulation 2002. The right applies to those individuals who share a sufficiently close relationship to the child or its mother. The law states that if an employee is pregnant or adopting a child she could be entitled to 56 days leave and her partner could be entitled to 2 weeks paternity leave. NFL will need to comply with this legislation. The impact of this law will be that if a man /women take this leave, they are legally entitled to their previous job role upon their return failing which she or he can appeal against the unfair dismissal in accordance with the unfair dismissal act. Confidentiality Contract 1: Information relating to the employer, the employer’s family and the employers domestic or personal circumstances is strictly confidential Contract 2: You must not disclose any confidential information relating to the business affairs of the company during your period of employment or even after you have either resigned or been dismissed. The Data Protection Act 1998 states and controls how you use the information of others with regard to businesses or the government. NFL too needs to abide by this act and to inform employees of their responsibilities in this regard. The impact of the law for this legislation for NFL is that they must ensure that all information is kept strictly confidential. Disciplinary Procedure Contract 1: Minor problems will be dealt with and resolved informally. In case of serious problems, first a verbal warning will be given and then it could be followed by a first written warning and if need still arose then a final warning could be issued after which further misconduct could lead to dismissal. Contract 2: disciplinary procedure can be found in the staff handbook, you do have the right to appeal against a disciplinary or dismissal decision, the procedure for which is detailed in the disciplinary and dismissal procedures. The impact of this legislation is that NFL needs to make sure in case of dismissal of an employee that all disciplinary and dismissal procedures have been duly observed and complied with. Termination of contract Contract 1: you will be provided with one weeks’ notice of termination before the end date given in this contract. You are required to give the employers one week’s notice should you wish to terminate your employment before the end date. Contract 2: the company will give a minimum of one day notice of termination for up to four weeks service. After 4 weeks employment you are entitled to receive one weeks’ notice increasing to two weeks after 2 years continuous service. There after you will be entitled to receive a further week’s notice for each additional year’s service up to a maximum of 12 weeks after the 12 or more year’s service. Should the employee leave, then he or she is required to give the company one months notice. The law states that termination rights are dependent on individual contracts. So NFL need to be aware of different offers stated in contracts. The impact of this is that NFL cannot dismiss an employee unfairly. Sick leave Contract 1: the employee will be required to inform the employer at the earliest of any sick leave. The employee will be entitled to statutory sick pay on production of an employee’s statement of sickness form for sick leave of more than 3 days. Contract 2: the employee is entitled to his or her contractual pay for the first 6 months of any period of sickness. The law states that you are entitled to sick pay depending on your contract of employment. This will vary from job to job. However any business cannot offer you less than you are entitled to through your statutory sick pay. NFL need to take into consideration the law on sick pay and keeping abide by it , keeping in mind the individual contracts.

war and suffering :: essays research papers

You have discovered one of the most comprehensive on-line collections of speech texts of contemporary American History. Here you can read the speeches and backgrounds of many of the most influential and poignant speakers of the recorded age. To help put each speaker in historical context, we have also provided a brief timeline of historical events. To learn about the speaker and what he or she was talking about, click on the background link. To skip the background and read the text of the speech only, click on the speech link. To listen to an audio sample, click on the audio link, and to watch a short video excerpt, click on the video link. Additional background stories and audio and video links will be added as each episode of Great American Speeches airs on PBS over the next five weeks. Speeches are arranged sequentially by era. To find a particular speech, scroll down through the page, or you can jump to a specific decade by using the 10-year timebar below. 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 - pre 1900 - Former slave Booker T. Washington founds Tuskeegee Institute to educate black Americans, 1881. Supreme Court overturns Civil Rights Act of 1875 which had guaranteed black Americans equal access to public facilities, 1883. Statue of Liberty is dedicated, Oct. 28, 1886. Workers strike at Carnegie steel mills in Homestead, PA; 18 people killed on July 6, 1892. Financial panic leads to bank foreclosures and four-year national economic depression, 1893. Booker T. Washington speaks at The Cotton State Exposition, Atlanta, GA, Sep. 18, 1895. Speech Supreme Court, in Plessy vs. Ferguson, upholds "separate-but-equal" racial segregation policies, 1896. William Jennings Bryan delivers his "Cross of Gold" at the Democratic National Convention, Chicago, Il, Jul. 9, 1896. Background - Speech - Audio - Audio Bourke Cockran, Democratic Congressman, delivers pro-Gold rebuttal, New York, NY, Aug. 18, 1896. Speech Spanish-American War begins, April 22. With victory, U.S. wins control of Puerto Rico, the Phillippines, Guam, and Cuba, Dec. 10, 1898. Three year Philippine insurrection against American rule begins, 1889. - 1900s - Albert J. Beveridge, Indiana Senator, speaks on "The Philippine Question," before Congress, Jan. 9, 1900. Speech William Jennings Bryan accepts Democratic nomination for President and condemns U.S. policy in the Philippines, Indianapolis, IN, Aug. 8, 1900. Speech Mark Twain speaks on the "Defense of General Funston," Princeton, NJ, Feb. war and suffering :: essays research papers You have discovered one of the most comprehensive on-line collections of speech texts of contemporary American History. Here you can read the speeches and backgrounds of many of the most influential and poignant speakers of the recorded age. To help put each speaker in historical context, we have also provided a brief timeline of historical events. To learn about the speaker and what he or she was talking about, click on the background link. To skip the background and read the text of the speech only, click on the speech link. To listen to an audio sample, click on the audio link, and to watch a short video excerpt, click on the video link. Additional background stories and audio and video links will be added as each episode of Great American Speeches airs on PBS over the next five weeks. Speeches are arranged sequentially by era. To find a particular speech, scroll down through the page, or you can jump to a specific decade by using the 10-year timebar below. 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 - pre 1900 - Former slave Booker T. Washington founds Tuskeegee Institute to educate black Americans, 1881. Supreme Court overturns Civil Rights Act of 1875 which had guaranteed black Americans equal access to public facilities, 1883. Statue of Liberty is dedicated, Oct. 28, 1886. Workers strike at Carnegie steel mills in Homestead, PA; 18 people killed on July 6, 1892. Financial panic leads to bank foreclosures and four-year national economic depression, 1893. Booker T. Washington speaks at The Cotton State Exposition, Atlanta, GA, Sep. 18, 1895. Speech Supreme Court, in Plessy vs. Ferguson, upholds "separate-but-equal" racial segregation policies, 1896. William Jennings Bryan delivers his "Cross of Gold" at the Democratic National Convention, Chicago, Il, Jul. 9, 1896. Background - Speech - Audio - Audio Bourke Cockran, Democratic Congressman, delivers pro-Gold rebuttal, New York, NY, Aug. 18, 1896. Speech Spanish-American War begins, April 22. With victory, U.S. wins control of Puerto Rico, the Phillippines, Guam, and Cuba, Dec. 10, 1898. Three year Philippine insurrection against American rule begins, 1889. - 1900s - Albert J. Beveridge, Indiana Senator, speaks on "The Philippine Question," before Congress, Jan. 9, 1900. Speech William Jennings Bryan accepts Democratic nomination for President and condemns U.S. policy in the Philippines, Indianapolis, IN, Aug. 8, 1900. Speech Mark Twain speaks on the "Defense of General Funston," Princeton, NJ, Feb.

Methods of Collecting Data in HRM

The process of personnel selection includes examination of personal and professional qualities of a prospective employee in order to determine his/her abilities to correspond to the requirements of one or another position. As a rule, personnel selection is a long and costly procedure, that’s why in many organizations it is performed in several stages. The first stage usually involves collecting different data about the candidates for the opening. There are some popular methods, which help to gather such information for further analysis. The first group of the methods includes collecting information about candidate’s personal qualities and experience. Overwhelming majority of organizations asks the candidates to submit their CVs, to fill special forms or application blanks, which can provide the employers with all necessary biographical information about potential employees. Besides, one of the most effective and popular methods to examine personal qualities, appearance and responses of a candidate on different situations, is interview. This method is very flexible and informative. But, at the same time, it is usually hard to avoid subjectivity when using this technique. The second group of these methods includes different tests, which are mostly directed on examination of professional qualities of candidates. Personality test is a method, which allows to measure personal qualities of a candidate in relation to the requirements of the workplace.   A number of aptitude and cognitive abilities tests give opportunity to measure mental abilities and intellectual level of the applicants. Such tests as physical abilities test and work sample tests help to discover physical readiness of a candidate to perform one or another job. Effectiveness of the above mentioned methods depends, first of all, on the specificity of the job, as well as on mission of the organization. If the job is connected with physical activity, like a worker or a loader, then physical ability or work sample tests can be effective. If an employer is primarily interested in personal qualities of a candidate, such methods as interview or personality test can give the best results. Besides, it is always necessary to keep in mind that the information collected with the help of the tests or interviews can be subjective to some extent, because it is hard to avoid subjectivity in any evaluation, made by a human being. Bibliography: Personnel Selection: Overview. (2001). HR-Guide. Human Resourse Guide on Internet. Retrieved November 12, 2006, from the World Wide Web: .   

International Marketing of Ikea Essay

Table of Contents Table of Contents1 1. Executive Summary1 2. Introduction1 3. Internationalization2 4. Foreign Market Segmentation and Targeting3 5. Environmental Analysis5 5.1 SWOT Analysis6 5.2 Environmental Analysis of Host Country- China8 5.3 From the perspective of IKEA International Group10 6. International Marketing Objectives11 7. Foreign Market Entry Strategy11 8. Product/Service Mix Preparation14 8.1 Product adaptation14 8.2 Product publicity15 8.3 Product price15 8.4 New product development16 8.5 Market expansion16 8.6 Service Mix16 9. Conclusion17 Appendices18 1. Executive Summary This report emphasizes on the analysis of the overseas expansion of the global brand named IKEA, who has already built a competitive advantage in the international furniture competition. It has the largest part of market share and got huge success in Europe which leads it to expand to Asia and other market of the world. Analysis of all the environmental aspects in China shows that China is the best country to invest in, although there are still some weaknesses and threats exists. 2. Introduction IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer which founded in 1943. In 2009, the world’s leading marketing research organizations of Interbrand selected into â€Å"Global 100 Most Valuable Brands† list, the IKEA ranked 28th for about 12 billion U.S. dollars in brand value, which is constantly increasing. IKEA stores were founded in the most important shopping areas of 240 stores in Europe, the North America, Asia and Africa. IKEA’s success in the retail industry can be attributed to its vast experience in the retail market, product differentiation, and cost leadership. This report will analysis the international marketing strategy of IKEA as follows aspects: internationalization, foreign market segmentation and targeting, internal and external business environment based PEST and SWOT analysis, international objectives, foreign marketing enter strategy and product/service mix preparation. 3. Internationalization Internationalization appears when the company expands its R&D, production, selling and other business activities into globalization markets (Hollensen, 2004). IKEA group is the most internationalized retailing of furniture worldwide. Chairman Ingvar Kamprad opened his first furniture in 1943. He spent almost ten years on building and developing the brands from mail order business to furniture business in Swedish. In 50’s of last century, forced domestic counterparts extrusion, IKEA was forced to go abroad to find suppliers of raw materials, but to find low cost instead. This is the IKEA’s first globalization of production attempt. Since in 1953, the first abroad store was opened successfully in Danmark. Then IKEA rapidly expanded to the whole European region. With the success of global sourcing, In the early 70s, the Swedish furniture market was stagnant, IKEA naturally turn their attention to the international market. Then IKEA group began a huge globalization of market from that time. In the road of international expansion, IKEA Annual Report (2002) showed that Inter IKEA Systems B.V granted franchises as part of a detailed international expansion scheme. IKEA implemented the brand integration strategy, in order to form the absolute control of the brand. IKEA is not content with merely control of even the world’s largest furniture products channel, IKEA group would hope that their own brands and its own proprietary products can eventually cover the world. IKEA pioneered the â€Å"brand integration† model, which achieve the manufacturer brands and retail brands to fusion of commercial brands  perfectly. Based on this concept, IKEA has been insisted all products by their own personally designed and have the patent, each year more than 100 designers worked in the day and night to ensure that â€Å"all products, all of the patent† in order to achieve all the products are marked â€Å"Design and Quality, IKEA of Sweden† targets. So for IKEA is concerned, it didn’t have the so-called â€Å"upstream manufacturers† pressure, or any manufacturer could give it so-called â€Å"distribution chain management.† In terms of IKEA is the world’s only success of the organization to put up both channel management and product management, its â€Å"integrated brand strategy† is the large key to the successful integration of industrial chain. 4. Foreign Market Segmentation and Targeting Early in this year, IKEA has opened many stores and market was very mature in the Europe. Until 1985 IKEA decided to enter the North America market. Although it didn’t achieve success like experience across the Europe in the beginning of in the USA, IKEA has adopted adaptive strategies according to local actual situation. It got the finally success in the USA market. Forthwith it expended quickly in the Asia. IKEA has six areas in the world until now, which is Europe, North America, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Caribbean. At present, IKEA is developing the Asia market and existed markets have six countries. Three Asia countries are selected to penetrating and expanding by screening process as follows. IKEA had furniture market and wanted to expand in Singapore and China, In addition, Korea is very beneficial market for IKEA while not yet opened. Singapore is the developed country, but come under the world financial crisis and slump in global trade impact, this exceptionally o pen economy (exports of goods and services represent over 200% of GDP) GDP fell by 9.5% from the first quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009(Appendix 1). Private consumption fell from 2008’s levels, which declined by 0.5%. In order to deal with weakness in private consumption, government expenditure accelerated to promote and enhance the public’s consumption of 8.3% (Appendix 2). Korea is also well-developed country in Asia. Despite the world economic deep impact on Korea, Korea staged a strong recovery in 2009. GDP grew by 0.2% in the year (Appendix 3). Weak private consumption rebounded before early 2009 (Appendix 4), which is the most obvious change in durable goods and services. Consumer  sentiment improved during the year. China, the economic rate and consumption rate are the highest over these Asia countries. GDP is forecast to grow by 9.6% in 2010. Growth will be stronger in the first half of 2010.China economic situation is superb (Appendix 5). Private consumption growth is forecast to speed up to 12% in 2010, from 9.0% in 2009, responding to rising incomes and improving consumer confidence (Appendix 6). Based on the above considerations, IKEA should consider expending Asia market. In my opinion, China is worth of investment. Because of large area and population, IKEA should open in all capital cities in China. From opened the first store in 1998, IKEA developed slowly in China. According to the IKEA Web site, China’s market identity is the largest supplier as a worth of 15 billion U.S. dollars market every year, not is the biggest sales market. Currently, IKEA has 350 suppliers in China, 21% of the world’s goods from China. Because of Chinese consumer awareness of its own position with IKEA dislocation, this is precisely an important factor of the slow expansion of IKEA in China. With the rise of local home chains, as well as foreign opponents’ attack, to maintain the position in the Chinese domestic m arket, IKEA must expand. Publicly available data, now IKEA hold home products market in China account for 43% of the share. To sum up, IKEA’s expansion and development is necessary and very beneficial in China. 5. Environmental Analysis IKEA International Group, a furniture group aims to provide customers with variety of good-looking& affordable home products worldwide, is said to be an miracle of business in the last century. Now it has over 200 retail stores in over 30 countries. It needs considerable of analysis before entering foreign markets. 5.1 SWOT Analysis Strengths of IKEA †¢ Well known in China. Chinese consumers knew IKEA as a big brand before it entered China market, so this helps IKEA to enter Chinese market more smoothly. †¢ Highly reputation. As IKEA is a globally brand, Chinese customers regard it more reliable than other furniture companies. †¢ Stable relationship. IKEA could get materials at a reasonable price due to the stable relationships that between IKEA and its suppliers. †¢ Plate packing. By using plate packing, IKEA could reduce cost from transportation and storage. †¢ Environmental protective and healthy material for customers. What material IKEA choose are both environmental protective and healthy, which enable customers use IKEA products without trepidation. Weaknesses of IKEA †¢ Much reliant on Europe Market. 82% IKEA stores located in this region so IKEA will have difficulties to face the Asia market. (Ikea United Kingdom (2005) www.ikea.co.uk Accessed 23rd Nov 2005) †¢ Unreasonable rout design. When shopping in IKEA you have to walk along the only aisle IKEA set and will get no way to go backward. What’s more, you still have to go along the aisle till the item you want although you have decided what to buy. This may cost customers much time on it. †¢ Inflexible promotion. Due to the low price, there is no more room for IKEA to provide with promotions on products. †¢ High price for Chinese consumers. Although products price in Chinese market are almost lowest in the world, many Chinese consumers still can not afford them. IKEA should price the products based on the Chinese actual situation in order to get profit. †¢ Distribution problems. In China, popularization of cars is not high like IKEA other market, so it will take several days for customers to wait for the distribution from IKEA and also they will be charged a high amount of distribution fee for it. Opportunities of IKEA †¢ Variety in goods categories. There are about 9,500 household items in IKEA, which is far more than other furniture companies. Customers will have more chance to choose from when shopping at IKEA. †¢ Green IKEA. What IKEA advocated is that to live a green life so this can be a good point which attracts customers. Threats of IKEA †¢ Professional malls. Some big professional malls such as professional bathe mall, professional kitchen mall maybe one big threat, customers may prefer the professional mall when they just buy bathroom or kitchen products. †¢ Other brands. There are many household brands in Chinese market now, such as B&Q, Macalline, etc. Some of them are local brands so they know Chinese market better than IKEA. †¢ Change of customers needs. Customers needs will  not be the same all year long, IKEA have to research frequently and find out what is profitable in order to make profits. 5.2 Environmental Analysis of Host Country- China Political system China is a socialist country powered by the Communist Party and a new People’s Republic of China was established in 1949. In 1978, China initiated the â€Å"reform and open† policy which emancipated the mind of Chinese people and make them become innovated in the future. The year when IKEA has first entered Chinese market was 1998 and it was just the 20th anniversary since Chinese â€Å"reform and open† policy in 1978. As a developing socialist country, China is fresh to most people and groups in rest of the world and it is really of great potential because it was more and more independent as China is developing day by day, many international groups have realized how potential the China market would be and then started to locate there branch companies in China at that time. As a developing country, China will always persist in taking the positive attitude towards all the advantageous investments from abroad. In the incoming year 2001 China accessed to the World T rade Organization successfully, which makes China a more open country and market. Economical environment in China There are 8 cities (in 6 provinces) (one of the eight is opening soon) in China where IKEA Group located its retail stores. Beijing, Shanghai, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Sichuan, etc. The forms below are showing the contrast of economical phenomenon between these locations and the rest. From the appendix 7 we can see the national average of disposable income in 2008 is about 15000yuan per capita, while the disposable income per capita in the six locations are mostly far more than the average figure. This means IKEA positioned itself in a more economic developing area while its target customers have higher total income and disposable income. Appendix 8 is part of the household consumption expenditure by region in 2008. It is clear that the six IKEA retail locations are all at the higher level of the consumption of expenditure than other areas. The high consumption expenditure in these six locations shows more buying potential to products. Appendix 9 is part of the total investment in fixed assets in the whole country by status of  registration and region in 2008.Most of the foreign investment in six provinces (Beijing and Shanghai are direct-controlled municipalities) are higher than other areas where IKEA didn’t locate its retail stores at. This illustrates that the more the foreign investment an area has the more open the area will be, the more easily the people accept the foreign products and ideas. Social environment Demographics †¢ Population and Density China has the largest amount of population in the world. In other world, it is the biggest potential market in the world. The eight cities where IKEA located his stores in all have large amount of population, especially Shanghai& Jiangsu& Guangdong because they are all along the coast in China. Places along the coast in China always have high density of population for there are more chances to get money and good development for individual at those places. Population stands for the purchasing power while more population means more potential purchasing power. †¢ Living standards Youth in China are more open minded than before, they will after whatever they like from abroad. As the development of economic and the quickening pace of life some so-called â€Å"white collars† in China don’t have much time and money to buy some luxurious furniture and IKEA is a good choice for them because what IKEA initiates is simple, durable and affordable furniture. In China, it is a fashion action to buy furniture from IKEA. 5.3 From the perspective of IKEA International Group †¢ IKEA located its Chinese headquarter in Beijing at the beginning when it came to China but in 2003 the headquarters moved to Shanghai because IKEA regards Shanghai a central city of China for it has the convenient sea transportation as well as the air transports which are advantages for IKEA, an international group couldn’t live without transport. †¢ IKEA relocated its Asian headquarter from Singapore to Shanghai which shows the great appreciation to large potential market in China. 6. International Marketing Objectives According to the previous analysis, the advantages and disadvantages for IKEA to develop in China are clear. Now IKEA have to make its marketing objectives in China market according to the analysis above. †¢ IKEA has high reputation among Chinese youth; word of mouth can be a good way of advertising so its targeting audience should be young person. In this case, lower the cost of operating a retail store is what should do next. †¢ The products in IKEA China are good but the delivery fee is terribly high. This will reduce the loyalty of customers. †¢ There are eight (one of the eight is opening soon) IKEA retail stores in China till 2010, as the World Exposition is coming, economic in Shanghai is going to greatly boom, so hope to open 1or 2 more stores outside the central Shanghai next year would be better. As the previous analysis we can see there are still some cities have the potential to run a IKEA retail store so IKEA could take a few cities into account such as Ha ngzhou, Tianjin, etc. 7. Foreign Market Entry Strategy Having done all the analysis about china’s market penetration, we are now facing the decision of which foreign market entry mode to use. Several factors need to be given full scrutiny before we choose from the grouping of entry modes. Internal factors are the deciding roles here in the strategy which should be considered with priority. They are mainly concerned with the firm itself. †¢ Ownership advantages It can be understood as asset-based advantages which include the firm’s resource ability, reputation, origin of country, potential of future growth and so on. Apparently, Ikea Group has both the tangible and intangible resources to enter Chinese market, even the brand name itself is a huge selling point. What the brand stands for are creative design, durability and functionality, and all of the three are not quite transferable, thus the transaction cost here is high, so we recommend joint venture as its entry mode further into Chinese market. †¢ Location How the furniture be shipped from A to B onto the shelf for display is important, since it has much to do with the cost of the business. Since Ikea has entered into china, most of the furniture is imported from Sweden.  Undoubtedly, this approach increases cost dramatically. Cooperate with local partner can help Ikea build good relationship with local suppliers. Further more, furniture manufacturing industry shows the tendency of transfer the production facilities to developing countries which offers relatively low labor cost, huge consuming market and stable political and economic environment (Capdevielle, Li & Nogal 2007) From this point of view, joint venture is a better choice which offer a great time and opportunity for Ikea boost its future plan of turning China into the supply center of in Asia. (Carpell 2006) †¢ Internationalization Experience & Global Strategy toward China According to Ikea website, up until August 2009, it had 267 stores and had trading service offic es in 26 countries and 28 distribution centers and 11 customer distribution centers in 16 countries. (http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/facts_and_figures/index.html). Ikea opened its first store in China in 1998, and in the past 12 years it had up to 7 stores in mainland China, most of which are joint ventures. Shenyang Store is coming soon, planed to open in the middle of the year. Ikea expects to have 10 large stores up and running in China by 2010. (The China business review, 7-8, 2004) It strongly proves that Ikea has confidence and ambition in China. However, it is easier said than done. To accomplish its expectationï ¼Å'Ikea still got two more stores to construct. It should speed up in this plan. Considering this background, China’s market penetration can greatly reduce cost and risk. External factors should also be given careful consideration. They are basically having things to do with the overall target market environment. †¢ Social-cultural Factor When carry out the penetration plan, marketers should be cautious about China’s specific features, such as the diverse cultures which is bred by the vast territory, various kinds of business practice, different consuming philosophies, and all of these are quite difficult for foreigners to grasp on. In entering into a new market, the region size, rate of market and potential purchase power shall be the determinant parameters, so a local helper is needed. †¢ Political/ Economic Factor Before china entered WTO, government requires all foreign company to cooperate with local partner in order to help domestic enterprise to develop  their business and learn the advanced management skills [1]. Although the regulation had already been ended, not many firms shifted from joint venture to wholly owned store. Although the trend for future stores is wholly owned mode, it is still too soon to risk all the Ikea stores switch to this mode. From all the above, we strongly recommend the next few stores to open in the east part of China use the entry mode of joint venture to further expand its market, and strengthen its place in China. 8. Product/Service Mix Preparation Product and service are the essential elements in the development of company, the product of IKEA is designed by the purpose of simplifying, and the service believes the rule of do-it-yourself. However, with the special culture, economy and life style in China, IKEA should take some necessary change on its product, strategy, brand and service. 8.1 Product adaptation First, it is the endurance and practicability of product need to strengthen. Though IKEA has its own requirement and test on the quality of product, according to the latest research (Li 2009), it seems just aim at some special product, such as bedroom furniture, chair. Meanwhile, the equipment of kitchen class and bookcase are not as good as them. Thus, IKEA should pay attention to their entire product, every product needs to be test by certain standard. Second, IKEA has too much product, which makes the table of contents be also long. As there is too much choice for customers, it makes them nervous on how to choose the most suitable one. That is to say, IKEA needs to condense the table of product and makes it clear and simple, the customer would find the product they want first. 8.2 Product publicity IKEA used a lot of advertising in Europe and the United States, but there are so few in China and these ones are simple and bored, it makes large number of people know little about its product. On the other hand, the product of IKEA use environmental protection of materials and advanced ones, but most customers do not know them, because IKEA has few actions to explain it in China, while it is doing enough publicity in Europe. Therefore, IKEA should put more energy and time on advertising and publicity, such as television advertising, as there is a very large population watching TV. Moreover, it  is useful to support some event, for example, Sichuan Earthquake. Also it is important to make them interesting and attractive, it would give the design concept of DIY to the customers. 8.3 Product price IKEA is well known as good quality and cheap price because of its centralized purchasing and professional logistics, and it makes most people have ability to buy them. But in China, the price is higher than others, this makes most customers just look them. So there are some useful ways help IKEA reduce the high price. First, it is necessary to build a new production base in China, as now the production base is in Malaysia, which provides the product to the Asia. This way would avoid the import tariff, because the import tariff in China is a big one. Second, it also helps IKEA reduce the transport costs, whether transport by air or by ship, the cost is not a small number. Third, there are many small finished factories in China, IKEA should take more material from them, not in overseas. What is more, IKEA should give them a certain size of order, this helps make the price lower for competition. 8.4 New product development As it is known that there is a too lager population in China, it makes the house of China be smaller than other countries, it means that there are limited spacing for putting the furniture. Thus, a good idea for IKEA is to develop the new product that can be folded, it saves the space for customers, and this also makes the customers would buy more products due to it needs little space. 8.5 Market expansion In 1998, IKEA came into the Chinese market first in Shanghai, from then to now, it has pasted twelve years, but the number of IKEA place in China is only 7, meanwhile, it has 240 ones in the world. From the data, you can know the speed of its development in China is so slow. It loses much choice. Hence, IKEA should build many new shopping places in the important cities, such as the southeast of China, because the cities in this area develop fast and the consumption capacity of customers is suitable for IKEA. 8.6 Service Mix The service in Europe is do-it-yourself, but the situation is not the same in  China, most people in China do not have cars, so customers need IKEA provide home delivery service, IKEA do it, but the charge of it is high. For example, a customer buys a small chair of 79 yuan, but the cost for delivering is 60 yuan, it is not worth for customers. Therefore, IKEA should reduce the rate of delivering charge, and it is effective to provide the installation for free, as almost all of the competitors support the free installation. Another strategy is using some staffs to introduce and recommend the product for customers, because Chinese people is different from others, they like someone talking the information to them, sometimes they also accept the staffs’ selection on the product. 9. Conclusion To sum up, IKEA has become a successful international company with a wide range of products, and its global experience and unique strategy has led it occupy the large market share. But there are also some problems blocking its development in other countries because of the different culture, economy and lifestyle. So it is time for IKEA to carry out the new strategy on balancing its brand, product, service and management in order to expand new market, and take more advantages in the competition.

What methods are available to the Four Seasons Essay Example

What methods are available to the Four Seasons Essay Example What methods are available to the Four Seasons Essay What methods are available to the Four Seasons Essay This posh consumer looks toward the Four Seasons, which has a relatively positive brand image in its marketplace, for providing superior accommodations at the aesthetic level and also as far as how the brand links image with the self-concept of traveling consumers. The Four Seasons does not currently utilize any form of loyalty programmer, with the brand considering points-based programmer as decrease and unimportant to the hotels money-is-no-object clientele Monsoons, 2005; Bentley, 2005). In the past, this type of belief has driven a very solid profit model as consumers return to enjoy the modern and upscale accommodations offered by this pricey, yet consumer-focused hotel chain. However, the problem in this situation is that todays consumer, even the shifting trend in this demographic target group where value and cost savings are coming acceptable and common beliefs, in a variety of different product and service varieties. This shifting trend maintains the ability to erode customer loyalty from the Four Seasons if the business is not able to project a sense of value to even the more upscale consumer. Failure to adopt a loyalty programmer could spell financial problems for the hotel chain as consumers respond, in a difficult economy, with changing social values which lead to less loyalty toward a specific brand. Therefore, the problem with Four Seasons is a leadership focus on traditional marketing objectives which are likely not as effective for todays value-focused nonuser in building loyalty. II. Background The achievement of brand loyalty, in the hospitality industry, especially noticeable in the hotel industry, is what drives the highest marketing return on investment (Rica, 2009). Brand loyalty can best be defined as the achievement of such a powerful consumer sentiment about the products brand or service elements that they begin to demand this particular brand over all other competitors in their similar marketplace. Brand loyalty, by this definition, is not likely to be achieved without significant investment into marketing promotion with concentrated advertising. Loyalty marketing is a strategy, not a tactic (Humbly, Hunt and Phillips, 2004, p. 1 2). Today, it appears competition are using loyalty schemes with various points accumulation for incentive-based marketing (Thornton, 2006). According to Shogun (2005), current loyalty programs appear to be unrelated to the creation of brand loyalty. Long gone are the days of the one-size-fits all loyalty program (Vantage, 2008, p. 4). This should give opportunity for todays hotel industries to actively reexamine existing loyalty programs to consider whether it is bringing positive ROI to their marketing investment into these programs. It is important for the hospitality industry to understand that the best return on promotional investment is to achieve this brand loyalty, therefore it becomes paramount to recognize how best to achieve this loyalty through contemporary marketing which fits the consumers lifestyle and needs profiles. There seems to be a fundamental shift in what drives brand loyalty in todays hospitality industry, where consumers are not as driven by visual images and logo presentation but are requesting aspects of service quality and reward in order to offer their loyalty to any particular brand. As illustrated by Figure 1, this industry is in a period of significant sales decline. Figure 1: Tourism Forecast to 2010 Sales in Billions Growth 2009 Growth 2010 Travel and Leisure 41 . 335 -11. 3 -4. 9 Source: Techno. Com (2009). Customer loyalty is driven by consumer sentiment toward the brand. In some instances, a longer-lived brand could have been a part of negative publicity or a scandalous scenario during its life cycle which damaged its brand reputation in its target client audience. In reverse, the brand could have achieved high volume of positive public relations or had satisfied many consumers and achieved a quality tutus amongst competitors. It would seem logical to assume that in order to achieve brand loyalty, the brand must have a quality reputation in its competitive, consumer- driven marketplaces. With this noticeable shift in consumer behavior and their responses to marketing promotion, and the need for loyalty to exist in order to provide ROI on marketing efforts, it becomes vital to understand what methods are available for the Four Seasons Hotel to ensure customer loyalty. That is what this study intended to uncover. The hospitality industry, in most developed, consumer-driven regions, is a very nominative marketplace with the need for differentiation strategies, as part of marketing, to create a solid brand name which maintains characteristics unique from competition from the consumer perspective. There is little research information available regarding the achievement of brand loyalty both in difficult economic environments or during a period where consumer sentiment has apparently shifted radically in terms of their response to promotion. These are two noticeable contemporary trends in consumer behavior, therefore this study maintains the ability to provide the Four Seasons Hotel with quality insight into new consumer values and heir willingness to provide loyalty based on demands or personal needs. To discover: what methods are available to the Four Seasons Hotel to ensure customer loyalty. Since the Four Seasons does not currently utilize loyalty programmer to build better consumer interest in the brand, despite the evidence provided of its importance in this industry, it is important to understand what methods of loyalty-building would be beneficial for this hotel chain. Objectives 1 . Identify what drives todays customers to choose one hospitality industry over another in highly competitive hospitality markets. 2. Identify the current marketing activities of several hospitality-oriented companies (case studies) in which positive customer loyalty has been achieved in order to assist Four Seasons with developing a relevant model for loyalty-building. 3. Understand what the Four Seasons is currently performing in terms of marketing to build loyalty. IV. Research Design Qualitative analysis is the most logical data source for uncovering a trend in consumer values related to brand loyalty in the hospitality industry today. This type of analysis is interpretative in which personal knowledge in a variety of domains of duty is used as a Justification for analysis of various secondary source materials to uncover noticeable trends. Thus, this study consulted with recently published marketing- and hospitality-oriented Journals and other secondary source materials as the logical starting point for consumer trend analysis. Because the information required for analysis is needed from both the consumer and the industry standpoint, the development of a primary research study would be impractical due to time and budget restrictions. Primary research, in the form of consumer research studies, could have provided this study with valuable, real-time nonuser sentiment. However, secondary source analysis provided this study with valuable, rather surprising data which did not Justify the viewpoints of marketing professionals identified when this study was first proposed. Instead, the achievement of brand loyalty is driven by factors more closely related to lifestyle and through service-oriented efforts on behalf of the hospitality organization. This trend was more noticeable when looking at the situation from the industry perspective rather than the consumer perspective and by assessing the nature by which competitors in these resource analysis provided significant value to the fulfillment of the study objectives without the biases sometimes included in consumer sentiment surveys or questionnaires. Journals were selected from both domestic sources and international sources, as many hotels and restaurants operate in the global environment. Therefore, in order to gain the perspective of foreign consumers as well, the online environment was chosen as a logical medium for this study research methodology to locate Journals and other marketing publications for these consumers. Global hoteliers and saturates who operate in multi-national, multi-cultural environments, it was determined, might best benefit from this broadened consumer analysis. To ensure reliability, each of the secondary source materials consulted and utilized for this study was assessed for quality in relation to the publications reputation or the authors professional skill-set. No resources which presented opinionated or columnist-style viewpoints were deemed appropriate for this study and were rejected for their lack of reliability and credentials of authorship knowledge. There were no ethical issues involved with this study as it involved no primary search or use of human study participants. V. Data Presentation and Data Analysis 4. Background Due to todays difficult economic conditions which are occurring in many regions today, nearly two-thirds of consumers polled in a recent survey identified that reward points were either very important or extremely important when choosing a hospitality and travel brand (Wing, 2009). However, much to the industry dismay, only one-third of these same consumers actually belonged to a travel loyalty or rewards program (Wing). This shows a very strong disconnect between marketing effectiveness, the return on investment, as consumers have identified their importance but are not subscribing to these benefit programs. The Four Seasons, if choosing to adopt a new loyalty programmer, must be concerned with low subscriber ratios and work to promote the new programmer to build consumer interest. Though many travelers identify the importance of these loyalty- based concepts, low subscriber ratios could enhance the problem of implementing such a programmer at Four Seasons. This would have to be an immediate focus It seems, also, that women are the most logical target market when considering who s most able and willing to provide tourism dollars in this industry. Cavalier (2008) identifies that women make up 83 percent of all consumer purchases, thus to capture the woman buyer you have to understand the woman psyche and it has been discovered that trust is central to female loyalty (Cavalier, p. 1 7). Since women are likely the contributing force behind the decision to travel and frequent the hospitality industry, marketers should also focus on women when trying to create vacation promotions or lifestyle connections. Fortunately for the Four Seasons, the brand has built a positive reputation in its archetypal and there is a considerable amount of trust in the brand in relation to service provision and accommodations excellence. If implementing a new loyalty programmer to build higher sales volumes and increase loyalty, the company should direct the majority of its marketing toward the female customer as they will make most of the traveling decisions, even in the more upscale market audience. 4. The consumer profile The winners will be the brands that offer exceptional value and service, offers Betsy Resource, senior UP of marketing at Yamaha Worldwide, a hotel with over 7,000 units (Blitz, 2008, p. ). Value would seem to represent cost-savings from this viewpoint during an economic period where traveling consumers are not satisfying profit objectives. Travelers hate being nickel and dimmed to death for every service like Internet access, local calls, use of a business centre or gym (Blitz, p. 2). Brand loyalty can likely not be established when service-oriented charges are present based on this trend toward value orientation. The Four Seasons could benefit from this new value-focused consumer by promoting internal cost reductions on previously-charged-for services. Even though these efforts could undercut return on investment costs for items like Internet or telephone calls, the pricing used for a single nights stay is some of the highest in the hotel industry, thus these changes would likely represent a better focus on value provision, therefore enhancing loyalty in the process. These are small-scale steps to solve the problem which exists at the Four Seasons today, in terms of holding onto traditional marketing which might no longer generate the same loyalty in the mind of the value- focused traveler. Some restaurants in the hospitality industry have recently been using eat free loyalty orgasm where a specified amount of stay is required to earn free meals, when the hotel offers such amenities. However, two marketing experts identify that such efforts are counterproductive with the forms difficult to fill out for the foreign user Moons and Commodity, 2008, p. 268). Such eat free programs seem to have little to do with loyalty creation. An eat free loyalty programmer could appeal to the value-minded traveler without much cost to the business operational model. Offering these small-scale perks, by delivering them face-to-face to clients to express appreciation, could be the loyalty ump needed to satisfy new beliefs on total value with a nights stay at Four Seasons or any other competitor. Recent statistics illustrate that when consumers have a problem related to staff, they are 47 percent less likely to return to that hotel again (Barky and Nash, 2007, p. 4). This is a very high volume of people who can be affected by staff relationships, therefore internal issues should be considered as part of management focus for building brand loyalty. And, offers Mettles (2007), any negative issues should be handled quickly to repair damage to reputation. Barky and Nash (2006) further identify that people are influenced toward loyalty through value for price , the cleanliness of the room, the employees positive attitude, and friendliness of the concierge or front desk. These are relatively simple, fundamental consumer values which would likely be easy to coordinate for organizational structures designed for service focus. A comfy bed Just doesnt stand out anymore (Higgins, 2007, p. 42). Holiday Inn Hotels Resorts, a multi-demographic, multi-unit global hotel organization recognized this and developed a People Notice service program designed to each internal employees owe to be an everyday hero to guests to make them feel recognized and special (Higgins, p. 42, Brine, 2006). Service-minded organizations appear to be making positive ground with consumers in terms of brand loyalty. Having positive internal staff which is efficient, rapid response time to internal problems, and programmer designed to recognize individual consumers are activities which are currently undertaken at the very efficient Four Seasons Hotel. The brand is well-known for its capable staff and has a positive reputation in this regard. Though the internal accommodations are posh and upscale, clearly having a comfy, esthetics environment will no longer work for the chain in building loyalty when value focus describes todays traveler for this hotel. The Four Seasons needs to go the extra proverbial mile to reinforce the value of consumers and ensure that internal activities are efficient, friendly, and creates positive relationships with people in order to build loyalty. Hotels must clearly define what they are and what they want to be in the eyes of their guests and their employees. Brand loyalty is maintained by offering guests a consistently excellent experience (Gunter, 2006, p. 24). The key in this situation is that consumers are demanding consistency in service delivery, which would point toward developing staff as a step toward brand loyalty for the Four Seasons. To build loyalty, a business must: Look through the lens of the customer, exceed their expectations, and make it easy to do business with you (Hanoverian, 2007, p. 54). This again points toward another service-oriented aspect, an industry issue, as a step toward satisfying client demands. Again, this is where the Four Seasons excels, therefore in terms of building loyalty, the company is on the pent more than $43 million in advertising in 2008. However, the business is expected to obtain revenue of 1. 2 billion. Clearly marketing is a significant investment in this competitive industry in the pursuit of building brand loyalty. Further research identified that nearly 50 percent of some hotels, in ideal marketplaces, have guests which stay from seven to 29 days (Chipping, 2006). This is a significant margin, thus service provision would likely be highly scrutinized by this long-staying guest when choosing future hotels for extended stays, an aspect which would drive brand loyalty. This is a much more profitable customer. The Four Seasons hotel must also recognize that long-term guests represent a very significant profit margin and work consistently in providing better service than other upscale hotel competitors. A renewed focus on staffing and positive service provision is key to building loyalty in this chain. 4. 3 Costs and consumer satisfaction One representative of the hotel industry identifies that online concierge services are helping to build loyalty (McMullen, 2006, p. 22). If consumers are turning toward the ease and convenience of online services, they will likely appreciate a flexible and odder brand which is able to make their stay as convenient and hassle-free as possible, which was suggested by Hanoverian (2007) as a key success tool for building loyalty. Research did not uncover whether Four Seasons is making use of an online concierge, however with the growing trend toward Internet usage and mobile technologies, keeping an image of modernism can build loyalty for Four Seasons. Some hotels are even offering pet-friendly environments to appeal to the consumer needs. However, only 2 to 5 percent of guests actually bring animals (Chipping, 2006), thus this is not mass-market focused and likely not a success factor unless engendering niche marketing to diversify clientele. The Four Seasons upscale client often have cherished pets which they pamper and spend considerable resources on. Recognizing that some upscale travelers view their pets much like children could be a new loyalty focus. In terms of value-focus, the dog-loving consumer would likely appreciate the ability to bring their child on vacations with them, thus giving Four Seasons a competitive edge in this regard. An emotional bond must be created with the consumer in order to achieve loyalty (Mantilla, 2006). Emotions play a dominant role in explaining satisfaction and brand loyalty (Back and Kim, 2009, p. ). Since it is cheaper to keep current customers than to obtain new ones (Tepees, 1999), achieving a positive brand reputation and brand proposed by Pence (2008) at this study proposal stage offering a model known as the VALS 2 chart, assessing eight distinct consumer personality and lifestyle trends per demographic group. Emotions are clearly key to reputation and loyalty-creation. The emo tion attached with the new pet-friendly loyalty campaign speaks to the potential effectiveness of this strategy for Four Seasons with the new lifestyle focus marketing and promotion. Red Lion Hotels recently changed its brand name (previously West Coast Hospitality) in order to deliver on a promise to make guests comfortable (Browning, 2008). The ability to deliver on a distinct brand promise can increase demand and build customer loyalty (hospitality. Org, 2009). Further, Kiang, Dave and Oar (2002) offer that brand extensions are helpful in building consumer loyalty, likely because the leveraged brand name has a positive market reputation. The brand promise tends to commit to the consumer with another focus on service delivery. Four Seasons leadership does not believe that any extended brands or brand name hanged should be under its parent company umbrella for reasons of brand identification and reputation for the hotel chain on the market. The hotel desires to stay the Four Seasons and is not looking for expansion. However, evidence suggests that a rebinding or altered brand strategy, using new hotels with new brand names, can give opportunities to change any reputation damage and also reinforce the quality of the parent brand company. Four Seasons may wish to reconsider this aspect when building loyalty as a meaner to extend and publicly promote the diverse family of brands under the Four Seasons direction. Linking a positive brand name with a new brand can give Four Seasons new flexibility and design a variety of loyalty programmer to a new client demographic. There is clearly a consumer shift moving toward the quality and consistently of service delivery when determining which hospitality brand deserves more loyalty than other competing hospitality brand. Since they consider the loyalty program and rewards associated with them to be of high priority when determining travel, it would make good business sense for the Four Seasons to implement them to best fit consumer demands and lifestyle-related expectations. Such efforts would require Taft members to be developed as consistent, motivated and professional service providers to satisfy consumer demands and deliver the consistent quality of service that guests come to expect. Consumers are watching their economic portfolios, something which was evident when analyzing their dissatisfaction with being nickel and dimmed to death as described by Blitz (2008). The current economy across the globe is forcing many individuals, at all levels of financial backgrounds, to reexamine their spending policies. A points-based loyalty programmer at the Four Seasons would be good business sense based in the information provided.

In Search of a 4-Dot Ellipsis

In Search of a 4-Dot Ellipsis In Search of a 4-Dot Ellipsis In Search of a 4-Dot Ellipsis By Maeve Maddox Reader Vic Shane writes: my editor told me there is a four-dot ellipsis that is not the same thing as the three-dot version. When I went to Journalism school (32 years ago), we only had the three-dot variety, as far as I know. The extra dot came from somewhere and Id like to get to the bottom of it. I wont rest until I know why that dot is floating around in the ethers looking for a sentence! Strictly speaking, theres no such thing as a 4-dot ellipsis. Omission of material in a quotation is indicated by three dots. When a fourth dot appears, it indicates that the omitted material included at least one sentence. The Chicago Manual of Style describes the use of the ellipsis at great length, referring to the three dot, four dot, and rigorous methods (11.51 ff). Spaces or no spaces? Not all style guides agree as to whether or not the dots in the ellipsis should have spaces between them. Chicago Manual of Style An ellipsis- the omission of a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage- is indicated by ellipsis points (or dots), not by asterisks. Ellipsis points are three spaced periods (. . .), sometimes preceded or followed by other punctuation. They must always appear together on the same line, but any preceding punctuation may appear at the end of the line above (see also 11.64). MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers For an ellipsis within a sentence, use three periods with a space before each and a space after the last ( . . . ). Merriam-Webster distinguishes between ellipsis marks [ ] and suspension points [ . . . ]. According to the Wikipedia article on ellipsis, In legal writing in the United States, Rule 5.3 in the Bluebook citation guide governs the use of ellipses and requires a space before the first dot and between the two subsequent dots. If an ellipsis ends the sentence, then there are three dots, each separated by a space, followed by the final punctuation. AP style, on the other hand, leaves out the spaces ( †¦ ). Ellipsis and unfinished thought When a speaker trails off, leaving a sentence unfinished, three dots are used: I never meant . . . When a quotation ends with an ellipsis CMS When three [dots] are used, space occurs both before the first dot and after the final dot. When four are used, the first dot is a true period- that is, there is no space between it and the preceding word. MLA When the ellipsis coincides with the end of your sentence, use three periods with a space before each following a sentence periodthat is, four periods, with no space before the first or after the last. Illustration Here is an illustration of the use of ellipsis points to indicate 1) omission of words in a sentence; 2) omission of an entire sentence, and 3) ending the quotation with an ellipsis. Original Passage One further habit which was somewhat weakened, although by no means broken, was that of combining native words into self-interpreting compounds. The extent to which words like bookhouse or boatswain entered into Old English has been pointed out above. The practice was not abandoned in Middle English but in many cases where a new word could have been easily formed on the native model, a ready-made French word was borrowed instead. Baugh, A History of the English Language (221). Abridgment One further habit which was somewhat weakened . . . was that of combining words into self-interpreting compounds. . . . The practice was not abandoned. . . . The web abounds with discussions of the ellipsis. Here are some links. The Elusive Ellipsis (DWT) Kent Law writing guidelines Wikipedia article Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and Expressions35 Genres and Other Varieties of FictionFew vs. Several

Discover More About Marine Reptiles

Discover More About Marine Reptiles Class Reptilia is the group of animals known as the reptiles. These are a diverse group of animals that are cold-blooded and have (or had) scales. They are vertebrates, which puts them in the same phylum as humans, dogs, cats, fish and many other animals. There are over 6,000 species of reptiles. They are also found in the sea, and referred to as marine reptiles.   The Class Reptilia, or reptiles, traditionally included a diverse group of animals: turtles, snakes, lizards and crocodiles, alligators, and caimans. Many scientists believe that birds also belong in this class. Characteristics of Reptiles Animals in the Class Reptilia: Are ectotherms (commonly called cold-blooded). These animals need to warm themselves up using external heat (e.g., the sun).Mostly bear their young in eggs, which are protected by an amniotic membrane (so reptiles are referred to as amniotes).Have scales, or did have at some point in their evolutionary history.Breathe using lungs rather than gills. Thus, reptiles in the ocean may be able to hold their breath to go underwater, but eventually need to go to the surface to breathe.Have a three- or four-chambered heart. Classifying Reptiles and Marine Reptiles Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: Reptilia Marine reptiles are divided into several orders: Testudines: Turtles. Sea turtles are an example of turtles that live in the marine environment.Squamata: Snakes.   Marine examples are sea snakes.Sauria: Lizards. An example is the marine iguana. In some classification systems. lizards are included in the Order Squamata.Crocodylia: Crocodiles. A marine example is the saltwater crocodile. The above list is from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Habitat and Distribution Reptiles live in a wide range of habitats. Although they can thrive in harsh habitats like the desert, they are not found in cooler areas like  Antarctica, because they need to rely on external heat to keep warm. Sea Turtles Sea turtles are found in oceans worldwide. They nest on subtropical and tropical beaches. The leatherback turtle is the species that can go in cold waters, such as off Canada. These amazing reptiles have adaptations  that allow them to live in colder water than other turtles, including the ability to shunt blood away from their flippers to keep their core body temperature warmer. However, if sea turtles are in cold waters too long (such as when juveniles dont migrate south quickly enough in the winter), they might become cold-stunned.   Sea Snakes Sea snakes include two groups: laticaudid sea snakes, which spend some time on land, and hydrophiid snakes, which live wholly at sea.   Sea snakes are all venomous, but they rarely bite humans.   They all live in the Pacific Ocean (Indo-Pacific and eastern tropical Pacific regions). Marine Iguanas The marine iguana, which lives in the Galapagos Islands, is the only marine lizard. These animals live on the shore and feed by diving in the water to eat algae. Crocodiles In the U.S., the American crocodile often enters saltwater. These animals are found from southern Florida to northern South America and can be found on islands, where they swim or are pushed by hurricane activity. One crocodile, nicknamed Cletus, swam out to the Dry Tortugas (70 miles off Key West) in 2003. American crocodiles tend to be more timid than American alligators and the saltwater crocodiles, which are found in the Indo-Australian region from Asia to Australia. Most reptiles give birth by laying eggs.   Some snakes and lizards can give birth to live young.   In the world of marine reptiles, sea turtles, iguanas and crocodiles lay eggs while most sea snakes give birth to live young, who are born underwater and must swim immediately to the surface to breathe. Marine Reptiles Reptiles that can live at least part of their lives in the marine environment include sea turtles, crocodiles  and some lizards. References and Further Information Galapagos Conservancy. Iguanas and Lizards.  Accessed October 30, 2015.IUCN. 2010. Sea Snakes Fact Sheet. Accessed October 30, 2015.Morrissey, J.F. and J.L. Sumich. 2012. Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life. Jones Bartlett Learning. 466pp.

Phishing computer crimes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Phishing computer crimes - Research Paper Example On the other hand the biggest pessimistic use of a computer is for crime purposes. As people make use of the computers they typically think that their activities are confidential and also their personal information are protected. For instance, web sites of business nature often gather details from many visitors; later on many web sites sell these personal details against the desires of the visitors (Turban, Rainer, & Potter, 2004; O'Leary & O'Leary, 2007). This is a kind of computer crime. There are many other kinds of a computer crime however this paper mainly focuses on phishing. In their book, (Laudon & Laudon 1999, p. 147) define â€Å"computer crime as the unlawful activities by making use of a computer or against a computer system. The Internet's user-friendliness and convenience have fashioned modern ways for computer crime, well-known forms of which is phishing.† Additionally, the computer crimes appear in a wide variety of ways and also cause a number of serious probl ems for different people. For instance, nowadays online frauds or frauds using the Internet are modern form of the online criminal activities in which an authorized person (normally acknowledged as a hacker) hacks some useful data and information and later on use it to conduct illegal and criminal tasks, such as cash related scandals. In this scenario, the basic intentions of criminals are to earn money, tease other or play games with others. In fact, the Internet is open for everyone which gives the opportunities to criminal people, to steal, new ways to steal them, and new techniques to harm others (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 147). As discussed above, there are many kinds of a computer crime and criminals do it intentionally. For instance, sometimes a dissatisfied employee or terminated worker can be dangerous to an organization. In this scenario, these people want to damage business with their extensive criminal activities (Parker, 2002; O'Leary & O'Leary, 2007). Therefore, employ ers should properly scrutinize the background of persons being connected with critical computer related tasks. Some people falsify resume to get jobs. Also, the company should hire trustworthy personnel to minimize crimes related to computers (Parker, 2002; Worthington, 2003, pp. 621-623). In addition, Hacker and Cracker are most widely used terms in computer crimes. In this scenario, Hacker is an external person who can break through a computer system, typically with no illegal intention. On the other hand, a Cracker is a nasty hacker, who may perhaps produce a stern crisis for the organization (Turban, Rainer, & Potter, 2004). Moreover, Phishing is an emerging problem regarding online data security and information safety. There are a number of cases of identity theft and online frauds using Phishing and other hacking techniques. At the present, Phishing is normally carried out through E-mail or the instant messaging. In many cases its basic purpose is to direct online traffic to a particular website whose appearance or interface are approximately similar to the actual one. Even though server cannot differentiate between false and original web site so a hacker successfully passes through these security walls. Normally, Phishing techniques are aimed at making fool to the internet users, and making use of the attractive usability of present web expertise. In

Population Health Change Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Population Health Change - Research Paper Example Identification of the Target group In this case the problem identified in the population is obesity which refers to a medical condition in which there is excess accumulation of body fats in the body to the extent that it has adverse effects on the health of an individual resulting in reduced life expectancy and increased health problems. The scenario here is that in the population we have two different groups of people, the people who operate the cafeteria and the residents. The residents consume food from the cafeteria that causes the obesity. This change program will focus on the residents because of a number of reasons. The first reason is that if the change was directed on the cafeteria workers, the people will still look for that food because they are used to consuming that diet. Secondly for a lasting change to occur the residents must change their eating habits and this will also cause the cafeteria management to change their menu (Barr, 2007; Swinburn, 2004). The argument her e is that it is important that the residents realize the effects of the poor diet on them and change their eating habits. ... t supplies from outside to satisfy their needs (Barr, 2007) Dietary changes/modification There are a variety of strategies used for reducing obesity and these strategies vary depending on certain demographic factors within the target group. Some of the strategies that are very appropriate for this population are dietary changes and physical activity. Dietary changes involve the improvement of diet quality through the reduction in consumption of energy dense foods especially those that are high in fats and sugars and increase the intake of foods that are high in dietary fiber. In physical activity the individuals are encouraged to maintain a healthy body through planned body exercises that are regular and follow a specific pattern. These two strategies are most important in solving obesity and if followed well will lead to success of the change program (NHLBI, 2000; Schroeder, 2007). It is important to realize this is a residential center and this kind of place is usually for people w ho are older and cannot live on their own. Such people have low mobility levels and therefore cannot move from place to place. The best strategy for this group would dietary changes. This is because of a number of reasons. The first reason is that this group has low mobility levels and therefore engaging them in physical activities on a daily basis will not be welcomed by them. Secondly the age group of these people does not allow them to engage in physical activities such as running, they may walk for a short distance but this will burn fewer calories and therefore the change may take a very long time to occur and people usually do not like this and will end up stopping the activity before they actually reduce their body weight (NHLBI, 2000). The dietary plan changes will involve a five

Procurement and Performance Management Coursework

Procurement and Performance Management - Coursework Example The orders are made on the schedule of production. Subsequently, it is essential that suppliers are connected with production schedule. The producer may not delay production for supplier’s lead time (SBANC, 2007). Model of Procurement Cycle Source: (University of Exeter, 2011). The figure mentioned above depicts the stages of procurement cycle. In the first stage, the producers recognise the requirements, and they analyse the suppliers and the related price. Supplier appraisal is generally identified as a risk management related tool to identify the viability of purchasing from a particular supplier or firm (Erridge & Et. Al., 2001). Then, the suppliers forward a quotation to the producers. After that, the producers negotiate for price and they formulate a deal for the purchase at estimated value and suppliers are requested to despatch the product within a particular period of time. Next, the producers have to develop a healthy relationship with the suppliers for delivering th e orders at earliest. After a satisfactory delivery is made, the contract is closed (University of Exeter, 2011). Dove House Engineering Plc (DHE) operates in ‘Make to Customer Order’ mode. The consultants appointed by the management of DHE have identified certain problems related with the deficiencies of finished products in warehouse. DHE management should look into this matter because they have no warehouse at all. The sole warehouse is far away from production site and there is lack of adequate rooms for filling up the inventories. DHE had not launched computerised production planning and control system yet, there production planning is still done manually. DHE is miles away from its competitors because of several deficiencies in managing their operations affluently. They do not even concentrate on the quality of the products. The procurement process still depends on conventional way. It also hampers the strategies for production process. They frequently change thei r suppliers that have a strong influence on the procurement cycle (Case Study, n.d.). At present, the market is highly competitive and customers look for immediate delivery and quality products in affordable rates. Thus, DHE have to enhance its capacity in warehouse so that the production as well as the delivery does not get affected. They have to build long-term relationship with the suppliers so that suppliers feel motivated to supply the necessary materials in short period of time. They should upgrade their systems for managing the production planning. DHE should fulfil all the requirements of employees as well as customers. They should encourage suppliers to supply quality materials so that they can produce quality products as per customer requirements. They are facing challenges due to scarcity of stock in inventory. They have to concentrate on fluent supply of materials needed for production so that production does not get hampered due to lack of primary materials. They have t o obtain customer feedback with regard to quality and set up further strategies. They are confused regarding the production facilities; they have to select one of the production facilities which are feasible and cost-effective for them. They should establish a new warehouse closer to production site. They have to reshuffle their organisational structure. By implementing the recommendations, DHE can regain their position and sustain in the competitive business world. 2. Role of Procurement Staffs and

Landmarks in Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Landmarks in Music - Essay Example Music is an expressive type of art form, which can be used to express our emotions, talents and our imagination. Music has evolved over time to its current modern day renditions, but if we are to select the most important pieces, to place in a time capsule, then I would have to select music from the baroque and classical periods. Music from Baroque and Classic periods forms a basis in a critical part of our history when we began to view music in a different light. During these periods, music became more of an art form, than just passive entertainment. Here are the 6 most important songs from the both periods and why they qualify to be put in the time capsule. Baroque music was composed with the intention of arousing the emotions of listeners. This era of music lasted for 150 years, between the years 1600-1750 (Schulenbert, 2001). This stage of musical development saw the emergence of non-religious vocal music, orchestral music and operas. Composers from this period, often faced many financial challenges, and most of them could only earn a living from music if they were under the patronage of a religious institution or a political figure. This patronage would then dictate the content of their compositions, but none the less composers were still able to come up with very memorable and time honored compositions. Baroque period compositions can be broken down into two distinct groups: vocal (opera, oratorio and cantata) and instrumental (sonata, concerto and suite). My pick for the most influential songs from the baroque period are: The Four Seasons: Spring url: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/sofia-chamber-orchestra/album/antonio-vivaldi-the- four-seasons By: Antonio Vivaldi Four Seasons, as a whole, is often considered the boldest or bravest of program music from the Baroque era. Each concerto is comprised of three distinct movements; one middle movement in a slow tempo and too fast outer movements. Antonio Vivaldi wrote the sonnets, to denote the movements of the four seasons (Schulenbert, 2001). It is also has a great influence in the era as early concertos did not have a standard form, but the success of Vivaldi’s â€Å"Four Seasons† led other composers to mimic his style over time, which led a standard form used to play concertos. Of the four movements, winter is the most technically complicated and also more accurate in depicting nature like imitations of nature, the very inspiration of the sound. It is also very solid even if you break it down into several parts. Each part is creates its own dissonance that may be adapted and reinterpreted as a separate sound. Messiah: The Overture url: http://www.rh apsody.com/artist/george-frideric-handel/album/handels-messiah by: Handel This oratorio was originally intended as a thought provoking work for eastern and lent, but due to its popularity, later became a common part of Christmas festivities that has lasted over many generations. George Frederic Handel, a German born composer, was gifted in playing music from an early age. Handel’s â€Å"Messiah† employs a unique technique dubbed text painting. This technique tries to mimic the lines of the text, to the musical notes (Schulenbert, 2001). â€Å"Messiah† is broken down into three parts, which follows the meaning of the text while still maintaining its opera-like qualities. Handel’s â€Å"Messiah† helped to popularize the oratorio; a musical form that highlighted the performance of solo artists. The Overtures one of only two movements that is purely instrumental. By Handel’s time, the overture was a common, if not standard opening, of an opera a nd was actually meant to welcome the king in an opera. Handel, however, made this one considerably darker by playing it in E minor. It helped assist in the desperate need of the world for a Messiah. Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello: Suite No. 1 url: http://www.rhapsody.com/search?query=Six+Suites+of+Unaccompanied+Cello by: Johann Sebastian Bach These suites were based on a set of instrumental compositions, which were similar

Will Private Equity Overtake Public Equity Term Paper

Will Private Equity Overtake Public Equity - Term Paper Example Private equity groups like Slater-Walker in the 1960s and Hanson Trust in the 1980s have been providing an alternative form of financing to public financing for many years now. These were the first firms or conglomerates that tended to fiancà © slumping companies and turned them around for cash generation. These private equity firms were seen as corporate saviors, which helped to revive poor performing firms and gave big returns to shareholders (BBC, 2006). Yet there may be downsides to private equity financing and in one recent analysis and news report, by Times, private equity companies are to face major tax deductions. The Times reported that firms financed by private funding may have to pay millions of pounds in extra taxes as commissioned with changes by the Treasury and Revenue & Customs. The report suggests that such heavy tax burdens can be a downturn for an industry that has created millionaire bosses. The tax rate on capital gains is set to rise from 10% to 40% (Timesonlin e, 2006). According to the report, private equity firms own companies that employ more than 20% of the UK private sector workforce. The Somerfield and Debenhams are major companies in the UK backed by private equity. Private equity bosses carry compensation packages of  £2billion a year so sudden tax burdens could go up to a few million pounds. However despite this sudden tax problem, which may have to be resolved by the BVCA, it is important to analyze why private equity firms have recently been more attractive than public equity firms and why has there been an exodus of top executives who moved from public companies to privately financed companies within the UK and indeed in many other emerging markets of the world. According to a recent cover story by Businessweek Online (Feb 2006), more and more of business firms are keeping away from public companies because of the ‘money, freedom and glamour’ of private companies.

Landmarks in Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Landmarks in Music - Essay Example Music is an expressive type of art form, which can be used to express our emotions, talents and our imagination. Music has evolved over time to its current modern day renditions, but if we are to select the most important pieces, to place in a time capsule, then I would have to select music from the baroque and classical periods. Music from Baroque and Classic periods forms a basis in a critical part of our history when we began to view music in a different light. During these periods, music became more of an art form, than just passive entertainment. Here are the 6 most important songs from the both periods and why they qualify to be put in the time capsule. Baroque music was composed with the intention of arousing the emotions of listeners. This era of music lasted for 150 years, between the years 1600-1750 (Schulenbert, 2001). This stage of musical development saw the emergence of non-religious vocal music, orchestral music and operas. Composers from this period, often faced many financial challenges, and most of them could only earn a living from music if they were under the patronage of a religious institution or a political figure. This patronage would then dictate the content of their compositions, but none the less composers were still able to come up with very memorable and time honored compositions. Baroque period compositions can be broken down into two distinct groups: vocal (opera, oratorio and cantata) and instrumental (sonata, concerto and suite). My pick for the most influential songs from the baroque period are: The Four Seasons: Spring url: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/sofia-chamber-orchestra/album/antonio-vivaldi-the- four-seasons By: Antonio Vivaldi Four Seasons, as a whole, is often considered the boldest or bravest of program music from the Baroque era. Each concerto is comprised of three distinct movements; one middle movement in a slow tempo and too fast outer movements. Antonio Vivaldi wrote the sonnets, to denote the movements of the four seasons (Schulenbert, 2001). It is also has a great influence in the era as early concertos did not have a standard form, but the success of Vivaldi’s â€Å"Four Seasons† led other composers to mimic his style over time, which led a standard form used to play concertos. Of the four movements, winter is the most technically complicated and also more accurate in depicting nature like imitations of nature, the very inspiration of the sound. It is also very solid even if you break it down into several parts. Each part is creates its own dissonance that may be adapted and reinterpreted as a separate sound. Messiah: The Overture url: http://www.rh apsody.com/artist/george-frideric-handel/album/handels-messiah by: Handel This oratorio was originally intended as a thought provoking work for eastern and lent, but due to its popularity, later became a common part of Christmas festivities that has lasted over many generations. George Frederic Handel, a German born composer, was gifted in playing music from an early age. Handel’s â€Å"Messiah† employs a unique technique dubbed text painting. This technique tries to mimic the lines of the text, to the musical notes (Schulenbert, 2001). â€Å"Messiah† is broken down into three parts, which follows the meaning of the text while still maintaining its opera-like qualities. Handel’s â€Å"Messiah† helped to popularize the oratorio; a musical form that highlighted the performance of solo artists. The Overtures one of only two movements that is purely instrumental. By Handel’s time, the overture was a common, if not standard opening, of an opera a nd was actually meant to welcome the king in an opera. Handel, however, made this one considerably darker by playing it in E minor. It helped assist in the desperate need of the world for a Messiah. Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello: Suite No. 1 url: http://www.rhapsody.com/search?query=Six+Suites+of+Unaccompanied+Cello by: Johann Sebastian Bach These suites were based on a set of instrumental compositions, which were similar

Gender differentiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gender differentiation - Essay Example Throughout the years, gender is a sensitive and controversial topic of discussion as it borders from its political correctness to the personal opinions of different people. Gender is part of everyone’s lives, it is an important concept that everyone can relate to.One of the most promising aspects of sociological studies is in the realm of gender. Every other person is affected by this concept, whatever the gender of the person may be. Throughout the years, gender is a sensitive and controversial topic of discussion as it borders from its political correctness to the personal opinions of different people. Gender is part of everyone’s lives, it is an important concept that everyone can relate to. With this, gender has been associated with different aspects of differentiation within the society, whether it be on a micro-level, such as family responsibilities, to a more macro-level that impacts the society, like employment. This paper will explore the different relations of gender with the society. Gender plays an important role in the different aspects of the society. Gender, in fact, can direct changes to the norms of the society. Gender is not only significant in one’s personal identification but also an important aspect in one’s relation with the society, based mainly on cultural differences. Gender is related to the concept of sex although it is to be emphasized that they are not interchangeable with each other. Sex is more of a biological concept while gender is more of a social concept. The issue of gender identity has been more prominent nowadays as the world faces different social transformations. This can be seen through employment patterns and parenthood (Diaz-Andreu & Lucy, 10). Social identification and personal point of view on identity are important aspects of living. It becomes our mark on the world, and it becomes how we are known for. Although social identification is largely associated with the society, it has a bearin g in one’s personal view of identity. Knowing one’s gender or being identified in such manner is important on how one lives his life. Social acceptance of gender identities is also significant in the personal and social growth of an individual. This is where identity starts, on how one sees himself as seen by his community. This is an important aspect of developing personal growth, and since one’s personal growth affects the society, then it becomes an important aspect in the growth (or stagnation) of the social views of the community. Gender is an important concept in the social world. It shapes identities, not only of the individual but of the society as well. Gender affects how one views himself and other people. It is an important aspect in social interaction. Gender, in fact, shapes social interaction, depending on how one individual sees other people and how one behaves towards another. Gender also impacts social institutions as it creates new concepts and new social rules and practices significant enough to change the society’s perspective. Society and gender cannot be discussed without one another as one concept affects the other. This is an important note to be remembered as the study of gender develops. As one understands gender, one needs to understand the social world and vice versa. Both concepts develop within one another’s changes. Unlike before, gender is related more on the cultural perceptions rather than biological setup of an individual. Sexuality has evolved to a socially constructed concept. Gender is defined to be the psychological, social and cultural aspect of maleness and femaleness (Wharton, 6). This implies that socialization has a big impact on gender identification. The concept of gender is a process, it changes between the years of its study. Prior to recent developments, gender is closely related to the biological and social concept of sexuality. This shows that gender is not a fixed concept. I t varies from the cultural and social perspectives of its study. As it encompasses all individuals of all social structures, gender is a multilevel phenomenon (Wharton, 7). Social processes and social institutions both shape and are shaped by gender. The study of gender has opened the roads to the study of feminism. In fact, most gender studies are about females than males. But gender is not only