The importance of SMEs to Markets - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1789 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? It is very important for SMEs to look at the problems and the limitations to draw a realistic solution in order to overcome the shortcomings. Marketing is one business that must be used appropriately by the entrepreneur to launch and develop the new venture successfully. Marketing should be enhanced and improved with experience. Owner should use their strengths to overcome their weaknesses, learn from mistakes and assess what went wrong in order to avoid such mistakes in future, learn from successes and assess all of the circumstances that contribute to success. (Gilmore et al., 2001) Financial Issues Financial institutions refuse to lend any money to SMEs unless they produce formal plans which show there is an ongoing and realistic commitment to marketing planning. So, to solve the financial constraints of SMEs, they need to produce formal plans that will outline the direction in which the company is headed. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The importance of SMEs to Markets" essay for you Create order Logos and trademark As the SMEs lay much emphasis on Quality and Presentation, well designed logos and registered, popular trademarks would have been an additional benefit for them. These are very powerful ways of capturing and communication a message of quality. Owners must be aware that customers look for securities and reassure that products they are buying are not counterfeit. Introducing a distinctive logo and trademarks and being able to carry the same message of quality to different people over time present real challenges for SMEs but it also guarantees long term recognition and success. Require considerable investments of resources and commitment bearing in mind that results will be obtained only over future. Packaging Packaging is often neglected by owners they feel that the packaging will be of no use to the customers. This is erroneous concept. Product when presented attractively, add value and prestige to the already expensive product. Good packaging also communicates a message of quality. Hence packaging should be exclusively designed and revised periodically to maintain the prestige of the product. Promotion Strategies From the survey, we have seen that only a few SMEs make use Media. The key to attracting these new businesses is visibility. Too many resellers rely on word of mouth and do very little active marketing. Good quality product/service only does not bring customers. Communication Channels are needed to create awareness; other means of advertising should be pursued and much emphasis needs to be laid on media. To attract maximum customers, SMEs must make us of those media which are most viewed and in used by customers. SMEs can make use of SMS, monthly newsletter, direct mail, and telecalling to target focus group. Brochures and Pamphlets Continuously distributing of brochures and pamphlets will make SMEs presence felt in the public, this will pull customers their way. Market Research SMEs need to perform Market Research in order to determine customer needs. Only market information can determine strategic segmentation and targeting. The success of adjustments to the marketing mix is tracked by consumer research. Unfortunately, successful entrepreneurs withdrew from such formal research methods of gathering market information, which is an important aspect of their marketing activities. Entrepreneurs should reconsider this issue and look into it. Customer Database SMEs in Mauritius must manage their customer database so as to identify which are the most profitable customers and as such provide a more personalized service to them. By providing differentiated service to their most profitable customers, SMEs will increase their lifetime value to these customers. Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a vital part of marketing strategy- concern for customers is a positive reflection of sensitivity to customer feelings. Concern for customer satisfaction must be stem from management and must extend to every member of the staff within the organization. After sales there is a need to ensure customer satisfaction even though the product has moved through a channel of distribution and is several stages away from the producer Using Segmentation in Customer Retention SMEs need to apply Segmentation to improve their customer retention. It also helps to ensure that they are focused on retaining their most profitable customers and employing these tactics most likely to retain these customers. Follow up SMEs need to interact with the customers and ask them for their feedback all the time, if there are any grievances and unsatisfaction, follow up need to be done on that and if something is amiss they definitely need review it and try to rectify it whenever possible. Training The government of Mauritius need to provide support in the form of customized training in both marketing, mentoring and support allowing companies to be self sufficient in their own research activities so that they can remain within their budgets. Training should include appropriate mix of interpersonal and technical skills. Only a small proportion of any organizationacirc;â‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s staff comes into contact with customers. These frontline people are expected to represent the organization and they will be seen in that role by their customers. They must be supported by an organization that is clear on the need for a customer focus and which actively ensure that the marketing concept is understood accepted and acted upon by everybody. Sales staff should be regularly trained so as to be able to offer the best of their ability clarifications and technical specifications information requested to customer Location Sales outlets are crucial determinants to product success. The product offering need to be accessible in the place and at the time it is needed by the target market. It must be possible for people to find the location easily and ambiance needs to be welcoming. SMEs Trade fair SMEs should be encouraged to participate more in trade fairs. These events represent valuable source of experience which also enable SMEs owners to test potential market for their products. SMEs owners will be given an opportunity to know more about their competitors, products of competitors and sales channels through anonymous discussions with competitoracirc;â‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s staff present at the trade fairs Become Visible If customers are not coming to them, SMEs should go to customers, this will help them be more in the public eye. They may do so by setting up a booth near a shopping mall or hypermarkets and begin talking to people about thier product or service. The more that people see them around the community being involved in events, the more customers will come to you. SMEs can also get involved in charitable organizations to help raise awareness of a cause. Differentiation A brand can differentiate a business and make it stand apart from the competitors.Acirc;   SMEs generally feel that branding is for the big companies and that they can only afford to focus on product and price. SMEs can also build good brands by developing a well-planned brand strategy to successfully differentiate their products and services from their competitors. This helps them to increase the market size, sustain the market share, competing on attributes which is not just a price. Niche Market SMEs need to look for Niche market as it stands a greater chance of success because of disinterest on the part of large businesses. When new products come onto the market, they typically aim to satisfy the wishes of the majority. This always leaves the minority with a less than satisfactory solution or sometimes, no solution at all. This leave gaps in the market for specialised applications or unusual designs, tastes, sizes and so on. It is these gaps which can provide a growth base for smaller firms. SMEs need to track new products and services within their sector, and develop solutions which pick up demand which is neglected by the larger companies Marketing Plan / Feasibility Study SMEs need to develop their marketing plan as effective marketing plan consist of important things that help firm succeed. First, it helps the business to understand not just the product but the industry as well. It helps in identifying major trends that is associated with major economic or demographic changes, like economic cycles, aging population, and so on. Other trends interact with these, such as, the increasing use of the internet, and so on. Next, it helps to identify the target market for the product and who are the competitors. According to which the company define their product pricing, distribution, and positioning in the market. Marketing plan will thus prevent SMEs from going off track. Online strategies The majority of SMEs are not connected to the Web. SMEs need to evaluate their online strategies to ensure they are not left behind in this fast-paced environment. Understanding the future of online channels is a must for any organization that hopes to compete effectively in todays technology-centric world. As consumers use the internet more, SMEs will increasingly have to ensure their web presence is effective if they hope to survive Social website Social Websites like facebook, twitter, if used appropriately, is an excellent resource for reaching more customers. Advantages that they will get from them are, they effective communication tool and offer cost effective ways for SMEs to enhance their product or service distribution networks. Pricing You can differentiate your business through your pricing strategy. By pricing your products or services below that of the competition, you can to cut into their market share by stealing some of their customers. Higher pricing can help you cultivate an image of quality or prestige. If employing a low-price strategy, be sure that you can still remain profitable. If you offer higher prices, you may need to also offer additional services to attract customers, such as free delivery or extended business hours. Avoiding a Price War From the survey, results obtained show that SMEs compare prices with competitors then set their own price. Setting the lowest price is not a strong position for small business as larger competitors with more resources will destroy any small business trying to compete on price alone. SMEs need to understand the demand structure in their industry, review their costs and profit goals. The low price strategy is best avoided by small business. SMEs with solid pricing strategies can escape a price war and low price position. Networking SMEs need to know that apart from word of mouth, Networking is also of a high importance to them. They have to maintain good relationship with both buyers and sellers in the market; this will help in increasing sales and get more customers. Well spread network will help product recognition. It will also help in improving the services of the SMEs and thus SMEs may alter their products according to the needs of consumers. Whilst it is believed that the present study has contributed to a more in depth understanding of the marketing strategies of SMEs, the results so viewed is only a foundation for more thorough follow up research.

Crimes Of The Black Policeman - 1074 Words

crimes. For example, Ricky and Tre drive away from the party on the street, and two crooked black and white policemen pull them over. The black policeman, Officer Coffey, has both Ricky and Tre step outside of the car, and proceeds to start questioning Tre. Tre quickly pleads, â€Å"I didn’t do nothin’!† Officer Coffey retorts, â€Å"You think you tough?† He then pulls out his gun, points it at Ricky’s face, and sternly says: â€Å"Scared now, ain t you? I like that. That s why I took this job. I hate little motherfuckers like you†¦ Look like one of them Crenshaw mafia motherfuckers.† (Boyz in the Hood) This unnecessary action scares Tre as he is forced up against his car crying and shaking his head with no power to say a word. It is this discrimination from inside the community that, while possibly helping to reduce violence, causes the very stereotype of blacks being the number one target of enforcement, the crime of simply driving whi le being black. There are some who still struggle to succeed in everyday life, but do not result to alcohol or violence; these few can still go on to be successful, but often still have to deal with discrimination and violence. Take, for instance, Ricky; he struggles educationally, but does not result to alcohol or violence to deal his problems. His approach to succeed is through hard work and practice on the football field. While he may not be blessed with intelligence, he has skilled ability on the athletic field that leads him to be anShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Gun Control1511 Words   |  7 Pageslimits the keeping and using of guns by citizens. According to Firearms and Federal Law: The Gun Control Act Of 1968, the Gun Control Act is designed to provide support to Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials in their fight against crime and violence. (Journal of Legal Studies). Firearm is an epochal invention. But unfortunately, no matter in the past or now, guns and firearms are often misused. Therefore, gun control policy exists. In fact, the gun control policy leads both prosRead MoreThe New Jim Crow By Michelle Alexander1253 Words   |  6 PagesThe book, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander is about the mass incarceration of African Americans in the criminal justice system. It depicts individuals who were arrested on drug crimes. Because these individuals are labeled as criminals, it becomes difficult for them to find work, housing, and public assistance. (Alexander, 2010) The themes in this book include denial and ignorance, racism and violence, and drugs. Denial and ignorance is a common behavior noted in this book. Many times peopleRead MoreThe Black Lives Matter Movement872 Words   |  4 PagesShort Paper 5 Black Lives Matter Movement A close examination of the online representation of a fringe community or counterculture would be the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter movement is a community in America that has represented itself after all of the many innocent African American lives that have taken by law enforcement and the Caucasian male who went into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and opened fire on the members of the church. The Black Lives MatterRead MorePolice Brutality Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagesdeaths occurred of which 1,643 or 57.1% of the people who died were ‘people of color’.† In another article, â€Å"Black and Blue: Exploring Racial Bias and Law Enforcement in the Killings of Unarmed Black Male Civilians† written by: Alison Hall, Erika Hall, and Jamie Perry, it states, â€Å"According to a ProPublica analysis of federal data on fatal police shootings between 2010 and 2012, young Black male civilians were 21 times more likely to be kil led by police than young White male civilians (GabrielsonRead MoreThe Abc Murders1040 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom an unknown person under the alias ABC. 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Continual incidents of lynchings, beatings, and verbalRead MoreRacial Injustice And Police Violence1611 Words   |  7 PagesHymon, a policeman who shot and killed a 15 year old, black and unarmed  Edward Garner. (Kappeler). Garner had  burgled a house  and stole $10, hardly a crime that justifies capital punishment. Based on the conclusion of case  Tennessee v. Garner, j udges can determine that killings are justified due to the police’s â€Å"objective reasonableness†(Kappeler). But if the policemen really are objective, why are there such clear racial disparities? 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Job Enrichment Free Essays

Based on a major study of High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) in North America by Appelbaum et al. (2000) found that new forms of job design provided production line employees with the opportunity to contribute increased discretionary effort and to participate in workplace problem-solving. These researchers provided empirical evidence that conscious efforts by employers to increase employee discretion and job autonomy resulted in improved job satisfaction for employees and higher levels of organizational performance (Appelbaum et al. We will write a custom essay sample on Job Enrichment or any similar topic only for you Order Now 000). Workforce involvement in decision-making may also be consistent with job enrichment practices (Spence Laschinger et al. 2004). Job enrichment involves providing increased levels of responsibility to lower level employees, including the delegation of work tasks previously undertaken by supervisors, and the provision of increasingly skilled tasks to line employees. The theoretical basis for enrichment efforts is Hackman and Oldham’s (1975) ‘job characteristics’ model, which explores how a combination of specific job characteristics such as skill variety and task significance affect the individual’s experience of meaningful work and their sense of responsibility for work outcomes. These characteristics have, in turn, been linked to improvements in work motivation, job satisfaction and work quality, reduced absenteeism and lower labour turnover (Ford 1969; Hackman et al. 1975). However, job enrichment has received wide publicity but has not always produced favourable results in the workplace. A great deal of debate exists over the benefits and limitations of job enrichment: it clearly is not for everyone. Ralph Brown (2004) summed it up very nicely: Some people are very resistant to more responsibilities or to opportunities for personal growth. Researchers report that some people they expected to resist seized the opportunity. Enriching jobs is a particularly effective way to develop employees provided the jobs are truly enriched, not just more work for them to do. The disadvantages are that job enrichment may lead to greater work pressure and that employees have to start performing tasks which were not originally required of them. Job design: Job design is the specification of the content of a job, the material and equipment required to do the job, and the relation of the job to other jobs. A well-designed job promotes the achievement of the organization’s strategic business objectives by structuring work so it integrates management requirements for efficiency and employee needs for satisfaction. Thus, effective job design presents a major challenge for the HR manager. And job enrichment is one of the methods of job design. Job enrichment is an attempt to motivate employees by giving them the opportunity to use the range of their abilities. It is an idea that was developed by the American psychologist Frederick Hertzberg in the 1950s. It can be contrasted to job enlargement which simply increases the number of tasks without changing the challenge. As such job enrichment has been described as ‘vertical loading’ increases the complexity of work to promote interest. Thus, job enrichment builds motivating factors into the job content by: combing tasks, establishing client relationships, creating natural work units, expanding jobs vertically and opening feedback channels. Supporter: Patterson, West and Wail (2004) found that firms providing lower level employees with job enrichment and skill enhancement experienced a significant boost in productivity and profitability. A Sri Lankan study of the impact of introducing self managed teams in a large textile mill reported increased productivity, higher product quality, lower reject rates and higher employee satisfaction. The process of delegating increased decision-making responsibility to workplace teams changed the organization’s structures, decision making processes and job design at workplace level, with increased levels of empowerment and training being provided to team members (Jayawardana and Fonseka 1996). Nevertheless, the potential for improved performance outcomes to follow the provision of increased employee input into workplace decision-making relies on employee acceptance of the relevance of these practices and on the existence of a climate of involvement. One means of creating this climate is to appoint work group leaders who will model the behaviours valued by the organisation, and who are also able to motivate employees to mirror these behaviours (Richards and Vandenberg 2005). In Sri Lanka’s Garment Industry, the manager introduced process controllers into the three production lines from January to April 2002; line employees underwent a series of training programs. The training focused on the company’s customers and products, the production process and techniques related to increasing quality and problem-solving. The sessions were conducted by the plant manager, the quality assurance manager and the work study manager. Each session was followed by a discussion with production line members. The training programs lasted for two hours after work, with all line employees paid for their participation. At production meetings, held once a week, line employees were given feedback on their performance, in particular in relation to line efficiency and end-line rejects. During the initial training, production line employees were given a briefing on market conditions in the industry and customer requirements. They were also provided with an opportunity to study their line’s performance for the previous three months in relation to on-time delivery, total rejects and customer returns. The training provided encouraged employees to take responsibility for performance outcomes such as product reject rates and on-standard efficiency levels. The training manager provided feedback to line employees where the performance of one production line lagged that of the organisation as a whole. The training also addressed skill development, the organisation of work and the use of computer-aided information systems and quality control systems. Each machine was equipped with a computer terminal, which gave details of efficiency standards, losses, stoppages and earnings based on incentive payments. The case explored the impact of a job enrichment initiative to devolve increased responsibility for monitoring workplace productivity, product quality and workforce attendance to line employees. We found that the introduction of process controllers generated substantial improvements in LM Collection’s performance over this period. Efficiency levels rose from 41 per cent to 61 per cent and product rejects declined from 10 per cent to 2 per cent, while absenteeism levels declined from almost 10 per cent to 2. 4 per cent by March 2003. On the whole, productivity levels improved, product quality increased and workforce absence and turnover episodes declined over the period of this study. Critiques: In the other hand, there are drawbacks of job enrichment when the HR managers do not think about the matters from employees, and no one seems to mention the costs. In some employees eyes, the job enrichment is merely an enforce change to jobs in order for the organisation to obtain higher productivity from its workers. With the pressure of more responsibilities and tasks, the employees may not have enough time to give the feedback of performance. Either actually the workers do not want enriched their jobs or the job is not that easy to enrich. . Job enrichment is a type of job redesign intended to reverse the effects of tasks that are repetitive requiring little autonomy. Some of these effects are boredom, lack of flexibility, and employee dissatisfaction (Leach Wall, 2004). The underlying principle is to expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency. Since the goal is to give the individual exposure to tasks normally reserved for differently focused or higher positions, merely adding more of the same responsibilities related to an employee’s current position are not considered job enrichment. Job enrichment can only be truly successful if planning includes support for all phases of the initiative. Ohio State University Extension began a job enrichment program in 1992 and surveyed the participants five years later. The results, broken down into 3 sub-buckets of data beyond the main grouping of advantages/disadvantages as shown in Table 1, indicate the University had not fully considered the planning and administrative aspects of the program (Fourman and Jones, 1997). While the benefits are seemingly obvious, programs fail not because of a lack of benefits, but rather due to implementation problems. These problems can include a perception of too great a cost, lack of long-term commitment of resources, and potential job classification changes (Cunningham and Eberle, 1990). In order for a job enrichment program to produce positive results, worker needs and organizational needs must be analyzed and acted upon. According to Cunningham and Eberle (1990), before an enrichment program is begun, the following questions should be asked: 1. Do employees need jobs that involve responsibility, variety, feedback, challenge, accountability, significance, and opportunities to learn? 2. What techniques can be implemented without changing the job classification plan? 3. What techniques would require changes in the job classification plan? A job enrichment program can be a very effective intervention in some situations where a Performance Technician is faced with a request for motivational training. Conclusion: In my opinion, job enrichment can bring about improvement in both job performance and job satisfaction. A survey of almost 100 research studies found job enrichment resulted in greater productivity, improved product quality, fewer employee grievances, improved worker attitudes; reduce absenteeism and labour turnover, and lower costs. Therefore, improved quality of working life brought about by job enrichment has not only social benefits but also bottom-line benefits to the organization. How to cite Job Enrichment, Papers Job Enrichment Free Essays Conceptual Paper on Job Enrichment Ritesh Dhak 12PGP090 Abstract: This is a conceptual paper to study the phenomenon of ‘Job Enrichment’ in details. The various studies carried out on this topic. It’s relation with phenomenon of ‘motivation’ and ‘Job satisfaction’. We will write a custom essay sample on Job Enrichment or any similar topic only for you Order Now It also deals with the effective job enrichment programs and implementing them. Introduction: Job enrichment is a type of job redesign intended to reverse the effects of tasks that are repetitive requiring little autonomy. The underlying principle is to expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency. It is an idea that was developed by the American psychologist Frederick Herzberg in the 1950s. The first who tried to introduce the concept of job enrichment and modifications were the practitioners in the beginning of the 20th century in order to increase the performance of employees. What was in the fashion at that time were simplification and specialization of the tasks, which, in collaboration with scientists, confirmed to be useful to enhance the efficiency of the production (Taylor 1911, Gilbreth 1911, as cited in Morgeson Campion 2002). Another wave of the approach, at that time called job enlargement, began with an initiative of IBM in the mid-1940s, which included both enlargement and enrichment of the jobs, intending to introduce more interest, variety and significance into the work (Miner 2002). But initial work on job enrichment practices is done by Frederick Herzberg in the 1950’s and 60’s, Frederick Herzberg performed studies to determine which factors in an employee’s work environment caused satisfaction or dissatisfaction. He published his findings in the 1959 book ‘The Motivation to Work,’ he name his theory as Herzberg’s Motivation-hygiene Theory (Two Factor Theory), which was further refined in 1971 by Hackman Lawler (1971) and further by 1975 by Hackman and Oldham using what they called the Job Characteristics Model. This model assumes that if five core job characteristics are present, three psychological states critical to motivation are produced, resulting in positive outcomes. Important Theories: Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Two Factor Theory) Herzberg conducted a study where he asked employees about the factors causing satisfaction and dissatisfaction at their workplace. Herzberg found that the factors causing job satisfaction (and presumably motivation) were different from that causing job dissatisfaction. He developed the motivation-hygiene theory to explain these results. He called the satisfiers motivators and the dissatisfies hygiene factors, using the term â€Å"hygiene† in the sense that they are considered maintenance factors that are necessary to avoid dissatisfaction but that by themselves do not provide satisfaction. According to the Frederick Herzberg’s study the factors which affect Job Attitudes are Leading to Dissatisfaction Leading to Satisfaction Company policyAchievement SupervisionRecognition Relationship w/BossWork itself Work conditionsResponsibility SalaryAdvancement Relationship w/PeersGrowth These factors being different from each other Herzberg said that these two feeling can’t be treated as opposite of each other. Herzberg further argued that there are two distinct human needs portrayed. First, there are physiological needs that can be fulfilled by money, for example, to purchase food and shelter. Second, there is the psychological need to achieve and grow, and this need is fulfilled by activities that cause one to grow. Herzberg stated that the job enrichment is required for intrinsic motivation. According to Herzberg: †¢The job should have sufficient challenge to utilize the full ability of the employee. †¢Employees who demonstrate increasing levels of ability should be given increasing levels of responsibility. †¢If a job cannot be designed to use an employee’s full abilities, then the firm should consider automating the task or replacing the employee with one who has a lower level of skill. If a person cannot be fully utilized, then there will be a motivation problem. Job Characteristics Theory According to this theory there are four important concepts: core job characteristics, critical psychological states, outcomes, and moderators. The theory proposes that high levels of outcomes are obtained when the critical psychological states are present for a given employee. The theory states that these critical psychological states are created by the presence of the core job characteristics, in a way that is specified later in the text. Each of those relationships is moderated by several moderators which may differ for each individual (Hackman Oldham 1975). The following five features are considered in the model Skill variety – It is the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities during the work to involve the use of a number of different skills and talents of the employee. Task identity – It is the degree to which the job requires completion of a †whole† and identifiable piece of work that is, doing a job from beginning to end with a visible outcome. Task significance – It is the degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of the other people whether in the immediate organization or in the external environment. Autonomy – It is the degree to which the job provides substantial freedom, independence, and discretion to the employee in scheduling the work and in determining the procedures to be used in carrying it out. Feedback from job – It is the degree to which carrying out the work activities required by the job results in the employee obtaining direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her performance. There are three critical psychological states provided by the model experienced meaningfulness of the work, experienced responsibility for the outcomes of the work and knowledge of the actual results of the work activities which result into three outcomes Internal work motivation, Growth satisfaction, General Job satisfaction and Work effectiveness. Further research has shown that the psychological needs of people are very important in determining who can (and who cannot) become internally motivated at work with enriched job. Some people have strong needs for personal accomplishment, for learning and developing themselves beyond where they are now, for being stimulated and challenged, and so on. These people are high in â€Å"growth-need strength. † These people get motivated with enriched jobs while the people who are not interested in improving themselves in jobs do not get much affected with enriched job. The diagnostic tools- The instrumental gauge in assessing the target job and employee for it are as follows. 1. The objective characteristics of the jobs itself indicate the â€Å"motivating potential† of the job using MPS score. . The current levels of motivation, satisfaction, and work performance of employees on the job and how people feel about other aspects of the work setting, such as pay, supervision, and relationships with co-workers. 3. The level of growth-need strength of the employees. Employees who have strong growth needs are more likely to be more responsive to job enrichme nt than employees with weak growth needs. In order for a job enrichment program to produce positive results, worker needs and organizational needs must be analyzed and acted upon. As per Cunningham and Eberle (1990), before enrichment program following questions should be asked: 1. Do employees need jobs that involve responsibility, variety, feedback, challenge, accountability, significance, and opportunities to learn? 2. What techniques can be implemented without changing the job classification plan? 3. What techniques would require changes in the job classification plan? Conclusion: Job enrichment is an important phenomenon in the motivation and employee engagement. Research studies on job enrichment found out decreased levels of absenteeism among the employees, reduced employee turnover and a manifold increase in job satisfaction. There are certain cases however where job enrichment can lead to a decrease in productivity, especially when the employees have not been trained properly. Even after the training the process may not show results immediately, it takes time to reflect in the profit line. Refrences: 1. ‘Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Two Factor Theory)’ from www. abahe. co. uk 2. J Richard Hackman, Greg Oldham, Robert Janson and Kenneth Purdy A new Strategy for Job Enrichment (Motivating Individuals in Organizational settings) 3. Peter Jacko Enriching the Job Enrichment Theory – Research Methods for the Social Scientist March 04 ( Carlos III University in Madrid Department of Business Administration) 4. Mary T. Guise Test of Hackman and Oldhmam’s Job Chaaracteristics Model in a Post Secondary Educational Setting (COLLEGE OF EDUCATION BROCK UNIVERSITY St. Catharines, Ontario September, 1988) 5. J. Barton Cunningham and Ted Eberle A guide to job enrichment and redesign (COPYRIGHT American Management Association 1990) How to cite Job Enrichment, Essay examples

Soft Power Without Hard Power Is No Power Essay Sample free essay sample

In the early 1990s. Joseph Nye’s book Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature Of American Power ignited a immense treatment among society of the demand to transition from America’s traditional usage of difficult power to something more benign which he termed soft power. Before looking at the two subdivisions of power. we foremost specify power as the ability to make something or act in a certain manner. As Nye had pointed out. states can exert power in two signifiers. soft and difficult power. Soft power. as coined by Nye ( 1990 ) is defined as â€Å"the ability to acquire what you want through attractive force instead than through coercion. † In contrast. difficult power is seen as the usage of military might or economic countenances to hale others into making your will. Even as soft power additions grip among universe leaders today. many still find the construct vague and difficult to exert. While soft power may be good in certain context. it does non work independently of difficult power and requires the implicit in usage of difficult power to endorse it up. This paper looks at the nature of soft power and its relationship with difficult power. As Nye stated ( 2004a ) . soft power is based on the construct of attractive force. In other words. it’s the power of attractive force. However. this construct is based on the premiss that attractive force equates the ability to influence ( Fan 2007 ) . Often. this is non the instance. While a state may be positively perceived in the eyes others. this seldom translates into the ability to influence. Harmonizing to Monocle magazine’s one-year Soft Power study in 2012. the UK overtook US as the state with the ‘softest’ power. Looking at UK now. we see a worsening world power whose radiance as long faded off. Its presence on the universe phase has frequently been limited. Given its top ranking. this has non translated into a proportionate planetary influence. This can be contrasted with US whose repute have taken a whipping but yet keep much sway in the universe. A state like Norway may be respected for its civilization and public assistance system ; nevertheless. it has no true influence on the universe phase and has small power when it comes to decision-making. Even Nye. who so fierily espouses the usage of soft power. admits to it that soft power maps to act upon the ‘environment for policy’ and non the policy itself ( 2004a ) . To widen soft power beyond the kingdom of influence is dependent on some signifier of difficult power to impart it credibleness ( Fan 2007 ) . To exert soft power. one must foremost be able have something the other party 1s. be it the formula to economic success or some signifier of military protection ( Cooper 2004 ) . To set it merely. soft power without difficult power is ineffective. Given how Nye defines the two signifiers of power. it is difficult to see the two as a continuance of the other. One lies in pulling others while the other uses coercion. The two attacks merely seem at uneven with each other. However as Bially Mattern maintains that â€Å"soft power should be non be understood in apposition to difficult power but as a continuance of it by different agencies. † ( 2005. 583 ) . In kernel. she believes that soft power is nil more than the softer face of difficult power. Bially Mattern believes soft power uses something she footings ‘representational force’ ( 2005. 602 ) . Representational force plants by using believable menaces of injury to its victims. which unlike coercion. are directed at their subjectiveness as compared to physically ( Bially Mattern 2005 ) . This could hold been clearly seen following the 9/11 panic onslaughts as the Bush disposal issued a ‘war on terrorism’ . Underliing the difficult power attack of weeding the universe of terrorist act. it could hold been seen as utilizing soft power to pull others to the US’s cause. Yet. this soft power is simply difficult power in camouflage. Bush Jr publically denounced the Acts of the Apostless of terrorist act and declared the war on it as righteous and claimed ‘you are either with us or against us’ . This statement was structured such that it played on the representational force of attractive force. No in-between land was to be taken. Either you are attracted to the US and by extension its policies on the war on terrorist act or you wholly reject it and tie in yourself with the terrorists. While there were physical reverberations of harbouring terrorists. there were no countenances or penalties to be derived from holding a differing position as th at of the US. As Bially Mattern explained. representational force worked by making inharmoniousness within themselves as they are ‘relegated’ to the side of the terrorist ( 2005 ) . Therefore. in an attempt to minimise this mismatch of their belief and ego. states would be ‘forced’ agree with the manner US demands of them. All in all. soft power is nil more than a more benign manner to border difficult power. It simply is a vas for difficult power to work its manner in the diplomatic circles. In decision. the relationship between soft and difficult power is highly convoluted. Soft power does non be independently of difficult power. As Fan ( 2007 ) mentioned. a state may hold soft power beginnings but the ability to do full usage of it is really much reliant on difficult power or as she puts it ‘hard resources’ . Give how soft power is embedded so much into difficult power. one can see soft power as being nil than a mere extension of difficult power in its benign signifier. Bing able to comprehend the nature and its equivocal relationship with difficult power is important in this new changing age where a country’s reputability and image is transeunt. Knowing how it works and its true signifier would break inform authoritiess how best to entwine them into their country’s national schemes and better calculate the effects of its usage. We will get down to see the rise of soft power that in fact is more brooding of difficult power. Mentions: Bially Mattern. Janice. 2005. â€Å"Why ‘Soft Power’ Isn’t So Soft: Representational Force and the Sociolinguistic Construction of Attraction in World Politics. † Millennium. vol. 33. no. 3 ( June ) . pp. 583-612 Fan. Y. ( 2007 ) ‘Soft power: Power of attractive force or confusion? ’ . Topographic point Branding and Public Diplomacy Vol. 4. 2. 147–158. Palgrave Macmillan Ltd Nye. J. S. ( 1990 ) ‘Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power’ . Basic Books. New York. NY. Nye. J. S. ( 2004a ) ‘Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics’ . Public Affairs. New York. NY. pp. 7–8. Nye. J. S. ( 2004b ) ‘The benefit of soft power’ . HBS Working Knowledge. available at hypertext transfer protocol: //hbswk. hemoglobin. edu/archive/4290. hypertext markup language.

Coffee Shop Essay Example

Coffee Shop Essay The marketing plan 21th May 2010 Marketing plan Dot. L Coffee Executive Summary The purpose of this marketing plan is to outline the complete marketing strategy, tactics, and programs for Dot. L Coffee (hereafter, â€Å"Dot. L†). Dot. L is a specialist Coffee Company that focuses on specialty coffee of Latte, coffee based products and foods as well. Dot. L is a new coffee shop in the river side district. Dot. L will be known for over 6 flavors of latte, coffee and coffee based products. In addition, light snacks and sandwiches will be offered to accompany the cappuccino and coffee based products. The cafe establishment will play modern music for ambiance and provide free wireless internet access for patrons to attract professionals in the nearby business areas. The mission of Dot. L is in the vanity of the city, Dot. L can bring you the ease of a precious. Dot. L will be unlike other cafes in that it will introduce customers to the different flavors of coffee and foods in a leisure non pressure environment. Furthermore, in a competitive market like Starbuck, Dot. L hopes to set itself apart by reaching out to those diversity flavors of latte without the high prices. The target market consists of two market segments: People who are deeply in love latte and people who hope have a relaxing time †¢ Business people from the downtown business centers and professional buildings Situation analysis is explored. This includes an overall marketing environment analysis for the company as well as more specific situation analysis such as competitor and customers action for the marketi ng analysis. An evaluation is conducted followed by an action plan outlining how to achieve the marketing objectives, which includes: promotion, price discounts, a bi-monthly newsletter, advertising in television and search for ew channel partnerships. Company overview and the Mission Statement Dot. L will be a distinctive coffee shop which have own characteristics and culture that will serve the river side residential district. The coffee shop offers flavored latte and other coffee products, light snacks, foods and free wi-fi service for customer surfing on-line. The Dot. L primary place of operation will be located on the river side with nice view of Brisbane River. The business persons in the office building will add to the number of patrons and the circumstance their also can attract consumer to choose that place. We will write a custom essay sample on Coffee Shop specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Coffee Shop specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Coffee Shop specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There are plans to open additional locations after 3 years of operation. Dot. L will operate from Monday to Sunday. Monday thru Thursday, five employees will be working from 10 a. m. to 10 p. m. Friday and Saturday will work the same; however, three employees closing will work until 12 a. m. The cost for each full time labors might be 16 dollars per hour and the cost for part-time labors might be 9 dollars. The name of this coffee shop is Dot. L which means L refers to latte. Therefore latte as company core coffee products and latte art can be discovered in Dot. L. [pic] As stated in the company’s mission statement: Dot. L aims to be the cafe have own style and culture in Australia. In the vanity of the city, Dot. L can bring you the ease of a precious. Table of Contents Executive Summary2 Company overview and the Mission Statement3 Introduction6 Product Description6 Environmental Scan7 Economic environment7 Legal, political and regulatory environment8 Social and cultural environment8 Technological environment9 Competitor9 Market research10 Customers12 Marketing objectives and Market tactics12 Marketing objectives12 Product12 Price13 Place13 Promotion14 Marketing Tactics15 Market forecasting16 Action plans17 Financials18 Control20 Conclusion21 Reference list:22 Appendix 124 Introduction This marketing plan examines the steps required to reposition Dot. L cafe in the Australian marketplace. Dot. L is a cafe brand will locate on river side in Brisbane. Dot. L offers a variety of coffee, specialty coffee of Latte, coffee based products and foods. In addition, in order to attract consumers latte art also be adopted into the coffee products. Basically the price for the regularly coffee the price will not over four dollars. The cafe will focus on the business people and normally customers. Dot. L in Australia employ approximately 30 labors includes chiefs, shop assistant, shop keeper, senior manager. The Dot. L brand name comes from its core products will offer in the cafe that aim to: 1. Attract consumers 2. Build brand 3. Trade profit achieve about 8-10% The marketing plan followed by analysis the situation in marketplace, competitors analysis for the Dot. L entry into the market. Furthermore, market research and customers analysis will provide to assist the Dot. L to locates the market accurately. It also considers the market forecasting and financials for the three-year period. Product Description The Dot. L will offer many items that would have perfect taste. From traditional coffee to the light snacks and foods, Dot. L will offer something traditional and original for all tastes. Daily latte specials will be offered, featuring a different blend and flavor each day. The cafe specialty will prefer to European style design. The six different lattes are includes: cafe au lait; ghetto latte or bootleg lattes; hot or iced latte versions of chai, matcha, and Royal milk tea; red latte; latte macchiato and Caffe latte. Latte and Coffee will be sold in three sizes, with prices ranging from $2. 00 to $5. 00. Flavors will be available at an additional charge of $0. 50. Espresso, cappuccino, mocha, and other specialty drinks will be available in two sizes and will cost $3. 75 and $6. 50. Environmental Scan Economic environment Robust business, consumer confidence and high export price for raw materials have fuelled the economy for 16 years. Australia has a strong economy with per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of $ 38,000(CIA, 2009), and GDP was estimated to be growing at 3. % annually (CIA, 2009). However, in 2008 with the impact of the global economic crisis, manufacturing output and employment started to falter, and the Australian economy headed into a severe slowdown (Jackson, 2008). Even through, in 2010 the economy has begun to turn for the better, the consumers’ purchase tendency is not recover. As both cause and effect, consumers cut back on spending, specifically on food, clothing, furniture, entertainment, cars and mobile phones (Uren, 2008). The economic conditions in Australia present opportunities and risk for Dot. L. The decrease in consumer spending will force cafe industry to seek specialist assist to retain customers and maintain sales. In the other hand, this will increase the demand for specialist service like Dot. L which can provide business men have plcae to release pressure. However, the reality of a downturn may cause retailers to cut back on all spending including on retail consulting and training services. Additionally some retailers are likely to go out of business. Legal, political and regulatory environment Small business branding through labeling and packaging conclusively builds company and product recognition. Positioning the unique product through private label aimed at the target market results in an effective, low cost marketing strategy. It is the solution to getting customers into the store and back again and again. In American, the government publishes a legislative memo of a cyber-cafe restriction in 2006 (New York Civil Liberties Union, 2006). The China government also publishes the same restrictions. Because most of the cafe will provide the service of internet, so, they should pay attention to theses legislative issue (Rodnin, 2005). Social and cultural environment According to Australian Coffee Traders Association, Annual General Meeting 2006 that pointed out overall speaking, the Australian coffee market is very competitive but consumers are brand-loyal (ACTA, 2008). Australia is a country of different immigrants, especially proud of a traditional strong coffee culture started by European immigrants(AusFoodNews,2010). The strong coffee culture of Australia has influenced growth in coffee shops, especially among the younger generation. Coffee drinking has become an integral part of the modern lifestyle. In Australia, the specialist coffee shops have become more than just a place to drink coffee. Increasingly, coffee shops serve as places to meet for business and pleasure a location for peace and quiet away from home and office. ACTA (2008) stated that more than one billion cups of coffee are consumed in cafes, restaurants and other outlets each year, this is an increase of 65% over the last 10 years. The Coffee consumption of Australian per capita has doubled over the last 30 years (ACTA, 2008). According to a new report by Euromonitor International â€Å"Consumer Foodservice in Australia†. (2004) the number of transactions through coffee shops grew by 7% and value sales grew by almost 29%. Technological environment Technological advances in Australia have resulted in an increase usage of the internet. This has resulted in all industry expanding into a new channel: offering services, marketing and selling products over the internet. For Dot. L, the cafe can take this advantage which is using intern as the company’s channel to promote the marketing. Competitor The popularity of franchising as a business opportunity in Australia has also had a significant impact on the number of chain specialist coffee shops, such as Gloria Jeans, The Coffee Club, Zarrafa’s Coffee which expanded mainly through franchising (Market Research World, n. . ). Euromonitor Internationals research shows that the Gloria Jeans chain had the largest increase in outlets in 2004, thereby boosting its market share from 28% in 2003 to 37% in 2004. Gloria Jean’s has already opened over 900 shops around the world, and 407 stores are established in Australia-wide. Therefore, Gloria Jean’s can be regarded as the most powerful competitor. The Coffee Club has expanded its business to overseas, including Beijing, Bangkok, Dubai and Thailand. It has had more than 200 stores across the whole world. Compared with these two brands Gloria Jean’s and The Coffee Club, Zarrafa’s Coffee is a young brand. The brand comes from Gold Coast, and it only has 14 years history. Zarrafa’s Coffee has 41 stores across South East Queensland. Consequently, Zarrafa’s Coffee can be thought as the least powerful competitor for Dot. L. According to the report, sales of hot drink products in Australia surpassed A$1350m in the year 2008 and is expected to be worth A$1473m in 2013, with the coffee category accounting for the largest share followed by tea (Trading Room, 2010). It can be assumed that more people might enter the cafe industry. Market research In this section is to present the research about the marketing research for the Dot. L Coffee. Since this is a brand, the main goal of the Dot. L Coffee is to establish brand awareness among the target audience, which is business people, and 94 percent of them are aged 25 to 40. In this research, it chooses 10 male and 10 female to do the interview. Figure 1: The Frequency of the respondents to have coffee [pic] Figure 2: The Buying Habits of the Respondents [pic] According to the figure 1 and 2, of the business people that polled, 70 percent said they have coffee every day. And a full 58 percent said they prefer to enjoy coffee in the cafe. Others will enjoy coffee in their office or at home, here, 52 percent of them will buy the coffee products in the coffee shop, and 47 percent of them prefer buy it form the supermarket. Figure 3: The Acceptable Price per Coffee of the Respondents [pic] 45 percent of the respondents said that they would like Latte, and both of respondents who prefer Espresso and Mocha are divine 15 percent, 25 percent of respondents choose Cappuccino. Referring to the figure 3, 70 percent of them represent the acceptable price per cup of coffee is $3-8 dollars, and below $3 dollars and above $8 dollars will share the same percentage of 15 percent. Take a look at this chart, the best media mix, then, would be a combination of TV and magazine advertisements. Both of TV and magazine were divine 30 percent of the total population. And 20 percent of people prefer print advertisement. To conclude, even though our target audience is clearly defined, introducing a new product is always a gamble. But with the proper media mix we can certainly lessen the chance of failure. Customers The primary target market for the Dot. L Coffee will be the local business people. The cafe will be a sit-down coffee shop with wi-fi connectivity. The cafe will serve a variety of flavored latte, coffee products, beverages, sandwiches, and treats to local customers. The target market consists of two market segments, that is people who are deeply in love latte and people who hope have a relaxing time; and business people from the downtown business centers and professional buildings. Marketing objectives and Market tactics Marketing objectives The purpose of this marketing plan is to launch a cafe with delicate bakery, and professional coffees and which will bring simple cozy and friendly atmosphere. Based on the product features and marketing 4P principles, the three years’ specific marketing plan will be given as the following to ensure objectives and expectations are met. Product First off all, the key customers are those people who fond into Latte which means the product image is designed as professional Latte maker with friendly, easy communicate, happy relationship atmosphere. In order to match the product concept: simple and cozy so that the color of the cafe should be designed as clean, comfortable. And the coffee cup and tableware would be designed to match the interior decoration as mildness and simple. The main special coffee is Latte. Meanwhile, espresso, cappuccino, mocha, and other specialty drinks will be available too. The latte flavors will include vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. This can be designed as the first year menu and in the following three years the product will be developed according to the market trend. Price The Dot. L cafe will specially offer delicate bakery with other beverages such as soda and juice. Coffee will be sold in three sizes, with prices ranging from $2. 00 to $5. 00. All prices take into consideration the cost of material, 25% for food and 45% for beverages. Espresso, cappuccino, mocha, and other specialty drinks will be available in two sizes and will cost $3. 75 and $6. 50. All different deserts will be sold by the slice such as cheesecake, chocolate cake, muffin, sandwich and cupcake. Prices range from $2. 75 to $8. 00. The frequent customer can join the membership and participate the buy 10 get one free activity. Place The cafe name Dot. L is from the coffee Latte which is combined with espresso and steamed milk. Hence, the image of the cafe will deliver simple and warm message to customers. The location of Dot. L will be choosing at Brisbane river side. The space will be designed with a glass room and interior will be more concise and mediterrane an style. The common area will have white coffee tables surrounded by plush chairs and sofas and allow customers to set up laptop and spread out paperwork. The walls will be painted into warm color to enhance the relax and friendly atmosphere. Promotion Besides, in order to develop the market and receive good reputation from the very first. The Dot. L Cafe will be promoted in a variety of ways. The annual budget allotment for advertising is $19,904 for the first year of operation. These monies will be distributed as follows: 1. Southern Star –  Southern Star will be printed monthly showing the nightly specials. They will be distributed throughout the area on cars, handed out at the library, delivered to the local office buildings, and posted on street signs and other obvious places. 2. Radio   The cafe will run many radio spots on local radio stations. The ads will feature the daily coffee specials and will air during the morning and afternoon drive times to capitalize on drive-by traffic. 3. Entertainment   The Dot. L Cafe will feature local entertainment every other weekend. The entertainers will provide music, poetry, art, and dancing. These events will be promoted through additional print and radio spots. Besides, Dot. L will engage in promoting premium varieties of coffee by educating their customers about the different coffees that are available. This strategy would lead to increased sophistication among customers. 4. Web Presence   The Dot. L Cafe will promote the business and specials over the Internet through a website. The website will be updated monthly to advertise specials and product offerings. The Radio and newspaper advertisement could be launch at the first half year to attract more customers. Entertainment and web presence should be developed as long term promotion plan in the next three years. The Dot. L Cafe will promote itself to its new customers by offering discount memberships for frequent consumers. There will be buy 10 get one free card available for coffee. The remaining  advertising  budget  will be used to print membership and frequent consumer cards. Serve the highest quality food and beverage and meanwhile maintain low cost of goods and inventory is one of the key objectives. Thus Logistics and distribution would be a crucial part as well. The fresh meats, cheeses, and  vegetables  will be purchased through good reputation food source distributors. The researching and negotiating of the best prices with distributors would be put into the project process too. Marketing Tactics To achieve the above marketing objectives, this plan considers the tactic through the marketing mix which includes product, promotion and pricing. Colour appeal, packaging and style are included in product section. As the before shown, the target market of the cafe is business people who works in downtown and modern buildings. These potential customers can be regarded as white collars and the middle class. They hold well-paid, and are to pursuit quality lifestyles. Based on these, the basic colour tone will be set as dark colour tone, such as brown and black. The logo of the cafe is to stress a simple but elegant style. Because Dot. L cafe is a new brand for customers, so the promotion strategy must be heavy to entice the brand trial. The advised promotion approaches are print ad, billboard ad and in-store promotions. Setting a billboard ad on the way to the city and riverside is strongly advised. The cafe locates on the riverside; for this reason, putting ad on ferry is recommended. The pricing objective is to appeal the people who take coffee daily. A regular size cafe au lait which is the main product is priced as $4. 50. The cafe can give 5% discount to people who hold senior card. Furthermore, a point card can be given in the store when customers are making purchase. The card allows that customers can get 1 free coffee after they buy 9 coffees. Market forecasting There are more than 100 cafes in Brisbane, and 17 cafes exist in Southbank where a part of riverside is. According to one market research (Weston 2010), more and more Australian have already totally accepted the coffee culture; in addition, they are very to enjoy this culture. Therefore, a big growth on takeout coffee is brought by this social change. As a matter of fact, the flourishing demand of coffee drinking directs to the blast of many specific coffee shops. According to another research, Australians prefer to coffee with milk rather than other styles. Datamonitor’s Market Data Analytic (MDA) database indicates that retail coffee sales in Australia gained around A$752m. The Australia coffee market is in the second place around the Asian Economic in 2008. Another research predicts that the total amount around A$473m of profit can be reached in 2013. All in all, it can be concluded that there is a huge potential in the cafe market. Action plans According to the planed given above the relevant GANTT chart will guide this project go smoothly complete on time. Figure 4: The Dot. L Project Schedule |Dot. L | |? |? | |Start-up Assets to Fund |$26,000 | |Total Funding Required |$88,290 | | | | |Total Assets |$26,000 | | | |Liabilities and Capital | | |Liabilities | | |Total Liabilities |$33,290 | | | | |Capital | | |Planned Investment |$55,000 | |Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) |($62,290) | |Total Capital |($7,290) | | | | |Total Capital and Liabilities |$26,000 | 2. Break-even Analysis Break-even data is presented in the chart and table below. [pic] Figure 6: Break-even Analysis Monthly Units Break-even |7,294 | |Monthly Revenue Break-even |$18,462 | |Assumptions: | | |Average Per-Unit Revenue |$2. 53 | |Average Per-Unit Variable Cost |$0. 63 | |Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost |$13,847 | 3. Projected Profit and Loss In the first year, the Dot. L Coffee will have sales of about $533,764 of operation. In year two and three the Dot. L will have sales increases of about 10%, resulting in sales of $576,551 and $622,575, respectively. Operating expenses are $304,136 for year one, $327,694 year two, and $353,326 year three. The results for the first three years of operation are net income of $36,521 for the first year, $42,356 for the second year, and $47,819 for year three. Control Dot. L will continually evaluate the marketing environment, particularly the economic environment, due to the economic downturn, and the competitive environment. Further, in relation to the specific tactics undertaken by Dot. L for the 36 month period, each will be assigned a person who will be responsible for the success of the tactic, as well as a specific final review date. Tactic |Responsibility |Review date | |Promotions to focus on augmented product and core product |Marketing Manager |May 2010 | |benefits | | | |Determine price discounts and rollout strategy to clients | | | |Create newsletter and implement process for it to be |M anagement Team |Aug 2010 | |distributed monthly | | | |More Direct-response advertising in television |Marketing Manager |Sep 2010 | |Implement selling short-term modification recommendations | | | |Search for distributors with which to form channel |Sales Director |Jun 2011 | |partnerships | | |Expand business to more location |Marketing Manager |Mar 2012 | | | | | | |Channel Manager |Nov 2012 | | | | | | |Sales Director |Jan 2013 | Conclusion This report sets out the marketing plan for Dot. L in Australia. It was decided that, Dot. L aims to be the cafe have own style and culture in Australia. In the vanity of the city, Dot. L can bring you the ease of a precious. The marketing strategy was explored, including each of the marketing mix areas, and tactics were recommended relating to direct-response an promotions, price discounts, and find channel partnerships. It is believed that there is opportunity for Dot. L to built own brand culture and expand in cafe industry’s market place.

The Importance of the Arts essays

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Na Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Social Work In Livelihoods And Social Entrepreneurship Sociology Essay Livelihood in every day discourse refers to the means by which people make a living; it is the means to secure the basic necessities of life. A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living (DFID, 1999). The UK Department of international Development (1999) United Nations Development Programme (2010) adopts the definition given by Chambers Conroy (1991): A Livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material and social resources) and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stress and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base. People require a range of livelihood assets to achieve positive livelihood outcomes and no single category of assets on its own is sufficient to yield all the many and varied outcomes that people seek. (The Sustainable Livelihood Framework, DFID). This framework identifies five main capitals or asset categories upon which livelihoods are built (Human capital, Social capital, Natural capital, Physical capital and financial capital), possession or right to use and manage these assets is necessary for a positive livelihood outcome of an individual or household. The ability to access, control, and own productive livelihood assets such as land, labour, finance, and social capital facilitate people in creating firm and productive livelihood outcomes (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011). Assets have a constructive impact on livelihood security, it affects livelihood through different channels. Assets may: directly impact well-being through the increased status and empowerment that asset ownership con veys; facilitate different members of the household to opt different livelihood strategies; provides a safety net against shocks; and reinforces household members positions in the broader community and inside the household in terms of decisions over how income is used up or invested (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011). The patterns of asset ownership are integral to livelihood choices that decide how commodities are marketed or consumed within a household. Assets can be used in varying ways to generate income through rents, interest on savings, and profits in business activities, assets also make possible participation of the individual or household in financial markets, like banking facilities which can be used as collateral for credit. (Swaminathan et al. 2012). The function of assets is significant since it can be sold or used as a security for credit to survive with the undesired or unwanted effects of economic shocks. By providing aid to income diversification of a household, assets als o reinforce households capacity to deal with, and counter negative shocks (Quisumbing, 2008, Cited in Swaminathan et al. 2012). When it comes to women, As culturally based expectations of the roles, responsibilities and behaviours of women and men are assigned to men and women in the society, and as society sees women primarily in gender stereotyped roles, it is important to analyse livelihoods from a gender perspective and to see how far women are able to access these resources to sustain their livelihood. In general, men and women have different levels of control and assess to the resources required for livelihood. Womens work choices are to a great extent limited by a multiple factors such as access to education, family expectations, gendered roles and responsibilities and the overall livelihood approach of the household (Basu and Thomas 2009). Gender inequality is present and apparent throughout developed and developing societies in varying forms and degrees. Women in general and poor women in particular, are underprivileged of basic economic opportunities and rights which are commonly available to men. There exist a large inequalities and disparities between men and women in terms of access to basic facilities, such as nutrition, health and education, as well as access to employment and possession of various income generating resources (Chavan 2008). Not only unequally distribution of assets between rich and poor exist, there exist an unequal distribution of assets between men and women, at the national level as well as within communities and households (Deere and Doss, 2006, cited in Meinzen-Dick. et al, 2011). Research shows that within households, assets are not always pooled, but rather can be held individually by men, women, and children (Haddad et al. 1997, Cited in Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011, p 3). Who within a household has the access to which resources and for what purposes is determined both by the larger socio cultural context and by intra household distribution regulations (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011). Different allocation of the resources among man and women is determined by the larger socio cultural context, and women in general are deprived of economically productive resources. Asset ownership by women can have a positive impact on their status and bargaining power, and thereby enhance individual and household well-being (Swaminathan et al. 2012, p 60). While women may have greater ownership of certain types of assets as compared to men, a growing body of empirical evidence shows that women typically have fewer overall assets than men (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011, p 4). Agriculture is one of the major sources of livelihood for many man and women in many developing countries. It is a critical productive asset in agrarian country, on the other hand, women are deprived of ownership rights and control land and lesser number of women has direct access to land in their own right (Velayudhan 2009). In India, landownership by women is not more than 2% (Agarwal, 1994, Cited in Velayudhan 2009, p 74). An Inter-national Centre for Research on Women (ICRW, 2006) study found that of 402 surveyed women in Kerala, 36% owned property (land or house) while in West Bengal, this figure was 35% in a sample of 450 women(Swaminathan et al. 2012, p 60). A survey of 400 households conducted in four districts in Karnataka in 2001 found that women in households that owned land had access to land, but rarely had ownership rights to it (Brown et al 2002, Cited in Swaminathan et al. 2012, p 60). The research conducted by in Karnataka, India Hema, Suchitra, and Lahoti (2011) shows gendered ownership of assets among man and women, where jewellery was the common and only asset directly owned by women. In Karnataka Women do not own assets by themselves; they co-own assets with some or all household members. Jewellery is the only asset that they own individually and which shows a reverse gender gap. Since jewellery is often pawned or sold during economic crises, it leaves women asset less and more vulnerable even as it provides a coping strategy for households (Swaminathan et al. 2012, p 65). Seeing at the limitations in access, ownership and control of assets by women there is less probability for women to convert these assets into livelihood opportunities, especially when women do not own and manage them. When livelihood is concerned, access to banking services is one important area. There exist gender disparities between man and women when it comes to banking services. While basic banking services are spreading in India, women are largely deprived of the basic banking service. In India, the available data till 2006 show that women at large remain considerably deprived of basic banking services as compared to men (Chavan 2008, p 18). If we consider credit supplied, only about 12 per cent of the individual bank loan accounts belonged to women in 2006; in the same year, women constituted about half of Indias population (48.4 per cent).The remaining 88 per cent of the individual bank loan accounts were held by men (Chavan 2008, p 18). Also The substantial growth in women-members of self-help groups has not meant any major change in the access of women to banking (Chavan 2008, p 18). Another research done by Meenakshi, Vani, Manojit (2011) by examining the National Sample Survey Organisa tion unit record data pertaining to debt and investment (59th round) shows that the relatively weaker sections such as self employed female headed households have much less access to credit both from formal and informal sources. Gender is found to play a very significant role for both amount of income earned as well as the likelihood of an individual being employed. Women in India are found to have a 12 per cent lower likelihood of being employed than men. But even among the employed, female annual incomes are likely to be lower by 36 per cent than otherwise similar males (Bhandari and Bordoloi 2006, p 3895). Which shows the very fact that there exist gendered discrimination in labor market. Gender also plays a crucial role in distribution and division of labor, in the research conducted by Neetu C, Parthasarathy D (2007) in two villages in Nanded, Maharastra, India, reveals the clear cut division of labor between men and women. Women were found generally to execute tasks which require so-called feminine endurance and patience. Almost households works were performed by women irrespective of whether they work and earn outside or not which shows the roles and responsibilities assigned to women defined by the l arger socio cultural context and by the household. And even among wage workers, they were paid less as compared to male counterparts for similar work. From various angles women are subjugated limiting their opportunities for livelihood, and the general scenario of women is grim as far as their livelihoods are concerned, starting from assets ownership, opportunities to work, gendered assigned role and responsibilities limiting them to house hold works, access to credits from banking institutions etc and one important aspect is that shocks like Divorce or death of a husband can lead to women losing their assets especially in cases where marriage is governed under customary laws that do not protect womens right to property (Peterman 2010, cited in Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011, p 11). So there is high chance of women being vulnerable with limited resources when they are single and heading a house alone. It is in this context that the study of the widows affected by armed conflict is being proposed; they are very vulnerable group, their husband or spouses had died in encounters by the state police or Army or killed by non state actors. These widows are those struggling to survive without their husband. After the sock of their husbands death these widows in Manipur are struggling hard for their childrens future, fighting against the stigma and isolation of a young widow of a suspected man (Lierde 2011). Meanwhile, the state, which has abdicated its responsibilities on all fronts, treats them as garbage, as trouble makers, as bad elements who must watch their step and, above all, need not to bother to turn to the state for a widows pension or for support for their fatherless children (Lierde 2011, p 14). Seeing the vulnerability women face in general and this section of women in particular the research proposes to study livelihoods, their vulnerabilities and the gender constrains. A brief review of literature Manipur in general the most important employment generating institution is the government institutions, due to lesser number of formal private sectors in the market, mostly people opt for informal sector for their livelihood, and farm based activities, so the literature review section will be mainly on informal sector and womens livelihood. There is little information in the literature about the day-to-day activities of women in the informal labor market (Basu and Thomas 2009, p 234). Dramatic reductions in trade barriers during the past 10 years have caused unprecedented economic growth in India. Little is known about the impact of globalization on the informal labor market, especially the impact on women (Basu and Thomas 2009, p 231). The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) (2007) reports that roughly 79 per cent of informal sector workers earn less than Rs.20 (less than $0.5) per day, making them the most vulnerable group in the economy (Basu and Thomas 2009, p 231). There is a high chance for Women to work in informal sector, like in Manipur majority of the street vendors are women, and there is an specific market for women vendors called Ima keithel (Ima is a vernacular word which means mother, and keithel means market) and women are also be likely to be segregated into the lower segments of the informal labor market, which are characterized by lower earnings and a high risk of poverty (Basu and Thomas 2009). The informal sec tor offers employment to a large proportion of the populations of developing countries, including India. This is particularly true for women since the informal sector, and home-based work specifically, offer poor women their best opportunity for work. This is because it provides the flexibility in work hours and location that they require to incorporate market work into their actual family work burdens as well as into the social norms regulating womens economic participation (Kantor 2002, p 285). A key constrain to women, in particular, for employability in the formal sector is lack of education, and also womens conventional function within the household limits the opportunity and keeps them in the informal sector (Basu and Thomas 2009). (Kantor 2002) pointed there major women exclusive constrains in their economic opportunities, first is the limited mobility, which comes from the border socio cultural and traditional context and reinforced by gendered roles assigned to women within the household. This has serious implication limiting womens economic potential; second is the womens more demanding role in the family as compared to man. Limited mobility effects women directly and indirectly in their economic progress, directly they are more likely to work in the home or near the vicinity of her home because of their assigned house hold works, and indirectly limiting economic success because of the work burden on the time, energy, and concentration levels they can apply to the market; third is the gendered division of labor in productive work which limits the number of opportunities to work available to women. Issue of female headed households (BuviniĆ¡ and Gupta 1997) pointed out the problems with defining and measuring female headed households, first is the use of different definitions of both the term household and head of household by different countries in their census instruments. Second is the ambiguity inherent in the term head of household when the headship is assigned by the judgement of the household members which may differ across culture and geography, The third and perhaps most serious limitation is that the term head of household is not neutral. It is loaded with additional meanings that reflect a traditional emphasis on households as undifferentiated units with a patriarchal system of governance and no internal conflicts in the allocation of resources (Nancy F 1990, Cited in BuviniĆ¡ and Gupta 1997). Three situations in which results in emergence of female-heads: (a) The broad range of domestic situations generally characterised by the absence of a resident male head, viz, widowhood, divorce, separation and desertion. (b) Male migration for long periods generally for economic activities living behind wives, and (c) resident male losing economic function due to severe unemployment, disability, illness etc (Buvinic Youssef 1978, Cited in Lingam 1994, p 699). Women who head households are triply disadvantaged as they experience the burdens of poverty, gender discrimination, and nonexistence of support as heads of household (BuviniĆ¡ and Gupta 1997). Female headed household and poverty (BuviniĆ¡ and Gupta 1997) pointed out the relation of female headed household and poverty: Here the main earners of female-headed families are by default women, who have lower average earnings as compared to men, they possess fewer or no assets at all which is economically productive, and limited access to remunerative jobs and employment. This gendered economic gap adds to the economic vulnerability of female-headed families. Combined with household structure and gendered differences in economic opportunity, make the female headed household leading to poverty. Rationale of the study Women being one of the vulnerable group in the society, and the group that the researcher is studying have lost their daily bread earner which makes them more vulnerable. Most literature has spoken about violence inflicted towards women in Manipur and less about their vulnerability and livelihoods insecurity. The research could be a useful insight on livelihood intervention programs by various agencies giving and insight about the realities faced by the widows affected by armed conflict in sustaining their livelihoods. Objectives of the study To study the livelihood pattern of widows affected by armed conflict To study the livelihoods vulnerability experienced the widows affected by armed conflict. To ascertain how gender constrains limits the opportunity of their livelihood. The response of state and non state agencies towards them concerning to their livelihood. Conceptual frame work Many approach or theoretical framework to analyze and to understand vulnerability and livelihoods has been developed and most of them attempt to understand peoples vulnerability to disaster specifically. The approaches take disaster/hazard vulnerabilities as the starting point and seeing livelihoods as an aspect of the problem (Twigg 2001) During late 1980s and early 1990s two important conceptual models to analyze vulnerability were developed to understand vulnerability to disaster and from reducing it. One is the capacities and vulnerability framework analysis which basically is a simple matrix for viewing peoples vulnerabilities and capacities in three broad interrelated areas. i.e. physical/material, social/organizational and motivational/attitudinal. In this model livelihoods is covered into physical/motivational category, which shows livelihood not in the center of discussion, if livelihoods has to be analyzed the model needs to develop specific indicator. Second is the pressure and release model of two opposing forces, on one side the progression of vulnerability i.e. root causes, dynamic pressure and unsafe condition, and on one side hazard which leads to vulnerability. Both of these attempts to address vulnerability towards disaster, and livelihood is not the prime focus (Twigg 2001). So for this particular study, the student/researcher will use the Sustainable Livelihood Framework to analyze the vulnerability and livelihood. The sustainable livelihood framework or SL framework begins with a development standpoint and puts livelihoods at the centre of the analysis, which is fitting with the proposed study. This framework takes into account all kinds of vulnerability as part of the context in which livelihoods are shaped or influenced. C:UsersKulajitDesktopsf.gif Sources: http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5808e/y5808e07.gif The SL framework begins with the vulnerability context in which people live and the five livelihood assets that people posses, then it takes into account how changing structures and processes which in turn generates livelihood strategies. Livelihood strategies is the basic coping skill or strategy people adopt within this three context, i.e. vulnerability, assets people own and the transforming structures and processes and finally the livelihood outcome which in turn affects the livelihood assets. The proposed study is located within the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, it seeks to examine the relationship between the widow, their livelihoods, and how this this is conditioned by the various livelihood assets or capital which is also determined by the broder socio cultural and political structures, as well as the study will also look into the institutional mechanism (both state and NGOs) impacting them in their livelihoods. The conceptual frame work of the study is outlined as follows: Through this framework it will take into account the vulnerability context within which these widows live, like shocks after the death of their husband, trends like the ongoing armed conflict and the trends in the governance and politics of Manipur, which in turns have impact on the strengths and capacities in the form of livelihood assets, like in a highly patriarchal society where land rights are denied to the women, death of the husband can lead women asset less which in turn may limit their livelihood opportunities. The transforming structures and process which include laws and policies and NGOs support which also affects their assets base. Within these three contexts which affects their livelihood base this frame work will look into the livelihood strategies they adopt and finally the livelihood outcome Methodology of the research The area of study will be in Imphal which is the capital of Manipur, the student is selecting this particular area because Manipur has been witnessing armed conflict for decades with the emergence of armed self determination movement during late 40s and the approach of Indian State by imposing laws like AFSPA 1958 has only worsen the situation. The situation has turned into an ugly face with many ethnic based armed groups emerging with their own agendas. This has disrupted many in all aspects of their lives, and it is because of this ongoing armed conflict these widows have been generated and within this context the research will study the livelihood of widows affected by armed conflict. By widows of the gun, It refers to those widows whose husband or spouses have died in encounter killings by state forces/army or by the armed non state actors. The universe of the research will be the widows affected by armed conflict registered in an Imphal based NGO named Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network which is working for the widows affected by armed conflict, As the researcher has time constrain with regard to data collection the area of research is limited to Imphal and the sample size will be 10 to 15 widows. Sampling will be done using simple random sampling so that individuals have the same probability of being chosen at any stage during the sampling process. The proposed research will be a qualitative one. This is because the study of the livelihood vulnerability, these particular group faces will require a lot of observations on the part of the researcher and the data will have to be gathered through observing the norms and the life activities of the respondents. Unstructured in-depth interviewing technique will be used to interview the respondents about their perceptions and views regarding their day-to-day livelihood activities. Through this interview, the overall nature of the vulnerabilities and the risks that the widows of the gun face will be ascertained. Though the in-depth interviews will be individual interviews, it will take into context the broader socio cultural and the household context of the individuals. Limitations of the research As the research is a MA Research Dissertation which is a part of the course curriculum, the outcomes of the study will be indicative and cannot be generalised.