Intergovernmental Management Essay

1. What is the provision of the United States Constitution that may apply in the case of an agreement or compact between two or more states? Regarding the applicable provision of the United States Constitution is Section 10 of Article I. That section of the Constitution provides in part that â€Å"(n)o State shall, without the Consent of Congress †¦ enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State.† 2. Do you think that the proposal of James Raika to just enter into an agreement between the departments falls under that provision? Do you think that his proposal is reasonable? What do you see as the major advantage of that proposal? In your view, what is a major problem with this limited approach? The proposal of James Raika to enter into an agreement between the departments doesn’t fall under the provision without the Consent of Congress. The University Education is entitle to its rights and such as a moral duty to the state and that the Consent of Congress approval isn’t needed. James Raika’s proposal is reasonable with entering into an agreement with their counterpart in that other states to allow students to attend at in-state rates if a program is not offered in the home state of the student. What I see as an major advantage of the proposal is that the agreement would be easily understood to write and execute a plan. The major problem is introducing the idea of making an agreement between the departments in the two neighboring states may be overstepping the power granted to each one. In my personal view the major problem with this limited approach is that the states breaching there agreements and not following through with proposal plan in the near future. 3. Why do you suppose that Morgan James wants to take a more expanded approach? What do you think are some of the benefits of that approach? What do you feel are the potential problems? What would be the sequence of events for proceeding to try to gain approval? The reason why Morgan James wants to take a more expanded approach is to make sure they follow all the rules  and regulations so that there are not any issues concerning higher education. Morgan could probably want to seek full responsibilities of this major innovation approach. Even though her position as Executive Director’s position is appointed or elected that could be her reasoning into motivating this approach too. The sequence of events to try to gain approval would be the process of growth and passing of laws. In the growth stage of figuring out the proposed it will take the essential actions such as establishing stakeholders, to determine the needs of the neighboring states, and preliminary of forms/documents. Lastly, get the legislation to pass and signed into a law within each state that is party to the agreement. 4. If Margaret Smith is opposed to the idea, in either form, what are the implications? Why do you think she is against the idea? What might you be able to do to help coordinate a discussion between the parties? Margaret Smith seem to disagree by opposing to this idea. One reason suggest is that she does not like the idea legislative efforts at controlling the costs may be circumvented by some attempt at our higher education department to propose an agreement with another state to waive the out-of-state rates in many instances. Secondly, the different roadblocks that could be faced with different issues. What I might be able to do to help coordinate would be to meet with her and the other parties to show the prediction of costs and benefits of different point of views of the result.

Business Analytical Skills Essay

Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information needed to solve a problem. Then tell me how you analyzed the information and came to a decision, if applicable. What course(s) did you take in your program that strengthened your analytical skills? Give me an example of a project or exercise you completed, focusing on the analytical component. What tools do you use on the job currently to aid you in quantitative analysis? Talk to me about the percentage of time you currently spend on the job dealing with analytical reports, analyses, and comparisons. Tell me about a recent project that was primarily numbers-oriented. Walk me through your procedure and thought processes. Give me an example of a project that relied heavily on quantitative analysis. Describe a specific accomplishment that demonstrates your analytical skills. Give me an example, which demonstrates your ability to use a variety of approaches in your work. Let’s assume that you are given an assignment, which requires a different methodology, than you typically use. Have you ever experienced this type of situation? How did you go about completing your work? Tell me about a difficult problem you solved for a client. Tell me about an assignment in which you knew you had little previous experience to apply to its completion. What strategy did you adopt to complete the assignment? Give me an example that demonstrates your ability to manage a client’s billing and budgets. Give me an example of your ability to work within a client’s budgetary constraints.

Research proposal - Impact of diabetes among the lebanese community in Essay

Research proposal - Impact of diabetes among the lebanese community in sydney - Essay Example The increasing cases of diabetes amongst Lebanese people are also a cause of worry. Sydney is host to a large number of Lebanese people, migrated to the country, hence the city, in search of better job opportunities living standards. There are many studies indicating increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus in these families. These have been ascribed to hereditary factors, food habits, prevalence of metabolic syndrome, and increased consanguinity over many generations (Abou-Daoud, 1969). Acculturation is a social phenomenon where family values tend to play important roles, and social and cultural factors related to the immigrant race determine the patterns of acceptance or resistance of newer cultural norms (Bhugra, 2004). This means community, family and social life will have an important impact of the disease on the family and quality of life of the individual (Dept Human Services (Vic), 2004). Diabetes in any population is associated with increased mortality, morbidity, economic, cultural, and social impacts on the person, family, relations, and the community (Zalloua, 2003). Therefore exploration into these factors can discover the qualitative indicators that are impacted with diabetes in this population which may be engineered to change these perspectives of diabetes amongst Lebanese population. With the availability of such details in the public domain, a literature review can be planned out. In order to have a comprehensive literature review, we have a variety of options like, medical and health journals, findings of similar researches undertaken in the recent past, studies undertaken by reputed institutions and organizations like the WHO, Australian Health Ministry etc. In the preliminary study that has been undertaken for this research, it has been observed that while lot of data is available on the lifestyle and its impact on diabetic cases on the

Business Accounts and Users of Financial Statements Research Paper

Business Accounts and Users of Financial Statements - Research Paper Example This paper tells that each of the users  of financial statements has different needs and interest in financial information. First, investors require financial information to assist in making investment decisions. Before putting their resources for investment purposes, investors have to evaluate the performance of firms to establish whether the businesses can enable them to earn their required rate of return (Fess & Warren 1993). This would help them make an investment decision and determine what amount to invest in a firm. Shareholders are also interested in the financial performance of the firm as it determines the dividends they will receive and the worth of their investment. Firms with good financial performance well will have good share prices and shareholders will need this financial information to determine whether to sell their shares or buy more shares (Nikolai, Bazley, & Jones 2009). Lenders are the second users of financial information. Lenders are either individuals or f inancial institutions that offer loans to firms that are need of funds. Before making their lending decision in terms of whether to lend and what amount to give to firms. They have to look at the financial performance to determine the risk of their money. The lenders will be interested in the performance of the firm within the duration of their loan (Fess & Warren 1993). In addition, the employees and their unions are also interested parties of a firm’s financial statement. Employees put their efforts in ensuring that the firm achieves their objectives and therefore need feedback on their performance. They also require the financial statements as a basis for bargaining for their increment in remuneration and other benefits like retirement.  The employees also need financial information to help in the formulation of new strategies that are meant for improving the performance of the organization. Financial information as well is needed by the employees to determine the organi zation continued existence for job security purposes. Creditors and suppliers are also interested in the financial information to determine the ability of the business to pay their owing debt as they fall due. This group is interested in the short term liquidity of the business rather than the long term performance (Deloitte 2011). Firms with good financial performance will have reliable creditors. Moreover, customers are also interested in the financial performance of the business in cases where they are interested in long term relationship with the business. Customers who depend solely on the business for their products will need to require surety of the business continued existence. Notwithstanding, the government authorities be it federal or state need the financial information for regulatory purposes. The security exchange authority will need financial information to determine the policies and to determine the national income of the country (Deloitte 2011). They also require fi nancial performance as a way of determining the soundness of the capital markets. The public may also be interested in the financial performance especially to businesses that affect the general public good. The public closely monitors businesses that are major employers or contribute substantially to the economy (Kravitz 1999).  

Sustainability and Waste Management in uk catering industry Dissertation

Sustainability and Waste Management in uk catering industry - Dissertation Example .. 3.0 Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4.0 Result and Findings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 5.0 Discussion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6.0 Conclusion and Recommendation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7.0 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8.0 Figures and Tables Figure 1: UK Catering Services Providers’ Perception of Environmental Pollution†¦ Figure 2: Common Hindrances to the Implementation of Sustainability Policies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Table 1: Factors Influencing Effective Waste Management†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1.0 Abstract/Introduction This paper investigates the factors affecting sustainability and waste development in UK catering industry. Efforts are made to explain the current level of awareness of the environmental pollution. Some dramatic ways to manage the waste are appropriately highlighted. This is done with a great emphasis on the governmental challenges in confronting the menace of environmental pollution and waste management. ... Elaborate literature review is conducted to buttress the fact that the threat of waste and environmental pollution is real. The methodology employed for this study is an integration of qualitative and quantitative. Questionnaires were handed out to randomly select catering services providers. And the corresponding results and findings from this study are clearly presented and utilized in discussing the continuous danger environmental pollution poses on UK catering services. Appropriate conclusion and recommendations are provided at the end of this paper. 2.0 Literature Review Sustainable development has recently become a hot topic for discussion in most businesses. According to the World Commission on Environment and Development Report (1987, P. 43), sustainable development is defined as â€Å"meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.† We can use the resources from the ecological system based on the availab le capacity of the resource base, and making sure that the wastes we create do not threaten the capacity of that particular ecosystem (Jennings and Zandbergen, 1995, P. 1019). Although some companies want to reduce environmental problems, two different perspectives are just holding back the progress (Hoffman, 2000, P. 9): The traditional aspect is concentrated on the debate about the observation of environmental legislation and the firms’ social responsibility. Second, the managers must accept that the firm’s overall strategy and environmental concerns inevitably must go hand in hand. Then, they need to find a way that satisfies the objectives of economic competitiveness and environmental protection at the same time. The environmental policy is guided by

Strategica HRM and change management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategica HRM and change management - Essay Example environment it operates in, it is important for an organization to adapt to changes and formulate policies and strategies which are fit for the changing environment. Due to the rapid development of technology and increased competition, the environment has become very volatile. The spread of globalization at an accelerating pace has further made the environment more and more volatile. In order to survive in such a volatile environment, organizations need to be very flexible so that they can proactively form or reform their strategies according to the changing environment. Today, one of the most important assets for any organization is its ability to manage change. Organizations which failed to be flexible enough to fit in this environment eventually died as their survival became impossible. Change is the only constant thing in life. The world is constantly changing and it is often difficult to predict what it is changing into. The change results in hundreds of opportunities and pitfalls which an organization comes across every moment. The concept of organizational change refers to organization-wide change rather than smaller changes such as modifying a product of adding a new employee. It includes activities such as a change in mission of the company, operations restructuring, introduction of new technology, mergers, collaborations, launching new programs such as TQM, etc. Organizational change is usually provoked by outside factors such as new markets, changing consumers’ demands, substantial cuts in funding, need for an increase in the productivity, etc. As a business evolves through various cycles of a business lifecycle, it needs to change its overall strategies in order to be successful. Any organization attempting to bring about a change must take into consideration the three key aspects of organizational life which are: the organization’s culture, the leadership and the existing network of power. An organizational culture is defined as the

Vietnam, World War I, Opium Wars, Persian Wars, and the Cuban Missile Essay

Vietnam, World War I, Opium Wars, Persian Wars, and the Cuban Missile Crisis - Essay Example Throughout history, the importance of war became a major component of a state's foreign policy as demonstrated by myriad of instances showing armed conflict. In the field of international relation particularly on the concept of conflict versus cooperation, war represents a vital option in one extreme of the dimension. With certain peculiarities of different events involving war, resort to force by a state almost always forms part of the foreign policy a country. When diplomacy, negotiation and other peaceful means of settling dispute fails, war can serve as a remedy to determine the final outcome of conflicting sides in an issue. The discussion in this paper will cover five incidents of interstates wars, namely, (1) the Vietnam War, (2) the Opium War, (3) World War I, (4) the Persian Wars, and (5) the Peloponnesian War. The causes mentioned herein may not be the only reasons for the outbreak of the war or the commencement of the conflict situation discussed but is compelling enough to be considered in the extensive study of the subject matter. Analyzing the above mentioned wars, it can be seen that they share certain similar cause although in a different form or peculiar way. Although, the warring states or the participants involved were diverse, still, there were some that appears common among the wars to be discussed. What is therefore the implication of having different participants for every event of war This means varying interest involved for the reason that the acts of a state is presumed to be in accordance with its interest within the context of its national and international policy. For a better understanding of the causes of the war in those five events and ultimately to support the response to the question of why states go to war, it is imperative to start with a general framework. This general framework will serve as the thesis to the proposition of state engaging in war in the cases herein discussed as well as to the proposition of the difficulty in withdrawing from the war once they resort to violence. From this framework, other supporting analysis will be discussed and expounded in the subsequent pages of this paper. From the ancient war days involving the Peloponnesian war and the Persian wars, down to the economic nature of the Opium war, leading to the large scale conflict in World War I, and finally to the ideologically driven Vietnam War, one thesis stands out why they resorted still to violence to further advance whatever interest they may declare - the Desire for POWER. In the words of realist advocates in international politics, this is appropriately stated as interest defined in the concept of power. Power is defined as the actual or potential influence or coercion a state (or other actors)an assert relative to other actors or non-state actors because of the political, geographic, economic and financial, technological, military, social, cultural or other capabilities it possesses.2 The definition of power involves a variety of interest and generally embodies every aspect of a state's policy from which its capabilities is premised. It is not therefore surprising that the behavior of a state is immensely affected by its desire to increase power or when the power it has is being threatened of reduction. This framework does not confine its operation to states but can also be used in analyzing the behavior of

Steel sector analysis within the EU Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Steel sector analysis within the EU - Essay Example d the steel sector of the European Union in an adverse manner and presently, the industry is under significant stress in areas relating to reduction in the demand for steel, rise of emerging countries as industrial powerhouse and rising instances of high unemployment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the European business environment on the steel sector of the country. The idea is to find the factors that are causing challenges for the industry and the ways in which these problems can be resolved. The steel companies in Europe have been primarily under the control of the government in the 80’s. The situation had rapidly changed from 1988-1998 when most of the steel companies were sold to the private sector enterprises. The productivity of the companies had increased rapidly and profitably began to show improvement slowly. Only a fraction of the steel companies remained under the government and the major steel companies sold to the private sector were given full liberty to expand across the national borders. The previous decade has been largely characterized by mergers and acquisitions. European steel companies has been able to create strong profits which had lured number of steel companies from the Asian countries to export steel to Europe, particularly when production was slack in their countries. Further mergers and acquisitions had taken place from 2004 (Wubs, 2008). The following table shows some of the key companies and the output produced from them. The present state of challenges of the steel sector in the European steel sector comes from both internal and external environment. The internal issues arise from the slow recovery of the European economy after the financial crisis and the external issues arise from certain actions that are taken by the trading partners and the policies of the government. The European Union has always maintained very high environmental standards and has constantly committed itself to the reduction of the

Econometrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Econometrics - Essay Example The results of the regression are demonstrated in table 2. The coefficient of male is 0.011. This indicates that the number of doctor visits increases if the individual is male by 0.011. The value is not statistically significant at 10, 5 and 1 percent level of significance since the probability is greater than the critical values in each of the alpha value. The regression results are illustrated in the table 3 in the appendix. The male coefficient is 14.89. This coefficient is positive which indicates that males spend 14.89 more on private medical services than the females. The value is statistically significant at the 1 percent level of significance since the probability value is very low. This means that there statistical significance that the level of private expenditure on medical services is highly influenced by gender. The coefficient of number of visits to the doctor in the past years is -0.562. This has been indicated in table 4 below. The coefficient is negative which indicates that there are an inverse relation between the number of visits to the doctor in the past years and health status. When the endogenous variable increases by one unit, the health status will decline by 0.562 units. The coefficient is statistically significant at 1 per cent level of significance indicating that the number of visits to the doctor in the past years is a good indicator of changes in health status. A casual interpretation exists when there is a cause and effect reaction on the regression results (Wayne A. Woodward, 2011). This means that there is a two way impact of the variables. In this case, no casual interpretation exists. This is because the number of doctor visits in the past affects the present health status negatively and on the other hand, health status in the present cannot affect the number of doctor visits in the past. Male: The coefficient of the male is -3.987. This means that when an individual is male, the health status

Motorcycle industry in Thailand Essay Example for Free

Motorcycle industry in Thailand Essay Thai motorcycle industry entered in Thailand since 1964. There are four main players in this industry including Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. Even there are not much competitors but the competition among them are fierce. Thai market for motorcycle is in maturity stage. This makes the players have to use strong strategies to possess market share. The dominant player in this industry is Honda For customer analysis, among four leader players they quite focus customer similar group. It might be because nature of product is suitable to certain group of people. However, they try to differentiate by focus niche group with new lifestyle. The common target group is teenager to working age. This result in the way they communicate to each target group. As motorcycle is product that are high value so the level of consumer involvement decision are high as well. People try to study what advantages and disadvantage of each model in each brand. Nevertheless, point of purchase in the sale point pays important role. As we can see from the retail show room, promotions broad are very attractive and different among the shops. Therefore, customers can not make decision from their home. Dealer in show room encourage customers to visit the shop to meet direct sale person for the information. For competitive analysis, the players are keeping develop themselves particularly many strategies. Honda has the most capacity and sales while other competitors also grow continuously. They have different strength points. For example, Honda is the 1st Fuel injection system applied while Yamaha is 1st produced automatic type of motorcycle and 1st produced Eco Motorcycle. For future trends, in short term, it will not much change in position of leader but they will try to focus target customer narrowly and differently. For long time Thai market might decline. However, sale will go constantly but not jump high because people will buy new motorcycle when they want to replace the old one. Motorcycle Industry Motorcycle industry in Thailand is growing dramatically. It is because proper geographical and economic structure. Particularly geographic, Thailand has a popular over 65 million people. The areas are flat for the most part. For some rural area it is much better to use motorcycle and in the big city with heavy traffic jam motorcycles have become the most convenient vehicle for quick travel. Thai motorcycles industry was monopolized by the Japanese four brands are Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. History First stage: Import parts for assembly (1964-1977) – CKD stage In 1964 Board of Investment (BOI) got a policy to promote producing motorcycles in Thailand to replace imports. In 1966 Siam Yamaha Co. ,Ltd is the first company which established motorcycle assembly factory. Thai Honda Manufacturing Co. Ltd began to operate as the second factory in next year. Then in 1968 Thai Suzuki motor Co. ,Ltd was third motorcycle manufacturer in Thailand. Later in 1971 the market was sluggish including increasing the number of import used motorcycle. Therefore, the government announced the policy to prohibit import used motorcycle. In the same year, the government got the first motorcycle industry policy. The significant issue is the assembly motorcycle manufacturer have to use parts from domestic 50 percent of all parts within 2 year since the announced date(3 November 1971) to be competitive and suspension establish motorcycle plants within 5 years from announced date(3 November 1971) to accomplish economy of scale. Until the end of the announcement in 1976 Thai Kawasaki Motor Co. ,Ltd established as the forth assembly plant. In 1977, the government required the existing motorcycle producer use at least 70 percent local parts within 2 years. As for expand and new factory must use parts from local at least 70 percent since start the operation. Moreover, Industry ministry had a policy to assign motorcycle plants to produce motorcycle with cylinder capacity not exceeding 125 cc to meet the needs of the market and to take advantage of economies of scale (Economy of Scale) as well. Table 1: Details of the motorcycle manufacturers in Thailand in 1977 Honda Suzuki Yamaha Kawazaki Total Capacity (unit per year) 49,920 87,360 72,000 25,000 234,280 Capital (million Baht) 20 18 9 5 52 Employment(person) 134 304 566 100 1,104 Source: Bank of Thailand Second stage: Began producing parts in 1978-1987 Localization In 1978 there was a prohibited import motorcycles and raised import tax to some particular motorcycle from 40 percent to 60 percent including transportation and insurance. The result of prohibited import and force to use parts inside country was the producers increase their capacity. In 1980 the total capacity was 338,000 units per year which higher 103,720 units per year from 1977. However, this policy provided producers with higher production costs because of not proper economy of scale and quality of parts in non standard. As the producers can choose types of part as they want so parts did not improve and late improve. Therefore in 1984 the government allowed operators to use such parts gradually until 70 percent of the total value of the component in January 1986. In 1984 the government collected special tax for motorcycle that import in special case 20 percent of duty to be paid. It increased from the original import tax 60 percent of price and increased import duty from 30 percent to 40 percent. As for promoting the production of parts in the country, government regulations require that manufacturers of motorcycle must use exhaust systems following industry standard. They also allowed only factories that are promoted by Board of Investment (BOI) can expand a manufacturing plant or permission to establish a factory to produce engine cylinder capacity not exceeding 150 cc. The protection of motorcycle industry policy during this period lead to the production of motorcycles increased from 190,779 units in 1978 to 310,083 units in 1987 , with a total production capacity in 1986 was 480,000 units, including the production development and launch new style of motorcycle to market to have more choices. Table 2: Details of the motorcycle manufacturers in Thailand in 1980 Honda Suzuki Yamaha Kawazaki Total Capacity (unit per year) 96,000 108,000 109,000 25,000 338,000 Rate of capacity utilization 70. 1 86. 5 95. 7 75. 8 84. 0 Capital (million Baht) 20 18 9 5 52 Employment(person) 335 460 1,378 120 2,293 Source: Bank of Thailand Third stage: Producing important parts (1988-1997) – Key Parts Supplier This period the government continued to enforce parts of the country are 70 percent of the total value of raw materials. The result promoting investment allowed manufacturers to use motorcycle engines produced in the country in 1989. In 1993 Board of Investment BOI promoted for 4-stroke motorcycles to help reduce pollution from exhaust and in the first investment the company is Kajiwa Motorcycles C. ,Ltd, a joint venture with Italy, its annual production capacity of 70,000 units . Moreover, government began to take care of consumers’ benefit by control price of motorcycle and protect monopoly. Government assigned producers must report production cost and procurement approach since 13 December 1980 onwards The motorcycle industry continued to grow at a high rate. Until it can produce up to 1. 6 million units and capacity utilization rate reached 90. 4 percent in 1995, driven primarily by the demand for motorcycles both inside and outside the country. As well as the effect of the protection of the government helped Thai producer improve their capacity and ready to support the growth of demand Forth stage: Extending cooperation to the producers parts (1998-2001) Agglomeration In this period, the manufacturers of all types of part occurred in Thailand. This included the types of electronic components. The manufacturers were not only the first Tier but also include the second tier. This made high competitive among the producers who produced the same types in same time they had to meet the QCD standard (Quality-Cost-Delivery). That was the producers must produce the quality with low cost and on time delivery. Consequently, 2001 Thailand motorcycle industry could produce one million units and consumed the local parts (Local intent) about 90 percent. In addition, government changed the policy of protecting domestic industry to require the products to be safe and do not destroy the environment. Fifth era: export and research and development (RD) (2002 – present) Late 1990s was the period that government reduced the protection industry which was the result of a free trade agreement between the countries in 1996 revoked the ban on importing new motorcycle and canceled enforcement components produced domestically and un-enforced engine production in the country. In the fifth, Thailand became the production base of motorcycles in the region. Not only production to consume in country but also exported. In 2005, Thailand exported Complete built up (CBU) and Complete Knock down (CKD), including more than 1. 3 million units Furthermore, Japanese motorcycle manufacturers began to apply research and development, technology transfer from Japan to the recipients of investment, such as Thailand. One reason for the need to apply research and development was because during this time retailer price was strong. Therefore, in order to compete, manufacturers need to reduce production costs but the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers had strict production conditions that using quality raw material. This could lead to lower production costs by applied research and development to reduce the losses in the production process. Figure 1: Show the motorcycle industry, production, sale in the country and export in Thailand in 1972 2011. Market Analysis Market Size Total motorcycles sales for the domestic industry reached 2,130,041 units in 2012, of which 1,062,494 or 50% were AT motorcycles. Family motorcycle achieved sales of 981,865 units, accounting for 46% of total of sales last year; followed by 32,726 units for on- and off-road types, accounting for 2%; and 32,083 units for sport motorcycles, accounting for 2%; and another 20,899 units of other types of motorcycles. Figure 2: Show market share by types of motorcycle Figure 3 demonstrates market share divided by motorcycle companies. Honda is the dominant player who possess market share 74% of the market. The second player is Yamaha gain 19%. For Suzuki and Kawasaki earn 3% and 2% respectively. Another 2 percent belong to other brands including Triumph, Ducati and Tiger Figure 3: show market share base on players in the market Thailand Motorcycle is divided into two categories based on the appearance which are Moped and Sport. Most motorcycles are moped with engine sizes from 100 to 125 cc while Sport got engine 250 cc. Thailand produces about 90 percent of Moped. The rest of the production is Sport type. It is consistent with sale of Moped are higher than Sport motorcycle. In 2004 Moped motorcycles were produced most 2. 86 million unit. Figure 4: Show production and sales of motorcycles in Thailand divided by type of vehicle in 1990 -2011 (in thousand units). Source: TAI Market trend Thai motorcycle industry already exists in Thailand 49 years since 1964. Product life cycle of motorcycle spend long time. Many are of the opinion that the Thai motorcycle market begins to a stage of saturation, but it has not lowered competition among manufacturers. On the contrary, the competition is as fierce as ever despite the small number of major players compared to the automobile market. This situation encourages the players have to launch new interesting product on the time. Fashion and lifestyle are used to create emotional though the products. Many motorcycle companies try to adapt themselves to serve consumers to get beyond function of motorcycle but show consumer’s lifestyle. Thailand is a country with a large market size motorcycle. The holding motorcycle proportion is 4 people per vehicle. The current version of the motorcycle in Thailand has begun to be economic model. The opportunity to expand the domestic market began to decline. Current sales are the purchased to replace old vehicles. This may result in decline ability to attract investment to Thai motorcycle industry. Situation of Thai Motorcycle Industry From the 1990s onwards the motorcycle market in Thailand continued grew. Until the economic crisis in Thailand in 1997 (Asian financial crisis or Tom yum kung crisis) made motorcycle sales volume decreased significantly. The sales originally sold about 1 million vehicles per year, and dropped to about half million in 1998. Nevertheless, only 2-3 years after the economic crisis, the motorcycle market the sales volume increased continuously in 2001 sold about 907,100 units and 1. 3 millions later in the next year. The volume of sales back to the original level before the economic crisis of the countrys motorcycle market is growing by the year 2005, the volume of sales to 2. 11 million vehicles most. For 2012, the sale climbed to 2. 13 million which was higher than 2005. In 2007-2009, the sales dropped due to great recession which affected the entire world economy. After the global recession, the sales continued to increase year by year. To increase sales motorcycle manufacturers try to promote sale with many ways. Figure 5: show sale volume of Thailand Motorcycle 1993-2012 Strength and weakness of Thailand for investment in Motorcycle industry (compare to ASEAN country) Strength Weakness Public utility and transportation system are equipped Investment benefits received from the government Quality and technology motorcycle production base Law conducive to investment Market size is smaller and get in saturation stage Social and politic stability are decline Higher wage Shortage technician level labor Thai motorcycle industry has a lot of strength over competitors. The manufacturers are convenient doing business and operation. Although labor costs are higher than other neighbor countries, other good strength can reduce the other costs such as management cost, business operation, transportation, and distribution costs. Thai motorcycle market also provides sufficient standard quality for exporting to developed countries such as Japan, USA, and UK. At this point Thailand should maintain the standard and improve the existing strengths. In term of develop public utility and transport system, although Thailand are quite ready, other neighbor countries also continuously improve particularly Indonesia and Vietnam. There are probably in the future both countries will replace this advantage. Thailand should correct the weakness particularly maintain social and political stability. It becomes the major issues which affect the investors’ confidence including country’s direction in short and long term. In term of labor issue, they should improve skill of labor to compensate with higher wage. As Thai motorcycle market get into saturation stage however they can expand investment to export in order to maintain the motorcycle production base for the future. Five Force Model Analysis Industry Competitors and Intensity of Rivalries Rivalry among competitors in the motorcycle industry is relatively intense. While each major competitor has its own market niche, price discounting, new product introductions, advertising campaigns, and innovations in motorcycle technology consistently fuel rivalry between firms. Rather than competing based on price, the major players in the motorcycle industry tend to compete based on services and features. Each major company offers different types of products targeted to different consumer segments. There is a high level of differentiation between classes of products and brands, causing high switching costs for consumers. Accessories and parts are produced for one specific brand. In addition, margins are not low, and the product is not perishable. Because of these factors, competition does not tend to gravitate towards price as much as other factors. Even though price is not the main basis of competition in the motorcycle industry, the intensity of competition is very high. The industry is composed of five distinct leaders, each of which is large and has high brand equity. Because the industry lacks a definitive leader, rivals end up poaching each other’s business. Additionally, the sheer number of competitors in the market in addition the main five creates an abundance of purchasing options for the consumer and cause heavy competition. Rivals in the motorcycle industry have diverse approaches and ideas on how to compete. While one company might believe that adding new features to their products will help boost sales, another company might believe that increasing speed capabilities will be more beneficial. Another company might believe that offering easy financing is the key. Bargaining Power of Suppliers. A number of motorcycle manufacturers involved in the industry in such a way that the pyramids upside down and the motorcycle manufacturers and parts suppliers are related to link backwards (Backward Linkage Effect) Motorcycle productions of Japanese manufacturers in Thailand (Big 4) are the leaders of the market including Japanese producer’s parts. Thai producers’ parts are 15 percent of the value of purchasing all the parts of the motorcycle. The producers must have potential to produce to meet QCD standard. For local content, it found that Japanese manufacturers use more than 90 percent of material and electronic parts from Japan. For the 1st Tier of part manufacturers are mid-sized businesses and joint ventures with foreigners who mostly are Japanese. In the 1990s, these are called OEM12 production until mid- 1990 onwards, as manufacturers of motorcycle parts can purchased from other foreign countries with cheaper price. This pressure affect on the first tier manufacturers to improve efficiency of product design and development capabilities. For the 2nd and 3rd Tier of producer parts are small enterprise owned by Thai people. Technology in capable of producing is quite low. The manufacturers in this group will sell parts to the first tier, including one for a replacement (REM14) both locally and abroad. Bargaining Power of Customers The vast majority of the motorcycle industry’s customer group consists of individual consumers. Motorcycle customers are only mildly price sensitive. Since a motorcycle is a relatively expensive item and therefore a significant fraction of income, buyers are likely to seek a favorable price. Also, since motorcycles are usually a luxury purchase, the intention to buy one indicates the willingness to spend a significant amount of money. More importantly, customers are much more sensitive to quality and brand image than price. A motorcycle purchase is a reflection of one’s identity and influences how others perceive them. Threat of New Entrants The maturity, large number of competitors, and high capital requirements needed to enter the motorcycle industry make it a fairly unattractive industry for new competitors to enter. A more complete and detailed analysis of the seven barriers to entry will show the motorcycle industry to be a hostile, unreceptive environment for new entrants. As a mature industry, current competitors enjoy the benefits resulting from economies of scale. Established motorcycle producers have the luxury of lower costs per unit because they can allocate their fixed costs to a larger number of products. New entrants do not have as large of a demand and must distribute their costs over a smaller quantity. Because of this, individual costs per unit are larger, resulting in a higher product price. Besides the difficulty new entrants find in attracting customers, another deterrent to entry are the high capital requirements demanded by the industry. Characteristic of a mature industry, price is no longer a differentiating factor among similar product offerings by different competitors. Leaders in the motorcycle industry, such as Yamaha, now differentiate their products by providing â€Å"high-value-added products† at their own dealerships. For new entrants to enter the market and take away current market share from existing competitors, high capital investments in infrastructure, dealerships, development of new products, and promotions targeting specific customer segments are required. High capital requirements, increasing demand, and specialized products are factors contributing to the high barriers to exit the industry. Current competitors holding the majority of the market share are hesitant to leave the industry because of the positive industry outlook and niche markets each have carved out for themselves. With few companies leaving the industry, it leaves very few market segments untapped and available to new entrants. Substitutes When analyzing the competitive threats on the motorcycle industry as a whole, the motorcycle trade association members must keep in mind three main substitutes of motorcycles: bicycles, undersized cars, and public transportation. Each of these substitutes can be further broken down into subcategories. Each category is considered a substitute for motorcycles because it either satisfies at least one of three costumer needs that motorcycles satisfy, or it gives the costumer something that motorcycles do not offer. Though the levels of threats posed by each category of substitute differ greatly, the motorcycle trade association members must be sure to address each of them when deciding where to go from here. Most importantly, keep in mind that these threats are ever present, and if the various motorcycle manufacturers do not act soon, they will risk losing customers throughout the coming years. First of all, it is important to understand what motorcycles do for buyers because this sets up a framework for the underlying motivation behind the purchase of any type of motorcycle. Since the motorcycle industry is responsible for designing and manufacturing about seven different kinds of motorcycles, or other automatic two-wheel vehicles, several customer needs are met by each category: means of transportation, low fuel costs, environmentally friendliness, recreational activity, and â€Å"cool factor. † In addition, we will analyze another factor that motorcycles lack compared to potential substitutes – safety. Bicycles are also a threat to the motorcycle industry based on a few critical factors. First, as two-wheel transportation vehicles, they are similar in basic function to motorcycles, satisfying the consumer need of basic transportation from point A to point B. The reason why bicycles make viable alternatives to motorcycles is related to the consumer’s need to spend less money. Bicycle owners incur zero gas mileage costs, making this alternative the most environmentally friendly option. To be technical, the only real costs associated with bicycles are the upfront purchase, maintenance, optional accessories, and human labor. In addition, bicycles satisfy the consumer’s need for recreational activity similar to motorcycles. Anyone from the average consumer to the avid biker can use a bicycle as an alternative means of outdoor recreation. Compact cars and hybrids (Eco car) are the final and most influential classification of substitutes that pose an immediate threat to the motorcycle industry. Overall, both types of cars present high switching costs to the consumers. For the consumer who is interested in switching to a motorcycle, high switching costs could be a highly motivating factor to not buy a motorcycle at all. Hybrids are primarily substitutes because they satisfy the customer’s need for a fuel-efficient mode of transportation. For many consumers, increased safety is a motivating factor in buying a compact car over a motorcycle Public Transportation can be one alternative for travel to destination such as boat, taxi, BTS, and bus. People would like to take public transportation to help them in many advantages. For example, in Bangkok traffic is so jam. People actually prefer BTS or MRT to travel to avoid traffic as well as more convenience. Another example is people who avoid hot weather and want to keep their appearance during the way to go to office. They might prefer taxi instead of motorcycle. Key Success Factors 1. Quality Quality is a key in this industry because it is vehicles that need safety. The manufacturer must comply with required product standards. A key success factor for a firm operating in this industry is their ability to design and develop products that comply with legal standards. Products that do not meet standards are not able to be sold on the market 2. Design. Consumers tend to focus on design and feature which suitable with their lifestyle. The manufacturers attempt to offer new products to serve with every life style especially, automatic motorcycle. Motorcycle Companies do research in studying consumer behavior to know what consumers prefer and focus what consumer need. 3. Technology and save energy In this economic situation, people tend to look for the most worth product. Manufacturers should keep abreast of latest technological advances in various components and parts, as well as technical and performance characteristics. 4. Distribution center. Distribution center or show room is the one that open way to consumer easily access purchase. This is the reason why companies improve image of dealer show room around country. They also increase number of store into small city because in small cities people still need to use motorcycle in daily life. As well as develop the show room to be one stop service which can serve after sale service. 5. After sale service and activities Many consumer give importance to the after sale service because motorcycle is durable goods that consume time to use. Some consumers use their motorcycle more than 5 years. After sale service include service mind, price, and time of taking care as well as parts to repair. For the activities, this topic includes consumer relationship and sale promotion because it is important factor that motivate consumer buy the products. Point of purchase plays important role such as low down payment, free 1 baht gold and zero percent installment payment. Factor that affect change 1. Minimum wage Thai government announced the policy to increase minimum wage to be 300 baht. This increase wage cost 80% of average minimum wage. This policy is very significant to Thai labor market. It provides both advantages and disadvantages. For the advantage, the policy help all labors in Thailand earn more income. Human being gets better because people have more money and they can spend a lot in the market including purchasing new motorcycle. As a result to number of sale in 2012 were more than 2. 1 million units However, there is also drawback. The manufactures have to pay more cost including wage and also more expensive parts. Price of parts are getting higher particularly middle size and small size because of small economy of scale 2. Technology Technology is one factor that affects change of the motorcycle industry. As for Honda, the market leader change motor of all models to be fuel injection system since 2008. Honda change production line to serve this innovation. This affects all players to change as well. Yamaha is the second player who changes to fuel injection system to be 62 percent and carburetor still use 38%. So, Yamaha sent the first automatic injection was spark 135i. For the second model, Yamaha tried to serve woman need. They launched Fiore which uses automatic engine with a genius injection  technology YMJET and DiASil Cylinder that make it less fuel consumption. While Suzuki also produce with electronic petrol injection. Therefore, the players in this industry have to improve all the time and do research and development in order to offer the better solution to consumers. 3. Disaster effect After Thailand has suffered with big flood in 2011, Thai motorcycle industry is one industry that gets direct effect from this situation. Factories have got damage in many areas. They have to recover their factory and create protect system to cope for unexpected disaster. However, it did not affect much to sale because consumers want to buy new motorcycle to replace the damage one. Sale of whole market tends to increase as trend. 4. Economic In this economic situation, people tend to save money and careful in spending. World economic is also unstable. The causes are from many effects such as public debt in EU. US economic has not recovery yet and fiscal cliff and world political. Back to consider Thai economic, cost of living keep increasing. Consequently, people are carful in spending. They will study information and get involve to consider before buy product particularly motorcycle. 5. AEC opening As Thai motorcycle industry is in saturation stage, the leader players try to go to other country in AEC. The motorcycle producers will use Thai as production base and export to our neighbor countries. This issue encourages Thai have to improve themselves especially skill workers both technician and language skill. Table 3 shows the potential if the motorcycle manufacturers want to run business in each country. Table 3: Population, income, number of motorcycles in the ASEAN Country Number of resident in 2009(million) Income per person to the purchasing power between countries 2009 (US$). Number of motorcycle (thousand) Number of persons holding one motorcycle Indonesia 243. 3 3,830 28,000 9 Philippine 92. 2 3,900 2,983 31 Vietnam 87. 3 2,700 20,366 4 Thailand 67. 8 5,990 16,549 4 Myanmar 50. 0 1,290 1,630 31 Malaysia 28. 3 13,740 8,903 3 Cambodia 14. 8 1,820 75120 Laos 6. 3 2,060 n. a. n. a. Singapore 5. 1 47,940 147 35 Brunei 0. 4 50,200 12 33 Asean 596 4,520 80,000 (Round) 7   2008,   2007 Source: Population Reference Bureau, CEI. Collected and calculated by Kasikorn Research Customer Analysis Customer is one of the most important drivers for business success. Most business try to serve goods and services according to customer wants and needs to meet the customer satisfaction and become well-known brand recognized. Moreover most of them are concern more about turn general customer to be their customer loyalty too. So, understand customer behavior is needed for business development. Consumer behavior An analysis of consumer behavior is affected by a host of variables ranging from personal, professional needs, attitudes and values, personality characteristics, social economic and cultural back ground, age gender professional status to social influences of various kinds exerted a family, friends, colleagues, and society as a whole. The combination of these factors help the consumer in decision making further psychological factors that as individual consumer needs, motivation, perceptions, attitudes, the learning process, personality characteristics are the similarities which operates across the different types of people and influence their behavior. With competition in the motorcycle market continually increasing, understanding customers’ attitudes and behavior is critical to maintaining and growing market share and profitability. The conclusions of consumer behavior while buying motorcycle are: 1. Maximum motorcycle users belong to 18 to 25 years age group and most of the users are college students and field workers. 2. Maximum motorcycle users belong to middle class and upper middle class segment 3. These are the reasons for buying two wheelers: Good mileage and convenience Business purpose Cost effective Comfort drive in crowd and easy parking College going purpose Short distance travel in city Affordable price. Personal vehicle 4. As far as mileage per liter of petrol is concerned. 5. Reasons for not buying scooter: It has low mileage and low fuel efficiency. It has problem with controlling, balancing and breaking on speed. Old style and old fashion It is not good for long drive and not a comfortable drive. It doesn’t match the young person’s dynamic personality 6. Almost all the people give preference to stylish outlook, control, mileage, efficiency brand image before buying motorcycle. 7. Television advertisement, road hoardings and road shows are the major source of information which affects motorcycle purchased. 8. Family members and friends are main initiator, for purchasing a motorcycle. 9. All the people are satisfied with the functioning of their motorcycle. 10. Regarding spare parts of motorcycle, they are cheaper and readily available in the market.

Strategic Management of Information Systems

Strategic Management of Information Systems A literature review of the strategic use of information systems/technology in the modern business environment To run a successful business in this modern day, todays management teams need to combine business skills along with a substantial understanding of information systems and the opportunities and benefits that this knowledge of information systems brings to a business. Understanding the basic concepts is a necessity for organisations in the world of business today. Understanding what Information system suits your organisation along with being able to develop and manage an efficient business information system is a huge advantage for an organisation. (Pearlson Saunders) Information systems are part of almost every aspect of business. (Pearlson Saunders). Everyone involved in the management of a business need to understand how business and information systems function and operate together. (Pearlson Saunders) Very often, it is evident that managers claim ignorance of IS issues without losing prominence among their peers. This doesnt tend to happen regarding other functions of the business such as marketing or finance, as a lack of knowledge in these areas would earn colleagues contempt. Business managers have no issue in participating in most company decisions been those that are outside their regular expertise, IS seems to be the one exception. This approach amongst business managers have been traceable to the historic role that IS has obtained in businesses. In the past technology was thought of as an administrative overhead and treated a support. It was not valued as a factor in significant management decisions. Todays environment is extremely different as if that view was present in organizations it would cost them market share and could lead to the failure of an organization as that is how critical IS systems are to organizations now. (Pearlson Saunders) employing information systems strategically to achieve organisational goals. Taking a problem-solving approach, Business Information Systems looks at information systems theory within the context of the most recent business and technological advances. (Pearlson Saunders) Information systems can be the combination of technology, people and the process that an organisation uses to create and manage information (Saunders, 2013). Most the issues organisations experience and face in the modern business world are either triggered by IT or are a ramification of it. Information systems are continuously on the carping path of a business change programme (Feeny, 2000). Organizations need to optimally can use IS and information resources to influence competitive forces. With the realisation of this it has become apparent that the strategic management of IS has never been more critical to a businesss success (Peppard, 2010 and 2001). It is important for Information systems in organisations to be treated as a critical strategic resource, although this is not always the case and can be where organizations weaken themselves. It is the key enabler of organisational change, it is essential for businesses to be able to change with the economy and the environment in to days business world that is constantly evolving. An issue in organizations gaining competitive advantage by using IS is the lack of participation by managers in IS decisions. IS is a tool business managers can use to fight challenges from competitors, it can facilitate or constrain opportunities and possible new strategies for businesses. It is evident that understanding the basic concepts about using and managing information systems is valuable and worth investing the time in. The knowledge gap the lack of understanding among executive management of the nature and role of IS within an organisation, which is often exacerbated by the prevalence of technology orientated language unknown outside of the IS domain (Stephens 1993). The issue of these symptoms of disconnect then prevail into many consequences thus in the failure of the information systems operation to build a common vision of information systems throughout the organisation. This can also be from senior managements failing to engage with the information strategy during the development. (jones, 1995) A significant issue with Information systems is that it is generally considered as a cost rather than a strategic asset. Organisations suffer because they find difficulties in transforming good ideas into action. The creation of silo projects across the organisation that are not integrated into an overall corporate strategy (Kaarst-Brown 2005). IS is a useful tool to fight competitive challenges. Competition arises from both anticipated and unanticipated areas, which is why general managers tend to be in the best position to be able to identify a developing threat and can apply IS effectively to fight or handle ever changing competitive challenges. (Pearlson Saunders). General managers often are involved in demonstrating and comparing how their systems, technology programmes and products compare to their competition. An understanding of IS and how it integrates and supports the competitive view for the business. (Pearlson Saunders) Businesses have had to redesign existing business models that they had in place with the customer pull and power of social media. Businesses must account and adapt to the constant growing and changing social media outlets. Social media facilitates the ever-powerful voice of consumers, and businesses goals along with understanding the proficiency of the company can create a competitive advantage and change the businesses mustnt make the mistake in not listening. Businesses are constantly looking for ways to redesign the customer experience, customers interactions with the business are the focus of many managers with IS enabling and enhancing the interaction between the organization and the customer. Using social IT facilitates new and sometimes more rooted relationships with customers while attracting the social demographic of customers. Business are learning how to integrate and leverage these aspects into their business models and how to construct new business models that facilitate these variables. IS strategy Triangle The information systems strategy triangle relates the business strategy of an organization with IS strategy and organizational strategy. This triangle suggests that successfully organizations have an overriding business strategy that influences both the organizational strategy and IS strategy. Successful organizations have the three strategies well balanced. Strategically designing the organization strategy and the IS strategy of a company to correlate their business strategy. IS strategy can impact and be impacted by changes in organizations business and organizational strategies. Each attribute on the triangle can impact and be impacted by the other two. In the scenario of a firms business strategy being designed in such a way that it uses IS to gain strategic advantage, it will mean that the authority position in IS could only be supported by continued innovation. The three strategies must constantly be adjusted. (Pearlson Saunders) IS strategy always having consequences so it is crucial to consider the business and organizational strategies when designing IS formation. Organizations will only reach success if each aspects of the triangle are specifically tailored. (Pearlson Saunders) Porters Generic Strategies Framework       Michael Porter identified three primary strategies for achieving competitive advantage and sustaining competitive advantage. (Pearlson Saunders) The issue with Porters model and the variants is that the rate of change is not as easily managed and sustained anymore. Organizations sell their goods/services in a highly competitive marketplace, Porters framework aids managers in understanding their choice of strategy and how it enables them to achieve advantage. Porters Value Chain a process view of the organization The value chain draws on how information systems add value to the fundamental movements of an organizations internal operations and supporting that and of its customers and the other attributes of its supply chain. Information resources can be recognised as assets or capabilities. information Resources can be identified as technology, data, people and the processed that exist in an organization. Analysis and findings Higher levels of management and CEOs that manage the management teams continue to condone disregard in this area relative to other business functions. Some consequences of the lack of collusion between the two are; the overspending on underperforming projects, Miss-alignment of resources, Misalignment of functional areas and organisational systems, Ongoing failure of IS for the organisation, organizations goal under-achieved, Organisation is susceptible to the competitive environment and risk of company failure. These are some of the consequences businesses are allowing themselves to become susceptible to by not closing the Gap and integrating the two. An organisation needs to have valuable and rare resources acquired that they can leverage to ensure a superior resource position to enable them to attain competitive advantage. A valuable resource is a resource that allows a firm to operate more efficiently or effectively. It becomes a rare resource when other organizations dont possess it and it is unique to a specific organization. Being able to have a rare resource optimizes the possibilities of success for an organization and provides opportunity in market share. For example, customers expect banks to have ATMs in a vast amount of convenient locations, nowadays a bank wouldnt consider operating without having ATMs swell, therefore this is not a rare resource and do not offer a competitive advantage. (Pearlson Saunders) A lot of organizations that invested in information systems were naÃÆ' ¯ve in thinking that once they obtained a competitive advantage that they would maintain it long term. To sustain an organizations competitive advantage long term there needs to be constant innovation and the organization needs to protect itself against resource imitation, substitution, or transfer. (Pearlson Saunders) Often when companies within an industry imitate other companys successful systems, this often happens with logistic models within a companys supply chain. The self-scan self-service checkouts in supermarkets was at first a novelty and a competitive advantage for one, but then imitations were vastly created by many supermarkets making them become almost an expectation in the eyes of the customer. When competitors build similar systems, organizations lose advantages they may have attained from there is and competition within an industry driven by forces that had existed before the new technology. (Pearlson Saunders) Social IT platforms are now the most rampant evolution of applications, processes and strategic opportunities in a new evolution for organizations striving to adapt there is strategies for their internal and external circumstances. Managers invest a lot of time trying to control and monitor elements that can influence their organizations competitive environment, to ensure they are aware of all elements they must strategically look at it from different views. Three views can enable a manager to align IS strategy with the business strategy. The use of Porters five competitive forces to interpret the influences of the organizations competitive environment, along with the ability to alter the five forces to boost the firms status. The value chain to judge the operations internally and links in its supply chain. The value chain of the organization should then be assessed to decipher the opportunities available for an organization to gain competitive advantage. Finally focusing on the specific IS resources required to gain and sustain competitive advantage for the organization. The three views combined allow a manager a variance of perspectives hat it can identify strategic opportunities to apply to an organizations information resources. (Pearlson Saunders) Risks of information resources in gaining advantage When IS are used as the route to bolster advantage against an organizations competitor, management should be aware of the risks the organization may face. These risks can arise as demonstrating bad timing, customers are often not ready to use updated technology. Awakening a sleeping giant, implementing an IS can lead to encouraging a competitor with a broader scope and bigger advantage to implement the same with enhanced features and end up gaining the advantage instead of you. Implementing IS poorly, failing IS that had potential but results in being below par followed through and poorly implemented. These would usually be quite complex global systems. Failing to deliver what the user wants, systems that dont meet the needs or the target market are susceptible to fail. These are just some of the risks an organization takes when using this approach and it is crucial for them to be cautious when implanting IS strategies. Technology has become entwined with all the standard functions of organizations. IT is a critical resource for modern day businesses as it both supports and absorbs an important amount of an organizations resources. Similarly, the other three dominant types of business resources, people money and machines, it needs to be managed carefully Michael Porters Five Competitive Forces model presents a framework for discussing strategic advantage, and his Value Chain model explains calculated methods for businesses to how they can network processes to build strategic alliances. a companys overall business strategy will drive all other strategies. IS links into all aspects of a business, IS is very much the foundation of a lot of supply chain models and is strongly linked into a companys supply chain system. IT spends a major portion of corporate budgets therefore it is sensible that organizations safeguard it is being optimally used within company strategies to bolster their competitive adva ntage. As discussed there are many attributes in the process that IS is used by organizations to gain competitive advantage within its industry market. References   Ã‚   Anonymous [online], Available from: . Bocij, P., Greasley, A. and Hickie, S. (2015) Business Information Systems: Technology, Development and Management for the e-Business , 5th Ed: Pearson education. Boddy, D., Boonstra, A. and Kennedy, G. (2008) Managing Information Systems Strategy and Organisation, third edition Ed: Pearson education. Brian Dempsey. Lecture Notes [online], Available from: . Dempsey, B. Lecture Notes [online], Available from: . Keri E. Pearlson, Carol S. Saunders Strategic Management of Information Systems, fifth edition Ed: John Wiley Sons Inc. McNurlin, B.C. and Sprague, R.H.J. Information Systems Management in Practice, seventh Ed: prentice hall. Robson, W. (1997) Strategic Management Information Systems, second edition Ed: Pearson education limited. Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown Department of Business I declare that the work I/We am(are) submitting for assessment by the Institute examiner(s) is entirely my(our) own work, except where the author or source has been duly referenced and attributed. I/We confirm that this material has not been previously submitted for a degree or any other qualification at ITB or any at other institution. I/We further confirm that I/We have read and understood the Institute policy on plagiarism in assignments and examinations (3AS08.doc) and that I/We am/are not, so far as I/We am/are aware, in breach of any of these regulations. Name : Lauren Holland Student ID : B00059572 Course : Bachelor of Business studies Module : Strategic management of Information systems Signed : Date : 23/03/17

Extreme Depictions of Feminism Essay example -- John Irving World Acco

Extreme Depictions of Feminism in John Irving's The World According to Garp and Catherine MacKinnon's Sexuality In the classroom, in popular culture and in suburbia, to call someone or something 'extreme' is enough to completely eliminate his, her or its credibility. 'Extreme' has become a derogatory comment. In this paper, I will be dealing with two extreme depictions of feminism; one from John Irving's novel The World According to Garp and the other Catherine MacKinnon's essay "Sexuality." It is important to keep in mind that some have argued that the extreme views of any movement for social change are important because they push boundaries and make other voices of the movement sound more reasonable (thus gaining more support). In my dealings both these works, I want to avoid falling into the defensive trap. While feminists are negatively portrayed in the Irving's novel as extreme, anti-male, and apocalyptic, I want to get past a knee-jerk dismissal of the novel and get at Irving's commentary on the feminist movement because I believe that it can provide valuable insights into feminism. Similarly, I will not automatically run away from MacKinnon's essay because her feminism is so radical. The rhetoric in which MacKinnon phrases her arguments is apocalyptic, and she serves here as my "real" example. What I find most important is that 'extreme' is not automatically a dismissal. I do not want to lose track of this position because it can work as a counter-text to some of my arguments within this paper. Both of these depictions are compelling, they seduce their reader, if only momentarily, into believing their portrait of feminism. I can only speak for myself in reporting reactions to these texts. I found "Sexuality" per... ...Womanhood," in Free Spirits, ed. Kate Mehuron, Gary Percesepe, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall) 1995, 339-351. . 53, Death and Desire. .493, Feminisms. . Norman Cohn, "Cosmos, Chaos and the World to Come: The Ancient Roots of Apocalyptic Faith" (New Haven: Yale University Press) 1993, 227. . Quinby, Lee. "Genealogical Feminism" in Anti-Apocalypse (London: University of Minneapolis Press) 1994, 33. .Gregory M. Herek. APsychological Heterosexism and Anti-Gay Violence: The Social Psychology of Bigotry and Bashing@ in the Men=s Lives anthology (Third Edition). Ed. Michael S, Kimmel and Michael A. Messner. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon) 1995, 341-353. .Frances Bartkowski.@Epistemic Drift in Foucault@ in the anthology Feminism & Foucault:Reflections on Resistance. Ed. Irene Diamond and Lee Quinby.(Boston: Northeastern University Press) 1988, 43-58

Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Profession Essays -- Nursing Health

Nurses are faced with ethical dilemmas on a daily basis, each situation being unique and requiring the nurse to set aside their own values and beliefs in order to properly care for their patients. Situations requiring nurses to make an ethical decision are diverse and dynamic; the values set out by the College of Nurses of Ontario code of ethics remains the same. Therefore, all decision based on these vales regardless of the setting and circumstances ensure consistent solutions. The scenario involves a woman who was admitted to the NICU due to complications during her sixth month of pregnancy. The patient indicated that no extraordinary measures should be made to save her baby; she became further detached when the baby developed a bleed that resulted in some permanent brain damage. The ethical dilemma arose when the mother decided to put the baby up for adoption, stating she did not have time to take care of a special needs child. This paper attempts to explain the ethical values imp licated in the scenario detailed below, in which the nurse cares for both mother and baby. The client was a professional, thirty-five year old woman who had been married for 10 years. She was of South Asian decent and hailed from a poor family background. After years of trying to start a family, she finally achieved her first pregnancy through in vitro fertilization. During her sixth month of pregnancy the mother started to experience complication. She was advised by the nurse and the medical team to remain on bed rest and relax. The patient confided in the nurse, that she was having trouble balancing her work life while being pregnant and became resentful when the pregnancy complication forced her into bed rest. She further confided to the nurse th... ...ent value system possessed by their clients. The nurse identified her own values in this situation and ensured that it did not impact the decision of the mother; her solution to the problem was soundly based on the CNO ethical values. The nurse worked with her team to ensure the best possible solution to the situation, one which would benefit the mother and child equally. The mother indicated her decision to not care for her baby and so the nurse aided her in choosing the best possible alternative. In the end the mother chose to put her baby up for adoption. Works Cited Ethical values . (2009). College of Nurses of Ontario , Husted, J, & Husted, G. (2008). Ethical decision making in nursing and health care. New York: Springer Publishing Company . Daniels, R. (2004). Nursing fundamental, caring and clinical decision making . NY: Thompson Learning .

Essay example --

Amelia Ferrari Composition 2 A. Gaffney March 13, 2014 Why You Should be in a Sport Imagine being part of a team and having a second family. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it. Well it is. My dance team is seriously like my second family and I would do almost anything for anyone of them. It takes more to being in a sport than you think. Athletes have to be extremely physically fit along with a lot of other great qualities, but it’s all worth it in the end. The great feeling you get when you win. The feeling of being part of something. It feels amazing and everyone should know what that feels like. It all pays off in the end. Everyone should be in a sport at least once in their life or at least try it for a little while. Being in a sport teaches children and teenagers sportsmanship and the importance of teamwork. â€Å"Being involved in sports gives children a chance to meet kids and families in the community they wouldn't have otherwise† (Franz). It shows them how to be supportive of their teammates and how to improve upon their social skills. Hopefully, your children will get plenty of...

Consumer Perception on Hero Moto Corp

A Study on consumer perception towards HERO MotoCorp bikes and after sales services provided in Chennai city A Project proposal (Submitted by R. Sethuraman, Roll No: 0906MBA0547: Reg No: 68210250011) 1. 1 PRIMARY OBJECTIVES * To analyze consumer perception towards Hero Honda motor bikes * To get feed back on what consumer expects from Hero Honda * To analyze consumer perception towards services offered by Hero Honda and  performance of the motor cycle. 1. 2 SECONDARY OBJECTIVES To analyze the buying ratio of the various products by customer and to identify the top rated products/bikes and which of the service satisfies them. * To identify the various features of bikes those are expected by most of the customers while buying the two wheelers. * To get the statistics on satisfaction ratio of the customers on the hero Honda products and services who owns hero Honda bikes. 1. 3 NEED OF THE STUDY Nowadays two wheelers become very important thing which is very convenient vehicle in highl y traffic cities like Chennai.So many leading companies are there in this field like tvs, bajaj, yamaha, and etc, but Hero Honda / Hero moto corp is one of the most successful enterprise for past 25 years. The study describes how this concern is differing from other providers and why people go for it. Also it brings the various statistic results on the buying ratio. 1. 4 FRAME WORK OF DATA ANALYSIS TOOLS Data analysis is seen to be series of distinct action: * Formulate data analysis goals. * State assumption about data measurement * Specify the hypothesis Choose the appropriate statistical test * Determine the significant level and decision rules. * Calculate the test statistics * Observe the critical value of the test statistics from the statistical table. * Draw necessary inferences. 1. 5 DELIVERABLES: * The study helps to understand the level of awareness and perception of the customers towards Hero Honda bikes. * It also provides the information related to the source of awarene ss and the factors that influence the customer decision making, which is very useful for the Hero motocorp to capture the market.

Cultural Relativism and Whistleblowing Essay

Explain using the ethics of cultural relativism the advantages and disadvantages of whistle blowing Cultural relativism is the principle regarding the beliefs, values, and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture itself (Chegg.com: 2012). It is the concept that the importance of a particular cultural idea varies from one society or societal subgroup to another and that ethical and moral standards are relative to what a particular society or culture believes to be good or bad, right or wrong. In other words, â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† are culture-specific; what is considered moral in one society may be considered immoral in another, and, since no universal standard of morality exists, no one has the right to judge another society’s customs. According to Philosophy All About.org (2012) the view that the varied moral or ethical systems are all equally valid is based on the idea that there is no ultimate standard of good or evil; so every judgment about right and wrong is a product of society. Therefore, any opinion on morality or ethics is subject to the cultural perspective of each person. Ultimately, this means that no moral or ethical system can be considered the â€Å"best,† or â€Å"worst,† and no particular moral or ethical position can actually be considered â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong.† Cultural perspective therefore can help us understand why certain actions are considered right or wrong by a particular culture. The actions being referred to include the act of whistle blowing. Boatwright (2009: 90) defines the act whistle blowing as the release of information by a member or former member of an organisation that is evidence of illegal and/or immoral conduct in the organisation or conduct in the organisation that is not in the public interest. Nadler and Schulman (2006) assert that whistle blowing is intricately linked to ethics in that it represents a person’s understanding, at a deep level, that an action his or her organisation is taking is taking is harmful and that it interferes with people’s rights or is unfair or detracts from the common good. The question therefore from a cultural relativism perspective is, through which culture’s lens is the â€Å"common good† being viewed. If in the prevailing culture whistle blowing is a common and acceptable practice an atmosphere where the advantages of whistle blowing has been cultivated. According to Trimborn (2012) the most important of the advantages is that whistle-blowing often ends long-standing wrongdoing that would have otherwise continued. Organisations who encourage a whistle blowing culture, promote transparent structure and effective, clear communication. More importantly, whistle blowing can protect the organization’s clients. Trimborn (2012) cites the example of a hospital employing a number of negligent staff members. Other, more ethically inclined, employees would need to bring such issues to the hospital’s attention, protecting the organization from possible lawsuits or severe mishaps resulting in a patient’s demise. In the case of clear workplace violations of health and safety regulations, or breach of employment laws, workers are protected and their rights upheld. With regard to research or technical issues, whistle-blowers may cite internal memos and other documentation to prove doubts existed about a product (such as a cover- up of certain medication dangers) or that false research results were knowingly published. Whistle-blowers often highlight safety concerns regarding cars or other products, thus protecting an unsuspecting public. Whistle-blowing upholds the law, protects many from the impact of wrongdoing, reveals the truth and prevents further wrongdoing. In cultures where whistle-blowing is frowned upon devastating consequences can be visited upon the whistle blower. Trimborn (2012) reveals some of whistle blowing’s negative repercussions. Firstly, it can bring termination of the whistle-blower’s services by the organization. It would be difficult to remain, no matter how justifiable the decision to reveal illegalities and no matter how much the revelations would actually benefit others. Secondly, big-time revelations could bring down the organization causing everyone to lose their jobs. Thirdly, the whistle-blower can get stigmatized as â€Å"disloyal† and be discredited in some way. Fourthly, the organization and sometimes colleagues may exact some form of revenge on the whistle-blower in retribution. Thus, the whistle-blower is somehow blamed for the wrongdoing and fired without an opportunity for vindication. In communities, the whistle-blower and family may be subject to hostile treatment, viewed as acting out of self-interest with a view to gaining advancement at others’ expense. In conclusion, unless culture, practice and the law indicate that it is safe and accepted for whistle-blowers to raise a genuine concern about corruption or illegality, workers will assume that they risk victimisation, losing their job or damaging their career. They even risk being cast out or ostracised by the communities they emanate from. In cultures where a safety net for whistle-blowers exists the whistle-blower is marked as a person of integrity who has the backbone to do what is right no matter what. It lets others know the whistle-blower can be trusted to deal with others honestly. It also limits the effects of intimidation tactics designed to sway whistle-blowers from taking appropriate action where necessary (Young: 2007).

Challenges and Best Practices in Corporate Governance

Former Finance Secretary Jesus Estanislao once compared good corporate governance as keeping one’s house in order. Most people want well-run households, one that keeps a lid on expenses while keeping things neat and clean and takes care of the various needs of family members. In the business setting, a clean house is more attractive to prospective investors. Good corporate governance promotes transparency, accountability and responsibility. Corporate governance is not just about ethical conduct or being transparent and fair to stakeholders, it is also a means to improve a company’s performance, competitiveness and sustainability. In the Philippines, compliance with corporate governance codes is still relatively low. It is probably an offshoot of the way most Asian economies do business, which is largely personal and based on connections—whether by family, affinity or friends. In addition, the adoption of good corporate governance practices is a function of a firm’s financial performance. In Singapore for example, a relatively developed economy, a recent report showed a widening gap between companies with strong and weak corporate governance policies. But it is when crisis occurs when the defects in corporate governance are seen. Learning curves for the adoption of scorecards and best practices for corporate governance are a tad high, and maybe difficult for several companies to implement. Dr. Estanislao once said that his advocacy for companies in the Philippines to adopt good corporate governance standards is a slow burn. But someone has to do it, and progress must start as soon as possible so it can also blossom faster.

OSIM Company Essay

OSIM the well establish Asia healthy life style brand, originated from Singapore. OSIM was founded by Dr Ron Sim Chye Hock in November 1980. Initially derive from R Sim Trading which deal mainly with household appliance. Dr Ron Sim Chye Hock later founded OSIM and eventually changes his focus to creating healthy life style products since he felt a great market potential in home care products in Asia. Dr Ron Sim Chye Hock brought together different equipment manufacturers and introduces OSIM which then receives significant growth to the extent of establishing multiple outlets Asia (straitstime). Having the motto â€Å"Inspiring Life† OSIM company has a significant numbers of outlets all over the world (osim) Situational Analysis on Micro and Macro Factors In the IT and Health conscious era, companies are trying to find opportunities to stay ahead of other rival companies. Companies have to examine and evaluate their environmental forces and take necessary  approaches in order to stay competitive. Micro Factors Microenvironments are factors closely related to company operations and directly impact the customer experience. OSIM has several factors that affect her greatly. A way to show case these factors are by Michael Porter Five Force Model which is: Competitor, Threat of New Entry, Supplier Power, Threat of substitutes and Customers. Competitors Direct: Direct competitors are competitors who have similar products, technology and same target audience. The major direct competitors of OSIM are Ogawa and OTO. Both have a decent market share in the health related appliances. Technologies in their products enable them to remain competitive against OSIM. Their products are much cheaper compared to OSIM, therefore a number of people purchase their products. However by having great marketing senses, consistently earning prestigious award and manufacturing quality products. OSIM is the leading brand of health care appliances. (P) Indirect: OSIM also face indirect competitors such Holistic, Chiropractic, self treatments, Traditional Chinese Medicine and western practices. Indirect competitors offer not just the external but also internal treatments like pills and supplements. However these treatments require an appointment, evaluations and importantly time from your busy schedule which you cannot commit to. OSIM products are made portable and simple enough as not to abrupt our daily lifestyle. Threat of New Entry: The threat of new entry is at a minimal since the market is mainly dominated by OSIM, OGAWA and OTO. For a new brand to enter this market they will have to have significant capital, the tenacity to face reputable brand that have a foot holding in Singapore and technologies that surpasses OSIM. Supplier Power – OSIM has several suppliers that are located main in Asia. They are mainly situated in India, China and Vietnam. The Supplier power here has a moderate control on OSIM as they have been supplying O SIM with her products for the past few years. However by being situated in these developing countries, OSIM is able  to reduce cost on labor works on building and manufacturing of their products while still maintaining their high standard of quality products Threat of substitutes – Technological advancement and new discoveries may pose a threat to OSIM. Since the other two major substitutes are OGAWA and OTO, consumer tends to purchase products that are cheaper with a reputable brand name. However, with OSIM high product quality, achievements and awards the threat of substitute is moderately low as consumers are well aware of what OSIM are known for. OSIM can reduce the threat of substitute by improving her customer loyalty. (osim, http://blog.osim.com/) Customers – OSIM originated from Singapore, a first world country strategically place in South-East Asia, OSIM can use it to their advantage. From word of mouth by someone we know. We are reminded that OSIM offers quality products that had helped people. Having its headquarters in Singapore, OSIM uses this opportunity to exploit Singapore high standards of living and also its world class airport. These customers are the most important resources that significantly affect any company. The issue OSIM is facing is that not every individual need to purchase OSIM products as it can be shared. Most of OSIM massaging chairs are purchased and shared within a household. This causes OSIM some problems as these limits the sales of OSIM products. Macro Factors Political Factors – The political factor that will benefits OSIM is the government intention to increase Singapore population to 6.9 million by 2030 will widen the market and adversely increase OSIM sales (straitstimes). Economic Factors – A growing inflation or recession can all affect the way consumer thinks and hence affect OSIM ability to get a stable profit. Economic factors are usually unforeseen since forecasts and analyses are affected by global changes and natural disasters. Unemployment levels, money value exchange rates, and the state of the global economy can all help or hurt OSIM. (tradingeconomics) Social Factors -As the population is getting more educated, we are more aware of our health and well being of ourselves and those of our family members. Singapore is known for its materialistic culture and Singaporeans push themselves in pursuit wealth and happiness (Janus corp). To do so, we tend  to work long hours and disregarding our own health to achieve wealth. OSIM may benefit from the health issues that arise from this as the appliances will not hinder the hectic and busy work life of Singaporeans. Technological Factors – Can influence how OSIM maintain and improve her business. A new type of machinery or product created can help OSIM stay ahead of the competitions. Other technological trends may include online transaction, ability to give feedback/complaint, purchase online and monitor the shipment. Demographic Factors – Singapore has an ageing population with low birth rate but more elderly. This target audience, the elderlys benefited most from OSIM product s as they often requires health care. The standard of living and health care advances contribute to demographic factors too. (sgplan) Legal Factors – Singapore have a new policy of Levies and quotas for hiring Foreign Workers. These changes may have an effect on OSIM since Singapore is a multicultural country with a big diversity of foreigners working here. The new policy requires a company to pay a certain amount of cash to have the work pass holder to work for them (mom.gov.sg). Lemon law was implemented to Singapore, the idea of lemon law is to protects customers for not up to standards or defectives goods. However it does not affects OSIM products much as OSIM produces high quality products. (Rikvin) SWOT Analysis After gathering the internal and external factors that can affect OSIM greatly, the next step is to do a SWOT analysis. It provides helpful information to make changes in marketing and strategic planning to avoid issues OSIM may face and to exploit the opportunities that may arise. The best way to do so is by reducing the threats and weakness but increasing the strengths and opportunities. OSIM an extremely strong and recognize brand name. Reputable brand compared to competitors, customers has a strong trust and confidence in OSIM OSIM has a good history originating from Singapore, has four outlets in Singapore to reach the target audience efficiently. Regular marketing strategy and involvement with the public and community has strengthen the bonds and trust to OSIM STRENGTHS OSIM products are costly compare to her competitors. Target audience, may shared OSIM products with one another hence lesser sales for OSIM Competitors may come up with products and marketing strategies that could change the customers brand selection. A letdown from OSIM may cause customer have enormous discredit ability of OSIM due to her high reputation and achievements. WEAKNESS OPPORTUNITIES People are getting more health conscious about themselves could be a opportunity for OSIM to increase her profits. Better technology may entice customer to purchase OSIM products online for its mode of convenience. Due to the aging population the target audience for OSIM will be wider as this target audience tends to be in need of health appliance. Government intention of having a population of 6.9 million by 2030, currently Singapore population is at 5.3million. Will significantly broaden target audience. THREATS New changes in the policy and regulations may affects OSIM sales. The rising inflation will limit the spending power of the customers; they will in avertedly reduce OSIM sales of products hence less income for OSIM. New technologies and discoveries can cause OSIM products and machineries to be obsolete Shifts in customers selection away from the OSIM’s products Issue Analysis The issue that I would like to point out is that competitors may come up with products and marketing strategies that could change the brand selection away from OSIM. This can lead to a bad long run effect to OSIM. If the competitors can do so and improves their reputation, OSIM will lose their high market share, target audiences and profitability. Recommendations My recommendations to avoid the issue at hand is by aggressively and regularly market themselves to the public and dominate the advertisement of home health care appliances. OSIM can also promote health related events like marathons to support and ensure the public their commitment of health care of the consumers. By doing so, they will retain their market share and status; eventually with the increase populations in the years come OSIM will have much better sales due to strong solid foot holding in Singapore. OSIM can also achieve this by constantly receiving and retaining their awards this will ensure the public that the quality standards of OSIM are higher tier compared to their competitors. Conclusion I personally consider OSIM to have been a very successful company in establishing themselves in the healthy life style industry. However there are many factors that could positively or negatively affect OSIM, technology in the hand of OSIM may be advantages whereas in the hand of competitor is disadvantages to OSIM. Even so there are certain approaches and ways to ensure OSIM to be ahead of her competitors. Receiving and achieving multiples awards, milestone and expending globally has proven my theory of OSIM being a successful company. Referencing 1. Janus Corporation, Quality of Life in Singapore. http://www.guidemesingapore.com/relocation/introduction/quality-of-life-in-singapore 2. Melissa Tan, Straits Times, 2013 May, OSIM International’s Q1 net profit jumps 13% to $25.1 million. http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/money/story/osim-internationals-q1-net-profit-jumps-13-251-million-20130507 3. Michael E. Porter (1998) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors 4. Ministry of Manpower, foreign manpower, Levies & quotas for hiring Foreign Workers. http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/foreign-worker-levies/Pages/levies-quotas-for-hiring-foreign-workers.aspx 5. Rikvin Pte Ltd, Singapore (PRWEB) March 13, 2012. http://www.prweb.com/releases/singapore/lemon-law-news/prweb9273922.htm 6. Sudhan P Osim Records Record Profits. http://www.fool.sg/2013/07/31/osim-records-record-profits/ 7. UK Essays, http://www.ukessays.com/dissertations/business/about-osim.php