Nucleophilic Substitution

Experimental: Theoretical: Discussion [6] The experimental findings obtained are largely consistent with theory. The activation energy obtained in Part C, 138. 6 k/mol is not too far below the theoretical activation energy of 148. 526 k/mol[6], while Part A confirms the theory that k is dependent on he initial concentration of reactants, since it is a first order reaction. This is clearly depicted in Figure 3, where the alteration of the amount of t-butyl chloride being added to the reaction vessel clearly produced a different rate constant.The findings from Part B of the experiment proved that the reaction followed the SIN mechanism, reaction rate to increase due to the usage of polar solvents to stabilize the carbonation being produced during this mechanism in the slow, rate-determining step [5]. However, there were errors in the experiment, which led to the results being lightly off from theory, such as the lower than expected value for the activation energy. One major source of e rror was the fact that t-butyl chloride reacts with water. Since there is water present in the air, this actually reduces the concentration of the t-butyl chloride solution.If a sample was left exposed for longer, more would react, lowering the concentration further. The following equation shows the reaction with water:[3] + H2O 0 + HCI Another source of error would be the hydrophilic of acetone. This means that acetone, being polar, is attracted to water, another polar compound. As a result of this, the acetone has water molecules clumped around it in the acetone/water mixture, which inhibits the reaction slightly, as the t-butyl chloride molecules, being bulkier, find it harder to access the acetone.While the reaction was ongoing, it was noticed that there was usually a temperature rise that accompanied it. This is another source of error, since the increase in temperature would contribute to an increased rate, which would in turn show up on the measurements taken due to the incre ase in conductivity of the mixture in the reaction vessel. Lastly, the room imperative experiment (run 7 from the Procedure section) did not have a water bath, making it a biased trial.If the experiment were to be repeated, there should be a room temperature water bath for that particular run, to make the experiments uniform and fair. Conclusion The introduction to the experiment stated that the kinetics of the necrophilia substitution reaction were to be studied and found to be affected by changes in concentration of t-butyl chloride, the percentage composition of the acetone/water solution (solvent polarity) and the temperature at which the reaction was to be aired out.The results from this experiment were successful in proving that changes to these three conditions varied the rate constant (k), thus they affected the kinetics of the reaction. Upon research it was found that econometric analysis could also be carried out on other reactions such as the hydrolysis of urea (which is highly important for plants to be able to absorb nitrogen from urea)[7], and to study iterations of acids and bases, where the conductivity starts to fall as a base is added to an acid, until it reaches a minimum at the naturalization point, before rising again hen more base or acid is added [8].For the hydrolysis of urea, it initially reacts with water to produce ammonia gas, ceramic acid, water and carbon dioxide. For the plants to obtain the nutrients, the water must react with the ammonia to produce ammonium ions that can be absorbed. NH + H2O 0 NH+ + OH- The rate of production of the ammonium ion can be studied using contemporary, allowing us to deduce the rate at which plants are obtaining nutrients from the urea, and to note how much ammonia is escaping as gas as opposed to being converted to an ion.

Is Coffee Drinking a Social Problem? Essay

Social issues are matters that cannot be controlled by individuals and is most often created by the social environment that the individual is socializing in. Social issues are discussions that have a direct effect on the everyday life of society and are usually politically related. Some examples of social issues are poverty, violence, justice, and violation of human rights, equality and crime. A social issue usually involves discussions of conflicting viewpoints that create tension between the disagreeing parties. With this said, one may ask, â€Å"How then, is it possible for coffee drinking to be called a social problem? † Coffee drinking is a socially accepted norm that dates back to the 16th century when the first coffee house was established in Persia where it gained a reputation as a social gathering place. By 1652, the coffeehouses were places where the British would go to conduct business or read the daily paper. Eventually is provided a refuge for coffee patrons to discuss politics and ideas. Pretty much the same purpose coffee drinking serves society today. 1950’s America established coffee drinking and houses as places of intellectual gathering. In modern America, coffee drinking has provided a social alternative for the youth that are not allowed entry into bars due to age restrictions. It gives them the taste of being in a bar like atmosphere but without the dangers that those alcoholic bars usually present to under age drinkers. Coffee drinking is now considered a sophisticated social act with places like Starbucks creating sophisticated coffee drinks and atmospheres for the drinkers to talk about. There is no merit to the idea that coffee drinking poses a social problem. Coffee drinking is not a social problem but a social enhancement or solution in most instances. It is also a healthy alternative for most people who are withdrawing from real social problems like substance or alcohol abuse. It is an alternative lifestyle for those who dislike the disco and bar scene as well. Work Cited: Social Benefits of Coffee. Coffee and People. 2003-2004 Retrieved February 23, 2007 from http://www. ringsurf. com/info/Food/Coffee/Benefits_of_Coffee/Social/.

Arizona Court System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arizona Court System - Assignment Example The Superior Court of Arizona is the general jurisdiction court, and serves the purpose of statewide trials. This court has the discretion to hear the largest variety of suits, and documents records of court processes permanently. The Arizona Court of Appeals determines appeals against the decisions entered by the Superior Court of Arizona. The Arizona Supreme Court is the highest court in the state having the jurisdiction to decide on high-level cases in the state. Arizona Supreme Court The Arizona Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. It comprises the Chief Justice, a Deputy, and Associate Justices numbering three (Berch, 2011). The justices are chosen by the governor of the state from a list proposed by an impartial commission. Justices defend their seats in a poll, 24 months after they assume office, and then every term lasting six years (Jacobs, 1995). The justices must retire once they attain 70 years of age. The chief justice is picked by the court to serve for a fi ve-year term, and is allowed to defend his seat in subsequent elections. The holder of the office oversees the management of all the lower courts, and doubles as the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments chair. The mandate of the commission is to nominate judges to the courts of appeal. The Arizona constitution mandates the Chief Justice to make the appointments of the propose nominees, two months after the proposal of the names should the Governor fail to execute the mandate (Jacobs, 1995). The Vice Chief Justice is permitted by the law to act as Chief Justice in case the latter is absent or unable to effectively discharge the uties. The deputy Chief Justice is selected by the court, which also determines the terms of service (Jacobs, 1995). The court’s discretion is captured in the Arizona Constitution. Most of the petitions filed at the court pass through the appellate courts of the state, except for cases involving capital punishment, in which case the court has sole discretion to act (Laffey, 2003). The Arizona Supreme Court also has jurisdiction in hearing of election petitions. Although, three judges make a quorum, all the justices must sit in the event of annulling legislation on grounds that it contravenes the state’s constitution. Arizona Court of Appeals The Arizona Court of Appeals plays the intermediary role and appeals against the verdicts entered by the Arizona Superior Courts. The court is split into two chambers, with a 22 serving judges: sixteen judges are in Phoenix’s Division One, and the remaining are in the Tucson based Division Two (Jacobs, 1995). The jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals is to examine appeals in civil petitions from the lower Arizona Superior Court. Rulings on cases involving juvenile and family relations entered by the lower court, workers’ remuneration and employment issues, tax court rulings, and particular corporation commission verdicts are reviewed by the court (Berch, 2011). Additi onally, it is within the jurisdiction of the court to hear appeals in criminal cases from the lower court, except for petitions in which a capital sentence has been ordered. Death penalty petitions are taken straight the Supreme Court of Arizona (Laffey, 2003). The Arizona Court of Appeals may also consider and identify cases for special action; these cases often involve the issuance of special writs. Arizona Superior Courts In Arizona, the Superior Court is the only judicial body mandated to hear and determine different

Emergence of Red Power movement in 1960s Research Paper

Emergence of Red Power movement in 1960s - Research Paper Example The period in between 1960s and 1970s, was a period that the federal government faced immense pressure from the Native Americans in regards to addressing the issues that faced the Indians at the same time the need to reassert the rights of the Indians. Emergence of Red Power movement in 1960s Outline Introduction History of Red power movement Causes for the Emergence of Red Power Movement Conclusion Bibliography Emergence of Red Power movement in 1960s Introduction Red power was a force to reckon with in the 1960s. It had a huge influence in decisions made by the government including policies. The period in between 1960s and 1970s, was a period that the federal government faced immense pressure from the Native Americans in regards to addressing the issues that faced the Indians at the same time the need to reassert the rights of the Indians. By imitating other ethnic groups at that time, the Indians in America gained courage and stood up to reaffirm their cultural and ethnic identity . It is from these ideas and operations that constituted a movement that would come to be identified as the Red Power Movement. The main and particular aim of the Red Power Movement was to do away with the federal policy of termination, lead the Indians to their ancestral and cultural ways an at the same time revitalize as well as review the existing Indian communities of that time. As the movement established itself, it emulated its counterpart movements that represented the Africa Americans and Latinos in a number of different ways. The Red Power movement used various means of operations to pass their message across the public regarding the general grievances and plight of the Native Americans they represented. Among the various means used in sending their message across are demonstrations, protests, marches and sit-ins. One of the most attention-grabbing and publicized events that was undertaken by the Red Power movement was the famous nineteen-month occupation of an abandoned fe deral prison in Alcatraz Island in early 1969. Majority of the Indian activists perceived this as the crucial spark that was part and parcel of igniting the flame of the Red Power Movement. After the occupation in Alcatraz Island, more occupations were undertaken in various locations throughout the country. The siege in 1973 that lead to the occupation of Wounded Knee, which was in South of Dakota is recoded as one of the famous sieges that overshadowed the others1. From 1971, there have been numerous protests going on throughout the country, in reserves as well as in the cities. These protests incorporated Native Americans, organizations and native newspapers, all motivated to fight for the rights and interests of the American Indians. The 1970s period is regarded as years in which there was the most intense pressure brought about by Native American protests in the whole of twentieth century. The protests that took place in early 1970s were inspired by the Alcatraz occupation model as Indians repossessed the federal land and later on reclaimed it for cultural and educational purposes2. History of Red power movement The American Indian activism roots are dated back in 1492, despite much of their activities getting recognition in 1960s and 1970s. In 1492, there was an encounter between the indigenous people of Mesoamerica and European explorers. More encounters were to occur in 1607 and in 1622. At this period, the reasons for the activism were complicated and at the same time simple. The reasons were protection of their homeland and recognition by the incoming invaders3. According to Teruton, the leaders of Red Power brought about new social knowledge that was manifested in their political operations. This knowledge was often verified with the growth of the movement. Despite the discrimination they faced from the whites and the economic and social bondage they were in, majority of the Indians soldiered on with their cultural activities. The Red Power played a great role in inspiring the American Indians in declaring their rights and culturally expressing themselves. Majority of the Indians at this moment began transforming as they compared their cultures

Performance, Planning and Decision-Making Essay

Performance, Planning and Decision-Making - Essay Example Subcultures are those which give clear reflections about the common situations and problems of the employees in the organization. Company employees strictly follow some of the rules, these rules are shared throughout the length and breadth of the organization is called strong cultures. Cultures which are there with the company’s but are not followed that much is called week culture. Organization cultures are sets of norms which influences how the organization will be shaped. Different organizations are with different organizational cultures. Many times organizational cultures depend upon on the national cultures of that company. It is generally being noticed that organizations with great cultures are always having great success story around the world. It channelizes an organization which way it should go. It is very important for any organization to have a follow a particular culture for long time sustainability. It shows behaviour, values and psychological environment of an o rganization. It might be rules, attitudes, customs and beliefs of an organization. It can be taken as the identity of an organization. Organization cultures can be changed time to time whenever markets demands. These cultures are developed by the particulars company. Every organization is having its own cultures. A culture which is suitable for a company may not be suitable for another company. Organization culture is such a thing that can gives a crystal clear picture about the different attributes of an organization. Great Organization culture can be treated as backbone of any successful organization. All the reputed companies like Apple, CTS and Wal-Mart are having great organizational cultures. In this area of discussion the importance of the organizational cultures are going to be discussed. Great organizational cultures are generally transferred into good performance and provide great productivity for

The Revolutions of 1848 and those taking place in the Middle East in Essay

The Revolutions of 1848 and those taking place in the Middle East in 2011 - Essay Example The revolutions of 1848 were caused due to the widespread discontent with the ruling establishments in Europe. The same reasons caused unrest in the Middle East. However, the European revolutions were fueled by a starving peasantry and the working urban poor; whereas in the middle east today, in addition to complaints about poverty and unemployment, is a strong desire to end corruption in high places and accountability from their rulers. â€Å"If you're a minister, you are a civil servant, you are an employee of the government. With all due respect, my taxes pay for your salary." is the people’s message to their rulers. The revolutions in Europe aimed to overthrow monarchies, those in the middle east want to overthrow the rule of powerful dictators who are ignorant or insensitive to the aspirations of their subjects. It is a truism in political science that successful revolutions are born in the streets. This is true of both the uprisings in Europe as well as those we are see ing today in the Middle East. When people gathered in large numbers in the streets or protested before the symbols of power,they were put down by brute force by those at the helm.

Women in 20th century America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women in 20th century America - Essay Example Hence, the number of working women has increased since the last quarter of the 20th century. Women in 20th century America were more dedicated towards their families than they are today. In the colonial times, women would help their husbands with agricultural work, knit, sew etc. Also it was part of the mother’s job to make sure that she would effectively pass on all of her skills to her daughters so that she would in turn make a good wife/ mother. As time progressed, and the industrial revolution took place, changes occurred gradually. There were changes in methods of work, transportation etc. Consumer goods were now readily available which meant that the things that the women were required to do before were no longer required. This meant that there was more time for family. There was also a rise in perception of the people towards education and its importance. Unmarried females from the middle class got jobs and worked. More women were going for higher education. In the time of the World War II, more women got employment, whether they were married or not. In the later years, the rise in feminism in the 1960’s led women to organize for equal rights. In the 1960’s to 1970’s era there were much more women employed as ever before.

Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now - Essay Example Both the works tend to depict the way civilization finds itself alienated in the wilderness. In broad terms, the main similarity between the works is seen in the way the so-called civilized people have got an uncivilized primitive in them that comes out when they reach the wilderness even for a short period of time. For example, in the Heart of Darkness, Marlow first sees the shores of Africa with a sense of fear and dislike. As Marlow travels into the jungle, he develops the feeling that he was getting savage. Thus, as Kesselring states, one gets the idea that the man still possesses the primordial urge to be the same barbaric humans of the jungle; for example, Marlow describes a Kurtz who is free from any restraints, and who unleashes his primordial urge to kill and to enjoy total freedom. There Marlow sees a large number of heads displayed on posts that shows the kind of primitive life Kurtz lived (24-25). Here, it is worth trying to identify the reason behind the madness of both the Kurtz, and there comes the startling realization that it is the result of their inability to come into terms with the native culture and lifestyle. For example, in the movie, one can see a Kurtz telling Willard about the Special Forces going into the village inoculating the children for polio, followed by the visit of communists who cut children’s inoculated hands off. This basic and barbaric wilderness makes Kurtz insane, and soon, he becomes a savage himself. In total, one can say that in both the cases, there is the tendency to show that the European-African and American-Vietnam conflicts symbolize the conflict between the civilized and the savage. In both the cases, there is the realization that civilization is the result of the complex web of rules, regulations and codes of conduct that the modern societies have developed. In addition is the acceptance that there is a savage in every civilized human being. Thirdly, in

Executive Summary Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Executive Summary - Case Study Example Different researchers and scholars focus on specific issues that relate to these programs in one or more of the aforementioned concerns. In his article, Junsen Zhang focuses on the links, relationships, and effects realized between welfare programs and criminal behavior. The objective is to determine whether such programs reduce or exacerbate criminal activities (Zhang 121). The primary concern for Junsen Zhang in this line is property crime. In assessing the relationship between welfare programs and criminal behavior, Junsen Zhang highlights the position held by Medicaid in regard to criminal behavior. Junsen Zhang’s article, The Effect of Welfare Programs on Criminal Behavior: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, addresses the effects that welfare programs have on criminal behavior. In the article, an analysis that is both theoretical and empirical is presented in the process of accounting for all the underlying variables in the subject matter. According to Zhang (123), welfare programs have some form of effect on criminal behavior. Generally, welfare programs exhibit a negative relationship to property crime. This effect is significant in evaluating the success of the specific program in question. In other words, welfare programs are associated with reduced crime activities. However, this is not always the case. The variables and factors that define each implemented welfare program influence the outcome of that program in regard to illegal practices. In his theoretical and empirical analysis, Junsen Zhang found out that Medicaid’s effect on criminal behavior is relatively little. In other words, Medicaid does not trigger a reduction in property crime or any other related illegal activities. The use of empirical data crowned Junsen Zhang’s findings relative to the predictions that had been made in the study. Therefore, empirical findings confirmed the positive, negative, or little effects of welfare programs on criminal behavior based on the

How does al etihad company benefit from the employment from overseas Research Proposal

How does al etihad company benefit from the employment from overseas graduates - Research Proposal Example al., 2013). Subsequently, the proposed study will help identifying how the company will be benefitted from recruiting skilled and talented graduates of the overseas labour market. This outcome of the proposed study will be crucial in determining a better set of workforce that can contribute towards the sustainable existence of the overall business (Gold Bars Worldwide, 2013). A better understanding of the research topic can be gained from the brief analysis of secondary sources. As per Chandramohan (2008), HRM ensures proper and productive management of the resources in businesses, deemed as the most vital assets required for the sustainability of any organisation (Chandramohan, 2008). Correspondingly, Sims (2012) argued that proper HRM ultimately leads to business success since well-managed employees work efficiently and with utmost productivity towards attaining the business goals. However, prior to the application of the HRM principles, effective recruitment of productive members is important to build an effective set of workforce (Dowling & et. al., 2008). As per the report of CBI (2013), employing graduates from overseas markets not only enhances workplace diversity but also helps companies in the global markets to tackle cultural differences amid customers in an efficient manner. It is through this mechanism that by recruiting skilled and education candidates from numerous regions, companies can ensure compliance with the modern day challenges of diversity and continuous changes (CBI, 2013). As per the study of Hoo & et. al. (2009), in the presence of graduates from the overseas markets, companies are able to better exploit the potentials of the overseas markets and gain better share in the international markets (Hoo & et. al., 2009). Besides, as Al Etihad is among the fastest growing players in Gold and Silver refinery industries, the company requires highly skilled and technically sound employees, capable of dealing with such on-the-job

Symbolic Significance in Chinese Culture and My Life Essay Example for Free

Symbolic Significance in Chinese Culture and My Life Essay We need to see the history of dumplings to find out the answer. Back to hundred years ago, dumplings are more like delicacy rather than a nice food to appease people’s hunger. When China was an economically backward country, people always eat cheap roughage such as corn, millet or rice as main meal. Smith describes rice is â€Å"a basic component of routine domestic and ritual activity. † (Smith, 2006) Dumplings were not the same thing. They were only appeared in Spring Festival as a decent food to highlight the day. Therefore, food like dumplings was also represented a happy and wealthy life that people wanted and pursued. Because of this reason, dumplings could have an outstanding impact in people’s everyday life. Although in nowadays dumplings is not a luxury food any more, people are still enjoy having dumplings whenever traditional festivals. The thousand years custom have formed to a culture appearance, carry down from generation to generation. No doubt, dumplings bring Chinese people infinite hope and happy, from past till now and possibly in the future. Dumplings gradually transferred from a general food to an influential mascot. This is because the dumplings are provided a satisfaction for people’s psychological need. In another words, Chinese people gave the auspicious meaning to dumplings in the process that people tried to create a health and good life. In the variable kinds of Chinese traditional food, dumplings are not the most â€Å"coroneted† one, but people only chose dumplings as a mascot. According to Lee, â€Å"a group’s customs and rules about appropriate social behavior can reflect important cultural values. (Lee, 2009) Except dumplings are very delicious, I think its unique looking is more correspond with Chinese national characteristics. Dumplings are a classic farcie food, contrast with burgers or pizzas, which all the material is clear at a glance. No matter what the stuffing of a dumpling is, people cannot know just by looking at it. The hidden character of dumplings just corresponds with Chi nese diffidence personality. Therefore, the decision was made by Chinese people according to their own appreciation standards, which meet their psychological needs. There are many different customs about dumplings in different regions of China. My grandparents are living at a country side in the north of China. They have a custom that bride needs eat dumplings in the wedding day. When I was very little, the bride was carried by a sedan to bridegroom’s house on the wedding day. Before that day, the mother of the bride would prepare 40 dumplings and hide them under the sedan seat. When the bride arrived on the husband’s home, the relatives would boil the hided dumplings for the bridal and the groom. The entire process means the new couples will happy and together forever. Lenkeit says that â€Å"culture is constantly changing†¦It changes internally through innovations and inventions-new ideas and combinations of old ideas to create new things. † (Lenkeit, 2009) This point explains the change of this custom. Since woman do not use sedan any more, a new â€Å"rule† replaced the old custom applied in weddings. In recent years, the mother of the bride will make some really spicy dumplings and ask groom to eat. She uses the â€Å"terrible† dumplings to show that it is not easy to get her daughter. In addition to those customs of dumplings in my hometown, dumplings also have impacts in my recent life. This is the second year since I came to US. I spend Spring Festival with my friends last year. We made a great dinner and many dumplings together to celebrate the most important holiday of the year. Like the customer for Christmas that people usually buy gift for their family members, the heart of Spring Festival is making and eating dumplings. Carrier indicates that the gift creates problems â€Å"because the objects people confront in such societies overwhelmingly are impersonal commodities. And because these objects are impersonal, they do not make good gifts. † (Carrier, 1993) For this point, dumplings would never cause problems. Although people could easily buy dumplings from supermarket, making dumplings is also an important part in Spring Festival. The process of making dumpling is more complex than making other food, but the process allows people stay together and communicate. In conclusion, dumplings are indispensable in Chinese traditional activities.

Analysis Of Internet Banking

Analysis Of Internet Banking The definition of Internet banking varies in many ways. Basically, Internet Banking can be understood as the new means to provide information related to banks and their services via an online homepage (Mahmood and Steve, 2009; Ongkasuwan and Tantichattanon, 2002). Daniel (1999), Arunachalam Sivasubramanian (2007) also defines Internet Banking as the delivery of banks information and services to customers via different delivery platforms, such as computer or mobile phone. Via the Internet using PC or mobile phone and web-browser, a banks customers can request information and carry out most banking services (Daniel, 1999; Mols, 1998; Sathye, 1999). Ongkasuwan and Tantichattanon (2002) defined Internet banking service as banking service that allows customers to access and perform financial transactions on their bank accounts from their computers with Internet connection. Some researchers defined Internet Banking based on which services it offers to customers. Internet Banking is delivery channel of banking services which allows both private and corporate customers to use different banking transactions such as new account opening, payment, loan application and approval, cash management, etc. (Pikkarainen, Karjaluoto, and Pahnila, 2004). Internet Banking is also an electronic connection between the bank and the customer with the aim of preparing, managing and controlling financial transactions for both parties (Burr, 1996). Pikkarainen et al (2004) define internet banking as an internet portal, through which customers can use different kinds of banking services ranging from bill payment to making investments. With the click of a mouse, Internet Banking can help banking customers to access to almost any type of banking transaction (De Young, 2001). Other researchers define Internet Banking based on its benefits brings to banks. Pikkarainen et al, (2004) considered Internet Banking as one of the cheapest delivery channels for banking products. Despite high starting-up costs of Internet Banking channel, Internet Banking still can become profitable when achieving a critical mass (Mahmood and Steve, 2009). Additionally, the use of the internet is seen as a new alternative channel for the distribution of financial services which offer competitive advantage (Flavià ¡n et al, 2004; Gan and Clemes, 2006). Because the needs of todays customers are more sophisticated and demanding in the banking industry, branches alone are no longer sufficient (Mahmood and Steve, 2009). Internet Banking has provided an alternative means to acquire banking services more conveniently and become ideal for banks to meet customers expectations. Thanks to Internet Banking, banks can use information and communication technology to provide services and manage customer relationship more quickly and most satisfactorily (Charity-Commission, 2003). Internet Banking has become the main means for banks to market and sell their products and services help banks stay profitable and successful (Amato-McCoy, 2005). This electronic distribution of services offers various benefits which will be discussed in the next section. Additionally, the main characteristic of Internet Banking is that Internet Banking brings the differences between traditional, physical market place and the virtual one (Rayport and Sviokla, 1994). Customers conduct banking transactions using online electronic channel instead of bank branches. Without visiting a brick and- mortar institution, through Internet Banking, a customer may perform banking transactions electronically (Al-Abed, 2003). In conclusion, for the purpose of this research, the researcher defines electronic banking as the new delivery of banking services and products through the use of electronic means such as mobile phones, or computers which connected to Internet in all the time and in all places. Such products and services can include deposit-taking, lending, account management, the provision of financial advice, electronic bill payment, and the provision of other electronic payment products and services such as electronic money. 2.1.2 Internet Banking Advantages and Disadvantages 2.1.2.1 Internet Banking Advantages 2.1.2.1.1 Customers Convenience Customers enjoy the conveniences of internet banking services since Internet Banking makes banking transactions faster, easier and more efficient. Convenience has been identified by a number of studies as an important adoption factor (ACNielsen, 2005; Pew, 2003; Ramsay and Smith, 1999; Thornton and White, 2001). For customers, the benefits are more choice; greater competition and better value for money; more information; better tools to manage and compare information; and faster service (Sergeant, 2000). With the provision of Internet Banking services, customers can possess convenience in terms of 24/7 access (Pew, 2003). Traditionally, visiting a physical branch is the only way for customers to do banking transactions which require security and privacy. Without Internet Banking, bank transactions are only implemented within office hours. On the other hand, banks which offer Internet Banking are open for business every time and every place with Internet connection. Therefore, Internet Banking users are able to save time and transportation expenses, waiting time as well. When accessing the Internet connection, via phones or computers, customers can do banking transactions without any efforts. Internet Banking enables users to have mobility since transactions can be performed in any time and at any place. Customers are increasingly mobile and demand for flexible services, as a result, they prefer quick delivery of products and services. Additionally, Internet Banking also provides paper free, complete and up-to-date transactions (Wright and Ralston, 2002). Internet Banking users are easy to know all details of their current and past financial data and banking transactions. Any inquiry or transaction is processed online without any reference to the physical branch at any time. Instead of filling out application form and sign many papers, or use ID card for security, consumers just log in their account and type account password, they get the accurate and updated financial data. Real-time account balances and information are available. For example, customers always update the information about interest rates and money-spending options. Compared with traditional over-the-counter banking, Internet Banking quality is not influenced by personal contact between customers and banks (Lu Nancy Zheng, 2010). Banking transactions with the provision of Internet Banking can be automated. When banks do not offer Internet Banking, any banking transactions need the involvement of bank employees. Although human communication plays an important role in marketing, this can be considered as a double-edged sword. The quality of services depends on attitudes of bank employee. Moreover, Internet Banking benefits banks for minimizing the likelihood of committing errors by bank tellers (Jayawardhena and Foley, 2000). To some extent, not offering face-to-face contact can be seen as one of the advantages of Internet Banking. 2.1.2.1.2 Increased Profits Firstly, Internet Banking helps improved profits by lowering operation costs. Expanding geographically by opening new branches requires high starting-up cost and maintenance costs. With the help of Internet Banking, banking transactions do not require a physical presence. As a result, Internet Banking enhances reduction of overhead costs of physical channels, which require expensive buildings and a staff presence. Additionally, all banking transaction of Internet Banking is largely automatic which enables banks to reduce the workload of branch staff. Also, Internet Banking helps avoid errors related to data entry and personal communication mistakes. Indeed, banks not only save costs but also easier expand the traditional customer bases. Internet Banking replaces some of traditional bank functions to reduce significant overheads related to bank branches, as a result, Internet Banking is considered as one of the cheapest delivery channels for banking services (Arunachalam and Sivasubra manian, 2007). Moreover, Internet Banking helps banks in cutting cost, improve market share, maintain various E-business services, extend marketing and communication channel, search for new innovation services, and improve cross-selling opportunities (Ongkasuwan and Tantichattanon, 2002). Secondly, another reason why Internet Banking improved economic returns for banks is that Internet Banking allows banks to diversify their value creation activities. While doing transaction banking online, users easily approach with many other cross-selling banking services with details. Selling an additional product or service to an existing customer is called cross-selling. The profits can be gained not only based on current offered services but also other cross-selling activities (Arunachalam and Sivasubramanian, 2007). According to Mahmood and Steve (2009), the higher than average income and education levels are more attracted by Internet Banking is high profit customers. Based on detailed data about customers financial profiles and purchasing behavior, banks which possess detailed understanding of customers create customized advertising, customized products for bank users. By this way, not only current services banks offer but also other services can be sold. Internet Banking pr ovides faster delivery of banking services to a wider range of customers (Oghenerukevbe, 2008). Not only did the number of its online customer grow very quickly, but the new customer base was also very profitable. 2.1.2.1.3 Competitive Advantage The use of Internet Banking can gain competitive advantage to deal with globalization and fiercer competition (Flavià ¡n, Torres, Guinalà ­u, 2004). Firstly, Internet Banking enables banks to achieve competitive advantage since having a large online and physical branch network. Operation cost per Internet Banking transaction is much lower than for other service delivery channels (Shah et al., 2007). Jayawardhena and Foley (2000) reported that the transaction cost for non-cash payment at a branch relative to the internet can be 11 times more than online transaction. By lower operation cost, Internet Banking enables a bank to survive the economic pressures and down-turns. Secondly, Internet Banking helps banks to gain competitive advantage since it is seen as one of those innovative ways to meet customers expectations (Mahmood and Steve, 2009). In this customer-centered business, customers are more demanding for products or services with high-quality, sold at less cost and delivered quickly. Thanks to its characteristics, Internet Banking is one of the best options. Internet Banking helps banking users can access any transactions in all time and everywhere with the lowest costs. Thirdly, Internet Banking is considered as a key in both keeping customers loyal and accessing new markets. Apart from expansion by selling products or services for new customers, maintain existing ones is equally important, especially in current difficult economic situation. There is more and more pressure on banks to diversify their products to create value. Otherwise, banks are likely to drag behind competitors and new entrants in financial sectors lose important current customer segment. For example, Woolwich Bank in the UK, compared with traditional banking customers, Internet Banking customers hold more number of financial products on average (Mahmood and Steve, 2009). 2.1.2.1.4 Enhanced Image Internet Banking helps to enhance the image of the organization since banks is seen as innovative organization offering innovative products. This image also helps banks more effective at e-marketing. Internet Banking enables customers to access internet bank all the time and in all places which means that there is no boundary of spaces and time brings more opportunities to extend their relationship with the customers Robinson (2000). More effective marketing and communication at lower costs will not only improve market image but also prepare banks to have better and quicker response to market evolution (Jayawardhena and Foley, 2000). Offering extra service delivery channels means wider choice and convenience for customers, which itself is an improvement in customer service. Internet Banking can be made available 24 hours a day throughout the year, and a widespread availability of the Internet, even on mobile phones, means that customers can conduct many of their financial tasks virtu ally anywhere and anytime. 2.1.2.2 Internet Banking Disadvantages 2.1.2.2.1 High costs Although Internet Banking saves infrastructure costs for banks as above mention reasons, banks introducing Internet Banking just made little savings (Young, 2007). The reason is that any savings are offset by above average wages and benefits per worker. Internet Banking needs a more skilled labor force to run the more sophisticated delivery system. Moreover, costs related extra security measures need taken into consideration. 2.1.2.2.2 The negative effects on banks and customers relationship The traditional channels of offering banking services strongly focus on personal relationships. It is essential to maintain the human touch in customer services (Avkiran, 1999). Customers might be satisfied with the greeting, politeness, neatness of bank employees, ability to express concern for customers needs, apologize for customers complaints. The way of staff members serving customers are likely to influence customer satisfaction directly. Internet Banking completely changes this aspect of customer and bank relationship since it is fully automated. A traditional bank provides the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with that bank. At a local bank branch, employee can make a conservation to ask their customers demand or help them to solve their problems, consult their financial decisions. It is increasingly personal contact with customers. The banker also will get to know the customer and his unique needs. Meanwhile, Internet Banking just performs common transactions without any face-to-face contacts (Cho et al. 2007). According to Broderick and Vachirapornuk (2003:333), customers do not have interaction with employees in person. 2.1.3 Internet Banking Barriers 2.1.3.1 Accessibility to the Internet Wireless communications enables Internet Banking become more and more accessible. Although the growth of the Internet has been very fast, there is still a large population who do not own computers or mobile phones connect to the Internet. For example, different from developed countries, Internet connectivity is still a problem in some rural areas and several developing countries. Lack of computer literacy is one of the reasons Internet Banking is less developed (Walczuch et al., 2000). 2.1.3.2 Consumer Behavior As above mentioned, convenience is not only a key determinant of consumer satisfaction (Yang et al., 2003) but also one of the dominating factors in transaction channel preferences (Ramsay and Smith, 1999). In the field of Internet Banking, this is one of the most cited beneficial features because it offers more leisure-time when doing banking transaction (Devlin, 1995; Daniel, 1999; Liao and Cheung, 2002). Despite the awareness of Internet Bankings benefit, users are still reluctant to use Internet Banking. It is very common in developing countries to physically transfer money. The minority of customers are willing to use Internet Banking, whereas a large number of consumers of financial services are still uncomfortable to conduct their financial management online. The reason is that the use of new technology depends on the technology acceptance of customers and the consumer habits in each country. 2.1.3.3 Security Issues Security challenges banks to deal with customer fears in perform financial transactions using website as a channel (Aladwani, 2001; Sathye, 1999; Gerrard and Cunningham, 2003). In the first quarter of 2005, 80% of global online attacks towards the financial services sector (IDC, 2005). Customers tend to lack confidence in technology-based services delivery systems (Walker et al., 2002). For example, they are unsure that the transaction was completed or the transaction is delayed or not. Also, they are afraid that slow response time after completing leads to a delay of service delivery. This can result in transaction risk (Westland, 2002). This concerns mainly because of the quality of online services systems. Reputation of the bank also significantly affects customer adoption of new technology-based service delivery (Aladwani, 2001). Interestingly, other researchers found that consumer is very much confident about their bank but they have less confidence in technology (Howcroft et al., 2002). Consumers express their concern that online banking is not likely to keep their information of transaction secure and private (Belanger et al., 2002; Salisbury et al., 2001). Therefore, it is essential for Internet Banking banks provider higher degree of security that enables customers to trust internet banking at all times and places (Daniel, 1999, Black et al, 2001; Polatoglu and Ekin, 2001; Suganthi et al, 2001; Gerrard and Cunningham, 2003). 2.2 Understanding of Customer Satisfaction Both business practitioners and academic researchers pay more and more attention to customer satisfaction (Bolton and Drew, 1991; Christian Bettina, 1999). Jamal and Naser (2003) emphasized the importance of customer satisfaction for marketers and researchers as well when stating that it is an important theoretical and practical issue. Thus, from the past on, customer satisfaction is defined by different studies in different ways which brings a diversity of definitions for customer satisfaction. Firstly, customer satisfaction can be basically defined by using its determinants. Many researcher used expectation and disconfirmation (Kang, Nobuyuki and Herbert, 2004), or expectation and performance (Johnson, Anderson and Fornell, 2001), or quality and disconfirmation (McQuitty, Finn and Wiley, 2000), or expectation and quality (Giese and Cote, 2002) as customer satisfactions determinants to define customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, Prabhakar (2005) found customer satisfactions factors include the price factors, product or services quality, customers expectations. Secondly, customer satisfaction can be defined based on two different conceptualizations, namely Transaction-specific satisfaction and Cumulative-specific satisfaction (Boulding, 1993). Transaction-specific satisfaction is a customers evaluation, based on both experience and reactions, towards a particular service encounter (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Boshoff and Gray, 2004). Cumulative-specific satisfaction is defined as customers overall evaluation based on total purchase and consumption experience (Johnson, Anderson and Fornell, 1995). While transaction-specific satisfaction provides specific transactional information about specific purchase occasion (Anderson, 1994b), cumulative-specific satisfaction refers to customers experience with past, current, and future performances. Thirdly, customer satisfaction is the gap while comparison between pre-purchased expectation and post purchase (Barsky, 1992; Oh and Parks, 1997; McQuitty, Finn and Wiley, 2000). This conceptualization is called the expectancy disconfirmation theory which developed by Oliver (1980). According to this theory, customers experience satisfaction when product or service is better than expected. Otherwise, if the performance is worse than their expectations, negative disconfirmation or dissatisfaction occurs. Customer satisfaction is a highly personal assessment which consists of not only cognitive element but also emotional element. Customers buy products or services because the benefits products or services offer. Hanan, Mack and Karp, Peter (1989) stated that customers receives significant add-value is satisfied customers. Therefore, customers always expect products possess benefits they need. Apart from other above mention definitions, more definitions of customer satisfaction are presented in following Figure 2.1. Figure 2.1 Customer Satisfaction Definition No. Author Definition 1 Olshavsky Miller (1972) The consequence of the confirmation or positive disconfirmation of expectations, which means that the perceived performance is equal to or better than the expected outcome 2 Churchill and Surprenant (1982) An outcome of purchase and use resulting from the buyers comparison of the rewards and costs of the purchase in relation to the anticipated consequences 3 Woodruff et al. (1983) An emotional feeling in response to confirmation/disconfirmation 4 Peter Olson (1996) The degree to which a consumers pre-purchase expectations are fulfilled or surpassed by a product 5 Oliver (1997) Satisfaction is the consumers fulfillment response. It is a judgment that a product or service feature, or the product or service itself, provided (or is providing a pleasurable level of consumption-related fulfillment, including levels of under or over fulfillment 6 Andreassen Lindestad (1998) The accumulated experience of a customers purchase and consumption experiences Definition of customer satisfaction and debates relate to this definition is widely discussed. On the other hand, in this study, customer satisfaction can be simply understood that customer satisfaction is the customer pleasure when products or services meet customers demand. 2.3 The relationship between Customer Satisfaction and its antecedents Due to the importance of customer satisfaction, a variety of research has been done to determine the factors influencing customer satisfaction (Churchill and Surprenant, 1982; Oliver, 1980; Barsky, 1995; Zeithaml and Bitner, 2003). According to Oliver (1980), there are three factors influencing Customer Satisfaction: Service Quality (1), Price (2), Privacy and Security (3). Figure 2.1 Factors influencing Customer Satisfaction 2.3.1 The relationship between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Concepts of Service Quality The most important component affecting customer satisfaction is Service Quality (Shelly Gandhi et al; Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Oliver, 1993; Spreng and Machoy, 1996). Similarly with customer satisfaction, many academic researchers paid attention to service quality since it is a means of creating competitive advantages and customer loyalty (Dawn et al., 1995). Generally, service quality measures whether services meet customers needs and expectations or not (Lewis and Booms, 1983). Cronin and Taylor (1994) defined service quality as a long-run overall evaluation of products or services whereas Bitner, Booms and Mohr (1994) defined service quality as the overall impression of the organization and its services. Similar to customer satisfaction definition, according to Parasuraman et al. (1985), service quality can be defined as the consumers comparison between pre-purchase service expectation and actual service performance. Since Parasuraman et al. (1985) proposed their conceptual model of perceived service quality, more and more attention has been paid to services quality. On the other hand, the research conducted by Parasuraman et al. (1985) is mostly recognized. Table 2.2 Dimensions of Service Quality Author Dimensions of Service Quality Gronroos 1982 Technical quality Functional quality Corporate image Zeithamls (2002) Efficiency Reliability Fulfillment Privacy Responsiveness Compensation Contact Jun and Cai (2001) Reliability Responsiveness Competence Courtesy Credibility Access Communication Understanding Collaboration Continuous improvement Yang et al. (2004) Reliability Attentiveness Ease of use Access Credibility Garvin (1988) Besterfield (2003) Performance Features Conformance Reliability Durability Service Response Aesthetics Reputation After researching different types of services, such as long-distance telecommunication companies, credit card companies, motor repair shops and banking industry, Parasuraman et al. (1985) stated that there are ten determinants of Service Quality as follows: Reliability: The ability to perform services to customers right the first time and provide reliable and accurate services as promised. Tangibles: Physical evidence of the services (neat appearance of employees, modern equipment and facility). Security: Providing services without any risk or danger. Access: Easy to approach with services and contact with employees for request. Communication: Understanding and listening ability to customers, knowing what customers want to help. Courtesy: Respect customer, being polite and friendly to customers, express the concern related to customers problems. Credibility: Building and achieve honest and trustworthiness towards customers. Understanding: Knowing the customer what is customers needs. Competence: Possession of the required skills and knowledge to perform the service. 10. Responsiveness: The willingness or readiness of employees when interact with customers requests. However, later in 1988, these above mentioned ten dimensions were cut down to fives by Parasuraman et al. (1985): Tangibility: the appearance and availability of physical equipment, appearance of personnel. Reliability: the ability to perform the service promptly with high quality in the dependable and accurate way. Responsiveness: the readiness to help customers. Assurance: includes four elements, such as Competence, courtesy, credibility and security. The ability to communicate with customers in the knowledgeable and understandable way to persuade customers and convey trust and confidence to them. Empathy: includes access, communication, and understanding the customer. The ability to express the concern with customers, pay attention to their needs and problems in a caring and individualized way. The relationship between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Various academics have studied service quality and customer satisfaction in order to understand customer evaluation (Bitner Hubber, 1993; Boulding, Staelin, Kalra, Zeithaml, 1993; Oliver, 1993; Parasuraman, 1985). In many study researching on customer evaluation, quality and satisfaction are used interchangeably since they both presents the comparison of customer expectiation and actual service performance (Lowis and Boom, 1983; Parasuraman, 1985). On the other hand, there is still difference between two concepts. Customer satisfaction is more specific, short-term evaluation while service quality is more general and long-term evaluations (Dabholkar, 1993 and Gotlieb, Grewal and Brown, 1994). In contrast, according to Wilson et al. (2008), customer satisfaction is more permanent than service quality since it generally is a broader term, some dimensions of customer satisfaction are specifically focused on by service quality. As defined above, customer satisfaction has two definitions as transaction-specific and cumulative-specific customer satisfaction (Boulding, 1993). Regardless of whether customer satisfaction has been defined by transaction-specific or cumulative-specific definitions, service quality is one of the most important antecedents of customer satisfaction (Oliver, 1993; Anderson Sullivan, 1993; Fornell et al., 1996; Spreng Macky, 1996). The higher service quality is, the higher satisfaction is (Parasuraman et al., 1985). From the past on, service quality and customer satisfaction is highly related which proved by many studies with practical examples. For instance, Brady et al., (2001) used SERVQUAL in examine the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality in fast-food restaurants in America and Latin America. SERVQUAL model includes ten aspects: responsiveness, courtesy, communication, reliability, security, competence, access, understanding the customers, credibility and tangibles. Additionally, LISREL was used to conduct the test the same positive relationship in a health care service in Ruyter et al. (1997). Based on the research conducted by Yang et al. (2004) related to E-Service, the study will focus on five Service Quality Dimensions as follows: Reliability: Accuracy and prompt of transaction performance. Attentiveness: Availability to serve customer, willingness to help customer, pay individualized attention and personal contact to customers. Ease of use: Easy to remember URL address, well-structured web-design, easy-to-follow, update information, concise, simple and understandable contents, terms and conditions. Access: Accessibility of different transaction services, availability of communication channels such as chat rooms or emails, details contact of service personnel. Credibility: The reputation of service providers. Based on the above discussions, the hypothesis (H1) is formulated. H1: Service quality has a significant relationship with customers satisfaction in Internet Banking. 2.3.2 The relationship between Price and Customer Satisfaction Concept of Price Price plays an important role in the survival of the company since it decided the competitiveness and revenue of a company. According to Price Theory, price reflects interaction between supply and demand in the market. In other words, price is determined by what a customer is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to accept. With this agreement, both customers and sellers get mutual benefits because customers take advantage of the product usage while sellers get their economic returns. Similarly with Price Theory, Stanton (1985) defined price as the amount of money or goods needed to acquire some combination of another goods and its companying services. These findings are also consistent with other research findings. For example, Kotler (2002) defined price as the total amount customer needs to exchange in order to obtain a benefit of the products or services price is the amount of money charged for a product or service. In order to achieve marketing objectives, The Marketing Mix is essential for firms and includes four P (Product, Price, Promotion, Place) creating general and specific marketing strategies for the whole company (Kotler, 2002). Price is one of the four P in The Marketing Mix which developed by Philip Kotler. The relationship between Price and Customer Satisfaction There is a clear link between customer satisfaction and price perceptions (Kyriazopoulos, 2007). Numerous studies discussed the relationship between price and customer satisfaction. For example, this relationship is proved through the study conducted in German car dea

Global Review Of Market Entry Strategies Economics Essay

Global Review Of Market Entry Strategies Economics Essay When a firm is going to explore a foreign market, the choice of the best mode of entry is decided by the firms expansion strategy. The main aim of every business organization is to establish itself in the global market. Thus, the process calls for developing an effective international marketing strategy in order to identify the international opportunities, explore resources and capabilities, and utilize core competencies in order to better implement the overall international strategies. The decision of how to enter a foreign market can have a significant impact on the results. Companies can expand into foreign markets via the following four mechanisms: exporting, licensing, joint venture and direct investment (Meyer, Estrin, Bhaumik, and Peng, 2008). All of them have their advantages for the firm to explore as well as disadvantages which must be considered by the firms top management. What entry mode that a multinational company chooses has implications for how much resources the company must commit to its foreign operations, the risk that the company must bear, and the degree of control that the company can exercise over the operations on the new market. (Zekiri and Angelova,2011, pp 576) 1.1.1 Global Review of Market Entry Strategies Taylor, Zou and Island (1998) conducted a study on a transaction cost perspective on foreign market entry strategies of USA and Japanese firms and concluded that several transactions costs affected the decision making of market entry mode for the US firms but did not affect the market entry mode for Japanese firms. Meyer, Estrin, Bhaumik, and Peng (2008) conducted a study on Institutions, Resources, and Entry Strategies in Emerging Economies to investigate the impact of market-supporting institutions on business strategies by analyzing the entry strategies of foreign investors entering emerging economies. The authors made three contributions, to enrich an institution-based view of business strategy (Oliver, 1997; Peng, 2003; Peng, Wang, and Jiang, 2008) by providing a more fine-grained conceptual analysis of the relationship between institutional frameworks and entry strategies. Secondly, they argued that institutions moderate resource-based considerations when crafting entry strategies and finally, by amassing a primary survey database from four diverse but relatively underexplored countries and combining such data with archival data, they extended the geographic reach of empirical research on emerging countries. Stiegert, Ardalan, and Marsh (1997) conducted a study on foreign market entry strategies in the European Union where the study utilized intra-firm, socio-cultural, geographical-proximity, and political-stability variables to explain bimodal foreign direct investment (FDI) patterns by agri-food and beverage multinational companies into and within the European Union. A logit framework incorporated a unique-count database of firm-level investment patterns from 1987-1998 and the results showed the 1992 structural changes under the Maastricht Treaty increased the probability of wholly owned FDI modes such as greenfields and buyouts, and also found that past modal strategies of firms, language barriers, and exchange-rate volatility all correctly explained modal investment patterns. The authors asserted that these results provide important contributions toward understanding modal investment strategies including the role of macroeconomic changes within a custom union. Czinkota Ronkainen (2003) carried out a study on the motivation factors for market entry and asserted that several factors results in firms taking measures in a given direction as in the case of internationalization. These are a variety of motivations both pushing and pulling companies to internationalize which are differentiated into proactive and reactive motivations. 1.1.2 Market entry strategies for Multinationals in Kenya Multinational corporations (MNCs) operate in a global environment unfamiliar in political, economic, social, cultural, technological and legal aspects. Increased competition among multinational corporations and the entry of other players in the Kenyan market necessitate the design of competitive strategies that guarantee performance. Creating strategies for coping with competition is the heart of strategic management which is critical for the long term survival of any organization. MNCs in Kenya have adopted a number of strategies including: better quality, excellent customer service, innovation, differentiation, diversification, cost cutting measures, strategic alliances, joint venture, mergers/acquisitions and not forgetting lower prices, to weather competitive challenges. Kinuthia (2010) suggests that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has risen in Kenya from the 1990s due to the liberalization of the economy. It is mainly concentrated in the manufacturing sector and is mainly Greenfield in nature. Most of FDI in Kenya is export oriented and market seeking. The most important FDI determinants are market size in Kenya as well as within the region, political and economic stability in both Kenya and its neighbours and bilateral trade agreements between Kenya and other countries. The most important FDI barriers in Kenya are political and economic instability in Kenya, crime and insecurity, institutional factors such as corruption, delayed licenses and work permits among other factors. According to the Financial Post (2010), well-established and hitherto dominant multinational companies in Kenya are suddenly finding themselves sailing in turbulent waters. The latest multinational to leave the scene with a bloodied nose is the 200-year-old Colgate Palmolive, a global business concern which begun in New York as a small soap and candle business. The list also includes, Johnson Johnson, Agip, Unilever, Procter Gamble, and recently, ExxonMobil, just to mention a few. The Financial Post (2010) suggests that majority of the multinationals who have so far relocated, shut down or downsized their operations consider Kenya as one of the least competitive investment destinations worldwide. Apart from the notoriously high cost of power in Kenya, difficulties in obtaining licenses and visas, inefficiencies at the Port of Mombasa and deteriorating infrastructure are among other non-tariff barriers to investment in this market. Financial Post (2010) notes that it is in the petro leum sector where the multinationals are finding it difficult to cope. A few years back, Agip shut down its pipes and sold out to BP Shell. BP sold it stake to Kenya Shell, a move that changed shareholding of BP Shell, which has been operating as a joint venture company. Recently, ExxonMobil sold its Kenya franchise to Tamoil, who will now take over the companys over 64 service stations countrywide. Ndegwa and Otieno (2008) conducted a study on market entry strategies for a transition country, Kenya, a case study that focused on mode of entry strategies that would be used by a Finnish firm, YIT Group to enter a developing country, Kenya. The focus was on motives to enter developing countries, the strategies used to enter developing countries, the factors influencing the decision of entry strategy, and finally problems facing companies entering developing markets experience. The study concluded that the most significant motive to enter developing countries is potential growth of the market, the most suitable entry mode strategy is joint venture, the most significant factor influencing the entry mode decision is the legal framework, and the largest problem experienced by companies investing in the country is bureaucracy. 1.1.3 Performance and non financial performance Performance Measures are quantitative or qualitative ways to characterize and define performance. They provide a tool for organizations to manage progress towards achieving predetermined goals, defining key indicators of organizational performance and Customer satisfaction. Performance Measurement is the process of assessing the progress made (actual) towards achieving the predetermined performance goals (baseline). Traditional, financially based performance measurement approaches have a number of serious drawbacks (Kaplan Norton, 1992). These include the element of outcome focus. Established financial indicators such as turnover and profit before tax are outcome indicators. Profitability measures the extent to which a business generates a profit from the factors of production: labour, management and capital. Profitability analysis focuses on the relationship between revenues and expenses and on the level of profits relative to the size of investment in the business (Gilbert and Whe elock, 2007). Four useful measures of firm profitability are the rate of return on firm assets (ROA), the rate of return on firm equity (ROE), operating profit margin and net firm income. The ROA measures the return to all firm assets and is often used as an overall index of profitability, and the higher the value, the more profitable the firm business. The ROE measures the rate of return on the owners equity employed in the firm business. It is useful to consider the ROE in relation to ROA to determine if the firm is making a profitable return on their borrowed money. The operating profit margin measures the returns to capital per dollar of gross firm revenue. Recall, the two ways a firm has of increasing profits is by increasing the profit per unit produced or by increasing the volume of production while maintaining the per unit profit. The operating profit margin focuses on the per unit produced component of earning profit and the asset turnover ratio (discussed below) focuses on the volume of production component of earning a profit (Crane, 2011). Net firm income comes directly off of the income statement and is calculated by matching firm revenues with the expenses incurred to create those revenues, plus the gain or loss on the sale of firm capital assets. Net firm income represents the return to the owner for unpaid operator and family labour, management and owners equity. Like working capital, net firm income is an absolute dollar amount and not a ratio, thus comparisons to other firms is difficult because of firm size differences (Gilbert and Wheelock, 2007). 1.1.4 Manufacturing Sector in Kenya Kenya has the biggest formal manufacturing sector in East Africa (UNIDO, 2008). This sector has grown over time both in terms of its contribution to the countrys GDP and employment. It is evident from these trends that the sector makes an important contribution to Kenyas economy (KAM, 2009). The average size of this sector for tropical Africa is 8 percent. Despite the importance and size of this sector in Kenya, it is still very small when compared to that of the industrialized nations (KIRDI, 2009). Awino (2007) and KObonyo (1999) argues that Kenyas manufacturing sector is going through a major transition period largely due to the structural reform process, which the Kenya government has been implementing since the mid-eighties with a view to improving the economic and social environment of the country. The manufacturing industry in Kenya can be classified under three main sectors, namely, the agro-based industrial sector, engineering and construction industrial sector and the chemical and mineral industrial sector (GOK Vision 2030). However, the three major classifications can still be categorized into two: (i) agro-based and non-agro-based (KObonyo, 1999). The agro-based industrial sector in Kenya consists of seven sub-sectors and provides the bulk (68 per cent) of value added from the manufacturing industry, (KAM, 2009). KObonyo (1999) argues that the agro-based industrial sector has developed on the basis of traditional domestic resource activities. The major challenges faced by this sector are related to the quantity, quality and price of raw materials mostly produced by small scale farmers. The seven sub-sectors that form the agro-based industrial sector are food processing, animal feeds, beverages and tobacco, miscellaneous food products, tannaries and leather products, woods and wood products and pulp and paper (Awino, 2007). 1.2 Problem Statement Mode of entry into an international market is the channel which organization that want to operate in international markets employ to gain entry to a new international market. The choice for a particular entry mode is a critical determinant in the successful running of a foreign operation. Therefore, decisions of how to enter a foreign market can have a significant impact on the results. However, it may seem that the use of particular strategies by international firms may yield higher growth and performance than others. There are several strategies that manufacturing firms can select from when they want to gain entry to a new international market such as exporting; licensing and franchising; strategic alliances; and wholly owned foreign subsidiaries. This study wants to investigate and indicate the particular modes of entry that manufacturing MNCs in Kenya use and of what value they are. Studies on the relationship between the choice of international market entry strategy and firm performance are abundant. These include Taylor and Zou (1999); Zekir and Angelova(2011) ; Chung and Enderwick (2001); Zand (2011); Sadaghiani, dehghan, and Zand (2011); and Mushuku(2006). There lacks conclusiveness on these studies about the choice of market entry strategy and firm performance. There exist glaring knowledge gaps as far as scarcity of local studies, context, conclusiveness and difference in opinions is concerned. This implies that there are scarce studies in developing economies such as Kenya. Studies on the choice of international market entry strategy and firm performance seem to concentrate on the developed and emerging countries which leave a knowledge gap for developing economies such as Kenya. There is a paucity/scarcity of studies on the marketing strategies techniques used by firms in Kenya and the researcher is not aware of any study that has been done on the influe nce of international market entry strategies on the performance of manufacturing multinationals in Kenya. This study therefore wishes to bridge this knowledge gap by assessing the influence of market entry strategies in manufacturing firms performance in Kenya. 1.3 Study Objectives The study attempts to achieve the following study objectives To identify the international market entry strategies by manufacturing multinationals in Kenya To establish the motive behind the choice of market entry strategies by manufacturing multinationals in Kenya To examine the influence of market entry strategies on the performance of manufacturing multinationals in Kenya 1.4 Significance of the study The study may be of use to management of manufacturing concerns in Kenya. This is because it will highlight the impact of choice of entry strategy to growth of a firm. Managers may therefore use these results to select the optimal strategies that would optimize growth of multinationals. The study will aid managers of prospective firms, and also those other people that want to go into other markets. The study will also provide ample information to those firms already in the market with strategies that are not working for them. The study results may be used by the implementation panel for vision 2030. Perhaps, they can craft a policy based on the study results that would increase the impact of entry strategies on growth of multinationals operating in Kenya. This would consequently lead to higher productivity and achievement of vision 2030 goal of annual economic growth of 10%. The study may also be a valuable addition to literature review and scholars of international business management, business strategy and growth. 1.4 Scope of the study There are several strategies that manufacturing firms can select from when they want to gain entry to a new international market such as exporting; licensing and franchising; strategic alliances; and wholly owned foreign subsidiaries. The study will restrict itself to market entry strategies and their influence on performance of multination manufacturing organizations. The scope of this study is the manufacturing sector. The manufacturing industry in Kenya can be classified under three main sectors, namely, the agro-based industrial sector, engineering and construction industrial sector and the chemical and mineral industrial sector (GOK Vision 2030). However, the three major classifications can still be categorized into two: (i) agro-based and non-agro-based (KObonyo, 1999). Kenyas main industries are food and beverages processing, manufacture of petroleum products, textiles and fibers, garments, tobacco, processed fruits, cement, paper, pyrethrum products, engineering, wood products, pharmaceuticals, basic chemicals, sugar, rubber, and plastics products. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction This chapter reviewed the various theoretical concepts that have been explored in the study. Specifically, the study reviewed the concept of multinationals, market entry strategies and organizational performance. The empirical review addressed the various studies that have been done on the area. 2.1 Theoretical Review This section elaborates on various concepts that are being used in the study. For instance definitions of multinationals, market entry strategies and performance were given. 2.1.1 Multinationals A multinational corporation (MNC) or multinational enterprise (MNE) is a corporation enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation. They play an important role in globalization (Pitelis, and Sugden, 2000). Various attempts have been made in literature to capture the true richness of MNCs with definitions and concepts. Perlmutter (1969) for instance, used a taxonomy which was based on management styles namely geo-, poly- and ethnocentric to measure a firms degree of multinationality. Porter (1986) distinguished between multidomestic and global firms based on the configuration and coordination of the firms value chain. The framework developed by Prahalad and Doz (1987) offers a rather context oriented classification based on the nature of business, differentiating between global, multi-focal and local firms. Probably Bartletts and Ghoshals (1989) four-fold typology of multinational, international, global and transnational companies has been the most influential and extensive one. The typology constructed, inter alia, included, environmental, corporate, subsidiary, control and human resource characteristics. Kinuthia (2010) suggests that Foreign firms in Kenya since the 1970s have invested in a wide range of sectors. Most notably they played a major role in floriculture and horticulture, with close to 90 percent of flowers being controlled by foreign affiliates. In the Manufacturing sector FDI has concentrated on the consumer goods sector, such as food and beverage industries. This has changed in the recent years with the growth of the garment sector because of African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA). Of the 34 companies involved in AGOA 28 are foreign most of them concentrated in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs). FDI is also distributed to other sectors including services, telecommunication among others. 55 percent of the foreign firms are concentrated in Nairobi while Mombasa accounts for about 23 percent, thus Nairobi and Mombasa account for over 78 percent of FDI in Kenya. The main form of FDI establishment has been through the form of green fields establishments and Kenya has in total more than 200 multinational corporations. The main traditional sources of foreign investments are Britain, US and Germany, South Africa, Netherlands, Switzerland and of late China and India (UNCTAD, 2005). 2.1.2 Market Entry Strategies International market entry modes can be classified according to level of control, resource commitment, and risk involvement (Hill, Hwang and Kim, 1990). For example, in a study of the international operations of service firms in the United States, Erramilli and Rao (1993) classify market entry modes into two categories based on their level of control-full-control (i.e. wholly owned operation) and shared-control mode (i.e. contractual transfer or joint venture). The classification system adopted by Kim and Hwang (1992) is three fold: licensing, joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries. Kim and Hwang believe that these methods provide three distinctive levels of control and require different levels of resource commitment. Kwon and Konopa (1993) indicate that each foreign market entry mode is associated with advantages and disadvantages in terms of risk, cost, control, and return. Their study was designed to examine the impacts of a series of determinants on the choice of foreign production and exporting adopted by 228 U.S. manufacturing firms. Agarwal and Ramaswami (1992) suggest that the most commonly used entry modes are exporting, licensing, joint venture and sole venture. These methods involve varying levels of resource commitment. When multinational enterprises (MNE) plan to expand overseas, they face several entry modes. Root (1994) defines an international market entry mode as an institutional arrangement that makes possible the entry of a companys products, technology, human skills, management, or other resources into a foreign country. Entry modes can be classified into three categories: Export entry mode, contractual entry mode and investment entry mode (Root, 1994). Expansion into foreign markets can be achieved via the following mechanisms: Exporting, Licensing,â‚ ¬Ã‚   Franchising,â‚ ¬Ã‚   Joint Venture, Direct Investment (Kim and Hwang,1992; Agarwal and Ramaswami,1992; Root, 1994; Erramilli and Rao,1993). These are explained below; 2.1.1. Exporting Exporting is the marketing and direct sale of domestically-produced goods in another country. Exporting is a traditional and well-established method of reaching foreign markets. There is no need for the company to invest in a foreign country because exporting does not require that the goods be produced in the target country. Most of the costs associated with exporting take the form of marketing expenses. Therefore, exporting is appropriate when there is a low trade barrier, home location has an advantage on costs and when customization is not crucial (Kim and Hwang, 1992). 2.1.2. Licensing A license arrangement is a business arrangement where a licensor using its monopoly position and right such as a Patent, a Trade Mark, a design or a copyright that has exclusive right which prevents others from exploiting the idea, design, name or logo commercially. The licensee pays a fee in exchange for the rights to use the intangible property and possibly for technical assistance (Erramilli and Rao, 1993). 2.1.3. Franchising Franchising is a similar entry mode to licensing. By the payment of a royalty fee, the franchisee will obtain the major business know-how via an agreement with the franchiser. The know-how also includes such intangible properties as patents, trademarks and so on. The difference from the licensing mode of entry is that the franchisee must obey certain rules given by franchiser. Franchising is most commonly used in service industries, such as McDonalds, etc. (Hill, Hwang and Kim, 1990). 2.1.4. Joint Venture Joint ventures represent an agreement between two parties to work together on a certain project, Operate in a particular market, etc. Some of the main common objectives in a joint venture:â‚ ¬Ã‚  Market entry;â‚ ¬Ã‚  Risk and reward sharing;â‚ ¬Ã‚  Technology sharing and joint product development, etc. (Kwon and Konopa, 1993) 2.1.5. Foreign Direct Investment Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the direct ownership of facilities in the target country. It involves capital, technology, and personnel. FDI can be made through the acquisition of an existing entity or the establishment of a new enterprise. Direct ownership provides a high degree of control in the operations and the ability to better know the consumers and competitive environment, and the market in general. However, it requires a high level of resources and a high degree of commitment (Root, 1994). 2.1.6. Foreign Acquisition Acquisitions can be defined as a corporate action in which a company buys most, if not all, of the target companys ownership stakes in order to assume control of the target firm. Acquisitions are often made as part of a companys growth strategy whereby it is more beneficial to take over an existing firms operations and niche compared to expanding on its own. (Investopedia.com, 2011) 2.1.7. Green Field Entry Green field can be defined as a form of foreign direct investment where a parent company starts a new venture in a foreign country by constructing new operational facilities from the ground up. In addition to building new facilities, most parent companies also create new long-term jobs in the foreign country by hiring new employees (Investopedia.com, 2011). The main advantages of setting up a new company:â‚ ¬Ã‚  normally feasible, avoids risk of overpayment, â‚ ¬Ã‚  avoids problem of integration, Still retains full control. The main disadvantages of setting up a new company:â‚ ¬Ã‚  Slower startup, requires knowledge of foreign management, â‚ ¬Ã‚  high risk and high commitment We can conclude that acquisition is appropriate when the market is developed for corporate control, the acquirer has high absorptive capacity, and when there is high synergy, whereas Green field entry is appropriate when there is lack of proper acquisition target, in-house local expertise, and embedded competitive advantage (Agarwal and Ramaswami, 1992). 2.1.3 Organization Performance Organizational performance comprises the actual output or results of an organization as measured against its intended outputs (or goals and objectives). According to Richard et al. (2009) organizational performance encompasses three specific areas of firm outcomes: (a) financial performance (profits, return on assets, return on investment, etc.); (b) product market performance (sales, market share, etc.); and (c) shareholder return (total shareholder return, economic value added, etc.). Most organizations view their performance in terms of effectiveness in achieving their mission, purpose or goals. Most NGOs, for example, would tend to link the larger notion of organizational performance to the results of their particular programs to improve the lives of a target group (e.g. the poor). At the same time, a majority of organizations also see their performance in terms of their efficiency in deploying resources. This relates to the optimal use of resources to obtain the results desired. Finally, in order for an organization to remain viable over time, it must be both financially viable and relevant to its stakeholders and their changing needs. A fundamental debate in strategic management and international marketing research is questioning about the performance, especially when the companies involve in international performance (Florin and Agboei, 2004). An accurate understanding of the crucial link between international strategy and performance is especially important in the face of world markets that are increasingly global. Consequently, international marketing research has moved from being descriptive studying the differences between exporters and non-exporters to providing performance explanations (shoham and kropp, 1998). In todays complex business world, performance is an indispensable guide for any company analyzing its level of success, in both the domestic and international arenas. Assessing export performance is quite a complex task, as export performance can be conceptualized and operationalized in many ways. Broadly speaking, the literature considers three aspects of export performance: financial, strategic, and that of performance satisfaction (Lages and Montgomery, 2004). Although considerable progress has since been made, research remains underdeveloped. Defining and understanding performance is problematic, especially in terms of identifying uniform, reliable, and valid performance measures (Katsikeas, Leonidou and Morgan, 2000). Export performance is the dependent variable in the simplified model and is defined as the outcome of a firms activities in export markets. There are two principal ways of measuring export performance: economic (financial measures such as sales, profits, and market share) and noneconomic (nonfinancial measures relating to product, market, experience elements, etc.). Most background and intervening variables were associated with economic measures of performance, particularly export sales intensity (export-to-total sales ratio), export sales growth, and export profitability (Katsikeas, Leonidou and Morgan, 2000). Also, Export performance, a widely studied construct, refers to the outcomes of a firms export activities, althoug h conceptual and operational definitions vary in the literature (Calantone, 2005) 2.2 Empirical Literature 2.2.1 International Market Entry Strategies by Multinationals International market entry modes can be classified according to level of control, resource commitment, and risk involvement (Anderson and Gatignon, 1986; Erramilli and Rao, 1993; Hill, Hwang and Kim, 1990). For example, in a study of the international operations of service firms in the United States, Erramilli and Rao (1993) classify market entry modes into two categories based on their level of control-full-control (i.e. wholly owned operation) and shared-control mode (i.e. contractual transfer or joint venture). The classification system adopted by Hill, Kim and Hwang (1992) is three fold: licensing, joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries. Hill, Kim and Hwang (1992) believe that these methods provide three distinctive levels of control and require different levels of resource commitment. Kwon and Konopa (1993) indicate that each foreign market entry mode is associated with advantages and disadvantages in terms of risk, cost, control, and return. Their study was designed to examine the impacts of a series of determinants on the choice of foreign production and exporting adopted by 228 U.S. manufacturing firms. Agarwal and Ramaswami (1992) suggest that the most commonly used entry modes are exporting, licensing, joint venture and sole venture. These methods involve varying levels of resource commitment. Based on the location of products produced, Terpstra and Sarathy (2000) divide market entry methods into three major categories-indirect exporting, direct exporting and foreign manufacturing. Many forms of market entry strategy are available to firms to enter international markets. One classification first distinguishes between equity and non-equity modes. Equity modes involve firms taking some degree of ownership of the market organizations involved, including wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. Non equity modes do not involve ownership and include exporting or some form contractual agreements such as licensing or franchising (Wilkinson and Nguyen, 2003). Caves (1982) identified four basic ways to expand internationally, from the lowest to the highest risk: exporting; licensing and franchising; strategic alliances; and wholly owned foreign subsidiaries. Cateora and Graham (2002) stated there are six basic strategies for entering a new market: export/import, licensing and franchising, joint venturing, consortia, partially-owned subsidiaries, and wholly-owned subsidiaries.

The Laughing Fools :: Personal Narrative Emotions Feelings Essays

The Laughing Fools I just started my new job working as a bartender in this local jazz club. Not knowing a person in the place, I thought that I would ease-drop on a conversation that these two men were engaged in, just so I could get to know the costumers better. The conversation was being lead by Lee and the other man, Mike, was prompting him to go on with the story. The story was about an incident that Lee had when he was a small boy with a paper route and his dog was killed. It was a sad story, I thought , but the men just laughed. The reason they laughed I have never figured out, now I am trying to understand the two men. Working at the jazz joint , I see some rather strange things. Mike and Lee come in about once a week. I have listened to Lee and Mike have other discussions, although ease-dropping is not an easy task to do when working. The last time I listened in on uninvited was a conversation on Lee's mother. Lee talked how his mother did everything for him, she would cook his diner, do his laundry, clean his house and buy his groceries. She did all this for him, when he was moved out of her house and supposedly "on his own." Lee did not like his mother doing all this for him, but he never told her that he didn' t want her to keep doing the domestics around his house. She kept on doing things like that for her son, thinking that she was helping out. Eventually, Lee came to resent his mother for all that she did for him and as time passed he expected more from her. He did not tell her that she was interrupting his life. Lee's mother became ill. She had a long, painful battle with a disease, I am n ot sure which one, for I was only ease-dropping. As time passed she became worse. Lee's mother could not do all the things that she had done before, this was not good for Lee, for he had become dependent on one person and he disliked her for that. Finally she died. At the end of the story the two men were again laughing. This really bothered me. I was trying of something to say because it was just like the story with the dog, it had a sad ending with the same reaction of both Lee and Mike, they laughed.

Free College Essays - A Father Figure in Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Huckleberry Finn: A Father Figure Mark Twain, the author of Huckleberry Finn, has written a story that all will enjoy. Huck is a young boy with not much love in his life, his mother died when he was very young, and he had drunk for a father. Huck lives with the widow and she tried to raise him right. While at the widow's, Huck went to school and learned to read and write. The widow also tried to civilize him. She would buy him nice clothes, and make him do his homework. The main character in this story is Huck Finn, Finn is a young boy with many problems going on in life. Huck was in need of a father figure more then any thing else in life. He needed someone to talk to about anything. Huck's Pap was never there for him except maybe to give him a tanning. Huck's Pap thought that he was trying to out do him, because he went to school. "You've put on considerable many frills since I been away. I'll take you down a peg before I get done with you. You think you're better'n your father, now don't you, because he can't? I'll take it out of you. Who told you you might meddle with such hifalut'n foolishness, hey?-who told you you could" Pap scolded (p,26). Huck didn't like having to wear nice clothes, or even going to school, but the he had to go. "Starchy clothes-very. You think you're a good deal of a big-bug, don't you" Pap asked (p,26)? Huck would try and be a rebel because he had no male to tell him right from wrong. If Huck needed help the only real person that he could talk to would be Tom Sawyer, a very good friend also a thief, a rebel, and he lived on his own. Tom was not that great of a role model, for a young boy like Huck. His father was always away, and never there for him, and when he was around he was always drunk. It is hard enough to talk to a drunk man let alone when you have a problem and need advice. The childhood of a young boy is very crucial in what he will be like in his own life. Huckleberry Finn was written to show young males that there are ways of finding someone.

macbeth :: essays research papers

Shakespeare draws an amazing psychological portrait of a man who became a villain by means of ambition, desire and an imbalance of good and evil. â€Å"Macbeth† is a play composed of the disintegration of a noble man’s world. The play begins by offering the audience Macbeth, a war hero, with a high regard from Duncan, the king of Scotland. By the end of the play Macbeth transforms into a universally despised man without a place in the social community. Shakespeare draws an amazing face of a man made to be a villain by ambition, desire and an imbalance of good and evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth, unhappy and unsatisfied with his social position, caused his feelings to snowball into the ambition that led him to the murder of Duncan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which O’erleaps itself And falls on th’other† (Act 1 sc. 7 pg 41) By using an aside, Shakespeare allows Macbeth to reveal his ambitions. And uses Macbeth’s ambition to create irony, in that his ambition was what brought him to power, yet it also leads him to his tragic downfall. Ambition is what allowed Macbeth to become more powerful, and helps him to overcome obstacles and come closer to his final goals. It is this ambition that is the direct cause of the tragic incident of Duncan’s death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The encounter with the three witches summons Macbeth’s innermost imaginative desires, eventually pointing him in the direction of Duncan’s murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Art thou not fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?† (Act 2 sc. 1 pg 53)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Here Macbeth’s imagination precedes his rational thought, he is stolen in the grip of his fantastical imagination. It is as if the dagger is actually pulling him towards his desires to murder Duncan, rather than being persuaded by an actual inner passion for that motive. Shakespeare uses this scene to demonstrate to the audience that Macbeth’s conscious act of knowing that his desires are immoral and still acting upon them proves him quite the villain. This symbolism brings the audience to savor the play’s hidden meanings and also allows for leeway in the interpretation of the plot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth’s inability to balance the forces of good and evil cause him to reach an insecure state of mind, causing him to make many malicious decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"But let the fame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer,

Pepsi America Case Study Essay

1. The following listed factors made PepsiAmericas to adopt a more aggressive attitude towards the utilization of transaction data to run the business. * Growth in product variety from 35-40 to nearly 400, * Lowering of PAS profit margins, * Recession in U.S economy, * Decline of U.S market for carbonated soft drinks, * National Clients like CVS, Wal-Mart and Mobil Gas Stations preference of highly centralized procurement arrangements, * Hard to track product flow on various process like distribution, sales, raw materials and so on. PepsiAmericas Before Its Investment in BI| PepsiAmericas After Its Investment in BI| Operations: 1. Manual and much of human efforts. 2. Operation like supply was time consuming and hard to perform. 3. Operation like supply was not meeting the requirement or was over.| Operations: 1. Automatic Operations were performed that reduced time and effort. 2. IT tool like SCM helped to meet customer requirement. 3. Tools like MM helped to manage material flow along with supply.| Management and Control: 1. Process and manpower management was tough due to large in quantity. 2. Distributors were unable to fetch retailers’ requirement. 3. Material cost  was high and profit margin was going down. 4. PAS was unable to communicate with its business processes as a platform.| Management and Control: 1. ERP helped to bring all the business processes under one umbrella. 2. ERM helped to manage employee resource. 3. Tool like CRM helped to get customer information and satisfaction. 4. SDM helped to management sales and distribution based real time need data.| Planning, Corporate Learning, and Innovation: 1. Supply used to be based on distributors’ past flow. 2. System planning was made by senior managers without the use of IT tools. 3. Had lots of challenge in business.| Planning, Corporate Learning, and Innovation: 1. Use of SCM, helped to lower down the distribution cost. 2. The ERP use reduced the raw material cost. 3. Profit margin became high.| 4. The role of Decision Support Systems (DSS) on enabling the success of PepsiAmericas can be * Supported in business and organizational decision-making activities. * Helped to compile useful information form raw data, documents, personal knowledge and business models. * Made automated decision processes possible. * Quick respond based on real time. * Task oriented service. * Avoided mistakes and maintained Customer Relationship. Listed are the benefits features of DSS enhanced management and control based on long-term strategic planning within the firm. * Back-end-transaction system with real-time data will tune up the business for long term. * Contribution on the continuous improvement of ongoing firm business processes and services. * Knowledge in CRM, SCM, and data-driven decision making. * Continuous data mining within the business.