Travelling and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Travelling and Culture - Essay Example Critically, travelling is an avenue to an open mindset. It is a way of understanding the very essence of live and coming to terms with what the world has to offer in the form of diversity. That travelling is bridge to cultural adaptability and orientation can never be disputed. Indeed, much knowledge in the world is gained through exposure to different experiences and perceptions. This very exposure and experience is a function of travelling which connotes the movement from one situation to another. Spent a stint of your lifetime in Africa, another timeframe in the States and some stay in the Orient countries and you are certainly a well-rounded individual who understands the world in greater depth than the conventional observer. Many educational institutions across the world focus on cultural exchanges between students in different cultural backgrounds with the motive of inundating the students with all that relates to the different cultural backgrounds. This greatly contributes in shaping the mindsets of such students so that they realize and incorporate different aspects into their lifestyles (Arnold 98-9). In many countries across the world, global travelling comes under great onslaught from its critics on the account that it ruins people. In Africa, most students who travel abroad for further studies go back with totally different lifestyles that are often unwelcome in their countries. It then begs the analysis of the whole concept of travelling and its relation to an individual’s cultural opinion. In the analysis, it appears the whole matter boils down to an individual and how they approach different situations. In many instances it can be seen that people who get exposed to different cultures by virtue of travelling approach the whole situation on a different perfective (Bastian 85). While some people get totally indoctrinated with new ways of live and shun their former cultures, others simply appreciate and understand the differences. That create s the whole jam. However, it is imperative to realize that the general make up of an individual is the greatest determinant in the whole cultural equation. Interestingly, culture cannot infuse by itself from one country to another. It must be conveyed through the actions of man like travelling and entertainment. Therefore the argument on whether travelling helps to communicate between cultures gets much backing considering that as people approach new cultural environments, they also spill part of their cultural adaptations in such environments thereby creating the whole link. However, some people may argue against travelling on the account that it is not the only avenue for cultural communication (Lincoln 55). For instance, in most large cities across the world, it is not uncommon to locate a French restaurant that offers purely French cuisines or a Chinese restaurant that brings Beijing to such local environments. The argument then goes that it demands more or less than travelling to communicate different cultures. Travelling contributes to the growth of knowledge and prevents narrow-mindedness. It creates the chance to annihilate the many different stereotypes that people hold against each other especially from different cultural environments. Even inter-cultural marriages are negotiated in such forums, making unity amidst diversity. Indeed travelling makes this

Oil ALternatives Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Oil ALternatives - Research Paper Example Impacts of Alternative Fuels 1. Environmental Impacts 2. Social Impacts 3. Economic Impacts Conclusion: More research must be done on the various sources of fuel other than oil, in order to identify the most suitable and environmentally beneficial alternative. Karen Duneen Margaret Wilhelm English 1102 24 Apr. 2012 OIL ALTERNATIVES Alternative and effective sources of energy to oil must be found, as oil is a limited resource which is extremely bad for the environment. Oil is a non-renewable energy which is obtained through the drilling of oil reservoirs in particular regions. In the contemporary world, our daily operations are driven by oil (Sherman and Freemuth 6). The industrial world is well aware of the significance of oil in its operations. Ostensibly, oil was a great catalyst of the industrial revolution and was instrumental in enabling the economic advancement of numerous countries. Petroleum is the fuel of choice for industrial equipment while others are run by diesel. In the past coal was the preferable fuel until oil became known as a better alternative. A vast proportion of automobiles for example, are reliant on oil since they encompass oil-dependent engines. In addition, modern ships and boats have a structure that requires oil to propel it to various destinations. The aviation industry also constitutes engines that require the introduction of oil into their systems to enable them to function properly. Evidently commercial industries have been integrated with oil since it is cheaper and widely useful in most of their operations unlike electricity. Petroleum has high-energy capacities; its transportation is relatively easy and efficient in initiating numerous operations (Sherman and Freemuth 6). Its relevance in modern society is growing with most of its producers emanating from the Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. Processing of oil also gives rise to several oil products like kerosene, diesel, petroleum, and gasoline. Kerosene is instr umental in cooking and other domestic tasks that require fuel. Invariably, oil is an essential element in the manufacturing of products that comprise of clothing, ink, crayons, paints, upholstery, antiseptics, heart valves and many others. Oil is increasingly becoming essential and thereby its price fluctuates especially in recent years. Recently doubts regarding the abundance of oil are surfacing, together with the detrimental effects of oil pollution to the climate. According to Sherman and Freemuth (7), oil is a finite resource and hence upon exhaustion the suppliers cannot replenish it. This suggests that oil is not adequately dependable as a resource in the end. This element has facilitated the debate of adoption of other renewable resources of power as an alternative to oil. There is a simmering debate over the possibility of replacing oil as the predominant energy resource, due to its limitations. Irrespective of the high-energy capacities of petroleum, it is essential to ack nowledge the fact that oil is a limited reserve. There are dreadful assertions that some of the oil wells could be drying up since there is a reduction in the quantity of oil barrels that they produce. Such a stance also has undesirable ramifications politically, socially, and economically. Evidently, there is an increasing global effort in initiatives resulting from this awareness, for example, the introduction of electric cars and the manufacture of environmentally friendly containers. The alternative sources of energy will mitigate the

Company Profiling Food In Processing Marketing Essay

Company Profiling Food In Processing Marketing Essay Food processing is the methods and techniques used to turn raw ingredients into food for human consumption by food processing industry. Food processing takes clean, slaughtered or harvested ingredients and uses them to produce marketable food products. 1.1 Company Profile Sunkist is also a firm in the food processing industry. Fresh Sunkist oranges from California and Arizona are available year-round. The naturally orange color is due to their growing climate. Sunkist harvest fruit as the raw ingredients and transform it to fresh fruit juice. In 1978, General Cinema Corporation, a large theater operator and soft drink bottler created the orange soda we enjoy today and licensed the use of the Sunkist trademark for their delicious orange soft drink. In 1979, Sunkist soda was launched and became the number 1 orange soda in the market. Sunkist is a not-for-profit corporation, with all profits from the exchange returned to growers. In America, Sunkist is the oldest continually operating citrus cooperatives. Sunkist is also the largest marketing cooperative in the world that produces fruit and vegetable. The Sunkist name is assurance of premium quality and taste satisfaction. People have trusted generations of Sunkist growers to deliver the essential goodness of Mother Natures best citrus since 1893. Consumers know they can depend on the quality of fruit bearing the Sunkist brand sticker or any packaged product bearing the Sunkist name. Produce buyers and retailers everywhere know the selling value of that quality. Sunkist control the quality of its product by written rules and regulations to which all Sunkist affiliated packinghouse and manufacturers. Sunkist staffs need to make sure that the regulations are followed. Every day the Staff inspectors will make a visit to packinghouses. Sunkist staffs often visit the manufacturers producing Sunkist packaged products and all employ standardized quality control programs.  [i]  The price of Sunkist are affordable to consumer, it is not too expensive. Sunkist is now produced by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in USA. Sunkist is still the most popular orange product in United States.  [ii]   1.2 Vision, Mission, Slogan and Goals Vision (1) Global strategies for a stronger presence in the international marketplace (2) Make the brand more distinctive with premium quality fruit Mission To maximizing returns for quality Sunkist growers Slogan Feel All Orange Inside (2007-present) Goals Sunkists goal is to respond not only to the demand of their buyers for year round supplies of fruit items, especially citrus, but also to provide a strong marketing and promotional service to other fruit producers who have the same quality standards maintained by Sunkists traditional cooperative suppliers.  [iii]   Stage 2- Strategic analysis 2.0 Input Oranges is the primary ingredients for orange juice. Fresh Sunkist oranges from California and Arizona are available year-round. Their nature orange color is due to their growing climate. The color of the orange are never dyed. The Sunkist label or sticker on the orange is a guarantee that you are buying citrus of the highest quality. 2.1 Process At Sunkist Growers, the process combines natural, environmentally-conscious, wisdom with the benefits of technology. Sunkist citrus is grown on over 300,000 acres of fertile soil in California and Arizona. Pickers use special designed clippers for the different citrus varieties when they pick citrus. The pickers placed the fruit that they picked into a bag that hangs over their shoulder. After that, the fruit will be transported to the packinghouse. It is sent to the pre-grade area once the fruit reached the packinghouse. Before passed through the initial grading station, the fruit is pre-washed. After the computers grade the color and blemish of the fruit, the conveyor will carry the fruit to storage bins where the place held for packing. The fruit will be dumped out of the storage bins when it is ready for packing. The fruit is then re-washed, waxed and dried. After that the fruit is carried down the line where is it sized and stamped or stickered. The next process is the final grading before packing. The fruit is sorted by grade and carried down the line for packing. They pack the fruit depending on customer need. The most common are the cartons. The fruit is either bagged by machine or by hand. The counts and weight is measure by the bagging machines automatically. After that the bags will put into the cartons for shipment and carried to the accumulator area where they are put onto pallets. The cartons will be wraps tightly by the automatic palletizer so that they will not shift during transportation. The pallets are transported to the pre-cooler where they are held for shipment. Once the truck arrives to transport the fruit, the truck is loaded and the fruit moves on to its final destination.  [iv]   The main distribution points for Sunkist are restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores. It is distributed in all over the world. And also, the oranges are distributed to the manufacturer which processes the orange juice.  [v]   2.2 Steps of processing orange juice 1. Clean and grade the orange. Microbes and dirt is removed. Orange is rinsed and dried. Quality pieces will automatically separated by size prior to extraction. 2. Extraction Optimize the efficiency of the juice production process. Bitter resins must be carefully separated to avoid tainting the sweeter juice. The extracted juice is filtered through a stainless still screen. 3. Concentration Concentrated the juice and reduces the juice temperature to about 13 ° C. After that, stored in the refrigerated stainless steel bulk tanks. To achieve a high quality juice, the proper blending of juice concentrate and other flavor fractions is necessary. 4. Pasteurization To avoid spoilage. Use hot pasteurized juice to preheat the incoming unpasteurized juice. Preheated juice is heated with steam or hot water to the pasteurization temperature at about 85-94 ° C for around 30 seconds to reduce the microbe count. 5. Packaging Fill in the pasteurized juice while still hot to ensure sterility. Must be filling in sterile environment. Fruit juice packaged in this process has a shelf life of 2-4months at room temperature. 2.3 SWOT Analysis of Sunkist SWOT analysis refers to strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses refer to the organizations internal environment over which the firm has control. Strengths are areas where the organization excels in comparison with its competitors, while weaknesses are areas where the organization may be at a comparative advantage. Opportunities and threats refer to the organizations external environment, over which it has much less control. SWOT may appear in both the general and the competitive environment. However, the unpredictable nature of events in the general environment tends to make the use of SWOT analysis more problematic.  [vi]   Strengths The Sunkist brand is known for its high quality product and its customer service, and the Sunkist goal is to respond not only to the demands of our buyers for year round supplies of fruit items, especially citrus. Sunkist provides promotional service and also strong marketing to others fruit producer that have the same quality standards maintained by the Sunkist traditional cooperative suppliers. Sunkist is available in many flavors including orange, diet orange, lemonade; strawberry, pineapple, peach and fruit punch which appeals to the teen demographic. Weakness Consumer lack brand loyalty is one of the weaknesses. Maintaining consumers brand loyalty is not easy. There are a lot of other brand that can replace Sunkist, example, Tropicana, Freshers and Nestle. Sunkist is Contending with heavy advertising by other food manufacturers. Opportunities The teen demographic has been shown to be very influential when it comes to their parents purchase decision. Likewise, teens are having more of their own discretionary income, which tend to spend on food and entertainment. While Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers both have large discretionary incomes, both demographics have been largely ignored by other brands. Threats Due to diabetes and obesity, there is currently a trend in the world of consumers being more health conscious. Because of this, consumers are consuming fewer sweet and coloring beverages. With the recent recession, it expected that sales of major brands would drop while private labels increase in sales. 2.4 PEST Analysis Political The political factors are the arena in which organizations competitive for attention, resources, and regulations guiding the interactions among nations.  [vii]  The effects of global influence governmental policies on a firms competitive position increase the importance of forming an effective political strategy.  [viii]  So, Independent growers had to be licensed to carry Sunkist Trademark. Economic The economic environment refers to the nature and direction of the economy in which a firm competes or may compete.  [ix]  Economy strong due to industrial job needed to fuel war. Citrus exports for 1966-67 seasons have reached all-time high. In order to remain competitive, manufacturers exporting abroad will need to make efficiency gains and innovate so that they can offset the unfavorable exchange rate with a reduction in price or increase in quantity.  [x]   Social/Cultural The social / cultural factor is concerned with a societys attitudes and cultural values. Recently, many consumers are emphasis to healthier lifestyles. Consumers from ages of 37 to 55 increasingly concerned with nutrition. There is a large population of the age range known as the baby boomers. Since many are reaching an older age in life they are becoming more concerned with increasing their longevity. This will continue to affect the non-alcoholic beverage industry by increasing the demand overall and in the healthier beverages. Technological The technological factor includes the institutions and activities involved with creating new knowledge and translating that knowledge into new outputs, products, processes, and materials.  [xi]  Introduction of plastic bottles has increased sales for Sunkist as there are easier to carry and consumers can bin them once they are used. As the technology is getting advanced there has been introduction of new machines all the time. Due to introduction of this machineries the production of Sunkist Company has increased tremendously then it was few years ago. Executives must verify that their firm is continuously scanning the external environment to identify potential substitutes for technologies that are in current use, as well as to spot newly emerging technologies from which their firm could derive competitive advantages.  [xii]   Stage 3: Strategy Formulation 3.0 Porter Five Forces The Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyers can affect an industry through their ability to force down prices, bargain for higher quality or more services, and to play competitors off against each other.  [xiii]   The main buyers of Sunkist are individual consumers and restaurants. Fortunately, Wal-Mart is still a small company in that era. And also Sunkist is the major power holder. Even though, restaurants consumption increases, they are not organized, most of the purchased made by individual consumers. Sunkist has favorable condition for buyer power. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers can exert bargaining power over participants in an industry by raising prices or reducing the quality of purchased goods and services. The factors that increase supplier power are the mirror image of those that increase buyer power.  [xiv]   Sunkist suppliers are mainly small producers. Sunkist is the merging power of those small producers, farmers. They have very strong relationship and each individual supplier does not have any power over Sunkist. It is favorable condition for Sunkist. Rivalry Competitive rivalry intensifies when a firm is challenged by a competitors actions or when a company recognizes an opportunity to improve its market position.  [xv]   Rivalry among competing firms is usually the most powerful of the five competitive forces. The food industry is becoming highly competitive. The difference between one Food Company and another is usually not that great. As a result, food industry has become more like a commodity an area in which the food company with the low cost structure, greater efficiency and better customer service will beat out competitors. Although Sunkist is the biggest player in the market, Florida growers, global competition and bottled orange juice producers are heating rivalry. Rivalry of Sunkist is still neutral. The threat of substitute Substitute products are goods or services from outside a given industry that perform similar or the same functions as a product that the industry produces. There are plenty of substitutes in the food industry. Most large food companies offer similar suites of services. The threats of substitute product of Sunkist are very high. Fresh orange market has very strong substitutes, and the biggest them all is bottled lemon juice. Even, some consumers think it is easier to use bottled orange juice instead of fresh orange. Some more there are concentrate orange juices, artificial flavoring, frozen orange, already flavored products. Overall threat of substitutes is unfavorable for Sunkist. The Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is the extent to which new competitors may decide to enter an industry and reduce the level of profits being earned by incumbent firms. The threat of entry will depend on the existence of barriers to entry and the reaction of existing competitors.  [xvi]   Sunkist has a very strong brand name in the market. Consumers relate Sunkist brand name with the quality of it. These conditions is making barrier to entry very favorable for Sunkist. However, it is still not easy to differentiate fresh lemon form each other and Sunkist has very low marketing budget to increase awareness of its product. Moreover, fresh lemon consumers are mostly clustered on the east cost of United States and Florida producer has geographical advantages in terms of transportation cost. There is not any significant cost should be incurred to enter market and that open ways for international competitors to enter in US market and if somehow new entrant fails to succeed in the market they can always sell its product to processing firms. 3.1 Resources 3.1.1 Tangible resources Tangible resources are the assets that can be seen and quantified. Production equipment, manufacturing plants, and formal reporting structures are examples of tangible resources.  [xvii]  Sunkist is one of the 10 largest marketing cooperatives in the U.S. They handle sales of fresh oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes. Sunkist manufactures 1600 citrus juice and peel products. There were 73 new Sunkist-branded products introduced in 2009 and 28 products reformulated in response to health and wellness trends. They have about 50,000 experienced staff in the operational centers, focused on customer service and daily transactions. 3.1.2 Intangible resources Intangible resources include assets that typically are rooted deeply in the firms history and have accumulated over time. The history of Sunkist has more than 100 year and they developed in order to foster and maintain stable markets for fruit growers, gain best possible return for produce and provide consumers around the world with quality citrus products at affordable prices. Sunkist develop a worldwide market, promote a brand name, access a global transportation system, develop comprehensive research capabilities, and gain governmental access to overseas markets.  [xviii]   3.2 Core Competency of Sunkist The realignment of Sunkists sales operations proved its effectiveness in 2009. The new centralized sales opera ­tion customizes practices to compete better and win in todays markets. The Sunkist brand was built over generations by deliver ­ing consistent supply and quality products. People trust Sunkist and that trust stood them in good stead during the difficult times in the world economy. As a category manager, Sunkist must have the right product, at the right price, at the right time. Today, Sunkist does. Sunkists global sourcing program allows it to manage the competition that is in the market anyway to the benefit of both its customers and growers.  [xix]   With an aggressive marketing strategy and attractive packaging, Sunkists organics program has been steadily growing. Today three Sunkist-affiliated packinghouses are certified to pack a number of varieties of organic citrus including lemons, Navel, Valencia and Cara Cara oranges, and Satsuma and W. Murcott Mandarins. Their customers are pleased that Sunkist has a year-round or ­ganics program and want them to increase their involvement.  [xx]   3.4 How Sunkist sustaining competitive advantages Sunkist has sustained competitive advantages in terms of Organization reputation, brand name, experience, and location. Sunkist is 100 years old company. It is well known and very strong brand name. Geographically Sunkist producers has very longer suitable climate to produce lemons. Sunkist has temporary competitive advantages for Supply chain access and cash flow. They have knowledge to move fresh product from one place to another. Sunkist can generate cash flow from their member. Sunkist understands of these markets and its ability to accurately analyze them drove revenue generation to new heights. Sunkist analysts used that information flow to assess and create market opportunities and to be more competitive, not just in the United States, but in all its markets.  [xxi]   3.5 Define Value Chain Firm Infrastructure Vision : Mission : Goal : Global strategies for a stronger presence in the international marketplace . To maximizing returns for quality Sunkist growers To provide a strong marketing and promotional service to other fruit producers Human Resource Training for staff Recruitment Technologies Development Grading Technology Sizing Technology Packing Technology Labeling Technology Procurement Machinery, Transportation, Staff Inbound Logistics Operations Outbound Logistics Marketing Sales Services Collect fresh fruits from California and Arizona Clean and grade the orange Concentration Pasteurization Packaging Finished goods will send it to restaurant, supermarket and convenience store. Advertising Promotion Customer Service Discount Value Chain refers to the process whereby a firm determines the costs associated with organizational activities from purchasing raw materials to manufacturing products to marketing those products. 3.6 SWOT Analysis (TOW Matrix) SWOT Analysis (TOW Matrix) Strengths- S -Represent a large market of citrus growers in California and Arizona -Producing in CA gives them longer to produce because of warm weather -Provide various services (processing, marketing, research procurement) to its member growers -Strong production in recent years and belief that this would continue -Research regarding breakdown of users is very thorough. Weakness- W -Contending with heavy advertising by other food manufacturers -Concentrated predominately in womens magazines -Consumers lack Sunkist brand loyalty Opportunities- O -Our findings indicate that possible demographic. -Changes of heavy lemon users can be used as an advantage. -Increased awareness of lemons may improve usage of lemons. SO Strategies -Sunkist should increase their exportation -Increase the quality of the product to meet customer satisfaction WO Strategies Make a strong distribution system to cater to avail the full benefit of the growing market. Seek more business from other country. -Promote the product by using effective ads. Threats- T -Fresh lemon consumption in the U.S. may continue to steadily decline -Increased competition with Florida growers -Forecasted increase in production during winter months -Concerns about retailers views of fresh lemons and its prepackaging ST Strategies -Advertise more products about Sunkist that are declining -Offer discount on the products to attract customer to buy Use high technology machinery to increase quality. WT Strategies -Decrease the price of declining product -Enter new market to get more customers. 3.7 Diagnosing Strategic Capabilities 3.7.1 BCG Matrix Star (Growth) Question Marks (Introduction) Cash Cows (Maturity) Dogs (Decline) Stars Stars are characterized by high growth and high market share. Stars is the organizations best long-run opportunities for growth and profitability. Sunkist orange juice is the product that gave a lot of opportunities and profit to Sunkist. Over the long run opportunities in stars will pay dividends as their large market share will enable them to generate cash as the market cows and they become cash cows. Cash Cows In Cash Cows stage, the products have a high relative market share position but compete in a low-growth industry. It called cash cow because they generate cash in excess of their needs. Apple juice is the cash cows. Sunkist has takes measure in apple juice to make the product in to stars. Question Marks Question marks are also known as problem child. The products at this stage have a low relative market share position, yet they compete in a high-growth industry. Sunkist cash needs are high and their cash generation is low. A high-quality grapefruit crop that moved well and com ­manded strong FOBs helped make 2008-09 one of the better years for grapefruit growers. Dogs The products have a low relative market share position and compete in a slow or no market growth industry. The dogs are lemon juice. It reduced economic activity in the foodservice industry resulted in the largest negative restaurant growth in 40 years. 3.8 Product Life Cycle Product Development Orange Apple Lemon Grapefruit Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Product Life cycle has 4 stages that consist of introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. Above is the product life cycle for Sunkist. The introduction stage of product life cycle is characterized by slow growth in sales and high costs as a result of limited production. Grapefruit is in the Introduction stage. Sunkist invests in research and development to produce new products. These command a premium price and confer upon the organisation a first mover advantage (Lieberman and Montgomery, 1988)  [xxii]  . Apple juice is in the growth stage. In this stage, sales increase rapidly as the market grows. It allows firms to reap the benefits of economies of scale. The increase in product sales brings greater profits which in turn attracts new entrants to the market. The maturity stage of the life cycle sees a slowing in sales growth and profits as the market becomes saturated. Orange juice is in the maturity stage. In this stage, low cost competition with other brand based on efficient production and technically proficient processes becomes more important. During the maturity stage of the life cycle it is conceivable that a product may benefit from innovation or finding new consumer markets. Lemon juice is in the decline stage. In the decline stage firms experience a fall in sales and profitability. Consumer loyalty shifts to new products.  [xxiii]   3.9 Promotion tools Sunkists has been steadily growing with an aggressive marketing strategy and attractive packaging. Sunkist uses few promotion tools to promote their product and services. Traditional newspaper and magazine advertisements are supplemented with grove tours and educational seminars for the media and chefs. Public relations campaigns such as the Worlds Largest Lemonade and the Worlds Largest Citrus Display attract wide media coverage, and targeted citrus information from Sunkist finds its way to consum ­er blogs and in-store promotions. Sunkists entry into the world of social networking is a cost-effective way to directly reach consumers. Sunkist is building a substantial following on Twitter and Facebook. They promote it in these two website because a lot people are playing with it recently. In addition, well over 100,000 subscribers receive our monthly online publication highlighting information, promotions, recipes and entertaining tips. Stage 4- Strategy Implementation 4.1 Sunkist international Strategy With over 7,000 Sunkist juice and juice drink dispensers in the US and Canada, had an ­other strong year, generating more Sunkist branding in restaurants, bars, schools, hotels and hospitals. Through Vitality, Sunkist is now one of the main beverage brands in the military. An effective international strategy begins with developing a standardized product that can be produced and sold the same way in multiple countries.  [xxiv]  Kenichi Ohmae  [xxv]  argues that delivering value to customers worldwide is the overriding goal, while other observes stress achieving strategic flexibility.  [xxvi]  Sunkist managers build strong worldwide distribution system and use profits from successful products and markets to subsidize the development of other products and markets.  [xxvii]   Jelly Belly successfully introduced a line of Sunkist Citrus Jelly Beans in 2009. In 2010 distribution will expand in the US and Canada. The existing line of Sunkist Fruit Gems and other products now boast a higher level of juice and new packaging. General Mills Sunkist Straw- berry Fruit Snacks became the third most popular product in the fruit snack category. Maverick Brands (Sunkist Natural juice and smoothies) and Old World Industries (Sunkist jarred fruit) enjoyed increased distribution and growth. Sales by a new licensee, Taylor Farms, formerly Sunkist Taylor, LLC (Sunkist packaged cut fruit), grew strongly in both retail outlets and schools. Sales of Sunkist-branded beverages in Asia continued to strengthen. Morinaga Milk (Japan) and Haitai Bever ­ages (Korea) led the way in innovation with a host of new products and flavors. Country House (Taiwan), tradi ­tionally a foodservice licensee, moved into retail with a line of new, high-quality juice drinks; and Fraser Neave (Singapore and Malaysia) continued their strong performance with Sunkist juice. RFM (the Philippines) successfully introduced newly packaged juice drinks and a new line of Sunkist fruit-flavored teas. The new line of Sunkist Premium 100% juice from A.S. Watson (Hong Kong and China) enjoyed good sales. Business in Europe and the Middle East, while currently small, is growing. Sunkist diversifies into foreign markets because it can generate sales profit opportunities that cannot be matched at home country. Internalization can also extend the marketable life of products or services that have reached their maturity in the home country. Sunkist has an extremely well-balanced export and domestic marketing program. They have a very strong sales and marketing team of seasoned veterans. They have excellent partnerships with ke

Spartacus Essay -- essays research papers

Spartacus Spartacus is a historical epic film showing the rise and fall of a slave revolt in the Roman Empire. The film follows the life of the Thracian slave, Spartacus, from his purchase by a trainer of gladiators and his leadership of the revolt to the climactic battle with the Roman Army and his eventual crucifixion at the order of Crassus. The Film stars Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton and a host of other stars. The film was released in 1960, and it won four Oscars. The film won Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Cinematography, Color; Best Costume Design, Color; and Best Supporting Actor, Peter Ustinov. Spartacus is one of three films that cover the transition of Rome from Republic to Empire. The movie is historically correct in the overall story about Spartacus, but because not much is know about the characters individuality, the presentation of their character is fictional. The characters were improved to meet the requirements that Hollywood puts on them. For example, not much is known about Varinia, Spartacus’ wife, but she is believed to be a Thracian. There is a very little possibility that she was a Briton as she was portrayed in the film, because the Romans do not invade Briton for another 20 years after the slave uprising. Spartacus was born and eventually sold into slavery. He was born in the Roman city of Thrace. It was there where he joined and later deserted the ever powerful army of Rome. In 71 B.C., after being...

Business Law †Case Study Essay

A.Known Facts John wanted to extend his house and built an office from there. He approached Sue after locating an advertisement from the Yellow Pages. As Sue’s price did not seem reasonable, John then approached Drawit Pty Ltd, which charged a hundred dollar less. John paid a deposit. Later, John went to Franks Hardware and Timber Yard. He made known to Frank, the sole proprietor, the purpose and requirement of the materials and placed an order. John signed a standard form contract and paid a deposit. Two months later, problems arose which caused John to delay his business. John incurred financial losses. B.IDENTIFYING THE ISSUES 1.0CONTRACT BETWEEN JOHN & FRANK. It is obvious that there is a contract for the sales of goods between Frank and John. Therefore, terms implied by statute into the sales of goods will only be relevant here. 1.1Is it a consumer or non-consumer contract? Here, we need to consider the definitions of consumer both under Trade Practices Act (TPA) and Goods Act Part IV (GA-IV). As the total price of the goods is $20,500, it is under the TPA s4B(1) (a)(i) prescribed limit. Having satisfied this, we need to consider s4B(1) (a)(iii). There is no evidence showing that John had acquired the goods for the purpose of re-supply or transform them. It might be a consumer contract under TPA. $20,500 exceeds the threshold amount under GA-IV s85(1) (a). John then needs to satisfy s85(1) (b). His materials were of a kind that is ordinarily  acquired for personal consumption. Moreover, s85(1) (c) and (d) did not apply. Therefore, it might also be a consumer contract within s85 of the GA. A consumer contract subjects either to TPA or GA-IV means that Goods Act Part I do not apply. 1.2 TPA or GA-IV? A seller must be a corporation to be under the TPA. As Frank Hardware is a sole proprietor, it therefore is not subjected to the TPA. It then must fall under GA-IV. GA-IV applies to all consumer contracts for the sale of goods that take place in the course of business, irrespective of whether the seller is a corporation, a partnership or a sole trader. 1.3What are the Implied terms that are breached? (i)GA-IV s(90) Fitness for particular purposes John had a contract with Frank for the supply of materials and the sale took place in the course of a business. John made known the purpose for which the goods were required and had relied on his skill and judgement in choosing the appropriate materials. It was also reasonable for John to rely on Frank. Therefore, there is an implied condition that the materials supplied be fit for that particular purpose. However, the materials were not of the purpose for which it was supplied. This implied term had been breached. (ii)GA-IV s(89) Merchantable quality As the materials were sold in the course of a business, there is an implied condition that the materials be fit for their normal purpose(s) having regarded the price. When the materials were delivered, the pine is not limed and the oregon beams  have unsightly knots. John was not aware of the defect before the sale and if John had inspected the materials before sale it would not have revealed the defect. This is because John did not know that he actually had to lime the pine himself and the knots on the beams might not be easily seen. Therefore, there is evidence that this implied term had been breached. 1.4What is the effect of exclusion clause? As the materials bought by John is a kind normally acquired for personal consumption, Frank cannot rely on the exclusion clause to exclude his liability. This is evidenced by GA-IV s95(1). 1.5What are the remedies available? John can terminate the contract and sue for damages. This means that he may return the materials and receive a refund. However, the goods must be returned as provided by s99 that as long as the defect becomes apparent within a reasonable time after delivery, the goods may be returned within reasonable time after discovering the defect. John may also receive compensation for losses caused by the breach of implied terms. 2.0CONTRACT BETWEEN JOHN & SUE. 2.1Offer or Invitation to Treat? First, we need to distinguish offer from invitation to treat. An invitation to treat is an invitation to others to make an offer. Generally, an advertisement amounts to an invitation to treat. This is held in Partridge V Crittenden [1968] 2 All ER 421, where Sue will be inviting John to make an offer. However, there is an exception. An advertisement can also be an offer. This can be illustrated in Carlill V Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256 in which Sue might probably argue that it was an offer. This being the case, Sue is the offeror will stressed that the offer was assumed to be accepted  by John upon saying â€Å" I think that’ll be okay †. An offer, once accepted, cannot be revoked. Therefore there will be a binding contract. Assuming that it is an offer, it can either be a counter offer or a mere request for more information. 2.2Counter Offer or Mere Request for More Information? An offer will be rejected if there is a counter offer. A counter offer tampers with the original condition of the offer, it rejects the original offer and can no longer be accepted at later date. Looking at the words used in John’s reply â€Å" I hadn’t expect it to be so high †, it is possible that this was either an acceptance with a request for more information, or a counter-offer. If the court found the facts here sufficiently similar to those in Stevenson Jacques V McLean (1880) 5 QBD 346, it could hold that the words were a mere request for information. This being the case, the offer remains open and can be accepted. Another alternative is that the court might hold that John’s reply amounts to a counter offer as it seems to add new terms to the offer. This would be similar to Hyde V Wrench (1840) 3 Beav 334, in which the counter offer involved a reduction in price. As in that case, the counter offer made by John had the effect of destroying the original offer made by Sue. Sue is then free to accept or reject this counter offer. Sue, by quoting the price of $1500, clearly shows that she had accepted the counter offer and made a new offer. It is now up to John, the offeree, to accept or reject the offer. 2.3Acceptance or Rejection? Sue could rely on the fact that the mode of communication is instantaneous, i.e. a telephone conversation. She will argue that John’s response over the phone is assumed to be an acceptance to the new offer. This forms a contract in which she can argue that it had been breached. REMEDIES FOR SUE (Damages) However, John can argue that there was no contract because his response failed to satisfy the rule that an acceptance must be absolute and unqualified. In fact, it’s a statement of his opinion of what he thought and therefore he reserved the right to change his mind. An offer, which had not been accepted, does not form a contract. Therefore there is no breach of contract and that he did not have to pay the pro rata amount requested by Sue. REMEDIES FOR JOHN (Do not have to pay) Having considered both sides of the argument, it is more likely that there is a contract between John and Sue. And that it is a breach in which John had to pay. 3.0 CONTRACT BETWEEN JOHN AND DRAWIT. It is clear that there is a service contract in which Drawit is to provide a plan for John. Due to the fact that terms implied under Statute only apply to consumer contracts, we need to determine if one exists in order to enforce the implied terms. 3.1Is it a consumer contract? To illustrate whether it is a consumer contract, we need to compare the definition of consumer under Trade Practices Act (TPA) and Goods Act Part IV (GA-IV). s4B(b) (i) of the TPA required that price of the service be less that $40,000. If it exceeds that amount, it must be a kind ordinary acquired for personal use. s85(a) of the GA-IV restricted that amount to be under $20,000. Similarly, if exceeds that prescribed amount, it must be for  personal consumption. Given the service price of $1,400 and that John had acquired it for personal use, it is obvious that it falls under both the TPA and GA-IV. Therefore we know that there is a consumer contract. We then need to identify which of the Acts it falls into. 3.2TPA or GA-IV? TPA probably applies because there is evidence that Drawit is a corporation. This can be recognised by the ‘Pty Ltd’ in Drawits’s company name. Having recognised that it subjects to TPA, it is obvious that GA-IV does not apply. 3.3What are the Implied Warranties that have been breached? As Drawit provide the similar service as Sue, we assumed that John had also made know the purpose for which the plan was required and that relied on the seller’s skills to perform the service. (i)TPA s74(1) Due and skills Drawit supplied the services in the course of a business, so there is an implied warranty that the service will be rendered with due care and skill. The material supplied (plan) in connection with the service must also be fit for the purpose for which they are supplied. It is obvious that Drawit had breached this implied warranty because the material supplied was not fit for the purpose, i.e. it did not meet the Council’s standards. (ii)TPA s74(2) Fitness for particular purposes Applying our assumption that John had made known to Drawit his requirements for which the services were required and that Drawit had supplied the service in the course of a business. There is an implied warranty that the  service and the materials supplied in connection of the service will be reasonably fit for that purpose and that it is reasonable for John in that circumstances to rely on Drawit’s skill. The plan did not meet the Council’s requirement. This shows that it did not fit the purpose for which the services were required. Therefore there is a breach of this warranty. 3.4Can the implied terms be excluded? As the service provided is of a type ordinarily acquired for personal domestic or household use. Under s68 of TPA, Drawit cannot exclude or limit the implied warranties. 3.5What are the remedies that are available? John can terminate the contract and sue for damages. This means that he could get a refund for the services and also receive compensation for the losses caused by the breached of the implied terms.

Case 6.6 Essay

Charles Tollison, Audit Manager 1. I strongly believe that Charles Tollison is qualified for a partnership position as he puts in long hours worked year-round and solves the most difficult accounting/auditing issues. He is considered the â€Å"technician† of the company because of his abilities of micromanaging his jobs and being involved in every aspect of them. It shows that he cares for the company; but he needs to invest more time in getting more clients, contracts for the organization, rather than spending all of his time solving accounting/audit issues. These are matters that someone else can handle in order for him to qualify as a partner. 2. I strongly believe that the firm did not treat him fairly. They know very well that he is a hard worker that devotes most of his time with the company and has promised him year to year that he will get promoted. Instead, they are promoting his fellow audit manager, Craig Allan because of all the connections and the new clients he brought to the firm. They can suggest Charles Tollison to shift some of his time from the audit/accounting work and try to bring in new contracts, as that is one of the major qualifications of a partner. 3. As a large international accounting, the criteria used when evaluating individuals for promotion to a partner is to place emphasis on the individual’s behavior, personal expectations, aggressiveness, and individual achievement. Job success with international firms is primarily dependent upon the individual’s technical competence, advancement does not occur without the development of management skills. In order to be considered a partner you need to learn more sophisticated management skills such as communicating, organizing, motivating, and directing the efforts of larger and more numerous teams of staff and senior accountants. By the time a person is considered for partner, his or her primary responsibilities, in order of importance, are that of client development, staff supervision, and, finally, technical accounting activities. Thus, while technical ability is the most important skill needed at the start of a career, it is not the most important skill needed to be come a partner of a large international accounting firm. Smaller accounting firms establish different criteria for evaluation individuals for promotion to partner as is an informal process and typically based on a person’s technical competence. Promotion is somewhat limited within small accounting firms. 4. Some accounting firms manage their staffs according to an â€Å"up or out† policy governing both promotions and staff retention. The advantages of this type of management is that only those people with the potential to become partners is equivalent to retaining those with the greatest intelligence and skills, meaning a stronger and more productive work force in the firm than would exist if people with lower potential were retained, no matter how valuable they otherwise might be. Moreover, it can seem more honest and straightforward than the tendency of many employers to retain staff by giving them false indications of their future prospects for promotion. Disadvantages are the high turnover work environment of an â€Å"up or out† policy. It is one device to keep all employees constantly on their toes and exerting themselves at full speed, at times with extensive work weeks as an ongoing proposition.

Gulf of Tonkin essays

Gulf of Tonkin essays Was President Johnson's decision for retaliatory acts against North Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin incidents justified? Or an even better question to ask is, did both incidents ever really happen? To answer these questions its necessary to look at some of the historical background of the region. For much of Vietnam's history it has been under foreign rule, primarily by the Chinese. In 1860, France began its domination of the area and had, by the late 19th century, had several colonies in a number of regions around the Gulf of Tonkin. During WWII, the Japanese government took control of much of the area and set up a puppet regime that was eventually forced out by the Vietnamese at the end of 1945. After WWII and until 1955, France fought hard to regain their former territories in the region, their effort was wasted. The French were finally defeated at Dien Bien Phu on the 8th of May 1954 by the communist general Vo Nguyen Giap. The communist regime set up its headquarters in Hanoi under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. Many North Vietnamese left the country and fled south where the self-proclaimed president, Ngo Dinh Diem had formed the Republic of Vietnam. In the 1950's, the United States began to send troops to Vietnam, during the following 25-year period; the war would c reate some of the strongest tensions in US history. Almost 3 million US men and women were sent thousands of miles to fight for what was a questionable cause. In total, it is estimated that over 2 million people on both sides were killed. On August 2, 1964, three North Vietnamese patrol boats attack the American destroyer U.S.S. Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin ten miles off the coast of North Vietnam. They fire three torpedoes and machine-guns, with no resulting causalities. U.S. Navy fighters from the carrier Ticonderoga, attack the patrol boats, sinking one and damaging the other two. At the White House, it is Sunday morning (twelve hours b...

Beauty Standards in Heian Japan, 794 - 1185 CE

Beauty Standards in Heian Japan, 794 - 1185 CE Different cultures have varied standards of female beauty. Some societies prefer women with stretched lower lips, or facial tattoos, or brass rings around their elongated necks. In Heian-era Japan, a beautiful woman had to have incredibly long hair, layer after layer of silk robes, and an intriguing make-up routine. Heian Era Hair The women of the imperial court in Heian Japan grew their hair as long as possible. They wore it straight down their backs, a shining sheet of black tresses (called kurokami). This fashion began as a reaction against imported Chinese fashions, which were much shorter and included ponytails or buns. The record-holder among Heian hair-growers, according to tradition, was a woman with hair 7 meters (23 feet) long! Beautiful Faces and Makeup The typical Heian beauty was required to have a pouty mouth, narrow eyes, a thin nose, and round apple-cheeks. Women used a heavy rice powder to paint their faces and necks white. They also drew bright red rose-bud lips on over their natural lip-lines. In a fashion that looks very odd to modern sensibilities, Japanese aristocratic women of this era shaved off their eyebrows. Then, they painted on misty new eyebrows high on their foreheads, almost at the hair-line. They achieved this effect by dipping their thumbs into black powder  and then smudging them onto their foreheads. This is known as butterfly eyebrows. Another feature that seems unattractive now was the fashion for blackened teeth. Because they used to whiten their skin, natural teeth ended up looking yellow in comparison. Therefore, Heian women painted their teeth black. Blackened teeth were supposed to be more attractive than yellow ones, and they also matched the womens black hair. Piles of Silk The final aspect of a Heian-era beautys preparations consisted of piling on the silk robes. This style of dress is called ni-hito, or twelve layers, but some upper-class women wore as many as forty layers of unlined silk. The layer closest to the skin was usually white, sometimes red. This garment was an ankle-length robe called the kosode; it was only visible at the neckline. Next was the nagabakama, a split skirt that tied at the waist and resembled a pair of red pants. Formal nagabakama could include a train more than a foot long. The first layer that was readily visible was the hitoe, a plain-colored robe. Over that, women layered between 10 and 40 beautifully patterned uchigi (robes), many of which were adorned with brocade or painted nature scenes. The top layer was called the uwagi, and it was made of the smoothest, finest silk. It often had elaborate decorations woven or painted into it. One final piece of silk completed the outfit for the highest ranks or for the most formal occasions; a sort of apron worn at the rear called a mo. It must have taken hours for these noble women to get ready to be seen in court each day. Pity their attendants, who did their own simplified version of the same routine first, and then helped their ladies with all of the necessary preparations of a Heian-era Japanese beauty. Source: Source on silks: Sara M. Harvey, The Juni-hito of Heian Japan.

All About Me Letter

My favorite sports are football and basketball. I play the recorder. I participated in football for three years and basket ball for one year. I played the recorder for one year in the fourth grade and earned all the belts for each skill level.On the other hand I don’t like to read what so ever, but I’m going to improve my reading this year. I don’t like to read because I fall asleep as soon as I begin to read books. The books that I like are adventurous and action-packed books because they interest me so I won’t fall asleep. These kinds of books stimulate my imagination and help me visualize the story. In order to keep me interested in reading I would like to have audio or graphics books. I did great academically last year as I made A’s and B’s.My academic goals this year are to make straight A’s and to receive scores above 900 on the CRCT. Considering that I do not like to read, it’s hard for me to brainstorm ideas and write an essay. Therefore, I do not think of myself as a good writer, as I prefer digital images to awaken my creativity. The few times that I must write, I like to write narratives about my family vacations in new places. Narratives allow me to express my emotions. Unfortunately, brainstorming ideas causes me to have headaches that turn me off from writing.I hope to learn how to overcome this obstacle and improve my writing skills. In conclusion, you can help me achieve my academic goals by suggesting some action-packed or adventurous book titles for me to enjoy reading. I learn best by following examples and listening to instructions. The activities you can help me with are reading and sentence-structure in writing assignments. I welcome the opportunity to learn from your expertise. Sincerely, Phillip Harrington Phillip Harrington

Cba Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cba - Research Paper Example It does not inflict social change directly, but can influence an agency to inflict the change indirectly. On the other hand, Participatory Action Research applies a more democratic approach in inflicting social change through service improvement. The participants in this form of inquiry constitute of a community group as opposed to Appreciative Inquiry’s work team or agency (Creswell, 2014). In short, it directly addresses community concerns, thus the outcomes contribute to social change directly. In health care it can be applied in devising evidence which can be used in sustaining and supporting action research projects, as the following study text highlights. In their article, Appreciating and Developing Compassionate Care in an Acute Hospital Setting Caring for Older People, Belinda Dewar and Richard Mackay seek to address the factors which would boost the culture of caring in health care. Their overall objective is to devise systematic practices which can act as realistic models which will enhance the offering of compassionate care in the future. The article is a research in which the reasons which may contribute to offering of better compassionate care are discussed. In its approach, the article involves support staff and patients, and is therefore more of an Appreciative Inquiry than it is a Participatory Action Research. Dewar and Mackay (2010) state that there is an increased concern with regards to the provision of effective compassionate care in the health care fraternity. This they point at the growing feeling that nurses are becoming inconsistent, and that complains about the quality of care provided. They also highlight the ne ed for care which is person-centered, and collectively strengthening the climate for provision. The cultural issues surrounding the adoption and implementation of a mitigation approach include lack of the will to

Four Forces of Evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Four Forces of Evolution - Essay Example It is worth denoting that the four forces often correspond to changes in the frequencies of allele, genetic drift, natural selection, mutation, gene flow, and genetic hitchhiking. Natural selection focuses on the evolution of species. It is denoted that specie is a fundamental unit of biological categorization and a taxonomic position. This is one of the fundamental grounds of evolutionary theory. Natural selection attempts to highlight dissimilarities in characteristics among species such as coloring. The major premise of natural selection is that a trait that allows a person to survive in an environment usually triumphs. Natural selection happens after the meeting of reproduction, variation in offspring numbers per person, variations in the physical attributes, and heredity condition (Ruse and Joseph 136). Variation within the evolutionary world focuses on the distinctive characteristics that define organisms, as well as their actions. Mutation is a significant variation source, and work as an evolution mechanism when there are contrasting probabilities at the level of molecules for varied mutations to happen. This procedure is regarded as mutation bias. Supposing two genotypes, one having nucleotide G and the other with nucleotide A within a similar position possess similar fitness, even though the mutation from G-A occurs more frequently compared to the mutation from A-G, then genotypes within A will evolve. Deletion mutation and different insertion biases within contrasting taxa can result to the evolution of dissimilar genome sizes. Mutational or developmental biases were also observed under morphological evolution (Ruse and Joseph 154). Genetic drift signifies alterations within the frequencies of alleles from a generation to the subsequent due to subjecting alleles to sampling errors. Accordingly, when the selective forces are relatively weak or

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Paper Example The main objective of the research was to find ways in which disability could be prevented among the older people suffering from a disease with long-term effects such as asthma and arthritis. This research enabled for the development of a program in which people suffering from chronic diseases could manage their disease with the help of the community. The research found that patients could be educated on how to cope with the disease symptoms while adhering to their medication, but most importantly keeping up with their physical mobility. It was found that exercise was fundamental in delaying the effects of disability caused by chronic diseases. The research also discovered that patients who enrolled for the â€Å"Chronic Disease Self-Management Program† (CDSMP) showed a positive progress in fighting their diseases and, in turn, reduced the level upon which they relied on health care services. As a result, each individual has a reduced financial burden and an increase in their self-reliance. This was a relief for most chronic disease patients because they cited the cost of managing these diseases as too high which led majority to fail in checking the effects. With the program developed under this research, the patients could save on cost in a healthy and effective self-assessment program. The research found that patients even changed their living habits; for example, some quit smoking because it was in line with the program. With the education given to the patients while in the program, they even reduced their alcohol consumption levels because it was interfering with their capacity to  cope with the chronic diseases. The research also found that patients adhered to a strict nutritional and health diet program, which was designed to improve their disease fighting immunity; hence, making them delays the effects of disability. The research also found that administering an exercise and fitness program to the patients led to controlled weight loss and manag ement. This exercise was also vital in regulating heart function, which was especially important in those suffering from heart failure. The research findings included a six month evaluation program among patients and several observations were made: the patients who enrolled for CDSMP showed increased levels of exercise and maintained fitness, as well as an improved capacity to handle the symptoms of chronic diseases. Another observation with the patients after six months was that the patients could communicate to their health care personnel better than before, which in turn helped the physicians to give them the right medication and in accordance with the needs of each patient. The research found that, after six months, the patients showed progress in their social activities and were able to participate more. The patients were able to control the effects of disability citing the self-assessment  as a major help in the process. The patients did not show physical or emotional stress because they seemed fit and relaxed. The program also gave the patients more energy as nutrition was administered at appropriate levels while the exercise ensured their bodies were strong. This increased energy enabled the patients to participate more in social activities and still not show signs of fatigue and stress. The research

Establishing a Utility Corner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Establishing a Utility Corner - Essay Example Vision statement of course depicts the sincerity with which we intend to take our customers because investment in smiles gets satisfaction in return. Our vision statement is "We care for your comfort and value your time". Youth: This segment is the most vibrant market of all for couple of reasons. One, the youth of the day has become very demanding. Second, the youth is very much quality conscious. Third and most important, the growing trend of handing over the reins of business to young workers is giving rise to increasing number of young managers and CEOs. Family: With increasing trend towards nuclear family, quality time with family has become a rare commodity. Kids are taken care of by crches with both parents working. Therefore weekends are particularly very important for such family outings and our store has to try its level best to invite such families. Business Community: Business community requires an ambience where it can invite potential clients/ customers and seal a deal over lunch. Therefore, such sessions (generally long sitting sessions) are very helpful for a successful utility store. This community at times requires a small meeting cum demo room and some office support, which has to be taken care of by our business establishment. It is worthwhile here to mention that while we are starting off with a new business, there must be couple of others in the market having similar business and attracting similar customers. Established businesses have some loyal customers as well. We need to attract such customers with lucrative offers. For example; Youth can be attracted with discount schemes, combo offers (like buy one get one free etc.), loyalty bonuses, special attraction for the students of colleges/ schools. Such promotional schemes help attract the customers. It becomes the duty of the management to put in full use the concepts of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Families can be attracted with better bargains for kids, innovative marketing schemes (like special packages for grand parents, weekend programmes/ competitions/ contests for kids etc. The business community is the most difficult one to invite with such bargains. This 'formal class' requires one-to-one meeting with officials and offering them better bargains and scores of incentives to switch loyalties. Comparison charts and statements are a perquisite for such missions with business leaders. Each business group requires a different set of persuasion technique. Competition is in fact a very important part of a market driven economy. This encourages the business commun

Final research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final - Research Paper Example This paper is, therefore, aimed at discussion some ways the digital revolution has changed journalism. Digital revolution has several impacts on the current journalism as it stands. For instance, it has been argued that, digital revolution increases commercial pressure where the digital models that used to pay for the news do not give this payment anymore as they have other ways to obtain such news for free. This would create an impact on the quality and availability journalism that rely on facts in America. The revolution has seen several consumers use search-powered web to obtain news and read only the selected parts, hence, not paying for news as they used to do. The digital media have, therefore, made news look like a commodity found in the market. The increase in the share of total advertising expenditure also exists, though most of the expenditure goes into paid search. The paid search is mainly controlled by the big media companies such as Google that only aggregates the news but do not create the news itself. Due to such big losses that have hit the journalism industry through the digital revolution, the US news publishers have used the opportunity to turn their reach in order to increase their reach, consumer value and loyalty, and generate some revenue from advertising. Through such attempts, they try to compensate the losses in revenue as a result of new commercial and technological pressures. A major challenge in maintaining such online advertisement sets in when trying to preserve the brand. Such efforts have been seen to attract many consumers, who are fragment and transient. Another challenge is for the small media houses since they are not able to compete fairly in the market. News publishers in the journalism industry are working hard to attract clicks, retain their consumer, boost advertising revenues and increase their visibility extent in the search

HR250 Individual Written Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HR250 Individual Written Assignment - Essay Example Chalon had a track record of motivating personnel and he was reported to have a very firm focus from his previous work experience in Europe. The employees complained about the leadership of Oliver Chalon as a person and the manner in which he interacted with the employees. It could be also that Chalon was also stereotypical about the Americans, it is said that the French view Americans as arrogant and dominating. This made him to be forceful and fierce in implementing his strategies. The difficulties that Chalon is facing can be due to the root of intercultural differences that exist between American and French value systems. Some of the differences exist in the intercultural management scenario. In regard to context French are regarded as high context while the Americans are viewed as low context; high context is characterized by the fact that a place must be left for adoption and interpretation and that everything is in the relationship. The low context is characterized by situations whereby everything must be clear and everything is in contract. This can be the reason as to why Chalon was facing difficulties as the employees were working in the terms that are expressed in their contract as this is in American culture. Context thus makes Americans to view French as disorganized, insincere and not disciplined. Another factor that is under the intercultural management is time. The French are regarded as polychromic while Americans are monochromic. Polychromic is described by schedule independence while monochromic is described by the fact that precision is essential. This can be reflected by the problem that Chalon is facing as the employees who are the Americans and he was French will view him as not focused and dispersed. The root of Chalon’s problem could also be due to the existence of the stereotypes that exist between the French and the American. The

Final research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final - Research Paper Example This paper is, therefore, aimed at discussion some ways the digital revolution has changed journalism. Digital revolution has several impacts on the current journalism as it stands. For instance, it has been argued that, digital revolution increases commercial pressure where the digital models that used to pay for the news do not give this payment anymore as they have other ways to obtain such news for free. This would create an impact on the quality and availability journalism that rely on facts in America. The revolution has seen several consumers use search-powered web to obtain news and read only the selected parts, hence, not paying for news as they used to do. The digital media have, therefore, made news look like a commodity found in the market. The increase in the share of total advertising expenditure also exists, though most of the expenditure goes into paid search. The paid search is mainly controlled by the big media companies such as Google that only aggregates the news but do not create the news itself. Due to such big losses that have hit the journalism industry through the digital revolution, the US news publishers have used the opportunity to turn their reach in order to increase their reach, consumer value and loyalty, and generate some revenue from advertising. Through such attempts, they try to compensate the losses in revenue as a result of new commercial and technological pressures. A major challenge in maintaining such online advertisement sets in when trying to preserve the brand. Such efforts have been seen to attract many consumers, who are fragment and transient. Another challenge is for the small media houses since they are not able to compete fairly in the market. News publishers in the journalism industry are working hard to attract clicks, retain their consumer, boost advertising revenues and increase their visibility extent in the search

Chief Bill Bratton Leadership Essay Example for Free

Chief Bill Bratton Leadership Essay When one thinks of a leader, what type of person do we think of? Is that individual a hero that we see on television, a cartoon character, a family member, or is that person a public servant? Regardless of occupation and title, a leader is a person who inspires others and they know how to motivate people. â€Å"When they arrive, you see something about them that stands out. The inner strength of their leadership ability emerges†. (Gonzalez, 2007, February 1). Leaders are individuals in your area of work who are focused on the tasks at hand and they have a clear and concise vision on what their respective organizations are set out to do. How do you know if you are being an effective leader? A leader is a person who is looked up to and has a plan to get things accomplished. Within groups, a leader is the person who makes the final decision for the group and it is a person who is motivated to see success for their organization. â€Å"A leader is on a quest and you can see it†. (Gonzalez, 2007, February 1). In the area of law enforcement, Bob Vernon states that there are six questions that every law enforcement officer leader should ask to see if they are being effective leaders. Vernon states that each law enforcement leader should look in the mirror and ask themselves if their organization has the following: a.) Direction, b.) Teamwork, c.) Staff development, d.) Principles, values, and policies, e.) Communication, and f.) controls (Vernon 60-62). Few officers were more of a leader than William Joseph â€Å"Bill† Bratton was. Bratton was born on October 6, 1947 in Dorchester, Massachusetts which is a suburb of Boston. He attended Boston Technical High School and graduated in 1965. Bratton went on to serve in the military and he served in the Vietnam War during the 1960’s. Bratton began his police career with the Boston Police Department in 1970. Within ten years he rose to the rank of Superintendent. During Bratton’s police career he held the position of Superintendent with three of the largest police agencies in the world. Bratton served with the Boston Police Department from 1991-1993, the New York City Police Department from 1994-1996, and lastly with the Los Angeles Police Department from 2002-2009. During Bratton’s tenure with the New York Police Department, the work he did resulted in dramatic change in the level of crime in the city. For example, murder rates dropped from 2,500 per year to just less than 1,000 per year. Shootings fell from 6,000 to 3,000 a year and robberies from 85,000 to approximately 50,000 per year. (Blair, 2002, September, 23).

Organisational Change And Development In Royal Mail

Organisational Change And Development In Royal Mail This assignment has been undertaken in order to examine and evaluate the modernisation of the Royal Mail. It will begin with identifying the reason for change within the company, and how the need for change was detected. After which the implementation of planned change in the Royal Mail will be discussed and its effectiveness will be evaluated. The resistant factors they met whilst trying to implement this modernisations programme will also be discussed. An evaluation of the planned change will be conducted in order to assess the extent of its effectiveness. The report will conclude will an analysis of the Business Transformation 2010 and Beyond National Agreement between Royal Mail the Communication Workers Union, implications for failure will be assessed from this agreement; theory will be linked throughout the report with evidence and discussion. Table of contents Introduction (p. 4-5) Main Findings Reasons for modernising the Royal Mail (p. 6-7) How change was planned in the Royal Mail (p. 8-10) Types of change (p. 11) Resistance to change in the Royal Mail (p. 12-13) Kurt Lewins 5 Force analysis applied to the Royal Mail (p. 14) Kotters 8 step plan applied to the Royal Mail (p. 15) Effectiveness of the Planned change in the Royal Mail (p. 16) Implications of failure (p. 16) Reference/Bibliography (p. 17-) Introduction The Royal Mail is part of the fabric of the country and the lives of the millions of people who use it every day. Uniquely it has the network of people and sorting offices spanning the country that can deliver to every household and business at one price, six days a week. But the future of this network is under threat as people increasingly switch to digital technology as their preferred way of communicating (Mandelson, 2009). Rollinson (2005) identified the term change refers to an organisation having to move from one situation to another, in the modern world being able to change can also be the dividing factor of an organisations failure or success, Beer and Nohria (2000) also identified that 70% of all change initiatives fail. Martinez et al (1997) identified five change objectives set out by Royal Mail in the 1980s as: privatization, modernization, commercialization, separation and automation, of these modernisation, which is the main focus of this report, automation and privatisation are still not finalised, thirteen years after this article was written. The Labour government has been pushing for privatisation of the Royal Mail for years ever since the Thatcher government, it believed the move would aid in financing part of the pension deficit and also make the company more competitive in this liberalised market, which was introduced in 2006. Lord Mandelson was pushing legislation up to 2009 in the hope of selling parts of the nationalised company (Hooper et al, 2008; Porter and Griffiths, 2008; Porter, 2009; Datamonitor, 2008). Hooper (2009) states that modernisations without privatisation would be very difficult due to the constant intervention from government, Private postal companies throughout the world have identified this constant intervention as the major factor in union disputes (Hooper et al, 2008). Resistance from the CWU on modernisation has been a constant topic as they believe that modernisation will bring about job losses, such resistance has especially been seen in the last two years by way of two massive strikes by postal workers (Poulter, 2009; Hooper et al, 2008). These strikes came at one of the worst times in UK history, a recession was in full force for the second in 2009, however after recording loses over many years the Royal Mail made a 4% profit in 2009 of  £184 million compared to 2008 figured of  £177 million, unfortunately this profit was overshadowed with the overall drop in group revenue due to a decline in mail volumes because of the downturn and a rise in digital media, this has led to a 5-7% yearly drop in sales since 2005, during this time staff were informed there would be pay freezes which inflamed already tense relations with the union (Royal Mail, 2009; Prince, 2009; Hooper et al, 2008). In 2000 the postal services act which governs the postal industry within the UK was introduced, the act provided for the Post Office to be converted to a PLC, set in place a new licensing system, gave the postal services commission (Postcomm) powers to protect the universal service, promote greater competition within the UK market and offer more protection to consumers with the introduction of Postwatch (Hooper et al, 2008). Main Findings Reasons for modernising the Royal Mail Hooper et al (2008) has stated for the Royal Mail to become competitive in this it must first become more efficient, in order to become more efficient it must modernise. It must be noted that even though the country is in a recession which had a major impact on the company, this was not a reason for the company to modernise (Hooper et al, 2008). There are eight reasons for modernisation of the Royal Mail listed below: Universal Postal Service (UPS): The main reason for change which the CWU also agreed upon is the survival of the UPS, which is the collection of mail six-days a week from 28 million homes and business across the UK, at prices which remain independent and set at a tariff no matter the distance up and covers five areas: up to 2kg for letters and packets (priority and non-priority), up to 20kg for parcels (non-priority), registered and insured service, international outbound services and offering services which support the security of mail (Hooper et al, 2008; POSTCOMM, 2010). Pricing: The introduction of a 5% weighted average increases by Royal Mail in 2007-2008 led to a reduction in revenues, sales volumes fell as customers increased their use of electronic media, business switched to competitors and there was an increased use of second class mail. It is known that the UK offers some of the lowest postal costs compared too many other European countries so increases are justify but the implementation must be able to offset lost revenue. As volumes fall due to digital media the better choice may be to implement price decreases instead to stimulate growth (Hooper et al, 2008). Pension deficit: This is one of the largest within the UK currently standing at  £4 billion; also until recently it was still possible to sign up for this pension. Figures in 2008 showed it had risen by  £2.5 billion since 2006 (75% increase). Due to the costs in paying the deficit, which is currently  £280 million per year and will continue for the next 15 years, competing within Europes liberalised market is made very difficult. The deficit is almost six times larger than the cash generated by Royal Mail making it a very volatile problem (Hooper et al, 2008). Improved efficiency: The Royal Mail is 40% less efficient compared to its competitors. Its network of mail centres and delivery offices have not been upgraded in years, Automation is severely inefficient with 70% of mail being sorted by machine compared to 95% in European companies, also all mail is hand delivered compared to 15% hand deliveries in Europe with walking sequence machines cover the remaining 85% (Hooper et al, 2008). Working practices: Certain working practices such as early finishes restrict Royal Mails efficiency to provide a better service, upon finishing rounds postal workers are eligible to return home no matter how early, they can also claim overtime on extra hours worked to finish a round or can decide to simply not finishing the round. Covering for absence only when receiving overtime, not using equipment at the instruction of the CWU and demarcation, employees refusing to work in other areas of the same site (Hooper et al, 2008). New technology: The volume of mail sent has been on a decline even since 2005, this is due to the rising use of digital media, this is being felt across the world with the UK showing one of the highest fall off figures, -3.2% in 2006-2007, however the internet also provides opportunities by way of the online shopping market as home deliveries have jumped in recent years making this a highly profitable market, also the Royal Mails use of machines to sort letters covers 70% while the some of the leading European companies are hitting 95% (Hooper et al, 2008; Warner, 2009). Competition: 2006 saw the Royal Mail lose its 350 year monopoly on the UK postal market, going forward any licensed operator can deliver mail to residential and business customers in the liberalised market of which Royal Mail controls 99% , although the Royal Mail still is required to provide a universal postal service (BBC, 2005), research conducted by Lawson (2010) indicates that the national operators in countries such as Germany and Sweden continued to hold onto the majority share of the market years after it became liberalised. Electronic media such as email is also a threat to the company as it become more popular. Transportation net working costs: The rising costs of fuel is having a hugely negative impact on the Royal Mail, employees uses over 30,000 vehicles to deliver mail (Hooper et al, 2008), the Royal Mail (2008) has identified a loss in revenue due to higher costs of fuel. However, Attwood (2010) states the Royal Mail is set to trial new Ford Transit vans powered by hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines in an effort to reduce fuel costs, plus they are also environmentally friendly as they only emit water vapour. How change was planned in the Royal Mail Planned change was a term first coined by Kurt Lewin to distinguish change that was consciously embarked upon and planned by an organisation, as averse to types of change that might come about by accident, by impulse or that might be forced on an organisation (Burnes, 2004). Hooper et al (2008) had reported that the universal postal service cannot continue under present policies, problem areas have been identified as the pension deficit, performance and relations between the Royal Mail, unions and the regulator. The BERR report of 2009 includes recommendation made by the Modernise or Decline report compiled by Hooper et al (2008), in which it identifies three main areas for the Postal Services Bill to address: Regulation: Transferring responsibility of regulation which Postcomm currently holds to Ofcom, providing for future financial support for the UPS, extending competition law powers to the postal market and providing for a new access regime (BERR, 2009). Pensions: Provide powers to establish a new government scheme, rights to move members to the new scheme, amend the existing scheme, set out a new division for Post Office Ltd employees and the ability to transfer assets from the scheme to government (BERR, 2009). Partnership: Royal Mail companies providing the UPS will remain in the public sector, part- privatisation of the Royal Mail, Hooper et al (2008) has identifies this as being a necessity if the company is to achieve modernisation and additional legislation being obligatory for a Government to sell more than a minority stake in the company (BERR, 2009). Planned change is more related to the Royal Mail compared to Emergent change as it involves strategically thought-out and planned objectives/goals, which are used to change the environment of an organisation, whereas emergent change is unpredictable and dynamic, does not work off plans compared to planned change and is continuous (Burnes, 2004) Although these changes were planned and most were implemented in the 2010 National Agreement, part-privatisation of the Royal Mail received alot of criticism from other party members and the CWU. due to the currently climate Peter Mandelson admitted he was unable to find a suitable candidate for the investment so ended the proposed privatisation plans from the postal services bill (Wintour and Webb, 2009). To fully understand planned change it is necessary to look at the works of Kurt Lewin who is regarded as being the father of planned change, he believed that only through learning and the understanding of the environment in which an individual is based, could a resolution to social conflicts be achieved and improved. Lewin developed four methods which were necessary in reaching planned change; three-step model, field theory, group dynamics and action research (Burnes, 2004). The Three-Step model: This is praised as being Lewins contribution to the study of organisational change, although the three-step model was not intended to stand alone but be part of his over-all Planned approach to change, which also included the field theory, group dynamics and action research (Burnes, 2004). The three step model is based on Lewins belief that successful change is brought about by using three steps moving from one fixed state (Unfreezing) through an advanced shift (Moving), to another fixed state (Refreezing). Unfreezing involves the creation of the right conditions in which change can occur, people create a sense of familiarity with their surroundings and any change no matter how minor will cause resistance (Burnes, 2004). The goal is to move a person to a change ready/unfrozen state. This was accomplished between the Royal Mail and the CWU through the 2010 National Agreement in which both parties, after years of bitter disputes have agreed to improve their relationship for the better of the company, employees and customers (Burnes, 2004; National Agreement, 2010). Burnes (2004) identifies the next stage in Lewins model as Moving, which he describes as being on a journey taking people to the Unfrozen state, old ways are in the past and the new are in the development stage of being implemented, it is here that support should be given to employees to assist with the changes being introduced (Burnes, 2004). The Royal Mail is in the Moving stage of the 2010 National Agreement as they try to implement new modern and efficient changes to the company by way of automation, technology and industrial relationships. This will take time to fully execute, Lewins model states that without reinforcement change is short lived, both sides must begin to agree soon on the changes otherwise relationships will begin to break down once again (Burnes, 2004; National Agreement, 2010). Refreeze is the final step in which the environment is stabilised, its sometimes difficult to separate from moving, many organisations dont fully implement the whole extent of the change as another form of change is usually on the rise. This stage cannot be evaluated as the 2010 National Agreement between the Royal Mail and the CWU is still being implemented at this time (Burnes, 2004; National Agreement, 2010). Types of change Due to outside influences driving change organisations are forced to keep up to speed, if change is required the appropriate changes are implements to reflect these external environmental factors in a timely and smoothly manner so to avoid putting added pressure on the company (Price, 2009). Grundy stated that many managers viewed change as being the same whilst others viewed it as having a negative impact, he identified three types of change as smooth and incremental, bumpy incremental and discontinuous, the Royal Mail uses none of these types (Senior, 2002; Price, 2009). Incremental change Continuous Change Punctuated Equilibrium Burnes (2004) identifies two other type of change as continuous transformation, which identifies the need for regular dramatic adjustments in organisations change like regular training of staff, and punctuated equilibrium, this recognises that change can occur at erratic and explosive periods of time (Senior, 2002; Price, 2009). Punctuated equilibrium is the type of change more associated with the Royal Mail, one outlining factor is the company has not changed in many years but in 2010 reached a groundbreaking agreement with the CWU for implementation for such things as a 6.9% pay rise plus working hours reduced to 39 (Hooley et al, 2008; National Agreement, 2010). Resistance to change in the Royal Mail Resistance doesnt necessarily surface in standardised ways. Resistance can be overt, implicit, immediate, or deferred. It is easiest for management to deal with resistance with it is overt or immediate. The greater challenge is managing resistance that is implicit or deferred (Robbins, 2001) Burnes (2004) identified resistance to change as the obstacles created by others to stop change; some forces will be more resistant than others such as the actions taken when people feel change to be a threatening factor, such as the modernisations planned by the Royal Mail, this has received huge resistance from employees and their union through planned strikes throughout the last two years, as they perceived the modernisation process would reduce staff numbers. The report identifies four main forces against the change process at the Royal Mail: Union resistance: The CWU also known as the Communications Workers Union is the largest union for the communications industry in the UK; it has 250,000 members most of which are Royal Mail employees, and was formed in 1995 (CWU, 2010). The sheer size of union makes it a very powerful force to be reckoned with, its also well documented throughout the years that the CWU and management at Royal Mail have very different views on what is best for the company, resulting in strikes against the modernised plan proposed by the Royal Mail, this was because the CWU felt its members were at risk from new technological advancements that they felt would result in staff numbers being reduced (Hooper et al, 2008). This could also be a result of the CWU using this tactic as a means of living up to a unions reputation with Warner (2009) adding that the chronic union militancy that once characterised shipbuilding, steel, car making and coal industries lives on in Royal Mail. Management and employee relations is poor: There is a long history of poor industrial relations between the Royal Mail management and CWU which continues to this day, this has impacted severely on the company to the extent that it has prevented the Royal Mail from modernising and expanding which has led to a high level of inefficiency (Hooper et al, 2008). However, with the introduction of the Business Transformation 2010 and beyond agreement Both parties agree that central to success is the need to fundamentally transform relationships and quickly build a culture of mutual interest between managers, union and employees. Reluctance in staff to use new technology: Staff in the Royal Mail believes that through the use of new technology certain position within the company will become redundant, and due to advice from the CWU they have refused to use this modern machinery which would aid in the efficiency of the Royal Mail (Hooper et al, 2008). Employees disliking the modernisation plan: Adam Crozier who was the chief executive of Royal Mail from 2003 to 2010 is quoted as saying: Change is difficult for everyone, but Royal Mail has no alternative but to change and modernise if it is to compete in todays highly competitive communications market. This is against the wave of criticism from employees and unions against the proposed modernisation plan due to uncertainty felt for their position (Thomas, 2009). Management at Royal Mail have declared that the plan is already seeing results with operating profits up  £7 million in 2009 compared to the year previous, however employees and the CWU have stated that they believe they deserve to be rewarded for the success they have brought to this change process, which has delivered a 4% increase in half-year profits. A pay freeze is no way to thank staff who have seen colleagues leave and workloads rise (Thomas, 2009). This pay freeze was proposed due to the recession in a bid to counter its affects; it only resulted in already strained industrial relations becoming more intense (Prince, 2009). A gradual introduction of more work due to reduced staff numbers would have been a better plan when engaging with staff. Kurt Lewins 5 Force Field Analyses This analysis by Lewin was developed in the 1960s, its based on the assumption that when the need for change arises there will be forces for and against change; the theory states that when two forces are equal change can only happen if the force for change is strengthened and the force against change weakened (Senior and Fleming, 2006). The forces for and against change within the Royal Mail Group are listed below: Driving Forces: Restraining forces: Universal service Pricing Pension deficit Improved efficiency Working practices New technology Competition Transportation net working costs Modernisation process Union resistance Management and employee relations is poor Reluctance in staff to use new technology Employees disliking the modernisation plan The restraining force of staff reluctance to use new technology is in direct contrast to the driving force of new technology, the driving force of new technology can only be accomplished if the restraining force to use new technology is weakened. This was accomplished with the introduction of the Business Transformation 2010 and Beyond agreement which states, Royal Mails investment in new equipment and technology is a fundamental part of transforming the operation, this was accomplished by introducing new ways of working, including workload measurement, compliance to standard, engineering team coach, maintenance of equipment outside of the mail centre and technical operators (National Agreement, 2010). A new development plan for training and professional development plus apprenticeships in line with standards applying to Engineers based at HWDC. This was agreed by CWU which meant the restraining force was weakened so the driving force for new technology was strengthened and is in the process of being implemented (National Agreement, 2010). Kotters Eight-Step Plan Burnes (2004) identified that in order for change to be successful all of the eight stages in Kotters plan must be completed in sequence, any deviation from these steps will result in problems for the organisation. The Royal Mail did manage to achieve some steps but many more have still to come as the company finally embraces modernisation. Step 1 Create urgency: May 1997, deciding that modernisation was required, March 2010, finally implementing it. Step 2 Form coalition: Management and unions agreeing to work on a modernisation plan. Step 3 Create new visions discussions on the Business Transformation 2010. Step 4 Communicate the vision (Unfreezing): Introduction of the Business Transformation 2010. Step 5 Empower others Step 6 Reward wins (Movement) Step 7 Consolidate improvements Step 8 Reinforce the change (Refreezing) Effectiveness of the Planned change in the Royal Mail With the introduction of the Business Transformation 2010 it gives hope to the belief that harmony has finally been reached between the Royal Mail, CWU and employees. Adam Crozier, commented: This agreement is good for the business as it allows Royal Mail to get on with its modernisation, its a good and fair deal for our people, and its a good deal for our customers as it ensures stability over the next three years (ICM, 2010). The main points of the agreement will be the introduction of a 39 hour working week, 6.9% pay rise, more job security for employees, CWU to be involved in all change matters going-forward, and the Royal Mail to remain a 75% full-time industry (CWU, 2010). These changes have been agreed on the basis that employees will embrace the Royal Mails  £2 billion modernisation plan which includes the introduction of new automated machinery and delivery equipment (ICM, 2010). Dave Ward, CWU Deputy General Secretary, said: Its been a long time coming, but this deal delivers on the major issues which postal workers have fought for. Theres a balance of pay and operational changes which will help offset job losses and ensure our members are fairly rewarded for change. Both sides seem to be in agreement for the first time is years that modernisation is the way forward for the Royal Mail, but has this planned change been implemented too late, will the refusal of employees to let modernisation be implemented sooner be the downfall of the Royal Mail, rival companies such as Deutsche Post and TNT have still managed to make substantial profits even with the added downturn in the postal market due to the recession and the explosion of the digital era (BERR, 2009). There is also the added concern of the pension deficit which stands at  £4 billion, one of the largest in the UK, which the Royal Mail is required to make contribution into every year. It begs the question of how can a company who has such a huge cost output every year make proper investments into the future and still manage to return a profit (BERR, 2009), and will these investment in new technology and automation bring the rewards that Royal Mail believes it will, even with many people moving to digital media (BERR, 2009). Implications of failure The universal postal service is important. The ability to deliver items to all 28 million business and residential addresses in the UK is part of our economic and social glue (Hooper et al, 2008). As agreements listed in the Business Transformation 2010 for the organization have finally been reached, the implication for failure for the Royal Mail would be the loss of the universal postal service. It has been mentioned many times in this report the importance of the UPS to the UK and its people, also the loss of a public service that so many have fought to keep in the public domain, against recommendations made by the Hopper et al (2008) and BERR (2009) reports to part privatise the company. Without modernisation eventually the Royal Mail will decline taking with it masses amounts of tax payers money that was used to keep the company afloat, leaving many unemployed which would be a tragedy for the UK who are still suffering the effects of a world-wide economic recession.