Friday, November 29, 2019

Virgin Group Marketing Performance

Introduction This paper presents a research project about Virgin Group. Richard Branson laid the foundation for the organization. It expanded from a small business venture publishing magazines to the present diversified international investment. The path to success involved intense research and formulation of strategic plans. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Virgin Group Marketing Performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Under organizational plan, the research project will enumerate on how research and development brought about existence of Virgin Group. Its system of management is decentralized which then empowers individuals to share ideas, values and experiences for the common good. The essay will further discuss marketing strategy of 4Ps as utilized in Virgin Group. Background of Virgin Group Development of the business started with Richard Branson when he was a student at a boarding school. Bran son was motivated by the success of his magazine which was published in 1968. He therefore quit school to conduct magazine business. Branson later undertook advertisement of mail order records on student magazine. Entry into joint ventures accelerated the rate of expansion and differentiation. The business name ‘Virgin’ was suggested by Branson’s business associate who thought that the business possessed some commercial purity, originality and high value. In 1985, Richard Branson looked into the possibility of expanding the capital base of the business by way of an initial public offer. Subsequently, 35 % of the company’s equity was listed on the London stock market. From 1990 – 2001 Virgin groups expanded intensely after Branson entered into joint ventures with other business including one of the leading Japanese retailers, Marui. There were opportunities which favored the new ventures. One of them was ‘privatization and deregulation in Brit ain’, Ansoff, (113). This is apparent in its successful bids for west Coast rail and Cross country services which resulted in Virgin rail. Deregulation is obvious in acquisition of Euro Belgian Airlines that was re-launched as Virgin Express. ‘Virgin group also expanded due to the possibility of selling goods and services directly to the consumers’ Branson (11). Richard took up this opportunity to searching for innovative business contract with its customers. On a higher scale, Virgin Group saw tremendous change from the explosion of information communication technology and media such that a joint venture between telephone operator NTl and virgin was sealed (Branson, 16). By the year 2004, virgin group of companies had expanded to over 200 ventures with its core on travel business, mobile, monetary, vend music and internet.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF L earn More Organization of virgin group The investment has continually registered success derived from the concept of team spirit. Virgin aims at bringing about difference in their area of operation starting from transport to retail business. It utilizes forward planning criteria which have assisted management in setting objectives for the diversified business investment. Decision makers in Virgin Group integrate both risks and research and development in their planning process. Most of the business venture entered into by Virgin involved extensive research and in-depth analysis. The way to success for Richard captured an aspect of risk-taking with a sole intent to win innovations in the market place (Allen, 21). This also went a long way in pleasing the target customer through product improvement and differentiation. The company does not distinguish bureaucracy in its management hence flow of information is free and originates from a diversified spring. This decentralized system of management allows sharing of ambitions, concerns and even expertise. Solving a problem is fast and easy if teamwork is built in employees. Performance of virgin group Virgin Group has expanded to more than 200 companies in thirty countries. Its revenues exceeded  £11 billion with an approximately number of employees being 50,000 people in 29 countries. Richard Branson who controls the company announced that profits were an approxiamately GBP 68.4 pound which is an increment from the previous year’s earnings. This was attributed to its diversified business venture and the launching of airlines between Australian and Tokyo in Japan. The profits contrast sharply with pre tax loss made by the British Airlines. Group’s sales level for the year ended 2009 increased to 2.579 billion pounds up from the previous year. This figure included sales from virgin holiday. The profits was an outcome of new polices regarding premium travel and enhanced services in the travel sect or which subsequently attracted about 5.77m passengers for the ended 2009. Alliance between Virgin Atlantic and Regus group in May 2009 benefitted flyer program. If global recession is brought under control, it is most likely that Virgin Group will generate more sales and profits.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Virgin Group Marketing Performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Marketing Organizations struggle to capture new customers and preserve old once in a competitive environment. This is among the aims of forming marketing strategy for a business i.e. to be competitive in the globalised world (Wright, 12). While recognizing the fact that Virgin Group is an international company with customers located in various countries, consumer based approach to marketing is utilized. The company conducts research about customer preferences on a continuous basis. This allows them to avail products which are m ore preferred by the customer. They can further improve their services after evaluating feedback from the customer. Virgin integrates the following dimensions in marketing their product and services: product, position, price and promotion (Mohan, 42). The virgin Brand The strength of Virgin brand found application in many businesses including airline, Virgin Media, financial sectors, motor vehicle industry, train services and even telecommunication industry (Wright, 13). The brand values pleasure, value for money, superiority of the product, improvement, aggressive challenge and excellent customer service. It despises incompetence, simplicity, and disregard to customer care. Virgin group gives licenses to its subsidiary business units but for the case of Virgin mobile in Australia owned by Singtel Optus, the arrangement was a simple agreement for license. Virgin Management Limited is part of Virgin’s Group shareholder that manages the interest of Richard Brandon. VML also ac ts as a service sector providing recommendations and management services to companies in Virgin Group. Any investment decisions are channeled through Virgin Management limited before executing them. Products Sectors in Virgin Group offer competitive products and services. The travel sector provides Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Travel. There are also Virgin books which publish and distribute books with other stationeries. Virgin holiday is characterized by the ability of the customer to book a holiday and fly Atlantic. Other products available to the customer are the independent recording label V2 music and fitness clubs located throughout UK. Pricing strategy Pricing strategy employed by Virgin group is highly sensitive to the demand and affordability of the customer. An example in the travel sector is Virgin Atlantic which offers a variety of six price level for the customer to choose from. Their objective is to ensure that customers get value for what they spend. It is essential to note that customers are ready to expend their money if the level of satisfaction is greater especially in Britain where standards of living are high (Chekitan, 10). This is the reason why Virgin Group offers competitive products and services. Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Group bases its pricing strategy on factors which affect the global market. Examples of these externalities include: inflation, interest rates, political instability, recent global recession and natural disaster i.e. volcanic eruption. Richard developed ‘premium-tization’ an aspect which brings about division of market. The trend forces consumers to demand quality product at a higher price level. Place (Market segmentation) This signifies a location area where a product meets the consumer. Segmentation as utilized by virgin group is an important element where leadership in the market is still in its development stages. There has been tendency by the organization to establish itself well especially in its best and specialty sectors. Some of the strong holds of the company are: the transport sector i.e. airline subsector, newly established mobile stores in Europe and United States (Bower, 21). Rapid expansion of distribution network and development in airline industry is a trend towards achieving customer satisfaction. In addition to market segmentation, virgin group is capitalizing on the new world order of e-commerce. The company can now deliver products and services to its clients at any position in the globe within the shortest time possible via electronic purchase and physical delivery using cargo planes. Virgin is always in the forefront following its ability to implement actions within a recommended time frame. Promotion To reach intended customers, advertising and other aspects of promotion must be employed as a marketing strategy (Kotler, 39). Various channels of communication are exploited with an objective of conveying relevant information about a product or a service to potential customers. Any successful advertisement brings about increased sales and ultimately more revenue to the market. Promotion plays a vital role in growth of Virgin Group by a system of taking information about their product and service to the proximity of the customer (Anon, 15). Internet advertisement regarding quality services offered by Virgin Trains and Atlantic is advantageous to customers since it helps them in making choices before booking. Discounts given on advanced booking and favorable deal to those travelling in group is an incentive to customers. Websites for these transport sectors are very efficient such that it has received an ‘A’ and ‘AA’ rating by the WCAG (Bower, 15). Access to the website is fast enough to guarantee immediate dissemination of information. This is one of the best criteria to expose a product to its customers. Success of virgin is credited to the whole workforce whose talents are challenged constantly by the ever changing consumer environment. Absence of bureaucracy in Virgin Group givens people an opportunity to share their skills, values, ideas and expertise in a positive manner. According to (Koichi, 52), a performing organization is most likely to receive both media and cus tomer’s attention. Recommendations After a profound analysis of marketing strategy engaged by Virgin Group, it is prudent to consider a variety of strategy options available to the management. The management may rethink integrating in the planning process both inside and outside environment of the companies. This means that management must review social, political and demographic descriptions affecting directly or indirectly running of the business. These external variables are critical in developing internal strength i.e. customer experience, technological progress, channel bonding, and market sensing. Highly globalised company has to consider centralizing its management so that information flow along the bureaucratic channel is retained. A centralized management as well means that a person who is given certain responsibilities must be answerable to a member at a higher rank. This will measure performance level of an individual in an office and consequently take control of its resources. Although virgin group values its customers, they must focus on building customer experience centers in their different locations. Apart from giving personalized service to their customers, the center will be mandated to supply the management with data regarding customers’ preferences. Such data is valuable when introducing a new product which will need to penetrate the market fast. Conclusion This paper offered a vivid explanation of the Virgin Group. Richard Branson orchestrated the inception of the firm after succeeding in his magazine venture. The business expanded from one business venture into a collection of more than 200 sectors in 20 countries. As detailed in the literature, profits of the group are always on the increase with a record of more than 68.4 billion pounds in the year ended May, 2009. Cumulatively, sales level reached a value of 2.579m while Virgin Atlantic registered a passenger rate of 5.77m during the financial yea r2009. The success of virgin group is attributed to high regard placed on customers in addition to marketing strategy employed. The paper is very clear on pricing, positioning, product and promotion strategy of the firm. As a policy recommendation virgin group should centralize the role of management in order to take a full control over its resources and also instill in individuals a sense of responsibility. Works Cited Allen, Katie. â€Å"Branson sells Virgin Megastores†. The Guardian Newspaper 17 Sept. 2007: 20-21. Anon, Philips. â€Å"Virgin to close its West End make-up store†. London Evening Standard Newspaper , 1 Feb. 2000: 15-20. Ansoff, Igor. Strategies for Diversification. Harvard Business Review, 35.5 (2001): 113- 124. Bower, Tom. Branson. 4th Estate: Limited publishers, 2001. Branson, Richard. Losing My Virginity. London: Virgin Books Limited, 2002. Chekitan, Dev, and Schultz, Don. â€Å"In the Mix: A Customer-Focused Approach Can Bring the Current Marketing Mix into the 21st C entury†. Marketing Management 14 .1 (2005): 10-20. Koichi, Shimizu. â€Å"Advertising Theory and Strategies†. Tokyo: Souseisha Book Company, 2009. Kotler, Philips, and Keller, Kevin. â€Å"1â€Å". A Framework for Marketing Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. Mohan, Ramesh. International Marketing. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2005. Wright, Robins. â€Å"Branson urges  £1bn rail spend†. Financial times 20 May. 2009: 12-15. This research paper on Virgin Group Marketing Performance was written and submitted by user Rylen S. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Asian Indians in America essays

Asian Indians in America essays Their struggle as immigrant minority and major contributions to the American society Asian Indians come from an area with the second largest population in the world, but form only one of the smallest minorities in the United States. America was influenced by their religious and political beliefs long before the first immigrants arrived in the 19th century. The congressional act of 1947 granted them citizenship. Now, Asian Indians hold many important occupations (students, teachers, writers, musicians, scientists). Their most important contributions are geared toward engineering and the sciences. India was in a great shape up until the end of 19th century. When British arrived, the country was depleted of its wealth and resources. The poor had no choice but to come to the United States (The Land of the Free and the Land of Opportunity). The United States, due to the abundance of jobs and scarcity of labor, became a Mecca for immigrants from all over the world. The United States, in the nineteenth century, remained a strong magnet to immigrants, with offers of jobs and land for farms. Asians and Italians came for work, Russians came to escape persecution, and Jews came for religious freedom. Immigrants from all over the world including Europe, China, and Japan wanted to experience the freedom of improving your life and being able to take care for ones family. East Indians represented a big group that wanted to take part in American culture. The large majorities from India were Punjabis, from a region called the Punjab. Most of these immigrants were young men, between 16 and 35 years old. They left their families in India, and came here in small groups of cousins and village neighbors. Thus, the family and community ties remained very strong. They had several reasons to come to America. They were repressed by the British rule and had no land to farm on. To make matters worse, famine dev...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Islamic art and architecture from the seventh to the thirteenth Essay

Islamic art and architecture from the seventh to the thirteenth century - Essay Example Islam’s influence and presence in Spain dates back to the 9th century, when Muslims emigrated to the west. In 1492, most Muslims were expelled and the few who managed to stay back publicly proclaimed Catholicism to avoid expulsion. (Spain, Demographics, Euro-Islam info. Country profiles, euro-islam.info/pages/spain.html) The powerful Muslim armies in their quest for expansion began invading countries that stretched from the Western borders of India, across Persia and Northern Africa, to Spain and Southern France. In order to establish their faith in these countries, they constructed Mosques and prayer halls of architectural brilliance. They remained for 800 years in Europe until in 1492 Ferdinand and Isabella over-rode them. During their reign, the Muslims perceived the need to establish artistically styled monuments to help expand their faith and compete with other religions. Their success in this endeavor led to the presence of today’s remarkable Arts & Architectures (The development of Islamic art: Graeco-Roman, Lesson 5 Art part: Islamic art, www.dartmouth.edu) 2.0 Executive Summary Art was predominant during the 7th to 13th century Europe. With the arrival of the Muslims, art was not just artistic, but it was purposeful as well. However, not all Islamic art had a specific religious purpose, unique to the Islamic faith. One of the most distinguishing features of Islamic art is the absence of an image of religious context. Idolatry is considered a grave sin. It is believed that any form of human worship is profane to the idea of Allah as the only God. This clearly distinguishes Islamic art from Christian and/or other religious arts. In architecture, painting, and carpet-weaving, Muslims limit their portrayals of humans or animals. To Muslims, decoration meant use of calligraphy, flowers and leaves. Geometrical and floral patterns also adorned Islamic art and architecture (The Islamic World to 1600, www.ucalgary.ca)3. This research paper will strive to identify the influences and brilliance of different Muslim art and architectural in Spain, and its impact on non-Muslim Spanish people. The paper also looks at the various centers of art in Spain. 3.0 Islamic Art and Architecture With the use of colors and balance between design and form, Islamic art creates a visual impact. Such is its artistic appeal that it transcends distance in time and space, as well as differences in language, culture, and creed. Islamic art not only invites a closer look but also beckons the viewer to learn more. Spain, along with other European countries like France, Germany, and Austria became targets for Muslim expansionism. The army brought with them their cultural and spiritual ideology. Their most important building was the mosque, followed by the royal palace. Early mosques were square in shape. Gradually with expansion in size and strength, this requirement led to larger and more elaborate prayer halls. In the late 8th century, Spain saw the construction of the Mosque of Cordoba, with a courtyard in the centre, roofed arcades, and minarets; towers that extend vertically. This mosque had a spacious hall to accommodate more worshippers, a definite move to encourage more and more worshippers and spread Islam. They were built solid to withstand external influences, a contrast to their palaces, which were built from unbaked bricks and/or plaster. The Muslim rulers were not too keen on permanent structures, preferring to abandon them later. The purpose to spread their religion led them to construct significant architectural marvels that would leave a lasting impression on the people. A few of these are mentioned herein:

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Review of Selected Journal Papers and Online Material Essay

Review of Selected Journal Papers and Online Material - Essay Example Statisctics across the globe indicate an increase in emissions in the European Union between the years 1990-2006. The authors argue that though efforts have been made in increasing fuel efficiency, the emissions from the transport sector still pose a challenge. The article presents literature evidence on the positive impact of compact cities in mitigating emissions. The main argument of the article is that compact cities reduce the overall commuting length. The authors raise an argument concerning suitable policies that would make the positive effect last. They argue that though compacting cities reduce environmental pollution from the transport sector perspective, it may have a counter effect. People and firms may need to relocate due to the effect on wages and household rents. The authors of the article seek to establish the best policy tradeoff that would arrive at an appropriate population density that allows the environmental impact skew to the beneficial side (Gaigne, Riou, Thi sse, 2012, p. 1425). Stone, Hess and Frumkin (2010, p. 1425) do not support the opinion presented by Gaigne et al. In their article, they argue that the city form has a profound effect on the climate. Compact cities can encourage climate related fatalities. They raise the issue of Extreme Heat Events, a phenomenon that involves the rise of temperatures in the cities by a magnitude of up to 100C compared to surrounding countryside. Compact cities call for building configurations that aid in absorbing and trapping heat. Low-density land use and sprawling over expansive areas have a spillover effect due to the increasing distance. This is in agreement with Gaigne et al. Walters and Ewing (2009, p. 196) observed that vehicle and fuel technology were not sufficient in cutting the carbon dioxide emissions. Becky and Chow (2011, p. 552) also observed that reducing the vehicle miles could have a positive impact on reducing emissions. The two articles support the role compact cities would ha ve on reducing use of vehicles. Congestion in compact cities discourages people from using their own means of transport, thus cutting on the emissions. Congestion in the compact cities is a limiting factor. In addition to traffic congestion and air pollution, urban transport affects the climate (Creutzig & He, 2009, p. 120). Williams, Joynt and Hopkins (2010, p. 105) raise a concern that urban areas under consideration of compacting are not well adapted to deal with anticipated changes. Boussauw, Neutens and Witlox (2012, p. 687) argue that compact cities are beneficial in reducing commuter distance for employees and residents. This has a corresponding positive effect on reducing emissions. This view corresponds to Hamin and Gurran (2009, p. 238). They, however, recognize loopholes for possible policy conflicts arising from local contributions of such mitigation to climate change. Jensen, Christensen, & Gram-Hanssen, (2011, p.1) argue that the benefits that can be accrued from a com pact city setting are ambiguous. This is in agreement with Gaigne et al who view the benefits as a tradeoff. In another article, Nygard, Cao, Csordas, Larssen, Liu, Strand and Zhang (2012, p. 438) argue that Chinese cities have succeeded in bringing down emissions. This accrues from the congestion that discourages people from driving. Such a model can be replicated to other cities of the world. Mueller and Steiner (2011, p. 94) emphasize the need to exercise equity in formulation of policies for compact cities. They argue that

Monday, November 18, 2019

Dunnings eclectic Principle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dunnings eclectic Principle - Essay Example The given three principles have been taken from various theoretical approaches; hence John Dunning labeled his approach as ‘eclectic’. It was Dunning who in the year 1980 which was given in Dickens in the year 1992 that any company would like to get itself engaged in the production arena internationally if the following three conditions are present. (Dicken p.109)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Every company possesses few specific advantages which if not in possession by any competing companies belonging from other nationalities where the advantage should be owner-specific in nature. (Dicken p.109)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. These kind of advantages are mostly exploited by certain companies itself rather than leasing or selling them to different companies. Citing it in different words, every company tries to internationalize the nature of ownership-specific advantages; and(Dicken p.109)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. it is more profitable for every company in exploiting the assets in international market other than doing it in domestic areas. It is true that factors like location-specific plays an important role with internationalization of the very nature of owner-specific while determining whether and where the overseas production takes place. (Dicken p.109)      Ã‚  The Advantage of ownership-specific is an asset which is internal to the company itself. In this case knowledge of specific type, human skill or organization and all these do require proprietary right for its use, like any right which is legally protected. (Dicken p.109) Extent and pattern of the internationalization its value-chain operations abroad: Calypso Rose when she was 29 became renowned in the business of accessories and bags. This particular business is now six years now and it is aiming at young women and teenage girl. This is a age of globalization and in this time it is necessary to make the business global. Clippy bags are the brand name and have gained recognition. They have kept this thing in account that global expansion strategy is in needful of the present hour. Presently the business surrounds the Japan and European market. (GLE Group pp. 1-3) Calypso Rose the tycoon business woman has been successfully running the business since the age of 23. The particular brand name ‘Clippy’ now has been successful in carryimg out international venture in different markets thereby gaining the company to strengthen its fundamental base in UK. They could do so by taking the help from the team of London International of UK Investment and trade. (GLE Group pp. 1-3) The brand Clippy brand has established a good stronghold in UK market before they were recognized internationally in the year 2007 by London International Trade Adviser, Gail Williams. the advice given by Gail Williams in the strategic area was useful in the early stages of the company especially in the export journey which helped the company to bring f orth the brand Clippy in the international market. During the time of recession in the year 2008, Calypso in a very intelligent manner expanded and modified her business for survival in this weird market. (GLE Group pp. 1-3) Utilization of certain schemes, by Calypso, likes the Trade Access Program (TAP) and Passport for Export so that their product can be put up on international base. In addition, the assistance from an international adviser on trade has helped Clippy a lot in formalizing the export strategy for targeting the markets of Europe. The funding which the company received from TAP helped them in exhibiting in the European market. During this period Calypso met her European distributor. Being a small company it believed in cash flow so funding became invaluable. With the success, which it got initially, helped the compan

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Dominos History and Analysis

Dominos History and Analysis History of Dominos Dominos Pizza was brought to America by Italian immigrants in the 1800s and it grew in popularity as a pie of choice and rose to popularity hence necessitating the nee for Dominos chain to be created. The companys business model was its reliance on delivery (which was set at 30 minutes) and a focus on efficient and streamlined processes of taking pizza orders, preparing them and delivering them to consumers. With Dominos success on its pizza delivery time the company it appeared as though the company substituted quality service for quality product hence the decline in Dominos shares. Dominos crisis. With the success of Dominos, customers where also demanding more from their pizza maker, they wanted better tasting pizza that had flavour. From the material provided, it is evident that Dominos became comfortable in their position to recognized as the leader in Pizza delivery and did not carry out any market research in other to find ways to improve their product and guarantee customer satisfaction. Marketing research generally comprises of a product research in terms of market need that a business wants to satisfy as well as the size and characteristics of the market (new or old) by identifying consumer preferences and buying behavior. Another reason for the Dominos Crisis was that the 30 minutes delivery time was not uniform for every Dominos outlet. Depending on how big a Dominos shop service area was the 30 minutes delivery time worked perfectly, but where the area is large and considering other factors the timing was different. Attribute analysis Attribute analysis is the process of breaking down a problem, idea, or thing into component parts and then thinking about the attributes of the problem rather than the thing itself by taking into consideration the crucial aspects of a companys business model and turning it around (IAF, 2009). What this means is that with rising customer dissatisfaction which is evident not only through surveys, feedbacks and word of mouth. There was the need for the Pizza turnaround programme because as at 2009 Dominos quarter revenue had dropped by 6.5% and as such there was the need for a massive overhaul of the companies financial and operational parameters. What was considered in this regard is how great pizza could be made while still maintaining the unique selling point which was the timing (30 minutes delivery time). Attribute analysis was used by simply identifying key problems that had been collated through customers feedback. This feedback was put together and to ensure customer loyalty product was improved and this improvement saw a 65% increase in repeat purchase by customers (Worldwide 2017). By meeting the challenges head on the turn around team did a road show with their franchises introducing the new and improved pizza as well as carried out blind test road show. From the road show a number of customers preferred the new taste. The success of any new initiative by an organization is highly dependant on the involvement of every member of the team directly involved in the product. Attribute analysis helped Dominos identify specific areas that needed improvement and then the next step was to inform senior management team of the negative feedback they had received from customers and management team saw the need to immediately turn around their pizza operations. In general, this case points to the fact that for any brand to successfully transform itself to one capable of competing for customers with the competition, creating a strong position for future growth is reliant on customer feedback, continued effort to improve product offering and in taking feedbacks and customer suggestions seriously. Concept testing approaches in my opinion created an opportunity for customers to be aware of the various efforts been made by Dominos to satisfy them through new and improved products. This no doubt helped Dominos grow and position itself favourably in the hearts of its customers. References Australian food News, February 2015. Dominos attributes record profits to innovations and new initiatives. Retrieved from: http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2015/02/11/dominos-attributes-record-profits-to-innovations-and-new-initiatives.html. Accessed 13 January 2017. IAF methods database. October 2009. Attribute analysis. Retrieved from: http://www.iaf-methods.org/node/11163. Accessed 13 January 2017. Worldwide.com. February 2017. How Dominos repositioned itself from pizza delivery to mealtime solution. Retrieved from: http://iris-worldwide.com/news/how-dominos-repositioned-itself-from-pizza-delivery-to-mealtime-solution/. Accessed 13 January 2017.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Hannibal :: essays research papers

Hannibal: Smokin' Is Voluntary/Two Parties My ASS!/Other Random Stuff **Disclaimer: The hate on this page is omni-directional, and you will most likely be offended. I usually update and add to the content when I'm pissed, so don't get your fucking panties in a bunch if you hear something that you disagree with or is insulting. And if you do, you fuckin' suck cocks and should never use the internet, which is filled with free speech and opposing opinions. Fuck off asshole.** Goddamn, if I hear or see another add, public service anouncement, or other jerk off on TV telling me how legal, private, cigarette companies are responsible for people starting and continuing to smoke, I'm going to load my rifle, sit in front of a mirror, and see what it would look like to paint a room with my brains!!! Smoking is fucking voluntary! If you think it's wrong, if you think it shortens your lifespan, or has any other effect other than the ones that we already know fuck you up, don't do it!!!! Son of a bitch, don't scapegoat a seller/producer of a legal and overly regulated product if you can't get it through your skull that inhaling any kind of smoke will destroy lung tissue! Take some fucking responsibility and/or accountability you bleeding heart burnouts!!! Message To Gore...To Bush: Fuck off! You both suck, you dishonor the memory of the revolutionaries who took up the gun to assure that the soil we stand on would be free. C'mon Gore!!! Not fundraising? Geez, you have to be a lobotomized mental patient/a hardcore Democrat to actually believe that! Maybe if you took long hard look at what the teacher's unions are doing to the youth of America by controling you (i.e., making it so that public schools maintain a virtual monopoly on education and therefore removing any need to compete and improve in-class conditions) or how you betrayed everyone who voted you into the senate (since you sold out to Clinton when you were an upstanding Tennessee man who voted to get the government off our asses when it came to gun control), you'd do the world a favor by killing yourself. O Bushy Boy... Ah, you disgrace the history of the Republican party...You trivialize everything that the Republican party used to stand for (less government, control of your own money, instilling moral/ethical values)...You're the lesser of two evils and most American will choose you...but the CIA chose the lesser of two evils years ago in the Middle East, decided to fund him, train him,

Monday, November 11, 2019

Adopting Telemedicine in developing countries

ICTs are technologies that have spread widely and are cheaper for use by the general public. Even though information and communication technologies could tackle some of the heath care challenges that face the modern society, the utilization of ICTs is faced by numerous challenges for social as well as historical transformations that are associated with other natural rights.The case is not different in the field of telemedicine. Telemedicine is an example of ICT that has been used in the world for over forty years. Modern telemedicine applications employ high quality image and video in addition to audio capacities.These technologies range form excellent resolution still images to complex teleconferencing apparatus. Recent developments in ICT are encouraging and they include the use of internet, wireless ICT diffusion, and the exchange of medical information electronically in addition to remote consultations.Infrastructure factures that have an effect on the outcomes of telemedicine in clude: the national ICT infrastructure in addition to the governments preparedness, approach, as well as policies towards information and communication technology. Technically sophisticated telemedicine applications are currently employed across a wide range of healthcare settings.This technology allows medical personnel to transmit images through mobile phones and sophisticated wireless devices (Martà ­nez, Villarroel, Seoane, and Pozo 2005, p. 1).3.1.2 E-Health PoliciesVarious shareholders of the telemedicine sector have numerous opportunities to become deeply involved in the development policies that affect the industry. Shareholders of this sector include vendors of information technology, manufacturers of medical devices, health care professionals, decision makers and the government.E-health policies are set in such a way as to improve network capacity, enhance ability of transcending geo-political, social, economic and cultural obstacles.Policies should be set in such a way a s to allow teleconsultation beyond national borders. Patients in addition to medical care professionals should be offered with a chance of seeking evidence based opinion as well as treatment from overseas through teleconsultation (Lee, Mun, Levine and Ro 2000, p. 28).3.3 Capabilities of health sector institutionThe modern health care system has undergone numerous modifications in order to meet the ever increasing heath needs of the population. One of the modifications is the implementation of telecommunication in health care. All modifications in the health care sector are carried out with the patient being the center of focus.Telemedicine and telegraphy are some of the most recent telecommunication strategies that have been incorporated in the health care sector. Currently, digital images of a patient can be sent over a wireless device to a medical personnel and medical consultations carried out over the internet (Tanriverdi and Iacon, 1998, p, 40).3.4 Analysis of Telemedicine case studies in developing countriesThe emergence to telemedicine is associated with the search for communication-oriented solutions to make it easy for rural populations to access medical services. Telemedicine is considered as one of the most appropriate ways through which contemporary medical services can reach the underserved regions (Lee, Mun, Levine, and Ro 2000, p. 16).Reality has however, gone in a different direction. Extensive studies with telemedicine in developing nations have not yet demonstrated the potential of telemedicine. There are a number of factors that need to be implemented in order that telemedicine services in rural areas become sustainable.A highly robust organizational strategy needs to be implemented, a radio based system should be erected and resources utilized properly; remote maintenance systems should be implemented; a high technological base should be established; and all information and communication should be satisfied through simple and synchronous sy stems (Kifle, Salmon, Okoli, and Mbarika 2008, p. 5).Despite the numerous benefits associated with telemedicine, the program has been slow to come into routine use in both rural and urban zones.4. Evaluation of the current situation of Telemedicine in rural and urban zoneTelemedicine holds a great hope for health care and medical centers both in rural areas and urban centers. Rural areas in particular have for long been faced by shortage of medical personnel, scarcity of means of transportation in addition to other access issues such as unfavorable weather conditions.Telemedicine allows for teleconsultation that utilize a variety of technological advancements such as voice over internet, digital images, digital video teleconferencing, in addition to other emergency services (Martà ­nez, Villarroel, Seoane, and Pozo 2005, p. 70).However, there are various issues that affect the implementation of telemedicine in rural areas. These include: poor infrastructure, limited bandwidth avail ability in network systems, and scarcity of internet providers.Telemedicine is not only about the provision of medical care in the rural areas, but it is very beneficial in linking suburban, urban and inner city medical facilities in a network offering intensive medical care services (Richard 2001, p. 3).4.1 Advantages of using Telemedicine technologiesAn increased use of telemedicine would bring about a number of benefits ranging from enhanced medical care, better utilization of health professionals, increased patients compliance, to enhanced delivery of medical care services outside clinics and hospital setting and in rural as well as the underserved regions.Telemedicine allows for frequent monitoring of vital sign information rather than using periodic visit by physicians. It also improves care of the elderly, physically incapacitated as well as the home bound patients, because it reduces hospital visits thereby increasing convenience and compliance for incapacitated patients.As a result it improves general health of the community and population because it reduces exposure to various illnesses from other patients. It also empowers patients in relation to their own health. It is a source of innovative and creative employment in the health care system.It is a significant strategy of tackling likely future scarcity of medical personnel.   It brings down the rate of death, injuries and infections as a result of medical errors due to inaccurate patient information.Presence of telemedicine programs in rural areas enhances care by reducing transportation costs; deploying medical professionals and specialists; and through providing medical care delivery regardless of geographical barriers (Hein 2009, p. 9).4.2 Challenges of adapting TelemedicineThere are numerous challenges to generating dependable evidence concerning the effects of the use of telemedicine. Scrutiny is rarely carried out as a fundamental part of implementation, and as a result resources are not a bsolutely dedicated to evaluation.However, there are times when resources are dedicated to scrutiny after implementation, therefore prospective gathering of baseline data is impossible. Retrospective gathering of medical data is faced by numerous hurdles in terms of appropriate source identification in addition to collection techniques.These issues make difficult the scrutiny of various interventions, even as the actual nature of evaluation of telemedicine presents further difficulties (Brear 2006, p. 24). Besides evaluation, other challenges that face telemedicine, as indicated by Paul, Pearlson and McDaniel (1999, p 281), include: various social, cultural, economic, technical and organizational hurdles that health care systems must deal with before achieving the full benefits of telemedicine.Other factors that derail the implementation of telemedicine in developing countries are: poor telecommunication and electric power infrastructure; domination in addition to high cost of inter net services; lack of government involvement; difficulties in sustaining implementation of telemedicine; substandard organizational strategies; and user discontent   with low band-width as well as delayed response.Patients, medical professionals and decision makers lack essential knowledge on telemedicine services as well as their potential for medical care. Lack of proper funding is the other challenge that faces telemedicine.Despite its recommendation by the world health organization telemedicine is yet to be realized as a technical service in many national ministries of health (Kifle, Salmon, Okoli, and Mbarika n.d, p. 3).5. ConclusionsIt can therefore be concluded that telemedicine is one of the most significant modern medical strategies that can be employed in tackling the numerous health care challenges that face populations living in both urban and rural areas.   Various benefits of telemedicine include: improvement of patient care, reduction of patient transfers to terti ary health centers and providing physicians a good access to tertiary consultation.Telemedicine improves the general health of the community because it reduces expose to various illnesses from other patients through reduction of hospital visits. There are however, various challenges that are associated with implementation of telemedicine and these include: evaluation challenges, poor telecommunication, misinterpretation of information, and lack of awareness and commitment by the government and decision makers.Telemedicine is faced by various issues including information technology policies, E-Health policies, and data security policies. Even though there are numerous benefits associated with telemedicine, the program has been slow to come into routine practice both in rural and urban zones. Bibliography:Brear, M. 2006, Evaluating telemedicine: lessons and challenges, Health InformationManagement Journal, Vol 35, no. 2, pp. 24Hein, M. 2009, Telemedicine: An important force in the tra nsformation of healthcare,Journal of High Speed Networks, Vol 9, no. 15, pp. 9 –30

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Louis Leakey Essays - Louis Leakey, Mary Leakey, Leakey, Stone Age

Louis Leakey Essays - Louis Leakey, Mary Leakey, Leakey, Stone Age Louis Leakey Louis Leakey Discovering the Secrets of Humankind's Past Louis Leakey was born to be an archaeologist, for his childhood in Africa truly prepared him for the field life he would later lead. The son of missionaries Harry and Mary Leakey, Louis grew up in Kenya near Nairobi, among the Kikuyu African tribe who the elder Leakeys were trying to convert. Despite intervening periods in which the Leakeys moved back to England, Louis grew up practically as a Kikuyu tribe member, and at the age of eleven he not only built his own traditional hut in which to live but was also initiated as a member of the Kikuyu tribe. It was within this hut that the beginnings of Leakeys archaelogical aspirations took place. In one section he started a personal museum, collected all things naturalistic, from bird eggs to animal skulls. It was in 1916, at the age of fourteen, when Leakey first truly realized that he was meant for archaeology; after reading the account of stone-age men entitled Days Before History he was hooked. After reading about the arrowheads and a xeheads created by these people, Louis began collecting and classifying as many pieces of obsidian flakes and tools as he could find. After confirmation by a prehistory expert that these were truly stone tools of ancient Africans, truly links to the past, Leakey knew that the rest of his life would be devoted towards discovering the secrets of the prehistoric ancestors of humankind. Despite not being accustomed to the school structure back in England and the accompanying problems he had in public school, Leakey was accepted into Cambridge in 1922. However, blows to the head sustained during rugby games resulted in epilepsy and headaches for Leakey, and he had to leave school in 1923. This, however, was a blessing in disguise, for Leakey landed a job as an African expert on an archaeological mission to Tendaguru in what is now Tanzania. He was to accompany the archaeologist and dinosaur bone expert William E. Cutler. With his fluency in Swahili, Leakey soon orgainized an entire safari to the site. Working with and observing Cutler, Leakey learned more about the technical side of the search for and preservation of fossil bones than [he] could have gleaned from a far longer period of theoretical study. Many dinosaur bones were dug up although a complete skeleton was never found. After several months Leakey was forced to leave, leaving Cutler to continue. Back in En gland, Leakey wrote many articles and letters about the dig. Cutler, however, died in Africa a few months later, a victim of Blackwater fever. Leakey returned to Cambridge and studied anthropology. From these studies and independent ones, Leakey developed the view that early man had originated in Africa, not in Asia as most scholars believed at the time. He became fascinated with the Olduvai Gorge site and the Homo sapiens skeleton discovered by German paleontologist Hans Reck. Great controversy surrounded Recks find because the age of the skeleton could not be proven. Further, Reck could not return to the site because, as he was German and Britain had won that region of Africa in World War I, he was not able to go there. Leakey was fascinated with the site and told Reck that they would one day go back. For the time being, this had to be put on hold. Finishing finals, Leakey graduated with excellent marks and recieved many grants for research in Africa. He was twenty-three, and he was about to lead his own expeditions. Over the next few years Leakey dug at many sites, finding many stone tools, animal bones, and other artifacts. His search, however, was for proof of the use of a specific Chellean hand-axe style found in other parts of the world. This he found in 1929, and its discovery pushed back the age of the Great Rift Valley in Africa a great deal. Further, it provided critical evidence for a level of sophistication in East Africa equal to that of European cultures at the time. By this time Leakeys work at caught the attention of the archaeological community and he began to receive much acclaim. In November 1929 he returned to England with a

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Prohibition1 essays

Prohibition1 essays As under a spell, the people had suffered this act to be brought to its fatal conclusion, but with the first touch of cold reality the charm was undone, and the law appeared in its true aspect. Brought about by the Eighteenth Amendment and enforced through the Volstead Act, lasted for over a decade. Despite a growing lack of public support for both Prohibition and restraint itself, the ban on alcohol continued throughout the United States-at least in the law books. In practice, however, National Prohibition was much less effective than restraint and Prohibition leaders had hoped, in the end causing more problems than it solved. Once passed, Prohibition directly led to the increase in crime and corruption during the twenties, the public health problems associated with bootleg liquor and alcohol substitutes, the irritated tensions between religious, racial, and social groups, and the political disturbance in response to its existence. Yet in the end, it was the discussion of the supre me public hatred of the Amendment, caused by all of these factors combined, which brought about Prohibitions repeal. Yet Prohibition did enjoy some success. Records reveal that alcohol consumption did initially drop after the onset of National Prohibition and the Volstead Act. However, this decrease on a national level was not all that significant compared to the effect of previous temperance measures in specific communities. Also, after this initial drop alcohol consumption continued to rise steadily throughout Prohibition to the point where it was thought consumption would actually surpass pre-Prohibition levels. The same was true of alcohol related diseases-while initially declining, alcoholism and alcohol-related illness climbed to new heights, all while Prohibition was still in effect (Thornton, Failure 7071). Thus, in the long run, the initial success of Prohibition was soon reversed. Crime, however, was a problem thro...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Industrial tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industrial tourism - Essay Example One of the things that Abbey hates most about modernity is the construction of highways and access roads through or into wildernesses and national parks, whether it is to connect distant places or to make them more accessible. According to him, the roads and highways reduce the â€Å"old magic† of real, genuine amusement that comes from using less-motorized means to explore the wild such as walking on foot or using bicycles. He strongly accuses the notion that the purpose of the roads is to enhance accessibility so that more people can experience nature in lesser time. To him, accessibility is just a curtain to blind the people of modernity’s real intention, which to him is making money. His argument is that no place is inaccessible if one is willing to, and that accessibility does not make sense since people have been too extreme regions of the world unaided by heavy motorized mechanisms. â€Å"What does accessibility mean? ...even Mount McKinley, even Everest, have b een summoned by men on foot †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Abbey 47). The second reason why Abbey is against modernity is that whatever it claims to be doing for the people is not true, claiming that the industrialization of tourism is merely for monetary gain. From his perspective, the motels, automotive industries, oil corporations, gas retailers, road constructors, and all other parties involved in the modernization of nature are all in the industry to make money, and that they care for neither the people nor nature itself. In addition, he reveals that in addition to being big business, it is a well-organized cartel inspired by the politics of the land. As he puts it, â€Å"Industrial Tourism is a big business. It means money †¦ and are represented in Congress with strength far greater than is justified†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (48). Abbey offers some corrective measures to change the attitudes of people from the ones already stained by modernization. For one, people should not take automobiles to n ational parks or in the wilderness. Just like they are not taking them to churches for their being â€Å"holy† so be it with parks as they are also holy. He suggests that people should be more natural: use their feet or enter the parks on animal backs. Second, he recommends that further construction of roads in the parks should stop, and the already existing roads to remain for use by those on bicycles. Lastly, he says that park rangers should do their work; to go out into the parks to guard and guide visitors, and not sit behind desks in booths selling tickets. Abbey adds that these measures will bring back the good old days of hiking, camping, and enjoying the wild in its natural form, not to mention that it is cheaper than using motorized assistance. He argues quite sensibly. If one forecasts the future, in the days when the population will have expanded, then it means the need for constructing more roads to connect more cities and towns that will have come up will grow. T his means more roads will appear in the wild. In addition, if we do not respect the natural parks and the wilderness, it means our population will lead to our encroaching on the natural geographies to create more dwelling places. Therefore, his argument for the monitoring of the growing population is very true. Abbey however chips in a little acknowledgement

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Ethics and Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics and Diversity - Essay Example Prior to that, all of the Equal Pay Act (1970), the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), the Race Relations Act (1976) and the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000), sought to ensure against both direct and indirect discrimination in the provision of goods and services and within the workplace. From the legal standpoint, therefore, diversity is obligatory. Legislature and regulations aside, the question is whether or not firms have an ethical duty to embrace workforce diversity and to ensure that they have a diverse workforce. While some scholars have argued that workforce diversity cannot be defined as an ethical obligation insofar as it could lead to the hiring of less qualified candidates simply because of their race, religion, or ethnicity, among others (Darr, 2002), other scholars maintain that it is an ethical obligation (Ludlum and Mascaloinov, 2004). Pending the presentation of a brief understanding of the implications of diversity and a review of the argument against it as an ethical obligation, the present research will argue in favour of workforce diversity as an ethical responsibility towards which all firms must aspire. The concept of diversity is an all-inclusive one and, refers to the collectivity of human differences and similarities along a given dimension (Cox, 1993). As pertains to a workforce, Caudron and Hayes (1997) maintain that both dimensions and measures of diversity include socioeconomic and psychographic characteristics, race, cultural and ethnic heritage, religion and belief systems, gender and sexual preferences and, age. Other significant dimensions and measures of diversity, although lesser appreciated and researched in relation to intra-organisational relations and dynamics, are political affiliations and socioeconomic and functional backgrounds (Gordon, 1995; Caudron and Hayes, 1997; Stockdale and Crosby, 2003; Gardenswartz , 2003; Barak, 2005). Arguing the above definition to be unjustifiably expansive, some researchers have called for a more precise focus on a particular set of diversity dimensions and measures. These are race, culture, gender, religion, and ethnicity. Indeed, by expanding the parameters of diversity to include age and sexual preferences, attention has been deflected from the more seminal of the diversity categories, chief amongst which are race and ethnicity (Cox, Lobel and McLeod, 1991; Polzer, Milton and Swann, 2002; Arrendondo, 2004; Squires, 2005; Ocon, 2006). It is in relation to the more seminal of these differences that scholars have argued the ethics of their implementation. 3 Suspect Ethics As earlier noted some scholars have disputed the ethics of workforce diversity and contend that its identification as an objective contradicts a firm's ethical obligation to hire employees on the basis of merit, qualifications and potential. The aforementioned criteria for candidate selection is nothing short of an ethical obligation which firms owe their stakeholders, job candidates, society and the economy at large (Mujtaba, 2006). As per the stated argument, firms owe their stakeholders, not to mention the economies within which they operate, a duty to perform in accordance with best practices guidelines. It further owes job candidates an ethical duty to acknowledge the more meritorious and qualified among them. When diversity becomes the objective, candidates are not selected according to merit and,