Examining methods of analysing a Companies Environment

Examining methods of analysing a Companies Environment There are factors within the environment that the organization operates that are beyond the control or influence of the organisation but these factors affect the business or strategy planning. The STEEPLE analysis is focusing on the external macro-economic environment that a business operates. This helps business to understand the environment, in which it operates, and the opportunities and threats that exist or are emerging within it. An understanding of the opportunities can help a business to take advantage of the opportunities that exist and reduce the threats to the barest minimum. The STEEPLE analysis helps to understand associated risk with growth in market or decline and thus the potentials and direction for business. STEEPLE is an acronym for Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Policy, Legal and Ethical factors respectively. Some of these factors tend to overlap when conducting the analysis. Below is a STEEPLE analysis of the UK motor car market. Socio-cultural: the pattern of lifestyle affects demand of vehicles, availability and willingness of individuals to work and therefore the kind of vehicles are manufactured. The institution of marriage has fallen, there are more single parents, people are having fewer kids and consumer trends which include fashion ability, luxury preference, working population, spending power etc. Technological: new innovations and technologies keep emerging in the car industry and bring about new products and processes e.g. introduction of three-point seat belt, airbag, electronic stability control, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), E-call, Driver Assistance Systems such as E-call and Driver Assistance System such as Electronic stability control and Emergency Brake Assist. Environmental: according to SMMT, the climate change has had a great impact on the car industry and this has great impact on vehicle demand. This overlaps with the ethical factors because the car industry is trying to make vehicles environmentally friendly by trying to make 95% of vehicles recyclable by 2015 in order to comply with the End of Life Vehicle (EVL) Directive. Average CO2 emissions of cars bought through the scheme were 132.9g/km, which was over 27% below the CO2 figures of the outgoing cars that were scrapped. Also there is an effort to improve environmenta l standards at sites processing vehicles and limit the use of materials harmful to the environment in the new vehicle Climate Change Level (CCL). This has increased demand for hybrid cars. Ethical: some ethical issues have to be considered in the market, these include ethics in workplace, balancing stakeholder interests, human rights, reduction in CO2 emission from vehicle and manufacturing process (Farnham 2010). Also, the Climate Change Levy (CCL) agreement was signed by 11 UK vehicle manufacturers as co-ordinated by SMMT has effects on car industry. Political: policies that affect the car market include 2008 piece of legislation which committed European Vehicle manufacturers to cut average CO2 emission from cars to 130g/km by 2015, 2009 European Whole Vehicle Approval Directive, introduction of the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, taxation, congestion charges, other policy areas being formulated include alternative fuels, smarter driving technologies, and lower resistance tyres. SMMT has reported that 395,000 new vehicles have been registered under the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, which has now ended. There were 388,540 new cars and 6,959 new LCVs registered for the period, with 8.1% of all new car registrations and 2.1 LCV registrations in April being linked to the scheme Legal: this is closely linked to environmental political and ethical factors but includes health and safety, company law, consumer protection law. Manufacturers have to abide by policies formulated by government and regulatory bodies. This also affects the UK car industry either positively or negatively. Economic: macro-economic policy, markets and prices, price levels, global trends, market structure, public spending, wages and salaries, balance of payment, taxation etc. (Farham, 2010) the industry generates turnover approaching 52billion GBP so the Scrappage Incentive Scheme was introduced to support the industry because of its importance to the nation. Over 181,092 new vehicles had been registered under the scrappage scheme by the end of September. There is an order bank of a further 80,000 vehicles. The scrappage scheme is largely self-funding for government with the 15% VAT paid on a car bought for  £7,650 covering the  £1,000 government contribution (SMMT). The environmental, political and economic factors can be said to have the greatest impact on the strategy planning of the UK car industry. The product market, competitive structure and nature of competition of the UK car market cannot be analyzed without Porters five forces analysis. Threat of entry: The UK car market has high barriers to entry because it is extremely consolidated, well developed value added chain, RD capability, investment capability in terms of equipment which means existing manufacturers can make relatively high profits. Power of buyers: Buyers have little or no bargaining power in the market, households have no power at all but companies that buy fleet cars for official use have very little bargaining power. Power of Suppliers: there is a lot of power in retail and distribution of cars and this power depends on the price of the seller. The threat of substitutes within the industry also determines the power of the supplier as they can switch brands easily. Competitive rivalry: The UK car market can be said to be oligopolistic in nature because there are about 30 firms with the major rivals being are Ford, GM (Vauxhall), VolksWagen, Renault, Peugeot, Toyota, BMW, Citroen and Honda. Ford is Britains best-selling commercial vehicle (CV) brand and last year took over 24 per cent of the CV market. In a challenging market new models such as the ECOnetic Transit and ECOnetic FiestaVan, will play an important role in maintaining Fords competitive position (Ford). In oligopolistic markets there is a high degree of interdependence and so firms will think carefully how their rivals might react to any actions they take. This can lead to an emphasis on non price competition; a price change is relatively easy to imitate and so firms may rely more on methods such as branding or product development. The presence of powerful competitors with established brands creates a threat of intense price wars and poses strong requirement for product differentiati on. Also, there is cost of leaving the industry because of high levels of investments already on ground so firms fight hard to survive because resources are not easily transferrable and as the market is shrinking, these firms fight for a share of falling sales. Brand loyalty is very poor in this market because customers are likely to switch easily from brand to brand. Threat of substitute: this is linked to the power of buyers and sellers. The car market also faces direct competitors like public transport, air, rail, tubes, sea, bicycle and walking but the major source of substitute is the sale of second hand cars. It can be argued that the demand for cars is elastic because it is affected by substitute goods (as listed above) and complimentary goods (insurance, tyres, fuel, license, taxes, Ministry of Transport (MOT). Research two examples of how Human Resource Management in manufacturing has been influenced by and responds to changes in the environmental context as outlined in a. The automotive sector is highly flexible, dynamic and ever expanding. As a result of its flexibility and expansion, it responds to the global challenges which include GDP and trade growth, deep cultural shifts in the economic patterns and strong environmental aims. The automobile industry is constantly changing and adapting to challenging commercial, regulatory and technological trends, competition in the market, discrimination by customers, pressure from government and influence groups. So it can be argued that the car industry adopts the contingency or best-fit school of HRM which advocates the need to fit HR strategy into its surrounding context. The concept of E-V-R congruence as a measure of how well an organisation is attuned to its environment was developed by Thompson (2005). E- Represents the environment which includes the opportunities and threats that exist within it while R is the resources and V represents the value. The concept of congruence is very important and an organization achieves this when its resources, environment and values are mutually reinforcing. Its strategic position will be strong. The macroeconomic understanding is needed by organizations in order to predict and plan for changes in demand for their products, human resources, inflation and changes in investment. Human resource has to match external environment to the companys objectives. The most significant feature of HRM is the importance attached to strategic integration. Legg (1989) argued that one of the common themes of typical definitions of HRM is that human resource policies should be integrated with strategic business planning. As Baird and Meshoulam (1988) remarked, business procedures and systems are developed and implemented based on organisational needs that is when strategic perspective to human resource management is adopted. Human resource managers play a significant role in ensuring that the strategies adopted by the organization are fully supported by the required workforce so HR has to know how many staff needs to be recruited, retained and developed to satisfy consumer demand. In 2009, recession reduced demand for vehicles leading to a sharp fall in vehicle production and hence turnover. This year saw one of the biggest economic challenges of the automotive industry has ever seen with global sale plummeting, plants cutting production and RD budget at considerable risk. This means demand for cars will reduce because of economic meltdown, supply will reduce and labour needed will be cut. Employment in the sector has decreased despite continued efforts to protect the vital industrial capability by introducing short-term working, time banking etc. Despite the surge in sales towards the end of the year as car scrappage scheme kicked in, Toyota in the UK saw production plummet 40 per cent from 213,000 in 2008 to 127,000 in 2009(Robert Lea times online jan 28,2010http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7006329.ece). Toyota had to adapt to its work share programme to fulfill orders incentive by the Scrappage Incentive Scheme. Later on, it led to cutting of 750 jobs, or around a fifth of the workforce, in the face of crashing car sales. The decision will come as a blow to Toyota workers who had already been rattled last year by workshare programmes, reduced hours and non-production workers. Over last year, Toyota also accepted 300 applications for voluntary redundancy. (the times February 19,2010) Toyota is to shut down its UK production plant next month leaving 3,500 workers idle. The unprecedented halt for two working weeks is a result of a collapse in its car sales amid consumer concerns over the safety of the Japanese companys vehicles. Sales of Toyotas are thought to be plunging worldwide after multiple recalls affecting 8.5million cars around the world. The company employs 3,900 workers at its main production site in Burnaston and 570 at its engine plant in Deeside. It has already cut 200 temporary jobs and opened a voluntary redundancy scheme last week. Toyota said in a statement: following extensive consultations with our employees representatives, and with input from all employees, it has been agreed that the best way to secure long term employment is to temporarily reduce working hours and base pay by 10pc. Toyota also scrapped the annual pay increase for employees and cancelled management bonuses, while its UK factories have just finished a fortnights shutdown. All these measures were introduced to reduce cost for the company because of the fall in demand for Toyota products caused by recession, the recall of Toyota cars due to safety issues etc. SMMT estimates that approximately 70% of the cars bought under the scrappage scheme represent additional sales which would not otherwise have happened in 2009. Since there was an increase in the demand for cars, this means that the demand for labour in Ford, whose engine plants in Bridgend and Dagenham employ 4,000 people, had to introduce extra shifts to be able to supply more cars. August output was up 36.5% at Dagenham and 18.3% at Bridgend, compared to 2008. Ford estimates that this resulted in positive knock-on effect for around 100,000 of their UK jobs in sales, distribution and sale supply. (SMMT) Also, due to the rapid change of technological advancement, new makes/models, reduction of CO2 emission and the introduction of the Scrappage Incentive Scheme, the car industry in UK now has a high demand for management/ leadership skills and technical skills. These changes have also made it necessary for the car industry to give staff constant training, since staffs with excellent sales skills are essential for the profitability and success of the sector. The ever-growing feast of technology and the need for constant on the job learning the sector specific product Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) was developed. To become ATA registered, an individual must pass a comprehensive and rigorous series of tests of practical skill and knowledge to ensure that they keep up to date with new technologies; technicians need to be assessed in order to maintain their accreditation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/28/ford-announces-profits-2009 Andrew Clark in New York guardian.co.uk, Thursday 28 January 2010 17.01 GMThttp://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7032980.ece http://www.ford.co.uk/AboutFord/News/CompanyNews/NewDirector ttp://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_11. htmhttp://www.oup.c.om/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_10.htm http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=20676 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/4972091/Toyota-cuts-production-and-pay-as-motor-industry-crisis-deepens.htmlhttp://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/understanding-microeconomics.asp http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7032980.ece http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_1002 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_973 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_4093 http://www.smmt.co.uk/industryissues/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259iicatid=P_982 http://www.smmt.co.uk/hottopics/index.cfm?catid=3725sid=259 http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article7006329.ece http://www.comparecontracthire.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/scrappage-registrations-totalled-395000-units-says-smmt/

Critique of a Nursing Research Article

The abstract summarizers the chief characteristics of the study: job, methods, consequences, and. decision. The job was to place milk adequateness at yearss 6 and 7 to see if that was an index of what the milk supply would be at hebdomad 6 postpartum. The method used was mechanical look to originate and keep milk supply for preterm bringings. The healthy full term bringings were to feed their baby at the chest and to make pre and postfeed weighs with each eating and to document consequences. Baseline milk end product was predicted as a†°? 500ml/d at hebdomad 6. Preterm bringings were at hazard of bring forthing deficient sums of milk. Study consequences indicated that that the intercessions used during the first hebdomad is critical. J Hum Lact.21 ( 1 ) :22-30 Introduction The job about milk production is easy identified. I do experience that a quantitative attack to this survey is appropriate and the information collected will assist nurses Carolyn Reagan p. 3 understand more about lactation and the demand for early intercessions to assist bring forth and keep a good milk supply. The article does non hold a subdivision titled background but this information is enclosed in an ignoble subdivision at the beginning of the article. Three surveies were referenced with the sample size being 9-73 participants. One survey referenced used multiparous Caucasic adult females merely. Study found that it was the map of the frequence and strength of suction by the baby. Study findings suggested that milk end product for a healthy term baby ranged from 600-900g/d. In one survey 733 i‚ ± 69 g/d in another survey through the first 4 months of life. In two other surveies preterm bringings were referenced were the female parents were pumping. The sample size was 9-12 participants. The volume yielded at 2 hebdomads was 2032.5 g/w ( SD = 1736.0 ) and 2513.2 ( SD = 1748.0 ) g/wk. Method The article includes a clearly identified trying subdivision. The research inquiries are easy identified. The eligibility standard was: non-smoking ; English or Spanish speech production female parents ; 18 old ages of age or older ; participants had to be able to be reached by telephone ; no history of Thyroid or Endocrine upsets ; non taking steroids or inhalators ; program to entirely breastfeed for 12 hebdomads or longer ; pre-term a†°Ã‚ ¤ 31 hebdomads gestation weighing 1500 gms or singleton, healthy, full term baby ( 37 hebdomads gestation ) weighing a†°? 2500 gm. Written consents signifiers had to be approved by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the four take parting third attention centre in the Midwest. The consents had to be signed by each female parent prior to take parting in the survey. Appropriate processs were used to Carolyn Reagan p. 4 safeguard the rights of the survey participants. The survey was designed to minimise hazards and to maximise benefits to the participants. The sample size was equal at 92 per group which was specified in the survey. The best possible trying design was used and sample prejudice was minimized. The hypothesis is non stated which is justifiable. The research inquiries are clearly identified. In the country of informations aggregation the female parents received samples and equipment necessary for the survey. Verbal and written instructions on survey protocols were provided and each female parent had to make a return presentation on how to piece the chest pump or how to utilize the baby graduated tables. They besides had to finish a questionnaire during survey entry refering to sociodemographic informations and old breastfeeding experience, every bit good as the day of the month and clip following bringing that chest stimulation via the pump or babe was initiated. For preterm bringings th e female parents were ask to pump chest at the same time for 10 proceedingss or until one chest is no longer dripping plus 2 more proceedingss. They needed to pump at least 8 times per twenty-four hours. Then document start clip of milk look ; Numberss of proceedingss pumped utilizing a stop watch ; and the sum of milk in millilitres expressed in to a unfertile bottle. The full term bringings were requested to make prefeed weights and postfeed weights. The female parent were instructed non to alter the babes nappies or vesture one time the prefeed weight was obtained until the postfeed weight was done. They were requested to nurse 8 to 12 times per twenty-four hours. They were instructed to maintain up with the sum consumed during each eating session. The cardinal variables were operational utilizing the best possible method. The information was collected in a mode that minimized prejudice. Appropriate statistical methods were Carolyn Reagan p.5 used, given the degree of measuring of the variables, and figure of groups being compared. Consequences â€Å" Descriptive statistics were used to depict the features of the full sample and the 2 gestation groups. SPSS, version 12.0 was used for analysis. XA? was used to prove differences for nominal variable with T trials for intervals with 2 groups and 1-way analysis of discrepancy for interval variables with more than 2 groups. Following review of the histograms and trials for normalcy, the square root transmutation was selected for the dependent milk volume variable when parametric statistics are reported ( Hill and Chatterson ) Same as below. â€Å" To exam the association between milk end product for the 2 gestation groups. Spearman p correlativity coefficients were generated. Repeated-measures analysis of discrepancy utilizing the general additive theoretical account was used to analyze average milk end product over clip for the 2 gestation groups. In add-on, GLM REPEATED was computed for each gestation group to depict and find the important tendency for the several group. ( Hill and Chatterson, Date ) . Is this a direct citation? Need close parentheses. The hazard of insufficiency was determined for each gestation group, and the comparative hazard with the 95 % assurance interval are reported. XA? is reported to prove differences of Carolyn Reagan p.6 preterm and term quintiles and hebdomad 6 milk production adequateness. A significance degree of P a†°Ã‚ ¤ .05 was accepted. ( Hill and Chatterson ) Analysiss were undertaken to turn to each research inquiry. Appropriate statistical methods were used, given the degree of i‚ ±measurement of the variables, and figure of groups being compared. The most powerful analytic method was used and it helped to command the confounding variables. Information about statistical significance, consequence size, and preciseness of estimations was presented. All the findings were adequately summarized, with good usage of tabular arraies and figures. Findingss were reported in a mode that facilitates a meta-analysis, and with sufficient information needed for Evidence Base Practice. Discussion This article suggests that during the first six hebdomads postpartum the variableness of milk end product automatically expressed by female parents of a nonnursing preterm baby was greater compared to the variableness in the sum of milk transferred at chest to the healthy term baby. In one prior survey with multiparae of term babies the milk supply increased quickly over the first 14 yearss. Full term bringings milk production can run from 523 to 1124 g/d and norm approximately 812 g/d at 3 months. In the present survey, term female parents at 6 hebdomads postpartum were bring forthing a mean of 663 i‚ ± 217.5 ml/d and preterm female parents 541 i‚ ± 460.0 wk/d. Some possible account could be supplementing with expression, breast milk volume is self-regulated by baby ‘s consumption, or residuary milk end product can be automatically expressed. Carolyn Reagan p.7 For female parents of preterm nonnursing baby, 3 surveies were found that mensural milk production in female parents who automatically express their milk. In one survey 2787 i‚ ± 1939 milliliter was reported. In two other surveies the average hebdomadal milk production volume were reported with great variableness in milk production for all survey hebdomads. There were no important differences in hebdomadal milk end product that was automatically expressed for hebdomads 2 through 6 postpartum. These surveies need to be cited. You give no mention for them. In this experimental survey for each gestation group, the hebdomadal milk end product was extremely correlated, the sum of milk produced at two hebdomads correlated with the sum of milk produced in the approaching hebdomads ; no intercessions were implemented to increase milk volume. The average milk end product at yearss 6 and 7 was associated with hebdomad 2 end product and reasonably associated with hebdomad 6. The findings suggest that early intercession my demand to happen during the first few yearss postpartum. By the 4th hebdomad full term female parents milk volume continued to increase while preterm female parent ‘s milk tended to diminish in volume. In this analysis 500 ml/day in a 24-hour period was used as a lower limit for milk adequateness. The recommendation for breastfeeding nonnursing female parents is to set up an abundant milk supply the first 7-10 yearss after bringing 750 to 1000 ml/d. The female parent ‘s milk supply could decrease and she would stil l be able to feed her baby. The preterm female parent has a 2.8 times more hazard for developing an unequal milk supply than do full term female parents. The mean at 6 – 7 yearss did predict whether a female parent of a term suckling baby or nonnursing preterm baby would accomplish milk adequateness at hebdomad 6 Carolyn Reagan p.8 postpartum. Study findings suggest that intercessions that promote an equal milk supply by the first hebdomad postpartum are critical. All Major findings are interpreted and discussed within the survey ‘s model. Interpretations are consistent with the consequences and the survey ‘s restrictions. The research workers discuss the deductions of the survey for clinical pattern and the deductions are sensible and complete. The study was written in a mode that makes the findings accessible to practising nurses. The research workers ‘ clinical makings and experiences enhance assurance in the findings and their reading. The survey does lend meaningful grounds that can be used in nursing pattern or that is utile to the nursing subject.

Analyse Louisa’s Marriage with Bounderby as an Example of...

A patriarchal society is the one in which the father is the head of the family. In such a social system, men have authority over women and children, and descent, kinship, and title are traced through the male line. The idea of utilitarianism suggests that human beings act in a way that highlights their own self-interest. It is based on pure factuality, leaves out on imagination. Dickens provides three vivid examples of this utilitarian logic in Hard Times through the characters of Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, Mr. Bounderby, and Mr. Gradgrind. Mr. Gradgrind educates his daughter, Louisa, with facts and facts alone. He raises her to disregard emotions and see everything in terms of statistics. He forces this type of education upon Louisa much†¦show more content†¦Bounderby allowing the process of her suppression to continue. Since Louisa is a dedicated sister, she marries Mr. Bounderby for Tom and expresses her regret for it. John S. Mill refers to this deteriorating status of women in the Victorian era in his essays. According to him, husbands considered women to be their property and could even rape her. That is an idea which is absolutely unacceptable to Mill. Mill believes that man and woman are partners and a healthy relationship can be built up only when each treats the other with respect. A marriage creates an atmosphere where a woman becomes subservient to man and that is a position which is unacceptable to Mill. He says that women have been traditionally subjugated by men and therefore it appears a natural thing because it is a practise that has been going on for generations. He also mentions that education, culture and tradition were geared up to train women to believe that they are inferior to men and therefore, they should be submissive to their needs. Domination on women is taken for granted by the male. Whether superior or inferior to the woman, the man feels it’s his right to dominat e women. Mill believes that women must be given their rights. Until and unless women are given equal putting in society, society will not progress. It is important that we discard traditional ideas regarding women and treat them equally for the overall well-being of the society. In the novel, Louisa is

Change in American Social Values in Thomas Mertons Rain...

A query from Thomas Merton: â€Å"Can’t I just be in the woods without any special reason?† (TMSM, 391). The question returns with each reading of Merton’s earlier works. And, the commonplace response of the newly introduced student to Merton comes not from the Trappist Monk, but from Dorothee Soelle in her book Theology for Skeptics: Reflections on God: â€Å"But must we really speak in this way?† (Sölle, 15). No doubt the gifted theologian realizes the truth in this hypothetical Socratic dialogue; even the most humdrum reader, too, should find the words contradictory but necessary. Indeed, Merton asked his rhetorical question in â€Å"Rain and the Rhinoceros,† an essay written in response to the changing of American (and International) social values,†¦show more content†¦He sought to focus upon the individual as a precursor of change, rather than the institution, or the Church, as the sole mechanism to accomplish informed action. Prec isely. Merton challenged convention. My thesis stands thus: Merton existed allotropically in his early years, focused on a monastic and contemplative life while at the same time promoting social change. Yet, his writing style strongly reflects the modernist thinkers he studied while at Columbia. The paper shall focus on the essays â€Å"Rain and the Rhinoceros† and â€Å"Fire Watch, July 4, 1952,† and present passages from his journals. It will also draw attention from other sources other than Merton’s own. Finally, it will conclude with the ideas of the author. ‘It will talk as long as it wants, this rain.’ â€Å"But they must know that there is wetness abroad† (TMSM, 391). A Thoreauvian statement. A Thoreauvian note as well in the laconic Mertonian reason: â€Å"Perhaps they even feel it. I cannot say† (TMSM, 391). An essay populated by surreptitious tendencies, â€Å"Rain and the Rhinoceros† depicts the culmination of a man leaving the modern world on his own accord. The aspect of the essay is about the attempt, by the hermit, to break away from the herd of everyday civilization and bask in the rain, a gift from the heavens that for the time Merton can simply enjoy, away from â€Å"a womb of collective illusion† (TMSM, 393). It’s an essay of prodigious strength concerning a

The Film Rocky Horror Picture Show The Character Dr. Frank...

In the film Rocky Horror Picture Show the character Dr. Frank-N-Furter sings the words, â€Å"So I’ll remove the cause, but not the symptom† (O’Brien). In this cult classic musical written by Richard O’Brien follows a newly engaged couple through a sexual journey as they lose their innocence and start to conform to traditional gender stereotypes. Today the youth of America are being bombarded with conflicting ideas about gender, race and sex. These conflicting ideas can lead to skewed visions on what defines masculinity and furthermore what defines femininity. Furthermore, sexual assault on college campuses by men and particularly student athletes have come to the forefront of many news headlines in recent years and while some believe that sexual assault stems from â€Å"locker room culture†, rather it stems from a skewed sense of masculinity that has been created over the years of consuming media. Many try to educate these same men on what defines consent and how to properly act in sexual situations, but this is merely trying put a temporary solution on a much larger issue. If people wanted the systemic issue of sexual assault to be reduced, then the root cause must be removed. A twisted view of masculinity is the root cause of many sexual assault because a twisted view of masculinity causes unhealthy understanding of sexuality and consent. Three main terms will be used in this essay and require a definition as to avoid confusion. Masculinity is defined by Merriam-Webster as,Show MoreRelatedProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 PagesEDITION - PROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES, SECOND EDITION HAROLD KERZNER, Ph.D. Division of Business Administration Baldwin-Wallace College Berea, Ohio John Wiley Sons, Inc. This book is printed on acid-free paper. @ Copyright O 2006 by John Wiley Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form

Shower Gel Marketing Free Essays

Soap, Bath and Shower Products Issues in the Market The soap, bath and shower category straddles two worlds – at once it falls into the arena of must-have consumer goods, which consumers see as integral to their everyday wellbeing, while at the same time it has an opportunity to tap into a consumer desire for escapism and fantasy. Close to half of women who use bath additives, for instance, cite a long bath as their ultimate pampering treat. How many fast-moving consumer goods segments can claim to satisfy such lofty needs with such a low ticket price? The beauty industry often cites the resilience of the colour cosmetics category in times of crisis – otherwise known as the lipstick index. We will write a custom essay sample on Shower Gel Marketing or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is time for the beleaguered bath additives segment to do the same and position their products as a luxury indulgence at prices accessible to most. Q: How is the economic environment impacting sales of soap, bath and shower products? A: Value sales of SBS products grew in single digits between 2006 and 2011 (with the exception of 2010 when year-on-year growth was more or less flat). The category is buffered somewhat from he inclement economic climate because of the must-have nature of daily cleansing products. At the same time, consumers are clearly under pressure to keep a close eye on household budgets. A third of adults who use shower products are paying more attention to how much they spend on such items because of the economic situation and the same is true for four in ten bath product users and three in ten soap users. Looking ahead, Mintel forecasts the SBS category will grow by 11% between 2011 and 2016, while in real terms (excluding inflation) sales will slip very slight ly. Q: Which segments have most potential for growth? A: There is a clear divide between two promising segments – liquid soaps and shower gels – and two less buoyant ones – bar soaps and bath additives. Mintel expects liquid soap and shower gel sales to grow by 28% and 17%, respectively, between 2011 and 2016, whereas we expect bath additives to slump by 4% and bar soaps by 15% in the same timeframe. The differing performances come down to consumer preference. Adults are much more inclined to use shower gels and creams over bath additives, for instance, likely because showering is uch more convenient and is a quicker option for today’s time-poor consumer. In addition, half of soap, bath and shower product users have switched to taking showers rather than baths in an effort to save water. Meanwhile, liquid soaps have an edge over the more traditional bar format with 89% of women using liquid soaps compared to 77% who use bar soap. While they potentially offer a cost saving over liquid varieties, Brid Costello Senior UK Beauty Analyst bcostello@mintel. com Tel: +44 (0) 20 7606 4533 A self-confessed beauty junkie, Brid tracks the UK’s fast-moving beauty market. Before joining Mintel in 2010, she spent a decade as a beauty editor for fashion and beauty trade newspaper Women’s Wear Daily. Based in the Conde Nastowned title’s Paris office for five years before transferring to its London bureau, Brid acquired expertise across the beauty spectrum. Brid studied Journalism at Dublin City University (DCU). Â © 2012 Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. Confidential to Mintel. Soap, Bath and Shower Products Issues in the Market bar soaps suffer from a somewhat old-fashioned image. With no sign of consumers’ habits changing in the hort term, there is unlikely to be any reversal of these sectors’ performance. A third of bath and shower product users buy whatever product is on special offer, while half stock up when their favourite brands are on special offer. Q: What are consumers’ primary concerns when it comes to buying soap, bath and shower products? A: While the basic premise of SBS products is to cleanse, such items now go above and beyond that call of duty. More than three quarters of adults who use shower products, for instance, want their gels and creams to moisturise or soften their skin, while just over half are looking or an invigorating or refreshing showering experience. When it comes to bath additives, pampering and relaxing are the key concerns for two thirds of bath product users. Women are particularly keen on luxurious soaks, with just over half considering a long bath to be their favourite pampering treat. Soap, meanwhile, has a much more pragmatic bent. Close to half of liquid and bar soap users say that cheap or good value products are their top priority, while suitability for the whole family comes second. Q: Which consumer demographics are most important to the category and how will opulation changes impact sales going forward? A: Changes in the UK’s population make-up will impact the SBS sectors to differing extents between 2011 and 2016. Shower product and liqu id soap sales will likely be buoyed, for instance, given that these sectors’ highest volume users – adults aged 25-34 – will grow in number by 872,000 in the period. Population changes are less favourable for bath additives and will do little to bolster the category, which is already in the doldrums (sales dipped by 2% in 2011). In general, however, the country’s population will increase y more than 3% (or 1. 7 million) between 2011 and 2016. Given the high penetration rates of soap and shower products, this is some good news for the category in general. Q: What influence do promotions have on the market? A: The SBS category is highly promotional with multi-purchase offers and discounts top priorities for consumers. For instance, a third of bath and shower product users buy whatever product is on special offer, while half stock up when their favourite brands are on special offer. It is little surprise then that the multiple-door grocery hains dominate the retail landscape and account for close to half of category retail sales. With large chains – such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons – frequently basing advertising on their commitment to low pricing and vying with each other to offer headline-grabbing discounts, it’s unlikely the situation will change anytime soon. This will continue to put pressure on the category vis-a-vis growing value sales as consumers have become accustomed to finding their preferred goods at preferential prices. Â © 2012 Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. Confidential to Mintel. How to cite Shower Gel Marketing, Essay examples

Internal Controls in an Organization-Free-Samples-Myassignment

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Implementation of Internal Controls in an Organization. Answer: Introduction A document which sets out the obligations of the parties to a construction project is known as known as a construction contract. A construction project consists of both contractual as well as tortious liabilities for the parties to it. It is in the best interest of the parties understand about the rights and obligations which they have in relation to a construction project so that any further dispute can be avoided. It is essential for the parties to ensure that they document all the rights and obligation which they have in relation to a construction project and oral agreements have to be avoided at all cost. Parties to the construction projects can select a standard form of construction project for the purpose of carrying on with their operations. One of the best standard form of contracts which are used in the United Kingdom is the Joint Contract Tribunal (JCT) standard form of contract. This reports deals with a major construction project in relation to the construction of a flags hip hotel in Springville and therefore the JCT Major Project Construction contract (MP) has been selected for the purpose (Hughes, Champion and Murdoch 2015). The parties to the construction project also owe a duty of care towards each other to ensure that they are not subjected to undue losses or detriments and therefore they are also subjected to the obligations under the law of torts (Burr 2016). The paper discusses the contractual and tortious liabilities in a contraction project by discussing the impacts of major clauses in a construction contract in the light of relevant case laws and legislations. JCT standard Form of contract (MP) This type of contract has been formulated for construction projects which operate on a large scale and which involve major work. Employers who procure large scale construction projects on a regular basis use this type of contract. on the other hand the contractors who have the ability to manage high risk which may be considerably less under other forms of JCT contracts and have experience in relation to large construction projects choose this type of contract. Projects which have been procured through the design and building method are best suitable under this form of contract. Therefore in the given situation the where Madeleine Li is planning a flagship hotel which is worth millions of pounds and the contractor selected for the project Monroe Construction (UK) Ltd (MCUK) is also a big company the JCT MP contract is best applicable. In this form of contract the contractor and the employer have in-house procedures which have been developed by themselves and therefore the contract conditions requires only limited procedures to be set out. As in this case the contractor is subjected to increased risks as compared to other forms of contract they along with the employer and subcontractors are efficient in undertaking projects which are commercially large (Williams et al. 2013). The contractor under this contract has the responsibility of designing and the completion of the project. The extent to which the designing work is to be carried out by the contractor is subjected to variations. The contractor in this case may also be asked to complete the design based the concept which has been given by the employer or their advisors. In other cases the contract imposes a liability on the contractor to undertake the work starting from design till the contraction project is completed through the employment of sub-contractors or through their house teams. Generally this type of contract has a novation agreement which allows the designer or architecture who worked with the employer initially to continue and complete the design under the responsibility of the contractor (Cartigny Lord 2017). Important clauses in JCT MP Standard Form Contract There are various clauses in the JCT standard form contract however this part of the report only discusses about the most importance causes which can have a significant effect on the parties to the construction project in terms of legal and financial liabilities. The MP is divided into four sections which acts as helpful guidance which are the contract conditions, the contract particulars, the third party rights schedule and the pricing document (Eadie et al. 2013). The contract conditions which are set out in section headed format so that similar clauses are kept together contains the primary terms of which the construction work is to be carried out such as time of completion, method of payments and contract variation clauses. The contract particulars which were formerly included in appendix set out all particular information which includes default option wherever applicable (Cooke and Williams 2013). The their party rights schedule sets out the terms in relation to the rights of the third parties and finally the pricing documents set out information required to allow the calculation of valuation of changes and the contract terms. The major areas where the parties need to be careful in relation to the contract includes scope of work, payments, price variation, time variation, project type variation, warranties and bonds, indemnification (Keane and Caletka 2015). Variations A variation order is an order under the construction contract for the purpose of altering the scope of work in a construction project by adding, substituting or omitting the original scope of work. Almost all large construction projects alter to some extent form the original scope of work. The change may however not be easy for the parties to the contract and therefore these in event of such orders the aggrieved party has to be compensated for any loss which have been incurred by them in relation to the change. Variation may also take place when the contract document does not contain specific work which need to be performed and in such cases the other party loses the right to claim any compensation. Therefore it is recommended that all such information is properly documented. Variation can also be in relation to the time when the project is to be completed and in case the project is not completed in the provided time the aggrieved party may be entitled to compensation (Thomas and Wri ght 2016). Indemnification Indemnification clauses are incorporated by the parties to the contract so that the parties are not made liable beyond a set limit. Through these clauses the parties to the construction contract limit their liability to a certain extent and therefore cannot be held liable beyond the Set liability. As the MP has provisions for an indemnity clause the parties to the contract must be very careful while negotiating the close as at the time of any breach the wrongdoer may use such clause to limit the liability which may be detriment to the aggrieved party (Potts and Ankrah 2014). Payments The provisions in relation to how payments are to be made with respect to the construction contract had to be set out specifically and clearly through the terms of the contract. Large construction project may require periodic payment by the employer to the constructor and therefore the provisions in relation to search payment should be clear in order to avoid any dispute. Under the MP it is not allowed to incorporate a term into the contract according to which the payment for the contract would depend upon the performance of any other contractual obligation arising in some other contract (Adriaanse 2016) Adjudication The MP sets out provisions in relation to a statutory adjudication. No parties to the contract is allowed to add a clause into the contract through which only one party would be liable to pay the cost of the process until and unless it is provided by the arbitrator. Dedication has to be done mandatorily before the parties seek any other way of resolving the contractual dispute such as litigation (Tomlinson and Woodward 2014). Construction law cases and legislation in UK Construction contracts in UK are covered the by Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (LDEDC Act). The provisions of Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 have been significantly amended by the new legislation. Which was applicable on most of the construction contracts in the United Kingdom since 1998. The new legislation contents fallback provisions in situation where the construction contract expressly does not contain terms in relation to payments and adjudication. The legislation was a result of constant demand from the interested party with respect to enhancing the perceived weakness in construction projects which fall into mainly two provisions of payment and adjudications. One of the most significant changes in relation to the act has been section 107 which expressly provided that for the act to be applicable the construction contracts have to be in writing which excluded those contracts which were not in writing and subjected search parties to detriment. The new legislation no longer makes it mandatory for a construction contract to be in writing in order for that to be applicable. In the case of Bridgeway Construction Ltd v Tolent Construction Ltd [2000] CILL 1662 it was held by the court that construction contracts can have a Tolent clause in which the cost of adjudication would be borne by the party who has referred the dispute graduation. The provisions was present to prevent a party from referring a dispute to adjudication the new legislation to Section 108 prevents the use of the tolent clause and render any such clause ineffective in relation to construction contracts until and unless power is provided to the adjudicator to allocate the cost of the proceedings. The legislation introduces provisions of statutory at dedication which means that it is binding on the parties to the construction contract until they try to resolve the dispute through the process of litigation. The new legislation also address is the issue of incorrect ruling by introducing slip rule which enables the adjudicator to correct typographical of clerical error in a decision. The previous legislation supported the pay-when-paid clause however the new legislation sets out provisions to invalidate the use of such clause. The rule had been discussed in the case of Midland Expressway Ltd v Carillion Construction Ltd [2005] EWHC 2963 with the court describe the process pay-when-certified, however under the new legislation the payment provisions in a construction contract cannot be linked to the provisions of any other contract until and unless there is an agreement between the parties for doing the construction operation through another party rather than one of the parties to the contract. According to the case of Cavendish Square Holdings BV v Talal El Makdessi and ParkingEye Limited v Beavis [2015] UKSC 67 a penalty clause in a construction contract is added to prevent the other par ty to the contract from breaching and provisions however the real damages are still assessed from the actual loss which has been faced by the aggrieved party to the contract. In the case of MT Hojgaard A/S v EON Climate and Renewables UK Robin Rigg East Limited [2015] EWCA Civ 407 it was ruled by the court that where a contract has an absolute warranty it is the liability of the contractor to achieve a specific result even in case he had complied with specific design guidance where the absolute warranty in the contract is clear and consistent with the other provisions of the contract in the case of SSE Generation Ltd v Hochtief Solutions AG [2015] CSOH 92 it was held by the court that it is necessary for the parties to take into account the impact and purpose of any necessary joint names insurance in the initial stages of the contract and set out in the contract weather the policy is a substitute to any contractual liability or they exist together. Negligence in construction projects The import of a number of professionals are required in most of construction project where is of the professionals have a different role to play in the project starting from designs till the project is completed. Each professional for the duty of skill and care towards the other party. In addition the input of non-professional such as building contractors are also required for the purpose of successfully completing the project (Walker 2015). There are significant risk associated in the construction project which may lead to damages due to the negligence of those who are involved in the project. Who has been at fault in relation to the damages with respect to the input of professionals and non-professionals complicate the argument further. Negligence cases in the construction industry can result in significant damages and therefore the parties to the project have to be very careful in the way in which they carry out the operation. In addition they must always have and insurance in pla ce to mitigate the risk of any negligence which has been committed by their agents. The Architects who has the role of designing the whole construction project would be considered negligent failed objective test and are not able to deploy the skill and diligence which a reasonable professional architect would have done in the same situation. These Architects automatically over duty of care towards the employer and the constructor according to the principles laid down in the landmark case of Donoghue v Stevenson 1932 AC 522. According to the principles of this case any person whose action can cause harm to the other was the duty of care towards each other person. The but for test is also applied in the construction industry to ensure that the elements of negligence have been fulfilled. The test is used to determine the last element of negligence which is causation. According to the test if the damages would have not been caused if the negligent Act was not in place then the person ow ing the duty of care is not liable for negligence. Terms in relation to negligence in construction project must be incorporated into construction contract so that the liability of the parties to the project is clear from the outset. However it is to be noted that under the law of negligence in UK a person is not allowed to add an exclusion clause in the contract with respect to the liability of negligence. Therefore construction contracts and only have exclusion clause in relation to contractual liability but not for the liability of negligence by the parties involved in the project (Brook 2016). Conclusion From the above discussion it can be concluded that construction projects in the United Kingdom are governed by common law horse contract and negligence as well as specific legislations enacted by the parliament. For the purpose of carrying out any major construction work which is to be done in this case one of the most suitable form of standard contracts is the JCT major project contract. The contract provides flexible clauses which can be determined by the parties to it. However the clauses cannot be of such a nature where they are contrary to any existing common law or legislative provisions. Therefore Madeleine Li have to take into consideration the above discussed provisions in relation to construction projects to carry out the operations of the new hotel in Springvill References Adriaanse, M.J., 2016.Construction contract law. Palgrave Macmillan. Bridgeway Construction Ltd v Tolent Construction Ltd [2000] CILL 1662 Brook, M., 2016.Estimating and tendering for construction work. Taylor Francis. Burr, A. ed., 2016.Delay and disruption in construction contracts. CRC Press. by Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (LDEDC Act) Cartigny, T., Lord, W. (2017). Defining social value in the UK construction industry.Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Management, Procurement and Law,170(3), 107-114. Cavendish Square Holdings BV v Talal El Makdessi Cooke, B. and Williams, P., 2013.Construction planning, programming and control. John Wiley Sons. Donoghue v Stevenson 1932 AC 522 Eadie, R., Browne, M., Odeyinka, H., McKeown, C., McNiff, S. (2013). BIM implementation throughout the UK construction project lifecycle: An analysis.Automation in Construction,36, 145-151. Hughes, W., Champion, R. and Murdoch, J., 2015.Construction contracts: law and management. Routledge. Keane, P.J. and Caletka, A.F., 2015.Delay analysis in construction contracts. John Wiley Sons. Midland Expressway Ltd v Carillion Construction Ltd [2005] EWHC 2963 MT Hojgaard A/S v EON Climate and Renewables UK Robin Rigg East Limited [2015] EWCA Civ 407 ParkingEye Limited v Beavis [2015] UKSC 67 Potts, K. and Ankrah, N., 2014.Construction cost management: learning from case studies. Routledge. SSE Generation Ltd v Hochtief Solutions AG [2015] CSOH 92 Thomas, R.W. and Wright, M., 2016.Construction contract claims. Palgrave Macmillan. Tomlinson, M. and Woodward, J., 2014.Pile design and construction practice. CRC Press. Walker, A., 2015.Project management in construction. John Wiley Sons. Williams, T., Bouchlaghem, D., Loveday, D. and Law, C., 2013. Principal contractor involvement in post-occupancy evaluation in the UK construction industry.Facilities,31(1/2), pp.39-55.