Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Pestel for Whisky Essay Example

Pestel for Whisky Essay Example Pestel for Whisky Essay Pestel for Whisky Essay PART A: PESTEL analysis on the external business environment of Malaysia based whisky industry. Political factorsAccording to International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed (2010), there will be no tariff reduction on the export of alcohol from Malaysia. This will become a threat to the whisky industry in Malaysia as the price of the whisky will remain high in global market and thus they will lose the competitive advantage on it. The demand of their products will drop as the selling price is high compared to others. Based on the Budget 2011, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (2010) said that the government will not further increase the excise duty on the alcoholic beverages for the coming year. This will not further exert the pressure to the whisky industry and also consumers especially in this economic downturn. When the excise duty is not increased, the price for the whisky will not be further raised and therefore the industry is expected to have growth in sales and profits. As stated in Budget 2011, the government will increase the service tax from 5% to 6% starting on 1 of January 2011. The advertising expenditure of the alcoholic beverages is expected to be dropped as government proposed to impose service tax on paid television broadcast services. The increase in service tax will definitely cause the fall in the will of whisky manufacturer and seller to advertise through the powerful media, television. As a result, the demand of consumers on whisky will decrease as they will not be aware of the latest news and promotions on whisky. Economic factorsIn the official statistics by Department of Statistics Malaysia, the Consumer price index (CPI) for alcoholic beverages has increased 4% in September of 2010(134. 3) compared to the same month in 2009(130. 3) in which the base year is in 2005(100). The increase of 4% in CPI for alcoholic beverages indicates that the price for whisky has increased by 4% in a year and this will further decrease the purchasing power of consumers for whisky. In other words, Malaysians need to pay more money for the same amount of whisky they consume. This is a threat to whisky industry as this will further decrease the demand. The consumers will switch their taste to other beverages instead of whisky and therefore the industry is expected to have a loss in profit. According to Trading Economics, the unemployment rate in Malaysia was reported as 3. 20% in the third quarter of 2010 and this has decreased by 0. 4% as compared to same quarter in the last year. This brings a good sign and opportunity to the whisky industry as the workers in Malaysia are increasing. a)More people are getting their job and contributing their skills and knowledge to the economy of Malaysia. With the workers available in Malaysia, whisky industry can expand its market by developing new products through research and development to attract more consumers. The whisky industry is also able to supply more by employing more workers in the market. Besides that, the geographical area of whisky industry can be improved and widened by opening more shops for sales so that the consumers can buy the whisky anytime and anywhere when they want it. In fact, workers are the basic element and component in the work of expanding the whisky industry. )From the point of demand, the decrease in unemployment rate will also increase the demand for whisky as more people are working and they have more ability to purchase whisky for better enjoyment of life. 2011 per capita income is expected to go up by 6. 1% to RM28, 000, while income in terms of purchasing power parity will hit US$16,000 (Malaysia Budget 2011). When the income of Malaysians increases, the consumers will be more able and willing to purchase whisky, the luxury good to increase their quality of social life. This will then result in an increase of demand for whisky and boost up the sales of whisky. Whisky industry is expected to expand and earn more profit in the year 2011. In the report of Department of Statistics Malaysia, the Gross Domestic Product(GDP) growth rate for the second quarter of year 2010 has increased drastically to 8. 9% as compared to the same period of time for last year(-3. 9%). GDP is the amount of goods and services produced in a year. The increase of GDP indicates the economic growth in Malaysia. When the economy is in a good condition, the standard of living of Malaysians will also increase and they tend to spend and consume more on luxury goods. In this case, the consumption of whisky will become more as the spending of Malaysians on luxury goods is getting higher as the indication of the growth in the value of GDP. Social factorsBased on the statistics by Department of Statistic and Economic Planning Unit, the population of Malaysia has increased from 26. 75miliions in 2005 to 28. 96 millions in 2010 and 63. % of the total population falls in the age between 15 and 64. The increase in population size in Malaysia will bring a better opportunity to whisky industry as the demand of the industry towards labour force can be fulfilled that will cause a higher development and expansion of the industry. The supply of industry will also increase with the workers available in the market of Malaysia. While more than half of population of Malaysia achieves the drinking age limit (abov e 18) and this will increase the potential consumers and demand for whisky in future. Dr. Jim Swan, an independent consultant to the worldwide drinks industry (2005) said that drinking whisky can help protect human against cancer. This thesis is originated from a research that showed the people who drink single malt whiskies have greater health benefits rather than drinking red wines. Dr. Jim Swan(2005) further explained that single malt whiskies have more ellagic acid than red wine and this ellagic acid is a highly effective ‘free radical scavenger’ that ‘absorbs’ rogue cells that occur in the body during eating. When the citizens of Malaysia aware of the health benefit from drinking whisky, more people will probably start to consume whisky and the existing consumers will also increase their consumption on whisky. This will create better opportunity to whisky industry from the side of demand on whisky and profitable of the industry. According to a new study by researchers (2010) at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), alcohol reduces the quality of diet. It is stated in the study that people who drink more are also likely to eat less fruit and consume more calories from a combination of alcoholic beverages and foods high in unhealthy fats and added sugars. The increased alcohol intake will therefore cause a harmful effect to human health such as the formation of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and other chronic health problems. When more Malaysians are concerned about the finding of this new study, the demand of whisky will drop as they will be more health conscious and thus reduce the consumption of whisky. This brings a negative effect to the whisky industry. Technological factorsA ? 1. 8m research project aiming to identify the genes that could lead to improvements in the quality of barley, one of the most commonly used raw materials in making whisky was carried out by Scottish Crop Research Institute. The project leader, Dr. Robbie Waugh(2005) said that they expect to be able to identify the genes that could lead to improvements in the quality of barley that will be of interest to growers, producers and drinkers. This will be a good opportunity to whisky industry as a higher quality of whisky is able to be produced by using better quality of the raw materials. Consequently, the demand for whisky is expected to be higher as more consumers desire for a consumption of better quality of whisky. In the article of Process Industry Informer (2010), it is stated that a new evaporation system based on Alfa Laval plate heat exchanger technology has been introduced to increase the concentration and quality of the Pot Ale, a by-product from the first distillation stage in malt whisky production. The Pot Ale has many valuable functions and usages and one of them is the making of spent malted barley grains (Dark Grains) that is further used for production of whisky. This technology has helped to reduce the disposability of whisky industry for the wastes being produced and instead the wastes are being used for other better purposes that benefit to the whisky industry and also the country. According to International Telecommunication Union, the internet users in Malaysia have increased about 50% over the ten years from 15% in 2000 to 64. % in 2010. This will bring opportunity to the whisky industry as advertising through online could be done to increase the sales of whisky. Through the online advertising, the whisky industry can save their cost and therefore achieve a higher profitability. The money that is saved can be used for better benefits for the industry such as research and development of new products and technology. Online advertising is also time efficient and provides a higher ability to spread over Malaysia and this will cause the expansion of industry in terms of sales. Environmental factorsIn the article of The Sunday Times by Jonathan Leake(2010), a relatively new environmental technology-anaerobic digestion will be introduced and developed in the whisky industry. This new technology involves the using of anaerobic digesters to convert thousands of tons of yeasty waste into methane gas that will be further burned to create energy. By this way, the waste that is produced through the process of manufacturing whisky can be reduced and this will reduce the negative impact on the environment. At the same time, the energy produced from the waste can be used to make electricity and meet the power needs of the industry. As a result, the production cost will be reduced and a higher profit in the whisky industry will be achieved. A new research project is conducted to find new methods of turning spent grain, a dry waste product of brewing and distilling, into bio ethanol, a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels (Professor Graeme Walker, 2007). The use of bio ethanol in running the cars will be more environmental friendly as it causes less pollution to the earth. Bio-ethanol produces less greenhouse gas emissions as compared to fossil fuels and this offers an opportunity for whisky industry to fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the environment. Besides that, this new finding can help to create a business opportunity for the whisky industry as the waste products can be reused for the production of bio ethanol which is expected to be the main sources for cars in future. According to Gavin Hewitt, Chief Executive of The Scotch Whisky Association (2009), the launch of Scotch Whisky Industry Environmental Strategy will be a pioneering industry-wide environment strategy to reduce the impact of whisky production processes to the environment. Under this environment strategy, the reduction of fossil fuels usage by 80% in year 2050 that is equivalent to 750,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide is one the main target and obj ective. This is a long term strategy and needs a cooperation of all sectors within whisky industry to achieve the objectives of a clean environment in future. This is a good sign to the whisky industry as the demand of consumers will rise as the consumers will continue using whisky after they aware of their roles and contribution of consuming whisky to a better environment. Legal factorsUnder Islamic law, consumption of alcohol, alone, is considered one of the most serious Hadd crimes and is strictly forbidden in Malaysia (Surah Al-Maaidah verse 90). Islam is the official religion of Malaysia and out of 28. 96 millions of population in 2010, 67% is bumiputera that follow Islam (Department of Statistic and Economic Planning Unit, 2010). This means that the main market for whisky industry in Malaysia is the Chinese and Indians drinkers. In other words, the market of whisky industry in Malaysia is restricted to just a small proportion of population and therefore the demand for whisky is not as high as other countries. The production of whisky is limited and low in amount for supply as to meet the low demand for whisky. In this case, whisky industry will not gain much profit from the sales of whisky in Malaysia due to the Islamic laws being obeyed by Malaysians. According to Malaysia’s 1976 Excise Act, anyone who manufactures and sells any alcoholic beverages or intoxicating liquors needs to apply for a license and pay the license fees accordingly. The license gives the right to the people in the industry to manufacture and selling whisky. Any operating of business and industry without a license is said to be against the Malaysia’s rules and regulations and legal actions will be taken. The license needs to be renewed every year and this becomes a fixed cost for the whisky industry. The whisky industry will have to incur the high operating cost for a long term and thus it affects the whole industry from the aspect of the profitability. As in the article published in Herald Scotland (2010), Malaysia has been granted applications for â€Å"Scotch Whisky† to be protected as a â€Å"geographical indication of origin† (GI) by domestic laws. The high level of protection through legal ways can prevent any cheap imitations to gain market share in Malaysia while at the same time protect the integrity of the Scotch whisky. The consumers are able to drink the original whisky that is high in quality and the demand for whisky will then increase. The whisky industry will gain benefit from it as the sales of whisky will go up when all the consumers in Malaysia are consuming the only and original whisky.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

PHP Source Code Isnt Viewable; Only HTML Code

PHP Source Code Isnt Viewable; Only HTML Code With many websites, you can use your browser or another program to view the documents source code. This is a common occurrence  by viewers who want to see how a website developer accomplished a feature on a website. Anyone can view all the HTML that was used to create the page, but even if the web page contains PHP code, you can only view the HTML code and the results of the PHP code, not the code itself. Why PHP Code Isnt Viewable All PHP scripts are executed on the server before the website is delivered to the site viewer. By the time the data gets to the reader, all that is left is the HTML code. This is why a person cant go to a .php website page, save the file and expect it to work. They can save the HTML and see the results of PHP scripts, which are embedded inside the HTML after the code is executed, but the script itself is safe from curious eyes. Here is a test: The result is  PHP Code Test, but the code that generates it isnt viewable. Although you can see that there must be PHP code at work on the page, when you view the document source, you only see PHP Code Test because the rest is just instructions for the server and is not passed on to the viewer. In this  test scenario, only the text is sent to the users browser. The end user never sees the code.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Module 3 Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Module 3 Case - Assignment Example Old Navy targets young adult males who are aged 25 to 35 years old. As most countries recover from the 2008 recession, the level of employment among the young adults has significantly increased. As a result, the income of the young consumers has improved leading to high purchasing power and demand for households and cloths. This implies that by targeting the young adults, Old Navy has taken an effective promotion strategy that will result to increase in the level of sales. In the current times, most of the You Tube and Facebook as well as Twitter visitors are young consumers. In its effort to create strong customer awareness, Old Navy uses social media thus ensuring that its target customers are aware of the new products that the company introduces in the market. The fact that most young men like using mobile devices with fast internet, the company will benefit from sending its information in a high speed to its large customers base. Old Navy prefers the use of mobile devices instead of promoting their brands through the television. One of the key assumptions that were made about the viewing habits of the targeted consumers is that they are not in their mindset while watching the television. According to Ms. Curtis-McIntyre, when men are watching sports through the television, they are not in a position to notice a polo shirt or a pair of jeans. I believe this assumption is valid taking into consideration the strong admiration of sports such as FIFA World Cup and England championships by men. As they continue to watch the games, men may fail to notice a new brand on the screen and thus the use of a mobile device is the best option (Elliott, 2011). As compared to watching the television, men are more interested in watching videos such as Supar Tool and Corporado videos (Lefebvre, 2013). As the result, Old Navy embarked on using the videos an

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Managerial Finance Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managerial Finance - Article Example the last couple of trimesters the crude oil prices have been consistently going up which is sign that the industry is in recovery and there are good profits to be made for players such as Vaalco Energy. The latest press release from Vaalco Energy announced that the company intends to implement a share buyback programme worth $10 million. This paper analyzes the strategic move of initiating a share buyback programme at Vaalco Energy. A share buyback programme refers too a corporate initiative to purchase its own shares from shareholders that are selling the common stock in the open market. These programs have a money cap which indicates the termination of the programme. In the Vaalco Energy case the cap of the programme is $10 million, which means that once the company is able to purchase that amount equity the share buyback programme ends. Once the company buys back these stocks the investment asset can be consider treasury stocks. Treasury stocks are created when a company does a share buyback and purchases its shares in the open market (Investopedia, 2009). The company intention on purchasing its own stocks should not have any impact on the industry as a whole. This it is not made for any strategic purpose associated with the external politics of the company, nor does it impact the competitors in any way. A share buyback programme is an internal financial management decision that the executive staff of a comp any selects with the authorization of the board of directors to take advantage of favorable market conditions. Share Buyback programmers should be initiated only if an internal valuation of the company’s values determines that the corporation’s stock is trading below expected value. When an investor’s sees that corporation initiates a buyback program the general belief is that the stock price of the company should be going up soon due to the fact that the firm has determine the company is trading below expected value. The initiation of such a

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Generational differences in the work place Essay Example for Free

Generational differences in the work place Essay As a productive member of society and a member of the work force, noticing a generational difference in the workplace is not uncommon. In my experience working a regular nine to five and also owning my own business, I have encountered this matter. It could be said that these last four generations have experienced a great amount of adversity, progression, and hard times. It could be said that even though we are speaking about people from different generations, the similarities in the history and occurrences can be seen. Whether it is living through a depression, experiencing a war, or witnessing technological advancements; there is a common ground. The reason for looking at this issue through this open mindset is to be able to properly manage the many variables that can occur within the workplace. Being able to view the issues from a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience can help build a productive and satisfying environment. In reviewing the information provided to us in this matter, it is easy to see where the gaps of differences can occur. One of the first things that should be reviewed and examined is what the generations consider to be the definition of work. The older generations seem very narrow minded and simple with what consists and is expected from their work. It seems that the focus in traditionalist and baby boomers was hard work and climbing the corporate ladder. For the next two generations, the x and y, we notice that a balance between work and life is becoming an important factor. Second issue that should be looked at is the way these generations look at authority and their meaning of leadership. The older generations believe in those that have seniority and tenure, leaving their expectations to time and experience. They also believe in a hierarchy of power and believe in the style of control and command. The younger generations have a need for answers. They look at authority as questionable and at their same level. Even though they understand that there must be leadership, they may just come to them for guidance and some direction. Lastly, the greatest tool and possibly most important thing to look at is communication. This could mean from how people communicate verbally, physically, manner and even the tools used. The older generations seemed to be discreet, formal and respectful when communicating. They communicate one-on-one and more deal more on an individual level. The following generation seemed to be involved in meetings and focus on issues as team players. They also prefer to be diplomatic, speak open, and practically anytime. The newer generations seem to communicate by being direct and blunt. They also start to use technology as a means to communicate anytime and as frequent as possible. Their communication seems to be more positive and intellectual, with a broader an open mind. The point of reviewing these details in regards to the style of work produced by these generations is to better help management. Each individual will perform on the basis of what they know. Accordingly, they will also notice the way each other acts and performs. As a manager you need to be able to take the weakness and the strengths of each player and properly distribute the work flow. Older generations seem to work hard, respond to authority but communicate less frequent. It might be in the best interest to put them in a position of single focused tasks. Something that you can depend on them to get done and not need much help with. The younger generations seem to question authority but seek guidance, and communicate frequently. It would be best to put them in a position where they can be creative, multi task and feel like they are positive team player. Management must focus on similarities that evolve from the generations. Be aware that change will happen due to the variables of work ethic and even knowledge and comfort with technology. Each generation has a different view on rewards for working, so properly translating that to your team may need to be seen on a case by case and individual basis. A manager must avoid generalizing and stereotyping the people they must be productive with. Being open minded, knowledgeable about your workers and their history, will bring the team closer, the company better and overall produce productive results.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Free Admissions Essay - From Farming to Medicine :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay - From Farming to Medicine    I heard the familiar sound of the back door closing gently. My father was returning from driving his dirty, green John Deere tractor in one of our fields. Although he begins his day at 5:00 a.m. every morning, he usually returns at around 7:00 p.m. I never really questioned his schedule when I was a child, but as I entered high school I wondered how my dad could work so hard every day of the week and still enjoy what he does. He works long hours, becomes filthy from dirt, oil, and mud, and worst of all, can watch all his hard work go to waste if one day of bad weather wipes out our crop. There have been many years when our raisins were rained on, our cherries were hailed on and our apples were literally baked by the sun. The uncertainties of farming are so great and so challenging. It never ceases to amaze me when my father wakes up every morning to start work, that he does so with gusto. The life of a farmer can be laborious and stressful, yet my father continues to do his work with passionate enthusiasm. His dedication and pride mystified me throughout high school. Only after I entered Big U, did I start to understand how he can persevere and face the challenges of farming.    I entered Big U like a small child wandering through a park. Never in my life had I been exposed to anything so grandiose and dominating. Born and raised in a rural town of 3000 people, I wasn't ready for the fast-paced life and crowds of Chicago. I eventually grew into its lifestyle and learned to adapt to my new environment. I found my bio-ethics class, in which we discussed major issues in health care, especially interesting. The physician's dilemma particularly intrigued me: Doing everything to provide the best health care possible, but constrained by limited resources when the funds just are not available.    These frustrating situations place a huge strain on physicians, and yet they persevere and continue to work long hours in hospitals, clinics and HMOs providing the best care they can.* While thoroughly aware of the long hours a physician must work and the challenges he or she faces, I am choosing medicine because of the unique satisfaction it provides - the rewards of helping a sick human being.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Fiji Water Analysis Essay

Introduction Corporations like FIJI Water are forced into having Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Corporate Social Responsibility is the idea that businesses need to give back to society as much as they take away. Although companies like FIJI Water produce some type of product for consumers, in this circumstance water, they are compelled to give back as much as they take away. The issue companies have to deal with is whether they really have CSR, or if they are just green washing to make people believe they are socially responsible. â€Å"The 10th Edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary recognizes the word â€Å"greenwash,† defining it as, â€Å"’Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Environmentalist make it their job to eliminate any green washing by bringing to light companies negative impact on society and proving outrageous claims to be over exaggerated or completely false. Environmentalists compel companies to reduce, if not eliminate their carbon footprint on society through exposing how wasteful they are to society. Every company in order to be successful has to recognize this issue and do their best to resolve it, otherwise their company will tank. Companies like FIJI Water have to walk the fine line of CSR and green washing. FIJI Water LLC, has proved to be a tough competitor in the market of selling bottled water. They have overcome trials and set-backs and have kept their image of a premium quality brand of water. They have done their very best to become socially responsible over the years and had to use the idea of green washing to exploit their product. How FIJI Water Came to Be FIJI Water was started in 1996 by David Gilmour, one-time partner in Clairtone Sound Corporation Limited. FIJI Water is a U.S.-based business and brand of bottled water derived, bottled, and shipped from the Fiji Islands. It is available in 330ml, 500ml, 1 liter and 1.5 liter bottles.  According to marketing materials, the water comes from an artesian aquifer in the Yaqara Valley of Viti Levu. A good way to identify what FIJI Water is all about is in their mission statement which reads, â€Å"FIJI Water, the world’s finest water, is committed to quality and excellence in our product, people, profitability, and strategic partners. We are dedicated to communicating the passion and unique properties of our brand to consumers worldwide and continuing to invest in the future while preserving and cherishing the pristine source.† They have marketed their product towards wealthy people who could afford to pay more to drink water. Their main marketing drive was that the product was far from pollution, acid rain, and industrial waste in the island nation of Fiji. The way their product differed from other water bottling companies is that the FIJI Water was drawn from an artesian aquifer that lies hundreds of feet below a primitive rainforest. The idea being that distance and isolation is part of what makes FIJI Water so much purer and richer in taste than other bottled waters. Corporate Social Responsibility FIJI Water has a few marketing and CSR campaigns to help address the issue of social responsibility and to give their product more attention. FIJI water was seen as being extremely wasteful. To take a naturally occurring product like water and use the resources to ship it half way across the world was thought to be â€Å"water insanity†. â€Å"In response to this protest, the company launched a new promotion campaign under a slogan â€Å"every drop is green,† only to be immediately accused by environmentalist groups of engaging in green washing activities.† At the same time that this was happening, FIJI focused on its contributions to the local communities in Fiji. As environmentalists’ criticism increased over the years, FIJI Water LLC launched a â€Å"carbon negative campaign, claiming that it was the first bottle water company to release carbon footprint of its products.† This was part of their push towards the slogan â€Å"every drop is green†. The Company estimated its total annual carbon footprint at 85,396 metric tons of CO2eq.  They were also able to calculate their carbon emissions at each stage of the product from production to distribution. They started at the production of raw material to running the plant, to getting it to the markets, to even refrigerating the product. It did this to try and eliminate as much carbon footprints as possible. The VP of the company, Mooney, argued that, â€Å"the only way consumers can turn their environmental intentions into good decisions is to give them the information they need regarding the emissions with the products they buy.† This made customers aware that they were actively looking at their operations and doing something about it. To most people, it didn’t really matter what, as long as they were trying. Sustainability The results of their work were impressive. They were able to accomplish the following: reduction in packaging by 20 percent, supplying 50 percent of the energy used at its bottling plant with renewable energy, optimizing logistics to be more carbon-efficient in transportation, restoring grasslands in the Yaqara Valley by planting trees, and supporting recycling programs for plastic PET bottles. With their new image as a socially responsible company they were more sustainable in the fact that they were giving back. They summed up their operations in a PR pitch: a sale of every bottle of FIJI Water would result in a net reduction of carbon in the atmosphere! The question remains, are they giving back enough? To ship a naturally occurring product half way across the world seems pretty ridiculous to those who care about our earth’s resources being wasted. Green Washing Conservation group didn’t buy it. This absurd claim, along with â€Å"every drop is green† was green washing at its finest so they thought. In Section 53 of the Commonwealth Trade Practices Act 1974 it prohibits a corporation from representing that â€Å"goods or services have sponsorship, approval, performance characteristics, accessories, uses or benefits they do not have.† They were in direct violation of this. The Greenwash Brigade were some of the most professional environmentalist that were known for exposing this kind of  behavior. In June 2008, they published an article titled â€Å"Fiji Water by the numbers,† which summarized the terrible environmental impact of the company. Some facts that came out of that were that there were 5,500 miles per trip from Fiji to Los Angeles, 46 million gallons of fossil fuel, 1.3 billion gallons of water used, 216 million pounds of greenhouse gases emitted. These were staggering amounts of energy, water, and fuel being used, especially for something that is naturally occurring! The Impact of the Nay-Sayers These conservationists had a big impact on the company in forming who they are today. Without bringing this information to light, nothing would be changed. They would just fly under the radar without being criticized. We need the nay-sayers to motivate companies to change so they won’t use up our limited resources. The fact of the matter is that every drop of FIJI Water is not green, every drop is imported! These environmentalist help prevent green washing and provide important research behind their accusations of companies. In 2007, Pablo Paster, an engineer and MBA, undertook a thorough and exhaustive study of the cost of bringing a liter of FIJI Water to America. His study found that, â€Å"In summary, the transport of that one kilogram bottle of Fiji water consumed 26.88 kilograms of water (7.1 gallons), .849 kilograms of fossil fuel (one liter or .26 gallons) and emitted 562 grams of Greenhouse Gases (1.2 pounds).† One can only imagine the effect that has on our en vironment. Conclusion Overall, Fiji was able to show flexibility in changing for the times. They established credibility among the community through addressing concerns of others. At first they tried to hide from the answers needed by consumers and conservationists and even used some green washing to help get their product through the tough, trying times. They used the idea of green washing to their benefit by making outrageous claims that had to be proven false initially, but in time they held to it as best they could. They had to be vague at first, but later specified their goal in operations. Comparatively to most companies, FIJI Water has a great Corporate Social Responsibility in that they have done significant things to try and eliminate their carbon footprint through efficiency and planting more trees. Going forward, the company will have a hard time living up to becoming a carbon negative company. They need to keep on their path of fulfilling promises made to invest in renewable energy equipment and to off-set that with continuing to plant trees abroad. FIJI Water has especially helped the local community surrounding Fiji. They have established good CSR with the five neighboring villages. They have supported children’s educations in helping them get a good start. In pre-schools they have provided equipment, educational material, teacher training and other support. In March 2002, the company voluntarily established an independently administrated community development trust fund and allocated FJ$275,000 to it. That is a great use of their resources. They also support village projects to improve hygiene and sanitation as well as provide portable drinking water. FIJI Water is a benefit to society as a whole. They have used their resources to give back to our planet and help others in need. More ——————————————– [ 1 ]. James McMaster and Jan Nowak, â€Å"FIJI Water and Corporate Social Responsibility – Green Makeover or â€Å"Greenwashing†?, May 2009, Ivey Management Services. [ 2 ]. N.A., â€Å"FIJI Water,† http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji_Water#History, 2012. [ 3 ]. N.A., â€Å"Mission Statement,† http://www.fijiwater.com/company/company-timeline/, N.D. [ 4 ]. Ibid. [ 5 ]. James McMaster and Jan Nowak, â€Å"FIJI Water and Corporate Social Responsibility – Green Makeover or â€Å"Greenwashing†?, May 2009, Ivey Management Services. [ 6 ]. â€Å"FIJI Water Becomes First Bottled Water Company to Release Carbon Footprint of Its Products,† April 9, 2008, www.bevnet.com [ 7 ]. Ibid. [ 8 ]. Ibid. [ 9 ]. â€Å"FIJI Water Becomes First Bottled Water Company to Release Carbon Footprint of Its Products,† FIJI Water Press Release, Los Angeles, April 9, 2008, www.bevnet.com. [ 10 ]. James McMaster and Jan Nowak, â€Å"FIJI Water and Corporate Social Responsibility – Green Makeover or â€Å"Greenwashing†?, May 2009, Ivey Management Services. [ 11 ]. Heidi Sigelbaum, â€Å"Fiji Water by the numbers,† June 6, 2008. [ 12 ]. www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/pablo_calculate.php [ 13 ]. McMaster and Nowak, â€Å"Natural Waters of Viti Limited – Pioneering a New Industry in the Fiji Islands.†

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Making Research Decisions Essay

Chapter 12 – Discussion Questions (Making Research Decisions) # 5 a Yes—Depends—No: One problem would be that â€Å"depends† is very vague and doesn’t give reasons as to why someone would pick â€Å"no† at some point and â€Å"yes† at another. A way to make this better would be to add a â€Å"please describe† line or change the wording all together. There is no way to express â€Å"don’t know† or â€Å"undecided†. b Excellent—Good—Fair—Poor: One problem with this would be that it may not have as valid a measure as say an 8 point scale, â€Å"as the number of scale points increases, the reliability of the measure increases. Second, in some studies, scales with 11 points may produce more valid results than 3-, 5-, or 7-point scales† (Cooper and Schindler, 2011). What may be â€Å"good† to someone may be â€Å"fair† to another. c Excellent—Good—Average—Fair—Poor: People may have trouble telling the difference between â€Å"good† and â€Å"average† because shouldn’t â€Å"average† already be â€Å"good†? d Strongly Approve—Approve—Uncertain—Disapprove— Strongly Disapprove: An issue with this would be that it is an unbalanced scale, â€Å"unequal number of favorable and unfavorable response choices† (Cooper and Schindler, 2011). Chapter 5 – Discussion Questions (Terms in Review) # 1- 3 1. a Purpose: This is one way that managers can study and chose information. This way evaluates the â€Å"explicit or hidden agenda of the information source† (Cooper and Schindler, 2011). b Scope: The scope applies to the content of the information and the extent to which it covers such as any kind of limitations or time period sensitive data. c Authority: This factor looks at the quality and level of the information, for example what the source credentials are and whether it is primary, secondary or tertiary. d Audience: This has to do with the type, any specific characteristics, of people or groups of people â€Å"for whom the source was created† (Cooper and Schindler, 2011). e Format: This has to do with the way the data is presented â€Å"and the degree of ease of locating specific information within the source† (Cooper and Schindler, 2011). 2. Define the distinctions between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources in a secondary search. A primary source is one that uses a valid original work such as raw data and is the most valid type of data. Secondary sources interpret the data and research from a primary source, an example of this would be a textbook or news article. A tertiary source is one that presents and interprets data that has been found from secondary sources. 3. What problems of secondary data quality must researchers face? How can they deal with them? One of the biggest problems with secondary data is the fact that the information being citied is an interpretation of the original data. The best way to avoid a misinterpretation of the data is to look for the original or primary source that is referenced in the secondary source and directly quote or use the data from that. This will eliminate the chance of having misinterpreted data put into an important project and it will lend you an additional source. Researchers should evaluate and select information sources based on the 5 factors. Read the case study, State Farm: Dangerous Intersections. Answer discussion questions 1 through 5. 1. Identify the various constructs and concepts involved in the study. To answer this question we must define what a concept and construct is, â€Å"an image or idea specifically invented for a given research and/or theory-building purpose† (Cooper and Schindler, 2011). A concept is â€Å"a bundle of meanings or characteristics associated with certain events, objects, conditions, situations, or behaviors† (Cooper and Schindler, 2011). A construct of this study is that if State Farm gives money to the states of dangerous intersections to fix them this will decrease the amount of claims in that area due to the intersection becoming safer due to alternate construct. A concept would be that State Farm cares about their customers. Another construct would be that the amount of claims in a given intersection is due to poor construct. Another concept would be that State Farm wants to help states to improve their intersections. 2. What hypothesis might drive the research of one of the cities on the top 10 †¨dangerous intersection list? An example of a hypothesis that may influence the research of one of the top 10 dangerous intersection list would be â€Å"This intersection is one of the top ten most dangerous intersections in the United States† or â€Å"This intersection is where 50% of the states accident claims occur.† 3. Evaluate the methodology for State Farm’s research. I would say that State Farm’s methodology is concrete because it specifies exactly what the variables are and how the study is constructed. They also implemented a measurement system for classifying accidents. 4. If you were State Farm, how would you address the concerns of transportation engineers? I would provide suggestions of what the constructs of the safest intersections in a comparable size city are and help the engineers come up with a solid and safe plan to reconstruct the intersection. I would need to make sure the engineers understood the idea of future studies as well as how the grant could assist them. 5. If you were State Farm, would you use traffic volume counts as part of the †¨2003 study? What concerns, other than those expressed by Nepomuceno, do you have? My concerns would be out of date data. That data would be almost ten years old and may not be the most accurate at this point. I would want to complete more relevant data for say the last 5 years. I would think it as prudent to include traffic volume counts and compare them to different areas because if there is less traffic at a given site there is more then likely going to be fewer accidents. I would propose to use different studies that compare different volume counts in different geographic areas to make the statistics more complete.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Business Research Paper Topics

Business Research Paper Topics Business research papers are a common characteristic of any business courses. Writing a research paper based on a business topic is very easy, however most students normally have a difficult time coming up with the kind of papers that can earn them top grades. The secret to writing a good business paper is good preparation in terms of research. Just like any other research papers, business essays need to be well researched for them to be of high standards. The first thing that you will need to research on is the topic. You cannot write a good business paper if you do not have a good topic. When you do your research well, you will be able to come up with a good topic for your paper. Business research paper topics come in a variety of subjects. The kind of topic that you choose for your paper should reflect the subject area of your interest. A good business research paper topic should get the attention of your reader from the word go. This means that the topic must be written creatively using correct grammar. The topic also needs to be straight to the point. Make sure that the topic is specific and original. To be able to choose a good topic for your paper, you have to understand your subject area quite well. Doing some thorough research will enable you to get a specific topic which you are comfortable writing about. If you do not find research material from your local library, the internet is a god place to look for business research paper topics and ideas. 5 most popular business research paper topics: How has the economic crisis affected the microfinance industry? How is farming important to the economy? What can organizations do to improve employee competence? Does a nation’s budgetary allocation affect its economic performance? How does illiteracy contribute to economic stagnation?

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Ellen Fairclough Biography

Ellen Fairclough Biography About Ellen Fairclough Ellen Fairclough became the first Canadian woman federal cabinet minister when she was appointed Secretary of State by Prime Minister Diefenbaker in 1957. Vivacious, intelligent and competent, Ellen Fairclough had a mixed record in cabinet. Her attempt to restrict family immigration sponsorships to immediate family members caused an uproar in the Italian community, but she was successful in introducing regulations that largely removed racial discrimination from Canadian immigration policy. Birth January 28, 1905 in Hamilton, Ontario Death November 13, 2004 in Hamilton, Ontario Professions Before entering politics, Ellen Fairclough was a Chartered Accountant and owner of a Hamilton accounting firm.She was active in the Consumers Association of Canada, the Girl Guides, the I.O.D.E., the United Empire Loyalist Association, and the Zonta Club of Hamilton and Zonta International.After leaving politics, she worked in a trust company and was then chairman of Ontario Hydro.Ellen Fairclough published her memoirs Saturdays Child in 1995. Political Party Progressive Conservative Federal Riding (Electoral District) Hamilton West Political Career of Ellen Fairclough She was first elected to the House of Commons in a by-election in 1950. She was the only woman in the House of Commons until three others were elected in the 1953 general election. Ellen Fairclough was elected to Hamilton City Council in 1946. She served on the Hamilton City Council for five years until 1949.As Progressive Conservative labour critic, Ellen Fairclough introduced a private members bill requiring equal pay for equal work and advocated the creation of a Department of Labour Womens Bureau.With the election of a Conservative minority government in 1957, John Diefenbaker grudgingly appointed Ellen Fairclough to cabinet as Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, Ellen Fairclough initiated Dominion Day celebrations on Parliament Hill.The Conservatives won a majority government in 1958, and Ellen Fairclough was appointed Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. At the beginning of her time at Citizenship and Immigration, Ellen Fairclough ran into political problems, especially from the Italian community, when she tried to limit immigration family sponsorships to immediate family members, and was forced to back down. In 1962 however, she successfully b rought in regulations which went a long way towards the elimination of racial discrimination in Canadian immigration policy. She was moved to the Postmaster General portfolio in 1962.Ellen Fairclough was defeated in the 1963 election.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Executive MBS Program Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Executive MBS Program Objectives - Essay Example As the report stresses working with limited capital has necessitated that the author takes a lower risk approach to business which often offers less return on investment. His plan has been to carefully assess the downside potential and creatively formulate a plan which will identify areas open to realistic growth potential. This has been successful in producing modest gains and the author plans to continue this business model until such time that he accumulates the capital required to engage in higher risk ventures. This will require him to have a better understanding of the calculation of the risks associated with his desired returns. A commitment to hard work can often be the difference in the return on a low risk investment. However, a high-risk venture will also require a deeper understanding of the science behind the business. This paper declares that the organizational skills learned through the Executive MBA Program will be vital in understanding how people function within an organization. The management of people is the management of human nature. Eliciting the most reasoned and sound decisions from people without the limits of emotionalism is primary to running a successful business. The tools required to gain exposure in these areas are acquired in the classroom through academic study, and the continued deliberate structuring of a sound business plan. This assures that people are able to work together to elevate the level of the group beyond any individual's performance. His desire as a manager is to obtain the training necessary to allow me to gain the experience to accomplish the running of a larger, corporate organization.

Friday, November 1, 2019

What impact does emotional intelligence have upon communication in Essay

What impact does emotional intelligence have upon communication in social work organisations - Essay Example Emotional intelligence enables an individual to be emotionally competent, which is essential for efficient social interaction and communication. Emotions are essential in communication, conveying information of what people are thinking, their intentions, and in facilitating social encounters (Kelter and Haidt, 2001). Caregivers must develop the art, listening openly and sending convincing responses. This entails recognizing emotional signals and clues and understanding their meaning and context. Social workers must listen with the aim of developing a mutual understanding with the client and should be ready to welcome the sharing of information fully with the client. A person with positive emotional health is highly social (Argyle and Lu, 1990) whereas a person with negative emotional health is antisocial and keeps other people at bay (Furr and Funder, 1998). Positive emotions in service provision have a desirable effect independent of interpersonal relationships that result in greater work output, persistence, and enhanced cognitive abilities. A caregiver with positive emotions is able to influence social care users in a more positive way, which can enable them make positive changes in their lives. Positive emotionality enables social-work care givers respond to aggressive behaviours directed to wards them in a calm, non aggressive and even polite manner. This requires a very high degree of emotional restraint and care givers who are not emotionally mature or who have no experience will respond aggressively breaking and blocking the communication channels with their clients. Negative emotions are counterproductive and lead to poor interpersonal relationships, lack of job focus, and society to have very negative perception of caregivers and welfare programs. Optimistic social workers are able to make cognitive evaluation of a situation, make adaptive coping strategies to deal with stressful situations and