Irish Culture

Struggles between different national, cultural, and religious identities became known as â€Å"trouble times† in Northern Ireland. The fighting began as far back as 1921, and did not reach an agreement, called the Good Friday Agreement until May 22, 1998. The Protestant’s considers them self British and supports the United Kingdom, or Unionist. While the Catholics, which are in the minority only by 44%, considers thierself to be Irish. The Catholics want a united Ireland and most are nationalist. â€Å"The latest version of â€Å"the troubles† in Northern Ireland was sparked in late 1968, when a civil rights movement was launched mostly by Catholics, who had long faced discrimination in areas such as electoral rights, housing, and employment. This civil rights movement was met with violence by extreme unionists and the police, which in turn prompted armed action by nationalists and republicans. Increasing chaos and escalating violence led the UK government to deploy the British Army on the streets of Northern Ireland in 1969 and to impose direct rule from London in 1972. † (Archick, 2013) Trying to come to a resolution in Northern Ireland the government signed the peace treaty known as the Good Friday Agreement, it transfer the power from London to Belfast where the two parties, Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive Committee, or the Nationalist and Unionist would share power. Reference Archick, K. (2013). Northern Ireland: The peace process. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21333.pdf BBC News. Northern Ireland: The peace process. Retrieved from BBC News. (2006, January 27). Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4072261.stm Irish Culture Struggles between different national, cultural, and religious identities became known as â€Å"trouble times† in Northern Ireland. The fighting began as far back as 1921, and did not reach an agreement, called the Good Friday Agreement until May 22, 1998. The Protestant’s considers them self British and supports the United Kingdom, or Unionist. While the Catholics, which are in the minority only by 44%, considers thierself to be Irish. The Catholics want a united Ireland and most are nationalist. â€Å"The latest version of â€Å"the troubles† in Northern Ireland was sparked in late 1968, when a civil rights movement was launched mostly by Catholics, who had long faced discrimination in areas such as electoral rights, housing, and employment. This civil rights movement was met with violence by extreme unionists and the police, which in turn prompted armed action by nationalists and republicans. Increasing chaos and escalating violence led the UK government to deploy the British Army on the streets of Northern Ireland in 1969 and to impose direct rule from London in 1972. † (Archick, 2013) Trying to come to a resolution in Northern Ireland the government signed the peace treaty known as the Good Friday Agreement, it transfer the power from London to Belfast where the two parties, Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive Committee, or the Nationalist and Unionist would share power. Reference Archick, K. (2013). Northern Ireland: The peace process. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21333.pdf BBC News. Northern Ireland: The peace process. Retrieved from BBC News. (2006, January 27). Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4072261.stm

McDonald’s

McDonalds retail outlet resembles a machine in many ways. McDonald’s has many employees that were hired for a certain job position. Without those employees, there would be a missing part to the â€Å"machine†, therefore the business would not operate properly. The employees represent the parts to the machine that do one thing, over and over again. When you go to McDonalds, you place your order with the cashier, then the order is sent to the cooks, and then there is someone there who bags your food. Without any of those people how would McDonalds operate? If an employee calls out sick and doesn’t show up to work, they get someone to replace them. â€Å"Parts† are replaceable. In terms of Frederick Taylor's principles of scientific management, each task performed at McDonalds has one best method. It is the manager’s responsibility to find that best method. It is also the manager’s responsibility to hire and train the employee that is using that method. It is the employee’s responsibility to perform the task using that method in order for McDonalds to run properly. In terms of Max Weber's hierarchical structure, McDonalds is a major corporation for which it’s owner has the highest authority and responsibility that everyone below him are doing their job functions correctly in order to maintain a successful business. Then you have regional managers, district managers, store managers, assistant managers/ supervisors, and the employees. In terms of Henri Fayol's administrative principles of McDonalds, there is a chain of command from top to bottom. There are store owners, store managers, assistant managers, and the employees. There are organizational goals that must be met, and it is the responsibility of the managers to make sure that it’s employees are performing those tasks and following the rule that are applied to all. I believe McDonalds has been a successful franchise due to a consistent commitment to standards. McDonalds success thrives on adapting to consumer demands. McDonalds franchise restaurants became well known for the inspired and defining vision created by Kroc for his restaurant business. â€Å"Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value† was the company’s motto, and customers knew that no matter where they travelled, they could rely on those qualities at every McDonalds they visited. Kroc’s brilliant marketing insights produced many winning strategies. He launched â€Å"Hamburger University† in 1961 in Elk Grove, Illinois, to train all franchisees in every aspect of McDonald’s management. Kroc also targeted families as his best market share. This resulted in the debut of the â€Å"Ronald McDonald† clown character on television in 1963. There are many similarities in organization between McDonalds and other successful franchise organizations, such as Burger King, who was founded by James McLamore, and Glen Bell, founder of Taco Bell. These two mean visited McDonalds just after Ray Kroc back in 1954. They all were very impressed with the speedy business operation that served so many people at once. Mechanistic organization of McDonald’s retail outlets is the best method for the franchise with the process of innovation so characteristic of the McDonald’s enterprise because they kept their beliefs and values throughout all these years which has made them very successful to this day.

Apollo 13 Communication Plan

A Self Reflection: While working on the communication project, we were fortunate to have had Ron Howard’s â€Å"Apollo 13† movie for reference to comprehend the complexity the team faced upon the incident that befell the mission. Both Gene Kranz (Lead Flight Director and Project Manager) and Jim Lovell (Apollo’s commander) maintained absolute control of a chaotic situation. While the team was becoming intractable, Kranz reigned in by channeling the ideas with â€Å"one at a time people† and asking his engineers to â€Å"quiet down, Let's stay cool, let's work the problem† successfully taming an already chaotic situation through effective communications. In this dire situation, the only possible way to get the astronauts home was through extraordinary teamwork and ingenuity, led by Kranz, who was adamant that â€Å"Failure is not an option. † It was an unprecedented display of resolve, inventiveness and above all an exhibition of the utmost emotional intelligence there is. Awed by the interpersonal skills and assertiveness of Gene Kranz, I reflected back on my own life experiences where I could have been on more solid footings had I been able to control my emotions and use them wisely for a better outcome. This assignment really served as a virtual lab where I repeatedly found myself asking what if it were me in their stead? What would I do? How would I behave? What would I say? And above all would I have what it takes to bring the astronauts back home? This exercise asserted that the need to clearly define roles, responsibilities and objectives, and to communicate them to the stakeholders is paramount. We are, each of us, part of the system. We all serve an equally important role, and objectives cannot be achieved without the contribution of all. Aucoin states in chapter nine â€Å"the projects are all â€Å"right-brain† projects†¦Ã¢â‚¬  One can appreciate the value of this sentence after working the communication exercise, as the inspiration it conveyed was truly boundless. Indeed I will put forward and utilize the right-brain capabilities in my own projects moving forward. Applying those right-brain concepts to the information technology sphere of work would definitely put a positive spin on projects as we often manipulate ideas, concepts, and models before committing to the implementation. We frequently fail because we focus on technology ignoring the communication and collaboration piece and rarely utilize the right-brain concepts that can help us align our technology with the common goal.

Marketing plan on the composition - the Mind the Gap Assignment

Marketing plan on the composition - the Mind the Gap - Assignment Example The designer was Raymond Scott. From around 1960 with commencement with silver apples and white Noise bands, the electronic music has perpetually filtered through into pop music with its eventual financial marketability conducted in 1980s and the advancement of the Synth Pop. Historically, the genre has gone forward to grab grooves in the 70s and funk or disco in the electronic composition. After that electronic become an original entity of itself resulting in the spinning of the new sounds and subsequent subgenres. The initial breakthrough began in post- disco environment on the environs of Chicago (Kotler & Scheff, 2006, Pp56). Mind the Gap! Is an independent record that I have composed ad plans to introduce my talented friend based in Cyprus who has will then compose the lyrics to the music. The music borrows from the events of experienced when train comes close to the platform. The independent single invests hugely in the ever growing funs of electronic music that anticipates locally composed electronic music. Currently, the music genre assumes close to 10% percent of the market share for close to 10 years. Globally , the music is hugely valued by close to 3 billion people mainly youths who consumes the audio contest in terms of the CDs, MPs, sheet music and file downloads with further licensed deals(King & Feist, 2009, Pp45).

Internal Control System. The Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) Essay

Internal Control System. The Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) - Essay Example I believe that one of the most important aspects of a control system is the risk assessment. If a company does not assess a particular risk adequately the firm will not establish adequate internal controls because the problem was never identified. Risk assessment serves as a preventive measure that can be used to create an adequate plan of attack to deal with a problem. In the famous Enron scandal the lack an internal control system allowed Fay, Skilling, and Fastow to collude and steal millions of dollars. 2. When an internal control mechanism is evaluated in phases the accountants can better segment the problematic areas of the system. If for instance deficiencies are found in the monitoring phase; the company can inject money and resources to attempt to fix the problem. It is easier to perform micro evaluations than to evaluate a system as a whole. Clearly identifiable phases create added reliability in the system. Looking at the end results of the accounting cycle or at the finan cial statements is not the best way to detect fraud. About 10 years ago the Enron Corporation got away with accounting murder when they inflated their earnings by one billion in 2000 when in reality the firm did not have any profits. A good internal control system could have prevented this scandal from ever occurring. I agree with you that some companies do not have well defined activities. One of the reasons that this occurs is due to budgetary constraints. Implementing control mechanisms is quite expensive. It is estimated that Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act costs between $1 to 3 million to implement yearly. I think that despite the fact that internal control mechanism can be expensive sometimes it is better to assume the expenses than to pay the consequences. Employee theft can be prevented by placing cameras in the warehouse where inventory is kept. Another technological innovation that can be used to protect inventory is the use of RFID tags. RFID tags allow a company to track the movement of merchandise. These systems are the long term solution to substitute the current scanner system used at the majority of retail stores. 4. I agree with you that the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) requires that companies implement all the components of an internal control mechanism. The Sarbanes Oxley Act goes a step further in its requirement of internal controls. All public companies must include within the annual report a section dedicated to reporting the internal controls of the firm. I think that SOX was a tremendous idea, despite the high implementation costs. Nobody wants to go back to a business environment in which record bankruptcies were occurring largely due to accounting misbehavior. 5. I tend to agree with you that the five components of internal control are universal. As you mentioned the environment is key to the effectiveness of an internal control. As you mentioned in your response the environment of a company is largely controlled by the managerial staff. Companies that are corrupt often have leaders that allow that type of unethical behavior. I have heard of companies that have been turn into unethical companies because they let external factors such as foreign cultures cloud their judgment. If for a company it is unethical to accept a bribe in the United States, the rules should not change just because you are doing business in China. 6. I think that the lack of any of the five components automatically makes a system weaker from the perspective of how good the system could be. Just because one component of the internal control is missing does not mean that that system is weaker than another company’s system that includes all five components. For instance a company may not have a necessity to monitor due to the fact that the firm has few

Pros and Cons of US Capitalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pros and Cons of US Capitalism - Essay Example A capitalist economy or society with some degree of regulation of inequality, environment and the monopoly of power creates different outcomes as opposed to a purely capitalist one. The American capitalist system has significant government intervention in various fields such as healthcare, education and transport.1 There are various pros to the American type of capitalism. They include the following: The U.S capitalism system stimulates and encourages economic development. In a capitalist based system, the firms and individuals have incentives to be innovative and work hard in creating a climate promoting innovation and economic expansion.2 Thus, this is helpful in increasing the real gross domestic product (GDP) growth. It also leads to improvement in the living standards because there is a creation of wealth. Thus, enabling higher living standards. In theory, everyone is a beneficiary of the increasing wealth. It creates a trickle-down outcome from the rich to the poor. The American capitalism market has created increased competition. Competition is a natural outcome of capitalism. It is advantageous and beneficial because increased competition produces high quality products and a decreasing price of the product. Capitalism rewards firms and organizations that produce high quality products at the lowest market prices. It results in an increasing market share for the product producer. It forces firms to be more efficient in their means of product production. The efficiency pressurizes the firms to reduce product costs and avoid wastages. State-owned firms often tend to be wasteful and inefficient. For example, they are unwilling to get rid of surplus workers or methods of production that are wasteful. Furthermore, the state-owned corporations have fewer incentives to initiate innovative working practices. Another advantage of the American capitalist society is that the private sector has the means to ownership of

How globalization implicate the international business Essay

How globalization implicate the international business - Essay Example In the context of this paper, the definition of globalization that would be more relevant is the following: globalization is ‘a cluster of technological, economic and political processes that reduce the barriers to economic exchange across borders’ (Drezner 2008, p.10). A key sector of international business that has been affected by globalization is marketing. In fact, in regard to marketing globalization has a particular characteristic: it focuses on ‘the creation of marketing strategies as though the entire world were a single entity’ (Pride and Ferrell 2004, p.135). A company that highly reflects the promotion of globalized marketing is Nike: the specific company promotes its products worldwide by employing the same marketing strategies (Pride and Ferrell 2004). For Nike, the use of such marketing strategy is feasible, and effective, since the firm has a strong brand name internationally; in such business culture, the above marketing approach can significantly contribute in the further increase of the firm’s popularity, as a global brand (Pride and Ferrell 2004). The case of Nike implies that globalization in marketing could benefits business performance, but under certain terms, as explained above. In practice, globalization has been found to result both to benefits and disadvantages for international businesses. An important benefit of these businesses, as resulted from globalization, is the ‘creation of global markets’ (Debrah and Smith 2003, p.8). In these markets, international businesses are able to secure the high quality of their products but at lower prices, as compared to the markets in the pre-globalization period (Debrah and Smith 2003). The limitation of business costs, a benefit usually achieved by establishing business units in developing countries, is an important benefit for international businesses but also a drawback for employees: in firms operating globally the rights of employees are often disregarded and wages can be

Report on two water provision methods Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On two water provision methods - Lab Report Example 21). This describes the situation of arid and semi-arid areas that constitute 30% of the land surface in the world. This means the areas may experience periods of sporadic water shortages, which may threaten the development of the community as well as the lives of the population. The situation is addressed through the establishment of water demand and supply balance that is multifaceted through the incorporation of water provision projects in the regional planning needs. The projects so incorporated should be tailor made to suit the specific problems of the region. Methods of water provision in arid areas The provision of water process may incorporate a diverse range of methods that seek to establish a stable and renewable water supply and demand chain for the arid regions. These options range from the construction of dams to create reservoirs, desalinization processes, ground water reserves exploration, reusing of wastewater, and enhancing rainwater collection methods. However, some factors in the regions serve to rule out some options as the preferred modes. The option of rainwater collection is ruled out if the area receives minimal annual rainfall amounts. The area also requires a steady source of water in the form of a river, for the construction of a dam (Cipollina, Micale, and Rizzuti, 2009, p. 45). The amount of water availed by reusing is dependable on the amount available for use in the first place. This leaves desalinisation processes and the exploration of ground water reserves as the most viable options. Background information of the two methods 1) Desalinisation processes Desalinization also referred to as desalination, is a term used for any of the processes used to remove the large quantities of salts and minerals contained in saline water. The aim of the processes is to produce fresh water that is suitable for incorporation in irrigation and human consumption. The processes are preferred as they produce salts as byproducts that are used in the production of other products. This method of water provision is applicable in the setting of arid areas as most have underground water reserves that are high in salt content that make them unfit for human consumption and other general-purpose applications like irrigation (Wang 2008, p. 24). The method is specifically suitable for arid areas like Egypt and Israel that are next to unlimited saline water reserves in the form of the sea. 2) Underground water exploration Ground water is the collection of water in the ground that results from the infiltration and percolation of water from various forms of precipitation ranging from rainfall to snow, which is then trapped in bedrock consisting impermeable rocks. The location of these water resources is not restricted to specific regions as it is found nearly everywhere (Raghunath2007, p. 71). However, the usable and reliable quantities are only found in rock formations known as aquifers with sufficient voids between them enabling the holdi ng and conducting of water. This means that most arid areas are sitting on large water reserves that may act as stable water supply sources in the areas if they are explored (Webb 2006, p. 12). Comparison between the two methods Processes used i) Desalinization Originally, the processes of desalinization applied vacuum distillation processes to separate the salts from the water. This involved the boiling the saline water in pressure conditions that are much

International Trade Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Trade Operations - Essay Example This issue has been chosen as the central objective of this report and therefore, assessing various payment risks underlying the operations of the company concerned in international markets, this report highlights the crucial steps that need to be taken by ABC Ltd to reduce these risks to the extent that can enable the company to minimize the probability of incurring loss in the course of international trade. As the report declares the company confronts with two kinds of risks undermining the payment in consequence of international trade. These risks could be in two forms; either in the form of non-payment by the importer or in the form of late-payment due to a number of reasons. There are many factors that bring about the risk underlying payment in the international trade. As the business operations are carried out on the cross-border level, several international as well as domestic events taking place within both the exporting and importing countries may have their impact on the extent of risk associated with payment. This is the greatest risk underlying the export trade, which may cause substantial business loss to the exporter. ABC Ltd is providing electronic goods to both the developed as well as developing countries therefore, it comes across many cases in which it fails to receive export payments form the importers due to lack of credit worthiness, no or little information about im porter, government policies and protection, lack of legal action and due to insecure payment modes. RISK OF LATE PAYMENT This is another risk underlying export payments, which may also cause irreparable loss to the company. The manufacture of electronic goods requires continued flow of capital that is ensured by secured payment from the buyers of the products. Late payments may entail innumerable problems for the business in terms of re-scheduling its manufacturing process. Information about buyers and their countries can play an important role in pre-determining the probability of late payments and potential problems that may arise due to it. ASSESSMENT OF PAYMENT RISKS Following are the most common risks that are involved in receiving the payment of goods exported to other countries: Commercial risks The commercial risks that are associated with the export payment are intimately related to the importers credit worthiness. These risks may turn into business loss if the buyer becomes bankrupt or insolvent rendering the exporter unable to receive the payment for goods exported. The commercial risks also include the non-acceptance of goods on the part of importer, showing his unwillingness to pay (Trade Facilitation and Electronic Commerce, accessed 02.01.2006). ABC Ltd also confronts the risk of default on payment by a buyer or importer at the end of the credit period. The company risks the payment against goods exported when the buyer is less credit-worthy. Risks Associated With Different Payment Methods The following are the common modes of payment used by ABC Ltd. in export trade. Some of them are highly insecure and involve risk potential. The risks associated with t

Employee Mentoring Essay Example for Free

Employee Mentoring Essay Jankowicz (2005) mentions, that methodology is the process or approach to undertake a research or study. Prior to follow a methodology, it is essential to understand the research philosophy, which according to Grinnell (1993 cited Kumar, 1999, p. 6) â€Å"research is a structured inquiry that utilizes acceptable scientific methodology to solve problems and creates new knowledge that is generally applicable†. When researching it could be apply to any situation, either for professional or personal purpose. In this case, the main purpose of doing research is to develop an investigation about real situations that may increase or change the knowledge of a particular management problem (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2002). Therefore, the diverse research methods will be discussed in this chapter, which among other strategies it involves collection and analysis of the research data (Blaxter et al, 2001; Collis and Hussey, 2003). Research Philosophy  The understanding of philosophical positioning of research is useful in the way that helps researchers to clarify alternative designs and methods for a particular investigation and identify which are more likely to work in practice (Ghauri et al, 1995). In this case, research philosophy is about the way the researcher perceives the development of the knowledge and the way the information can be acquire through different processes, besides it provides an ideology to carry out the research (Collis and Hussey, 2003; Saunders et al, 2003; Bryman, 2004). Therefore, there are two main views related to research philosophies: positivism and phenomenological, which is also known as interpretivism approach (Denscombe, 2002; Collis and Hussey, 2003; Saunders et al, 2003; Jankowicz, 2005). Saunders et al. (2003) point out that the phenomenological approach proposes the discovery of subjective meanings in for example humans’ behavior in order to understand and give interpretations to their actions and reactions to particular situations (Collis and Hussey, 2003; Saunders et al. , 2003). Nevertheless, it is important to have in mind that one is not a better philosophy than the other. The philosophy â€Å"depends on the research question that the researcher is seeking to answer† (Saunders et al, 2003, p. 85). From the above mentioned, the research philosophy of this study is based on the develop of skills and knowledge without aiming to generalized and seeking for the truth, but to focus on understanding of human behavior based on the descriptions and experiences of people in specific situations (Collis and Hussey, 2003; Saunders et al. 2003; Jankowicz, 2005). Hence, this research will take an interpretivism philosophy, because the study is related with employee mentoring and attitudes towards job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The role of social learning processes and characteristics of a good mentor may have a great influence on the above mentioned attitudes of employees, which is based on different meanings and interpretations that individuals could have on their own experiences. In addition, Collis and Hussey (2003, p. 7) said â€Å"it is an approach which assumes that the social world is constantly changing, and the researcher and the research itself are part of this change†. Not only the social world is changing, but also the global business environment is and using an interpretivism approach provides flexibility to confront those changes. Whereas the positivistic approach is characterized by seeking law-like results that can be generalized and there is an objective truth that exist in the world and can be revealed through the scientific method, where the focus is on measuring relationships, systematically and statistically, between variables. Research Approach According to Saunders et al (2003), a research is conducted to analyze existing theories, or to establish new theories as a result of recent findings. This will depend on whether the approach is deductive or inductive. A deductive approach is where the researcher develops a theory which will be tested, whereas an inductive approach is where the theory will be developed from the analysis of the data that is going to be collected. The nature of this research is not to find a specific theory but an explanation of an existing situation, for example, in today’s global business environment. Therefore, this research will place the inductive approach which is closely related with the interpretivism philosophy due to its characteristic of not assuming results that are inferred from general conjectures, but developing an explanation from the data collected where general conjectures are induced from specific cases (Jankowikz, 2000; Collis and Hussey, 2003; Saunders et al. , 2003). Research Purpose  An important part of a research and mainly seeing it from the perspective of its objectives, is to identify the purpose of it, which according to some authors can be classified as exploratory, descriptive, explanatory and predictive (Kumar, 1999; Saunders et al. , 2000; Collis and Hussey, 2003). Whereas, the exploratory study is carried out to explore areas, identify variable and look for hypothesis instead of confirming hypothesis, the predictive study forecasts the result of an event and anticipate the outcomes of that event which is under study. On the other hand, an explanatory (analytical) study focuses on studying a situation or a problem in order to discover and measure the relationship between variables, while a descriptive study identifies, describes and provides information of a particular issue (Kumar, 1999; Saunders et al. , 2000; Collis and Hussey, 2003). Therefore, the purpose of this research, taking into account its objectives is exploratory due to the fact that it tries to examine the impact of employee mentoring on their attitudes towards job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The role of social learning processes is also very important in the relationship between mentoring and job attitudes. The qualities of a mentor also play a great role in this relationship. Hence, it would lead to find strategic recommendations for the organization involve in this investigation. Data Collection To answer the research question and achieve the objectives of the research there is the need to collect data, (Saunders et al. , 2000). There are two main data resources, secondary and primary data. Secondary data is the one that already exists from previous investigations and it can be found in books, journals and films (Saunders at al, 2003). Primary data is the one that is recollected from the research and it can be obtained by using methods such as questionnaires, interviews, focus group, and other (Collis and Hussey, 2003). Saunders et al. (2003) points out that literature review helps to develop an understanding and insight into relevant previous research. Collis and Hussey (2003), add to Saunders’s point of view saying that exploring the existing literature will help to have a better overview on previous research that has been conducted and its impact on the studied research problem. In addition, Saunders et al (2003) classify the secondary data into three types: documentary, survey-based and multi-source. For this investigation, it will be useful the documentary secondary data because written documents such as articles taken from the Internet, journals, books among others, could be relevant information to be used.

Corporate social responsibility in Tesco

Corporate social responsibility in Tesco Abstract This research seeks the concepts of corporate social responsibility in terms of present business world. Here I want to analyse the necessity and importance of CSR for an organisation to running a better business in all around the world and how an organization can achieve a competitive advantage over his competitors being socially responsible to his community. Here this study will analyse the argument of CSR as well. For the above objective of this research, I will look at one of the best worldwide retail company which is based on UK by the name of Tesco. This paper will also look at the CSR activity of Tesco and try to look at that is the CSR activity for his community within the Tesco is really profitable not only for them but also for their stakeholders and community as well? Objective The foremost objectives of this research are as follows: I would like to discuss the necessity of corporate social responsibility. To look at the importance of CSR. To achieve a greater knowledge that how can a company get a competitive advantage by following CSR activity throughout the community as a whole. To analyse the dispute of CSR Introduction According to the MACMILLAN Dictionary, Corporate social responsibility is a belief that a company should consider the environmental and social effect of its activity on its employee and the community around it. However CSR while a situations where the firm goes further than observance and engages in actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law. (McWilliams and Siegel; 2001) .lying on a broad array of issues corporations are encouraged to behave socially responsibly (Welford and Frost, 2006; Engle, 2006). Even though businesses have underway to recognize the significance of CSR and a extensive varieties of initiatives have come to light (Nelson, 2004).CSR should be good for business for not only long term success, it also useful for society, community, employee and environmental as well. In UK, most of the company (government and private) are very concern about CSR activities and now UK is one of the leading contributors internationally in CSR thinking and practise. (CSR Government update, 2003) Now a days we are living in a complex and unconvinced world. Corporate scandal, uncertain economy, threat of terrorism, stock market downturn etc is the major causes of reducing trust and stability in corporate sector and its leaders. For example, A historic environmental disaster caused by BP where they spent the past decade using splashy ads to promote itself as a green company (Rachel beck; 2010). In UK, 44% of the British public consider that it is very important for company to shows a high Degree of social responsibility when they buy the companys product where 58% of general public in all around the Europe believe that commerce and industries do not pay enough attention to the society and environment. (Arthur D Little; 2003) In those cases, the concepts of CSR are increasing its value and necessity in the global business and corporate sector. In this research I want to discuss the significance of CSR in UK Retail Company. I want to investigate that the impact of CSR on the businesses and I want to discuss that what the retail companies are doing for covering their CSR activity within the community. Here in UK, some of the multinational retail company operating their business. Tesco is one of them who operating his business successfully. In every financial year, Tesco publish their CSR report which includes their present CSR progress and their aims and objectives. In this research, I want to look at Tesco`s CSR activity and is those activity really making any profit for their business and for community and environment as well. What is Corporate Social Responsibility? Corporate social responsibility (CSR) resources the task of a business in a reciprocally responsible approach whereby the business is: undertakes moral practices in employment and labour by convalescing workplaces concerned in building local communities and communicates with apprehensive communities concerning the consequences of its policies and products invests in building community infrastructure contributes to a cleaner environment, its security and sustainability Contributes via its corporate governance to monetary development at a bulky. (Gopal K. Kanjia and Parvesh K. Choprab; 2010) However One of the prime purpose of corporate social responsibility programme is outwardly  ´to build goodwill as a sort of business policy to be redeemed in case something goes badly wrong in the main part of business ´ (Smith and Cohon; 2004, p.21). As per Husted and De Jesus Salazar (2006) stated that CSR from a clearly cost benefit investigation under three scenario relating to the firm want to involve in CSR activity. The first one is Altruism which means that firms genuinely wishing to be socially responsible without observe to the bottom line. The second one is Coerced egoism where the firms performing in a socially responsible approach only when obliged by regulation. The third and final one is the Strategic use of CSR where there is clear benefit to the firm for engaging in CSR. Geoffrey P Lantas (2001) include some authors view about position in business role in society. Here Albert care and Milton Friedman stated their view for economic CSR- pure profit making view. On the other hand R Edward Freeman told about ethical CSR- socially aware view and Archi Carroll stated about altruistic CSR- community services view. Finally we can say that, CSR involves some kind of standardized reporting that allows the business to assemble information on how it is building evolution on different fronts. Businesses that connect in CSR characteristically centre on some or all of the subsequent: Environment: The requirement appears at the green impacts of products and services, with what the business does external the company to recover the environment. Employees: Its significant to certify that all employees are cared for effectively. Businesses habitually spotlight on workplace circumstances, benefits, living wages, and training. Communities: Engaging the immediate communities is an important part of not just creating good human capital that can serve the business, but also securing a standing that can further establish the business. Regulations: relating to regulations to the fullest and frequently exceeding them is part of being communally responsible. Definition of CSR The characterization of CSR is often debated. The UK government summarise the definition of CSR is that- Ê ºThe government sees CSR as the business contribution to our sustainable development goal. Essentially it is about how business takes accounts of its economic, social and environmental impact in the way it operates- maximising the benefits and minimising the downsides. Specifically, we see CSR is the voluntary action that business can take, over and above compliance with minimum legal requirements, to address both its own competitive interest and the interest of wider societyÊ º (Source -www.csr.gov.uk). Some other definitions are as follows: Figure 1: Persistent matrix of corporate social responsibility (Gopal K. Kanjia; Parvesh K. Choprab (2010) Carroll (1983) stated a definition of CSR which is Corporate social responsibility involves the conduct of a business so that it is economically profitable, law abiding, ethical and socially supportive. To be socially responsible Then means that profitability and obedience to the law are foremost Conditions when discussing the firms ethics and the extent to which it supports the society in which it exists with contributions of money, time and talent (p.608). European Commission (2006) stated that -Ê º The concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisÊ º The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) (2000, p. 10) gave a clearer definition of CSR is Ê ºcommitment of business to contribute to sustainable development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of lifeÊ º. Kivuitu Yambayamba and Fox (2005, p. 1) once more illustrated that The concept of CSR is sometimes used as shorthand for business contribution to sustainable development. Coleman (2006, p. 1) understand that CSR as division of business principles And defines it as the managerial obligation to take action that protects and improves the welfare of society as a whole and promotes the interest of the organization. Starbucks, CSR report in 2004 stated that A responsible company is one that listened to its stakeholders and responds with honesty to their concerns Those are the few definition of CSR. Basically it is very difficult to give a specific and accurate definition of CSR in terms of present competitive word. If I look at above those discussions, there is some key word which is clearly involved with the fact of CSR. For example -to achieve sustainable goal, voluntary action for society, promoting green environment etc. Basically CSR is the way to improve the quality of life by working with employees, society, stakeholder, community and should be responsible for promoting a green and safer environment for present and the next generation as well. Could do with for Corporate Social Responsibility In this global economy, a business firm should be socially responsible if they want to survive in this competitive market. A growing number of shareholders and investors began to accept the idea that CSR can lead to financial return on the long run (Min-Dong Paul Lee; 2008). Pratima Bansal in (2002) gave an explanation that why firm should become socially responsible. She stated three reasons behind this. Those ares- It immediately makes a good business intellect for the firm. If every company is doing this, we have to do it. On a top management team within an organization, there sometimes an influential person who really cares about those issues and looking for an opportunity for making the way the company is run as an extension of his or her commitment to society. Pratima Bansal (2002) also noted that there are a number of agency that make ranking for firms based on their corporate social responsibility and a number of mutual firm who meet their standard of socially responsibility. Such as Fortune Reputation Index and The Dow Jones sustainability Index. Business weeks climate groups make climate change ranking based on multinational company by their total reduction of greenhouse gases ( Michael Bowfield; 2007) There is a clear link between corporate social responsibility and financial performance of an organization. Geoffrey Heal (2004) stated in annual conference of the Monte Paschi Vita a wide-ranging list of the benefits that commentators have linked to CSR programmes. Those are: Reducing risk Reduced waste Improving dealings with regulators Generating brand equity Improved human relations and employee productivity Lower cost of capital. A news item from Business Respect in 2007 published about a survey between business leaders about their view towards CSR. From this investigation, business leaders understand and settled strong beliefs That CSR can increase profit and the confidence that having good environmental management is more than purely public relation focused. Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee (2005) told that company have understanding a range of bottom line reimbursement for adopting CSR policy. For example, better sales and market share, add to corporate reflection and clout, strengthened brand positioning, boost ability to create a centre of attention, motivate and retain employees, decline operating cost, increase demand to investors and financial crisis. There are several situations where social responsibility of a business becomes obligatory. Some of these situations which demonstrate the requirement of Corporate Social Responsibilities are discussed below. A societal move towards to business is the existing business viewpoint, which demands business organizations to be receptive to the social exertion. As a consequence of globalization of business, global companies activate in a big way in their host countries. To facilitate ascertain a good corporate illustration; they include social responsibility as a corporate purpose. Native companies are strained to follow outfit for maintaining their corporate uniqueness. In the terms and conditions of collaborations agreements, very often, social welfare stipulations are included which necessitates the collaborating company to take up social responsibility of business. On account of legal requirements, companies have to deliberate on social problems. Corporate contributions of social welfare projects of permitted NGOs are exempted from income tax in UK. An organizations obligation to social responsibility creates a good corporate representation, and there by a enhanced business environment Community responsibility of business enables the organization to pick up its product positioning and thereby advance its market share. Extremely time and again situations insist due to natural calamities, accidents and so on. Consequence of Corporate Social Responsibility In 2005 poll, 81% executive said that corporate social responsibility is indispensable for their business. They have a different view that what the exact meaning of Corporate social responsibility but the majority of them believe that business should serve as a steward in society and that it has a duty to investor, employees, consumers, community and the environment ( Michael Blowfield and Alan Murray; 2008). Commencing a documentary on BBC, in the year of 1996, 267 companies publish CSR report. But nowadays this sum is in excess of 3000.The another business reporter Will Smale(2006) stated that now a days it is very hard to find a multinational company that doesnt articulate a commitment to CSR. Maturana and Varela define the CSR by saying is that when two or more human beings generate a relationship, they have an ethical responsibility to the other humans in that relationship. Corporations are gradually more adopting socially responsible actions, conduct, policies and processes. A corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy is beneficial not only for a corporations bottom line but also for its employees, stakeholders, consumers and for communities, the environment and the social order. In 2003, 1in to fortune 500 firms had a board committee enthusiastic to environmental issue which is now 1 in 4. The number of business school those are offering green courses 34% in 2001 which is in 2007 is 63%.However CSR focused jobs increased 37% from 2005 to 2008. Furthermore, 97.3% people are agreeable to make a financial give up for working a socially responsible company. (Sources: DevelopmentCrossing.Com) William, Medhurst and Drew (1993, p.10) settled some payback for company who connect in CSR movement, those are: Superior access to capital Diminish operating cost Bounce back financial performance Enhance image Lets have a look importance of CSR to the community. Bob Manteau (2007) stated that now-a-days company have the responsibility to help the community where they make their money and it is become the requirement of present business. As per Moon and Muthuri (2006) corporate community involvement means that corporations need to support the community by providing Financial, material, or human skills through modes such as corporate contributions, strategic philanthropy, employee volunteering and community driven development. CSR to the community not only profitable for the community, it is profitable also for the company as well. Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick (2006) stated some of the significant benefits which may help to strengthen the business which are as follows: Employees moral will rise. Even if they take part in community activities where the company to be found rather than where they live, the co workers will be gratified by an opportunity to add meaning to the efforts they make to build the business. Business can come across that the word-of- mouth buzz about the company is assembly momentums. So it can be easier to find and attract the skill and highly enthusiastic new employees for the business. Community involvement activities increase the reputation among the customer and client around the local community. So business can expect greater customer loyalty and personal referrals for new business. Community oriented business can attract the civic leaders in all fields and it will be increase the chance to get access to community decision maker . If the reputation grows around the communities mind, it is very easier to get to know compatible business leaders which will be open the prospect for exchanging the ideas and experience, expanding the breadth of suggesting new ideas for business and for employees as well. Now we can look at the corporate community voluntary activities by some of the multinational company: Company Illustration of grounds supported Exemplar of Activities Tesco Being a good neighbour Bolstering local economy, Engaging people in their community. Asda Asda foundation Charitable work Co-operative Affinity products and services: raising awareness and funds for development Fairbourne Springs Oxfam mobile phone recycling scheme Charity cards in support of international development and human rights Ford Motor Company Affordable Housing Participating building homes for habitat for humanity Detroit IBM Mentoring school age-youth. One-on-one mentoring of students by volunteer employees. FedEx United way, National Safe kids Campaign and American Red Cross Participating in United way Day of Caring Morrison Taking good care of our shoppers, our colleagues and their Communities. Work, communities And healthy balanced lifestyles. Health, safety and wellbeing, skills training, education through Lets Grow programme and Customer service. Sainsbury Providing great service, quality products and being a good neighbour Creating jobs, Charitable work, fundraising etc. Waitrose Investing in local initiatives and encouraging Partner involvement. Charitable, involve partner and employees to volunteering work (Sources: Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury, FedEx, Morrison, IBM, Ford motor Company, Co operative and Asda website) Above this discussion, importance of CSR not only benefited for the community, it can bring the value for the company as well. Gaining competitive advantage by Corporate Social Responsibility Michael E. Porter and Mark R Kramer (2003) settled that a business organization can bring into play their philanthropy efforts to pick up their competitive context, such as the excellence of their business environment in that location where they operate. They also agree with that, this can be help to gain social and economic goal and improves a companys long term business prospects. Take an example from Tescos annual report which is published in 2010. Tesco donated 61.6m to cover their philanthropy activities. Philanthropy efforts can time and again be the most cost effective way for a company to look up its competitive context (context for strategy and rivalry, demand condition, related and supporting industries and factor condition) enabling companies to influence the efforts and infrastructure of non returns and other organization. (Michael E. Porter and Mark R Kramer; 2003) Ronclinelli and Berry (1999) also construct a statement that Socially responsible environmental practise may also lead to stronger sales and customer loyalty, increase productivity and quality, an enhance ability to attract and retain employees and in some cases, to reduce regulatory oversights or more favourable treatment by regulatory agency. (Bob Manteaw; 2007) Competitiveness around the companies depends on productivity with which company can use labour, capital and natural resources for producing high quality goods and services. Productivity depends on having workers who are educated, safe, healthy, decently housed and motivated by a sense of opportunity. A British business features many hurdles in the great effort to compete. A few of which, scheduled below: Stable need for modernization Problems recruiting and retaining high quality, stimulated staff Low down efficiency levels in evaluation with the UK, USA, Europe and China Expensive promotion campaigns to build brand reputation and responsiveness Legislation that is progressively more demanding and persistently changing Ever more selective customers both individuals and supply chain It is well acknowledged that contribution in ones community has delicate benefits and that corporate responsibility and community involvement initiatives are increasingly having noteworthy positive contact for many companies. Apart from generating substantial public goodwill, the undeviating effects of CSR for business are the subject of increasing research and analysis. Here is an outline of what this research is indicating: CSR can support companies to put together links with public policy makers, aid modernization, involve, motivate and retain employees, build corporate reputation and improve competitiveness. An upward number of companies have sky-scraping profile ethical projects and marketing campaigns. CSR is helping these companies to show the way the field and gain a competitive advantage . Progressively more the public see a companys ethical profile as a determining factor as to whether they will buy products or services. A strong company that engages in high profile CSR will be more tempting to a growing sector of the population. Some local establishment are philosophy about introducing an ethical element into their purchasing and procurement tender processes. Genuine CSR help you to stand out from the crowd when you are showcasing your company. Powerful environmental vestibule groups are overseeing to change UK legislation the Companies Act 2006 has corporate responsibility implications for company directors and publicly listed companies due to be implemented in 2008. The movement is likely to continue and early accomplishment would prepare you and your company for the future Argument of CSR Different perspectives on corporate social responsibility (CSR) live, each with their own outline. Michael Blowfield (2007) assured that there is diverse confirmation about the CSR. A number of citing evidence of consumer indicate that consumers can willing to pay higher prices for improve working condition within the firm where others emphasize the customer satisfaction and financial performance eventual have more control on company reputation. Some highlight management responsibilities towards stakeholders, others dispute that companies should actively contribute to social goals, and yet others reject a social responsibility of business beyond legal compliance. Michael Blowfield and Alan Murray (2008) fixed that CSR criticism goes down into four key areas. They are following: CSR is an outline forced on business by general society organization that damage profitability and therefore business ability to generate wealth for society. CSR at present dominated by business which be capable of shape the agenda in its own narrow concern. The current concerns of CSR are too narrow and avoid many of the key issue for which the public expects that business to take responsibility. CSR, to date, has failed to achieve its goal and CSR need to be more accurate and ground-breaking in the future. The Economist published a series of article in 20 January of 2005 where they presented that corporate social responsibility is a risk to the effective implementation of capitalism and free market and consequently to global prosperity. This article also stated that business can serve to people good if only they will concentrate to their long term profitability. Ethical Corporation (2005) make a comment against The Economist article. Their view is companys principle is to make a profit, whereas profit should be seen as an accurate derived from rewarding a social function. Geoffrey Chandler of Amnesty International also argue with The Economist and he told that corporate social responsibility doesnt begin with the belief that capitalism fails to serve the public images where CSR belief that unprincipled capitalism inflicts collateral damage on its entire stakeholder, including ultimately its stakeholders. There is another author Manheim (2004) stated about a different aspects of the damage done by CSR. He argues that CSR is a part of anti corporation strategy. Here is some common argument about CSR which is settled below: Businesses are owned by their shareholders money spent on CSR by managers is theft of the rightful property of the owners The leading companies who report on their social responsibility are basket cases the most effective business leaders dont waste time with this stuff Our company is too busy surviving hard times to do this. We cant afford to take our eye off the ball we have to focus on core business Its the responsibility of the politicians to deal with all this stuff. Its not our role to get involved I have no time for this. Ive got to get out and sell more to make our profit line. Corporations dont really care theyre just out to screw the poor and the environment to make their obscene profits Arguments offered in favour of CSR can be broadly split into two camps- Moral Economic. A moral argument for CSR As per Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick (2006) the true purpose of business is to add value- not just by transforming raw materials into goods and providing services but also by adding value to the lives of employee, community and for the sake of future generation by treading as lightly as possible to the planet. While recognizing that profits are essential for any business article to exist, all groups in society should try hard to add value and make life better. Businesses rely on the society within which they operate and could not exist or prosper in segregation. They require the infrastructure that society provides, its foundation of employees, not to declare its consumer base. CSR is appreciation of that inter-dependence and revenue of delivering on that obligation, to the common benefit of businesses and the societies within which they are based. CSR largely represents the affiliation between a company and the wider community inside which the company operates. It is acknowledgment on the part of the business that for profit entities do not exist in blankness, and that a large part of any success they enjoy is as much due to the context in which they operate as factors internal to the company alone. Charles Handy makes a convincing and logical argument for the purpose of a business laying beyond the goals of maximizing profit and satisfying shareholders above all other stakeholders in an organization: The purpose of a business is not to make a profit, full stop. It is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better. That something becomes the authentic justification for the business and It is a moral issue. To mistake the means for the end is to be twisted in on oneself, which Saint Augustine called one of the greatest sinsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.It is salutary to ask about any organization, If it did not exist, would we invent it? Only if it could do something better or more useful than anyone else would have to be the answer, and profit would be the means to that larger end. An economic argument for CSR An economic disagreement in favour of CSR can also be through. It is an argument of economic egotism that there are very real economic benefits to businesses pursuing a CSR strategy and is planned to persuade those businesses who are not positive by the moral case. Proponents of this argument believe that CSR represents a holistic approach to business. Therefore, an efficient CSR policy will introduce all aspects of operations. They believe the conduct corporations take today to integrate CSR throughout the organization signify a real point of segregation and competitive market advantage on which future success can centre. Introduction about Tesco Tesco is one of the worldwide largest retailers which are based on UK. It has 4,811 stores around the world. It is operating in 14 countries with 4, 72,000 people in worldwide. Tescos group sales are  £62.5bn in 2010. Their underlying profit before tax is  £3.4bn. The total revenue in UK, 2010 is  £38,558m. There are 2,482 stores in UK with 2, 87,669 employees. Gross Profit (Sources: www.tesco.com) Group sales  £bn (Source: www.tesco.com) As per annual report in 2010, Tesco is the most profitable online grocery retailer in the world. Tesco has moved into areas such as clothes, consumer electronics, consumer financial services, internet services, consumer telecoms and gas stations. Tesco now controls over 30% of the grocery market in U.K. As of March 2008, Tesco have a store in every postcode of the UK. Tesco has a strong strategy which consists of five elements reflecting their four recognized areas of heart added to Tescos commitments on community and the environment. Those are follows: Becoming a successful international retailer Growing the core UK business Becoming as strong in non-food as in food. Developing retail services To put the community at the heart of what they want to do. Some of the supermarkets percentage of share is stated below. SUPERMARKET SHARE Tesco: 30.6% ASDA: 16.6% Sainsburys: 16.3% Morrisons: 11.1% Somerfield: 5.4 Waitrose: 3.7% Iceland: 1.8% (Source TNS cited by BBC 2006) Tesco core UK strategy is earning customer loyalty by helping them for spending less with low price and affordable new product. For example- Discount brand. Corporate Social Responsibility in Tesco The Chief Executive of Tesco Terry Leahy made a statement about their vision towards CSR is that By supporting our customers and our staff, and by remaining focused on tackling

Reflective Essay On Breaking Bad News To Patients Nursing Essay

Reflective Essay On Breaking Bad News To Patients Nursing Essay Im writing a reflective essay based on Gibbs model of refection, this is a six stage evaluation process and promotes good practice through evaluation of experiences, aids learning and better understanding on how to deal with similar situations in future practice, the six stages comprise of description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and finally an action plan (Gibbs, 1998). The department of health (DoH) advises primary care, to use reflective practice and encourages integrated working with all professional within the community and hospitals of the local trust (DoH, 2000), which is incorporate in my reflection. All names and identities have been changed to maintain confidentially in accordance with the code of conduct (NMC, 2009). I will explore an experience I had whilst based in a local trust hospital, discussing a situation that I felt uncomfortable with and unsure how to manage emotionally, psychologically and professionally. This situation evolved after a patient had been giving bad news by a doctor and talks about the events after this occurred. I feel it is important to discuss breaking bad news as this area of communication is often an area that even the professional person finds difficult (Brewin, 1998). The inter-professional teams all have different education and preparation leading to different views as to how the subject should be managed and the best way to break bad news. Schildman et al. (2005) stated there is a need for specific education on breaking bad news, ensuring all professionals where proficient in this area with an aim to improve skills and continuity. By bad news Buckman (1984) described as any information given that is likely to dramatically alter a patients view of their future. The bad news that is delivered may not be about terminal illness or death but could be a lifestyle altering condition like diabetes, heart disease or HIV (Peate, 2006). Arber Gallagher (2004) defined bad news as any information given that is not welcome. Traditionally delivering bad news has been considered the doctors role, despite having little education or preparation in this area (Vandekieft, 2001). Although a nurse may not be delivering bad news directly, it is an inescapable part of healthcare (Price, 2006) and an integral part of their role (Tobin Begley, 2008). It is however, important to remember that the role of breaking bad news is not the responsibility of just one profession but should be a shared responsibility with all the inter-professionals within the multi disciplinary team (Jevon, 2010). Mr M, 72 year old male, admitted to the ward and initially presented with intense intermittent pain in pelvic area and legs. After several investigations with other hospital inter-professional teams Mr M underwent tests such as x-rays, cat scans and MRI scans. This led to a diagnosis that Mr M had bone and lung metastases, this is also known as secondary cancer. Metastatic cancer occurs when the cancer cells breaks from the primary site, relocate to another area of the body and then forms secondary tumours (American Cancer Society, 2010). Cancer is deemed as the most feared diagnosis in todays society (Kalber, 2009). The junior doctor had discussed these results with Mr M, whilst he remained on the ward and without another member of staff with him during the conversation. It is suggested that bad news should be delivered to the patient by someone they know (Lomas et al, 2004). This leads to a much debated subject as to who should break bad news (Brewin, 1998), due to the belief that some doctors are not well prepared and have lack of training and preparation for this task (Vandekeift, 2001). Whereas, the nurses have more communication with the patient and can build a better rapport (Jevon, 2010). The doctor with Mr M should have made him aware, that he had terminal cancer but we were unable to verify this. The written information in Mr Ms notes where thought by the nurses to be to brief and therefore not well recorded due to a lack of in-depth detail but the doctor could argue the notes were ok, they had acknowledge he had spoken to Mr M about his results. After the doctors consultation Mr M was positive and upbeat and still trying to do as much as he could for himself. Later that day he had spoken to me stating that the doctor wanted to run more test, informing me that they were going to look for the primary cancer site as this may be treatable. My intrinsic feeling was that Mr M thought he could be cured. This made me feel awkward and uncomfortable being around him and I found it difficult to know what to say to him, as I was aware of his terminal diagnosis. I was unsure as to what information the doctor had told Mr M or if the doctor had checked he had understood. As doctors have different education and views than the nursing staff it leads to professional indifferences. Mr Ms behaviour may have been his way of coping and could have indicated that he was in denial. Denial is a way for the individual to cope and regain some control, when bad news is delivered leading to an uncontrollable situation like a diagnosis of terminal illness (Burgess, 1994). I felt as if I was withholding information from him that he should be aware of. This made me feel as if I was lying to Mr M, something I was uncomfortable with and I felt compromised ethically, as I was more that aware of his rights to be informed and my code of conduct that states I should be open and honest (NMC, 2008). This made me want to avoid conversation with Mr M as I was unsure how to manage the situation and was worried in case he asked me any questions, as this could have led to further distress to myself or Mr M. However, it is normal when giving or receiving bad news to feel psychological distress but if supported and managed well you can avoid damaging long terms effects (Fukui et al, 2009). I had discuss with nurse in charge that I had concerns about Mr M and queried if he had definitely been told of his terminal diagnosis. Mr Ms mood and behaviour was monitored by the nursing staff over the next two weeks, with occasional subtle prompts for him to a sk any questions or to comment on how he felt. After this time the palliative care team were informed of Mr Ms situation and invited to the ward by the nursing team, to talk to Mr M and explain his illness was terminal, help him acknowledge this and start to come to terms with his situation and prepare himself and his family with what was to come. The palliative care team have more experience and practice in communication with those diagnosed with terminal cancer. The terminal patient can experience many different emotions (Peate, 2006), these have been studied by Kulber-Ross in the 1960s and Murry-Parkes in the 1980s. They both suggest that there are five stages of grief and structured these into models of bereavement (sometime known as the grief cycle). Kulber-Ross (1969) stated that not every person will react in the same way or go through all the stages in order. The five stages are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression or grief and then Acceptance. A dying patient will often go through these stages whilst coming to terms with their own death (Kulber-Ross, 1969). I felt it was good that Mr M had taken onboard some of the information the doctor had told him and he was in good spirits and trying to do as much as possible. That Mr M was able to communicate well with the nursing team and had benefited from the expertise, kindness and knowledge from all the inter-professional teams from the porters who regularly moved Mr M and showed patience and understanding regarding his pain, to the reassurance given him by the radiographers and their expertise to minimise his discomfort, pain and the palliative care team who showed patience and understanding and with their unique knowledge were able to help Mr M come to terms with his terminal cancer, understand it better and help him cope with his situation. All these people are specialist in their own fields and were involved with Mr Ms care amongst several others. It was good that personally I had built a good rapport with Mr M, which helped me to be aware of his behaviour and highlight my concerns with th e nurses. Enabling me to raise awareness and question the nurses as to if Mr M had been informed of his diagnosis or question was he in denial? I thought it was bad that no-one who had worked regularly with Mr M i.e. a nurse was with the doctor when he was told his diagnosis and that it was a junior doctor that Mr M did not know very well. The information about the discussion hadnt been recorded in detail, as to what was said and if Mr M had understood this information. So we had to make assumptions due to the lack of detail, we could only ascertain if Mr M was in denial through time. Also that I felt I had to avoid communication with Mr M as I found it difficult due to his terminal illness and was unsure what to say to him. I realised talking about dying directly with the dying patient an area I was uncomfortable with and felt unprepared for and therefore avoided the situation. This is echoed by Trovo de Arujo and de Silva (2004) where he suggested that many people will approach communication differently with a dying patient; this includes avoidance patterns, which may be due to difficulties in coping with human suffering a nd death. I have to assume the doctor had given Mr M the correct information about his diagnosis, which left the conclusion that Mr M had not fully understood this information or was in denial about his terminal cancer. I should have contacted the doctor who consulted with Mr M to ascertain as to how the information was given and how he felt Mr M had responded to this. Explaining Mr Ms current behaviour and his understanding that they were still looking for the cause of the cancer and this when located could be treated. This may have improved the situation, by leading to the doctor returning to re-explain to Mr M with another member of the ward. It is now thought that the doctor may not be the most appropriate person to give bad news and in some situations it may be better for a nurse to do this role (Resuscitation Council UK, 2006). If I was presented with a similar situation, I now feel I would manage the situation better, as I have learnt through reflection of these events. Sometimes caring for a dying patient can be daunting as in our nursing role we believe we are there to improve a patients health so they will get better (Peate, 2006) but the reality is we have a unique role to assist the patient to health or to a peaceful death (Henderson, 19996). Common sense and forward planning, the use of a structured model can help prevent any distress or communication disasters (Walker et al, 2001). I feel that the communication of bad news should be delivered to a patient avoiding medical terminology (Back et al, 2005), as this reduces misinterpretation (Innes, 2009). The inter-professional teams will benefit the individual by supporting each other and drawing on each others knowledge, helping to reduce long term distress (Fukui et al, 2009) or further avoidance of distressing situations. It is also important to be aware that every patient will react differently to bad news (Kulber-Ross, 1969) and to remember their family will also require lots of information and support at this time (Dougherty Lister, 2008).

Ernest Hemingway :: Free Essay Writer

Ernest Hemingway could ernest hemingway be considered a tragic figure in contemporary literature? Looking at Ernest Hemingway's past, you'd see that he lived a very tough, strict childhood. He was raised under the thoughts that if you had strong religion, hard work, physical fitness, and self determination you would be very successful no matter what field you were to go into. This made his relationship with his parents sort of complex. It was more of a difficult relationship with his mother. She was demanding, and was also known to be over bearing. She didn't accept Ernest as being a boy, so she frequently would treat him as a female baby doll and dress him as one as well. He didn't have the 'ideal' childhood as normally wanted. I believe his mother not fostering that proper bond she should have made with him caused him to be unsure of himself. This could possibly be a cause to his depression. An example of the mental torture he was put through with his mother was on his birthday. For his birthday, after he was moved out, his mother sent him a 'present.' She mailed him a cake, th e gun that his father had used to kill himself, along with a letter. The letter explained that a mothers life was like a bank. 'Every child that is born... enters the world with a large and prosperous bank account, seemingly inexhaustible.' She continued in the letter that he should replenish what he has withdrawn, and wrote out all the specific ways in which Ernest should be making 'deposits to keep the account in good standing.' His mother could be perceived as androgynous, which means having both female and male type qualities or even personalities. In a few of the books Hemingway wrote, he gives someone the impression that he hated his mother. He referred to her as a 'dominating shrew,' meaning she was selfish and only thought of herself. His mother considered herself pure and proper, and became very upset when anything 'disturbed' her view of the world as beautiful. Anything painful, or disgusting, she thought was not lady like. His childhood was very difficult and it stuck wit h him through-out his adult hood. Ernest never forgave his mother for humiliating him in front of the town. As an adult, Hemingway didn't have it easy either. He lived a sort of rejected adulthood. When he was younger he dreamed of being a boxer.

Hamlet and Horatio Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet and Horatio      Ã‚   Horatio holds the seat of honor in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, for being the only character among the dramatis personae who is extremely close to the protagonist. Horatio’s emotional bond with the hero is paradoxically closer than that of Hamlet’s mother to the hero. This essay will examine the character of Horatio, Hamlet’s truest friend.    D.G. James’ essay, â€Å"The New Doubt,† explains the hero’s passionate admiration of Horatio:    But we must remark how Hamlet speaks of Horatio; he does so in words of passionate admiration. His election had sealed Horatio for himself because in suffering all, Horatio suffered nothing; and it is the man who is not passion’s slave whom he would wear in his heart’s core. How clearly he would be like Horatio! And yet, in the face of what has happened, ought he to be like Horatio? or ought he not to take up arms against his troubles, and violently end them and perhaps thereby himself? (45)    In the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet, David Bevington shows insight into Horatio’s character:    However much Horatio’s philosophic skepticism may limit his own ability to perceive those â€Å"things in heaven and earth† that Hamlet would have him observe, Horatio remains the companion from whom Hamlet has most to learn. Hamlet can trust his friend not to angle for advancement, or to reveal the terrible secret of royal murder. Best of all, Horatio is â€Å"As one in suff’ring all that suffers nothing, A man that Fortune’s buffets and rewards Hast ta’en with equal thanks.†[. . .] Like Hamlet, Horatio believes that death is a felicity, and even tries to take his own life. Yet he accepts his duty â€Å"in this harsh worldly success as well ... ..., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.         

Marketing Strategy of Ethiad Airways

Table of Contents 1. 0 Introduction 3 2. 0 External Environment Analysis3 2. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis 3 2. 2 SWOT Analysis 5 3. 0 Marketing Strategy Analysis 6 3. 1 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning 6 3. 1. 1 Segmentation 6 3. 1. 2 Targeting 6 3. 1. 3 Positioning 7 4. 0 Strategic Alliances 8 5. 0 Sponsorship 9 6. 0 Contribution to the Competitive Advantage and its Sustainability10 6. 1 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning 10 6. 2 Strategic Alliances and Sponsorship 10 7. 0 Conclusion11 8. 0 References12 Word Count: 3282 1. 0 IntroductionEtihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has in just eight years established itself as the world’s leading airline. Set up by Royal Decree in July 2003, Etihad commenced commercial operations in November 2003 and became the fastest growing airline in the history of commercial aviation (Etihad, 2012). Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is the airline’s hub. The airline seeks to reflect the best of Arabian hospitality – cultured, considerate, warm and generous – as well as enhance the prestige of Abu Dhabi as a centre of hospitality between East and West.However, nowadays it is very hard to maintain the business in such a competitive market in times of recovery from the recent recession. Therefore, it is crucial to understand that just providing a service is not enough. Firstly, this report overviews the external environment in which Etihad has to survive and compete, evaluating its main challenges and opportunities. Secondly, Etihad’s main marketing strategies will be identified and critically discussed. Thirdly, the extent to which adopted marketing strategies help to achieve and sustain the competitive advantage will be analysed.Finally, the conclusion will be drawn based on achieved knowledge and personal assumptions. 2. 0 External Environment Analysis For better understanding of the marketing strategy that Etihad uses, it is cr ucial to analyse the external environment in which the company operates. 2. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis In order to examine the positioning strategy and forces of the external environment that may potentially affect the Etihad’s performance, it has been decided to adopt the classical Porter’s Five Forces model.By using this model, it is possible to judge the extent to which an external environment is able to shape the costs, the prices and the profits of the organisation (Porter, 1980). * Competitive rivalry in the industry – high In terms of competitors, Etihad Airlines’ main competitors are the companies operating in Middle East, which are Emirates Airlines, Quatar Airways and Gulf Air. These airlines operate in a higher price and quality spectrum than, for example, Air Arabia and are being direct competitors for each other (McKechnie et al. , 2008).Rivalry between these companies is very intensive, as there are a small number of competitors on the market. * Bargaining power of customers – low In order to have a significant amount of power in the industry, there should be a few customers who can dictate their rules to the organisations, as for example in some B2B cases. However, there are millions of customers, who are willing to fly to and from Middle East, where Etihad operates, therefore, customers have a very limited power. * Bargaining power of suppliers – high For the airlines organisations the main suppliers are the aircraft manufacturers and the oil companies.In both cases there are a very few of them. Therefore, airline industry companies have a very limited power over their suppliers. Additionally, as it has been announced by the International Air Transport Association (2008), the global airline industry possesses losses due to the increased oil prices which also decrease the industry’s profitability. * Threat of new entrants – low The threat of new entrants depends on the number an d complexity of the barriers to entry. The barrier of the starting capital or investment is extremely high in the airline industry.Also, there are a lot of legal or patents issues with opening and maintaining of the airline organisation, which also is a barrier to entry. The brand loyalty is another very important barrier to entry. When choosing the airlines, customers, especially â€Å"the high profile† ones, are being very careful about health and safety, comfort and other details, therefore tend to choose companies with the brand they trust. Overall, the threat of new entrants is low, because there is a number of very hard to overcome barriers to entry, and if the small company appears on the market, it tends to be absorbed by one of the major players in the industry. Threat of substitutes – low Airlines industry – being an important sector of travel and tourism industry will have such potential substitutes as the sea, railway and road types of transportation . However, as Etihad is operating in an upper-class prices level, the threat of substitutes would be fairly low. In terms of potential business travellers, the time would be more important than money for them. In terms of leisure tourists, the prices may matter, however, cruise ships’ tickets tend to be more expensive than the planes’ ones.Therefore, if the experience of cruising is not extremely important for the customers, they would prefer travelling by air. 2. 2 SWOT Analysis After looking at the overall external environment, it is important to evaluate Etihad’s main strengths and weaknesses, suggesting what opportunities and threats are there, by using a classical SWOT model. 1. Strengths: * Well settled airlines company, by February 2012, operating a fleet of 63 Airbus and Boeing aircraft (Etihad, 2012) * Over seven million travellers per year with 1000 flights a week, 84 destinations in 52 countries. * Global sponsorship of events and sports clubs. Freque nt-flyer program â€Å"Etihad Guest Programme†, considered being innovative, offering greater flexibility to its customers (McKechnie et al. , 2008). * Global Awards received in 2009 and 2010, as the world’s leading airline. * More than 30 awards received for service by the World Travel Awards (WTA) (Etihad, 2012). 2. Weaknesses: * Failure of the bid to sponsor Manchester United team. * Still fairly underdeveloped in comparison with company’s main competitors Emirates Airline (170 aircraft, 115 destinations) and Quatar Airways (132 aircraft, 100 destinations) (Emirates, 2012; Quatar, 2012). . Opportunities: * 100 aircraft on order, including 10 Airbus A380s, the world’s largest passenger aircraft (Etihad, 2012). * The location gives higher opportunities for growth and developments. United Arabic Emirates is a very rich country with extremely quickly growing business and tourism sectors, additionally UAE is a member of OPEC, which also may help with oil pr ices negotiations. 4. Threats: * Global rise of fuel prices. * Terrorists’ threats to airlines’ industry in general. 3. 0 Marketing Strategy AnalysisThe main component of the firm’s marketing strategy and the rationale for this strategy in light of the environmental conditions in which it operates; 3. 1 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning In marketing, segmentation, targeting and positioning are inseparable as they all related to each other. Segmentation is dividing the market into different groups with similar needs. Targeting is determining which offerings to make to each market segment and then the final step is to position the brand within the target market (Hooley and Saunders, 1993).Traditionally, airlines segment their customers in order to align their product strategy according to the different segments (Teichert et al, 2008). 3. 1. 1 Segmentation Market Segmentation was defined by Baines et al (2008, p. 217) as the division of a market into differen t groups of customers with distinctly similar needs. Alternatively, Kotler et al (2005, p. 391) add that these groups of customers have different needs, characteristics and behaviours and they require different marketing or product mixes. Customers can be segmented according to geographic, demographic, psychographic and behaviour variables.Etihad segment their customers according to three different boarding classes, which are: Diamond First Class, Pearl Business Class and Coral Economy. Each class is aimed at a different customer segment. Diamond First Class is aimed at wealthy individuals and business people who are willing to maintain their luxurious lifestyle in the air. Pearl Business is targeted at business and leisure travellers who are willing to pay more to enjoy a better flying experience. Coral Economy is aimed at customers who are on a budget but willing to enjoy a comfortable flying experience with the highest level of service.It is worth noting that Etihad is a five sta r airline and provides the highest level of service. According to Milne (2009) Etihad segment their customers according to business, religious, personal and tourist purposes. The rationale behind Etihad’s segmentation is to appeal to all types of customers with different income levels. Based on the prices that Etihad charge, it is clear to see that they aim for the middle and upper class social sector customers who command high standards of hospitality and luxury. 3. 1. 2 TargetingOnce a company has segmented their customers into different groups based on their characteristics, the next step is to target their customers with products and services that might appeal to that particular customer segment. Etihad airlines follow a differentiated marketing approach which involves targeting several market segments and designing separate offers for each (Kotler et al, 2005, p. 419). Etihad is different from their rivals because they are smaller airline but they are a luxury brand and offer personalised services to all their customers in spite of what class they are travelling in.By differentiating the market, this might lead to higher sales volumes for Etihad because they are able to exploit the segments with their offerings. The benefits of the strategy are its difficulty for competitors to copy and the level of service cannot be obtained anywhere else by the customer. A disadvantage of the strategy is the high volume of resources required to meet the needs of different customers, resulting in a loss of economies of scales and increased operating costs for the company. 3. 1. Positioning A positioning strategy determines where the business competes, how it competes and the choice of differential advantage which dictates how it competes (Doyle and Stern, 2006, p. 84). Positioning is important for an organisation because it is a way for a business to stand out from its rivals and let the customers to identify the brand easily (Baines, 2008, p. 251). Etihad positio ns itself within the airline industry as a luxury brand which offers 5 star hospitality and luxury personalised service.Etihad’s on-board services are hospitality orientated and are similar to those of 5 star hotels. The airline industry is very competitive and it is hard to differentiate between the quality of services because they almost the same and there is not much of a distinctive difference between them. Etihad has a competitive advantage in this market by starting out as a luxury brand form the outset. Other airlines are now trying to raise their standards but this will take a long time to achieve. Etihad is positioned at the high end of the airline industry.In comparison to RyanAir and Easyjet, these airlines are at two extremes of the scale and it is clear that Etihad does have a strategy that makes it different from all the airlines on the market. Because Etihad has positioned itself well within the industry, it has capitalised on its uniqueness. The company achiev ed a huge success in the short time of operating and established a strong sustainable market position. Looking at the STP of Etihad in the light of the environmental conditions in which it operates, it is clear to see that the conditions are a little bit tough due to competition from cheaper airlines and the gloomy economic outlook.Due to the recession, people are tightening their belts and spending less, therefore most people would prefer to pay less to fly to their chosen destinations. This is where Etihad stand to lose out to cheaper airline companies. 40% of their revenue comes from economy class seats, therefore if they price themselves too high in these current economic conditions, they risk losing a huge chunk of their revenue to other airlines because customers will always go for the cheaper airline ticket. In terms of competition, Emirates & Qatar Airways are Etihad’s biggest competitors, fighting for the same customers.Also these two companies are more established a nd have a bigger customer base than Etihad. Etihad is still a very young company being vulnerable to competition. However, it seems they are doing very well and recently broke even, planning to expand, while maintaining their current market position. All this can be accredited to their solid marketing strategy which they are using to maximise their benefit and strengthen their position within this market. 4. 0 Strategic Alliances Strategic alliances reduce the boundaries between firms and enable easier flow of knowledge across those boundaries.This process creates the possibility for organisations to share administrative authority, form social links and joint ventures (Badaracso, 1991). One of the reasons why firms engage in strategic alliances includes sufficient resources, low pace of innovation, low technology, high manufacturing cost and market access (Doz, 1996). Another reason to collaborate in strategic alliances is to create a competitive advantage over competitors in the ma rket (Lei and Slocum, 2005). Also, strategic alliance help companies to bring their products on to the new innovation level (Zhang, 2010).The advantage of strategic alliances is to share the risk and cost of products. Firms join strategic alliances for compiling technologies and assets, enhancing easier access to resources and technologies (Ohmae, 1989). Firms could assure the sufficiency of their resources, that the new technologies to maintain their advantages with the strategic alliances (Ireland, et al. , 2002). The disadvantages of strategic alliances is that organisations might give their partners more than they gain, the exchange of resources, benefits and knowledge should be reciprocated between the firms.Organizations could stand the chance of losing their competitive advantages if they provide benefits such as resources, knowledge and technology. Most strategic alliances don’t maintain their cooperative relationships for a long term as most strategic alliances are b ased on the current benefits rather than future competitive advantages. Also, in strategic alliances, the effect of competition can lead to aggressive knowledge acquisition from partner firms (Kaplan, et al. , 2010). Notably, many alliances fail as a result of inter firm rivalry (Park and Ungson, 2001).When firms merely pursue self-interests (competition) but neglect common benefits (derived from cooperation), partner firms may lose motivation to continue the alliance. Implementing any organisational alliance successfully depends upon a firm’s knowledge and ability to manage interdependencies with a partner through on-going coordination with that partner, to credibly convey relevant information and knowledge to the partner, and to develop social bonds with the partner (Ireland, et al. , 2002).Strategic alliance between airlines, as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is â€Å"a merging of resources, operations, of financial interests between [one] entity an d [another] entity (Vander-Kraats, 1993). This entity could be an air carrier or a repair station and could involve the sharing of parts or the utilization of mechanics, pilots, and flight attendants†. Some of the strategic alliance adopted by Etihad can include code-sharing agreements, marketing arrangements, procurement policies, system commonality, and interchanges of flight-crew personnel and sponsorship with other major organisation (Vander-Kraats, 1993).Etihad pursuit of code sharing agreement has become a key part of its marketing strategy. A  codeshare agreement, sometimes simply  codeshare, is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different  flight number or code. Etihad has a major partnership with Virgin Blue’s group of airlines which enables Virgin Blue’s international brand â€Å"V Australia† to op erate joint services with Etihad. Combined, these two airlines offer joint networks of more than 100 destinations (Etihad, 2012).To succeed, alliance partners must encourage true collaboration beyond the formal governance structure and learn how to adapt and integrate knowledge acquired from the alliance to serve the specific needs of their own innovative efforts (Hughes and Weiss, 2007). Through these alliances Etihad strengthen their core-competence such as stronger brand name, and capture a stronger client base. 5. 0 Sponsorship Etihad’s sponsorships portfolio includes sports and major tourism events in the U. A. E and different regions in the world.Commercial sponsorships is defined as a cash investment in an activity, person or event, while in return gaining the access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with that activity or person by the investor (Meenagham, 1991). Sponsorships provide the mechanism for changing, adjusting or reinforcing brand equity sup ported on updated processing of attributes, benefits and attitudes (Keller, 1998). Corporate sponsorships are used to enhance the brand equity by raising awareness and creating positive brand associations in the mind of consumers (Gwinner and Eaton, 1999; Meenagham, 1991).This highlights the effects and significance of strong brands as it possesses the ability to attract a wide audience. The advantages of sponsorships include the promotion of caring attitude and goodwill. The good example of successful sponsorship is Etihad’s stadium and Etihad’s association with Manchester city and a football team which attracts a wide audience (Etihad, 2012). The disadvantage of sponsorships is that the investments made by the sponsors do not always guarantee that the objectives will be achieved.In the case of Etihad, investing in sport teams can backfire if they don’t meet the expectations the firm had for their performance. The final disadvantage of sponsorships involves any bad publicity derived from the benefactor will inevitably affect the brand name associated. 6. 0 Contribution to the Competitive Advantage and its Sustainability After analysing Etihad’s main marketing strategies, the discussion below will be about how each of the components of these strategies contributes to the firm’s competitive advantage. 6. Segmentation, Positioning and Targeting Segmentation gives Etihad a competitive advantage because it helps them differentiate and understand their customers’ needs more and helps improve their offering to the different types of customers. By understanding their customers’ needs better, they can gain an advantage over their rivals. On the other hand, every airline segments their customers according to the different classes therefore there is not much of an advantage since they all have a similar system of segmenting their customers.Etihad’s positioning gives them a competitive advantage because they positio n themselves as a 5 star airline offering 5 star hotel quality services on board. Their service on board is what sets them apart from their competitors. This advantage is sustainable in the long run provided they maintain their high standards throughout. Also, in terms of positioning, Etihad found a â€Å"gap† in the market by using Abu Dhabi Airport as their base rather than Dubai airport because of the cheaper airport fees and taxes which gives them a cost saving competitive advantage.By targeting a specific demographic, Etihad’s marketing campaigns are likely to be more cost and time efficient as it will be highly relevant to the target market’s needs and it enables them to stand out from their competitors. 6. 2 Strategic Alliances and Sponsorships Strategic alliances have enabled Etihad to create a competitive advantage in their industry and make this advantage sustainable. Etihad engage in strategic alliances as a way of seeking to reduce competition in the ir quest to raise profits (Badaracco, 1991). These alliances have nabled the company to share the risks associated with the ventures because some projects are too complicated for Etihad to handle on their own. (Badaracco, 1991). By collaborating with other firms worldwide, Etihad are overcoming barriers to entry in new geographical markets since they are a growing company looking to expand globally. Organizations expanding overseas find that they require a local partner due to unfamiliarity with the local conditions (Badaracco, 1991). Strategic alliances enable firms to exchange favours such as improving product quality, technologies and factors related to products.Sustainable competitive advantage indicates that companies could maintain their completive advantage for a long term (Culpan, 2008). Through their strategic alliance with Sabre in December 2011, Etihad gained access to integrated software across its reservations, inventory marketing and e-commerce, distribution and depart ure control operations. The benefits from this alliance included improved joint market share which has the potential to generate over $25 million dollars per annum for both companies (Etihad, 2012). . 0 Conclusion This report attempts to analyse the environment in which Etihad Airways Company has to maintain its business profitable and prosperous. The report covers main marketing strategies and tools Etihad uses for the purpose of identifying and understanding its customers’ base and keeping a relationship with it. Finally, the extent to which these marketing strategies help to keep the business and its competitive advantages sustainable is evaluated and critically accessed. 8. 0 References Abecassis-Moedas, C. nd c-Jouini, S. (2008), â€Å"Absorptive Capacity and Source-Recipient Complementarity in Designing New Products: An Empirically Derived Framework,†Ã‚  Journal of Product Innovation Management,  25(5), pp. 473–90. Badaracco, J. (1991), The Knowledge Lin k: How Firms Compete through Strategic Alliances, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Baines, P. , Fill, C. and Page, K. (2008), Marketing, 1st ed. , New York: Oxford Press. Bucyk, C. (2012), â€Å"James Hogan Etihad Airways CEO Interview†, Air Transport World, Jan. , p 50-51. Culpan, R. 2008), â€Å"The role of strategic alliances in gaining sustainable  competitive advantage  for firms†, Management Revue, 19(1/2), pp. 94-105. Doyle, P. and  Stern, P. (2006), Marketing Management and Strategy. 4th Ed. , Pearson: Prentice Hall. Doz, Y. L. (1996), â€Å"The Evolution of Cooperation in Strategic Alliances: Initial Conditions or Learning Processes? † Strategic Management Journal, 17(Summer), pp. 55-83. Emirates Airways (2012), [Online] Available at: www. emirates. com (Accessed on: 22 March 2012). Etihad Airways (2009), Corporate Facts and Figures, [Online] Available at: www. tihadairways. com (Accessed on: 22 March 2012). Etihad Airways (2012), [Online] A vailable at: www. etihadairways. com (Accessed on: 22 March 2012). Gwinner, K. P. , and Eaton, J. (1999), â€Å"Building Brand Image Through Event Sponsorship: The Role of Image Transfer†, Journal of Advertising, 28 (4), pp. 47-57. Hooley, G. J. and Saunders, J. (1993), Competitive Positioning: A Key To Market Positioning, Pearson: Prentice Hall. Hughes, J and  Weiss, J. (2007), â€Å"Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work,†Ã‚  Harvard Business Review, 85 (November), pp. 122–31. Ireland, R. ,  Michael,  D.Hitt, A. , and Vaidyanath, D. (2002), â€Å"Alliance Management as a Source of Competitive Advantage,†Ã‚  Journal of Management, 28(3), pp. 413–46. Kaplan, R. S. , David P. Norton, and Rugelsjoen, B. (2010), â€Å"Managing Alliances with the Balanced Scorecard†, Harvard Business Review, 88 (January–February), pp. 114–120. Kotler, P. , Wong, V. , Saunders, J. and Armstrong, G (2005), Principles of Marketing. 4th ed. Londo n: Prentice Hall. Kotler, W. K. (2009), â€Å"Advantage competition of inter-partner learning in International Strategic Alliance†, The Journal of Global Business, 3(2), pp. 23-128. Lei, D. and Slocum, J. W. Jr (2005), â€Å"Strategic and organizational requirements for competitive advantage†, Academy of Management Executive, 19(1), pp. 31-45. McKechnie, D. S. , Grant, J. , and Katsioloudes, M. (2008), â€Å"Positions and positioning: strategy simply stated†, Business Strategy Series, 9(5), pp. 224 – 230, [Online] Available at: http://www. emeraldinsight. com (Accessed on: 20 March 2010). Meenagham, T. (1991). â€Å"Sponsorship-Legitimising the Medium†, European Journal of Marketing, 25(11), pp. 5-10 Milne, D. 2009), â€Å"King of the Skies†, [Online] Available at: http://www. businessmanagementme. com (Accessed on: 20 March 2010). Ohmae, K. (1989), â€Å"The Global Logic of Strategic Alliances,†Ã‚  Harvard Business Review, 67 (Marchà ¢â‚¬â€œApril), pp. 143-154. Park, S. H. and Ungson, G. R. (2001). ‘Interfirm rivalry and managerial complexity: A conceptual framework of alliance failure’, Organization Science, 12, pp. 37 – 53. Porter, M. E. (1980), Competitive Strategy, New York: Free Press. Quatar Airways (2012), [Online] Available at: www. quatarairways. om (Accessed on: 22 March 2012). Teichert, T. , Shehu, E. and Von Wartburg, I. (2008), â€Å"Customer Segmentation Revisited: A Case Study of the Airline Industry†. Transportation Research, A(42), pp. 227-242. Vander Kraats, S. A. , (1993), â€Å"Gaining a Competitive Edge through Airline Alliances†, Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, incorporating Journal of Global Competitiveness, 10(2), pp. 56 – 64. [Online] Available at: http://www. emeraldinsight. com (Accessed on: 23 March 2010). Zhang, H. Shu, c. Jiang, Malta, A. 2010), â€Å"Managing  Ã‚  Knowledge for Innovation  Ã‚  the Role of Co-o peration, Competition, and Alliance  Ã‚  Nationality†, Journal of International  Ã‚  Marketing  Ã‚  Association, 18, pp. 74-94. 1. Presentation and Style (10 marks) | Mark range| Mark| The work is well structured and has a logical and well ordered flow between issues. Language used is sophisticated and articulate. Referencing is consistent and uses the Harvard method. | 8-10| | There is a clear underlying structure to the work which makes it easy to read and understand. Referencing is consistent. 6-7| | The work is acceptably presented and has a clear structure. The arguments are clearly expressed although the language and terminology used lacks sophistication. Referencing is consistent. | 5| | The work lacks a central narrative which links the issues discussed together in a coherent way. Referencing is haphazard. | 4| | The work has no real structure and is more a collection of loosely related issues than anything. Referencing is haphazard and weak. There are errors of spelling, grammar and punctuation. | 0-3| | 2. Use of Appropriate Models and Concepts (25 marks) | Mark range| Mark|A clear and sensible choice of models and concepts has been made with which to carry out analysis. The models are used well and develop clear and robust analysis which shows an excellent understanding of the model and how it can be applied. | 18-25| | A good choice of models and concepts is made and these models and concepts are used appropriately and correctly. Conclusions may be drawn from the use of models but these conclusions lack a little in terms of sophistication. | 15-17| | Models chosen are appropriate to the example under discussion but the analysis derived from them is weak or superficial.The use of models does little more than rearrange or repackage information about the company. | 12-14| | The use of models is haphazard and there is no clear rationale for why they have been chosen. The models deliver limited analysis and offer few if any insights into the example under discussion. | 10-11| | Limited or no use of models is demonstrated. Information about the company and its environment is simply described and there is nothing to guide or focus the analysis| 0-9| | 3. Evidence of Research about the Company and its Business Environment (25 marks) | Mark range| Mark|The assignment uses a variety of sources, all of them reliable, to provide an excellent level of detail. A systematic approach is taken to the gathering of evidence and information about the company and its environment. Discussions are supported by robust evidence throughout. | 18-25| | A good selection of sources are used to provide information about the company and its environment and these are used to reach sound conclusions| 15-17| | Different sources may be used to gather information but there is no real attempt made to distinguish between the quality of information presented.The use of information is unstructured and haphazard and provides a limited base for conclusion s and discussion. | 12-14| | Whilst there is some information provided about the company, it will tend to be anecdotal and lacking in robustness. There is no real evidence of a systematic approach to gathering information. Conclusions reached do not reflect the quality of evidence provided. | 10-11| | The assignment is too reliant on just one or two sources of information about the company and no attempt is made to examine the reliability and quality of those sources.Material presented is accepted uncritically and without question. | 0-9| | 4. Discussion and Analysis (25 marks) | Mark range| Mark| The assignment has a clear focus on the question posed and answers it using sophisticated analysis and discussion which combines theory, models and robust data. There is a clear structure and line of argument throughout the assignment. | 18-25| | The assignment contains some good discussion and analysis. There is an attempt to integrate theory, models and evidence. There is some structure to the assignment and a focus on the assignment requirements. 15-17| | There is a blend of analysis and description but the assignment overall leans towards the descriptive rather than the analytical. Models may be used but there is no real attention paid to how theory can develop analysis and insights. At times, the assignment fails to focus on the question posed. | 12-14| | The assignment lacks a clear structure which focuses on the question posed and is mainly descriptive with no real analytical content. The assignment focuses on what has happened and makes no real attempt to use theory, models or evidence to explain why it may have happened and the implications of such things.The work is mainly descriptive. | 10-11| | The assignment is little more than a collection of loosely related points about a company and the environment in which it operates. There is no integration between theory, models and evidence at all. | 0-9| | 5. Conclusions (15 marks) | Mark range| Mark| Conclusion s reached are robust, clear and an accurate reflection of the preceding sections of the report. Conclusions draw together the different strands of theory and practice developed in the assignment. The conclusions show a high level of understanding of marketing strategy. 10-15| | Conclusions are a good reflection of the assignment overall and round things off in a clear and competent manner. An understanding of marketing strategy is demonstrated but differentiating between important and less important issues needed development. | 8-9| | Reflections are a reasonable reflection of the work in the main body of the assignment. No real distinction is shown between important and less important issues but there is an adequate understanding of marketing strategy demonstrated. 6-7| | Conclusions do little more than restate what was in the main body of the assignment and so lack impact. No distinction is made between important and less important issues and limited understanding of the subject m atter is demonstrated. | 4-5| | Conclusions are weak, underdeveloped and have no real relationship with the work which preceded them. Conclusions do not suggest an understanding of either the theory or practice of marketing strategy. | 0-3| | Overall Comments: Key Strengths Key Weaknesses and areas of improvement| | Final Assignment Grade (including Mark Contribution)| |