Community General Hospital Essay Example

Community General Hospital Essay Dr Noland Wright, newly appointed manager of Community General Hospital, sighed as he reviewed the hospital’s financial records. He had been given the responsibility of leading the hospital’s next steps, but was perplexed by the financial condition highlighted in the financial statements before him. His training was in medicine, not business, and he had recently taken early retirement. He had been talked into taking Community’s reins by some old friends who live a few miles away from the facility. Community General Hospital had initially begun in 1914 as Whittaker Memorial hospital, a community-run hospital serving the black population of Newport News, Virginia. To meet the needs of an economic expansion of the community largely due to increased commercial activity during World War II, the hospital expanded facilities and scope through federal funding. In the 1940’s the hospital increased its census and gained accreditation by the America College of Surgeons. In the 1950’s and 60’s the hospital enjoyed a bustling business in the segregated health care industry. With the advent of the desegregation movement in the 1960’s, the hospital experienced several threats as black physicians gained the ability to admit patients to the large and better equipped traditionally ‘white’ hospitals in the area. The civic organization that governed the hospital began to be concerned for the hospital’s survival. It was experiencing a falling census, a deteriorating reputation concerning the quality of its health care, and picked up the reputation of being ‘public’ hospital (which it was not). We will write a custom essay sample on Community General Hospital specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Community General Hospital specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Community General Hospital specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer While the City of Newport News was willing to help, it was unwilling to acquire full responsibility for the costs of a public hospital. During the 1970’s, the hospital drew on an emergency fund set up by the city. Throughout the 1970’s, the hospital suffered from losses and bad debts. By 1982 the civic board that guided the hospital became inactive. The following year, the last of the segregation practices ended by court order at the large surrounding hospitals. Few patients desired to be admitted to the small, modestly equipped hospital, preferring the larger, modern hospitals they now had access to. The hospitals ended 1983 with a $402,000 budget deficit. Suppliers began demanding cash payment for purchases. Employee layoffs, tightening of admission criteria, and refusal of non-paying patients were some of the steps taken to alleviate the dire financial situation. It was hoped that a new facility, new location and a future change of name to  Community General Hospital would help the hospital to survive. A $15 million bond issue and $1. 5 million in the community pledges the hospital to continue to operate. At the end of 1984 the fund deficit was $749,000. Private healthcare management firms were solicited for help, but these efforts were short-lived. In july 1985, Community General Hospital was dedicated, with a new facility and equipment, and a higher occupancy rate. Between 1979 and 1985, seven different administrators had been in charge of the hospital. Continued losses after 1985, and continued difficulty in retaining continuous management, convinced the hospital’s supporters to seek some solution to the ongoing problems. Political avenues were tried with some success, but did not last. The sale of the hospital to a doctors’ investment group was considered, but the hospital’s supporters ultimately rejected the deal. By 1990 the debt was in excess of $20 million. The ‘board’ of supporters agreed to file for bankruptcy. The Guarantor of the mortgage, the hospital continued to operate as the board sough affiliations with other area hospital. The quality ratings for the hospital continued to suffer. In 1993 the hospital was granted its bankruptcy petition. HUD settled for $4 million, and other creditors were held at bay. Political solutions for Community General’s future were sought, but ultimately, did not help the hospital’s condition. Administrators were hired, but their tenures were short-lived. By mid 1996 the hospital was again running a large fund deficit and was seeking direction in what appeared to be a rather hopeless situation.

Free Essays on After The First Death

Kate extraordinary bravery and weakness The term terrorism is a word that catches a lot of people’s eyes. For instance the terrorists that attack America last week, September 11, 2001; the time frame was around eight thirty Central Time, this was the â€Å"Attack on America,† by terrorists from a foreign country. It is kind of like what’s going on in the book After the First Death, where terrorists have hijacked a school bus. Which a girl by the name of Kate was driving the bus with a lot of little children on it. She was substituting for her uncle the day of the hijacking. Artkin and Miro were the two that hijacked the bus. Miro had the intentions of killing a man today, but Kate was on the bus. The killing of a man was the way of reaching manhood. Kate was the typical All-American cheerleader but she had a slight bladder problem. Throughout the novel Kate is brave but at the same time confused. Kate has a very unique side to her. Kate is driving the bus to the location that Artkin and Miro wanted her to drive. Kate wasn’t used to taking demands from people, but in this situation she did. The weakness that Kate has is a weak bladder. The bladder problem comes about on the way to the abandoned bridge that, â€Å" her pants were wet- her panties†¦she gripped the steering wheel†¦but these things didn’t matter.† Whenever she gets nerves like in this situation of the hijacking her bladder problem comes up. Why does Comier give her a bladder problem? â€Å"She felt like crying the way she had when she was a little girl and crying solved things, brought rescued.† She felt like crying the way she used to when she was a little girl because she thought she would have gotten rescued. Kate was a very brave person in the hostage situation, she knows that she has to show no fear in for her and the children’s benefit. â€Å"She rips at the edge of the tape.† She tries to make an escape because she’s thinking that she really doe... Free Essays on After The First Death Free Essays on After The First Death Kate extraordinary bravery and weakness The term terrorism is a word that catches a lot of people’s eyes. For instance the terrorists that attack America last week, September 11, 2001; the time frame was around eight thirty Central Time, this was the â€Å"Attack on America,† by terrorists from a foreign country. It is kind of like what’s going on in the book After the First Death, where terrorists have hijacked a school bus. Which a girl by the name of Kate was driving the bus with a lot of little children on it. She was substituting for her uncle the day of the hijacking. Artkin and Miro were the two that hijacked the bus. Miro had the intentions of killing a man today, but Kate was on the bus. The killing of a man was the way of reaching manhood. Kate was the typical All-American cheerleader but she had a slight bladder problem. Throughout the novel Kate is brave but at the same time confused. Kate has a very unique side to her. Kate is driving the bus to the location that Artkin and Miro wanted her to drive. Kate wasn’t used to taking demands from people, but in this situation she did. The weakness that Kate has is a weak bladder. The bladder problem comes about on the way to the abandoned bridge that, â€Å" her pants were wet- her panties†¦she gripped the steering wheel†¦but these things didn’t matter.† Whenever she gets nerves like in this situation of the hijacking her bladder problem comes up. Why does Comier give her a bladder problem? â€Å"She felt like crying the way she had when she was a little girl and crying solved things, brought rescued.† She felt like crying the way she used to when she was a little girl because she thought she would have gotten rescued. Kate was a very brave person in the hostage situation, she knows that she has to show no fear in for her and the children’s benefit. â€Å"She rips at the edge of the tape.† She tries to make an escape because she’s thinking that she really doe...

Using adsorbing process to capture CO2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Using adsorbing process to capture CO2 - Essay Example International and domestic policies and legislation require industrial plants with significant CO2 emissions to install carbon capture and storage technologies to immobilize carbon dioxide from the input and output/flue gases (International Atomic Energy Agency, 2008). Carbon dioxide can be captured before and after the combustion of the fossil fuels. The first step is to separate CO2 from the other gases in the mixture (called flue gases) using several techniques (Figure 1). The basis of the techniques is to trap or immobilize carbon dioxide on special surfaces or by dissolution in special solvents. The immobilized CO2 is then concentrated and/or contained, followed by transport through pipelines to storage facilities, mostly deep geologic formations (Metz, Davidson, de Coninck, Loos, & Meyer, 2007). In fossil fuel plants, the most common technique used is the absorption of carbon dioxide using chemical and physical means. Other methods are adsorption on solid surfaces, use of low temperatures (cryogenics), membranes and microbial systems. Adsorption is gaining users as new innovations become available. In industrial plants, adsorption is commonly used to remove impurities from gas mixture streams as in hydrogen-rich gases resulting from gasification and steam reforming during ammonia synthesis (John Mathey Catalysts, 2010). In the adsorption process, the gas mixture is introduced or passed through a bed of solids that selectively adsorbs CO2, allowing the other gases to just pass through. When the adsorbent bed is fully saturated with CO2, the feed gas is redirected to a clean adsorption bed, while the loaded bed is regenerated to remove the CO2. This is the basic adsorption process. After the adsorbing process, the adsorbed compounds should undergo desorption, or the process of removing the compounds from the adsorbing surface. The process of desorption should also regenerate the adsorbent material. For regeneration of the

Sainsbury Supermarket Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sainsbury Supermarket - Case Study Example The 2008 outlook also reports that downside risk to the outlook seems more threatening that at the time of the September 2007 outlook. This is because oil price declines since last august and generally benign global financial conditions have helped to limit spillovers from the corrections in the US housing market and to contain inflation pressures. (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2008). Thus, multinational companies must rethink their global strategies, in the phase of foreign exchange rate and falling price of oil. The present circumstances make them victims of foreign exchange risk and exposures. Against this background, the purpose of this paper is three fold. The study first of all is aimed at carrying out an analysis of the impact of foreign exchange exposure on a United Kingdom UK based retail company-Sainsbury Supermarket. In the second part of the paper, the paper analysis the impact of capital investment appraisal tools on the activities of Sainsbury group. In the third part of the paper the paper asses the impact of share valuation on Sainsbury group. The last section of the paper presents conclusion and a brief recommendation to the company's management on how to go about getting the best from foreign currency exposures. Like macroeconomic analysis the analysis of the industry i... In the third part of the paper the paper asses the impact of share valuation on Sainsbury group. The last section of the paper presents conclusion and a brief recommendation to the company's management on how to go about getting the best from foreign currency exposures. 1.1 Brief Overview of Sainsbury Supermarket Like macroeconomic analysis the analysis of the industry is important because it enables the analysts to make abnormal profits arising from information asymmetry between the proper analyst and competitors who fail to carry out a proper analysis. Just as it is difficult for a firm to do well in a poor macroeconomic environment, so too is it difficult for a firm to perform well in a troubled industry. (Bodie et al, 2002). Similarly, as performance can vary across countries, so too does it vary across industries. (Bodie et al, 2002). According to the company, (2008) report, J Sainsbury plc is a United Kingdom-based food retailer with interests in financial services. The main activities of the company are in the groceries, related retailing and financial services. According to the corporate report, J Sainsbury plc consists of 504 supermarkets and 319 convenience stores and Sainsbury's bank. Sainsbury's Online is the Company's Internet-based home delivery shopping service, which operates from 97 stores. Bells Stores operates a chain of 54 convenience stores in north east England. Jackson's Stores operates a chain of 114 stores across Yorkshire and the North Midlands in the United Kingdom. Sainsbury's Bank, owned by J Sainsbury plc and HBOS plc group, offers a range of products, including savings and loan products. The Company's businesses are organised into two operating divisions: 1.2

Answers follow questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Answers follow questions - Essay Example 2. There was growing tension in the college after one of our beloved student was mugged and killed by people believed to be from the surrounding community. Students planned a peaceful demonstration to pass their messages of condolences and bereavement. The peaceful demonstration turned into a riot. As a student leader, I was able to influence the rioting students and controlled the tempers. I reminded them of the importance of dialogue in solving such problems. Striking and demolishing properties would not help bring our friend back but only cause more harm to our surrounding community. The students adhered to my speech and continued with a peaceful demonstration. 3. I come from a poor community where most of the students are unable to raise fee for their education. I am a good example of those helped by Imani Education Fund Group for needy students to attain their education. Every year the group conducts a thanks-giving ceremony. The ceremony provides a platform for raising more funds for needy students. I have been participating actively in this activity by soliciting funds and encouraging the society to contribute and help raise the next generation. With the help of my friends, I also organize and visit children orphanages. We usually give them our physical, mental, and spiritual support. 4. Once I am through with my college, I intend to be employed by big companies like Google, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Microsoft and may others in the department of marketing or human resource manager. Completion of my education successfully will furnish me with good skills and knowledge on how handling such multinational companies in terms of human resource management and marketing. My knowledge of management will help me in controlling, directing, staffing, evaluating my staff at work. My knowledge of marketing will furnish me with knowledge of understanding the aspects of supply chain, comparative

SWOT Analysis Of Halal Restaurant

SWOT Analysis Of Halal Restaurant In this business plan report summarise the nature of our business, the advertising and sales strategy, the monetary background, projected cash flow and income statement. Nevertheless it shows our current position and where we want to be in the future and how we have planned to get there through excellent management. It lays out the route for the future our business and set up standards of success. Hence the business plan will help us in acquiring capital from investors / lenders such financial institutions as they will have clear understanding of the business and willing to invest if the business proposal is persuasive. Our business proposal is setting up a halal restaurant in Treforest whereby the restaurant will cater healthy meals prepared in Islamic rites. The restaurant will provide a combination of wide varieties of food with excellence in value pricing, fun packaging and atmosphere. In Treforest there are numerous halal takeaways thus this will give us competitive advantage as there is no halal restaurants within the area. Our main target customers are Muslims who are minority from all over the world, who will be easily attracted to a place where they will be enjoying their meals prepared according to their Islamic rites in comfortable environment. Nevertheless despite the fact the food being prepared in Islamic rites, we intend to target majority of the students and the local people as the food offered will be healthy diet and it will cater their needs such as their busy lifestyles. Our mission is to provide high quality food which adheres to Islamic rites and to provide products which are better, safe and hygienic. Morever we aim to promote customer satisfaction through feedbacks, review of menu and creating friendly relationship with customers. Halal restaurant will be a privately held company and registered as a Limited private company, with three shareholders with equal number of shares. The restaurant will be a rented property. Six staffs shall be employed who will include two chefs, two waiters and two kitchen porters. As we the shareholders will also be accountable for managerial tasks of the halal restaurant. Halal industry is growing and expanding at a high rate because of migration of more people into UK specifically in Wales, and we want to have our own shares in Halal food industry. The reason of setting up a halal restaurant in Trefforest is, first there is low degree of halal restaurants within the area as majority are fast foods and takeaways. Thus this will give us a competitive advantage as competition within restaurants will be low. Moreover the restaurant will cater healthy meals and it since the location of the restaurant will be in treforest majority of customers will prefer dining out in our restaurant rather than travelling to Cardiff as they will save their time and money used on transport. The key to be successful in our restaurant, we will create a unique and innovative atmosphere of dining which will be different from competitors and offer a great fastest service and high quality of food. The employees would be motivated so they can work in comfortable environment and different programs would be enhanced so as to assemble devoted workforce. Furthermore we will focus on cost control so as to meet profit margin by managing bank deposit, accounts payable, issuing inventory, cash receipts, purchasing, order taking, and service preparation. This will help us to track actual expenditure aligned with our forecasts in managing the halal restaurant. Moreover customer satisfaction would be our prominent factor for the success of halal restaurant. This will be done thorough frequent and friendly interaction with customers so as to know their particular needs. Our restaurant would encourage the two most important values in restaurant business which is brand and image, as these two ingredients are a couple of main drivers in marketing communications CHAPTER 2 2.0 BUSINESS OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY Our halal restaurant objectives for the first year of inception are to make the companys name as household name, build a solid reputation so as to establish successful halal restaurant and gain a market share in Halal food industry in Wales. We also want to make halal restaurant as the favourite choice for the Muslim people and the rest of the community. We also intend to expand into a number of outlets depending on how the business will operate, through franchising to other cities, such as Liverpool, Manchester and London so as to increase customer base. Nevertheless our main business financial plan is to have sufficient monetary funds to run our restaurant for a maximum of two and a half years without deeping to our profit. This will help us as in the 3rd year in repaying the loan as the profit accumulated will have an interest margin. Prior to our earlier research we have noted that for us to attain an excellent profit margin for the two and half years that we have earlier mentioned some of the restaurant items such as kitchen refrigerators cookers and any item that maybe of extravagant purchase would be leased. This will enable us to reduce potential costs. Nevertheless we will have a useful administrating system and basic accounting information that will keep update records of each month sales so as to track the profit and loss through out the year. In order for us to increase our customer base we plan to advertise our business through posters, fliers, mosque, internet in order to uphold customer satisfaction and later through media. With initial launching and advertisement of job opportunities within the halal restaurant, this will help us to advertise more our business as the spread of the new halal restaurant will make people eager to know what kind of services and product that will be offered. Our main goal is to be one of the most successful Halal restaurants in UK, we will strive to be a premier Halal Restaurant brand in the local marketplace. We want our customers to be satisfied when visiting restaurant and website as well as to work on their feedback seriously. MARKET SIZE Halal restaurant belongs to the Halal industry which is growing and expanding at a high rate. Many multinational companies are now investing in this industry and there are many others planning to enter the industry. It is widely reported that demand for Halal products is on the increase amongst Britains estimated 3 millions Muslims, 95% of which claim to be Halal consumers. The Halal Food Authority estimates that the UK market for Halal food grew 30% in 2006, even though the Muslim population grew just 3% according to Mintel report. Across Europe, where the Muslim population has grown by more than 140% in the last decade, there is a similar picture with 2nd and 3rd generation European Muslims are seeking out convenience and looking for products such as Halal pizzas, lasagne and hot dogs. Estimates can be different, but the organisers of Londons World Food Market exhibition estimate the UK Halal market to be worth  £2.8 billion. . CHAPTER 3 MARKETING ANALYSIS 3. 0 PRODUCT AND CUSTOMER ANALYSIS. As earlier mentioned the menu products served in the restaurant will be halal prepared according to Islamic rites. The halal food range from frozen food, ready made meals, canned food, beverages, packed meat, baked goods, dry goods (food ingredients), condiments and snacks (Halal Products, 2010). These products will be used in a halal way to prepare meals. Example of such menus include Chicken Tikka Masala with Rice served with Broccoli and sweet corn and the dessert of Fruit salad yoghurt. However a detailed research would be conducted so as to know the favourite healthy dishes for Muslims. With awareness of reducing obesity and increased healthy eating, such menu people will be attracted to buy a meal as it is healthy and balanced diet as it has all the nutrients need for the body and it has less fat. In as much as the Muslim community will benefit from the healthy meal as it will be prepared and based in their Islamic approach. Furthermore most Muslims will increase their social i nteraction when having a meal in our restaurant as they will have a more comfortable environment to interact. Our major target segments customers in Treforest are Muslims who are minority in the area. In the University of Glamorgan the ethnic groups of Asians which include Indian, Pakistan, Bangladeshi, Malaysia and other Asian background account to 5.6% while whites are the majority who account to 82.03%. The blacks and other black background account to 2.8% and other ethnic back ground is 4.2%. Despite of our first priority customers being muslims students, our second target customers are other students from different backgrounds. Halal food is well eaten not only by Muslims but by other nationalities, thus most of the other students will be attracted to buy meals from our restaurant as majority of them do not have sufficient time to prepare a meal due to studying all day long and most of them have passion of trying different kinds of food. Moreover in occasions such as birthdays and graduation ceremonies we will have numerous customers as many of the students and their families will come to our restaurant to celebrate their achievement by purchasing meals. Thereby in such occasions, deals will be promoted so as attract as many customers during such occasions. Our third target customers are the local people within the area such as professionals, families; singles and couples. Due to the busier lifestyles most of them do not have enough time to prepare a meal at home. Most families partners do work full time thus dining out is alternative to home cooking meals. Our estimate population within treforest is around 30,000 and the percentage of Muslims is around 2.3% including students. This estimate was based on 2006 statistics which showed the total population in treforest was 25,000 and the of which the Muslims accounts to 1.87%. (Rhondda Cynon Report, 2006). Thus the population has grown by 20% to date. Hence our restaurant will cater their needs by providing good quality food and ensure good customer service has been provided throughout. We will have potential customers from these groups as most of them do prefer to dine out as a luxury treat to their families and themselves. Nevertheless a market plan of survey would be carried out so as to know if our business idea is being welcomed within the area. 3.1 COMPETITORS PROFILE However our halal restaurant will face competition within the area as the latter is occupied with halal take aways, pubs, Chinese takeaways and sandwich shops. In those halal takeaways most of the food is halal and they do have affordable deals whereby most of the students are attracted to purchase them. Nevertheless in pubs they do serve most of halal dishes such curries, hence there is high probability most of customers to switch to pub menus. 3.2 UNIQUE SELLING POINT In order to compete with our competitors we have set a unique selling proposition which will set us unique from the market. One of the USP that will entice our customer is, the halal restaurant will offer innovative and fastest service to the customer by putting a time limit guarantee for their meal. This will be done by reducing the steps of getting meals to customers. Moreover customers will have opportunity to evaluate food choices so as to keep the favourites on the menus and frequent interacting with the customers will be enhanced so they feel their feedbacks are being valued. 3.3 PRICING STRATEGIES 3.4 MARKET SHARE Majority of the time due to the busier lifestyle of the students and the local people most of them prefer to eat out rather than cook because they dont have time. Based from UK statistics our market share noting we will capture the majority of the Muslims because we will be providing Halal food which is being prepared in accordance to Islamic belief. Nevertheless we have a market share of majority of local people as most of the halal food is healthy and balanced Wales GDP per capita purchasing power parity $22,800 per annum per week $438.46 Incomplete more elaboration on purchasing capability of a single person. Initial maximum market share Total purchasing power(expenditure) of the targeted market Number of competitor +1 (own business) 438.46 = 73.08 6 Remember to include the initial market share 9%. 3.5 MARKET TRENDS. In treforest the population is mostly populated with students so the market trend will be very much be affected by the term time of the university. This means that when the university is opened the sales are high and when the university closes the sales are expected to be low this is because local students tend to travel and some foreigners. However most foreigners students they tend to remain in the university closes as most of them prefer working full time; hence this will have an impact in ourrestaurant as sales will tend to be stable. Nevertheless due to awareness of eating healthy diet and busier lifestyles, majority of people will prefer to eat out rather than cooking at home as it save time. This will have an impact in our restaurant as there will be frequent constant flow of customers who their needs will cater for. Thus as our initial market share estimated to 9% we expect growth of market share within the period of 6 to 12 months to be 16.7%. 3.6 SWOT ANALYSIS OF HALAL RESTAURANT STRENGHTS Availability of Muslim students who prefer halal food due to their Islamic belief. Busier lifestyles of local people and students who do not have sufficient time to prepare a meal at home. British people who are majority in the area are very experimental to different type of food thus our restaurant will cater their needs. WEAKNESSES A lot of monetary funds required to set up the halal restaurant. Fluctuation of sales when majority of students are on holidays. OPPORTUNITIES The long term objective of franchising thorough Wales so as to reach broader market. Our restaurant does offer healthy meals thus majority of people will be attracted to buy our meals. THREATS Within the area there is high competition as there are many competitors such as pubs, Chinese takeaways, halal takeaways, Indian restaurants who offer some of halal meals with affordable deals. Implementation of legislations such National Minimum Wage and Tipping legislation which require employers to comply with NMW of  £5.90 and paying more in National contributions so as to back up Tipping Legislation. This will increase costs in the restaurant business. CHAPTER 4 4.0 INTRODUCTION: The operational plan of our establishment will take care of matters such as Human resources, location, restaurant hours, suppliers, advertising strategy, registration and certification of the business along with other requirements The operational plan will also be shedding some light on ways of creating a strategic work plan that will formulate ways to achieve targets in the most reasonable amount of time 4.1 HUMAN RESOURCES We will be hiring two chefs one sous chef and a commis chef a kitchen porter and last but not the least two plate waiting staff. While recruiting these staff we will be looking for somebody with a reasonable catering industry experience except for the sous chef who has to have a good experience of working at the same designation. We will be managing the place ourselves with our previous catering, restaurant and hospitality industry experience and our HACCP and food safety qualifications we will be supervising the restaurant and the staff making sure that the customers are satisfied and content by handling all feedbacks and queries promptly and efficiently making sure that the daily book balancing runs smoothly and accurately costing of all the meals, creating promotional deals and strategies for the restaurant dealing with the suppliers and last but not the least running the restaurant according to the hygienic standards of the local authorities. We will be hiring a sous chef who must have at least 3 years of sous chef experience and be able to prepare dishes under pressure and should be able to work on his own initiative. We would be paying him  £19k- £21k depending on his experience his main jobs would be Creating menus Preparing and supervising all our main dishes Taking care of the stock and stock taking Make sure that all the heavy equipment is used in a safe way Cleaning all the heavy cooking machinery grinders etc. Making sure that the temperature records are up-to-date and hence the food served is hygienically safe. We will be hiring an enthusiastic commis chef who would be a fresh graduate and should have some experience in cooking, should have a can do attitude and willing to learn. we would be paying him  £11k- £13k depending on the experience. His duties would be Pastries and vegetable sauces preparation Salad preparation Assisting the sous chef in preparing the main meals Assisting the chef in stock taking Receiving and making sure that the deliveries are the same as invoiced and that their temperature at the delivery time was safe Cleaning the kitchen equipment after use Making sure that the kitchen is slip and trip free. We will be hiring a kitchen porter with some experience and we will be paying him  £5.80 and his duties will be as follows Washing dishes Cleaning the kitchen Receiving the deliveries and making sure they are fine and at a safe temperature Helping the chef in all other ad hoc duties We will be hiring two plate waiting staff with at least 1 year of experience, they should be customer friendly, polite and outgoing since they are going to be the first point of contact for all our customers. We will be paying them  £6 an hour their main duties would be Meeting and greeting customers showing them to the tables Take orders Take food to and from the table Making sure that the customers are satisfied with their meal by asking them Be proactive and offer them with extra desserts and drinks 4. REGISTERING THE BUSINESS In the Rhonda-Cynon-Taff council where we are intending to open our restaurant we have to register our business with the local authority 28 days before starting the business. We may also be required to get approval from the council due to our use of products of animal origin which in our case would be meat, fish, milk, eggs and any of their by-products and products made from them. In order to obtain the approval we need to submit an application form to the food team at the council along with a site plan that should reflect the layout of the premises accurately and an evidence of the food safety management systems on HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) principles (Food Business, 2010) On receipt of this application the local authority will arrange a site visit which is equivalent to a food premises inspection. During the inspection if all the requirements for the approval have been met, our premises will be issued with a unique three digit approval number which is part of a standard identification mark and will be used for all documentation. To register the business for VAT payments the law requires that the turnover of the VAT taxable goods and services supplied for the previous 12 months should be over  £68,000 and if it is below that amount then the business could still be registered for VAT voluntarily, and in our case this is what we will be doing we will be registering for VAT voluntarily because in future when the value of the taxable goods and supplies goes above  £68,000 and somehow we get busy and forget to register for VAT, we might get charged a penalty. And not just that there are benefits as well for voluntary registration. We will be registering for VAT online which would be the most convenient way for us in order to do that we will need to register with the HMRC online services first and then we will need to fill in two forms called VAT1 VAT2 with all our business details (HM Revenue and Custom, 2010). OPERATION TIMES In our restaurant we will be serving at different times to cater for people from different walks of life in the morning we will be serving a buffet style breakfast to cater for the students and for the people on the way to work, lunch and dinner for the students and general public and for the people who want to have a great time. Our serving hours are going to be BREAKFAST..08:00am till 11:00am LUNCH..12:00pm till 03:00pm DINNER.07:00pm till 10:00pm SUPPLIERS We have been in contact with different suppliers for our raw materials, crockery silverware, heavy equipment and all the other items that are required for opening a new restaurant. While reviewing these suppliers we need to make sure that the suppliers are of good reputation and hence provide good quality products while not making a huge dent on the business account We will be ordering our raw halal meat, spices, confectionary and all cooking items from a company called 3663. We will be ordering our fresh dairy products from a company called fresh fayre. Our disposable take away containers and the cleaning equipment that includes dishwashing liquid, bleaches sanitizersn degreasers and all kind of other cleaning equipment will be ordered from a company called BUNZL. Our used oil will be collected by a company called ARROW OIL COLLECTIONS but we have to put the request through our supplier which would be 3663 because they have this condition that they only collect oil if its bought through a certified oil seller. All our heavy equipment which is our fridges, freezers, fryers, furniture and any other heavy equipment for the restaurant and kitchen will be ordered through a company called LOCK HART on lease as long as we make an order above a  £1000 worth. All these suppliers have been carefully chosen considering their quality, reliability and prices. ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION Effective advertising and promotion is a vital supplement for any business and specially if the business is a newborn baby like ours We will be doing our advertisement through print media avoiding broadcasting it on TV since it does not fulfil our requirement for promoting our restaurant and its really dear as well instead we will be using brochures, posters, flyers and leaflets and specially handing out leaflets outside the university and in the surrounding area and specially outside the mosque. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT The halal certification required for the restaurant is going to be provided by the supplier the slaughter house from where the supplier acquires meat is inspected by the halal council and if all the necessary requirements are fulfilled and if the animal is slaughtered in a sharia way then the supplier is given a certificate which proves that the meat is halal and gives the authority to pass on that certificate to its customers and in this case the customer would be us and we will have the right to display that certificate. All the staff handling the open high risk food are required to have training certificates of handling high risk food and at least one member of staff is required to have adequate knowledge of the HACCP(hazard analysis and critical control point)/ food safety management systems.

Machiavelli’s View of Human Nature Essay example -- Machiavelli The Pr

Niccolo Machiavelli was a political philosopher from Florence Italy. He lived during the Italian Renaissance from May 1469 to 1527. This period in time that Machiavelli lived was the "rebirth" of art in Italy and rediscovery of ancient philosophy, literature and science. Machiavelli’s philosophy about the nature of man is that man possesses both good and bad qualities, but will lean towards his own self-interests when all things are equal: thus man is a fickle creature. Machiavelli’s view of human nature influences his view of government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Machiavelli writes, â€Å"that man has qualities that will bring him either praise or blame† and because a prince is a man; therefore, he will also exhibit these qualities. A prince should put his good qualities on public display and be clever enough to hide his immoral failings from his subjects; but, if these vices are necessary to maintain his state, he should embrace them; because this appearance of a strong state by his subjects gives them a false sense of security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He states in paragraph fourteen that â€Å"since they (men) are a sad lot, and keep no faith with you, you in turn are under no obligation to keep it with them†. Machiavelli believes that men will lie, cheat, or steal if it has some benefit to them, and while a prince shows the...

Bad Credit Cards

Some Americans have been under the impression that credit cards are a valuable financial tool because credit cards give them leverage with their credit scores and also can make it possible to purchase and do things they may not otherwise be able to do. Even though this may be true for some this is not always the case. Credit cards are harmful not only to the American people’s finances but also the economy. Credit cards are the number one reason for personal debt and bankruptcy in America today because of little or no understanding of interest rates and the false sense of security that owning multiple cards gives. Most Americans have the desire for a more convenient lifestyle and credit card companies make it so easy to obtain their cards that it has become a trend in America for most families to have at least five or more credit cards per household. The high importance society has placed on establishing credit has started to open Americans’ eyes on how credit card use has impacted their pockets financially as well as the pockets of the top three major credit bureaus. It is no secret that without credit cards it is almost impossible for Americans to obtain certain items like reserving hotel rooms, renting a car and, purchasing airline tickets. Americans have been sucked into the policies of the credit card companies. The tops three credit bureaus, Transunion, Experian and Equifax all exist because of the requirements society places on developing credit. These bureaus have the power to determine how much credit a person has and if that person is entitled to receive any more credit. Credit bureaus determine whether a person gets a car, home, or business loan making it a necessity for the American consumer to attain credit stature by obtaining credit cards. In today’s society they are a must-have. Studies show that the United States households have received approximately 5. billion new credit card offers in 2009. This push from the credit card companies is pressuring Americans to place such a high importance on using credit cards that many Americans are not stopping to read and understand the contracts that they are signing. The shocking truth is that even if Americans were taking the time to read the contract, some would still not understand what the contract was actually saying. On average the United States credit card agreement is written at a 12 grade level, please note that most Americans who receive a high school diploma read at a ninth grade level even though they received 12 years of education. The toughest card agreement to read is from GTE Federal Credit Union. Their contract is set at 18. 5 reading level, which is the reading level equivalent of someone who has spent more than six years in college. The credit card companies have so many rules and hard to understand terms with their card contracts, that most Americans do not take the time to research and understand the rules; this causes debt and a large amount of it. Once the debt is there the credit bureaus are making money because Americans have to pay to check their credit score. Americans today have a strong desire for the simple lifestyle; credit cards give them the feeling that they are achieving this because of the ease of spending and false ideas of financial security. The sad truth is that credit cards are the leading cause of high debt and bankruptcy in America. Even, if someone does have good credit and are on time with the payment every month they pay high interest if the full balance is not paid in full each month, which most Americans cannot afford. Some Americans pay the minimal amount each month. This is the credit companies’ biggest snafu. The minimum payment is an interest-only payment and does not decrease the loan’s principal. If they would do the math they would see that it would take 180 years or more to pay off their credit card debt. That is an outrageous amount of time. The United States total revolving debt is $852. 6 billion as of March 2010, of which 98% is made up of credit card debt. The average credit card debt per household is $15,788. These statistics are far too high. This makes it easier to understand how debt is the number one reason Americans are suffering financially. The total bankruptcy filings in 2009 reached 1. million, which is up from the 1. 09 million that was recorded in 2008. Americans are so absorbed by the credit cards that a study was done in 2006 by the United States Census Bureau that determined there were nearly 1. 5 billion credit cards in use in America. A stack of all those cards would reach more than 70 miles into space and be almost as tall as 13 Mount Everest as reported by the New York Times on February 23, 2009. An important factor in credit card debt is the penalty fees Americans are receiving from card companies. In 2009 penalty fees added up to be 20. billion dollars according to R. K. Hammer, a consultant to the credit card industry. Aside from the vicious debt cycle, another issue with credit cards is fraud. In today’s culture, people are not finding the honest neighbors and trustworthy merchants, found in past generations. Now Americans have the World Wide Web or Internet, where consumers can buy almost anything they like with a couple clicks, and, of course, a Visa or MasterCard. This high speed Internet has given today’s thieves a high speed means to steal credit card information and turn a 780 credit score into a zero within minutes. In 2009 the number of identification fraud victims in the United States rose 12% to 11. 1 million, which is the highest level sense the Javelin survey began in 2003. All this fraud has Americans choosing their number one fear today not as terrorism, health viruses or personal safety; it is fraud that they fear and stress about the most. All this is taking a toll on Americans and slowly making them aware that not everyone is nice and trusting. Not just that, but it is killing the economy little by little. Americans are purchasing less because the fear of falling into debt or becoming a victim of fraud is becoming a very real scenario. In a recent report done by Consumer Report Magazine in November 2009 surveys showed that 21% of consumers said they were treated unfairly by credit card companies and 32% have paid off and closed their accounts. Half reported the reason for canceling the accounts was the card issuers hiking up their interest rates and imposing high account fees. Also in the report 45% of all consumers said they are using their cards less because they trust the credit card companies less. A Javelin study performed in 2009 showed credit card use has plummeted from 97% in 2007 to 72% in 2008, which is a 25% drop within over a year. All this debt and fraud is taking a toll on Americans and the economy, little by little Americans are purchasing less because the fear of credit card debt or becoming a victim of fraud is a very real life scenario. Americans are starting to slowly remember and realize that what was once borrowed must be paid back and that if they do not have the cash for it then perhaps they do not need it.

Gouverneur K. Warren - Civil War - Major General - Union Army

Gouverneur K. Warren - Civil War - Major General - Union Army Gouverneur K. Warren - Early Life Career: Born at Cold Spring, NY on January 8, 1830, Gouverneur K. Warren was named for a local Congressman and industrialist.   Raised locally, his younger sister, Emily, later married Washington Roebling and played a key role in the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.   A strong student, Warren obtained admission to West Point in 1846.   Traveling a short distance down the Hudson River, he continued to display his academic skills as a cadet.   Graduating second in the Class of 1850, Warren received a commission as a brevet second lieutenant in the Corps of Topographical Engineers.   In this role, he traveled west and aided in projects along the Mississippi River as well as helped plan routes for railroads. Serving as an engineer on Brigadier General William Harneys staff in 1855, Warren first experienced combat at the Battle of Ash Hollow during the First Sioux War.   In the wake of the conflict, he continued to survey the lands west of the Mississippi with the goal of determining a route for the transcontinental railroad.   Ranging through the Nebraska Territory, which included parts of modern-day Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, Warren helped create the first detailed maps of the region as well  as extensively surveyed the Minnesota River Valley.   Gouverneur K. Warren -  The Civil War Begins: A first lieutenant, Warren had returned east by 1861 and filled a post at West Point teaching mathematics.   With the beginning of the Civil War in April, he departed the academy and began aiding in raising a local regiment of volunteers.   Successful, Warren was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 5th New York Infantry on May 14.   Ordered to  Fortress Monroe, the regiment took part in Major General  Benjamin Butlers defeat at the Battle of Big Bethel on June 10.   Sent to Baltimore in late July, the  regiment aided in constructing fortifications on Federal Hill.   In  September, following the promotion of the 5th New Yorks commander, Colonel Abram Duryà ©e, to brigadier general, Warren assumed command of the regiment with the rank of colonel. Returning to the Peninsula in the spring of 1862, Warren advanced with Major General George B. McClellans Army of the Potomac and took part in the Siege of Yorktown.   During this time, he frequently assisted the armys chief topographical engineer, Brigadier General Andrew A. Humphreys, by conducting reconnaissance missions and drafting maps.   As the campaign progressed, Warren assumed command  of a brigade in Brigadier General George Sykes division of  V Corps.   On  June 27, he sustained a wound in the leg during the Battle of Gaines Mill, but remained in command.   As the Seven Days Battles progressed he again  saw action at the Battle of  Malvern Hill where his men aided in repelling Confederate assaults.   Gouverneur K. Warren -  Ascent to Command:   With the failure of the Peninsula Campaign, Warrens brigade returned north and saw action at the Second Battle of Manassas in late August.   In the fighting, his men were driven back by a massive assault from Major General James Longstreets corps.   Recovering, Warren and his command were present the following month at the Battle of Antietam but remained in reserve during the fighting.   Promoted to brigadier general on September 26, he continued to lead his brigade and returned to combat in December during the Union defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg.   With the ascent of Major General Joseph Hooker to command of the Army of the Potomac in  early 1863, Warren received an assignment as the armys chief topographical engineer.   This soon saw him advance to become the  armys chief engineer. In May, Warren saw action at the Battle of Chancellorsville  and though  it resulted in a stunning  victory for General Robert E. Lees  Army of  Northern Virginia, he was commended for his performance in the campaign.   As Lee began moving north to invade Pennsylvania, Warren advised Hooker on the best routes for intercepting the enemy.   When Major General George G. Meade succeeded Hooker on June 28, he continued to  help direct the armys movements.   As the two armies clashed at the Battle of Gettysburg  on July 2, Warren recognized the importance of the heights at Little Round Top which was situated off the Union left.   Racing Union forces to the hill, his efforts just prevented Confederate  troops from seizing the  heights and turning Meades flank.   In the fighting, Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlains 20th Maine famously held the line against the attackers.  Ã‚  In recognition for his actions at Gettysburg, Warren received a promotion to major general o n August 8. Gouverneur K. Warren - Corps Commander: With this promotion, Warren assumed command of II Corps as  Major General Winfield S. Hancock had been badly wounded at Gettysburg.   In October, he led the corps to victory over Lieutenant General A.P. Hill at the Battle of Bristoe Station and showed skill and discretion  a month later during the Mine  Run Campaign.   In the spring of 1864, Hancock returned to active duty and the Army of the Potomac reorganized under guidance of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Meade.   As a part of this, Warren received command of V Corps on March 23.   With the beginning of the Overland Campaign in May, his men saw extensive fighting during the Battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House.   As Grant pushed south, Warren and the armys cavalry commander, Major General Philip Sheridan, repeatedly  clashed as the latter felt that the V Corps leader was too cautious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the armies moved closer to Richmond, Warrens corps again saw action at Cold Harbor before shifting further south to enter the Siege of Petersburg.   In an effort to force the situation, Grant and Meade began extending Union lines south and west.   Moving as part of these operations, Warren won a victory over Hill at the Battle of Globe Tavern in August.   A month later, he achieved another success in the fighting around Peebles Farm.   During this time, Warrens relationship with Sheridan remained strained.   In February 1865, he saw substantial action at the Battle of Hatchers Run.   Following the Confederate defeat at the Battle of Fort Stedman in late March 1865, Grant instructed Sheridan to strike Confederate forces at the key crossroads of Five Forks.    Though Sheridan requested Major General Horatio G. Wrights VI Corps support the operation, Grant instead assigned V Corps as it was better positioned.   Aware of Sheridans issues with Warren, the Union leader gave the former permission to relieve him if the situation warranted.   Attacking on April 1, Sheridan soundly defeated enemy forces led by Major General George Pickett at the Battle of Five Forks.   In the fighting, he believed that V Corps moved too slowly and that Warren was out of position.   Immediately after the battle, Sheridan relieved Warren and replaced him with Major General Charles Griffin.    Gouverneur K. Warren - Later Career: Briefly sent to lead the Department of Mississippi, an irate Warren resigned his commission as a major general of volunteers on May 27 and reverted to his rank of major of engineers in the regular army.   Serving in the Corps of Engineers for the next seventeen years, he worked along the Mississippi River and aided in the construction of railroads.   During this time, Warren  repeatedly requested a court of inquiry into his actions at Five Forks in an effort to clear his reputation.   These were refused until Grant left the White House.   Finally, in 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes ordered a court convened.   After extensive hearings and testimony, the court concluded that Sheridans actions had been unjustified.    Assigned to Newport, RI, Warren died there on August 8, 1882, three months before the courts findings were formally published.   Only fifty-two, the cause of death was listed as acute liver failure related to diabetes.   As per his wishes, he was buried locally in Island Cemetery with no military honors and wearing civilian clothes.    Selected Sources: Civil War Trust: Gouverneur K. WarrenCivil War: Gouverneur K. WarrenNNDB: Gouverneur K. Warren

Introduction to the Lapita Cultural Complex

Introduction to the Lapita Cultural Complex The Lapita culture is the name given to the artifactual remains associated with the people who settled the area east of the Solomon Islands called Remote Oceania between 3400 and 2900 years ago. The earliest Lapita sites are located in the Bismarck islands, and within 400 years of their founding, the Lapita had spread over an area of 3,400 kilometers, stretching through the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia, and eastward to Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. Located on small islands and the coasts of larger islands, and separated from one another by as much as 350 kilometers, the Lapita lived in villages of stilt-legged houses and earth-ovens, made distinctive pottery, fished and exploited marine and aquacultural resources, raised domestic chickens, pigs and dogs, and grew fruit- and nut-bearing trees. Lapita Cultural Attributes Pottery making workshop demonstrating Lapita pottery styles as part of Heritage Month 2017 in New Caledonia. Gà ©rard Lapita pottery consists of mostly plain, red-slipped, coral sand-tempered wares; but a small percentage are ornately decorated, with intricate geometric designs incised or stamped onto the surface with a fine-toothed dentate stamp, perhaps made of turtle or clamshell. One often-repeated motif in Lapita pottery is what appears to be stylized eyes and nose of a human or animal face. The pottery is built, not wheel thrown, and low-temperature fired. Other artifacts found at Lapita sites include shell tools including fishhooks, obsidian, and other cherts, stone adzes, personal ornaments such as beads, rings, pendants and carved bone. That artifacts are not completely uniform throughout Polynesia, but rather seem to be spatially variable. Tattooing The practice of tattooing has been reported in ethnographic and historical records throughout the Pacific, by one of two methods: cutting and piercing. In some cases, a series of very small cuts is made to create a line, and then pigment was rubbed into the open wound. A second method involves the use of a sharp point which is dipped into the prepared pigment and then used to pierce the skin. Evidence for tattooing in Lapita cultural sites has been identified in the form of small flake points made by alternating retouch. These tools sometimes categorized as gravers have a typically square body with a point raised well above the body. A 2018 study combining use-wear and residue analysis was conducted by Robin Torrence and colleagues on a collection of 56 such tools from seven sites. They found a considerable variation across time and space as to how the tools were used to intentionally introduce charcoal and ochre into wounds to create a permanent mark on the skin. Origins of the Lapita Young men in canoes in Northwest Malakula, Vanuatu.   Russell Gray Heidi Colleran (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History) In 2018, a multidisciplinary study of DNA by the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History reported support for ongoing multiple explorations of greater Oceania beginning about 5,500 years ago. The study led by Max Planck researcher Cosimo Posth looked at the DNA of 19 ancient individuals across Vanuatu, Tonga, French Polynesia and the Solomon islands, and 27 inhabitants of Vanuatu. Their results indicate that the earliest Austronesian expansion began 5,500 years ago, starting from modern-day Taiwan, and ultimately carrying people as far westward as far as Madagascar and eastward to Rapa Nui. About 2,500 years ago, people from the Bismarck archipelago began arriving on Vanuatu, in multiple waves, marrying into the Austronesian families. The continual influx of people from the Bismarcks must have been fairly small, because islanders today still speak Austronesian, rather than Papuan, as would be expected, given that the initial genetic Austronesian ancestry seen in the ancient DNA has been almost completely replaced in the modern residents.   Decades of research have identified obsidian outcrops used by the Lapita in the Admiralty Islands, West New Britain, Fergusson Island in the D’Entrecasteaux Islands, and the Banks Islands in Vanuatu. Obsidian artifacts found in datable contexts on Lapita sites throughout Melanesia have allowed researchers to refine the previously established massive colonization efforts of the Lapita sailors. Archaeological Sites Lapita, Talepakemalai in the Bismarck Islands; Nenumbo in the Solomon Islands; Kalumpang (Sulawesi); Bukit Tengorak (Sabah); Uattamdi on Kayoa Island; ECA, ECB aka Etakosarai on Eloaua Island; EHB or Erauwa on Emananus Island; Teouma on Efate Island in Vanuatu; Bogi 1, Tanamu 1, Moriapu 1, Hopo, in Papua New Guinea Sources Johns, Dilys Amanda, Geoffrey J. Irwin, and Yun K. Sung. An Early Sophisticated East Polynesian Voyaging Canoe Discovered on New Zealands Coast. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111.41 (2014): 14728–33. Print.Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth. Ancient DNA and the Human Settlement of the Pacific: A Review. Journal of Human Evolution 79 (2015): 93–104. Print.Posth, Cosimo, et al. Language Continuity Despite Population Replacement in Remote Oceania. Nature Ecology Evolution 2.4 (2018): 731–40. Print.Skelly, Robrt, et al. Tracking Ancient Beach-Lines Inland: 2600-Year-Old Dentate-Stamped Ceramics at Antiquity 88.340 (2014): 470–87. Print.Hopo, Vailala River Region, Papua New Guinea.Specht, Jim, et al. Deconstructing the Lapita Cultural Complex in the Bismarck Archipelago. Journal of Archaeological Research 22.2 (2014): 89–140. Print.Torrence, Robin, et al. Tattooing Tools and the Lapita Cultural Complex. Archaeology in Oceania 53.1 (2018): 58â⠂¬â€œ73. Print.Valentin, Frà ©dà ©rique, et al. Early Lapita Skeletons from Vanuatu Show Polynesian Craniofacial Shape: Implications for Remote Oceanic Settlement and Lapita Origins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113.2 (2016): 292–97. Print.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 20

Marketing - Essay Example The report is based on the study of the segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) analysis of Apple and Samsung in the US market. These two organisations are the leading electronic goods manufacturer and dealer all over the world. This analysis is also emphasises on the importance of marketing mix strategy while analysing the different stages of STP strategy (Wood, 2008). Apple Inc. is a multinational company headquartered in California. It was established in the year of 1976 by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne. Apple offers consumer electronics, personal computers, software and online services to its customers (Marketline, 2014). Samsung is the leading electronic consumer durable organisation founded by Lee Byung-chul in the year of 1938. It is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea (Mukit, 2014). The product portfolio of Apple includes portable computers such as Macbook series, iPod, iPhone, iTune, printers, servers and wifi based stations. Apple MacBook and iPhones have created their status symbol. Their product category also includes different accessories and peripheral products such as printers, magic mouse and storage devices (Worstall, 2014). The distribution channel of Apple includes technology consultant and independent service provider. They prefer to sale their product only through authorized resellers, retailers and distributors. They also promote and sale their products through Apple authorized franchisee stores (Paczkowski, 2012). Apple is focused on promoting their products within students and professionals. Through their promotional activities they try to attract their customer’s attention towards the special features and benefits of their products. Their promotional procedure includes advertisement through all the possible media and sales promotions. Samsung has a wide product portfolio which includes Tablet, notebooks, printers, wide range of mobile phone and television, cameras, refrigerator,

Marketing Management. Experimentation and change Assignment

Marketing Management. Experimentation and change - Assignment Example This has given rise to another important trend in marketing: marketing metrics. Measuring the contribution of marketing to the overall firm performance has become a crucial part of the marketing management function. The critical question for marketing management is how the marketing function should be designed in order to provide the greatest value for organization. At the heart of this issue is the idea that the marketing function's key contribution is to serve as a link between the customer and various processes within the firm. As suggested by Moorman and Rust (1999) the marketing function should play a role in connecting the customer with 1) the product 2) service delivery and 3) financial accountability. Of those three connections the traditional role of marketing has been to link the customer with the product. The customer-product connection pertains to linking the customer to the focal offering provided by the firm. Marketing's emphasis in this linkage is on providing knowledge and skills that connect the customer to product design or quality issues. This emphasis underlies many contemporary methodologies for new product development and for managing the customer-product interface. The customer-service delivery connection involves the design and delivery of ancillary actions involved in providing a firm's goods and services to the customer. The focus of this connection is generally the frontline employee who facilitates pre or post-purchase aspects of the process. A marketing approach to this linkage is predominantly external in orientation. The focus in on ensuring that customers are satisfied with the delivery of services offered by firm, measuring customer satisfaction with services, and changing internal processes that stands to have the greatest impact on the customer. The customer-financial accountability connection refers to efforts focused on linking customers to financial outcomes. The marketing function in many firms does not manage this linkage, and the inevitable result is that financial accountability is perceived largely in terms of costs. The actual expectative is to understand the link between marketing and financial performance of firms. 3. How to measure the contribution of marketing The need for ex post evaluation of marketing programmes and activities is set by Kotler (2003) as a crucial part of the process of analysis, planning, implementation and control. This evaluation is made by means of different marketing metrics that are used to assess past performance and influence on firm effectiveness, as well as to design future strategy improvements. Marketing has a chain of effects in firm performance as suggested by Rust et al. (2004). Marketing strategies lead to marketing actions taken by the firm such as advertising campaigns, service improvement efforts, branding initiatives, loyalty programs. Then the tactical actions influence customer satisfaction, attitude toward the brand and loyalty. At the firm level, these customer measures can be into