Data Analysis Method - 974 Words

Throughout our observation week we were able to collect vast amount of data both from observations and interviews. In order to let our data speak to us and help us to understand how the collaborative work is conducted between ITB and Royal Danish Library we have adopted grounded theory method as a main data analysis practice to work with. This decision involved summarizing cons and pros of using this approach. According to Glaser, Barney G Strauss (1967), using grounded theory involves development of theory rather by logical deduction then from experimental data itself. The publication of The Discovery of Grounded theory finds it relevant in practical applications and enable prediction and explanation of behavior. As our field setting is not often overflown with different actors we have decided to unlock behavioral patterns and get insight also on the profiles of employees. By this approach we have enriched our data, by being able to see connection between artifacts and articulation work, that draws an implication of artifacts in collaborative work. Moreover we have observed that each artifact might have different purpose of use as it is observed by different point of views from different subjects.The fact that we were able to actually observe appropriation in collaborative work, which can be described such as an assimilation of technology by group of people in completely different manner as designer firstly intended to, made us to logically distinguish between differentShow MoreRelatedData Collection Method and Analysis Essay1318 Words   |  6 PagesIn order to provide the Australia Park Victoria with the appropriate data to solve its current crisis, the most appropriate method of data collection for this research is the qualitative method. According to Gay and Airasian (p 627) qualitative method is the collection of extensive data on various variables over a long time in a natural setting with an aim of acquiring insights not possible using other methods. It involves three different kinds of information collection: direct observation, in depthRead MoreUsing Data Analysis For Mixed Methods2029 Words   |  9 Pagesresearchers in mixed methods designs to conduct an effective data analysis. Data analysis strategy depends on the type of mixed methods design. Creswell (2007) suggested number of essential considerations should be in account when conducting mixed methods data analysis: 1. The analysis strategy should be used in order to answer the research question(s) being asked. The questions are different according to the research design as discussed earlier in this paper. 2. Data analysis approach will relateRead MoreData Analysis Methods And Analysis Essay782 Words   |  4 PagesData Analysis Methods 1. Summarize the methods used in the study to analyze the data or evidence – what reasoning or rationale are they using to link the evidence or data to the conclusions of the study? ï  ¶ Population: large U.S. cities defined as more than 200,000 residents and annual population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. ï  ¶ Red Light Camera Programs: obtained through news reports and calls to city police departments or public works department. ï  ¶ Calendar Years: 2004-2008 representedRead MoreEconomics: The Data Analysis Methods818 Words   |  3 PagesWere the data analysis methods used appropriately for the qualitative tradition or research design (e.g., case study, ethnography, grounded theory, etc.)? Why or why not? This was a mixed- triangulated study using both qualitative (case study observation) and quantitative methodology.. A survey design was used questioning participants on their opinion regarding whether their vocational performance was improved as a result of enhanced financial literacy. As the author pointed out, the designRead MoreAnalysis Of Methods Of Data Replication2086 Words   |  9 Pages Analysis of Techniques of Data Replication in Cloud Environment Funmilola Okelana Harrisburg University Abstract As a Business System Analyst, most of my responsibilities involve working with big data. Data management is key to the success of any company. This includes, data security, data availability and assessment. Many companies need to replicate data that is both in cloud or other infrastructures for various purposes including; uptime and resilience, remote backup and storage, branchesRead MoreMethods of Data Analysis in Qualitative Research1580 Words   |  7 Pages15 Methods of Data Analysis in Qualitative Research Compiled by Donald Ratcliff 1. Typology - a classification system, taken from patterns, themes, or other kinds of groups of data. (Patton pp. 393,398) John Lofland Lyn Lofland Ideally, categories should be mutually exclusive and exhaustive if possible, often they aren t. Basically a list of categories. example: Lofland and Lofland s 1st edition list: acts, activities, meanings, participation, relationships, settings (in the third editionRead MoreStatistical Methods Used for the Analysis of Data2053 Words   |  8 Pagesdiscuss in this paper one of statistical method used for analyzing data using time to conversion as a dependent variable, its called survival analysis, also it has many names such as event duration analysis, transition event analysis, time to event analysis, failure analysis and other, Definition of survival analysis: There are many definitions for survival analysis I will mention some of them that can clarifying the meaning, in general it’s a set of statics methods dealing with time as a variable untilRead MoreData Analysis Of DNA By The Standard Crystallographic Method842 Words   |  4 Pagescrystallographic method, using a colorless plate crystal (0.028 Ãâ€" 0.034 Ãâ€" 0.046 mm3) of 2 for single crystal data analysis. All the data were collected using a Bruker SMART BREEZE diffractometer equipped with a 1K CCD area detector using graphite monochromated Mo KÃŽ ± radiation at 200 K. A hemisphere of data was collected using a narrow-frame method with the scan widths of 0.30 ° in omega and an exposure time of 5 s/frame. The first 50 frames were remeasured at the end of the data collection to monitorRead MoreQualitative Data Analysis Methods: Interview With a Respondent1515 Words   |  6 PagesQualitative data analysis Interview This is an interview between the respondent who is conducting a qualitative research and a 20 year old white individual who is unemployed and hence lives the lifestyle of the lower end in the society. The interviewer generally asks leading questions and notes reactions or responses from the interviewee and also builds on the answers given by the respondent to ask other questions that help him extract more information outside the structured leading questionsRead MoreData Analysis Methods Used in Quantitative Research.4348 Words   |  18 PagesDEFINITION: Quantitative methods are research techniques that are used to gather quantitative data — information dealing with numbers and anything that is measurable e.g. Statistics, tables and graphs, are often used to present the results of these methods. Quantitative research methods were originally developed in the natural sciences to study natural phenomena. However examples of quantitative methods now well accepted in the social sciences and education. Differences between parametric and

The Coffee Crisis - 1069 Words

| | 2/5/2012 2/5/2012 Tamara Young To begin, The Coffee Crisis is about an acute coffee crisis and how it threatens millions of small coffee farmers around the world and is putting economic growth, as well as social and political stability, at risk in scores of coffee producing countries in Central and South America, Africa and Asia. In 2004, the governments of coffee producing countries were considering how to respond to the dramatic decline in coffee prices caused in part by a large increase in coffee production in Brazil and Vietnam. Coffee was the main source of income for roughly 25 million farmers, mostly small land holders, in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Coffee prices had hit 40 year lows in 2001 and had remained†¦show more content†¦The crisis in the coffee sector continues. Its impact cannot be understated, since coffee constitutes the livelihood of an estimated 25 million families around the world. In world trade, coffee is the second leading commodity, after petroleum. The worldwide coffee market spans some 71 countries, of which 51 are significant producers and 20 are key consumers. Prices have not kept up with production costs to the extent needed to make participation in the coffee business profitable for most producers, even though the crop year 2003-2004 witnessed a worldwide decrease in production. (Central America - The Coffee Crisis: Effects and Strategies for Moving Forward, 1992) In coffee producing countries, which account for over 26% of world consumption, the situation is more diverse. In some countries, prices of coffee have fallen in local currency and consumption may therefore be stimulated. In Brazil, the largest coffee market among producing countries, the devaluation of the real has maintained prices of green coffee at pre-crisis levels. As a whole, consumption in these markets is not expected to suffer any major negative impact. The root cause of the coffee crisis can be linked to three factors: over production; under consumption; and market oligop oly. In short, these are all problems associated with the economics of coffee farming. Without resolution, they will lead to both social and environmental breakdowns. (Central America - TheShow MoreRelatedThe Coffee Crisis958 Words   |  4 PagesThe Coffee Crisis MBA 6008-Global Economic Environment Capella University Theresa Patterson December 18, 2011 Coffee was the top source of income for 25 million farmers in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Due to the lack of appropriate compensation for their harvest, communities in coffee- producing countries around the world are suffering. Coffee is a chief export for many developing nations and their entire economiesRead MoreThe Coffee Crisis1045 Words   |  5 Pages12/18/2011 U4A1- The Coffee Crisis Dr. John Halstead In â€Å"The Coffee Crisis†, the authors described that in 2004 the governments of coffee producing countries were considering how to respond to rapid decline to coffee prices. Coffee was the main source of income for about twenty-five million small land farmers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. In 2001, coffee prices hit a forty year low; resulting in extreme hardship for many farming communities. The affect of this crisis lead to most farmersRead MoreCoffee Crisis1164 Words   |  5 PagesUnit 4 Assignment 1 â€Å"The Coffee Crisis† By Stephen Quinlan amp; Jose Gomez-Ibanez Case Analysis Michael G. Castro Capella University MBA6008 – Global Economic Environment Professor Hadsell February 13, 2013 Introduction Stephen Quinlan and Jose Gomez-Ibanez describes, in â€Å"The Coffee Crisis†, that in 2004 the governments of coffee producing countries were considering how to respond to rapid decline to coffee prices. In 2001, coffee prices hit a forty-year low, which resultedRead MoreEssay on Coffee Crisis3997 Words   |  16 PagesCoffee Crisis The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe , and the Economist as well as many other media outlets of record were all in consensus when they declared the onset of coffee crisis in October 2001; farmgate prices had sharply dropped reaching a thirty-year low of $0.39 per pound in This price was below the cost of coffee production at the time, listed at USD 0.60 per pound.(Economist 2001) Price declines are not such an uncommon occurrence, but what is more troubling is that the cash marketRead MoreThe International Coffee Crisis Of India1455 Words   |  6 Pagesbecause of imbalanced trade and payment to the commodity that they grow. Their lives depend a great deal on so-called global commodities such as coffee, cacao, and tea, which can be available to citizens in developed countries at a low price. Therefore the demand of these commodities has increased in the last few decades. According to Ambinakudige (2009), coffee that is one of the most traded commodities in the world is the main me ans of small farmers’ lives in developing countries. He examined how peopleRead MoreCoffee and Crisis Management Team21317 Words   |  86 PagesStarbucks Coffee Company Crisis Case - Part I Dr. Phillip G. Clampitt Cases in Media Management August 1, 2009 Crisis Management Team: PuRr-Luscious Ladies Debra Dobson Diane LeVeque Joyce Jentges Karen Sobiesczyk Proposed Crisis Management Plan 2 Table of Contents - Part I Purpose of Crisis Plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦4 Overview of Starbucks. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..........5 Acknowledgement Forms ...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦............†¦.†¦.......10 Crisis RehearsalRead MoreA Crisis in the World of Coffee Essay530 Words   |  3 PagesCoffee is the second largest export commodity in the world after oil and is exported from 52 countries in the south. The current crisis has evolved through a series of changes in the industry. Since the liberalization of the coffee market, the price volatility has amplified. The world pro duction of coffee has risen dramatically in the past three years mainly due to the production increase in the two world leading countries Brazil and Vietnam. Vietnam has for example increased production by 1400 %Read MoreCoffee Crisis in Kenya Essay2674 Words   |  11 PagesINTRODUCTION For many years, Kenya has been famous for its coffee. Described as strong in body and intense in flavor, Kenyan coffee, which belongs to the Arabica variety, is considered one of the worlds most consistent sources of high-grade caffeine. And because of its good cash returns to local farmers, coffee has traditionally occupied a large share of the countrys most productive lands, grown mostly on rich, red volcanic soil in areas with high and well distributed rainfall. However, the storyRead More Fair Trade Coffee Offers a Solution to the Coffee Crisis Essay1449 Words   |  6 PagesFair Trade Coffee Offers a Solution to the Coffee Crisis When you buy a cup of coffee in Starbucks every morning to keep you awake through the day, do you ever think of the origins of these coffee beans? How much of those three dollars you pay in Starbucks goes to the Farmers? Personally, I’m not a coffee-drinker. But somehow I realize the big sign in front of Java City in the Reitz Union Food Court, which says â€Å"Certified Fair Trade Coffee.† I’m surprised how few students know what it means. CurrentlyRead MoreCase Study : Starbucks And Starbucks Essay1429 Words   |  6 PagesWashington 1971, Starbucks is an American coffee company and coffeehouse chain. It has 23,768 locations worldwide, including 13,107 in the United States, 2,204 in China, 1,418 in Canada, 1,160 in Japan and 872 in South Korea (â€Å"Starbucks†, n.d., para. 1). Starbucks mission is to enrich the human spirit--one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. In 1987, Schultz acquired Starbucks and changed its strategy to build a str ong company and expand high quality coffee business. II The most important factors

Financial report on luton brickworks Plc. Free Essays

string(122) " DIRECTOR B Argues that whether a cash dividend is paid or not is irrelevant in the context of shareholders maximisation\." Introduction Luton Brickworks plc is newly formed company which aims to maximise the wealth of its shareholders. The board of directors of the company is currently trying to decide on the most appropriate dividend policy to adopt for the company’s shareholders. However, there is a strong disagreement between three of the directors concerning the benefits of declaring cash dividends. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial report on luton brickworks Plc. or any similar topic only for you Order Now Director A argues that cash dividends would be welcome by investors and that a high dividend payout ratio as possible would reflect positively on the market value of the shares. Director B argues that whether a cash dividend is paid or not is irrelevant in the context of shareholder maximisation. Director C takes an opposite view and argues that dividend payments should be avoided, as they would lead to a decrease in shareholder wealth. Required: Present the theory of organisational dividend policies and integrate the assignment into your discussion. a) Discuss the arguments for and against the position taken by each of the three directors b) Assuming the board of directors decides to pay a dividend to Shareholders what factors should be taken into account when determining the level of dividend payment. What is Dividend? The term dividend refers to the part of divisible profits among its shareholders. In other words, dividend is that portion of company’s profit which is distributed among its shareholders as a percentage of par values of share at a fixed rate per share according to the decision of its board of directors. The main purpose of any business is to create profits for its owners. When any company earns profit from its business, they can reinvest that money in their business, but some companies pay profits to its share holders. However when a company decides to pay dividend to shareholders, the cash available for business will reduce. Dividend inukare paid on a semi annual basis, net of deduction of tax at the standard personal income tax rate, these are called interim dividends. These interim dividends tend to be smaller than final dividends due to cash flow, taxation financial planning considerations (Sangray, 2010). Types of Dividends: 1)Cash Dividend 2)Stock Dividend 3)Stock Splits Dividend CASH DIVIDEND: Cash dividend plays a dominant role in sharing company’s profit; shareholders are being paid in part of company’s profit. However in US they double the taxation of cash dividend at a maximum rate of 15% and dividends are distributed to shareholders only after company pays income tax. STOCK DIVIDEND: Stock dividend is paid to shareholders only if the companies not having healthy cash position, by combining the profits of both current previous year. Such shares are also called as ‘bonus shares’ instead of paying dividend as cash. There is no great change in equity of shareholders, as stock dividend is paid until actual stock sold in order to avoid paying taxes. In general share holders have more scope to receive additional shares from the company, where it depends on the amount already owned by shareholders. STOCK SPLITS DIVIDEND: Stock split dividend is performed in a company, if there is increase in share price, obviously investors shares become too expensive to buy. Whereas liabilities, assets, equity remains same. InUKstock split is referred as â€Å"scrip issue†, â€Å"bonus issue†, â€Å"capitalization† or â€Å"free issue†. This stock split dividend resembles stock dividend. Source: investopedia.com/terms/s/stocksplit.asp SHAREHOLDERS WEALTH MAXIMIZATION: Shareholders profit maximization consolidates the volume of risk time. The goal of SWM states that the present value of the expected future cash flow of the firm should be maximized to shareholders. ARGUMENTS DIRECTOR A: He argues that cash dividends would be welcome by investors that a high dividend payout ratio as possible would reflect positively on the market value of the shares. This argument deals with RELEVANCE THEORY, where the supporting model for this argument is WALTER’S MODEL James E. Walter (1999): dividends are relevant. The investment policy of a company dividend policy both are inter-related as they cannot be separated by their own. The value of an enterprise will be affected by dividend policy. Formula for Walter’s model: P= D/Ke-g Where P= PRICE OF EQUITY SHARES D= INITIAL DIVIDEND Ke= COST OF EQUITY CAPITAL G= GROWTH RATE EXPECTED ANOTHER MODEL WHICH SUPPORTS THIS ARGUMENT IS GORDON LINTNER MODEL Dividend relevance, as argued by â€Å"Linter and Gordon†, suggested that investors preferred dividends to capital gains due to their certainty w The Gordon model can be used to find the theoretical value of a share by summing the share’s discounted future dividend payments to infinity: P0= Do (1+g)/(y-g) Where: P0 = current ex-dividend market price of the share r=shareholders’ required rate of return g= expected future growth rate of dividends D0 = declared dividend at time t0 Dividend relevance was further supported by the argument that dividends were seen by investors as signals of a company’s future profitability. Arguments in favour of statement: 1)The company should pay dividend to shareholders if they have sufficient liquidity to satisfy their requirements. 2)The dividend acts as a signal to investors about the profits of the company is higher or not. 3)The company’s market value confidence in society increase only if the dividends are paid to investors. 4)If company pays regular cash payments to customers the firm will be recognised in the market to get financial support from other institutions with reasonable interest rates. Arguments against the statement: 1)If the company pays dividend to investors in initial stage, it may lead to failure in important opportunities. 2)The share value of the company decreases if the company pays more dividends to shareholders. This leads to negative impact in the market. 3)According to nature of the business the company may suffer loss, as dividend may adversely affect the company. 4) The regular payout of dividends will also be taxed on regular intervals, as they are corporation profits. If this profits are transferred to reserves,(capital gains) in long run, the total impact of tax would be less than the tax paid on regular dividend payments. DIRECTOR B Argues that whether a cash dividend is paid or not is irrelevant in the context of shareholders maximisation. This argument deals with IRRELEVANCE THEORY, the supporting models for this theory could be MILLER MODIGLIANI MODEL According to â€Å"Miller and Modigliani† (2010 Sudesh Sangray) the dividend payments were irrelevant should only be offered as a residual the value of a firm is unaffected by the distribution of dividends and is determined solely by the earning power and risk of its assets. The dividend policy may have no influence on the market price of the shares. Assumptions of MM model Surveillance of perfect capital markets and investors in it are rational. Securities are infinitely divisible, as there is no transactions cost, investor cannot influence the market price of securities and there are no floatation costs. There are no differences in tax rates which are applicable to capital gains and dividends. The investment policy of a firm does not change. It implies the financial status of the company which gives an opportunity to invest in new projects. As retain earnings will not change the business risk of the firm. Arguments in favour of statement: (MR.B) 1)Investors will not get affected if dividend is paid but investment policy will have impact on shareholders wealth maximization. 2)The investors are less concern about dividend payment as they always want to maximise their wealth. 3)The home made dividend pays to shareholders who expect regular income selling particular shares instead of anticipating dividend. 4)If a company tries to get income from external source, by supplying sufficient funds, then retain earnings come completely irrelevant. Where shareholders wealth can be maximised by getting income from external source. Arguments against the statement: (MR.B) The perfect capital market is unrealistic. Practically, there are taxes, floatation costs and transaction costs. Paying present cash dividend is far better than capital gains, where whose appearance is definite more accepted by the shareholders. If a company paying dividend from external source of income is not a good idea, as it leads to increase in interest rate gearing ratio, which will effect shareholders wealth. DIRECTOR C This argument deals with which is similar to relevance theory, there is no specific model that supports this argument, but Argument for and against that Dividend payment should be avoided since it reduces Shareholders Wealth Arguments in favour of the statement Net income of the share holders decreases, as they pay taxes on dividend received. This result to decrease of wealth. The profitable opportunities for firm reduce, when there is regular payment of dividend to shareholders. So, the firm should try to avoid the dividend payment to its shareholders and try to concentrate on its investment opportunities. Argument against the Statement As mentioned by â€Å"Watson Head† (2004) in the article â€Å"DIVIDEND POLICY† cash dividend plays an important role to provide reliable information to the investors. That financial condition of company is strong. The uncertainty of shareholders income reduces when payment of cash dividend is high. The management tries to reduce conflict ensure their personal benefits are mention, as there is a scope of agency problems because of owner’s interest. There is decrease in interest rates when dividend payment is high which indicates the shareholders wellbeing is doing well by management are not. FACTORS DETERMINE DIVIDEND PAYMENT: The decision of dividend is difficult because of conflicting objectives lack of decision making techniques, maximizing shareholders wealth is not easy in the long run. FACTORS AFFECTING DIVIDEND POLICY: NATURE OF BUSINESS: Mostly dividend policy is adopted by companies which earn unstable profits; where it is different from company earn stable profits. COMPOSITION OF SHAREHOLDING: If the company have cumulative preference shares, they have to be paid the present year dividend in the next year along with next year dividend and if it has equity share they need not be paid even the company has profits. Example: Microsoft etc. RESTRICTIONS BY CONCERNED BODIES: In long-term some financial companies restrict the company on paying dividend to shareholders, they pronounced a clause that no payment to be made till the loan amount is repaid back to financial institutions. INFLATION: During inflation it is not much important to pay dividend. As there is no chance of replacing the equipment as funds are generated from depreciation. FIRM ORIENTED CONSIDERATION: The dividend policy is not determined by ownership interest rates. As firm’s needs are considered as important, this includes the following. Business cycles Risk of losing control on organization Post dividend policies and stockholders relationships. Relative cost of external funds Contractual legal restrictions Availability of external capital LIQUIDITY: As explained in Investopedia Dictionary. â€Å"The degree to which an asset or security can be bought or sold in the market without affecting the asset’s price. Liquidity is characterized by a high level of trading activity†. To increase the sales profits earned by company should reinvest in fixed assets working capital. There are some companies which cannot generate sufficient cash even if they get profitable income. OWNERSHIP CONSIDERATIONS: The identification of owner’s interest becomes difficult if it is decentralized on wide spectrum. As every shareholder have their own objectives different opinions. Investor companies are which combines the mix of both growth desired dividends. CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS Concluding that, this report explains the financial status of the company and their decision regarding shareholders wealth maximization. 1)Dividend is paid to shareholders dividend policy is taken to distribute dividend to shareholders. 2)There are 3 types of dividends cash, stock, stock splits dividend, which plays a key role in paying dividends. 3)Paying dividend to shareholders is an added advantage, which increase the company’s reputation in the market. 4)There is a possible adverse effect to the company depending on the nature of the business. 5)As investors always look forward to maximise their wealth. 6) It is not a good idea to pay dividend to shareholders now, as investors may think that the company is not having any future projects to enhance their business. 7)Recommending that the company should wait for some time to gain good reputation in market and investors as well to get more profits, which help to increase in market share, and overall profits of the company. 8)Concluding that as Luton Bricks Plc is new to company in market, there will have less scope for earning profits. REFERENCES DR.R.SRINIVASAN. (2009). Important theories of dividend policy – an appraisal. Available: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/important-theories-of-dividend-policyan-appraisal-1353119.html. Last accessed 2nd Aug 2010. Linter. John. (1956). Distribution of income corporation among. The American Economic. 46 (2), 2-15. American psychological association. Www.dictionary.com. dividend, Collins English dictionary, 10th edition. May 22, 2011. Pike Richard. (1996). Decisions and Strategies. In: Richard Pike and Bill Neale Corporate finance and investment. 2nd Ed.New York: Prentice Hall,. 196-216. Watson, Denzil. And Head Antony(2007). Corporate finance: principles and practices. 4th ed.Harlow: ft/prentice hall. pg.no:286. Sangray, S. (2011) Week-10. Advanced Corporate Finance, Dividend Policy. (Online). Available at www.breo.beds.ac.uk.(accessed on December 10, 2010). Gitman, L., J. (2009) the principles of managerial finance. 12th ed.London: Pearson Prentice Hall. Agrawalsumeets. (2010). Theories-of-Dividend-Policy. Available: http://www.scribd.com/doc/28162428/Theories-of-Dividend-Policy. Last accessed 27 July 2011. Dictionary. (2007). Dividend. Available: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dividend.asp. Last accessed 02 august 2011. How to cite Financial report on luton brickworks Plc., Essay examples

Role and Importance of Organizational Training and Development

Question: Discuss about the Role and Importance of Organizational Training and Development. Answer: The development of the knowledge as well as skills is essential and vital towards the health of the entire organization. In todays world, the business is fickle and it is changing everyday as well, therefore it is essential for the companies to properly train and develops the skills of the employees in the different organizations. The quality of the knowledge of the employees as well as the acumen of the business reflects on the business when proper training is provided to the employees. Furthermore, poorly trained employees or the untrained employees can affect the productivity of the business as well as the profits of the business. One of the most exceptional benefits of the training and development is the proper opportunity to provide the different employees with ability to make themselves superior in every prospects of the life. With proper development as well as training, it motivates the employees and they have the idea that they can receive better prospects within the entire organization as well. Proper skills of training and development will help in encouraging the employees in order to make them reach their potential as well as it increases job satisfaction and job satisfaction among the employees as well. A contented and dedicated employee is the one who provides more than 100% of himself/herself to the entire organization. Proper training is essential in the organization irrespective of different techniques such as monitoring or providing different opportunities for on the job or off the job training as well (Rees Smith, 2017). The employees in the organization are in high spirits when the organizations pays proper attention towards them and this will help in making their skills more sharpened and perfect in nature. Proper training and development of the employees in the workplace enables in increasing the productivity of the organization with proper efficiency as well as effectiveness in the way they perform their different works (Garavan et al., 2016). Proper skill levels are necessary in nature as this will help them in carrying out the job functions properly and develop better understanding about the job as well in order to attain different goals in the future. The individuals need to be more competent as well as confident in their approach in the tasks that they have to perform and once again this will help me in increasing the productivity of the organizations as well and it will help in increasing the profit as well. The confidence among the employees help in building trust between the employers and the employees in the organization that is extremely essential in nature and is beneficial as well for the success of the organization. The skilled and the confident employees in the organization are the ones who have proper idea of the works that are being performed by them. This will help in making the business more productive and attractive to their investors and customers. This will help in building proper brand image of the organization and making it lucrative place for the employees to work in such a company. The proper training and development of the employees will provide them proper opportunity to grow as well as meet goals and the aspirations. Proper nurturing as well as valuing the different employees will make the business more efficient in nature and this will make the people look for different job opportunities within the specific organization as well (Gooderham et al., 2015). Proper training and development will help in making the employees work harder and better in order to prove themselves better in the different kinds of tasks that are performed by them. Furthermore, the properly trained and developed employees are the ones who can adopt to different kinds of changes as well as challenges in the business environment. The employees of the organizations will not meet hostility at each and every turn and this will help in making the working environment better for the employees to work in for both the employees as well as the employers (Innocenti, Profili Sammarra, 2013). Proper training and development of the employees in the organization will help in addressing the weaknesses of the employees as there are different kinds of employees at the workplace who are not comfortable in speaking about their difficulties in front of the other individuals in the workplace (Kadiresan et al., 2015). The training session needs to be conducted in the organizations as this will help in strengthening the skills of the employees in making the work more easily and smoothly as well (Jamali et al., 2015). Training and development in the organizations will help in improving the performance of the employees in the organization as the employee of the organization becomes more aware about the different safety practices that has to be undertaken by them for conducting the basic tasks. The training sessions will help in building confidence of the employees in the workplace and this will push him/her to perform better in their jobs as well. Proper and continuous training will help in keeping the employees on the cutting edge of the developments of the entire industry. A structured training and development will help in ensuring that the employees in the organization will have consistent experience as well as the background knowledge as well (Tahir et al., 2014). The training and development program in the organization will have huge advantage on the employees in the organizations as this will help in achieving proper advantage over the other employees in the other organizations. The proper training will help in creating creative as well as supportive workplace that will help the employees in gaining access to the training and the employees will feel appreciated as well. The structured and accurate training and development will help in increasing the productivity as well as it will help in adhering to the quality standards as well (Sung Choi, 2014). The productivity of the companies usually increases when there is implementation of proper courses of training that will help in success of the project as well. Proper training and development of the employees in the organization will help in reducing the turnover of the employees and this will be applicable when proper training and development strategies are implemented by the companies (Joo et al., 2013). The training and development strategies will help in providing the company with additional advantage and the costs of recruitment will be lowered down due to the retention in the staffs of the employees (Elnaga Imran, 2013). The training and developmental strategies will help in enhancing the reputation of the company along with the profile as this will help in developing proper strategy that will help in developing brand of the employer and training will help in attracting the new recruits who wishes and seeks to improve their skills as well as the opportunities that are associated with such skills (El Ouirdi et al., 2015). Training can be of different kinds that will help in developing the skills of the employees in different organizations such as individual study, in-house training as well as on the job training practices. The concept of blended learning is becoming popular in different companies as this has led to the increase in the techniques of training in the last few years as well. The blended learning is effective in nature and this is the kind of training that is the combination of online learning as well as classroom learning (Dhar, 2015). In the on the job training method, it is the training that is provided to the employees who are having concern with everyday tasks. It is the simple as well as the cost effective method of training that will help in making the employees more proficient in nature. In this training method, the employees are provided proper training on the actual work scenario and this will include coaching, job rotation as well as temporary promotions. These are the few on the job training techniques that will help the employers in providing employees motivation and this will help in providing the employees a work environment that will help in making them effective and efficient as well. Furthermore, the off the job training technique are the ones that will be provided to the different employees in the organization away from the actual working condition. It is generally used in the case of the new joinees at work. The off the job training techniques are the seminars, workshops as well as conferences that will help the organizations in making the new employees aware about the different requirements at the workplace. The off the job training technique is costly in nature and this is effective in nature only when more number of employees are to be trained in the organization within short span of time. The off the job training technique is also termed as vestibule training wherein the employees are trained properly in separate area (that includes may be hall, reception areas) that are known as vestibule and in this vestibule training areas, the actual working conditions are duplicate properly and this will help the organization to work effectively in nature when they are given actual working conditions to be faced in the future (Brewster Hegewisch, 2017). Finally, it can be inferred that better trained and developed employees in the organization are the ones who can easily adapt to different kind of situations in the workplace. These are the employees who can easily adapt to the challenges in the entire business environment. The employers in the organization who are trained properly are the ones who are profitable for the entire business and proper training and development is essential as this will help in moving the entire business forward as well. References Brewster, C., Hegewisch, A. (Eds.). (2017).Policy and Practice in European Human Resource Management: The Price Waterhouse Cranfield Survey. Taylor Francis. Dhar, R. L. (2015). Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of organizational commitment.Tourism Management,46, 419-430. El Ouirdi, A., El Ouirdi, M., Segers, J., Henderickx, E. (2015). Employees' use of social media technologies: a methodological and thematic review.Behaviour Information Technology,34(5), 454-464. Elnaga, A., Imran, A. (2013). The effect of training on employee performance.European Journal of Business and Management,5(4), 137-147. Garavan, T., Watson, S., Carbery, R., OBrien, F. (2016). The antecedents of leadership development practices in SMEs: The influence of HRM strategy and practice.International Small Business Journal,34(6), 870-890. Gooderham, P. N., Morley, M. J., Parry, E., Stavrou, E. (2015). National and firm-level drivers of the devolution of HRM decision making to line managers.Journal of International Business Studies,46(6), 715-723. Innocenti, L., Profili, S., Sammarra, A. (2013). Age as moderator in the relationship between HR development practices and employees positive attitudes.Personnel Review,42(6), 724-744. Jamali, D. R., El Dirani, A. M., Harwood, I. A. (2015). Exploring human resource management roles in corporate social responsibility: the CSR?HRM co?creation model.Business Ethics: A European Review,24(2), 125-143. Joo, B. K., McLean, G. N., Yang, B. (2013). Creativity and human resource development: An integrative literature review and a conceptual framework for future research.Human Resource Development Review,12(4), 390-421. Kadiresan, V., Selamat, M. H., Selladurai, S., SPR, C. R., Mohamed, R. K. M. H. (2015). Performance Appraisal and Training and Development of Human Resource Management Practices (HRM) on Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intention.Asian Social Science,11(24), 162. Rees, G., Smith, P. (Eds.). (2017).Strategic human resource management: An international perspective. Sage. Sheehan, M., Garavan, T. N., Carbery, R. (2014). Innovation and human resource development (HRD).European Journal of Training and Development,38(1/2), 2-14. (Sheehan, Garavan Carbery, 2014) Sung, S. Y., Choi, J. N. (2014). Do organizations spend wisely on employees? Effects of training and development investments on learning and innovation in organizations.Journal of organizational behavior,35(3), 393-412. Tahir, N., Yousafzai, I. K., Jan, S., Hashim, M. (2014). The Impact of Training and Development on Employees Performance and Productivity A case study of United Bank Limited Peshawar City, KPK, Pakistan.International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences,4(4), 86.

Role and Importance of Organizational Training and Development

Question: Discuss about the Role and Importance of Organizational Training and Development. Answer: The development of the knowledge as well as skills is essential and vital towards the health of the entire organization. In todays world, the business is fickle and it is changing everyday as well, therefore it is essential for the companies to properly train and develops the skills of the employees in the different organizations. The quality of the knowledge of the employees as well as the acumen of the business reflects on the business when proper training is provided to the employees. Furthermore, poorly trained employees or the untrained employees can affect the productivity of the business as well as the profits of the business. One of the most exceptional benefits of the training and development is the proper opportunity to provide the different employees with ability to make themselves superior in every prospects of the life. With proper development as well as training, it motivates the employees and they have the idea that they can receive better prospects within the entire organization as well. Proper skills of training and development will help in encouraging the employees in order to make them reach their potential as well as it increases job satisfaction and job satisfaction among the employees as well. A contented and dedicated employee is the one who provides more than 100% of himself/herself to the entire organization. Proper training is essential in the organization irrespective of different techniques such as monitoring or providing different opportunities for on the job or off the job training as well (Rees Smith, 2017). The employees in the organization are in high spirits when the organizations pays proper attention towards them and this will help in making their skills more sharpened and perfect in nature. Proper training and development of the employees in the workplace enables in increasing the productivity of the organization with proper efficiency as well as effectiveness in the way they perform their different works (Garavan et al., 2016). Proper skill levels are necessary in nature as this will help them in carrying out the job functions properly and develop better understanding about the job as well in order to attain different goals in the future. The individuals need to be more competent as well as confident in their approach in the tasks that they have to perform and once again this will help me in increasing the productivity of the organizations as well and it will help in increasing the profit as well. The confidence among the employees help in building trust between the employers and the employees in the organization that is extremely essential in nature and is beneficial as well for the success of the organization. The skilled and the confident employees in the organization are the ones who have proper idea of the works that are being performed by them. This will help in making the business more productive and attractive to their investors and customers. This will help in building proper brand image of the organization and making it lucrative place for the employees to work in such a company. The proper training and development of the employees will provide them proper opportunity to grow as well as meet goals and the aspirations. Proper nurturing as well as valuing the different employees will make the business more efficient in nature and this will make the people look for different job opportunities within the specific organization as well (Gooderham et al., 2015). Proper training and development will help in making the employees work harder and better in order to prove themselves better in the different kinds of tasks that are performed by them. Furthermore, the properly trained and developed employees are the ones who can adopt to different kinds of changes as well as challenges in the business environment. The employees of the organizations will not meet hostility at each and every turn and this will help in making the working environment better for the employees to work in for both the employees as well as the employers (Innocenti, Profili Sammarra, 2013). Proper training and development of the employees in the organization will help in addressing the weaknesses of the employees as there are different kinds of employees at the workplace who are not comfortable in speaking about their difficulties in front of the other individuals in the workplace (Kadiresan et al., 2015). The training session needs to be conducted in the organizations as this will help in strengthening the skills of the employees in making the work more easily and smoothly as well (Jamali et al., 2015). Training and development in the organizations will help in improving the performance of the employees in the organization as the employee of the organization becomes more aware about the different safety practices that has to be undertaken by them for conducting the basic tasks. The training sessions will help in building confidence of the employees in the workplace and this will push him/her to perform better in their jobs as well. Proper and continuous training will help in keeping the employees on the cutting edge of the developments of the entire industry. A structured training and development will help in ensuring that the employees in the organization will have consistent experience as well as the background knowledge as well (Tahir et al., 2014). The training and development program in the organization will have huge advantage on the employees in the organizations as this will help in achieving proper advantage over the other employees in the other organizations. The proper training will help in creating creative as well as supportive workplace that will help the employees in gaining access to the training and the employees will feel appreciated as well. The structured and accurate training and development will help in increasing the productivity as well as it will help in adhering to the quality standards as well (Sung Choi, 2014). The productivity of the companies usually increases when there is implementation of proper courses of training that will help in success of the project as well. Proper training and development of the employees in the organization will help in reducing the turnover of the employees and this will be applicable when proper training and development strategies are implemented by the companies (Joo et al., 2013). The training and development strategies will help in providing the company with additional advantage and the costs of recruitment will be lowered down due to the retention in the staffs of the employees (Elnaga Imran, 2013). The training and developmental strategies will help in enhancing the reputation of the company along with the profile as this will help in developing proper strategy that will help in developing brand of the employer and training will help in attracting the new recruits who wishes and seeks to improve their skills as well as the opportunities that are associated with such skills (El Ouirdi et al., 2015). Training can be of different kinds that will help in developing the skills of the employees in different organizations such as individual study, in-house training as well as on the job training practices. The concept of blended learning is becoming popular in different companies as this has led to the increase in the techniques of training in the last few years as well. The blended learning is effective in nature and this is the kind of training that is the combination of online learning as well as classroom learning (Dhar, 2015). In the on the job training method, it is the training that is provided to the employees who are having concern with everyday tasks. It is the simple as well as the cost effective method of training that will help in making the employees more proficient in nature. In this training method, the employees are provided proper training on the actual work scenario and this will include coaching, job rotation as well as temporary promotions. These are the few on the job training techniques that will help the employers in providing employees motivation and this will help in providing the employees a work environment that will help in making them effective and efficient as well. Furthermore, the off the job training technique are the ones that will be provided to the different employees in the organization away from the actual working condition. It is generally used in the case of the new joinees at work. The off the job training techniques are the seminars, workshops as well as conferences that will help the organizations in making the new employees aware about the different requirements at the workplace. The off the job training technique is costly in nature and this is effective in nature only when more number of employees are to be trained in the organization within short span of time. The off the job training technique is also termed as vestibule training wherein the employees are trained properly in separate area (that includes may be hall, reception areas) that are known as vestibule and in this vestibule training areas, the actual working conditions are duplicate properly and this will help the organization to work effectively in nature when they are given actual working conditions to be faced in the future (Brewster Hegewisch, 2017). Finally, it can be inferred that better trained and developed employees in the organization are the ones who can easily adapt to different kind of situations in the workplace. These are the employees who can easily adapt to the challenges in the entire business environment. The employers in the organization who are trained properly are the ones who are profitable for the entire business and proper training and development is essential as this will help in moving the entire business forward as well. References Brewster, C., Hegewisch, A. (Eds.). (2017).Policy and Practice in European Human Resource Management: The Price Waterhouse Cranfield Survey. Taylor Francis. Dhar, R. L. (2015). Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of organizational commitment.Tourism Management,46, 419-430. El Ouirdi, A., El Ouirdi, M., Segers, J., Henderickx, E. (2015). Employees' use of social media technologies: a methodological and thematic review.Behaviour Information Technology,34(5), 454-464. Elnaga, A., Imran, A. (2013). The effect of training on employee performance.European Journal of Business and Management,5(4), 137-147. Garavan, T., Watson, S., Carbery, R., OBrien, F. (2016). The antecedents of leadership development practices in SMEs: The influence of HRM strategy and practice.International Small Business Journal,34(6), 870-890. Gooderham, P. N., Morley, M. J., Parry, E., Stavrou, E. (2015). National and firm-level drivers of the devolution of HRM decision making to line managers.Journal of International Business Studies,46(6), 715-723. Innocenti, L., Profili, S., Sammarra, A. (2013). Age as moderator in the relationship between HR development practices and employees positive attitudes.Personnel Review,42(6), 724-744. Jamali, D. R., El Dirani, A. M., Harwood, I. A. (2015). Exploring human resource management roles in corporate social responsibility: the CSR?HRM co?creation model.Business Ethics: A European Review,24(2), 125-143. Joo, B. K., McLean, G. N., Yang, B. (2013). Creativity and human resource development: An integrative literature review and a conceptual framework for future research.Human Resource Development Review,12(4), 390-421. Kadiresan, V., Selamat, M. H., Selladurai, S., SPR, C. R., Mohamed, R. K. M. H. (2015). Performance Appraisal and Training and Development of Human Resource Management Practices (HRM) on Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intention.Asian Social Science,11(24), 162. Rees, G., Smith, P. (Eds.). (2017).Strategic human resource management: An international perspective. Sage. Sheehan, M., Garavan, T. N., Carbery, R. (2014). Innovation and human resource development (HRD).European Journal of Training and Development,38(1/2), 2-14. (Sheehan, Garavan Carbery, 2014) Sung, S. Y., Choi, J. N. (2014). Do organizations spend wisely on employees? Effects of training and development investments on learning and innovation in organizations.Journal of organizational behavior,35(3), 393-412. Tahir, N., Yousafzai, I. K., Jan, S., Hashim, M. (2014). The Impact of Training and Development on Employees Performance and Productivity A case study of United Bank Limited Peshawar City, KPK, Pakistan.International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences,4(4), 86.

A Hope free essay sample

I remember the first time I ever entered my local library, a rush of cool air had greeted me and beckoned me in from the summer heat. There was nothing special about the library at all, it was just like all the others I had seen in my nine year existence before I had moved to New Jersey. There was a Reference Desk to the right busy with patrons checking in and out books as the Childrens Section to my left sat scarce with only the Childrens Librarian to keep it company.Carefully I entered the section and was awestruck as I glanced up at the ceiling to see a beautiful mural of sea creatures swimming through the depths of the ocean. The blue of a Sperm whale mixed well with the green of a sea turtle as they looked at each other happily surrounded by other smaller fish. We will write a custom essay sample on A Hope or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I smiled at the painting then darted to the small bookcase filled with fairy tales and adventure. I ran my tiny fingers along the spines of the countless novels before me and wondered what kind of secrets they held. I picked out a red book with wispy black markings and pondered if this was the novel that would finally teach me how to talk to people properly. Then I picked out another and another, wondering if within these thin white pages I would find something incredible and amazing. In that moment I fell head first in love with the library and the immense amount of knowledge that filled it. As I got older my love affair with books and the library soon became troublesome as I would forgo conversation and bury my nose in a book instead. My step-mother soon discovered that no matter how hard she tried, no matter how hard she pushed, I would not be involved with anything that did not have to do with the library. I joined the Teen Advisory Board at my local library the moment I turned thirteen and immersed myself in the world of volunteering. Up until that time I was a quiet, timid girl who refused to speak because I was afraid my tongue would get in the way. I feared my peers and I feared becoming something other than the self I knew. But slowly my lips began to loosen as I started to work with people of all ages. For the first time in my life social anxiety did not constrict my every move. For the first time in me life I felt free to be something more than what I was.I volunteered at every chance I had and soon received the Presidential Award for my hard work.Not only did I gain friends through these experiences, I also gained a family and a relationship with my community. These experiences also taught me that anyone can change with a little push and that I want to be the lynch pin that causes that change in another timid youth by being a Young Adult Librarian. I am well prepared to achieve success at Rutgers University with this well powered dream. This is my one chance, my one hope, to help someone like me and I will not let it pass me by.

10 keys to educate your child Essays

10 keys to educate your child Essays 10 keys to educate your child Essay 10 keys to educate your child Essay Education is one of the most difficult tasks we face parents. And although there are no magic formulas, yes there are some key issues that we have to handle with ease. It’s never too early to begin to educate. These are the basic rules to ensure that your child grows up happy. 1. An example is worth a thousand sermons The very young children tend to imitate all our behavior, good and bad. We can take advantage of daily habits like hello, behave at the table, observe the rules conduction- to acquire the right habits and gradually take responsibility. It is no use lecturing always the same story if their parents do what they ask. 2. Communication, dialogue, understanding Words, gestures, looks and expressions we use help us to know ourselves better and express what we feel. Therefore, even during pregnancy, we must talk to the baby. We must always continue communication. Talking a lot, unhurried, tell stories and let him be who we count them. Have you tried to ask a question that starts with â€Å"What do you think about †¦?† So we show that we are interested in your opinion and he will feel loved and heard. 3. Limits and discipline, without threats It must be taught to separate the feelings of the action. The rules must be clear and consistent and accompanied by logical explanations. They have to know what happens if you do not do what we ask. For example, we must make it clear that after playing has to pick up his toys. It is important that the child-and us-also understand that their feelings are not the problem, but the misconduct. And to them we must always set limits, because there are marketable areas and others that are not. If he refuses to go to school, we have to recognize how annoying it is sometimes early and say that we do too. 4. Let him experience even mistake The best way for children to explore the world is allowing them to experience things themselves. And if they are wrong, we have to be there to care for them physically and emotionally, but with limits. The overprotective sometimes protects us parents some fears, but not our son. If every time you fall or a blow, no matter how small is given, we are alarmed to assist him, we will be encouraging to the complaint and the ongoing comfort. We have to let them take risks. 5. Do not compare or disqualify We must eliminate such phrases as â€Å"learn from your brother’, ‘When are you going to be as responsible as your cousin?† Or â€Å"you’re so whiny park like that child.† We should not generalize and dispense with phrases like â€Å"you’re always hitting your sister† or â€Å"You never listen.† Sure it does many things well, but lately is behaving like a true â€Å"junk†. Each child is unique and not all act the same pace and in the same way. Phrases like â€Å"you can swim as good as your brother try. You’ll see† transform their distress into a smile and encourage you to achieve your goals. 6. Sharing our experiences with other parents It can be very useful. So, live a rebellious stage of our son, something very common at certain ages, you can stop being a source of tremendous anxiety and become simply a hard but passing phase. Phrases like â€Å"do not worry, my son was the same’, can help to relativity the â€Å"problems† and therefore get us feel better and act more relaxed. If we are confused, worried or do not know how to act, we can always consult a professional. We have nothing to lose. 7. We must recognize our mistakes We may be wrong and that does not mean we are bad parents. The important thing is to recognize mistakes and use them as a source of learning. A simple phrase like â€Å"sorry honey, reinforces good behavior and helps us feel good. 8. Strengthen the good things It is proven that positive reinforcement gestures of affection, encouragement, rewards are more effective in educating the punishment. So we must always give emotional support and let it be he who, according to his ability, solve the problems. Children are very sensitive and adjectives as â€Å"stupid† or â€Å"bad† cause them great harm and may negatively impact the valuation they have of themselves so. We must be generous with everything that makes them feel valued and loved. If you reward with touching, hugging or words like â€Å"handsome† or â€Å"ready† we are building a good self-esteem. As important as correct their bad behavior is to recognize and reinforce good. 9. Do not pretend to be your friends Although always should foster a climate of closeness and trust, that does not mean we should be best friends. While among children the treatment is as equals, we as parents and educators, we are located on a higher step. From there we offer our care, experience, †¦ but also protect our standards. Search for all their continuing approval can be a double-edged sword,since friendship is also admiration and confidence and will find it very difficult to trust us if we can not impose. A good father is not one who gives up continuously and does not teach. 10. They also have emotions Sometimes we think only we feel upset and that children need to be happy all day. But they also have concerns. His emotional world is equally or more complex than ours, so it should give importance to their emotions and be aware of them. We must help our child to put full name to what you experience and feel.

The Sandplay Therapy Process. Images of the Self (Estelle L. Weinrib) Essay

The Sandplay Therapy Process. Images of the Self (Estelle L. Weinrib) 2004 Review - Essay Example The children and their metal status decide their life and their behavior. The author relates the theories proposed by scientists like Neumann and Jung are portrayed in such a way that the reader gets a complete idea about the sandplay treatment. The theory of Neumann concentrates more on the psychological aspects of a person. The psychic development and its effects are clearly depicted and the consciousness level of a person is also explained. (Weinrib, 2004).The author also provides information about the development in childhood. The major part of childhood development relies on the psychological factors and they in turn decide the character of the children. Children's ego must be developed in a healthy environment since the environment where the children grow play a vital part in their life. The psychological factors and the role they play in a child's life are referred with the help of Jung's theories. Jung's theories were based on the connection between the unconscious self. The sandplay which was first found by Dr.Margaret, was considered to be the best treatment that identified the problems in the children. Sandplay treatment did not make use of any explicit medical equipment. It treated the children in such a way that the result was effective. The author stroke the difference between the normal verbal treatment and the sandplay treatment. ... Psychology was an important concept and the doctors had to strike a balance between these factors and the emotions. The deeper thoughts and mental states were examined before the beginning of the treatment. The mentality of the children and their mental state has been clearly defined in the book. The author has emphasized on the fact that the child's feelings and emotions can be caught with the help of sandplay. (Weinrib, 2004).The treatment initially began from the idea of Dr.Margaret with an effort to treat children without disturbing their mental status. Since the psychological part of a person decides their life, the treatment concentrated more on those aspects. Sandplay Treatment Sandplay treatment helped people to express their anger, fear and other emotions. The treatment also helped them to get back to their normal status within a very short period of time. Jung's theory also stated that the other issues related to developmental problems and behavioral attributes were also resolved using this treatment. The major goal of Jung's therapy was to help the children to become normal without any psychological disorders. After its introduction, the treatment became popular within a short period and most of the doctors preferred this type of treatment. The effort of Jung became successful and thus the problem that prevailed was resolved easily. The concept of this treatment was derived from the way the children expressed their feelings while handling the miniatures. Children who played with miniature dolls showed their anger and frustration which they had with their family members or with their friends. They

Leonardo Davinci aritist or scientist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leonardo Davinci aritist or scientist - Essay Example (Catholic Encyclopedia) Leonardo da Vinci is best described as one of the greatest minds of the Renaissance. He was born in a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 14th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. He was a multi-talented artist-scientist who excelled in various fields as painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scholar. "Leonardo was one of the greatest men of science in history, but the world which admired him as an artist did not discover the man of science until many centuries after his death" (Dibner, 380). He was chosen the 13th among the "Immortals of Science" by nearly 1,200 college and university presidents, editors of science periodicals, science editors of the world's great newspapers, and professors of science at scores of universities. (Dibner, 380) Leonardo's fascination with machines probably began during his boyhood. Some of his earliest sketches clearly show how various machine parts worked. As an apprentice in the studio of the artist Verrocchio, Leonardo observed and used a variety of machines. By studying them he gained practical knowledge about their design and structure. (Museum of Science) During the Renaissance, European artists began to study the model of nature more closely and to paint with the goal of greater realism. They learned to create lifelike people and animals, and they became skilled at creating the illusion of depth and distance on flat walls and canvases by using the techniques of linear perspective. (Holmes, 87) In the fifteenth century, Italy was not the unified country we know today; rather it was divided into many small independent states. Naples in the south was ruled by a series of kings. Popes of the Roman Catholic Church ruled the middle section. To the north different families controlled the largest and wealthiest city-states of Florence, Milan, and Venice. They fought wars against each other and against smaller neighboring states to increase their power. (Museum of Science) In that time of the renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci trained as a painter, and his amazing power of observation and skill as an illustrator enabled him to notice and recreate the effects he saw in nature. Leonardo was curious and observant, and wrote down and sketched so many of his observations in his notebooks. He was among the very first to take a scientific approach towards understanding of the world. (Museum of Science: Leonardo's Perspective) Leonardo wrote in Italian using a special kind of shorthand that he invented himself. He used "mirror writing", starting at the right side of the page and moving to the left. He did this probably to make it harder for people to read his notes and steal his ideas. Another reason is that he was hiding his scientific ideas from the powerful Roman Catholic Church; and also, writing left handed from left to right was messy because the ink just put down would smear as his hand moved across it; therefore he chose to write in reverse because it prevented smudging. (Museum of Science) As an artist, Leonardo borrowed almost nothing from the past - a few details in a candelabrum in the small "Annunciation" of the Louvre, rare sketches such as the "Dancers" of the Academy of Venice, a warrior's head at London (British Museum). Leonardo, therefore,

Power point presentation on The Goblin shark , the retractable jaw, PowerPoint

Power point on The Goblin shark , the retractable jaw, shape and colour of body as well as the electro-sensitive organs for finding prey - PowerPoint Presentation Example The goblin shark’s classification is as follows: it is from the kingdom Animalia, under the phylum chordata, class chondrichthyes, the cartilagenous fishes, subclass elasmobranchii, order lamniformes, family mitsukurinidae, genus mitsukurina, and species owstoni. The English common name is goblin shark, and its Japanese name is Ten-gu za-me, which is literally translated as goblin shark, due to the protruding snout. Slide 4 The goblin shark is mostly seen in the coastal areas of Tosa Bay and Boso Peninsula in Japan, where it was first seen. They are demersal, meso-pelagic to benthic, and are mostly found in the bottom of the ocean floor, as evidenced by fishermen catching them in nets that are dragged on the bottom of the ocean. They can be found as deep as 2000m. They are mostly found in temperate areas, but are also found around the tropics, as shown in the succeeding slide. Slide 5 As seen from the distribution pattern, in yellow, these are the areas where sightings of the goblin shark are recorded from mostly sparse literature available. Because of the inability of the shark to live in aquariums, presumably due to its adaption in living at great depths, other parts of its life cycle such as reproduction and growth are remained in obscurity. However, examining the bowels of dead goblin sharks have made their feeding habits and prey known. Slide 6 As apex predators of the ocean, goblin sharks are just like other sharks that have electro-sensitive organs called the ampullae of Lorenzini, which detect the motions of prey near the ocean floor. Their retractable jaws suck in prey, and with the combination of their blade-like teeth prevent the prey from escaping. They are also known to be nocturnal, due to some sightings of them surfacing the waters at night. Slide 7 The prey most found in the stomachs of the goblin sharks that were caught were small, mesopelagic teleosts such as lantern

Market position and strategy for KRAFT FOODS INC

Market position and strategy for KRAFT FOODS INC According to Drucker, the vision answers to the question: what do we want to become?Kraft Foods Mission Statement try to describe the firms vision for the future: Helping People Around the World Eat and Live Better. The firm justifies the vision saying that this sentence captures the essence of who the firm is. It shows trough this sentence that the firm cares about customers life and needs facilitating the cook in the daily life in order to offer more time to the customers to do what they want and also to help them to easily eat in a more healthy way. According to Kraft web site: Were constantly looking for fresh ideas to improve our workplace, our partnerships, our communities and our world. To make today delicious, we begin with our consumers. We listen, we watch and we learn. What we do. We make delicious foods you can feel good about. Mission According to Drucker, the mission answers to the question: what is our business? The mission statement consists of three words according to the Kraft Foods Inc. Web site: Make today delicious. Their mission reflects who they are, just like the vision. They refuse to limit the firm to be just a business that sells food and try to meet consumers expectations and making food an easier, healthier, more enjoyable part of life. Kraft Foods underlines the importance of health and wellness and also embodies all the ways we can eat and live better, eating easily and quickly in an environment of safety thanks to the Kraft services. Values and principles: According to Krafts web site, the firm uses values and principles to communicate customers what they can expect of the brand and to demonstrate their leadership, because they want to be recognized as a leading company able to attract customers and workers through ideas like: Innovation   Satisfying real-life needs with unique ideas Quality   Fulfilling a promise to deliver the best Safety   Ensuring high standards in everything we make Respect   Caring for people, communities and the environment Integrity   Doing the right thing Openness   Listening to the ideas of others and encouraging an open dialogue They put consumers first because they want to strength the Brand Value propositions and new product innovations to drive faster top line growth. They work simply, listening to the customers, but act quickly to increase the speed and flexibility in order to reduce costs for reinvesting in making famous the brand finding the right balance between the business and the employees needs to ensure that the work environment is flexible and supportive. Strategies According to Krafts Web site, the firm seeks to become a huge snacks powerhouse  and unrivalled portfolio of brands people love, eat and buy. According to an article of News Bites US Markets, 2010: The brands of the Company span five consumer sectors: snacks, beverages, cheese, grocery and convenient meals As advised by F. David, Kraft focuses its strategy on the complementary nature the companys portfolio which is supposed to lead the brands growth: Delight global snacks consumers.   The worlds Consumers are looking for on-the-go options because they are always in late for something in work or just life. Theyre also looking for simple indulgences and healthier options, which is a paradox because people dont have time to cook in a healthy manner but they have to be healthy for the work and thin in the daily life. Thus, Kraft provides delicious snacks to these consumers, like  LU  biscuits or wellness products in order to meet their expectations. These iconic heritage brands are loved by consumers all around the world, according to a Nexis Source: Roughly 80 percent of these heritage brands hold number one or number two positions in their respective categories and are household names. In a leadership state of mind, the firm considers that, to win the market, the brand has to win on every levels of the chain: from the consumers to the suppliers. So, according to Fred David example pg 104, to succeed, the firm counts on its values (explained in the mission statement) like safety, respect or quality and especially on the fact that the brand acts like an owner, open to the discussion but who decide at the end. Through this image, Kraft also entrust the shareholders, and offers them interesting returns on their investment like: Organic revenues growth of 5 percent or moreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mid- to high-teens marginsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And EPS growth of 9 to 11 percent, according to the Kraft Foods Web site. According to F. David, Krafts Current Strategy for 2009 planned to evolve trough a turn-around process in order to follow the example of the sustainable growth. The result of the operation was that a lot of savings had been made due to the simplification of organisational structure and some closing. The external and internal audit The PESTLE Political The stability of the political environment According to K. Blanchard, 2009, the decrease in companys results is due to foreign currencies, it could also be linked to the inflation and soaring of raw material and petroleum. Local taxation Kraft in based in Switzerland, in Zoug, this area is appreciated for the low rate of taxation. For example the income tax represents less than 16% of the benefits of the company. (F. Therin, 2010) Government involved Irene Rosenfeld declared in an interview of David Lieberman in 2010, I dont think theres any indication that having the government involved will necessarily make that a more effective process or have the desired outcome. Theres ample evidence that we can in fact work together in a productive way, and thats a more effective way to address the issue. This answer illustrate that the government is neither apart from the policies of the company nor influencing strategies. Social welfare policies According to the Right vision news, 2010, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been buying shares for seven years and now owns a piece of at least 80 companies, including McDonalds and Kraft Foods. It hopes to influence their animal welfare policies on such things as how chickens are slaughtered or buying pork from suppliers that keep pregnant sows in small crates. That means Kraft should take social policies into consideration as it appears to be relevant in people mind and consumer behaviour. Economic Interest rate According to an article of the Business Wire, 2010, Food companies continue to seek acquisitions and organic growth, particularly in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), to boost their overall growth rates. Proactive refinancing of upcoming debt maturities is likely to continue since companies are able to issue new debt at very low interest rates. Debt reduction is not likely except for Kraft and Ralcorp Holdings, Inc., since both companies increased leverage materially for acquisitions in 2010. Level of inflation Northfield-based Kraft and ConAgra, two big pork producers, have both raised their prices in recent months because of the market increase. Janet Kidd Stewart explains this increase in 1996 by the inflation. As a food, bakeries, and biscuits producer Kraft is very sensible to the rate of raw material, corn, milk, flour, eggs. Employment levels According to Ellen Simon, 2006, when Kraft Foods bought Nabisco, 25% department was laid off on the same day in 2004. Long term prospect In a Just Food article, 2009, The Unite union, which represents Cadbury workers in the UK and Ireland, seems to be concerned that Kraft would not sufficiently invest in the long-term prospects of the business and its brands as it looks to reduce costs to service debt. Exchange rate Adapted from what Timothy McLevish (Chief Financial Officer) said in the Earning conference call in November 2010, Kraft Foods has a very complex portfolio of currencies, which explains why they are less impacted by just a decline in the value of the dollar or an appreciation of the dollar because we have a lot of our input costs. Sociocultural Lifestyle trends In this part we have to take into account the issues of obesity, lack of sport, health, organic products, and natural medicine. According to Kristopher J. Blanchard, 2009, the rate of obesity in Canadians boys increased from 11% in 1980s to over 30% in 1990s, and from 4 to 14 in Brazil. Those trends represent an opportunity for Kraft. Demographics With the current population ageing, seniors represent a huge share of the market, they consume healthy and diet products. Unfortunately children stay the target of Krafts bakeries and biscuits. Consumerism popular attitude Kraft interest is following consumers habits and adapt their products e.g. to get concentrated on food conforming the rules of religions. Work and leisure Managers target new segments like snacks, beverages, convenient meals. This strategy fits with the sociological trend that consists in mixing time for work or leisure with meal time. That allows Kraft Foods to get concentrated into quick and healthy food containing fewer calories or more vitamins to suits to any consumers needs. (K. Blanchard, 2009) Technological Level of research In 2007, Alexis Douglas deals with the new research facility of Kraft Food based in Asia and the following strategies engendered. The research center will : serve as its regional hub for food product and development service for its Asia units include a pilot plant and packaging laboratory for testing new products and packaging materials aimed to make the research facility a center for excellence in developing beverages Environmental Environmental issue Jonathan Horrell, corporate affairs director put forward Krafts implication in environmental issue across the cycle journey, which highlights the fact that we are taking a more active attitude towards environmental issues. Ecological The sustainable strategy of Kraft began with the raw material used, the methods use to produce, the transportation and ends with the packaging and rubbish recycling. Lobbies Danny Fortson, 2010, wrote that Greenpeaces war against Golden Agri has been fierce. () Kraft Foods also said that it will no longer buy its palm oil. This can put forward the influence of Greenpeace over firms. Waste disposal Jordan Ammann, 2009, Fifteen months after its launch, Kraft Foods manufacturing plant in Bahrain is making substantial headway towards its sustainability goals. The plant has achieved reductions of 25% in energy consumption, 50% in water consumption and 16% in waste from 2008. In 2009 the plant has targeted a further 5% reduction based on its 2008 average. Legal Legal protections Due to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions affair in which Kraft was sued, the company has agreed to train managers on laws prohibiting age discrimination. (Reuters, 2002) Consumer laws, right to consumers products, components According to Anna May Kinney, 2008, During September 2000, Kraft Foods Inc. scrambled to recall taco shells made from StarLink corn, a type of genetically modified corn unapproved for human consumption. While its true that the EU has approved some GMO crops to be grown and sold, they have stood firm in giving their consumers the right to know what they are eating and the right to choose GMO food or non-GMO. Internet External vendors (European), attracted because of the difference in rates between the dollar and the euro Barriers to entry, low or not The initial investment necessary, entrance fees, patents already in place, standards, protectionist measures, the image Industry and established businesses, U.S are not famous for the wellness of the food, so foreign firms more famous for this type of market like Sweden or China can enter in the market. Cultural barriers, globalization help to erase barriers as food tend to become a more international fashion / trend. Porters five forces model Threat of entry  : POTENTIAL ENTREY OF NEW COMPETITORS Threat of entry  : POTENTIAL ENTREY OF NEW COMPETITORS Environmental sustainability concern Social responsibility Economic viability Many consumers are cutting back on their spending by switching to store-brand products. The power is strong when : The customers are concentrated :a lot of consumers who want he same thing: The suppliers are numerous and dispersed There are alternative sourcing ; (Conagra) The customer changes suppliers, the cost of transfer is low Conagra, same prices, nearly same products There is a threat of upstream integration from the customer. Suppliers  : BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS Rivalry  among competing firms 1st competitor: Nestlà © with international sales whereas Kraft only sales in North America (CON AGRA in the U.S market) HEINZ SARA LEE Restaurant, vending machines, foodservice providers, are competitors too, even if the brand is not strong/famous. (alternative competitors) Weakness: Krafts dont produce beauty or others types of products like Nestlà © or Conagra, whose are diversified (beauty , petcare, ethanol) Changes appareas in the competitors strategy => Conagra focuses now on food, stop ethanol and fertilizer,this is a new threat because Conagra will be even more competitive in the exactly same market. New CEO since 2005 for Conagra, GARY RODKIN, new force =>like a competitive advantage as a rival to ROSENFELD. Foreign rivals: monopoly con Conagra in the U.S but competitors also outside of the country , moreover, the $ become increasingly high which is not good for the market because external products could be seen as cheaper . The high price of petrol which up the value of raw material, give strengh to the suppliers =>bad thing for the industry which have to face a loss. A low number of suppliers : a strong brand Very speficic / diferenciated products are facts that increases the price of the change of suppliers, so increases the suppliers power too. Buyers  : BARGAINING POWER OF CONSUMERS Substitutes  : POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS Wellness  and health / obesity Generic produces Retailer brands Wholesalers Cooperatives When the prices are increasing good for the subsitute because it will be more attactive. Porters value chain The support activities Profit MarginAdministration means infrastructure(leadership and management)and concerns the important persons of the structure Human Resources management concerns the decisions made concerning employees Technology development concerns the efforts and money invested for the future of the firm Resource procurement concerns the manner to find a product and supply the firm. According to Fred David, this kind of organisation can be explained by the fact that it took time and efforts to follow the Phillip Morris plans, the firm had to know several changes, for example, the New CEO since June 2006 in Irene Rosenfeld which embodies the beginning of the chances in the firm and she is now the chairman of the Board. This change is relevant because she embodies the head of the firm with her position. Thus, the management team is divided into 10 parts. The primary activities Inbound logistics Operation Outbound logistics Marketing sales Services (Kraf Food Inc, 2009) The primary activities help the support activities to make their completion easier, like for example: Inbound logistics The Technology development managed by the segment of Jean Spence can help the Inbound Logistic by finding new raw material, or, according to the Kraft Munich website, improve new products like in Munich, the responsible for Product and Process development where food, Refreshment Beverages, Salted Snacks, Confectionery, Biscuits are always improved; or discovering an alternative to the problem of the rising price of petroleum which increases the cost of the raw materials and also the cost of transportation. Operation Human Resources managed by Karen May can help the Operations establishing a climate of trust and respect between employees in order not to slow down the production or avoiding the sicki effect of a bad climate at work. Outbound logistics The Resource procurement can helps the Outbound logistics negotiating new or more advantageous contracts, for example group rates can be an idea if several subsidiaries like Oreo, Lu etc will be delivered by the same transports firm. Marketing sales In order to be proactive address the evolution of trends like the dining out trend or health food trend, vitamined drinks trend against the obesity, marketing can be supported by the technology development to develop new products or to help selling these products with the internet, because attracting web sites with games for subsidiaries like Oreo and The recipe Box for Kraft itself help the brand to be more human to sale more. Also, according to a News Bites US Markets document of 2010: thanks to the companys annual week of community service (Delicious Difference Week) organized by the Human Resource segment, Krafts employees were a record numbers to participate as volunteers to help the nonprofit project. This kind of action help the marketing and sale segment showing to the customers how social responsibly the firm is. Services The Services segment Focus on the reputation and perceived value among the consumers, thus, the administration can be helpful taking the crucial decisions they have to be respectful, reasonable and ethic. According to F. David example pg 109, customers want the firm to understand them and accept the social responsibility, thus, when the board temporarily shut down because of a risk of contamination, this action reinsure the consumer, enhance the positive image of the brand and support the Service segment. Trough the web site, Kraft tries to come closer to the customers culture and social identity, to show that as the people, the brand is able to evolve and be concerned by the environmental problems. Internal strengths A developed Strategy followed and understood by the employee, whereas Conagra has a vision, but no strategy and depends on operating companies and functional silos which is really risked and it lacks of internal cohesion. So, more segmentation and prioritization than the competitors. A developed Human resource management segment which aloud trust between employees firm with some concepts like: Policy of non discrimination , responsibility Community Involvement Compliance and Integrity People and Diversity Workplace Safety This climate of respect and trust give to the employees the will to work well and to be the height of the firms expectations. A good and dynamic CEO /Chairman which has chosen a good organization and repartition of the support activities. According to elements of the Krafts web site, Mrs. Rosenfeld also helps to improve the corporate Reputation and Responsibility of the firm and thus aloud the firm to receive some prize like: Worlds Most Respected Companies, Reputation Institute 2009 (third consecutive year) Corporate Reputation Top 10 (Canada), Marketing magazine 2009 (second consecutive year) Ozone Layer Protection Award, US Environmental Protection Agency 2009 Banksia Foundation Agriculture and Food Award for sustainability practices, (Australia) 2009 The New York Academy of Medicine awarded Kraft Foods for our long-standing commitment to health and wellness(2009) Adapted from http://www.zonebourse.com/KRAFT-FOODS-A-13256/actualite-analyse/Un-spin-off-a-surveiller-18414/ : International and Tough brands (Cà ´te dOr, Toblerone, Milka, Maxwell, Carte Noire, Tang, Jacques Vabre) Strong advertisement trough years help Krafts food to maintain the competitive advantage: According to F. Davids historic introduction of the firm, A key to the success of Kraft Foods was James Krafts commitment to using innovative advertising methods. Now, this is steel an asset according to an article from the Lab Business Week, 2008: The Krafts Director of Global Interactive Marketing has leaded some of the world most successful and awarded digital branding campaigns for the likes Altoids, Oreo or Planters. Because of this success the advertising industry has recognized Krafts accomplishment prestigious awards like Gold and Bronze Clio Awards(C), a Webby Award, Silver and Bronze One Show Pencils(R), a Gold EFFIE(R), a Silver ADDY(R), an ANDY Award, and a Cannes Lions. Internal weaknesses A low growth market and the impact of the commodity prices (milk, coffee, cocoa) which made the firm less competitive according to Fred David. The fact that Kraft is a young firm in comparison with the main competitors like ConAgra which was built over several decades and which had made numerous acquisitions. Kraft on the international as a negligible impact in comparison with world competitors like Nestlà ©. More, according to F. David, Kraft is just a food company which is not a competitive advantage in the world market. Strategic capability Because of the current economic conditions, F. David said that some analysts criticized Rosenfeld managerial approach because of the 2008 compensation, however, 2009 results show that she made the good choice. In 2009 the net revenues of the company has soared compared with previous years. Despite the increase of the cost of sales that can be due to the inflation rates, the gross profit is better. To keep and maintain the competitive advantage and moving forward, the firm has to  focus on the coordination. The problem here is that we can notice a lack of connexion between Kraft Foods Europe, Kraft International and Kraft North America. Even if the fact that the support activities are all bounded together is positive, this kind of grouping seems irrelevant if the company is regarded like two separate entities like North America Versus International and not like a single entity. The objectives The generic strategy and competitive advantage Bowmans clock Denise Dollimore, 2010, Slide Business Strategy Generally speaking Kraft Foods is a producer of high value products (organic, healthy and specified). The company is not involved in any low cost strategy. All the brands are well-known and considered as the top of the product on the market. According to Browmans clock the firm is focused on diversification and differentiation. To get concentrated on this diversification Irene Rosenfeld agreed to modify firms strategy, by simplifying the organizational structure. In 2009, savings have been realized, nevertheless it can also be explained by the closing of 36 plants and 19000 positions have been eliminated. Adapted from Kraft Foods Inc., K. Blanchard, 2009. Michael Czinkota, 2010, One can look at Kraft Foods Inc.s recent acquisition of Cadbury PLC as evidence of a U.S. companys recognition that it needs to build both market share and management strength to be successful in global markets. In 2006, approximately one-third of Krafts revenues came from outside North America. Cadbury boosts the international share of the combined companys business more than 50 percent. Otherwise, this strategy illustrates that Kraft intend to differentiate its products and markets to maintain its international presence. We believe scale will be an increasing source of competitive advantage in both the confectionery category and the global food business as a whole, said Rosenfeld, in 2010, who pointed out that the tie-up will allow Kraft to become the worlds leading confectionery company with a market share of 14.8%. (Andrew Clark, 2010) The assess of the strategy As advised by Fred David (108-109), referring to the customer issue, more people are dining out which may adversely affect Kraft Foods as a grocery retailer. Further caused by mobile customers there is less time for preparation of food and therefore declining customer demand. Also the development of health foods e.g. products containing less trans fat or only organic ingredients could be a challenge for the company although Kraft Foods touched on this area in recent years. Whereas there is a paradox between the steady growths of packaged and processed foods because of less time and high demand for healthy foods which is mostly to class with homemade foods. Customers today view food as an expression of their cultural and social identity and therefore asking a lot more from producers than just good quality. David is still talking about that this attitude causes to pay more attention to branding than quality because it can transfer a more emotional positioning, understand your environment and customers unique needs and taste, depending on their culture. Moreover, competition is increasing because the market is attractive and has potential such as the increase of bargain stores or trademarks (Aldi). Therefore it is difficult for Kraft Foods to raise their prices. Further there are strategic issues in the supply chain such as cost efficiency matter. When the costs of petroleum are rising it causes an increase in raw material costs and hence rising production and transportation costs. Furthermore, corporate and brand reputation of a company are gaining more and more in importance which causes raising competition as well. One more strategic issue could be the economic crisis which affects the consumer to spend less money than usually. The issues of rising prices, increasing competition and customers are willing to spend less but want more in health, cultural and social identity cases are difficult to solve. The solution could be to use synergies and identify cost drivers for higher cost efficiency. While offering diverse products, with strong branding fulfilling customer demand and differentiate from competition. Also keeping the brand reputation high by ensuring food safety programs are applied could be a possible approach. The SWOT Matrix of KRAFT FOODS INC. Strengths According to Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods has a strong brand image and diversified product portfolio. Additionally, it operates in domestic and international markets. His well recognized brands with operations encompassing five core divisions include snacks with 37.2% of the total revenues during 2009, beverages with 19.9%, grocery with 10.1%, cheese with 16.8% and convenient meals with 16%. Replication of its brands is very difficult and only a few firms are able to imitate these. To maintain market leadership position needs launching new products with innovative ingredients. The brand Alpen Gold is very popular and leading chocolate brands in Russia. Kraft Foods pays a great importance to research and development (RD). The RD is rising year after year and reached in FY2009 an expense of $499 million. In addition the company has about 2400 food scientists, chemists and engineers. Therefore RD supports to maintain a strong market position. According to Datamonitor (2009) Kraft Foods has 316 distribution centers and depots worldwide, 303 in North America and 13 outside America in eight countries. Thereby company ´s multi-category distribution and consumer awareness are its major strengths. This boosts the selling efforts through three principal sets of activities: consumer advertising in broadcast, prints, outdoor and on-line media; consumer incentives such as coupons and contests; and trade promotions for supporting price features, displays and other merchandising. Kraft Foods has two distinct distribution operations as follows: warehouse delivery and direct store delivery. This important strength qualifies the company to manage its inventory in a powerful manner. Weaknesses Refer Datamonitor (2009) Product recalling could be one of Kraft ´s weaknesses which were noticed particularly in march 2009. The voluntary recall in the United States of Planters and Back to Nature products containing pistachio nuts is the latest one. The reason was the potential to be contaminated with the Salmonella organism which can cause serious infections. Kraft Foods operating margins, net margin and net profit margin is decreasing in spite of an increase in revenues since FY2006. Further company ´s operating profit fell from $4,154 million in FY2006 to $3,817 million in FY2008. The reasons for the declining include increase in input costs primarily related to higher raw material cost, unrealized losses in hedging activities, to energy derivates heating oil and natural gas contracts. Kraft Foods decreasing margins caused by inefficient cost structure could be a pressure on the company ´s future financial plans. Refer Datamonitor (2010) additionally unfunded post retirement benefits would cause making periodic cash contributions which would reduce cash available for growth plans. Also because of the Cadbury acquisition Kraft Foods debt burden has increased from $5,556 million to $18, 990 million EBITDA. The increasing debt ratio will be a concern for the company ´s solvency and liquidity position. Opportunities Refer Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods new line of low-fat products causes to strengthen the market position of the company. The increased preference for fat-free and healthy food products in the United States drive Kraft Foods tapping into people ´s growing health and wellness concerns by its developing the nutritional profile of its snacks portfolio. For instance, introducing whole-grain versions of snacks, eliminating trans-fat in most of its products, reformulating fat-free cookies (e.g. launching low-fat Oreo) are remarkable opportunities. Moreover the company has four key opportunity areas that meet consumer needs such as weight management, nutrient delivery, performance nutrition, and natural and organic Reducing the sodium in many of his products, launching the South Beach Living line in the US. According to Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods tries to strengthen its portfolio recently through acquisitions and divestitures such as the flavored water and juice brand assets and similar trademarks. Furthermore, the company decided to sell the Artiach biscuits business in Spain to Panrico which caused an ongoing focus in Spain to grow its portfolio. (Source 1 Datamonitor) Moreover the US coffee sector grew in the recent years and accounts for 70.8% of the total US drinks. K