Thursday, January 30, 2020
Dear Board of Directors Essay Example for Free
Dear Board of Directors Essay Upon implementing a Broad Differentiation strategy, Andrews Company desired to have highly demanded products in each of the market segments, hold the majority market share compared to our competitors and increase the value of our firm by the year 2021. We believed that this strategy could get us to that point and we have successfully done so. The start up of Andrews Company proved to be more difficult than anticipated due to high costs in marketing and RD, investing in automation of sensors and due to our decision to take out most of our loans in the early stages of our product, leading to negative profits for the first two years. However, Broad Differentiation lucratively brought Andrews market share up to 30.93% outweighing the competition (Exhibit 1). Andrews Company will continue to implement this strategy with the goal to hold high demand, continue cutting costs with total quality management initiatives and by reevaluating our capacity and production issues, which will be discussed throughout the course of our analysis. Research and Development Proper allocation of funds towards research and development proved to be of high importance, allowing customers to have access to better-quality products. Andrews Company effectively adjusted each product to their proper ideal spot on the perceptual map by using the segment centers and ideal spot offsets annually. This allowed Andrews to gain optimal market demand, leading to us being able to charge a higher price than competitors later on, thus obtain higher profit among other initiatives. Our high demand was essential in offsetting the costs associated with investing in marketing and promotional budgets, buy/sell capacity and automation of products. Marketing By investing insistently in promo and sales in all the market segments, we were able to increase accessibility and market demand. It was Andrewsââ¬â¢s goal to have our products be in the minds of customers of all types and charge a premium for our excellent designs. Another advantage Andrews had over our competitors was that we forecasted at our potential market share, rather than our actual, based on the presumption our customers will be loyal to our brand and we would continue to invest in marketing expenditures. Once we feel comfortable that we hold enough market share, we can then start to cut costs in this department. Finances Monitoring spending and Andrews finances was perhaps the most vital part of our success. In the earlier years of our company we took out large quantities of long-term debt to help finance investment in automation and lowering the cost of producing sensors. Each year Andrews experienced a steep increase in sales, while variable costs gradually increased (Exhibit 2). The extra debt we took out early on we believe to have assisted with the dramatic increase in profits each year (Exhibit 3). One thing Andrews could have done to also assist with the increase in profits was to issue stock, which would have helped raise more capital to invest in capacity capabilities. However, we felt that issuing stock would have diluted the price. We successfully raised our stock price to $281.95 by the end of 2021 (Exhibit 4). A 723% increase from the start of 2014. Production A barrier for further success of Andrews Company was production versus capacity. While production was upwards of 18,000+, capacity only resulted in roughly 11,000. Each year we gradually invested more and more in automation and capacity due to our rising profits, which allowed us to improve our margins (Exhibit 5). We should have properly invested in capacity in the earlier rounds to help bridge the gap between capacity and production. However, Andrewsââ¬â¢s strategy was to focus on correctly adjusting our products on the perceptual map to their ideal spots and we planned to never invest so much so that this could not happen. TQM and Human Resources In 2017, Andrews met labor demands and we paid our employees a higher rate than competitors. This tactic was able to put some of the other employees in competitive firms to go on strike for several days, resulting in a higher market share and a better reputation among customers and potential employees. Andrews also spent money each year on training employees for a maximum of 80 hour and recruiting spend of about $4.5 million each year, increasing our productivity index to 129.9% by the end of 2021. At the beginning of 2016, Andrews made an executive decision to invest in total quality management. Of a budget of $4 million, we allotted $1.5 million in 2016 and 2017, then another $600 thousand in 2018. After this amount was spent, we would have seen diminishing returns and opted to cap out at $3.6 million. The substantial investment allowed us to reduce labor and material costs, while increasing demand, thus allowing us to steadily increase profits each year, especially during this three-year span when competitors did not spend enough in TQM. The Future of Andrews Andrews Company will continue to use its method of broad differentiation in the upcoming years and plans to issue stock in order to help with investing in capacity issues that weââ¬â¢ve had in the past. We will continue to spend on marketing, research and development and compensating our employees adequately in order to keep our high market share. Distinguishing our products will continue to be of the utmost importance, offering clientele a superior design. Appendix
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
NO Mandatory Community Service for Students! Essay -- Argumentative Pe
NO Mandatory Community Service for Students! Community service: What a wonderful opportunity for students! A chance for our younger citizens to learn responsibility, experience the satisfaction that comes with helping others and to acquire new skills. Right? Well, that depends who you're talking to. Slip the word "mandatory" behind community service, as school districts in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of others have done, and "opportunity" takes a new twist. Opportunity for who? For the students, or for the communities that can now capitalize on students' free labor? (Martin, pg. 13) More than two decades ago, President Nixon ended the military draft. Now a new and more menacing form of enlistment is threatening our school systems. This enlistment I am speaking of is that we are forcing "community service" to be a requirement for high school graduation. Compulsory service programs, already functioning in many communities, typically giving students four years to complete, say, 60 hours of labor. The students must not receive any payment. They can choose whether to serve the elderly, or the poor, or the disabled, so long as they serve others rather than themselves. The penalty for dodging this new draft is simple: no diploma. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, angry parents and students took the local school board to court, arguing that such a mandatory service program for high school students imposed the kind ...
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Unappropriate Tv Shows for Children
Unappropriate Television Shows Abstract Children are being influenced by television shows on a daily basis. Some children are watching inappropriate television shows such as SpongeBob, Fish Hooks, Family Guy, South Park, Ed, Edd, Eddy, Scooby-Doo, Boondocks and etc. These shows can affect children as they grow up in many ways such as using profanity, violent and aggressive behavior, poor school performance and watch too much television may cause a slight obesity. There are many educational television shows that are best for child to watch such as Barney, Blueââ¬â¢s Clue, Dora the Explorer and etc.Parent should also limit the amount of time children spend watching television. Monkey see, Monkey do Has your child ever said something to you and you were thinking, where did they get that from? Have the television shows that he or she watches daily ever come to your mind? Your child could be watching a television show that models inappropriate behaviors. I have experienced my nephew be ing influenced by SpongeBob and Family Guy. Recently, he was watching an episode and SpongeBob was calling himself and everybody an ââ¬Å"idiot boyâ⬠, so my nephew began to call his mother and himself an ââ¬Å"idiotâ⬠.He also started hitting himself on the forehead and saying he is stupid, which he also got from watching SpongeBob Square Pants. Research shows that children of the age two through ten should be playing sports, interacting with their peers or doing more gross motor activities. There are many ways television can affect children as they grow up such as watching television and video game that may influence kids between the age of two through ten by using profanity, violent and aggressive behavior, poor school performance and watch too much television may cause a slight obesity.Itââ¬â¢s not so much that kids have changed, but the world is changing around them. Every day, children are being influenced by the world around them, and television is taking a big p art in it. Television programming is teaching children to do the things the show is displaying. A known saying is ââ¬Å"Monkey see monkey do. â⬠Suppose a child was saying inappropriate things and they were thinking it was fine to say it, because they didnââ¬â¢t know the real meaning of it. They also think they can say it because SpongeBob can.Now, you are left with no reason to tell them why they should not say it. The television shows that children are watching are influencing them to do the things they do, say the things they are saying, and try to have the same image as them. There are many different sources that can influence and or teach kids inappropriate actions such as video games, music videos, hearing things from adults but mainly television shows. Some television shows that are not appropriate are SpongeBob, Fish Hooks, Family Guy, South Park, Ed, Edd, Eddy, Scooby-Doo, Boondocks and etc.Parents may think that SpongeBob can be the best television show to watch, but at times SpongeBob can be inappropriate in many ways such as calling everyone an idiot, doing a wrong action by hitting his forehead calling his self ââ¬Å"stupidâ⬠, and blanking out profanity. Also, Scooby Doo sometimes may scare children by having scary creature and monsters. Some television characters often depict risky behaviors such as drinking, smoking, and reinforce gender roles and racial stereotypes (How TV Affect Your Child).Most of these shows are mainly for entertainment and not for education so while kids are watching television they are just laughing when they really should be running to tell someone what they have learned while watching the show. There are a lot of educational shows on television that teaches kids valuable skills, such as their alphabet, and also counting. Those shows include Dora the Explorer, The Wiggles, Barney, Blueââ¬â¢s Clues, Sesame Street, Go Diego Go are extremely helpful in many ways. Barney is a very great show to watch.It is a show that teaches kids to show respect to an adult and it also teaches you to have manners. Blueââ¬â¢s Clues is also a great source because they teach kids to identify patterns and the opposites from two objects. Television shows have a powerful impact on young viewers in our society. When does it all start? More than 98 percent of homes in America have at least one television, and 25 percent of all households purchase a new model each year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association (Television can harm children literally).Some children were sat in front of the television to get their attention, sometime to fall asleep, to calm down or stop them from crying. Parents usually sit babies in front of the television so they can finish home chores. Parents may start having them watch television at the age of eight to ten months. Normally, there is not an affect or impact on babies. As they start to grow older and also smarter young children of one to three years of age start t o love to watch television show. Also, television starts to become a childââ¬â¢s daily routine and they start to have a favorite television show and character.As they get to be the age of five to seven and are enrolled in some schooling and they start to watch every television show and they start to want every item or merchandise with their favorite television show or characters. From the age of eight to ten, their television shows starts to become a lot more inappropriate and they no longer watch SpongeBob, Family Guy, or South Park. They may start to play video games which may also influence bad images and language. Our youth are also exposed to violent words, music, and images every day and it should be stopped. But how? How is there such a big impact on them just because of watching television?Television can affect learning and school performance if it interferes with the time kids need for activities crucial to healthy mental and physical development. Some shows (SpongeBob) teaches that it is fine to commit an inappropriate action because there will not be a punishment and kids feel that if they do the same thing as their favorite character from the program who committed the crime they will be a hero. Researchers have identified three potential responses to media violence in children: increase fear, desensitization to real life violence, and increase aggressive behavior.It may desensitve kids so much they think it is okay and no big deal for somebody to be hit or to hit someone in the head with a hammer. Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior, but also fear that the world is scary and that everyday something bad will happen. Scary-looking things like grotesque monsters especially frighten children aged two to seven. Telling them that the images arenââ¬â¢t real does not help because kids under age eight canââ¬â¢t always tell the difference between fantasy and reality (Television and Children).When watching a televis ion shows usually every episode has a bad situation or a lot of drama in it so kids will start to have that mind frame that things will happen to them just like on the show. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under two years old not watch any television and that those older than two watch no more than one to two hours a day of quality (How TV Affect Your Child). Children who watch too much television donââ¬â¢t get as much physical activity and do not explore new activity, according to Family Education Network.Television viewing has been linked to violent or aggressive behavior, sleep problems, substance abuse, poor school performance, and obesity (How TV Affect Your Child). Most children who watch the inappropriate shows are most likely to hit their playmates and argue. This issue of violent which media have the greatest impact on many people only on television many children today may be more influences by video games and computers games. There are many things parents can do for their child to help them do well in school and also not be addicted to television.Children that is too young to enroll into preschool yet spend a lot of time out of the day watching television, playing outside, or sleeping. While watching television, they should watch educational shows that may broaden their knowledge to be ready for preschool. Some educational television shows can be very helpful in many ways. Some programs combine entertainment and education to help children learn to identify characters, shapes, colors, sequence numbers, and phonics skills. Active parents should set limits, participate, monitor, analyze, and be good leaders.Parents can set many of limits in the childââ¬â¢s life but when watching television it is very good to set limits on how long they can watch television and what shows they can watch. Some parents do not always participate with their children. When a child is watching television, the parents should watch the show wi th them, sing alone, and interact with the show. Parents should always monitor what their child is watching. Before you allow your child to watch a show; the parent should watch a couple episode of the show and give it an approval. Every child looks up to their parents and to do or be just like them.Parents should always watch what they say or do because your child could be over listening to what you are saying and do or say that same thing that they heard their parents displaying. Parents should ask their children what are they watching and what the show is about. When your child is studying or having family meals and are not paying attention it is best to turn the television off. As much as possible encourage your kids to be involved in hobbies, sports, and peers with proper guidance, your child can learn to use television in a healthy and positive way.TV viewing is probably replacing activities in your childââ¬â¢s s life that you would rather have them do things such as playin g with friends, being physically active, getting fresh air, reading, playing imaginatively, doing homework, doing chores (Television and Children). Television is not always a negative influence to young viewers, there is strong evidence that childrenââ¬â¢s shows that were developed to teach educational and social skills which can help children learn well.Educational shows will expand a child knowledge but not only are they getting entertainment but they are learning their numbers, recognizing letters, and valuable skills. Sometime it is good to get some entertainment when watching television. What a child learns during his young years may affect his childhood and their older years. There are many ways such as watching television, video game, hearing what other adults may say that may influence kids bat the age of two through ten by television programming. Young children are easily influenced by the media.Children will soon find a favorite character then start to look up to them a s a hero or a role model. If that character is displaying an inappropriate behavior the child will soon imitate the character action. The goal is to keep young children active, in shape, and to have great school performance. Works Cited Anonymous. ââ¬Å"An annotated bibliography: Television can harm children ââ¬â Literally. â⬠The Consumerââ¬â¢s Medical Journal Issue 94 (2006): 15. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. . The article give statics, give advice from Pediatricians on what parents should do when children love to always watch TV. Pediatricians at the at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas reviewed a yearââ¬â¢s worth of emergency department cases of children who had been injured by TV sets toppling over, usually because of a climbing toddler or because someone accidentally knocked over the set.More than 98 percent of homes in America have at least one television, and 25 percent of all households purchase a new model e ach year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. Adults need to be better educated about televisionââ¬â¢s potential harm, not just the content or programming but the physical danger of falling sets. Boyse, Kyla, and Brad Bushman. ââ¬Å"Television and Children. â⬠University of Michigan Health System. Regents of the University of Michigan, Aug. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. .The article examines the effect of children when watching too much TV. It explains how it affects your childââ¬â¢s brain development, the aggressive and violent behavior. It also show how TV can scare children, affect they school performance, and affect their health. TV viewing is probably replacing activities in your childââ¬â¢s s life that you would rather have them do (things like playing with friends, being physically active, getting fresh air, reading, playing imaginatively, doing homework, doing chores. An average American child will see 200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders on TV by age 18.Scary-looking things like grotesque monsters especially frighten children aged two to seven. Telling them that the images arenââ¬â¢t real does not help because kids under age eight canââ¬â¢t always tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Dowshen, Steven. ââ¬Å"How TV Affect Your Child. â⬠KidsHealth. The Nemour Foundation, Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. . The article discusses how you child is being influenced by television. This article gives parent advice on how parents should control who they view on TV and how long they should watch TV.Some TV shows a lot of violence, risky behavior, obesity, and the article also give some ways to practice good TV habits. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming. Fields-Meyers, T, et al. ââ¬Å"Kids out of Control. â⬠Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO, 2004. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. This article gives information on what different family how experience well raising a child who loves watching inappropriate television shows.
Monday, January 6, 2020
The Life Cycle Of Hannah Bailey - 1751 Words
Background Hannah Bailey is a young, wild, and carefree teenager from a small town called Warsaw, Indiana. She attends Warsaw Community High School and she likes music, art, and photography. Majority of the students at the school are Caucasian and most of them are in cliques, relationships, and are somewhat popular. People call Hannah weird and say that she does not fit in with everyone. She wants to go to college in California to study film. Hannah lives with her grandmother because her mother suffers from depression and is not in the home, and her father works out of town in Ohio. Hannahââ¬â¢s boyfriend, Joel, is also a big part of her life. She spends a lot of her time with him. For Hannah, Erik Eriksonââ¬â¢s Psychosocial Development Theory can be used to help explain her adolescent life. Theoretical Foundation Erik Erikson created eight stages in psychosocial development that are categorized as crises that a person will experiences at some period during the life cycle (Steinberg, 2014). In Hannahââ¬â¢s case, she is experiencing the fifth and sixth stage of psychosocial development. The fifth stage is Identity vs. Identity Diffusion. In this stage, adolescents are trying to discover a sense of identity (Steinberg, 2014). As an adolescent matures, he or she starts to realize and think about their place in society. For example, they start to reflect on how people view them and the different opportunities they have for their future. In order for adolescents to develop a sense ofShow MoreRelatedHsc General Math Textbook with Answers153542 Words à |à 615 Pages Enter this formula. Fill down the contents of E6 to E8 using this formula for E5. Change the interest rate from 8% to 10%. Change the time period from 20 years to 15 years. Bailey buys a TV for $1800. He pays it off monthly over 2 years at a flat interest rate of 12.5% per annum. a How many months will it take Bailey to pay for the TV? b What is the interest charged for the 2 years? c How much per month will he pay? Give your answer to the nearest cent. Mitchell approached a bank for a businessRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words à |à 1573 PagesGlobalization 16 â⬠¢ Managing Workforce Diversity 18 â⬠¢ Improving Customer Service 18 â⬠¢ Improving People Skills 19 â⬠¢ Stimulating Innovation and Change 20 â⬠¢ Coping with ââ¬Å"Temporarinessâ⬠20 â⬠¢ Working in Networked Organizations 20 â⬠¢ Helping Employees Balance Workââ¬âLife Conflicts 21 â⬠¢ Creating a Positive Work Environment 22 â⬠¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 â⬠¢ Inputs 24 â⬠¢ Processes 25 â⠬ ¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Friday, December 20, 2019
Teen Drinking And Driving - 921 Words
Samantha Tangen Ms. Jackson Period 4 *date* Teen drinking and driving Drinking and driving is one of the biggest social issues for teens across the United States. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alcohol is a very dangerous thing no matter what age you are. However, teens do not think about the consequences of drinking and driving until it is already too late. Many things contribute to this growing problem of teen drinking and driving. First, there is a lack of education about drinking and driving in schools today. Next, peer pressure is difficult for many teens to resist. Finally, the access that teens have to alcohol and to vehicles is not monitored. According to blah blah study, 000% of high school students admitâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Simulation plays display the damages that can be done from drinking and driving. Hosting these simulation plays will help young adults understand the consequences of driving after consuming alcohol. Such a program has been used by local Law enforcement to help make students aware of the dan gers of drinking and driving, especially around Prom and Graduation. However, this program could be used during other times of the year...so on. Another problem that teens face on a daily basis is peer pressure. Teens face these pressures every day about simple things such as who they like or dont like, what games they play, what they wear, etc. These may seem harmless, but when it comes to peer pressure about more dangerous things, the concept is the same. Teens face peer pressure to drink alcohol. 00% of teens say that they feel the effects of peer pressure according to some study.... To help teens deal with the pressures they face from their peers, schools could start support programs that include safe zones for meetings, for talking with others who are facing peer pressure, or for talking to counselors or resource officers about the issues they are facing. There could also be an anonymous way to exchange dialog with these resources so that teens could feel safe reaching out for help while still remaining unknown by their peers. A third issue that contributes to teens drinking and driving is theirShow MoreRelatedTeen Drinking and Driving Essay examples1756 Words à |à 8 Pages Now-a-days teens watch TV and believe anything they see on television. ââ¬Å"Professional Athletes donââ¬â¢t cause more DUI Fatalities than other Americanââ¬âthey just make more headlines (Lake, 2013) EBSCOHOST). So seeing someone famous drinking and then hoping in the car under the influence and beganing to drive with no worries, teens think it is okay. Excuses and false assurance are major reasons teens believe they can drink. People believe they will not get caught and that they have complete controlRead MoreResearch Paper Drinking Age1565 Words à |à 7 PagesThe legal drinking age refers to the youngest age at which a person is legally allowed to buy and consumes alcoholic beverages. The drinking age varies from country to country. Here in the United States the legal drinking age is twenty-one. There has been much debate on whether the drinking age in the United States should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. People in favor of keeping the drinking age at twenty-one believe that there will be less alcohol related injuries and deaths fromRead MoreThe Problem Of Teen Drinking1450 Words à |à 6 PagesEvery 51 minutes in America, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash. A dangerous issue facing society today is the problem of teen drinking and driving. Currently an approximate of 10,076 people die in drunk driving crashes per year. If positive progress to ceasing this act does not happen, teens will continue to drink and drive putting everybody on the road at risk. Teens who drink and drive put everyone on the road at risk, causing serious crashes that could be preventable. Background of theRead MoreTeen Drinking Is The Biggest Social Issues Among Young People Today904 Words à |à 4 PagesTeenage drinking is one of the largest social issues among young people today. Although about half of high schools today drink on a regular basis. (CDC) Most of them will say they only drink when they are at parties with their friends. If they started drinking at the age of fifteen there is a six percent chance that they will depend on alcohol when they get older. There are so many different problems with teen drinking that I can talk about. The big one I want to talk about is when teens drive whenRead MoreDont lower the drinking Age1229 Words à |à 5 Pagesmany people are beginning to feel that the drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. Studies have been made; however, no hard evidence suggesting lowering the minimum drinking age would help have surfaced. Although there are countless studies of how alcohol has many harmful effects on teenager s, there is a great deal of negative criticism about what if the drinking age is lowered. Some would say the morally right decision is to not allow teens the chance to hurt themselves. EveryoneRead More Teenage Drinking and Its Effects on the Development of Alcoholism Later1613 Words à |à 7 PagesTeenage Drinking and Its Effects on the Development of Alcoholism Later Teenage drinking is something that goes on every day. No matter how many videos you show to kids about drinking they will still drink. Surveys show that the average teen seventeen and up spends $475.00 a year on liquor, mostly beer; thats more than books, soda, coffee, juice and milk combined. Most parents dont know about teenage drinking unless they catch their kids doing it. Parents usually say oh, my my kid would neverRead MorePositive And Negative Effects Of Drinking Alcohol1709 Words à |à 7 Pagesthe consumption of alcohol but it can be said that drinking alcohol has both positive and negative effects. Controversy may arise between opposing sides that those below the age of twenty-one are not responsible enough to drink however are allowed a driving license or a driverââ¬â¢s permit. In the United States of America, society and lawmakers focus more on the negative impacts of alcohol consumption especially when it comes to who we allow drinking, and do not consider that teen agers are able to thinkRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Mock Accident 1593 Words à |à 7 PagesJustin Jones Mock accident Comp 1 10-30-2017 Mock Accident Do you know how many teens drink and drive and how many of them die. Lets focus on how many teens that drink underage. Since 1991 there were more teens drinking at that time then there was in 2005 yes there ain t as many teens that drink. 85% of the teens that do drink and drive have had more than one drink they have had up to five drinks. Teens that think they can drive after just having a beer or two are wrong, first of all you shouldnRead MoreTeenage Drinking and Driving Essay659 Words à |à 3 PagesSoya Smith Engl 1301 Teenage Drinking has Become a Problem in Our Society Teenage drinking has negatively impacted our current and future society in many ways including teenage drinking and driving, school performances, and increasing crimes. I. A teenage driver and alcohol is a dangerous combination, which can lead to fatality. A. Teenage drivers are at a greater risk of death in an alcohol-related vehicle accident than any other population because of inexperience, invincible thinkingRead MoreCause And Effect Of Impaired Driving925 Words à |à 4 Pagesseverely injured every day because either they are driving under the influence (DUI) or they are victims of those people who drink and drive. The United States is the country which has the most accidents caused by DUI. According to the article ââ¬Å"Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Crashesâ⬠, the U.S has the most impaired driving accidents. Statistics in the article ââ¬Å"Impaired Drivingâ⬠show that around 10,076 people were killed in ââ¬Ëalcohol ââ¬â impairedââ¬â¢ driving in 2013 in the United States. Research shows that
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Competitive Strategy in Dick Hotel-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp
Question: Discuss about the Competitive Strategies Influencing Performance of Dick's Hotel in Balmain Sydney, Australia. Answer: Research Context The research proposal brief addresses the competition facing DiCK hotel industry business. Dicks hotel established in the year 1872 by John Dick, the business has continued to offer foods and drinks to residents and visitors of Balmain, Sydney. The hospitality and tourism industry have grown tremendously in Australia. The key parties in the industry have been providing hospitable goods and services for both domestic and overseas consumers. The major units in the industry include: restaurants, bars, catering, meetings, conferences, and tour operations services. Several businesses have emerged in hospitality and tourism in Australia covering the different major units of the industry (Fraj, E. Matute, J. Melero, I. 2015, 35). . The importance of the hotel and others major units in Australia economy cannot be estimated. Direct tourism and hospitality industry contributed over $33.9 billion of Australias GDP in 2014/2015 financial year. The profitability and performance in the industry has led to market entry of others investors and business persons. In 2009 there were 77,087 businesses operating in hospitality and tourism industry since then it has grown to over 186, 940 businesses offering accommodations and food services (Hoque, K. 2013, 9). Currently businesses like Dicks hotel are facing competition from other business offering innovation and competitive services to its customers (West, D. Ford, J. Ibrahim, E., 2015, 45). It has prompted the management of Dicks hotel identify suitable strategies to maintain and grow its market share. The bigger problem facing hospitality and tourism firms like Dick hotel is increased competition within the industry. Business persons in the industry are employing innovative and competitive strategies to maintain and attract more customers. Increased domestic and international tourism has led to emergence of more business investors in major hospitality units. The growth in tourism industry is brought about by attractive cultures, geographical features and stable economy. Hospitality sector is depended on the kind of service offered to its customers. Several dynamics have contributed to increased competition in the industry. Trends in consumer characteristics and demographic changes make hotel owners to take a more strategic outlook to planning competitive. Dick hotel has been drastically losing its client base over the years due to competition from other players despite growth in hospitality industry. That makes the hotel owners to establish suitable strategies to remain competitiv e. The purpose of the study will be to identify competitive strategies influencing DiCK hotel performance. Reseach Objectives The study will be guided by the following research objective: To identify competitive strategies influencing performance of DiCKs hotel in Blamain Sydney. To understand the research objective variables a review of the concept of competitive strategy is done. The authors point of view is clearly to understand the variable of study competitive strategy. Competitive strategies define different ways that hotel owners employ to make their products distinctive and attractive from other players offering the same products and services (Hill, C. Jones, G. Schilling, M. 2014, 45). Hotels across Asia apply strategic pricing strategies this is because consumers are not motivated if any hotel cuts its pricing to attract more customers. Pricing strategies for the hotel is done based on the type of service required and type of consumers. The empirical finding across countries especially in Australia shows that when demand of rooms is high, rooms can be available for those paying higher prices and vice versa. DiCK hotel have different price differentials for its service provision. There are prices for normal class and those for the corporate class tha t is dominantly manifested in its drinks price differentials. Consumer segmentation is another strategic component of hospitality industry dominant in Australia. Studies show that hotels segment customers differently either corporate, family, domestic, international and leisure customers (Phillips, P. Moutinho, L. 2014, 101). Each segment has different needs and expectations they are then served accordingly. For example in Singapore the hotels have special packages for families during weekends. Hotel owners will to charge differently for the services offered to each segments. The researcher points out the role of technology in competitive strategy. The technology changes have made hotels to employ competitive strategies (Kong, E. Lien, C. 2016, 980). Hotels are using Meta service engines, online travel agents, hotel booking agents, and travel review websites would offer customers a wider choices and accessibility to hotel products. DiCK hotel is employing an integrative information technology system to manage its communication needs. The system allows bookings, payment functions and revenue management. Other hotels in US are employing a self-management system that enables customers book, serve them and pay for the services (McManus, L. 2013, 142). The use of technology strategies makes hospitality industry players to be competitive. Findings show that in hotel industry the service offered is based on certain quality aspects (intangibility, heterogeneity). Consumers evaluate a service offered based on total quality characteristics if positive it brings loy alty and satisfaction in the long run. Service quality is the most important factor influencing customer perceptions in the hotel industry (Espino-Rodrguez, T. Lai, P. 2014, 18). Hotel owners continue employing innovative service strategies to attract new and maintain loyal customers. A cross sectional survey in different countries show that it is the same challenges and factors are facing hotels across countries. The majorly factors are changes in food prices, instability in countries, technology changes, demographic dynamism, currency stability, competition, and changes in labor market (Jones, P. Jones, P. Hillier, D. Hillier, D. Comfort, D. 2016, 47). In Australia, some of factors influencing hotel operations are changes in fuel prices, and national policy frameworks. Both have influenced hospitality industry positively over the last two years. Other factors that influence hotels include changes in consumer demographics, and strength of Australian dollar (Melissen, F. Cavagnaro, E. Damen, M. Dweke, A. 2016, 236). Consumer research teams identify aging population, changing family structures and customer preferences to be challenges facing hotel owners. In order to manage the challenges the hotel owners need to formulate suitable competitive strategies. To be abl e to understand the operationalization of the topic the conceptual framework is used in figure1.The conceptual framework is a diagrammatic relationship of the variables in the study. Figure1 shows the conceptual framework. Figure 1 conceptual framework: Source: Author 2017 Figure 1 explains the relationship between competitive strategies and performance of hotels. It defines the dependent and independent variable relationships. Challenges can affect the different competitive strategies employed affecting performance in the long run. The Reaseacrch approach to be applied The research will employ a mixed methods approach which uses both quantitative and qualitative research to find best suitable answers to research questions (Hill, C. Jones, G. Schilling, M. 2014, 45). The methodology provides a comprehensive explanation of research objectives being investigated. The approach is to obtained information of the study through primary data sources. The research will obtained qualitative data by using interview schedules issued to the target population. The Research Design And Methodology To Be Applied Research technique The study will employ a survey research design (Kothari, C. 2014, 35). The survey research technique involves obtaining responses through questions from a sampled population. The design will describe systematically how competitive strategies and its influence performance of the DiCK hotel. This is by seeking responses from the target population. The population The study will be conducted in DiCK hotel covering its top management employees. The sampling frame will include: 5 managers, 14 assistant managers, and 1 director. The sampling frame of the study will be represented by 20 employees as per the company human resource records of 2017. The top management employees were chosen because they are the only ones engaged in strategy formulatio Sampling design Non-probability sampling technique (purposive) will be used because all samples are expected to provide information relevant to the study. The top management will be chosen purposively because they are the only one who has information for the study. Non probability is sampling technique that does not give respondents equal chance of being selected (Kothari, C. 2014, 65). Implementation plan The study will be conducted using a cross-sectional type of study because it involves a short period status study. The entire study is expected to be carried out in less than 3 months. The study is conducted to understand how competitive strategies influence performance of DiCK hotel. Primary data will be obtained from primary sources through interviews. The study will require a budget of AUS $500 to carry out various study elements. Logistics will include: printing, photocopies, stationery, data analysis fees, fare and meals. Before collection of data authorization will be sought, and appointments made with respondents. The interview will be scheduled to take 10 working days with each session having a maximum of 30 minutes. The qualitative data collected will be arranged, coded and ready for analysis. Suggested interview questions and topics To provide answers to study objective, structured interview will be used. Respondents will be asked to provide answers to questions provided. An interview is chosen because it provides respondents a wider opening to answer the questions (Kothari, C. 2014, 34). The interview will only cover the topic of the study and confidentiality will be maintained. The topics covered will be on strategies: applications, challenges and remedies. List of interview structured questions the following are sample of questions for the interview: How long have you been working for the hotel. How is the level of hotel performance the last five years. What have been your success over the years. Which are the strategies are you employing to ensure the success Are your hotel facing any competition Have the strategies been successful in managing competition in the industry What is the future of the hotel industry in the country.. Which are some of the challenges facing the hotel. Are there any remedies for the challenges. Project schedule Reference lists Espino,Rodriguez TF., and Lai, P.C 2014, Outsourcing and competitive strategy in hotel industry, International Journal of Hospitality Management,42, pp.9-19. Fraj, E., Matute, J and Melero, I 2015, Environmental strategies and organizational competitiveness in the hotel industry: Role of learning and innovation as determinants of environmental success.Journal of Tourism Management,46, pp.30-42 Hill, W., Jones, G. and Schilling, M 2014, Strategic management theory: integrated approach, Cengage Learning. Hoque, K 2013, Hotel industry human resource management: strategy, innovation and performance. Routledge. Jones, P., Hillier, D., and Comfort, D 2016, Sustainability in the hospitality industry: some personal reflections on corporate challenges and research agendas,International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(1), pp.36-67. Kong, E. and Lien, C.Y 2016, Social media impact in service innovations: An empirical study on the Australian hotel industry. Social Media and Networking: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications(pp. 978-993). IGI Global Kothari, C.R., 2014. Research methodology: methods and techniques. New Age press McManus, L 2013, Accounting and marketing performance measures in the hotel industry: Evidence from Australia, international Journal of Hospitality Management,33, pp.140-152. Melissen, F., Cavagnaro, E., Damen, M and Dweke, A 2016, Is the hotel industry prepared to face the challenge of sustainable development? Journal of Vacation Marketing,22(3), pp.227-238. Mok, C., Sparks, B. and Kadampully, J., 2013.Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Routledge. Phillips, P. and Moutinho, L., 2014. Critical review of strategic planning research in hospitality and tourism.Annals of Tourism Research,48, pp.96-120. West, D.C., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E., 2015.Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. Oxford University Press
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