Thursday, October 31, 2019

Analyses customer relation theory of adidas Assignment

Analyses customer relation theory of adidas - Assignment Example This is a powerful marketing for Adidas and it uses it effectively to be able to engage the customers. Adidas tries to use customer loyalty in order to maintain its customers. Although some scholars have argued that consumers are rarely loyal to such brands as Adidas and its major competitors like Nike and Puma, the firm still sticks to its strategy of trying to create customer loyalty Matthew (2013). One of the ways in which Adidas tries to create customer loyalty is to have its brand strategy designed in such a way that all customers have been served. For instance, the firm is currently delivering three parts of its brand (Arenas, 2010). The first brand is the original which gives the customers the option to access the original Adidas designs. This is for the loyal customers who still want to stick to the products they liked in the older days. The second is the designs that are geared towards professional athletes. These products are designed to serve professional athletes in order to help them have the best performance. The third and last brand is geared towards fashion. This is f or the Adidas customers who feel they want to wear Adidas products but with a fashion appeal to it (Kyle, 2006). Of these three categories of customers that Adidas targets, its digital marketing strategy targets only two. The two categories targeted with the digital strategy for Adidas are those who are fashion oriented and the athletes’ categories. The reason for this is these customers are the ones who are most likely to use the gaming consoles and so Adidas is able to engage these customers. Although the digital gaming console is the main digital marketing strategy that Adidas has used mainly, the firms also uses other digital channels to engage the customers. For instance, the firm uses social media such as Facebook and twitter for its

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Performance Management at Jet Food Services Essay Example for Free

Performance Management at Jet Food Services Essay It is now the end of Sampada’s first year as regional manager for Jet Food Services. As regional manager, Sampada supervises a total of ten districts, each of which has a manager responsible for sales and service to customers in that area. Jet Food provides contract food services for hospitals, schools, colleges, business firms, and other institutions that need meals prepared on site but that do not wish to be responsible for operating such services. Jet Food Services hires all necessary kitchen employees, purchases all supplies, and prepares meals in accordance with specifications agreed on with customers. The district manager is responsible for coordinating all customer activities. This includes planning, budgeting, hiring and supervising Jet`s on-site representative (customer service manager), customer satisfaction, and contract renegotiations. Sampada was recruited after years of experience as director of food services for a multicampus university. In that job, she had oversight responsibility for the food services at several campuses. The Jet Food position offered an opportunity for continued growth and advancement. In her first year, Sampada has concentrated on getting to know the district managers and the customers with whom they work. She spent more than a week with each district manager and visited each customer with him or her. At this point, she feels comfortable with her job and the knowledge she has gained of both operations and personnel, and it is time to appraise the performance of the district managers and to schedule review meetings with these employees. Sampada`s assessment of Ranjan: Ranjan is the longest term district manager in Sampada’sregion. He completed less than one year of college, held several short term jobs, and then joined Jet as a shift supervisor of the company`s services at a large college. At present, he is completing twelve years of employment with Jet. He has been a district manager for three years. In working with Ranjan, Sampadahas observed his strengths, along with some problems. Ranjan has a talent for working with people, Jet employees and customers alike. In fact, in his years with Jet, no customer he worked with has ever switched to a competitor. Many on-site supervisors recruited, trained, and supervised by Ranjan have gone on to become managers of other districts.On the other hand, Ranjan’s unhealthy eating habits – despite doctors` warnings – have contributed to some serious medical difficulties. During the past year, Ranjan was out of work for three months with gallbladder and heart problems, attributable in part to obesity. And Ranjan’s behaviour towards others can be overbearing. Sampada kept track of her phone calls from district managers during the year, and there were more calls (or messages) from Ranjan than from the other nine district managers taken together – calls to promote or advertise his own efforts. Although Ranjan can be charming, he has started to be loud and rude with regional personnel whom he perceives as excessively rule – oriented. All in all, Ranjan’s style and appearance have become entirely different from what Sampada is accustomed to in colleagues and employees.Further, it has been announced that Sampada’s region is going to be expanded and that a new position, that of assistant regional manager will be created. Ranjan has made it clear that as Jet`s longest tenured district manager in the region, he feels entitled to this promotion. However, Sampada does not feel she could work with Ranjan as the assistant regional manager. She feels that their management styles are too different and that Ranjan’s behaviour might irritate regional and corporate personnel. As Sampada looks over Jet`s performance assessment and management instrument, she realises that her honest assessment of Ranjan’s performance in his current job is generally excellent. She glances at the last page of the assessment and management form and the overall ratings from which she will have to choose. Jet`s overall rating system is on a 1-10 scale, with 10 as outstanding; 7-9, different degrees of excellent performance; 5-6, satisfactory; 3-4, below average; and 1-2, unacceptable. Sampada is uncertain as to what overall rating to assign. If she gives Ranjan too high a rating, he will expect to be promoted. If the rating is too low, Ranjan will doubtless be angry, feeling that an injustice has been done. Ranjan`s Self-Assessment and Management: Ranjan sees himself as different from the other district managers. An outgoing, gregarious type, he loves to visit his customer locations and work with his company`s personnel. His idea of a successful day is one spent teaching a customer service manager a new operating procedure or management technique. In fact, Ranjan is known to roll up his sleeves and teach Jet employees a new recipe or how to improve an existing dish.Ranjan has worked for several district managers and has always liked to keep them informed about his activities, sometimes phoning two or three times a day. From discussions with Sampada, he is aware that she thinks many of these calls are not necessary, but he wants her to know how things are going with his employees and customers. He is also aware of Sampada’s views regarding his ignoring medical advice. Ranjan is proud of his career and of what he has been able to do without much higher education. He feels he is qualified to become a regional manager, and he looks forward to the possibility of promotion to the new assistant regional manager position as a step toward this ultimate goal. Ranjan’s Assessment Rating: In reviewing the situation, Sampada decides to give Ranjan an overall rating of 6. She feels justified, given that Ranjan did miss months of work as a result of neglecting his health. She knows that Ranjan will expect a higher overall rating, but she is prepared to stand behind her evaluation. Sampada then goes back to considering the separate ratings she will assign and to making plans for their feedback review. Questions:1 How would you describe Sampada’s approach to the assessment and management of Ranjan’s performance? 2 Are Sampada`s concerns with Ranjan’s performance legitimate? Will Ranjan have justifiable reasons for feeling dissatisfied with the assessment and management results?

Sunday, October 27, 2019

McDonalds Corporation in India

McDonalds Corporation in India Organization; McDonalds is the worlds leading fast food chain with 31,000 local restaurants in 118 different countries and collectively serving more than 58 million people (www.aboutmcdonalds.com). Due to globalization and internationalization, the corporation established joint ventures, and later franchises, which enabled them to spread into other countries, like India. This turned McDonalds into a multi-billion dollar enterprise (McDonalds Annual Report 2008). Founded in 1937 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald, the fast food chain began as a drive-in restaurant in California (Vignali 2001). In 1954, Ray Croc saw an opportunity in the fast food market and initiated a deal with the brothers, giving him rights to franchise McDonalds in America (Vignali 2001). By 1965, there were over 700 McDonalds restaurants in the country and in 1967, the corporation went global by opening restaurants in Canada and Puerto Rico (www.aboutmcdonalds.com). Since then, an average of 4.2 new McDonalds restaurants is opened daily around the world (Hill 2009), one of which included Indias first McDonalds in Mumbai in 1996 (www.mcdonaldsindia.com). The American fast food chain is the focus of this report because of its increasing international presence in the world. The literature review covers an overview of the strategies and models that will help better understand McDonalds move into the Indian market. The discussion and analysis section will focus on McDonalds in particular and the challenges and competition the corporation faced in this new foreign market. Lastly, the report will conclude with recommendations on how and what McDonalds can do to better their performance in India. Literature Review Globalization refers to the growing interdependent relationships among people from different cultures and nations as physical and psychological walls collapse, barriers to the movement of trade, capital and people are blurred and modern technology is integrated (Daniels et. al. 2009; Hill 2009). This indicates the two main factors that drive globalization are the decline in barriers to the free flow of goods, services and capital, and the change in technology (Daniels et. al. 2009). Internationalization involves customizing business strategies depending on cultural, regional and national differences (Vignali 2001). Since the 20th century, more corporations have become global to create value for their organizations and to achieve competitive advantage. This was followed by the development of multinational enterprises or corporations (Daniels et. al. 2009). According to Vignali (2001), globalization involves marketing standardized products the same way everywhere, thus viewing the world as a single entity (Vignali 2001). However, the reality is that nations, cultures and people vary around the world. Corporations need more than just globalization to succeed in the international market. According to Taylor (see Vignali 2001), companies should think global, act local (Vignali 2001, p.98) by combining internationalization and globalization elements to create a competitive advantage. Entry Modes Determining the appropriate entry mode for a corporation is a complex task. Hill, Hwang and Kim (1990) state that different entry modes have different levels of control over foreign operations, in terms of managing operational and strategic decision-making. Some of the common entry modes used by global corporations are franchising and joint ventures (Hill 2009). Franchising is when a company, or franchisor, sells intangible property, like a trademark, to the franchisee with the stipulation that the franchisee abides the by the rules and conditions specified in the franchising contract (Hill 2009). The rules as to how franchisees operate a restaurant extends to control over the menu, cooking methods, staffing policies, and design and location. This is a common strategy approached by many fast food chains. By franchising to local people, the delivery and interpretation of something foreign is translated by the local people, in terms of both product and service (Vignali 2001), and the costs of running the business is cheaper. However, franchising may inhibit a corporation taking profits out of one country to support competitive attacks in another country (Hill 2009). Also, the quality of the brand in the foreign country may not be the same or up to par as the quality of the brand of products in the corporations native country, which is ultimately bad for business (Hill 2009). Joint venture is sharing ownership between two or more companies and the percentage of ownership varies from 50% to more or less (Daniels et. al. 2009). It has similar advantages as franchising but can have more problems, such as lack of control of technology (Hill 2009). When choosing the market it is important to consider long-term economic benefits including the market size, the present wealth of consumers in the market, and the future wealth of the consumers, which depends on the economic growth rate (Hill 2009). Hill (2009) argues the product value in the foreign market is another deciding factor. This depends on if the product is suitable to the market and the local competition. As they turn global, organizations are transformed in terms of their strategies, operations, management, marketing, and human and material resources and services (Daniels et. al. 2009). This is because foreign markets have different physical, social and competitive factors from the domestic market, and this affects the objectives and the strategy of the corporation (Daniels et. al. 2009). IR Model Companies that operate internationally face two forces: pressures for global integration and pressures for local responsiveness (Daniels et. al. 2009). In their research paper, Doz and Prahalad (1984) explain economic, technological and competitive conditions push global integration, whereas diversity in customer needs, distribution channels, media and trade barriers between countries push responsiveness. Research shows that the higher the pressure for global integration, the greater the need to maximize efficiency through standardization (Daniels et. al 2009). Customers accept standardized products and this reduces costs for the corporation (Daniels et. al 2009). But, international corporations are under pressure to adapt their operations to the local market conditions and local customer demands, as well as adhere to the policies mandated by host-country governments, which varies around the world (Daniels et. al. 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The integration-responsiveness model, shown in figure 1, was initially developed by Prahalad and Doz in 1987 and then developed further by Bartlett and Ghoshal in 1989. It shows the interaction between global integration and local responsiveness (Daniels et. al. 2009). The IR model presents four strategies to guide how international corporations will enter and compete in the foreign market: international strategy, multidomestic strategy, global strategy and transnational strategy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  International strategy is adopted by corporations when they want to influence their core competencies by expanding into foreign markets. Secondly, a multidomestic corporation is locally responsive (Daniels et. al. 2009, p.475) as it allows each of its operations in foreign countries to act independently. The subsidiaries have the freedom to respond to the preferences of their local customers when designing, making and marketing products (Daniels et. al. 2009). A global strategy maximizes integration and it pushes a company to make a standardized product for a global market, such as shampoo. Lastly, transnational strategy differentiates capabilities and contributions from country to country allowing companies to learn from them. It endorses an integrated framework of technology, financial resources, creative ideas, and people (Daniels et. al. 2009). Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hofstede, a key researcher in the subject, defines culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another (see Hill 2009, p.89). Banerjee (2008) adds it is a set of values, ideas, artefacts, and other meaningful symbols that shape our attitudes and actions. Globalization has given rise to a new concept of no-border (Banerjee 2008, p.368) world. Cultures merge, change and evolve as people move around the world; this has increased rapidly due to improved technology, the birth of the internet and expanding networks of interpersonal and mass communications (Craig and Douglas 2006). As mentioned earlier in this report, corporations become international to create value and gain competitive advantage. One means of doing this is by promoting cultural diversity (Daniels et. al. 2009) as people from diverse backgrounds and experiences are brought together. When divergent cultures come in contact, cultural collision takes place. In adjacent to this theory of cultural collision, Craig, Douglas and Bennett (2009) introduce Americanization, a type of internationalization, which refers to the spread of American culture through US corporations. Establishing a global platform allows individuals and organizations to interact with each other, regardless of time, space and language. Globalization leads to plenty of opportunities, but it has also gives rise to challenges. Mayo (see Rawwas 2000) found that first-time exporters often fail as they try to expand internationally is because they were unable to understand cultural differences and foreign business practices. Rawwas (2000) concludes that an enhanced sensitivity to cultural variables is needed (p.203) for understanding the needs of international customers and making the necessary decisions to meet them. Discussion and Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonalds has been operating in India since 1996 and has a total of 160 restaurants nationwide (www.mcdonaldsindia.com). Its strategy is to achieve best value by offering the best quality, while prices are kept reasonable (www.mcdonaldsindia.com). McDonalds success is attributed to its commitment to deliver quality, service, cleanliness and value to customers, increasing the number of outlets to improve convenience, and finally, its investment in supplier development, training and people (www.mcdonaldsindia.com). Entry Modes The growth of the emerging Indian market is attributed to the resurgence in manufacturing sector, growth in service sector, and bigger foreign investments (Sharma and Srinivasan 2008), as well as technological changes, GDP growth, and increase in literacy and income levels (Dana and Vignali 1998). Sharma and Srinivasan (2008) list Indias infrastructure, its economic development, market size, present and future wealth of consumers, and consumer culture as the main attraction for foreign investors. Hill (2009) and other researchers specify Indias large and relatively prosperous middle class of around 100 million (Harding 2000) was a main attraction for McDonalds. In addition, Sharma and Srinivasan (2008) state the expectation of India to be one of the top three economies in the world by 2050, along with China and USA also presented ample opportunities for the American corporation. It was a major risk on McDonalds part as India is the only country where the fast food giant does not include beef in its product, McDonalds primary raw material (Harding 2000). In conjunction with Sharma and Srinivasan, Morrison and Beck (2000) add that the costs and risks associated with doing business in India are lower because it is an economically advanced and politically stable democratic (Hill 2009, p.489) nation and it is cheaper for McDonalds to use local raw materials (Morrison and Beck 2000). Prior to its entry into India, the corporation was involved with local suppliers to ensure they were able to generate the right quality and quantity of raw materials required for production. These included potato farms in Gujarat, Trikaya Agriculture for lettuce, Dyanmix Dairy for cheese, and Vista Processed Foods for chicken and vegetables (www.mcdonaldsindia.com). McDonalds also developed a cold chain network, which keeps raw materials fresh as they are moved from the farms to the restaurants at the lowest possible costs. This unique network benefits the local farmers, while at the same time, gives customers high quality food products that are fresh and of great value (www.mcdonaldsindia.com). Goyal and Singh (2007) insist that although traditionally, Indians prefer home-cooked meals, there has been a shift in the food consumption patterns due to westernization. Indians were more receptive to international food and eating out at restaurants (Goyal and Singh 2007). According to worldwatch.org (see Goyal and Singh 2007, p.184), Indias fast food industry is growing by 40% each year. Prior to the entry of international fast food outlets, Goyal and Singh (2007) reveal that Nirulas was a popular domestic fast food provider. The British Wimpys was the first international fast food chain to enter the Indian market in 1984 and were an instant success. Except for Wimpys and later KFC, India was not home to many fast food outlets in the mid-1990s, and the McDonalds Corporation felt they could give something extra to the Indian customers (Goyal and Singh 2007). McDonalds entry into India was initially done through joint-venture companies: M.D. Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. heads up the restaurants in west and south India, while those in the north and east are managed by Connaught Plaza Restaurant Pvt. Ltd. (www.mcdonaldsindia.com). However, this is unlike Vignali (2001) and Hill (2009) who indicate that McDonalds growth and international success is attributed to using the franchising strategy (Hill 2009, p.498). McDonalds allows local firms in India to use its brand name as long as they stick to the franchising contract. They also organize the supply chain for its franchisees and provide management training and financial assistance (Hill 2009). As mentioned in the literature review, maintaining the expected quality of McDonalds products throughout its outlets in India is a challenge (Hill 2009). One way in which they handle this is by establishing a master franchisee (Hill 2009, p.498). This is where the joint venture McDonalds has established with the two local firms is crucial. The managers of the firms, who have been trained at McDonalds Hamburger University in America, head up the two master franchisee and oversee the operations in all McDonalds outlets in India (www.mcdonaldsindia.com; Hill 2009). It can be argued that the American fast food giant initially entered the Indian market through joint-ventures, but then later spread all over the country through franchises. Hill (2009) continues that, through joint ventures and franchising, McDonalds benefits from the local partners knowledge of the countrys competitive conditions, culture, and language, and the corporation is also relieved of the costs and risks of opening in the foreign market on their own; instead, the franchisee assumes all the responsibilities. By using this strategy, McDonalds was able to expand rapidly at a relatively low cost and risk (Hill 2009). IR Model McDonalds adopted the international strategy through franchising to push their core competencies in the Indian market and to customize their products and services to the local customer demands (Hill 2009). This way the corporation relies on local subsidiaries in India to stick to the regulations of running McDonalds and ensure the standardizing of its products and services (Daniels et. al. 2009). However, the Indian market is culturally diverse, so complete standardization within an international scale is impossible. Dana and Vignali (1998) argue that standardization is cheaper, but success is often a function of being able to adapt to an environment (p.50). McDonalds standardizes as much as possible to reduce costs, but they are aware of cultural differences and have adopted the concept of think global, act local (Vignali 2001, p.99). According to Hill (2009), international strategy provides the subsidiaries with some freedom, but the primary control resides with managers at the headquarters in America. Multidomestic strategy, on the other hand, allows McDonalds in India to act independently from its counterparts in America. The Indian subsidiaries are granted the authority to design, make and market new products that directly respond to the local customers preferences (Hill 2009). McDonalds does not use beef because the cow is worshipped by the local Hindu population. In fact, possession of beef could result in five years jail time (Dana and Vignali 1998). Thus, the corporation completely removed beef from all its products, as well as pork for the Muslims (Harding 2001). Instead of the ever-popular Big Macs found in the west, McDonalds in India serves Maharaja Macs made from mutton, spicy vegetarian rice patties (Morrison and Beck 2000), chicken burgers, vegetarian McAloo Tikki burgers, containing potatoes, and vegetarian pizza puffs all designed to draw in the Indian middle-class (Harding 2001; Vignali 2001). Customers in India have different preferences due to cultural and religious differences, so McDonalds is required to modify and adapt their products and services as according to the local demand. Therefore, as indicated in figure 2, McDonalds strategy is positioned between the international and multidomestic quadrant. Culture Craig, Douglas and Bennett (2009) state in their article that as that the opening on McDonalds in India is a reflection of the American culture spreading. The Indian public have mixed feelings about the companys presence in the country. Usually, the younger generation, particularly, the college-going crowd and high school students from the middle-class enjoy the new taste. However, many of them argue that McDonalds food is badexpensiveun-Indian (Harding 2001). Food ingredients are not the only things McDonalds had to modify. They learned the hard way to be aware of the religious belief and value of Hindus, Jains, Muslims and Christians in the country and adapt to each. Dana and Vignali (1998) recount an incident in the late 1990s that arose when McDonalds printed two million bags illustrating the flags of 24 competitors of a football championship. The problem was that the Saudi Arabias flag contained the religious words: There is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet (Dana and Vignali 1998, p.50). This angered the large Hindu population in the country and caused a scandal, affecting McDonalds reputation. Competition McDonalds key competitor is KFC, another American fast food giant. KFC entered the Indian market a year before McDonalds and there were problems from the start. The corporation would fatten its chicken on maize, but this was also a source of nutrition for the poor in India. They were getting less and less maize and could not even afford to eat at KFC (Dana and Vignali 1998). The Karnataka Farmers Association went on riots to demonstrate their protest and anger at the corporation, and it eventually culminated with KFC losing their permit in the southern state (Dana and Vignali 1998). KFC restaurants in India are limited and many of them have faced issues, such as unsanitary conditions (Dana and Vignali 1998, p.51).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another competitor in India for McDonalds is the British fast food chain, Wimpys (Dana 1999). They are the only international fast food conglomerate who has been in India the longest. Their growth has been slowed down over the years due to the number of international fast food chains entering India, but they frequently expand and reinvent their menus with Indian dishes to attract Indian customers (Goyal and Singh 2007). Although McDonalds has done comparatively better than KFC in India, the former faced plenty of challenges too. In the following section, recommendations are given on how McDonalds can improve their performance in subcontinent. Recommendations and Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Early 2000, McDonalds faced a lot of problems and the local population were dissatisfied with the corporations presence in the country. The problems stemmed from the corporations lack of understanding about cultural and religious beliefs in India. This shows a sign of lack of faith and lack of trust, particularly after rumours of beef fat in cooking oil used by the French McDonalds (Harding 2001) set of angry protests in India. Delhis managing director for McDonalds insists the outlets in India do not use beef extracts, but since the McDonalds empire was built on beef products, some Indians find it hard to believe that the local outlets do not use beef extracts (Harding 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is a delicate situation and a hard problem to solve when religion and cultural beliefs are involved. The best thing McDonalds can do to keep business flowing in India is by building up consumer trust in the Indian market. By establishing a strategic alliance between domestic competitors, like Nirulas, customers might be influenced into eating at McDonalds (Hill 2009). This collaboration would encourage McDonalds to develop more Indian-friendly products, like curries, that fit the tastes of the local demand, and it might present the American corporation in a more favourable light. McDonalds is a popular fast food chain found all over the world. Entering into the Indian market was a brave move and it set new challenges for the corporation due to cultural, religious and ethical differences in the country. McDonalds are still facing problems, but for the most part they have managed to attract a part of the Indian population, fascinated by this western culture. In conclusion, despite the blurring of the physical boundaries between India and America, cultural factors still affect Indian customers buying habits (Banerjee 2008) and McDonalds need to focus on gaining the trust of their local customers, or they will be unsuccessful like their fellow-American competitors, KFC. References BANERJEE, Saikat, 2008. Dimensions of Indian culture, core cultural values, and marketing implications: An analysis. Cross Cultural Management : An International Journal, 15(4), pp.367-378. DANA, Leo Paul, 1999. Nirulas small business. British Food Journal, 101(5/6), pp.500-504. DANA, Leo and VIGNALI, Claudio, 1998. Introductory cases. British Food Journal, 100(2), pp.49-57. DANIELS, John D., RADEBAUGH, Lee H., and SULLIVAN, Daniel P., 2009. International Business: Environments and Operations. 12th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. DOZ, Yves and PRAHALAD, C.K., 1984. Patterns of strategic control within multinational corporations. Journal of International Business Studies, 15(2), pp.55-72. CRAIG, Samuel C. and DOUGLAS, Susan P., 2006. Beyond national culture: implications of cultural dynamics for consumer research. International Marketing Review, 23(3), pp.322-342. CRAIG, Samuel C., DOUGLAS, Susan P., and BENNETT, Aronte, 2009. Contextual and cultural factors underlying Americanization. International Marketing Review, 26(1), pp.90-109. GOYAL, Anita and SINGH, N.P., 2007. Consumer perception about fast food in India: an exploratory study. British Food Journal, 109(2), pp.182-195. HARDING, Luke, 2000. Give me a Big Mac but hold the beef [online], available at The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2000/dec/28/globalisation.lukeharding [accessed on 1/02/2010]. HARDING, Luke, 2001. Indian McAnger [online], available at The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/may/07/globalisation.lukeharding [accessed on 1/02/2010]. HILL, Charles W. L., 2009. International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. HILL, Charles, W.L., HWANG, Peter, and KIM, Chan W., 1990. An eclectic theory of the choice of international entry mode. Strategic Management Journal, 11(2), pp.117-128. McDonalds Corporation USA, 2010. About McDonalds [online], available at http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com [accessed on 25/01/2010]. McDonalds Corporation India, 2009. About McDonalds [online], available at http://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/aboutus.html [accessed on 26/01/2010]. McDonalds Corporation, 2008. McDonalds 2008 Annual Report [online], available at www.aboutmcdonalds.com [accessed on 29/01/2010]. MORRISON, Allen and BECK, John, 2000. Taking trouble: the key to effective global attention. Strategy Leadership, 28(2), pp.26-32. SHARMA, Somesh Kumar and SRINIVASAN, R., 2008. Perceptions of foreign players for effective positioning in India. Management Decision, 46(10), pp.1465-1481. RAWWAS, Mohammad Y.A., 2001. Culture, personality and morality: A typology international consumers ethical beliefs. International Marketing Review, 18(2), pp.188-209. VIGNALI, Claudio, 2001. McDonalds: think global, act local the marketing mix. British Food Journal, 103(2), pp.97-111.

Friday, October 25, 2019

James A. Michners: TEXAS :: essays research papers

In this magnificent historical novel, James A. Michner skillfully combines fact and fiction to present one of our most expansive and diversified states. Spanning nearly four and a half centuries, Michner begins with the first Spaniards to explore parts of present day Texas, Cabeza de Vaca and Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and continues on to the emergence of Texas as one of our most powerful states. Michner’s use of historical fact is extremely accurate in his portrayal of events in Texas history. Particularly when he writes of the fight for Independence from Mexico. Michner only strays to fiction in an attempt to illustrate to the reader what the lives of early Texans must have been like. His characters interact with actual historical figures and create very believable scenarios of the events depicted in his novel. One Scenario in particular is the Battle of San Jacinto. This is a historical event which ended in a decisive victory for the Texas Army and Independence for Texas. Michner’s depiction of this battle is very accurate except for two important points. In his novel, Stephen F. Austin is sent to destroy a ferry owned by a former lover, Mattie Quimper. This was to prevent the Mexican Army, under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, from crossing the river and give more time to the Texans to prepare for the inevitable battle. This incident is fictional, but it is similar- to another factual event. At San Jacinto, General Sam Houston sent one of his men to destroy a bridge crossing the San Jacinto River. This was to prevent reinforcements from joining Santa Anna’s forces, which were already on the Island. The second point which was fictional ,but was based on an actual event, was the capture of General Santa Anna. In Michner’s novel, a bumbling Yancy Quimper, comes across a half naked Santa Anna, who was trying to evade capture by hiding in the trees. Quimper, being a coward, nearly shoots himself in the process. This alerts another fictional character, Otto MacNab. MacNab takes Santa Anna into custody and presents him to General Houston. In actuality, a Texas Army Sergeant captured Santo Anna the day following the battle. Michner includes these fictional characters as part of a sub-plot designed to keep the reader interested in what is a purely military campaign. He remains true to historical facts and only adds fiction to color his amazing storytelling abilities.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Miranda v. Arizona Essay

Early in 1963, a 17 years old woman was kidnapped and raped in Phoenix, Arizona. The police investigated the case, and soon found and arrested a poor, and mentally disturbed man. The name of this man was Ernesto Miranda. Miranda was 23 years old when he was arrested. On March 13, 1963, Miranda was arrested based on circumstantial evidence linking him to the kidnapping and the rape. After 2 police officers interrogated him for 2 hours, he signed a confession to the rape charge. The form he signed included the following statement: â€Å"I do hereby swear that I make this statement voluntarily and of my own free will, with no threats, coercion, or promises of immunity, and with full knowledge of my legal rights, understanding any statement I make may be used against me.† Miranda was not given a full and effective warning of his rights. He was not told of his right to remain silent and his right to counsel. Miranda was found guilty of kidnaping and rape and was sentenced to 20-30 years imprisonment on each count. During the prosecution, Miranda’s court-appointed lawyer, Alvin Moore, objected that because of these facts, the confession was not truly voluntary and should be excluded. In the end of 1966, The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, ruled that the prosecution could not introduce Miranda’s confession as evidence in a criminal trial because the police had failed to first informs Miranda of his right to an attorney and against self-incrimination. The Supreme Court of Arizona detailed the principles governing police interrogation. Arizona ruled that detained criminal suspects, prior to police questioning, must be informed of their constitutional right to an attorney and against self-incrimination.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Performance Management System

Contents 1. Performance management on the benefits of a company or organization. 2. Examples and behavior of Performance management. 3. Performance Management Systems 4. Human Capital and Strategic Planning 5. Recommendations Performance management on the benefits of a company or organization. Successful organizations know that to win in today’s competitive marketplace they must attract, develop, and retain a talented and productive staff.Winning organizations get their competitive edge from a performance management system that communicates the organization’s vision and values, aligns individual and team performance goals with the organization’s strategic objectives, outlines career development paths for each team member, and provides ongoing feedback for staff development. We will guide you through the development of your Competency Based Performance Management System, customizing the program to reflect the unique needs of your organization.A Senior Consultant w ill work with your leadership team to develop a model that will maximize employee input, buy-in and utilization of the new review process. Performance management system training is a process that uses your employees to their full potential, developing the talents of the existing workforce as a cost-effective way to increase the bottom line. These systematic training programs ensure the goals of your company are consistently met by each individual employee.Performance management helps evaluate each employee to see if he is in the right position, and a continued training program develops his skills to their highest level. Having a common goal among employees and management is what makes a company successful. Performance management system training teaches and develops these common goals. When you train your employees effectively, they know what is expected of them and need less monitoring. Employee morale is boosted when each employee feels she is adequately qualified for her job posit ion.Positive morale has proven to increase productivity, which ultimately means higher profits for the business. Performance management includes employee appraisals as a necessary first step. Discerning how your employees currently perform helps you determine how you would like them to perform. You can then set the goals necessary to bridge that gap. You will create a checklist of what you want to assess in each employee, establish a deadline for completing the appraisals and determine how you will go about the evaluation.Performance management is all about motivating employees to do better, so these appraisals are an opportunity for supervisor and staff to mutually agree on goals that will help them succeed. Examples and behavior of Performance management. A management system is the framework of processes and procedures used to ensure that an organization can fulfill all tasks required to achieve its objectives. For instance, an environmental management system enables organizations to improve their environmental performance through a process of continuous improvement.An oversimplification is â€Å"Plan, Do, Check, Act†. A more complete system would include accountability (an assignment of personal responsibility) and a schedule for activities to be completed, as well as auditing tools to implement corrective actions in addition to scheduled activities, creating an upward spiral of continuous improvement. Also as in the aforementioned management system, an occupational health and safety management system enables an organization to control its occupational health and safety risks and to improve its performance by means of continuous improvement.A management system is a proven framework for managing and continually improving your organization's policies, procedures and processes. The best businesses work as complete units with a shared vision. This may encompass information sharing, benchmarking, team working and working to the highest quality and environ mental principles. A management system helps your organization to achieve these goals through a number of strategies, including process optimization, management focus and disciplined management thinking. Performance Management SystemsPerformance management is a discipline that aims at promoting organizational performance by managing the human capital of an organization. The know-how, skills and capabilities that inherent and used by workers in an organization are referred to as human capital. Human capital is an integral asset of any business, company or organization and many of them have concentrated their investments of human capital. Why are organizations interested in the development management and promotion of human capital? Is human capital becoming more and more relevant to organizations?Studies have indicated that there is a huge overt and covert influence of human capital on the performance of any organization and business and there has been intensive research on human capi tal as a factor in business and organizational performance. This is why organizations are increasingly empowering their human resource departments which deal with the human capital. It has been proved by various studies that any practice that promotes or enhances human capital influences organizational performance directly by molding organizational behavior and attitudes.Human capital also creates structural and operational focal points that improve efficiency. According to most business executives, people are the most integral assets in any organization because they are the ones that make the rest of the assets to function. They have proved that investment in people often lead to improved revenue and profit margins. However the problem that arises from this assertion is that human capital as an asset is not tangible. This means that is cannot be in any way captured in financial results and statement.This puts a challenge on the business executives to empirically prove that investme nts in the human capital adds positive value to an organization that results to the growth of the organization and additional, value to the shareholders. There are some indicators that can measure the effectiveness of human capital in a business. They include the image of the organization, popularity with headhunters, experience, satisfaction and loyalty but these signals are not efficient because they do not put a real estimate on the added value to the company.In simple terms, the influence of human capital on the growth of a business is something that cannot be easily documented quantitatively. This is what challenges business executives in their attempt to claim that people are the most important asset in any business. This complicates their quest for the organizations to allow more funding to enhance and promote the human capital they claim is the most integral asset. The human resource management departments in organizations in Australia have realized that human capital needs additional support for the organizations to grow in terms of market share, competitive advantage and revenue base.The emphasis on human capital by businesses and organizations in Australia is based not only on conventional ideals of human capital but also on the contemporary knowledge and information based world of organizations. in a society which is becoming revolutionized by technology, the concept of human capital cannot remain static. For businesses to remain competitive and productive in this digital age, the workforce must therefore be equipped with the relevant skills to keep them at par with the dynamics of technology.This will ensure that things to do with on job training must be emphasized. Additional financial capital needs to be channeled towards the human resource departments to facilitate the training of the workforce. Human Capital and Strategic Planning Strategic decision making must precede the HR functions of the organizations because it is the strategic decisions made that will determine how the strategic functions will be carried out. An organization must therefore identify its missions and visions which must be articulated to all the shareholders.Clear visions and missions are very fundamental for the development of HR strategies because they have to be relevant with the literacy levels and the competencies of the employees who will have to face the challenge of delivering it. One of the problems faced by organizations is the development of unrealistic strategic plans that completely destabilize the HR functions. This is because at times there is absence of leadership competence that does not understand that there is an umbilical cord that connects the strategies with their relevance to the people who will be supposed to execute it.This is why the HR department must also be part of the strategic decision making process and the best way of helping in the making of the strategic decisions is by using its competencies model where the compete ncies of the already existing employees are factored in such that while most of the visions and missions being planned will be planned around the competencies and the creativity levels of the existing employees.This will minimize the need to make a complete overhaul or a reengineering that would be occasioned by strategic decisions that do not factor in the competencies of the employees. Where the strategic decisions go beyond the competencies of the existing HR, external recruitment would be the most appropriate HR function otherwise, internal promotions based on competencies and performance would be the most viable option as long as the competencies and the performance of the existing HR is factored in during the strategic decision making process (Bradford, 2000).The strategic plans can be easily realized using a HR team that is already acquainted with the practices of the organization meaning that the internal promotions would be the most viable HR practice especially when recrui ting for middle level and top management positions. The use of the correct HR practices will enable an organization to adopt a holistic approach that will enable it to capitalize on the competitive market trends avoiding internal divisions and personal agendas that end up blocking the path to the realization of the strategic plans.Recommendations There are a few recommendations that will made that will help in the improvement of performance management systems 1. Firms should invest more in human capital because it is the single most important economic resource of any organization 2. The human capital should be availed with the necessary resources for them to be able to give firms a competitive advantage 3.Human capital should be included in the strategic decisions of a firm because they are the ones who will work on the strategies 4. A collective culture in should be enhanced in firms in order to give the human capital the correct working environment 5. There should be management an d leadership styles that support and motivate the human capital to enhance its performance

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Marx and Capitalism essays

Marx and Capitalism essays Karl Marx is the most controversial economist in history. His writings are studied and debated. He is frequently linked with communism and that association has biased many people against him. Marxs link to communism were formed because many of the socialist dictators such as Lenin studied Marx intensively, however it is erroneous to assume that Marx was a proponent of communism. He was however a critic of capitalism. He studied capitalism extensively and much of his writings focus on the problems with capitalism and specifically on the exploitation of the worker. By examining the origination of capitalism and the Marxist critique of capitalism, we can gain a better understanding of Marxs viewpoints and separate Marxs views from many of the misunderstandings surrounding Marx. Marx spent a great deal of time examining the conversion of the feudal society to a capitalist society. Before the conversion to capitalism took place, England experienced an industrial revolution. This revolution took place from the 10th to the 14th centuries. Around this time, the Plaque that wreaked havoc on England and wiped out nearly half of its population was over. After the Plague ended, many people inherited a lot of wealth and spending on extravagant items became very common. Additionally, it was during this time that technological advances moved industry forward. The invention of the loom made it possible to create linens rapidly and inexpensively and Englands textile industry flourished. Soon after that came the invention of the printing press, which changed allowed for the efficient transfer of information. It was no longer necessary to learn how to do things directly through human contact. This spread of information made it possible for the people of England to organi ze themselves and to expand their knowledge in different areas of industry. During the 16th and 17th centuries England experienced a turning point in its eco...

Monday, October 21, 2019

PAPER WRITING SERVICE

PAPER WRITING SERVICE Paper writing service has become extremely popular as a large number of people is coming back to school in order to receive their degree and have better lives they want. The paper writing service if created in order to help all people who are short of time or not being able to write the assignments they are being given at school. The writers who work at out paper writing service do have over 5-7 years of experience and this is pretty important to all of us. College paper writing may at times be very demanding as the writing assignments are constantly growing. Paper writing services are available to you 24/7. If there any questions, ask customer service to address them and the representative will be able to help you at once. Another important factor is the time. It means that not all people do have enough time for paper writing as there are other important responsibilities like having families and jobs. When you don’t have enough time to finish up your paper, you can ask for additional help from qualified paper writing services and they will be able to do a good job for you.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Analyzing The Origin Of The Taliban, A Political Outfit Of The Sunni Islamic Extremists

Analyzing The Origin Of The Taliban, A Political Outfit Of The Sunni Islamic Extremists Terrorism is an incredibly hard word to define. Due to its largely elusive nature, the definition of terrorism is constantly evolving and changing over time, as are the forms and methods it manifests itself in. The dictionary definition of terrorism is â€Å"the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. This definition is by no means inaccurate, and encompasses the intrinsic characteristics of terrorism. I believe, however, that this definition excludes important facets of terrorism as we know it today, such as the use of fear and terror as a mechanism to achieve its goals. In addition to this, I think that the dictionary definition neglects to mention that terrorism often focuses on the pursuit of radical religious and social reforms, not solely political aims. I would define terrorism as: The use of violence and coercion by a unified group in order to instill fear and terror amongst its victims so that they are forced into submission, allowing the group in question to achieve its radical, political, religious, and/or social aims. Today I am choosing to write about The Taliban, an organization of great notoriety and infamy. An extremist offshoot of the Mujahedeen, guerilla warriors that primarily opposed the Soviets during the Soviet- Afghan war, The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist. The Taliban were founded on October 10th 1995 in Afghanistan. Due to the extreme political and social turmoil the country was experiencing at the time, the Taliban were able to rise to power quickly and efficiently. Afghanistan had never been able to establish more than a puppet government after the Soviets withdrew from their country, aiding the Taliban further in their near effortless rise to power. Afghanistan had once been ruled by a constitutional monarchy, and under this government the country had been stable and prosperous. Afghanistan had been making great strides towards modernization since its founding in 1926, and economic prosperity within the country allowed many to thrive. In 1973, however, Afghanistan’s king, Zahir Khan, was overthrown in a coup d’etat by his cousin Daoud Khan. The coup was performed in retaliation to the King’s new agenda which prevented relatives of the King from holding cabinet positions, and former King Zahir Khan, who had been in Italy receiving surgery at the time of the coup, was exiled there. Afghani citizens assumed that Daoud Khan would name himself the new king of Afghanistan, but instead he appointed himself as president of the republic he was to establish. Daoud ruled until 1978 as a centrist, moderate president, but was overthrown by a left-wing, communist militant group. The democracy was destroyed and the power was then spilt into 2 communist parties that ruled over the tumultuous country. The new government was wildly unpopular amongst Afghan citizens, but forged close ties with the Soviet Union, at that time the largest communist power in the world. The communist parties, with the support of the USSR, implemented extensive social reforms, and prevented all efforts of domestic opposition through violence. 27,000 political prisoners were executed during this reign. The communist rule was bitterly resented by the devoutly Muslim and largely anticommunist population. Despite government efforts to suppress any form of retaliation, a group of guerilla warriors colloquially known as â€Å"holy warriors† or â€Å"freedom fighters† began opposing the communist regime. Formally known as The Mujahedeen, this militant group gained the support and funding of the United States due to their ardent opposition to the communist regime that had taken over the country. Largely due to American support, the USSR soon recognized the Mujahedeen as a forceful threat to the communist presence in Afghanistan. Subsequently, Afghanistan was invaded in December 1979 by the Soviet 40th Army to support the communists and oppose the Mujahedeen. The Afghan communist faction was appointed a Soviet leader to oversee their actions, and the faction quickly grew to over 100,000 soldiers. Soviet forces tried to quell efforts of the Mujahedeen through bombings, executions and the torture of prisoners, but these methods only angered the population and fueled the resista nce. In a world torn by the Red Scare, The Mujahedeen gained the support of many anti-communist world powers in their fight against the communist superpower that was the USSR. Their guerilla tactics ultimately forced the Soviets out of Afghanistan, and the soviets withdrew after 9 years in Afghanistan. The Mujahedeen, however, was never successful in establishing a functional government, and 7 years later in 1996, the Taliban took over. The Taliban acted as the official government of Afghanistan from 1996-2001, when the American military in conjunction with Afghan opposition forces ousted them as a governmental force, and the Taliban became an insurgent force within the region. The Taliban formed their ideology as a radical and fundamentalist combination of Islamic law and Pashtun tribal codes. Under this extremist interpretation, the Taliban outlawed many practiced and activities formerly considered lawful and routine to Islam life, such pork, almost all forms of consumer technology, female sport, alcohol, kite-flying, television, music, internet, and art forms such as paintings or photography. In addition to these parameters, men were also forbidden from shaving facial hair and required to wear a head covering, and were subjected to beatings if they did not abide by this requirement. Afghan sports stadiums became routine venues for public executions and punishments. Girls were forbidden from going to school and women were forbidden from working outside of their houses. In addition to this, women ran the risk of being beaten or killed if they left their house without being accompanied by a male relative, or having their finger cut off if it’s nail w as decorated with nail polish. Because of their combined Islam and Pashtun ideologies, many practices of the Qu’ran were violated under Taliban rule, resulting in widespread religious disapproval. The Taliban have been extremely successful in achieving their goals in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Their presence and influence have dominated civilian lifestyle and national government to an extreme extent. So extreme, that they have faced large opposition and intervention from western forces such as the United States military. Following the Taliban’s attacks on US soil on September 11th, 2001, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties with the Taliban, which had formerly been recognized as a legitimate government in these countries. The Taliban also offered asylum and support to the even more extremist offshoot group, al-Qaeda, and their leader Osama bin Laden, who had fought in the Mujahedeen and provided financial support to the Taliban. The Security Council of the United Nations intervened in this relationship in 1999, when they demanded that the Taliban hand over bin Laden for trial and cease their support for terrorism. The Taliban, however, did not re spond to this international cry for justice, but instead continued terrorist activities, primarily in Afghanistan, and refused to hand over Bin Laden. Today, the Taliban is ruled by Mullah Akhtar Mansour, and is a largely Pashtun (as opposed to Hazara, the other ethnic group of Afghanistan) movement. They operate prominently in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but their influence and presence is widespread across the Middle East. The Taliban still exist as a magnum force in many Middle Eastern countries. Although Bin Laden was assassinated by US forces, the organization is still in action. Currently, however, the Taliban is facing not only opposition from the vast majority of the western world, but also from the relatively new terrorist group, ISIS, which has risen to great prominence in recent years.

Friday, October 18, 2019

See the attachment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

See the attachment - Coursework Example It is the objective of this essay to proffer a strategy assessment of DHL Company, as a global organization, with the specific aims of addressing the following concerns: (1) an identification of the organization’s companywide strategy; (2) a determination of the specific aspect of the strategy being focused on; (3) the competitive advantages of DHL; (4) the competitive strategies employed; and (5) an exploration of any identified issues on global management. The analysis of the organization would be used analytical tools such as SWOT and PESTLE analysis for a more comprehensive illustration of its competitive advantage on a global scale. The management report is designed to proffer an assessment of the global strategy of DHL to be â€Å"The Logistics Company for the World† (DHL: Corporate Portrait, 2010) where focus would be on logistics and mail. The specific strategies to support the attainment of the global strategy would focus on improving customer orientation, a concentration on the digital and physical solutions in the dialog marketing, providing a more secure electronic communications system, improving employee involvement and commitment, promoting communications through cross-divisional experience and enhancing leadership culture through improving the incentive scheme. Particularly, DHL envisioned an expansion through â€Å"its airfreight operations in Asia in a move linked to the inauguration of its expanded central Asia hub in Hong Kong and the launch of its north Asia hub in Shanghai† (Wallis, 2008, p. 38). By identifying and enumerating the organization’s internal resources and the factors that influence its external environment through both SWOT and PESTLE analyses, the report would clearly indicate the viability of the global strategy to sustain leadership in the logistics industry. DHL Company boasts of being â€Å"an express shipping multinational company operating in

Ten Things I Hate About You Film Review Coursework

Ten Things I Hate About You Film Review - Coursework Example Although I am not much into teen movies and stumbled on this one due to entirely unforeseen circumstances, I was surprised to see a non-irritating teen movie. Kat (Julia Stiles future agent Parson in Bourne Identity) and Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) are sisters but despite their blood relation, their personalities are exact polar opposites. Bianca, the younger is one of those cheesy teenage girls in the college that are just too popular for their own good. On the other hand Kat (as in Shakespeare’s Kate), the older one, is one of those tomboyish girls in the college who are Emo enough to hate everything but still have a soft yet unseen desire in their hearts." Kat and Bianca's father, Walter (standup comedian Larry Miller), has a rule that in order to for Bianca to date someone her older sister Kat has to get a date first. As night of the prom party approaches Bianca finds herself being the object of affection of two boys, Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan) and a typically Hollywood style shy and kind guy ( a species that don’t really exist in real life) Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt – future Arthur in Inception!). As an unwilling duo (e.g. Pak and USA), Joey and Cameron select a prospective candidate for Kat: Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger future Joker in The Dark Knight), the local bad boy. They conjecture that (however unlikely it might seem) that of they could pay Patrick to hook up with Kat then one of them can then date Bianca.

Richard Branson Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Richard Branson - Research Paper Example to reduce risk in their business choices. There are also leaders who do not follow existing leadership practices; rather, they develop their own leadership style avoiding to be influenced by the traditional perceptions on leader’s role. Such case is Richard Branson, the founder and Chairman of Virgin Group. Since the establishment of his first enterprise, the Virgin Records in 1972, Richard Branson has been made popular for his style of leadership, which is considered to be unique. The aspects of the leadership style of Richard Branson are analyzed below. It is made clear that the success of Virgin Group is not related only to the carefully planned strategies on which its activities are based but mainly to the leadership style of Richard Branson. The management practices of Richard Branson have become a valuable example for leaders worldwide; in fact, it is primarily the entrance of Richard Branson in the business sector that has proved his capabilities and skills as a charism atic leader. In his first involvement in business activities, Richard Branson did not show signs of a strong willingness for success; maybe it was exactly this fact that led to his differentiation from other entrepreneurs worldwide who focus only on the profit. Even now, Richard Branson supports that there are many values and interests in life and the achievement of profits should not be a priority (Dearlove 2010). The entrance of Richard Branson in the business sector can be identified in 1971 – when the first Virgin Record store was established in order to respond to the relevant needs of students (Murray, Poole and Jones 167) – before this initiative Richard Branson has been involved in the publication of ‘a magazine for students’ (Murray, Poole and Jones 167). Because at that period the trends of the market regarding the buying of records were rather negative, Richard Branson introduced certain strategies aiming to attract the attention of young people ; free coffee and extremely friendly environment were the two main parts of Branson’s strategy in order to attract customers (Murray, Poole and Jones 167). The above strategies had positive results; indeed, the company managed to achieve an important growth proving Branson’s capabilities to establish a successful enterprise in a market sector, which was underdeveloped. One of the most important characteristics of Richard Branson as a leader is his ability to handle crises. This fact was revealed in the crash of one of the firm’s highspeed trains in Northern England, in 2007 (Reuters, February 24, 2007). The investigation developed by the local authorities revealed that Virgin could not be held responsible for the crash since the accident was caused because of a faulty track (Reuters, 2007). During the period that the case was under examination, Richard Branson had to face a strong criticism regarding the measures taken for the safety of Virgin trains. This issue is analyzed in the study of Regester & Larkin (2008); reference is made to the exceptional ability of Richard Branson to cover all issues highlighted by the journalists; in fact, the day of the crash Richard Branson was in holidays and he returned immediately in order to check the situation closely. The media welcomed the specific initiative noting that ‘even the chief executives avoid being involved personally in cases of crises’

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Legal Rights Afforded to the Accused Research Paper

Legal Rights Afforded to the Accused - Research Paper Example Miranda rights apply to custodial interrogations and since John is held in police custody he qualifies for these rights (Roberson, Wallace and Stuckey, 2007). Ideally, John is an illegal immigrant and as such is expected to face the due process of the law and similar protection provided in the constitution like other United States (US) citizens. He should therefore be accorded help if unable to communicate in native language by being given a translator. If the police officers fail to advise John of the fundamental rights provided in the constitution, any statements made by John may therefore be suppressed if challenged in a court of law meaning that such incriminating statements may not be used against John during his trial. Some procedural steps that must be taken include booking John for the crimes he has been arrested for. His personal belonging are then taken, photographs and fingerprints taken in order to confirm his identity and establish if there are other warrants of arrests issued before (Kempinen, 2006). John should then be arraigned in court before a judge and at this point the judge will decide if there was a need for the arrest. During the arraignment, a judge also decides the amount of bail or if the suspect would be released on recognizance. Nevertheless, considering that John is not a citizen, the immigration department should put him on hold meaning that even if a bail is allowed, he would not be freed without posting an immigration bond. The immigration will then wait from his case to complete and then commence deportation proceedings against John. Preliminary hearing is mainly used to assess adequacy of evidence against a suspect in order to make a decision whether to go to a full trial. On the other hand, a grand jury is where a group of citizens listen to evidence presented to determine if a full trial should commence. Both preliminary and grand jury allows evidence which gives the prosecutor enough evidence to charge the

Republicans and Democrats the U.S. deficit Research Paper

Republicans and Democrats the U.S. deficit - Research Paper Example Republicans on the other hand advocated for â€Å"sound finance† and decreasing taxes but also realized that there should be some form of deficit to support government programs in progress (Colander & Matthews, 59). The republican sound finance perspective is based on the economic view that if taxes are cut, there is an incentive to work harder, save and thus revenues are increased (Miroff, Siedelman, Swanstrom, & Deluca, 397). Therefore in addressing the growing national deficit, the Republican Party advocates for government spending habits to be curtailed, and also to amend tax legislation with a view to creating jobs and increasing salaries, reform Medicare and national security, and for the reformation of welfare programs (GOP.gov.com). The Democratic Party takes the position that the wealthy should be compelled to pay higher taxes, so that the government can fund programs meant to strengthen the middle and lower classes (Moving America Forward, 2012 Democratic National Pl atform). This paper evaluates how democrats and republicans propose to handle the current U.S. deficit and will determine which approach has more merit. During the 2012 Presidential elections, the Republican Party’s Presidential candidate Mitt Romney revealed a plan for dealing with the US deficit. The plan involved an eight-year program in which the federal budget would be balanced (Sahadi). The plan also included a promise that taxes would not be increased and at the same time, retiring Americans would be protected and more would be spent on defense (Rubin). This plan would obviously mean that other government programs would necessarily have to be cut. According to Rubin, we are at least assured by Romney that social security would not be subjected to cuts. However, other government programs could be vulnerable and this would include housing assistance, national parks, food stamps, and any other number of government programs. Wyler provides the details of the plans Romney h ad for the Republican Party’s approach to the U.S. deficit. To begin with, Romney planned to decrease income taxes by 20%. These income tax decreases would affect all Americans regardless of income status (Wyler). This of course is nothing new for the Republican Party. In 2001 and 2003, former republican president Bush introduced two successive tax cuts across the board which were primarily beneficial to the wealthy (Bartels). For the most part Americans are receptive to tax cuts because they are singly focused on their own â€Å"tax burdens† (Bartels, 15). The reality however was that 36% of the tax cuts would benefit the â€Å"richest 1 percent of Americans – a share almost identical to that received by the bottom 80 percent† (Hacker & Pierson, 33). It was estimated at the time that within 10 years, the income tax reductions would cost the U.S. $2.1 trillion in revenue (Hacker & Pierson). Middle and lower class Americans were sold on the tax reductions because in less than a month after the initial reductions, taxpayers were receiving rebate checks for at least $600 (Hacker & Pierson). This was one way of passing a policy that would primarily benefit the wealthy and yet

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Richard Branson Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Richard Branson - Research Paper Example to reduce risk in their business choices. There are also leaders who do not follow existing leadership practices; rather, they develop their own leadership style avoiding to be influenced by the traditional perceptions on leader’s role. Such case is Richard Branson, the founder and Chairman of Virgin Group. Since the establishment of his first enterprise, the Virgin Records in 1972, Richard Branson has been made popular for his style of leadership, which is considered to be unique. The aspects of the leadership style of Richard Branson are analyzed below. It is made clear that the success of Virgin Group is not related only to the carefully planned strategies on which its activities are based but mainly to the leadership style of Richard Branson. The management practices of Richard Branson have become a valuable example for leaders worldwide; in fact, it is primarily the entrance of Richard Branson in the business sector that has proved his capabilities and skills as a charism atic leader. In his first involvement in business activities, Richard Branson did not show signs of a strong willingness for success; maybe it was exactly this fact that led to his differentiation from other entrepreneurs worldwide who focus only on the profit. Even now, Richard Branson supports that there are many values and interests in life and the achievement of profits should not be a priority (Dearlove 2010). The entrance of Richard Branson in the business sector can be identified in 1971 – when the first Virgin Record store was established in order to respond to the relevant needs of students (Murray, Poole and Jones 167) – before this initiative Richard Branson has been involved in the publication of ‘a magazine for students’ (Murray, Poole and Jones 167). Because at that period the trends of the market regarding the buying of records were rather negative, Richard Branson introduced certain strategies aiming to attract the attention of young people ; free coffee and extremely friendly environment were the two main parts of Branson’s strategy in order to attract customers (Murray, Poole and Jones 167). The above strategies had positive results; indeed, the company managed to achieve an important growth proving Branson’s capabilities to establish a successful enterprise in a market sector, which was underdeveloped. One of the most important characteristics of Richard Branson as a leader is his ability to handle crises. This fact was revealed in the crash of one of the firm’s highspeed trains in Northern England, in 2007 (Reuters, February 24, 2007). The investigation developed by the local authorities revealed that Virgin could not be held responsible for the crash since the accident was caused because of a faulty track (Reuters, 2007). During the period that the case was under examination, Richard Branson had to face a strong criticism regarding the measures taken for the safety of Virgin trains. This issue is analyzed in the study of Regester & Larkin (2008); reference is made to the exceptional ability of Richard Branson to cover all issues highlighted by the journalists; in fact, the day of the crash Richard Branson was in holidays and he returned immediately in order to check the situation closely. The media welcomed the specific initiative noting that ‘even the chief executives avoid being involved personally in cases of crises’

Republicans and Democrats the U.S. deficit Research Paper

Republicans and Democrats the U.S. deficit - Research Paper Example Republicans on the other hand advocated for â€Å"sound finance† and decreasing taxes but also realized that there should be some form of deficit to support government programs in progress (Colander & Matthews, 59). The republican sound finance perspective is based on the economic view that if taxes are cut, there is an incentive to work harder, save and thus revenues are increased (Miroff, Siedelman, Swanstrom, & Deluca, 397). Therefore in addressing the growing national deficit, the Republican Party advocates for government spending habits to be curtailed, and also to amend tax legislation with a view to creating jobs and increasing salaries, reform Medicare and national security, and for the reformation of welfare programs (GOP.gov.com). The Democratic Party takes the position that the wealthy should be compelled to pay higher taxes, so that the government can fund programs meant to strengthen the middle and lower classes (Moving America Forward, 2012 Democratic National Pl atform). This paper evaluates how democrats and republicans propose to handle the current U.S. deficit and will determine which approach has more merit. During the 2012 Presidential elections, the Republican Party’s Presidential candidate Mitt Romney revealed a plan for dealing with the US deficit. The plan involved an eight-year program in which the federal budget would be balanced (Sahadi). The plan also included a promise that taxes would not be increased and at the same time, retiring Americans would be protected and more would be spent on defense (Rubin). This plan would obviously mean that other government programs would necessarily have to be cut. According to Rubin, we are at least assured by Romney that social security would not be subjected to cuts. However, other government programs could be vulnerable and this would include housing assistance, national parks, food stamps, and any other number of government programs. Wyler provides the details of the plans Romney h ad for the Republican Party’s approach to the U.S. deficit. To begin with, Romney planned to decrease income taxes by 20%. These income tax decreases would affect all Americans regardless of income status (Wyler). This of course is nothing new for the Republican Party. In 2001 and 2003, former republican president Bush introduced two successive tax cuts across the board which were primarily beneficial to the wealthy (Bartels). For the most part Americans are receptive to tax cuts because they are singly focused on their own â€Å"tax burdens† (Bartels, 15). The reality however was that 36% of the tax cuts would benefit the â€Å"richest 1 percent of Americans – a share almost identical to that received by the bottom 80 percent† (Hacker & Pierson, 33). It was estimated at the time that within 10 years, the income tax reductions would cost the U.S. $2.1 trillion in revenue (Hacker & Pierson). Middle and lower class Americans were sold on the tax reductions because in less than a month after the initial reductions, taxpayers were receiving rebate checks for at least $600 (Hacker & Pierson). This was one way of passing a policy that would primarily benefit the wealthy and yet

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Son of Satan Essay Example for Free

Son of Satan Essay Three kids were sitting in a backyard. The sun was shining, they were young. Two of them were 12 years old, Hass and Morgan. The youngest one, who’s also the narrator and the main character, was 11. They sat there, smoked cigarettes, and talked about an important situation. The main character claimed that he had heard from Simpson, a contemporary who they apparently didn’t like, that he had been fucking a girl under the main character’s house. The three friends was certainly not satisfied, and decided to ‘take care of him’. And so they did: They walked down to Simpson’s house, and started accusing him for lying about having sex. What started out being just swearing, soon turned into harsh violence. The three boys, who didn’t have in mind to let Simpson escape unharmed, ordered him back to the backyard of our main character. By kangaroo court they judged him guilty, under charge of the main character, whose name still remained unknown. They decided, even though Simpson was already suffering both physically and psychologically, that he should be hung until death occurred. And they hung him. The three boys ran away and split up. Then our main character realized what he had been a part of. He ran back to the yard, released Simpson who was near death, suffering hard from the dramatic treatments, and the rope around his neck. Our main character pulled himself together, and took a long walk where he wondered about what he’d done. When he got home, he’s father was awaiting him, and told him to go to his room. He claims that the main character isn’t his son, but â€Å"son of Satan†, after what he had done. A fight broke loose, and Son of Satan hid under his bed. He bit his own father hard in he’s hand, and the farther promised that Son of Satan would get ‘what he asked for’!

Monday, October 14, 2019

Definition of International Human Resource Management (IHRM)

Definition of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) International Human Resource Management includes the firms work systems and its employment practices. It embraces both individual and collective aspects of people management. It is not restricted to any one style or ideology. It engages the energies of both line and specialist managers (where the latter exists) and typically entails a range of messages for a variety of workforce groups. (Boxhall, P. and Purcell, J. 2008). HRM responsibilities include: Recruitment and selection Training and development Human resource planning Assessing performance of employees Payment and reward systems Initiatives to align employee developments to corporate strategies. International Human Resource Management (IHRM) Boxall, P. (1992) defined International Human Resource Management (IHRM) as concerned with the human resource problems of multinational firms in foreign subsidiaries (such as expatriate management) or more broadly, with the unfolding HRM issues that are associated with the various stages of the internationalisation process. (Boxhall, P. 1992). Mark Mendenhall (2000) sought to be more specific by outlining a number of criteria relevant to a definition of IHRM: IHRM is concerned with HRM issues that cross national boundaries or are conducted in locations other than the home country headquarters. IHRM is concerned with the relationships between the HRM activities of organisations and the foreign environments in which the organisations operate. IHRM includes comparative HRM studies; e.g. differences in how companies in Japan, Thailand, Austria and Switzerland plan for upgrading of employee skills and so on. What IHRM is not IHRM does not include studies that are focused on issues outside the traditional activities inherent in the HRM function. E.g. leadership style is not IHRM, unless specifically linked to an HRM function; developing a selection programme to measure and select global leaders would arguably lie within the domain of organisational behaviour. IHRM does not include studies of HRM activities in single countries. E.g. a study of personnel selection practices in Saudi Arabia, whether undertaken by an English, German or Canadian researcher, is still a study about domestic HRM in Saudi Arabia. Though such studies may have interest to those who work in international HRM issues, they are essentially examples of domestic HRM research. IHRM approaches Ethnocentric: key positions filled by nationals of parent company Polycentric: host country nationals recruited to manage subsidiary in their own country Geocentric: best people recruited, whatever their nationality Regiocentric: best people recruited within region in which the subsidiary operates (e.g. EU, USA). IHRM solutions Choice of IHRM approach depends upon: Degree and type of internationalisation Type of industry and markets served Characteristics of staff Cultural preferences. Advantages and disadvantages of a decentralised approach to IHRM Advantages Groups within the subsidiary can gain in status Groups within the subsidiary become more cohesive, fostering group identity IHRM takes place within a culture appropriate to the local workforce and customers Disadvantages Tendency to become exclusive Loss of central control, higher administrative costs as HRM function is sent down the line Loss of organisational control and organisational identity Work and Islamic culture Latifi (1997) identified the following work-related values of Islamic culture: Equality before God Individual responsibility within a framework of cooperation with others A view that people in positions of power should treat subordinates kindly, as if their subordinates are brothers or sisters Fatalism, but also a recognition of personal choice Encouragement of consultation at all levels of decision-making, from family to the wider community. IHRM and training and development Training and development increases in complexity as MNEs move abroad. Types of training and development depends on a number of factors: The degree to which management is centralised. The types of workers employed in subsidiaries or joint ventures. The importance of branding, and the extent to which employees are expected to reflect the brand. The cultural expectations of training. In a global company, the training may well be centralised so that suppliers, employees and distributors are aware of the brand image that needs to be communicated. E.g. in Ford training programmes are set up centrally, and then translated and delivered to all main suppliers, subsidiaries and distributors. If, however, a more polycentric approach is taken, then the training may well be far more local, and more in line with the local culture Cross-cultural awareness Support provided for employees moving to overseas subsidiaries: Environmental briefings Cultural orientation Cultural assimilation Language training Sensitivity training Field experience. IHRM and reward strategies To design an appropriate reward strategy for employees taking up an international position, may require a number of factors to be considered, including: A knowledge of the laws, customs, environment, and employment practices of the foreign countries. Familiarity with currency relationships and the effect of inflation on compensation. An understanding of the allowances appropriate to particular countries, etc. For example, awareness of employment related legislation in the country of operation is vital to an appropriate international reward structure. India has as many as 45 labour laws at national level and close to four times that at the level of state governments (Kaushik 2006). The main method of drawing up a compensation package is known as the balance sheet approach. This approach is, according to Reynolds (1986): a system designed to equalise the purchasing power of employees at comparable position levels living overseas and in the home country, and to provide incentives to offset qualitative differences between assignment locations. IHRM and Balance Sheet reward strategy In order to achieve balance in reward structure, the organisation must take into account: Income taxes incurred in both home and host country Housing allowances (which might range from financial assistance to employees to providing company housing) Cost-of-living allowances (to adjust differences between home and abroad) Contributions to savings, pension schemes, etc. while abroad Relocation allowances (including the moving, shipping and storage of personal and household items and temporary living expenses) Education allowances for expatriates children (e.g. language tuition and enrollment fees in the host country or boarding school fees in the home country) Medical, emergency and security cover. Appraisal Identifies individuals strengths and weaknesses Reveals organisational obstacles blocking progress Provides feedback to improve human resource planning Improves communication. Cultural variations: performance appraisals Dimension general USA low context Saudi Arabia high context Japan high context Objective of performance appraisal Fairness, employee development Placement Direction of company/employee development Who does appraisal? Supervisor Manager several levels up. Appraiser has to know employee well Mentor and supervisor. Appraiser has to know employee well Authority of appraiser Presumed in supervisory role or position. Supervisor takes slight lead Reputation important (prestige is determined by nationality, sex, family, tribe, title, education). Authority of appraiser important Respect accorded by employee to supervisor or appraiser. Done co-equally How often? Once a year Once a year Developmental or periodically once a month. Evaluation appraisal after first 12 years

Sunday, October 13, 2019

AXI Case Study :: essays research papers

Income Disparities of women in the Workplace The existence of male-female income and gender discrimination in the workplace has been noted in countless countries. Over the past few decades, laws barring discrimination in education and employment have helped give workingwomen many opportunities that our mothers never had. Because of these opportunities, women began working in many different fields, each requiring different skills and experience with different pay wages. Although these opportunities has opened many doors for working women all over the world, the doors for pay discrimination still remains tightly shut for women in the workplace. While significant progress has been attained in furthering gender discrimination between men and women in the workplace, countries such as the United Stated and Japan still seems to be reluctant, to grant true income equality in towards women compared to their male counterparts. Thirty years ago women earned just over half the pay of their male counterparts. This was supposed to be resolved with the passage of the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963. Under this act, employers must pay women the same as men for work that is "substantially equal." Additionally, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which covers employers with 15 or more workers, prohibits pay differences based on gender and bars discrimination against women in hiring, promotion, training, discipline and other job aspects . Despite the existence of such laws, unfortunately workingwomen continue to earn less than men. It's extremely obvious that women have come a long way in the labor force ever since the 19th century. At present time, women account for nearly half the nation's workforce, but due to pay discrimination there has been a wage gap that does not seem to close between men and women. For instance, the typical workingwomen in Japan earns 63 percent of the average man’s pay . While in the United States, the average American woman earns about 74 cents for every dollar the average man earns . In comparing these figures, Japanese women are at even more of a disadvantage in the workplace than their peers in the United States. As stated above, laws have been in placed for years that strictly prohibit any type of discrimination in the workplace. So why does the wage disparity persist? In Japan, it is because of traditional expectations that women marry young and devote themselves to child rearing. This factor is always usually the case with Japanese women, however number of women who continue careers after marriage is growing, but companies have been slow to accommodate their needs for child care or maternity leave .

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Culture Dominated by Males in Literature Essay -- Literary Analysis

How is the protagonist’s relationship with his/her mother the source of their alienation? ‘All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother’ -Abraham Lincoln.’1 Alienation: a withdrawing or separation of a person, or a person’s affections from an object or position of former attachment2. Alienation is a key theme present in Woman at Point Zero3 and The Metamorphosis4 by Nawaal El Saadawi and Franz Kafka respectively which is accentuated by both authors to describe what the protagonists go through. With the use of diction, imagery, contrast and symbolism, it is seen how the absence of mother in the protagonist’s life in the two books contributes greatly to their alienation. Gregor Samsa, from The Metamorphosis was the sole bread earner of his family, and was brought up in a society where men took charge. When he undergoes his metamorphosis, he cannot stand the fact that his family has to work and he ‘toyed with the idea that next time the door was opened, he would take the family’s affairs in hand’ (111). These thoughts suggest how much Gregor disliked the fact that ‘his mother had to do the cooking’ (96). The connotation of the word ‘toyed’ creates an image of how Mrs. Samsa was unable to act. Gregor’s desire for domination at this point in the novel begins to emerge, as he searches for his new place in the family, which symbolizes his attitude as he is executed from his bread earning position. However, at this point Gregor is unable to do anything and is left contemplating about it. Nawaal El Saadawi shows us how Firdaus, from Woman At Point Zero never shared a normal relationship with her mother in the little time that she lived with her. Firdaus first notices her mother’s disregard when she trie... ... from their mothers decreases as the novel goes on. It is ironic that a figure such as that of a mother who is supposed to shower her children with abundant love under all circumstances shuns away from her children when they need her the most. Nawaal El Saadawi and Franz Kafka portray their characters as people who share unusual bonds with their mothers and how this contributes greatly to their progressing alienation throughout the book. WORKS CITED: 1. "Mom Quotations - Quotations." BellaOnline -- The Voice of Women. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art9484.asp 2. Webster’s All-In-One Dictionary and Thesaurus, 2008 Edition. Print 3. SaÊ »dÄ wÄ «, NawÄ l. Woman at Point Zero. London: Zed, 1983. Print 4. Kafka, Franz, and Malcolm Pasley. Metamorphosis and Other Stories: Works Published during Kafka's Lifetime. London: Penguin, 2000. Print

Friday, October 11, 2019

Enrollment forecasting methodology

Virtually, forecasting plays everywhere a major role in human life, especially in making future decisions such as weather forecasting, university enrollment, production, sales and finance, etc. Based on these forecasting results, we can prevent damages to occur or get benefits from the forecasting activities.Up to now, many qualitative and quantitative forecasting models were proposed. However, these models are unable to deal with problems in which historical data take form of linguistic constructs instead of numerical values. In recent years, many methods have been proposed to deal with forecasting problems using fuzzy time series. In this paper, we present a new method to predict the calendar day for average Arabian Gulf Oil Company using fuzzy time series approach based on average lengths of intervals. A visual-based programming is used in the implementation of the proposed model.Results obtained demonstrate that the proposed forecasting model can forecast the data effectively and efficiently Keywords: Fuzzy time series, Forecasting, Fuzzy sets, Average-based lengthl . Forecasting the size of any phenomenon in future is important and helpful for understanding behavior of phenomenon along time. It is impossible to make future plans to face the phenomenon without defining its future dimensions and identifying shape and modes of complicated process, especially when it is related to future forecasting. Making decisions depends completely on accuracy of forecasting.It is evident that forecasting plays major role in our daily life. The accurate and the most efficient forecasting may support making correct decisions to raise accuracy of our expectations up to 100%. This may be impossible, yet we try to reduce forecasting errors. In order to solve forecasting problems, many researchers proposed several methods and different models. One of these models is traditional time series analysis, uni-variant and multi-variant. However, traditional time series has wide applic ations, but it must satisfy proper conditions to be successful.For example, 50 up to 100 bservations at least are needed to achieve Autoregressive and Integrated Moving Average Models (ARIMA) and average zero is needed to achieve autoregressive. Traditional time series has been applied in many fields such as pollution monitoring, blood pressure estimation, etc. This problem has been studied widely in statistics areas and neural networks. However, in practical life, there are regression models in which the uncertainty accompanied to the model is because of vagueness, not because of neither randomness nor both of them.In these models, probability theory cannot be pplied and fuzzy sets theory is applied, where variables are foggy i. e. declarative variables are not fixed and scaling of these variables is not expressed by a point, but by an interval or linguistic variables [1, 3]. 2. FUZZY LOGIC Fuzzy logic [1 1], is a form of logic which has used in some expert systems and artificial i ntelligence applications. It was first proposed in 1965 by the Iranian scientist Lutfi Zadeh, at University of California, where he developed it as a better method of data processing.However, his theory didn't find a wide interest until 1974, where fuzzy logic was used to control a steam engine. Since then, applications of fuzzy logic kept developing until the manufacturing of fuzzy logic chip which have been used in many products such this science. There are many reasons for scientists to improve fuzzy logic. For example, development of computers and software founded the need to invent or program systems that are capable of dealing with ambiguous information to mimic human thinking.However, this created a problem since computers can only deal with exact and accurate data. This problem caused occurrence of expert systems and artificial intelligence. Fuzzy logic is a theory for building such systems. Fuzzy set theory has many useful achievements in different fields and it aims at app roximation of professional knowledge that contains vagueness in human thinking. Figure 1 illustrates the difference between traditional and fuzzy set theories. Fuzzy logic simply reflects how do people think and try to represent our feelings by words, decisions making and our common sense.So, fuzzy logic models are being increasingly used in time series analysis, where they are important for dealing with linguistic values and other models in order to yield better forecasting results. Time Series is defined as a sequence of events easured in successive times at definite intervals. It was widely used in economic systems such as stock index and interest. Also, it was used in metrology, especially in wind speed, temperature, pressure, Figure 1: Traditional and fuzzy sets 3.FUZZY TIME SERIES Fuzzy time series is another concept to solve forecasting problems in which the historical data are linguistic values. Fuzzy time series based on Zadeh's works [1 1], Song and Chissom [7], first prop osed a forecasting model called Fuzzy Time Series, which provided a theoretic framework to model a special dynamic process hose observations are linguistic values. The main difference between the traditional time series and fuzzy time series is that the observed values of the former are real numbers while the observed values of the latter are fuzzy sets or linguistic values.In the following, some basic concepts of fuzzy time series are briefly reviewed Definition 1: Let U ,u2 un } be a universe of discourse (universal set); a fuzzy set A of U is defined fA (u ) / u fA (u ) / un ,where fA is a membership function of a given set A , fA [0,1]. Definition 2 If there exists a fuzzy relationship R(t – 1, t), such that F(t) =F(t ), where is an arithmetic operator, then F(t) is said to be caused by F(t – 1). The relationship between F(t) and – 1) can be denoted by – 1) Definition 3 Suppose F(t) is calculated by F(t – 1) only, and – 1) R(t,t-l).For a ny t, if R(t – 1, t) is independent of t, then F(t) is considered a timeinvariant fuzzy time series. Otherwise, F(t) is timevariant. Definition 4 Suppose – 1) and F(t)= A], a fuzzy logical relationship can be defined as Ai AJ where Ai and AJ are called the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the fuzzy logical relationship, respectively. 4. REVIEW OF RELATED WORKS Many studies have interested in fuzzy time series and have been applied in various fields including university enrollment.Fuzzy time series had proved its efficiency in forecasting as a good new method for predicting linguistic values. Song and Chisson [9, 10] first introduced the method of fuzzy time series, humidity and rainfall. In addition, time series was used in geophysical records including indexed measurements, times of earthquake, radiological activities, industrial production, rates of idleness, etc. therefore, they are considered as founders of fuzzy time series science. Also, in 1994, they in troduced a eries.Chen [1] presented a new method for forecasting university enrollment using fuzzy time series historical data enrollments of the university of Alabama from 1971 to 1992, the proposed method is more efficient than the proposed method by Song and Chissom, due to the fact that the proposed method uses simplified arithmetic operation rather than the complicated MaxMin composition operation. Hwang [8] proposed a new method on fuzzification to revise Song and Chissom's method. He used a different triangle fuzzification method to Fuzzify crisp values.His method involved determining an interval of xtension from both sides of crisp value in triangle membership function to get a variant degree of membership. The result got a better average forecasting error, in addition, the influences of factors and variables in a fuzzy time series model such as definition area, number and length of intervals and the interval of extension in triangle membership function were discussed in det ailsStep 2: Define the universe of discourse U. Find the maximum Dmax and the minimum Dmin among all Dh. For easy partitioning of U, choose two small numbers Dl and D2 as two proper positive numbers. The purpose of Dl and D2 is to make the lower and upper bounds of U become multiple of hundreds, thousands, etc. The universe of discourse U is then defined by: U = Dt-ntn -Dl , Drnax+D2 Step 3: Determine the appropriate length of interval L. Here, the average-based length method (Huarng, 2001 b) can be applied to determine the appropriate L.The length of interval L is computed according to the Table 1: Base mapping table Range Base 0. 1-1. 0 0. 1 1. -10 11-100 10 101-1000 a) Calculate all the absolute differences between the values Dh-l and Dh as the first differences, and then compute the average of the first differences. b) Take one-half of the average as the length. c) Find the located range of the length and determine the base from Table 1 d) According to the assigned base, round t he length as the appropriate L.Then the number of intervals m, is computed by: D max+D2-D Then U can be partitioned into equal-length intervals Assume that the m intervals are Step4: Define fuzzy sets from the universe of discourse: f(un)(3) Ai=A11+A22+†¦.. +Ai l Then fuzzify the time series. First determine some linguistic values A1, A2, †¦ , An. Second, defined fuzzy sets on U. The fuzzy sets Ai are expressed as follows: 10. 500 0. 510 . 50 00. 51 0. 5 Step 5: fuzzify the historical data. If the value of Dh is located in the range of ui, then it belongs to fuzzy sets A'.All Dh must be classified into the corresponding fuzzy sets. However, fuzzify the historical data and give fuzzy set to each year's historical data. If the historical data belongs to Ai at year t, the historical data of that year can be written by A'. But usually one historical data to ifferent A1, the need to find out maximum degree of each year's historical data belonging to each A1. Step 6: Establish f uzzy logical relationships (FLRs) for all fuzzified data, derive the fuzzy logical relationships based on Definition (3).The fuzzy logical relationship which have the same left-hand sides is like Ai Ak, which denotes that if the Dh-lvalue of time t-1 is AJ then that of time t is Ak Table 2: Fuzzy relationship Ak Ar A1 Am 0. 5 um -2 um -1 um Where ui n) is the element and the number below ‘/'is the membership of ui to Then follow the rules for determining the degree of the membership of the istorical data Yi belonging to interval u'. The general triangular membership function is expressed as below: Step 7: establish the fuzzy logic relationship groups (FLRG).The derived fuzzy logical relationships can be arranged into fuzzy logical relationship groups based on the same fuzzy numbers on the left-hand sides of the fuzzy logical relationships. The fuzzy logical relationship groups are like the following: AJI Step 8: The forecasting of the historical data is based on heuristic rule s proposed by chen (1996) and outlined as follows.