Edwards-Enterprise Essay

The company which is into manufacturing plastic bottles for the detergent industry requires a great deal of resources to be managed for fetching optimized costs, synchronism among various processes, managing the supply chain of the company, managing the customer relationship using IT and to create professional sense for managing the business. The JD Edwards-Enterprise One is an effective method to fetch right degree of mapping of an organization so that the supply chain of a business is effectively managed to reduce running costs and costs related to effort and time to interact among the business peripherals/ departments like operations, administration, human resources, finance and many others (Oracle.com, 2008). The JD Edwards would facilitate the organization for the following: 1. It minimizes the cost of supply chain, resource management and integration among the business departments for fetching the resources timely and cost effectively. 2. The seamless integration to manage the supply chain of the business processes is made possible using the ERP system JD Edwards. 3. The handling of various issues and exceptional situations takes a professional turn and is managed under controlled environment. The traditional system of the organization was incurring large running costs and was not able to tap resources for fetching the exact order in the resource management and to organize the very distribution of resources for better management of the final product. The JD Edwards ERP solution for the organization would bring wholesome professionalism and management of the resources to achieve the very objective of the business.

Madness through king lear Essay

In the 17th Century, madness was still a relatively new concept. Many people believed it was due to a person being possessed, which resulted in madness often being linked back to black magic and witchcraft. In context, the public would frequently visit Bedlam Hospital to enjoy the spectacle of a madman’s behaviour thus, Renaissance dramatists typically used ‘mad scenes’ for a comical effect. In spite of this, Shakespeare seems intent on a serious, if not slightly disturbing, portrayal of madness in King Lear. Throughout the play King Lear, we bear witness to Lear’s gradual and possibly inevitable descent into madness. As early as Act I Scene 1 we, as the audience, observe early signs of the king’s insanity, albeit political at this point, we are alarmed at Lear’s decision to break up his state. Especially through the means he wishes to do so, his ‘love-test’ is foolish and egotistical, as is his desire to be treated as an important, royal personage after he has given away his kingdom. It is fair to say that all through Act I Scene 1 Lear shows many times that he most concerned with appearances. Seemingly his ‘love-test’ is going to plan, as Goneril and Regan extravagantly pledge their love and allegiance to their father, this is until Cordelia refuses to comply with Lear’s ‘love-test’, answering â€Å"I love your Majesty according to my bond, no more, no less. † simply meaning that Cordelia loves her father as a daughter should. Lear, in his blissful ignorance, cannot see past Goneril and Regan’s elaborate speeches and instead feels humiliated by his youngest daughter’s unadorned answer. As a result, he disowns her and banishes her, Cordelia then departs to France. We can see Lear is already losing control as he goes to strike his faithful advisor Kent and banishes him also, all because Kent questioned the Lear’s actions. As a consequence of Lear’s vituperative temper and his irrational, ‘insane’, actions he leaves himself powerless and at the mercy of his two eldest daughters, with neither his loyal advisor nor his devoted youngest daughter to protect him from what is to proceed. As the play progresses, we can see that the king’s identity is gradually becoming unbeknown to him when he asks the question â€Å"Who is there that can tell me who I am? â€Å"1, we can see that Lear is slowly losing his wits. Lear’s speeches become increasingly disjointed as he becomes more distressed, hinting at the madness that will overtake him later in the play. He is becoming progressively isolated due to his fragile mental state, thus, through Lear the idea of madness could be seen as being presented as vulnerability. In Act II, Lear’s changes of moods and tones indicate his escalating mental instability. His foolishness persists as he insists he will stay with the daughter that allows him to keep the most knights; there is desperation in his confrontation with his ‘dog-hearted’ daughters. Eventually, the beleaguered king’s rages become signs of impotence, not authority, emphasising the fact that the patriarch’s insanity has left him powerless and increasingly vulnerable. When the storm starts we recognise that Lear’s fear that he would go mad, first voiced in Act I Scene 4, has been realised. The storm serves as a metaphor for Lear’s – and England’s – plight, his speeches establish and reflect properties of the storm. Through the storm, Lear’s madness is presented as destructive as his speeches are full of anger and distress, as the mad king moves swiftly from one topic to another. The violence of the imagery that the king employs reflects his state of mind. It is easy to see how Lear’s insanity could be viewed as destructive; he has caused his kingdom’s predicament through his rash actions at the beginning of the play, he has divided his family through his egotism and in his ‘mad’ rages he often behaves like a scorned child using invective language. However, all this considered, Shakespeare also presents Lear’s madness as pitiful. Due to his madness Lear confronts his failings: as a father and a ruler. He shows compassion to the characters that have helped him i. e. the Fool, Kent/Caious and Poor Tom. Even when Lear starts to regain his wits, we sympathise with the king as with his new clarity of vision brings with it distress and much regret. These are not the facts that make us truly pity Lear; it is the reality that wisdom came too late. Jesters were often kept by the monarch to provide witty analysis of contemporary behaviour and to remind the sovereign of his humanity; Lear’s Fool certainly fulfils these functions for his master. At first glance, the Fool’s professional madness is rendered as comical, his seemingly asinine jests often lighten the tone and provide some much needed moments of relief, the Fool’s flippant remark about Poor Tom’s clothing is a good example of him lightening the tone of a distressing scene. However, through the Fool’s professional insanity Shakespeare presents a hidden wisdom. Lear’s Fool is ‘all-licensed’ which essentially means that the Fool is licensed to say things to his superior that anybody else would be punished for. Taking this, and the fact that Lear and his Fool seem to have a very close relationship (the Fool calling Lear ‘nuncle’ and Lear calling the Fool ‘boy’), throughout the time the Fool exists in the play he is able to counsel Lear. The Fool’s sarcastic jesting is blunt and hard hitting. Almost as soon as the Fool enters in the play he harps on Lear’s folly, this is apparent when the king asks ‘Dost thou call me fool, boy? ‘ to which the Fool replies ‘All thy other titles thou hast given away; that thou wast born with’2. Through the Fool’s madness he serves to push Lear towards the truth about his daughters this is evident when he warns Lear that Regan will side with Goneril, ‘Shalt see thy other daughter will use kindly; for though she’s as like this crabs like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell†3. And again when he hints at the dangerous situation Lear has put himself in by reversing the natural order, making his daughters his mother, ‘The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long that it had it head bit off by it young’4 – this is clearly warning the king that his daughters will turn against him. Furthermore, the Fool also tries to open the king’s eyes so that he can see these truths on his own, ‘Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise’5, as well as have some insight as to why these events are occurring. The third character in question is that of Edgar / Poor Tom. Edgar, Gloucester’s legitimate son, is introduced as being a passive, credulous dupe upon whom Edmund’s6 devious practices ride easy. We are only given a succinct introduction of Edgar before Shakespeare haves him disguise himself as Poor Tom. In the days of Shakespeare, ‘Bedlam hospital’ housed the mentally ill. When they were released Bedlam inmates were allowed to go begging for survival; this is what Edgar has been reduced to by his gullible father and his brother’s trickery. â€Å"My face I’ll grime with filth, blanket my loins. Elf all my hairs in knots, and with presented nakedness outface the winds and persecutions of the sky†7 the fact that Edgar has to disguise himself as a ‘Bedlam beggar’, wandering the countryside in nothing but a loin cloth in order to preserve his life, presents to us his vulnerability and the sheer desperation of his feigned madness. Initially, Edgar is presented as a seemingly lucid character yet, as the plot unfolds we see he has many purposes within the play. Shakespeare uses Edgar’s alias Poor Tom to provide some comical relief as the plot thickens as some of his antics and ramblings can prove to be amusing gibberish. However, in contrast, Poor Tom’s erratic breathless craziness in Act III Scene iv increases the pathos infinitely. A prime example of this would be when he (Edgar / Poor Tom) says that a ‘foul fiend’ â€Å"laid knives under his pillow and halters in this pew, set ratsbane by his porridge†, indicating towards suicide, this speech reflects Edgar’s fragile state of mind and, although fake, his madness is distressing to the audience. We are reminded of Edgar’s humanity in Act III Scene vi (the mock trail scene) as he listens to Lear’s lunatic agony, his ‘act’ as Poor Tom momentarily breaks down at â€Å"Bless thy five wits† this in turn is another moment in which Edgar’s caricature increases the pathos of a scene. Furthermore, I feel that Shakespeare is using Edgar / Poor Tom’s situation to mirror Lear’s. Similarly to the besieged king, Edgar is now reliant on charity and he has also had his world and expectations turned upside down. Edgar’s assumed madness indicates towards Lear’s eventual submission to complete insanity in Act III, through Poor Tom we glimpse what Lear will be reduced to. Madness is portrayed in different ways through these characters: professional, feigned and genuine insanity. Nonetheless, the idea of madness is presented as purposeful, almost like a journey, for all three of the characters in question. Edgar’s ‘pilgrimage’ through his contrived madness serves the obvious purpose of preserving his life. The preservation of Edgar’s life enables him to guide his father but ultimately through his madness his valour is awakened allowing him to play the role of avenger at the end of the play. However, Edgar’s madness also serves a purpose to the principle protagonist, Lear, as it is noticeable that on the heath Edgar’s presence as his caricature Poor Tom aids Lear, as through interactions with Poor Tom the king’s humanity and understanding increase. The Fool’s professional jesting provides some much needed moments of relief. In spite of his comic role, the Fool’s main purpose within King Lear is to, in essence, be Lear’s conscience. In other words, he bestows the king with truth and reason throughout the turbulent situations that occur during his, the Fool’s, time in the play. Due to the fact that he is ‘all-licensed’, and also has a close relationship with the king, he can inform and criticise Lear for his mistakes without being punished for it, this permits him to counsel Lear. Lear eventually gains the insight he needs to perceive his daughters and society for what it really is, insincere and immoral. The Fool’s abrupt disappearance signifies that Lear has gained all the understanding he needs to distinguish between and reality. Therefore, the Fool is no longer needed: his purpose has been fulfilled. Unlike Edgar or the Fool, Lear’s madness is not an imminent occurrence, it develops throughout the play. The insanity of the king is unequivocally ironic, in his apparent sanity he was introduced to be conceited and imprudent, yet when he is ‘mad’ he becomes a more humble, compassionate and attractive character. At the beginning of the play Lear acts exceptionally irrational and cannot see the verity of his superficial values but as a result of his ‘madness’ he demonstrates an increasingly sincere, tolerant side to his nature. Attributable to his intensifying humility he is able to recognise his wrong doings as a leader and a father thus, the king’s madness redeems him as he learns the value of true emotion and is able to consider the sufferings of those close to him. Consequently, this enables Lear to reconcile with his beloved daughter Cordelia. In conclusion, the madness of King Lear is deeply distressing, it develops from and points back to the king’s instability.

Adolescence and Teenagers

Teenagers spending time at night It is a common phenomenon seeing teenagers hanging out at night in big cities. Places which teenagers like to hang out are shopping malls, computer games centers and sometimes, roadsides. These places have become teenagers’ favourite places because they can meet other teenagers to socialize. Teenagers start congregate at these places since evening and some of them even stay out late loitering aimlessly. Many adults feel that it is risky to allow teenagers to loiter at night. However, some parents think that it is just a phase in life which adolescence feel that they need to mix around with their peer group. These parents tend to give too much freedom to their teenage children because they think that they should not deprive of their children’s freedom to mingle with friends. Nevertheless, not every parent agrees that teenagers should be allowed to go out at night too often. These parents are obviously concerned that when their teenage children spend time out of the house too frequent at night, their children will spend only little time at home with their own family members. When two parents are working, the only time which is available for quality family time is at night. Parents are also worried who their teenage children’s companions are and what influence their children will get from their companions. In addition, parents are also concerned about the food their children consume. It is definitely unhealthy for teenagers to spend their time at fast food outlets which serve high greasy and sugar-contained food. Overeating at night could result in obesity and diabetic. Besides, undesirable and inconsiderate habit of wasting the parents’ hard earned money will be developed.

Company Wellness Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Company Wellness Plan - Essay Example This can conclude with sad results to both the company and the employee. Firstly, the employee’s health is affected and may be worsened slowly, a situation that may lead to him/her fail to perform well. Thus, in this situation it means that he would loose his job, that becomes to have less income and which leads high rate of poverty. On the other hand, the company may loose a qualified and profitable employee that could help the company move forward. Therefore, it is the fact that, effective wellness program creates a strong return on investment (IRO) in the short-term as well as long-term (Rosen, 2004). For example, in the short-term, (6-18 months), it can affect workplaces absence. In the long-term, it can affect an average of $3 for every $1 spent (The Healthcare Intelligence Network, 2006). Beneficial managers choose wellness programs based on what the workers need. It’s obvious that employees will benefit from such services; on the other hand, the earliest advantag e of managers of arranging to meet employee health needs is if workers could be screened or treated quickly, they could be more productive on their job. Furthermore, it is obvious that preventive measures which are offered by wellness programs might lower healthcare cost even keeping employees at work (The Healthcare Intelligence Network, 2006). However, managing healthcare costs requires a risk management strategy. The goal of wellness programs then is not only to make workers feel good, but also to move participating employees from high risk category of contracting diseases into lower risk categories (The Healthcare Intelligence Network, 2006). Nevertheless, as in the case of Fresno, disability incidence for example has increased from 10/1,000 employees to12/1,000 even with availability of wellness programs. Probably, this is because some employees resist changing even in the face of such wellness programs. On the other hand, there are also workers, who are health conscious, and t hey don’t want to participate in the incentives. In the case of the benefit manager in the Fresno Company, it is also very important to incorporate the senior management in the process of emphasizing on the wellness programs in the company. Getting senior management on board doesn’t mean getting approval to try some wellness programs. It means getting management fully behind a workplace wellness program that becomes part of workplace culture (The Healthcare Intelligence Network, 2006). The more the management promotes and participates in workplace, the more successful the program will be. Therefore, the first and most important thing is to create awareness campaign among senior management and ensure continued commitment and support and visibility of the wellness initiatives. In fact most work place wellness programs do not result in a positive ROI without support from the senior management (Rosen, 2004). This is true for any work place that aims to change employee beha vior which should be the basic goal of every wellness program. The other important issue to a new appointed benefit manager should be evaluation of the existing wellness programs in the company. This involves overview of operation style and their effectiveness and deficiencies associated with them. For example,

Compare and contrast two Management Theories Term Paper

Compare and contrast two Management Theories - Term Paper Example Theory X This theory is based on traditional conception of control and direction. The theory makes assumptions that average human beings do not like working. Because of this dislike, most people must be punished in order to put forth adequate effort towards the realization of the organization’s goals. Furthermore, theory X assumes that average people prefer to be directed, wish to avoid responsibility, have relatively little ambitions and want securities (Sapru, 2006). Traditionally, this theory was referred to as the carrot and the stick theory and was practically based on mechanistic approach to human relations. Rewards and punishments may be used to induce desired behavior, and this came from the donkey story whereby the best way to make a donkey move was to "put a carrot in front of the donkey or jab him with a stick from behind" (Sapru, 2006). Rewards and punishments are still strong motivators in many organizations. The use of theory X works well under certain circumstances; however, this does not work at all once an employee has attained the highest level and is motivated by higher needs. In other words, this theory does not explain human nature. McGregor states that as long as theory X continues to influence managerial strategy, human potentialities cannot be discovered. Theory Y The inadequacies in theory X led to development of theory Y as integration to replace traditional concepts of direction and control. The human motivations in theory Y may be characterized by the expenditure of physical and mental effort in work. Here, an ordinary person does not dislike work (Miner, 2007).

Gastrointestinal Disorders and Treatments Discussion Essay

Gastrointestinal Disorders and Treatments Discussion - Essay Example For short-term treatment, PPIs are more effective compared to H2RAs (Karch, 2013). The two drugs act by repressing the production of acid from the stomach. The PPIs drugs reduce but do not prevent the risk of developing ulcers in people taking NSAIDs (Song, Zhu & Lu, 2015). There is evidence that a dose of 75mg ranitidine and famotidine 10mg helps to minimize gastric acidity for at least 12h at night though it is a lower dose than the one in the prescription product insert. The PPIs are more effective in the prevention of acute peptic ulcer bleeding and ulcer healing. However, a standard dose of H2RAs is efficient in the prevention of NSAID- induced injury such as duodenal but not gastric ulcers (Mejia & Kraft, 2009). The PPIs are efficient in inhibition of gastric acid production. The commonly used drugs include rabeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole and esomeprazole. These drugs are weak bases that require an acidic surrounding to obstruct H+K+ -ATPase and act as prodrugs. The PPIs also reduce pepsin secretion that acts to minimize mucosa harm. Moreover, the morning dosage of PPIs enhances acid repression that is in contrast with H2RAs that works well at night. The drugs’ effect increase with repeated administration where by day three a steady state happens and the amount of pumps that is inhibited for more than two hours get to 70%. An increase in enzyme recruitment promotes progressive acid suppression. Nevertheless, taking the drugs ‘when required’ does not generate sufficient acid inhibition and does not give a regular clinical reaction. PPIs and H2RAs should not be used together because of their minimum inhibitory impact. If there is a need for concomitant treatment, it is advisable to provide enough intervals in the administration of the two drugs. The H2RAs are safe to use and can be obtained over-the-counter. However, for elderly patients in the intensive care unit suffering from renal and hepatic difficulties, it

Rhabdomyolysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhabdomyolysis - Term Paper Example However, the severity of the syndrome normally range from asymptomatic rise in serum muscle enzymes to the presence of life threatening complications associated with extreme electrolyte imbalances, enzyme elevations as well as acute renal injury (Knochel, 2003). Although Rhabdomyolysis is often common among individuals who have suffered trauma or major injuries, the clinical condition has also been known to develop as a response to particular medications, drugs and dietary supplements. This paper discusses the history and physical findings of rhabdomyolysis, the background of the disease, its etiology, pathogenesis, natural history and management. History and Physical Findings of Rhabdomyolysis The patient in this medical case study was a 24 year old female who was displaying symptoms consistent with rhabdomyolysis. The clinical history revealed that the patient had taken statin medications to help lower her cholesterol levels and this resulted into a severe muscle pain. Immediately after taking the medication, the patient also suffered from severe muscle weakness, extreme muscle aching throughout her entire body and the production of dark colored urine. Although the dose of statin dose taken was not high, the patient had also taken another drug known as meofibrozil(Lopid) which could have aggravated the condition((Baxter and Moore, 2003). On the other hand, further inquiry revealed that the patient normally uses nutritional supplements as part of their weight reduction strategies. Confirmatory diagnosis was carried out by using a number of standardized examinations to show the damaged skeletal muscles. Some of the tests carried out included analysis of the patient’s urine, urine myoglobin test, analysis of Creatine kinase level and serum potassium level analysis. The treatment of the patient included giving her fluids that particularly those containing bicarbonate in order to prevent the potential kidney damage by flushing the remnants of myoglobin from the kidneys (Baxter and Moore, 2003). Additionally diuretic and bicarbonate medicines were also prescribed. After fluid resuscitation, the patient was transferred to a medical facility where measures were also taken to correct potential electrolyte imbalance in the patient. For example, ECG was obtained to help monitor any likely effects of hyperkalemia or other electrolyte imbalances. Background of the Disease Disease Etiology and Pathogenesis The etiology of rhabdomyolysis is normally broadly categorized into acquired and hereditary causes. Hereditary causes of rhabdomyosis largely consist of enzyme related defects that often result in disorders such as mitochondrial lipid metabolism, carbohydrates metabolism as well as other important inherited disorders such as neuroleptic malignant disorders and hyperthermia. On the other hand, acquired causes generally result from any condition that potentially damages the skeletal muscles such as crush injuries, muscle tremors due to alcohol ism, drugs such as statin, cocaine, heroin and amphetamine, extreme exercises, ischemia and trauma (Brancaccio and Lippi, 2010). Excessive intake of alcohol and other commonly abused drugs such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamines has also been known to result in severe damage to skeletal muscles thereby triggering rhabdomyolysis. Additionally individuals who routinely use nutritional supplements and performance enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids may also develop rhybdomyolysis which

Primary models of international marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Primary models of international marketing - Essay Example This research is being carried out to evaluate and present the primary models of international marketing. These models include, polycentric, ethnocentric and geocentric. Ethnocentric is normally used to refer to refer to assumptions arising from national arrogance. They are conservative and hold the underlying factor that one method used in marketing and manufacturing is adequate and applicable to all other places. They uphold the view that products emanating from their country are superior by default and automatically get accepted in other regions. They do not consider aspects of modification and are not vigorous in their marketing campaigns. Contrary to ethnocentric approach or model, the polycentric approach dwells on the uniqueness of each region it is unveiling its products in. They put extra caution and consideration in regard to the people’s culture and give its products time to be assimilated into the people’s culture. If necessary, they would consider modifying their products to suit the perspective of their new targets. This approach invents new marketing strategies to capture the attention of new customers. On the negative aspect, modifications to fit into each setting may dilute the originality of the initial product and prove expensive for the company too. Considering the unique needs of individuals, cultures or religions in every region may be exhaustive too. Geocentrism embraces a more global approach to business. It levalises the business grounds to all parties as there is no special attention to the original company or the host.

Celebrity endorsement in the women's fragrance market and its effect Essay

Celebrity endorsement in the women's fragrance market and its effect on the UK consumer behaviour - Essay Example This is the null hypothesis proposed and the findings from the study would prove whether or not it is valid. If it is not, the alternative hypothesis would prove to be true, i.e., celebrity endorsement does not influence consumer behaviour positively in favour of the products. The birth of the modern perfumery industry occurred during the colonial era, when the riches and wealth accumulated by the European countries from their colonies enabled the maintenance of the perfect economic climate for the development of perfumes using the technique of enfleurage (www.perfume2000.com). The first perfume was produced in 1882, known as â€Å"fougere royale† using the process of enfleurage. This process uses purified fats in a process similar to maceration which produces pomades that are washed with alcohol, and it produces the finest oils possible. While the fragrance industry is a 25 billion dollar industry, it is one of the poorest performing sectors in the cosmetic industry. Although it would initially appear that the women’s fragrance market is very successful because there are so many new fragrances being launched every year, i.e., about 300 approximately, the reality is that only a few of those fragrances are well received and survive long enough to extend production into another year (Business Wire, 2007). On the other hand, there are some perfumes which have a long standing reputation and customers are very loyal to particular brands. One significant example of this is the Chanel group of perfumes and especially Chanel no: 5, which has been popular among women for many decades. This holds good despite the fact that celebrity endorsement of perfumes can be expensive; for instance the advertisement for Chanel no: 5 using Nicole Kidman cost  £18 million for use over a duration of five years (www.fashion-era.com). There are two approaches to consumer behavior. The

Argument Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argument Analysis - Essay Example The analysis of the advertisement shows that the messages in the video are crucially important to be understood by drivers and people who are going to drive and these points are presented effectively in the advertisement. The video describes a situation when two drivers are about to make a crash situation on a road, but suddenly time stops and the drivers go out of their cars. The driver who made the mistake asks the one who drives too fast to slow down, but he can’t because he drives too fast and there is so little time and distance between their cars that there’s nothing anybody can do to prevent the crash. The one who made the mistake shows that there is his little son on the back seat, but the fast driver realizes that the alarm conditions were his fault because if he hadn’t driven too fast they could have avoided the crash and there would be enough time for the father and son to skip on the road before him. So finally the drivers get back to their cars and the piece of the crash is shown for a moment. The advertisement finishes with a black screen and the message of the video appears â€Å"Other people make mistakes. Slow down†. The advertisement isn’t designed to sell anything, it is socially important: its ethos aims to evoke people’s responsibility and capability of thinking about others while driving, because we all live in the world where there are other people around us and it is a part of ethics to include other people’s human factor in our decision making. The ethos sends the important moral message that it is crucial to follow your civil duty, that’s why the advertisement was made based on touching and strong drivers’ feelings of grief and regret. As far as the advertisement is sponsored by New Zealand Transport Agency it becomes clear that it aims to decrease the amount of car accidents on roads and the agency is also responsible for this. The target audience for this

Response to the Movie Gallipoli Essay Example for Free

Response to the Movie Gallipoli Essay One of the interesting things about Australia’s history is that the nation was originally a colony of Great Britain. Over time they slowly acquired their independence without war or any kind of revolution, which is rare when looking through the past of many countries like the United States, Brazil and many other places. Although this might be seen as a good thing, the lack of a battle caused the nation’s identity to be pretty much nonexistent the following years after they were already considered their own nation. The movie Gallipoli illustrates how the World War I was important in helping Australia find their identity and create a sense of patriotism. Australian moviemaking had its highs and lows through the Twentieth Century. After the 1970’s, a new age of Australian films started to flow from the country and â€Å"historical films became the most visible internationally† (Bordwell 628). Gallipoli was a film made in 1981 by Peter Weir. The movie not only tells the story of two young men from Australia going to the war, but at also attempts to portray the Australian identity that many Australians had sought for many years. One of these identities is the mateship where today Australia is known. We can see that in the movie just by following the two main characters through their journey. Frank and Archy meet and suddenly they are best friends. Together, they move forward in the story and help each other to achieve common goals. When Frank joins the light horse because he finally reunites with Archy, his other â€Å"mates† get upset and do not approve of the fact that they are losing a friend. When they are reunited in the war zone, they are happy that they are together again. This goes on to display the whole idea of war and patriotism. The movie is also very clear when trying to show the several landscapes that Australia has to offer. We see the city, where the shots are not so wide so all the buildings are closer together giving an overcrowded feeling while in contrast we see the countryside where the viewer sees vast deserts. Right at the beginning where Archy is betting to race with one of the character, we see the desert and how it stretches for miles and miles, while racing he still goes through trees and a stream exposing the diversity one can find in Australia. There are also shots of mountains, those shots are very wide and portray the grandiosity of the country. We also see the relationship of Australians and the Indians represented by Archy’s friend from his hometown. In the movie we also see how joining the British to go to the war was a way of supporting Australia, reinforcing their patriotism and defending their country. One of the character says that the reason they area going to join the British in Turkey, is because â€Å"if we don’t stop them there, they will end up here† (Gallipoli 1981). The young men going to the war were happy that they were able to fight for the country. After they arrive at the beach in Gallipoli, we see them having fun, even though they are at a war zone and their lives are on the line. When they finally get to fight, we hear them shouting that they are doing this for Australia. Towards the end of the movie we see pride and dignity contrasting with and the suffering of being at the war. World War I was important in helping Australian creating their identity. The movie Gallipoli not only explores how the World War I was responsible in creating the Australian identity but also explore other national that today are a representation of that country, like of example the idea of mateship that today is worldwide know to be part of the Australian culture. The viewer also sees the richness of the Australian landscape like the cities, the countryside, and the nature with mountains, deserts, forests and rivers. The movie also shows how the war was important in enforcing their patriotism for their country by showing the young men going to war as happy as they can be, proud that they are able to fight for their country. It is ironic to see how Australia had a pacific independence however they were only able to find their identity after they went to fight in a war.

Motorcycle industry in Thailand Essay Example for Free

Motorcycle industry in Thailand Essay Thai motorcycle industry entered in Thailand since 1964. There are four main players in this industry including Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. Even there are not much competitors but the competition among them are fierce. Thai market for motorcycle is in maturity stage. This makes the players have to use strong strategies to possess market share. The dominant player in this industry is Honda For customer analysis, among four leader players they quite focus customer similar group. It might be because nature of product is suitable to certain group of people. However, they try to differentiate by focus niche group with new lifestyle. The common target group is teenager to working age. This result in the way they communicate to each target group. As motorcycle is product that are high value so the level of consumer involvement decision are high as well. People try to study what advantages and disadvantage of each model in each brand. Nevertheless, point of purchase in the sale point pays important role. As we can see from the retail show room, promotions broad are very attractive and different among the shops. Therefore, customers can not make decision from their home. Dealer in show room encourage customers to visit the shop to meet direct sale person for the information. For competitive analysis, the players are keeping develop themselves particularly many strategies. Honda has the most capacity and sales while other competitors also grow continuously. They have different strength points. For example, Honda is the 1st Fuel injection system applied while Yamaha is 1st produced automatic type of motorcycle and 1st produced Eco Motorcycle. For future trends, in short term, it will not much change in position of leader but they will try to focus target customer narrowly and differently. For long time Thai market might decline. However, sale will go constantly but not jump high because people will buy new motorcycle when they want to replace the old one. Motorcycle Industry Motorcycle industry in Thailand is growing dramatically. It is because proper geographical and economic structure. Particularly geographic, Thailand has a popular over 65 million people. The areas are flat for the most part. For some rural area it is much better to use motorcycle and in the big city with heavy traffic jam motorcycles have become the most convenient vehicle for quick travel. Thai motorcycles industry was monopolized by the Japanese four brands are Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. History First stage: Import parts for assembly (1964-1977) – CKD stage In 1964 Board of Investment (BOI) got a policy to promote producing motorcycles in Thailand to replace imports. In 1966 Siam Yamaha Co. ,Ltd is the first company which established motorcycle assembly factory. Thai Honda Manufacturing Co. Ltd began to operate as the second factory in next year. Then in 1968 Thai Suzuki motor Co. ,Ltd was third motorcycle manufacturer in Thailand. Later in 1971 the market was sluggish including increasing the number of import used motorcycle. Therefore, the government announced the policy to prohibit import used motorcycle. In the same year, the government got the first motorcycle industry policy. The significant issue is the assembly motorcycle manufacturer have to use parts from domestic 50 percent of all parts within 2 year since the announced date(3 November 1971) to be competitive and suspension establish motorcycle plants within 5 years from announced date(3 November 1971) to accomplish economy of scale. Until the end of the announcement in 1976 Thai Kawasaki Motor Co. ,Ltd established as the forth assembly plant. In 1977, the government required the existing motorcycle producer use at least 70 percent local parts within 2 years. As for expand and new factory must use parts from local at least 70 percent since start the operation. Moreover, Industry ministry had a policy to assign motorcycle plants to produce motorcycle with cylinder capacity not exceeding 125 cc to meet the needs of the market and to take advantage of economies of scale (Economy of Scale) as well. Table 1: Details of the motorcycle manufacturers in Thailand in 1977 Honda Suzuki Yamaha Kawazaki Total Capacity (unit per year) 49,920 87,360 72,000 25,000 234,280 Capital (million Baht) 20 18 9 5 52 Employment(person) 134 304 566 100 1,104 Source: Bank of Thailand Second stage: Began producing parts in 1978-1987 Localization In 1978 there was a prohibited import motorcycles and raised import tax to some particular motorcycle from 40 percent to 60 percent including transportation and insurance. The result of prohibited import and force to use parts inside country was the producers increase their capacity. In 1980 the total capacity was 338,000 units per year which higher 103,720 units per year from 1977. However, this policy provided producers with higher production costs because of not proper economy of scale and quality of parts in non standard. As the producers can choose types of part as they want so parts did not improve and late improve. Therefore in 1984 the government allowed operators to use such parts gradually until 70 percent of the total value of the component in January 1986. In 1984 the government collected special tax for motorcycle that import in special case 20 percent of duty to be paid. It increased from the original import tax 60 percent of price and increased import duty from 30 percent to 40 percent. As for promoting the production of parts in the country, government regulations require that manufacturers of motorcycle must use exhaust systems following industry standard. They also allowed only factories that are promoted by Board of Investment (BOI) can expand a manufacturing plant or permission to establish a factory to produce engine cylinder capacity not exceeding 150 cc. The protection of motorcycle industry policy during this period lead to the production of motorcycles increased from 190,779 units in 1978 to 310,083 units in 1987 , with a total production capacity in 1986 was 480,000 units, including the production development and launch new style of motorcycle to market to have more choices. Table 2: Details of the motorcycle manufacturers in Thailand in 1980 Honda Suzuki Yamaha Kawazaki Total Capacity (unit per year) 96,000 108,000 109,000 25,000 338,000 Rate of capacity utilization 70. 1 86. 5 95. 7 75. 8 84. 0 Capital (million Baht) 20 18 9 5 52 Employment(person) 335 460 1,378 120 2,293 Source: Bank of Thailand Third stage: Producing important parts (1988-1997) – Key Parts Supplier This period the government continued to enforce parts of the country are 70 percent of the total value of raw materials. The result promoting investment allowed manufacturers to use motorcycle engines produced in the country in 1989. In 1993 Board of Investment BOI promoted for 4-stroke motorcycles to help reduce pollution from exhaust and in the first investment the company is Kajiwa Motorcycles C. ,Ltd, a joint venture with Italy, its annual production capacity of 70,000 units . Moreover, government began to take care of consumers’ benefit by control price of motorcycle and protect monopoly. Government assigned producers must report production cost and procurement approach since 13 December 1980 onwards The motorcycle industry continued to grow at a high rate. Until it can produce up to 1. 6 million units and capacity utilization rate reached 90. 4 percent in 1995, driven primarily by the demand for motorcycles both inside and outside the country. As well as the effect of the protection of the government helped Thai producer improve their capacity and ready to support the growth of demand Forth stage: Extending cooperation to the producers parts (1998-2001) Agglomeration In this period, the manufacturers of all types of part occurred in Thailand. This included the types of electronic components. The manufacturers were not only the first Tier but also include the second tier. This made high competitive among the producers who produced the same types in same time they had to meet the QCD standard (Quality-Cost-Delivery). That was the producers must produce the quality with low cost and on time delivery. Consequently, 2001 Thailand motorcycle industry could produce one million units and consumed the local parts (Local intent) about 90 percent. In addition, government changed the policy of protecting domestic industry to require the products to be safe and do not destroy the environment. Fifth era: export and research and development (RD) (2002 – present) Late 1990s was the period that government reduced the protection industry which was the result of a free trade agreement between the countries in 1996 revoked the ban on importing new motorcycle and canceled enforcement components produced domestically and un-enforced engine production in the country. In the fifth, Thailand became the production base of motorcycles in the region. Not only production to consume in country but also exported. In 2005, Thailand exported Complete built up (CBU) and Complete Knock down (CKD), including more than 1. 3 million units Furthermore, Japanese motorcycle manufacturers began to apply research and development, technology transfer from Japan to the recipients of investment, such as Thailand. One reason for the need to apply research and development was because during this time retailer price was strong. Therefore, in order to compete, manufacturers need to reduce production costs but the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers had strict production conditions that using quality raw material. This could lead to lower production costs by applied research and development to reduce the losses in the production process. Figure 1: Show the motorcycle industry, production, sale in the country and export in Thailand in 1972 2011. Market Analysis Market Size Total motorcycles sales for the domestic industry reached 2,130,041 units in 2012, of which 1,062,494 or 50% were AT motorcycles. Family motorcycle achieved sales of 981,865 units, accounting for 46% of total of sales last year; followed by 32,726 units for on- and off-road types, accounting for 2%; and 32,083 units for sport motorcycles, accounting for 2%; and another 20,899 units of other types of motorcycles. Figure 2: Show market share by types of motorcycle Figure 3 demonstrates market share divided by motorcycle companies. Honda is the dominant player who possess market share 74% of the market. The second player is Yamaha gain 19%. For Suzuki and Kawasaki earn 3% and 2% respectively. Another 2 percent belong to other brands including Triumph, Ducati and Tiger Figure 3: show market share base on players in the market Thailand Motorcycle is divided into two categories based on the appearance which are Moped and Sport. Most motorcycles are moped with engine sizes from 100 to 125 cc while Sport got engine 250 cc. Thailand produces about 90 percent of Moped. The rest of the production is Sport type. It is consistent with sale of Moped are higher than Sport motorcycle. In 2004 Moped motorcycles were produced most 2. 86 million unit. Figure 4: Show production and sales of motorcycles in Thailand divided by type of vehicle in 1990 -2011 (in thousand units). Source: TAI Market trend Thai motorcycle industry already exists in Thailand 49 years since 1964. Product life cycle of motorcycle spend long time. Many are of the opinion that the Thai motorcycle market begins to a stage of saturation, but it has not lowered competition among manufacturers. On the contrary, the competition is as fierce as ever despite the small number of major players compared to the automobile market. This situation encourages the players have to launch new interesting product on the time. Fashion and lifestyle are used to create emotional though the products. Many motorcycle companies try to adapt themselves to serve consumers to get beyond function of motorcycle but show consumer’s lifestyle. Thailand is a country with a large market size motorcycle. The holding motorcycle proportion is 4 people per vehicle. The current version of the motorcycle in Thailand has begun to be economic model. The opportunity to expand the domestic market began to decline. Current sales are the purchased to replace old vehicles. This may result in decline ability to attract investment to Thai motorcycle industry. Situation of Thai Motorcycle Industry From the 1990s onwards the motorcycle market in Thailand continued grew. Until the economic crisis in Thailand in 1997 (Asian financial crisis or Tom yum kung crisis) made motorcycle sales volume decreased significantly. The sales originally sold about 1 million vehicles per year, and dropped to about half million in 1998. Nevertheless, only 2-3 years after the economic crisis, the motorcycle market the sales volume increased continuously in 2001 sold about 907,100 units and 1. 3 millions later in the next year. The volume of sales back to the original level before the economic crisis of the countrys motorcycle market is growing by the year 2005, the volume of sales to 2. 11 million vehicles most. For 2012, the sale climbed to 2. 13 million which was higher than 2005. In 2007-2009, the sales dropped due to great recession which affected the entire world economy. After the global recession, the sales continued to increase year by year. To increase sales motorcycle manufacturers try to promote sale with many ways. Figure 5: show sale volume of Thailand Motorcycle 1993-2012 Strength and weakness of Thailand for investment in Motorcycle industry (compare to ASEAN country) Strength Weakness Public utility and transportation system are equipped Investment benefits received from the government Quality and technology motorcycle production base Law conducive to investment Market size is smaller and get in saturation stage Social and politic stability are decline Higher wage Shortage technician level labor Thai motorcycle industry has a lot of strength over competitors. The manufacturers are convenient doing business and operation. Although labor costs are higher than other neighbor countries, other good strength can reduce the other costs such as management cost, business operation, transportation, and distribution costs. Thai motorcycle market also provides sufficient standard quality for exporting to developed countries such as Japan, USA, and UK. At this point Thailand should maintain the standard and improve the existing strengths. In term of develop public utility and transport system, although Thailand are quite ready, other neighbor countries also continuously improve particularly Indonesia and Vietnam. There are probably in the future both countries will replace this advantage. Thailand should correct the weakness particularly maintain social and political stability. It becomes the major issues which affect the investors’ confidence including country’s direction in short and long term. In term of labor issue, they should improve skill of labor to compensate with higher wage. As Thai motorcycle market get into saturation stage however they can expand investment to export in order to maintain the motorcycle production base for the future. Five Force Model Analysis Industry Competitors and Intensity of Rivalries Rivalry among competitors in the motorcycle industry is relatively intense. While each major competitor has its own market niche, price discounting, new product introductions, advertising campaigns, and innovations in motorcycle technology consistently fuel rivalry between firms. Rather than competing based on price, the major players in the motorcycle industry tend to compete based on services and features. Each major company offers different types of products targeted to different consumer segments. There is a high level of differentiation between classes of products and brands, causing high switching costs for consumers. Accessories and parts are produced for one specific brand. In addition, margins are not low, and the product is not perishable. Because of these factors, competition does not tend to gravitate towards price as much as other factors. Even though price is not the main basis of competition in the motorcycle industry, the intensity of competition is very high. The industry is composed of five distinct leaders, each of which is large and has high brand equity. Because the industry lacks a definitive leader, rivals end up poaching each other’s business. Additionally, the sheer number of competitors in the market in addition the main five creates an abundance of purchasing options for the consumer and cause heavy competition. Rivals in the motorcycle industry have diverse approaches and ideas on how to compete. While one company might believe that adding new features to their products will help boost sales, another company might believe that increasing speed capabilities will be more beneficial. Another company might believe that offering easy financing is the key. Bargaining Power of Suppliers. A number of motorcycle manufacturers involved in the industry in such a way that the pyramids upside down and the motorcycle manufacturers and parts suppliers are related to link backwards (Backward Linkage Effect) Motorcycle productions of Japanese manufacturers in Thailand (Big 4) are the leaders of the market including Japanese producer’s parts. Thai producers’ parts are 15 percent of the value of purchasing all the parts of the motorcycle. The producers must have potential to produce to meet QCD standard. For local content, it found that Japanese manufacturers use more than 90 percent of material and electronic parts from Japan. For the 1st Tier of part manufacturers are mid-sized businesses and joint ventures with foreigners who mostly are Japanese. In the 1990s, these are called OEM12 production until mid- 1990 onwards, as manufacturers of motorcycle parts can purchased from other foreign countries with cheaper price. This pressure affect on the first tier manufacturers to improve efficiency of product design and development capabilities. For the 2nd and 3rd Tier of producer parts are small enterprise owned by Thai people. Technology in capable of producing is quite low. The manufacturers in this group will sell parts to the first tier, including one for a replacement (REM14) both locally and abroad. Bargaining Power of Customers The vast majority of the motorcycle industry’s customer group consists of individual consumers. Motorcycle customers are only mildly price sensitive. Since a motorcycle is a relatively expensive item and therefore a significant fraction of income, buyers are likely to seek a favorable price. Also, since motorcycles are usually a luxury purchase, the intention to buy one indicates the willingness to spend a significant amount of money. More importantly, customers are much more sensitive to quality and brand image than price. A motorcycle purchase is a reflection of one’s identity and influences how others perceive them. Threat of New Entrants The maturity, large number of competitors, and high capital requirements needed to enter the motorcycle industry make it a fairly unattractive industry for new competitors to enter. A more complete and detailed analysis of the seven barriers to entry will show the motorcycle industry to be a hostile, unreceptive environment for new entrants. As a mature industry, current competitors enjoy the benefits resulting from economies of scale. Established motorcycle producers have the luxury of lower costs per unit because they can allocate their fixed costs to a larger number of products. New entrants do not have as large of a demand and must distribute their costs over a smaller quantity. Because of this, individual costs per unit are larger, resulting in a higher product price. Besides the difficulty new entrants find in attracting customers, another deterrent to entry are the high capital requirements demanded by the industry. Characteristic of a mature industry, price is no longer a differentiating factor among similar product offerings by different competitors. Leaders in the motorcycle industry, such as Yamaha, now differentiate their products by providing â€Å"high-value-added products† at their own dealerships. For new entrants to enter the market and take away current market share from existing competitors, high capital investments in infrastructure, dealerships, development of new products, and promotions targeting specific customer segments are required. High capital requirements, increasing demand, and specialized products are factors contributing to the high barriers to exit the industry. Current competitors holding the majority of the market share are hesitant to leave the industry because of the positive industry outlook and niche markets each have carved out for themselves. With few companies leaving the industry, it leaves very few market segments untapped and available to new entrants. Substitutes When analyzing the competitive threats on the motorcycle industry as a whole, the motorcycle trade association members must keep in mind three main substitutes of motorcycles: bicycles, undersized cars, and public transportation. Each of these substitutes can be further broken down into subcategories. Each category is considered a substitute for motorcycles because it either satisfies at least one of three costumer needs that motorcycles satisfy, or it gives the costumer something that motorcycles do not offer. Though the levels of threats posed by each category of substitute differ greatly, the motorcycle trade association members must be sure to address each of them when deciding where to go from here. Most importantly, keep in mind that these threats are ever present, and if the various motorcycle manufacturers do not act soon, they will risk losing customers throughout the coming years. First of all, it is important to understand what motorcycles do for buyers because this sets up a framework for the underlying motivation behind the purchase of any type of motorcycle. Since the motorcycle industry is responsible for designing and manufacturing about seven different kinds of motorcycles, or other automatic two-wheel vehicles, several customer needs are met by each category: means of transportation, low fuel costs, environmentally friendliness, recreational activity, and â€Å"cool factor. † In addition, we will analyze another factor that motorcycles lack compared to potential substitutes – safety. Bicycles are also a threat to the motorcycle industry based on a few critical factors. First, as two-wheel transportation vehicles, they are similar in basic function to motorcycles, satisfying the consumer need of basic transportation from point A to point B. The reason why bicycles make viable alternatives to motorcycles is related to the consumer’s need to spend less money. Bicycle owners incur zero gas mileage costs, making this alternative the most environmentally friendly option. To be technical, the only real costs associated with bicycles are the upfront purchase, maintenance, optional accessories, and human labor. In addition, bicycles satisfy the consumer’s need for recreational activity similar to motorcycles. Anyone from the average consumer to the avid biker can use a bicycle as an alternative means of outdoor recreation. Compact cars and hybrids (Eco car) are the final and most influential classification of substitutes that pose an immediate threat to the motorcycle industry. Overall, both types of cars present high switching costs to the consumers. For the consumer who is interested in switching to a motorcycle, high switching costs could be a highly motivating factor to not buy a motorcycle at all. Hybrids are primarily substitutes because they satisfy the customer’s need for a fuel-efficient mode of transportation. For many consumers, increased safety is a motivating factor in buying a compact car over a motorcycle Public Transportation can be one alternative for travel to destination such as boat, taxi, BTS, and bus. People would like to take public transportation to help them in many advantages. For example, in Bangkok traffic is so jam. People actually prefer BTS or MRT to travel to avoid traffic as well as more convenience. Another example is people who avoid hot weather and want to keep their appearance during the way to go to office. They might prefer taxi instead of motorcycle. Key Success Factors 1. Quality Quality is a key in this industry because it is vehicles that need safety. The manufacturer must comply with required product standards. A key success factor for a firm operating in this industry is their ability to design and develop products that comply with legal standards. Products that do not meet standards are not able to be sold on the market 2. Design. Consumers tend to focus on design and feature which suitable with their lifestyle. The manufacturers attempt to offer new products to serve with every life style especially, automatic motorcycle. Motorcycle Companies do research in studying consumer behavior to know what consumers prefer and focus what consumer need. 3. Technology and save energy In this economic situation, people tend to look for the most worth product. Manufacturers should keep abreast of latest technological advances in various components and parts, as well as technical and performance characteristics. 4. Distribution center. Distribution center or show room is the one that open way to consumer easily access purchase. This is the reason why companies improve image of dealer show room around country. They also increase number of store into small city because in small cities people still need to use motorcycle in daily life. As well as develop the show room to be one stop service which can serve after sale service. 5. After sale service and activities Many consumer give importance to the after sale service because motorcycle is durable goods that consume time to use. Some consumers use their motorcycle more than 5 years. After sale service include service mind, price, and time of taking care as well as parts to repair. For the activities, this topic includes consumer relationship and sale promotion because it is important factor that motivate consumer buy the products. Point of purchase plays important role such as low down payment, free 1 baht gold and zero percent installment payment. Factor that affect change 1. Minimum wage Thai government announced the policy to increase minimum wage to be 300 baht. This increase wage cost 80% of average minimum wage. This policy is very significant to Thai labor market. It provides both advantages and disadvantages. For the advantage, the policy help all labors in Thailand earn more income. Human being gets better because people have more money and they can spend a lot in the market including purchasing new motorcycle. As a result to number of sale in 2012 were more than 2. 1 million units However, there is also drawback. The manufactures have to pay more cost including wage and also more expensive parts. Price of parts are getting higher particularly middle size and small size because of small economy of scale 2. Technology Technology is one factor that affects change of the motorcycle industry. As for Honda, the market leader change motor of all models to be fuel injection system since 2008. Honda change production line to serve this innovation. This affects all players to change as well. Yamaha is the second player who changes to fuel injection system to be 62 percent and carburetor still use 38%. So, Yamaha sent the first automatic injection was spark 135i. For the second model, Yamaha tried to serve woman need. They launched Fiore which uses automatic engine with a genius injection  technology YMJET and DiASil Cylinder that make it less fuel consumption. While Suzuki also produce with electronic petrol injection. Therefore, the players in this industry have to improve all the time and do research and development in order to offer the better solution to consumers. 3. Disaster effect After Thailand has suffered with big flood in 2011, Thai motorcycle industry is one industry that gets direct effect from this situation. Factories have got damage in many areas. They have to recover their factory and create protect system to cope for unexpected disaster. However, it did not affect much to sale because consumers want to buy new motorcycle to replace the damage one. Sale of whole market tends to increase as trend. 4. Economic In this economic situation, people tend to save money and careful in spending. World economic is also unstable. The causes are from many effects such as public debt in EU. US economic has not recovery yet and fiscal cliff and world political. Back to consider Thai economic, cost of living keep increasing. Consequently, people are carful in spending. They will study information and get involve to consider before buy product particularly motorcycle. 5. AEC opening As Thai motorcycle industry is in saturation stage, the leader players try to go to other country in AEC. The motorcycle producers will use Thai as production base and export to our neighbor countries. This issue encourages Thai have to improve themselves especially skill workers both technician and language skill. Table 3 shows the potential if the motorcycle manufacturers want to run business in each country. Table 3: Population, income, number of motorcycles in the ASEAN Country Number of resident in 2009(million) Income per person to the purchasing power between countries 2009 (US$). Number of motorcycle (thousand) Number of persons holding one motorcycle Indonesia 243. 3 3,830 28,000 9 Philippine 92. 2 3,900 2,983 31 Vietnam 87. 3 2,700 20,366 4 Thailand 67. 8 5,990 16,549 4 Myanmar 50. 0 1,290 1,630 31 Malaysia 28. 3 13,740 8,903 3 Cambodia 14. 8 1,820 75120 Laos 6. 3 2,060 n. a. n. a. Singapore 5. 1 47,940 147 35 Brunei 0. 4 50,200 12 33 Asean 596 4,520 80,000 (Round) 7   2008,   2007 Source: Population Reference Bureau, CEI. Collected and calculated by Kasikorn Research Customer Analysis Customer is one of the most important drivers for business success. Most business try to serve goods and services according to customer wants and needs to meet the customer satisfaction and become well-known brand recognized. Moreover most of them are concern more about turn general customer to be their customer loyalty too. So, understand customer behavior is needed for business development. Consumer behavior An analysis of consumer behavior is affected by a host of variables ranging from personal, professional needs, attitudes and values, personality characteristics, social economic and cultural back ground, age gender professional status to social influences of various kinds exerted a family, friends, colleagues, and society as a whole. The combination of these factors help the consumer in decision making further psychological factors that as individual consumer needs, motivation, perceptions, attitudes, the learning process, personality characteristics are the similarities which operates across the different types of people and influence their behavior. With competition in the motorcycle market continually increasing, understanding customers’ attitudes and behavior is critical to maintaining and growing market share and profitability. The conclusions of consumer behavior while buying motorcycle are: 1. Maximum motorcycle users belong to 18 to 25 years age group and most of the users are college students and field workers. 2. Maximum motorcycle users belong to middle class and upper middle class segment 3. These are the reasons for buying two wheelers: Good mileage and convenience Business purpose Cost effective Comfort drive in crowd and easy parking College going purpose Short distance travel in city Affordable price. Personal vehicle 4. As far as mileage per liter of petrol is concerned. 5. Reasons for not buying scooter: It has low mileage and low fuel efficiency. It has problem with controlling, balancing and breaking on speed. Old style and old fashion It is not good for long drive and not a comfortable drive. It doesn’t match the young person’s dynamic personality 6. Almost all the people give preference to stylish outlook, control, mileage, efficiency brand image before buying motorcycle. 7. Television advertisement, road hoardings and road shows are the major source of information which affects motorcycle purchased. 8. Family members and friends are main initiator, for purchasing a motorcycle. 9. All the people are satisfied with the functioning of their motorcycle. 10. Regarding spare parts of motorcycle, they are cheaper and readily available in the market.

The Low Cost Airline Air Asia

The Low Cost Airline Air Asia The low-cost concept became a moneymaker in the United States, where it was pioneered in the 1970s by Southwest Airlines, the model for budget carriers elsewhere like Ryanair and easyJet in Europe. Definition of low cost airlines A low cost airline generally has many features that differentiate it from the traditional carriers. These features include ticketless travel, online ticket sales, no international offices, no frequent flyer points, no free food and beverages, no inflight magazines, no club lounges, use of secondary city airports. Not all low cost airlines have these features, and not all airlines that have some of these features are low cost airlines. For example, Virgin Express is a low cost airline, but it still offers complimentary coffee and inflight magazine, and they are based at Brussels primary airport. Case Study-AirAsia Story of AirAsia Air Asia, as the second Malaysian National Airline, provides a totally different type of service in line with the nations aspirations to benefit all citizens and worldwide travellers. Such service takes the form of a no frills low airfares flight offering, 40%-60% lower than what is currently offered in this part of Asia. Their vision is Now Everyone Can Fly and their mission is to provide Affordable Airfares without any compromise to Flight Safety Standards. The story of emergence of AirAsia is similar to Ryanair, since both carriers underwent a remarkable transformation from a money-losing regional operator to a profitable, low cost airline. AirAsia was initially launched in 1996 as a full-service regional airline offering slightly cheaper fares than its main competitor, Malaysia Airlines. Before 2001, AirAsia fail to either sufficiently stimulate the market or attract enough passengers from Malaysia Airlines to establish its own niche market. The turnaround point of AisAsia is in 2001, while it was up to sale and bought by Tony Fernandes. Tony Fernandes then enrolled some of the lending low-cost airline experts to restructure AirAsias business model. He invited Connor McCarthy, the former director of group operation of Ryanair, to join the executive team. In late 2001, AirAsia was re-launched in Malaysia as a trendy, no-frills operation with three B737 aircraft as a low-fare, low-cost domestic airline. Opportunities faced by AirAsia in light of external development Low fare of Indonesia-Malaysia trip The fare for a Jakarta-Johor Baru trip costs Rp 100,000 (RM 88.88 one way). And charge Rp 150,000 for a Bandung-Kuala Lumpur flight, and Rp 300,000 for a Surabaya-Kuala Lumpur trip, whereas a Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur air ticket from Malaysia Airlines available at travel agents cost Rp 1.4 million. Meanwhile, Lion Air on the same route, charged Rp 1.05 million. The low fare provided by AirAsia helps it open the Indonesia market. Low fare of Singapore-Bangkok service AirAsia will increase its services between Singapore Bangkok by introducing a 2nd daily flight to its existing schedule. This recent development came barely a month after Thai AirAsia operations started its first international flight to Singapore in early February this year. AirAsia is offering its guests promotional fares to/from Singapore- Bangkok from SGD$23.99 (THB 499) one way from the 28th March to 30th Oct, 2004. It is much lower than the lowest fare SGD$56 offered by full-service carrier. This helps it open the Singapore market. Political connections AirAsia hold 49% of Thai AirAsia with 1% being held by a Thai individual. The remaining 50% is held by Shin Corp. which is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Shin Corp. has financial strength, synergy in ingormation technology and telecommunications, which support AirAsia Internet and mobile phone bookings. Shin Corp. allows subscribers of the Shin mobile phone flagship, Advanced Information Service, being able to reserve tickets through its short-messaging service (SMS). AirAsia with its politically powerful backer may well grow up to bite. This helps it open the Thailand market. Malaysian government support The Malaysian government supported the establishment of AirAsia in 2001 to help boost the under-used Kuala Lumpur International Airport. AirAsias flights from Senai are meant to develop Johor into a transport hub to rival Singapore. AirAsia, therefore, can provide an alternative route to travel to Bangkok, by using Senai Airport in Johor Bahru, in southern Malaysia. Opportunities faced by AirAsia in light of internal development Issue of IPO Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsias Executive Director announced the appointment of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and RHB Sakura Merchant Bankers (RHB) as the bookrunners for the companys upcoming Initial Public Offering (IPO). The IPO strengthens AirAsia balance sheet, further cuts its existing low costs at 2.5 US cents per ASK and accelerates our growth plans throughout Asia. The IPO also allows AirAsia to expand its fleet of 18 Boeing 737-300s. Political connections Thai AirAsia is a join venture established by AirAsia with Shin Corp. Shin Corp. is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and about 900 million baht will be invested in Thai AirAsia over a five-year period. Shin Corp. oversees the finance and administration of Thai AirAsia while AirAsia shoulders the responsibility for marketing and operations. Shin Corp. has financial strength and supports AirAsia to grow. AirAsia with its politically powerful backer may well grow up to bite. Challenges faced by AirAsia in light of external development Indonesian habit Preferences of Indonesian passengers are quite different from the concept of cheap air travel without extra service for the passengers (free snacks and drinks), and also their reluctance to bring light baggage. AirAsia prefers passengers with very light and minimum baggage. If this is the case, it may not last long. But Indonesian domestic airline companies are able to provide value-added extras like food and beverages as part of their service to the passengers, although at a relatively higher cost. The comparative edge of Indonesian domestic airline companies compared to AirAsia concerns habit (culture). Furthermore, Indonesian domestic airlines were already trained with the low-cost air travel concept, known as tariff war. They have proved themselves as immune, and managed to survive. Last but not least, the Indonesian government or domestic airline companies had never announced the availability of a low-cost airline company of the country. All these affect AirAsia growth in Indonesia. Singapore government rejection Initially, AirAsia wanted to start flights from the southern state of Johor, near Singapore, it hoped to attract passengers by running a convenient bus service to the city-state. However, Singapore quickly quashed that idea. The Singapore government said it would not approve a bus link for AirAsia because it was not in her national interest, reflecting fears that Singapores Changi airport would lose business to Johors new Senai airport. This makes AirAsia cannot abandon the use of Changi airport, and therefore suffer from a higher cost. This is because AirAsia flying to Singapore needs to suffer from flight congestion of Changi. Changi has drawbacks of flight congestion that could prevent the quick turnarounds essential to keeping down costs. AirAsia finds it stuck between big planes and circling to wait for a slot to open up, which means extra fuel costs. Moreover, the SGD$21 departure and security tax of Changi is too high for AirAsia low-cost operation. AirAsia had asked the Singapore government to waive the fees, however, a request that was not only rejected but also criticized. Besides Singapore Bangkok, AirAsia now provides an alternative route to travel to Bangkok, by using Senai Airport in Johor Bahru, in southern Malaysia. Seeking to cater to the different markets, fares for Johor Bahru- Bangkok are generally 20 % lower in comparison to Singapore Bangkok. AirAsia currently operate daily flights to Bangkok from Johor Bahru. However, the choice proved unpopular, as the route failed to attract Singaporeans because of the additional cost and inconvenience of having to travel in and out of Malaysia by road. All these affect AirAsia external growth. Minimum air-fare rates AirAsia faces challenges finding open takeoff and landing slots at opportune times, and Thailands regulation that sets minimum air-fare rates. Although Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the current minimum air-fare regulations will be scrapped to open up the market, he couldnt name a date when this will be done. This seems to be favoritism toward Thai Airways Internationals domestic operations, and affects Thai AirAsia to compete in the Thailand market. External Changes which have impact on AirAsia Asias middle class growth Low cost airlines are anticipated to have greater potential in Asia as there are many Asian cities with a population above one million people each as well as a rising middle class population. This growth of middle class in Asia provides a huge market potential for AirAsia to grow. However, as the market is becoming larger, more airlines or new comers would like to get a piece of the action. For example, Budget airlines, it is estimated, will capture at least 25% of Asias air travel market within next 10 years and a lot of that will be new, not diverted, traffic. Therefore, AirAsia will face more competitions at the same time. Besides the low cost airlines, AirAsia still needs to compete with the conventional carriers. Although extra passengers of the low cost airlines will be coming from the new demand to be created by the low fares, the growth may not be entirely stolen from big flag carriers. Actions of Changi and nearby airports The growth of low cost airlines in south-east Asia has a significant effect on which airports will dominate the regional aviation market. Low cost airlines are seen as helping funnel more passengers to airport hubs. Therefore, there is a realization among regional governments that they need smashing airports and feisty carriers or they are going to miss out big time. Therefore, these governments are more willing to support low cost airlines. For example, the Malaysian government supported the establishment of AirAsian in 2001 to help boost the under-used Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and Thai premiers Shin Corp. forms a join venture with AirAsia that would benefit Bangkoks new airport and create a new hub at Chiang Mai. Therefore, under this situation, it helps AirAsia grow in Asia. Moreover, as there is a growth of several south-east Asian airports, this poses a challenge to the status of Singapores Changi airport as a regional aviation hub. These airports include Johors new Senai airport in southern Malaysia, Bangkoks new Suvarnabhumi airport which will be able to handle 45 million passengers when it opens in 2005, Bangkok Don Muang which recently overtook Changi in passenger numbers, etc. To maintain Changis position as the air hub in the region, Singapore is proposing a budget airline terminal at Changi by 2005 and lower passenger taxes to attract low cost airlines. This helps AirAsia grow and lower the cost. Actions of existing airlines The existing airlines in south-east Asia have several actions to compete with AirAsia, for example, some have launched a low cost airline to fight with AirAsia. Singapore Airlines launched a low cost airline subsidiary, Tiger Airways, in the second half of 2003, only months after the scheduled launch of ValuAir set up by one of its former executives. Orient Thai Airlines launched a new low cost airline subsidiary, One-To-Go. One-To-Go operates with a fleet of six Boeing 757-200s and match any fares that Thai AirAsia offers. Thai Airways have frequency and capacity to offer to their 13 domestic destinations. They also have, during the past two years, worked to improve operational efficiency, slashing unprofitable domestic routes, increasing flights on busy routes, strengthening yield management and controlling costs. All these make AirAsia face a huge competition. Critical success factors in the Low cost airlines in Asia Reduction in operational cost Low cost airlines strive to achieve the lowest possible price for their products and services. Low prices cannot sustain unless the company maximizes its operational efficiency. The success factors of Asian low cost airlines in reducing their operational cost include: Service savings (no frills cabin service and extensive use of outsourcing) NO-frills include: NO drinks, NO food, NO headphones, NO newspapers, NO movies, NO VIP lounges, NO expensive offices, NO mileage programs, NO seat allocation, NO childrens fares, NO paper tickets (Electronic tickets only), NO connecting flights (All flight-legs must be booked independently) Operational savings (point-to-point services and uniform fleet) Overhead savings (internet sales and streamlined bureaucracy) We can compare the operational cost in terms of costs per available seat kilometer (ASK), a measure of the running cost of the airline. For instance, Ryanair in Europe is almost half of the ASK price comparing with the full services airline. The average fare offered by Air Asia in Malaysia is 40-60 % lower than its full-service competitor. Competitive Ticket price against traditional full-service airline Low cost airlines begins with two initial cost advantages arising from the very nature of their operation: higher seating density and higher daily aircraft utilization. By removing business class and reconfiguring their aircraft, low cost airlines can increase the number of seats on their aircraft. Seat pitch of a low cost airline is usually 28 inches, compared to a traditional conventional economy class pitch with 32 inches. Doganis (2001) calculates that should be able to operate at seat cost that are only 40-50 % those of mainline rival. Combining the load factor benefit and beneficial distribution cost, low cost airlines cost per passenger can reduce price by one-third of conventional airline. Flying out of secondary airports Many low-cost airlines keep expenses down by flying out of secondary airports, avoiding major hubs where takeoff and landing fees are much higher while still getting passengers close enough to their destinations. The travel distance is short As the routes offered by low cost airlines are mainly short, domestic routes which may only take one to two hours, travellers might be fine with no amenities on flights Success factors in AirAsia Absolute Cost Advantage Low cost per average seat kilometer AirAsia focused on ensuring a competitive cost structure as its main business strategy. It has been able to achieve a cost per average seat kilometer (ASK) of 2.5 cents, half that of Malaysia Airlines and Ryanair and a third that of EasyJet. AirAsia can lease the B737-300s aircraft at a very competitive market rates due to the harsh global market conditions for the second-hand aircrafts because of the September 11th event in 2001. On the other hand, the operating cost of the company is also dropped drastically. Low distribution cost AirAsia focus on Internet bookings and ticketless travel allowed it to lower the distribution cost. Attractive ticket price With the average fare being 40-60 % lower than its full-service competitor, AirAsia has been able to achieve strong market stimulation in the domestic Malaysian air market (Thomas 2003). For instance, the fare for the trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang on AirAsia starts from 39 ringgit. Comparing to trip by bus charge 40 ringgit and 80 ringgit by car. The effect of attractive low fare is more travelers switching from bus to air, similar case as Ryanair in Europe. Good Management Team AirAsia value proposition is more sophisticated than Ryanair placing equal emphasis on brand reputation and customer service/people management, by a senior advisor to AisAsias top management team. AirAsia pursue a Ryanair operational strategy, Southwest people strategy and an Easyjet branding strategy. Weakness Fair availability The availability of AirAsia is not good as traditional airline as it only provide unique aircraft. However, it cannot be the cost leader if it offers customized features or comprehensive support which will result in increasing operational cost. However, focus on a specific customer may avoid straddling. Case of straddling A Japanese low cost airline, Skymark, trying to be everything to everyone targeting the broader customer and offering limited special features (satellite TV, Business class and charter operations). The result is failing to both cost efficient and price competitive rendering it vulnerable to market forces and customer demand (porter1996; Lawton 1999). Major strategic directions recommended Open more Asian market Low cost airlines are anticipated to have greater potential in Asia as there are many Asian cities with a population above one million people each as well as a rising middle class population. It is time for AirAsia to exploit the potentials of affordable air travel by Asias growing middle class. Besides starting services to the Pearl River Delta in south China in 2004, AirAsia can expend its services to the coastal cities in China. Besides the growth of Asian middle class, the liberalization of aviation sector of India is another reason for AirAsia to open more Asian market. The Indian government has liberalized the aviation sector long dominated by the national carriers. Now, only a few low cost airlines, e.g. Air Deccan, Airone Feeder Airline Pvt Ltd, Crescent Air, have launched their services there. Moreover, the national carriers, Indian Airlines or Air India, despite their domination of the Indian skies, do not seem to be much interested in operating low-cost services. Therefore, it is a good chance for AirAsia to open the Indian market. Join venture with Virgin Group AirAsia should put more effort to set up a pan-Asian low cost airline with Virgin Blue, which is a low cost carrier of Virgin Group serving Australia and New Zealand mainly. Virgin Blue has suggested it may extend services to south-east Asia. Therefore, setting up a join venture with Virgin Blue can help AirAsia to grow in Asia even further, and help Virgin Blue to extend services to south-east Asia. Recommendations to maximize competitive advandages of AirAsia 1. Enforce Political advantages AirAsia established a join venture, Thai AirAsia with Shin Corp. Shin Corp. is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and about 900 million baht will be invested in Thai AirAsia over a five-year period. Shin Corp. has financial strength, synergy in ingormation technology and telecommunications, which support AirAsia to grow in Thailand. AirAsia with its politically powerful backer can well grow up to bite, and therefore it should enforce such political advantages in order to extend the growth in Thailand. Furthermore, AirAsia should use its Thai subsidiary, Thai AirAsia, to claim the use of Thailands open skies agreements to fly to Singapore, Brunei and Cambodia, overcoming the barrier of bilateral aviation pacts that threatened to limit its growth. Induction of smart cards AirAsia can issue a smart card which is compatible with the existing ticketless booking. It can offer 2 kinds of smart cards. The first kind of smart card, aimed at ordinary travellers, will offer instant rewards when topped up, offering greater value than its purchase price. For example a Bt5,000 card may be worth Bt5,500. The card can also be used by other people with the same family name as the cardholder. The second kind of smart card will offer unlimited travel for frequent flyers. Priced provisionally at Bt20,000, cardholders will be allowed make as many trips as they want within a specified period. Conclusion A study by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (2002) confirms that Asia continues to offer attractive conditions for the air transportation industry. With thirteen out of worlds top twenty-five major urban centres located in the Asia Pacific region and a rapidly increasing urbanization trends, the Asian air travel market is bound to continue to grow. Urbanization is highlighted as one of the key drivers for the growth in air travel. It is estimated that Asia would account for 30% of the world market by 2019, or one third of growth between now and then. While the impact of SARS is going to slow down the growth of Asian regional demand, the long-run forecast continues to be very positive. These enable low cost airlines to grow even further.

Child Characters in Great Expectations Essay -- Great Expectations Es

Child Characters in Great Expectations      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first part of Dickens' novel, Great Expectations, is an account of the childhood of, Pip, the main character of the novel.   In these beginning chapters Dickens paints an extremely vivid picture of childhood.   The reader is able to enter Pip's mind and see the world through the eyes of a child.   This is possible because Dickens understood the thoughts and feelings of children and applied this to Pip's every thought and action when he wrote the novel.   Dickens had an obvious gift for creating child characters in his works.   The word "pip" itself refers to a seed from a plant.   Seeds need to be nurtured if they are to grow and flourish.   In order to understand both Dickens' talent and his compulsion to write about children it important to realize that through the characters in his novels he took up the plight of all children.   In Dickens' view of childhood, he felt that children have certain needs: guidance in a nurturing hom e, to be free from emotional and physical abuse, to have a good education, and to be allowed to use their imaginations.   In order for children to succeed in life he felt these needs must be met.   Through his portrayal of child characters in the novel, Great Expectations, Dickens' demonstrates how adults rarely, nor adequately provided for the particular needs that children have.    Dickens often wrote about children in his stories who were crippled, such as Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol.   However, Dickens chose to create most of his main child characters with no physical maladies.   As Collins points out, these characters were impeded emotionally in some way: "Most of his child heroes and heroines are born sound in wind and limb... ... be unhappy.   One may wonder why Dickens always seemed to make the world weigh so heavy on the little shoulders of so many of his characters.   One reason is that Dickens appears to have created these suffering characters was that he wanted to protest the injustices toward children that he saw in Victorian society.   He illustrated what these children needed and what they were missing.   Just as a "seed" that is not nurtured cannot grow, children who are not loved and cared for can not grow up to live happy lives. Works Cited Bell, Vereen. "Parents and Children in Great Expectations." Victorian Newsletter 27 (1965): 21-24. Collins, Philip. Dickens and Education. New York: St. Martin's P, 1964. Rawlins, Jack P. "Great Expectations: Dickens and the Betrayal of the Child." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. 23 (1983): 667-683.   

Growing Up in the Poem Death of a Naturalist Essay -- Seamus Haney

'Death of a Naturalist' is concerned with growing up and loss of innocence. The poet vividly describes a childhood experience that precipitates a change in the boy from the receptive and protected innocence of childhood to the fear and uncertainty of adolescence. Haney organizes his poem in two sections, corresponding to the change in the boy. By showing that this change is linked with education and learning, Haney is concerned with the inevitability of the progression from innocence to experience, concerned with the transformation from the unquestioning child to the reflective adult. The poem is set out in two sections of blank verse (rhymed iambic pentameter lines). The poem opens with an evocation of a summer landscape which has the immediacy of an actual childhood experience. There is also a sense of exploration in ?in the heart/Of the town land,? which is consistent with the idea of learning and exploration inevitably leading to discovery and the troubled awareness of experience. To achieve this Haney not only recreates the atmosphere of the flax-dam with accuracy and authenticity, but the diction is carefully chosen to create the effect of childlike innocence and naivety. The child?s natural speaking voice comes across in line 8, ?But best of all?. The vividness of his description is achieved through Haney use of images loaded with words that lengthen the vowels and have a certain weightiness in their consonants, ?green and heavy-headed Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.? The sound of the insects which, ?Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell? is conveyed by the ?s? and ?z? sounds but also, importantly, acts like a bandage preventing the spread of decay. The images of decay, ?festered?, ?rot... ...bellied? and ?coarse croaking? remind us that the boy himself is going through changes. Leaving behind the receptive innocence of childhood and a feeling of being at ease with the natural world (the death of a naturalist of the title), the language of the second section expresses the boy's sense of distaste and fear for the physicality and sexuality of adolescence that he is now beginning to experience. The poem recreates and examines the moment of the child's confrontation with the fact that life is not what it seems. The experience transforms the boy's perception of the world. No longer is it a place for unquestioning sensuous delight. It is a dynamic world of uncertainty. The success of the poem derives from the effective way Haney builds up a totally convincing account of a childhood experience that deals with the excitement, pain and confusion of growing up.

A Reading of ?Those Winter Sundays? Essays -- essays research papers

A Reading of â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† In Robert Hayden’s poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† a relationship between the speaker and the speaker’s father is expressed in short but descriptive detail, revealing a kind of love that had gone unnoticed for so long. Throughout the poem, Hayden’s use of connotative diction keeps the poem short and sweet yet packed with significant meaning. The evocative sound patterns play just as great a role setting the harsh and reflective tone of the poem. Together, these devices are used to effectively deliver the poem. The speaker seems now to be a grown man, though it is not distinguished in the poem, remembering the distant relationship he had with his father as an adolescent. He would wake every morning to the warmth of a fire despite the biting cold which lay beyond the house windows and doors. The speaker took for granted the heat that he was provided, not acknowledging the effort that went into giving this simple expression of love. Now looking back, he seems to regret not being thankful for his father’s actions and being so blind and ignorant to the love that was right in front of him. From the very first words of the poem, the connotative diction gives the reader an idea of the direction in which the poem in going. â€Å"Sundays too my father got up early† (line 1), where the poem begins, expresses the fathers hard-working nature. The fact that he gets out of bed every day of the work-week and Sundays too, shows that his job as a father and provider...

Engineering management Essay

1. Department/Program Mission The mission of the Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Department is to Equip individuals with engineering, management and systems expertise to prepare them to be leaders in the identification and solution of technical and organizational problems that are complex and evolving Conduct innovative and pioneering research that continues to expand the body of knowledge in Engineering Management and systems engineering while maintaining engineering discipline diversity. Expand the boundaries of Engineering Management and systems engineering through our service to the professional community at large and through relationships with industry. 2. Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) a. Campus-Wide Student Learning Outcomes: Programs must demonstrate that their graduates have: I. an ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. II. an ability to think critically and analyze effectively. III. an ability to apply disciplinary knowledge and skills in solving critical problems. IV.an ability to function in diverse learning and working environments. V. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. VI. an awareness of national and global contemporary issues. VII. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning. b. Engineering Management Program Outcomes developed to address ABET outcomes a – k and campus wide outcomes (a) Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering in the solution of Engineering Management problems. (b) Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to design and conduct experiments related to operations, marketing, management and finance, as well as to analyze and interpret data. (c) Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to carry out the design of an operational system and its various components and processes for Engineering Management applications. (d) Engineering Management graduates will understand the importance of teams, know how to develop effective teams and have an ability to function on teams. (e) Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to identify, formulate, and solve Engineering Management problems. (f) Engineering Management graduates will have an understanding of professional ethical responsibility. (g) Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to communicate effectively individually and in teams. (h) Engineering Management graduates will have the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering and enterprise solutions in a global and societal context. (i) Engineering Management graduates will recognize the need for and have an ability to engage in life-long learning. (j) Engineering Management graduates will have knowledge of contemporary issues related to Engineering Management. (k) Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. 3. Curriculum Mapping to Campus and/or Program Outcomes Performance Criterion Evaluated in Course(s) Maps to Campus Learning Outcomes a Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering in the solution of engineering management problems. a. 1. Creates and analyzes quantitative charts and graphs and incorporates information into managerial decision-making systems. 266/299 3 a. 2 Identifies and uses appropriate modeling tools in the solution of quantitative problems. 251/253 3 a. 3 Applies quantitative models to specific problem categories and classifications. 253 3 a. 4 Uses a firm’s accounting system in making management decisions. 147 3 a. 5 Uses financial ratio analysis, financial forecasting, valuation of assets, time value of money, capital budgeting and cost of capital concepts to solve engineering management problems. 147 3 b Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to design and conduct experiments related to operations, marketing, management and finance, as well as to analyze and interpret data. b. 1 Designs an operation system and analyzes and interprets data relative to the designed system. 253 2 b. 2 Analyzes operational and financial data of organizations in case studies and organizational profiles. 251/260 2 b. 3 Conducts research related to publicly traded firms and applies financial tools to evaluate the firm as a possible investment choice. 147 2 c. Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to carry out the design of an operational system and its various components and processes for engineering management applications. c. 1 Identifies operational problem and design solutions to the problem using the appropriate quantitative and qualitative models and methods. 253/266 2 c. 2 Designs and critiques a marketing plan with typical components, while recognizing intra-firm involvements and implications. 251 2 d Engineering Management graduates will understand the importance of teams, know how to develop effective teams and have an ability to function on teams. d. 1 Functions as team player by fulfilling appropriate duties, sharing workload, communicating well and taking initiative. 251/254/260 4 d. 2 Conducts effective and efficient meetings. 254 4 e Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering management problems. e. 1 Develops model for making management decisions. 251 3 e. 2 Identifies and analyzes engineering management problems related to case studies, current events, and real-life scenarios, and recommends solutions to problems. 251/260/266. 3 f Engineering Management graduates will have an understanding of professional ethical responsibility. f. 1 Demonstrates knowledge of engineering code of ethics or other relevant code and applies code to case studies. 134 5 f. 2 Identifies an ethical dilemma and suggests a general course of action. 134/251 5 f. 3 Recognizes far-reaching implications of ethical behavior with respect to all organizational stakeholders. 299 5 g Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to communicate effectively individually and in teams. g. 1. Effectively communicates in oral presentations. 254/299 1 g. 2 Demonstrates proficiency in communication through team presentations. 254/299 1 g. 3 Demonstrates command of the written and spoken word in required technical reports and presentations. 254 1 g. 4 Understands impact of how difference in communication styles can lead to barriers in communication. 134 1 h Engineering Management graduates will have the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering and enterprise solutions in a global and societal context. h. 1. Understands concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and can give examples to illustrate concept. 134/299 6 h. 2 Effectively analyzes case and determines the impact on all stakeholders. 260 6 h. 3 Comprehends pertinent issues in global marketing and the impact of these issues on marketing decisions. 134/251 6 I Engineering Management graduates will recognize the need for and have an ability to engage in life-long learning. i. 1 Recognizes benefits of continued learning through attendance at professional presentations and through reading professional publications. 134/251 7 i. 2. Identifies, reads about, analyzes and reports on â€Å"world view† issues that are opposed to own view. 253 7 j Engineering Management graduates will have knowledge of contemporary issues related to engineering management. j. 1 Demonstrates awareness of, knowledge of, and respect for contemporary issues in engineering management, business and economics. 134/251 6 j. 2 Understands the importance of engineering to the future of society. 253 6 k Engineering Management graduates will have an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. k. 1. Utilizes electronic resources to acquire external data to solve engineering management problems. 134/251 2 k. 2 Understands and utilizes computerized accounting systems to solve engineering management problems. 147 2 k. 3 Uses Excel financial functions to solve time value of money problems. 137/147 2 k. 4 Uses Excel in the solution of operational problems. 253 2 4. Methods/Instruments and Administration Data assessment methods vary by instructor and course. However methods employed include the following: -Student response to exam questions -Student response to specific homework assignment. -Student team evaluations related to case studies and capstone senior design -Instructor assessment of case study assignments -Instructor assessment of assigned student paper -Instructor assessment of capstone senior design projects Data collection occurs during the spring (January – May) semester and last occurred during the Spring 2010 semester. If all outcomes pass according to the department agreed upon metric, no collection will occur during the fall semester. 5. Results and Changes Implemented or Planned a. All outcomes passed during the Spring 2010 assessment cycle. According to our department assessment plan as detailed during the last ABET accreditation cycle; the next assessment cycle will occur during the Spring 2011 semester. No data was collected for the Fall 2010 semester. b. Use of results No specific curriculum changes have been made due to quantified assessment results. However, curriculum change will be forthcoming as we have observed the performance of capstone senior design student members and project results. It should be noted that a more traditional capstone senior design course was added as a core/required course in the department. The department has â€Å"partnered† with several different companies in the development of problems/projects that sufficiently meet the culminating experience as required by ABET. c. Results Brought by the Changes Due to observations and overall performance of senior design capstone projects, a new course will be added to the current 26 hour core set of courses. The undergraduate curriculum committee, which is the committee that evaluates outcome and assessment data, has approved adding a course which will focus on generalized problem solving and critical thinking. We are currently evaluating potential course resources for this class. We anticipate gaining campus wide approval for the course effective for the Fall 2011 semester. It should also be noted that our Academy of Engineering Management has been very supportive of our efforts and has contributed constituent input in this process. One final note to be made to this report is that even though we will perform a full outcome evaluation during the Spring 2011 semester, concurrently we will be re-evaluating our outcomes/ performance criteria, and assessment methods.