Indian Automobile Industry Essay

A. Introduction The Automotive Industry in India is one of the larger markets in the world and had previously been one of the fastest growing globally, but is now seeing flat or negative growth rates. India’s passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing industry is the sixth largest in the world, with an annual production of more than 3.9 million units in 2011. According to recent reports, India overtook Brazil and became the sixth largest passenger vehicle producer in the world, grew 16 to 18 per cent to sell around three million units in the course of 2011-12. In 2009, India emerged as Asia’s fourth largest exporter of passenger cars, behind Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.In 2010, India beat Thailand to become Asia’s third largest exporter of passenger cars. As of 2010, India is home to 40 million passenger vehicles. More than 3.7 million automotive vehicles were produced in India in 2010 (an increase of 33.9%), making the country the second (after China) fastest growi ng automobile market in the world in that year. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, annual vehicle sales are projected to increase to 4 million by 2015, no longer 5 million as previously projected. The majority of India’s car manufacturing industry is based around three clusters in the south, west and north. The southern cluster consisting of Chennai is the biggest with 35% of the revenue share. Chennai, with the India operations of Ford, Hyundai, Renault, Mitsubishi, Nissan, BMW, Hindustan Motors, Daimler, Caparo and PSA Peugeot Citroà «n is about to begin their operations by 2014. Chennai accounts for 60% of the country’s automotive exports. The western hub near Mumbai and Pune contributes to 33% of the market. The Chakan corridor near Pune, Maharashtra is the western cluster with companies like General Motors, Volkswagen, Skoda, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar Cars, Fiat and Force Motors having assembly plants in the area. Nashik has a major base of Mahindra & Mahindra with a SUV assembly unit and an Engine assembly unit. Aurangabad with Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen also forms part of the western cluster. The northern cluster around the National Capital Region contributes 32% of the Indian market. Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana form the northern cluster where the country’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is based. Another emerging cluster is in the state of Gujarat with manufacturing facility of General Motors in Halol and further planned for Tata Nano at their plant in Sanand. Ford, Maruti Suzuki and Peugeot-Citroen plants are also set to come up in Gujarat. Kolkata with Hindustan Motors, Noida with Honda and Bangalore with Toyota are some of the other automotive manufacturing regions around the country. B. Major Players The Major Market Players C. Product Segmentation While there are multiple ways of segmenting this industry like based on price and engine size but the most prevalent and the official method is based on dimension. i.e. the length of the vehicle under consideration. A1 Segment – Mini – Up to 3400mm (M800, Nano) A2 Segment – Compact – 3401 to 4000mm (Alto, wagon r, Zen,i10,A-star,Swift,i20,palio,indica etc) A3 Segment – Midsize – 4001 to 4500mm (Manza, City, Sx4, Dzire, Logan, Accent, Fiesta, Verna etc) A4 Segment – Executive – 4501 to 4700mm (Corolla, civic, C class, Cruze, Optra, Octavia etc) A5 Segment – Premium – 4701 to 5000mm (Camry, E class, Accord, Sonata, Laura, Superb etc) A6 Segment – Luxury – Above 5000mm (Mercedes S class, 5 series etc) B1 Segment – Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment – MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment – CRV, Vitaraetc While it is easy for SIAM to segment the vehicles as per dimensions but for consumers, it becomes a tad difficult. This is primarily because of the widely varying / spread out prices of the vehicles. A 2 segment, as per the above criterion, will range between 3 lakhs to 7 lakhs. And A 3 will be between 4.5 to 9 lakhs. Such wide variation in prices has distorted the image of segments in the minds of consumers. Hence, for simplicity purposes, a different segmentation has cropped up. The details are as follows:- A Segment – Approximately below 3.5 lakhs – Alto, Eon, Nano, Spark, 800 B 1 Segment – Hatchback largely below 6 lakhs – Wagon R, Indica, Beat, Santro, A Star, Micra, Estilo B 2 Segment – Hatchback majorly below 7.5 lakhs – Swift, I 10, I 20, Ritz, Figo, Polo, Liva, Vista, Jazz, Punto, Brio, Fabia, Pulse, Aveo UVA C 1 Segment – Sedan below 8 lakhs – Dzire, Indigo, Etios, Sunny, Fiesta Classic, Verito, Accent, Ambassador, Aveo C 2 Segment – Sedan below 9.5 lakhs – Linea, Manza, Verna, Rapid, Vento, City, SX 4, Verna New, Optra D 1 Segment – Premium Sedan below 15 lakhs – Corolla, Civic, Cruze, Laura, Jetta, Fluence D 2 Segment – Luxury Sedan below 25 lakhs– Superb, Passat, Accord, Camry, Sonata, Teana, Kizashi B1 Segment – Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment – MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment – CRV, Vitaraetc If we analyze the 1st Quarter of 2012-13, then total vehicle sales has been around 6.32 lakh units. The hatchback segments has totaled to 56% of the entire passenger car sales in India. This comes to 355857 units. This clearly shows the popularity of smaller cars in the Indian market. Alto continues to be the top selling brand with 17422 in July. It is followed by Swift (11421) and Wagon R (9582) – all Maruti brands. This is an indication of how well the Maruti team has understood the Indian market. i 10, I 20, Nano, Beat, Figo, Santro& Polo are some of the high selling models in these segments and these models continue to clock more than 3000 units monthly. Nano has been a disappointment so far with huge expectations but it is showing some kind of resilience off late. As a segment, the Utility segment is showing the maximum growth. In fact, this segment has outclassed the other popular segments of A, B 1 & B 2. With 128110 units under its hood in the 1st quarter, the segment is definitely making some good progress. Maruti’sErtiga, Mahindra’s XUV 500 & Bolero has been instrumental in pushing the volumes of this segment. Innova and Omni too are raking in good numbers. What has been disappointing is the performance from the Tata Motors stable Venture, Safari and Sumo have been showing steady decline in the numbers per se but definitely possess huge potential to challenge the other models. Among the sedans, Maruti Dzire continues to lead the pack. With 11413 numbers in July, it is way ahead of its next model Verna (5300). The iconic models of City, Linea, SX4 have been showing consistent under growth and seriously calls for some introspection by their respective manufacturers. Vento & Rapid also showed some slack but given the aggression of VW and Nissan, it wont be long before they start to pull in good numbers. Tata’s Indigo and Manza were on a slightly negative terrain all these months but somehow the trend has been reversed in July. 6816 for these 2 models augurs well for the company. D. Indian Automobile Industry : Barriers to Entry (and Exit) Barriers to entry (or, BTE) are anything that hinders the movement of firms into an industry. That is, BTE reduce or eliminate the entry of new businesses into an industry. Sometimes BTE can be almost insurmountable: no new firms can enter an industry. Other times BTE can slow down the entry of new firms: new firms appear but only slow. Very low BTE, however, means that new firms can enter the industry relatively rapidly. What can act as a BTE ? 1. Amount of capital The amount of capital required to enter the auto industry is in billions of dollars. So, very few outsiders can ever hope to enter the industry. This major financial requirement services as a significant barrier to entry for many industries. The auto manufacturing industry is considered to be highly capital and labor intensive. The major costs for producing and selling automobiles include: * Labor While machines and robots are playing a greater role in manufacturing vehicles, there are still substantial labor costs in designing and engineering automobiles * Advertising Each year automakers spend billions on print and broadcast advertising, furthermore, they spent large amounts of money on market research to anticipate consumer trends and preferences 2. Limited capacity of parts suppliers Existing parts suppliers have downsized their operations to the point that they do not have excess capacity. 3. Competition There are already significant numbers of well established competitors. 4.Government regulations The stringent regulations regarding safety, design, emission standards and fuel efficiency may sometimes act as a deterrent. 5. Patent protection laws This may prevent the use of certain innovations at low cost. 6. Marketing Marketing a new brand can be difficult and very expensive. 7. Economies of scale Economies of scale give large producers a significant cost advantage over small rivals. Where a firm has grown very large and significant economies of scale exist, they can have cost competitiveness. New entrants generally start small and therefore, have much higher unit production costs than the giant firms. These new, small entrants find it nearly impossible to survive against the large rival because they just can’t be price competitive given their much larger unit production costs. 8. Entry-deterring behavior A firm can protect itself from competition by deliberately acting in a way that convinces potential competitors not to enter the industry. Some firms spend huge amounts of money on advertising to keep new rivals from starting up business. Or, firms can act exceedingly aggressive if faced with new competition by perhaps starting a major price war every time a new competitor enters their market. Lawsuits against new rivals have been used to drive them out of business or to, at the very least, raise the cost of entering the business to very high levels. 9. Knowledge and Technology Ideas and Knowledge that provides competitive advantage over others when patented prevent others from using it and thus creates barrier to entry. For eg. TATA motors have great knowledge/ experience in the automobile industry and have renowned technological advantage because of the recent acquisition and mergers. 10. Product Differentiation and Cost Advantage The new product has to be different and attractive to be accepted by the customers. Attractiveness can be measured in the terms of the features, price etc. For an entrant to attain this, it requires lot of effort as compared to an established player. TATA Nano is an example where till now, no new entrant has entered as a competitor. Barriers to Exit: Obstacles or impediments that prevent a company from exiting a market. A company may decide to exit a market because it is unable to capture market share or turn a profit or for some other reason altogether. High barriers to exit might force it to continue competing in the market. The factors that may form a barrier to exit include: 1. High investment in non-transferable fixed assetsThis is particularly common for manufacturing companies that invest heavily in capital equipment which is specific to one task. 2. High redundancy costsIf a company has a large number of employees, employees with high salaries, or contracts with employees which stipulate high redundancy payments (layoff costs), then the firm may face significant cost if it wishes to leave the market. 3. Other closure costs. Contract contingencies with suppliers or buyers and any penalty costs incurred from cutting short tenancy agreements. 4. Potential upturn Firms may be influenced by the potential of an upturn in their market that may reverse their current financial situation. 5. Government policies In India, the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 puts restrictions on employers in the matter of reducing excess staff by retrenchment, by closure of establishments and the retrenchment process involved lot of legalities and complex procedures. Also, any plans of retrenchment and reduction of staff and workforce are subjected to strong opposition by trade unions. E. Role of Non-Pricing Competition Non-price competition refers to firms competing with one another not in terms of reducing the price to attract consumers instead, in form of brand name, advertising, packaging, free home- delivery, free service, sponsorship deals and so on. These are the different forms of non-price competition. The main aim of non-price competition is product development. As products are differentiated in monopolistic competition, to prove and show how ones product is superior than others- colour, appearance, packaging, skill level etc. It is been done to create an inelastic demand for the product. Following parameters can be used for competition instead of reducing cost: Quality: If consumers must choose between two products of the same price but they can see that one is of a higher quality, they generally pick the product of higher quality. In this way, if a firm can figure out how to produce an item at a cost comparable to what its competitor charges but make it of higher quality, that firm may be able to steal the market from its competitor. Now in case of automobiles, within a given price range people generally don’t comprise with the quality aesthetics. For example : Recalls of vehicles sold. Recently, Honda Cars India Ltd recalled 42,672 units of second generation Honda City cars manufactured in 2007 and 2008 to replace their power window switch. HCIL carried out preventive part replacement of power window switch. The company is proactively replacing Power Window Switch which may malfunction in case water or any other liquid enters the driver side window. Honda Cars India is carrying out the part replacement as part of a global exercise by Honda Motor Company to ensure stringent quality standards for its products. However, a problem with this approach is that it may take some time for consumers to realize any difference in quality. Perception and Branding: In some cases, little possibility of quality differentiation exists between two products. However, the long-term sustainability of such an approach may be difficult because, as such brand advantages arise through consumer trends, consumer trends may also lead to their demise. We can take example of Hyundai’s Eon and Maruti’s Alto 800. Maruti being a well-known brand it was difficult for Hyundai Eon to compete with it. Hyundai India offers its Eon fleet within a price bracket of Rs. 2.8 to Rs. 3.8 lakhs in the country. Maruti Suzuki has pitched its Alto 800 models with a slightly humble pricing falling in the range starting from Rs. 2.4 lakhs that goes on till Rs. 3.6 lakhs in the Indian auto market. Sales Comparision between Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon Source: http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/car-nama/2012/07/13/alto-vs-eon-eight-months-on/ Product Design: In some cases, firms may compete by changing the design of their products to make them more appealing without significantly changing production costs or quality levels. Such a strategy can prove effective at stealing business from competitors, but it can also backfire, because it can cause the company to alienate its existing consumers, who may be knowingly choosing the existing design over other products with different designs specifically because it appeals to their tastes. Product Differentiation: Not all consumers are the same. By offering a range of similar products geared toward different market sectors, firms can expand their market base. However, such product differentiation can result in significantly higher overhead costs for production. For example every model has variants in following aspects: Fuel used (petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG) Cost varients (low end to high end with addition of features like sunroof, airbags etc.) Model| Price (INR)| Mileage| Volkswagon Vento PetorlTrendline| 7,29,000| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Comfortline| 7,75,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Style Limited Edition| 8,10,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Trendline| 8,44,000| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline| 8,74,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Comfortline| 8,90,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Style Limited Edition| 9,25,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline AT| 9,74,805| 14.4| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Highline| 9,89,805| 20.54| Sales Structure: When two firms are competing with similar products, one may be able to enjoy more market share and a deeper level of penetration due to a more effective and aggressive sales structure. By engaging in direct sales, firms can appeal to prospective buyers who otherwise would not feel compelled to buy due to advertising or other kinds of marketing. Multilevel marketing is one way in which firms rapidly build their consumer base. However, by turning buyers into sellers as well, such schemes may require significantly higher prices. A typical supply chain in Indian Automobile Industry Source: ImaginMor, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation The description and the role of each of the contributors to the supply chain are discussed below. Third Tier Suppliers: These companies provide basic products like rubber, glass, steel, plastic and aluminium to the second tier suppliers. Second Tier Suppliers: These companies design vehicle systems or bodies for First Tier Suppliers and OEMs. They work on designs provided by the first tier suppliers or OEMs. They also provide engineering resources for detailed designs. Some of their services may include welding, fabrication, shearing, bending etc. First Tier Suppliers: These companies provide major systems directly to assemblers. These companies have global coverage, in order to follow their customers to various locations around the world. They design and innovate in order to provide â€Å"black-box† solutions for the requirements of their customers. Black-box solutions are solutions created by suppliers using their own technology to meet the performance and interface requirements set by assemblers. First tier suppliers are responsible not only for the assembly of parts into complete units like dashboard, breaks-axel-suspension, seats, or cockpit but also for the management of second-tier suppliers. Automakers/Vehicle Manufacturers/Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs): After researching consumers’ wants and needs, automakers begin designing models which are tailored to consumers’ demands. The design process normally takes five years. These companies have manufacturing units where engines are manufactured and parts supplied by first tier suppliers and second tier suppliers are assembled. Automakers are the key to the supply chain of the automotive industry. Examples of these companies are Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda. Innovation, design capability and branding are the main focus of these companies. Dealers: Once the vehicles are ready they are shipped to the regional branch and from there, to the authorised dealers of the companies. The dealers then sell the vehicles to the end customers. Parts and Accessory: These companies provide products like tires, windshields, and air bags etc. to automakers and dealers or directly to customers. Service Providers: Some of the services to the customers include servicing of vehicles, repairing parts, or financing of vehicles. Many dealers provide these services but, customers can also choose to go to independent service providers. The increased usage of IT at different tiers of the supply chain is on the increase in all the companies in India. An important finding that emerged from the findings was that the integration of supply chain is being done at all the cities in the country i rrespective of the market share. F. Key Developments in Indian Auto Sector Major Developments & Investments * Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd is expecting to sell over 60 per cent more units this year on the back of the launch of its upgraded small car – Nissan Micra * Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) exported its first lot of 64 Fuso trucks manufactured at its Oragadam plant in Chennai. * Mahindra USA, a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), will set up an assembly and distribution centre, expanding one of the four tractor facilities in North America, by January 2014 * The Japan-based automobile manufacturer Isuzu Motors’ local subsidiary Isuzu Motors India has entered into an agreement with Hindustan Motors (HM) for contract manufacturing of Isuzu SUVs and pickup trucks * A year after introducing the popular ‘MINI’ range of cars in India, luxury car maker BMW has started local production of ‘MINI Countryman’ at its facility in Chennai * New Holland Fiat India plans to invest Rs 1,100 crore (US$ 184.56 million) to set up a new green-field pl ant in Maharashtra and also to increase its tractor manufacturing capacity by 50 per cent in the next three years * Hero MotoCorp has bought a 49.2 per cent stake in its US-based technology partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR) for US$ 25 million. This is Hero MotoCorp’s first-ever equity purchase in an overseas company. Also, Hero MotoCorp has entered into the African continent with launch of its brand and products in Kenya, where it has also set up an assembly unit. The company has also partnered with Ryce East Africa to sell its two-wheelers in the country * Daimler is developing its Indian commercial vehicle operations as an export hub. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) will export locally assembled trucks from the conglomerate’s Mitsubishi Fuso range in 15 markets in Asia and Africa. Government Initiatives The Government of India plans to introduce fuel-efficiency ratings for automobiles to encourage sale of cars that consume less petrol or diesel, as per Mr. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The Union Budget 2013-14 announced by Mr. P Chidambaram, the Union Finance Minister, Government of India, in the Parliament on February 28, 2013, had a few add-ons for the industry. The analysis by Deloitte on the Union Budget highlighted the following: * The period of concession available for specified part of electric and hybrid vehicles till April 2013 has been extended upto March 31, 2015 * The basic customs duty (BCD) on imported luxury goods such as high-end motor vehicles, motor cycles, yachts and similar vessels was increased. The duty was raised from 75 percent to 100 percent on Cars / motor vehicles (irrespective of engine capacity) with CIF value more than US$ 40,000; from 60 percent to 75 percent on motorcycles with engine capacity of 800cc or more and on yachts and similar vessels from 10 percent to 25 percent * In addition, an increase in excise duty from 27 to 30 per cent has been allowed for SUVs with engine capacity exceeding 1,500 cc, while excise duty was decreased from 80 to 72 per cent, in case of SUVs registered solely for taxi purposes * An exemption from BCD on lithium ion automotive battery for manufacture of lithium ion battery packs for supply to manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles * The excise duty on chassis of diesel motor vehicles for transport of goods reduced from 14 per cent to 13 per cent Moreover, the Government of India allows 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the automotive industry through automatic route. The Government also plans to accelerate the supply of electric vehicles over the next eight years. It is expected that there will be a demand for 5-7 million electricity-operated vehicles by 2020. The contribution of automotive sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to double, reaching a turnover worth US$ 145 billion in 2016, with special focus on export of small cars, MUVs, two & three wheelers and auto components, as per the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2006-2016. Road Ahead Global and Indian manufacturers are focusing their efforts to develop innovative products, technologies and supply chains in the industry. Car makers are launching a slew of car models, mostly compact SUVs, in the coming months. The automobile body SIAM expects the launches to be able to brighten the market. Lastly, the vision of AMP 2006-2016 sees India, â€Å"to emerge as the destination of choice in the world for design and manufacture of automobiles and auto components with output reaching a level of US$ 145 billion; accounting for more than 10 per cent of the GDP and providing additional employment to 25 million people by 2016.† G. Major Challenges and Suggested Measures Challenges: 1. Strong decline in economic growth- * It affects the consumer buying behavior- Buyers driven by fear of job loss, moved aggressively to increase their rate of saving. At the same time, high cost and growing longevity of motor vehicles prompted buyers to postpone purchases that they might have otherwise made. * Freezing of credit markets meant cancelledorders, unpaid supplier invoices, and ‘temporarily’ shuttered plants. * High excise duty- 12 % for sub 4 meters cars and 24 % for over 4 meters cars. * High interest rates as well as difficulty to obtain loans for purchase. 2. Duplicate spare parts- Indian market has always suffered from duplicate products and cheap counterfeits. This puts pressure on OEMs to reduce the prices and compete with these cheaper counterfeits. According to the study conducted by market research agency nielson co with acma, 41 % of total spare parts belong to OEMs and OESes, 23 % belong to imported segment and 36 % are duplicate. 3. Lack of infrastructure- Lack of proper road infrastructure, resulting into heavy Traffic has become major concern in most of the cities in India. Parking problem, parking cost adds to it. Bad roads, Bad drivers on road further add to the problem. 4. Availability of skilled man-power- As per data published by NSDC(National Skill Development Corporation), automobile sector in India is going to face a shortfall of 35 million skilled manpower by 2022. Limited availability of skilled manpower is bound to pose a great challenge to the positive growth of the Indian automotive manufacturing industry. 5. High Ownership cost- Small car sales are likely to fall by a couple of percentage points in 2013-14 due to continued uncertainty over income growth, high fuel costs arising from a deprecating rupee and still relatively high inflation.Diesel cars will lose their sheen, particularly in the small car segment, due to the gradual deregulation of diesel prices and the expected fall in petrol prices. 6. IR related issues- The $73 billion automobile sector has witnessed abhorrent industrial unrest in the recent 5 years with disputes in Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, Rico,Hyundai, Ashok Leyland, MRF, Apollo Tyres, Sona Koyo and Toyota Kirloskar Motors Ltd. Thissector, to generate double revenue needs a flexible workforce of 25 million with an amicableatmosphere to hire and fire workers to cope with the cyclical swings in demand for cars, trucksand bikes but the archaic labour laws governing employment of contract labour has fan thesetensions. This speculates the lack of efficient implementation machinery. Industrial unrestsaccompanying murders of the executives have also been committed in 2-3 instances recently,demonstrating the urging to address the issue by the social partners. 7. Global competition— Competition will only increase in the years to come, as more international players enter India and the pace of innovation accelerates. This would elevate both R&D and selling and distribution costs, thereby impacting margins. Despite these headwinds, India would continue to remain an attractive market, as volumes across segments are projected to grow at a five-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10 per cent. Suggested Measures India has a very low car penetration about 10 per 1000. This number is expected to become 382 by 2025, this means that there is plenty of room to each automobile giant to grow in Indian market without affecting the volume of other competitors. Few of the following suggested measures may have a bounce back effect on the Indian Automobile Industry; 1. Friendly government policies: Tax benefits for R&D development and Skill related investments, subsidies for hybrid vehicles are the measures if taken can boost the Indian automobile sector. Similarly extension of 200 % weighted deduction of R & D expense under income tax law andweighted deduction of 150 % for expenditure in skill development by industries seem to be positive steps towards the cause. 2. Healthy Industrial Relations through better contract worker policies: As in most of the developed countries thecontract workers are covered under the social security provisions and are paid at par with the permanent workers. Such transparent policies may definitely promote positive industrial relations and foster industrial growth. 3. Technology up gradation measures-Automobile industry is slowing down, but at the same time we are seeing long waiting periods for new launches, which means people are no longer going for same old trusty brands and models and want more value for their money. Which gives me hopes that if Auto makers focus on launching more new models and more global launches they will surely find customers. 4. Promoting Hybrid vehicles or better fuel efficiency—To counter the problems of high fuel prices, it’s the need of the hour to develop higher fuel efficient products and also the products running on alternative fuel to decrease the ownership cost. For this concession on import duty on specified parts of hybrid vehicles are necessary. Stringent laws and strict exercise to eliminate spurious auto-spare part business. 5. Ensuring easy loan availability–The industry should also approach the banks and NBFCs for better and easier loan availability to the car buyers. 100% finance and lower EMI with longer loan tenure will definitely help.

Aloe Vera Extract Aloe barbadensis

In addition, vitamin A regulates the production of retention acid, a metabolite of retinal which is needed for hair Rexroth. Carrot is an excellent source of antioxidants which help counteract the damaging effects of free radicals that cause hair loss and hair thinning problems. Lime Fruit The first fruit that comes to our minds when it comes to medicinal uses is perhaps the good old lime. This sour citrus fruit can do what many specialist medicines cannot. Lime, bearing the scientific name Citrus Urination, is being used for ages for treatment of various ailments.Lime is consumed throughout the world in sorbets, beverages, refreshing drinks, pickles, Jams, Jellies, snacks, candies, sugar boiled confectioneries and culinary and the oil extracted from its peel or skin is extensively used in soft drink concentrates, body oils, cosmetics, hair oils, tooth pastes, toilet and beauty soaps, disinfectants, mouth washes, deodorants and innumerable other products. There are many varieties of lime found all over the world, particularly in the tropical and the Mediterranean climates.Lime has been used in food preparation and in other non – cooking purposes because of its flavor and tangy odor. When mixed with albumen and aloe Vera, the scent could neutralize the foul odor of the egg albumen and aloe Vera. Albumen (Egg White) The other sub-ingredient of this project is Albumen also known as egg white, is about two-thirds of the total egg's weight out of its shell with nearly 90% of that weight coming from water. The remaining weight of the egg white comes from protein, trace minerals, fatty material, vitamins, and glucose. Egg white has no dietary cholesterol.Egg white or albumen has been used in the formulation of skincare cosmetics due to its soothing effects on the skin. Pharmaceutical companies also use albumen as one of its ingredients in the manufacture of some drugs. Except for its odor, according to old folks, egg whites have been utilized as hair stiffness in hairstyling synthetic or commercial hair sprays are not yet extensively distributed in the market. Beauty products abound in the market and based on surveys, hairstyling products constitute one of the beauty products frequently bought by consumers.Hairstyling sprays, for one, are used not only by teen aged boys and girls alike but of all ages. These hairsprays, usually from synthetic materials, tend to remove the keratin of the hair. As such, the hair loses its natural shine and becomes brittle due to long usage. Continuous application has been known to damage the hair. Extract from carrot root crops on the other hand when applied to the hair produced a known color. If it will be mixed with a stiffener it could be a potential hairstyling spray with a brownish dye.With the great emphasis on personal grooming and personal looks being advertised these days without regard to the negative effects of synthetically manufactured beauty products, the researchers thought of using extract o f carrot root crops with aloe Vera extract, lime Juice and albumen as hairstyling spray, hair retirement at the same time as hair dye to serve as alternative to commercial hairstyling sprays. General Objectives 1. To find out the holding capacity of carrot root crops, aloe Vera extract, lime Juice extracts, albumen mixture as hairstyling spray to different types of hairs. . To assess the sheen produced by Aloe Vera Caroline Hairstyling Spray and Hair Treatment. 3. To evaluate the scent of the Aloe Vera Caroline Hairstyling Spray and Hair Treatment. Spray and Hair 4. To evaluate the effectiveness of Aloe Vera Caroline Hairstyling Treatment as an alternative treatment for dry and dull hair 5. Commercial hairstyling spray. Hairstyling sprays are readily available in the market and are frequently used without regard of the consequences and side effects it can have on the hair such as stiffness, dry and dull among others.At times, a combination of these commercially produced hairstyling products are applied on the hair to achieve a certain kind of look unmindful of the damage it can do to the hair. Hairstyling sprays from organic and herbal plants are not only economical but also environmentally friendly. The used of organic hairstyling spray and hair treatment as well will not only decrease health hazards experience by people using hairstyling prays but also cut the costs spent for these materials.Scope and Limitations Two hundred grams of fresh medium size carrot crops and 1 chicken egg bought from the market, five hundred grams of aloe Vera plant and 3 pieces of randomly picked lime fruit from the researcher's backyard were used in the study. The Juice of the carrot crops, aloe Vera plant and lime were extracted and mixed with the egg albumen. The respondents were the pupils of Pascal's Elementary School. The experiment was conducted last September 2012 at Pascal's Elementary School with the supervision of the science teacher. A school nurse from Algae M.Pascal' s Memorial National High School and some faculty members and the school head were also present during the conduct of the experiment. The variables tested were holding capacity on any types and condition of hair, sheen, scent, as hair treatment and also cost of the hairstyling spray. Other parameters relative to the study were not included. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Aloe Vera Most of us are not aware of the fact, that aloe Vera is a miraculous plant that contains many nutrients including amino acids, minerals, enzymes, vitamins, saccharine, login.The similarity is so evident, that no other plant matches the human body's biochemistry this closely. Aloe Vera has positive effects not only the skin, but it has also proved to be beneficial to hair. It helps heal the scalp and balances the pH levels as it cleans the pores. Aloe Vera is a natural hair conditioner and you can very well replace aloe Vera for the chemical laden conditioner, which you are currently using. Aloe Vera is one of the main ingredients in a number of aloe hair shampoo and conditioners, which are available in the market.It actually contains all the ingredients required for cleaning ND conditioning in the hair. When aloe Vera is used for an extended period of time, it makes the hair healthy and dense. Aloe Vera is a succulent perennial plant belonging to the lily family. It grows wild in Madagascar and large portions of the African continent. Because of its many countries in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Many individuals also grow aloe Vera as a house plant. Aloe Vera gel is used to treat minor surface irritations, to reduce even has a reputation as a beauty aid.Various research studies are underway to explore the potential of aloe Vera components to boost immunity and combat HIVE iris, and to treat certain types of cancer (particularly leukemia). Let may even have a role to play in managing diabetes. Carrot Crops Carrot has a thick, fleshy, deeply colored root, which grows underground, and feathery green leaves that emerge above ground. It belongs to the Unbeliever family along with parsnips, fennel caraway, cumin and dill which all have the umbrella – like flower clusters that characterize this of plants.Carrots are biennial plants cultivated popularly as table vegetable. It is native to Eurasia and North Temperate Zone. During the first season of its growth, it forms a rosette of finely vided leaves and stores a surplus of food in its root, which then becomes large and fleshy. Roots are the edible parts and they vary from globular to long and tapering. The roots contain a volatile oil and fixed oil, leaves and seeds contain alkaloids and the seeds contain a bitter colloidal which is found to have soothing effects on the intestinal walls.It contains proteins, magnesium and potassium. Carotene, the orange coloring matter of the root is a good source of pro – vitamin A. Carrots was introduced in the Philippines where it grew abundantly especially in the h igher altitudes of the region like Bungee. Hence, carrots are common vegetable product of the province and one of the leading farm products of the region. Eight. Eggs are protein. So you use it in your hair for strengthening it up. The protein helps prevent breaking of the hair. It's good you used a moisturizing shampoo afterwards.Protein strengthens so you always want to use something to soften to soften it up. Blaming is the main protein found in white egg, making up 60-65% of the total protein. Blaming displays sequence and three-dimensional homology to the serpents superficial, but unlike most serpents it is not a serine protease inhibitor. The function of blaming is unknown, although it is presumed to be a storage protein. Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid (also called albumen or the glarier/ glarier) contained within the egg.It is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around eit her fertilize or unfertile egg. It consists mainly of about 15% proteins dissolved in water. Its primary natural purpose is to protect the egg yolk and provide additional nutrition for the growth of the embryo, as it rich in proteins in also of high nutritional value. Unlike the egg yolk, it contains a negligible amount of fat. Cooks have many culinary and non-culinary uses for egg whites. Mousse for example.Egg white also is a viscous 10% solution of proteins and peptides and minerals in water. These proteins are highly nutritive for humans by their amino acids composition, which have been noted several decades ago. In addition, the egg albumen has unique functional properties and food systems, such as stabile foam production. Later it has been noticed that the components of the albumen possess micro-biocide's and other new functional properties. Albumen is a water soluble rotten that coagulates when heated and found in plasma and egg whites.Albumen has been used to soothe irritate d skin or skin rashes. Lime is a citrus fruit belonging to the Rue family (Reeducate). Its fruits like other acids and has a tangy flavor. The fruit Juice is tonic, rejuvenating and refresher. It is native to Southeastern Asia and has been cultivated for thousands of years. In the Philippines, lime is commonly known as adapt and is commonly planted throughout the country in the settled areas for its fruit. It makes a very pleasant aide and is extensively used for flavoring food and for drinks.A native of the Indo- Malay region, it is now cultivated in all warm regions of the world. Dependent Variable Acceptable holding capacity on the different types of hair, sheen, scent and hair treatment compared to the commercial hair spray Independent Variable Aloe Vera, Carrot Root Crops, Lime Fruit and Egg White Extract Controlled Commercial Hair Spray (Michaels Hair Spray) This chapter presents the methodology and the procedures which were employed by the researchers.It includes the locale o f the study, research design, experimental lay-out and the statistical measures which were utilized in the conduct of the study. Locale and population of the study This research was conducted at Pascal's Elementary School Home Economics Room; Buy, Duding, Tuition, Bungee. The experiment variables were 10 pairs of respondents comprised of 1 male and 1 female per pair with different types and 2 pairs of respondents comprised of 1 male and 1 female per pair suffering from dull and dry hair.Research Design Experiment was performed using the completely randomized design (CRUD). The two hundred grams of carrot root crops and one chicken egg were randomly handpicked from the market while the lime fruit and aloe Vera plant was randomly nitpicked from garden of the school. Materials To determine the effect of carrot root crop, aloe Vera extract, lime Juice extracts and albumen mixture as hairstyling sprays at the same time as hair treatment, the following laboratory materials were used by th e researchers during the conduct of the experiment.Five 250 ml beakers, one sterile, four – inch kitchen knife, one plastic strainer, five pieces filter papers, one grater, one graduated cylinder, twelve test tubes, electric blender and five spray bottles. Other materials used include carrot root crops, aloe Vera plants, lime fruit, albumen and 10% zone. Procedure A. Collection of Aloe Vera, Carrot Root Crops, Lime Fruit and Egg Two hundred grams of carrot root crops and 1 egg were randomly handpicked from the market while lime fruit and aloe Vera plant was randomly handpicked from the backyard of the school.B. Cleaning, Disinfection of Aloe Vera Plant, Carrot Root Crops, Lime Fruit and Egg 1 . Five hundred grams of aloe Vera plant were placed in a small pan and soaked in water with 10 ml 10% zone solution for 1 minute. 2. Two hundred grams of carrot root crops and 1 egg were randomly handpicked were placed in a 12 inch in diameter plastic plate and soaked in water with 5 ml 10% moron solution for 1 minute. Afterwards, it was sieved and air dried under the shade. 3.Two pieces lime fruit randomly handpicked was taken and placed in a saucer washed with soap and water, and soaked in water with 5 ml 10% zone solution in a minute. Afterwards, it was sieved and air dried under shade. C. Extraction of Aloe Vera Plant, Carrot Root Crop, and Lime Fruit Juice strainer to separate the unneeded parts. The strained extract was blended in an electric blender so that it will be filled with air and become finer.

Proper Way to Live by Confucianism and Taoism Essay

Proper Way to Live by Confucianism and Taoism Introduction             Confucianism and Taoism are ideologies that originated from China. These two ideologies have become very influencing though they have been known to be different in various approaches. The analysis of this paper will include introduction of the main ideologies of Confucianism and Taoism, and it is also providing a comparison between the two ideologies. Confucianism             It is a word used for the ideologies of Confucius, a scholar that existed at the time of warring states. The keyword of Confucianism generally is the concept of humanism (Ritzer 37). Among the five virtues of Confucianism are Humanism, Righteousness, Principle, Knowledge, and Integrity. Taoism             He was a scholar who like the others lived in the period of the warring states, and had a different approach in his ideologies. Tao is the main concept of Taoism, meaning â€Å"way.† It is described as a spontaneous, natural, external way of things, as well as the way they pursue their course (Ritzer 38). The argument of many philosophies is that in case people are going to let everything in life to flow in their own way, then everything would definitely work out, like in the starts of his argument in this case it affirms the word â€Å"refrain.†             While Confucianism has emphasized more on humans and their capabilities, Taoism has emphasized nature and equality. According to Confucius when an individual has faults, he should not have fear in abandoning them. Confucianism recognizes the need to be strong by shunning away any set back from other people who do not recognize the ability that you possess as portrayed by the statement â€Å"Do not grieve when people fail to recognize your ability, Grieve for your lack of ability.† Never listen or be bothered with what they think about your ability but always rise-up to the occasion and not grieve. These concepts are what Confucius was using in bringing order and peace to society and he was considered successful in doing so. Based on the facts that his argument on life emphasizes more on the importance of human relations, it is still influential.             Confucius recognizes what a noble mind aspires to â€Å"slow to speak and quick to act,† in the same way the ancient people spoke little, similarly Lao Tzu view that life is supposed to be with little quarrels in order to avoid quarrelling with other people. Confucius viewed life to be all about loyalty, ready to change whenever wrong, always standing by your words, as well as choosing only the kindred as your friends.             Taoism has emphasized humbleness and gratefulness throughout life, â€Å"†¦have little and gain; Have much and be confused.† Taoism also has considered humbleness in life in another perspective; standing by your own words as a way of being humble. The philosopher describes wise men as setting example to all and in order for that to happen a wise man must always stand by his own word, a character that can be desired and be emulated â€Å"†¦.And set an example to all†¦.They shine forth.†             Taoism view about life has been considered as perhaps too mystical. It can be criticized to be just an ideology that is trying to escape reality. Moreover, as much as Taoism could give a skeptical view, it failed to provide a realistic solution about life.             However, Confucius as a philosophy has a deeper sense of life with realistic solution, especially regarding the opinion that other people have about some other people. According to Confucius, people should not just be comfortable with the way they have been described and give title whether positive or negative. When they talk good about other people, do not just take the complement and remain comfortable, investigate and find out the reason behind being good to them. This is always more serious when they hate you. Since there are many reasons behind somebody holding an opinion about another person, it is indeed important to investigate more why other people have decided to have that opinion, this is because there may be genuine reason behind doing so which may just be a misunderstanding of what was wrongly perceived.             According to Confucius just like Taoism in some aspects every individual is required to act with virtue in every social matters, family, community, state, and kingdom, mainly to ensure order and unity. Though these two philosophies may have taken different philosophies, they have in one way or the other succeeded in shaping of the society in terms of their way of life and their approach to life. Realistic or not realistic their ideologies stand to stay and the perceiving mind is what should embrace and accept the reality. Conclusion             Following the rise of individualism and freedom, the modern society always forgets their manners and patience. Most of the people tend to be selfish, rude, and having over high esteem about themselves. Just as emphasized by Confucius in his time, people should learn to be calm and respectful in life. Also Taoism has pointed out the need to learn being free, empty our minds, as well as clear our souls. This is because nobody in this world that do not need peace of minds. References Ritzer, George. Contemporary Sociological Theory and Its Classical Roots: The Basics. McGraw-Hill, 2009. 37–38. Print. Source document

Examine the role of the contract administrator under a JCT traditional Essay

Examine the role of the contract administrator under a JCT traditional contract in terms of the functions, duties and powers that he is granted as well as the p - Essay Example Most JCT contracts would require the employment and contribution of an architect or a contract administrator who would administer the contract. The contract administrator is the only one who decides which contract to use and should also have the sufficient knowledge to understand the terms and administer contract provisions1. JCT provides the basis or guidelines according to which the contracts could be administered. It is important to understand the JCT guidelines in order to decide on the most appropriate JCT form of contract2. JCT helps in providing the guide for the appropriate contract. Some of the contract forms which do not require a contract administrator include the Contractors Design Form, Building Contract for a home owner/occupier, Construction Management Form and the Management Contract Form. However most construction projects require contracts that implemented by the contract administrator. This essay discusses the crucial role of the contract administrator and highlights the problems associated with failure to carry out the responsibilities of a contract administrator adequately. Powl and Skitmore (2005) have surveyed project managers of construction projects who also have the duties of contract administrator and have claimed that in certain cases project managers are overworked although there may be several hindrances to their effectiveness in the management. Issues that could help in making project managers more effective and productive in their job include more awareness and participation within their own organisation for progress and development of the organisation, more general administrative support and greater responsibilities in matters of contract administration3. The importance of trust and contractual relationships has been highlighted in several studies and the contract administrator is responsible for building this trust

Egyptian human rights organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Egyptian human rights organizations - Essay Example A. In a four part article entitled "The Effect of the Emergency Law on the Human Rights Situation In Egypt: 1992-2002," the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights traces the historical background of emergency law in Egypt throughout the twentieth century. According to the facts offered, the history of emergency laws in Egypt can be traced back to 1914, at which time it was first enacted due to the break out of World War I ("History" ). Significant to mention for purpose of discussion is that one of the laws enacted under the wider emergency law was the Gathering Law 10 of 1914 ("Conclusion"). Noteworthy here is that during this period in history, Egypt was increasingly falling under British political control and World War I was, as it may have been interpreted by Egyptian masses at that time, a war against Britain and her allies by Germany and her allies. This meant that there was an atmosphere of great excitement among the Egyptian population, many of whom supported a British defeat believing that would mean liberation for Egypt. Accordingly, within this politically tense and unstable climate, demonstrations were carried out by Egyptians against the British, their foreign occupiers. Accordingly, emergency laws and the law of gathering which accompanied it, were passed in order to control the growing resentment against Britain and to limit, as much as possible, public demonstrations against it. B. Within this context, it is possible to state that Egypt experienced its first emergency laws at the hands of its enemy and occupier and was explicitly intended to subdue the Egyptian masses, deprive them of the right to demand their freedom and liberation, and limit their ability to fight for this freedom ("Conclusion"). In other words, it was a law passed by an occupier and a colonizer to ensure continued occupation and colonization. C. Now you will explain that the Egyptian people continued to suffer from emergency rule, except for a couple of brief breaks, until the revolution of 1952. In other words, in the pre-revolutionary period and due to the circumstances of occupation, emergency laws were part of Egyptian political climate. III. Emergency Law Under Nasser: Post-1952: A. " the emergency law that the regime inherited in 1952 had two chief features: it gave the government very strong powers (for instance, verdicts of military courts could not be appealed but were submitted to the military governor for approval), and it could be portrayed as a creation of the British" (Brown 82-83). B. With a new government in place, many Egyptian intellectuals and nationalist emphasized the second feature of the emergency law. Unfortunately, the Nasser regime preferred to focus on the first feature, insofar as it gave them the power to deal effectively with all those elements

Zara Digital Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zara Digital Strategy - Assignment Example It is of the essence to note that there are various players when it comes to the clothing industry. These firms have also adapted rigorous strategies to ensure that they tap into the market potential and maintain the customers which they gain in the process. In the case of Zara, the first thing which should be embraced is to do with technology. The contemporary world is one which is marred with a lot of digital content. In this connection, the company ought to establish a significant presence on the internet. The website should be optimized for the purpose of ensuring it can be easily found and the information on it can be easily accessed. The company can also partner with search engine companies and include advertisements on the web pages that are searched. This will ensure that a significant number of web users are aware of the company and the activities it engages in. Still in the case of internet presence, the company should have a presence on popular social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook. This is because such sites have a significant number of users who may have an interest on the products which are on offer. The information on these sites relating to the company should be continually updated to reflect the happenings within the company especially with regards to the products. The main idea in the case of the marketing is to get as many people as possible to know about the products which Zara has to offer. At the same time, these people should also be shown that they can acquire the products which are on offer. The target market with regards to the products cuts across all age groups; ranging from the young even to people in their elderly years. Similarly, the prices of the commodities are mid range. This means that a significant number of individuals can own the clothes. The marketing activity is one which can take quite a lot of financial outlay. However, the most important thing is to ensure

Process-Analysis Essay on How to Ask Someone Out

Process-Analysis on How to Ask Someone Out - Essay Example In order to prepare to ask someone out, it is important to get to know that person a bit better first, perform random acts of kindness for them, and gauge their opinion of you before you ask them out.The first step in asking someone out is to get to know them beforehand. The reason for this is simple—you will be able to see what their personality is like and also you can judge whether he or she would be a waste of your time or not. The purpose of learning more about their personality is to that you can figure out if the other person will be compatible with you. Too many people take the plunge without realizing that it would never work out due to a personality clash. From this point, you can decide whether to push ahead with your plans or not.The second step to ask someone out is to be noticed by them. There is no point in asking someone out if they don't really know who you are because they will likely say no. Try to get their attention by performing random acts of kindness fo r them, but don't go overboard because otherwise, it will look like you are trying too hard. Getting the right balance is crucial because this will either help them to catch your attention or it will turn them right off you.The final step of the process to ask someone out is to figure out if there is a chance for a connection or not. This can only be done once all the other steps have been completed because there will be moments when you can see what a potential relationship will look like. If you feel that there is a high chance of receiving a successful response, then go ahead and ask your crush out. If, however, you don't feel like you will receive a positive response then either go back to one of the previous steps and try again or simply move on from that person.

Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Critical Analysis - Essay Example disharmonious because in a democracy individual citizens have to make difficult political choices, with no guarantees that the choice is the correct solution. It is also disharmonious because the end results of public deliberations in any community on a controversial subject will differ, because of the autonomy that each individual enjoys in a democratic society. It is the perception of the author that disharmony in a democratic society will ebb only when there is mutual respect in the political choices made by the different individuals that make up the society. Quoting from Schumpeter 1943 p. 269, the author presents the understanding of democracy from the perspective of Schumpeter as â€Å"that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for peoples vote†. The author argues against this understanding of democracy. While pointing out to the strength of this understanding of democracy through its recognition of the basis of democracy in the competition for the votes of the people, the author derides its lack of projecting any value for the process of competing for the vote of the people. The author uses the example of the apartheid regime in South Africa and the rule of the Communist dictator Stalin to reinforce this argument. The author finds further support from Robert Dahl, 1989, who argues that such an understanding of democracy does not differentiate from autocracy. The author proposes that populist democracy as an understanding of is founded on the basis of â€Å"people ruling themselves as free and equal beings rather than being ruled by an external power or by a self-elected minority among themselves.† In other words the stress in populist democracy is on the will of the people. To this end then there are built in constraints to ensure that decisions in the democratic society reflect popular will. An example of this is in the rule of law, as against the

Photojournalism and Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Photojournalism and Ethics - Research Paper Example Lewkowicz’s project is set in the social context. It touches on an issue that many people ought to be silent about; domestic violence. Violence in the relationship context elicits mixed reactions whenever a case goes public. Lewkowicz’s project is undertaken at a personal level and presented to the public. It is also backed up by a professional player, which is Lewkowicz. In the process, the project raises a number of ethical issues. Lewkowicz’s involvement in family matters is undertaken within a framework that goes beyond the underlying professional goals. While the primary goal is to practice photojournalism, Lewkowicz seems to go too much into detail when interacting with the couple. The applicable aspect of photojournalism in making private follow-ups relative to the project raised ethical eyebrows. Over and above this, Lewkowicz’s conduct when the physical violence starts between the couple is ethically questionable. In other words, there seems to be a broken line between the provisions of practicing photojournalism and the manner in which Lewkowicz handled domestic violence right in her presence. A critical ethical concern arises relative to the motive behind documenting Shane and Maggie. The couple is undoubtedly going through the many marriage challenges experienced by other couples all over the world. From an ethical point of view, is Lewkowicz really into what she claims or is she making a name for herself through the couple? The personal-professional-documentation factor combination leaves so much to be desired in terms of Lewkowicz’s interest in a specific couple’s case of domestic violence. In the light of the events that unfolded between Maggie and Shane, Lewkowicz cannot be said to have acted ethically. Her main interest in the project is heavily built on results and outcomes. In other words, she is trying to answer the question: What happened next and what was the implication? For this reason, she primarily

Professional Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Professional Application - Essay Example Some of the best practice and ideas are looked into and the essential settlement of ideas is brought to the fore. A variety of communication objectives are provided. The research also analyzes the targeted market audience. In a nutshell the research paper in depth talks about the marketing strategies that could be employed by the Steve Marden footwear company that aims to break the barriers in its line of business and enjoy a more market base unlike its rivals. Introduction Marketing communication involves bringing the products of a firm to the market and creating awareness that the product exists. It also involves other relevant information by the suppliers to the consumers that could be improvements on quality or branding. Marketing communication consists of the place, price promotion and the product. Methods and techniques of promotion differ with the product and the number of people targeted. It considers the types or groups of people the advertisement is reaching out to, their a ge gap, the kind of media they are most likely to come into contact with most of the time. Steve Marden limited which is a recognized footwear brand aims to make use of the integrated marketing campaign technique so as to rise above their competitors and to also maximize their sales and realize better revenue. One of the most common issues that affect product marketing is the message relay technique. This is an Achilles heel in the Steve Marden limited company. Once a technical team is tasked with the aim of marketing a product, they have to give it an appealing marketing message that will bring out the curiosity effect amongst the targeted market. Here are a number of the technical techniques employed by the marketing team. Steve Marden Limited is aiming to break the barriers in terms of marketing its footwear products. It first needs to re-strategize the marketing department of the company so as to bring in the people who will drive the sales of the company upwards. The marketing team will need to come up with a theme or logo that defines Steve Marden Limited and defines the company amongst its competitors. These is a major step in allowing Steve Marden Limited to be the major footwear brand it aims to be. Brochures hold a lot of information that needs to be passed onto the targeted audience, and also they are easy to fold and pass around. Many can be created at the same time and provide for large coverage without being bulky. Direct mailing gives promotion a sense of personal touch. Mail can also be customized for different people accordingly so as to meet their needs and motivate them. Newsletters contain useful organizational information that needs to be communicated appropriately. Posters and bulletins as well provide a means to reach consumers. However they are often not paid attention and are effective when you place them strategically where the customers are likely to see and notice them. Posters should also be kept neat and made attractive to be noti ced. Social networks that involve discussion groups are effective methods of promoting and advertising products. The social network is cheap to operate with and very fast media. It would involve sites like Facebook alongside company blogs and websites. (Belch & Belch, 2012) Television can sometimes be quite expensive; however, it is a very effective medium as it reaches a very extensive population and grows in popularity with time. Radio on the other hand is also an effective tool of advertisement as it reaches a good population. Even so,

The Rampart Scandal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Rampart Scandal - Essay Example The LAPD's motto is 'To protect and serve' (Los Angeles Police Department, 2008). However, through numerous occasions involving corruption, obstructions of justice, racially motivated beatings and officers drug dealing, the city's police force's image has been tarnished and re-tarnished again and again as being recognized as an law enforcement agency unlike any other the country or the world has ever seen. Lawlessness as it would seem, has always been one of the key ingredients that keeps this law-enforcing agency a household name in the city of Los Angeles. The concept of a police department came after the city's second City Marshal Jack Whaling was murdered in 1853 (Los Angeles Police Department, 2008). His killer met his death at the hands of a bounty hunter, thus prompting the city's first chief, Dr. A.W. Hope to organize the Los Angeles Rangers. The Los Angeles Rangers volunteered to help the County Sheriff and Marshal. A white ribbon identified these new rangers, which had the words imprinted, "City Police - Authorized by the Council of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Police Department, 2008). The city's police department has always had a sen... Foster was mayor. The mayor saw it fit to lead a mob of people, which removed a criminal suspect from jail and hang him (Los Angeles Police Department, 2008). Mayor Foster was promptly reelected. Such actions were looked upon as normal, even praised at the times. However, an event such as this was just the fist step on a journey through the LAPD's history of its brand of no holds bar, Wild West type of judgment, when policing the community. Racial tensions between the LAPD and its constituents have seemed to be the social norm for the city Los Angeles. A look at a law in 1850 revealed that racial tension was protected under the state's statutes and was upheld by California's Supreme Court. According to Los Angeles Police Department, (2008), No black or mulatto person, or Indian, shall be permitted to give evidence in favor of, or against, any white person. Every person who shall have one-eighth part or more of Negro blood shall be deemed a mulatto and every person who shall have one-half of Indian blood shall be deemed Indian (p.1). Asian Americans suffered the same fate of persecution under the law, as this law extended to them as well. The racially motivated violence perpetuated in the city did nothing to reform the laws that governed the community. As more and more Chinese settled in the city looking for work on the railroads and in the mines, tension between White and Asian began to escalate at an alarming rate. The Los Angeles Massacre, which occurred on October 24, 1871, was believed to have been a dispute between two Chinese named Yo Hing and Sam Yuen (Los Angeles Massacre Site, 2004). The two men arguing led to Yo Hing being shot. The dispute continued in to the next day, as Officer Bilderrain

Arab-Israeli War of 1973 Essay Example for Free

Arab-Israeli War of 1973 Essay The Arab-Israeli War was an armed conflict initiated by the Arab nations of Egypt and Syria against Israel on October 6, 1973 in an effort to reclaim territories that Israel had controlled since the Six Day War of 1967. The date holds special significance to the Jewish calendar, being Yom Kippur, hence this war is also known as the Yom Kippur War. Though Israel was caught by surprise and experienced severe losses during the war, assistance from the United States military led to a cease-fire less than three weeks later. In the aftermath, Israel retained its territories and its aftermath had far ranging effects on the geopolitics of the Middle East. First, the victory of Israel had an uplifting effect on its population. Its military had been seen to have grown largely complacent following the Six Day War. However, despite initial defeats, they managed a successful turnaround of the Yom Kippur War’s outcome. As such, despite the surprise advantage of Egypt and Syria they had regained the upper hand in less than two weeks, though at a high cost in casualties. In effect, Israel woke up to the reality that their military supremacy in the region was not absolute. (Rabinovich 498) Second, by granting support to Israel, the United States invited the ire of oil-producing Arab states. This manifested itself in the actions of Saudi Arabia, which not only reduced its oil production but declared an embargo against the United States. Saudi Arabia was later joined by other oil-producing Arab states and together they extended their embargo against other import dependent nations in Western Europe as well as Japan. The result was the 1973 energy crisis that sent oil prices spiraling past $60 per barrel and close to $100 per barrel in 1979. (Smith 329) Third, on the geopolitical front, enemy states of Israel concluded in the aftermath that they could not defeat it by force, and thus turned towards diplomatic tactics in antagonizing it. The effect was that many African and Third World nations, under pressure from the Arab states, broke their diplomatic ties to Israel. Works Cited No author. â€Å"The 1973 Yom Kippur War. † Anti-Defamation League, 1999. Retrieved September 24, 2008 from: http://www. adl. org/ISRAEL/record/yomkippur. asp Smith, Charles. Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. New York, NY: Bedford, 2006. Rabinovich, Abraham. The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle eAst. New York, NY: Shocken Books, 2005. Rabinovich, Abraham [2005]. The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East. New York, NY: Schocken Books. ISBN 0 8052 4176 0. Charles D. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, New York: Bedford, 2006, p. 329.

Effects of Olfaction and Pheromones | Literature Review

Effects of Olfaction and Pheromones | Literature Review Abstract: A favorable scent goes a long way. An odor or fragrance (commonly referred to as a smell) is caused by one or more volatilized  chemical compounds, generally at a very low concentration, that humans or other animals perceive by the  sense  of  olfaction. Odors are also commonly called scents, which can refer to both pleasant and unpleasant odors. Scent plays a very important role in our lives. A pheromone is a secreted or excreted  chemical  factor that triggers a social response in members of the same  species. A survey of sample size 30 college students was conducted to find out if scent did attract attention or not. Keywords: Olfaction, human pheromones, MHC genes Introduction: Want to boost your mood or stir up old memories? Just use your nose. And, most important, scent can even drive one to romantic distraction. Think of your partners pajamas. Indeed, the nose can suss out something as complex as sexual compatibility. The terms fragrance and aroma are used primarily by the food and cosmetic industry to describe a pleasant odor, and are sometimes used to refer to  perfumes. In contrast, malodor, stench, reek, and stink are used specifically to describe unpleasant odor. In the  United Kingdom, odour refers to scents in general. In the United States, odor has a more negative connotation, such as smell, stench or stink, while scent or aromas are used for pleasant smells. Research has shown that certain human body odors are connected to human sexual attraction. Both fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) are connected to scent. Review of literature: OLFACTION Olfaction or olfactory perception is the  sense  of smell. Many vertebrates, including most mammals and reptiles, have two distinct olfactory systems—the main olfactory system, and the accessory olfactory system which is mainly used to detect pheromones. In female humans, the sense of olfaction is strongest around the time of ovulation, significantly stronger than during other phases of the menstrual cycle and also stronger than the sense in males. The MHC genes (known as HLA in humans) are a group of genes present in many animals and important for the immune system; in general, offspring from parents with differing MHC genes have a stronger immune system. Fish, mice and female humans are able to smell some aspect of the MHC genes of potential sex partners and prefer partners with MHC genes different from their own. Humans can detect individuals that are blood-related kin (mothers/fathers and children but not husbands and wives) from olfaction. The ability to identify odors varies among people and decreases with age. Studies show there are sex differences in odor discrimination; women usually outperform males. Pregnant women also have increased smell sensitivity, sometimes resulting in abnormal taste and smell perceptions, leading to food cravings or aversions. Olfactory Reference Syndrome (ORS) is a condition in which those affected have an excessive preoccupation with the concern that body odor may be foul or, on a good day, unpleasant. HUMAN PHEROMONES A pheromone is a secreted or excreted  chemical  factor that triggers a social response in members of the same  species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual. While humans are highly dependent upon visual cues, when in close proximity smells also play a big role in sociosexual behaviors. There is an inherent difficulty in studying human pheromones because of the need for cleanliness and odorlessness in human participants. The focus of the experiments on human pheromones has been on three classes of putative pheromones: axillary steroids, vaginal aliphatic acids, and stimulators of the  vomeronasal organ. Pheromones have been demonstrated clearly in other species, but their existence and ability to affect humans is still under debate. Several studies have been conducted that have reached different conclusions, but some pheromone effects seen in other mammals are definitely present in humans. Most studies have found that human sweat or putative pheromones increase physiological arousal, one way or another. This idea that something we cant even consciously smell is affecting our behavior is horrifying to some people, but in reality we are controlled by the combination of all our senses! Gustav Jà ¤ger (1832-1917), a German doctor and hygienist is thought to be the first scientist to put forward the idea of human pheromones. He called the manthropines. He said they were lipophilic compounds associated with skin and follicles that mark the individual signature of human odors. Lipophilic compounds are those that tend to combine with, or are capable of dissolving in lipids. Researchers in the University of Chicago claimed that they managed to link the synchronization of womens menstrual cycles to unconscious odor cues. The head researcher was called Martha McClintock, hence the coined termthe McClintock effect. When exposing a group of women to a whiff of sweat from other women, their menstrual cycles either accelerated or slowed down; depending on when during the menstrual cycle the sweat was collected before, during or after ovulation. The scientists said that the pheromone collected before ovulation shortened the ovarian cycle, while the pheromone collected during ovulation lengthened it. Even so, recent analyses of McClintocks study and methodology have questioned its validity. There are four principal kinds of pheromones: Releaser pheromones they elicit an immediate response, the response is rapid and reliable. They are usually linked to sexual attraction. Primer pheromones these take longer to get a response. They can, for example, influence the development or reproduction  physiology, including menstrual cycles in females,  puberty, and the success or failure of pregnancy. Signaler pheromones these provide information. They may help the mother to recognize her newborn by scent (fathers cannot usually do this). Modulator pheromones they can either alter or synchronize bodily functions. Usually found in sweat. There are differences between men and women in the types of glands, secretions and even microbial flora present in the axillary environment, suggesting a sex-specific role. Most of these glands do not become active until after puberty, suggesting a role in sexual communication. (Hays, 2003) Pheromone-like compounds are also found in salivary, seminal and urine secretions, but studies tend to focus on the most accessible: axillary sweat. Jacob (2000, 2001) found increased physiological effects, only noticed a positive increase in mood and increased arousal in women when the test administrator present was male. Men were unaffected by the sex of the tester, but had slightly less effects than females overall. They concluded that pheromones are incredibly context dependent. Humans must integrate many different brain functions to affect arousal and mood. Psychologists Rachel Herz and Estelle Campenni were just getting to know each other, swapping stories about their lives over coffee, when Campenni confided something unexpected: She was living proof, she said, of love at first smell. I knew I would marry my husband the minute I smelled him, she told Herz. Ive always been into smell, but this was different; he really smelled good to me. His scent made me feel safe and at the same time turned on—and Im talking about his real body smell, not cologne or soap. Id never felt like that from a mans smell before. Weve been married for eight years now and have three kids, and his smell is always very sexy to me. RESEARCH In the now famous T-shirt experiments it was shown that specific women chose as most sexy and pleasant smelling T-shirts belonging to men who had immune systems that were different from their own. Because we all possess different MHC genes (and body-odor), for every woman a different set of men will be delicious smelling and others wont be. Theres no Brad Pitt of body odor! A womans nose not only responds to a mans body-odor in terms of his biological suitability, women actually find how a man smells to be the most important factor in their sexual attraction. In two large studies were conducted to examine how important various physical and social status factors were for men and women when choosing a sexual partner, we discovered that above all other physical characteristics, women ranked a mans scent as the most important feature for determining whether she would be sexually interested in him. How a man smelled was also more much important than any social status factor. And of all physical characteristics women preferred a man to be better than average in his body-odor than anything else. Women also found men who smelled great due to the fragrance they wore irresistible. In the words of one respondent: If Im with a guy who smells really good, nothing else about him seems to matter. Among heterosexual couples, similar MHC profiles spell relational difficulty, Christine Garver-Apgar, a psychologist at the University of New Mexico, has found. As the proportion of MHC alleles increased, womens sexual responsiveness to their partners decreased, and their number of sex partners outside the relationship increased, Garver-Apgar reports. The number of MHC genes couples shared corresponded directly with the likelihood that they would cheat on one another; if a man and woman had 50 percent of their MHC alleles in common, the woman had a 50 percent chance of sleeping with another man behind her partners back. You encounter a particular smell, and it immediately transports you back to an earlier time and to a pleasant memory. A recent feature in the Association of Psychological Sciences’ Observer discusses the connection. Researchers have discovered that there is a strong connection between smells, emotions and early life experiences. In fact, there is a strong relationship between certain smells experienced very early in life, typically before age 5, that will trigger pleasant feelings and memories. This is particularly true for odors that we don’t smell every day. The reason for these associations is that the brain’s olfactory bulb is connected to both the amygdala (an emotion center) and to the hippocampus, which is involved in memory. And, because smells serve a survival function (odors can keep us from eating spoiled or poisonous foods), some of these associations are made very quickly, and may even involve a one-time association. But even in adulthood, we can easily make associations between smells and memories. You might draw a connection between a certain perfume or cologne and a first encounter with a friend or lover, or the scent of a certain food may transport you back to the first time you ate it. Among heterosexual couples, similar MHC profiles spell relational difficulty, Christine Garver-Apgar, a psychologist at the University of New Mexico, has found. As the proportion of MHC alleles increased, womens sexual responsiveness to their partners decreased, and their number of sex partners outside the relationship increased, Garver-Apgar reports. The number of MHC genes couples shared corresponded directly with the likelihood that they would cheat on one another; if a man and woman had 50 percent of their MHC alleles in common, the woman had a 50 percent chance of sleeping with another man behind her partners back. SURVEY A survey was conducted. The hypothesis was â€Å"Scent Attracts Attention†. A sample of 30 teenagers from the age 17-21 out of which 15 were females and 15 were males. Each one of them a questionnaire consisting of 17 questions. Some questions were ranged from 1- 5 and some were yes, no or may be. All the questions were given a score and accordingly the score was found out. The following were the questions given to the subjects. QUESTIONNAIRE Q1. How likely are you to initiate a conversation with a stranger on the basis of good fragrance that he/she is wearing? Very unlikely Very likely 1 2 3 4 5 Q2. How likely are you to avoid having a conversation if the other person has a bad breath? Very unlikely Very likely 1 2 3 4 5 Q3. Is good fragrance an important factor in framing first impression? Yes No Q4. Would you consider going for an aroma therapy? Yes No Q5. Do advertisements about perfumes or deodorants urge you to buy them? Yes No Q6. Have you ever been attracted to a person because of the way they smell? Yes No May be Q7. Do you feel that putting an external fragrance affects your self-esteem? Yes No May be Q8. What do you prefer, natural body odour or external fragrance? Natural odour or External fragrance Q9. Do you feel men and women have different body odours? Yes No May be Q10. Have you ever purchased body fragrances in order to improve your interpersonal relationship? Yes No Q11. How conscious are you about your body odour and its impact? Very unconscious Very conscious 1 2 3 4 5 Q12. Does deodorant/perfume attract people? Yes No Q13. How frequently do you use deodorants/perfume in a day? Never Once twice every few hours Q14. While travelling, can you tolerate other people’s body odour? Yes No Q15. Would you ever use external fragrances as a substitute to showering? Yes No Sometimes Q16. Do you buy soaps, body wash or talcum powder to help you enhance your body odour? Yes No May be Q17. Would you use gender specific deodorants/perfumes? Yes No QUESTIONNAIRE SCORING Q1. How likely are you to initiate a conversation with a stranger on the basis of good fragrance that he/she is wearing? Very unlikely Very likely 1 2 3 4 5 Q2. How likely are you to avoid having a conversation if the other person has a bad breath? Very unlikely Very likely 1 2 3 4 5 Q3. Is good fragrance an important factor in framing first impression? Yes (5) No (1) Q4. Would you consider going for an aroma therapy? Yes (5) No (1) Q5. Do advertisements about perfumes or deodorants urge you to buy them? Yes (5) No (1) Q6. Have you ever been attracted to a person because of the way they smell? Yes (5) No (1) May be (3) Q7. Do you feel that putting an external fragrance affects your self-esteem? Yes (5) No (1) May be (3) Q8. What do you prefer, natural body odour or external fragrance? Natural odour (1) or External fragrance (5) Q9. Do you feel men and women have different body odours? Yes (5) No (1) May be (3) Q10. Have you ever purchased body fragrances in order to improve your interpersonal relationship? Yes (5) No (1) Q11. How conscious are you about your body odour and its impact? Very unconscious Very conscious 1 2 3 4 5 Q12. Does deodorant/perfume attract people? Yes (5) No (1) Q13. How frequently do you use deodorants/perfume in a day? Never (1) Once (2) twice (3) every few hours (5) Q14. While travelling, can you tolerate other people’s body odour? Yes (1) No (5) Q15. Would you ever use external fragrances as a substitute to showering? Yes (5) No (1) Sometimes (3) Q16. Do you buy soaps, body wash or talcum powder to help you enhance your body odour? Yes (5) No (1) May be (3) Q17. Would you use gender specific deodorants/perfumes? Yes (5) No (1) Classification done according to the scores is the following: 17-34: Not attracted to scent at all 35-52: A little attracted towards scent 53-70: Moderate attraction towards to scent 71-85: High attraction towards scent The total score of females was 767. The total score of males was 792. The total score was 1559. The highest score one could get was 85. The lowest score one could get was 17. The highest total score could be 2550. The lowest total score could be 510. TOTAL No attraction towards scent: 0 A little attracted towards scent: 16 Moderate attraction towards to scent: 12 High attraction towards scent: 2 The conclusion of the survey was that there is little or moderate attraction towards scent. The hypothesis was proved correct, scent does attract attention. Males are attracted to scent more than females. References: www.psychology today.com www.wikipedia.com

Strategic Management in Fashion Brand ODEL

Strategic Management in Fashion Brand ODEL I conduct this research work to give a clear picture of strategic management and as well the leading fashion brand ODEL. The corporate world is in the process of transformation technology and globalization. Strategic management takes a panoramic view of this changing corporate terrain and attempts to show how large and small firms can be more effective and efficient not only in todays world, but also in 2mro as well. And also this research will give the knowledge about the leading fashion brand ODEL. How did it create a fashion revolution in Srilanka? How does it lead in fashionable brand and understand the latest fashion from style runways in its contributions. Its success lies in implementing TASK 01 What is your understanding strategic management and discuss its phases? Analyse the contexts of corporate, business and functional level strategy. Initially strategic management was mostly use in large companies to operate multiple trades. Rising risk of error, costly faults and even economic ruin are causing todays perfect managers in all institution to take strategic management serious issue in order to remain their company competitive in a rising unstable environment. (Frery 2006) Different authors have described strategic management as followed: The strategic management is used to present to strategic formulation, implementation and evaluation with strategic planning referring only the strategy formulation (Pearce Robinson 2000) the intention of the strategic management is to develop and produce new and different opportunities for future. As Mr. Potter refers that, Strategy is the direction of an organization over the long term which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the fulfilling stakeholder expectations. This in turn led to organizational development activities as reorganizing, new definitions of roles, jobs and etc. (Potter 1996) And also it can be carried in the strategic management is that set of managerial decision and action that determines the long run performance of a corporation. It includes environment scanning (both external and internal).strategic formulation (strategic or long range planning), strategic implementation and evaluation and control. As this definition implies, strategic management focuses on integrating management, marketing, finance, and production/ operations, research and development and computer information system to achieve organizational success. (Hoskisson, Hitt Wan 1999) The study of strategic management therefore emphasizes the monitoring and evaluating of external opportunities and threats in light of a corporations strengths and weaknesses. Strategic management as a field of study incorporates the integrative concerns of business policy with a heavier environmental and strategic emphasis. Therefore strategic management has tended to replace business policy as the preferred name of the field. (Hoskisson, Hitt Wan 1999) The strategic management is a core area for an organization in order to explore the problems which result in success or failure. Strategic management has been defined as that set of decisions and actions which lead to the development of an effective strategy or strategies to help achieve corporate objectives. (Luffman, Lea, Sanderson and Kenny 1996) Basic stages of strategic management: The strategic management process consists of four basic stages. Environmental scanning, Strategic formulation, strategic implementation, and evaluation and control; Environmental scanning:- Before an organization can begin strategy formulation, it must scan the environment to identify possible opportunities and threats and as well the strength and weaknesses. Environmental scanning is the monitoring, evaluating and disseminating of information from the internal and the external environments to key people within the organization. A organization use this method to avoid strategic surprise and to ensure its long term health. Research has found a positive relationship between environmental scanning and profit (Thomas, Clark Gioia 1993) Strategic formulation:- This is the expansion of the long range plans for the effective management of environmental opportunities and threats as well as the organization strength and weakness. It consist of defining the corporate mission, identify achievable objective, rising strategies the setting policies. Strategy formulation issue include deciding what new business to enter, what businesses to abandon, how to allocate resources, whether to expand operations or identify, whether to enter international markets, whether to merge or form a joint venture and how to avoid a hostile. Because, every organization has limited resources itself. So strategists ought to decide which alternative strategy will be benefit for the firm most. Top managers have the best perception of understanding effect of strategy formulation and they are the persons who have the authority to commit the resources necessary for implementation. (Hitt Michael 2006.) Strategic implementation:- Strategic implementation is the most difficult stage in strategic management. This process requires a firm to establish annual objectives, devise policies, motivate employees and allocate resources for the implementation of the formulated strategies. This is the process that converts the strategies and policies in to the action through the development of programs. Strategy implementation includes developing a strategy-supportive culture, creating an effective organizational structure, redirecting marketing efforts, plan the budgets, developing and utilizing information system and linking employee payment to organization performance. (Hitt Michael 2006.) Evaluation and control:- Strategic evaluation is the final stage in the strategic management. The purpose of this process is to evaluate the actual performance of an organization to do the comparison with the desire result. Because the strategic management processes were inappropriately used, operational managers must know about it. So that they can correct the employee activity. Evaluating and controlling is the major element of the strategic management to identify the weaknesses in previous executed strategic planes and thus stimulated the entire process to begin again. And all strategies are the subject to future modification because external and internal factors are continuously changing. Followings are the three fundamental strategy evaluation activities Reviewing external and internal factors that are the bases for current strategies. Measuring performance. Talking corrective action. (Hitt Michael 2006.) Mission Objectives Strategies Policies Program Budgets Procedures Performance Structure: Chain of command Culture: Beliefs, expectation Values Resources: Assets, skills, Competencies, knowledge Internal Societal Environment General forces Task Environment Industry analysis Strategy Formulation Strategy Implementation Evaluation and Control Environmental Scanning External Reason for existence What results to accomplish by when Plan to achieve the mission objectives Broad guidelines for decision making Activities needed to accomplish a plan Cost of the programs Sequence of steps needed to do the job Actual results Figure 1.1 (Thomas, Wheelen Hunger 2006) Importance of strategy management: Today strategic management became a popular and importance in the business activity for various reasons. Strategy management allows an organization to be more proactive than reactive in shaping its own future. It let an organization to initiate and influence activities and thus to expect control over its own destiny. Ref: (www.planware.org/strategy.htm) Business has determined that this is the way to reach the success: As a successful business it may have a plan and a specific path in order to achieve the goal of the organization and reach the success. It allowed the business use to think in forward: A business must be very focus on the environment as well as the customers need and wants in order to stable its futuristic in the market. The forecasting is the way to get a positioning among the public and shinning as a unique. In this procedure it shows a company where they are at present and where they actually want to be and how they get pathway where they want to be. When the strategic management is implemented the stakeholders will get to know about the goal of an organization. It gives everyone a position, a position makes a different performance level, and it provides efficient approach to reservations and focus on workers. To develop appropriate strategy and put strategy into action. The phases of the strategic management: A firm generally evolves through the following four basic phases of strategic management Basic financial planning (phase. 1):- The project is based on the analysis very little proposed with the most information from the organization. The sales typically offer the small amount of environmental protection, information. Such simple operational planning is only pretending, strategic management, and it is quite time consuming. The time horizon is usually one year. (Gluck, Kaufman Welleck 1982) Forecast based planning (phase.2):- In addition to internal information, managers gather available data from environment to extrapolate the current trend of five years and future. This phase also time consuming. The process gets very political as managers compete for larger share and funds. The time horizon is usually three to five years. (Gluck, Kaufman Welleck 1982) Externally oriented planning (phase.3):- Top level management controls the planning process by the introduction of strategic planning. The company tries to increase its responsiveness to changing markets and competition through strategic thinking. Top management typically develops five-year plan with the help of consultants but input from lower levels. (Gluck, Kaufman Welleck 1982) Strategic management (phase.4):- The employees at many levels from various departments and works groups develop and integrate a serious of strategic plans aimed at achieving the companys primary objectives. The complicated annual five years plan is replaced with the help of all levels of the organization throughout the year. (Gluck, Kaufman Welleck 1982) Levels of strategic management: Strategy exists at a number of levels in an organization. They are, Corporate level strategy:- This is concerned about the overall scope of an organization and how value will be added to the different units of an organization. Corporate strategy tropically fit with the three main categories of stability, expansion and reduction of expenditure. (Ansoff 2002) According to Michael potter, a firm must formulate a business strategy that incorporates cost leadership, differentiation or focus in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and long term success in its chosen areas or industries. (Potter 1993). Alternatively, according to Kim and Mauborgne, an organization can achieve high growth and profits by creating a blue ocean strategy that breaks the previous value cost trade off by simultaneously pursuing both differentiation and low cost. (Kim Mauborgne 2007) E.g.: Nicholas Piramal follower a corporative growth strategy in order to have more share formulation drugs In corporate strategy, Johnson, Scholes and Whittington present models in which strategic option are evaluated against three key success criteria, Suitability (would it work?) Feasibility (can it be made to work) Acceptability (will they work it) (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2008) Business level strategy:- The second level is business level strategy which is about how various businesses included in the business strategy and compete in their particular markets. Because of this reason business strategy is called as competitive strategy. This typically concerns issues such as pricing strategy, innovation or differentiation instance by better quality. So where ever corporate level strategy involves decision about the overall organization as a whole, strategic decision related to particular strategic business unit within the overall organization. (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2008) According to Potters statement The business strategy must be maintained continually, in line with changes in the business and its environment. It should be formally reviewed at least annually as part of the business planning round; it provides the context for progress reporting on strategic themes. (Potter 1993). The business strategy must always show progress against plans to date, to enable planners to determine the current business environment and the impact that specific change programs and projects will have on the organization as a whole. There must be accurate, timely information about: Major investments to date, the corporate risk register, For each major investment, the risks associated with it. (Potter 1996). Operational strategy:- The third level of strategy is at the operating end of an organization. This is an approach taken by the functional areas to achieve the corporate objectives and strategies by maximizing the resources productivity. It is concerned with increasing and nurturing a distinctive competence to provide a company or business unit with the competitive advantage. This strategy determines how and where a production or service is to be manufactures, the level of vertical integration in the production process and development of physical resources. It should deal with the optimum level of technology the firm should use in its operational process. (Potter 1996). TASK-2 Carry out a stakeholder analysis for ODEL and explain the importance of carrying of out a stakeholder analysis at strategic level Stakeholders A stakeholder is a person or institution with interests that can affect or be affected by the organization activities. A stakeholder is normally concerned with an institution distributing intended outcome and gathering its financial objectives. In general, a stakeholder can be classified as follow:- Internal stakeholders Connected stakeholders External stakeholders (Freeman, Edward, Reed David 2002) E.g.:-owner, manager, shareholder, investor, employee, customer, partner and/or supplier, among others. Following is a diagram for the three types of stake holders stakeholders Example of interest government Taxation, reduce the unemployment, truthful reporting and etc. Employees Wages on time, job security and promotions, respect and etc. Customers Value, quality, customer care, ethical product and etc. suppliers Equitable business opportunities, supply the product for customers. creditors credit score, new contracts, liquidity and etc. Community jobs, involvement, environmental protection, shares, truthful communication and etc. Trade unions quality, Staff protection, jobs and etc. Investors Profit, futuristic of the firm, respect and etc. (Freeman, Edward, Reed David 2002) A stakeholder may take part directly or indirectly to an organizations activities. Other than business, a stakeholder may also be concerned with the result of a specific plan, effort or activity, such as a community development scheme or the delivery of local health services. A stakeholder usually stands to gain or lose depending on the decisions taken or policies executed. Stakeholder Analysis Talking about the Stakeholder Analysis is an approach that is normally used to identify and examine the Force Field formed by any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the objectives of an organization. Stakeholder Analysis identifies the ways in which stakeholders may influence the organization or may be influenced by its activities, as well as their attitude towards the organization and its targets. E.g.:- Customers are important when quality of products is discussed. Employees are important when circumstances or safety at work is discussed. Government is important when dealing with the environment or legislation. Stake holder analysis is the appropriate method to gathering data as an introduction to planning in tactic and objective setting stage. We can generally illustrate three reasons for why does the stake holder analysis necessary to an organization. Surveys are a cost efficient way to increase the input from a large number of individuals. Ensure that you are asking the correct question to find out the information you need, and that respondents are diplomatic. Surveys are a lack of risk, low-cost starting point and are best followed up with mechanisms for dialog, creativity and consent building. One-on-one meetings are a best way to develop personal relationships while gather information. Its essential to set expectations with contributor on how the data will be used and the range of other people to be consulted, so no one is dissatisfied if all of their facts are not imitate. All make sure the information collection is available to the main decision-making group. Multi-stakeholder discussion carries together different stakeholders in a neutral forum, and is influential tools for sharing information, building consent and earlier promises to the end product. As the Roman philosopher Seneca said around 2000 years ago, the best ideas are common property. Often annual convention permits time for plan or strategy expansion workshops. An independent facilitator will produce a relieve sector and process for positive contribution. Ref: (http://www.axi.ca/tca/Nov 2004/associate article) Internal stakeholders: The internal stakeholders are can be functioning as inside the organization, those people who are having very interest and care about the organization as well, can directly affect or can be affected by the activities of a particular Organization. Generally Employees, managers, Directors and Secretary are taking place as internal stakeholders. Mean while the ODEL has its internal stake holders itself. Employees:- Employees and their delegate groups are interested in information about the permanence and profitability of their owner. They are also concerned on the information which allows them to assess the capability of the organization to provide remuneration, retirement benefits and the other requirement of an employee. ODEL accept as true that employees are the most important drivers of the growth for their organization. They have certain approach between the employees which is 5Ps. Such as: People, Pride, Passion, Process and Performance. Odel believes in combine training and development into the Companys regular work background. With this in mind, Odel provides strict workshops and guidance programs for the staffs, both locally and overseas. At Odel, they pleasure in supporting and equipping their employees to reach the top by providing the required training. By support internal staffing, Odel has increased awareness of their business culture and value. Directors:- Directors can be classified into two. Board of Directors and Non Executive Directors; Both Directors are commonly known as management body, directors have to attend the conference, financial analyzing, plan their obligations and achieve their objectives thus each and every directors have to have responsible for their responsibilities. E.g.: according to the ODEL management structure Mr. Ruchi Gunewardene Chairman/Non-Executive Director Ms. Otara Gunewardene Executive Director/CEO Mr. Paul Topping Non Executive Independent Director Mr. Sanjay Kulatunga Non Executive Independent Director Mr. Eardley Perera Non Executive Independent Director The directors have some duties towards the organization such as to be a good leader and as well a good innovator to implement some new ideas and make perfect decision on the uncertainties of the organization for its futuristic. There for they can earn the good profit and as well the good will of customers. As we take Otara Gunewardene as an example, she is a Sri Lankan industrialist as well a Model. She is the founder and CEO of the brand Odel. Otara implement some new way of strategy in her business to make Odel to shown as a highlight. She newly introduced fashions in Sri Lanka and reaching global heights on her own merit has attracted the great compliment from many esteemed institutions and serve to confirm her status as an entrepreneur par excellence. Looking back at all the tributes that have come her way since she established ODEL. Otaras determined Endeavour has always been to add value in every which way and this has inspired all the new additions to Odels portfolio of offerings. Now Odel became a section devoted to dressing customers with a taste for high fashion. To identify a good leader awards play major role. Following are some awards which are achieved by Otara Gunewardene: In 2008, Otara was awarded the Retail Leadership Award at the Asia Retail Congress in India. In 2008, Otara was invited as a leading fashion entrepreneur and anointed Woman of Saab stance by Saab Cars Singapore. In 2008, she was named as Sri Lankan Ambassador for World Animal Day. Otara nominated as the Face of Alankara in 2007, a jeweler brand that reflects modern designs for the woman of today. Ref: (http://www.otara.lk/welcome/achievements) Investor:- Investors are the source of risk capital and their concentrations are with the risk inherent in, and return present by, their investments. The organizations in formations help them to determine whether they should buy, hold or sell the shares. Shareholders are also interested in information which allows them to assess the ability of the venture to pay dividends. When are talking about the Odel capital structure, Otara Gunewardene has invest the highest amount of capital around Rs.80,833,100 (its about 55% in whole). So she has the authority to control the function of Odel as a CEO. Connected stakeholders: Some examples are given below for connected stakeholders, Supplier:- Supplier can be a person or an organization who distribute the company raw material or requirement stuffs. The motive of a supplier towards an organization is to supply to the organization where he can work for long time as well as where he can gain maximum profit. When we take a look on Odel, Odel has selected each and every product in very new trend fashionable way to its customers. As it is The Colombo jewelers is one of vital supplier for Odel. There began an industrial line developed in partnership between Odel and Colombo jewelers store for the fashion forward women. Otara motivated design collections featured fashionable jewelers using a merger of colored gems and diamonds all set in white gold. Otara motivated the design collection featured fashionable jewelers using a merge of colored gems and diamonds in all set in white gold. Akram Cassim, CEO of Colombo Jewelers Stores, mentioned on the thought of build an Otara jewelers collection, Otara has been a great source of influence and inspiration to the fashion conscious people in Sri Lanka. Ref:-(http://www.businesstoday.lk/article.php?article=2145, http://print.dailymirror.lk/life/132-life/30441) Competitors :- The firm in a particular industry produces the similar product or service is known as a competitor to another firm which is in the same industry. The present of the more competitors can reduce the price of product. But the heavy competition is the thing which can lead the market in a healthy path. When we take a look on the Odel, Odel follows the pricing strategy. But there are several firms which are having the same progress as Odel has itself. Romafour is a good example for the heavy competitor of clothing part of Odels portfolio. Romafore is a designer store which offers the best in high fashion revolutionary clothing like Odel. They are following the same pricing marketing strategy which Odel follows. They maintain their way of marketing style which helps to capture the market share in order to be a successful firm in the same industry. So in order to attract the customers from this heavy competition Odel have to implement some new innovative clothing style which does not exist yet to the market. Share holders:- Shareholder is a person or an institution who owns the share of an organization. The objective for most organization is to deliver a growth return to shareholders. This is achieved by generating growing profits and realizing them in cash. The cash can then be used for reinvestment in the business, repayment of funding or distribution to shareholders. Typical shareholders have partial authority over in public traded business beyond voting for the Board of Directors. Shareholders who bought great percentages of an organization must have additional regulatory requirements, such as widely reporting the amount of their holdings. Shareholders who are also institution insiders are need to expose the file in public whenever they wish to raise or decrease their holdings. Every legal application among the 22,548 received for shares of ODEL at the companys record-setting primary Public Offer is to be allocated shares, with the smallest investors being fulfilled and bigger investors getting allocations in proportion to their own applications, the company has publicized. Odel has allocate the IPO share of 1.2million for employees it has a different features in that retail and non retail investor criteria were allocated separately in order to avoid small investors being crowed out by large investors and to encourage wider share ownership. Ref: (http://www.odel.lk/equitable-share-allotment-in-record-odel-ipo) External stakeholders: Where the organization cannot use its influence is called as external environment. The organizations success depends upon how well they adapt to the external environment. A firms ability to plan and alter its internal variables to get advantage of opportunities produce by the external environment, and its ability to control threats cause by the same environment, determine its success. Followings are some example for the external factors. Financial public:- The financial publics frequently referred to synonymously with investors relationship. The distinction between the two disciplines in practice is a grey area as the two works side by side. From financial public, relationship in its management of the investor base, where new investors must be found to replace those who have realized their investment. Financial publics are concerned with raising awareness and build understanding amongst primarily the Citys opinion formers who influence investors and potential investors. These are often to as third party audience. The financial institutions such as banks, leasing companies, financial analysis concern about the organization performance in providing finances the company position to the outside world is hard in financial function. According to the Odel prospector DFCC Vardhana Bank, Hatton National Bank PLC, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Nations Trust Bank PLC, Sampath Bank PLC, Union Bank of Colombo Ltd are the financ ial sources of the Odel that we can identify. Government:- The central and local government performs as a basis of legist ration to form laws and legist rations are forced and pressured by the community or general public to have proper attention for their concerns. They are the people who have the authority to control the organization in order to protect the consumers against the fake product. Media:- Media plays a major role in the function of an organization. The relationship between an organization and the media has to be maintaining in a good manner. Usually televisions, newspapers, radio, journals, magazines, articles, internet, editorials are the one way street from the company to customer. Odel has a good relationship with media representatives such as The Nation, Sunday Island, Lakbima News, Daily News, Daily Mirror, The Bottom Line, Daily FT, LB News, Sudar Oli, The Island, Business Standard, Business Today, Financial Times, Island Financial, Morning Reader, HHO in order to have favor for the organization. The purpose of press relationship is not to issue press releases. It is to influence and inform the target audience. While it is largely of a tactical nature in practice, good media relationship can contribute to long term objectives such as: Improving company or brand image Higher and better media profile Changing attitudes of target audients Increasing market share Improving relationship with the community Influencing government policy at local national or international level Improving communications with investors and their advisers Improving industrial relations Scanning the External environment Analysis of societal Environment Economic, Social, Cultural, Technological, Political and Legal Factors Market Analysis Community Analysis Competitor Analysis Supplier Analysis Government Analysis Interest Group Analysis Selection of Strategic Factors Opportunities Threats Figure 2.1 (Klein Linneman 1984) TASK-3 Conduct an environmental audit for ODEL An environmental audit is helpful to categorize which part of the organization has impact on the environment and to what extent. It also an efficient risk management tool, which allow to make sure how efficiently a business acts in unity with environmental legislation. The relationship between the organizations micro environments usually involves short term operational decisions, whereas the macro environment involves more long term strategy decisions. The essential point to note is that the relationships are dynamic, never static. Thus the firms resources change from day to day as it is wins or loses contracts, employee join level it, new products are designed investments succeed or fail. It is impossible to list a