MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 1 IP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 1 IP - Essay Example It is vital to note that during their day to day responsibilities, leaders make changes that would enhance their performance as well as the productivity of other employees. Such changes are not always acceptable to the employees or other managers. In this regard, a good leader should be in a position to address the challenges that arise from the organizational changes. One of the major ways of enhancing the productivity of the work force and increasing the profitability is by creating a culture of team work. Despite, the efforts by the CEO of one of my client organization to improve the performance of his firm, he is faced by resistance from some managers and employees. This paper seeks to analyze the situation and recommend the CEO on the steps to take. One of the major strategies that the CEO should emulate in order to effectively deal with the situation is to hold in-house meetings with his employees and educate them on the importance of team work. It is vital to note that some of the employees are not resisting the formation of teams not because they do want the idea but because they do not understand their relevance. One of the advantages of team work is that it results to the improved working relationship that enables employees to assist each other when faced with challenges. Additionally, team allows individuals to exercise their leadership qualities an aspect that provides them with opportunities to be promoted to senior level of management. The CEO should also engage with the employees during the formation of the team in order for each of the employee to feel comfortable. According to Nahavandi (2006), communicating with the employees and the managers is one of the initial strategies that the leader should adopt. In any organization, leading and managing are different aspects. While leading entails organizing the team members in order to attain the objectives of an organization, managing implies directing and giving instructions that should be strictly followed by the members of the team. Leading process is all inclusive where employees are free to provide their ideas to the leaders and the leaders can consult their team on certain issues. On the other hand, managing process does not allow for close intermingling between the managers and his or her teams. In his efforts to create a team-based empowered organization, the CEO is trying to lead his change initiative. As an experienced leader, he has noticed that there is lack of participation in the organization an aspect that other managers cannot detect. Contrary to the command and control style that other managers are adopting towards the employees, the CEO is focused at serving his customers effectively. In their studies on leadership in organizations Den and Koopman (2002), argues that a good leader should be focused at improving the productivity of his followers not by use of unquestionable instructions but by the use of all inclusive engagements with his followers. Based on t he resistance that the mangers are providing, the CEO can use different arguments to preside the managers. The CEO should advise the managers to resist from using the dictatorial style of management. This is based on the fact that apart from limiting the productivity and growth of the employees, the firm will not effectively compete with other firms that have now turned into team works. Similarly, the CEO should encourage the managers to emulate team work based

It's about IAS 17 and details see in document file Essay

IAS 17 Proposed Changes in the 2013 Exposure Draft - Essay Example The lessees are advised against recognizing assets as well as liabilities that result from operating leases. That concept has over time attracted the attracted significant request from users of financial statements as well as others to enhance changes that will ensure that lessees are upheld to recognize liabilities as well as assets in the financial statements. The IASB, as well as FASB, engaged in a joint project that focused on developing the relevant measures to ensure that lease assets will be recognized in the statement of financial position. The two bodies deliberated on revisiting the 2009 Exposure Draft that was issued in 2009 to seek preliminary views and FASB accounting Standards update issued in August 2010 to enhance forming an Exposure Draft in 2013 (Ellis, 2014). The proposed Exposure Draft of 2013 will only affect entities that engage or are engaged in lease irrespective of some specified scope exemptions. The Exposure Draft 2013 would supersede IAS 17 leases in IFRS. The primary principle of the proposed requirements is that a company will ensure recognition of assets as well as liabilities that result from lease agreements. The proposed requirements serve as a way of improving the existing lease requirement that fails to require lease assets together with liabilities to be recognized by the majority of lessees. The principle will, therefore, require lessees to ensure recognition of assets as well as liabilities for leases that possess a maximum possible term of more than one financial year (EFRAG, 2013. A lessee will have to recognize the lease liability as well as the underlying asset for the lease term. In recognition, measurement as well as the presentation of an entity’s expenses.

Marketing and sales strategy of Juicy Fruit Smoothies

Marketing and sales strategy of Juicy Fruit Smoothies This opportunity analysis document identifies and summarises the background, status and future plans for the creation for Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd. This idea is Juice and Smoothy Bar which is seen in most shopping centres, cinemas and department stores. This new type of business will offer the consumer a wide range of beverages ranging from soft drinks to fruit flavoured beverages with nutritious ingredients. In addition, this new business will sell a variety of ice creams and chocolate. Beverages are among the most sellable items that people can offer. Selling beverages like concentrate juice, vitamin c juice and nectar juice is most profitable during the summer where a frozen juice or smoothie drinks can be refreshing relief from the heat of the sun. This is the reason why it will be a good idea to start a business selling juice fruit and smoothie drink if seeking a good and profitable starting start up business. The Juice and Smoothie brand has been has been a  successful product brand all over the world. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will use 100% nutritious fruits to promote a healthy advertisement campaign and attract conscious health goers. This business will open one juice and smoothie bar and will continue to expand in shopping centres, entertainment spots, transport companies and gyms.   Juicy Fruit Ltds start up cost is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬71000. The main source of the cost is from the general operating expenses such as payroll, suppliers, insurance, advertising and other overheads. The remaining costs are the overheads that are normally associated with opening up a premise. We need an investment of about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100,000 to get the business started. The start up assumptions is illustrated below: Start-up Funding Start-up funding for expenses à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬54000 Start-up assets funding à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17000 Total Funding Required à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬71000 Assets Non cash assets from start-up à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 Inventory à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2000 Long Term Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000 Total Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17000 Liabilities Long Term Liabilities à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100000 Total Liabilities à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100000 Start-up Requirements Advertising à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 Insurance à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2000 Marketing Promotion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 Payroll à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40000 Repairs Maintenance à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 Shipping Delivery à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 Internet à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 Total Start-Up Expenses à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬54000 Start-up Assets Start-up Inventory à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2000 Other Current Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 Long Term Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000 Total Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17000 Total Funding Required à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬71000 Objectives The objectives of Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd  are the following: Create a state-wide sales staff. Establish strong sales revenue by 2013. Maintain tight control of cost and operation during expansion. To successfully expand our products Mission Statement Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltds mission is as follows: Quality: Our fruit juices are the highest quality, most nutritious food productsbecause we will accept nothing less. Innovative: Our products have always been in the forefront of the health and nutrition wave. Innovative products, state of the art manufacturing, quality assurance and industry expertise are the bases for our past and future successes. Integrity: Our customers depend on the quality of our juice products. Our commitment to the highest standard is the foundation of our customers trust in Oasis Juice.  Delivering freshly made juice to consumers depends on extensive cooperation and mutual reliance between supplier and retailer. We stand behind our product, our service and our word. Company Description Business Definition Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will offer a range of smoothies, juices and energy drinks. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will have over 50 different flavours that can only be bought in this store, while still selling the already popular ones, such as Power Punch. These refreshment drinks are healthier than soft drinks as they are made from real fruit and blended together to make the smoothie. In order to make these smoothies we will use frozen fruit. Put it in the blender along with some frozen yogurt for thirty seconds and the smoothie is ready to serve. It is really simple and speedy method but it creates a great tasting product. Long Term Aim of the Business Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will be a great opportunity to enter the food and beverage industry providing the consumer with another business to choose from when they decide on their commodities. The main long term aim of the business is to provide excellent customer satisfaction, be miles ahead of the leading competitors and to be profitable. Many people like smoothies and other sweet like products but Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will provide much healthier options that will assist in the competitive advantage. New smoothie recipes will be implemented as time goes on and more promotions will be on offer. Key Features and Benefits Key Features of Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will include: Skilled staff who are aware of the need for high quality in every smoothie Online service where customers will be made available of the ingredients in each smoothie and also the weekly special offers, without having to go into the store. Key Benefits to customers will include: Great tasting drinks made in front of your eyes Quick service Ability to sit down in store and enjoy your smoothie Small Large Size (low prices) Huge selection of flavours Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd plans to be as customer friendly as possible and therefore will offer lower prices than the competition. We will welcome criticism from customers on how we can improve our products and of possible different flavours of smoothies. We believe that this will be a great success as we will be giving the customers exactly what they want. The customer will also be able to decide in the store what fruits they want in their smoothie, without the need for the recipe being in use. However, we will have to charge a slightly higher price in order to provide this service. We will be the only company to provide this service and we think that it will be extremely popular. As people are increasingly trying to eat healthy we feel that now is the perfect time to get into the smoothie market. We have a wide range of target outlets such as coffee shops, sandwich bars, gyms, sports clubs, health clubs and hotels, as well as having stores of our own in shopping centres throughout the country. Most people know that fruit loses its nutritional content over time however what most people dont know is that this loss occurs within minutes. Therefore, it is crucial that the ingredients be as fresh as possible in order for the customer to receive maximum benefits. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has taken this under consideration and has a system that is focused on maximising freshness. Value Proposition At the minute there is no company providing the customers with high quality fresh smoothies at a low price. The recipes are very limited and the prices are high. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will be the first smoothie bar that offers a wide range of smoothies at affordable prices. Products Juices/Smoothies Energy Drinks Ice Cream Sweets/Chocolates Analytical Spending and Outsourcing Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has a need for analytical spending in order to find out what kinds of fruits and smoothie flavours people are looking for. The major areas that would need to be analyzed would have to be: types of fruits, recipes, ice cream flavours, and potentially meals in the future. At this point in time Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd should be focusing on spending for research into what kinds of fruits people in the area would desire. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd should also focus on trying to analyze how they can transport fruits from areas at a low cost. This would entail finding good transportation routes, good areas to find quality fruits, and also how to go about getting them for a decent price. Through these tests Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd should be able to figure out a way to get a good quality product thus giving them an advantage on the competition. It would be good for them to try to outsource the testing for recipes to outside service providers. This would allow them to get a more wholesome perspective on what kinds of blends to use in the smoothies and also would allow Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd to be more forward looking and potentially expand into the global market at some point in the future. This way they do not have to focus completely on just the local area for business and will be able to become more profitable through expansion. Barriers to Entry Products The Smoothie and Juice Bar industry is a successful industry will many businesses doing quite well despite the economic downturn. The main competitors such as Zumo already are a global brand and would have more stakes in the market and experience. That alone may cause concern for the success of Juicy Fruits. Loyalty to Customers In any market or sector it is known that customer satisfaction gives a better competitive edge for businesses already in the market. Since firms that have a high reputation and have built up their clientele over the years, the customers will remain loyal to that business which gives that business a competitive advantage. Economies of Scale Large and more experienced businesses may be able to operate more efficiently due to minimal costs. These businesses are also more experienced because of the length of time spent in the sector thus giving them more of a competitive advantage. SWOT Analysis Strengths: The Smoothie Juice market is a widely known and successful industry Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will provide quality products than the leading competitor including fresh fruits Chocolate: Cadburys and Nestle will be our suppliers Drinks: Red Bull Coca Cola Smoothies: Fresh Fruits with nutrients Professional products that will be sold to colleges, schools, restaurants and gyms Successful due to the unquestionable ability to provide top of the range products including healthy options. Weaknesses: Our rival companies like Zumo and Innocent may have a better stake in the market and more experience along with knowledge. The competitors may formulate new tactics for the new entrant Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd Opportunities Future developments in the smoothie recipes and further business expansion Provide allergy free products such as peanut free drinks and chocolates Threats The major competitors such as Zumo Innocent Any contamination to the food supply and shortages Possible increase in supplier costs# Strategy Implementation Summary Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will penetrate the smoothie and juice beverage industry by creating and deploying new smoothie and juice products and brands. The business will also locate in a logical and more accessible area. Shopping Centres Gyms are the busiest places that a lot of consumers go to for recreation. Since that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd is promoting healthy beverages it is a right step in locating in a gym. We want to let the customer experience a fast and friendly service without the inconvenience of waiting too long for their purchase. The business is for a customer that wants a quick drink on the go and who wants to get in and out fast. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has identified that the market is busy and the potential target customers will range from school and college goers to business people who will be passing by the juice bar at regular intervals and that is why location is a number one success pattern. In addition to providing a quality product and an extensive menu of delicious items, to ensure customer awareness and loyalty, as well as positive public and media support, Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd can continue to offer more promotions if it deems to be a successful juice and smoothie bar. Strategy Pyramid Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd strategy is to show people that JF has an excellent product, convenient accessibility, and with a community benefit. To execute on this strategy, Juicy Fruits will be locating its bars at easily accessible with the Dublin area. Juicy Fruits will be pricing its products competitively and training the staff to the highest standards in the country In doing so, Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has to: Provide a customer with a quality product at a competitive price Provide the customer with a more convenient method for obtaining their desired product Demonstrate how Juicy Fruits appreciates customer loyalty buy offering promotions, coupons, loyalty cards, etc. Continue to implement future marking strategies and to ensure that Juicy Fruits will be ahead of the leading competitors Identify future developments and possible merging with other retail companies such as Spar or Centra Continue will some market research in the area of customer satisfaction. Are the customers satisfied with the level of service? Are they happy with the products? Any feedback? This could be done through feedback cards. Strategy Pyramid.jpg Market Analysis Target Market The target market is vast, covering almost all demographics, with an emphasis on the age group of 15-35 i.e. older school goers, students and young professionals. Thus locating the franchises near colleges, shopping centres and in town is important. Perhaps it might also be beneficial to cooperate with a current institution in Ireland for the start up of the company, i.e. cooperate with a shop, such as Centra or Spar, using their well known brand name to help solidify the name of this new franchise. This again would result in an addition to the already high start up costs, but it may well be the smartest and most effective route forward. An in depth researching of the market prices would also be needed and Juicy Fruits would most certainly have to charge less than its competitors in order to gain a foot hold in the market. This might have to be continued for several months/years in order to persuade people away from companies like Zumo. This would result in low income for the first few accounting periods and with the high start up costs the margin for a healthy profit in the first two years is very low. However, all of this being said, the fact that there is only one other Smoothie and Juice Bar company out there in the market in Ireland at the moment means the potential for a new company is excellent, as long as an efficient strategy is put in place to effectively corner a section of the health food market. Market Segmentation The effects of the industry affect how we will have to market, as well as what services/products we will have to offer in Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd. For example, we will have to separate our juice and smoothie products from others as well as focus on their weaknesses and exploit them. The major competitors we have in the beverage industry are cafes and corporations such as Starbucks. Juicy Fruits will have to be sure to specify how much healthier their product is in comparison to coffee and why it is a better choice. This will hopefully allow for them to attract customers away from the competition as well as allow them to gain a solid foothold in the market. Geography segmentation is not a very large part of Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd concerns. The target market/customers for the company are a very large range that doesnt target anyone in particular. Just your average people, the only part of the geography that would be major is being sure to be in a densely populated location such as in downtown Dublin or directly on/near the campus. Now we will look at the different tiers that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd would be concerned with. Tier 1 (Industries Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd can leverage on their own) Fruit and Smoothies Ice Cream Tier 2 (Industries that can be leveraged with help from a partner) Recipes Organics Tier 3 (Future industries to get involved in) Food (full meals) Vegetables Fitness Competition The two main competitors in this industry are Zumo and Innocent. Zumo has been in Ireland since 2001 and are the largest juice and smoothie bar chain in Europe, with over 100 bars in 13 countries. Their company is extremely similar to ours as they make up their smoothies in store also. We will have an advantage over Zumo as we will have a greater selection of smoothies and also the customers will have the option of choosing the fruits that go into their smoothies. We expect to steal a lot of their customers due to this. Zumo is already a well established company and have had the luxury of charging high prices for their product and having a huge mark-up. In order to break into their market we intend to have cheaper prices and also have special offers weekly. E.g. For one week have the Power Punch smoothie at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50. This is extremely good value and although we will not be making that much profit off this deal, we expect that it will attract customers into the store and also that we will sell quite a large amount of the products on special offer. Innocent is a UK based company which was founded in 1999. They provide smoothies and juices also, however the key difference between our company and theirs is that we intend to make ours fresh in store whereas their product comes readymade in cartons and plastic bottles. Their product is sold at a cheaper price than ours however a lot of the goodness is lost in the smoothie and also the majority of people find that it doesnt taste as nice as the freshly made smoothies. Competitive Advantage Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will be successful if it is able to satisfy the key customer criteria. This includes: high quality product, affordable prices, speedy and friendly service. It will have advantages over other smoothie providers for the following reasons: Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has a keen interest in satisfying the customer, and therefore spends time perfecting their recipes. The wide range of flavours that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will provide should satisfy all tastes. The customer will have the ability of choosing what goes into the smoothie on off chance that there isnt a recipe that suits the customers taste. We will provide high quality smoothies in less than a minute. This speed is vital in order to compete with the competitors as customers will not be willing to wait for over 5 minutes for their smoothies. This time will be increased drastically if there is a queue. Therefore it is vital to us that the smoothie is made and in the customers hand in two minutes. This speed is also good for the quality of the product. As outlined earlier, the nutrients leave the fruit within minutes, therefore this process keeps our product as healthy as possible also adding to its appeal. Marketing/Sales Strategy Marketing Strategy The Fruit Juice and Smoothie bar market is currently occupied, in Ireland, by one major company, Zumo. The Zumo chain of bars is, at present the only realistic competition to the introduction of a new franchise of smoothie bars. The creation of the new chain Juicy Fruits would most certainly result in direct retaliation from this major competitor and plans must be put in place to differentiate the products that Juicy Fruits intend to sell from those of Zumo. Similarly, other areas of competition, such as coffee houses like Starbucks and Insomnia must be planned for. An emphasis on the healthier aspects of a smoothie over things like coffee must be stressed in an early advertisement campaign. As there is only one major competitor in this area there is obvious room for growth in the market. An informative and cost effective advertisement campaign would be essential and would have to be run early in the life of the company, perhaps even before the first Smoothie and Juice bars opened. This obviously will result in a high start up cost; however the lack of any effective advert campaigns currently from Zumo would result in excellent market coverage for said ad campaign. Market Share Due to well established companies already in this market, we expect to initially have a small market share. However, once we have an advertising campaign in place we expect this to rise to approx 5% within one year. Advertising and Promotion As already stated, it would be essential to run an informative advertisement campaign early in the companys development. This would be necessary in order to corner the market early on in the business development. It would be my recommendation to run this advert campaign before the first store opened its doors in order to generate some anticipation and create a slogan about the new franchise. It would also be wise to run discounts and offers for the first few weeks of existence, in order to draw in more potential customers. Deals would have to be good enough to pull current Zumo customers away from their usual purchases. As Ive said in the above section, forming a partnership with a well established company would be very beneficial to the future development of the franchise. This would convey some trust towards the company and perhaps add loyalty to the brand name from those already loyal to the shop that Juicy Fruits will now operate out of, (Centra, Spar etc.) Getting the correct theme for the Smoothie and Juice Bars will also be essential. The current competition, Zumo, uses green and yellow as their main colours and is very easily distinguishable. Juicy Fruits would have to also use colours that suggested healthiness and fruitiness, without using the same colours as Zumo. It is essential that Juicy Fruits remains differentiable from Zumo. I would suggest the use of blues and reds on all things Juicy Fruit; this would strongly differentiate the franchise from the competition, and suggests a cool, healthy atmosphere. An advert campaign would get people buying smoothies instead of other commodities such as coffee should also be run, targeting young professionals. It should be noted that, in the morning, a full smoothie has just as much energy providing substances as coffee, and is substantially healthier. This campaign should be run later in the companys development, as the already high start up costs do not need to be added to from the get go. It should also be made clear that our smoothies and juices are significantly cheaper than the competition (and we will have to make this the case, at least in the first one to two years of the companys life) in order to draw potential clients out from Zumo and bring them in to us. High quality produce would be required, with an emphasis on fair trade fruits in order to increase popularity with the public. Perhaps a companywide statement saying Juicy Fruits will only buy fair trade produce would be in order. This would also be an excellent selling point for the new business and would hopefully draw in new customers. Sales Strategy The promotional and marketing side of the business will be about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000. When the company is set up the business will then open up with promotions such as a buy 1 get the 2nd at half price offer. This type of strategy has been very successful with food and beverage industries and I have no doubt that this type of strategy will give Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd the start-up success it needs Pricing I have analysed the pricing scheme for Juicy Fruits competitors along with our prices which are as follows: Juicy Fruits Zumo Smoothies à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3 large, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 small Smoothies à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 Energy Drinks à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 Energy Drinks à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3 Soft Drinks à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 bottle, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 can Soft Drinks à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.70 Ice Cream à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.20 Ice Cream à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 Fruit Juices à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.00 Fruit Juices à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 Chocolate à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.00 Chocolate à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.30 From the table above, Juicy Fruits pricing scheme is quite better and attractive than Zumos pricing scheme. Zumos products are much more expensive than Juicy Fruits which would help the consumer on choosing a product for less. It would be a decision of supply and demand. Research Development In the food and beverage industry, the requirement for RD is a crucial element as it involves checking your competitive advantage and also keeps tabs on your competition. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will be providing new smoothie recipes and will require more market research to ensure that these recipes have not been already invented. If and when a new recipe is invented patents, copyrights and branding legal requirements will need to put in place. If the new inventions and products are not legalised then anybody could take the products and use them for their own. With legalisation, this helps to eliminate this with the legal system. Staffing Operations Management (including Board) Organisational Chart Staffing Training Plans With Juicy Fruits the recruitment and employment procedures will be like the same as many other businesses. The main procedures that this business will take will be an interview, performance appraisal and there will be a trial period. The main key areas that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltds employment procedures will undergo will be: Conduct a job analysis and determine what the responsibilities of the job will be Determine what skills are needed to carry out these responsibilities Draft an advert Candidates to be chosen based on interview performance, availability and references At the end of about six months there will be a performance appraisal which will evaluate the job performance of each staff member in order to extend his/her employment The performance appraisal will help to: Inform employees on the status of their performance Check to see if the employee might require more training Identify personnel decisions; to analysis salary increases or bonuses Assess and provide communication between the employee and administration The trail period will be for one month and upon completion of that period there will be a small performance appraisal as mentioned above. Since the Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd is just starting up, there will be minimal amount of staff that will be required until the business expands which will then be a requirement to hire addition staff. Personnel Management Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltds management team will consist of a Director, an Operational Director, a Managing Director, and Accountant, General Manager a Supervisor. In order to deliver efficiency to the consumer it is critical that the products and machinery is up and running and that everything is fully operational. The Board of Directors will be as follows: Director (Stiophà ¡n Mac Suibhne) Operational Director (Padraig Sheehan) Managing Director ( Barry Cunneen) Accountant ( Jesse Dunham) Operations The main operational requirements for Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will include: Location for the business Staffing Inventory Functional Website (for promotional purposes) It is imperative that staff be fully trained on the equipment to include manual handling training and healthy and safety before the initial opening of the business. All legal requirements will need to complete before opening. Factors Determining Success The main factors that will determine the success and future success of Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd are: Competition it will be important for me and my colleagues to keep an ongoing track of the businesss competitors in order to reach full market potential. Since that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd already has competition with some main companies offering the same type of products, it will be our job to continue to expand the business and continue to offer bigger and better offers and products. Reducing Overheads ensuring that the overheads will remain low will be our top priority and will continue to be a business objective. The main methods of reducing costs will be both change insurance requirements and cutting supplier costs as the business continues on. Development for Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd as already mentioned, Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will expand from one premises to many others pending the success within the first year of business. Market research such as surveys or questionnaires may provide feedback on our products and help to assess customer satisfaction High Customer Satisfaction customer satisfaction is the top success factor for this business and it will operate a boomerang approach to returning customers if they are kept happy with the products and service. Other Operational Factors The main operational factors that need to be addressed are: Quality Assurance: Keeping the products and customer service up to date will be a main priority. Location: Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will need a location in either a shopping centre or a gym to start up. Many of these jui

Golden Rice: The Fortified, Modified and Vilified Option for Third Worl

Each year without fail anywhere between 250,000 to 500,000 children go blind from Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), more than half of those die within twelve months. To visualize this number think of Seattle, now imagine half or all of its population going blind. With a few dollars’ worth of food or supplements enriched in vitamin A this problem can be mollified. But getting fresh foods and vitamins to those with the greatest need has proven an insurmountable problem. Food Aid, while indeed lifesaving, is costly and does not fix the underlying problems in poor societies. To be truly secure people must have food independence, which is to say they must be able to grow their own food supply and not rely on outside markets. In countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, India and China the main food staple is rice. While rice is a valuable source of carbohydrates, once the rice is milled, and its outer layer shucked, it losses most of its nutritional value. Thirty years ago two German s cientists, Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer set out to see if they could do something about making a better rice. What they came up with was genetically modified rice that was bright yellow because it was rich in ÃŽ ² (beta)-carotene, and was called golden rice because of its sunny hue. But before the two scientists could pat themselves on the back for solving Vitamin A Deficiency, anti-GM (genetically modified) groups such as Greenpeace denounced the unnatural solution and swore that golden rice would never find its way to third world farmers. Twenty eight years and approximately 10,000,000 million deaths later golden rice has still not been able to escape the red tape and fear mongering of the First World. And while golden rice is not a cure all for world hunger,... ...Rice to Combat Malnutrition Disorders of the Poor. Nutrition Reviews. Vol. 51. No. 6. Pp. S101-S104 June. Various Authors 2010 Genetically Modified Food Controversies. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_food_controversy Author Unknown (Editorial) 2005 Reburnishing [sic] Golden Rice. Nature Biotechnology. Vol. 23. No. 4. Pp. 395. April Author Unknown 2005 Scientists in Support of Agricultural Biotechnology. AgBioWorld. Agbioworld.org/declaration/petition/petition.php

Reading Autobiography

Although I do not have many vivid memories of my childhood the few things I do recall from my early years mostly seem to focus around school and my academics and interactions with children my own age. It is nearly impossible to pinpoint when exactly it was that I began to read but it must have been somewhere around the end of kindergarten and the beginning of first grade. I didn’t attend preschool so up until kindergarten my primary interaction with others was in my first language, Spanish. I can recall learning the alphabet and the sounds of all letters and I started to make out certain words like ‘see’ and ‘my’. The most influential person in the process of acquiring the skills I needed to read must have been an instructional assistant, Mr. Torres who would help me and other bilingual students regularly in the classroom. Of course the instruction by my teacher set the basis for my learning but the one on one help that he provided helped me make connections to my learning in Spanish and that made me feel very comfortable. The first books I began to read must have been simple stories that I came to memorize. Stories like The Gingerbread Man or Brown Bear that had repetitive lines were probably how I started to make connections with words, sounds and pronunciation of those words and sounds. Learning to read made me feel empowered and I remember wanting to read â€Å"big kids† books once I felt I was capable. Among my favorite types of books were scary chapter books like the series of Goosebumps as well as biographies of famous athletes. Among my least favorite must have been nonfiction and folktale because they never really managed to pull me in and I was always very skeptical about such fantasy. Unfortunately, this thrive to read did not last very long because I started to drift away from the constant practice of reading around the fifth grade and started seeing it more as an obligation rather than a choice. As a whole the literacy environment in my household was actually a very positive one and ever since I can recall my mom has always been a big reader and has many books and magazines throughout the house. All of her reading though was done in Spanish when I was growing up because as I was learning how to read my mom was learning the English language. My dad on the other hand has never been a big reader. Actually I can’t recall a time when I have seen him sit down and read something simply for leisure. I also had an older sister who was just a grade ahead of me in school and she has always been a bit of a bookworm and was constantly going through different books as we grew up. Even with all these things I think the language barrier influenced my detachment from reading. In my household we rarely spoke English, maybe if my mom and dad knew the language or were more comfortable with it they might have pushed me to read more or took the time to sit down and read to me. Come to think of it my mom would read to me but she would do it in Spanish and it was a bit boring for me. She would read common stories that I had already heard like the three little pigs or something of that sort and all I would gain out of this was amusement because the way things translated to me was funny. My mom did take us to the city Library and I remember going to story time or to some sort of show based on books. I remember seeing a magician and also petting a snake. As for having materials to read and write, there was always plenty throughout my house. My mom kept a full stock of pencil and paper as well as of books it was just a matter of me doing the actual work. She constantly asked me to explain to her what I was reading or writing for school but I always seemed to find a way to not spend too much time with it because all I wanted to do was play with the neighborhood kids or run off to soccer practice. In school the literacy environment was very positive as well and I remember how much time and dedication the faculty would place on reading and the development of reading skills. I can’t remember who formally taught me how to read but it must have been either Mrs. Diamond or Miss Falgot my first and second grade teachers, because by third grade I remember being able to read fluently. They used several different types of methods but I remember being read to very often by Miss Falgot. I do recall being placed in groups and having partners whom you read to and vice versa. I believe both Mrs. Diamond and Miss Falgot were key role players in my acquisition of reading skills and although I don’t recall specifics they did their job because by third grade I was at the top of my class. I do remember a particular case that had a bit of a negative effect on me in terms of reading. I remember being in either fourth or fifth grade reading as a class and the teacher called on me to read a paragraph. I don’t remember what I was thinking but I was not listening and wasn’t even on the right page, once I located it I got nervous and couldn’t even read. Luckily the teacher called on someone else but I felt horrible. As a class throughout elementary I remember visiting the library and running to the sport books section. The Library was so calm and always cool and I remembering going in there on hot summer days to get away and read a good book. The librarian I remember was always very sweet and she was very patient with all the students. As for literacy events the only thing that is clear in my mind is the book fairs that occurred maybe twice or three times a year. They were very fun and I remember they made even the boring books seem interesting. They set up all kinds of posters and it was something that I always looked forward to. As an adult I began to pick up old habits especially after I came into college. I can’t say I read a lot but I do find time to fit in a book every once in a while. I am still a big fan of autobiographies and I have recently developed a liking for books in Spanish. I usually read on the weekends when I am well rested and have slept in. I also like to go to parks and sit in the shade and enjoy a good book or story or even an interesting article. I think reading is very important and not only to help us expand our vocabulary or help us academically but when you read a good book you get a chance to escape your everyday and it gives you an insight into a story or a character in the way a TV or radio cannot. It captivates you and manages to get all of your attention but at the same time relaxes you. I think reading is something that should be taught to students but not just in order to help them academically but educators should also focus on showing the importance of literature in our lives and the positive way it influences our lives down the road something the media of today cannot manage to do. Writing equally should be not only taught for the purpose of education but in a way those students value it and continue to practice it even without a teacher pushing them to do so.

Cost Accounting Essay

Questions arise as to why ABC implementation is successful in certain companies and fails in others. Based on the contingency theory, researchers have argued that the reasons for different degrees of ABC success could be due to the different contextual factors faced by each firm. These have led researchers to recognize assessing factors that influence ABC success implementation as an important research area. The following are among the research that have been carried out to examine factors that influence ABC success: Anderson [18]; Shield [3]; McGowan and Klammer [19]; Krumwiede [20]; and Anderson and Young [21] This article has two main objectives; the first objective is to identify research gaps based on the revision of previous research and the second objective is to propose theoretical research framework for current research. This article is organized as follows: Section II presents a discussion of selected articles related to factors influencing ABC implementation and gaps or limitations of previous studies and suggestions for current research are stated in the section III and IV. The framework for current research is provided in section V, Section VI defines each research variable and the final section presents the conclusion. II. PREVIOUS RESEARCH In this section, selected ABC implementation empirical 144 Abstract—In today’s advanced manufacturing and competitive environment, accurate costing information is crucial for all the kinds of businesses, such as manufacturing firms, merchandizing firms, and service firms. Argued to be superior to the traditional volume-based costing system, Activity-Based Costing system (ABC) has increasingly attracted the attention of practitioners and researchers alike as one of the strategic tools to aid managers for better decision making. The benefits of ABC system and its impacts on companies’ performance have motivated numerous empirical studies on ABC system and it is considered as one of the most-researched management accounting areas in developed countries. Previous research on ABC have examined pertinent issues related to ABC implementation such as the levels of ABC adoption in various countries, the reasons for implementing ABC, the problems related to ABC and the critical success factors influencing ABC. This paper reviews the research on ABC carried out within the last decade, from 1995-2008, and from the review research gaps are identified. Specifically, this paper examines the selection of factors influencing successful ABC implementation, variables used by previous research and the definitions and operationalization of the variables. The review reveals that past research concentrated mainly on behavioral, organizational, and technical variables as the main determinants of ABC success but very little research have been done to examine the roles of organizational culture and structure. Based on the research gaps identified, a research framework for future research is provided. Index Terms—Advanced Manufacturing Activity-Based Costing, ABC Success Environment, I. INTRODUCTION In today’s competitive and continually changing business environment, firms need to be vigilant of the impacts of the changes in the business environment and devise appropriate strategies to survive and prosper. Advancements in manufacturing and communication technologies have drastically changed the ways businesses conduct their activities. Adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies such as robotics and computerized manufacturing have resulted in significant changes in the manufacturing cost structure which have led academics and practitioners to argue that the traditional costing methods are no longer sufficient within this new manufacturing environment [1] (Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). This had resulted in the change from the traditional volume-based cost model to new costing methods such as Activity Based Costing (ABC) [2]. Due to its ability in providing more accurate costing information and enhancing firms’ performance, ABC is International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, Vol. 1, No. 2, August, 2010 2010-023X studies, which spanned 1995-2008 periods, were collected from four prominent refereed accounting research journals, in management accounting field: Journal of Management Accounting Research, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Management Accounting Research and British Accounting Review. Factors used by previous research to investigate the effect on ABC success implementation are summarized, and stage of ABC implementation also is outlined. A. Technical Variables Early studies of ABC adoption and implementation undertaken by previous researchers concentrated on technical factors, such as identification of main activities, selection of cost drivers, problem in accumulating cost data. Example of these research are Cooper [9], Morrow and Connelly [22]. However, technical factors alone may not be adequate to explain the factors influencing ABC success implementation. Cooper et al. [23] argued that the key problem during ABC implementation stage is that companies only focus on technical factors. They suggested that to make ABC implementation more effective, non-technical factors such as involvement of non-accounting in ABC implementation process, top management championship, adequate training program to employees about the objectives and benefits of ABC should be emphasized as well. Similar opinions were expressed by Shield [3] and Shields and McEwen [14]. Shield (1995) found no significant relationship between technical factors and ABC success. Shields and McEwen [14] also highlighted that sole emphasis on the architectural and software design of ABC systems leads to the failure of ABC implementation. Therefore many researchers have suggested that new variables should be considered to investigate factors influencing ABC success. B. Contextual, Behavioral and Organizational Variables Recognizing the research gaps in identifying factors that may affect ABC success, academicians shifted their focuses from technical factors to other variables, such as contextual, behavioral and organizational, culture, as well as organizational structure. Anderson [18] conducted a longitudinal investigation of ABC process in General Motor (GM) from a period of 1986 to 1993. In his research, he examined the effects of organizational variables and contextual variables, and segmented ABC implementation into four major stages, initiation, adoption, adaptation and acceptance. He found that organizational factors, such as top management support and training for the ABC system affected various stages of ABC significantly, while contextual variables, such as competition, relevance to managers’ decisions and compatibility with existing systems produced different degree of impact on different stages of ABC. Shield [3] examined the relationships between diversity of behavioral, organizational and technical factors and the success of ABC implementation. She employed Shield and Young’s [24] framework and summarized behavioral and organizational variables as top management support, adequate resources, training, link ABC system to performance evaluation and compensation, non-accounting ownership, link ABC to competitive strategies as well as clarity of ABC objectives. She found that top management support, linkage to quality initiatives and to personal performance measure (pay/appraisal), implementation of training and resource adequacy were the significant predictors in explaining ABC success. She also found that technical variables were not associated with ABC success. Shield’s findings are supported by other researchers, such as Shield and McEwen [14], who argued that a significant cause for unsuccessful implementations of ABC of several companies could be due to the emphasis of architectural and software design of the ABC system and less attention given to behavioral and organizational issues, which were identified by Shield [3]. Krumwiede and Roth [25] also stated that barriers of ABC implementation can be overcome if firms could give importance to behavioral and rganizational variables identified by Shield [3]. Similarly, Norris [26] agreed with Shield’s [3] findings that the association between ABC success and behavioral and organizational variables is stronger than with technical variables. She further highlighted that the impact of behavioral, organizational and technical should be focused at individual level. McGowan and Klammer [19] conducted a survey of 53 employees from 4 targeted sites in the U. S. o examine whether employees’ satisfaction levels are associated with ABC implementation by They also measured their perceptions of the factors associated with the degree of satisfaction, such as top management support; the degree of involvement in the implementation process; objectives clearly stated; objectives shared; training; linkage to performance evaluation system; adequate resources; information quality and preparer over user. Their results indicated that employees’ satisfaction with ABC implementation was positively related with clarity of objectives and quality of ABC information. Gosselin [15] carried out a survey of 161 Canadian manufacturing companies to examine the effects of strategic posture and organizational structure on adoption and implementation of general forms of Activity-based costing. He segmented the ABC implementation stage into adoption and implementation. The research findings showed that a prospector strategy was associated with manager decision to adopt ABC, while centralization and formalization were significantly associated with ABC success implementation. Krumwiede [20] surveyed U. S manufacturing firms to study how contextual factors, such as the potential for cost distortion or size of firms; organizational factors, such as top management support, training or non-accounting ownership, affect each stage of ABC implementation process. His findings showed that the different factors affected the various stages of implementation of ABC and the degree of importance of each factor varies according to the stage of implementation. Contextual factors, such as usefulness of cost information, IT existence, less task uncertainty and large organizations were related to ABC adoption. Moreover, organizational factors, such as top management support, non-accounting ownership, and implementation training affect ABC success implementation. 145 International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, Vol. 1, No. 2, August, 2010 2010-023X In another study by Anderson and Young [21], the relationship between organizational and contextual variables, such as organizational structures, task characteristics, management support, information technology and ABC success was examined. The result confirmed the importance of organizational factors (top management support and adequacy resources) during the ABC implementation stage. In South Africa, Sartorius et al. [27] carried out a mail survey to investigate the effect of organizational factors such as top management, adequate resources, coherence with organizational goals and strategy on ABC success. They found top management support and resources were the crucial factors in explaining ABC success. In the UK, Innes and Mitchell [4] and [12] surveyed the extent of ABC adoption among largest firms. The study aimed to find out factors influencing ABC success by using behavioral and organizational variables, and it was found that top management influenced ABC success significantly. In another study conducted by Khalid [28] using a questionnaire survey among the largest 100 firms in Saudi Arabia, ABC adoption was found to be positively related to diversity of products. In Malaysia, Ruhanita et al. [29] conducted a mail survey and a case study to examine that factors influencing ABC success, especially at adoption stage. They found the significant factors were cost distortion, decision usefulness, information technology and organizational factors. In addition, the findings showed that decision usefulness, top management support, link ABC to performance measure and compensation influenced the ABC success adoption significantly. A case study of one Chinese manufacturing firm was carried by Lana and Fei [30] in China. Their research aimed to examine some key success factors pertinent to ABC implementation within Chinese organizational and cultural setting. The research findings showed that top management support, hierarchical and communication structure and high proportion of dedicated professionals were the significant factors in determining ABC success implementation. Majid et al. [7] used a case study approach to describe the process of ABC implementation in a Malaysian service company and a Malaysian manufacturing company. In this research, they categorized ABC implementation into initiation and adoption, design, implementation and use of information. The purpose of the research was to find out the problems faced during ABC implementation, He found that the factors determining ABC success were top management support, suitable ABC software, and finally, ensuring that all affected employees understand and participate in the ABC implementation stage. And they also found that at different stages of ABC, the dominant factors influencing ABC success were also different. Colin et al. [31] adopted behavioral and organizational factors summarized by Shield (1995) to examine factors influencing the adoption and degree of success of ABC systems and determinants of that success. In their research, the targeted research population was manufacturing and service firms in the UK. They found that top management support, non-accounting ownership, adequate training provided to ABC determined the ABC success. Besides behavioral, organizational and technical variable, some researchers also indicated that the dimensions of national cultures could affect the level of ABC success [32, 33]. Brewer [32] used Hofstede’s taxonomy of work-related cultural values to examine the relationship between national culture and Activity-Based Costing system. In the study, Hofstede [34]’s work was applied to the case of Harris Semiconductor (HS), which has implemented ABC at plants in Malaysia and the USA. The results showed that the level of ABC success in Malaysia was higher than that of U. S due to high-power-distance and collectivist cultures in Malaysia. In addition, Supitcha and Frederick [33] also included national culture’s dimension into framework in a case study of one Thai state-owned enterprise’s budgeting system. They found that due to cultural differences, modifications were required when the organizations in Thailand tried to implement ABC system in Thai environment. Apart from national culture, corporate culture factors were also tested by prior research. Baird, Harrison and Reeve [17] conducted a study to investigate the relationship between the extent of ABC adoption and the organizational variables of size and decision usefulness of cost information and business unit culture. In their research, data were collected by a mail survey questionnaire and samples were randomly selected from business units in Australia. The research finding showed significant relationships between ABC adoption and decision usefulness, cultural dimensions of outcome orientation and tight verse loose control. Baird, Harrison and Reeve [16] examined the relationship between success of activity management practices and organizational factors (top management support, training, link to performance evaluation and compensation, and link to quality initiatives), and organizational culture (outcome orientation, team orientation, attention to detail, as well as innovation). They adopted a survey questionnaire method on randomly chosen business units in Australia. The findings showed that two organizational factors (top management support, link to quality initiatives) explained the variations in success of activity management practices, such as ABC, and outcome orientation and attention to detail of organizational culture were associated with ABC success. They also stressed that compared with organizational culture, organizational factors had stronger associations with the ABC.

Levi Strauss Co. and the ERP Failure

Levi Strauss Co. and the ERP Failure Introduction Levi Strauss Co. is the large U.S. clothing company which was founded in San Francisco in 1853 by Levi Strauss, the immigrant from Bavaria. Today, it is one of the most popular clothing brands in the world which produces the high quality denim jeans. Levi Strauss Co. is one of the leaders in the apparel industry, and this brand is present in more than 100 countries all over the world. The company is famous for the significant percentage of sales round the globe because of the brand’s reputation and recognition among customers. That is why, operating within the markets of many countries, Levi Strauss Co. employs more than ten thousands of employees in order to represent the company world wide (Levi Strauss Co, 2013). In 2008, the problems with implementing SAP ERP caused the problems with fulfilling orders. As a result, during a week, the orders were fulfilled incorrectly, and the company faced the economic decline of 98% in net income. Problem Statement and th e Consequences of the ERP Failure SAP ERP was implemented in the company during the first part of 2008, but in the second quarter of 2008, different technical issues prevented Levi Strauss Co. from fulfilling the orders correctly during the whole week. Thus, the drawbacks in the SAP ERP implementation caused the economic decline of the company in 2008. Consequently, the technical errors and problems in the SAP ERP implementation contributed to the significant economic losses associated with the decline in 98% in the company’s net income.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Levi Strauss Co. and the ERP Failure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Causes of the Problem It was found that the technical errors and internal control problems connected with the work of SAP ERP were determined after the system had been implemented in the company. Furthermore, there were significant difficulties in the connection and integra tion of the necessary legacy systems. However, the company’s management did not pay the necessary attention to fixing and overcoming the problem. Thus, the causes for the SAP ERP failure are in ignoring the importance of the appropriate connection and integration of the legacy systems, ignoring the necessary testing, insufficient employee training, and the lack of the adequate management participation (Levi Strauss Co, 2013). Recommendations and the Solution Explanation To provide the solution to the situation associated with the SAP ERP failure in Levi Strauss Co., it is necessary to propose the alternative program to be used in the company. The appropriate program is based on the integration and management of such company’s operations as the planning of the company’s operations, order entry, distribution, e-commerce, accounting, logistics, human resource management, and customer relationship management. The program based on the Oracle ERP and reporting platf orms should unite all the company’s departments in one complex system which operates the enterprise-wide information and resources. The program based on the Oracle ERP should be incorporated into the existing SAP ERP system following the principles of the parallel implementation when the work of the SAP ERP system is supported with the work of the Oracle ERP system in order to cover all the fields of the company’s operations. From this point, operating the ERP platform, the program cannot be discussed as independent from the other systems. Referring to the principles of the ERP, the basic users are associated with accounting, finance, logistics, and production in order to realize the effective planning of operations and to contribute to the company’s progress (Baltzan, Phillips, Detlor, 2012, p. 128-131).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a r esult, the expected solution based on the Oracle ERP platform can be provided in the Excel format as the format actively used by the program operators because of its sufficiency and appropriateness to analyze and report the necessary data. The key variables which should be examined and analyzed with references to the system are the program’s simplicity, its flexibility, the potential for control, costs, the ability to provide the necessary integration, and accessibility (Baltzan, Phillips, Detlor, 2012, p. 128-129). That is why, the program based on the Oracle ERP platform can be discussed as effective to be integrated within the company to enhance planning, scheduling, forecasting, purchasing, and distribution activities. From this point, the use of the Oracle ERP along with the SAP ERP is possible only with references to the significant top management commitment and involvement in the process regulations and with the focus on the change management principles. The Advantage s of Implementing New Recommendations for the Company The focus on the integration of the Oracle ERP based program along with the SAP ERP within Levi Strauss Co. can be discussed as the effective strategy to overcome the issues associated with the SAP ERP failure in 2008. The program developed to reproduce the functions of the Oracle ERP is necessary to improve the operations’ coordination within the company and to provide the immediate response to the detected errors in the system’s work. Thus, the systems which work on the same platform can be used for the integration and to support each other while combining the work of the systems’ elements. Such work of the systems which improves the coordination among the company’s departments can solve the problem and prevent the possible errors in the future. Thus, the use of the proposed program can guarantee a lot of benefits for the company, and these benefits and advantages are closely connected with the poss ibilities to reduce costs, to provide the necessary technical support of the decision-making process, to guarantee the company’s increased agility, and to respond to the company’s transactional, informational, and different strategic needs. From this point, the purpose of the program’s use is in the reduction of operational costs and in the increase of the company’s efficiency. The solution based on the principles of the enterprise resource planning is effective to be used in Levi Strauss Co. because the previously implemented program also depended on this platform which was chosen by the company’s managers as effective to promote the e-commerce and operational activities. The program is appropriate to organize the cooperative work of all the units and departments and to stimulate the progress of the change management within the company. Along with responding to the company’s current problems in ordering, purchasing, and delivery of the pro ducts, the new implemented program can be discussed as effective to be actively used by managers to stimulate their involvement in predicting the potential successes and failures and in planning the coordinated work of all the company’s departments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Levi Strauss Co. and the ERP Failure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More That is why, the focus on the new program which can be successfully implemented according to the idea of the parallel implementation with the SAP ERP system is also necessary to promote the managerial decision-making processes. References Baltzan, P., Phillips, C., Detlor, B. (2012). Business driven information systems. Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Levi Strauss Co. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.levistrauss.com/who-we-are/company/

The Popular Childrens Books, The Spide Chronicles

The Popular Children's Books, The Spide Chronicles The Spiderwick Chronicles is a popular children’s book series written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The fantasy stories revolve around the three Grace children and their frightening experiences with fairies when they move into an old Victorian home. The Spiderwick Chronicles Series According to a letter from co-author Holly Black that appears at the beginning of each of The Spiderwick Chronicles series, it all started when she and Tony DiTerlizzi were at a bookstore book signing and were given a letter that had been left for them. The letter was from the Grace children, and it mentioned a book that â€Å"tells people how to identify faeries and how to protect themselves.† The letter went on to say, â€Å"We just want people to know about this. The stuff that has happened to us could happen to anyone.† A few days later, according to Black, she and DiTerlizzi met the Grace children, and the story the children told them became The Spiderwick Chronicles. After their parents’ divorce, the Grace children and their mother move into the ramshackle Victorian home previously occupied by their great-aunt Lucinda. The three children, thirteen-year-old Mallory and her nine-year-old twin brothers, Jared and Simon, are still adjusting to their parents’ divorce and are not happy with their new home. While Mallory has her fencing to keep her occupied and Simon his menagerie of animals to care for, Jared is angry and at loose ends. Almost immediately, odd things begin to happen, beginning with strange sounds in the walls, and leading to the discovery of the small unexpected and unfriendly other occupants of the house and area. Written in the third person, the books emphasize Jared’s point of view. It’s poor Jared who tends to get blamed for all of the unpleasant things that happen, thanks to the faeries. He finds a secret room and an amazing book Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, a book about identifying and protecting yourself from faeries. While the first book is quite mild and provides a basic introduction to the human characters and the threat from the fantastical creatures, the action and suspense is ratcheted up in the remaining books. The Grace children come in conflict with goblins, a shape-shifting ogre, dwarves, elves and other frightening characters. The series ends with the kidnapping of Mrs. Grace and her children’s desperate, and ultimately successful, attempt to rescue her. The Appeal of The Spiderwick Chronicles The short length of these children’s novels - about 100 pages - the uncomplicated, yet suspenseful and scary  fantasy stories, the engaging main characters, the attractive design of the small hardbound books and the full-page pen and ink illustrations in every chapter make the books particularly appealing to younger children who are independent readers or who enjoy having an adult read to them. The Books of The Spiderwick Chronicles The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field GuideThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing StoneThe Spiderwick Chronicles: Lucindas SecretThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Ironwood TreeThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Wrath of Mulgarath Other Spiderwick books include: Arthur Spiderwicks Field Guide to The Fantastical World Around YouThe Notebook for Fantastical Observations   The Creators of The Spiderwick Chronicles Tony DiTerlizzi is a best-selling author and an award-winning illustrator. His books include Jimmy Zangwows Out-of-This-World Moon-Pie Adventure and Ted. Mary Howitt’s The Spider and the Fly was awarded a Caldecott Honor because of the quality of DiTerlizzi’s illustrations. Tony DiTerlizzi is both the co-author and the illustrator of The Spiderwick Chronicles. He has illustrated work by such well-known fantasy authors as J.R.R. Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey. His pen and ink drawings in The Spiderwick Chronicles give life to the characters and help to set the mood of adventure and suspense. Holly Black is also a best-selling author. She specializes in contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, a fantasy novel for young adults was published in 2002. Although they have known one another for a number of years, The Spiderwick Chronicles series and related books represent the first collaboration between Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.

A Brief History of the Microscope

A Brief History of the Microscope During that historic period known as the Renaissance, after the dark Middle Ages, there occurred the inventions of printing, gunpowder and the mariners compass, followed by the discovery of America. Equally remarkable was the invention of the light microscope: an instrument that enables the human eye, by means of a lens or combinations of lenses, to observe enlarged images of tiny objects. It made visible the fascinating details of worlds within worlds. Invention of Glass Lenses Long before, in the hazy unrecorded past, someone picked up a piece of transparent crystal thicker in the middle than at the edges, looked through it, and discovered that it made things look larger. Someone also found that such a crystal would focus the suns rays and set fire to a piece of parchment or cloth. Magnifiers and burning glasses or magnifying glasses are mentioned in the writings of Seneca and Pliny the Elder, Roman philosophers during the first century A. D., but apparently they were not used much until the invention of spectacles, toward the end of the 13th century. They were named lenses because they are shaped like the seeds of a lentil. The earliest simple microscope was merely a tube with a plate for the object at one end and, at the other, a lens which gave a magnification less than ten diameters ten times the actual size. These excited general wonder when used to view fleas or tiny creeping things and so were dubbed flea glasses. Birth of the Light Microscope About 1590, two Dutch spectacle makers, Zaccharias Janssen and his son Hans, while experimenting with several lenses in a tube, discovered that nearby objects appeared greatly enlarged. That was the forerunner of the compound microscope and of the telescope. In 1609, Galileo, father of modern physics and astronomy, heard of these early experiments, worked out the principles of lenses, and made a much better instrument with a focusing device. Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) The father of microscopy, Anton van Leeuwenhoek of Holland, started as an apprentice in a dry goods store where magnifying glasses were used to count the threads in cloth. He taught himself new methods for grinding and polishing tiny lenses of great curvature which gave magnifications up to 270 diameters, the finest known at that time. These led to the building of his microscopes and the biological discoveries for which he is famous. He was the first to see and describe bacteria, yeast plants, the teeming life in a drop of water, and the circulation of blood corpuscles in capillaries. During a long life, he used his lenses to make pioneer studies on an extraordinary variety of things, both living and non-living and reported his findings in over a hundred letters to the Royal Society of England and the French Academy. Robert Hooke Robert Hooke, the English father of microscopy, re-confirmed Anton van Leeuwenhoeks discoveries of the existence of tiny living organisms in a drop of water. Hooke made a copy of Leeuwenhoeks light microscope and then improved upon his design. Charles A. Spencer Later, few major improvements were made until the middle of the 19th century. Then several European countries began to manufacture fine optical equipment but none finer than the marvelous instruments built by the American, Charles A. Spencer, and the industry he founded. Present day instruments, changed but little, give magnifications up to 1250 diameters with ordinary light and up to 5000 with blue light. Beyond the Light Microscope A light microscope, even one with perfect lenses and perfect illumination, simply cannot be used to distinguish objects that are smaller than half the wavelength of light. White light has an average wavelength of 0.55 micrometers, half of which is 0.275 micrometers. (One micrometer is a thousandth of a millimeter, and there are about 25,000 micrometers to an inch. Micrometers are also called microns.) Any two lines that are closer together than 0.275 micrometers will be seen as a single line, and any object with a diameter smaller than 0.275 micrometers will be invisible or, at best, show up as a blur. To see tiny particles under a microscope, scientists must bypass light altogether and use a different sort of illumination, one with a shorter wavelength. The Electron Microscope The introduction of the electron microscope in the 1930s filled the bill. Co-invented by Germans, Max Knoll, and Ernst Ruska in 1931, Ernst Ruska was awarded half of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1986 for his invention. (The other half of the Nobel Prize was divided between Heinrich Rohrer and Gerd Binnig for the STM.) In this kind of microscope, electrons are speeded up in a vacuum until their wavelength is extremely short, only one hundred-thousandth that of white light. Beams of these fast-moving electrons are focused on a cell sample and are absorbed or scattered by the cells parts so as to form an image on an electron-sensitive photographic plate. Power of the Electron Microscope If pushed to the limit, electron microscopes can make it possible to view objects as small as the diameter of an atom. Most electron microscopes used to study biological material can see down to about 10 angstromsan incredible feat, for although this does not make atoms visible, it does allow researchers to distinguish individual molecules of biological importance. In effect, it can magnify objects up to 1 million times. Nevertheless, all electron microscopes suffer from a serious drawback. Since no living specimen can survive under their high vacuum, they cannot show the ever-changing movements that characterize a living cell. Light Microscope Vs Electron Microscope Using an instrument the size of his palm, Anton van Leeuwenhoek was able to study the movements of one-celled organisms. Modern descendants of van Leeuwenhoeks light microscope can be over 6 feet tall, but they continue to be indispensable to cell biologists because, unlike electron microscopes, light microscopes enable the user to see living cells in action. The primary challenge for light microscopists since van Leeuwenhoeks time has been to enhance the contrast between pale cells and their paler surroundings so that cell structures and movement can be seen more easily. To do this they have devised ingenious strategies involving video cameras, polarized light, digitizing computers, and other techniques that are yielding vast improvements, in contrast, fueling a renaissance in light microscopy.

The research topic is over the play A taste of honey by Shelagh Essay

The research topic is over the play A taste of honey by Shelagh Delaney,The topic is to dissuss the stages of adolesences - Essay Example Because the play follows the story of teenaged Jo, who becomes pregnant and nears the time of her delivery within the space of the play, it illustrates many of the developmental stages of adolescence as Jo is forced to go from childhood to adulthood in preparation for her baby’s birth. However, development can also be seen in the character of Geof, who enters the play as a gay friend, but seems unsure of his own sexuality while he watches Jo mature into a young mother-to-be. Whether intentional or not, many of these concepts were written into the play by a nineteen-year-old playwright at a time when many of the theories understood today regarding adolescent development were yet to be formulated. As such, â€Å"A Taste of Honey† offers remarkable clarity of vision and understanding to have been able to distinguish the stages of adolescent development so completely. As early as 1952, though, Richard Havighurst had proposed his ideas regarding developmental stages throughout the lifespan, each characterized by a specific set of necessary developmental tasks before the individual can move forward into the next stage. The definition of a developmental task as defined by Havighurst et al (1952) is â€Å"a task which arises at or about a certain period in the life of an individual, successful achievement of which leads to his happiness and to success with later tasks, while failure leads to unhappiness in the individual, disapproval by the society, and difficulty with later tasks† (p. 2). The tasks identified with adolescents include achieving new and more mature relations with age-mates of both sexes; achieving a masculine or feminine social role; accepting one’s physique and using the body effectively; achieving emotional independence of parents and other adults; preparing for marriage and family life / preparing for an economic care er; acquiring a set of

Changing Roles of Women over Time Research Paper - 1

Changing Roles of Women over Time - Research Paper Example The overall impact of the research will be recollected in the conclusion. Works cited page would be added to a last page of the document. Women in present times are free and happy as compared to the women in last century or before. Over the centuries, women have been thought of a lesser creature, always under subjugation by males in the form of father, brother, husband or boyfriend. After living for centuries under the domination of men, women even tend to forget they were free. This situation started changing over last century especially in Europe and America where women started achieving more freedom. In the nineteenth century and before, women had a very less breathing space and rights. Many families and especially women were raised to behave in a certain way. It was almost a law and the way of being. Women were not given freedom since the beginning of time mainly on the pretext of being physically weak. Women were able to attend schools not very far back in time. Along the year's women rights have grown from very few to too many by now. The women had been suppressed based on self-defense, economic well being, empl oyment, sex, harassment, family, abortion and many more reasons. The movement for women’s rights arose in the early 19th century as an offshoot of abolitionism, the anti-slavery movement that declared each human being to be a self-owner. As with other abolitionists, the early feminists were individualists who drew inspiration from the Declaration of Independence and its principles of individual rights and responsibility. â€Å"The first women’s Rights convention was held in 1848 at Seneca Falls, New York. Elizabeth Cady Stanton gave a speech about the Declaration of Sentiments. During this speech, she declared that men and women are created equal. This is truly considered the beginning of the women’s movement† (Women and freedom).

Can ethics constrain and improve politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Can ethics constrain and improve politics - Essay Example hics of democracy argues that the greatest divide in ethics comes between action centred views, practical ethics, ethics of character and being ethical. What he referred to in simple terms was that the moral uprightness should be as a means of doing or being good. As an answer to this critical question philosophers used the question of; what was the centre of moral discourse, evaluation of morality and justification of one’s morality. He further on went to quiz what the primary concern was or end of a moral activity. Dewey in his book refers to democracy as a moral upright which is a clear opposite from his moral thought.Dewey’s ethics is as a resource for tackling difficult questions regarding the justification of democracy from his radical view of democracy. In Dewey’s ethics we find specific virtues, relationships and experiences. He went ahead to (Dewey, 2008). Dewey feels that one should advocate individualism in their political administration of public affairs with a little consideration for honour and self-esteem. He further argues that politicians in their administrative roles should consider what benefits them most then the society. He further feels that morality can be but instead advocates for the reflexive morality by observing and understanding the circumstances surrounding a course of action. (Dewey, 2008) Charles R. Beitz in his book â€Å"Political theory and international relations† feels that changes in international relations have led have a clear exhibition to his political theory. He further states that Nations are not interested in promoting human welfare. Since nations are longer as self-sufficient, its global image no longer gives an accurate picture of the morality inside a state (Beitz 2008). In the book the key concept of politics by Andrew Heywood, it can be observed that Realism as a political theory in which he finds a man as egocentric hence using egoism to define human nature. On the Liberal theory, Heywood believes man is a

Why is the study of racism, sexism and other systems of oppression Essay

Why is the study of racism, sexism and other systems of oppression important in understanding gender relations - Essay Example It is a fact that understanding the intricate nature of gender relations becomes phenomenally simple if they are studied in combination with various oppressive behaviors that may be quite vibrant in the society. Facts and discussion presented in this paper are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that â€Å"gender relations can be easily comprehended by both sexes leading to safe workplaces and friendly domestic environment, if racism, sexism, etc. are satisfactorily studied and understood.† Racism means that there exist profound differences between the people of different groups relating to their capacities and abilities, and depending entirely on their race. This unjustified thinking pattern deeply influences gender relations and mutilates the social roles of both men and women. Both sexes find it increasingly difficult to communicate with each other in a society fraught with racist behaviors. This difficulty in communication leads to poor relationships bet ween men and women both at workplaces and in private lives, thus leading to marred gender relations. Sexism also heavily impacts gender relations owing to the groundless belief that one sex is superior to another in every possible way. Such a negative societal behavior leads to an unbalanced society because the roles played by both sexes are equally important and praise-worthy in regards to maintaining a societal structure.

Is Glenn Beck a populist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Is Glenn Beck a populist - Essay Example through this program are addressed toward the complications of the current programs and state that there needs to be a change in the structure and function of politics. Specifically, Beck focuses on the elitist class and the way that this has shaped politics outside of the democratic vision that first founded the country. The opinions and viewpoints that Beck holds toward the current political situation is one that defines him as a populist, specifically by showing the loss of power to the people and the lack of change that the government has provided under the names of democracy. The representation that Glenn Beck carries is one that began with his past and his specific life experiences. It is through the associations that Beck had growing up that led him into the role of representing the populist movement and the different concepts that applied to this. Beck grew up in a rural town in America and began to work into radio beginning at the age of 15. Beck often speaks about the suicide of his mom and the breakdown of his family, which led him into specific difficulties through his earlier life. Through his upbringing, and by the time he reached 30, he went through several small companies and jobs. He claims to have struggled with problems such as alcoholism, drugs and finding his way through America to get the job and dream that he desired. When he turned 30, he had one child and a girlfriend who would only marry him if he began to change some of the concepts in his life. He began to change his path by joining the Mormon religion and focusing on becoming a be tter career oriented individual. However, as he began to focus on this new path, he also recognized that there was a change in America and what was occurring. The recognition that he found led him into the movement created through his entertainment station and allowed him to begin approaching a different type of entertainment center, specifically which was for the people (Zaitchik, 2009). Beck

Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Change Management - Essay Example The changing socio-economic environment made it necessary that more consideration be paid to socio-cultural and political environment so that the requirements of the people became the focal point in the development of strategy. McGregor has been emphatic that proactive participation of the workforce in the decision making is imperative for sustainable growth of any organization. He said, ‘The effectiveness of organizations could be at least doubled if managers could discover how to tap into the unrealized potential present in their workforces’ (McGregor, 1960). Thus shared learning needs to become intrinsic part of HR Strategy that involves the employees in decision making processes and promotes collective goals. The advancing technology and the advent of computers have greatly influenced the changing paradigms of the business strategies. Knowledge management has become crucial part of managerial leadership (Garvin, 2003). While the technology has considerably improved the overall performance of the organization, the managers have also realized the vast potential of the emerging new technologies in opening a huge vista of business opportunities that are global in nature but made easily accessible through the new technology like internet and tech gizmos. ‘The Internet with its low-cost entry and ease of use quickly changed how information was exchanged and removed the distance barriers for business partners’ (Gottardi et al. 2004). The globalization has ushered in an era of pluralistic society that comprises people from different culture, race, color and nationality, giving a new perspective to the business compulsions. Levitt, an eminent social scientist, in an article says that ‘A powerful force drives the world toward a converging commonality, and that force is technology’ (Levitt, 1983). Managing diversity has therefore, become a crucial

Is Glenn Beck a populist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Is Glenn Beck a populist - Essay Example through this program are addressed toward the complications of the current programs and state that there needs to be a change in the structure and function of politics. Specifically, Beck focuses on the elitist class and the way that this has shaped politics outside of the democratic vision that first founded the country. The opinions and viewpoints that Beck holds toward the current political situation is one that defines him as a populist, specifically by showing the loss of power to the people and the lack of change that the government has provided under the names of democracy. The representation that Glenn Beck carries is one that began with his past and his specific life experiences. It is through the associations that Beck had growing up that led him into the role of representing the populist movement and the different concepts that applied to this. Beck grew up in a rural town in America and began to work into radio beginning at the age of 15. Beck often speaks about the suicide of his mom and the breakdown of his family, which led him into specific difficulties through his earlier life. Through his upbringing, and by the time he reached 30, he went through several small companies and jobs. He claims to have struggled with problems such as alcoholism, drugs and finding his way through America to get the job and dream that he desired. When he turned 30, he had one child and a girlfriend who would only marry him if he began to change some of the concepts in his life. He began to change his path by joining the Mormon religion and focusing on becoming a be tter career oriented individual. However, as he began to focus on this new path, he also recognized that there was a change in America and what was occurring. The recognition that he found led him into the movement created through his entertainment station and allowed him to begin approaching a different type of entertainment center, specifically which was for the people (Zaitchik, 2009). Beck

Theme Park in China Essay Example for Free

Theme Park in China Essay Introduction There are a number of theme parks in China. Some of them are well designed and managed. Some are fairylands for the children, which have great fun playing in the fairy tale castles and the animal kingdoms with cartoon characters; The youngsters would like to experience the thrilled and exciting amusement ride. Meanwhile, the elderly like to take pleasure in the folk custom. However, though the market is believed to be big and potential, about 70% of the China’s 2500 amusement parks are losing money. Whom and why will run non-profitable business? Unlike residential developments, the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government to cool the hot property market do not apply to projects categorized as cultural or entertainment purposes. The loophole allows developers to buy land from the government often at a relatively low price to build a theme park and then erect adjoining apartments and hotels. To plug the loophole, Beijing authorities banned the construction of new theme parks over a certain size in August 2011. This measurement canceled many projects in the capital but not deterred most developers from continuing with their amusement park development plans. Actually, many investors do not concern on losing money when operating theme parks, since the sales of tickets and food make up only a very small percentage of their profits, a China Daily reports said. Furthermore, parks require a lot of funding and have high operating costs, so it can take a longer period of times for investors to regain their money. According to China Daily, many theme parks built in the early 2000s have been bankrupted, with the properties failing to sell at dozens of auctions over the past seven years. Amusement Park Industry Trend. Focusing on the theme park business, according to Chris Yoshii, an analyst for AECOM, told USA Today recently that almost a third of Chinas 2,500-plus theme parks have opened within the past two years, with the total number expected to surpass that of the U. S. by 2020. During the five years through 2012, the Amusement Park industry experienced rapid development, growing 14. 4% per year on average to an estimated $2. 3 billion in 2012. Chinas economy developed rapidly over this period, and household disposable income levels improved dramatically. As a result, the number of people paying for leisure activities increased significantly, resulting in strong visitor growth for this industry. The top four operators in China account for about 13. 6% of total revenue in 2012, and this share is expected to increase, as visitor numbers and gate receipts for the industrys largest amusement parks increase steadily. According to AECOM, a Hong Kong tourism consulting firm, theme parks in Asia sold a combined 103. 3 million tickets last year, one-third of the total in the world and second only to those sold in North America (127 million). Also, fewer new players will enter the industry due to its high and increasing barriers to entry. As a result, analysts are optimistic in this industry. It is forecasted that in the next five years, industry revenue is forecast to increase at an average annualized rate of 16. 7%. The increasing popularity of amusement parks was another industry driver. Since World Carnival entered the Chinese market in 2004, visiting amusement parks has become a popular way to spend time. The number of international visitors also rose significantly over the past five years, as Chinas popularity as a tourist destination has improved. According to 5u588. com, a Chinese tourism-industry information website, 70 tourism real estate projects have already been signed this year, with a total investment of 260 billion Yuan. That figure is expected to surpass 1 trillion Yuan by December 2012. Current Outstanding Theme Parks According to China Highlights website, there are top 7 theme parks in China. Here are the list and its brief notes: 1. Hong Kong Disneyland Park It is the newest Disneyland in the world at present, and one of two large theme parks in Hong Kong. There are four theme areas in the Hong Kong Disneyland Park: the Main Street, U. S. A. Adventure World, Fantastic World, and Tomorrow World. 2. Shenzhen Happy Valley There are nine theme sections in Shenzhen Happy Valley, including Spanish Plaza, Cartoon City, Adventure Mountain, Happy Time, Gold Mine Town, Shangri-la Forest, Hurricane Bay, Sunshine Coast, and Maya Water Park. Equipment and fun are unique in China and even in Asia, imported from the USA, Holland, and Germany, attracting numerous tourists to Shenzhen every year. 3. Beijing Happy Valley At present, Beijing Happy Valley occupies about 540,000 square meters. It offers a great opportunity to experience an ecological environment in Fiord Forest, the Mayan disaster in Lost Maya, a crystal city in Atlantis, ancient Greek myths in Aegean Harbor, a dream life in Shangri-La, and environmental protection consciousness in Ant Kingdom. 4. Shenzhen Window of the World Reproductions of the most famous of the worlds greatest wonders, historical heritage, and other interesting places there. At night, there are also many spectacular folk song and dance performances. 5. Cinemlong Happy World The vertical roller coaster there is the worlds best roller coaster. And the ten-looped roller coaster had gained a Guinness World Record. There are five theme sections in the park: the Habi Kingdom, the Screaming Zone, the Rainbow Bay, the Water Paradise, and a central square for shows. 6. Splendid China The 82 attractions have been reduced on a scale of 1:15 and located according to where they are in China. Splendid China is just like a giant map of China. These attractions can be divided into three categories: ancient architecture, landscapes, and folk culture. 7. China Folk Culture Village There are 25 ethnic villages set up on a scale of 1:1. It veritably shows local customs and folklore in China with ethnic performances, crafts shows, and regular large ethnic festivals, including: the Water Splashing Festival, the Shaman Festival, the Torch Festival, the Huaxia Great Cultural Temple Fair, and the Inner Mongolia Grassland Cultural Festival. Apart from Hong Kong Disneyland, all the above theme parks are managed by local Chinese. Another interesting finding is that five of them are located in Southern China. It is suggested that the weather and government authority did affect the location of an amusement park. Since the sub-tropical forest weather is good for amusement parks to raise up animals and could make visitors feel comfortable in winter times. Also, comparing to Beijing and Shanghai, Guangdong Province may not have as many as traditional site seeing spots for international visitors. Therefore, the government is generally accepted theme parks and believes it can boost the tourism. Forthcoming and Promising Players As we all know, Disneyland theme park will start its business in Shanghai 2015, with US3. 7bn investment. Furthermore, there are a number of theme park projects are being widely speculated. Firstly, news from BBC in August 2012, Dreamworks, the Hollywood studio production of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar, plans to invest US3bn to build â€Å"The Dream Center† in Shanghai in 2016. The main theme is about global cultural centre and the attraction point is the world’s largest Imax screen. Secondly, on the roof of the world, the Tibetan capital Lhasa is building its first theme park, to be opened in June 2013. This amusement parks core culture will be Oriental, ie. from the popular Chinese hero Monkey King to dinosaurs, to Mongolian warrior Genghis Khan. They believe it could help recoup their $472 million investment within six years, says Ding, an executive at Yu Gui Garden investment group. Local Fight Back Company owning â€Å"Happy Valley† theme parks is optimistic on strong and foreign amusement parks component in China. Believed this could cultivate a much bigger market in China. Similar to Japan, the Disney resort promoted the development of other local parks. Another example is the United States: before Disney set up its resorts, the country had only three parks that boasted more than one million visitors per year. After Disneyland opened, the number of overall visitors in the country quickly surged to more than 10 million annually. The same situation happened several years later in Hong Kong. When Walt Disney launched its third overseas theme park in the city in 2006, other amusement parks in Hong Kong, such as Ocean Park and the adjacent Shenzhen Happy Valley, all witnessed a rapid increase in annual revenue and number of visitors. Investment of 25 billion yuan is reportedly being put into the Shanghai Disney project, in comparison with the 2 billion yuan that invested in Shanghai Happy Valley in the first phase of construction work. The company has invested more than 16 billion yuan over the past 25 years to build theme parks. It has finished the first round of strategic theme park construction in Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, and has started the second round of park development in cities including Wuhan and Tianjin. It has received 164 million visitors to its theme parks, and has earned a total of 17 billion yuan so far. The company said they invest at least 30 million yuan in every theme park to develop new recreation projects every year. Expected the number of visitors to Happy Valley theme parks to surpass 20 million this year, with a growing trend to 30 million a year by 2020. China has a huge market for theme park operators. According to Wu Wenxue, vice-chairman of the China Tourism Association, over the next five years, the market demand for theme parks may surpass 10 billion yuan a year. Conclusion From my personal viewpoint, theme parks in China will be generally developed into two different main streams. Firstly, it is foreign and famous owned amusement parks, like Disneyland, World Carnival and Dreamworks†¦ etc. The second stream will be full of Chinese and Oriental cultures, which may aim to attract international visitors. Both streams are believed to be growing and promising. However, the key concern is safety. Since there are some fatal accident happened in local amusement parks every year, people may lose confidence in all amusement parks in China. The government body should put the focus on the quality issues ranging from equipment to food safety in the parks. Only quality assurance could allow the industry to develop continuously. References http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/business/2010-11/22/content_11587814. htm http://usatoday30. usatoday. com/news/world/story/2012-06-26/china-disney-theme-parks/56019074/1 http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/business/2012-05/22/content_15354029. htm http://www. china. org. cn/travel/2010-03/08/content_19554338. htm http://www. worldpropertychannel. com/asia-pacific-vacation-news/china-theme-parks-china-association-of-amusement-parks-walt-disney-china-shanghai-amusement-parks-walt-disney-shanghai-shanghai-disney-resort-yu-gui-garden-investment-group-6013. php http://www. chinahighlights. com/travelguide/amusement-parks/ http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-19162780.