Saturday, August 31, 2019

Eating Disorder Research Paper Outline

Take A Bite On This Attention Getter: February 4, 1983 was the day that opened the eyes of America to the view of the damaging effects of eating disorders. This day marks the death of the very famous singer of the time, Karen Carpenter. Looking glamorous and confident on the outside, most did not know she was suffering from Anorexia Nervosa (B5). Throughout her teenage years, she was overweight. In 1967, weighing 140 pounds, Karen was put on a water diet by her doctor. This brought her down to 120 pounds (B6). Even though she was now at a healthy weight, she was still insecure due to her large amount of celebrity peers who were the ideal, perfect weight. Taking dozens of thyroid pills a day and throwing up the little food she ate, by 1975 Karen weighed 80 pounds. Her body became so weak that during one of her performances in Las Vegas, she collapsed on stage (B7). She was then finally admitted into the hospital, where it was confirmed she was 35 pounds underweight. Shocked by this, Karen consulted with doctors and therapists to do anything she could to return back to a healthy weight. However, it was too late. Due to the excess laxatives and starvation, Karen’s body could not take anymore (B8). Her death was a surprise to America, unaware of the dangers of eating disorders. Defintion of topic/terms: Types of Eating Disorders: The three types of eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating. Anorexia Nervosa: An eating disorder in which a person sees themselves as overweight, even when they are unbelievably skinny. An anorexic might exercise excessively and starve themselves to lose more weight. Bulimia Nervosa: An eating disorder in which a person eats large amounts of food, followed by dangerous measures to control his or her weight. Examples of this are excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting (purging), and the abuse of diuretics and laxatives. Binge Eating: An eating disorder in which one consumes enormous amounts of food at a time, without the self-induced methods of later getting rid of it. One suffering from this will usually eat by themselves out of embarrassment, and will feel like they have lost control. I) The way the media affects eating disorders is a serious problem A) More and more teens are affected by eating disorders every day. 1) The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has an estimate of 35 million Americans who are affected by anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. (F1) 2) Eating disorders affect 3% to 5% of the American female population. (B3) 3) 1% to 3% of teenage girls in middle and high school are affected only by bulimia, while 1% to 4% are affected in college. H3) 4) The director of the Renfrew Center of Southern Connecticut, named Burnell, states that one percent of American women are affected by anorexia and five percent are bulimic. The Renfrew Center is an eating disorder clinic in Wilton. (F6) 5) According to Britain’s National Health Service, over the past three years children eight years and younger have been admitted to the hospital for anorexia. From age five to six 98 have been admitted, and from age seven to eight, 99. (A1) B) With more expos ure to the media, more begin to suffer from an eating disorder. ) Dr. Anne Becker, the owner of the Eating Disorder Clinic at Harvard Medical School, did a study after TV was released to the island of Fiji in 1995. After three years, there was an enormous rise in eating disorders, where around 74% of the females said they felt too fat. This culture used to believe â€Å"you gained weight† was a compliment. (B4) 2) Using the self-improvement program Media Smart, doctors Simon Wilksch and Tracey Wade conducted a study of 13 year olds on how to help teens get a better self-image of themselves. After three years, the students who watched the program did not have an increase of body concerns, while the ones that did not watch it, had an increase. (E2) 3) Sarah Murnen, a professor of psychology at Kenyon College in Gambler, Ohio, did a study on how fashion magazines affected body image. Her research reviewed 21 studies of the media’s affect on more than 6,000 girls, 10 years or older. The results showed that the more the girls were exposed to the fashion magazines, the more they struggled to have a positive body image. L2) C) The media should decrease its amount of influence on having the â€Å"perfect† body because more and more people are affected by eating disorders due to the large impact from celebrities, the press, and advertisement. II) Many people look up to celebrities as role models, while most are portrayed as having the ideal, skinny body. A) While many look up and want to be just like them, celebrities are depicted in a way that is unreal and abnorm al. 1) Colleen Thompson, an expert on eating disorders, explains, â€Å"Many teenagers need a role model and someone to look up to. Unfortunately, too many of them choose fashion models or actresses as role models, they paste picture of them all over their rooms, and some will resort to dangerous methods of weight control to try and look like their idols. † (J1) 2) Research shows that the more exposed to models and pictures in the media, the more one is to believe they have to look like that. â€Å"This happens even though women know pictures have clearly been airbrushed,† Tara Diversi, dietitian and co-author of The Good Enough Diet, explains, â€Å"The rational brain knows it’s not real, but the emotional brain doesn’t. (C3) 3) â€Å"These girls are anomalies of nature. They are freaks of nature. They are not average. They are naturally thin and have incredibly long legs compared to the rest of their body. Their eyes are wide set apart. Their cheekbones are high,† explains Kelly Cutrone, the owner of People’s Revolution. This is a very popular company that displays fash ion shows all over the world. She then goes on to say, â€Å"If we get a girl who is bigger than a 4, she is not going to fit the clothes. Clothes look better on thin people. The fabric hangs better. (L3) 4) â€Å"We know more about women who look good than we know about women who do good,† protests Audrey Brasich, a former teen model and author of All Made Up: A Girl’s Guide to Seeing Through Celebrity Hype and Celebrating Real Beauty. (L4) 5) Barbie would be at least five feet, nine inches tall; weighing 100 pounds is she was a real human. (K1) 6) Statistics from a poll conducted by NEDA, show that 64% of adults believe that media is the cause of eating disorders. Out of this amount, 69% are females, and 58% of male’s supported it. F7) 7) Out of every mental illness, anorexia has the highest mortality rate, usually in the form of suicide. (F4) 8) Around 5% to 20% of anorexia patients will die. (H9) B) Celebrities themselves suffer from eating disorders. 1) Me lissa Dehart, a former television reporter, suffers from anorexia and once dropped to 56 pounds. Entertainment Tonight has followed her story since 2003. (F14) 2) Kate Dillon, a popular model, admitted she got the idea to purge from watching a television movie. In the mid-1990’s, she quit modeling when ordered to lose 20 pounds. She only weighed 125. She is now a plus-size model. (F16) 3) According to Beth McGilley, a Wichita Kansa psychologist specializing in eating disorders, trauma, and working with athletes, those suffering with eating disorders need, on average, five to seven years of treatment (K2). 4) The Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD0 state that anorexia treatment cost almost $30,000 a month and $100,000 for outpatient treatments. Insurance usually does not cover any of this. (F8). 4) According to NEDA, out of the 35 million affected by eating disorders, ten million women and one million men suffer from anorexia and bulimia, while the other 25 million suffer from binge eating. (F5) 5) Oprah Winfrey did a huge story about a woman who weighed 38 pounds from Rudine. She dies in 1995. (F15) 6) In 2006, the Madrid fashion show banned any models that did not fall into a healthy weight range. For example, a 5-foot-9 woman would need to weigh at least 125 pounds. L1) III) The press does much research and much damage on the increasing number of those affected by eating disorders. A) The press is a large contributor to the research done on the different disorders. 1) In 2004, the National Center of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion conducted a poll of different methods students used to lose weight. Nationwide, 13. 3% did not eat anything for 24 hours or more, 9. 2% took diet pills, powders, or liquids, and 6% took laxatives or vomited. (F9) 2) 95% of all people on diets will gain back all of their weight within 5 years. D1) 3) In Australia, 50% of girls and 33% of boys believe they are overweight, even though they are considered healthy. (E1) 4) Out of all anorexia patients, 90% to 95% are women, while the other small percentage of 5% to 10% is males. (H7) 5) Out of all bulimia patients, only 20% are males, while the other 80% are females. (H4) B) Considering its large amount of help in research, the press also contributes a large amount to the number of those suffering from eating disorders. ) Tara Diversi says, â€Å"Being overweight reduces your life expectancy by three years, but being unhappy reduces it to nine years. † (C4) 2) Proven by a recent U. S. survey, 97% of women say an everage of 13 things they dislike about themselves every day. (C1) 3) More than 85 million American adults suffer from obesity and binge eating. (F12) 4) Out of every mental illness, eating disor ders contribute to the highest death rate, topping off depression and schizophrenia. (D2) 5) Starvation is performed by almost eleven million Americans who suffer from eating disorders. F10) 6) The serious effects of anorexia are abnormal heart rate, low blood pressure, loss of bone density, weak muscles, dehydration which can lead to kidney failure, fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, and formation of hair all over the body to help keep it warm. (H6). 7) The serious effects of bulimia are electrolyte imbalances from the loss of potassium and sodium from the body, gastric rupture during bingeing, tooth decay and staining from the stomach acids of continuous vomiting, and irregular bowel movements from laxative and diuretic use. H2) IV) Advertisements have a huge affect on one’s eating habits. A) Advertisement has a great affect on obesity. 1) According to research by the Kaiser Family Foundation and researchers at Indiana University, kids 2 to 7 years old view unhealthy food commer cials 12 times a day and around 4,400 times a year. Children 8 to 12 watch around 21 a day, with around 7,600 a year. Teens view these commercials around 17 times a day, with around 6,600 per year. (G1) 2) Out of all the ads viewed by 2 to 7 year-old children, 32% of them are about food and drinks, 25% for 9 to 13 year olds, and 22% for teens. (G6) ) Out of all kid commercials on food, 34% is about candy and snacks, 28% on usually sugared cereals, 10% on fast food, 4% for dairy products, 1% about fruit juices, and nothing for fruits and vegetables. (G7). 4) According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and Indiana University study, which recorded more than 40,000 ads, 9,000 were about food and drinks. (G5) 5) â€Å"If any parent tried to talk to their kids 10 or 20 times a day about healthy eating, they’d be considered the biggest nag ever, and yet that’s how many bad food messages kids are seeing on TV every day,† interprets Margo Wootan of the Center of Science in Public Interest. G4) 6) Every year more than ten billion dollars is spent on advertising food and drinks for children. (G3) 7) Obesity affects more than 66% of all Americans. (B1) 8) Around 25 million or one-third of teens and children are obese or overweight. (G2) B) Negative body image is greatly affected by advertisement. 1) Dove sponsored a study of 445 women, in which 15% admitted they were worried about their image affecting their jobs, while 20% said they dread about their body almost every day. (A2) ) A study done on 2000 women in the UK proved that women’s first impression of other women is their size and weight. (C2) 3) Cocaine, Adderall, and other caffeine-related diet drugs are very commonly used in order for women to lose weight. (B2) C) Advertisement influences girls in both good and bad ways. 1) Ellen Rome is a spokeswoman for the Chicago-based Academy for Eating Disorders, as well as a pediatrician in Cleveland. She states, â€Å"The media reflects and exace rbates the problems. These teen girls watch and read and observe and emulate. † (F13) 2) â€Å"We do not run photos of anybody in magazines who we believe to be at an unhealthy weight,† explains Glamour’s Cynthia Leive who concludes that the media has a huge influence on women’s body images and should represent women of all different sizes. (L5) V) Discuss the Future (Visualization). A) The rates of eating disorders will go down. 1) More will not feel the need to have the perfect â€Å"ideal† body. 2) Without celebrity role models looking flawless, most will not feel the eed to look just like them B) More people will have better body images of themselves. 1) People will have more confidence without the need to be so skinny. 2) More will understand their body weight and shape is fine just the way it is. C) Society will be more accepting. 1) People will not judge others as much because the status quo will include a variety of body shapes. 2) With the celebrities and press influencing less on being perfect, more will accept what others look like. Call to Action: Research more on the causes and effects of eating disorders * Bring about this information of how the media influences this to representatives in your community, state, or Congress * Write letters to popular magazines, newspapers, or television shows explaining how they are affecting society * Spread the word by protesting or bringing up the topic at public events in order for more people to be exposed to this * Get others to help by voting for those who agree that there needs to be a change in how the media exposes the â€Å"perfect† body

Friday, August 30, 2019

Deontology vs Utilitarianism Essay

The theory of deontology is derived from the writings of German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Kant stated that a universal law should provide the basis for each act, and that the intention was of more importance than the result. Deontology is a duty-based ethical position, where one’s actions are based on what is ethically correct, regardless of the consequences (Porche, 2004). Deontological theories hold that actions are morally right are those in accordance with certain rules and duties, rights or maxims. Actions can be morally obligatory, allowed, or prohibited and consequences do not matter. In deontology intention is relevant. A person is right in acting certain way only if this person acts for the right reason. Examples of deontological rules are Divine Command Theory, Golden Rule, Natural Law and Rights Theories, Kantian Ethics, The Non-Aggression Principle. Deontological theories hold that an action’s rightness or wrongness depends on its conformity to a certain moral norm, regardless of the consequences for example right vs good. According Motta’s opinion listed on web site www. E-how. com, the differences between deontological and utilitarianism is: â€Å"Duty-based ethics are often called deontological and consequentialist ethics are often labeled as utilitarian†. The site further explains that deontological pertains to theory of binding responsibility or duty. Such theories are also called â€Å"a priori† in that they are based upon knowledge gained prior to experience. No concrete lived-through experience is necessary in order to attain these duties deductively from reason. If in deontology intention is more important than the results, Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that places the locus of right and wrong solely on the outcomes or consequences of choosing one action/policy over other actions/policies. As such, it moves beyond the extent of one’s own interests and takes into account the interests of others. In other words consequentialist believe the ends always justify the means, deontologist declare that the rightness of an action is not simply reliant. References http://www.ehow.com/how_2180734_between-dutybased-ethics- resultsoriented-ethics.html

Marketing †ethics Essay

Marketing ethics is an area that deals with the moral principles behind marketing. Ethics in marketing applies to different spheres such as in advertising, promotion, pricing. However, for purposes of this essay, the ethics of advertisements will be dealt with especially in relation to children. (Mohandeep, 2001)) Many marketers and analysts have agreed that children are marketer’s best friend. This is backed up by evidence from watch groups such as Media Channel. In the year 2007, they highlighted the fact that in the United States, close to two billion dollars was spent on advertisements to children. It was also revealed that children greatly affect the commodities their parents buy. Estimates done in this field show that projects tailored for children in the year 2006 totaled fifty two billion dollars. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Regardless of all this potential returns that children can give manufacturers and their marketers, there are key ethical issues that arise in the discussion. For example, do children have the capability of understanding some of the intricate marketing tactics? Do children possess the final buying power? Do marketers need to get permission from their parents? And do children understand the negative effects of some of the products advertised to them? These key questions will be analyzed in relation to business pressures then recommendations will be made. Key ethical issues in marketing to children Some companies have become notorious for the utilization of psychologists in their advertising and marketing campaigns. Normally what such companies do is that when trying to create marketing strategy, they will involve psychologist to tell them about tactics that they can use to influence children. Since psychologists understand the way child’s mind works, they can help marketers create campaigns that will be directly aimed at them and those ones that can easily influence their choices. This trend has becoming so alarming that the American Psychological Association has raised an alarm about it. They have set up a committee to estimate the effect that the involvement of psychologists in the marketing process of children’s products has on them. The group has asserted that no psychological principles should be used when marketing to children. They are also recommending that there should be some sort of strategy to protect the young ones from exploitation though the use of psychological ploys. (Beder, 1998) The basic framework which steers marketing ethics revolves around three main issues. These are: values, stakeholders, processes. Marketing ethics that are done on a value inclined framework are those one that involve the analysis of the kind of value that the marketing idea creates. So advertisements may instill in their target audiences positive or negative attributes. This all depends on their implementation. For example, an advertising targeting a child may become a problem if it violates the right to privacy, transparency, honesty or autonomy. By using psychologists in the process of creating advertisements for children, marketers are imposing upon children’s right to autonomy and transparency. They try studying children’s behavioral trends and then use this to exploit those children. This is quite unethical. The process oriented framework in marketing ethics is founded on the basis of analysing marketing ethics through the categories that marketers use. For example research, promotion and placement must be done in an ethical manner. This is something that marketers have chosen to ignore because their research is not done in an ethical manner. Their research involves using psychological experts who may use their knowledge to take advantage of children who belong to vulnerable groups (Lizabeth, 2001) Targeting children alone Marketers who create marketing campaigns that are just directed towards children only are engaging in unethical marketing practices. This is because children are naive. They are at a stage of development called proximal development. At this stage, children simply take up elements of what they perceive in the world around them and then use it in various aspects of their lives. There is a certain level of trust that children have over and above than one of adults. They lack the ability to weigh arguments in a sober and even sometimes a cynical way. Consequently, this makes them very vulnerable to exploitation. (Murphy et al, 2004) Examples of advertisements that are directed towards children alone are those ones that have cartoon characters and are seen as specifically meant for children. At that point, children will feel like they are the only ones with the ability of purchasing the item yet it is their parents who have to foot the bill. Unethical advertisements are those ones that do not involve getting consent from parents. Most of the time such advertisements are usually aired in the afternoon during kid’s programming sessions. They usually create desires in children to have those advertisements at all costs. When advertising is done without parental consent; that is when children are watching shows on their own then it became unethical. Children are too young to realize the manipulations that are going on through television or media advertisements. They also do not realize the financial pressures that come with the purchase of items. It would therefore be unethical for marketers to leave parents out of their marketing strategies. Normally, ethical advertisements are those ones that require children to get their parents involved in the marketing place. This can be achieved by stating it directly in the advertisement. It can also be achieved by limiting some children’s products in parental magazines or targeting families in general instead of just children. (Waymack, 2000) Advertisements targeting children alone have shown their effects in a number of ways. In the year 2007, it was found that about fifty eight percent of all the items purchased by children (through their allowances) are sweets and toys were the next highest items to be purchased by children. This took up a whooping thirty percent. Toys and candy are all items that are advertised directly children hence the staggering statistics. (Davidson, 2002) Advertising to children alone brings out very fundamental ethical issue. It highlights the power analysis issue in marketing. Any form of marketing that claims to be ethical must adhere to the power balance principle. The scales must not be tipped towards the consumer neither should they favor the marketer either. When marketers target vulnerable markets, they tend to make the situation favor them. This is what is called caveat emptor in marketing. It is an unfair scenario and is also exploitative in nature. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Types of products, manner of advertisements and other qualities can indicate whether or not an advertisement is targeting children. It should be noted that there are certain elements that if conducted by marketers may be deemed unethical for example, when an advertisement is made in such a manner as to imply that it is meant for children. Some elements to watch out for are: music, images, voices, color. These are all elements that are meant to draw on children’s attention. Besides this, there may be certain activities expected to captivate children such a drawing, then those advertisements may be meant for them. Besides that, some advertisements may have characters that are designed for that demographic group. Sometimes some advertisements may be placed in publications that are usually read by children alone. They may also be placed in areas that have children. (Murphy et al, 2004) All these features can be deemed unethical if they will be seen or heard by children exclusively, For example, if the advertisement is placed in a publication that is read by children alone then this is unethical because there is not parental consent there or if it is broadcast at times when children could be watching without parental consent. (Lizabeth, 2001) Sometimes the kind of content in the advertisements matters too. Advertisements that are created in such ways as to make children feel less about themselves if they lack that product may be deemed unethical. Also advertisements that will promote harmful products to children are also unethical. For example, there were certain toys from China that had an excess of chemical elements and exposed certain risks to children who were playing with them. If advertisements possess those characteristics, then they may be considered unethical. Responsible marketing The issue of marketing itself has two main components. The first group is made up of the abolitionists and the second are the libertarians. The abolitionists believe that all advertising to children is wrong and that it should be completely eliminated. But this is something that is unrealistic and cannot be feasible in today’s fast paced and commercial world. The other extreme is held by the liberalists who believe that advertisements to children should be left as they are. They insist that society shapes advertisements and that advertisements do not change moral values. But this is denying the obvious. The fact that children in the UK and even in other parts of the world spend the largest portion of their leisure time watching television implies that they will pick up some of the habits depicted on their screens. (Waymack, 2000) In light of the above facts, it is important to come up with a compromise on the issue through taking up responsible marketing. Children can still be considered as a target audience for marketing of retail products, however, this should be conducted in such a responsible and socially sustainable manner. There are three main alternatives available for marketers targeting children and these are: viewing children as docile consumers, viewing children as non-consumers, viewing children as informed consumers. Choosing the non-consumer part would not be very market friendly because as it has been seen from earlier parts of the essay; children have substantial levels of buyer power. It is would therefore be uneconomical not to tap this very valuable market resource. On the other hand, viewing children as docile consumers causes a lot of ethical controversies that have been raised earlier. Consequently, the most sustainable form of marketing should be viewing children as informed consumers. Marketers need to advertise and market their products in such a way that there will still be room for them in the future. This will be effectively achieved by informing children about marketing ideas. This will enlighten them and give them a very valuable asset; choice. (McGee and Heubusch, 1997) Informing children about the intricacies of marketing at an early age will go a long way in ensuring that children can understand the fundamentals of the commercial world. It will mean that children’s naivety will not be taken advantage of and that they will have the power to decide for themselves whether or not products are good for them. The ethical issues that have been brought forward stem from the fact that children are too young to understand the main reasons behind marketing displays. Informing them about this will drastically reduce those ethical concerns and will at the same time still allow marketers to go about marketing their products. (Beder, 1998) It should be noted that some countries like Sweden have argued that children can understand the effects of commercial marketing after reaching the age of twelve; some have suggested four and others ten. They claim that at that point, be it 4, 10, or 12, children can understand the commercial world and the exploitation tendencies that their worlds present them. Consequently, human rights groups claim that marketers should not target children that fall below that group. But that debate can be eliminated if children below those established ages are made aware of the commercial world. Regulations This is something that is already in place, but still needs more emphasis. Advertisements should not be aired during children’s programming as they are likely to be unsupervised at that point. Governments should institute statutory regulations on television advertisements. Advertisements should also be edited such that they do not seem to appeal to the child directly. They should be made in such a way that they will involve the parent or family. (Mohandeep, 2001)) Conclusion Advertisements to children have sparked off lot of controversy resulting in various reactions in various countries. However, experts agree that unethical marketing occurs when advertisements are directly aimed at children without getting consent from parents. Organisations can go about this issue through regulating their content, changing their times and embarking on a consumer education to make their young audiences aware. (Waymack, 2000) Reference: Beder, S. (1998): Marketing to Children, University of Wollongong Journal Lizabeth E. (2001): Marketing With A Conscience: Sales and Ethics; Journal for the US Dept. of State Mohandeep S. (2001): Ethics in Marketing; Encyclopedia of Business and Finance Davidson, D. (2002): The Moral Dimension of Marketing; South-Western Educational Journal Murphy, P. et al (2004): Ethical Marketing; Prentice Hall Waymack, M. (2000): The ethics of selectively marketing the Health Maintenance Organization, Journal of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, Issue 8, Volume 11, Pages 301-309 McGee, T. and Heubusch, K. (1997): Getting Inside Kids’ Heads; American Demographics, Vol. 19, No. 1.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Leading and Managing in Nursing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 41

Leading and Managing in Nursing - Case Study Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that Ryan is not a shy nurse and is a risk taker as is evident from his move from a large hospital to a small one and the fact that he has not yet given up on his graduate studies simply because the rest of the nurses are dissuading him to do so. He can use his courage and relentlessness and approach the Chief Nursing Officer on the position and pledge to work hard. The Chief Nursing Officer is also new to the hospital just like Ryan is and hence this is another resource he can exploit and put in his own advantage as the two are new and share knowledge, experience, and vision the rest of the staff does not have. This might gain him not only entry into the governance structure but a good position in shared governance the structure as well. Ryan can use his previous job as a resource to grant him entry into another job with a positive work environment. The fact that he worked for over a year in a big renowned hospital immed iately after completion of his undergraduate course indicates that he is an exemplary student who deserves to be in any good hospital. He can also use his political influence as a practice council member in Magnet Hospital to indicate that he has big dreams and is a visionary leader who is not only lazy and contented at being on the hospital bedside but would like to join the leadership and bring more changes in the nursing world. This should be corroborated by his almost immediate entry into a graduate program which many people delay until they are older and have gained several years of experience. Ryan should inform them about individual rights each nurse has on how to run his or her life. His rights permit him to advance his education to whatever level he wants and no one can question him or dissuade him from doing that. Since the negative comments are likely to lead to conflict most of the time, Ryan should employ conflict resolution skills as well as collective bargain methods to redirect their comments.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Service in the restaurant industry Research Paper

Service in the restaurant industry - Research Paper Example This essay examines service in the restaurant industry through the consideration of a variety of inputs. As noted above the restaurant experience begins as soon as an individual walks into the restaurant, as such it is highly important for a restaurant to consider service from these very early stages. For most restaurants this begins with having a successful host or hostess. There are a number of considerations that go into successful service within this portion of the house. As restaurant service is contingent on being prompt effective efficiency behind the scenes must also be considered. Still, in terms of immediate impressions it is necessary for the host or hostess to have a clean-cut appearance and demeanor. Oftentimes restaurants will search for hostesses with a particular-look or attitude as it immediately signals to the customer the culture and attitude they will be treated with throughout their visit. Additionally there are a variety of other means by which the host or hostess can contribute to overriding service. One of the central aspects of the hostess job is greeting the c ustomer directly. By engaging directly with the customer when they walk into the restaurant the host enacts a connection that should be carried through until the customers finish their meal and exit the restaurant. After greeting the customer it is essential they discern their needs and inform them if there is going to be a potential wait; in the case there is no wait the host or hostess must bring the customer promptly to their table. While such considerations constitute the most outward elements of service, as noted earlier it is also the host’s responsibility to ensure that things behind the scenes are taken care of. Perhaps most central to his or her role in these regards is keeping in contact with each server’s stations. In the restaurant industry each server is

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Active Listening Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Active Listening Research - Assignment Example Establishing trust was considered one of the most difficult aspects of being a mentor because such relationships take time and trust evolves as the relationship develops. Trust, agreed upon by both participants, is best built by role modeling with a strong vision of ethics and integrity. Through role modeling, mentees are more likely to have faith in the mentor’s abilities and adopt the same behaviors. This seemed to be aligned with behavior modeling which was deemed as being effective because it allows for routine questions to be asked, which removes uncertainty as to whether the mentor is actually grasping what is being discussed or illustrated. Both participants utilize active listening in their coach/mentor roles, something deemed quite important also for building trust. Paraphrasing the mentee’s own words were cited as part of active listening in their coaching/mentoring roles, which confirms that the mentor is hearing and comprehending what the mentee has proposed or discussed. Goals are established in this fashion, using active listening, as it provides opportunities the mentor and the mentee to fully understand what direction the relationship intends to progress. Overall, the basic participants’ expectations for what constitutes a quality mentor are staying motivated and committed to providing excellence for the mentee. In the mentee/mentor relationship, there are many frustrations and complications that can arise, which can be a de-motivator for the mentor. Therefore, one participant indicated that inspiring motivation means having regular self-talks where the mentor reminds herself that they can make a significant difference for the mentee in terms of building self-esteem and  and instilling a sense of pride in the mentee that has long-term implications for their quality of lifestyle.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

Personal statement - Essay Example Without it the resources of production remain resources and never become production† (p.147). This proves that management is a crucial activity for the welfare of a business. This is probably one of the reasons why I have chosen business management as the subject in university. I also believe that business management is a vast topic and is applicable to every sphere of business. I have always found business management to be an interesting subject for its scope and range. In the early days of my academic career, I never thought of making business management as a profession, but as soon I become aware of the concept I did not give a second thought and decided to pursue a career in this domain. The interest further grew when I started to oversee our family business which was initiated by my father long back. I have personally experienced the role played by business management in driving our firm towards success. The incident happened 3 years back when our family business was not doing well and for consecutive 3 months, we suffered hefty monetary losses. At this point of time my father stepped in as a manager, despite being the owner. I have seen him to appl y all the concepts of management such as planning, controlling, motivating and administering in the business to identify and rectify the root causes. As a result of the application of the management concepts, our business again became organized and started to earn profits. This episode has really fostered me to believe in business management as a profession in the future. The high school learning has helped me to identify the advantages and disadvantages of this subject, yet I always felt that I need to learn more about the subject. This eagerness to learn the subject still drives me and is one of the major factors that encouraged me to apply business and management course in the university. I believe that my work experience as an

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Efficiency and Competitiveness by Information System of Marston Tools Assignment

Efficiency and Competitiveness by Information System of Marston Tools - Assignment Example The industry faces a high level of competitive rivalry. The threat of new entrants is high given the increased competition from manufacturers overseas. There is also competition from lower cost substitute products. Changes in the manufacturing technology have been copied by manufacturers in countries where the same manufacturers have the added benefits of lower materials and labour costs. As a result the industry has been flooded with lower cost substitute products. Because of the availability of these substitute products, the customers have more bargaining power. This means that Marston Tools must be able to maintain a high level of manufacturing quality in order to remain competitive. By integrating information systems strategy with business strategy, the company will be able to achieve this objective. When it comes to acquiring and developing the right business information systems, Porter’s five forces should be assessed in terms of how they impact upon the company’s profitability. As the previous analysis indicates, the industry is characterized by changes in the products and manufacturing technology. This increases the competition. ... The company’s information strategy should be formulated accordingly. As mentioned before, the industry experiences changes in the products and manufacturing technology. Porter’s five forces analysis reveals that these changes can easily be copied by manufacturers overseas who also have the added benefits of lower materials and labour costs. Therefore Marston should not define operational effectiveness in terms of continuously improving the manufacturing technology leading to proprietary content or distinctive processes (Kotler and Armstrong, 2005). Rather it should be defined in terms of delivering unique value to the customers in the form of higher quality. Therefore when it comes to the design and acquisition of information systems, the management should focus upon creating a system that is aligned to the strategic objective of delivering high quality to the customers. In this manner the company raises switching costs thus lowering the bargaining power of buyers. The company operates in an industry which has a high threat of new entrants, a high threat of substitute products and high bargaining power from the buyers. Value chain Currently the company is operating a computer-based system of production scheduling and control. This enables the company to facilitate coordination of different departments by creating a production schedule based upon orders received and sales forecasted. However the company is still facing problems in guaranteeing customer delivery dates and this is affecting sales. Therefore the new business information system should address this problem. However the implementation of the information system will affect both primary

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Civil War Produced More Radical Changes in America than the Essay

The Civil War Produced More Radical Changes in America than the Revolutionary War - Essay Example Here in this essay, I would discuss that whether the civil war produced more radical changes in America or the Revolutionary war. REVOLUTIONARY WAR: The ideology of John Locke impressed American Colonies and provoked them to fight for their rights. Locke wrote in â€Å"Two Treaties of Government† that it is beyond humanity to rule individuals and rejected the claim of kings and queens of having a divine right to rule masses. Locke infused the spirit of liberalism and democracy. (John Locke, 1821) The main idea of Revolutionary movement was to address the differences that lay within a mother country like religious, traditional and social differences. He stated: â€Å"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of Nature for his rule. The liberty of man in society is to be under no other legislative power but that established by consent in the commonwealth, nor under the dominion of any will, or restraint of any law, but what that legislative shall enact according to the trust put in it.† (John Locke, 1821) Evolutionary War was more than a political agenda and took course during 18th century which initiated in 1763. The seed was sown earlier after the British forces enforced the series of taxes on the American Colonies which was imposed in the name of defense and security cost. American colonies felt the discrimination that was made by British regulatory authorities as British person were not made liable to pay tax. The discrimination enraged American Colonies and in retaliation their Thirteen Colonies in North America collaborated and stood united to form a separate nation which would have no influence or governance from the British Empire. To make their move official, they rejected the rule of Parliament of Britain and together they cast out the royal officials. The colonies demanded for an elected representative in the ruling Brit ish Parliament and within the span of two years, American colonies formed Committees for Correspondence which would direct their own Provincial Congresses in majority of the colonies. The advantage of committees was enormous as it was easy for individuals to share and comment on different issues between British community and American Colonies. With a little more efforts, the provincial congresses proved to be effective and dismissed the parliament and replaced all British ruling bodies. In response to this political setback, British government tried hard to assert pressure and reform authority by dissolving local governments with the help of British troops and to impose rule directly from Royal officials. British troops were confronted by American militia in 1775. George Washington was chosen as commander in chief to guide and lead the army as American Militia lacked in almost every essential skill or training. Washington finely used both army and militia for his strategies to defea t British combat troops. Blacks were promised to be freed if they serve the army and soon blacks in large numbers were recruited in both the armies. Large number of blacks escaped and joined the British Army against Americans. After a constant fight between both nations, the Independence of America was declared on July 4, 1776. The main purpose was to achieve liberty, democracy and equality among the nation which was severely lacking in the British Empire. CIVIL WAR: (Nicolay, 2009) In the middle of 19th Century, Abraham Lincoln was chosen

Friday, August 23, 2019

Electronic health record (EHR) Literature review

Electronic health record (EHR) - Literature review Example EHRs are very quick as there is no need for any paper-work for documenting and sharing of the information and images. Thus, an EHR plays a vital role in evidence based treatment and decision-making without having to go through the manual process (Williams, 2010; National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources, 2006). These enable access to the records even from distant areas by means of online networking. The drawback with EHRs is that these are quite expensive but once implemented, these tend to be very cost-effective. Carter (2008) studied that the concept of EHRs began in 1960s â€Å"with the COSTAR system, developed by Barnett at the Laboratory of Computer Science at Massachusetts General Hospital† (p.7). According to him, the earlier efforts provided models and pseudo types on which current â€Å"hospital-based and ambulatory† EHRs are based upon. Iakovidis (1998) suggested that EHRs can be used as tools for continuity of care and for collabora tive performance of healthcare providers. Many researchers have studied the functionality of EHRs in various contexts. All studies have led to the conclusion that EHRs are a significant contribution to the medical industry since these have modernized the way patients’ data is stored. Poissant et al. ... Research has it that despite significant advantages of EHRs, their adoption rates are progressing rather slowly. Gans et al (2005) conducted a research on the use of EHRs and IT based tools in the health industry and concluded that most health professionals were not incorporating EHRs especially in smaller practices. Their findings suggested that the adoption of EHRs was making progress at a snail's pace; however, the physicians planned to incorporate them in the coming years. They found that this happened because the practitioners found it difficult to choose and implement EHRs. This research is supported by the findings by Jha et al. (2006) who studied how common are the EHRs in USA’s health sector. They found that the year they conducted the research, the commonness of EHRs was low on scale. According to them, â€Å"data on their adoption rate are limited.† They found that only 23.9 percent of providers were using ambulatory EHRs and 5 percent were using computerized systems. They suggested that what kept physicians from implementing EHRs in their settings was the knowledge gap. These findings are further supported by recent researches as well. For example, Jha et al. (2009) conducted a research to find out if the adoption rate of EHRs in the healthcare sector has increased with passing years. Thus, they conducted a second research in 2009 and came to the same conclusion as in 2006. They found that â€Å"despite a consensus that the use of health information technology should lead to more efficient, safer, and higher-quality care, there are no reliable estimates of the prevalence of adoption of electronic health records in U.S. hospitals.† Jha et al. (2009) conducted a big survey of a number of acute care hospitals to find out the EHR

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Film Food Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

The Film Food Inc - Essay Example The documentary speaks to both official authorities and public to protest against the practices which are environmentally unsustainable. It is stressed that there should be organic food production in the US. This message is vigorously stressed throughout the film from start to end because industrial food producers employ wrong methods which are abusive to animals. Also, the pesticides used are harmful to food which is produced. This is the reason this film attracted huge criticism from industrial food producers and pesticide manufacturers because it works to uncover myriad hideous aspects of agribusiness in the US. Various ideas presented in the documentary are arranged chronologically. This is another riveting thing about this film because the ideas are not just thrown haphazardly at the audience so that it becomes difficult to focus on ideas individually. There is no scattering of ideas or events, rather there is a sequence which makes it easier to absorb the message conveyed by th e director. For example, first, the film is divided into three segments to ensure there is no mixing of events. Starting from the industrial production of meat and poultry to the production of grains and vegetables to the heavy use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers to the promotion of unhealthy and contaminated food, Kenner goes all the way through to inform the public about the reality of their food consumption habits. The effect of this strategy used by the director on the audience is of critical importance because it reflects how deep the message is embedded in the minds of every person who watched the film. The more scattering or clattering there is of ideas, the less chance is of any idea properly embedding in a mind and the message is not retained.

Global Change Essay Example for Free

Global Change Essay The concept of civil society was reinvented in the late 1980s in response to the rapid market development and the end of the Cold War. The collapse of the Soviet Union marked the rapid development of global market due to higher international security. Market development gradually leads to the development of civil society for two reasons: Firstly, the middle class helps to fight more freedom from the government as they want to gain more and more control of themselves. This situation, allows spaces for civil society to develop. Some donors search for NGOs to implement their civic or economic related interests and visions. 1 Secondly, the retreat of the â€Å"welfare† states in western countries further triggers the emergence of civil society as people want to address the problem themselves instead of solely depending on the invisible hand of the free market. Hong Kong, which is recognized as a newly industrialized economy (NIE) has adopted the minimal-interventionist principle in economic development for a long Low tax rate and free market policies are the priorities of the Hong Kong government. Civil society is said to be very important in the implementation of democracy as civil society is a representation of diverse interests of the people. In the planning system of Hong Kong, though the government was willing to involve more public participation in the process with the increasing force of democratization between 1990 and 1997, the role of civil society in planning policy formulation and implementation was not yet clear. According to the experiences of some UK cities, partnership between civil society and the local governments can facilitate sustainable development. It is yet to know whether such kind of partnership is possible in Hong Kong or not. So the aim of this paper is to find out the challenges and opportunities of mobilizing partnership between the government and civil society. Aims of the study This paper aims to explore the challenges and opportunities in fostering partnership between civil society and the government in the planning system of Hong Kong. This paper is based on the central argument that civil society organizations (â€Å"CSOs†) should play significant role in the planning system to explore the challenges and opportunities. It is argued that CSOs are important for promoting more effective idea in the policy planning in terms of reflecting the needs of the locals as well as the moral values neglected by both market and the government. It is believed that the challenges and opportunities are not that straightforward to be understood as they should involve a lot of other factors. These factors are to be examined in order to provide a clearer picture for the analysis. Structure of the paper This study is composed of six sections:- Session I begins with an introduction. It states the purpose of this paper and the content structure. Section II is the theoretical framework established for understanding the theoretical meaning of civil society and the importance of partnership between the government and the CSOs. Section III is the background about development of citizenship in Hong Kong. It is found that the civil society in Hong Kong is becoming mature. Section IV discusses on the six major factors contributing to the challenges in the relationship between the government and the civil society. Section V seeks to study real-life cases to further strengthen the argument that CSOs should play significant role in the planning system. Section VI, the final section of this paper. It summarizes all the key issues discussed in this paper and highlights the importance of the role of CSOs in planning system.   Defining â€Å"Civil Society† The definitions and meaning of civil society in different mainstream theories are explored and outlined in Appendix 1. The interpretation of civil society by Aristotle is now widely recognized as autonomy, not under direct state control. It emphasized on the formation of government based on voluntary willingness of people and universal election in order to guarantee sovereignty of citizens (for Locke) and the freedom of civil society (for Rousseau). The existing political system in Hong Kong is different as the HKSAR government is not directly elected by the citizens. Hong Kong people can only elect some of the legislative councilors, who act as delegates to deal with legislative issues; and district councilors, who are serving as advisors of the government. The sovereignty is just partly in the hand of Hong Kong people. In fact, the situation of Hong Kong is closer to the idea of Hegel that civil society and family together form the state. Civil society is actually functioning as a partly autonomy body under the government of Hong Kong. However, civil society should perform a more active role in the system in order to balance the power of the state and the market for the benefit of the public. So Friedmanns definition of civil society will be applied to support the empowerment of civil society. Civil society, as an association of individual interests, should grow up to balance the power of the state. His definition also separates the concept of market from civil society, which is applicable in the situation of Hong Kong. Friedmann(1998) states that civil society must be seen as standing in â€Å"opposition† to the corporate economy. The relationship of civil society and the market should not be neglected when we understand the relationship of the government and the civil society. 2 To sum up, the combination of Friedmanns and Hegel’s definition of civil society is applied in this paper. Civil society is defined as a sphere without direct state control, but is not totally separated from the state. The participation in civil society is based on voluntary willingness and it is actually an association of various individual interests. It is different from the concepts of corporate economy and family, but they are related to some extent. Civil society may not necessarily oppose to the corporate economy, but they may interplay to produce good results. Civil society should be empowered to balance the power of the government and market.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Application White-listing With Bit9 Parity

Application White-listing With Bit9 Parity K.PADMAVATHI I. Introduction Antivirus is a requirement for a host of compliance standards and is championed to be a critical component for any security baseline (PCI-DSS 3.0-5.1). A recent google search for â€Å"Cyber Security Breaches† in Google News shows 16,700 results in Google News. Even NIST has stated that that AV is not an adequate control. The basis for this argument is that AV, even with heuristics, looks for methods or signatures that are known to the specific AV vendor. Bit9 Parity goes a step further and restricts the execution of any executable or applications to those only allowed by the product (Bit9 Datasheet, 2013). Parity has a host of benefits as well as some significant drawbacks, but with proper and careful implementation, a deployment of Parity can be successful. Parity has multiple methods to manage and control an environment. Parity is deployed with a server, database and console to control and manage Parity Agents. The deployed agents are a package of executables and configurat ion files that contain a kernel module that sits on the hardware layer and proxies the raw system calls from the user layer to those resources. For this reason it makes manipulation of the agent from the user layer very difficult. There is also a management console to manipulate the server that controls all agents on endpoints. II. Pre-Deployment During pre-deployment, the first thing that must be decided is where it will be deployed. Bit9 would recommend that the product be deployed on all systems in an environment. However, this is not feasible as the cost of the product and the complexity of most environments makes 100% immediate deployment difficult. Parity takes a default deny approach (Bit9 Data Sheet, 2014). This is a good method for protection but can make deployments difficult. To deal with this situation it is a good idea to deploy the product in homogenous environments first. Therefore, in planning deployment it is best to identify and group environments by their similarity and their levels of criticality. The most critical could be where the protection needs to go first. However an additional risk of deploying the product in critical environments is that by description they are critical to the business. So the product must deployed with care, proper planning and testing. III. To Protect the Environment (Client-side) Protection and prevention is absolutely ideal when it comes to deployment of Parity. When working with dynamic and non-homogenous environments the product should be deployed in this mindset. An excellent environment for deploying to protect would be a desktop or laptop (client side) environment. IV. To Control the Environment In order to protect an environment administrators and security personnel must control andunderstand their environment. However methods of deployment can differ with these underlying goals in mind. Deploying to control should be applied in specific environments that have rigorous change control and a low level of change. This would be server environments or other systems that are running on end-of life operating systems, such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, as well as some Point of Sale Systems (POS). V. Deployment After deciding what environment to start, it is time to build out the Parity Server and console. According to the Bit9 installation guide, the server should have a SQL server available or a new SQL server database, either 2005 or 2008 deployed and configured prior to installation. (Parity 6.0 Deployment Guide, 2013) The server will also need .net framework 3.5 and a host of other web application Microsoft requirements. All should be included with a current version of Server 2008. Prior to installation ensure that all servers meet local hardening procedures. VI. Configuration After the server has been installed, it should be simple to browse to the https://localhost which will direct to the Parity console if logging on locally. Browsing from another system to https://server name which will direct the administrator to the Parity console. The default credentials should be username admin and password admin. As always, best practices, change immediately. VII. Bit9 Knowledge Base Another critical component is the Bit9 knowledgebase. The Bit9 knowledgebase is one of the single largest collection of known good executables available commercially. This will require outbound connectivity to the Bit9 knowledgebase servers on port 443 from the Parity server. It will also require a license from Bit9 knowledgebase. There is an open API to query the data through a restful API. (Script attached – Appendix B) The knowledgebase can be configured in the Administration tab > Licensing >Parity Knowledge Activation. VIII. Other System Administration On the system administration tab there are a host of other setup actions that can be accomplished on this tab as well. On the mail tab, the SMTP settings for alerts can be configured to send alerts for status of systems. The advanced options has the ability to back-up the database, configure automated updates, log out times for the parity console, file uploads configuration, old computer cleanup, software rule completion, and certificate options. Most of these options are not of much concern, however the cleaning up of old agents should be configured. IX. Policy Configuration Designing the policies in Parity is absolutely critical to having a successful deployment. The default policies that come with the product are a good place to start. â€Å"Default Policy† which is designed for the agents to go to once the agent is initially installed. The â€Å"Local Approval Policy† which is designed to approve any running executables on the system. The â€Å"Template Policy† which is designed to be copied and configured for new policies. Initially four new policies need to be created for management of agents. â€Å"Lockdown Policy† must be created to replace the Default Policy and to be the final stop for agents during configuration. â€Å"Lockdown Reporting† policy which will be configured on systems to report as if they were in lockdown without actually blocking, and a â€Å"Monitoring Policy† to start hashing and collecting execution information on systems. â€Å"Disabled Policy† should also be created to for the installation of the agents, and removal of the agents if necessary. X. Deploying Agents After all the agent configuration policies have been created and some basic software rules like the .net software rule, it is time to start deploying agents. The agents can be downloaded from https://parityserver/hostpkg/. It is best to start with an agent disabled policy.Installing the agent can be done on all systems through multiple methods, GPO, software packaging and through scripting. Scripting is beneficial, because it can be scheduled and the output can be collected for error checking. See appendix B for an example installation script. Installing the agents is a slow process which requires getting a list of all devices, verifying in the Parity Console the assets are available and the communication level of the agent. Something to consider is that any Windows version after Server 2008 and Windows 7 should deploy the agents without the need for a reboot. However older versions will require a reboot. If the agents are not communicating with the Parity Server ensure that agents can reach the server on TCP port 41002 or reboot the system if necessary. XI. Locking Down the Agents After ensuring that all agents are deployed it is time to start locking down agents. This can be accomplished by selectively moving agents into the â€Å"Monitoring Policy†. This step in the installation process has the most impact on the system therefore it is best to move agents into this policy during times of less usage and only move a few agents at a time. XII. Policies and Procedures Before moving any systems into lockdown (other than testing systems) it is time to ensure there is a process for addressing blocked executables that users/administrators need to run on the systems. It is likely that any organization that is going to deploy Parity will have methods and processes for IT workflow. This is an ideal method for dealing with end user issues with Parity blocks of potentially useful and needed executables. This should be communicated with the user population to ensure that users know where to go in case they have Parity block. XIII. Operational Uses for Parity There are many other uses for Parity other than just to protect the environment. It is an excellent source of information showing exactly what is running in an environment. By querying the data in Parity, a Security Analyst could research to find if a downloaded malicious file actually reached the endpoint system or not. An Analyst could also upload a hash from doing analysis on another system to Parity to block across the install base. The server actually has a very simple SOAP API utilizing JSON that can be called very simply from web posts. XIV. Conclusion When evaluating any technology technologist and security practitioners should carefully analyze with due care the technologies, especially those that will require employee time and energy as well as significant capital expenditure. Bit9’s Parity will take significant time, funds, and energy to deploy. It will take a concerted effort from senior leadership to decide on the product and then organizational push to deploy it. The approach that Application-White listing takes is a simple one, trust only what is known and all other executables and binaries are not trusted and are not allowed to run. If an organization believes that they may be targeted by an advanced actor then the advanced protection provided by an approach like Application-White listing should be evaluated. The decision is a risk decision, the protections Parity offers are significant. If deployed properly, malware will not be able to gain a persistence on a network, as well a huge number of other attacks will be mitigated. If an organization deems that they need the level of security, the costs and energy that Parity takes to deploy are well worth the efforts.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Porter Five Forces Model Of Taj Hotels Tourism Essay

Porter Five Forces Model Of Taj Hotels Tourism Essay A Hotel may be defined as per the British law as A place where abonafide traveler can receive food and shelter provided he is a position to pay for it and is in a fit condition to be received. The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and is recognised as one of Asias largest and finest hotel company. Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Mr. Jamsetji N. Tata, the company opened its first property, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay in 1903. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality, completed its centenary year in 2003.   Taj Hotels Resort and Palaces comprises more than 60 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels in the Malaysia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. Spanning the length and breadth of the country, gracing important industrial towns and cities, beaches, hill stations, historical and pilgrim centres and wildlife destinations, each Taj hotel offers the luxury of service, the apogee of Indian hospitality, vantage locations, modern amenities and business facilities. IHCL operate in the luxury, premium, mid-market and value segments of the market through the following:   Taj  (luxury full-service hotels, resorts and palaces) is the flagship brand for the worlds most discerning travelers seeking authentic experiences given that luxury is a way of life to which they are accustomed. Spanning world-renowned landmarks, modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts, authentic Rajput palaces and rustic safari lodges, each Taj hotel reinterprets the tradition of hospitality in a refreshingly modern way to create unique experiences and lifelong memories. Taj also encompasses a unique set of iconic properties rooted in history and tradition that deliver truly unforgettable experiences. A collection of outstanding properties with strong heritage as hotels or palaces which offer something more than great physical product and exceptional service. This group is defined by the emotional and unique equity of its iconic properties that are authentic, non- replicable with great potential to create memories and stories. Taj Exotica  is resort and spa brand found in the most exotic and relaxing locales of the world. The properties are defined by the privacy and intimacy they provide. The hotels are clearly differentiated by their product philosophy and service design. They are centered around high end accommodation, intimacy and an environment that allows its guest unrivalled comfort and privacy. They are defined by a sensibility of intimate design and by their varied and eclectic culinary experiences, impeccable service and authentic Indian Spa sanctuaries. Taj Safaris  are wildlife lodges that allow travelers to experience the unparalleled beauty of the Indian jungle amidst luxurious surroundings. They offer Indias first and only wildlife luxury lodge circuit. Taj Safaris provide guests with the ultimate, interpretive, wild life experience based on a proven sustainable ecotourism model. Upper Upscale Hotels  (full-service hotels and resorts) provide a new generation of travelers a contemporary and creative hospitality experience that matches their work-hard play-hard lifestyles. Stylish interiors, innovative cuisine, hip bars, and a focus on technology set these properties apart.   The Gateway Hotel  (upscale/mid-market full service hotels and resorts) is a pan-India network of hotels and resorts that offers business and leisure travelers a hotel designed, keeping the modern nomad in mind. At the Gateway Hotel, we believe in keeping things simple. This is why, hotels are divided into 7 simple zones- Stay, Hangout, Meet, Work, Workout, Unwind and Explore. As travel often means more hassle than harmony, more stress than satisfaction, modern travelers are looking for smarter choices. Driven by passion for perfection, Taj welcomes its customers to a refreshingly enjoyable and hassle-free experience, anytime, everywhere. Offering the highest consistency in quality, service and style the hotel set new standards and take the unwanted surprises out of traveling. Tajs warm welcomes make guests feel at home, away from home and its crisp and courteous service empowers them to get more done with greater effectiveness and control. And through Tajs unrivalled network it provide service that is effortless, simple, never overwhelming, always warm. Ginger  (economy hotels) is IHCLs revolutionary concept in hospitality for the value segment. Intelligently designed facilities, consistency and affordability are hallmarks of this brand targeted at travelers who value simplicity and self-service. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is committed to replicate its domestic success onto international shores with plans to build an international network of luxury hotels, which will provide an exemplary product-service combination and in the process create a global brand. The current international portfolio includes luxury resorts in the Indian Ocean, business and resort destinations in the Middle East and Africa, serviced apartments in the UK, the first hotel in Australia and three a top-end luxury hotels in the US. Throughout the Companys expansion, its mandate has been twofold: to infuse a sense of Indian heritage and culture within each diverse property, while also anticipating the needs and desires of the sophisticated traveller. Over the years, the Taj has won international acclaim for its quality hotels and its excellence in business facilities, services, cuisine and interiors. The Taj strengthened its presence in the Indian Ocean rim with the Exotica Brand. The Taj Exotica was evolved as part of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces intent to position it as a brand that is clearly differentiated by its product philosophy and service design. The Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, in Maldives is centered on high-end accommodation, intimacy and an environment that allows its guests unrivalled comfort and privacy. Taj Hotels further expanded its global footprint by securing management contracts at Palm Island, Jumeirah in Dubai, Saraya Islands in Ras Al Khaimah, Aldar Group in Abu Dhabi, UAE Langkawi in Malaysia and Thimpu in Bhutan. The most significant additions to the portfolio have been The Pierre, the iconic landmark hotel on New Yorks Fifth Avenue, Taj Boston and Blue, Sydney. The presence of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces internationally has been developed through a network of Taj regional sales and PR offices in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Dubai, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Russia and the United States of America. At the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces luxurious living and fine dining find common ground. Whether it is introducing exotic world cuisines to India or taking authentic Indian fare to the world, the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is renowned for the eclectic culinary experiences it brings to its guests. Through a vast repertoire of award-winning restaurants, legendary recipes from royal kitchens and celebrated food festivals, the Taj has pioneered innovation in fine dining across the world. Taj Hotels also promise a whole new experience of tranquillity and total wellness, through  Jiva Spas  a unique concept, which brings together the wisdom and heritage of the Asian and Indian Philosophy of Wellness and Well-being. Rooted in ancient Indian healing knowledge, Jiva Spas derive inspiration and spirit from the holistic concept of living. There is a rich basket of fresh and unique experiences under the Jiva Spa umbrella of offering, Yoga and Meditation, mastered and disseminated by accomplished practitioners, authentic Ayurveda, and unique Taj signature treatments. Royal traditions of wellness in service experiences, holistic treatments involving body therapies, enlivening and meaningful rituals and ceremonies and unique natural products blended by hand, come together to offer a truly calming experience. IHCL operates  Taj Air, a luxury private jet operation with state-of-the-art Falcon 2000 aircrafts designed by Dassault Aviation, France; and Taj Yachts, two 3-bedroom luxury yachts which can be used by guests in Mumbai and Kochi, in Kerala. IHCL also operates  Taj Sats Air Catering Ltd., the largest airline catering service in South Asia, as a joint venture with Singapore Airport Terminal Services, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. Additionally, it operates the  Indian Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad  since 1993. The institute offers a three-year diploma, designed with the help of international faculty and has affiliations with several American and European programmes. CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSBILITY As a part of Tatas; Indias premier business house; Taj Hotels, have always believed in society and environment being integral stakeholders in our business along with its shareholders, customers, vendors and others. Over the last decade, the movement towards ecologically sound tourism has gained urgency and importance across the globe and we recognize that responsible practices in vogue are as diverse as the geographies.   Taj promote corporate citizenship through our strategic public-private partnerships which encourage building livelihoods of less-advantaged youth and women. The causes they promote include reducing malnutrition, promoting indigenous artisans and craftsmen and enhancing employability of identified target groups by sharing our core competencies as a leading hospitality company. Taj have the unique scope and opportunity to develop raw potential into a skilled workforce that is immediately employable by various players in the industry. A majority of its community projects are focused around extending its key strengths in food production, kitchen management, housekeeping, customer service and spas to promote economic empowerment of candidates from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds. The group is fully committed to the cause of building a sustainable environment by reducing the impact of its daily operations on the environment and improving operational efficiencies, resource conservation, reuse and recycling of key resources.   A  glimpse of indicative projects  undertaken by Taj group   Tajs sixth  Corporate Sustainability Report  was submitted to the United Nations Global Compact society in August, 2009. The United Nations Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, safety security, environment and anti-corruption. This Corporate Sustainability report also serves as their GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) as well as Triple Bottom Line report. The report focuses on identified priorities at IHCL and responds to key stakeholder needs. Taj plan to continue and further strengthen its commitment to the environment and societies in which we operate.   EARTH In an endeavour to reinstate its vision and efforts to boost sustainable tourism, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces presented EARTH (Environment Awareness Renewal at Taj Hotels) this year. Implementing schemes such as the Gangroti Glacier Clean-Up Expedition, as well as designated Earth rooms, which minimise environmental impact, Taj is one of Asias largest group of hotels to commit to energy conservation and environmental management. EARTH has received certification from Green Globe, the only worldwide environmental certification program for travel and tourism. The Taj began a century ago with a single landmark The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai. Today, the various Taj hotels, in all their variety and historical richness, are recognised internationally as the symbols of true Indian hospitality. The Companys history is integral to Indias emergence into the global business and leisure travel community; and looking to the future, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is well positioned to meet the increase in travel activity with the rapid expansion of the Indian economy.   Hotel Leisure and Other Services include: 24 hrs Front Desk Airport Transfer On Request Astrologer On Call Banquet Facility Bar restaurants Barber Shop Beauty Salon Bell Desk Services Car Rentals Currency Exchange Express Check in Check out Facilities For the Physically Challenged Florist Health Club Health/Ayurveda Centers Hotel Safe Internet Access Available in Rooms Internet/E-mail/Fax Facilities Interpreter Services Laundry Services Library Lounge Luggage Storage Medical Services-Doctor on Call Phone-Two Telephone Lines in Rooms Postal/Parcel Services Room Service-24 Hrs Shopping Arcade Travel Desk Ticketing, Tours MARKETING MIX STRATEGY OF TAJ HOTELS Products Room Restaurant and Bar. Meeting room and Banquet facility Amenities Services Safe deposit box Special services Courier Child care Laundry Pet Internet Travel desk Babysitting Wake-up call PRICE Taj hotel has set its price of the room on the basis of Business, Leisure and Luxury class. PLACE Location of the hotel is the most important business decision for the hotel. Present in metro cities in India Global presence (Maldives,London,Dubai,Colombo) PROMOTION STRATEGY Promotional schemes are carried on regularly the hotel has many loyalty programe,clubes,membership,previlage etc some of them are The Taj Inner Circle. The Taj Junior League. The Taj Club. Taj also offer Taj surprises including weekend savers,value vouchers,book early get more, ADVERTISEMENT Business news paper(E.T, Financial Express, Bombay Times) T.V channels like STAR NEWS,CNN and CNBC. Magazines like THE OUT LOOK TRAVELAR,GO NOW and TRAVEL. Porters 5 Forces Model The state of competition in an industry depends on five basic forces, which are diagrammed above. The collective strength of these forces determines the ultimate profit potential of an industry. Whatever their collective strength , the corporate strategists goal is to find a position in the industry where his or her company can best defend itself against these forces or can influence them in its favor. Contending Forces Threats of Entry: New entrants to an industry bring new capacity, the desire to gain market share, and often substantial sources. Companies diversifying through acquisition into the industry from other markets often leverage their resources to cause a shake up. The seriousness of the threat of entry depends on the barriers present nd on the reaction from existing competitors that the entrant can expect. There are six major sources of barriers to entry. These are: Economies of scale Product differentiation Capital requirements Cost disadvantages Independent of size Access to distribution channels Government policy Suppliers: Suppliers can exert bargaining power on participants in an industry by raising prices or reducing the quality of purchased goods and services. Powerful suppliers, thereby, can squeeze profitability out of an industry unable to recover cost increases in its own prices. The power of each important supplier group depends on a number of characteristics of its market situation and on the relative importance of its sales or purchases to the industry compared with its overall business. A supplier group is powerful if it is dominated by a few companies and is more concentrated than the industry it sells. Also if it poses a credible threat of integrating forward into the industrys business. This provides a check against the industrys ability to improve the terms on which it purchases. Buyers: Customers likewise can force down prices, demand higher quality or more services, and play competitors off against each other- all at the expense of industry profits. A buyer group is powerful if it is concentrated or purchases in large volume. Large volume buyers are particularly potent forces if heavy fixed costs characterize the industry- as they do in metal containers, corn refining, and bulk chemicals, for example- which raise the stakes to keep capacity filled. The product it purchases from the industry are standard or undifferentiated. The buyers, sure that they always can find alternative suppliers, may play one company against another, as they do in aluminium extrusion. Another case can be when the products the buyer purchases from the industry from a component of its product and represent a significant fraction of its cost. The buyers are likely to shop for a favorable price and purchase selectively. When the products sold by the industry in question is a small fraction of buyers costs, buyers are usually much less price sensitive. Substitutes: By placing a ceiling on the prices it can charge, substitute products or services limit the potential of an industry. Unless it can upgrade the quality of the product or differentiate it somehow, the industry will suffer in earnings and possibly in growth. Substitutes not only limit profits in normal times but also reduce the bonanaza an industry can reap in boom times. The producers of fiberglass insulation enjoyed unprecedented demand as a result of high energy costs and severe winter weather. But the industrys ability to raise prices was tempered by the plethora of insulation substitutes, including cellulose, rock wool and Styrofoam. Rivalry of Taj among established firms: Oberoi hotels Leela hotels ITC Grand Le Meridien Bargaining power of buyers is very low. Bargaining power of suppliers is moderate. Threat of new enterants: For Taj, competition in Mumbai has turned fierce as a result of new hotels, such as ITC Grand Maratha, Le Meridien and Hyatt, coming up close to the airport, and enjoying tax benefits too. However in Bangalore, Taj continues to remain at the No.1 position because of the booming IT sector and lack of five-star rooms, chiefly to accomodate international passengers. Potential Entrants Global hotel groups entry Buyers Global tourists Medical tourists Industrialist people Substitutes Small lodges THREAT: HIGH (because of new class, Low otherwise) Customers Need Good Hospitality Hygiene food and environment Success factors for Taj hotels: Technology related:-Used of advance technology in hotel premises. Manufacturing- related:- High utilization of fixed assets. Quality control know-how. Serving customer according to their specification. Distribution-related:- Presence of hotel chain at various places. A strong network. Marketing related:- Breadth of product line and product selection. Personalized customer services. A well-known and well-respected brand name. SWOT Analysis of TAJ Hotels Strengths : Brand loyalty Credibility Huge Reputation Patent protection Weakness: High cost service Not proper network in semi- urban Lack of safety measure Opportunity : Rising income Globalization New Geographical location Threats : Fluctuations in international tourist arrivals Increasing competition Terrorism CONCLUSION Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asias largest and finest group of hotels. The Company is rapidly emerging as a global brand by integrating an international network of luxury hotels within the chain. Taj Hotels is part of the Tata Group, Indias premier business house. Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India was the subject of many newscasts since November 26,2008.The terrorist attacks not only killed and wounded many, but also caused major damage to the iconic hotel. Tata, a pioneer industrialist and philanthropist, conceived the idea of building a hotel in the wake of the bubonic plague which had devastated Bombay in the late 1890s.Tatas sole wish was to attract people to India, and incidentally to improve Bombay. The severely damaged hotel has to be rebuilt. The sixth floor is gutted, and many of its restaurants, including the famous Wasabi, burnt and the splendid dome is shaken because of the many explosions. The antique chandeliers and priceless artwork are all lost forev er.   But the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower stands as an icon of the city of Mumbai, a symbol of both independence and dignity. It will also stand in the future as a representation of the indomitable human spirit of the people of Mumbai displayed in the face of the greatest adversity.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

Dr. Goodall is a well-known British primatologist who has discovered a substantial amount about primates in her many years of research. She has written numerous books, including one that we will be going into depth about called, â€Å"Through a Window.† Her book contains personal experiences, research findings, and even pictures to help the readers visualize her scientific breaking moments from her thirty years with the chimpanzees of Gombe. She states that there is are minor differences, and several similarities between humans and the chimpanzees. We will discuss these differences and similarities through their social behavior, intellectual ability, and emotions. To conclude, examine Goodall’s research to adopt what her findings can tell us about our early ancestors, and whether or not her study coincided to the steps of scientific methodology. To start, research shows that there are a striking number of similarities between humans and chimpanzees in context to their social behavior. Next, we will see comparisons between humans and chimpanzees through their intellectual abilities. ...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Admissions Essay - Medical School and Shopping :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay -  Medical School and Shopping    My mom and I are the type of women who refuse to spend too much money for quality clothing. We are admittedly shopaholics. Our escapades can last for days and my mother always outlasts me! Well, always does not last forever. One day, my mother and I were on one of our short safaris. She had been complaining of headaches but, ever the trooper, she insisted we go (1-Day Sale, of course!). When we reached our destination my mother was dizzy and her head was pounding. Worried, I ushered her into a local drug store, where we found one of those standing blood pressure machines. My mother gave me a weak smile as I turned to sit down and wait for the results. That's when I heard the crash. My mother and the machine were keeling over in a horrid cascade of mom, machine and medicine. I rushed to her aid and desperately tried to keep her from completely falling onto the ground. My mother passed out due to extremely high blood pressure and I could do nothing about it. Throughout my academic care er, I had been sure of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life-be a doctor. I was not emotionally committed to this endeavor until that eight grade year when my mother and I were helpless.    Ever since that day, I have been on a mission. Determined to learn more, I actively researched my family's medical history. Finding that both sides record hypertension and cardiovascular disease as problems, I decided to delve deeper. This time I found that African Americans as a group historically suffer from those same complications. The more I learned, the more I fell in love with the intricacies of the circular system. Things such as, the components of the blood and their different duties, the specialized characteristics of cardiac muscles and the blood's bicarbonate buffer system all fascinated me as I traveled through course work. Book knowledge turned to field knowledge as I decided to pursue other avenues of understanding. I worked with the Red Cross Blood Drive in high school; carrying blood, helping the nurses and learning more. I interviewed three doctors; a cardiologist, an internist and an obstetrician-gynecologist to find out more about the profession and what it takes to be an M.D. Although the internist tried to dissuade me from pursuing he practice, I gleaned the good and the bad from all three doctors and judged for myself the validity of what I wanted to do.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Goal Statement Essay

Degree program: Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Trauma and Crisis Counseling Personal/Professional Goals My professional goal is to obtain Walden’s Master’s degree in mental health counseling with a specialization in trauma and crisis and become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I would especially like to work with soldiers who have been affected by frequent deployments and their families to help them overcome their personal and social problems that have, without a doubt, strong negative influences on their lives. Throughout my life I have always been drawn to opportunities that helped others lead a healthier and happier life. As a military spouse I have witnessed the need the military community has for qualified mental health professionals and decided to pursue the counseling profession to give back to the community that has provided my family with so much. My own personal experiences as a military spouse have helped me become quite familiar with the lifestyle and many challenges members of the military and their families face. I feel my own experiences would put me in the unique position to truly understand the conflicts of my clients, which will in turn increase credibility with my clients, and should greatly contribute to a good client-therapist relationship. My background allows for a close bond with the community I would like to work with. I feel I could make a significant difference in military families’ lives with the aid of a degree in mental health counseling. Personal Qualities I possess various people skills that are, in my opinion, vital to mental health professionals in terms of perceptual, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills. I am a very diligent and attentive person who deeply cares for others. It is important for me to help others overcome their own difficulties or lighten their burdens through therapy. Through my own experiences in the past I have learned happiness and fulfillment start in one’s own heart and, most importantly, one’s own mind. The profession of mental health counselor will provide me with the opportunity to contribute to my community in a meaningful way. Why Walden? As a working mother and wife, I feel the online format of learning has provided me with the greatest amount of opportunities. Walden’s quality  mental health counseling program is exactly what I was looking for because it allows me to continue to support my family financially while pursuing an excellent education. I would be honored to become part of Walden University’s pool of students, and I am looking forward to the deep immersion in the study of counseling strategies, intervention models, and the early diagnosis and prevention of problems. Thank you for your consideration.

Coach Inc. case analysis Essay

Coach, Inc. is an upscale American leather goods company known for women’s and men’s handbags, as well as items such as luggage, briefcases, wallets and other accessories (belts, shoes, scarves, umbrella†¦). The firm was founded in 1941, in a loft in New York as a partnership called the Gail Manufacturing Company. As of July 2, 2011, the company operates in over 20 countries with more than 1,100 retail stores and around 15,000 employees worldwide. Today, Coach Inc. has distribution, product development and quality control operations in the US, France, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, China and South Korea. From 2001 to 2011, Coach launched a series of activities to take great control over the brand in the Asian markets, and it also accelerated its European expansion with the help of its European joint venture partner in 2011. Continuous innovation and affordable price are two keys for Coach to conduct international business. In addition, owing to its multi-channel retail n etwork, Coach, Inc. has successfully enhanced its brand image all over the world. Luxury goods industry is highly competitive due to a low market-entry barrier. It has experienced ups and downs during the 2000s. And in recent years, the industry has recovered and developed rapidly. More and more luxury goods corporations have expanded their operations in emerging markets through Internet and e-commerce. The future outlook of this industry is optimistic. The competitions in the luxury goods industry are pretty intense. Many competitors of Coach are from France and Italy such as Louis Vuitton, Hermà ¨s, Gucci, and Prada. Having superior brand recognitions and strong impacts on global luxury goods market make them become dangerous rivals of Coach, Inc. Even though Coach Inc. has come up with good strategy, it still suffered from harsh competition. The profit margin was still below the level achieved prior to the onset of a slowing economy in 2007 and its share price had experienced a sharp decline during the first six months of 2012. Due to the changing environment and harsher competition, it was not clear whether the company’s recent growth could be sustained and its competitive advantage could hold in the face of new accessible luxury lines launched by such aggressive and successful luxury brands as Michael Kors, Salvatore†¦ Therefore, I recommend that Coach thinks about spending money working on TV commercials, or cooperating with some world-famous jewelry brands to raise the brand aw areness. It also needs to consider expanding in China so as to cut down operating expenses and better meet the Ch ­inese customers’ growing needs. Question 1. What are the defining characteristics of the luxury goods industry? What is the industry like? Economics define a luxury good as one for which demand increase as income increase. Luxury goods are said to have high income elasticity of demand: as people become wealthier, they will buy more and more of the luxury good. This also means, however, that should there be a decline in income its demand will drop. Unlike inferior goods, they are related to price and high-income individuals. A luxury corporation may establish its image via pricing, exclusivity, limited availability, quality and location. High pricing gives the product its prestigious nature, and implies high quality. Luxuries may be services. The hiring of full-time or live-in domestic servants is a luxury reflecting disparities of income. Some financial services, especially in some brokerage houses, can be considered luxury services by default because persons in lower-income brackets generally do not use them. Luxury brands in general, relied on creative designs, high quality, and brand reputation to attract customers and build brand loyalty. Price sensitivity for luxury goods was driven by brand exclu sivity, customer-centric marketing, and to large extent some emotional sense of status and value. The luxury goods market has been on an upward climb for many years. The market for luxury goods was divided into three main categories: haute-couture, traditional luxury, and the growing submarket â€Å"accessible luxury†. At the apex of the market was haute couture with it very high-end â€Å"custom† product offering that catered to the extremely wealthy. Luxury goods manufacturers believed diffusion brand’s lower profit margins were offset by the opportunity for increased sales volume and the growing size of the accessible luxury market and protected margins on such products by sourcing production to low-wage countries. Eye-catching utilization of their products by prominent figures in society leads to increasing demands for luxury good items and it is a growing industry with the global luxury goods market growing 9% per year. These consumers buy their products for satisfaction and to boost their self-esteem rather than for ease or comfort. All these components blend in the context of a successful business of the luxury goods. The industry has performed well, particularly in 2000. In that year, the world luxury goods market –  which includes drinks, fashion, cosmetics, fragrances, watches, jewelry, luggage, handbags. The luxury-goods business needs people to feel good about spending money. The luxury goods industry is global in scope. In 2005, Italy (27%), Replica Armani Swiss France (22%), Switzerland (19%), US (14%) controlled a combined 82% of the worldwide luxury goods industry sales. In 2006, the industry was expected to grow by 7%. Much of this growth can be attributed to increasing income and wealth in developing European countries, China, and changes in consumer buying habits. Additionally, the entry of big box stores into the distribution chain has opened the market to middle-income consumers, who earn substantially less that the $300,000 household. The luxury goods industry is under drastic change and at different levels. This has an impact on Coach’s business because they have two different types of stores. Two different types of stores of Coach On one hand they have factory stores who sell at a discounted price and on the other hand they have full-priced stores or flagship stores which cater to higher end consumers. While the factory stores are being hit by the American financial crisis due to the lack of disposable income for the middle class, full-price stores or flagship stores have brighter future with an increasing number of millionaires. Question 2. What is competition like in the luxury goods industry? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness? What are the competitive weapons that rivals are using to try to outmaneuver one another in the marketplace? Is the pace of rivalry quickening and becoming more intense? Why or why not? The competition in the luxury goods is very strong. The financial crisis (2007-2009) had a great effect on the luxury goods industry. This led to a huge decline in sale in United States, Japan and Europe. Therefore, the competition in old market and especially emerging market is extremely intensive. In the emerging market (China, India and Southeast Asia), from 2% of industry sales in 2001, they had 20% of industry sale in 2011. Thousands of companies compete in this fields, which are mainly from  Italy, France, Swiss and United states. According to Merrill Lynch, the most valuable luxury brands in terms of annual revenues in 2011 were Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes and Cartier. The competition in the luxury goods industry is extremely intense due to a low market-entry barrier, that is, not all the corporations in this industry can gain great achievements. Many companies had to withdraw from the market because of being short of effective follow-up financial support. Nowadays, this industry provides services for two types of clients: to the rational consumers, some companies choose to offer affordable luxury goods w hich are classic styles and won’t be outdated for a long time; and to the fashion-conscious customers, plenty of firms try to supply higher-priced products whose designs are keeping up with the newest fashion trends. Luxury goods industry has experienced ups and downs during the 2000s. The world’s top brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Hermes all generated benefits of more than 100% at the end of 1999. In 2000, the industry continued performing well in the global financial markets. However, the changes took place in the following years. Luxury goods industry was strongly impacted by the adverse effects of wars, diseases, and global economic recession. Fortunately, it soon started recovering with the support of its loyal customers who were eager to buy luxuries to demonstrate their wealth and status. Recently, with the rapid development of Internet and e-commerce, more and more luxury goods corporations have successfully marketed their products in emerging markets. And they will constantly optimize their goods and services to meet the international customers’ higher demands in the future. So on the basis of above analysis, luxury goods industry is promising. Coach Inc. is the biggest name of luxury goods in the United States. Coach’s market share in the U.S. handbags market fell from 19% to 17.5% between 2011 and 2012. This share was mostly grabbed by competitor Michael Kors, whose market share has risen from 4.5% to 7% in the same period. This discouraging trend hasn’t been reversed in the past year as comparable store sales fell by approximately 15% in the holiday quarter. This drop in sales was due to lower traffic in Coach’s stores as shoppers were turned off by the lack of online flash sales over the quarter. Sales have now fallen for the third straight quarter in succession and management expects sales to fall further in the second half of the fiscal year. The bright spots for Coach in this  quarter were sales in China, which were up by 25%, and the sales of handbags priced above $400, in North America. The disappointing thing for the company is that these high-priced handbags only comprise about a fifth of their handbag products and this means that the company is losing out to competitors on nearly 80% of their product lines in this division. The main competitor of Coach in the US is Michael Kors, having grown its revenues between 58% and 67% in the last three years, posted a revenue growth of 59% in the holiday quarter. This growth is an ominous sign for Coach as Michael Kors hasn’t reached its full store capacity yet. The store count for Michael Kors’ stood at 284 by the end of the previous quarter or approximately 70% of its stated long term target of 400 stores. Without having reached its full store capacity yet, it is possible that Michael Kors isn’t meeting the full demand for its products and there is still potential room for growth. This is a challenging scenario for Coach. One of the competitive forces that have a great effect on industry attractivenes s is the threat of new entrants and how hard it is to build up a brand name that can compete with the likes of Coach, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, and Versace. It takes deep financial pockets and great commitment to create luxury image with well-known brand and superior quality. Thus making it costly for new entrants to gain exposure and market share. Luxury items are known for their superior quality and to some people, the status that they carry. New entrants must build this status from the ground up, which can prove difficult without sufficient resources. Even if new competitors enter the luxury goods market with high quality products, they cannot compete with established fashion brands easily. Another competitive force can be the bargaining power with suppliers. A high end leather producer would like to be linked to the luxurious brand names of Coach and Louis Vuitton. The power industry members have over suppliers is in favor of the globally known luxury brand which is known to produce quality goods. Competitors use many weapons to beat the competitors in the luxury goods industry. The competitive weapons that rivals are using to try to outmaneuver one another in the marketplace mostly lie in the mode of pricing and offering economy levels of products. H igher quality is a must use weapon in the luxury industry. Higher quality is one of the most important weapons First is to hire celebrities to build a stronger brand image to help sell products and obtain a higher status. For instance Louis Vuitton, who utilizes celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, and Naomi Campbell to promote its brand image, Or other brand name, Gucci, use Camilla Belle, Salma Hayes or Brad Pitt for advertising their name. Introducing new fashion trends and product innovation is another weapon used in the luxury industry. Big brands such as Hermes always held a fashion show annually in France to promote their late trends, and many people follow this trend to feel more confident and fashionable. But perhaps the most overlooked weapon is customer service, where some industry members are failing. According to the Luxury Institute, more than half of luxury store shoppers are unhappy with their shopping experience and that could lead to losing customers. Providing superior customer service like companies such as Giorgio Armani, who topped the Luxury Instituteâ€℠¢s research, can not only lead to customer satisfaction but brand loyalty as well. The pace of rivalry quickening and becoming more intense nowadays. No companies want to lose their market shares. All of them have the impressive strategy to develop and pass their competitors. Moreover, the globalization makes a chance for the product can easily export and import, therefore they can reach to emerging market with new customers, such as China, Southeast Asia or India. Moreover, the handbag market encompasses dynamic players and an expanding consumer base, which is expected to flourish due to increasing demand from emerging markets and strong performances by the international luxury brands. It is true that the rivalry is quickening and becoming more intense because not only the differences between the companies are becoming less but also because the market is expanding by a great pace and it is important to engulf a better part of the market share to maintain sustainability. Question 3. How is the market for luxury handbags and leather accessories changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those driving forces change the industry? The market for the luxury handbags and leather accessories is highly competitive. Recently, Coach Inc. is the market leader in the US market. But the market for luxury handbags and leather accessories is now changing rapidly because of many reasons.  Firstly, the middle class is expanding and become younger and they are gaining disposable income to spend on luxury goods with different agendas than previous generations. Secondly, they also have different perspective on change, financial smarts, and have a very strong opinion and style on dressing up. Industry members need to account for the differences between the two, specifically how these differences affect their luxury goods buying habits. Finally, there has been the change in generations. The change from Generation X to Generation Y consumers has ar rived and they are gaining disposable income to spend on luxury goods with different agendas than previous generations. Coach was founded in 1941 and began producing ladies handbags with simple and extremely resilient to wear and tear, but over the next 40 years, Coach was able to grow at a steady rate by setting prices about 50 percent lower than those of more luxurious brands, adding new models and establishing accounts with retailers such as Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. In 1996, Reed Krakoff – a top Tommy Hilfiger designer as a Coach’s new creative director believed new products should be based upon market research rather than designers’ instincts about what would sell, so the design process launched new collections every month to be satisfy with customers. By 2000, the changes to Coach’s strategy and operations built the brand into a sizeable lead in the â€Å"accessible luxury† segment of the leather handbags and accessories industry and made it a solid performer in Sara Lee’s business lineup. Therefore, the market for luxury handbags and leather accessories has changed through time from the beginning to now, also the changing has depended on both the favor of customers and the difference from existing handbags to be unique ladies Coach’s handbags and new creative monthly collections. The value of the global personal luxury goods market was reported at $191 billion for 2011 by Bain & Co. up 10% from the previous year. In the same report luxury leather goods are estimated at $28 billion for 2011. Luxury leather goods are a rapidly growing category, with a 16% growth from 2010 to 2011. The leather goods category is at times also grouped with luggage, with bags, wallets and purses accounting for 57.1% of the global luggage and leather. The market for luxury handbags is rapidly growing in the U.S., which has helped Coach a great deal, seeing that 36% of its revenues come from handbags as seeing in Exhibit 4 (C-77). From 2002 to 2006 the overall market size for U.S. handbags grew doubled and has been a  main contributor for Coach’s growth personally. Some analyst believe that this can be linked to consumers trading up from brands such as Banana Republic and DKNY, while others link it to the rise in wealth. The world is now full of information. This gives consumers some bargaining leverage. With the internet and other technological advances, consumers are well informed and can know the latest fashion trends at the click of a button. A research done in 2007, surveyed 7,705 college students in the US and their findings were that 97% owned a computer, 94% owned c ell phones, 34% use websites as primary sources for news, and 28% write blogs. This means that a large majority of the new generation is heavily entrenched in technology and able to do extensive research on their products before making purchases. They not only have internet search engines like Google or Yahoo, but they have each other to communicate from an end consumer’s perspective. There are even websites set up to talk about the experience when buying luxury goods found at Style.com. Style.com – Leading US fashion website The demand for customer service is also increasing. When paying a lot of money, they want superior customer service, not the average one. The customers pay a high price, whether it is for quality or status, they expect to get their money’s worth. Because more and more people demand luxury goods, they demand better customer service along with it. With the demand for customer service becoming more apparent, industry members can expect a more intense competition in regards to customer service to satisfy this demand. Also, changing societal concerns, attitudes, and lifestyles represents another industry driving force for a number of reasons. First, changing preferences by middle class consumers towards luxury goods inevitably created a new segment in accessible luxury goods. Without the changes in the way these consumers thought about the brands and wanting to own something more elite without having an elite price tag, Coach (among other companies) was able to capitalize on this o pportunity. With new accessories coming out in all shapes and sizes every day, it is absolutely essential that firms keep in tune with changes in the external environment – particularly with one’s consumers. Last, but not least, there is an increasing demand on services on customers in the luxury goods industry so  that customers are willing to pay more money to receive good services with high prices, whether it is for quality or status. There are many other drivers of the luxury goods market as mentioned below: Tourists are changing their consumption habits, seeking out new destinations (e.g., Dubai, South East Asia, Australia) and showing more savvy in the items they purchase Each year, more â€Å"HENRYs† (High Earnings, Not Rich Yet) become potential customers, with ten times as many HENRYs as ultra-affluent individuals The rise of the middle class in emerging countries is polarizing the competitive arena, becoming a â€Å"new baby boom sized generation† for luxury brands to target. Absolute luxury items (consisting of high-end products with no logo, highest quality materials, and exquisite craftsmanship) lead the way Despite some recovery of spending on apparel, leather goods and other accessories will continue growing faster than other categories Watch consumption has sharply decelerated as retailers de-stock and as Chinese luxury consumers slow their purchasing Cosmetics are slowing down in mature markets, while still delivering growth in emerging markets High consumer confidence among the affluent, increased store openings in American cities, and intensive investment in linking physical and digital shopping are all fueling United States sales growth. The impact of 12 percent sales growth across Central and South America (notably Brazil and Mexico) will result in overall growth of five to seven percent in the Americas In Asia, growth in China is stabilizing to an expected seven percent, while South East Asia will experience 20 percent growth driven by a wave of new store openings, and increasing strength and relevance of second-tier markets Japan returns to a strong growth story of five percent as the country’s monetary policy depreciates the yen and pushes local consumption Europe remains a challenge for the industry; as tourism slows, as tourists spend less per visit, and as Europeans, especially in southern Europe, curtail spending—Bain expects flat-to-two percent growth Middle East is growing at a steady pace, with Dubai continuing as the center of gravity and the only city attracting foreign luxury consumers (e.g. Russians, Indians, Africans) There has been many changes such as changes in who buys the product, c hanges in industry’s long-term growth rate, changes in cost and efficiency The driving forces can change the industry by 1. Superior customer experience Luxury will depend more than ever on word-of- mouth promoters who share their delight with products and experiences Consumers expect every interaction in stores, online, and on mobile devices to be premium, differentiated, and targeted to their tastes and preferences Marketing must maintain a persistent drumbeat of innovation in media and messaging to keep consumers connected to what’s new. 2. Flawless retail management Physical and digital storefronts are accelerating their arms race for offering more compelling engagement to wow the luxury shopper The era of the disengaged, formal shopping experience is ending. Shoppers now expect inviting and personalized service to welcome them into the store As store networks grow into new markets and tap new segments, the bar is raised for ensuring the right products are in the right stores in the right quantities. 3. People excellence Brands are investing more in top management talent from strategy to finance to supply chain to back office operations The store employee serves as brands’ direct face to shoppers, with brands expending significant resources on training and development of people on the front lines Luxury players are more and more putting the customer first in their strategies. Question 4. What key factors determine the success of makers of fine ladies handbags and leather accessories? There are many key factors that determine the success of makers of fine ladies handbags and leather accessories including these following elements: Coach, Inc. has consistently fashioned their product line to coexist with the newest styles and seasons. This Spring Coach is introducing a new â€Å"scribble line† that consists of a poly cotton material and bright colors. These new products were tested at fifteen stores and were â€Å"enormously well received†, says CEO Lew Frankfort. Coach Inc. is expecting to increase sales in February thanks to the new â€Å"scribble line† and Valentine’s Day. In an effort to keep up with the broadening competition Coach, Inc. has is planning to add up to nine more stores in the United States along with two more in Japan. Coach Inc. sales have been  helped by the recent innovative accessories such as the PDA leat her holder. The diverse product line consists of women’s handbags, key fobs, belts, electronics accessories, cosmetic cases, gloves, hats, scarves, watches, shoes, and sunglasses. By having a large product line, it allows for the company to diversify and differentiate. Similarly, Coach frequently introduces new products which are indicative of a commitment to diversifying its product lines. Coach’s diverse product line Thanks to the changes to Coach’s strategy and operations to build a sizeable lead in the â€Å"accessible luxury† segment of the leather handbags and accessories industry a solid performer in Sarah Lee’s business lineup, in October 2000, spinning off Coach through an IPO is a part of a restructuring initiative designed to focus the corporation on food and beverages. Therefore, Coach Inc. proved the ability to manufacture high quality products while increasing margins by outsourcing production to lower cost markets and Coach did in having around 80% of its products outsourcing in 2000. The evidence for that is the quadrupled growth in annual sales was from $555 million in 1999 to more than $4.2 billion in 2012, reflecting their success in identifying and capitalizing quickly on opportunities for growth. The coach brand is one of the most recognized handbag and accessory brands in the World. Coach is committed to leading the fine accessories market by designing and producing the finest quality of accessories including handbags, luggage, travel accessories, wallets, outerwear, eyewear, gloves, scarves, and fine jewelry for both men and women. Using a multi-channel distribution strategy Coach is presently able to have 200 stores in the United States alone with locations in eighteen countries outside the United States, as well as a full colored catalogue and an online store at www.coach.com. Online store of Coach A well-known and well-respected brand name is clear advertising. The Luxury Institute rated Coach’s advertisements atop their ranking for print advertisements in regards to the overall Luxury Ad Effectiveness Index in 2006. Wealthy consumers said that Coach’s message were â€Å"bold and to the  point† and â€Å"extremely eye catching† with its use of black and white photography and lack of other distractions. Coach is very strong when it comes to brand image. As indicated by the case, Coach held a 25 percent share of the U.S. luxury handbag market and was the second best-selling brand in Japan, with an 8% market share. To earn strong market share, Coach offers a â€Å"winning combination of styling, quality, and pricing† that essentially operates off the premise that they would target the new accessible luxury goods segment. Besides strong brand image, Coach also possesses strong distribution capabilities. For example, in the United States, Coach products could be found in approximately 900 department stores, 218 Coach full-price stores, and 86 Coach factory outlet stores in addition to sales generate from their website. Essentially a strong distribution network allows for Coach to position their luxury goods as accessible (without tarnishing their image). Coach has since it has distribution, product development, and quality control in the United States, Italy, Hong Kong, China, and South Korea. Coach currently uses a multi-channel distribution strategy. The products are sold through direct mail catalogs, on-line store, e-commerce websites, 200 retail stores and its 76 factory stores. The catalog has had increasingly popularity and has been an important advertising and sales tool for Coach, both domestically and abroad. In addition, Coach launched its online store at www.coach.com. Coach has also spread to various retailers and departments stores to increase sales. To improve and market the brand, boutiques have been set up in the department stores. Through this distribution strategy and advertising campaign Coach has become one of the most well recognized brands in the United States and is rapidly gaining recognition internationally, especially in Japan. With an established global brand, strong demand for innovation in technology remains high, Coach has introducing a new collection on a monthly basis. For example, Coach utilizes its website to generate sales worldwide. While some businesses think that web development is easy, maintaining a sophisticated website on a global scale that not only considers cultural elements, language, and product lines, can be a daun ting task. Besides web development, Coach also needs strong technology to maintain quality control  with its product lines. Because Coach’s products are luxury goods, consumers essentially expect quality with minimal defects. By maintaining and continuously investing in technology in order to innovate products and minimize defects, Coach not only assures quality to their customers, but also justifies their premium prices over one of the major problems facing all luxury goods – knockoffs. Coach is, â€Å"America’s number one accessible luxury accessories brand, and the fastest growing imported handbag and accessory brand in Japan.† Without marketing and design it would not be possible for Coach to receive such distinguished titles. In 2004 marketing and design costs reached 63.5 million. As a result Coach was able to penetrate new markets such as Japan and strengthen their position in existing ones. Coach recently announced the next phase of its growth strategy Japan. It involves capitalization on the significant growth opportunity that exists with the domestic Japanese consumers. The company expects sales to more than double during the next four years to over 80 billion yen by 2009. F urthermore, Coach announced that it is strengthening its leadership team at Coach Japan, or CJI, later this spring. Coach will also add two executives who will be responsible for all Coach retail and factory store strategy and operations. In addition, CJI will shortly be announcing the appointment of its first Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, a new position for the company. The Chief Operating Officer will spearhead logistics initiatives as well as oversee administrative, finance and information technology functions. To sum up, to determine the success of makers of luxury handbags and leather accessories, Coach need to have the significant key factors which there are the ability to manufacture high quality products while increasing margins by outsourcing production to lower cost markets, strong brand image, strong global distribution capabilities, diverse product line and strong innovative technology. Question 5. What is Coach’s strategy to compete in the ladies handbag and leather accessories industry? Has the company’s competitive strategy yielded a sustainable competitive advantage? If so, has that advantage translated into superior financial and market performance? 1. Coach’s strategy to compete in the ladies handbag and leather accessories. Coach’s strategy is  to offer distinctive, easy recognizable luxury products that were extremely well made and provided excellent value. The company has used the best-cost strategy. The company’s array of products included ladies handbags, leather accessories such as key forbs, electronic accessories, and cosmetic cases. Coach pursues this strategy by many ways: Coach positioned its brand in the lower part of the accessible and affordable luxury pyramid. This particular market provides a larger opportunity relatives to that of more exclusive brands. Coach targeted the top 20 percent of Americans by households’ income, as opposed to the top 3 to 5 percent targeted by most European luxury brands. Coach has focused on sales in China, Japan and the United States because these three countries lead global luxury goods spending. Coach has flexible sourcing. All of Coach’s production was outsourced to contract manufacturers, with vendors in China accounting for 85 percent of its products requirements. Vendors located in Vietnam and India produced the remaining 15 percent of Coach products requirements. Management control quality throughout the process with product development offices in Hong Kong, China, South Korea, India, and Vietnam. This broad-based, global manufacturing strategy was designed to optimize the mix of cost, lead times, and construction capabilities. The company’s procurement process selected only the hi ghest-quality leathers and its outsourcing agreements with quality offshore manufacturers contributed to the company’s reputation for high quality and value. Coach launched new collection every month. The market research design process developed by Executive Creative Director Reed Krakoff provided the basis of Coach’s differentiated product line: each quarter, major consumers research is undertaken to define product trends, selections and consumers designs. Monthly product launches enhanced the company voguish image and gave consumers reason to make purchases on a regular basis. Lew Frankfort said the increase was attributable to monthly product launches that â€Å"increase the frequency of consumer visits† and women’s changing style preferences of â€Å"using bags to complement their wardrobes in the same way they used to use shoes†. A retail analyst agreed that the frequent product introductions is â€Å"a huge driver of traffic and sales and has enabled them to capture the†¦customer who wants the newest items and fashions†. Coach sought to make  customer services experiences an additional differentiating aspect of the brand. It had agre ed since its founding to refurbish or replace damaged handbags, regardless of the age of the bag. The company provided store employees with regular customer services training programs and scheduled additional personnel during peak shopping periods to ensure all customers were attended to satisfactorily. Customers are allowed to order merchandise for home delivery if the particular handbag or color wasn’t available during a visit to a Coach store. 2. The company’s competitive strategy yielded a sustainable competitive advantage thanks to its strategy to have both full-price stores and factory store. In 2011, Coach had 345 full-price retail stores in the United States, which comprised 70 percent of its total US outlets. Full-price stores were divided into three categories-core locations, fashion locations, and flagship stores. Under Coach’s tiered merchandising strategy, the company’s flagship stores carried the most sophisticated and high-priced items, while core stores carried widely demand lines. The company’s fashion locations tend to stock a blend of Coach’s best-selling lines and chic specialty bags. Coach had 143 factory stores by 2011. About 75 percent of factory store inventory was produced specifically for Coach factory stores, the remaining 25 percent was made up of overstock items and discontinued models. Coach’s 10 to 50 percent discount offered a year round full-price poli cy in full-price stores. Handbags sold in Coach full-price stores ranged from $200-$500, which was well below the $700-$800 entry-level price charged by other luxury brands. So the buyers could get a branded product in an affordable value. Coach’s products price Therefore, Coach’s factory stores target customers who might not otherwise buy Coach products. Both full-price stores and factory stores customers were equally brand loyal, but there was a distinct demographic difference between the shopper segments. It means that each type of consumer does not affect the other. During these economic times, it may seem as though the factory store shoppers might reduce spending. However, these same economic times have little effect on full-priced shoppers due to their amount of wealth. This might be able to help Coach in its struggle between being an exclusive brand or just another common brand. Coach has many product lines- items with  appealing attributes, assorted upscale features. Coach Inc. designed and marketed women’s handbags; leather accessories such as key fobs, belts, electronic accessories and cosmetic cases; and outwear such as gloves, hats and scarves. Coach also designed and marketed leather business cases and luggage. C oach is production emphasis- build in upscale features and appealing attributes at lower cost than rivals. The outsourcing agreements allowed Coach to maintain a sizeable pricing advantage relative to other luxury handbag brands in its full-price stores as well.  Moreover, Coach is marketing emphasis. Coach’s wholesale distribution international markets involved department stores, freestanding retail locations, shop-in-shop locations, and specialty retailers in 18 countries. The company mailed about 4.1 million catalogs to strategically selected households in the US during 2006 and place another 3.5 million catalogs in Coach retail stores for customers to pick up during a store visit 3. That advantage has translated into superior financial and market performance both in the United States and worldwide. In 2011, Coach had 169 retail locations in Japan, which generated $748 million in sales. In 2012, Coach had 66 stores in China, up from 41 stores in 2011. Coach anticipated recording fiscal 2012 revenues in China approximately $300 million. Coach’s products were sold in approximately 970 wholesale locations in the U.S. and Canada. From 2002 to 2006, Coach has been growing faster than the handbag market in the U.S. This has resulted in Coach continuously gaining market share. Which, in 2002 was 19% and just four years later Coach was holding 26% of the U.S. handbag market share in the U.S. and also had total revenues of $2.6 billion in 2008, a 26.9% increase from 2006. As of June 2008, it operated 289 retail stores and 102 factory stores in the United States, five retail stores in Canada. This is not satisfying enough as Coach expects the number of factory st ores to top out at around 100 in the U.S. while the full-priced stores could reach up to 350. Coach’s wholesale distribution in international markets involved department stores, freestanding retail locations, shop-in-shop locations, and specialty retailers in 18 countries. In 2006, international wholesale accounts amounted to $147 million and have grown some 7.8 percent per year to reach approximately $230 million in 2011. Question 6. What are the resource strengths and weaknesses of Coach Inc.? What competencies and capabilities does it have that its chief rivals don’t have? What new market opportunities does Coach have? What external threats do you see that could adversely impact the company’s future wellbeing? Strengths Coach is very strong when it comes to brand image. As indicated by the case, Coach held a 25 percent share of the U.S. luxury handbag market and was the second best-selling brand in Japan, with an 8% market share† .To earn strong market share, Coach offers a â€Å"winning combination of styling, quality, and pricing† that essentially operates off the premise that they would target the new accessible luxury goods segment. Besides strong brand image, Coach also possesses strong distribution capabilities. The company works closely with its distributors to sell its products through domestic as well as overseas department stores. It also markets its products by making effective use of Internet, like sending emails to its selected customers and updating the information on its website in time. These retail channels truly boost Coach’s presence in global markets and promote its brand. For example, â€Å"in the United States, Coach products could be found in approximately 900 department stores, 218 Coach full-price stores, and 86 Coach factory outlet stores† in addition to sales generate from their website. Essentially a strong distribution network allows for Coach to position their luxury goods as accessible (without tarnishing their image). Another strength Coach has is the diverse product line consisting of women’s handbags, key fobs, belts, electronics accessories, cosmetic cases, gloves, hats, scarves, watches, shoes, and sunglasses. By having a large product line, it allows for the company to diversify and differentiate. Similarly, Coach frequently introduces new products which are indicative of a commitment to diversifying its product lines. Moreover, when it comes to the financial performance, Coach, Inc. has handed in a satisfactory answer to the public over the years. In 2011, the revenues of the company were $4,159 million, an increase of 15.3% compared with 2010. Besides, its operating profit and net income reached $1,305 million and $881 million in the same year, an increase of 13.5% and 19.8% over 2010 respectively. Finally, one of Coach’s greatest strengths is excellent customer service when it comes to taking care of their customers. In an effort to show value-added benefits, Coach  refurbishes damaged handbags and provides â€Å"Special Request service† to allow consumers to custom order a product if a â€Å"particular handbag or color wasn’t available during a visit to a Coach store†. Weaknesses With locations all over the United States, one of Coach’s biggest weaknesses is also one of its previously mentioned strengths: accessibility. With so many retail stores attempting to sell high-cost inventory, Coach inevitably puts itself in a situation with a high risk/high reward situation. Currently, the strategy has paid off because middle class consumers have started to purchase luxury goods; however, as the case states, Coach’s most loyal consumers visited the store once every two months and made a purchase once every seven months with an average customer purchasing around four handbags per year. While consumers are benefited in accessibility, the question remains when sales begin going sour, can Coach endure the high costs of so many retail stores and any left-over inventory? Coach has had a high level of inventory. As of 2011, the value of the company’s merchandise inventories was $422 million, an increase of over 16% over 2010. It is obvious that large inventories damage a corporation’s liquidity. Therefore in order to clear inventories, Coach may have to make a painful decision to cut prices, which could have an apparent negative effect on the firm’s profitability. Though Coach, Inc. is a luxury brand aiming at the international market, its operations heavily rely on American market. The evidence was that the US represented 74.6% of Coach’s total revenues in 2006. Such a market concentration may put the company at risk of having to suffer a slump in demand for Coach’s products caused by American economic slowdown or recession. Opportunities While Coach currently has a strong base in international markets, as standards of living around the world continue to increase, Coach can really exploit the opportunity to invest overseas particularly in developing nations such as China. In Japan, there are many young single ladies whose age is between 25 to 30 are pretty fashion conscious and willing to pay much more than their American peers for similar western luxury goods in order to demonstrate their good personal taste. So it is advisable for Coach to take the business opportunity of excavating such a vast latent market. The  Chinese market for luxury goods was predicted to increase to 24% of global revenue by 2014, which would make it world’s largest market for luxury goods. Along the same lines of globalization, Coach can increase its market share through development of sales via their website. While Coach currently operates an e-commerce site, it still remains to be seen on how sophisticated it really is. Coach could look into some potential new avenues of possibly adding some customization features or, at the very minimum, enhance the functionality and friendliness of their site so that they can generate sales from individuals not within range of their other stores. Threats As nations become more and more sophisticated in the ways that they are able to produce counterfeit products, one of the biggest threats that faces Coach is the ability of these knockoffs to serve as substitute products. To illustrate the extent of counterfeit goods, â€Å"in 2006, more than $500 billion worth of counterfeit merchandise were sold in the United States and internationally;† moreover, these staggering numbers illustrates the global problem confront many industries (Thompson C-106). This is a particularly dangerous threat to Coach because any time one of these fake products has defects, consumers, unknowingly, may associate it with a defective product. In addition, consumers who want their reference group members to think that they can afford high-end products may not want to pay premium prices for those products so they rely on the affordability of an identical product for half the price. As an American-based company offering fine leather goods, Coach has proved to be extremely successful in the domestic market. However, when the company launches its global expansion, it has to be confronted with lots of strong foreign rivals. So Coach should pay more attention to maintain its competitive advantages, or its dangerous competitors, such as LVMH Moà «t Hennessy †¢ Louis Vuitton S.A., The House of Gucci, and Hermà ¨s International S.A. will encroach on its market shares. Like most products, particularly luxury goods, Coach is impacted based on the economy. When the economy is down and consumers do not have a lot of spending money, so is Coach’s bottom line. In recent years, the consumers in the US have reduced their spending as a result of high interest rates and rising fuel prices. Under this kind of pressure, Americans tend to cut down their unnecessary expenses, especially the costs of luxuries. Consequently, the US Coach would lose a large number of customers which leads to poor sales. With luxury goods, consumers often find such products to be extremely elastic so dramatic drops in income will result in dramatic drops in sales of Coach’s product lines; moreover, this is particularly d angerous because of the high cost associated with maintaining high-cost inventory and facilities. Question 7. What recommendations would you make to Lew Frankfort to improve the Coach’s competitive position in the industry and its financial and market performance? Short-Term Recommendations Elevate Men’s Product Offering Currently, Coach concentrates on designing and offering women’s products, especially the handbags. The company only supplies the customers with a small part of men’s accessories which merely represent 2% of the total net sales.1 But in fact, an increasing number of men today have a great appetite for western luxury goods. They have the same desire for fashion products and prepare to spend much money on packing themselves. So Coach should do its utmost to meet men’s demands. Recruit Talented Fashion Designers Brilliant fashion designers are in high demand in luxury goods industry since a brand’s soul is the design of its products. So in order to set a good brand image as well as instill new vitality into the enterprise, Coach, Inc. needs to recruit more talented designers who are extremely sensitive to the pulse of fashion and have the ability to design a number of marketable products. Ally With Strong Jewelry Brands In many countries and areas throughout the world, Coach is considered as a mid-range luxury brand rather than a world’s top brand like LVMH, Gucci, Hermà ¨s, Prada and so forth. This phenomenon may be caused by Coach’s cheaper price. To compete against these powerful opponents and draw more attention from the upper-class customers, Coach can think about allying with a group of world-class jewelry companies to try to combine varieties of jewelries with its products. On the one hand, this practice is a sign of seeking novelty. On the other hand, it can also enhance Coach’s fame. Long-Term Recommendations Upgrade Brand Image In 2006, it took Coach’s 4.8% of net sales to design, advertise, and market its merchandise.2 However, the result was disappointing. The corporation’s reputation is still not as good as its international rivals. Actually, according to Coach’s performance in the past few years, it is clear that there is no big problem in product design and marketing, so Coach should take more advertising strategies into consideration besides Internet. For example, TV commercials, as a kind of cyclic visual stimulation, are much more eye-catching and effective than emails, catalogs and information listed on the websites. Curb Counterfeit Trade In international business, it is extremely significant for Coach to protect all its intellectual property rights so as to maintain the competitive advantages. Nevertheless, no matter how many efforts the company made, counterfeiting still happens frequently and shows an upward trend. At this time, Coach, Inc. should further improve the technological content of products to make it difficult to imitate and counterfeit. In addition, since Coach, Inc. operates in many countries, the company could strive to persuade the foreign governments to enact and amend their intellectual property laws, which can legally protect Coach’s interests. Expand in China As an emerging market, China has attracted more and more foreign investments from multinational enterprises in the past few decades. China is an ideal place for international investors because it offers cheap labor force, rich natural resources, huge potential market, as well as stable political and economic environment. What’s more, as a result of Chinese fast economic development, the number of Chinese customers who have a strong desire for the world-famous luxuries has dramatically increased in recent years. Thus it is advisable for Coach to set up factories and retail stores in China so as to both reduce operating expenses and better satisfy the growing needs of Chinese customers.