Case Walter Hundhausen Gmbh Free Essays

Size up Germany’s foundry Industry? Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future? The beginning of the new millennium has presented Walter Hundhausen (WH) with a big hurdle to jump. The German economy is experiencing economic stagnation, an aging population and a German labour market that is filled with many intrusive government regulations. The German economy has been growing at an average rate of 0. We will write a custom essay sample on Case: Walter Hundhausen Gmbh or any similar topic only for you Order Now 6 percent per year for the last 4 years; making it one of the slowest growing economies in the Euro Zone. However, study’s suggests in 2004, the domestic economy is expected to grow above 2 percent. Moreover, one-third of Germany’s economy is comprised of exports. In performing a Pest Analysis (see Diagram 1 below), there are many macro factors affecting the German Foundry Industry. MACRO FORCES The acronym stands for Political, Economic, Social and Technological concerns that could affect the strategic development of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By identifying PEST influences it helps gage the external environment in which the casting foundry industry operates. Political Strict Layoff Regulations: Government regulations had strict policies in place on how organizations could layoff employees. Before employees were laid-off, management had to advise the Works Council and they had to agree to the nature and timing of the plan. In addition, the management team had to develop a social plan for each employee on how the layoff would affect them and what remedies the organization would put in place for them. If a  social plan was not presented, employees could claim for compensation through the courts. This could prove to be costly in time, money and reputation. National Bargaining on Wages: The current German industrial relations policy was based on a duel model. One part dealt with the collective bargaining, while the other dealt with codetermination. The collective bargaining agreement dealt with minimums and maximums, with respect to wages and salaries and working hours. Codetermination was an actual Act or Law that provided labourers in Germany with three levels of representation; Supervisory Board, Works Council and Labour Director. However, in the end, all collective bargaining agreements could be adjusted and then ratified through this process. Social Market Economy: The political climate in the country is based on the social market economy, where employers and unions worked as partners to better the organization as a whole. However, in reality, the balance of power lay in the hands of the union. Unions negotiated national and regional wages and hours of operations; in addition, they also negotiated paid time-off. In 2004, the average individual worked 1,542 hours. The standard legislated work week was set at 60 hours with a minimum paid leave of 24 days. That translates to 2,832 hours per year. Despite the legislation, the average individual worked 54 percent less than was legislated in 2004. Ordnung Principal: This is Germany’s version of the Triple Bottom Line, where economy, society and the government all participate in the mechanism for workers democracy. New Environmental Legislation: The government imposed a new ecological tax in 2000 that focused on waste reduction as opposed to waste recycling. This added costs in the form of time and money to the WH casting process. From an economic perspective, the government wanted the industry to focus on the externalities and reduce them or remove them totally. Economical Domestic Growth: The last three years (2001 to 2004), the German economy was growing at an average rate of 0.6 percent per year. Germany had been experiencing the slowest growth in the Euro zone. This affected many organizations in Germany, particularly mid-sized companies that were not big enough to fully utilize economies of scale. Future Growth: The economy in Germany has been slated to grow around 2 percent for the year 2004. This represent an increase of 1.4 percent over the previous year and that may not  seem big, but relatively speaking that is a 233% increases from year over year. Increase in Value of the Euro: Another concern at the macro level is the appreciation of the Euro against other currencies, most notably the American dollar. As the Euro increased, the cost of WH’s products also increased. However, the opportunity to purchase at a lower price scrap iron and steel from non-European countries has also increased. As the Euro appreciates in value, it can now purchase raw materials at a lower cost. Social Aging Population: The current labour shortage in Germany is creating a nightmare in the casting industry. In order to attract and retain employees, organizations were paying a premium over scheduled tariffs. These costs were substantial, as many companies were running multiple shifts in order to keep up with demand. Reduction in Full-Time Employment: The current macro environment suggests a reduction in the number of full-time resources, because of the high labour costs. However, because of the aging population, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified workers. Sounds counter intuitive; a reduction of full-time staff to cut costs, but many companies in the industry are paying premiums over scheduled tariffs in order to keep their current workforce. Strong Social Employment Contracts: The Germany foundry industry has a strong employment contract system, where employers are responsible for the well being of their workers. The contract is enforced by the Works Council and the Labour Director who is part of the origination. Their main objective is to resolve disputes through intensive informal contacts. Strong Union Presence: The dual model in the industry consists of a collective bargaining agreement and codetermination. This dual system gives the unions a strong position within the foundry industry. Their presence has lead to numerous bouts of conflict with management when negotiating collective agreements and in some cases these disagreements lead to long and bitter strikes. Technical Above Average RD Investment: RD is a major competent in the casting foundry industry. RD creates better products and above all reduces costs through the automation of the casting process. Moreover, by being a Tier 1 supplier, customers are expecting better products and lower costs year over  year. Frequent Technology Changes: In the casting process, technology changes occur frequently, in order to maintain lower sand-to-metal ratios and scrap ratios. Largest European Foundry: Being the largest casting foundry in Europe, economies of scale can have significant cost savings, as the organization can purchase large amounts of scrap iron and steel. Close Proximity to Clients: By being close to customers, shipping costs and delivery times are reduced substantially; giving the local casting foundry a cost advantage over their long distance competitors. Efficient Sand Casting Process: The casting process is highly integrated and labour intensive. By having a disjointed process, the cost of the process will be high and the products produced would be of an inferior quality. A process that is tightly controlled and automated will reduce unnecessary waste and cut costs in the form of wages and raw material. MICRO FORCES Below are the specific micro forces that will influence how WH reacts to the environmental issues assessed above. Supply The cost of raw materials was increasing 23 percent year over year (see Diagram 2 below). Raw materials have been the single most expensive cost to WH. Diagram 3 below, illustrates the cost of raw materials to revenues and the cost of wages and salaries to revenues. As for wages and salaries, they have been holding steady. Moreover, the trend seems to be downward sloping (see Diagram 3, below). Total revenues have been increasing steadily since 2001; with a significant increase occurring in 2004 (see Diagram 4, below). Year over Year Increase in Revenues 2001 2002 2003 2004 Total Revenues 97 99 103 117 2.06% 4.04% 13.59% However, in 2004, the index price of scrap iron and steel has been averaging around 191.00, that is a 43 percent increase, year over year. The trend seems to be heading higher, potentially breaking the 250.00 barrier (see Diagram 5, below). Average 81.25 99.91667 99.91667 111.5 133.75 191.25 Competition Competition from non-OEM organizations was growing. However, customers today are more sophisticated and understand that quality plays an important role in the decision to purchase a product versus purchasing a product on price alone. The real threat will come from organizations in the casting industry from Eastern European that will eventually become tier 1 suppliers. One of the challenges facing WH is the current workforce in Germany. WH has been experiencing a high degree of absence due to leaves and sick days. The above graph (see Diagram 6) illustrates by department where the greatest number of absences are occurring. The stars indicate the average per department and in 2004, there was an increase in the number of absences in Core Marketing, Finishing and Heat Treatment. Finishing can be explained because of the nature of the work itself. It is one of the most difficult  parts of the casting process. Some of the other notable information to mention, is when the automated casting process is operating efficiently, sick days and leaves are kept to a minimum. For example, pouring and melting in 2003 experienced numerous mechanical problems, thus the department experienced a higher level of absences as opposed to 2004, when the process was operating with little interruptions, sick days and leaves decreased substantially. Moreover, for the first 6 months of 2004, the average cost of the total days off work amounted to 3.39 million, which represents 8.7 percent of the overall company’s revenues (see Diagram 7, below). Demand The biggest threat facing WH is their ability to reduce costs. Their customers are demanding lower prices and the organization has been responding, by investing heavily in RD to improve the casting process. However, if they do not get the costs of the casting process under control, they will not be able to meet the increasing demand from the motor vehicle industry. The motor vehicle industry in 2004 purchased a total of 68% of the total industry’s output. Diagram 8, below illustrates the percentage increase or decrease year over year by industry and the tonnage sold by industry. Clearly, the industry that has been adding value to WH has been the motor vehicle industry. On average, over the last three years, the motor vehicle industry has increased 13 percent. If the motor vehicle industry continues on their current growth path, by the end of 2005, WH will have reached plant capacity of 95,000 tonnes per year (see Diagram 9, below). The forecast includes a 13 percent increase in motor vehicle tonnage per year and holds the other two industries with no growth or decline in tonnes required. PEST Conclusion The rising cost of scrap iron and steel, a stagnate Germany economy, the German labour market and its regulations are proving extremely difficult for WH to deal with. In addition, WH is reaching plant capacity and they have not been able to control rising costs to date. For the last three years, wages and raw material purchases have been well over budget. SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis was completed for WH to evaluate their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (see Diagram 10, below). The analysis identifies the key internal and external factors that will hinder or help WH achieve their stated goals and objectives. One of the key factors to WH success was their ability to understand their customer’s business needs and create new products for them. This was one area in the casting foundry industry that separated WH from their competitors; WH was and still is â€Å"Best in Class†, when it comes to product innovation. One area of improvement would be to eliminate or reduce the number of products that have low margins. By producing these low margin products, WH is tying up valuable resources both in time, money and material. One of the greatest threats WH will encounter is the surging casting foundries from Eastern European countries, such as Spain, Turkey and Poland. Currently, many of the Eastern European organizations either small or big are not OEM rated. However, with time and additional investment dollars, these organizations will be able to compete against WH on price. PORTERS FIVE FORCES One final assessment was completed to determine the profitability or attractiveness of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By utilizing Porters Five Force model, a more realistic assessment of the competitive rivalry that exists in the market can be determined. This will give WH insight as to the attractiveness of the industry and determine what course of action (if any) is required. The analysis clearly demonstrated that the industry is highly profitable (see Diagram 11, above). The Barriers to Entry are high, making it difficult for organizations to enter. Entry requires a high initial capital investment and ongoing RD dollars. Moreover, the bargaining power of the Buyer is Low, because switching costs are high. Substitutes products are available, but in the motor vehicle industry highly unlikely to be used. The  bargaining power of Suppliers is strong, because there is strong union presence and the raw material is based on world supply and demand prices. In short, the competitive rivalry within the Casting Foundry Industry is high, suggesting that the industry is profitable. Furthermore, with high exist barriers, because of the high fixed costs, it makes it extremely difficult to exit the industry, and thus remaining organizations will continue to suffer and lose more market share. Question 1A:  Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future? Not with their current casting process. Clearly, WH’s core competency lies in their ability to produce exactly what the customer needs and then takes that knowledge one step further by producing new products that customers ends up wanting; WH creates demand for their new more profitable products. Moreover, WH links their internal logistical and informational systems with their customers. Basically, WH becomes an extension of their customers. The future for WH would be to outsource some non core activities of their value chain to 3rd parties in the casting foundry industry; perhaps in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, where wages are less and employment is more bountiful. In conclusion, with the current trends in the casting foundry industry, where growth is expected to increase 2% per year in tonnage and 3% per year in value, WH does not have the current structure to capitalize on this growth opportunity. Pricing has also become an issue and they are trying to go head to head with their customers and asking them to pick up the additional surcharges on the price of scrap steel and iron. Moreover, with the additional investment in RD, costs have not decreased. Revenues have been steadily rising, but so have costs and costs have outpaced revenues. This is evident, as WH is expected to lose 6 million in 2004, making it the worst loss in the company’s 4 year history. Question 2:  Is the alternative that WH’s management called â€Å"strategic change† really strategic? Justify you answer. In order to justify the answer, one must first define what strategic change is. According to Joseph N. Fry, one of the authors of Strategic Analysis  and Action he suggests that it is a tool for building, communicating and maintain the direction of the business. As for Lawrence G. Hrebiniak, he suggests that strategic change is all about execution. In his book, Making Strategy Work, he suggested that without a careful, planned approach to execution, strategic goals cannot be attained. Albeit, in both examples above, little reference is made to the actual strategy, but in reality both authors agree that the strategy is important, but the execution of the strategy is key to success. An analogy that can be used to illustrate their point of view would be a golfer that needs to fade a shot around a tree. The strategy has been set, the trajectory of ball flight has been visualized; wind and all other factors have been taken into consideration. What’s left is the actual striking of the ball. However, if the golfers’ core competency is to hit a draw, rather than a fade, the strategy has little to do with the result of the execution. One of WH alternative is to shut down Line 2, reduce employment by 114 workers and increase sales through a radical marketing campaign that started in 2003. However, the radical marketing campaign emphasizes a differentiation strategy as opposed to a price strategy as indicated by Klaas. The key to their current success is WH’s ability to understand their customer’s business needs and create specific casting moulds for them. In addition, WH has been able to develop new products with higher margins for their customers and then sell those products back to their customers; push marketing. By adopting a low cost strategy, rivals in the industry will eventually out price WH and take market share away from them. One of the reasons why WH can be out priced in the market is that their main competitors from Eastern Europe, such as Poland, have a much lower wage structures. To conclude, WH’s alternative does not fit the traditional definition of a strategic change. After reviewing the data and the definition, the answer remains a resolute no. The reason for the decision is that strategic change must take into consideration other aspects of the organization. The changes suggested by Klaas will not delivery the strategy in a controlled manner that is efficient and effective to implement. Strategic management is not about delivering one single project or addressing one particular issue, but a process that governs the entire organization and how the entire  organization is affected by the strategic change (see Diagram 12, above). The so called alternative â€Å"strategic change† in the end will not deliver any real value to the organization, thus further suggesting that this is not a strategic change. Strategic change at the end of the day must deliver real value, not perceived value. In Germany that value takes on the form of a stakeholder, rather than a shareholder. Thus, by simply focusing on profits and ignoring the human costs of the layoffs, WH will not execute this strategy with any conviction or success. Both Fry and Hrebiniak realize that the process is complicated and contains many moving parts. In short, there is no magic bullet. Simply cutting workers and installing automated processes does not guarantee costs reductions and increased revenues. Question 3:  How much â€Å"flexibility† did the company have in dealing with its problem? The reality of the situation is that WH only had perceived flexibility. With economic stagnation, an aging population, tight employment regulations and a shortage of workers, WH has limited flexibility in being able to deal with the problem. Moreover, with the increase in tariffs, raw materials and energy, WH has even less flexibility in addressing their current problem. WH was able to negotiate concessions with the Works Council; however, the concessions came with a hefty price. The Works Council’s goal was to save jobs in the short term for the promise of better pay in the long term. Thus, WH was able to negotiate special agreements to break the current collective agreement. WH negotiated for more free hours, less pay and forgone holidays and vacation pay, but had no control over dismissal’s and working exemptions; the Works Council held the balance of power in these two categories. For example, if employment dropped below 570 permanent employees, the regional tariff rates would come into effect and they did. The Works Council’s position for long term better pay may present a problem with a few of the alternatives being suggested by WH. The Works Council may not approve any of the alternatives that involve significant layoffs and pay reductions. These alternatives are in direct conflict with their own goals and objectives. In conclusion, perceived flexibility is much different than actual flexibility. WH may think they can suggest an alternative that  makes sense for them, but the reality is that without buy in from the Works Council, the strategy will surely fail to execute. Question 4:  What could management do to address the problem? WH management must develop a Strategic Management Process. The new strategic management process is to be undertaken by the executives at WH and GMH. The executives will review and interpret the Germany foundry industry and determine the direction for WH. At this point in the process the executives will set the Corporate Strategy (strategic direction) and priorities, while understanding and taking into consideration resources and budget constraints (see diagram 13, below). The seconds step is to create the â€Å"right† Corporate Structure with the proper incentives and controls to ensure that the Corporate Strategy can be achieved. The final step is to ensure that the Business Units understand the objectives set forth and have the necessary resources in place to achieve their goals and objectives. It is the business unit who is responsible for ensuring that they have the correct skills and capabilities in place in order to achieve the Corporate Strategy. Once the strategic management process has been developed, the next critical step in the process is to formulate a well defined plan that has clear and focused goals and objectives. These goals and objectives must be measurable, attainable and realistic. Moreover, the plan must address how these achievements will affect the overall organization, but more importantly, if the goals and objectives are not meet, what are consequences to the organization. This process must be open and transparent that will ensure that buy in will occur quickly. In conclusion, the execution of these key activities is the heart of any successful strategic management process. In addition, WH must ensure that the Works Council understands that the long term success of WH is in everyone’s best interest. The Works Council’s long term goal is for better pay for its workers, without WH, their goals and objectives will never be realized. Question 5:  What had management done so far? Management has accomplished a lot to date. They sold WH to GMH who had experience in purchasing distressed companies and providing them with fresh equity and motivating their work force. In addition, in 2003, WH implemented a radical marketing plan that increased revenues by approximately 13.6 % in 2004. WH invested heavily in operations, by trying to automate the sand casting process. WH believed that they could further reduce the operating costs by automating a lot of the high touch processes. WH has also outsourced the finishing process, as this is one of the most costly processes in the sand casting process. WH hired a consultant by the name of Knight Wendling who was hired to improve productivity and reduce costs. His first mandate was to get customer to pay a scrap surcharge and eliminate unprofitable products. By the middle of 2004, 91 percent of customers were paying the surcharge and he eliminated 5,000 tonnes of products that were generating low contributions. Finally, in 2004 WH made some major changes to their current management structure and sent out a new message to their workers, that management was looking for fresh ideas that would make a difference. Question 6:  What actions were left open to WH’s management and would they make sense? One action that was left open was continuing with the Radical Marketing Plan that WH started in 2003. The marketing plan would continue to increase sales by 8.2 million and contribution by 5.2 million in 2005. However, one of the major issues with this action was that costs were also increasing and the increase in revenues and contributions was being offset by the rising cost of scrap iron and steel and wages. The rising costs, coupled with WH’s increase in prices were opening the doors to some of their direct competitors in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. This plan would only make sense if they could get the Works Council to increase the number of hours that employee’s could work and reduce the minimum number of workers required, before tariffs are enforced. Moreover, this approach would make sense, if WH could convince the Works Council that their short term objective to keep as many employees as  possible is actually going to hurt their long term goal of better pay for their workers. If WH and the Works Council could overlook their short term objectives and focus on their long term objectives, everyone would be better off. Question 7:  How could it pursue the remaining actions? WH could simply divest the entire operations and payout the 15.3 million owed to the workers ( 25,000 * 612 workers). However, this may not be in the best interest of the entire organization as an environmental assessment must be completed before the land gets rezoned. Worst case scenario, if the land is contaminated the purchaser may request that the seller clean the land before title change and this could cost GMH considerable money. The opportunity cost of closing down the plant would be the 15.3 million, thus the company could take that money and reinvest it into WH. Currently, WH is losing 6.2 million per year, if they continue losing this amount of money, that would buy them 3 additional years and then WH could simply sell the business. WH would have to create a strategic plan that takes into consideration all the options associated with investing additional capital. More so, they will need buy in from the Works Council. Without their buy in strategic plans will prove useless. How to cite Case: Walter Hundhausen Gmbh, Papers

The Warmth of Other Suns free essay sample

Isabel Wilkerson is an African American Howard University journalism graduate writer and the first black woman in the history of American Journalism to win a Pulitzer Prize. Among her notable works is the novel â€Å"The Warmth of Other Suns†. The novel The Warmth of Other Suns was about the Great Migration which occurred between the years 1915-1970 and this was the movement of approximately seven million Black people out of the Southern United States to the North, Midwest and Western states from 1916 to 1970. Blacks migrated to escape widespread racism in the South, to seek employment opportunities in industrial cities of the North, to get better education for their children, and to pursue what was widely perceived to be a more prosperous life. Wilkerson wrote this book because she wanted to report about the most under-reported story in American history. Despite the fact that the Great Migration was one of the largest internal migrations in the US, it was either not reported in-depth or not reported at all and her book addressed the omissions. Also her parents were among the 7 million people who partook in the Great Migration and that was one personal reason why she wrote The Warmth of Other Suns. Wilkerson chose the three characters in her book because their stories represent that of the millions who migrated during the Great Migration. Also the events were easily recounted when the participants were called upon and official records corroborated those details that were verifiable. Also with the passing of the earliest and succeeding generations of migrants, and the stories of these three characters became the least replaceable sources of any understanding of the Great Migration. If I has the opportunity to meet Ms. Wilkerson I would ask her how long it took to get the stories of the three characters in her book considering the fact that they do not reside in the same place. The three characters each had a motivation for leaving home, for Ida Mae Brandon Gladney a mother of three and who was a free-spirited sharecropper’s wife; she left Chickasaw County Mississippi for Milwaukee and then for Chicago after a family member is nearly beaten to death or a theft he had not committed . He was accused of having stolen turkeys which belonged to the planter for whom they all worked as sharecroppers. She left on March 5, 1913 about three years after the start of the Great Migration. For George Swanson Starling who is a head strong person who had been a college student and so he had some education and only returned to picking fruit in Florida because the money had run out for college. Because hed had some education, he was quite aware of how the workers were being cheated and how the unfair working conditions under which they had to toil. And so he began to try to organize the people for better pay. So he began to argue for better wages. And in doing so, he got on the bad side of the growers, of the grove owners who were not accustomed to people black people, the workers, the pickers, questioning anything. And so, this was a really treacherous period of time to be standing up to the grove owners, and he did that. And as a result, there was a lynching planned for him. And a friend who overheard a conversation about this warned him, and he left town and headed to New York. Robert Joseph Pershing who is the last of the three migrants. He was the last child out of three children; he was an ambitious surgeon who journeys from Louisiana to California to escape the caste system of the South. His motivation for leaving was e left because he was a surgeon. He had worked served his country in the Army. He was a captain and had performed surgery in Austria during the Korean War. But when he returned home, he found that he could not perform surgery or even work in the hospital in his hometown of Monroe, Louisiana because of his color. And so he set out from Louisiana to California in order to make a way for himself and for his family in a new land. The positive experience of Ida Mae Brandon Gladney is like the other two they has more freedom and independence as black people compared to when they were in the south. Also the â€Å"Do’s and Dont’s† published in The Defender and the fact that people pointed out things she wasn’t supposed to do in her opinion was a good thing. Also the fact that she could vote whereas back home in Missisipi she wasn’t allowed to. A negative experience was the fact that they had to move from flat to flat and the problem with finding housing because Chicago was trying to discourage the migration of any more colored people from the south. Also the outbreak of the riots and the shutdown of factories and the difficulty finding a job and an increased cost of living. In the case of George Swanson Starling, I think the fact that he was able to get away from Florida so he could not be lynched is a positive experience. Also the fact that he was able to find a job right away upon his arrival to New York was a positive thing despite the fact that he was overqualified and overeducated for the job. Also the arrival of his wife Inez and their baby was a positive experience. One negative experience was when he got on the bad side of one of the southern conductors. The porter thought that for an African American male, he should be a little bit more humble, but Starling wasn’t because he felt he was more educated than most of the people he worked with. Also the fact that he was buried in work all the time and his son would end up sinking himself into drugs and crime, Finally, for Robert Joseph Pershing Foster, I think his negative experience started from his journey to Los Angeles. His inability to get a hotel to sleep because of his color was a negative experience. His inability to secure a job in Oakland was another negative experience. Also he was short on cash and did not have enough money to pay for an apartment. The less than desirable job he had to settle for in Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company as a doctor who went house to house to collect urine samples and do routine examinations of customers seeking coverage. Also the rejection of him by a colored patient. Even people who knew him back from Monroe his hometown did not want to seek him out for treatment because in the north they had the option of going to see a white physician and that was what most of them did unlike down in the south where they were stuck with the black physicians. Also the fact that Vegas was off limits to African Americans and he wanted to go there so bad The warm welcome from the Becks and Dunlap was a positive experience, because they were people he could look up to. The Becks taking him in when he could not afford an apartment I think was a positive experience. He was able to work hard enough to move into an apartment. He was able to save up enough money to rent an office space to build a practice and bring his family to California. His ability to secure admitting privileges to a hospital in LA after 2 years of hard work. The fact that he was actually able to go to Las Vegas as a black person and finally being able to work hard and making a bigger name for himself thereby proving the people from Monroe wrong. The difficulties these three encountered ranges from Ida Mae and her husband’s difficulty in finding an apartment, having to move from one place to the other, to the difficulty finding a job both for the husband and for her an unskilled colored woman, dealing with the rejection by the city of the immigrants from the south. Immigrants competing against each other for jobs. They had a difficult time making the adjustment. For George Swanson Starling although he was lucky to find a job immediately, he was over qualified and over educated and was paid less than he deserved. Also bringing his wife Inez to New York and the issues they both had to face both in their marriage and in raising their children. Then the difficulties he experienced at the work place with the southern porter. In the case of Robert Joseph Pershing Foster, the incidence he had with getting a hotel room to sleep in during his driving to California. His inability to find a good paying job and an apartment immediately. I think the difficulty they all had in common was the less than welcome reception they received from the black people in the north. I will recommend this book to someone because it gives an in-depth narration of the Great Migration in such a way that it is not boring since it was made into a form of a novel rather than a textbook. The thing I learnt about myself after reading this book is, nothing good comes easy, I may be faced with difficulties and hurdles on my way to the top but as long as I keep my eyes on the price, I will get it.

Establish and adjust the marketing mix

Introduction The retail industry is a battlefield for a wide range of goods essential for daily use. There is stiff competition in the industry as giant retailers and emerging retailers seek to gain competitive advantage over each other (Pesendorfer 34). Companies that wish to survive must make regular but necessary adjustments in the marketing mix to stay ahead of competition.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Establish and adjust the marketing mix specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wal-Mart products and services market Wal-Mart is an American Corporation existing in approximately thirty nation states. The firm has an average sales record of one hundred and forty US dollars in these countries. The United States-based company provides the enormous retail programs all over the world. However, as the world’s leading retailer Wal-Mart does not have market stores in certain global leading marketplaces. For instan ce, the corporation does not conduct business in India, Russia, South Korea and Germany. The realization and establishment of extra supercenters in India is hampered. The aspiration to operate cannot succeed following the recent breakdown of Indian partnership with the company. The problem of poor conditions of investment culminated in the 9th Oct, 2013 termination of partnership with Bharti Enterprises. The sticking point emerges from the demand by the Indian administration that the overseas traders must resource more than thirty percent from the merchandise they vend from Indian SME’s. The inquiries whether or not Wal-Mart Corporation is probing any violation of laws of anti corruption of the United States is unclear. The head of Wal-Mart Asia in his interview never mentioned if any investigations on the alleged violation of foreign retail investment rules by Wal-Mart were underway. Conversely, the corporation is yet to figure the means of entering the Russian marketplaces. In the fiscal 2010, Wal-Mart closed down the offices in Moscow following an aborted deal with the Kopeyka that was a potential partner. The price discrepancy caused the plan of attainment to subsist. Nevertheless, in the year 2006 Wal-Mart terminated its businesses in South Korea and Germany. The German populace pitied the way the grocery handlers executed their work at the line of check. As such, many consumers chose to purchase from the local bazaars in doubt of the ever-smiling clerks whom they thought were flirting. Wal-Mart failed in South Korea owing to the adherence of US stratagems of marketing of clothing and electronics rather than considering beverage and food as a big market in S. Korea.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Key features and influence of products and significance to the market Wal-Mart offers the customer a wide range of goods and services. The produ cts that the company manufactures in the local and international plants have the company logo. The products that are outsourced to other manufacturers also carry a specific logo. This means that the company consumers can easily identify the brand. Items such as apparel and toys are renown by the consumers worldwide. The company advertises the products as possessing high quality compared to those provided by competitors. This coupled with the lower price attracts many existing and prospective customers. The company products including those produced offshore are of high quality. The company has bargaining power over manufacturers hence has the power to give the manufacturer the standards of products to be produced without increasing the buying price. As such, the retailer is able to influence the market by making competitors produce items of similar or better quality. Pricing policy Wal-Mart’s pricing policy is based on the ‘Everyday low price’. This means that the products must cost less to enable the retailer to sell at lower prices. All the products provided by the company meet the ‘low price’ criteria. Whenever customers feel that any of Wal-Mart’s competitors are providing goods at a lower price, the company gives them the opportunity to report and the company makes the necessary price adjustments based on Wal-Mart Price Match Policy. The customers do not require providing such an advertisement to prove that indeed the competitor is offering lower or matching prices. Significant market outcomes The promotional methods and distribution channels utilized by the company are significant in determining the effectiveness of the marketing mix (Soonhong, Min John Mentzer 14). The company is popular for offering promotions on selected items to its customers. It then ensures that the items on offer are available in all location. Considering the huge customer base, such promotions are effective in augmenting the customer base a lthough the profit margins are significantly lower. Wal-Mart marketing mix The company is the world’s number one retailer according to Fortune 500. Sam Walton founded the company in 1962. The founder employed a marketing strategy that quickly saw the company emerge as the leader in the retail industry despite the existence of larger companies founded years before Wal-Mart. The company used the strategy of selling goods at a lower price compared to competitors. The marketing mix the company employed was so effective that some companies had to withdraw from the retail market or were dissolved. The company rapidly expanded into many areas. This was a marketing strategy to create a huge consumer base. The retailer ensured that customers in remote locations in the United States could easily access its products and services. The variety of products was significantly increased to ensure that every customer got what they desired (Ellickson, Misra Nair 751).Advertising We will w rite a custom report sample on Establish and adjust the marketing mix specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The price was highly competitive compared to other retailers. There was intense effort to advertise the opening of new locations, products and slicing of prices. The retailer intensified its promotion. Customers considered loyal were rewarded with diverse means of promotions. Promotion campaigns intensified particularly with the entry of a competitor where the retailer sought or had established dominance (Lin 55). Product The company has grown for the last five decades to reach the international level and effectively turn into a multinational company. The international market has a huge consumer base. These customers have varied preferences and tastes for products. Every customer can get the item they need for daily use or consumption. This requires the company to stock a wide range of products and a brand that each of the customers can identify with. The products that the company stocks in the US are not necessarily the products consumers in South Africa demand (Matsa 1150). The company has hence made effort to localize the products through glocalization. The products range from grocery to electronics. The company specializes in home appliances and apparel among many others. The company realized the potential in providing outdoor products such as sports gear. It offers funeral services as part of the product offered. Price The company manufactures part of the products through outsourcing. Some of the products manufactured by the company include toys. Other items are bought from suppliers. The ability to manufacture products in bulk facilitates the company to enjoy economies of scale. This enables the company to offer the products at a subsidized price. The state of the economy leaves consumers without a choice but to shop at the cheapest retailer outlet. Consequently, the retailer indirectly benefits from econ omic hardships. The company ensures that it buys goods from suppliers at the lowest price possible. The large number of global suppliers gives the retailer bargaining power. The company determines the price at which it will purchase goods from suppliers. Additionally, it buys the supplies in bulk. The retailer is hence able to give its customers as much as 15 percent discount on items. The company employs diverse pricing strategies to attract the attention of the consumer. The ‘Everyday low price’ strategy creates a buying behavior among the consumers. All the products the retailer stocks are relatively lower in price compared to other retailers. Place Wal-Mart is a global retailer. It has outlets in all continents. The company continuously expands to new markets including emerging markets in Africa such as Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania. There are more than ten thousand outlets globally. The brand is recognized internationally.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When entering a new market, the company invests sufficiently in advertising to catch the attention of the prospective customer. In markets where the retailer has established, it utilizes both e-commerce and traditional stores. It operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood stores and express stores (St-James 166). The supercenters offer all kinds of products under one roof. This ensures that customers do not have to seek other goods outside the supercenter. The three components function together to generate synergy necessary for the creation of competitive advantage for the retailer. The company ensures it has the right product in the right place at the right place. The three must be balanced to ensure that the retailer maintains the competitive edge gained over the years. Failure in any of them means that the company will lose customers to competitors. Environmental factors Wal-Mart is often impacted by environmental factors in operating the international market. There are countries that set the price of products to curtail unfair competition. This means that the company will not have the competitive advantage of lower prices. In other markets, customers do not demand some products. This includes Islam countries where Western products are despised. In India, beef products will not bring the retailer substantial profits. Customer priorities, needs and preferences Customer priorities, needs and preferences are important for any business (Draganska et al. 400). In developing a marketing mix strategy, Wal-Mart must consider the factors for different markets. The products needed in first world countries may be irrelevant in developing markets. This requires the company to develop a marketing mix suitable for specific markets. High priced items will not sell in emerging economies. Variations A variety of factors requires to be noted in developing a suitable marketing mix. The promotional activities and distribution channels are among these factors. Variati ons from what competitors are doing are essential. Although existing strategies may be effective, the increasingly competitive retail market requires that the company make adjustments to ensure it retains the competitive advantage it enjoys. The company require developing new products with better quality than the existing products (Singh 460). It is hence important for the company to invest in research and development. Additionally, improved technology presents the company with the opportunity to employ e-commerce to improve the distribution processes. Wal-Mart strategic and marketing objectives Wal-Mart’s marketing mix fits well into its organizational strategy. The company seeks to diversify its products. By operating in the international market, the company develops and stocks products suitable for each market. By so doing, the company has different brands of products. The failure in one product will not significantly affect profitability (Lin 57). Monitoring performance o f product The market mix that requires focusing is the product. This is due to the diverse market and consequently huge variation in needs and preferences. New entrants are emerging with new, better and quality products at lower prices. Since the company has already created a niche in the retail market, it is imperative to test whether consumers are satisfied with existing products or new products should be introduced. Implication of altering components The alteration of any of the components will be detrimental if consideration of the other components is not considered. By introducing a new product, it may be necessary to adjust the price to reflect the costs incurred. If the new products is produced at a lower cost, then the price can be lowered and vice versa. It will be necessary for promotional activities to be conducted to ensure customers are aware of the existence of the product. The distribution chain must be effective to avail the product in all the outlets in the target m arket. Adjusting components The introduction of a new product will require more investment into research and development. Further, the costs incurred in producing the product will be higher due to the involvement of newer technology. The packaging will be different to give the customers the sense of a new and improved quality product. Subsequently, the price of the product will rise. This will call for entry into new markets to expand the customer base. This will be in line with the company strategic objectives of expansion. The new product will assist in diversification. Conclusion Marketing mix is important for organizational planning and eventual profitability. The proper consideration of the components determines the level of engagement with the consumer. Works Cited Draganska, Michaela, Sanjog Misra, Victor Aguirregabiria, Pat Bajari, Liran Einav Paul Ellickson. â€Å"Discrete Choice Models of Firms: Strategic Decisions.† Marketing Letters 19.3/4 (2008): 399–416. Print. Ellickson, Paul, Sanjog Misra Harikesh Nair. â€Å"Repositioning Dynamics and Pricing Strategy.† Journal of Marketing Research XLIX (2012): 750-772. Print. Lin, Shao-Lung and An-Tien Hsieh. â€Å"International Strategy Implementation: Roles of Subsidiaries, Operational Capabilities, and Procedural Justice.† Journal of Business Research 63.1(2010): 52–59. Print. Matsa, David A. â€Å"Competition and Product Quality in the Supermarket Industry.† Quarterly Journal of Economics 126.3 (2011): 1539–1591. Print. Pesendorfer, Martin. â€Å"Retail Sales: A Study of Pricing Behavior in Supermarkets.† Journal of Business 75.1 (2002): 33–66. Print. Singh, Vishal, Karsten Hansen, and Robert Blattberg. â€Å"Market Entry and Consumer Behavior: An Investigation of a Wal-Mart Supercenter.† Marketing Science 25.5(2006): 457–476. Print. Soonhong, Min John Mentzer. â€Å"The Role of Marketing in Supply Chain Management.† In ternational Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management 1.2 (2000): 1-26. Print. St-James, Yannik. â€Å"Retail Brand Repositioning: A Historical Analysis.† Historical Analysis and Research in Marketing 10.2 (2001): 164–175. Print. This report on Establish and adjust the marketing mix was written and submitted by user William Clements to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Gender Roles in Society Essays

Gender Roles in Society Essays Gender Roles in Society Essay Gender Roles in Society Essay Throughout history stereotypes have imposed a major role in society’s views of people. Today, gender remains one of the most common causes of stereotypical prejudice. Presenting an unfair standard for all to follow, gender roles taint people’s ideas of how someone should act and what someone should do. Believing these roles to be accurate, society casts negative opinions toward those who strive to do what others view as anomalous. Since the time that humans developed the ability to reason and communicate, gender roles have affected both men and women’s place in society.Gender roles influence the actions of parents and, consequently, their children, strengthening the roots of stereotypes in the world. The effect of gender roles in society is most evident in the workplace, where women have never been equal to men in salary or status. While the trends of the last century lean toward an equal future, gender roles continue to affect the lives o f men and women around the world. Gender roles create a significant disparity in the nature of the positions held by men and women.In 1880, for example, â€Å"Only ten percent of women [in New York City ] held paying jobs,† and, â€Å"two-thirds [of those women] worked in the clothing trade† (#3)†. Based on this statistic, it is apparent that women of that era were greatly affected by the conservative ideas of women’s place in society. Because of gender roles, that era’s society anticipated that the hard work would be done by the men and that women would stay at home, raise their family, and be devoted housewives.This chauvinistic theory also seems to be present in today’s society, where women and men still do not hold equally prominent positions in the workforce. In fact, only twenty-eight companies in the Fortune 1000 have a woman CEO (#2). That equates to 0. 28 % of the top one thousand corporations in America that have women at the helm. This ratio is obviously one that is hindered by the prevalent opinions of women’s abilities as leaders. Gender roles have made an obvious mark on women’s ability to attain jobs of notable status.Gender roles create the opportunity for men to hold positions that are higher paying than those of women. However, the gap between men and women’s salaries has continued to decline in recent decades. In fact, a US Department of Labor survey shows that in 1980 the average woman aged 45-54 made 56. 9% of the salary that an average man of that age made. That same survey shows that in 2005 women made 74. 5% of the salary that men made (#4). The nearly 20% closing of the gap between men and women’s salaries is a sign of society’s realization that men are not born better humans than women.Men are not naturally more physically adept than women nor are men born with higher IQ’s. As Fallows states in â€Å"Throwing like a Girl,† â€Å"There is no stru ctural reason why men and women should [function] in different ways† (#1). This presents the fact that at birth, a girl is just as likely to become a professional athlete as a boy is. At birth, a girl is just as qualified as a boy to grow up and become president of the United States . There is no reason that men should automatically be assumed to be more qualified for a position than women.The only reason for men’s superiority in society is that boys are raised differently than girls. Parents are afraid to tell their young boy to aspire to become a dancer because of the possibility that society will frown upon him. Parents are afraid to tell there daughter to become a CEO of a major corporation because they are afraid of the possibility of failure for their child. Instead, parents continue to impose what is deemed masculine upon their young son, or parents encourage what is viewed as feminine upon their daughter.In order to eliminate assumed gender roles in society, peo ple, more specifically parents, must be open-minded and realize that sex is not an automatic ruler when it comes to determining a child’s future. Also, parents must allow their children to do what they feel is right and give them the freedom to express themselves in whatever way they deem necessary. As evident in the workplace, gender roles play a prominent part in affecting opinions and decisions of all people. By following the accepted gender roles, both men and women limit their opportunities and conform to the expectations of society.Gender roles affect the status of all people in the world, and they prolong the prejudicial opinions that cast negative effects across society. Until everybody can honestly look past gender when judging a person, the effects of gender roles will continue to harm people’s views of others. This will not be achieved until parents can accept that not everybody has to do what others think is right because parents are the ones who shape thei r children and, ultimately, a society’s future.The world must continue to make positive steps toward equality between men and women and keep in mind the horrible consequences of narrow-minded gender roles. 1. Fallows, James. â€Å"Throwing like a girl,† The Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings, 6th Edition, 2009. p. 386-392 2. â€Å"Women CEOs,† CNN Money, 2009. 15 Oct, 2009. 3. â€Å"Women in the workplace,† American History. ABC-Clio, 2009. Web. 12 Oct, 2009. 4. â€Å"Women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s,† Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 2008. 14 Oct, 2009.

How do you make women use restroom inside in India Essay

How do you make women use restroom inside in India - Essay Example Women have to walk in groups and accompany their daughters when it calls for defecation periods. It is upon these shocking revelations that, the researcher intends to investigate possible solutions to this and draw a policy that if implemented, will culminate into women’s use of restrooms without further threats. This should capture every culture and local condition as despite the government spending 7000 scores yearly in toilets constructions; it has failed to answer women problems culminating into disuse. Toilet designs should factor in elements of geographical conditions, water and culture (India today international, 1997, p. 156). Besides constructing toilets, environmentally friendly toilets should stand erected as stated by Gramalaya who has been constructing rural toilets in India for two decades. Some design may scare women particularly on holding balance, hovering and butt positioning, that is approximated at six inches over the seat. But it is recommended that they hold the toilet paper dispenser, handle or enlargement of gap between the toilet and butt. This aims at making public restrooms to properly separate gents and ladies facilities so as to avoid case of males harassing and molesting females. This has been seen in places such as schools that have usable toilet rated at 63 percent in 2013. Fear of rape by women, makes it difficult for them to use restrooms, there should be increased and well trained security guards with higher levels of honesty to assist women who may opt for restrooms. This will instill courage within these women which will rebel against their deeply-rooted open defecation culture. It is surprising that despite increased number of toilets in India, less impact has been felt as culture drives open defecation making many toilets disused. There are urgent calls for more input to create awareness on significance of using toilets. Women face infection particularly, when pushed to defecate in dirty fields during

How do ex-prisoners social exclusion impact upon access to Learning Essay

How do ex-prisoners social exclusion impact upon access to Learning - Essay Example An ex-prisoner can explain this best based on the experience the person had when behind the bars. Being denied so many privileges could also mean being denied to access learning. When such happens outside the prison circles, the ex-prisoner may take time to connect to the world hence denying the person chances to learn. Learning for an ex-prisoner is important for reconnection to the free world. Though such involvement has positive consequences for the person and the community, it might be faced by challenges (Portes 1998). One of the major challenges that face this venture is the society unwillingness to protect the ex-prisoner. This sense of social exclusion affects the person’s learning ability even after they are out of prison. According to Blewett (2005), too much power forms a chain of contradiction that isolates the subject hence leading to a form of instability. The instability caused by the power exercised in prison also affects them mentally and socially (Gaventa 2003). Most of the ex-prisoners find themselves in a state of exclusion where nobody wants to be associated with them. An ex-prisoner may have a desire to learn but the desire may die out of mental instability and the state of exclusion experienced outside prison. Social exclusion has an effect in creating accumulative experience of class oppression. This saturates around the entire social body in that both the ex-prisoner and the people around him feel the exclusion (Lucas 2004). Any efforts to access skills when such saturation has taken place are rendered futile since concentration is not guaranteed. The person’s feeling of oppression may act negatively towards concentration and willingness to participate in the learning process. Both the team and the ex-prisoner may not be at ease with one another for fear of the unknown. However, the above discussion does not dismiss the fact that access to learning for ex-prisoners may be attainable at certain instances. When

Policy Alternatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy Alternatives - Essay Example Due to the financial effects that are projected in the future, the current administration came up with a suggestion that the retirees of the defense department should cater for health care services instead of being provided for free. The government gave a proposal of the retirees paying about $200 per annum towards their health care. As per the calculation of the administration, the country will save approximately $6.7 billion. The other proposal that was also given said that soldiers are supposed to pay into a retirement plan instead of a pension plan (NPR.org, 2011). This shift of perspective will contribute in cutting down the expenses of the defense department. The impacts of this cut are, for instance, the impact of retirees paying $200 per year towards their medical care will save around $6.7 billion for the state. On the other hand, these proposals were not received with acceptance by the defense department. For instance, the protection of military benefits should not in any case undercut the military’s capability to fight and win the war. Despite the impacts, the cuts of the military benefits are seen to be very effective in achieving the goals of the administration. For example, the cutting of health care benefits seems to be effective in that the country will save around $6.7 billion per year (NPR.org, 2011). The paying of soldiers towards their retirement plan instead of the pension plan, will contribute a lot to the reduction of military benefits. The reduction of the military retirement benefits is very effective in the fact that it will assist the country to reduce the expenses towards the defense department (Washington Post, 2015). It will reduce the risk of the country becoming unable to pay the troops in the near future. From the text, it is evident that military retirement benefits cost the Pentagon around $50 billion per year. The expense is more than the