Pay For Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pay For Play - Essay Example Moreover, the athletes or sportsmen are not given much consideration when it comes to upholding their rights within this situation of labor exchanged virtually for free. When it came to my college, I saw that our college athletes were not given due respect with regard to the reward structure. I have chosen to write about this topic as I have seen college athletes undergo much sacrifice and bring money but not be paid in return. Second reason I chose this topic is because I have been a football player in college and I understand what it means to be able to have spending money to survive during the university experience; a luxury that those not playing sports can readily achieve merely by picking up a part time job while in school. Thus, it is the belief of this author that those college athletes who participate in major money making sports, such as football in the SEC, should be paid. College athletes have developed into un-remunerated and undefined athletic heroes who strive and stru ggle to bring a prestigious fame and earn an overly demarcated reputation for the institute. This has been counted as their performing duty that calls for no justification to be paid financially. However, I strongly believe that the regulations regarding payment of college athletes should be changed because these players bring in too much money and put in too much work for them not to be earning a paycheck. Major sports played at college - Sports have been an integral part of college education and it has always encouraged and inspired students to be more active and contribute to the college heritage. The colleges hold sport events on a regular basis and it has been a way to explore the talent and skill of students from a different dimension. Sports have united and inspired young men to be able and fit to become professional sportsmen. The major sports played at college and university level are football, basketball, baseball and softball. The history of sports at college and universi ty can be traced back a couple of centuries. History of college sports - The history of college sports is thought to originate around 1850s and since then it has evolved to become a major mission in educational campuses across America. It has been regarded as the perfect physical activity and the desire of the young men. The competitive spirit and vigor which are part of college sports hiked the mental and physical pleasure of the students. The college authorities elaborately planned sports activities which motivated the students immensely and sports event on college and national level became a prestigious venture and money making phenomena for college authorities. On the other hand, the students athletes remained thrilled about being college’s selected people and representatives of college on state level. Moreover, the media kept the young athletes in the lime light and the scholarship provided by colleges to them stood as a bonus. Recruiting is a significant phase in colleg e sports. The recruitment process is headed by college coach and large amount of power is vested in him in selecting the college athletes. It has been experienced that the selection procedure of athletes many times is subjected to bias and discriminations. For the recruitment procedure, the athletes are required to do rigorous practice and this takes a lot of energy and time from the

Student Life Essay Example for Free

Student Life Essay Every morning I wake up and gaze out my dormitory window at a gorgeous campus with modern buildings surrounded by clean fields of clean-cut grass. The only thing that might appear odd to any average SU student about this sight is that this beautiful looking campus was not their own. As I explore the surrounding campus near my dorm, Sadler Hall, there are several observations made which helped to determine the areas of trivial conflict and areas which seem to reflect social norms. One major observation made in this activity was the small community known as ESF (College of Environmental Science and Forestry). Several subtle and some obvious observations were looked at to determine how this area fit in with our community. There are several vital facts one should know about SUNY ESF. The college is located directly behind the Carrier Dome and is a separate school from Syracuse University. My dorm, Sadler Hall, is one of the few buildings which surround ESF near the edge of campus. In order to drive into ESF, or even Sadler Hall, there is a security shack where you must first check in with a guard. The ESF campus is strikingly different from the SU campus in that the majority of the buildings are very modern and the community as a whole is much smaller. The campus houses no dormitories or eating quarters, so all ESF students share these facilities with SU students. While doing further research I also found that most of the other recreational services are shared with SU students. One of the major preconceptions of ESF students is that they are all tie-die wearing, tree hugging, pot-smoking hippies. When first realizing that ESF existed, I found myself picking out in my head the ESF students from the SU students. The student diversity at ESF is in fact immense for having such a small community of students. Matt Renkas, my RA and an ESF student, informed me of what it is like being an ESF student and living on SU campus. ESF and SU both offer a choice for freshman to have Learning Communities. These are organized groups living together in the same dorm that share similar majors. Learning Communities for ESF are fairly small and only exist on the eighth floor of Sadler, and on the third floor of Day. It is an interesting idea that while at the same time that SU is trying to stray from having students rooming with similar character, those ESF and SU students in learning communities are being isolated from the rest of the school. The major question that arose from my observations was that if ESF and SU students are living and eating in the same quarters, why should they have a social advantage over others? I came to the conclusion that SU and ESF students therefore see each other as a separate community and social group. There are several other observations and facts that support this idea of separation between SU and ESF students. At the 2004 Freshman Convocation, a clear separation allowed first year students to identify who was SU and who was ESF. On the top pear of the stands, one could see a small group of students all wearing tie-die shirts. During the middle of the chancellors speech she made a reference to the ESF students and they all cheered with excitement. At that point I realized what a small population of freshman there are in ESF, and also how separated they seemed from the SU students. With such a small community of students, it made sense that they had so much pride and excitement to be freshman. Not only is ESF one of the hardest SUNYs in New York to get into, but the ESF students also graduate together in the same ceremony as the SU students. Once again this creates a separation between two social groups that are supposed to be one community. In addition, a way that SU students themselves exclude ESF student is in Greek Life. Only 4% of ESF students belong to a sorority or fraternity. This percentage is extremely low even if the community is not very large. Ultimately, this problem spawns from the fact that these two groups are so far apart in social habits. Although ESF shares several facilities with SU campus, the ESF campus appears to first year students, like myself, as an area designated for ESF students only. These boundaries that exist in our community are designated for the people for whom they were built. This idea goes hand in hand with what Sibley states,  What I hope to do is to clarify some of the spatial and social boundary processes which separate some groups and individuals from society and render deviant those who are different. As a freshman in Sadler Hall, I sometimes wonder if there will ever be a time when I need to use the ESF campus? Although it is an understanding that ESF provides a wonderful amount of resource for SU students, at appearance it seems almost like an annex. Its separated by stone walls labeled SUNY ESF, and a glance at the architecture reveals a distinct separation from the still diverse SU campus. Students even possess different ID cards that are green that distinguish them as ESF and not SU. After analyzing the ESF campus, I decided to take a closer look at the social life of ESF students on my floor. I decided that I was going to find out who on my floor was an SU students and who was an ESF student. This means I was going to have to go beyond fieldwork, and start talking to all the people on my floor. It really never occurred to me that anybody on my floor was in ESF, but I had some idea about who may or may not be. After talking to Matt, my Resident Advisor from ESF, I was informed that there were people on my floor in ESF, but I was not told who they were. I know almost all the people on my floor, except for a few, and I decided I was going to find out the ones in ESF. As I closely observed the hallways, I began to notice several promotional signs from the ESF Office of Student Activities. I never really took time to read them or even notice they existed. One of my floor mates named Kathryn, who I had recently made friends with, was my first guess for someone who was in ESF. She was a stereotypical hippie and she boasted about it all the time. When I asked her what school she was in, I was surprised to find she was a student at SU. All of my stereotypical preconceptions failed my attempt to guess the ESF students and made my realize how much I really dont know about the people around me. I came away from this exercise realizing that there really wasnt a stereotypical ESF students and that people with different lifestyles and backgrounds can be found everywhere, even at SU. The point of this essay is not to try and change the relationship between the SU and ESF campus. Like Luthra states on page two of his essay, all I am trying to do is to recognize and distinguish what the differences are but not change them. By identifying these differences, the purpose is to essentially provide an alternative reading of the ESF and SU campus. From much observational analysis, I think it is safe to say that the ESF campus, set apart and isolated from that of the SU campus, can be classified as a place of social isolation. Other forms of exclusion are made through programs such as the Learning Communities which maybe need to become larger in order to function accordingly. In conclusion, there were several observations made which helped to determine the areas of trivial conflict and areas that seemed to reflect social norms. These areas of conflict in the end became question for what society or community accepted. If there is any more to learn about the separated and shared areas of the two campus, it is that in order to create a more diverse and equal society, there can be no separate boundaries that restrict access for either party. These prohibitions discussed are maintained in practice by the community and society which continue to clearly separate a person from a certain place.

Blockbuster Video Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

The video rental industry was one of the more growing services retailers in the mid-1990s. However, due to Blockbuster, many rental video companies have failed to compete against this category killer. West Coast Video, Video City, and Hollywood Video, which are among the few and only large competitor’s of Blockbuster in the tri-state area. Many family-owned video rental stores could not compete against Blockbuster’s assortment of videos. Blockbuster opened its first store in 1985 and has grown to become the world’s number one video chain. Blockbuster is open 365 days a year with 9,800 stores worldwide. Customer base has risen above 50 million in the United States as well as several million more worldwide. The Gallup Organization, known for the Gallup Polls, declared that Blockbuster has 100 percent recognition. Most importantly, 70 percent of the population in the United States lives within ten minutes of a Blockbuster store. Category killers, however, usually attract customers from far distances. Because most customers are ten minutes away, small businesses in competition will fail. A recent marketing campaign has been the promotion of DirecTV, a digital satellite service alternative to cable television. Also, an alliance with Radio Shack has been in effect promoting new technologies. To compete against the up rise of online rental services, Blockbuster has been testing online rental services which allow customers to reserve and rent videos from specific stores. The other services retailer is West Coast Video, a Philadelphia-based company that was once a supreme challenger to Blockbuster. West Coast Video was at one point, New Jersey’s largest video rental chain in 1997. That preceding year, the company acquired stores from Palmer Video, Super Video, and Great American Video. It became the fourth largest video chain with close to half of its 568 stores in New Jersey. However, the company has approximately 225 stores to avoid going out of business. This year, West Coast has closed most of its North New Jersey stores, including this analyzed store. The West Coast store has been bought out by Video City, a recent competitor trying to tackle the Northeast market. However, they only operate a small number of stores in the area and specialize in e-commerce. They have no marketing strategies as of yet. The Blockbuster store is located in Nutley, New Jersey, a... ... may become a nuisance to a customer. Overall, Blockbuster, is very appealing, especially the Nutley store. It’s large location is very attractive comparable to East Coast Video location. Blockbuster’s overall domination has 3 Blockbuster locations within ten minutes of each other; the other two are located in North Arlington and Clifton. Another advantage is that Blockbuster members can rent at any location because the stores are all linked together. Movies, however, must be returned to the store where it was originally rented. East Coast Video, on the other hand, has only one other location in Kearny and the stores are not linked. Blockbuster’s strength has been great service, family values, and moderate pricing as opposed to East Coast Video. However, they are a fairly new company. Video City’s strategy is to control the adult film rental category and attract loyalty within these customers. Their website, however, offers only the sale of videos and does not provide information about the company’s history whereas Blockbuster takes pride in their socially responsible efforts. It’s very hard to avoid Blockbuster because of the availability of products, service, and convenience.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy - JFK Essay -- President Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy - JFK John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917, the second son of financier Joseph P. Kennedy, who served as ambassador to Great Britain during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He graduated from Harvard University in 1940, winning note with the publication of Why England Slept, an expansion of his senior thesis on Britain's lack of preparedness for World War II. His part in the war was distinguished by bravery. In August 1943, as commander of the U.S. Navy torpedo boat PT-109, he rescued several crewmen after a Japanese destroyer off the Solomon Islands rammed the boat. His heroic rescue of survivors of his crew won him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal as well as the Purple Heart. In 1953 He married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, daughter of a wealthy Wall Street broker, they had two children Caroline & JFK JR. In 1946, and with the enthusiastic help of his brothers and sisters won the Democratic nomination to the House of Representatives in the ele venth district of Massachusetts. His mother and sisters organized teas at the homes of voters, while his father furnished campaign funds. He won the election and as Congressman voted for Truman's welfare programs, including expanded social security benefits, aid to veterans, and old-age benefits. In 1952, Kennedy upset the veteran Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge by winning his seat in the US Senate. He and his family began working tirelessly for his presidential nomination as early as 1956. In 1956 Kennedy almost gained the Democratic nomination for Vice President, and four years later was a first-ballot nominee for President. Millions watched his four television debates with the Republican candidate and current Vice President, Richard M. Nixon. Winning by a narrow margin in the popular vote, Kennedy became the first Roman Catholic President. His Inaugural address offered the memorable injunction: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." As President, he set out to redeem his campaign pledge to get America moving again. His economic programs launched the country on its longest sustained expansion since World War II; before his death, he laid plans for a massive assault on persisting pockets of privation and poverty. This plan was named the new frontier; his ideas were used for years to come. Ke... ... â€Å"of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth† The space program fascinates the American people. In the early 1960s whenever space flights were launched during school hours students would gather in gyms and auditoriums to watch the lift offs on television. The race to the moon continued through the 1960s. It is one of the nations single most expensive projects of the decade, costing $56 billion. On November 22, at 12:30 PM CST, while riding in an open limousine through Dallas, Texas, Kennedy was shot in the head and neck by a sniper. He was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where efforts to revive him failed. A commission headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren concluded in September 1964 that the sole assassin was Lee Harvey Oswald, a former U.S. Marine. Oswald, who was captured hours after the assassination in a nearby theater, was himself killed two days later by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby while being moved from the city to the county jail. The state funeral of President Kennedy was watched on television by millions around the world. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. To this day JFK is still considered one of the nations best presidents.

The ARES Decision

The Area's project idea aroused with the purpose to solve BAN current problems. These problems included a significant amount of resource waste and lack of coordination among departments. For instance, dispatchers who were responsible for 20-30 trains in their assigned territory most of the times were able to only focus on 5-7 trains, treating the rest of the trains with less attention. In addition, dispatchers were on their own and there was no cooperation among them since they could only see information about their territory and not others.For dispatchers, there was no way to see the whole stricture of the current situation, so poor decisions about scheduled maintenance-of-way (MOW) crews were being made. Communications with trains and MOW vehicles was poor, current information about railroad operations were difficult to obtain and sometimes the information was erroneous. Certainly, ARES will improve operations in BAN but the top management specifically the CEO of BAN and top manage ment is not completely convinced to carry out the project. ARES is a very large and costly project and they need to be sure that the benefits are realistic.Moreover, they want to make sure that BAN will obtain a return after investing $350 lions on the project and also there is the question on whether the investment could turn out to be more. Another issue is related with the organizational structure according with the chief operating officer the new technology alone will not benefit the company but the restructuring of the entire company and many operations as well (Cash, p. 25). For all those reasons they want to consider other cheaper alternatives before making this important decision.Industry Competitive Analysis -? Porters Five forces Treat of new Entrants: Given that the railroad industry requires a heavy initial investment the treat of new entrants is low. However, effects of deregulation on both the trucking and railroad industries were changing the competitive environment i n transportation (Cash, p. 62). Trucking companies needed a lower initial investment to enter and they Were gaining advantage Over railroad companies since they were providing door-to-door delivery service which was being preferred by customers in order to meet the just-in-time production.Treat of Substitutes products: For BAN its largest source of revenue was coal (Cash, p. 62), and its major competitor was the Union Pacific UP), which was another railroad company that had recently invested in a new technology. Heehaw commodities like coal and grain would normally be transported by train which put BAN in a position where it was difficult for customer to switch but when it comes to transport light products trucks were moving ahead by providing faster service that customers were willing to pay.Bargaining power of Buyers: The railroad industry had a few companies providing the service to the customers, but it was facing two major challenges which were better service and capital intens ity (Cash, p. 68). This was making the trucking industry stronger since customers were looking for a faster service and they were able to provide it. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Farmers and other big corporations were Ban's suppliers. For suppliers providing light products like agricultural and food products they had the alternative to switch to the trucking companies, but for the ones providing yeah. Products like coal and automotive products they didn't have to much bargaining power since railroad companies were the best way for transporting these. Industry Rivalry: The number one competitor is the Union Pacific (LCP) and they were also investing to be more efficient (Cash, p. 4). Certainly, the trucking industry was becoming a strong competitor for BAN as well, since the costs in the trucking industry were going down due to the effects of deregulation and they were providing more flexibility for customers.Generic Strategy BAN currently is following the cost leadership strategy by using economies of scale to transport high volumes of commodities to its customers. Coal was the number one source of revenue and BAN had long term contract customers (Cash, p. 4). The second largest source of revenue was agricultural modesties and BAN was expecting to grow in this segment given recent changes in economic policies in Eastern Europe.To satisfy the expected increase in demand for this type of products BAN will need to become even more efficient to keep its cost leadership strategy, maintain its current customers and gain potential new customers in the future. Organizational Structure Burlington Northern is structured in a functional form, where similar knowledge, tasks and skills are being grouped together. This is because the functional form promotes economies of scale (Cash, p. 35). For instance chapters are in charge of controlled the trains and each of them were assigned to a region and they Were only responsible for that region.They also schedule maintenance with the MOW crews. Other operations were divided by function as well, such as control systems and communications, maintenance, and freight car management and each of these departments were reporting to the operations manager assigned to that department. The idea behind this form is to create a rational system to operate in as efficient as possible (Morgan, p. 22). However, the question was whether after implementing ARES this form would still be suitable; the new system might suggest an organizational structural change.Stakeholders Top management: This group has the responsibility of keeping the company running, which means that the BAN must continue making profit in order to maximize the company's value. F-or this reason they have to make sure that an investment of this magnitude is justifiable and that in the long run will provide the identified benefits. Employees: This group will be affected directly by the ARES project, the whole business process is going to change and they il l have to adapt to the new system.The advantage is that this new system promise to be more efficient and safe which can make their jobs easier but on the other hand some people might lose their job or since ARES is supposed to automate a lot of processes currently being made by them. Customers: ARES is going to improve the scheduling of trains which ultimately will provide a faster and more reliable service to its customers. However, in order to still be profitable after ARES implementation, BAN might increase the price for the service and customers which will affect customers.Solutions: One solution for BAN could be to implement the entire ARES system in a geographic region first. With this solution the top management could analyze the benefits in reality before doing a whole implementation of the system which is riskier. Another solution could be to not do any implementation for now and wait and see how other railroad companies adapt to new emerging technologies, by doing this BAN would take an adapter position which would still keep them competitive regarding technological development but with less risk.Adaptive companies use information technology at a level close to their competitors (Friedman, p. 72). But this solution affects the customers that are demanding faster delivery necessary for the recent trend of KIT manufacturing who might end up switching to trucking companies, which ultimately affects BAN because by the time they finally implement a system to improve the delivery to customers, they will have lost a lot of potential customers. The best solution and recommendation for BAN is to do a whole implementation of ARES despite its high cost.Without a question, the environment is changing and BAN must adapt and stop using old technology if they want to continue being in business. BAN is a very large company that eels with complex business processes everyday thus in order for them to survive and keep growing they should be aggressive and be the leader in the industry having the most advanced technology. ARES will automate a lot of processes in a more efficient Way minimizing human errors which ultimately will reduce labor cost by eliminating unnecessary manpower.ARES will also improve the scheduling of trains which will eradicate the meet and passes problem one of Ban's biggest challenge. Clearly, the poor utilization of Ban's assets (bad scheduling and waste of resources) is creating bottlenecks which s preventing them from making more profit and meet the market demand. One important message revealed in the book ‘The Goal† is that companies should balance the flow with the demand from the market (Goldwater, p. 139). The demand is growing national and is expected to grow more even in the international arena in the future.ARES will optimize the whole system of BAN which in the long run will generate high revenues because they will be able to meet the market demand. However, the implementation Of ARES will affect the e ntire company and operations and many organization changes will be required. Companies in order to survive must embrace change and successful adaptation of organization to environment depends on the ability of top management to interpret conditions facing the firm in an appropriate manner to adapt relevant course of action. Morgan, p. 47). In order to take advantage of all ARES features and benefits BAN they should also switch to use a matrix organizational structure. The fully developed matrix is team driven, in that priority is given to business, program, product, or project areas, with functional specialist providing support, where the focus is on end product or revere encouraging a flexible, innovative, and adaptive behavior (Morgan, p. 51 Matrix organizational structure is the best choice for a growing and complex company like BAN.

African American Studies

African American Studies The introduction of African American Studies in the curriculums has had a lot of support as well as disapprovals regarding the content coverage. This paper forms an analysis of the challenges and the right Trans or multi-disciplinary approaches required to contribute to growth and development of the studies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on African American Studies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first challenges the researchers of these studies have to face include the Geographical boundaries. Evidently, most analysis and writings of the studies have dealt with the African Americans in the United States thus losing the discipline’s global significance. This come within reach of truth shuts the historical, social and cultural influences of African heritage outside the U.S.A. The studies ought to apply distinctive and appropriate analytical techniques that assist in studying of specific circumstances that captures and accounts for experiences of all the major societies of the African Diaspora especially outside the American setting. (Green, 2001) Secondly, the worldview of African-American studies need well representation and understanding. African worldview consists of values and believes of people with African decent to shape their inter-personal relationship. There studies ought to dwell upon the relationship of people and the environment without denying the wide variation regarding values and believes that assist to distinguish them from people of different origin. According to Irele (2001), the notion regarding African worldview entails the mode of expression for the shared values or believes without uniformly basing the studies upon particular system or a set of practices. The challenge most Africana researchers and writers have to tackle today entails ways of combating a notion that â€Å"traditional African beliefs are historical relic of pre-modern life.† (Irele, 200 1) A lot of writing has distorted experience of African Americans. The procedure of examining the extent of evolution involving variants of African origin would be a strategy to addressing of the human problems among people of African origin without confinement to a specific region. There is need for a more accurate understanding of the complexity involved in the experiences of the African people. This is a measure to understand the history and contemporary efforts of people. They are shaping their destiny, as opposed to the perception that Africa-Americans are people who wait to consume the western ideas or products. The paradigm of unity is an important aspect of the African-American studies and many writers/researchers have taken it as a major contributor to the social studies discipline. It is an important feature that offers periodical perspective of the Black people. The adequacy of the paradigm requires great thoughts due to the flow required in a text and the fact that the aspect requires constant updating thus continuous research findings.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In line with Green (2001), there is need to introduce and embrace the interdisciplinary approach of teaching the subject by enabling a foundation that supports major expansions especially in the upper division of the graduate or undergraduate level of studies. The current curriculum follows the department based structure of the academic organization especially in most higher institutions of education that have familiar chapters like the history, social science, or politics. The conventional wisdom is not enough to acquaint the readers with all the required detail. The alternative ways such as hypothesis and other data sourcing procedures that assist in interpreting experiences not considered within the boundaries of the subject. There is a wide distinction between th e various approaches used for instructing scholars with respect to the Africana studies. People must differentiate between interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary procedures of blending or integrating theories of a study. Multidisciplinary process of studying entails a conscious effort to examine the subject matter using various approaches either sequentially or in a parallel format. For instance, a research topic tackled by various contributors form different disciplines. On the other hand, interdisciplinary approach entails blending of theories and methods from various disciplines of an individual study. Both the methods are reactive in relation to the boundaries set by the traditional disciplines. Today, people should decide to adopt trans-disciplinary approach that rejects the existing disciplinary boundaries to diversify the subject and synthesize various approaches of understanding the world to acquire extra information. This is a big challenge because the current trends of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches continue to shape the Africana studies as a study subject lacking progressive interpretation of the culture. (Green, 2001) There have been great omissions of literature concerning women in the past African-American studies. Current research studies ought to address appropriate strategies to enhance the contributions or manifests of women. The contribution should not be gender biased but treated in parallel by fully integrating the women side of events rather than picking their study as an add-on to that of male. Women have widely contributed to the liberation struggle and today it is evident that they equally and possibly playing the role of leadership in a better way especially in areas pertaining education, maintenance of the family, working and politics.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on African American Studies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lastly, the biggest challenge requires clear articulation concerns the name used for the studies. Various titles vary from Blacks studies, African studies, Afro-American studies, Africana, Africa-logy and the most common African American studies. The terms are different and possibly portray different meaning while they cater for the same discipline. Lingual perceptions of suffixes and prefixes bring about wide differences and the unmodified topic gives people too much room to diversify the studies beyond the requirements. References Green, Charles. (2001). Manufacturing powerlessness in the black Diaspora: inner-city youth and the new global frontierWalnut Creek, CA: AltaMira press Publishers Irele, Abiola. (2001). The African imagination: literature in Africa the Black Diaspora.\ Oxford; New York: Oxford University press Publishers

Market Entry Strategy Project

Market Entry Strategy Project Introduction In this report, Kenya, which is an East African country, is analyzed with the aim of establishing the best market entry strategy for M-box video game. The report is divided into different parts; the first one being the market intelligence report. The market intelligence report is followed by an analysis of the business environment and finally a section or report on opportunities for market entry.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Market Entry Strategy Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the first phase, the researcher shall present general information regarding the country Kenya in all its aspects. Some of the key characteristics of Kenya captured in the report relate to governance, infrastructure, Information technology, geography, and the economy. The information on Kenya is analyzed with the aim identifying the market characteristics and consumer behavior in Kenya. Moreover, such like informati on offers critical Practical Avenue around which the entry strategy can be harnessed. Ultimately, the aim of the report is to provide information that can be used in designing a proper market mix that will make the M-box product to find a place in the Kenyan market. Market Intelligence Report Basic Information This report is triangulates data researched on a country called Kenya. The country is situated in East Africa. The capital city of Kenya, which is the business hub in the whole of East Africa, is called Nairobi. In terms of structure, the country is divided into eight provinces, which are governed by provincial commissioners (Central Bureau of Statistics). However, because of the new constitution that was enacted recently, senators shall govern the provinces, and a lot is going to happen in terms of devolution of the powers of the president. Formerly, the president wielded a lot of power and acted like he was above the law. In the new constitution that was promulgated mid this year, the president shall no longer be above the law. The 8 provinces are further divided into 69 districts, which are further subdivided into 497 divisions, 2,427 locations, and finally divided into 6,612 sub locations (Central Bureau of Statistics). A citizen of Kenya is properly referred to as a Kenyan, while products or materials from Kenya are referred to as Kenyan origin. Demographics The population of Kenya is, as per the July 2010 estimate, 39,002,772 (Central Intelligence Agency). However by August 25, 2009 the population of Kenya had been estimated to be 38,610,097 (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). In addition, Kenya has a high population density occupies the close to 67.2km2. The population of Kenya further comprises of more than 40 ethnic groups.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, the age structure of Kenya follows a format of this nature: individuals aged between 0 to 14 years consist about 43% of the population. The 43% translates into about 6,244,321 male, and 6,104, 181 female (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). Of the general population, the individuals aged between 15 to 64 years are about 54% with 7,845,083 among them being male, and 7,826,442 female. Finally, the individuals aged over 64 years add up to only 3% of the total population. The 3% consists of an estimated 343,449 male and 445,182 female (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). Further, considering the rural-urban spread, Kenya’s urban rural population is 67.7% (26,122,722) rural and 12,487,375(32.3%) rural (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). Kenya has got many towns but the major ones include, Nairobi with a population estimate of 3,138,369), Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos and Meru (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). In addition, in all the regions of Kenya, the official languages that are used include English and Kiswahili. Apart from these official languages, Kenya exhibits other ethnic languages based on the prevalent ethnic groupings. The major ethnic groupings in Kenya according to Rough Guide are the Kikuyu that make up to 22% of total Kenyan population, Kisii 6%,Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kamba 11%, Meru 6%, %, Kalenjin 12%, other African ethnic groups 15%, non-African e.g. Asian, European, and Arab are only 1% of total population. Like all African people, Kenyans are very religious. Religion permeates across the lives of many Kenyans, just like other societies. The Kenyan inhabitants have moved from the initial African Traditional religion to other foreign religious practices that are considered modern. In other words, Kenya is a multi-religious country with three quarters of the population professing Christianity. However, as presented by Krapf (73), the Roman Catholics take up to 33% of the population, protestants 45%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim 10% Bahà ­ Faith about 1%, Buddhism 0.3 %, and others faiths are represented by about 2% of the total population. Another factor worth mentioning in this area of demographic composition is life expectancy for Kenyans. Life expectancy for Kenyans seems to have been going down rather than rise. For instance, in 2006, the Kenyans life expectancy was estimated at, 48.93 years. However, in the latest estimate, life expectancy stands at 47.02 years (Kenya Safaris Guide).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Market Entry Strategy Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, regarding fertility, Kenya’s fertility rate for women stands at 3.88 children born/women, while by 2006 this figure was standing at 4.91 children born/women (Kenya Safaris Guide). In addition, the infant mortality rate in Kenya is 54.7 deaths/1,000 live births, while this figure was standing at 59.26 deaths/1,000 live births in 2006 (Kenya Safaris Guide). Due to various fac tors, including poor infrastructure, erratic climatic conditions, and many more, 32% of the Kenyan population lives below the poverty line (Kenya Safaris Guide). Education The education sector in Kenya has over the years had more male attendance compared to women due to some previous cultural beliefs. However, due to girl child emancipation programs as of now the literacy levels among females is only ten points less than that of males. The literacy level of females is 75% while that of males is at 85%. Furthermore, in the past, the number of children that used to be enrolled in primary education was seemingly lower, and this figure used to be further aggravated by the increased number of school dropouts. Nevertheless, the education system in Kenya offers eight years of primary education which has now been made accessible to all through the introduction of free primary education that is funded by the government. Before free primary education started in 2003, many young boys and girls found themselves having to drop out of school at the age of six years. Back to the education system, after primary education individuals proceed to undertake four years of secondary education. Those who are successful i.e. pass the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams are taken into university and other institutions of higher learning. University education in Kenya takes up four years at undergraduate level, a minimum of two years for masters’ studies and a minimum of three years for Doctoral seminars and research. The main languages used in schools in Kenya are English and Kiswahili. However, many other languages are also taught as per institution of learning’s policies. Further, in terms of enrolment, Kenya’s primary school enrolment rate was very low during the 1980s due to lack of fees. Majority of Kenyans are rural poor and engage in subsistence farming leading to reduced number of children enrolling in primary school.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More And even further, the number of dropouts used to be high as a result of failure to meet up to the fee payment demands. However, the introduction of free primary education in Kenya has seen the enrolment rate rise drastically over the recent years. By 2002, the enrolment in secondary school was a little bit lower compared to the age group that qualified for such enrolment; the enrolment figure stood at 23% of total qualifying youth (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). This state of affairs prompted the government to come up with interventions aimed at promoting secondary education. Consequently, the government’s expenditure on education has been rising. In 2002, expenditure on education took about 8% of the GDP. By 2004, government expenditure on education had gravitated to a high of about 30% of total government spending. In relation to the total population, in 2010, the total number of pupils that enrolled for pre-primary education stood at 2,247,071, which comprised of 1, 150,890 males and 1,096,181 females (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). On the other hand, the number of pupils that enrolled for primary education stood at 9,425,390 out of which 4,838,278 were male and 4,587,112 female; a figure that indicates an increased number of girls enrolling in the primary education (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). Considering enrolment into the secondary education a total of 1,796,467 students enrolled with 962,887 being males and 833,580 females (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). Finally, the number of students taking up University education as per recently released statistics stands at 198,119, comprising of 115,094 males and 83,025 females (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). Kenya has five public universities and many other private universities. The five public universities include, the University of Nairobi that was established in 1956, Kenyatta University established in 1972, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology estab lished in 1981, Egerton University in Nakuru founded in 1939 and Moi University outside Eldoret that opened its doors in 1984 (Kenya Safaris Guide). There are also other higher education opportunities offered by national polytechnic and other mid level colleges. However, in terms of literacy, Kenya has a 78.1% literacy level, comprising of 86.3% males and 70% females (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics). Health Kenya has over the years been hit by tropical diseases such as malaria, and tuberculosis. However, recently, the major health problem, which has been declared a national disaster, is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), as of 2006 stood at 16% of Kenyan adults However, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has given the HIV infection standings to be at 6.7%, a much lower figure compared to the one of UNDP (Kenya Safaris Guide). Governance Kenya gained its independence on December 12 1963 from the United Kingdom, and it was officially declared a republic on December 12, 1964. Since then Kenya has moved from a single party presidential republic to a multi-party presidential republic. Currently, the country is being governed under a semi-presidential system headed by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga (Kenya Safaris Guide). Besides, the official currency of Kenya is KES (Kenya shilling). In addition, the country recently enacted a new constitution which could see the transformation of the leadership structure to a better system of governance which does not concentrate power upon the president. Geography Kenya is located at â€Å"1 ° 16†² 0†³ S, 36 ° 48†² 0†³ E -1.266667, 36.8† (toolserver.org). And the surface are of Kenya is 580,081km2 (Central Intelligence Agency). In addition, Kenya shares borders with the Indian Ocean to the southeast at the equator, Uganda (933km) to the west, Tanzania (769km)to the south, Somalia (682k m) to the northeast, Sudan (232km) to the northwest, Ethiopia (861 km) to the north, and Lake Victoria to the southwest (Kenya Safaris Guide). In addition, Kenya has 536km of its coastline in the Indian Ocean (Kenya Safaris Guide). However, Kenya is advantaged because due to its coastline, it has become a major entry point to the landlocked countries in the larger East and Central Africa. Kenya’s largest cities include Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu. Nairobi is Kenya’s main manufacturing centre; Kisumu is the main port on Lake Victoria, while Mombasa is the main seaport to Kenya (Kenya Safaris Guide). Moreover, other smaller cities in Kenya include the following; Nakuru, and Eldoret in western Kenya (Kenya Safaris Guide). Interestingly, the population census of 2009 indicated that Nairobi had a population of 1,346,000, while Mombasa had 465,000, Kisumu 185,000, Nakuru, 163,000, and also Eldoret had 105,000 (Kenya Safaris Guide). In terms of climate, Kenya’s climat ic conditions vary from arid especially in the interior parts (north and northeast) to tropical climate along the cost (Kenya Safaris Guide). However, there exist intermitted droughts in the countries which hamper most parts. Nevertheless, less than 15% of Kenyan land receives some sort of rainfall of about 760 millimetres annually, and this is mainly along the coast as well as in the south-eastern highlands close to Lake Victoria; this is as a result of the tropical monsoon winds in the mentioned areas (Kenya Safaris Guide). Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (PPP) according to the 2009 estimate stood at a total of $65.059 billion and the Per Capita income of $1,782 (International Monetary Fund). In addition, the normal GDP as of 2009 estimate stood at a total of $36.508 billion, while its corresponding Per capita GDP stood at $938 (International Monetary Fund). And its currency is Kenya shilling, which has over the years remained relatively stable against the United States doll ar. Labour In Kenya, the backbone of the economy is agriculture, which has constantly remained the occupation of many people as well as their source of livelihood. As of 2006, 12 million people were estimated to comprise of Kenya’s labour force, of which nearly 75% of them being in the agriculture sector. Moreover, a great deal of the population works under small-scale agriculture, however nearly 6 million of the labour force was found to be working outside small-scale farming and pastorals (Kenya Safaris Guide). Contrary to this estimation, the 2004 classification found 15% of the population unemployed (Kenya Safaris Guide). However, other figures still consider the unemployment figure in Kenya to be higher than the aforementioned; sometimes up to 40% (Kenya Safaris Guide). Exports: the major exports in Kenya include; horticultural products and tea, estimated at US$1,150 million as of 2005 (Kenya Safaris Guide). This figure stands ten times higher the value of coffee exports , owing to the fact that coffee is Kenya’s most exported product (Kenya Safaris Guide). Other exports include pyrethrum, petroleum, fish, cement, as well as sisal (country profile 2007 14). These exports therefore make up a great part of Kenya’s income from international trade. Imports: the main imports for Kenya are chemicals, manufactured goods, crude petroleum, machinery, as well as transportation equipment. In addition, most of the exports for Kenya are mainly destined for Africa, and then the European Union. However, specifically, Kenya majorly imports from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Tanzania. In terms of raw materials, Kenya’s main supplies include the United Kingdom, Japan, United Arab Emirates, and India. Kenya mainly exports garments to the United States in accordance with the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) terms (Kenya Safaris Guide). However, in spite of the fact that AGOA promotes the Kenyan industry, competition threats stil l hamper Kenya’s international trade especialy from the Asian countries, and this has made Kenya to still harbour a trade deficit against the United States (Kenya Safaris Guide). Furthermore, Kenya, as of 2007 had an external debt that totalled to US$6.7 billion, which was forecasted to have been settled by 30% of Kenya’s 2007 GDP (Kenya Safaris Guide). Infrastructure The infrastructural system of Kenya comprises of road transport, rail transport, water transport, as well as air transport. However, water transport only takes up a very small proportion of the transport system in Kenya. It is important to note that Kenya needs a lot of investment in the road and rail transport in order to help improve, maintain and expand this system to higher standards since these are the most important measures that could help streamline the economic and infrastructural development in Kenya. The actual paved road network in Kenya is estimated to be about sixty four thousand kilometres. The road network in Kenya carries over 80% of the passengers, and it covers many parts of the country (Kenya Safaris Guide). Furthermore, most of the passengers and freight are carried by road. However, due to corruption in contracts, as well as under-investment across many parts, Kenya has left the road network in a situation that demands attention, due to the fact that it bears high levels of road accidents and deaths, making it the highest road accident region in the world (Kenya Safaris Guide). Another aspect that hampers the road network in Kenya is road safety. This comes as a result of having many minibuses (over 25,000 of them), making up around 78% of the public transport system of Kenya. However, the government has respondent from time to time to this issue of road carnage, during the 2004 Kibaki administration when matatu owners were obliged to install safety instruments in order to help avert the then high level of road accidents. Unfortunately, this led to increased co sts on the part of passengers due to hiked fare, resulting to people overcrowding in trains as an alternative in order to cut down their transport expenditure. But it is quite promising from the fact that the government has embarked on an infrastructural rehabilitation program as a strategy to spearhead the country towards the strategic plan which is actually captured in the vision 2030, a road map to technological advancement in Kenya (Kenya Safaris Guide). Well, it is also important to have a glimpse at the railroad system in Kenya. This system takes about 2,778 km, which is of narrow –gauge a fleet of 156 locomotives, and a one-meter track, as well as 7,000 wagons and coaches, in addition to container-carrying Railtrainers (Kenya Safaris Guide). In addition, Kenya’s rail transport operates under the authority of Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC), which is in charge of both Kenya as well as Uganda in the East African area. Most importantly, there is a major railway tha t runs from Mombasa, through Nairobi, and then to the border of Uganda; however, there is also another commuter rail that operates within the suburbs of Nairobi (Kenya Safaris Guide). Further still, the railroad corporations of both Kenya and Uganda came to an agreement upon which they formed a merger that saw them jointly offer their merged railroad for concession towards privatization to investors (Kenya Safaris Guide). Hence, this led to the Rift Valley Railways (RVR) as the winning concessionaire, which is governed by the South African company referred to as ‘Sheltam Rail Company’ (Kenya Safaris Guide). as a result, this saw the South African Company gain rights to 1,920km in Kenya, that carries about 2.3 million freight tons, as well as 4.7 million passengers annually (that is, in the final years of 2000, and 2003) (Kenya Safaris Guide). Kenya’s main seaport is Mombasa, which is also the major sea outlet for Kenya as well as for other landlocked countries wi thin East and Central Africa (that is, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as Southern Sudan), and is managed by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) which was put in place in the 1978 (Kenya Safaris Guide). In addition, the KPA is in charge of port operations in Mombasa, and other inland container deports situated in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Eldoret (Country profile: Kenya 200715). Further, there exists other small port in Kiungu, Lamu, Kilifi, Funzi, Malindi, Mtwapa, Vanga, and Shimoni, to which KPA has jurisdictions (Kenya Safaris Guide). Notwithstanding, the water port in Mombasa is deep, therefore it can handle all forms of ships, in addition to 300,000 containers annually (Kenya Safaris Guide). Kenya in 2006 recorded an increase in the port traffic up to 14.4 million metric tons in terms of freight, however as a result of corruption, and poor infrastructure, the business at the port stands at risk of failure, and Kenyan authorities ought to step u p to the task and clear out the mess (Kenya Safaris Guide). Well, there are plans underway to improve a number of port facilities in Kenya, and if all goes well, there is bound to be major progress in this business. In Kenya, there are over 200 airports as well as airfields, among which 15 have paved runways (four of which are less than 3,000 meters), and some 55 airfields in Kenya are still available for commercial purposes (Kenya Safaris Guide). Nevertheless, three airports in Kenya deal with international flights, and they include, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, the Moi International Airport in Mombasa, and the Eldoret International Airport (Kenya Safaris Guide). In addition to these international facilities, there are others such as the Wilson Airport located in Nairobi, as well as others in Malindi, Kisumu, and Kakuma, in addition to other airstrips across the country. Fortunately, the government approved what is referred to as the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement (NCTI) project in 2004, which includes the United States’ $41 million meant for aviation development in Kenya with regard to safety in JKIA and MIA, in addition to new navigation and perimeter fencing in the so mentioned airports (other improvement measures include baggage-handling equipment and security equipment (Kenya Safaris Guide). This endeavour is meant to promote development in the region with regard to international linkages and trade. As a result Kenya stands a better chance of standing out as one of the major business investment centres in the world. Moreover, the improvement plans are aimed at increasing the runway capacity from 2.5 million passengers to 5.5 annually, with an aim of obtaining the status of category one from the United States Federal Aviation Administration, which will see Kenya have a direct flight system from JKIA to the United States airports, and consequent boost in the tourism industry as well as trade (Kenya Safaris Guid e). And hopefully, Kenya is inclined towards being a regional hub in African. Another very important infrastructural facility worth mentioning is the pipeline industry, in which case, herein referred to as the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC). This company is a government enterprise that was established in 1973, and actually transports nearly 90% petroleum products for domestic consumption in the Kenyan market (Kenya Safaris Guide). Within KPC is the Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline, which has received tremendous increase due to restrictions on the transportation of petroleum in order to ensure that the petroleum products are protected against diversions ((Kenya Safaris Guide). Additionally, the KPC has got a great deal of dominance in the energy sector within the neighbouring countries including Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kenya Safaris Guide). The telecommunication industry in Kenya has significantly grown. It is believed that the tel ecommunication industry is bound to promote sustained economic development. This comes as a result of the rapid growth that occurred between 2000 and 2006. In addition, over the years what has been witnessed is increase in cell phone subscribers from 24,000 as of 1999 to 5million by the year 2005 (Kenya Safaris Guide). Another aspect in the telecommunication industry is that during 1984 there were 106,000 landline telephone subscribers, contrary to the 2005 figure, which stood at 282,000. Moreover, there has been tremendous increase in the number of telephone users. In fact, it is believed that at least 63.2% of households in Kenya possess mobile phones (Communications Commission of Kenya). Additionally, initially there used to be a cellular system that used to be dominated by two licence holders Safaricom, and Celtel. However, Econet Wireless came into play and currently offers immense competition in the industry in the line of data transfer. In fact, the Kenyan telecommunication i ndustry has grown immensely, and it appears that in the region of East and Central Africa, Kenya has an upper hand in telephone usage. In relation to this, there has been seen a lot of growth in this area due to newly emerged players in the industry. In fact, Kenya’s mobile coverage takes up to 77% of the population, and it covers close to 25 million Kenyans – however, it has 27% geographic coverage signifying that there are other areas, which need boosting in order to benefit from the telecommunication, sector (Communications Commission of Kenya). Kenya now has a telecommunication industry that harbours players such as Safaricom, Orange Kenya, the newly named Airtel, the Yu network, and Telecom Kenya. All these players have entered into a new phase of competition with increased rate of telephone fee reduction both in areas of messaging services, data transfer, and the commonly used caller services (Communications Commission of Kenya). This in turn has brought in new p layers in more subscribers leading to increased telephone usage in the region. This feature puts Kenya at a great platform for technological advancement in the East African region. The mass media in Kenya is very expansive; characterized by more than six television broadcast station (Communications Commission of Kenya). According to the Communications Commission of Kenya, as of 2007, there were six television broadcasting corporations in Kenya. It is further noted that currently, there are over 42 radio station, with each language group seemingly being represented by a radio station (Communications Commission of Kenya). Regarding radio stations, some of them include, Pwani FM, Coro FM, KBC English Service, Family 96.5FM, Metro FM, KBC Kiswahili, Easy FM, 98.4 Capital FM, (radio-station-directory.com, n d), Kameme FM, Inoro FM, and Romogi FM. Similarly, there are 16 TV stations, which are licensed by the Communication Commissions of Kenya such as KBC, Metro, Family, KTN, Nation, STV, Citizen as well as Channel 5 (Export Processing Zones Authority). Kenya has a total of eight newspapers, including, the Daily Nation, the Standard, the East African, Business Daily, Kenya Times, Coast week, Nairobi Star, and People Daily (Kenya-advisor.com). The Daily Nation is owned is owned by the Nation Media Group, a private company (this company also owns Nation TV, the Nation FM radio station, as well as other numerous newspapers (Kenya-adivisor.com).in addition, this Daily Nation which is in English Language was introduced by Aga Khan IV in 1960 as a counter to colonialisms (Kenya-advisor.com). The Business Daily, on the same note, is owned by the Nation Media Group with an aim of promoting business in the country. The Kenya Times, on the other hand, was established in 1983 by former regime of Moi with the name Kenya Times (it was though renamed after the KANU defeat as a result of the introduction of multiparty democracy that started in 1992), and became a mouthpiece of the government thereafter (Kenya-advisor.com). The Coast week newspaper rather deals with entertainment, shipping information, sports, tourist information, among other purposes (Kenya-adisor.com). However, the Nairobi Star is a recent establishment in the Kenyan media, and is bound to grow and reach other newspapers’ standards. The total number of internet service providers registered as of 2004 was 73, among which only 16 were in operation supplying services to around 1,030,000 users as well as more than 1000 cyber cafes and other telephone bureaus (Export Processing Zones Authority). In addition, there had estimated to be about 520,000 personal computers which were actively in use in Kenya as of 2004 indicating that there was 1.6 computers per hundred inhabitants, and with an internet bandwidth of 28Mbps (Export Processing Zones Authority). However, the following are the most dominant Internet Service Providers in Kenya which are strongly in operation; Blue-Internet Service Pr ovider, Ericonet ISP, KDN ISP, Skyweb ISP, ISP Kenya, Access Kenya Group, TESPOK, IS Internet Service Provider, Africa Online, Nairobi Net, UUNet, Swiftglobal, and Wananchi Online (Ostamyy.com). Finally, there are a number of things that have happened in the ICT industry in Kenya that command recognition pertaining to the manner in which the country’s ICT industry wishes to move. For instance, the installation of the fibre-optic cables across the country offers promising results in the industry. There are other measures such as the Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL), which have been undergoing licensing by ISPs, and now the country is set to have a greater opening to the outside world. Another thing is that there has been the introduction of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) service. There has also been some major competition on Telkom Kenya regarding international telephony services from the mobile service providers in Kenya. This offers unique promising progress in this industry with regard to innovation and technological advancement. Business Environment Analysis Report (BEAR) The introduction of M-box to Kenya is likely to be affected by the factors mentioned in the Market Intelligence Report. However, the effects of those factors on the success of M-box in Kenya could be either negative or positive. The aim of this section is provide an analysis on the manner in which the factors are likely to influence the business of M-box Corporation in Kenya. However, in overall, the Kenyan business environment is promising as the country enters into new era of technology with people daily gaining access to computer, mobile phones, newspapers, internet, as well as other services due to the progress towards the attainment of Vision 2030 which is meant to spearhead the country into a middle-level earner country. The factors shall now be discussed below. Demographic factors The population of Kenya has been ranked 33 in the world as indicated by the Centra l Intelligence Agency report about Kenya. The population has shown signs of growth owing to the fact that a greater percentage of the population is below the age of 30. In other words, these very energetic individuals are bound to embrace the introduction of M-box in the country. Additionally the official languages in Kenya English and Kiswahili have gained international reputation in the ICT industry since they can now be accessed in the computer system. This factor is likely to offer promising results to the country because in terms of access to the M-box game, many people are bound to be interested in it like other games in the market. Religion is another factor that can hamper the introduction of M-box. On this note, it should be realized that M-box does not have any contradicting views against religion. Moreover, a greater percentage of the people in Kenya are Christians who do not seem to have any contradicting view against religion. In addition to this, the population structu re indicates that the youth are the majority in Kenya. This people tend to like adventurous lifestyle as well as challenging situations, and the M-box game can offer such challenges during their leisure time. Additionally, the life expectancy still stands moderate at 57.86 years characterized by an average fertility rate. Therefore, the introduction of M-box will have a long-term stay in Kenya based on these factors. The education system has a lot to offer since many people are gaining access to education and the study on ICT has gained ground in both primary, secondary and university institutions. This means that the awareness of students on ICT staff is getting better day-in-day out. Moreover, the number of people inhabiting major towns in Kenya is high in Nairobi, which has the highest population. In other words, the marketing of M-box could actually take a shorter time to gain ground among most of the young people. However, there are other factors such as mortality rate, which i s likely to affect the adoption of M-box, and therefore, the M-box Corporation should consider this before attempting to introduce it. In other words, they can institute social responsibilities that could help reduce mortality rate. Governance The Kenyan government exhibits a democratic type of leadership, and with the introduction of the new constitution, which calls for highly devolved leadership and freedom of expression among the people, there is hope for the acceptance of M-box within the political side. Owing to the fact that the M-box is inclined to provide creativity and determination in the minds of many people, there is likely to be business free environment. The discussed issues notwithstanding, the government of Kenya has been committed towards the promotion of trade and industry hence a favorable environment for business. The Kenyan currency in the region of East and Central Africa (Kenyan shilling) has continually stood higher at an average of 75 against a unit of Amer ican dollar. This therefore means that returns from international trade could favorably promote the two countries. Geographical factors Kenya’s geographic location offers great access to the international market with its coastline in the Indian Ocean from where major shipment occurs even for the East African region. In other words, the flow of goods and services back and forth Kenya is set to work effectively. Similarly, in the major towns in Kenya, there are numerous industries where various people work in manufacturing, agriculture and other international trade. This people are likely to become major consumers in of the M-box technology. However, the climatic conditions of Kenya exhibits a greater part of the country with arid and semi-arid environment, which is likely to hamper the sale of M-box due to the series of things that come as a result of poor climatic conditions and lack of farming. Moreover, almost three quarters of the Kenyan population depend on agricultural b usiness. This poses a threat to the M-box Corporation, as the income that people tend to receive from agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions is low. Economic Factors This is the greatest factor that should be born in mind whenever intending to establish a marketing strategy. The Kenyan labor force comprises of about 75% agriculturalists many of whom are small-scale farmers. In this regard, their produce mainly goes to consumption rather than other luxurious measures. The unemployed make up over 15% of the population, which again indicates that the number of eligible customers shall remain low. However, there are quite many people as well who live in the major cities and who depend on service industry as source for employment. This could help promote the M-box, since these people are likely to embrace the M-box market. Kenyan export market is also promising because, of its reliance on horticultural business. This implies that there is not going to be any competition in terms of pr oducts. Not only that, Kenya also relies on importation of ICT materials and other industrial productions. The Kenyan inflation rate has relatively remained low, and there has been increased GDP. This is inclined to be a great boost to the business environment in the county regarding the acquisition of technological materials such as computers and other games. Infrastructural Factors The infrastructural system could be considered with mixed results in the light of M-box. The majority of Kenyans rely on road transportation. This is likely to affect the speed of transportation of M-box products. However, the effect of air transport on the transportation of M-box could be positive. This is because; there is a network of airfields in major towns in Kenya. This could help bring the M-box products closer to other regions, after which they could then be distributed through the road network. Similarly, the coastline and its port facilities could be used to effectively deliver products throu gh the sea into Kenya, since there are other depot facilities in major towns. Therefore, about infrastructure, there are mixed factors both in favor and against the introduction of M-box in Kenya. However, due to the trend that Kenya is taking of late, the factors in favor prove to be more than those against. Moreover, owing to the countries strategic vision towards vision 2030, there is bound to be greater infrastructural developments in the country to help boost international trade. From the initial discussions regarding the use of common infrastructure, a lot is underway, and this area does not offer much opposition to the establishment of M-box in Kenya. Many people have embraced the mobile usage in Kenya, and this is a big boost to the gaming industry because the M-box Corporation could be creating a portable game that could be used in mobile phones. The same applies to the rise in the internet industry with various internet service providers working hard to ensure that there i s increased number of internet subscribers to enjoy the gaming industry through online interactive gaming, which could help increase interest in people in the gaming industry. There are numerous newspapers, radio stations, and television-broadcasting houses, among other mass media services are going to help market the M-box game through a series of advertisements and public awareness campaigns. Other factors Generally, the government of Kenya is accessible through many other ways. In addition, in case there is need for more information, one could easily access such information over the internet. For instance, there is the government website and the American embassy website, which are also very resourceful information sources for investors on how to conduct business in Kenya Report On Opportunities For Market Entry Export Opportunities One of the biggest exports from Kenya is tea. Kenya’s production capacity for this product remains largely unexploited. The export of tea from Kenya yields over Kshs. 36,072 million. However, exports to America only make up to 3% of the total exports compared to exports towards other African states, which make up to 47% of the total exports. Kenya has a good relationship with America diplomatically and thus exploring how to increase Kenyan tea exports to the USA could help cement that relationship further. Cementing bilateral business relationships is critical for expansion of Kenya’s export potential. Foreign exchange rates are also a key determinant of bilateral trade relations. Kenya is advantaged in its export deals because; the value of the Kenya shilling against the American Dollar makes it favorable for Kenya to trade with the US in the tea industry. Another opportunity that Kenya offers any foreign investors is great harbors and other forms of transport. The strategic geographical position that Kenya enjoys against other neighboring countries makes it a viable business center. Besides Kenya has been improvin g its air transport facilities over the years and is likely to accommodate many passengers and freight. This could help promote the tourism industry as well as other export services to America as well as other European countries. Import Opportunities Kenya, like many other African countries are burdened with the threat of diseases such as HIV. This has in term elicited the need for ARV drugs and other medical products for treatment of the symptoms of AIDS. Secondly, many hospitals in Kenya are in dire need of medical equipment due to high cost of acquiring them. The only thing that Kenya should work towards is reduction in tariffs on medical and pharmaceuticals the way they did with computer products. This could slightly lower the costs of imports. Japan is Kenya’s trade partner in the import market. Many Kenyans are middle-income earners. This means purchasing high cost cars could not work for Kenya. The road network in Kenya has been going through major reconstruction and t here are many roads under construction in Kenya. This means that the road network in Kenya is improving in the near future, and that there are likely to be many people interested in owning cars than the ones who currently have. Based on this understanding, and using the fact that Kenya has an opening to the sea in Indian Ocean. Additionally, based on the developments in the internet industry, Kenya could greatly benefit by incorporating the e-marketing services in the importation of cars from Japan. Conclusion The report on Market Entry Strategy project has explored all the features that Kenya exhibits in terms of infrastructure, economic conditions, climatic conditions, geographic factors, and telecommunications. The Market Entry Strategy has been done in a manner that Cunningham’s strategies of market entry have been at the background of conducting the research. The factors include; technical innovation strategy, product adaptation strategy, availability and security, low p rice, as well as total adaptation strategy (Cunningham 9). Moreover, as the report developed, factors that make penetration into the Kenyan market hard or easy were delineated. Developing a market entry strategy is not easy. Often when companies or organizations enter a new market niche, they meet high resistance. Often, organizations encounter various countertrade factors. However, Shipley and Neale (49) put it; one must make sure that the benefits are more than the disadvantages. However, the most important is a good relationship between the trading partners. For instance, Chinese products easily access or enter the Kenyan market due to good rapport between Kenya and China. As Collett (19) explains, there is need for a mutually satisfying relationship between importers, exporters, transporters, and the governments. Therefore, it is in the opinion of this report that by capitalizing on the good relationship between countries, marketers are better placed to introduce a new product i nto an international market without experiencing much resistance. Central Bureau of Statistics. Census cartography: the Kenyan Experience. 2010. 9th December 2010. cartesia.org/geodoc/icc2005/pdf/oral/TEMA26/Session 3/ODHIAMBO E.A.pdf Central Intelligence Agency. Kenya. The World Factbook. 1999. 9th December 2010. https://www.Central Intelligence agency.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html Collett, W.E. International Transport and Handling of Horticultural Produce in S. Carter (ed.) Horticultural Marketing. Nairobi: Network and Centre for Agricultural Marketing Training in Eastern and Southern Africa, 1991. Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK). Communications Statistics Report. 2008. 8th December 2010. cck.go.ke/resc/statcs.html Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA). Kenya’s Information and Telecommunications Technology Sector: Kenya’s ICT Industry. 2005. 10th December 2010. epzakenya.com/UserFiles/File/ictKenya.pdf International Monetary Fun d. Kenya. 2010. 10th December 2010. imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007ey=2010scsm=1ssd=1sort=countryds=.br=1c=664s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLPgrp=0a=pr.x=67pr.y=5. Kenya-Advisor.com. Overview of Kenya Newspapers. 2010. 9th December 2010. kenya-advisor.com/kenya-newspapers.html Kenya Safaris Guide. Kenya Population Statistics, Age, Birth Rate, Life Expectancy. 2010. 10th December 2010 best-kenya-safaris.com/kenya-safaris/cultural-safaris/kenya-population-culture.html Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Kenya: 2009 Population and Housing Census Highlights. 2010, 10th December 2010 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.or.ke/Census%20Results/KENYA NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS%20Brochure.pdf Krapf, Johann Ludwig, Travels, Researches, and Missionary Labours in Eastern Africa. London: Frank Cass Co. Ltd, 1960 Ostamyy.com. Internet Service Providers Kenya.2010. 9th December 2010 cck.go.ke/resc/statcs.html Shipley, D.D. and Neale, C.W. Successful C ountertrading. Management Decision. Marketing Management Journal, 26, 1, (2000): 49-52. Toolserver.org. Kenya. 2010. 10th December 2010 http://toolserver.org/~geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Kenyaparams=1_16_S_36_48_E_type:country

Butterbox Babies essays

Butterbox Babies essays Lovely Babies For Adoption is what the advertisement for the Ideal Maternity Home and Sanitarium versed to many couples unable to bear children beginning in the late 1920's. Although the ad held true as to the children, the operation of this business was far from lovely. Originally designed as a sanitarium for the sick, the hospital soon became a birthing facility. Operating without any supervision, the facility was a place of joy for couples adopting an infant, but a place of shame and despair for unwed mothers. Lila Gladys Coolen met and married William Peach Young in 1925. William was an unordained seventh-day Adventist minister and Lila, also of the same faith, was a teacher in Fox Point, Nova Scotia. After being married, the couple left Nova Scotia to return to school in Chicago. William attended the National College of Chiropractic, while Lila pursued a degree at the National School of Obstetrics and Midwifery. In February of 1928, the Youngs opened The Life and Health Sanitarium out of their four bedroom cottage. Lila began delivering babies and within a year, the facility had been renamed The Ideal Maternity Home and Sanitarium and its sole purpose became a birthing facility and adoption center for unwed mothers. During this time, Canadian and US laws were similar in banning the use of birth control or the performance of abortions. This left many women banished and shamed from their homes and communities because of illegitiment pregnancies. With the creation of this facility, many unwed mothers saw an opportunity to keep their secret from society. A newspaper advertisement placed by the Youngs, was carefully written and geared to lure women in. It read: Dame gossip has sent many young lives to perdition after ruining them socially, that might have been BRIGHT STARS in society and a POWER in the world of ...

Mr Makoloyis Personal Profile and View Assignment

Mr Makoloyis Personal Profile and View - Assignment Example Mr Makoloyi says that the problems emanate from the fact that BA had persisted that the crew accept four-year pay pact. This was to see a freeze in actual pay up to 2014, something to which the crew has countered by giving the company a three-year pay cut pact. Although BA management has already rejected this. In addition, the company refused to commit to making longer the legitimacy of the industrial action ballot to let union staff members to be balloted on any suggestion from BA. Consequently, as Modlock (2010) observed, it resulted in another strike, third to be precise, ballot in five months following the rejection of BA’s proposal by cabin crew. Moreover, BA’s unwillingness to address Unite’s concerns about the impact on existing crew gave that the airline is pushing forward with its new fleet plans and especially on how the routes will be allocated among already functioning and the latest crew in the ages to come. Mr Makoloyi also observed that heightened tensions at the BA is caused by the manner in which the management relates with the employees and the stringent rules it has put forth to curb employee misbehavior like excessive drinking, and this has lowed the motivation of employees. Equally threatening an issue, related to pensions. Mr. Makoloyi explains that the announcement by the company in 2003 that it would close its ultimate remuneration scheme to all recently employed workers due to a major shortfall in the pension’s fund led to BALPA, a trade union that stands for BA pilots, threatened industrial action if the final remuneration scheme was reduced to a less generous package. The threat was approximated to have cost the company roughly eighty million pounds while the union projected that the adjustment would make a number of their members to lose 36% of their final pension. BALPA has roughly 2500 members (Modlick 2010).Mr. Makoloyi said that between 2005 and 2006, BA held mo re than 500 briefings with staff pertaining the same issue. All these negotiations with four unions yielded little given that each of these unions had their own unique issue of concern.

My Life as a Soldier in World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Life as a Soldier in World War I - Essay Example Life in the trenches was extremely horrible for me. The possibilities of enemy attacks and diseases were haunted me and many other American soldiers who were in my battalion. Trench life prevented us from proper sleeping, bathing, and taking foods. The disturbance of rats, lice etc caused more trouble during my trench life. Some of the rats which caused disturbances to us during WW1 were of the size of a cat. Life casualties were more in WW1 and dead bodies of the soldiers were coming to our army camp quiet regularly. It was difficult for us to give a proper funeral to our colleagues who fought bravely for the country. American government was not much interested in giving respect or paying homage to the dead bodies of the soldiers at that time. Many of the dead bodies were burned using petrol since it was difficult for us to give more attention to the normal funeral activities. I was a commander in American army during WW1. So I forced to take many decisions during the war period. In fact it was difficult for me to allocate different missions to different soldiers. Different emotions that were passing through the faces of the soldiers while getting dangerous tasks were horrible experiences for me. It was evident that many of the soldiers who were sending for the dangerous missions may not come back alive. Being a commander, it was impossible for me to consider humanitarian issues during the war period. I remember many occasions in which I forced to compel even diseased soldiers to engage in some kind of works. On many occasions, I forced to advance further leaving the seriously wounded soldiers behind. It should be noted that giving care to wounded soldiers at the time of intense fight may cause more casualties. Relatives of the soldiers who suffered death never got the information about their death in time. In fact, we had received many letters from the wives of the soldiers who were killed many weeks before. It was really a horrible experience to read all the se letters and send any reply to them. I remember one instance in which I received a letter from a killed soldier’s wife. I realised the depth of their love and intimacy from this letter. She was actually pregnant and the real intention of this letter was to convey the good news to her husband. Some tears filled in my eyes, and decided to send a reply to this woman. It should be noted that communication channels were not much developed during WW1 and sending letters was the major communication activity performed by the soldiers and their relatives. In my reply letter, I described her husband as a brave one and informed her about his death. I asked her to be proud of the heroics done by her husband and expressed the gratitude of American army to her for the great services extended by her husband. It was really a touching moment in my life. At the time of wring the reply, I struggled to get suitable words. American society has changed a lot after WW1. Before WW1, many of the Am ericans supported wars. It should be noted that the first time use of sophisticated weapons caused more death casualties than anticipated in WW1. The loss of beloved ones forced American society to revise their views about wars. The huge destruction of properties forced Americans to think about the necessities of avoiding wars in future. â€Å"In the 1920s, people seemed to be less interested in progress and were more interested in hedonism. It is like

Foreign direct investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foreign direct investment - Essay Example Foreign direct investment refers to a direct investment into production or business within a country by an entity in another country, either by purchasing a company within a target country, or by broadening operations of a present business within that country. The reasons that may make exporting unfeasible include cheaper producing abroad, reducing transportation costs, lack of domestic capacity such as when demand exceeds the capacity, the need to alter products and services, trade restrictions, and country of origin effects (OECD 57). There are three critical reasons for entities to seek a controlling interest; internalization theory (self-handling of operations), appropriation theory (denying rivals or potential rivals access to resources such as trademarks, capital, patents, and management know-how), and freedom to seek global objectives (participate in global or transnational strategy) (Nicholls 42). Reasons for buying existing operations entail avoiding start-up problems, getti ng an immediate cash flow instead of tying up capital, and gaining easier financing. Overall, the motives for collaborative arrangements entail to spread and reduce costs, specialize within distinct competencies, avoiding or counter competition, learning from other companies (gain knowledge), and securing vertical and/or horizontal linkages. The international motives for undertaking collaborative arrangements encompass aspects such as gaining location-specific assets, diversifying geographically, overcoming governmental constraints, and minimizing exposure in risky environments (Nicholls 44). Companies utilize equity and non-equity arrangements that can range from wholly owned subsidiaries, equity alliances, licensing, franchising, management contracts, turnkey operations, and joint ventures. Foreign direct investment is perceived as a means of enhancing the efficiency with which the world’s scarce resources are employed. Foreign direct investment

Benefits In Achieving Sustainable Water Management Across The Eurozone Essay

Benefits In Achieving Sustainable Water Management Across The Eurozone - Essay Example Many grounds and surface water bodies in EU are yet daunted with high concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen (Bouraoui et al 2014). Following the EC (2012), there exist doubts that many numbers of water bodies in EU may not reach the required objectives of WFD by 2015 (Kafflis & Butler 2001) This essay will analyze how successfully WFD has been in introducing an ecosystem-oriented approach for EUs water resource management and water policy. Availability of water to agricultural sector places heavy pressure on available water bodies and to contain nutrient pollution still plays a significant threat to lakes, surface, transitional and groundwater quality in EU. Earlier, with the introduction of Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC/1991, EU was able to minimize nitrogen losses from the agricultural sector and after two decades of the existence of such Directive, EU is successful in preventing in its member states, which have agriculture as their dominant industry such as Belgium, the Nether lands, France, etc. Accordingly the European Council (2010), due to the introduction of 1991 Nitrates Directive, there had been a 55% fall in nitrate concentration trends in EU member states. According to Bouraoui and Grizetti (2011), the Urban Waste Water Directive 1991/271/EEC was successful in minimizing the phosphorus losses to water bodies in Europe and also resulted in a lower magnitude of nitrogen losses(Bouraoui et al 2014:1). The WFD observed that with about three-fourths of EUs drinking-water supplies being derived from the groundwater sources, its prime significance is to guarantee the quality of groundwater. Three unique varieties of monitoring are specified to evaluate the quality status of European waters such as surveillance, supervising or monitoring, operational supervising and investigative supervising (Kallis & Butler 2001).

Supply chain management (reply to an answer) Case Study

Supply chain management (reply to an answer) - Case Study Example A few reasons such as maximizing economies of scale entails considerable business investment risks because it is not very fluid in terms of market response (Hugos 147). This system is also not suitable for industries that can change quickly on trends, like the apparel industry (Daspal 1). The converse of the push-concept is the pull-system modeled on Toyota which relies on actual customer demand and works backwards along the supply chain. However, this kind of system requires a near-perfect method of efficient logistics that has short production cycles; long lead times can be shortened by maximum efficiency along the supply chain. This is what computer giant Dell did, in contrast to the estimated losses suffered by Compaq when laptops were not available. This system is not speculative, in the sense it anticipates future customer demand, but is reactive which is more accurate in terms of meeting actual customer demand. I agree that supply chain efficiency is about minimizing inventory levels to reduce the risk of product obsolescence. However, there are additional benefits in using the Just-in-Time (JIT) concept pioneered by Toyota that can be implemented, such as lower working capital, a mass customization and postponement of demand (Coyle 661) that lowers costs to b enefit clients. Coyle, John J., Langley, John C., Gibson, Brian J., Novack, Robert A. and Edward J. Bardi. Supply Chain Management: A Logistics Perspective. Mason, OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2008.

Benefits In Achieving Sustainable Water Management Across The Eurozone Essay

Benefits In Achieving Sustainable Water Management Across The Eurozone - Essay Example Many grounds and surface water bodies in EU are yet daunted with high concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen (Bouraoui et al 2014). Following the EC (2012), there exist doubts that many numbers of water bodies in EU may not reach the required objectives of WFD by 2015 (Kafflis & Butler 2001) This essay will analyze how successfully WFD has been in introducing an ecosystem-oriented approach for EUs water resource management and water policy. Availability of water to agricultural sector places heavy pressure on available water bodies and to contain nutrient pollution still plays a significant threat to lakes, surface, transitional and groundwater quality in EU. Earlier, with the introduction of Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC/1991, EU was able to minimize nitrogen losses from the agricultural sector and after two decades of the existence of such Directive, EU is successful in preventing in its member states, which have agriculture as their dominant industry such as Belgium, the Nether lands, France, etc. Accordingly the European Council (2010), due to the introduction of 1991 Nitrates Directive, there had been a 55% fall in nitrate concentration trends in EU member states. According to Bouraoui and Grizetti (2011), the Urban Waste Water Directive 1991/271/EEC was successful in minimizing the phosphorus losses to water bodies in Europe and also resulted in a lower magnitude of nitrogen losses(Bouraoui et al 2014:1). The WFD observed that with about three-fourths of EUs drinking-water supplies being derived from the groundwater sources, its prime significance is to guarantee the quality of groundwater. Three unique varieties of monitoring are specified to evaluate the quality status of European waters such as surveillance, supervising or monitoring, operational supervising and investigative supervising (Kallis & Butler 2001).

ADHA with young and adult. discussion 3 Coursework

ADHA with young and adult. discussion 3 - Coursework Example ion, research indicates that children who continue with treatment into adulthood have better outcomes than those who stop intervention measures at childhood. It is difficult to predict long-term outcomes for young children undergoing intervention, and for that reason, there is a need to focus on strategies that are help young children transit into adulthood. For adults, recent reports of misbehavior and transgression are being reported. Adults offer a range of intellectual abilities, which often depends on their social setting (Martin, 2005). The same way that lack of intervention measures affect the education and social relationships of young children, is the same way that adults expose themselves to problems at work and management of families. Adults with ADHD who failed to receive treatment as young children remember similar problems during their childhood. Attention focuses on adults with ADHD because it is extraordinarily challenging to predict the long-term benefits of treatments (Friend, 2004), and for this reason, the need for a long-term perception on treatment. The need for separate intervention measures for adults, concerning changes in social lifestyle, call for the focus on ADHD in adults (Martin, 2005). In my opinion, intervention measures must be mindful of the need to change intervention measures as a young child transits to adolescence, and finally to adulthood. Students at a young age have fewer academic and social demands as compared to adolescents and adults. In the main, this means that although an intervention measure maybe effective for a child, the same intervention may fail to work for an adolescent who encounters a different social environment from that of a child or an adult. If the transition does not happen appropriately, young children and adults may lose the benefits they gained during early childhood intervention measures. This is detrimental to an adult’s development as they may face such challenges as the inability to maintain

Change Management and Communication Plan Essay Example for Free

Change Management and Communication Plan Essay Riordan Manufacturing has decided to make a change to company’s customer management system. The company does not currently have any formal system for managing their customer information and has traditionally left this up to individual employees. This new system will require all employees to use one customer management system. Your team is now working to help Riordan implement this planned change. Your team must do the following in your role as consultants: †¢ Review the intranet site for Riordan Manufacturing including Human Resources – Organizational Charts, Employee Files, etc. , and Sales Marketing – Marketing Information Systems. †¢ Create a change management plan and communication plan of 1,050- to 1,400-words. Your plan should include the details from section I and section II outlined below. Section I: Change Management Plan Identify the current formal and informal power structures in the organization. How might the power and political structure of the organization affect employee behavior? Identify the most appropriate and effective organizational structures for Riordan Manufacturing that will help them accomplish their planned changes. Section I: Change Management Plan Riordan Manufacturing formal leaders consist of the chief executive, presidents, vice-presidents, high-level managers, middle-level managers and low-level managers. Each person is responsible for implementing changes that will benefit the structural system for the company. According to the organizational charts, the organization is separated by various departments into functional areas. According to the organizational charts, the organization is separated by various departments into functional areas. For example, in the Human Resource they are responsible for benefits, policy and procedures, job classification, annual reviews and survey results just to name some of the functions within the Human Resource Department. Informal leaders have non-official positions like secretaries, maintenance people, auditors and others who are less important but carry out the vision and mission of the company. A gatekeeper does not hold a position of authority, but they usually work closely with the formal leaders of the company. The power and political structure of the organization may frustrate employees when decisions are made that are unclear or not communicatedand lack vision or reasoning behind the decisions. The system relies on clear and concise communication at all times. It is important that chief executive officer is given accurate information at all times. Riordan Manufacturing discovered some problems with their employees; such as an inability to motivate employees and how to reduce the high turnover rate within the company. This was discovered through the Riordan human resources department structure which does not allow employee empowerment and as a result is delaying potential growth due to the unbalanced profits, and reduction in sales. The human resources department needs to revisit some of their decisions to strength their portion of the structure and better the company for the future. The high turnover rate has caused lack of employee motivation, low morale and with pay levels below their competitors’standards; there is lack of structure in the performance review process within the entire company. These issues can be corrected by creating a coaching, feedback process, and planning career development programs by either creating or improving their current performance reward systems. Riordan Manufacturing has selected a structure that will require all employees to use one customer management system. In doing so, Riordan has adopted a structure that closely resembles a bureaucratic nature. Standardization is the key concept in manufacturing. The formal leaders within the Riordan Manufacturing are each responsible for implementing changes that will benefit the structural system for the company. Organizations structures can have significant effects on its members. Potential effects of a bureaucratic structure on employee behavior are attributed to its formalized, mechanistic model where fairness in policy and procedures is a large indicator of job satisfaction. The bureaucratic environment in which Riordan Manufacturing adopts high levels of work specialization contributes to higher levels of productivity, but may sacrifice in areas of lower job satisfaction. This could be connected to the high turnover rate at Riordan in addition to the low pay levels when compared to similar markets. Management needs to consider the organizational structure and its effects on employees on an individual basis. In a bureaucratic environment management may consider looking into characteristics of employees that help determine their potential in working in such a structure and train employees through coaching and training to help them adapt to the vision Riordan management would expect from its employees, employing those that that prefer routine and security of specialized jobs may perform better in a manufacturing organization like Riordan. Riordan Manufacturing culture can be described in a descriptive term. The current structure and management operations would like to reverse some of the current trends in the workplace that affect its organizational culture. Recent discoveries have uncovered problems influencing culture at Riordan such as levels of motiv ation and tenure at the company. It was discovered that Riordan human resources department structure does not allow employee empowerment and are delaying potential growth because of the unbalanced profits and reduction in sales. The new system aspires to create a new culture where management motivates its employees through a reward system and competitive pay, where workers find management approachable with ideas to improve work processes, while following the idea that helping to implement change will benefit the structural system of the company. Riordan human resources department reassessment of its structure can positively impact Riordan’s overall organizational culture by focusing on pay and its incentive packages. Management at Riordan can consider news ways in which to improve its culture. Ideally, upper management would encourage mid-level management to allow feedback from employees to improve work processes while still following the chain of command to create improvement. Though there are more stringent rules in a manufacturing plant, Riordan management wants to instill its trust in its workers, making them feel they are trusted and that their individual judgment is supported. The new operations at Riordan involve team work that encourages positive interaction, collaboration, goal setting, and a reward system that supports its desires for improved culture at Riordan Manufacturing. †¢ Recommend a strategy to implement the changes over the next 12 months. †¢ Describe how you will evaluate the success or failure of the planned change. Section II: Communication Plan Create a Communication Plan for the proposed change covered in the Change Management Plan. In the Communication Plan, complete the following: Select the most appropriate channels to communicate the change to the employees, and explain why you selected these channels. Identify the potential barriers to effective communication and strategies for overcoming the barriers. Develop a message for one of the selected communication channels. In the message, complete the following: †¢ Identify those areas affected by the change. †¢ Establish the need for the change. †¢ Create a sense of urgency around the change. †¢ Outline next steps in the change process.