Industrial Effluents in the Water Pollution Essay

Water pollution is caused by emission of domestic or urban sewage, agricultural waste, pollutants and industrial effluents into water bodies. Nowadays, its main source is the waste material discharged by industrial units. Waste materials like acids, alkalies, toxic metals, oil, grease, dyes, pesticides and even radioactive materials are poured into the water bodies by many industrial units. Some other important pollutants include polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds, lubricants and hot water discharged by power plants. The pollutants unloaded into the water bodies usually dissolve or remain suspended in water. Sometimes, they also accumulate on the bottom of the water bodies. Another important pollutant, that can endanger marine life, is the oil spilled by oil tanks. As per the estimates of the United Nations, 1. 3 million barrels of oils are spilled annually into the Persian Gulf, and about 285 million gallons are spilled into the oceans every year. In the United States, the industries contribute to more than half of the total water pollution. The industrial effluents contain pollutants like asbestos, phosphates, mercury, lead, nitrates, sulfur, sulfuric acid, oil and many other poisonous materials. In many countries, industrial water is not treated adequately before discharging it into rivers or lakes. This is particularly true in the case of small-scale industries that do not have sufficient capital to invest in pollution control equipment. In many instances, the researches and studies carried out to determine the toxicity of these pollutants are focused on the individual effect of the toxic elements. Therefore, sometimes these researches lead to an underestimation of the total toxicity of these harmful materials. Besides, their toxicity is assessed with the help of tests carried out on bacteria, which also fails to take into account the accurate toxic effects on other organisms. These harmful pollutants are a major contributor to many grave diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis, dysentery and salmonellosis. Besides, many of the pollutants are also carcinogenic i. e. they can cause cancer. Some pollutants like sodium can cause cardiovascular diseases, while mercury and lead cause nervous disorders. DDT is another toxic material which can cause chromosomal changes. Excess fluoride in water may damage the spinal cord, while arsenic can cause significant damage to the liver and the nervous system. In addition to all these, organic compounds present in the polluted water facilitate the growth of algae and other weeds, which in turn use more oxygen dissolved in the water. This reduces the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water and the consequent shortage of oxygen for other aquatic life. In recent times, to control the menace of water pollution, various legislations have been introduced by different countries. The legislations undertaken by the United States include Federal Water Pollution Control Act (1972), the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (1972) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974). Besides, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act was also amended in 1988. For the success of these legislations, cooperation of the citizens and industrial units is an important prerequisite. In addition to the enforcement and proper use of these rules and regulations, availability of efficient and cheaper pollution control techniques is also required to tackle the threat posed by water pollution.

Recruitment and Selection Practices of Bdo

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PRACTICES OF SELECTED EMPLOYEES OF BANCO DE ORO IN STA. ROSA LAGUNA A Research Proposal Presented to Faculty of the College of Business Administration and Accountancy De La Salle University – Dasmarinas In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Business Administration By Gelle, Jerica Joyce S. May 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, the researchers give thanks to God Almighty for the wisdom and strength to finish this study. To the light, our God, who guided us through the way.To the following, grateful acknowledgement is also expressed. Dr. Oscar P. Lacap Jr. their God-given mentor. They take this opportunity to express their profound gratitude and deep regards forhis exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this research proposal. The blessing, help, and guidancegiven by him time to time shall carry them along the way in the journey of life on which they’re about to embark. To their friends and families, they were a great source of support and encouragement.The researchers thank them all and wish them all the best in their lives. To their mothers and fathers, for their warm,kinds encourage, and love. To every person that gave them something to light their pathway, they thank them for believing in them. Gelle, Jerica Joyce S. TABLE OF CONTENTS PRELIMINARIESPage Title Page i Acknowledgement ii Table of Contents iii List of tables iv List of figures v Chapter 1. THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction 1 Background of the Study 2 Theoretical Framework 3 Conceptual Framework 4 Statement of the Problem 5Hypothesis of the Study 6 Significance of the Study 7 Scope and Delimitation 8 Definition of terms 9 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES Foreign Literature 11 Local Literature 13 Foreign Studies 15 Local Studies 20 3. RESEARCH METHODLOGY Research Design 27 Population Frame and Description Respondents 28 Research Instrument 29 Data Gathering Procedure 30 Statistical Treatment of Data 31 BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES Letter to Respondents Questionnaire Curriculum Vitae LIST OF TABLE Table Title/Description Page 1Response Code20 Perception of the firm Respondents 26 on the Extent of Implementation to Green Management Practice 3Summary of Assessment of the Extent26 Frequency of Implementation of Green Mangement Practice LIST OF FIGURES FigureTitlePage 1 Approaches to Being Green 4 2 Research paradigm of the study 5 3 Demographic Profile Distribution of the Firm- Respondent According to Nature Business 23 4 Demographic Profile Distribution of the Firm-Respondent According to Years of Operation 24 5 Demograhic Profile Distribution of the Firm-Respondent according toNumbers of Employees 25 Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Recruitment is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization. In simple words recruitment can be defined as a ‘ linking function’-joining together those with jobs to fill and  those seeking jobs. (Edwin B. Flippo) For a successful recruitment of managerial or professional candidates most of the organizations recruitment practices include a systematic analysis of the job and the  labor  market  situations.Recruitment  is  vital  to  any management process  and failure in recruitment can create difficulties for any company including  an  undesirable  effect  on  its  prosperity  and unsuitable levels of staffing or skills. Inadequate recruitment can lead to labor shortages, or problems in  management decision making. Recruitment  is  however  not  just  a  simple  selection  process  but  also requires management decision making and wide-ranging planning to employ the most suitable manpower in an organization. Some people use the term â€Å"Recruitment† for employment.These two are not one and the same. Recruitment is only one of the steps in the entire employment process. And some of them use the term recruitment for selection. These are not the same also. The function of recruitment precedes the selection function and it contains only finding, developing the sources of prospective employees and attracting them to apply for jobs in an organization, whereas the selection is the process of finding out the most suitable candidate to the job out of the candidates attracted (i. e. ,recruited).Formal definition of recruitment would give clear cut idea about the function of  recruitment. Competition among business organizations for recruiting the best potential has increased focus on modernization, and management decision making. And the selectors aim to recruit only the best candidates who would ensemble the corporate culture, ethics and climate specific to the organization. The procedure of recruitment does not however end with application and selection of the right people but involves maintaining and retai ning the employees  chosen.Despite  a  well drawn plan on recruitment and selection and involvement of qualified management team, recruitment processes followed by companies can countenance significant obstacles in implementation. This research proposal is performed to let us have an idea on the effects of recruitment, how it affects the profitability and synchronization of the organization, and if improved recruitment policies in an organization would lead the organization to vigorous and elevated market. Background of the StudyAs of 30 September 2012 Banco De Oro has grown to be the largest bank in the Philippines in terms of assets, loans, and deposits. It leads market positions in most business lines. Banco De Oro today represents a firm consolidation of distinct strengths and advantages built over the years by the entities behind its history. Banco De Oro is an institution that honors its past, continues to improve on its present, and moves towards the future with confide nce and strength. It is a full service universal bank with one of the widest distribution networks.It has the ability to provide a complete array of industry-leading products and services including Lending (corporate, middle market, SME, and consumer), Deposit-taking, Foreign Exchange, Brokering, Trust and Investments, Credit Cards, Corporate Cash Management and Remittances in the Philippines. Through its subsidiaries, the Bank offers Leasing and Financing, Investment Banking, Private Banking, Banc assurance, Insurance Brokerage and Stock Brokerage services. Banco De Oro has been noted of its above average business growth.BDO is a member of the SM Group, one of the country's largest and most successful conglomerates with businesses spanning between retail, mall operations, property development (residential, commercial, resorts/hotel), and financial services. Although part of a family conglomerate, BDO’s day-to-day operations are handled by a team of professional managers and bank officers. Banco de Oro includes 740 domestic operating branches and 1,545 ATMs here in the Philippines. They also do services internationally they have 1 branch in Hong Kong and 19 remittance or representative offices in Asia, Europe, and United States.

Coming of Age in New Jersey by Michael Moffatt:

One learns real education in the college of self-education, where one’s mind is one’s Principal; one’s initiative, one’s Professors. One’s hard work, one’s tutors!   It provides you the correct decision making power. It makes you act. You are able to start a thing; you are also able to finish that thing and achieve your goal. The real education tells you, there is no victory or defeat in life –there is only permanent effort. What are theory text-books after all? They are the storehouse of experiences. True college education must stand the test of its practical application. According to Moffatt it should provide awareness, proper direction and destination to the student, in life. As a new and revealing perspective on the much-studied American college student, the observations contained in the book are highly authentic and path-breaking! Breaking through the facade of higher learning and discovering the actuality of college life (pertaining to the students, professors, and the institution as a whole). The book describes the plight of the American college student, who carries encyclopedia within his brain. He goes on accumulating knowledge, and doesn’t know much about its application—meaning thereby failure to perform to right things at the right time. Students don’t enter college just to study the prescribed textbooks relating to their syllabus—they are spending the very precious part, of the formative years of their life in the portals of college.   Every student has the problem, peculiar to his circumstances and the level of his progression in life. They learn what is individualism, what is friendship, the community feelings, color and race, ethnic problems, intellectual achievements, work and play and above all sex and gender related problems. The student is exposed to new situations all through his years in the college. The author is a faculty member in the Anthropology department at Rutgers University. He did his college studies twice. The objectives of his two attempts were different. On the first occasion, perhaps it was pure study—own career-oriented approach. At the second attempt, he was studying the students. Not what they study, but how they study, what they study! The old-guard was a fresher again, as a very senior student. He lived in the dorm, with the students. Could there by ay better method, for gathering authentic notes for his intended study? This he did, 20 years after his graduation. Moffatt realized that the young college student was a growing human plant. In the heart, he revolted against the prevailing educational system in America, severed from Nature and stifling all individuality. Moffatt had practical ideals to mold the education system. He advocated for new types of training and fearless experiments. Educational innovations for the college students need to become more numerous and more courageous, he advocated. When his second term as a student was over, Moffatt, offered his preliminary results for further scrutiny and comments by the students. The feedback obtained from the undergraduates, provided valuable data to refine his initial observations. He got more information from their perspective, and unique interpretations, that provided more creditability to the book. The book, in a way is jointly authored by the Professor and the students. The student’s actions, feelings, and thoughts about college (them giving more importance to the social world than the academic); Moffatt( as a student for the second time) makes an interesting observation, how the various officials, employees, professors etc. only knew the partial truth about the functioning of the college, not the whole truth. He writes, â€Å"The College was a very complicated place, made more complicated by its inclusion in a bigger and even more confusing university. Very few administrators understood all of it–even its formal organization—let alone how it actually worked. Most campus adults did not even try; they simply did their best to grasp those small parts of the college and the university that they needed to understand.†(Moffat, 1989, p. xv (preface) â€Å"I no longer understood my students†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ says Prof. Moffatt. There was no feeling of solidarity and responsibility. Exercise of self-reliance and individuality was not encouraged. Stern regard for duty, action without motivated desires, sacrifice and self-respect as well respect for others, were absent. The student was willing to be influenced by the impact of materialistic civilization totally, and the internet revolution did leave deep impact on him. Academic dignity and the great purpose of nobility of human life were sadly lacking. The distant and uncommunicative relationship between the students and professors and how that plays a part in the student’s actions and beliefs in/about college (affects the development of the students.) The study revealed many interesting factors. It brought to light the limited knowledge the students had about the structure/hierarchy of the teaching staff and their duties and responsibilities. The students never knew how Professors spent their time after the actual study hours, and about their research, thinking and the department politics. He writes, â€Å"Most students were not sure of the relation between the two most immediate authorities in their lives, the dean of students and the dean of Rutgers College. And very few of them could name any of the higher-level university officials between these two deans at the bottom of the administration and the president of Rutgers University at the top.†(Moffat, 1989, p.25) As for the Professors, they were not aware of what the students need to do every semester—how to budget their time against the time and space demands. Conclusion: What is the true purpose of education? Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel-prize winning poet from India puts it beautifully: â€Å"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, Where knowledge is free, Where the word has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls, Where words come from the depth of truth, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake!—education must lead an individual, a student to such height level of evolution. References Cited: Moffatt, Michael: Book: Coming of Age in New Jersey. Paperback: 376 pages Publisher: Rutgers University Press (March 1, 1989) Language: English ISBN-10: 0813513596 ISBN-13: 978-0813513591 Editorial Reviews      

What are the weaknesses of the European Concert System Essay

What are the weaknesses of the European Concert System - Essay Example Further Europe’s great powers signed a treaty to increase mutual cooperation and to prevent the recurrence of hegemony. This was known as the Congress of Vienna and was chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. Its purpose was to redraw the political map of Europe, which was in disarray due to the Napoleonic wars. France was excluded from this exercise as its boundaries had already been decided by the Treaty of Paris, signed on May 30, 1814. The specific aim of this Concert was to prevent the outbreak of revolution in their countries. This was due to the fact that the French Revolution of 1789 had spread terror amongst the leading powers of Europe. To this end, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Great Britain and France convened at the Congress of Vienna. The Great Powers met periodically and made efforts to ensure peace in Europe. A beneficial result was the formation of a framework for international diplomacy and negotiation. An example of this endeavor is the 1827 intervention by these Great Powers leading to the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Navarino. The main weakness of the European Concert was that it consisted of countries with different ideologies and this resulted in the lack of consensus. The European countries, with the exception of Britain, were interested in maintaining the political status quo in western and central Europe in order to suppress revolutionary outbreaks. However, Britain abstained from opposing any such threats to Spanish and Portuguese rule in Latin America.

Human Recources Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Recources Management - Assignment Example In their efforts to meets the needs of the employees, companies adopt Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This theory depicts five steps hierarchy of needs that employers should provide to their employees. These include physiological needs, safety, love, esteem and self-actualisation (Murphy, 2009, p. 24). On the other hand, reward is a tangible or intangible appreciation that is given to an employee after a good performance. The objective of a reward is to make an employee repeat the rewarded behaviour. For instance, in order to meet the physiological needs of the employees, organisations should reward them with food and water. Similarly, social needs of workers are met through rewarding them with affection, belongingness and love. Self-respect, improvement of status, prestige and self-esteem are key rewards that meet the esteem requirements of workers according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. 3.2 Job evaluation process and other factors emulated to determine pay Job evaluati on entails the strategies undertaken to analyse and assess the worth of jobs within a firm. One of the vital objectives of job evaluation is to ensure that employees are remunerated in an equitable way. Additionally, organisations undertake job evaluation to maintain an appropriate job grading techniques and to comply with legal requirements. Other factors that are used to determine employees pay include, minimum wage as stipulated by law, market rates of pay, equal pay and individual performance. British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd (BLMC), a UK based motor vehicle manufacturing company adopts piecework to remunerate its employees. The amount of pay is usually re-rated whenever a change occurs in the technique of production. According to the BLMC policies, a change in the job does not result to a reduction of the salary. To motivate its employees especially in the production facility, the company increases its payment rates during an introduction of a new model. In addition to the piecework, employees who are responsible for servicing the production lines are remunerated by time rate and bonuses. This is in addition to the minimum rate as depicted by the UK labour laws. 3.3 Effectiveness of reward systems To ensure that workers are focused at attaining their goals as well as the objectives of the entire organisation, it is imperative for employers to offer rewards that are intrinsic or extrinsic in nature. Through adoption of an effective rewards system, human resources managers play vital roles of retaining the loyalty of the employees and improving their performance. Some of the primary objectives of a reward system include motivating the workers, retaining productive labour force, responding to organisational skills as well as informing the potential and existing employees about the organisational values that attract high rewards. One of the notable UK Company that has put in place an effective reward system is Tesco supermarket. Being the second largest supermarket in the world after Wal-Mart, Tesco controls 36% of the UK grocery market. One form of a reward adopted by Tesco is training and development of its employees. In this way, all members of staff are given an opportunity to advance their career while working in the company. To make the training flexible, Tesco offers Apprenticeship and Options Development Programmes (Carolyn, 2011, p 3). Protecting employee’

The importance of the perception communication at work depending on Dissertation

The importance of the perception communication at work depending on the Generation X and Generation Y - Dissertation Example These diverse attitudes and principles translate differently in a workplace context, with both generations having unique values associated with what constitutes an effective and motivational business model. There are significant gaps in research literature describing what specific characteristics of a business model will motivate and inspire workers to achieve top quality performance in the job roles of Generation X and Generation Y. In most respects, knowledge on both generations tends to illustrate Generation X as an independent and headstrong generation with pre-established principles and values. In opposite accord, Generation Y is presented as more liberal, flexible, and success-minded in the organisational context. This sizeable gap in knowledge specifically includes knowledge of the importance of communications for both generations. ... 1.1 Research aims and objectives The aim of this research project is to determine the level of importance of communications in the workplace as it pertains to both generations. This is to determine if communications strategies can be an effective motivational model for both Generation X and Generation Y. This study maintains three specific objectives: Determine what actually motivates both Gen X and Gen Y in a workplace context Determine how both generations perceive communications as a motivational tool Identify proven models of motivation that have been effective in boosting performance for both Generation X and Generation Y. The study will consult with various secondary literature sources to paint a portrait of both generations, with special focus on attitudes, principles, experiences, and expectations for an organisational job role. Results of findings will be compared to a primary research project (which is described in this proposal’s methodology section) to determine wh ether communications can be considered a viable motivational model for both generations or for a single generation. The results of this study should assist in closing some of the gaps in literature that currently exists regarding motivational strategies for both generations and recommend a new model of motivation that could potentially improve business culture and strategic performance when applied to Gen X and Gen Y. The goal of the project is to create an innovation in knowledge about both generations that can provide new direction for managers in organisations that struggle with Gen X and Gen Y employees to gain top quality performance and dedication to meet strategic goals both short- and

Medical Terminology Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medical Terminology Project - Essay Example ISMP and the FDA plan to accomplish this through educational materials, in professional journals, and lectures at seminars.    It is recommend by ISMP and FDA that ISMP’s List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations be referenced whenever medical information is being shared. This includes internal communications, telephone/verbal prescriptions, computer-generated labels, labels for drug storage bins, medication administration records, and pharmacy and prescriber computer order entry screens, as well as product labeling, industry promotional materials, and medical publications. Some of the abbreviations on ISMP’s list are included in the current Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JC) National Patient Safety Goal 2B, a â€Å"do not use† list of error-prone abbreviations, but ISMP’s full listing includes additional medical notations that have been associated with medication errors reported to the ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Program. legible when using other abbreviations. Simple electronic prescription program can eliminate errors caused by handwriting and transcription errors, assist with dosing, and provided quick access to drug information.   In 2001, The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert on the subject of medical abbreviations, and just one year later, its Board of Commissioners approved a National Patient Safety Goal requiring accredited organizations to develop and implement a list of abbreviations not to use. In 2004, The Joint Commission created its â€Å"do not use† list of abbreviations (see next page) as part of the requirements for meeting that goal. In 2010, NPSG.02.02.01 was integrated into the Information Management standards as elements of performance 2 and 3 under IM.02.02.0 D/C Discharge or discontinue Premature discontinuation of medications if D/C (intended to mean â€Å"discharge†) has been

Marketing Research Objectives and marketing theory Essay

Marketing Research Objectives and marketing theory - Essay Example The simplest definition of marketing is however, the process of influencing consumer behaviour in a number of ways into purchasing a product according to a marketer’s agenda. The ways used to influence consumer behaviour vary but the commonality amongst all of them is to convey to the audience that the product is an object of necessity. Nowadays, communication of this sort is done between a marketer and its consumers through mediums such as advertising through the radio, print and the vibrant electronic media (Pride & Ferrell, 2011). Having had a general idea about the concept of marketing, in order to orchestrate it, marketers all around the world need to carry out some planning through researching to guide themselves and this is called marketing research. The American marketing association defines marketing research as being the means of creating a link between the consumer, customer, as well as public to the marketer with information which would enable him to identify marketing opportunities as well as issues, and lead towards making them more efficient and productive in every way (Malhotra, 2008). If this is so then it is understandable that in order to proceed towards conducting a marketing research a set of research objectives would be needed to make sure the effort is headed in the right direction (McDaniel & Gates, 1998); (Berkowitz, 2011)? The research objectives would and can be directly tailored according to the goal expected to be achieved through the process of the marketing research (McDaniel & Gates, 1998). If the aim of the marketing research by a marketer was to determine whether his food and drinks company for example should introduce a new ‘energy drink’, the research objectives of that specific marketing research campaign could be; Identify the differences between the tastes of the various drinks being offered by the competitors and compare them with their respective

Absenteeism & Motivation Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Absenteeism & Motivation Theories - Essay Example employees are not only required to contribute to their level best in their organizations but also required to show loyalty to the place where they earn from, so in order to get maximum from them and in order to utilize their talents at best, motivation is playing a tough role, so that employees keep on moving in the right dimension, they should think and work for their achievements as well as the organization's achievement and they should not give up in life ever.Keeping in view the growing needs of employees there are so many motivational theories that have taken place in the present day organizations, a lot of employees get motivated using such theories, in this discussion we would be discussing few of these theories that are useful for the employees in the given case, the main concerns would be on Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y, while other useful theory would be Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Both these theories work hand in hand for preventing stress and absenteeism in t he employees of organizations, mostly the stress has been found in financial institutions, yet many other industries have the employee issues. . McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y Theory X The assumption, which says that employees who dislike work are lazy, they dislike responsibility, and they must be coerced to perform well. This should be relatively more discussed in this case because either way the organization should be concerned with taking out work from the employees but it could be so wonderful if employees do not need any such dose and they somehow get shifted to Theory Y. Theory Y The assumption, which says that employees who love their work are creative, they seek responsibility and they can exercise self-direction. The organizations should try to bring their employees under this theory naturally and this is what we would be discussing. Douglas McGregor gave two different views of human beings, the first view is the negative view and is known as theory X, the other view is positive and is known as theory Y, the entire explanation of the theory says that the manager shows his or her behavior according to certain assumptions, the theory X would be the effective one here, as the employees are assumed to be forced to work, the four basic assumptions for theory X are, 1. Employees inherently dislike work and whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it. 2. Since employees dislike work, they must be coerced, controlled, or threatened with, punishment to achieve goals. 3. Employee will avoid responsibilities and seek formal direction whenever possible. 4. Most workers place security above all other factors associated with work and will display little ambition.Now lets have a look at the assumptions of theory Y that is not applicable in this case because of the fact that employees are not hardworking and not devoted to their work. But the organization has to bring them in this category. 1. Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play. 2. People will exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives. 3. The average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibility. 4. The ability to make innovative decisions is widely dispersed through out the population and is not necessarily the sole province

Volvo Cars Essay Example for Free

Volvo Cars Essay 1) Why had Volvo lost its way in the years leading up to the takeover? Volvo started to manufacture and export cars to foreign countries since the mid-1950s. The company set up plants in Torslanda, Sweden, in 1964, followed by plants in Belgium and the Netherlands. Before Volvo was sold to Ford Motor Company in 1999, they had a joint-venture partnership with Pininfarina SpA of Italy. (Volvo Car: 2007 company profile edition 2, 2007, pp. 9-11) Volvo is a premium brand; with market shares of 1.5% and 0. 6% in the EU and US respectively (Wang 2011). Volvo faces competition and threat from Premium brands like Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi, who have increased product offerings. While the competing premium brands increase their product offering, Volvo markets 10 models under Brand categories S, XC, C and V. This gives the competing premium brand an advantage over Volvo, therefore enabling them to grasp a bigger market share then compared to Volvo. The company’s market shares are further threatened by the growing invasion of the Asian car manufacturers. (Volvo Car: 2007 company profile edition 3: SWOT analysis, 2007, pp. 12-13). During the recent years, a rise in cars manufactured by the Asian market has been affecting the automobile industry. Asian car manufacturers have the advantage of producing cars at the cheaper cost compared to cars from the US and EU regions. This enable them to export cars to foreign market at a cheaper rate. Thus, apart from competing premium brands, Volvo faces increasing competition from emerging Asian car manufacturers. One of Volvo’s major competitor, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz car division have implemented a strategic initiatives to run the cost down and revenues up by reduction in costs of materials, fixed cost, improved efficiencies and overall improvement (Volvo Car: 2007 company profile edition 3: Competitor analysis, 2007, pp. 6-8). In comparison, Volvo’s high cost of premium cars is a result of cars being made in Sweden and then imported. â€Å"This makes the Volvo brand cars expensive when compared to the others, which enjoy strong regional production and distribution operations.† (Volvo Car: 2007 company profile edition 3: SWOT analysis, 2007, pp. 12-13). Volvo is also affected by the increasing prices of steel, and other raw materials which eventually threatens the company’s margin and profitability (Volvo Car Corporation: 2006 company profile edition 2, 2006, pp. 12-13). When compared to Asian car manufacturers, the competition enjoys cheaper labor costs and plant facilities that have been set up in the developing countries. Apart from export costs and increasing prices of raw materials, Volvo also has to take account for their higher labor cost when compared to the Asian Market. Volvo did not show growth in the market share, making it a small player. Volvo’s markets were generally focused on the US and the Swedish markets. However, other EU countries have shown growth. The recent years have also shown growth in the Chinese market. Volvo have less market exposure compared to the other premium brands as well as the Asian brands. â€Å"Volvo has been losing money for a continuous period of 4 years† (Wang, 2011, p. 24). The reduction in sales is the major reason for Volvo’s financial problems. Volvo was hit financial crisis in second quarter of 2006 making a loss in the global operations. After the losses, Volvo decided to cut costs in all areas, this was the reason behind the reduction in employees. â€Å"Tough currency exchange rates and an aged product line have hammered Volvo revenues, forcing a second round of employee cutbacks† (Rechtin, 2006, p. 3). After the financial problems, Ford decided to sell Volvo. Volvo have been affected by the growth of its competitors and their market expansion, eventually leading to its fall. 2) What are the risks for Geely in trying to turn around a premium brand such as Volvo? This acquisition has been the subject of heavy speculation by the media, as it went against the norm of the acquirer being better off than the acquired. The first risk that Geely being a Chinese company and Volvo being a Swedish company will face is that the, differences in work culture and environmental culture would be prominent. The Swedish and the Chinese are very different in terms of work and environmental cultures. The risk of Geely trying to impose Chinese culture upon the Swedish based company might impact the merger negatively. One such internationally criticized union was Daimler’s acquisition of Chrysler. It was reported that, â€Å"this clash was intrinsic to a union between two companies which had such different wage structures, corporate hierarchies and values† (Finkelstein, 2002, p. 4). While Daimler established a hierarchical company with a chain of command, Chrysler was team-oriented. Differences also existed between the products begin offered. While Chrysler had car models which displayed reliability for competitive prices, Daimler-Benz had cars offering quality at any cost. Geely-Volvo also have differing products; Volvo being recognized for its quality, safety and premium brand, Geely, on the other hand, produces lower, cost effective range of cars. Integration of the two companies would be risky as it would be difficult to merge management styles. Using an example from the Daimler-Chrysler union, Chrysler was known for â€Å"its assertiveness and risk-taking cowboy aura, all produced within a cost-controlled atmosphere.† (Finkelstein, 2002, p. 5), while Daimler is known for its German engineering, quality and precision. Similarly, Volvo is known for its’ quality and safety. â€Å"Over the years Volvos design and production have been closely integrated with Fords, so much so that it will take years to unstitch them† (Devolving Volvo, 2010). This poses as a challenge for Geely to be able to manage Volvo from its’ style of management that has been adopted from Ford. â€Å"Acquirers often under-estimate the scale of integration.† (Pearson, 2013). BMW acquired Rover without completely estimating the scale of integration that would be needed. â€Å"BMW acquired Rover in a hurry, and never got to grips with the business before selling it at an estimated loss of Euro 4.1bn.† (Pearson, 2013). Geely might run the risk of not completely understanding the scale of integration that would be required and the type of business model that is adopted by Volvo. Without understanding the type of company Volvo is, Geely might make the same mistake as BMW. In order to overcome this, Geely will need to develop strong leadership skills and the scale of integration between the two companies needs to be effectively evaluated and implemented in order for this merger to bear fruits. Had BMW looked at the operations and business model adopted by Rover, they would have had a better understanding if Rover’s Problems. BMW would have been better equipped to handle Rover’s problems, similarly, if Geely has a better understanding of Volvo’s operations it will be able to direct it towards success. Another such risk is in the investment that Geely would have to make in order to make Volvo profitable again. â€Å"Turning around Volvo Car needs a large amount of input which will definitely burden Geely in the initial investment period.† (Huihui, 2012, p. 41). Volvo would need a considerable amount of investment if it is going to overcome the reasons it failed in the first place. Volvo needs to broaden its product offerings and increase its market exposure if it is going to compete with other premium brands. Geely and Volvo differ hugely in terms of Cost structure. Geely, being the owner of Volvo, will need to invest heavily in Volvo cars to maintain its quality, premium brand name and its cost structure. Geely on the other hand, will be able to make cars with lesser cost and sell it at a more affordable price. Geely needs to be able to understand the difference in the cost models. Geely will have to overcome differences, invest heavily and be a strong leader in order to make this a profitable take over. 3) In your view, was the purchase of Volvo a brilliant strategic decision, or a mistake? Explain. Based on my view the purchase of Volvo was a good strategic decision made my Geely. Geely has a lot to gain from this take over. One advantage is its access to Volvo’s technologies and expert knowledge on the international automobile industry. Geely will have access to Volvo’s expertise on medium-sized vehicles, the indoor air quality and especially safety. Volvo owns advanced skills on a large range of technology, and is renowned for its safety features. Geely can use this technology to its competitive advantage to improve the quality of its product in the domestic market and international market. Geely has been facing difficulties as it could not meet the safety and emissions standards in those areas. (Wang, 2011). Apart from access to Volvo’s intellectual property rights, Geely will have also gained access into Volvo’s global marketing network and supplier base. Geely is very ambitious and keen to enter the American and European markets. It can now use Volvo’s network and supply chain to access the international market. The use of the same supply chain will also help Geely minimize its cost, and be more efficient. Volvo is a renowned premium brand, however as discussed above, it lacks market exposure and a diversified product offering base. With proper leadership and management, Volvo can boost its profit and market growth. If Geely is able to provide a good leadership and guidance, it would be able to enjoy the profits that Volvo, as a premium brand, would offer. Volvo, already being an established brand, would only require good marketing, expansion and cost reduction strategy. Geely can reapthe fruits of a globally established brand with much ease. Geely has made acquisitions that can also benefit Volvo. â€Å"The first acquisition happened in 2009 when Geely paid AUS$58 million for purchasing Drivetrain Systems International (DSI), an Australian transmission company.† (Wang, 2011, p. 19). This acquisition of DSI, could be used to help both Geely and Volvo benefit from advanced in-house transmissions that can be produced cost effectively and gain a competitive edge on their competitors. Volvo can gain advantage from Geely offering a more Ccost effective production line. Volvo now has the capability to set up manufacturing plants in China, which will inevitably help them in cost reduction. Volvo can use Geely’s supply chains in China, which will encourage growth in the Chinese market. Geely is said to â€Å"repurposing a nearly completed Geely plant in south-western China to make Volvo cars—part of a turnaround strategy† (Shirouzu, 2010). By using China to manufacture cars, it can be cost effective on it supply chain, as well as cost effective labour. However, on the other hand, this strategic decision might backfire. As discussed above, Geely is taking a big risk by taking over a Volvo. A premium brand like Volvo would require large investments towards their manufacturing to ensure quality, as well as towards market expansion and diversification in product offering. Geely will also have to take into account the investment it would have to put towards research and development. The challenges Geely will have to overcome to make this an effective decision is â€Å"Geelys lack of global stature, as well as its past reputation for making low-end vehicles, could be a drag on Volvos reputation† (Shirouzu, 2010). While Volvo is considered as a premium brand, acquisition by a small Chinese company might tarnish the Volvo brand name. One of the more successful alliance is of the French Renault and the Japanese Nissan. The two companies faced similar problems likes culture differences, language barrier and financial situation. However, the objective adopted by this alliance is â€Å"to establish a powerful automotive group and develop synergies while conserving the corporate culture and identity of each brand† (Wang, 2011, p. 41). Taking an example from this, Geely and Volvo would need to develop a successful strategy if it has to overcome their differences. I believe, the strategic decision can be an effective one, provided Geely demonstrate good leadership qualities as well as develop an effective strategy in order to ensure profitability from both, Geely and Volvo.

Economic Analysis of Nintendo

Economic Analysis of Nintendo Nintendo is a company which manufactures video games and gaming consoles and it is not new company as, it have been one of the oldest in the stock market. This company actually produces different devices of technology that upgrade the new videogames that had launched in the world, the name of Nintendo is very famous and became the most dominant in the in the games industry. And eventually most people universally known NES from many years and must have seen its success and also its debts from many years, which any company faces both of them. It was the leading game worldwide who dominated the market in video games for many years till their critical step they took in the year 1993, taking over SNES which is also known as Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo sold about 565 million of hard ware units and 3.4 billion software units and currently it is one of the best companies in the games history. (Techshout 2011) Nintendo Company Limited is one of the oldest and also one of the best games of all times which is originally from Japan, Kyoto. The name Nintendo was given by a Japanese name called HanaFuda which was launched in the year 1889 as a playing card. These cards were 52-deck playing card these were mostly made for exports but were later sold in Japan for the increasing population. However, later it grew and become one of the largest business producers in video games, selling games like The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Pokà ©mon and Super Mario Brothers. Even after so much completion if you ask any game producer company like Sony, Microsoft, and many more, where did they get the idea or the start Im sure they will tell you only one name Nintendo, the meaning of Nintendo in English means the thing we can do the best and rest leave it to God. Nintendo WII and Sony play station and also Microsoft Xbox went high in the stock market in the year of 2011where youngsters around had it. These ga mes have a lot of tools like listening to music and using internet and in that way they could download movies and play video games online. (Kotaku 2009) The first video game launched by Nintendo was the Nintendo ES, which was grey color box which had only x and o to play with, followed by many games like Nintendo super As, 64 Nintendo, Nintendo, Nintendo Revolution which was launched in late 2006. Hence, later famous games which had a good name and a great sales turnover for Nintendo which made their profit increase and produce more products, then the game boy launched in the market and after seeing such a big success it launched the advance version of its which was later called Gameboy advance, and then Nintendo DS. Nintendo noticed a great fall in its sales between Nintendo 64 and Nintendo, because of the great game launched by Sony, called the Sony PlayStation and people would buy Sony play station than Nintendo 64 and Nintendo. The Sony PlayStation 2 and also Microsoft which launched into the market its Product called Xbox, had some features of the other games but in an advanced level. Having some debts thing didnt affect Nintendo much because they knew that they will come back into the market with games that are more powerful than their last ones and in that case it would have the demand of the market by their side, with advance advanced gaming system, like now we can see in this graph that as it went by it keeps on increasing by million units. (Gizmodo 2006) 2. Trends analysis 2.1 Past of Nintendo The Game cube was unveiled on August 24th 2000 but customers were only allowed to buy it during the launch in November 18th 2001. During the launch of the GameCube, it was recorded as the fastest selling home video games console. Within North America over 500,000 systems were sold which was double than Microsofts Xbox and was 25% faster than the launch of the PS2. Nintendo had made about a $100 million on GameCubes and merchandise that was related and with the release of the Harry Potter and the sorcerers Stone earned them a gross of $93.5 million. (Cubicle2001). Even thou the Game Cube had done really well in its launch; it did have an outstanding performance well over the years after of its life hood the market share were majorly occupied by the Sony PlayStation2 and then Microsoft Xbox, leaving the Nintendo GameCube last. The game developing companies that produced games for each console have shown the destitution of their products to each console. This is a combination of EA, Avt ivision, UBISOFT, THQ, and Midway. These were companies that produced games. (the guardian 2012) You can see that the Sony PlayStation had an upper hand when it came to talks about market shares but over the quarters there have been substantial drops of sales. Not only just for Sony but also in Microsoft and Nintendo, yet still Nintendo being the worst out of them all. Even thou it was shown to be the greatest ever gaming consoles to be sold over there year leaving PS2 and Xbox to eat its dirt. 3. Economic Analysis 3.1 Production Possibility Frontier As Nintendo manufactures many gaming devices and consoles they always kept the primary objective as one. In 2009 when the new Nintendo DS was launched it made a great profit for Nintendo company and after one year when they fully launched Nintendo Wii which was a blast for the competition which made a profit of millions was in their choice that which one to manufacture more either the Nintendo DS or Nintendo Wii. And in the below given diagram u can see how do they do this. As in the diagram above you can see that the console Wii is manufactured in maximum rate of 2000 per month and if they manufacture 2250 Nintendo ds devices than they will make more Wiis and if they reduce the output for Wii than the output for Nintendo ds Wii increase. 3.2 supply and demand Demand for Nintendo device in the market and competition stands higher than Xbox and ps3 because Nintendo operates portable devices and consoles which other companies have not done yet. And Nintendo Wii was the first game in which you can actually react outside the screen and your own prototype will do the same movies in the screen. In Nintendo Wii you can have games that can provide you home fitness such as yoga, cardio exercises and such games which really help your movements to get refreshed and make you stay in fitness. After Nintendo Wii was launched Xbox bought up their Kinect through which you can do the similar things as Nintendo Wii but with better graphics and improved technology than Nintendo Wii. Quantity Demanded In the diagram above you can see the demand for the Nintendo Wii and as you can see the demand for the console is high and people are ready to buy it in an affordable price and if there is a decrease in price of Wii than the demand for it will increase automatically. Nintendo has their supply all over the world and it makes great amount of profit from all the places where it supplies its devices and consoles. If Nintendo would increase the value of their products, people would not wish to buy their products anymore so they should supply in a particular limit in the monthly basis and in that case they should keep lower prices from which they can take their profit out and a price which would be reasonable for the people to buy. In the diagram above as you have seen that Nintendo supplies at the price of P1 and they supple Q1 amount of goods so if Nintendo starts to transport more goods than they will have to increase the price together as well because of the other cost of exporting the goods. 3.3 Opportunity Cost In 2007 Nintendo DS was one of the best portable device and 170,000 devices were sold in Australia and if in one country Nintendo DS was sold in thousands of quantity then how much would they would have sold in the rest of the part of the world. When Nintendo Wii was launched it was a big challenge for the other gaming competitors because it was a total different technology and which made sales huge amount of sales around the world and at that time Nintendo DS was not that competitive so Nintendo lowered down the sales of Nintendo DS and the plan they had was to keep Wii in the market and stop Nintendo DS and after a while bring up Nintendo DS up with a better technology so as they planned they have now launched their latest Nintendo 3DS which is a convenient device and in which the games are all in 3D and without using 3D glasses people will be able to play in 3D just believing in their eyes. 3.4 Economies of scale As Nintendo has a very good reputation in the market and they hold a very good position in the market and people are willing to buy their products more so if Nintendo increases the quantity of supplying more goods and specializing on more technology which is going to happen if they get more capital into the business and invest them to get more machinery for more output and making sure of using them properly because it will be of no use if they get a new machine and they dont use it. More supply and decreasing the prices will result into economies of scale. 3.5 Pricing When a product is manufactured the cost of making that product is the original price of the product and the value added on it is the profit and the original value is used to manufacture same product again and the profit left after it is either distributed or invested into the business for more production. 3.6 Law of diminishing Returns Nintendo is a multinational company and it operates in more than one country so it is a huge company and they loads of sales and profit earnings they must have many employees labors. Having many labors a firm and giving them the same task is not that good because there will be some of them who will try to escape from work and be dependent on others which is not there and they will not be affected by anything because they will be paid in the end of the month. It is always better to have limited amount of labors and giving every different labor an altered task. Removing the lazy workers and having the good ones is always a better option and which will also save cost and that amount can be used in many other things such as getting more raw materials, giving more security services to the workers who work, savings for the working workers and in the end of the month giving them bonuses and etc. 3.7 Production cost and nature of competition for Nintendo: Nintendo is a Japanese company that specializes in video game consoles. The product line includes Game Boy line, Color TV Game, NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), SNES, Virtual Boy, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Game-Cube, Game-boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and various video games that are sold world-wide. Nintendo: Production Cost Nintendo is clearly the leading video game selling console for the current generation. It manages to sell more than the leading rivals combined on a regular basis and now there are suggestions that indicate Nintendo might be prepared to reduce prices in order to make its devices even more attractive. Analysts have said that costs associated with manufacturing Nintendo devices have fallen quite clearly since the initial introduction into the market. In fact, the various components and the process itself has been discovered to be 45% cheaper. As a result, the gaming device will get a price cut in order to boost sales. In some ways the price reduction has been seen as necessary for Nintendo due to its recently disappointing performance in some regions. A reduced manufacturing price for Nintendo devices means that the company is making more money on each console it sells. Other sources have discovered that just because Nintendo can it doesnt mean it will drop the systems price. This might be especially relevant for consumers in areas which recently saw the devices take a hike in price due to the declining value of their currency. Overall, some consumers find the company currents devices to be expensive but others say its fair considering the technology offered, so whether or not we agree with the current prices or not, it all comes down to whether or not we believe we are getting our moneys worth. Either way, whoever at Nintendo figured out a cheaper way to construct the devices must have earned a promotion. Conclusion Nintendo a well know Japanese multinational corporation based in Kyoto, Japan is the worlds most famous gaming company specialized in card and video gaming, Founded by Fusajiro Yamachi when it first started to produce card games which it aimed for export but was also demanded by the local market and has lead it into becoming worldwide gaming company with millions of production each year and new version coming up often with better and much more functions. It has kept high profile for its goodwill till the 1990s,However it has seen a decrease in its sales after the competition firms such as Sony, Microsoft etc. till 2006 until the production of the Nintendo Revolution which has given the organization a goodwill and brought it back to the market. Moreover which has given the green light to create an advanced version of it called Gameboy and later changed it to Gameboy Advanced with faster processors and better effects. On the other hand Nintendo plans to launch a new home console sometime in 2012 and has also show interests in increasing the Nintendo 3DS and Wii awareness. Nintendo is aiming to have a steady release of software over the next year, no huge gaps between releases as it seems, however there has been no dates issued but has disclosed the future plans as the following There are plans to enhance the line-up for the 3DS, internationally Nintendo says beginner, middle and core gamers are all related Nintendo is dedicated to expanding the core gamer audience More collaborations with third parties is promised, including content for online networks Nintendo wont allow another gap in software releases Steady stream of software to be released next year 16 million 3DS hardware sales target is not conservative, but aggressive The priority this year is 3DS hardware sales, and as such, Nintendos profitability has been sacrificed Nintendo is aiming to grow the 3DS to being a core platform There isnt a lot of opportunity for Street Pass in USA Implied release of Wii U to be later than June 2012 Assumption of Wii U launch in Japan in September, EU/NA in November The Wii Us final version will be shown at E3 next year Nintendo is aiming to accelerating digital offerings and downloadable content A Pokà ©mon game may be arriving in Spring, and it might be related to Poke Park 2 (Nardi 2011)