Hezbollah's fight with Israel in 2006 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hezbollah's fight with Israel in 2006 - Essay Example Given the harsh rhetoric against Israel in the Middle East for the past few decades, it may be a matter of time until one of those neighbors develops the support, and the military resources, to invade and devastate the tiny Israeli nation as a means of removing the Jewish presence from Jerusalem. This kind of conflict would ignite the entire Middle East in a war against the West, given the support that Israel enjoys from the United States and Europe. Therefore, the 2006 July War was not only a frightening experience for the parties directly involved, but the whole world. Although Israel received much criticism for its unmatched hostilities against Hezbollah and Lebanon, one could certainly argue that Israel was justified in taking those measures. On July 12, 2006, Hezbollah paramilitary forces engaged an Israeli patrol on the Israeli side of the border. This left three Israeli soldiers dead and two captured. Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister of Israel, responded with systematic bombing s of southeastern Lebanon, which killed far more civilians than Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah responded to these bombings with unsystematic, indiscriminate missile launches at towns and civilians in northern Israel. One side, the Israelis, endeavored to take away Hezbollah’s ability to fight. The other side, Hezbollah, vowed to keep going until Israel stopped its aggression. When the conflict stopped by UN ceasefire on August 14th, nearly 1,000 Lebanese were dead and nearly a million were displaced by the violence. The economies of both countries clearly suffered, especially with the destruction of vast infrastructures in Lebanon, which essentially put that country 20 years behind. Through this experience, however, one could certainly argue that Hezbollah was the winner, not Israel, despite the extensive damage done by the Israeli forces to Lebanon. Knowing that Israel’s objective during the July War was to destroy Hezbollah’s ability to engage in war and kill I sraeli civilians, Israel failed to more than temporarily diminish that ability. The Lebanese people grew to identify with Hezbollah through the experience, partly because they saw Hezbollah as their only protectors against the huge Israel. However, Hezbollah has been reportedly restocked with weapons from Syria and Iran, which means that this kind of conflict could restart at any time in the near future (Tristam, 2006). With Hezbollah’s increased support from other countries, it is a dangerous situation right now for Israel, who saw its reputation suffer deeply from the events of the July War. But even though Israel’s reputation suffered as a result of its actions in July 2006, one could very well argue, as many Zionists and supporters of Israel have done, that their actions were justified in the way of Hezbollah’s initial aggression (Bentov, 2007). Clearly, the killing of Israel soldiers by another military is an act of war. Unfortunately for Israel, Hezbollah is not a true â€Å"military† in the sense that it has a standing army. Israel then targeted their enemy as closely as they could, but failed to achieve the kind of precision that would have earned them victory. Perhaps Israel would have benefited from using tactical forces on the ground, and not using its air force to bomb targets in crowded urban areas. Despite that, it seems Israel was entitled to some

I am studing phd in operatioanal research and applied statistics my Thesis

I am studing phd in operatioanal research and applied statistics my topic is Data Envelopment Analysis in health care - Thesis Example In this case, the medicine commerce is one of the most prominent industries that make use of this envelopment approaches. Efficiency capacity has been a domain of incredible interest as firms have strived to better efficiency. Causes for this focus were best claimed half a century ago by Farrell in his archetypal document on the measurement of dynamic efficiency. Farrell additionally stated that that chief cause that all trials to resolve the issue and failed, was because of a failure to join the measurements of the numerous inputs into whichever reasonable measure of efficiency (Kuah, Wong & Behrouzi, 2010, p. 3). These insufficient methods creating standard proficiency for one input while disregarding all additional inputs, and building an index of efficiency in which a weighted standard of inputs is compared with efficiency. Reacting to these insufficiencies of distinct indices of labor proficiency and capital profitability were suggested by Farrell an operation scrutiny method that can more efficiently tackle the issue (Cook 7 Seiford, 2009, p. 5). His measures were intended to be applicable to whichever productive firm. From a workshop to an entire financial system, Farrell apparently confined his digital cases and discussion to one output situation, even though Farrell was capable of making a multiple output case (Kuah, Wong & Behrouzi, 2010, p. 3). The provision of a reasonable assessment of every DMU could be argued out that in whichever provided criteria ought to be contrasted simply to other units in similar or less-deprived criteria. A DMU under substantial struggle would be unethic ally punished if contrasted to units in importantly more promising modest surroundings. In the nonexistence of renowned multipliers such as Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes and many others, anticipated deriving suitable multipliers for a provided DMU by resolving a specific non-linear software design issue. Particularly, if DMU is being designed under consideration, the CCR

Accounting Materiality Case Essay Example for Free

Accounting Materiality Case Essay After the release of the SFAC No. 8, your definition of materiality has been brought into question. In the past, your rule for determining materiality was based solely on quantitative data, where an event was only material if its impact was more than a given percentage of the income statement amounts. Using a quantitative measure is effective because it keeps the process objective; however there are also times when the quantitative difference doesn’t adequately demonstrate the true effect of an action. For this reason, â€Å"materiality is an entity-specific aspect of relevance based on the nature [quality] or magnitude [quantity] or both items,† as stated in Q:11 of the SFAC No. 8. For The Framework Company each of the following closing entries must be judged on a case-by-case level on the parameters of whether it could influence decisions that our users make. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay 1)In this entry, the company is paying a fine of a foreign subsidiary. The amount is less than 3% of net income, making it quantitatively immaterial. The description of the case lists that after the fine is paid, business will go back to normal with only slight changes. However, this is qualitatively material because it shows that the company did something unlawful which makes users question the company’s integrity and ethical standards. 2)This entry shows an investment in an expansion of the company. The impact on the company amounts to only 4.3% of its total assets (it was predetermined that the bar for materiality is 5%) so it is not quantitatively material. However, in terms of this action affecting a user’s decision about the company, this entry is definitely material. It represents an expansion of the company which users can either see as promising for future growth or frightening because it’s a risky investment. 3)Generally a loss, no matter the size isn’t seen as material due to the fact that it tends to be a one-time thing, compared to an expense that occurs regularly. However, in this case the amount of the loss proves to be material both quantitatively and qualitatively. Its impact on net income is above the 3% predetermined materiality threshold, making it quantitatively material. Also, it was determined that more of these losses may be coming in the near future for this line and that it’s becoming more delinquent. These two qualitative aspects are very impactful for a user’s decision regarding the company because they show serious problems with one of the company’s most profitable line and puts huge question marks on the quality of the product. 4)In this entry, the management made the decision to self regulate based on a court case of a similar company. The amount of additional expense accounts for 4% of the net income, making it a quantitatively material. The main reason this decision is also qualitative is due to the fact that the additional $200,000 in expenses needs to be explained to the user to show that The Framework Company is being responsible and cautious by policing themselves. 5)The ruling in a litigation case is that The Framework Company owes credit customers 325,000 in damages, which is 6.5% of net income. The company plans to appeal the case and believes they have a good defense in that appeal. A large portion of their customer base was involved in this case, meaning if the ruling is overturned some of their customers could take their business elsewhere. That makes this entry both quantitative and qualitatively material. 6)This 200,000 dollar loan that didn’t show up in the financial statements would only increase the assets by 0.08%, making it quantitatively immaterial. This event is a one-time occurrence for the company, because the chance of a payment being â€Å"mishandled† should be small. Since it is a small portion of the balance sheet and is something that won’t frequently happen, this entry is quantitatively and qualitatively immaterial. Based on The Framework Company’s current accounting standards, this set of post-closing entries is quantitatively material because the sum of all the changes is greater than 3% of their net income and equal to 5% of assets. Even if the sum of the changes didn’t surpass the preset threshold, it would still be smart to report these entries based on the idea of conservatism. The accountants are responsible for the information released, so if they leave something out that a user would deem important, they are liable. So, when in doubt, it’s best to release the information. The SFAC No. 8 mentions a number of times that cases of materiality, such as this one, cannot be decided by a general set of standards. The concept of materiality is too difficult to restrain. Under our current system, the expansion branch (entry 2) would be considered immaterial due to is size relative to our total assets. However, this entry really is material because it means so much to the future of the company and that’s what financial report users are looking for. The only standard that can be set when dealing with materiality is does this entry â€Å"influence decisions that users make on the basis of the financial information† (SFAC No. 8, Q:11).

Product and market analysis of Ice Cream

Product and market analysis of Ice Cream Kulfi is a popular South Asian, ice cream made with boiled milk typically from water buffalo. It comes in many flavors, including pistachio, malai, mango, cardamom (elaichi), and saffron (kesar). Kulfi differs from western ice cream in that it is richer in taste and creamier in texture. As well, where western ice creams are whipped with air or overrun, kulfi contains no air; it is solid dense frozen milk. It is made by boiling milk until it is reduced to half. Then sugar is added and the mixture is boiled for another ten minutes. Then flavorings, dried fruits, cardamom, etc. are added. The mixture is then put in moulds and frozen. One can eat kulfi plain as is or it can be garnished with ground cardamom, saffron, or pistachio nuts. As well, Kulfi is also served with Falooda vermicelli noodles. But since the kulfi could not become world famous, with the concept of kulfi, ice-cream was started in 1981 in India. Then onwards it has been one big journey. on the road. Now, Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor brings to you the new generation of Ice Creamsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The Evolution of Ice Cream Ice creams origins are not known to reach back as far as the second century B.C., although no specific date of origin nor has inventor been undisputable credited with its discovery. We know that Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar. Biblical references also show that King Solomon was fond of iced drinks during harvesting. During the Roman Empire, Nero Claudius Caesar (A.D. 54-86) frequently sent runners into the mountains for snow, which was then flavored with fruits and juices. Over a thousand years later, Marco Polo returned to Italy from the Far East with a recipe that closely resembled what is now called sherbet. Historians estimate that this recipe evolved into ice cream sometime in the 16th century. England seems to have discovered ice cream at the same time, or perhaps even earlier than the Italians. Cream Ice, as it was called, appeared regularly at the table of Charles I during the 17th century. France was introduced to similar frozen desserts in 1553 by the Italian Catherine de Medici when she became the wife of Henry II of France. It wasnt until 1660 that ice cream was made available to the general public. The Sicilian Procope introduced a recipe blending milk, cream, butter and eggs at Caf Procope, the first caf in Paris. Ice Cream for America The first official account of ice cream in the New World comes from a letter written in 1744 by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen. The first advertisement for ice cream in this country appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, when confectioner Philip Lenzi announced that ice cream was available almost every day. Records kept by a Chatham Street, New York, merchant show that President George Washington spent approximately $200 for ice cream during the summer of 1790. Inventory records of Mount Vernon taken after Washingtons death revealed two pewter ice cream pots. President Thomas Jefferson was said to have a favorite 18-step recipe for an ice cream delicacy that resembled a modern-day Baked Alaska. In 1812, Dolley Madison served a magnificent strawberry ice cream creation at President Madisons second inaugural banquet at the White House. Until 1800, ice cream remained a rare and exotic dessert enjoyed mostly by the elite. Around 1800, insulated ice houses were invented. Manufacturing ice cream soon became an industry in America, pioneered in 1851 by a Baltimore milk dealer named Jacob Fussell. Like other American industries, ice cream production increased because of technological innovations, including steam power, mechanical refrigeration, the homogenizer, electric power and motors, packing machines, and new freezing processes and equipment. In addition, motorized delivery vehicles dramatically changed the industry. Due to ongoing technological advances, todays total frozen dairy annual production in the United States is more than 1.6 billion gallons. Wide availability of ice cream in the late 19th century led to new creations. In 1874, the American soda fountain shop and the profession of the soda jerk emerged with the invention of the ice cream soda. In response to religious criticism for eating sinfully rich ice cream sodas on Sundays, ice cream merchants left out the carbonated water and invented the ice cream Sunday in the late 1890s. The name was eventually changed to sundae to remove any connection with the Sabbath. Ice cream became an edible morale symbol during World War II. Each branch of the military tried to outdo the others in serving ice cream to its troops. In 1945, the first floating ice cream parlor was built for sailors in the western Pacific. When the war ended, and dairy product rationing was lifted, America celebrated its victory with ice cream. Americans consumed over 20 quarts of ice cream per person in 1946. In the 1940s through the 70s, ice cream production was relatively constant in the United States. As more prepackaged ice cream was sold through supermarkets, traditional ice cream parlors and soda fountains started to disappear. Now, specialty ice cream stores and unique restaurants that feature ice cream dishes have surged in popularity. These stores and restaurants are popular with those who remember the ice cream shops and soda fountains of days past, as well as with new generations of ice cream fans. According to legend, Marco Polo brought the secrets of ice cream with him from the Orient, together with other sundry savories. There is, however, no proof of that, although there is some evidence that the Chinese indulged in iced drinks and desserts, which gives some weight to the Marco Polo theory. The Chinese did, however, teach Arab traders how to combine syrups and snow, to make an early version of the sherbet. Arab traders proceeded to show Venetians, then Romans, how to make this frozen delight. The Emperor Nero was quite fond of pureed fruit, sweetened with honey, and then mixed with snowso much so that he had special cold rooms built underneath the imperial residence in order to store snow. In the 1500s, Catherine de Medici brought the concept of the sorbet to the French, who were soon to make a great improvement on it. As you will have noted, the above are frozen desserts, not ice cream. That invention awaited the development of the custard, then the discovery that freezing it would create a delectable dessert. This notable event occurred in 1775 in France, and was shortly followed by the invention of an ice cream machine, which did a much better job of creating a light and fluffy frozen custard than beating by hand could do. Thomas Jefferson, who imitated Nero in having a special cold room for storing snow, provides us with the first recipe for ice cream found in the United States. Not to be outdone, George Washington invested in one of the ice cream machines. Until 1851, ice cream (or, more frequently, cream ice) was solely made at home. But an intrepid man from Baltimore, named Jacob Fussell changed all that by opening the first ice cream factory. Near the turn of the century, the ice cream soda was created, although by who seems to be in questioneither James W. Tuff or Robert Green. It does seem to have been done by accident, howevera scoop of ice cream falling in a glass of flavored soda water. At any rate, the drink became a national craze, and many a girl and boy went courting over an ice cream soda. So many, in fact, that many municipalities passes laws forbidding the sale of soda water on Sunday. Quickly afterwards, the sundae was inventedit contained the ice cream, syrup, and whipped cream of the soda, but without the evil influence of soda water. Numerous variations existed. The next ice cream craze with the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Saint Louis. Charles Menches was doing a lively business selling scoops of ice cream in dishes, all the way up to the point that he ran out of dishes. Frustrated, but determined to still find a way to make a profit, he lighted upon his friend Ernest Hamwi, who was selling a wafer-like cookie called zalabia (a Syrian treat). The combination proved irrestible. HISTORY OF THE ICE CREAM CONE For over a century, Americans have been enjoying ice cream on a cone. Whether its a waffle cone, a sugar cone or a wafer cone, what better way to enjoy a double scoop of your favorite flavor? Making Its Appearance The first ice cream cone was produced in 1896 by Italo Marchiony. Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, invented his ice cream cone in New York City. He was granted a patent in December 1903. Although Marchiony is credited with the invention of the cone, a similar creation was independently introduced at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair by Ernest A. Hamwi, a Syrian concessionaire. Hamwi was selling a crisp, waffle-like pastry zalabis in a booth right next to an ice cream vendor. Because of ice creams popularity, the vendor ran out of dishes. Hamwi saw an easy solution to the ice cream vendors problem: he quickly rolled one of his wafer-like waffles in the shape of a cone, or cornucopia, and gave it to the ice cream vendor. The cone cooled in a few seconds, the vendor put some ice cream in it, the customers were happy and the cone was on its way to becoming the great American institution that it is today. A Business Is Born St. Louis, a foundry town, quickly capitalized on the cones success. Enterprising people invented special baking equipment for making the Worlds Fair cornucopia cones. Stephen Sullivan of Sullivan, Missouri, was one of the first known independent operators in the ice cream cone business. In 1906, Sullivan served ice cream cones (or cornucopias, as they were still called) at the Modern Woodmen of America Frisco Log Rolling in Sullivan, Missouri. At the same time, Hamwi was busy with the Cornucopia Waffle Company. In 1910, he founded the Missouri Cone Company, later known as the Western Cone Company. As the modern ice cream cone developed, two distinct types of cones emerged. The rolled cone was a waffle, baked in a round shape and rolled (first by hand, later mechanically) as soon as it came off the griddle. In a few seconds, it hardened in the form of a crisp cone. The second type of cone was molded either by pouring batter into a shell, inserting a core on which the cone was baked, and then removing the core; or pouring the batter into a mold, baking it and then splitting the mold so the cone could be removed with little difficulty. In the 1920s, the cone business expanded. Cone production in 1924 reached a record 245 million. Slight changes in automatic machinery have led to the ice cream cone we know today. Now, millions of rolled cones are turned out on machines that are capable of producing about 150,000 cones every 24 hours. FROM THE COW TO THE CONE How Ice Cream Is Made Everybody has a favorite flavor or brand of ice cream, and the debate over whose ice cream is the best rages on each year. While each manufacturer develops its own special recipes, ice cream production basics are basically the same everywhere. The most important ice cream ingredients come from milk. The dairy ingredients are crucial in determining the characteristics of the final frozen product. Federal regulations state that ice cream must have at least 10% milk fat, the single most critical ingredient. The use of varying percentages of milk fat affects the palatability, smoothness, color, texture and food value of the finished product. Gourmet or super premium ice creams contain at least 12% milk fat, usually more. Ice cream contains nonfat solids (the non-fat, protein part of the milk), which contribute nutritional value (protein, calcium, minerals and vitamins). Nonfat dry milk, skim milk and whole milk are the usual sources of nonfat solids. The sweeteners used in ice cream vary from cane or beet sugar to corn sweeteners or honey. Stabilizers, such as plant derivatives, are commonly used in small amounts to prevent the formation of large ice crystals and to make a smoother ice cream. Emulsifiers, such as lecithin and mono- and diglycerides, are also used in small amounts. They provide uniform whipping qualities to the ice cream during freezing, as well as a smoother and drier body and texture in the frozen form. These basic ingredients are agitated and blended in a mixing tank. The mixture is then pumped into a pasteurizer, where it is heated and held at a predetermined temperature. The hot mixture is then shot through a homogenizer, where pressure of 2,000 to 2,500 pounds per square inch breaks the milk fat down into smaller particles, allowing the mixture to stay smooth and creamy. The mix is then quick-cooled to about 40 °F and frozen via the continuous freezer method (the batch freezer method) that uses a steady flow of mix that freezes a set quantity of ice cream one batch at a time. During freezing, the mix is aerated by dashers, revolving blades in the freezer. The small air cells that are incorporated by this whipping action prevent ice cream from becoming a solid mass of frozen ingredients. The amount of aeration is called overrun, and is limited by the federal standard that requires the finished product must not weigh less than 4.5 pounds per gallon. The next step is the addition of bulky flavorings, such as fruits, nuts and chocolate chips. The ingredients are either dropped or shot into the semi-solid ice cream after it leaves the freezer. After the flavoring additions are completed, the ice cream can be packaged in a variety of containers, cups or molds. It is moved quickly to a hardening room, where sub-zero temperatures freeze the product to its final state for storage and distribution. ICE CREAM LABELING WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? There are many choices in todays ice cream case to suit a wide variety of consumer tastes. There is plenty of information on food labels, but what does it really mean? Here, the International Ice Cream Association sheds some light on how ice cream and related products are labeled. Labeling Definitions The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets standards of identity for many foods so that consumers will get a consistent product, no matter what brand or type they buy. For ice cream, FDA permits the use of nutrient descriptors such as light, reduced fat and low fat so that consumers know exactly what theyre selecting in terms of nutritional content. These FDA standards follow the federal Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), which governs all food labeling. Here are some of the terms consumers are seeing in the supermarket, and exactly what those terms mean: Ice cream is a frozen food made from a mixture of dairy products, containing at least 10% milk fat. Reduced fat ice cream contains at least 25% less total fat than the referenced product (either an average of leading brands, or the companys own brand.) Light ice cream contains at least 50% less total fat or 33% fewer calories than the referenced product (the average of leading regional or national brands.) Low fat ice cream contains a maximum of 3 grams of total fat per serving Nonfat ice cream contains less than 0.5 grams of total fat per serving. Quality Segments In addition, there are commonly used marketing phrases that describe ice cream products in terms of quality segments, such as super premium, premium and economy. Several factors can contribute to a products quality segment, such as price, brand positioning, product packaging, quality of ingredients and the amount of overrun (air) in the product. Overrun refers to the amount of aeration the ice cream undergoes during its manufacture that keeps the mixture from becoming an inedible frozen mass. Overrun is governed by federal standards in that the finished product must not weigh less than 4.5 pounds per gallon. Super-premium ice cream tends to have very low overrun and high fat content, and the manufacturer uses the best quality ingredients. Premium ice cream tends to have low overrun and higher fat content than regular ice cream, and the manufacturer uses higher quality ingredients. Regular ice cream meets the overrun required for the federal ice cream standard. Economy ice cream meets required overrun and generally sells for a lower price than regular ice cream. Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor Company profile: Name: Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor Date of Launch: 20th September 2006 Promoters: Justin Dcosta Phinsy Chirayath Rahul Mahapatra Shruti Saraf Aaron Dsouza Fizzah S.J Product: Sugar free and Fat free healthy Ice Creams. Health conscious desert. Proposed Flavors: World famous Vanilla and 20 different mouth watering flavors. Project: Manufacturing and selling of healthy sugar free and fat free Ice Creams. Specially made for health conscious and sweet tooth people. Head of department/ management: Justin Dcosta : Finance Phinsy Chirayath : Public Relation Rahul Mahapatra : Marketing Shruti Saraf : Product Testing Aaron Dsouza : Human Resources Fizzah S.J : Outlet manager Investments: Total capital investment required: 7 crore Borrowed capital (loan from IDBI bank): 3 crore Total partners investment: 4 crore Each partners capital: 70 lakhs All the six promoters and administrators of Ice Age Ltd will be equal partners and the profits sharing ratio between them will be equal. Introduction. Founded in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Ice Age Ltd.. company is setting up an Ice Cream manufacturing and selling parlor. The project will have great significance in the present day context of increasing weight and illness among the youth as well as adults due to increasing fat and sugar intake due to increasing content of sweetener in the Ice Creams and juices. The manufacturing of all types of ice creams will be done at its production site and then will be transported to its parlors established in the heart of the city. Ice Age Ltd.. is entering the Indian market with an aim of establishing its brand as a necessity of the Indian buyers. The company will follow a strategic positioning approach for the target market. Ice Age Ltd.. has kept into account the income and behavioral factor of the Indian buyers while designing the products. It is important for the company to understand the consumer behaviour before it goes into such a market. The Indian consumer for the first time will have a premium product which is eco-friendly, healthy and affordable. Business strategy Our business strategy will include the determination of the most beneficial product market in term of establishing itself in this new product segment. The most important factor for the success of Ice Age Ltd. brand is the perception of the consumer and to what extent it can build a positive image in the consumers mind. The intensity of the business environment, the sustainable competitive advantage of a quality product will give it a strong base to build the market. It is important for us to adopt a different strategy for the Indian market since it is composed of quality buyers as well as those who will buy for their family. Thus, we shall introduce some new strategies so as to establish our self in the Indian market and develop a strong customer base. The Model used for preparing the marketing strategy by Ice Age Ltd.. in the Indian Market Product Range External Analysis Competitors Analysis Internal Analysis Environment Analysis Marketing Strategies Future Plans Conclusion The first growth vector will involves gaining penetration with the existing product-market Ice Age Ltd. will attempt to attract customers from competitors through its strategic positioning and will establish strong brand equity. The second growth vector will involves product expansion while staying in the current market. Ice Age Ltd. will then offer a new product. It will be aimed not only for the existing market but also for the price conscious segment. The third growth vector will apply the same products to the new markets. The fourth growth vector will be to diversify into new product markets. We shall concentrate on the second growth vector and study the strategy with respect to the Ice Cream market. Internal Analysis According to the recent studies, most of the newly launched product or services fail due to improper analysis of their internal and external needs. A company should most effectively and efficiently take care of all the internal matters and needs. Since internal analysis is so use full and the life cycle as well as pricing is totally depended upon this analysis, Ice Age Ltd.. has taken proper and fully effective steps in analyzing all the need and requirements of the company. During internal analysis the promoter should take care of the following things: Raw material requirement Power supply Labour requirement Working force Capital Working capital Internal rules and regulations Proper management Proper material handling External Analysis Customer Analysis The Indian market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to marketers. Two-thirds of countries consumers live in rural areas and almost half of the national income is generated here. It is only natural that rural markets form an important part of the total market of India though the urban market is increasing drastically. Our nation is classified in around 450 districts, and approximately 630000 villages, which can be sorted in different parameters such as literacy levels, accessibility, income levels, penetration, distances from nearest towns, etc. The rural bazaar is booming beyond everyones expectation. This has been primarily attributed to a spurt in the purchasing capacity of farmers now enjoying an increasing marketable surplus of farm produce. In addition, an estimated induction of Rs 140 billion in the rural sector through the governments rural development schemes in the Seventh Plan and about Rs 300 billion in the Eighth Plan is also believed to have significantly contributed to the rapid growth in demand. The high incomes combined with low cost of living in the villages have meant more money to spend. And with the market providing those options, trends and tastes are also changing. Thus Ice Age Ltd.. has decided to enter this market with the basic idea of tapping the upper middle class which had established itself as a huge tapped market in the perception of a lot of national and multinational players who were then trying forages into the Indian market. Competitors Analysis NEED OF COMPARISION Consumer Mindset The consumers always have a different loyalty status for different brands. Sometimes they buy some brand due to the price or sometimes due to the features. Studying the consumers mindset is of vital importance as perception of individuals at the buying stage of various brands is unpredictable and ever changing. Market Share The market share of the players in the two wheeler auto market needs to be studied to know which company is in the booming stage and which company is in its closure stage. Also the advertisement and promotional share needs to be studied. Thus, market share helps us know the current market leader and market follower so that our company can develop an efficient marketing strategy for its product range after analyzing the current market players position. SWOT Analysis The SWOT Analysis i.e. the Analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the company products and its competitors at a glance. It needs to be compared to get an overall analysis of all the major companies and to know the company having better strengths, more opportunities and on the other hand the company having more of weaknesses and threats. The above diagram represents the sales of the famous Ice Cream parlors in Mumbai and their sales before Ice Age entered the market This diagram represents the sales pattern of all the Ice Cream parlors in Mumbai including Ice Age Ice Cream Parlor after one year from the launch of Ice Age Ltd (Estimated) Environment Analysis High initial launch cost There is a large front-ended investment made in new products including cost of product development, market research, test marketing and most importantly its launch. To create awareness and develop franchise for a new brand requires enormous initial expenditure is required on launch advertisements, free samples and product promotions. Launch costs are as high as 50-100% of revenue in the first year and these costs progressively reduce as the brand matures, gains consumer acceptance and turnover rises. For established brands, advertisement expenditure varies from 5 12% depending on the categories. It is common to give occasional push by re-launches, which involves repositioning of brands with sizable marketing support. Market research Customers purchase decisions are based on perceptions about brands. They also keep on changing with fashion, income and changes in lifestyle. Unlike industrial products, it is difficult to differentiate products on technical or functional grounds. With increasing competition, companies spend enormous sums on product launches. Market research and test marketing become inevitable. The business rests on the two aspects that are brand equity and distribution network. Marketing driven In relative terms, marketing function has greater importance in the Ice Cream industry. The players have to reach out to mass population and compete with several other brands. The perceived differences are greater than the real differences in the product. Brand equity Brand equity refers to the intangible asset in the form of brand names. The consumers loyalty for a particular brand is due to the perception that the product has distinctively superior and consistent quality, satisfies his/ her specific needs and provides better value for money than other competing brands. A successful brand generates strong cash flow which enables the owner of the brand to reinvest a part of it in the form of aggressive advertisement/ promotion to reinforce the perceived superiority of the brand. The worth of a brand is manifested in the consumers insistence on a particular brand or willingness to pay a price premium for the preferred brand. Distribution network In this sector, one of the most critical success factors is the ability to build, develop, and maintain a robust distribution network. Availability near the customer is vital for wider penetration as most products are high value products. It takes enormous time and effort to build a chain of stockiest, retailers; dealers etc and establish their loyalties. There are entry barriers for a new entrant as a new product is typically slow moving and has lesser consumer demand. Therefore dealers/ retailers are reluctant to allocate resources and time. Established players use their clout to inhibit new entrants. However, when a product offers a strong breakthrough, equity build up rapidly and so does the distribution network. The major problems faced while marketing in the Indian market: Underdeveloped People and Underdeveloped Markets: The number of people below poverty line has not decreased in any appreciable manner. Thus underdeveloped people and consequently underdeveloped market by and large characterize the Indian markets. Many Languages and Dialects: The number of languages and dialects vary widely from state to state, region to region and probably from district to district. The messages have to be delivered in the local languages and dialects. Even though the numbers of recognized languages are only 16, the dialects are estimated to be around 850. Prevalence of spurious brands and seasonal demand: For any branded product there are a multitude of local variants, which are cheaper, and, therefore, more desirable to mass. Different way of thinking: There is a vast difference in the lifestyles of the people. The kind of choices of brands that an urban customer enjoys is different from the choices available to the rural customer. The rural customer usually has 2 or 3 brands to choose from whereas the urban one has multiple choices. The difference is also in the way of thinking. The rural customer has a fairly simple thinking as compared to the urban counterpart. Marketing Strategies Differentiation The concept is to make the product different from those of its competitor. When we look at the Indian Ice Cream market we see that the leaders naturals have constantly maintained its market leadership by constantly differentiating on the basis of new flavors. And coming up with line extensions with regular frequency. The only alternative for Ice Age Ltd. to survive in this industry will be to differentiate itself. This differentiation could be on the basis of the marketing mix. (Product, Price, Promotion, Place) Thus, as per the different factors of marketing mix 4 Different strategies are made to market in the developing cities in India. Target Market Ice Age the healthy ice cream parlor offers a wide range of sugar free and fat free ice creams. The ice creams are specially made keeping in mind all the health conscious people as well as youth and people who suffer from illness like diabetes. Ice Age is a healthy ice cream parlor which targets the higher middle class and rich class of the society. Due to the variety of flavors and the specialty of being sugar free and fat free makes the Ice Age Ice Creams more popular among the fitness and health conscious people. Ice Age targets the market where people are ready to buy healthy junk food due to their taste buds and the fact that Ice Age Ice Creams are totally fat free and sugar free with the same original taste. Hence Ice Age Ice Creams targets the market where people from age group 1 year to 80 years can enjoy their favorite ice cream keeping in mind health conscious people, diabetic people, young people, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Segmentation Segmentation variables Several variables differentiate consumers who prefer different kinds of Desserts, such as frequency of consumption, price sensitivity, relative importance of calories vs. taste, consumption occasion (at home, at work, at a social event, during recreation or at a restaurant), and desired serving size. The two most important variables are probably price sensitivity and the taste-calorie tradeoff. The reason that price sensitivity is especially important is that some consumers will pay high prices for a product of high q

What is Style? Essay -- Style Personality Individuality Papers

What is Style? What is style, and how do we know when we have a style that is all our own? This is one thought that I ponder on cloudy dreary days, and when I have nothing better to do than think. In all actuality, do we even have a style we can call our own, or are we a conglomeration of what we like in the people around us? I would like to think I have my own style, but then reality sets in, and I start to realize I'm a clone of all the people I admire, and desire to be like. I has taken me a long time to realize that no matter how hard I tried to be my own person, I was still following in other peoples footsteps. When I was in high school, I did all I could to remain in the "in" crowd. But if you were to ask me if I had my own style, I would have said yes. Even though I wore the same clothes, talk the same language, and played the same sports, I still thought I had my own style. I was so convinced that I was different. But now when I look back, I can see that I was exactly the way I didn't want to be. The only comforting thing about style is that no matter how hard we try to be individuals, we all copy one another. It's nice to know I'm not the only person this happens to, although I think this is rather evident in many people. There are still many groups that dress alike, talk alike, and listen to the same music. No matter where we live, or our social status, we can all become victims of style. One of the best places to see different styles is while visiting a mall, grocery store, or a music shop. These stores can also be a cheap form of entertainment. I can remember one time when a friends of mine, and I had some time to waste before we went to a movie. We went to the mall to engage in our favorite pass time of p... ...to another person, I feel that in some way I have violated this person. But I think that if we don our best make the style look as good as we can, than there shouldn't be any need to worry. I guess the only way I can have a person think about the other is to use your better judgment. If it was your style that was being used wouldn't you feel terrible if someone else ruined the whole idea that you had. It would be like if someone were to read a paper for you, and then this person turned it all around to make it sound nothing like you had wanted, or intended. But then again, there is no way to stop people from ruining what you had created. I guess this is a part of living. We can't control the people around us, so we should be who we want to be, and do what we want to do. And if someone has a problem with that, then that is something that they will have to deal with.

Applying the Background and Methodology of the Research Process

Jonathan HoffsuemmerA serious problem seen by nurse practitioners that work in rural areas is teen pregnancy. A peer-reviewed research paper published by The Journal for Nurse Practitioners entitled â€Å"Who Will Listen? Rural Teen Pregnancy Reflections.† There are both medical and social concerns that occur with teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy statistic shows that teen mothers give birth to premature babies with low birth weight. The social aspect is teen mothers do not complete high school and lives in poverty. These situations rank high in abuse and neglect with teen parents.Definition of the ProblemRural areas show the highest rate of teen pregnancy compared to state rates, which produces a problem that researchers are questioning why this rate is higher in the rural areas. The Theory of Adolescent Sexual Decision Making (TASDM) is the basis this research was conducted to resolve. This theory has two main objectives that include the risk-promoting environments teens experi ence and exposure to risky situation that create the situations teens use to justify sexual behavior (Weiss, 2012).The problem with teen pregnancy produces premature birth and low birth weight in the babies. A medical problem with teen pregnancy is the medical expenses incurred with both teenager and infant. These statistics indicate that teen pregnancy result from family with no insurance and no means to pay the medical expenses teen pregnancy incurs. The social problem teen pregnancy presents are that teen mothers tend not finish high school. Teen pregnancy results in low income rates, the need for higher public assistance, poor educational, behavioral, and health problem in children.Study PurposeThe purpose of the study is to understand the decision-making of teens and why teen pregnancy is higher in the rural areas of the country. The TASDM theory indicates that environment promotes the situation of peer influences, substance use, and media influences (Weiss, 2012). The study wi ll focus on the thought process of teens as to why teens make the choice become sexually activity and risk the consequence of becoming pregnant.Research QuestionThe researchers are studying the question of why teen pregnancy is higher in rural areas. Teen pregnancy occurs because of the lack of prevention that teens do not use and why teens make these types of decisions. The essay directions were for students to indicating if the teens thought there was a teen pregnancy problem in the community (Weiss, 2012). The researchers’ directions were only one question to determine the thought processes of both male and female teens regarding teen pregnancy.HypothesisThe study does not state a hypothesis, but strives to understand why there is a higher rate of teen pregnancies in rural areas. The study will evaluate the difference between boys and girls views about teen pregnancy. The study only has one main focus, but the study derives different variables of the hypothesis. The study reviews the thoughts as to how teens perceive sex as good, bad, or ambivalent.Study VariablesThe two variables in the study are independent and dependent variables. The independent variables in the study are the essays that the students wrote defining their views about teen pregnancy in rural areas. The dependent variables are the reasons teen pregnancies occur, which include the idea of  whether sexual activity is good or bad. The study reviews the conception teens have of sexual activities, which studies the prevalence regarding beliefs, consequences to actions, and consequences to others (Weiss, 2012).Conceptual Model or Theoretical FrameworkThis study uses the theoretical framework for the study. The theoretical perspective of study analyzes the answers obtained from participates against the Theory of Adolescent Sexual Decision Making theories. These theories measure the decision-making teens use in determining the risk of teen pregnancy. The theoretical framework weights the consequences associated with the risks and how teenage boys and girls perceive teen pregnancy. These perceptions that teens are reporting in the study are weighted against the two ground theories of risk-promoting environments and risky sexual behavior. â€Å"Using constant comparative methods, the data were analyzed using the MAX Qualitative Data Analysis © software† (Weiss, 2012, p. 805).Review of LiteratureThe literature review of the article addresses the issues of low parental guidance as a significant factor to teen making risky behavior decisions. The fact that rural areas indicate that teens view there is nothing much to do is a contributing factor to teen pregnancy. The education regarding sexual behavior and prevention methods were noted to be lacking in the rural areas. This factor indicates that financial support to provide for after school programs contributes to the notation that there is nothing to do for teens. This is a contributing factor to the higher rat e of teen pregnancy in rural communities.Study DesignThe study design was conducted in Florida involving 125 10th grade students. These students consisted of both male and female from age 15 to 17. The students were from an English class and were asked to write an essay on if they thought teen pregnancy was a problem in their community. The teens  wrote the essay during an English class in high school. This study was conducted with the approval of the institutional review board, teacher, and administrator.

Airstar Case Study

Abstract: Airstar’s organizational design is outdated. Former president and actual president have been managing the company under the assumptions of a predicable environment. Airstar is having problems with communication and job-description along the company. Tasks have been assigned superficially and job responsibilities are not descriptive enough. The cross-functional communications among managers is not working effectively and employees have been working up their own job description. Because of that, goal accomplishment is fast becoming obsolete and decisions are being made on the basis of practicality. Also, the company is facing external threats from major competitor such as General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. The stagnation from top managers is causing chaos internally, because business environment is constantly changing and most managers have been in the company for more than twenty years. So, for maximum efficiency, Airstar needs to guide their employee with standards and written guidelines in order to succeed and move forward. Introduction: Airstar Inc. manufactures, repairs, and overhauls pistons and jet engines for smaller, often previously owned aircraft† (Daft, 2008, p. 84). It has a solid history and its strength comes from the fact that it is well known in the market and employee loyalty. However, the rapidly changing industry parallel with the change in the presidency is causing problematic factors for Airstar. A company that has been in the market for twenty years producing customer and employee loyalty now has threat with new arriving business competition and the ever-changing business environment. Unfortunately, Roy Morgan, the president, assumes that he could continue to run the company as it had been twenty years ago. In the past, decisions had been made on the basis of practicality. However, the current environment is in need of changes in duties and management practices. The lack of ample communication concerning duties and how to restructure them for better efficiency is causing internal chaos. So, communication appears to be the Aquiles problem of Airstar. Problems The first significant issue for Airstar is the threat of the changing environment. As Walmart founder Sam Walton said once that advantage competition is not just continue to develop but to stay ahead of competition and the learning curve of its environment (Walmart, Inc. , 2010). To continue to exist, the organization needs to not merely adjust to, but also to influence the changing environment, and in consequence, creating a company worth for its stakeholders. According to the case study, there is a major lack of leadership and coordination. The second significant issue for Airstar is that the current system is neither cooperative, nor strategic intent. Strategic intent means that â€Å"all the organization’s energies and resources are directed toward a focused, unifying, and compelling overall goal† (Daft, 2008, p. 60). It shows that the values established by the founder were never reviewed for the purpose of internal and external changes. The company vision and mission statement are worthless if there are not communicated throughout the various hierarchies of the company. Also, Airstar current system has shown overlap responsibilities between employees. Specific tasks should be assigned to employees that are better suited for these tasks. Another significant issue for Airstar is the instability of its external environment. This problem could provoke stressed employees and in consequence, a less effective performance (Rolfe, 2005). Managers should not only communicate effectively, but also listen to employees and be responsive of the way they experience different factors within the company. Such consideration will bring better management strategies not only in assigning the most appropriate duties, but also in managing the stress factor related to required structural adjusts. The last significant issue is the threat created by new competitors. Competitors, who are new to the market, will make every effort to follow solid business principles to attract value customers and gain market share. Airstar is no longer the sole service provider of its industry, and finds itself in an environment that is quickly changing. Here is where the mature organization comes to play. Airstar has been known for its safety, superior quality, and customer service. These are strengths that can be hard to conquest and could possibly allocate Airstar ahead of its competitors. Interventions Jim Robinson, vice president of manufacturing, pointed it out six principles that appear to focus on internal changes and could provide Airstar with a better position to handle external environmental changes and a stronger internal structure. First, formalization is lacking because of the long lifetime of the company without written rules and regulations. It is recommended that Airstar begins its internal renovation process by creating a list of recommended rules, regulations, and policies. Second, these initiatives are communicated in writing, so it can provide managers and employees with the opening to comment. Then, after being implemented in writings takes place, meetings could be held to discuss comments. Third, it is recommended that Airstar creates a mission statement, a number of goals for future that relate to it, and strategies to arrive at these goals. Then, after implementing the goals and tasks to achieve internal productivity, Mr. Morgan should assign appropriate personnel members to avoid the overlapping that has been occurred in the past. Furthermore, the external environment requires to be monitored on a frequent basis so that indispensable responses can be implemented in a timely manner. The monitoring procedure can also be allocated to specific personnel members, who should communicate with top managers via meetings. Fifth, the hierarchy of authority should be established and updated according to the variety of tasks and strategies within the company. As Robinson refers, Airstar’s internal structure should be kept to a minimum. It is a sound standard keeping the internal structure of the company as simple as possible in order to center on goals rather than on endeavoring to manage extensive personnel members and their many duties. Conclusion Airstar has proven to retain a quite considerable, although somewhat lesser, customer base. I believe the company has the potential to recover itself with internal structural changes, as recommended above. Mr. Morgan attitude is very optimistic towards implementing adjustments for the benefit of his company. His willingness to hire a consultant and put into operation suggestions shows that he is serious about fetching his company up to date with the external environment. However, it is important that Mr. Morgan and his entire management team do not make these decisions on an isolated foundation, but that employees should be incorporated in implementing some of the changes. References Daft, R. (2008), Organizational Theory and Design, 10th ed. Mason Ohio, South-Western Cengage Learning. Rolfe, Foreman and Tylee, 2005, Welfare or Farewell? Mental Health and Stress in the Work Place†, Issue 268. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete Walmart, Inc. (2010). Walmart Corporate. Retrieved November 16, 2011, from Walmart Annual Report: http://walmartstores. com/sites/annualreport/2010/