Analysis of Pricing and Distribution Strategy at British Airways The WritePass Journal

Analysis of Pricing and Distribution Strategy at British Airways Introduction Analysis of Pricing and Distribution Strategy at British Airways Introduction Company’s outlookPricing Strategy Distribution Strategy Evaluation Conclusion and Recommendations  ReferencesRelated Introduction British Airways is the flagship airline carrier for United Kingdom, formed in 1974. With significant presence at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City with over 20 million people living within commuting distance. BA has a fleet of more than 238 aircrafts in service as of March 2010 and flies to 41 different destinations in America, 9 in the UK, 67 in Europe, 16 in the Middle-East and South-Asia and 7 in the Asia Pacific region, carrying around 32 million passengers between 2009 and 2010 as well as operating a large air cargo business alongside. BA, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas form the Oneworld airline alliance which is now the third largest airline alliance group. In 2011 BA merged with Iberia forming IAG with 408 aircrafts flying to 200 destinations and carrying 55 million passengers and allowing the two companies to enhance their presence in the market whilst retaining their own brands and allowing their customers to benefit from a larger network of travel (iairgroup.com/ 2011). Company’s outlook British Airways sees itself as a vital link for trade and investment, specialising in short to medium length international journeys which has seen revenue of  £8 billion in 2009/10. This figure is down 11% on the previous year due mainly to price of fuel and the recession. BA’s main activity revolves around passenger travel which accounts for 87% of 2009/10 revenue, supposed to 7% from cargo and 6% from other means. The acquisition of Iberia in 2011 has allowed BA to increase its capabilities in the cargo market and diversify their operations. Both companies float on the Spanish and UK stock markets as one under IAG, which floated in late January 2011 at 282p a share; this has dropped to a price of 224.3p per share as of 4th April 2011. The future for British Airways and IAG will be largely affected by its ability to weather the downturn, but with its promise of drastic expansion and a strong market share within the European market (3rd biggest by revenue) (www.bbc.co.uk/new s 2011) Pricing Strategy British Airways prices its products in a way that allows consumers to decide the level of services they want. For example return flight to New York, purchased online is  £376 in economy yet consumers pay a huge increase to  £2728 for the same flight, (www.britishairways.com 2011) but in first class. BA’s premium and medium strategies offers superior quality for greater price allowing the airline to compete with other quality airlines such as Virgin and American Airlines, and base price on customer valuations The price â€Å"is set higher than others to reflect better product quality and exclusivity.† (Brassington and Petitt, 2003: 1106). However in recent years the arrival of low cost carriers and economic turmoil forced BA into providing a low cost formula to remain competitive. The first step towards this was in generating ancillary revenues by introducing a fee per one way flight for passengers booking a seat in advance for all seats except first class. (GMID 2011) Even in the low cost formula, BA are still upholding their image of quality and good customer service as unlike the low cost carriers, where ancillary revenues are the money makers with food, drink and priority boarding all costing extra, BA still provide some level of on board service in the cost of their product. Despite the introduction of a low cost formula, British Airways generally bases prices on perceived value of its brand, and aims to deliver product quality leadership strategy. (www.britishairways.com 2011) The executive club encourages loyalty to the airline and rewards consumers with double airmiles, priority boarding, additional baggage allowance and access to the BA lounge as well as giving the appearance of high quality and good value. However BA recently lowered the price of their business class ticket due to the recession. It has been recognised the company has had to reduce the price of its business class tickets, to remain competitive alongside such competition as Virgin, who have helped battle down the price, along with it’s cliental that have become less willing to pay higher prices during economic hardship. This has help attract more customers, smaller businesses in particular, who are able to do deals and meet contacts around the world. (Times Online 2011). An excellent strategy that has allowed BA to get away from just large organisations and into the smaller/medium sized business market (GMID 2011) is their Face to Face campaign which, on submittance of a business plan, small/medium sized businesses can apply for free business travel. The marginal cost of one more passenger is relatively small, as the majority of costs are largely in fixed costs of running the flight (cost of aircraft, fuel, airport duties etc.). According to Chris Tarry, transport analyst for Commerzbank Securities, BA’s selling cost per passenger in March 2002 was just 10.9% of its average ticket price (insights.org.uk 2011). This allows BA to sell tickets at lower rates when demand is less and higher rates during peak season. For example an economy class ticket to New York would normally be  £376 return but almost doubles over the peak bank holiday period of the Royal Wedding at  £616 (www.britishairways.com 2011). The airline aims to get as many people on the plane as possible, even at a lower price, and make some profit, than the plane taking of near empty and making a loss. Distribution Strategy British Airways tickets are available to purchase from travel agents physical locations and online via their websites, and through BA’s dedicated website, travel shops and reservations staff. With e-commerce radically changing distribution strategies (Solomon et al, 2009), BA and various other airlines are trying to reduce costs to ensure they continue to effectively compete against other players within the airline industry and still provide each customer with their superior service by eliminating their use of various ‘traditional intermediaries’ (Solomon et al, 2009) within their distribution channels. Globally 20% of British Airways tickets are now sold via ba.com, with 54% of these online bookings accounting for their total short haul sales stated by docstoc (2010). It’s recognised from these statistics that the convenience of purchasing airline tickets online is attractive, due to the ability to securely acquire a flight ticket without leaving the comforts of your own home, as well as that purchasing tickets direct from BA.com is significantly cheaper than leading travel agents, for example an economy class ticket flying from London to New York can be purchased for  £368 straight from BA where as Expedia offer the same flight for a staggering  £432.10. However, there is still an area of the market who enjoy purchasing their airline tickets from travel agents physical locations, this is due to travel agencies providing the customer with the same options as to the airline website itself, in such areas as seat preferences, along with the additional personalised service w hich the customer is able to discuss the range of options available to them when booking all areas of their holiday, be their hotel or hire car. An attempt to create a more direct distribution channel process, BA also provides the recognised ‘travel agent’ service options to its customers, through offering a range of hotels, car rental and various other holiday package choices. The various options available to consumers when purchasing BA airline tickets are either through travel agents, or alternatively buy their ticket straight from the BA website, travel shops and reservations staff. It’s seen that prices do vary depending on where tickets are purchased, for instance if a consumer were to purchase their ticket directly from BA’s website, they would commonly pay a lower price, due to the direct business to customer distribution channel, eliminating the need for BA to pay commission to travel agents which is ‘traditionally between 8% and 10% of the ticket price’ (tourism insights, 2002) and for the use of Global Distribution Systems (GDS). GDS is used by airlines to sell flights, through connecting both the airline and the travel agents to sell the tickets. Airlines pay GDS to connect them to travel websites and travel agents to enable their flights to be sold via these organisations, GDS segment fees average at around ‘$10 to $12 per booking’ (tourism insights, 2002). With BA’s distribution costs accounting for 16%-17% of the cost of selling each ticket, no wonder they want to reduce distribution channels to help become more competitive in the growing low fare airline industry, especially due to the ‘travel and tourism industry fast becoming the biggest growth industry in e-commerce payments,’ (docstoc, 2010). Evaluation Overall it is clear that British Airways are aiming for a much more direct distribution channel. They are investing huge amounts of money in improving their online services to try to encourage people to buy online rather than at the extra cost of the middle man travel agent. This also allows the airline to gain vital information about their consumers and their wants and needs, allowing the company to differentiate and target their services appropriately. This will ensure they enhance their competitive market position, through enabling them to provide special offers to different customers, for example in the form of special discounts, special seats with more leg room and passes for their lounges, allowing them to build better relationships with their customers.   The high growth in e-commerce selling in the travel and tourism market is further proof of how important it is for BA to perfect this particular method of distribution. The lower costs from eliminating a middle man, includi ng both online and shop based agents will also allow the firm to appear more competitive in comparison to low cost carriers (LCCs). The introduction of ancillary products and reduction in price of business class tickets has been key in promoting the price competitiveness of the airline alongside the strong brand image of quality and reliability. The low marginal cost of an extra passenger also gives the airline the ability to lower costs depending on the demand for their product at the time of year; this means that BA can offer their business clients lower prices when it is not peak season such as school holidays. Conclusion and Recommendations By providing more ancillary goods and a reduced cost of the seat, BA will give consumers the options of what they want and become more competitive with the LCC’s, who are extremely popular for short haul flights. For example providing the option to charge extra for food and drink or extra baggage on short haul flights as well as an all inclusive option. Many of the LCC’s only distribute tickets online. To uphold BA’s strong brand image it’s important for them to stay accessible through other distribution systems as many of their more wealthier cliental who spend the most via business and first class tickets, may desire a travel agent. By marketing their online travel agent services they may be able to increase their current 20% online distribution. This will provide a more direct channel to their customers allowing them to market events such as the BA January sale, flights to cheaper destinations and cheaper times to fly that consumers may otherwise be unaware of. Marketing the executive club more effectively to new customers and ensuring that by being a member, consumers actually receive some benefits, they’re likely to remain loyal and recommend the airline. BA could also improve their services by providing questionnaires to passengers. For example, on long haul flights when consumers are more likely to fill them in, and providing a reward – such as a draw for a bottle of champagne. By doing this the company will be able to find out if consumers choose them for their prices, customer service, quality or the routes that they operate under and use this to market the company accordingly. It is clearly important for BA to remain competitive with the LCCs by providing an alternative to the high quality and high price product they currently provide but still keeping their high quality image and providing a service that current, loyal customers expect. Effective online distribution and optional ancillary products are key in achieving this alongside accurate customer research from current and potential consumers. The airline should continue to use their low marginal costs to their advantage when promoting the airline to businesses and off peak travellers.   References Balmer, J.M.T, Stuart, H Greyser, A.S (2009) Aligning Identity and Strategy: Corporate Branding at British Airways in the Late 20th Century, CALIFORNIA MANAGEMENT REVIEW VOL. 51, NO. 3 BBC News: bbc.co.uk/news/business-12265332 [Accessed 4th April 2011] Brassington, F, Pettitt, S (2000), (2nd Edition) Principles of Marketing Harlow, Prentice Hall British Airways (2011) www.britishairways.com [accessed 19th March 2011] British Airways (2011) Buy Travel [Online] britishairways.com/travel/fx/public/en_gb?eId=111011timestamp=0315023921 [Accessed 15th March 2011] Docstoc (2010) Visa Case study: British Airways come buy with me –worldwide airline offers worldwide online protection [Online] docstoc.com/docs/26949398/britishairways [Accessed: 6th March 2011] Expedia (2011) Flights [Online] expedia.co.uk/pub/agent.dll [Accessed 15th March 2011] GMID portal.euromonitor.com.chain.kent.ac.uk/Portal/ResultsList.aspx [Accessed 7th March 2011] Insights (2011) insights.org.uk/articleitem.aspx?title=The+Changing+Face+of+Airline+Distribution [Accessed 20th March 2011] International Airlines Group (2010) iairgroup.com/   [Accessed 4th April 2011] Solomon, Marshall, Stuart, Barnes Mitchell (2009) Marketing: Real People, Real Decisions. Essex, Pearson Education Limited. Times Online (2011) http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article5477962.ece [Accessed 17th March 2011] Tourism insights (2002) The Changing Face of Airline Distribution [Online] insights.org.uk/articleitem.aspx?title=The+Changing+Face+of+Airline+Distribution [Accessed: 6th March 2011]

Research Term Papers

Research Term Papers Writing successful research term papers requires the skills of choosing a topic, focusing in on a thesis, investigating the subject, analyzing information, and reporting the results. Careful investigation of your own opinions, the facts about a situation, and the judgments of others will help you write a successful research papers or term papers. Because research writing involves so many different skills and activities, it is especially important to be systematic in your approach. In order to complete your research term papers successfully you will need to go through several steps in your writing process. At first, you will need to analyze the paper assignment. Then, you should plan a research strategy and actually do the research paper. Conducting good research requires taking good notes and keeping good records. Before research paper writing, choose a preliminary thesis and write an outline. Only after this write the first draft. Then read the paper again and revise it, repeat revisions till you get the final result. And finally, document your sources correctly. Writing research term papers will require a lot of work with texts from books, Internet, magazines, journals and other written sources. Simply to find the relevant material is not enough for writing good research term papers. You should use your sources effectively. The key point to quoting is not to overdo it. Inexperienced writers tend to insert too many quotations in their research term papers, using their own sentences just to link these passages. But readers only glance over long quotations. With too many quotations, certainly with more than two or three on a page, the writing will be disconnected, the argument will be unclear, and your own voice will be buried by those of others. Therefore in order to avoid such fallacies you should limit your use of direct quotations in the paper. You should use direct quotations only in the cases when you want to provide a sample of a writing style or dialect, when a point is particularly well stated, or when the exact phrasing of a policy or a law is important to your argument. Therefore, always track the quantity and quality of your quotations. Keep yourself from including in your research papers or term papers all collected information for the topic. Use only the most important sources and make a quote as short as possible. In order to succeed in writing your research term papers you should make them understandable to the reader and use relevant information that is directly related to your research topic. Therefore you should make your research term papers structured and coherent. In order to structure your paper write an outline that will state your research term paper background, thesis and your main points. Use this outline as a frame for writing the paper. Write the paper in already outlined order. It will not only help your readers to better follow your thought but also you to compose the paper in order. In the end of the research term paper, write your conclusion that will summarize the whole information written above. It will help the reader to recall information written in your paper and consolidate it in mind. Properly written conclusion is especially important when your research term paper is very long and consists of detailed information that is difficult to remember from the first reading. Make it simpler for your readers. Remind them what you have been describing in your research term paper. If you need custom paper writing help from highly qualified writers you can use our custom writing service that provides high-quality custom papers and essays written from scratch.

The American Red Cross Structure Research Proposal

The American Red Cross Structure - Research Proposal Example In 1859, Mr. Dunant witnessed a battle in Italy and was horrified to see how the wounded were left to die without help. Very rapidly he organized the villagers to recover the injured and took them to houses and church to provide them with the best help they could at the time. Most of them had little or no medical experience. From there on, Dunant devoted his work to train international relief groups that would go into aid the wounded in battlefields worldwide, both civilians and soldiers, who were victims of war, it is important to outline that Mr. Dunant required these organizations to work independently from any nation. Starting in 1863, two conferences played very important roles for the Red Cross organization. The first one in Geneva, Switzerland, outlined the principles of the Red Cross, and the second one, created the set of rules of how to treat the wounded on a battlefield and the conduct of war. Initially, twelve European Nations signed the Geneva Convention, today the Red C ross organization can work in war zones and battlefield worldwide, under the International Committee of the Red Cross. (Red Cross History. How the American Red Cross Works. Howstuffworks.com) In the United States, during the civil war, Clara Barton volunteered as a nurse to aid the wounded soldiers in the battlefield. She had no medical background since she was a former school teacher and later an office clerk. Her first-hand experience with the wounded inside the battlefield, made her realize that these soldiers needed professional care as soon as the battle ended, and later when the war was over, she created a system to track down missing soldiers and bring them together with their families. Later on, she made a trip to Europe where she learned about the Red Cross organization and its similarities to her efforts. She stayed in Europe and volunteered to work in European wars.  

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Proposal - Essay Example Relying on information from stakeholders in the university is wrong. Instead, they could have focused on the views of employed outsiders who have graduated from the institution. The university does not prepare students fully for the challenges of life as portrayed in the video. According to Nathan (2), students need to learn some of the experience on their own instead of relying on academic institutions. It is necessary to be motivated and concentrate in studies after watching the video as a student at the university. It is necessary to overlook the challenges that graduates encounter upon completing studies. However, this fails to guarantee that students can accomplish goals. There are discriminatory acts at the institution that makes it difficult for students to concentrate on studies. The video fails to present the existing situation in America when organizations employ graduates who have experience. The video does not highlight issues of the cost in education. The information pro vided by the institutions concerning learning is misleading because students need to take practical lessons to acquire experience necessary to enhance their survival in the competitive world. It is necessary to address the challenges that graduates face upon graduating from universities. ... Additionally, they do not have the skills necessary to handle challenges of the corporate world. The institutions should focus on the practical aspects of academics at the expense of theories. This writing will create awareness concerning students who are aspiring to handle challenges that come with employment. Students are dissatisfied with the programs that they pursue at Houston because the lectures do not meet their expectations. Universities may fail to provide students complete information concerning their expectation after graduating. Besides, administrators tend be subjective in addressing challenges that students face. According to Nathan (232), some of the programs offered at the institution favor specific groups of students. Moreover, the university lacks a feedback channel that determines the progress of their students after graduating. The stakeholders are exaggerating the value of the programs on offer at the University. Lastly, the institution has hidden charges that m ake life difficult for students. Institutions should conduct research prior to advertising the programs that they offer to the public. Importantly, the administrators should be realistic when explaining to the students the challenges that they are likely to face upon graduating (Choosing Houston 1). This is because experience is important than practical knowledge upon completion of studies. The institution should offer a brief overview of the evaluation criteria that administration employ. This will prepare students psychologically for the challenges that come with studying. Moreover, the university should provide complete information concerning operations at the institution. They should emphasize learning on current affairs by encouraging students to develop entrepreneurial skills

Ethical issue and its relationship to the ethical and legal aspects of Article

Ethical issue and its relationship to the ethical and legal aspects of nursing or other health care professions - Article Example The practitioners are required to identify the legal, ethical and professional values and determine how they can be applied to enhance quality practice in the health care profession (Gillogly & Molly, 2004). According to the nursing ethics, the practitioners in the health care sector are required to demonstrate expertise however they may not be certain about their responsibilities and accountabilities in relation to the legal and ethical issues (Debra , 2009). The main responsibilities entailed in the nursing profession include autonomy, decision making, accountability and great leadership. Ion The decision making process mostly involves the qualified practitioners as they are called upon to apply their expertise skills in developing the guidelines, policies and procedures governing the practice (Tingle & Cribb, 2002). Similarly, the qualified practitioners are involved in research and learning so as to apply their expertise, ethical aspects and the policies to give advice on the rel ated area. Therefore, the nurses and all the practitioners in the healthcare profession are required to be aware of all the guidelines and policies related to the practice as well as understand the requirements of ethical decision making (Heaton, 2008). Nurses and other practitioners in the healthcare sector face various ethical and legal issues in their career as they should combine both the legal and ethical aspects of health care to enhance professionalism in the practice. It is very important for the nurses to understand the difference between ethics and law. The laws are the rules and regulations governing the practice while ethics are meant to ensure appropriate values as well as monitor the actions of the peoples. One of the issues the nurses may face in their profession is where they are faced in acts that are ethical according to the practice but are not legal according to the laws (Tingle & Cribb, 2002). For example the nurses are required to allow cancer patients to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes which are an appropriate measure according to the nursing practice ethical but illegal according to the governing laws. The nursing ethics could also allow the nurse to conduct an aborting in extreme cases so as to save the life of the mother whereas abortion is illegal according to the governing legal structure. Similarly the nurses and other practitioners could also be faced by situations where the practice is neither legal nor ethical but it has to be carried out (Tingle & Cribb, 2002). The issues faced by nurses in their practice are rapidly increasing and the resolution of the issues need careful research and assessment of all the causes and facts related to the cases. To resolve the issue faced in the nursing practice, most institutions implement ethics committees made of professional from all the related areas such as the healthcare professionals, lawyers, ethicists and the clergy among others (Sandra, 2008). This committees are assigned the task of assisting in the decision making process where they resolve the ethical issues faced by the practitioners using the developed guidelines and policies. The nurses are also required cooperate with the other professional in the healthcare sector to educate the public on the on the importance and ways to meet the health requirements so as to enhance ethical practices in the profession

Mcdonalds And Computer Systems Information Technology Essay

Mcdonalds And Computer Systems Information Technology Essay McDonalds is one of the fast growing and wide available fast food chain of the world. It has developed a global recognition a competitive advantage all over the world. Technology is the new paradigm of assessing a business performance and success. In our discussion, we will discuss that how McDonalds is able to manage its computer systems. In the start, we will discuss the major component, subcomponents and performance requirements of computer systems. Then we will discuss the operating systems and suggest a compatible operating system to be used with an organization. Thirdly, there will be a discussion about how can we design a computer system keeping in view the end user requirements and organizational goals. Finally, we will test our designed computer system for example, it is properly designed or note keeping view the organizational goals, functional fitness and health and safety of end users. Introduction: As we all know that McDonalds is one of the most growing fast food chains of the world. It has a very diverse system of operations and management. Today due to the recent advancements in technology, McDonalds has developed such a computer and information technology system to manage its operations which has now become a core competence for McDonalds against its competitors. Technology can be a great competitive advantage against competitors if it is used efficiently and correctly. In our discussion, we will try to view technology and computers as a part of operations strategically. First of all, we will investigate the computer systems of McDonalds. Outcome 1: Investigation of Computer Systems P1: Machine components or sub systems appropriate to given task: If we see the operations of McDonalds, then we can easily analyze that due to wide spread and diversity of McDonalds operations, we need a complicated, complex and flexible internal computer database system. This system is needed in such a way that all the departments such as Marketing, Finance and Human Resources should record their operations and data in one database system for integrity and convenience. Talking about the sub systems, we need to develop such a strong subsystem to develop a strong integration in operations but with customer convenience and satisfaction. In terms of machine components, we need CPUs, Display Monitors, Networking Designs and Operating System Software. On the customer side, we need to develop a convenient system to make customer experience better and to increase our sales. Due to the dramatic increase in internet and web users, it could be a powerful strategy to go online for selling merchandise. Unfortunately, McDonalds has not developed such a system yet to deliver goods to customers. They have developed a system of placing orders on phone in which goods like burgers are delivered directly to consumers. Finally, we should develop such a computer system which could provide us convenience, integration and better experience for customers. P2: Evaluation of the Performance of Selected System: The system above we have suggested for McDonalds has a large number of advantages which are as follows: Integrity and Reliability Speed of Operations Enhancement of Customer Experience Control and Audit And the main disadvantages could be: Complexity of Operations Higher Costs But if we evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of selected system then we can see that advantages are more than disadvantages. The advantages of an enhanced computer system may easily overcome the costs of adopting such a system. If we see McDonalds, they have already installed the complete system as we discussed above, but there is small discrepancy that they are not yet online to sell their products. If they add this thing in their strategy, it would be a source of competitive advantage. The reason for is that mostly the online shoppers are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Youngstersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and these youngsters are the most frequent buyers of fast food than the population of other ages. (Associated Press, 2004) (Meena Kumari Rajani, M. S. Chandio, 2004) Outcome 2: Investigation of Operating System P3: Functions and features of different types of operating systems: The different kinds of operating systems are Windows, Acorn Computers, Amiga, Apollo Computers, and Apple etc. The selection of a operating system purely depends on its efficiency, known quality and its compatibility with the organization systems. The different categories of operating systems are: technology, ownership, usage, working state and licensing etc. Microsoft is one the most extensively and widely used operating system in the business world. We think McDonalds being a fast food chain must adopt Microsoft as its operating system due to its known quality, compatibility and integrity. The basic features and functions of Microsoft windows are: Most Widely Used Integrity and Reliability Speed of Operations Another important function of windows is that it is mostly compatible with latest World Wide Web. There is some news about the compatibility issues of other operating systems. Another important function of windows is that it provides more network storage than any other operating system. Most of the computer systems are designed only for Microsoft and it works easily with the older computers. P4: How to customize operating systems: There is a large number of operating software which can be used to customize our operating systems. For example for customizing windows we can use Microsoft word, excel, works etc. For Mac, there is also much software for customization. If we analyze the operations of McDonalds, then by adopting windows, we can customize this operating system and it can be made flexible to use. For writing reports about daily sales or new recruits, we can use Microsoft word. Similarly, for financial reporting, we can use Microsoft Excel. For enterprise resource planning there are a large number of options available. For example, we can use SAP for as an ERP system for McDonalds. For Customer Invoicing, we can again use Microsoft word or Microsoft excel. This customization has also an advantage for us because the numbers of windows users are much more in world than Mac or other operating system users. The McDonalds is operating through franchising system in almost all the countries of the world (McDonalds Official Website, 2007). There are a different operating systems being used in different franchises of McDonalds. It could become a problem and inconvenience to control operations. We think McDonalds, should develop a single operating system and a world wide database to better manage and control it s operations. Outcome 3: Designing a Computer System P5: investigation and identification of the key components for a computer system for a particular user: The key components required for an individual totally depends on the usage and responsibility of a particular user. We can take an example, for example at the front desk needs a complete Central processing unit plus some accessories such as printers for printing invoices. Similarly the accounts department needs to have almost all computer accessories and components because they need to do financial recording and reporting. Similarly the marketing managers need laptops because they to analyze the consumers taste and habits. The higher management needs some extra system software to monitor the activities of the organization. Now will try to develop and investigate the key components for a marketing manager at McDonalds. A marketing manager needs to travel to different areas for making strategies about market segmentation and product positioning. Moreover, McDonalds is also operating in a whole world with diverse cultures and tastes. It has to face the challenges of different cultures and marketing managers need some research work to be done. Thirdly, they need to manage and direct their subordinates. Also, marketing managers need to communicate with the higher level management. Keeping all the function in mind, a marketing manager needs a LAPTOP with wireless internet connectivity for convenience and flexibility. Laptop is helpful because it will not affect the works of a manager while he is shifting places or travelling. Secondly, through internet connectivity, it can guide and manage subordinates through emails. P6: Complete computer system to suit a given task: Let us elaborate more on designing a special computer system for a special task. We will take human resources for McDonalds for our point of attention. McDonalds is a global organization and it operates is different parts of the world. Due to its operations in diverse parts of the world, it needs to hires from local countries to lower its cost and better operations. Human Resources Department of McDonalds has to face different kind of challenges to meet this objective. For example, interviewing candidates from different parts of the world is nothing more but a challenge. They need a computer system with complete components plus accessories such as printers and faxes etc. They also need internet connectivity. This will help them to interview candidates from different parts of the world and their efficient screening. Moreover, they can email candidates or can communicate with them online through internet connectivity. Moreover, they can publish their reports using Microsoft word or excel. They also need projectors and video conferencing to train their employees and subordinates. A proper internal database system must be designed to develop integration and convenience of operations. For example, Human resources department can access personnel information through anywhere in the world. This can help them in efficient personnel planning and employee database. Today, McDonalds is using the Human Resources Information system for this purpose. It is easy for the operation managers again to send reports to the human resources department for internet connectivity. Moreover, employees can easily report back to human resources department in all their organizational problems. Outcome 4: Testing the Computer System P7: Planning that check system hardware and software components using standard techniques: We can adopt systems development lifecycle for managing and checking the computer components just like McDonalds does. We can divide this checking and audit in three sections: Initiation phase, Planning Phase, Designing Phase. In the initiation phase, we can firstly assess the strategic business objectives and can have useful insights about our business. This step involves strategic business objectives and technology goals, expected benefits from adopting a computer system, expected and potential organizational changes, and business regulations and laws. Then we can move to the functional requirements and checks such as end user requirements, information and internal security requisitions, operating systems compatibility and adoption, and internal or external interface requirements. Thirdly, Project management and risk management must be considered. Finally, while selecting a computer system, alternative solutions must be considered. In the Planning phase, we need to plan about the rules and regulations and compatibility of technology with the organizational culture. In this phase, we can check and plan that if a computer system is compatible with the organizational culture or not? Secondly, based on the roles and controls of end user, we can analyze the functional fit of particular computer hardware or software requirement and availability. In the design phase, we can design or REDESIGN a computer system after considering the organizational requirements and end users convenience and efficiency. In our example of McDonalds, we can easily analyze that although McDonalds has a good computer system and management but a lot more needs to be done to avoid any future threat from competition. (www.ffiec.gov, 2009) P8: User Documentation for Computer System: User documentation is the process of discussing and experimenting during a project or in an organization. This system is really important to implement. It includes goals, theories, roles, method, mechanics, and benefits. Goals involve the target assigned to each user in documentation. Well in case of computer sytem, it is the target of a user which he has to achieve using a system. For example, in the example of McDonalds, a sales officer need to properly use computer systems to reach potential sales. Theories involve the purpose or organizational objectives and visions. Users should work under the theories of organization. While roles, method, mechanics and benefits are all associated with user and all these things are important. (Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference, 1991) P9: Security Policy for the System: The Computer system can be secured by installing proper antivirus software like Norton Antivirus. Proper internet security applications software must be used to prevent the systems from any threats. Moreover, the email monitoring or screen capturing of emails is also practiced by some organizations but it can give rise to a large number of ethical issues like the privacy of employees. Moreover proper firewalls can also be installing to overcome this issue. All these practices are adopted by McDonalds. P10: Health and Safety Requirements of Systems: Proper measures should also be taken while implementing a system. For example, sitting long time against computers can damage the eyesight end users. So proper rays blocking screen must been used with display monitors to prevent employees from the threats of eyesight. McDonalds is doing well in this area by offering its employees a proper balance between work and home. (McDonalds Official Website, 2009) Conclusion: From the discussion above, we can see that McDonalds is a global organization and it has developed a strong computer and information technology system in its operations but there are also some defects in it. All the things we discussed above are important for having a powerful and successful computer system. For a Global Organization like McDonalds, A proper consideration and attention must be paid to I.T Section to meet global challenges.

Breaking Dawn: Between the book and movies Essay

There are many differences between breaking dawn the book and breaking dawn (parts 1 and 2) the movie. Some are blatantly obvious while others you have to know where to look to even be able to spot them. I’ll start with the book and part one of the movie. Edward and Bella had talked about her staying human for a full year before she turned so she could attend Dartmouth, But in the movie there was no talk at all about collage. In the movie Edward shares with Bella his rebellious vampire period the night before the wedding while in the movie it is only told is the book Twilight. The day of the wedding comes and it goes on quite beautifully. Many speeches were given in the movie yet none were described at all in the book. After the wedding Edward and Bella leave to go to the place where they were said to have their honeymoon. They were their 17 days after the wedding when belle discovers she was pregnant. In the movie it had only been 14 days since the wedding. She had decided to keep the baby and becomes very ill and forced to have the baby removed from inside of her because if she wasn’t Bella would have died. Edward roomed the baby and had no other choice but to turn her. Bella awakes from her transformation in the book wearing a silk blue dress and stiletto heals. In the movie she is wearing a blue dress but is also barefoot. She is then presented to her daughter which they names Renesmee. Edward showed Bella Renesmee’s powers and got to hold her for a bit. It was suggested she should hunt so Edward and Bella left. In the movie Bella encounters a mountain lion and a deer at the same time. After she had smelled a human and went after him. Edward stopped her. In the book the animals were hunted separately and she never goes after the human she smells. They get back and soon after Jacob arrives and Bella gets into a fight with him because of the fact that he had imprinted on her daughter and had given her the nickname Nessie. Which means Lock-Ness monster. Seth tries to stop them from fighting as a wolf and Bella pushes him hard into a tree with her new vampire strength, injuring his shoulder. In the book she injures him enough that Carlisle had to treat him for the broken shoulder. In the movie it isn’t bad enough for medical attention at all. A couple of weeks go by and Christmas arrives. Bella goes to her dads house with Edward and Renesmee. Renesmee is given a shiny golden locket theta day while in the movie it in given to her the night before the confrontation of the Volturi. The day of the confrontation came and Bella had Jacob ready to take Renesmee away if a fight breaks out. Well in the book the confrontation with the Volturi is almost peaceful. Alice and Jasper arrive just in time to present Nahual and Huilen. The Volturi see that Renesmee isn’t a threat to them and leave soon after. In the movie Alice arrives at the beginning and a huge battle scene occurs. Many people lose their lives including Carlisle, Jasper, and Aro. However it was only a vision of what would happen if the volturi decided to stay and fight. Nahuel and Huilen emerge from the woods and tells their story and then leave. Soon after Aro decides to leave because he doesn’t want to stay and fight only to die in the process. So as you can see this is only a few of the differences between Breaking Dawn the book and parts 1 and 2 of Breaking Dawn the movie.

A Hard Day’s Night- A Study in Fame, Paranoia, and Claustrophobia

Who among us has not heard of the Beatles, or know of their influence in everyday society. Their music fills elevators around the world, there have been thousands of books and movies recorded detailing every event of their personal and professional lives, and who can’t resist singing alone, if only under our breath, when ever we hear these classic songs.To watch the movie A Hard Day’s Night, starring the Beatles, created at the height of their popularity, your first thought is this is a movie to promote the Beatles and display their music.They are grown men, running around, having fun in the midst of a hectic lifestyle that very successful performers live. They seemingly don’t have a care in the world, but just need to show up and start playing their music on time, with much enthusiasm, while their manager, George Martin, does all the worrying for them.While the movie is entertaining, and has some great, full length versions of classic Beatles music, the underlyi ng theme is that of 4 grown men, dealing with the constraints and frustrations of enormous fame and popularity.They are not allowed to roam free about the city, or on the train they are riding, for fear of being overrun with groupies. Instead they are subject to do what George Martin tells them to do, because after all he is their ‘manager’, as if 4 grown men need someone to manage their personal lives as well as their professional.Their fame is so overwhelming, it often times disarms people who run into them unknowingly. When John Lennon meets a woman on the train who is taken back because she knows â€Å"it’s him†, he repeatedly denies it, and says he just looks like him. They start a conversation about how John is not really the persona of John Lennon the Beatle, but at that point in time he is John Lennon the private person, who wants to get to know the woman he just met, the woman, is insisting that she is right and knows John Lennon when she sees him .After a few exchanges, John convinces her that he just looks like John the Beatle, she ends up confessing, â€Å"You don’t really look like him at all.† Once she concludes that, she is not interested in him anymore.This is the prominent theme that is presented concerning their fame. Once recognized, people don’t really like them at all. At that time, they were criticized for having long hair, for wearing funny clothes, being brash and generally rebelling against society in general. It is mild to us today, but at that time they were radicals.This theme is seen again as Ringo is walking down the street. At first he is recognized and runs away from a young, female fan. When he steps out of a costume shop wearing a disguise, he speaks to the same woman who now tells him to â€Å"get lost.†One of the drawbacks of their fame is that because their personal life is examined so closely, and their inner most thoughts and feelings are put to music, arousing the sam e strong feelings in others, somehow total strangers feel as though they can walk up to them and act like they know everything about each one, right away.This causes a great sense of unsettled discomfort in the lives of the Beatles. They are desperately trying throughout the whole movie to be understood and accepted for just who they are.At the time of this movies release, in 1964, there were many big social changes going on around the world. Music before the Beatles, with the exception of Elvis Presley, was primarily either a solo singer, or a 3 piece band playing conservative music, that was well choreographed.When the Beatles came on stage, all of a sudden there were 4 instruments creating a loud, driving beat, with lyrics that spoke of love and desire, unlike anything that was ever heard before in mainstream America. Their entrance into this country is often times referred to as the ‘Beatles Explosion’.John Lennon himself stated that they were more popular the Jesus Christ at that time. The statement itself stirred up even more fame, and more attention- be it good or bad- adding fuel to the fire. It seemed as though their every move was documented, imitated, and capitalized on any way possible.

Search, Seizure, arrest, and reasonableness

Search, Seizure, arrest, and reasonableness Introduction Search, seizure, arrest, and reasonableness have been controversial topics in the criminal justice system for a number of years. Interferences with individuals’ privacy expectations have been cited as the major undoing of the criminal justice system. This essay provides an in-depth analysis of the United State searches, seizures, arrests, and reasonableness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Search, Seizure, arrest, and reasonableness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Search and Seizures A search is a meaningful interference or intrusion into individual privacy (Waksman Goodman, 2010). It is premised on collection of evidence in pursuance of criminal activity. Searches can be with or without warrants. Under the federal law, an enforcement officer must obtain a search warrant issued to intrude person’s privacy. However, searches can be without a warrant on the probable causal basis. This is be cause a federal law enforcing officer may believe that there is no enough time to obtain a warrant to conduct searches for evidence without it (Waksman Goodman, 2010). Seizures are divided into two namely; the seizures of property and seizures of individuals. A property seizure is the meaningful interference of a person’s possessory interest in his or her property (Zalman, 2011). The government can make an individual reasonably believe that he or she cannot go about his or her business, with the view of ongoing incident circumstances (Zalman, 2011). The seizure of an individual may include a full arrest, detentions on investigation, checkpoint inquiries, or detentions against the will (Zalman, 2011). Search or seizure warrants are issued by a judge or a magistrate if there is a fair probability that the search and seizure will produce beneficial evidence for the wrongdoing (Zalman, 2011). The Fourth Amendment provides warrant-less searches in cases where the warrant clause t akes precedence over reasonableness provision. A reasonableness clause protects a person’s right to privacy. A reasonable search and seizure warrants must specifically describe the place to be searched, and the property to be seized. Furthermore, a warrant may also be issued for the property designed and intended for use or used in committing a wrongdoing. According to Waksman and Goodman (2010), a search or a seizure warrant can be issued to officers to allow them arrest individuals found guilty. Reasonable warrants must be supported by probable cause for a search or seizure of a property, or a person. This is to protect citizens against arbitrary violation of their rights, by the government. Reasonableness also plays an important role in restraining the federal government’s action against the aliens.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The action that the gove rnment takes and the individuals’ expectations determine the action against the aliens. This implies that if the court determines that the government intrusion is unreasonably relative to the person’s protected privacy, then the violation has occurred. Once a reasonable interference with a person’s privacy expectation is established, the law enforcing officer is allowed to obtain a warrant that allows a federal law officer to intrude upon a person’s privacy (Waksman Goodman, 2010). Warrants are also executed through arrests. In the criminal justice system, arrests take place when a person is taken into custody by a police officer (Zalman, 2011). The criminal justice system starts with the arrests of criminals by the federal officers. The most common arrest is where police arrest individuals after finding them committing a crime. Secondly, it can be a probable cause arrest if there is evidence to prove that one got involved, or is about to get involved in criminal activities. The federal law enforcing officer can also obtain an arrest warrant from a judge or migrate to affect the arrest. Finally, a search or seizure warrant can also prompt an arrest. Stop and frisk, the most controversial criminal procedures instructed by police officers, is a form of search that is based on unreasoned suspicion that focuses on averting a crime (Waksman Goodman, 2010). It may be carried out in search of weapons from an individual. On the other hand, an automobile search is carried out when an officer relies on probable cause, to believe that evidence can be obtained from a person’s vehicle. Policemen do not require obtaining a court warrant to search or seizure the vehicle (Waksman Goodman, 2010). Border and regulatory searches are exempted from the Fourth Amendment warrant and probable cause requirements (Vina, 2006). Routine stops and searches at the U.S borders do not necessarily require warrants or probable cause. This is justified by t he need of the government, to protect itself, its property, and citizens. This is done through inspection of property and individuals, entering and leaving the country. However, reasonableness applies to the border and regulation searches. Border searches can be categorized into two groups. These include reasonable routine searches and non-routine searches that require reasonable suspicion (Vina, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Search, Seizure, arrest, and reasonableness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion The Fourth Amendment provides searches and seizures that aim at achieving effective administration of criminal justice in the United States. Moreover, it includes reasonableness in the criminal justice system, to safeguard the privacy rights of individuals. Searches and seizures need to be reasonable, in order to establish an expectation of privacy and meaningful interference. Regardless of areas, s earches and seizures must be reasonable. References Vina, S., R. (2006). Protecting our Perimeter: Border Searches Under the Fourth Amendment, Report for Congress. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/library/P1075.pdf Waksman, D. M., Goodman, D., J. (2010). The search and seizure handbook. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. Zalman, M. (2011). Criminal procedure: Constitution and society. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

The CPI and WWI

The CPI and WWI 1TranQuan TranHistory 2302The CPI and WWIWhen looking back on the United States' history, one feature stands out the most: the U.S. was involved in a lot of wars. Throughout the 20th century, the United States found itself in several major wars. World War I was the first of those major wars. During World War I, many soldiers were overseas fighting the Central Powers, while much of the American public sat helplessly on the home front. Woodrow Wilson saw the potential support that the people at home could provide, so he came up with a way to rally those unused potentials. In order to gain support from the people at home, President Woodrow Wilson established the Committee on Public Information and appointed George Creel as the chairman of the committee. Through out the war, the Committee on Public Information created and distributed many posters about the war that were successful in gaining the support of the public.This support played a major role in the Allies' victory of World War I. The Committee on Public Information, or CPI, was established during mid-April 1917 and was headed by George Creel (134). George Creel was working as a journalist when he was appointed by Woodrow Wilson as the head of the Committee on Public Information. According to Creel, the Committee on Public Information was created to "fight for the verdict of mankind" (135). He believed the role of the committee was to inform the public of the reason for the United States' actions overseas. Creel felt that the "war was not fought in France alone", but also had to be fought at home in the United States (135). The most persuasive way to get people at home involved in the war was by using propaganda, such...

The mutual effect between quality and cost management Essay

The mutual effect between quality and cost management - Essay Example The scope when measured accurate results in the project’s success, more so in terms of quality. Finally, cost the main focus of the paper often pays attention to the total amount of money that is needed to ensure that the project is finished up. Cost is said to be a resource sacrificed or foregone so as to achieve a specific objective (Schwalbe, 2014); costs are consequently measured in monetary amounts. Being an important aspect of project completion entails any given aspect of the project that requires some sort of funding. Aspects like; cost of materials to be utilized, labor charges, risk estimates and others. This only reflects the fact that project do cost money even more reason as to why project managers ought to understand Project Cost Management. For instance, if the original or official cost estimates of a project are low due to unclear project requirements and stipulations; chances are that cost overruns are to be incurred. However, if a good project cost management technique is to be applied, then cost overruns throughout the project can be avoided. Project Cost Management (PCM) often sees to it that the project team in place completes a project within an approved budget. Therefore, this only means that the project has to be well defined with accurate time and cost estimates. Eventually, the project manager has to ensure that project stakeholders are satisfied while at the same time making sure that costs are reduced and controlled. Therefore, this is to say that project management aims at fulfilling the needs and expectations of stakeholders; thus if a stakeholder is dissatisfied only more time will be invested and higher costs incurred. Stakeholder satisfaction is attained through quality; and this is only possible when cost of quality is measured and analysed. PCM usually does operate on the foundation of various

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 36

Leadership - Essay Example The video, How to Win Power and Influence People features Jeffrey Pfeffer giving loads of wise words on how managers can wield power over their staff and increase production and profitability of their organizations. Jeffrey’s pronouncement that power is the most precious resource for a manager is indeed a new viewpoint to those who believe in democratic management. A close overview of these videos together with an Interview with David Ulrich gives guidelines that can transform operations of many organizations. As Garry points out, innovation, resilience, inspiration and accountability are core principles that every manager determined to succeed must possess. A manager capable of exercising profound expertise and emotional commitment will certainly make a landmark impact on an organization. Coupling these abilities with a rare capacity to win people’s affection and favor makes such a manager an idol and a treasure to the company he runs. As a manager in a Convenience Store, putting all these cherished secrets of success into practice will tremendously improve operations of my department. With the power to influence the staff under me I will have a sizeable staff that is enthusiastic to carry out errands in the store without grumbling. Being an emotionally attached manager to the operations of the store will not only make me an efficient manager, but will encourage and motivate the junior staff to perform to the same standards of