Case – Unilever

This meant that each subsidiary was responsible for production, marketing, sales, and dilutions of their own products. Milliner felt that by allowing each subsidiary to be accountable for Its own performance would strengthen the overall company structure. Managers were able to develop their own marketing strategies to match their clients and region. By the mid-asses, Milliner fell into issues of cost, global brand expansion, and product release. With the current decentralization structure, Milliner determined that there was too much duplications, a lack of scales economies, and overall too high of costs.In 1 996, Milliner set forth with a new structure strategy based on regional business groups. These groups were introduced in order to drive down operating costs and speed up the process of introducing and developing new products/brands. For example, Lever Europe (one of these regional business groups) would consolidate all detergents in Europe, which proved to reduce production costs and speed. With this new structure, new costs of transportation and storage would need to be taken into account. However, this new strategy did Identify costs, but also Increased uniform ranging In packaging and advertising for unlived.With this change. Statistics suggest Milliner saved an estimated $400 million a year from just this change in the European detergent structure. By 2000, Milliner was still a step behind the competition. Milliner decided to cut brands and develop more centralized or global divisions. The development of the food division and home & personal care division allowed a global branding focus and unification. Not losing the importance of Individual preferences and differences, Milliner added region business as headquarters of a larger area.In the mid-asses, Milliner was attempting to build a unified brand, reduce production costs, and eliminate production lag time by introducing a new structure based on regional business groups. Milliner needed to change from Its previous decentralized business model because It would not keep up with a rapidly changing competitive market environment. Success from competitors such as Nestle and Procter &: Gamble allowed Milliner to see their faults. Duplication in manufacturing, lack of scale economies, and overall high costs left Milliner behind its competition.For example, with 17 different European operations it would take four to five years togged all 17 groups to launch/adopt a new product. This significant lag time left Milliner behind and struggling to develop any market share for its product. For these four to five years, competitors were rolling out different variations of these structure was a number of divisions focused on a different but specific category of products. These groups coordinated the activities of national subsidiaries to decrease costs and increase the speed of development, production, and implementation.By doing so, individual subsidiary companies let go of autonomy to execu te a unified Milliner strategy. One key aspect was the decrease in production costs. Jeans (2011) helps to expand our view on the total cost of production that Milliner was initially battling from 17 different groups. Total cost includes: setup cost for production, reordering and processing costs, quality costs from lack of quality and product defects, product shortage costs, material costs, and carrying costs Nonage, 2011). All of these costs, multiplied by 17, were hurting the bottom line for Milliner n Europe alone.The new structure identified this and cut manufacturing from ten plants down to one or two. This eliminated the size of the many discussed costs and allowed product sizing and packaging to generate uniform brand recognition. The movement toward this business group model saw big gains, as an estimated $400 million was saved in the European detergent operations alone. REFERENCES: Jeans, A. (2011). Economic production order quantity and quality. International journal Of p roduction Research, 49(6), 1753-1783. Don. 1080/00207540903555528Although Milliner saw financial success in its business group structure, it still lagged behind its main competitors. This structure failed to answer all of Milliner's issues by remaining to different organizational and too expansive in its product mix. To answer these issues, Milliner changed its model again toward a global structure. In some ways even with the business group structure, Milliner was still dealing with 17 different subsidiaries in Europe and various amounts in different countries around the world. There was no global division that stressed/organized similarity across the lobe.From this, timing issues and brand reputation was unable to translate world- wide. Milliner acknowledged this fact by the early asses and developed two global product divisions: food and home ; personal care. These were developed to centralize their company and vision. The second issue was Milliner's over extensive brands. With ov er 1,600 different brands it was difficult and costly to be competitive in any one certain area. They needed to think about quality over quantity in order to focus efforts on developing, manufacturing, and marketing for their most profitable brands.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 7

â€Å"Get out,† I said immediately. Yasmine and Vincent, finishing their breakfast at my table, looked up in surprise. Niphon gestured toward them. â€Å"I was invited in. I didn't think it'd be a problem.† Angel and human looked distinctly uncomfortable, and I could guess what had happened. Niphon had turned up, and they'd let him inside, not knowing about our animosity. They'd probably figured he was a partner in evil which, in the most technical of ways, he was. Vincent hastily stood up and took his empty plate to the sink. Yasmine followed. â€Å"Well,† said Vincent. â€Å"We should probably get going.† â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Yasmine, grabbing her coat. Fools rushed in where angels feared to tread, apparently. â€Å"Great seeing you guys.† They left so fast that they might as well have teleported out. I fixed my attention back on Niphon. â€Å"Get out,† I repeated. He leaned back against my couch, draping his arms over the back of it. â€Å"Letha, Letha – â€Å" â€Å"And stop calling me that.† â€Å"Whatever you like. And don't worry, I'll be out of your hair soon. I just wanted to give you a Tawny update.† Oh God. Tawny. Please, please let her have scored last night, I silently begged. Her attitude at the bar hadn't really inspired confidence, but maybe me leaving with Jude had set a good example. â€Å"She hasn't taken a victim yet.† Damn. â€Å"Alright, thanks,† I said, pointing at the door. â€Å"You can leave now. And next time, it's really okay if you call to give me an update. Preferably when you're in the taxi that's taking you to the airport so I don't ever have to fucking see you again.† He rose from the couch, giving me a wounded look. â€Å"Fine, fine. But there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.† â€Å"There is nothing at all I want to talk to you about.† I was on the verge of growling. â€Å"Oh, I'm not so sure about that.† His hand rested on the doorknob, but he showed no intention of actually leaving. â€Å"I think you'll be very interested. It's about your love life.† â€Å"No! We are not talking about this.† â€Å"Le – Georgina, I just want to help you,† he whined. â€Å"I think it's terrible that you two can't fully express your love.† â€Å"We. Are. Fine. And don't lean against the door. I don't want your hair to leave an oil stain.† Niphon straightened up and ran a solicitous hand over the back of his head. â€Å"Look, I get why you don't want to sleep with him. It's admirable. You want to protect his lifespan, not wipe him out, etc., etc. But what if that wasn't an issue? What if I made it so that you could have sex without the dire side effects?† â€Å"Right. And you'd do that out of the kindness of your heart.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged and spread his hands wide. â€Å"There's always a price.† â€Å"It's not worth it. Not worth Seth selling his soul.† â€Å"I could sweeten the deal. Give him a longer lifespan†¦longer youth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No. I swear to God, if you don't leave now, I'm calling Jerome.† That was a bluff, seeing as Jerome was out of town. â€Å"Like I said, just trying to help,† Niphon said. â€Å"Yeah, like you helped me?† I asked, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. Suddenly, the mocking, teasing look vanished. Niphon's face grew hard. Angry. Scary. â€Å"I did help you, Little Letha. You were no one. No one at all. Some poor fisherman's daughter in a shit, backwoods town. Some whore in a shit, backwoods town. You fucked up your life, and I fixed it for you. I made you who you are. Erased your problems. Saved your husband. Gave you eternal life and beauty. If anything, you owe me.† â€Å"It wasn't worth it,† I said, in a voice that matched his dark expression. â€Å"It wasn't worth it.† â€Å"Wasn't it? Would you have rather watched your husband commit suicide? Would you rather have died an outcast and disgraced?† I didn't answer. I thought about the desperate look on my husband's face when he'd found out that I'd cheated on him. Even after all these centuries, that expression still haunted me. He'd been driven to such despair that he'd been on the verge of taking his own life. In selling my soul and becoming a succubus, I'd struck a bargain with Hell that made him and everyone else I knew forget me. My husband had lived and gone on with his life, forgetting I'd ever existed. Had it been worth it? Observing my silence, Niphon's face turned taunting once more. He opened the door. â€Å"Good-bye, Georgina. Let me know if you change your mind.† He left, and I stared at the door for a long time before finally forcing my feet to start moving. The Seth soul-selling offer held no temptation for me whatsoever. That didn't trouble me. But his other words†¦the reminders of my past†¦ I sighed. I didn't want to deal with that, not with everything else going on in my life right now. And speaking of which†¦with two hours left until work, I decided to bite the bullet and again try to get more information about my dreams. From Dante. His store looked as bleak as the last time I'd visited, but this time, he actually had a customer. She was a young woman, college-aged maybe, with layered brown hair and a gray sweatshirt. Seeing her, I started to step back outside, but he waved me in. â€Å"No, no, it's okay. You can wait here.† Dante glanced at the girl. Both of them sat at the shabby, velvet-covered table. â€Å"You don't mind, do you?† She barely spared me a glance. â€Å"No! No! Hurry, go on. I want to hear more about the man.† Dante produced a dazzling grin that seemed a bit fake to me but which I suspected was actually very effective on her. Taking a step closer, I realized he was reading her Tarot cards. Several already lay on the table. He flipped another over. â€Å"Ah, the Hierophant.† His voice held a mysterious, knowing note. â€Å"What's that mean?† she squealed. â€Å"You don't know? You don't know anything about these?† She shook her head. â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Well, the Hierophant is a great love card. It represents a romantic man, someone good-looking and charming who loves giving gifts and doing small gestures. You know the kind.† â€Å"I don't, actually,† she said wistfully. â€Å"All my boyfriends have been jerks.† â€Å"Well, that's going to change,† he promised. I knew quite a bit about Tarot cards, actually. The Hierophant represented tradition, wisdom, and organized religion. He wasn't exactly a romantic figure, particularly considering he was usually depicted as a priest. â€Å"Why is he dressed so weird?† asked the girl. â€Å"He looks like he's in robes.† â€Å"It's not weird,† Dante said. â€Å"It's opulent. Remember, the Tarot is an ancient system. A guy dressed like this represented the height of fashion back in the old days. You know, a real designer label kind of guy.† I caught Dante's gaze and rolled my eyes. He maintained his poker face and flipped the next card. â€Å"Things are looking good,† he declared. â€Å"The Tower.† The Tower was pretty much the worst card in the deck. â€Å"This shows you guys have a promising future.† â€Å"Why is it on fire?† she asked. â€Å"And why are people falling out of the windows?† â€Å"It's all symbolic,† he said hastily. â€Å"And although things look really good for when you meet this guy, it means you have to be cautious and read the signs around you.† â€Å"Oh, wow,† she said. â€Å"I hope I can.† Dante gathered up the cards and stacked them neatly. â€Å"Well, I can help if you want. I could give you a package set of readings at a discount. That way, you'll have a guide as you go along. You'll be prepared for when you meet him.† I sincerely doubted she was ever going to meet this mythical guy. â€Å"How much?† she asked hesitantly. â€Å"Hmm, let's see.† Dante turned speculative. â€Å"Well, they're normally fifty dollars. Usually, I give a five-dollar discount for packages†¦but, hell. I really want to see this work. I'm a romantic myself, you know? It's a stretch, but I'll do a set of six for forty dollars each. You can buy them now and then come in whenever you want to claim them.† The girl deliberated, and I wanted to yell at her that it was a scam. But I needed Dante's advice and didn't want to get on his bad side. Not that I was necessarily on his good side right now. â€Å"I don't want to pressure you,† he told her gently. â€Å"So, please. Don't feel obligated. Just do whatever your heart tells you to do. I mean, if the cards have told us anything, it's that you have to protect your heart now as you enter this important stage of your life.† That sold her. â€Å"Okay. I'll do it.† I watched in disbelief as the two of them walked to his register. She handed over two-hundred-forty dollars – plus tax – and he gave her a Tarot punch card, not unlike what you'd get at a coffee or sandwich shop. â€Å"You should be ashamed of yourself,† I told him when she was gone. â€Å"Succubus. Nice to see you too.† â€Å"That wasn't a romance reading.† â€Å"Nope,† he agreed, coming over to stand beside me. â€Å"It actually suggested she'd soon be having a sex change and joining a suicide cult.† â€Å"But you told her it was about love.† â€Å"She's twenty years old. Love's all they want to hear about at that age.† â€Å"You're going to Hell.† â€Å"I could have told you that. In fact, I did tell you that last time, didn't I? Now. What can I do for you? You change your mind about the sex?† â€Å"No. Of course not.† He looked offended. â€Å"Of course not? What's with the attitude? I'm not that unappealing.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. He looked like he still hadn't shaved in a couple days, and there was something very sexy about that and the way his indigo T-shirt fit him. I hadn't realized before what nice ab muscles he had. Probably the lack of business around here gave him lots of time to work out. â€Å"But that's not why I'm here. And honestly, if this behavior is just the tip of the iceberg, I'm thinking your soul isn't going to be worth my time anyway.† He threw his hands in the air. â€Å"She comes and insults me, then expects help. So what is it you want? Your dishwasher finally break?† â€Å"No, but I had the dream again. And there was more.† I recapped it, and he listened, face unreadable. â€Å"You sure you don't want a new dishwasher?† he asked dubiously. â€Å"No!† â€Å"What about kids?† â€Å"What about them?† â€Å"You want them?† I fell silent, and despite his lopsided smile, I could see Dante scrutinizing me. He might be a con artist, but he was smart. The best ones always are. People like him make their living reading people and exploiting little things – like that girl's longing for romance. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. â€Å"You know that. I can't have them.† â€Å"I didn't ask that, succubus. I asked if you wanted them.† I averted my eyes, studying the crystal ball. With the way the sunlight hit it, I suspected it was actually plastic. â€Å"Sure. I did even when I was mortal. If I could have kids now, I would.† He nodded, and for the first time, I got the impression he might almost be taking me seriously. Almost. â€Å"And let me guess. You woke up without energy.† â€Å"Yes, and I'd gotten a victim the night before. Just like last time.† His face turned speculative. â€Å"Interesting. It only happens when you're charged up.† â€Å"What do you think it means?† â€Å"Dunno. Might not mean anything.† â€Å"It has to! I'm losing energy for no reason at all.† â€Å"You're stressed,† he argued. â€Å"And you're, like, one of the most uptight people I've ever met – immortal or otherwise. You've spent centuries wishing you could get knocked up. You have this celibate boyfriend thing going on. And you work for that demon, right? The one who looks like Matthew Broderick?† â€Å"John Cusack,† I corrected. â€Å"He looks like John Cusack.† â€Å"Whatever. That's enough to tax anybody. Your dreams are manifestations of the woes in your life, coming out of your subconscious in vivid, energy-sucking ways.† â€Å"You are so unhelpful. Your dream expertise is a scam – like everything else.† â€Å"Nah. Not everything I do is a scam. I know dreams. I know spells. And I know what could help you.† â€Å"What?† He pointed to the counter. â€Å"You and me. Up there. Naked. Horizontal.† I groaned. â€Å"Wow, you really weren't lying. You are a romantic.† â€Å"A pragmatist. And an opportunist.† â€Å"A sleazy guy, treating me like a cheap whore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Fuck, I haven't been laid in months, and now this succubus shows up wanting my help. You'd try to bargain for sex too.† I eyed him warily. â€Å"Is that what this is about? I have to sleep with you to get help?† Dante shoved his hands in his pockets. â€Å"Nope. You'd be more fun if you were willing, I think. Besides, I have no other help to give.† Disappointed, I made motions to leave. â€Å"Okay. Thanks. Sort of.† â€Å"You know what else might help?† he called after me. â€Å"If it involves sex – â€Å" â€Å"A vacation. At the very least, a massage. Basic stress reliever things.† Those were actually reasonable things, and I was pleasantly surprised to see his mind wasn't always in the gutter. â€Å"They can help,† I told him. â€Å"But I doubt a massage will fix the problems in my life.† â€Å"Maybe. Maybe not. But if you want a free one†¦a naked free one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I left. I'd already felt like my romance with Seth was some infinite loop tape reel. The rest of my life apparently was too. Have the same dream, go to Dante, get no help, go to work, and ruminate. Because that's exactly how my day was unfolding, just like before. I went through the motions of paperwork and customer service at Emerald City, all the while consumed by images of the little girl in the dream and the sweet fantasy of having a daughter. My heart ached to see her again, to see that smile. Everything at my job seemed so shallow and meaningless compared with her. When work ended, I brought Maddie back to my apartment to make good on my promise to get her a date. â€Å"You're going to sell me?† she exclaimed when I told her the plan. â€Å"It's an auction,† I said. â€Å"For a children's charity. You don't hate kids, do you?† â€Å"Well, no, but – â€Å" â€Å"Then this'll be great. Here, try this on.† I tossed her a BCBG shopping bag. She eyed it warily. â€Å"Isn't that a place for teenagers?† â€Å"It's a place for anybody with style,† I assured her. She opened the bag and pulled out the knee-length dress I'd picked up for her the other day. It was silk chiffon with a dark pink geometric print. The empire waist had a slightly gathered top, and the V-neck had a bow that tied underneath it. Fluttery cap sleeves finished it off. â€Å"I can't wear this,† she said immediately. â€Å"Why? Because it'll look good?† She shot me a glare. â€Å"There's hardly anything there.† â€Å"What? There's plenty.† I owned lots of dresses that had â€Å"hardly anything there.† This was elegant and tasteful. Amish country compared to some of my clothing. â€Å"Try it on, and we'll see.† She did, reluctantly, and I could have crowed with delight when she stepped out of my bathroom. I'd totally nailed the size. It fit perfectly. â€Å"There isn't an extra inch here,† she fretted, pulling at the fabric around the waist. â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"Doesn't it make me look fat?† â€Å"It makes you look great. If it were spandex or something, there might be a problem, but this is light and drapey.† â€Å"The neckline's awfully low – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, be quiet,† I snapped. â€Å"And let's finish the rest of you.† I did her makeup and arranged her hair down for a change. It shone like black silk when brushed out, and I thought it was a shame she wore it in a haphazard ponytail so often. Besides, everyone knows that in the movies, shy girls always become beautiful by letting down their hair and taking off their glasses. Maddie already wore contacts, but the principle was still sound. I finally finished her off with half-heeled shoes I'd bought to match the dress. Higher ones would have looked better, but even I knew when not to press my luck. Satisfied with the results, we headed out to the auction. â€Å"You're like my fairy godmother,† she muttered as we walked into the hotel the event was being held at. â€Å"But I'm still a pumpkin.† I elbowed her. â€Å"How did you get so negative? You should start some angstful emo rock band to compete with Doug's.† â€Å"Oh, yeah. That'd go over – hey, is that Seth?† We were cutting across the open room the auction would take place in, heading toward the volunteers' area. Lots of people had gathered, filling most of the round tables facing the stage. I followed her gesture to where Seth sat at one of the few tables that wasn't already full. Seeing us notice him, he held up his hand in greeting. â€Å"He wanted to come support you,† I told her. Actually, Seth had been appalled at me strong-arming Maddie into this and had attended mainly out of a perverse fascination at what he thought might end in disaster. But Maddie, not knowing his motives, was pleasantly surprised. She smiled, and I nearly swooned. â€Å"That,† I said. â€Å"That right there is what you need to do.† The smile dropped. â€Å"That what?† Hugh practically skipped over when he saw us. â€Å"I knew you didn't hate kids. I knew you'd cave and come help – â€Å" â€Å"Not me,† I said. â€Å"Maddie.† I rested a hand on her shoulder. Hugh's face turned perfectly blank. â€Å"Oh?† Just then, a tall brunette in a black satin evening dress strolled over. The â€Å"fucking fox,† presumably. She extended her hand. â€Å"Hello, I'm Deanna, the coordinator. You must be Hugh's friend?† â€Å"Georgina,† I said, shaking. â€Å"But Maddie here is your volunteer. She's a journalist for an important women's magazine.† Deanna's eyes lit up. â€Å"Ah! We love celebrities. Let me take down your information.† She led Maddie away. As soon as they were gone, Hugh turned on me. â€Å"What the hell? I wanted Georgina, and you give me Georgy Girl.† â€Å"You are such an asshole. That's a horrible thing to say.† He shrugged, eyes on Maddie. â€Å"I call 'em like I see 'em. She's huge.† My eyes were on Maddie too. She actually looked quite slim in the dress, but Hugh was one of those guys who liked bony types – so long as their chests were big enough. â€Å"You're the reason women have such horrible self-esteem issues. You tear them apart. Women, I mean. Not the issues.† â€Å"Look, I'm sure she's not all bad,† he said. â€Å"She probably gives good head.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Flatterer. Why do you say that?† â€Å"Fat girls always do. They have to. Only way they can get men.† I punched him in the arm. Hard. â€Å"Ow! Fuck, that hurt.† â€Å"You're a jerk,† I told him. â€Å"Maddie's beautiful.† â€Å"She's okay,† he said, rubbing his injured arm. â€Å"And I can't exactly have just okay tonight – not with that liability already on deck.† He pointed over to where some of the other volunteers waited. Immediately, I found what he referred to. It was easy because Tawny towered over the other women by about a foot. â€Å"Holy Christ,† I said. â€Å"How did that happen?† He threw up his hands, looking miserable. â€Å"She latched on to the idea when you mentioned it at the bar.† â€Å"I didn't even think she heard me,† I said apologetically. Hugh waved me toward the crowd. â€Å"Too late now. Go have a seat, Brutus, so this disaster can get under way. You've ruined the night. I don't know why you hate kids so much.† I gave him a parting glare and went off to find Seth. The vampires had joined him since I'd come in. â€Å"You guys here to get a date or a victim?† I asked. â€Å"Neither,† said Peter. â€Å"We're here to see the Tawny Show.† I sighed. â€Å"This is supposed to be a charity event, and people are treating it like a freak show. Hugh already accused me of ruining it by bringing Maddie.† Seth looked surprised. â€Å"Why? She looks great.† I pointed her out to Peter and Cody, who also concurred about her cuteness. â€Å"She'll be fine,† said Cody. â€Å"Tawny's going to be the one to watch. I haven't really been able to see what she's wearing. I hope it's up to her usual standards.† â€Å"Maybe her Secret Santa will get her some nicer clothes,† said Peter. He glanced at me. â€Å"You bought for yours yet?† â€Å"Huh?† Right. Carter. I'd completely forgotten. Buying something for that cynical angel hadn't exactly been at the top of my priority list. â€Å"I, um, have some ideas. Still thinking about it.† â€Å"What about a Christmas tree? You got one of those?† â€Å"Um, haven't done that either.† â€Å"I didn't know you wanted a Christmas tree,† said Seth. â€Å"Do you need help picking one out?† â€Å"Well, I don – â€Å" The auction started, cutting me off. The auctioneer, Nick, was a young guy in his early thirties who probably had a second job doing minor modeling contracts that would never actually get him out of Seattle. He smiled non-stop and did a good job flirting with the women and making guy-jokes to the men. Bids flew fast and furious, and it was easy to get caught up in the excitement. â€Å"Next up,† said the auctioneer, reading from a card, â€Å"is Tawny Johnson.† â€Å"Johnson?† asked Cody. â€Å"Kind of boring.† â€Å"She made up both her names,† I said. Succubi often did. â€Å"She probably didn't have any mental energy left after choosing the first one.† â€Å"Ouch,† said Seth. â€Å"Who's being mean now?† â€Å"You haven't met her,† I warned. Tawny pranced up, wearing seven-inch high-heeled shoes that appeared to be made out of stainless steel. They looked like medieval torture devices but matched her super-tight, silver lam? ¦ hot pants and jacket. â€Å"She didn't disappoint,† said Cody, studying the outfit. Unsurprisingly, she stumbled the last couple of steps, and Nick reached out to steady her. â€Å"Careful there,† he said, flashing his brilliant white teeth. â€Å"Men are supposed to fall all over you.† It took her a moment to get the joke, and then she burst into small, high-pitched giggles. The noise grated on my nerves, but Nick seemed quite pleased to have someone appreciate his jokes. â€Å"Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, Tawny,† he said. â€Å"It says here you're currently unemployed. Does that mean you're out looking for something right now?† â€Å"Well, Nick, I'm out looking for someone right now – if you know what I mean.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I said. â€Å"That was kind of funny,† Peter noted. â€Å"No, it wasn't.† Nick apparently agreed with Peter. He threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Careful there, guys†¦we got a dangerous one on our hands. Tell me, Tawny, what is it you're looking for in a man?† She pursed her red-lacquered lips in deep thought. â€Å"I'm looking for heart, Nick. Heart and soul. Those are the most important things.† There was a collective â€Å"aww† from the audience. Beside me, Peter said, â€Å"Okay, the soul thing really was funny. Only to us, of course, but still.† Tawny then winked at the crowd. â€Å"But stamina and a big checkbook can make up for that sometimes.† Nick waited for the audience's laughter to fade. â€Å"Okay, let's start the bidding at fifty – oh my God.† Tawny had taken off her jacket, revealing a zebra-print bandeau top underneath. ‘Top' was a dubious term at best, though. When wrapped around her enormous bust, it looked more like a rubber band and really only served to cover her nipples. Bids exploded from the audience, much to the astonishment of my friends and me. More surprising still was when Nick the auctioneer actually joined in. â€Å"Folks, I know this is a bit unusual†¦but, well, I just can't help myself. Three-hundred dollars.† â€Å"Three-fifty!† â€Å"Four-hundred!† In the end, Nick was the one who ended up winning her, paying a startling five-fifty. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned,† said Peter. I would have made a joke about his comment if I wasn't so shocked. When I finally found my voice, it was to say, â€Å"Well†¦this is a good thing, right? That guy looks like he'd sleep with her right now.† â€Å"And,† added Cody, â€Å"it was all for the kids.† Slowly, my astonishment faded into relief. This was an unexpected twist to the evening. The Tawny problem was fixed. Apparently, all we'd needed to do was essentially run an ad for her. She'd sleep with him, and Niphon would get off my back. One less thing for me to worry about – which was good, because I certainly had plenty of other things. Like Maddie. It was her turn next. She walked out, face grim and set for battle. She looked both terrified and terrifying. In spite of that hard countenance, I still saw a few interested faces in the audience. â€Å"Smile, smile,† I muttered to no one in particular. â€Å"Maddie Sato,† said Nick cheerily. â€Å"You write magazine articles. Anything I'd know?† â€Å"Probably not,† she said, still wearing that grimace. â€Å"Not unless you read feminist publications.† â€Å"Feminist,† he said, clearly amused. â€Å"Next you'll be telling us you hate men.† She gave him a blank look. â€Å"I only hate stupid men who don't actually understand what ‘feminist' means.† He laughed. â€Å"You run into a lot of men like that?† â€Å"All the time.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Even as we speak, Nick.† â€Å"Oh no she didn't,† said Peter. I groaned. It took Nick a full ten seconds to realize he had just been insulted. Then, for the first time that night, he stopped smiling. Turning to the crowd, he said flatly, â€Å"Okay, let's start the bidding at fifty.† Silence met him. The interested faces no longer looked so interested. I swallowed a scream. No, this couldn't be happening. I'd promised her a date. This would destroy her. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a voice in the back of the room. â€Å"Fifty.† Relieved, I craned my head and looked. The guy who had bid was about fifty years old and looked exactly like this pedophile I'd once seen on a news special. â€Å"Fifty,† said Nick. â€Å"Do I hear seventy-five?† Silence. I turned to Seth. â€Å"Do something!† I hissed. He flinched. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Going once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I elbowed him, and his hand shot up. â€Å"Seventy-five.† There was a collective â€Å"ooh' in the room. Apparently no one, including Maddie, had expected a bidding war for the belligerent man-hater. Her eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"One hundred,† said the pedophile look-alike. Then, either to end this quickly or because he felt sorry for Maddie, Seth said, â€Å"Three hundred.† More sounds of astonishment followed. The other bidder couldn't compete; he must have spent all his money on bail. â€Å"Sold to the gentleman in the Welcome Back, Kotter T-shirt.† â€Å"Nice,† said Cody, as Maddie exited the stage. I reached out and squeezed Seth's hand. â€Å"Thank you.† He gave me his half-smile. â€Å"Anything for the kids.† Nick flipped to his next card. â€Å"And now we have†¦Georgina Kincaid.† My head shot up. Across the room, I saw Hugh's smirking face. â€Å"Oh no he didn't,† I said through gritted teeth. Nick, puzzled, glanced toward where the other auctionees were. â€Å"Georgina Kincaid?† â€Å"No avoiding it,† Peter told me. â€Å"Might as well go up there. Otherwise people'll think you hate kids.† â€Å"That joke is getting old,† I hissed. Vowing to slap Hugh later, I reluctantly rose from my chair. Upon seeing me, Nick turned on the supernova smile. â€Å"Ah, there she is. Fashionably late.† On the subject of fashion, I wished I'd worn something as nice as Maddie's dress. I might have just gotten tricked into this thing, but now I wished I could do it right. I still looked good; my normal sense of aesthetics would allow for nothing less. I had on a black skirt and a purple cashmere sweater, my hair in a ponytail. In tiny increments – too slow and small for anyone to notice – I tightened the sweater around my figure and made the neckline bigger. I put a saunter into my hips and pulled out my ponytail tie, shaking out my hair. It had worked for Maddie and countless nerdy movie girls. It would work for me because I suddenly had a serious issue at stake here. There was no way on God's green earth that I was going for less than Tawny. â€Å"Georgina,† said Nick, helping me onto the stage. â€Å"My notes say you prefer Georgie.† Yeah, Hugh was definitely getting slapped. â€Å"And that you run a bookstore.† If I'd taken a victim recently and had succubus glamour on me, I wouldn't have to do a single thing except stand there. I wouldn't even have to smile. Now I'd have to work a little. Quickly, I assessed this crowd. The kinds of guys who came to events like this tended to be white-collar professionals with disposable income. Some would be here simply because philanthropy was trendy and good for the image, and this was a stylish way to do it. Others, while perhaps not desperate, were nonetheless intellects and introverts who found this a good opportunity to meet women. These men all wanted smart, competent women – women who were also pretty, of course. And wit†¦wit always went over well. I gave Nick, then the audience, a heart-stopping smile. â€Å"That's right. I organize events, bring in money, make sure everything looks good, and whip people into shape.† â€Å"Sounds like a lot of work,† he said. â€Å"Or,† I said, â€Å"an excellent first date.† There was no cymbal crash, but my punch line elicited the laughs I'd hoped for. â€Å"You have some high expectations,† said Nick. â€Å"Well, I think everyone should. Why settle? If a guy meets my expectations, I'll meet his. And in the end, it's all about sense of humor and a conversation that won't put me to sleep.† I realized I sounded vaguely like a Miss America contestant, but maybe there wasn't much difference. I could see from the intrigue in the audience that I'd made a good impression. â€Å"This one's a keeper,† said Nick. â€Å"Let's start at fifty for Georgie.† I got my fifty and then some. Bids flew around the room. At one point, I glanced at Seth. Our eyes met, and I could tell by his expression that he was on the verge of bidding. I shook my head. He was the only one I wanted to go out with in this room, but I didn't want to taint Maddie's win. I wanted her to feel special. Besides, I also didn't want Seth to blow that much money. I went for seventeen-hundred dollars. â€Å"I can't believe that,† Maddie whispered to me afterward. â€Å"I think you're the highest one so far. The guy looked cute too.† He had. Late thirties. Armani suit. Harmless. Nobody I planned on establishing anything meaningful with, but he'd do for a casual date. Maybe an energy fix if I decided to use this body. â€Å"You brought in some money yourself,† I teased. Her eyes found Seth, sitting across the room, and studied him speculatively. â€Å"Seth probably did it because he felt sorry for me.† â€Å"Of course not,† I said quickly. She still looked skeptical. â€Å"Well, it doesn't matter. I'd rather drink coffee and talk shop with him than go out with some sleazy guy. That other bidder reminded me of this sex offender I saw on TV once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When the auction wound down, I exchanged contact info with my buyer for a future date. Hugh attached himself to Deanna and stayed as far away from me as possible. No worries. I'd have plenty of time to deal with him later. Tawny, fortunately, also stayed away from me and clung to Nick's arm. I watched them like a proud parent. Tonight was going to be a great night.

Language Beliefs Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Beliefs Paper - Essay Example f adult learning and literacy are more expected to be providing an appropriate framework for second language learning compared to those concerned with child development. Linguistic-oriented theories of language learning tend to highlight genetic mechanisms, which are the so-called "universal grammars" in explaining language acquisition. Behavioral theories dispute that association, reinforcement, and imitation are the primary factors in the acquisition of language. Cognitive theories put forward that schema, rule structures, and meaning are the distinctive characteristic of language learning. Memory processes have been singled out as the basis for language intellectual capacity. There are a number of principles, which are related, with second language acquisition of children but in the following paragraphs, only the most imperative ones are stated. The first principle states that bilingualism is an asset hence it must be promoted at all levels. The topic of the use of language for bilingual children has now been a debate for the last so many years and there are no simple and definite answer. At times, parents as well as members of a community start feeling pretty strongly about their children who could not speak English in school. At other points of time, it has been witnessed that there is a robust attitude attached with the strengthening of the home language, while at the same time teaching English. The decision as to how to introduce English to children who come to school with limited proficiency in English should be left to local discretion of the parents as well as at times, to the children themselves, the latter being the case when they have serious p roblems understanding the second language or have trouble speaking and/or writing or both. If we talk about acquiring English, the child might come into sight as having some degree of know-how and adeptness in both the languages, thus signifying it as a transitional chapter for the duration of which requirement

PROHIBITION AND WHY IT WAS REVERSED Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

PROHIBITION AND WHY IT WAS REVERSED - Thesis Example riment essentially banned all works associated with alcohol that include but are not limited to the making, transportation, storage and sale of alcohol. The 18th Amendment was proposed on 18 December, 1917. A temporary Wartime Prohibition Act was passed by the Congress in US on 18 November, 1918 that imposed a partial ban on alcohol by prohibiting the consumption of all such beverages in which the content of alcohol exceeded 2.75 per cent. With due approval from 36 states of US, and the 18th Amendment was approved on 16 January, 1919. Finally on 17 January, 1920, the 18th Amendment was enforced. The move was so meaningful and important that some states in US had enforced the prohibition even before the formal approval of 18th Amendment for the very reason. After the enforcement of Prohibition of the manufacturing, storage and consumption of alcohol all over the US, the amount of liquor consumed by the public saw a drastic decline, though it was not without side effects. The Prohibition stimulated violence and criminal activity underground. In the 1920s, which was essentially the period of Great Depression for many advanced and industrialized countries, Prohibition did not appeal to the public particularly in the bigger cities of US. Prohibition was supposed to lower crime and corruption, reduce social problems, lower taxes needed to support prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America. Instead, Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; organized crime blossomed; courts and prisons systems became overloaded; and endemic corruption of police and public officials occurred. (â€Å"1920s Prohibition†). The benefits derived from the ban were temporary. The 18th Amendment caused an upset in the society and the rate of crime upsurged. The underground production and consumption did not remain limited to alcohol, but the production of all kinds of drugs started with it. The underground channels became well developed, and the smugglers’ and drug

The Essence of Libel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Essence of Libel - Essay Example However, proof of malice does not allow a party defamed to sue another person for damages due to reputation. Libel in opposition to the status of a person who died allows surviving family members or friends to the deceased person to bring out an action for damages. As far as the law is concerned, government bodies are considered as resistance to actions for libel on the considering that there are be no intention by non-personal entities and again public records are exempted from libel claims. Nonetheless, there is one known case whereby there was a financial settlement and a published correction when a certain state government incorrectly stated in a newsletter that a certain dentist had been disciplined for conducting himself illegally (Linda & Edwards 390) Rules against libel covering public figures like politicians and government people are special as stated in the U.S Supreme court decisions. The basic thing is that to uphold the right of expressing opinions and fair comments on public figures, the label should be malicious to constitute grounds for a lawsuit for damages. Minor reporting errors are never libelled, for instance, saying that a person was 55 years when he or she is only 48 do not constitute libel (Linda & Stanley 390) The news case discussed in this paper on libel is the High Court ruling that Sally Bercow’s tweet about Lord McAlpine being libellous. This case shows that a person does not just have to explicitly defame another person for it to be considered as libel. The tweet that was taken as offending was: â€Å"Why is Lord McAlpine trending? Innocent face† It was alleged that Lord McAlpine had abused children at a North Wales children’s home in 2013. He issued his denial when he said that he had been named on the internet and social media over claims relating him to an abuse at a Wrexham children's home. However, he refuted the claims saying that he had only visited Wrexham only once, he had never been to the children’s home, and that he had never visited any reform school or any other institution of the same nature.  

Design assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Design - Assignment Example Skill-based pay will be introduced in organizations that pay remarkably high wages, provide remarkably high levels of teaching, and make far-reaching use of employee participation practices. These are self-managed groups, open sharing of corporate information pegged with various pay inventions. To design and implement the skill-based pay system, the business ought to first outline the work to be completed, and how it ought to be assigned between individuals and teams. Training must be established that is closely related to the blocks of skill satisfied in the pay system. Activities In a skill-based pay approach, instead of the essential building block of the human-resource management exist as the job, the rudimentary building core block ought to be the individual. The design mission in the organization needs to develop a classical example of what expertise each individual in the organization necessitates. The skill combination is identified in regard to each individual needs. This wi ll enhance to reflect the core capabilities of the organization and the way the business wishes to function from a management style point of understanding. The human-resource subsystems (such as the teaching systems, assortment system, the pay system, the evaluation system and the career progress systems) need to be allied with the development of individuals. This will aid the organization to end up with an accurate skill profile for each individual worker (Piskurich, 2003). A work design is possibly the most fundamental inference that aid in the undertaking of a skill-based tactic to management concerns in relation to area of work design. Personal descriptions ought to be established in relation to comprehensive job descriptions. These personal descriptions have to specify the skills that an individual requires to be effective in their specific work area. It is worth noting that the skill-based approach is most operational in work situations where knowledge work is used. Furthermor e, it is also relevant where individuals can add considerable worth to the product or service. This is because when individuals are self-managing, its efficiency is enhanced. Content As stated earlier, skill-based pay emphasizes on skills and pays individuals in relation to the skills they have. Blocks of skills desirable by the organization, except the job, characterize the basic units of study. In modest skill-based systems, employees may be remunerated for learning what, in principle, multiple jobs are. As a result, skill blocks in skill-based pay systems become equivalent to jobs in job-evaluation systems. Skill assessment, appraisal, authorization, pay rates, and teaching ought to be closely tied to skill blocks. This will allow these systems to work successfully and ensures the organization is being paid value for its investment in salaries, training, and other capitals (Pfeiffer and Ballew, 1998). Testing Methods The principle pay for performance production in any skill-based system relies on how well employees use their skills during a quantified time period. It comprises looking at what individuals add to the performance of their group. Where this is quantifiable, it may make logic to tie part of a person’s benefit to their individual input of their team. It is worth mentioning that the substitute to individual pay for a performance is not to quantify individual performance and to ground pay on organization business unit performance.

Profit Variance Analysis A strategic Focu Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Profit Variance Analysis A strategic Focu - Essay Example Although, prima facie, it would seem that the Company is growing at a fairly good growth rate and is in good financial health, this may not bring out the entire picture. It is very much possible that certain key indicators of business performance, like market shares, Contribution, net worth, ROI, and P/V Ratio, that is Profit volume ratios may not be as desired, but these vital parameters lie buried under the avalanche of profit statements. The Analysis reported in Table 3 fails to address certain key questions regarding the marketability of products. If the Company is a single product catering to a single market, things are easy. But, if the Company is multi-producted, having, say two or three diverse product lines, would it be logical to assume that they have the same markets and customers. This may not be true. Different products may have different markets, diverse customers and separate market shares. To club all together, would be inadequate and misleading. Therefore, different market strategies, financial costing, and management accounting principles would have to be used for the different product lines. Only then would a clear and correct picture emerge regarding contribution, PV Ratio, ROI product wise, market share and estimation of fixed, variable, semi-variable and step-fixed variable costs be correctly estimated and determined. Question 2 : Does a favorable variance imply favorable performance Answer 2 : A favorable variance, or adverse variance, does not always imply favorable or adverse performance. The connection between favorable and adverse variance on the one hand, and the favorable and adverse performance on the other, would depend upon the laying out of the strategies in the context of business, and it is only after evaluation of execution of these business strategies that it could be possible to adjudge, whether a favorable or adverse variance necessarily implies favorable or adverse product performance. (Govindarajan & John, 1989). Question 3: Table 4 shows a rather elaborate and detailed analysis of variances of operating factors such as total market share, market share of the firm, sales mix, selling price and costs. The analysis considers almost all, if not all, the factors that are of interest and importance to management. Why is this analysis incomplete Answer 3: An important aspect of variance analysis is the implementation of strategic goal settings and the constant comparison of actual performance with the targeted strategic goals. This method is connected with strategic analysis and aptly manifests the significance of integrating strategic planning with the assessment of the overall financial performance. The performance evaluation, which is a critical component of the management control process, needs to be embedded into the strategic structural framework of the firm for optimum results. In a Company, the different strategiesimplies different specialized tasks and requires different corporate behavioral patterns for effective performance. In such a

Biodiversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Biodiversity - Research Paper Example The disturbance in the balance is due to the disturbance in the food chain. Like in a forest ecosystem, none of the animal is valueless; lamas, zebras, buffaloes and deer are eaten by tigers, lions, leopards and jaguars. If the ecosystem faces the extinction of the lions, tigers, jaguars or leopards, the number of lamas, zebras, buffaloes and deer increase rapidly and thus there would be low food resources for them and animal will die from diseases, which will make the ecosystem unhealthy. Natural Alteration in the Ecosystem Natural occurrences like earthquakes, droughts, etc have heavy impact on the ecosystems. Natural occurrences can produce alterations to the ecosystem. Like the droughts become a reason for the shortage of food (Shah, 2011). The shortage of food may bring some of the creatures to extinct. However, some of the alterations are good for the environment and some of the alterations are worst in terms of extinctions of some of the creatures. Importance of Biodiversity B iodiversity is often considered to have no linkage with the economic sustainability. However, environmental sustainability is often thought to have a connection with the biodiversity. In fact, biodiversity is connected to economic as well as environmental sustainability (Shah, 2012). It can provide food, water and a healthy atmosphere. A decline in the biodiversity of the planet would bring many problems. Biodiversity, Food Resources and Economics Most of the food resources come from the biological resources. If the biological resources regarding the food become less, then there would be a lot of hunger and disease. In this way, it is almost impossible without the utilization of food resources. The economics of a country are largely linked the production and utilization of the food resources. The more the food resources a country has, the more food there will be to export and earn money, to boost the economy. Results show that forty percent of the world’s economy is dependent on the biological resources. However, paper, textile and timber industry will also remain incomplete without preserving biodiversity. In this way, industrial economy depends much on biodiversity, while tourism increase due to forests and preserved marine life. Biodiversity and Medicine Biodiversity has much importance in terms of medicines, as most of the medicines come from the plant and animal sources. The medicines like coniine, etc, which is utilized in the malarial disease come from the plant. The research and development in the field of medicine is totally incomplete without biological resources. In this way biological resources have much importance in the field of medicines. Biodiversity and Climate Change Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the biodiversity of the planet. Some creatures like coral are much sensitive to the small change in the temperature and a little increase in the temperature could become a cause of the death of coral reefs. Coral are importan t in providing many fish and some other marine creatures a shelter and thus extinction of the coral means the extinction of many other species too (Harris, 2012). However, the protection of the biodiversity can only be a factor in controlling the climate change, as the major

Soft Drink Industry Case Study Essay Example for Free

Soft Drink Industry Case Study Essay Introduction Description The soft drink industry is concentrated with the three major players, Coca-Cola Co. , PepsiCo Inc. , and Cadbury Schweppes Plc. , making up 90 percent of the $52 billion dollar a year domestic soft drink market (Santa, 1996). The soft drink market is a relatively mature market with annual growth of 4-5% causing intense rivalry among brands for market share and growth (Crouch, Steve). This paper will explore Porters Five Forces to determine whether or not this is an attractive industry and what barriers to entry (if any) exist. In addition, we will discuss several critical success factors and the future of the industry. Segments The soft drink industry has two major segments, the flavor segment and the distribution segment. The flavor segment is divided into 6 categories and is listed in table 1 by market share. The distribution segment is divided in to 7 segments: Supermarkets 31. 9%, fountain operators 26. 8%, vending machines 11. 5%, convenience stores 11. 4%, delis and drug stores 7. 9%, club stores 7. 3%, and restaurants 3. 2%. Table 1: Market Share 19901991199219931994 Cola69. 9 69. 768. 36765. 9 Lemon-Lime11. 711. 812 12. 112. 3 Pepper5. 66. 26. 97. 37. 6 Root 2. 72. 82. 32. 72. 7 Orange2. 32. 3 2. 62. 32. 3 Other7. 87. 27. 98. 69. 2 Source: Industry Surveys, 1995 Caveats The only limitations on access to information were: 1. Financial information has not yet been made available for 1996. 2. The majority of the information targets the end consumer and not the sales volume from the major soft drink producers to local distributors. 3. There was no data available to determine over capacity. Socio-Economic Relevant Governmental or Environmental Factors, etc. The Federal Government regulates the soft drink industry, like any industry where the public ingests the products. The regulations vary from ensuring clean, safe products to regulating what those products can contain. For example, the government has only approved four sweeteners that can be used in the making of a soft drink (Crouch, Steve). The soft drink industry currently has had very little impact on the environment. One environmental issue of concern is that the use of plastics adversely affects the environment due to the unusually long time it takes for it to degrade. To combat this, the major competitors have lead in the recycling effort which starting with aluminum and now plastics. The only other adverse environmental impact is the plastic straps that hold the cans together in 6-packs. These straps have been blamed for the deaths of fish and mammals in both fresh and salt water. Economic Indicators Relevant for this Industry The general growth of the economy has had a slight positive influence on the growth of the industry. The general growth in volume for the industry, 4-5 percent, has been barely keeping up with inflation and growths on margins have been even less, only 2-3 percent (Crouch, Steve). Threat of New Entrants Economies of Scale Size is a crucial factor in reducing operating expenses and being able to make strategic capital outlays. By consolidating the fragmented bottling side of the industry, operating expenses may be spread over a larger sales base, which reduces the per case cost of production. In addition, larger corporate coffers allow for capital investment in automated high speed bottling lines that increase efficiency (Industry Surveys, 1995). This trend is supported by the decline in the number of production workers employed by the industry at higher wages and fewer hours. This in conjunction with the increased value of shipments over the period shows the increase in efficiency and the economies gained by consolidation (See table 2). Table 2 General Statistics: Year CompaniesWorkersHoursWagesValue of Shipments 1982162642. 485. 27. 84 16807. 5 198341. 585. 18. 2417320. 8 198439. 8 81. 78. 5118052 1985141437. 277. 89. 119358. 2 1986 133535. 573. 59. 7720686. 8 1987119035. 471. 510. 45 22006 1988113535. 271. 810. 7823310. 3 1989102733. 4 67. 710. 9823002. 1 19909413265. 711. 4823847. 5 1991 31. 966. 811. 8525191. 1 199229. 861. 612. 46 26260. 4 199328. 659. 312. 9327224. 4 199427. 4 56. 913. 3928188. 5 199526. 254. 513. 8629152. 5 1996 2552. 114. 3230116. 5 Source: Manufacturing USA, 4th Ed. Further evidence of economies is supported by the increased return on assets from 1992-1995, as shown in table 3. Coke and Pepsi clearly show increased return on assets as the asset base increases. However, Cadbury/Schweppes does not show conclusive evidence from 95 to 96. Table 3 CADBURY/SCHWEPPES93949596 ASSETS2963100 326690035015004595000 SALES33724003724800 40296004776000 NET INCOME195600236800261900300000 Sales/Income5. 80%6. 36% 6. 50%6. 28% Income/Assets6. 60%7. 25%7. 48%6. 53% COKE ASSETS11051934120210001387300015041000 SALES 13073860139630001618100018018000 NET INCOME1664382217600025540002986000 Sales/Income12. 73%15. 58%15. 78%16. 57% Income/Assets15. 06%18. 10% 18. 41%19. 85% PEPSI ASSETS20951200237058002479200025432000 SALES 21970000250210002847240030421000 NET INCOME374300158800017520001606000 Sales/Income 1. 70%6. 35%6. 15%5. 28% Income/Assets1. 79%6. 70%7. 07%6. 31% Source: Compact Disclosure Capital Requirements The requirements within this industry are very high. Production and distribution systems are extensive and necessary to compete with the industry leaders. Table 4 shows the average capital expenditures by the three industry leaders. Table 4 Dec-95Dec-94Jan-94Jan-93 Receivables1624333 138576712266331077912 Inventories867666. 7 803666. 7777366. 7716673. 7 Plant Equip5986333 579536752466004642058 Total Assets15022667 140555001299790011655411 Source: Compact Disclosure The magnitude of these expenditures causes this to be a high barrier to entry. Proprietary Product Differences Each firm has brands that are unique in packaging and image, however any of the product differences that may develop are easily duplicated. However, secret formulas do create a difference or good will that cannot be duplicated. The best example of this is the New Coke fiasco of 1985. Coke reformulated its product due to test marketing results that showed New Coke beat Pepsi 47% to 43% and New Coke was preferred over old Coke by a 10% margin. However, Coke executives did not take into account the good will created by the old Coke name and formula. The introduction of New Coke as a replacement of Coke was met by outrage and unrelenting protest by the public. Three months from the initial launch of New Coke, management apologized to the public and reissued the old Coke formula. Test marking shows that there is only a small difference in actual product taste (52% Pepsi, 48% Coke), but the good will created by a brand can have significant proprietary differences (Dess, 1993). This is a high barrier to entry. Absolute Cost Advantage Brands do have secret formulas, which makes them unique and new entry into the industry difficult. New products must remain outside of patented zones but these differences can be slight. This leads to the conclusion that the absolute cost advantage is a low barrier within this industry. Learning Curve The shift in the manufacturing of soft drinks is gravitating toward automation due to speed and cost. However, industry technology is low and the manufacturing process is not difficult, therefore the learning curve will be short and will have a low barrier to entry. Access to Inputs All the inputs within the soft drink industry are commodity items. These include cane, beet, corn syrup, honey, concentrated fruit juice, plastic, glass, and aluminum. Access to these inputs is not a barrier to enter the industry. Proprietary Low Cost Production The process of manufacturing soft drinks is not a proprietary process. The methods used in the process are relatively standard within the industry and the knowledge needed to begin production can easily be acquired. This is not a barrier to entry. Brand Identity This is a very strong force within the industry. It takes a long time to develop a brand that has recognition and customer loyalty. Brand loyalty is indeed the HOLY GRAIL to American consumer product companies. (Industry Surveys, 1995) A well recognized brand will foster customer loyalty and creates the opportunity for real market share growth, price flexibility, and above average profitability (Industry Surveys, 1995). Therefore this is a high barrier to entry. Access to Distribution Distribution is a critical success factor within the industry. Without the network, the product cannot get to the final consumer. The most successful soft drink producers are aggressively expanding their distribution channels and consolidating the independent bottling and distribution centers. From 1978 to the present, the number of Coca-Cola bottlers decreased from 370 to 120 (Industry Surveys, 1995). In addition, 31. 9% of the soft drink business is in supermarkets, where acquiring shelf space is very difficult (Santa, 1996). This is a high barrier to entry. Expected Retaliation Market share within the industry is critical; therefore any attempt to take market share from the leaders will result in significant retaliation. The soft drink industry is a moderately mature market with slow single digit growth (Industry Surveys, 1995). Projected growth rates are 4-5% in sales volume and 2- 3% in margin (Crouch, Steve). Therefore, growth in market share is obtained by stealing share from rivals causing retaliation to be high in defense of current market position. This is a high barrier to entry. Conclusion To be successful on a large scale, the high capital requirements for manufacturing, distribution, and marketing are high barriers to entry. Therefore the threat of new entrants is low making this an attractive industry. Suppliers Supplier concentration Supplier concentration is low due to the fact that the main ingredients are sugar (cane and beet), water, various chemicals, and aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles. There are many places to get sugar and ingredients for soft drinks because they are commodity items. The containers (aluminum cans, bottles etc.) make up 36 percent of all the inputs that the industry uses. Other supplies like sugars, syrups and extracts account for 23 percent of the inputs (Manufacturing USA). There are five major suppliers of glass bottles. Altrista Corp. , Anchor Glass Container, Glassware of Chile, Owens Illinois, and Vistro Sa are the major makers of glass bottles (Compact Disclosure). This is a fair amount of suppliers considering that only five percent of soft drink sales are in glass bottles. There are even more suppliers of plastic bottles. This is good because 43% of all sales are from plastic bottles (Prince, 1996). All this makes the concentration for glass and plastic suppliers moderate. The aluminum can industry is even older and more established than the plastic industry. Reynolds Metal Products, American National Can Company and Metal Container Corp. are the main suppliers of aluminum cans. 50. 6% of total soft drink sales are packaged in aluminum cans (Prince, 1996). Since the aluminum industry is older and more established, these are likely to be the only manufacturers for a while. Even though the concentration of aluminum producers are low there are only three major players in the industry, Coke, Pepsi, and Cadbury. These three account for nearly 90% of domestic soft drink sales (Dawson, 1996). This makes the balance of power slightly favor the suppliers of aluminum cans, even though the number of producers and buyers are equal (3). Syrups and extracts account for 16. 7% of input costs to the soft drink industry (Manufacturing USA, Fourth Ed. ). Even though these are a small percentage of inputs, all the major soft drink companies own companies that produce flavoring extracts and syrups (Industry Surveys, 1995). This is probably due to the fact that they all have secret formulas and this is how they protect the secret. Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper all have secret formulas. This makes the concentration of suppliers for extracts very low but they are owned by the soft drink industry. This backward integration by the major players makes the power question moot. Suppliers do have limited power over the soft drink industry. The concentration of suppliers remains relatively low, which would seem to give the supplier power. The shear mass and volume that the industry buys negates that effect and balances, if not tips it back toward the soft drink industry. Presence of Substitute Inputs There is not a lot of variety in inputs. The biggest substitute input was when the industry switched from aluminum cans to plastic bottles. This made the glass industry almost shake out completely. The next big substitute input was for sugar. Since people were demanding more and more ways to lose weight and consume fewer calories, the diet soft drink exploded in sales. This demand made the soft drink industry find an alternative to sugar to sweeten their product. This substitute turned out to be Nutrasweet non-sugar sweetener. This was found to reduce the calories and retain the taste of their respective products. Other sweeteners, like molasses, do not work because they change the flavor of the product. Most of these substitute inputs had already taken place so they become less relevant to the industry as time marched on. Substitute inputs usually do not become important until the customer or market changes dramatically. This happens when new studies come out from the government about how harmful something is. This was the case when scientists came out with the study that stated that saccharin was harmful to rats. The industry had to respond by reducing its use of saccharin and look for a substitute. At this time, the industry found Nutrasweet to be a reasonable substitute for saccharin, which was used more heavily in diet drinks. All in all, there are a lot of substitutes for packaging but not for sweeteners because these sweeteners must have government approval (Crouch, Steve). This makes suppliers have power over the industry as seen in the almost overnight empire of Nutrasweet. This will most likely change drastically when Aspirtain (Nutrasweet) loses its patent in a few years. Differentiation of InputsÃ'Ž Sugar is commonly available while Nutrasweet is patented. There is no differentiation for sugar and only one choice in Nutrasweet. As far as the other chemicals and inputs, they are commodity items, and it does not matter who supplies them. This makes suppliers have little power over the soft drink industry. Importance of Volume to Supplier The soft drink industry buys a large portion of the Nutrasweet market but their percentage of purchases are falling as other products begin to use it. Sugar is bought but not in the volume that the grocery store or other industries do. The aluminum can, plastic bottles and glass bottles (less now) are all pretty much dependent on the soft drink industry for their livelihood. This makes the supplier have pretty much no power over the industry. Impact of Input on Cost or Differentiation Since the inputs are basic elements there is no differentiation and therefore no impact on the final product for using different inputs. If the price of the input changed, it would dramatically change the price of the product as the aluminum cartel did in 1994. Since the major inputs are commodity items, the prices can change dramatically due to environmental forces. If the sugar industry suffers a loss due to weather or because of political unrest (like in Cuba), then the prices go up and the soft drink industry is usually left absorbing them. The soft drink industry can not, in all cases, simply pass along the price increase. Customers and distributors are more price sensitive than ever. This makes the supplier have a fair amount of bargaining power over the industry. Threat of Backward or Forward Integration With the current climate of sticking to the core of the company, there is little threat of backward integration into the suppliers industry. This is after the fact that they already have integrated into the extracts to protect their secrets. The integration into the extract-producing segment of the suppliers will be the extent of the backward integration. The suppliers do not have the capital required to forward integrate into the soft drink industry. This makes the industry attractive for investment. Access to Capital The soft drink industry is very profitable and therefore looked upon favorably by financial institutions. This includes the stock market, direct investors (bondholders), and banks. Currently the operating margins for the industry have grown from 17. 9% in 1992 to 19. 5% in 1996. The projected operating margins are projected to grow to 20. 5% from 1997 to 2001 (Value Line 1996). The profit margins and demand are increasing for the soft drink industry (Industry Surveys, 1995). What this means is that capital is available for expansion or upgrading, if additional capital is required. This is favorable to the industry. Access to Labor The industry is not highly technical except for chemical engineering. This means that the demands for skilled labor are not very high. Which means that the soft drink industry will not have trouble finding labor. There are no established labor unions. The average labor cost is no more than in any other industry. The average hourly wage is $11. 85 per hour, which just about the same as all manufacturing firms of $11. 49 (Manufacturing USA). Summary of Suppliers When you sum up the different aspects of the suppliers you come to the quick conclusion that the power is definitely in the hands of the soft drink industry. This makes the industry very attractive for investment and for the companies already in the industry from the supply aspect. This means that it is attractive to new entrants as well. Buyers Buyer Concentration versus Industry Concentration The buyers for the soft drink industry are members of a large network of bottlers and distributors that represent the major soft drink companies at the local level. Distributors purchase the finished, packaged product from the soft drink companies while bottlers purchase the major ingredients. With the consolidation that has occurred within the industry, there is little difference between the two. Distributors are assigned to represent a specific geographic area, for example a town or a county. In turn, these distributors are responsible for distributing the product to the retailers who sell the products to the end consumer. In recent years, the national companies have been purchasing independent bottlers in an effort to consolidate the business and gain some distribution economies of scale (Thompson and Strickland, 1993). Buyer Volume The contractual agreements, which are present in this industry, dictate that the major soft drink companies will sell their products to the distributors. Therefore, buyer volume is not a factor for this industry. Buyer Switching CostÃ'Ž Independent bottlers have contractual agreements to represent that company within a certain area. Switching costs would include establishing new relationships with other companies to represent and the legal costs associated with distributors being released from the contract. Buyer Information Distributors are very informed about the product that they are distributing. Information flows freely between the soft drink Companies and the local distributors and down to the retailers. There are many co-operative promotions where distributors and soft drink companies collaborate on price and advertising campaigns (Crouch, Steve). For example, major soft drink firms will send a regular report out to its distributors describing upcoming promotional events where the cost will be shared between the two companies. For promotions that fall outside of this report, the distributors will have to coordinate that sponsorship with the soft drink company. Threat of Backward Integration It is doubtful that local distributors will move into the actual production process of soft drinks. Distributors specialize in the transportation and promotion of the product that they rely on the carbonated beverage companies produce. However, major retailers; for example Wal-Mart and Harris Teeter have begun distributing their own private label brands of soft drinks. Wal-Mart now offers Sams Choice and Harris Teeter offers Presidents Choice at a significantly lower price. These private label competitors will not provide the variety of packaging alternatives, which make the national leaders so successful (PepsiCo 1995 Annual Report). For example, Pepsi offers 12-ounce cans, 20 ounce bottles, 1 liter bottles, six packs, twelve packs, cases and The Cube 24 can boxes. Pull Through Pull through is not a factor from the independent bottlers perspective. These bottlers have a franchise agreement to represent a major carbonated beverage company on the local level. These distributors are legally bound to represent these companies and therefore cannot choose not to promote certain types of beverages. Brand Identity of Buyers Brand identity of buyers is not relevant to the distributors because of the contractual relationship that exists where distributors represent the soft drink companies. The distributors have an exclusive contractual agreement to represent that soft drink brand. Price Sensitivity Distributors are not highly price sensitive buyers. Independent bottlers are on a national contract so all distributors pay the same price for the same products. Price to Total Purchases Soft drinks are the single product that the distributors are concerned with so price is very important to them. Soft drink companies rely on these distributors to represent them on the local level, so it is important to maintain a healthy relationship. Impact on Quality and Performance All three of the leading carbonated beverage producers, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Cadbury Schweppes believe that their buyers (distributors) are an important step in taking their products to the end consumer. The service, which their distributors provide to the retailers, makes a difference to the retailers who sell the product to the end consumer. The actions of that distributor reflect on the soft drink company so if the distributor does not provide the level of service that retailer or restaurant desires, it may harm the companys image. Substitute Products Relative price/performance relationship of Substitutes The carbonated beverage industry provides a non-alcoholic means of satisfying an individuals desire to quench their thirst. Traditionally, coffee and tea would be considered substitute products. In recent years, carbonated beverages have seen the emergence of many new substitute products that wish to reduce soft drinks market share. The soft drink market has been traditionally competitive, without the added friction from ready to drink tea, shelf stable juice, sports drinks and still-water competitors also. (Gleason, 1996) Leaders in these emerging segments include Quaker Oats, with their Snapple and Gatorade products, Perrier, and Arizona Iced Teas. In other words, Pepsi isnt Cokes biggest competition, Tap water is. (Gleason, 1996). Generally speaking, soft drinks are less expensive to the consumer than these substitute products. Buyer Propensity to Substitute Buyer propensity to substitute is low due to the contractual relationships between the soft drink companies and the distributors. Rivalry Degree of Concentration and Balance among Competitors Three main competitors: Pepsico, Coca-Cola, and Dr. Pepper/Cadbury control the Soft Drink industry. Their combined total sales revenues account for 90 percent of the entire domestic market. This market dominance makes the industry a fiercely competitive and dynamic business environment to operate in. The single market leader is Coca-Cola with a 42 percent market share and over $18 billion in sales worldwide. PepsiCo maintains a 31 percent market share with $10. 5 billion in sales worldwide. The smallest of the three leaders is Dr. Pepper/Cadbury, which holds roughly 16 percent of the market. Cokes consistent dominance of both Pepsi and Dr. Pepper/Cadbury has caused Coke to become a household name when referring to soft drinks. As far as balance among competitors is concerned, PepsiCo is a much larger company than Coke and Dr. Pepper/Cadbury combined. The reason being that PepsiCo also owns companies in the snack and food industries (Frito-Lay, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC). With a work force of 480,000 people, PepsiCo is the worlds third largest employer behind General Motors and Wal-Mart. This has not lead to a more profitable soft drink business, nor has it helped PepsiCo use its size to steal market share from Coke or Dr. Pepper/Cadbury. Diversity among Competitors Though Coca-Cola dominates the industry in sales volume and market share, it does not dominate when it comes to innovative marketing and business strategy efforts. For instance, PepsiCo generates 71 percent of its revenues from the U. S. , while Coca-Cola derives 71 percent of its from international markets. Similarly, PepsiCo only gets 41 percent of its total revenues from soft drinks. The remaining 59 percent come from its snack and food business. Coke on the other hand gets all of its revenues from its soft drinks. Clearly both of the industry leaders have different strategies as far as revenue generation is concerned. However, as far as their product lines are concerned they are very similar and operate parallel to one another. Pepsi and Coca-Cola both have lemon-lime, citrus, root beer, and cola flavors. Dr. Pepper/Cadbury does not have as similar a product line to that of Pepsico and Coca-Cola. It manufactures Dr. Pepper (a unique spicy cola drink), ginger ale, tonic water, and carbonated water under its Schweppes and Canada Dry brands. Coke does have an answer to Dr. Pepper in its Mr. Pibb, but only holds a . 4 percent market share compared to Dr. Peppers 6 percent market share. The relatively low level of diversity makes the soft drink industry unattractive for investment. Industry Growth Rate Although new product lines have come into the beverage industry over the past two to three years, the soft drink segment has held and grown its share steadily. The onslaught of the sport drink and bottled tea have proven to be a passing fad that has gained little if no long term market share from soft drinks. Growth figures for the soft drink industry have been very steady since 1993, and are projected to continue to be so into the last part of the twentieth century. As can be seen in Figure 1, volatility was somewhat prevalent in the 1980s but has since lessened and leveled off (Valueline, 1996). Figure 1 Year87-8888-8989-9090-9191- 9292-9393-9494-95 Growth5. 7%5. 2%2% 3%2. 9%4%4. 4%4% Over the past ten years soft drinks have gained 5 percent of total beverage sales, putting them over the 25 percent share level for all beverage sales. As for new and emerging markets, both Coke and Pepsi are attacking the international environment. Coca-Cola generates 80 percent of its revenues abroad, and Pepsi is attempting but failing to put more emphasis there as well. Pepsi is losing customers to Coke in every major foreign territory. The company has always struggled overseas, but in the past few months it has lost key strongholds in Russia and Venezuela to Coke (Sellers, 1996). Because of the consistent growth of both the domestic and foreign markets, the soft drink industry is attractive for investment. Fixed Costs The SP Industry Survey has shown the soft drink industry profit margin to be on a steady incline over the past fifteen years. Levels in 1980 were near 14%, while as of year-end 1995 were over 20% and expected to flatten a bit. This flattening effect may be an indication that fixed costs are on the rise due to expansionÃ'Ž

Scooter sales in Vietnam Essay Example for Free

Scooter sales in Vietnam Essay Hom kia ong th? y em g? i cho em 1 cai article kha hay v? th? tru? ng xe 2B VN kha hay, m? i cac bac xem. EM xin l? i vi no la ti? ng Anh nhung vi? t cung kha d? hi? u . Qua bai bao nay em gi? t minh khi bi? t con s? ban ra c? a xe AB hon 120K , kh? ng thi? t . Va cac bac th? ng? m Hon Da VN da moc tui bao nhieu ti? n c? a dan minh [pic] Em xin phep VietNamNet Bridge – Two years ago the Vietnamese media was driven into a frenzy when Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie came to visit Vietnam for the first time. The image of the couple in casual clothes riding a black Yamaha Nouvo scooter in downtown HCMC was widely seen in newspapers and magazines. Scooter riders seen in downtown HCMC. Vietnamese consumers have an increasing preference for scooters. This actually gave free publicity to Yamaha. Sales of the Yamha Nouvo scooter have rocketed in Vietnam as this scooter has become a fashion for not only women but also men. Yamahas good business has led to other motorcycle makers to enter the market or boost scooter production to capitalize on the growing demand. The race starts. Italys Piaggio, the worlds fourth largest scooter and motorcycle manufacturer, started construction of its first factory in Vietnam. Honda and Yamaha from Japan will open their second Vietnam factories soon. Honda Vietnam, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Vietnam, has shifted focus to scooters for men. It started a campaign to enter the market six months after the trip of Vietnam by Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It launched the Air Blade scooter designed with a sporty fashion. As a favorite motorcycle brand, Honda caused an instant fever on the market after launching this scooter. When placing an order for an Air Blade at a Honda authorized exclusive dealer in HCMC, customers will get a shake of the head. The dealers are flooded with a lot of orders. A Honda dealer on Nguyen Trai Street in District 1 says it still has more than 600 orders to fulfill. But those really wishing to own an Air Blade scooter can go to plenty of private retailers in the city, but the price is usually VND8-10 million higher than Hondas list price. Despite the strong demand, the company says it is unable to scale up production as its factory in the northern province of Vinh Phuc is running at full capacity. As an adaptive measure, Honda has increased shifts to fulfill the mounting orders. Koji Onishi, general director of Honda Vietnam, says that by end-April this year, more than 120,000 Air Blade units had been sold, becoming the best-seller of the scooter category on the local market. Not to miss the race, Yamaha introduced the new Yamaha Nouvo Elegance scooter that comes with an engine of 135cc in late April, which is higher than those of the previous scooter versions. With a list price of VND29. 2 million, including VAT, the new Nouvo scooter is going like hot cakes. Just around 10 days after the new Nouvo version came out, Honda announced the launch of two new Air Blade versions with a sportier and more fashionable design. They retail for VND28. 5 million (VAT included) and come with three colors dark blue, white and red. In addition to the new Air Blade, a sporty Air Blade Repsol version with the color of Repsol Honda racing team in MotoGP World Championship has been introduced this time at VND29. 5 million. The market is so lucrative that another Japanese motorcycle maker, Suzuki Vietnam Corp. , has also forayed into the scooter market, with the launch of  the Hayate priced between VND21. 8 million and VND22. 8 million. The 125cc Hayate has a sporty design and targets male motorcyclists and is expected to strongly compete with Hondas Air Blade and Yamahas Nouvo. The Suzuki prices are lower VND7-8 million than the other two brands, so the Hayate has a competitive advantage in pricing. The competition in design Vietnam Manufacturing and Export Processing Co. (VMEP), Sanyangs motorbike maker in Vietnam, was the first to make scooters in Vietnam with the SYM brand. Taiwans SYM is one of the successful stories. The company launched the Attila scooter in 1997, which has since gained increasing popularity among young people. SYM leaders say that the introduction of the Attila has paved the way for the company to gain a competitive edge over cheap Chinese motorcycles, which overwhelmed the local market in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as others. The Attila was then the best-selling locally assembled scooter model. Imported scooters like Dylan,@ and Spacy of Honda, Majesty of Yamaha, and Epicuro and Aventis of Suzuki are prohibitively expensive but the compact and fashionable design and moderate price have made the Attila more competitive. The Attila retails for about VND30 million, around one- and two-thirds of imports. Buoyed by SYMs success, other foreign companies including Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda from Japan later jumped into the market. Experts formerly showed concern that SYM would find it hard to maintain its dominance on the scooter market since more Japanese producers were aggressively increasing investment in scooter innovation and design to gain a slice of the pie. But brands like Honda Click, Yamaha Mio Classical and Suzuki Amity seem to be not the archrivals of the Attila which is particularly popular among urban females. SYMs Attila Elizabeth version has become a favorite among young women thanks to its fashionable, elegant and compact design. The demand for the Attila Elizabeth has outpaced SYMs supply, leading to its price outside the company dealers increasing by VND2-3 million per unit. The good outlook The growth prospects of the market are good as young consumers in cities have an increasing preference for scooters. Many motorcycle assemblers have switched to scooter production to capitalize on this market trend and have been expanding production to meet local demand. Taiwans biggest bike maker Kwang Yang Motor Co. Ltd. (KYMCO) is an example. It has become the majority owner of Hoa Lam Kymco Motors Corp. after acquiring a 60% stake from its local partner. Hoa Lam Automobile-Motorcycle Joint-Stock Co. transferred its 60% stake in this joint venture to the Taiwanese company, thus reducing its holding to 30% from the previous 40%. KYMCOs stake in the venture, meanwhile, is up to 90%. Nguyen Tien Sy, deputy general director of Hoa Lam Kymco Motors Corp. , says that the authorities have endorsed the stake transfer between the two partners. The acquisition, whose value is not disclosed, is part of the Taiwanese companys plan to deepen its investment in Vietnam. KYMCO will develop a new factory in HCMCs District 2 besides the joint venture factory that is mainly assembling motorcycles in Binh Chanh District. The new factory in Cat Lai Industrial Park will produce motorcycle parts for local sale and export to ASEAN markets, Sy says. KYMCO will move its production lines from a factory in Taiwan next month to the new factory, which will mainly manufacture scooters. KYMCO attributes its increased investment in Vietnam to the strong demand for motorcycles. This firm forecast the domestic scooter market will continue expanding in the next five to 10 years. KYMCO entered Vietnam in late 2004 by buying a 30% stake in the bike manufacturing plant, which was wholly owned by Vietnams Hoa Lam Automobile-Motorcycle Joint-Stock Co. The value of the factory then was set at US$15 million. The brand name KYMCO, however, is not popular in Vietnam, but the Taiwanese company has reaped success elsewhere, exporting products to 81 countries worldwide, including Europe. KYMCO has set up nine motorcycle factories in Asia. The two market leaders, Honda and Yamaha, also started work on their second factories in northern Vietnam last year. Hondas new factory worth US$65million will mainly produce scooters. The plant, which is located next to the first one in Vinh Phuc Province, is part of Hondas expansion plan after its success over the past 13 years. The new 28-hectare plant is scheduled for mass production in the third quarter of this year, with initial annual production capacity of 500,000 units, says Koji Onishi, general director of Honda Vietnam. Together with the existing plants annual capacity of one million units, this plant will help meet the increasing demand of Vietnamese customers, he says, adding state-of-the-art technology would be applied to ensure high quality. The most modern and latest technology of Honda will be applied to this new plant that may produce the perfect quality products for Vietnamese customers, he says. The income level is increasing and the infrastructure is developed. Thus, the demand for scooters becomes higher and higher. In addition, its easy operation and modern design can sharpen customers personality. Thanks to the growth of the Vietnamese economy, we realize that young people especially in big cities prefer the scooters, says Yasuhiro Imazato, director of Honda Vietnam brand in HCMC. Meanwhile, Piaggio, the worlds fourth largest scooter and motorcycle manufacturer, is building its first factory in northern Vietnam. The company will spend US$45 million on the factory which covers eight hectares in Binh Xuyen Industrial Park in Vinh Phuc Province, and will be commissioned in mid-2009, with an initial annual output capacity of 50,000 units for local sale and export. The project is part of Piaggios broader three-year plan to expand its operations in Asia by setting up shop in Vietnam and India, Piaggio chief executive Roberto Colaninno. He says the companys products are already available in Vietnam, but it still wants a factory plus a sales network in the country. Piaggio brand is generally targeted at high-end customers. The Italian firm has five local companies as distributors Sapa Trade Co. , Xuan Cau Co. , Viet Nhat Motor Co. , Y Viet Motor Co and International Friendship Co. However, Piaggios investment in Vietnam is still smaller than Japanese and Taiwan motorbike producers. Taiwans Sanyang Industry, which is known for SYM brand, looks to Vietnam as one of its major motorbike production hubs in Asia and its biggest investment markets. Under a motorcycle industry development plan recently approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam will become a major Asian center for motorcycle design and production. The plan envisages local motorcycle demand reaching 2-2. 2million units a year. By 2015, there will have been some 31 million motorcycles in use nationwide and some 33 million by 2020, compared to the current 20 million, according to the plan. An additional 1. 8 million motorbikes will hit the road a year. (Source: SGT).

The Catcher in the Rye | Psychology Analysis

The Catcher in the Rye | Psychology Analysis Holdens father is a lawyer who seems to be rather strict and very interested in appearances, he shows this by making sure that Holden stays in exclusive prep schools. He never got to know Holden because of this. His mother is mentioned as being nervous as hell, suffering numerous headaches and smoking most nights. All of it is blamed on her never getting over Allies death. Holden never got to know his parents because he was for the most part sent to boarding schools. He never had a chance at developing a healthy relationship with his parents. Holdens family is obviously very important to him. At the beginning of his account he begins with talking about his parents and his brother. Holden negatively criticizes them to conceal the fact that he truly loves them. Holden is constantly being sent from one boarding school to a new. The emotional distance between him and his parents strengthens his general alienation from everyone. He has a good relationship with his sister, Phoebe. He loves his sister and admires her. He wants to protect Phoebe from the cruel world. Phoebe understands what Holden is talking about and what he is going through. Holden feels the constant need to protect her from the cruel world around her. Phoebe is concerned about Holdens future and what will happen to him when their dad become aware of Holden getting kicked out of boarding school (pg 164 Salinger). When Holden was going to run off to the west, she tells him that if he goes, she will too (pg 207 Salinger). After this Holden seems to be able to comprehend the reality that she will be destroying her life if she runs with him, and decides that he will go home with her. This is the only moment that Holden puts another person ahead of himself and acknowledges that he has the capacity to change the lives of others. This judgment of his shows that there may be hope that Holden has the capability to heal into a fully functioning adult s ubsequently to his re-entry into the world after exiting the mental hospital. For his deceased brother Allie, which I suspect has cause a majority of Holdens psychological problems. He idealizes him. According to Holden, hes the most intelligent, nicest, most charming kid with a great sense of humor you will ever come across (pg 38 Salinger). In Holdens worship for his brother and in his pain over Allies death, Holden has overrated Allie into a saint. Allie died when he was eleven years old, still a child and innocent. Having by no means been tainted by the world of adults, Allie is probably the individual Holden could catch in a field of rye, the only person who never has to go over the edge of the great cliff. This is why, when Phoebe asked Holden to name one thing he likes, he responds with Allie.(pg 171 Salinger) D.B. is Holdens older brother is a screenwriter in Hollywood. He use to write great stories, so great, that Holden credits him with being his favorite writer. D.B. is also the pinnacle of phoniness in Holdens mind because hes forfeited his art (writing stories) for money (writing screenplays for Hollywood). Holden recounts a flash back of When D.B. came back from the army D.B. says that the army is full of traitors. Holden then adds his own opinion about the army which is very similar to D.B. This was one of the very few moments they ever bonded. 3. Relationship with peers Holden does not have a good association with his friends He frequently feels perplexed and lonely because he has no friends. He passes judgment on his roommates, Ackley and Stradlater when he was at Pencey. He hates Stradlater and feels jealous of him. He feels sorry for Ackley, even though they are both similar. Holden considers that all everyone around him are phony. He feels strong resentment against everyone and he does not know how to develop a healthy relationship with other people. He feels alienated or excluded from society because he never had a chance to develop his social skills because he always was being shipped to different boarding schools. Not have the chance to make new friends 4. Sexuality / Physical maturity Holden is not ready for sex. He is interested about sex, but he is not emotionally ready for sex. When Sunny the prostitute came by (pg 93 Salinger), he did not desire to have sex. He felt distress when he heard that Stradlater might have sex with Jane. He does not think that there should be casual sex between two people. He feels that sex should take place when two people are in love. even though Holden is struggling to hold on to his innocence, he is preoccupied by the thought of sex. He believes you should not be intimate with a girl unless you know her very well and like her a lot. He sees this belief as a weakness. When Stradlater takes out Jane, his childhood friend, Holden becomes more than just jealous he becomes enraged at the thought that Stradlater may give her the time even though this is their first date. He is also disturbed by the fact that he is aroused by women he does not care for, such as the blonde tourist he dances with in the Lavender Room or Sally Hayes, who he wants to run away and get married to. However, she is not into the idea and probably scared off by his advances. Nothing about Holdens way of thinking is logical at this point in his recount. 5. Attitude too authority Holden applies the term phony not to people who are insincere but to those who are too conventional or too typical, for instance, individuals who dress and behave like the other members of their social class. While Holden exploits the label phony to imply that such people are superficial, his use of the term in fact indicates that his own perceptions of other people are superficial. In almost every case, he rejects more complex conclusions in favor of simple categorical ones. 6. Philosophy of life He is a confused teenager, overly sensitive to the normal complexity of the adult world (which he insists on calling phony) and unable to understand the truth that life is neither black nor white. I dont think Holden is able to determine what he believes and so calls himself a sort of atheist, emphasizing not so much belief or disbelief, but rather his inability to distinguish between the two. Holdens outlook on life reflects Holdens current dilemma in that Holden is now unidentified of society and fights corrupt phonies., the sum of such a traumatic history results in negative impact on Holdens mental health as he becomes misplaced and roams about the streets. Having dark thoughts as he searches without end and pointlessly for stability in life and ultimate finds himself on the brink of emotional breakdown. 7. Use of language / attention span / consistency of thought Holdens language typically stays away offensive and obscene. On every occasion he says words like ass, it is simply teenage phrasing for a part of the human body. He does not say it to be distasteful. Ass is basically an additional word Holden uses to better convey ideas. His terminology contains terminology that is religious, even though are not used that way. He uses words that pertain to the divine such as Gods sake, God and goddam, nevertheless, he never means it in a profane manner. They are only parts of his speech. He uses these words in an informal way when referring to his goddam hunting cap or saying somebody is a goddam moron. Holden has a very short attention span and cannot or does not want to focus on details. He changes subjects quickly and has difficulty focusing on one thing at times. Holden clearly states STANDARD PSYCHIATRIC RELEASE FORM (page 4) that he finds it hard concentrating during his discussion with Phoebe about what he likes in life, I couldnt concentrate too hot. Sometimes its hard thinking. (pg 169 Salinger) Holden is trying to reinforce his values. Holden repeatedly comments on his hatred toward phonies. That is one thing that Holden hates more than almost anything. That could be the reason he frequently confirms a statement with I really do, It really does, or if you want to know the truth. He also confirms comments by repeating them twice like She likes me a lot. I mean shes quite fond of me. He uses different phrases and styles to give a more truthful backing to his comments, as a result preventing himself from seeming like a phony. 8. Conclusion (explanation, rationale, and recommendations) In my best judgment as a psychiatrist I believe that Holden is not ready for release due to his unstable psychological state. After evaluating his account I believe Holden is suffering from Posttraumatic stress disorder from the traumatizing events during his child hood such as his Classmate jumping out a window and his brother Allie, dying from leukemia. I also believe he is suffering from Gerontophobia which is the fear of growing up which he constantly shows as he tries to protect his childhood innocence from society. He shows signs of ADH as he changes topics quite frequently during his account and states that he finds concentrating difficult. He is a Pathological liar because he constructs a perfect world around him where he never loses his innocence and tries to protect children from the dangers of the adult world. He constantly defends his reality when it is challenged, such as when Phoebe challenges him and his perfect world he does not listen to her reasoning and does not li sten to her. He is also showing signs of Major depressive disorder he shows this through his irritability, and his moods change very quickly. He also hates to focus on details, and spent time thinking over them. Most importantly at one point in his recount he had thoughts of suicide. The final psychological problem he has is Bipolar disorder because he did rarely sleep; he was highly irritable and had suicidal ideation. In order to treat Holdens psychological problems I would suggest individual and family counseling with his parents in order to cure his alienation from society.