United States Postal Service Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

United States Postal Service - Case Study Example Rather, it creates revenues out of its sale of postage stamps, products and services. Over the last 2 years (2007-2008), the USPS has been hit by increase in cost of postage stamps, cost of deliveries and shipments and the increasing tendency of people to use email to send messages rather than posting letters or cards. It has absorbed a loss of $5.3 million in 2007 and $2.8 million in 2008, leaving it strapped for cash and increasing the possibilities of bankruptcy or business failure. This has been eating into its retained earnings for the period (David, 81). Meanwhile its revenues stand at $75 million and though it has cut back on employees and increased the number of points served, this is not translating into an increase in profitability, mainly due to the rise in costs. USPS clearly needs to follow the lead of its competitors UPS and Fedex, who have leaner and more profitable operations. Its service agreements with them need to be scrapped. USPS also needs to reduce the number of service outlets it has which will reduce the cost of maintaining them. At best one service location per district will work fine. It needs to adopt a centralized system. The internal analysis for USPS shows that it is suffering from many problems. Its employee unions have been successful in bargaining for compensation and benefits, while the employees have been working less hours due to lack of work. As 52 percent of its revenues derive from first class mail, a decline in this volume has affected its revenues. Meanwhile the fact that its Board is appointed by the President and its prices are regulated by CPI, there is a double bind on USPS in that it cannot increase its prices beyond a certain limit. The separation of business into market regulated and Government regulated areas has been the death knell for USPS (David, 83). No organization can be run as a combination private and public enterprise- it is either one or the other. In spite of all its efforts,

Macro economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Macro economics - Essay Example This essay aims at explaining how fall in household savings can have a negative effect on the UK macro economy. Savings kept in bank accounts are key part of money. To the extent banks decide to finance commercial investment with respect to amount of deposits they receive, an increased personal savings could raise investment by the established international organization. If money deposited is changed in equity subscription in ones own secure, savings serve for personal independence and careers, again with a possible connection to investment in a macro-economic sense. Invested in the Treasury bonds, and savings finance public expenditure inform of shares, they may directly or indirectly fund the firms. Savings may also be transfer overseas by remittances, leading to rise to a new option between savings and consumption. For instance, in the form of buying an existing house or in funds on entrepreneurial activity). Insufficient and minimized savings due to a deliberate policy to promote the growth of GDP by independent consumption alone can reduce, if the policy is only feebly effective, the national economy capability to absorb treasury bonds, which in certain circumstances may put the country under high pressure by foreign creditors, when public debt is huge and prevalently held by foreigners (Swan, 2007). The paradox of thrift remains an important idea from the Keynesian economics. Reduced saving is observed as negative because it does not provides the money to finance the capital investments needed to promote a long-term economic growth. But if many people in UK start saving more in the same time, it may causes a drop in the consumer demand and even deeper recession. What can be rational and good for an individual can be damaging for whole economy at large, Monetary easing (ME) is a type of monetary policy used by central banks, whereby it purchases financial assets from existing commercial banks and other private financial

The Work of one Christian Relief Agency Essay Example for Free

The Work of one Christian Relief Agency Essay Christian Aid is an organisation that supplies aid to those in need. It is generally considered to have been the first missionary agency to support indigenous mission boards in countries all over the world. It all began in 1945 when Bob Finley was asked to speak at a rally of Youth for Christ in a Chicago stadium. His testimony was so fresh, unique and powerful that the 25,000 people in the stadium interrupted him several times with spontaneous applause. His words were broadcasted all over the continent and he was sent to speak at rallies throughout the U. S. and Canada. Along with his close friend, Billy Graham, they were enlisted as field evangelists with the Youth for Christ and spoke at youth rallies, churches, public schools, seminaries, colleges and Bible institutes. Between 1948 and 1950 Bob Finley traveled the East China, Korea and Asia preaching the word and lead Korea in the spiritual awakening that took place there in early 1950. Bob Finley returned to America determined to arouse the churches about the need for reform in foreign missions. He said the best way to plant a Christian witness in closed countries was to reach people who were away from home. Then when they would go back to serve Christ in their homelands; get behind them with financial assistance. Following the presentation of his honorary doctors degree, in 1953 he started International Students, Inc. to reach foreign students all over the U.S. and Canada. In 1972 the headquarters of ISI was moved to Colorado Springs, while the AID (Assisting Indigenous Developments) division was spun off as Christian Aid and remained in Washington D.C. with Bob Finley as the President. A competent staff was assembled to travel all over the world searching out indigenous ministries in every country, especially those that were closed to missionaries from America. Christian Aid grew and grew, with a number of new buildings built in co-ordination with the agency. They had a new headquarters with a conference center and more offices. It continued making contact with indigenous missionary groups in closed countries all over the world. Bob Finleys goal was to have a part in planting a witness for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ among every unreached people group on earth. Christian Aid is governed and staffed by evangelistic, Bible believing, born again Christians who uphold the fundamental doctrines of historic evangelical Christianity. The work of Christian Aid is felt in over 60 countries where they try to fulfill its aims of helping people in the long-term. This is achieved in various ways. The first is to raise money that is needed in order to help these people. They gain an income of around 48 Million Pounds a year, which they can use. This is done throughout the whole year where churches may hold collections or some sort of fund raising events where donations go to charity. A considerable amount of this money is collected during one particular week, annually. This is called Christian Aid Week. In 1995, 8.6 Million Pounds was raised in this one-week. Christian Aid has two main policies of donations. They give Emergency Aid and Long Term Aid. Emergency Aid 10% to 15% of their money is when people are in need of some sort of aid, straight away. For example, if there has been a natural disaster, or an influx of refugees to a country then they are in need of emergency aid in order for them to survive. We can see the work of Christian Aid in the Caribbean Sea islands where a 140mile-per-hour Hurricane battered the islands, leaving 20 dead and numerous others in desperate need of attention and shelter. Christian Aid went to the islands to help the suffering people get their lives back on track. Long Term Aid is when Christian Aid helps to set up funds in communities to help them in the future. This is done through churches and community centers. We can see this in place in Bangladesh where Christian Aid workers have been living there to help administer drugs to the people in need of it. They get their money to do this by Christian Aid and have helped many hundreds of people. Bob Finley has now completed 53 years of ministry as an evangelist, pastor, missionary, Bible teacher and Christian statesman. During these years he has traveled over four million miles and preached face to face to more than 20 million people. Additional millions have heard his message through radio, TV, films and videos. His published articles have touched thousands of lives and played a major role in changing the methodology and direction of Christian missions throughout the world. His influence and financial support has been used of God to further the cause of Christ among more than 2000 tongues, tribes and nations. Christian Aid continues to reach out to those who are in the remotest countries and have not heard of our Lord Jesus Christ. They continue to help other struggling ministries to preach the word of our Lord.

Assessment Of The Iranian Contra Affair Politics Essay

Assessment Of The Iranian Contra Affair Politics Essay The Iran-Contra affair was a controversial political scandal that dealt with senior US figures who had been facilitating the sale of arms to Iran, that was under an arms embargo, to secure the release of the hostages and to fund the Nicaraguan anticommunist rebel contras. While these two scandals were unconnected the contras would not have been able to be funded without the cash flow that the Iranian weapons money created. The operation began as a way to improve U.S. -Iranian relations during a time of extreme turmoil between the countries. The plan was to ship weapons to Israel who would in turn give them to a relatively moderate politically influential group of Iranians. Israel would in turn be resupplied and receive a payment from them. In return for the arms the Iranian recipients had promised to do everything in their power to have the 6 U.S. hostages, who were being held captive by the Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah. The plan eventually was broken down to a direct arms- for-hostages scheme that came to light in November of 1986 during the Reagan-Bush administration. Although November of 1986 is when the scandal came to light the origins came about seven years earlier in November of 1979 when nearly 500 Iranian students took over the American embassy taking 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. This was important because it was an earmark of one of the first major conflicts with the country of Iran. (Historycommons.org) Then in early 1980 the Israeli government proposed a deal to secretly sell arms to Iran as a means to gain diplomatic ground and a way to get the 52 hostages released, however President Carter angrily declines. The Israeli government then went on with the plan by themselves secretly supplying weapons to Iran shortly after. With the change in presidency from Carter to Reagan the US geared up to begin the shipment of arms to Iran through Israel. This however was illegal due to the Arms export act, which requires written permission from the U.S. for a nation, in this case Israel to transfer U.S. made arms to a third party. (Jonathanpoll ard.org) In a popular conspiracy theory, the October Surprise is said that Ronald Reagan conspired with the Islamic Republic of Iran to beat Jimmy Carter in the 1980 U.S. presidential election. The deal was apparently to have the Khomeini government keep the U.S. hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran until after the election, damaging Carters candidacy, afterwards Reagan would reward them with armaments. (danielpipes.org) This theory gained little notoriety due to it being relatively unbelievable until the Iran-Contra scandal came to light in 1986. After the commanding victory over President Jimmy Carter Reagan is sworn in to office and all 52 hostages are released ending the 444 days of captivity. (Danielpipes.org) The new Administration publicly maintained a hard line against Iran, a nation with little popularity due to the hostage taking and the murder of the CIA station Chief. Reagans Secretary of State, Alexander Haig, was quoted saying, Let me state categorically today there will be no military equipment provided to the government of Iran. However within weeks of this statement senior officials in the administration began putting together a continuing package of secret arms sales to Iran. (jonathanpollard.org) In 1982 Vice President George H. W. Bush asked CIA Agent and national Security Council Official Donald Gregg to serve as his national security adviser and foreign policy adviser who agreed and retired from the CIA. The two worked closely with CIA agent Felix Rodriguez, who was known for the interrogation and eventual execution of revolutionary Che Guevara, to help put together a covert operation to supply the Nicaraguan Contras with money, supplies, and weapons. Rodriguez and North later strike up a deal to divert funds and weapons to the Contras. Rodriguezs job was to set up the servicing of CIA transport planes at the Air Base. Later that year in December the first Boland Amendment restricted government support for Contras; the bill restricted US humanitarian aid to the Contras, and prohibited the use of U.S. funds for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Nicaragua. However the administration managed to get around the first of the three Boland Amendments by saying their he lp was only designed to force the group in charge, the Sandinistas to come to a peace agreement with the anticommunist Contras, and not to entirely bring the Nicaraguan government down. (spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk) March 17, 1983 the three had a secret meeting in the White House, which resulted in the National Security Council establishing a secret scheme to provide aid to the Contras. Rodriguez was placed in charge of the supply depot and placed at Llopango Air Base in El Salvador. In October of 1985 Congress modified the Boland Amendment by approving to send $27 million in non-lethal aid. (historycommons.org) As a result of this Reagan creates the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Assistance Office, or the NHAO in the State Department for the purpose of administering the money to the Contras. In the first of the NHAO organizations meetings Oliver North offered the services of Rodriguez to assist in distributing the $27 million in humanitarian aid meant for the Contras. Through the Air Base i n Llopango the legal NHAO and the illegal North fund distribution merge into one secret group. In 1984 Reagan publicly claimed to end aid to the Contras in accordance with the Boland Amendments. However men in his administration continue to support them. Late in 1985 Assistant Secretary of State Elliott Abrams joined the National Security Council and then joined Oliver North and Alan Fliers as the principal members of the Restricted Interagency Group (RIG), which worked on Central American Affairs for the Reagan Administration. Abrams, a large supporter of the anticommunists in Nicaragua became aware of Norths plans to divert Congresss approved 27 million dollars directly to the Contras despite being prohibited to do so. In effect Abrams became directly involved with in the illegal procedures to help the Nicaraguan rebel forces. Unaware of the illegal weapons exchange Congress approved another 100 million dollars for military and non-arms aid to the Contras. (Historycommons.org) In the month of August in 1983 the conservative talk show host Barbara Studley established GeoMiliTech (GMT) Consultants Corporation. After the start of the company a large number of right-wing, high ranking American and Israeli military officials became associated with the company, which had offices in both Washington D.C. and Tel Aviv. The Company began selling arms to Iran through Israel and North Korea. According to several authorities the motives for Israel are clear, which were to have the Iran-Iraq war go on as long as possible and to be as destructive as physically possible, however the motive for the U.S. is much less clear. Many believe that the founding of GMT was the beginning of the arms dealing to Iran by the U.S.. Later in the year the American government started Operation Staunch which asked other countries not to sell arms to Iran in hopes that it would bring peace talks in the Iran-Iraq war. In January of 1984 Iran was officially named a state sponsor of internation al terrorism, because of the large number of militant actions Hezbollah had been committing throughout the Middle East and Europe, a label that has not been lifted to date. In early March 1984 CIA Station Chief in Beirut, William Buckley, was kidnapped by the Muslim organization Islamic Jihad. Buckley would die in 1985 after 15 months of captivity. Buckleys kidnapping along with at least five others was a cited reason for the arms dealing to Iran, which spurred such controversy. (Historycommons.org) On May 8, 1984 the American reverend Benjamin Weir became the first in a string of kidnappings by Hezbollah in Beirut. He was held captive until September 1985, allegedly only being released due to the Israeli arms sales to Iran during the same year. In August of 1984 the National Security Advisor McFarlane asks the United States government to reconsider Iran as a sponsor for terrorism, but is denied. In December Peter Kilburn, a professor at the American University of Beirut became the second victim of kidnapping by Hezbollah militants, later to be murdered in 1986 for the US military strikes against Libya. In January of 1985 the second American pastor, Fri ar Lawrence Jenco, was kidnapped by the Hezbollah and would not be freed until July of 1986. The militant group Hezbollah kidnapped three more men in 1985, including reporter Terry Anderson, hospital administrator David Jacobsen, and an employee of Beiruts American University Thomas Sutherland, all of the men would eventually be released. Anderson was held hostage for seven years, which was considerably longer than any other American captive, and was released in 1991 due to the end of the civil war in Lebanon. (Nytimes.com) On June 11, 1985 the pro-Iran and pro-Iraq factions inside the White House met a boiling point when Robert McFarlanes National Security Council staff drafts the presidential directive supporting America helping Iran obtain weapons, whereas the opposing side headed by Secretary of State George Shultz and Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger remarked that the directive was almost too absurd to comment onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ However the arms-for-hostage deal went on as planned even with the strong objections by Shultz and Weinberger. After the Iranian sponsored Hezbollah kidnapped two more Americans, Reagan makes the statement that Iran is in a confederation of terrorist statesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a new, international version of Murder Incorporated. And also went on record as saying, America will never make concessions to terrorists. Although privately authorizing his National Security Advisor, McFarlane, to make contact with Iran. McFarlanes plan was to win influence in Iran by helping it win in its war with Iraq. Reagan believed that the improvement in relations would help in the release of American hostages held in Lebanon by the Iran backed Hezbollah. (Nytimes.com) In July of 1985 Israeli representatives met with Iranian arms merchant Manucher Ghorbanifar for the first time to discuss brokering the United States-Iranian arms deal authorized by President Reagan, during this meeting the plan to have Israel sell arms to Iran while having America replenish Israeli stockpiles on weapons. (pbs.org) On August 6, 1985 Reagan hosted a meeting in the White House having to do with the arms-for-hostage deal with Iran, and is allegedly told by McFarlane that the Iranians will see to it that the Hezbollah in return for U.S. and Israeli arms will release four American hostages. Later that year in August Israel sent 96 TOW anti-tank missiles to Iran, however no hostages were released. In September, the now ex-National Security Advisor McFarlane takes twenty-three tons of weapons to Iran . (pbs.org) In September America had its first success in the arms-for-hostages arrangement, where Israel sold 500 U.S.-made TOW anti-tank missiles to Iran. As a result of the sale Iran released American hostage Benjamin Weir after over a year of captivity. In November of 1985 the CIA sent 18 Hawk anti-aircraft missiles on a CIA fronted plane to Iran by way of Israel only to have the Iranians reject the missiles because they did not meet their requirements after test firing. After the transfer of weapons the deputy director of the CIA, John McMahon, reportedly said that the agency could no longer provide covert assistance to Iran without written permission by president Reagan himself. Not even a month later Reagan agrees and authorizes the sale of missiles from that point on as well as retroactively. However that document was destroyed nearly a year later. (Nytimes.com) A day after the president signed the arms-for-hostages deal the pro-Iraq defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger warne d Reagan that There was no way in which this kind of transfer could be made if that particular act governed. However the president felt that the American public could not forgive him if he were not able to save the American hostages lives due to legality. (Jonathanpollard.org) Oliver North, the National Security Council, or NSC staffer who handled the Iran-Contra dealings told the Israeli Defense Ministry officials that he would use the profits from any future arms sales to Iran to directly fund the anti-communist freedom fighters Contras. In early 1986 North set up a network that illegally diverted funds from the Iranian arms sale to the Nicaraguan Contras by using the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, or the BCCI to channel the money to the Contras. The arms money from Iran was sent from the White House controlled account to Saudi Arabia to hide the origins and then deposited into the BCCI bank account controlled by the Nicaraguan rebel leader Adolfo Calero. In January of 1986 several White House officials met including Vice President George H. W. Bush, President Ronald Reagan, Secretary of State George Shultz, Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, and CIA Director William Casey to discuss whether or not the U.S. should continue on with the ar ms-for-hostages dealings with Iran. Weinberger and Shultz are as they have been from the very beginning against any and all dealings with the terrorist state of Iran. Bush did not express an opinion either way, however later that month President Reagan will sign the authorization needed for the U.S. to allow Israel to sell 4,000 U.S.-made antitank missiles. According to several White House officials both the President and Vice president believed, that supporting Iran thwarts Soviet plans for Middle East domination, and by his own personal sorrow over the plight of the hostages. With the 1986 elections coming up however there were plenty of political reasons to continue with the arms dealings in hope that the hostages would be released before the November elections. Many of the chief facilitators admitted to the political concerns, saying that they had to meet a deadline on releasing the hostages. The U.S. actually tried to make an ultimatum saying that all hostages would have to be released in order to receive the antitank missiles, however Iran refused which caused a deadlock, which lasted for nearly a month. (Jonathanpollard.org) When the deadlock ended in late February the U.S. sent between 1500-2000 TOW antitank missiles to Israel who in turn sent them to Iran. At this time Oliver North diverted $12 million in money from the arms sale in Iran to the Nicaraguan Contra leader by way of the BCCI. At this time Gene Wheaton, a co-owner to a cargo airline, National Air, was being enlisted by North to help fly in supplies and arms to the Contras. Wheaton tentatively agreed until he became informed that the retired General Richard Secord would be involved in the affair. Wheaton had a personal dispute with Secord over a government contract dealing with humanitarian aid to insurgents such as Mujaheddin of Afghanistan and the Nicaraguan Contras. With Secord in the picture Wheaton refused to go along with the plan and actually went to William Casey, head of the CIA. H owever, Casey does little to nothing over the issue saying that it was not of government concern. Wheaton then notified several reporters of the San Francisco Examiner of the dealings. In mid-September of 1986 the U.S. was planning on forcing Iran to trade hostages for arms. The plan seemed to work until the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group controlled by Iran simply kidnapped more Americans after the release of other hostages. In October the U.S. puts pressure on Iraq to increase bombings in Iran to create a greater need of military assistance by America. This plan began to work when Iraq in fact increased the bombings but the arms-for-hostages dealing was exposed in a Lebanese newspaper as well as some U.S. papers. With the public aware of the potentially criminal acts committed by the Reagan administration support for any more weapons dealings collapses. After the information was leaked most of the pro-Iranian faction inside the White House left office leaving a large pro-Iraqi side which would remain in power until Reagans term was over. In the last months of the administration U.S. military and economic aid for Iraq met an all-time high even giving Iraq the te chnology for long-range ballistic missile, chemical weapons, and even nuclear weapons. (Jonathanpollard.org) On October 5, 1986 a CIA transport plane carrying weapons and supplies for the Contras was shot down by the Sandinista, which brought the U.S. connection to the Contras to light. The Nicaraguan Sandinistas exposed the United States after interrogating the sole survivor of the plane crash, Eugene Hasenfus, who said that he had made ten other deliveries to Nicaragua including six from Llopango. (Nytimes.com) All government officials at that time lied about any involvement in the illegal support of the Contras. Both the story of the arms-for-hostages deal in the Lebanese paper and the CIA transport plane being shot down exposed the dirty dealings the Reagan administration had been committing beginning the Iran-Contra scandal. In Reagans address to the nation speech he denied the allegations of any arms sales to Iran, however he does admit to honorable involvement, such as to renew relations with that nation, to bring an end to the Iran-Iraq war, to eliminate Irans sponsorship of terrorism, and to effect the release of the US hostages being imprisoned by Hezbollah. (reagan.utexas.edu) Later when the facts came to light Reagan and several other senior officials stated that all of the Iranian negotiations were on a strict need to know basis, and that the appropriate Congressmen were notified and informed properly. (reagan.utexas.edu) However an investigation was done on the dealings but a large amount of information was destroyed, and many stated that Attorney General Edwin Meese, who was in c harge of the investigation, was not interested in finding the facts since he refused help from the FBI and did not take notes in his interviews. Oliver North, whom many believe as the mastermind of the operation held several shredding parties at that time to destroy thousands of documents that would likely implicate White House officials in criminal acts. The Iran-Contra investigation later faulted Meese for not using standard investigating techniques. However Meese finds a document that verifies the $12 million that was diverted from the arms dealings in Iran to the Contras in Oliver Norths desk. Meese notified Reagan about the diversion of funds, and tells several senior officials about the acts. Reagan realized that he could actually be impeached on the grounds that they broke the Boland Amendment, but Meese allegedly created a case for deniability for the president. In late November Meese revealed the Iran-Contra funding connection, Oliver North is immediately fired, while other officials are forced to resign. In December Reagan appointed former Texas Senator John Tower to head a commission to investigate the Iran-Contra affair. The investigation lasted for three months. In January of 1987 Reagan admitted to authorizing the sale of missiles to Iran in front of the Tower Commission. A day before the head of the CIA, William Casey, is set to testify before the Senate on the affair he has two seizures and is hospitalized, later dying of brain cancer making him unable to testify. The Tower Commission found that the Iran-Contra affair was a rogue operation and that Reagan himself was largely unaware of the dealings. The majority report cam out in November of 1987 stating that the clandestine financing operation undermined the powers of Congress as a coequal branch and subverted the Constitution. Although no major reforms would come as a result of the majority report. Four men were indicted on multiple felony charges as a result of it including: former National Security Advisor John Poindexter, Oliver North, Richard Secord, and Albert Hakim. North and Poindexter are both convicted and sentenced to jail time, however both convictions are overturned. In the end no high-ranking public official was found guilty of anything more than perjuring themselves in front of Congress, however the Iran-Contra scandal tarnished the reputation of many. This scandal seems to disprove that justice is indeed blind in this country, since many high ranking officials with even more powerful allies were guilty of committing serious crimes but were never punished because of who they knew. I feel that this is an incident that should be remembered for many years, and hopefully it will never be repeated.

Swot Analysis In Terms Of Strength Marketing Essay

Swot Analysis In Terms Of Strength Marketing Essay PapaRich is a moderm kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies at affordable Malaysian prices. PappaRich kopitiam has multiplied from one kopitiam to 41 shops around Malaysia, one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. Thailand would be a good market for PappaRich to enter because Thailands GDP by sectors show as high as 45% for service industry. This clearly shows us that PappaRich can invest in Thailand to serve the community with Malaysian authentic, classic, and timeless kopitiam meals. Using the SWOT analysis, in terms of strength, the PappaRich serves the community with Malaysians kopitiam meals with affordable prices with a classic coffee shop ambience. In terms of opportunities, economically the GDP and inflation rate has been steadily increasing in recent years. Interest rate fell sharply due to the US financial crisis. The Thai Baht appreciated against MYR and a result of that, the revenue generated in Thailand comparatively to the Malaysian Ringgit would be higher. The weakness for PappaRich to go into Thailand which is the food that PappaRich is serving might not be accepted by the locals. Besides that, the threats to the company are the political instability due to street protests. PappaRichs success as of today is due to its successful differentiation business level strategy to set them apart from other companies from the same FB industry. PappaRich focuses on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience is what captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. The best way for PappaRich to enter the Thailand market is the franchising market entry strategy. To become a successful FB franchisors that can go nation, PappaRich (the franchisee) can sell the franchisors trade mark, product or services, or trade name and benefits from the franchisors help and support in Thailand market. In return, the franchisee from Thailand need to pays an initial fee to PappaRich and then a percentage of the sales revenue. In cultural analysis, there are five areas to be concerned, the cultural analysis of Thailand and Malaysia is shown respectively; PDI 64;104, IDV 20;26. MAS 34;50, UAI 64;36, LTO 56. This is further elaborated in the pages to come. 2.0 Introduction Many years ago, to enjoy a classic kopitiam meal in Malaysia, such as half-boiled eggs, toasted bread with kaya and butter, and a cup of coffee, one will have to travel many miles back to their hometown. Kopitiam is a traditional breakfast and coffee shop found in South East Asia. Since the establishment of PappaRich in 2006, one need not go the distance. PappaRich is a modern kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies at affordable Malaysian prices. In four years, the string of PappaRich kopitiams have multiplied from one kopitiam in Selayang Mall to 41 shops around Malaysia, one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. It has emerged as a formidable player in the local and food beverage chain. PappaRichs philosophy is to serve authentic, classic and timeless kopitiam meals, the traditional Malaysian style where the locals can mix and mingle in the ambience of a relaxing atmosphere with a sense of belonging. In Thailand, PappaRich intends to serve the Thai community the same philosophy it currently serves the Malaysian community. As there are not many kopitiams in Thailand that serves authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine, PappaRich intends to venture into Thailand by becoming one of the pioneers in serving the authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine. As seen in the diagram on the left, the services industry holds a 45% stake of the total market share for GDP composition in Thailand. Examples of the services industry include the tourism sector and the FB sector. Due to the high stake of the services industry in Thailands GDP percentage, investing in PappaRich in Thailand may be a wise investment choice. Furthermore, potential customers from the tourism sector would be an added advantage to the company into raking in more potential revenue. 3.0 Situation Analysis 3.1 SWOT Analysis 3.2 Strengths As mentioned in the introduction, PappaRichs philosophy is to to serve authentic, classic and timeless kopitiam meals, the traditional Malaysian style where the locals can mix and mingle in the ambience of a relaxing atmosphere with a sense of belonging. This concept is a major strength in branding the kopitiam brand in Thailand as there arent many affordable restaurants in Thailand that serve traditional kopitiam meals. This places PappaRich as one of the pioneers into introducing the cuisine to the Thai locals. Furthermore, it will further strengthen its reputation as being one of the most original and authentic kopitiam in Thailand. Another major strength of the company is its emphasis on clientele service. In the FB industry, it is important to note that service is one of the main priorities in differentiating a good restaurant and a bad one. Thus, PappaRich places much emphasis on its clientele service to not only lure first-time or one-time customers but reoccurring customers, over and over again. 3.3 Weaknesses A major setback that hinders the kopitiam business into the Thai market is the different taste buds between the Thai and Malaysians. Only the adventurous ones may venture out of their comfort zone into eating Malaysian kopitiam cuisine. Furthermore, street food is popular and cheap in Thailand, thus the locals may not be very willing to pay extra for Malaysian food. Besides that, PappaRich and the kopitiam concept is a rather new brand in the region, and thus may acquire more time to be familiarised by the locals. Also, the management style used in Malaysia may not be applicable to the culture of the locals and thus, new management style may have to be devised to suit the employees in Thailand. 3.4 Opportunities and Threats In recent years, Thailand has been politically unstable due to street protests and riots. It is important to note that such political instability is a major disadvantage to the business. This is because, the employees of the company may engage themselves into the protests that halts production and services of the restaurant. Furthermore, a demonstration will hinder potential customers from leaving their homes to eat out as they may fear for their safety. An improvement of technology has both pros and cons to the setting up of the new company. It can improve the cooking standards of the restaurant as better kitchen equipments are purchased to monitor the quality of the food. Furthermore, improvement of the equipments may reduce cooking time that increases efficiency. In time, more customers can be served and profit can be increased. However so, an improvement in technology can bring about an increase in capital cost due to expensive kitchen equipments. As seen in the graph above, the GDP rate of Thailand has been steadily increasing in the last couple of years. However, during the US financial crisis in 2009, there has been a slight fall in GDP. It may be wise to hold back the venturing of the business into Thailand for a couple of months to ensure the stability of the market. During the 2009 US financial crisis, the inflation rate went negative, to as low as -4 showing a shrink of the economy. However so, in 2010, Thailand has begun to pick up the pace and shows that there has been a boost in the economy. As the consumers expectation and confidence is strengthened, Papparich can start investing into Thailand. Unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing over the years. As unemployment falls, more people in the community will have income to spend on goods. As such, it is a good idea to invest into Thailand. Hopefully, when the company decides to invest in the country, there will be people to be employed as staffs. A fall in interest rates in recent years is an advantage as we can apply for loans at low interest rates to set up restaurants in the country. This will encourage more franchising options. Comparitively, the Baht rose 0.115% against the MYR. There are both pros and cons to this situation. Pro, the revenue generated in Thailand comparitively to the MYR would be higher and the con, more money will have to be pumped into Thailand to set up the restaurant, comparitively to the MYR 4.0 Business Level Strategy In order to measure the feasibility of Thailand as a strategic location for expansion, we have to look into the business level strategy of PappaRich. Every organization has a competitive strategy to plan how it will compete in its business and this applies to PappaRich as well. PappaRich is a food beverages (FB) industry that focuses on serving quality authentic traditional Malaysian delicacies at affordable prices and that is their competitive advantage and what sets them apart other regular kopitiam. Aside from that, the ambience of PappaRich has also been one of their greatest assets as the decorated surroundings are chilling and hence many people would choose to go to PappaRich to enjoy one of their specialty; coffee made from locally roasted coffee bean while catching up with friends and family. Theyre also located everywhere as they have over 41 outlets in Malaysia as of today and this brings great convenience to their customers as the nearest outlet is just around the neighbourhood. This is PappaRichs aim in their investment into the Thai market as well that people would have a pleasant experience every time they set foot in PappaRich. With Michael Porters five forces model, managers can determine and control the rules of completion and create a sustainable competitive advantage. Firstly, PappaRich is an FB industry with barrier to entry; PappaRich must comply with the standard set by the Thai government in its policy, the high level of capital needed for investment may be hard to acquire as the result of the recent US financial crisis and also the brand identity may be unknown to most consumers as it is new in the market. Furthermore, economies of scale may also be another barrier to entry for PappaRich as existing companies in Thailand enjoys low cost of production due to this factor and there is no way PappaRich could compete with them in short term period. If PappaRich were to venture into the Thai market, it might face substitute companies such Hailam Kopitiam, Station 1 caf and Old Town Kopitiam and Madam Kwan which are also strong growing FB companies with similar business concept that may also be trying to expand internationally to Thailand as well. Not to mention, the substitute companies that are already in Thailand such as Coffee Bean and Starbucks. However, in terms of bargaining power, many consumers would choose PappaRich over Starbucks for coffee as the price is more affordable in PappaRich. The supplier also plays an important role in determining the feasibility of PappaRich as a good investment opportunity in Thailand as supplier determines the cost of operating and this will affect the total profit of the business. PappaRich can get their supply of raw material from suppliers such as President Rice Products Public Co. Ltd, Siam Future Farm and Exotic Food Co. Ltd. Lastly, the current rivalries that are already in Thailand would also affect the profitability of PappaRich if it were to venture into Thailand as it is a very competitive industry and the competitions are intense. In terms of the target market of PappaRich, it would target the middle income group of consumers as the prices are moderate. It would not fully use the cost leadership strategy which refers to the basis of having the lowest cost in the industry as there are many other companies that have comparable price ranges with PappaRich. Also, PappaRich is a contemporary classy type of coffee shop with required standard of decoration which further increase their cost and this doesnt comply with the low cost leader strategy. In fact, PappaRichs success as of today is due of its successful differentiation strategy to set them apart from other companies from the same FB industry. PappaRich focus on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience is what captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. 5.0 Market Entry Strategy Expanding a company to new market can increase the sale, brand awareness and achieve business stability. To entering new market, we need to study the size of the country, number of opportunities and sheer geographical size. Besides that a proper market entry strategy requires market research so to give us a vision about the existence opportunity, understand the competitive landscape and see who are our potential customers. Foreign market entry can be done via four mechanisms which are exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising. Exporting is the most traditional way to go into foreign market by direct sale of the domestic-products to the country. This can be done through an export intermediary such as commissioned agents and trading companies. Exporting do not require the goods or product must be produce in the target country therefore there is no necessary to invest in foreign facilities. PappaRich is a FB business through serving Malaysian Traditional Delight at their outlets cafe. This mechanism is not suitable for PappaRich extend to Thailand because they are providing service but not produce goods. Licensing is an essential permit to enter a new market. A license is a legal contract to run a business. The licensee is about to pay a fee of exchange for the right to use the property of licensor such as trademarks , patents , and production techniques . For PappaRich, the licensing support comes in the form of outlet setup, outlets designs, menu and recipe of PappaRich, chef and waiters training by experienced Pappa licensing trainers. Joint venture is a legal entity formed when two parties equally invest in terms of money,time and effort on the same project. Basically joint venture happen when one individual want to extend his business to nation while he has no enough of capital to do so and need to find a partner from the target country to run the project together. The joint venture may be an easier first-step for PappaRich to extend to Thailand before go to franchising. PappaRich can reduce the entry risk by using Thailand partners assets through joint venture. Besides, the inadequate knowledge of legal environment can be solve. Through joint venture, PappaRich can start the business at little or no costs. Franchising is another form of licensing. Franchise occurs when the franchisor grants a licence to the franchisee to use their business idea. To become a successful FB franchisors that can go nation, Papparich (the franchisee) can sell the franchisors trade mark, product or services, or trade name and benefits from the franchisors help and support in Thailand market. In return, the franchisee from Thailand need to pays an initial fee to PappaRich and then a percentage of the sales revenue. In a conclusion, we found that franchising is the best way for PappaRich to go into Thailand market as Papparich is FB industry which gives servicing to community. 6.0 Cultural analysis Diagram 1 Country PDI IDV MAS UAI LTO Malaysia 104 26 50 36 Thailand 64 20 34 64 56 Table 1 6.1 Power Distance Index (PDI) Hofstedes PDI measures the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations accept and expect that power is distributed unequally (Geert HofstedeCultural dimensions). On the scale, Malaysia has a score of 104 and Thailand 64. Thailand does not have a large gap between the wealthy and the poor, but have a strong belief in equality for each citizen. Thailand has the opportunity to rise in society compared to Malaysia. Malaysian employees see their managers as being far more superior to them and perceive them as unapproachable. This attitude gives the managers a sense of superiority and empowerment. In Thailand however, people view themselves more as equals hence there is a lot more communication between the employees and managers. 6.2 Individualism Individualism is the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups (Geert HofstedeCultural dimensions). Thailands and Malaysias IDV is at 20 and 26 respectively. A low score, as Thailand and Malaysia has, indicates the society is more of a collectivist than an individualist. This manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member group, is that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. Therefore in Individualism, it can be said that Thailand and Malaysia stands almost the same. Employees in both countries are very team orientated; therefore the managers do not need to make any changes. 6.3 Masculinity Masculinity versus its opposite, femininity refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. Thailand has the lowest masculinity ranking among the Asian countries listed at 34, while Malaysia is listed at 50, compared to the Asian average of 53 and the World average of 50. This lower level is indicative of a society with less assertiveness and competitiveness, as compared to one where these values are considered more important and significant. This situation also reinforces more traditional male and female roles within the population. Therefore it can be said that Malaysia is doing better than Thailand in terms of assertiveness and competitiveness. Thailand should improve in this area in order to continue to compete. Malaysians tend to be a bit more to being assertive and aggressive while Thai employees are more laid back and more accepting of feminine traits. Therefore managers from Thailand have to be stricter in order for their employees to be more efficient. 6.4 Uncertainty avoidance index UAI deals with a societys tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to mans search for truth. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations (Peruvian Attitude On UAI) The UAI indicates the societys low level of tolerance for uncertainty. In an effort to minimize or reduce this level of uncertainty, regulations are adopted and implemented. The ultimate goal of this population is to control everything in order to eliminate or avoid the unexpected. As a result of this high UAI characteristic, the society does not readily accept change and is very risk adverse. The Thailand rank of 64 is slightly higher than the Asian average of 58 while Malaysia is slightly below average of 36. It can be said that Malaysia is doing quite well while Thailand should start to accept change and implement policies to control everything. The Malaysian managers in Thailand will have to change the way they manage their employees and actually put into place more guidelines and rules to get the best out of their Thai employees. 6.5 Long-Term Orientation Long-Term Orientation is the fifth dimension of Hofstede which was added after the original four to try to distinguish the difference in thinking between the East and West, defined as the degree to which one plans for and considers the future, as well as values traditions of the past.( Making Sense of Cross Cultural Communication) Below are some characteristics of the two opposing sides of this dimension: Long term orientation: -persistence -ordering relationships by status and observing this order -thrift -having a sense of shame Short term orientation: -personal steadiness and stability -protecting your face -respect or tradition -reciprocation of greetings, favors, and gifts Thailand measure a middle ranking being listed at 56 while Malaysia has no measures of LTO therefore no comparison can be made between both countries. 7.0 Recommendation Based on both SWOT analysis and Porters competitive force framework, it is the right decision to further the investment of PappaRich Group Sdn. Bhd to Thailand as it has the qualities and potential to penetrate into Thailands market. PappaRich is a modern kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies that is currently doing very well in Malaysia. However in Thailand, PappaRich intends to serve the Thai community the same philosophy it currently serves the Malaysian community. As there are not many kopitiams in Thailand that serves authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine, PappaRich intends to venture into Thailand by becoming one of the pioneers in serving the authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine as well as Thailands own authentic delicacies. Setting up a food industry in Thailand is certainly a wise investment as services industry holds a 45% stake of the total market share for GDP composition in Thailand. Besides that Thailand has a lot advance in the improvement of technology, this can improve the cooking standards of the restaurant, and better equipment in the kitchen which will enhance efficiency and improve in the quality of the food and drinks. In addition, after the 2009 US financial crisis, Thailand has begun to pick up the pace and shows that there has been a boost in the economy. As the consumers expectation and confidence is strengthened, Papparich can start investing into Thailand. Based on the cultural analysis by Hofstedes framework, by comparing PDI, IDV, MAS, UAI, and LTO, the employees and managers in Thailand are more team orientated, more laid back and more accepting of feminine traits, and dominant. The type of managers in Thailand will be suitable to handle PappaRich, although they are not perfect, they are trainings available to improve their standards to achieve better efficiency and to increase productivity. PappaRich is slowly being recognised globally as it has build up a good reputation internationally in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong. Referring to the market entry strategy, requires market research so to give us a vision about the existence opportunity, understand the competitive landscape and see who our potential customers are. Foreign market entry can be done via four mechanisms which are exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising. The strategies of exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising have to be done efficiently in order to enter a new market. Lastly, based on Michael Porters five forces model in the business level strategy, managers can determine and control the rules of completion and create a sustainable competitive advantage. PappaRich is an FB industry with barrier to entry and it requires high level of capital to start up the business. Besides that the brand identity of PappaRich might not be well known in Thailand, it faces substitute companies that are already in Thailand such as Coffee Bean and Starbucks. However, in terms of bargaining power, many consumers would choose PappaRich over Starbucks for coffee as the price is more affordable in PappaRich. The supplier also plays an important role in determining the feasibility of PappaRich as a good investment opportunity in Thailand as supplier determines the cost of operating and this will affect the total profit of the business so maintaining a good relationship with the supplier will definitely give and advantage to the company. The investment to Thailand is a goo d choice as PappaRich focus on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience has also captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. 8.0 Conclusion After much evaluation from the swot analysis, business level, market entry strategy and the cultural analysis, it is concluded that Thailand is a good choice of investment location for PappaRich to venture into internationally. It can also be one of the pioneers of Malaysian food cuisine in Thailand as there are very few coffee shops that serve authentic Malaysian delights in Thailand as of today. Thailands increasing GDP is also another attraction to investment in Thailand as it shows the stability of the economy and the higher expected return on profit because of the appreciation in Thai Baht against Malaysian Ringgit if PappaRich were to venture into Thailand. Other advantages in investing into Thailand include attracting the locals in Thailand to experience new and different culture and delicacies. Furthermore, this provides Malaysian in Thailand a taste of their hometown within reach. Although there are many advantages in investing in Thailand, there ought to be some setback on the investment too and they are such as the political instability of the country which may hinder the operation of the business if the employees were to go on riot. Moreover, the political situation in Thailand may also cause the consumers to be fearful of leaving the house to dine out as it is unsafe. Lastly, from the uncertainty avoidance index, it has shown that Thailand is rank 64 while average in all other countries are at 58, this means that Thailand is very risk adverse and do not like any changes in their countries so they would have very strict policies and laws regarding foreign investment being parked in their country.

Deletion Essay -- Biology, DNA

Deletion is a mutation in which a part of the chromosome or the DNA is absent or lost. It may be inherent, or it may be due to improper chromosomal crossing-over during meiosis. This deletion is responsible for the abnormalities in the patient. One of the known disorders seen due to deletion is the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS), first described by Wolf et al[1] and Hirschhorn et al[2], results from the hemizygous deletion of the distal short arm of chromosome 4. Due to the complex and unmarked expression of this disorder, the WHS syndrome is presumed to be a contiguous gene syndrome with an indeterminate number of genes responsible for the phenotype i.e. a multigenic etiology. [3][4] The size of the terminal deletion may vary from a subtle 1.4Mb to a classic 30Mb [5]. Earlier genotype-phenotype correlation studies reveal that the main characteristic feature of WHS - the ‘Greek warrior helmet face’, is caused due to the hemizygosity of the WHSC1 gene located in the WHS critical region (WHSCR).[5] Various other genes are also located in the WHSCR which are responsible for most other phenotypic features. More precisely, the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome critical region (WHSCR) is located at 4p16.3 region. Approximately 25% of the patients with WHS deletion in this region are not detectable by cytogenetic karyotyping [6]. Hence, FISH has to be performed. The prevalence of this syndrome is estimated to be 1 in 50,000 births [7] with a female to male ratio of 2:1[8]. Case report: A baby was born with low birth weight of 1.8 kg to a 36 yr old father and 32 yr old mother. The proposita is the 6th girl child of the non-consanguineous parents. As can be seen from the pedigree chart shown in figure 2, the mothe... ...infant with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome: a dilemma in determination of the optimal timing of delivery. Clinical Medicine: Case reports. 8. Society for the Study of Behavioral Phenotypes (SSBP) Information sheet: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Registered Charity number 1013849. 9. Altherr, M.R., Bengtsson, U., Elder, F. F. B., Ledbetter, D. H., Wasmuth, J. J., McDonald, M.E., Gusella, J. F., Greenberg, F. Molecular confirmation of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome with a subtle translocation of chromosome 4. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 49: 1235-1242, 1991. [PubMed: 1746553] 10. Althea T. Impact of chromosome 4p-syndrome on communication and expressive language skills: A preliminary investigation. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools. Vol 41 265-276 July 2010. 11. Harold Chen. EMedicine Specialties> Pediatrics: Genetics and Metabolism Disease> Genetics. Updated Jun 16, 2009.

Mondavi’s Strategy, Success, Threats, and Risks Essay -- Business Mana

Mondavi’s Strategy, Success, Threats, and Risks Bargaining Power of Supplier: Necessary products to make the wine e.g. grapes are easily available that allows Mondavi to have a considerable amount of choice to choose and keep their costs and expenses. Threat of Substitutes: There are a significant number of replacements for the Mondavi’s product that includes beer, wine coolers, spirits, and various other drinks. Threat of New Entrants: The wine industry is undergoing consolidation. Even several beer and spirits companies were moving toward the wine industry, which was growing more and more. Current Competitors: Mondavi wine has many different competitors from small size to large wine companies. There are lot different factors involves when considering a market segment. The quality of the wine, design of bottle, labeling can have a significant impact on consumer’s choice. And on the top of that cost will also play important role. Bargaining Power of Buyer: Mondavi usually distribute their product through distributors and wholesalers. There were few distributors who cover most of the markets. As there were just handful distributors, they hold a majority of bargaining power in the company. Why has Mondavi been successful to date? * Widely credited as America’s first premium commercial Winery. * Established as one of America’s most innovative and highest quality vintners. * First winery in the world to use refrigerated stainless steel fermentation to retain ...