Fireground Activity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fireground Activity - Assignment Example However, the informal discussion does allow for firefighters to share what they saw, what they felt, what happened, and any other observations that need to be added. This is an important aspect as far as data gathering is concerned when one is trying to determine what may have caused a fire, and how it may have burned. The more formal postfire conferences also have advantages and disadvantages. It provides firefighters with the ability to examine all of the evidence and come to a decision. However, it may be difficult to always come to the correct decision within one conference, and this can certainly be a disadvantage. There is also the problem of some individuals jumping to certain conclusions and assumptions before all the facts are in and analyzed. Furthermore, there is no assurance that all participants at the conference will agree. Therefore, both informal and formal discussions dealing with the post fire concepts do have positive and negative aspects.

BP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

BP - Essay Example It should not concentrate solely on deep-water assets. The asset portfolio of the company should be diversified. It should have onshore assets, off-shore assets, natural gas assets, shale gas assets etc. The business level strategy of BP should combine its cost leadership with product or process leadership. The process leadership can be achieved by having the most sophisticated technological processes in place. The marketing strategy of the company should focus on improving the battered brand image of BP in the minds of the consumers and other stakeholders. The corporate and brand image of the company have become unfavorable after the Gulf of Mexico disaster. The network level strategy of BP at this juncture should be one of cooperation and not of competition. BP should also pursue inorganic growth through mergers with smaller firms in the industry. Recently it bought a stake in the reserves of Reliance industries of India. Such a cooperative network level strategy will be suitable for the company. The oil & petroleum industry includes all those firms and corporations that are involved in the exploration, drilling, movement & transportation, refinement and, marketing & distribution of oil & petroleum. The importance of the oil & petroleum industry lies in the fact that oil accounts for a large portion of the world’s energy consumption. This proportion amounts to as high as 53% for the oil rich Middle Eastern nations, 32% for the nations of Europe and Asia, 44% for south and Central America, 41% for Africa and 40% for North America (Matthew Yeomans,2004). The population of the globe consumes more than 30 billion barrels of oil per day. In terms of the dollar value of the turnover of all the companies involved in the various stages of the oil & petroleum supply chain, this industry is the largest in the world. The ongoing political unrest in the Middle East and Western Africa will have an adverse impact where a significant proportion of the

Quality management in the education sector Assignment

Quality management in the education sector - Assignment Example It is a methodology of complete quality control that relies on developed metrics and organisational techniques to achieve better quality in a variety of organisational dimensions and departmental divisions (Assadej and Igel 2009). Quality management is the achievement of mutual cooperation of all members of the organisation and the connected processes and procedures needed to produce quality outputs and services which exceed expectations of customers or other related stakeholders (Evans and Lindsay 2005; Dale 1999). It is a holistic organisational philosophy that manages to combine organisation teamwork with a quality management system, using a variety of qualitative and quantitative measurement instruments to improve processes (Creswell 2003), leadership, control costs, increase the organisation’s competitive position, motivate employees, and increase organisational responsiveness in a variety of activities. Having defined quality management and total quality management procedures and ideologies, quality management strategies can be applied to the educational sector in order to improve areas such as team-working, organisational behaviour, leadership and maintain a customer orientation to achieve competitive advantage. In the educational sector, academics are a form of learning that includes improvement of individual student knowledge, skills and competencies that are able to be transferred generationally through a variety of tactics that include training, teaching and even research (Hanushek and Woessmann 2008). Outside of merely teaching quality and the provision of life-long learning, in the university sector, the goal of universities are to improve revenues, enhance the competitive positioning amongst other higher education centres in a market, and ensure top quality professionalism throughout all aspects of the teaching process. In order to accomplish the aforementioned objectives, it is necessary to implement a

BP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

BP - Essay Example It should not concentrate solely on deep-water assets. The asset portfolio of the company should be diversified. It should have onshore assets, off-shore assets, natural gas assets, shale gas assets etc. The business level strategy of BP should combine its cost leadership with product or process leadership. The process leadership can be achieved by having the most sophisticated technological processes in place. The marketing strategy of the company should focus on improving the battered brand image of BP in the minds of the consumers and other stakeholders. The corporate and brand image of the company have become unfavorable after the Gulf of Mexico disaster. The network level strategy of BP at this juncture should be one of cooperation and not of competition. BP should also pursue inorganic growth through mergers with smaller firms in the industry. Recently it bought a stake in the reserves of Reliance industries of India. Such a cooperative network level strategy will be suitable for the company. The oil & petroleum industry includes all those firms and corporations that are involved in the exploration, drilling, movement & transportation, refinement and, marketing & distribution of oil & petroleum. The importance of the oil & petroleum industry lies in the fact that oil accounts for a large portion of the world’s energy consumption. This proportion amounts to as high as 53% for the oil rich Middle Eastern nations, 32% for the nations of Europe and Asia, 44% for south and Central America, 41% for Africa and 40% for North America (Matthew Yeomans,2004). The population of the globe consumes more than 30 billion barrels of oil per day. In terms of the dollar value of the turnover of all the companies involved in the various stages of the oil & petroleum supply chain, this industry is the largest in the world. The ongoing political unrest in the Middle East and Western Africa will have an adverse impact where a significant proportion of the

Consumer Behavior Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer Behavior Blog - Essay Example As a man, the society expects you to behave in a certain way with the feminine gender expected to behave in a different way. This means that the adverts must be tuned towards what the society perceives to be feminine or masculine. But what if you pick a product that is feminine or masculine while you are of a different gender? Does it make you a lesser human? The answer is all in the psychological imprint that the society has placed as a benchmark for what we feel and how we are expected to react to these feelings. The feelings are then transferred and commoditized into products which mean that each must pick that which is â€Å"gender correct†. All in all, there are those who are oblivious of what people think about their choices. They should not be condemned. Personally, anytime I feel like picking a soft drink and I come across a diet coke or Coke Zero, I do not think about it as a gender-based product. I pick that which I feel is right for me at that particular moment, whe ther people stare back or whisper in secret. CONSUMER KNOWLEDGE Last week was such an informative outing for me. While I was just walking across the shopping mall, I realized that people were baffled by all the products that were on display. It got me thinking, ‘why are people staring and admiring display items whereas they can just go in, get what they need and go back home?’ but I realized that many of these people have only seen the adverts and do not have any clue about the products rather than what they have heard. When these products, mainly clothes and accessories are displayed, people are dismayed by the prices and also the way they appear. They do not have any knowledge about the products they want or even how they can access that information. The sources of information could be many if one chose to look. People who have already bought and used these products could form the first source of inspiration. However, they may be biased given the chances that the prod ucts may have been irrelevant or not amounting to what they expected. Another way is to get an expert in that sector and get firsthand information on the best products to buy. This may be costly as some may offer information in exchange for money, citing consultation fees. But the presence of the internet offers one a chance to get as much information as possible with the click of a button. Therefore, next time you go shopping, make sure you have the details, the prices, and the quality of the product you need rather than stand in front of a shopping mall to admire what is on display. PRODUCT APPEAL For a long time now, companies have been looking for the best way of appealing to their target client through advertising. As people look for the best, they are mainly attracted by the visual aspect of the product before quality comes to focus. Many companies have come under attack for what has been termed as sexist adverts but let us be honest: in the current digital world, sex sells! W omen will always oh-ah when they see Brad Pitt or David Beckham. Men will always stand and stare when Angelina Jolie or Eva Longoria passes by. The young generation has identified Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga as some of their favorite musicians. These are people known for their sex appeal. Is it wrong when products capitalize on these? Passing through the streets of the nearby town, one cannot miss these sexual innuendos. A beautiful woman is advertising a skin lotion

Leadership Style Essay Example for Free

Leadership Style Essay Leadership is a role that not all can partake but that many have excelled at. When asked who I admire as a leader I had to think quite a while. I had to decide what category of leader I could relate to the most. Would it be a political leader, a spiritual leader, a business leader or even a military leader? Ultimately I decided that I want someone who is multi-faceted in that they can lead in many situations and scenarios. Further it seems that leading in unfamiliar and new situations can allow a leader more freedom in his direction without being swayed by observations of others in similar situations. This led me to choose George Washington as my admirable leader since â€Å"George Washington can be used as an example of strong and ethical leadership in virtually any walk of life.† (Rees 2007, p. preface) Growing up we all learned of George Washington and his role as the first president of the United Sates. We hear of his honesty as told through the story of the cherry tree and so on. His leadership is what gave him this large mark in our history books and it was not only displayed through his presidency. He was first a great military leader. In this role he displayed leader characteristics such as toughness, persistence, bravery and organization. These characteristics earned him the respect of his troops and the ongoing admiration of an entire country. His time as a political leader is what he is remembered most for. He was able to use his charismatic presence and moral strength to maneuver through a turbulent political environment. The leadership traits of foresight and strategic planning allowed him to hold at bay the continental army from a brittle and new civilian government. Through his, and with the help of other great leaders, efforts the path was paved for the United Sates to become the world’s leading super power. Though other leaders have achieved similar feats throughout history this one stands out for me as I have directly benefited from George Washington’s leadership.  Lastly a notable leadership trait that I admire of George Washington’s is his moral leadership. This helps distinguish him from other leaders of world powers before and after his time. It was not uncommon for leaders like Hitler, Stalin, and the Caesar’s or Persian Empire leaders who accomplished similar â€Å"world power† feats to rule by an iron fist and without morality to reach their goals. George Washington used his moral compass to create what may be a much longer lasting arena in which to lead, one that could be passed on to other worthy leaders. Many would like to think that they have the characteristics of a great leader. The reality is that if I, or anyone else, had the perfect mesh of traits for a leader then we would in fact be leading. While I do manage staff, departments and facilities I see myself as a professional and only an aspiring leader. It is my hope that through this course and the others I with be involved in throughout my time at University of Phoenix I will come closer to actually leading. Currently I have some leadership characteristics. There are some that seemed to come naturally and others that have taken time, effort and education. I’ve always seemed to have a knack at argument, or for our scholarly purposes, excellent persuasion ability. I can think clearly during exchanges and use opposing thinkers own examples and analogies to further substantiate my position. I treat people with respect regardless of their status. I strive to have a perfect balance on confidence and humility. I do not fear collaboration and tend to communicate well. If I were to list all the things I would need to do in order to become a better leader this paper would never end. In order to avoid this I will talk only about the traits I feel are the most important and in need of further understanding and practice from myself. Leveraging team strength’s needs some attention from me. I tend to look at people in their roles and corner them there. If I open my eyes a bit more as to their aptitude in other areas I could find that shining stars are sitting right in front of me. I need to be more fearless and take more risks. I have a tendency to play things safe seeking acceptable outcomes when I could take risks and seek excellent outcomes. If I were to take on a little more compassion for things going on with the people around me I may be able to find ways to create more dedicated followers. Followers that know I believe in them and care for their own well-being as opposed to simply the desired outcome of my leadership. Ultimately I wish to lead by example. I want to  lead follower’s development and act as a resource for their advice and assistance (Daft 2008). The greatest satisfaction I can achieve as a leader would be not only for my own desired success in life to be experienced but also to carve a path for those around me to thrive as well. Good leadership in my opinion will always result in an accumulative good, not and individual good. References Daft, R. (2008). The Leadership Experience. Mason: Thompson Learning, Inc. . James Rees, Stephen J. Spignesi (2007). George Washingtons Leadership Lessons. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc.

New marketing plan for HMV canada

New marketing plan for HMV canada This report proposes a new marketing plan for HMV Canada and incorporates proposals on new profit streams detailed examination of the marketing environment, swot analysis, provides information on SMART objectives, gives a clear segmentation targeting and positioning report, proposals for 7Ps and control and evaluation will be provided in the end. This report has been created in close teamwork , using primary information through interviewing some of the HMV managers and secondary information available in HMV annual reports. HMV group is a leading specialist entertainment retailer operating through different stores in the UK, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore and transactional local territory websites, which include digital, download. It operates a small specialist chain of entertainment shops in the UK trading as Fopp. In Live entertainment, the group operates 12 venues, summer festivals and ticketing in-store and online. The group is extending to high-quality cinema and pay-to-play games. Hmv is also the UKs leading bookseller, operating as, In-store, Online digital Waterstones. Profit /loss 2010 Directory HMV UK Ireland: Total sales of 1,242 £m increased by 7.6%. HMV International: Total sales of 253 £m decreased by 8.5%. Hmv Live: The Groups result includes 0.9 £m of profit after tax making an operating loss of 0.2 £m. Waterstones: Waterstones total sales decreased by 6.5%, making total sales of 513.6 £m. Joint venture 7digital Inc: The Group acquired 50% of 7digital Inc, a digital media services company, The cash paid for it was  £8.1m. Acquisition of MAMA Group Plc: The acquisition of MAMA Group Plc for  £47.0m in cash, This was to achieve control over the Mean Fiddler Group, Net assets acquired was a total of 20 £m. HMV UK Ireland: The business now trades from 285 stores, following the integration of 32 ex-Zavvi [ex-specialist competitor] stores. HMV International: 125 HMV stores in Canada, 7 stores in Hong Kong, Singapore and local territory websites. Waterstones Total of 314 stores. the groups strategies: The company has successfully delivered most of the strategic objectives in the three-year plan commencing March 2007; The new strategies will be discussed later. FORCES ANALYSIS: Competitive Rivalry: [strong competitiveness] Supermarkets: Online: In general, supermarkets are not considered effective competitors to Large Range Retailers, as they stock a narrower range of titles, predominately best sellers and do not provide the browsing experience or pre-sales service offered by the others. Hmv competes with Amazon, iTunes, Play.com and other generalist and mass merchant retailers; Amazon offers a superior browsing experience as they have the ability to generate recommendations based on past purchases, as well as huge range of products. HMV Canada competes with Future Shop/Best Buy and Wal*Mart. The threat of entry: [high] The barriers to entry are low at all levels, with the increasing number of New competitors entering the internet sector to market their product directly to consumers, and also the use of technology that makes small companies, they face low barriers to entry with investments usually being recovered in short time, the threat is high . The power of buyers: [high] Because of the strong market position of Hmv as main routes to market, and as important marketing vehicles, Hmv are able to negotiate significant discounts with suppliers for the volume they sell, so the suppliers will have no option but to agree to higher discount terms. The power of suppliers: [low] In this market, the power of high street retailers like Hmv controls suppliers and as a result make their power very low, as discussed before, the buyers are very powerful and can incredibly threaten the suppliers to agree on important discount rates. So, the power of suppliers in this market is low. The threat of substitutes: [high] As discussed above, the technologic development and the growth of new digital market has made it easy for new substitutes products to compete with the high street retailers, and the threat of new substitutes in the market has become greater. SWOT analysis internal Strengths Market leading specialist in music, DVD and books Waterstones, member of HMV group is UKs largest high street bookseller Ottakars takeover- specialist book portfolio Fopp Stores [the group operates as a small specialist trading as Fopp.] Operations in seven territories Connections in film industry and events and festival ticketing. Few loss-making stores important Sales growth every year 100% of all packaging used in deliveries is either Re-used or recycled. outstanding product range across all genres Vibrant and stimulating store environments in key shopping locations. The use of in-store radio and listening posts and the latest plasma screen video walls. in-store personal appearances (PAs) :[album signings, and also live performances] Group synergies [Hmv and Waterstones have key operational features in common, example: the management of stock and inventory]. Strong internal communication with head office and employee in stores SWOT analysis + PESTEL external PESTEL Opportunities Political Economic Strategic alliances with media distributors/producers. Live music and entertainment evolve the product mix in stores and online Invest in cinema screens Social Online social networking Loyalty card scheme develop store atmosphere (increase footfall) Sufficient disposable income Technological Internet /digital downloads Pay-to-play services. Digital products E-books/e-readers and related accessories Mobile phone digital media In-store instant digital product purchase. Environmental Decrease Carbon footprint Reduce energy usage in stores. reduce water usage in stores: Waste management /recycling. green build [energy efficient ] Legal SMART objectives. Concentration on increase of revenue and profitability of business in 2011 through implementing new profit streams detailed in 7P proposals below, and monitoring the performance and execution of these business plans . The renaissance of stores of Hmv Group by reducing marketing expenses. Developing online music download portlal for affrortable pricing in first quarter of 2011. Pay more attention to the internet free illegal file sharing by finding new solutions how to ban or stop these type of anti-copyright issues by working with government in order to come up with new actions against those issues. Because an illegal file sharing causes much problems to financial, political and social ways for the Hmv Group Plc. Market segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies. Through this part of the report, it will be focused on the methods in which a well-built strategy of market segmentation, targeting and positioning factors to successful marketing planning. Market Segmentation. It is generally suggested that, a market segment is made of a group of consumers who have similar set of needs and desires. There are a number of effective methods, which Hmv Group management should approach to segment HMV in competitive market: Geographic country, cities, population destiny, climate. Psychographic lifestyle, characteristics, personality. Demographic family life cycle, income and occupation , race, nationality, religion, education, age, sex. Behavioural knowledge, attitudes, readiness to purchase, occasions, benefits, loyalty status. From these concepts, it will be more convenient to apply to market segmentation of Hmv Group Plc. From the research it has been proven that, the geographic strategies of Hmv stores in Canada are basically located in every high street of the cities and towns. This is a successful way to open the Hmv stores in busy places where more consumers visit to purchase the products. If we look at psychographic strategies of Hmv Group Plc, it aims to change or effect positively to consumer lifestyles and personalities. Therefore, the Hmv concerns these terms into consumer views and commitments as to keep existent consumers and also new consumers by supplying with quality and brand new products. Demographic strategies, which Hmv that should be chosen with reasonable and profitable decisions. For that reason, several stages in the family life cycle which will be the most effective factors that should be concentrated: Bachelor stage: Young and single people who aged between 16-25 years old and they have few financial obligations which means they are able to spend money for new products. The classification of this group segment in occupation and income is normally semi skilled or unskilled (Group D) and casual workers, students or unemployed individuals (Group F). Usually, they are most likely to show their interests in buying entertainment products such as games, movies, music albums, books and new technologies such as mobile phones, computers and other brand new products. Newly married couples: In addition, another segment of people who are newly married couples without children and they aged between 20-30 years old. They have higher purchase rate of consumer desirables. This target group has disposable income available, therefore being valuable consumer group. The social grades for newly married people are basically, professional, intermediate managerial skilled (Group B) and junior managerial skilled, supervisory or skilled individuals (Group C1/C2). Market Targeting. Hmv Group Plc should apply market targeting in order to make decisions how those certain segment groups can be targeted. Differentiated market when an organisation targets numerous groups of segments. It would be effective decision for the Hmv Group Plc to choose differentiated market, for the reasons of having several pointed segments for their products. Because, it develops different products and services with separate marketing mix strategies targeted at the changing groups in competitive market. It is widely proven that, the most usual customers of Hmv are perceptive devotees who observe each purchase as a high priority. However, one of the visions of Hmv is to make their discerning shoppers and casual browsers satisfied by providing trusted and valuable brands. Product Positioning. Product positioning determines on the position within the market that product is to inhabit. In this way of strategy, Hmv should do product positioning by appealing product income and how it varies from present and possible competing products. According to Wilson and Gilligan (2005, p.354), there are several influences on product positioning and it would be good decision for Hmv Group Plc to pay attention to these suggestions of authors: Product variety Performance Prices Distribution network Advertising and promotion Consumer profiles Word of mouth Customers experiences Media used By analyzing these suggestions of authors, the product positioning strategy that Hmv can come with by attracting consumers by offering promotional, quality and price discounted products that might change consumers buying behaviour.