Evaluation of Tourism Brochure for Portugal

Evaluation of Tourism Brochure for Portugal The National Tourism Office for Portugal describes the country as one of the world’s oldest nations whose boundaries have remained unchanged since the thirteenth century. It encompasses the Azores and Madeira within its region and offers rapid access to other countries in Europe as well as the American continent and Africa. It has mild winters and ‘agreeable’ summers. It has a population of over 10 million, with the highest demographic in Lisbon. It boasts strong and historical and cultural ties with the rest of the world. (Sourced from: http://www.portugal.org/index.shtml, Date accessed, 12/01/09) Located in South West Europe Portugal has been an economic and politically powerful country and played a key role in early maritime exploration during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is clear that tourist brochures key objectives are to sell a positive and appealing destination to travelers; what is not quite so apparent are the disguised messages that are frequently conveyed by the way in which certain pictures are produced and by way of cleverly composed coded text throughout. Two official brochures issued by the Portuguese Tourism Office will be analysed for their content within this paper. This will mostly focus on visual images as well as some textual interpretation. One represents a traditional travel brochure depicting the country generically, while the other is their most up to date promotional campaign brochure which has only recently been launched. In Eric Laws’ Embracing and Managing Change in Tourism he talks about using content analysis to make ‘replicable and valued inferences from data to their context’. His model seeks to decode messages according to categories including location, activities, transport and travel parties etc whilst breaking down the analysis in sections; the front page, photographs and text. (Laws, 1998) It is this approach that will be applied to this paper. Assessing first the more traditional brochure for the country, immediately the front cover conveys a sense of isolation, with what appears to be a digitally enhanced image of a rock in the middle of the sea. Whether this is meant to represent Portugal is unclear and although a little uninspiring it will appeal to a certain type of audience that will want to discover more. This audience target becomes more apparent the further into the brochure you read. The first page into the literature provides a mixture of emotive, nationalistic and evocative images. A local Portuguese poet is quoted as a means of engaging the reader immediately with the prospect of a country which is inspired by the arts, as well as characterising it as a country not to be confused as a seaside resort, but rather for its lesser known rugged mountains and lakes which are illustrated romantically on the front cover. The accompanying text continues to relay all of the diverse things that Portugal has in terms of app ealing to a broad audience. These include nightclubs, hiking or deserted coves. However whilst it may seem to want to appeal to all people it is at the same time obviously trying to attract the type of middle class, sensitive and emotional visitor who will be inspired by beauty and poetry. The second page continues with this theme but elaborates on the architecture, museums and heritage to be discovered. Now the reader begins to imagine Portugal as more of an ‘old world’ country, which of course is what it is and it is clear that the brochure wants to emphasise this age old association with Portugal, not so much the seaside resort, but more of a cultural haven. Once again this romantic element continues across the following pages where the quaint old images are elaborated further with the introduction of the idea of romance. It’s as if the brochure has succeeded in coming across as a charming, welcoming country which is most suitable as a destination for lovers a nd couples to embrace. The reader is told that for the Portuguese ‘romance is as important as the air they breath’ It even goes so far as to say ‘one-night stands are out’ which automatically assumes that the young, single man or woman perhaps coming to the country in a group of similar young and single people would not feel comfortable or at ease. This is not the market that they want to encourage. It is a clever message and not so much cryptic, more overt in its presence. Already there have been four images all of which contain no people in them. This is particularly interesting as it suggests the sender of the message is trying to convey Portugal as a form of tourism which suits escapism. Pictures of food and restaurants feature across the next two pages with a list of the ten things you should not leave Portugal before tasting. Portugal thrives on its high-level services like drinking, eating and shopping and it seems uncharacteristic then that for a thirty six page brochure only around three or four pages have any images of food, bars or restaurants. Already this assumes in many ways that the country has defined its tourist and is utilising different methods of trying to attract them. In Finn et al’s Tourism and Leisure Research Methods: Data Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation the authors write about a research study which took place over three years on a remote Scottish Island with the intention of understanding better the relationship between islanders and tourists. Life on the island changed significantly over the summer months when visitors arrived and the study was able to determine that all visitors could be clearly categorized. The categories included day-trippers, summer residents, tourists, returning island-born visitors etc. (Finn et al, 2000) The tourists were defined, known and responded to accordingly. Each country has an understanding of who their visitors are and will attempt to appeal to them as categories, such as those listed above. In order to do that they apply a number of techniques that will be designed to capture the imagination of any given category. This particular brochure omits any indication of hedonism, instead it depicts couples walking or lone back-packers. There are no crowd scenes, no shots of happy groups of participatory people. The focus remains on large rural landscapes, with urban representations limited to the city architecture, rather than on nightlife or entertainment. The word romance appears seven times in the first four pages, which immediately indicates that the oweness is on this type of visitor; a couple or perhaps two friends looking for meaningful encounters rather than drink-fuelled, party antics. This isn’t isolated to one section of the brochure either, it is prevalent throughout even in the pages selling Lisbon, Portugal’s adven turous capital city. In fact the word Lisbon only features once in some contact details at the end of the literature. Portugal’s capital is referred throughout by its old traditional Portuguese name, Lisboa. This in itself suggests that the tourist office is appealing to more sophisticated and knowledgeable travelers who will know that Lisboa is Lisbon. Some readers may understandably pick up a brochure of Portugal looking for Lisbon, but it is clearly this type of prospective visitor that the country is not necessarily interested in appealing to here. Page 19 goes into tremendous detail about the historical background of the region. For many standard holiday makers looking for a cheap and cheerful get away this will automatically leave them cold and disinterested. The text reads like a detailed guide book in the style of Lonely Planet or Time Out. The Mosteiro dos Jerà ³nimos in the district of Belà ©m is a hymn in stone to Portugal’s maritime heritage, while the Torre de Belà ©m is a potent symbol of Portugal’s great age  of expansion. Even contemporary architecture takes on a maritime theme – the amazing new Vasco da Gama bridge is in the shape of a giant sail. After the devastating earthquake of 1755, Baixa Pombalina (the centre of Lisboa) was rebuilt in a classical style, but many of the winding mediaeval bairros remain, crammed with fascinating shops, restaurants and cafà ©s. At night they come into their own,  offering everything from African to Latin American music – and of course the  bluesy melancholy of fado. This is not the language traditionally associated with grabbing the attention of hard marketing, fast promoting tourist attractions and once again only seeks to reiterate the type of audience they are trying to capture. The second brochure for analysis is very different in its approach. It has been designed in a deliberately stylized way to grab the attention of the potential tourist. The reader is informed immediately that this has been created specifically for Portugal by the world renowned photographer Nick Knight. A photographer who is British, which immediately eradicates any thoughts of patriotism or national pride which comes across so clearly in the opening pages of the other brochure. And on the cover the reader is presented with a juxtaposing photograph of the Portuguese football manager Jose Mourinho resting above the caption ‘My country has 220 days of sunshine every year’. Jose Mourinho is the face of Portugal, literally. Not only that but the accompanying statement makes it personalized somehow, as if Mourinho was talking to the reader as a friend or confident. This is a very clever way of engaging readers. In addition it is almost as if the writers of the brochure have de cided that they need to associate the country more with a well known image. It signifies pride whilst boasting that it is a country blessed with sun and celebrities. National celebrities as well as the ability to attract other celebrities such as Nick Knight. It is a very bold, confident style. The most noticeable next technique to be analysed is the selected font that the brochure is written in. This looks like old computer style icons, which conjures up images of both the future in terms of technology and of nostalgia for old fashioned computer text. As a consequence the reader becomes drawn in by a familiar yet inspirational attitude towards the literature being presented. Is this the way in which Portugal is trying to be imagined? As an inspiring, forward-thinking country which is also reassuring some how. As if carrying on with this theme the brochure then informs us that Portugal is essentially trying to re-define and re-brand itself, telling us on page 4, that its many and varied assets deserve to be ‘promoted and exploited†¦.with a proper stage so that they can be seen, appreciated and valued as they are not enough at the moment’. This self-depreciating and yet overly confident message will appeal to readers on a number of levels. The information which the reader is communicated on page 6 is particularly interesting. It seeks to plead with prospective tourists on the basis of beginning to disassociate itself away from its old Mediterranean identity. Despite none of Portugal’s coast being on the Mediterranean Sea, it has often promoted itself as a ‘Mediterranean area’. For the first time in this brochure it is realigning itself with the ‘Atlantic†¦and our home’. This signifies a complete change of image and identity for the country and one that it wants to relay to other potential visitors from around the world. After approximately seven extremely short paragraphs along this same theme and a biography of Nick Knight; what emerges is a series of robust images, first of rugged seascapes and rough coastal scenes which invoke feelings of drama, excitement and energy which is clearly what this ‘new’ Portugal is attempting to portray. Probably the most powerful messa ges are however the next set of portraits which illustrate well known Portuguese people including the architect Miguel Cancio Martins, the artist Joana Vasconcelos, the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and of course Jose Mourinho. It is a brochure which is very stylised and reads more like a power point presentation than a piece of promotional tourist information. It is particularly visual and leaves behind any romantic, idealised, historical textual information so associated with the hard sell of ‘old world country’s’. Instead it is making a very brave and bold move into re-branding itself as a country to be viewed as a modern contender even going to the extreme of repositioning itself geographically within the Atlantic Ocean, rather than the Mediterranean. Perhaps this has been done in a move towards getting people to start associating it with an entirely new type of holiday which does not necessarily reflect the beaches, clubs and excitement connected to the Medit erranean, but more in line with the sophistication of the brochure discussed earlier. To be considered more like Mexico and Guyana rather than Cyprus and Greece; the more popular and media driven destinations which are more and more prone to be associated with package tours, groups of young people and stag and hen parties. The other rationale for its provocative move might relate to the Middle East; so firmly entrenched as it is in the Mediterranean, in particular Israel and Libya. Recent political unrest and continued problems in this area might have prompted Portugal to consider disassociating itself from its previous identity. In Pritchard and Morgan’s study, Evaluating vacation destination brochure images: the case of local authorities in Wales, they identified the power and influence of images appearing in brochures into six groups all of which assist with establishing identity; scenery, activities, people, heritage, urban and rural and iconic destinations. (Pritchard and Morgan, 1995). This contemporary brochure proves no different in many ways. It still succeeds in Portugal establishing itself as a vacation destination in that it projects large bold images of Portugal’s natural scenery, not its heritage, castles or monuments, but the wildlife that exists around its coast, the people of course are also iconic representations and exemplify the country as a modern forward thinking and inspirational place to go. No activities are demonstrated but the photographs of well known people listed by occupation craftily suggests that it is possible to do anything in Portugal, whether that be a scient ist, artists, architect or even an Olympic champion. Portugal has it all. The juxtaposition of both brochures; traditional and contemporary have been interesting to analyse in relation to their differences as well as their very obvious similarities. From this angle it is determinable that messages may often be similar or indeed the same but that they can be delivered in very conflicting ways in the context of differing perspectives. Many of the messages relayed in both brochures advertising Portugal predominantly appeal to more broad minded, sophisticated audiences who appreciate and know a little more about life and the world around them. By doing so it sometimes actually serves to discourage anything other than that type of tourist, which may on some levels seem risky, whilst on others is understandable if the country has faced economic, public or political issues due to the nature of their tourism or media associated tourism. References Finn, M, Elliott-White, M, Walton, M (2000) Tourism and Leisure Research Methods: Data Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation: Pearson Education Laws, E, Faulkner, W, Moscardo, G, Faulkner, B (1998) Embracing and Managing Change in Tourism: International Case Studies: Routledge Pritchard, A and Morgan, N. (1995) Evaluating destination brochure images: the case of local authorities in Wales, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol 2, pp 23-38 Ringer, G.D (1998) Destinations: Cultural Landscapes of Tourism: Routledge Official Portugal Tourism Office (Sourced from: http://www.portugal.org/index.shtml, Date accessed, 12/01/09)

Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education in Philippine Schools Essay

Scenario: A Waray-speaking couple from Samar decided to relocate in Cebu for job opportunities. Tagging along with them is their first-grader girl. Deficient of finances, they decided to enroll the kid in a public school. It so happened that the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) has introduced the Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) program. This is a program that uses your mother tongue (language at home) as a medium of instruction inside the classroom. Will the girl be given special attention knowing that she speaks Waray and be separated from the rest of her Cebuano-speaking classmates? If the language at home will be the medium of instruction from Kinder to Grade 3, how will this affect a multi-language group? According to DepEd, 12 major Philippine languages will be introduced beginning this school year 2012-2013 to improve literacy and instruction: Tagalog, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Iloko, Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Tausug, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, and Chabacano. The objectives of the program include: l. anguage development which establishes a strong education for success in school and for lifelong learning; 2. cognitive development which focuses on Higher Order Thinking Skills competencies in each of the learning areas; and 3. academic development which prepares the learner to acquire mastery of language and culture. 4. socio-cultural awareness which enhances the pride of the learner’s heritage. The program hopes that by using the mother tongue (first language or L1) as a medium of instruction inside the classroom in the early grades, it will hasten the basic communication skills of the students. When students develop fluency in speaking, reading and writing in the first language, the L1 can then be utilized as a bridge or transitional to learning the second (L2) and third (L3) languages (e. g. Filipino and English). The introduction of languages in this method will give students confidence in learning academic concepts. From DepEd Order No. 74, 3c: â€Å"In terms of cognitive development, and its effects in other academic areas, pupils taught to read and write in their first language acquire [educational] competencies more quickly. † Director Yolanda Quijano of DepEd’s Bureau of Elementary Education stressed in a press release, â€Å"[These] studies proved that learners who begin in their first language have more efficient cognitive development and are better prepared for more cognitively demanding subject matter. In other words, a learner tends to be smarter if he starts his education using the mother tongue. † How will DepEd implement the program? Below, I tabulated a progression plan for teaching and using the three languages (mother-tongue, English, Filipino) based on how I understood the program. Basically, the program starts with pupils learning their lessons through the use of their mother-tongue — first orally and then in written form. It finishes with kids being fluent in (or at least learning fast) English and Filipino when they finish grade 6. Will this kind of plan succeed? I believe so, if planned properly. Even UNESCO endorses the use of Mother Tongue Multilingual Education and highlights the important features of the process: 1.  Education begins with what the learners already know, building on the language and culture, knowledge and experience that they bring with them when they start school; 2. Learners gradually gain confidence in using the new (official) language, before it becomes the only language for teaching academic subjects; and 3. Learners achieve grade level competence in each subject because teachers use their home language, along with the official school language, to help them understand the academic concepts. Also, MTB-MLE has long been used by other developing countries. Here are benchmark studies from UNESCO: 1. Modiano’s (1973) study in the Chiapas highlands of Mexico found that indigenous children efficiently transferred literacy skills from the L1 to the L2 and out-performed monolingual Spanish speakers. 2. The Six-Year Yoruba Medium Primary Project (Fafunwa et al. 1975; Akinnaso 1993; see Adegbiya 2003 for other references) demonstrated unequivocally that a full six-year primary education in the mother tongue with the L2 taught as a subject was not only viable but gave better results than all-English schooling. It also suggested that teachers should be allowed to specialize in L2 instruction. 3. The Rivers Readers Project, also in Nigeria, showed how mother tongue materials of reasonable quality could be developed even where resources were scarce and even for previously undeveloped languages with small numbers of speakers (Williamson, 1976). Communities themselves provided competent native speakers and funds for language development, producing over forty publications in fifteen languages. 4.  Large-scale research on Filipino-English bilingual schooling in the Philippines (Gonzalez & Sibayan, 1988) found a positive relationship between achievement in the two languages, and found that low student performance overall was not an effect of bilingual education but of other factors, especially the low quality of teacher training (see also Dutcher 1995). If the program works in other developing countries, I believe, it should also work in the Philippines. But this isn’t easy. Getting to the goal takes a lot of groundwork. Look at the figure below. For the program to achieve long-term success, DepEd must go through each and every step. It looks like DepEd has already done the necessary research and already raised awareness about the program through its Region, Division, District, and School Heads, as well as through Local Government Units (LGUs). But what about the rest of the steps? Do we have enough teaching and learning materials ready that are built specifically for a particular language? Next, have we trained enough teachers and staff to efficiently implement the program? Most importantly, do we have the funding and full support from the government to sustain this effort? Now, let me go back to the challenge I mentioned in the first paragraph. – How will the program resolve classrooms with multiple home languages spoken by pupils? – What is the solution when teachers that are available to teach do not even speak the pupils’ mother-tongue? – Should we place books and reading materials written in different home languages in each classroom? While I support mother tongue-based education, I think DepEd must spend some more time to resolve some lingering questions and prepare the materials needed to facilitate effective classroom interaction with this new approach to basic education. Success stories in Papua New Guinea (Klaus 2003), and the Rivers Readers project in Nigeria (Williamson 1985) should become inspirations for the Philippines. More time is also needed for human resource development. To remedy this situation, the case of the bilingual intercultural education in Bolivia must be looked into (refer to ETARE 1993, Albo & Anaya 2003). Are you one with the DepEd in the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) program this coming school year? Leave some comments below.

Macbeth Ambition Essay

English Assignment – Term 3 Representations of ambition within Macbeth Within Macbeth, there are numerous representations of human values and conflicts, including duty vs. desire, the effects of a guilty conscience on the human journey and the differences between genders, and the superiority of men within the play, and the modern era. The value foregrounded throughout this text is the representations of ambition within the play Macbeth, and we will be focusing on the protagonist of the story, ironically named Macbeth. The effect of ambition can be a double-edged sword. Ambition can provide a person with desire, so that they can accomplish goals, and give them a kick-start towards them. On the other hand, however, ambition can transition into what’s known as vaulting ambition, which can be defined as pursuing your ambitions without taking into consideration the consequences that comes with it, and hypothetically ‘vaulting’ over the boundaries set. The protagonist within the play, Macbeth, exemplifies the act of ‘vaulting ambition’, and it is mentioned once within the play. ‘The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.’ Macbeth’s inner desires are reignited after the battle, when he arranges to meet with the three witches on the heath. The witches proclaim and prophesize that Macbeth will not only hold his position as Thane of Glamis, but also be crowned Thane of Cawdor, and eventually, the King of Scotland, though they do not say how. If Macbeth decides to seek his ambitions, that have now been reminded to him by the witches’ foresights, it would mean that he would have to eradicate the King of Scotland, through the act of regicide. This is what Macbeth was discoursing through his significant soliloquy; that the obstacles he must destroy must not be seen by the eye. He does indeed know that this act is ‘black’, meaning the act is malicious, and outright wrong, though it must be done if his accomplishments are to be met. Once he murders the King Duncan, he knows that he must prolong his undeserved spot as King, as the repercussions will be that of the actions that he have committed. This is due to the Chain of Being, which he has distinctly broken. Once this hypothetical chain is broken, which by the way, represents the natural order, the universe will be plundered into chaos, and ‘righting the wrong’ will retain the natural order. Throughout the ending of the play, when Duncan’s sons plot to overthrow Macbeth, he accepts his fate, and the apparitions stated by the three witches during their second meeting with Macbeth come to fruition. He knows of his imminent downfall, and within his final moments of life, he accepts defeat. ‘I will not yield to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet, and to be baited with the rabble’s curse. Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane, and thou opposed, being of no woman born, yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff; and damned be him that first cries, ‘Hold, enough!’ This scene marks the promised demise of Macbeth, and good once again conquering evil. His ambitions overall lead to his demise, and if he had either followed his orders from the King, who is a higher being on the ‘Chain of Being’, or gained the royal, majestic position through an accepted process, then his death would not have been sentenced and sealed. Macbeth’s reactions to the prophecies given to him can be compared to the composure at which Banquo reacted to the prophecies handed to him. The three witches stated that Banquo’s future male lineage will be Kings, and left it at that. Banquo never went that step further, he decided that that would be good enough, and in the end, it was the more noble decision, and his death was through an act of atrocity by Macbeth, who saw Banquo as a threat who had to be eliminated. His death was not in vein, as it allowed good to overpower evil once again. It is through his ambitions, and the persuasion of his wife, Lady Macbeth, whose intention was to propel her husband to a more powerful position. Adding to that, the premonitions of the three sisters, meant that Macbeth seemingly had no choice but to chase his burning desires. He was so overcome with thoughts and feelings that lead to him being of a higher class, that it seemed so easy, and it was something that had to be done. It can be concluded that Macbeth’s collapse was due to the poor decisions made, and his overall pursuing of his ambitions to make it to the top,

How to Make Silver Polishing Dip

How to Make Silver Polishing Dip As silver oxidizes, it will tarnish. This layer of oxidation can be removed without polishing and scrubbing by simply dipping your silver in this non-toxic electrochemical dip. Another big advantage to using a dip is that the liquid can reach places a polishing cloth cannot. This is an easy experiment and takes mere minutes! Silver Polish Ingredients Sink or glass panHot waterBaking sodaSaltAluminum foilTarnished silver How to Remove Silver Tarnish Line the bottom of the sink or a glass baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.Fill the foil-lined container with steaming hot water.Add salt (sodium chloride) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the water. Some recipes call for 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt, whereas others call for 2 tablespoons each of baking soda and salt. No need to measure the amounts - just add a bit of each substance.Drop the silver items into the container so they are touching each other and resting on the foil. You will be able to watch the tarnish disappear.Leave heavily tarnished items in the solution for as long as 5 minutes. Otherwise, remove the silver when it appears clean.Rinse the silver with water and gently buff it dry with a soft towel.Ideally, you should store your silver in a low-humidity environment. You can place a container of activated charcoal or a piece of chalk in the storage area to minimize future tarnish. Tips for Success Use care when polishing or dipping silver plated items. It is easy to wear away the thin layer of silver and cause more harm than good through over-cleaning.Minimize exposing your silver to substances that contain sulfur (e.g., mayonnaise, eggs, mustard, onions, latex, wool) because the sulfur will cause corrosion.Using your silver flatware/holloware or wearing silver jewelry helps to keep it free from tarnish.

7

7 Introduction 7-Eleven is one of the largest companies in the world that operate a chain of convenient stores. Since 1974, the company has been operating under the name 7-Eleven Japan Company Limited (Szymankiewicz, 2007). While viewing the company from a franchising end, 7-Eleven is has the largest licensed franchise in the world with approximately 39,000 outlets worldwide (Szymankiewicz, 2007). Initially, McDonalds Corporation was rated as the largest franchise in the world.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on 7-Eleven in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, from the statistics that were taken in the year 2007, 7-Eleven emerged as the largest franchise in the world surpassing McDonalds by over 1000 stores. The company is now operating in 16 countries in the world. Its main markets are found in the US, Japan, Canada and South East Asia. However, the company has been on an expansion spree in the last sever al years. One of the main markets that the company has been target in China. Despite its late entry into the Chinese market, 7-Eleven has grown to be one of the leading retail outlets in the country. It has successfully taken over the traditional Chinese catering industry and offers stiff competition to brands that had been well established in the industry. Development of 7-Eleven 7-Eleven was founded by Joe C. Thompson in Dallas, Texas in 1927 (Doyle and Broadbridge, 2009). Joe was an employee of Southland Ice Company. He began selling bread, milk and eggs. Thompson discovered that it was easier for him to sell convenient items to consumer after realising that the ice he had could be used to preserve these items. This greatly reduced the number of times individuals had to travel to grocery stores in order to purchase these items. As a result of the early success that Thompson enjoyed, he bought Southland Ice Company. He called the new business Southern Corporation. Southern Corpora tion became successful in its early years and expanded into other regions within the Dallas area. During this time, Southern Corporation stores were opened between 7am and 11pm. In 1946, the name of the company was changed to 7-Eleven with regards to reflect its operating hours. By 1952, 7-Eleven had opened its 100th store. In 1962, it commenced a 24-hour operation trial in Austin, Texas that was successful. However, during the early 1980s, the company started to experience recurring financial crisis. However, Ito Yokado managed to save the company from bankruptcy. Eventually, the company was sold in 1987 and by 1991, the company was managed by the Japanese who had a majority share. In 1992, the company was operated under Seven and I Holding Company founded by Ito Yokado who had been one of the largest franchisee of 7-Eleven and commenced a massive expansion activity all over the globe.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! G et your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main target market for 7-Eleven is convenient customers who require fast, high quality, efficient and reliable goods and services. These services should be provided in clean and friendly environments. The locations of 7-Eleven stores are selected in order to be easily accessible to consumers. Furthermore, some of these stores have up to 2,500 different products. In addition, the location, design and operations of these stores are designed in such a way that aims at satisfying the needs of the local people; the target market (Sakata, 2006). 7-eleven stores are well known in the countries in which they operate in for Big Gulp, Big Bite and Slurpee. These are the main food and drinks that are found in almost all of their stores worldwide. In addition to this, 7-Eleven openings also have fresh brewed coffee, sandwiches, burgers and hotdogs and other fast foods. This has made the brand to be a convenient food store since it offers a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. In addition, these openings also offer other services that may meet the needs and requirements of the local market. This includes automated money machines, lottery tickets, phone cards and so on. From its origin in Dallas, Texas 7-Eleven operates and franchises over 7,000 openings in the United States, 6,000 in Canada and over 32,000 outside America. This has made it to be the leading franchise in the world (Doyle and Broadbridge, 2009). Intercompany Collaboration In the retail service that 7-Eleven is involved in, supply chain has always been an essential factor that has contributed to the success that the company is currently enjoying. Supply chain is the process through which different corporations come work together in the process of converting raw materials from the producer to finished products to the retailer (Sakata, 2006). In this process, each company that is part of the supply chain plays a critical role in converting the good into a finished product. Due to the presence of a joint venture, the operating costs and manufacturing costs that are accrued in the process of converting the product are always shared among the members of the supply chain. This has an overall effect of increasing the profitability rates of supply chain members by reducing their operating costs.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on 7-Eleven in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In its operations all over the world, 7-Eleven has always embraced the concept of supply chain. As a result, the company has always been involved entered into a number of intercompany collaborations in order to achieve its short term and long-term goals and objectives. For instance, 7-Eleven openings in Japan and China have collaborated with local bread suppliers (Arntzen et al, 2005). Most of the bread and baked products that are found in these openings are not baked in house b ut are supplied by external sources. The franchise has collaborated with local bakeries to supply them with bread and other baked products as per the specifications of the customers. This has been done in order to ensure that the openings are able to satisfy the needs and demands of the market. In Japan, the over 10,000 openings that are present have a computerised integrated system that regulated the production, planning and inventory control of the region (Arntzen et al, 2005). This ensures that bread and other baked products are produced with regards to the exact market demand that is accurate and not with regards to trends or speculation. This has greatly reduced the costs that these stores would have otherwise encountered with regards to the production and supply of the products. The presence of a computerised system to control the quantity of goods available in 7-Eleven openings has played a critical role in ensuring that these stores are able to meet the market demand. In add ition, the use of information technology in its operations has also led to the avoidance of extreme situations in which the supply is too much or too little. This has resulted to the avoidance of the bullwhip effect that normally arises as a result of inefficiencies in the lower part of the supply chain. If such an effect is not checked early enough, it may result to adverse effects as one moves up the chain hence bringing about inefficiencies that may result to lack of cooperation among the members of the supply chain. 7-Eleven has always sought creative and innovative methods to satisfying the needs and requirements of its target market. It is due to this fact that the company has always collaborated with other organizations in order to get reliable chain sources and delivery services for its products (Fernie, 2004). This in turn increases the availability of products in their stores to meet the demand and reduces the risks and inconveniences of poor supply of finished products. T herefore, the management of 7-Eleven has always strived to ensure that at all levels of the supply chain, from the producer to the consumer, goods are available at exact quantities. This has always ensured that the goods are always available at the right places within the time periods that they are required at the right quantities.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Japanese franchise is one of the most profitable 7-Eleven franchises in the world. It is ranked the third most successful food franchise in the world. The main factor that has led to this success is the concept of intercompany integration and inter-store integration. The introduction of combined distribution centres and a central inventory system that check and regulated the quantity of stocks in all the stores have made it easier for products to circulate within the market. This has led to timely delivery services and availability of products to consumers. In addition, from the system, the products that have a low turnover rate can be identified. In most cases, such products are always eliminated from the stores to create more room for those products whose turnover rates are much higher. This has ensured that all the stores have fresh products at a given time, an essential requirement for consumer retention. While expanding its activities in China, 7-Eleven has been using this strategy and it has proved to be quite fruitful. Strategic Global Alliances The level of trade has grown remarkably over the last few decades as a result of the advancements that are being experienced in the field of information, communications and technology (ICT) (Jovanovic, 2011). These advancements have also increased the number of tradable services in the field of IT and ICT that have made the offshoring and outsourcing of services to be much easier. The ease in the tradability of these services coupled with the increased independence of the location has contributed to the offshoring of services by many companies in the west (Kapila, 2009). These advancements have encouraged the development of globalization. 7-Eleven for instance has its origin in USA. However, it has markets in 16 countries worldwide. This is as a result of globalization. Globalization has also influenced the manner in which companies market their products and interact with their customers. They have embraced the use of technology in order to survive the stiff competition in the market. Some of them, for example, have incorporated the use of social networks and brand communities as a communication strategy of reaching and engaging customers. This because social networks and brand communities are the easiest and most efficient ways through which consumers can be reached as a result of technological changes that the world is currently facing. Most organizations and business companies therefore have stopped stop using outdated methods of reaching out to consumers. As a result of globalization, the tastes and preferences of consumers have expanded. In addition, the level of competition among businesses has increased. This has come about as a result of the availability of substitutes and alternatives. Most of the barriers that initially prevented firms from entering into new markets have been eliminated. Thus, for companies have come up with strategic plans in order to be profitable and susta inable in the short run and in the long run. One of the strategies that these companies have adopted and implemented in their operations is through the formation of alliances. Alliances can be formed through partnerships, mergers or acquisitions. In the course of its operations, 7-Eleven has entered into a number of strategic alliances with renowned companies in the globe. While celebrating its 30th anniversary since its entry in Taiwan in the year 2008, 7-Eleven partnered up with Microsoft while on a campaign to strengthen its brand name and reach out to a new target market; the individuals who fall under the bracket of the young consumer group (Doyle and Broadbridge, 2009). The company was also using other media options in this campaign. The main reason why it chose Microsoft to launch this campaign was as a result of the popularity of the Microsoft brand in Taiwan among the individuals of the young age. Thus, by forming a strategic alliance, the young market will identify the 7-E leven brand name with Microsoft. In the electronic age that we are living in, the managers at 7-Eleven identified that it was necessary to market their brand by using IT hence chose Microsoft as their online partner. The main aim of this campaign was: Improving the 7-Eleven brand name Directing traffic towards their website Increasing store revenue Attracting young consumers This campaign was successful as it created a salient image of 7-Eleven on its target market. Their website got over 68 million hits and the sales during the campaign increased. In the year 2006, Shell Singapore and 7-Eleven Singapore entered into a strategic alliance. In this agreement, 7-Eleven was to provide convenient retail services in all the filling stations that Shell owns all across Singapore (Kunitomo, 2007). Consumers will visit these stations will not only enjoy the high quality fuel in courtesy of Shell but they will also enjoy a wide array of goods and services available at the 7-Eleven stores. Th is was a win-win alliance for Shell Singapore, 7-Eleven Singapore and the consumers who visit these stores. From the alliance, the revenue earned by Shell and 7-Eleven increased. In addition, consumers reported higher satisfaction levels from the performance surveys that were conducted by shell (Kunitomo, 2007). Thus, in its early days in the Chinese market, 7-Eleven should form strategic alliances with companies that have a strong brand name and try to achieve a win-win outcome from the collaboration. 7-Eleven in China Since the early 1990s, China has been experiencing a tremendous growth in its economy. In the early 2000s, China was ranked as the country that has the highest economic growth rate in the world. In 2003, the country reported a GDP of 9% (Martins, 2003). As a result, China presents a vibrant emerging market that is the target of many businesses including 7-Eleven. In China, franchising has become one of the business ventures that have a high potential of growth. This is because it incorporates individuals who do not have a lot of capital into already established brands. Initially, the poor frameworks that surrounded franchising in China made it to be a risky venture hence discouraged a lot of foreign investors. However, with the amendment of the law, the securities of the franchiser and the franchisee have been guaranteed (Newman and Atkinson, 2010). 7-Eleven entered the Chinese market in 2004 (Newman and Atkinson, 2010). Despite their late entry, the company has become successful as a result of its efficient marketing and operating strategies. 7-Eleven stores are characterised by offering high quality services and innovation of new ones (such as the salad island). These services have enabled the company to attract a lot of customers and after a few years in the market, 7-Eleven has become the number one competitor of Hwa Food Corporation, Chinas leading food retailer. However, on their entry into the Chinese market, 7-Eleven has mainly concentr ated on the catering industry over the other ventures that it conducts. This is due to the fact that the management view China as a risky market hence they do not want to risk it all at once. In increasing their brand recognition, 7-Eleven has implemented some of the strategies that had proved to be successful while entering into other markets. For instance, the company has implemented the value chain strategy that was used in Japan in the procurement of goods and services. In addition, the company has integrated IT in its operation to assist in operations and inventory control (Newman and Atkinson, 2010). In China, 7-Eleven has formed alliances with FedEx, UPS and some industries in the shipping and ports industry. These factors have made the brand name of the company to be strong within the region. Through its capability of adjusting to market constrains, 7-Eleven has been able to develop a range of kitchen products that meet the needs and requirements of the Chinese market. For i nstance, the introduction of the soymilk and a variety of milk tea production has increased the number of clients that these stores receive especially during breakfast hours. In addition, the quality of service at these restaurants have guaranteed maximum satisfaction of consumers. In the last quarter of 2011 for instance, it was averaged that each store receives approximately 900 clients per day (Newman and Atkinson, 2010). This has resulted to the high profit margins that the company is currently enjoying in China. Conclusion and Recommendations 7-Eleven has grown to be the leading franchise company in the world. Through its effective and efficient operations, the company operates in 16 countries in the world. In its recent quest of expansion, the company ventured into the Chinese market. Despite the fact that this market posses high risks, the rate of growth that 7-Eleven has exhibited is desirable. However, for the company to be sustainable in the short run and in the long run, it should form alliances and partnerships with brands that are already established in the Chinese market. In addition, 7-Eleven should identify the cultural differences of this market and formulate strategies that will enhance the culture of the local people. The company should also introduce products that meet the taste and preferences of the market and finally adjust their selling price to meet the financial requirements of a higher proportion of the population. References Arntzen, B.C., Brown, G.G., Harrison, T.P., and Trafton, L.L. (2005). Global Supply Chain Management at Digital Equipment Corporation. Interfaces, 21 (5), pp.69-93 Doyle, S. and Broadbridge, M. (2009). Strategic Supplier Segmentation: The Next Best Practice in Supply Chain Management. California Management Review, 40 (2), pp.57-60. Fernie, J. (2004). International Comparisons of Supply Chain Management in Grocery Retailing. Service Industries Journal, 15 (4), pp.134-47 Jovanovic, M. (2011). International Handboo k on the Economics of Integration:  Competition, Spatial Location of Economic Activity and Financial Issues.  Sacramento: Edward Elgar Publishing Kapila, U. (2009). Indian Economy since Independence. New Delhi: Academic Foundation Kunitomo, R. (2007). 7-Eleven is Revolutionizing Grocery Distribution in Japan. Long Range Planning, 30 (6), pp.877-89. Martins, D. (2003). Efficient Consumer Response: Enhancing Consumer Value in the Grocery Industry, Food Marketing Institute, Washington, DC. Newman, G and Atkinson, E. (2010). Seven-Eleven Japan Company Ltd. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 2 (1), pp. 19-22 Sakata, S (2006). An Analysis of the Japanese Convenience Store Industry: A Case Study of 7-Eleven Japan Corporation. University of Sterling: Unpublished MSc Thesis Szymankiewicz, R. (2007). How can Service Business Survive and Prosper? Sloan Management Review, 27 (2), pp. 21-32.

Satisfying all stakeholders when the business is competing in mature Essay - 1

Satisfying all stakeholders when the business is competing in mature product markets is difficult. Discuss - Essay Example Another handicap facing mature products is that the markets they operate in are likely to be mature as well, making growth prospects for the product as well as industry very tough. The rest of this essay will present various factors that have a bearing on stakeholders when a business is competing in mature product markets. Shareholders are one of the main (if not the most important) stakeholders to a company’s prospects. And equity markets are the arena where they can hope to claim their rewards. But increasing share price on a consistent and non-volatile manner is very difficult in mature product markets. For example, â€Å"Equity markets both reward companies that outpace growth in their sector and that show significantly higher price/earnings multiples than their competitors. But, since 80 per cent of equity markets grow only as fast as their country's gross domestic product - that is, at a rate that rarely pushes beyond the low single digits, an organization that seeks to outpace a mature equity market and achieve double-digit revenue growth faces a steep uphill climb. A company can attempt to take market share, but competitors in a mature market will work just as vigorously to defend their customer base. Higher revenue does not always signal success anyway, since revenue gains almost always hurt margins, and can precipitate a price war that devalues the entire market.† (Magrath, 2005) The telecommunications industry offers opportunities for studying marketability of mature products. This is so because, although digital and satellite communications technology were invented only a couple of decades ago, the rapid rate of growth ensured maturity of both the industry as well as its products. The recent developments in the telecommunications industry in the Middle East illustrates common challenges faced by mature products and mature markets. The quarterly performance of these telecom companies after the first quarter of 2009 shows how growth can be stagnant or in decline for mature product markets. During this period, Saudi Telecom reported a whopping 69 percent dip in its net profit figures. Etisalat, another major firm in the region, reported a 20 percent drop in profits in the same period. Smaller players too, including Maroc Telecom and Zain, performed likewise. (Hadfield, 2009) These examples illustrate how difficult it has become for managements to satisfy stakeholders in a mature product business. It is a sign of problems identified with mature markets that investors are looking at opportunities in emerging markets. An increasing share of the world’s capital is now being directed to equities and other derivative products in emerging economies. In the era of globalization, the flow of financial capital is a vital parameter. Financial products and derivative products transacted via stock exchanges trans-nationally have matured as a product over the years. This means that there is now vast empirical data to draw theories upon. This has also had the effect of increasing the degree of volatility in these markets. Investment firms and individual investors look toward emerging markets despite their high volatility due to the following reasons: higher average returns, lower correlations than developed markets, and more predictable returns. Each of these characteristics has made the volatility

History of East Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of East Africa - Essay Example Slavery is defined as a condition whereby a person, known as a slave is under the control of another. Slavery almost always occurs for the purpose of securing labor. History dictates that those who become slaves had different ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex or race than the dominant group, typically taken prisoner as a result of war. Capture meant death or slavery if one paid no ransom. Social entities characterized with poverty, overpopulation, and cultural and technological lag are frequently exported as slaves to more developed nations.The nature of the slavery differed greatly across the continent. There were large plantations toiled by slaves in Egypt, Sudan and Zanzibar, but this was not a typical use of slaves in Africa as a whole. Slaves were protected and incorporated into the slave-owning family while in others, slaves were brutally abused, and even used for human sacrifices.The practice of slavery and slave trade existed in Africa long before the Europeans arrived (B eck. 2004). Slaves were regarded as investment of local chiefs, kings, merchants and dependent royal subjects for personal gains and revenue as well as performing administrative or military duties. Prior to the European conquest, slavery was a tool in building and strengthening states. In the period of the European colonization, slave trade changed dramatically causing internal divisions among African societies (Amber. 2004). The Oyo-Dahomey Wars, local/regional conflicts among the Asante, and internal division within the Congo kingdoms helped the Europeans acquire slaves in exchange for textiles, guns and ammunitions to expand their territories. The Europeans benefited from this by shipping off the slaves to the plantations of the Americas. As a result the African societies experienced a drastic change depopulating skilled craftsmen and increased wars among tribes (Cooper. 1980). Families were torn apart and children that were left behind became vulnerable to being captured by riva l tribesman (Amber. 2004). The slave trade as a result expanded because of the participation of African rulers and merchants (Beachey. 1976) in the international exchange economy, involving the exports of humans. Africans were manipulated and used by Europeans through the domination of Africa's natural resources (Cooper. 1980). In the beginning of European involvement in Africa, they were initially interested in trading with Africans for their gold, slaves, ivory, and other resources. Europeans began trading in Africa in the 15th century, mainly getting gold and slaves. When they reached the eastern coast of Africa, their prime interest shifted to controlling and securing trade routes to India. For a few centuries, European involvement in Africa was mostly contained to the coastal regions. In the East, the Omanis gained nominal control of the islands, but until the reign of Sayyid (1804-56) they took little interest in them (Nwulia. p13-14. 1975). Sayyid recognized the commercial value of East Africa and increasingly turned his attention to Zanzibar and Pemba, where he permanently relocated his court into (Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 2006). He brought many Arabs with him, and they gained control of Zanzibar's fertile soil, forcing most of the Hadimu to migrate to the eastern part of the island. The Hadimu were obliged to work on the clove plantations. Sayyid controlled much of the East where Zanzibar became the main center of ivory and slave trade (Cooper.1980). Some of them were used on the clove plantations while others were exported to other parts overseas. With Zanzibar's trade being administered by Omanis' who organized caravans into the interior of