Occupational safety and health - OSHA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Occupational safety and health - OSHA - Essay Example The next step involves an inspection of the damage at the assembly area and document findings and analysis of the outcomes. The most critical information to have right away would be the causal factors that triggered the occurrence of the accident at the assembly area such as the status of the equipment in use at the time of the incident (Burke et al., 2011). I would tell the engineers and the supervisors to compile documented evidence regarding the standards, design technology, and codes of the equipment that caused the incident and the suitability of such equipment for their intended purpose as at the time of the incident. Moreover, I would request them to provide an analysis of the causes and outcomes of the accident in relation to composition, human activities, external factors, equipment and functions that impacted the incident. As the OH&S professional, I would meet with the facility manager immediately and inform him or her about the incident, the number of hourly employees who have sustained injuries as well as their health condition, the nature of injuries sustained, and the medication offered. In addition, I would convey the causal factors about the information provided by the affected hourly employees concerning the cause of the incident. The facility manager would also be informed of the need for Participatory Ergonomic Inter vention (PEI) teams and initiatives to enhance safety related behaviors and outcomes as well as compensating the affected hourly employees (Burke et al., 2011). It would be recommended that I meet with the hourly employees and inform the affected employees about the findings attained following an investigation of the incident. In addition, education and training on OH&S along with the components of safety management would be discussed. I would also use the analysis of the incident to intensify safety related behaviors of

Competitors Analysis for Hoi Tin Tong Essay Example for Free

Competitors Analysis for Hoi Tin Tong Essay Hung Fook Tong (HFT) founded in 1986 and more than 120 stores in China and HK. HFT turned traditional herbal tea shop into a modern and innovative enterprise over the years which have over 100 products, including herbal jellies, herbal tea, homemade soups, and preservative-free healthy drinks. An innovation that helped both the popularity and the portability of herbal tea, they have more than 3000 retail points across the territory, including supermarkets, convenience shops, schools and restaurants. Kung Wo Tong (KWT) was established in 1904 by an imperial physician in the Qing Dynasty, there are total 10 stores in HK and 1 in China. The stores located along a main street and keeps old-fashioned herbal drinks shops in typical sized with limited even no decoration over hundred years. Most of shops sell four to six kinds of herbal drinks, but the herbal jelly is one staple that seldom miss the list. They keeps tradition way and focus more on the health benefits rather than its taste. HealthWorks (HW) started as a traditional Chinese herbal tea shop in 1989 and decided to modernize the company in 2000 in order to follow their global expansion plan. HW use modern technologies involves in develop, produce and distribute an array of traditional Chinese natural nourishing productions including herbal soup, herbal tea, medicinal tea, herbal jelly and other Chinese medicinal diet. There are 22 shops which mainly at MTR stations with trendy decoration and more than 1500 point of sales distributing ready-to-drinks herbal tea in various supermarkets and convenient stores Compare to HTT, customer regard KWT is more traditional and believe the products have more medical function while HFT and HW are trendier and provide health supplement goods. So, customers who go to HTT and KWT will be the local people who believe traditional herbal benefits, mainly the adult and elderly. The customers who go to HFT and HW will be younger age customers with health conscious and even tourists. HTT lost the competitive advances to HFT on product range and market coverage due to HFT do a good job at distribution strategy which has lots of products and large distribution channels. HFT also use price strategy to set their price is the lower among these competitor, these advances make HFT become the biggest herbal tea group in HK according to survey by AC Nelson. HTT use location strategy and branding strategy better than other competitors who have many chain stories and strong image, so HTT have competitive advances on sales network, number of chain stores and customer loyalty.

Differences between the consumer market and business

Differences between the consumer market and business Some book authors define Market as a group of potential or actual buyers who are willing to buy certain product or service (Kolter Armstrong, 2006, p. 7; Kurtz Boone, 2006, p. G-7; Lau, 2007, p. 56). When we mentioned business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C), there are two groups of market: the first one is business market and the later one is consumer market. First, discussion will start with differences between consumer and business market. Then, the second part will be followed by the influences of key factors that differentiate business marketing and consumer marketing. Differences between consumer and business market Kolter Armstrong (2006, p.161) stated that consumer and business markets have similar characteristics in some ways. Meanwhile, many researchers also argued that business market is different from consumer market in many ways (Webster, 1978; Ames, 1970; Cooke, 1986; Lilien, 1987; Kolter Armstrong, 2006, p. 161). Kolter Armstrong (2006, p. 161) classified key difference between business and consumer markets into three broad groups, namely: market structure and demand, nature of the buying unit, type of decisions and decision process. Their classification is parallel with Lau (2007, p. 6), whom stated that both markets are different in terms of number and size of customers, buying expertise and process, decision making, geographical concentration, derived demand, and relationships. From the review, total of seven key differences are identified. Type of customers First of all, a very obvious difference is the type of customer on both markets served (Coviello Brodie, 2001). According to Lau (2007, p. 12), customers in the business market can be classified into commercial enterprises, government and public organizations, and institutional organizations. In contrast, customers in the consumer market are individuals or households (Sashi Kudpi, 2001). In consumer market, target market for a juice drink is working woman with 12 years old youth at home. Nevertheless, target market for industrial products such as steel or cement will be different from consumer market. For instance, customers for industrial products such as steel or cement will be a group of people or organization whom doing business. This two examples show that type of customer for consumer market is more concern on individuals or households whereas business market is more concern on a group of people. Number and size of customers Despite type of customer, business markets and consumer markets are different in terms of number and size of customers (Lau, 2007, p. 6). Unlike consumer market, business market has fewer customers. However, customers in the business market buy larger quantities than consumer market. As Kaplan (2000) and Olsen (2000) stated that the market size for consumer market is normally measured in millions whereas business market is measured in thousands. Thus, conclusion can be drawn where a company might have millions of customers where each customer buys in small quantity. On the other hand, a company might only have thousand of business customers whom each of the organization buy in large quantity. For example, consider an apple pie seller and an individual buyer that buy apples for different use. In this situation, the apple sellers might have several apple pie business buyers but many individual apple buyers. Meanwhile, apple pie business buyers will buy larger quantities than the indivi dual consumer because the business buyers demand more apples to make apple pies for sale. Buying knowledge and process Other than that, purchaser of business market has greater buying expertise than consumer market (Lau, 2007, p. 7). Hence, business decision process is different from consumer decision process when business buyer has greater knowledge (Kolter Armstrong, 2006, p. 170; Blackwell, Miniard Engel, 2006, p. 70). Blackwell et al. (2006) stated that consumer decision for goods and services including seven stages: need recognition, information searching, pre-purchase evaluation, purchase behavior, consumption, post-purchase evaluation and divestment (p. 70). Examples will be as followed: An individual found that he needs a new printer to replace the old one. After that, he searches printers information available in internet/ seek information from his friends. From the searching stage, three alternatives are found and he evaluate different printers brand in terms of quality, after sale services, prices and etc. He decided to buy Printer B after evaluation and bring it home / install and use it. During the usage, good or bad perception towards the new buying will determine his satisfaction which further determines his loyalty to the brand. That is, consumer decision process is that simple. In contrast, business buying process has eight stages: Problem recognition, need description, product specification, supplier searching, proposal solicitation, select supplier, order-routine specification, and performance review (Kolter Armstrong, 2006, p. 171). Example is as followed: New entrant, XYZ automobile Sdn Bhd need new business suppliers to supply aluminums for cars produced. Before searching for suppliers, they list down their need and product specification. Then, they start search number of suppliers which supplies what they want. The pool of suppliers then compete and bidding for the projects. Eventually, the company selects BIBI aluminums Sdn Bhd which they think BIBIs offer /services best suit their needs and product specification. After that, XYZ listed down the order-routine items and all the specification/order with BIBI. Once the supplies process has started, XYZ will review and evaluate the performance of BIBI in terms of deliver, product quality, services and others performance. The evaluation will determine whether XYZ want to continue the business relationship or terminate it in the future. From the example, conclusion can be drawn where business market has more complex and formalized buying decision process than consumer market because business buyer has to follow specific procedures or get approval before buying decision are made (Kolter Armstrong, 2006, p. 163; Lau, 2007, p. 7). Despite greater knowledge, business buyer is responsible to purchase with huge resources (Lau, 2007, p. 7). Hence, they tend to spend more effort and time to evaluate products and services offered before buying decision are made (Lau, 2007, p.7). For example, a consumer buyer might not go through the stage of pre-purchase evaluation and buy an inkjet printer just because he or she likes it. But when it comes to business buyer, they cannot skip the formal procedure or approval to buy inkjet printers for office use just because he or she likes to do so. Buying decision making Besides that, business market made decision differently from consumer market (Lau, 2007, p.7). In business market, salesperson has to deal with number of individuals. Buying decision making involved more than one person, whom possesses different roles either to build or maintain the relationship with the supplier (Homburg et al., 1997). Those persons involved in buying decision making are known as the members of buying center (Lau, 2007, p.47-48). In the buying center, those members include decider, purchaser, influencer, initiator, gatekeeper and user (Schellhase et al., 1999; Lau, 2007, p. 47 48). For instance, in an automobile manufacturing company, a production team might be initiator or user for a machine. Then, another team in purchase department will act as buyer for the machine. Meanwhile, finance team will act as gatekeeper in decision making process which functions as budget control role. Lastly, Chief executive officer might act as influencer and decider which he or she w ill decide whether to buy or not to buy at the end. Salesperson in business marketing deals with more than one person in, but salesperson commonly deals with an individual in consumer market. For instance, materials purchase decision (new task buying) for car manufactured will only be made when the agreement across different functional department and vertical management levels have reached. Purchase decision will not be made when conflict between different departments has not yet solved. However, a mother (purchaser) will buy a dress for her daughter (user) without the consent of other family members (e.g. son, father). Demand In addition, business and consumer market can be differentiated in the view of economic perspective. Demand in business and consumer market is different. Demand in business market is derived from demand of the products that business suppliers help produce (McConnell et al., 2009). This is known as derived demand. Derived demand can be referred as Association demand between resource and product in which demand for industrial product is linked with demand for goods and products that made from the resource (Kurtz and Boone, 2006). For example, demand for cotton is derived from consumer demand of shirt. According to the news, consumers will be paying high prices for shirt for the coming New Year since cotton prices has increased (The star, 2010). According to law of demand, demand for shirt will drop as price goes up due to elasticity (McConnell et al., 2009). From here, we can conclude that demand for shirt will be affected by consumers directly. However, demand for cotton at business m arket is inelastic (Lau, 2007, p. 8). Demand for cotton is depending on consumer demand for shirt. It is in contrast with law of demand where changes in prices will not increase or decrease demand for business products. On other words, it means that decrease in prices will not encourage sale for business products (Lau, 2007, p. 8). Nevertheless, demand for cotton is being affected by demand for shirt. For instance, although cotton price is escalating, demand for cotton is still remaining or increasing if demand for shirt is greater. Geographical concentration As business is moving towards globalize, customers are everywhere. Business products buyers with similar business tend to be geographical concentrated. According to McDonald et al. (2001), geographical concentration serves as one of the characteristics of the term Cluster. The term cluster can be defined as a group of producer whom produce similar products are located near to each other (Schmitz, 1992, p. 65). Cluster and industrial district are used interchangeably (McDonald et al., 2001). Marshall (1890) claimed that one of the reasons for being geographical concentration is to grab economies of scale. For instance, consider automobile business companies: Nissan, Ssangyong, BMW, Daihatsu and Proton edar. These automobile business companies set up their headquarters office in Selangor. These companies are in the same industry: automobile selling industry. Similarly, they need raw materials such as steel and aluminum etc. to produce automobile. In contrast, customers in consumer mark et can be found everywhere and they are not that geographical concentrated as compare to business markets customers. Relationship When talk about relationship, relationship development for consumer market and business market is both important. Thus, customer relationship management in consumer market plays an important role. However, when comes to business to business relationship, relationship will even play a more critical role to determine business success or failure. In business market, need of coordination between business supplier and business customers is greater (Lau, 2007, p.10). In business market, Cann (1998) stated that long term relationship between business suppliers and customers is vital for business to be succeeded. According to some researchers, there are several reasons for business suppliers and customers to maintain long term relationship. For example, Sheth (1994) stated that maintain long term relationship will gain more benefits and risk of doing business will decrease. Apart from that, maintain existing relationship is less costly than acquired a new one and existing business partner is easy to work with (Cann, 1998; Congram, 1991). For instance, when an automobile company decided to replace a new supplier instead of the existing one, cost will incurred. New supplier is much likely will perform slow and not that effective in the beginning. This is because they are new joined supplied which they are not familiar to their new customer as compare to old supplier. As a result, operation efficiency decrease and cost incurred. Put it as conclusion, sellers have to develop close relationship with customers in customer market. But, business suppliers have to develop much closer relationship with customers and coordinate well with business customers. Table 1: Summarize differences between business and consumer market Key differences Business market Consumer market Type of customers Commercial enterprises Government and public organizations Institutional organizations Individuals households Market structure and demand Number and size of customers fewer customers large buyer more customers small buyer Geographical concentration More Concentrated Customers are less geographical concentrated Demand Derived from the demand of other products Derived directly from consumer Nature of the buying / Type of decision / Decision process Buying expertise and process Greater buying expertise/knowledge Complex and formalized buying decision process more professional effort in purchasing less buying expertise Simple and less formal buying decision process Buying decision making Decision made by a group of people More complex buying decision Decision made by individual Less complex as compare to Business to business Relationship Closer relationship Long term Close relationship Short term Sources: adapted from Lau (2007); Kolter Armstrong (2006). In conclusion, business and consumer market is different in several key characteristics: type of customers, number and size of customers, geographical concentration, demand, buying expertise and process, buying decision making and relationship (Table 1 summarize the differences between business and consumer market). Next, we look at how these seven key differences have caused business marketing different from consumer marketing. Business marketing and Consumer marketing Business to business marketing can be defined as the process of sale or purchase of goods and services involve at least two parties in which the buyer will buy the products from supplier for operation, production or resale purpose (Kurtz and Boone, 2006, p.188). Consumer marketing can be referred as the process of sale or purchase of goods and services between sellers and individual buyer (Noori and Salimi, 2005). There are different arguments towards marketing approaches for business and consumer market. Some researchers argued that differences in consumer and business market did not constitute to different marketing approaches (Fern Browns, 1984; Jackson Cooper, 1988). However, it is widely discussed that different marketing approaches should be used for business and consumer market (Cooke, 1986; Webster 1978, p. 24). For example, due to the differences between consumer and business market, Lilien (1987, p.16) suggested that marketers should use different marketing strategies to approach consumer market and business market. Comparison between business to business marketing and consumer marketing When mentioned about marketing, we should not overlook marketing mix. Marketing mix refers to the blending of four P strategies (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006, p. 48). Kurtz and Boone (2006, p.189) compared business to business and consumer marketing based on marketing mix: First, Business to business and consumer marketing is different in terms of product strategy. Business products are normally technical in nature whereas consumer products are in more standardized form (Kurtz and Boone, 2006). As a result, they claimed that accompanying services are more important in business products marketing as compare to consumer products marketing. Business customers have to be handled individually and personal selling is needed for business products marketing (Hakansson et al., 1967; Kaplan, 2000; Olsen, 2000). Second, Business to business and consumer marketing can be compared in terms of promotion strategy. Kurtz and Boone (2006) stated that business to business marketing should focus on personal selling whereas consumer marketing should focus on advertising. Other than that, Business to business marketing is different with consumer marketing in terms of distribution strategy. In business to business marketing, business marketer distribute business products direct channel which did not involve any intermediaries and the distribution channel is short whereas consumer products marketer utilize indirect channel to approach their customers (Kurtz and Boone, 2006). Lastly, Kurtz and Boone (2006) differentiated business to business marketing from consumer marketing in terms of price strategy. They stated that there will be competitive bidding in business to business despite list price whereas consumer products is more standardized thus using list price. From the review, example of consumer marketing is as followed: An instant noodle is standardized product. Despite sales promotion, business marketer for instant noodles will promote their products through advertising. The manufacturer uses list price to price their products. Then, pack and distribute their products by using indirect channel, which buyers can buy it from retailers. In contrast, example for business to business marketing is as followed: An electronic product is technically in nature, an accompanying service is needed. To convince business customer to buy electronic products, the company will send sales representative team to market their product to their customers due to the complexity of the marketed product. The sales representative will approach their customer directly rather than go through intermediaries. The supplies company might have to bid for the price because there are normally more than one companies are marketing similar products to the same customer. At the end, the project will goes to the best product quality and lowest price provider. However, Comparison between Business to business marketing and consumer marketing should look beyond marketing mix (Coviello and Brodie, 2001). Hence, we will discuss in depth regard the influence of key factors of business and consumer market in marketing practices. Differences between business and consumer marketing will be discussed based on each of the key factors listed in table 1. Mass marketing versus one-to-one marketing Since the number and size of customers are different, customer acquisition method for both markets also is different. Due to the differences, business organizations customers should be handled individually (Hakansson et al., 1967). Kaplan (2000) and Olsen (2000) stated that communication with business to consumer market is more relied on mass marketing. As mentioned, size of customers in consumer market is large. When size of customer is large and homogeneous, mass communication such as advertising will be used to approach the customers. In contrast, business market is more relied on one-to-one marketing. Customers in business market are fewer but large, they are more expert and making decision in group as a whole. Hence, business market customer should be handled individually (Hakansson et al., 1967). According to Kaplan (2000) and Olsen (2000), personal selling is normally used in business to business marketing. For example, salesperson engaged in business to business marketing wil l use direct selling rather than mass communication to approach their targeted customers. Argument of Kaplan (2000) and Olsen (2000) is parallel with Kurtz and Boone (2006, p. 189), which Kurtz and Boone also stated that promotion strategy in business marketing is more focus on advertising whereas consumer marketing is more focus on personal selling. Marketing strategy As seen in Table 1, type of customer for business and consumer market is different. Thus, marketing strategy for both markets will be different as well. In fact, type of customers might help business marketer to segment market group based on type of customers (Kurtz and Boone, 2006). Indeed, understanding customers needs and wants for both market is important as well. In consumer marketing, marketers market their products to individuals or household. Thus, marketer offered products to satisfy customers needs and wants or to make customer pleasure. Meanwhile, customers might buy the products which they do not really need, they buy just because for pleasure. However, types of customers for business supplier are a group of person whom doing a business. Product purchase is critical for their business operation. Unlike customer in consumer market, they are not purchase for pleasure. Hence, to convince business customers, business marketers have to understand and focus needs of business cu stomers but end user. Then, market their products by demonstrating how their products can help business customers in daily operation in long term period. Second, when demand for industrial products is driven from other products, customer demand for that particular product will determine the demand for industrial products as well. Since law of demand stated that any changes prices will stimulate consumer demand, marketer for consumer market might manipulate product price to stimulate the demand for consumer product. However, since demand for industrial products is inelastic, price manipulation would not increase the demand for industrial products unless demand for consumer demand is being stimulated. This explains why cooperative advertising is employed by manufacturer and channel members. Cooperative advertising is a manufacturer and channel members joint advertising (Cadeaux, 1997). When manufacturer and business customers agree to engaged in cooperative advertising, upstream channel partner such as manufacturer will bear certain percentage for product advertising (Kurtz and Boone, 2006, p. 423). Due to derived demand phenomenon, bus iness supplier such as manufacturer willing to spend money for cooperative advertising because they understand that increase in end user demand will eventually increase the demand for industrial products as well. From here, we know that price manipulation is not the solution for industrial products marketing. In contrast, cooperate with channel partners and develop relationship with channel partners and come out a comprehensive marketing strategy will help business suppliers business to growth further. Other that than, since business customers are geographical concentrated, business marketer has to identify where is the key district for their business customers to run operations. For example, as mentioned in first part, automobile business companies set up their head office in Selangor. From here, business marketers should able to identify that Selangor serve as key district for their business customers to run operations. When business customers are geographical concentrated, the distribution channels in business marketing is shorter than consumer marketing (Kurtz and Boone, 2006, p. 189). In conventional distribution channel, the channel involves numbers of intermediaries to distribute products to the market, this is known as indirect channel distribution (Peter and Donnelly, 2009, p. 145). In fact, business suppliers such as manufacturer will use short and direct channel to approach their business customers which means that distribution is shorter as compare to consumer products distribution (Peter and Donnelly, 2009, p.145; Pelton et al, 2001). In contrast, since consumer market is less geographical concentrated as compare to business market, distribution channel for consumer products normally involve participation of intermediaries to reach the dispersed consumer. Besides that, the distribution channel for consumer market is long (Kurtz and Boone, 2006, P. 189). This also explains why business marketing is relying more on personal selling whereas consumer marketing is relying on mass marketing. Besides, business expertise and buying process in business market also contribute to the different use of marketing strategy in both markets. Since business organization has trained expert to conduct purchase, they normally understand what the organization want. Most significant, they possess more knowledge on how to make purchase which best fulfill those requirements. (Lau, 2007, p. 7). Thus, when the trained person has skills and knowledge, this key factor differentiates business marketing from consumer marketing. In consumer market, customers tend to possess less knowledge about the products as compare to business customers. As a result, impulse purchase is likely to happen in customer market rather than business market (Lau, 2007, p. 7). For instance, a female customer might did not plan to buy body wash during shopping time. However, the customer encounters a salesperson for AAA brand body wash and bought the product eventually because she was told by the salesperson that the bo dy wash is good. From here, impulse purchase was happened in consumer market, and marketers can easily manipulate strategy to convince consumer to buy. Nevertheless, impulse purchase would not happen in business market since business customers would not buy business supplier products merely because business salespersons claimed that their supplies are good. For instance, an automobile would not purchase aluminum (raw material) to produce the car without proper evaluation of the products. Thus, to market industrial product to business customers, business marketer must possess greater product knowledge. Besides, fulfill business customers specific requirements and demonstrate how marketer products can solve their problems is a must in order for transaction to deal successfully. When comes to buying process, business customers have more formalized procedure to be followed (Lau, 2007, p.7) as compare to customers in consumer market. In such situation, understanding on business customers buying procedure is a must if business marketers hope to have a deal with them. Since there are no formalized procedure for individuals or households to purchase a product, marketers can freely approach customers in consumer market. But, if business marketers wish to approach business customers, marketers must understand clearly the formalized business buying procedure and adhere to their procedure (Lau, 2007). Business marketers must ensure any of their actions do not conflict with the specified procedure. In fact, decision making process of both markets advocated marketers to apply different marketing strategy in business and consumer market. In consumer marketing, marketers normally deal with individuals or household. Thus, marketer might only have to address and interact with individual if they wish to convince customer in consumer market to buy. However, different situation is in business marketing. Kurtz and Boone (2006, p. 202 203) identified four factors which will influence decision making process in business market: The four factors include environmental, organizational, interpersonal and buyer role. From these four factors, interpersonal factors do play greater influence in decision making process. According to Kotler and Pfoertsch (2007), customer in business market is much more rational. Hence, Sashi and Kudpi (2001) stated that organization will perform analysis of potential business suppliers in procurement decision. Unlike consumer market, they are more than one person involve in buying decision making. Thus, business marketer not only has to address buyer needs, marketer also has to address and interact with all parties involved in buying decision making (Kurtz and Boone, 2006). For example, initiator and buyers might want to buy material supplies from XYZ Company. However, Influencer and decider might not agree that; buy the supplies from XYZ Company will benefits their company. As Ghingold and Wilson (1998) claimed that different parties in buying center having different perspective or perceptions in regards to problem, needs of the organization. Hence, to convince business customers, business marketers have to make sure all the relevant parties involve in decision making and ensure all parties needs have been addressed. Some researchers even argued that brand plays an important role in business buying decision making (Bendixen et al., 2004; Michell et al., 2001). Webster and Keller (2004) stated that brands will help in gaining consensus of di fferent parties on buying decision. Relationship marketing Today, either consumer marketing or business marketing, relationship does play an important role for business successfulness; accordingly we have seen the emergence of customer relationship management (CRM), which this CRM system aid companies to interact with customers and response quickly to them (Nguyen et al., 2007; Anderson, 2006). Hence, buyer-seller relationship development in consumer marketing is important. Nevertheless, importance of relationship development is much greater in business marketing. Since business market is different with consumer market in terms of several factors, relationship marketing is commonly employed in service industry and industrial industry (Ahmad and Buttle, 2001). Relationship marketing can be defined as Achieving objectives of both sellers and customers by develop, maintain and enhance relationship (Gronroos, 1990). As mentioned earlier, seller-buyer relationship in business market is closer and long term relationship should be developed with th em (Ford, 2003). Hence, needs of coordination between business supplier and customer is greater in business market. As Simatupang et al. (2002) stated that greater coordination between distribution channels members will allow the entire distribution channel system become more flexible and allow them quickly response to the market changing. On other means, the way business supplier maintains relationship with their customer is vital to determine their long term sustainability and profitability. This emphasizes how development of business relationship or networking between business supplier and customer is vital in business marketing. In consumer marketing, marketers can utilize Customer relationship management system and gaining customer satisfaction and loyalty, hope that customers will stay loyal to the brand and buy it again. In business marketing, relationship development is much more complex. Cann (1998) suggested that there are eight steps for a business supplier develop busine ss relationship with customer; marketing goals, strategies, culture, customers orientation and socialization are critical in order for business supplier to develop business relationship. From these eight steps, it showed that business relationship development is much more complex in business to business world. Conclusion As a conclusion, there are seven key factors that differentiate business market from consumer market. The seven identified key factors include type of customers, demand, geographical concentration, buying expertise and process, buying decision making, seller and buyer relationship, number and size of customers. Structure in business market is much more complex than consumer market. Hence, handled business customer individually is more suitable. In fact, combi

Is Our Money Safe? :: essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites Banks are institutions wherein miracles happen regularly. We rarely entrust our money to anyone but ourselves – and our banks. Despite a very chequered history of mismanagement, corruption, false promises and representations, delusions and behavioural inconsistency – banks still succeed to motivate us to give them our money. Partly it is the feeling that there is safety in numbers. The fashionable term today is â€Å"moral hazard†. The implicit guarantees of the state and of other financial institutions moves us to take risks which we would, otherwise, have avoided. Partly it is the sophistication of the banks in marketing and promoting themselves and their products. Glossy brochures, professional computer and video presentations and vast, shrine-like, real estate complexes all serve to enhance the image of the banks as the temples of the new religion of money. But what is behind all this ? How can we judge the soundness of our banks ? In other words, how can we tell if our money is safely tucked away in a safe haven ? The reflex is to go to the bank’s balance sheets. Banks and balance sheets have been both invented in their modern form in the 15th century. A balance sheet, coupled with other financial statements is supposed to provide us with a true and full picture of the health of the bank, its past and its long-term prospects. The surprising thing is that – despite common opinion – it does. The less surprising element is that it is rather useless unless you know how to read it. Financial Statements (Income – aka Profit and Loss - Statement, Cash Flow Statement and Balance Sheet) come in many forms. Sometimes they conform to Western accounting standards (the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, GAAP, or the less rigorous and more fuzzily worded International Accounting Standards, IAS). Otherwise, they conform to local accounting standards, which often leave a lot to be desired. Still, you should look for banks, which make their updated financial reports available to you. The best choice would be a bank that is audited by one of the Big Six Western accounting firms and makes its audit reports publicly available. Such audited financial statements should consolidate the financial results of the bank with the financial results of its subsidiaries or associated companies. A lot often hides in those corners of corporate ownership. Is Our Money Safe? :: essays research papers <a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites Banks are institutions wherein miracles happen regularly. We rarely entrust our money to anyone but ourselves – and our banks. Despite a very chequered history of mismanagement, corruption, false promises and representations, delusions and behavioural inconsistency – banks still succeed to motivate us to give them our money. Partly it is the feeling that there is safety in numbers. The fashionable term today is â€Å"moral hazard†. The implicit guarantees of the state and of other financial institutions moves us to take risks which we would, otherwise, have avoided. Partly it is the sophistication of the banks in marketing and promoting themselves and their products. Glossy brochures, professional computer and video presentations and vast, shrine-like, real estate complexes all serve to enhance the image of the banks as the temples of the new religion of money. But what is behind all this ? How can we judge the soundness of our banks ? In other words, how can we tell if our money is safely tucked away in a safe haven ? The reflex is to go to the bank’s balance sheets. Banks and balance sheets have been both invented in their modern form in the 15th century. A balance sheet, coupled with other financial statements is supposed to provide us with a true and full picture of the health of the bank, its past and its long-term prospects. The surprising thing is that – despite common opinion – it does. The less surprising element is that it is rather useless unless you know how to read it. Financial Statements (Income – aka Profit and Loss - Statement, Cash Flow Statement and Balance Sheet) come in many forms. Sometimes they conform to Western accounting standards (the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, GAAP, or the less rigorous and more fuzzily worded International Accounting Standards, IAS). Otherwise, they conform to local accounting standards, which often leave a lot to be desired. Still, you should look for banks, which make their updated financial reports available to you. The best choice would be a bank that is audited by one of the Big Six Western accounting firms and makes its audit reports publicly available. Such audited financial statements should consolidate the financial results of the bank with the financial results of its subsidiaries or associated companies. A lot often hides in those corners of corporate ownership.

Cell Transport Mechanisms and Permeability: Computer Simulation

Simple Diffusion 1. The following refer to Activity 1: Simulating Dialysis (Simple Diffusion). Which solute(s) were able to pass through the 20 MWCO membrane? According to your results, which solute had the highest molecular weight? ______________________________________ Which solute displayed the highest rate of diffusion through the 200 MWCO membrane? __________________________ Using the data from Chart 1, explain the relationship between the rate of diffusion and the size of the solute. Facilitated Diffusion 2. The following refer to Activity 2: Simulating Facilitated Diffusion. Did any of the substances travel against their concentration gradient? Explain why or why not. Using your results from Chart 2, what was the fastest rate of facilitated diffusion recorded? _______________. Describe the conditions that were used to achieve this rate. ___________________________________________________________ Name two ways to increase the rate of glucose transport. _____________________________________________________ Did NaCl affect glucose transport? ____________________________________________________________ __________ Did NaCl require a transport protein for diffusion? Why or why not? ___________________________________________ Cell Transport Mechanisms and Permeability: Computer Simulation E X E R C I S E NAME ____________________________________ LAB TIME/DATE ________________________ version 8 Osmotic Pressure 3. The following refer to Activity 3: Simulating Osmotic Pressure. For NaCl, which MWCO membrane(s) provided for the net movement of water without moveme nt of NaCl? Explain how you determined this. (Hint: Correlate your results to the data in Chart 3. ) ______________________________ For glucose, which MWCO membrane(s) provided for the net movement of glucose without net ovement of water? Explain how you determined this. ____________________________________________________________ ___________ Is osmotic pressure generated if solutes diffuse freely? _______________________________________________________ Explain how the solute concentration affects osmotic pressure. ________________________________________________ Filtration 4. The following refer to Activity 4: Simulating Filtration. Using your results in Chart 4, which MWCO membrane had the greatest filtration rate? ____________________________ Explain the relationship between pore size and filtration rate. ________________________________________________ Which solute did not appear in the filtrate using any of the membranes? _________________________________________ What is your p rediction of the molecular weight of glucose compared to the other solutes in the solution? _______________ What happened when you increased the driving pressure? ____________________________________________________ Explain why fluid flows from the capillaries of the kidneys into the kidney tubules. How do you think a decrease in blood pressure would affect filtration in the kidneys? _____________________________ PEx-18 Review Sheet 5B 5. The following refer to Activity 5: Simulating Active Transport. With 1 mMATP added to the cell interior (left beaker) and the extracellular space (right beaker), was all of the Na moved into the extracellular space? Why or why not? ____________________________________________________________ _ Describe the effect of decreasing the number of sodium-potassium pumps. _______________________________________ Describe how you were able to show that the movement of sodium was due to active transport. ______________________

International Marketplace Essays - Offshoring, Canada, Free Essays

International Marketplace Essays - Offshoring, Canada, Free Essays International Marketplace Jason Racki English 123 Ms. Gigliotti Term paper The Everyday Effects of the International Marketplace American is increasingly connected to the rest of theworld as a global economy becomes more important. We participate in the international marketplace both as providers of goods and as consumers. How we buy and sell affects us both in terms of what goods we can choose from, but also what jobs are available, and what kinds of industries will come to dominate our economy. One of the most important changes in recent years in our place in the global economy is the dropping of trade barriers with such political moves as the approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This has had an impact on our economy which has filtered down to the everyday lives of our people, both as workers and as consumers. On the one hand, NAFTA has been good in that it has caused the dropping of tariffs by Mexico and Canada, making U. S. goods more affordable in those countries. This has helped to stimulate some areas of the American economy by opening up new markets to sell our products abroad. In urging the passage of NAFTA, the Clinton Administration publications said that NAFTA would increase high wage jobs, boost U.S. growth, and expand the base from which U.S. firms and workers could compete in a world-wide market. It predicted job gains of approximately a million due to increased Mexican exports, and suggested that by 1995 there would be approximately 200,000 more high wage jobs created due to the opening of free markets. The industries most expected to benefit were those dealing in computer technology, machine tools, aerospace equipment, telecommunications equipment, electronics, and medical devices all areas where wages were already 12 per cent higher than the national average (Expanding (1993), 3-5). Such growth in jobs would have an effect on the workers and their communities, giving a boost to both individual wealth and the community itself. These benefits spread outward to other areas of the economy, helping people who have jobs in retail, construction, and oth er areas where workers spend their paychecks. However, there is another effect. As a result of the cheaper labor in Mexico, participation in this part of the international marketplace has led to the loss of many American jobs in certain industries, such as the garment and textile industries. After four years of stability, apparel industry jobs plunged suddenly last year, falling more than ten percent from 945,000 at the end of 1994 to 346,000 in 1995. In addition, 42,000 jobs vanished in the fabrics industry for at total shrinkage of 141,000 jobs. These jobs represented 40 percent of all manufacturing jobs lost in the United States last year (Squeezing (1996), D1). Carl Priestland, an economist for the American Apparel Manufacturers Association, predicted that this year another America will likely lose up to another 50,000 jobs in the industry (Squeezing (1996), D1). These losses especially affect workers in small towns like Pisgah, Alabama, and Granger, Texas. The approximate 100 people let go in Pisgah this year were emotionally devastated. Not only are they seeing their specific jobs disappear, they are also faced with seeing the entire industry vanish from their area, taking their opportunities with it. One example, Martha Smith, who lost her job sewing children's clothes, is now enrolled in a state-sponsored program to learn clerical skills. She is thereby trading a blue-collar position for one which is in a low-paying and overcrowded field. In fact a great many of the over 650 people who lost sewing jobs in Alabama this year are women struggling to support their families (Squeezing (1996), D1). They face a market where they have few skills and little to offer. Given the largely female makeup of the sewing industry, it is unfeasible to try to fit all these displaced workers in the clerical field. And on top of that, when a plant such as the one in Pisgah closes, the entire town and region suffer. Many such towns are dependent on one employer. When that employer leaves for cheaper labor in Mexico, the local economy cannot easily recover. Local merchants lose their customer base; suppliers to the mills lose their markets. In the textile

Women In Ancient India essays

Women In Ancient India essays In ancient India, women occupied a very important position with, in fact a superior position to, man. Literary evidence suggests that kings and towns were destroyed because a single woman was wronged by the state. For example, Elango Adigal's Sillapathigaram teaches us Madurai, the capital of the Pandyas was burnt because Pandyan Nedunchezhiyan mistakenly killed her husband on theft charges. Valmiki's Ramayana teaches us that Ravana and his entire clan was wiped out because he abducted Sita. Veda Vyasa's Mahabharatha teaches us that all the Kauravas were killed because they humiliated Draupadi in public. To instill such high ideals in humankind, Indian ancestors created a plethora of godesses who enjoyed equal status with their husbands. The concept of Ardhanareeshwarar, where God is depicted as half-man and half-woman, is a concrete example to support this argument. In many philosophical texts God is referred to a Tat, meaning It and that God is beyond gender. And, one would find a comparable Godess for each God. Further, we know for a fact that ancient India was permissive; women could have multiple husbands, widows could remarry, divorce was permitted for incompatability or when estranged. In contemporary India, women occupy a paradoxical status. On the one hand, there are godesses featuring in the "Hindu" pantheon and revered by men. On the other, some wives are burnt because they did not bring enough "dowry" (the horrible institutionalized and illegal practice of expecting the woman's parent to provide a large purse to the groom); women are victimized by powerful local political figures and their family; some women are abducted by rich youths with impunity; and there are credible stories of female infanticide in rural India. Surely, these cases are not the norm. Nevertheless, it is horrifying to see that they happen. Some may argue that these incidences no way compare to the domestic violence rate i ...