Short Paragraph on Plastic Money

WHAT IS PLASTIC MONEY? Plastic money are the alternative to the cash or  the standard ‘Money'.Plastic money is the generic term for  all types of  bank cards, credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, etc.DEFINITION The â€Å"plastic† portion of this term refers to the plastic construction of credit cards, as opposed to paper and metal of currency. The money portion is an erroneous reference to credit cards as a form of money, which they are not. Although credit cards do facilitate transactions, because they are a liability rather than an asset, they are not money and not part of the economy’s money supply. INTRODUCTIONPaper money was first used in China around the seventh century AD, only to be outlawed in 1455. The use of folding currency re-emerged in England in 1694. The biggest  problem which was occurring with the paper note is the wear; the paper note has very small life due to shifting of ownership by time to time and their usage. Firstly Australia was the first who develop the plastic note which have longer life but after wore they are recycled for further utilizing. The plastic notes also secure the government for copying  because paper note easily copied but plastic note cannot be copied.PLASTIC MONEY OR POLYMER MONEY WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1950SThe plastic note are same as paper but the only difference is that they are made of plastic and more secured but in traveling and shopping people used to carry huge cash which was very unsecured and also increasing crime rate. Then the cards are introduced in the world to resolve the issue of carrying huge cash. Then the cards ar e known as Plastic Money. The usage of plastic money(Cards) has increased in the mode of payment of huge amount and time by time there are lots of different types of plastic money has introduced which enhanced the features of plastic money like we can use it to anywhere in the world and etc.Now the world is becoming globalize so every card is accepted everywhere with the power of VISA which interconnect the  different countries. As we have the different type of card as listed below:Credit CardDebit CardCharge CardAmex  CardMasterCard ; VisaSmart CardDinners  Club  CardPhoto CardGlobal  CardCo-branded  CardAffinity  CardAdd-on Card.These cards are performing the function of money with different ways. These cards are accepted worldwide, in which you can utilize your own money and also bank’s money. The card through which you spend your own money is known as debit card.The card through which you spend the amount of bank as loan is called credit card. 1. Credit card s  and  debit cards  as an alternative to  cash. People prefer using  plastic money  as it reduces chances of being misused The  plastic money  brought in a lot of joy to every American home, buy today and pay later, seemed to have worked wonders for some time. Although it is easy to be careless using a credit card, the  plastic moneycan be useful for more important purchases.CREDIT CARDSOne of the most important financial tools in modern times is the credit card. Their uses in varied places are opening up new avenues of personal finance.People prefer using  plastic  money  as it reduces chances of being misused. The use of credit cards operates on a complex network that ensures safety of the user. Many websites are enabling credit card processing for increasing their client base. Online business is booming. Credit card processing has enabled consumers to purchase items without moving out of their houses. To be able to accept credit cards has taking online bu siness to another level. Credit card processing is now deemed as the key to successful online business. The primary function of credit card processing is to accept credit cards.The online business efficiency is also increased manifold. Payment procedures are automated through credit card processing. When a website owner is able to accept credit cards, he is making  money  transactions for his customers and himself easier. The experience of buying online has never been so simple. Gone are the days when one had to place orders over the telephone or use checks for payments. Now, all one needs to do is enter the details of his/her credit card and the rest is handled by the credit card processing service providers. Credit card processing has been able to save a lot of time and energy.Online business operates 24Ãâ€"7. Consumers from all time zones avail the products and services of online business. Credit card processing has rendered this simpler. Being able to accept credit cards ha s made it possible to transact 24 hours a day virtually. Automation has proved to be a contributing factor in the success of online business. Credit card processing has given online business owners freedom from sitting at the desk constantly to monitor the transfer ofmoney. Online business owners need to have an online merchant account to be able to accept credit cards from consumers.This service is needed for processing all the orders. Various kinds of online merchant account providers are available to cater to the different kinds of online business needing credit card processing. The changes of online merchant accounts may vary from the number of payments to monthly payments. The constant competition of the various service providers and the launch of new service providers are expected to pull down the rates in the near future. Online business owners should consider the reliability, the customer support system and security of the credit card processing service providers before they zero in on one of them.Choosing the cheapest service provider is not always a wise decision. Free credit card processing services are also available. These are meant for newcomers in online business. Website owners have to go through verification of the credit card number, its expiry date and other details after they accept credit cards. Beginners have to pay a nominal amount for every transaction and enjoy the services. They do not need to purchase costly credit card processing software or pay huge fees for customer services like regular credit card processing services.A good amount of research is needed to know about the best service providers. Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to computer Virus, do please browse for more information at our websites. Dinner It is not until 1950 that the Dinner Club Card was created by a restaurant patron who forgot his wallet and realized there needed to be an alternative to cash only. This started the first credit card specifically for widespread use, even though it was primarily used for entertainment and travel expenses.

Pest Essay

Hong Kong is politically stable, there would rarely be any political factors that will interrupt and slow down the company’s growth. Hong Kong doesn’t have goods and services tax so this allows McDonalds to have lower expenses and they can maximize their profit. The international operations of Mcdonald’s are highly influenced by the individual state policies enforced by each government. Economic- The economic collapse has caused Hong Kong to enter the recession stage in the economic cycle. Therefore the demands for low price food increase tremendously and this benefited McDonald, since the foods are cheap and the quality is guaranteed. Inflation has caused McDonald to raise meal price, in long term, as inflation raised to a point that it will be too expensive and McDonald will lose its large customer base. But still Mcdonald’s is still a market leader and it got a very (high)large target market. low cost more incomes. The rate at which the economy of that particular state grows determines the purchasing power of the consumers in that country. Social- McDonald is a fast food restaurant company so they can perform their services in a short period of time and this fits with the fast paced lifestyle in Hong Kong. In the past few years Hong Kong people are more aware of healthy eating, so they stay away from high calories and high cholesterol food. McDonald tries to prevent the loss of customer by adding healthier food in the menu such as salads sweet corn. Working within many social groups. Increase employments. Technology- Hong Kong has a well developed transportation system, especially the airport that has airlines that connects to different part of the world. Their food supplies can be delivered from all around the world in a short period. Computers and smart cashiers are used by the employees so they would not get confused and they are provided with customized database management system. They also have Wifi provide in every McDonalds also, its very convenient for people that is using laptop. Quality packing and standards. Advanced technology development. Local manufacture using foreign supplies. | | Strength| – Strong brand name, image and reputation- Clean environment and play areas for children (bday party provided)- 24 hours- Customer intimacy- Product innovation- Supplier integration| Weaknesses| – High staff turnover (food going to waste)- Unhealthy food image- Low depth and width of product- Unbalanced meals (mostly meat, amount of fruit or vegetable not much)| Opportunities| – Expand into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities- Growth of the fast-food industry- Worldwide deregulation- Low cost menu that will attract the customers- Freebies and discounts- Can open up online service for customers – Growing health trend (fresh burger or healthy dessert)| Threats| – Increase competition from local fast food outlets- Mcdonald’s competitors threatened market share of the company both internationally and domestically- Health issues – Health professionals and consumer activities accuse Mcdonald’s of contributing to the country’s health issue of high cholesterol, heart attacks, diabetes and obesity- Lack of choices (customers will change their taste anyday)- Global recession and fluctuat ing foreign currencies- Fast-food chain industry is expected to struggle to meet the expectations of the customers towards health and environmental issues|

Albert Einstein Essays - Physics, Science And Technology

Albert Einstein Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there is one whose name is known by almost all living people. While most of these do not understand this man's work, everyone knows that its impact on the world of science is astonishing. Yes,many have heard of Albert Einstein's General Theory of relativity, but few know about the intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called, "The greatest single achievement of human thought." Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1874. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where young Albert's father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical business. He was fortunate to have an excellent family with which he held a strong relationship. Albert's mother, Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for music and literature, and it was she that first introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and they could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the countryside near Munich. As a child, Einstein's sense of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy of his was his father's compass, and he often marveled at his uncle's explanations of algebra. Although young Albert was intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the age of nine even led some teachers to believe he was disabled. Einstein's post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit through the school's strict disciplinary policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge at home. He began not with science, but with religion. He avidly studied the Bible seeking truth, but this religious fervor soon died down when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To him, these seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With this new knowledge he disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from Luitpold Gymnasium being considered a disruptive influence. Feeling that he could no longer deal with the German mentality, Einstein moved to Switzerland where he continued his education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute of Technology but failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study locally for one year until he finally passed the school's evaluation. The Institute allowed Einstein to meet many other students that shared his curiosity, and It was here that his studies turned mainly to Physics. He quickly learned that while physicists had generally agreed on major principals in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to disprove outdated theories. Since most of Einstein's teachers ignored these new ideas, he was again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he graduated from the Institute and then achieved citizenship to Switzerland. Einstein became a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office in 1902. This job had little to do with physics, but he was able to satiate his curiosity by figuring out how new inventions worked. The most important part of Einstein's occupation was that it allowed him enough time to pursue his own line of research. As his ideas began to develop, he published them in specialist journals. Though he was still unknown to the scientific world, he began to attract a large circle of friends and admirers. A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed into a social club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science. In 1903 he married Mileva Meric, a mathematician friend. In 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal, the Annals of Physics. The first was immediately acknowledged, and the University of Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other papers helped to develop modern physics and earned him the reputation of an artist. Many scientists have said that Einstein's work contained an imaginative spirit that was seen in most poetry. His work at this time dealt with molecules, and how their motion affected temperature, but he is most well known for his Special Theory of Relativity which tackled motion and the speed of light. Perhaps the most important part of his discoveries was the equation: E= mc2. After publishing these theories Einstein was promoted at his office. He remained at the Patents Office for another two years, but his name was becoming too big among the scientific community. In 1908, Einstein began teaching party time at

Early years in the uk context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Early years in the uk context - Essay Example As a result, most schools in England tend to have more advanced examinations with small class sizes as opposed to the Scotland schools that are generally characterized by large class sizes and less advanced examinations (Gearon, 2002, p.36). Additionally, the average age range for primary schools in Scotland is between 4 and 12 and this is equivalent of the English reception classes. With regard to the curriculum differences, early education in England follows the strict national curriculum that applies to the states of England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The National curriculum requires the compulsory teaching of subjects such as English, Science, Math, ICT, Geography, Design technology, Physical education and the optional modern foreign languages On the other hand, Scotland is currently in the process of implementing its own model of education curriculum for academic excellence. The educational reform in Scotland is particularly aimed at providing a wide education as well as impro ving the flexibility and the range of courses being offered in Scottish schools for early learners especially those of the age below 18 years. Consequently the Scottish CfE programme has focused on improving the capacities of the pupils and helping them become successful, confident responsible and effective contributors to the national development. This paper critically discusses the main policy aspect that has resulted in the curriculum differences in early education between England and Scotland. The National Curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage act According to Holt and Donnell, (1999, p.78), one of the policies that have significantly shaped the early education across the United Kingdom is the Early Years Foundation Stage act which was passed in 2006 and became effective in 2008. The act not only stipulates a set of welfare requirements to be observed in the early education systems but also specifies some of the learning and development requirements that should be foll owed by the providers of early education especially to children under the age of compulsory education in the UK. The national learning and development requirements are however applicable to England only and are therefore not observed in the other countries such as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is this policy aspect that has resulted in significant differences in early learning between England and Scotland. England for this case has been able to revise various policies that aim at improving the education sector. Of importance to note is that some of the aspects of the curriculum used in England tend to differ with the ones used in Scotland. Earlier education policies in England such as Early Years Foundation Stage take into consideration an aspect of welfare requirements for the child. In Scotland the polices major on learning and development for children bellow five years that all education institutions have to adhere to as a form of policy to streamline the sector. Learn ing and development requirements have been majorly emphasized in England as compared to Scotland that majorly majors on the welfare aspects of children in the early stages of learning. All early childhood institutions have to register under the childcare act so as to legally operate and comply with

A Specific Dimension of English Usage by a Subculture Essay

A Specific Dimension of English Usage by a Subculture - Essay Example For example, if someone has developed a code that is questionable, some hackers may call for a ‘sanity check.’ A sanity check is the â€Å"act of checking a piece of code...for completely stupid mistakes.†1 This implies that at the time of writing the code the hacker was not in his or her right mind. As another example shows, when hackers talk about how something is ‘fab,’ they very rarely mean that something is fabulous. Rather, they are saying that something is fabricated. For example, someone who ‘fabs’ a chip is creating a silicon foundry. These are just small examples of how hacker slang is used within the continuum of the community. Of course, there are pages and pages worth of slang that one could use, so hacker slang would have to be learned over time. However, it could be done. These illustrations of hacker slang show just how particular the hacker community can be when describing various elements of their lives as code designers and code breakers. III. Analyzing Hacker Slang There are several reasons why hackers use slang. Every word that is said is intentional, even if hackers use emoticons in their conversations online. If one analyzes hacker slang, one will realize that every little symbol and word can carry double and even triple entendres, with multiple shades of meaning behind every keystroke. This is the fascinating world of hacker slang. People in the hacker community use this slang intentionally so that outsiders cannot understand it. Just like getting into any community or group to be accepted, one has to ease into the culture of a particular group. For example, a homeless man doing a presentation for venture capitalists on Wall Street wouldn’t walk into a boardroom, full of executives wearing rags, with a cardboard sign saying â€Å"Will work for food.† Rather, he’ll find the wherewithal to buy or rent a nice suit, prepare a resume and then go pitch his idea for the presenta tion. In order to ‘fit in,’ one must look and act the part. IV. Explaining the Usefulness of Hacker Slang The usefulness of hacker slang is a rite of passage within the hacker community. People build code together, work on open source software and freeware together; they become a small, close-knit community—but online. â€Å"The special slang vocabulary of hackers helps hold their culture together—it helps hackers recognize each others’ positions within the community and expresses shared values and communities. However, as with most slang cultures, not knowing the slang or using it inappropriately defines one as an outsider.†2 So, not only does hacker slang keep the people who are not in the hacker community at the fringes but it can as well help hackers know who is in the community that they don’t know—much like any other secret language would do. ‘White hat’ hackers — or ethical hackers — are, probab ly, more important for companies and are useful to prevent Distributed Denial of Service attacks on organizations with complicated systems which are in source code. ‘White hat’ hackers, as they are known, is a slang for the fact that these people find vulnerabilities in companies’ codes on purpose in order to save them millions of dollars so that they don’t get hacked by ‘black hat hackers’ (unethical hackers). â€Å"‘

Final quizzes Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final quizzes - Coursework Example eacts to the presence of the bolus by initiating the process of swallowing by compressing the bolus and forces it down the esophagus, which is a 10 inches long muscular tube. Subsequently, this mass traverses behind the trachea, heart and passes through the diaphragm or muscular partition that separates the abdomen and the chest, and arrives in the stomach. The stomach is akin to a sack and it is situated in the upper abdomen, beneath the diaphragm. It has the capacity to expand sufficiently so that it can contain the food mass produced by chemical as well as mechanical processing. The small intestine is the site where the digested food is absorbed. It is a narrow twisted tube, with a 1 inch diameter and it occupies the major portion of the lower abdomen. It is 20 feet in length. It takes anywhere between three to six hours for the peristalsis process to move the food in the small intestine through the duodenum into the jejunum part of the small intestine and then into the ileum, which constitutes the final portion of the small intestine. During this process, bile is secreted, through the bile duct, into the small intestine. The aqueous unabsorbed undigested food is shifted by peristalsis and arrives in the large intestine, where it remains from 12 to 24 hours. This process of digestion is performed in a highly coordinated fashion, so that the body obtains nutrients and energy in the best possible manner (Digestive System). First, foods like meat, poultry and eggs should be cooked adequately. Special care should be taken to ensure that the internal portion of meat is thoroughly cooked, and it is recommended to use a thermometer for this purpose. Second, different foods should be stored separately, so as to prevent cross contamination. Utensils, cutting boards and hands should be thoroughly cleansed, if they have come into contact with poultry or raw meat. Other food items should on no account be touched if such cleansing has not been resorted to. Fourth,

Week 4 reflection paper MAM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 4 reflection paper MAM - Assignment Example Furthermore individual chromosomes occupy preferred location within the nucleus. White blood cells in human bodies like chromosome 18, hugs nucleus on the outer wall, whereas chromosome 19 remains at the center while chromosome 7 hover in between center and outer of the nucleus. DNA in chromosomes uses complex way to fold, and individual chromosomes occupies distinct locations in the nucleus and some of them prefer the periphery of the nuclear, while others like coming closer to the center. Chromosome that lies closer to one another can influence the functionality of the cells. Chromatin is very complex and consists of DNA and Proteins. If laid in a straight line, nuclear DNA in bodies of human beings would be enough to stretch from sun to earth and vice versa 100 times. Research has also shown that chromosome arrangement is not stationary; it changes during disease and development. When a gene is needed, relevant DNA loops away from other chromosomes, and becomes fully activated. Sometimes transcription factors in gene on chromosome can help to activate nearby chromosome. Furthermore, these Chromosomes are arranged in different cells, differently and the arrangement changes at the time of development. Its locations plays central role in cancer and knowing the location of chromosomes in the nucleus gives an opportunity for the detection of the cancer (Misteli 66-73). Blood transfusion has been found to be very important procedure during medical conditions, and also, tissue transplant can be done successfully from animal to animal and from one part of the body to

Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law - Case Study Example The advanced law of criminal harm is for the most part held in the Criminal Damage Act 1971, which reclassifies or makes a few offenses securing property rights. The Act gives an exhaustive structure coating only preparatory acts to the most genuine offenses of illegal conflagration and creating harm with expectation to imperil life. Accordingly, disciplines fluctuate from a settled punishment to life detainment, and the court may request installment of recompense to an exploited person (Barbara & Marston, 2009). Reflecting on the offence as per the prosecution of Adam Clewes, we learn that he has been involved in two counts involving breaking a window at Bargain Booze, High Street, Leigh, and possession of a knife. According to the report from the constable, during the time of arrest and arrest, no one else was present during the interview. Clewes accepted the first count regarding breaking of a window denied and suggested that it was by accident and the second count in regards to possession of a knife. From the case study involving the case of Adam Clewes and W.H. Smiths and Cheap Booze, there are two individuals counts that comes into the attention and that requires to be dealt with differently. In consideration of the England law the Criminal Damage Act 1971 (the Act) revoked the normal law and statutory offenses of arson. Just a couple of the offenses in opposition to the Malicious Damage Act 1861 remain. The Act is presently the essential wellspring of offenses of harm to property. The common law for the most part treated harm to an alternates belongings as a civil matter heading just to a right to harms in trespass or aggravation. In the eighteenth century, Blackstone expressed the privileges of individual property in ownership are at risk to two types of wounds: carrying away or hardship of that ownership; and the misuse or harm of the assets, while the ownership proceeds in the lawful manager." Blackstone unmistakably named these

Blogger (or the general idea of blogs).Learning with technology ( look Essay

Blogger (or the general idea of blogs).Learning with technology ( look at attachment) - Essay Example In schools and in the field of education, electronic and digital technologies have also become valuable companion tools for learning. The internet is filled with websites like Wikipedia, Google Scholar, Google Books, and Blogs which serve as compiled sources of information which students can easily access without having to comb through library books, journals, and encyclopaedias. Blogging and the general idea of blogs have become one of the more relevant eLearning tools. This paper shall evaluate blogging, its applications and uses. A critical analysis of this learning tool shall also be carried out. The first part of this paper shall provide an overview of blogging. The second part shall provide a critique of blogging. The third part shall discuss the learning theories which are applicable to blogging. The fourth part shall use a specific blogging application and discuss its links with learning theories. Finally, this paper shall end with summarizing and concluding remarks. Body Ove rview of blogging The second generation of internet and web use has brought on the Web 2.0 phenomenon, a progression from the initial Web 1.0 design. Where the Web 1.0 design only provided for a unilateral flow of information, the Web 2.0 design has presented with the distinct improvement of sharing information to the online community (Anderson, 2008). The convenient possibilities of the internet has allowed the process of sharing, uploading, and writing information; and editing wikis and blogs has presented educators with myriad tools for their trade. Blogs, shortened from web logs, was first suggested by Jorn Barger when he came up with a webpage which included information, personal musings, journal entries, as well as links, and posts which have been arranged by date (Anderson, 2008). Since then, blogs have largely evolved, taking in more elaborate designs, and topics; and it now even includes an area for readers to post their comments. In effect, the commenting and posting proce ss seems to have allowed blogging to take on a more interactive nature, allowing readers to offer their opinion on the blogs. Blogs also allow bloggers to consider reader’s opinions, to possibly respond to these if he so desires (Anderson, 2008). Blogging is also a media which feeds a writer’s immediacy, allowing him or her to post as often as he would like without having to wait for a date of publication as is so often seen in news or magazine articles. Blogs include words which are ‘tagged’ and in so doing the subject of the post is often categorized and archived into a standard theme where it can later be recalled. By clicking the tags or entering these words into search engines, other related links would appear, thereby allowing the reader to read other similar articles by the same or different authors (Anderson, 2008). Linking is an essential part of blogging because it increases the depth of the discussions, allowing readers to understand the blog be tter (Anderson, 2008). Linking has the same nature as referencing as it gives readers the opportunity to verify the contents of the blog and to compare it to outside sources. Through these links, the quality of each blog is often significantly improved. Blogs are a new means of interacting online as it is a forum by which internet users can pool their knowledge and opinions about a certain topic (Johnson and Kaye, 2005). They are also specific avenues for combined news and data, as

Describe three factors which may influence nutritional intake in Essay

Describe three factors which may influence nutritional intake in infants and explain how theses impact on diet-related disease in the UK - Essay Example Therefore, to meet evolving nutritional needs, an infant ought to obtain nutritionally safe and adequate complementary foods while breastfeeding for at least six month to two or more years. This paper describes three factors that can influence nutritional intake in infants and their impact on diet-related diseases in the United Kingdom. Infants require protein, carbohydrates, fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Breast milk and infant formulas contain enough amounts of needed nutrients for infants. However, breast milks have low iron and vitamin D (Meghea, 2013). The brain of an infant requires Omega-3 fatty acids to develop fully. The Institute of Medicine recommends consumption of 60 grams of carbohydrates, 31 grams of total fat, 500 milligrams of Omega-3s and 9.1 grams of protein each day of an infant up to six months old. According to IOM Infants between 7 and 12 months, old should consume at least 11 grams of protein, 95 grams of carbohydrates, 500 milligrams of omega-3s, and 30 grams of total fat each day (Ezzo and Bucknam, 2012). In the first six months since birth, an infant is fed breast milk or infant formulas. Infants ought to drink infant formula or breast drink every few hours or when they demand. An infant is ready to eat solid foods when about six months. The first solid food is iron-fortified infant rice or any recommended purees. Two tablespoons of rice cereals are offered an infant thrice or four times a day. Infant formulas and breast milks should also be fed to an infant. An infant between six and eight months is ready to start consuming strained vegetable and fruits. He/she is offered two to three tablespoons, four times a day. Whole-milk baby yoghurt should also be offered as it has high protein. Between 8 and 12 months, iron-rich strained meats are introduced in addition to earlier introduced food types. Eggs yolks, tofu, oat ring cereals, soft meat

Childbirth and Preterm Infants Essay Example for Free

Childbirth and Preterm Infants Essay Discuss disparities related to ethnic and cultural groups relative to low birth weight infants and preterm births. Describe the impact of extremely low birth weight babies on family and society (short and long term, including economic considerations, ongoing care considerations, and co-morbidities associated with prematurity). Discuss whether you feel that support services and systems in your community for preterm infants and their families adequately address their needs or not. Explain your answer. Respond to other learners posts in a manner that initiates or contributes to discussion. Racial and ethnic disparities in health disproportionately affect minority Americans. One of the greatest challenges facing the US healthcare system is the persistence of disparities in infant and maternal health among the different racial and ethnic groups. This disparity in healthcare outcomes does not appear to be limited to the Black community only, but rather it seems to affect all minority groups. In this context, American Indian/Alaska Native infants have higher death rates than White infants because of higher SIDS rates. The exact cause of these persisting racial disparities remains unexplained. The differences in socioeconomic status, maternal risky behaviors, prenatal care, psychosocial stress, and perinatal infection account for more disparities. Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin have higher IMRs than White infants because of higher LBW rates. One major risk factor for preterm birth is maternal genital infection. Others include extremes of maternal age, maternal cigarette smoking and substance abuse, history of PTD and maternal medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. There are support services and CHC’s available in our area for minority group women, preterm infants and their families to address their needs.

Issuing the Draft Essay Example for Free

Issuing the Draft Essay In response to the first argument in favor of volunteer enlistment, I would counter that the overall effect would continue to support the status quo in that privileged and wealthy Americans would not have an urgent need to enlist. Due to this economic division between classes, the lower class sector would continue to be the majority of soldiers because of a lack of better options in civilian society. In this general sense the moral of the ‘volunteer’ would not increase but would remain either indifferent or resentful. Making the draft mandatory could be seen as an equalizing force that supports the doctrine that ‘all men are created equal,’ whether or not that be the case. Response to second argument: Responding to the second argument against the draft due to the lack of funding by the part of the government, I would contend that the volunteering aspect would cut the overall size of the military because of the negative perspective that the government is mis-appropriating their funds. If this were the case, volunteers would feel no urgent necessity to enlist because they would feel their efforts would not be recognized or supported sufficiently enough to warrant such a life changing decision. Although I agree that volunteers who join causes they believe in will ultimately perform with more vigor, in this case the moral boost would be ever-vanishing.

An Introduction To The Operations Management Concepts Business Essay

An Introduction To The Operations Management Concepts Business Essay Operations Management has been defined by Krajewski, et al. (2007) as the control and direction of the processes of the organization that changes its input materials to products and/or services for its customers. This report will compare how Mercedes-Benz and Honda manage their operations. The comparison might be useful because it would help identify various ways an organisation could be run in order to meet its goals and objectives. The report will give a brief background of the two organizations mentioned above and then would move on to the comparison of their marketing strategies and competitive priorities. Finally, the importance of frameworks such as capacity planning, inventory management, supply chain design, Total quality management and performance measures, would be discussed and how they could be useful in helping an organisation function efficiently and effectively. A) COMPANY BACKGROUND OF MERCEDEZ BENZ [MERCEDEZ-BENZ U.S. INTERNATIONAL, inc. (MBUSI)] and HONDA [HONDA MANUFACTURING OF ALABAMA, LLC. (HMA)]. MERCEDEZ-BENZ (MBUSI) Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (http://www.mbusi.com) was established for the main purpose of manufacturing the M-Class. The M-class was such a huge success that they decided in August 2000 to expand the facility not only to manufacture more units of It, but also to include the R and GL-classes to its product list. The expansion not only doubled the plant size but also the labor force. The plant consists of a body shop, paint shop and two assembly shops. MBUSI receives orders from their 135 worldwide markets. MBUSI uses the Just-in-Time (JIT) philosophy which implies that they do not stockpile large amounts of the inventory they use to assemble their cars. HONDA (HMA) HMA (http://www.hondaalabama.com) manufactures the odyssey, ridgeline and pilot models for the world wide market. HMAs investment in Alabama is over $1.4billion with the construction of a new Honda Engineering facility, on-site consolidation center and steel blanking operation. One of their goals is to be able to produce goods with high quality and sell at a reasonable price. HMA can be referred to as a Zero Landfill Facility due to the fact that they are committed to the principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. They have made efforts in curbing energy use during their production processes, and this has earned them an energy star award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A.1) OPERATION/TRANSFORMATION PROCESS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS MERCEDEZ-BENZ (MBUSI) The manufacturing process for both models begins in the Body Shop where the components that comprise the metal body are welded together. From the body shop, they are taken to the ultra-clean Paint Shop where the cars are painted. Finally, they end up in the Assembly where it becomes a new Mercedes-Benz M, R, or GL-Class ready for shipping. From beginning to end, these vehicles are created with style, functionality, and quality in mind (http://www.mbusi.com). HONDA (HMA) Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (HMA) has the largest output for Honda light trucks. It has the capacity to create over 300,000 odyssey minivans, pilot sport utility vehicles, Ridgeline pick-up trucks and V-6 engines annually (http://www.hondaalabama.com). A.2) COMPARISON OF THE ORGANISATIONS BASED ON MARKETING STRATEGIES The Ansoff matrix suggests four ways an organisation could develop strategically. The first one which is market penetration deals with going into the market yet further with existing goods, the next one, product development, has to do with developing new products for the existing market, the third which is market development deals with developing new markets and new segments for existing products while the final one which is diversification takes a radical step to create new products for new markets (Wood, 2007). The table below shows the similarities and difference in marketing strategies between MERCEDEZ-BENZ and HONDA. MERCEDEZ-BENZ HONDA PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MARKET DEVELOPMENT DIVERSIFICATION The marketing strategies mentioned in the table above will be discussed in the following paragraphs. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Product Development deals with producing new products or improving existing ones for the existing market. According to Mercedes-Benz (http://www.mbusi.com) and HONDA (http://www.automobiles.honda.com), below are some of the areas they have tried to improve their products. Mercedes (GL-CLASS/C-CLASS) and HONDA (PILOT/INSIGHT HYBRID) would be used as examples. MERCEDES-BENZ (GL-CLASS) HONDA (PILOT) SAFETY -12-Way protection of an 8-air bag protection -Electronic stability program(ESP) -Brake Assist(BAS) -Rollover sensor -Low tire pressure warning system -Active head restraints -Seat belts -Three-Row side curtain airbags with rollover sensor -Vehicle stability assist with traction control -Lower Anchors and Tethers for children(LATCH) Advanced compatibility Engineering(ACE) body structure -Tire pressure monitoring system(TPMS) SEATING/LUGGAGE CAPACITY -Room for 7 adults -collapsible seats for 2ndand 3rdrow, leaving more cargo space. -Room for 8 adults -collapsible seats for 2nd and 3rdrow, leaving more cargo space. 4-WHEEL AIR SUSPENSION 4-wheel air suspension which can raise its height by up to 3. This is useful for off road trips. TOWING CAPACITY -7500-ib towing capacity. -4500-ibs towing capacity. FUEL ECONOMY -Hondas variable cylinder management (VCM), which helps improve fuel economy. C-CLASS INSIGHT HYBRID ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLINESS -Blue efficiency technology which is efficient at reducing CO2 emissions Reduced CO2 emission. From the table above, it can be observed that the two organizations have developed their products in various areas which include safety, fuel economy, environmental friendliness etc. product development could be said to be a good marketing strategy because many consumers are drawn towards goods they can derive good value for money from. However, the development of a product might result to an increase in its price. This price change might discourage certain consumers from purchasing it which could have a negative effect on the amount of sales of the product. MARKET DEVELOPMENT Market Development is concerned with creating new markets and segments for existing products. MERCEDEZ-BENZ and HONDA have registered their presence in many parts of the world. With respect to Honda, they have manufacturing companies in America, China, Japan, Europe, Indonesia, and India. When manufacturing automobiles in any region, the needs and values of the consumers over there should be put into consideration. This could help in getting the market to patronize you all the more. For example, according to (http://www.world.honda.com) because the European market is highly Eco-conscious, Honda manufactured and launched the Insight Hybrid and the CR-Z Hybrid in 2009 and 2010 respectively, in Europe. Honda also released the Accord Crosstour model in the African and Middle Eastern markets where the SUV category is widely popular in order to cultivate a new CUV (Cross-over Utility Vehicle) category that offers new added value. Mercedes-Benz also has markets in various parts of the globe which include; Africa, Asia, Australia/Pacific, Europe, North and Central America, South America. Apart from developing new markets in different parts of the world, Mercedes-Benz has also tried to look into new customer segments. According to (http://www.exampleessays.com), they are looking to expand their market base to youths. This is being done by using a more life-style marketing strategy which emphasizes a more fun loving, approachable and energetic side of Mercedes-Benz. This new message was obvious when they sponsored the Elton John concert in New York, and sponsoring of the professional tennis. Market development is a good marketing strategy in that it could help increase sales. However, when organizations enter into new markets without carrying out proper research on its suitability for their products, if it turns out that the market is not favorable enough due to reasons such as low purchasing power of consumers, then that product being introduced might not perform too well in the market. DIVERSIFICATION Diversification is developing entirely new products for a new market. Unlike Mercedes-Benz, Honda is into the production of different goods in different product lines. They manufacture Automobiles, Power sports (motor bikes and ATVs), Jets, Power equipments (Generators, lawnmowers, pumps, snow blowers etc), Honda Marines (Engines used for boats), and Honda Engines for (water pumps, agricultural equipments, forestry equipments, etc). Diversification is a very useful marketing strategy in that it helps expand the market base of the organisation and thereby increase the sales opportunities. However, for various reasons such as availability of substitute goods; strong competitors etc, certain brands might become weak or unprofitable and this could affect the organization negatively. A.3) COMPARISON OF THE ORGANISATIONS BASED ON COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES. MERCEDEZ (MBUSI) HONDA(HMA) CONSISTENT QUALITY VARIETY DELIVERY SPEED LOW-COST OPERATION DEVELOPMENT SPEED ON-TIME DELIVERY VOLUME FLEXIBILTY Some of the competitive priorities will be discussed below. CONSISTENT QUALITY Both Mercedes and Honda have consistent quality as a competitive priority. It may be argued that Consistency is being achieved due to the fact that production of cars is highly automated, and so the chances of error are slimmer. Honda and Mercedes for example have robots they use in their plants. These robots have been programmed to work in a particular which helps ensure consistency. VARIETY Both organizations have a wide range of goods available to customers. Mercedes has the A, B, C, CL, GL, S, SLK, E, R, M etc classes. On the other hand, Honda has different models of vehicles which include Accord coupe, crosstour, sedan, Civic coupe, hybrid sedan, si coupe, odyssey, pilot, Ridge line truck, etc. With this in place, the consumers have an array of choices. DELIVERY SPEED Delivery speed might be argued to be an important competitive priority to organizations because usually, consumers prefer going to places where they can get what they want when they want it. If an organisation can not deliver to its customers as quickly as possible, with time they might loose them. This could be one of the reasons why some companies decide to have branches all over the world just like Mercedes and Honda. The nearer you are to your market, the faster you can deliver. LOW-COST OPERATION Majority of Mercedes vehicles are luxurious and sophisticated. The materials involved in the manufacture of their cars are of higher quality and therefore could relatively cost more. This reflects in the price of the vehicle at the end of the day as Mercedes cars are usually very expensive. On the other hand, Hondas cost of operation might be a little lower because they manufacture vehicles that fall in the small car market; the raw materials used may not be as expensive as that of Mercedes. This is an area Honda and Mercedes differ. B.1) CAPACITY PLANNING AND THE EXPANSIONIST MODEL Capacity planning is employed to ensure that the processes in any given organisation run smoothly without any hitch. It would help identify the bottle necks, and then suggest ways of alleviating them. And also, through demand forecasts, it helps to guide the decision on whether or not to increase their capacity by buying more equipment, putting up more structures etc. There are a couple of tools used in capacity planning, and one of them is the expansionist model. The Expansionist strategy makes a forecast on demand and based on this, decides whether or not to expand capacity. The advantage of the expansionist strategy is that if the forecast is accurate, the chances of sales being lost to insufficient capacity becomes very narrow. However, if the demand does not increase as expected, the investment made in expansion might become a waste. Honda (http://www.world.honda.com) used the expansionist strategy when it forecasted that in 2004 they expected sales to increase by 36% of the previous year in the Asia-Oceania region. This made them increase the annual production capacity in India from 30,000 to 50,000 units. This decision to expand would have helped them reduce the chances of missing out on sales due to capacity insufficiency. B.2) INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AND JUST-IN-TIME (JIT) Inventory management has to do with monitoring the in-flow and out-flows of the goods of an organisation in such a way that they do not have too much in store, and at the same time are able to meet up with their demand. There are different methods of managing inventory in an organisation, and one of it is Just-In-Time (JIT). JIT is a philosophy which states that products should be ordered for and produced only when needed, and that they should not be produced to store away. The advantage of the JIT philosophy is that it produces a lean system which is anti-waste. JIT also helps save on cost such as storage, handling, shrinkage etc. However, if suppliers fail to deliver on the agreed date, fail to deliver materials of acceptable quality and/or deliver materials that require scrap or rework, the organisations processes would be disrupted. Mercedes ( http://www.mbusi.com) uses the JIT philosophy for its operations. In their body shop, they have about one days supply of materials, and on the production line they have about 40 minutes of parts. Their team uses a computerized system whereby if they need more materials, a member of the team pushes a button which sends a signal to the screen on the forklift which will inform the forklift driver on which part is needed for what particular station. They use this system as opposed to stockpiling of parts on the line. It works for them because it helps them to be lean B.3) SUPPLY CHAIN DESIGN AND OFF SHORING Supply chain design has to do with the plan the organization has in place to ensure its supply chain does not hinder it from being competitive in the market. Supply chain design is both relevant to the service and manufacturing industries. In the service industry, it seeks to ensure that the resources needed to provide a service are always available in the right proportion, while in the manufacturing industry, it seeks to ensure that the organization does not have too much nor too little stock in its possession so they could meet up with their competitive priorities. One important aspect of supply chain view is off shoring. Off shoring involves establishing branches of an organization in one or more parts of the world. This could be done for various reasons one of which is to reduce the cost of logistics. However, if there is an over-estimation of the suitability of the intended location for the organization, and after setting up there for a while, they discover the prospects are not as bright as they thought probably due to insufficient power supply, they might have to fold up the organization which might be very costly because they would have invested so much in the project. It is therefore important for organizations to make sure it is absolutely necessary before embarking on an off shore project. Both Mercedes and Honda have off shore branches, and this can be reflected in the number of subsidiaries they have all over the world. One of the reasons why they do this is to be closer to their customers, so they can cut down on delivery cost. B.4) TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND 3 PRINCIPLES Total quality management (TQM) is used to ensure that the goods produced and services rendered by an organization are of good quality, and up to standard. The International Standard Organisation (ISO) sets the bar for all organizations. TQM takes into consideration three principles which include; level of customer satisfaction, degree of employee involvement and the rate of continuous improvement. Customer Satisfaction: This has to do with producing goods and rendering services that meet the need and satisfy the desires of the customer. It is important for an organization to satisfy their customers because they are the ones who keep them in business. If your customers are unhappy with your goods or services and they leave, then that organization might fold up in less than no time. Employee Involvement: This has to do with getting the opinion of workers on how to move the organisation forward. It might be argued that involving employees in some decision making processes is essential to the success of that organization because, it makes them feel useful and so they might want to put in their best in what they do. They are allowed to be innovative and to contribute their ideas to the organization which might end up taking the company to heights of greatness. Continuous Improvement: This deals with ensuring organizations processes are always efficient and effective. The competition in the market now a days is so stiff that organizations cannot afford to have a lackadaisical attitude towards the continuous improvement of their processes. If they do that, they would loose their customers to their competitors. It could be said that the application of the 3 principles to an organisation would be helpful for its survival. However, it might be expensive to handle especially when it comes to the continuous improvement bit because it might entail having to train staff on a frequent basis. Mercedes (http://www.mbusi.com) tries to continuously improve their processes by training their staff before and even after they commence work. B.5) PERFORMANCE RESOURCES AND BALANCED SCORE CARD Each organization need some form of benchmark to measure their level of performance. Kaplan and Nortons balanced scorecard could be used for this purpose, and it is discussed below. Financial Measures; this has to do with the measurement of the financial performance of the organisation. It takes into perspective concepts like Operating income, ROI, EBIT etc. Daimler AG, (http://www.daimler.com) the parent company of Mercedes had a net profit of C1.4billion in 2008 while in 2009, they recorded a net loss of C 2.6billion. This loss might be partly because of the economic recession. In 2009, (http://www.world.honda.com) Honda had an operating income of Y189, 643 millions while in 2010, it increased to Y363,775. Looking at these figures, one can tell at a glance their level of financial performance for those years. Customer-Relationship Measure; this deals with how well an organisation treats its customers. It considers issues such as customer satisfaction, customer retention etc. Mercedes is a brand which could be argued to be well known for making their customers happy because they produce cars with class. They try to meet the need of sophistication which their customers have. With the release of the CR-Z hybrid, Honda has also tried to satisfy a segment of its market which is the Environmental-conscious group. Business Process Measure; This tries to assess how well an organistion manages its operations. It includes measures such as Quality, cost etc. Using quality as an example, one could say it is necessary for both Benz and Honda to have it because consumers are willing to buy goods that are worth the value of their money. So if these organizations lack this requirement, very soon they would run out of business. Learning and Growth/Human Resource Measures; This deals with how the employees are treated in the organisation. Some measures for this include employee retention, employee satisfaction, training etc. Mercedes is having problems with staff retention due to the recession. As a result, they are retrenching workers because they want to reduce the amount spent on wages. Honda on the other hand has made efforts in trying to make their staff a bit comfortable. Honda guaranteed a sum of 31.7billion for employee bank loan so that if any of its employees take a loan a falters, that sum would bail them out. C.1) EVALUATION OF THE MIX The concepts in the mix might be argued to be essential to any given organisation. This could be because they each play very important roles in ensuring the operations of an organisation run smoothly. Capacity planning helps ensure they dont loose out on demand due to insufficient capacity. Inventory management ensures they have the right amount of stock at every given point in time. This is necessary because they do not want so much stored up away which could result in an increase in holding cost, and at the same time they want to be able to meet up with demand. Supply chain Design helps to ensure the suppliers do not serve as impediments to the organisation from meeting their competitive priorities. Total quality management and performance resources are in place to ensure that the goods and services being produced are of acceptable standard. Based on the functions of the various frameworks described above, it could be said that all the members of the mix are important to both Mercedes and Honda. C.2) IMPACT OF THE MIX ON COMPETITIVENESS It could be argued that capacity planning, supply chain design and inventory management are necessary for competitiveness. Supply chain design is necessary because you need suppliers whose emphases are; on-time delivery, consistent quality and low prices. This could help organizations meet competitive priorities such as low cost operation, consistent quality, delivery speed, on-time delivery, top quality. Having a good supply chain design would be necessary for Mercedes (MBUSI) because they practice a JIT system which is highly dependent on reliable suppliers in order for it to succeed. Capacity planning helps competitiveness in that it ensures the organisation always has enough products to meet its demand. This is essential because if customers seldom get what they want from an organisation, they might loose confidence in them and thereby stop patronizing them. Capacity planning would be useful to both Mercedes and Honda because theres a need to meet up with the demand for their products in order to build confidence in their customers. Inventory management might also be necessary for competitiveness because for an organization which has low cost operation as its competitive priority, having too much goods in store might not be useful in helping them achieve this goal due to holding cost. Therefore such organisations need to monitor the amount of goods they have in stock at a particular point in time. C.3) IMPACT OF THE MIX ON INNOVATION Performance resources and Total Quality Management could impact innovation. One of the metrics in performance resources which has to do with new product/service development could have an impact on innovation because its a benchmark that emphasizes product improvement. Also, the continuous improvement principle under TQM which states that organizations should try to deliver better goods and services on a constant basis could have an impact on its innovative skills. Mercedes and Honda use this mix. That is why it can be observed that each model of car they release is an improved version of the previous one. C.4) IMPACT OF THE MIX ON SUSTAINABILITY The mix contains important principles which include capacity planning, inventory management, supply chain design, performance resources and Total quality management. If these principles are being applied to both Mercedes and Honda, these organizations would most likely remain in the market for quite a long period of time because the application of the mix gives an operational and competitive edge, and being able to compete in the market is necessary for survival. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION This report has helped to highlight how important it is for organizations to manage their processes well by applying principles such as TQM, Capacity planning, inventory management etc because then, they will not only meet their competitive priorities, but they will be able to compete effectively against competitors in their target market.

Essays --

Inequality can be traced as far back as possible. It can also be described as disparity. This disparity can be in terms of income, wealth, class etc. Economic inequality can be described as the disparity between income of individuals or household within and outside a country. When â€Å"income inequality† is mentioned, most people think about it in a within the country context, but in a world that is becoming more integrated, economic inequality between countries is becoming more relevant. In a world where other people’s income and wealth affect our perception of life, one might ask the question, â€Å"is economic inequality the biggest issue of our time†. The history of economic inequalities between countries can be traced back to the 18th century and has taken different forms since then, especially, in the 19th century till date. Firstly, the Lorenzo curve. This is a model use for measuring inequality. It was developed by Max Lorenz in 1905. The Lorenz curve is usually in a form of graph on which the cumulative proportion of income is plotted against the cumulative proportion of population on the in which their axes ranges from [zero (0) to one (1)] or [0% to 100%]. The Gini index, another method of measuring inequality is derived from the Lorenz curve. The Lorenz curve is shown in the graphical illustration (figure 1) below. The first calculation of inequality across world citizens were done in the early 1980s (Berry, Bourguignon and Morrisson, 1983; Grosh and Nafziger, 1986). This is because in order to calculate global inequality, one needs to have data on (within country) national income distributions for most of the countries i n the world, or at least for most of the populous and rich countries. But it is only from the early to mid-... ...5) is shown below. Above are the steps (faster growth of smaller countries, global redistribution and 21st century trilema) that makes up part of future possibilities of global economic inequality. If A and B, then no C. Migration is the outcome of current unequal globalization. If B and C, then no A. Unequal globe can exist if people do not know much about each other’s living conditions or costs of transport are too high. (Milanovic, 2011, p. 56) If A and C, then no B. Under globalization, people will not move if income differentials are small Described above, is the economic inequality between countries. Points explained under this topic include the history, current information, trends and its future directions and with these points explained above, one might still ask, â€Å"is economic inequality the biggest issue of our time?† and if so, how can we solved this?. â€Æ'

My Philosophy :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

My Philosophy It takes a very patient person to deal with children. Everything that a teacher does effects the way the student thinks. Teachers have to realize that their actions are very important to a child. Some people don’t want that kind of responsibility. I believe that a teacher can change a child’s life. I love to be around children. I think that this a mandatory requirement for any teacher. You have to be able to at least try to see the world through a child’s eyes. Being able to understand why a child feels a certain way is a must. I think that I possess the qualities that are needed to be a great teacher. I intend on giving my all to become the best educator I can be. If I become a teacher and find that I have a negative effect on my students then I will find a new profession. I don’t want to be the cause of a child having a bad school experience. Schooling is too important. Hopefully I will turn out to be a great role model for my students if not, I will accept my faults in this profession and start a new one. I want my classroom to be a positive environment for my students. My classroom will definitely be colorful. Bright colors makes people feel more energetic. I don’t want my students to feel depressed or tired all the time. I will have bulletin boards with information that children will find interesting to read. I might even have the students try to find some fun fact on their own to make their own boards for other students to read. I will probably have my desk in the back of the room but do my teaching standing in front of the students. I want my students to feel that I am there for them when they need me but to try and do things on their own when they can. Group projects will play a major role in my classroom. Students will learn more social skills if they learn to work with others. Most children have the same group of kids they stay around so I will pick the groups to even up the social classes that they have already acquired.

Racism in Faulkner’s Dry September Essay -- Faulkner’s Dry September E

Racism in Faulkner’s Dry September When summer turns into autumn everyone knows that changes will occur. People start to wear heavier clothing, the leaves change colors and the most noticeable difference is the weather transformations. Dry September is a fitting title to this short story because numerous changes happen throughout the story as well as during the season. The imagery created provides a solid background for a reader to understand exactly what is going on during this time period. Racial tensions were obviously prevalent and disrespect towards black people was an everyday occurrence. â€Å"You damn niggerlover!† (170). The â€Å"n† word is used repeatedly used to describe Will Mayes and other black folks living in this town. From what I gathered, Mayes did not do anything to the white men; however, they demean his reputation and name. What exactly does the moon have to do with the story? On many occasions, a reference to the moon is made: â€Å"Below the east was a rumor of the twice-waxed moon,† and â€Å"The dark world seemed to lie stricken beneath the cold moon and the lidless stars† (175, 183). In the first quote it seems to me that the word â€Å"twice† is important. â€Å"Did it really happen†¦this ain’t the first man scare she ever had, like Hawkshaw says. Wasn’t there something about a man on the kitchen roof, watching her undress about a year ago† (171). The men in this town seem to think that Minnie Cooper is either lying or making the whole thing up. From reading about her background it seems like she never had any real, true friends and since she wasn’t married maybe yearns for a partner. The relevance of weather keeps popping up in the men’s conversations. â€Å"It’s this durn weather†¦it’s enough to make a man do anythin... ... barber again and again says that he knows Will Mayes and he would never do such a thing against a woman like Minnie Cooper, or anyone for that matter. If anything went wrong back during this time when racism was at its peak, a white man ALWAYS blamed a black man. White men had so many stereotypes and misconceptions about black people that it baffles me today. Just because someone is of a different color than you, why must a person insist in degrading and humiliating that person? The world is a very different place since this story was written however; sadly some people still believe that blacks do not deserve to have all the freedoms that they enjoy today. Dry September was a wonderful short story that included Faulkner’s many favorite subjects; racism and prejudices, colorful, outspoken characters and a storyline that keeps the reader attentive and interested.

With regard to inventory management

With regard to inventory management, discuss the difference between a replenishment philosophy and a requirements philosophy. BY koptgak0722 They are some difference between a replenishment philosophy and a requirements philosophy. The Inventory replenishment refers to the way an organization puts into place adequate procedures and methodologies to prevent shortages in its sales and production processes. Consistent stock deficits ultimately may generate losses, because production workers wouldn't have the necessary resources to finish batches nd factories would come to a halt.Replenishment tactics often focus on internal or external routes. Internal replenishment means periodically moving merchandise from reserve storage to factory warehouses. External replenishment calls for analytic dexterity and logistical acumen, and It deals with how production laborers work with accounting personnel to send purchasing orders to vendors and service providers. The requirements philosophy as Merch andise requirements is the product of manufacturing knowledge and sales expertise, especially when it comes to evaluating ustomers' needs and anticipating bulk orders.This dlsclpllne enables department heads and business-unit chiefs to review production logs, compare them with pending sales orders and determine whether the company will have sufficient merchandise to meet commercial commitments. Middle management does so to support the production work stream and keep manufacturing foremen abreast of items to produce and discontinue and potential overproduction risks. Chapter 1 Question 2: What is the difference between the terms â€Å"production management† and â€Å"operations management†?Production Management is on the focuses specifically on the production of goods and services and is concentrated upon churning output from input. It is a broad sum of activities that go into turning raw material into final, finished product. One may feel that production management Is a subset of operations management, but production management In itself Is a broad subject that comprises production planning and control, inventory management, and operations control. Production management includes all management activities spanning selection.Designing, operating, controlling and updating production system. Operation Management Is a broad sum of activities that go Into turning raw material Into final, finished product. One may feel that production management is a subset of operations management, but production management in itself is a broad subject that comprises production planning and control, inventory management, and operations control. Production management Includes all management actlvltles spanning selection. Designing, operating, controlling and updating production system.Question 3: What is the different between operations management and supply chain management? produce a service or product for a customer. On the other hand, managers over supply chains are tasked with the responsibility of getting the goods or materials to the place of production. A high emphasis on the supply chain managers is getting those raw materials to the operation at the precise time that the materials will be converted by the operation. If the delivery timing is off, an operation will face either shortages or increased inventories.

Research on Modern Grocery Market in Pakistan

â€Å"The Evolution of Modern Grocery Market in Pakistan. † A research project to study changing consumer buying patterns and opportunities for new entrants in the modern grocery sector. By Adavanced Research Methods MBA-Evening Program Section ‘E’ Submitted on November 19, 2012 Table of Contents Titles Page No. Prefatory Information Abstract Acknowledgements Executive Summary Introduction Methodology Research Findings Conclusion Recommendations Appendices References 02 03 04 05 06 08 09 13 14 15 22 Page | 1Prefatory Information Research Topic â€Å"The Evolution of Modern Grocery Market in Pakistan. † Research Background The traditional food retail sector (small neighborhood stores, street vendors, â€Å"general trade† stores, etc. ) comprise about 95% of all food retail stores in Pakistan while the modern retail sector (hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount stores, etc. ) make up the remaining 5%. Over the past few years international retailers have taken advantage of the growing opportunities in this market.Well-known European retail giants Makro, Metro, and Carrefour (Hyperstar) have opened stores in all major Pakistani metropolitan cities. The port city of Karachi alone has at least five large retail stores that serve more than 19 million people. With a growing middle-income class (estimated at about 25% of the total population), increasing urbanization, increasing popularity of international food products, and a growing number of international restaurants and fast food chains, Pakistan is emerging as an expanding market for U. S. high-value agricultural products.The overall food retail and wholesale business accounts for 17% of Pakistan? s GDP. These large retail stores have been able to tap into the changes in consumer lifestyles and higher disposable income. Emerging technologies have also contributed to the emergence of the large food retail superstores, which offer a wide range of value added products and services to p rice conscious middle income consumers. Convenience stores in Petrol/Gas stations are also providing an additional option for consumers and their popularity among Pakistani consumers is rising.To know precisely the driving forces that lead changes in the consumer buying behavior and furthermore to anticipate the future demand of modernized grocery stores and hypermarkets which would ultimately guide investors towards an opportunity and would let them know the critical market factors and consumer needs on the basis of which they should design their businesses to gain maximum market share in minimum amount of time and resources. Page | 2 Abstract â€Å"The Evolution of Modern Grocery Market in Pakistan. The core objectives of our research are comprehensively explained and backed by the results and interpretations, with graphical illustrations that clarify the main consumer tastes and preferences that are the agents of changing buying patterns being the reason behind the increased num ber of modern grocery stores in major cities of Pakistan which is linked to our second objective that is more towards the investment opportunity for local and foreign venture capitalists in the mentioned sector. Page | 3Acknowledgements First and foremost, we would like to thank Almighty Allah for enabling us to achieve the completion of our project report effectively, next we would like to thank to our course mentor of Advanced Research Methods-E, Mr. Salman Rabbani for the valuable guidance and advice. He inspired us greatly to work in this project. His willingness to motivate us contributed tremendously to our project. We also would like to thank him for showing us some examples that related to the topic of our project.Besides, we would like to thank all those participants, colleagues and class mates for providing us with their valuable insights and responses that enabled us to complete this project. Group Members Sandhya Talreja Talha Abid 1235220 1235182 Page | 4 Executive Summ ary The increasing number of modern grocery stores are rapidly increasing in Karachi and other cities of Pakistan which accounts for attracting majority of the customers and getting market share more than it was in the past few years.These larger stores make up 5% of all Pakistan? s retail food stores. There are two segments of modern food markets. One segment is dominated by the international groups and there are also domestic food retailers that are also utilizing new modern retail formats. For example, large food retail stores (Metro, Makro, and Hyperstar) comprise about 2% of all Pakistani food retail outlets with an estimated annual turnover of $176 million. The overall share of imported food products in the large retail stores is about 5. 6%.To analyze and figure out factors that have changed the buying patterns across the urban areas of Pakistan across all major population segments based on the demographical characteristics. The later part of the research well describes inves tment opportunity and growth indicators with rising purchasing power of people and increasing consumption patterns leading to impulse buying behavior. Appendices and annexes contain some useful facts that determine the future trends of retailing in Pakistan that how changes are anticipated in the years to come with respect to structure, marketing, supply chain management and customer servicesPage | 5 Introduction Consumer Food Purchasing Behavior The average Pakistani consumer spends 42% of his income on food. Consumption of imported processed and ready-to-eat food is greater in urban areas because of higher disposable incomes and access to modern style of food. A typical Pakistani household makes regular purchases of staple foods (i. e. , wheat flour, pulses, edible oils, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, etc. ) several times per month from neighborhood stores due to convenience, perceived freshness, and limited storage space at home.A growing number of young Pakistani professionals (male/female) generally prefer making monthly food purchases from modern retail stores due to greater variety of products, satellite stores, and to enjoy food services all under one roof, thus providing the opportunity of combining „one stop shopping? with a family outing. Affluent Pakistani families are attracted towards modern retail stores due to their affordability, strategic locations, access to the imported processed food, and available choices for multiple product range.In comparison the rural consumer prefers homemade products, organic fruits & vegetables, and has limited access to processed food. The demand for imported food such as dates, cereals, beverages, chocolates, almonds, cakes, fruits and fruit juices reaches its peak during the festive season, especially at Eid and Ramadan. Moreover Pakistan has a large and growing middle-income class (estimated at about 25% of the total population).It also has a large and growing young population and over 55 percent Pakista ni? s are in the 10-40 years age bracket. The upper middle-income class is currently estimated at 17 million, with relatively high per capita income which favors consumer spending. Since 2000 demand for specialized products targeted at the middle-income consumers have increased significantly. The upcoming changes in the Pakistani consumer demographic will create opportunities and challenges for companies doing business in Pakistan.Keeping in view the above stated scenario and these facts the well described the consumer demographics in Pakistan, we decided to conduct a quantitative research to know the factors of changing buying patterns and also to gauge the magnitude of opportunity for the new entrants in the huge retail grocery market that estimates about US$ 42 billion per annum. Page | 6 Research Objectives ? ? To study the changes in buying patterns of consumers in metropolitan cities of Pakistan, after the advent of modern grocery stores.To what extent these retail chains have been successful and to analyze if there is an opportunity for new entrants in the current scenario. Research Question ? ? What factors are responsible for changing buying behavior of people belonging to urban areas of Pakistan? What is the size of opportunity that exists for new entrants in the current market? Page | 7 Methodology The research methodology comprised of an online survey and questionnaire that was conducted throughout the city of Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore and Islamabad. There were 10 option-based question that were designed to get the responses covering the two basic research objectives.Respondents were randomly selected and were asked to fill out a questionnaire which contained predetermined options and with other open-ended options as well, most of the participants were belonged to Karachi along with a significant number of online respondents from Hyderabad, Lahore and Islamabad adding a variety of responses from urban areas of Pakistan. Respondents were divided in to four main categories on the basis of their Gender, Age, Marital Status and Income to have a fair understanding of different types of needs and preferences of different consumer segments.Quantitative Research There was a need to quantify the number of consumer that opt or prefer a certain attribute, products or services at these different stores so in terms of percentages it was easy to present and interpret data that was collected as a result of survey- questionnaire. First of all there was a pre-test conducted to know the validity and effectiveness of the questionnaire and methodology and after that actual survey was launched online and respondents were asked to fill the survey.Online survey reduced the time and other costs associated to our research and proved to be a cost-effective tool to conduct our survey. Page | 8 Research Findings On the basis of two distinct objectives the research findings are included in this report, the initial objective to determine factors that infl uence consumer buying behavior are the overall services offered, quality and branded products, convenience of getting all items at a single point, no grocery items including fashion apparel, cosmetics, medicine, home decor and so on remained the key choices of the respondents.Regarding the second objective that was to know the size of opportunity for new entrants that was asked in a question to know precise demand of the modern grocery outlets in Karachi and other urban cities, the findings exhibit that a clear majority of the respondents want to have more modern grocery stores in their locality, exact figures are mentioned in the graphical representation section later in this report. Other quantitative results include the frequency of purchases, expenditure and preferred store type that are also useful to calculate the size of the opportunity in this sector.Moreover participants also provided very insightful responses in open-ended options that highlighted many other things that th ey prefer at these modern stores. Including improvement suggestions regarding, customer support and billing, loyalty and discount programs were dominant responses of the survey discussed in the detail in graphical representation section. Page | 9 Graphical Representation and Analysis 1. Grocery Store Type It? quite clear from the market share that supermarkets and hypermarkets have acquired during past couple of years is significantly improved up to 30% for each category. Grocery Store Type General stores 30% 30% 18% 22% Dept. Stores Super Markets Hypermarkets 2. Grocery Frequency Frequency as compared to past trend of weekly or daily grocery purchases has been shifted to monthly purchases leading towards impulse buying behavior after the advent of the modern hypermarkets and superstores 60% 40% 20% 0% Grocery Frequency Weekly Fortnightly Monthly others 3.Grocery Market Share Modernized supermarkets lead the market with 48% share of the grocery sector these markets are convenience t o people living in developed areas of Karachi catering their grocery needs effectively. Grocery Market Share Hyperstar 14% 18% 20% 48% Metro/Makro Naheed/Chaseup /Aghaz/Imtiaz others 4. Grocery Spending Most of the people that opted for modern grocery stores belong to higher income segment and majority spends more than Rs. 7000 on their grocery needs. This indicates a higher tendency of the people to consume in the society. 0% 30% 20% 10% 0% Grocery Spending (PKR) 26% 6% 32% 36% Page | 10 5. Appealing Factors The factors that were dominant among the responses were convenience of getting all items at a single stop and economical purchases thus lowering grocery budgets, this is the core reason that has changed buying patterns of consumers in the recent years. other factors Appealing Factors Economical Safe and†¦ Convenience Adequate†¦ Economical 0% 20% 40% Adequate Parking Convenience Safe and Secure other factors Non grocery items 6.Non-grocery items Out of the non-grocery items most people preferred cosmetics reason being the majority of female respondents in our sample. Rest of the people preferred medicines and ready to wear apparels. 0% 50% 46% 20% 16% 8% 10% 7. Additional Food Items Other than usual grocery items as food staples there was a significant rise in the demand and preference to ready-to-eat/ frozen-food, reason being the most of the married females are opting for careers and employments therefore frozen foods provides them convenience and quick food solutions. 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Additional Food Items 2% Fresh fruits and vegetables meat/chicken/p oultry Frozen food others 16% 16% 6% 8. Improvement Suggestions Discount cards were the most opted option by the respondents as people tend to buy in larger quantities they expect a significant amount off as a discount as well as the loyalty or privilege cards were also and added suggestion along with the speedy billing process due to the shortage of time in the busy schedule of peo ple living in the large cities. 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Improvement Suggestions 48% 28% 12% 12% Loyalty cards Discount cards Speedy billing process others Page | 11 9.More Grocery Stores So about 90% of the people responded in positive when they were asked about more grocery stores in their city mainly because the convenience these stores offer, while the remaining 10% who opted for No, further explained there are enough no of stores in their vicinity only need is to improve their service quality. 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% More Grocery Stores 90% 10% Yes No Yes No 10. Most preferred attribute Quality is the most opted attribute and mostly the quality products and services available at modern grocery store provide an added benefit to the customers and delight them in many ways. 0% 60% 40% 20% 0% Most preferred attribute Quality Pricing Brand Other Page | 12 Conclusions After studying the brief results and graphical illustrations we hereby conclude that major causes of change in cons umer purchase patterns are superior quality of products and services offered to customers at economical prices, thus elevating the overall value for customers when it comes to convenience shopping, hassle-free parking, pleasant environment, serene ambiance, safety and security which previously was not offered by any of the conventional grocery stores of their localities.Now majority of the consumers prefer going to modern supermarkets and hypermarkets rather than the wholesale markets, to avoid the long tiring grocery shopping which included stressful parking, lack of security and safety. Moreover people on weekends go for grocery shopping with their families which allows them to spend quality time with their family as an outing or entertainment and enjoy shopping with all the modern state-of-the-art facilities offered by malls and shopping centers.Furthermore, along with the basic grocery items people tend to shop additional items including garments, cosmetics, fashion products, fr ozen foods, medicines and so on that is again an appealing factor that directed majority of the customers towards these modernized grocery store thus offering more and more benefits and ease to customers.As it has been witnessed that in the past few years the retail market dynamics have changed dramatically with modern grocery stores capturing the 40% share in the sector it is therefore a lucrative sector for foreign investors in the sectors and source of high FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) that would increase employment opportunities for our population and also would add up to fiscal revenues for the government. Page | 13 RecommendationsAfter the completion of this research that was in response to previous researches on Emergence of Modern Retail in Pakistan and Market Transformation Due To Current Economic Turmoil (USA and European Retail Sectors) we suggest a comprehensive and more sophisticated research should be carried out on a commercial level to have an in-depth knowledge a nd insights about the market. Many of the indicators suggest the modern society in Pakistan are moving towards mass consumption and retail sector particular has been the key performer accounts for an annual turnover of about US$ 42 billion(estimated).So in response to it another research should carried out on Factors of Impulse Buying Behavior of consumer segments in Pakistan with respect to the modern grocery markets rapidly increasing and expanding the retail sector in Pakistan. The scope of our research was limited to few major cities of Pakistan i. e. Karachi Lahore Islamabad and Hyderabad, so its scope should be increased for future research also incorporating the useful insights of the key industry players of the modern grocery markets. Page | 14 Appendices Appendix-1 (Survey Questionnaire) ARM-Questionnaire Demographics: Age: ? 7-28 ? 29-40 ? 41 & above Gender: ? M ? F Marital Status: ? Single ? Married Average Household Income (PKR): ? 10,000-20,000 ? 20,001-50,000 ? 50,001 & above Area of Residence: ________________________________________________________ 1. What type of grocery store do you prefer for your grocery shopping? ? General stores ? Departmental stores ? Super market ? Hyper-markets 2. 3. 4. 5. How often you go for grocery shopping? ?Weekly ? fortnightly (every 15 days) ? Monthly ? others please specify_____ Which store do you often prefer for your grocery needs? ?Hyperstar ? Metro/Makro ?Naheed/Chase-up/Imtiaz/Agha's ? Others___ On average how much amount you spend on your grocery? (PKR) ? 1000-3000 ? 4000-7000 ? 7000-10000 ? Above 10000 Based on the prior selected store which factor makes you buy from that store? ?Economical ? Adequate Parking ? Convenience (all items under one-roof) ? Safe and secure environment ? Others please specify___________________ What type of items do you prefer to shop along-with grocery? ?Cosmetics ? Garments ? Medicines ? Electronic Appliances ? Others_____ What additional foods items do you like to buy form t he grocery stores? Fresh Fruits and Vegetable ? Meat/Chicken/Fish ? Frozen Foods ? Others__________ What improvements you like see as far as services are concerned? ?Loyalty cards ? Discount coupons ? Speedy billing process ? Others _______ Would like to have more stores and hyper markets? ?Yes ? No What do you prefer the most for your grocery items? ?Quality ? Pricing ? Brand ? Others please specify___________ 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Thank you for your time and attention. Page | 15 Appendix-2 FMCG Companies Profit From Rural Consumption Boom in Pakistan By Riaz Haq Higher crop prices have increased farmers? ncomes in Pakistan by Rs. 342 billion in the 12 months through June, according to a government economic survey. That was higher than the gain of Rs. 329 billion in the preceding eight years, according to a report by Bloomberg News. Companies like Millat tractors, Honda Atlas Motorcycles, Pak Suzuki Motors, Engro Foods, Telnor, Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive, Proctor and Gamble and Unilever h ave been big beneficiaries of the current rural consumption boom. Nestle Pakistan's chief Ian Donald has summed up the rising demand for his company's products as follows: â€Å"It? a common perception that China and India are much bigger in terms of growth than Pakistan. But for Nestle, the per capita consumption of our products in Pakistan is twice as much as we have in China and India. † It should be noted that Nestle is the world's largest packaged food company, and Pakistanis' per capita consumption of milk and dairy products is about 2. 5 times higher than in India. According to the FAO, the average dairy consumption of the developing countries is still very low (45 kg of all dairy products in liquid milk equivalent), compared with the average of 220 kg in the industrial countries.Few developing countries have per capita consumption exceeding 150 kg (Argentina, Uruguay and some pastoral countries in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Africa). Among the most populous countries, only Pakistan, at 153 kg per capita, has such a level. In South Asia, where milk and dairy products are preferred foods, India has only 64 kg and Bangladesh 14 kg. East Asia has only 10 kg. Here are a few key points excerpted from a recent Businessweek story on rise of the rural consumer in Pakistan: 1. Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive Co. re sending salespeople into rural areas of the world? s sixth most-populous nation, where demand for consumer goods such as Sunsilk shampoo, Pond? s moisturizers and Colgate toothpaste has boosted local units? revenue at least 15 percent. Page | 16 2. â€Å"The rural push is aimed at the boisterous youth in these areas, who have bountiful cash and resources to increase purchases,† Shazia Syed, vice president for customer development at Unilever Pakistan Ltd. , said in an interview. â€Å"Rural growth is more than double that of national sales. † 3.Consumer-goods companies forecast growth in Pakistan even as an increase in ethnic viole nce in Karachi has made 2011 the deadliest in 16 years for the country? s biggest city and financial center. 4. Nestle Pakistan Ltd. is spending 300 million Swiss francs ($326 million) to double dairy output in four years, boosted sales 29 percent to 33 billion rupees ($378 million) in the six months through June. â€Å"We have been focusing on rural areas very strongly,† Ian Donald, managing director of Nestle? s Pakistan unit, said in an interview in Lahore. â€Å"Our observation is that Pakistan? rural economy is doing better than urban areas. † 5. Haji Mirbar, who grows cotton on a 5-acre farm with his four brothers, said his family? s income grew fivefold in the year through June, allowing him to buy branded products. He uses Unilever? s Lifebuoy for his open-air baths under a hand pump, instead of the handmade soap he used before. â€Å"We had a great year because of cotton prices,† said Mirbar, 28, who lives in a village outside south Pakistan? s Matiari town. â€Å"As our income has risen, we want to buy nice things and live like kings. † 6.Sales for the Pakistan unit of Unilever rose 15 percent to 24. 8 billion rupees in the first half. Colgate-Palmolive Pakistan Ltd.? s sales increased 29 percent in the six months through June to 7. 6 billion rupees, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. â€Å"In a generally faltering economy, the double-digit growth in revenue for companies servicing the consumer sector has come almost entirely from the rural areas,† said Sakib Sherani, chief executive officer at Macroeconomic Insights Pvt. in Islamabad and a former economic adviser to Pakistan? s finance ministry. 7.Unilever is pushing beauty products in the countryside through a program called â€Å"Guddi Baji,† an Urdu phrase that literally means â€Å"doll sister. † It employs â€Å"beauty specialists who understand rural women,† providing them with vans filled with samples and equipment, Syed said. Wome n in villages are also employed as sales representatives, because â€Å"rural is the Page | 17 growth engine† for Unilever in Pakistan, she said in an interview in Karachi. While the bulk of spending for rural families goes to food, about 20 percent â€Å"is spent on looking beautiful and buying expensive clothes,† Syed said. . Colgate-Palmolive, the world? s largest toothpaste maker, aims to address a â€Å"huge gap† in sales outside Pakistan? s cities by more than tripling the number of villages where its products, such as Palmolive soap, are sold, from the current 5,000, said Syed Wasif Ali, rural operations manager at the local unit. 9. Its detergents Bonus Tristar and Brite are packed in sachets of 20 grams or less and priced as low as five rupees (6 cents), to boost sales among low-income consumers hurt by the fastest pace of inflation in Asia after Vietnam.Unilever plans to increase the number of villages where its products are sold to almost half of the total 34,000 within three years. Its merchandise, including Dove shampoo, Surf detergent and Brooke Bond Supreme tea, is available in about 11,000 villages now. 10. Pakistan, Asia? s third-largest wheat grower, in 2008 increased wheat prices by more than 50 percent as Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sought to boost production of the staple. â€Å"The injection of purchasing power in the rural sector has been unprecedented,† said Sherani, who added that local prices for rice and sugarcane have also risen. 1. Telenor Pakistan Pvt. is also expanding in Pakistan? s rural areas, which already contribute 60 percent of sales, said Anjum Nida Rahman, corporate communications director for the local unit of the Nordic region? s largest phone company. While the presence of multinational consumer product giants like Nestle and Unilever receive more coverage in the western media, the Euromonitor report finds that Pakistani FMGC companies like Engro Foods, Haleeb Foods, Shezan, Tapal, Sh an and others dominate the packaged food business in Pakistan. Here's an excerpt from a recent Euromonitor report on Pakistan.Page | 18 Appendix- 3 Study of the International Retail Markets Drivers of Retail Change Internationally There are significant changes underway in the international retail sector. Some are already evident in the Irish retail market while others are now beginning to show an impact. The key drivers of change in the retail sector are: †¢ Consumer shopping habits and meal preparation habits are changing. This is driving the food retail structure to one of large stores for once-weekly shopping trips and smaller convenience stores for top-up purchases. Relatively low growth in retail spending across Europe, particularly in the food sector, which is generating substantial competition between retailers. †¢ A shift in the determinant of consumer demand from price consciousness to value for money. †¢ A stronger preference for service and convenience, bot h in retail service and also in product choice. †¢ The development of a more international outlook and a greater awareness of international brands. †¢ More focused marketing methods, referred to as „mass customization? and competition for consumer loyalty. †¢ The retail sector is still relatively highly regulated in many countries, specifically in the areas of planning regulations in respect of new store development and working hours. †¢ Developments in information and communications technologies (ICTs) are enabling improvements in market research and analysis, and supply chain management. This is driving significant change in international retail supply chains as retailers seek out increasing efficiencies and seek to reduce inventories. Page | 19 Appendix-4Future of Retail Sector in Pakistan The expected future trends in the retail sector in Pakistan are that: †¢ The retail sector can be expected to continue to grow in line with the overall growth of the economy, thereby providing further employment and an increasing contribution to economic activity. †¢ The level of concentration, i. e. , the market share held by major retailers, in both the food and clothing sectors, is expected to continue to increase. †¢ Further consolidation in the market can be expected through mergers and acquisitions of national retailers and foreign retailers in the current market.Acquisition is likely to be the mode of market entry for large scale foreign retailers into the future. Size & Structure The strucuture of the retail sector is changing as: †¢ Retailers are growing larger through mergers and acquisitions both in domestic and international markets; †¢ The number of large sized stores is increasing significantly; †¢ Levels of concentration in retail markets are increasing; †¢ Order sizes and deliveries from suppliers are growing; and †¢ Suppliers are increasing in scale. Customer Service Customer service is dev eloping rapidly through: †¢ Home hopping and delivery; †¢ Internet shopping; †¢ Longer opening hours; †¢ Loyalty card schemes; †¢ Better in-store service; †¢ Micro-marketing to individual customers; and †¢ Improved mail order. Page | 20 Diversification Retailers are pursuing growth through diversification into: †¢ New product areas, by food retailers into non-food goods, and into new markets such as apparel and music; †¢ New business sectors such as banking and insurance; and †¢ New geographic markets, nationally and internationally, mail order, teleshopping and ecommerce.Supply-Chain Management Retailers are increasing their control over the whole supply chain by implementing: †¢ Centralized distribution; †¢ Efficient consumer response (ECR) †¢ Increased traceability of goods †¢ Increased investment in Information Technology; †¢ Supplier rationalization programs †¢ Greater involvement in supplier operat ions. Page | 21 References Retail Sector Dynamics in Ireland-www. forfas. ie. European Journal of Scientific Research Euro Journals Publishing, Inc. 2009 http://www. eurojournals. com/ejsr. htm http://www. iazhaq. com/2011/10/fmcg-companies-profit-from-rural. html Retail markets planning guide-FAO Bulletin http://www. fao. org/docrep/v8390e/V8390E00. HTM New generation of retail markets By Ashfak Bokhari | From InpaperMagzine | 23rd July, 2012 http://dawn. com/2012/07/23/new-generation-of-retail-markets/ Retail’s Hottest Emerging Markets, 2012 http://www. cnbc. com/id/47782726/Retail_s_Hottest_Emerging_Markets_2012 Economic Impact of Retailing in Pakistan Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Business Management Page | 22