Target Market of Nike

Target Market of Nike To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. A mission statement is a statement of the organizations purpose- what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. Nike has evolved a lot over the years, from a US-based footwear distributor to a global manufacturer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment. Over the years of this evolution the target market for the company has kept on evolving. Market segmenting, by grouping together with similar needs, provides a commercially viable method of serving these customers. According to the Nikes official website the goal of the company is to carry on with innovating thinking to develop product that helps athletes of every level of ability to reach the potential they are capable of and side by side create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the various competitors. According to the official website of Nike the core consumer categories is action sports, basketball, football (soccer), mens training, running, sportswear and womens training. Thus in a way the primary target market for the company are athletes. Keeping this in mind I have selected a new athlete shoe as my product. The Marketing Mix For our case study we have concentrated on the traditional 4Ps marketing mix. Nike is one of the pioneers in marketing and has one of the strongest Marketing Mix. Product We define a product as anything that is offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption and that might satisfy a want or a need. Jim Blythe rightly said product brought to satisfy personal and family needs are consumer goods and Nike caters to all the relevant aspects in terms of its products and understanding consumers. A customer would emphasis at the three levels of benefit from product. Core Product Actual Product Augmented Product Core Product: The Problem solving services or core benefits that consumers are really buying when they obtain a product. Briefly it can so be said that Nike deals in four core categories which is footwear, apparel, equipment, accessory product. Actual Product: A products parts, quality level, features, design, brand name, packaging and other attributes that combine to deliver core product benefits, Nike has taken these factor into special consideration in terms of the product it brings in the market. Augmented Product: Additional consumer service and benefits built around the core and actual product, it is so said the more you keep your customers satisfied and happy the better for the business and Nike has given priority to these factors one being after sale service. Nike considered Design creates performance innovation products that minimize environmental impact by reducing waste throughout the design and development process, using environmentally preferred materials and eliminating toxics. Nike designers make smart, sustainable design choices at the start of their creative process, working to achieve breakthroughs to solve the big problems that hinder progress toward a sustainable future Internally, NIKE works across product teams and with groups ranging from the hub of product design and creation functions to influence the development of short-, mid- and long-range projects that make progress toward closed-loop products. The product choose is a new shoe for athletes manufactured after doing research and talking to making athletes to find out there requirements and needs of a shoe. The product will be light as well as durable and will athletes to run faster and more easily. Promotion Promotion, according to Kotler and Armstrong (2010), mean activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it. Promotion for Nike is the most critical and though about part of the marketing mix. Nike uses the following tools to promote its brand: Tool 1: Advertising Advertising, according to Kotler and Armstrong (2010), is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor. The basis thing that Nike does through its advertising is makes its corporate visual identity: the swoosh, as popular as it can get. Corporate identity is a broad term referring to the set of meanings by which an object allows itself to be known and through which it allows people to describe, remember and relate to it (van Rekom, 1997). The literature suggests that firms who standardize their global corporate visual identity achieve communication benefits beyond the usual marketing mix (Melewar and Saunders, 2000). In all of the banner, newspaper advertisements, holdings, T.V commercial and even on their product Nike is recognized now through the swoosh instead of the brand name. Advertisements have been instrumental in marketing most of Nikes products(Hunger Wheelen, 2003). Tool 2: Personal Selling Personal Selling, according to Kotler and Armstrong (2010), is personal presentation by the firms sales force for the purpose of making sales and building customer relationships. Nike has setup two mediums through which it achieves personal selling: Nike has set up Nike exclusive store across the globe though help of distributor where one to one marketing of the brand is carried out by the sales person with in the stores and second Nike has setup a virtual store where any one visit anytime of the day and not just order the product even customize it. Tool 3: Sponsorship Sponsorship, according to Fahy, Farrelly and Quester (2004), has been viewed as an appealing communication tool, given the increasing clutter and fragmentation of the traditional mass media. Nike sponsors numerous sporting personalities in a wide range of sporting activities; for example: Tiger Woods in Golf, Wayne Rooney in Football, Roger Federer in Tennis (Brown, 2010). The strategic role of sponsorship is to attain advantage in the competitive market where the sponsorship must rise above the clutter and effectively resists the efforts of competitors to ambush it (Fahy, Farrelly and Quester, 2004). Nike has been known to use ambush marketing strategy for a long time now. The Just Do It campaign helped Nike to increase its market share. Nike increased its share of the domestic sport-shoe business from 18 percent to 43 percent, from $877 million to $9.2 billion in just ten years between 1998 and 2008. This campaign made Nike so identifiable that Nike stopped using the word Nike in the commercials, the swoosh was enough for the customer to understand whos ad they were seeing. By 2000s, just as the evolution of Nike product has occurred, the approach of the company towards marketing has also evolved. In 2002, Nike started its very first global marketing effort through the Secret Tournament campaign. Secret Tournament is an integrated approach which has now become the cornerstone marketing and communication effort by Nike. Ambush marketing is an effective way by which Nike over the years has promoted its brand and increased its brand image. Ambush marketing occurs when one brand pays to become an official sponsor of an event and another competing brand attempts to cleverly connect itself with the event, without paying the sponsorship fee and more frustratingly without breaking any law. Now the product that we are forwarding is specifically for athletes but can be used by anyone who wants to be fit. Thus again ambush marketing will be used. The product poster and advertising will be everywhere. The main cost in the marketing mix will be given to promotion to get the product successful. Place Nike has come a long way from when its founders used to sell the shoes out of the trunk of their cars until the first Nike store was built in 1966. During the November of 1990, Nike opened its retail- as- theatre experience called Nike town in Portland. Nike town won many architectural design and retail awards. Nike then also opened a dozen of other Nike town around USA and also internationally. According to Jobber (2004), Place involves decision concerning the distribution channels to be used and their management, the locations of outlets, methods of transportation and inventory levels to be held. The recent World Headquarters (WHQ) of Nike, Inc. encompasses of 17 buildings spread across 193 acres of land which totals 1.9 million square feet of interior space. The World Headquarter is in Beaverton, Oregon. Nike, Inc. also leases out 750,000 square feet or more of space in the area which is in the surrounding metropolitan. The European Headquarters (EHQ) of Nike, Inc. is located at Hilversum, The Netherlands. The office space is around 500,000 square feet which has been leased. Nike, Inc. has three major distribution and customer facilities for all the Nike-branded products. The location of these facilities: two are in Memphis, Tennessee and one is located in Wilsonville, Oregon. Place includes company activities that make the product available to target consumers. Nike, Inc. has approximately six production office located outside of the United States. There are over 100 sales offices and showrooms which are located worldwide. Nike, Inc. also has over 70 administrative offices worldwide. The product will be available in each and every shop and retail outlet that NIKE owns. It will also be sold online on the official Nike website. To gain maximum profit out of sales online sales of the product will be given emphasis. Price In a narrowest sense price is the amount of money charged for a product or service. More broadly, price is the sum of all the values that customer give up in order to gain the benefits of having or using a product or service. In marketing mix pricing is the only element that produces revenue; all other elements represent costs and that is the sole reason where Nike has been very successful as it has priced its product according to the needs of the customer. The various segments where Nike proves why Nike is so very popular and successful among its customers in terms of price are: Footwear (54% of Revenue) Nike specializes in athletic footwear, although Nike also sells sport-inspired casual footwear like its Air Force Ones footwear line. Footwear sales increased 14% in 2009, reaching about $10.3 billion, and accounted for 54% of Nikes 2009 revenue. Apparel (27% of Revenue) Apparel sales totaled $5.24 billion in 2009, a 0.2% increase from a year earlier.ÂÂ  2008 sales from this segment grew by 14% from 2007, a trend that Nike attributed much of this revenue growth to a 25% increase in sales inÂÂ  emerging marketsÂÂ  like Russia in the EMEA region as well as a currency-neutral 50% increase in revenues fromÂÂ  China. Equipment (6% of Revenue) Nike also sells sports equipment such as balls, protective equipment, and golf clubs. Sales of Nike branded equipment reached $1.11 billion in 2009, a 9.5% increase from 2008.ÂÂ  This increase was driven primarily by a 10% increase in equipment sales in the Asia region. Other (13% of Revenue) Nike also sells apparel and footwear under the Nike Golf, Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley International, and Umbro brand names and earns approximately 13% of its revenue, or $2.5 billion in 2009, from these segments. As we can see the main income of the company is from the Footwears and its main target market is athletes, this product is going to be for high class people. The product will be in the high range band.

Management of Human, Physical and Technological Resources Essay

Explain how the management of human, physical and technological resources can improve the performance of a selected organisation In this assignment, I am going to show and explain how Jaguar Land Rover manages the three main types of resources. Ensuring that the human, physical and technological resources are carried out correctly can increase the performance of Jaguar Land Rover. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is a business built around two great British car brands that design, engineer and manufacture in the UK. Jaguar Land Rover is part of Tata Motors, India’s largest automobile company. Jaguar Cars Limited is one of the world’s premier manufacturers of luxury sports saloons and sports cars, whilst Land Rover is a world renowned manufacturer of premium 4Ãâ€"4’s based in the United Kingdom. The Land Rover, in particular, over its 60 year long history has been renowned for its relationship with the planet. The group’s strategic approach has greatly minimised the impact of their cars on the environment, either through their e-Terrain technologies, more sustainable manufacturing, CO2 offsetting, or conservation and humanitarian projects. Jaguar Land Rover’s sustainability governance structure is part of the reason why sustainability is so embedded strategically in the way they do business. Human Resources This covers all aspects of HR, including operational support, recruitment and development. The Human resources can improve the JLR’s performance in many ways. There are two main processes which are looked at when managing human resources. The most important is to employ they correct people for the job, people that will carry out the job role correctly. Jaguar Land Rover takes on a limited number of design graduates into one of three different design areas: * Colour and materials * Digital and clay modelling * Surfacing Design graduates will be closely involved with creating the look and feel of vehicles, both internally and externally. Throughout Jaguar Land Rover, people experience moments of inspiration and progress like these every day. Individually, they define careers. Together, they’re the driving force behind the astonishing growth in over 170 countries around the world. People matter in JLR. There organisation’s capability and vision have been he power behind their recent success, and are key to their future. We need to create a positive, supportive environment capable of attracting, developing and retaining the best people possible. This is what they’ll be fundamental in doing. Working across the business, they’ll help them find innovative new ways to source, engage and nurture employees. Theyâ €™ll develop themselves too, by thinking commercially and gaining technical skills that will prove invaluable long into their future. As there remarkable growth continues the challenges them face will just keep on getting bigger and more exciting. And when it all comes together – when a project you’ve worked on makes a visible and positive impact on our business – it’ll be a moment you’ll never forget. Staff journey begin thorough introduction to both brands, followed by carefully planned development throughout their time on the programme. This will include support to achieve any professional accreditation they’ll need. At every stage, JRL will be given the support and freedom to achieve their full potential. And, as people expect from an internationally successful business, the rewards and benefits are outstanding. They include a competitive salary and pension scheme, joining bonus and an employee car purchase scheme. The longer that people work in a job, or different jobs they will start to gain accumulated experience, they will start to learn how to deal with certain issues that may come up in their job. This is a major benefit to the company, as more and more people stay at the company so wills the experience. The people with experience will be placed as mangers so that they can have an influence on their own sector or department. It is very important for the organization to build up the skills of peoples so that they can deal with certain issues that arisen the business. It would be wise to train more than a few people at certain things, for instance in their absence, there should be somebody to handle that specific area. If an experienced person was to leave the organization it would beard to find another person that would be able to fulfil that job role with the same amount of skill as the previous person. Cascading training is the process in which training is passed on throughout the workforce, so that a backup is available when one is needed. To grow their business and bring their vehicles to life, it takes exceptional people. In Jaguar and Land Rover HR look at following things also:- Working right across an exceptionally broad HR career path, they’ll take on challenges such as: * Negotiating change with JLR Trade Unions * Advising Board Directors on business unit organization * Producing training and development programmers * Building positive senior relationships throughout the business * Managing the performance, and developing the skills, of employees throughout the business. Physical Resources When looking at the physical resources of the JLR, we look at the procedures that it undertakes to carry out its activities. Improvements can be made to make sure that these resources are maintained, refurbished and secured. All businesses need premises where they can operate from. These buildings can have a strong affect on the people that either work there, or the customers of the company. Having building located in strong economic areas is also very important for the business, so that many people will be attracted to it, as well as see it as an important building in the area. Importance of how JLR layout their stores all over the country no doubts shows in its success. The building has proper heating system and other accessories to attract the attention of the customers. Once they have chosen the car that they wish to purchase. In businesses like JLR, they would need to be aesthetically pleasing to the customers, being attracted to the building will naturally result in them proceeding into the building. Improvements should be made in the materials and waste in JLR. Undoubtedly this would both save the economy as well as money for the business. JLR has many stores, warehouses and factories. These building will all need to cope with different activities that will need to be completed. The plant will be the place where the machinery for these places will be placed. Although some companies take their machinery on lease, JLR sees best to buy the machinery. The correct equipment is essential for a business such as JLR to operate smoothly. If the necessary equipment is not given then this can result in the incompletion of the task which was required, this can have more impact on The Company then some may think. IT is one of the most important, many business fail without it. JLR has a ery good IT system, which consist of both hardware and software, which carry out their main jobs of looking after the amount of stock in the stores, the days cash intake, and many other important functions that the company needs. Hardware is the physical items, computers, monitors, things that are visible to people. Software would be the systems that the computer runs on, Microsoft and other appl ications. Making sure that all of the buildings in the JLR Empire are maintained and updated if necessary is one thing that the company could not survive without. All of the 24 hour factories will always have their premises checked. If the correct maintenance does not take place then the machinery or the buildings can break down, leading to much more hefty cost with replacing them. Cleaning of the buildings is important in keeping it safe to work in and healthy for the people who work there. Refurbishment of the company consists When the company seems they want to change the appearance of their stores whether it be to the customers in the stores, or for the workers in the other associated buildings. Keeping the buildings fresh will encourage people to enjoy their workplace and result in people working harder. Refurbishment can also have an impact on the environment as well as people, as old resources can be replaces with eco-friendly or energy saving ones. To ensure that the workers and the customers of JLR are safe at all times Emergency Provisions will be there in case of an emergency. Evacuation training must be given to all of the employees, so that they know exactly what to do in case of a fire or any other incidence. Other equipment to prevent harm will be placed in the store, such as, fire alarms, smoke detectors, fire escapes and fire extinguishers. To ensure that these are working at all times, regular checks will need to be made. Insurance is a must with all building, whether there leased or owned by the company. This is to cover any damages. Protecting the assets of the company is very important because if any of these were vandalized, they can claim the damage costs back. The building must be made secured at all times, when the employees finish their shift at night; they must lock the premises up so that no intruder can enter. Although this is not always the case, people still somehow find a way in, this is why security guards are hired. The company can also get advice from big security companies about how they can keep their business locked and secure. Technological Resources When looking at resources which are technological, there are many improvements that can be made in JLR. Technological resources would not be hardware; they would fall under the category of software. They are managed in similar ways to other resources to ensure that they are not damaged, and if there is a newer version an update can be made. Intellectual property is the right in which people can own idea’s and decide what happens to them. Software is used in JLR a lot, and the company spends a lot of money on software for its business. Bespoke software is sometimes very important to businesses; the reason for this is because it is a piece of software that is specifically designed for a business. Software that isn’t bespoke, but owned by people is also used, and to use this JLR must pay a fee for the software license so that they can distribute it to all of their stores. When companies buy these licenses, they usually get a discount due to the bulk amount of computers that they wish to install the software onto. Some company’s run the software on more computers they claim to be, and in these cases they are breaking the law, although this can work both ways, as the companies can charge too much. Software audits can save a vast amount of money for the company, to see which computers need new software and which don’t. Using legislation to protect the technological resources of the company is very important although it is always hard to tell whether people have taken your idea, it is always hard to find the perpetrators. Patents and Copyrights are different area’s which fall under intellectual property law. Patents are protection for inventions, new or improved. And copyright protects the use of graphical images, or literary, songs software and films. Conclusion This activity is carried out through a process of cross-function or cross departmental working. Staff from different sections of a business come together to identify and address issues related to the company’s logistics, employee relations, stakeholder engagement and organisational development. Staff are recruited to meet demands of the organisation and often a team leader is selected to co-ordinate objectives, e. g. to set and meet achievable goals. Team performance is monitored in bite sizes to keep abreast of developments. Team members will liaise with other departments to avoid the silo effect form of productivity, i. e. to keep in the loop of events in the business environment. JLR make a series of strategic senior hires to affect particular objectives, e. g. a company may employ a senior manager to handle IT strategy formulation and implementation. This action is intended to encourage competition and increase productivity. All the data created or generated will be stored up as intellectual property and perhaps legal steps will be taken to protect material, e. . designs and text. The information will have come from a range of individuals who have come together as a group to provide accumulated experience and skills. For instance members of a Board may have worked within the organisation over a series of years in different roles. Other areas of physical resource include maintenance of a JLR’s building and facilities, e. g. an organisation may need to employ a policy and compliance officer to write and maintain a register of clear concise and easy to use documents as required by service operations of the business and government standards.

Competition within the small business sector - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1948 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? As in this competition era lots of small businesses are running in this time. So, one of them we are going to explain. Here, we are going to explain about a small business. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Competition within the small business sector" essay for you Create order Company has been doing a business in hardware and software area. Apart from this, management wants to expand business in various levels. A management of this company need to make focus on inventory control, sales, profit, facility for customer and main an essential thing is an order checking. More over, a company has major challenges from competitor in a same market place. As per data indication, competitor has efficient structure, higher quality product, various systems compare to this organization and all these sectors are ample for to attract a customer in business. On other side, company has been facing problem with own existing system. Like, stock management, customer relationship management and main issues with an order handling. Conversely, company has strength in a business like, unique service, higher level of employees and other facilities. So, an organization has been facing all these issues in this current time period. On the contrary, a management try to do some diversif ication in business with use of some strategy and technical tools. And try to grow up business up to some extant. Research Back Ground In this competition environment for any business whether it belongs from small company or multi national industry competitor always rise in same market place. And create a competition in business environment. But, only few of them can get succeed in this area with prop of their extremely higher level of management and qualitative strategy. As we have seen that company has problems with its exiting system and business is not handled by management in well manner. First of all, SWOT analysis will reveal a description about company or this analysis will show mirror of exiting system. As we know that S indicates Strength of company. For this company its own reputation in a market place and main an essential thing is a best level of customer service and giving qualitative service. Apart from this, an organization is providing other facilities compare to its competitor. More over, weakness and Threat indicates internal problem in this current system. Other side, with prop of some manageme nt strategy and implementing a tools will create an opportunities for this company. Problem Identification As we have seen a structure of a company and challenges from its competitor. In addition, we saw a company has some strength. But, here Weakness and Threat for this current exiting system can easily identify. In addition, company has many problems with its exiting system. Fristly, major problem with this exiting system is an if we talk about Stock Management. In addition, management not taking aware about this vital issues which will influence in a future for business. Still a management not applying any new strategy to grow up business in right manner and its an extremely high issue for business. Especially when we compare with a future direction. More over, information reveals that company has been facing problem with some order checking or other words to say that, company has all manually system instead of any small tools or any data base where they can keep all information about ordering and also get all record about selling product. In addition, this organization has manually system which is difficult to handle especially when we talk about some invoice and re checking a system. Last but not lest, an organization has problem with its less working hour. Finally, stock management control creates interrupt in current time. Apart from this, an organization also facing some challenging from its competitor in same market place. Because of, in a same area other challenger runs business in same market. And they have better structure of organization, qualitative of product and unique product compare to other challengers. In addition, competitor applying different level of strategy to run business successful in a challenging environment. And they believe to do some diversification in business sector which is one of the higher threats for this organization. Thus, this organization has many problems in this current system and with lack of service, pure management pushing this business in to a downside. Recommendations As we have seen that company has been facing many problems in this current structure. And create worth situation for them. But, a management need to bring some strategy for better future for this organization and create an opportunities for a business in this competition era. Firstly, as we saw a company has problem with its own stock management. In addition, a management needs to bring some unique strategy which will influence on business sector. As we know that, this company business totally related with computer hardware and software. So, this type business all transaction handles in day to day. In addition, transaction always day in and day out format. Apart from this, all decision has been taken a short time. Thus, with prop of Working Capital Cycle a management can get right and proper solution for this company. In addition, as per data which shows that an organization has major problem with its stock management. So, with prop of this method we can get easy solution. A manage ment of this organization needs to develop Reordering and Rechecking . With help of this strategy a management can take decision related with stock control and ordering a new stock. Secondly, other issues which creates an interrupt in business sector. An organization has major problem with its lower level of qualitative service. It means that its current manual system which creates a worth situation for this company which is an extremely dangers for this business. Because of, company belongs totally in technical environment .so, company need to develop some tools with prop of that they can manner some financial data and also does some diversification in business sector against it competitor. Moreover, company facing major problem with its management. Thats lack of bring strategy in business. Company need to make focus on some market segmentation which will bring a some opportunities for business. It means that a management of this company need to make focus on demand forecasting which indicates a customer demand in a business. And it has direct relation with Working Capital Cycle. For instance, management should know about demand or product and type of demand. It means that if younger customer visiting more compare to other customer then management need to keep some game zone area which brings more customer in a business and grow a business in right and proper way. This is ultimate goal for any organization. Finally, according to a companys issues a management need to develop this strategy to grow up business in perfect direction. Last but not least, with prop of some strategy company need to do some diversification in business which will be helpful in a business level. Especially against competitor a company can get more benefits. And a management need to create CRM (Customer Relationship Management) with them. And always try to fulfil customer satisfaction. Because end of any strategy or any business plan base on customer satisfaction from company. Thu s, company need to develop all these strategy to bring tremendous opportunities for business sector. Change management As we have seen that, company has major problem in a current framework. And an organization has needed to change or modify structure in proper way to run business in this competition era especially against business enemy. In addition, we saw that an organization has major problem with forecasting or stock management. And as we recommend that a working capital cycle is a best and east strategy to check each stock. Apart from this, a management should aware of how to develop and apply in a business? Because of, this strategy has relation with business diversification. Its risk for business as well. If a management has lack of ability to handle a business in right and proper way. Apart from this, as we recommend that a business need to focus on some diversification in business sector really that type of business strategy brings a revolution in business environment. Especially when an organization wants to grow a business in right and proper direction. Because of, diversification st rategy indicates that a management need to launch totally unique different product compare to other competitor. Which will brings a opportunities in a business level. More over, we can say that a company can create way to achieve goal in right direction with prop of this strategy. However, a major risk for this strategy and that is a lose business. With this strategy plenty of risk brings in a business sector and a little decision can influence in current position and also impact on a future situation in this competition environment. As we know that company has manual process whether its related with its customer information, ordering, rechecking etc. and so, management needs to implement a tools which will handle data base of customer, order etc. so, on that base level they can keep each and every data which will be useful for business in right. Moreover, if we talk about business sector then for this organization has to develop a tool which will utilize for keep data records an d for other system task as well. So, that is main and essential benefits to build up this task in business sector. However, for this type of tools are very time consuming and also up to some extant difficult to handle for operator. and main an important problem with this is need to employee a staff to develop a tools. This is really difficult to a current situation in business. Thus, a management of this business need to change a structure of a business with prop of some business strategy which will change a framework of business and create bright future for company or organization. However, all these things depend on how a management develop and adopt in a business in various level. Finally, qualitative strategies change a structure of business in different ways. And also create right way to achieve goal. Conclusion As we saw that to run a small business in this competition its really difficult. Apart from this, we also seen that how a management for small business need to develop or grow a business in various level with help of strategy. In addition, we cover all information related with small business environment especially against in competition environment. And shows that how a management of small business develop a diversification in business. How to use  SWOT analysis  to drive your business forward.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Signing up to the is4profitSmall Business  Newsletter or; Entering your firms details into the   www.is4profit.com/HYPERLINK https://www.is4profit.com/business/business/swot-analysis.htmlbusinessHYPERLINK https://www.is4profit.com/business/business/swot-analysis.html/HYPERLINK https://www.is4profit.com/business/business/swot-analysis.htmlbusinessHYPERLINK https://www.is4profit.com/business/business/swot-analysis.html/HYPERLINK https://www.is 4profit.com/business/business/swot-analysis.htmlswotHYPERLINK https://www.is4profit.com/business/business/swot-analysis.html-HYPERLINK https://www.is4profit.com/business/business/swot-analysis.htmlanalysisHYPERLINK https://www.is4profit.com/business/business/swot-analysis.html.html Working capital cycle. Introduction. The  working capital cycle  can be defined as: The period of time which elapses between the points at which cash begins to   tutor2u.net/business/finance/workingcapital_cycle.htm Analyse your  business  and markets to identify new opportunities and devise a strategy. www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemIdtype How and when to  diversify  into new products or services and markets, the risks and the rewards. www.businesslink.org/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES

Advantages of a Boarding School Education

Boarding schools have long been praised for offering students small class sizes, close alliances between students and teachers, and rigorous academics. But the long term benefits of attening boarding school were not always so clear. Until now ... thanks to a thorough study carried out by The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), an association that works with more than 300 boarding schools around the world, there is evidence that supports the advantages of a boarding school education for students over public and private day schools. The TABS  study surveyed more than 1,000 boarding school students and alumni and compared them to 1,100 public school students and 600 private day school students. The results suggest that boarding school students are better prepared for college than students who attend private day schools and public schools and that boarding school students also make faster progress in their careers. The reasons for these results may be a direct result of essentially being immersed in an academic environment full time. TABS has been working diligently to support boarding schools, and recently launched the Ready for More? Campaign. That campaign, along with the results of the survey paint an enticing picture for boarding school experiences. Academics and Student Life The study conducted by The Association of Boarding Schools found that 54% boarding school students report being highly satisfied with their academic experience, as compared to 42% of students who attend private day schools and 40% of students who attend public schools.   Check out these statistics from the TABS Study on what boarding school students say about their school environment, as compared to Private and Public School Students: 75% of boarding school students report that their peers are motivated, as compared to 71% of private day school students, and 49% of public school students.  91% of boarding school students feel their school is challenging academically, as compared to 70% of private day school students and 50% of public school students.  90% of boarding school students report that their teachers are high quality, whereas only 62% of private day and 51% of public school students would rate their teachers as high quality. College Preparation In addition, boarding school students reported that they are better prepared for college than students from public or private day schools. The study carried out by The Association of Boarding Schools found that 87% of boarding school students reported that they were very well prepared to take on college academics, as compared to 71% of students from private day schools and 39% of students from public schools. In addition, 78% of students at boarding schools said that the daily life at boarding schools helped prepare them for other aspects of college life, such as exercising independence, handling their time well, and doing well with college social demands. In contrast, only 36% of private day school students and 23% of public school students reported that they were ready to tackle college life with success. Benefits Extending Beyond College Interestingly, the study showed that the benefits of having attended boarding school extended well into adult life. For example, boarding school alumni/ae tended to attend graduate school in greater numbers: 50% of them earned advanced degrees, as compared to 36% of private day school alumni/ae and 21% of public school graduates. And once they earned their degrees, graduates of boarding schools earned top positions in management to a greater extent than their colleagues—44% did so, as compared to 33% of private day school grads and 27% of public school graduates. By the end of their careers, 52% of boarding school alumni had achieved top positions, as compared to 39% of private day school graduates and 27% of public school graduates. Boarding school alumni say in remarkable numbers that they enjoyed their experience at school, and, in fact, an overwhelming number—90%--say that they would repeat it. It is clear from the survey that boarding schools offer not only top academics but also lifelong benefits and a close-knit community that students and alumni enjoy for a lifetime. While many parents choose boarding school mainly for its educational value—in the TABS study, the promise of a good education was the primary reason parents chose boarding schools for their children—it is clear from the survey that the schools offer much more than just the experience in the classroom. They also offer students the ability to exercise independence, work closely with their teachers, and enjoy friendships that often last a lifetime. Edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

The Divorce Of Christian People - 1282 Words

Cornatzer 2 Have you ever been driving somewhere only to realize a short time later that your are lost. You stop and ask yourself the question of How did I get here? From the very beginning of time there has always been marriage. Marriage is first seen in the bible in Genesis 2:18, where God said that it is not good that man be alone. It is obvious because he put in in His word that God has always been about relationships and when he instituted the marriage of one man and one woman he believed that it was something that should last forever. Regardless of the intention that God had for marriage when he ordained it, too many people have made it to be something of a fad or a trend. Instead of making statements like lets give it the ole college try we are now saying things like lets give it the ole marriage try. One of the most unfortunate things that happens in our world today is the divorce of christian people. Christians of all people should be different, the bible says that we are to be set apart or different. If we are to be different then why is that Christian people are now on the front lines of statistics of divorce. Over the next few paragraphs we will examine some common problems that lead to divorce and why the church seems to be so involved in this statistic so much. The biblical teaching of marriage is that it is the union of one man and of one woman (Gen. 2:24) has completely changed. There are now new definitions for what once was a bond betweenShow MoreRelatedEssay on Divorce: The Separation of the Inseparable952 Words   |  4 Pagesto celebrate love. Yet Americans for Divorce Reform (ADR) estimate that, â€Å"Probably, 40 or possibly even 50 percent of marriages will end in divorce if current trends continue (Colleen). The ADR also shows the divorce rates between Christians and non-Christians are indistinguishable. Even worse, Christians divorcing their spouses are distorting the Bible in order to justify their actions. Christ ians must be called to a higher standard in regards to divorce, and they must stop twisting the BibleRead MoreHow Do You Feel About Divorce?908 Words   |  4 PagesHow do you feel about divorce? In our culture today there are a lot of people that have gone through divorce or been affected by it. It has actually become the norm. If you don’t like your marriage just get out of it, seems to be the world tells us. After all, marriage is supposed to be wonderful and never have any problems right? I think it’s funny how some of us want our lives to look like the ones in the movies, but when life doesn’t go the way we had planned, we try to hit the eject buttonRead MoreChristian fidelity in marriage Fidelity, in the Christian viewpoint, is the strict fulfillment of1100 Words   |  5 PagesChristian fidelity in marriage Fidelity, in the Christian viewpoint, is the strict fulfillment of vows and duties or conjugal faithfulness. This definition seems uncomplicated, but to practice fidelity in a relationship, specifically marriage, is a commitment that many people would not comprehend in its’ totality. The Christian meaning of fidelity is perceived by the majority of society to be strictly in the corporeal sense only. As a Christian we are called to look upon not only the physical realityRead MoreAdults and Divorce Essay1163 Words   |  5 Pagesculminate their holy marriage by filing for divorce in the judicial courts. 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All one has to do is go to a lawyer and a divorce can be granted in some states without any questionsRead MoreSexual Ethics Essay1020 Words   |  5 Pagesnumber of dilemmas in sexual ethics such as homosexuality, marriage and divorce and pornography. For instance homosexuality is a major problem within sexual ethics because homosexual sex cannot lead to reproduction. However sexual ethic it differs between denominations compared to government law. Therefore these issues are a concern to religious belief; different faiths have different view on homosexuality or marriage and divorce. Many religious beliefs do not encourage homosexuality in fact it isRead MoreDivorce and Christianity Essay552 Words   |  3 Pagessuddenly a loud bang fills the house and the little boy notices his father is gone once again. This same tragedy happens in many Christian homes across the world as many parents argue until the point of violence. However, should a couple stay truthful to their commitment to their partner, community, and their religion or should they sin in there yearn for happiness? Divorce is depicted from many different causes in today’s society such as infidelity, lack of communication, abuse, abandonment, andRead MoreThe Catholic And Christian Marriages905 Words   |  4 PagesCatholic and Christian marriages are very different in today’s society compared to many years ago. A traditional marriage is viewed differently in many ways, some of these changes are because of society. Such as many people do not view divorce as such a horrible act anymore, marriage is no longer just between a man and a woman, and many people find themselves getting married for the wrong reasons. Since these many changes have taken place the Christian and Catholic churches have converted many rulesRead MoreMarriage, Divorce and Remarriage1472 Words   |  6 PagesMarriage, Divorce, and Remarriage The Present, Past, and Future Tenses of Our Lives Marriage is possibly one of the hardest tasks that a man and a woman can try to accomplish in their life (Curran 2011). They have to bring their conflicts, needs, desires, and challenges into a melodious whole. God designed marriage to be permanent. â€Å"I hate divorce,† says the Lord God of Israel, (Mal.2:16 NIV). Tennessee Code - Volume 6A, Title 36, Sections 36-4-101 and 36-4-103 states there are fourteenRead MoreMedea As A Good Moral Life856 Words   |  4 PagesOr a better question is: Was Jason’s action morally correct, which led to Medea’s morally incorrectness? How was this any different in the eyes of the Christian God? Euripides’ Medea is a Greek story about Medea, a barbaric woman who was married to Jason with children. They lived in Corinth. â€Å"Medea was an obedient wife and was loved by the people of Corinth†. (Euripides 18) Medea was an outsider from another country that loved Jason. Jason was concerned about his kingdom, so he explains that

Building Codes for the Fire Services Free Essays

In the recent Charleston, South Carolina furniture warehouse fire, nine firefighters perished apparently by compromised and structural collapse of the building’s roof. Every year, fire related accidents caused by building collapse; flashover and deadly smoke have been the leading causes of injuries or deaths of firefighters all over the United States (Dunn, 2007). Most tragic was the World Trade Center Twin Towers’ collapse where 343 members of the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) perished died fifty-six minutes after the attacks (Fema’s US Fire Administration, 2002). We will write a custom essay sample on Building Codes for the Fire Services or any similar topic only for you Order Now The building officials, fire department, architects and engineers did not anticipate that such an attack could happen in American soil. In the light of these developments, the public called for a review of all existing building and fire codes in the country. Dunn (2007) enumerated three most deadly situations in firefighting history where the ten-year study of the National Fire Protection Association indicated them as the main causes of injuries and fatalities of firefighters. They are collapse, flame spread and smoke. â€Å"The most common types of collapse that have injured and killed many in the line of duty were floor collapse, roof collapse, wall collapse and ceiling collapse† (Dunn 2007). It is imperative that firefighters have the basic knowledge on the behavior of buildings while being engulfed in flames. What they know could save their lives when they take the risk of controlling the situation. It is also important to look back at previous strategies on how buildings were deemed â€Å"fire proofed† and considered safe at all times. To avoid a repeat of the tragic incidents, regulatory bodies, engineers, the academe and other professionals pit their wits and talents to ensure building safety standards are met. It is undeniable that some of the codes have become obsolete with the introduction of new building construction technologies. The Need to Overhaul Existing Codes Traditionally, the safety of buildings has been regulated by codes all over the country. Since the 1800’s the safety of buildings had been mandated by these codes and they include the use of â€Å"fire resistive materials, compartmentation features, and later, installation of automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems. † (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 619). All of these prescriptions were intended to ensure building safety even in the event of a fire. These also purported to make tall buildings safer. These had worked well under hazardous circumstances but were tested when the 9/11 attacks occurred. Codes across the United States are also moving towards performance measures in addition to the time-tested prescriptions of the codes (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 619). In New York City, for example, Mayor Bloomberg called for a review of the existing codes that had been in force since 1968 to conform to contemporary needs. New York has four construction codes namely the Building Code, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes (New New York City Construction Codes, n. d. , p. 1). The City government was caught flatfooted with an outdated construction code when the 9/11 attacks struck. The amendments to the code include the adoption of the International Building Code (IBC) format, placing safety as a priority and preserving some elements of the existing codes while enhancing the â€Å"requirements for fire protection, construction safety, and structural integrity requirements for new buildings. † (New New York City Construction Codes, n. d. , p. 1) Moore (n. d. ) defined building codes as â€Å"extratechnological laws that govern the design and construction of structures. † (p. 262). The codes follow the dictates social and ethical mores where the protection of life and property is a priority. It also traces its roots in the Hammurabi code where a builder was held responsible for a collapsed house that killed its occupants and applying the lex talionis principle of justice (p. 262). Codes also had grown out of the necessity to adhere to insurance regulations. Protection goals include all the contents of a building or warehouse that were insured. Failure to mitigate the risk like loss to fire would mean economic repercussions for the community or state (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 625). Code prescriptions until the 1940’s prescribed a fire resistive building as steel framed or buildings that had â€Å"skeletal framework of steel columns and beams which supported the actual weight of the structure and its contents. † (Portolan, n. d. ) The structural elements were fireproofed or encased in concrete or tile (Portolan, n. d. ) In the 1920’s, the codes also regulated the heights of buildings where height limitations had a direct relationship to the construction methods employed (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 626). Each state though had its interpretation and regulations concerning construction practices. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) proposed a performance based approach to tall building designs with the hope the building designs and construction methodologies respond to the need for safer buildings. The NFPA outlined six goals to performance based building design. They include: Life Safety of Building Occupants; Property/Contents Protection; Mission Continuity; Environmental Consequence of Fire; Heritage/Cultural Preservation; and Fire Suppression Personnel Safety (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 632). However, not all directives and codes today follow the suggestions of NFPA. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) developed their standards specifically aimed at protecting both firefighters and civilians from fire-related injuries. Some of the standards relevant to the construction industry include NFPA 5000 (Building Construction and Safety Code); â€Å"NFPA 13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems); NFPA 501 (Standard on Manufactured Housing) (NIOSH, 2005, p. 3). According to NIOSH (2005)†, while there are existing standard tests like ANSI (American National Standards Institute) or ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) that govern the safety measures in building materials and construction methodologies, these do not take into consideration real situations involving actual conflagrations and how fires would impact on the structural integrity of the structures (p. 4). NIOSH (2005) also pointed out that existing building codes enforced in various states were not designed specifically to protect firefighters. The design focus was on evacuation procedures and how occupants in the building could escape to safety once an unfortunate event occurred (p. 4). With the new reality that unfolded post-9/11, existing building codes must be reviewed for and in consideration of the risks involved when disasters strike. Basic Knowledge on Structural Behaviors of Buildings According to Portolan (n. d. (b)), there are five elements of a building that the firefighters need to consider when evaluating how buildings will behave in case of fire and which strategies to use to contain the problem. They include: the type of construction, size of the building, age of the construction, renovation and occupancy. These are essential information that firefighters can use to plan their course of actions. In addition, knowledge on the behavior of the different structural elements of the building is also imperative. Structural loading creates different stresses on the structures and they may occur separately or in combination. The stresses include compression, tensile and shear stresses (Portolan, n. d (b). ). Compression acts when materials are pressed against each other. Tensile stresses happen when the structural elements are pulled in two different directions. Shear stresses cause materials to fracture and slide across the defect in the opposite direction (Portolan, n. d (b). ). Structural elements of the building are subjected to different loads. Columns are commonly subjected to axial loads. Eccentric loads are directed along a parallel axis to the longitudinal section of the structural member and are off-centered. Torsion loads can cause twisting in the structural elements (Portolan, n. d (b). ) Aside from the stresses, the firefighters also need to consider which part of the structures are vulnerable or the structural integrity had been compromised because of the fire. When steel beams are subjected to unusually high temperature, the structural member may expand and elongate. If both ends are tightly secured, torsion stresses may cause twisting in beams (Portolan, n. d. (b)). Columns carry the greatest axial loads. The more slender the column, the more it is susceptible to buckling. When axial loads shift to eccentric or torsion loads, it could also be a cause of failure (Portolan, n. d. (b)). About 60% of the buildings in the United States use the truss system for roofs (NIOSH, 2005, p. 1). Most of the truss systems were made of wood materials. Recent innovation introduced lighter construction materials for truss systems including steel and lighter weight materials intended to accommodate wider spans. Under normal conditions, these engineered materials may perform well. However, when fire occurs, they may be weakened and compromised causing the collapse of roof and floor systems (p. 1). Types of Building Collapses Due to Fire Collapse patterns are different for each element of the building. Walls often collapse in a 90-degree angle. These walls are often constructed using reinforced masonry. Curtain wall collapse occurs when the outer veneer becomes disconnected and they fall straight down to the base of the wall. This type of collapse is also exhibited by unreinforced walls. Inward or outward collapse may also occur if the wall is breached or at areas where it is considerably weaker like door or window openings (Portolan, n. d. (b)). Truss systems of roof and floor often cave-in as their structural integrities were affected by conflagration. Steel trusses are also susceptible to expansion and torsion stresses. Often, firefighters used visual indicators to predict an impending collapse. But these were not enough to prevent accidents from happening. NIOSH (2005) listed three conditions where truss collapse occurs. First, when a firefighter works on the roof top of the burning building, chances of a cave-in is extremely high because the hidden structural members of the truss system had already been subjected to extreme temperatures thereby weakening them. Second, firefighters working inside the burning structure are also subjected to the risk of the entire roof falling onto them. Finally, failed truss systems can precipitate other parts of the structure to collapse like walls (p. 4). Another type of collapse usually found in tall structures is referred to as progressive collapse. Nair (2004) defined progressive collapse as â€Å"collapse of all or a large part of a structure precipitated by failure or damage of a relatively small part of it. † (p. 1) This theory was used in part to explain why the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York collapsed. Conclusion Knowing how structural members behave during fire would mitigate the risk factors and prevent injuries and deaths. Part of the training of firefighters is knowing how to evaluate the condition of the burning edifice before going in and making a plan of action. The different studies on the behavior of buildings on fire proved to be valuable to firefighters. The recent events had also made regulating bodies review their out-dated Codes. Existing building codes do not include the protection of firefighters in the event of fire. The NFPA and the IBC remedied that deficiency. However, code changes were also met with opposition. Building codes were primarily implemented with economic considerations in mind. It would prove to be more costly for the building owner if NFPA or IBC was followed. According to Gips (2005), of the various proposals for change in the Codes, only one was acceptable and included in the IBC. It concerned the fire-resistance ratings of buildings of 420 feet or higher. The new code required a â€Å"minimum three-hour structural fire-resistance rating, whether sprinklers are present or not. † (p. 42+). Other provisions that would make it safer for both firefighters and occupants need more work. References Dunn, V. (2007). Dunn’s Dispatch: 9 firefighters die fighting fire in South Carolina furniture storeroom fire. Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://cms. firehouse. com/content/article/article. jsp? sectionId=14id=55205 FEMA’s US Fire Administration (2002). USA releases preliminary firefighter fatality statistics for 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://mcftoa. org/Deathstats1. htm Gips, M. A. (2005, March). The Challenge of Making Safer Structures: Three and a Half Years after 9-11, Building Codes Are Just Starting to Reflect Lessons Learned from the World Trade Center Collapse. Security Management, 49, 42+. Retrieved June 27, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5008988697 Moore, S. A. (n. d. ) Building Codes in Encyclopedia of Science, Technology and Ethics, 262-266 Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://soa. utexas. edu/faculty/moore/selectpub/enc_buildingcodes. pdf Nair, R. S. (2004) Progressive collapse basics. Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. aisc. org/Content/ContentGroups/Documents/Selected_Nair/nairhotlink2. pdf New New York City Construction Codes (n. d. ) Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://nyc. gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/cons_code_faqs. pdf NIOSH (2005) Preventing injuries or deaths of firefighters due to truss system failures. Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh/docs/2005-132/pdfs/2005-132. pdf Portolan, C. (n. d. ) Building Construction –Special situations Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. lbfdtraining. com/Pages/buildingconstruction/specialsituations. html Portolan, C. (n. d. (b)) Glossary of building construction terminology Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. lbfdtraining. com/Pages/buildingconstruction/bconstructintro. html Solomon, R. E. and Hagglund, B. (2001) Performance code requirements in the tall building environment in Tall buildings and urban habitat: Cities in the third millennium. Council On Tall Buildings And Urban Habitat – orgname. New York: Spon Press, 619-634. How to cite Building Codes for the Fire Services, Papers

Entry and Co Operative Strategies in Business

Question: Discuss about the Entry and Co Operative Strategies in Business. Answer: Introduction The international business expansion of an organizations operating in any of the industry allows the organization to have a lot of new opportunities for growth and higher sales. The new markets in the corresponding international locations allow the organization to gain new customer base and strengthen the brand image. Along with these new opportunities, the international business expansion of an organization exposes the organization to a number of risks and threats. These risks and opportunities of an international market for a particular organization should be analyzed effectively before expanding the business into the international market. This makes the job of an international operations manager very critical, which is to analyze the opportunities and threats of an international market before advising the higher executives of the organization to expand into the corresponding international market (Killing, 2012). Company background The organization has been operating in the Australian market for quite some time and has been providing various medications to the customers present in the corresponding markets. The organization has acquired a number of small pharmaceutical brands over the years of its operations in the Australian market. The organization has also merged with a number of bigger brands to increase its operations in the Australian markets. The organization is looking to expand its business into the international market in order to increase its profits and expand its customer base (Cavusgil, 2014). South Africa South Africa is one of the developing countries which can be considered as a target international market for the expansion of the organization. This section of the report analyzes the opportunities and risks present in the markets in pharmaceutical industry in South Africa (Hamilton, 2015). Risks There are four major types of risks in any international business expansion operation into a different country. These risks for the markets in South Africa are analyzed below. Cross-cultural risks South Africa has a transactional culture, but the people in the societies across the country have deeply rooted traditions and customs. These traditions shouldnt be offended at any point of time by the organization. There are multiple cultures and languages present across various regions across the country. So the management of the organization has to ensure that the personnel involved in the international business expansion should be well-versed in these languages used in the country. The business environment in the country is also quite informal, which allows the people in South Africa to be direct in their interactions in businesses as well. The international business expansion of the organization should ensure that the decision making processes along with other business processes are carried out by keeping this factor in focus (Tsang, 2016). Country risks The costs of starting a business in South Africa is quite high and the procedure of getting permits for starting a business is tedious through the legal system of the country. The legal system in the country is a bit underdeveloped, which in turn makes the procedure of forcing contracts a difficult task in the country. The government regulations and laws established by the government of the country makes the trades across the borders a cumbersome job through tedious process of getting approvals and permits along with the high costs of trading across the borders of the country (Peng, 2016). Commercial risks The pharmaceutical industry in the country has two tiers, public and private tier. The public tier of the industry is developed on the government of the country. The public sector in the pharmaceutical industry has low funding and provides the products at low price due to the price regulations. The private sector of the industry has the prices similar to that of the developed countries, but the low prices in the public sector of the industry can become a significant risk for the international business expansion of the organization. The national health plans from the government of the country also allows the demand for the low-cost drugs to be very high (Hill, 2013). Currency (Financial) risks The revenue growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the country has been restricted by a number of factors in the country. Some of these factors are price regulations implemented by the government, slowing growth of the economy of the entire country and the low purchase power of the population of the country. The trend of the slowing economy of the country is expected to continue till the year of 2018. Opportunities The pharmaceutical industry in South Africa also provides a number of opportunities for the international business operations of the organization. Some of these opportunities of the corresponding industry are mentioned below. The country possesses the most developed manufacturing base in the continent, which allows the organization to have effective options for the manufacturing of the products sold by the organization. There are a number of renowned life sciences and biotechnology companies present in the country and some of them are also headquartered in the country. This provides the organization with the opportunities of mergers for the international business expansion (Casson, 2013). The scientific base of the country is well developed and includes skilled human capital and effective infrastructures. This allows the organization to have the resources for the business expansion at fairly low costs. The regulated medical environment in the country allows the pharmaceutical industry to have good business ethics in place. This in turn allows the organization to have an ethical industry for the international business expansion (Aronczyk, 2013). The products sold in the private and public sector of the pharmaceutical industry are not of very high quality. So the organization has a good opportunity to introduce its products in the pharmaceutical industry of the country. Even if the economy of the country is expected to be in a slowing trend till the year of 2018, it expected to grow by an average of six percent a year. This in turn allows the organization to have a stable economy for its international business operations. China Some of the risks and opportunities present in the pharmaceutical industry of China are mentioned in this section of the report. The four major categories of the risks in the pharmaceutical industry for the international business expansion of the organization are mentioned below. Cross-cultural risks The country is home to a large number of individuals from different cultures, backgrounds and buying power. This vastness of the market along with its heterogeneity is one of the biggest risks for the international business operations of the organization. The pharmaceutical industry in China has developed a gray market in which the drugs are imported from the neighboring countries at lower costs by getting purchased with prescriptions. This in turn is a risk to the international business expansion of the organization as the ethics implemented in the corresponding industry isnt very effective (Dobbs, 2013). Country risks The pharmaceutical industry in China provides preference to the domestic players in the corresponding markets. There are a number of restrictive compliance guidelines imposed on the foreign firms operating in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, which arent imposed on the domestic companies operating in the same industry. A number of bribery allegations in the recent past has caused the Chinese government to be very cautious of the operations of the foreign organizations in the pharmaceutical industry. This in turn has resulted in a very high level of scrutiny of the business operations in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. Commercial risks The pharmaceutical industry in China has a number of domestic organizations operating in it. These domestic organizations are supported by the government and the majority of the population are inclined towards buying the Chinese traditional medicines manufactured by these organizations. This in turn creates a risk for the international business operations of the organization. The market intermediaries present in the Chinese markets are not effective in working with foreign organizations. So the international business operations of the organization face a risk in putting an efficient supply chain in the corresponding markets (Puffer, 2013). Currency (Financial) risks The economy of China is at a phase of slow growth, which is a risk for the international business operations of the organization. The slow growth of the Chinese economy doesn't allow the organization to have a lot of growth opportunities in the corresponding market. The compliance guidelines implemented in China doesn't allow the foreign direct investments to happen smoothly or quickly. The process of taking money out of China is also a slow process, which takes a long time to get approvals and permits. This is a significant risk for the international business operations of the organisation as the monetary transactions of the organization are directly affected by these compliance guidelines and inefficient processes (Kumar, 2012). Opportunities Some of the opportunities provided by the Chinese pharmaceutical industry are mentioned in this section. The healthcare reform plan proposed for the changes in the pharmaceutical industry till the year 2020, includes a number of changes in the healthcare policies. These changes allow the organisation to have less restrictive operations in the corresponding markets (Forsgren, 2014). The Chinese pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow in the recent future in terms of the revenue. This in turn allows the organization to have a lot of opportunities to generate revenues from the pharmaceutical industry. The elderly population of the societies in China is the largest in the world. The high count of elderly individuals increases the demand for the healthcare services and medications in the corresponding markets. This allows the organization to have good demand for the products sold to the consumers. The healthcare expenditures in the Chinese market are expected to grow steadily in the next five years. This allows the organization to have a lot of demand of the products sold in the Chinese market (Whitelock, 2013). Recommendation The analysis of the opportunities and threats in the pharmaceutical industry in China revealed a lot of information essential for the international business expansion of the organization. The analysis revealed that the pharmaceutical industry in South Africa is the better option for the business expansion of the organization than China. As mentioned earlier, the opportunities for the organization in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry are limited as compared to the threats present in the corresponding markets. But in case of the pharmaceutical industry in South Africa, the opportunities for the organization can weigh out the threats present in the corresponding industry. Entry mode The entry strategy of the organization for the pharmaceutical industry in South Africa should focus on the different macro and micro environmental factors. The entry strategy of the organization should ensure that the international business operations yield the maximum value from the opportunities provided by the corresponding industry in South Africa. The organization should ensure the utilization of the highly developed manufacturing sites in the country through effective deals and contracts (Taylor, 2013). The organization should take advantage of the capabilities of the big life sciences and biotechnology companies already operating in the corresponding markets through merger. The organization can merge with any of these bigger organizations to introduce its business operations into the corresponding market. The organization should promote the high quality of its products in the South American markets to gain a competitive advantage over the existing low quality products available in the private and public sector of the corresponding industry (Dunning, 2012). The slow moving economy of South Africa is expected to grow steadily after the year of 2018. The organization should plan and implement effective operational strategies to cover the entire timeline till the year of 2018. Along with the opportunities, the organization should also consider the threats present in the South African pharmaceutical industry before expanding its business operations into the corresponding markets. The entry strategy of the organization should consider the presence of multiple cultures in the country and should employ local individuals in the initial phase to support the business operations in the corresponding markets and the individuals transferred from Australia. The organization should define and implement an effective recruitment and selection strategy to ensure the recruitment of the skilled employees from the markets in South Africa. These recruitment strategies should also focus on the familiarity of the individuals with the local traditions, customs and languages (Suzuki, 2015). The analysis of the government guidelines and regulations are very essential for the expansion of the organization into the South African pharmaceutical industry. The organization should ensure that the contracts are drafted much earlier to ensure the timely approval from the corresponding government. The organization should consider partnering with service providers and regulatory bodies operating in South Africa to ensure faster approvals from the government departments (Beamish, 2013). The pricing strategy of the organization should consider the price of the products sold by the private and public sector of the corresponding industry in South Africa. The organization should introduce the professional with affordable price range to allow the individuals in the corresponding markets to prefer the products of the organization over the low cost products sold by the private and public organizations in the corresponding country (Ferraro, 2015). The organization should implement effective marketing and promotion strategies to attract more number of customers in the South African markets. The promotional and marketing strategies of the organization should focus on spreading the high quality of the products of the organization at affordable price range. The marketing strategy of the organization should ensure that the individuals in the corresponding markets are convinced of the products sold by the organization to be better than that of the competitors in the corresponding markets (Piekkari, 2014). References Aronczyk, M., 2013. Branding the nation: The global business of national identity. Oxford University Press. Beamish, P., 2013. 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