Lego Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lego - Assignment Example However, this decision turned sour and LEGO withdrew their production from Flextronics in 2009. There are two major reasons behind LEGO’s decision to have 80 percent of their products produced in Flextronics. The first one was the introduction of new toys in the market by its competitors. This influenced the company’s decision to partner because it was during the same period the company had lost confidence in its key product, LEGO brick (Larsen et al, 3). The second reason that triggered partnership was the changes in the global market, as well as, the currency exchange rates in the major importing countries. Through partnership, the company had aimed at increasing its market shares and producing new products. The partnership did not last long without challenges which with time led to the end of the relationship between the two companies. The fist challenge was ensuring that enough stock is constantly maintained. This was mostly contributed by the errors in forecasting and fluctuation of seasonal demand. In addition, the need to meet consumers’ expectations of large stock within a short period led to over production (Larsen et al, 5). The second challenge was the need for change in its retailers. This was a challenge, especially in supply chain management, considering the level of flexibility towards all retailers and smallest outlets. Although the partnership between the two companies did not turn as expected, LEGO can use this failure as its strike back in handling supply chain complexity as well as knowledge sharing, flexibility and coordination (Larsen et al, 10). However, the company has to consider several aspects to achieve these. The first aspect is being open and putting into consideration consumer views. This can be achieved by working closely with the retail shops which in turn reaches the consumer. The

Age discrimination in Employment Research Paper

Age discrimination in Employment - Research Paper Example However, this lack of recognition of age discrimination relates to the fact that the matters surrounding it are not succinctly apprehended. For instance, most of the forms of discrimination in workplaces are grounded on historical biases against a specific recognizable group such as women and ethnic minorities; nonetheless, age does not define a specific or recognizable group. Reasonably, age is a range along which differences between people are frequently elusive and relative (Sergeant, 2013). Additionally, while sex or race prejudice may be grounded on dubious presumptions about the capability of an employee to carry out a task, not all the distinctions regarding age may be prejudiced (Sergeant, 2013). Mental and physical capabilities can lessen with time, but not at a similar rate among all the people. The physical and mental distinctions between the aged employees and the tasks requested to carry out means that some people are capable of doing the job while the others are not (Sergeant, 2013). Since age discrimination is seen in almost all organizations, there is legislation in distinct states to safeguard individuals against prejudice. New Mexico State has numerous laws and regulation set to protect people against age prejudice (New Mexico State Bar, 2014). This paper discusses employment age discrimination and its legislation with reference to New Mexico State. Age discrimination can be described as either direct or indirect (Sergeant, 2013). Direct age discrimination is described as a less favorable treatment because of a person’s age (Sergeant, 2013). This occurs when an aged individual is not considered for a job position because they are deemed outdated or not up to date with the present technology when compared with a young person. On the other end, indirect discrimination refers to the selection criteria, policies, employment rules, benefits, rules and other practices that if adopted have the effect of

Pepsi Refresh Analysis Essay Example for Free

Pepsi Refresh Analysis Essay A Thirst for Change For decades, PepsiCo beverages have had success in capturing much market share of the soft drink industry through fascinating advertising campaigns. Their campaigns revolved around the idea that Pepsi was a drink for the young and young at heart. The advertisements were filled with optimism and aimed to bring people together in some way. At the turn of the twenty-first century, Pepsi was challenged with the fact that people were simply drinking less soda to switch to healthier options. In response to the issue, Pepsi began to expand its product portfolio by including healthier alternatives to the sugar-filled soft drink. Although it was a good attempt to conform to the more health-conscious world, this new focus hindered the attention that was given to their money-making products. Pepsi knew they had to appeal to their audience as more than just a soft drink brand. The problem was how do to so. They began to follow the sentiments of the country and focus on making a change for the better of society. First they launched the Refresh Everything campaign, which gave Pepsi a voice and then the Pepsi Refresh Project, which put that voice to action. The project, which aimed to increase brand equity, earned them an award at the International Advertising Awards but failed to increase sales or market share. Even though the project was successful it was not selling product, which in the end was the main goal. The Pepsi Refresh Project took advantage of one of the company’s best strengths, brand awareness. People knew about Pepsi and were interested in what they were doing to better the society around them. Pepsi saw this new project as an opportunity to establish a point of difference from their biggest competitor, Coca-Cola. They believed that the new socially conscious America was a threat to their industry and had to combat the issue by giving in and helping out. Through social-media and traditional promotion as well as various public relations, Pepsi was able to generate 3. 24 billion media impressions, estimated to be worth $66 million in earned media value, with the Pepsi Refresh Project. Because much of their promotion was done through social networking, Pepsi added 3 million Facebook fans and 53,000 Twitter followers. They also advertised via commercials on NBC, ABC, Fox, MTV, Spike, and ESPN and had print ads in People and Parade magazines. For public relations, they encouraged celebrities to participate in the program and offered grants to help their cause. Even with all of the success in participation of the program, the numbers that really mattered were not increasing. Pepsi sales dropped 4. 8% while market share also decreased. Ultimately, Pepsi believed that long-term brand equity was gained but was unsure whether to continue the project. They could not go another year spending the same amount of money on the Pepsi Refresh Project without their sales increasing. In my opinion, Pepsi broadened the way people think about them as a company and for that, the project was a success. I do not think that continuing this project would be beneficial and they should lend their focus to creating a campaign that drives sales now that they have an even stronger brand equity and awareness.

A view on cumulative satisfaction

A view on cumulative satisfaction Whether in doing business or as an end user of a product or service we tend to realise the importance of value for money. Consumers look for products or services of good quality for the price that they are willing to pay. This pursuit of value is the basis of their perceived satisfaction. Customer satisfaction plays a vital role in deciding value. The overall purpose of this article is to identify the importance of customer satisfaction for organizations and most essentially when and why cumulative satisfaction is important for businesses today. It is vital to make sure that the customers are happy and to view customer satisfaction as a main key to organisational success. Quality of a product or service is a means to an end. Customers perception of a products quality is part of a customers assessment of value and satisfaction. What is Customer Satisfaction? In todays competitive business environment, Organisations thrive to become the market leaders in their respective fields to gain profits. Customer satisfaction is seen as the key to any companys competitive advantage and profitability. It is the overall customer attitude towards a product or a service provider, or the reaction to the difference between what the consumer expects and what they receive, in order to fulfil a need or desire. Customer satisfaction is a highly personal assessment that is affected by customer expectations and is also based on the customers experience with a service or a product, idea, personnel. Imagine going to a reputable shopping venue in Sri Lanka such as Odel, where the atmosphere is excellent for shopping. Renowned for quality products ranging from clothes to jewellery and also provides various facilities such as handy ATMs, telecommunication, cafes where customers can sit and relax after shopping, the play area for children with adult supervision, and the efficient staff who are willing to help all their customers with a smile. In such a place, the overall experience that a consumer gains is what creates value for customers. This value creation adds to the overall satisfaction of the customer. The atmosphere at Odel and the quality products along with the services would affect the customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction and its effect on Organizational profitability Businesses focus on Customer satisfaction mainly to increase their customer loyalty; this generates repeat purchases, thereby increasing their revenue, and importantly helps them to survive among the intense competition. Exemplary organisations focus on how to give their customers a positive experience in order to gain their trust and loyalty because the purchasing behaviour of loyal customers creates higher organisational revenue and reduces the cost of doing business. Satisfied customers will often refer the business to their family and friends which will create positive word of mouth, attract new customers and minimise the costs of advertising. When customers are highly satisfied they are less likely to switch to other service providers. For example a loyal customer of HSBC who is been given recognition for being a HSBC card holder for a long period will be treated exceptionally by the bank, providing him with premium rates, special bonus packages, and therefore this satisfied customer will not want to switch to another bank. Although attracting new customers is important it also can be costly, but serving current customers who are well satisfied with the business and its service can be rather cost efficient. Moreover, highly satisfied customers are less price-conscious because they are brand loyal and will pay a premium price for a product or service. Therefore having satisfied loyal customers will most certainly have a direct impact on profit. This is why successful businesses focus on customer satisfaction. Change in the perception of customer satisfaction through time There was a time when customers were less demanding and less vocal if they were less satisfied with a product or service. This is not that time. In the modern business context customers are becoming more demanding and less tolerant and with a combined increase in expectations, they are ever more concerned with their satisfaction and look for recognition and respect from these service providers. Customers have more power and therefore demand much more than just the product or service. Today, customers are looking for that extra value added full package as opposed to just the product or service. It is the basis of their customer satisfaction. So when is customer satisfaction most important for businesses? The answer is now. It has never been more vital. Cumulative satisfaction and its impact on business Overall satisfaction is not based on a single experience, but rather a chain of positive experiences bringing about a cumulative sense of satisfaction. The perceived value at the pre-purchase stage is short lived, however it sometimes transforms into satisfaction in the post-purchase stage. This post-purchase satisfaction results in repurchases and leads to greater trust and customer loyalty which is a result of cumulative customer satisfaction. A product has five key components such as goods, services, experiences, ideas, and people. Quality should be embedded in all of these components which ultimately creates value, when what is been received is evaluated against what is been offered leading to transactional satisfaction or results of one off exchanges. If a consumer is satisfied with a particular experience, that will eventually lead to cumulative satisfaction where the consumer engages in multiple experiences. Cumulative satisfaction is a psychological state, which leads to a deep sense of trust towards the product or service. This trust will be embedded in the customers mind and therefore will not think twice about purchasing the product or service. For instance, when a customer goes into a groceries super market such as Cargills food city, they reach first for the reputed brands in which they lay their trust. For instance if a customer has been using Colgate toothpaste for the past five years and trusts the brand through experience, thereby he will undeniably select and purchase that particular brand among many other toothpaste brands. This unconscious loyalty stems from countless positive experiences associated with the particular brand. This is what most businesses are looking for. Cumulative satisfaction; as the basis of customer relations In an increasingly impersonal world, customers look for personalized service. Since customer satisfaction varies depending on the individual, it is essential that businesses tailor their services for the customers subjective needs. This is where building customer relationships begin. Since cumulative customer satisfaction leads to loyalty and trust, it is plausible to state that customer relations stems from customer satisfaction. Giving a one-on-one service will enhance the customer experience providing greater cumulative satisfaction. Customers therefore will revisit the business and thus strengthen the relationship between the customer and business. For instance consider salon, Ramani. It is a reputed and leading salon in Colombo. They pay attention to detail, whiles giving an additional touch to the whole salon experience by providing not only a tranquil environment but also a calming beverage. Most importantly, they give a tailored service to each customer. Therefore a relationship is built between the customer and their stylist. This is further strengthened through regular visits and revisits. It is clear that customer relations are rooted by cumulative satisfaction. Due to years of experience and satisfaction, a relationship is built between the customer and her stylist. Furthermore, it should be noted that any decision made to remain loyal to the product or service or move to a competitor is based on prior experience and is positively correlated with the duration of the relationship throughout which the customer has been satisfied. Therefore businesses should consider the longer the relationship between the customer and service provider, the less probability of losing that customer to a rival business. Ways that businesses can improve customer relations In order to improve the cumulative satisfaction levels of customers, service providers should continue to aim at delivering good quality services and products in order to improve the total product value and to build profitable relationships based on cumulative satisfaction. Keeping the consumer happy should be their main goal, to retain the customers loyal and satisfied, businesses should delight their customers and give due recognition to their loyalty, for instance profitable customers should be given special treatment such as special bonuses, loyalty cards, special discounts. Some service providers go to the extent of keeping track of their customers birthdays and send cards for these special occasions, this is in order to maintain a healthy relationship with their customer base. The famous Ritz-Carlton hotel keeps a record of all their guests favourite snack, chocolate, which is entered into a computerized tracking system so that when the guest returns to any of their worldwide hotels these items, will be offered to the guest to make them feel special. Creating cumulative satisfaction does not always have to be done in a huge scale but making the customers feel special while providing value for their money is what should be done, giving customised products and service, having good and efficient employees to fulfil every customers needs, anticipate their needs before the competitors take action, asking customers about their needs, getting feedback in order to avoid any defects.. As small and medium organisations, you should keep in mind how cumulative satisfaction can lead to Organisational success and profitability. It is of paramount importance to build and maintain relationships with your consumers that will eventually lead to customer loyalty and trust.

Arthropoda :: Biology Anthropods

Arthropoda Arthropods are animals belonging to the phylum Arthropoda, which is the largest of all phyla in the Animal Kingdom, with more than one million species, making them almost 80% of the whole kingdom. These include insects, arachnids, crustaceans and many more, most of which are quite small, the biggest being the Japanese Spider Crab with a leg span of 3.5 meters and the smallest being the microscopic Plankton. *Characteristics: - Segmented Body. - Exoskeleton. This is a hard outer body covering which protects the internal organs. - Jointed legs. The name ‘arthropod’ comes from Latin, meaning ‘joints’. - Specialized mouth parts. - Compound eyes. - Nervous system consisting of a brain. - Sexes mostly separate. - An open circulatory system. *Classification: Subphyla: Arachnida is a subphylum of Arthropoda, consisting of over 100 000 species, many of them being parasites which can carry disease. They are found in all environments, and mostly have eight legs, which is a feature, together with the fact that they do not have wings or antennae, often used to distinguish them from the other subphyla, though there are exceptions. They include spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites. Their bodies are divided up into three parts: the cephalothorax, the opisthosoma and the thorax, and use a type of lung for gas exchange. Most Arachnids are carnivorous, and eat pre-digested insects and other small animals. They reproduce using internal reproduction usually lay eggs, except for the scorpion which bears living young. The word ‘Arachnid’ comes from the Greek word ‘Arachne’ meaning ‘spider’. Crustacea is a large subphylum of Arthropoda, consisting of almost 52 000 described species, including animals like crabs, lobsters, shrimp and barnacles. The majority of these are aquatic, living in marine or fresh water environments, though some have adapted to living on land like some crabs and woodlice. Most crustaceans are relatively small, though there are some exceptions. All of them have a hard, strong exoskeleton, divided into two parts, which has to be shed in order to allow the animal itself to grow. They have a large circulation system, where blood is pumped around the body by the heart. Only some crustaceans have sexes separate, and those that are usually mate seasonally and lay eggs. The study of Crustacea is called carcinology. Diplopoda is a class, belonging to the subphylum of Arthropoda Myriapoda, consisting of about 10 000 species of animals which have two pairs of legs for each body segment and are often known as Millipedes. Hence the name, they do not have one thousand legs.

Crew Personalities on the Mission to Mars Essay -- Psychology Space Sc

Crew Personalities on the Mission to Mars The importance of psychology in space flight has been well documented and addressed by NASA and other organizations conducting space exploration. A manned mission to Mars has no precedent. The Apollo missions to the moon are the most similar attempts at space exploration, but these were significantly shorter in duration, did not have the difficulties in communicating with earth that the huge distance between Earth and Mars poses, and the experiments performed were not nearly as complex as those that would be done on Mars (ie. tests for life, carbonates, and underground ice). These new variables leave us with unknown psychological and physiological threats that no one can truly predict â€Å"expertly†, and as a result leadership and how well the crew works together will be more important than ever. In the novel Red Mars, characters each have different personalities, which end up strongly influencing their behavior and attitude on the flight to Mars, as well as once they se t up their community on the surface of Mars. While no character possesses an ideal personality for the mission, each exhibits personality traits that are beneficial to the mission, and others that become obstacles to success. The identification of positive and negative personality characteristics in these hypothetical characters allows the development of ideal standards for the personalities of each crew member based on their function. Michel clearly begins to succumb to some of the basic psychological difficulties associated with life in an isolated environment. The conditions on Mars are described well in Red Mars_The bleak plain surrounding the base was a vision out of some post-holocaust desolation, a night mare... ...ed likelihood of success is worth the additional funds that might be needed to do so. Works Cited Gleitman, Henry et al. Psychology. 5th edition. W.W. Norton & Company Inc. New York. 1999 Holland, Al. Psychology of Spaceflight. In: Human Spaceflight. Mission Analysis and Design. Larson and Pranke Eds, McGraw hill, New York. ISBN 0-07-236811-X. Chapter 7 Mabry, Edward A. et al. The Dynamics of Small Group Communication. Prentice Hall Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1980 Morris, Larry Wayne. Extraversion and Introversion: An Interactional Perspective. Hemisphere Publishing Co. Washington, D.C. 1979 Payne, John W., et al. The Adaptive Decision Maker. Cambridge University Press. New York. 1993 Rasmussen, John E. Ed. Man in Isolation and Confinement. Aldine Publishing Company. Chicago. 1973 Robinson, Kim Stanley. Red Mars. Bantam Books. New York. 1993 Crew Personalities on the Mission to Mars Essay -- Psychology Space Sc Crew Personalities on the Mission to Mars The importance of psychology in space flight has been well documented and addressed by NASA and other organizations conducting space exploration. A manned mission to Mars has no precedent. The Apollo missions to the moon are the most similar attempts at space exploration, but these were significantly shorter in duration, did not have the difficulties in communicating with earth that the huge distance between Earth and Mars poses, and the experiments performed were not nearly as complex as those that would be done on Mars (ie. tests for life, carbonates, and underground ice). These new variables leave us with unknown psychological and physiological threats that no one can truly predict â€Å"expertly†, and as a result leadership and how well the crew works together will be more important than ever. In the novel Red Mars, characters each have different personalities, which end up strongly influencing their behavior and attitude on the flight to Mars, as well as once they se t up their community on the surface of Mars. While no character possesses an ideal personality for the mission, each exhibits personality traits that are beneficial to the mission, and others that become obstacles to success. The identification of positive and negative personality characteristics in these hypothetical characters allows the development of ideal standards for the personalities of each crew member based on their function. Michel clearly begins to succumb to some of the basic psychological difficulties associated with life in an isolated environment. The conditions on Mars are described well in Red Mars_The bleak plain surrounding the base was a vision out of some post-holocaust desolation, a night mare... ...ed likelihood of success is worth the additional funds that might be needed to do so. Works Cited Gleitman, Henry et al. Psychology. 5th edition. W.W. Norton & Company Inc. New York. 1999 Holland, Al. Psychology of Spaceflight. In: Human Spaceflight. Mission Analysis and Design. Larson and Pranke Eds, McGraw hill, New York. ISBN 0-07-236811-X. Chapter 7 Mabry, Edward A. et al. The Dynamics of Small Group Communication. Prentice Hall Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1980 Morris, Larry Wayne. Extraversion and Introversion: An Interactional Perspective. Hemisphere Publishing Co. Washington, D.C. 1979 Payne, John W., et al. The Adaptive Decision Maker. Cambridge University Press. New York. 1993 Rasmussen, John E. Ed. Man in Isolation and Confinement. Aldine Publishing Company. Chicago. 1973 Robinson, Kim Stanley. Red Mars. Bantam Books. New York. 1993

Meal-Delivery Startups Look for a Winning Recipe

The authors clearly show how high-tech is applied to different areas of marketing mix and supply chain logistics to help meal-kit delivery companies create competitive advantage and have high customer satisfaction and retention rates. Unfortunately the authors are not able to provide us with the numbers for those rates, as they only state opinions of meal-kit entrepreneurs. The importance of computer applications is emphasized in a creation of the product to model recipes, measure prospective demand and stay connected electronically with producers and supplies of meals ingredients.According to the authors, it allows companies more planning and agility while working with seasonal or variable ingredient supply and at the same time pursuing a goal of losing less than 1 % of perishable inventory, which would seem surprisingly low to the reader, comparing to produce waste and spoilage In other food businesses. Internet, Mobil and social media technologies are the main methods used for pro motion of the product to the target market of Americans who want to order fresh food online.This Is an Important aspect for growth, as young generations will probably appreciate mime saving and convenience of Internet ordered fresh meals, despite the fact that at $10-12 they are more expensive then store bought frozen dinners, for example. At the low-tech end companies outsource the delivery to the 3-d party, which reduces capital Investment, but at the same time, the authors note, Involves risk of putting customer experience out of companies' control.Computer technology also plays Important part In a supply chain Integration. While technology can't always help In all aspects of business, the authors argue, by presenting the example of a meal-kit pending on its ingredients, they indicate, that another company plans to create their own warehouse management software to help track orders and productivity of each of its workers. I found this article relevant to the subject of our class, as it discusses many different aspects of marketing.It also combines feature which are important and interesting to me as a part of my Bal studies with its emphasis on importance of computer technology in elements of marketing mix, supply chain management, logistics and building business competitive advantage. As the future of the Internet grows so do the opportunities for business success for companies that utilize high-tech in their customer relationship management.Technology and sophisticated process of data mining allows innovative businesses to focus on details and customer experience and satisfaction by providing the products and services that their target audiences demand. I consider The Wall Street Journal a credible source as the newspaper is well established, has the largest circulation in US and a reputation of credibility. It has special emphasis on business and economic news.