Consumer needs, motivation, behavior, and decision making processes Research Paper

Consumer needs, motivation, behavior, and decision making processes relevant to cough medicine strips - Research Paper Example Some types of cough are caused by bacterial infection like Pertussis that can cause a serious breathing problem in infants. Coughs are mainly caused due to hygiene problems. Cough caused by smoking, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma should be treated well with the consult of doctor. Middle class consumer behavior towards cough medicine is very general. They either avoid medicines for cough or purchase a combination of drug which has various treatments in one. But cough medicines like guaifenesin are very harmful for body. Before purchasing cough medicines for children, certain thing should always be the kept into consideration. One of the major uses of cough medicine containing noscapine is that it helps in controlling birth and growth of tumor of prostate cancer (Illions, Deena, â€Å"Study shows further benefits of noscapine for prostate cancer†). Cough suppression can cause many problems in a human life like airway obstruction, hypoxemia, secretion and secondary infection. Whooping cough caused by Bordetella pertussis can be a reason behind permanent disability and even some time death of infants. This disease is also easily spreadable an can cause epidemics (Articles Base, â€Å"Whooping Cough-Cause, Symptoms and Treatment†). Consumer needs among middle class states that medicines should be cost effective and can treat many diseases at once. But this belief is not fruitful. They also think that cold is a self treated diseases and it does not need any treatment. If the situation gets worse, they prefer to have the counter medicine treatment. The middle class populace can be motivated through educational activities and advertisements in television and news papers about the side effects of cough and why it is important to treat cough and that of doctor’s consultancy. It should explain the side

Summary and response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Summary and response - Essay Example This will result in a learner who is well-versed in the many different aspects of learning. It must be understood that job skills are not sufficient. As such, they are not likely to prepare a learner to work effectively and efficiently. In Becoming a Learner, Matthew Sanders (2012, p. 8) states that â€Å"college is a time of preparation,† Meaning that it should be used only as a springboard for further success. In order to make improvements in this area, there is a need to optimize learning while in college. Therefore, it is evident that the learned skills in college will not enhance professionalism while working, meaning that learners have to go to greater lengths in gaining greater knowledge and skills. Author Matthew Sanders works at Utah State University, where he helps students get the most of out of their college experience in addition to being an assistant professor of communication studies (Sanders, 2012). Sanders seems to use his own experience of college, combined with what he now knows, to offer an informed opinion as to exactly what the college student should pursue while on campus. He is looking to reach people who are already in college or are about to graduate from high school and will be going to college. The purpose of Sanders’s book is to persuade the reader that they need to get their priorities right in college because otherwise it will be of little use to them. As this work was self-published, Sanders is able to give more of a personal feel to the text, which helps his message resonate with students. It must be noted that problems will always exist in the work place. These problems will vary in complexity and simplicity. As a matter of fact, many organizations need to solve such problems in the shortest amount of time possible. According to Sanders (2012), solving such problems requires both a skillful and knowledgeable person. In most instances, problem

We are writing a news story or a profile of someone interesting Essay

We are writing a news story or a profile of someone interesting. Perhaps you can interview someone in Saudi Arabia and write a story about them - Essay Example Being an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at a reputed Jeddah hospital, Mr. Karim described how his life had changed since he stepped into the field of psychiatry. I started by asking him what the general responsibilities of his profession were. He replied that his main duty was to provide high quality psychiatric services, which included medication and therapeutic advice and sessions, to patients who came to him with a myriad of psychiatric problems. He worked both as a therapist and a medication advisor for most of the patients; while for some, he was only the medical advisor. He described that a typical shift of a psychiatrist included sessions with psychiatric patients. Each session was 30 minutes long, and he saw around 10 patients in a day. Continuing the interview, Mr. Karim explained that the biggest challenge he faced while working with a hospital was that, in contrast to private practice, he was not able to manage his working hours, which were set by the hospital authority. So, he did not have control over his time and schedule, which he missed when he was working as a solo practitioner in the past. He had to give explanations and put leave applications if he wanted to go on a leave. Also, the hospital demanded that he should be available to patients on phone all the time, 24/7, which was something that he was well managing as a solo practitioner. The hospital would also call him on weekends, on and off. He said that while working with the patients with difficult psychiatric conditions, it was sometimes very stressful for him to deal with stressors. Forgetting one’s own worries and dealing with others’ was what was required of him, which he was doing very well, but at times, he would become stressed out. He described how some patients gave him tough time. Some patients would attack him verbally to let go of their frustrations and anxiety, and it would become very hard for him to keep himself calm. However, he

Computer Information Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer Information Technology - Research Paper Example Then, computers became common in the society and I became one of its frequent users. When the time came for the choice of a career, I researched and analyzed the skills that are needed for different fields of work. The field of information technology seemed to possess many areas of my interest namely logical thinking, computing machines etc. Another aspect that attracted me towards this field was the degree of its incorporation in every field. It provides one with the choice of being associated to any field for example e-learning enables one to be associated with the field of education, information systems enable one to be associated with the field of business. Some of the most appealing jobs in the market nowadays are related to the field of computers, for example; Facebook: Facebook is the most famous social networking site in the history of the internet. It has over 500 million users. They hire computer professionals of all levels from Diploma holders to PHDs. Their workplace is designed to provide their employees with a comfortable place to inspire them and make it seem like their second home. Computer has become an integral part of any field therefore any operations that are related to it do not face much cutbacks or layoffs. Recently, Google gave its employees 10% increment even in the times of recovery from the financial crisis. This field enables individuals to have the power to create programs. The joy of being able to create software is no less than the satisfaction that a painter gains from the creation of a painting. An individual without the knowledge of computers tends to be dependent on others to get his work done or stays behind in the modern competitive market. The salaries of computer professionals tend to vary according to their skills. According to an online job hunter; the annual average salary of computer professionals is $56,000 (Simply Hired.com, â€Å"Google Salaries†). The

Australian Property Law and Lease Contracts Essay

Australian Property Law and Lease Contracts - Essay Example In this regard, what Larry will be banking on is his ability to convince a court of law that Tom acted either against the law or against the agreement. In terms of the agreement between Larry and Tom, it can be proven, albeit not beyond doubt, that Tom knew all too well that he was breaching the contract. This can be evidenced by the fact that he had tried to ask Larry to allow him to change the property before altering its look. Tom acted in a way that is less than legally acceptable by setting up the meeting to discuss the matter and then choosing to go on with the repair work even before actually meeting with Larry. For this reason, Tom is in breach of the agreement between him and Larry and that shows that he had motive and intension to ignore the agreement. Apart from ignoring the agreement of the lease, Tom is also in contempt of law for the law does outlines clearly that such repairs to a leased property must not reduce the value of the property. While the law does protect the lessee from being forced to pay for any damages caused by such repairs, this must only happen within the provision of the law, which clearly stipulates that such repairs are not to be carried out, unless with an express permission by and from the owner of the property related to the case. Does Larry have the right to be compensated for the financial loss?The damages would not be limited by section 112 of the constitution unless Tom can prove himself not guilty of the breaching the contract.... This can be evidenced by the fact that he had tried to ask Larry to allow him to change the property before altering its look. Tom acted in a way that is less than legally acceptable by setting up the meeting to discuss the matter and then choosing to go on with the repair work even before actually meeting with Larry. For this reason, Tom is in breach of the agreement between him and Larry and that shows that he had motive and intension to ignore the agreement. Apart from ignoring the agreement of the lease, Tom is also in contempt of law for the law does outlines clearly that such repairs to a leased property must not reduce the value of the property. While the law does protect the lessee from being forced to pay for any damages caused by such repairs, this must only happen within the provision of the law, which clearly stipulates that such repairs are not to be carried out, unless with an express permission by and from the owner of the property. Does Larry have the right to be comp ensated for the financial loss? The damages would not be limited by section 112 of the constitution unless Tom can prove himself not guilty of the breaching the contract. Because the lessee did not act in accordance with the same section of property law by making repairs that were, against the spirit and letter of section 112, bound to not only significantly change the leased property but also to reduce its value, regardless of how much the reduction was, this means that therefore any further damages that can be directly associated by this act can be said to have been caused by Tom. This means that the lessee will not and must not be protected by section 112

King Henry and His Six Wives Essay Example for Free

King Henry and His Six Wives Essay The Elizabethan Era contained major events that remain documented in history. If the historical figures of the Elizabethan Era had not existed, history would have taken a dramatic turn. The full histories and personalities of each of Henry’s wives show how these women left their marks on the English throne and they changed the course of history. King Henry VIII was endowed with outstanding mental and physical gifts. He mastered Latin and French, understood Italian, learned mathematics, studied Homer and Virgil, read Cicero, and was knowledgeable about the histories of Thucydides and Tacitus (Shostak 6). Henry was the first English king to acquire a Renaissance education. Henry was also endowed with great physical accomplishments. He was a superb horseman. He enjoyed wrestling, jousting, swordsmanship, and tennis. Henry also had a passion for music. He mastered the skill of performing with three different instruments: the lute, organ and the harpsichord. He also composed music. He wrote two five-part masses, several different instrumental pieces, several songs and one anthem (6). â€Å"King Henry VIII was born Henry Tudor VIII after late-king, Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York on June 28, 1491† (Bruce 3). Henry was the King of both England and Ireland from 1509 until death. Henry VIII was a true Renaissance prince. He also wanted absolute power.Henry was not the only Monarch of the Tudor regime; â€Å"He had three other brothers: Prince Arthur, Edmund, and Duke of Somerset Tudor, and two sisters: Mary and Margaret Tudor† (Shostak 5). Arthur, who became Prince of Wales, married Catherine of Aragon in November 1501. After a short period of the marriage, Arthur died, which made Henry Prince of Wales. On April 22, 1509, Henry VII died, which upgraded Henry VIII as king and the seventeen-years-old prince acceded to the throne on April 22, 1509 (Bruce 23).Two months later, he married his brother ´s widow, Catherine of A ragon. This queen was widower of Arthur, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine was born on December 16, 1485 in Spain. She was the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. They sent over 100,000 crown worth of plate and gold as a wedding gift. She had left Spain to marry Prince Arthur of Wales in 1501, which they went off to marry in London. After Arthur died, Catherine and Henry married as King and Queen of England (Shostak 15). She was happy through the first few years of marriage, but due to health problems, she miscarried five of six pregnancies; the child who survived was named Mary, born in 1516. They went off to marry in London. King Henry VIII was brought up to bring forth an heir of his throne a son. He knew after trying continuously with Catherine, he would never have a son, while she was still announced as queen (Bruce 27). Henry tried to put pressure on Pope Clement VII to give a special dispensation to him to divorce Catherine. When Wolsey failed in his negotiation with the Pope to get the dispensation, Henry fired Wolsey and decided to sidestep established legal procedures of the Church (Bruce 34). In a 1529 Act of Parliament, they limited the powers of the clergy by a series of statutes. Then, in 1533, he married Ann Boleyn, who soon gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth (tudorhistory.org). The following year, Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, which named the king the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Then, there followed the suppression of Catholic monasteries throughout England in May, 1536, Anne Boleyn was executed on the grounds of marital infidelity (Shostak 45). Henry married his third wife, Jane Seymour, who died in childbirth after giving birth to the king ´s only legitimate son, the future King Edward VI (tudorhistory.org). In 1540, Henry vice-regent and chief minister Thomas Cromwell arranged a political marriage between Henry and Ann of Cleves in the hope of attaching German protestant interests to those of England. Henry detested Anne ´s appearance so he had the marriage annulled and ordered for Thomas Cromwell to be executed on the charge of treason. In 1543, Henry married Catherine Parr, his sixth and final wife (Jokinen). They were married for three years before Henry ´s death. Henry ´s later years saw a renewal of hostilities with both France and Scottish. Henry personally invaded France in 1544, where his armies captured city of Boulogne (tudorhistory.org). The two nations ceased fighting in 1546. Henry ´s later years were also characterized by rigorous persecution of both Catholics and Protestants. Henry died on January 28, 1547, at the age of 55. It was Henry ´s request that he was laid to rest alongside his third wife, Jane Seymour (Sypniewski). Tudor Parliaments were an essential aspect of English government and administration in the sixteenth century. After the Kings Council, Parliament was the nations most important institution. In Tudor times most important decisions concerning government were made by the king or queen and a small group of advisers called the Privy Council. However, before these decisions became law, they had to be passed by Parliament. Parliament was the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords was made up of about sixty Bishops, Dukes, Earls and Barons. It was unusual for members of the House of Lords to criticize the kings policies. If they did so, they were in danger of being stripped of their titles. Members of the House of Commons were more independent as they were sometimes elected by the people who lived in the area they represented. However, few people had the vote and in many cases the largest landowner in the area decided who went to Parliament. Parliament was much of an occasional institution. Meaning Parliament was active under the Tudors, and exceptionally active in the reign of Henry VIII. Henry VIII was in favor of holding regular Parliaments (Shostak 57). When Henry was in conflict with the Pope in Rome, he claimed that the votes taken in Parliament showed he enjoyed the support of the English people. Elizabeth held fewer Parliaments than her father. On average, she held a Parliament once every four years. Elizabeth made it clear that members of the House of Commons had complete freedom of speech. However, she believed that certain issues such as religion or foreign policy were best left to her and her Privy Council (tudorhistory.org). Henry VIII wanted an annulment of his marriage on the grounds that there had been adultery. Although, nobody knows if this was true or not, was a way out for Henry and a chance for him to marry Anne Boleyn, who he hoped would give him an heir. He sent Cardinal Wolsey to the Pope to plead his case, but he failed, for this reason Henry VIII dismissed him in 1529. However, in 1533, Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, deserting the Catholic faith, granted the annulment. He passed legislation restricting papal jurisdiction in England and eventually, passed the Act of Supremacy, making him the Head of the church in England (Jokinen). Thomas Cranmer suggested Henry to abolish and destroy the monasteries, since they were very rich and confiscated their wealth and properties for his own use (Jokinen). Through the Act of Supremacy, he declared himself to be the only Supreme Head in Earth of the Church of England instead of the Pope (Jokinen). Henry VIIIs courtships were equally sexually driven. He wooed Jane Seymour with gifts and bribes to members of her family, but only decided to abandon Anne Boleyn days and possibly hours before she was arrested. In the case of Katherine Howard the transition from would-be mistress to consort is evident. Henry was in full pursuit within weeks of seeing her, not without a degree of encouragement on her part which should have indicated to him that she was more experienced than was claimed (Jokinen). They were married three weeks after the Cleves divorce and by then Katherine may already have begun sleeping with Henry. The Elizabethan Era was full of controversy and obstacles for many of its historical characters to overcome. The six different wives of King Henry VIII experienced first hand controversy due to the King’s love of women as well as power. Although King Henry VIII married six different women, his decisions helped to change and fascinate the course of history for the modern world to reflect.

Company Strategies Wm Morrison Supermarket Marketing Essay

Company Strategies Wm Morrison Supermarket Marketing Essay Background of Wm Morrison supermarket PLC Wm Morrison Supermarket Plc is the UK`s 4th biggest retail super market founded in 1899. The company distributes goods, owning and operating around 120 supermarkets and larger superstores. These are mainly based in the north east of the UK, although the company has been expanding into the south. The majority of its supermarkets also have petrol stations on their forecourts, offering discount fuel to customers. In addition, the company offers an in store discount card, Morrison Miles, allowing customers to collect points on their groceries and claim discounts on fuel at these stations. The company has a number of subsidiaries, including Farmers Boy Limited, Holsa Limited, Neerock Limited, W. Todd (Potatoes) Limited, Farock Insurance Company Limited and Wm Morrison Produce Limited. The principal activities of its subsidiaries include the manufacture and distribution of fresh food products, insurance services, polythene bag manufacturing, produce packaging, fresh meat processing and mar ket trading. It displays more than twenty thousand assorted products in its stores, including an extensive own label range. Majority of the brands it sells are its own, amounting to 55%. With the acquisition of Safeway, Morrison is expected to gain around 425 stores throughout the UK. Due to the differing nature of Safeways estate, Morrison will expand its store format to incorporate mid-sized and smaller stores, retaining the Safeway brand for convenience stores. Certain acquired stores will also be selected to gain the Market Street format seen in the Morrison store. The company has an annual turnover of  £14 billion, with more than 10 million customers, 15.6% of the UK grocery market share and 124,000 employees. (DATA MONITOR 2004) Overview of the company`s strategy Wm Morrisons supermarket Plc has three distinct strategies which are: Value- Keeping costs low to ensure the prices are competitive. This is done by offering to all its consumers with an exceptionally best price everywhere they are. Freshness- the company offers more freshly prepared food than any other retailer. This is achieved through vertical integration because it manages nearly every aspect of its business functions internal, involving meat processing, fresh food, fresh fruit, vegetables and transport. The company does all the distribution of its products bought in its stores to customers. Fresh products are delivered into its warehouses under a controlled temperature and plants for packing local and abroad set for forward despatch to their stores nationwide. The company has its own purpose built fresh food plant (factory) called Farmers boy that produces pizzas, cooked meats, pies, packing cheese, sausages and bacon. It also has facilities of processing its meat before sending them to their stores. It manages its own transport fleet. Service- Ensuring the right product is always available, the system of great selling and service for customers` adherence (http://www.morrisons.co.uk). In Michael Porter`s generic strategy terms the company uses a low cost strategy Porter (1980). But in Ansoff product matrix term the company uses penetration strategy, i.e. existing products and markets with an improvement and streamlining of processes in order to compete. In terms of expansion strategy the company uses organic growth in that it sets up factories and farms to produces everything it sells. Assessment of the company current strategy Growth in excess of the market   Measuring of success 2007 2008 2009 Sales growth (exc-fuel) 5.2 4.6 7.9 Market growth rate 4.0 3.5 5.6 Sales growth in excess of the market 1.2 1.1 2.3 This is further represented on the graph below Underlying basic earnings per share (pence) 2009 16.7 2008 14.4 2007 8.3 Total dividend (pence per share) 2009 5.8 2008 4.8 2007 4.0 SWOT Analysis Morrison has benefited substantially from the introduction of the Market Street format to its retail outlets. Its revenues have recorded strong increases for a number of years. However, increased regulation of the grocery market and intensifying competition pose significant future threats. Strengths Substantial northern presence and expansion of manufacturing capabilities Long-standing management team High service standards Weaknesses Dependency on UK Uncertainty over long-term outcome of Merger Lower quality Safeway estate Labour intensive Morrison model Opportunities Diversification Synergies from Safeway merger Convenience store expansion Threats Competitive environment Restaurant expansion Price wars Share price performance MORRISON Share Graph http://www.lse.co.uk/ShareChart.asp?sharechart=MRW 2.0 NATIONALISATION AND GLOBALISATION OF Wm MORRISON SUPERMARKET PLC The decision to nationalise retail supermarket like Wm Morrison supermarket Plc and further to the global markets is very significant since it is a means of expanding the company`s operations, diversify its investments as a source of risk reduction strategy and increase in profitability. However, consideration has to be given with regard to the nature and the type of strategy (ies) to adopt in these environments. It is for instance necessary to consider what type of product (s) to produce and sell, and whether these products will be acceptable in these markets. The company needs to be familiar with the target environments and the countries it wants to enter. The conditions of the market must be assessed to ensure that Wm Morrison can win a share of both national and the foreign markets. Issues such as the economic conditions, political situations, social issues and the levels of technology in these markets will have to be ascertained by the use of PEST (PESTEL) analysis, the competit ive nature of the markets which five forces model analysis can be adopted to assess the levels of competition existed in these markets (Porter 1980), as well as Tariffs, duties and compliance with rules and laws are other vital issues to be considered also. Wm Morrison will have to conduct its own organisational audit with the use of SWOT analysis to assess it strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats so that strategies could be developed geared (towards) that. The development of a required organizational processes and allocating of appropriate resources to national and global effort normally requires creating an independent departments (for export) within the organization. Though, this may be expensive when overheads and other liabilities are considered. It may take a considerable number of years to develop a sizeable market share. As a consequence corporation in a form of strategic alliance with other retail supermarkets could reduce dramatically the timing to establish in these foreign markets 3.0 COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE The concept and interest of competitive advantage started many years ago but never became popular until the 60s of the twentieth century that the concept spread out when Edmund Learned Kenneth Andrews mentioned SWOT analysis denoting strength as a competitive advantage (Schendel, 1994). Competitive advantage as an organizational competence and ability to perform in one or many ways that other competitors find it difficult to imitate now and in the future (Kotler, 1997:53; Kotler, 2000). Nevertheless, for the Wm Morrison supermarket to compete in these target markets, it has to develop a strategy that will be unique and difficult to be imitated by other players in both the national and the global markets. Porter (1985) recognized competitive advantage as a strategic goal; that is a dependent variable and the rationale behind this is that the good performance is related to achieving a competitive advantage (Read Difillipi, 1990:90). Others see competitive advantage as an ability to produce products or offer services different to what competitors do, by utilizing the strengths that organizations possess so as to add value in a way that competitors find it difficult to imitate (Pitts Lei, 1968:68). It can be assumed that competitive advantage is a relative quality that organizations claim to possess through which they can exceed their rivals performance, and achieve long lasting benefits as perceived by clients. It is believed that the framework presented by Michael Porter is one of the most well-known tools that are used in theoretical as well as empirical research, since it pays an emphasis on all the activities carried out by an organization with respect to its external environment. Competitive business strategy Competition in Global environment which was written and later on edited by Michael Porter Porter (1986) is a means to study and an attempt to systematizing global business development. Porter analyzes a firm`s global strategic options by concentrating on two concepts: allocation and coordination. By allocation he meant globally distributing and allocation of the value chain activities. On the other coordination refers to the coordination amongst the distributed bases. He explained global strategy as a strategy to achieve a global competitive advantage through concentrated allocation or coordination of distributed activities, or both (Porter 1986, p. 35) and indicated that for proper understand of competitive advantage concept of a global strategy or the cause of globalization of a firm, Mw Morrison should identify the circumstances for achieving cost diminution or differentiation by globally focusing on the operations or coordinating the distributed activities. He emphasised that such situations are: (1) immediacy to markets; (2) economies of scale and experience effect; (3) effective consolidation and coordination of activities; and (4) comparative advantage of each country. Global competitive strategy gives a company with the ideas to generate an offensive and / or defensive position in the global markets whereby yielding greater returns on its investments. According to Porter a company must adopt a competitive strategy to win advantage competitively over its rivalries. Competitive advantage is something that gives a business an edge over its competitors in the products/ services it provides (offers). Companies have unearthed different approaches to this end, and the most significance of the strategy for a particular company is eventually a unique design reflecting its special situation. Competitive National business strategy Ansoff matrix for strategy New Market 2. Market Development 4. Market Diversification Current Market 1. Market Penetration 3. Product Development Current Product New Product Ansoffs Marketing Model Adopted from Ansoff (1957) According to Ansoff (1957), Wm Morrison supermarket may decide choosing one of the four product-market growth strategies which are shown on the diagram above. They consist of market penetration, market development, product development (diversi ¬Ã‚ cation). But Ansoff however suggests that the safest of these growth strategic options is to adopt a market penetration strategy. With this strategy Wm Morrison could gain more usage from its existing consumers and moreover seeks to attract new ones in their existing market. On the other hand, Ansoff indicated that the slightly riskier option will be to take the market-development strategy of attracting new kinds of consumers for the present produce of the business from either new channels of distribution, or new geographic areas. Wm Morrison as an alternate may a strategy of product development, by developing completely new products, diverse versions of existing products or quality at different levels of current products to be sold in its existing markets. The final strategic option in Ansoff terms Wm Morrison can pursue and is also the riskiest strategy overall is the strategy of diversi ¬Ã‚ cation. With this Wm Morrison supermarket will have to develop completely new produce for new markets. This is very costly because the company has to abandon what it is producing and selling presently. In the writings of Hangstefer (1999) in order for Wm Morrison to build growth drive, its managers should persuade innovation in their core strategy. And this should focus on factors such as the re-de ¬Ã‚ ning of markets or the development of products and services. Even though Hangstefer`s view is partially consistent with that of Ansoff. According to Hangstefer Wm Morrison should embark on the most basic product-market growth options; by indicating that a more innovative approach would be for the business to employ a growth strategy involving a number of combinations of variables. Hangstefer cited Manchester United PLC as an example, which is the holding company of the Manchester United Football Club. It has pursued growth opportunities related to their core business, as well as through new businesses, for instance Manchester United Merchandising and Manchester United Catering. Boston consulting group (BCG ) growth share matrix The BCG matrix is a technique use for growth, particularly for multi-divisional or multiproduct companies such as Wm Morrison supermarket. The organisations divisions and or products compromise the firm`s business portfolio. The portfolio`s composition can be crucial to the development and achievement of the firm. The matrix looks at two variables, which are: market growth rate and relative market share. The Matrix evaluates a firms position regarding its products range. This will help Wm Morrison to consider its products and/ or services in order to make decisions concerning products and services that need to be kept or removed and additional investments it has to make in furtherance to participating fully nationally. Shown on the horizontal (y) axis is the market growth rate while on the vertical (x) axis is the Relative market share (Henderson, 1979). The BC Groups Growth Strategic matrix Stars Disaster sequence Cash consumer Cash neutral Success sequence Invest Problem Children (Question marks) Large negative cash flow ?Analyse Cash Cows Large positive cash flow Milk Dogs Cash consumer Modest cash flow Divest Relative Market Share Adapted from Hedley (1977), p12 Wm Morrison may have to classify its products range according to the quadrant in order to decide the way forward. Question Marks (High growth/ Low relative market share) These are Wm Morrison produce which grow quickly and as a consequence lead to high cash consumption, however they dont generate enough cash since they have little market shares. The effect is huge net cash spending. A question mark may have the possibility to grow in market share and turn into a star, and finally a cash cow as soon as the market growth slows. It may turn out to be a dog when the market growth declines, if it doesnt develop to be a market leader. The company may need to analyse cautiously to decide if they merit the investments it requires to growing market share. These are the strategies to adopt for question marks: Market penetration Market development Product development These are all extensive strategies /or divestment STARS These will be Wm Morrison products that are seen as market leaders in high growth industries. However, it will have to spend to sustain development and to protect the leadership situation. Stars are normally only slightly lucrative but as they attain older position in their life cycle and development slows, proceeds grow to be more attractive. The stars offer the foundation for lasting growth and productivity. The strategic options for stars may involve integration, forward, backward and horizontal, Product development, Joint venture, Market penetration and Market development. Cash Cows (Relatively high market share/ but Low growth rate) Cash Cows are the more lucrative produce in the portfolio that must be milked. The condition is often been boosted by economies of scale which could be there with market leaders. Cash Cows might be used to finance the operations in the other 3 quadrants. It is enviable to sustain the strong stands as much as practically. Product development concentric, diversification if the position weakens as a result of loss of market share or market contraction then options would comprise reduction of expenditure (or even divestment) Dogs Dogs comprise a low market share and a low growth rate and neither provides nor consumes a huge sum of cash. Dogs are however, cash traps since the cash locked up in the business that has little potential. Such products are candidates for divestiture. Options are: Reduction of expenditure (if it is thought that it could be revitalised) Liquidation Divestment (if someone can buy) It should however be noted that productive products could well go from question mark through to star, to Cash Cow and at last to Dog. Fewer flourishing products which never gain market position may move directly from question mark to Dog (Hofer Schendel, 1978) Competitive Global business strategy Wm Morrison supermarket can enter into the global markets by adopting Porter`s generic strategy which he indicated that a firm may decide to pursue either low cost strategy or differentiation strategy. Porter indicated that companies cannot pursue the two strategies at the same time but rather one at a time. Cost Leadership Strategy focuses on attaining low costs relative to its rivals. Reducing costs result to lowering prices, that can raise demand for products and /or services, but if the product or services cannot be produced at a lower cost then it will rather reduce profit margins. For Wm Morrison supermarket to compete on cost bases then it must address issues about overheads, materials, labour, and other costs, and to design a system that lowers the cost per unit of its product or service before entering the global markets. Often, the lowering of costs requires extra investments in automated facilities, equipments and employees skill. On the contrary, Differentiation Strategy concentrates on creating exceptionality products such that the firms products and services are obviously distinguished from that of its competitors. In other words, the focus is on creativity and innovation that have long been recognized as crucial for bringing the needed change to obtain the competitive advantage (Dean, 1998). The Porter`s competitive advantage has given rise to Schuler and Jackson (1987) come out with three competitive advantage strategies that Wm Morrison can adopt to achieve competitive advantage by embarking on Quality enhancement, Cost reduction and innovation. Apart from Porter`s pronouncement of how to enter global markets, there are other means by which Mw Morrison can enter global market for instance, green field, acquisitions, joint ventures, franchising, licensing, etc. When establishing acquisitions, joint ventures, franchising, licensing, etc. it is very important to locate a reliable partner. Any of these strategies may require a due diligence exercise in the global markets in order to perform checks and balances to ascertain how satisfactory the foreign partners may cater for the needs of both the firm and its customers. 5.0 STRATGY IMPLEMENTATION McKinsey, (1980, p. 31) developed 7s model which Mw Morrison supermarket could adopt to implement its strategies. This model will assist the company to assess its strategies, structure, systems, skills, style, staff, synergy (shared values) and where necessary improvement or changes can be made. The current strategy of low cost, freshness and customer service (value), with its systems, structure, skills, shares values, style and staff seem to be working effectively looking at the levels of the company performance from the strategic analysis done above. However, it is assumed that the new and proposed strategies will function appropriately with other elements. Strategy Skills Synergy style Systems structure Staff Adopted from: Structure Is Not Organization (1980) The Art of Japanese Management (1981) In Search of Excellence (1982). 5.1 Challenges of strategy implementation Wm Morrison`s strategy of competition presently is the use Porters generic strategy based on low cost and market penetration which is Ansoff idea, however extending this same strategy to the national markets may attract other competitors to imitate it especially if they see the idea to be effective thereby they losing their market share. On the contrary, the adoption of differentiation strategy may cause additional costs which will lead to the increment of the organisations total costs which they may not have that much to invest. The implementation of green field, acquisition, joint venture, licensing, franchising, etc., will no doubt change the current business practices. In terms of 7s model, there will be so many difficulties with both markets entries, for instance staff may resist the idea of internationalisation and globalisation with the fear of losing either their jobs, position, modification of working conditions. When it comes to skills, the company may have to institute a program to ensure the employees have the require skills to meet the new strategies. The systems will have to be improved to meet the new demands and the structure will be altered. 6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS In Johnson, Scholes and Whittington terms of feasibility, acceptability and sustainability, the strategy of low cost seem more feasible in the national markets but it may not be sustainable since it can easily be imitated by other competitors. It is not clear at this whether it will be acceptable by the employees and the shareholders Johnson et al (1988). The other options will be to adopt differentiation strategy that could be sustainable since it is difficult to copy but this option may not be acceptable given the additional costs it has to incur. Another option is the Ansoff (1991) matrix, to pursue new market strategy by using the existing products range to enter the new markets. Since this may be less risky than especially the new market strategy with the development of entirely new products for new markets. Acquisition strategy involving purchasing and controlling and existing market seem more feasible for the global entry since it is less risky, more receptive to the local customer, involving the use of local expertise, less costive compare to green field strategy of having to set up new factories to produce. Franchising could also be use as another option, however the franchisee may gain portions of the company`s profit and may even set up their own at some point resulting to a total loss of the business to the franchisee. Licensing may pose less threats to also use may be than even franchising.