Ronald Reagan - Address at the 1984 Convention of the National Religious Broadcasters free essay sample

Healthcare and Immigration

Healthcare and Immigration Final PaperLehi DickeyPUAD 6815 Running head: A MORAL DILEMMA: SHOULD HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC 1 EDUCATION BE GRANTED TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS? A MORAL DILEMMA: SHOULD HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC EDUCATION BE GRANTED TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS? PAGE 11Final PaperLehi DickeyPUAD 6815March 21, 2013Professor Frank ScottIllegal immigration has been a complicated issue for the United States for the last century and a half. How to best correct America's immigration debacle is definitely a moral dilemma for many people. With the days of Ellis Island steamboats and open-door policies behind us, we are struggling to define the rights of those people who are coming to our country illegally. A multitude of issues arise from this situation: should illegal immigrants be able to work? Should they receive health care? Should they be educated in the public school system? Should they receive welfare benefits such as food stamps and unemployment checks? These, and many more questions are perplexing our government and its constituents.What is the moral and or ethical thing to do? Ethics is a way of being rather than adherence to rules or precepts, or making a string of decisions, but rather refusing to accept whole cloth (Stivers, 2008, p.147). Morality is both subjective and objective, it just depends on what state' it is in from its genesis to its internalization.Morality is subjectively created, then externalized and made communicable, tangible, and therefore objective, and then internalized from the objective state making it subjective as it's held in the mind of the individual. I have chosen to focus my ethical issue analysis on the following public issues: health care and education. The key to being a successful public administrator is to have a balance and control of one's objective and subjective responsibilities. A key question that public administrators must...

Final Project Statistics Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final - Statistics Project Example It is the researcher’s belief that other data sets (particularly those about student aid) must be utilized to find out how government budget can affect enrollment in college or universities in the country. In an op-ed piece written by Jeff Madrick (2004), he said â€Å"higher education†¦will cure just about anything, from globalization and outsourcing to technological change and income inequality†. This view is of course subscribed to by many organizations and are calling for increased budget for education and other related programs. In fact, the University of Washington has published a report (University of Washington, 2011) showing the importance of financing higher education so as to ensure that the state of Washington will continue to allot budget for the university’s operations. Through government funding, the universities can maintain the excellence and access to research, hence continuing to enrich communities. To answer the questions above, we will use data on education from the National Data Book (US Census Bureau, 2011). Data from 2003-2008 will be used in this study. Because we want to determine the effect of government expenditure to enrollment in higher education, all figures presented focused only on public colleges and universities. We will use regression analysis in determining the trends in college enrollment, charges and expenditures in higher education institutions, as well as discovering the relationship between government funding and college enrollment while descriptive statistics will be used to describe the sample further. Table 1 below shows that between 2000 to 2009, about 66% of all high school completers enrolled in college. Meanwhile, average enrollment in all higher education institutions slightly exceeded the 17,000,000 mark. Average annual tuition fee and in the US between the years 2000 to 2009 was at $3,443 while dormitories cost $3,251.20 on the average. School expenditures

Godfather I by Francis Ford Coppola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Godfather I by Francis Ford Coppola - Essay Example In the opening scene where a person is asking for justice, not from the law but from a compatriot, sets the tenor of the film. ‘Why did you go to the police? Why didn’t you come to me first?’(Vito Corleone) subtly illustrates the disillusions of an immigrant about the law and justice of the country and how he is forced to adopt other ‘means’ to get the same. Godfather is a film which revolves around an Italian-American family which operates a crime syndicate in New York in mid-forties. Vito Corleone, the patriarchal head of one of the five ’family’ involved in the crime syndicate, is the protagonist of the film. He often works beyond the realm of law because he has powerful contacts in the political arena and the judiciary. Despite exerting awesome influence and muscle power, he has a very strong sense of justice and commands great respect from people who do not hesitate to ask for his help when the law fails to do so! He becomes their ‘protector’ when the need arises so he is better known as ‘the godfather’. The only return for his good deed is their loyalty which he gets. His portrayal of a deeply religious family man reinforces people’s trust in him. His firm belief that family can alleviate a lot of pain and anguish is amply illustrated when he admonishes his godson Johnny Fontane, a sin ger, in his study as he says ‘..cause a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man’. Indeed â€Å".The Godfather puts forward a positive picture of a family†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Glenn Man in genre and ideology) The introduction of the youngest son Michael during the wedding reception heralds amalgamation of American values and Italian culture. The educated younger son, who has just returned from the war, comes with his girlfriend. His statement that ‘my father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse’ went on to become one the most famous one-liner in the history of Hollywood films.

Disc Assessment Essay Example for Free

Disc Assessment Essay DISC Assessment Paper Organizational behavior studies have become more significant in today’s present years than hey were before in past years, this is due to companies realizing that in order to acclimatize to the constantly changing business cultures that have stemmed from a competitive and rapidly moving market, they must put more emphasis on the correlation between human behavior and the organization. Understanding this concept has led many several companies to put investment into behavior assessments and seminars and use them as a training tool to educate their employees and learn the reasons for each person’s behavior and attitudes and how to handle and approach these various types of behaviors and attitudes. In this paper we will be discussing the study of various behaviors via taking the DISC platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment to identify both me and my learning team member’s predominant behavior styles. We will then analyze our behavior styles, our strengths and weaknesses identified within our styles and whether or not we agree or disagree with the assessment. The DISC Assessment categorized both of our behavioral types as being the interactive style and our sub styles were lc. The Interactive Style also called I Style is friendly, enthusiastic, a â€Å"party animal† that love to be where all the action is. They thrive on the acknowledgment, admiration and compliments that follow being in the spot light. They are more relationship-oriented than they are task-oriented. An Interactive style’s strengths are charm, persuasiveness, warmth and enthusiasm. They are gifted in skills and communication between individuals as well as groups. They are optimists with a large amount of charisma. They are also dreamers and idea-people who excel in getting others excited about their vision. All of these qualities assist them in influencing people and building alliances. The interactive style’s weaknesses are pinpointed as poor follow-through, carelessness, exaggeration and disorganization. They have a habit of getting to involved in too many activities and lose interest quickly. Furthermore, they can at times be seen as being impetuous, manipulative, and excitable when displaying behavior that is inappropriate to a situation. When analyzing the results of the DISC Assessment and the summary of my behavior. We were able to comprehend why we function and act the way that we do while interacting with our co workers, family and people. We both started to think about our adolescent years until now and realized that everyone wanted to be our friends and we were also chosen to be the leader most of the time. I would sometimes avoid being the leader and Gina would always be the leader but we were also both content with just being apart of the activities and tasks needing to be accomplished but our ability to drive others and complete task with enthusiasm would always show because of this we were thereby always moved to the front of the crowd. We also noticed that this same thing applies when were in the workplace; we were both again selected to be a leader after just a short time of displaying our abilities to charm and motivate. Gina noticed that she is always the person to excite employees and get them to produce at a faster pace when completing departmental tasks and goals. Gina saw that her managers are always pleased with her people skills and that they often use her as an example to her peers when adjusting or presenting new changes to the department. I identified that I was good at innovation at work and creating new ideas. Gina and I both welcome and look forward to change because it keeps and sparks our interest. We both despise boredom. DISC offered us so much information about our interactive style’s typical business characteristics such as wanting to be included by others in significant events such as research and brainstorming, resisting control and desiring freedom. In our personal lives we both also realized how our behavior style applied because we both don’t like when someone doesn’t give us their undivided attention and when were not given an opportunity to express ourselves or opinions.

Tata Motors losses

Tata Motors losses Can Tata Motors capture and increase its market share in India through the launch of Jaguar and Land Rover? Introduction: My commentary examines the recent acquisition of Tata Motors of two iconic brands- Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motors at a staggering amount of $2.3 billion. Despite being well known brands, they are suffering losses. After Tata Motors take over, they were strategizing to launch these products in the Indian market which has huge growth prospects. The real challenge was in these brands attracting customers away from rivals in the Indian market. Simultaneously Tata Motors has launched Tata Nano to capture the Indian market for small cars. This will be reinforced by launching light- weighted aluminium and hybrid cars from Land Rover. With help of SWOT, Ansoff Matrix and Asset led Marketing my commentary will examine how successful will be the launch of Jaguar and Land Rover cars in India. SWOT Analysis: SWOT analysis is a useful decision-making tool that is used to assess the current and future situation of a product, brand, company, proposal or decision. It considers both internal and external factors that are relevant to the issue under investigation.[1] Strengths: The acquisition of the two global brands- Jaguar and Land Rover acts in a crucial way to increase and develop the brand reputation and the quality of products for Tata Motors. It provides plenty of opportunity to the Indian consumer and the developing Indian automobile market can also help the launch of brands in the long-term. It can reap economies of scale through component sourcing and low cost engineering. Weakness: With different product portfolios for both brands it will be a challenging task ahead to market the same in the price sensitive Indian market. But this could be overcome through proper market research. Another concern is the diminishing image due to the continued losses and a de motivated work force due to the change in management. With right training and incentives and proper marketing strategies the company can convert these negatives to strengths. Opportunities: This launch is a great opportunity for the Indian customer and target the growing Indian market. Automobile market is developing in India and placed with launch of Nano, Tata Motors will be in a good position capture a larger share of the market. Threats: Increasing fuel prices combined with global meltdown will be a challenge for the company to stay afloat and over come the losses. In addition the strong competition can threaten the expected sales of the company. However the inherent financial and managerial strength of the conglomerate should be able to let the company withstand the challenges and move ahead. A danger that remains is that with the new ownership international brand loyalties may change and customers may move towards other models in the market. Ansoff Matrix: The Ansoff Matrix is an analytical tool that helps managers to devise their product and market growth strategies. It consists of four growth strategies namely- Market penetration, Market Development under new and existing and markets AND Product development, Diversification under new and existing products.[2] Diversification It refers to the high risk growth strategy that involves a business marketing new products in new markets. Parent companies can benefit from having a presence in a range of products and markets in different regions of the world.[6] Market Penetration- Tata could continue with the same strategy that it had adopted for the UK for the rest of world. The estate, coupe and open saloon models of Jaguar and the Freelander and Range Rover sport of Land Rover selling in the existing markets UK can help them to gain profits and increase in sales in other markets due to the reputation of the brands. For the new models that are planned to launch, promoting and advertising can be a good choice for the firms to maintain their position in the market and to attract more consumers and build customer loyalty. Tata Indica and other commercial vehicles like Tata Ace are examples of Tatas market penetration strategy that exist in the existing markets and are still earning them great profits. Product Development- Tata Motors are launching the smallest car the famed Tata Nano in the Indian markets which is a new product by the firm and launched in existing markets of India and other countries where Tata Motors operate. This car can be useful for the firm as they can easily generate profits through this product as well as their brand name. Also, the firm can compete with other businesses in the same market with the help of these products. Tata Starbus and Tata Xover are other new products that have been launched by Tata Motors in India and other existing markets of Tata Motors. Diversification- The new products planned by Tata Motors through the Jaguar and Land Rover brands can be categorized in diversification. The company plans of manufacturing hybrid, electric and bio-fuels based and environmental friendly cars with the help of latest technology through both of these brands which can be useful in boosting the brand image of the firm. Also, there may be an increase in the profits of the firm as the hybrid cars are said to be the future of automobiles in order to save the earth from pollution. These new products launched in the new markets of India and others can be termed as diversified strategy of the firm. Tata Nano can also be included in this strategy as it is also a new product and is planned to be launched into new markets of African and Asian countries. Asset led marketing: Asset led marketing is a strategy that is adopted by the business for the sales of their products or services. Here, the firm uses its intangible assets for introducing a new product in the market. Tata Motors is a well-established and well-known firm and a part of the parent company Tata and Sons. Thus, in order to launch its products or services in the market and start off with immediate sales and profits, Tatas can use this which may even be applicable for launching the two automobile brands. Tata Motors have been in the news for past several months due to the launch of the worlds cheapest car in India- Tata Nano manufactured by their own company. Simultaneously launching two brands can help Tatas in gaining a lot of customer attention and thus a larger customer base. The well established and elegant brands with the giant prestige of Tata Motors can help the firms in garnering huge amounts of profits and gaining control over their competitors. Evaluation : The biggest advantage of this acquisition is that the firm might see an increase in sales of the cars due to both firms worldwide luxury brand reputation and also due to the services and quality provided by the cars. But at the same time, the number of competitors in the booming automobile market of India has increased and finding their way out to satisfy the customers with different marketing strategies can be very costly for the firm. Tata Motors can implement various strategies such as advertising and also, various schemes can be used which guarantee consumer satisfaction and can also prove to be a part of customer attraction. These strategies can prove to be useful in boosting the brand image and the sales of the company as well. Short- term problems faced by the firm may be the recovering of the costs that has been put into the acquisition and the launch of Jaguar and Land Rover cars. The high manufacturing costs of Tata Motors, Jaguar and Land Rover might prove to be another reason for the losses in the accounts of the Tata Motors. The long-term problems can be an increase in competition as the Indian automobile market is developing at a rapid rate. If the company suffers losses, then there might be the need for job redundancies, thus leading to worker de-motivation. Conclusion: To conclude, the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover brands may be risky due to the global slowdown but Tata Motors with its brand name and established presence in India can succeed in the long run. Tata Group, a huge multinational giant worldwide can capitalize through cross-subsidization. I think that by promoting the products and launching it along with Tata Nano will be useful as each can be a backup for the other in the future. The workforce can be motivated through good learning experience as they may have access to the technology used in manufacturing these premium cars but at the same time, if the products fail to create a mark on customers, the workers may feel insecure as job redundancies may be adopted by Tata Motors to struggle with their own financial portfolio. Bibliography- 1. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE55R0LK20090628?pageNumber=2virtualBrandChannel=0 2. http://www.autoblogs.in/2009/06/tata-jaguar-land-rover-launch-india.html 3. http://free-sms-mms.blogspot.com/2009/06/tata-jaguar-land-rover-launched-in.html 4. http://www.zeenews.com/news542730.html 5. http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14790692 6. http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/In-The-News/Rough-Roads-Ahead.html 7. http://business.outlookindia.com/inner.aspx?articleid=1225subcatgid=611editionid=36catgid=44 8. http://www.tata.in/media/reports/inside.aspx?artid=r8CuZiHSZ2o= 9. http://money.rediff.com/companies/tata-motors-ltd/10510008/profit-and-loss 10. http://www.moneycontrol.com/financials/tatamotors/profit-loss/TM03 11. http://www.moneycontrol.com/financials/tatamotors/balance-sheet/TM03 12. http://www.moneycontrol.com/financials/tatamotors/ratios/TM03 13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Motors Appendix- SWOT: Strengths-  · Jaguar and Land Rover have a respected brand image in the global markets for their luxurious cars.  · A good move for Tata Motors to enter the luxury market.  · A global visibility for the owner of the company as a sprawling conglomerate.  · Benefits from component sourcing, design services and low cost engineering.  · A good learning experience for the workers. Weaknesses-  · Both brands have a vast and a different product portfolio.  · Unavailability of premium auto parts at the Indian auto parts suppliers and thus, the need to import.  · Diminished corporate image of the brands due to massive losses in the past few years.  · De-motivation of workers due to redundancies and job cuts Opportunities-  · Opportunity for the Indian customers to have near access for driving premium cars.  · India is a developing automobile market and thus, a useful step for the long term.  · Simultaneous launch of the Tata Nano and other models can generate higher profits and develop their control on both the upper and the lower and middle class market.  · Range of products with different prices helps them to diversify.  · Reinforcement of globalization. Threats-  · Negative impact on the car sales of the brands due to economic meltdown and global recession.  · Lead to value-destruction due to lack of synergies and high-cost operations.  · Prohibition of establishing a stronger market base and increasing sales due to the number of rivals such as Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, Lamborghini.  · Increase in fuel prices.  · Shifting brand loyalty due to change in ownership Ansoff Matrix- Existing product New product Existing market Market penetration This strategy mainly applies for those businesses that focus on selling existing products in the existing markets. It is a low- risk strategy and helps to increase the market share of its current products.[7] Product development This strategy involves businesses aiming to sell new products in existing markets. This strategy is also a reason for acquiring another company as the costs of starting another company can be saved and different types of customers can be catered. This strategy is also useful for businesses using brand expansion strategies.[8] New market Market Development This method serves for those businesses that apply the strategy of selling existing products into newer markets.[9] Such techniques are used by businesses that plan to expand their business and attain higher customer base. Diversification It refers to the high risk growth strategy that involves a business marketing new products in new markets. Parent companies can benefit from having a presence in a range of products and markets in different regions of the world.[10] MUMBAI (Reuters) Tata Motors (TAMO.BO), Indias largest vehicles maker, on Sunday announced the launch in India of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, the marquee brands it bought from Ford Motors (F.N) last year. Saying it was a momentous occasion for the company, chairman Ratan Tata said, This is in keeping with our desire to extend the penetration of the brands in India. The automobile firm, which controls about 60 percent of the worlds fifth-biggest truck and bus market, will soon also be rolling out the Nano, billed as the worlds cheapest car. Jaguar is launching the XF amd XK range of luxury coupes and convertibles in India starting at a price tag of 6.3 million rupees (79,000 pounds) and going up to 9 million rupees. Land Rover will initially be launching three vehicles including the Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery 3, with prices also starting at 6.3 million rupees but going beyond 9 million. The luxury car market in India is very small, but there is a huge opportunity there. It is growing fast and we expect it to grow fast over the next 5 to 10 years, said David Smith, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover. India is an important part of our plans for the future, said Mike Driscoll, managing director of Jaguar. The luxury car segment in India is less than 1 percent of the total car market there.Continued On Friday Tata Motors posted its first loss in eight years at $520 million (315 million pounds) for the year to March 2009, with its Jaguar Land Rover unit reporting a loss of 306 million pounds in the 10 months of the fiscal year to March 2009, as a brutal global recession crippled car sales. On the issue of loan guarantees for JLR, Tata said, we are in discussions with the U.K. government on the loan guarantees and hopefully we will find a solution for it and our funding plan for JLR will progress. The company is seeking guarantees for the 340 million pounds loan sanctioned by the European Investment Bank and other loans from U.K.-based commercial banks. It is seeking these funds to develop new and more fuel efficient cars for improving its competitive position. Sustaining the downturn is important for us and finding a solution (for the loan guarantees) is extremely important to us, Tata said. He also said that if there was a large financial package from the U.K. government for Jaguar and Land Rover then, there should be commensurate level of representation from them, which had to be negotiated and worked out. An ill-fated, two decade-old strategy is about to end. When Ford hands over the keys to Jaguar and Land Rover (J-LR), it will end its troubled journey with the high-performance premium car brands, which have failed to pull in expected profits despite large investments. Tata Motors is expected to finalise a deal for the two companies for just over $2 billion. However, recent reports indicate that the price might be higher than previously thought. Tata Motors is said to be looking for financing worth $3 billion to fund the deal. The Financial Times reports that Tata Motorss advisors on the J-LR deal, JP Morgan and Citigroup, have received instructions to arrange for funding from banks. What worries investors is that Tata Motors may be stretching itself. This is a critical year for the company. In January, Tata Motors introduced its ultra-cheap car — Nano — to heavy national and global interest. It simultaneously launched a new platform for the Indica, its best selling passenger car. Later this year, it will also launch the World Truck, a project that has been under development with South Korean subsidiary, Tata Daewoo. â€Å"Investors have not taken this deal positively as it will put a lot of pressure on Tata Motors highly leveraged balance sheet,† says Aniket Mhatre, an analyst with financial services firm, Prabhudas Lilladher. â€Å"Also, the Nano wont be profitable for at least the first two-three years. The combined effect is expected to put pressure on Tata Motors margins and profitability.† In January, shortly after Tata Motors was made the preferred bidder for J-LR, credit rating firm Crisil downgraded the companys long-term debt ratings to a ‘negative watch. It said that the deal would be challenging for Tata Motors as a significant portion of combined revenues would come from two newly acquired companies where Tata Motors had â€Å"yet to build and demonstrate capabilities†. The companys stock has dropped 7.9 per cent to Rs 702.65 per share on the year to date. Future Strategy What happens next depends on how well Tata Motors can handle the acquisition and service the considerable debt it will assume. The group is known to retain the services of the current management team after taking over companies. This is exactly what happened when Tata acquired Spanish bus makers Hispano Carrocera and South Korean truck makers Daewoo Commercial Vehicles. Tata executives have likely already approached Jaguars top management team to secure their services beyond the acquisition. The Tata Groups reasoning is that it avoids the hassle of new managers having to learn the ropes. Employee morale also stays high as workers stick with bosses they trust. Still, some Tata Motors executives will definitely be sent to the UK to integrate the finance and business operations of the two companies. Tata has also promised it will not tamper with Jaguar and Land Rovers business plans, made by Ford up to 2011-12. This means that no employee will be fired and no plant shut down, even if these are a financial burden. Scheduled roll-outs for Jaguar and Land Rover are also likely to carry on. â€Å"Ford has plans of launching a number of new models for the J-LR combine,† says Mhatre. â€Å"[These] are expected to do very well in their respective markets. It could provide the much needed boost to Jaguars profitability in particular.† Ford has also secured components from suppliers over the medium term. Tata Motors will enjoy this benefit as it will buy it time to integrate J-LR operations into its own extensive community of lower-cost suppliers, which include around 20 auto design studios, steel units and various component makers. Chairman Ratan Tata also assures that Jaguar and Land Rover will not be re-badged as Tata vehicles. Jaguar dealers were disappointed when they realised that the once-legendary British brands would now be owned out of India. â€Å"For the European market, Tata Motors has a ‘truck-manufacturer image,† says Mhatre. â€Å"Consumers may consider shifting their brand loyalty to competitors in such a scenario.† That is why Tatas decision to not tamper with Jaguar and Land Rovers â€Å"character† will be important. It is also consistent with moves from past acquisitions. Trucks sold in Daewoos native South Korea do not bear the Tata badge. That emblem only appears on vehicles where the Tata brand is more well-known than Daewoo, such as markets like South Asia or Africa. BRAND POWER: Jaguar and Land Rover will not be re-badged as Tata vehicles What Tata Gains The most obvious benefit for Tata Motors is the technology it will now have access to. Both Jaguar and Land Rover use advanced technology and design and production techniques to churn out their vehicles. These include the use of lighter materials such as aluminium as well as considerably more advanced engine and transmission technologies. â€Å"Land Rovers SUV technology [in particular] could be useful for the Tatas current products in the segment,† says Yezdi Nagporewalla, National Industry Director (industrial markets) at KPMG. Then theres green tech. At the ongoing Geneva Motor Show, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata said that he was interested in producing green cars. â€Å"We are very keen and†¦ are looking at working on vehicles that run on biofuels, electric vehicles and hybrid fuels,† he told journalists. Land Rover already has one hybrid concept — the LRX — and says it would invest  £700 million in the development of sustainable technology over the next five years. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the two brands will give Tata Motors a foothold in the luxury space. This means that the company will have a readymade offering in every car segment from ultra-cheap (the Nano) to utilitarian (the Indica) to commercial vehicles (Ace, World Truck) to SUVs (Sumo, Safari and Land Rovers) and, finally, to premium, high-performance cars (Jaguar). The fact that it can literally buy premium brands off the shelf means that it wont have to invest its own time and money to catch up with high-end technology. This is exactly what has put car makers such as Honda or Toyota at a disadvantage in the premium segment in markets such as the US. For the moment, it is unclear whether Tatas gamble will work. $2 billion is a lot of money and, if the analysts are right, Tata Motors may not be in the best position to pay it all back. Still, the Tata group is arguably one of the most professionally managed corporate houses in the country, if anyone can pull it off, they can. Bibliography- http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/In-The-News/Rough-Roads-Ahead.html 3. Tatas to launch Jaguar, Land Rover on June 28 Last updated on: June 18, 200910:23 IST Indias [ Images ] tryst with luxury brands takes a new turn on June 28,when Tata Motors [ Get Quote ] unfurls its marquee brands, the Jaguar and Land Rover [ Images ], in its home market. The cars will be launched just weeks before Indias first global brand, the ultra-cheap Nano [ Images ], hits the road in July. Tata Motors acquired the luxury vehicles from Ford [ Images ] Motor Co for $2.3 billion in March last year. This is the first time globally that Jaguar and Land Rover will debut together. After Mumbai [ Images ], the imported cars will drive to Ludhiana and Bengaluru [ Images ]. The Jaguar will roll out five models including the XJ, XX, and XF. Two models of the Land Rover will available. Tata Motors declined to reveal the first year sales targets for its new offerings. But a senior Tata manager said they will be number a few hundreds. In the United Kingdom, the Jaguar largely sells four models: Estate, saloon, open-top and coupe. The hot selling Land Rover brands overseas are the Range Rover [ Images ], Defender, Discovery and Freelander. JLR will be the first luxury cars from the $83 billion Tata conglomerate although they had a joint venture with Mercedes [ Images ] nearly a decade ago. While the Jaguar gives Tata Motors a toehold in Indias premium car segment, the Land Rover completes its SUV range which includes the Sumo. The JLR launch comes at a time when Indias luxury car market has belied the downturn. Global brands like the Rolls Royce, BMW [ Images ], Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Maybach and the Bentley have made India their coveted destination in the last couple of years. Last year, Mercedes announced that it will invest Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion) to set up its first fully-owned production facility in India. Its first plant in Pune was leased from Tata Motors. Even as compact cars clog Indian roads and drive over two-thirds of the 1.5 million auto market, the high margin luxury cars are a status symbol amongst Indias rich. Ludhiana, for instance, is the Mecca of luxury cars, auto makers say. India now has its very own luxury brands. Tatas Takeover of Jaguar and Land Rover: Bumpy Road or Smooth Ride? Published: April 03, 2008 in India [emailprotected] Will the acquisition of Land Rover and Jaguar be a smooth ride for Tata Motors? That is the question that many observers have been asking since the Tata Group and Ford announced their $2.3 billion deal at the end of March. The takeover has been greeted with jubilation, especially in India, because of the prestige of these marquee brands. On the other hand, skeptics have also been wondering how this acquisition fits in with the Tata Groups overall strategy. What can the Tatas do differently than Ford to ensure that the acquisition pays off? What major challenges will Tata Motors face in integration and marketing? To help make sense of these issues, India [emailprotected] spoke withJohn Paul MacDuffie, Wharton management professor and co-director of theInternational Motor Vehicle Program, andHarbir Singh, Wharton management professor and co-director of theMack Center for Technology Innovation. An edited transcript of the discussion follows: [emailprotected]:Lets start with the question that is on everyones mind. Does this deal make economic sense? MacDuffie: Its a very fascinating deal. Its clearly not a deal that is trying to build economies of scale in just one business and just reach into new markets. Its quite a differently motivated deal. For Tata its not the first time that theyve reached for a brand with some prestige value as part of expanding their global visibility. So I think viewed as an acquisition that they intend to learn a great deal from, it could very well make sense. The exposure that the Tatas will have to the high end of the auto business, which they know very well at the domestic end, and to the managing of this very prestigious brand I think could offer a lot of learning opportunities. [emailprotected]:Harbir, just to follow up on the same issue, the Tatas have the Indica, and they also recently launched the Tata Nano, the famous one lakh rupee car, or the $2,500 car. Do brands like the Jaguar and Land Rover really fit in with that overall portfolio? Whats your sense of the fit? Singh: My sense is that the Tatas are trying to expand their portfolio in general and they are trying to offer [various brands]. I dont think its a question of the customer viewing Nano, and Jaguar and Land Rover as all offerings of the same company. Its much more a question of like Louis Moet Hennessy having a set of brands and really doing the best you can for Land Rover and the best you can for Jaguar. In terms of the economic sense of the transaction, I think another way of looking at it is: Whats the replacement value of those brands, right? And clearly whatever price they pay is much lower than the replacement value. So the real challenge here for them is to make sure that they can enhance Jaguar in its own terms and enhance Land Rover in its own terms. [emailprotected]:John Paul, do you agree? MacDuffie: Yes. Ford of course sold the companies because the company is in deep financial distress and really needed cash now. There can be a dispute, I guess, about whether the price is too high or too low, but the Tatas certainly paid substantially less than Ford did for those brands. And by all counts Land Rover is profitable and Jaguar has made a strong comeback based on building capabilities, improving quality, they have some interesting new products in the pipelines, so I do agree. [emailprotected]:Did the Tatas did get a bargain, or did they overpay because this was a higher price than the market expected? MacDuffie: Its always very tough to know exactly and theres always this kind of speculation at the time. I think that Ford was certainly counting on increasing the volumes of these brands probably particularly Jaguar to a much higher level. And so at a certain point their efforts to greatly expand the volume, I think, probably hurt them somewhat. They were introducing lower priced Jaguars that a lot of people didnt feel represent that brand very well. They were trying to leverage their own Ford design parts from other models. I actually think managing it as a prestige brand from the base that Ford established should work well for the Tatas. That appears to be their pattern with their acquisitions that they by and large allow the management to keep doing what it is doing and, as I said, look for opportunities to learn from these foreign acquisitions. [emailprotected]:Some critics have been saying that for the Tatas this was a deal motivated more by the desire to acquire marquee or iconic brands, almost like former colonials acquiring the trappings of the former empire. Does that criticism make sense? MacDuffie: Who knows about that motivation? Theres certainly a kind of interest, I think, in the whole deal that comes partly from such associations. One of the other Tata deals thats gotten some attention is the acquisition of Tetley Tea, another British brand, and also of British Steel, the remains of British Steel. And so clearly investing in Britain has worked well for Indian companies. There were competing buyers, mostly private equity sometimes in partnership with other auto companies. And both the unions and the suppliers of Jaguar and Land Rover very much prefer Tata. I suspect not because theyre an Indian company but because of their track record in the way theyve managed acquisitions. They by and large have not done wide-scale layoffs, they have not done lots of consolidation; theyve focused on leveraging the strengths and the capabilities they have acquired. Singh: I agree with everything John Paul is saying. My comment is that its important for the Tatas not to get distracted by the nationalism and those kinds of things, which are all inevitable and natural. And I think its good, the pride is well-placed. You know the pride in Tatas by Indian investors and others is well placed. But fundamentally, this transaction has to perform because its a large transaction. I think there is a very good chance of performing. But I think it important for them to not get wrapped in the overlay of national pride and British colonialism and all those things. [emailprotected]:Ford really had a tough time during the many years that it owned these brands. What could the Tatas do differently to make sure that the acquisitions pay off? Singh: Its correct that Ford struggled quite a bit with these transactions. One of the issues that John Paul mentioned earlier was that Ford is in financial trouble. So if you were to think about Tatas approach to all of this, they could get a good price because its a distress sale. I mentioned market replacement value and there is a good chance that the $2.3 billion is well below replacement value because Ford bought Jaguar for a similar reason. They wanted that luxury nameplate. And Land Rover also is a high-end nameplate. But we can also ask that based on these multiple bidders present, that what we will get is kind of almost an auction-like value, right? Except that it will, given that the bidders are all well-informed and they have had access to the books this is a private transaction, its not a pub

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 33

Chapter 33 Ship of Fools Tommy led them down a narrow hallway and into a large room paneled in dark walnut and furnished with heavy, dark wood furniture. Paintings and bookshelves filled with leather volumes lined the walls; strands of gold wire running across the front of the shelves to hold the books in place in rough seas were the only evidence that they were on a boat. There were no windows; the only light came from small spotlights recessed into the ceiling that shone on the paintings. Tommy paused in the middle of the room, fighting the urge to stop and look at the books. Lash moved to his side. â€Å"See that?† Lash asked. He nodded toward a large painting – bright colors and bold shapes, squiggles and lines – that hung between two doors at the far end of the room. Tommy said, â€Å"Looks like it should be hung on a fridge with ladybug magnets.† â€Å"It's a Miro,† Lash said. â€Å"It must be worth millions.† â€Å"How do you know it's an original?† â€Å"Tommy, look at this yacht; if you can afford a boat like this, you don't hang fakes.† Lash pointed to another, smaller painting of a woman reclining on a pile of satin cushions. â€Å"That's a Goya. Probably priceless.† â€Å"So what's your point?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Would you leave something like that unguarded? And I don't think that you can run a boat this size without a crew.† â€Å"Swell,† Tommy said. â€Å"Jeff, let me have that shotgun.† Jeff, still shivering from his dunk, handed over the gun. â€Å"Shell in the chamber,† Jeff said. Tommy took the gun, checked the safety, and started forward. â€Å"Keep your eyes open, guys.† They went through the door to the right of the Miro into another hallway, this one paneled in teak. Paintings hung along the walls between louvered teak doors. Tommy paused at the first door and signaled for Barry to back him up with a speargun as he opened it. Inside, row upon row of suits and jackets hung on motorized tracks. Above the tracks, shelves were filled with hats and expensive shoes. Tommy pushed aside some of the suits and peered between them, looking for a set of legs and feet. â€Å"No one here,† he said. â€Å"Did anyone bring a flashlight?† â€Å"Didn't think about it,† Barry said. Tommy backed out of the closet and moved to the next door. â€Å"It's a bathroom.† â€Å"A head,† Barry corrected, looking around Tommy's shoulder into the room. â€Å"There's no toilet.† â€Å"Vampires don't go,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'd say this guy had this boat built for him.† They moved down the hall checking each room. There were rooms full of paintings and sculpture, crated, labeled, and stacked in rows; another with oriental carpets rolled and stacked; a room that looked like an office, with computers, a copy machine, fax machines, and filing cabinets; and another head. They followed the hallway around a gentle curve to the left, where it traced the line of the bow of the boat. At the apex there was a teak spiral staircase that led to a deck above and one below. Light spilled down from above. The hallway curved around the bow and back to the stern. â€Å"The hallway must go back to that other door in that big room.† Tommy said. â€Å"Lash, you, Clint, Troy, and Jeff check the rooms on that side. Your Majesty, Barry, Drew, come with me. Meet us back here.† â€Å"I thought we were going to stay together,† Jeff said. â€Å"I don't think you're going to find anything down there. If you do, yell like hell.† The Emperor patted Lazarus's head. â€Å"Stay here, good fellow. We shan't be long.† Tommy pointed upward with the shotgun and mounted the stairs. He emerged onto the bridge and squinted against the light coming through the windows. He stepped aside and looked around the bridge while the others came up the stairs behind him. â€Å"It looks more like the bridge of a starship,† Tommy said to the Emperor as he came up. Low consoles filled with switches and screens ran along the front of the bridge under wide, streamlined windows. There were five different radar screens blipping away. At least a dozen other screens were scrolling figures and text; red, green, and amber lights glowed along the rows of toggle switches over three computer keyboards. The only thing that looked remotely nautical to Tommy was the chrome wheel at the front of the bridge. â€Å"Anybody know what any of this stuff is?† Tommy asked. Barry said, â€Å"I'd say that this is the crew that we were wondering about. This whole thing is automated.† Barry stepped up to one of the consoles and all the screens and lights winked out. â€Å"I didn't touch anything,† Barry said. The foghorn on Alcatraz sounded and they looked out the window toward the abandoned prison. The fog was making its way across the bay toward shore. â€Å"How's our time?† Tommy asked. Drew checked his watch. â€Å"About two hours.† â€Å"Okay, let's check that lower deck.† As they came down the steps, Lash said, â€Å"Nothing. More art, more electronics. There's no galley, and I can't figure out where the crew sleeps.† â€Å"There is no crew,† Tommy said as he started down the steps to the lower deck. â€Å"It's all run by machines.† The floor of the lower deck was made of diamond-plate steel; there were no carpets and no wood: pipes and wires ran around the steel bulkheads. A steel pressure hatch opened into a narrow passageway. Light from the bridge two decks above spilled a few feet into the passageway, then it was dark. â€Å"Drew,† Tommy said, â€Å"you got a lighter?† â€Å"Always,† Drew said, handing him a disposable butane lighter. Tommy crouched and went through the hatch, took a few steps, and clicked the lighter. â€Å"This must lead to the engines,† Lash said. â€Å"But it should be bigger.† He knocked on the steel wall, making a dull thud. â€Å"I think this is all fuel around us. This thing must have an incredible range.† Tommy looked at the lighter, then back at Lash, whose black face was just highlights in the flame. â€Å"Fuel?† â€Å"It's sealed.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said. He moved a few more feet and barked his elbow on the metal ring of a pressure hatch. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"Open it,† Drew said. Tommy handed him the shotgun and lighter and grabbed the heavy metal ring. He strained against it but it didn't budge. â€Å"Help.† Lash snaked past Drew and joined Tommy on the ring. They put their weight on it and pushed. The wheel screeched in protest, then broke loose. Tommy pulled the hatch open and was hit with the smell of urine and decay. â€Å"Christ.† He turned away coughing. â€Å"Lash, give me the lighter.† Lash handed him the lighter. Tommy reached through the hatch and lit it. There were bars just inside the hatch, beyond that a rotting mattress, some empty food cans, and a bucket. Red-brown splotches smeared the gray walls, one in the shape of a handprint. â€Å"Is it the fiend?† the Emperor asked. Tommy moved back from the hatch and handed back the lighter. â€Å"No, it's a cage.† Lash looked in. â€Å"A prison cell? I don't get it.† Tommy slid down the bulkhead and sat on the steel floor, trying to catch his breath. â€Å"You said this thing had an incredible range. Could stay out to sea for months, probably?† â€Å"Yeah,† Lash said. â€Å"He has to store his food somewhere.† Inside the vampire's vault, just above his face, a computer screen was scrolling information. A schematic of the Sanguine II lit up one side of the screen with nine red dots representing the vampire hunters and Lazarus. Green dotted lines traced the patterns of their movements since they had boarded the ship. Another area of the screen recorded the time they had boarded and another showed exterior views of the yacht: the raft tied up at the rear, the dock, fog sweeping over the Saint Francis clubhouse. Radar readouts showed the surrounding watercraft, the shoreline, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate in the distance. Optical disk drives recorded all the information so the vampire could replay it upon awakening. Motion detectors had, upon sensing Barry's presence near the console on the bridge, activated switches that rerouted all of the ship's control to the vault. The Sanguine II was wide awake and awaiting its master. â€Å"How's our time, Lash?† Tommy asked. â€Å"About an hour.† They were gathered at the stern of the yacht, watching the fog roll into shore. They had searched the entire ship, then gone back through it again, opening every closet, cupboard, and access panel. â€Å"He's got to be here.† â€Å"Perhaps,† said the Emperor, â€Å"we should go ashore and set Bummer on another trail.† At the mention of his name Bummer yapped and worked his head out of the Emperor's pocket. Tommy scratched his ears. â€Å"Let him out.† The Emperor unbuttoned his pocket and Bummer leaped out, bit Tommy on the ankle, and shot through the hatch. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"Follow him,† the Emperor said. â€Å"He's on the trail.† He ran through the hatch, followed by the Animals and Tommy, limping slightly. Five minutes later they were standing on the diamond-plate floor of the engine room. Bummer was scratching at the floor and whining. â€Å"This is stupid,† Barry said. â€Å"We've been through this area three times.† Tommy looked at the section of floor where Bummer was scratching. There was a rectangular seam, ten feet long by three feet wide, sealed with a rubber gasket. â€Å"We didn't look under the floor.† â€Å"It's water under the floor, isn't it?† Jeff said. Tommy got down on his knees and examined the seam. â€Å"Troy, give me one of those swords.† Troy Lee handed him a fighting sword. Tommy worked the tip under the rubber gasket and the blade sank into the seam. â€Å"Get that other sword into this crack and help me pry it up.† Troy worked his sword into the seam and they counted to three. The edge of the panel popped up. The other Animals caught the edge and lifted. The floor panel came up, revealing a coffin-length stainless-steel vault two feet below the floor. Bummer leaped into the opening in the floor and began running around the vault, leaping and barking. â€Å"Well done, little one,† the Emperor said. Tommy looked at the Animals, who were holding the floor panel up on its edge. â€Å"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet the owner of this vessel.† Drew let go of the floor panel and jumped into the opening with the vault. There was just enough room in the opening for him to move sideways around the vault. â€Å"It's on hydraulic lifts. And there's a shitload of cables running in and out of it.† â€Å"Open it,† Troy Lee said, holding his sword at ready. Drew pulled at the lid of the vault, then let go and knocked on the side. â€Å"This thing is thick. Really thick.† He reached up and took Troy's sword, worked the blade under the lid, and pried. The sword snapped. â€Å"Christ, Drew! That sword cost a week's pay.† â€Å"Sorry,† Drew said. â€Å"We're not going to pry this baby open. Not even with a crowbar.† Tommy said, â€Å"Lash, how's our time?† â€Å"Forty minutes, give or take five.† To Drew, Tommy said, â€Å"What do you think? How do we get it open? A torch?† Drew shook his head. â€Å"Too thick. It'd take hours to get through this. I say we blow it.† â€Å"With what?† Drew grinned. â€Å"Common items you can find in your own kitchen. Someone's going to need to go back to the store and get me some stuff.† Cavuto watched Troy Lee's Toyota turning around, put down his binoculars, and quickly backed the cruiser into a driveway behind the shower buildings. He hit the redial on his cell phone and the gate guard answered on the first ring. â€Å"Saint Francis Yacht Club, gate.† â€Å"This is Inspector Cavuto again. I need to know the registered owner of the Sanguine Two.† â€Å"I'm not supposed to give out that information.† â€Å"Look, I'm going to shoot some guys in a minute. You want to help, or what?† â€Å"It's registered to a Dutch shipping company. Ben Sapir Limited.† â€Å"Have you seen anyone coming to or from that boat? Crew? Visitors?† There was a pause while the guard checked his records. â€Å"No, nothing since it came into harbor. Except that it fueled up last night. Paid cash. No signature. Man, that baby's got some fuel capacity.† â€Å"How long has it been here?† Another pause. â€Å"A little over three months. Came in on September fifteenth.† Cavuto checked his notebook. The first body was found on the seventeenth of September. â€Å"Thanks,† he said to the guard. â€Å"Those guys you had me let in are causing trouble. They took a boat.† â€Å"They're coming back through the gate. Let them do what they want. I'll take responsibility.† Cavuto disconnected and dialed the number of Rivera's cell phone. Rivera answered on the first ring. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Where are you?† Cavuto could hear Rivera lighting a cigarette. â€Å"Watching the kid's apartment. I got a car. You?† â€Å"The kid and the night crew are on a big motor yacht at the Saint Francis yacht club-hundred-footer. Boat's called the Sanguine Two; registered to a Dutch shipping company. They've been out there a couple of hours. Two of them just left.† â€Å"He didn't seem like the yachting type.† â€Å"No shit. But I'm staying with the kid. The Sanguine Two pulled into port two days before the first murder. Maybe we should get a warrant.† â€Å"Probable cause?† â€Å"I don't know – suspicion of piracy.† â€Å"You want to call in some other units?† â€Å"Not unless something happens. I don't want the attention. Any movement from your girl?† â€Å"No. But it's getting dark. I'll let you know.† â€Å"Just go knock on the damn door and find out what's going on.† â€Å"Can't. I'm not ready to interview a murder victim. I haven't had any experience in it.† â€Å"I hate it when you talk like that. Call me.† Cavuto rung off and began rubbing a headache out of his temples. Jeff and Troy Lee were running through the Safeway aisles, Troy shouting out items off Drew's list while Jeff pushed the cart. â€Å"A case of Vaseline,† Troy said. â€Å"I'll get it out of the stockroom. You grab the sugar, and the Wonder Grow.† â€Å"Got it,† Jeff said. They rendezvoused at the express lane. The cashier, a middle-aged woman with bottle-blond hair, glared at them over her rose-tinted glasses. â€Å"C'mon, Kathleen,† Troy said. â€Å"That eight-items-or-less bullshit doesn't apply to employees.† Like everyone who worked days at the Safeway, Kathleen was a little afraid of the Animals. She sighed and began running the items over the scanner while Troy Lee shoved them into bags: ten five-pound bags of sugar, ten boxes of Wonder Grow fertilizer, five quarts of Wild Turkey bourbon, a case of charcoal lighter, a giant box of laundry detergent, a box of utility candles, a bag of charcoal, ten boxes of mothballs†¦ When she got to the case of Vaseline, Kathleen paused and looked up at Jeff. He gave her his best all-American-boy smile. â€Å"We're having a little party,† he said. She huffed and totaled the order. Jeff threw a handful of bills on the counter and followed Troy out of the store, pushing the cart at a dead run. Twenty minutes later the Animals were scrambling through the Sanguine II with the bags of supplies for Drew, who was crouched in the opening with the stainless-steel vault. Tommy handed down the boxes of fertilizer. â€Å"Potassium nitrate,† Drew said. â€Å"No recreational value, but the nitrates make a nice bang.† He tore the lid off a box and dumped the powder into a growing pile. â€Å"Give me some of that Wild Turkey.† Tommy handed down some bottles. Drew twisted the cap off one and took a drink. He shivered, blinked back a tear, and emptied the rest of the bottle into the dry ingredients. â€Å"Hand me that broken sword. I need something to stir with.† Tommy reached for the sword and looked up at Lash. â€Å"How we doing?† Lash didn't even look at his watch. â€Å"It's officially dark,† he said.

C-Direct Insurance Company

201KM GROUP PROJECT CASE STUDY 3 Case Study 3 The C-Direct- Insurance Company Developed by Peter Race, Henley Management College Call centres have fast become one of the most important channels for organizations and their customers to interact. There are around 4,000 call centres in the UK today,employing over 400,000 people. The direct sell insurance industry is increasingly using call centres to access and service its market. The C-Direct -Insurance Company has its call centre in Newcastle, England. The company itself is just 6 years old and specialises in selling automobile insurance policies direct to customers. The processAdvertising and promotion initiatives attract customers’ interest and generate enquiries to the CD Call Centre. These lead to the provision of quotations for personal car insurance. In order to provide the quotation, CD operators need to collect the customer’s personal and vehicle related data (in total 17 items) and input them to the computer. Th e process is as follows: Customers call the CDCall Centre (the focus of this case) by a freephone telephone number and submit the required information. This is entered directly into a computer terminal during the call, their questions answered, and quotation provided within 12 minutes.Customers can pay by credit card and receive immediate insurance cover. Customers receive their personal insurance offer confirmed in writing by mail, about 23 days after initial contact. Mr Small, the Operations Manager, is responsible for all operations in the Call Centre. The Call Centre employs 105 people in three shifts over a core day between the hours of 0800 and 2000. The resources for the Call Centre are:  · its facilities – for example the buildings and the staff’s workspace/workstations  · the equipment – for example, computers/systems the People who use them. Car insurance is compulsory in the UK, so customers are price sensitive and tend to shop around to compare t he company’s offer with those of competitors. Only about 17% of CD’s offers are converted into policies. The operations management strategies of scheduling, capacity and quality management were reactive rather than proactive; for example, poor forecasting of demand resulted in excess manpower being under utilised. Staffs were inflexible and showed little sympathy or understanding to frustrated and angry customers.The interfaces with support functions such as Marketing or Information Systems Department tended to be confrontational rather than supportive. Fortunately, in the early days, competition was not very tough and Mr Small had no special performance targets or formal control mechanisms – he was literally his own boss. The policy change After five years of high growth, over the last twelve months sales have only grown by 3% and the company is beginning to struggle with diminishing profits. The main reasons for the slowdown have been identified:  · New Entr ants: 15 companies in the last 2 years, producing a wave of ‘direct insurance startups’.These companies have targeted the same customer segment as CD, the market for which has remained stagnant.  · Customers are more price sensitive and new entrants offer extremely low prices.  · Substitute Products are unchanged – customers still require car insurance. The new situation has forced management to review business policy options to provide a competitive advantage. Research has shown that for direct selling insurance products, the key market drivers are to:  · Offer a wider range of insurance products, so minimising the need for customers to deal with many suppliers. Offer low prices  · Provide excellent service. A recent internal report showed that the CD Call Centre still had potential to improve service levels and cost efficiency. The decision was therefore taken to extend the product range and improve service by addressing: Product flexibility CD will res pond to customer’s demand by launching a new product – household insurance – and deliver it via the Call Centre, alongside car insurance. Household insurance is often requested by customers and they have been in the past disappointed not to source it from CD.Furthermore, the product margin for household insurance is high, thanks to low average claims. Since only a few competitors currently offer household insurance, management believed they could generate an above average profit margin in the first year after launch. Responsiveness In order to make the new product successful, it will also be necessary to fulfill customer expectations for ‘time’ response. Consequently, operations management will need to ensure quick access to the Cal Centre and efficient treatment of customers for both products.Quality Improve customer service – at least to match competitors’ standards. Internal analysis has shown that the auto insurance ‘lapse ra te’ (customers not renewing their policies) – which is an indicator of customer satisfaction – was above the market average. To avoid this trap with the new product, significant improvements in service delivery of all CD’s activities is needed (including settlement of claims, which is not part of the Call Centre’s responsibilities). Cost Ensure price decrease of insurance premiums by reducing internal costs.All possibilities for further cost reduction must be exploited to permit a price level lower than the top five price leaders. By launching this policy change, senior management believe a successful implementation will lead to higher customer satisfaction and consequently to profitable growth. Influences on the operations The change in business policy will have an impact on M. Small’s current operations strategies. The policy change has been developed at corporate level but the benefits will have to be delivered by Mr Small, the Operations Manager, in the future.Therefore, Mr Small will need to address the changes to operating systems structures and operations management objectives. The determination of the tradeoff between customer service and resource utilisation will be a key factor for sustainable operation, especially in this competitive environment. The new business policy decision will affect Mr Small’s current practice in two ways. First, he will have to interface with the project setup to manage the launch of the new product and modifications to the delivery processes.Second, Small will have to establish operations management strategies to allow the business to meet the objectives of the policy change. The Project phase Workforce The existing staff will be responsible for the new product, alongside the existing offering. Therefore an intensive training programme on Information Technology (IT); enhancements and new product features will be required. To improve the overall quality and service provision, customer acquisition techniques and friendly handling of difficult customers will be covered during the training.Mr Small will work with the training department to develop a training plan which will take at least four days per group to deliver (each group has about 10 employees). Therefore, he will have to schedule the training so that the normal business will not be hampered by too few staff in the Call Centre. The new training approach will also have a long term influence, because training updates for employees will be held at least once a year. One of the aims of the training is to reshape corporate culture so as to engender a commitment to high efficiency and excellent ervice. This will demand empowering the workforce to focus on customer service, together with better collaboration between staff, by using more teamwork, to raise the overall efficiency levels of the operation. Mr Small will also have to install a feedback process to evaluate the satisfaction level of the staff, to help identify continuous improvement areas. Better motivation will be achieved by introducing a new incentive system, using positive customer feedback as a measure for rewards. Facilities & equipmentThe current workspace/workstation for a Call Centre staff member is a small, open ‘boxlike’ area (less than one square metre), containing a terminal, keyboard and telephone. The boxes are very close together and do not have a proper noise protection. Staff complains about the workstations, because with the background noise of five or more colleagues, concentration is difficult, and the number of data input errors are high. Staff have little space to write notes, so for example, noting down a telephone number to return a call to a customer is very difficult.After looking at the staff’s workspace, Small realised they would have to modify the building in order to create more space and provide noise protection. He thought that only by providing a convenient and ergonom ic workspace would he be able to ensure his staff’s full commitment to performance improvements. A careful forecast of future demand will be necessary in order to install the right number of new workstations and avoid under/over utilisation of resources. Technology A new terminal mask (template or standard screen) for the Call Centre needs to be developed by the Information Systems Department (ISD).This mask must contain all questions that need to be answered by the customer. To ensure service quality, ISD would have to create a flexible IT system, which would enable the Call Centre staff to quickly switch from one screen to another, according to customer’s demand. The competitor benchmark for ‘time to switch’ screens is less than 3 seconds. Furthermore, high IT reliability is vital, because breakdowns in the past have stopped all activities of the Call Centre, (since they depend on online access to the mainframe) and customers could not be served during t hat time. Mr.Small wonders if an ISD/Call Centre staff taskforce should be setup to explore the main historical problems for poor reliability, define development areas and try to find the best possible solution. Organisation Experience in the past has shown that the first few months after a product launch to be critical. Therefore, a new role of a ‘first alert support person’ needs to be established. The ‘first alert’ person will help improve service by patrolling the Call Centre and helping the staff during busy times, in cases of difficult customer questions or with technical problems.Furthermore, they would have a coaching role for new employees and also support staff training. The Human Resource Department (HRD) will need to develop the job description, provide a career plan for that role, manage the necessary recruiting and training process and determine how this new position fits into the organisation. Questions 1. Prepare the Project Definition Repor t for implementation of the policy change. This report should cover: vision; purpose (including a stakeholder analysis); objectives; scope; strategy; project phases; and project organisation. 2. What are the risks for the project and how should they be managed?

Gender Roles in Pride and Prejudice essays

Gender Roles in Pride and Prejudice essays Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin is the number one romantic novel in the history of books. In the book Pride and Prejudice, gender is a very noticeable issue for both ladies and men. For girls, they are required to marry at a very young age. The role of a man is to be very charming among the ladies and to be as they call it a very agreeable gentleman. As for the woman they are supposed to use the most proper manners possible. Interestingly, gender is a very distinguishable issue for the ladies and gentlemen in this novel. Girls were required to marry at a very young age, compared to nowadays. A woman that can sing, play instruments, sew, draw, and do other artistic activities while still being very modest and agreeable are the women that will be married first. The women hoped to find a rich husband that can care for them for the rest of their years and men have the objective of becoming very wealthy in order to attract such women. The importance of marriage in the lives of Elizabeth and her sisters may be difficult, for readers in 2011 to understand. Young woman now have more freedom than having the choice to marry, live on their own, and also follow the job that they want. In the Nineteenth Century If the women is unmarried, they remain dependent on the relatives and guardians than they receive a small amount of income from their fathers or other relations that may be able to support them. But in Eliz abeths Case, She is extremely dependent on her father as he offers her what she needs but not only her who is dependent on him but also her mothers and her sisters. If Mr. Bennet dies, they would become under the mercy of their relatives as Mr. Gardiner, Mrs. Gardiner, Mr. Philips, Mrs. Philips, and also may be Mr. Collins. Above all, a girls gender in this book was an important part of their lives. In addition, men are suppose be very charming among the ladies. Men were responsible for the economic needs of the famil...

When The Legends Die Essays - Ute People, Man Of The Family

When The Legends Die Essays - Ute People, Man Of The Family When The Legends Die This is the story of the life an Ute family, and in particular the way of their people. The story starts off with the father of the family, George Black Bull running for his life from the sheriff and Blue Elk, one of the old Ute men. He had shot a man named Frank No Deer, he had killed him for stealing his money three times that he owed to a sawmill in Pagosa where he had worked with many other of his people, that he had saved for a long period of time. So George, his wife Bessie and son decided to live in the mountains, where they would live the old way, singing songs for different occasions, fishing and hunting with arrow instead of guns, and making use of the wilderness and all of it's resources. They built a cabin to live in, in a location where George would not be found and put in jail for his crime, they caught their meals, sewed their clothes and lived life and taught their son the way it had been lived by many generations of their people in the past, until one da! y George was crushed by an avalanche while hunting in a valley. Bessie new now that their son had become the man of the family, and would be responsible for many of the tasks that needed to be done in order to survive, it was also time for him to pick a name, he chose the name Bear's Brother. Every once and a while they went to the village to trade for items that they could not make, but after a short period of time Bessie became very ill and died. Bear's Brother had learned the ways and was now capable of taking care of himself, he continued to live life the old way. One day he journeyed to town to trade items, he told what had happened to his parents and that he was living alone with a bear, but Blue Elk thought that he should not be living this way and that he should be in school and living the way of the present. Blue Elk followed Bear's Brother to his cabin and they talked for many hours, Bear's Brother re-taught Blue Elk the old ways and talked with Bear's Brother f! or many hours, and finally convinced him to come to town with him and remind his people of these old ways. I personally like the setting of the wilderness in this book. I enjoy reading and learning the ways that native people lived their lives in the wilderness even if it is fiction and not fact. The setting is very detailed, believable and has enough but not too much description. "She cried out once in horror, and the boy heard and came and stood beside her, watching, as the snow plume floated all the way down the slope and the thunder of the slide echoed into the silence," is a phrase that I found particularly enjoyable and descriptive. I like the way that the author has not introduced too many characters at once and has limited the number of characters that are of relevance during certain periods of the book. I find it is very annoying when a book has many important characters all at one point or section of the book, instead Hal Borland introduces characters at various stages of the book, and now that Bear's Brother's parents have died I'm sure a few more characters will be introduced. I like Blue Elks character because he's mysterious and seems to show up every once and a while in the book, he seems to be everyone's friend. For example, when Bear's Brother's bear is attacking dogs in the village, he shows up for no apparent reason. There's not too much suspense in this book, but I think it's mainly because there's no need for suspense in this style of book. A not so obvious example of foreshadowing would be right after George fights Frank No Deer for stealing his money. After he has fought he checks his pocket to see if his money is still there, and of course it's gone. The author wouldn't have

UK-An Investors Haven Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UK-An Investors Haven - Essay Example Similarly, countries that export such goods can then look at importing goods that they feel are more attractive and efficient from third countries. Such 'gains from trade' will help all countries benefit and lead to all-round development and prosperity. Global production and consumption will increase (Bruce E. Moon, Ideas and Policies, 1999)2. This law of comparative advantage was expressed by renowned economist David Ricardo, who concluded that such practices of 'gains from trade' benefited nations economically. The UK has enough coal deposits for consumption; however, it depends on China and Australia for its consumption. Despite the cost of transportation, coal is still cheap when imported from these countries, compared to high-cost production costs here. This way of imports not only helps the local economy, but increases revenue for those countries as well (Sherlock and Reuvid, The handbook of International Trade, 2004)3. Britain, one of the most open economies in the world, is the fifth largest international trading nation, and the second largest exporter of services. She exported 187 billion in goods and sold 67 billion worth of services overseas in 2000. Trade relations with countries other than the EU members fall within the Common Commercial Policy (CCP) of the European Union. Thus, the European Commission negotiates with third countries on the basis of mandates agreed by the Member States (European Communities Act 1972 5.2(1)). This arrangement gives the UK greater clout in global trade negotiations4. 2.0 Executive Summary Because of its open economic policy, UK has benefited both from inward and outward investment. It receives the most in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) than any other country in the European Union (EU), creating new jobs, finance projects, and providing access to new technologies. Interestingly, UK is the world's second largest supplier of FDI to third countries. The returns earned through interest and capital investment helps run the exchequer in disbursing pensions and other savings. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as defined by IMF is 'a direct investment that is made to acquire a 'lasting interest' in a business operating in a country other than that of the investor, and his sole purpose being to have an effective voice in the management of that company'. 'Lasting interest' being debatable, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recommended that 10% or greater ownership should satisfy this requirement.5 The United Kingdom imports cars, coal, oil, electronics and electrical consumer goods, and more, from foreign countries. Most of these products can be produced by the country itself. However, there are genuine reasons for such imports. Three prominent points that come to mind are6: 1. Cheaper priced than those made locally 2. More varieties available for selection due to imports 3. Better quality and features. Liberalisation has helped Trade push the economy and the government's exchequer. There are however several moves by the government that has cast a shadow with the local population.

Business Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Tourism - Essay Example (Parliament, Great Britain, Media and Sport Committee Culture, and House of Commons, 2005) Although the Business tourism in Britain is well over  £ 20 Billion currently, still the tourism industry is eagerly anticipating Olympics, because that is supposed to bring some good omen after the last decision by the government to cut the funding for tourism by nearly one fifth, some economists had discovered that this decision was made on completely inaccurate data which stated an over anticipated growth in the industry. (Connor, Ashling, 2008) Here in this report we have discussed all the above and have also stated the future prospects of the tourism industry and the effects of 2012 Olympics on it. We have also provided a strong conclusion and recommendations as to the best options and growth opportunities in Britain. The non-discretionary business tourism is composed of the individual or corporate travel garners  £ 7 billion of revenues per annum. There has been a 53% growth in all business trips to the UK in the span of more than a decade. Approximately, 7 million visits are made to the UK each year for business purposes. (Rogers, Tony, 2003) The decision made by the government to cut the revenues and expenditures by a fifth was not justified and the opposition as well as the tourism promotion NGO’s realize that and some have even protested against that decision, after all, we wouldn’t want to ruin England’s name by not being prepared or rather not being able to organize a breathtaking Olympics, we have to at least show a better performance than most of the first or third world countries, being one of the most supreme and developed nation. (Great Britain: National Audit Office, 2007) One of the most alluring characters of the business tourism industry is that it creates a lot of job as well as business opportunities as well as it sustains the workforce as it is an industry that’s growing at a constant and stable growth rate. As a