HEALTH PROGRAM EVALUATION (Impact Evaluation and Accountability SLP 4) Research Paper

HEALTH PROGRAM EVALUATION (Impact Evaluation and Accountability SLP 4) - Research Paper Example Measureable outcomes benefit the executers of a project in that they provide a foundation for evaluating the objectives sought out in the first place versus the reality and true picture of the impact on the ground (Dreher. M et al 2006). For this case, measurable outcomes could encompass both the desired and the undesired effects of a project. Measurable outcomes could either be quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative outcomes are measured in terms of how many, how much et cetera while qualitative outcomes could be expressed in terms of how well, how reliable, how successful e.t.c. To find the number of children with neuro-developmental and related disabilitiesthat have been involved in court cases and in the process find the percentage of them that have been handled and concluded and those that are still pending in court. The percentage of the cases that have been concluded out of the total would provide the basis for knowing how fast and effective the justice system is in dealing with cases affecting such children. Another measurable outcome arising out of the objectives is the extent to which literature around children with neuro-development disabilities has been researched. How well researched is the information that is in the public domain and could there be cases of poorly researched material in the public domain. In this case what could be the percentage of the material? The third important factor to express as a measurable outcome is to identify how many members of the LEND group are knowledgeable in matters to do with children with neuro development disabilities. Again in this case one has to understand the highest level of knowledge that is present within the group and to what extent is this knowledge benefiting the group. Where applicable how many people should be trained in particular field by a given time. The last measurable outcome as relates to the objectives identified above is to know the extent of

Popular Culture and the Humanities Essay Example for Free

Popular Culture and the Humanities Essay I am writing this letter as a piece of a time capsule. I wish to capture for you a day in the life of the typical person in 2012. I have to say at this point that my day starts early. The house really starts buzzing around 6:00. Usually my husband is out to work at this time. Giovanni, my son, takes a shower getting ready for school. I start making coffee, and getting breakfast ready. Then we have breakfast together and soon he has to wait for the bus to bring him to school. His bus ride is about thirty from where we live. We chose a Catholic school for our children, Guilherme, 21 yrs old, graduate from Salesian High School and is current living in Pennsylvania in his last year in De Sales University and Giovanni 15 yrs old, attends Salesian High School. We want them to learn and practice a catholic faith. Next I have to get ready to go to work. It takes about ten minute driving to the school. Little Angels is private Preschool School; I teach a Pre-school class, which has 13 children. We have to use an electronic card to gain access to building. Nowadays you can’t be too careful with security. My schedule is from 9 to 5 every day, I have one hour lunch break, and I spend trying to juggle between homework, work and chores. I am currently a part time student at Kaplan University. I do not attend physical classes in a physical building. My classes are online. This means that I receive the information through the internet. The internet is the only way to communication nowadays. I have never met my professors face to face, but we correspond through discussion boards on the school’s web site. The Internet is named for interconnection of computer networks. It is a massive hardware combination of millions of personal, business, and governmental computers, all connected like roads and highways . Business, schools and even governments have come to depend on the internet as the main way to exchange information and even goods. No single person owns the Internet. No single government has authority over its operations. Some technical rules and hardware/software standards enforce how people plug into the Internet, but for the most part, the Internet is a free and open broadcast medium of hardware networking. Most of my banking, education and work are done online. Throughout a typical day, I will pay bills on the internet, access my class information on the internet and correspond with my sister and brother in Brazil through e-mail or Skype. At 5 when I came home usually my husband is waiting for me and we go for a two mile run. After I use the stove which cooks food by using electricity to heat pots or pans on the top of the stove or elements in the oven of the stove. This may not really represent our popular culture right now, since many people prefer to eat in restaurants, but we prefer to cook our own food since it healthier that way. That is pretty much what our days are like in the year 2012. We use a lot of technology, but family time and interaction with each are still the strengths of my day. We enjoy devices like cars, GPS, and dishwashers, refrigerators, air condition, cell phones, Ipads, which makes our lives so much easier. Even though we have made much medical advancement, we still have not found cure for Cancer, but we had good news this week, it looks like a regular sports bra, but it’s meant to help women detect early signs of breast cancer. Lifeline Biotechnologies has developed the First Warning System, or a smart bra, after years of research. The concept is called â€Å"thermography,† which relies on precisely detecting heat or abnormal heat signatures from tumors versus normal tissue. †Dr. Siavash Jabbari of Sharp Barnhart Cancer Center in Chula Vista, Calif., said the device is an â€Å"encouraging sign in the fight against cancer,† and it will give hope to the one in eight American women who develop the disease in their lifetime. The bra is still in a trial stage, but it’s showing good results. The company hopes the device will be available in the U.S. within the next two years. To us women this is good news, because mammograms are so painful and not so efficient. Times right now seem pretty uncertain. Unemployment is high, and it is difficult to find a job. My only wish is that my boys to grow up to be good people, to give back to society rather than take from it, and I want them to be able to take care of themselves and their future families. This is a year of a President Election, Barak Obama our President against Mitt Romney. Im personally going for Obama because hes actually trying and he is the best hope for our financial country recovery. Sincerely, Vivian Lopes Part 2: An Example of Morality and Decision Making Abortion and Pro Life Nowadays, in this world, there are a lot of problems that can cause great conflicts for human beings. One of the most complex problems is abortion. This is due to moral and ethical values which we all have. The majorities of us are Catholics and as small children were taught values that are based on the bible such as that famous phrase Thou shall not kill. This phrase relates to an abortion because abortion is the murder of a human being. My own personal beliefs of abortion come from my Christian faith I believe abortion is wrong and it is murder. Pro Life is great organization that is sponsored by Catholics as they try to prevent abortion and promote alternatives to abortion. Abortion is murder. We should support life and not end it. Part 3: My Definition of Happiness A smile, a laugh, a quick thoughts, going for a jogging in a cool summer day; chocolate; my son’s up to give me a hug because he hasnt seen you all day or in a long time, these are the little things, these are happiness these are all things that make me happy. Happiness is very simple to me. Having the necessities of life and knowing that my family is taken care of. Have shelter and food and clothes. I want my boys to have the best educational opportunities that they need and the healthcare that they need. I want to live debt free and try to teach that lifestyle to my Boys. Being materialistic does not make anyone happier. The things that are most important are relationships with my husband and children, our friends and extended family. These things will bring more happiness that any expensive vehicle will. I have come to this view seeing many people chase things that in the end leave them alone and unhappy. Just being happy with your life and accepting who you are and what you have will bring you happiness. Part 4- The day Osama bin Laden had been killed On May 1, 2011, President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed in a terrorist compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In an 8-month plan enacted by the president, and led by CIA director Leon Panetta and American special forces, Osama was shot several times. His body was taken as evidence of his death, and DNA tests revealed that the body was, in fact, his. For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaedas leader and symbol and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and our allies, President Obama said in a late-night address to the nation on the eve of Osamas death. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nations effort to defeat Al Qaeda. He added that his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity (www.biography.com) Part 5: The Twin Towers I believe that the Twin Towers of the World Trade should be included because they represent big change in our society. When the Towers were attacked on September 11, 2001, many people realized that the world not completely favorable of the American lifestyle. We realized that there are people out there like to hurt and kill for no reason, or just try to take our freedom .Every day we live with the reality of being at war. It made us all step back and think about our national security and how to be safer. The sense of community that happened after that attack still brings tears to my eyes. Over 3,000 people died in those attacks that were coordinated by al-Qaeda. After twelve years later, we’re about to finish building the first green building in Manhattan. It consists of four main things that make it green. Those are; energy efficiency, water efficiency, good indoor air quality, and sustainable materials. It runs on fuel cells which are powered by natural gas. This is probably standard in your world; however, this is the first building that has this ground breaking technology. It is supposed to be made from materials that make it near impossible to destroy. I remember watching a documentary where they showed how they were going to build it. I remember them saying the stairwells are wider with oxygen being pumped into the air and automatic safety features installed for emergencies. It is an impressive building that symbolizes us still stand as one nation under God; and also represents all the innocent’s lives lost for no reason. Part 6: Taylor Swift – Long Live song Taylor Swift at just the age of twenty, She is simply a young, brilliant, and stunning singer. She has released 3 albums all of which have had hit singles. Though it was only 4 years from her debut to her most recent album Speak Now, her music shows how much she has grown as a person and as a singer ; with each song written so beautifully, it is amazing to believe it was written by a twenty year old. This is one of my favorite songs on the album. It means a lot to me, looking back at my life and remembering how it felt and what the journey was to get here. It is deep and profound and makes me happy inside can explain. Part 7: Shrek Fairy tales dont always follow the same boring pattern; beautiful princess falls in love with her prince charming and they live happily ever after. The movie Shrek, an ogre and a beautiful princess fall in love, though this beautiful princess has a secret; her secret is that by day she is a beautiful princess, and by night she’s an ogre. Shrek thought she was beautiful as a human and as an ogre; this hidden message is shown as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Also in the movie, another implied message is that people are prejudice to stereotypes. Though, once you truly know someone, it can be really wonderful and life changing. Though this fairy tale isnt like the average fairy tale, it still has implied and hidden messages. Shrek displays many of these, each were carefully thought out and written to match the others perfectly. Even though Princess Fiona didnt end up beautiful in the way she thought, Shrek still thought she was beautiful as an ogre. Being beautiful to someone can mean more than being beautiful to everyone. Donkey may have been very annoying in the beginning, but Shrek learned that he was a true friend, even when he judged him from the beginning Donkey reminded Shrek who he loved and wanted, which changed his life forever. Friendships can last forever, and can have many impacts on a person. Part 8: The I Pad I chose the I Pad (portable computer), to leave in my time capsule. This electronic device is where you store all of your information. Im sure you have something much more advanced, but this was quite the item back in my day. It is portable and most people use them when they are in school, working, or to read. This is the technology of the 21st century; the I Pad is just one of the devices owned by Apple. They are also responsible for bringing us the iPod for music, the iPhone cellular device of our century and the Mac Book (laptop). They are the most expensive devices, but they are very impressive machines. This company (Apple) owns the electronics of our time. References: Net for beginners References: Retrieved from http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/i/f/What-Is-The-Internet.ht./ Fox news References: Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/18/new-mart-bra-could-detect- breast-cancer/#ixzz29xjyPhGM Bibliography Imdb.com Shrek (2001) References: Retrieved from2012/10/18 Memorable quotesImdb.com (1990) Shrek (2001) Memorable Biography References: Retrieved from, 2012/10/18http://www.biograph.com/people/osama-bin-laden-37172quotes. Online Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126029/quotes You tube; References: Retrieved from, 2012/10/18 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gidYacgDeH8 Apple; References: Retrieved from, 2012/10/18 http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/

South African Economic Racism Essay Example for Free

South African Economic Racism Essay Throughout the course of the 19th and 20th century, economic considerations played a significant role in shaping both racial discrimination and concepts of white supremacy in South Africa. When large deposits of gold and diamonds were discovered in the latter half of the 19th century, the economic structure of southern Africa was dramatically altered. The mining industry necessitated vast amounts of inexpensive labor in order to be profitable. In the post South African War period, the necessity to return the Boers to self-rule without harming the mining industry resulted in a series of legislation that legalized racial discrimination to ensure a large and cheap labor force consisting of Africans. South Africa’s industrial revolution and the legislation passed during the period immediately following the South African War provided the economic bases of racial discrimination and white supremacy in South Africa. In 1868, the Kimberly diamond strike propelled South Africa to a position as a world leader in diamond production. Similarly, the discovery of large gold deposits in the 18th and 19th century also attracted both foreign capital investment and immigration. The rapidly growing mining industries required massive amounts of inexpensive labor in order to be profitable. Hundreds of thousands of African workers sought employment in the developing mines and cities in industrializing cities. In the face of this increased competition, white workers benefitted from racial discrimination because it protected them economically from competition with African workers. White business owners sought a large and cheap African workforce; racial discriminatory practices ensured they were cheap and pliable. In order to limit the bargaining power of African workers seeking higher wages and to ensure that none could flee in the face of harsh labor conditions, the British conquered the remaining independent African states, confiscated land, and imposed severe cash taxations during the 1880s and 1890s. This forced African labor that had previously chosen employment in the mining industry voluntarily to now do so under conditions set solely by the employers. In addition, a series of discriminatory practices were first introduced during this period including pass laws and urban ghettos, further ensuring the enforced cooperation and steady supply of cheap African labor. The industrial revolution in South Africa introduced a pressing need for incredible amounts of cheap labor. The introduction of racially  discriminatory practices sought to meet this need by ensuring the In the aftermath of the South African War in 1902, the mining industry saw a depression in the face of a severe labor short age. In response, South African capitalists and mining industry leaders worked with British imperial authorities to import massive amounts of Chinese laborers. Between 1902 and 1907, over one hundred thousand Chinese immigrated to South Africa. However, Afrikaners opposed this vehemently arguing that it should be a white man’s country and that this influx of labor represented a new competitive threat for potential jobs. In 1906, the Liberals come to power in Great Britain. Many had opposed the South African War and were now calling for the return of self-rule to the Boers without endangering the mining industry. Afrikaners would take the place of skilled and semi-skilled English laborers at lower wages while newly enacted policies would force greater numbers of Africans to unskilled labor. The 1911 Mines and Works Act restricted African employment to menial and unskilled jobs, excluding them from most skilled categories of work. In effect, it legislated a racial hierarchy in the workplace and extended the practice throughout the South African economy beyond the mining industry. Furthermore, the Industrial Conciliation Act of 1924 restricted African rights to organize or to negotiate their terms of employment. In 1913, the Natives’ Land Act was enacted, restricting African ownership of land to designated areas comprising roughly 7 percent of the South Africa’s total land area and restricting Africans from establishing any businesses outside of this allocated space. In addition, the land partitioned for Africans was often of poor quality and could not possibly support its population. Thus, the law effectively prevented Africans from leading self-sufficient lives in rural communities. They were increasingly forced to work on Afrikaner owned farms, factories, and mines. In addition, restrictions on their movement and the right to reside in urban areas combined with the inability for rural areas to support significant numbers of Africans resulted in an endless system of migrant unskilled labor. Economic interests and considerations significantly in fluenced the segregation policies adopted in South Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. The necessity of a cheap and controllable labor source resulted in harsh racially discriminatory policies and the rise of white supremacy. In 1944, the chairman of the Broederbond stressed the special role of  Afrikaners in a speech, â€Å"In every people in the world is embodied a Divine Idea and the task of each People is to build upon that Idea and to perfect it. So God created the Afrikaner People with a unique language, a unique philosophy of life, and their own history and tradition in order that they might fulfill a particular calling and destiny here in the southern corner of Africa. We must believe that God has called us to be servants of his righteousness in this place† (Clark and Worger, 32). Placing emphasis on divine support for their existence, their special place in the world, and righteous mission, this Afrikaner ideology can draw historical antecedents from the belief of Manifest Destiny in the United States in the 19th century and from the ethnic nationalist movement of Nazi Germany in the mid 20th century. This emphasis on the special Afrikaner identity heavily influenced Hendrik Verwoerd who se argument for apartheid centered on the inability for two cultures to achieve their ideal futures as each of their paths are unique. The intermingling of languages, traditions, and histories would be detrimental to both the Afrikaner and African peoples. These ideals of Afrikaner nationalism expressed in the quote draws historical antecedents back into the 19th century concept of Manifest Destiny. During the 19th century, Manifest Destiny was a widely held belief in the United States that American settlers were destined to expand throughout the North American continent due to the special virtues of the American people and through a special destiny that was divinely ordained. Similarly, the Broederbond chairman asserts the special role of the Afrikaner people and their divinely ordained origin. In addition, he argues for their expansion throughout southern Africa as both a divine calling and righteous mission. The ideas expressed in the quote by the Broederbond chairman also draw numerous parallels with the 20th century German nationalism found in Nazi Germany. Following his ascension to power in Germany, Hitler’s movement and theories resonated considerably in South Africa, particularly with the Purified National Party and the Broederbond. The Broederbond established a â€Å"voortrekker† movement for Afrikaner youth, arguably seen as analogous to the Hitler Youth . In 1938, the Ossewabrandwag was established on the model of Hitler’s national socialist movement. By the end of 1939, over three hundred thousand Afrikaners had sworn loyalty to the volk, or Afrikaner people. It sought to establish an Afrikaner controlled republic in South  Africa, by violent means if necessary. Additionally, in 1938, a centenary celebration of the Great Trek was organized that placed emphasis on the heroic struggle of the Afrikaners against British oppression. The articulation of this â€Å"sacred history† and of a struggle for survival sought to memorialize and legitimize the special place of the Afrikaner people. These sentiments are again arguably analogous to those found in the ethnic nationalist movement of Nazi Germany that stressed the special place in history of the Aryan race. In both Afrikaner nationalism and German nationalism, the nation has a mystical and divine quality. In addition, the Afrikaner and German people are also considered to possess certain special and unique characteristics such as language, culture, and history that transcend the individual and contribute to a national unity. The emphasis of a special and unique Afrikaner identity expressed in the quote by the Broederbond chairman in 1944 can be seen in Hendrik Verwoerd’s argument for apartheid in 1950. As the minister of native affairs in the first National Party government, Verwoerd met with African members of the Native Representative Council to explain his theory and justification of apartheid. Basing his argument in the concept of ethnic nationalism, he asserts that Afrikaner and African communities must be divorced in order for both parties to prosper. It is impossible for two distinct and unique peoples to achieve their ideal futures while intermingled because each has their own particular path and calling. Verwoerd argues that tension and conflict are inevitable in mixed societies. The mixing of languages, traditions, and cultures in South Africa are only detrimental to the development of both the Afrikaner and African people. Appealing to African leaders for their cooperation in installing an apartheid policy, Verwoerd states that, â€Å"Instead of striving after vague chimeras and trying to equal the European in an intermingled community with confused ideals and inevitable conflict, he can be a national figure helping to lead his own people along the road of peace and prosperity. He can help give the educated men and women of his people an opportunity to†¦fully realize their ambitions within their own sphere† (Clark and Worger, 141). His explanation of apartheid places a significant emphasis on the purity of a people’s descent and the continuation of this line as the key to secure an ideal future. Both Afrikaners and Africans can only truly realize their full potential within their own cultural and ethnic sphere.

Yakult Marketing Plan

Yakult Marketing Plan INTRODUCTION: History of Yakult Yakult Honsha Ltd. was founded in 1930 by Dr. Shirota. For over the past 75 years, the company has expertise in the field of beneficial bacteria. The main activity of Yakult is to introduce a wide range of healthy foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. In 1930, Dr. Minoru Shirota, who was conducting his research in a microbiology lab at the Medical Faculty of Kyoto University in Japan, became the first person in the world to create a strain of lactic acid bacteria beneficial to human health. This bacterium was named after Dr.Shirota Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain (Our History, 2010). In Malaysia, Yakult is still a young and growing company. Yakult Ace was only launched in Malaysia in 2004. Yakult (Malaysia) Sdn.Bhd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yakult Honsha, Japan (Yakult-Malaysia, 2010). Vision Yakult’s vision is to push forward with the quest for new possibilities for probiotics in the academic and medical fields. Mission Yakult’s mission is to contribute to the health and happiness of every person throughout the world through the pursuit of excellence in life sciences and the excellence in life sciences and the study of microorganisms. Philosophy SHIROTA-ISM Preventive medicine A healthy intestine leads to a long life A healthy life for all We contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world through the pursuit of excellence in life science in general and our research and experience in microorganisms in particular (Philosophy, 2010). Issues and challenges In the recent years, several major issues and challenges were faced by Yakult. Yakult is facing a shortage of stock to meet the demand of the people around the world. It is reported that there is high stock turnaround (Cruz, 2013). SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths Dynamic Research Development power Retrieved from the annual report of (â€Å"Global Yakult†Ã¢â‚¬â€ Entering a New Growth Stage, 2013), one of the strengths portrayed by Yakult is its dynamic research and development power. With its 252 medical doctors and scientists, they actively pursue research aimed at applying bacteria effectively in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. The RD Division tails basic research in life science meant at applying and developing basic materials in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and other fields. Besides that, Yakult does their research and development at the Yakult Central Institute for Microbiological Research, which is situated in Tokyo, Japan. The aim of this central is to the study is to the use of beneficial bacteria in the promotion of health. Therefore, there are continuous improvements inYakult’s products that can improve consumers’ health for today and in the future. Good distribution channel Another essential strength of Yakult is the unique distribution channel byYakult Ladies. It is a type of delivery service that delivers Yakult cultured milk drinks directly to the consumers’ home through a network of Yakult Ladies. According to managing director Kouichi Nakayama (abhishek_g, 2012), door-to-door sales through the Yakult Lady System are more profitable than supermarkets sales.In Japan, more than 60% of Yakult products are distributed by Yakult Ladies. They deliver door-to-door every day, from rural areas to high-rise buildings in the city. However, in Malaysia, Yakult Ladies is also available in delivering of goods. However, it is only available in certain place such as Klang Valley, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Penang, Kuantan, Ipoh and few other areas. The best thing is there is no minimum order or delivery charge for the products (Fong, 2007). Weaknesses Less product choice for customers in terms of flavours The first weakness of Yakult is lack choice of flavours. There are only two flavours available which are Yakult Ace and Yakult Ace Light. Unlike its competitors, such as Vitagen and Nutrigen, these two brands come out with products with variety of flavours which will attract more people to buy their products. As Malaysia is a multiracial country, different races of people have different tastes. Thus, Malaysians usually prefer to choose their drinks from a variety of flavours. Storage difficulty Second is storage difficulty. The products are fermented milk drinks which contains active bacteria under low temperature. However, if the temperature increases, the bacteria will eventually become inactive that will turn the taste sour. This is because the bacteria will begin to make lactic acid when the temperature drops (FAQs, 2010). Therefore, refrigerators are necessary. However, consumers who do not own a refrigerator will find it a problem. By the way, it will also lead to a storage difficulty for retailer outlets with little storage capacity as they still have other products brand they need to keep. This will cause an imbalance of stock availability during different time of the outlets. This problem also influences consumers’ purchase intention that does not have a refrigerator. Smaller packaging and higher price compared to competitors Another weakness of Yakult is that the packaging of Yakult is small compared to its competitors. One bottle of Yakult contains 80ml cultured milk drink while competitors such as Vitagen and Nutrigen serve in 125ml per bottle (TK-eShop, 2010). Besides that, according to Yakult, it is fine for consumers to drink more than 80ml of Yakult cultured milk. Therefore, consumers who drink more than one bottle may go for other competitors’ product who sells in larger packaging (FAQs, 2010). Yakult products are sold in a bundle of 5 bottles, which is the same with its strong competitors such as Vitagen and Nutrigen. However, the Yakult cultured milk drink’s price is higher than the competitors, who offer their drinks in bigger bottles too. Opportunities Trends in health concerns Few studies shows that more and more people are concerned about their health problem and health awareness is becoming increasingly important nowadays (Rollins, 2008); (Senterfitt, Long, Shih, Teutsch, 2013). This is an opportunity for Yakult since Yakult has already scientifically proven that their products are good for health. Consumers are turning to dairy products, yogurts and so forth to start their day. In Yakult’s advertisements, the company informs consumers that their products are probiotic drinks which are good for people’s health. This increases health awareness of the people. Besides that, Yakult’s brand recognition also increases among consumers during this process. The creative thinking of Yakult’s advertisement helps in promoting health by emphasizing beneficial bacteria for intestinal balance of consumers which ultimately leads to good health. Increase in number of convenience stores and hypermarkets According to (Wong, 2007), the number of convenience stores and hypermarkets are increasing. It means that Yakult’s distribution channel will also increase. Yakult’s product can be sold in more and different places. Consumers will also find it easier and more convenient to buy Yakult’s product from the hypermarket or convenience stores nearest to them. Threats Intense competition Yakult faces a tough competitive environment in the market. There are similar healthy foods and also probiotic drinks in the market. Yakult’s main competitors are Vitagen and Nutrigen that has strong brand recognition in the Malaysian market. Vitagen is the first cultured milk to be introduced in Malaysia which is also known as the number one cultured milk in Malaysia. As for Nutrigen, it also provides cultured milk which is similar to Yakult and also Vitagen. These competitors have their own competitive advantages compared to Yakult in terms of the flavours they offered which can suit different consumers’ taste with their different flavours available. Low switching cost Besides that, consumers in Malaysia do not incur high switching cost if they choose to switch to other category of healthy foods. Yakult’s price offering is also a threat as they offer in higher prices and also smaller packaging compared to competitors. Consumers who are price sensitive may choose competitors’ product instead of Yakult’s. Thus, Malaysians can switch to another drinks or brands whenever they want if there are substitute products available with lower prices. They can also shop favourably and also choose selectively without sticking to one supplier. Competitors use aggressive marketing technique Yakult’s competitors uses aggressive marketing plan to promote their products such as advertising in traditional media like television advertisement, radio, social network sites and forth, especially Vitagen. With this, competitors are more recognizable to consumers than Yakult. As Yakult does not usually do aggressive advertisements to promote their brand, consumers are more likely to be aware of competitors’ brand than Yakult. Besides that, the marketing plans that are not heavily invested are usually advertisements that are easily duplicated. Decrease in consumer’s purchasing power Millions of middle-class Malaysians are suffering from low consumer spending growth while increasing in state controlled electricity and gasoline costs since 2008 (Koon, 2014). As a result, mid to higher end choices of beverage suffered a decrease on the sales (Consumer spending to slow down in 2014, 2014); (Koon, 2014). The economic downturn has contributed greatly to the slow growth of the purchasing power as Yakult is not a necessity in consumers’ daily life. Yakult is a probiotic drink, where consumers who desire for a better health can consume it continuously and not a necessity for consumers to drink them as a must in order to survive. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS BY USING PORTAL FIVE FORCES a) Threat of new entrance Yakult probiotic beverage falls into a broad and safe market, especially the awareness and concern of people on health are increasing. Probiotic drinks are favourable and popular for consumers and bring a considerable return to the company. This has made the cultured milk market seems attractive to the market, where it attracts many outsiders that tries to enter this industry. However, the capital cost to enter this industry is relative high compared to other beverage industry. As probiotic beverage requires friendly bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus that are hard to produce and refine it to produce a drinkable beverage. Potential entrants who wish to enter this industry need to invest heavily on Research and Development as well as pharmaceutical department in order to produce a probiotic beverage. As Yakult has been proven by many professors such as Dr Ko Okumura (Juntendo University, Japan), Dr. Haruji Sawada and others, the credibility of Yakult beverage is high, which result to a high entry barrier for new entrants as well. Furthermore, potential entrants need to make sure they are able to differentiate their product from Yakult in term of higher nutrition or lower price or both. If firms are not able to come out with a better beverage than the existing beverage in market, then there is no point they enter the market as this will deficit the company. In a nutshell, the entry barrier for new entrants to enter this industry is high. Yakult is facing low threat of new entrants. b) Threat of substitute Porter’s threat of substitute definition is the availability of a product that the consumer can purchase instead of the industry’s product with similar benefits. Eventhough Yakult is the pioneer of probictic, substitutes products are still able to replace them. Customers can easily replace Yakult by purchase bottle of probiotic capsule, probiotic powder or probiotic drink. Example of probiotic supplements is Kordel’s Protect probiotic powder, which cost around RM70 for 30 sachs. Yogurt drink and yogurt powder are also substitutesthat can replace Yakult products. The more substitute the products are, the more competitive the industry is. In the long run, Yakult may suffer less profit. In this case, there are few substitute products in market that can replace Yakult products, so they are facing high threat of substitute products. c) Bargaining power of supplier Bargaining power of supplier occurs when buyers are too many but only few suppliers in the market. When it is too costly to change suppliers, the bargaining power of suppliers is relative high. The Yakult Plant in Calamba city, Laguna, is able to produce 1.6 million bottles of Yakult a day. In order for them to produce a bottle of 100ml Yakult Probiotic beverage, they will need few raw materials such as skimmed milk powder, sugar, and dextrose is blend with sterilized water to create a sweet, milky solution. While all these raw materials are not unique or highly differentiated product. Which means Yakult can get them from few suppliers, as there are not only one supplier in the market that supplies sugar, skimmed milk powder and dextrose. The suppliers industry is not dominated by small number of firm, thus the bargaining power of supplier is not harmful for Yakult. Furthermore, Yakult uses backward integration, where they have their own manufacturing factory to produce their probiotic beverage. The main ingredient in the probiotic dairy beverage, liveLactobacillus caseistrain Shirota is carefully cultured and tested in Yakult own laboratory. In other words, Yakult does not rely on outsider to get their main raw material, but they produced it themselves in their own laboratory and factory. In a nut shell, Yakult is immune with the power of supplier, as they having few suppliers instead of rely on one supplier. d) Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyer power is one of the forces that shape the competitive structure of an industry. When the power of buyer is strong, they can pressure the sellers to lower down the prices, improve product quality or better service. In contra, weak bargaining power of buyer will often makes an industry less competitive and increases the profit potential for seller. In this case, Yakult are facing high bargaining power from their buyers. Firstly this is because there are available substitute and large range of probiotic drink in the market that offered similar benefit to the customers, for example Vitagen, Nestle Yogurt drink, and probiotic supplement beverage. Yakult is not the only firm that produce probiotic daily beverage. Customers can easily switch to other product that available in the market, customers switching cost is low. Secondly, customers are price sensitive towards the beverage. If Vitagen probiotic drink is having promotion and the prices are much cheaper than Yakult Ace drink, customer will simply switch to purchasing Nestle yogurt drink. Thirdly, Yakult probiotic daily drink is not highly differentiated and standard. It become a daily basis for some consumer, thus consumer can switch to other brand that provide the same function as Yakult. In a nutshell, the bargaining power for Yakult buyer is relatively high. e) Threat of rivalry The intensity of rivalry among competitors in an industry refers to the extent to which firms within an industry put pressure on one another and limit each other’s profit potential. High intensity of rivalry means competitors are aggressively targeting each other’s markets and aggressively pricing products. While low intensity of competitive rivalry makes an industry less competitive and increases profit potential for the existing firms. The rivalry in probiotic beverage is minimal. Firstly this is because few competing firms are roughly doing the same size and serving the same amount of customers. Yakult, Vitagen, Nestle are sharing the almost similar market share. Secondly, there are lack of product differentiation for the existing brand in the market, Yakult, Vitagen, Nestle are offer the almost similar probiotic daily beverage in the market. This three probiotic beverage different in some ways but they do share the similar characteristic as well, which are help strengthen immune system and smoother the digestive system. Thirdly, customer brandloyalty is not significant, customer who consume Vitagen beverage might switch to consume Yakult on some day, and same goes to consumer for Yakult. In a nutshell, the threat of rivalry is minimal for Yakult Company. REFERENCES abhishek_g. (12 June, 2012). Yakult. Retrieved 17 June, 2014, from Slide Share: http://www.slideshare.net/abhishek_g/yakult-13298536 Consumer spending to slow down in 2014. (9 January, 2014). Retrieved 26 June, 2014, from The Sun Daily: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/925542 Cruz, H. (13 January, 2013). Vision, Mission, Objectives, Goals, Prob. its Background. Retrieved 30 June, 2014, from Prezi: http://prezi.com/mvkfvph4nkz0/vision-mission-objectives-goals-prob-its-background/ FAQs. (2010). Retrieved 15 June, 2014, from Yakult: http://www.yakult.com.my/html/faqs.html Honsha, Y. (2013). â€Å"Global Yakult†Ã¢â‚¬â€ Entering a New Growth Stage. Japan. Koon, C. P. (7 January, 2014). Malaysians Seen Curbing Spending as Living Costs Surge: Economy. Retrieved 26 June, 2014, from Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-07/malaysians-seen-curbing-spending-as-living-costs-surge-economy.html Philosophy. (2010). Out Philosophy. Retrieved 10 June, 2014, from Yakult: http://www.yakult.com.my/html/our_philosophy.html Rollins, C. (16 December, 2008). RAISING HEALTH CONSCIOUSNESS UTILIZING â€Å"UNNATURAL CAUSES† SERIES AS STIMULUS . Retrieved 30 June, 2014, from https://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-121808-155128/unrestricted/Chris_Rollins_Health_IQP_Final_v3.pdf Senterfitt, J. W., Long, A., Shih, M., Teutsch, S. M. (January, 2013). How Social and Economic factors affect health. Retrieved 26 June, 2014, from Social Determinants of Health: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/epi/docs/SocialD_Final_Web.pdf TK-eShop. (2010). Cultured Milk Drink. Retrieved 30 June, 2014, from tk-eshop: http://www.tk-eshop.com/about-us/articles/articles/vitagen-nutrigen-yakult Wong, L. C. (2007). Development of Malaysia’s Agricultural Sector: Agriculture as an Engine of Growth? Retrieved 28 June, 2014, from ISIS.org.my: http://isis.org.my/attachments/386_Territorial_Disputes_in_East Asia.pdf Yakult. (2014). Profile. Retrieved 13 June, 2014, from Yakult: http://www.yakult.co.jp/english/ir/management/profile.html Yakult-Malaysia. (2010). Yakult Malaysia General. Retrieved 23 June, 2014, from Yakult: http://www.yakult.com.my/html/yakult_my_general.html

Are Bull Markets Supported By Rational Growth in Stock Valuations? :: Finance Financial Economics Essays

Introduction â€Å"The rich get richer† is a frequently heard adage in the United States, a country quickly associated with capitalism. US financial markets make headline news on a daily basis, so people are well aware when the domestic stock market’s indices rise or fall. Given the widespread distribution of information on the stock market’s performance, much excitement can easily be generated during a bull market, broadly defined as a trend during which stock prices are climbing. Does the publicity and excitement surrounding a bull market further perpetuate rising stock prices? A look at historic daily closing values for the S&P 500 index from January 2, 1997 to December 31, 1999 reveals overall growth of 99.35%[i], which on average indicates similar growth in the stock prices of the companies included in the index. Clearly, this three year period falls within a bull market, since the S&P 500 is commonly utilized to represent average performance of the stock market on the whole. A return of 99.35% on an investment is excellent and far exceeds the general return on â€Å"risk-free† investments like FDIC insured savings accounts or Treasury bills. [i] Percent change calculation derived from widely published market data Examination of Common Stock Valuation to Account for Rising Share Prices Like most economic evaluations, the decision to purchase a share of a company’s stock is based on an individual’s willingness to pay versus the current selling price of the share. Fundamentally, the willingness to pay is determined by a valuation of that share of stock. For a given share of common stock, the willingness to pay is, or should be, linked to the present value of the stream of future cash flows that the investor will receive from expected dividends and through any expected capital gain for selling the share at a higher price than at which it was purchased.[i] Thus, there are three main factors the affect the valuation of a share of common stock: future dividends, future market price of the share, and the discount rate used. [i] Fundamentals of Financial Management, Eugene F. Brigham & Joel F. Houston, Harcourt College Publishers: Forth Worth, 2001. (p. 409) Future Dividends Are Bull Markets Supported By Rational Growth in Stock Valuations? :: Finance Financial Economics Essays Introduction â€Å"The rich get richer† is a frequently heard adage in the United States, a country quickly associated with capitalism. US financial markets make headline news on a daily basis, so people are well aware when the domestic stock market’s indices rise or fall. Given the widespread distribution of information on the stock market’s performance, much excitement can easily be generated during a bull market, broadly defined as a trend during which stock prices are climbing. Does the publicity and excitement surrounding a bull market further perpetuate rising stock prices? A look at historic daily closing values for the S&P 500 index from January 2, 1997 to December 31, 1999 reveals overall growth of 99.35%[i], which on average indicates similar growth in the stock prices of the companies included in the index. Clearly, this three year period falls within a bull market, since the S&P 500 is commonly utilized to represent average performance of the stock market on the whole. A return of 99.35% on an investment is excellent and far exceeds the general return on â€Å"risk-free† investments like FDIC insured savings accounts or Treasury bills. [i] Percent change calculation derived from widely published market data Examination of Common Stock Valuation to Account for Rising Share Prices Like most economic evaluations, the decision to purchase a share of a company’s stock is based on an individual’s willingness to pay versus the current selling price of the share. Fundamentally, the willingness to pay is determined by a valuation of that share of stock. For a given share of common stock, the willingness to pay is, or should be, linked to the present value of the stream of future cash flows that the investor will receive from expected dividends and through any expected capital gain for selling the share at a higher price than at which it was purchased.[i] Thus, there are three main factors the affect the valuation of a share of common stock: future dividends, future market price of the share, and the discount rate used. [i] Fundamentals of Financial Management, Eugene F. Brigham & Joel F. Houston, Harcourt College Publishers: Forth Worth, 2001. (p. 409) Future Dividends

Catcher In The Rye - A Sequel Essay -- essays research papers

Catcher In The Rye - A Sequel Loomis Chaffee Chapter 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another day another school...I thought about this new school they placed me in. They said I will like it. Well I'll be the one to decide that. Next thing I know I'm on a 6:30 train to Windsor, CT.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was a Thursday and I received a call from Mr.Spencer, well it wasn't really for me but for my parents. I immediately new who it was, you can just hear it's a school teacher. One can just hear that over the phone. After the phone hangs up I hear a yell, â€Å"Holden, front and center!† Then we go throughout that whole, we had a discussion with, and all that crap. Then I received the news, after speaking to Mr.Spencer we have decided to send you to Loomis Chaffee. â€Å"Loomis Chaffee!† I...

Super Leadership and Creativity Potential :: Business, Super Leadership Approach

Research Objectives The body of the literature on management and leadership primarily concentrate on the vibrant nature of the common organization. This paper augments the abundantly available literature on leadership studies for organizations. The minor intentions of this paper is to generate an forward motion that will induce other academics and scholars to focus on the topic of leadership at a much wider level having more comprehensive objectives in mind. The main focus would be to explore the link between super leadership behavior and creative potential through idea generation for an innovative and creative culture within organization. Research Questions The research questions in this case are presented as follows: 1. What is the relationship between super leadership and creativity potential? 2. How super leadership provoke an employee to perform at its best level? REVIEW OF LITERATURE Why to shift from traditional leadership to Super-Leadership? Super-leadership, sometimes also called as â€Å"Self-Leadership†, may be defined as the strategy to lead others is hidden in by leading oneself (Manz & Sims, 2001). The main difference between traditional leadership management concept and Super-Leadership is the main focus on followers rather than leader itself, and especially the belief of improving follower’s capacity to lead who are effective self-leaders. Therefore, concisely, super-leadership is the way of leading others to lead themselves. As argued (Sims & Manz, 1996), for super leadership behavior to be implemented, a leader has to adopt 10 most significant shifts from traditional approach of leadership in order to move towards super leadership approach are as follows:- 1. The leader helps out the team members/group to switch from external observation to self-observation. 2. The focus is on moving from designated goals to goals that are self developed. 3. Organic control is exercised by team/group members’ i.e. external reinforcement for task performance changes in to internal reinforcement with an addition of external reinforcement for self-leadership behaviors. 4. Leadership prefer to motivation techniques not only based on external compensation but also based on the natural rewards associated with work. 5. The leader shifts the group to focus on self criticism rather than external criticism from the organization, which often creates bad impact upon team/group members. 6. There is a move from external problem solving towards self-problem solving techniques. 7. There is a shift from external job assignments to self-job assignments. 8. Leadership moves from external planning to self planning and from external task design to self-design of tasks at step eight. 9. Any problem or issue arises should be treated as an opportunity instead of threat by the group/team members.