Innovation & Creativty & Enterprise Research Proposal

Innovation & Creativty & Enterprise - Research Proposal Example The company culture is a major aspect that has shaped the success of the firm to its current 5-star ranking. The management has set out to employ personnel that are dependable and work with minimal supervision. Once personnel are hired they are taken through a training program to mentor them. The article will also look at the steps taken by the entity in its globalization process, this includes the purchase of modern planes for their fleet with examples like the Airbus 330 cargo planes and Boeing 777 (June 2013, Qatar Airways). Globalization is the outsourcing of services of a firm to a multinational level. This is crucial for a company like Qatar Airways that is in the transport sector an example of this is in its venture into the Chinese market (Business Age, 2015). The article will compare the steps taken in development to innovation management theories like that of the Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter and their impacts on global economic trends (Purcher, S. 2014, vol. 67) The article will outline the risks involved in the flight business and the challenges involved in the daily running of the organization. The airline has a current growth rate of 35% per annum with an impressive fleet of 100 planes. The airline intends to take the top spot in its field, this is outlined in its future plans which the article will detail. The customer base is the most important part of this trade and their satisfaction shapes the success of the business. With the stiff competition among airlines to attract and retain the same clients, the firms are in competition to outdo each other. This is where innovation comes in; this phenomenon involves the trait of new and brilliant ideologies on how to venture into the various markets. All these comes down to the customer feedback which will show how the company has been evaluated by the people it

Loneliness and outsiders Essay Example for Free

Loneliness and outsiders Essay An outsider like crippled Crooks has no one to protect him, all he has is his American Civil Law book which defends his rights as a individual living in the U. S. A and seems to give him a certain comfort knowing that not anyone can argue against his tattered old book. Just as all of his feelings are exposed, Curleys wife threatens him and once again, he withdraws himself back to the liniment which seems to be the only thing in the world that makes Crooks feels better, even if he is ostracised from the rest. Curleys wife is one of the most significant characters to the novel because she shows loneliness on different levels. Because of being married to Curley she has a high status in the ranch, but this is exactly why she has no one but herself. Workers are afraid of getting too close to her in case innocent talking turns into more which could cost them their jobs or even lives. Nevertheless she is led to seek solace with the other men even if they are at the bottom of the social hierarchy on the ranch. And due to all the isolation, the only way to get noticed by the other men is to be a charmer, but this is what makes her so misunderstood. She expresses her true feelings about what could have been to Lennie while he sits on the hay and absorbs absolutely nothing but reflects on the poor little pup that he unintentionally killed. Curleys wife reminisces about how she could have been a Hollywood star and had all the superficial items that so many celebrities buy. Throughout her time on the ranch she has always thought her mother was the reason why Hollywood never became a reality for her, she said, I never got that letter, I always thought my old lady stole it. So I married Curley. This was her dream while on the ranch and like so many others, it shows how much of an outsider and a gullible person she was. In her life there had always been dominant figures like her mother and then Curley. So she has no real idea about how to be autonomous and become more of an independent woman. It could be said that she doesnt know how to interact correctly with people, persistently asking sympathetic rhetorical questions and also being very manipulative and discerning. These virtues are what make Curleys wife such a great character, she has no official name but is possibly one of the most complex characters to depict. Lennie is a simple person, mentally and literally. No one actually understands what he is saying most of the time because the ranch workers have never seen anyone so perplexed and bewildered as he. Without George he would be lost in life, Lennie relies on him to eat and to get him out of trouble whenever its needed most. Even though he blows arguments out of proportion by saying things like, I wouldnt eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me although he really does want the ketchup and is just playing on his own innocence. In one perspective Lennie is quite clever because if there is an opportunity where he can get George to take pity on him, then he will take it, but the majority of the time he is just retarded through no fault of his own. In the book sometimes Lennie is compared to an animal, like when he didnt want to give the mouse to George but then handed it over and started to sulk, Slowly, like a terrier who doesnt want to bring a ball back to its master, Lennie approached. And another time was when he was walking along the dusty road with George, He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. Steinbeck chooses to describe him as an animal to symbolise the title, Of Mice and Men, maybe Lennie is the mouse and George is the man or the other way round. Thats how Lennie is an outsider, because hes an amoral animal who doesnt know his own strength, which is sometimes practical, but when he handles creatures and humans too ruthlessly, he does not know when to stop and that is when the exertion begins for George and Lennie. Lennie and George stick together through thick and thin, even when times get complicated, George seems to find a way out for the pair of them. Circular narrative is when something happens in a story and after a while it occurs again. Throughout the novel Lennie repeats phrases and quotes to George that they have already talked about previously, like the whole ketchup scenario, tending the rabbits, owning and living off the fat of the land etc. This shows that Lennie knows George so well that he assumes all there is to talk about is rabbits and land. That is what makes him a lonesome man because all the conversation is about the same thing and whatever he wants to talk about. All the characters in Of Mice and Men go through a form of loneliness and a feeling of not belonging. At times they can be self-centred which is mainly when two characters are in discussion which each other but not paying attention to the other. Maybe this is one of the reasons that loneliness strikes them, as they do not listen and are all wrapped up in their own impenetrable worlds. But this is what makes the book Of Mice and Men so fascinating to read, all the people have their own problems and dreams because they all share the strong emotions of loneliness and individuality, and even though they may think that they are all diverse, the audience can grasp that each person is more and more like the other.

Removal of Imperfections in the Market Impact

Removal of Imperfections in the Market Impact Assignment question The removal of imperfections in the market leads to an increase in efficiency in the allocation of resources. Discuss whether you agree with this view. (25 Marks) Explain what is meant by normal and abnormal profit and when such profits might occur (12 marks) Discuss the three reasons as to why people demand money, according to the liquidity preference theory. (13 marks) Table of Contents (Jump to) Assignment question List of figures QUESTION 1: The removal of imperfections in the market leads to an increase in efficiency in the allocation of resources. Discuss whether you agree with this view. QUESTION 2: Explain what is meant by normal and abnormal profit and when such profits might occur. QUESTION 3: Discuss the three reasons as to why people demand money, according to liquidity preference theory. References List of figures Figure 1: A perfect competition diagram. Figure 2: Normal profit in a perfect competition and in monopoly market. Figure 3: Abnormal profit in a perfect competition and a monopoly market. Figure 4: Combination of Transactionary , precautionary , speculative demand forming the liquidity preference graph QUESTION 1: The removal of imperfections in the market leads to an increase in efficiency in the allocation of resources. Discuss whether you agree with this view. Efficiency is about how effectively the resources such as time and materials are used to produce an end result. In economic terms, it is concerned with the relationship between scarce inputs and outputs. Different forms of efficiency need to be considered. Allocative efficiency is achieved upon good resource allocation; when no one can be made better off without making someone else worse off. It occurs when the value the consumer puts on a good or service is the same as the cost of the resources used in producing it. The main condition required for allocative efficiency in a given market is that the market price is equal to the marginal cost of supply.Total economic welfare is capitalized in this stance.[1] Productive efficiency strikes in the lead of the lowest production cost against a minimal wastage of resources. A minimal long run unit cost of production leads to productive efficiency also. Dynamic efficiency focuses on changes in the options undertaken in a market together with the quality/performance of products ought to be bought. Economists often link dynamic efficiency with the pace of innovation in a market. In figure 1, at the output Ot, where the Marginal cost (MC) = Marginal revenue (MR) for the firm, the allocative efficiency exists since the firm’s price (P) isthe marginal revenue (that is, it is able to sell any amount at the unchanged price where each extra unit sold at that price provides the marginal revenue), so MC = P. In fact, at that point more equalities subsist, for instance when MC = P= MR = AR. This means clearly to make use of the least resources possible. In turn, the minimum average cost = the bottom of the AC curve. Hence, this proves that both productive and allocative efficiency are potential occurrences in the long run only under perfect competition.[2] Inequity may still prevails in a country despite encompassing allocative efficiencyandproductive efficiency. This negates the odds perfection. Figure 1: A perfect competition diagram. In Figure 2, Imperfect competitions like monopolistic competition, monopoly and oligopoly, when producing profit maximising output, that is where MR=MC, the firm is not at its productive efficient output. That is, there is no productive efficiency since AC is not minimum. Neither is there allocative efficiency since MC is below price. Figure 2: An imperfect competition diagram The market economy and market system (price mechanism) will normally lead to efficiency in terms of lowest cost, minimum price, innovation and quality products (reliable). Efficiency should increase and markets shall boom their performance with the elimination of imperfections. However, removing all imperfections is virtually impossible due to the existence of market failures. The Market mechanism and the price mechanism do not apportion resources efficiently. Unfortunately for markets to achieve efficiency, a few conditions must be satisfied: the market must be competitive with no benefits or costs external to the market and the market buyers and sellers must be aware of all the information concerning prices and alternatives. This is however impractical to achieve and leads to market failure.[3] Market failure is a situation in the free Market system that foils the most efficient allocation of economic resources; For example when a market having being left on its own has failed to allocate resources efficiently in the case of freely-functioning markets operating without government intervention. Therefore, economic efficiency welfare cannot be maximized. This leads to a loss of economic efficiency. The government policy interventions are able to potentially remedy the problem and increase economic efficiency in case of market failure. This can also cause an inefficient allocation of resources. Market failure is a situationwhere the free market fails to pull off an optimum allocation ofresources which is possibly the outcome of market imperfections, externalities and public goods and merit goods.[4]  Market imperfection describes a situation in which the market behaviourdiffers from what it would be under perfect competition. A monopoly oran oligopoly may control the market and prevent other firms fromentering the market, restricting supply, the monopoly and oligopoly firm may be able to fix higher prices than they would be under a freemarket.In imperfect competition, there is likely to be market failure since firms who dominate their markets will attempt to charge high prices in order to make greater profit. An externality exists if a benefit is not included in the demand price or a cost is not included in the supply price. As such, market equilibrium does not achieve an efficient allocation. Positive externalities exist where a society acquires more than the producer. The latter thus produces less than the optimal social amount. Examples are health and education. Examples of negative externalities are smoking and alcohol consumption. Government interventions are vital to adjust or counteract market failure scenarios caused by negative externalities. The government opts to tax those producing in excess. Legal help also is sought in some instances. Despite that market failures can be fixed, Governments are also imperfect since their interventions are also occasionally unable to warranty a remedy or provide an efficient allocation of resources. [5] Even when the market appears to be working perfectly, we can have a problem with some goods. These are the public goods which are collectively consumed and the market may simply not supply them (e.g. street lighting) and the merit goods which areprovided by the market but in smaller amounts than are needed for the good of the state. Health and education are the most obvious ones. These may all be supplied in the â€Å"wrong† amounts, or even not supplied at all. When this occurs, it renders the market system inefficient and it is failing in this area. The free market system is able to allocate scarce economic resourcesefficiently if private costs are the same as social costs, and privatebenefits are the same as social benefits. But in the most cases, theyare not the same. It is then argued that the price mechanism fails totake into account social cost and social benefits, and therefore failsin its role to allocate resources to their optimum use. Market failureis the result of a sub optimal allocation of resources in a country. The market can fail also because of factor immobility (land, labour and capital) and the distribution of wealth and income. Increasing economies of scale may push all producers out of a market if none can charge enough to cover costs. In that case, production ceases even if it benefits society. Hence, markets fail under increasing economies of scale.[6] Hence, it can be said that the removal of imperfections do lead to an increase in efficiency in the allocation of resources. One can try to achieve this concept but can only approach close to perfection and cannot remove all the imperfections in a market system. A market where efficiency is achieved in terms of lowest cost, minimum price, innovation and quality products (reliable) is difficult to obtained and there will always exists some degree of imperfections. QUESTION 2: Explain what is meant by normal and abnormal profit and when such profits might occur. The difference between the Total Cost (TC) and Total Revenue (TR) amounts to the profit of a firm. The payment to factors of production makes up the TC. The sales of the finished good breed the TR. When TR exceeds TC, the firm makes a profit termed in economic theory supernormal or abnormal profit (ANP). When the TR is less than TC, the firm is subject to a loss termed as a sub-normal profit. When TR equals to TC, then the firm makes normal profit (NP).[7] The NP is the minimum level of profit to keep factors in their present employment. It is also equal to the opportunity cost of being in business; the profit that could have been reaped in the next alternative business. Figure 2 illustrates respectively firms in a perfect competition and a monopoly market situation earning only NP: Figure 3: Normal profit in a perfect competition and in monopoly market. The ANP is the profit in excess of NP. It is called producer’s surplus. Diagram 3 and 4 illustrates ANP in a perfect competition and a monopoly market: Figure 4: Abnormal profit in a perfect competition and a monopoly market. The principle characteristic factor between NP and ANP is that the former is the minimum requirement for factors to stay in their present employment. It also aims to competitive market situations: perfect competition and monopolistic competition. ANP points to non-competitive situations: monopoly and oligopoly. It is in fact the compensation for entrepreneur initiative and creativity. In the short-run, both types of profits transpire in any market structure – perfect competition; monopolistic competition, oligopoly or monopoly. However, in the long-run, ANP can arise only in monopoly and oligopoly due to barriers to entry. Firms in perfect competition and monopolistic competition can make only normal profits in the long run again due to the freedom to entry.[8] QUESTION 3: Discuss the three reasons as to why people demand money, according to liquidity preference theory. One can use the theory of Keynesian Liquidity Preference to answer the determinants of the demand for money. The demand for money signifies the demand for money to expend. It is money to be exploited for the immediate exchange of goods and services. The common man demands money to pay one’s daily purchases of goods and services. The daily cash transactions for a person are expected to depend on the size of one’s money income and on institutional arrangements such as the sum remunerated or the bills to be paid. Institutional arrangements have a propensity to remain unaltered. It is thus anticipated that the total demand for money for transaction purposes to depend directly on money national income.[9] Economists spot three motives to clutch money: the transaction motive, the precautionary motive and the asset (speculative) motive. The transaction demand (Tm ) for money is perfectly interest inelastic, that is, it is not responsive to interest rate changes. Whether the interest rate changes, the amount of money a person, household, firm or country holds for transactions will remain more or less unchanged, assuming income and other variables remain constant. Hence, the graph of the demand for money for transactional purpose against the quantity of money demanded is a vertical straight line.[10] The second reason is the precautionary motive. Money is here required to meet one’s unexpected expenditures. The money demanded for precautionary motive also tends to depend on the level of income, as in the case of the transactions demand. Similarly, the precautionary demand (Pm) is also interest inelastic and a vertical straight line graph. The third reason is called the speculative demand for money. Usually the amount of money in existence is more than the sum called for transactionary and precautionary purposes. The excess must be held by someone somewhere. ‘People hold â€Å"idle† cash balances?’- Keynes challenged that it is for tentative purposes. This means being constantly in possession of a stash of cash to create profit at any given opportunity. For instance, it may be lucrative to buy shares or government securities (bonds) if someone is geared up with cash at the given instant. The speculative demand for money is inversely related to interest rate and is elastic. [11] This demand for money will budge according to people’s speculation based on expectations. Secondly, it depends on business optimum. If speculators expect assets price to collapse, the demand of money will augment. Entrepreneurs will demand more money to invest in case of fruitful business. Together the three motives make up the total demand for money in a country, called the liquidity preference (LP). The diagram below illustrates the concept of each motive in a graphical way. Figure 5: Combination of Transactionary, precautionary and speculative demand forming the liquidity preference graph References Anderston, A., 2008. Economics. fifth ed. s.l.:Graficas Estella, Navarra Spain. Anderton, A., 2000. Economics. third ed. s.l.:Causeway Press Limited. Anon., 2013. Short Run And Long Run Profits Trends Economics Essay. [Online] Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/short-run-and-long-run-profits-trends-economics-essay.php?cref=1 [Accessed 26 March 2015]. Anon., 2013. Theories Of Demand For Money And Empirical Works Economics Essay. [Online] Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/theories-of-demand-for-money-and-empirical-works-economics-essay.php?cref=1 [Accessed 24 March 2015]. Anon., 2013. What Is Market Failure And Its Causes Economics Essay. [Online] Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/what-is-market-failure-and-its-causes-economics-essay.php?cref=1 [Accessed 24 March 2015]. Anon., n.d. Profit. [Online] Available at: http://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Business_economics/Profits.html [Accessed 18 March 2015]. Anon., n.d. MARKET FAILURES. [Online] Available at: http://www.AmosWEB.com [Accessed 19 March 2015]. Bà ¦kkeskov, E., 2013. Market failure. [Online] Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1937869/market-failure [Accessed 07 March 2015]. Bamford, C. et al., 2006. AS Level and A level Economics. s.l.:University of Cambridge. Grant, S. Stanlake, G., 2006. Stanlakes Introductory Economics. SJ Grant ed. s.l.:Pearson Education Limited. Lipsey, R. G. Hardbury, c., 2006. First Principles of Economics. second ed. s.l.:Oxford University Press. Vernon, R. Louis T. Wells, J., 1991. The economic environment of international business. fifth ed. s.l.:Englewood Cliffs, NJ : Prentice Hall. Ward, D. B. a. D., n.d. Economics for business. s.l.:Mc Graw-Hill Higher Education. [1] Anderton, A., 2000. Economics. third ed. s.l.:Causeway Press Limited. [2] Lipsey, R. G. Hardbury, c., 2006. First Principles of Economics. second ed. s.l.:Oxford University Press. [3] Anon., n.d. MARKET FAILURES. [Online] Available at: http://www.AmosWEB.com [Accessed 19 March 2015]. [4] Anon., 2013. What Is Market Failure And Its Causes Economics Essay. [Online] Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/what-is-market-failure-and-its-causes-economics-essay.php?cref=1 [Accessed 24 March 2015]. [5] Anon., 2013. What Is Market Failure And Its Causes Economics Essay. [Online] Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/what-is-market-failure-and-its-causes-economics-essay.php?cref=1 [Accessed 24 March 2015]. [6] Bà ¦kkeskov, E., 2013. Market failure. [Online] Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1937869/market-failure [Accessed 07 March 2015]. [7] Anon., n.d. Profit. [Online] Available at: http://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Business_economics/Profits.html [Accessed 18 March 2015]. [8] Anon., 2013. Short Run And Long Run Profits Trends Economics Essay. [Online] Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/short-run-and-long-run-profits-trends-economics-essay.php?cref=1 [Accessed 26 March 2015]. [9] Ward, D. B. a. D., n.d. Economics for business. s.l.:Mc Graw-Hill Higher Education. [10] Anderston, A., 2008. Economics. fifth ed. s.l.:Graficas Estella, Navarra Spain. [11] Anon., 2013. Theories Of Demand For Money And Empirical Works Economics Essay. [Online] Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/theories-of-demand-for-money-and-empirical-works-economics-essay.php?cref=1 [Accessed 24 March 2015].

Little Bee Essay -- Literary Analysis, Chris Cleve

Little Bee, by Chris Cleve, is a novel that explores unthinkable evil, but simultaneously celebrates its characters in their ability to transcend all that weighs them down, including their pasts, their secrets, and their flaws. For the character of Little Bee, identity is inescapably tied to ethnicity, nationality, gender, race, and class. A representative passage of the book that explores Little Bee’s point of view (both its unceasing optimism and stark realism) occurs in the final chapter: Little Bee is awoken from a good dream, and then comes the ominous first sentence, â€Å"There is a moment when you wake up from dreaming in the hot sun, a moment outside time when you do not know what you are† (Cleave 258). Little Bee is questioning her identity at just the moment when she should be most sure of it. Because Little Bee has been seeking a home, a family, and belonging, and has seemingly found it, the reader realizes that it is still uncertain. Still there is hop e: Little Bee is hampered by the weight of her past; yet she is a character that has proven she can overcome the boundaries of her identity and change her station in life. The book as alternates between the points of view of Sarah and Little Bee, though this section is told in Little Bee’s voice. It is critical that the final chapter be her perspective, given that the so much of the book deals with the lack of western knowledge of people like Little Bee, the silence regarding their stories, and the healing power of storytelling. The most significant element of voice in this passage is the tonal shift between its two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, Little Bee is coming out of her dream and the narration is reminiscent of that half-awake state. The second paragra... ...ned. She will stay herself, â€Å"as the shape-changing magic of dreams whispers back into the roar of the ocean† (Cleave 259). It is a foreshadowing of her final decision. She does not choose to flee or fight, but instead to surrender herself for the sake of Charlie, because he is young and will continue the dream for her. The reader takes from Little Bee the idea that identity is fluid and one’s own self-perception can be a tool of transcendence. Little Bee’s circumstances require that she reinvents herself from village girl, to refugee, to member of an upper-class British family. Because of her brain, her language, and her imagination, she cannot be marginalized, even though she must succumb to evil. To the reader, Little Bee will remain as free as the wind and as peaceful as the undisturbed sand, because she has offered her voice and her story as testimony.

Child Labor: A Growing Stigma Essay

Child labor is one of the most controversial debates existing today. It is an issue that is spread throughout the world and has in some way or another been apart of every country. One cannot describe child labor using one specific definition because it has different meanings in almost every country. However, there is one common characteristic it possesses: the lack of development in a country. Looking at the world today, the economies of each country vary so greatly. Many of the less developed, financially unstable countries exploit young children into factories, workshops, and hazardous areas. These children are unable to avoid this scandal because of the situation that many of them are put in. Since their birth, they are designated to work as young as five to support their family. Education is not an option because almost all of these countries have either no educational system or a pitiful, non-rewarding form of one. Therefore, kids are trapped and do not have the ability to enjoy so many of the wonderful things children in more developed countries get to experience. By not promoting education, the children eventually grow into a society completely undeveloped and illiterate, furthermore continuing the ongoing process of child labor promoting itself. Smaller countries are not the only ones that have been affected by child labor. Wealthier countries such as America have had a dark past with child labor like many of the present day third-world countries. In the early 1900’s, America was industrializing itself and began developing assembly lines to mass-produce items. This was a stepping stone into changing the economy. The problem with this approach, however, was all of this was happening right around the time of World War I and the Great Depression. These two events caused widespread poverty to families throughout the United States. Children were forced to work in terrible conditions because either their father was at war or it was impossible to put food on the table with the lack of available jobs. So in effect, the poverty and lack of a developed economy promoted child labor to new heights. As Eric Edmonds, a professor from Dartmouth College states in the article ‘Child Labor: Sickness or Symptom,’ â€Å"poverty, not child labor, is the real problem.† Not only is child labor morally wrong, it is also physically debilitating. Children who work at these young ages are often left with both physical and psychological problems. In India for example, children making silk thread are forced to put their hands in boiling water, causing burning and blistering to their hands. They are also forced to breathe in dangerous fumes from the machinery around them, and guide threads that cut their fingers. These are things that no human being should be forced to do, let alone a child. This is just one of many extremely hazardous jobs that children all over the world are demanded to do behind closed doors. So what can be done about all of this injustice across the world? The International Labor Organization was established back in 1919 specifically to globally change the way that owners regulate work codes. This organization estimates that there are currently two hundred forty-six million children working between the ages of five and seventeen. Of those numbers, approximately one hundred seventy-nine million are involved in the worst forms of child labor. The ILO Convention Number 182 was specifically designed to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in many of the smaller, third-world countries. Many nations have ratified this convention, but can not necessarily enforce it. There are both good and bad reasons for this response. The good side is obviously the fact that the principle behind exploiting children is attempted to be abolished. The downside to this is that in certain cases, children are better off slaving away in a factory then elsewhere. If they are forced out of this position, the children could in turn become part of militia groups, or worse, prostitution rings. The primary reason for the problems associated with reforms is that many times the people making these ratifications do not fully comprehend the lack of educational opportunities for many children in these countries. The principle behind this convention may seem beneficial at first, but can also be a death sentence for many children. There are exceptions to child labor in small instances all over the world. Even now in America, the Amish still use children to work in stores and farms. The article ‘Labor Laws: An Amish Exception,’ talks about how children are put to work to keep out of trouble. As one passage states, â€Å"As  all Amish know, if boys are not working they will just be out on the street, up to no good.† This is a decent philosophy, but the problem with it lies in the fact that many of the materials and resources the Amish utilized are now becoming scarce and difficult to obtain. The inflated prices of land have forced children to work in workshops with dangerous equipment. This truly demonstrates the importance of developing a general education as a tool to use when a certain trade or skill becomes ineffective or obsolete. The only solution for child labor is for countries to develop. Once these societies begin establishing settlements for learning, technology and the economy will in turn advance in future generations. This continual growth will promote progression that will in turn eliminate the necessity for child labor in many cases. Obviously, this solution will take time and large amounts of money invested from outside organizations. The consequences of not doing anything, however, will simply further the problem. Child labor is something that will be around forever in some form or another, but it is an opposition we can defeat through a worldwide effort.

Ikea Swot Analysis

KStrengths 1. Supply chain strategies. 1. 1. Packaging concept. The flat packaging is known of its IKEA which is very effective for transporting products because more products can be shipped at the same time. Consequently, transportation cost will be cheaper. Furthermore, the flat packaging reduces some materials usage. However, it has some weak areas to work on such as protection and unitization. 1. 2. New unit load carrier. IKEA has created new carrier which is called â€Å"Loading ledge†, is a flexible unit load carrier.It can save money as a part of total logistic solution and also make the transport be more volume. The loading ledge has been used for two years within IKEA’s supply chain and the result has satisfied for IKEA because it can reduce damages in good processes. 1. 3. Direct delivery. IKEA’s products are delivered directly from supplier to different stores because this is the cheapest way for distribution. Furthermore, it can decrease the transport ation distance and lower carbon release. In term of process, the goods do not transport to distribution center because it can be directly to stores.This process is very efficiency and special one. So, they can save the cost of one time transport. Figure 1 Direct delivery distribution. 1. 4 Sustainable relationships. IKEA focuses on long-term supplier relationship. IKEA usually buy a large volume for a plenty of years. As a result, they can negotiate at low price. Moreover, the suppliers also gain advantages because their products are guaranteed ordering. 2. IKEA’s culture and concept. 2. 1. Powerful worldwide company. IKEA has strong global brand and concept which is guaranteed good quality at lower price. . 2. IKEA’s vision IKEA notes their goal that â€Å"to create a better everyday life for many people†. 3. Environmental perspectives. 3. 1. Green process. IKEA uses materials that are environmentally friendly. For example, renewable materials, recycling waste products, etc. 3. 2. New technology. Using new technology to reduce the amount of raw material needed. 3. 3 Effective transportation. IKEA transports their products by using rail and sea as much as possible to reduce the impact on environment. Opportunities 1. Environmentally business.IKEA believes that â€Å"environmentally focused business conduct will results in good return even in a price sensitive market†. Nowadays, consumers demand in green products is continue to increase. 2. Low price products. IKEA depends on the low-cost manufacturing countries as China and India. This is provided IKEA’s products to be cheaper. Moreover, customer’s demand of low price products is higher because the serious current financial issues. 3. Working on sustainability This is the main part of IKEA brand. This statement can be supported by: 3. 1. RelationshipBuilding relationship and good communication with stakeholders, consumers, and co-workers are IKEA’s concept. 3. 2 . Cooperate social responsibility. IKEA participate in social responsibility this include to be supporter for many charities. 3. 3 Online website. IKEA provides online tips and ideas for sustainable life at home. 3. 4 Environment IKEA uses sustainable resources, renewable energy, reducing water use, and green transportation. Weaknesses 1. IKEA size. The big size of IKEA’s business is hard to control quality and standards. For example, quality of product is concern in some regions. . Inconvenience located. The flagship stores are located far away from the city center; as a consequence, consumers have to travel a long distance to get to the stores. Moreover, they also have to collect a large in convenience packages to take them home. 3. Diverse market. The difference tastes of consumers in different regions. IKEA has many stores in different region. So, they have to adapt the style of products in order to satisfy each region consumers. Threats 1. Competitors. The growth of comp etitors, they can enter the low cost household and furnishers markets.Furthermore, they act like IKEA’s style which is the model of low cost products and flat packaging. 1. 1 Offering services. A better services offering from competitors. For instance, they offer home delivery, free installation, etc. 1. 2 More products. The larger suppliers such as Tesco and Walmart, they do not sell only home furniture, also offer electronics, groceries, etc. 2. Economic situation. The target group of IKEA is consumers with limited financial income. Therefore, this economic situation will impact and influence IKEA’s business due to a slow down consumer spending and income reduces.IKEA’s SWOT analysis| Strengths| Weaknesses| 1. Supply chain strategies. 2. IKEA’s culture and concept. 3. Environmental perspectives. | 1. IKEA size. 2. Inconvenience located. 3. Diverse market. | Opportunities| Threats| 1. Environmentally business. 2. Low price products. 3. Working on sustain ability. | 1. Competitors. 2. Economic situation. | Gap analysis Next 0-3 years Present Issue| Aspect| ? A weak online support. – IKEA lack of online purchasing options. It forces customers to go to stores. This probably causes losing some profits due to inconvenience located of some stores.?Do It Yourself – The target group of IKEA may require convenience installation. IKEA does not provide this point. Sometimes IKEA has overlooked their customers.? Using the new unit load carrier takes longer time than traditional one.? Due to increasing material flows, DC needs the effective solutions to handle it.? The distribution will increase in IKEA supply chain.? Over stock.? A lack of innovation of products? The highly flow of visitors which cause a long queues to check out. This is due to a lack of manpower. | ? Developing the online stores to compete with its competitors.Also, increasing online purchase by a space simulator.? The IKEA competitors, they offer delivery produc ts and free installation with good ability technicians. IKEA will provide immediate purchase and take home, and offer service but allows customers make their own decisions.? Providing information and knowledge of the new unit load carrier is very important to use it efficiently. It is also decreasing a damage and waste of products.? A great handled can reduce effect at DC by using, for example automatic picking.? Balance supply chain by using supported software and better management.?Hiring new generations staffs which are diverse of personalities. Consequently, they can create some new innovated products.? IKEA uses Beonic’s  tra? c insight  visitor flow system to ensure its checkout never short staffs. | The times 100 business case studies, viewed 13 Aug 2012, http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/ikea/ Jonsson A. and Mathiasen B. , 2004, Consequences of the implementation of the Loading Ledge, Lund Institute of Technology Mehnaz S. , Case analysis IKEA, viewed 13 Aug 2012 http://www. scribd. com/doc/59951004/Case-Analysis-IKEA