Thursday, January 30, 2020

What Effect will the Stansted Expansion Essay Example for Free

What Effect will the Stansted Expansion Essay In order to achieve my objectives properly, much research is going to need to take place. I will conduct some of my own primary research which will involve creating a questionnaire and then asking some local businesses to complete it for me. The questionnaire will include questions which will give me information on the businesses views on the expansions effects on demand, profit, competition, customer base, employees and employee transport. Different businesses I am hoping to receive a completed questionnaire from include banks, estate agents, hotels, taxi firms and businesses in the airport itself. The data I will collect through primary research will be quantitative data with which I can create graphs in order to compare results and form an idea of trends. Its important to remember however that these results are very time relative and could become of less value over time because situation and views will change with the changing economy and times. I will also do some secondary research; this will consist of finding already collected data on the internet, in books or newspapers. With this I will see how other projects similar to this have affected business, or simply using already collected information on the Stansted expansion itself to forward my project. I may also be able to find information on a much more national basis, as the primary research I conduct will only be local, and will not represent the national view of the expansion. This qualitative information has to be carefully used as sometimes the sources could be bias or out-dated. The information collected will also not be directly relating to my investigation as it was gathered for other reasons, so I must ensure I analyse it properly, considering this. Once the primary research and secondary research is completed I will combine and analyse them. I will compare the main worries or benefits that the businesses have to what I have found through the secondary research, and maybe pinpoint things that the businesses may have overlooked. I will also be able to compare the local, and the national effects of the expansion, using this research. I will then present my findings in an overall report showing the main benefits and disadvantages to businesses of the Stansted expansion proposal. Primary Research For my primary research I sent a questionnaire to 10 businesses in or around the airport that are likely to be affected by the expansion. This will give me realistic and relevant information on how the expansion will benefit the businesses, and what problems may also arise from it. I tried to make the questions as easy to understand as possible to make sure the answers are coherent in understanding and are not distorted through mislead answers. The answers and results are presented in quantitative form and therefore are easy to compare and understand, but this does mean however businesses cannot give specific explanations, and any views held that are not represented in the possible answers I have given, will not be accounted for. I have presented the results in the form of a graph to clearly show the trends of the business answers. 1. To what extent do you believe the expansion will effect your business? The results of this question clearly show that most, if not all, businesses will be affected by the expansion of the airport in some way or another, therefore indicating that they all have a vested interest in it. 2. If at all, do you believe this will be a beneficial or problematic affect? The results show that 66% of the businesses believed that the expansion will incur both positive and negative effects onto the businesses. These effects will be discussed in the following questions. It should be noticed that none of the businesses thought that they would only face negative effects from the expansion. (It should also be noted that the business who, in the previous question answered Dont Know did not answer this question) 3. As a result of the expansion, will travel to work for your employees become easier/ cheaper? The evidence in this pie chart shows that 70% businesses believe that transport to work will be affected positively through the expansion of the business, in terms of cost and ease of use. The airports expansion will probably mean an increase in the amount of Stansted Express train services running between the airport and other destinations, the same can also be said for the bus services. The increase in the amount of demand for these services could result in lowered price through economies of scale. However, 20% of businesses have opposite views, believing that transport will be more complicated and possibly more expensive. This could be due to the increased amount of congestion of cars travelling to the airport, and people wanting to use the services. This controversy is not surprising as these two problems are likely to occur, with the expected effects. 4. As a result of the expansion, do you believe lateness of employees will increase or decrease? The graph shows that a majority of only 60% of the businesses believe the lateness of the employees to work will decrease as a result of the expansion on the airport. This could be due to the increased consistency of the train and bus services, and possibly an increase in their efficiency due to higher profits from the increase in demand. However, 40% think differently; that the expansion will cause their employees lateness rate to increase. This could be due again to the increased amount of congestion on the roads, or the amount of people using the public transportation services. As a result of the expansion, do you believe your employment costs (recruitment/ wages) will rise? Again the difference in the results is not very large. 50% of the businesses believe that employment costs will decrease, whether it is in recruitment or wages. Recruitment could decrease because of the increased amount of people moving into the area hoping for employment from the expansion, therefore potential candidates will not be as hard or costly to find. Also, the increase in the amount of people hoping for employment moving to the area will mean jobs are in higher demand, and wages can be lowered. However, 40% of businesses though employment costs would rise. This could be due to the increase in the amount of competition moving into the area to benefit from the expansion; therefore employees will also be in higher demand making the recruitment process more competitive and costs higher. Wages will also have to be higher to attract more candidates. 6. As a result of the expansion, will demand for your product rise? The results shown in this graph clearly show that the expansion of the airport will not affect any of the businesses negatively in relation to demand. 70% of the businesses believe that it will actually prove to be beneficial to their demand levels; this is likely to be because of the increased amount of people moving through the area, or coming to live here, therefore increasing their customer base. 30% of businesses also however decided that it would not affect their demand at all. This is probably because their customers tend not to be those who would be users of the airport. 7. As a result of the expansion, do you believe your profits will increase? Interestingly here some businesses have said that, despite demand growing, their profits are possibly going to fall. This could be due to the extra costs that the business will face in employment costs, travel costs or extra advertising because of increased competition. However, 60% of businesses still claimed that their profits will rise; this is no doubt due to the increase in demand from the extra people in the area. However it could also be due to taking advantage of the economies of scale opportunities they may face with increased demand. The next question addresses this.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Gillette Marketing Plan Essay -- Business Marketing Analysis Managemen

Gillette Marketing Plan Gillette's $9.2 billion global business began on September, 1901 by the name of "American Safety Razor Company. In 1902 it was names Gillette Safety Razor Company. The Gillette Company today is the global market leader in nearly a dozen major consumer products categories, principally in the grooming, alkaline battery and oral care businesses. It is the largest known company for producing razors and other shaving products. The five different business units Gillette focuses on are Blades & Razors, Duracell, Oral Care, Braun and Personal care. This project deals with the production of a disposable razor with incorporated gel. Gillette is the largest well known company for producing razors. The company receives the greatest profits from that operation. Gillette sells products in over 200 countries and has approximately 28,700 employees, 70& from which are outside of the US. Manufacturers operate at 31 facilities in 14 countries and 40% of sales come from NEW products for 11 consecutive y ears. The Gillette Company's Vision is to build Total Brand Value by innovating to deliver consumer value and customer leadership faster, better and more completely than their competition. This Vision is supported by two fundamental principles that provide the foundation for all of our activities: Organizational Excellence and Core Values. Organizational Excellence is accomplished by superior and continually improving performance in every area and at every level of the organization. Gillette's performance should be guided by a clear and concise strategic statement for each business unit. Excellence requires hiring, developing and retaining a diverse workforce of the highest caliber. The three core values that define the ... ...ategic direction of the company of holding the leadership position n the grooming market. Also, this strategy will fit with Gillette's major, sustainable, competitive advantage of being an industry innovator (3). Manufacturing the "Sensor 3 Gel" will add value to the organization, as it will reposition the Gillette Company as the undisputable industry leader. The "disposable razor" target market will be male population across the world. In 2002 more than 1.7 billion men over 15 years old removed hair daily with over 80% using a blade and a razor (2). These numbers show that there is a large market for razors worldwide. The "disposable razor" will first be manufactured with a regular shave gel to appeal to a large group of men. But in the long run, new and more focused groups will be targeted. Different shaving gels for different type of skins will be introduced.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Placement report Essay

N.V. Elmar (Naamloze Vennootschap Electriciteit-Maatschappij Aruba) is in charge of providing electricity in Aruba. Formerly, the company’s name is N.V. ELECTRA founded by Mr. John G. Eman in 1950. After his death, his wife Mrs. F. van der Biest-Eman took over his place and continued the company’s operation. In November 9, 1950, N.V. ELECTRA discusses with Parliament the dealings of providing electricity in Aruba at the public’s interest. Under this discourse, the company had experienced several issues. ELECTRA then becomes a government property after the approving the proposal. Within the proposal, the company specifies itself to be under the control of OGEM N.V. located at the city of Rotterdam, Holland. Its first operation in November 15, 1950, N.V. Elmar has the capacity of 3000 KW with three diesel engines and eventually increased in 1958 buying a power station with a capacity of 15,000 KW. However, in 1982, OGEM experienced bankruptcy and decided to sell its shares of N.V. Elmar to Utilities Aruba N.V. owned by the government. Now, the company proudly states of its financial stability and management under the limits of concession (elmar.aw, 2004). Now, Elmar has a number of 163 employees and approximately 33,000 consumers on the island of Aruba. Island of Aruba   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Serviced by the N.V. Elmar, Aruba is a Carribean island 24 km west coast of Venezuela. Of the three Dutch Islands, Aruba is the smallest having an area of 194 km2 with eight regions, namely, Noord / Tanki Leendert, Oranjestad (West), Oranjestad (East), Paradera, Santa Cruz, Savaneta, Sint Nicolas (North) and Sint Nicolas (South). The official language used is Dutch, particularly in education, mass media and civil service. Another language, is Papiamento, second to English as the main language in the island. The population also speaks of Spanish, a prevalent language in upper grades of primary schools (Elmar, 2006). Role in the Company   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because I hold a position in the Human Resources Department, most of my concerns are on employee benefits, recruitment and other employee related issue. Six months in N.V. Elmar has undoubtedly reached my capacity as an employee in the Human Resources Department. Two of their projects for employees, health and wellness program and monetary rewards will be discussed as the main concept of this report. Methodology Research Design   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elmar, like any other company, has major concerns on their employees. To address, this, the company initiated a corporate Health and Wellness program. In this program, the awareness of employees on health related issues and quality of life are substantially relayed. The company has outlined the procedures by giving employees education and promotion on health programs, and orientation and coordination of health assistance. Primarily, it is important to know what the general health status in the island is. Some of the researches made convey of obesity as the primary contributor to life-limiting illnesses in Aruba. The reasons for a high rate in the island are the decreased deprivation of food and a sedentary lifestyle. Aruba is a developed country and in most studies, countries in this state have high incidences of obesity especially on families with lower household income. Often, the quality of food is overlooked wherein buying foods high in calorie and fat is rampant. In a survey conducted in 1991-1992, 67% of the Aruba population is overweight. Moreover, this finding affects both sexes. Next study was conducted in 1995 to 1996 showing the nutritional state of first up to fifth grade overweight. Approximately, 13.4 to 14% of the first graders are overweight and 26.1 to 29.4% of the fifth graders experience obesity. A more recent study in 2004 by Dr. Richard Visser stated that of the 367 children studied, 133 were obese, the number of underweight children is 18, and the remaining 216 were healthy. Significantly, Visser found out that one factor of the growing population concerning obesity in oner population is the unawareness and disregard as a public concern. Hence, attention such treatment and proper education about being obese is insufficient.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Monetary and Non-Monetary rewards are essential for performance improvement of employees. Though we may see that vision, mission, and goals would be enough motivating entities in employee performance, still, these direct costs will provide a meaningful and prosperous stay in the company. In the monetary rewards, as the name implies, more of salary additions are being worked upon while the non-monetary rewards focus on recognizing the employee capability on work and other areas. Elmar Company has an incentives and rewards system, wherein it compensates, reinforces, and encourage enhancement of employee duties. In these types, providing incentives and rewards may focus on team or individual distribution. Moreover, the essentiality of these programs for employee performance, will direct work efforts in advantage to the mission, vision and goals of the company. Incentives and rewards are given to teams, organizations, or individuals in the company that exceed the company’s expectations. Procedures   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elmar company has outlined its goals and objectives in preparing the health and wellness programs. In this way, the company will properly monitor how the program is advancing towards the organization’s benefits. The company’s concern for its employees marks the unity of the two in a system of social relations. Upon noting the principles held by the company in this program, the statement now implies that there is the importance for maintenance, prevention, and promotion of health status of employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The vision of the company in pursuing this project is to develop an advanced and efficient program for the health and wellness of the company. Conceptual perceptions about this vision are: Corporate health and wellness means work with the employees of Elmar. Corporate health and wellness underlines the positive dimensions of health. Corporate health and wellness has to involve different groups, organizations and institutions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subsequently, the company has marked the strategic and operational objectives for this program. Strategic objectives cover the expected results upon reinforcement of the program while the operational objective sees how the actual procedure must perform on the employees. The following are the strategic objectives: To reduce medical costs and disability costs: many companies have found that they can significantly reduce the cost of employee health care benefits by proactively promoting health, safety and wellness. To reduce absenteeism: numerous studies have found that employee wellness programs can significantly reduce employee absenteeism. To enhance productivity: many studies have linked health risks with reduced employee productivity and have found that healthier workers are more productive. To improve general health and well being. (Corporate Health and Wellness Program, 2006: 12) While these are the operational objectives: Structure and develop corporate health and wellness programs and activities according to priorities established. These programs c.q. activities are directed to the individual employee, Elmar as an organization and the community of Aruba. Establish and reinforce collaborative relations with organizations in the community, government, and NGO’s, related to the development of specific projects in corporate health and wellness. Generate an employee data bank related to the risk factors in health and wellness that can be used to generate assistance, prevention and education programs. Develop educational activities for the employees that can reinforce the actions of promotion in corporate health and wellness. (Corporate Health and Wellness Program, 2006: 12).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To start the program, first, the company must identify which are the employee needs prior to implementing operational objectives. In order to have an appropriate amount of data, the company will have to conduct as survey amongst its employees, invite an organization that will manage the physical examination among employees and facilitate education about eating healthy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The monetary and non-monetary programs will take effect on employee’s performance level. Generally, it enhances the performance to satisfy or exceed the objectives. Examples of Monetary incentives are: Performance awards – monetary incentives that reward employees upon performance that exceeds the expectation of the company. Observation of giving this award is through formal performance ratings of record on the appraisal period. Special act or service awards – one-time awards like lump sum for employees that had done a specific task from performance. Judgment in this kind of award comes from the first line supervisors. Quality Step increases – gives employees faster than normal progression by facilitating stepped rates and a permanent increase in basic pay. Time Off awards – granting employees leave without charging their annual leave. Gain Sharing – a system, wherein both the company and the employee gain improved productivity. In this system, the company measures the productivity of employees, which in turn gives additional income to the company, then, the employees and involved organization will benefit through associated earnings of the company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Non-monetary incentives may be tangible or incentives that have more bases on rewards like trophies, medals, certificates, and plaques. Moreover, this kind of incentive may take an intangible position, for example, if an employee has exceeded the expectation of the company, the organization may include training opportunities and assignment of employees to a more meaningful, challenging, and prestigious kind of work. Even though these incentives may not have much value directly on budget, some studies have shown that this becomes more important as motivating factors for employee performance. The Report SWOT Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SWOT (which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is a type of management observation on the overall performance of an organization. This method is often used on businesses because results can be easily transformed in other business philosophy like Porter’s five forces. Generally, the SWOT analysis has effect on overall evaluation when one factor has a cited defect or disadvantage. The strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors while the external factors are the opportunities and threats (marketingteacher.com, 2007). Strengths The strengths of the health and wellness program are in aspects of giving educational awareness to employees considering health problems, disease prevention, and health status. Hence, employee performance may increase. Moreover, productivity may increase because of reduced absenteeism, medical insurance policies, and cost effective strategies. The strengths of monetary and non-monetary incentives take effect on employee and company relationship. Employees regard much of their work because of these rewards, which in turn will not only increase productivity but also enhance the quality of products and services as well. In addition, if properly examined, is the preservation and maintenance of employees with exceptional skills and abilities. Weaknesses Apparently, the weaknesses of health and wellness programs are the appropriate participation of employees particularly in health awareness programs. The individual may listen to these lectures but do not apply them in real life. One weakness of incentives is on the monetary rewards. Generally, monetary rewards have the â€Å"amounts† in order to make employee performance more successful and productive. However, some employees may look at incentive as the central mark of their performance rather than cling on the vision and mission of the organization. In addition, not all employees may non-monetary rewards as a moral perspective, because some employees may develop envy among their co-workers if abundantly present in most of the incentive policies. Opportunities A big opportunity for health and wellness program is to widen the controlled areas in health provisions such as insurance policies and discounts on medical services. The company may also generate proper motivation of these programs when medical specialists are very much involved with the program. There should always be continuity with this kind of program because health is a very essential to an individual. In monetary incentives and non-monetary incentives, monitoring units for choosing which of the employees will gain the award should have a regard. In this way, proper evaluation of the programs will provide trust to employees that the awardees deserve. Hence, envy will not have its place in the organization. Threats The health and wellness program should look unto costs prevalently diverse in most health programs like medicines, fees of professionals and other related issues on economic changes in effect to medical facilities. One threat in monetary programs is that there may be possibilities of lost on the best employees if monitoring is not properly achieved. Hence, the probability of giving good services and products may have hindrances. Reflection   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As part of this project, I have noticed the essentiality of the company and employee relationship. Seeing how Elmar valued this social interaction, the severity to serve the company is overwhelming yet incomparable to what I have seen on other organizations. Both the company and its employees are very much interested on the productivity and quality of service. Furthermore, I have seen the social impact of the health and wellness project, as it projects how the society has evolved from a simple unit to a larger unit of the company because it affects the employee performance. Monetary and non-monetary incentives are appropriate sources of motivating employees on the vision and mission of the company but proper attention on the monitoring and evaluation of awardees should be considered, as this could affect trust amongst employees. I think these are apparent objectives after the actual placement: Enhance productivity due to reduced absenteeism and proper well-being. Reduced medical costs because of subsequent education of employees on health related issues. Educational activities for employees in areas like Roll in â€Å"Wit Gele Kruis† for yearly check ups and mini health fair. Monetary Rewards has succeeded in increasing productivity. Non-monetary rewards have increased company commitment among employees. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Questionnaire results were positive, looking at the overall performance of corporate health and wellness programs. This survey will generally help the family to be aware in eating the right food and proper diet to reduce the medical costs. The mini survey has given positive results and future benefits to most employees. On the other hand, monetary and non-monetary incentives will help in motivating employees of their performance level and commitment to the company. There is also a great probability of preserving and acquiring employees with exceptional talents and skills. Bibliography N.V. Elmar. â€Å"About Us.† 2004 29 January 2008 SWOT Analysis. 29 January 2008

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Jobs in the Geography Field

A common question asked of those studying geography is, What are you going to do with that degree? Actually, there are many potential careers for geography majors. While job titles dont often include the word geographer, studying geography teaches young people a wide range of useful skills for the marketplace, including computer, research, and analytical talents that translate well to the workforce. An internship in an area of interest will get your foot in the door and provide valuable on-the-job, real-world experience that will make your resume much more impressive. Here are some options as you begin your job search: Urban Planner/Community Developer Geography is a natural tie-in with urban or city planning. City planners work on zoning, land use, and new developments, from gas station renovations to the development of new sections of the urban geography. Youll work with property owners, developers, and other officials. If youre interested in this area, plan to take urban geography and urban planning classes. An internship with a city planning agency is essential experience for this type of work. Cartographer Those with cartography course backgrounds probably enjoy making maps. News media, book and atlas publishers, government agencies, and others are looking for cartographers to help produce maps. GIS Specialist City governments, county agencies, other governmental bodies, and private groups often need experienced GIS (geographic information system) professionals. Coursework and internships in GIS are especially important. Computer programming and engineering skills are also helpful in this arena—the more you know about computers, the better off you are. Climatologist Organizations such as the National Weather Service, news media, the Weather Channel, and other government entities occasionally need climatologists. These jobs usually go to those with meteorology degrees, but a geographer with experience and coursework in meteorology and climatology would definitely be an asset. Transportation Manager Regional transit authorities and shipping, logistics, and transportation companies look kindly on applicants with transportation geography and good computer and analytical skills in their backgrounds. Environmental Manager Environmental assessment, cleanup, and management companies do business throughout the world. A geographer brings excellent skills to project management and the development of papers such as environmental impact reports. Its a wide-open field with tremendous growth opportunities. Writer/Researcher During your college years, youve undoubtedly spent time developing your writing skills, and as a geography major, you know how to research. Consider a career as a science writer or travel writer for a magazine or newspaper. Teacher Becoming a high school or university geography instructor requires additional education beyond your undergraduate degree, but it would be rewarding to instill your love of geography in future geographers. Becoming a geography professor would allow you to research geographic topics and add to the body of geographic knowledge. Emergency Manager Emergency management is an under-explored field for geographers but fertile ground for . geography majors. They understand interactions between humans and the environment, know about hazards and earth processes, and can read maps. Add a bit of political acumen and leadership skills and you have a great emergency manager. Get started in this field by taking hazard courses in geography, geology, and sociology and interning with an emergency management agency or the Red Cross. Demographer For a population geographer who loves demographic data, what could be more rewarding than becoming a demographer working for state or federal agencies to help develop population estimates and other information? The U.S. Census Bureau actually has a position titled Geographer. Interning in a local planning agency would help you get started. Marketer Another way to become involved in demography, the study of human populations, is marketing, where you gather demographic information and get the word out to those interested in the demographics youre researching. This is one of the more glamorous arenas for a geographer. Foreign Service Officer Every country on Earth has a diplomatic corps to represent their homeland abroad. Geographers are excellent candidates for this type of career. In the United States, you begin the process of becoming a foreign service officer by taking the Foreign Service Officer Test. The work can be difficult but rewarding. You might spend years, if not your entire career, away from home, but depending on the assignment, that might be just fine. Librarian/Information Scientist Your research skills as a geographer apply particularly well to working as a librarian. If you want to help people navigate the world of information, this could be the career for you. National Park Service Ranger Are you a physical geographer who needs to be outside and wouldnt consider working in an office? A career in the National Park Service could be right up your alley. Real Estate Appraiser Real estate appraisers develop an estimate of value for a piece of property, researching market areas, assembling data, and using various analytical techniques to provide a number that reflects all market evidence. This multidisciplinary field incorporates aspects of geography, economics, finance, environmental planning, and law. Typical appraisal tools include aerial photos, topographic maps, GIS, and GPS, which also are the tools of a geographer.