Prejudice and Discrimination Essay

Prejudice as defined by John E Farley is â€Å"that prejudice refers to a positive or a negative attitude or belief directed toward certain people based on their membership in a particular group. The root word of prejudice is pre-judge. It is a set of attitudes which causes, supports, or justifies discrimination†. (Farley, 2000, p18). There are three components of prejudice which describe the different elements associated with it. Affectual one’s inner feeling which can be the result of incitement and are in accordance with people’s likes and dislikes. Behavioural the way people action their belief systems causing them to behave in a certain way. Cognitive the preconceived beliefs or expectations and involves stereotyping which usually are negative. Discrimination can be defined as the making of, a for or against action towards a person based on group, class, or a category to which they belong, rather than judge a person on their merit . This is the external representation of internal prejudice. Baron and Byrne (1997) defined discrimination as â€Å"negative behaviours directed towards people who are the object of prejudice†. Allport (1954) suggests that there are five stages of discrimination. Anti-locution would include incitement by speech for example racially motivated or sectarian jokes. Avoidance where failing to include people without considering their capabilities means people in minority groups are continuously avoided by the individuals of the majority group. Although no harm is meant, harm is still done through isolation. Discrimination comprises of a denying opportunities to a minority group or person with the intent of deliberately preventing them from receiving services or goals such as education and employment. Physical Attack involves the deliberate vandalising of or violent attacks on individuals and their property. Extermination is ethnic cleansing in an attempt to annihilate an entire race of peoples. (Allport, 1954, p71) It is difficult to distinguish the differences in the relationship between prejudice and discrimination. Our emotions and evaluations of others essentially reflects our prejudices, whereas rejection and concerns of acceptance describe our discriminations. Therefore someone who shows discrimination may not be prejudice. (Wagstaff, 2005, p1). Prejudice is a person or group attitude which may or may not develop into discrimination. It is an attitude as opposed to an action. Discrimination is not always the result of prejudice. There are cases where prejudice is not needed for discrimination whilst the law prevents prejudice from becoming discrimination now; this was not always the case. In some cases the law makes people discriminate, whether they feel prejudice or not. (Haralambos & Rice, 2002, p272). An example of this was LaPierre’s study which examined willingness to display prejudice and discrimination to a Chinese couple at a time of anti-oriental sentiment. He travelled across America with the couple, in total they visited over 250 establishments and were refused service only once. After returning home LaPierre sent letters to all the establishments visited asking if they would serve members of the Chinese race 91% replied no they would not. Critics have also stated that the letters may have gone to the managers or owners of the establishments who may have been prejudiced themselves while staff were not. Furthermore they may also have thought they were reflecting the wishes of their guests. Another reason they may have been served is because LaPierre accompanied them. The couple spoke excellent English, they were well presented and courteous this could all help towards being accepted as guests. There are many flaws in this study but it does show there are differences between prejudice and discrimination. (Haralambos & Rice, 2002, p272). A school teacher Elliot (1977) conducted an experiment in order to help understand the effects of prejudice and discrimination. The first day the class of nine year olds were told children with blue eyes were superior to the children with brown eyes. The brown eyed children were to be kept in their place by the blue eyed children and restrictions placed upon them such as standing last in line. The brown eyed children’s behaviour changed they did not do as well in school work and became depressed and angry, the blue eyed students became mean made derogatory statements and oppressed the other children. The following day the teacher told them she had made a mistake it was the brown eyed children who were superior. When reversed there were the same outcomes. Elliot (1977) said â€Å"I watched what had been marvellous, cooperative, wonderful, thoughtful children turn into nasty, vicious, discriminating little third-graders in a space of fifteen minutes. † (Positiveschools,n. d. ) Even though follow up of these children suggested they were more tolerant of differences between groups and actively opposed discrimination. (positiveschools, n. d. ). However critics argue the study lacked validity as it was not scientific and she had not put in place adequate protection for the children. Authoritarian personality, realistic group conflict and social identity are three theories that are considered to be the foundations of prejudice and discrimination. According to Adorno et al. (1950) â€Å"Authoritarian personality theory is based primarily on psychoanalytic principles, and proposes that prejudices most likely to arise in families that try to enforce conventional values through harsh discipline† (Wagstaff, 2005, p3). According to this theory, because of guilt and fear of punishment, children reared in such environments cannot register their frustration and aggression towards the legitimate target their parents. Growing up with no freedom of choice builds up frustration that leads to the authoritarian person looking for someone that is weaker who they can take out their frustrations on them in the form of prejudice or discrimination. This is referred to as ‘displaced aggression’. They are unable to say what they feel to the parents. Adorno created the f-scale as a way of measuring the prejudice of the authoritarian person. Various questionnaires which measured a person’s attitudes of the authoritarian personality. The numbers were high but the questions were written in a manner that would have people answer even if it is not what they think ‘yes-people’ an example question was â€Å"Do you think your employers should hire Negros? † (Allport, 1954, p76). The sample Adorno used was biased as there was not a broad enough range of people in it, it was mainly 2000 middle classes no Jewish white Americans. All ages and classes should be represented and in a larger sample. The right wing authoritarianism scale has now replaced the f scale and asks questions such as â€Å"Is it easy to understand the anger of black people in America? † (McConahay, 1986, p125). One person’s personality cannot explain how whole societies become prejudice. This theory does not explain for example how large groups such as Nazi Germany and other countries where mass genocide has taken place all became prejudice. Billing (1976) states that if prejudice it a personality characteristic then some people would be more prejudice than others. Also Altemeyer (1988) produced evidence that authoritarianism stems from adolescence rather than childhood, adolescents who imitated the parents authoritarian personalities got rewarded for it. He also found that social attitudes more than personality attitudes contributed to authoritarian personality. (Haralambos & Rice, 2002, p274). Pettigrew (1959) believes it is conformity to the group norm that is responsible for mass prejudice rather than a type of personality. Altemeyer (1988) found social changes produced more increases in authoritarian scores. Pettigrew (1958) carried out a comparison of four southern state towns, evidence supported white southerners were more prejudiced against African Americans than white northerners. Was this because there are a larger number of authoritarian personalities or a difference in cultural norms? He argued that prejudice can be depicted through cultural norms than on personality. He found that northern conformists were less prejudiced than southern conformist; his findings were based on the personality questionnaire. (Haralambos & Rice, 2002, p275). Levels of authoritarianism were found to be the same in South Africa as America, yet South Africa had a lot more prejudice because of cultural and political factors. (Gross, 2012, p49). Realistic group conflict theory states conflict arises between groups as a result of struggles that occur when two groups are in competition with one another; for limited resources or want to achieve the same goals. Muzafer Sherif et al (1961) devised an experiment to study the relationships between competition and prejudice. There were twenty two middle class eleven to twelve year old boys based at Robber’s Cave State Park summer camp. They were assigned into two groups. Activities were assigned to each group to develop a sense of belonging. At the end of the first week the two groups were introduced. They immediately showed signs of territoriality and fighting in sued. Tournaments with prizes were then engineered between the groups. At the end of the week the boys rated themselves in their own group as superior and even boys in the group who had been previously rated low were elevated. The other group were considered to be cheats and cowards. Attempts were then made to reduce the conflict in which the groups had to work together. A consequence for pursuing these goals was that the groups became friendlier towards one another. Sherrif et.al’s study showed that the boys acted differently towards one another depending on the situation they were in. When in competition they felt dislike, hatred and when placed in a setting with common goals friendships were forged. It would be interesting to see the results of the study had it been all girls, this was not a fair study as it was not a representative of all groups in society therefore it is a bias sample. The surroundings of the study were not consistent with every day. This experiment shows how competition for different resources can generate prejudice and that competition can degenerate into hostility and conflict. Tyerman & Spencer (1983) contradicted Tajfel’s theory; they observed a group of English boy scouts who knew each other before camp. They were divided into four groups and placed into similar competition as in the robbers cave. The boys reactions to this did not change they remained friendly and in group solidarity did not increase. This suggests competition is not sufficient alone for inter group conflict. (Gross, 2012, p391-392). This theory gives a more practical, offering a more social point of view to prejudice. Where this theory does make more sense there are some issues with it. For example not all groups that compete with each other result in prejudice and discrimination. Tajfel et al. (1971) discovered that in a number of experiments it was not necessary for competition to be present between groups for there to be prejudice. They discovered just being a member of the in group as opposed to what they considered to be the out group was enough to produce prejudice. Locksley et al (1980) went further than Tajfel by informing the participants they were being randomly assigned by a coin toss, meaningless names given and even with these conditions there was a strong in group preference. According to Brown (1988) dozens of studies throughout the world with a range of participants from all ages and both sexes, concluded that merely allotting people into groups leads to judgements and behaviours being biased and discriminative. It was this discovery that led to the basis for social identity theory. Fiske (2004) believes this theory describes prejudice and discrimination more palpably. Realistic group conflict theory does help explain increases in prejudice in war torn countries. Social identity theory states that discrimination and prejudice are only possible if people are categorised into groups so that they identify and develop a sense of belonging. Given that our self-image is important to us, we strive for this to be positive. Social image comes from social identity. Therefore people view the groups to which they belong as positive. They make comparisons between their group and others and believe their group to be superior to the others, leading to discrimination in favour of their own group and have a negative view of other groups. The assumption is therefore that Prejudice and discrimination result from group identification and the need for a positive image. Tajfel believed mankind are motivated to make sense of the world around them, he thought this was done through a process of categorisation, assimilation and coherence but these processes do not explain prejudice, he later rose to more points that much of personal identity comes from social groups and that we strive for self-esteem. In Tajfel’s study a group of strangers who had no contact with each other were randomly split into two groups. In one experiment participants were asked to give out money, they favoured their own group even if it meant losing money; participants identified with ‘their group’ and had a clear bias with the other group. Social identity theory states prejudice is inevitable. (Haralambos & Rice, 2002, p277). Another experiment Tajfel performed was to show boys a painting by Klee and Kandinsky and asked which they preferred. The boys were given money to dispense, the boys gave the money to the fans of the picture that they preferred, this showed immense loyalty to their in group, even though they did not know one another. (Fiske, 2008, p15) Social identity theory explains a person’s need for a positive identity does involve stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice, this leads to an in group situation where the in group are seen as positive and is the reverse for the negative and its out groups. Though on a larger scale this theory does not explain extreme forms of prejudice, relationships between groups are not just about being seen positively but they can be for reasons such as a power, money and scarce resources, these can lead to prejudice and discrimination. In Pakistan we are lead to believe the Taliban are representing its people and they are fighting for their freedom. That westerners are there to help the people. Yet when eleven year old Malala Yousafzai spoke out and wrote a blog for the B. B. C. it resulted in her being shot in the head. â€Å"Malala does not want to play to some western-backed or Taliban-loved stereotype. She shows us all there are voices out there that need to be heard, if only to help the country find democracy that is for and from the people, all the people. †(BBCNews,2012,p1). This cannot be put down to social identity theory. This theory is able to explain stereotypes prejudice and discrimination and all are seen as a need in the individual for a positive identity. Preferences lead to the positive in group stereotype and therefore will lead to prejudice and discrimination which will favour the in group but will be the opposite for the out group there by producing negative discrimination towards the out group. Social identity theory does not explain extreme forms of prejudice Brown and Lunt (2002) state how a theory based on attitudes, such as in-group favouritism can, explain the systematic slaughter of millions in Nazi death camps? This theory concentrates on two groups the in group and the out group with two groups it is easy to create a them and us situation but what happens when a third or fourth group is introduced there will not be the same polarisation and therefore the same bias will not be created. Conclusion Some researchers believe prejudice is caused by a fear of strangers or change, while others see it as a type of chauvinism regarding issues such as nationalism or religion. However there is general agreement that prejudice is learned. It is safe to say that no one theory can explain all areas of prejudice and discrimination. However they all contribute to giving us some understanding as to how prejudice and discrimination become part of our society. Fiske (2008) is working on a theory which suggests we are born prejudiced. She has been observing brain activity using M. R. I scanners, studying the amygdala region which is the fear response of the brain. This is triggered when we judge people or events we deem threatening Fiske’s findings suggest are conscious try getting the sub conscious to stop unwanted prejudices. (Fiske, 2008, p16).

Examine the Role of Rawiri in the Whale Rider Essay

Rawiri plays an important role in the novel which helped unfolding the events, ranging from minor to significant ones. He relates the events in the ‘Whale Rider’ as the role of the narrator, allowing the readers to form judgements and learn about things such as the Maori way of life and the characters through his eyes. He also give us his insights as he highlights themes and issues mentioned, like racial discrimination. Besides that, he is the one who sees the many signs of Kahu’s destiny as the leader of the tribe, piecing up a complete picture of her eventual rise as the leader. Additionally, he is her guardian, always protecting and looking out for her. With his carefree personality, he often provides comic relief especially in times of tension. As the narrator, Rawiri relates the events through his personal experience and conversations. This allows us to have a deeper understanding of what had happened that lead to the progress of the story. For example, we know what the relationship between Koro and Nanny is unusual yet endearing as they often quarrel in a chidish manner, like during the time Nanny rowed out to sea to get him back when he was out sulking about Kahu’s birth. We also know that Nanny’s headstrong personality is partially influenced by the fact that her ancestor, Muriwai, inspires her to champion the rights of women. All these enable us to know more about the characters and thus understand the reasons behind certain actions these characters make. He also highlights the theme of gender discrimination through Koro’s steadfast opposition to Kahu as he ‘virtually hurled’ her out of the meetinghouse, a place not for females, and told her to ‘go away’ many times, not even considering her as a potential leader even though she displays many outstanding qualities like leadership skills. During his time at Papua New Guinea, he also highlighted the issue of racial discrimination as he himself with the other natives are discriminated and marginalised. Rawiri is referred to as ‘home dogs and strays’ by Clara and that Jeff’s family did not care to even send Bernard to the hospital when they knocked him down because he is ‘only a native’. Through his insights, we get to know the harsh reality of class distinctions that is existent among different races, leading to ostracism. Besides that, Rawiri witnesses the signs foreshadowing Kahu’s future as the leader of the Maori tribe. Kahu is multi-talented, is the ‘leader of the culture group’ and ‘love to sing the Maori songs’ and even gave her speech at the end-of-year ceremony entirely in Maori. At such a young age, Kahu unusually displays many outstanding qualities that is required for a leader, and this suggest to the readers that she has what it takes and will eventually take up the leadership position as well. She ‘cried’ during the whale-beaching movie, ‘not even a lollipop would satisfy her’ and even ‘make a mewling sound at her throat’ when she witnessed the scene of whale-hunting on the beach. This shows that she is able to empathise and relate to the whales and there is a sense of communion between them, an ability that not even Koro possessed. He also saw her retrieving the stone from the deep waters, when all the other boys could not even do it. His narration of these events tells us that Kahu is unique and extraordinary, her astounding feats outshines the rest and thus hints to us that Kahu will do something great and lead her tribe. In addition, Rawiri is also Kahu’s guardian and protector as he is always seen to be trying his best to ensure her safety and well-being. During the whale-beaching movie, he felt ‘protective’ ‘like a father’ and felt that should look after her till the world ended’. Rawiri regards himself as a fatherly figure to her and feels the need to look after her, protecting her from all the rain and storm. Also, when Kahu went out to sea in an attempt to save the whales, ‘instantly I (he) ran through the waves’, ‘plunged into the sea’ and ‘yelled to her, a despairing cry’. Even though he was ‘frightened by the heavy seas’, he bravely ploughs on for her as he does not want to lose Kahu and felt a strong responsibility to get her back to safety, even if he ‘would just have to go down this whale’s throat and pull Kahu right out’. This shows the extent of his guardianship of Kahu as he takes pains to protect this mentally strong yet fragile girl of eight. Lastly, he also provides humour in different moments in the novel, especially in times of tension. For example, when Nanny felt indignant and unfair regarding the exclusion of women during school sessions, Rawiri managed to lighten the tense atmosphere through his comical phone conversation with Cheryl and bringing Kahu to the movies instead, with the girls ‘assessing whether I (he) had now become marrying material’. By inserting comic relief, there is a variation in the mood throughout the novel and thus the readers do not feel perpetually a sense of pressure and tension, and are able to feel relaxed. Also, the way Nanny wanted to look her best despite her failure as she wears a hat that ‘must have looked wonderful in the 1930s’ and ‘added a bit of this and a bit of that until it looked just like something out of her vegetable garden’ is a comic element which enables us to find her as an endearing character even though she is old-fashioned. By providing humour, it lightens the overall atmosphere and learn more about the characters. In conclusion, Rawiri narrates the events in the novel through his point of view and highlights certain themes and issues presented by the author. He is also he guardian of Kahu and takes care of her, assuming a fatherly position. Furthermore, he is the one who consistently sees the signs of Kahu’s fate to rise up as the next leader of the tribe. Lastly, he also provides comic relief which help to lighten the mood of the novel, especially during times of tension. He is definitely an important character which helps the story to progress efficiently.

Shangri-La Hotels

What are the key elements of Shangri-La Hotel’s strategy? Which of the five generic competitive strategies described in Chapter 5 is the company employing? What is Shangri-La’s strategy for competing internationally? 2. What policies, practices, support systems, and management approaches underlie Shangri-La’s efforts to execute its strategy? 3. How important are the company’s training and Shangri-La Care program to its success? What is your assessment of Shangri-La’s compensation policies and career growth effort? What pluses and minuses do you see? . What are the key features of the culture at Shangri-La Hotels? How important is the culture in the company’s success? Explain. What impact do the company’s mission statement and the Shangri-La Care program have on the company’s culture? 5. What core/distinctive competencies has management at Shangri-La tried to build and nurture? What challenges does the company face as it attempts to transfer its core and distinctive competencies to other cultures? How has the company attempted to resolve these challenges? Has it been successful in doing so? 6.What does the company’s financial and operational performance reveal about how successful its strategy and strategy implementation efforts have been? Should shareholders be pleased with the company’s financial performance? Why or why not? What financial and operating performance pluses and minuses do you see? 7. What challenges does Shangri-La face in expanding into Eastern China? Do you believe the company’s current policies and operating procedures will be sufficient in addressing these challenges? If so, why? If not, what else may need to be done? 8. How do the challenges associated with Shangri-La’s expansion into Europe,Australia, and North America compare with the company’s expansion in China? Do you believe the company’s current policies and operating procedures will be sufficient in addressing these challenges? If so, why? If not, what else may need to be done? 9. How big a threat does the expansion of other hotel chains into China pose for Shangri-La Hotels? What specific challenges are likely to arise as a result of this expansion? How should Shangri-La address these challenges? 10. What recommendations would you make to Symon Bridle to improve Shangri-La’s prospects for continued success? Shangri-La Hotels Shangri-La Hotels Contents Background Executive Summary Problem Statement Current Strategy External Environment VRINE Model Internal Analysis TOWS Analysis Value Chain Analysis Key Success Factors Alternatives Recommendations Implementation Plan Prologue Appendices Background Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group and regarded as one of the world’s finest hotel ownership and management companies. The Shangri-La story began in 1971 with its first deluxe hotel in Singapore. Today, there are  71 hotels and resorts throughout Asia Pacific, North America, the Middle East, and Europe,  representing a room inventory of over 30,000. In addition, new hotels are under development in  Austria, Canada, mainland China, India, Macau, Philippines, Qatar, Turkey and United Kingdom. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide a strategic analysis of Shangri-La Hotels and its rapidly expanding business of luxury hotels into Eastern China, Europe, North America, and Australia; while still holding on to Shangri-La’s signature standards of â€Å"Shangri-La Hospitality. My analysis supports the recommendation that Shangri-La hotels have the required resources, expertise and efficiencies to successfully expand into these markets even with the tight labor markets and vast cultural differences Problem Statement Shangri-La Hotels is attempting to expand its business into other countries; however, expanding into high-wage economies’ such as E urope and North America could tarnish their brand and lead to a reduced overall profit. Current Strategy External Analysis PESTEL Analysis Political – little impact in Canada, however foreign companies may restrict trade or impose tariffs, thus increasing costs. Free trade may help or hinder companies. Favorable taxation or subsidies in other countries may assist competitors. Economic – Collectivity stage and needing to delegate (marketing). Interest rates, currency fluctuations and unemployment are factors. Social and Cultural – Foreign interest in products could be a fad. Advantage is quality. Technological – improved production/packaging technology needed Environmental- could focus on recyclable, reusable packaging. Legal- Foreign sales may require changes or inter-provincial sales may result in abiding by various provincial regulations. | Test| Competitive Implication| Performance Implication| Valuable| Does the resource or capability allow the firm to meet a market demand or protect the firm from market uncertainties| The product itself doesn’t protect the firm from uncertainties. The marketing concept of a healthy product, charming PEI and authentic ‘goodness’ is the competitive edge. Protecting the branded image and promotion is important in sustaining the market position and increasing this position. | Rare| Assuming the resource or capability is valuable, is it scarce relative to demand? Or is it widely possessed by most competitors| The preserve product can be copied. Strawberry jam has the most demand and supply meets demand in N America. Unique product combining high fruit content and liquors. | Product is easily copied; therefore it is important to differentiate fro m the competition with use of specific formulas of ingredients to have a unique taste. Inimitable and non substitutable| Assuming a valuable and rare resource how difficult is it for competitors to either imitate the resource or capability or substitute for it with other resources and capabilities that accomplish similar benefits| Preserve resource is not rare. The culture of home made natural image in the PEI setting is the rarity and could be substituted but countered with its original/ authentic brand. | Product is easily copied, so value must be in packaging/image/marketing appeal. Exploitable| For each set of the preceding steps of the VRINE test, can the firm actually exploit the resources and capabilities that it owns or controls? | One resource that the company has access to is the fresh fruit within the region, therefore there is the potential that the Company could monopolize the fruit market in the area. | Product is easily produced with access to fruit in the area. | Int ernal Analysis Functional Analysis Production Marketing Human Resources Finance Value Chain Analysis TOWS Analysis | From External Analysis| Opportunities1. New national and international markets/customers2. Custom production to utilize spare capacity3. Japanese tourism and marketplace4. Potential to tailor products to consumers in each geographical region| Threats:1. Potential entrants/substitutions claiming PEI origin2. Tariffs on exports make the product a less competitive price3. Labor intensive and seasonal labor 4. Significant currency fluctuations can impede exporting| From InternalAnalysis| Strengths:1. Quality product attracting premium pricing2. PEI ethnicity and charm3. Favorable tax status in Cda4. Increased sales and international interest5. Fresh local produce not requiring freight and storage costs6. Quality staff with low turnover. | SO strategies (use strengths to take advantage of opportunities)Increasing sales across Canada will promote PEI, incur favourable tax status vs imported products and therefore increase/improve competivenessJapanese market can be tapped with Japanese tourism in Canada (Vancouver/Toronto) without incurring the prohibitive multi levels of taxes and levies. Expansion would not only include different geographical locations but includes the potential to utilize quality staff throughout the year, rather than only seasonallyPromote company culture| ST Strategies (use advantages of strengths to overcome threats)PEI authenticity and premium gourmet product with specific marketing highlights to overshadow competitors substitutions. Selling to tourists within Canada, with no GST/PST or tariffs makes the product more attractive Selling nationally reduces freight/shipping damages and more inventory control | | Weaknesses1. Marketing plan2. Restaurant business dilutes core business3. Seasonal business4. Underutilized capacity5. Management’s lack of experience in growth management| WO strategies (use opportunities to overcome weaknesses)Custom production, expansion of selling to new markets/customers and effective marketing plan can utilize the unused capacity and even out the seasonal nature of the business Outsource canning, packing – research alternatives with environmental/recycle benefits| WT strategies (use defensive strategies to minimize weaknesses and avoid threats) Targeted marketing plan and sales agent to identify the place and promotion of the 4P’s to expand sales and sales mix. Increased sales and production would require full time staff and reduce seasonality which would increase ability to retain quality staff. | Key Success Factors Alternatives 1. Pro Con 2. Pro Con 3. Pro Con Recommendation Implementation Plan Short-Term Long-Term Prologue According to the SHANGRI-LA ASIA financial reports for 2006 through 2009 the Asian division has had an increasing net income with the exception of 2008. Proving that Shangri-La has been a success in Asia, even with the expansion into the Chinese market. Appendices Bargaining Power of Suppliers Substitute Products Bargaining Power of Buyers Threats of new entrants Competitors-Airbus/Boeing CCCComCompetitAIRBUS/Boeing Airlines Leasing companies Governmental institutions FAA, IATA, EPA Other regulating bodies Advance in short haul turboprop technology Advances in automotives industry and infrastructures High speed train Advances in telecommunications: video conferences etc†¦ Engine manufacturer Electronic, Semiconductor etc†¦ Others manufacturers such as metal, composite materials Government institutions Capital sources investors and banks FAA, IATA, EPA Other regulating bodies Mitsubishi Others emerging power Others small aircraft manufacturers Military companies: Dassault, Lockheed, ATR Mission Statement We envision a community of responsible and educated citizens who are environmentally conscious, practice social responsibility in their daily lives and inspire others to do the same. We commit to operating in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner whilst balancing the interests of diverse stakeholders. We strive to be a leader in corporate citizenship and sustainable development, caring for our employees and customers, seeking to enrich the quality of life for the communities in which we do business, and serving as good stewards of society and the environment. Partnering for the Future With a solid foundation and reputation for excellence in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and North America, the company's strategic plan now incorporates the goal of expanding the Shangri-La brand globally by operating deluxe hotels in gateway cities and key resorts around the world under management agreements, equity participation or ownership. Given the commitment to becoming a top-end global hotel company, the development functions of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts are directly led by the President and Chief Executive Officer. Shangri-La has always believed in the unique characteristics encapsulated by Asian Hospitality. Our commitment to providing guests with distinctive Asian standards of hospitality and service from caring people remains our major point of differentiation from our peers and the very cornerstone of our reputation as a world-class hotel group. â€Å"Pride without arrogance† is of particular importance as we want our people to be internally proud of our achievements but outwardly humble. After all, the hallmark of true success is that it does not need to be stated. In striving to delight customers each and every time they stay with us we aim to exceed expectations through consistently providing quality and value in our products and services. That’s why we look for trendsetters, professionals who are enthused by innovation and driven by achievement. Environment Our  daily operations ensure that we mitigate the impact of climate change, uphold biodiversity in conservation/habitat restoration, adopt the best practices in preventing ozone depletion, and continually strive to improve ater-use management, waste-disposal management and indoor air quality. Health & Safety We  are committed to protecting our customers, employees, stakeholders and the greater public by providing a safe and healthy environment based on international standards. Employees Our colleagues are our number-one asset, and our source of inspiration for the greater communities with which we work. We value our stakeholders and always engage them with clarity, honesty, and respect. We require that our business partners ensure the highest standards in environmental, hygiene and labour practices. We believe that caring for others today allows them to care for themselves and others tomorrow. ‘Embrace’ aims to build, strengthen and sustain local communities through various and specific education and health projects. Each of our resorts provides a natural habitat for flourishing biodiversity. The ‘sanctuary' is Shangri-La’s project for ensuring the highest standards in marine and terrestrial habitat restoration and environmental conservation.

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Proposal - Essay Example However most individuals are not aware of the health hazards which regular fast food consumption may cause. Although it is not possible to completely eradicate fast food, it is important to reduce its consumption and make people aware of its health implications. Fast food chains however hesitate to display nutritional information as they fear it may cause losing consumers. This practice further impacts food choice and causes chronic health conditions. According to the National Institute of health Statistics of the U.S (2002), the proportion of obese adults have grown from 23% to 31%. A number of fast food chains which are stated to be healthy also have grown multiple folds in the last decade. Many health researchers such as Heini and Weinsier (1997) have opined that individuals at present burn fewer calories as compared to earlier times due to the rapid growth of technology. Although the number of leisure activities are seen to rise steadily, the time spend by individuals in these activities has been low. Individuals do not indulge in as much physical activity as per their calorie intake (Chandon, Morwitz and Reinartz, 2005). Moreover, the health claims made by fast food chain restaurants misdirect consumers. According to Mussweiler (2003) the nutritional facts stated by many fast food chains are seen to be inaccurate due to which more orders gets placed. Consumers get misdirected by the manner in which fast food chains display t he calorific information of different food items (Ledikwe, Julia and Barbara, 2005). The attitude of consumers towards such information is also seen to remain casual to a very large extent. The presence of a few vegetables or fruit items in the food gets overestimated by consumers and they fall under the assumption that the food they are consuming is healthy (Balasubramanian and Cole, 2002). Additionally, consumers are not aware of the net amount of energy their body requires each day and therefore

Chinese Media Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Chinese Media - Research Proposal Example In the endeavor to maintain their hold on the conventional media, the Chinese government has blocked the popular sites of facebook, twitter, and YouTube amongst other sites that are a platform for free expression. The Chinese people are left with the option of building their own sites that conform to the policies of their government. One of these sites is Sina Weibo. This site has been revolutionary since its inception in the year 2009. Much of its success is owed to the closure of Twitter, in China, around that year. In order to show the significance Weibo in the context of Chinese media freedom, this paper will analyze its role in reporting the high-speed train collision in Wuhan. Weibo has been instrumental in propagating social justice, as such; it has become a precipitate of government accountability that has been lacking in China. Sina Weibo has registered approximately two hundred and fifty million users to date. Chinese Weibo has the largest following in comparison to any one of the global sites operating in the world at the moment. Owing to the large Chinese population, Sina Weibo is larger than the sum of all other sites combined. Out of this, ten percent are frequent users on a daily basis. Ten percent of two hundred and fifty million is quite a considerable figure. It has become a platform of discussion of the most contagious issues pertaining to China. Most of these, however, arise from social, political and cultural issues. This is contrary to the social sites in the west. Western sites are primarily social interaction enhancing mediums. This is exemplified by the interactions on Facebook. The power of Sina Weibo is sourced from its function as a major forum for hosting public opinion. Unlike Twitter which is mainly a social networking site, its counterpart Sina Weibo mainly focuses on public opinion o f ongoing affairs. It achieves this by providing for its users a free opportunity to participate in public affairs. An avenue via which the public could voice out its concerns has been all but lacking.  Ã‚  

Counseling related to death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Counseling related to death - Essay Example Obituaries are a very common way of honoring and paying tribute to one’s loved ones through the local newspaper. There have been deaths of famous people such as Diana, princess of Wales; popular actress Ellen Terry and many more of whom the media used the coverage to communicate and express moral messages. In addition to this, the media also writes auto biographies on famous personalities having terminal conditions like cancer and AIDS, near to death experiences etc. This causes the readers and viewers to look up to them as heroes. Another source of media is the movies and cinemas which depict different approaches to death. It engages the audiences with range of questions and answers regarding death. Some sections of the society feel visual depictions of death in some movies are gruesome. (Field, 2003) II. Grief counselors To cope up with the grief and sadness, professionals help is required sometimes. Grief counselors have a very important role to play in facilitating the nor mal coping process of a person. Grief counselors are trained to handle emotional situations and help people cope with death of loved ones. They are expected to be emotionally stable, matured, understanding and not have a fear of death. This profession can be disturbing in many ways but also fulfilling to see people come out of the difficult situations. They are also required to have genuine and legitimate interest in helping people come to terms with such complicated situations. They are also required to be good listeners and good communicators who are sensitive to people issues. The counselors are required to be very compassionate and strong minded to help others deal with their grief. (Grief Counseling, 2011) What type of tasks do they have to perform? These counselors are required to set out 4 tasks of mourning. The person mourning is required to accept the reality slowly, to work on emotions associated with the loss which could mean mentally and physically; to learn how to live life without the person for survival and the last task would be to help the person find a new place in another persons emotional life.( Bereavement counseling) The main goal of a grief counselor varies from person to person and the kind of loss. However, working with a typical client the goal of a counselor is to- Educate the person about the grieving process and ensure information is provided at every stage Listening to the client and offering non judgmental advice would provide additional support Creating a plan for the client to move on with their life Help the client bond with the deceased through letter writing, talking and performing rituals. (Grief Counselor, 2008) Find out how people are prepared for work that involves death? To become a grief counselor, emotional competence is required which is a key component of this profession. This profession also requires people to have emotions in control and being supportive. Many grief counselors are professionally qualified to handl e such situations and help people cope up with the loss. (Grief Counselor, 2008) How do they feel about the work and any aspect they find difficult? Most of the grief counselors choose this profession only if they are emotionally strong and are good listeners. This profession is a proven and an effective way of helping people to get through their emotional anxieties. In majority of the cases, the actions of the grief coun

Design option evaluation report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Design option evaluation report - Essay Example Moreover, direct radiation are normally scattered by the atmosphere (Heard, 2006). Alterations of temperature have been depicted to appreciably affect reaction speed for particular trace compounds. Facts that strongly influence the design of a smog chamber and its corresponding auxiliaries for studying reactions under diverse simulated tropospheric conditions are mainly concentration of chemicals and temperature. Low concentration of members within the chemical reactions presents both analytical complications and stringent demands on the underlying cleanliness of the air utilized to make up the reaction mixture (Burrows, Borrell & Platt, 2011). Humidity ought to be controlled. The materials of construction ought not to introduce appreciable concentrations of impurities or react with the existing components of the reaction mixture (Heard, 2006). The radiation sources employed for irradiation of the smog chamber contents ought to simulate the intensity and peculiar distribution existing within the lower troposphere in the spectral locations and corresponding temporal distributions in the reaction chamber ought to be as even as feasible. In China, some small volume smog chambers have been developed to study gas-phase kinetic mechanisms, which precisely temperature controlled indoor smog chamber made of FEP Teflon film to study the SOA formation. Nevertheless,the small volumes of these smog chambers impact the disadvantage of relatively large wall effects thus making it cumbersome for the experiments of long durations. There exist numerous means to study photochemical smog, with the most common one being utilizing data from a smog chamber to establish a reaction model (Burrows, Borrell & Platt, 2011). Smog chamber facility is utilized to excite atmosphere photochemical reactions processes through irradiating primary pollutants namely NOz and corresponding hydrocarbons within the chamber. In 1952, a serious case of

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 28

English - Essay Example The animals come here to quench their thirst; some lapping up the water with their tongues, others taking a deep in the relieving water. Birds from all corners of the forest come to make their nests near her; for there is always plenty food where she passes. The little boys and girls are always lost in wonder at the graceful flow of the river, creating shallow pools in its wake where they spend most of their time splattering around without a care in the world. Their parents nearby are going on with their daily chores of fishing, cleaning, and singing in unison joining nature in its never ending orchestra by the river. It has many sacred places and shrines where elders come to perform rites to their ancestors, where initiates come to be one with nature, to ask for her permission before taking the bold step into adulthood. It is the place where people feel at most with nature and their gods. It is where all life culminates and where it is most vibrant; it is felt in the inner core of the soul of everything there. River Ptoon is a home away from home. In an eerie calm by the river bank a scream shatters the silence another victim falls prey to the unusually calm river. Lurking in the deeper pools of the river there are ravenous predator fishes and alligators ready to snap their jaws at anything that comes near them. The ever present birds always ready to play the role of â€Å"garbage collectors†, nibbling the bones of the dead animals to scorched white, cleaning away the wine; the water stinks of death after the massacres. The stones by the banks are marked by bird droppings like a mad painter’s work of art. Only the tall old trees remain alive with their long deep tap roots reaching the pure water underground, and their shadows casting sinister looking impressions. Parents bring their children to play but pretend to be busy with their chores, but they are hawk eyed for any sign of danger from within or out of the

OBESITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

OBESITY - Essay Example By increasing awareness of the obesity epidemic in America we can begin to reverse the trend in weight gain. We need to re-evaluate the importance of healthy eating due to obesity that has become the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. It is strongly recommended that the government should enforce strict physical education program and dietary restriction in all schools to control the prevalence of obesity in the society. Nutritionists and researchers attribute poor dietary habits and lack of exercises as the major causes of obesity in the society (Bernard, 2007). These detrimental habits develop in the early stages of child development especially in schools. Therefore teaching the children early about obesity, benefits of exercises and healthy eating habits could play a major role in reducing incidents of obesity later in their lives. One of the challenges in this thesis is the fact that home environment plays a significant role in encouraging obesity and it is beyon d the government control .In order to motivate schools and homes to control this rise in obesity in children, it is important to provide teachers and parents with reliable information on what obesity actually is, how it affects the children and how to treat it. Obesity is defined in terms of body mass index (BMI), with the following quantities - DBMI 25-30 = overweight, BMI 30+ = obese and BMI 40+ or 100+ pounds over recommended weight = morbidly obese. As The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2008)explains, obesity in not just a few extra pounds of weight that a person has, but it may indicate a problem developing. They explain that a â€Å"child is not considered obese until the weight is at least 10% higher than what is recommended for the height and body type†. Obesity can begin early, ages five and six. The frequency of the incidence of obesity in adolescents also is a cause of concern and indication of the need for addressing the issue. Figures for oc currence have been given by various concerned parties, particularly for the US. However the issue is a global one. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry quotes figures between 16 and 33% of children and adolescents as being obese. Likewise, research has indicated that parents with obesity increases child's chances to also manifest the same chronic illness by 50 to 80% (AACAP, 2008). More detailed statistics are provided by Lawrence et al (2010) who show that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents as being three times higher than it was in the 1980s. They show by their figures how the problem is growing. According to their figures, prior to the 1980s the percentage of overweight and obese children was only 6.5% for children and 5% for adolescents. By 2004 however these figures increased to 18.8 % and 17.4 % respectively. In addition to these figures, 31% of children under age 18 are at risk of being overweight. Causes of Obesity: Poor e ating habits and lack of exercise are the two most commonly suggested causes of obesity. In addition, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry suggests other factors including some medical illnesses such as endocrine or neurological problems and some

Inheritance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Inheritance - Essay Example (a) Direct transfer to the successor: this is used within continental Europe, also other countries that have imitated their civil law systems. It also was in use under the English feudal system for land. This facet of the law hereditary from England subsisted in Qld. (b) Dual scheme of transfer: valuable and delegated succession, concerning individual representatives such as the perpetrator, the management, the public trustee, sharing the legal identity on death also supervising the property for the profit of creditors with beneficiaries. This scheme is now embraced commonly within the common law jurisdictions. The major benefit of this system is more capable supervision, through one individual or else a group of people acting together as being accountable. This is a lot easier for the creditors. 3. By way of family provision legislation below which a Court may perhaps diverge the provisions of the will of the departed if inadequate provision is made for the wife, kids or added dependants of the departed. This restricts the testator's liberty of testation1. Case 1 ) Alex needs to draft a will , firsthand within that will he needs to specify that he intends to , give as gift to his sister one of his , Chattels personal: These are the tangible goods, which can be stroked like the fixtures, clothing, wristwatches and so on. He will need to specify Contingent legacy, which is a gift within a will which relies on a specific incident taking place. As a Trustee Claire and Doreen hold his property and maintain it on his behalf. Form Alex can use his Will, which would be a legal document to leave as a gift his painting when he dies. Legally, a trust is a link which subsists when an asset is taken by individuals known as the Trustees for the advantage of another individual known as the beneficiaries. The Trustees have the power and lawful rights of the assets however they are required to use their powers only for the advantage of the Beneficiaries. As by law no gift is made when the Trust is recognized, there are no inheritance tax inferences. Now in this case because the situations recognizes a trust , Alex can besides his will also do the following to make sure the gift is given to his sister after his death: Alex must think about utilizing the element of a Discretionary Gift Trust. In this way Alex can hold on to plasticity over the selection of the eventual Beneficiaries i.e. the individuals who will obtain the profits below the trust. These Beneficiaries consist of the Settlor's wife, keeping in view the fact that she too is not the Settlor, children and grandchildren, brothers as well as sisters plus their matter as well as any individual designated by the Settlors to the Trustees in script. This means, Alex can do this by initially drawing a will and then convening a discretionary gift trust, both of these acts will make it easier for his sister to be receive the gift he wants her to have

Tesla in Automotive industry Strategy project Essay Example for Free

Tesla in Automotive industry Strategy project Essay 1. Introduction The Encyclopaedia Brittanica defined the automotive industry as all the companies and activities involved in the manufacturing of motor vehicles, including most components, such as bodies and engines; but excluding tires, batteries and fuel1. The automotive industry started with the production of what is widely considered to be the first ever automobile, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1886. Although the first car was originally manufactured in Germany, in the many decades to come, the United States led the world in total automobile production until the start of the 21st century, when China took the top position. Today, China produces nearly 20 million units per year, almost double the amount of the United States. It is one of the world’s most important sectors when measured by revenue and it is a business that is still growing significantly. Last year for example, over 87 million automobiles were produced worldwide, a 3. 6% increase compared to the year before and a 43. 82% increase compared to 20032. Needless to say, the automotive industry is big business and it is very probable there are business opportunities that are yet to be exploited. Tesla Motors is an American car manufacturer that tried to exploit such a business opportunity. It’s an American company that designs and manufactures electric vehicles and electric car components3. Founded in 2003, Tesla’s goal was to lessen the world’s dependence on petroleum-based transportation and drive down the cost of electric vehicles. Moreover, Tesla’s aim is to prove that electric vehicles can be awesome as well4. This might not sound particularly unique, but Tesla Motors does have a very distinct strategy in the sense that it wants to enter the automotive market by first focusing on high-end luxury cars and sports cars. Later, when Tesla’s products and consumers acceptance have matured, they would move into the market for the middle-class consumer, which is larger but also significantly more competitive5. The idea is to establish a strong brand name at first, which will aid the company in a later stage when the decision is made to start producing lower-priced automobiles. Tesla’s first 1 http://global. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/45050/automotive-industry 2 http://www. oic a. net/category/production-statistics/ 3 http://www. te slamotors. com/ 4 http://www. teslamotors. com/about 5 http://www. greenc arreports. com/news/1022275_msnbc-calls-ev-drivers-lunatic-fringe 3 model, the Roadster, had a base price of approximately $100. 0006. Their second car, Model S, is priced at $63. 750 including a $7. 500 tax credit. The company now has plans to launch a $30,000 small SUV the Tesla Model X 7. Eventually, Tesla wants to become a mass producer of electric vehicles and service both upper- and middle-class customers8 This discussion aims to analyze Tesla’s strategy. It is clear that Tesla has a very differentiated strategy and we will want to determine whether or not Tesla is likely to succeed in achieving its goals and become a successful enterprise. Firstly, we will take closer look at the ‘environmental’ automotive industry using Porter’s theory. Secondly, we need to closely look at Tesla’s strategy. How will Tesla try to win a respectable share of the market? As mentioned before, Tesla is a very young company and it will inevitably face fierce competition from incumbent firms. A clear plan to establish a foothold in such a market will be essential for the firm’s survival. The next step is to see if Tesla identified all relevant factors and industry forces, and if it has defined a strategy that takes all of these elements into account. It will surely need to attain a unique strategy if it wants to position itself in a key position in the market. What is it exactly that differentiates Tesla from other car manufacturers and in what way could this be beneficial for the firm? Does their strategy have a high chance of success? How can Tesla create a network of electric chargers? Before evaluating Tesla’s strategy, we must first clearly take a closer look at the company Tesla Motors itself and define the market in which the company is active. Even though they are currently operating in a smaller niche market (mid to high-end luxury cars), the plan is to eventually address the middle-class consumer and enter the ‘standard’ automobile market. This will inevitably complicate our discussion but it is essential for determining the chance of success. The paper includes a discussion on the high entry barriers that are typically associated in the automotive industry and the possible presence of strategic entry barriers raised by incumbent firms to reduce the likelihood of new entrants. We will also mention any other strategies adopted by firms in the automotive industry who want to improve their competitive position. Furthermore, the extent to which the industry is concentrated will be discussed, as well as the possible presence of strategic complements and substitutes. Moreover, Tesla will also need to take the non-market environment into consideration. Typical for the automotive sector is that it is an industry with very strict safety regulations. Tesla of course will also 6 http://jalopnik. com/5135290/tesla-increases-prices-on-already-ordered-roadsters 7 http://onpoint. wbur. org/2009/09/25/teslas-elon-musk-on-a-sub-30000-electric-car 8 http://www. marketwatch. com/ story/strategic-corporate-profile-of-tesla-motors-global-operations-2014-01-13 4 have to face the challenge of producing vehicles that respect these requirements. On top of that, the relatively recent discovery of global warming, partially caused by car emission (CO2), has led to the implementation of a series of emission standards that aim to reduce the greenhouse gasses emitted by petroleum-powered vehicles. This may not seem relevant for Tesla Motors at first since its goal is to produce electric vehicles. These regulations are however accompanied with a credit system, which means that car manufacturers that do not meet the standard are penalized and have to buy credits from other manufacturers that have a surplus of credits9. Since Tesla Motors only produces emissions-free vehicles, it has a major surplus of credits which it can sell to other car manufacturers. General Motors for example has to buy additional credits from Tesla in order to respect the regulation. This implies large transfers of wealth across car manufacturers. As a result, companies selling cars with a (too) high emission must raise prices to pay for the credits. On the other hand, the beneficiaries of these wealth transfers such as Tesla can now use the extra revenue to lower prices and take on a more competitive position in the market. All of this will of course be discussed more thoroughly in our discussion below. The paper concludes with a summary of the discussion and our prognosis regarding the future success of Tesla Motors in the automotive industry. 2. Market definition This paper only looks at models available in the US because it’s the largest electric car market, the EU is the second largest market but is much more complex because EU-countries have different legislation for electric cars. Some countries have large subsidies for electric cars and thus large market shares such as Norway, on the other hand some countries have almost no market share. The Model S is the only available model at the moment targeting the middle to high-end luxury car market. This model costs between 63. 750$(base model, 7500$ tax credit) and 125. 220 $(full option, 7500$ tax credit). 10 Because the model S is all electric, we can compare the car to slighter cheaper models because of lower long term ownership cost thanks to lower cost for electricity compared to fuel. The base model is a full-size 5 adult seat sedan powered by a fully electric 60 kW-h motor achieving 302hp. Top speed is relatively low at around 200km/h but acceleration is very good at 5. 9 seconds to 100 km/h, this is typical for an electric engine. More expensive models offer better range and performance and a warranty with unlimited kilometers on the battery for 8 years compared to 200. 000km for 8 years on the base model. 9 http://mitsloanexperts. mit. edu/californias-auto-emissions-policy-hits-a-tesla-pothole/ 10 Teslamotors. com 5 We will consider the mid to high-end luxury market containing one electric the Tesla, a couple of hybrids and a lot of traditional cars. Mid-end starts at prices of approximately 50. 000 $ with cars such as the BMW 5-serie, Audi A6 and Mercedes E-class. 11 High end stops at prices above 130. 000$. For the following analyses we will sometimes look at broader markets containing cheaper alternatives because even though these cars aren’t substitutes they are still relevant. Research show that tesla owners were most likely to previously own a Toyota prius hybrid or secondly luxury BMW and Mercedes. 12 3. Industry attractiveness and profitability In this section the overall attractiveness of the ‘environmental’ automotive industry is assessed using Porter’s influential five forces model. The term environmental indicates those vehicles that do not solely rely on the combustion of fossil fuels to power their engine. Examples are electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Both the pure electric automotive industry as well as the overarching environmental automotive industry is presented, as these cannot always be seen separately. In his model, Michael Porter identifies five key competitive forces that determine the structure and profitability of a certain industry. The five forces are the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers, the threat of substitutes, the threat of entry and the rivalry among existing competitors. Porter’s model enables managers, in an easy and straightforward way, to understand their industry environment and to shape their firm’s strategy accordingly. As a rule of thumb, the stronger the five forces, the lower the industry’s profit potential and hence the industry’s attractiveness to competitors. The most influential forces that have shaped and continue to shape the environmental automotive industry are discussed in the following paragraphs. A first restraint on the overall profitability of a firm is the bargaining power of its suppliers. For the environmental automotive industry the bargaining power varies among the suppliers of different components. An important component in the construction of hybrid and electric vehicles is the battery. The bargaining power of the battery companies is low as there are a lot of manufacturers present on the market. Tesla Motors, for instance, buys Li-ion cells from different manufacturers. Consequently, in the case any problems occur with a particular battery supplier, Tesla can easily switch or threaten to switch to other suppliers at low costs. Among others, Tesla works together with Daimler AG and Panasonic to develop battery packs and chargers (Boyke, Cheng, Clevers, Schroeder, Strupp, 2010). Another important component of any vehicle is the chassis. For the construction of the chassis 11 http://buyersguide. caranddriver. com 12 h%p://www. wired. com/2014/03/tesla-model-s-toyota-prius/ 6 specialized engineering skills are required. These skills can often be obtained through strategic partnerships with other car manufacturing companies. In the case of such strategic interdependence the bargaining power of the suppliers is higher than in the ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ battery case. In the past Tesla had an exclusive partnership with Lotus for the physical construction of the Roadster13. As of recently Tesla and Toyota Motor Corporation also agreed to cooperate on the development of electric vehicles, parts, the production system and engineering support14. In conclusion, however, the overall bargaining power of suppliers in the automotive industry is low. The supplier firms must contend with substitute products for sale to the industry. Tesla has more than 150 suppliers around the world, which provide over 2000 parts to Tesla. For the production of the Model S, Tesla uses a highly integrated manufacturing approach, even negotiating with suppliers to manufacture products on site to use the excess capacity. In this way, the integrated approach enables Tesla to alleviate its dependence on supplier performance (Boyke, Cheng, Clevers, Schroeder, Strupp, 2010). A second force that determines the profitability in an industry is the bargaining power of buyers. The bargaining power of buyers concerns the pressure buyers can put on the margins of producers by demanding a lower price or a higher product quality. In the environmental automotive industry the bargaining power of buyers is rather low. For Tesla in particular this is even more so. For starters, Tesla does not sell products in bulk. This means that for the consumers that purchase the finished products no real scale effects are present. Moreover, Tesla has a quite unique position on the market. Tesla is the only manufacturer on the US market that produces high-end, full electric cars that can drive autonomously for over 400 km. By employing a highly skilled, technocratic labour force and management team, Tesla has branded itself as a cutting-edge, innovative firm. They manufacture high quality electric vehicles that are very performing while being environmental-friendly and fun at the same time. The buyers of the Model S also have the possibility to entirely customize the vehicle to their taste. This creates a sense of exclusivity among the clients. Besides the B2C applications Tesla has also established a strong position in the B2B environment 15. Tesla for example licenses its patented processes and technologies to other companies. Especially in the area of battery technology 13 http://www. teslamotors. com/blog/lotus-position 14 http://www.teslamotors. com/about/press/releases/tesla-motors-and-toyota-motor-corporation- intend-work-jointly-ev-development-tm 15 http://www. slideshare. net/joseangeldf/darden-school-of-business-tesla-strategic-analysis 7 and the construction of ‘supercharging’ stations Tesla has a lot of expertise16. The proper licensing of these assets will benefit the entire environmental automotive industry as a whole. An especially important force in the electric automotive industry is the threat of substitutes from outside the given industry. Hybrid vehicles and more specifically PHEV provide a similar functionality as the full electric vehicles. Those manufacturers within these strongly related industries, which produce vehicles and services with an attractive price and performance, pose a serious threat to the established electric car manufacturers. For the Model S the most important substitutes are those mid to high-end hybrids. These vehicles offer low emissions and a good fuel economy at a similar price as the Model S. The most successful alternatives within the US automotive industry are discussed in the next chapter. In the specific price range of the Model S the threat of substitutes is still limited as Tesla is gradually positioning itself as a high-value, exclusive and environmental brand with a growing number of enthusiasts17. Nonetheless, a possible future expansion into the mid-end and low- end market segment will significantly increase the threat of substitutes. There are, however, some complementing factors that might reduce the threat of substitutes both for Tesla as well as the electric automotive industry in a whole. The scope for future development in battery technology, the presence of several tax and parking incentives for electric vehicles and the expected rise in oil prices in comparison to electricity prices might spur the attractiveness of the electric automotive industry. These market dynamics both play on the level of customers as well as producers. One possible negative factor in the realisation of potential sales is the low availability of charging and home charging facilities. However, Tesla Motors is addressing this issue by investing heavily in strategically located charging facilities and by expanding the power and endurance of the battery pack 18. Tesla’ s battery pack technology is critical to the company’ s positioning and competitive differentiation. The low cost of the battery pack allows Tesla to not only design cars with battery ranges greater than the competition but also place equal emphasis on design, performance, and energy efficiency. On the short term, the threat of new entrants in the electric US market is rather limited because of several entry barriers. The industry is characterised by high capital requirements and high sunk costs. 16 http://www. sl ate. com/articles/technolog y/technolog y/2013/05/tesla_model_s_the_electric_car_compa ny_is_a_little_bit_apple_a_little_bit. html 17 http://www. wikiwealth. com/five-forces:tesla-motors, http://www. teslamotors.com/blog-and-press- releases. 18 http://www. slideshare. net/joseangeldf/darden-school-of-business-tesla-strategic-analysis, http://www. reuters. com/article/2014/02/26/us-tesla-battery-panasonic-idUSBREA1O1MF20140226, http://www. t eslamotors. com/supercharger 8 Moreover, advanced, often patented, technologies and processes as well as a highly skilled workforce are required to successfully manufacture an electric car. The success of a firm in the industry is also largely determined by its brand image and the realisation of economies of scale19. Therefore, it is not easy for a potential new entrant to establish a foothold. This is even enhanced by the fact that the incumbent firms have a large and flexible production capacity that can be used as a retaliation device in case of entry (Boyke, Cheng, Clevers, Schroeder, Strupp, 2010). However, established vehicle manufacturers with deep pockets that have currently missed the ‘environmental train’ or disruptive innovators like Tesla Motors might overcome these entry barriers in the long run. The current competition in the US environmental automotive industry is moderate. Only a few major brands are competing. Because of the high entry barriers and the threat of substitutes not a lot of brands risk burning cash in an innovative and insecure business. However, as the sector matures and more people consider switching to an electric car this will change. In a recent report of the Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI) a global goal of 20 million electric passenger cars, including plug-in hybrid vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles, in stock by 2020 is set forward. This is still a long way to go as the total worldwide electric vehicle stock at the end of 2012 only amounted to a large 180. 000 units. In 2012, 38. 585 PHEVs and 14. 592 BEVs were sold in the US. The cumulative stock in the US in 2012 was 71. 174 units (Clean Energy Ministerial, Electric Vehicles Initiative, International Energy Agency, 2013). In 2013 roughly 96. 000 electric vehicles were sold in the US environmental automotive industry(including hybrids)20. The three top selling brands are the Chevrolet Volt, the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S. It is clear that the popularity of electric vehicles has significantly increased over the last few years. It is expected that this trend will only continue in the future as the number of models on the market increases. The share of electric cars is still only about 3,5% of the total number of cars that are sold annually in the US market21. Hence, the growth potential of the environmental automotive industry is huge, this both on a domestic as well as an international level. In conclusion of this section an assessment is made of the overall profitability of the environmental automotive industry. As previously argued, the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers is rather limited in the industry. Therefore, the vehicle manufacturers can attract more profits than their up- and downstream partners. The industry is also characterised by several entry barriers, especially on the 19 http://www. wikiwealth. com/five-forces:tesla-motors 20 http://www. greencarreports. com/news/1089443_plug-in-electric-car-sales-for-2013-almost-double- last-years 21 http://electricdrive. org/index. php? ht=d/sp/i/20952/pid/20952 9 short term. The effective prevention of possible entrants reduces the pressure on prices and allows incumbent firms to attract a significant share of the profits. The threat of substitutes is one of the most important restrictors on the profitability within the industry. Because of the similarity in functions between electric brands and hybrid brands it is important for the incumbent firms to create a positive consumer image towards their products. The growth potential of EVs is the most important driver of future profitability of the industry. Until now incumbent firms have undertaken a lot of RD initiatives in the area of battery and charging technologies. The sales numbers in the US market show that these investments are finally starting to pay-off. In the long run, with a growing global popularity of EVs, it is to be expected that also other companies will consider entering the environmental automotive industry. 4. Tesla in the market Tesla differentiates itself by producing environmental responsible cars that have all the benefits of a luxury vehicle. By equally emphasizing on speed, handling, design, comfort, and zero-emissions, Tesla creates a unique balance between performance, efficiency and aesthetics. Through the offering of this first fully electric luxury sedan car, Tesla attained a first mover advantage. Together with its ‘Silicon Valley’ culture, an approach that is innovative, competitive, and effective, Tesla achieved a solid brand name in the automotive market. (Mangram, 2012) Tesla’s battery technology is also critical to the company’s competitive advantage. With its cutting-edge battery technology, combined with essential technology research, Tesla is able to design and produce electric cars with a far greater range than its competitors. Its lithium-ion based battery, for instance, is 250 kilograms lighter compared and has a range of up to 500 kilometers. Bron ? vergeleken met wat ? But even with a supercharger a full charge is approximately one hour. Moreover the company produces many of its key parts in-house, thus making it harder for competitors to replicate. With the expansion of its own retail shops and the establishment of a network of free recharging points for its customers, Tesla keeps challenging the traditional car companies (The Economist, 2013). Tesla’s main strategy can be seen as a reflection of the innovative marketing approach Apple used for its ingenious technology. It holds that any new technology is often very expensive and wealthy customers are regularly the first to accept it. Consequently, Tesla produced its first vehicle, the Roadster, for the premium sports car consumer segment. Nowadays, with the production of the Model S Sedan, the middle to upper- middle class consumers are being targeted. Finally, by 2015 Tesla plans to produce and market an electric car available at a mass-market consumer price range (Tesla Motors, 10 2014). Although this ‘Apple Computer’s business model’ is considered to be rather exceptional in the automobile industry it helped the company to position itself as groundbreaking, self-determining, and cool. Tesla BMW Daimler AG General Motors Toyota Revenue 2 billion 60 billion 117 billion 155 billion 22 trillion Net Income -74 000 2 billion 6,4 billion 5,35 billion 962 billion Sales Growth 387% 7,2 % 3,22 % 2,08 % 18,73 % The luxury car market is highly competitive, with several incumbent companies with loyal customers. Tesla’s main competitors in the luxury car segment are BMW, General Motors, Toyota and Mercedes. While the number of any competitive electric car is still low, an increase can be expected. General Motor’s Chevrolet Volt is one of the main competing vehicles in the market. It covers a wide target market and comes at a notable lower price than Tesla’s Model S. Toyota remains the global leader when it comes to selling hybrids. Although Toyota has 4 electric cars (the Prius, the RAV4 EV, the FCHV fuel cell car, and the Scio IQ-EV), it strategically collaborates with Tesla to improve the electric car development. This alliance has been one of the main factors of Tesla’s growth as Tesla consumers can get customer service in Toyota sites (Toyota Motor Corporation, 2014). The chart compares Tesla’s main competitors on the basis of revenue, net income and sales growth. As we can see, its sales growth is overwhelming. Given that is a rather new company, it indicates its rapid expansion on the electric car market. However, Tesla’s net income remains negative. Nonetheless, the company’s share is currently being traded at 20 times its earning, and as the company continues to grow these numbers are expected to rise. According to an article by Wall Street, 43 new hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell vehicles will be produced in the US market by 2015. Moreover, the market share of alternative fuel cars will increase from 3% in 2012 to almost 5% in 2014 (Wall Street, 2013). New electric vehicle entrants and existing plug-in hybrids manufactures will continue to compete with Tesla in the near future. While the traditional car manufactures are firmly entrenched, Tesla’s competitive advantages could develop to the securing of a significant market share in the electric car market. 5. Sustainability of the competitive advantage. This chapter analyses the degree of sustainability of Tesla’s competitive advantage. First the relevant trends and developments in the automotive industry are briefly reviewed. Furthermore, the 11 predominant isolating mechanisms in force given the market position of Tesla are discussed. We argue Tesla is a textbook example of a disruptive technology. To conclude, strategy recommendations hereupon are formulated. The primordial focus of our analysis shifts in this chapter from the luxury car market to the overarching automotive industry. The rational hereof is clear-cut. On the one hand, the trend analysis for the automotive industry applies to and sufficiently covers the luxury car segment. On the other hand, Tesla continuously voices the strategy to level down through the segments. Furthermore, the majority of car manufacturers produce for multiple segments of the industry. The sustainability of Tesla’s competitive advantage thus strongly depends on the industry rather than the Model S market segment. 1. 1 Trends in the automotive industry The automotive industry is, may be argued, rather conservative. The market structure is little dynamic, without change in market leading firms for long. Furthermore, the industry evolved the past century merely through optimising the traditional ‘automobile’, with limited major breakthroughs. To illustrate, though fuel efficiency and exhaust of the combustion engine has greatly improved, working principles remain unchanged. The emergence of (electrical) alternatives that are sold commercially is only a recent phenomenon. We review three developments that will impact the automotive industry. First, the society-wide surge of environmentalism a fortiori impacts the automotive industry. A thickening body of government actions forces car manufacturers to produce cleaner cars. This both directly, through legislation (e.g. CO2 output limits for new cars), or indirectly by altering consumer behaviour through excises or tax incentives. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly environmentally conscious. Bottom-line, car sales undeniably grow more eco-friendly. Furthermore, the panoply of driver assisting technology that brakes automatically for obstacles or parks the car will be further developed. Self-driving cars may be short-term everyday reality, with Google pulling the cart. Lastly, Gen Y is argued to focus on services rather than ownership. The emergence and success of car sharing by Zipcar or Cambio illustrates this shift in mentality for the automotive industry. 1. 2 The isolating mechanisms The electric car is strongly based on the century old inventions of Serbian engineer Nikola Tesla. We nevertheless argue that the electric car is a text book disruptive technology. This technology, spearheaded by Tesla, will herewith potentially overturn the automotive industry, challenging the 12 incumbents. The early-mover advantage in this creative destruction may enable Tesla to sustain its competitive advantage. The disruptive technology concept is extensively reviewed in the of literature. We apply the framework to the Tesla case. First, the environmental movement and increasing fuel prices created momentum for alternatives of the traditional combustion engine. Both incumbent car manufacturers and many start-ups invested in research. The hydrogen car made the press as a promising technology, but proved little feasible. Eventually the electric car showed market-viable. Many innovators inter alia Fisker, failed. However, as statistics dictate tech start-up Tesla got ahead in the race at the expense of dominant car manufacturers. The 2400 Tesla Roadsters produced, sales manifestly unattractive   toincumbents, were a great success and learning opportunity for the start-up. The Tesla Model S unprecedented battery range no longer forces consumers to trade off fuel efficiency for convenience. Herewith it can shift from niche product for wealthy eco-hipsters to head on competition for the traditional luxury sedan. The Model S proves superior to its competition threefold. First, the position of the battery pack lowers the gravity centre of the car for superior handling (and creates a spacious trunk in the back and front). The electric engine also delivers instant torque, further allowing sporty driving. Furthermore, the Model S was granted a record safety score of 5,4 out of 5. Lastly, electric engines are maintenance free. Note that the electric car still offers greater potential for technological progress than the more tried and tested combustion engine. The incumbent firms are wary of this potential shift to electric for the automotive industry, note the growing number of electric cars offered. However, extensively studied, the difference in investment dynamics with nimble start-ups impedes them to appropriately and successfully commit to the disruptive technology. The sunk cost and replacement effect are strong in this case. Therefore, it is Tesla that has a head start, with Daimler and Toyota asking the new kid on the block for help. The early-mover advantage of Tesla will sustain its competitive advantage threefold. First, we consider the economies of the learning curve. The first car manufacturer to fully grasp the paradigm shift Tesla benefits hereby manifold. The design-from-scratch approach is inevitable to exploit the electric car technology to the full. The Model S is a thus a step ahead of the build-on competitors, quickly adding to Tesla’s experience with every unit sold. Furthermore, the superior battery packs are en route to continue to offer greater range and faster charging at a lower unit cost. Note that Tesla supplies its electric powertrain to Toyota and Daimler, further adding to its cumulative experience. Moreover, the strong experience gained is further protected from imitation through multiple patents. The literature further arguments the reputation for quality to be an important source of early-mover advantage for experience goods. Thus, the brand image of an electric car brand may be considered important, notwithstanding the ubiquitous possibilities for test drives. Tesla has a rock solid reputation 13 for quality, though much like Apple it has irrational haters22. To illustrate, the Tesla recall threat due to 3 car fires was resolved by an overnight software update that would slightly raise the Model S when driving on the highway. The Tesla stock price had a field day23. Furthermore, the Model S production cannot keep up with sales. Herewith, Tesla doesn’t spend a dollar on marketing. Thirdly, Tesla benefits from network effects to sustain its competitive advantage. Tesla heavily invests in the supercharger network, that quickly expanding adds to the convenience of driving an electric car station by station. For competitors it is meanwhile.

Essay on Effectiveness of Authors Presentation Essay Example for Free

Essay on Effectiveness of Authors Presentation Essay A history teacher wants to teach history. How would he/she do this? There are many different ways to present history to a wide variety of audience members. People understand and interpret information all on a different level because of the way an author would present it, whether it be through an article or picture. There are many formats as to which there could be information presented articles, videos, poems, and artwork. Three things that are essential to answering the question above: the genre of the information, knowing the audience, and containing the subject knowledge. The presentation must contain the above components to affect ones understanding of history in the most effective way. Despite all this, one must remember that no one format shows history from every perspective. Therefore, each person will understand history in a different manner, according to the format of the presentation. First and foremost, the information, also known as the subject knowledge, itself is a key concept to an authors presentation, and therefore, ones understanding of history. Without the correct subject knowledge, the presentation would be of no use since it would not be targeting the goal of understanding history. The author should also make sure the information is relevant to the topic, which in this case is history, or else the audience will lose interest and get bored with the presentation. The information should also be expressed throughout the entire presentation to make the most meaningful impact on the audience. One of the Common Core standards for critical thinking is to provide the most appropriate and relevant information/data and that the subject knowledge be interpreted comprehensively. If it’s a school requirement, shouldn’t it be performed during presentations as well? The presentation should also appeal to the authors audience for maximum effect and approval. The audience can be a certain target (such as senior citizens) or a generalization for all age groups. The author would need to keep in mind what he/she is trying to achieve and how he/she could attract the target audience. It is extremely important in this case, to have information relevant to that age group. For example, would a teacher talk about genocide in Sudan to first graders? Information is available through different mediums and in this case, it would be genres. All information is given through literary text, non-fiction text, videos, and artwork. Literary text, usually a poem or short story, allows the author to pursue a more emotional relationship with the audience. It would therefore, be able to affect the more emotional aspect of any event in history. One such example is the poem, The Fall of Fort Sumter. It described the Confederate point of view and the feelings they harbored against the North. The fleet turned slowly southward; we saw the last ship go, We had saved old Carolina from the insults of the foe, is a part of the stanza in the poem and expressed Confederate feelings towards the Union. Through this medium, the audience would be able to connect on a deeper level to the context. Non-fiction texts allow for a quick, brief summary all the way to a deep, well thought-out analysis on a historical event. These texts are usually the most informative and straight-forward in a presentation. They also are able to provide a more realistic tone to the writing. An example is â€Å"The Battle of Fort Sumter†. It had an analysis on the entire battle from a neutral point of view. Sometimes, authors will take sides and state their opinion on a particular subject. Videos provide visual and auditory aids for the audience, it combines the elements of non-fiction text and artwork at the same time. Videos can enhance the learning experience of those who like combined formats. One such example is the â€Å"Fort Sumter Animated Map† from the Civil War Trust Fund website. It showed an animated battle simulation of Fort Sumter and the Union garrison stationed there. Artwork enables visual learners to use their eyes to communicate the feeling stored inside paintings and other works of art. Akin to literary text, it connects more emotionally and allows the audience to visualize and imagine the scene or place in history. An example is the Currier and Ives painting of Fort Sumter. It showed exploding mortars and Confederate batteries firing upon the glorious Fort Sumter in the middle of the Charleston Harbor. The criteria for a presentation should include the correct subject knowledge, appropriate target audience, and different genres of the event in history. Each medium if presentation present and offers insight on different perspectives. For example, take the issue of the American dream. Some say its only a legacy of the past from the Founding Fathers era while others say that it is stronger than ever. If one were only to read an informational text full of opinion that the American dream is gone, one could only see from one perspective or point of view. He/she would only understand one side of the issue. If however, he/she read another informational article supporting the American dream, then one could see both verdicts on an issue and understand them. To answer the essay question, everyone can have a different perspective on the same issue, depending on the genres in an authors presentation.

Graduate Employment Opportunities in China

Graduate Employment Opportunities in China The purpose of this paper is to the moving from education into the China employment market. The objectives to write this essay is desire know the graduate market in China accurately and try to understand the actual situation. In this paper, we shall first briefly introduction to the marketplace for graduate employment opportunities in China. What do employers look for is the essay going to describe secondly. Thirdly, a general comment on the intended career path and target position after graduation. In addition, the writer will through the conclusion to state briefly what skills are vital to cope with target position after graduation. (Done, J. Mulver, R, 2011) stated the term labour market is used to describe the interactions between employers who need workers and employers. labour market is both complex and dynamic, that there have two fundamental forces driving the labour market, which are demand and supply. So the relationship between supply and demand is critical. In the graduate labour market, the people who are seeking a job is the supply, and the employer offering the job is the demand. The supply have to make they known in the marketplace, and the demand have to let people know they have a job and they want to fill. This essay will focus in the manufacturing industry which is essential industry in China. The Marketplace For Graduate Employment Opportunities At Home Country Under the comprehensive influence of economy, politics and society, the employment of graduate is confronted with a fierce situation in China. In the meanwhile, it also presents both unprecedented opportunities and challenges for current graduate employment. In the past thirty years, Chinas economy has grown at an average of approximately 10% a year, and become the worlds second largest economy now. Chinas markets have opened to the whole world and the trade has increased remarkably. And China is the largest global producer of washing machines, cameras and computers (among hundreds of other products), its manufacturing capability is very eminence. In order to face foreign and domestic huge market, many companies are constantly expanding staff recruitment. Chinas human market network stated that the percentage of the bachelor of business administration employed in manufacturing sector was 58.8% in 2010. The business administration possess wide range of knowledge, including planning, organization, direction, control and organize the relevant business operations and behavioral decision. As a result, the ratio was higher than other major in manufacturing. In addition, (Done, J. and Mulvey, R. 2011) stated the graduates have more workforce and seem to be bring innovation and creativity to the company. This is the reason why many companies like to hire the student who just finished university. The marketplace for graduate employment opportunities in China is massive. Considering that is labor demand in Chinas manufacturing industry is large. The Ministry of Social Security and Human Resources described employment as stable and normal with a record about 6.94 million jobs created in the 2012 first half. On the other hand, The challenge for graduates is still exist. The speed of society development is slower than the speed of the increase of graduated students; as a result, some graduates cannot find positions in the job market . At the same time, expectations of college students in getting good jobs in big cities causes the drastic competition in the metropolis job markets. On the contrary, in the vast countryside and small or medium cities, there are still many vacant positions that students dont want to accept. Example like GuangZhou, it is a big city in Guangdong province in China. But the graduate employment opportunities is seldom in this city, because the manufacturin g industry is not important in GuangZhou and a large number of the graduate are looking for a job here, this is a competitive job market. But the cities beside the GuangZhou, like DongGuan, HuiZhou, three of them are Medium-sized city. There are so many employment opportunities over there. The first reason is the medium-sized city always pay attention to manufacturing industry, the secondly is most graduates dont want to accept work in the medium-sized or small city, there are still many vacant positions. A lot of the graduates tend to overestimate themselves and their expectations to the future jobs are too high. Almost all of them have a high requirement of their salaries and working conditions, they would rather stay in big cities waiting for job opportunities than go back to their hometowns and find other jobs. This is the important reason why marketplace for graduate employment opportunities in China is massive, but many of graduates cannot find suitable job in big city. In this section, combined with the date form government department, journal, and the industry news, the graduate student employment opportunity of manufacturing industry in China is very well in small or medium city. Small and medium city hope the graduates work there. There are many graduate jobs available in manufacturing industry and the labor demand in China is large. In the big city, the students can not be optimistic about employment prospects, the labour market competition is intense and almost full. Since everyones power is limited, we cannot change the social environment within a short period. However, we can adapt ourselves to this society. Above all, we should change our obsolete employment concepts and adjust the psychology in employment in order to set up a proper conception of job-selecting views. Try to adjust the employment exception according to own ability. Do not think too much expectation on the salary and working conditions when we seek for jobs we have never don e before. Hold a right attitude towards jobs and set job expectation at a suitable level is the key to the solution and remission of the difficulty in employment. Besides, the graduates should strengthen the sense of competition, never complain about the society. To sum up, we have to learn how to assuage and solve the employment problem by ourselves, what we should do is to take it rationally and combine our own situations with facts. What skills and competencies are graduate employers looking for? All graduates need good employability skill. When the graduate is taking job interview, the employers will pay much attention about the employability skills. So, which skill is most important in employability skills? Following that, the table shows the 24 skills which were most deemed important based on survey by employers. Where 1 is the least important and 5 is the most important. Table 1: Table showing importance (least important to most important) of graduate skills (J.M. Norusis,2004) Form this table, the most important seem to be teamwork, the following is motivation, learning attitude, independent work, communication skill, inter personal skill, flexibility etc. After that, the academic learning is the least important in 24 skills. In the labour market, a lot of competitors have the same degree as you or higher than your degree. Therefore, the graduates have good employability skill is a major key to get the job. As a student, In addition to get the graduate certificate, still have to import the employability skill. This will be measured and tested throughout the recruitment and selection process. What Do Employers Look For? In the manufacturing industry, the employers are looking for graduates who are enthusiasm, positive mental attitude, efficient, detail oriented, honesty, listening and Prioritize. Also, graduates who have good teamwork, motivation,learning attitude, independent work, communication skill, inter personal skill. The prioritize and skill of communication are most important in manufacturing industry, by reason of there are one important step in factory when it is manufacturing products. The step is assign work mission. Excellent assign work mission can help the factory improve work efficiency to make best profit. As the result, the prioritize main is good at assign work mission, and the communication skill can help others understand what you talking about and listening to your order. Nowadays, all the companies are using the computer to do the work, so, the internet technology is become more and more important. The graduates should have basic knowledge about the computer. Next, most employers also look for at least a 2:1 in a degree, international experience and foreign language skill. Chinas markets have opened to the whole world, employer intend to staff has international experience and one or two foreign language skill to help the company into foreign markets. Intended Career Path My intense interest now is international business management ,a subject that combines global issue, international trade, business management and social value. It provides me with a good opportunity to express my idea, display my management ability. And at the same time I obtain from it the pleasure of study and immense satisfaction. I hope I will become a prominent businessman in this field someday. My intended career path has three stages short, medium and long term. They are showing for less than 3 years, 4 to 7 years and over 8 years respectively. The following is my years of occupation planning: Short term, less than 3 years: A student do not has any experience about the job when the student just finished university. Therefore, the first year should be during the internship in manufacturing industry based on knowledge, learn to find and solve problems, to consolidate the management knowledge, improve the operation level. For the future work to lay a good foundation. To start the plan, I will looking for the small or medium company. The reason is first these companies scale are not big, every department is close the ranks. I can learn the knowledge and experience form different department. Secondly, I can easy to get the opportunity for advancement. In the big company, the competition is very intense, learning and advancement are difficulty. But, when I already have jobs, I have to understand salary expectations before graduation are generally lower than the real payment. I hope after two years, I can understand the manufacturing industry market, supply chain, and get much experience of management. This is the objective of short term plan. Medium term, 4 to 7 years: In the medium term plan, to find a suitable development of the company, set the mentality is my objective. In this 4 to 7 years, I have to hard work, strive for the leader s position. When you become a leader, you can use own opinion, ways to do something. And you have chance to show the brilliance. Last, you can promote your leadership, communication skill, problem solving, and teamwork. On the other hand, I have to establish a good communication with the guests for make a networking for future development. A strong networking is very helpful for my future life. The result from my Numerical Reasoning Skills Feedback Report, the score was at the 81st percentile. This means my scored better than 81 per cent of the comparison group. As the result, the report state I have high ability of basic arithmetic, quickly extracting valuable information from a lot of complicated information, and economic common sense. That is very useful to strive for the leaders position. Long term, over 8 years: Try to be the manger in big company. I am pursuing a management position with sales manager in Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited in HongKong . The requirements for my target position are a minimum of degree in Business Administration, Sales and management experience, good understanding of PRC property market, excellent leadership and presentation skills with result-oriented approach, good command of written and spoken English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Sales management is to realize all kinds of organizational objectives, create, establish and maintain the good between target market exchange and contact and design analysis, planning, implementation and control. Through the planning, implementation and control enterprise sales activities to achieve the enterprises sales target. This job is looking for who have sales experience, problem-solving, communication skills, leadership, presentation skills and knowledge of market management. The reason to select that job because the first I want to work in big city in Asia, HongKong is one of the fastest growing economy city in Asia. The second is my knowledge of business management is suitable for this job. The other reason is I was working in Kaisa Group ( See Appendix ) before, I learn the management, marketing, and people-oriented skill in my work experience. I believe these experience is suitable for sale management. In my long term plan, after 8 years, I believe I will have much experience of sales management and market management, many skills have improved and I have degree in business administration, also I can written and spoken English, the Cantonese and Mandarin are my mother language. So, I think I could be get this job. I determined to achieve my goal. The result of the Prospects Planner What job would suit me? shows the list of matched occupations: 1. Environmental consultant (89%) 2. Equality and diversity officer (88%) 3. Investment analyst (87%) 4. Charity fundraiser (87%) 5. Management consultant (87%). Five of these occupations are different types and following my skills, motivations, desires. From this result, I think the Environmental consultant, Equality and diversity officer, Investment analyst and Management consultant are right for me according my hobby or skills. First, the environmental consultant and investment analyst,can give me much personal autonomy and high profit, but it is not following my knowledge of my degree course. After that, the equality and diversity officer, management consultant are according my degree choice.The important condition of these two occupations is problem solving. I believe I am good at these occupations cause I was study in two different countries to learned many skills. One is Singapore and the other is China. In this two different countries, I had join many school group work, and I was working in a big company about three months in China. (see Appendix 18) I have a lot of opportunity to learn how to solving problem. Also my intense interest now is business management. The result form my Abstract Reasoning Skills Feedback Report, my score was at the 65th percentile. The report is testing the ability of the new idea and problem-solving. And my point is better than 65 per cent of the comparison group. The full mark is 100 per cent of the comparison group. From this result, that can be prove my ability of the new idea and problem-solving in medium level. I should be improve my skill in future, make it in the high level. Conclusion In conclusion, the employment opportunities sound positive in China. The labour market in big city intense and almost full, but the small and medium city still many vacant positions. The graduates have to change their employment concepts. They can not tend to overestimate themselves and their expectations to the future jobs are too high. Graduates should understand their salary is not high when they just finished university to start a job. But the first or second year in your job is a good opportunity to improve the skills and get experience. As we know, the Teamwork, motivation, and learning attitude were most deemed important based on survey by employers. The graduates have to remember improve their skills everyday. Good skills is a good key to get the job in a fiercely competitive occupation labour market. About the career path, the right career choice or not, is directly related to their career success or failure. To begin choice our career, at least should consider the following points: personality and career matching, interest in the match and vocational, career matching expertise, internal and external environment and adapt to occupational. Set career goals, is the core of career planning. The cause of the success or failure of a person, to a large extent depend on the availability of appropriate target correctly. No goal, as the boat into the sea, vast surrounding, there is no direction, I do not know their own going. Goal setting, following a career in the choice of route choice career after aim in life to make choices. Next step From the result, I understand I have to improve my teamwork skill now. Before that, I like to work alone, but I know the teamwork is more important than work alone now. From the table, we know the most important is teamwork. The employer always looking for who have good teamwork skill. If I do not improve this skill, I will be lost many opportunity. To improve my teamwork skill. I should join more group activity, communicate with others and try to give more opinions to the team. On the other hand, I will continue to find the internship in my summer holiday. I have send letter to Kaisa Group Real Large Estate Company, I hope I can work in this company in summer holiday again. Because the internship is looking for student to do a sales management, that is very precious experience for me, cause that my target position is sales management.In the future, I hope I will become a prominent businessman in this field someday.