Marketing Project Guideline free essay sample

It is essential that all members of the team co-operate and that no member is a ‘passenger’. During the final Tutorial, members of each team will be required to provide the lecturer with confidential ‘peer group evaluations’ on other members of the team. These will be taken into account in awarding the mark for the project to each team member. Students should maintain close communications with other project team members throughout the semester. It is imperative that students collect team member contact details in the first lecture, as the lecturer may not able to provide this information to students. A major problem can occur with project team dynamics if students choose to withdraw from the subject once teams are settled and tasks have been distributed. Students intending to withdraw from the subject must immediately inform their project team members and the tutor/lecturer. The written report must be equivalent in quality to a report a consultant would typically submit to a client. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Project Guideline or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The report must be perfect in terms of spelling, punctuation, grammar, page numbering, referencing, footnoting and appropriate use of appendices. Imperfections will count against marks awarded for the project. The body of the report should contain the groups major findings and conclusions from their research of the market, the competitors and the companys capabilities (Situation Analysis), followed by a detailed SWOT Analysis, Evaluation of Alternative Strategies and final recommended Marketing Strategy expressed in detail. It is recognised that research about the target market will largely consist of secondary data gathered from published sources. The mechanism to overcome any information difficulties is to make planning assumptions, and note in a Market Research brief the market research that will be required to provide the information. The detailed research material supporting the major findings in the Situation Analysis, and any Market Research briefs, should be included in an Appendix to the report. Reports will be assessed on the quality of the research and conclusions drawn, and the understanding of marketing strategy and planning demonstrated in the preparation of the plan. The Marketing Project is essentially the development of a marketing plan for a Chinese company. Project teams will be expected to find and work with a Chinese company to develop this plan. Generally high quality interaction and co-operation between the company and the project team should lead to a higher quality final report. However, students should be aware that many of the contacts in their chosen companies will have very limited time. This means that the project team must demonstrate that their project will add value to the company and that the contacts expenditure of time with the team will be worthwhile. Interviews with contacts in companies may have to be supplemented with clearly written faxes, letters or e-mails to request further information and clarification. 4. PROJECT DEADLINES This section outlines the key project deadlines and deliverables. The overall Marketing Plan Format is outlined in Section 6. Elements of the Marketing Plan to be completed for the Progress Report are described in more detail in Section 5. The Final Report details are covered in Section 7. Key deadlines for the project are: i) One page Project Proposal to be submitted in class in 2th week for approval by the tutor (ii) Progress Report to be submitted in class in 5th week. (iii) Final Project Report to be submitted in class in 8th week. (i) Project Proposal The Proposal must contain the following: †¢ Company name †¢ Product or Service description †¢ Target market to which product or service will be marketed, and the opportunity for the company as you see it at this early stage †¢ Comp any contacts †¢ Team members, with co-ordinator nominated. Teams should only go ahead with the project after approval. They should immediately notify their tutor if there are any alterations to their proposal once the project is underway. Should there be a change in the company involved, a new Project Proposal must be submitted to the tutor. Undertaking an assignment where the project is not approved will result in failure of this component of the subject. (ii) Progress Report Undertaking a complete Progress Report is a critical factor in producing a successful Final Report. The Progress Report should be of a high standard and must include the following: †¢ Copy of Project Proposal Situation Analysis †¢ SWOT Analysis †¢ Evaluation of Alternative Marketing Strategies †¢ Summary of preferred strategy and preliminary financial outcome †¢ Progress record of contacts and activities †¢ A project planning chart with timeline forecasts for activities to be completed as part of the project. NOTE: The Situation Analysis, SWOT Analysis and Evaluation of Alternative Marketing Strate gies sections of the Progress Report will be included in the Final Report after review and revisions. (iii) Final Report (dueTutorial 8) The Final Report must be of ‘consultant’ quality, at the highest standard in terms of spellchecking, grammar, paging and referencing. As a guide the report should around 25 pages (exclusive of appendices), and should follow the format shown in Section 5. For assessment, students must submit one written copy of the Final Report in class in week 8. Reports must also be submitted electronically, and students should note that these may be subjected to a plagiarism check using plagiarism-detecting software (see Section 6 of the Subject Outline: Statement On Plagiarism for an explanation of plagiarism). Situation Analysis i. Business Environment This section is concerned with external environment factors that are likely to impact on your company and its marketing strategy for the product or service selected. You will need to identify and discuss the changes, trends, developments and key uncertainties in the business environment that are likely to affect the company. Factors th at you should examine in this section include: economic conditions in the target market selected, and likely future trends †¢ social and cultural factors and any changes or trends emerging that could affect your product or service †¢ technological factors and likely innovations that could affect your product or service †¢ political or legal factors affecting, or likely to affect, the company, the industry/product/service, marketing activities or customers †¢ infrastructure eg ports, rail and road network, telecommunications, media and information technology environment etc †¢ demographic trends The above list is not exhaustive. The textbook should be consulted for other areas you should consider. Most of the information required should be able to be obtained by desk research (using secondary data sources). It is recognised that in some instances you will be unable to obtain the necessary information (but you should identify where further market research is required). Tables or graphs should be used eg to show key economic indicators, demographic statistics etc. All information sources must be disclosed and referenced in this section. See Section 11 of the Subject Outline for an explanation of plagiarism). This section should NOT be a compilation of every fact that you can find out about the business environment in the market. The objective is identify the key forces and trends likely to impact on your company and the marketing opportunity you have identified. Conclusions must be drawn to show the relevance of the information to the marketing plan. It is from this analysis o f the external business environment that the Opportunities and Threats should emerge when subsequently carrying out the SWOT Analysis. ii. Market Analysis In this section you need to demonstrate an understanding of the target country market, and consumer and customer needs in that market. As a guide, you should at least discuss: †¢ †¢ Definition of the market in which you will be competing †¢ †¢ Market size and outlook for the product/service in the target market (ie current size of market [units and values] and likely future trends) †¢ †¢ Market characteristics, including: distribution channels for the product or service category prices and pricing practices affecting the category †¢ †¢ Target market behaviour, including: market segmentation (ie how the market is typically segmented) potential target market segment(s) for the product/service consumer/customer characteristics (eg demographics, geographic, preferences) consumer/customer purchasing behaviour. Generally the best final reports will have detailed market analyses and forecasts (either through research or through es timation) and comprehensive sections on market characteristics, trends and target market behaviour. Some market research (especially of customers and distributors) required to complete this section may be difficult to obtain. If this information is not readily available then your team may note that further research may be required, and attach a Market Research brief as an Appendix. iii. Competitor Analysis †¢ The purpose of this section is to develop an understanding of the competitive environment in which the organisation will operate in the foreign market.. †¢ The ideal competitor analysis section should take the accurate market size (in terms of units and values) and further break it down by competitor market shares, with a commentary on each of the key existing and potential competitors. You should attempt to make a profile of each of the major competitors, so as to assess their products, market share and coverage, as well as their strategy. In looking at competitors you should be trying to identify whether their current skills and assets provide them with some sustainable competitive advantage that you will need to try to neutralise, or opportunities on which you may be able to capitalise, in developing your marketing strategy. The competitor analysis should provide a major input to the Strengths and Weaknesses component of the SWOT Analysis (which assesses your companys assets and skills relative to your competitors). iv. Organisation Assets and Skills Analysis of the companys skills and assets are vital to the SWOT analysis, marketing plan and development of a SCA (sustainable competitive advantage). You should critically look at the companys skills and assets and consider how appropriate they are for the target market you plan to enter. The analysis should consider and discuss the following, where relevant: †¢ †¢ technical/production capabilities, production capacity and resources (including research and development capabilities and facilities, especially where continuing technology development is critical to maintain SCA), †¢ †¢ relationships with distributors (including channels typically used and margins) †¢ †¢ existing supplier or key customer relationships †¢ †¢ market shares, profit margins, cost structures for domestic and other existing export country markets †¢ †¢ company profile and financial capability †¢ company business philosophy and culture. The objective is to understand what the firm is good at, and what shortcomings or limitations might require skills or capabilities to be developed in order to enter the target market chosen. This section must include an Organisation Chart. 5. 2 SWOT Analysis You will need to undertake a Strengths and Weaknesse s analysis of the company (in comparison to competitors or its ability to compete), and a separate analysis of Opportunities and Threats in the marketplace. This analysis should be a culmination of the analysis you have undertaken in the Situation, Market, Competitor and Organisation Assets and Skills Sections, and should be drawn from these sections. You should not introduce significant new information or facts in a SWOT analysis that has not been evaluated earlier in the report. New information introduced into the SWOT without explanation will be contradictory or confusing when viewed against your earlier analysis. After you have completed the SWOT analysis, there is a need to come to conclusions about where the firms situation lies in the spectrum of . These conclusions must be written up in an ‘Implications of SWOT Analysis’ summary at the end of the SWOT, and should focus on the positive aspects ie the opportunity for the company, or remedial action required to create the opportunity, that arises out of the analysis. 5. 3 Evaluation of Alternative Marketing Strategies This is the section in the Progress Report and Final Report that will clearly demonstrate your teams knowledge of marketing concepts and ability to apply them in a marketing context. You must complete a brief but effective evaluation of alternative marketing strategies open to the company in the following areas: †¢ †¢ Target market selection, positioning and marketing mix options The Marketing textbook provides a useful guide to this evaluation process. i. Alternative Target Market, Positioning and Marketing Mix Strategies it is necessary to identify several potential market segments (target markets) in the market and consider how they might be serviced with appropriate marketing mix strategies. This does not require a lot of detail, but you must show your teams understanding of the concepts involved and your ability to think through and express marketing strategy options. You should reduce the options down to a number that would be realistically implementable by your firm. As a guide you should consider at least or two or three alternative target markets (including your preferred option). In examining these alternative strategies, you must: 1. Identify potential target market segments in the market. 2. Outline possible positioning strategies for each of these target markets, and link them to brief alternative marketing mix strategies, covering product, price, distribution and promotion 3. Indicate your preferred strategy, and why. This section should NOT be merely a write-up of the companys preferred marketing strategy without reference to alternative marketing strategies. ii. Preferred Strategy In about one half to one page (maximum) you should now pull together and write up a summary of your recommended marketing strategy (ie target market, positioning and marketing mix) for the market.. A preliminary financial outcome for the preferred strategy MUST also be included here, showing sales, profit margin and market share that you believe might be achievable in the launch year of your strategy, subject to a much more rigorous and detailed analysis that you will provide later in the Final Report under Section 8, Economic Evaluation. This summary will be the springboard for writing the detailed Strategy section of your Final Report.

Participles Fused and Otherwise

Participles Fused and Otherwise Participles Fused and Otherwise Participles Fused and Otherwise By Maeve Maddox If you dont know what a fused participle is, read on. The present participle is the form of the English verb that ends in ing: walk walked walking To function as a verb, the present participle must be used with an auxiliary verb: Jack is repairing the roof. Used without an auxiliary verb, the participle retains some shadow of its verbal origin, but functions as other parts of speech. participle functioning as adjective: Mr. Jones is a loving husband. participle introducing participial phrase: Sitting by the window, I watched the parade. (The phrase is adjectival, describing I) participle functioning as a noun: The ing participle form can also be used as a noun. In that case it gets a new name and is called a gerund. Gerunds Gardening is my favorite hobby. (noun, subject of is) He likes shooting skeet. (noun, object of likes) He loves to talk about hunting. (noun, object of the preposition about) Do you mind my asking a question? (noun, object of mind) NOTE on Example 4: If I had written Do you mind me asking a question, many of my readers would be quick to scold me for having written a sentence containing a fused participle. Fused participles The term fused participle is credited to H.W. Fowler, who hated them. Heres the definition from the OED: fused participle a participle regarded as being joined grammatically with a preceding noun or pronoun, rather than as a gerund that requires the possessive, or as an ordinary participle qualifying the noun. The fused participle resides in the same category as the split infinitive: some writers abhor it and will avoid it any cost, while others recognize that, sometimes, defusing a fused participle is worse than leaving it alone. My practice is to use a possessive noun or pronoun before a gerund in a sentence like the one above. If the result is ugly or nonsensical, I figure out how to rewrite the sentence without using the -ing word. Speaking is another matter. In conversation I probably fuse participles all over the place. Some views regarding the fused participle: H. W. Fowler David Rusinoff (click on fused participle in the frame) American Heritage Book of English Usage Columbia Guide to Standard American English William Safire Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs PastCapitalization Rules for Names of Historical Periods and MovementsLetter Writing 101

Trade at global level Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Trade at global level - Dissertation Example Methodology is considered as the systematic use of the statistical methods to explore different research questions. A consistent and effective use of statistical methods therefore also offers researchers an insight into what is achievable and what is not. Considering the overall nature of this research study, researcher is anticipating conducting a qualitative research study. Qualitative research methods such as interviews and review of the existing literature will be performed in order to gather the data. Based on the overall nature of the study, researcher aims to take out 3 to 5 international firms in UK which are engaged into the global trade business. A questionnaire will be developed to ask semi-structured questions from the managers of these firms to understand and explore as to what methods they adapt in order to successfully trade at the global level and how these decisions are made.Principal IssueThe overall principal issue is to explore and understand through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research as to what are some of the ways which international firms adapt in order to engage into the global trade. Besides, this research study will also explore as to how these decisions are made i.e. what factors are taken into consideration in order to make the decision on entry mode for doing business at international level.At this stage, researcher is not anticipating to use any external resources however internal resources such as use of online databases as well as university library.... The aim of the Research Since global trade has became so large that its impact can be easily felt on the economy and society of any given country. Considering such an overall importance of the global trade, this research study will therefore aim to explore and understand the different dynamics of working in a global market. The focus will therefore be on understand both the macro level as well as micro level factors which are taken into consideration before firms actually make decisions to engage into global trade. The overall aim of the research is to explore and understand as to how the international firms operate into global market and some of the ways as to how global trade takes place. This research study will therefore aim to explore as to what different strategic options are exercised by UK firms to enter into global trade and how such options are exercised. Research Questions This research study aim to explore following research questions 1. What methods UK firms adapt to con duct trade at global level? This research question will focus on exploring as to what are some of the common and preferred modes of entry by the UK firms. 2. How such decisions are made? What are some of the criteria firms use in order to decide as to which mode of entry would be effective? This research question will focus on exploring as to which factors are considered as most important while making decisions to engage into the trade at the international level. Method and Sampling Methodology is considered as the systematic use of the statistical methods to explore different research questions. A consistent and effective use of statistical methods therefore also offers researchers an insight into what is achievable and what is not. Considering

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Marketing - Essay Example Now the organization chosen to accomplish the study is McDonalds. In the external analysis the report will also shed light on the factors such as demographics, customers and also the cultural aspect. In the internal analysis section the study will emphasize on the missions and goals of McDonalds, its past marketing activities, human resources and research and development among the others. Furthermore the report will mainly try to uncover the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats of the company. This will be accomplished with the help of a SWOT analysis. McDonalds Australia: A Brief Overview In the Australian context, the first outlet of the company was opened in the suburbs of Sydney which was known as Yagoona. With the course of time the company has been able to establish 780 stores and employs around 85,000 people across Australia. McDonalds Australia is not a listed company and is privately limited. It is basically a franchisee based venture where the restaurants are mo stly owned and opera rated by individual businessman (McDonalds, n.d.). Industry Analysis McDonalds is a retail food chain restaurant and it belongs to the fast food industry. Hence in order to analyze the industry Porter’s 5 forces model has been used. The analysis is presented below:- Porter’s 5 forces 1. Threat of new Entrants New entrants are described as the companies that are presently not competing within the given industry but has the potential to compete in the industry if chooses to do so. The start up of cost for such kind of business is low and there is easy access to the markets. Furthermore owing to the fact that Australia is politically stable and offers much favourable condition, the threat of a new entrant in this industry is high. 2. Threat of substitutes products Substitute products are characterized by the availability of same category products, which performs the same function as the existing product (DePamphilis, 2011, p.143). McDonalds is special ized in serving various types of Burgers to the customers. Nevertheless in this aspect there are many substitute products such as Pizzas, Sandwiches and other fast foods. Hence the threat of substitutes is also high. 3. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of the buyer refers to the capability of consumers to bargain and lessen the price of the commodity or to increase the cost of the company by demanding more quality products and services (Hill and Jones, 2012, p.58). Bargaining power depends on how quickly the buyer identifies other sources. In this context there are not many established players like McDonalds, KFC and Subway among others. Hence the bargaining power of buyers is low. 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers are also other organizations which provide raw materials, service to the host organization. The bargaining power refers to the capability of the suppliers to increase the price of the raw materials or to decrease the quality of goods and service wi th the supply of substandard quality materials for low price. There are large numbers of suppliers of raw items for fast food industr

Aspects Of British Colonialism In Uganda And Kenya History Essay

Aspects Of British Colonialism In Uganda And Kenya History Essay Uganda and Kenya as British protectorates were founded in 1894. Colonization of Africa employed a number of methods. The main ones were the use of the gun the Bible or religion. Buganda was colonized by the gun, Bible and koran. The Bible and koran teachings became effective ways of establishing a fanatical following which eventually played a crucial role in the political landscape of buganda. By 1867 islam was established in buganda and Mutesa I was already observing the ramadhan and learning to read the koran. Mutesa I pages at his courts fully converted though Mutesa I never converted fully to islam. The Christian Missionary Society (CMS) arrived in buganda in June 1877. After two years the roman catholic white fathers arrived in buganda. The arrival of these two groups not only ignited a rivalry between them but confused the buganda (EnterUganda). Just as Uganda, Kenya had its share of missionary activity which sprang up from the coastal part of the region. Missionaries first landed at the coastal town which had been previously explored and dominated by the arab traders who came in with the koran. However the factional fights that were characteristic of the buganda were not with Kenya mainly because of the ethnic set up diversity that existed in Kenya. Later on the establishment of colonial boundaries would greatly affect these more than 40 different communities who were now brought together into one territory. In the case of the buganda and on a broader scale there was rivalry between the French who were catholic inclined and the English who were protestant inclined. In this rivalry was also a scramble for products and cheap raw materials source. On the other hand the earliest foreign expeditions in Kenya were mainly missionary expeditions and were mainly to open up the inland for the sake of the gospel. The scramble for raw materials would however come later as a secondary factor. The coming of the missionaries caused religion to spread rapidly throughout the entire east African region. For Kenya the spread advanced from the coastal region into the interior, whereas for Uganda the kabaka hosted the missionaries whose activities fanned out from the palace into the entire region. The Imperial British East Africa chose to move in and establish British sphere influence. Sending FJ Jackson who spearheaded this mission. Jackson sought to sign a treaty with Mwanga who was enjoying catholic backing after Karl Peters a German favoured by the catholics arrived in buganda. The Germany influence and interest over buganda was curtailed by the signing of the Heligoland treaty of July 1890. In this treaty buganda was officially recognized as a British sphere of influence in return for Heligoland island in the north sea to the Germans (EnterUganda) In Kenya it all began at the 1884 to 1885 Berlin Conference which was the basis on which was set the rules of colonial occupation. Combining with the 1886 Anglo-German Agreement and other inter- European territorial arrangements, the Berlin conference was instrumental in not only erecting artificial boundaries around Kenya but also in removing diplomatic initiative from Kenyan people. This was just a precursor of the demarcation of the Kenyan territory that would follow in the year 1894. Imperial British East Africa now had a firm grip on the two east African states Kenya and Uganda. However in order to further protect their interests in Uganda the Imperial British East Africa later send Captain Fredrick Lugard to counter the threat posed by Emin Kasha in Sudan who was planning to annex buganda and bunyoro to Turkey. Charles Stoke a missionary turned arms dealer who was also plotting to arm Kabalega needed to be dealt with because kabalega being unfriendly to the British would be a r isk if he was armed.. Captain Lugard successfully forestalled their plans. However the coming of Captain Lugard was viewed by Mwanga and the catholic backed regime as a triumph for the protestant. Lugard signed a treaty with Mwanga and fought alongside him to defeat the muslim invasion. Captain Lugard also entered an agreement with Ntare V to stop arms from reaching Kabalega. Inter religious hostilities flared once again and this time Captain Lugard armed the protestant faction. Mwanga fled to Budda but a kingdom without a kabaka was weakened so Lugard reinstated Mwanga in 1892 after signing a treaty. Buganda land according to the agreement was divided among the religious factions with a total of 20 in number, 12 for the protestant, 8 for the catholic and 2 for the muslim. The catholic were less privileged politically. Mwanga again attempted an escape and a revolt. He chose to unite with the ankole, busoga and lango and kabalega but their resistance was subdued by the British. Both men were captured and exiled to the Seychelles (EnterUganda). This paved way for the 1900 buganda agreement signed by the missionaries on behalf of Mwangas infant son. This agreement covered administrative structure, finance and recognition of the kabaka and his government on condition that their loyalty was to the British governor. The native courts were brought under the protectorate courts and kabaka was forbidden from maintaining an army. Buganda therefore lost her independence through this treaty. Kenyas boundaries were demarcated without the consultation of Kenyas people. It can be conceded that the colonial boundaries led to the establishment of a large territorial entity (Waweru) The fact that the administrative and ethnic boundaries were coterminous nurtured negative ethnicity as different communities competed for colonial resources. Inter-ethnic competition would characterize the post-1945 nationalist struggles and post-colonial politics. British colonial economic policy in Kenya included the following the isolation of land for European settlers ,African taxation African migrant/forced labour and the development of a settler dominated and peasant agricultural commodity production, export production, rail and road transport, education and health (Waweru) Similarly Sir Harry Johnston was sent by Britain to Uganda to implement a plan for the new colony that included an overhaul of the monetary system and land tenure. The introduction of hut tax caused the kingdom to forfeit all traditional forms of exchange and work on the land, produce crop and share in taxes with the government. The new monetary system in place ensured that Ugandans would be able to use cash to buy imported goods. Control was always established through signing of agreements that subordinated the kingdom areas of the buganda kingdom to British imperialism (EnterUganda). For Kenya the fact that the ethnic and administrative boundaries were coterminous gave rise to negative ethnicity because the different communities began to compete for colonial resources. This inter-ethnic competition would eventually lead to the post-1945 nationalist struggles and post-colonial politics. Some of the examples of these struggles included attempts by so-called minority Luyia, Kalenjin and coastal communities to establish quasi-federalism as a counterpoise to Kikuyu-Luo domination in independent Kenya. In Kenya British indirect rule often led to recruitment of British collaborative agents and porters into leadership positions. Chiefs councils, native tribunals and local native councils were often used but were actually a mockery of democracy. These councils were often chaired by colonial district officers and acted as legal and administrative avenues that were to keep Africans in their subordinate positions. The Europeans dominated these executive and legislative councils and unilaterally formulated policies and made budgets in Nairobi the Kenyan capital city with the approval of London. Africans were mostly excluded from these councils, which were chaired by the Governor until and after the Second World War. In Kenya and Uganda the earliest schools were built by missionaries. Both colonial and post colonial education was not geared to impart productive skills and this affected the middle class. Whereas formal education was not in place until 1925 in Uganda prior to which schools were conspicuously factional with catholics and Protestants having their own schools Kenya was altogether different, settler schools were established and schooling was based on race with the best schools absorbing the European and the average ones for the African. In Uganda muslims had lost out in terms of sponsorship on schooling because of Turkeys defeat in the world war and so they ended up taking less formal jobs compared to their counterparts in the protestant and catholic caliber. In Kenya colonial education fostered the emergence of semi skilled elites. They served the colonial state and economy.Some of them like Johana Owalo, Harry Thuku, Jomo Kenyatta, Dedan Kimathi, Oginga Odinga and Tom Mboya made atte mpts at establishing organized nationalism. This nationalism was based on primordial ethnicity and colonial administration. It was only after the establishment of the Kenya African Union that the nationalists attempted territory-wide mobilization of Kenyans. The colonial state carefully chose the leaders of the independent regime as it laid the grounds for neo-colonialism. In Uganda political parties were born which were based on this factional approach with ideologies based on religious differences. Uganda and Kenya had similarities in the local government system which was based on tribal entities each being treated independently but under a common British governor. The separation of these districts here was meant to hinder national consciousness and the emergence of national political parties. Colonial resistance took many forms in both Kenya and Uganda. In Uganda the nyangive- abaganda rebellion was one of the earliest of these by the bunyoro and ankole directed against the baganda chiefs who the colonialists deployed after the fall of kabalega. Later other resistance movements like the nyabingi cult which was trying to overturn the colonial administrative legacy was also started. Other resistance movements such as native civil servants association and the bataka movement were formed agitating for better conditions of service and regaining of land control respectively. It was mostly the semi educated elites who came up with organizations to fight suppression, exploitation and discrimination by the colonialist. Other organizations agitated for markets for their food products whereas some agitated against Indian domination in the trade sector. For Kenya agitation of the 1950s was based on the land tenure, the mau mau uprising became the most formidable resistance against the british mounted by the Agikuyu community. Colonial military expeditions led to genocide and forced migrations of people among the Agikuyu, Abagusii, the Nandi, Ababukusu, Giriama and all the others who met colonial force with force.

A Comprehensive Study on Banks Essay

Every business needs funds for two purposes for its establishment and to carry out its day-to-day operations. Long terms funds are required to create production facilities through purchase of fixed assets such as plant and machinery, land, building, etc. Investments in these assets represent that part of firm’s capital which is blocked on permanent or fixed basis and is called fixed capital. Funds are also needed for short-term purpose for the purchase of raw material, payment of wages and other day-to-day expenses etc. These funds are known as working capital. In simple terms, working capital refers to that part of the firm’s capital which is required for financing short-term of current assets such as cash, marketable securities, debtors & inventories. Funds, thus, invested in current assets keep revolving fast and are being constantly converted into cash and this cash flow out again in exchange for other current assets. Hence, it is also known as revolving or circulat ing capital or short term capital. 1) Jeng-Ren, C. & Cheng, L. (2006) in their article, â€Å"Determinants of working capital† investigate the determinants of working capital management. This study investigates the relation of business indicator and management of short-term capital from the perspective of a firm’s working capital management, which traditionally is rated by current ratio, quick ratio, and net working capital.The authors have used net liquid balance and working capital requirements as measures of a company’s working capital management. Results indicate that the debt ratio and operating cash flow affect the company’s working capital management, and how it influences the business cycle, industry effect, growth of the company, performance of the company and firm size. From the data it can be seen that companies could maintain relatively loose capital management during the prosperous period (1999-2000), when capital was readily available in the market. When the economy slumped dramatically at the end of 2000, financial institutions began to tighten their capital policies, forcing companies to gradually operate a looser policy in workin g capital management. The regression results show the company has to operate a looser working capital management policy in times of recession, as it is not easy to raise capital from outside the firm, so more liquid assets are kept to maintain a relatively higher NLB. The authors conclude that debt ratio and operating cash flow evaluated by both WCR and NLB exert influence on working capital management. 2) Harris, A. (2005) conducted a study â€Å"Working capital management: difficult, but rewarding†. It focuses on the different requirements and the important role that human beings play in the working capital management process. There are various important steps that need to be met in order for them to manage their short term needs primiarily. The author compares Working Capital Management in theory and practice. Internal considerations – such as organizational structure, shared systems, autonomous business units, multinational operations and even information technology can impact working ca pital. The author also stresses on the importance of proper forecasting for efficient Working Capital Management. 3) Filbeck, G. & Krueger, T. (2005) in their article, â€Å"An Analysis of Working Capital Management Results Across Industries,† find that all industries use different modes of working capital managament techniques for their functioning. Even their techniques change over time. Industry factors may impact firm credit policy, inventory management, and bill-paying activities. Some firms may be better suited to minimize receivables and inventory, while others maximize payables. Given everything the importance of working capital cannot be ignored and its reticfication to cope with the changing environment should be the main focus of the company. 4) Pimplapure, V. & Kulkarni, P. (2011) conducted a study, â€Å"Working Capital Management: Impact of Profitability†. A firm can be very profitable, but if this is not rendered into cash from operations within the same operating cycle, the firm would need to borrow to support its continued working capital needs. For this study various statistical tools such as correlation and multiple regressions can be used. These tools are used to understand the direct impact of working capital on the profitablity of the firm. 5) Erasmus, P. (2010) in his article, â€Å"Working capital management and profitability: The relationship between the net trade cycle and return on assets,† states that, efficient working capital management should contribute to the creation of shareholder value. This study investigates the relationship between working capital management and firm profitability. Based on the results of the study done in this article, it would appear that management could attempt to improve firm profitability by decreasing the overall investment in net working capital. There is an indirect relationship between the two this is also proved in the article, â€Å"Working Capital Management: Impact of Profitability.† Regarding the normal operations of a firm, working capital management attracts less attention than capital budget and capital structure in financial management. Working capital management relates to the source and application of short-term capital. When working capital is managed improperly, allocating more than enough of it will render management non-efficient and reduce the benefits of short-term investment. On the other hand, if working capital is too low, the company may miss profitable investment opportunities or suffer short-term liquidity crises, leading to degradation of company credit, as it cannot respond effectively to temporary capital requirements. We cannot dimiss the importance of the working capital management in the working of a successful enterprise. 6) Singh, P. (2008) conducted a study titled, â€Å"Inventory and Working Capital Management: An Empirical Analysis†. The importance of working capital management is due to two reasons: (i) a substantial portion of the investment is invested in current assets, and (ii) level of current assets will change quickly, with the variation in sales. Hence, in this study, an attempt has been made to analyze the size and composition of working capital and whether such an investment has increased or declined over a period. We need to first determine the requirement of current assets, one of the important tasks of the financial manager is to select a group of appropriate sources of finance for the current assets. Normally, the excess of current assets over current liabilities should be financed by the long-term sources. It is not possible to find out precisely which long-term sources has been used to finance current assets, but it can be examined as to what proportion of current assets has been financed by long-term funds. Therefore, this article tries to carry out a study in this regard. Inventory is one of the major components of current assets, which requires huge investments. The main purpose of carrying inventory is to uncouple the operation, to make each function of the firm independent of the other functions, so that delay in one area does not affect the production and sales activities. As the shutting down of the production results in increased costs and delay in the delivery can result in loosing the customers, inventory management assumes significance in any firm and it is of great concern to any financial manager. Any firm would like to hold higher inventory. This will enable the firm to be more flexible in supply and find ease in its production schedule. Most of the customers may require immediate help in meeting their demands. However, there is always a cost involved in the inventories. This cost includes the capital cost of the stock and the cost of storing and carrying. Inventories are the assets of the firm and as such, they represent an investment. As such investments require a commitment of funds, managers must ensure that the firm maintains inventories at the correct level. If they become too large, the firm loses the opportunities to employ those funds more effectively. Similarly, if they are too small, the firm may lose sales. Therefore, it is better to maintain an optimum level of inventories that is needed in an organization. While analyzing working capital, it is important to analyze the various components of working capital especially inventory, because inventory is one of the major components and is nearly 50% of the current assets. Hence, it is necessary to analyze the size of inventory and the impact on working capital management. 7) Lifland, S. (2010) in his article, â€Å"The Corporate Soap-Opera, As the Cash Turns: Management of Working Capital and Potential External Financing Needs† finds that firms that efficiently manage their working capital are characterized as having increasing asset turnover ratios and decreasing days of receivables and inventories over the years, are ‘freeing up’ capital. Corporations use these ‘found’ funds to improve their supply chains, corporate logistics, and payment systems. The Days of the Working Capital Cycle represents the average number of days that cash must be committed to the management of a company’s working capital needs. A decline in the ratio translates into the firm’s ability to improve its inflows and management of cash. The existence and maintenance of working capital is the lifeblood of a corporation. It is the cash flow that revitalizes operations or slows it down to inoperable levels. Regardless of the size of th e company, the management of working capital accounts should influence its financial health. Kargar and Blumenthal (1994) found that small businesses were significantly impacted by management’s ability to successfully plan the cash requirements of the firm. Managers need to monitor the ratio of total working capital to total company assets, as a relatively high figure can signal future strains on the operational financial health of the firm. 8) Kelleher, J. & MacCormack, J. (2005) consider the complexity of considering the internal rate of return (IRR) on capital projects. A survey was conducted by the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. This study asked 30 executives about the risks of this practice, They were surprised to find that only six were aware of IRR’s deficiencies. The article defines the risks IRR poses to capital budget management, considers the use of modified internal rate of return. IRR is a true indication of a project’s annual return on investment only when the project generates no interim cash flows — or when those interim cash flows really can be invested at the actual IRR. 9) Etiennot, H. & Preve, L. (2012) in their study, â€Å"Working Capital Management: An Exploratory Study.† found that Working capital management is an issue in which finance research is scarce. One possible reason behind this fact might relate to the relative ease with which efficient financial markets correct deviations from optimal working capital policies. However, in less efficient financial markets, pervasive among emerging economies, working capital management is critical for both firms ‘ performance and survival. The difference in the market’s ability for providing immediate assistance to firms might explain the differential consequences on firms’ profitability and financial distress. This article explains the fundamentals of working capital management, the importance of its interaction with financial markets, and how this interaction might explain working capital patterns around the world and in the various successful organizations that use it. 10) Singh, J. & Pandey, S. (2008) conducted a study, â€Å"Impact of Working Capital Management in the Profitability of Hindalco Industries Limited.† For any successful working of any business organization, fixed and current assets play a vital role. Management of working capital is essential as it has a direct impact on profitability and liquidity. This is a study of the working capital components and the impact of working capital management on profitability of Hindalco Industries Limited. The study is based on secondary data collected from annual reports of Hindalco for the study period 1990 to 2007. The ratio analysis, percentage method and coefficient of correlation have been used to analyze the data. The current assets of Hindalco witnessed a steady growth over the past years which were 40 times more in 2007 in comparison to that of 1990. Inventory and loans and advances mainly supported this increase. The study also shows that the contribution of long term source in working capital is below 30% in all the study period. This study effectively showed that working capital has a big impact on the profitability of the firm.

Why Roman Architectures Are Considered One of the Best

Why Roman Architectures are Considered One of the Best in the World? The Romans are considered one of the greatest architects of ancient times. Roman architecture was very complex and mainly influenced by the geographical, political, economical and cultural factors. It had strong, large, and had some of the most beautiful buildings in the world. There are churches, houses, and even large structures like the Coliseum. To accomplish this, the Romans had to borrow many of the ideas that were already in use from previous eras before them.For instance, the style and instruction progress of Roman architectures was different from the designs and structure of the buildings of the Greek and Etruscan sources. Even though the origin of their ideas came from the Greek architecture, but the Romans were the first to apply the math concept seriously into their work (Dickson, 1996). Talking about architectures, it will always leads to the Seven Wonders of the World. In my opinion, Roman road deserve d to be in that list compare to The Great Wall of China or the Stonehenge (Carination, 2006).During the 500 BC, it was amazing that he Romans were able to built road system that is usable till today. There is only a word to describe the Roman road that is indestructible. This is because; the road is extremely well built. High quality Roman road were composed of five layers. The bottom layer was consisting of a big layer of stones. Next, broken stones, pebble, cement and sand were packed down to make a firm base. Then, the army builders added another layer of cement mixed with broken tiles. On top of that, they then put paving stones to make the surface of the road.These stones were cut so that they fitted together tightly. Lastly, Kerr stones were put at the sides of the road to hold in the paving stones and to make a channel for the water to run away (Mark, 2011). To conclude, this road is unsinkable till today's date. Besides roman road, the city of Rome had the largest concentrat ion of aqueducts, with water being supplied by eleven aqueducts constructed over a period of about 500 years (Hodge, 2001). I think this is amazing because Roman architects design these aqueducts to supply water with the law of gravity.Besides that, great skill and training is needed by architects to ensure the water would flow smoothly from its resource without damaging the walls of the channel and flooding the cities. I totally agreed with this phase once said by Dionysus of Hallucinations: â€Å"The extraordinary greatness of the Roman Empire manifests itself above all in three things: the aqueducts, the paved roads, and the construction of the drains† (Olsson, 2008) because I believe that we should thank the Romans for what we achieved today originated from what we learnt from them.The most amazing part is some of the Roman days' aqueducts are still in use today. One of the most famous places in Rome is the Coliseum. The Coliseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Fluvial A mphitheater, is an elliptical amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire (Hopkins, 2005). I believe it is amazing because with such a large place, even till the very top of the Coliseum, each and every audience could still listen to each and everything being said or held bellow.In my opinion, each and every sound could be heard till the very top row of seats because the Coliseum is built in a curve way that will reflects sound waves which modern days will need the use a microphone to achieve hat. The Coliseum are actually the ancestors of modern stadium or stages. If the roman architect did not come out with this building structure, we will not have mass entertainment. So it is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering. One special feature of Roman design was the columns and piers.The commemorative column, holding up a statue was not a Roman invention but the Romans did go a step further wi th the columns of Trojan and Notations (Milan, 2011). Columns are normally made of stone or concrete and were frequently used to purport beams or arches on which the upper parts of walls or ceilings rest. These new methods of architecture allowed the Romans to construct bigger temples and buildings than ever before (United Nations of Roam Victim, n. D. ). I had noticed that the designs carved onto the columns are much more detailed compared to the Greece era.Many do not mention about columns much when they are being asked about Romans contribution. In my opinion, columns are one of the magnificent contributions of Rome because these are what the Romans used to support those aqueducts, Coliseum, churches, houses and many more. Furthermore, up to this date, the columns are still used to support ceilings and saving cost and space at the same time. The above examples and reasons have proof that the ancient Romans accomplished many feats.They had incredible technological advantages and m ade advancements that were used during their time and the present time. Architectural significance was above and beyond. Each building of state significance should bear representations of the great achievement of Roman architect. As of today, Roman architecture is still felt in a host of European buildings or its remnants since the ancient times. It is their advancements we often take for granted that make them one of the most prevalent and influential peoples on our society today.