Critique the study of the article Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critique the study of the article - Lab Report Example The measurement tools were translated from Finnish versions. These instruments have already been validated and evaluated. Content of Individualized Care Scale (ICS) has been refined after multiple revisions. Factor analysis and structural equation model were utilized for the validation Selection of study respondents was in a consecutive way without following any recommended sampling strategy. Respondents were not selected randomly. How the issue of various surgical specialities was addressed How the severity of disease of the respondents was taken care of Informed consent was taken during the ward stay and those patients who agreed to complete the questionnaire were provided these questionnaires at the time of discharge. It means that there was a time lag between identification of respondents and actual completion of questionnaire. This has got important implications as far as bias is concerned. There are chances that these patients would have been provided excellent care in a way to address all the components present in all measurement scales. As informed consent was taken by a nurse and this study also tried to assess the patient satisfaction from nursing care. Those who were being assessed were part of the assessment and may have influenced the results and outcome. Patients usually have some complaints while they stay in the hospitals. As time passes and when patients start feeling improvement then their complaints also start vanishing, this is like; all is well when the end is well. This time may not be appropriate for getting correct information. Data management issues have not been discussed or even stated any where in the article. How data quality was ensured to be of high level What was the data editing and entry process Which software was used for data entry Were data entered doubly and how data were cleaned Analysis Mean age of the respondents is very high, suggesting that majority of the respondents surround this age. There should have been age description in more than three categories to get an idea of representation of various age groups. In old age, satisfactory level may be different from younger age group. On the other hand, although, education was understandable in binary variable but more than 85 percent of the respondents were with less than or up to lower secondary level education. Those who were with this level of education may have different level of satisfaction and have influenced the results of this study. Non-randomization has got its own deficiencies and this type of data could have resulted due to that issue. Mean hospital stay was 2.85 days based on which satisfaction level was assessed. This seems to be a shorter time for a

Pan's Labyrinth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pan's Labyrinth - Essay Example Captain Vidal may have a strong presence on the screen due to his emotionally charged character of a brutal tyrannical officer but the most interesting character was the step daughter Ofelia who discovered a mysterious labyrinth where she meets a faun. What makes the discovery remarkable was that the faun treated Ofelia a princess who guided to embark not only on a journey to discover her destiny but also gave her a mandrake root who cured her ailing mother Mercedes. In the end, Ofelia met her destiny by being reunited with the king and queen of the underworld after passing the last test of the faun to shed her own blood instead of her brother to enter into the portal of underworld. The film may have the visual trappings of a fantasy movie but if one would try to decipher the deeper meanings and interpret the elements of the film, it is actually a political film about authoritarianism and fascism that reflects the director’s disgust of structure and institutions. The element o f a detestable political ideology breathe life to the movie because it was the milieu of the film. The other element of the film is Ofelia’s fantasy world which is really an allegory of Del Toro’s personal political point of view against authoritarianism which is reflected in the film. These two elements, the political element and fantasy element are intertwined in the film because Del Toro used the political element to visualize his disgust for institution and authority which is the precursor of the fantasy element of the film – Ofelia’s withdrawal into fantasy world or Pan’s Labyrinth. More than the mysticism and folklore of the film, Pan Labyrinth highlighted the political dimension of authoritarian Spain in 1944 - a time when Second World War was immenint, where Hitler was in his prime, and war was the order of the day. The film also portrayed what fascism and authoritarianism as a form of government. This was exhibited by Captain Vidal who was a an officer in General Franco’s army who was tasked to route the rebels by any means necessary. In his dispensation of his duty, he was allowed to use absolute and brutal force in his attempt to reroute the guerillas which could be unacceptable today. This method was characteristic of a fascist government during General Francisco’s time whose government was characterised by absolute authoritarianism that exudes with extreme nationalism to unify the country through discipline and indoctrination and if necessary, brutal force. The film’s political dimension is allegorical and meant more than what is the obvious of how oppressive fascism is. Beyond the ideology of fascim, it tackles the element of how authoritarianism breeds violence and evil which in Del Toro’s film was personified by Captain Vidal. The film also reflected the element of director’s political point of view of how he hated structure and its authority be it in church, society or organ ization. This element can be known if one would try to understand what the director was thinking when he was making the film. In an interview, he admitted that this element of personal protest against institutions and authority is present in the movie (Youtube). This hatred in institutions was very obvious in Del Toro’s film Pan’s Labyrinth where authoritarian soldiers were portrayed as evil that cannot be defeated. This element of disgust over authorianism and institutions can be also seen in Del Toro’s other films such as Hellboy, Blade and Pacific Rim albeit it is not as obvious as Pan’

Challenges and Opportunities to Chinas Banking Industry

Challenges and Opportunities to Chinas Banking Industry The banking industry in China has the platform for future growth opportunities but often come with strategic challenges. ACMR-IBISWorld forecasts that in the five years through 2021, total assets of the Commercial Banking industry in China will increase at an average rate of 11.9% per year, to $48.2 trillion by the end of 2021.1 Industry revenue is forecast to grow at an average rate of 5.4% per year to $818.5 billion in 2021.1 China has become the target of many foreign banks and financial institutions as a result of its huge market size. Other reasons include continuous deregulation, WTO commitments and the improving market conditions with strong fundamentals. However, there are also several main challenges that obstruct the industrys growth. Opportunities Opening Requirement: According to the China Banking Regulatory Committee, foreign banks accounted for barely 2.3% of total commercial bank assets at the end of the third quarter of 2012.1 However, in order for China to meet its World Trade Organization (WTO) accession commitments, they are required to further open its banking sector to foreign banks. The easing of restrictions provide an opportunistic window for foreign banks to grow or enter the market. Deregulation: Beginning in 2003, China has begun to allow qualified foreign banks to offer RMB banking services to Chinese enterprises. In addition, some restrictions on geographic distribution and foreign exchange services offered by foreign banks have been lifted. Banking services have been opened to overseas banks in 13 cities, up from only 2, Beijing and Shanghai, before Chinas WTO entry.1 Innovation: In 2006, China officially opened its banking sector allowing foreign banks to conduct RMB business, removing geographical and client restrictions.1 In 2009, new development opportunities for commercial banks opened up which led to many changes in terms of competition, technologies, product diversification and industry profitability. As a result, domestic banks face increasing pressure to upgrade operations management, internal controls and product and service innovation. Banks with a technological edge or process driven technology can begin creating a strategic opportunity to gain the competitive advantage and market share in China. Challenges Governmental Barrier to Entry: The banking industry in China is known to have high levels of regulation and policy. For companies looking to enter the China market, the requirements for obtaining a license in order to operate as a commercial bank in China are set up through the Financial License Management Rules and approved by the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC).1 In addition, Commercial banks in China are subject to the supervision of, and regular inspections by, the CBRC. In general, the application for preparing the establishment of a new branch by a policy bank, a wholly state-owned commercial bank or a joint-stock commercial bank shall be filed with and reviewed by the CBRC provincial office in the province where the proposed branch is to be established, and shall be subject to the final approval by the CBRC headquarters. Competition: Given the strict government controls and the high level of intervention in the industry, prices are quite regulated and product innovation and diversity are not the main basis for competition. In general, the approval requirements for new products are very strict. They are often the subject of complicated approval processes and lengthy approval times, and as a result are not main competitive factors. Chinas banking industry brings heavy competition as commercial banks generally offer similar products at similar prices providing difficult to gain a competitive advantage. Relationships: In China, the biggest competition has focused on client relationships with large customers, an important part of the business environment.1 Relationships are usually found using guanxi which is a combination of developing personal connections with customers as well as a network of close contacts.2 Given the low level of product diversification and similarity in services and prices, banks compete for specific and often the same customers in hopes of developing long-term relationships.

Joshua Gaugler Essay -- essays research papers

The Concert of a Lifetime   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The concert has begun after a fifteen minute delay caused from the powder snow that started early on in the day and continued through the evening. There I stood up in front of the small crowd on this snowy Sunday evening. I glanced out upon the crowd as the piano picked up speed and intensity. I knew that I was about to strike that F chord in a few measures. I quickly removed the moisture from my fingers with the cloth I brought with me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The band had a special meeting planned after we played the music for our church’s Thanksgiving Supper. We showed up to the church on a cold Saturday morning, making our way to the auditorium. We began to discuss the plans, ideas, or even the thoughts that we had for what we should do next. Dan, the first to talk whatever the occasion, said, â€Å"I think we should work on writing our own songs.† That idea was quickly reviewed and considered to be an option. I thought a little bit harder about what to do and suddenly it came to me. â€Å"We should have a Christmas concert. We can all pick out our favorite Christmas songs and perform them.† Now this was a first class idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now the band had an idea, we had the backbone for our future, but we were still missing our guitar player; whose absence haunted us for the fourth week straight. We had to begin regardless of the scenario, and we began picking out songs, one by one. The most obvious ch...

Critical Issues Concerning Deforestation and Its Environmental Effects

Over half of the worlds† forests have already been destroyed if the rate of deforestation is not reduced, the forests will suffer even more damage. Imagine this; every minute twenty-six hectares (estimated) of the forest are destroyed, this is equal to thirty-seven football fields. The forest is not only the home to some of the most important species on earth, but it also helps control the climate and makes the planet able for us to live in. The expanding human population has cleared many of the trees, once covering much of the earth, a long time ago. Agriculture took a toll early of the landscape, and now the once great forests are reduced to tiny pockets scattered throughout the earth. Recently is when the tropical forests have become under severe attack of deforestation. Only seven hundred of the original one and a half billion hectares of the rain forest remain. At the turn of the twentieth century there was twice as much rain forest as there is today. Causes of deforestation include; commercial logging, clearance for agriculture, roads and railways, forest fires, mining and drilling, fuelwood, and clearing land for living are just some of the main reasons, of which we have not found the worst culprit. The two most common found reasons for deforestation are shifting cultivation and commercial logging. The problem starts when the soil becomes less fertile from animals grazing and walking repeatedly over the small land space. This not the threat to the forest however, the threat is when the land is not allowed enough time to recover and causes soil degradation. Felling of trees for charcoal, and clearing trees for mining and the extraction of oil are other factors leading to deforestation, but are not considered as damaging as shifting cultivation and commercial logging. Nonetheless they are still a threat to the existence of the rain forest. When trees are cleared the topsoil erodes in just one decade, of which it took thousands of years to accumulate. The land is now unusable and can lead to disastrous flooding since there is no soil to soak up the rain. The most disastrous effect of deforestation is the effect it has on the earth†s climate. The greenhouse effect and global warming is caused by the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere mainly. The amount of carbon dioxide would be greatly affected by the destruction of the rain forest; this would lead to a build up in the atmosphere and in result would increase climate change. Most of the burnt or rotting trees release even more carbon dioxide. Scientists believe that only a small fraction of the plants and animals that live in the rain forests have been identified, and of these are believed to hold the cures for some of the most deadly diseases, such as cancer and aids. An obvious solution would be for us to quit cutting down trees altogether, but there is no way we could do that. Forest management plans are being used all over the world, putting sustainability as the emphasis. These plans allow logging to take place by putting into the earth what we take out. These plans are carried out so that logging can be done with the least enduring effects taking place to the earth. Some parts of the rain forests, which are labeled as too sensitive for even well managed logging, are restricted as protected areas. These protected areas along with the help of enforced legislation, can be an effective defense against the many problems that affect the rain forests. The most important step in stopping the process of deforestation is to inform and educate the people whose actions either directly or indirectly create a problem for the rain forests. Developed countries and their consumers have to realize the devastating impacts on the forests from which the products cause that they buy. By doing this will be the only way we can stop the deforestation process and maybe eventually reverse it and the rain forests will flourish.

Bertrand Russell Essay

I should like to say two things, one intellectual and one moral. The intellectual thing I should want to say is this: When you are studying any matter, or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only what the facts are and what the truth that the facts bear out is. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe, or by what you think would have beneficent social effects if it were believed. But look only, and solely, at what are the facts. That is the intellectual thing that I should wish to say. The moral thing I should wish to say†¦I should say love is wise, hatred is foolish. In this world which is getting more closely and closely interconnected we have to learn to tolerate each other, we have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things that we don’t like. We can only live together in that way and if we are to live together and not die together we must learn a kind of charity and a kind of tolerance which is absolutely vital to the continuation of human life on this planet.

10 of the biggest workplace time wasters

10 of the biggest workplace time wasters Office  distractions are endless at work. We spend a lot  of time surfing the web, checking in on social media, while still holding small talk at the water cooler. These â€Å"little† breaks throughout the day can add up in time you are supposed to be getting work done and it can waste productivity in the office. These workplace time wasters can affect your work ethic and quality of work you produce. It’s time to cut out these time wasters and focus on the task ahead. Here are 10 of the biggest workplace time wasters. How many of these are you guilty of doing throughout the day?Source [Yast]

Free Essays on Brownings Dramatic Monologue

Browning’s Dramatic Monologue Readers favor Robert Browning’s story poems in a form he perfected, the dramatic monologue (Kennedy 1169). Dramatic monologues have four basic characteristics: they contain a single speaker monologue, they have a silent audience, the speech occurs at some dramatic moment in the speakers life, and the speaker reveals his personality without realizing he does so. Probably one of the most famous dramatic monologues ever written is Browning’s â€Å"My Last Duchess† (661). Robert Browning is known as the father of the dramatic monologue. The Duke of Ferrara, the single speaker in â€Å"My Last Duchess,† is portrayed as a jealous but arrogant man. Throughout the poem the Duke repetitively expresses his concern of other men fancying his wife. He was made jealous by everything the duchess did. The Duke was especially jealous of Fra Pandolf, the man who painted the picture of the duchess in the poem. She was â€Å"too easily impressed â€Å"(23) by the painter. Everyone who passed by the Duchess received â€Å"much the same smile†(44) as the Duke. He seems to be possessive of the Duchess saying, â€Å"That’s my last Duchess† (1) as if he won her. Later in the poem his attitude toward other people looking at her changes when he says, â€Å"Will’t please you sit and look at her?† (5). An important aspect of â€Å"My Last Duchess† is Browning’s use of a silent audience. Throughout the reading no one else speakers other than the Duke himself. He makes comments without receiving any reply afterward. He asks, â€Å"Who’d stoop to blame/ This sort of trifling?†(34-35) with expectations of someone answering his question but no reply is given. He directly makes comments to the envoy withdrawing persona from the poem. The speech given in â€Å"My Last Duchess† occurs at a dramatic moment in the speaker’s life. In this particular poem it is after the death of the Duchess. The speaker tel... Free Essays on Browning's Dramatic Monologue Free Essays on Browning's Dramatic Monologue Browning’s Dramatic Monologue Readers favor Robert Browning’s story poems in a form he perfected, the dramatic monologue (Kennedy 1169). Dramatic monologues have four basic characteristics: they contain a single speaker monologue, they have a silent audience, the speech occurs at some dramatic moment in the speakers life, and the speaker reveals his personality without realizing he does so. Probably one of the most famous dramatic monologues ever written is Browning’s â€Å"My Last Duchess† (661). Robert Browning is known as the father of the dramatic monologue. The Duke of Ferrara, the single speaker in â€Å"My Last Duchess,† is portrayed as a jealous but arrogant man. Throughout the poem the Duke repetitively expresses his concern of other men fancying his wife. He was made jealous by everything the duchess did. The Duke was especially jealous of Fra Pandolf, the man who painted the picture of the duchess in the poem. She was â€Å"too easily impressed â€Å"(23) by the painter. Everyone who passed by the Duchess received â€Å"much the same smile†(44) as the Duke. He seems to be possessive of the Duchess saying, â€Å"That’s my last Duchess† (1) as if he won her. Later in the poem his attitude toward other people looking at her changes when he says, â€Å"Will’t please you sit and look at her?† (5). An important aspect of â€Å"My Last Duchess† is Browning’s use of a silent audience. Throughout the reading no one else speakers other than the Duke himself. He makes comments without receiving any reply afterward. He asks, â€Å"Who’d stoop to blame/ This sort of trifling?†(34-35) with expectations of someone answering his question but no reply is given. He directly makes comments to the envoy withdrawing persona from the poem. The speech given in â€Å"My Last Duchess† occurs at a dramatic moment in the speaker’s life. In this particular poem it is after the death of the Duchess. The speaker tel...

Feckless

Feckless Feckless Feckless By Maeve Maddox A reader has called my attention to a surge in the use of the word feckless in the American press. A Web search garners 1,550,000 hits. Feckless derives from feck, a dialect word possibly formed by a linguistic process called aphaeresis: â€Å"omission of one or more sounds or letters from the beginning of a word.† Examples of aphaeresis include: squire from esquire and coon from raccoon. Feck, which is documented as early as the 14th century, is probably a shortening of the noun effect. Feck is â€Å"energy and gumption.† A person with feck gets things done. When used to refer to a thing, the adjective feckless means, â€Å"valueless, futile, or feeble.† Used to refer to a person or a person’s actions, feckless means, â€Å"lacking energy; weak, helpless.† In modern usage, feckless is used chiefly as a synonym for irresponsible or shiftless. This latter use of feckless is especially common in the British press in headlines and articles relating to social welfare programs: Britains most feckless father? Unemployed dad of 10 is expecting FOUR more children –The Telegraph. Lets get the feckless to buy food not fags and booze –MailOnline. No one would consider her [a young unmarried mother of four children, by two different men, and expecting her fifth] to be anything other than feckless and irresponsible. –The Independent. The Oxfam report – â€Å"Walking The Breadline,† published in June this year, states that half a million people in the UK rely on food banks. Yet the Government puts their fingers in their ears, blaming feckless parenting and scroungers. –The Guardian. Here are some examples in contexts other than discussions of welfare recipients: Given their feckless track record, would you really trust Apple with (even more of) your digital life? –Source uncertain; the comment appears on numerous sites. One striking feature in all three works is how badly the men do; how feckless they are, how treacherous, weepy, self-obsessed and violent. –Review of a collection of three short stories by Bernhard Schlink. Because the usual use of feckless is to describe people or actions lacking in will or responsible purpose, some of the examples I found left me a bit puzzled: Delete a Feckless Effect from Filler Edgar Steele’s Feckless Racism Here are some sure fire home remedies and tips to get rid of your feckless and lifeless hair. The opposite of feckless–feckful (powerful, effective, efficient, vigorous)–is used seriously in an OED citation dated 1568: I culd nocht cumwithout sum gret and fecfull purpois. [I could not comewithout some great and feckful purpose.] Anyone using the positive adjective feckful nowadays would be aiming for humorous effect, as in this 1990 quotation from The New York Times: The unfailingly feckless Bertie Wooster and his valet, the formidably feckful Jeeves. Sometimes feckless is the perfect choice, but sometimes not. Here is a selection of words that might serve better in some contexts: good-for-nothing idle indolent inept irresponsible lazy ne’er-do-well no-account slothful sorry useless worthless David Auburn, playwright and contributor to the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, says this about feckless: The obscene-sounding first syllable gives punch and an air of harsh condemnation to the synonym for irresponsible, conveying â€Å"not merely irresponsible but also unforgivably blithe, and in one’s blitheness, causing great harm.† 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating ConjunctionsRules for Capitalization in TitlesParticular vs. Specific

Rehabilitation Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rehabilitation - Thesis Example As instances of such failure are gradually becoming more conspicuous with the progress of time, opinions against rehabilitating criminals are coming up. The main point of argument may be stated as follows - if rehabilitation could have really been effective then there would not have been increase in the rate of crime across the nation. Such argument definitely has a strong foundation. A 2007 Reuters report specifies, since 2000 onwards, total number of prisoners in the United States has reached to the optimum level. The report announces, â€Å"The United States, which has the most prisoners of any country in the world, last year, recorded the largest increase in the number of people in prisons and jails since 2000 †¦. It said the nations prison and jail populations increased by more than 62,000 inmates, or 2.8 percent, to about 2,245,000 inmates in the 12-month period that ended on June 30, 2006. It was the biggest jump in numbers and percentage change in six years. Criminal ju stice experts have attributed the record U.S. prison population to tough sentencing laws, record numbers of drug offenders and high crimes rates.† (Vicini) If rehabilitation could have really been effective then there would not have been increasing rate of criminal activism and society would have experienced a far more stable condition. Failure of the process has made the whole system a subject of vigorous questioning whether rehabilitation process of criminal should be retained or it needs to be abolished immediately. Personally, I feel that rehabilitation is not, in any way, contributing towards changing the behavioral aspects of criminal, even after they undergo regular counseling process. There are certain reasons for me to pursue with such opinion. My basic argument concentrates on the issue regarding the use of a method if it fails to fulfill the purpose that it actually is designed to serve. It is becoming increasingly important for us to reach a specific

Efficient Market Hypothersis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Efficient Market Hypothersis - Essay Example While the extent of the validity of these criticisms remains debated, the efficient-market hypothesis (EMH) has held a pronounced influence on political and academic thought. This essay considers the extent that the market, as Warren Buffet claims, functions under irrational processes, or can be explained in rational terms through the efficient market hypothesis. Outline of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) In its modern incarnation Professor Eugene Fama first articulated the efficient-market hypothesis in the early 1960s during his time at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. From an overarching perspective, the efficient market hypothesis theory contends that for investors it is impossible to ‘beat’ the market on a consistent basis. The main reasoning behind this notion is that the market will reflect all available information for the particular investment, such that gaining any sort of edge over other investors is made impossible. This contention do es not necessitate that individuals act in rational ways. Indeed, the efficient market hypothesis understands that a number of individuals will both over and under react to available market information. The cumulative impact of these reactions results in market efficiency, as the random reactions will fall proportionally along a normal distribution pattern. In these regards, it’s possible for an individual to be right or wrong about the market, but the market itself is necessarily an accurate reflection of available asset information. Structural Components There are three major versions of the efficient market hypothesis, each of them resting on a different part of a spectrum of efficiency. The first version is the weak-form efficient market theory. Within this perspective all prices on past publically traded assets, including stocks, bonds, and property, already have factored into them all publically available investment information. The semi-strong version of the hypothesis takes this a step further and argues that current asset prices reflect all publically available information and that when new information emerges prices change instantly to reflect this new public information. The third version of the efficient market hypothesis is the strong-form version. The strong-form version of the hypothesis goes even further in that it argues in addition to asset prices immediately reflecting public information, asset prices also instantly reflect insider or otherwise concealed information. Analysis Seminal Literature There are a number of seminal studies that established core elements of the efficient market hypothesis. While Fama first articulated the theory in its modern context, its original formulations were explored as early as the 19th century. Kirman (2009) notes that French mathmetician Louis Bachelier established many of the general tenants of this theory in his ‘Theory of Speculation’ published in 1900. The early years of the 20th cen tury witnessed another prototypical formulation of this perspective in the random walk model; this was a notion that stock prices operated through random steps and as such gaining a long-term predictive edge was

Design Innovation in Pakistan Textile Literature review

Design Innovation in Pakistan Textile - Literature review Example Art and craft is not schemed by the Ministry of Education, but teachers are availing lessons nowadays, with increased integration of the art and craft lessons in all levels of education curriculums in Pakistan would lead to innovations in terms of design. The textile University of Faisalabad, and University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore are the major players towards value addition in terms of textile related art and design courses. The government is obligated towards availing support to other institutions towards the textile design innovation. Hands-on or practical oriented courses are required for the art and design courses. The textile University of Faisalabad has courses in contemporary designs, Islamic arts, and various forms of designs for relevancy of their students in the job market. Other higher learning institutions as well contribute to both the Pakistan and global textile industry innovation; via design-oriented courses. The sculpturing and painting were developed in the Renaissance age. The Islamic art and designs for functionality and aesthetics were the key features in the industrialization period prior to transforming to the visual appeal art and design characteristic of the modern age. Different aspects of Islamic art features developments over the course of history were indicated. The transformation or evolution of art and design has been systematic since the stone age, early man era, through to the age of modern art. Various firms in Pakistan carry textile product design and production; this ranges from small scale to large-scale firms. Income and employment availed by the firm are some of the benefits; hence symbol of sustainability. The design and production or manufacture of the textile products via R & D production methods is yet to be fully embraced or realized, because of high initial cost of investment and high energy input costs Availability of

Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Labor - Essay Example Thus, unions play an effective role in reducing the rate of job turnover within a company. One example of this is the grievance process that helps employees to resolve their problems with the employer. However, the control gap by the unions is the difference between the managerial control in union and non-union workplaces; it is more important than the wage gap, which is the difference between the wages of union and non-union workers. The second point illustrated in chapter nine of the text is non-union workplace dispute resolution. In America, there is a significant difference between the way disputes are resolved in union and non-union organizations. The grievance procedure is a union system that protects the employees as well as the employer. However, many non-union workplaces suffer from not having a dispute resolution system in place. Such processes for conflict resolution are needed in any company, whether or not a union is in place. While managers often have an open-door polic y that allows employees to come and discuss concerns and complaints, the policy has many disadvantages; such as the lack of fairness and equity. Non-union employers have made attempts at improving their open-door policy by enhancing equity and voice.

BUS IP2 Unit 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BUS IP2 Unit 5 - Essay Example The company has diverse operations, which are undertaken in the global market and have been found to influence operations and contribution to the firm’s profit. The company also implements diverse hedges against risks associated with exchange rates. However, there are effects of increase and decrease in the dollar’s exchange value on the firm’s profitability. The company has also established schemes to reduce the effect of the dollar exchange to the business operations. General Motors Company Introduction There are various multinational companies in the United States (U.S) that have been found to focus on diverse fields of operations. These companies have been analyzed and found to influence process involved in growth and development in diverse nations positively. This has also been found to create a conducive environment for improvement of individual’s living standards among individuals from diverse communities in the nation. Therefore, strategies have be en implemented to enhance operations undertaken by the Multi-National Enterprises in U.S. General Motors is one among the MNE’s in U.S dealing with automotive. ... However, it has been noted that the American dollar has been weakening over the years, and individuals from other nations have travelled to the U.S as foreign currency is also appreciating. Currency denominations have been found to vary, and this influences export and import price rates in different nations. Therefore, the company managers have established a method that enables other companies from diverse nations to access various goods and services produced by the company (Sinha & Sinha, 2009). This has been attained by evaluating the exchange rates between the U.S company price rates and the partnering nation. The company lowers the price rates of its revenues and costs to nations that have been considered as developing. Also, they should have a greater range of currency difference with the American dollar. This has helped influence development of diverse nations, despite the fact that, the nation is considered to be developing. Nations that are equal and exchange their currency a t fairly same price with the Americans have goods and services offered to them at relative same prices as the export price in the U.S. This has helped the company manage its prices, and reduce cases of loss being experienced in the organization (Feldstein, Hines & Hubbard, 2007). Therefore, the GM Company managers have used schemes that have been considered effective and efficient in ensuring individuals from diverse nations gain access to various spare parts and vehicles at prices that are considerably low and affordable based on their denominational currency. Operations undertaken by MNE's with multiple foreign operations include engaging in productions that

Employer-employee relations in Coca-cola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Employer-employee relations in Coca-cola - Essay Example Scholars have noted that proper relation contributes positively towards realization of organizational goals. As such, this essay will outline the reasons as to why conflicts occur between employers and their employees and some of the manner that the conflicts can be resolved. In so doing, the research will center the argument on Coca Cola Company as a case study. Thus, the essay will highlight some of the different strategies used to avoid the occurrence of conflicts in the organization. The coca-cola company is one of the largest producers of non-alcoholic beverages and branded in over 200 countries in different continents like Europe, Australia, Africa, N. America, and India. The popular drinks made by the multi-national corporation sold in various brands, which serve the diversified human tastes and preferences (Cant, 2006: 12). The company acts as a retailer, marketer and is the main manufacturer of the drinks. It also has a separate bottling plant that works together with the pr oduction plant. With its continued growth, the coca-cola company has provided jobs to people allover the globe and as a result reducing the unemployment levels (Fernando, 2010:517). In employment, all institutions should create proper employer-employee relations to ensure that there exist mutual benefits between the two. The coca-cola company being a multi-national corporation and with greater interactions with employees has to establish proper relations with the public also (Mansbach and Rhodes, 2009: 231). This has led to the formulation of policies aimed at governing their worker-employer relations to a healthier and legally regulated one (Daniels, 2006: 76). Some of the enacted policies have different issues that may affect employment like child labour, discrimination, working hours, and wages, Freedom of association and collective bargaining, safety and health of workers at the workplace, and on forced labour (Jack, 2008: 278). By adhering to these policies, coca-cola encourage s other organizations to apply the same for success. Some of the policies are quite encouraging to employees and inspire them towards putting the best of efforts in production (Blyton and Turnbull, 2004: 423). The company also recognizes the community as another vital factor promoting the organization’s success. The community consists of the consumers, employees, and retailers at the grass root level. It also acts as part of the stakeholders in the corporation and hence this details the need why the organization needs to establish proper relations with the community (Cant, 2006: 13). They at some point seem irrelevant, but their presence is necessary. Through fostering the conditions at the community level, the corporation has significantly helped raise the people’s living standards and resulting to economic growth (Koekemoer, and Bird, 2004: 37). The coca-cola company has integrated with the communities at different levels in an attempt to eliminate poverty, empower t he society, and giving financial support to some community projects (Gillespie and Hennessey, 2011: 101). The employees in the coca-cola company though given the best of environments for production purposes also come across challenging factors in their employer employee relations. For instance, several cases have been filed in court for allegations of misunderstandings between the employer and the employee and even severally discriminations from getting opportunities in the job market (Hollinshead, Nicholls, and Tailby, 2003: 245). The publicity of such allegations tarnishes the image of the organization before the public. The misunderstandings may be due to failure of

BUS IP2 Unit 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BUS IP2 Unit 5 - Essay Example The company has diverse operations, which are undertaken in the global market and have been found to influence operations and contribution to the firm’s profit. The company also implements diverse hedges against risks associated with exchange rates. However, there are effects of increase and decrease in the dollar’s exchange value on the firm’s profitability. The company has also established schemes to reduce the effect of the dollar exchange to the business operations. General Motors Company Introduction There are various multinational companies in the United States (U.S) that have been found to focus on diverse fields of operations. These companies have been analyzed and found to influence process involved in growth and development in diverse nations positively. This has also been found to create a conducive environment for improvement of individual’s living standards among individuals from diverse communities in the nation. Therefore, strategies have be en implemented to enhance operations undertaken by the Multi-National Enterprises in U.S. General Motors is one among the MNE’s in U.S dealing with automotive. ... However, it has been noted that the American dollar has been weakening over the years, and individuals from other nations have travelled to the U.S as foreign currency is also appreciating. Currency denominations have been found to vary, and this influences export and import price rates in different nations. Therefore, the company managers have established a method that enables other companies from diverse nations to access various goods and services produced by the company (Sinha & Sinha, 2009). This has been attained by evaluating the exchange rates between the U.S company price rates and the partnering nation. The company lowers the price rates of its revenues and costs to nations that have been considered as developing. Also, they should have a greater range of currency difference with the American dollar. This has helped influence development of diverse nations, despite the fact that, the nation is considered to be developing. Nations that are equal and exchange their currency a t fairly same price with the Americans have goods and services offered to them at relative same prices as the export price in the U.S. This has helped the company manage its prices, and reduce cases of loss being experienced in the organization (Feldstein, Hines & Hubbard, 2007). Therefore, the GM Company managers have used schemes that have been considered effective and efficient in ensuring individuals from diverse nations gain access to various spare parts and vehicles at prices that are considerably low and affordable based on their denominational currency. Operations undertaken by MNE's with multiple foreign operations include engaging in productions that

Netflix’s Business Model and Strategy Essay Example for Free

Netflix’s Business Model and Strategy Essay Netflix is the largest subscription service for sending DVD’s by mail and streaming movies and TV episodes over the internet. Netflix’s revenues grew from $500 million in 2004 to $519.8 million in 2010. Company’s net income increased from $21.6 million in 2004 to $141-156 million in 2010. It attracted 1.6 million subscribers in 2004 and had to 15 million subscribers by 2010. Reed Hastings founder and CEO of Netflix have pushed the company to outcompete its movie rental competitors by building the world’s best internet movie service. Netflix is the world largest online entertainment subscription service and revolutionized the way that people rent movies. Netflix has outcompete its rivals on the basis of differentiation features, with their higher quality, wider product selection, added performance and services, and has superior technology. Netflix has a large selection of DVDs to choose from. It maintains relationships with entertainment providers to expand the title selection. Movies are prescreened for customers based on peer reviews. This allows Netflix to increase their inventory with movies chosen by viewers. There are no late fees. Netflix technology is superior because movies and TV episodes can be streamed directly onto nearly any device in a matter of seconds. Netflix business model and strategy can be analyzed with the 5 competitive forces in the movie rental marketplace: 1-substitute, 2- buyers, 3- suppliers, 4- potential for new entrants, 5- rivalry Substitute-It does not matter who sells the movie or the TV episode at the end the end user is getting the same product whether he got it from Walmart or Blockbuster. Substitute for Netflix and a potential threat is pirating movie files from the internet and illegal. This is a substitute that is inexpensive or free copy of the file. Buyers- Have the power to select where they are going to get movies or TV episode. They are going to look provides the best price and best quality. Buyers are not loyal and can get this product from other vendors. Competitors compare industry prices and quality. They will reduce cost in order to attract the buyer. Suppliers-Such are Hollywood are likely to increase cost if the industry profits increase. Suppliers have the capability to make movies and TV episodes harder to get by limiting license agreements. In order for suppliers to maximize their revenues they sell large number of movies and TV episodes the outcome results in competition and does not allow supplier to have much power on the product. Potential for new entrants- Blockbuster, and Netflix are the dominant retailers in the market it is very difficult for new entrants to succeed. Rivalry- Consumers have multiple sellers they can buy or rent movies and/or TV episodes. Main competitors are online subscription services internet movies and TV episode provider, kiosk services, and DVD rental outlets. From SWOT analysis we found the Strengths as followed, by operation on line is very flexible and very low cost, it has high customer satisfaction levels, and strong knowledge base and brand identity. Weakness are the industry, it is constantly changing at a fast speed, it is supplier dependent, postage is a variable cost (increases), customers need to have internet access and or DVD players. Opportunities are: It can expand globally to international markets because its internet access, new technology. Threats: If it’s not able to adapt or keep up with technology, rivals such as Walmart.com or Blockbuster have capital to compete against Netflix. There are some issues Netflix is facing Netflix needs to watch out for growing competitors with deep pockets and need to keep up with the fast growing changes with technology. It is recommended that Netflix increases its customer base (subscribers). This income will offset the ongoing costs. Netflix should move away from DVD rental, it creates a large percentage of its operating cost. Netflix should find out why people are still ordering DVD’s Netflix should educate customers with their streaming and downloading and focus on encouraging customers to stay with the service. Blockbuster advantage over Netflix is that they are able to release new released titles. Netflix needs to negotiate with entertainment providers to get new releases earlier than the competitors. Finally it is suggested that if Netflix is able to get new releases earlier they should pass a cost for the newest release (separately from subscription download monthly fee).

Examining The Pop Art Movement

Examining The Pop Art Movement In attempt to bring art back into American daily life, the Pop-art movement depicted elements of popular culture by using common everyday objects, chiefly advertising and product packaging, television and comic strips. The images are portrayed with a blend of humour, criticism and irony. Through this, the movement ascertained the position of art into everyday and contemporary life. It assisted in decreasing the gap between high art and low art and abolished the distinction between fine art and commercial art methods. The Pop-art movement rebuffed the abstract style because of its cultured? And aristocratic nature. (World Wide Art Resources 2009) It was during the 1980s that there was a renewal of interest in the Pop-art of the well known Andy Warhol and contemporaries, this resurgence of interest was known as neo-Pop. Adapted from its forefathers, contemporary Pop-art consists of a reworked form; a revival of identifiable celebrities and objects from popular culture with icons and symbols of the current times. (Art History Archive n.d.) Contemporary Pop-art lends from the past, maintaining the critical evaluation of Western culture, relationships, values and interactions. It frequently satirises celebrities and candidly embraces ideas that are challenging and controversial. Although the bombardment upon society of Popular culture and advertising has become significantly greater since the Pop-art movement began, I believe that the critiques of Pop-art are not appropriate to the original nor the contemporary Pop-art scene. Pop-artists artists have continually been engaged in a crucial dialogue with mass culture. They are noted for exploiting these increasingly despised images of mass culture in order to facilitate the critical examination of the effects of consumerism on human thought, emotion and creativity and challenging our assumptions about the purpose and identity of art in a world inundated with media images and messages (University of Virginia 2006), as the following examples by contemporary artists will demonstrate. (expand on this?) Jeff Koons is perhaps the most renowned Pop-artist of the current day. He addresses societys fixation with Pop culture and counteracts the division between appearance and reality, surface and depth, and art and commodity (reword more?)Koons forms his art pieces on consumer products and manipulates everyday objects in order to overemphasise mass-produced cultural objects while uncovering the nuances of marketing. In difference to his 1960s forbearers, Koons desire is to remark on societies psychological investment in consumerism and how these consumer products are fabricated to allure. (Art Knowledge News n.d.) Jeff Koons first exhibition was titled Equilibrium, which was displayed in 1985. One of the defining features of this decade was the forceful growth of consumerism. For this exhibition he produced a series of works displaying consumer items in glass cases. In Three Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (Fig 1), three basketballs were suspended in a glass case, surrounded by authentic Nike posters displaying basketball players in positions of power. The posters in the work represent sport as a means to achieve fame and fortune for young working-class Americans. The posters almost exclusive use of black athletes not just as stars, but in roles associated with elevated power and respect is a comment on the traditional social system that in reality refutes this power or respect to a large majority of African-Americans. According to Koons, the suspended basketballs also suggest death and fame, the ultimate states of existence. (Tate Collection n.d.) Koons Made in Heaven (Fig 2) series is a collection of overtly sexually explicit photographs and sculptures featuring the artist in moments of sexual passion and intimacy with his then pornstar wife Cicciolina. The exuberant images were first displayed during the 1990 Venice Biennale, among more conventional forms of expression. The series produced both shock and excitement among audiences, and stirred much controversy in the art world with a scandalous subject matter that pushed the limits of twentieth century censorship. Although pornography has been a widely acknowledged aspect of society, it deemed controversial because it is a form of Popular culture that was and still remains taboo in polite company. Koons is notorious for testing the boundaries of acceptable taste; his intention in Made in Heaven was to critically examine love, romance and sexual desire, involving the viewer by making them a contributor to the artwork, as most pornography necessitates an outside viewer to be c lassified as such. (Christies 2009)The Made in Heaven series was also in part a response to The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, by the fifteenth century painter Massacio. Koons remarks, In The Expulsion, theres all this guilt and shame that were on Adam and Eves faces, and I wanted to make a body of work that was about guilt and shame and the importance of removing that, so that people could have transcendence over guilt and shame in their own history. (Nance 2010) Made for part of his Banality series, is Michael Jackson and Bubbles (1988) (Fig 3), a six feet long ceramic gilded white and gold statue depicting mega Pop-star Michael Jackson with his pet monkey Bubbles, immortalised as cultic and sacred personalities in an idealised state. Its initially blatantly kitsch appearance gives way to reveal its hyper-realistic approach to evoke the fragility of modern days most eminent star. The situation illustrated in the piece deals with societys idolisation and the ever more bizarre media narrative of Michael Jacksons life. Koons states, It really wasnt so much about Michael Jackson. It was about celebrity status, and about hopes, ideals, hierarchies that are placed on structures which take human form. (Nance 2010) Michael Jackson is the archetype of the glamorous, eccentric tragic and ambivalent and Koons encourages numerous interpretive possibilities. (Astrup Fearnly Museum n.d.) An additional example of a contemporary Pop-artist is American sculptor, Daniel Edwards. His sculptures deal with celebrity and Pop culture in a manner that frequently rouses controversy. The release of his works are usually paired with a press release. (Capla Kesting Fine Art n.d.) While frequently denigrated for his use of celebrity, Edwards artwork are also acknowledged as prophetic and consistent in their capacity for humanising social issues that the media and public have difficulty addressing. Autopsy of Paris Hilton (2007) (Fig 4) was produced as a confrontational and graphic interactive display to communicate to the young the dangers of drink driving. The sculpture is life-sized and depicts Paris Hilton sprawled on a bench with her legs splayed. In one hand she clutches her mobile phone whilst in the other is a glass of wine, in this sculpture she has supposedly died as a result of her drink driving, in which in reality she has been convicted of on numerous occasions. The public are encouraged to remove her innards through a cavity in her abdomen, giving a coroners perspective. Contained within this cavity is also her uterus containing twin dead foetuses, which Edwards says is to bring attention to the teen pregnancy crisis. The sculpture is an attempt to de-glamorise the life of a diva and partier which Hilton is renowned for.(Rayme 2007) The sculpture perhaps also alludes to the cult which is celebrities and their every occurrence and the media and publics unquenchable hunger to get as close as possibly to their idols. Daniel Edwards Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston (2006) (Fig 5), portrays celebrity Britney Spears in a position of natural birth, whereas in fact she gave birth to her son via c-section and was heavily drugged. The piece created much political debate. According to Edwards it promotes pro-life. At its reveal he called his piece an image of birth and mentioned that it was a new take on the pro-life perspective. He states that pro-lifers generally endorse bloody images of abortion and his aim is to generate debate about a topic that is as he states greater than either pro-life and pro-choice advocates. (Rayme 2007) Japanese artist Masumasa Morimura is a well-known example of appropriating worldwide recognised images taken from mass media and popular culture In my view, there can be no generalisation about the quality, meaning and social significance of works of art, given the discrepancies of aesthetic responses and interpretations. Furthermore, Donald Kuspits view expressed in his article suffers owing to the fact that he assumes that artists should be critics of society rather than witnesses or simply narrators of it. Kuspit is an example of a critic who universalises his personal opinion of Pop-art and delivers his judgement whilst ignoring other responses to Pop. (Walker 2009) Pop art was and still remains one of the most popular styles of art, it was successful in communicating to the general public in a mode in which few art movements did or have since done. (Encyclopedia of World Art n.d.) The reality that Pop-art is effective in generating such a broad range of responses is a tribute to its at first seemingly ambiguous character, a testament that it is more complex and diverse than some critics have accepted, and an indication that it is not as trivial and straightforward as some commentators believe. (Walker 2009)

My Goal - A Career in the Computer Industry :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Goal - A Career in the Computer Industry To have a goal, you must first find one to pursue. Then, you must decide on the steps necessary to reach that goal and proceed to complete those steps. Ultimately, after all your steps are finish, you will achieve your goal. The goal I pursue is that of becoming a self-employed web designer, and I have decided on, and implemented, many steps needed to reach that goal. Having started college, I have begun an important step towards my goal. However, I decided on many of the steps years before I started college. Growing up, I strongly desired a career in the computer industry. I enjoyed working with almost anything related to the computer field, but I was not sure specifically which area of this broad field I would enjoy most. Though my interests were so extensive, I found myself strongly leaning towards computer graphics. I decided to pursue a career in web design, an area with a great demand for imaging skills, as well as a diversity and abundance of job opportunities. After deciding on my goal, I started to research what my next steps should be. The first step was to choose a degree pertaining to web design and to find a college that offered this degree. I decided to obtain a Computer Science (CS) degree, as it covered a broad area of computer study. I researched colleges within the state of Montana, in order to avoid the costs of out-of-state tuition, and found two colleges that looked promising: Montana Tech in Butte, and Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman. Before deciding which to attend, I took nine credits at Carroll College in Helena and three credits at the Helena College of Technology to get a head start in my CS program. I tried to take classes that would transfer into both Montana Tech and MSU, but in the end, MSU would not accept all of my classes. This fact, combined with scholarship incentives, aided my decision to attend Montana Tech in pursuit of a CS degree. Having started college, I have begun the next step towards achieving my goal, but not without complications. Although I remained in the CS program for much of the first semester, I switched degrees about two-thirds of the way through. I found that I would be learning mostly computer programming in the CS degree and would not learn many useful skills pertaining to my goal.

Foxwoods: Pleasure in the Absence of Sin? Essay -- Descriptive Essay, D

Fifty two miles from Providence, on Route 2 off Interstate 95 you will find a purple and turquoise glow in the middle of the Connecticut woods. On the Mashantucket Pequot reservation, the largest gambling casino in the world —Foxwoods, sits nestled among massive, old growth trees and modest hills. Route 2 cuts a straight shot through the woods. An endless row of headlights returning from the casino illuminates both sides of the rural, two-lane road, and a string of brake lights guide the way towards a land run by rules of luck, addiction, and money. A tour bus returning to New York lights up a hand-laid, New England stone wall. In its disrepair, the wall no longer marks the boundaries of a proud property, tilled and worked with Protestant resolve. The decrepit mass of stones stands as a sadly antiqued relic on either side of a yellow brick road towards a fantasy world of elusive profits and dreams backed only by chance. The pastoral vision of a Puritan New England, with stone walls and white clapboard houses, frames an approach to the self-contained complex of mammoth buildings. They rise above the tree line and cast an umbrella of neon over an otherwise undeveloped and rural part of Connecticut. Residents of the three closest towns have complained that they can no longer see the stars due to the lights cast off from Foxwood’s enormous towers. Last year, tour buses coming from New York, Hartford, Providence, and other points discharged 1.1 million gamers. The buses shuttle constantly along this paved artery between Foxwoods and Interstate 95, so you are never alone, and there is never darkness. I asked a Yale student, 21-year-old Cory Anthony Lee whether he sees himself as a winner. "A winner. There really are no wi... ...as they fall into cupped palms, quarters sloshing like soup in super sized plastic cups. It’s a circular sound that induces you to keep going. Cresting, high-pitched waves of noise always ends on the up, and vibrate through your body to make mush of the brain. You are filled with a sense of propulsion, repetition, a feeling of the inevitable. It’s maddening, deafening, like that ringing in the ear when you’re sick or have damaged your eardrum —both a persistent ring and buzz, but one which isolates you from any realm of normalcy. The noise distracts you from the impulse to stop at your limit. Cresting waves of winning, surrounded by the circular rhythms of machines on the edge of paying big, fill you with a sense of anticipation. Foxwoods studiously prods, cajoles, and seduces you into believing that you are always on the cusp of making it all back or winning more.

Sales Report Hema

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION3 COMPANY ANALYSIS (external + internal + SWOT)4 INTERNAL & EXTERNAL ANALYSIS4 HISTORY OF THE COMPANY4 HEMA’S STRUCTURE4 VISION OF THE COMPANY4 MISSION STATEMENT5 TARGET GROUP5 HEMA’S STRATEGY & POSITIONING6 FINANCIAL POSITION & COMPETITION7 PRODUCT-MARKET COMBINATION8 MARKETING MIX8 TRENDS IN RETAIL9 SWOT ANALYSIS10 STRENGHTHS:10 OPPORTUNITIES:11 THREATS:12 MARKET RESEARCH13 THE 7C’S OF EFFECTIVE WEBSITE DESIGN13 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH15 SALES PROPOSAL17 Executive Summary17 Our understanding17 YOUR COMPANY17 YOUR NEEDS17 DESCISION CRITERIA18Our Solution19 FOOD SECTION CLEANLINESS IMPROVEMENT19 PRODUCT RESTOCKING19 Conclusion19 COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS20 REFERENCES23 MYSTERY SHOP REPORTS24 NATALIA ROJAS24 VICTORIA TORRES24 MAIKE BOUWER24 ANNA ZAJAC25 CELIA BAUMGARTNER26 ANOUK VAN NULAND26 INTRODUCTION In September 1926, the dream of  two Jewish entrepreneurs  Arthur Isaac and Leo Meyer  opened their first store on the Kalverstra at. The company became a part of the Maxeda group, which renamed from Vendex KBB. It owns Bijenkorf, Hunkemoller, V&D, Praxis, Plan-it and Brico, Dixons and many other stores.In 2007 Maxeda sold HEMA to a British company called Lion Capital LPP. The company primarily focuses on leveraged buyout  investments in Europe. HEMA has expanded into other European countries, with stores in  the  Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and France. In this report we made a sales analysis of the Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, HEMA. HEMA is a Dutch discount retail chain that is characterized by relative low pricing of standard housewares, which are mostly made by the chain itself in beautiful and innovative designs.HEMA offers a very wide variety of products, from books and housewares to food. HEMA is located all around the Netherlands, with in total 445 branches and thousands of employees by March 2011. We analyzed HEMA from different standpoints; we analyzed the ho usewares product section and also the food section. We visited in total 12 different stores all in different locations of the Netherlands from Amsterdam to Maastricht and we did qualitative research by analyzing the company’s external and internal environment. The goal of this report was to find out what HEMA can do to improve sales.COMPANY ANALYSIS (external + internal + SWOT) * INTERNAL & EXTERNAL ANALYSIS HISTORY OF THE COMPANY HEMA is a company with long tradition. The first store was opened on Kalverstraat on 4th of November 1926. Two Jewish entrepreneurs, Arthur Isaac and Leo Mever who have witnessed the hardest economic crisis of that century, conceived the idea. They have seen a lot of people struggling and having difficulties to make ends meet so their concept was to create a shop with different household items of affordable price but still maintaining a high quality.Thanks to Alfred Goudsmit, the director of Amsterdam-based Bijenkorf, this dream became reality and H ollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam (known better as HEMA) was set up. The formula was so successful that recently new stores were opened in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Additionally, in 2007, HEMA was sold to a British company called Lion Capital LPP. * HEMA’S STRUCTURE HEMA’s structure has changed over the years, as two different groups have owned it, and each one of them had a different way of handling their operations.The Dutch company identifies itself as an adapter, because wherever they open a new store they try to fit into the new environment and implement products that are applicable for the target audience they are pursuing. Additionally, the CEO  and shareholders play an important role in all forms of decision making for the company’s processes and changes, being constantly informed of any new ventures being pursued. * VISION OF THE COMPANY HEMA has clearly stated that what drives them toward attaining goals is the need to adapt to what consumers really want, in this constantly changing environment. We are driven by our business goals in everything we do. Consumers’ needs are changing and we continually adapt to those needs†. Over the time HEMA has been developing its brands, and now have more products than what they had when they opened their very first store. MISSION STATEMENT According to official website, HEMA’s mission statement consists of the following: â€Å"The HEMA style can be summarized in two words: ‘exceptional simplicity’, by which we mean that our products are both simple and exceptional. Long before the term ‘home brand’ was invented, we were creating and manufacturing our own products†.This concept should be applied not only to products they offer but also to services. HEMA’s mission is to turn day-to-day products into something exceptional and yet affordable. Another aspect is to recognize the continuously changing customer s’ need and satisfy them. TARGET GROUP Originally, HEMA's market segment was mainly the middle-low class with its consequent medium range income. However, over the years HEMA has attracted more individuals with a higher income, due to the guaranteed quality their products offer at a very affordable price.HEMA states that its target group are men and women of all ages and socio-economic classes as everyone can find there something for himself. However, different surveys have shown that the majority of the audience  is mainly  between the ages of 14-32, identifying young  parents,  and students as part of this segment. Lately we can note HEMA’s tendency to focus more and more on younger customers by different promotion techniques and actions. For example, they recently made a contest for students that were studying any form of design, inviting them to create a new HEMA product with their own fresh ideas.In this digital age, all companies must be aware that if the y truly want to succeed they must reach their target group through up-to-date methods. Therefore, HEMA reaches most of its customers through TV commercials, Internet, magazines and even direct mail. The most important of these, in this modern time and age, has to be its main website, which not only allows customers to shop online but also provides all the information necessary on current promotions and activities. HEMA’S STRATEGY ; POSITIONING As said above, HEMA’s aim is to make people’s life a little more convenient, independently of where they live.That is why the company is planning on expanding across Europe and probably also further. HEMA’s executives believe that the formula they offer is a good product and could go global. The company’s strategy is to captivate new trends and adapt to customers. To be so successful it is essential to have motivated and dedicated staff. To achieve it the relationship of trust and commitment must be created. That is why all decisions, which are being made, are based on belief that all employees are entitled to respect for dignity, individuality and diversity.The positioning of HEMA is based on the distinctiveness of its designs, which are done in-house by HEMA designers, and all the products at HEMA are HEMA branded (in most cases), which makes it stand out in the market by being immediately recognizable to customers. The competent price is another factor HEMA sells as a positioning point, although competition has made its low prices seem relative in comparison to all the other options now offered at the same price range or at even lower prices. HEMA often underlines its will to act with social responsibility.Thus, also the way of producing and delivering goods to customers is of high importance. The corporation uses a â€Å"naturally HEMA’’ approach to protect the environment. Whenever it is time to change the uniforms of their employees, they recycle and use them for so mething else, instead of throwing them into the garbage can. Moreover, in each one of their stores they practice a recycle culture and waste collection programs. FINANCIAL POSITION ; COMPETITION HEMA has been one of the most favourite Dutch stores in the Netherlands, and gradually is gaining hearts of other markets abroad.In the Dutch market, HEMA has 445 stores, in Belgium 62, Germany 8, Luxembourg 3 and France 7. In total HEMA has 10,000 employees, of which 80% are women and the remaining 20% are men. Currently the company is participating in a project called â€Å"return to sender†. However, it does not seek to make a profit by selling these products; it rather strives to support fair trade in third-world countries making sure that profits return to the manufacturers by means of development projects and education in the regions of origin.Hema achieved quite good results in the year 2011 especially if we take into consideration the challenging conditions. It had to face dec lining non-food retail spending, increasing competition, higher raw material prices as well as declining consumer confidence. Compared to 2010 (loss of 18. 3 â‚ ¬mln), net sales increased by 3%, and so did the net profit rising with â‚ ¬11 mln, mainly because of lower financing costs. According to the statements released by HEMA, the share in all categories improved. The company continues on investing, in 2011 spending â‚ ¬57 mln (amount comparable to 2010).However, the profit margin suffered (0. 5% lower in comparison to 2010) due to increase in price of oil, coffee and cotton. Total capital after the acquisition by Lion Capital is estimated on â‚ ¬1. 4 billion, of which 35. 4% is financed by shareholders. As far as competitors go, HEMA has found its largest competition against Jumbo Groep Holding B. V and Koninklijke Ahold B. V. , which comprises itself of Albert Heijn, Etos, and Gall ; Ga. , among others. Additionally, other competitors in retail include Kruidvat, D;A , and Zeeman. PRODUCT-MARKET COMBINATIONHereby is sum up of the best and the worst of HEMA's products, according to each box/category of the matrix: STARS-â€Å"Le Lapin† tea kettle| QUESTION MARKS-HEMA Beauty| CASH COWS-Sausage (worst)| DOGS-| MARKETING MIX Price Based on an overview of the online website, www. hema. nl, the price of products ranges from as little as . 50 to as much as 250 euros, specifically for the bicycles. However, most products range under the 20 euros or less mark, especially when it comes to its office supplies, cosmetics, beauty products, and foods & beverages.They also use many discounted product prices to boost sales. Product The products offered at HEMA are of a great and wide variety, and are divided into clothing, accessories, cosmetics, skincare products, office/school supplies, domestic appliances, home items, textiles (curtains, duvets, etc. ), food & beverages, and finally, its photo printing service, exclusive to only some HEMA stores. Acco rding to the principles of its product mix, the products themselves are not necessarily all consistent with each other, as their diversity is large.The depth of some of the products is also not as varied, though HEMA tries to have in most cases at least two different variations, mostly in price range/quality or color presentation, of the same product. Promotion HEMA is avid in its promotion of products, especially those that are discounted from week to week and new to the store. They use, as mentioned above, TV advertisements, billboards, employ the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google+ and Pinterest, and as well as Internet advertising through their online website. Place HEMA products are sold at HEMA stores and online at www. hema. nl.There are several variations of a HEMA store, ranging from very large warehouse style to small outlets in train stations and airports. Also, specialized stores are popping up recently, such as HEMA Foto’s, HEMA Beauty , and a HEMA with only its ready-made food, in a similar â€Å"to go† style as its competitor Albert Heijn. The products are sold directly, passing on from HEMA's own suppliers in Hong Kong and Shanghai to the stores for selling. TRENDS IN RETAIL For 2012, several trends were present in the retail business in general. Firstly, the investment in mobile applications and services has increased enormously over the past year.Customers are now able to find store locations, prices, customer reviews and eventually order said products all through their mobile phone. With the continued modernity of cellphones, it is no doubt this trend will keep on climbing and showing its importance in the retail business. Another trend this year has been the stagnant sales due to the low economy in recent times. Customers are spending more on necessary products rather than retail, and it is of great importance for retail companies to find a way to demonstrate the added value and worthiness of the pro duct they are selling, as well as placing it in a competitive price range.Additionally, globalization has taken over the world and influenced greatly on retail. More and more retail companies are encouraged to expand themselves abroad, giving them the competitive edge they need to succeed. Lastly, another trend related retail is that economic times and high prices are forcing stores to become more compact, which has actually been well received by customers, who do not wish to wander in a thousand square meters to get the one product they need. SWOT ANALYSIS * STRENGHTHS: Dutch citizens have been acquainted with HEMA since 1926, which means that a large quantity of the population is attached to their brand. They have one of the most important  advantages that a company can have: loyal customers. * HEMA can be proud of its customer-oriented and committed staff, people who do their best every day achieving at the same time high customer satisfaction. * Contrarily to majority of retai lers, HEMA sells its own original brand. The company has its own design department, where highly educated employees come up with new ideas and improved products.What is more, HEMA involves its customers, among them, young talented design students who are given chance to participate in new-product creation. * Own laboratory where all the products are being strictly tested before arriving on store shelves. * Highly creative marketing team often coming up with interesting actions and promotions attracting new customers and retaining the old ones. * Good advertising and multi channel communication with customers. HEMA broadcasts its own TV commercials, distributes leaflets, sends e-mails, newsletters and of course has a well organized website where web shopping is available 24h/24. Ability to track new tendencies and adapt them in a short period; introduction of innovative fashion or an incorporation of a cafe/restaurant into stores is one of many examples. * HEMA takes into considerati on the environment during production and logistics processes. It strives to reduce amount of energy used for transportation as well as production, limits packaging to minimum, takes care of material used and the possibility of their recycling. * Offers a great diversity of household products at quite affordable prices. * Great attention toward a customer and putting his satisfaction first.Thus, each customer that is not satisfied with service provided can claim for refund. * HEMA stores expand with a high rapidity, even monthly. * Demonstrated support for various initiatives such as FAIR TRADE, Return to Sender etc. WEAKNESSES: – Although HEMA claims to produce its products in an ecofriendly manner, still a considerable number of products are made of hardly recyclable material. This aspect should be reviewed by HEMA departments and new solutions should be implemented and comply fully to company’s mission of social responsibility. Based on the market research made, HEMA product quality is not the highest in most cases, especially if comparing it to other products with the same price tag. – HEMA is currently in the process of suffering from the so-called â€Å"commodity trap†, in which its fellow competitors are selling the same comparable products HEMA does, at lower prices. – In reference to our surveys, the cleanliness and neatness of the HEMA stores can be improved upon, as well as a better control of restocking products that are being sold. HEMA’s great range of products, though a great strength, is also a great weakness, as the management of all these products can become overpowering, and the previously mentioned quality and cleanliness control become more difficult to handle. * OPPORTUNITIES: – Its current owner, the London-based private equity firm Lion Capital, has been trying to sell the company since 2011, but there are still plans to, in a year or so, retry its selling proposal. The main stakeholder in this would be Royal Ahold NV, who currently is the owner of the biggest chain of supermarkets in the Netherlands, Albert Heijn, amongst other investments.Pairing up AH and HEMA to sell their products together could prove itself as an incredibly profitable business synergy of brands. -As mentioned before in the retail trends, HEMA could take advantage of the recent mobile phone apps boost, and include an app version of their online store for mobile users to buy the products directly on the go. They already offer their HEMA Photos services online, but could work more on this growing trend to improve sales. -Even though HEMA has a claim on the Corporate Social Responsibility as a company, they could move even further with their actions by actively timulating sustainability amongst their suppliers. Not only does this actively pursue good, it provides a new selling point for customers who believe in sustainability as an added value to a product purchase. Sustainability in companies itse lf is a growing trend, considering all the education new generations have had over global warming and the threat of the carbon footprint. * THREATS: – With the recent economic crisis in 2012 with the European Union and the budget cuts, retailers in general in the Netherlands, with HEMA included, are suffering from these cuts.The Dutch government will boost the highest value added on consumer goods to 21% from 19% before the austerity measures were in place. This will affect most businesses who handle goods that are not foods or beverages, and even though HEMA does have a part of its business focused on that, it is mostly a mixed retailer. – Dutch consumer confidence has hit an all-time low since 2003, notably dropping 1. 3% in February 2012. – Due once again to the austerity, Dutch households are facing stagnant salaries with higher retail prices, which means the consumer spending will be reduced. As mentioned before in the opportunities, its current owner, Lion Capital, has been trying to sell the company since 2011 but has so far been unsuccessful to reach its desired 1. 5 billion euro asking price. There are still plans to, in a year or so, retry its selling proposal, which would provide instability within HEMA due to the change of ownership. Of course, it can not be determined whether this change will be beneficial or not, but it most certainly would be an adjustment to the company, and sales might suffer from it. MARKET RESEARCHThis section consists of an extensive and thorough market research analysis of HEMA, a multinational retail chain that caters several products in different areas of Europe. The report begins an explanation of its target group. Consequently, there is an analysis of the 7 C’s of web, and a final conclusion is provided. The overall objective is to obtain a full understanding on the views, and behaviors from HEMA’S customers, and how these influence within their purchasing decisions. TARGET GROUP Orig inally, HEMA's market segment was mainly the middle-low class with its consequent medium range income.However, over the years HEMA has attracted more individuals with a higher income, due to the guaranteed quality their products offer at a very affordable price. The audience  is mainly  between the ages of 14-32, identifying young  parents,  and students as part of this segment. HEMA is focusing more and more on younger customers by different promotion techniques and actions. For example, they recently made a contest for students that were studying any form of design, inviting them to create a new HEMA product with their own fresh ideas.Moreover, they are also reaching youngsters through their parents, personalizing their own product is a key advantage to them. In this digital age all companies must be aware that if they truly want to succeed they must reach their target group through up-to-date methods. Therefore, HEMA reaches most of its customers through TV commercials, I nternet, magazines and even direct mail. The most important of these, in this modern time and age, has to be its main website, which not only allows customers to shop online but also provides all the information necessary on current promotions and activities being organized. THE 7C’S OF EFFECTIVE WEBSITE DESIGN In order to look into the 7 C’ S, a required observation of HEMA's main website (http://www. hema. nl) was necessary to regard how each one the forms of effective design were implemented. Context- The site's layout and design is dynamic, very colorful and appealing to the senses, making it an effective tool for marketing. Content- Varied is the most proper way to describe their content. Community- HEMA allows customers to interact with each other by participating in contests, activities and promotions, as well as allowing them to voice their suggestions and complaints.Customization-Since customers can subscribe themselves and create themselves an account, it is possible to have their own customized web page, because the web site will display their most recent purchases and tailor itself automatically each single time. Communication-Their web page uses a two-way communication Connection-The site is linked to other web pages, such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. This enables the user to check HEMA’s account in these 3 web sites and to show their most recent acquisitions by uploading pictures of the items. It creates a special bond between the customer and the corporate.Commerce- When there is a purchase of items, the options on payment are several, and allowing the customer to decide what is his or her best option. In acknowledgement of the before stated reasons, HEMA does make a full use of the 7 c's. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH SURVEY ANALYSIS The questionnaire will probe the following 9 questions: 1-Do you ever shop at HEMA? 2-If yes, how often? 3-Do you like HEMA, neither like it nor dislike it, or dislike it? 4-How clean are HEMA sto res? 5-Compared to its competitors are HEMA’S prices more reasonable, less reasonable or about the same. -In terms of quality, how good are HEMA’S products 7-Description of HEMA in 3 words 8-On a scale from 1-10, which overall grade would you give HEMA 9-In a maximum of 3 words, please tell us on what you would like HEMA to improve After a survey collection and thorough analysis took place, the results were the following: 1-Do you ever shop at HEMA? 95. 2% of the people interviewed admitted to have ever shopped at HEMA. 4. 8% had never shopped at HEMA before. 2-If yes, how often? From the 95. 2% whom claimed to have ever shopped at HEMA, had 94. % purchase goods at the store once a week, the remaining 5. 6% went to the store at least 3 times a week. 3-Do you like HEMA, neutral, or dislike it? 19% of the interviewees likes HEMA a great deal, 47. 6% like it a moderate amount, 14. 3% like it a little, 19% are neutral 4-How clean are HEMA stores? 19% believe the stores are clean, 61. 9% say they are moderately clean, 14. 3% state that it is slightly clean, and 4. 8% think it is not clean at all. 5-Compared to its competitors are HEMA’S prices more reasonable, less reasonable or about the same? 47. 6% believes the prices are reasonable, and a 52. % that they are less reasonable than the ones of the competitors. 6-In terms of quality, how good are HEMA’S products *90. 5% said the product quality was good, a 9. 5% said they were awful. * QUALITATIVE RESEARCH For the qualitative research, we went on a field trip to several HEMA’s to get a few in depth interviews with their customers. At the quantitative research, we mostly ask fixed answer questions to get structured answers and get clear statistics from it. The qualitative is quite the contrary, we ask open question thus not trying to persuade the customers by giving them several options as answers.We asked the following questions that are relative to the marketing research: 1. What are your experiences when shopping at HEMA? The majority of the interviewees were more than positive about their experiences. Not one had a negative experience at one of the HEMA’s. One claimed that they even have everything in the little HEMA’s in the small villages outside of the big city: â€Å"It is unbelievable (and quite scary) how accurate they know us, costumer! † Another costumer: â€Å"The employees are always friendly and helpful, even though they cannot satisfy our needs as costumers. † 2.How would you describe the quality of the products? Here again, the majority is very satisfied about the quality of the products. â€Å"The price/quality ratio is fairly good. I know what to expect from the products. Let’s take a their china for example, I know their bowls won’t last a lifetime. If I want bowls that last a lifetime I will shop at Georg Jensen. This way I can change my china more often and get a fresh new look in the kitchen. à ¢â‚¬  All the interviewees were satisfied with the products bought, though most of them take inconsideration that the products are not the best on the market. 3.What is your opinion about the tidy/cleanness of the stores? Positive feedback: â€Å"The stores look clean†, â€Å"Well organized†, â€Å"Good structure of the placement of the products† Negative feedback: â€Å"Too many products cramped into too little space†, â€Å"Quite mess at the sales shelves†, â€Å"The floors are dusty, though this problem appears in most shops†. The opinions on this question are fairly divided. The bigger shops seemed to have more negative feedback, due to its large variety of products. The overview was lost and the employers were having troubles keeping the shelves organized and the store clean.Response Summary Criteria-8 people were individually interviewed for more in-depth findings, and 40 answered a survey. SALES PROPOSAL * Executive Summary For HEMA a Dutch discount retail chain, which is characterized by relative low pricing products mainly made by the company itself, the customer’s opinion and view about the company is the most important. Time by time, the company has been including new products and ideas to the company trying to make it more attractive to buyers, and then is when the food section came to HEMA becoming its pride with products such as â€Å"rook worst’, Tompouces and pies.However, after having done some research in different locations of HEMA, we found out that even though customers like the food of HEMA, most of them think that the cleanliness of the food section is not positive. Another fact is that since HEMA is characterized by having all kind of self developed articles concentrated on daily necessities, people like to go there whenever they need something especially â€Å"urgent†. According to our research, it happens often that products are not being restocked frequently. This leave s the client with a sense of emptiness after having travelled the whole store in search of that needed product. Our understanding YOUR COMPANY HEMA is a company that makes life fun and easy in an inexpensive way. In HEMA you will find the remarkable combination of â€Å"only the best items for everyday life, with its own especial design, for surprisingly low prices† and with a staff that is always ready to help you with pride, commitment and with love for their company. YOUR NEEDS HEMA is a store where customers go mostly when they need to find something in particular, for example house ware products, school accessories or to have the 1euro breakfast. Customer who go to HEMA, mostly know what they are looking for and what they can find at HEMA.Therefore, HEMA needs to be always prepared to receive these customers, by knowing and having in advance what they are looking for. HEMA needs to create an especial importance to restocking of products. Since most HEMA’s is a lar ge store, where you mostly spend more time than in a particular store, clients do not like to go there, looking for something they know HEMA provides and not finding it because of restocking issues. Makeup, stationery, and house ware tools are some of the sections that have to be always filled. HEMA has a rather small food section, however it is famous for the good taste and low price of their products.The 1euro breakfast, the famous worst and the pastry attract fixed buyers day by day to the store. However, after our research we found out that clients were not especially happy with the cleanliness of this section. Most of the time workers who receive money are the same ones that fixed or deliver the food, this without changing or wearing hand gloves. There must be in HEMA a clear differentiation between the person who is handling the cash and that who is touching the food. In the case that this is the same person there should be a imminent use of hand gloves for each of those actio ns. Prioritized list of needs: More frequently restocking of HEMA products. * Improvement of cleanliness in the food section. DESCISION CRITERIA Key Decision Criteria| Importance(High, Med, Low)| 1. Product Restocking| Med| 2. Food Section Cleanliness Improvement| High | * Our Solution FOOD SECTION CLEANLINESS IMPROVEMENT * For the food section the solution is the implementation of gloves for all employees; enough gloves to be changed after a certain amount of time. Another solution is the distinction of the person working at the register and the person handling and preparing the food. There should not be one person who can use cash and prepare food at the same time.If necessary and for the variation there could be shifts so the employees can also perform different activities, however for one employee the shift should not chance more than once daily. Example: Natalia receives payments from 9 to 12 and then from 12 to 5 she prepares food. PRODUCT RESTOCKING * For the restocking probl em, there could be more frequently revisions of the products that need to be restocked, maybe once a week. Then the making of a product criterion should be made, recognizing which products are the most sold and therefore have to be always available.After the identification of those products, there should be made an agreement that within certain time (for example 2 weeks) those products will be delivered to the store, regardless of the already in store stock of that product. * Conclusion Our group chose HEMA as company for the importance of the store to the Dutch market. HEMA is a story with many years of experience and long trajectory in the market where customers go to purchase good quality products, with personal and innovative designs all for average low prices. Even though we did not find almost any negative points of the company and we were very leased with many aspects of HEMA such as the employees treatment towards customers or the large scale of products they offer, we all a greed on the fact that there are many times that the desired product by the customer is not in stock or the low use of gloves and cleanliness when attending the food section. These two are aspects that are rather easy to improve and that could increase the customers experience and loyalty for HEMA, of course also growing sales of new and fixed clients. COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS Last year HEMA obtain great results in an downsizing economie.It has maintained their position within the retail industry by winning the ‘best retail yearprice by ING’ again! Ronald Putting, CEO: â€Å"I am very proud that I can tell you that we, despite a tough economic year, have been continuing our strong line of growth. During the past year HEMA celebrated its 85th anniversary! Thus we have the recent openings of Gare du Nord and Gare Saint Lazare and next to those we already have several successful stores in France. HEMA has grown into an international retail company that continues to grow, with a strong brand that is appreciated by our customers both at home and abroad.This appreciation was once more when the consumer Netherlands HEMA in 2011 chose to best store. In 2011, market conditions were challenging and are expected to deepen the crisis in 2012. Consumers will have more need of a shop where they can rely and which also continues to surprise. A shop where the staff is ready to help consumers with special designed products of good quality and for a low price. So every day we try to make the daily lives of our customers a little bit more fun and easier. † A few figures of the year 2011 – Consumer sales went up to EUR 1. 02 million – Net sales increased just as in 2010 by more than 3% to EUR 1,150 million – The market share of HEMA in all categories improved – The operating result (EBITDA) remained virtually unchanged (euro 155 million) – 47 new stores were opened: 33 in the Netherlands, 8 in Belgium, 2 in Germany and 4 in France. Improvements that can be made In our sales proposal you can read that the most important thing we think that HEMA can improve are: 1. Product restocking 2. Food section cleanliness improvement Lets start of with the product restocking.To sum up the stocks in the store are not at neat as it should be. Some products are placed in the middle of the corridor, which gives a messy appearance of the whole store. In our opinion the manager who is responsible for the product division and visual standards should be educated about this particular subject. HEMA could decide to give those managers some extra training. For improvement of the HEMA food section employees can be trained by a dutch company called HACCP Direct. This will cost HEMA â‚ ¬69,- per store and they will receive a HACCP certificate that is needed to sell food in Holland.Because HEMA is already licenced to sell food the certificates are not necessary to obtain again. But we do think that some extra training is neede d and can be obtained by following an online course. This course will obtain the following subjects: 1. The importance of hygiene and the HACCP method 2. Personal hygiene 3. Cleaning, waste and vermin 4. Temperature Control 5. Furnishing of business premises 6. Purchasing, Storage and shelf life 7. (For) preparing, presenting and serving After these two points of improvement we believe that HEMA is right where they want to be, HEMA wants to be number one.The best in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, France and beyond. HEMA believes that the traditional Dutch success formula of special simplicity with everyone. Anywhere in the world: from city to countryside, from Amsterdam to Tokyo. ING Retail Year price HEMA was chosen by the public overall winner and may have a year long Retailer of the Netherlands'. With an average score of 7. 50 won HEMA in October 2011 even though the audience in the category Baby & Children. HEMA scored during the first round of the high aspect Va lue (7. 92) and Price level (7. 83).During the second round of voting – where the public could vote only on the 26 category winners – HEMA earned fifteen percent of the total number to earn points. HEMA won this award in 2003 and in 2008. In 2005 won the Jury HEMA Price Retail. Special HEMA Beauty shops HEMA opens two beauty shops named HEMA Beauty. HEMA Beauty has been opened the 12th of October 2012 in Amsterdam's Kalverstraat and the day after the opening of the HEMA beauty store in the Barteljorisstraat in Haarlem took place. Now HEMA customers can come in for all their makeup, skincare, inspiration and personal advice. REFERENCES ttp://www. hema. nl/hema/over-hema. aspx http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf http://www. hema. nl/hema/about-hema. aspx http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf http://www. returntosender. nl/en/about/partners htt p://www. hema. nl/hema/voor-de-pers/persberichten. aspx http://www. retail-business-review. com/companies/hema-b http://www. sas. com/news/sascom/2012q1/industry_spotlight. html http://berenschotstrategies. wordpress. com/2011/04/06/hema-in-de-commodity-tra/ ttp://www. marketwatch. com/story/dutch-retailer-hema-no-longer-on-block-sources-2011-06-22 http://edepot. wur. nl/167998 http://www. bloomberg. com/news/2012-05-08/dutch-retailers-face-profit-blow-as-taxes-chill-spending. html http://www. hema. nl/hema/over-hema. aspx http://www. psbydila. com/hema-beauty http://www. haccpdirect. nl/haccp-cursus/ http://perssupport. nl/apssite/persberichten/full/2012/03/27/HEMA+rapporteert+positieve+resultaten+2011 * MYSTERY SHOP REPORTS NATALIA ROJAS Maastricht and Leiden Comparing the two HEMA stores that I visited, I came to different conclusions.First it was appealing to me that both stores were clean and were being cleaned at the moment, so in both cases was the cleaning good. In the food counter in Leiden, even though I bought a closed product, which is a bottle, I did not see any of the employees wearing gloves at any moment, at Maastricht I passes by the food counter as well in the breakfast hour, but I did not see anybody with gloves either. That means in both Leiden and Maastricht the employees were not clean enough in terms of food. In Leiden I was looking for a whiteboard, I asked a girl if they had it, and she said that not in the moment.She knew about what I was talking about so she was acquainted with the store products which is good. the product I was looking for was not there but they had a similar option. In Maastricht I bought a blanket and in the casa I asked the girl if she knew if the blanket was good enough for the Winter to which she responded good enough saying that it has a level 3 which means that it is pretty good for pretty much all seasons, so I was satisfied with my blanket. In Maastricht though the girl in the casa was trying to get rid of people fast because it was pretty much a rush hour and there were a lot of people on the line.However I was satisfied with the product information and personal service at both locations. In conclusion I would say that HEMA employees are well trained and know enough about the products and the store, even though all the products that I needed were not there that is something that can happen everywhere. However probably the cleaning in the food section should be improved at all times and everywhere. VICTORIA TORRES Kalverstraat and hemareguliersbreestraat After analyzing patterns from one HEMA to another, we conclude that; hygiene should become more of a priority.Both locations shared the same pitfall, which was not wearing gloves when in contact with food nor when touching money from the customer. However, employees are well trained and able to answer questions about their product line, for instance the materials used to fabricate such product or its’ origin. Moreover, the answ ers were quite well formulated in acceptable English, bearing in mind that this is not their mother tongue. In a nutshell, the personnel are competent enough, yet sanitization is not as efficient as it should be. MAIKE BOUWER Vleuten and Utrecht Vleuten is a small town right outside Utrecht.Only recently it has opened a HEMA store where the basics are being sold. There were two employees working in the store when I entered. The first one greeted me right when I entered the store. The second employee was busy filling the shelves but still managed to say good morning when I passed by. Both staff members were wearing a HEMA shirt with black pants. The first employee helped me find the duvet covers, knew exactly where they were placed and which one I needed. Though observing the first employee helping another customer at the ‘food section’ she did not wash her hands, neither was the use of cloves involved.Overall the HEMA in Vleuten is a neat store where everything is in pl ace and the employees are friendly. They know the store very well, reasoning that the store is fairly small and has fewer products than the big stores in large cities. The food section, which one hardly can call a section, was not very hygienic. HEMA could improve their hygienic matters by using cloves or wash their hands before touching the food products. Though the employee used a tang to take the sausage and did not get in contact with the sausage self. In general, the small HEMA in Vleuten is a well-organized store with well-trained staff.In comparison with the HEMA in Vleuten, the HEMA in Utrecht is huge. The store is two stories high and is very elaborated. While walking around for a while through the shelves, none of the employee bothered to greet me. Even though I had not received a good morning, the employees looked neat and were all wearing the same outfit. The food section in Utrecht is quite large though the hygiene is not well thought through. No cloves were used when I ordered my sandwich. Wondering if it was a coincidence, I stayed around the food section to observe the others ordering their food.None of the employees washed their hands in my time of observing. The other sections of the store were clean and organized however the food section is certainly a weakness. They could improve by wearing cloves and changing them regularly. Another advice I would give HEMA is to introduce freshly prepared food instead of pre-rolling sandwiches. ANNA ZAJAC Amstelveen and Schiphol The HEMA stores I decided to visit are situated in two different places. One is Amstelveen, peaceful outskirts of Amsterdam and the other, International Airport – Schiphol. I was curious if there could be a difference in service delivered by the employees.As my report demonstrates, I have encountered a major interest, help and friendliness in the store situated in Amstelveen. In both situations the employees were kind and eager to help me. The first one helped me to find a model of a product I was searching for while the other prepared something that I probably should have done on my own. Both had no problem with speaking English with me and made me feel comfortable from the first moment. What is more, I was surprised by a discount I got at the checkout. The store overall was rather clean and kept in order. When it comes to the second store my impressions are a little less positive.The stuff was less cheerful and in some cases they could not answer my questions at all! The level of English was surprisingly lower than that of Amstelveen’s employees. It should be other way around considered that every day thousands of tourists pass through Schiphol Airport. Aspects I would like to seen improved are the employees’ awareness of the products they sell (FairTrade, for example), their readiness to deal with the customer and nicer attitude as well as better command of foreign language. There should be more pressure on keeping food fresh (it coul d be kept in special containers or coverages). CELIA BAUMGARTNERBijlmer Arena and Ferdinand Bolstraat The HEMA chain and concept is a wonderful idea that has spanned great success overtime. However, there are some points that could be worked on based on the day-to-day administration at their shops. The store has a very self-serviced mindset, but perhaps if they worked towards improving their availability to customers, they would be able to improve their sales even more. Also, training employees is of great importance, and it would be nice to see a consistency in the quality of employees working at HEMA, considering it is rather jarring to have good and bad experiences from the same brand store.Product placement is ideal, and we know HEMA is aware of this, as they go to great lengths to display products on â€Å"discount† (they simply happen to be that price the whole time, but they make the customer feel as though they are buying something less expensive). It would be greatly improved if they would work on becoming more neat in their display arrangement, and once again, have more staff on hand to do all the arrangements, the same way AH is always stock full any time of the day.Not only would the displays look more lively and inviting, but it would give HEMA a greater opportunity to sell if their products are actually there to purchase. ANOUK VAN NULAND Kinkerstraat and Nieuwendijk I have visited two stores one in the Oud-West area of Amsterdam and one in the city center. To start of when I entered the store there was nobody to great me. They were all busy with doing their own tasks and were focused on that and on talking with each other. Even tough that’s not what you expect when you come in to a store, in store like this it is fine by me.It just a feeling you get when you are in a store they are very friendly when you ask something and they enjoy their job. I think that’s the most important thing there is. Next to the atmosphere in the st ore there are some practical things I would like to point out. The division of the stores is not really practical. Some large articles do deserve a bit more place and in the middle of the walk there were lots of items on display which gives the stores a messy appearance. The foodarea of the HEMA in the Kinkerstraat was a bit messy. Different kind of ingredients on the same work plate.Nevertheless the food tasted fresh and with good ingredients. The sales person was wearing plastic gloves when she picked up the food, but unfortunately she also received my money with that same hand. I do not think that’s quit hygienic. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf [ 2 ]. http://www. hema. nl/hema/about-hema. aspx [ 3 ]. http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf [ 4 ]. http://www. returntosender. nl/en/abo ut/partners [ 5 ]. http://www. hema. nl/hema/voor-de-pers/persberichten. spx [ 6 ]. http://www. retail-business-review. com/companies/hema-b [ 7 ]. http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf [ 8 ]. http://www. sas. com/news/sascom/2012q1/industry_spotlight. html [ 9 ]. http://www. sas. com/news/sascom/2012q1/industry_spotlight. html [ 10 ]. http://www. sas. com/news/sascom/2012q1/industry_spotlight. html [ 11 ]. http://berenschotstrategies. wordpress. com/2011/04/06/hema-in-de-commodity-tra/ [ 12 ]. http://www. marketwatch. com/story/dutch-retailer-hema-no-longer-on-block-sources-2011-06-22 [ 13 ]. http://edepot. wur. nl/167998 [ 14 ].