Pioneer Square Observation Report Essay Example for Free

Pioneer Square Observation Report Essay In Pioneer square there are many places to sit and observe the people whom pass by, but perhaps one of the most interesting places to go is the food court inside the pioneer square mall. I found that the best time to observe all the micro cultures was at lunch time, when people take a break from their busy lives to come and enjoy a lunch from a variety of choices. The environment is one of the other things that I was able to notice right away, not only the setting but also how the environment affects the people at the food court, and the one thing that stood out the most while I observing the food court was the authority within the court. One of the first things I was set out to find while doing the observation in the food court of the Pioneer Square mall was to find the micro cultures. I was able to observe three major micro cultures. There were people who passed by in a hurry, it seemed like they had somewhere to be. They seemed to go by so fast with a phone in their ear, or in their hands to even notice the other people surrounding them. The second micro culture I was able study was the people ordering from various places in the food court. The most common thing I noticed within this micro culture was the way they each stood still for a while as if they were weighing their options of all the food choices they had, then once they ordered their food would sit; whether it was in the lower part or on the stage of the food court, and after that they all seemed to do the same thing. They talked among themselves, and when done they cleaned their space and left. The last and the most obvious micro culture within the food court were the employees working in their little space of a restaurant. Within this micro culture the people seemed very quiet as the food court was empty but as lunch time came around and people started to appear, they seemed to cheer up. When people started coming around the food court into their restaurant, they interacted with the people in a very enthusiastic way, and some would start a conversation or offer free samples all in order to pull people into their restaurant. I was also able to notice that the environment had a lot to do with the actions of people. The environment in the food court was the first thing that stood out as I entered. The environment was serene and very unique from most food courts. They were playing jazz music in the background, which to me made it seem like it kept the food court peaceful and enjoyable. While I was sitting there I was able to notice that the food court was designed to complement the calmness of the environment with its hanging lights, wooden chairs, and what seemed like black granite tables, with a large fountain running in the middle of the food court, where many people eating liked to stare at its beauty. The fountain was something incapable of missing. Another thing that was hard to miss in the food court while eating, was the authority with the mall cops who were passing by every now and then. Surprisingly I was able to find was that they were very friendly to everyone, and in return the public was very respectful and friendly back. I believe that the respect and friendliness that comes from the public comes mainly because of the fact that the mall cops have power, and they have the authority to take you out of the mall, so the public obeys by their rules. To do this observation at its fullest I had to put my ethnocentrism away and be very open minded about the observations I was to do. Doing this was what made it possible for me to get all these observations of the micro cultures, environment, and the authority within a food court at Pioneer Square mall.

All Quiet on the Western Front Essay -- essays papers

All Quiet on the Western Front The novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque describes the psychological and physical battles of young soldiers such as the main character Paul Baumer who was pressured by the spirit of nationalism and his school master into joining the German army during World War I. In the beginning the young students are glowing with enthusiasm with the honor to be trusted with serving their nation in a time of crisis. The inexperienced soldiers soon loose their innocence and eagerness as they watch the new technological capabilities of the twentieth century painfully kill their comrades one by one and in the end become weary, burnt out, rootless, and hopeless. Over time the young soldiers, through experience, begin to realize their years of schooling are completely useless in a society filled with war. They were taught the basics of the world of work, duty, culture, and progress when the only knowledge they need is how to survive. The author, through his novel All Quiet on th e Western Front, attempts to portray the vivid horrors and the raw nature of war and to change the popular belief of war as an idealistic and romantic character. This is evident through the barriers placed between Paul and the relationship with his parents and the rest of society who still view war as glamorous and cherish his war stories as though he were telling them a fairy tale. The novel also attempts to explain the purposes of war and its uselessness in society. The ultimate question that Erich Remarque raises in his novel is what did a whole generation give up their lives and precious innocence to accomplish. All Quiet on the Western Front is a story not of Germans, but of men, who even though â€Å"they frequently escape shells, are destroyed by the war†. This novel have could easily been transformed into the tale of a Frenchmen, an Englishmen, or an American fighting in World War I. Throughout the entire novel Erich Remarque uses the characterization of Paul Baumer, a youthful soldier, to demonstrate how war is not the glamorous, idealistic scenario that many people make it out to be but the gory, inhumane, and inescapable experience that it truly is. In the beginning of the novel the young student was ambitious, but as time goes on Paul’s attitude toward life completely changes. In the beginning, he felt that there was hope fo... ... horrors of war such as, his parents who still view war as glamorous and idealistic. War takes a heavy toll on soldiers who fight in it and in these dangerous moments anybody would have gone insane. It takes a very special type of soldier to be able to handle both the psychological and physical challenges that a soldier has to face in everyday battle. A soldier such as this must be capable of handling the sight of a mutilated comrade and not immediately chatter to pieces. The author conveys this message in his extreme use of words with negative connotation such as shells, typhus, dysentery, and trenches. In this portion of the novel a great deal of emphasis is placed on the word death which is repeated several times and standing on its own it holds a great deal of negative connotations. Therefore, due to the severity of the situation and the extensive use of words with negative connotations the overall tone of the novel appeared to be very depressing or serious. This selection a lso demonstrates just how mythical the character of war that many individuals who have not experienced the tragedy of battle believe to be true by illustrating just how appalling and grim war is in reality.

Business Plan – Convenience Store

Business Plan Buster’s A cozy Store that designed for your needs [pic] Business Plan by Lydia Chan CONTENTS[pic] 1. Executive Summary Buster’s is a convenience store specialized in servicing daily needs of occupants of the office building where it is located. It offers variety of products to satisfy customers’ daily needs including snacks, pre-wrapped sandwiches, bottle/canned beverages, stationery, greeting cards, newspapers, paperback books and small gift items. The first Buster’s Store was set up in 2007, a 1,000 square feet store located in the lobby of Empire Centre in Kennedy commercial district. This store is solely owned and managed by Lydia Chan. With fully focused and correct business strategy, Buster’s been able to get break-even in the eleventh month, and reaches to an annual revenue to US$300,000 last year. It has successfully built up an image of a convenience store that is friendly and customized to the occupants of the Empire Centre and the neighborhood buildings. With the proven success of the first Buster’s Store, Lydia is fully confident to expand the business by opening a second store with identical business strategy. The key to success is to find another perfect location. The golden opportunity is now appearing, there is a new office building, Sky Tower, will be opened by end of this year. Sky Tower is just two blocks away from Empire Centre. Besides the advantage of easy management derived from the close by location of the two stores, to make this location perfect for Buster’s is that Sky Tower is an A grade eighty-storey office building which create huge number of potential customers for Buster’s. 1. Mission The Mission of Buster’s is to provide friendly service and good quality of products to occupants of the buildings. Good mix of variety product items are perfectly meet customers’ needs in their daily work lives. 2. Objectives 1. To make Buster’s the preferred convenience store for the occupants of the building where it is situated and the neighborhood. 2. To break-even by the end of the first year. 3. To achieve a net profit of 5% by year three. 3. Keys to Success 1. Establish an image that Buster’s is â€Å"their† convenience store for the customers. 2. To turn over inventory an average of 15 – 20 times per year. 3. To provide friendly service and premium quality products. 2. Company Summary The first Buster’s store is owned and operated by the founder, Lydia Chan, in Sole Proprietorship. The concept of this new venture is a convenience store that specially services occupants of the office building where it is situated. The first store was set up in 2007 located in Empire Centre in Jordan district. It is a 1,000 square feet store in the lobby with 2 full time employees. In 2009, annual revenue of this store is US$300,000. With the earned capital and experiences from the first store, Lydia believes it is the mature time to expand her business by establishing a second store. In order to strengthen the financial and professional background, the second store will be in partnership set up. 1. Ownership The new Buster’s store is privately owned corporation in partnership basis. Lydia Chan owns 75% of the second store. She will work full-time in the store in the first year to ensure smooth day to day operation. In the second year and onwards she will be half day in the first store and half day in the second one. Carmen Chan owns 25% of the second store. Carmen is the elder sister of Lydia, she is a chartered accountant in Hong Kong Bank. She will provide financial advice and assistant for Buster’s. 2. Employees Base on the experience of the first store, we anticipate two employees are sufficient for the daily operational need. There are two full-time shop assistants in the first Buster’s store, Christine and Mina. Christine, high school graduated, joined Buster’s since it was launched in 2007. Her experiences in nurturing infancy Buster’s and daily operation are valuable to the second store. She will be promoted as shop supervisor and transfer to the new store. Christine will be responsible to coach and mentor the other new hired shop assistant, service customers, keep tract inventory/replenishment and report customers’ comments/complaints to Lydia for ensuring corrective action be taken. We will hire another shop assistant to work together with Christine. Criteria are High school graduate with 1-2 years retailing sales experience. 3. Financials 1. Start-up Finance Summary Anticipated start-up cost of the new store is US$200,000. The main cost of start-up will be inventory. It is estimated that the initial inventory purchase will be $100,000. In addition, $30,000 will have to be spent on fixtures and fittings for the store. Since it is a brand new building, there will be no maintenance needed before move-in. Funding will be come from the combination of the two owners from their own savings. Lydia Chan (75% ownership) – contributes US$150,000 Carmen Chan (25% ownership) – contribute US$50,000 2. Start-up Cost Summary This table shows a summary of start-up cost and expenses [pic] 3. 3 Anticipated Revenue and Operating Cost for the First Year pic] 3. 4 Pro-forma cash flow projection for the first year of operation [pic] 5. Break even Analysis The following chart and table show the break-even analysis for Buster’s [pic] [pic] 3. 6 Anticipated return on investment in the first three Years The following table provides the anticipated return on investment from the perspective of three years into the revenue [pic] 4. Marketing /Sales 1. Sum mary of Marketing and Sales Strategy Buster’s new store will be situated in the lobby of Sky Tower, a new office building in a concentrated commercial area, Kennedy District. Busters’ key customers are occupants of Sky Tower. According to the information from the Building Management office, 80% of the total vacant units were leased out and under interior fixtures and fittings stage. These companies will be moving in within two to three months which will secure customers flow when Buster’s is launched. 4. 2 Market Segmentation Occupants of the building are owners and employees of medium to sizable international corporations. They can be divided into 3 market segments : A) Aged 25 – 39 Male They require speedy service, just pick and pay. Half of them are wealthy Yuppies in managerial level, they do not mind to pay a little higher for the convenience and good quality. They are busy in work and social life, our fresh pre-wrapped sandwiches, popular bottled beverages and high end imported snacks will suit their needs. B) Aged 22 – 35 Female Same phenomenon as other prosperous cities, all ladies are keen to slim down their bodies and are cautious in selecting food. It is more obvious for this age group of ladies. They always search for healthy food and snacks. On every category of food, Buster’s will have a special corner for healthy food with notes on shelves for their easy perusal. Healthy food including vegetarian brown bread pre-wrapped sandwiches, low calories snacks, herbal tea and fruit juice types of bottled beverages and etc. These ladies may be secretaries or work in the administrative departments who are responsible to purchase stationeries for the offices. They will naturally select Buster’s for convenience while they are purchasing their own personal needs. This is a critical customers group for Buster’s. C) Miscellaneous This includes the middle-aged group, outsiders/visitors and etc that they have varied or unpredictable buying pattern. Continuous analysis of this group is required in a quarterly basis when Buster’s store is launched to ensure our service and products cover their needs. 3. Product Strategy Buster’s emphases are on friendly service and good quality of products that fit the requirements of people in their workplace. We do not just follow what selling in super markets or franchised convenience stores. We focus on customization. The following listed are the key categories for Buster’s. A) Pre-wrapped sandwiches : Homemade sandwiches with 4 different choices of fillings : egg and ham, beef, chicken breast and assorted vegetables. These are basic pre-wrapped sandwiches. In addition, we also provide small individual packed fillings such as chess, tomato, cucumber and eggs as supplements, so customers can design and make their own sandwiches in their offices. This will satisfied customers who are looking for variety of choices but without burdening our inventory. B) Bottled/Canned beverages The most popular bottled/canned beverages are available in Buster’s which including soft drinks, coffee, tea and milk. We also provide healthy drinks such as herbal tea, flower flavored tea, juice, Soya bean milk, flavored mineral water, and etc. C) Snacks Popular branded snacks of chips, chocolates, candies and gums are must items in the shelves. To take care of the needs for customers who are pursuing for healthy life, special selection of snacks such as sun-dried fruits, organic food, low calories/calcium crackers, sugar free candies/gums are also available in our â€Å"Healthy Corner†. D) Stationery and Greeting Cards To take care of the sudden or urgent needs of the office people, we will provide certain basic items of stationery and greeting cards but to cautiously control this category of goods occupying not exceed 10% of total display/shelf space. E) Gifts Small gifts can also be found in Buster’s. Regular items are gift sets of premium chocolates and tea bags which are appropriate round the year and for all occasions. Buster will display specialty gifts in front desk for festivals like New Year, Valentines’ day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and etc. The specialty gift sets to serve both purposes of stimulating sales and decorating the store to lift up spirits. F) Newspapers & Magazine The top five Best selling newspapers are available in Buster’s. 6 – 8 different categories of magazines about fashions, accessories, entertainment, computers, automobiles to cover varied customers’ desires. 4. Pricing Strategy As mentioned in the product strategy section, most of the categories are not common products as other convenience stores because Buster’s emphasis is on premium quality food and drinks. She is comparatively not facing harsh price comparison as other franchise convenience stores for different target customers. Buster’s customers, occupants of Sky Tower, mainly are yuppies and office ladies, who are willing to pay a little more for convenience and better quality. Therefore, Buster’s price ranges for key products are : ? Pre-wrapped sandwiches US$4. 0 – US$5. 5. ? Premium quality and healthy snacks US$2. 5 – US$7. 0 ? Canned/bottled beverages US1. 2 – US$3. 0 ? Common products that are also available in other convenience stores : 5 to 10 percent higher than them. Target is to reach gross margin (sales deduct cost of goods) at 37. 5 – 38% 4. 5 Promotion Strategy Buster’s customer base is concentrated and close-by, they will pass by the store everyday when they go to work. Location is our best promotion tool. Occupants of Sky Tower will know the existence of Buster, so our focus of promotion is to attract them to stop by Buster’s and to experience the difference with other ordinary convenience stores. They will be impressed by our friendly service, wide ranges and unique food and beverages. Word-of-mouth will be our largest promoter. A) Flyers Flyers, an effective and inexpensive way to notify people in Sky Tower and neighborhood buildings that their store â€Å"Buster’s† is opening soon. Flyers will be passed around at the building entrance a week before grand opening. On face side of flyers is an attractive designer sketch of the Buster’s store (sketch is used to be more attractive than photo or words), and on the reverse side is a list of product items that will be available in Buster’s. Distribution of flyers will be continuous after Buster’s is opened. Distribution spots will also be increased to cover the neighborhood buildings. B) Buster’s Card For initial purchase exceeding US$10, a Buster’s Card will be provided with a Buster’s logo stamp on it. Each $10 purchase onwards will earn a stamp. When accumulated to 5 stamps, a free gift will be given. This is effective to stimulate customers to buy more, or to request their colleagues to consolidate the purchase (Word-of-mouth advertising). Gifts are selected products from the store such as snack, stationery, chocolate, etc and will be changed each month to maintain freshness of the game. . 6 Competition Despite of having the competitive edge of location, we anticipate Buster’s will face competition from 2 areas. A) Convenience Stores This competition will be from national franchises such as 7-11 and Circle K. They have established extensive network of chain stores and are well-known to Hong Kong people. People are almost pass by two to three these conveni ence stores in their everyday life. Due to consolidation of bulk purchase, these franchises obtain strong bargaining power with suppliers for both costs of goods and payment terms. There is one 7-11 store located in the main street, 8 minutes walking distance from Sky Tower, and one Circle K in the opposite corner to 7-11. It is inevitably Sky Tower people will pass by these stores. Buster’s strategy in competing with these stores is not pricing but differentiation. ? Product flexibility Franchise convenience stores are selling standardized products regardless of demographic/geographic needs. Buster’s customer base is concentrated and focused. Products are selected according to their lifestyle, habits and preferences. We are also flexible and prompt to alter products items base on customers’ and sales feedbacks. ? Unique and high quality food and beverages Buster’s target is to have 70% of product items not identical to those convenience stores. Our tasty homemade sandwich is a typical example while other stores are selling mass produced sandwiches. ? Customers’ relationship Buster’s customers are actually our neighbors that we are working in the same building. This benefits us to build close relationship while other convenience stores focus on speedy in-and-out service. B) Plagiarist Start-up capital of lobby convenience store is comparatively lower than other main street retailing stores or franchise convenience stores. Low entrance barrier will attract people who want a start-up venture by copying the same concept as Buster’s. 5. Operation 1. Location of the business The new business venue of Buster’s will be located in the lobby floor of Sky Tower, a new office building in No. 23 Harbor Road, Kennedy District, Hong Kong. When Lydia, owner of the first Buster’s store, decided to open the second store, she had gone through serious research and calculation because location is essential to be successful and profitable. The following listed are factors why Sky Tower is the right place. ? Scale and income level of Customer base Sky Tower is an A-grade commercial building, tenants are mainly big corporations in business relating to international trading, banking and investment, insurance, accounting and etc. Anticipated total occupants will be 3,000 to 4,000. Most of them are professionals and/or high income level employees. This creates a beneficial customer base for Buster’s. ? Close by location of the two Buster’s Stores Sky Tower is just two blocks away from the first Buster’s store, this creates advantage for the owner to manage the two stores in the long run. In addition, the two stores can help each other if there is urgency for products that are out of stock. Staff can deliver the urgently needed goods to the other store within 10 minutes. ? Surroundings Sky Tower’s surroundings are also commercial buildings, with some exclusive restaurants and casual cafe. No convenience store located in adjacent buildings, just two which are 8 to 10 minutes walking distance. All these neighbors are valuable and potential for Buster’s. 2. Operation of the business A) Hours of Operation The common working hours for offices (white collar) in Hong Kong is 9:00 AM to 6:00: PM, Monday to Friday, some work on Saturday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. For Buster’s, business hours is 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday. Opening at 8:00AM is to serve breakfast for customers. Close at 7:30 PM is to take care of the needs for customers who are required for over-time works which is very common in Hong Kong. To ensure Buster’s employees are not exhausted by long working hours, operation will be in two-shift. The 2 employees work from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and the shop manager (that is the owner) take the second shift from 10:00AM to 7:30PM. B) Service Procedures Friendly service is Buster’s emphasis and promise to our customers. This must be clearly shared with employees that without their efforts, Buster’s will not get success. They are required to follow the below listed service procedures to ensure a cheerful shopping experience to every customers. ? Greeting with smile Greet every customer with a friendly smile who enters the shop. For familiar customers, chat with them to build-up an on-going relationship. ? Serve efficiently and effectively For customers who have clear decision on what to buy, serve them efficiently. For customers who are browsing, hesitating what to buy or unfamiliar with Buster’s products, staff must to offer help by providing advices/recommendations or a brief introduction of Buster’s products according to customers’ desires. Nevertheless, no hard sale, customers are still welcomed without purchase. ? Interaction When customers prepare to pay and leave, we must to say â€Å"Thank you† and â€Å"Goodbye† with eye-contact and friendly smile. This is the last process step and interaction with customers in a transaction, it is vital to leave a cheerful image in their mind which can be deep-rooted. C) Inventory management Effective inventory management is essential for Buster’s to maintain wide variety of product items in limited space. Ultimate goal is to maintain a minimal but adequate stock and make replenishment in a weekly or bi-weekly basis depend on products’ feature and turn-over. POS system will be employed to control in-and-out systematically and to minimize human error. Cashier will input sold items automatically. Every end of the day, Christine (Shop’s supervisor) to generate and check inventory status report and pass to Shop Manager for analysis and deciding which items needed to replenish. Christine is also responsible to input data everyday when suppliers deliver goods to ensure inventory record is up-to-date. 6. Legal Issues The following listed legal documents and licenses will be well prepared and to ensure they are all completed and valid before the launch of Buster’s. Business license in partnership proprietor basis ? â€Å"Buster’s† trade mark registration ? Tenancy Agreement with Sky Tower Property Management Office ? Employment contract with the two Buster’s employees ? Purchase Medical insurance for employees ? Business Insurance Legal Consultant will be hired to ensure accuracy of legal documents and coverage . 7. Challenges A) Sustainability of Buster’s competitive edge Location is Buster’s competitive edge as we are close to the concentrated customer base. This edge will be threatened if there are any new retail tores open in the surrounding areas, they can be hypermarket or new concept food stores that tempting Sky Tower people willing to sacrifice the convenience but to walk a little bit far to try new shopping experience. B) Constantly excite customers Our customer base is young, high-income group; they have strong purchasing power that leads them to have extensive options. They pursue for premium quality and trendy commodities. It is an on-going challenge for Buster’s to keep having products that excite customers. – End –

The Debate On Abortion And Abortion - 1063 Words

One of the most estranging moral and politically controversial issues in the United States is the stand on abortion. By definition an abortion is the termination of a pregnancy and the expulsion of pregnancy tissue, including embryo, fetus, placenta, and membranes (Wicclair, Gosman 2005). In the recent years the debate on abortion has shifted to a different viewpoint that has reopened the conversation of abortion and has generated a healthy following for abortion control. The premise of abortion control is to implement community outreach programs that will help reduce the number of abortions. I feel this would be a healthy compromise for the abortion debate, but many citizens are wholly against the idea of abortion being an option based of various personal beliefs they each hold. Anti-abortionist believe the most effective way to reduce abortions is to make it illegal. The other side of this coin are the people representing the stance for the legalization of abortion and Pro-Choice. Pro-Choice activists believe that women should have the right to make the final decision of whether an abortion is suited for their situation or not. What anti-abortionist’s seem to ignore is the large number of deaths resulting from women participating in unsafe abortion practices out of desperation. The running estimate totals over seventy thousand women each year falling victim to these malpractices with many of them sustaining lifelong injuries (xxx). Even with these consequences loomingShow MoreRelatedThe Debate On Abortion And Abortion1448 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion. This word leaves most people feeling uneasy after just saying it out loud. The discussion of abortion is continuously left open-ended with millions of opinions, arguments, and questions. Abortions occur every single day leaving potential fathers devastated or thrilled, leaving friends and families broken and distraught or in contrast, proud. 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Generally, the World Health Organization defines abortion as induced or spontaneous termination of pregnancyRead MoreThe Abortion Debate2354 Words   |  10 PagesAdedayo Adeniyi November 13, 2008 Expository writing An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced. Abortion as a term most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages. Abortion has a long history and has been induced by various methodsRead MoreThe Debate Of Abortion And Abortion2390 Words   |  10 PagesThe subject of abortion is undeniably a difficult one to discuss. There are many different opinions and stances which could be taken, however, the question for Christians is just where they should stand on this matter. 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Attending a Masquerade in In A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen

Masquerade. When attending a masquerade, a person is expected to wear a mask. In fact, it’s looked down upon if a mask isn’t worn. But, what if for some people that mask never came off? In A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, each character has constructed their own metaphorical mask that they set firmly in place every morning when exiting their bed. Each character: Nora, Torvald, and Krogstad all have masks that they put in place when speaking to each other. Throughout most of the play, it is clear that all of the aforementioned characters have multiple facades that they use when speaking to one another; often switching quickly as they begin speaking to someone else. Henrik Ibsen’s use of the masquerade serves as an extended metaphor to show the masks that the characters use in their everyday lives. At the beginning of A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer seems stable in her marriage and the way that her life has panned out. She doesn’t seem to mind the her husban d, Torvald, speaks to her, even if the audience can blatantly see that he is degrading her with the names he chooses to call her. â€Å"Hm, if only you knew what expenses we larks and squirrels have, Torvald† (Ibsen, 1192). Nora is notorious throughout Act I to play into the nicknames that Torvald calls her. She portrays that she is this doll-like creature that needs to be taken care of. Furthermore, we see that Nora is excited for her husband’s new job that will increase their income substantially. This is the first mask that theShow MoreRelatedRealism and Ibsens a Dolls House Essay1527 Words   |  7 PagesIbsen: Keeping it Real Since 1879 Realism is a style of writing in which the author strays away from romance and fantasy and leans toward the everyday life of real people and the negative aspects of their lives. The Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen captures the true essence of realism in his famously controversial play A Doll’s House. Nora is an idealistic wife who bows down to her husband’s commands and fulfills his every wish. When Torvald, her husband, fell sick she did everything she could to save

Definition Of Corporate Governance And Regulation

it might be said: I Introduction The primary problem with the current approach to regulation in Australia is that it predominantly links corporate interests to those of the shareholders, with little or no consideration given to the employees, the community, consumers and other stakeholders. This essay will explore the concepts of corporate governance and regulation and then critique the hard law, soft law and hybrid approaches to regulation. An explanation will then be provided as to why the hybrid approach remains the most appropriate regulation mechanism, followed by an explanation of the hybrid solution identified to get corporations to consider the interests of key stakeholders. II Discussion A Defining ‘corporate governance’ and ‘regulation’ Over the past few decades the term ‘corporate governance’ has become quite commonplace, with considerable debate arising as to the intersection between ‘corporate governance’ and ‘regulation. The scope and content of corporate governance in and of itself is quite wide, capturing ‘the structures, processes and systems, both formal and informal, by which power is exercised, constrained, monitored and accounted for in the management of a corporation’. Similarly, the definitions provided of regulation in literature are broad-ranging, but they ultimately highlight the role of regulation in controlling corporate conduct. Nonetheless, it should be noted that these mechanisms of control are not limited to legislation, administrativeShow MoreRelatedCorporate Governance General Review1775 Words   |  7 PagesFirst part: Corporate governance: First Chapter: Corporate governance general review 1. Introduction A dynamic and fundamental view of business nowadays is presented in corporate governance. As a term, governance comes from a Latin word gubernar means to guide; describing the main purpose of modern governance which is guiding relations between different counterparties. 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Impact of E Commerce On The Small Enterprises †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Impact of E-Commerce On The Small Enterprises. Answer: Introduction The technology of e-commerce helps in offering number of potential benefits for business of the organizations. The main aim of the paper is to elaborate the impact of e-commerce on the small enterprises of developing countries. According to Choshin and Ghaffari (2017), small enterprises are considered as the fastest changing sector and it is posited that small enterprises can substantially achieve proper amount of benefit from e-commerce. It is found that the adoption of e-commerce is influenced by the governments of developing countries for achieving proper amount of success as well as for economic development of their country. In addition to this the advantages that are offered by the e-commerce in small enterprises is considered as one of the important factor for the growth of the developing countries. The paper identifies how the small enterprises of developing countries are impacted by the adoption of e-commerce as compared to developed countries. Importance of E-commerce for small enterprises of developing countries According to Ahmad et al. (2015), E-commerce is defined as one of the business or economic activity that helps in enabling selling as well as buying of products in order to provide the facility of business transaction. It is identified that e-commerce has a potential of adding higher value to the consumers as well as businesses in developing countries in comparison to developed countries Falk and Hagsten (2015, pp. 358). However, with the rapid growth and develop of ecommerce, it is identified that the rate adoption of e-commerce in developing countries by the small enterprises are slower as compared to the small enterprises of the developed countries. It is stated by Hanna (2016) that the SMEs of developing countries are moving towards e-commerce in order to achieve success. The presence of e-commerce has expanded quite rapidly and this is due to the benefits as well as opportunities that the businesses are getting with the implementation of e-commerce. The concept of utilizing the e-commerce with the help of internet software as well as services helps in endeavor the linkage of internet use with the various types of opportunities that it generally offers to the firms Turban et al. (2017,pp.57). It further helps in recognizing that the strategic potential of internet use helps in controlling the bounds of relationships as well as interfaces that is mainly utilized between the business as well as customers that is mainly associated with the strategy of the firm. Impact of e-commerce on small enterprises It is opined by Abou-Shouket al. (2016) e-commerce helps in offering a number of potential benefits both to large business as well as to small enterprises. The studies help in elaborating the benefit as well as impact of e-commerce on the business of the organization. E-commerce helps in offering number of unmatched savings in terms of different types of transaction costs Savrul, Incekara and Sener (2014, pp. 37). In addition to this, it is identified that with the utilization of e-commerce the business can shorten their traditional supply chains for minimizing the transportation obstacles. Despite of the benefits that the small enterprises obtain due to the adoption of e-commerce into their business, it is identified that there are number of problems that are associated with the identification of appropriate application of e-commerce and its strategy due to lack of proper planning as well as knowledge in ICT White, Afolayan and Plant (2014, pp.34). Consequently, it is quite hard to witness that the SMEs owners as well as managers will finally develop the strategy of ICT through a trial and error procedure. According to Awiagah, Kang and Lim (2016), e-commerce is considered as the most important instrument of the economy. The government of the developing countries is trying to enhance its usage so that the small enterprises of the developing countries can be aware about the adoption of e-commerce in business. The governments of different developing countries are raising efficiency for accelerating the economic growth of their country. It is stated by Abdulhakeem, Edwards and McDonald (2017) that may developing countries are also planning serious bid for making the best utilization of e-commerce in order to boost the growth of the small enterprises. Financial benefit of e-commerce on small enterprises of developing countries It is stated by Rahayu and Day (2017) that e-commerce is one of the medium of trade that mainly helps in creating a positive impact on the economy of the developing countries. It will be helpful in curtailing national debts as well as inflation debts of the developing countries in order to enhance the gross national product. Not only does e-commerce helps in creating a positive impact on the economy of the small enterprises but it also helps in curtailing the national debt of the developing countries for experiencing a more open economy as well as for enhancing competitive advantage Uwamariya, Cremer and Loebbecke (2015, pp.67). Such an opportunity by the e-commerce utilization in developing countries helps in holding lot of promise for developing the country economically by providing proper opportunities of penetrating both the national as well as the international market. The opportunities that are provided by e-commerce are for small enterprises of the developing countries that ge nerally lacks resources. It is identified that the advent of e-commerce as well as internet are quite helpful in reducing the costs that are associated with the business. It is identified that the changes that is sparked by the ecommerce helps in creating a important impact on the economy of the developing countries. The growth of e-commerce retail sales has reduced search cost of the consumers that generally helps in placing downward pressure on the prices of the consumer for minimizing the price dispersion for many consumer goods. This lead to substantial minimization in the number of companies that are operating in different industries that generally tend to be less involved with the e-commerce Rahayu (2015, pp.65).The rapid growth of e-ecommerce is helpful in providing major boost for different residential parcel delivery services. E-commerce as well as globalization enhances the connectivity and the speed with which the sales transactions can be conducted. It is identified that there is a tremendous enhance in online sales due to the utilization of e-commerce in small enterprises of the developing countries. It is identified that business revenue mainly incorporates an e-commerce platform for enhancing it up to 150%. This is generally attributed that most of the people generally prefers access as well as convenience of e-commerce platform. According to Panneerselvam (2016), economic condition is mainly recognized as one of the most important driver for adoption of e-commerce. Both the GDP as well as income per capita helps in indicating the economic condition of the developing countries. The e-commerce generally helps in depending on different technology infrastructures that are generally needed for connecting different regions as well as parties within the developing countries. Socioeconomic benefit of e-commerce on small enterprises of developing countries It is opined by Da Costa (2016) that e-commerce generally helps in carrying strong socioeconomic implications on the developing countries. The people of developing countries will be able to perform different types of transactions in the business for elevating their standards as well as quality of life. E-commerce utilization in small enterprises helps in creating high opportunity for the business of small enterprises with proper market access. Electronic commerce will be helpful in generating productive gains by minimizing the transaction cost of the business. It is analyzed that the consumers will also get the benefit through reduced search costs that generally helps increasing competition as well as reducing the prices. Procurement benefit of e-commerce on small enterprises of developing countries It is stated by Mazzarol (2015) that the firms of developing countries generally utilizes internet in order to achieve different kinds of procurement as well as inventory savings. The potential for saving by the small enterprises can be mainly divided into minimized processing costs for procurement transactions, reduced price inputs that are mainly attributed for enhancing competition as well as for improving the inventory control. It is identified that utilization of electronic inventory as well as transferring information helps in enabling the producers to minimize the time components as well as various types of raw materials that are generally utilized in different stages of processing. It is identified that even small reduction in the holding of inventory can cause substantial rise in profit because of the average cost to retailers. It is opined by Edefiell and Riesbeck (2015) that procurement in small enterprise of the developing countries is quite slow as well as less intensive than in developed countries so the technical efficiency that is gained from transfer of procurement system is quite large. Additionally the savings in working capital from minimized holdings of inventories is found to be quite significant for developing countries when the cost of capital is quite high. Productivity gains due to the use of e-commerce in small enterprises of developing countries According to Mazzarol (2015), productivity gains can be achieved by improving as well as eliminating the efficiency of intermediaries that are mainly associated with themarketing as well as distribution departments. It is identified that eliminating as well as transforming various types if intermediary functions generally helps in enabling the small enterprises of the developing countries to access both domestic as well as foreign markets at very much lower cost Rusko and Pekkala (2017, pp.176). The small enterprises of the developing countries mainly aim to help the domestic companies. Therefore, net externalities of work which is combined with lower marginal cost of adding new users means that the market of providing different types of intermediary services helps in offering considerable advantage to the company. In addition to this, developing countries also does not able to capture the cost savings from reduced intermediation. It is stated by Alrousan and Jones (2016) that the internet helps in offering the proper potential of saving the retail transactions as compared with traditional systems. It is suggested that greater the availability of information to consumers about the savings on the provided services then greater will be the productivity of the staffs of small enterprises of developing countries. Preliminary studies suggest that goods that are sold on the internet were priced higher than in stores Eid and El-Gohary (2013,pp.32).The lower cost of service transaction have very much little effect on the small enterprises of the developing countries than in developed countries because the lower wages that are paid in the developing countries means that the enterprise have very much little incentive for undertaking the fixed cost that is generally involved in setting up the electronic system. It is opined by Laudon and Traver (2013) that the utilization of e-commerce in small organization assists in improving access as well as the ease of information that further helps in enhancing the productivity of the capital for raising its return in context to labor. It is identified that the utilization of e-commerce by small enterprises helps in increasing the demand for skilled labor. Electronic commerce helps in increasing regional equality. It is identified that some aspects of electronic commerce could be helpful in mitigating the impact of inequality in the developing countries Pantano (2014, pp.345). The minimized production costs enhance the demand of the workers despite the fall in the input of production. It is identified that electronic commerce helps in enhancing market transparency by minimizing search costs as well as reliance on intermediaries. It is found that this effect of minimizing the process of different skill-incentive goods helps in increasing the income of work. It is stated by Kurniaet al. (2015) that due to the use of electronic commerce, the sales as well asmarketing roles in small enterprises enhances in a global supply chain network. The steady growth of the small enterprises in the developing countries has been changed due to the use of e-commerce. The growth as well as utilization of e-commerce in small enterprises of the developing countries helps in substantially reducing the transaction costs as well as helps in improving the supply chain management by reducing the cost that is mainly associated with global sourcing Alrousan and Jones (2016, pp.270). Moreover, the growth of e-commerce helps in placing downward pressure on inflation and assists in enhancing productivity, competitiveness as well as profit margins. Other additional benefits of e-commerce in small enterprises The adoption of ecommerce by small enterprises in the developing countries assists in providing number of advantages. Several studies help in categorizing the benefit that the small enterprises of the developing countries gained due to the adoption of e-commerce. The benefits are generally divided into three important areas that include cost savings, time savings as well as quality improvements. Direct benefits are quite quantifiable while the indirect benefits are not properly quantifiable and are not oftenly predictable. It is identified that both direct as well as indirect benefit that is mainly categorized into long terms as well as short term benefits Da Costa (2016, pp.47) It is identified that the short term benefits are realized in couple of months whereas the short term benefit can be achieved for gained are quite unpredictable. Additionally, it is analyzed that for all enterprises of developing countries, e-commerce helps in providing the benefit of reduced information that include search cost as well as different types of transaction costs. There are number of ways in which e-commerce helps in providing benefits. According to Mazzarol (2015), e-commerce helps in facilitating the development as well as promotion of business of the developing countries that further helps in achieving proper amount of financial benefit. Moreover, it assists in providing proper service to the enterprises of the developing countries by allowing them to operate properly as well as efficiently in provide proper benefit to the customers globally. Conclusion It can be concluded from the entire assignment that e-commerce creates positive impact on the small enterprises of the developing countries. It is identified that e-commerce not only provides number of opportunities to the small enterprises but also helps in providing number of benefits. The use of ecommerce helps in reducing cost, increasing sales, minimizing productivity as well as helps in reducing time processing. Additionally, e-commerce adoption by small enterprises helps in raising the economy of the developing countries by achieving proper financial growth. The opportunities as well as benefits that are provided to the enterprises who adopt e-commerce assist in enhancing the popularity of the technology. In spite of the advantages, it is identified that it provides number of complexities to the organization that adopt them. It is quite important to resolve the issues so that the adoption of ecommerce by the small enterprises of the developing countries is helpful in providing proper benefits. References Abdulhakeem, I., Edwards, H. and McDonald, S. (2017). E-commerce adoption in Developing Countries SMEs: What Do the Prevailing Theoretical Models Offer Us?. Abou-Shouk, M.A., Lim, W.M. and Megicks, P (2016). Using competing models to evaluate the role of environmental pressures in ecommerce adoption by small and medium sized travel agents in a developing country.Tourism Management,52, pp.327-339. Ahmad, S.Z., Abu Bakar, A.R., Faziharudean, T.M. and Mohamad Zaki, K.A. (2015). 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SMEs engagement with e-commerce, e-business and e-marketing.Small enterprise research,22(1), pp.79-90. Panneerselvam, R. (2016). Managing E-Commerce Adoption Challenges for SMEs in Developing Countries. InEncyclopedia of E-Commerce Development, Implementation, and Management(pp. 1241-1249). IGI Global. Pantano, E. (2014). Innovation drivers in retail industry.International Journal of Information Management,34(3), pp.344-350. Rahayu, R. and Day, J. (2017). E-commerce adoption by SMEs in developing countries: evidence from Indonesia.Eurasian Business Review,7(1), pp.25-41. Rahayu, R.(2015).E-Commerce Adoption by Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Indonesia: An Empirical Study of Influencing Factors and the Impact of E-Commerce Adoption on SME Performance(Doctoral dissertation, University of Huddersfield). Rusko, R. and Pekkala, J. (2017). About the E-commerce Activities in Finnish Lapland-Perspectives of Consumers and Entrepreneurs: E-Commerce in Lapland. InSocio-Economic Perspectives on Consumer Engagement and Buying Behavior(pp. 175-195). IGI Global. Savrul, M., Incekara, A. and Sener, S.(2014). The potential of e-commerce for SMEs in a globalizing business environment.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,150, pp.35-45. Stiglitz, J. E. (2007). Making Globalization Work. New York: W. W. Norton Company. Turban, E., Outland, J., King, D., Lee, J.K., Liang, T.P. and Turban, D.C. (2017).Electronic Commerce 2018: A Managerial and Social Networks Perspective. Springer. Uwamariya, M., Cremer, S. and Loebbecke, C.(2015). ICT for Economic Development in Rwanda: Fostering E-Commerce Adoption in Tourism SMEs. InProceedings of the SIG GlobalDev Eighth Annual Workshop. White, G.R., Afolayan, A. and Plant, E. (2014). Challenges to the adoption of e-commerce technology for supply chain management in a developing economy: a focus on Nigerian SMEs. InE-commerce Platform Acceptance(pp. 23-39). Springer International Publishing.