Concert Paper About Blue Man Group

Sarah DeMattio LA 321-801 Concert Paper 2/2/13 Though I had often heard of them growing up, I never really knew who, or what, Blue Man Group was. When my nineteenth birthday came along earlier this past January, my best friend decided that in celebration of my birthday, we would be solving our own age-long mystery about Blue Man Group. We were going to a show to see what exactly it was that these blue men did. My initial reaction was certainly less than satisfied when my best friend told me that she got us tickets to see Blue Man Group for my birthday.I remembered a discussion we had had a few months prior when we spoke avidly about how our parents always made references to something called â€Å"the blue man group† as we were growing up, and that we still to that day had no idea what it was or why it was being referenced in the first place. Though still not completely convinced, I bit my tongue, thanked my friend for the gesture, told her I could not wait to see the show, and calmed myself with the thought that at least finally, my questions of the smurph band would be answered. On January 6th, 2013, my friend Kaya and I made our way downtown.We had tickets to see the 8 p. m. show of Blue Man Group at the Astor Place Theater. Upon arrival to the venue, my reservations about the experience became even more acute; the theater looked like some kind of underground grunge dungeon I’ve heard about and warned of. We entered the theater lobby where I immediately noticed the concession and souvenir stand, because aside from the usual assortments of cookies, popcorns and soft drinks, the top recommended item to buy was a poncho. My suspicions instantly hit their zenith. â€Å"Kaya, what the heck did you bring me to?! Kaya laughed off my remark and once we were seated, elaborated about the ponchos. She told me that contrary to typical shows, where the closer your seat is to the stage in orchestra, the more expensive the seat becomes, Blue Man Group actuall y offers a discounted price for the first 5 rows of Orchestra. The â€Å"splash zone,† if you will. And that of course, explains the need for ponchos. Our seats happened to be the first row behind the last row of the â€Å"splash zone†, so obviously I spent the entire show holding my breath a little in fear that bodily fluids of any kind would make their way to me. They didn’t, thankfully.Blue Man Group consisted of three men that were all bald, blue, wore black clothing, and had extremely large mouth capacities. My favorite moment of the entire 105-minute show is hard to decide, both honestly and to my surprise. One of my top favorite and most impressed moments of the show was each time the men played their large bongo-type, garbage receptacles as drums. Two men played their own drums simultaneously while the third man stood in the middle of the two and squirted different colored liquids onto the drums, thus splashing colorful water everywhere and creating some kind of a rainbow waterfall.It was both visually fantastic and musically pleasing. The Blue Man Group’s abilities varied, but certainly never failed to impress. I cannot really describe what they played, or even did. They seem to have a knack for making instruments out of anything but instruments, and creating art with anything but art supplies. The combination of the sarcastic, poking-fun-at-society nature of the Blue Man Group along with their quirky abilities, talents, and looks, was what made the entire experience such a pleasantly surprising and enjoyable one.I am not a big fan of freaky looking characters that do odd things, spit into the audience, and chew Captain Crunch cereal in harmony, but for Blue Man Group, I made the exception and would again and again in a heartbeat. The show was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It is a different and interesting approach to having fun, and I am determined to make any other doubters in my life see what Blue Man Gro up is all about for themselves.

Argumentative Essay: Sin Taxes Are Positive for Society

Governments Should Tax Sin Products Higher In our country, the government has traditionally taxed some goods at a higher rate or at an additional rate. They do this to products called sin products, like cigarettes and alcohol. The government does this as a way to discourage the abuse or over use of these products. Recently, governments have tried to raise taxes on other products like large, sugar-filled soft drinks and junk foods. There has been opposition to raise taxes on soft drinks and snack foods, but it is a good idea.There is evidence that these taxes can reduce the number of people who purchase these items. Therefore, the added cost can help people be make better choices and be healthier. Sin taxes are something that governments have been doing for hundreds of years. They have existed since the 1600’s in England and started in the United States during colonial times. The government taxes products like alcohol and cigarettes to increase the price and decrease demand. Th e hope is that the increased cost will stop people from buying the products or cause them to buy less of the product.Governments especially hope that it will stop kids from buying these products because they are too expensive. If prices are raised on junk foods and sodas, it would cause people to buy less of them. This would be especially true of kids because they have less money to waste. Kids have to rely on their allowances to make purchases and they would think twice before using it to buy expensive snacks. The healthier, lower-priced snacks would be more affordable and encourage kids to make better choices.The higher cost of cigarettes and alcohol discourage younger people to start using these products and can even cause some existing users to quit. Governments hope that increasing taxes on junk foods will have the same effect. Sin taxes can cause heath care costs to decrease because they force people to stop doing things that hurt their bodies. The tax is a way for the governm ent to encourage us to be healthier people. Sin taxes have always existed in society as a way to discourage bad habits and behaviors. It is logical for the government to want to expand sin taxes rom cigarettes and alcohol to new health threats in our lives, like soft drinks and junk foods. By increasing the cost of these products, governments can cause some current users to stop or lessen the amount of these products that they use. The added tax can also discourage some people from starting to use the products. This can really affect young people because they have a limited disposable income and the higher cost would discourage children from purchasing them. Governments also hope that by raising the costs on certain products that are not healthy, they would be promoting healthier products.Sin taxes can encourage healthier lifestyles in people and cause medical costs to go down. They have a positive effect on society. Tyler Kelly#17 ASD1/13/13 Outline Governments Should Tax Sin Produ cts Higher Paragraph 1: Introduction: * government traditionally taxed some goods at higher rate * do it to sin products, like cigarettes and alcohol. * does it to discourage abuse or over use * raise taxes on soft drinks and junk foods * opposition to taxes on soft drinks and snack foods, but good idea. evidence taxes reduce people who purchase * added cost help people make better choices and be healthier. Paragraph 2: Body: * something governments doing for hundreds of years * 1600’s in England and started in US in colonial times * government tax alcohol and cigarettes to increase price and decrease demand * hope increased cost stop people from buying or buy less * hope it will stop kids from buying because too expensive * prices raised on junk foods and soda cause people to buy less * kids have less money to waste kids rely on allowances and would think twice before buying expensive snacks * healthier, lower-priced snacks more affordable and encourage better choices. Parag raph 3: Body: * higher cost of cigarettes and alcohol discourage young people start using * cause some existing users to quit * increasing tax on junk foods have same effect * sin taxes cause heath care costs to decrease because force people to stop doing things that hurt bodies. * way for government to encourage us to be healthierParagraph 4: Conclusion: * sin taxes always existed as way to discourage bad habits * logical for government to expand sin taxes to soft drinks and junk foods * increasing cost can cause users to stop or lessen use * tax can discourage people from starting to use * affect young because limited income and higher cost would discourage purchasing * raising the costs will promoting healthier products * encourage healthier lifestyles and cause medical costs to go down * positive effect on society

Tapal Tea Pvt. Limited: Report

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Sahiwal Campus Tapal Tea (Pvt) Limited ADVISOR: MR. MUZHAR JAVED Lecturer Submitted By: MUHAMMAD AHSAN RAZA CIIT/FA08-MBA-012/SWL COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Sahiwal 520-B Jail Road, Sahiwal, and Tel: 040-9200100, Fax: 040-9200102 Acknowledgement ? ? ? ? ? Countless thanks to ALLAH Almighty for giving me such extraordinary abilities and making me privileged enough to take part in such activities and all respects and regards to Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) for giving me the faith paving me on the right path with the essence of faith in GOD. I would like to thank our Supervisor Mr. Muzhar Javed for his cooperation and help. He fully supported me throughout my work. I express my heartiest gratitude to him. His cooperation made this project a lot much easier. I would also like to express my heartiest gratitude to: Mr. Muhammad Naeem Khan, Regional Sales Manager, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Mr. Muhammad Kashif, Zonal Sales Manager, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Mr. Fakhar Ayub Raja, Territory Sales Officer, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Bundle of thanks to my parents, who were and are very supportive and cooperative at every time. Table of Contents Executive Summary3 TAPAL TEA4 History of Tapal Tea4 VISION5 Mission6 Business Operation9 Company Management9 Organizational Chart of Islamabad Region13 Corporate Information14 SWOT Analysis15 Marketing Strategy24 MARKETING MIX28 Competitive Strategy32 Business Process Analysis37 Learning as an Internee48 Duties49 Accomplishments51 New Knowledge Acquired54 Problem Encountered54 How Experience Impacts My Career54 CONCLUSION55 Glossary56 References57 Index58 Executive Summary From the dimmest of history when around 2727 B. C. few leaves of a wild shrub tea blew into the royal bowl of boiling water being sipped by the legendary Emperor Shah Nung, known as the Divine Husbander as well as a patron of arts. Tapal Tea here brought tea from the royal bowl to the common man's cups as the most sought after beverage the country over. Under the management of the founder's son, Faizullah A. Tapal, the company continued to grow and innovate. Currently it is being managed by the fo under's grandson, Aftab F. Tapal who has continued giving further strength to the foundations of quality laid by his family. After studying abroad, Aftab F. Tapal returned to introduce professional management and unique production ideas into the business. His progressive outlook resulted in the total automation of the tea plants in Karachi. Their motto â€Å"Never Compromise on Quality† remains the by word on the lips of all engaged in producing Tapal Tea that has resulted in customer's brand loyalty and their unflinching addiction. The testimony of their quality has made them the first tea company in Pakistan to earn the ISO-9001:2000 Quality Certificates. Pioneer of the Danedar category in Pakistan, Tapal's Danedar remains a firm favorite around the country with its grape-nutty appearance, rich golden color and a strong refreshing taste. In fact its popularity is such that several multinationals have launched their own versions, but Tapal remains the original and ultimate Danedar because of its unique color, aroma and taste. Color and a strong refreshing taste are its most significant attributes. Tapal is proud to have been a part of Pakistan's history since its inception. As a company they have grown and flourished together with the great nation. Founded by Adam Ali Tapal, the company first started marketing a number of quality blends to Pakistani consumer market through continuous innovation and research and development they gain 41% share of Pakistani market. They still are growing and hope to be a leader in a market in coming years. TAPAL TEA History of Tapal Tea The journey of Tapal's remarkable success is the combined efforts of three dynamic generations of the Tapal Family. In 1947, Tapal started out as a family concern under the personal supervision of its founder, Adam Ali Tapal. Against tough competition Adam Ali's unique blend, later named Family Mixture, became a hot favorite and eventually the largest selling brand in the unorganized tea market. From this auspicious beginning, Tapal moved from success to success introducing tea brands to suit every taste and pocket, sold from its retail outlet in Jodia Bazar, Karachi. The quality of Tapal tea soon became legendary and people from all parts of Karachi started lining up at the outlet to purchase tea. For their convenience, Tea distribution was initiated to retail outlets around the city. The company continued to grow under the management of the founder's son, Faizullah A. Tapal. Today the founder’s grandson, Aftab F. Tapal, manages Tapal Tea. After studying abroad, Aftab Tapal returned to Pakistan to introduce professional management and unique production ideas to the business. A well trained tea taster and tea connoisseur himself, Aftab Tapal introduced new tea concepts and developed a wide range of tea blends catering specifically to the tastes of people throughout Pakistan. His progressive outlook resulted in giving further strength to the foundation of quality laid by his family. Making a modest beginning over half a century back, today Tapal has become the largest, 100% Pakistani owned Tea Company in the country. It has modern tea blending and packaging factories, warehouses equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and a team of highly dynamic professionals headed by Aftab Tapal himself. VISION TAPAL’S VISION: TAPAL’s Environmental Vision is: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sustainable world, a world in which human populations can continue to exist indefinitely with a high standard of living and health †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To produce, market & distribute its product in a way that does not cause harm to people or damage to the Environment. We believe our activities should: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Respect the environment †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Generate economic benefits †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Create positive influence in the society †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Create opportunities for good quality of life Our Philosophy is: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To act locally, but think globally Our employees are: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Provided with the information & training necessary to enable them to perform their tasks in a hygienic manner. Mission â€Å"To satisfy our stakeholders and as a guiding principle to our business; be a benchmark for Quality, Creativity and Ethical values Achieve leadership in all categories of our core business and diversify in areas which compliment the core business. DISCOVERY OF TEA: In 2727 B. C Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung was boiling drinking water when a few leaves of a wild tea tree blew into the royal bowl. He discovered that the leaves imparted a delightful flavor to his water, and so it became his favored drink . It is probable that tea was first cultivated in China, though it is possible that people in Thailand and Burma have used it for as long as the Chinese have. The China tea plant was taken to Japan in about AD 800, where it was regarded as a medicine for several hundred years, until green tea was developed to become a popular beverage. Tea was introduced into England, as a gift from the British East India Company, in about AD 1660 and to rest to Europe soon thereafter. By the end of the 19th century, China still supplied the bulk of the world’s tea. In 1886 it exported 136 million kg, of which 77 million kg went to Britain, while India produced 40 million kg. But within a few years India moved ahead of China in world trade. Ceylon (Sri Lanka) emerged as a tea producer in 1867 and Java (now part of Indonesia) in 1878. Today, traditional tea growing countries of China India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Japan have been joined by many others in South America (Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador) and Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, and Mozambique). Tea is generally considered the oldest prepared beverage. Whatever its color (black, green, yellow or white, depending on how it has been processed), tea can be produced from three main varieties: camellia seinensis, camellia seinensis assamic and camellia seinensis Cambodians. When the tea tree grows under natural conditions, it is evergreen and can reach 10 to 15 meters, but when it is cultivated in gardens (the name given to tea plantation worldwide), its height is artificially limited to one meter in order to facilitate the pickers. Tea trees are grown mainly in tropical and subtropical regions with humidity of 70% to 90%. Rainfalls must be abundant and regularly distributed throughout the year, with a yearly average of 1,500 to 2,500 millimeters. PRODUCTION: Leaves can be picked by hand or mechanically. Manual picking yields leaves of higher quality. Picking is generally done according to the maturity of the leaves (from the top to the bottom of the tree, as a rule) and three levels of quality can be distinguished: †¢ Imperial picking involves picking only the terminal bud (Pekoe) and the first leave.? †¢ Fine picking involves picking the terminal bud and the first two leaves. †¢ Classical picking, the main technique used today, includes the terminal bud plus three to four leaves. Because of the product's perishable nature, final processing must occur as soon as possible after the leaves are picked, and special care is required during transportation and storage. The average yield per hectare from 1990 to 2003 was around 1. 2 metric tons, with yields in leading producing countries being 1. 4 tons per hectare in Sri Lanka and 2 tons per hectare in Kenya. Black tea is the only kind of tea that is subject to international quality regulations. It is classified according to two main methods, orthodox and crushing/tearing/curling (CTC). Within both categories tealeaves are classified into sub-categories, with the best quality represented by the pekoe and the condition of the pekoe and the lowest by the dust of leaves. Business Operation Company Management Aftab Tapal CEO, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. He introduced professional management and unique production ideas to the business. Being one of the few professional tea tasters in the country, and a tea connoisseur himself, his progressive outlook has given further strength to the foundation of quality laid by his family, and has bought the Tapal company to newer and higher levels of success. Evolving and innovating its way through its near 60 years history, Tapal is presently the largest, 100% Pakistani owned Tea Company in the country. Its has set new standards for modern tea blending and packaging factories, warehouses equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and a team of highly dynamic professionals headed by Aftab Tapal himself. He has established three production facilities in Pakistan, two in Karachi and one in Raiwind. In order to provide consistent quality, which is his commitment to his consumers, he brought in his organization the discipline of ISO 9001/2000. With such focused objectives and honesty in business dealings Mr. Aftab Tapal has been able to successfully compete against the multinational companies and has captured more than 35% market share of the organized market sector of Pakistan and is one of the top 100 tax paying companies of Pakistan and one of the top 5 FMCG companies of Pakistan. Haroon Rashid GM Marketing, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Mohammedi Miabhoy Chief Operating Officer, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Ayyaz Ali Khan GM Sales, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Mohsin M. Saify GM Tea & Blend, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Muhammad Shabbir GM Supply Chain, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Syed Zafar Ali GM Administration, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Own Ali GM Finance, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Anjum Pervaiz GM Projects, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Asghar Amin Head of Information Services, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Arshad Sohail Head of Production, Maintenance & Quality Juzer Yousuf Ali Employee Relations Manager Imran Ali Khan Manager HR, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Organizational Chart of Islamabad Region Corporate Information Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Head Office Plot 40, Sector 15, Korangi Industrial Area, Karachi-74900, Pakistan. Phone: 92-21 – 5063891 (4 Lines) 5050228 (4 Lines) Fax: 92-21 – 5063890 Lahore Office 2ND Floor, Block-5, Awami Flats, 4-Usman Block, New Garden Town, Phone: 042-5868738-5831593 Fax: 042 5868738 City Office Tapal House Sayedna Tahir Saifuddin Road, Namakwada Pan Mandi, Karachi. Phone: 021-2737202-4 Islamabad Regional Office Plot No. 212,213 Industrial Area I/9-2, Islamabad Phone: 051-4431109-5831942 SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis can serve as an interpretative filter to reduce the information to a manageable quantity of key issues. The SWOT analysis classifies the internal aspects of the company as strengths or weaknesses and the external situational factors as opportunities or threats. Strengths can serve as a foundation for building a competitive advantage, and eaknesses may hinder it. By understanding these four aspects of its situation, a firm can better leverage its strengths, correct its weaknesses, capitalize on golden opportunities, and deter potentially devastating threats. The company's SWOT analysis of the tea market is as under: ? |Situation Analysis | |Internal Analysis | |External Analysis | |Strengths | |Weaknesses | |Opportunities | | | |Threats | |SWOT Analysis | STRENGTHS: The strength of the company would be the innovation and the high quality products. Because of these the company is able to survive in the market and still earning a good market share comparing to its competitors. Integrated Quality Management: Tapal has a great strength of integrated quality management because ISO 9001 standard is currently being revised to ISO 9001: 2008 Tapal has taken a strategic decision to capitalize this opportunity of revisiting QMS for the integration of other management system, like: ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001 (Environment Management System), OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health & Safety System), ISO 20000 (Information Security System) and ISO 22000 (Food Safety System). This integrated system has been titled as â€Å"TIMS†- Tapal Integrated Management System. Localizing Tea Brands: Tapal tea Pvt Ltd is a fully Pakistani owned company and all the SKU’s(Stock Keeping Units) of Tapal tea are the local brands because all the p roduction, packaging, labeling is totally in Pakistan. Similarly its main brand Tapal Danedar owns the equity of understanding the diversity of the tea drinking culture of Pakistan. The Tapal Danedar is a local brand so four different areas were setup for its launching. These different areas were: a lounge, a dhabba, a cafe and a veranda to symbolize the diversity and show the localization of Tapal Danedar at the time of its launching. Strong Heritage: Tapal has always been abreast with changing trends and have adopted to the consumer and the retailer needs. Being the second largest tea brand in Pakistan, Tapal tea has always endeavored to cater to changing consumer needs. Due to strong heritage and local brands Tapal tea took a decision in 2008 to bring tapal Danedar in to hard pack with the same quality, weight and price this resolved a lot of stocking and display issues also helped retain the freshness of the tea for a longer time. The introduction of a hard pack is a tribute to the diversity of strong heritage of tea culture in the four corners of the Pakistan. The† four corners† mean the diversity of Pakistani people and the diversity in their heritage. Strong Supply Line: Tapal has a distribution network spread across Pakistan, from Karachi to Khyber with over 400 distributors. From their warehouses which are in KARACHI, HYDRABAD, SUKHUR, MULTAN, RAIWIND, the product move to the distributors as only in north, they have 207 distribution channels. And from these distributors the product moves to the next, which is retailer and then to the consumer. IBL (International Brands Ltd. ) distribution company, although charges high commission charges, offers efficient service in Karachi which it is made sure that product will be widely distributed, retailers will not experience shortage of products and the name IBL increases more value of the product. Similarly in Islamabad are the two istribution companies FRIENDS and ITTEHAD provide services for the distribution of Tapal tea which effectively and efficiently covers the all areas of Islamabad. This is also one of their strengths that they have a strong distribution channels. In the beginning the company sole aim was to capture the tea market of Karachi, as they were already in tea business here, only and then strate gically build there network to other cities of Pakistan. Low credit sales: Due to local brands Tapal tea get the 41% market share all over the Pakistan and continuously its shares is increasing. Tapal tea has highly profitable sales with minimum credits especially in Islamabad. In Islamabad in month of July the target of sales of Tapal tea was 12 tons (12000 kg, Rs. 4. 8 millions) but Tapal made a record sale of 15 tons (15000 kg, Rs. 6 millions) in that month with the only credit of Rs. 8 lac. Highly Innovative: Tapal tea is highly innovative because it not only makes the tea products but also introduce Tea as a soft drink with name of ICE TEA first time in Pakistan. 14th of June 2007 was a historic day at Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Pakistan’s own and favorite hot tea beverage company took its first step towards expansion with the introduction of its new product â€Å"Tapal Ice Tea†. The first consignment of Tapal Ice Tea was ceremoniously dispatched from the company’s warehouse on Thursday the 14th of June 2007. We say â€Å"Tapal Ice Tea Chill Karo† because Tapal Ice Tea truly adds to the fun of your chilling out style. It offers a lot more than refreshment. Brand activation: The reason brand activation is emerging very fast in the field of marketing is its control and grip over its consumer base. This field relatively flexible in comparison to ATL where we can easily customize our marketing as needed. Be it the direct consumer contact float activation, Event Management, Public Relation or branding, it all fits in easily. One of the key factors of Tapal success is that it has full trust in its activation strategy and has always invested huge amount in this medium. Realizing the effectiveness of activation, Tapal has been exploring almost all the major plate forms of activation. Event Marketing: Event marketing is one of the most effective tools of brand activation Tapal has been coveting all the areas where event marketing can be done. Tapal tea has been sponsoring the Jashn-e-Baharan festival in Sahiwal for the last four years. Be it social programs are sponsorship events like Dawn lifestyles, Tapal has always been there to get its consumers to experience with its brands. WEAKNESSES: The authorities of Tapal mentioned no major weaknesses but its intense competition as our analysis is one of their weaknesses as to stay alive against a giant as Unilever and the other one new entrant as Tetley. Centralization Management: In Tapal it is experienced that there is centralization of decisions. Due to which efficiency and functionality is disturbed. Tapal will have to change its highly concentrated culture, in order to be more flexible. Distribution System: Tapal has got the services of IBL (International Brands Pvt. Ltd) in Karachi. While due to highly focus on locally segmented brands like Meezban, there is better supply system, which is not existed in rest of the country. Highly Dependent on TAPAL’s Equity: Capital is essence for any organization. More the finance will be, higher we will be confident on its bright future. As Tapal is private limited company, therefore it is relatively weak in corresponding to the emerging trends of the market. Relative Technological Backwardness: Above point can be described in this aspect that due to less equity it is backward in adopting new technologies. No Competitive Advantage: There are limited options to attract the customers towards this commodity, because there is not clear competitive advantage aver competitors. Tapal can produce Black tea, Green tea, and Ice tea etc, but further Tapal has to depend largely on mass advertisement. OPPORTUNITIES: One of the greatest opportunities is that Tapal has its huge market, which is increasing as the population is increasing. Tea has become a staple product in Pakistan, which cannot be denied at 20 to 60 year of age. Per capita consumption is almost 1kg according to a recent research in Pakistan. The consumption of tea increases with the growth in population. At the moment, the population of the country is growing at a rate of 2. 9% annually, and the consumption of tea at a rate of 6%. This means that presently there is a considerable opportunity for the growth of tea in Pakistan. The initial re-launch of Tapal Family Mixture is limited to Karachi only, however, other principle cities will be taken into account in the future. Especially in Punjab mixture blend can be introduced under the brand name of Family Mixture. Slowly, Family Mixture will penetrate the market in other cities and expand its future market share. Traditional Drinking Habits: Tea has been a main drink of common Pakistanis and fortunately its use is increasing in common Pakistanis very much. Facts and figures tell us that use of tea is increasing at double rate as compared to the increase in population such as the population of the country is growing at a rate of 2. 9% annually, and the consumption of tea at a rate of 6%. It is the biggest opportunity for Tapal to grab the most part of the market. Expansion in other Beverage Markets: There is very much monotony of brands in tea industry. More opportunities can be explored by using innovative ideas. In recent years, Tapal has launched â€Å"Ice Tea† brand, which is the step forward to prevail in other sort of beverage market. Awareness in this regard is very much of crucial importance. Research and Development: In order to make its tea brand unique is quit difficult for any organization. R department seems to be prominent among very less alternatives. This is vital to utilize these opportunities. Expansion in Other Areas of Country: Tapal is not existed in every part of the country. On the other side, tea market is spreading day by day. So Tapal has a big field to play. It can strengthen its standing in current markets as well as by exploring new markets. Growing Health Awareness: Usually, it is considered in our society that tea is not good for health. While many research reports have published in different journals and magazines that tea is very helpful for continuous working. So Tapal should take a step to spread this fact. It can start its campaign with the collaboration of other players of the tea industry. Exports: Pakistan has very rich taste in drinking tea. It is one of those countries in which tea is widely drunk. If Tapal can get good position in Pakistan then it can satiate other parts of the world as well. Tapal should fill this gap by going for exports. THREATS: One of the major threats that Tapal has its area of the market, which is not educated, and it is using the loose tea, which may not be good for their health as well. Tapal claims that it is not possible for them to create such a big awareness for them but the Government should play his role so that these people should have some awareness of the imported loose tea. A rigorous threat is the increasing number of branded and unbranded tea in the market with ample price difference. For that, established companies need to increase their advertising and promotional budget. There is a need to get a better shelf space and more retailer patronization for the company's brand. Strong Competition in Rural and Urban Market: Tapal is facing stiff competition in the presence of Lipton. It is very difficult to compete in this market, because tea has not very much variety in its taste. To hold on the existing share as well as going further by competing such environment is the major threat. Internationally Increasing  Tea Prices: Pakistan is not self sufficient in tea. It has to import tea from abroad. And running an industry of which base is on imported good is quit challenging. There is another aspect of this picture that Pakistan has put duty of 10 pc on tea imported from Kenya. Kenya tea is liked mostly due to its taste, while tea from Bangladesh and Srilanka is duty free, so maintaining taste might be going to cost very much. High Inflation within Country: Recession is all over the world. Pakistan is not out of the influence. Due to this down turn purchasing power of Pakistanis is going down side as well. In this scenario innovation and introducing new products might cost very high. Saturation of Hot Beverage Segment: Lipton, Tetley, Vital and supreme are the some of the main competitors of Tapal tea. They are providing very stiff competition in front of Tapal. Similarly Islamabad tea and Peshawari Chai are among the local brands which are competing Tapal in rural areas. Political Conditions: This is the threat which has been facing by all industries. Pakistan’s political scene is quit unpredictable. Change of government and change of policies come together. It is not the better situation to file and implement long run policies. So it is very important threat to be considered for the exports to the other countries. |Internal Factors |Strengths |Weaknesses | |Management |Experienced, broad base of interests and |Large size may lead to conflicting interests. | | |knowledge. | |Product Line |Differentiated, Variation in products. |So much product lines but still not able to | | | |knock out loose tea. | |Marketing |Diverse and local awareness. |May lose focus, may not be segmented enough. | |Personnel |Very experienced, high knowledge. |Possible conflicts due to so many people, | | | |possible trouble staying focused. |Finance |High sales revenue, high sale growth, large |High expenses, may have trouble balancing | | |capital base. |cash-flows of such a large operation | |Research & Development |Continuous efforts to researc h trends an |Sometimes they conduct research but the | | |reinforce creativity. |advantage is taken over by small competitors. | |External Factors |Opportunities |Threats | |Consumer/Social |Increase in the population. Illiterate people go for loose tea, which is | | | |substandard as well. | |Competitive |Distinctive name, product and packaging in |Intense competition can pay so they have to | | |with regards to its markets. |keep eyes open. | |Technological |Maintenance of proper website which subscribes|Competitors are global leaders so they have | | |and provides information regarding long |more technology as compared to Tapal. | |production line. | | |Economic |Consumer income is high for the Danedar class. |Very elastic demand, almost pure competition. | Marketing Strategy MARKETING OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the marketing plan are strategically centered on 3 criteria: †¢ To create a strong consumer awareness against unorganized tea product. †¢ To establish a wi de brand recognition through the capture of market shares in the multi segment. †¢ To become the top market leader in that particular segment within the strong research and development. TARGET MARKETING: The target market is that they are defining for our brand Tapal Danedar is the A class and B+ class. The target of this brand is the urban area of the country and along with the use in offices and business class as well. Tapal Danedar is basically the one to one competitor against Lipton yellow label. The class and geographical location we can say is almost same for both the brands. MARKETING SEGMENTATION: As a whole when we see the market of tea in Pakistan, although it is not clearly segmented but, Tapal did this thing very accurately that it segmented the market very accurately. Its 11 brands in the current clearly shows the potential of each brand in each segment define by the company. They clearly look at the nature and extent of diversity of buyers needs and wants in a market. This thing offers a great opportunity for Tapal to focus its business capabilities on the requirement of one or more groups of buyers. The main objective of this segmentation is to examine differences in needs and wants and to identify the segments within the product market of interest. MARKET SHARE PICTURE: Our main focus is on organized tea market where different companies like UNILEVER and TAPAL are holding the main market share. Some other companies also present in the market but having very low share of the market. †¢ Unilever Pakistan limited has 43% market share. †¢ Tapal Tea private limited has 41% market share. †¢ Vital tea limited has 6% market share. †¢ Tetley has 4% market share †¢ The remaining 6% belongs to other market share in the organized market. Unorganized market also captures a good market share in the total tea market of Pakistan. 70000 tons out of 150000 consumption is of unorganized tea. 1% of total population of Pakistan are living in rural areas. Due to illiteracy and lack of awareness they are consuming unorganized tea, which is mainly affecting the organized tea market. Due to this they are enjoying a very big market share of the total tea market. Organized segment mainly depend on the imported tea. Mainly big players are importing tea from different countries like Kenya, UK, and Bangladesh. Last some year’s imported figures for Pakistan is described in the chart below. Unorganized tea is mainly smuggled from different neighbor countries of Pakistan. That’s why it has a large proportion in total consumption of tea in Pakistan, which is 70000 tons of total 150000 tons. MARKET TRENDS: Trends are now changing. If we see the consumers of tea firstly they are using or you can say addicted of the generic tea, which is the black one, but now the trend is changing. Consumers now want something different in taste now, as the competition is getting higher. Consumer of tea wants some new flavors in tea because now their taste is changing as the time is changing so trend is changing in the market. And Tapal utilize this trend very accurately as their innovations show us everything. Tapal Meezban, Danedar, Safari, and specially round metal free tea bags and last but not the least Tapal ice tea shows that as the trend is changing in the market Tapal also using this trend in the form of new innovations. MICRO-ENVIRONMENT ANAYSIS: SUPPLIERS: All tea in Pakistan is imported. Pakistan mainly imports tea from Kenya and other African countries like Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania, while multinational companies in Pakistan also import tea from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Tapal’s suppliers are major the importers of Tea from these countries. MARKETING INTERMEDIARIES: Tapal has a countrywide sales & distribution network. The company has over 400 distributors operating nationwide. CUSTOMERS: Tapal considers complete Pakistani tea market to be its current and prospective customers. Therefore, it has brands that cater to almost all demographic, geographic and social-class wise segmented market of Pakistan. Its customers are all people living in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan who like having tea. Tapal has always targeted families as its potential consumers. With the view that the younger generation will be Tapal’s future customers, Tapal is actively supporting the fast developing music industry in Pakistan. It has sponsored the leading singers in Pakistan and actively participates in music concerts. UNIQUE SELLING PREPOSITION: The main reason behind Tapal’s success is that it has localized its taste. It manufactures its product according to the taste and requirements of the market it is catering. Another reason behind Tapal’s success in catching the hearts of the consumers is that, it has always been close to them. This has been possible because of its strong Brand Activation Activities. These activities have added a new dimension to their marketing activities making them more attractive, exciting and interactive as possible. These activities not only reinforce Tapal as a national company but also assist all its other brands in having their desired impact wherever required. These activities are customized according the brand requirements to achieve maximum results. Not only this, these activities also provide the consumer with a 360-degree product experience, which not only helps in educating the consumer but also engages them to the brand. These activities cover Outdoor Billboards, Event Marketing, Road Shows i. e. floats, mobile kitchens etc, Rural Development Programs, Weekly Bazaars, and Merchandizing of the products. MARKET GROWTH: Industry is now on the maturity stage. Large players has established their brands in the market and enjoyed huge profit margins. Now they are looking towards product differentiation and multi segmentation because consumers are now more taste conscious and looking for variety available to them in a tea market. MARKETING MIX PRODUCT The core †¢ Tea Beverage The actual product Packaging and labeling: see figure in front †¢ Branding: red color, aspect of refreshing, hard pack and soft pack both. †¢ Trade name: Tapal Danedar, a TAPAL product †¢ Brand personality Freshness, Healthy, Innovative, etc. †¢ Brand equity: Tapal Danedar provides a quality, consistent, innovative and accessible tea reputation. Tapal has a variety of brands each catering to different market seg ments. After TAPAL’s unique Family Mixture became Karachi’s largest selling brand, the company was encouraged to innovate further. As a result an entirely new category brand called Danedar was created and launched. Tapal Daneder became the country’s largest selling tea brand with a loyal following, which shows that Tapal has been successful in creating a strong Brand Image amongst its consumers. Tea is part of culture in this region and now Tapal has become an integral part of this tradition with an unparalleled grace of its own. PRICE: The pricing strategy that they are following for Tapal is cost oriented as the price that tapal is taking is comparatively low then its main competitor Yellow label tea. The price going for some products are: 200 grams Tapal Danedar Hard Pack 80rs. 400 grams Tapal Danedar Family Pack 155rs. Prices for Lipton Yellow Label Tea are: 200 grams Yellow Label 95rs. 500 grams Yellow Label 235rs. So its price we can say that varies according to cost and even in high quality, which they are claiming, their price is low as compared to Yellow Label Tea. Tapal people never wanted to compromise on quality so they adopted value based pricing. As Tapal specifically catering to different segments of the market so its prices are based on its effective value to customers relative to other products. Also the prices are different for different SKU’s CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION: Manufacturer ——? Distributor———? Retailer ——–? Consumer The channel of distributions according to this brand Tapal Danedar is simply as shown by the diagram as manufacturer to distributors who vary according to geographical dispersion and then to retailer to final consumer. Tapal has a great channel of distribution not only to this brand but also all other brands that vary geographically according to consumer needs. TAPAL has 5 main warehouses in Pakistan, which are located in the following cities. 1. KARACHI 2. HYDERABAD 3. SUKHUR 4. MULTAN 5. RAIWIND From these warehouses the product move to the distributors as only in north they have 207 distribution channels. And from these distributors the product moves to the next, which is retailer and then to the consumer. This is also one of their strengths that they have a strong distribution channels. In the beginning the company sole aim was to capture the tea market of Karachi, as they were already in tea business here, only and then strategically build there network to other cities of Pakistan. Now Tapal has a distribution network spread across Pakistan, from Karachi to Khyber with over 400 distributors. Extensive training programs are provided for the devoted sales personnel. The popularity of its fine brands is unabated, making it the No 1 national tea company in Pakistan. Tapal caters to its customers by providing Tapal Danedar and Family Mixtures to more than 140,000 outlets in Pakistan, which include superstores, department stores, general stores, medical stores, paan walas, grocery stores, merchants, etc. Grocery stores and merchants together provide 80% volume of the tea sales. PROMOTION: OBJECTIVES: To make the brand remind the consumer as much it could be: †¢ Tapal is using both BTL and ATL for the purpose of promotion. †¢ Through BTL Tapal is focusing on display racks, sign boards etc. ainly placed to different retailers for heavy promotion against their competitors. †¢ The specific term used by Tapal is the MODERN TRADE so that they have an eye contact of the product with the customer. In this they are using shelves to display their product in big stores like BEST PRICE, BUY BEST, HARLORD’S, and 7th EVENUE etc. †¢ Thro ugh ATL Tapal is focusing on broadcast and print media promotion by placing ads on T. V and placing newspapers ads as well. ELECTRONIC MEDIA: Initially, the company relied heavily upon print media but this trend is changing now because of the in customer’s life style. Right now, company is doing intensive advertising through networks. In their advertisement they hire the services of renowned celebrities. TAPAL AND MUSIC: With the view that the younger generation will be TAPAL’s future customers, TAPAL is actively supporting the fast developing music industry in Pakistan. It has sponsored the leading singers in Pakistan and actively participates in music concerts. SALES PROMOTION STRATEGIES: The Company is running different sales promotional schemes at different times of the year depending on the sales of the company. TAPAL’s brand is backed by planed strategy implementation and followed up with affective communication its advertising and promotion is touching all aspects of media and market opportunities. MARKETING RESEARCH: Tea blending and tasting is both an art and a science and Tapal prides itself on having mastered both the aspects. Tapal has adroitly judged the factory senses and keenness of the taste buds of their patrons, resulting in the creation of various well known brands. Aftab F. Tapal is a well trained and highly experienced tea taster of the country and is recognized as a qualified tea specialist worldwide. Tapal's tea managers have been trained at home and abroad in this very rigorous and specialized discipline, and have frequently traveled to leading tea producing countries searching for better teas. Tapal is a research oriented company. It subscribes to and conducts various researches in the area of retail audits, consumer behavior, media planning and product development. This research is used for continuous improvement in product quality, brand positioning and communication according to the changing requirements of the consumers. Consistency and quality are the two keystones of Tapal's production policy, and the Quality Control Department at Tapal ensures that flavor and freshness is never compromised. That's why all the brands, whether Danedar, Tapal Special or Tapal Family Mixture, always taste exactly as expected, retaining aroma and freshness till the last sip. RESEARCH ON THE HARD PACK; According to the marketing manager service he conducted a research at different big cities of the country so that to analyze consumer behavior by this research many classes were taken over in 12 different sessions. By this research first they showed the ad of Tapal and then ask about their thoughts and feelings related to the ad. The target market is housewives from different classes and on the basis of this research tapal concluded that they have to launch a hard pack of Tapal Danedar. As its target market was not comfortable to use the soft pack due to the status problem. Now after the launching, Tapal claims that it is difficult to fulfill the market needs of hard pack due to high demand. Competitive Strategy COMPETITIVE SITUATION: Unilever owns two of the most widely recognized product lines Lipton and Brooke Bond. The major competition facing Lever at present is from Tapal Danedar Tea, who is truly a market challenger. Lipton comprises of Yellow Label which is designed for upper middle, upper lower and upper middle class, which is a market leader in the industry, it comes in all the packages including hard packs, jars, and teabags. Lipton yellow label although the direct competitor of Brooke Bond Supreme comes in the family of Unilever so it is prone to its competing attacks. Lipton follows a massive promotion scheme to hold its share. Richbru is designed for middle and lower Upper classes and Pearl dust is designed for rural areas, mostly districts of Sindh where consumption of dust is extensive. They both are not stated as direct competitors of Supreme because they are targeting to different audience. Lipton has a market share of 43%. Brooke Bond comprises of Supreme and A1 karak Tea which is designed for lower classes, originally known as Kenya mixture and then A1 Kenya mixture. Brooke Bond has a market share of 9%. Tapal with the assortments like Danedar and Family mixture collectively has a market share of 41% overall and in Karachi it has 24%. Tapal is not only a direct competitor but can be stated as a only competitor because all the major market share holders belong to the family of Unilever except Tapal. Tapal also comes in various packages and consumes much of the shelf space in super markets and convenient stores. Tapal has the biggest advantage of its assortments as is served not only by mixture but also Danedar which is getting very popular day by day. Tapal has a good image in consumer’s mind and its price is also reasonably attractive. A sizable portion of the market is dominated by loose tea or unbranded tea. However, these brands are currently threatened by smuggled tea from Afghanistan which is available in the open market duty free. This has posed a lot of problems for genuine importers of tea who cannot compete with this tea because of its low price. This unbranded tea’s have the biggest market share of 40% because of its low price. COMPETITION LEVEL; Direct competition of Tapal tea is with Lipton yellow label tea. Indirect competition of Tapal is with coffee, loose tea and other flavored teas. Generic competition includes all the generic products, which can fulfill consumer’s generic needs. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES: Tapal has a competitive strategy to make the promotion activities in all over the country, in urban areas as well as in rural areas. This is a great competitive advantage over the competitor Lipton which makes the promotion activities only in the urban areas. Tapal plan the following promotion activities: Float Activity: Tapal Danedar conducted a float activity recently in the rural areas of Pakistan. A Tapal Danedar branded float moved in different towns and the float was stationed in high traffic areas which generated the most crowds. The idea of this activity was to generate brand awareness and increase visibility. So it is the great competitive advantage over the competitor for increasing brand awareness and increasing visibility. Demo Activity: It was carried out in the semi urban regions of Punjab and was aimed towards women, in forming them about the benefits of tapal Danedar. Tapal Danedar set up stalls with branded umbrellas and tables. Women passing by were invited to the stall where a female promoter spoke to them about the benefits of tapal Danedar and disadvantages of loose tea. All that time free tea samples were given to the people visiting the stall making the atmosphere cheerful festive. This is the competitive strategy of Tapal tea to promote and aware the customers about its products as well as its advantages. Shop kiosk Activity: A Tapal Danedar branded kiosk was placed at a no. of Kiryana and General stores where promoters would invite customers passing by and inform them about the various deals being offered by tapal Danedar due to this activity Tapal get the competitive advantage over the competitor this is the store competitor strategy by which customers get awareness about the tapal products and increase and due to this strategy tapal stare getting more market share against the competitors. Relationship with Multinational Company: For getting the competitive edge over the competitor especially in tea blending packing and technological innovation the management of tapal visited time to time different multinational tea companies, such as the management team of tapal recently visited the tea factory of â€Å"TYPHOO† based in Liverpool England. The team was treated to an extensive visit of the production facilities and spent the day with the â€Å"TYPHOO† management team where some extremely valuable ideas and best practices process were exchanged between the two companies. ATL AND BTL ACTIVITIES: Both ATL and BTL activities do play a key roll in advertising and promotion of all SKU’s of Tapal tea. Media releases played a great roll to give information about the newly launched Hard Pack, service or company out to a large amount of potential customers while BTL activities addressed specific as well as selected mass audience in a particular area which will sustain for long duration. Through ATL and BTL activities Tapal has a great competitive advantage over the competitor and through using this competitive strategy they make reasonable market share and continuously increasing in their share due to this strong competitive strategy. CONTINUOUS LEARNING ABOUT MARKETS: In order to survive in the market you must have continuous learning about the market. Tapal did it very efficiently as their innovation shows this. They have the ability and they utilize it beautifully. Their continuous learning makes them real competitors against an international recognize brands like supreme, Lipton etc. Tapal Chai Family Mixture is the pride of Tapal developed by the forefathers in 1947 and thus creating a new category of Mixture in the tea market. It is the blend that started the Tapal success story, and now other tea companies are following Tapal’s footsteps by entering the market with similar blends. Danedar Leaf Blend Pioneer of the Danedar category in Pakistan, Tapal’s Danedar remains a firm favorite around the country with its grape-nutty appearances, rich golden color and a strong refreshing taste. Tea is part of culture in this region and now Tapal has become an integral part of this tradition with an unparalleled grace of its own. PIONEERS of SOFT PACKAGING: Technology is also harnessed at Tapal to benefit the consumer. From the very beginning, Tapal realized the importance of importing innovative technologies such as the soft packing process. A fully automatic facility was established where soft packs were produced for the first time in Pakistan. At this facility tea is blended and packed in hygienic conditions, untouched by human hands whilst the soft packing technology keeps tea fresh and packaging costs economical. The success of these soft packs has been such that other tea companies have also followed Tapal's lead and launched some of their brands in soft packaging. And their other innovations are: †¢ The first to introduce soft packs in the country. †¢ The first tea company to introduce metal-free tea bags. The first to develop an entirely new blend and category-Tapal Family Mixture (the mixture of leaf & dust). †¢ The first to invent the highly successful brand Danedar Leaf Blend. The first to market Kenya teas in Pakistan. The first tea company to be awarded the ISO 9001/2000 Quality Certification As a step towards backward integration Tapal has begun tea plantation at Shinkiari in the northern region of Pakistan. This project aims at providing jobs, saving the country's valuable foreign exchange and is a significant step towards self-sufficiency. Tapal is also the 1st national tea company to export tea to the UAE, Canada and USA. This is again a pioneering step towards increasing value-added exports and is also a fast developing source of foreign exchange for the country. Business Process Analysis A COMMITMENT TO QUALITY; â€Å"NEVER COMPROMISE ON QUALITY† has been the motto at Tapal since the very beginning. This commitment to quality has resulted in a high level of customer satisfaction and unflinching brand loyalty. In December 1997, Tapal Tea became the first Pakistani Tea Company to earn the ISO-9001 certification, a symbol of the highest international quality standards. Again in December 2000, Tapal acquired the ISO9001: 2000 certification, making it one of the first few companies in the world to achieve this milestone. In addition to the standard requirements, the ISO9001: 2000 certification system includes requirements for environment improvement, concepts of TQM (continuous improvement) with major emphasis on consumer requirements and satisfaction. Quality Policy; The management and the employees of Tapal Tea (Private) Limited is committed to: †¢ Produce products that meet the customer’s requirements & expectations. †¢ Fulfill the requirements and effectiveness of the quality management system through continuous improvements. †¢ Constantly review & update the relevant quality objectives of products & processes in line with the Company’s Statement of Commitment. †¢ Participate individually & collectively as a team towards the improvements of processes, personnel, environment & ethical values. Brands; The reason behind Tapal’s success in catching the hearts of the consumers is that, it has always been close to them. This has been possible because of its strong Brand Activation Activities. These activities have added a new dimension to their marketing activities making them more attractive, exciting and interactive as possible. These activities not only reinforce Tapal as a national company but also assist all its other brands in having their desired impact wherever required. These activities are customized according the brand requirements to achieve maximum results. Not only this, these activities also provide the consumer with a 360-degree product experience, which not only helps in educating the consumer but also engages them to the brand. These activities cover Outdoor Billboards, Event Marketing, Road Shows (floats, mobile kitchens etc), Rural Development Programs, Weekly Bazaars, and Merchandizing of the products. Tapal Tea has total 11 brands which are as under: 1. DANEDAR 2. FAMILY MIXTURE 3. TEZDAM 4. GULBHAR 5. GREEN TEA 6. ICE TEA 7. INSTEA 8. TAPAL SPEACIAL 9. CHANAK DUST 10. MAIZBAN DUST 11. SAFARI TAPAL DANEDAR: Since 1947, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. has been the leading tea company in Pakistan. Since then, this prestigious corporation has expanded extensively and has introduced many successful tea brands complementing the different tastes of tea drinkers nationwide. At present, Tapal Danedar is the flagship brand of the company, standing as a true national brand. The history of Tapal Danedar is a success story in its own. In 1987, Tapal Tea launched a new category of tea in the market, called ‘Danedar’. This was a ‘Dana’ blend from the high grown tea leaves of the highest tea gardens in the world. Each component of Danedar blend is carefully selected to provide a lovely looking leaf appearance that is neat, black, grainy and fairly even. Danedar blend is an excellent combination of lively taste and distinct flavor of world’s best high grown teas, which produces satisfying cup of tea for the consumers who like aromatic or flavor tea. The innovation was so successful that other multinational tea companies decided to enter the category and launch similar brands. Tapal Danedar has ever since maintained its top position in the category and is still the 3rd largest tea brand in Pakistan. As a result of Tapal’s corporate philosophy, being the benchmark in creativity, many valued additions have been made to the brand over the years. The first was the introduction of Tapal Danedar teabags and later the innovative string less â€Å"Round Tea Bags† were launched. The most important feature of this top quality Danedar brand is that the characteristics of a brewed cup remain intact even after a long time. Tapal Danedar has throughout been an extremely strong brand, creating loyal consumers across Pakistan. Simply, Danedar is a powerful brand and a great value product and there is no real substitute of it. Today, the Danedar family comprises of a multiple SKU’s (stock keeping units) including 3 trade mark soft pack variations, 3 enveloped pack sachets, a high utility jar, a pouch and the ground breaking convenient teabags. 100 g 200 g 400 g 1000 g JAR FAMILY MIXTURE: Family Mixture is a blend of high grown Kenyan primary leaf and dust grades, which are carefully selected for their rich color, distinct flavor and a bright golden lively appearance. It is a pioneering brand which started its journey in 1947. It’s a brand that brought about significant success, in fact, a breakthrough for the Company. Besides, it pioneered a unique mixture of leaf and dust tea in Pakistan. As a blend, it took no time to take off and found favor with taste buds from varying levels of market segments. The blend, perhaps, stays at the core of success. The strength of Tapal Family Mixture is not only due to Company’s inherent interest in the brand but owes a great deal to the farsighted vision of its creators, with a deep understanding of the habits of millions of country’s tea drinkers. Tapal Family Mixture has been around and kicking for several decades now. In spite of long years of facing competition, which became tougher by the year, Tapal Family Mixture still holds it’s own. Backed by growing intelligent marketing, TFM today continues to command a leadership position in Pakistan’s tea industry or market. 100 g 200 g ? Kg GREEN TEA: Keeping the changing tastes and expectations of our customers in mind Tapal introduced a range of Green Teas that is healthy and revitalizing in taste. Tapal Green Tea is blended to perfection using the finest tealeaves and specially selected flavors to give a refreshing experience of light taste and soothing aroma. â€Å"Green Tea† unlike black tea undergoes minimal oxidation during processing and is made from leaves that are not fermented before being dried. Originating from China, today green tea is consumed all over the world for its medicinal values and great taste. It carries many health benefits as the antioxidants present in it destroy free radicals that damage cells in the body and also controls the glucose level. Green tea lowers cholesterol and blood-insulin levels, which helps in burning of fat. Furthermore, it promotes good all-round health, as it has no side effects. Tapal Shades of Green is an aromatic combination of the finest and carefully selected tealeaves and the tantalizing freshness of natural Jasmine, Elaichi and Lemon. Jasmine Introduced in the year 2000, Tapal Jasmine Green Tea with its vibrant essence and a distinct soothing effect breathes new life in to your senses. Jasmine Green Tea is a winning combination of alluring fragrance and health. Infused with Jasmine flowers, Jasmine Green Tea opens a new window to your mind. 90 g Elaichi Launched in 2005, Tapal Elaichi Green Tea was well received by green tea lovers nationwide for its revitalizing taste. The uplifting flavor of Elaichi tenderly takes your body to a whole new level of vitality. 45 g Lemon After joining the Tapal Green Tea family in 2006, Tapal Lemon Green Tea with its rich taste regenerates your soul. It is your perfect soul mate to indulge in a rejuvenating experience of its succulent essence. 45 g TAPAL ICE TEA: The invention of ice tea is generally believed to have occurred in America in 1904, although some evidence has been presented that it may have been drunk in the South well before that. Like many great inventions, ice tea was created completely by accident. It was a sweltering day during the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, and Englishman Richard Blechynden's tea concession was not doing well. He could not entice anyone to try his steaming beverage. The sweltering heat drove all visitors past his wares. Until he struck upon a solution. Borrowing ice from a nearby ice cream stand, he created a beverage that would endure for the next hundred years which is now also available in Pakistan. Ice Tea came to notice of the Tapal management when it was found that it was already being sold at many leading stores throughout the major cities. Independent industry research shows that healthy beverages were increasing claiming a bigger share of the Pakistani market and were growing at a tremendous pace. Tapal started to respond to consumer demand and research by introducing these current flavors. 14th of June was a historic day at Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Pakistan’s own and favorite hot tea beverage company took its first step towards expansion with the introduction of its new product â€Å"Tapal Ice Tea†. The first consignment of Tapal Ice Tea was ceremoniously dispatched from the company’s warehouse on Thursday the 14th of June 2007. Present at this momentous occasion were amongst other people the CEO of the company, Mr. Aftab Tapal, the COO Mr. Muhammadi Miabhoy and the CMO Mr. Mahmood Nanji. The product along with support POS material was well received by the shop keepers of Karachi and displayed across the selected areas of the city. Tapal had been the leading brand here in Pakistan for many years, and this new product which is for now available at leading stores in Karachi and is sure to stir up some more excitement among the Chai freaked Pakistani’s which will make Tapal another step ahead of the leading brands in our country CHILL KARO PAKISTAN! The super market culture has changed consumer purchase habits and the youth today has ample choices in front of them, even when compared to 5 years ago. Increasingly they are becoming a huge market on their own. Tapal wants to increasingly cater to this market and it is doing so with the launch of Tapal Ice Tea. Tapal is known for its hot cup of quality blend of teas, but with Tapal ice tea, it has literally set a new precedent in our markets. Taken in an international context, Tapal Ice Tea is not a new product however it is a first of its kind in Pakistan. Who else but Tapal, the tea experts, could have served up so many ways to enjoy the convenience & benefits of tea? â€Å"Tapal has been making tea for over 60 years and now we’ve added a new area into our portfolio† said Aamir Habib, Brand Manager, and Tapal Ice Tea. â€Å"We know our product is about more than refreshment though. It’s about chilling out and sharing good times with family and friends. We believe that this product is one of the best ways to kick back and have fun this summer. † Tapal Ice Tea offers Pakistani youth an attitudinal choice that comes in the kind of flavors that they will like. Tapal ice tea is made for today's generation that loves to enjoy their life at its fullest and chill out. Instant refreshment is yours anytime with our beverage. Thirst-quenching and delicious, our Ice Tea is pure and satisfying. With this now you’ll be able to enjoy the great refreshing taste of Ice Tea from Tapal – the experts in tea. Made from real tea, Tapal Ice Tea combines the goodness of Tea Antioxidants with no preservatives, no artificial colors and only 16% sugar which is less than most regular soft drinks. TAPAL Lemon & Lime and Peach Ice Tea are a refreshing addition to the popular TAPAL product line of traditional teas. The ice tea contains vitamin C that gives it a refreshing tangy taste. Without doubt Tapal Ice Tea is the best drink that adds to the fun of activities that you're engaging in. Whether its music, shopping, party, workout and games, you can be sure of a chilling time. Tea drinkers will really enjoy the new products, and the flavored ice tea will certainly appeal to active adults who seek refreshment and healthy benefits in their beverage selection,† said Aamir Habib, Brand manager. â€Å"The tea used to make Tapal Ice Tea has antioxidant properties which are associated with good health. † The launch will be supported with a fully integrated marketing program that includes pri nt, radio and out-of-home advertising, point-of-purchase displays, Web/interactive communications especially the launch of Pakistan’s first branded portal www. hillkaro. com, public relations and consumer sampling programs. Tapal Ice Tea will be sold in supermarkets, convenience and other retail stores. What is Ice Tea? The simple pleasure that tea drinkers have enjoyed with Tapal for more than 60 years gets a chilled & flavorful update this month with the new Tapal Ice Tea Lemon & Lime and Peach flavor varieties hit the shelves this month. Tapal Ice Tea is a deliciously refreshing drink made with tea, blended with water and fruit flavors. Ice tea is a form of cold tea often served in a glass over ice. It may or may not be sweetened. The most common flavors worldwide include lemon, peach and lime. About Peach Flavor Ice Tea For the delicious taste of summer in a glass any time of the year, mix up some Tapal Ice Tea Peach. It’s the perfect blend of thirst quenching, refreshing beverage and the sweet taste of peaches. Made from real tea blends, Tapal Ice Tea Peach combines the goodness of Tea antioxidants with no preservatives, no artificial colors and only 16% sugar which is much less than most regular soft drinks. About Lemon & Lime Flavored Ice Tea Nothing beats a chilled, sweet, lemony glass of Tapal Ice Tea Lemon With just the right amount of ingredients; our mix is going to quench your thirst with a refreshing burst of Lemon and Lime. Made from real tea blends, Tapal Ice Tea Lemon combines the goodness of Tea antioxidants with no preservatives, no artificial colors and only 16% sugar which is much less than most regular soft drinks. Opt For The Healthy Drink – Ice Tea! We say Tapal Ice Tea Chill Karo because Tapal Ice Tea truly adds to the fun of your chilling out style. It offers a lot more than refreshment: Energizes you Its moderate caffeine content stimulates energy consumption, giving your body a gentle physical boost that helps you keep going on your workouts, sports or any sort of physical activity energetically. 2. 1 mg of caffeine per kg body weight that equals 147 mg for 70 kg person ingested prior to prolonged exercise delays fatigue. This amount is available in approximately 3 Tapal Ice Tea cans. Sharpens your wits A combination of caffeine and theanine in tea gives you a relaxed but fully alert state of mind and at the same time helps you to focus. Hydrates you Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is a minimum requirement for a healthy, active lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy body fluid balance can become a challenge during summers, especially when you move outdoors. Your need to intake fluids becomes even more recurrent. In such a hot weather, refreshing Tapal Ice Tea breaks are necessary time after time to replenish the fluid that you’ve lost all day to the hot weather in a delicious way and they’re a much better alternative than carbonated drinks. Doesn’t hurt your fitness Ta

Chinese history final essay based on film to live Movie Review

Chinese history final essay based on film to live - Movie Review Example China had conflicts with the USSR with regard to its border. During this period land was freely given to the poor, who engaged in farming. Mao, who had declared to be a Leninist, led discussion on the performance of the party. The educated citizens’ criticism led him to arrest several people. The educated group was under siege. The Mao led group was branded anti-rightists. The educated citizens were threatened of being denied promotions if they were to persist in their demand for their rights. The poor people in the old china had low status in society given that their high social class counterparts controlled them culturally. The communist group was despised regardless of the affluence of their members. The nationalist group was vibrant and determined to fight the radical communist group. According Yimou, the people in the old China held the subjective feudal autocratic perspective that communism was naturally the only way people could be governed (29). The animosity between t he nationalist and the communists compelled the nationalists to consolidate support from the Taiwan and the US government, to defeat the communist group. In addition, the pre-cultural revolution of China was aimed at challenging the male dominance in Chinese society. Women had no option of deciding their position in society because it is the male who decided everything concerning the lifestyles of the women. The pre-cultural China society was male-dominated given that no woman could become emperor of China during that time. In fact, even the juvenile female Chinese could not be given recognition. The negative effects of civil animosity in China were many. This aspect led to great disparities in the social realm. In this regard, the poor were exploited because of lack of financial power. Democracy was not practiced because the majority was poor; hence, they could not manage to marshal required numbers to oppose the rich. Even the labor unions could not protect the rights of the vulne rable workforce because the industrial leaders were corrupt. However, the oppression of the wealthy became unbearable culminating in reprisals from the workforce, and other groups. They capitalized on politics in their advances. For instance, they used the Communist People’s party to present their grievances to the Authorities. These groups faced oppression of different forms like prejudice and social segregation and discrimination. The emphasis of a class society was also a means of oppression and exploitation, especially in their workplaces (Â  Yimou, 25). The unskilled and the skilled Chinese people were discriminated, and their work was not recognized. On the other hand, women were required to take up only housework and other related domestic chores. Moreover, there arose the aspect of socialism which was also a tool of oppression of the poor. This meant that survival was guaranteed only for the elite. The understanding of the oppressors was that competition was warrante d in order for the social and financially fit people to survive while the poor forever remained in anguish and agony. In this regard, any support for the poor from the government side was highly criticized by the high social class people. This implied that it was the wish of the poor to remain in their low social status. However, the farmers who were also oppressed were discouraged by their fellow Chinese

Economies of Scale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Economies of Scale - Essay Example This concept is popularly known as 'Economies of Scale'. Many firms in different sectors of the economy are experiencing the economies of scale by virtue of expanding their economic activities to a greater level. The economies of scale may be internal or external. Internal economies of scale are experienced within the same firm while external economies of scale are experienced in the same industry. In this paper the internal economies of scale are discussed in detail in the Section-I. Subsequently disadvantages of the economies of scale for a firm as well as for the consumers of the firms experiencing economies of scale are described in the section-II and III. Finally the implications of the regulatory authorities on the concept of 'minimum efficient scale' has been described in section-IV. If the average cost per unit of input falls per unit increase in the output, then the firm is said to be enjoying the internal economies of scale. This in other words it can be expressed as a percentage change in all inputs leads to a greater percentage change in outputs. Here average total cost (ATC) first decreases because fixed cost such as buildings, equipments and management expenses remains constant and have been utilized to their optimum. The total cost is spread over a greater range of outputs. This increasing returns to scale is achieved till an optimum level after which any increase in the quantity of input, the average total cost(ATC) increases showing the diseconomies of scale. Firms which generally require large capital investments show economies of scale. This internal economies of scale is of five types, such as technical, commercial, managerial, financial and risk bearing economies. The pattern of the economies of scale is shown in the figure- 1. Figure-1: Various types of economies of scale (Source: http://www.bized.co.uk/educators/16-19/economics/firms/presentation/scale_map.htm ) There are various factors as shown in the figure-1 contributes to different economies of scale. Each factor has got significance for reduction in average cost of production thus making the output cheaper. Technical: Technical economies are when improved techniques benefits a firm to increase its production to a large extent. "Businesses with large scale production can use more advanced machinery (or use existing machinery more efficiently). This may include using mass production techniques, which are more efficient form of production" ( tutor2u.net). This technical economies of scale is achieved due to several factors, such as: Indivisibility of Plant:- Due to imperfect divisibility of factors the economies of scale occur and the long-run average cost falls because of this indivisibility of factors (Kaldor & Robinson, cited by Ahuza, 2004). In this case most of the factors are 'lumpy' i.e. they are available in large indivisible units which can therefore yield lower cost of production when they are used to produce a large output. Here example can be given of telecommunication industry where the initial investment in infrastructure is too high. So by increasing a larger clientele base only the fixed cost can be spread over and increasing return to scale may be seen. Likewise another example is radio-dispatching technology used by the police officers. The cost of installing the technology is about the same no

Enterprise Resource Planning HW Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Enterprise Resource Planning HW - Research Paper Example The paper concludes with the most practical strategy to guarantee that the best ERP option is made available according to a company’s business needs. Enterprise Resource Planning System 3 Enterprise Resource Planning System One must consider the scale the drive â€Å"Enterprise Resource Planning† (ERP) vendors in order to understand these vendors’ sales tactics. Millions of dollars are invested by big players such as Oracle/PeopleSoft, SAP, Microsoft, and SYSPRO --- to name some --- to develop ERP systems (Dowlatshahi, 2005, p.3745). For these vendors, CD copy of the system is just minimal capital; therefore closed deals for implementations of these systems gain them absolute profit. It should be of no surprise to see these vendors exhaust all means to close deals with potential clients, since there is a lot of profit at stake (Fulla, 2007, p.35). Some companies report being given trips to the vendor’s headquarters, luxurious meals and accommodations, and transport by stretch limos (Dowlatshahi, 2005, p.3747). These are all part of a vendor’s strategy in wooing clients to buy their ERP system. Basically, these ERP systems are similar in their fundamental functionalities in business processes management. Therefore, to sell a product, vendors must establish their product’s superiority over other ERP systems available in the market. The danger here is the vendor’s inclination to make outrageous claims regarding their ERP system. Some vendors publicize the advanced functionality of their system, some vouch for the ease of use, while others offer money-back guarantees of up to millions of dollars if their system fails to double other company’s ERP system performance (Fulla, 2007, p.36). ERP vendors even try to sell extra technical and consultation support aside from their software licenses. Final quotes may include consulting and programming assistance of up to thousands of hours. However, companies should be a ware that there are usually fees for this consulting assistance, and it may be easier to find cheaper open market services (Fulla, 2007, p.38). Enterprise Resource Planning System 4 Choosing a Vendor The ERP market has developed to make the products provide the fundamental needs of a typical business. For instance, the big players have general ledgers as well as purchase and sales ledgers than they can offer to financial departments of several companies. However, these standardized systems create confusion among buyers. This is why a vendor’s reputation plays a vital role in the selection of a system to be implemented in a company. There are helpful criteria that aid in addressing the major issues in evaluating which vendor to buy from. First, the vendor should be able to offer live demonstrations. A previous survey showed that a good demo is seen as the most useful criteria in choosing the correct ERP system for the company. Vendor policies should also be given consideration , particularly regarding version upgrades or system updates. Vendors should also be able to present a list of solid references that will vouch for the excellent performance of their proposed system. On this part however, buyers should request for information on failed implementations by the vendors. Areas of failure may be more worthy to evaluate compared to areas of successes, which most vendors will flaunt. Credibility also plays a vital role in choosing the appropriate system for a company. For example, SAP

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 39

Leadership - Essay Example Nobody was ready to settle for the status quo. In addition, everyone was looking for newer and better ways of accomplishing our goals through very practical ideas and highly original thoughts. Most of the members of the group were able to quickly discard impartibly ideas and adapt practical useful ones and every person took their responsibilities very seriously. It was so easy to work with our group because people were ready to work and ready to put in hard work both physically and mentally. We were amazed by each other and this led to peer respect among ourselves. It also made communication within the group very easy. We did not assign a leader for the group but we found out that Hether was the leader initially for the practical reason that we needed at least for one person to chair the discussions so we could go ahead with our work. This was also agreed upon without much ceremony among the group. There was really no reason for too much emphasis on the leader’s role since it was agreed that we would all participate on an equal basis within the group and that decisions would be arrived at democratically or because of what made the best sense. There was no power struggle as we all worked well together and no particular leader was assign to hold power. The only problem that was presented by this arrangement was that we had no leader to make the final decision. We solved this by deciding to take votes in order to adapt or sanction decisions through majority. The other challenge that we faced was the issue of time management because everybody had different schedules and finding the right time for us all to do our group activity was a bit of a challenge but we finally managed to pull through. The best description that fits my group’s situation is the democratic style, which is participative. This is because it values all the input of all group members. Our group’s morale was very high and everyone was

Organizational Behavior and HR in Sony Corporation Assignment

Organizational Behavior and HR in Sony Corporation - Assignment Example Kalyanaram and Gurumurthy (2008) offer that businesses that are the first to market in certain industries have a significant competitive advantage over competitors. Theory indicates that when buyers perceive a satisfactory product or achievement of effective customer service, risk averse customers often develop attachments to the pioneering product or brand; therefore they are unwilling to switch to new late movers’ products. Oftentimes, these buyers assess the late entrant against the first mover with adverse assessments in favour of the pioneer (Kalyanaram and Gurumurthy 2008). Sony was not able to launch innovative products (such as the LCD television) before competition, therefore the market had established brands with positive consumer sentiment about the brands that is difficult to undo for a late mover. The presence of competitive product offerings and new innovative products is what served as the first catalyst for change at the firm that required restructuring to meet and adapt to market needs more rapidly. Slocum and Lei (2005) reinforce the dangers of increased globalisation that make change a constant phenomenon, especially for businesses that operate in multiple business divisions and product categories, such as the conglomerate Sony. Industries are defined in theory as â€Å"ecosystems through which businesses compete for customers and are significantly inter-dependent based on changes in local or international markets† (Slocum and Lei 2005, p.35). Globalisation opens new markets for new competitive entrants into a market, breaking down the political barriers or improving supply networks that facilitate more rapid and cost-effective production with competition. Sony was witnessing many new market entrants offering unique products that were gaining attention and recognition from important revenue-building markets, essentially shortening the product life cycle of many of its previously-profitable products such as the PlayStation gaming console and older cathode ray tube television sets. Sony was now facing competition that sustained the resources and talents needed to produce innovative products. This challenge of competitive innovations was built through increased globalisation, thus Sony could no longer sustain the growth of existing Sony products, forcing the business to be more adaptable and flexible in providing similar competitive products. Consumer markets were favouring competitive products which continued to erode market share from Sony, making change driven by competitive product introductions forcing the need for continuous change practices to be developed in order to remain relevant in its technology markets. As market circumstances continue to evolve, contingency theory states that the organisation’s internal structure must adapt in order to remain competitively relevant (Buchanan and Huczynski 2010). It was not until the new CEO Howard Stringer joined Sony that the business became aware that continuous change in the external market was causing a need for rapid internal restructuring in order to adapt properly to market conditions and more prevalent competitive practices in manufacturing and marketing. Sony relied heavily on its electronics division to generate profitability, therefore the business was forced to centralise decision-making so that the electronics division maintained authority over key areas of business. The business could no longer respond quickly enough to meet competitive actions in the market,

Nextguard Technologies Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nextguard Technologies - Research Proposal Example However, user credentials are required for authorization and authentication on the VPN server. Furthermore, for configuring multiple operating system environments on active directory, a domain server must be placed in Georgia, India, California, Canada and New York. As all applications are hosted on the Phoenix site, they should be configured on HTTPS and must use a VPN tunnel for exchanging data with the other 4 sites. Moreover, for adding an extra layer of security, MAC addresses should be linked with WAN IP addresses requesting access to one of the hosted applications. Access Control policy should be drafted that will address access to whom and why. A responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed (RACI) chart should be developed, as it will define roles and responsibilities for each user permitted to access web based applications. 2 Blowfish Encryption Algorithm for NextGuard As per computer desktop encyclopedia Blowfish encryption algorithm is defined as â€Å"A secret key cryptography method that uses a variable length key from 32 to 448 bits long. It uses the block cipher method, which breaks the text into 64-bit blocks before encrypting them. Written by Bruce Schneier, as a free replacement for DES or IDEA, it is considered very fast and secure† and as per network dictionary, it is defined as â€Å"Blow?sh is an encryption algorithm that can be used as a replacement for the DES or IDEA algorithms. It is a symmetric (that is, a secret or private key) block cipher that uses a variable-length key, from 32 bits to 448 bits, making it useful for both domestic and exportable use†. Blowfish is an encryption algorithm that was invented by Bruce Schneier in 1993 (Pachghare, 2009). It is constructed on a variable length key ranging from 32 buts to 448 bits that is considered to be perfect for both local and international use along with a solid enc ryption algorithm. After its recognition to be relatively solid encryption algorithm, it is gradually gaining acceptance. Some of the core features of blowfish algorithm include (Pachghare, 2009): Blowfish has a block cipher of block consisted of 64 bit The length of the key can be up to 448 bits BladeCenter web interface: MM Control, Login Profiles page. (n.d.) On 32 bit microprocessor architecture, data encryption is supported at a rate of 18 clock cycles on every byte that is much quicker than DES and IDEA encryption. It is still free to use and is not patented Memory requirements for blowfish are less than 5 kilobytes of memory The semantics are simplified and is relatively easy to deploy The design requirements for a blowfish encryption algorithm incorporates robust, simple to code, compact, easily modifiable and flat key space features (Anderson, 1994). Likewise, flat key space facilitates random strings to be considered as a possible key from a required length. Moreover, it d eploys data in massive byte size blocks and incorporates 32 bits blocks where applicable (Anderson, 1994). Key ranges, as mentioned earlier are from 32 to 448 bits and operations are common that are supported by microprocessors such as XOR, table lookup etc. furthermore, pre-computable sub keys are applicable with variable iterative numbers. These sub keys are massive and must be pre-calculated prior to encryption or decryption process carries out. In an example below, let’s assume that P is pre-calculated array consisting of 18, 32 bit sub keys from P1, P2†¦ till P 18. In addition, there are S boxes (32 Bit) indicated by S with entries equal to 256 each (John Rittinghouse & Hancock, 2003). S1, 0, S1, 1†¦S1, 255; S2, 0, S2, 1†¦.S2, 255; S3, 0, S3, 1†¦

Health Care Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Health Care Reform - Research Paper Example Despite the federal government having some public funds to compensate the public on sickness and death, there lacked public programs and legislations that would facilitate the realization of these efforts by the government. The raising concerns of wage loss were because of failure to be paid in the event of illness. This led to the introduction of insurance schemes (sickness funds) to cover against loss of wages due to illnesses by workers. There arose evolutionist reformers in the progressive era of the early 20th century whose motives were to address social concerns especially for the working group (Palmer para 4-5). The efforts of the reformers received great support by the government of Roosevelt who equally highly esteemed the health of the people. The early period of the century, saw combined efforts by the AMA (American Medical Association) and the AALL (American Association of Labor Legislation) design and formulate legislations and health care bills that were meant for effec ting the universal accessibility of health care to the U.S citizens. Shortly after these moves, the reformers introduced the concept of cost of illness as against concentrating on the lost wages through which they brought about the concept of ‘sickness’ insurance. Health sector regulations were not left behind as well in the reforms with the end of great depression (1935) marking the introduction of social security act. The great depression had serious implication to every American as well as the various departments such as the health care sector with general low finances in circulation within the entire economy. This therefore encouraged the insurance sector to introduce the medical covers through which medical expenses to the public would be easily met. Latter on some employers took to their role to provide health care to their employee, which equally marked great steps. By the mid century, over two thirds of the U.S citizens enjoyed some form of medical coverage over the private insurance schemes. However, the achievement of compulsory national health insurance as were the efforts of the reformers failed due to the opposition that resulted from the doctors, business, insurance sector as well as some labor groups. However, by the year 1965, great steps had been taken within the sector and there was assenting to the legislation to universal health care in the United States (Palmer para 16-20). According to a brief by the Maine Health Access Foundation, the last thirty years have seen great efforts by the state government to improve on the accessibility of health care support through insurance especially to the uninsured (Maine Health Access Foundation 3). The states have undertaken multiple roles in the health care provision system of America by serving as a regulator, administrator and a purchaser among other roles. The comprehensive health care reform has been a great phenomenon to be implemented within many of the U.S states. The guiding facto r to these notable reforms has been to provide universal, quality and affordable services in health care to all her citizens. Therefore, individual states have been responsible in developing and adopting health care policies, which in common are seen to have focused much on expanded Medicare coverage (Maine Health Acc

Project Management 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project Management 2 - Essay Example ts should have a MSc degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or a related field, they should have at least ten years relevant experience in leading technology applications, manage and operation of a research program, They should have knowledge of next generation sequencing strategies and methods working with molecular diagnostics of plants as well as animal pathogens. The one who gets to qualify for the job should also be knowledgeable in the following fields of study namely; application of genomic tools in a wide range of issues, molecular biology methods of research, tools of molecular biology and technology of bioinformatics. Adaptability is necessary for one to get the job. They should be ready to learn and adapt to new technology and methods that will enhance program effectiveness and learning. They will be working in a multicultural multiracial environment and they will be expected to respect and work effectively and efficiently with their colleagues. They should be have the ability to coordinate ,organize and see to completion technical activities of research platforms, they should have excellent people and organizational skills, have a good mastery of English both written and spoken and lastly they ought to be computer

The field of organizational behaviour Essay Example for Free

The field of organizational behaviour Essay Introduction: The organization is the result of a process of organizing a group of people, aimed at achieving common goals that their complexity cannot be achieved by one person. So, the organization has developed from the need to produce goods in much higher than in times past could make workers in their workshops. Also, the organization has emerged as a necessity to increase efficiency and quality work. We can say the organization is a system that is characterized by a specific functional structure and a process through which the common targets and specific. For example, the university is a organization that integrates student, teacher, administrator and laboratory technical staff, aimed at the generation, transfer and diffusion of knowledge. In any organization there are two fundamental processes: a process for achieving products and services for which an organization was created and a management process to ensure implementation of the first in terms of efficiency and quality Organization is characterized by an internal environment, external environment and a functional interface between the two environments. Being an open system, we see the existence of the system input streams and output streams of system. Internal environment is characterized by the existence of generalized field of forces and a transformation of input into output. External environment are characterized by having a generalized field of forces that act continuously on the organization, at its interface with the intern environment .If these forces are stronger than the internal environment, the organization declines and if adaptation measures are not taken, in this case result bankruptcy. For example: a factory that produces fertilizers for agriculture, manages to successfully sell products market and to ensure good employees a salary. Management of company has developed a dynamic equilibrium between existing forces inside and outside At a time, there is a law protecting the environment and impose more severe  requirements new quantities of harmful substances discharged into the atmosphere or wastewaters .This means that the external environment have developed strong legislative force, for which there is enough strength inside and so was some imbalance. To restore the dynamic balance of company is necessary to invest in new technologies for filtering and treating harmful substances, in order to meet new standards. If fails this, technological line may be closed and if the company has no other viable processes, the company may go bankruptcy. The organization is on based two structures: a functional and organizational structure. The ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE of units is all position work and departments that make up the unit, their grouping and subordination including links to be established between them to carry out properly all work tasks. When is projected, a rational and efficient organization structure must meet certain general requirements such as covering the whole spectrum of activities of the organization and to distribute them properly, to ensure continuity and fluidity in carrying out, to ensure that management units at each level as possible that each have a single chief subordinated; also be flexible to adapt to different light requirements: amplification for organization development, job cuts for a decline in the organization etc.. Characteristic elements of an organizational structure are: position, function, hierarchical level, department, hierarchical share, and functional connexion. POSITION is a set of tas ks, objectives, powers and responsibilities incumbent in regularly and one permanent employee. FUNCTION represents all jobs with the same characteristics .So, in organization more employees can work with as head of department or head office. HIERARCHICAL SHARE is number of employees led by a directly manager. In a mid-sized or large enterprise hierarchy shares is 4-8 subordinates for positions located in the upper half of the managerial pyramid and can grow up to 20-30 subordinates, as the hierarchical level approaches the bottom. DEPERTMENT are all employees divided into groups subordinate to the same manager. HIERARCHICAL LEVEL represents all departments that are at the same distance from the top of hierarchical pyramid management. As hierarchical level has a lower value, the better will be more levels in that organization. As the number of hierarchical levels is greater with both the managerial pyramid is higher. As the number of hierarchical levels is smaller, so the pyramid becomes flattened. For example, Ford inherited an organizational structure with 17 vertical levels of hierarchy, and the youngest company Toyota has only 5 hierarchical levels. FUNCTIONAL CONNEXION is necessary to integrate all functional activities. Connexions or links include: vertical, horizontal and vertical and oblique. Organizational structure with the functional integration is performed using the following concepts: authority, responsibility, delegation, centralization, decentralization and specialization. AUTHORITY managers can ensure order. Subordinate first decision you need to implement even if they sometimes have different views. RESPONSIBILITY we all know that accepting a job, is implicitly and accountability to achieve the objectives set and answer for their failure to achieve. DELEGATION is a share transfer, for a period of time, a decision of a competent other people, at a lower hierarchical level .Superiors delegates, transferring authority to subordinates in order to facilitate the activity. Another important structure underlying an organization is FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE which we can say that involve functions such as research and development function, production function, the function of commercial, financial accounting function and staff function. About research and development function we can say that integrates aimed at generating new knowledge and ideas on the production and their introduction .Innovation is one of the most powerful and competitive strategies of firm .This includes activities such as: forecasting activities, research, development and innovation, implementation and evaluation of results. Another function is the production: the company that processes inputs in order to enable the products and services to satisfy the law are basically existential demand consumers. Basically, production is the existential law firm. Function of production includes activities such as programming,  scheduling and monitoring production, manufacture or use, control processes and outcomes, and repair equipment Commercial operation is achieved in two ways: from environment to organization and from organization to external environment. In environment first case the function performs supply material resource, energy, financial and information organization and in the latter function makes the sale and selling or offering products and services to population. Base activities of this function are supply, sales and marketing. Financial accounting function includes all activities that provide financial resources necessary to achieve business objectives and out value financial cycle of organization. In achieve this function .There are three major activities: financial activities, accounting and financial control management. FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES represents all processes which determine and obtain the necessary financial resources for firm. ACCOUNTING objectives relate to activities which highlight the value recorded and material and financial resources management financial of organization. FINANCIAL CONTROL MANAGEMENT refers to activities which check legal compliance regarding the existence, integrity, use and storage of material goods and money which is equipped organization. PERSONNEL FUNCTION integrates activities that comprise the recruitment, hiring, training and continuous improvement staff organization. This function has activities like: evaluation of staffing, personnel selection, framing staff, performance appraisal, motivation and training personnel. FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE is a classical structure, characterized by aggregation of positions in homogeneous department which performs a function of the organization. For example, the entire organization is structured on the departments like: research and development department, production department, human resources, accounting department and marketing department. Efficiency potential of functional structure is achieved by specialized employees in defined areas of activities and their motivation by allowing hierarchical promotion to the top pyramid. When diversify company production very much and is distributed across many intern and international markets can begin to find problems between units responsible for carrying out various products. Functional structure is used in centralized and remain  effective as long as the field strength variations in the external environment is very slow, and if the changes are predictable. In a highly dynamic external environment that requires quick reactions from firms to adapt, functional structure behaves rigid and higher response times to changes. Some of the advantages of functional structure are: creating conditions for specialized personnel to increase efficiency of staff capacity;-departments employees must communicate regulated. About disadvantage of functional structure:-enhancing coordination comportment difficulty because of its sequence of activities; some employees get work of their department rather than the benefit of the organization;-company conflicts between departments when business objectives are met, each compartment tending to exculpate. The functional organizational structure is characterized by the formation of groups that share similar functions. (SCOTT HEBERT). Other important structures underlying on organization are CENTRALIZATION and DECENTRALIZATION. Centralization is concentration in higher management authorities, in which most decisions are developed and has strong control over structural hierarchy organization. DECENTRALIZATION is granted autonomy in decision-making managers to average and lower. Centralization advantages are: control, stability, coordination, responsibility, economies of scale. Centralization has disadvantages such as the implementation of decisions takes more time, because managers must obtain approval from all relevant authorities. Also narrow spectrum management activities. Advantages decentralization activities are: speed, flexibility, responsiveness, relevance, motivation. DECENTRALIZATION disadvantages are: diseconomies of scale; more difficult to ensure consistent practices and policies (customer might prefer consistency from location to location) Fast-food business like Burger King and Pizza Hut use a predominantly centralised structure. Also, McDonalds is an excellent example of company with centralised structure. These restaurants are typically franchises they all receive food and packaging from the same approved vendors. All  decision-making about menus and marketing are made at the corporate level in the America. Major supermarket chain like Morrison and Tesco use a decentralised structure .Each supermarket has a store manager who can make certain decision concerning areas like staffing, sales promotion. The store manager is responsible to a regional or area manager. Honda Motor Co. is a company with a decentralized structure. Honda develops its products in the regional markets in which it operates. The company has over 500 subsidiaries and affiliates throughout the world. The company is headed by an executive council Japan, but operations are divided across six regions (Honda, 2009). This allows Honda to sell  cars and motorcycles that are most suited to the preferences of each region. Additionally, the fact that Honda vehicles are manufactured in the region they are sold encourages the local population to view these vehicles more positively.(SCOTT HEBERT). Other models of organizational structure are product based structure, divisional structure, matrix structure, geographically structure, network structure and team structure. PRODUCT BASED STRUCTURE is a method of identifying all products from units. Advantages: -helps to develop products or services better able to meet customer needs;-oriented staff interest and help increase motivation. Disadvantage: may cause the creation of autonomous units that can be driven hard. DIVISIONAL STRUCTURE is characterized by aggregation of position on the type of products. For each type of products constitute a division. It was created especially for very large companies with production facilities in different geographic areas of the same country or different countries. For example, Suzuki has 6 large factories located in different geographical  areas of Japan. Each manufacture is to produce a certain type of car or motorcycle. Divisional structure allows managerial autonomy for each main division. Advantage of this structure is that employees of a division can focus on any particular type of product and how best to meet the requirements consumers. By aggregation products, divisions are so technologically equipped better meet the quality requirements imposed on the market. Because all employees working for proper tooth-a division of this category of consumers, work relations are converging towards common objectives, avoiding conflict relationships. For divisions located in different geographical areas, functional autonomy allows them to respond adequately local market demands. Divisional structure made an important step in the decentralization process by defining substantial autonomy to each division, which led to better adapt them to different market requirements. The divisional structure divides the company into groups based on product, market, or region.(SCOTT HEBERT). MATRIX STRUCTURE has a vertical reunion of work position according to company functions and horizontal reunion of work positions according to typology product. In such a structure, an employee relates to the requirements of two heads: one vertical head (functional manager) and one horizontal head (product manager). It is a complex structure, whose  effectiveness depends on the professionalism of managers and on the  organizational structure which promotes well quality. Matrix structure is indicated in organization, which have a static functional structure over a dynamic structure overlapping projects. While department heads positively correlated with their functional performance, the project heads positively correlated with duration of their projects. This structure, theoretically offers a lot of advantages, in practice, duality managerial responsibilities is also a high potential conflict. Also, because is complexity structure appear difficulties for assessing performance and identifying opportunities for quality improvement. Several advantages of matrix structure are: flexibility and shaping them so  as to obtain maximum efficiency and better utilization of resources;- information circulates more rapidly, using both the vertical and horizontal flows of communication. Some disadvantages of matrix structure are: the existence of several command lines may affect the dilution of responsibilities;-conflicts may occur between the desire to hold managers more authority;-although information move faster decision-making process takes longer, meetings due to be held between department managers in the decision. GEOGRAPHICALLY STRUCTURE: organization operates in different areas, regions, countries or continents. Local manager is responsible for all activity performed by the company in his area and is subordinate to the general manager of company (head office). Advantages: -the power to decide local managers; -knowledge in detail the coordinates local-market knowledge that can be better exploited locally. Disadvantages:-differences of language and culture that could prevent the information flow;-lack of interest in promoting regional departments of new products,  made at central head. The McDonalds business is a geographical structure, divided its operation into 5 geographical division. McDonalds has over 31,000restaurants in 120 countries. TEAM STRUCTURE can be implemented in companies with a high degree of decentralization. Teams are so they can make a full product. In a team, each employee must be able to perform several types of operations such as assembly teammates to be able to integrate work in making a finished product. Team structure led to decentralization advanced production and management, thus increasing the flexibility to adapt and significantly reduce response time to change. Advantages: workers are motivated; response decision-making takes place in a quick time; -level management is removed:-costs are administration in  reduced. Disadvantages: conflicts between team members; increased time spent in meetings; -time-management issues. NETWORK STRUCTURE is based on the most advanced information technologies and the explosive development internet .Is very  decentralized structure and dynamic, able to change and adapt fast. Network structure is composite of various people or organizations, located on a large geographical area, aimed at achieving a common goal with the contribution, skills and resources. Partners in a organization have legal status and electronic connections depend on coordination of their activities. For example, MITSUBISHI group consists of several companies (28), being joined by other members holding shares through collaborative relationships and the social links .Of MITSUBISHI group, remark 3 main companies:-MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRY (for production); MITSUBISHI BANK (for finance) and MITSUBISHI CORPORATION (for marketing). Advantages network structure:-facilitate the achievement of objectives complex, impossible to achieve on their own. CONCLUSION I managed to expose previously, multiple organizational structures, each one with similarities and differences. Indifferent of the structure underlying an organization, all structure having the common goals which are favourable business itself. Each structure in part aims to reach maximum business success through efficiency and quality of work that are performed in the organization. REFERENCE Cliffs Notes-Principles of Management: Five Approaches to Organisational Design. McDonald steam3.blogspot.co.uk Practical management.com-Transforming Theories Into Practice. Scott Hebert (Mar.23 rd. 2009)-Introduction to Organizational Structure. Scott Hebert (Jan.30th. 2009)-Market Strategy and Organizational Structure: Three Companies. Study Notes: People Management.