High School Dropouts And Its Effect On Our Country

Being defeated is often an (only lasting for a short time) condition. Giving up is permanent, Marylin vos Smart person. According to Americangraduatedc.org, 1.3 million students each year dropout of high school in the United States alone. Dropouts refers to a student quitting school before he or she graduates or avoiding enrolling in college. Students who drop out are more likely to be unemployed, homeless, or receiving welfare. High School dropouts are very common in the United States today. Only 72% of America s children graduate from high school. Eighteen states allows the students to stop school before the age of eighteen. High school dropouts causes a bad effect on our country. The results of dropping out of high school can have†¦show more content†¦Some small sections/small parts are presented below in tables; however, for a complete discussion,please see the original article: Understanding Why Students Drop Out of High School, According to Their Own Reports Lower education ranking is a huge effect of dropping out of high school. Many people are unable to finish high school due to sickness, such as pregnancy, viruses, etc. The lower someone s education ranking is, the harder it would be for them to survive in the real world. College is the most helpful way that a parent can take care of them and/or their kids. According to nccp.org, over the past twenty years, parents with less education have been losing money-based ground. 25% of student are in poor families with parents that does not have a high school diploma. 57% of students are in poor families with parents that only has high school diploma and did not go ahead/move forward to college. 24% of students are in poor families with parents that only has some college education. These percentages shows that the college level you have, the more likely you are to coming close to succeeding. People with low education level are the people who are in poor families, struggling, or even poor and living on the streets. Those with lower education levels receives the most help from the government. People with poor and education tends

Sexuality in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay

The Complications of Sexuality in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Gawains travels in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight suggest a world in which home--i.e., Camelot--is normal, while away--the opposing castle of Hautdesert where Gawain perforce spends his Christmas vacation--is other, characterized by unfamiliarity, dislocation, perversity. And in fact the atmosphere at Hautdesert appears somewhat peculiar, with various challenges to normal sexual identity, and with permutations of physical intimacy, or at least the suggestion of such intimacy, that are, to say the least, surprising. The typical journey of medieval romance juxtaposes a real world where things and people behave according to expectation with a magical world in†¦show more content†¦(1-19) (After the siege and the assault had ceased at Troy, the city battered and burnt to coals and ashes, the fellow that there wrought the machinations of treason was tried for his treachery, the foulest on earth: It was Aeneas the noble, and his noble kin, who then subjugated provinces, and became masters of well-nigh all the wealth in Western Europe. Then noble Romulus directs himself hurriedly to Rome. With great arrogance he builds that city in that place, and gives it his own name, as it is now called; (likewise) Ticius (travels) to Tuscany and founds dwellings, Longbeard lifts up homes in Lombardy, and far over the French Flood [i.e., the English Channel] Felix Brutus with joy on many broad banks plants Britain, where war and vengeance and wonder have existed in alternation therein, and often both bliss and blunder have very often alternated since.)2 In thus contextualizating the action of the poem, the Gawain-poet subtly challenges the centrality of Camelot. The poet zooms in from Troy to Rome and finally to England, thus placing Arthur (named in the second stanza) and Camelot (introduced in the third) quite literally at the edge of the map. The late thirteenth-century Mappa Mundi which eventually found its way to the cathedral at Hereford, in western England near the Gawain-poets Welsh origin, is typical ofShow MoreRelatedCompare And Contrast Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight761 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, an admirable warrior and knight are depicted. Although Sir Gawain and Beowulf both possess such characteristics as bravery and strength, readers can observe differences in other traits that make them heroes of their own time that is attributable to the societal mindset in which the poems were written. 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As women have increasingly gained more social recognition, they have also earned more significant roles in society. This change is clearly reflected in many works of literature, one of the most representative of which is Plautuss 191 B.C. drama Pseudolus, in which we meet the prostitute Phoenicium. Although theRead MoreThe Art of Courtly Love, Consolation of Philosophy, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight1454 Words   |  6 PagesThe Art of Courtly Love, Consolation of Philosophy, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Part 1: Consolation of Philosophy, written by Boethius 1. Boethius was a popular member of the senatorial family. He was a philosopher that agreed with Plato that government should be solely in the hands of wise men. After becoming consul, charges of treason were brought against him. He lived in a time in Roman society when everyone was mainly Christian. 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Green plays a significant role in both tales as it is the main color of the antagonist in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the supple landscape that is described by Columbus. Green also represents negative aspects in theRead MoreComparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1338 Words   |  6 Pagesreally love it called â€Å"Beowulf† and â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.† Both of this story illustrated between these women s always try to overcome with all the mission in life and show their responsibility to achieve successfully in life. Thus, the poet shows that the women s role in British literature is a very good central point, they al ways face with all these conflicts about the protagonist male throughout the poem. Besides that, Beowulf and Sir Gawain always challenge with all the women in

Pearl Jam free essay sample

Words cannot describe the leap my heart took when I heard Pearl Jam would be releasing a new album, their first in four years. I immediately pre-ordered it, and nearly fainted when I checked the mail one day and saw that Pearl Jam’s self-titled album was in my possession. The album starts off with the same hard rock roots for which Pearl Jam is notorious, but I couldn’t help but notice that Eddie Vedder’s voice has noticeably aged and that the vocal moments when he would have roughened up and gone into a garage/punk mode have decreased. Those that do exist are less rough than I expected. Songs like â€Å"Comatose,† â€Å"Marker in the Sand† and some parts of â€Å"Life Wasted† almost sounded watered down. Nonetheless, amidst the aggressive blues soloing of Mike McCready and the intricate rhythm guitar work of Stone Gossard, Vedder’s cleaner singing voice fits in perfectly. We will write a custom essay sample on Pearl Jam or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The second half of the album is a bit better than the first, comprised of more intense songs which show off Vedder’s vocal range and ability to put massive amounts of emotion into his singing without getting emo. Songs like â€Å"Army Reserve† (co-written by Damien Echols of the West Memphis Three), the soul-tinged â€Å"Come Back† and the haunting â€Å"Gone† are perfect examples of what made Pearl Jam my favorite band, and arguably the best rock group out there. Hands-down, the best track on the album is the anthemic closer â€Å"Inside Job.† Clocking in at over seven minutes, it is chilling and uses a combination of acoustic and electric guitars with a magnificent piano part a la Boom Gaspar. Overall, this, like all Pearl Jam albums, has its moments of unparalleled raw emotion and pure musical intensity. It lacks, however, the track consistency that made earlier albums rock classics. Regardless, Pearl Jam remains one of the sure signs that true rock ’n’ roll hasn’t been brutally murdered by pop acts like Linkin Park. Pearl Jam free essay sample Pearl JamThe waiting drove me mad Youre finally here and Im a mess, sang Pearl Jams lead singer, Eddie Vedder. As I stood in my seat at Madison Square Garden, I realized that those lyrics to Corduroy described my emotions perfectly. I had waited five long years to see my favorite band play live.Once Pearl Jams long battle with Ticketmaster began, I feared that I would never see them live, but Pearl Jam pulled through. In early 1998, the band announced they would be touring to support their latest album, Yield, and would give in and play some Ticketmaster venues (like Madison Square Garden) so they could reach more fans. Like me!The opening act, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, was, at best, mediocre. Ben Harper didnt foreshadow the stupendous show that was to come. Pearl Jam came on and brought with them a tremendous amount of energy. We will write a custom essay sample on Pearl Jam or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard bounced around the stage with the happiness of people who truly love their jobs. Along with bassist Jeff Ament and the regular crew, former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron joined the tour.It was apparent that Pearl Jam had put all their Ticketmaster troubles behind them. Even with their plummeting record sales, Pearl Jam has proved that they are true masters of their game. They may not have won their battle with Ticketmaster, but they showed that they are pragmatists who know when the fight is over. To me, they didnt lose. They came out of this ordeal showing that music was the reason they stayed together.The self-proclaimed moody Eddie Vedder was in rare form that night. He joked with the audience as if we were his old friends. Before the encores, several uniformed men came out carrying file boxes and told us this was the Ken Starr report! Pearl Jam played a good mix of new and old. Grunge rock anthems like Alive, Evenflow and Jeremy brou ght down the house. Vedder even stopped at certain points to let the crowd shout the lyrics we all knew so well. New songs (Do The Evolution and Wishlist) were just as moving. I was pleasantly surprised that they played some lesser known tunes, including my personal favorite, Elderly Woman.Pearl Jam showed that they had evolved from angst-ridden grunge rockers to veteran musicians who know their music would carry into the next millenniumVedder said, You aint nothing til you play Madison Square Garden, and I knew I had never heard a concert as good as this one until they did..

The Determination of the Ideal Velocity of the Bouncing Ball Essay Sample free essay sample

A difficult gum elastic ball is dropped from remainder. It falls to the concrete floor and bouncinesss back up ALMOST to its initial tallness. A gesture sensor is mounted on the ceiling straight above the ball. confronting down. So. the positive way — the away-from-the-detector way — is downward. Pull the place. speed. and acceleration graphs. Since traveling downward is a positive way. is the speed positive when the ball falls. 0 when it hits the land. and so negative when it moves up? Is the accerlation positive ( 9. 8 ) as the ball falls. really positive when it hits the land. and so neg ( about -9. 8 ) when it moves up? Keep in head that the job says: the ball bounces back up ALMOST to its initial tallness. Besides. delight assist me with understanding how the place graph should look like. If there is any manner that you could pull me the graphs. that would truly be helpful. We will write a custom essay sample on The Determination of the Ideal Velocity of the Bouncing Ball Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Thank you! You’re midway right. Velocity will be positive as the ball falls. nothing on impact. negative on the manner up. and nothing once more at culmination. Acceleration. nevertheless. is invariably 9. 8 m/s?†¦the force of gravitation does non alter as the ball moves. For your graphs. acceleration will be a horizontal line at y=9. 8 Velocity will be a broken sinusiod ( hovering ) that starts at the beginning and rises to a maximal. On each impact with the land. the graph will drop directly down to a lower limit. so rise bit by bit through nothing back up to its following upper limit which will be less than the old upper limit. This will reiterate until the ball is at remainder. Position will be a smooth sinusiod that begins at a upper limit. falls to zero as the ball hits the land. so rises up once more to the following upper limit which will be less than the old 1. This moving ridge repeats until the ball comes to rest. This graph will neer be negative. since the ball neer falls below land degree. Almost everybody. at some point in their lives. has bounced a gum elastic ball against the wall or floor and observed its gesture. Normally we don’t believe about the inside informations of resiling ball natural philosophies excessively much as it’s reasonably obvious what is go oning — the ball fundamentally rebounds off a surface at a velocity proportional to how fast it is thrown. But what isn’t known to most is what is specifically go oning to the ball before. during. and after its brief impact with the surface. To get down this account let’s foremost see what happens to a typical gum elastic ball that is dropped vertically onto a level horizontal surface. and which falls under the influence of gravitation. In this account. the resiling ball natural philosophies will be broken down into seven distinguishable phases. in which the ball gesture ( before. during. and after impact ) is analyzed. To simplify the treatment let’s assume that the bounciness surface is difficult ( stiff ) . and that air opposition is negligible. Let’s define the geometric centre of the ball as point C. the speed of point C as V. and the acceleration of point C as a. Let’s farther assume that the ball has unvarying denseness. which means that point C of the ball coincides with its centre of mass. Phase 1 In this phase. the ball falls vertically downward under the influence of gravitation ( g ) . The speed V points downward. The acceleration a besides points downward. The magnitude of a is equal to g. in the absence of air opposition. ( Note that the acceleration due to gravitation is g = 9. 8 m/s2. on Earth ) . As shown in the above figure. the horizontal force F is the clash force moving on the ball due to reach with the surface. during impact. This force F is the cause of the speed and spin ( rotary motion ) reversal. This clash force is generated by the absorbing action of the ball with the surface. The way of this clash force is opposite the way of faux pas speed between ball and surface. during impact. Slip speed is the comparative horizontal velocity between the ball’s point of impact and the surface it is impacting. Since this force F is moving to the right. it torques the ball counterclockwise. This causes the ball to alter its original spin way from clockwise Wisconsin to counterclockwise wF. after impact. This force besides causes the ball to speed up to the right during impact. This consequences in the horizontal speed constituent of the ball ( parallel to the surface ) to alter way and point towards the right. after impact. In order for the ball speed and spin to change by reversal way it is necessary to hold a high coefficient of clash between ball and surface. This creates sufficient clash force F to be generated. which causes the spin and horizontal speed constituent of the ball to change by reversal way after impact with the surface.

College Paper on Ethics

College Paper on Ethics College Paper on Ethics It is truly a quite difficult task to find the exact definition of what ethics is. Peoples understanding of what is right and what is wrong differs, and the notion of ethics depends on peoples views and opinions as well. But it would be wrong to define ethics as something that people feel they can do because it is right for them. Peoples understanding of it may be deviated, moreover people cannot judge every situation with a clear head and do it objectively. Some people define ethics as a type of behavior that is acceptable by a society. However that is also not true. The society consists of separate individuals, and they may also have various points of view concerning what ethics is. We can also remember facts from history of the humanity where societies were deceived by the state, and the latter used propaganda in order to create public mood that could be used for states own purposes. Just think of German society during Hitlers rule. Similar to social-accepted rules, ethics can also be viewed as a synonym of law. However laws can be written by those who are not ethical at all. Laws are often changed which means they are not perfect and constantly need to be improved. Moreover, as we have already mentioned, peoples understanding of ethics can be deviated, and such deviation can be later result in the laws. Ethics is often identified with religion. However there is one question to ask that will probably prove that this idea is wrong: are atheists ethical? Looking at ethics just from the perspective of religion automatically makes all the other people unethical. We wont argue that religion does not encourage people to be more ethical, but if we compare religion and ethics, the latter notion is a wider one. David B. Resnik defines ethics as â€Å"norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior † (Resnik). He also states that people usually learn moral norms in various social settings, such as home, school, church, etc. However the ethical development of a person is a process that happens throughout the whole life. Some people also consider ethical norms to be common-sense. But there is a question asked by this scientist: â€Å"if morality were nothing more than common sense, then why are there so many ethical disputes and issues in our society?† (Resnik). The point is that there can be one common ethical norm for at least two people, for example. But their understanding and interpretation of what is ethical and what is not may differ. Thats why people who share similar ethical norms may turn out to act differently in various situations. Thats why the main purpose of studying ethics nowadays is not to define strict norms for conduct (which, in fact, would be almost impossible), but rather to learn the mechanism of interpretation of these norms. Reznik D.B. What is Ethics in Research Why is it Important? 2011. Web. Velasquez M., Andre C., Shanks T., S.J., and Meyer M.J. What is Ethics? 2010. Web. Tips on Writing a Good College Paper The key to any type of writing is brainstorming. You should write down everything that comes into your mind, relating to ethics  topic. Use the results of your brainstorming to write an outline. This will help you draft your ethics college paper. Do not waste your time on proofreading the paper while you are writing a draft, just let the words flow. When you are finished with the draft, you will get a more clear picture whether you have added enough valuable information. Additionally, you will see if you have all main parts of your ethics paper, such as introduction, main body and conclusion. Our online paper writing service will provide you with a high-quality customized paper on ethics written by experts. Try our service!

Are You a Fraud or a Genius

Are You a Fraud or a Genius Eventually in your writing career, especially once youve published once or twice, youll receive some semblance of admiration from people. Some will be people you admired as you struggled. Some even might be authors youve idolized or teachers who knocked sense into a concept, who you could never thank enough for shaking you from whatever doldrums you were in. Suddenly, they admire you. Or lets say you place in a contest. Its great! But then you consider the win a fluke, a positive event that will not repeat itself. You are grateful, of course, but not expecting to do it again. What we are doing is trying to lessen the blow of rejection, disapproval, and criticism. Most of the famous, successful, and influential people of this world wrestle with the Imposter Syndrome. We call it grounding ourselves. Keeping it real. Avoiding being labeled arrogant or self-absorbed. We consider ourselves big fishes in small ponds for a temporary moment, then crawl back into our mudbanks and write for ourselves, ever dreaming of one day doing well. Even gifted geniuses think this way, almost sabotaging themselves from the success they are due. The easiest way to cope with the imposter syndrome is to take everything at face value. When you do well embrace it, accept the accolades. When complimented, just say thank you, without the buts, excuses, or IÂ  dont deserve it words, because at that moment in time, you do. When you get rejected, dont look for blame. Just know that your piece was not the best fit for where you submitted it. Back up, learn from the experience, then move on. Rewrite or resubmit. The good or the bad, just chalk it up as part of the journey. All that angst, name-blaming, and emotional baggage that comes with thinking youre a fraud just saps your creative energies. Take each step of this writing business as a rung on a ladder and a lesson to learn from. You are not an imposter. You are on a fresh journey you hope to travel the rest of your life. And like any journey, enjoy the scenery. Everyone Suffers from Impostor Syndrome https://hbr.org/2016/07/everyone-suffers-from-imposter-syndrome-heres-how-to-handle-it

Critical Appraisal of A Research Study Relevant to Clinical Practice Essay

Critical Appraisal of A Research Study Relevant to Clinical Practice - Essay Example Thematic analysis was conducted and the data analyzed carefully. The patient-centered care process was transforming and it was expressed through the themes of closeness, therapeutic care and team work. Being close displayed the sudden and devastating nature of injury and the need for the staff to let go of their emotions in order that they may maintain a positive momentum. Therapeutic care provided the necessary link between the staff and the patients, and it was combined with a proactive dynamic approach to care. Team work identified the importance of maintaining expertise and at the same time making the system work for patients to ensure quality care. In this study, they concluded that it was possible to provide a frame work for individuals and units to develop and better recovery promoting practice, and they said that it could apply in other areas similar to that. However, there are other approaches that can promote quality care that were not mentioned in this paper. One of them is the evidence-based practice. This is practice based on research and evidence from experiences from the work that the practitioners do. This study was based on examining the role of advanced practice nurses, that of the frontline staff and the role of the patients in the promotion of evidence based practice. Gerrish K and Lacey A 2007, in the article, The Research Process in Nursing (5th Edition) examined the role the advanced practice nurses (APNs) play in the promotion of evidence-based practice among the frontline staff. They outlined the empowerment of the frontline workers as an important aspect of contemporary healthcare policy for ensuring quality services from them. This, they farther explained, had been supported by the introduction of new Even though there’s widespread realization that there is need for the nursing practice to be based on evidences, sound evidence, the staff experiences a big challenge in the attempt to put in

The Field of Loss Prevention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Field of Loss Prevention - Essay Example As a consequence my early life experiences were molded by a blend of a â€Å"doing right† and a â€Å"doing well† philosophy. I thus grew to understand to importance of doing the right thing in life and doing it well. From my father’s perspective, what was right was related in part to what was right legally, but also what was right from a moral standpoint. One factor that influenced me towards law was the sense of strength and duty that I learnt from my father. As a consequence of his job, there was always the chance that one day he wouldn’t come home, and I deeply admired the strength and courage that drove him to take those risks. A particular incident that I remember vividly was the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. Although my father was not involved at all, I remember watching the heroic attempts of the officers of both the New York Fire Department and the New York Police Department and the risks that they took. Many of these lost their lives in the World Trade Centre, and whenever I think of them, I feel a strong sense of duty and purpose and am determined to follow the example that they set and to put my chosen career above my own personal desires. The idea of law and justice was strong in my family, not only was my father a firefighter, with strong opinions about what was right and what was just, but also three of my uncles work with the police, two work in New Jersey, one as a police officer and the other as a County Sheriff’s Officer and the last one is a Police Detective.

Community Service as a Graduation Requirement Essay Example for Free

Community Service as a Graduation Requirement Essay A wise person once said, â€Å"If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path. † This particular quote has helped me realize that not enough teenagers are helping their community become a more desirable place to live. Implementing community service into the senior project outline as a requirement would ultimately benefit the students and the community. Not only will the students become more aware of the activities that occur in their community, but they will also have a greater sense of self. Each student has his own reason for volunteering. Many volunteer for the joy of helping others, and some volunteer to seek career opportunities. Simply volunteering at a place that is related to the career one is interested in will help him determine whether that career is suited for him. Bill Jensen, Superintendent of Curriculum for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, agrees with community service being connected to career choices and provides examples. â€Å"We’ve seen students that have gone in to help at the hospital and all of a sudden see that the job is something they are really passionate about. Then we see some students that volunteer at the animal shelter and they find that they would never be able to euthanize an animal, so they have to consider finding a different career† (Jensen). Selecting a career is challenging enough, let alone discovering that the career one chose was not the best and having to choose another. Volunteering provides teens with opportunities outside of finding a career that gives them the necessary skills to help them survive the real world. Students will gain knowledge from volunteering that will lead to increasing their communication and interpersonal skills (Keeler). It can also help with the confidence of stretching ones wings at work, because he or she has already been taught the necessary skills for that job. (____). Community service would be in the best interest for the students that are seniors in high school, so that they have time to commit to a career before going to college and spending time and money on classes that are not necessary. Meeting new people while participating in community service can help students build a network of individuals who could be valuable resources when deciding a future career. The greater number of people one comes in contact with will increase the possibilities of making a productive contact. In order to meet new people, one must step out of his comfort zone. â€Å"Anytime you step out of your comfort zone, you are going to grow as an individual,† says Mark Newell, Principal of Columbus East High School (Newell). While some people are naturally outgoing, others have a hard time meeting new people. Meeting with people on a regular basis that posses the same interests can help with developing social skills(_____). Finding the confidence within oneself to reach out to different groups will allow a better understanding of the numerous cultures that are present in the community. The diversity in American communities impacts Americans’ perception of the world. Americans can observe the countless actions of people from different cultures that differentiate them from the American culture. Since each and every person is unique, Americans are taught at a young age not to judge others. Not one person is the same, whether it is the customs between cultures, or just simply looks and personalities. Each culture has a different way of communicating, and community service can help a person develop the skills to be able to communicate with someone outside of his culture. Finding ways to interpret language into a relatively easy way of understanding is difficult, but it also challenges critical thinking and problem solving skills. People often tend to only think deeply about the issues that involve them, are important to them, or that they are interested in. This is why Americans have such a difficult time learning about other ethnic backgrounds. If the culture and traditions are far different from their own, they will refuse to accept any others because Americans were raised to believe certain things and choose not to adopt anything new. In some studies, it has been shown that there are multiple academic and personal development benefits in socializing with other races (Chang). Volunteering is a great way to interact with people from other cultures. By volunteering, individuals learn to appreciate other cultures’ initiative and hard work that they put into helping the community as well as teaching the volunteer more about the world, and the people that surround him each and every day. Less fortunate people in various places attempt to reach out for help all the time. The minute people take time out of their busy schedules to assist an individual will be the moment in which they open their eyes to the world outside of their own. To help the less fortunate is to demonstrate a concern for the welfare without judging them or blaming them for their circumstances. Compassion does not blame a victim, but seeks to offer assistance no matter what the situation (____). Many people lack the resources that some others have, and possessing necessary items and being successful in life cannot be controlled. The desire to obtain the necessary items is not always present, but who is to say that they are not trying? The failures in succeeding lead to negative attitudes towards continuing to give effort. Some people object to offering help because they believe it may cause dependency, or they believe that leaving them alone will teach them some personal responsibility. What is not understood is the difference between offering assistance, and creating a co-dependent relationship (___). Instead of pushing someone everyday to change their life around, one can give something small and still make a big difference. Community service gives support and relieves the negative energy directed to the less fortunate from society, while attempting to develop better habits for a better life. The process of transforming an unknown human being into a person with importance is time consuming. â€Å"The time it takes to help someone else in a small way is not wasted when it improves someone else’s well-being† (Brannagan). Once the volunteer feels as though he has improved the life of another person and there is evidence to show that the other person is no longer living in disadvantaged conditions, then the frequency of giving and the amount given from the volunteer is increased. To witness the improvement is a priceless matter and should give the volunteer the feeling of unconditional giving. Making a difference in someone’s life gives personal satisfaction and helps teens develop a better appreciation for the little things in life (Keeler). Community service is the voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area. It should never be mistaken with a paid job or a guaranteed career. Volunteers can help communities save money by allowing them to spend the money on local improvements rather than using the funds to hire help. Studies show that communities with high rates of participation apply for and receive more funding than those with less participation. In addition, participating communities achieve greater citizen satisfaction with their community (Reid). There are a variety of opportunities given for students to volunteer. Examples of volunteer work include babysitting, house chores for the elderly, tutoring, mentoring, park clean-ups, coaching a little league sports team, or collecting cans for food banks to help feed the hungry, all of which are just a few compared to the millions not listed. The choice of service to which the volunteer devotes his time depends upon his personal interests or experiences. If someone has an interest in dancing, he or she might teach young girls ballet twice a week. If someone grew up in an abusive home, then he or she might volunteer his time towards helping others that have been abused seek help. The only ones among you who will be truly happy will be those who have sought and found how to serve† (Heim). The strength of the community becomes persistent when there are many volunteers to contribute to the everyday duties that need to be fulfilled. Requiring community service of students, either as a course or graduation requirement, will continue their engagement with community service organizations beyond their mandatory completion. It is very common for students to become emotionally connected to the communities that they serve while performing required service and for the students to want to maintain their connection with those communities (Khanna). The connection between the student and the community reveals how much the student truly cares about giving. Community service will show him the functions of the world and the people around him on a daily basis. Once he is involved, he will soon realize that there is more work to be done than there are people willing to voluntarily help out. The volunteers that have assisted many people have most likely experienced good karma. What goes around comes around, and one act of kindness can expose this proverb. This saying connects to the saying that I originally was inspired by that told of how lighting a lamp for someone can help with finding one’s own way. Making community service as a graduation requirement shows students how it benefits them as well as the community in many different ways.

How appropriate is the title to the subject matter of the Novel Essay

How appropriate is the title to the subject matter of the Novel Enduring love? Throughout the novel Enduring Love McEwan opens the reader’s eyes to many different forms of love through the actions and emotions of his characters. He also makes us aware that people are able to have more than one love. The first love we encounter is that between Joe and Clarissa whose relationship up until the day of Logan’s death was â€Å"without a trace of complication†. The fact that the novel starts with something as clichà ©d as a picnic could represent their relationship so far, it not only sets the scene but instantly tells the reader about the kind of relationship Joe and Clarissa have. McEwan takes the opportunity to show us how much Joe is in love with Clarissa by letting us know that her birthday gift from him was the â€Å"most expensive single item† he had ever bought and â€Å"must have cost Joe thousands†. Another example of the strength of Joe and Clarissa’s love is in chapter three when they turn to each other for comfort after Logan’s death. Joe believes that sharing his every thought and feeling with his partner will exorcise his demons (â€Å"I wanted to tell Clarissa†, â€Å"I wanted to tell her I loved her†) and in turn Clarissa reveals her need for Joe’s love in her moment of fear and instability; â€Å"I just want to hold you†. Although Clarissa is in love with Joe, she’s â€Å"also in love with another man†. She is an English academic studying the last letters of Keats and is passionate about her work. McEwan informs the reader of her great love for Keats through her trip to Harvard, USA; as much as she loves Joe, she sacrificed his company for six weeks to search for â€Å"hypothetical letters† and her most prized possession is the â€Å"... ...being that although the Professor and his student â€Å"are in love†, they would rather have â€Å"kept it secret† unlike Luke who is â€Å"leaving his kindly beautiful wife and bonny twin daughters† to live with the actress, presumably causing pain and chaos for his family. With an age gap of thirty years and the original relationship being student-teacher, Bonnie and Professor Reid’s love is unconventional to say the least. Both the Professor and Luke are throwing away their successful professional lives for the love of women. The meaning of the title Enduring Love could mean a love that has to be endured or one that can endure. By the end of the novel Joe and Clarissa’s love endured and for Joe, Parry’s love had to be endured. The title’s significance is that it is neither one nor the other; it is both as it is relevant to each form of love explored in the novel.

Blue Ocean Strategy Essay

Businesses are always striving to be the better contenders than their competitors. Different theories have been thrown out to see which the best one would be. The Blue Ocean Strategy theory says that companies would be better looking for ways in which they compete against themselves and that is all. W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne wrote a book called â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategy†. There is a term called Red Ocean which consists of businesses are viciously fighting against each other for their place in the specific marketplace. These two authors then came up with the idea of the Blue Ocean Strategy where organizations are able to find a way to work in the marketplace that isn’t bloodied by the competition and is free of competitors. The Blue Ocean Strategy is based where a study of 150 strategic moves spanning over 30 different industries. In the book, the authors argue that leading companies will succeed not by battling competitors, but by steadily creating â€Å"blue oceans† of recognized market space ripe for growth. The strategy is the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost, with the theory behind it not to out-perform the competition in the existing industry, but to create new market space or a â€Å"blue ocean,† thereby making the competition unrelated. Toyota Motor Corporation has moved from being a process innovation to becoming a product innovator thanks to its Value Innovation Strategy. Value Innovation is the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost, creating a leap in value for both buyers and the company. Because value to buyers comes from the offering’s utility minus its price, and because value to the company is generated from the offering’s price minus its cost, value innovation is achieved only when the whole system of utility, price, and cost is aligned. A Red Ocean Strategy is a strategy which is aims to fight and beat the  competition. In this case Toyota would mainly be focusing on their competitors and what their competitors are doing and how their company would be able to be first in that specific car industry. A Red Ocean Strategy ultimately leads to an organization choosing to follow one of two strategies – differentiation or low cost. Whichever is chosen the organization must align all activities with one of these strategic directions. Companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of existing demand, usually through marginal changes in offering level and price. As the market space gets crowded, prospects for profits and growth are reduced. Products become commodities, and cut-throat competition turns the red ocean bloody. No matter what decision a company makes there will still be competition for business. Now a day no matter what industry you are in there will always be strong competition. For the industry that I am in there so much competition and so many companies that do the same thing. Although we clearly want all the business that just does not happen. Even though our industry is so large everyone knows each other where we are able to co-market and help each other out. A good friend of mine is a competitor of my company, he has been in the industry way longer than I have and he told me that he would love to help me out. One of the things that he told me was I will help out and there will always be insurance agents that will use different people but as long as we stay on the rotation list then it is all good. It is important for me to gain the relationships and really keep my names and face out there that way clients will know me and eventually I can get a good job out of it. If you stay competitive and not bite the heads off of your competitors you should be ok that way everything stays clean and not messy.

Manage health and social care practice to ensure positive outcomes for individuals Essay

Understand the theory and principles that outcome-based practice 1.1 – Explain â€Å"outcome based practice?† Outcome based care is described as putting the individual/ service user/tenant at the centre of the care service and not prescribing a generic service for everyone. It is about delivering high quality meaningful outcomes to every individual ensuring they live meaningful, fulfilling lives to their fullest potential. Outcome based practice is the way in which we can empower staff to look at and encourage individuals/service users/ tenants to take an active part in the delivery of their care. Empowering them to challenge their own abilities, learn, make informed choices and set achievable and measurable goals and acquire positive outcomes. 1.2 Critically review approaches to outcome based practice? Outcome based practices are reviewed regularly for individuals /service users by reviewing care plans, for staff it is through supervision and appraisal. Both are reviewed looking at what has been done well what we have learnt and how we have adapted to improve areas over the past weeks, months and even years. It is also reviewed through quality assurance as the tenants, their families and staff give feedback. Any issues or conflict that arise as a result can be resolved by working together. The quality assurance manager also audits information to ensure areas are in place and to a high standard, the manager writes reports and feedback is given to support the team. 1.3 Analyse the effects of legislation and policy on outcome based practice? Government legislation ( the health and social care act 2008) is to ensure that outcome based practice is adhered to. Examples of this include the care and protection of vulnerable adults, safeguarding, respect and dignity. These outcomes are also covered in company policies and procedures and  regulation which is governed and enforced by CQC. The purpose of these is to ensure all services users and their families and staff regardless of age creed, colour and sexuality are treated as equals. To promote equal opportunities and empower all to take and active role and responsibility in their own lives setting measurable and achievable goals to make a positive change. 1.4 Explain how outcome based practice can result in a positive change to individual lives? It demonstrates how good support, guaranteed by person-centered planning, can change the path of a person’s life in a positive way. If people who use services are to have positive control over their lives, if they are to have self-directed lives within their own communities then those who are around the person, especially those who do the day to day work need to have person centered thinking skills. Only a small percentage of people need to know how to write good person centered plans, but everyone involved needs to have good skills in person centered thinking, in the value based skills that underlie the planning. Discussion of a model that local authorities could move forward from buying a volume of provision eg hours, days, etc to a process based on the provider delivering a set of pre-determined outcomes. This has ensured greater user satisfaction, greater flexibility of service and support provided. For example one of our tenants has a predetermined amount of hours per week of staff support which she utilizes as she wished and from her perspective can fully meet her support need as it can be flexible and empower her to live a fulfilling life in the manor she wished to at a time that she chooses. Outcome 2 Be able to lead practice that promotes social, emotional, cultural, spiritual and intellectual wellbeing 2.1 Explain the psychology basis for wellbeing? There is no question at all about the fact that psychological health is important with respect to how we function and adapt, and with respect to whether our lives are satisfying and productive. What the researchers argue about is whether psychological health is a single factor, or whether distress and well-being are actually two separate issues. While the argument continues, the verdict is clear: general well-being does not simply mean that you are free from anxiety and depression. It involves something more. But for general purposes, it can usually be said that it’s two sides of the  same coin. Usually, people are either happy or they’re not, and if their mood isn’t good, they are often distressed to some extent. Psychological health and well-being should also not be confused with the question of whether or not you suffer from mental or emotional disorder. The research on well-being concerns itself with the feelings of normal individuals, or subjects from the general population. When we talk about psychological health, we are referring to how ordinary people are doing in life. In other words, if you are feeling distressed, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are mentally ill. Psychological wellbeing is a more sustainable practice and character driven view of wellbeing: Self-acceptance – a major source of wellbeing and living a happy life is self-acceptance, or the attitudes that we hold about ourselves. Self-Growth – Growing as a person and expanding ones knowledge is a life long process. This is about taking a curious view of life and interceded view which enhances us to seek opportunities as a person.

Rogerian Argument - ProNapster essays

Rogerian Argument - ProNapster essays Lately, there has been a significant amount of concern regarding software programs that promote the sharing of songs at a minimal cost to the consumer. These networks allow users to swap computer files in the form of MP3s among one another via the World Wide Web. In return, this allows for users to download music for free. One such music service that has become the subject of debate was developed by Shawn Fanning and was made available to the public in 1999. This program is better known as Napster. As a result of these debates, Napster critics carry with them several valid points in their claim against these software programs. One such argument is that users should not be allowed to obtain music from the artists and songwriter for free. They claim that Napster should pay royalties to the recording artist in an effort to make up for the loss in potential CD sales. Moreover, they claim that artists have no say as to whether or not their music can or cannot be traded within the network. More specifically, artists say that their music is just automatically made available to the public, without the written or lawful consent of the artist themselves. Furthermore, critics claim that recording songs off the radio is totally different than that of the service provided through networks like Napster. They say that music from the radio is not as easily obtained and the quality is not even remotely similar to that of an MP3 file. They also claim that because of Napster, artists have no say as to where on the Internet their music can be made available, which may draw away crowds from a certain bands website which is their means of advertising. This may have an ultimate effect on new releases and concert announcements. All of these valid concerns are frustrating to those who oppose Napster, and as a result, they have taken action in court. But then again, I have found common ground and can actuall ...

Animal Liberation Front (ALF) Background and Goals

Animal Liberation Front (ALF) Background and Goals Animal Liberation Front (ALF) has no firmly established date of origin. It was founded either in the late 1970s or early 1980s.  ALF maintains an association with PETA, (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). In the mid-1980s, PETA often reported to the press when anonymous ALF activists took animals from U.S. laboratories. ALF activists have also been closely associated with Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty (SHAC), a movement aimed at shutting down Huntingdon Life Sciences, a European animal testing company. Actions against HLS have included bombing property. The Animal Liberation Press Offices, which operate on several continents, issue statements on behalf of not only ALF, but also more militant groups such as the Animal Rights Militia, which emerged into public view in 1982 when it claimed responsibility for a letter bomb sent to former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and several English legislators. Objective ALFs objective, in its own terms, is to end animal abuse. They do this by liberating animals from exploitative situations, such as in laboratories where they are used for experiments and causing financial damage to animal exploiters. According to the groups current website, ALFs mission is to effectively allocate resources (time and money) to end the property status of nonhuman animals. The objective of the mission is to abolish institutionalized animal exploitation because it assumes that animals are property. Tactics and  Organization According to the ALF, Because ALF actions may be against the law, activists work anonymously, either in small groups or individually, and do not have any centralized organization or coordination. Individuals or small groups take the initiative to act in the name of the ALF then report their activities to one of its national press offices. The organization has no leaders, nor can it truly be considered a network, since its various members/participants do not know each other, or even of each other. It calls itself a model of leaderless resistance. There is a certain amount of ambiguity about the role of violence for the group. ALF pledges its commitment to not harming either human or non-human animals, but its members have taken actions which can justifiably be considered as threatening violence against people. Origins and Context Concern for animal welfare has a history stretching back to the late 18th century. Historically, animal protectionists, as they were once known, focused on ensuring that animals were treated well, but from within a humanist framework that envisions humans as responsible for the earths other creatures. Beginning in the 1980s, there was a noticeable shift in this philosophy, toward an understanding that animals have autonomous rights. According to some, this movement was essentially an extension of the civil rights movement. Indeed, one of the participants in a 1984 break-in at the University of Pennsylvania to retrieve animals used in scientific experiments, said at the time that: We may seem like radicals to you. But we are like the abolitionists, who were regarded as radicals too. And we hope that 100 years from now people will look back on the way animals are treated now with the same horror as we do when we look back on the slave trade.(quoted in William Robbins Animal Rights: A Growing Movement in the U.S., New York Times, June 15, 1984). Animal rights activists have been becoming increasingly militant since the mid-1980s, and increasingly willing to threaten people, such s animal researchers and their families as well as corporate employees. The FBI named the ALF a domestic terrorist threat in 1991, and the Department of Homeland Security followed suit in January 2005. Notable Actions July 1984: ALF activists stole three cats, two dogs and eight pigeons from University of Pennsylvania laboratoriesThe ALF and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) took responsibility for smashing Bank of New York windows and posting graffiti such as BNY Kills Puppies to protest the banks business with Huntingdon Life Sciences.2004: Construction of an Oxford University research lab intended to include animal experimentation was halted following repeated vandalizing at the construction site, and threats to shareholders, attributed to ALF2006: ALF claimed responsibility for leaving an incendiary device on UCLA researcher Lynn Fairbanks front porch for her work as a sadistic monkey killer.

Research, design and write a journalistic piece Essay

Research, design and write a journalistic piece - Essay Example Anorexia is serious and the accusation is even more so. This makes an objective review of the facts for determination of innocence or guilt an important responsibility. The fashion industry and media shape societal perceptions of beauty, further functioning to influence self-image. Fashion models are invariably thin and, from the purely medical point of view, unhealthily so. Yet, rather than draw attention to this fact, the media acclaims the beauty of these models and upholds them as the ultimate personification of the ideal. The consequences, as Tierney (2001) explains is that the more impressionable of the young girls and women unquestioningly accept the unrealistic images of beauty propagated by the media as the absolute criteria of beauty and try to attain the ideal. The media has equated beauty with thinness and society has unquestionably accepted the correlation between the two. Given the considerable emphasis which society, which almost every single individual within, places on beauty, it is hardly surprising the countless women are striving towards the attainment of that ideal. The problem with doing so, as Thompson (1990) points out is that the ideal, as propagated by the media and the fashion industry, is twenty percent below the weight which science has defined as the healthy minimum.

Critique on The Affluent Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critique on The Affluent Society - Essay Example For that purpose he gave an idea in his book "the Affluent Society". This book became a best seller as it highlighted the back draws of lesser public goods such as highways and education. In this book Galbraith highlighted an important term 'Conventional Wisdom'. This is cited in the 2nd chapter of the book. Conventional wisdom means something that is accepted generally by the public. Conventional wisdom is said to be what the public generally believes will prop development and in economic theory these are well defined in the new growth theory that is somewhat like keeping budget deficits small, keeping a easy to collect tax base, keeping inflation low and spending more on public goods rather than private goods. Inflation has a high impact on almost every sector of the economy. Its awareness is considered very important when it comes to general public and the system should be educated enough to deal with this threat. However inflation is regarded as the best tool for expansion ONLY if it is CONTROLLED. Inflation is the general increase in the price level. It can also be defined as a persistent or continuous rise in the general price level or in other words it can be presumed as an unrelenting or gradual fall in the value of money. Inflation refers to the change in the general level of prices. It does not refer to changes in one commodity price relative to other commodity prices. These differences are common when the overall system is balanced even. For the term inflation, the rise in the price level must be significant and continue over a period longer than a day, week, or month. According Galbraith inflation was presented by the increase in public demand for goods. This meant that the aggregate demand came nearer to what actually the economy can sustain to produce. This conversely gave rise to prices and therefore the private sector in the World War II phase grew stronger as to meet their demands people paid more. Inflationary effects Inflationary effects upon the Economic growth are considered as difficult challenges. As the tools present to deal with inflation need other trade offs which an economy does not want. Such as to reduce the price level the economy must try to reduce costs and in doing so it may lose quality production. Some products are meant to be expensive and reducing their prices will cause the suppliers to lose out. Inflation tends to widen the gap between the rich and the poor as the rich becomes richer and the poor pays the penalty. During the time of high inflation the main priority of the state becomes to provide the poor with proper food shelter and clothing at a reasonable cost. Another shortcoming of the (uncontrolled) inflation is that the industries start loosing out to the outside competitors thereby creating job cuts which further bring down the GDP level of the economy. The US and Inflation The US economy suffered the same disease that the price level soared and people were unable to cope with it. What can be an effective tool to stop this disparity is the introduction of a strong Fiscal Policy as at the time of World War II US was suffering from deficits and the actual level was lower than the budgeted or predicted. At this time I believe that the Keynesian approach is the strongest as the monetarists can only be able to control price thereby creating more trouble for the

Early childhood play inquiry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Early childhood play inquiry - Assignment Example According to Abbott (1994), it is not all types of play which will be beneficial to the child in terms of their early childhood development. Structured play however, as Abbot (1994) says, is able to help the child to analyse situations, investigate various materials and elements and come up with their own conclusions about the world around them. This process is very helpful to the child as it helps the child’s mental faculties to develop and in a positive way and also helps the child to interact with the world around her in a way that will increase her skills and her thinking processes Abbott (1994). In this regard, play becomes an essential part of learning and without it the child may have to take much longer before they are able to assimilate the world around them. As Abbott (1994) warns, play must be designed with the main intentions to help the child to learn rather than just having fun. According to Bruce (1996), children and adults have a lot in common with regard to how they learn. These commonalities include issues such as the learning from firsthand experience, learning through games and rules and representing their experiences through symbols such as music, drawings, drama etc. However, unlike adults, children only make sense of their experiences and what they learn through play (Bruce, 1996). This is why it is absolutely necessary for adults and especially early childhood teachers to be able to link play to the curriculum. Once they learn about this, it becomes very necessary to be able to help the child to link what she learns in theory and to the real world. In other words, to a child, the play section is like the laboratory for a high school student where they go to make sense of the theories they learn in school. The teacher therefore has to ensure that this â€Å"laboratory† is well equipped for the child to be able to explore as much as

Decline of British Trade Union Membership: Causes

Decline of British Trade Union Membership: Causes Introduction The purpose of this essay is to analyse the factors leading to rapid decline of British trade union membership in the 1980s and 1990s. According to MacKenzie (2008), unions in industrialised countries have faced challenges associated with labour market restructuring. The restructuring happened due to liberalisation and privatisation of the sectors, downsizing the direct workforce and use of sub-contracts. According to Armstrong (2006) the political condition and change of economic condition with the effect of globalisation are the major factors contributing the change in trade union operation and its decline of membership. There are other factors also, one of them, according to Machin (2000) is union inability or unwillingness to unionise the growing number of new workplaces. The introduction of HRM(human Resource Management) concept and practice within the organisations as observed by Taylor (2003) contributed to the introduction of employee relations as a concept that broadened the study of industrial relations from a union focus to include wider aspects of the employment relationship, including non-unionised workplaces, personal contracts, and socio-emotional, rather than contractual arrangements. It is quite clear there are many factors responsible for the decline of trade union membership. It is important to look at British trade union history briefly to get a perspective of its function, growth and difficulties it is facing. As Stephen Dunn (2009) observed the British trade union experienced extraordinary growth for quarter century till 1950s in terms of its membership, activities and ability to carry on collective bargaining on the backdrop of World War 2 and changing socio-economic condition. That progress slowed down but it was still growing till 1970s when it again experienced rapid growth in its membership. The time after 1980s then continued to 1990s and 2000 the trade union membership experienced rapid fall and from 2000 it started stabilising with very slow increase. The report prepared by Cockburn (2009) shows the recorded trade union membership of 7,656,156 in 2008-09, compares to 7,627,693 reported in the previous period. This indicates an increase of 28,463 members or 0.37%. The total recorded membership of around 7.6 million compares with a peak of 13.2 m illion in 1979. The essay will try to discuss about various factors responsible for the decline in membership. Economic Factors The British economy saw many changes after World War 2 in terms of its growth, flexibility and approach. According to David Farnham (1997) there are three major changes happened in international and UKs domestic economy since 1950s and very prominently after 1980s. First, the developing countries restructured their manufacturing industries to become important exporters of manufactured and semi-manufactured goods in Europe, North America and Australasia. Second, the developed countries started moving from manufacturing to service economy thus non-manufacturing industries started growing in these countries. Third, the new emerging markets of East Europe and breaking down of Soviet Union created new opportunities for trade. The above changes had direct impact on UK economy and resulted in declining of number of people employed in manufacturing industries by 45% from 1979 and 1996, David Farnham (1997). There was an expansion on non-manual jobs, professional jobs also the number of worki ng people grew from 25 million in 1971 to 28 million in 1996. The above changes are reflected on British economy and have long lasting effect on life style of people. It also brings more completion in the market from external suppliers and changed the focus of British economy from large, nationalised, manufacturing based economy to privately owned, relatively small and service oriented. The idea of Globalisation in mid 1980s, as described by David Farnham (1997) saw capitalism as the major globalising dynamic and constantly increasing the scale of production and consumption. The increase in trade and commerce with new markets opened new scope as well as competition. The focus of the economy changed to mass produced, cheap products to meet high volume of demand and consumers aspirations. Thus British economy experienced imported products from East Asian countries which resulted in decrease of manufacturing industries in Britain. With the number of people in employment increased the a bility to buy, availability of easy credit and other factors contributed developing of overall living standard of the people. This change in economic condition made the trade union membership less attractive and the collectiveness started eroding among members resulted in decline of membership. Political Factors The British politics observed influence of two political parties The Conservatives and The Labour between 1970 and 2000; their ideological differences were prominent in their policies. The strategy of Conservative party who was in power from 1979 to 1997, as observed by David Farnham (1997), were influential in reducing public expenditure, cut taxation and state borrowing, privatised the nationalised industries and other public sectors, deregulate the economy, working towards free market, free trade, free enterprise, legislation to curb the powers of trade unions to free up labour market as well as undermine collectivism in favour of individualism at work places. As Ed Rose (2008) observed the employers right to manage was reinforced by restricting powers and activities of trade union and encouraged fluidity and flexibility within the labour market. According to Ed Rose (2008) the result is private sector employers achieve greater control over the work and labour process. In 1997 whe n the Labour party formed government they promised to change its traditional Labour policy, as observed by David Farnham (1997), towards promoting competition, pursue tough, efficient regulation, working as a partner to both employers and employee, fairness but no favour to the trade union and last but not the least no return to secondary action, strike without ballots or trade union law of the 1970s. Moreover, consecutive governments passed various legislations which curb the power of trade union and strengthen the hands of employers as well as encourage individualism over the collectivism. According to Millward (2000) and Kersley (2006), the union experienced decline of the unionised sector, collective representation which resulted in fall of collective bargaining with pay and other issues. As observed by Taylor (2003), somewhat hostile treatment from the Government and the policies, legislature changes that are made to restrict trade union power and activities were responsible fo r trade union to lose relevance in private sector organisations and also put challenge in front of trade union to adapt its functioning with the changing circumstance failing of which saw decline in membership and inability to connect with new workplaces. Industrial Factors The period from 1970s as observed by Ed Rose (2008), saw restructuring of British industry in terms of management style of employment relationship, increasing emphasis on communicating with workforce and workplace representation of employees. The result of these changes are adopting anti-union strategies, shifting from pluralist to more unitarist style by many private sectors. Both private and public sector organisations adopted HRM practices, strategies and models of employment engagement thus moving away from collectivism to individualism. As observed by Kersley (2006), Milward (2000), the restructuring of British industry saw the shift from manufacturing economy to service economy, the introduction of technology, computerisation and information technology paved the way for developing specialised skills, part-time, fixed and temporary work contract which resulted significant increase in labour market insecurity and have impact on employment relationship. Moreover, as Ed Rose (2008) pointed out with the changing economic condition and focus on cost saving many organisations sub-contract their fringe jobs to small or other organisations and only concentrate on core activities thus number of employees within the organisation has substantially decreased resulting decrease of employees bargaining power within the organisation. The drive for employing multi-skilled employees also reduced the dependence on specific employee to complete a task thus decreased the level of job security among employees resulting shift of balance towards employers control more than the employees. Trade Unions Internal Factors According to Curran (2006), the trade unions become too institutionalized which prevents it from progressing rather tied up in its own structure with the control power to the full time management of the Trade Union. According to him trade union leaders suffered complacency and forgot to remind people the good work of trade union movement and lot still can be done for those who are being exploited by organizing collective bargaining. Moreover, trade union failed to create connection with the new immigrant workers who would have been highly benefitted from trade union support as they were recruited for low skilled, low paid and most of the times were exploited. He observed that trade unions failed to recognize and adapt itself with the change that the society experienced due to political, economical and the effect of globalization. The trade unions need to understand that they have to adapt and organise its function according to the need of the situation, the advent of technology, pros perity and disposable income has changed the lifestyle of the trade union members but as an organization Trade Union failed to adopt itself with that change and got stuck with the philosophy, style and culture of trade unions foundation time. Moreover, many large Trade Unions still struggle to get rid of their Masculinity culture when the reality is almost 40% of the working population are women and it is difficult for the women to become member of trade union and associate with its day to day activities. As observed by Bob Carter(2004), the Trade Union need to redirect recruitment of members who are in part-timers contract of employment; change bargaining priorities to reflect part-timers concerns; and to change union organization and representation to facilitate participation by part-timers. It is quite evident from the above discussion that trade unions failed to change its priority and redesign its role to suit with the changing world and thus it became somewhat irrelevant to so me members which directly reflected in decline of membership. Future of Trade Union The prediction of future of Trade Union membership and prospect is difficult but can only be done based on past experience, available data and survey results. According to Ed Rose (2008), the evidence shows that there is very less likely the New Labour Government will change the direction of policies towards empowering and giving more authority to the trade unions. It is evident that the balance is more towards the Employers than trade union in controlling employee relationship. Moreover, the specialist skills of managers to deal with employer engagement, various legislations passed to provide more provisions and empower individualism and limiting collective bargaining are the clear indications of limiting trade union roles and powers in future. According to Kersley (2006), the change in giving standard contract to the employees and increase of special kind of contracts like consultancy, fixed term, term time, temporary, part time also private organisations support to non-unionised o rganisations and improving individual employee engagement programme as well as government legislations to support individualism are some of the biggest hindrance towards improving Trade Union membership. According to Ed Rose (2008), the prospect of increasing Trade Union membership looks bleak but analysing the present situation of increase in unemployment, increase of women membership in trade union as revealed from recent surveys and the indications are there that this trend is going to continue as well as the growing general perception among employees that employers are responsible for unfair treatment at workplace may help to improve the situation of trade union membership. There three strategies as suggested by Ed Rose (2008) could change the situation of decreasing Trade Union membership are Servicing Model, Partnership Approach and Organising Model to suit with the changing economic, political and industrial conditions. According to these models the Trade Union need to give service to its individual member by devoting more resources to the enforcement of their rights, be a partner with the employers to achieve competitive advantage for the firm and add values to the service pr ovided as a trade union and last but not the least to organise support for the workforce to solve conflicts and maintain a strong presence throughout. The above models may be theoretically looks good but there are contradictions and depends how well they are executed as well as perception of the role to all the stake holders. There can be element of low level of trust between employers and Trade Union on each other as Partnership Approach can contradict Organising Model. The whole situation of maintaining relationship with both employers and employees can be very difficult if the interest of employees and employers on specific issues are vastly different and in that situation it can be difficult for trade union to follow the above models as this can be perceived as contradictory to each other. According to Peter Wilby (2010), with the growing globalisation and the organisations tendency to move to the countries with cheap labour and favourable business environment, legislation, it is the time for the trade union to think globally as well as strengthening their local roots to strengthen the trade union movement. The trade unions should create a global Union to stop exploiting labour cause anywhere in the world and thus fight for the jobs for local people. It is important for trade union for its own survival to organise movement for local people and working proactively to increase membership, more reliant on its own strength and less dependent on political party like The Labour party introducing favourable legislation to empower Trade Union. According to Curran (2006), trade union should realise that changing its culture and style is not a threat to its values rather a way to sustain its principles of maintaining equality, liberty and solidarity at workplace. The growing tre nd of capitalism in the society creates hour glass situation in organisations where some people at top are enjoying all the benefits and those at the bottom are struggling and their family is experience stress and low prospect of development. This economic condition and stress to fulfil every demand to maintain good lifestyle and the realisation by trade union to change its style of functioning will help to improve the prospect of improving trade union membership in next five years. Though it is difficult to predict if it will able to touch its peak in terms of membership but it will definitely be able to improve current situation in terms of membership. Toyota: Corporate Social Responsibility Toyota: Corporate Social Responsibility The history of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) which is a Japan based-company begins when it is established at 1937 by the founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. (Toyota Motor Corporation n.d.) Since then, the company has started to emerge into the industry of automobile manufacturing until now. As of today, Toyota is one of the worlds leading company manufacturing vehicles and parts. In order to move fast to keep pace with other competitors and to maintain its position and reputation in the business, Toyota has practiced the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy which is Contribution towards Sustainable Development. (Toyota Motor Corporation n.d.) With this policy, Toyota does not only concentrate in maximizing its profit as they also contribute in taking care of the welfare of the society and the environment. Nowadays, most of the consumers are highly educated and environmentally conscious as they are demanding for more than just a high quality or a reasonable price product. Therefore, To yota has to make sure that they can balance up the needs of the society and consumers. Besides producing high quality vehicles, Toyota also has to respond to the environmental issues which have been occurred. In this new era, Toyota is taking every steps and precautions to protect the environment. They may proclaim that they have done good to the society by implementing some policies or concepts such as the introduction to the hybrid cars. But how far could they go? One of the good examples is when Toyota Prius was first launched in 1997. Many has criticized and questioned about the Priuss green concept which uses the hybrid system. Production of hybrid cars is one of the responses of Toyota towards the issue of global warming and the limits of fossil fuel. (Toyota Motor Corporation n.d.) In producing this car especially the battery itself, it actually causes more harm to the environment. One of the biggest concerns about this car is that Prius battery contains nickel metal hydride. (Prius Outdoes Hummer in Environmental Damage 2007) Based on the newswire, the nickel is mined and smelted at a plant in Sudbury, Ontario which leads to environmental damage to the surrounding area. This has f urther leads the NASAs astronaut trainees to practice moon rovers around the Sudbury plant which is badly destructed. (Prius Outdoes Hummer in Environmental Damage 2007) Also, there are many critics who comment on the shipping footprint of the nickel battery. The smelted nickel from Sudbury is shipped to Wales for refinery and to be made into nickel foam at China. The completed batteries which are made in Japan would be then shipped to United States when the car is ready. (Hodges 2009) This has creates doubt about Toyotas environmental aspect as the production process of the battery is not helping in reducing emissions but in fact, the shipping process has already consumed a lot of fossil fuels which would lead to air pollution. Back in 2003, Toyota is questioned about its philosophies towards green environment. Toyota is facing a lawsuit from The Department of Justice and the Environment Protection Agency for violating Clean Air Act. (BJS, 2003) Upon Toyotas application for Certificates of Conformity, it has claimed that Toyota has sold 2.2 million vehicles which were different from the statements in the application. According to the United States government, Toyota has failed to disclose limitation in the operation of the on-board diagnostic system that checks for leaks in vehicles. (BJS, 2003) Because of the leakage problem, Toyota is involved in causing pollution as fuel that vapors into the air would lead to the ozone pollution. Due to this matter, the consumers of Toyota vehicles do not know that they are actually indirectly involved in polluting the environment. Another case which leads to a doubtful thought about Toyotas environmental friendly principles is when Toyota is sued by California at year 2 006. (Glaister 2006) Toyota and several other automakers are to take the blame for producing large amount of vehicles that releases huge quantities of carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. According to the states Democratic attorney general, global warming is bringing harm to Californias economy, environment, public health and agriculture. (Glaister 2006) Though Toyota is making revolution by producing hybrid cars and building more fuel-efficient vehicles, Toyotas image and reputation are blemished by the lawsuits that it faced before. In spite of the criticism of the nickel battery and the lawsuit cases against Toyota, the company has actually poured a lot of effort in protecting the environment. Based on Toyotas sustainability concept, it has focused on three areas comprise of technology, manufacturing and social contribution. (Toyota Motor Corporation n.d.) Research and Development (RD) is categorized in the area of technology and one of the RD that Toyota has created is that they have engineered its own flower species. (Merchant 2009) The carbon dioxide released by its Prius assembly operations is offset by this new plant species. The flowers are derived from the cherry sage and gardenia which helps to absorb nitrogen oxides and to reduce the heat of the atmosphere. (Merchant 2009) Toyota should be praised because it has discovered something special in those flowers. Both the flowers have unique characteristics as the sages leaves can absorb harmful gases whereas gardenias leaves can reduce the temperature of t he factorys surroundings by creating water vapor in the air. (Blackburn 2009) With this, Toyota can concentrate in finding and doing research in advanced technology to produce hybrid cars as they have found a greener way to reduce the emissions of the manufacturing process. This also has shown that Toyota has gone beyond their industry area to look for alternatives and new innovations to preserve the environment. Their action would definitely build up its reputation and image among the stakeholders especially the consumers. In committing towards sustainable development, Toyota is also taking initiatives to develop the manufacturing process through a greener way. It cannot be denied that Toyota is actually polluting the environment during the process of manufacturing and producing the vehicles and car batteries. Hence, Toyota is designing and manufacturing its vehicles based on the concept of three Rs which consists of reduce, reuse and recycle. (Toyota Europe n.d.) Toyota has been manufacturing vehicles with recyclable materials as cars are actually built by plastics that are difficult to be recycled. Therefore, Toyota has created Toyota Super Olefin Polymer which is a special recyclable plastic to make car bumpers and other parts. It can then be recycled and used for many times. (Toyota Europe n.d) Besides, Toyota also has indirectly encouraged the consumers and dealers to be involved in recycling program. For example, each of the battery of the Prius car has a phone number on it to ensure every batter y goes back to Toyota for the purpose of recycling it and dealers are to be paid $200 for each battery. (Richard 2005) Other than that, Toyota has also stepped in further in the area of recycling. For instance, Toyota has built up a waste collection systems. It is for the purpose of retrieving used parts such as tyres, batteries and oil filters from European dealers to send them back for recovery. (Toyota Europe n.d.) In order to contribute to the society, Toyota has involved in various environmental activities. One of them is shown by Toyotas support of Planet Arks National Tree Day. National Tree Day is one of the Australias biggest community tree planting events which falls on August 1, 2010. (Tree Day n.d.) It is a special day where all the Australians would gather around to join this event. All of them are working towards the same motive which is to lending a helping hand to plant and to care for native trees and shrub to improve the environment they live in. (Tree Day n.d.) Toyota has demonstrated its concern and care for the environment by joining this event. Toyota has been supporting Planet Ark and National Tree Day since 11 years ago. (Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited n.d.) Ever since Toyota joins this event, its partnership with Planet Ark and National Tree Day are being appreciated and they are working in a collaborative way. All Toyotas dealers, staffs and brand ambassadors are being encouraged to participate and to support this special day. Their supports can be shown by Toyotas contribution of planting almost 15 millions of trees to reduce the effect of global warming. . (Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited n.d.) This action is a good example and role model for society as Toyota would influence the society to contribute to National Tree Day as well. As an automobile manufacturer, Toyota is facing challenges and obligations everyday throughout the whole process of a vehicle starting from the development until the disposal stage. In my opinion, it is not easy to be one of the largest companies. For instance, Toyota has to face pressures given by the government, stakeholders and the society to fulfill and to respond towards their needs for a better product and a better environment. It has been a tough and long journey for Toyota to achieve what they have now because throughout its companys history, they have been criticized and many comments have been given which are against their every action. Though they might not be a hundred percent environmental friendly company, they are actually giving a large proportion of contributions in helping the society to achieve a healthier environment. Which automobile company can be a fully hundred percent based environmental friendly company? I doubt there are any companies who can successfully d o so. All in all, every company including Toyota needs to fulfill their responsibilities towards the society and environment in order to have a better life and world. Our future generations are very much depending on their actions which are taken today. BJS. 2003, March 11. U.S. settles Clean Air Act case against Toyota. Web log post. http://scienceblog.com/1196/u-s-settles-clean-air-act-case-against-toyota/ (accessed August 8, 2010) Blackburn, R. 2009. Car maker develops its own flower species. Drive. http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=66761vf=1 (accessed August 10,2010) Glaister, D. 2006. California sues car firms for global warming. The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/sep/21/usnews.travelsenvironmentalimpact (August 10,2010) Hodges, A. 2009. Toyota Prius Battery Harms Environment. NewsOXY. http://www.newsoxy.com/articles/toyota-prius-battery-harms-environment.html (accessed August 8,2010) Merchant, B. 2009. Toyota Engineers New Flower Species to Absorb Emissions at Prius Factories. TreeHugger. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/toyota-engineers-new-flower-species-absorb-emissions-prius.php (accessed August 10,2010) Prius Outdoes Hummer in Environmental Damage. 2007. EV World, n.d. http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=14582 (accessed August 7, 2010) Richard, M.G. 2005. Should we be Worried About Hybrid-Car Batteries? TreeHugger. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/06/should_we_be_wo_1.php (accessed August 9, 2010) Toyota Europe. n.d. http://www.toyota-europe.com/corporate/environment/360-approach/end-of-the-road.aspx (accessed August 9, 2010) Toyota Motor Corporation. n.d. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/index.html (accessed August 7, 2010) Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited. n.d. http://treeday.toyota.com.au/tree-day-home (accessed August 23, 2010) Tree Day. 2010. http://treeday.planetark.org/about/ (accessed August 23, 2010)

the real world Essay -- essays research papers

The Real World? "This is the true story of seven strangers picked to live in a loft and have their lives taped. Find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real†, so starts every episode of a popular TV show on MTV called The Real World. This show is based on the idea of having no script or actors, and to just see what happens when strangers live together and interact with each other for three months. This show has been on for over a decade now and is still a popular show even though throughout the last ten years the show has changed in many ways. It has changed in the people, places, and activities that make up the Real World. Through the show’s history The Real World has become less of a reality show and more of a circus show. In the early 1990’s was the first time that The Real World aired on MTV. This show was different than any other show that had ever appeared on national television. What made this show so different was the lack of a script or actors. This genre of television was named reality television. When developing the idea of The Real World executives at MTV wanted to make a primetime soap opera but where having difficulties coming up with the funding to hire actors and writers, so their solution was to eliminate these aspects of a show. There idea was then to have seven strangers ages eighteen to twenty five live together and see if the American public could catch on to ...

Sales Report Hema

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