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. I do not think that’s quit hygienic. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf [ 2 ]. http://www. hema. nl/hema/about-hema. aspx [ 3 ]. http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf [ 4 ]. http://www. returntosender. nl/en/abo ut/partners [ 5 ]. http://www. hema. nl/hema/voor-de-pers/persberichten. spx [ 6 ]. http://www. retail-business-review. com/companies/hema-b [ 7 ]. http://www. hema. nl/SiteCollectionDocuments/HEMA_corporate_EN. pdf [ 8 ]. http://www. sas. com/news/sascom/2012q1/industry_spotlight. html [ 9 ]. http://www. sas. com/news/sascom/2012q1/industry_spotlight. html [ 10 ]. http://www. sas. com/news/sascom/2012q1/industry_spotlight. html [ 11 ]. http://berenschotstrategies. wordpress. com/2011/04/06/hema-in-de-commodity-tra/ [ 12 ]. http://www. marketwatch. com/story/dutch-retailer-hema-no-longer-on-block-sources-2011-06-22 [ 13 ]. http://edepot. wur. nl/167998 [ 14 ].

Descriptive Paper About Memphis

â€Å"THE CITY OF MEMPHIS† The city of Memphis is located in the western corner of the state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis is the biggest city in Tennessee, and the third largest in the United States. The residents of Memphis are referred to as â€Å"Memphians†, and the Memphis region is known as the â€Å"Mid-South†. Downtown Memphis sits along the banks of the Mississippi River. Several large parks are scattered throughout the city, the most popular one is called the Overton Park. Also located in downtown Memphis is the Mud Island Monorail. It is used to transport people from the streets of downtown, across the Mississippi river to Mud Island Park, which is a park that sits in the middle of the Mississippi river and is completely surrounded by water. Memphis has humid subtropical climate. The summer weather is so hot that sometimes it’s hard to catch your breath, it gets very unbearable. The fall and spring are very nice weather wise. The winters are cold but not as cold as Iowa. During the winter it may snow just enough to cover the grounds. Many musicians grew up in and around Memphis. These included such musical greats as Elvis Presley, Three 6 Mafia, Jerry Lee Lewis, Muddy Waters, Carl Perkins, W. C. Handy, B. B. King, and many more. Memphis is full of talent, It is known for everything such as singing, dancing, acting, raping, writers and athletes. Memphis has one of the nicest Triple A baseball stadiums in the country. Memphis is also known for its cultural events. The largest celebration the city has is Memphis In May. The month long series of events promotes Memphis’ heritage. The four main events are the Beale Street Music Festival, International Week, The Sunset symphony, and The World Championship Barbecue Cooking contest, which is the largest pork barbecue cooking contest in the world. In April there is an event in downtown Memphis called Africa In April. Africa in April as a three-day long festival with vendor’s markets, fashion showcases, blues showcases, and international diversity parade. The festival was designed to celebrate the arts, history, culture, and diversity of the African diaspora. Memphis is such a large city that it is broken down into small areas such as South Memphis, Whitehaven, Westwood, Orange Mound, North Memphis, and East Memphis just to name a few. Memphis is a very exciting place to live. There is always something to do or some were to go.

The eNotes Blog Which Authors Share Your AstrologicalSign

Which Authors Share Your AstrologicalSign Have you ever wondered which classical author shares your astrological sign? Look no further; we did the research for you! Aquarius (January 20th February 18th) The Water Bearer, Air To our imaginative and original Aquarius readers, you share a zodiac sign with Charles Dickens, born February 7th, 1812. Best known for:  A Tale of Two Cities Pisces (February 19th March 20th) The Fish, Water To our affectionate and artistic Pisces readers, you share a zodiac sign with Christopher Marlowe, born February 26th, 1818. Best known for:  Doctor Faustus Aries (March 21st April 19th) The Ram, Fire To our bold and ambitious Aries reader, you share a zodiac sign with William Wordsworth, born April 7th, 1770. Best known for:  The Lucy Poems Taurus (April 20th May 20th) The Bull, Earth To our dependable and creative Taurus readers, you share a zodiac sign with Charlotte Brontà «, born April 21st, 1816. Best known for:  Jane Eyre Gemini (May 21st June 20th) The Twins, Air To our expressive and curious Gemini readers, you share a zodiac sign with Sir  Arthur Conan Doyle, born May 22nd, 1859. Best known for:  Sherlock Holmes Cancer (June 21st July 22nd) The Crab, Water To our compassionate and protective Cancer readers, you share a zodiac sign with Henry David Thoreau, born July 12, 1817. Best known for:  Walden Leo (July 23rd August 22nd) The Lion, Fire To our dramatic and fiery Leo readers, you share a zodiac sign with Emily Brontà «, born July 30th, 1818. Best known for:  Wuthering Heights Virgo (August 23rd September 22nd) The Virgin, Earth To our practical and loyal Virgo readers, you share a zodiac sign with Leo Tolstoy, born September 9th, 1828. Best known for:  War and Peace Libra (September 23rd October 22nd) The Scales, Air To our social and gracious Libra readers, you share a zodiac sign with Oscar Wilde, born October 16th, 1854. Best known for:  The Importance of Being Earnest Scorpio (October 23rd November 21st) The Scorpion, Water To our brave and passionate Scorpio readers, you share a zodiac sign with Bram Stoker, born November 8th, 1847. Best known for:  Dracula Sagittarius (November 22nd December 21st) The Archer, Fire To our generous and funny Sagittarius readers, you share a zodiac sign with Mark Twain, born November 30th, 1835. Best known for:  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Capricorn (December 22nd January 19th) The Goat, Earth To our serious and independent Capricorn readers, you share a zodiac sign with Lewis Carroll, born January 14th, 1898. Best known for:  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Free Essays on Year Round Education

Year-Round Education Thesis statement Teachers, administrators, students, and parents should consider all of the pros and cons of year-round education and base school calendar decisions on the plan that gives students the best opportunity to be academically successful. I. There are possibly cost and academic advantages of two plans of year-round education. A. There are two basic plans of year-round education. B. Cost of year round education differs from the traditional calendar. C. There are possible academic advantages of year-round education. II. The differing plans of YRE are single-track and multi-track. A. The single track plan (ST) puts all students on the same calendar. B. Multiple-track (MT) puts groups of students on different calendars. C. 45-15, 60-20, 60-15 and 90-30 plans work in ST or MT plans. III. The cost effects of YRE are debatable. A. Increased cost is the norm. B. YRE affects student jobs and summer activities. IV. The academic impact of YRE is questionable. A. YRE requires curriculum adjustments. B. Does YRE improve standardized test scores and basic studies? There are two major types of year-round education. They are single track and multi track. â€Å"Single track programs provide for the entire student body and staff to follow the same school calendar. Multi track programs divide students and teachers into groups and assign each to one of several tracks with staggered instructional blocks and vacation periods† (Palmer/Bemis). Administrators and politicians who are in favor of year-round education partially support their feelings on the probability of money savings. Very little evidence supports this position. There are also supporters of year-round education who feel that the plan gives students a better opportunity to be more successful academically. Both single-track and multi-track approaches to year-round education meet the required 180 days of instruction for students. The differ... Free Essays on Year Round Education Free Essays on Year Round Education Year-Round Education Thesis statement Teachers, administrators, students, and parents should consider all of the pros and cons of year-round education and base school calendar decisions on the plan that gives students the best opportunity to be academically successful. I. There are possibly cost and academic advantages of two plans of year-round education. A. There are two basic plans of year-round education. B. Cost of year round education differs from the traditional calendar. C. There are possible academic advantages of year-round education. II. The differing plans of YRE are single-track and multi-track. A. The single track plan (ST) puts all students on the same calendar. B. Multiple-track (MT) puts groups of students on different calendars. C. 45-15, 60-20, 60-15 and 90-30 plans work in ST or MT plans. III. The cost effects of YRE are debatable. A. Increased cost is the norm. B. YRE affects student jobs and summer activities. IV. The academic impact of YRE is questionable. A. YRE requires curriculum adjustments. B. Does YRE improve standardized test scores and basic studies? There are two major types of year-round education. They are single track and multi track. â€Å"Single track programs provide for the entire student body and staff to follow the same school calendar. Multi track programs divide students and teachers into groups and assign each to one of several tracks with staggered instructional blocks and vacation periods† (Palmer/Bemis). Administrators and politicians who are in favor of year-round education partially support their feelings on the probability of money savings. Very little evidence supports this position. There are also supporters of year-round education who feel that the plan gives students a better opportunity to be more successful academically. Both single-track and multi-track approaches to year-round education meet the required 180 days of instruction for students. The differ...

ACT Scores

Who Uses SAT/ACT Scores SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Your SAT/ACT score isn't a one-trick pony. Wondering why your SAT/ACT scores are important? They’re used for more than just college admissions. Get a list here of who uses SAT/ACT scores, and why. You may be surprised how late into life your SAT/ACT scores can follow you! College Admissions Not surprisingly, your SAT/ACT score is a very big part of the admissions process. In fact, hour for hour, studying for either the SAT/ACT could be the most efficient way to improve your college admissions chances. But why? SAT/ACT scores are so important because while GPA and class difficulty varies from school to school, every student takes either the SAT or ACT. It’s easier for college admissions officers to compare students from different cities or states by using the ACT/SAT, rather than their GPA. After all, a 4.0 could mean very different things at different schools, but a 36 on the ACT looks impressive no matter what. Of course, many colleges use holistic admission processes, meaning they also consider your GPA, class schedule, extracurricular activities, essays, and more when making your admission decision. But out of all of these factors, the SAT/ACT is one of the most, if not the most, important one. This is why the vast majority of colleges require an SAT/ACT score to apply. There are exceptions: schools that have no standardized tests required or flexible standardized testing. Some well-known ones include NYU, Bryn Mawr and many of the other seven sisters colleges, and George Washington University. But for now these are the exception and not the rule! So definitely plan on studying hard for either the SAT or the ACT for the best shot at your dream school. Freshman Year Course Placement Furthermore, some schools use the SAT/ACT for first-year course placement. So beyond just helping you get admitted to college, your SAT/ACT score could affect your first-year class schedule! To take an example, let’s look at the University of Nevada. They use SAT/ACT scores to place students in their first chemistry, math, and English classes. To look at just one subject, for the freshmen English class, placement is as follows, based on Writing section scores: Eng 098: ACT 17/ SAT 430 or below English 100I: ACT 18-20 / SAT 440-500 English 101: ACT 21-29/ SAT 510-670 English 102: ACT 30 + / SAT 680 + So even if you have a high enough score to get into a college, the higher your score, the higher your class placement could be. If you’re curious about a school you want to apply to, and whether or not it uses the ACT/SAT for class placement, look up â€Å"[Name of College/University] First Year Course Placement.† Some colleges have their own placement tests, and still others use AP/IB scores instead. Scholarships Your SAT/ACT score is often an important criterion for scholarship selection. So not only can your ACT/SAT score get you into college, it could help you pay for it! We’ll break this discussion down into private and school-run merit scholarships. Private Scholarships Private scholarships are scholarships funded by organizations, companies, or individuals. Many private scholarships, especially large ones, require an application from interested students. Just like for college admissions, the SAT/ACT is a standard barometer of success for all students – which is why private scholarships often include SAT/ACT score on their applications. Requiring the SAT/ACT on applications allows private scholarships to compare students from different schools. Generally, the higher your SAT/ACT score, the higher your odds of winning the scholarship. This $50,000 max scholarship, for one, requires SAT/ACT scores for the application.The National Merit Scholarship is another scholarship that depends on your SAT score specifically (not the ACT), as well as getting a qualifying PSAT score. (Read more about National Merit here.) Merit Scholarships Many colleges and universities – especially larger state schools – often give scholarships based on merit. These scholarships reward the most accomplished students entering the school, and are used to help convince high-achieving students to attend. These scholarships are often highly dependent on your GPA and SAT/ACT score. In fact, there are often different award amounts that increase along with your SAT/ACT score. See our list of automatic scholarships for SAT/ACT scores to find out more! Talent Searches Some students may find themselves taking the SAT/ACT quite early on. Middle school talent searches (like Duke TIP or Johns Hopkins CTY) require the SAT/ACT as part of the process. These talent searches give gifted students access to special courses, college counseling, and more. Your scores are judged differently for these since you’re taking the SAT/ACT at a younger age. (You can read about the SAT and ACT score requirements for Duke TIP if you're curious.) And in case you’re wondering, colleges don’t need to see scores from very early SAT/ACT dates when you’re applying. If you take the SAT/ACT in middle school, you should probably retake it in high school for a higher score. Job Applications Even once you’ve graduated college, your SAT/ACT score can follow you! Even though both tests were designed for college admissions, some other organizations have found uses for them. In particular, sometimes SAT/ACT scores are used for job applications (particularly at prestigious companies like Bain, McKinsey, and Goldman Sachs) to see if applicants have the â€Å"raw brainpower needed† to succeed. Does this make sense? Maybe not. According to an article in Time, â€Å"SAT scores might not even be that good of a barometer for predicting someone’s job performance. In an interview last year, Google HR exec Laszlo Block told the New York Times, 'Google famously used to ask everyone for a transcript and G.P.A.’s and test scores, but we don’t anymore, unless you’re just a few years out of school. We found that they don’t predict anything.' When the search engine giant crunched the numbers, it couldn’t establish a link.† So why do companies sometimes include SAT/ACT score on their applications? According to a PBS Newshour Report, "'When you’re hiring people and they don’t have a lot of work experience, you have to start with some set of data points,' Eric Eden of Cvent, a Virginia-based software company, told The Wall Street Journal. Eden’s company hasn’t looked into whether their top employees also had the highest scores - but 'knowing it’s a standardized test is really enough for us,' he said.' So even though it might not make the most sense, some companies will look at your high school SAT/ACT scores to get more context about you. Since the SAT and ACT are standardized, the tests allow the companies to easily compare different applicants. Will your SAT/ACT scores stop you from pursuing your dream career? No. The majority of companies don't ask for your SAT/ACT score on your application. But some do, so your SAT/ACT scores could affect your job prospects, especially right out of college. This is just another reason to study hard in high school! How the SAT/ACT Won’t Be Used After reading all this, you may be thinking your ACT/SAT scores will follow you around for the rest of your life. But don't worry! There are some key opportunities, both pre- and post-college, that don't use your SAT/ACT score. Graduate fellowships like the Rhodes, Marshall, and Fulbright scholarships don’t require SAT/ACT scores – for these, your undergraduate transcript is most important. So if you have your eye on getting one of these prestigious scholarships, don’t worry about your SAT/ACT score following you. Graduate Schools don’t take the SAT/ACT either. In fact, each type of grad school has its own test. Prospective medical students have to take the MCAT, law students the LSAT, pharmacy students the PCAT, dental students the DAT, business students the GMAT or GRE, and many other programs require the GRE. (Talk about alphabet soup!) So even if you ace the ACT/SAT in high school, you’ll have to go through the test prep routine once more if you're aiming for graduate school. Finally, some private scholarships (like the Coca Cola scholarship) don’t use SAT/ACT scores. In fact, there are many private scholarships based just on essay competitions or other writing prompts. Many more are also based on your personal circumstances, for example, scholarships for children of military members. You can search for scholarships on College Board's Big Future website if you want to find out more. Bottom Line Your SAT/ACT score doesn’t just matter for college admissions – it can get you scholarships, higher class placements, and even a job post-college! This is all the more reason to study for these tests as hard as you can. That said, don't stress about the SAT/ACT too much. For most students, once they get to college, the tests will stop being important. Even if a job application asks for your SAT/ACT score, they will also be looking at your achievements and work experience from college. So focus on doing the best at whatever it is you're working on now! What’s Next? So you know your SAT/ACT scores matter. But what kind of scores do you need for your dream schools? Find out the SAT score or ACT score you need to be competitive. Should you retake the SAT/ACT? Find out here how likely it is your score will improve. Get more in-depth advice for improving your SAT/ACT score, from the best ACT English practice, vocabulary you need for SAT reading, a guide to lines and angles on SAT math, and the 21 ACT tips you should be using. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Evaluate the usefulness of David Eastons model of the political system Essay - 1

Evaluate the usefulness of David Eastons model of the political system for comparative political analysis. Use at least one democratic and one authoritarian regime as examples - Essay Example Through these interactions, the society can authoritatively allocate values (Easton, Gunnell & Stein 1995). In short, it is a systematic way used to determine the allocation or power and authority in the society. The term system reflects brings together various elements as captured by Easton. These elements include the purpose of the system. In this case, the main objective of a political system should be to convert inputs, which exist in the form of demands from supporters and converting them into decisions. Secondly, a political system should consist of elements (Barrington 2012). These elements consist of decisions, demands, implementations, strategies among others. Thirdly, it is necessary to have boundaries that define the political system. These boundaries play a critical role when it comes to determining what belongs to the system of not (Almond 1988). Lastly, the environment is a major player in a political system. In this case, actions considered to be lacking in political will, exist in the environment. Easton introduces three different levels in a political system. These levels include the state, the regime, and the government. According to the political systems theory, the state represents an institution that bears that responsibility to govern. It is a legitimate entity that exists permanently. A regime represents fundamental rules and principles (Frohock 1974). It is an organization of power in a specific government. Thirdly, the government refers to a collection of existing offices that exist in a political system. These offices give the office holders room to act on behalf of the people in realizing their objectives. Easton’s political system represents a systematic approach when it comes to politics and governance. In essence, it makes it possible to analyze political systems and come up with solutions to some of the challenges facing the society. Easton developed a systematic process of transforming input into output. Through