Performance Appraisal Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Performance Appraisal Paper - Essay Example The thesis statement of the current reflective paper is to evaluate how the various aspects of human resource management and planning work together to perform that primary function. The contemporary issues in human resource planning and development are very much different from what it used to be two or three decades back. With so many firms entering the global market, the major objective of HR is the management of cultural diversity as well as ethics of various nations where the firm is seeking business. With the advent of new technology too, new issues have arsed in the field of HR planning. For instance, information needs to be communicated within a nation or within an organisation. Apart from this, workplace diversity continues to be a major concern for HR managers. In this arena, the primary function of managers is to ensure that no discrimination is done in promoting, hiring or termination procedures and practices (Brewster, et al., 1996). However, each of these challenges are also opportunities for improving the overall monitoring of performance, safety and health issues as well as turnover management. Globalization has seen a tremendous growth with technological advances. As the cost effectiveness of business is increasing, more and more companies are going global. Thus, new roles of seeing international employees have been added to HR management. The HR managers are realizing that with different religions, races and cultures, work motivation is also changing. As a result, the overall hiring and recruitment process has seen a dramatic change. Today, hiring process does not confide to a person’s functional capabilities but also his/her capability to work in a diverse environment. With the equal Opportunity (EEO) as well as affirmative action plan, the firing and hiring policy has become more controlled as

Phase 2 Individual Project Essay Example for Free

Phase 2 Individual Project Essay There are many businesses that have expanded their business internationally in order to benefit in some sort of way rather it revenue or a better market for their product. In this thesis, I will research a multination company and its international strategy over the last 10 years. I will elaborate on it international orientation and rather it etho-, poly-, or geocentric. I than explain why the company decided on expanding to the chosen locations. Then I will clarify if they had core capability to succeed in those markets, along with its opportunities and constraints. Last, I will define value chain dispersal and integration strategy and describe the strategy that’s organized around it. I chose to research McDonalds, because it is one of the most successful restaurant chains around the world. They use effective management to strategize global expansion. . They develop effective customer brand loyalty through their Human Resource Department and company personnel. McDonald’s international orientation has ethnocentric and polycentric approaches. Its ethnocentric approach begins with how they initially entered international markets by leveraging standardized product offerings, clean and bright environments, and American brand equity (McDonald’s Success Strategy and Global Expansion through Customer and Brand Loyalty). But with changing times McDonalds have adapted to local regions remodeling it retail space and while changing product line to appeal to local taste. By the golden arch being connected to American culture, it can be at risk in other countries by not staying true to what McDonald’s stand for. By brushing aside ethnocentric considerations , it could be an identity lost. The polycentric approach is how they provided growth and employment to a vast  number of minority groups in the United States and people around the globe. McDonalds is culturally connected around the world be providing business training for employees in Hong Kong and in the UK offering 1800 to employees to continue their education, just to name a few. The influence and most of McDonald’s success is the investment of significant in their employee’s growth and job satisfaction. McDonalds was founded in 1943, and 1967 British Colombia was its first international expansion, advertising to middle and upper class. McDonalds decided to expand internationally, due to the enormous success in America. There was heavy research involved in the expansion. Through globalization and internationalization, McDonalds were able to develop marketing strategies according to cultural needs, to serve specific target markets. McDonalds enter India’s foreign market and 1996 and is a to ugh foreign market to enter, but with McDonald’s success they were able to earn high revenue in India. The success strategy is researching and the development of food. McDonalds thoroughly analyzed the preferred taste, especially to not offend locals. Their key to success is to â€Å"think global, act local.† Furthermore, McDonald’s is a true franchise success; the success of McDonald’s goes back to its roots, the start. By being consistent and providing quality service, cleanliness, and values at all times, customers have nothing to complain about and customers always know what to expect locally and internationally. With making things new and fresh, innovation is a key component to the success internationally. By taking the necessary steps and observing differences in cultures, they were able to tweak their products without causing disruption. Also, McDonalds turns bad into success, by being in the forefront of environmental issues McDonalds took their issues and established their own Global Environmental committee and outlined the steps to reduce solid waste. Ov er the years there has been much global health concern, mainly in relation to children. In response to the concerns, McDonald’s formed the Global Advisory Council (GAC) in 2004. The GAC is an international team of independent experts assembled by McDonalds to provide us with professional guidance in the areas of nutrition and childrens well-being (The Success of McDonald’s Franchise). Finally, what is value chain dispersal and integration strategy? Value chain dispersal is how a business receives information and takes the information to add value to their business in the selling of their product to customers.  Value chains can produce goods or services. The goal of the business to produces maximum value for the least total cost. Integration strategy is use in the training of management and employees, reduce in-effective communication, and reduce cost. The international strategy that is organized around value chain dispersal and integration strategy involving McDonald’s, is that they know their strengths and weaknesses. Adding values strengthens the corporations as a global economy, where the weaknesses are transformed into a positive factor. These projects take effective management. Effective in management in turn can produce great employees, in which they can effectively communicate and execute the mission and statement. In conclusion, it was very informing to research a franchise success, such as McDonald’s. What is even more intriguing is their success locally and internationally and how they cater to different cultures, by researching needs and wants. McDonald’s knows what takes to be a huge success is and success takes brain-storming, along with talent. Reference McDonald’s Success Strategy And Global Expansion Through Customer And Brand Loyalty. The Clute Institute Journal Of Business Case Studies, 3. Retrieved from http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/JBCS/article/view/4857/4949 McDonald’s International Strategy: Squander Brand Equity? (2009). Retrieved from http://www.sundarganapathy.com/blog/2009/04/20/mcdonalds-international-strategy-squander-brand-equity/ Roger, Arvind, Kashlak, Rabi, Bhagat, Phatak (2009). International Management: Managing in a Diverse and Dynamic Global Environment (2nd ed.). [Course Smart Solutions]. Retrieved from http://wow.coursesmart.com/9780077674113/?CSTenantKey=coloradotechspid= The Success of McDonald’s Franchise. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.franchisedirect.com/information/trendsfacts/thesuccessofmcdonalds/8/1111/#note4

Martin Esslin Critical Essay :: Free Essays

Martin Esslin, in his critical essay written in 1969, comments on works from the beginning, middle and finally the end of Ibsen’s career. He chose to write about Hedda Gabler in his section about the middle of Ibsen’s career. While his writing is fairly complex, most of it is decipherable. He writes that â€Å"Hedda Gabler is the last of his strictly realist plays.† (237). He also explains that Hedda Gabler â€Å"is first and foremost about a human being, no about an idea† (237). This is what Esslin is impressed with the most. He loves how Hedda is not only the main character but also the social comment. With these two ideas intertwined so well, the play is fascinating. Hedda becomes the social comment on the role of women in the society. She challenges the idea of the time period and stands instead for superior, aristocratic woman who is the salve to the pride of her caste,† (238). She cannot stand her position in society, and becomes bored with sit ting around the house, waiting for Brack or Mrs. Elvsted to come around and visit. She becomes increasingly bored, even on her honeymoon, with a husband she apparently married simply to become married and have some sort of social position. She does not love Tesman, which becomes clear through the way she treats him. An example of this is her harsh attitude toward him serving them drinks. Esslin also comments on the incredible balance of the play with the presence of six main characters, three men, and three women. They all balance each other out, which become clear as Esslin shows the opposite character traits in the six characters. â€Å"Hedda†¦superior, aristocratic woman†¦Elvsted†¦her exact counterpart, socially, intellectually, and physically inferior†¦. better able to survive† (238). The final aspect of the play Esslin chooses to comment on is how it is very much a poem. He cites examples, â€Å"a figure standing by an open door, a shot ringing out i n what seems like an idyllic scene, all these may contain more poetic feelings than a dozen finely written speeches.

Crucible Belonging Essay

Individual Text Record Sheet for AOS: Belonging Title: Looking for Alibrandi Composer: Melina Marchetta Form and text type: Novel Publication date: 1992 Context: Set in 1992, Sydney, Australia, surrounding the secluded Italian community. Audience: Young adults Purpose: To educate young adults on the stresses and losses of life and how, through reflection, they can set you free. Brief synopsis of text: Looking for Alibrandi focuses on one girl and the shame her family’s indiscretions have brought on them. Throughout h HSC year, her father returns, she falls in love, loses a friend and discovers the truth of her identity. List four textual features that convey the concept of Belonging (techniques): 1. Humour: Humour is used in Looking for Alibrandi to convey Josie’s cultural connections to food such as pizza and pasta, as shown when Josie is having a conversation with her father who asks if she likes pizza to which she replies, â€Å"What a ridiculous question. I suppose you’re going to ask me if I like pasta next. The use of sarcasm by Josie, clearly demonstrates the humour in the novel by dismissing her father’s question as the answer should be obvious. This sets the foundation for the father-daughter relationship to develop. 2. Characterisation: In the novel the characters personalities are reflected through the use of stereotypes. This is best shown through Nonna and Jacob. Nonna is a stereotypical Italian grandmother, who strongly clings to her cultural herit age to the extent where all her furniture is Italian. Jacob, on the other hand, is the typical rebel. He is part of a gang, gets into trouble often and rides a motorcycle. The stereotyping of Nonna shows her strong connection to her Italian heritage whereas the characterisation of Jacob demonstrates his lack of connection to his Australian background. 3. Imagery: Imagery is used in Looking for Alibrandi after Josie’s friend John Barton commits suicide, where she starts to have hallucinations of seeing him, particularly at Central Station which was their meeting place. John’s death has had a huge impact on Josie as she begins to feel like she has no friends and thus isolated from people. She also experiences anger that he would kill himself instead of going to her for help. The imagery creates the connection that Josie feels to other people besides John Barton and begins to create relationships with other people. 4. Irony: In the novel, Nonna has a disapproving attitude towards her daughter due to Josie being born out of wedlock. This sets up the irony in the novel as Nonna cheated on her husband resulting in the birth of Josie’s mother making her very hypocritical. This is evident when Josie finds out â€Å"You’re a liar†¦ You slept with him. You slept with Marcus Sandford. † The use of irony causes the strain in Nonna and Christina’s mother-daughter relationship and sees Nonna taking special interest in Josie, forming a strong relationship between them as Nonna believes Josie will break the ‘curse’. Links to prescribed text in terms of ideas and techniques (synthesis): Humour is used in The Crucible to relieve the tension and convey the ridiculous situation at hand. The characters have a conversation with Parris, where he mentions the faction against him to which Proctor retorts, â€Å"Why, then I must find it and join it. This is similar to Looking for Alibrandi where the main character, Josie, hides behind humorous sarcastic remarks to deal with troublesome situation. Through the use of humour, both John Proctor and Josie Alibrandi are singled out and looked up to. The stereotypical characterisation of a theocratic society has been infracted by greed and dishonesty. This is unveiled in the sc ene where Putnam gets his daughter to accuse their neighbour of witchcraft so he can buy the land. However, the stereotypical characterisation in Looking for Alibrandi remains intact. This shows the conflicting of interests in religious communities and, how one mistake will have an impact on the entirety of the community. The use of imagery is accentuated in The Crucible through the only evidence received in the trials which is the girls’ word that the Devil has sent someone’s ‘spirit’ to harm them. When accusing Mary Warren, they shout, â€Å"Mary, please, don’t hurt me! † The use of imagery in The Crucible and Looking for Alibrandi, singles out certain characters as they feel weak and helpless, disconnecting them from their stronger friends and family. The irony in The Crucible demonstrates just how little the authoritative figures see as they allow good Christians to be hung on the words of manipulative children. This is indicted in Act One where Reverend Hale states that Rebecca Nurse looks, â€Å"as such a good soul should†, however, in Act Four, hangs her for the crime of witchcraft. Similarly, the situation with Nonna and Christina, Josie’s mother, is also ironic. This suggest a desire for the characters to believe in what they say and forget about how they act, wanting to be accepted for who they’ve become.

African American Stereotypes in the Media

Jakaya McCambry 10/02/12 African American Stereotypes in the Media When I first heard someone say, â€Å"All African American people are Ghetto,† I was very offended that someone would make this type of assumption about my culture, and I thought how ignorant this person must be; but then I stopped and wondered why other people would think this about us. I asked her why she would say something like this, and she instantly listed shows like Tosh. O and Chelsea Lately, which highlight my culture in a negative view.It was clear to me that she had made up her mind about black people through watching the media and seeing African Americans fulfill that stereotype in person. This led me to question: Where exactly do these stereotypes come from? Are African American stereotypes still apparent in the media? What shows, movies, etc have made others portray our race as â€Å"Ghetto† or other lists of stereotypes? Are there any solutions to stop African American stereotypes? When we subscribe to the belief that groups of member are expected to possess certain characteristics, we are engaging stereotypes.When these groups are evaluated based on what the perceiver believes the target ought to be, judgments are made. These judgments concerning these individuals, based on their membership in a group or judgments made about people are not particularly based on facts. Stereotypes about our race dates all the way back to slavery. The beliefs that we were dishonest, promiscuous, and violent were evident during slavery of our black race. More recently the media sets the tone for morals, values, info about our culture; leading people to believe everything they see on TV including black stereotypes.It is a fact that one out of three people are said to have more than one TV in their house, which shows that media is a source for how people form perceptions about people (Tosi 13). Perception thus becomes a reality to people, and once people perceive it, stereotyping is born . Stereotyping of African Americans in the media has stemmed from how the media has presented African Americans to the world. There is a theory by George Gerbner that states, â€Å"Individuals who frequently watch high contents of television will begin to believe that they are living in a world similar to what is portrayed on the screen (Gerbner&Gross, 1976). It is the idea that whether something is being portrayed as negative or positive on television, most people will believe it. There is a fact which says that about six percent of African Americans are seen in comedies and dramas (Tosi 14). Within that category, they are mostly illustrated as being lazy, loud, uneducated and poor. For example, in movies like The Color Purple and shows like Good Times demonstrates negative perceptions of our race. On the other hand, shows like The Cosby show and Fresh prince of Bel Aire try and broaden the viewer’s idea of a typical â€Å"black† family.These shows highlight black pe ople living a very high class, educated, wealthy lifestyle. And so, as we see, the media ultimately controls how our race as they perceived, whether it is negative or positive. Since the media has a strong influence on the people’s perceptions of each other, they are the real deciding factor on how to solve the problem of stereotyping. We could possibly find solutions by matching every negative stereotype with a positive one, so that the good and bad cancel each other out.This is just a start; we want it so that when other cultures look at us, degrading stereotypes pertaining to our race will not come to mind. I believe we as inviduals also have the power to choose not to conform to our own stereotypes. Bordewich once said, â€Å" Only by abandoning many long-held, lovingly-held, myths and fantasies; we will become able to shape a healthy rational policy for people’s whose real life s far more complex and interesting, than our persistent fantasies. † So although the entertainment in the media may be interesting, we as a culture need to lead and be as catalyst in ending these demeaning stereotypes.Stereotypes can be good or bad, but given the evidence from my research on this topic, I can conclude that most African American stereotypes are negative. The way entertainment in the media portrays us has greatly affected how others identify us. Movies and shows like; Madea’s family Reunion, Bringing down the House, Love and Hip Hop, and Basketball Wives all portray us in a degrading way. People sometimes find it comical of course, but the fact that it is comical does not justify it being debasing. This image of us has evolved from things in the media, and its’ power to shape people’s idea of us.We as a race must stop living up to our stereotypes. As soon as we take action in not succumbing to our own stereotype, people will not think we are â€Å"Ghetto† or any other undignified term they think of us; therefore in the media we won’t be perceived in that way. As Colin Powell once said, â€Å"Fit no stereotypes. Don't chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach best accomplishes the team's mission. † Although African American stereotyping is prevalent in the media now because of its’ entertaining quality; it perpetuates a cycle of harmful stereotypes.As long as this cycle continues, our culture will always be illustrated negatively. Works Cited Dixon, Travis L. â€Å"Network News And Racial Beliefs: Exploring The Connection Between National Television News Exposure And Stereotypical Perceptions Of African Americans. †Ã‚  Journal Of Communication  58. 2 (2008): 321-337. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Oct. 2012 Horton, Yurii, Eric Brown, and Raagen Price. â€Å"PORTRAYAL OF MINORITIES IN THE FILM, MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES. †Ã‚  PORTRAYAL OF MINORITIES IN THE FILM, MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES.Ethics of Development in a Global Environment (EDGE), 1 June 1999. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. . Retirethechief. â€Å"Stereotypes and Symbolism: Images Can Hurt. †Ã‚  Stereotypes and Symbolism: Images Can Hurt. RetireTheChief. org, May 2003. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. . Sanders, Meghan S. , and Srividya Ramasubramanian. â€Å"An Examination Of African Americans' Stereotyped Perceptions Of Fictional Media Characters. †Ã‚  Howard Journal Of Communications  23. (2012): 17-39. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Tosi, Paula. â€Å"Thinking About What We See: Using Media Literacy To Examine Images Of African Americans On Television. †Ã‚  Black History Bulletin  74. 1 (2011): 13-20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Ramasubramanian, Srividya, and Mary Beth Oliver. â€Å"Activating And Suppressing Hostile And Benevolent Racism: Evidence For Comparative Media Stereotyping. †Ã‚  Media Psychology  9. 3 (2007): 623-646. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Moon J. Lee, Shannon L . Bichard, Meagan S. Irey, Heather M. Walt & Alana J.Carlson, (2009)Television Viewing and Ethnic Stereotypes: Do College Students Form Stereotypical Perceptions of Ethnic Groups as a Result of Heavy Television Consumption?. Howard Journal of Communications 20:1, pages 95-110. Bradley W. Gorham, (2006) News Media's Relationship With Stereotyping: The Linguistic Intergroup Bias in Response to Crime News. Journal of Communication 56:2, pages 289-308. C. Mo Bahk & Fred E. Jandt, (2004)  Being White in America: Development of a Scale. Howard Journal of Communications 15:1, pages 57-68. â€Å"Stereotypes In Media. †Ã‚  Stereotypes In Media. N. p. , n. d.Web. 19 Nov. 2012. . Monique Kloosterman, et al. â€Å"‘Shake It Baby, Shake It': Media Preferences, Sexual Attitudes And Gender Stereotypes Among Adolescents. †Ã‚  Sex Roles  63. 11/12 (2010): 844-859. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Hutchison, Phillip J. â€Å"Reexamining Jack Johnson, Stereotypes, A nd America's White Press, 1908–1915. †Ã‚  Howard Journal Of Communications23. 3 (2012): 215-234. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2012 Pickering, Michael. â€Å"Sex In The Sun: Racial Stereotypes And Tabloid News.   Social Semiotics  18. 3 (2008): 363-375. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Li Chen, et al. â€Å"Male Mammies: A Social-Comparison Perspective On How Exaggeratedly Overweight Media Portrayals Of Madea, Rasputia, And Big Momma Affect How Black Women Feel About Themselves. †Ã‚  Mass Communication & Society  15. 1 (2012): 115-135. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Hermes, Joke. â€Å"On Stereotypes, Media And Redressing Gendered Social Inequality. †Ã‚  Contemporary Readings In Law & Social Justice  2. 2 (2011): 181-187. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.

Free Essays on Great Composer

Claudio Monteverdi is a 16th, 17th Century composer who helped move music in new directions. Through his compositions, Monteverdi brought new composing techniques to the world, and helped change the, what was then, traditional genres, andmove them through his progressive writing style. Though first, Monteverdi’s life must be seen. Knowing were a person has been can greatly help someone, especially an artist. Second, of Monteverdi’s works, his first five books of madrigals helped to bring in new changes to the music world. Therefore, to see the life, and section of works of a composer, Monteverdi is seen as a great progressive composer of his, and for all time. Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona1, on May 15, 1567 and died in Venice on November 29, 1643(Boynick). Monteverdi studied with Ingegneri, maestro di cappella at the Cremona cathedral, and published several books of motets and madrigals before 1591 (Boynick). While under Ingegneri, Monteverdi was groomed carefully, and seemed to have been held back before publishing to make sure of Monteverdi’s developing composing skills (Carter, Madrigals and arias 509).In 1591 Monteverdi left for Mantua to the court of the Duke Vincezo Gonzaga, there serving as a sting player in the court (Boynick). Monteverdi studied under Giaches de Wert, the resident maestro di cappella while in Mantua (Boynick). Monteverdi then met and married Claudia de Cattaneis, a court singer. Claudia bore three children to Monteverdi. Monteverdi later became maestro di cappella succeeding Pallavinco, whom succeeded Giaches (Boynick). To help secure this position, Monteverdi wrote the Duke Gonzaga about this appointment citing that he â€Å"...affectionately requested [ the position of maestro di cappella and sought out with humility (Stevens 37). Monteverdi published his first opera Orfeo in Mantua in 1607, followed by Arianna, which contracted remarkable reputation (Carter Lamenting Ariadne 395), ... Free Essays on Great Composer Free Essays on Great Composer Claudio Monteverdi is a 16th, 17th Century composer who helped move music in new directions. Through his compositions, Monteverdi brought new composing techniques to the world, and helped change the, what was then, traditional genres, andmove them through his progressive writing style. Though first, Monteverdi’s life must be seen. Knowing were a person has been can greatly help someone, especially an artist. Second, of Monteverdi’s works, his first five books of madrigals helped to bring in new changes to the music world. Therefore, to see the life, and section of works of a composer, Monteverdi is seen as a great progressive composer of his, and for all time. Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona1, on May 15, 1567 and died in Venice on November 29, 1643(Boynick). Monteverdi studied with Ingegneri, maestro di cappella at the Cremona cathedral, and published several books of motets and madrigals before 1591 (Boynick). While under Ingegneri, Monteverdi was groomed carefully, and seemed to have been held back before publishing to make sure of Monteverdi’s developing composing skills (Carter, Madrigals and arias 509).In 1591 Monteverdi left for Mantua to the court of the Duke Vincezo Gonzaga, there serving as a sting player in the court (Boynick). Monteverdi studied under Giaches de Wert, the resident maestro di cappella while in Mantua (Boynick). Monteverdi then met and married Claudia de Cattaneis, a court singer. Claudia bore three children to Monteverdi. Monteverdi later became maestro di cappella succeeding Pallavinco, whom succeeded Giaches (Boynick). To help secure this position, Monteverdi wrote the Duke Gonzaga about this appointment citing that he â€Å"...affectionately requested [ the position of maestro di cappella and sought out with humility (Stevens 37). Monteverdi published his first opera Orfeo in Mantua in 1607, followed by Arianna, which contracted remarkable reputation (Carter Lamenting Ariadne 395), ...

Company Strategic Analysis on Unilever ICE Cream du Telecom

Company Strategic Analysis on Unilever ICE Cream du Telecom Background The Unilever Ice Cream division operates in a highly competitive environment. Ice cream is part of the company’s food business that has to compete with other companies in the fast moving consumer goods segment. The company is the biggest maker of ice cream in the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Company Strategic Analysis on Unilever ICE Cream du Telecom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Customers are mainly retail buyers who shop from supermarkets and are increasingly taking on ice cream as a snack. Unilever Retail Industry Share (%) Industry Rank and Share of Revenue (%) 2008 2013 Rank Share of Revenue World Australasia Western Europe Latin America North America Eastern Europe Asia Pacific Middle East Africa 20.9 33.5 30.1 27.7 21.5 11.4 6.5 11.7 21.3 36.5 31.0 28.6 20.9 15.5 9.4 7.2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 4 100 5.8 42.7 13.7 19.7 6.3 9.5 2.3 Figure 1: Euromonitor International-Statistic s The main Unilever ice cream brands in the UK are Ben Jerrys, Carte D’or, and Walls. The following graph displays the market share of the respective brands in UK in 2013. Figure 2: Ice cream number of users in UK (in 1000 people) (Statista 2015) Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Figure 3: UK average purchase in grams per week per person (Statista 2015). Meanwhile, du telecom operates in a young, growing industry. It also benefits from its association with the United Arab Emirates government by being owned by several state agencies. du is enjoying a persistent increase in mobile data revenues. The business segment contributes about 30% of the total company revenue. The main challenge for du telecom is sustaining the cable infrastructure to provide 100% uptime on data business. Rivals like Etisalat and YahClick are already opting to use satellite links as ba ckups. du has to keep up with changing technologies to remain relevant in its business (du 2014). Figure 4: du mobile data revenue trend Competitive environment applications Five Forces du telecom in the UAE The threat of new entrants in the UAE telecom market remains low because of the low population of the country and the high cost of setting up the required infrastructure. New entrants also try to avoid the associated cost of having to upgrade their networks when new technologies become common. The industry in a duopoly served by Etisalat and du. However, there are smaller companies offering hybrid services in some specific telecom segments, such as data. Rivalry is very high as du tries to increase its market share to reach at least 50% of the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Company Strategic Analysis on Unilever ICE Cream du Telecom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, it has about 30% control of the market. In the industry, buyers can shift their service providers quickly, but du is doing all it can to sustain consumer loyalty by providing long-term contracts and increasing switching costs. Therefore, the bargaining power of buyers remains moderate. Meanwhile, the bargaining power of the suppliers is low because there are many global and national companies competing for contracts and tenders to supply equipment and services to the UAE telecom industry. In the UAE, telecom companies provide the same services, but they differentiate the services through customer care and market campaign presentations. Any changes in pricing by a rival will directly affect du telecom. Therefore, the threat of substitute products remains high. Mapping strategic groups, Unilever in the UK When mapping, Unilever uses demographics to divide markets and then follows through with the expectations of the particular age group segment. Ice cream flavours are made with the needs of the diverse custom ers in mind. Each company brand is for a specific market segment. For example, the Calippo, an ‘ice lolly’, is for children. Brands sold in the UK do not have to be launched in the country. In segmentation, Unilever also follows customer traits, where 29% are quality driven, 24% are individualistic, 19% are habitual shoppers, 14% are shelf stalkers, and 14% are conformists brand loyalists (Unilever 2013). The performance of different brands in the UK follows consumer income levels, with Magnum as the best-selling brand because it targets adults.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The marketing and sales strategy for Unilever UK is defined clearly. The company concentrates on its biggest brands, but it also ensures small ice cream brands have the required presence in retail stores. Packaging differs for all brands and the targeted price segment in the market. Brands focusing on impulse customers are mainly premium and mixed-priced. Those focusing on the take home market are available in all price variations, leading to the brand positioning structure displayed below. Company strategy applications Objective of du Telecom The company aims to maintain a progressive dividend policy for the shareholders. The objective provides a reference point, which also serves as the main unit of performance measurement. The other objective is to provide consumers with the best offerings in the world in terms of handsets, network technologies, and overall consumer experience. The company measures its commitment to this objective by evaluating the available choices offered to customers, the quality of its network compared to the rivals and industry standards, the innovativeness of its products and services measured by the frequency of upgrades, and the pricing of its products to reflect profit margins and market competitiveness. One minor objective of the company is to comply with the Emiratisation programs of the UAE government. It involves the hiring of many UAE nationals as workers. The company judges its performance towards this objective by the number of job applicants who are Emiratis and the turnover of Emirati employees annually. Objectives apply differently to functions and business units; the voice market segment pursues the call quality objective, while the customer care area aims to satisfy a higher number of customers (du 2015). Unilever Mergers and Acquisitions Unilever embraces mergers and acquisitions to take advantage of the emerging trends in the ice cream industry (Unilever 2013). It also does so to consolidate market share, reduce cos ts, and increase its economies of scale. The table below presents a summary of the company’s activities from 1959 to 1980 (Reinders 1999). The motive was to improve its access to relevant resources, which were critical to its business expansion. Therefore, the choice of target depended on freezer cabinets, cold stores, and transportation demands (Jones 2002). In 2014, the company finalized the acquisition of Talenti Gelato Sorbetto in a move that would enable Unilever increase its offerings for the ice cream market (Boyle 2014). 1959 Austria: Eskimo Australia: McNiven Bros France: Gella Portugal: Esquimea 1962 Canada: Good Humor Italy: Spica Netherlands: VAMI Sweden: Trollhatteglass 1960 Australia: Streets Denmark: Frisko Singapore: Cold Storage 1967 Italy: Eldorado 1961 Australia: Sennitt Denmark: Kronburg Netherlands: De Hoop Sweden: Gille-Glass USA: Good Humor 1971 Denmark: Sol Is 1973 Brazil: Alnasa Ireland: Hughes Brothers Switzerland: Gelber 1974 Italy: Chia vacci and Toserini Spain: Frigo 1977 France: Motta 1978 Australia: Amscol Acquisitions have happened within and outside Europe to make the company truly global and to enable it develop elaborate supply chains for the main ingredients of its ice cream brands. There are no notable mergers in the company’s history, which could be due to the company’s need to retain absolute control of its business. Acquisitions are helpful in reducing the costs of operation. They also help Unilever to become diverse. The company targets small firms that are operating in single national markets, where it can easily dominate after acquisition (Jones Miskell 2007). Reference List Boyle, M 2014, ‘Unilever buys Talenti Gelato Sorbetto to bolster ice cream business’, Bloomberg Business, 2 December, bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-02/unilever-buys-talenti-gelato-to-bolster-ice-cream-business. du 2014, Q3 2014 year-on-year revenues exceed AED 3 billion for the second con secutive quarter, du.ae/about-us/media-centre/newsdetail/2014/10/28/q3-2014-year-on-year-revenues-exceed-aed-3-billion-for-the-second-consecutive-quarter. du 2015, Company overview, http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=199506p=irol-homeProfilet=id=. Jones, G Miskell, P 2007, Acquisitions and firm growth: Creating Unilevers ice cream and tea business, Business History, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 8-28, hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/Acquisitions%20and%20Firm%20Growth.pdf. Jones, G 2002, Unilever- A case study, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, 9 December, http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3212.html. Reinders, P 1999, Licks, sticks and bricks: A world history of ice cream, Unilever, London. Statista 2015, Brands of ice cream in tubs and blocks ranked by number of users in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2013 (in 1,000 people), statista.com/statistics/303868/leading-ice-cream-tub-brands-in-the-uk/. Unilever 2013, 2013 annual report and accounts: Making sustainable living commonplace, unilever.com/images/Unilever_AR13_tcm13-383757.pdf.