Importance of Literature Essay Example for Free

Importance of Literature Essay 1 Introduction In this article we will talk about the importance of literature reviews as a way of summarsing the state of the art of a field. We will examine ways of constructing literature reviews and we will see in the links provided examples of literature reviews. 2 Definition of literature review A critical summary and an assessment of the current state of knowledge or current state of the art in a particular field. The ability to carry out a literature review is an important skill for any student. It will provide you with a context in which to place your assignments regardless of the module you are studying. Practically any assignment in any module you take will involve reading what other people have written on the subject of your assignment, gathering information to refute or support specific arguments, and writing about yourfindings. For small scale projects, (like module assignments), you will not be expected to provide a definitive account of the state of research in your selected topic. You will be required to provide evidence that you have read a certain amount of relevant literature in the topic, that you have understood that literature, and that you can summarize the material you have read in a coherent way. The literature review is precisely that summary. In order to do a literature review you will need to spend time reading the literature relevant to the topic you are researching. Understanding the literature in your research topic will prevent you from repeating previous errors, or redoing work which has already been done. It will also give you insights into aspects of your topic which might be worthy of exploration and future research. 3 Purpose of a Literature Review There are several purposes to writing a literature review. To provide the reader with an up to date account and discussion of the research findings in a particular topic. This might sound pretty esoteric but you will find that in writing a literature review you will learn about the ways other people have constructed their own research projects. Seeing what others have done might help you understand your own assignment. You might be able to see the methods that other more experienced researchers have used and you might decide to follow on their footsteps and copy their methodological approach. You might also be able to detect conflicting points of view expressed by different authors. These conflicting points of view might be the indicators of diverging theories within the same topic. You need to be aware of these conflicting theories as well as of the arguments supporting these theories in order for you to assess their value and make up your own mind on the topic. Being aware of the theories will help you later in your life as a student when you will have to design a larger research project like your dissertation. You might also be able to discuss relevant research carried out in the same topic. It is important to be able to discuss relevant research because very often it is very difficult (as students and as researchers) to keep abreast of everything that is published every year in a topic. The job of the writer of the literature review is to summarize and discuss the major documents published in that topic over a stated period of time. The discussion will take into account the methods and the results or findings of the most relevant research. The reviewer will assess whether the methodology is appropriate and whether the results seem valid. The reviewer therefore evaluates the quality of the research as opposed to merely listing documents. The reviewer may also discuss material published in other fields which are related to the main topic. This process is very important since very often research in the social sciences is multidisciplinary, i. e. knowledge gets generated from many disciplines and needs to be integrated. For example in order to be able to research and write a literature review on a question like ‘Why do teenagers smoke? ‘ The reviewer might need to read material from journals in psychology, medicine, and sociology. 4 Mechanics of Writing a Literature Review You need to read. You need to read because it will give you ideas, and because it might improve your writing style. You need to develop some basic reading strategies. You need to decide: †¢ where to read †¢ what to read †¢ whom to read †¢ how to find what you need to read. Your University or College library might be your first port of call in deciding where to read, but as you progress in your course you might need to read in other libraries. You might also chose to photocopy material from these libraries and read it at home. The advantage of using photocopies is that you can underline the material and make notes. The question of what to read is more tricky. Books, journals, reports, popular media, computer-based material, internal reports, letters, conference proceedings etc. You will probably need to read all these when you are constructing a literature review. When you try to determine whom to read you need to be aware that anyone can be mistaken in their interpretations or their opinions. It is therefore important that you can be able to ascertain how authoritative is the person that you are reading. You should also be able to ascertain their motivation in writing. This might help you determine if the person has a biased perspective on an issue. You should be guided on what to read (at least as a starting point ) by your module coordinator(s) and seminar tutors however, that is only initial guidance, after that you should be capable of finding your own material. Once you have set-up your basic reading strategies, you will need to be able to understand what you read. This is slightly more complicated than it seems because you will need to be able to develop tricks to scan a lot of documents very fast, and decide if a particular document is good enough to merit careful reading. It takes practice to be able to look at a document in the library and determine if it is good enough for you to spend serious time reading it. Have a look at the table of contents and index of the book. Look at the introduction and concluding chapter . Scan some of the topics from the index and determine if the material is adequate. These hints will give you a superficial knowledge about the content of a document, however you will not be able to write a literature review based on superficial knowledge. You will have to read enough to know enough about what has been written and summarize it in an intelligent fashion. In other words, you need to know enough to be able to be critical about it. Once you select a document for serious reading, you will need to summarize and criticize it.

Mental Health and Care in the Community

Mental Health and Care in the Community The issue of the mental health of the patient is complex and value-laden. Paternalism and autonomy interests confront difficulties of definition, diagnosis and the impact of labelling. Paternalism dictates intervention, and that the human right of autonomy be minimalist. (Davies, M., Medical Law, Blackstone Press Limited, 1996, p.182). Discuss critically. Within mental health issues there has always been a large degree of paternalism. Healthcare professionals and governments appear to view those with mental health problems as incapable of being able to make decisions for themselves and are often viewed as a potential danger[1] to themselves and others. Over the years various pieces of legislation have been enacted to deal with people with mental health issues starting with the Lunatics Act 1845, the Lunacy Act 1890, Mental Treatment Act 1930, Mental Health Act 1959 and the Mental Health Act 1983. In 1995 the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act was introduced. This gave the relevant authorities the power of supervised[2] discharge of mental health patients back into the community. Recent events where mental health patients were placed back into society has caused concern as there have been quite a few highlighted incidents where such patients have proven to be a danger to themselves and others[3]. The governments response to the public outrage when these patients have attacked or killed members of the public is to step back to a more paternalistic approach towards the treatment of mental health patients by introducing the Mental Capacity Act 2005[4]. The new Act allows the professionals to make value judgments over the patients and requires those dealing with such patients to make an assessment of the individual’s capacity[5] to make decisions for themselves. Section 2 (1) of the 2005 Act states (1) For the purposes of this Act, a person lacks capacity in relation to a matter if at the material time he is unable to make a decision for himself in relation to the matter because of an impairment of, or a disturbance in the functioning of, the mind or brain. Subsection 2 goes on to say that (2) It does not matter whether the impairment or disturbance is permanent or temporary. The very wording of the Act is open to abuse as the scope of what might be deemed as mental incapacity is too broad. In essence anyone who is suffering from a temporary mental breakdown either through circumstances within their own life or as the result of any prescribed medication they might be taken could be viewed as lacking the capacity to make decisions about their selves and could be institutionalised and forced to have treatment. A further problem with the new Act is that the decision on the individual’s capacity is based on the balance of probabilities. (4) In proceedings under this Act or any other enactment, any question whether a person lacks capacity within the meaning of this Act must be decided on the balance of probabilities. In criminal proceedings the court has to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the person charged with the offence has committed the offence. With this new piece of legislation the level of proof required is equivalent to that required within the civil courts and therefore is open to greater abuse and it is likely that a higher proportion of people may find themselves being detained in a mental health institute and subjected to compulsory treatment[6]. Section 3 of the Act goes further to describe how it can be decided that a person is unable to make a decision for himself. It lists 4 areas that should be considered in deciding whether the person lacks the capability to make their own decisions. (1) For the purposes of section 2, a person is unable to make a decision for himself if he is unable- (a) to understand the information relevant to the decision, (b) to retain that information, (c) to use or weigh that information as part of the process of making the decision, or (d) to communicate his decision (whether by talking, using sign language or any other means). Subsection 2 does go on to say (2) A person is not to be regarded as unable to understand the information relevant to a decision if he is able to understand an explanation of it given to him in a way that is appropriate to his circumstances (using simple language, visual aids or any other means). In essence the above is an attempt to limit those who can be regarded as incapable of making decisions due to any physical disability such as deafness or blindness, however, some individuals may be so severely handicapped through conditions such as autism or mongolism that even things explained in simple language may not be understood by them. These people may not be a danger to themselves or others and are usually being cared for by members of their own families[7]. Some families find the strain of a severely handicapped person in the household hard to cope with and for those people this new Act may help them to get the handicapped person institutionalised. Using the above Act they could argue that the person lacks the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves and is a potential danger[8] to themselves so for their own protection they should be removed from society. If the person assessing the individual is satisfied that that individual does not have the capacity to make their own decisions then any treatment they consider to be in the best interests[9] of the individual can be ordered. The person ordering the treatment must take into account whether the patient may at some future time be able to make their own decisions again and if they decide that this is likely they must take all appropriate steps to ensure the patient receives all the assistance they need to recover to a position where they can make their own decisions. Effectively though the legislation allows the person treating the patient with the mental health problem to remove all autonomy from the patient and force treatment on them that they might ordinarily object to if they had the capacity to do so. The legislation does state that the person making the decision on behalf of the patient should take into account the patients past and present wishes and feelings and make judgments based on what they perceive the patient would want if they were able to decide for themselves. The new Act is designed to operate alongside the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995, as was introduced with the aim of simplifying the way in which a person can be adjudged to be in need of treatment in respect of a mental health issue[10]. Under the 1983 Act compulsory admission to mental institutions is determined with reference to section 1 of the Act and refers to mental disorder but also covers any other disorder or disability of the mind. The Act attempts to specify the persons who they deem in need of admission for treatment and covers four broad areas namely mental illness, severe mental impairment, psychopathic disorder or mental impairment. The first 2 conditions trigger automatic admission regardless of whether the treatment is likely to be effective or not. With the last 2 conditions psychopathic disorder and mental impairment, admission can only be ordered if the patients are likely to benefit from the treatment. Under the new Act the definition has been extended to cover a far wider audience and it is likely under the provisions of the 2005 Act that those with a psychopathic disorder can be detained regardless of whether treatment will assist their condition. The 1983 Act does not specifically define mental illness and can be problematic as it does not cover conditions where a person may undertake activities that are potentially life threatening due to a compulsion for risk taking. It is possible that the 2005 At might encompass this area as section 3 (4) states that when deciding whether someone is capable of making their own decisions account should be taken as to whether the person has the capability of being able to reasonably foresee the consequences of the decisions they are making. Whilst it could be argued that this is a positive move[11] there is room for abuse of this inclusion in the legislation and could theoretically be used to cover sado masochistic activities between consenting adults or the participation of dangerous sports. To be effective the 2005 Act should incorporate examples where there is a clear demonstration that the patient lacks the capacity for being able to foresee the consequences of their actions. This would assist the person making the decision about the patients mental capacity as they could compare the actions of their patient with actions previously seen to be harmful. There are a few dangers surrounding the 2005 Act in that mental capacity is judged according to the individual’s capacity to make their own decisions. The 1983 Act defines psychopathic behaviour as a persistent disorder or disability of mind (whether or not including impairment of intelligence) which results in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned. Research into psycopathy has shown that whilst the psychopath may not always conform to rules they do have the ability to do so. Following the guidance in the 2005 Act regarding mental capacity this could mean that dangerous psychopaths could slip through the net as they may well be able to show that they do not lack the necessary capacity to make decisions on their own. By establishing this they will be able to refuse treatment as autonomy is only forfeited where the patient lacks the capacity to make their own decisions. The new Act is inherently flawed in that temporary mental incapacity can lead to compulsory admission to an institute[12]. This could have a dramatic effect on people such as women suffering post natal depression after childbirth. In the past doctors have prescribed tranquilisers and anti depressants to attempt to cure the patient. Under the 2005 Act the partner of the patient suffering post natal depression could request that their partner be assessed for mental capacity. If the person doing the assessment is of the opinion that the mother is incapable of making their own decisions the mother might find herself placed in a mental institute and forced to receive treatment she might otherwise object to. The 2005 Act also contains a section authorising power of attorney[13] to family and other persons connected to the person who has been assessed as lacking in mental capacity. This is open to widespread abuse as greedy relatives may use a temporary mental impairment of their family member to gain power of attorney over their monetary assets and squander any of their savings away. It has also been proven by past examples that once a person has been admitted to a mental institution it is difficult for the patient to convince the doctors and medical staff that they have now recovered from their mental illness and no longer need to be institutionalised[14]. In the UK paternalistic intervention[15] has been used even when the patient having the treatment poses no threat to others or himself. In the case of W v Egdell [1990] ch 359 a psychiatrist was asked to examine a patient at the request of the patient’s solicitor to assess the suitability of transferring the patient from a secure hospital back into the community. The psychiatrist submitted his report to the Home Office in order to prevent what he perceived could be a danger if the patient was prematurely released. As a result of this report the patient was forced to remain within the secure hospital despite the fact that at no time had the patient committed any acts of violence. This kind of paternalistic intervention offends against the principle of autonomy[16] and should only really be justified when the person for whom the decision has been made is unable to make an informed choice for himself. The approach to deciding whether paternalism should be allowed when assessing a person with a mental illness should be to ask whether the patient would consent[17] to the proposed treatment if they were able to make a rational choice. In America they used what is known as the substituted judgment test which is autonomy based in the sense that the intervention is directed towards the goal of restoring the patients autonomy. Another way in which the mental health professionals have sought to circumvent claims of enforced treatment is by the use of implied consent[18]. The notion behind this is that although the person by reason of incapacity cannot give their consent at that point in time they may be able to endorse the treatment at a later date, which would then amount to a form of retrospective consent[19]. Obviously there are difficulties with this approach as there is no way of predicting that subsequent consent will be given when the person is in a position to give that consent. Frequently those who resent involuntary treatment will continue to do so after recovery. Due to the obvious problems associated with interference with the autonomy of the patient most mental health professionals adopt the paternalistic best interests[20] test as outlined in the Mental Health Act and uses the Act to order compulsory treatment of the patient. The 1983 Act provides 3 ways in which a patient can be compulsorily admitted to hospital for treatment[21]. Section 2 of the Act gives the patient’s nearest relative or any person authorised to act on their behalf the right to apply for the admission of the patient into hospital. In order to qualify for the right to make such an application the applicant must have seen the patient within the 14 days prior to the application. The application must be supported by 2 registered practitioners one of whom must be qualified in psychiatry. Grounds[22] for admission under section 2 are that a patient is suffering from a mental disorder of a degree which warrants detention in a hospital at least for a limited period of time and should be to prevent harm to himself or others. Under this kind of admission the maximum time the patient can be detained is 28 days and admissions cannot be renewed thereafter. The second way in which patients can be admitted is under section 4 of the Act which covers emergency admissions and can be applied for on the recommendation of one doctor only but is only valid for 72 hours. The doctor does not need to be a specialist in the treatment of mental health but if possible must have known the patient beforehand. The applicant must have seen the patient within the last 24 hours. Such emergency admissions can be converted to treatment for 28 days by seeking a second opinion from a mental health specialist. The third way in which compulsory admission can occur is under s3 of the Act and application is similar as those under section 2 of the Act. Under this section of the Act the patient can be detained for up to 6 months and can be renewed thereafter, initially for an extra 6 months and then yearly for periods of a year at a time. Detention under this section can last indefinitely. Those who do recover from their mental disorder may be released from the secure units[23] but held under supervision[24] orders using section 117 of the Mental Health Act, and although they can no longer be forced to receive treatment they will be expected to attend at a treatment centre. Unfortunately there is no system in place to ensure that such patients do attend the treatment centres and no sanctions available to the authorities to enforce their attendance. It has been suggested that those patients who have been discharged and do not comply with the supervision orders should be readmitted to hospital under a compulsory admission so as treatment can be enforced without the patient’s consent. In order to prevent claims being made by those who have been compulsorily admitted to hospital and forced to undergo treatment section 139 of the Mental Health Act was added which states that ‘no person shall be liable†¦to any civil or criminal proceedings†¦in respect of any act purporting to be done in pursuance of this Act†¦unless the act was done in bad faith or without reasonable care.’ This effectively gives the hospitals total paternalism[25] over the treatment of compulsorily admitted patient and negates any patient autonomy or rights to personal autonomy until such a time as the persons treating them are satisfied that the patient is recovered sufficiently to render them capable of making their own decisions. The overall view that is apparent from looking at the 1983 Act and the recent 2005 Act is that paternalism has always been present within the treatment of mental health patients. The 2005 Act broadens the classes of people who may now be classified as in need of compulsory admission and treatment and therefore strengthens the position of paternalism whilst reducing personal autonomy practically into non-existence. The danger in allowing the government to increase the power for compulsory treatment could in the future spread to other areas of medical treatment and could lead to persons with terminal illness who have expressed a wish not to be treated being forced to undergo treatment by being held to be mentally incapable of making rational decisions. There could also be problems where patients refuse treatment on the grounds of religious belief. It might be argued by the person giving the treatment that the patient has been indoctrinated by the religious group they are part of and are therefore incapable of making decisions independent of the doctrines instilled in them by their religious teachings. Allowing paternalism to become acceptable for one classification of person could ultimately lead to problems in all areas of legislation and could result in criminals being locked away indefinitely as it could be viewed as in the best interests of society to keep them locked away. Governments have used the fear that the general public have of people with mental illnesses posing a threat to ordinary members of the public by highlighting those incidents were patients have been released from institutions and then have harmed or killed others[26]. By using this fear they have persuaded the general public that compulsory admission of the mentally ill is the only way to prevent others from being harmed and that it is in the best interests of the patient and society for them to be forced to undergo treatment and remain institutionalised[27]. Bibliography Mason McCall Smith, Law and Medical Ethics, 5th Ed 1999, Butterworths. Darjee R, Crichton J. The MacLean committee: Scotlands answer to the dangerous people with severe personality disorder proposals? Psychiatric Bill 2002;26: 6- Watts J, Priebe S. A phenomenological account of users experiences of assertive community treatment. Bioethics 2002; 16: 439-454 Department of Health and Home Office. Managing dangerous people with severe personality disorder. London: Stationery Office, 1999. Scmukler, G, Homicide Enquiries. What sense do they make?, Psychiatric Bulletin , 24, pages 6-10, 2000 Scottish Executive. Report of the committee on serious violent and sexual offenders. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive, 2000 Steadman, H, Mulvey, E, Monahan, J, Robbins, p, Applebaum, P, Grisso, T, Roth,L, and Silver, E, Violence by people discharged from acute psychiatric inpatient facilities and others in the same neighbourhoods, Archives of General Psychiatry, 55, pages 393-401, 1998. Who Decides; Making Decisions on Behalf of Mentally Handicapped Adults (LCD, 1997) http://www.ethox.org.uk http://www.dh.gov.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk http://bjp.rcpsych.org http://akmhcweb.org Table of Cases R v Bournewood Community and Mental Health NHS Trust ex p L [1998] 3 WLR 107 Re F [1990] 2 AC 1 Re T (adult: refusal of medical treatment) [1992] 4 All ER 649, CA.). Re Y [1996] 35 BMLR 111 S v McC; W v W [1972] AC 24 St Georges Healthcare NHS Trust v S; R v Collins and others, ex parte S [1998] 3 All ER 673, [1998] Fam Law 526, CA W v Egdell [1990] ch 359 Table of Statutes Lunacy Act 1890 Lunatics Act 1845 Mental Capacity Act 2005 Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995 Mental Health Act 1959 Mental Health Act 1983 Mental Treatment Act 1930 1 Footnotes [1] Scottish Executive. Report of the committee on serious violent and sexual offenders. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive, 2000 [2]http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/MentalHealth/MentalHealthArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4131958chk=/1k+X3 [3] Steadman, H, Mulvey, E, Monahan, J, Robbins, p, Applebaum, P, Grisso, T, Roth,L, and Silver, E, Violence by people discharged from acute psychiatric inpatient facilities and others in the same neighbourhoods, Archives of General Psychiatry, 55, pages 393-401, 1998. [4]http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4448443,00.html;http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/MentalHealth/MentalHealthArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4089588chk=we/GKL [5] St Georges Healthcare NHS Trust v S; R v Collins and others, ex parte S [1998] 3 All ER 673, [1998] Fam Law 526, CA [6] Mason McCall Smith, Law and Medical Ethics, 5th Ed 1999, Butterworths. P510 -512 [7] R v Bournewood Community and Mental Health NHS Trust ex p L [1998] 3 WLR 107 [8] Darjee R, Crichton J. The MacLean committee: Scotlands answer to the dangerous people with severe personality disorder proposals? Psychiatric Bill 2002;26: 6-8 [9] Re F [1990] 2 AC 1 [10] Department of Health. Reforming the Mental Health Act. London: Stationery Office; 2000. [11]http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/MentalHealth/MentalHealthArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4089589chk=1fWV90 [12] Mental Capacity Act 2005 s2 (2) [13] Mental Capacity Act 2005 s9 [14] http://akmhcweb.org/News/HungerStrike/LATimesMag10-26-2003.htm [15] Mason McCall Smith, Law and Medical Ethics, 5th Ed 1999, Butterworths p506 [16] http://www.ethox.org.uk/Ethics/econsent.htm#introduction [17] (S v McC; W v W [1972] AC 24; Re T (adult: refusal of medical treatment) [1992] 4 All ER 649, CA.). [18] Mason McCall Smith, Law and Medical Ethics, 5th Ed 1999, Butterworths p507 [19] Watts J, Priebe S. A phenomenological account of users experiences of assertive community treatment. Bioethics 2002; 16: 439-454 [20] Re Y [1996] 35 BMLR 111; http://www.ethox.org.uk/Ethics/econsent.htm#introduction [21] Who Decides; Making Decisions on Behalf of Mentally Handicapped Adults (LCD, 1997). [22] Mason McCall Smith, Law and Medical Ethics, 5th Ed 1999, Butterworths p503 [23] Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995 [24] Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995 (c.52) s1 [25]http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/177/3/196?ijkey=b0b6443d7c871c32507c07da36faadf7633b7b9bkeytype2=tf_ipsecsha [26] Scmukler, G, Homicide Enquiries. What sense do they make?, Psychiatric Bulletin , 24, pages 6-10, 2000 [27] Department of Health and Home Office. Managing dangerous people with severe personality disorder. London: Stationery Office, 1999.

Strategic Management Approaches of McDonalds

Strategic Management Approaches of McDonalds My research topic deals with one of the most profitable societies of the world, The McDonalds. It underlines the strategic management approaches adapted by McDonalds that helped it to grow from a small business to one of the most successful corporations. McDonalds is the leading fast food service organization in the world. The story of McDonalds started way back in 1954 when, Raymond Kroc its founder envisioned a nationwide fast food chain upon seeing a hamburger stall in San Bernardino, California. By revolutionizing the American Restaurant Industry, Kroc proved himself as the pioneer. Today McDonald is one of the most valuable brands globally, worth more than $25billion. It is number one fast food chain stores with about 40 million customers visiting it per day. The Golden Arches and its mascot Ronald McDonald have gained universal recognition. Though the company has its roots in the U.S., McDonalds today has become an accepted citizen of the world. The main focus is on the strategic evolution of this corporation. The strengths and weaknesses are highlighted which throws light on how McDonalds has survived in the competition. Keywords: strategic management approaches, Raymond Kroc, strategic management approaches How McDonalds has maintained its position? McDonalds has been able to maintain its competitive advantage by constantly adding new items in its menu. This means that an analyzer type of strategy is followed by McDonalds, i.e. introducing new items and defending the existing ones. In Strategic Management, developing a mission and vision statement is the primary step. It reflects the managements aspirations for the organization and its business providing a panoramic view to customers and giving specifics about future business plans. How McDonalds has defined its MISSION AND VISION: McDonaldS MISSION AND VISION: To serve quality food, fast and also at low cost. The vision of McDonalds is to dominate the food-service industry at global level. Global dominance means to set up standards of performance for customer satisfaction and increase market share and profitability by implementing values and execution strategies (Flack, 2008). What is the companys strengths? Strength can be described as a distinctive competence that gives the firm a competitive advantage in market. For example image, market leadership, buyer supplier relations, financial resources, etc. McDonalds strength lies in creating an image in the peoples minds and introducing them to a new culture of fast food. Customer care, delivery, speed and cleanliness are its core strengths that lead to its expansion. They were successful in creating a corporate symbol and its advertisement campaigns established its brand image in the minds of millions of people. McDonalds identified two main competitors i.e. the Burger King and KFC. The marketing strategy of McDonalds is concerned with internal resources, external environment, and its competencies. McDonalds product value is its strength. Customers know what to expect when they enter into McDonalds. It gives emphasis to human resources by satisfying its employees and customers both. Next comes the innovation aspect. In order to serve the new tastes and trends of people, new products are launched. Its diversity into new businesses can also be considered as its strengths. The question arises is how much effective are the above strengths in the long run of the company? McDonalds today is not as amendable as it was during its inception. So what are the driving factors which have resulted in its decline in sales and services? In order to analyze this factor we have to identify the weaknesses in the companys business and marketing strategy. The factors that are considered as strengths become a weakness if it blocks the performance of the company. Customer choices and trends change. Generally, people get tired of their old brands which they had been using over the years. When they do not get a product with the expected innovation they switch to new brands. With so many outlets, people find McDonalds everywhere. This over exposure can also be a reason for abstinence. Then maintaining standards of a huge chain is difficult and if there is lack of quality or service in any one outlet, then the brand as a whole gets affected. Reaching the target audience is the secret of any marketing strategy. So the target audience should be chosen carefully. It is very crucial for an organizations success, that its customers attain satisfaction level. Earlier McDonalds targeted mostly the young person, which has changed now. Now McDonalds has turned into a more general kind of market i.e. it now concentrates on families also. They started targeting diverse market which comprises of elderly people to children, by launching products such as the Happy Meal for children and Egg McMuffin for the elder ones. With the changing lifestyle, the demand for healthier food has increased and also ever changing demographic group demands fast, low in calories quality food. McDonalds responds to this kind of opportunity by introducing new and innovative products. Earlier, they had introduced a new product which was a regular hamburger and tasted like the real one but was made of Soya beans, a plant material. This product was also used to target another demographic group, i.e. vegetarians. McDonalds generally uses psychographic segmentation by which it targets the middle and working classes. These type people are more susceptible to enter fast food restaurants because they lead a fast and busy life and therefore require some fast meal. In short McDonalds customers belong to all age groups and classes, but comprises mainly of working and middle class people. (Kroc, 2001). The above factors point out key strengths and weaknesses at the external level. There are some internal factors also which affects the performance of the company. One major factor is the relationship between the franchise dealers and the management. Organizational strength is the back bone of any business and once it begins to shake the whole system can collapse. But slowly McDonald is recovering from all these weaknesses. Through latest technological developments it has become easy for its brand managers to communicate, compare and improve the services. They can also use internet in order to improve, motivate and compare performances of other centers. The analysis of all the external as well as internal strengths and weaknesses of the company should be done so that a sustainable plan for the further improvements in the company can be drafted. For any kind of improvement or expansion the availability of internal resources is a must. By analyzing this aspect, a modified strategy can be formed to suit the companys vision. Hence with the use of all the core competencies, the corporation can successfully grow and sustain in the competitive market (Richard Whittington, 1993) In 2003 the change in the top managerial level created a new wave in the performance of the corporation and also some major changes were incorporated to retain and sustain the quality and innovation aspect of the brand. Now let us understand the sustainable competitive advantage of McDonalds. What is meant by sustainable competitive advantage? How is it significant to McDonalds? SCA is the advantage a firm has which is very difficult or mostly impossible for competitors to possess or break through. It can be either brand, cost structure, dynamic customer care, or any kind of patents. The advantage should be either proprietary or distinctive in order to be considered as sustainable. Other than this, three different aspects have been identified that helps in SCA. First, there should be a good integration and coordination between the organizational and managerial processes. Therefore the much needed value is created when every employee in the organization strives to work for one common goal. The organization should learn to be flexible and change as per the needs in the environment such as customer trends, government restriction or innovations in technology. Nowadays McDonalds is focusing on organizational behavior as well as managerial expertise. Earlier it was ignored because the organization was more involved in establishing its outlets everywhere than strengthening its core competency. As a result the revenue did not increase much inspite of newer outlets being opened. The firm suffered a huge loss for the first time since their inceptions which ultimately lead to changes in the managerial strategies. Second, structural, financial assets and technology aspects of any firm are excellent market position which helps in building SCA. No doubt McDonalds is abundant in aspects such as structure, technology and finance. All that is needed is to identify and incorporate these assets in the right direction towards the improvement of the company. From 2003 onwards the company has really started to concentrate on its competencies. Third, the greatest advantage is the vision of the company with which it started. Sustaining this dream over the passing years is any companies greatest advantage. A company usually revolves around its vision statement, so sustaining this vision and working in accordance with it, is a great SCA. McDonalds was started to help people who were too busy and had little time to cook. The vision was to provide value, customer care, quality and cleanliness. Keeping its vision in mind, the corporation which slackened a bit earlier because of its incompetent franchise holders is being weeded and new and better people are put in this place. Thus, SCA means implementing the best value based strategies using all the unique advantages of the company which cannot be replicated by the competitors. In todays scenario, everything is outsourced from employee appointment to customer care. No organization is efficient enough to handle all kinds of work. It is not possible for big corporations like McDonalds to concentrate on every small detail. But core competences of the company should not be outsourced. Mostly companies concentrate on their core competencies whereas outsource its remaining operation. McDonald has recently tested its drive by order facility. Outsourcing is therefore helpful in the increasing external suppliers and overcomes the difficulties faced due to lack of latest technologies and other innovations. So what makes McDonalds still strong and maintain its rank as one of the leading business. The answer is its core competences and the internal as well as external sustainable competitive advantages. Of course, to keep up with the changing business environment, the company has also begun to outsource, but then it should not be carried away by the outsourcing mania. This company has recently started to go back to its golden era because of large scale revamping of its structural and organizational changes being incorporated (C K Prahalad and G Hamel 1990). Strategic Allies: A strategic allys means an organization is working together in a joint venture or a similar arrangement with one or more organizations. McDonalds is in strategic alliance with: Wal-Mart, Chevron, Amoco, Disney and Coca-Cola. Wal-Mart, the largest retail chain in U.S. and several neighboring countries, is symbiotically allied with McDonalds. In each Wal-Mart stores, there are McDonalds restaurants. Thereby it offers its customers excellent low cost fast food in a convenient way. Chevron and Amoco are two petrol pumps with which McDonalds is in alliance with. This alliance represents ultimate convenience. Nothing can be more convenient than filling the car with as well as getting a meal, that too all in one stop. Another important alliance of the company is with Disney. Sole right has been granted to McDonalds to sell fast food in Disneys theme parks around US and at other Disney spots in the world. As per the terms of the agreement, McDonalds will operate as restaurants and Disney wil l promote its films through McDonalds. CONCLUSION: As such there is no particular competitive strategy that guarantees to achieve success each time. Risk attitudes change due to industrial volatility, environmental uncertainty and several internal conditions might also be involved. Since the marketing function is consumer oriented, customer needs should be identified and then strategies should be designed to meet those needs. The distribution system brings the product or service to the place where in can best fill customer needs. Since every product requires support from distribution channels, so the right choice of distributors and wholesalers is very important. Promotion of products is more important than advertising. The location, size and nature of markets defined by business strategy will indicate the content of promotional material as well as it will guide the promotion mix decisions. Pricing is another complex issue which is used as a competitive weapon because it is related to cost, volume, tradeoffs etc. Changes in pricing p olicy are likely to provoke competitors response. Marketing has received increasingly greater attention in the competitive business since the early modern era. The old marketing concept focused on selling of the existing products of the firm and promoting it to maximize sales to attain profits, but now the new concept focuses on the potential customers of the firm and seeks to earn profit by customer satisfaction with an integrated marketing program.

Pocahontas Essay -- History Native Americans

Pocahontas Introduction [1] Disney’s Pocahontas has understandably received a lot of flak about the historically inaccurate story that is told about the legendary Pocahontas and Captain John Smith. There is a good reason for that. The movie does little that can be construed as historically accurate, yet Disney claims that was never their intent. Disney, in their previous movies, has been attacked for being racist and unsympathetic to racial minorities. Their answer was a movie whose sole purpose, as stated by Disney, was to promote racial tolerance. The question is, then can a movie promote racial tolerance when the issue is built on false history, history that if told accurately would depict the exact opposite? [2] First, I feel that it is important to establish exactly what Disney’s intentions were in making the film. Secondly, I intend to show that Disney provided enough historical information that it is questionable whether or not one can assume that they were trying to teach history, history that is specifically aimed at children. Lastly, I will show that the real story of Pocahontas was not about racial tolerance, that it was not about understanding one’s culture, but it was in fact about trying to change one’s culture. Disney’s Intention [3] From the movie’s start Disney has been preaching innocence about trying to accurately depict history. Disney, in their press kit, expressed that, â€Å"Pocahontas is a story that appealed to us because it was basically a story about people getting along together†¦ which is particularly applicable to lots of places in the world today† (Pocahontas 33). In addition, Thomas Schmucher, who is the senior vice president of Disney feature animation, says, â€Å"It is a... ... 11 June 1995: 46. Muldoon, Paul. â€Å"Barbie, but no Bimbo.† Times Literary Supplement 13 October 1995: 21. â€Å"Pocahontas: Press Kit.† Burbank: Walt Disney Pictures, 1995. Rasmussen, William, and Robert S. Tilton. Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend. Charlottesville: Virginia Historical Society, 1994. Rollins, Peter C., and John E. O’Connor, eds. Hollywood's Indian: The Portrayal of the Native American in Film. Lexington: UP of Kentucky, 1998. Rosenstone, Robert A. Visions of the Past: The Challenge of Film to Our Idea of History. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1995. Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr. The Disuniting of America. New York: Norton, 1992. Turan, Kenneth. â€Å"Disney Tries Again to Find the Magic; The Kids May Like it but the Adult Viewers May Feel that Pocahontas is More By-The-Numbers than Inspired.† Los Angeles Times 16 June 1995: 1.

Using Technology Supported Learning Essay -- Education, Eatwell Plate

Using Technology Supported Learning The selected topic chosen for the technology supported learning package, supports the learning and teaching of healthy eating. I decided to create an interactive self-assessed food groups package that blends into a lesson on healthy eating. Healthy eating feeds into a lot of the courses I teach; food and nutrition, childcare, personal development and food safety and I wanted to find a different way of making the lesson interesting and informative for my students and myself and at the same time introducing the students to information learning technology, self-directed study and assessment. The target audience were a group of female students attending a local Sure Start Children's Centre. There are seven students on this course and they have had a mixture of formal education, and some training provided by the Children's Centre; several have had very negative experiences at school, and four of the younger students have left school with no GCSE's. All the female students are unemployed; six are single mothers, and one is married. These students have been encouraged by their family support worker to attend this course; so motivation could be a problem as their confidence levels vary and for three of the seven learners, this is the first time they have taken a formal qualification since leaving school. At the start of the course all students were assessed for literacy; there are five at Entry Level 3 and two at Level 1. The group have also been assessed for learning styles, two are kinaesthetic, two are visual, and three are aural oriented learners. A basic computer skills assessment was also carried out and all the students have communicated that they are able to use a computer, navigate... ...; to produce 10 CD's the cost incurred was  £266.49 which makes this an expensive resource to produce on a small scale. The modifications required to improve the resource package, could be completed in minimal time and negotiating a deal on having the package reproduced on a larger scale will reduce the cost. The benefit as a teaching and learning resource allows the students to complete independent study at their own pace, using a technology that they may not have regular access too; it provides the teacher with an innovated way to communicate this subject. Vygotsky (1978) zone of proximal development, suggests "learners can demonstrate and achieve their optimal potential when given some assistance" cited in (Lajoie 2007 p. 29). I feel that the benefits out way the costs of producing this package and the feedback from the students would support this. Using Technology Supported Learning Essay -- Education, Eatwell Plate Using Technology Supported Learning The selected topic chosen for the technology supported learning package, supports the learning and teaching of healthy eating. I decided to create an interactive self-assessed food groups package that blends into a lesson on healthy eating. Healthy eating feeds into a lot of the courses I teach; food and nutrition, childcare, personal development and food safety and I wanted to find a different way of making the lesson interesting and informative for my students and myself and at the same time introducing the students to information learning technology, self-directed study and assessment. The target audience were a group of female students attending a local Sure Start Children's Centre. There are seven students on this course and they have had a mixture of formal education, and some training provided by the Children's Centre; several have had very negative experiences at school, and four of the younger students have left school with no GCSE's. All the female students are unemployed; six are single mothers, and one is married. These students have been encouraged by their family support worker to attend this course; so motivation could be a problem as their confidence levels vary and for three of the seven learners, this is the first time they have taken a formal qualification since leaving school. At the start of the course all students were assessed for literacy; there are five at Entry Level 3 and two at Level 1. The group have also been assessed for learning styles, two are kinaesthetic, two are visual, and three are aural oriented learners. A basic computer skills assessment was also carried out and all the students have communicated that they are able to use a computer, navigate... ...; to produce 10 CD's the cost incurred was  £266.49 which makes this an expensive resource to produce on a small scale. The modifications required to improve the resource package, could be completed in minimal time and negotiating a deal on having the package reproduced on a larger scale will reduce the cost. The benefit as a teaching and learning resource allows the students to complete independent study at their own pace, using a technology that they may not have regular access too; it provides the teacher with an innovated way to communicate this subject. Vygotsky (1978) zone of proximal development, suggests "learners can demonstrate and achieve their optimal potential when given some assistance" cited in (Lajoie 2007 p. 29). I feel that the benefits out way the costs of producing this package and the feedback from the students would support this.

Nestle International Business Strategy Essay

Company Introduction: Nestle is one of the world’s largest and most known companies. It is a Swiss company with its headquarters located in Vevey, Switzerland. The company was inaugurated in 1866 (Nestle 2012) and since its inception has grown through leaps and bounds to become the world’s largest food and nutrition company (Cnn money 2011). The company is also a major stakeholder in the cosmetic company, L’Oreal. For a company to start from a small domestic town and then expand internationally, the strategic vision of the company plays a central and key role. The subsequent chapters shall discuss the company’s internal goals and strategy and how that strategy paves way for Nestle to build its competitive advantage in all the markets it operates in. Vision and Values: The vision of Nestle reflects ideas of fairness, honesty and long-term thinking. These ideas are reflected in the company’s corporate business principles that have shaped the company culture and strategy for the past nearly 140 years. The core values that the company has are its people, the quality of its people and brand, the company’s brand portfolio, their consumers, their customers and the company’s sustainable performance.  (Nestle, 2012) Company Objectives: The main objective of Nestle can be appropriately summed up by the phrase ‘Creating Shared Value’ (Nestle, 2012) This principle at Nestle can be described as having a conviction to build long term and beneficial relationships with their stakeholders, comply with all legal requirements and ensure all activities that the business undertakes are sustainable and result in value creation for both the company and the society at large. A strategy that the company has developed to mark their achievements is that they would like to become the benchmark of (Nestle, 2012) 1. Nutrition, Health and Wellness 2. Sustainable Financial Performance 3. Trust by all stakeholders. In order to achieve these benchmarks Nestle underwent heavy expenditure in Research and Development and relies greatly on new research and innovation, both in terms of food production and processes.Strategic Analysis: The Pestel analysis is a tool made for analyzing the Political scenario, the Environmental scenario, Socio political scenario, technological scenario and legal scenario of a the macro environment of a business. This is a management method that examines the effect that events or influences from outside may have on the performance of a company or organization (CambridgeDictionary 2012). Pestel analysis is usually conducted keeping in mind the situation of a particular region. For the sake of this marketing plan, the pestel analysis of Nestle will be conducted keeping in mind the market of Great Britain. PESTEL Analysis Political: England is a member of the European Union as well as being a senior member of the United Nations. Because the country is part of two big political blocks, it allows it the freedom to trade efficiently both domestically and internationally. Despite having both a monarchy and a parliamentary form of government, the governmental system is well balanced and the common law is practiced. Nestle being a Swedish country; also  belonging to the European Union has a great relationship with the government of Great Britain (EuropeanUnion 2012). Economic: UK is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France however Economists within the UK market predict a mild slip back into recession for the country in the year 2012 (bbc.co.uk 2012). Due to the economy presently being in a low growth stage it is very essential for Nestle to understand the market and come up with products and processes where it could continue to offer the same high standard of products that it offers a nd yet try and minimalise costs. United Kingdom was also hit by the recession of the year 2007 and there was a fair amount of job loss. Keeping this in mind If Nestle were to set up more production plans and hired local population, it would contribute to value creation. Social: Around 66.2% of the Population of UK lies between the age brackets of 15-64 years. This means that there is a large labor force available however a majority of population is also aging. For Nestle this could be an opportunity if it decides to introduce a line of products that are compatible with its competitor’s products such as high fiber cereal offered by Kellogg’s or protein bars. With a large young population, nestle can introduce new flavors of its chocolate line with added health benefits as well (Hill, T. & R. Westbrook, 1997). Technological: The UK is a technologically advanced country with heavy focus on research and development and computed aided simulations and designs This is a positive point for Nestle as Research a nd Development is a key competitive advantage for the company. Without heavy expense incurred in this department, the company would not have been able to reach the global number one position that it has acquired today. With a technologically friendly environment in UK, Nestle has the options of introducing new technology and conducting better research without the fear or incurring too high costs or the consumers finding it difficult to adapt (bbc.co.uk 2012). Environmental: The government of the United Kingdom pays stress on companies doing their operations on environmental friendly principles. Because Nestle is a company that is within the food and nutrition industry therefore the environmental compliance is extremely essential for it to cater to. These include the correct and green processes through which the company manufactures (Environment protection act, 1990), as well as ensuring that all the edible products meet the health standards as set by the government of the United  Kingdom. Legal: With regards to the legal situation of United Kingdom the company needs to pay attention to various kinds of laws that are prevalent. These include health and safety laws, consumer laws, and employee laws as well discrimination laws. For operations within the united Kingdom it is essential for companies to not only align their processes with the legal standing of the government but also their management style and organizational culture to ensure that all employees are treated equally and fairly, there are no reported cases of harassment of any kind and that the products have a health and safety assurance otherwise the company is liable to be sued. SWOT Analysis: The swot Analysis is part of a strategic planning process for small and medium sized organizations mostly (Houben, 1999). The analysis measures the company on two fronts; internal and external. In the internal area the strengths of the business and the weaknesses it posses in its own operations are analyzed while in the external analysis, the opportunities and threats faced by the business in its macro environment are analyzed. Strengths: One of the biggest strengths of Nestle is the brand image that it has. Its brands such as Kitkat, Nescafe, Nesquick are almost synonymous with the brand name. The company also has the heavy financial muscle to invest in its research and development which can further enhance its product line as well as invest in marketing. It also has a very strong global presence both in terms of production capacities as well as market share. Weaknesses: One weakness of the company is that it has had to recall many of its products due to bad quality and that has greatly hampered its brand image. For a company as big as Nestle the customers do not expect such a dangerous mistake to be made especially since it operates in the food industry. The company also is the target of being boycotted because of media pressures and environmentalists for engaging in non-green practices and usage of child labor (ILRF, 2005). Opportunities: The fact that Nestle has gone from being merely a food brand to being nutrition and well being brand is a good opportunity for the company as it opens many new areas for product line extension. Entering into emerging markets and establishing manufacturing plants also helps the company in reducing its costs. Threats: The food  industry is probably one of the most saturated industries in the world. Keeping this in mind Nestle faces the very strong threat of competition. This competition can emerge both from international brands as well as local brands of the market in which Nestle enters and tries to operate. The rising prices of raw materials, fuel as well as the political instability in many third world countries where nestle has set up their production plants also threatens to cause unreliability in the supply line (Lin, 2007). Porters 5 forces: Michael Porter (1979) gave a framework by virtue of which the competitive advantage of companies can be assessed in the market in which they operate in. The framework includes an analysis of five concurrent forces that affect a business’ ability to compete (Michael Porter 1979). Keeping in mind the global market in which Nestle operates in, the Porters five forces analysis will be carried out keeping a general view of the entire world as the potential market for Nestle. Threat of New Entrants: Nestle despite being in a food and nutrition industry faces the serious threat of new entrants in the market. Weather this threat is domestic or from international firms, it exists because it is an industry where the barriers to entry are very low. If we discuss Nestle in India for example there are low barriers to entry and many small domestic players can enter the market and challenge the market of nestle through their pricing or product offering which is tailored to the local culture and tastes. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers of Nestle is very low especially in regions where the countries are economically backwards such as Pakistan or Bangladesh. That is because Nestle being such a giant in the market has the ability to bring lots of new business to the suppliers and therefore the suppliers have to produce the raw materials according to the outlines set by the company or they can be replaced. Bargaining Power of consumers: The bargaining power of the customers of Nestle is high. That is because it is a brand which greatly relies on consumer appreciation for the product. If a product is launched in any part of the world where the consumers do not like the taste, they will refuse to buy it. Similarly in third world countries the consumer base is very price sensitive. This raises their bargaining power if Nestle wants to penetrate, then it will have to reduce its prices  to their affordability level. Threat of Substitutes: Threat of substitutes for Nestle is also very high. In all areas of its operations there are multiple other firms that are offering either similar products or substitute products. For this purpose Nestle has to ensure that it offers a product experience that cannot be imitated and is demanded by its consumers. Industry Rivalry: Industry rivalry for Nestle is very high in no matter what part of the world it operates in. In United Kingdom it faces threat of competition from brands like Kellogs, in India it faces competition from local brands and brands such as Knorr which are starting to venture into the food industry. Porter’s diamond and competitive advantage: Michael Porter presented his theory about the competitive advantage of Nations through the use of this self designed diamond model. According to his theory, nations can create a sustainable competitive advantage for themselves if they use the following four factors efficiently. It is called a diamond model because the effect of one variable causes a change in the other variable. According to Porter, a country can create competitive advantage for itself rather than merely relying on natural endowments. Keeping Nestle in mind, Switzerland has created a global recognition for itself based on this huge multinational giant’s image (Economics-papers 2012). Factor conditions talk about the country creating its own factors of production. Japan for instance does not have any local metal or steel however it has become synonymous with the manufacturing of metal cars. Similarly, factor conditions include building up on a country’s skilled resources and putting them to best use such as Nestle has done by acquiring raw materials from other parts of the world and treating them through innovative processes to suit its own needs (Nestle, 2012). Demand conditions mean that when the demand of a certain product is high locally, the company can focus on it and build that as its competitive advantage. The demand for healthy food was very high In Switzerland and taking that demand Nestle build its company and has now succeeded in creating such a global  giant. Because Nestles related and supporting industries are also thriving and are competition with each other, this gives Nestle the opportunity to build on its cost advantage and focus on its innovation so that it can continue its differentiation strategy in the market. The local conditions affect the firm strategy and culture. Within Switzerland there was high focus on doing things after thorough research and therefore the same Ideas were inherent since the inception of Nestle. (NestleCompanyStrategy, 2012). Nestle operates in a multitude of different markets. Keeping each market in mind it develops different strategies. The Ansoff matrix shows four different kinds of strategies that companies can follow in order to achieve their goals. The first is the market penetration. In this strategy companies lower their prices so that they can enter into the market more quickly. In the case of Pakistan it was seen that when Nestle entered Pakistan, they introduced their existing product Milo at very affordable rates, even in smaller sub sizes so that the market can readily accept the product. In Market development strategy, the company takes an existing product into a  new market. This can be seen as when Nestle took Kitkat to foreign markets or when it launched Nescafe coffee in China. Product development is when a company remains in the same market it is presently operating but starts to expand its product line. Nestle was seen using product development when it remained in the European market but started venturing into health and nutritional products and expanding its product line. Nestle also has a diversified portfolio as it invested in the cosmetic company L’Oreal and is also the stakeholder in a number of pharmaceutical companies worldwide (Bonn, I. 2001). Boston Matrix: (Mayareynoldswriter 2008). Nestle is a house of brands. It consists of over a hundred different products and each product is at a different stage in the market depending upon the region in which it is being sold. Generally the product lines of nestle can be divided into big sub categories such as baby foods, which includes Cerelac and Nestum. Cereals and Bottled water, chocolate items, Dairy products, drinks, ice cream etc. Each product from each of these different categories is places on a different point in the BCG matrix. For the sake of simplicity of the project we will only discuss a few of the known and flagship products of Nestle (Boston Consulting Group, 2011). The cash cows of Nestle are very easily most of its chocolate brands and baby food items. Cerelac is a universal cash cow as well as Kit Kat that has a very strong brand presence worldwide (Reuters, 2012). Nido is fast growing nutritional milk that is gaining popularly in the Asian region and in the year 2010 (New York Times, 2012), a new Kit Ka t manufacturing plant was set up in United Kingdom that was to produce over 1 billion bars of the chocolate each year. The Stars are those products which have potential in the market and Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s lines of frozen product are quick to capture a declining cooking market within the United States. Nestle with its brand Stouffer, is turning its attention to frozen pizza in an effort to capture more of the market share (Bryson, 2011). Dogs are those product lines which do not bring in too much of revenue and are difficult to turn around. These products are those that should be discarded or sold off so that they do not squeeze the company profits. For Nestle, many attribute its investments in the pharmaceutical  business to be a dog and that the company should pull out and focus more on its nutritional products. Question marks are those products whose future is somewhat uncertain. They can be turned out into positive cash cows or could reduce to the dog stature for the company. With regards to the Indian market, the breakfast cereals of nestle are question marks. Keeping in mind the culture of India, the breakfast is a wholesome meal and the culture of cereals is very low (New York Times, 2012). The particular products in the Indian markets are still struggling to figure out their future. Value Chain Analysis: A value chain analysis is a specific set of activities that are linked together and through their use the firm can produce a competitive advantage for itself. This value chain analysis was also developed by Michael Porter and can be summed up by the following representation (Porter, 1985): If we conduct the value chain analysis for Nestle we can see that it has a very good supply chain and integration of all operational business units otherwise it would be very difficult for the company to achieve global dominance. The inbound logistics include warehousing and inventory control. In Nestle it is a computerized and automated system of inventory control that is different for each country. This is why the supply of Nestle products is hardly ever scarce in the market. The operations of nestle are very successful as they transform a lot of raw material into very nutritional products and create value for their customers. Outbound logistics is the process by which finished goods are transferred to the sellers. For this purpose Nestle has started to set up distribution channels in each country where its production plant is set up so ensure timely delivery. Marketing and Sales of nestle help in creating the brand that Nestle has evolved into today. The service area is that which responds to concerns and after sale service and Nestle tries its best to provide good customer service to any customers that may be dissatisfied by the product (Bonn, I. 2001). Recommendation: Nestle has a very established setup of both its operations and marketing.  What the company should however invest in is building its public image as a corporately responsible company as well. As it has already been pointed out above Nestle is one of the world’s most boycotted companies because of a certain perception that it commits corporate crimes when coming to environmental practices. The company needs to make sure that that particular image is altered. Also, the products of Nestle which are not doing so well in certain markets should be pulled out rather than constantly spending more on them to turn their value around. Some products are difficult to sail because of the culture of the market that Nestle operates in and therefore should be avoided to ensure sunk costs do not occur. Evaluation & Conclusion: In conclusion it is safe to say that Nestle has a lot of positive attributes backing its larger than life product portfolio and therefore the company has managed to sustain its position in the list of the fortune five hundred companies. The company through the use of efficient management procedures, innovation, capital infusion and research and development continues to expand its portfolio and also serves as an example of not just a an exceptional food and nutrition providing company but also a real multinational corporation. There are many lawsuits against the company and it is also generally considered to be one of the world’s most boycotted companies and despite all off that the revenues of the company have hardly slumped since its inception. That is a testament to their value chain creation and streamlined processes that ensure that nestle becomes a part of the livelihood of the people of the 130 countries it serves. List of References: 1. bbc.co.uk (2012) the world of technology. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology/ [Accessed: 5th august 2012]. 2. Belch, G & Belch, M. 2003. Advertising and Promotion; an Integrated Marketing Perspective, 6th edition, Mc-H Companies. 3. Bonn, I. 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[Online] Available at: http://www.economics-papers.com/the-study-and-review-on-michael-e-porters-the-competitive-advantage-of-nations.html [Accessed: 7th august 2012]. 9. Europa.eu (2012) Policies and activities of the European Union. [online] Available at: http://europa.eu/policies-activities/index_en.htm [Accessed: 6th august 2012]. 10. Hill, T. & R. Westbrook (1997). â€Å"SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall†. Long Range Planning 30 (1). 11. Houben, G, 1999. A knowledge-based SWOT-analysis system as an instrument for strategic planning in small and medium sized enterprises. Journal of Applied Economics, [Online]. 26, 125-135. Available at:http://www.cuaed.unam.mx/puel_cursos/cursos/d_gcfe_m_dos/modulo/modulo_2/m2-10.pdf [Accessed 04 August 2012]. 12. International Labor Rights Forum. 2005. The 14 Worst Corporate Evildoers. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.laborrights.org/creating-a-sweatfree-world/ethical-consumerism/news/11434. [Accessed 04 August 12]. 13. 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Prospects and Problems of Snails Production in Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE 1. 1. Introduction Nigeria's economic recovery programmes have necessitated a radical shift from total dependence on government for job to self-employment. One such attractive area for self-employment is snail rearing. It is a great money-spinning business that can provide a substantial source of protein to complement Nigerian carbohydrate meals. Sadly Nigerians inclination to go into business in the fields where thousands have already made their fortune has led to the ulter neglect of such lucrative area of snail farming in Nigeria or export at international market. Many people see snails here and there.Some people take it as meat. But quite a number don't know how to go about rearing them. This is made worse because snails, which belong to the family of animal called MOLLUSCA, is a hermaphrodite. It has both the female and male sexual organs; so one cannot really distinguish between the male and female specie of it. 1. 2. Overview Snails that respire using a lung belong to the group Pulmonata, while those with gills form a polyphyletic group; in other words, snails with gills form a number of taxonomic groups that are not necessarily more closely related to each other than they are related to some other groups.Both snails that have lungs and snails that have gills have diversified so widely over geological time that a few species with gills can be found on land and numerous species with lungs can be found in freshwater. Even a few marine species have lungs. Snails can be found in a very wide range of environments, including ditches, deserts, and the abyssal depths of the sea. Although many people are familiar with terrestrial snails, they are in the minority. Marine snails constitute the majority of snail species, and have much greater diversity and a greater biomass.Numerous kinds of snail can also be found in fresh water. Most snails have thousands of microscopic tooth-like structures located on a ribbon-like tongue called a radula. The radula w orks like a file, ripping food into small pieces. Many snails are herbivorous, eating plants or rasping algae from surfaces with their radulae, though a few land species and many marine species are omnivores or predatory carnivores. CHAPTER TWO 2. 1. SNAIL FARMING IN NIGERIA Nigeria's economic recovery programmes have necessitated a radical shift from total dependence on government for job to self-employment.One such attractive area for self-employment is snail rearing. It is a great money-spinning business that can provide a substantial source of protein to complement Nigerian carbohydrate meals. Sadly Nigerians inclination to go into business in the fields where thousands have already made their fortune has led to the ulter neglect of such lucrative area of snail farming in Nigeria  or export at international market. CHAPTER THREE 3. 1. Problems of snail production 1. Population Control This is a sticky subject for a lot of people but it's important to think about this sensibly if you intend to keep snails.With certain species able to lay 1200+ eggs in one year it is completely impractical to hatch all your eggs. And with most species, eggs are almost guaranteed. So let's deal with the options you have or may have heard: 1. Keeping snails isolated This is a common suggestion but I don't think it is a practical solution for a number of reasons. I'd favour the opinion that snails do best with others and most people wouldn't wish to keep one snail, and you may not have the tanks to start splitting them all up. Also, some species of snail can self-fertilise if necessary. 2.Picking snails that are notoriously hard to breed or in high demand This isn't a bad suggestion; you'll not have any trouble finding homes for the babies. Remember though, that new breeds are in high demand but may not necessarily be difficult to breed. Your first few clutches may fly out the door, but it's likely those new owners will have similar success. Some species can be fertile within a few months, so the day when you'll struggle to re-home them is merely postponed. 3. Discouraging breeding through environmental conditions This is a bit like the rhythm method in humans, in that it is likely to be very risky.Most likely you'll end up with unhappy snails and eggs anyway. 4. Destroying unwanted eggs The vast majority of snail keepers choose to destroy any unwanted eggs as soon as they are found. The sooner the better because they develop quite quickly, particularly if the snail has retained them for longer than usual. Destroying the eggs is more humane than hatching 1000s of unwanted babies. Owners of tropical species do this and liken it much to the viability that is realistically found in the wild.A lot of eggs will be eaten, some won't develop and the chance of a baby snail surviving to adulthood is very poor. To destroy eggs you can simply crush, boil or freeze them, the latter the most popular method. Most people check the soil every few days, particularly in hot weather. More often than not snails will lay against the bottom or side of a tank so they are easy to spot. Some snails hold eggs inside for longer than usual so the eggs can be more developed but in the majority of cases, great conditions in captivity mean they can lay as soon as they are formed.Native snail eggs generally take longer to hatch than tropical ones, 20-40 days, perhaps shorter in hot weather, so destroying them within a day or two of being laid means they are just fluid with no embryo in. Tropical eggs can hatch within a day or two so you have to be ultra vigilant. 5. Breeding Information (Self-fertilisation) â€Å"The Pulmonates are hermaphroditic. Most are outcrossers, exchanging spermatophores, containing spermatozoa at mating. Others self-fertilise, at least some of the time; in some, parts of the male reproductive system may be lost. Firstly, I can't be sure that by mention of â€Å"self-fertilise† it means â€Å"fertilising oneself with ones own spe rm† or whether it simply means they control the process of choosing when and which sperm to fertilise themselves with. CHAPTER FOUR 4. 1. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS FAVOURING SURVIVAL AND RAISING OF SNAIL   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Environment is the combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development and survival of organisms. Snail farms can be indoors or outdoors provided environmental conditions necessary for survival prevails for optimum production of snail the following environmental factors are ideal. 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Temperature: Temperature influences the activities of snails temperature above 200c will cause the snails to as stivate our hibernate in order to regulate the body fluid continual snails thrive well under ambient temperature of 200c with considerable growth rate all year round with zero chance of aestivation. Temperature and humidity 80 hand in hand and are very critical in the survival of snails. (2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Humidity: This factor is very critical as the snail has to maintain a constant equilibrium between the fluids.A humid environment is required for snail to remain active and bred all years round. A is therefore necessary to moisten the environment during fry periods. (3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Light: Snail though generally nocturnal requires light for optimum growth. Provided the amount of light in terms of quantity and quality is very arucil in the life of snail. 4. Soil: Soil is a medium for reproduction of snails good management practice involves selection and mixture of soil. It should be recalled that soil harbour a lot of pests predators and soil should diseases.It becomes necessary that soil farm be properly analyzed before use in snail activities and development. It mixture of sand and clay in good proportion retains water and therefore is not suitable on the other hand clay during the rains is water logged and cakes up during the dry period too hard for the snails to burr ow through. Loamy soil is recommended as it contains enough organic matter with good retentive capacity. Acidic soil should be avoided. If it can not be avoided liming is encouraged in such situation.Periodic application of calcium is also encouraged where and when it is absent. The soil should not contain harmful salts or be so alkaline so as net to burn the snails (Akinuvsi 2000). 4. 2. HOVESING Snails are known to escape from enclosures that are not properly protected or covered. It therefore becomes imperative that snail houses should be protected to prevent the snails from escaping and predator free. The housing for raising snails varies with the purpose, however it could be made of wooden materials wire mesh or even local materials whether outdoor or indoor.CHAPTER FIVE 5. 1. Conclusion This review attempted to examine the contribution of snail farming to poverty reduction in Nigeria. The paper emphasized that snail farming is a veritable means of complementing the carbohydrat e meals of the totality of Nigeria as well as a means of generating income and to achieving self sufficiency as it provides self employment to the people. To be able to achieve this, government should encourage investors in this area financially and extension services.It is, therefore, recommended that Government should take more than a cursory interest in snail farming by encouraging investors through progression of an enabling environmental, financial and technical support. REFERENCES Agboola, F. K. , Fagbohunka, B. S. and Adenuga, G. A. (2008). Activities of Archachatina marginata heamolymph enzymes: clues to terrestrial snails’ salt intolerance. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences (2)1: 6 – 71. Abere, S. A. and Lameed, G. A. (2008). The medicinal utilization of snails in some selected states in Nigeria. In: Onyekwelu, J.C. Adekunle, V. A. J. and Oke, D. O. (eds. ). Proceeding of the first National conference of the Forests and Forest Products Society (FFPs) held in Akure, Ondo State between 11th and 18th of April, 2008. Pp 233 – 237. Ademosun, A. A. , Omidiji, M. O. (1999). 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