Blue Ridge Spain Essay Example

Blue Ridge Spain Essay Example Blue Ridge Spain Paper Blue Ridge Spain Paper Overall comments: need to tie narrative to terms/concepts from the book. Should stratify comments into uncontrollable and controllable forces. (like Todd did) Although Blue Ridge Restaurants had success with expansion and joint ventures in Australia, the UK, France, Italy, Brazil and Hong Kong through 1987, many differing factors were at play when Yannis Costas evaluated the market and strategy for the Spain in the 1ate 1990s. Factors described by D. A.Ball, et al, 1, considered relevant in a country screening and assessing market expansion, especially the xx screen, political and legal and the fourth screen, socio-cultural, were not favorable for an aggressive expansion in Spain. The key issues in the Delta Foods expansion in Spain are: Probe deeper on these questions: 1. What are the expertise strengths and unique resources that each partner brought to the joint venture? 2. Why does or doesn’t Blue Ridge need a joint venture in Spain? 3. Why does or doesnt Terralumen need a partner to develop such a business in Spain? Environment for joint venture * Peculiarities for doing business in Spain-failure to use value chain analysis What was the competitive cost position at the end of the value chain? * Terralumen is a package good company looking for restaurant partner * Market demand-package foods industry and non-tapas menu items popular with working professionals in urban areas only * Pressing Spaniards on American goals * Spanish economic trials of 1998-2004 * Lack of implementation plan-see keys to resource deployment Impedances: Socio-Cultural Fear of being exploited * Explain uncertainty avoidance and masculinity/femininity concepts for Terralumen and BR/Delta Cultural differences, as related to doing business, come into play here in the Blue Ridge case Study. Significant cross cultural conflicts between parent companies of different nationalities paved the way for the dissolution of the joint venture between Delta and Terralumen. In a Board of Director’s meeting, the American-Spanish joint venture partners could not work together or agree on common goals and policies, or resolve problems. The Hofstede Model has demonstrated that individuals living in a particular country tend to share similar values, and that they bring these values to the firms for which they work. The stark contrast of cultural values between managers of Delta and Terralumen make it difficult to ensure the success and the longevity of Blue Ridge Spain The European Regional Director, Yannis Costas, is of Greek nationality. According to Hofstede, Greece is high on power distance and high on uncertainty avoidance. In the Greek culture, people respect senior manager and would not prefer a young inexperienced manager. On the one hand Costas has put much effort into the joint venture and identifies with his work. That’s why he wants to help Blue Ridge. On the other hand, he has a good relationship to the Spaniards who value his ability to establish an interpersonal relationship which can also be traced back to his Greek roots. Decisions are made on subjective feelings and he wants a harmonious balance, a consensus. Overall, he is rather on the side of the Spaniards. As a Greek, Costas values the solid interpersonal relationship and trust which he and Francisco Alvarez had built over the years in trying to foster a successful joint venture. Costas was often employed to solve conflicts and mend damaged relationships. He also questioned the ethics of his company’s strategy to secretly achieve the upper hand in buyout negotiations. Alvarez, representing Terralumen, is from Spain. He shares many similar cultural characteristics with Costas, including patience and mutual respect. This explains how Costas and Alvarez have come to establish solid friendship and cooperation throughout the joint venture Add: Impedences: Ethics * Avoid retelling the facts of the case * Is there something in the Donaldson article on ethics? Geoff Dryden and the company he represented faced the ethical dilemma of how one should act when cross the national boundaries; with unfamiliar law and unclear ethical conduct he faced, one should question Geoff conduct. Geoff who had no overseas experience was transferred from US Delta snack food division to Europe had secretly made suggestion to let Terralumen default on its debt so that they can force a buyout. Geoff and Delta did not act ethically by pursuing this strategy which showed ethical imperialism of individual and the company which allowed it to happen; one should not act differently when away from home. People’s perception would be affected if they knew that Delta had intensionally let the other could have financial implication In addition, another unethical moment came from Bill Sawyer when he deceived Costas by suggesting that the company will be hiring someone with experience but in turn they hired someone with very little experience compared to Costas’s. The core values establish a moral compass for business practice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I honesty and integrity is a universal practice and by Bill’s actions and company’s tolerance of it, it represented low level of ethical standard for himself and the company that did not allow full disclosure in hiring process. Also Terralumen had decided to give power of attorney to one individual who can make a decision that will impact the entire joint venture existence; this decision represent unethical practice for the company. Terralumen should have full disclosure practice that would allow for all critical decision been communicated among joint venture. This practice would have allowed other members a chance to evaluate the decision taken by Terralumen and see what impacts will it have on the existing joint venture. To give the power of attorney to Francisco Alvarez without consultation of other member of joint venture represented unethical act. While the culture and personality of the decision makers impact the important choices made in cases like this one, equally important are the countless spreadsheets and documents that contain the financial factors integral to the success or failure of an international business affair. The original development plan agreed to in 1998 (exhibit 2) was a far more conservative approach that would see approximately ten new stores per year opened in Spain. With an initial capital investment of around $1 million per store, and a lengthy 18-24 period between the time of investment and the construction of the location, the venture would be operating on very thin margins in the early years, with the hope that the continued expansion would lead to higher profits in the latter years of the plan. Financial Analysis Insert your sources/citings Delta’s overly aggressive growth strategy set a goal at expanding at three times the pace of the 1998 agreement. Delta’s decision to utilize a consulting firm based in the U. S. might have been a contributing factor to this unrealistic goal. As Bell (2010) states, sometimes management needs to gather data in the potential market rather than just using desk and field reports. For example, the American consultants might not have been privy to the key money costs of around $100k paid off-the-books to property owners at the signing. With a goal of opening thirty stores per year, this would add an additional $3 million per year in expenses in addition to the other costly expenses. It would’ve also behooved the Delta consultants to consider the uncontrollable economic forces that were going to come into play with their expansion plans. While there were some key economic indicators in Spain working in Delta’s favor, such as a GDP went from just under 3. 5% in early 1997 to over 4. % in early 1998, there were also some warning signs that should have lead them to temper expectations in this market . One of these warning signs deals with Spain’s unemployment rate. As shown by the chart below, Spain’s unemployment rate during this time period was hovering around 20%, although it was beginning to show signs of improvement. While this might be a sign of many possible new hires to work in the restaurants, it also signals a rather weak economy and a potential dearth of customers. Some of the controllable forces that Delta could have adjusted their approach to help the joint venture deal with the exorbitant royalties and fees the company desired to collect from its Spanish partner right from the get-go. Squeezing the restaurants for this money in the early stages of expansions could have a demoralizing and costly effect on the local managers as they attempted to build their business and compete against better known Spanish restaurants. The growth strategy into Germany and France seems to be an overly optimistic one, as well. Blue Ridge already had failed at one attempt to enter the French market, and Germany has a culture vastly different than Spain. How could Delta prognosticate having 55 stores within three years in a country where the business model had been an abject failure years before? Without proper planning and a gradual implementation to determine whether the restaurant could succeed in these markets, the company could be faced with an overburdened agenda that could sink the entire plan. Other U. S. ompanies, such as Wal-Mart, learned this lesson the hard way. 1 Ball, D. A. , Geringer, J. M. , Minor, M. S. , and McNett, J. M. (2010) (Assessing and Analyzing Markets) International Business: the Challenge of Global Competition, (12th ed. ) pp 427-464, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin 2 Donaldson, T â€Å"Values in Tension: Ethics Away From Home. † Reprint No. 96502. Harvard Business Review, 2010. ,65 pg 69-72. coursesmart. com/9781609272852/firstsection#X2ludGVybmFsX1BGUmVhZGVyP3htbGlkPTk3 ODE2MDkyNzI4NTIvNzI=

Top 5 Less Crowded Sites to Look For Retail Jobs

Top 5 Less Crowded Sites to Look For Retail Jobs You’re looking for a job in retail and it seems that all the usual job search sites are teeming with applicants. You want to find somewhere less crowded and more focused where you can search and apply in peace for your very specific skill set. Try searching off the beaten path for your next retail job- you’ll find employers who aren’t getting absolutely inundated with responses, and you might just find your next job! 1.  All Retail JobsThis site is free, lists from over 12,000 retail employers and recruiters, and lists both management and hourly job openings. You can save search specifications and set up email notifications that match your profile.2. Work In RetailThis site can also send you real-time job recommendations as they are posted. It’s free and focuses on retail- with job postings at any level.3. Retail Careers NowThis site is free, lets you set up an account/alerts, upload your resume, and do market and salary research. Good for both browsing and searching, it highlights â€Å"featured† jobs and employers.4. Retail CrossingThis free site boasts that it’s the â€Å"largest collection of retail jobs on earth.† It displays how many new jobs were posted by week and how many total jobs are currently available to search, and lets you preview your search by job type. You can also upload your resume and get some good general retail career information by browsing through.5. Retail Jobs WebAnother free site, much like the others, this one  very easily lets you search not only by position type but also by industry, or state, or full-time/part-time. You can even search by company, if you already have one in mind.

McDonald's Public Relations Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

McDonald's Public Relations - Case Study Example This organization need is what has evolved to Corporate Social Responsibility (Bardhan and Weaver, 2011). Corporate Social Responsibility is the attempt by an organization to address some of the emerging issues concerning their role in society. However, there have been debates on some organizations appear to circumvent this responsibility, regardless of corporate social responsibility requirement in social or legal terms (McKee and Lamb, 2009). This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of McDonald’s corporate social responsibility, as well as the organization’s ability to identify public relation opportunities and problems, and their reinvention from bad publicity. The growing public demand and awareness for socially responsibility businesses has prompted business organizations to consider corporate social responsibility. One of the international companies with a corporate social responsibility is McDonalds. McDonalds is the largest food chain in the world, s pecializing in hamburger. McDonalds considers corporate social responsibility as achieving results, maintaining open communication with customers and other stakeholders, and taking actions. As part of its framework for corporate social responsibility, McDonald’s works in association with its suppliers to ensure that its supply chain promotes socially responsible practices (Eyre & Littleton, 2012). According to its website, the organization has code of conduct purposely for its suppliers, which clearly stipulates how the suppliers should treat its customers (Aidoo, 2005). McDonald’s has had success in supporting suppliers phasing out gestation crates in the supply chain. The organization claims that about 50% of all contracted hog farms of Cargill use the new-generation system that do not incorporate gestation stalls. In 2007 for instance, the food chain giant embarked on sustainability projects with efforts of improving the working conditions for its farm workers in th e tomato industry in Florida. The result was an enhanced environmental practice in the agricultural supply chain of the organization and made the farm sustainable. Despite the fact that MacDonald’s buys about 1.5% of the tomatoes in Florida annually, the organization and the suppliers laid down the industry-leading growing standards, improving the working conditions in the farms and making the farm business sustainable (Sriramesh and Vercic, 2009). One of the indicators of MacDonald’s approach and its contribution to the communities is the Flagship Farms Initiative (FAI) in Europe. This particular program involves seven progressive farms that employ innovative farming practices in Europe, carrying out research on the ethical farming practices that incorporate into commercial farming systems. Another prime example is visible in the Sustainable Fisheries program, incorporating the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. The program essentially lays down sustainable standards that stipulate McDonald’s worldwide purchases for wild-caught fish into making Fillet-o-Fish, thus making the relevant fishery business a sustainable business (Royle, 2005). McDonald’s also engages in donating some of its profit portion to corporate philanthropy as part of its corporate social responsibility. The organization donates to the communities through the Ronald McDonald House Charities, a foundation that aims to create, support, and find programs that improve

The Role of Financial and Accounting Management Essay

The Role of Financial and Accounting Management - Essay Example The income statements are prepared to measure the net income of the organization during a specific period. It compares the revenues and expenses related to the specified period for the purpose of measuring the performance of the firm in terms of profitability, costs incurred and revenues generated. Using this statement, the managers are enabled to compare the previous periods’ results with that of the current period and measure the performance of the firm on the basis of the differences that occurred. For instance, an increase in expenses may help the managers analyze the situations that resulted in excess expenditure. The possible reasons may include increased losses due to poor working conditions, poor employee performance, change of material, increase in production and sales or so on. Hence, the statement of comprehensive income helps in measuring the performance of the business with its own past performance and provides help to the managers with the identification of risk elements that are affecting the performance of the firm. Ratio analysis is another important measure that helps in the measurement of the performance within the organization by comparing the current period’s results with the past results. The statement of changes in equity also helps in the measurement of the changes that occurred in the owner’s equity and the trends that are seen in the contributed capital and retained earnings of the firm. An increase or decrease in the equity shows the performance of the firm over a period of time.

Filipinos Forgiving Nature Essay Example for Free

Filipinos Forgiving Nature Essay Why many Filipino people are forgiving? Giving offenders a â€Å"second chance† rather than punishing them is inherently Filipino. Let’s take for example the apology offered by the Magdalo mutineers which comes as no surprise in light of the Filipinos forgiving nature. Despite the very good laws we have here in the Philippines, we don’t think settlement of it will still be possible. We rarely condemn people, we just require them to change their ways. Ms. Arroyo’s granting of amnesty towards the Magdalo mutineers is just one of the issues that shows Filipinos tend to forgvive. We are not very legalistic except on impersonal matters, such as cases involving money or disputes between big corporations that don’t have a human face. For example, everyone agrees that we should go after tax evasion. Under the Filipino concept of justice, what is prescribed by law is not necessarily just. We tend to forgive easily when we find something valid in the reasons behind the offense. That’s why we have the phrase ‘nadadaan sa magandang usapan’. The way we are raised by our families could affect the way we understand and look into the contexts of one’s behavior. For example, rather than be rigid over rights or claims, step siblings generally do not regard with spite but look after each other’s welfare even when one is illegitimate. And of course, the prodigal child is always given a second chance. No wonder why there are many unresolved cases in the Philippines. Some were given pardon by the government like the case of the former president Ejercito Estrada. Could it be the government’s way to come clean in the eyes of other countries in promoting the tourism industry? To front them that it’s easy to settle agreements here would attract many investors in the country. We‘ll, if that’s the case, many might really take advantage on the situation. And this would just prove that we don’t have rigid implementation of the very good laws here in the Philippines. This is also the reason why some government officials seems relaxed and other foreign countries doesn’t give much importance on Filipinos welfare in their land and they just take it easy when it comes to Filipinos. Maybe because they know the fact that we don‘t experience justice even in our own land, and we are used to it. Pity to those who really experience that kind of treatment. Upon hearing this, I bursted to the cab driver saying ito hirap sating mga Pinoy e, kapag tayo nahuli sa ibang bansa ng drug trafficking death penalty, kapag sila nahuli natin wala pang isang linggo nakalaya na. Theres a big problem with our government or our Filipino blood we are too soft, too forgiving. This is one of the reasons why most of us have no pride and dignity when we are in another soil. I really want to thank Manny Pacquiao for giving the Filipinos some pride. How should other country value our laws when we Filipinos don’t put much attention to these and some just don‘t take it seriously? When we are in their country we are treated like rats but when they are in our country they are treated like kings. I dont know what‘s wrong. If a Filipino guy will enter a building in his own country the security guard will look for an ID with intense body search but if they will see that the guest is a foreigner, Filipinos will happily greet them without checking their bags not even thinking that they could be the terrorist that will kill them. I have nothing against to any foreigners but I got beef with my own blood. If this will continue, probably we will become slaves in our own country.

Children and Gangs Essay -- Gang Essays

The problem of gangs is growing, and not only in major city centers. The Justice Department says there are now 30,000 gangs with more than 800,000 members. The National Youth Gang Centre (NYGC), which conducts an annual survey that is funded by the Justice Department, concedes that every town of 250,000 people now has a gang problem. Many young adults who join gangs may do it for the following reasons: - Gangs may offer kids a powerful group identity and a kind of recognition they cannot get at home or elsewhere. - Protection - If there are many gangs in an area, joining one of them may offer protection from rival gangs. - Feeling of Belonging - Gang activity may offer a feeling of being a part of a "family" that is missing in the child's home. The child becomes loyal to the gang's values, rather than those of the home. - Intimidation - Threats and violent beatings may be used to force youths to join. - Excitement - Gang activity may seem attractive to kids who are bored, lack interests and direction, or do not feel good about themselves. The media has glamorized gangs in music, movies, and video games. This adds to the excitement associated with them. - Peer Pressure - Kids are pressured to join gangs if others around them are gang members. - Financial Benefit - Kids see being in a gang as an easy way to gain money and new possessions. - Lack of Knowledge - Kids, especially young ones, do not realize the true dangers of being in a gang. So how d...

Chemistry thermo lab, Hess’s Law Essay

Introduction: In this lab, we will be determining the change in enthalpy for the combustion reaction of magnesium (Mg) using Hess’s law. Procedure: 1. React about 100 mL of 1.00 M hydrochloric acid with 0.80 g of MgO. Note the change in temperature and any qualitative data. 2. React about 100 mL of 1.00 M hydrochloric acid with 0.50 g of Mg. Note the change in temperature and any qualitative data. Raw Data: Quantitative: Reaction, trial Mass ( ± 0.01 g) Initial temperature ( ± 0.1à ¢Ã‚ ° C) Final temperature ( ± 0.1à ¢Ã‚ ° C) Volume of HCl ( ± 0.05 mL) Reaction 1, Trial 1 0.80 22.0 26.9 100.00 Reaction 1, Trial 2 0.80 22.2 26.9 100.00 Reaction 2, Trial 1 0.50 21.6 44.4 100.00 Reaction 2, Trial 2 0.50 21.8 43.8 100.00 Qualitative: 1. Hydrochloric acid is colorless and odorless 2. Magnesium tape is shiny after cleaning it from oxidants, increasing its purity. 3. In both reactions, the solution became bubbly. 4. There was a strong odor from the reaction. Data Processing: Trial 1: Reaction 1: First, we have to calculate the ΔT by subtracting the final temperature by initial temperature: 1. 2. 3. Now we calculate the mass of the solution, assuming it has the density as water: 1. 2. 3. 4. Now, we can use q=mc ΔT to calculate the energy gained by the solution: 1. 2. 3. Therefore: 1. Now, we have to calculate the number of moles for MgO: 1. 2. 3. We can now calculate the change in enthalpy by dividing the q of the reaction by the moles of the limiting reagent: 1. Now, we do reaction 2, trial 1 so we can use Hess’s law to calculate the change in enthalpy of formation, but first we are going to calculate the uncertainty in this expression: First, we calculate the uncertainty for the: 1. 2. 3. Now for mass: 1. 2. As for the energy gained: 1. 2. Now for the energy of the reaction: 1. It is multiplied by an integer (-1) so it is the same unc. As for the moles: 1. 2. Finally, the change in enthalpy: 1. 2. 3. Reaction 2: First, we have to calculate the ΔT by subtracting the final temperature by initial temperature: 1. 2. Now we calculate the mass of the solution, assuming it has the density as water: 1. 2. 3. Now, we can use q=mc ΔT to calculate the energy gained by the solution: 1. 2. Therefore: 1. Now, we have to calculate the number of moles for MgO: 1. 2. We can now calculate the change in enthalpy by dividing the q of the reaction by the moles of the limiting reagent: 1. I will now calculate the uncertainties: First, we calculate the uncertainty for the: 1. 2. Now for mass: 1. 2. As for the energy gained: 1. 2. Now for the energy of the reaction: 1. It is multiplied by an integer (-1) so it is the same unc. As for the moles: 1. 2. Finally, the change in enthalpy: 1. 2. 3. Now, we use Hess’s law to calculate the change of enthalpy of formation: 1. MgO(s) + 2HCl(aq) MgCl2(aq) + H2O(l) 2. Mg (s) + 2HCl(aq) MgCl2(aq) + H2 (g) 3. H2(g) + 0.5 O2(g) H2O(l) (given) By reversing reaction number 1, we can get our targeted reaction: Mg (s) + 0.5 O2(g) MgO(s) Now to calculate the change of enthalpy, which will be the change of enthalpy of formation? 1. 2. Our final result is: 1. Mg (s) + 0.5 O2(g) MgO(s) Random error and percent error: We can calculate the random error by just adding the random errors of the component reactions: 1. 2. 3. As for the percent error: 1. 2. 3. Trial 2: Reaction 1: First, we have to calculate the ΔT by subtracting the final temperature by initial temperature: 1. 2. Now we calculate the mass of the solution, assuming it has the density as water: 1. 2. 3. Now, we can use q=mc ΔT to calculate the energy gained by the solution: 1. 2. 3. Therefore: 1. Now, we have to calculate the number of moles for MgO: 1. 2. 3. We can now calculate the change in enthalpy by dividing the q of the reaction by the moles of the limiting reagent: 1. Now, we do reaction 2, trial 1 so we can use Hess’s law to calculate the change in enthalpy of formation, but first we are going to calculate the uncertainty in this expression: First, we calculate the uncertainty for the: 1. 2. 3. Now for mass: 1. 2. As for the energy gained: 1. 2. Now for the energy of the reaction: 1. It is multiplied by an integer (-1) so it is the same unc. As for the moles: 1. 2. Finally, the change in enthalpy: 1. 2. 3. Reaction 2: First, we have to calculate the ΔT by subtracting the final temperature by initial temperature: 1. 2. Now we calculate the mass of the solution, assuming it has the density as water: 1. 2. 3. Now, we can use q=mc ΔT to calculate the energy gained by the solution: 1. 2. Therefore: 1. Now, we have to calculate the number of moles for MgO: 1. 2. We can now calculate the change in enthalpy by dividing the q of the reaction by the moles of the limiting reagent: 1. I will now calculate the uncertainties: First, we calculate the uncertainty for the: 1. 2. Now for mass: 1. 2. As for the energy gained: 1. 2. Now for the energy of the reaction: 1. It is multiplied by an integer (-1) so it is the same unc. As for the moles: 1. 2. Finally, the change in enthalpy: 1. 2. 3. Now to calculate the change of enthalpy, which will be the change of enthalpy of formation: 1. 2. Our final result is: 1. Mg (s) + 0.5 O2(g) MgO(s) Random error and percent error: We can calculate the random error by just adding the random errors of the component reactions: 1. 2. 3. As for the percent error: 1. 2. 3. Processed data: Trial 1 Trial 2 of reaction 1 -104 kJ/mol ( ± 2.10%) -99 kJ/mol ( ± 2.19%) of reaction 2 -463 kJ/mol ( ± 0.509%) -446 kJ/mol ( ± 0.525%) of MgO -645 kJ/mol ( ± 2.61%) -633 kJ/mol ( ± 2.72%) Conclusion and Evaluation: In this lab, we determined the standard enthalpy change of formation of MgO using Hess’s law. First, we reacted HCl with MgO for the first reaction and got -104 kJ/mol ( ± 2.10%) for trial 1 and -99 kJ/mol ( ± 2.19%) for trial 2. As for reaction 2, where you react, I got -463 kJ/mol ( ± 0.509%) for trial 1 and -446 kJ/mol ( ± 0.525%) for trial 2. When we use Hess’s Law, we have to reverse reaction 1 to get the targeted equation, Mg (s) + 0.5 O2(g) MgO(s), and we get an enthalpy change value of -645 kJ/mol ( ± 2.61%) for trial 1, and -633 kJ/mol ( ± 2.72%) for trial 2. For trial 1, my value got a percent error of 7.14%, which is not that bad considering the weaknesses this lab had that will be discussed in the evaluation. However, in trial 2, I got a better percent error, which is 5.15%, we got a better value because we had a bigger ΔH values thus when adding them (since one of them is positive and the other two is negative) we get a smaller value for the enthalpy change of formation thus bringing us closer to the theoretical value. The biggest weakness in this lab was the impurity of the substances, the assumptions that we made about the HCl solution, for example, we assumed that the specific heat capacity of the solution is the same as water, which is an assumption that is not a 100% accurate and affected our ΔH values for both reactions and eventually our final ΔHf value. To fix this, In the different range of specific heat capacity values, 4.10 j/g k would have been more appropriate to get closer to our theoretical values, as you get a bigger qrxn values thus bigger ΔH values. Another thing that I noticed is that the theoretical value that I got was the â€Å"Standard† enthalpy change of formation. Standard meaning at standard conditions which are at 293 K and 101.3 kPa for pressure. These weren’t the conditions in the lab when I did the experiment. This might alter the experimental value closer to the theoretical value reducing the percent error.