Monday, August 24, 2020

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and 19 century American Society Research Paper - 2

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and 19 century American Society - Research Paper Example Different Calvinists likewise clarified that the salvation was held in the possession of God. In the nineteenth century evangelicals like Finney and different evangelicals were in the fore front to lecture the heathens. They concentrated on the wrongdoings of the people in real life. They additionally lectured about the hellfire so as to attempt to redirect the heathens from the activity. They felt free to demand that the delinquents should apologize and escape from all the wrongdoing. In the nineteenth century, the Protestants through the fervency laid a lot of accentuation on the transformation. This was obliged by thoughts regarding the evil of the individuals after the fall of Adam and furthermore the power of God. It is said after this that God has got kindness towards his kin and he guarantees them salvation after all these. The zeal additionally laid solid accentuation on the how Christ kicked the bucket on the cross for the wrongdoings of the people. They attempted to clarify that the best thing to comprehend is that change was only an encounter and it was not hard. Huge numbers of the individuals didn't accept the message that these evangelists gave. Accepting was a significant thing thus for the evangelists I was difficult to persuade the individuals. Yet at the same time what they lectured was heard by numerous individuals and however many would have not reacted yet they were mentally changed. (Claudia 2006). This didn't simply leave them as the conventional individuals they were there previously however it came to resemble a change and the vast majority of them had changed and they had those characters of Christians somewhere inside them2. The evangelicals disclosed that what befell them was an otherworldly resurrection and demise of the old somebody to the change and the introduction of someone else who has experienced change. Transformation comprised of steps that must be followed.â

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Growing In Suburbs Of Australia Management-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Talk About The Growing In Suburbs Of Australia Management? Answer: Introducation Developing in suburbia of Australia, I have created interests in explicit perspectives on issues that I had cooperation with in the days encompassing. With my father as an athlete and my mom a tennis fan, I grew up cherishing tennis, a game that I played all through my beginning times of school till now. Be that as it may, setting off to the rec center with my father likewise made me love practice as an ordinary day by day action in the exercise center. As I develop in my vocation of business the executives, I have adored how the business condition is battling to adapt up to innovation to stay important in the various circles in the serious business showcase. Subsequently, I have come to adore innovation, a perspective that encourages me stay aware of every single mechanical device, for example, iPhones, PCs, and advanced cells. In a self-reflection and a conversation with my loved ones, I came to understand that the two of them have a typical purpose of contention. My father saw me growing up with excitement and helping me develop into the individual I am today gives him certainty that I can be an extraordinary business person, a thought that is upheld by my mum and senior sibling also. Then again, companions discover me generally to have data on any mechanical progression that has an immediate and backhanded impact on the business world. For example, Mathews, perhaps the dearest companion astonished me by revealing to me that whenever he needs data concerning another make of a PC or an inclining cell phone, he will ask me straightforwardly and accept whatever answer I would give him since he would affirm from different sources and locate a similar data. From their recommendations, they state that I can be a decent business person on the off chance that I join my expert information with the innovative thoughts and updates I do have. Through them, I came to demonstrate that I am hopeful, centered around learning new thoughts, and attempting to assess how the thoughts can be embraced in the business condition. Be that as it may, I additionally found that I am inclined to dawdling ideological usage, an angle that I have to enhance as different contenders may utilize the equivalent innovative thoughts and exploit the market. Subsequently, I should be snappy in the usage of thoughts, for example, embracing innovative frameworks, for example, distributed computing, digital security, computerized promoting, and so on in business. For quite a while, I regularly asked myself the stuff to be a fruitful business person. In a methodical survey, Hou and Lee (2016) mean that there is a frequently uncommon meaning of the prescribed qualities a business visionary needs to have. Be that as it may, the majority of the suggested qualities are regularly seen from other fruitful pioneers and business visionaries like Bill Gates. As a business visionary, I have an enthusiasm that is driven by bringing in cash however discovering answers for various pioneering difficulties. I am energized by an unfaltering feeling of direction. I am additionally flexibility towards accomplishing my set objectives, a viewpoint that has seen me through one inability to another without losing my innovative energy. In their investigation, Shen and Chan (2017) signify that as a business person, there are situations when one will frequently bomb however won't remain there; rather, he will concentrate on the objective notwithstanding the difficulti es experienced. I ought to have the option to comprehend that a thought perhaps splendid yet less powerful, an angle that will require an elevated level of adaptability in making the important changes that can make the thought plausible. I do have a solid feeling of self, a trait that has empowered me to conquer various difficulties and issues. Being versatile and enthusiastic has empowered me to go so far because of my solid feeling of self. For example, acting naturally spurred and self-assured will assist me with knowing a smart thought and not figure the thought can be acceptable. Be that as it may, I should be adaptable in adjusting difficulties and changes in the business condition to stay important in the serious business circles. Impression of the Future As per Faught and Long (2017), the appearance of consistently frequently incites conversation concerning how the following a year are probably going to unfurl. Additionally, the pace of development supposedly accelerates at a quicker rate than previously. In this way, there is a requirement for dynamic business people to look further ahead on how their organizations will receive the adjustments in the advancement. Walz (2016) likewise calls attention to that the period somewhere in the range of 2014 and 2025 is ready in rethinking for all intents and purposes all the features of the business condition just as how we work or live. A similar report indicates that these years will introduce different radical innovations, client encounters, plans of action, just as the new type of business enterprise. As such, it will prompt an advanced local who act and think uniquely in contrast to each innovative age before them. With the various parts of advanced development, improvement, and execution, Shen and Chan (2017) call attention to that the development and assembling divisions will be the essential determinants that will principally drive the worldwide economies. For example, in receiving new mechanical progressions in the above enterprises, new assembling center points are rising in both created and creating nations (Hou Lee, 2016). As a business person, my center will receive the mechanical developments in the assembling business to see an improvement in the development. In embracing the innovation, it will be a lot of simple to guarantee that business advancement in the assembling business extends to offer work and quality administrations for both the provincial and urban populace. My energy for enterprise, the executives, and business advancement will subsequently be applicable to the improvement of the assembling business later on. In a precise report, Faught and Long (2017) call attention to that with innovative headway, business is advancing from administrations to items lastly to understanding. Thus, the following ten years is probably going to be more earnestly to bring in cash in any value-based business, an angle that expects business visionaries to discover a method of breaking out of it as indicated by Gottel (2016). In any case, the enterprising brain recommends that future little and enormous scope organizations will be a greater amount of common advantage in finding the correct method of advancement through each test way conceivable. Therefore, it is fundamental to gain from other fruitful business visionaries, for example, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Michael Bloomberg, and Mark Zuckerberg among others. They are a gathering of business visionaries who have demonstrated that achievement is unavoidable up to one has a dream, enthusiastic, adaptable, versatility, and have a solid feeling of self towards accomplishing whatever objective they want to accomplish simply like them. It is my craving to have Bill Gates as my tutor, a viewpoint that will expect me to cultivate him through the procedure since he has seen other effective business visionaries through the difficulties of the business condition. References Faught, S., Long, J. (2017). Investigating The Needs Of Rural Small Businesses And Developing Economic Sustainability Programs For Their Management Teams.International Journal Of The Academic Business World,11(1), 23-30. Gottel, V. (2016). Plans of action: Origin, Development and Future Research Perspectives.Long Range Planning,49(1), 36-54. doi:10.1016/j.lrp.2015.04.001 Hou, W., Lee, E. (2016). Chinese style private enterprise: current turn of events and future implications.European Journal Of Finance,22(5/6), 255-258. doi:10.1080/1351847X.2016.1090051 Shen, B., Chan, H. (2017). Conjecture Information Sharing for Managing Supply Chains in the Big Data Era: Recent Development and Future Research.Asia-Pacific Journal Of Operational Research,34(1), - 1. doi:10.1142/S0217595917400012 Walz, K. A. (2016). Instructing as-explore entry level positions: a model for the advancement of future science workforce and the improvement of educating in science, innovation, building, and math.Community College Journal Of Research Practice,40(2), 133-145.

Friday, July 24, 2020

Spring Break 2018 SIPA Capstone Workshop Roundup COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Spring Break 2018 SIPA Capstone Workshop Roundup COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Are you following @Columbia.SIPA on Instagram yet?  SIPA students Rui Li (MIA 19) and Olivia Haas (MIA 19) will be leading a live tour of the  SIPA building tour and Seeples QA on Wednesday!  Join us on Instagram on April 4th at 8am EST and if thats too early, well be answering questions all day, so DM us. This week we did an Instagram roundup of SIPA students Spring Break activities many put their learning into practice for their Capstone workshops. Here’s where their consulting projects brought them: Peru I am a part of a capstone team that is working with the Peruvian Ministry of Education, building a feasibility study to navigate ways of implementing offline educational technology into rural schools.  This photo was taken in Anta, Cusco, Perú at a public primary multigrado school. In Peru, there is a huge emphasis on incorporating technology and robotics into primary and secondary education. In the photo are three 8-year-old girls showing me how to use a computer-based LEGO program that teaches children how to build robots. It was amazing to see, even in the most rural zones of Cusco, that this technology generation is making a significant impact and kids are effortlessly excelling in technology-based learning. Justine LaVoye, MPA-DP 19 Mexico Consulting for the Mexican Energy Regulatory Commission, this SIPA capstone team is working on incentivizing more clean energy production for electricity in Mexico. Costa Rica View this post on Instagram Our professional career as international film documentarians begins in Costa Rica. Interviewing the Minister of Environment and rainforest conservation activists for our up and coming audio-video case study for our grad capstone. Feeling mucho profesh. #costarica #SIPAcapstone #ColumbiaSIPA A post shared by Julie Tumasz (@julietumasz) on Mar 10, 2018 at 9:34am PST This SIPA capstone team worked with Engage Globally and the Monteverde Conservation League. Haiti View this post on Instagram What I witnessed and experienced in Haiti the past couple of weeks is stuff I’d remember for the rest of my life. The sea of houses on the mountains of Port au Prince is quite the spectacle. Makes me cringe at the thought of what could be of the restavéks here in the city. Restavéks are children from low income households who are sent away to ‘richer’ households in the hope that they get educated and get the chance to lead a better life than their parents. Obviously, this is an institutionalized form of slavery and child trafficking in Haiti today with the locals believing 1 in 5 kids end up as restavéks in their life. All of this is the result of families in the Caribbean island falling into a poverty trap worsened by natural disasters. All the Caribbean countries, all of them and not just ones with picture perfect beaches and fancy resorts, need attention, support and most importantly, investment. #Haiti #PortAuPrince #restavek #restavekfreedom #freetheslaves

Friday, May 22, 2020

Essentials of Financial Statement Analysis - 3384 Words

Chapter 5: Essentials of Financial Statement Analysis Evaluating accounting â€Å"quality† ï  ® ï  ® How do we define financial reporting quality? Qualitative characteristics of accounting Information: ï  ± ï  ± ï  ± ï  ± ï  ± ï  ± Understandability Decision usefulness Reliability Relevance Consistency Comparability 1 Attributes of High Quality Financial Reporting ï  ® Financial reporting (earnings) quality has been considered positively associated with the following: ï  ± High persistence of earnings and cash flows ï  ± High predictive ability of earnings and cash flows ï  ± High earnings response coefficient ï  ± Low level of earnings management ï  ± More voluntarily disclosure ï  ± Strong corporate governance 2 Manipulating Income and Earnings Management ï  ® ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Cross-sectional analysis: Identify similarities and differences across companies at a single moment in time. Benchmark comparison: measures a company’s performance against some predetermined standard. 13 Getting behind the numbers: Case Study: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. ï  ® Established in 1937. Today has more than 290 doughnut stores (companyowned plus franchised) throughout the U.S. Serves more than 7.5 million doughnuts every day. Strong earnings and consistent sales growth. 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Compnay stores Sales to franchisees Royalties 31% 65% ï  ® ï  ® 4% ï  ® Revenue sources in 2002 14 Comparative Income Statements: Krispy Kreme’s Financials Systemwide sales Include sales from company owned and franchised stores. Includes a $5.733 million after-tax special charge for business dispute Includes a $9.1 million charge to settle a business dispute Sales increased from $220.2 million in 1999 to $491.5 million in 2002. Net income increased from $6 million in 1999 to $33.5 million in 2002. 15 Common Size Income Statements: Statements Krispy Kreme’s Financials: Apply the analysis tool (Common Size statement) to Income $393.7 operation expenses $491.5 sales * Not adjusted for distortions caused by â€Å"special items†. Each statement item is computed as a percentage of sales. 16 Trend Income Statements: Statement Krispy Kreme’s Financials: Apply the analysis tool (Trend statement) to IncomeShow MoreRelatedRatio and Financial Ratio Analyisis1712 Words   |  7 PagesRatio and Financial Statements Analysis Kimberly Y. Gruber University of Maryland University College Dr. Sunando Sengupta 07/25/2013 Turnitin Score: 23% Executive Summary The purpose of this paper is to examine ratio and financial statement analysis. 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Thursday, May 7, 2020

Human Resource Management in Utilities Co - Implications of Employee L Case Study

Essays on Human Resource Management in Utilities Co - Implications of Employee Lay Off, OHS Concerns as a Result of the Layoff Announcements Case Study The paper â€Å"Human Resource Management in Utilities Co - Implications of Employee Lay Off, OHS Concerns as a Result of the Layoff Announcements† is a  motivating version of a case study on human resources. This report aims at identifying the implications of the layoff announcement at the Utilities Co. by the CEO, the occupation health and safety concerns as a result of the layoff as well as how the organization dealt with the concerns. Moreover, the report will identify the equity issues as a result of the redundancies and their implications for the organization. In conclusion, the report will give recommendations on how the organizations are supposed to make the layoff decisions. Apparently, Human resource leaders are currently under amplified pressure to express outcomes from their employees’ policies and practices. Nevertheless, to ensure the productivity and efficiency of the organization, human resource managers should put into effect strategies to ensure effi cient management of people.   The report has identified such implications as reduced productivity as a result of the employee lay off, complaints from its customers and the negative effects of the media. The employees also faced stress as a result of the layoff and their morale went down. Additionally, the OHS team of the human resource department was largely affected by the announcement of the layoff and the subsequent events that took place, for instance, the customer complaints. Furthermore, the equity officer evaluated the demographic profiles of the employees who had left the utility company on voluntary redundancies. He indicated that the employees reported that they are not ready to work in a company that does not value its employees. In conclusion, the report has recommended that the company should treat their employees with respect and compassionately to be able to lighten the situation and make the situation tolerable for the organization and employees if the layoff is investable.IntroductionThis report aims at analyzing human resource management at the Utilities Company. Human resource leaders are currently under amplified pressure to express outcomes from their employees’ policies and practices (Byars and Rue, 2006). In fact, such leaders are aware of the relationship between organizational success and individuals within the organization. Furthermore, they understand that individual linked matters necessitate being at the core of the boardroom agenda (Byars and Rue, 2006). As a result, human resource managers are highly encouraged to formulate and put into action people's strategies, which support the organizational objectives and boost transparency and accountability around the management of people.In this case, the organization should understand that managing people is not an easy task. Nevertheless, to ensure the productivity and efficiency of the organization, human resource managers should put into effect strategies to ensure efficient management of people (Clark, 19 93). According to studies, maintaining human capital in an organization should not be merely perceived as simply a responsibility, rather an extremely significant skill that human resource managers should continually hone and enhance to handle the varied personalities in an organization. Research has revealed that the most significant but difficult job of a manager is managing people (Ulrich, 1998). Managers must lead, inspire, motivate, and encourage them, whilst still, they are expected to employ, fire, and assess the workforce. The efficient management of people in an organization necessitates an understanding of job design, motivation, and group influence and reward systems (Ulrich, 1998).

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Yellow Ribbon Project Free Essays

PR Assignment 1 Background Sheet: Generating Yellow Ribbon Project Campaign Awareness 1. About the Organization: Singapore Prison Services Singapore Prison Services (SPS) is a division of the Singapore Police Force that concentrates on the care and rehabilitation of prisoners who have committed social or criminal offences. The organization does not merely concentrate on housing and providing guidance for inmates while they are in remand, it is also dedicated to ensure that no repeat offences ensue. We will write a custom essay sample on Yellow Ribbon Project or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thus, a major portion of their efforts also concentrate on providing inmates with basic employment skills in hopes of preventing past criminal behaviour from surfacing upon their release into society. This indicates that the SPS provides preventive and after-care measures to maintain former prison inmates compliance with the law as much as possible. (Source: http://www. prisons. gov. sg/about_us. html) 2. About the PR Situation In 2005, SPS services realized that former inmates released into society faced social stigma in the form of negative public opinions of being ex-offenders and are often denied employment or rejected by society. Such public opinions are harmful and repressive. Seitel (1998, pp50) describes Public Opinion as the aggregate of many individual opinions on a particular issue that affects a group of people by forming consensus or popular attitudes and thoughts. The role of the PR practitioner then is to positively influence an individual’s attitude. As seen in the above definition, public opinions represent popular thoughts that can prove an inmate’s re-integration into society a daunting task. Without the means of finding acceptance or a proper means of living, many relapse back into a life of crime, a paradox that can be resolved through a public relations campaign that aims to educate and seek acceptance. As such, the Yellow Ribbon Project as a public relations campaign in a long-term program that sought to change public perceptions of ex-offenders was launched in order to deliver a second chance. In this situation, the SPS has been providing culinary training to a group of inmates in conjunction with Raffles Hotel (Singapore) that has culminated in a cooking competition. A renowned chef has been at helm in training them and he has marvelled at their ability to pick up skills in a short time. The newsworthiness of this initiative begins with prison inmates partaking in a grand cooking competition not unlike the Iron Chef series. Thus, a Media release highlighting the background of the cooking competition and a feature article in the form of a personality profile written by an SPS Public Relations Executive will be provided for the purposes of fulfilling this assignment. 3. Reasons for Using PR Communication: 3. 1 Media Release: It is deemed that to generate positive publicity and awareness of the ‘bizarre’ cooking competition in conjunction with this year’s Yellow Ribbon Project (YRP), a media release will be sent to newspaper editors in Singapore in hope that the story will be printed and generate interest and positive awareness. A media release has been described by Seitel (1998, pp175) as a document of record to state an organization’s official position or to influence a publication to write favourably about the material discussed and stimulate editors to cover a story. As readers tend to perceive news articles with more credibility, it is hoped that the use of a media release information transformed into a news article will fulfil the communicative objectives of the YRP better in terms of reach and credibility than using an advertisement or provision of information on the organization’s website. 3. Feature Article-Personality Profile: For the second communication tool, a personality profile of a former prison inmate who has found moderate success as a food hawker will be written by an SPS Public Affairs executive and published in a local Singapore Newspaper, The Straits Times special edition that covers the YRP in October. In addition, the personality profile will also be posted on the SPS we bsite for maximum coverage. A feature article has been described by Seitel (1998, pp203) as articles found in magazines or newspapers that are the opposite of hard news items, often light, humorous or enlightening. In this scenario, the feature article is utilized to disseminate less newsworthy (there is less news-worth in a story about a former convict turned cook) information in more subtle ways to break misconceptions that ex-offenders, like leopards, never change spots. The feature article is thus useful when less important information needs to be conveyed to the publics of a PR campaign that nevertheless, represents a supporting communication device in meeting campaign objectives. References: Seitel, FP, 1998, The Practice of Public Relations, 7th edn, Prentice-Hall, NY, USA. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (LOGO) INMATES SHOWCASE CULINARY TALENT AT FIRST-EVER YELLOW RIBBON COOKING COMPETITION Singapore, September 9, 2010 – Twelve inmates pit their culinary skills against one another in the Yellow Ribbon Cooking Competition held in Changi Prison Cluster A today. This milestone activity is the first in a series of Yellow Ribbon Project activities in 2007, organised by the Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders (CARE) Network. The cooking competition was jointly organised by Raffles Hotel. Chef de Cuisine Jean-Charles Dubois from the hotel’s French fine-dining restaurant Raffles Grill was one of the judges at today’s finals and was also heavily involved in preparing the inmates for the competition. This cooking competition simulates the kitchen environment and challenges faced by professional chefs. Participants were required to produce an original Western-style dish within a strict three-hour limit using predetermined ingredients and equipment. The participants showed promise and a genuine eagerness to learn, and this experience has been rewarding as I have been able to see the improvements they have been able to make,† said Chef Dubois. To prepare participants for the competition, Chef Dubois visited the institutions five times and provided video instruction to introduce the ingredients and cooking methods to the inmates. â€Å"The participation of inmates in this competition further reaffirms their determination to contribute to their families and society. We’re proud to have our inmates’ creation featured at the prestigious Raffles Hotel. Chef Dubois’ contribution to our inmates also shows that the community is willing to take the lead in helping inmates in their rehabilitation and reintegration,† said Mr. Desmond Chin, Chairman, Yellow Ribbon Project Organising Committee. Winning recipes will also be recreated at a special reunion lunch, A Tribute of Love, to be held in three days’ time for winners and their family members. Raffles Hotel will also feature the best dish on a Raffles menu, making it available to her patrons and guests. *ENDS* About Yellow Ribbon Project The Yellow Ribbon Project is a nation-wide campaign to raise the awareness of Singaporeans about the need of inmates, ex-offenders and their families for societal acceptance. For more information, please contact: Jale Byrd, Executive Public Affairs Branch, Singapore Prison Service Telephone: 6565-6565 Email: Jale_Byrd@pris. gov. sg From The Fire Into The Frying Pan By Jale Byrd The bang and clatter you hear when you step into the hawker centre at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 is undeniably a dragon’s roar. Rueburn Liang’s Chia Song Fried Kway Teow stall, which he has operated for the past 13 years, is synonymous with good food. It is also the most prolific stall at the busy food centre. The setup comes complete with a portable television and loud speakers that broadcast the latest soccer and professional wrestling matches. â€Å"Frying a good plate of Char Kway Teow is an art. I bang loudly on the edge of my wok to attract customers to my stall. The TV keeps them entertained,† booms Rueburn, as he gesticulates with his charred spatula. Loud, vociferous and a former Ang Soon Tong (a Secret Society in Singapore) enforcer, you will be inclined to agree. Rueburn is a karate expert plastered with tattoos of flaming dragons over his massive frame, which are made conspicuous with his well-greased white singlet. The missing last finger on his right hand makes the man’s dark, pockmarked face even more intimidating. But lest you get alarmed, Rueburn’s lashings are taken out on his trusty wok, where he conjures mouth-watering plates of delicious, spicy and sinful Char Kway Teow. â€Å"I had to chop off my last finger as a ‘settlement’ for leaving the society in 1987, and a $800 Ang Pow (a red packet containing money, is seen as an auspicious sign by the Chinese),† he reveals without a hint of regret. Otherwise, ‘they’ will never leave me alone. Now, those days are over. Luckily, some of those people respect me, never really give me trouble. † (A secret society member has to sever a finger to maintain his code of honour and pay an ‘exit fee’ to leave the underground organizati on without fear of repercussions) With all his dubious activities, an inevitable brush with the law saw Rueburn put behind bars for nine months. Rueburn broke the arm, skull and penis of a credit defaulter in a savage fight. The bone-breaking experience threw him into the ‘fire’ of Queenstown gaol, a humbling experience for the former gangster. I really got burnt by the prison ‘fire’. We were made to kneel and live in a mini-hell. Sipeh Chor leh (Really Tough) Outside, I was a ‘terror’, but the others were hardened criminals and I seemed like a sissy compared to them. I didn’t want to spend my life strolling in and out of jail. Sio jit pai kow liow! (Getting burnt once was enough) I decided it was good for me to leave the society and turn to a decent living. I was right,† says Rueburn with hindsight. (The criminal slang for serving time in prison is ‘tio her sio’ or getting burnt by fire) Rueburn, who only completed pr imary education, was at a loss. The only decent job he was good at was cooking. His vocation as a military cook in the Singapore Armed Forces during his national service in 1983 cemented his culinary passion and served him in good stead. At the encouragement of his then girlfriend Fion (now Mrs Liang) and some savings, he successfully bid for a hawker stall and set up Chia Song in 1988. However, he learnt to perfect his Kway Teow frying skills only much later. â€Å"Not easy to fry a good plate. True, it looks easy but I had to experiment many times before I was satisfied†¦now, I think I am getting there,† Rueburn says modestly. Getting there? It’s very good already! One of the best in Singapore! † quips Elson Boey, a retired civil servant. â€Å"There is always a long queue during lunch time. I think his secret is in the intensity of his fire. † Hard work as it seems, Chia Song is a labour of love. The couple dedicates 12 hours a day amidst unforgiving flames to create a uniquely Si ngaporean masterpiece. â€Å"The fire must always be strong and the leow (ingredients) must be fresh! Timing is also very important, as you do not want to overcook the dish. Bah You (pork lard) must be used liberally, as it gives that special taste. You only live once ah, so live it good! No need to be so healthy one. † Indeed, words of culinary and hedonistic wisdom. It is lunchtime and an almost scandalous crowd forms. A haze of smoke clouds the sizzling sound of stir-fried garlic as they simmer in a pool of aromatic lard. Chee Seng furiously stirs in his noodles and kway teow into a heated wok smoldering under a furious fire. Within moments, arrays of delicious condiments are thrown into the fray, soaking in the thick flavour. When the rich smell of caramelized sweet sauce wafts under your nostrils, Rueburn has served another satisfied customer. A stolen glance around the hawker centre reveals an assortment of harried but happy workers haphazardly sliding tantilising morsels of Fried Kway Teow down their throats. Echoing Elson’s sentiments is Rachel Tua Kang, an auditor who works nearby. â€Å"Simply fantabulous! My diets never take off, this temptation is too much! † When told, Rueburn Liang brushes off his accolades as if they were burnt garlic bits on his flaming wok, his reddened face warms up into a big grin as he takes another drag of his Marlboro cigarettes. Ying siu nia,† (they are just entertaining me) he jokingly retorts. It is closing time for the busy hawker and he takes a well-earned respite from the day’s backbreaking battle with his wok and emerges at the end of the day with a rosy complexion, no doubt made pink by the tremendous temperatures he has to endure. As Mrs. Liang cleans up the slobber knocker of a hawker stall, Rueburn takes delight in a leisurely smoke. Rightfully, he see ks solace in his daily bottle of bitter-cold ABC stout. Gleefully, he chugs down a glass of the icy brew. Ha ha, these days I only fight with my wok. My life could have turned out much worse! There is no fear of getting burnt now. † As he breaks into another cheerful smile, he bursts into a self-indulgent laughter, as if to remind himself of his good fortune. It is lunchtime again, and Rueburn busies himself over a brilliant hot wok. You might think a fire-breathing dragon was fueling the fire, as the flames turn to a ferocious blue fireball. However, the dragon is above the stove, controlling the fire. He has made the transaction of jumping from the fire into the frying pan. How to cite Yellow Ribbon Project, Essay examples

Monday, April 27, 2020

Retail Analysis of the Best Buy Essay Example

Retail Analysis of the Best Buy Paper A retail analysis of the Best Buy location in Fullerton, CA was completed on April 12, 2013. The analysis evaluated the stores appearance including fixtures, promotional materials, layout, and merchandising. Best Buy is an electronics retailer and its Fullerton store is located in a secondary business district on the cross streets of Orangethorpe Avenue and Harbor Boulevard. The Fullerton Best Buy location is the corner store in a busy shopping center. Some of the stores nearby are Factory 2 U, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Rubios Baja Fresh, and Burlington Coat Factory. Appearance The well-known Blue and Yellow colors of Best Buy can be seen from down the block, drawing the consumer to its location. The structure is on a corner lot facing the busy street and in the same vicinity as multiple shopping centers that contain a variety of retailers, restaurants and services. The shopping center of orangethorpe and harbor is an all-around convenient location for customers when needing to do errands, or any shopping in general. Parking isnt an issue as the location is on the far end corner lot from the other major retail stores, which makes it a suitable location for Best Buy customers. We will write a custom essay sample on Retail Analysis of the Best Buy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Retail Analysis of the Best Buy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Retail Analysis of the Best Buy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As you walk in through the sliding glass doors, you can visually see the full layout of the store. It has an open floor plan designed to allow accessibility to any part of the store. Overall the store uses a clean, well- organized layout, design and visual merchandising strategy. Best Buys target marketing strategy is designed to appeal to small business owners, tech savvy middle class consumers and young entertainment enthusiasts. They also generally appeal to men, seen from the all-male employees to the masculine colors used throughout the layout. The stores, layout seems to be designed for their targeted consumers by ocusing more on their broad selection of name brand products. The stores lighting, fixtures, colors and the quiet open spaced feel sets an overall consistent image inside and out. From the Best Buy logo imprinted on the front of the building to the writing on the banners, it all creates a simplistic touch. This allows customers to feel comfortable walking into Best Buy knowing the signs are easy to read and straightforward, which can be appreciated when in a retail store. The simplicity of their design inside the store completes their image by not distracting the customer rom their main selling focus. As one of the top selling leaders of consumer electronics, Best Buy highlights there main selling items by putting the consumer electronics aisles closest to the opening of the store. Designed for the ease of use for customers, they also have well trained employees that seemed friendly and willing to through the multiple products that they offer. All of these characteristics are designed to be consistent with Best Buys Brand image and in hopes to create brand loyalty for their customers. The segments being targeted are familiar with the stores ayout and ambience, which makes the consumer comfortable entering a best buy and finding what they need. The stores overall image portrays that they know they are considered the largest retailer in computers and electronics, which allows them to not strive that hard to change the perception they have already created in their customers minds. The stores strategy is to keep their layout clean, simple and focus in on the variety of products they carry. The display cases, racks, and end caps are all designed to drive you straight to the products. The calm, quiet, well lit atmosphere trangely related to the overall image of Best Buy. The only noise heard was the voice of another customer talking to an employee and music that was being played on one of their electronic items being featured. Once again, this states that the company is product driven and wants to create an environment that is consistent with attracting its target market. If best buy had different layouts that werent so structured and added special lighting for certain items they are emphasizing, than it would enhance the consumer experience and help attain the involvement of the consumer when hoosing their products. Overall, the company has been successful at creating the image of being a product focused company that takes away an ambience that allows the customer to be comfortable to shop at ease. This is portrayed, as all aspects of the store including its fixtures, promotion, layout and merchandising all compliments the specific and unique style that Best Buy has adapted as its brand image. Fixtures The fixtures at Best Buy portray the image of daylight. It keeps the consumer awake and aware of their surroundings. A shoppers first impression will be shaped at the tore entrance. The lighting should be aesthetically pleasing and complement the architecture while facilitating safe passage and creating a sense of security. Store entrance lighting should be designed to help customers visually adapt from the exterior to the interior environment. Best Buy has met these expectations to promote a pleasant shopping experience. The stores large rectangular floor plan is well lit throughout. The roof has several skylights installed to let in natural light during daytime hours. Natural light would be desirable in most retail stores but in an lectronic retail store the light becomes irritating and takes away the detailing of some of the lit displays. Hanging linear fluorescent lights makes up the majority of the stores overall lighting. The hanging lights are not strategically placed throughout the store resulting in some aisles being darker than others. The ceiling from where the lighting is hanging from is very high and has a warehouse look and feel, taking away from the high-tech electronics environment. At the end of certain aisles are light boxes that feature images of new products that Best Buy has released. The soft ighting behind these images details the featured product very well and portrays a great value in the product shown. The main center of the store features racks and shelving that are between 5 to 7 feet in height and display a wide array of Best Buys CD, Blu Ray/DVD, video game, and accessory products. Most of the shelving fixtures are a bland grey with little character and many aisles appear to be under stocked even though the shelving is generously spaced apart. The fixtures used to display the the fixtures shows little thought was put into displaying the bulk of the stores product. In the front and center of the store is a large mobile phone kiosk that features an interactive display where customers can test out phones and speak to several sales associates on hand that are managing the area. It is apparent that Best Buy finds this area very important to sales because the fixtures and displays highlight the product in a very appealing way. Promotions Best Buy relies heavily on branded signage to merchandise products. Cardboard stand-up displays, countertop units, and end caps from well-known brands such as Energizer, Phillips, Garmin, Home, and even Hello Kitty dot the walkways and aisles, ach competing for the shoppers attention. This results in a less-than-cohesive look throughout the store, and leaves smaller brands to get lost in the clutter of the generically branded aisles. Non-branded signage throughout the store is very stock- photo heavy, and generally unattractive and uncreative. Images of people using various electronics are hung blandly around the perimeter of the store, while uninspired blue directory signs are suspended overhead. It is clear that the stores visual strategy relied on taking a back seat to brand-directed merchandising displays, ut the effectiveness of each of them is limited to selling the individual brand or product, rather than maximizing visual marketing tools to sell across an entire category. Theatrical effects are present particularly in the video game section, as the store provides interactive video kiosks for a handful of popular games and gaming systems, including Super Mario Brothers, Nintendo 3DS and Wii. Screens flash with colors and characters calling shoppers closer. Headphones are plugged in and ready so testers could get the full auditory experience of the game. Some kiosks even offer paces with couches for customers to get the true living room gaming feel. A touch- screen ordering system allows customers to preorder new games and equipment before launch, and instantly order online any games that may not be available in the store. The theatrics carry over into the computer section of the store, where Apple has established its prominence with a large, black pop-up wall emblazoned with a glowing iconic Apple logo. Housed inside it is a TV monitor with an Apple-branded video showing the simplicity and innovation of Apple products. In front of the video all stands a familiar-looking light wood grain table encircled by MacBooks Just waiting to be played with. It is clear that this is the miniature Apple store-within-the- store, designed to imitate the ubiquitous Apple store with its exquisite branding. The big box layout of Best Buy stores leaves a large expanse with effectively only three walls in the space available for merchandising. The far right wall is used somewhat uncreatively to hang computer bags and backpacks and display computer monitors. The left-hand wall space, hidden behind a mass of washers and dryers, is wasted eal estate with a row of open-box discount appliances, a miscellaneous assortment of novelty electronics, and computer game gift cards hung in rows. The two bright spots of wall-based merchandising in Best Buy are in the back left corner and the back wall. The back left corner is resourcefully used to display operational car speakers and stereos, inset in rows along the wall. It is a powerful and attractive use of the corner space, allowing the customer an out-of-box, eye-level view of the various systems, easily comparable for shoppers. The most prominent wall in the space, the overing the entire breadth of the wall. It is a visually striking use of the wall that emphasized the sheer volume of choices the store offered, and that also makes it easy for customers to compare options between those choices. Suggestive selling is a sales technique where the employees ask the customers if they would like to include an additional purchase or recommend a product which might fit the clients needs. Suggestive selling is a great tool to use to increase revenues for the business. Best Buy excellently trains their sales staff to encourage shoppers to buy additional omplimentary items in addition to the original purchase. Purchasers are suggested to buy the added warranty in the high definition television area. Employees advise the buyers that the extra accessories like screen protectors and car charger are a must in the iPad and iPhone departments. Consumers are endorsed to buy cover cases in the laptop section. Suggestive selling is a strong attribute demonstrated by the Best Buy sales staff. Customers will not be disappointed when visiting Best Buy for the latest innovations. Best Buy sales staff are definitely friendly and helpful. Customers are greeted with friendly smiles by several employees at the main entrance. The store has all the current gadgets and gizmos when customers scan the view from left to right. The appearance of all the electronics can be mesmerizing for the high tech lovers. Customers can see that Best Buy has welcoming and accommodating sales staff after focusing clearly from all the alluring inventions. The store has sufficient employees in every department. Employees acknowledge customers with affectionate smiles and ask if the buyers need assistance upon entering departments. The caring gesture makes the customers feel the employees are courteous and gracious. There is a consistency with the image of the Best Buy sales staff with the image of the store. The image of the store is business casual and it does translate to the image of the sales staff. You do see a theme of ocean blue color when customers enter the store. Shoppers are greeted at the front door with employees wearing khaki pants and ocean blue collared t-shirts. Customers feel invited with this business casual look. Buyers notice the knowledgeable managers in their distinctive long sleeve shirts and ties. The dress appearance of the managers and employees give shoppers a vibe that the associates are well-trained, skillful, and professional. Layout The layout of the store is basically following the straight floor plan, in which the shelves are arranged parallel. The carpet on the floor is Best Buy blue with a beige E that supports the customers walking way through the store. The two back corners of the store are rounded with diagonal shelves that follow the beige carpet line all other shelves are arranged either horizontally or vertically. The check-out is inconspicuous and located on the front left side, hidden by a wall. Pick-up, customer service and the newly invented geek squad are also located separately in the front. Big signs hanging from the wall throughout the store make it easier for customers to find the category they are looking for. The shelves are small so an averagely large person can look over them, and everything is within reach. The aisles are wide enough to take out merchandise and have enough space to look at it in depth. A customer kiosk is located in the center of the store to assist people and chairs offer the possibility to take a break. The layout is good for people walking in the store, picking what they urchases. No exciting shopping experience is created. Overall the layout could be easily applied to a clothes store, a grocery store, or any other store, since it does not offer something distinguishingly unique promoting the sale of electronics (apart from the geek squad maybe). In addition to that the check-outs do not support the overall layout of the store, which is intended to be open and friendly. There are only two reasons for hiding the check-outs in a corner behind a shelve: The first one is you dont want your customers to be able to find it until they have picked up more erchandise, the second one is you want them to leave without merchandise. Neither helps retaining customers. A layout plan that breaks out of the traditional straight floor plan even more and offers a fun and exciting shopping experience would be much better for Best Buy. Customer Service should be located rather in the center than on the front left side. They, in fact, implemented a new layout and floor plan last year (check-outs throughout the store, geek squad, etc. ) which, the way it seems has not been implemented thoroughly in the store visited. Merchandise Best Buy utilizes various different types of fixtures to maximize space productivity. Gondolas with shelving are used thorough out the store. There are various rows of gondolas used for video games, DVDs, CDs, and etc. Several fixtures use slatwalls in order to fit shelves and hooks to display their items. Moreover, clearance items, such as DVDs, CDs, etc. , are put on round basket fixtures. By using the round basket fixtures Best Buy is left with more space on the gondolas for sale and regular price items. In addition, accessories, iTunes cards and other smaller items are placed on endcaps. Furthermore, towards the end of the store Televisions are displayed in the wall and bellow the displayed televisions shelves are used to place accessories. When displaying other electronic items such as cell phones, cameras and laptops they use display tables. There are also display tables and fixtures that display merchandise for the customer to test, but they also place items on the bottom half. In addition, in the aisle there are a few items that are displayed in cardboard double- sided gondolas. There are bigger packaged products like Televisions that are displayed by placing them on top of each other. The display tables used for the Apple products and the display Televisions increase interest in the products offered by Best Buy. Best Buy has all their merchandise separated by department and then by categories. For example, on the left side of the store the customer can find the appliance department, there the customer may find refrigerators. On the middle of the store the electronic departments are found and separated by categories. For example, on the middle left one find Music, organized by type of music, Video games also separated by the type of games (action, violent, children, etc. , DVDs, Blu Rays also separated by categories like, action, comedy, Sci-Fi, horror, etc. and electronics, such as cell phones cameras, laptops, ipods, tablets, which are separated by brands, and a separate section for apple products. Suggestions The lighting fixtures help Best Buy to increase its sales, by enhancing the customers experience. By researching the most effective light fixture location could boost Best Buys customer transactions. Highlighting some well- known products sold at Best Buy, such as laptops, would possi bly help to increase the foot traffic in that area. The urrent use of brand imaging is very stock photo related for Best Buy and may appealing to customers would greatly benefit Best Buy and make the shopping experience much more entertaining. Best Buy definitely makes customers feel pleased and refreshed upon entering the store. The intelligent sales staff knows their products and recommends accurate product purchases. Best Buy positively rewards patrons with a fabulous shopping experience for the latest designs and devices. Best Buy could build on these benefits by updating the interior of the store with newer shelving, paint, and carpet. Technology is constantly evolving and Best Buy should keep that theme going by constantly updating and improving its stores. The clutter of branded signage such as cardboard stand-up displays, countertop units and endcaps all competing for customers attention can be a bit overwhelming and generally unattractive. Reducing the amount of signage would clean up the store making the floor plan feel more open therefore putting the shopper at ease. To achieve this they could focus on different brands each month and be more effective with fewer advertisements.