Week 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Week 5 - Essay Example economies are known to tax her citizens heavily, though the French economy is also known to exhibit high spending when compared to the German economy. A considerable percentage of French industries are nationalized, while most of the major corporations in Germany are privately owned. The two economies also differ when it comes to their trends in growth, for the German economy has been registering steadfast growth over the past twenty years while the French economy has been exhibiting slow and a somewhat declining growth (Gregory et al, 2004). Both Germany and Britain are key players of international trade. Half of Britain’s GDP for example comes from both imports and exports. That notwithstanding, I presume true the fact that international trade is more important to the German economy than it is for Britain. My argument is based on the fact that Germany has overtime ben known as one of the world’s leading exporters, and has continuously maintained surplus trading with her partners (Buell, 2015). Most of Germany’s trade partners are EU members, and analysts hold the opinion that well over a fifth of the German labor market, depend on international trade. Germany majorly exports automobile, chemicals, food products and electrical equipment. At the same time, it imports raw materials and semi-finished products. The overall impact of the European Union on the German economy has been positive, as the Eurozone has made the German economy stronger and highly stable. This is majorly because Germany has registered high economic growth since the EU came into play, with its real gross domestic product standing at in excess of 37 billion Euros annually over the last twenty years (Buell, 2015). At the same time, German exports have become more competitive within the Eurozone than when the country was using its own currency; a fact that has made Germany more dependable within the Eurozone. Nonetheless, events such as frequent bailouts of poor performing economies have

The Architecture of Kyotos Nanban-ji Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Architecture of Kyotos Nanban-ji - Essay Example This paper highlights that the proliferation of Christianity started to be carried out in 1559; proselytizers sustained their plans and exertions despite the extreme distress that was brought about by oppression, and with the security assured by Nobunaga, a significant growth in the number of Christian followers cropped up. Nearly 20 years later, with backing from hundreds of its supporters and followers, the antiquated worship room was reconstructed, which was followed by a religious gathering in celebration for the achievement of the chapel. Nanban-ji is known as St. Mary's Temple.From the study it is clear that the most thought-provoking of all features of the Nanban-ji is the unorthodoxy of its architectural design. The Nanban-ji Church was built by the Europeans, particularly the Southern Barbarians, but there seems to be a more Chinese rather than a European touch on its architectural details. There is a significant resemblance of the architecture during the Momoyama period in Nanban-ji's overall design. One important feature of the Nanban-ji is the use of folding screens that are made in pairs with decorations fronting the onlookers and guests. Division is common in Nanban-ji. The substantial utilization of folding screens help set up the Church’s factions: guest hall, worship hall, main hall, kitchen, sleeping quarters, and abbot’s quarters.  Looking at Nanban-ji’s integrated architectural plan, an architectural hierarchy manifests in the arrangement and organization of buildings – apart from the Nanban-ji temple.

Strategic Management of Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Management of Technology - Essay Example Companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle to name a few, have been beset with the task of identifying suitable locations around the globe to set up infrastructures to profit on specialized workforce and competitive pricing. Look no further, for India is the destination for you. Algeiser Software Pvt. Ltd., a medium-sized software company employing 300 software engineers, is looking to improve its stakes in the international market through rigorous marketing and presentations. The strength of the Algeiser lies in its highly qualified loyal engineers, who believe that with the globalization of Indian markets to foreign investment and tie-ups, there are strong possibilities of the company going places. Many foreign companies would be participating in taking advantage of the liberalized policy by the Indian government to promote its well qualified workforce and cheap labour. The company's General Manager, Projects, Mr. Mukund Malhotra is well aware of his company's assets and is quite confident of coming up with a contingency plan to compete in this highly competitive market. The company directors are sure that with further inputs from Mr. Malhotra, and using his experience and tactical business development portfolio, Algeiser Software Pvt. Ltd. ... India is one of the fastest growing IT and telecom markets in the world today. The Indian IT market grew at over 26% in 2005, which included domestic BPO-ITeS, providing tremendous opportunities for IT and telecom vendors and service providers. Ranked as the 18th highest spender in IT in 2005, India is poised for greater growth and is expected to move up the table to 13th position in 2010. Its IT and Telecommunications markets provides trends and market dynamics for the IT and telecom industry, highlighting various products/segments driving the market like PCs, enterprise systems, storage, MFDs, IT Services, packaged software, BPO, enterprise applications, telecom services, datacom and so on. Leading hardware, software and services providers in India include, Cisco Systems, HCL, HP, IBM, Infosys, Microsoft, NIIT, Oracle, Satyam, Sun Microsystems, TCS, and Wipro (IDC, 2007). 1. Strategy Strategy plays an important part in the success of any organization. Imagine what would happen if one were to start an organisation without even considering its overall objectives and contingencies. Strategic management is the organisation of products, services, processes and systems; the elements present within the operating and wider environment of the enterprise, leading to effective growth and success. These elements require proper direction to generate an everlasting, successful, profitable, effective and innovative business system. This is the prerogative of a successful strategic business management. Algeiser Software Pvt. Ltd. faces major hurdles in the form of financial limitations, and international exposure to compete with these mega giants. With its limited financial backing, the company will have to remain content with its present market share, which is

Population Growth and Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Population Growth and Climate change - Essay Example All these happenings are consequences of human activities, which immensely increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Ever since the beginning of the industrial revolution, human activities such as burning of fossil fuels such as coal, deforestation, agricultural and industrial processes have risen (United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Policy, 1998). However, most of the greenhouse gases emanate from the burning of fossil fuels for energy. The greenhouse effect occurs when greenhouse gases behave like a blanket over the surface of the earth and trap energy. The entrapped energy causes the earth to heat up hence the reported temperature increases. Some activities that cause the emission of greenhouse gases are under the control of man and yet many more are beyond man’s jurisdiction. Numerous scientific researches reveal that human influence plays a crucial role in this quagmire (The heat is onli ne, n.d.). Therefore, it goes without saying that the magnitude of greenhouse gases emitted is proportional to the number of people inhabiting the earth. Little can be done to reduce the population of people on earth. However, a clear understanding of the effects of the population on climate change is essential in developing a feasible blueprint for the mitigation of the undesired effects of greenhouse gases emission. This paper reviews two articles that look at the relationship between population growth and changes in climate. The Relationship between N2O and CH4 Emissions from Agriculture and Population Growth The population increase and changes in the patterns of expenditure are increasing the universal requirements for agricultural products. Only developed countries are able to meet the increased demand with the escalation of agricultural extension techniques. These techniques increase the quantities of emitted greenhouse gases (GHG) such as methane and nitrous oxide. The 1997 K yoto protocol intends to set boundaries that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases especially in the developed countries (Annex 1). However, the developing countries (non-Annex 1) do not have targeted reduction levels. A report submitted in 2000 reveals that non-Annex 1 countries emit significantly higher amounts of GHG than Annex 1 countries. The rising population estimates that the GHG emissions in non-Annex 1 countries will increase tremendously because such countries heavily rely on agricultural production. Numerous studies focus on CO2 emission in relation to agricultural land use and yet N2O and CH4 absorbs 310 and 21 times more heat per unit weight than CO2 (Beek et al., 2010). This implies that agricultural growth is likely to be accompanied by high emissions of N2O and CH4. This paper uses ten non-Annex 1 countries and captures their key agricultural systems. Data revealing the production trends is obtained from FAOSTAT. Data from primary production (production of cereal) and secondary production (animal production) is expressed in terms of tonnes per year and livestock unit (LU) values. The EDGAR32 database and the national emission inventories of direct and indirect greenhouse gases provides data on N2O and CH4 emission. Statistical analysis reveals the relationship between demographic trends and emission of GHG, which is extrapolated to 2050. Agricultural production, as well as GHG emissions, increases in most countries. The study concludes that there

Self Awareness Essay Example for Free

Self Awareness Essay 1. Introduction How you access yourself in order to become more self-aware and how you reflect on your career on an ongoing basis is of utmost importance to ensure a successful personal development plan is followed continuously. In the current day and age most managers find it very difficult to set time aside for proper reflection and to spend some quality time putting development plans in place to ensure constant personal growth and development. Some of the key questions a typical manager will have to answer is how to find a balance between work, family life and personal development, or what would be the best models and tools currently available to assist him or herself to enable optimum personal growth. Another question would be how to apply these tools optimally based on your current circumstances. In this assessment I will attempt to address some of these questions, however, I do think that some of the proposals that I will put forward will have to be reviewed on an ongoing bases. This is to ensure it stays aligned with my ever evolving understanding of self-development. 2. Reflection and the way forward 2.1 Reflecting on personal development If I have to reflect back on my career it is clear that I have reached a key moment in my life about three years ago when I hit a ceiling as a subject matter expert. I also realised that I do not have sufficient management experience to make a smooth transition from a subject matter expert to a senior manager. I have reached this ceiling because I have exhausted all possible promotion options. The only way ‘forward’ for me was sidewards. The first question that came to mind was how do I change this conundrum and where do I go from here? I embarked on an MBA at Henley business school without a scientific approach in the hope that it will provide some answers. Fortunately we were exposed early on to tools and models to assist us. I used the Strategic Analysis diagram developed by Prof. Marc Day (2013) to determine which model will be the best suited for my current situation. I decided that the Force Field Analysis model developed by Lewin, K (1952) was the best fit. The reason is because I mainly need to improve my capability to become a better manager, or rather to refine my capabilities, to become a better manager. It also lies close to the Competition quadrant within a firm. This is also very applicable because of the severe competition when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder. Refer to figure 2.1 for details. The first question that now comes to mind is how do I eliminate the opposing forces in order to move from my current state to my desired state. Another question would be how can I best utilise my learning style to speed up the transition? I evaluated these opposing forces and have identified some of them that are more tangible and easier to manage. * Is an MBA the right vehicle or choice for me? I have the highest preference for the Monitor Evaluator team role according to the Belbin Team Role Report (Belbin, 2012) compiled by Henley Business School (2013). This, in short, means that I can often judge accurately, however, I sometimes lack drive. I currently have more confidence that the MBA is probably the right decision because I have the ability to judge accurately, according to Belbin, however, it will remain an open ended question that will only be answered in due time. The MBA is also a formal program. This will hopefully provide the drive I lack from time to time and the motivation I need to complete my studies. I am also Pragmatist (AE) according to Kolb (1985). Honey Mumford (2000) commented that Pragmatists like to see how learning is put into practice in the real world. This also supports my decision to join the formal Henley MBA program because all the case studies are real and theory will thus be applied into practice in real world scenarios. I therefore think that I have made the right decision to decide on an MBA as my education vehicle of choice. In doing so I have definitely weakened one of the opposing forces. * Impact on my personal life, my career and my family I realise that completing an MBA will require serious commitment and will definitely impact my family, my career and my personal life. My wife and children realise that I have reached a dead end in my career and that I will have to do something extra ordinary to change direction. They have also committed to support me from day one because they know that my despondency about my work will eventually rub off on our marriage and family life. We also realise that it is still early days and that the real challenges lie ahead. I am, therefore, convinced that this is an opposing force that I can manage down in order to weaken it. These two are also the most prominent opposing forces, so it will have a major effect on the outcome if they are managed properly. * Financial Constraints This constraint is one of the few that are not really manageable, however, I have arranged with Henley Business School to pay the tuition fees in payments. This will definitely assist me and it will also weaken the opposing force. * Networking ability My ability to network is still an ongoing constraint. I will address this developing need in the next sessions. 2.2 Reflect on recent career I used the Henley Team Working Questionnaire (2010) to reflect on my recent career in order to establish a fit (or lack thereof) between me as a manager / team leader and my role within my organization. I realize that this is not an assessment tool of my current job, but rather a tool to be used to asses my current need of learning in going forward. This has highlighted a few areas that require development. These areas might also be the reason for the misalignment/misfit between my current career expectation and my progression within my organization. I have always realized that I have areas in need of development, hence my decision to start my Henley MBA. The Henley Team Working Questionnaire has assisted me a great deal in identifying those areas. I have used the Henley Star (Henley Business School, 2011), as part of this assignment, to assist me in analysing my most important development areas. The area that has come out on top was my development need to demonstrate impact and to influence others. I currently have a lot of questions that are still unanswered. I hope to get a better understanding of exactly how to approach it and how to address them in order to ensure a successful outcome. I will spend more time on how I plan to address these questions in the next section. For now it is important that I have a starting point for my own personal development in order to improve my current fit. I have also completed chapter 5 of the textbook provided, A Manager’s Guide to Self Development (Pedler, M, Burgoyne, J Boydell, T, 2007: 27). This has also indicated that I need to develop my creativity as well as my command of the basic facts in my company. 2.3 Planning ahead The key question at this stage is how would I go about addressing these areas of development over the next twelve months? I will need to balance three main areas, my life and family, my working career as well as my time spend studying for my MBA. In addition, I will also have to constantly focus on my areas of development in order to try and approve them. Doing this should improve my management capabilities. It will also align me with the correct individuals in my current company to ensure improved opportunities in growing my career. Pedler, M, Burgoyne, J Boydell, T (2007:37) gave a list of activities to do for each area that requires development in their book A Manager’s Guide to Self Development. I have highlighted some of these activities and have drawn up a plan to do it over the next 12 months. Refer to appendix A. I will also have to make sure I spend more time in our office and with top management in order to gain access to valuable information, insights and data. This will assist in improving my impact and my influence with other people. I will also have to manage my time with my client more efficiently in order to attend all the ‘open days’ and information sessions at our company so that I can achieve my goal. I put a schedule together to ensure I manage all areas of development. I know this is premature, however, it is a start. Refer to Appendix B. I intend recording my progress as well as my learning journals in a tool called Evernote. This tool is available across all platforms and it syncs seamlessly between all my devices. This makes it an ideal tool for my requirements. Conclusion I have tried various approaches in the past to improve my managerial capabilities to move from a subject matter expert orientated environment to top management. I realise now that I will have to change my approach because I tend to favour the Monitor Evaluator team role and I am a pragmatist. The key question that still remains is exactly how? This assignment has assisted me in identifying three main areas where development is needed, namely the ability to demonstrate impact and to influence other, creativity and a command of the basic facts. I have put an activity plan together (Appendix A) to assist me improving my areas in need of development. The main issue to keep in mind is that I continuously will have to be self-aware. I will also have to reflect on each and every move I make from now on. My activity plan should also be revaluated on an ongoing basis to ensure it is still the best fit for my current needs. The finer detail is still missing. My hope is that I will be able to i mprove it by applying the models, tools and exercises available during the course of the MBA and to get more clarity in moving forward.

Study on Saint Gobain Mirrors Essay Example for Free

Study on Saint Gobain Mirrors Essay INTRODUCTION Saint-Gobain Glass is a leading Glass Manufacturer in India and manufactures a range of Reflective Glass, Solar Control Glass, Green Building Glass, Interior glass, Fire resistant glass and Advanced Glass Solutions. Their reflective glass range includes mirror glass with a maximum sheet size of 3210 x 2000mm and a thickness of 5mm. Coating on Saint-Gobain mirrors is applied with a revolutionary new process which replaces copper, the origin of corrosion in mirror, with a highly sophisticated multiple level chemical treatment. In this process, the silvered layer is applied on the glass by a chemical method also knows as the wet film method. To reinforce the adhesion of this layer, a preparatory surface treatment of the glass is done by sensitization followed by passivation. The silvered layer is then treated to endow it with anti-corrosion properties and to improve adhesion of the paints. CHARACTERISTICS OF MIRROR IN B2C Characteristics It has superb lustre, and a perfectly flat surface ( in the case of flat mirrors) which gives a distortion-free image reflection. Mirror uses high grade float glass as its base and it is manufactured under an automated process, thus giving superb quality mirror. Also, mirrors find different applications due to their ability to be moulded into concave and convex shapes apart from the usual flat surfaced mirrors. Applications 1.Cosmetic mirrors of appropriate size and designs for homes. 2.Internal use of wall surfaces, ceilings and pillars for general household usage, shops, offices and departmental stores. 3.Furniture and interior decorations. 4.In a small way, mirrors of smaller dimensions are also used by fashion  designers and tailors for dress designing. CHARACTERISTICS OF MIRROR IN B2B Characteristics Mirror manufactured under the automated process has a silver membrane which is protected by a copper plated layer, and finally sealed with an oven baked paint coating. The silver membrane is fully protected, this providing long lasting performance and durability. Applications Use of Flat Mirrors: †¢Mirrors are used in washrooms of restaurants, in bars, hotels, jewellery shops, beauty clinics, nightclubs and theatres †¢They are also used in sports and leisure centres, gymnasiums and swimming pools. Use of Concave Mirror: †¢Concave mirrors are used in vehicle headlights to focus the light from the headlight. The light is not as diffused and the driver can see better at night. †¢Concave mirrors are used to focus light for heating purposes. †¢They are used as dentists mirrors to magnify the image of patients’ teeth to facilitate the examination. †¢Used in some telescopes. Convex Mirror Uses: †¢Used in rear-view mirrors of vehicles. These mirrors make objects appear smaller than they really are. Due to this compression, these mirrors to reflect a wider image area, or field of vision. †¢Convex mirrors are often placed near ATMs to allow bank customers to see if someone is behind them. This is a security measure that helps keep ATM users safe from robbery of any cash withdrawals and helps keep ATM users identity more secure. †¢Large hospitals, stores and office buildings often use convex mirrors to allow people to see what is around a corner to help keep people from running into one another. †¢ Ceiling dome mirrors are ideal for surveillance in shops, offices and industrial environments. They allow someone to watch what is going on in a wide area and allow shopkeepers to spot thieves and vandals †¢Portable inspection mirrors can be used for security and safety purposes.  They are widely used by security firms and the military. MARKETING MIX FOR B2C MARKET A mirror is used at home in various ways like compact mirror for personal uses, in bathrooms and mostly by women for their personal styling. This is not a frequent buying in case of B2C market because replacement time is long in case if it does not break. Product This component deals with a mirror as a product for a consumer i.e. what are the different features he/she expects. In this case, it can be 1.Design of the mirror i.e. horizontal or vertical according to the use, large wall or small wall mirror, frameless or framed mirror. 2.Variety of the mirror like plastic lining, silver lining, copper lining or wooden lining along the borders. 3. Quality would be that it should be very clean and clear and showing the real image without hiding any imperfections, edges must be fine. 4. Durability i.e. must be resistant to corrosion. 5.Features would be like it must be unbreakable, come with a supporting stand in case of a home use if small size 6.Size, for example- small in case of travelling i.e. should be portable and also foldable, leaning mirrors and floor mirrors 7.Packaging, in case one is buying from a luxury cosmetic brand, then packaging comes into picture because in that case they would be expensive such that it reaches safely while transporting from one place to other. Brand, Services, Warranties and Returns does not matter much in B2C market for consumers if it is for very regular purposes but if it is for decorative purposes and for high end customers , it matters a lot. Price The price depends on the size of the mirror and whether the product is from a local i.e. not known company or it is from a branded high-end company exclusively for decorative purposes at home. A customer does not quote any price but only negotiates on the price offered by the retailer. If we talk about small mirrors used at homes or bathroom mirrors, then price is not a  concern but in case of high end mirrors like lining mirrors with silver, copper and metal etc., the price is worth negotiating because they are expensive and both the ends want the best price. There are some companies which also customize the mirror according to the individuals use i.e. shape, size, type of mirror etc. For example-a frameless wall mirror will cost between 10000/- to 20000/-, small wall mirrors vary from 4500/- to 12000/- but if expensive linings are used it increases, large wall mirrors can go from 5000/- to 90000/-. These are the list prices of the mirrors but the consumer expects some discounts on it like 10-20% and in case if a consumer is buying an expensive mirror , say of 1000000/-, then he/ she can get it on credit terms like half down-payment and rest at the time of delivery. Promotion The promotion strategies adopted are not that aggressive in terms of television commercial in the mirror market. One will hardly find any advertisements in newspaper regarding mirrors. So, advertisements are mainly done online; the price, quality and features are mentioned on the websites through which order can be placed. Another kind of promotion is done by word of mouth like if one customer is satisfied with the product which may help in building the chain of customers. The Sales force plays an important role here because a customer does know about this much when he/she enters a mirror store, the only things they look after are the shape and size of the mirror, after that the conversion of a prospect into a buyer is dependent majorly on the sales force because the inside information is little to the customer. Now comes Sales promotion, under which different scheme are introduced to increase the buying. For example it can be like- Buy two and get 20% off on the third purchase or with every mirror worth a particular price get a cleaner free etc. and public relations also matters for small as well as luxury end companies as it is what brings the customer back for repetitive purchase. Place The place component deals with channels, locations and transport of the mirror. As availability is the most important factor, it is done through channels like online buying (open a website, browse the catalogue and order  it by online payment and in that case transportation mishandling, breakage will be managed by the company) and this buying mostly happens for expensive mirrors, nearby store which includes wholesalers/retail shops for small/large household buying dealing in furniture where inspection can be done; general stores for cosmetic uses. Transportation is important, which means the time in which the delivery will be made after an order is placed. MARKETING MIX FOR B2B MARKETS Product Functionality: †¢As interior decorative glass in common areas of public and private buildings: entrance halls, landings, etc. †¢In bars, restaurants, hotels, jewellery shops, beauty clinics, nightclubs and theatres. †¢For panelling on walls or doors and on furniture and shelves. †¢As mirrors in sports and leisure centres, swimming pools. †¢Car rear-view mirrors and side mirrors. †¢In single-lens-reflex (SLR) cameras. †¢Dental mirrors. †¢Magnifying mirrors in makeup kits and compacts. †¢Searchlights, floodlights, and spotlights (used in theaters). Quality: †¢Durability: Mirrors must be resistant to corrosion, particularly in humid conditions. †¢Clarity: Clarity is an important criterion that determines the quality of a mirror, and is indicated by the sharpness of the reflection seen in it. This in turn depends on the base glass on which the mirror is made. †¢Distortion-Free: Distortion in a mirror occurs due to inconsistencies, impurities, irregularities and heterogeneity in materials used to produce the base glass. †¢Eco-friendly: Mirrors must use metals that do not pollute the environment. Packaging: Mirrors sold to businesses are made available in various dimensions of length and breadth, along with options of form (such as required degrees of convexity, concaveness). Warranty: Mirrors come with a limited period warranty of being free of black edge defects resulting from improper production for a limited period after delivery to the immediate customer. The limited warranty of the mirror product are void if: †¢Broken †¢Mishandled †¢Improperly Installed †¢Exposed to foreign materials or solutions such as but not limited to cleaning products or painted walls. Services offered: This includes cutting, polishing, bevelling, and sometimes installation also. Price Mirrors are priced on per square foot basis. These dimensions are as per the buyers requirements. Also, the pricing depends upon the quality of the mirror, its thickness, weight, and flexibility of beveling the edges. Price quotes are taken from the buyer depending on their requirement. Wholesale pricing with discounts and bulk purchase discounts are provided on an individual basis. Also there great scope for buyer negotiations as there are several competitors in the market. The company will have to ensure that the prices are competitive enough to lure the client but at the same time be high enough so as to not make losses. Therefore, since they ae not operating in a monopolistic market, price is a variable they have to be careful on. Place Availability is more prominent on the online media these days. Catalogues can be browsed and orders can be placed at the seller’s website. This form of buying is most common. Also, buyers can go and personally inspect mirrors at the manufacturers/wholesalers outlet. Promotion Advertising: It is mostly done online. The variety and quality of the seller’s offering is mentioned on the websites. Placement of orders is through online forms. Promotional strategies: Manufacturers provide e-catalogues on their websites along with the sale offers and discounts that they decide on bulk purchases. Also, catalogues are sent to prospective buyers when a seller learns of the buyers intention of procuring a bulk purchase. Servicing and warranty terms are particularly mentioned as a part of the promotional strategy of a seller, as it becomes a major decision-making criterion for the buyer. B2B OR B2C? Saint Gobain Glass, India is a subsidiary of Saint Gobain France which has been in the industry since the 1600s. This being a fairly long period of time, they have managed to carve a niche for themselves in the glass industry. Though the mirror industry is only an off-shoot of the products they basically make, i.e., glass, they rule the B2C premium segment mirror market. There are a lot of local players in the industry as well. When a middle income group customer goes to buy a mirror, he would not be much bothered about the ‘brand’ of the mirror. His concern would rather be value for money and features like no distortions of images, good glass thickness, designs and varieties. Hence, his obvious choice would be something that would last for a long time, is sturdy but at the same time, is price effective. There are very few customers who can actually afford these mirrors and who consciously want to buy ‘a Saint Gobain’ when they look for a mirror. The price factor is definitely the decider when it comes to pitching these mirrors against the locally available ones. On the other hand, entering into contracts with real estate builders, interior decorators, vehicle manufacturing companies, dental equipment manufacturing companies etc, might prove to be more profitable for them since these would be repeat buyers and also the profits would come from the selling greater quantity of mirrors rather than pricing them higher, in order to achieve the  same revenue. Though the customer buying power seems to be more, the use of supreme technology for achieving unbeatable quality would ensure that the customers stick to them and build a long – standing mutually beneficial relationship. Therefore, the team is of the opinion that B2B MARKET would be better for the Saint Gobain Mirrors.

Satisfaction And Service Quality In Uk Budget Hotels Tourism Essay

Satisfaction And Service Quality In Uk Budget Hotels Tourism Essay The outline for the research is presented here. It includes Introduction to the topic and of the company. This is followed by Literature Review. Next comes methodology of research and then Analysis and Results. These are followed by Discussion and Recommendation. Finally the Conclusion and its contents are given. The budget hotels or low-cost hotels are in great demand today. This is because currently the world is facing the worst economic recession in decades, which has reduced the ability of people to spend on non-essential products and services like holidays. Also there have been huge cuts in the travel budgets of many firms as a result of which more and more companies are using budget hotels for business travel. Another key target market for budget hotels are the backpackers who stay in either youth hostels or budget hotels. This sentiment has been echoed by the author Fiorentino (1995) stating that budget hotels especially thrive in the recessionary environment. The author has further gone to say that, the budget hotel is not only a booming short-term phenomenon, but a major strategic development in the international hospitality industry that represents the introduction of the no-frills, purpose-designed and branded product concept in hospitality. However the quality of service and the level of satisfaction in such types of accommodation has been an area of interest for academics and hotel managers for a long time. But it is especially important in the current economic scenario and presents a great opportunity to study these. Background The concept of budget hotels originated in America but it is widely used in the developed world including the UK and many successful chains of such hotels are thriving today. Prominent amongst them are Travelodge and Premier Inn. With the exponential usage of the internet in the serach and booking of accommodation there has been an explosion of websites that offer value for money or budget accommodation and this is causing strong demand for such accommodations. Aims and Objectives The aim of this study would be explore the significance of the service quality and satisfaction in the budget hotels operating in the UK. The principal aim of this research will be met by following objectives: To identify factors affecting service quality in UK budget hotels; To explore the consumers perceptions of service quality in UK budget hotels; To explore the consumers expectations for service quality in UK budget hotels; To report the gap between the perceptions and expectations for service quality in UK budget hotels; To study the factors affecting the customer satisfaction in the budget hotels Literature Review Importance of Service Quality The effectiveness and importance of the service quality according to the academics and marketing experts will be researched and written Importance of Customer Satisfaction The effectiveness and importance of the service quality according to the academics and marketing experts will be researched and written Service Quality in Hospitality Industry The quality of service is a much researched subject in the hospitality arena. According to the authors Benà ­tez, Martà ­n and Romà ¡n (2007), Hotels provide an ample range of services to customers, including lodging services, reception, meals, room service, among others. Service quality can be regarded as a composite measure of various attributes. It not only consists of tangible attributes but also intangible/subjective attributes such as safety, quietness, which are difficult to measure accurately and usually studied throughout linguistic information. Thus details and expert views on what constitutes service quality will be researched here. Measurement of service Quality SERVQUAL instrument by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry is the most popular one used in the measurement of quality of service today in the hospitality industry. This is the one which will be used here as well for the measurement of service quality Measurement of customer satisfaction The ways of measuring customer satisfaction are varied from periodic surveys to continuous ones. The best and most popular methods will be studied here. Methodology of Research To assess the service quality and customer satisfaction levels in the firm chosen a number of factors will have to be studied. Both primary and secondary data will be used to understand this. A budget hotel chain in the UK will be chosen and firstly secondary data will be gathered on that organisation to understand its marketing strategies and the overall strategic direction the firm has undertaken. Then a questionnaire will be developed for the survey that will be carried out to gather primary data on that organisation and its customers. Rationale for Research There has been tremendous increase in the number of budget accommodations in the UK and surge in demand created increase in the supply with lots of new budget hotels creeping up in the pre-recession growth years. This led the hotels to compete on prices and service quality was side-lined but the view today is changing and the hotels are feeling that there is a need to focus on the customer satisfaction and quality of service being offered in the budget hotels to gain a sustainable competitive advantage amongst the increase in the competition. However, globally the hotel sector is experiencing the decline in service quality and consumers satisfaction. Decline is perceived by the consumer, because in 1990s consumers expectations were raised to the standard that hotels couldnt sustain and exceed (Briggs, Sutherland, Drummond, 2007:1009). Similar pattern has also been noticed in relation to the budget hotels where, constant updates of tangible and intangible aspects in budged hotels resu lted to development of upper budget hotel type, with the provision of full-service three star hotel facilities (Fiorentino, 1995: 457). There has been a lot of research in the field of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hospitality sector but there is very little such research done in the budget hotel segment which is one of the fastest growing segments in the hospitality industry today. Hence this research attempts to study and evaluate the factors that affect customer satisfaction and service quality. Selection of Research Methodology Secondary data will be used to meet the research objectives. A range of academic journals and other literature will be used to understand the already published experts views and data on the subject. As author Churchill (2001) suggested the data to be collected for this research will be decided on the different aspect of the research and their importance and relevance to this study. Questionnaire Design A structured questionnaire will be designed for the purpose of this study. It will have questions relating to the customer satisfaction and service quality regarding the chosen hotel. The service quality will be based on SERVQUAL elements of Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy. The SERVQUAL is the most popular and commonly used tool for measuring the quality of service in the hospitality sector. The questionnaire will also include question on customer satisfaction. Analysis and Results The data gathered from the survey will be analysed to gain insight into the results and to find the levels of satisfaction and the quality of service offered by the company. The results will be given in both tabulated form as well. Discussion and Recommendation This chapter will discuss the results found and the insight generated by the analysis. It will then give the recommendations for managers Conclusion: This will list the findings of the study and the recommendations for the future studies as well as the limitations of this study