Paul Hindemith Sonata For Flute And Piano Film Studies Essay

Paul Hindemith Sonata For Flute And Piano Film Studies Essay J.S.Bach: Sonata in G minor, for woodwind and obbligato harpsichord. In a celebrated comment about J.S.Bach, Beethoven said he ought to be named Sea rather than Bach, due to his endless, limitless riches in tone blends and harmonies. These ethics are likewise conveyed in his woodwind sonatas, each with an exceptional melodic form and character. Bach was frequently scrutinized for being obscure and needlessly intricate, yet he had the option to demonstrate through his work that he was, and would stay, an extraordinary pioneer. The exceptional significance of his orchestral compositions, where he exhibited a profound information on the run of the mill maxims and performing strategies of each instrument, was perceived at an early age. Bach is commonly depicted as a somewhat severe character, yet that might be the aftereffect of an absence of data supplementing his character, considered unfitting for chronicled capacity. The primary utilization of the transverse woodwind in Bachs works was in Cantata no 137a, acted in 1722, in Cã ¶then for the birthday of Prince Leopold, with whom Bach kept up awesome relations. Numerous huge works, for example, the primary book of the very much tempered Clavier, cello suites and most likely a portion of the flute sonatas (they are dated somewhere in the range of 1720 and 1741), were additionally formed during the time he spent there, misusing the characteristics and expanded experience accomplished at the Weimar court. It was a period when the transverse woodwind, in fact further developed, started making strides against its opponent, the recorder, and when J.Quantz began making it broadly renowned. The flute players of that period appeared to show a specific finesse, proportionate to that, required in the flute sonatas, yet in addition in other woodwind parts of a significant number of the arrangers works, for example, the cantatas and interests. In one of Bachs life stories, distributed in 1802, by Forkel, the last expresses that the flute sonatas even in our days†¦would be heard by specialists with joy. This specific work raises a disputable issue about its paternity. Bachs authority with respect to the piece began to become addressed during the third decade of the twentieth century. Researchers communicated assurance that Bachs child, Carl Phillip Emmanuel, is the author of this sonata (the predominant accord today), however until today, no supposition has been verifiably demonstrated and no clarification has been offered regarding why a hopeful arranger like C.P.Emanuel would credit this work to his dad with no conceivable explanation. An ongoing report, by Keiichi Kubota, hypothesizes that the g minor sonata is the consequence of a cooperative work among Bach and his child (the last attributing power to his dad). The sonata is played today by the two musician and flute players, as it is accepted that the piece may have been composed at first for violin, as upheld in many distributed articles. Its structure is that of the Italian concerto, exuberant moderate energetic, which helps the audience to remember the critical impact of Vivaldi and Italian music to Bach. G.Faurà ©: Fantaisie pour woodwind et piano, operation. 79 Woodwind has consistently been related with France, a connection that is immovably based upon the specific enthusiasm of French authors and entertainers in this actually evolved instrument, particularly around the turn of the nineteenth century. Paris remained in the front line of melodic procedures at that point, and filled in as a hatchery for new authors and entertainers, who shaped the new patterns. Gabriel Faurã ©, an author, organist, piano player, choirmaster and educator, is one of the most significant French figures of the turn of the twentieth century, portrayed by Debussy as the ace of charms. He was lucky enough to be an understudy and later companion of Saint-Saã «ns, at the Ecole Niedermeyer, where he was sent, after his dad understood the extraordinary ability of his child. His style, multi-faceted and creative, kept on advancing until the arrangers passing, in 1924. Consequently, putting marks on Faurã ©s music can never be exact. His aesthetic trademark is viewed as the scaffold among Romanticism and Modernism and at the hour of his passing the second Viennese School was starting to develop. He was consistently self-basic (to the degree of disposing of a portion of his previously made work) and sought after unremitting productiveness. His symphonious and melodic imagination cleared the street for new melodic patterns and made his style an inseparable component of future instructing of amicability and creation. Faurã © formed the Fantaisie for woodwind and piano, in 1898, upon a commission from his companion and associate, P.Taffanel, who was a teacher at the Conservatoire of Paris, and to whom the piece is committed (later Faurã © would be delegated chief of the Conservatoire). This piece was to be utilized for the yearly starting tests (Concours). Faurã ©, being among the primary arrangers to be charged for the morceau de concours, admitted to Saint-Saã «ns in a letter, that this piece established a genuine test for him. He sent it to Taffanel requesting that he correct any parts that were not fitting for the flute. Faurã © fused the Andante of the Fantaisie to his coincidental music, acted in London for the Maeterlinks play, Pellã ©as et Mã ©lisande. This piece, which is committed to Taffanel, decides to investigate woodwinds maximum capacity, by stretching out to every one of the three registers, covering the entirety of the Romantic instruments go. The entertainer is required to show riches and assorted variety in his demeanor and sound, in his push to follow the unfurling tune. Perception of the piano part uncovers the noticeable quality of the instrument in Faurã ©s attitude. It is seen not just as a going with instrument, but instead as an equivalent accomplice, adding to the melodic and musical improvement of the piece. Along with the flute they utilize a broad expressional shudder, rotating staccatos with long legato expressions, as after a sicilienne-like presentation, an expanding unpredictability in the instruments parts is joined with unexpected powerful changes. Rhapsody additionally exists in an instrumental rendition. This was acknowledged later, after the author passing, by Louis Aubert, in 1957, in line with the conspicuous French flute player, Jean Pierre Rampal. Paul Hindemith sonata for woodwind and piano (1936) In Hindemiths show Mathis der Mahler, Grã ¼newald, a painter, understands that he ought to never have sold out his specialty for political activism. Hindemith however, never deceived his flexible creative character and built up a conspicuous vocation both as an entertainer and writer, showing a complex expressiveness. He sought to make another mindset in music, however not as an end in itself. The term Gebrauchsmusik (utilitarian music) alludes to his idea for music, which ought to be made to fill a need, in light of the fact that the times of creating just for making were maybe gone until the end of time. By drawing on different styles and structures he investigated all parts of creativity and intricacy. His movement was not limited distinctly to the creation of music, yet he likewise took up a powerful job as a guide which is colligated with his arrangement of basic works for youngsters and beginners. His hypothetical treatise Unterweisung im Tonsatz, sets the reason for another methodology towards amicability and melodic molding and the perspectives communicated would impact the following ages of arrangers. Hindemith lived in a time of political unrest and his progressive style couldn't have sidestepped Nazis consideration, who esteemed his music as Gã ¶bbels put it unadulterated commotion making. Despite the fact that Hindemith was guileless enough to disregard (toward the start in any event) the Nazi danger, his sonata for woodwind and piano, formed in 1936, has joined this perspective, yielding a work that implies this evil world of politics and declaring the writers conviction that a craftsman can't stay immaculate by the human enduring around him. The flute sonata was made at once out of an expanding mindfulness by Hindemith of the approaching risk and the ensuing need to escape his nation. His passionate demeanor is adumbrated in the second development which passes on an enduring its recitativo-like tune of the flute. One can't neglect to see the fine incongruity radiating from the sonatas exacting cadenced structure which disintegrates into an immature like song, anticipating the picture of a youngster mirroring a troopers walk. Hindemith, attempted to catch the vanity of human pomposity related to the torment and franticness. The flute player is required to render a wide palette of hues and feelings, from triumphant walks to distressing snapshots of misery and despairing, by reaching out to the full scope of the instrument. The piano has a liberated part in the sonata and consistently moves in a contrapuntal manner against the flute, thus here and there its favored with its top open. The limits among minor and significant harmonies and atonal parts become obscured, much as the limits among life and passing at the hour of the organization, the demise which Hindemith escaped distinctly by chance in numerous events.

Hindrance to Effective Communication Essay

New innovation, for example, advanced cells ought to be an incredible resource and an amazing guide to helping us work all the more effectively. We can react to earnest messages in a hurry, allude to valuable sites and look into speedy realities. Be that as it may, these devices, too helping us, can likewise end up being a deterrent giving data over-burden and steady interferences. We get such a significant number of messages and are presented to so much data that it tends to be difficult to distil what is really significant and what isn’t. We fill our cerebrums with mess and lose the capacity to concentrate on our needs and invest our energy reacting to unimportant messages. We think we are performing multiple tasks however we are getting less beneficial. We read each email yet don’t consistently process the data we need. Therefore, we hazard disturbing the sender by requesting that they remind us what they said or to send the email once more. All the more worryingly, we permit ourselves to be occupied from increasingly significant undertakings by the appearing direness of each email that comes in. This data over-burden doesn’t just effect the manner in which we process data ourselves however can likewise negatively affect the manner in which others see us. It is very simple to give the feeling that you are not tuning in to the next individual. It very well may be very clear even on the phone that you are diverted by your inbox instead of giving the speaker your complete consideration. In an eye to eye meeting, obviously, it is very much clear when the individual you are conversing with is diverted by their advanced mobile phone as opposed to concentrating on the substance of the gathering. In the previous quite a while, messaging and texting have become marvels that couple of us have had the option to get away. Despite the fact that generally well known with the more youthful ages, it is getting progressively basic to see individuals of any age ingested in quiet discussions on their mobile phones. The accessibility of consistent, moment correspondence causes numerous individuals to feel associated with their companions in manners they never were. Be that as it may, do these printed messages and moment reactions help or block us socially? The texting trend brought shortened forms, for example, â€Å"LOL† (Laugh Out Loud) and â€Å"BRB† (Be Right Back) into our language as normally acknowledged â€Å"words.† The more youthful ages visited joyfully in this new â€Å"language† while every other person attempted to comprehend what â€Å"BTW† (By the Way) and â€Å"IDK† (I Don’t Know) implied. This wonder spread over into messaging as kids as youthful as five got the most recent models of PDAs to speak with their loved ones. Despite the fact that everybody with a mobile phone is plainly very much associated with others, the inquiry remains in the case of taking part in such steady, condensed correspondence is an assistance or a prevention in close to home relationship abilities. Over the previous decade there has been an emotional distinction in the perspectives and correspondence styles of the more youthful ages, however what amount of this change has been intensified by the absence of eye to eye correspondence upheld by the messaging fever? Its absolutely impossible to tell for certain in the case of messaging and texting have really caused the breakdown of one-on-one, eye to eye correspondence with individuals, yet I trust it has not made a difference. Rather than utilizing PDAs as a unimportant specialized instrument, numerous youngsters see them as a need they couldn't in any way, shape or form live without. We have all observed individuals stuck to their telephones, their fingers flying over the keys as they remain in line at the store, or are stroll down the shopping center, and even startlingly enough, while they are driving. In one case, a couple of young ladies strolling together in the shopping center conceded that they were messaging one another! I have even been occupied with a discussion with somebody when they whipped out their telephone to send an instant message to another person! Is this the sort of society we are empowering by permitting youngsters to be so subject to their telephones? A general public where eye to eye correspondence everything except stops to exist instead of immaterial instant messages, in any event, when the individual you are conversing with is remaining adjacent to you? The facts may confirm that the individuals sending and accepting those instant messages are speaking with one another, yet what does it say to the individuals who are very around them? What befell the days when you could stroll through the store and complete outsiders would grin and welcome you as you passed? Have the fundamental cultural habits of years passed by vanished for good? Utilizing mobile phones to talk or content is certainly not an awful thing in itself. Nonetheless, it is my feeling that specific principles of behavior ought to be applied when utilizing them so as to keep up a deferential relationship with everybody you are in contact with. Being stuck to your phone puts off a particular sign that you are inaccessible and disconnected to everybody around you. In the event that you message a companion while conversing with another person you are telling the individual before you that the companion is a higher priority than they are. Terrible punctuation and spelling are likewise intensified by electronic correspondence. Continually utilizing contractions and parts in moment correspondence instills these negative behavior patterns into an individual. English educators have consistently attempted to energize right spelling and language structure in their understudies. Presently, with messaging and texting getting so predominant, their employments are that a lot harder. What's more, it isn't simply in the homeroom where spelling and sentence structure have fallen by the wayside. Organizations who are keen on keeping up an elevated level of polished methodology are regularly unable to discover candidates who can spell, talk, and compose appropriately. All in all, what would we be able to do to help those individuals who are dependent on their telephones recollect that there is a whole other world to life than messaging and texting? I accept that guardians should attempt to urge their youngsters to chat on the telephone for meaningful discussions, instead of messaging to and fro multiple times. Doing so will assist teenagers with growing genuine discussion aptitudes which are unrealistic in the dialect of messaging. Likewise, everybody ought to be urged to focus on the individual they are conversing with. On the off chance that you are occupied with a discussion with somebody who begins messaging some0one else, benevolently request that they complete the process of conversing with you first. On the off chance that they reject, just leave. I have utilized this technique myself adequately. Generally, if the individual thinks about you by any stretch of the imagination, they will acknowledge how discourteous their conduct is. Things being what they are, is messaging and texting an assistance or an obstacle? I trust it is both. Messaging and texting can be superb types of correspondence when executed accurately, however they can likewise be mishandled and have unfriendly impacts. Individuals of any age need to understand that balance is the key when utilizing interchange types of correspondence. By understanding when these structures are fitting and when they are not, individuals can increase important relational abilities, be bound to ingest right spelling and sentence structure standards, be progressively profitable in the business world and show up unquestionably increasingly receptive to the world all in all. Since society all in all is getting progressively subject to the moment correspondence gave by mobile phones, I accept that we should all do what we can to take part in conscious conduct ourselves and energize it in others. Phenomenal correspondence, appropriate language structure and spelling don't need to be things of ages past. With a little exertion and support we would all be able to help guarantee that these significant estimations of yesteryears are around for people in the future. Messaging is the favored technique for correspondence for youngsters. As indicated by an article by Mike Flacy, DigitalTrends, â€Å"One in ten youthful grown-ups between the ages of 18 to 24 report that they send or get in any event 200 instant messages for every day (around 6,000 messages for each month). The following age gathering, 25-multi year olds, regularly normal around 42 writings for each day and this pattern keeps on diminishing down to around 5 messages every day for the 65 and more seasoned group.† 200 instant messages for every day? Do they have the opportunity to do something else throughout everyday life? Will these youthful grown-ups get carpal passage disorder of the thumbs? Do you want to content instead of talk? As per the study, â€Å"Most individuals are excessively involved and occupied in today’s world that they scarcely get sufficient opportunity to have an expounded discussion on telephone, and thus like to convey by means of text.† I can see the appreciation for messaging, anyway I do get a kick out of the chance to hear a person’s voice. The feelings and kind of the discussion can be misconstrued all the more effectively through messaging. All things considered, you can’t hear the murmurs and chuckling while at the same time messaging. Truly, you can message little abbreviations like â€Å"LOL† and put little smiley faces in your content, however mockery and incongruity are lost in messaging. I do get a kick out of the chance to get small morning instant messages from my companions far away, and it is the manner by which I speak with my child more often than not. Be that as it may, I would need to state, my fa vored technique for correspondence is voice or Skype. With messaging assuming control over, without hands gadgets are much progressively significant. A significant number of the Smartphones have the ability of making an interpretation of voice into content to send instant messages without composing. A decent quality Bluetooth headset with commotion dropping improves this procedure much. Do you have a Bluetooth portable headset? I have a Droid X, which is somewhat lumbering to hold up to your ear to talk. I love having my Bluetooth headset to utilize, particularly for performing various tasks around the house while chatting on the telephone. What's more, obviously with an ever increasing number of states requiring without hands gadgets while driving, a great headset is basic. Do you have one? What’s your top choice? In the mean time, don’t get into any thumb wrestling challenge with anybody under 30 years old. You KNOW their thumbs are spry and solid from messaging a bazillion words for each moment.

Test Your Literary Knowledge (30 Questions In 5 Minutes) Critical Linking, June 5, 2019

Test Your Literary Knowledge (30 Questions In 5 Minutes) Critical Linking, June 5, 2019 Sponsored by Rebel by Beverly Jenkins. Can you answer these almost useless trivia questions about literature? I dont know what theyre talking about with almost useless but this is a fun quiz to take! So, you want to be a feminist? Youve come to the right place. Theres no better way to get educated, get angry, get inspired, and get impassioned than by cracking open a book. Each of the novels, memoirs, and essay collections will draw you in with quality writing and even more compelling stories. These are books that give time to the stories, lives, and truths of women. Each is worth a read, and then worth buying for all your friends to read, too. Because once youve awakened, theres no going back. Startâ€"or continueâ€"your feminist awakening with this great list of books. ?? My next book, THE FELL OF DARK, now has an official descriptionâ€"and it’s available for preorder! What happens when a lovable gay goofball ends up at the center of deadly vampire drama? Find out in January 2020 https://t.co/TScJt6omwk Caleb Roehrig (@MikalebRoehrig) May 28, 2019 Well, I need this NOW! (Cant wait for what theyll do with the cover!) Sign up to Today In Books to receive  daily news and miscellany from the world of books.

Female Sexual Arousal Disorder - 796 Words

Female Sexual Arousal Disorder Donna Lindley BEH/225 March 3, 2013 Christina Lakeman There are many different disorders that a person can have and one common disorder is female sexual arousal disorder. This is the second most common sexual dysfunction in women. (Female Sexual Arousal Disorder, 2013). There are many women who suffer from the dysfunction. Sexual arousal in women can be broken into three categories, genital arousal disorder, subjective arousal disorder, and combined arousal disorder. When a woman has a hard time getting aroused it can cause many problems in her relationship if it is not addressed properly. Some symptoms of the arousal disorder in women are the inability to become sexually excited, can’t reach†¦show more content†¦With all of the different options that are made available for women to treat their disorder of not being able to get aroused, have an orgasm, or to stay wet during intercourse there should be very few women who still cannot have sex due to the disorder. In my opinion when a woman can’t get sexually ar oused they should try all the at home remedies before resorting to medical treatment. If a simple lifestyle change of eating and exercising more frequently or using a lubricant can save a person from going through taking medication and going to other therapy sessions why not try it. If these options do not work by all means seek professional help for the issue. References http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/female-sexual-dysfunction/DS00701/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugsShow MoreRelatedFemal Arousal Disorder1373 Words   |  6 PagesFEMALE AROUSAL DISORDER In recent years more then ever women are being studied for problems with sexual disorders and dysfunction’s Sexual disorders and dysfunctions refer to difficulties individuals experience in their sexual functioning. (O’Donohue, Geer) In the past when sexual problems were studied amongst women the focus was on the orgasmic phase, with such problems as Vaginismus, Dyspareunia and Anorgasmia, rather than on the arousal phase. Even in 1970 when MastersRead MoreSexual Responce Cycle1294 Words   |  6 Pagessexually aroused are referred to as the sexual response cycle. The sexual response cycle is divided into four separate phases which include excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. These changes are similar for both men and women. According to Nevid and Rathus (2005), each phase is characterized by vasocongestion and myotonia. Vasocongestion is the swelling of the genital tissues with blood, and myotonia is the muscle tension associated with sexual arousal. Although the changes are similar, thereRead MoreThe Sexual Response Cycle in Men and Women1185 Words   |  5 PagesThe Sexual Response Cycle Men and women sexually go through a cycle. This cycle is known as the sexual response cycle. The sexual response cycle is made up of four different phases, the excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution phases. The cycle is also categorized in two ways, vasocongestion and myotonia. Vasocongestion is where swelling occurs because blood rushes to certain areas of the body such as earlobes, for women to the opening of the vaginal area, and for men around the testesRead MorePsy/210 Sexual Response Cycle1168 Words   |  5 PagesThe sexual response cycle is a Masters and Johnson’s model of sexual response which consists of four stages or phases. This model is founded on the theory that male and female sexual stimulation- their sexual response cycles- are very similar with obvious differences due to physical make up. The four phases are the excitement phase (initial phase for male and female), plateau phase, orgasmic phase, and the resolution phase. The phases fall in sequen ce from the beginning of stimulation up toward theRead MoreSexual Disorders1174 Words   |  5 Pageswould never expect things such as a sexual disorder or abnormal sexual behavior to happen to an ordinary person. Abnormal sexual behavior consist of different disorders, but in order for it to be considered a disorder it must have one of the three requirements, which are bringing harm to others, persistent or recurrent distress, or impairment in important areas of functioning. When looking more in debt at sexual disorders there are many different reasons why disorders occur, from being raped to it justRead MoreA Decrease in Sexual Fantasies in Women Decreases Desire and Arousal1499 Words   |  6 Pagesthe scholarly journal I found the disorders in sexual desire and sexual arousal in women comes from the study of the difference in sexual motivation between men and women. This disorder consists of a lack of sexual fantasies and desire for any form of sexual activity. The author was trying to show the difference in how women react to different sexual responses and what can cause lack of sexual desires. It did figure out that women show lower and less frequent sexual motivation than men. Normally, singleRead MoreSexual Dysfunction is the loss or impairment of the ordinary physical responses of sexual function.1000 Words   |  4 Pages Sexual Dysfunction is the loss or impairment of the ordinary physical responses of sexual function. Women are usually unable to reach an orgasm, which is called female sexual arousal disorder. It once was called impotence but was rejected because it was too judgmental. When men are unable to attain or uphold an erection it is called an erectile dysfunction. Desire disorders, Arousal disorders, orgasm disorders, and Pain disorders are the four categories of sexual dysfunction. It is common when youRead MoreThe Reality of the Vaginal Orgasm1226 Words   |  5 Pagesconducive sexual experiences and often amounts to se lf-blame and sexual insecurity in the female counterpart. There are many factors that contribute to producing orgasms, and because of its multifaceted nature, there are also many factors that can disrupt the production of female orgasms. In this piece I will focus on reasons that contribute to this difference in frequency between men and women, which will include: why difficulty of the female orgasm is common, one of the most common sexual disordersRead MoreSexual Response Cycle1245 Words   |  5 PagesThe Sexual Response Cycle PSY 210 August 6, 2012 The Sexual Response Cycle The sexual response cycle is a term referencing the changes that occur within the body as it is becoming aroused (Nevid Rathus, 2010). This cycle, the sexual response cycle, consists of four phases. Phase one is excitement. Phase two is plateau. Phase three is orgasm. Phase four is resolution. Even though the changes that occur in men’s and women’s bodies differ in each phase, they do have some things inRead MoreThe Importance Of The Female Egg For Reproduction1557 Words   |  7 Pages Abstract From Aristotle and Plato studying animals. To 1653 William Harvey discovering the importance of the female egg for reproduction. Anton Van Leeuwenhoek in 1678 used the microscope to identify sperm as a seed. Elizabeth Osgood Goodrich Willard came up with the term sexology and opened to the research to understand sex in a whole new level. In this paper we will learn about a couple different sexologist and how they did the research on sex. Keywords: Havelock Ellis, Kurt Freund, Richard

Essay about Informative Speech Scientists Einstein and...

Informative Speech Scientists Einstein and Heisenberg A. Introduction My Speech is about the scientists who had the main influence on our current time and have shaped our contemporary view of the world (Also called in Theology the Zeitgeist). I have chosen two of them who were in many ways just opposites. One is extremely famous and the other is almost unknown except to specialists. The most famous is of course Albert Einstein. He has significantly altered our view of the world with his Theory of Relativity. The other one is not so well known, his works are commonly are associated with Einstein instead. His name is Heisenberg. He worked mainly in Quantum Physics and was responsible for the development of the Principle of†¦show more content†¦He would just learn what interested him. He spent hours with thought experiments like how would it be to ride on a beam of light? This sounds very foolish and naturally many people at that time thought the same. But it had a concrete background in the scientific circles of the later 19th century. They had begun to measure the speed of light and that is were it all started. But to understand the issue we have to go back a bit to Issac Newtown who was revolutionary scientist and discovered the law of gravity and the basics of the laws of physics. These were not revolutionary, but revolutionary was the ability to get a mathematical grasp on it so they could calculate. Newtown made it possible to calculate the path of a bullet. Very important for the military. He made an interesting observation. When you take a ball in your hand and throw it, the ball will have a certain speed while it is moving away from you. But if you see somebody in a train throwing a ball the speed of the ball adds up to the speed of the train. This does not seem to be the case if you are yourself in the train throwing that ball. The ball moves away with the same speed as it did when you performed the same thing on the earth. The Speed of the ball is dependant on the viewpoint. Depends from where you measure it. This is a kind of Newtownian Relativity. The speed of an observed incident - like a flying ball - depends on your own speed. If you are throwing

Sexuality and Value Systems Checkpoint Free Essays

Value Systems Answer the following: Which value system or systems discussed in the text do you most relate to? Explain your answer with at least a 200 word count. After reading the text, the most important value a person could have is the ability to have Sexual knowledge and critical thinking skills. This will allow us to be ready for whatever situation we might be put into and how we must react to conquer the situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Sexuality and Value Systems Checkpoint or any similar topic only for you Order Now Everyone has different sexual value systems most of our systems have more than one preference. If I was to talk about myself, and who I am today I would say I been in a long term relationship have a child already so I know how important it is to be responsible. I am still young so I do not want any more children at the time being. That is why I and my girlfriend are safe we use protection, the type we use is birth control. Both of us are not against abortions, and we both believe if it has to be one do it. Everyone embraces a wide variety of sexual encounters and the sexual values we develop are uniquely designed for our individuality. I would say that I am more modern and open when it comes to sex. I like to experiment and try new things that can not only pleasure myself, but my sexually partner. In return I feel this allows both of us to be satisfied with one another and that is what keeps our intimate bond strong. I have never been one to Judge people who prefer to have sex after marriage I m not one of them though. I have always been about premarital sex within a relationship, but also outside of them too. I was shy growing up, so I did not have many girlfriends so my sexual encounters were mostly a one night fling. I been with my girlfriend for quite some time now In the beginning a relationship was something new to me. I never thought that my sexual values would change, and I would be as accepting and happy as I am. How to cite Sexuality and Value Systems Checkpoint, Papers

The disadvantages of Tourism free essay sample

Successfully operating a business in an ever changing world requires vision on the part of the entrepreneur; this means being able to predict future trends and prepare the company for forecasted changes in the economic system. In truth, commanding a country is no different than that of a business as it too should be able to adapt to global changes in the economy. Machiavelli, the esteemed Italian writer once said, â€Å"The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not. † It is fact that the survival and success of anything, whether it is a species, company, business or country, in a constantly evolving world is contingent on the ability to adapt to universal changes. However, in that respect, The Bahamas has failed to adjust to change in economic conditions on a global scale due to its great reliance on an antiquated tourism model. We will write a custom essay sample on The disadvantages of Tourism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Over five decades ago The Bahamas adopted a model of tourism proposed by Sir Stafford Sands, the former finance minister of The Bahamas, and has religiously subscribed to it with minimum modifications to date. As a result of its reliance on an outdated model, the Bahamas’ economy has become more and more unstable. Moreover, chatter in the global market has pointed to diversification as the solution to the nation’s problem. As this may be the case, many Bahamians are fearful of change because tourism has been The Bahamas’ bread and butter since time immemorial. But should the blame be placed on the Bahamian people’s dread, the vulnerability of the Tourism industry or the get-money-quick schemes of the Ministry of Tourism? While the blame can be shared equally amongst the three, the problem lies with over-dependence on one industry that is susceptible to a variety of factors. According to the Barcelona Field Studies Centre (2014), a diversified economy displays health. Moreover, sole economic dependence on one industry can lead to social consequences if the industry fails (Barcelona Field Studies Centre, 2014). The Barcelona Field Studies Centre (2014) continued to assert that, â€Å"Overdependence on one or two industries is also often accompanied by underdevelopment within other sectors of the economy such as education, health, and the manufacturing and agricultural industries. † Although it may be true that tourism is still beneficial to The Bahamas, a closer examination of this industry will reveal that it is also crippling The Bahamas’ progression as an archipelago. In likeness of these views, The Bahamas should diversify its economy for it is unwise to solely depend on the Tourism industry, which is vulnerable to external forces and unreliable because of its dependency on foreign investment. It is time that Bahamians take charge of the nation and explore alternative industries that promote self-sufficiency, as it will lessen the risk of exposure to the ill effects of a decline in tourism. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2014), the Tourism industry, coupled with the construction of hotels, resorts, residences, and roads as well as manufacturing aimed at the continued development of tourism, accounts for an estimated 60% of gross domestic product (GDP) and in one way or another employs approximately 50% of the Bahamian labor force. This depicts how heavily reliant The Bahamas is on tourism in terms of jobs and revenue, and also conveys the fact that tourism can essentially be seen as the only productive industry in The Bahamas. The money, jobs and prestige tourism generates has given Bahamians a false sense of security, but growth of the industry has slowed down considerably in spite of tourism’s significant contributions to the Bahamian economy. Chiefly, The Sir Stafford Sands model, often referred to as a two sector economy, places the Bahamian economy in the high risk category because it relies on two sectors, tourism and banking, where tourism is the primary source of income (Agenor Montiel, 1999). The problem lies with the vulnerability of the Tourism industry, which is susceptible to a variety of global external forces. The Bahamas, like many other Caribbean nations, has characteristics which classify it as a developing nation. J. Kevin Higgins (1994) reveals one such characteristic is the economy’s ability to be either negatively or positively impacted by forces in the global market (as cited in Saunders, 2007). This trait is undeniably detrimental when combined with The Bahamas’ dependency on the Tourism industry because tourism is primarily concerned with attracting international guests interested in the â€Å"Bahamas experience†. Furthermore, whenever there is a catastrophe or unforeseen event in the global market, tourism is usually the first industry declining with the most impact, because traveling abroad is considered a leisure activity and not a necessity. Hence, the less people travel, the greater the impact is on The Bahamas’ economy. On that same token, in accordance with Shigetomi et al. (2007), â€Å"Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80 percent of the visitors. † Considering the September 11th attacks on the United States of America, which caused a slowdown in the US economy, the Bahamian economy suffered a great deal as a result of the tourist-resource freeze (Shigetomi et al. , 2007). The Bahamas lost an estimated $200 million in tourism revenue because of the attacks on September 11th coupled with the effects that stemmed from hurricanes (Strachan, 2002). In essence, if there is not an influx of tourists entering the country, no revenue would be made from the industry of tourism. This example alone shows just how unstable the Tourism industry is, and it illustrates that the Bahamas would face grave danger economically if it continues to rely heavily on tourism. Another depiction of this would be the American recession of 2007, which single handedly crippled the tourism industry leaving in its wake over 1,000 jobless Bahamians and numerous hotels suffering from low occupancy rates (Nicolls, 2010). Additionally, a more recent external force that has negatively impacted tourism in The Bahamas is the United States’ warning against traveling to the Bahamas in the midst of a dengue fever pandemic as well as the increase in the crime rate. As recently as 2012, hurricane Sandy disrupted the peak of the Tourism industry, cutting tourism activity by â€Å"some 45-50 percent† (McKenzie, 2012). The uncertainty of the weather, especially in The Bahamas in which hurricanes occur during the summer and fall months, plays a major role in whether or not the Tourism industry generates the necessary income required for that economic year. Fraser (2001) asserted that the impact of these external forces would lead to fewer stopover visitors, reduced hotel occupancy and power room revenues. There is also the risk of 75% reduction in employment and deterioration of business profits and incomes in hotel and related sectors (Fraser, 2001). To boot, there would be a significant decline in government revenue, which will induce a need to spend more money in the promotion of tourism in order to counteract these negative effects (Fraser, 2001). Nevertheless, there will be arguments which will claim that when the country needed revenue, tourism was the only legal and legitimate source in which The Bahamas could rely on, but that argument will never negate the fact tourism is indeed vulnerable. However, the â€Å"skittish-ness† of the Tourism industry is absolutely unacceptable in the 21st century Bahamian economy. The Bahamas cannot continue to foolishly allocate resources such as money, manpower and time to an industry that deeply relies on global interactions for survival and could collapse because of murmurs in the market. Therefore, Bahamians must dispense with the archaic notion that tourism is protected from externalities, and move to minimize the emphasis placed on the industry by actively diversifying the Bahamian economy. Another economic issue that stems from tourism is the fact that most seasonal jobs are created in the industry, which offers little room for advancement. This can lead to a cycle in poverty, where skilled workers can be found in short supply compared to the number of unskilled workers. Even though over the years The Bahamas has benefited considerably from tourism, which has given way to large-scale real property investments and to a great extent provided most the country’s high-end salaried jobs, if the industry starts to decline, by direct proportion, the unemployment rate will increase (Fraser, 2001). As tourism is the major employer in The Bahamas, indirectly and directly employing persons in the hotel sector and other divisions that are tourism-driven (such as construction, retail and restaurants), one can only imagine the number of persons who will be without jobs if the industry collapses. Moreover, a high percentage of the unemployed will more than likely consist of unskilled workers, and this would perpetuate a weak economic system if these unskilled workers cannot find jobs. Due to the fact that the Tourism industry is seasonal, one can assume that persons who work in tourism sectors do not have a stable income all year long. As stated by the General Secretariat for Development Planning in Qatar (GSDP 2011: 10), â€Å"A more diversified economy is inherently more stable, more capable of creating jobs and opportunities for the next generation and less vulnerable to the boom and bust cycles of oil and natural gas prices. † Zappino (2005) asserted that the majority of the developing countries in the early 1970s supported the idea of tourism as it was an immediate source of income and development. There was also the premise that tourism would provide jobs for unskilled workers, and also become a resource for possible investors who would assist in developing their economies (Zappino, 2005). (Fraser, 2001) proclaimed that, â€Å"A general consensus among residents was the â€Å"economic† and â€Å"financial† gains hotels and tourism have brought to the nation. † Bahamians would be persuaded into believing this wonderful fairytale that describes how the Tourism industry, as fairy god-mother, has employed a large number of disadvantaged Bahamians, but what is to be said of the seasonal workers or those who were laid off due to a slow period in the industry? According to Ms. Arthurita Butler, General Manager of Comfort Suites, the hotel â€Å"waited until the last possible moment to [lay off workers], hoping for an upturn in business, which unfortunately has not occurred† (P. I. Layoffs, 2009). In the words of Todd (2013), â€Å"What is 60 seconds worth? For the Ministry of Tourism, the price is almost $200,000. † In the 2013 Super Bowl commercial lineup, the advertisement that was created to lure tourists to the Bahamas’ sandy shores and clear blue waters included superstars Rick Fox, Shakara Ledard and David Copperfield. The Minister of Tourism reported that the Government would â€Å"spend $15 million on its 2013 advertising,† he also went on to say that, â€Å"It will be one of the most expensive campaign efforts in the country’s history; The Bahamas is trying to attract around 400,000 additional airlift arrivals by the time the $3. 5 billion Baha Mar mega resort opens in December 2014† (Todd, 2013). In the article, Student Union ‘Not Satisfied’ After Meeting with Minister, it was stated that the College of The Bahamas had been asked to cut around $2. 5 million from its budget in 2013, while other ministries were expected to cut 10 percent from their 2013 budget and 25 percent in their 2014 budget (Brown, 2013). It is evident that the present Government believes that the Tourism industry will be the â€Å"saving grace† of the Bahamian economy, and is willing to invest millions of dollars in â€Å"tithes† to ensure that the god of tourism sheweth favor on the industry. While investing millions of dollars into tourism, the other ministries, such as education, are at risk of becoming underdeveloped as hypothesized by The Barcelona Field Studies Centre (2014). In The Bahamas, agriculture has not made a significant contribution to the gross national product in decades, and it is apparent that the need for food security is at the forefront for government officials in the Agriculture industry. Yet, the Government has not made extreme efforts to promote the development of the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries as it has done for the Ministry of Tourism. The country’s policies are all reliant on tourism, and if an external negative force impacts the industry, all of the money, time and man power that was pumped into tourism would be a waste and the economy would have much to fall back on. The Bahamas has already established itself as a tourist destination, but without a diversification policy, The Bahamas is placing too heavy reliance on one industry. The continued reliance already has The Bahamas faced with the realities of dependent independence, which, according to Cabinet Minister Darrell Rolle (2013), â€Å"is where you are politically independent, but not economically sustainable on your own as a people or as a nation. † It is abundantly clear that change is needed as tourism can no longer sustain The Bahamas; consequently, Bahamians must begin exploring alternative industries. For example, the exporting of aragonite (sand) can generate billions of dollars for the Bahamian economy, provide job stimulus and satisfy the country’s need for diversification. Similarly, agriculture also encourages self-sufficiency and supports The Bahamas’ need for diversification. If Bahamians begin production of essential foods like ground provisions and fruits, it will reduce reliance on imported American goods and foster more food security (BAIC Builds, 2010). This can’t be achieved if Bahamians continue to ignore change and labor under an outdated tourism model. Bahamians must strive for independence and self-sufficiency; for they are once again on the brink of a new era within the economy. The time has come for The Bahamas to break the mold of the stereotypical Caribbean nation that relies on one industry for survival, and diversify its economy!

Definition and Examples of Bad News Messages

Definition and Examples of Bad News Messages In business writing, a bad-news message is a letter, memo, or email that conveys negative or unpleasant information- information that is likely to disappoint, upset, or even anger a reader. It is also called an  indirect message or a negative message. Bad-news messages include rejections (in response to job applications, promotion requests, and the like), negative evaluations, and announcements of policy changes that dont benefit the reader. A bad-news message conventionally begins with a neutral or positive buffer statement before introducing the negative or unpleasant information. This approach is called the indirect plan. Examples and Observations It is much, much worse to receive bad news through the written word than by somebody simply telling you, and I’m sure you understand why. When somebody simply tells you bad news, you hear it once, and that’s the end of it. But when bad news is written down, whether in a letter or a newspaper or on your arm in felt tip pen, each time you read it, you feel as if you are receiving the bad news again and again. (Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Cant Avoid. HarperCollins, 2007) Sample: Rejection of a Grant Application On behalf of the members of the Research Scholarship Committee, thank you for submitting an application for this years Research Scholarship grants competition. I’m sorry to report that your grant proposal was among those that were not approved for funding in the spring. With the reduction in grant funds caused by budget cuts and the record number of applications, I’m afraid that many worthwhile proposals could not be supported. Although you did not receive a grant this year, I trust that you will continue to pursue both internal and external funding opportunities. Introductory Paragraph The introductory paragraph in the bad-news message should accomplish the following objectives: (1) provide a buffer to cushion the bad news that will follow, (2) let the receiver know what the message is about without stating the obvious, and (3) serve as a transition into the discussion of reasons without revealing the bad news or leading the receiver to expect good news. If these objectives can be accomplished in one sentence, that sentence can be the first paragraph. (Carol M. Lehman and Debbie D Dufrene, Business Communication, 15th ed. Thomson, 2008) Body Paragraph(s) Deliver the bad news in the body of the message. State it clearly and concisely, and explain the reasons briefly and unemotionally. Avoid apologies; they weaken your explanation or position. Try to embed the bad news in a supporting, not the topical, sentence of a paragraph. Furthermore, try to embed it in a subordinate clause of a sentence. The purpose is not to conceal the bad news, but to soften its impact. (Stuart Carl Smith and Philip K. Piele, School Leadership: Handbook for Excellence in Student Learning. Corwin Press, 2006) Closing The closing of a message containing negative news should be courteous and helpful. The purpose of the closing is to maintain or rebuild goodwill. ... The closing should have a sincere tone. Avoid overused closings such as If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to call. ... Offer the receiver another option. ... Presenting another option shifts the emphasis from the negative news to a positive solution. (Thomas L. Means, Business Communications, 2nd ed. South-Western Educational, 2009)

Calculate Energy Required to Turn Ice Into Steam

Calculate Energy Required to Turn Ice Into Steam This worked example problem demonstrates how to calculate the energy required to raise the temperature of a sample that includes changes in phase. This problem finds the energy required to turn cold ice into hot steam. Ice to Steam Energy Problem What is the heat in Joules required to convert 25 grams of -10  °C ice into 150  °C steam?Useful information:heat of fusion of water 334 J/gheat of vaporization of water 2257 J/gspecific heat of ice 2.09 J/g ·Ã‚ °Cspecific heat of water 4.18 J/g ·Ã‚ °Cspecific heat of steam 2.09 J/g ·Ã‚ °CSolution:The total energy required is the sum of the energy to heat the -10  °C ice to 0  °C ice, melting the 0  °C ice into 0  °C water, heating the water to 100  °C, converting 100  °C water to 100  °C steam and heating the steam to 150  °C. To get the final value, first calculate the individual energy values and then add them up.Step 1: Heat required to raise the temperature of ice from -10  °C to 0  °C Use the formulaq mcΔTwhereq heat energym massc specific heatΔT change in temperatureq (25 g)x(2.09 J/g ·Ã‚ °C)[(0  °C - -10  °C)]q (25 g)x(2.09 J/g ·Ã‚ °C)x(10  °C)q 522.5 JHeat required to raise the temperature of ice from -10  °C to 0  °C 522.5 JStep 2: Heat required to convert 0  °C ice to 0  °C waterUse the formula for heat:q m ·ÃŽâ€Hfwhereq heat energym massΔHf heat of fusionq (25 g)x(334 J/g)q 8350 JHeat required to convert 0  °C ice to 0  °C water 8350 JStep 3: Heat required to raise the temperature of 0  °C water to 100  °C waterq mcΔTq (25 g)x(4.18 J/g ·Ã‚ °C)[(100  °C - 0  °C)]q (25 g)x(4.18 J/g ·Ã‚ °C)x(100  °C)q 10450 JHeat required to raise the temperature of 0  °C water to 100  °C water 10450 JStep 4: Heat required to convert 100  °C water to 100  °C steamq m ·ÃŽâ€Hvwhereq heat energym massΔHv heat of vaporizationq (25 g)x(2257 J/g)q 56425 JHeat required to convert 100  °C water to 100  °C steam 56425Step 5: Heat required to convert 100  °C steam to 150  °C steamq mcΔTq (25 g)x(2.09 J/g ·Ã‚ °C)[(150  °C - 100  °C)]q (25 g)x(2.09 J/g ·Ã‚ °C)x(50  °C)q 2612.5 JHeat required to convert 100  °C steam to 150  °C steam 2612.5Step 6: Find total heat energyHeatTotal HeatStep 1 HeatStep 2 HeatStep 3 HeatStep 4 HeatStep 5HeatTotal 522.5 J 8350 J 10450 J 56425 J 2612.5 JHeatTotal 78360 JAnswer:The heat required to convert 25 grams of -10  °C ice into 150  °C steam is 78360 J or 78.36 kJ.

COMPARATIVE TEXUAL ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

COMPARATIVE TEXUAL ANALYSIS - Essay Example This paper compares and contrasts Mother Tongue by Amy Tan and The Misery of Silence by Maxine Kingston in terms of techniques and the use of stylistic devices that include repetition, humor, personification, irony, back shadowing, storytelling, description, metaphors, setting and objectification. Amy Tan has used many rhetorical devices to emphasize the main theme of her story, which are cultural differences. First she uses repetition and this can be seen where she says, â€Å"And I use them all- all the Englishes I grew up with†¦Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use" (Tan 78). This emphasizes the point that the English used by her mother and the English used by the locals are different ones. This shows the cultural differences between immigrants and the locals. Direct speech, sincere tone, The other rhetorical device is personification. This is clearly seen in the phrase, â€Å"the intersection of memory upon imagination† (Tan 79). This again emphasizes the different English she speaks, one that is native and the other broken, as used by her mother. Amy Tan also uses anecdotes, such as â€Å"At this point in the story† (from paragraph five and on) (Tan 77). This is used to pull the attention of the reader and maintain it as she explains the difference of the effects of the languages she is exposed to. Both Mother Tongue by Amy Tan and The Misery of Silence by Maxine Kingston have used humor that comes through language. In Mother Tongue, Amy Tan’s mother speaks in broken English because she does not understand the whole English language because she is an immigrant. Tan’s mother speaks freely because she thinks that her English is good. However, when she realizes that her English is not good she lets her daughter do the talking on the phone instead of her. This is humorous. The Misery of Silence presents Maxine’s difficulty in speaking English when she moved to America. In the first three years in America, she did not speak at all. The humor is clearly brought out when Maxine and her sister recited the lesson in front of the class. They recited as if they wanted to cry but went on until they finished the recitation (Kingston 209). Maxine Kingston also uses several rhetorical devices. First, Kingston has used back shadowing. For example, this is seen where she starts the narration and she says, â€Å"When I went to kindergarten and had to speak English for the first time, I became silent† (Kingston 208). This helps her to narrate her story and help the reader understand the experiences she encountered when she was a child. The back-shadowing helps the audience identify with the experiences that she passed through. Maxine also uses objectification where she says, â€Å"My silence was thickest - total - during the three years that I covered my school paintings with black paint† (Kingston 209). She objectifies the silence to make the audience feel the stren gth that the silence had and its extent. Maxine also uses direct speech in the story. This is seen where she includes her father’s response to the pictures, by saying, â€Å"The parents and teachers of criminals were executed†, said my father. This shows the extent to which she was problematic both to teachers and to parents. Maxine has also used a simile where she says, â€Å"was a tie-tac-toe mark, like barbed wire, on the map† (Kingston 209). This is meant to emphasize the fact that the Japanese kids were arrogant. In mother tongue, Amy Tan

Wells Fargo (Undecided Topic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wells Fargo (Undecided Topic) - Essay Example The impact of diversity on the company’s productivity and performance would be a key area of discussion which would enable to ascertain the significance of diversity for Well Fargo Bank. Wells Fargo has adopted the principle of diversity as well as inclusion, so that employees are facilitated with the opportunity of fair treatment and equal employment opportunity. The bank with the assistance of diversity as well as inclusion has been able to enhance business performances. Additionally, diversity and inclusion has assisted the bank in performing business operations with better competitiveness and competencies. Diversity practices have also aided the bank in building a better competitive position domestically and internationally. It can be understood why diversity and inclusion is directly associated with organizational performances. Wells Fargo is a United States based bank that also provides financial services and operates on a global context. The bank is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The bank is identified as one of the largest banks in the US with regard to market capitalization as well as assets. The bank operates in 36 countries with over 265,000 employees. The main objective of the bank is to meet the financial requirements of customers, so that they are able to succeed financially. The bank provides various services which include insurance, mortgage, commercial finance, banking, consumer finance and investments. The customers are offered with different services that include online banking, ATMs and mobile banking. The bank is renowned for its outstanding customer service, innovation, as well as quality and diversity. The bank supports homeowners, small businesses and real estate industry among others (1Wells Fargo, 2014). Wells Fargo performs operations with the intention of accomplishing its vision of meeting the financial needs of customers in an effective manner. The bank has

Strategic analysis of Marks and Spencer

Strategic analysis of Marks and Spencer Marks Spencer is one the UKs leading retailers, having 600 stores in home country and more than 200 stores across the globe. Michael Marks started the penny bazaar stall at Leeds in 1884. After Michael Marks Simon Marks became a chairman of MS in 1926 to 1964. MS is well known for its quality and styles (Hawkesby, 2008). MS Analysis Value for money:- In 1884 when Michael Mark started a business, he did not have a good command on English language so he had a sign on his stall: Dont ask the price- Its just a penny. In 2009 MS chairman Sir Stuart Rose launched three days return of penny bazaar. During these three days 20 selected items were sold at 1p at 300 MS branches (Sibbles Carter, 2009). The main point is can that slogan work in todays competitive market? It cannot work in todays market. MS is one of the UKs largest retailers. It sells various items in its stores. The cost of production of these goods is not same so they cannot sell their goods on same price like Michael Marks was selling in 1884. Even if they diversify the profit earn from the other good to the other goods, which will not help them to achieve break even sales. For example profit on milk cannot set up the loss on selling of bread. Now a day all rivals of MS are trying to achieve lowest production cost. All are trying to put more value for money for their prod uct by obtaining maximum benefit with the less use of resources. Value for money does not mean reduce spending but it can be achieved in diverse ways with: Reduce cost Reduce inputs Get more improvement in product quality Increase output with less input of raw material Marks Spencer is to position itself as a value for money brand, and admits it has too expensive. Prices will come down as it encourages suppliers to source more products abroad. In todays tough competition MS is trying to put more and more value of money in their products. To reduce cost of goods, they suggest their supplier to import goods form the other countries. They have improved their inventories and logistics. Resources and core competences: Physical resources: Each organisation has same resources as its competitors have but the way it manages use their resources differentiate from others. For example MS is having the same store sites in UK as Tesco, Sainsburys and ASDA have. MS is having following physical resources: Value for money product: By the use of appropriate resources MS has got the good value for its products. Today they have their own brands which are very popular in todays competitive market. They are continuous trying to develop their products that will help them to survive in the retail industry. However most of their suppliers are UK based so they are still facing product cost problems. Own brands products: MS is using their own brand name for each and every product. They have achieved good quality standards. They are the first retail chain which sells their own brands. They do not world famous brands in their stores like Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Cadbury etc. Despite of selling own brands they have maintain their quality standards. However it is quite difficult for some loyal customers of MS to buy other popular brands in MS stores. They have to go to other retailers for purchase other than MS brands. This is quite unrealistic in todays cut throat competition; it results many of MS loyal customers switch over to its rivals such as Tesco and Sainsburys. Store sites and store displays: As we know Marks Spencer has established long time ago, they have found that many of their stores are too small. They have planned to expand their store area by converting their stock rooms into floor area. That brings new logistic problem. They have found new solution as a satellite stores. They have started to distribute stocks to small braches from the main branch. However they have long range of food products it is very difficult to manage these perishable food items without stockrooms. Core competences: Core competences mean some factors which differentiate a product or a brand from others. As we know Marks Spencer has long range of products produced under its brand name. The quality of product is better than the other brands. They always try to provide more value of money to its customer. Strategic vision and organisation culture:- Increases the markets share in UK with own product and with own unbeatable quality standards is the main vision of Marks Spencer. It had much more autocratic organisation structure. However it has been changed with the time change. Now the organisation structure has been transfer to flatter organisation structure. The member of staff can take quick decisions when its required and it provides more accountability (The times). SWOT of Marks Spencer:- Strengths: MS is using its own brand name with the wide product range. St Michel brand is very popular, used for cloths and food product. It has competitive prices advantages, it has increase overseas important. It has expanded its business not only in UK but all over the world. With their own brand name they booked pre tax profit of  £1bn in 1988 (Hawkesby, 2008). It has very favourable location on high street which attracts more and more customers. It has some particular group of loyal customers. MS has strong work force and skilled staff. New changes by new chief executive Roger Holmes brings new opportunities in retail business. Tighter staffing level increase operational funds. Weakness:- In todays cut throat competition, MS is struggling with the high cost of production. Its focusing on particular class of society which narrows the scope of number of customers. Weak logistic reduce the availability of goods and products. Reduce the number of staff results poor customer service. Depends on local supplier results high cost of production. Tough competition in food market such as Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda enter in fast and frozen food market. In 2008 its over all sales were 6.2% down and even though inflation in grocery products its food sales were down by 4.5% (Finch, 2008). Opportunity:- MS can diversify their business like other retailers have done e.g. Tesco mobile, Tesco finance, Sainsbury finance etc. With diversification Marks Spencer can expand their area of business and they can transfer the profit earn by different sectors. MS can increase the number of products with its famous brand name St. Michel. MS can go for the franchisee to increase their number of customers and it will help them to increase the share of in market. Threats:- MS has started to sell other brands in their stores which may reduce the popularity of their own brands. If MS will try to diversify their business it may creates shortage of funds. MS has closed down many of their stores due to raise the funds which may cause the negative effect on their share prices. Due to closing down some stores, it will lose market share. PESTEL of Marks Spencer :- Political:- Marks Spencer has been operated in more than 40 countries. It is highly influenced by the political changes in these countries, e.g. if the government of UK changes immigration law than it may be affect MS migrant staff. Now a day the governments inspires retailers to offer mix job of flexible, lower paid and locally based jobs to highly skilled, higher paid and centrally located jobs (Balchin, 1994). Economical:- UK economy is developed economy, per capita income is more than the other developing countries. It is favourable factor for MS. however the cost of production is also high in UK that is unfavourable factor. It reduces the margin of profit of the company. Social:- The population of UK is growing slow and the number of working women is increasing it boost sales of MS food products. UK is the fashion hub that means there is a great opportunity of branded and stylist clothes. Technological:- Online shopping is taking place of store chopping which can reduce the investment cost in new stores. Self-checkout tills are available to reduce queue time. Environmental:- Now a day more and more retail stores are using recycled bags and packing materials which cost is very less and they are getting cost benefit from. The environmental laws are also very strict in UK. Legal: UKs labour law is very strict rather than other countries. It strictly follows human right laws in which employees can be protected from the employer. Question 2- MS before 1990 Success of MS strategy:- Simon Marks put MS on the new level of growth. During his leadership many strategic changes has been made such as diversification. They have product rages not only in food products but also in clothing, groceries etc. He introduced todays popular St. Michael brand name. It differed the MS from its competitors. The expansion program had been taken placed which expand store area. However with this expansion several problems occurred like logistic problem. They were expanding their business at international level. Porter 5 forces:- Threat of new entrants:- The UK food market is dominated by very less competitors like Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Marks Spencer. Out of these companies Tesco is having monopoly in UK retail industry. The entry barriers in food industry are very tough in UK because of health and safety law. However in clothing industry, there are so many competitors in UK like NEXT, River Island etc. MS are the only one who does food and branded clothing together. Bargaining power of suppliers:- It should be noted that MS is relying on very few UK based suppliers which increases suppliers bargaining power which results high cost of products for MS. therefore MS is planning to source products from abroad at cheaper rate. Asda is having huge bargaining power with its supplier because it imports goods form overseas. Bargaining power of customers:- In UK food and clothing industry the customers are having nice bargaining power. In UK customers believes in bulk shopping. If they find some products very cheaper in one store they will but other products from same store. MS is having monopoly in its food quality and its clothes are very fashionable and trendy clothes which are customers favourite. Other super markets are expanding their business in banking, pharmacies etc. e.g. Tesco finance and Tesco mobile. That will increase customers bargaining power. Threat of substitutes:- Today competition is very tough in both food and cloth markets. MS is having its own St. Michael brand for cloths, in fashion industry fashion cannot sustain it changes when time changes. MS is having threat from its competitors in cloth industry. MS have to change their designs according to current fashion demand. Rivalry:- Rivalry increases if the number of firms increases. In UK there are very few super market chains existing. They all compete for the market share, the rapid food industry growth increases rivalry. On the other side food is a perishable good which increases the rivalry. MS, Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys all are trying their best to sell food products. On the other side in cloth marker MS have to face both super market competition and individual brands competition. Question 3- MS After 1990 Weak Strategy:- Despite of serving good quality of product, MS is losing its market share in retail industry. They have taken its eye off from the customers, it means they believe that if your image and reputation is good that means you satisfied your customers. On the other side its rivals Tesco and Asda increase the relationship with the customers. MS was much more relying in its suppliers to maintain good quality standards which results high cost of goods sold. MS is suffering from high cost of goods so it is very difficult to sustain its market share and it also increases the competition. MS was suffering from old fashioned clothes. It was popular for trendy cloths but now the time has been changed and customers needs highly fashionable clothes. Two new strategic approaches:- Stuart Rose the new chief executive of Marks Spencer has implied many changes after he joined MS. The former CEO Holmes has put 400 other brand products in MS to increase both sells and customers interest. However Stuart Rose is planning to cut the number of outside product to 100 which is not a wise decision (BBC, 2010). He is planning to refocus on MS brands but it should be noted that today there so many different brands are used by different customers. If he plans to imply this idea, MS may be lost his more market share in retail industry. His changes for cloth products are appreciable and it will raise the sales of cloths of MS. He should also think about unrelated diversification e.g. he can start MS mobile or in related diversification he can increase the number of food products. Conclusion:- As part of huge retail industry MS has to make some thorough changes in its strategy. It should have to sell other brand. This will help it to gain sustainability in this competitive market. It is very popular for its clothes and its food quality standards. These will help it to increase number of loyal customers. More and more products sourced from overseas will help it to compete in the price. Word Count: 2251

Health Promotion Essay

According to the World health organization (WHO), health promotion is defined as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behavior towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions. (World Health Organization, 2014) Nurses play a pivotal role in health promotion that include disease prevention, follow-up treatment, patient education and behavioral changes in respect to their health. Health promotion by nurses have led to positive outcomes including patient awareness, knowledge of diseases process, self-management, and improved quality of life. (Kemppainen, Tossavainen, & Turunen, 2013) This paper will focus on health promotion in the nursing practice through literature review, the evolution of nursing roles and responsibilities in health promotion, the implementation methods for health promotion that encompasses all areas of nursing, and the three levels of health promotion prevention. Pr imary Prevention Primary prevention is the first level of health promotion. The goal is to protect healthy individuals from acquiring a disease or experiencing injury before it occurs. Primary interventions used by nurses include but are not limited to education about nutrition, the importance of daily exercise, seat belt and helmet use, dangers of tobacco and other related drugs, routine exams, screenings, immunizations, and identifying potential hazards in the work place. (Institute for work and health, 2009) The concept of primary prevention is traditionally used in reference to physical health but in the article, â€Å"Education in primary prevention in psychiatric-mental health nursing for the baccalaureate student†, it focuses on the concept of primary prevention in reference to mental health. This can be difficult for nurses because mental and emotional problems are related to complex emotional and behavioral factors. For primary prevention the focus for nurses is on providing interventions to groups before a crisis situation could occur. The focus from this article was on implementation of preventative programs for target groups. Alcoholism prevention, prevention of child abuse, and child care for the populations of elementary and junior high school children. Rape prevention, loss or bereavement, drug or alcoholism prevention, and teen-age  pregnancy prevention for adolescents. Parenting, child-birth classes, child abuse prevention, stress management for young adults. Reproductive and sexual concerns for middle aged adults. Sensory loss, rape prevention, loss of loved ones for elderly patients. (Welch, Boyd, & Bell, 2009) Secondary prevention The next level of health promotion is secondary prevention. These interventions used by nurses are used after the patient has an illness or is at serious risk. The goal is to recognize the disease process at its earliest stage and slow or stop its progression. Interventions include medication compliance for example: reminding patients to continue their low-dose aspirin to prevent further heart attacks, TIA’s, or strokes. Regular exams and screenings are recommended for those patients at risk. (Institute for work and health, 2009) In the article,† Primary and secondary tobacco prevention†, primary prevention focused on education and prevention of experimentation and use. Secondary prevention is used for individuals who are currently using tobacco products. Interventions used are successful cessation courses, evidence-based treatment of tobacco dependence, pharmacotherapy, individual and group counseling. This is utilized at the earliest stages of tobacco addiction to help patients quit and remain smoke free. (Tingen, Andrews, & Stevenson, 2009) Tertiary prevention The last level in health promotion is tertiary prevention. These interventions focus on the management and care of patients with disease and the prevention of further deterioration while maximizing the quality of life. (Institute for work and health, 2009) Tertiary prevention is used when managing long-term health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Some examples of tertiary prevention include programs for cardiac or stroke patients, support groups, and pain management programs. In the article, â€Å"Tertiary prevention for individuals: Healing the wounds†, prevention is focused on healing. Primary and secondary preventions were used in the treatment of stress but with all the interventions stress continues to occur in most individuals. Tertiary treatment was designed to return those individuals suffering from high levels of stress back into  their home or work environment and minimize the recurrence of stress. Tertiary prevention relies on both help from the individual and help from other medical professionals. It reaches out for additional assistance from employers and outside resources to ensure appropriate programs are available. (Quick, Wright, Adkins, Nelson, & Quick, 2013) Evolution of nursing roles and responsibilities Health promotion used by nurses is commonly associated with the general principles of basic nursing. Patient education is a regularly used intervention used by nurses in an everyday setting. Health educators are taught health promotion, interventions, state regulations, specific policies, and they must have the ability to apply this education to their patients. Because of the growing diverse population, nurses must become more patient-focused health promoters. While general education is still used, the different patient groups require different health promotional needs. (Kemppainen, Tossavainen, & Turunen, 2013) Implementing health promotion skills is a must for all nurses. The most important skill is effective communication. They must be able to encourage their patients and their families to have an active participation in their treatment planning. The patients must feel comfortable expressing their feelings about their plan of care. Nurses can help their patients by leading by example. This can be achieved by being healthy role models, living healthy lifestyles, and through positive and caring attitudes that promote health and well-being. Nurses must also possess skill-related competencies including teamwork, time management, data collection, critical thinking, and interpretation of information given from a variety of sources. (Kemppainen, Tossavainen, & Turunen, 2013) Conclusion In conclusion, health promotion is more important than ever. Health promotion includes primary, secondary, and tertiary preventions. These include education, practice, research, and reinforcement that teaches patients how to prevent and manage diseases. The future of nursing focus on keeping individuals healthy. Nurses must have a strong understanding of health promotion in order to communicate to a variety of groups. As the population grows and becomes more educated through primary prevention overall health of  the population will improve. References Institute for work and health. (2009). What researchers mean about primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Retrieved from Institute for Work & Health: http://www.iwh.on.ca Kemppainen, V., Tossavainen, K., & Turunen, H. (2013). Nurses’ roles in health promtion practice: an integrative review. Oxford journals. Quick, J., Wright, T., Adkins, J., Nelson, D., & Quick, J. (2013). Preventive stress management in organizations. American Psychological Association, 183-198. Tingen, M., Andrews, J., & Stevenson, A. (2009). Primary and secondary tobacco prevention in youth. Annual review of nursing research, 171-193. Welch, M., Boyd, M., & Bell, D. (2009). Education in primary prevention in psychiatric-mental health nursing for the baccalaureate student. International nursing review, 126-130. World Health Organization. (2014). Health Promotion. Retrieved from World health organization: http://www.who.int/topics/health_promotion

Indian Bpos- Waking Up the Philippines Opportunity

Indian BPOs- Waking up the Philippines Opportunity Analysis The Indian labor market has always been key in globalization, and has been attractive due to its low wages, and the scientific and managerial talent found in the country. The main issues faced in this case mostly stem from the loss of the tax abatement in India, in addition to the weakening US dollar. Due to these two issues, doing business in India versus other fruitful options like Philippines becomes very expensive. These are major challenges to combat for any firm looking to outsource in India. In India, the infrastructure along with the setback discussed around transportation, puts a strain on the bottom line. The Tax abatement ending in 2009 was the initial cause of†¦show more content†¦(p. 33). This increase in the cost of BPO outsourcing to India immediately made other locations, such as the Philippines, much more of an attractive destinations for outsourcing. (Deresky, 2011). Pramod Bhasin, CEO of Genpact said it best The amount of additional I have to bear to do business in India is massive. In the Philippines, I don t have to spend a dime on transporting employees, a luxury I cannot afford in India. Bhasin implied that companies like his would immediately start to look elsewhere to do business due to rising costs. The Philippines emerging as the most-preferred destination for voice-based BPO. destination is a wake-up call for the larger Indian BPO sector, says Mr V. K. Mathews, Executive Chairman, IBS Group (The Hindu Business Line 2005). 4) How does this case highlight the threats and opportunities facing global companies in developing their strategies? Trends in the marketplace can help determine areas a firm can explore to be successful. Use of carefully considered outsourcing can be a critical component of corporate strategy for any multinational corporation. With outsourcing opportunities in front of them, these corporations should first work to understand the demographics and capabilities of the workforce before making any moves. Companies shouldn t simply resort to outsourcing and assume it would automatically translate to lower costs. It is important to study labor supply and demand, in order toShow MoreRelatedEssay on Indian Bpos Waking Up to the Philippines Opportunity?1535 Words   |  7 PagesCase Study -1: Indian BPOs Waking Up to the Philippines Opportunity? To: In Partial Fulfilment for MBA in Management and Administration How has the Economic downturn, discussed in the opening profile and throughout this chapter, impacted jobs outsourcing in the BPO Industry? According to the Business Dictionary, Economic downturn is a situation inRead MoreIndian Bpos- Waking Up the Philippines Opportunity Case Analysis776 Words   |  4 Pagesexpensive to do business in India compared to other locations like the Philippines. B. Micro- In India the transportation and infrastructure costs continue to hurt the bottom line. II. Causes- Tax abatement ended in 2009, transportation and infrastructure costs are not going away and other countries have more attractive incentives to bring in higher margins. III. Systems affected- The whole upswing in bringing BPOs into India has been affected, it is no longer that attractive to bringRead MoreIndian Bpos Essay906 Words   |  4 PagesCase Study- Indian BPOs- Waking up to the Philippines Opportunity 1. How has the global economic downturn, discussed in the opening profile and throughout this chapter, impacted jobs outsourcing in the BPO industry? The global economic downturn has impacted jobs outsourcing in the BPO industry as it has helped to be one of the largest job creators in India. Due to this, many companies had to increase their operations output and therefore employ more and more people to keep up with the expandingRead MoreStudy of Recruitment Process and E- Recruitment12119 Words   |  49 Pagesdeploying web-based tools for inviting and comparing resumes. The term e-recruitment means using information technology (IT) to speed up or enhance parts of the recruitment process. It ranges from the applicant interface for advertising vacancies and making job applications, to the back office processes, which allow a liaison between human resources (HR) and line managers to set up a talent pool or database of potential recruits. Many big and small organizations are using Internet as a source of recruitment

Mattel Case Study - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 25 Words: 7403 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/21 Category Advertising Essay Type Analytical essay Tags: Manufacturing Essay Did you like this example? Mattel Case Study Presentation Transcript 1. no. 1-0013 Mattel, Inc: Vendor Operations in Asia Only 3% of the world’s children are here in the U. S. Our biggest opportunities are in growth outside the U. S. – Jill Barad President CEO Mattel, Inc. The sun was just breaking over Kowloon Harbor. From his corner office, Ron Montalto gazed across the water and watched the early morning light reflect off Hong Kong’s famous downtown skyline. Only 24 hours ago Ron had been riding around the Carolina Speedway in Kyle Petty’s blue Pontiac, emblazoned with the Hot Wheels logo. The event was part of the kickoff for a new series of Hot Wheels ® replicas of NASCAR racers. Now, back in Hong Kong questions still swirled around the sourcing decisions to build those and the rest of the die-cast family of miniature cars. Starting over a year ago with the announcement of the merger between Mattel, Inc and its second largest rival, Tyco Toys, Montalto had been e mbroiled in a debate over the sourcing strategy for the existing Hot Wheels product line and newly added Matchbox ® cars. By July 1997, the company had decided to build a wholly owned manufacturing facility in the Guangzhou region of southern China, starting production in 1999. The Asian currency crisis that ensued later that fall had reopened the â€Å"build decision. † It was now the beginning of March 1998 and all of the original options were once again under debate. While in the US, Ron had met with his boss Joe Gandolfo, President of Worldwide Manufacturing Operations and learned that he would be reassigned within the next month to oversee die-cast car operations. An ex-lawyer who had lived and worked in Hong Kong for nearly fifteen years, Montalto was a Senior Vice President and had been responsible for company’s Vendor Operations Asia division (VOA) which managed Mattel’s outsourced production. Mattel began the vendor operation program in 1988 hop ing to add flexibility to the company’s traditional in-house manufacturing. Montalto had spent the last ten years developing VOA into one of Mattel’s most valuable strategic assets. In 1997 it was responsible for manufacturing products that generated nearly 25% of the toy company’s total revenue. The Tyco merger resulted in VOA manufacturing products that generated an additional $350 million in revenues for the Mattel organization. The majority of those revenues came from a combination of Tyco’s Matchbox die-cast cars, its line of radio-controlled (RC) cars, its View Master ® series and products from its Sesame Street license. With demand for This case was written by M. Eric Johnson and Tom Clock. It is written for class discussion and not to illustrate effective or ineffective management practices. Some names and facts have been changed. 2002 Trustees of Dartmouth College. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact the Tuck School of Bu siness at 603-646-3176. 2. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 Matchbox cars at 64 million units in 1997 and growing, die-cast capacity concerned Montalto the most. Tyco manufactured the cars through joint-venture arrangements in Shanghai and Bangkok. Both of the joint ventures were minority share partnerships which raised questions for Mattel in the future. What’s more, the quality of Matchbox products had been eroding for years and was currently at an all-time low. The production equipment and steel molds used in the manufacturing plants were becoming obsolete. Though it might be possible to upgrade the existing Tyco operation in Bangkok, Mattel saw little hope of expanding the Shanghai operation. Mattel owned a state-of-the-art die-cast facility that was operating at full capacity in Penang Malaysia (see Exhibit 1). Expanding that facility significantly beyond its 1997 volume of 120M cars would be expensive and complicated. There was no room for further building on the site and no available land adjacent to the plant. The proposed China facility would solve the capacity problems. However with the financial storm sweeping through Asia, some executives inside Mattel argued that they should reconsider building a new plant in Malaysia to concentrate die-cast production in a single country. Others felt that they should consider Indonesia as a way to take advantage of low labor costs and very attractive exchange rates. Mattel currently operated a plant in Indonesia that produced Barbie ® dolls. Montalto had to decide whether Mattel should go forward with the new China plant, build a plant in Malaysia or Indonesia, expand one of the existing facilities, or outsource the surplus die-cast volume through VOA. Company Background Based in California, Mattel, Inc designed, manufactured, and marketed a broad variety of toy products. The company’s core product lines included Barbie fashion dolls, Hot Wheels die- cast toy vehicles, Cabbage Patch Kids, Fisher-P rice preschool toys, and Disney toys. Most of these toys were made overseas, primarily in southeast Asia. Mattel had wholly owned manufacturing facilities in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, and Italy. Mattel was founded in 1944 by Elliot and Ruth Handler. Neither Elliot nor Ruth had much business experience or capital, but they both had dreams. The post World War II demographics of a huge baby boom plus a virtually toyless marketplace provided a unique opportunity to gain a place in a growing toy market. Mattel’s first products, simple picture frames and doll house furniture, met with mixed success. The first really big hit was a music box. By partnering with another toy inventor, they developed a music box that could be mass-produced, dramatically reducing its cost. The product went on to sell more than 50 million units over the next 20 years. By 1955, annual sales reached $5 million and the Handlers decided to take a gamble that would forever change the toy business. In what seemed at the time a risky investment, the Handlers signed a 52 week contract with ABC Television to sponsor a 15-minute segment of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club at a cost of $500,000 a sum equal to Mattel’s net worth at the time. Up until this move, most toy manufacturers relied on retailers to promote their products. Prior advertising occurred only around the holiday season. The popular daily kids show made the Mattel brand well known Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 2 3. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 among the viewing audience, translating quickly into sales. The success of the Handlers pact with kids TV started a marketing revolution in the toy industry. Mattel made toy industry history again in 1959 with the introduction of Barbie. Ruth Handler got the idea for the toy after watching her daughter play with adult looking paper dolls. In spite of the cool reception to the Handlers’ teenage fashion doll at the 1959 New York Toy Fair, the early sales quickly signaled a winning product. With the success of Barbie, Mattel made its first public stock offering and by 1963 was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In the next two years Mattel’s sales skyrocketed from $26 to $100 million. The introduction of Hot Wheels miniature model cars in 1968 was another spectacular success making Mattel the world’s largest toy company by the end of the decade. Unfortunately, the Handlers good fortune in the toy industry was quickly tarnished. Plagued by operational problems including a fire in their Mexican plant and shipping strikes that interrupted the flow of goods from Asia, Mattel’s growth stumbled. In 1973, Mattel was caught issuing misleading financial reports. The SEC filed charges against the Handlers and a federal judge ordered Mattel to restructure the board, forcing the Handlers out. Under a new management team, Mattel regained profitability and started diversifying into other children’s produ cts including publishing and entertainment. At first the acquisitions looked promising, but poor performance during the 1980’s forced Mattel to divest of many at steep losses. By 1987, Mattel had fallen into even deeper trouble with heavy losses in video games. The stock had lost two-thirds of its value since 1982, forcing the board to appoint a new chairman John Amerman, who had joined the company in 1980 as head of Mattel’s international division. Amerman charted a new strategy for Mattel, closing 40% of the company’s manufacturing capacity, including plants in California, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Most important, Amerman focused the company on its core brands such as Barbie and Hot Wheels, and by making selective investments in the development of new toys. The Barbie line was expanded to include approximately 50 different dolls per year with many new accessory items. A promotional campaign built around Barbie’s 30th birthday in 1989 propelled he r onto the cover of Smithsonian Magazine, confirming her status as a true American icon. The Barbie make-over was so effective that from 1987 to 1992 sales shot up from $430 million to nearly $1 billion, accounting for more than half of the company’s $1. 85 billion in sales. At that time, Mattel estimated that 95% of all girls in the United States aged 3 to 11 owned Barbie dolls. In 1991, a strengthened strategic alliance with The Walt Disney Company allowed Mattel to expand its development of Disney toys. Mattel negotiated the exclusive rights to sell dolls, stuffed characters, and preschool toys based upon such movie classics as the Lion King, The Hunch Back of Notre Dame, and Hercules. The agreement gave Mattel unparalleled exposure to more than 50 million children, parents, and grandparents. Then, in a deal lauded by Wall Street analysts, Mattel acquired Fisher-Price in 1993. Combining Fisher-Price’s strength in the infant and preschool market with the power of Mattel’s international Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 3 4. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 1 distribution and marketing network, created a formidable global competitor. Finally, the Tyco acquisition in 1997 boosted Mattel’s 1997 revenue to $4. billion and pushed Mattel past Hasbro making it the undisputed leader in the toy industry (see Exhibit 2). Over the years, the ability to create new products and quickly meet demand remained nonnegotiable requirements for success in the toy industry. Manufacturers had to live with the reality that inventory in times of hot sales could reap large rewards, but often became worthless overnight. In 1997, Mattel introduced hundreds of new toy products. Many of the new toys reflected increased demand among core product lines for example, the market’s renewed interest in collectible Barbie and Hot Wheels products. Beyond core products, there remained a large, lucrative segment of non-core toys whose market life was typically less than one year. Many of these products were related to popular movie characters. More and more, filmmakers and toy manufacturers combined their efforts to market their products to the public. These were high turnover products where time to market was critical. Mattel typically produced core product lines in-house and outsourced the production of non-core lines to a network of vendors. Outside vendors gave Mattel the needed flexibility to handle hot products and the seasonal changes in toy sales. In the US, toy sales historically followed strong seasonal trends with nearly 45% of all sales in 1997 coming in November and December. Minature Car Market Die-cast 1:64 scale miniature cars have been a long-standing favorite among children and adults. Matchbox cars were introduced by a small company founded in 1947 by two unrelated school friends, Leslie and Rodney Smith. Few would have imagined that the company, Lesney Products, had created a term that would later become the generi c name for any small toy replica of a car or truck. In 1982, the company met with financial difficulties and the Matchbox brand was sold to a Hong Kong based holding company, Universal International which later became a subsidiary of Tyco Toys. Mattel introduced Hot Wheels in 1968 and quickly became the market leader, often gaining market share while other companies lost market share, or worse, went bankrupt. By 1997 there were few major competitors in the 1:64 category other than Racing Champions ® and Hasbro’s Winner’s Circle ® which both focused primarily on replicas of racing cars including NASCAR. In Europe, both MIRA and Bburago competed with wider size offerings, producing cars at 1:43, 1:25, and 1:18 scale. Larger cars were often purchased by collectors and there were several other small Japanese and English companies that marketed high-end replicas. 1 Pendergast, Sara. â€Å"Fisher Price, Inc. † International Directory of Company Histories (Vo lume 12, 1996): 167. Montgomery, Bruce P. â€Å"Mattel, Inc. † International Directory of Company Histories (Volume 7, 1993): 304 Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 4 5. Mattel, Inc. no. -0013 While both 1:64 scale miniature car replicas, Hot Wheels and Matchbox competed in very different market segments (see Exhibit 3). Matchbox cars emphasized realism in both scale and detail. For years they had been manufactured entirely of metal, making them heavier and more durable. These elements made the car more appealing to younger children, typically 2-4 years old. Moreover, much of the Matchbox sales were outside of the US while Hot Wheels were an American phenomena. Hot Wheels cars featured more fantasy designs both in form and decoration. With a larger creative element, they appealed to older children who participated in more imaginative play patterns. Prior to 1994, sales of die-cast cars, including Hot Wheels, were relatively flat. However, over the course of the next thre e years, demand for the Hot Wheels skyrocketed to 155 million units in 1997 while Matchbox saw much slower growth. Mattel attributed much of the growth to a new rolling mix marketing strategy. Mattel sold its Hot Wheels cars to retailers in 72-car assortment packs. The ‘Assortment Pack’ was more commonly referred to as the master carton. Stock keepers at various retail outlets shelved the individual Hot Wheels blister packs directly out of the 72-car master carton. In the past Mattel relied heavily on retailer’s POS data to help forecast future demand and determine what the actual assortment mix should be. Starting in 1994, Mattel incorporated a new marketing strategy to sell die-cast cars. Mattel determined that variety was the key driver of sales. If customers saw new products every time they went in the store, they were more likely to buy. The company implemented a rolling mix strategy that changed the physical 72-car assortment mix by 7-8% every two weeks. Over the course of a year the product line changed over two times entirely. This strategy developed an organized, non-reactionary method of new product introduction and old product obsolescence. New products varied from brand new ‘First Edition’ cars, to redecorated models of cars already produced. By rolling the mix, Mattel was able to market a much broader range of SKUs without requiring any additional retail shelf space. Mattel also found that it could educate the consumer and encourage buying patterns based on product introduction. Marketing began introducing ‘Series Cars’, a set of four cars sold individually and released every month. Each series would stay on the retailers’ shelves for five months and then be permanently discontinued. The strategy created urgency among consumers to buy the products while they were available. Series cars also helped promote the existing collector market. In addition, Mattel played to the collector market by introducing ‘Treasure Hunt’ cars. These cars were only manufactured in lots of 20,000 and were extremely rare. One new Treasure Hunt car was made each month. They were randomly inserted into a retailer’s assortment pack. These cars made it into the hands of a lucky few and were highly prized as collectible items. In 1996, a limited number of Treasure Hunt assortment packs (all 12 cars) retailed at FAO Schwartz for $150. A year later, the same assortment sold for over $1,000 between collectors. Through its rolling mix strategy Mattel no longer had to rely on POS data to forecast market demand for specific SKUs, but rather to plan the changes to the mix. Since Mattel guaranteed its retailers that the mix would sell, the retailers stocking problems Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 5 6. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 were simplified to merely purchasing assortment packs and stocking the store shelves. Mattel believed it could incorporate the same strategy into the newly acquired Matchbox line and experience similar results (see Exhibit 4 for market forecasts of both Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars). No other manufacturer had the capability to offer consumers Mattel’s level of variety. Mini-Vehicle Manufacturing The manufacture of die-cast cars (DCC) involved well-defined production steps that could be performed either in-house or by third parties. Among die-cast manufacturers, there was a continuum in terms of the degree to which the processes and manufacturing steps were conducted in-house, as opposed to being subcontracted to other firms. While most firms had in-house die-casting, plastic injection molding, and basic painting and decorating processes, there was wide variation for other processes, including electroplating, vacuum metalizing, and package printing. In the first step, a press injected molten zinc into a mold to create the body of the vehicle and/or the chassis (unless one or both of those parts were plastic). Matt el made most of its own die-casting molds at a facility in Malaysia, but also outsourced them from firms in Hong Kong. Presses could be outfitted with two different types of molds – conventional or unit die. Conventional molds usually had one car body cavity or two chassis molds. Unit dies were smaller than conventional molds traditionally used in the die-casting process and they offered quick changeover. Most importantly two dies (or molds) could be fit into each machine. For every machine â€Å"shot†2 two car bodies, four chassis, or some combination could be produced. Die-cast molds had a useful life of about 1. 5 million shots, after which time the seams of the mold often began to leak creating excessive wasted zinc called flash and eroding the quality of the car. The delivery of molten zinc could be machine specific (individual machines equipped with their own melting pots) or a more complicated central furnace and feeder system. The furnace and feeder system r educed energy costs associated with changing temperature settings on individual machine furnaces and maintained the zinc at a more uniform temperature, thus improving the cast quality. The bodies and chassis were then removed from the press by the operator. Bodies and chassis would be separated from the excess metal that flowed through the mold ducts into the cavities. This excess metal would be removed and recycled. The bodies and chassis would then be deflashed, deburred, and polished by vibrating the parts with smooth ceramic stones in a large bowl for 30 minutes. This process removed all the unwanted metal while smoothing sharp edges and seams. 2 Shots refer to each time molten zinc is pressed into a mold cavity, allowed to cool, and released into a waiting bin. Shot times for 35T die cast machines were 9-10 seconds each. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 6 7. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 The decoration of the car involved an electrostatic application of base and top coat to the car body via a painting system. A common system was supplied by Ransburg and could be used to paint any metallic surface. 3 Die-cast cars were attached by hand to a â€Å"tree† that hung from a conveyor line which carried the cars through the painting and drying processes. Each tree carried up to 72 cars. The trees themselves were spaced 16 inches apart and run at the conveyor speed of 7 feet per minute. On the other hand, chassis were electroplated to prevent corrosion and to maintain a shiny appearance. 4 The electroplating process involved dipping the metal chassis in a series of chemical baths to deposit a thin layer of shiny metal. After applying the base color, additional decorations were applied to the car body and other parts using a â€Å"tampo† machine. Aside from the zinc weight of a die-cast vehicle, the major source of variance in the cost5 of a car was the number of tampo operations the car under-went. Each â€Å"hit† by a tampo machine add ed one color to one surface of the car. Highly decorated cars with dozens of colors, like NASCAR replicas or highly detailed collectibles, tended to cost more than vehicles with fewer colors and decorations. The determination of how much decoration to apply to a product was purely a marketing decision. 6 Standard Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars typically sold for under $1. 00 in US retail stores, while NASCAR and other collector edition cars were usually priced at $3. 00 or more. In addition to die-cast parts, most mini-vehicles included plastic injection-molded parts, notably the interior, the windows, the wheels and sometimes the chassis. These parts were produced on conventional plastic injection molding machines that were commonly used to produce other small plastic toys as well as thousands of other products. As with die-cast machines, there were many types and sizes of plastic injection molding machines. Plastic injection molds typically had 2 cavities per mold and a useful life of about two million shots. 7 70 ton injection mold 3 Ransburg and other electrostatic painting systems are used in many industries including the automobile industry, to paint metal products. Many mini-vehicles, including many Hot Wheels cars, had plastic chassis in order to reduce zinc cost, and thus did not use electroplating. 5 The number of moving parts, i. e. , moving doors and hoods, can also affect cost significantly. Most of the basic vehicles produced by Mattel did not have moving parts. 6 As a marketing ploy, Matchbox enclosed an unpainted, untrimmed first shot car in the same box with the corresponding, finished collectible to illustrate the before and after effect of decorating the car. Most plant processes were planned to run one 8-hour shift per day, however, both the injection molding and die casting processes would run three 8-hour shifts. Production calculations for the three shift processes used a 22 hour day, or 7. 3 hour shift, to account for downtime and b reaks. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 7 8. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 machines would be required to produce plastic chassis, windshields, interiors, engines, etc. 110 ton machines were needed to produce the wheel components. Each car required one wheel mold and an average of 2. 5 molds for other plastic parts8. Wheels were typically produced on a 32-cavity mold. Cycle time for the 70 and 110 ton injection mold machines was typically 16 and 20 seconds respectively. Plastic parts were sometimes finished using vacuum metalizing (VUM) to impart a silvery metallic sheen to the parts. The plastic parts were first painted with a base coat of lacquer. Next a thin film of metal was applied to the plastic parts by ionizing lengths of tungsten metal in a vacuum chamber. One system would typically satisfy all volume demand up to 100 million units of production and cost approximately $1. 2 million. While some Hong Kong vendors had electroplating systems, most would choose not to purchas e VUM systems, but rather outsource that process for the relatively few vehicles having VUM parts. After VUM, the plastic bodies would be given a top coat of clear lacquer to preserve the finish. If a colored metallic was desired, the clear coat could be dyed (for example red or gold). After molding, wheels were decorated in a hot stamping process used to apply the metallic appearance to the hub cap area of the plastic wheels. The assembly of the wheels and axles, called the barbell assembly, was traditionally performed by hand. Because Mattels Malaysia factory was located in a relatively high labor cost area, Mattel had developed machines to automatically insert the pins into the wheels to form the barbell assembly. This process was unique to Mattel. The assembly of the various pieces of the vehicle into a final product was performed manually by unskilled labor. This operation often involved conveyor belt systems, or small 2-6 person manufacturing cells, where the main piece of equipment employed was a device that fastened the body and chassis of the car together (a process called â€Å"staking†) after it was manually assembled. Packaging the product, usually in blister packs, was often carried out at the manufacturing facility. Most vendors had heat sealant machines which sealed plastic blisters to pre-printed â€Å"blister cards,† and used those devices to package a variety of other toys and products in addition to mini-vehicles. The printing of the blister cards or other packaging, and the vacuum forming of the blister was often outsourced, but could be performed in-house, depending on a vendor’s preference. The process of manufacturing a mini-vehicle was labor intensive and involved machine production processes that were, for the most part, modular in nature. Operating in low labor cost countries like China or Malaysia, labor cost typically 8 This figure varies from car to car. The engineering standard for Hot Wheels averaged 2. 5 molds per car. 9 A new vacuum forming machine cost approximately $105,000. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 8 9. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 represented 10-20% of the product cost. With the possible exception of the Ransburg painting system (and the more rarely used electroplating and VUM systems) most segments of the production process could be expanded incrementally as needed, without creating significant excess capacity at any step in the process or requiring significant capital expenditures. In fact, whether a vehicle was all plastic or part die-cast metal and part plastic, the production process was generally not susceptible to large economies of scale aside from the usual economies associated with spreading facility and plant management costs over a large number of products. Mattel’s own experience as well as that of the vendors Mattel had engaged, demonstrated that multi-product production was sufficient to obtain much of the possible production economies. As ide from facility and management overhead costs, most of the mini-vehicle production process could be described as proportional to the incremental machinery that was added to the plant as production needs increased. Transportation costs from Asia to Los Angeles varied between $3,000- $4,000 for a shipping container that could hold up to 300,000 cars. Vendor Operations VOA was the outsourcing arm of Mattel, Inc. Ron Montalto and his personal assistant started operations in 1988 with very little capital and a lot of faith. The vendor concept was initiated following an extensive competitive study by McKinsey and Company. The study recommended that Mattel differentiate between core and non-core products, manufacturing its core products in-house and outsourcing all non-core products. Mattel originally decided that its Barbie and Hot Wheels products were core. In the following years, the company added selective Disney and Fisher Price lines to the list. Non-core products tended to b e promotional items, or toys with short life cycles that were often introduced together with a children’s television series (examples include The Mighty Ducks and Street Sharks). Non- core toys experienced the fashion-like demand typical in the toy industry. In 1997, VOA employed over 400 staff and generated sales revenues in excess of $1. 4 billion. The group operated through a network of approximately 35 vendors that were contracted to manufacture Mattel products. Vendors were typically registered Hong Kong companies with manufacturing facilities and political expertise in mainland China. VOA selected vendors to produce new toys based on expected time to market, a vendor’s manufacturing competence, unique process capabilities, and price. VOA enabled Mattel to produce a large number of short life-cycle toys without the capital commitments required in wholly owned manufacturing. Moreover, it enabled Mattel to push certain risks onto its suppliers. These risks includ ed demand variability and product diversity. Supplier metrics were based on the ability to produce high quality goods at a competitive price, and to deliver them to end-users on-time. Toy sales were directly related to the number of new product introductions and speed to market. In recent years, Mattel had introduced roughly 300 new, non-core toys each year. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 9 10. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 The strength of VOA rested on its vendor relationships. Mattel was a marketing driven company that demanded high product quality and precise design conformance. Montalto’s organization had been challenged for almost a decade to help individual vendors develop the internal capabilities necessary to satisfy Mattel’s standards. It was an ongoing process that spanned multiple types of manufacturing, from the assembly of plush toys (like Winnie-the- Pooh) to the fabrication of technology goods such as children’s tape recorders and cameras (s old under the Fisher Price brand). The new toy development process began at Mattel’s corporate headquarters in California. Design teams created a Bid Package that contained the new product’s blue print, engineering specifications and often a physical model. The Bid Package was sent to VOA for vendor quotation and selection. After a vendor had been selected Tool Start/Debug began. Each new toy required a set of tools for manufacture. The most common tools were hardened steel molds used in plastic injection and die casting. Shortly after Tool Start came Tool Let. This was a scheduling milestone and was considered day one of the production process. Tool Let was the point at which Mattel assumed liability for the tooling costs. Tooling costs varied considerably based on the complexity of the toy tool sets for past toys ranged from $50,000 to $2,000,000. After the tools were completed the production process began. Step one or First Shots (FS) was typically a run of 5 0 units to determine what mold/process modifications were required. This was also the point at which a commitment date by the vendor was established. Step two or Engineering Pilot (EP) was for touch-up. There could be a second or third EP if necessary depending on the toy’s complexity. Step three was the Final Engineering Pilot (FEP) that established complete test durability. Step four was Production Pilot (PP); typically 1,000 units were run at this stage and the manufacturer used the entire assembly line to run the product. When the ew toy met design compliance, step five, Production Start (PS) began. Current Production Options MMSB Located in Penang, Mattel Malaysia Sdn Bdh (MMSB) was the only Mattel facility that manufactured Hot Wheels vehicles. Mattel acquired the plant from GEC (of the UK) in September 1980. At the time of its acquisition, the plant was an 80,000 square foot facility used to manufacture TV sets. Mattel began production at MMSB in January 1981. Total st art-up costs amounted to approximately $5 million (in 1980 dollars), and production volume at MMSB for the first two to three years averaged 30 to 35 million mini-vehicles per year. In 1984, Mattel added 180,000 square feet to the plant and began manufacturing male action figures. The plant was again expanded in 1994 by an additional 5000 square feet. In 1996 the plant was dedicated to mini-vehicle production providing a significant capacity expansion. The 1996 expansion effectively used up the available space for die-cast car production at MMSB, resulting in Mattels determination in June of 1996 to begin outsourcing incremental mini-vehicles requirements (11 million vehicles in 1996) from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 10 11. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 vendors in China. China vendors provided nearly 35 million vehicles to Mattel in 1997 and were expected to provide between 40 and 50 million vehicles in 1998. Throughout 1997 Arun Kochar, VP and plant director, worked to inc rease MMSB capacity by improving the production process. By the end of the year, MMSB was producing over 10 million units per month, based on two shifts per day, six days a week. Kochar felt that another 10-20% improvement might be possible in 1998, but doubted further sustainable increases could be achieved. Labor at the Malaysian plant was very productive with high quality output. As compared with other poorer countries in East Asia, labor in Penang was more skilled and expensive. The higher skill translated into a high quality product and allowed Mattel the flexibility needed to support the rolling product mix that changed weekly. Unfortunately, the labor market was getting tight. To keep a steady flow of labor, Kochar had to regularly recruit workers from the small towns in the countryside. Workers were predominantly young women, many of whom stayed in Mattel furnished housing. Mattel was very sensitive to labor conditions and often over compensated both in age requirement s and working conditions. For example, the plant had recently installed air conditioning to increase worker comfort, yet very few workers had air conditioning in their own homes. Bangkok Under Tyco, the manufacturing of Matchbox toys was divided between two factories, one in Bangkok and one in Shanghai (Shanghai Universal Toy Company or SUTC). Excess demand beyond the capacity of these two plants was outsourced to a pool of south China vendors. Over recent years, Tyco management led by Rug Burad (VP of Tyco Manufacturing) had been gradually phasing out much of the Bangkok plant’s production due to management costs and poor quality. Many of the conventional molds used to produce Matchbox cars had been moved to Shanghai. When Mattel took over the partnership position in Bangkok, the factory was producing only 21 million units in a building that could accommodate equipment and workers for production of 50 million units. The Matchbox plant was brought under the management of K ochar. Much of the remaining equipment was old and the presses were equipped to handle only conventional molds. Retrofitting the machines to accept unit dies would be expensive. Since Hot Wheels were made almost exclusively with unit dies, the plant could not effectively take on Hot Wheels volume without further investment. Labor costs in Thailand were half of Malaysia but labor productivity was significantly lower. Shanghai SUTC carried the bulk of Tyco’s die-cast car production, producing 33 million Matchbox units in 1997 with about 1000 workers. The die-cast presses were operating at full capacity and further expansion would require significant equipment investment. The plant not only offered Mattel a production facility but also a domestic distribution license. This nontransferable license enabled Mattel to sell die-cast cars in China as long as it continued operating SUTC at its original location. In 1997, total vehicle sales in China was about three Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 11 12. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 million units. Since the cars were inexpensive and durable, many inside Mattel felt that the market could grow significantly as Chinese parents increased their toy purchases. Closing or relocating the plant would jeopardize the distribution agreement. Moreover, if Mattel closed the plant, it would be forced to pay the Chinese government $5000/employee in severance. Nevertheless, Montalto was concerned with SUTC’s fit with Mattel’s future manufacturing strategy. One of the main problems was the minority share partnership position Mattel inherited from Tyco. In addition, the quality standards at SUTC were far below any Hot Wheels producing facility. Strategically within China, Shanghai made a poor location choice for a toy manufacturer because of the city’s emphasis on developing technology- based industries and its relatively high labor cost (over $1. 0/hour). Labor productivity was about one half of that i n Penang. As with Bangkok, the plant employed conventional molds, which would require retrofitting the machines to accept unit dies. VOA Ideally Mattel could outsource die-cast production until its own facilities were established. However, the one area where VOA had not developed extensive vendor capabilities was in die casting. There were very few South China vendors in the die-cast business and fewer still that could produce high quality products. One notable firm was Zindart a Hong Kong company that had been recently listed on the NASDAQ exchange. Die-casting was a cruel business that required large capital investments and offered meager returns. For a vendor to be able to produce Mattel quality cars, a large capital investment (between $10 and $30 million) was required. Montalto found it exceedingly difficult to persuade his vendors to take on this new business and the risk associated with it. Montalto worried that there just wasn’t enough high-quality, die-cast capac ity in the vendor base to meet the Matchbox demand. New Plant Options and the Currency Crisis By the summer of 1997, Mattel was close to a decision to build a new plant in Southern China to handle the increased demand for Hot Wheels and to consolidate Matchbox production. Labor in the Guangzhou region was cheap and plentiful. Including benefits such as dormitories and educational programs the fully loaded rate was less than $0. 50/hour (see Exhibit 5). To avoid mainland China’s 21% import duty on capital equipment, Mattel planned to locate the facility in one of the special Industrial Zones. The most promising site under consideration was located in the Guangzhou Baiyun Industrial Zone. The Baiyun zone was in Luogang township, east of Guangzhou. It was 12 miles from Baiyun International Airport and 3 miles from Huangpu New Harbor. A medium-sized cargo railway station was located in the zone. Based on estimates from MMSB, the single story facility required about 325,000 square feet to accommodate 100 million units of production per year. Contractor quotes for building the factory shell were $10 per square foot. Bringing the shell to usability in terms of water pipes, telephone lines, electrical wiring, etc. was Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 12 13. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 conservatively estimated at 50% of the shell’s cost. Mattel would also be responsible for building dormitories to house the factory workers. Dormitories would each have six floors (maximum height without elevators) and approximately 2500 square feet per floor. Based on its other manufacturing sites in South East Asia, Mattel was committed to providing a minimum of 40 square feet of living space per direct labor employee. Staff labor would require a minimum of 100 square feet per employee. The idea of building the China plant had been analyzed for nearly a year. By July, Montalto’s team had developed a capital expenditure request that was circulating at th e corporate headquarters in California. The plan included three options for the initial size of the plant (50,100, 150M cars). It appeared that one of the options would certainly be approved and that construction would commence in the beginning of 1998, with first production in 1999. Then overnight the environment changed. Starting with South Korea and spreading quickly throughout the region, plunging currencies and stockmarkets turned the fast growing Asian economies on their ears. It happened so quickly that companies like Mattel were caught by surprise. Reflecting on the rapid changes, the Economist lamented, If anybody had predicted a year ago that Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand would have to go cap in hand to the IMF, they would have been thought mad. This was, after all, the East Asia whose economic policies the international financial community was forever applauding: a world away from Latin America or Africa, where trouble was always on the cards. 10 By January, many of the East Asian currencies had been sharply devalued (see Exhibit 6). Yet China, whose currency was not fully convertible and thus fixed by the central government, held steadfast. Thus, in relationship to other countries in the region, China no longer looked as inexpensive and the plant decision was back out on the table at Mattel. Indonesia With the rapid devaluation of Indonesia’s currency, some inside Mattel felt it should be considered again as possible site for a new plant. Indonesia had very low labor rates and was thus suitable for high labor products. Because of this, Mattel had already built a doll factory in Jakarta in 1996. The reduction in currency value had made the labor even cheaper (as long as inflation did not kick up). However, labor productivity was low and managers at Mattel felt it was unlikely that productivity levels could ever be improved to Malaysian levels. Earlier investigations had identified Surabaya as a possible plant site where the cos ts of building a plant were similar to those in China. In addition to standard return on investment criteria, Mattel was also trying to diversify risk. There was inherent volatility in dealing with third world countries, due to both internal changes in regulations and external pressures. Adding Indonesia gave Mattel a diversification advantage its competitors didn’t have, while at the same time allowing the company sufficient economic leverage to maintain 10 â€Å"Frozen Miracle,† Economist, March 7 1998. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 13 14. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 some influence with local governments. In principle, these same advantages would apply to a new die-cast facility. In addition, Mattel’s experience in running an operation in Indonesia would be a significant advantage when starting up a new facility. However, Indonesia’s government was under intense public reproach and it was not clear if the long-time president could survive the c risis. Malaysia Another possible site for a new plant was in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. Mattel already had a doll factory in KL and the existing die-cast plant in Penang. Adding another die-cast facility in KL would offer the company single country manufacturing and greater managerial control. Economies of scale would come in the form of internal tool production and inter- plant exchange, management staff, material input costs, and distribution. In addition, the labor population in Malaysia was, on average, more productive than anywhere else in Southeast Asia. There were two downsides to making KL a future plant site labor availability problems and higher labor costs. What Next? Montalto was confident that the Marketing Department’s demand forecasts were accurate, especially under the moderate growth scenario. The increased demand for mini-vehicles was expected to come in significant part from Europe where Mattel was re-launching Hot Wheels products after previously uns uccessful marketing attempts. Mattel desperately needed additional die-cast capacity and it was Montalto’s job to recommend a way to find it. He wondered if, strategically, it made sense to continue treating die-cast cars as a core product. And was Matchbox core to Mattel? The fastest way to increase production would be to expand capacity in the existing Mattel facilities. Since Mattel produced Matchbox cars in Bangkok and Shanghai, either one of these factories could be expanded to accommodate more production. The other expansion option concerned VOA itself and the amount of core business Mattel wanted to outsource. A longer-term solution would be to build new capacity, but the question remained where? Malaysia, Indonesia and China were all viable alternatives for a new die-cast factory. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 14 15. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 Exhibit 1: Current and Potential Die-Cast Plant Locations Shanghai Guangzhou Hong Bangkok Penang Kuala Lumpur Suraba ya Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 15 16. Mattel, Inc. no. -0013 Exhibit 2: Mattel Financial Information CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME For the Year (In thousands, except per share amounts) 1997 1996 1995 NET SALES $4,834,616 $4,535,332 $4,369,816 Cost of sales 2,434,616 2,315,574 2,302,076 GROSS PROFIT 2,400,000 2,219,758 2,067,740 Advertising and promotion expenses 779,139 778,919 731,746 Other selling and administrative expenses 796,952 772,335 721,362 Restructuring and integration charges 275,000 8,900 Interest Expense 90,130 100,226 102,983 Other expense (income), net 33,697 31,522 (1,919) INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND EXTRAORDINARY ITEM 452,082 536,756 504,668 Provision for income tax 135,288 164,532 166,779 INCOME BEFORE EXTRAORDINARY ITEM 289,794 372,224 337,889 Extraordinary item – loss on early retirement of (4,160) debt NET INCOME 285,184 372,224 337,889 Preferred and preference stock dividend 10,505 7,391 6,542 requirements NET INCOME APPLICABLE TO COM MON $274,679 $364,833 $331,347 SHARES BASIC INCOME PER COMMON SHARE Income before extraordinary item $0. 96 $1. 26 $1. 13 Extraordinary item – loss on early retirement of (0. 01) debt Net income $0. 95 $1. 26 $1. 13 Average number of common shares 295,450 290,393 293,312 DILUTED INCOME PER COMMON SHARE Income before extraordinary item $0. 94 $1. 23 $1. 11 Extraordinary item – loss on early retirement of (0. 01) debt Net Income $0. 93 $1. 23 $1. 11 Average number of common and common 295,653 303,057 298,763 equivalent shares DIVEDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON $0. 27 $0. 24 $0. 9 SHARE Consolidated results for all periods have been restated retroactively for the effects of the March 1997 merger with Tyco, accounted for as a pooling of interests. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 16 17. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS December 31, December 31, thousands) 1997 1996 SETS rrent Assets Cash $694,947 $550,271 Accounts receivable, less allowances of $30. 7 million at December 31, 1997 and $21. 0 million at December 31, 1996. 1,091,416 948,940 nventories 428,844 444,178 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 246,529 195,673 Total current assets 2,461,736 2,139,062 operty, Plant and Equipment Land 29,556 30,864 Buildings 198,396 216,523 Machinery and equipment 453,978 438,969 Capitalized leases 24,625 26,512 Leasehold improvements 68,179 69,732 774,734 782,600 Less: accumulated depreciation 336,946 323,096 437,788 459,504 Tools, dies and molds, net 163,809 156,777 Property, plant and equipment, net 601,597 616,281 her Noncurrent Assests ntangible assets, net 542,759 611,410 Sundry assets 197,699 214,489 $3,803,791 $3,581,142 ABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY rrent Liabilities Short-term borrowings $17,468 $28,924 Current portion of long-term liabilities 13,659 106,596 Accounts payable 310,117 312,378 Accrued liabilities 629,445 510,691 ncome taxes payable 202,735 183,288 Total Current Liabilities 1,173,424 1,141,877 ng-Te rm Liabilities -3/4% Senior Notes 100,000 100,000 0-1/8% Senior Subordinated Notes 126,500 Medium-Term Notes 520,500 220,000 Mortgage notes 43,573 47,600 Other 144,224 139,242 Total Long-Term Liabilities 808,297 633,342 areholders’ Equity Preferred Stock, Series B $1. 00 par value, $1,050. 00 liquidation preference per share, 53. 6 thousand shares authorized, issues and outstanding in 1996 54 Preferred stock, Series C $1. 00 par value, $125. 00 liquidation preference per share, 772. 8 thousand shares authorized; 771. 9 thousand and 772. thousand shares issues and outstanding in 1997 and 1996, respectively 772 773 Common stock $1. 00 par value, 600. 0 million shares authorized; 300. 4 million and 296. 1 million shares issued in 1997 and 1996, respectively 300,381 296,091 Additional paid-in capital 509,172 518,296 Treasury stock at cost; 8. 8 million and 8. 1 million shares in 1997 and 1996, respectively (285,420) (215,999) Retained Earnings 1,490,804 1,293,653 Currency trans lation and other adjustments (193,639) (86,945) Total shareholder’s equity 1,822,070 1,805,923 $3,803,791 $3,581,142 Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 17 18. Mattel, Inc. no. 1-0013 Exhibit 3: Hot Wheels and Matchbox Products Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 18 19. Mattel, Inc. no. -0013 Exhibit 4: Market Projections Hot Wheels and Matchbox Demand Forecasts (in millions of units annually) Moderate Growth 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total Total 237 256 276 299 HW MB 169 68 184 72 200 76 218 81 Exhibit 5: Labor Rates in July 1997 Loaded Labor Cost $/Hours July 1997 Mexico Singapore South Korea Taiwan Hong Kong Malaysia Thailand Philippines Indonesia China $0. 00 $1. 00 $2. 00 $3. 00 $4. 00 $5. 00 $6. 00 $7. 00 $8. 00 $9. 00 US $ Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 19 20. $/Ringgit $/Renmimbi 0. 05 0. 15 0. 25 0. 35 0. 45 0. 1 0. 2 0. 3 0. 4 0 0. 112 0. 114 0. 116 0. 118 0. 122 0. 11 0. 12 1/3/94 01/04/1998 3/3/94 Mattel, Inc. 3/04/1998 5/3/94 05/04/1998 7/3/94 07/04/1998 9/3/9 4 09/04/1998 11/3/94 11/04/1998 1/3/95 Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 01/04/1999 Exhibit 6: Exchange Rates 3/3/95 03/04/1999 5/3/95 05/04/1999 7/3/95 07/04/1999 9/3/95 09/04/1999 11/3/95 11/04/1999 1/3/96 01/04/2000 3/3/96 03/04/2000 China $/Renmimbi Malaysia $/Ringgit Date (MM/DD/YY) 5/3/96 Date (MM/DD/YY) 05/04/2000 7/3/96 07/04/2000 9/3/96 09/04/2000 11/3/96 11/04/2000 1/3/97 01/04/2001 3/3/97 03/04/2001 5/3/97 05/04/2001 7/3/97 07/04/2001 9/3/97 09/04/2001 11/3/97 11/04/2001 1/3/98 01/04/2002 3/3/98 03/04/2002 20 no. 1-0013 21. $/Rupiah $/Baht 0 0. 005 0. 015 0. 025 0. 035 0. 045 0. 01 0. 02 0. 03 0. 04 0. 05 0. 00005 0. 00015 0. 00025 0. 00035 0. 00045 0 0. 0001 0. 0002 0. 0003 0. 0004 0. 0005 1/3/94 11/16/95 Mattel, Inc. /3/94 12/16/95 5/3/94 1/16/96 2/16/96 7/3/94 3/16/96 9/3/94 4/16/96 11/3/94 5/16/96 Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 1/3/95 6/16/96 3/3/95 7/16/96 5/3/95 8/16/96 7/3/95 9/16/96 9/3/95 10/16/96 11/16/96 11/3/95 12/16/96 1/3/96 1/16/97 Thailand $/Baht 3/3/96 Indonesia $/Rupiah 2/16/97 Date (MM/DD/YY) 5/3/96 Date (MM/DD/YY) 3/16/97 7/3/96 4/16/97 9/3/96 5/16/97 11/3/96 6/16/97 1/3/97 7/16/97 8/16/97 3/3/97 9/16/97 5/3/97 10/16/97 7/3/97 11/16/97 9/3/97 12/16/97 11/3/97 1/16/98 1/3/98 2/16/98 3/3/98 21 no. 1-0013 22. $/Peso US$/HK$ 0. 05 0. 15 0. 25 0. 35 0. 1 0. 2 0. 3 0 0. 1282 0. 1284 0. 1286 0. 1288 0. 1292 0. 1294 0. 1296 0. 129 1/4/94 1/3/94 3/4/94 3/3/94 5/4/94 Mattel, Inc. 5/3/94 7/4/94 7/3/94 9/4/94 9/3/94 11/4/94 11/3/94 1/4/95 1/3/95 3/4/95 Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth 3/3/95 5/4/95 5/3/95 7/4/95 7/3/95 9/4/95 9/3/95 11/4/95 11/3/95 1/4/96 1/3/96 3/4/96 3/3/96 Mexico $/Peso Hong Kong US$/HK$ Date (MM/DD/YY) 5/4/96 5/3/96 Date (MM/DD/YY) 7/4/96 7/3/96 9/4/96 9/3/96 11/4/96 11/3/96 1/4/97 1/3/97 3/4/97 3/3/97 5/4/97 5/3/97 7/4/97 7/3/97 9/4/97 9/3/97 11/4/97 11/3/97 1/4/98 1/3/98 3/3/98 22 no. 1-0013 Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Mattel Case Study" essay for you Create order