Sheilas Comment Explaining the Action of the Play :: Sheila An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley Essays

Sheila's Comment Explaining the Action of the Play "Well he inspected us all righ Between us we drove that girl To commit suicide" This sentence is very important to the story because Sheila realises that the inspector is not a real inspector but he has inspected them and they lost against him and it was them, each member of the family who contributed to Eva Smiths death. We will learn in this essay how each family member is a contributor to the death of an innocent person, Eva Smith and also how the inspector inspects the family using his power not physically but verbally and how he does the inspection. We learnt about how each person from the Birling's family effects Eva Smith even a good person like Gerald and a bad person like Mr Birling so it is necessary to explain how each character acts towards Eva Smith. Combined with this we learn from the story that an inspector with the name of Goole comes to inspect them all. The first person that strikes on Eva Smith is Mr Birling. Mr Birling is a very rich person. He has a prosperous business but is shown to be extremely greedy and very ironic. His extreme greediness concludes to Eva Smith loosing her job, which was the first hit on Eva Smith. Eva Smith is a very hardworking woman who works for Mr Birling in his factory. She is getting very fed up due to the low wage he pays and which she cannot survive on. She and the other ringleaders are planning on to go on strike after there holidays. Eva Smith after the holidays goes and asks Mr Birling for an increase to 26 Shillings a week which he refuses saying, "I could not consider it" and then sacks her is pretty sad and very evil of him to do that. It also shows me the time of period where women were protesting for their rights and independence and women also died for their rights. So first contributor to Eva Smith's death his Mr Birling because he throws her out of her job because he did not want to give her the increase. You will also learn of his bad and evil personality as the essay proceeds. As I have said before he is very ironic. Before the inspector comes in to inspect them they are having a party because Mr Birling's daughter is engaged to Gerald. Here Mr Birling is telling his son Eric and his future son in law how life is and what is going to happen. His son Eric is talking about a possible war.

Citi Group Restructuring

Background It all began with the financial crisis of 2007-2008, a crisis which was of a scale that had never been seen before. Many economists called it even worse than the Great Depression. Whether it was or not, that’s something that could be argued. But everyone was of the view that the crisis is really very serious. As a result of it large financial institutions collapsed, banks were being bailed out by the national governments and stock markets tanked to their new lows.This caused the collapse of housing markets in many countries, consumer spending suffered immensely as a result, industries went bankrupt, businesses closed down and unemployment peaked. There were many reasons that were put forth by various economists. A report presented in the US senate called it as the â€Å"failure of regulators, credit agencies and markets†. Citigroup’s Sufferings According to a US government’s report which came into the light in 2011, Citigroup which was the third largest US bank in terms of assets at that time was on the verge of failure.Regulators were going to pull the plugs on it anytime as depositors were withdrawing their deposits and bank’s counterparties also declined to give credits to the bank. How Citigroup moved to new setup? Citigroup suffered losses for five consecutive quarters. In the fifth quarter, in fact its losses were to the tune of $ 8. 29 billion. Many in the Citigroup agreed to the fact that unless something is done to sharpen its strategy, Citigroup will never regain its glory and perform accordingly.As a result, Citigroup started analyzing its business and strategies. It was found that Citigroup was involved in too many business segments which stopped it from focusing on its core interest area. While analyzing, everything big or small was examined. Citigroup in its annual report called the analysis as â€Å"wide ranging and dispassionate†. The outcome of this analysis was that the Citigroup finally dec ided to realign the group’s various business interests in two broad segments: Citicorp and Citi Holdings.The thinking behind this new setup was that this structure will help the company focus on its core business areas which in turn would improve the overall performance, while at the same time realizing the value from its non-core assets. The new structure would look like this: In Citicorp, businesses which were core to the group’s strategy and which offered maximum earnings potential to its shareholders with appropriate risk parameters were placed. These businesses are: †¢ Global Transaction Services – Treasury and Trade Solutions Securities and Fund Services †¢ Securities and Banking – Global Banking – Global Markets – Citi Private Bank – Citi Capital Advisors †¢ Regional Consumer Banking – Four Regional Consumer Banks in North America, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), Latin America and Asia that each in clude retail banking, local commercial banking and Citi-branded cards (Source: http://www. citigroup. com/citi/investor/quarterly/2010) Citicorp, according to the new structure will be a relationship driven global bank, to serve both consumers and businesses.The assets of Citicorp include its core assets located across the globe with strong presence in emerging markets like India, China etc. Citicorp will have the capability to take deposits from customers throughout the world in a manner so that maximum return could be availed. Citicorp will have the capacity to serve local customers globally and global customers in a highly localized way. While in Citi Holdings, assets and businesses which were not central to Citi’s strategy were placed.But that does not mean that those assets were not good. Some have had very high value in their own right. Some were big iconic brands like Morgan Stanley Smith Barney joint venture. Citi Holdings includes: †¢ Brokerage and Asset Managem ent, which includes the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney joint venture †¢ Local Consumer Lending – North America, which includes residential and commercial real estate loans; auto, student and personal loans; and retail partner cards International, which includes Western Europe consumer banking and other consumer finance franchises around the world †¢ Special Asset Pool, which includes non-core assets, many of which are illiquid in current markets Citi Holdings will consist of non-core businesses which attract long term investments. But since those businesses are not the core one, therefore they do not enhance the performance of the group as a whole and in fact they compete for the limited resources that the company could employ in a highly risky and volatile situation.It was expected that the management team of Citi Holdings will restructure, divest and manage its business in a way that maximizes the value and will take the group forward in a tough economic situation Vi kram Pandit, then CEO of Citigroup in one of his interview talked about â€Å"accelerating the implementation of its newly evolved strategy to focus on its core business†. Given the market conditions and business sentiments, Vikram Pandit wanted to streamline the business of Citigroup as soon as possible to further strengthen its position and better serve its clients.

Filipino Traits

FILIPINOS ARE: 1. clean. 2. jolly. 3. musically-inclined. Filipinos, although regarded by Claire Danes as dirty people, are hygienic. This may be because of the tropical weather we have. We tend to sweat a lot so we bathe as much as we want. Unlike others, especially the French, we do not just shower or drench our bodies in water; we use soap and even pumice stones to thoroughly cleanse our bodies. We also have the unwavering joie-de-vivre in us.Despite the economical and political issues we face, we still have a candle of hope that never ceases to radiate. We laugh and even crack the most ridiculous jokes even amidst excruciating pain.. We have lots of feast days that would give us a long-term break from problems. We have a happy disposition in life. We are musically-inclined. In every town, there are groups of musicians and bands that showcase exceptional talent in music. Filipinos are starting to dominate the international music scene.There are Allan Pineda, member of the Grammy A ward-winning group Black Eyed Peas (Grammy Award-winning group); Nicole Scherzinger, leader of The Pussycat Dolls; Allan Pineda, vocalist of the Journey; and Charice Pempengco, given the title Icon of Tomorrow by an international teen magazine, to name a few. Also, The University of Santo Tomas Singers Choir of the World- Luciano Pavarotti Grand Prize at the 2010 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, in Wales, UK — the oldest and most prestigious choir competition in the world.OPINION: Due to racial discrimination, most of us conceal our Filipino side. Foreigners mock our country, saying that this is a country of domestic helpers. Moreover, our country is know to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world. We should not be affected by this because there are so many things to be proud of in being a Filipino, and it is our musical inclination usually highlighted, thanks to our artists. Let us just enhance the good points and eliminate the bad ones. I see that we a re starting to ake a good image of our country. Kaya Pilipinas, umasenso ka! ?Ref: http://books. google. com. ph/books? id=uxEYobbU-D8C&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=filipino+musically-inclined&source=bl&ots=-FXeXu7OpE&sig=qJCIQUR6mk-CkmtBO2jlOEiWBmo&hl=tl&ei=7GnTTNLnB8a3cIeLtd4E&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEYQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=filipino%20musically-inclined&f=false http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20071127035508AAEh5ZF http://ph. mg60. mail. yahoo. com/dc/launch?. gx=1&. rand=7thn8lb1eoail Filipino Traits FILIPINOS ARE: 1. clean. 2. jolly. 3. musically-inclined. Filipinos, although regarded by Claire Danes as dirty people, are hygienic. This may be because of the tropical weather we have. We tend to sweat a lot so we bathe as much as we want. Unlike others, especially the French, we do not just shower or drench our bodies in water; we use soap and even pumice stones to thoroughly cleanse our bodies. We also have the unwavering joie-de-vivre in us.Despite the economical and political issues we face, we still have a candle of hope that never ceases to radiate. We laugh and even crack the most ridiculous jokes even amidst excruciating pain.. We have lots of feast days that would give us a long-term break from problems. We have a happy disposition in life. We are musically-inclined. In every town, there are groups of musicians and bands that showcase exceptional talent in music. Filipinos are starting to dominate the international music scene.There are Allan Pineda, member of the Grammy A ward-winning group Black Eyed Peas (Grammy Award-winning group); Nicole Scherzinger, leader of The Pussycat Dolls; Allan Pineda, vocalist of the Journey; and Charice Pempengco, given the title Icon of Tomorrow by an international teen magazine, to name a few. Also, The University of Santo Tomas Singers Choir of the World- Luciano Pavarotti Grand Prize at the 2010 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, in Wales, UK — the oldest and most prestigious choir competition in the world.OPINION: Due to racial discrimination, most of us conceal our Filipino side. Foreigners mock our country, saying that this is a country of domestic helpers. Moreover, our country is know to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world. We should not be affected by this because there are so many things to be proud of in being a Filipino, and it is our musical inclination usually highlighted, thanks to our artists. Let us just enhance the good points and eliminate the bad ones. I see that we a re starting to ake a good image of our country. Kaya Pilipinas, umasenso ka! ?Ref: http://books. google. com. ph/books? id=uxEYobbU-D8C&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=filipino+musically-inclined&source=bl&ots=-FXeXu7OpE&sig=qJCIQUR6mk-kmtBO2jlOEiWBmo&hl=tl&ei=7GnTTNLnB8a3cIeLtd4E&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEYQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=filipino%20musically-inclined&f=falsehttp://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20071127035508AAEh5ZF

Mystery of capitalism

In the book ‘the mystery of capitalism: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else† Hernando De Soto, the Peruvian economist presents a detailed study of several countries and their failure to benefit from capitalism. It is important to mention here that while most economists understand that land is as important a factor of production as liquid capital still many have failed to understand the significance of property and property rights when it comes to the success of a particular economic system. The core purpose of writing this book is to answer the question that the author has posed in the very first chapter: â€Å"But if people in countries making the transition to capitalism are not pitiful beggars, are not helplessly trapped in obsolete ways, and are not the uncritical prisoners of dysfunctional cultures, what is it that prevents capitalism from delivering to them the same wealth it has delivered to the West? Why does capitalism thrive only in the West, as if enclosed in a bell jar?† While we are aware of the fact that land itself is important, we rarely ever delve deeper into this subject to find out how property and its legal rights can play a vital role in the success or failure of an economic system. This is where Hernando De Soto stepped in and has offered a detailed study of property and its legal title in various poor countries with reference to capitalism in those areas. The main purpose of this book is to illustrate the reasons why capitalism has failed in poor countries and why only the developed countries in the West have been able to benefit from this system but the book carefully ignores the reasons which other economists have mentioned often and only focuses on property and its role in the economic system. The author maintains that failure of this system in poor countries is a cause of concern not only for the developing countries but also for the West. â€Å"In the business community of the West, there is a growing concern that the failure of most of the rest of the world to implement capitalism will eventually drive the rich economies into recession. As millions of investors have painfully learned from the evaporation of their emerging market funds, globalization is a two-way street: If the Third World and former communist nations cannot escape the influence of the West, neither can the West disentangle itself from them. Adverse reactions to capitalism have also been growing stronger within rich countries themselves.† It is clear from his book that the most important reason why capitalism has failed to influence the poor countries is because of the difficulties involved in getting legal title to property that poor sections of the society hold. The western countries fail to understand that capitalism is not exactly about growth of Internet or globalization, it is essentially concerned with movement of capital. It is important to mention here that DE SOTO believes that property is not important only because it provides security and a place to dwell in, but its significance lies in he fact that it is an asset, the problem with poor countries is that while a large section of the society possesses this asset, many of them do not have legal rights to those pieces of land. As a result of which they cannot use this land for any other purpose except accommodation. â€Å"Most of the poor already possess the assets they need to make a success of capitalism. But they hold these resources in defective forms. †¦ They lack the process to represent their property and create capital. They have houses, but not titles. It is the representation of assets in legal property documents that gives them the power to create surplus value.† We need to understand that property is a fixed asset and it can be used for several other purposes including collateral. But since the poor sections of the society do not have legal title to the piece of land they hold, they cannot use it as a source of capital, which is the reason why only western countries have, been able to benefit from capitalist system of economy. He is of the view that every person in small developing countries possess immense talent to mint money and engage in business activities successfully but the problem is that since they are not capable of becoming legal owners of the property that they otherwise own unofficially, their access to finances is also limited. The author has also carefully studied the views and theories of various economists from Adam Smith to Karl Marx in order to make the readers understand why capital plays an essential role in capitalist system of economy and why property is the backbone of this system. The author has also focused on the failure of communism and then builds a strong case in connection with failure of capitalism in developing countries. â€Å"Marx said that you needed to go beyond physics to touch â€Å"the hen that lays the golden eggs†; Adam Smith felt you had to create â€Å"a sort of waggon-way through the air† to reach that same hen. But no one has told us where the hen hides.† There is a new concept of ‘dead capital’ presented in this book. Hernando De Soto is of the view that the assets which cannot be used in place of capital becomes dead capital as it has no other value than the one purpose for which it was originally owned. He presents the example of some poor cities including Cairo, Lima, Manila, Mexico City and Porto Prince and shows how these cities are suffering from abundant dead capital. For example in Cairo, the city possesses dead capital worth $ 241.4 billion, which is six times more than the total value of all saving deposits in Egyptian banks. The country itself is thus suffering from its dead assets because they cannot be used as capital and therefore the economic system has failed to reap benefits of capitalism. This brings us to another important question. Why don’t people who unofficially own a piece of land try to gain legal rights to their property? It is a very important question because the answer to it also highlights the dismal performance of various economic and administrative units of developing countries. There are so many difficulties involved in legalizing a piece of property and usually the process takes so long that most poor people simply do not bother to get legal rights. For example in Egypt it takes some 31 agencies and 5-14 years to legally own a piece of land and close to 77 steps are involved in this process. De Soto has taken a serious look at the situation that has consistently suppressed Third World countries. He argues that people in these countries are constantly being oppressed because they lack knowledge about legal rights to property and their governments fail to offer adequate help. Karl Marx first discussed the function of property or its role in the development of nations in detail and De Soto recognizes his contribution. He argues that when property is legally recognized, it is only then that poor people can use it in the way that would be productive and lucrative. Without legal rights to a piece of property, its occupation comes to no production use. De Soto maintains that property rights do not only facilitate legal and productive use of land, they also offer host of other benefits such as creating a sense of responsibility, more commitment from citizens, more politically aware people etc. The most important lesson of the book is the topic of extra-legality. This refers to the sector of illegal property that has created extra-judicial ways to gain and use property. It was removed from West in the 19th century but still plagues third world countries. De Soto writes: â€Å"†¦ The reason capitalism has triumphed in the West and sputtered in the rest of the world is because most of the assets in Western nations have been integrated into one formal representational system.† (p. 52) explaining the way West got rid of extra-legality, De Soto further adds that, â€Å"This integration did not happen casually. Over decades in the nineteenth century, politicians, legislators, and judges pulled together the scattered facts and rules that govern property throughout cities, villages, buildings, and farms and integrated them into one system. This â€Å"pulling together† of property representations, a revolutionary moment in the history of developed nations, deposited all the information and rules governing the accumulated wealth of their citizens into one knowledge base. Before that moment, information about assets was far less accessible. †¦For knowledge to be functional, advanced nations have to integrate into one comprehensive system all their loose and isolated data about property. Developing and former communist nations have not done this†¦.It was this â€Å"revolutionary† development in the 19th century that sparked the Industrial Revolution the economic progress that is the hallmark of Western society.† (p. 52) De Soto informs his readers that in the West during the 19th century, the private property laws were introduced to tackle the problem of extra-legality. This led to a capitalist revolution in these parts of the world and led to enormous economic growth. We need to understand that De Soto has found a close connection between integration of systems and codified laws. He argues: It may surprise the Western reader that most of the world's nations have yet to integrate extralegal property agreements into one formal legal system. For Westerners, there supposedly is only one law — the official one. Yet the West's reliance on integrated property systems is a phenomenon of at most the last two hundred years. In most Western countries, integrated property systems appeared only about one hundred years ago; Japan's integration happened little more than fifty years ago. As we shall see in detail later, diverse informal property arrangements were once the norm in every nation. Legal pluralism was the standard in continental Europe until Roman law was rediscovered in the fourteenth century and governments assembled all currents of law into one coordinated system. (p. 53) But is it correct to say that in the absence of centrally controlled legal system, we cannot have an integrated property system? Well I guess that is wrong to assume because the two can exist independently of each other. This is because these two deal with completely different things. One deals with access of information and the other is concerned with protection of property. From where I am looking at the situation, I feel that these two could exist without each other. But the way De Soto connects them makes sense too. He believes that without protection of property, we cannot have accurate information about ownership of property and vice versa. De Soto is of the view that common law is a problem in the third world countries because it was the same kind of law that caused property problems in the West too. He claims that common law could not â€Å"provide guidance for how courts should handle cases involving people who had bought or inherited land of dubious title,† and that, â€Å"more importantly, the English common law of property was often ill suited to deal with the problems that confronted the colonists.† (p. 111) But this may not be entirely true. Customary law or common law has its own benefits. Its strength lies in its ability to raise solutions as problems arise. But De Soto sees it differently. The book definitely has its share of merits. Its one of the best books written so far on the subject of third world oppression because of property. I don’t think anyone really understood the significance of having legal property before the publication of this book. The author has chosen a different route for seeking a solution to the third world development problems. This solution may or may not work depending on its implementation but it sure offers a new way to study the problem. REFERENCE: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else (New York: Basic Books and London: Bantam Press/Random House, 2000)      

Oates v Emerson Essay

In class out of the three essays we read I choose to do a compare-contrast between Ralph Waldo Emerson’s and Joyce Carol Oates’s essays. I choose these two because they both had different feels towards nature. Oates is against nature and Emerson is about becoming one with nature. Even though both have different meaning, both Oates and Emerson successfully uses rhetorical strategies such as appeal to credibility, emotion, and logic to support their claims on nature. In Emerson’s â€Å"From Nature† he uses credibility when he refers to god. He states that â€Å"I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing†¦I am part or particle of God†. Emerson is basically saying that he is one with nature. He is persuading the reader to think this. Emerson relates to his audience through the feelings that nature by its self can inspire. In Oates â€Å"Against Nature† she uses credibility at the very beginning of her essay by stating, â€Å"I was lying o n my back in the dirt†¦staring up at the sky†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By this statement you get an image in your head of what’s occurring. Oates uses credibility again in her essay when referring to â€Å"Edmund of King Lear†. In both of their essays, Emerson and Oates effectively use credibility to support their claims. In Oates essay she uses emotion when mentioning something quite gruesome. She states â€Å"†¦the raccoon†¦tearing at his own belly with his teeth, so that his intestines spill out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Another example is when she mentions that she has â€Å"paroxysmal tachycardia† and that it just so happens to be â€Å"fatal†. You cannot help but to feel bad for her. Is this the reason she doesn’t enjoy nature since her condition can attack so unexpectedly? In Emerson’s essay he uses emotion when states that â€Å"but none†¦owns the landscape†. He is saying that anyone can enjoy nature. Next he says that â€Å"In the woods, is perpetual youth†. This is emotion because Emerson mentions childhood, and this is something that people remember. He has felt that he has been changed by nature, and that you should to. Both essays use logic in order to support their position on nature. Oates uses logic in her essay when stating the dangers of her medical condition. She mentions why it’s â€Å"fatal† by reason, and that the most important thing you can do with tachycardia is that â€Å"you must prevent  panic†. She with this statement also includes statistics on the amounts of heartbeats it takes for the condition to be fatal. Another example is when Oates refers poems of writers such as â€Å"Flowers and Fruit† by Colette and â€Å"Taking the Side of Things† by Ponge. Now in Emerson’s he uses the appeal of logic when he convinces his reader that â€Å"we have no questions†¦are unanswerable†. This statement is reasoning that nature will answer all questions. He proves that nature is greater than man, and that it deserves respect. To conclude, both Oates and Emerson effectively use the appeals of credibility, emotion, and logic to support their position when it comes to nature. They both are complete opposites when it comes to nature. Emerson feels that nature is not only beautiful, but that it holds something different for everyone. Oates on the opposing side dismisses nature and all its glory. Oates has her view against nature and Emerson’s essay is successful in uncovering truths about nature and man’s role in nature.

Distribution Channel Management Essay

BMW Motorcycles is a division within the BMW Group. As such their mission is tied to that of the parent company. On the BMW Group website it is noted as follows:†Identifying potential and encouraging growth. Knowing what we represent. Recognizing where our strengths lie and making the best use of every opportunity. Following a clear strategy. Goals we have attained are in essence the point of departure for new challenges. This is the philosophy that inspires every individual at the BMW Group. It influences the company’s structure and it plays a vital role in the decision-making process. Our corporate ethos finds its expression in the uncompromising pursuit of the superlative. The result? Outstanding brands with an unmistakable profile. Automobiles and motorcycles which fascinate people all over the world and which win legions of new admirers every day. And a degree of success which sees the BMW Group go from strength to strength. With the three brands, BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the BMW Group has its sights set firmly on the premium sector of the international automobile market. To achieve its aims, the company knows how to deploy its strengths with an efficiency that is unmatched in the automotive industry. From research and development to sales and marketing, BMW Group is committed to the very highest in quality for all its products and services. The company’s phenomenal success is proof of this strategy’s correctness.†BMW Motorcycles provides a robust product line following three general categories: Touring, Sport, and Enduro. Touring bikes are built for the long haul, with rider comfort as the premium. These are the motorcycles you would take on a cross country trip. Sport bikes satisfy the â€Å"need for speed† and styling trends for the younger crowd. Enduro bikes are for the adventurer is us all; these bikes are built for on or off road travel. BMW Motorcycles’ main competition comes from Japanese motorcycle companies. Most American motorcycle companies produce cruiser style bikes; BMW offers little choice in this style of motorcycle. However, each of the main Japanese manufacturers (Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki) offers motorcycles that are very similar in style and performance. Although BMW has  historically had its own niche in the market, that of the older male, it has recently branched off into more dedicated off-road and super-sport bikes. These are categories that have been historically dominated by the Japanese manufacturers. Throughout the years, BMW motorcycles have been renowned for their durability and engineering. BMW has always been on the forefront of motorcycle engineering. BMW was the first motorcycle manufacturer to offer ABS on a motorcycle. They have also revolutionized motorcycle suspensions with their Telelever anti-dive suspension and Paralever single-arm suspension. Although BMWs are more costly, that price is offset by the life cycle of the motorcycle. Until recent years there hasn’t been much of a rivalry between the Japanese manufacturers and BMW Motorcycles. BMW had its small place in the market and was not a threat to the Japanese firms. BMW Motorcycles were not known to be stylish or fast, the two categories that attract the majority of motorcycle buyers. BMW attracted more mature owners who were impressed by the machine’s reliability and durability, and who had more money to spend on a new bike. The lack of power was partly due to BMW self-imposed limitations on horsepower in motorcycles. However, these limitations were lifted in the late 1990s, and BMW began to produce super-sport bikes that rivaled the Japanese bikes, and even surpassed the Japanese competitor’s performance. Up to this point, young males were rarely interested in purchasing BMWs. They cost twice as much as the closet Japanese bikes, they were slower, and they were less attractive. In essence they were the Volvo of the motorcycle world. However, like Volvo, once BMW redesigned their product line into more powerful and stylish motorcycles, they began to quickly cut into the Japanese manufacturers’ market share. BMW motorcycles have consistently won â€Å"Best Bike† awards in various categories within the past few years. Several of these awards include â€Å"2005 & 2006 Best Touring Bike† for the R1200RT, and â€Å"2005 Best Adventure Bike† for the F650GS. BMW Motorcycles reported December 2006 sales up 36.8% over the same period in 2005. In 2005, annual sales worldwide for BMW topped  100,000 motorcycles. In 2004, approximately 5.7 million motorcycles were sold in the US, of which 12,825 were BMWs. Estimates of market share for 2005 show Honda in the lead with 24% of the market, followed by Harley-Davidson and Buell with 22.6%, Yamaha at 15.9%, Suzuki at 11.8%, Kawasaki at 9.1%, KTM at 1.7%, BMW with 1.2% and â€Å"Other† at 13.7%. Although BMW gains less than 2% of total US motorcycle sales market, they only reflect less than half of BMW’s worldwide sales. BMW sold more motorcycles in Italy (13,651 bikes), than in the US, and Spain was a close third wit h 10,002 bikes. The BMW R1200GS has been the top selling bike worldwide for the past several years. As a result, Japanese motorcycle manufacturers have recently introduced large engine dual sport bikes to their lineups to compete with the BMW. The BMW R1200RT has been increasingly sought after by police departments as their bike of choice, replacing the mainstay Kawasakis. With their ever increasing popularity and sales, BMW is becoming a threat to the Japanese manufacturers and the rivalry is growing. Two of the primary attributes for motorcycles are durability and performance. Durability is defined as the capability of withstanding wear and tear, it is measured by a products ability to perform or compete over a long period. For a motorcycle this can include engine life, the ability to conduct repairs, and retention of market value. Performance is defined as the way in which someone or something functions. For motorcycles it includes horsepower, acceleration, cornering ability, and maximum speed. Target MarketsTarget Market 1: Young Males 18-25- Generally college age males, style and performance are the biggest factors for this group. Cost could be an exclusionary criterion, as this group may not have a large cash base. Target Market 2: Adult Males (25-40)- Established professionals. Performance not as big a factor as durability or economy is. This group is willing to spend more for a higher quality product. They are style conscious, but style is not necessarily a prime factor. Target Market 3: Females (all ages)- Female motorcycle buyers are a growing market, but still small enough to treat all ages as a singular group. Female riders generally are looking for something economical and stylish. Performance is low on the list of criteria. Primary Product Categories. -Enduro . These are dual purpose motorcycles that are built for both on and off road. -High Performance. Specialized off road motorcycle. -Tour. These are bikes built for long distance rides. Comfort is number one on these bikes. -Sport. These are your speed bikes. They are built to go fast and look good. -Urban. These are the bikes built to cruise the road and get good gas mileage while they are at it. This is the commuter bike category, not flashy but dependable. EnduroHigh PerformanceTouringSportUrbanYoung Male21 / 3Adult Male11 / 3Female221Core products2Rarely sold to these individuals3Biggest purchaser of items in this categoryImportant Cells:Young Male /Sport. This is the primary product line for this target market. They are looking for style and speed. This is the category that provides those. This line is very important, as this is the largest share of the entire market. BMW has been behind in this line, and only recently become competitive within the past few years. Although they now have one of the highest performing motorcycles, it is difficult to overcome the brand recognition the Japanese motorcycles have built up in this line. The competitive advantage in this line is gained through a mix of performance and appeal, with cost also a major factor. Perceived performance and style may be more important than true performance and style. Young Male / Urban. This is a growing market the past few years. BMW is neck and neck with all its competitors to grab a share, due to the newness of this motorcycle category. This is important, because getting the recognition and sales in this product line can affect the sales of the other lines. No company currently has an advantage. The advantage can be achieved by offering a motorcycle with excellent handling, great gas mileage, at a low cost. One of BMW’s products, the F650, has been seeing robust sales due to the high MPG. BMW is poised to gain an advantage in this market, the key will be to ensure the BMW name recognition is realized within this target market. Adult Male Enduro. BMW has had the leading product in this market since the introduction of their R – GS line of bikes. This award winning product has been continually recognized and awarded for its attributes. It is the king of the hill of enduro bikes, with no true competition in sight. This bike has become on of the cornerstones of BMW motorcycles, and thus its continued success will be a direct reflection of the company. BMW has been able to sustain their advantage in this market / line by continually improving the product. Adult Male / Touring. This category has seen large growth in the past few years. BMW is poised to gain an advantage here, due in large part to the recognition they are gaining by the police forces. Police forces have been buying their R-RT models in increasing numbers for the past five years. This has had a direct impact on the sales volume of not only this product, but the touring line as a whole. The police usage has given BMW greater brand recognition. Keeping the bikes visible within police forces will be the key to maintaining their competitive advantage. There are only two real competitors in this category, the Kawasaki Concours and the Honda Goldwing. The Honda has been the leader in this line until several years ago when BMW sales began to overtake them. BMW provides better durability, performance and comfort than the competitors. These are all key attributes for this target market. BMW has been pursuing new markets and products; they also have opportunity to develop both, especially in the female rider market. In the past few years, BMW has introduced improved models of their existing motorcycles to increase their appeal to younger markets. They have greatly increased their performance and styling, both key attributes sought after by this largest target market. As a result of developing this market, profits in the young male market have soared. In addition, BMW has introduced all new models of motorcycles. Of these new models, the most notable are high performance sport bikes to appeal to the young males, and less powerful, smaller frame bikes to increase appeal to beginners and females. Since 1999 BMW has developed close to 15 new motorcycle products for introduction. Each of these bikes has seen brisk sales. BMW does not hold a competitive advantage in the motorcycle market; this is due to several factors. BMW motorcycles are expensive. In many cases they cost more than $10,000 more than their market competitor. Although BMWs are more durable than their less expensive competition, the prime market does not appear to be willing to spend the increased cost for a higher quality product. In motorcycle sales, no company holds a sustained competitive advantage. The Japanese motorcycle companies, with their powerful, inexpensive motorcycles share the competitive advantage over the American and European motorcycle companies. However, this advantage tends to shift to a different company each year as new bikes are introduced. The price points for Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki are all similar for each comparable product; with generally only several hundred dollars difference. Any competitive advantage among these companies will rarely last over a model year or two. Thus there is no sustained competitive advantage among these rivals. Due to the similarities in the product offerings between all these companies, unless some revolutionary technology is developed, it will be nearly impossible to sustain any competitive advantage. Customer satisfaction is a high priority with BMW; in 2001 BMW Motorcycles introduced the â€Å"Customer-Oriented Sales and Production Process†. This process is used from customer order to delivery. It begins with an online  ordering system which allows a BMW Motorcycle dealer to send a customer’s order directly to the manufacturing plant, eliminating wholesalers or resellers and providing instant delivery status. This system also allows the customer to change any detail of his order, up to the minute that production is begun. All BMW motorcycles and parts are built at the BMW plant in Berlin, Germany. BMW motorcycles were originally built in BMW’s historic Munich plant until the 1960s. BMW concentrates all motorcycle related production, to include many component parts in the Berlin plant. This plant can build up to 500 motorcycles a day. BMW motorcycles are built to general specification and also may be custom designed from anywhere in the world. The Berlin plant builds motorcycles to the specific requirements of the over 20 countries they deliver to. The BMW motorcycle plant in Berlin uses state-of-the-art technology. It has been recognized as the most modern motorcycle manufacturing plant in the world. Like their motorcycles, the production plant is focused on ergonomics and efficiency. In addition, the factory incorporates numerous environmental friendly processes. Many of these processes, including production water recycling, also help to cut production costs. The BMW logistics division is responsible for organizing the motorcycle production. Together with marketing, sales and production departments it plans the production schedule, generates the best production sequence and ensures timely delivery of the motorcycle to the customer. Logistic specialists plan and coordinate the delivery of material to assembly and make sure that quality parts are cost-efficiently delivered to the production line. BMW Motorcycles has more than 400 external suppliers provide some 9,000 different parts and components. These parts are delivered to BMW’s Berlin plant on time and in the correct quantities. Most of the suppliers specialize in motorcycle parts for BMW. 65 % of the suppliers are located in Germany, 34 % in Europe and 1% in USA and Japan. In 2001, BMW reengineered its distribution process to reduce costs and improve response time for dealers and parts vendors. Once the motorcycle is completely assembled, it is transported from the factory direct to the retailer who placed the customer’s order through a â€Å"Retailer Channel† method. BMW uses a variety of transportation methods including truck, rail, and sea lift ; depending on the destination of the product. In the USA, BMW motorcycles are received and distributed out of two warehouse locations in New Jersey and California. From there, they are delivered direct to the retailer. BMW Motorcycle dealers are authorized by BMW to sell the motorcycle product line, and to also provide an after sales service to BMW customers. To maintain brand image and ensure customer satisfaction is met, the dealers comply with corporate requirements and guidelines in the presentation of their facility. BMW considers corporate identity and brand image to be paramount to maximize awareness of the differences between it and its competitors. These guidelines establish standards for interior and exterior design, levels of customer service, signage, typefaces and advertising. The goal of these requirements is to maintain BMW’s prestigious reputation. In addition, BMW provides management support, training courses for all dealer staff, recruitment assistance, marketing support, and an internal comprehensive online reference system which gives immediate access to up-to-date product and corporate information. BMW’s dedication to customer service, both service visible to the consumer and services which are transparent, give it a decisive advantage within its distribution channels. By striving to provide the customer the exact product desired, in a timely manner, they have streamlined their distribution processes. In addition to providing satisfaction to the consumer, this retailer channel process has cut transportation and resale costs to the benefit of both BMW and the customer. The benefits of BMW’s â€Å"Customer-Oriented Sales and Production Process† are  that the consumer can get an individualized BMW motorcycle without having to purchase a cookie-cutter motorcycle and numerous after-market products. The customer gets his one of a kind motorcycle right off the production line. In addition, he can order his customized motorcycle and receive it in a comparatively short period of time, with instantaneous production progress status available upon request. These are benefits to the consumer that the competitors cannot provide. With Japanese manufacturers, they sell the base motorcycle with very limited options. It is a dice roll that the configuration you want is in stock locally. This level of customer service, along with the high quality of the motorcycles, creates a rabid dedication to the BMW brand. BMW motorcycle owner typically will purchase another BMW over any of the competitor’s brands. This is decidedly one of the factors giving to the steady increase in market share of BMWs, and thus proof of BMW’s competitive advantage. References1. BMW Group. http://www.bmwgroup.com2. BMW Group Mission. http://www.bmwgroup.com/bmwgroup_prod/e/nav/index.html?http://www.bmwgroup.com/bmwgroup_prod/e/0_0_www_bmwgroup_com/unternehmen/unternehmensprofil/strategie/strategie.html3. Web Bike World. http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-news/blog/4. Hoffman, Nicole P. An Examination of the † Sustainable Competitive Advantage† Concept: Past, Present, and FutureAcademy of Marketing Science Review [Online] 20005.BMW Berlin Manufacturing Planthttp://www.bmw-werk-berlin.de/berlin/htdocs/english/produktion/logistik/index_logistik.htmlThe Motorcycles:1.BMW Motorcycles. http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/index.jsp2.Suzuki Motorcycles. http://www.suzukicycles.com/3.Kawasaki Motorcycles. http://www.kawasaki.com4.Yamaha Motorcycles. http://www.yamaha-motor.com5.Honda Motorcycles. http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles

Research Proposal Master Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Master - Research Proposal Example These greenhouse gases, in large part, emanate from human activities, particularly the consumption of fossil fuels and the changes in the ways that land is used. But what does this have to do with business Consider the economic costs of the chaotic weather patterns that have broadened in scale over the past decades. Patterns of floods and drought that have devastated local areas have increased in their extremity. The severity and frequency of hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as in more mundane thunderstorms, have also increased. This can be attributed to the increase in global temperatures, and so one can see that increased production of greenhouse gases can have a lasting effect on business - particularly as those who owned businesses in Florida before it was hit by Hurricane Andrew, or in New Orleans before it was hit by Hurricane Katrina, can attest. The focus of this paper will be to measure the specific effects of climate change on the global economy. In other words, how will the current trend of climate change affect the world's productivity if it does not go unchecked Can the world accept President Bush's laissez-faire approach to climate control, or does the global economy demand more specific solutions Literature Search. Literature Search. I located five articles that represent a cross-section of the spectrum of thought about the ways that global climate change will affect the world's economy. Jennifer G. Hickey's essay entitled "Flaky climate data will cost U.S. dough - economic costs of global warming treaty" represents the side of the skeptics - those who feel that the science behind the idea that human activity has generated greenhouse gases that are causing higher global temperatures to be a fallacy. These skeptics generally tend to fall in the politically conservative ranks, and they see no reason for government to intervene in the affairs of business on the basis of iffy science. Implementing such measures as the Kyoto emissions treaty would have economic effects that are more easily measured and verified, in the writer's opinion, than the less tangible benefits of reduced emissions. One of the counterarguments that this essay puts forth in response to the call for reduced emissions is the idea that, between 1940 and 1970, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased dramatically, and yet the global temperature fell during that time frame (Hickey). This article goes through several economic projections of the financial effects of the Kyoto treaty on the American economy, which the Clinton Administration signed, but never sent to the Senate for formal ratification. Of interest is the fact that this article was written in 1997. During the intervening years, such writing as this has declined in the mainstream press, becoming relegated more and more to right-wing publications. It is still an argument that has its strong adherents, though, and would be an obstacle to implementing large-scale environmental regulations unless there were ironclad proof that greenhouse gas emissions directly caused global warming, and that global warming was certain to harm the economy in the future. Next, I found two sources by William D. Nordhaus. One is a brief analysis of the economic and environmental effects of the