Case Study: Michelin’s supply chain strategy Essay

Michelin is the forefront of the radial tire as well as a leader on the world tire market; they occupied almost 20% market share in the world. It’s  realized that the trend towards globalization as more intense competitions that obtain to lower cost and improve the efficient operations. Meanwhile, Michelin have its strong vision, because they have already established a global mission since 1900s, and built 35 factories around the world between 1960 and 1975. Michelin can be gain the competitive edge in the global market through various manufacturing strategies, refer to (2000, Geoff Buxey) indicates that it’s generally classify into a several evolve levels, _Domestic, Market access, Low cost and Global ._Furthermore, in order to cope with the challenges under several competitions such as Goodyear and Bridgestone, they have setting a position as successful in the †Quality assurance.† Also there are comparison and contrast the global operations between Michelin and Bridgestone in the latter sector. Q1. _THE MANUFACTURING STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY MICHELIN IN ORDER TO GAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN GLOBAL MARKET._ Michelin have 69 production sites in19 countries and their commercially available in 170 countries. This successful is not only base on the ability to coordinate the whole entities in the global supply chain network, but also depends on their manufacturing strategies to obtain Michael Porter (1985) a sustainable Competitive advantage. GLOBAL In 1906, Michelin built its first plant outside of France in Turin, Italy and United States, that’s implicated that they begin to develop and access to the international market. More recently, Michelin have dispersion to six target markets: Europe, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, China, Africa and the Middle-East. MICHELIN’S MANUFACTURING STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES Michelin’s Tire manufacturing is consist the nature of labor-intensive and capital-intensive, therefore they need to adopting different strategies between advanced countries and emerging countries, mix of _low cos_t and _market access_ strategies to enter into the global market, as (2000, Geoff Buxey) points out that the _global manufacturing strategy_ is consist of low cost and market access strategy. DOMESTIC Europe is the industrial base of Michelin, their products are provides to two main markets to the world: Original Equipment Market and Replacement market. In Europe, they keen to keep its competitive advantage in providing high technical products and offer a high-quality and innovative products and services; also a R&D department act as a major role in providing a continuous support to their manufacturing strategy. Besides, Increase the productivity can be directly reduce their operation cost, as the case mentioned, Michelin tend to be through reduced the production size to increase the productivity in Europe. FOCUS ON HIGH QUALITY & TECHNICAL PRODUCTS PRODUCED IN EUROPE. This is no doubt that, Michelin is leadership in advanced technologies, not only in _Safety_, _Energy efficiency_, but also in _Environmental friendliness_. For instance, develop a low rolling resistance tires for the purpose of reducing vehicle fuel consumption as the public is more consider about environmental friendliness. The powerful evidence to prove that the quality of Michelin’s products are recognized, World trade Magazine to award of †Manufacturer of Honor† to Michelin in 2007, because they provide vehicle tires to U.S. military throughout the world. ACCESS INTO THE EMERGING MARKET AND DIFFERENTIATION Meanwhile, the increases in the demand of emerging market and the y realized that the transportation cost is involves a large percentage of their net sales, therefore, establishing a plants in the oversea market and let the production close to the marketplace, it can not only reduce the inventory and transportation cost, but also able to fulfill the customer needs immediately and response to the market change. From the annual report in 2006, there are 3 fields of strategies need to be implement, that including †_Differentiation through innovation and expansion in emerging countries to stimulate growth_.† Martin Christopher (2005) discusses that, in today’s marketplace where customers seek individuality and where segments are getting smaller, a major source of competitive advantage can be gained by linking production flexibility to customer need for variety. It’s agreed that provides a diversity of products might grab the market share in the emerging market. Moreover, Michelin establishes more plants in different areas can be fulfilling the sharp increases in demand. SPECIALIZED /FOCUSED FACTORIES To achieve the major strategic productivity gains, Michelin concentration on industrial capacity and specialization of plants. Michelin expect to through †_The Michelin Manufacturing Way_ (MMW) † to increase their productivity, which is a management tool shared by all Group plants and able to reduce their purchasing costs Besides, owing to cater for specific and unique local demands, Michelin adopted specialized/focused factories strategy as so to fulfill various  customer needs and achieve local customization . Martin Christopher (2005) points out that, Focus Factories means † limiting the range and mix of products manufactured in a single location the company can achieve considerable economies of scale.† It allows Michelin to enjoy lower operation cost because the significant scale economics can be achieved in manufacturing if greater volumes are produced on fewer sites and it allow each factory on a specific product range. As a global company, Michelin adopting a different strategy in various markets and fulfill the customer needs at full steam. Through achieve a products differentiation to capture the new customer in the emerging market; also, they have its strong local presence to adapt to the specific features of the world markets. In addition, further develop the technical products which depend on their ability to offer a high-quality and innovative products and services can be maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage in the global market. Q.2 EVALUATE MICHELIN’S GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT STRATEGY (GSCM), ANY ISSUES THEY NEED TO COPING WITH AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. With increased globalization, GSCM strategy is becoming an important issue for Michelin, the flow between and among all firms engaged in offering a good or service to the final customer. FROM UPSTREAM TO THE DOWNSTREAM OF THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN GLOBAL SOURCING The GSCM in Michelin is very complicated, because different markets also have its own characteristics in the customer needs and the sales network is covering over 170 countries. From the upstream supply chain, Michelin adopted a _Global sourcing_ as a strategic approach to reduce the raw-material cost and mix of the  manufacturing inputs available anywhere in the world and gain access to the oversea markets, which supported by †The Factor-Input Strategy† and †The Market-Access Strategy† OEMS AND REPLACEMENT From the downstream supply chain, Michelin have established 11 specialized business units to monitor and co-ordinate the operation among entities into the GSCM. Besides, they have two different business models, OEMs and Replacement market. But it’s interrelated, because the original equipment sector sales will make a direct contribution by boosting demand for replacement tires. The tire dealers obtain the inventory of new replacement tires through Michelin’s Distribution Centres and the demand is come from different customers and it’s less certainty than OEMs market. Therefore, the Lead time in the OEMs can be reduced, because the orders are placed by the major vehicle manufacturers in a short period of time. For instance, Michelin was also OEMs supplier to _General Motor’s_ and _Honda’s_ vehicles Bob Ulrich (2007) until recently. Therefore, these two types of market segments have to using different strategy to control the downstream supply chain. EFFICIENT SUPPLY CHAIN AND RESPONSIVE SUPPLY CHAIN Fisher (1997) suggested two distinctive strategies, Efficient supply chain (ESC) and Responsive supply chain (RSC), and presented a model which links supply chains to products. There are two distinctive supply chain approaches; Replacement products represent an ESC and the lead time is longer, the OEMs products represent a RSC because it’s able to flexible in handling variance in customer demand.  Huang, Uppal et al. (2002) presented a _hybrid supply chain_, demonstrate that some automobile components may contain innovative features, and the hybrid supply chain may therefore be appropriated in Michelin. Nonetheless, Michelin also tend to integration of the global supply chain network to maximum their profitability and the core factors to determine their global supply chain strategy is depending on the market and product’s characteristics. POTENTIAL ISSUES FACING BY MICHELIN The increases in the cost of raw-materials and which are resulting in a negative overall impact on operating income. The OEMs market is growing show in advanced market, however, there are growing rapid in emerging market in both OEMs and Replacement, and it has increased 15% tire sales from 60% in 2005 to 75% in 2006 in Replacement market. As the sharply increase the demand in Replacement market, Vollmann(2005) states that †the Customer order decoupling point† which position in the †Finished stages† of the supply chain in replacement market, therefore, achieve an optimize inventory and avoid stock out is very difficult, meanwhile, product life cycle become shorter and the product variety continuous increase will force the demand more difficult to forecast. Michelin need to face several potential issues, Increases in the cost of Raw-Material( rubber), OEMs market growing slow, Increases in lead time, Increases in the inventory related- cost, It takes a high cost in transportation because of shipping across boundaries, The supporting activity to develop in the emerging country, especially in technological aspects. Replacement products require a forecast driven supply chain, the demand is variety and the inventory will be increase continuously, because the lead time is very long, dealers have to make a buffering stock to reduce the risk in stock out, also, a increasing in distribution cost is a considerable issue as well. RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FUTURE VENDOR MANAGED INVENTORY (VMI) PRACTICES AND VERTICAL INTEGRATION Working closely with key supplier can be reduce the in-bound lead times, that’s allow the upstream supplier planning and monitoring the inventory control systems for the downstream parities. There are allow information sharing between both parties, inventory could be replaced by information, the more accurate information you obtain, the less the inventory you hold. Meanwhile, it ensures the raw-material supply certainty and the reduction of the procurement cost to offset the increased in the price of raw-material. The major benefits will be gained from a great deal of reduction in inventory and the reduction of lead time, not only in the ordering processing stages but also in the distribution stages. In addition, although Michelin have its own natural rubber plantations, and there are only supplies a part of the raw-materials, moreover, a dual supplier to reduce the risk in disruption of supplies is necessary. STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH THE THIRD-PARTY LOGISTICS PROVIDERS (3PLS) To cope with the increases in the distribution cost, the global tire company decided that outsourcing its distribution network was the right way to leveraging new capabilities for competitive advantage, because Manufacturing firms and 3PLs can specialize on there area of competences, Thomas A. Foster  (2004) points out that, Michelin decided to transform its North America business to TNT in 2004 based on their well local experience. It’s suggested that, Michelin can be take the same action in the emerging market to directly reduce their operations costs, transportation costs as well as handling costs, additionally, Michelin can increase the cash flow because running a DC will tied up a million of dollar. RE-ENGINEERING OPERATIONS Actually, OEMs is a best approach to reduce the total lead time and reduce the inventory as well, therefore, they should more concentrate on this market. Charles J. asserts that †manufacturers can obtain the largest decreases in lead times through _re-engineering operations.†_ Many new terms describe the re-engineered production methods that companies are adopting, for instance Just-In-Time manufacturing, lean/agility manufacturing. And there are two major benefits gain from re-engineering operation, Company can use the short lead times to drive down its costs as well as generate increased sales. Nevertheless, before implement this approach, it’s very important to synchronize and standardize the technological standard so as to transfer the high technical product line to the emerging market. Q 3. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST THE GLOBAL OPERATIONS BETWEEN MICHELIN AND BRIDGESTONE Michelin is a French company and Bridgestone is a Japanese company, both of them also got award in the Fortune global 500 in 2006, former ranked in 335, and latter ranked in 245. Nonetheless, if based on the market share, Bridgestone is currently ranked as the second company in the global tire market, Michelin is the first. GLOBAL STRATEGY The global strategy in both companies is very similar; they also serving two major markets in the worldwide: Original Equipment Market (OEMs) and  Replacement market. In the previous stage, they strengthen their operation in domestic market (France and Japan) and gradually access into the different countries and the production belt shifting from host countries to new areas. Owing to penetrate the advanced-market such as United-state, Michelin acquires a U.S. tire manufacturers B.F. Goodrich in 1988 and Uniroyal Company in 1990. Meanwhile, Bridgestone acquires the second largest tire manufacturer in United States in 1988 and acquires a US-based Bandag, Inc., in recently. They can directly grab a part of market share in U.S. market, and achieved a synergy effect. To allow an effective to implementation of the global operation, Michelin have establish 11 specialized group services to make sure that they are consistent on a global scale, meanwhile, Bridgestone also have 8 strategic business units (SBUs) to support their global operation, Each SBU has substantial autonomy to focus on satisfying customer needs within the policy framework. GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN Michelin is adopts a global sourcing strategy in the upstream of the supply chain, in contrary, Bridgestone adopts vertical integration with the raw-materials suppliers and maintain the sources steadily. In the sales networks, there are totally different; Michelin through dealer to sale the products, and Bridgestone combines dealer operations together with company-owned facilities, and acquires Bandag, inc., to capture the global network of about 850 franchised dealers in over 86 countries. However, in the distribution network, Michelin have outsourced the U.S. distribution operation to TNT and layoff the own-DCs in 2004, it can reduce the cost directly. LOCATION OF PRODUCTION AND THE TARGET MARKETS The global distribution network is very sophisticated in both companies, and  there are the comparisons between two companies. The target markets also focus on six geographic areas; however, there is little bit difference. Because Bridgestone is a Japanese company, therefore, the domestic market (Japan) capture a great deal of percentage of their total sales, in contrary, the total sales of Michelin have 49% is account for Europe’s business. Generally, their geographic coverage is almost similar, it covering Europe, Japan, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, China, Africa and the Middle-East. In Michelin, the Group’s growth in Asia will be significant, and along with the increase volume in demand and they have ability to enhance industrial performance at their plants to achieve cost reduction. But in the Bridgestone, they increase the capital investment in Europe and increase the production capacity in strategic product line while keen to develop in the emerging markets. PRODUCTS DIFFERENCE Michelin represents a leader of advanced technologies in safety, energy efficiency, as well as environmental friendliness. Also, they have offering a tour guide books and online mapping services. In contrary, Bridgestone is emphasis on high-value added products and it’s divided into two types of products, Tires and Diversified Product. Tires account for 80 % of sales in 2006 and the rest is the others. _CONCLUSION_ Michelin based on persistent strong brands, quality and services, to pursuing a targeted growth strategy that is worldwide, until now, the global footprints has been significant increased, as a leader in an advanced technological and providing high quality products, Michelin need to balance and co-ordination their operation between industrial base countries and the emerging countries for the purposes to maintain a sustainable competitive advantages. In the emerging market, with the sharply increase growth in the replacement sector, Michelin need to concentrate on this sector as well as increase the productivity to fulfill the large volume in demand, meanwhile, the supply chain performance always is a critical element to achieve the cost reduction as the main objectives in Michelin in recent years is focus on raising their productivity and implementing the cost reduction programs, it enable sufficient to compensate for any sharp increases in raw material costs. Last but not least, it’s recognized that that, Michelin is a very successful tire manufacturer in providing a high quality products and which are beyond to its value. _REFERENCES_ Martin Christopher (2005), 3rd Ed † Logistics and Supply chain management creating Value-adding Networks† Great Britain: Person Education Limited 2005, p194,p212-213,p235 Geoff Buxey, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (2000) † Strategic in an era of global competition† International Journal of Operaions & Production Management, Vol. 20 NO. 9 2000, pp. 997,1003 Vollmann/Berry/Whybark/Jacobs( 2005), 5th Edition † Manufacturing Planning and Control for Supply Chain Management† McGraw-Hill/Irwin: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., p.20-21 Porter, M. (1985) _Competitive Advantage_, Free Press, New York, 1985. Steermann, H (2003) â€Å"A practical look at CPFR: the Sears – Michelin experience.† _Supply Chain Management Review_, July/ august 2003, pp. 46-53. Fisher, M. L. (1997). â€Å"What is the right supply chain for your product?† _Harvard Business Review_ (March-April 1997), p.105-116. Donald F. Wood Anthony P. Barone, Paul R. Murphy, Daniel L. Wardlow (2002) International Logistics 2nd Edition. AMACOM: American Management Association p.368-371 Huang, S.H., M. Uppal, (2002), â€Å"A product driven approach to manufacturing supply chain selection† _Supply Chain_ 11 _Management: An International Journal_, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 189-200. The Michelin group, Annual Report of Michelin in 2006, pP.4,5,8,16,20,22,25,26, 31-36,43, 49,61 The Bridgestone Group, Annual Report of Bridgestone in 2006, pp. 1, 2-7, 10, 13-15, 18-20 Fortune Global 500, 2006. From the July 24, 2006 issue [online] Available at: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2006/full_list/ [Accessed 5th November 2007] Charles J. Murgiano (no date) Short Lead Times = Tall Profits [online] Available at: http://www.waterloo-software.com/leadtime.html [Accessed 7th November 2007] Thomas A. Foster (2004) The Trends Changing the Face of Logistics Outsourcing Worldwide [online] Available at: http://www.supplychainbrain.com/archives/06.04.3pl.htm?adcode=90 [Accessed in 8th November 2007] Neil Shister (2007) Manufacturer of the Year for Global Supply Chain Excellence [online] Available at: http://www.worldtrademag.com/CDA/Articles/Cover_Story/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000095846 [Accessed in 11th November 2007] _Koo, Sunglim(2005) Tire industry strategy [online] Available at:_ _http://www.kumhotire.com/download/TireIndustryStrategy_Aug05.pd f_ [Accessed in 20th October 2007] Bob Ulrich (2007) What vehicles? O_E tires stole the show in Cleveland_ [online] Available at:http://www.moderntiredealer.com/t_pop_pdf.cfm?link=research/April%20OE.pdf [Accessed in 18h November 2007] Africa, the Middle-East, South America and Asia Pacific 16% Europe 49% North America 35% Donald F. Wood Anthony P. Barone, Paul R. Murphy, Daniel L. Wardlow (2002) †International Logistics †2nd Edition. AMACOM: American Management Association p.368-371 US-based Bandag, Inc., a leading manufacturer of tire retreading materials and equipment.

Analysis of Barclays Bank Essay

Introduction The process of restructuring the telecommunication sector truly got under way in Cameroon in June 1995, when the authorities decided thoroughly to reform network industry sectors such as water, electricity and telecommunications with a view to creating a favourable environment in which to develop their infrastructure and services and thus to satisfy increasingly exigent demand. The process took the form of liberalization, State withdrawal from the sectors concerned and the establishment of a  market structure enabling Cameroon to remain in step with the especially rapid global developments in the telecommunication sector; indeed, in spite of the investments made, the coverage rate and quality of service offered had remained largely inadequate. The process was carried out not only by defining the conditions and mechanisms liable to guarantee the sector’s opening to private initiative, but also by enacting regulations and taking measures intended to enable the sector to play t he decisive role incumbent on it in Cameroon’s economic development. Telecommunication sector reform in Cameroon is not limited to the establishment of new regulations and legislation, to the revision of the institutional framework and the establishment of an interconnection regime or to the introduction of competition. It should also comprise bringing behaviour in line with the times. One of our chief concerns is therefore also effective application of the regulations with a view to fulfilling the universal service obligation, ensuring consumer protection and providing for effective and appropriate regulation of true competition. The acquisition of the required know-how is the biggest challenge we face. The institutional players on Cameroon’s telecommunications scene are, as in many other African countries, of the opinion that any society that delays in jumping on the NTIC train will remain mired in a state of underdevelopment. Observations Background Before 1990, as in most African countries, telecommunication services were managed by a national publicly-owned monopoly. The administration in charge of telecommunications set the rules, ensured they were applied and was itself an operator. The results did not always live up to expectations. In June 1990, the President of the Republic signed the order on the programme to privatize public and semi-public enterprises. The telecommunication sector was added to the programme in June 1995. In July 1998, law 98/014 governing telecommunications in Cameroon (the Telecommunications Act) was promulgated. It established the Telecommunication Regulatory Agency and attributed sector responsibilities to a variety of players: the operation of  telecommunication networks to operators, regulatory matters, i.e. application of the rules and supervision of operators, to a regulatory body, the definition of sector policy and the enactment of market regulations to the telecommunication administration. In September of the same year, two public enterprises, CAMTEL for the fixed telephone service and CAMTEL MOBILE for the mobile telephone service, were set up to take over the telecommunication activities of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and of the public enterprise INTELCAM, which was in charge of operating and developing international telecommunication installations. The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency was set up at the  same time. Immediately after, the sale of a mobile telephone licence and the process of privatizing CAMTEL and CAMTEL MOBILE got under way. In June 1999, a mobile telephone licence was granted to a private enterprise. The privatization of CAMTEL MOBILE was completed in February 2000. The privatization of CAMTEL is not yet complete. A third mobile telephone licence is to be issued. In less than two years, the sector has undergone sweeping change. Suffice it to mention one indicator: in January 2000 there was one mobile telephone operator with about 5 000 subscribers; on 31 March 2001 there were two operators with over 140 000 subscribers. This rapid and in-depth transformation is taking place within a constantly improving legal framework. II A liberal legal framework The development of new technologies and liberalization have permitted access to new telecommunication services which, depending on their specific natures, require appropriate regulation. The Telecommunications Act sets forth a new regulatory framework, opening the telecommunication sector to competition. The framework, which distinguishes between public and private networks, provides for three legal arrangements: concessions, authorizations  and declarations. 1 Concessions The State can grant one or several public or private corporate bodies all or part of its rights to establish and/or operate telecommunication networks. The concession is subject to strict compliance with the requirements set forth in a list of terms and conditions. This arrangement allows the State not only to keep a watchful eye on the harmonious development of modern telecommunication infrastructure, but also and above all to heighten its control over the development and supply of the basic services and facilities us ually demanded by the majority of users. 2 Authorizations The arrangement of prior authorization applies to the establishment and/or operation of telecommunication networks by physical persons or corporate bodies with a view to providing the public with a basic telecommunication service, a value-added service, a bearer service or any other service by using one or several radio frequencies. A list of terms and conditions containing the requirements to be met is attached to the licence issued to the bearer of a prior authorization. The authorization is issued for a fixed period and can be withdrawn under certain circumstances. 3 Declarations Declarations apply to the establishment of private internal networks, low-range and low-capacity private independent networks (that are not radio networks), low-range and low-capacity radio installations (to be determined  by the Administration), and the provision to the public of telecommunication services other than those subject to the arrangements of concession and authorization. Telecommunication terminal equipment is either freely provided or subject to type-approval. Certain provisions of the Telecommunications Act are detailed in decrees and implementing legislation. We shall not examine all of them here; indeed, some of them are still being drafted. The reform in Cameroon established the separation between the regulatory and operating functions. It works in favour of operators being entities controlled by private capital. The general framework for competition is governed by legislation on competition. The legal framework is supplemented by institutions. III 1 A revised institutional framework The telecommunication administration Spectrum management and the legislation and regulations relating to telecommunications are the exclusive domain of the State. The telecommunication administration has been invested, on behalf of the government, with general jurisdiction over the sector. It sets the general regulatory framework. It therefore establishes and implements telecommunication sector policy, whose aim must be to safeguard the missions of public service, to promote harmonious network development throughout the national territory and effective private sector participation in the sector’s wealth and employment-generating activities, and to ensure compliance by all operators with the applicable treaties, laws and regulations. In addition, the administration supervises the telecommunication sector, oversees public telecommunication enterprises, represents the State at international telecommunication-related organizations and events, and manages the radio spectrum on behalf of the State. The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency, which technically answers to the telecommunication administration, is the specialized body in charge of  facilitating actual application of the regulations issued. 2 The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency The organization of the Telecommunication Regulatory Agency established by the Telecommunications Act is set forth in decree No. 98/197 of 8 September 1998. The Agency has three main duties: – to ensure the regulations are implemented; – to guarantee respect for the regulations and the exercise of competition; – to settle certain disputes between operators. The Agency’s regulatory authority is subject to performance of the following activities: – definition of the principles governing tariffs for services; – examination of requests for authorization and declaration and of type-approval files for terminal equipment to be connected to public networks; – establishment of principles for calculating interconnection costs; – establishment and management of numbering plans; – management of the frequencies attributed to telecommunications; – submission to the government of proposals aimed at developing and modernizing the sector; – opinions on draft legislative and regulatory texts concerning telecommunications; – control and penalties for infractions. The Agency is specifically competent to settle disputes concerning interconnection, access to a public network, numbering, cases of harmful interference, and sharing of infrastructure. The Telecommunications Act provides the Agency with a quasi-judicial body and an arbitration procedure can be set in motion should one or the other of the parties be opposed. The parties remain free to bring their case before the competent court. IV Human resources Human resources are the key to management and progress, for they have knowledge, that rarest of economic commodities in the 21st century. The current transition from a monopoly environment to that of controlled competition has given rise to new demands in terms of basic knowledge and know- how in telecommunication regulation. Telecommunication leaders and staff in Cameroon were still dealing with the transition from analogue to digital when circuit switching was suddenly replaced by packet switching. This recent change has reshaped the concept and definition of telecommunication networks and services. Everything must therefore be done to make sure the human resources acquire the skills they need for their own development and that of companies, which create wealth for the well-being of peoples. The Ecole Nationale Supà ©rieure des Postes et Tà ©là ©communications, an independent facility run by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, provides basic instruction in telecommunications and ICT to technicians (technical and operating staff), supervising technicians (operating technicians and supervisors) and senior technical managers (works engineers and operating inspectors). It plans to organize standing professional certification for the staff of public and private enterprises and of the public administrations in charge of telecommunications and ICT. V International cooperation Cameroon has always been present and active in regional and international telecommunication organizations. It is a member of the Administrative Councils of both the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It has had very few bilateral exchanges of experience and information with other African countries. The ineffectiveness of regional (ATU) and subregional organizations (CAPTAC) has precluded the launch at subregional level of cooperation activities aimed at developing telecommunications in Cameroon. At the international level, ITU  has not been closely involved in telecommunication sector reform. In the past eight years, it has provided some technical assistance but otherwise almost no support for telecommunication development projects in Cameroon, possibly because the Area Office in Yaoundà © is not functioning. The capacities of the Area Office in Yaoundà © should be reinforced. Its main duties should be: – To disseminate ITU documents and information in the area. For this, it should have the means required to provide the documentation centres of the main players in each of the area’s countries with the documents and books needed to acquire knowledge in telecommunications and ICT, for most of the sector’s African managers will have to teach themselves. In this respect, hard as opposed to electronic copies remain invaluable in Africa.

Construction in Dubai Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Construction in Dubai - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that regardless of the dangers that await the working sector, the construction business is considered to be the backbone of Dubai's flourishing economy. Dubai has gathered much attention in recent years with their fascinating and innovative building ideas and architectural wonders, like the Dubai Skyline and the Burj al Arab, among others. Real estate and construction( 22.6%) are the largest contributors to Dubai's economy, and are considered amongst one of the key sources of employment, income and growth. Before jumping into attempting this building survey, we first need to understand and familiarize ourselves with the construction world, who are the people involved, what are their key roles, what are the challenges they face etc. Coordinating one aspect of a construction is a difficult task. But coordinating the entire process, from initial planning and foundation work, through the final coat of paint, takes someone with a lot of managerial skills. Being a co nstruction manager demands organization, attention to detail, an ability to see the â€Å"big picture,† and an understanding of all facets of the construction process, usually acquired through experience. A construction manager is the intermediary between his clients and his workers, between the architect and his subcontractors, and between the project and any regulatory personnel. A construction manager's foremost functions include planning, directing, coordinating, supervising etc. Their construction projects include, but are not limited to, buildings, residential areas, commercial, industrial structures, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals. A construction manager(CM) may take on an entire project or part of a project depending on contract. They are either salaried or self-employed people, who oversee construction projects. They supervise the construction process from its abstract stage till its completion, making sure that the job is completed within the allotted time fr ame and budget. General responsibilities of a construction manager include helping in the acquisition of land(they know what type of land is necessary and what size), to obtain permits, to hire workers and speciality contractors. A CM must review the project thoroughly before undertaking it, so he has an understanding of what will be needed along the way, and what needs to be done prior to beginning the project. Many constructions managers are given the duty to come up with a budget for the construction project. They will then come up with a detailed cost analysis to get an estimate of the cost to be incurred. This is of fundamental importance as any delays in the project may cause a considerable amount of money. A CM should be an excellent multi-tasker. He should be able to jiggle multiple things at the same time, work under stress and pressure, and have the ability to meet deadlines. It is also the construction manager's job to provide a worker friendly environment, and to come up with a health and safety plan. Safety should be of utmost importance during the architectural plan of the building. The managing contractor should be able to design out unnecessary hazards and come up with a plan to minimize, if not completely eliminate them. He needs to prepare the pre-tender stage plan, which is a collection of information about the significant health and safety risks of the construction project which he will then have to manage during the construction phase. A construction contract

Why Do Mary Tudors Actions Reflect Self-Preservation in Light of Her Essay

Why Do Mary Tudors Actions Reflect Self-Preservation in Light of Her Political and Religious Decisions - Essay Example Ann Boleyn previously painted as the innocent victim of circumstances is not such. For instance, Anne Whitelock in her book Mary Tudor: England's First Queen describes Anne Boleyn as a conniving woman hiding under the facade of innocence. Boleyn was afraid of Mary’s influence on her father and spied on them during visits. Whitelock further revokes her innocence when she declares her standing on the Spaniards, wishing all the Spaniards drowned (46). This made boldly to a relative of Spaniards was extreme. Mary’s mother died a painful death caused not only by disease but also heartache. The death of Katharine is somewhat a mystery as doctors said she succumbed to slow poisoning. King Henry is aware that his marriage to Anne may lead to war between England and Spain and this further instigated the rebellious actions of Mary; she refused to renounce her title as princess. However, at her tender age, her rage is insurmountable and her rebellious actions, though futile, may r eflect her desire to preserve her dignity in the face of the hurtful changes. It is not clear whether Mary viewed her mother’s death with suspicion, or she was aware of Boleyn’s spying activities. She was, however, a suspicious person herself and highly intuitive in regard to danger (Whitelock 64). She suspects, for instance, that there is a plot against her at the time of Edwards’s death. In reviving the heresy laws, Mary managed to persecute close to 300 protestants by burning them in public (Wagner 743), hence the name Bloody Mary. Most historians see these actions as a way of conforming to religious beliefs and, in turn, imposing them on the people. While the Pope rejected the annulment of her parent’s marriage, Archbishop Thomas Crammer agreed to nullify this marriage. The contradictory state of his decision is apparent. For instance, it is clear that the King Henry VIII was in favor of the protestant religion (Wagner 731). The bishop might have gran ted the annulment to perpetuate this favor.  

The Only True Wisdom Is In Knowing You Know Nothing Essay

The Only True Wisdom Is In Knowing You Know Nothing - Essay Example C) The charges brought against Socrates were of impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates did not fear death, and drank his poison eagerly because he thought of death as something to examine, just as life. D) The allegory of the cave suggests that most people are seeing not reality but shadows of reality, much as one who is chained in a cave for their entire life. Socrates used this allegory to explain that intellectual pursuits, like stepping out of a cave and into the sunlight, eventually lead to more clear understanding of the world. I agree that there is more to perceive in the world than most people are aware of, but I disagree that it negates the validity of the â€Å"shadows† which we can all perceive. 2 A) We cannot prove the existence of anything outside of our own minds. All of our knowledge of things outside of ourselves comes to us through our senses, but only our minds can be trusted to exist. B) Descartes doubts the existence of anything beyond his own mind, because he cannot prove conclusively that anything else exists. If it is possible for the existence of an object perceived to be disproved, then it may not exist. However, the fact that you can be deceived means that your mind must exist. He famously summed this argument: â€Å"Cogito, ergo sum.† ... In the example of the wax, imagination explains the perception of change and for the possibility of other changes which we can't imagine. Intellect explains the understanding of the wax as something distinct, the same thing whether it is solid or liquid. 3 A) The stakes are very high; You have a lot to lose if you make the wrong decision. According to James, believing in God is beneficial to people, and as the decision cannot be made rationally on the basis of evidence it is incumbent upon us to leave the decision to our â€Å"passionate nature†. As that nature encourages us to strive for beneficial states, it is prudent to believe in God. I disagree with James' assertion because the stakes are only high within the context of some religions, and because one can enact a different decision at any time. B) The first objection Aquinas notes is the existence of evil. If God is omnibenevolent, then why does evil exist in the world? He counters this by saying that God's goodness is s o great that he causes goodness to come out of evil. Aquinas' second stated objection is that everything which we can see and understand can be accounted for by other first principles, so there is no need to believe in the existence of God. His response is that nature as well as human reason were both ultimately caused by God, as â€Å"Prime Mover†. C) A ship owner is aware that his ship needs repairs, but sets sail anyway. The ship sinks mid-ocean, and all aboard die. According to Clifford, the ship owner is morally responsible for the deaths of his crew because he made the decision to set sail based on faulty evidence. Clifford says â€Å"It is wrong in all cases to believe on insufficient evidence; and where it is presumption to

See below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

See below - Essay Example All the three smartphones allow wireless connectivity or Wi-Fi, WAP, use Java platform and provide real time services like social networking and business related software including multimedia features along with internet based services in the phones that facilitated browsing, email services etc. Ballano (2011) had reported Android.Pjapps, a type of Trojan virus that operates in background and sends or blocks messages. The jailbroken iphones were hacked by Ikee worm (virus) that scans random IP ranges and changes wallpaper to Ricky Astley’s picture. Though, no virus is found in Blackberry devices but CBC (2006) had warned that a flaw in its system could affect TIFF files. Some proponents have stated that smartphones do not need ani-virus software. I do not agree with them mainly because all technology is vulnerable to anti-virus and other forms of malware. These are destructive software that are designed to corrupt relevant information and reduce the efficiency of the device. Like computers, smartphones also become susceptible to external threats through downloads from internet or by using external storage devices that might have viruses. Hence, constant update on the viruses becomes intrinsic part of smartphones security also. (words:

Listening in Communication Process Research Paper

Listening in Communication Process - Research Paper Example These include a situation where the listener is always smiling and nodding their head. Other features could include the listener looking directly at the speaker pretending to be keenly listening. 8 Monopolizing 9 This is the type of non-listening where the listener focuses the listening on themselves but not on the speaker. It is a very selfish form of listening where the listener occasionally tries to divert the topic of discussion to themselves 9 Selective listening 9 This involves the user selecting only a small portion of the topic of discussion. This happens because the listener cannot take in everything said. So they use this type of listening as a tool to filter out some parts of the conversation. 9 Defensive listening 9 This occurs when a person perceives a personal attack on them without intent of criticizing them. For example if someone tells somebody that they have lost weight, they may think that they are being insulted that they are fat but fact will be it was only meant to compliment them. 9 Literal listening 9 This involves the listener becoming insensitive to other peoples’ feelings. This is a type of ineffective listening where the listener ignores the relationship level of the meaning. ... (2011). Essential skills: Essential speaking and listening skills. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 14 Antos, G. (2011). Handbook of interpersonal communication. The Hague, The Netherlands: Mouton De Gruyter. 14 Burstein, J. (2010). Have you heard?: Active listening. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing. 15 Keyton, J. (2011). Communication and organizational culture: A key to understanding work experience. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 15 Keyton, J. (2010). Case studies for organizational communication: Understanding communication processes. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 15 1.0 Introduction Listening plays a very vital role in the whole communication process. Most people make a mistake of focusing on their speaking ability while forgetting the fact that it doesn’t necessarily mean good speaking will amount to good communication. The ability to listen keenly and effectively is also equally important. Importance of listening is well illustrated in our day to day activitie s and the people we interact with. For effective communication, we have to hear what the other person is saying and it is not just hearing because the acoustics are good or because the other person is speaking in a loud tone, we have to hear because we have taken time to listen carefully. Listening is an art that require to be calculated carefully and consciously. Unfortunately most education systems beginning right from kindergarten to college do not pay attention to equipping learners with effective listening skills. Poor listening is a major barrier to effective communication. It often leads to loss of messages due to wrong interpretation. Therefore listening will require conscious efforts in interpreting sounds, grasping

Problem scenarios in Consumer Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Problem scenarios in Consumer Law - Case Study Example But the primary liability still lies with the seller who effected the sale transaction. In addition, when the goods are sold in the course of a business there is the additional protection available to the buyer in terms of the provisions of Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 which prohibits their exclusion. The protections constitute statutorily laid implied terms of sale. The meaning of this is that SGA will render these terms made applicable to all contracts for sale of goods irrespective of whatever terms and conditions the parties to the sale have agreed at the time of entering into the contract of sale. Under Contract law there are three categories of terms are applied for the contracts. They are (i) conditions, (ii) warranties, (iii) innominate terms Conditions are the main terms of a contract which forms the nucleus of the contract. When the condition attached to a contract is breached the innocent party can claim damages and repudiate the contract. Damages represent monetary compensation for the loss suffered by buyer. Repudiation is the avoidance of the contract which has the effect of relieving both the parties to the contract from the obligations under the contract. Warranties represent technical legal term which corre... Damages represent monetary compensation for the loss suffered by buyer. Repudiation is the avoidance of the contract which has the effect of relieving both the parties to the contract from the obligations under the contract. Warranties Warranties represent technical legal term which corresponds to minor contractual terms. These terms are less important terms of the agreement between the parties. For the breach of any warranty the party who suffered losses can only claim damages. He cannot repudiate the contract totally. Innominate Terms Innominate terms are those terms attached to the contract which cannot be classified either as condition or warranty just by looking at the terms of the contract. These terms can be classified either as condition or warranty only looking at the effect of the breach. When the consequences of the breach are only slight not causing any major loss to the buyer it will be treated as a warranty. On the other hand when the impact of breach is great it will be categorized as a condition. Implied Term with Respect to Goods sold by Description Section 13(1) provides for the implied term that when the goods are sold by description the goods shall correspond with the description. For making this section apply the goods should have been sold exclusively by description.1 This provision shall not apply when the buyer sees the goods physically before the sales takes place. This position has been clearly explained in the case of Harlington & Leinster Enterprises v Christopher Hull Fine Art2 In this case the purchasers were unable to claim damages under section 13 when the painting they bought thinking as done by a famous artist turned out to be

Minimum Wage and Living Wage in New Zealand Essay

Minimum Wage and Living Wage in New Zealand - Essay Example The minimum wage law dictates the amount of cash that a worker is to earn, in a particular hour of work. The minimum wage should not be surpassed by the employer, as it is stated in the rights of the workers. However, there have been emergent issues on making the livelihood of the workers better. The issue of introducing the living wage to workers is debatable in such a country, when there is focus on the living standards. The question is; should New Zealand raise the minimum wage of workers to the living wage of families? In this question, there are some people for the issue of introducing the living wage, whilst some of the people in the country have their issues with the law. Therefore, expounding on this issue would be appropriate in coming up with better decisions. This qualitative study will involve holding a semi-structured interview with a relevant party. The secretary general of Amalgamated Workers Union New Zealand will be interviewed at a time appropriate for them. A set o f open-end questions will be asked relating to the living and minimum wages for workers. The study is important considering that both workers and employers are faced by constraints that need to be dealt with. The study will be useful in helping policy makers make considerations of various factors for the good of workers, employers, and the economy. Minimum Wage and Living Wage in New Zealand Introduction New Zealand is the country that has been struggling to make a positive impact in regard to its economic performance (International Energy Agency, 2011). It is an admissible fact that the most outstanding structure in making an improvement in its performance is by focusing on the employment levels and payment to workers. When a country has a high employment level, it is endowed with maximum labor. With such amassed labor, the country will be in a point of making a positive economic performance. This is due to the established production that will come from the labor intensity. In actu al sense, a country initiates making greater employment for its citizens in order to make a plausible performance. In recent economic times, countries have been struggling to ensure their population is employed, with a decent work and pay. However, this is dependent on a number of factors. These factors make it hard for a country to make full employment of the population, and give decent work. These factors include capital intensity, production, ability to pay the workers and the growth rate of the economy. When the above factors are considered at acceptable standards, the country will have a positive encounter when it comes to employment. 1. An overview of the subject The topic Though employment is the main factor in this research, the minimum wage is a solid factor to consider. This is heightened by the fact that all people in the world need a decent work for their living. Decent work denotes a person being contented with the working conditions, the wages and returns from other jo bs. Wage is defined as the reward given to workers, after offering their services. The wages given is remuneration for the workers, depending on the work and services they have offered. Therefore, the workers will be given their wages according to the work they have offered, depending on some other factors. Theses factor include experience, education level, merit and entry level. This shows the reason why many people may be in the same

Underground Railroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Underground Railroad - Essay Example These were groups that were against slavery and they felt that there was a need to come up with more effective measures to end this vice. The idea was actualized in 1838 with a well organized Underground Railroad having been developed. Robert Purvis was on the helm of this idea. Through the directions that were provided by the agents, thousands of slaves were able to escape from their masters. These Underground Railroads composed of mainly the back roads, swamps, caves, forest, rivers, etc. These well developed routes made it hard for the masters to recapture the escapees. As a result, many masters felt that there was no need to purchase more slaves only for them to escape using these well developed networks. Therefore, the notion that slave-trade was a loss making business played a significant role in reducing the magnitude of the trade (Peterson 35). The reason is that the demand for slaves reduced drastically after thousands of slaves escaped from their masters.The Underground Rai lroad actualized the campaign by the abolitionist that slave trade was immoral. Slaves who used these routes were put in safe places such as homes and churches where they could eat before embarking on the journey to freedom to as far as Canada. This aspect encouraged many slaves to attempt to escape, an aspect that made it hard for the masters to keep these slaves in their farms. This increased the interests of the masters towards paid labor or the use of machineries which were more predictable.

The Latino population in the US Essay Example for Free

The Latino population in the US Essay The Latino population that reside in the US have several cultural beliefs and values which are very important for the US Healthcare delivery system to understand and take into account. The policy makers should be aware of the various cultural characteristics that the Latino population develops. Family relationships form a very important part of the Hispanic culture, and frequently it is found that the Latin population would be staying together in the US as a very strong family. Hence, the entire family would be taking strong care of the pregnant women and her child. The family members would be advising the mother to sleep well, consume a nutritious diet and take a relaxing walk. The family members would be preventing the pregnant woman from smoking, doing heavy exercises, consuming alcohol and using medications. Pregnant women are given a lot of respect in the Latino culture and during this period a lot of care is given to them. The Hispanics consider pregnancy to be a very normal phenomenon. They would be frequently seeking prenatal management and the healthcare units. However, they also feel that pregnancy does not require any kind of extra-ordinary treatment. During the pregnancy the mother is given want she craves to eat, as they feel that any refusal would result in the baby developing birthmarks. The mother is given several traditional teas to reduce the pain that develops during labor. The mother is not allowed to move around during an eclipse as the baby is at a high-risk of developing cleft lip and cleft palate. The pregnant women would be considering putting a red band around her waist to prevent the baby from developing cleft lip or cleft palate. Usually, the pregnant woman’s mother or the mother-in-law would be available to the pregnant woman during her pregnancy as a supportive measure. The pregnant woman is also advised to walk during the period as the baby in the womb is bound to stick to the wall of the uterus. Medical interventions such as medications administration are not advisable during their pregnancy. The mother would approach the healthcare unit for nursing care late during the labor stage. During the postpartum period, the mother is given certain Home remedies known as ‘purgantes’, which effectively prevent the development of postpartum depression. The woman is advised to take adequate rest during the nursing period and is also expected to take care of the child (Hawaii Community College, 2005). In the US, about 54 % of the Hispanic elders belong to the Mexican groups; about 14 % belong to the Cuban, and the remaining to the other Spanish-speaking nations. About 5 %of all the Hispanic Americans belong to the elder’s age group, as on in the year 1990. However, with an increase in the life span, and more number of migrations to the US, there is an increase in the Hispanic elder group in the US. About one-fifth of the elders belonging to the Hispanic group are living below the poverty line. They are facing a lot of discrimination due to the social and economic status, poor education levels, high unemployment rates, lack of security, etc. They are deprived of proper healthcare facilities and a majority of them do not have insurance coverage. About 28 % of the Hispanic elders have a very poor health status. About 85 % had a long-standing health problem and about half of them were not able to function properly due to disease. Studies have shown that the health problems begin earlier in the Hispanic groups compared to the White population. The life span of the Hispanic groups is between 55 to 60 years. They visit the physician only if the health problem becomes severe or life threatening. They do not believe in preventive medicine. Although the elders require institutional care, about 10 % are institutionalized. This is about 23 % in the White population. One reason for low institutionalized rates is because the children provide care for the parents in their old age as per the customs and traditions. Many of the Hispanic elders receive home care even in the dying stages of life. The family ties with elders are quite high compared to the White population. The children would be offering economic and financial help to the elders. Besides, socially, the Hispanic communities respect the elders, and many positive interactions are generated between the community members and the elders. Even widows and widowers are given a lot of support by their family members, and this would help them (Socrates, 2007). The Hispanic populations are experiencing several problems in the US arising from disability and lack of provision of education. Poor research has been done by the healthcare authorities in the US, to understand the health needs of the disabled Hispanic population and providing them with adequate rehabilitative services. NGOs and governmental organizations have not collaborated in an effort to provide an efficient network to help the disabled Hispanic population. The problems that the Hispanic disabled population are facing are much similar to that of the other ethnic minority groups. Their socio-economic situation may be very poor and their living conditions may be very bad indeed. Educational levels and the lifestyle may be detrimental to their health needs. Many of the disabled children may leave school, as they are unable to manage their problems. In the US, about 20 % of the Hispanic population are disabled. The Hispanic disabled groups are not provided with proper rehabilitative, educational, vocational, or health services. A lot of research needs to be conducted by the health authorities to determine their health needs, and accordingly develop a system that could aid them. The outcome of rehabilitative services for the disabled should be improved. Factors that result in a poor outcome should be identified and addressed appropriately. Language and cultural barriers also need to be addressed. Healthcare professionals need to become more culturally competent. Professionals belonging to the Hispanic populations should be recruited in the healthcare system to help disabled individuals. A social network should be formed which could help the disabled populations. Besides, educational and vocational training programs should also be organized (Wong-Hernandez, 1997). Hence, it can be found that at present the Hispanic population is not utilizing the US healthcare system extensively to solve their health problems. Their health status at the moment is very poor and their health needs are high. The health department should develop a strong health policy that could help the Hispanic population with special needs. Healthcare personnel who are culturally competent should be employed. They should be able to interact in the local language and also understand their problems, beliefs, values and attitudes. This would give the Hispanic population greater confidence in the healthcare system and utilize it more frequently. This would also help to improve their health status and subsequently lead to increased use of preventive and family medicine. References: Arons, B. Chavez, N. (2001, January), Cultural Competence Standards in Managed Care Mental Health Services: Four Underserved/Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Groups, Retrieved on July, 24, 2007, from SAMHSA Web site: http://mentalhealth. samhsa. gov/publications/allpubs/SMA00-3457/intro. asp Griggs, Shirley, and Dunn, R. (1995). Hispanic-American Students and Learning Style. Emergency Librarian 23 (2, Nov-Dec): 11-16. http://library. adoption. com/education/hispanic-american-students-and-learning-style/article/4281/1. html Hawaii Community College (2005), Hispanic, Retrieved on July 24, 2007, from Hawaii Community College Web site: http://www. hawcc. hawaii. edu/nursing/RNHispanic_04. html National Alliance for Hispanic Health, Duran, D. G. , Reyes, C. , Villarruel, A. , Brana-Lopez, A. R. , Gomez, P. , Mora, J. , Paz, J. (2001). Quality Health Services for Hispanics: The Cultural Competency Component. DHHS, no. 99-21. ftp://ftp. hrsa. gov/hrsa/QualityHealthServicesforHispanics. pdf Purves, H. (2003), Cultural Factors the Health of North Carolina Latinos. North Carolina Institute of Medicine Web site: http://www. nciom. org/projects/latino/latinopub/C3. pdf Socrates (2007), Hispanic American Elderly, Retrieved on July 24, 2007, from Socrates Web site: http://socrates. berkeley. edu/~aging/ModuleMinority2. html Wong-Hernandez, L. (1997), Building Networks in the Latino Community: A Mechanism for Empowerment, Retrieved on July 24, 2007, from San Jose State University Foundation Web site: http://www. dinf. ne. jp/doc/english/Us_Eu/ada_e/pres_com/pres-dd/lucywong. htm

The Customer Prefrences In Hatchback Cars Marketing Essay

The Customer Prefrences In Hatchback Cars Marketing Essay The objective of the research study is to know, the Preferences of the customers in hatch back car market. This research covers all the preferences in car market that is that is regarding the design. The research will reveal that customers prefer in their car depending on their purchased car. The research will be carried out with sample size of 200 by questionnaire method. The samples were selected randomly. These samples were selected from all over Goa. Quantitative design: The raw data is acquired from the Net. Subsequently converted into questionnaire and then circulated to particular customers. After that the data was converted into graphical with findings. Qualitative Design: based on the quantitative data research opted for qualitative methodology based on the project purpose. A structured interview was conducted with the customers in order to obtain information. The interview permitted more direct comparability of responses, question variability had been eliminated and answer variability was assumed to be real. It has to be noted during the course of interview the interviews neutrally was maintained. During the course of interview behavioral observation study was also done on the interviewee (non verbal behavior, extra linguistic behavior). Pilot test: The qualitative research test was done with small sample of employees. The questions were then revised. Research Plan: Once the problem was identified, the next step I did was to prepare a plan for getting the information needed for the research. The present study was to adopt exploratory approach wherein there is need to gather data perform an analysis before making a conclusion. Maruti Swift Description : In the category of B-segment cars, Maruti Swift delivers new quality of power, response and fuel efficiency. Swift at present is available in three to five way door opening options. Swift is a car with great body graphics that offers the car a very aggressive and sporty look. The sporty look of the car has made it the most demanding car amongst the young crowd. Maruti Swift is sure to be said a head turner with mind blowing style, design, technology and power attached to it. Maruti Ritz is available in both Petrol and diesel version. The petrol version of the car is packed with 1.2 L, 1197 cc K -12 series engine. The K-12 series engine is packed with 5 Speed Manual Transmission Gearbox and BS IV emission. The highly powerful engine of Maruti Ritz offers a maximum power of 85 PS at 6000 rpm and a torque of 113 Nm at 4500 rpm. The diesel version of Maruti Ritz is packed with 1.3L, 1248 cc DDiS engine with 5 Manual Transmission Gearbox that offers greater mileage and acceleration to the car. This DDiS engine is very fuel efficiency and offers an impressive power of 75 PS at 4000 rpm and a torque of 190 Nm at 2000 rpm. Hyundai i20 Description : Overall In the hatchback category of cars Hyundai i20 is a new generation car with large headlamps and fog lamps. This new Hyundai i20 is even more spacious, stylish having amazing eye catching features. Equipped with standard safety features it has ABS, seat belts with pre-tensioner, dual air-bags for the driver and front passanger, auto-unlocking doors Hyundai i20 is one of the best car. Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) and suspension systems in the car are such that they provide maximum ease while driving the vehicle. This latest version of Hyundai i20 is best featured with many important special equipments that co-ordinates best with the activity of the driver. The hatchback segment has one more addition in their kitty with the launch of Hyundai i20 in place by non other than Hyundai Motor India Ltd. This premium hatchback car is fully enabled with breathtaking looks and yet not compromising on the quality features. Hyundai i20 is a very stylish and classy car with very elegant exteriors and interiors. The charisma of Hyundai i20 is outstanding with roomy and spacious interiors at place and the sleeky smart look of the car add wonder to the overall appearance. The sleeky and amazing look and technology of Hyundai i20 is by and larger inspired by its premium hatchback model Hyundai i30 which are already launched in Europe and Korea. Polo Trendline: Standard Features Exterior à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Body coloured bumpers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Green tinted heat absorbing glass à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Halogen headlights à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Galvanized body with 6 years anti-corrosion warranty à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Chrome strip in front grill à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 14 steel wheels with full wheel covers Interior à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gear shift knob and interior door handles in chrome à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 3 Grab handles above doors, folding, with coat hooks à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Storage compartment in front doors including cup holders for 1 litre bottle à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sunglass storage inside glove box à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Single folding rear seat backrest Safety à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Front disc brakes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Height adjustable headrests front and 2 headrests rear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Electronic anti-theft immobilizer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Interior rear view mirror, manual day/night à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High mounted third brake light Comfort à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Air conditioning à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Central locking with boot opener in company logo à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Digital clock, fuel gauge, warning lights for high coolant temperature and low oil pressure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Front intermittent wipers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fuel lid with push style opening and central locking à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 14 steel spare wheel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Instrument cluster with tachometer, speedometer, odometer, trip odometer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Outside rear view mirror driver passenger side, manually adjustable from inside, convex à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Power steering à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Steering wheel tilt telescopic adjustable à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Power windows front à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Radio preparation includes roof antenna and partial pre wiring Colours Available à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Candy White à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Flash Red Upholstery Available à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cloth Type Metric Fiat Grande Punto Fiat Grande Punto Description : Overall Leading Italian auto manufacturer Fiat has launched its most awaited premium hatchback model Fiat Punto in the Indian market. Fiat Grande Punto has been launched in the Indian market as a joint venture between Italian passenger car manufacturer Fiat and Indian auto major Tata Motors. Fiat Grande Punto is consistently performing well internationally since its first debut at Frankfurt Motor Show in 2005 and has won many awards such as Car of the Year 2008 award in Brazil. Even on safety point of view, the Fiat Punto has received a 5-Star rating in the stringent Euro NCAP safety tests. Now with the launch of this car in the Indian market, the company plans to strengthen its position in hatchback segment. Fiat Punto is the second vehicle that has been launched by FIAL (Fiat India Automobiles Ltd.). Fiat Punto has launched in the Indian market with three engine options a 1.2L, 1172cc petrol engine, 1.4L, 1368cc, FIRE petrol engine and a 1.3L, 1248cc multijet turbo diesel engine. Nissan Micra Nissan India has started the bookings of the much awaited Micra a couple of days back. The booking amount is Rs. 50,000/- but we are sure before booking one, buyers would want to know more about the vehicle. So this post is to enlighten prospective buyers about the features and variants of the Micra. Deliveries of the micra Features : Intelligent Key System Push Button Ignition Request Switch Auto Climate Control SRS Airbags 4.65m Min. Turning Radius Nissan Micra XE Features : Exteriors Roof Antenna Interiors Drive Computer Manual AC Interior Colour Scheme-Black Comfort Convenience Electric Power Steering Steering Tilt Adjustment Safety Engine Immobilizer Driver Airbag Ford Figo Ford will manufacture Figo in its Chennai plant which will be both more eco-friendly and cost effective plant for Ford because of cheaper material and labor costs in India. The size and price segment will bring some more competition to Hyundai i10, Hyundai i20 , Maruti Ritz , Chevrolet Beat, Tata Indica   and Maruti Swift. Specifications Specification of Ford Figo Petrol includes: 1.2 Liter DuraTec MPFI Petrol Engine Max Power 70 BHP @6250 RPM Max Torque 104 Nm @ 4000 RPM Specification of Ford Figo Diesel includes: 1.4 Liter DuraTorq CRDI Diesel Engine Max Power 68 BHP @4000 RPM Max Torque 160 Nm @ 2000 RPM Other Specifications : 5 Speed Manual Transmission Huge luggage space Length : 3795mm,   Width 1680mm and   Height 1427mm Long Wheelbase of 2489mm 14 Inch Wheel Front Disk brakes Rear Disk Brakes Front Suspension McPherson Strut Rear Suspension Multiple Link Twist Beam 45 Liter Fuel Tank Ford Figo Features Ford Figo Features include: ABS Anti lock braking system EBD Electronic Brakeforce Distribution system Dashboard mounted boot opening button Programmable remote locking system Flip-fold down rear seat Modern instrument cluster Height adjustable driver seat Integrated MP3 player with Bluetooth connectivity AC with heater Ford Figo Price There is no official announcement about the price, but as per sources,the petrol version of Ford Figo will be priced between Rs. 3.5 Lakhs to Rs. 4.5 Lakhs and the Diesel version of Ford Figo will be priced between Rs. 4 lakhs to Rs. 5.5 lakhs Need for the study The cars in the hatch back segment of the cars are more or less the same. Customers of these cars choose their car according to their preferences. The prise factor plays only a small part in the decision. To reveal these factors it was decided to carry a survey on the preferences. Data analysis Cars owned by the customers Interpretation Most of the respondent own Swift. Followed by Volkswagen Polo. Factor influenced to buy car. Interpretation The main influencer for the all cars customers is TV advertisement, followed by friends and relatives. How did you hear about the car. Interpretation This question was related to the pervious question. The first source of information to the customers is the TV advertisement, followed by the Friends relatives. Reason behind buying car Interpretation The customers buy cars from this segment mainly because of the fuel efficiency. The selected cars were the upper models in the segment, thats why 30% respondents said that they have purchased the car as style statement. 22% respondents said that they have purchased the car for the basic need that is convenience to travel. Availability of in-house finance affected my buying decision. These cars are marketed for the middle class segment; availability of in-house finance affects the decision. Interpretation Majority of the respondents that is 39% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed to the point that the availability of in-house finance affected their decision. Whereas 36% respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the point. Importance of the factors Looks Interpretation Majority of the customers that is 57% of the customers said that the looks of the car is very important. 25% of the respondents said that looks is some wat important. Safety ABS Airbags Interpretation Majority of the customers responded to the safety fetures as important. Engine power Majority of the customers responded engine power as important factor in the car. Mileage Interpretation Majority of the customers said that the milage is a important factor in the car. SPACE INERRETATION In this majority of the respondents said that the space is somewat important. Dealership INTERPRETATION This question was asked to find wether the distance from customers place to delership maters. In this 41% of the respondents said that it is unimportant And 24% said it is somewat important. Maintenance cost INTERPRETATION In this all above three factors are interrelated. Majority of the respondents responded that the above three factors are important. Size of car (parking) INTERPRETATION 52% of the respondents said that the size of the car is unimportant. Interiors Interpretation 44% of the respondents said that the interiors are very important in a car. Comfort Interpretation 44% of the respondent said that the confort id some wat important. Music system Interpretation 64% of the respondent said that music system in the car is un important. Handling Interpretation Majority of the respondents said that handling is unimportant. Ground clearance Interpretation Majority of the respondents said that the ground clearance is important. Overall preference of the customer Interpretation Majority of the customer prefer looks, followed by milage, airbags and then ABS. When asked about why they choosed it respondents said that the first attraction is on the looks. Findings It was found that when a family newly car then it becomes a statement of their prosper. The brand name Maruti has a unique trust link to it. Conclusion and learning The car customers prefer to buy cars that are in their financial reach. When a family purchases their first car it becomes a sign of their success, it doesnt matter which car they purchase. When a young person buys a he is for the style statement. ANNEXURES Objective: To find consumer preference for car in b segment of car market. Questionnaire I own _____ car. Maruti Suzuki Swift Maruti Suzuki Ritz Hyundai i20 Chevolet Beat Skoda Fabia Volkswagen Polo Fiat Punto Nissan Micra Ford Fabia What influenced me to purchase the above ticked car? TV advertisements Internet Magazines Friends Relatives (Child) Sales executives Personal liking for the car Need to purchase Style statement How did you first hear about the vehicle you own? TV advertisements Internet Magazines Friends Relatives (Child) Sales executives Reason behind buying car. Convince to travel Style statement Fuel efficiency 5. Availability of in-house finance affected my buying decision. Strongly agree agree neutral disagree Strongly disagree Rate your importance to following features Extremely important Very important important Not important Not important at all Looks Safety I) ABS Ii) Airbags Engine power Mileage Space Dealership Maintenance cost Warranty period for parts After sales service Size of car (parking) Interiors Comfort Music system Handling Ground clearance Which was the main factor while making decision? Looks Safety I) ABS Airbags Engine power Mileage Space Dealership Maintenance cost Warranty period for parts After sales service Size of car (parking) Interiors Comfort Music system Handling Ground clearance Why? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rate importance of following references according to you Extremely important Very important Important Not important Not important at all Friends and relatives Car and bike magazines TV advertisements Websites of company Sales executive Gender : †¢ male †¢female Age : †¢18-25 †¢25-35 †¢35- 55 †¢55 and above Occupation : †¢student †¢ Business man †¢Salaried †¢Professional Family size : †¢2 members †¢ 2- 4 members †¢4-6 members †¢More than 6 Monthly Income: †¢25,000/- †¢25,000 50,000 †¢50,000 1, 00,000 †¢1, 00,000 and above

Research Methodology for Online Shopping Project

Research Methodology for Online Shopping Project 1. INTRODUCTION: RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The project had two key questions to focus on and this acted as a guide to the research design and methodology. The two key research questions in my project were: What are the key consumer motivations for online shopping and how are these impacting the development of the online channel? This question is focused on the key drivers acting as make for consumers to pursue online shopping, and how these drivers were impacting the online channel as an alternative channel for making purchases. What are the emerging trends for online shopping, and how will the online shopping channel develop? As online shopping continues to increase, both organisations and consumers are expected to be better-placed with having a good understanding of where online shopping trends seem to be directed at. 1.1 Consumer motivations The project sought to understand the consumer motivations for choosing online shopping as an alternative channel or, for some consumers, their main channel for shopping particular items. This part of the project was based on determining what consumers have stated as their key motivation factors through secondary research. This was supported by primary research by surveying and interviewing consumers on their motivational factors. The objective was to list out the key motivational factors consumers have for online shopping. 1.2 Emerging trends for online shopping In addition to understanding consumer motivation, this project also sought, as an objective, to understand the emerging trends in online shopping, and establish a viewpoint on where the online channel was expected to move to. Similar for consumer motivations, this part of the project was based on a combination of primary and secondary research. 1.3 Foundation for research project There was a strong foundation for pursuing this project as it aimed to provide a greater understanding of the consumer and the motivations behind online shopping. As the importance of the online channel becomes increasingly greater for organisations, there is greater need for determining the consumers key drivers in choosing this as an alternative channel for shopping. The project results impact both consumers and organisations. For consumers, this gave them a venue for stating their preferences and key requirements to continue using the online channel which could lead to improvements on the online shopping experience. For organisations, this project provided an understanding of the current situation and also the emerging trends based on competitive dynamics, in order to be able to provide the consumers their requirements. This project was also important for me as the student as it gave me an opportunity to develop the knowledge and pursue the analysis of a critical management issue which was becoming a greater value add channel for a large number of organisations. The project, I believe, has led to new insights and a confirmation of consumers key motivations to online shopping. I believe this contributes to the growing knowledge on the online shopping experience of consumers. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW In this section, research works relating to consumer motivations for online shopping and related issues are critically evaluated. This research project was pursued with a qualitative research approach as the focus was on consumer motivations, which, while it could have been developed with quantitative metrics, seemed to translate better into a qualitative focus. The objective was more focused on going in greater depth across the key consumer motivations instead of tallying figures in terms of which factors consumers felt were their key motivations. The qualitative aspect of the research project was pursued through surveys and in-depth questionnaires. The primary data collected through the surveys and in-depth interviews were highly subjective as these were the results of consumers opinions and viewpoints. In this instance, it seemed best to pursue a rational approach to analysing the data results and the resulting interpretation. The interpretation of the research results was critical in this research project as there were no specific correct answers being pursued rather the collective view point and key motivating factors were being identified. Overall, the approach pursued for this research project was an interpretive qualitative research approached which seemed to fit best the requirements of the project. 2.1 Overview Even at the end of the last century, online shopping was already starting to catch peoples attention, and was slowly attracting consumers to use it as a channel, primarily because of its ease in completing purchases (i.e. not needing to step out of the home) and also in providing information as, even then, some sites already provided extensive information (Gay 1999, Gehrt et al 2007). But we are well into the first decade of the 21st century, and since then times have changed and certainly, consumers motivations, as evidenced in this literature review and the results of the research project, have changed. The use of the online channel for shopping varies greatly by country with the UK and the US ranking high up in the list with greatest ratio of online shoppers among Internet users, in addition to also having a large penetration of users for Internet access (Bhatti 2006). In the UK, Internet access among households has increased from 34% in 2000 to 54% in 2004, while Internet access for adults increased from 40% in 2000 to 64% in 2005 (Datamonitor 2006). 2.2 Consumer motivations In a research on consumer motivations for online retail shopping conducted a few years ago, some of the consumer motivations cited were interest in use of a new technology, ease of navigation and use, and convenience of online shopping (Childers et al 2001). While the research mentioned looked at consumer motivations, the research was only a subset of what could be learned from consumer behaviour as the study focused on only a few possible factors of online shopping activity. Also, the research is dated considering the advancements in technology over the past few years and the changes that have occurred in the online channel and the resulting consumer experience. A key thing to note was that the authors highlighted then the expectations that online retail shopping would continue to increase as consumers found greater reasons for shopping online. Linked to the increase of online shopping is the increase in access and usage of the Internet. For example, Rodgers and Sheldon (2002) researched the increasing use of the Internet and highlighted shopping as one of the key motivations for increased consumer use. In this instance, shopping was focused on as one of the factors resulting in the increased use of the Internet. In this work, the authors looked at shopping as a consumer motivation for increased consumer use but their work is interesting as the other factors they considered as increasing Internet use come into play, potentially, in increased motivation for online shopping. These include researching, communicating, and even Internet surfing. Despite the seemingly increasing growth of online shopping and also the increased interest in consumer motivations for online shopping, there has relatively not been much research in this area. This thought is supported as well by the research of Zhang et al (2007) which stated as a premise the online shopping environment s still representing a comparatively new, and largely unexplored, marketing channel. The premise of Zhang is hard-hitting as it exposes a large gap in the understanding of consumers motivations for online shopping. However, the research does have a major limitation in that the research focused only on college students as its respondents. The research was also very focused on impulse purchasing behaviours, and not consumer motivations for online shopping, as its key issue for analysis. Before going in detail in some of the consumer motivations discussed in research works, it should be noted that there has been considerable growth in Internet access and usage, and this has created a significant market in marketing and communications of organisations (Ko et al 2005, Tamimi et al 2005, Dadzie et al 2005). Online shopping has been growing and organisations have been focusing more on developing the online channel to capture a greater share of the wallet of the consumer. Online shopping Internet is the worlds largest network with high technology and greater controls, every day the standard of the internet is improving. In the past decades people and sales persons used to follow traditional methods for shopping and promotion of the business. Banks and thousands of businesses are using computers to share the data online and for transferring the funds using online banking. Internet is very flexible to view the information all over the world and for comparison of product prices from one to one organisation. A first step to understanding the growth happening in online shopping is to understand whats included in the term online shopping. It is generally accepted that it encompasses any product or service that is actually offered online, and hence does not relate only to the typical retail product that people buy but can also mean services that can be purchased online. A rather broad definition is given by Hult et al (2007) wherein online shopping can relate to any offering of service quality, product quality, or e-Business quality where the objective is the customer-based value creation for organisations. Based on this definition, we can see that the number of online shoppers has indeed increased significantly, at least in the UK, with the percentage of UK Internet users shopping online (including ordering tickets of buying goods and services) grew from 36% in 2000 to 61% in 2005 (Datamonitor 2006). For this research project, the broad definition is reasonable as the key focus of the research is in understanding consumer motivations for online shopping in general, with no specific product or service in mind. Undoubtedly, there are a large number of ways in which to cut the issue and there would be differences in the consumer motivations for specific products in specific markets, for example. The works cited in this section provided a good starting point in the consumer motivations to be considered. The research works also provided an indication of the increasing use of the Internet and online shopping as an activity. From the limitations cited in the research works, further research needs to be conducted on a general understanding of consumer motivations which are not limited to a few factors. The rest of this section discusses some motivating factors cited by consumers as driving their online shopping activity. 24-hour access One key factor mentioned as a motivation by consumers is the 24-hour access provided or allowed by most online shopping channels. Thus, the online channel is utilised by consumers as it provides them with 24-hour access for information, customer service, and purchase opportunity (Bramall et al 2004). This essentially gives the consumer the opportunity to browse products and purchase at the consumers own leisure. While the research of the authors states this factor as a motivation, the focus of the research work was actually on potential trust issues in online shopping. This specific motivating factor was not analysed in comparison to other motivating factors for consumers. Shopping convenience One oft-mentioned reason, and an early consumer motivating factor, for shopping online is the convenience of doing so as consumers wont need to go to the retail stores and experience the hassle of buying products in the stores (NBC News 2007). Another article does not only highlight the convenience of shopping online but also states that shopping only also helps decision-making as a large part of the information requirements a consumer may need to make the decision are found online (Furnham 2007). Clearly, shopping convenience is expected to rank high among the consumers in terms of their motivations for pursuing online shopping. Convenience can take many forms and includes all-hours access (i.e. the 24-hour access mentioned previous to this can be considered a subset of this motivating factor), own time and no pressure for decision-making, no requirement to dress up and go to the retail stores, and extensive available information, largely on demand, to support the product or service . Shopping convenience is a large factor for the US and UK consumers but this is not limited to the US or the UK markets only as even in Japan, online shopping has seen increasing growth rates, with shopping convenience as the greatest factor motivating consumers to do online shopping (Gehrt et al 2007). Another example where convenience plays a part in online shopping is in the office as a large number of offices are seeing their office employees turn to online shopping during their breaks or in between work in the office to do their shopping which, in some ways, actually results in more productive employees as they dont need to go to the retail stores for their shopping (Spillman 2006). As mentioned, online shopping allows unrestricted information search unlike in retail stores where comparisons are constrained largely by time and availability of sales staff to provide information (Chiang 2005). Thus, consumers tend to pursue online shopping if their information requirements are large and can be met online, or if consumers would like to make comparisons between products and services, and across a number of stores. The shopping convenience factor has been recognised across a number of research works, but these only tend to highlight that consumers have different meanings attached to the terminology, and may actually be referring to different sub-factors under the general term of convenience. In understanding this factor further, specific meanings were attached to and discussed in the surveys and interviews for the research. Greater bargains An increasingly cited motivating factor in online shopping is the existence of greater bargains for products and services. Consumers are increasingly interested in shopping online due to the greater bargains found in the Internet as organisations pass on savings resulting from using the online channel for sales (NBC News 2007, Lii Lee 2005). This poses a challenge for organisations though as some may not have fully understood the online channel business model, and may already be providing greater discounts to their products and services through online purchases of consumers. Another challenge for organisations is that consumers are expected to continue increasing their online purchases but only if they receive greater bargains from sellers in their online sites versus their retail stores (Craver 2006). Thus, consumers are already building the expectations that prices online will be less that prices in retail stores. This means that part of the value for organisations in establishing their online channels has already been transferred to consumers who are expecting more competitive prices online. If only to hammer the point of increasing consumer expectations, two factors mentioned by consumers in their increased interest in doing online shopping were free shipping of their products purchased and also everyday low pricing particularly relative to the retail stores of the sellers (Hajewski 2006). The key limitation in the citations for greater bargains is that these are from press articles and the approaches were not based on proper research conducted to determine the consumer motivations for online shopping. Nevertheless, this should still be accepted as a consumer motivation as this has been mentioned to be a factor based on the articles cited. Overall online shopping site experience This final factor discussed touches on the overall online shopping site experience which, in a way, relates to the overall customer experience in online shopping. This factor is quite specific to online shopping sites which consumers may visit but this nevertheless provides a motivation for some specific consumers and it relates to the overall online shopping site experience and having a positive satisfaction to the experience (Elliott Speck 2005). Specifically, the authors argued that the following factors impacted on the consumer motivation to complete their online shopping transactions: ease of use of online shopping site, product information available, trust in the brand and the online shopping site, customer support, and entertainment experienced while in the site. The focus of the research conducted by the authors was not on online shopping specifically but rather on the attitude towards retail web sites but using the online shopping experience as an example, with an analysis of the resulting impact on the consumers. Similar to some of the other published research cited in this section, the key limitation is the set of respondents considered for the research which, in this case, consisted of undergraduate marketing students. The results are interesting and provide a good preview of what the results could be if the research is expanded to capture a greater sample of the population. 2.3 Emerging trends for online shopping In reviewing the related literature touching on online shopping and also consumer motivations, a number of emerging trends were clearly seen. These include the following: Increased efforts in improving online security Potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses Usability of an online site as an increasing differentiator Management of Internet product returns Increasingly demanding consumers Increasing opportunity for organisations to develop consumer relationships Increasingly older market Greater share of ad market Each of these trends is discussed in greater detail in this section. Increased efforts in improving online security Across most metrics, online shopping has shown strong growth and yet the belief is that online shopping growth rates could actually be much higher if not for security-related concerns by some consumers (Bramall et al 2004, Arnold et al 2007, OConnell 2005, Cullen 2005). Increasing trust in e-retailing was one of the factors cited that could significantly drive much greater online shopping activity. Organisations are thus investing in ensuring greater security for their online shopping sites. ConsumerReports.org even recently developed a tool to provide consumers with a safe and enjoyable online shopping experience (Ascribe News 2005). There are two trends to be noted in relation to the security concerns of consumers. The first, as mentioned, is that there are greater efforts placed by organisations in improving online security as breaches to their security could have considerable consequences. Online security is the ability to protect the information of the customers from unauthorised access and destruction. Most of the online business websites using the technologies to secure their online transactions which gains more customers faith and trust to shop online. The use of firewalls, data encryption/ decryption techniques, secure socket layer (SSL), digital certificates, electronic signatures is making online transactions secure. Many governments over the world implemented regulations and law to support the people who want to make transactions online. The European Union adopted the directive on data protection in 1998, which limits any dissemination of personal data. Security and privacy are the most important facto rs in peoples decisions to purchase online, so the sophisticated technology to secure online transactions is the main factor of customers motivations to shop online. The second trend is that a complementary approach to improving reputation for managing online security risks is paramount. In support of this, where there are great concerns for risk, it has been established that utilising expert endorsers, as opposed to celebrity endorsers or even non-celebrity non-expert endorsers, can actually help in bringing consumers over their risk concerns (Biswas et al 2006). Potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses Another trend is that organisations are increasingly seeing potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses. For example, in recent months, Kohls, a US department store chain, has offered products online which were not normally found in their department stores and these included higher-priced items such as leather chairs, high-end home entertainment centres, and flat screen televisions (Hajewski 2007). This trend is not without its implications for organisation. In the Kohls example, one problem with the expanded product range as done by Kohls was that Kohls did not offer everything they had online in their retail stores. This is a concern as some consumers utilise the online site for their window shopping before moving to the retail stores to try on and purchase the items (Dodes 2006). The article states that more than 80% of online shoppers research products online first before sometimes going to the stores to see the products firsthand. Given that not all products are available in the stores, it would be prudent for online sites to be clear about which products are available in the stores and which products are not. In terms of ancillary businesses, the increase in online usage and online shopping has even spawned related business such as businesses which monitor traffic into organisations websites with the objective of increasing an organisations online sales (Newman 2007). Another ancillary business opportunity is from online shopping sites is as a social shopping space, such as Jellyfish.com which was recently acquired by Microsoft as it saw the growing opportunity in the business (Gallagher 2007). However, these new business are still untested as these are fairly new and would need some time before potentially growing into profitable businesses. As online shopping continues to grow, organisations will continue to seek out other opportunities that could help build the rationale for investments in establishing a highly competitive online shopping site. Usability of online site is an increasing differentiator While the extent of technological readiness of the consumer plays a part in determining the level of comfort in navigating through an online shopping site, the general usability of an online shopping site is an increasing differentiator and distinguishes between the different sites that consumers will utilise in online shopping (Massey et al 2007). There is a significant effect of the online marketing or advertisements on the customers to shop online and this pushing medium of marketing makes the people to shop online. The online marketing websites are designed with the facility of keyword search which brings more flexibility to online customers. Online stores are offering with much amount of choices and more information than atmosphere, so pure play sites attracting people with higher interactivity. The goal with these sites is to have it easily navigated through by consumers such that any potential barriers to keep consumers from purchasing products and services are effectively tak en out of the equation. Online promotions are very important to investigate the future trends of the online shopping. Customer relationship management is the most important function in any organization to promote their marketing strategies and to maintain good customer relationship. It is very important to consider the attitudes, behaviour and experiences of the customers to make the online promotions. An example of an initiative moving into the direction of overall ease of usability is the recent transaction involving Abazias.com and Google wherein Abzias.com partnered with Google for their shopping checkout process which is considered fast and very convenient (M2 Presswire 2007). The challenge for organisations is to continue making their online shopping sites easier to use. And to support the point, some online shopping sites now provide potential live help from customer service if particular requirements are needed in order to limit the number of lost purchases resulting from consumers abandoning their purchases (Prince 2005). Overall, the design of the website and the ease of use have a large impact on the online shopping sites performance (Auger 2005). Management of Internet product returns Another emerging trend is the establishment of clear guidelines in the management of Internet product returns, which then addresses a key concern or questions by some consumers. Internet product returns has been one of the key factors limiting part of the online shopping growth as the uncertainty surrounding how returns of defective or unwanted products impacted on the overall cost and inconvenience for the consumer. Organisations which are able to state clearly their policies on Internet product returns, and which provide a seamless process for allowing consumers to make returns for products bought online are at an advantage versus other organisations which have a perception of being difficult to coordinate with in processing Internet product returns (Mollenkopf et al 2007). Increasingly demanding consumers As the development of the online shopping channel continues, we are now seeing increasingly demanding consumers. This is shown in an example using the UK supermarket sector. In this sector, online shopping is still considered a poor offering by the UK supermarkets as none of the top five supermarket chains passed a service test conducted by a consumer affairs staff of a newspaper (Prunn 2006). Their failures were from their product offering to the product substitutes provided. The key good news for the UK and supermarkets thought was that the websites were generally easy to use for online shopping. Also, the delivery drivers were helpful and friendly. In contrast, in the US, online shopping offering for the supermarkets is a competitive offering with various supermarkets increasingly providing greater online shopping offerings for their consumers including chef-prepared, fresh-food delivery service (Food Institute Report 2006). Thus, the US supermarkets are able to provide the US consumers with their demands from US supermarkets. UK supermarkets will need to focus on improving their offering in order to capture the consumer wallet for shopping deliveries. Finally, an approach to cater to the demanding consumers is to provide channels for consumers to give their reviews, and to act on the comments of consumers which have been seen to provide a good way of increasing the online sites business (Spors 2006). Increasing opportunity for organisations to develop consumer relationships The online shopping channel provides organisations with an additional channel to develop consumer relationships. Organisations which are able to effectively capture value from their online shopping offering are the organisations which are able to collect and analyse data on consumer patterns, interpret customer behaviour, respond with timely and effective customised communications, and deliver product and service value to consumers (Kennedy 2006). The game is not new to most organisations. The only difference is that there is a new channel to consider for the consumer relationships. In order to be competitive, organisations should be able to learn from their interactions with the consumers, and develop the channel into one that consumers will find value from. With the growth of the online shopping channel, more organisations will invest in ensuring that consumer information is managed properly to be leveraged by the organisation in capturing value from the interactions. Increasingly older market At least in the US, the trend is that the older internet users market comprises the fastest-growing demographic group in the US Internet market and are, aside from large and growing, generally financially secure (Iyer Eastman 2006). While a research has not been found to state a similar point for the UK, it is possible that this is the case as well given the increasingly older society with a lower proportion of younger people in the country. What does this mean for the online shopping channel? If this is truly the trend, then the investments that organisations will place in developing their online shopping channels will be geared towards an older generation, from site design to products and services to site technology used. This potential trend has large implications on various organisations that can benefit from this research work. Thus, a greater understanding of the key trends is important in order to allow the organisations to plan and invest properly in their online shopping channels. Greater share of ad market Finally, another trend worth noting is the increasing share of the ad market by the online channel. With the growth of the online shopping consumer market, the ad share of this channel (the Internet) is expected to grow as well from about 5-8% to up to one-fifth of total ad budgets over the next three years (Ong 2005). As examples, US auto firms spent ~14% of their total advertising budget for online advertising in 2005 while Procter Gamble was planning to shift ~5% of its television advertising budget for online advertising and marketing programs (Datamonitor 2006). The greater share of the ad market by the online channel has implications for organisations across two key points. First is that there needs to be a decision on the amount of the ad budget that will be allotted to the online channel. After deciding on the first point, the second key point is that it is imperative for organisations to understand the business model of the online channel, and that the organisations have a plan in ensuring their investments will eventually generate good returns, if not doing so already. 2.4 Framework of Analysis As mentioned, this literature review was used for building a preliminary understanding of the key motivations of consumers in online shopping activity and also in determining the emerging trends in the online channel. From the literature review in this section, the following framework of analysis was utilised in the surveys and interviews. Consumer Motivations The consumer motivating factors mentioned in the literature review was utilised in both the surveys and interviews to prompt respondents and to test the factors. The structure of the factors in the for prompt section of the surveys and the interviews followed this listing: 24-hour access Respondents were asked if this was one of the factors they considered as a key motivation for online shopping. Shopping convenience While this was included as a factor in the for prompt section of the surveys and interviews, greater depth was pursued in understanding what the consumer may consider as shopping convenience in relation to online shopping. Greater bargains This was tested to determine if consumers truly saw this factor as an expectation already, and if not having this factor would impact on their use of the online channel for shopping. Overall online shopping site experience This factor was analysed in the context of the overall consumer experience, and was assessed of the importance versus the other factors mentioned by consumers as their key motivating factors for online shopping. Emerging Trends For emerging trends, not all the possible trends were included in th