Analysis of the Guiness Trust LTD Business Plan Essay -- essays resear

For any successful business such as the Guinness Trust one needs to have a business plan, which normally comprises of a 5 year plan detailing their operating plans. The plan details where you are now, where you want to be and your plan for growth. In short this is a blue print of the steps needed to build any business. A business plan is often required to obtain monetary funds, whether from investors or local government. Potential investors will look at the strength of the plan before your business is considered for investment, they will be looking for a plan which indicates a healthy return of profit. With good business plans instilled, investors will want to join any successful business such as the Parchment Housing Group Ltd which joined as part of the Guinness Trust Group. This plan also helps to structure the financial side of any business, but essentially it helps to raise funds if required. The plan is not just for banks and investors but is a guide post for employees. It al so demonstrates to people that you are worth supporting and communicates to staff and other interested parties in what direction you are heading. Guinness Trust Business plan stated how they were able to focus their efforts, set objectives, what its priorities are, stated their vision, what their core values are and set which way the company was heading. It also enabled it to set realistic targets that allow some flexibility without deviating away from their core objectives. The Guinness trust have sound and comprehensive plans which includes the Strategic Plan , the five year action plan, environmental plan ,construction clients charter action plan and the national action plan. With these plans they are able to sustain a viable business which... ... hardly in companies and nobody had ever heard of e-mails, let alone mobile phones, internet or the company intranet. Present Day companies need to be aware of the latest technologies to be able to stay in competition, and possibly improve their products. Lastly legal constraints which all though not part off the PEST analysis but is part of PESTLE and SLEPT analysis I feel its still just as important as the rest of the categories of PEST. Factors such as changes in law and regulations are such issues that companies need to be aware of and to anticipate in which changes may affect the way they perform. Looking at the business plan of the Guinness Trust Ltd they have more than just covered the basic contents of a business plan when you read it, it leaves you in no doubt that they have covered every aspect that might be asked of them from any future investor.

Analysis Of Club Meds Essay

Club Mediterranee was created in 1950 under the law of 1901, through the initiative of a former member of the Belgian water polo team, Gerald Blitz. The idea came to him following a visit to his sister in 1949 at the Olympic Village of Calvi, in Corsica. It was formed along a quite singular concept, that of offering â€Å"all inclusive â€Å"holidays. Sixty years later, Club Med annually welcomes over 1.7 million guests from all over the world, to around 90CM villages in seaside and mountain locations. To cater its guests, also called GM’s (â€Å"Gentils members† or gracious members). Each holiday village has its own structure that is exclusive to club med: the structure is composed of the following The Gentils Organisateurs (GO’s) or gracious organizers. A staff category, including entertainers, group leaders, but also others. Job functions including heads of maintenance, swimming instructors, cooks, human resource directors and many others The gracious employees (GE) who include the waiters and gardeners and usually come from the country hosting the club. Both gracious organizers and gracious employees may be seasonal workers or permanently employed depending on the length of the time that the club has been open. Pillars behind the club’s performance The club has a unique type of staff organization, which is part of the unchangeable pillar of the club. It has exceptional quality of its locations, which distinguishes it from its competitors making the club to be more successful. The club has also managed to find and secure the most beautiful and well-preserved sites in the world, thus contributing to an added competitive advantage. The club ranks its villages in five categories (tridents) according to their locations, their infrastructures and the services offered. Their establishment of the villages ranges from simple huts to a 5-trident establishment. The villages with huts and those currently classified up to three tridents are scheduled to gradually disappear, making a way for additional up-market villages, more in keeping with the club’s new strategy. The first Club Med village was a temporary tent located in the Alcudia in the Balearic Islands. To help him launch his first session, he sought assistance from his friends who he had managed during the pre-war sports. On the club’s first season, they operated on a leased plot near Palma. The tents and the basic cooking necessities were bought in an American army surplus store in Germany. Blitz idea was to involve guests in the successful running of the village. This concept facilitated meeting people and abolishing financial and class barriers for the duration of the holiday through a multitude of activities, sports and excursions. This eventually led for Blitz contacting the Trigano et Fils for additional materials, tents and camping equipment. This eventually led to him meeting Gilbert Trigano his elder brother, a few years later they joined forces and in 1963, he actually became the chairperson and the managing director. (Zaleznik, 1997). In 1952, club med also built its first village with huts in Greece. The construction of a number of further hut villages followed, then more robust constructions in bricks and mortar, more similar to hotels. The first club was built in Agadir under the encouragement of King Hassan II. In 1960, the club almost went bankrupt under the management of the burner. It was saved by Edmond de Rothschild, who came to own 35% shares. In 1966, for the first time, the club was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. At the beginning of the seventies, the club’s finances were still wanting and Gilbert Trigano, the manager at the time had to seek a considerable injection of new capital. This was when nine new shareholders, including Gianni Agnelli gained a majority of the company’s capital. His participation led to the opening of the first village in Italy. He remained in possession of 23.9% of the capital up to until 2004. A major innovation was introduced afterwards with the first †˜Mini Club Med† a special children’s club catering to all ages, from babies to teenagers. This formed a strong pillar of the enterprise and that is even today, an important criterion for comparing with the competitors. The club later launched a public promotional campaign, which led to the opening of a new club in Brazil in 1979 preceded by the USA during the following year. Four years later the club opened premises in Wall Street, where its shares were listed. In 1980’s the club launched its first sailing ship the â€Å"Club Med I†, and two years later, they launched â€Å"Club Med II†. They also acquired an airline afterwards. Due to these acquisitions, the club started experiencing crisis due to a drop in guest numbers and also its debts increased which three years later, Gilbert Trigano decided to hand over the leadership to his son, Serge. The leadership by Serge ended with huge losses up to 113 million euros in 1996 and 150 million euros in 1977. He was replaced by Phillipe Bourguignon whose ambition was to transform a company of holiday villages to a company of services. There followed the launch of a new promotional campaign that also marked a key date in the history of Club Med (Spring, 2002). In the 20th century, there began renovation of the villages and more competitive price positioning. A number of innovations emerged with the creation of Med World, a venue for concerts and evening entertainment, where the guests could meet up before or after their holidays. In 2001, Oyyo Club concept was created and it aimed at a younger population (18-25 years). In the same year, the Gymnase club was acquired and turned into the Club Med Gym. This year the club was debuted on the internet. The years 2000 resulted in both extreme sailing competitions and participation in hypermarkets through a range of sportswear. Club’s Current Operations                      In 2000, the turnover had grown by 28% compared to the previous years and the operating profits rose to 103 million euros. However the villages were disinfected in the year 2002/2003 leading to a deficit of 6 million euros. This led to the replacement of the manager, Pierre Bourguignon by Henri Giscard d’Estaing. An upheaval occurred later in the shareholding structure. The club sold 28.9% of the share stock to the Accor group, which led to the launch of a new strategy: to make Club Med the leader in up-market, convivial and multi-cultural holidays. This meant that the club would no longer be a mass package holiday organization aiming for high volumes, but rather high-end organization reflecting its exceptional locations. It would continue to be convivial and multicultural. This global strategy is reflected in villages created to be refined in the fact that the villages are now designed by renowned architects and designers, generosity in the attention given to the children with supervision, entertainment and ensured activities for all groups and offering the guests a choice in their preferred means of transport, offering a choice in the wide range of activity options, between sports course spa treatment weeks etc. This strategy led to the abandonment of villages that did not correspond to the new strategy (villages with huts to those with 2 tridents) in order to concentrate on the three and four tridents that offer a return on investment of 9 to 15%. The club sold some of its villages and this enabled it to clear debts and was able to finance the success of the remaining villages. Between 2004 and 2008, over 50 villages were closed down and 20 new ones opened. Today, Club Med manages 80 villages around the world. Club Med communicated its new strategy by launching a new advertising and communication campaign in 2005, under the signature: â€Å"There is still so much world to discover† (Discover new worlds, discover new people), also called the â€Å"Faces Campaign†. It was aimed showing in concrete terms that Club Med had evolved and positioned itself towards the top end of the market. In 2007, a new advertising campaign reinforced their upmarket positioning with the signature. This promotional campaign sought to show tangible proof of this up scaling. The second event was the launching of the first 5-trident Club with the opening of a second village in Mauritius. Classification of the villages reached a new standard, demonstrating the determination to aim higher end of the market. 2007-2008: there were challenges like unfavorable environment that included soaring of petrol prices and a financial crisis. The club had also to face a decreasing accommodation capacity due to the ne w focus on certain villages and reduced opening periods of the 2 and 3-trident villages. It also succeeded in escaping from debts in this year with net profit of 1 million euros after four years of losses. The shareholding base was still fluctuating with the Accor group selling a large percentage of its holdings, remaining with less than 9 % and still it was planning to discontinue its investment. The company is having difficulty in realizing profits since they increased their tariffs, which eventually led to a rapid loss of customers. Up to the year 2009, the group was still in deficit due to real estate charges connected to the closure of certain villages. The commercial potential of Club Med remains essentially in Asia. The Asian market represents a large share of the 60 million potential customers worldwide. The transformation of the club into a global specialist in all – inclusive, up-market and multicultural holidays is real as the chairperson, Henri Giscard d’Estaing is confident in the strategies that he applied. The club is now offering the most accessible, up-market holiday. Asia was responsible for the club’s turnover in 2006-2007, whereby it was estimated that 26 million out of the 60 million potential customers are Asians. Despite the unfavorable environmental context in Asia, i.e. The tsunami of 2004, an outbreak of avian flu and terrorist at tacks, the customers in this region continue increasing.The developers of the internet; greater customer loyalty and a lengthening of the average duration of stays have boosted the levels of growth in Asia. The club also has extended to china and in 2006, they opened a new agency in Canton, thus consolidating its commercial development strategy with the Chinese, as they were the population that was spending an increasing amount of time and money on holidays. Although the club is investigating all opportunities for development, including extending to other countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, the management is also counting on the Asians travelling outside of their home zone. Although the Asian continent has as many cultures as it has countries, it seems to share the same attitudes concerning holidays. Studies carried out has shown that behavior is very similar across the continent, in particular with regard to Club Meds population. To achieve the Asian market targets, the club involves two aspects: The first is the duration of the holidays: Asians do not have many days’ holidays and they therefore spend only four or five days in the club on average. This holiday consumption necessarily influences the club’s occupation rates. Another aspect is the lifestyle adopted by the Asians. They appreciate all activities including archery, kayaking, aqua gym etc. They are always happiest indoors with the air conditioning. They thus adore Club Med as it offers all these activities and adds the karaoke. Studies have been done to investigate on the ways to attract customers worldwide and preserve the current ones with the primary family target implied to goods and services. These are: The offer must be refined in the right locations, high quality villages, a dedicated team, and a high cuisine as well. Studies also show the importance of the all-inclusive formula with the need to suit the whole family, and a flexibility of services to match the inclinations of all. Rooms’ should be extremely comfortable and with modern communication facilities. CITATION Chr97 l 1033 (Clayton, 1997) Club Med is not faced with direct competition in terms positioning. In Asia, for example, the competition is situated essentially on the traditional luxury market. However, sometimes the competition is local. For example, although in Bintan, Club Meds major competitor is Banyan Tree. In order to satisfy customer demand and potential customers while at the same time affirming its new strategy, Club Med has orchestrated its actions around innovation, renovation and service. Club Med has invested over 50 million euros in the renovation of its villages in the Asia-pacific area, where it has ten villages after having closed down five that no longer met the standards of top-end establishments. Apart from the village and room aspect, the activities and the organization have also been reconsidered according to customer expectations. The children’s supervised entertainment and activities, one of the pillars of Club Med has been systematically reconsidered and more widely deployed. Other infrastructures for catering to children have been set in place or renovated. A baby Club Med has been opened in Bali together with a password for teenagers and the renovation of the Petit Club Med and Mini Club Med. Apart from the children’s supervised activities and entertainment, the upscaling of service is particularly demanding in Asia, where regional standards are higher than the rest of the world. The club has used local advertising, communications systems to market their operations. Making the transition from a volume culture to a valuable culture is not without repercussions on the employees’ attitudes. This is the reason why Club Meds human resources have been closely linked to its strategy, which is reflected in the Club’s drive to attract and keep talented employees. Leading to several, initiatives being implemented in terms of recruitment, training and career management. GM Feedback, a major indicator of strategic success is the level of satisfaction shows that the criterion â€Å"Intention to return† is particularly high in Asia overall, which is encouraging for future years. This intention is because of the excellent marks given by customers to the criteria of child supervision/ entertainment, the general atmosphere and the GO teams. In order to measure the impact of the changes, The Research Pacific Group carried out a study. Although criticism persists, it tends to focus on three dimensions: the price, now considered too high: the comfort of the rooms, that could be still improved, and the lack of freedom. (Franco, 1972) The study essentially highlights is the enthusiasm of potential customers for Club Med, in that the mentality that Club Med is a rather old-fashioned type of resort, but rather as the ideal holiday venue for the family, where a multitude of activities and discover a special atmosphere. Another study endeavored to measure t he perception of Club Med via an internet buzz, Club Med is ranked third among the island’s resorts, in the Indonesian islands of Bintan. This position was won thanks to the service, children’s services, the GO team and the variety of activities offered. This position clearly shows that Club Med has joined the upper crust with its luxury hotels, and is confirmed by another example in Bali where Club Med has been ranked fifth. This satisfactory ranking was made possible thanks to service in a broad sense, which includes cleanliness, the GO team and the activities offered. Recent figures published show that turnover has increased 1.9%, in spite of a context of economic crisis affecting all operators in the sector. Business is growing in all zones; while the capacity, as scheduled, has been decreased by 3.1%. Asia recorded 5.2 % (highest growth), Although Club Med benefits globally from the region’s economic dynamism, and it is nevertheless slowed down by up scaling operations that have been accompanied by an 11% average increase in price. The new strategy is attracting new customers, from the point of view of quality; the â€Å"family† strategy engaged by Club Med is working since recruitment is made essentially on this target, with 63% of the Asian clientele structure made up of families (Hart, 1990). Issues And Recommendations In Club Med                      Throughout the past sixty years, Club Med has never really had a chance to profit from a break and the relaxation it succeeds in offering its own guests. The geopolitical climate has often caused difficulties, like the Gulf War of 1990-1991 or the terrorist attack of Bali in 2002, but it also evident that the company has created its own problems. The consistency and coherence of the current strategy are the first for close to 15years and there has been criticism and more obstacles than in any other company (E, 1985). Club Med has an aura of great brand, out of the ordinary, enthusing the public and at the same time receiving all sorts of more or less negative comments. The fame enjoyed by Club Med since its beginning has never weakened and both the customers and the non –customers all over the world have heard about the Club Med and are capable of saying a few words about it. Evidently, this has contributed to its international recognition bu t it has also complicated its task since it has been trying to effect a repositioning; changing mentalities is a longer and more complex task than changing strategy. Three principle challenges seem to stand out for the future of Club Med: environmental, political and organizational. The first challenge is environmental. The whole history of Club Med has been intimately linked to natural disasters, pandemics and financial crises. For example, in Asia the region has suffered from Tsunami, an outbreak of avian flu and terrorist attacks. This is the law of tourism, but it has affected Club Made even more now than in the past, since it’s owns the majority of its villages and its overheads weigh heavily on its balance sheet. This challenge is particularly taken into account in the new strategy where the type of clientele targeted is, for example less sensitive to the financial hazards. Moreover, all new constructions are realized taking into account the possible risks of a Tsunami or an earthquake in areas at risk (WILEY, 1983). Another challenge is political in two senses. The first is connected to the environmental aspect. The challenge of political decisions in the countries where Club Med is active is considerable. The prevailing laws, local requirements and legal obligations to make the taking of risks inevitable in emerging countries, risks that will necessarily have an impact on the financial results. At the same time, by not taking these risks, the Club may be exposing itself to overtaking by the competition that could undermine its historic position as the pioneer. (Hart, 1990) The second sense of the political challenge lies in its singular position in France. Since the club’s activities have been in the headlines, with the opening of villages to movements of capital in its shareholding structure, the worlds of business, politics and the media have been taking an inordinate interest, more so than they would have done for any other company of this size. Club MED has often taken advantage of t his position, which has frequently enabled it to build villages in areas where building permits are difficult to obtain, but at the same time every strategy, it advances is commented, analyzed, dissected and criticized before the new village has been opened. The Club Med also face the organizational challenge, which gives rise to a number of problematic issues. The first is that of resources and ambitions. Club Med is striving to become the world leader of â€Å"all- inclusive† top end, convivial and multicultural holidays. The product it is developing today seems to fit this strategy, but the question remains whether the club has sufficient resources to realize its ambitions, and whether it has the resources to undertake a planetary strategy with the financial capacity of a large SME. Given its large size, it’s also questionable whether the club is capable of succeeding on the three great markets of Europe, Asia-pacific and America. No holiday village operator could succeed and its competitors are often regional operators. With this, there arises a significant question of whether the club will have to give way to a worldwide operator in the short term to medium term as Accor did. This is hastened by the fact that the clubà ¢â‚¬â„¢s capital is fluctuating thus making it an easy prey for tourism experts and others. This last challenge seems to be the most complex to resolve. The problem of service issue in the club’s upscaling operation and the general size of the club is questionable. There has been many cases of failures in the leadership. CITATION Zal97 l 1033 (Zaleznik, 1997) As in the year during the management by Serge Trigano, the club was operating at losses and this eventually led to its slow growth to the upscaling market. The decisions made by the managers also were wanting as in the case of the increase in the tariffs, which eventually led to a hemorrhage of customers. The club, after the closure of some of its villages, it started operating at losses due to the huge real estate charges involved. The decision taken to launch an airline also affected the club negatively as they recorded a loss of 60 million euros. The strategy adopted in the year 2000, although it managed to bring in a huge turnover, there were attached costs penalizing Club Med and its customers found difficulty in recognizing exactly where the club stood in the club stood in the market. This led to losses in that business year. The disinfection of villages in the year 2002/2003 led to difficulties within the club and they recorded tremendous deficits. During this period, the club also lost the majority of its shareholders. During the year 2007-2008, Club Med had to adjust to an unfavorable environment. Soaring petrol prices followed by a financial crisis. The club also faced a decreasing accommodation capacity due to its decision to focus on certain villages and reduced opening periods for the 2- and 3- trident villages. During this period, the shareholding base continued reducing as their main shareholder; the Accor group sold a large percentage of its holdings and was still planning to continue its divestment. The club also has another major weakness: its focus is entirely on the Asian market. It is developing strategies and making acute efforts to improve their position in the Asian market. This has minimized their profits. If the club would target, setting up villages in many parts of the world they would be at a better competitive advantage to its competitors. Understanding what Club Med has become through its new strategies is a main challenge. The club explains its concepts and how it operates in Asian markets. This is usually in conflict as these same Asians have prospects of what they would like to see. I.e. Their needs and expectations are not e European the same as those of the European counterparts regarding the fundamental criterion of the quality of service provided. Recommendations                      Effective use of technology, which can be done in terms of two methods, which are Promotion, and online marketing. In regards to promotion, Club Med can offer package deals to the customers in which each package deal comes with its own unique set of activities, perfect location, breath-taking cuisines and culture friendly yet involved. In the case of online marketing since advertisement is only done locally, Cub Med can target the international community since this era we are is digitally driven. Online marketing would draw untapped enthusiasm from tourist seeking thrill and social travelling. Experiencing other cultures would be the main attraction since it has numerous tridents that offer different reception of cultures. Globalization has made it possible for the introduction of a small representation of culture in different countries such as the presence of china town in the New York. Club Med could benefit from representation of other tridents in the same tridents since its focus is in Asia. Club Med can represent the other tridents in the Asian one enough to create a need of satisfaction. This could help market the other tridents. Club Med can also reduce their tariffs imposed on the customers. This would lead to increased customer turnover and eventually they would register enormous profits. They should also adopt an efficient product mix to attract the number of potential shareholders. The club could also work on improving their infrastructure for catering for all age groups. They could provide better communication appliances in the customer’s rooms to make them comfortable. This would satisfy their customers and thus no chance of losing them to their competitors (E, 1985). Club Med could also channel its efforts to target on a larger market scope rather than coming up with strategies to favour the Asian continent. They should establish various villages in many places in the world. This would ensure that they get a high turnover. Their forthcoming tridents should be located in environmentally viable locations to minimize the chances of disasters and events like terrorist attacks. They should also have some basic guidelines that every decision made by any director should be first screened, voted in by the majority shareholders, vetted and test for market efficiency. This would reduce the chances of managers making ambiguous decisions and coming up with inappropriate strategies that would lead to huge losses, which strains the recovery. To effectively cater for the Asian community, which lacks holidays, Club Med could come up with a strategy that would introduce festivities, such as Cultural nights, music festivals, amongst others. This would influence the preferences of the Asian community positively in hindsight during holidays. They should also seek to renovate their villages and add to them many ideas of interactive workshops with babies and parents. This would ensure that they are at par with the local com petition. (WILEY, 1983) References Clayton, C. (1997). The Innovator’s Dilemma. New York: Havard Business School Pres. E, M. (1985). Competitive Advantage. Free press. Club Mà ©diterranà ©e. (N.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://medlibrary.org/medwiki/Club_Mà ©diterranà ©e Destination News – Hotel, Resort & Spa North America. (2009, September 21). Airguide Online. Franco, V., & Perl, M. (1972). The Club MediterraneÃŒ e (Abridged. Ed.). London: Shepheard-Walwyn. Hart, C. (1990). Club Med (A) (Rev. 11/15/90. ed.). Boston, Mass.: President and Fellows of Harvard College :. Pavlovic, T. (n.d.). Club Mà ©diterranà ©e: One of the most optimal formulas of club vacation in sport and recreation tourism. Journal of the Geographical Institute Jovan Cviji?, SASA, 203-211. WILEY, J. (1983). Noel Managing Strategic change:Technical,political,and cultural dynamics. New York. Zaleznik, A. (1997). Managers and leaders . New York: Havard Business Review. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://inpublic.globenewswire.com/2013/06/25/Club Mà ©diterranà ©e Gaillon Invest improves the terms of its offer on the securities of the company HUG1711730.html Source document

Prejudice in the School Systems and How to Fix It

Today’s concerns about ethnic prejudice, taking place in the schools, are being brought to the forefront. In response to these concerns, two weeks of summer training is being considered as a requirement for all teachers and staff members. Some are under the impression that prejudice and hate are inevitable and therefore do not find the training necessary. What is being presented will address these concerns and show everyone that prejudice is prevalent with in the schools and can be reduced. There are effective methods that attempt to reduce this common issue. Primary Issues Prejudice is a negative evaluation, based on an individual’s group membership and the associated stereotypes (Crandall Eshleman, 2003). Crandall Eshleman†¦show more content†¦Solutions should be based off of psychological theory, as opposed to just basing theories off of existing problems with prejudice (Crandall Eshleman, 2003). The process by which prejudice is experienced and expressed is described (Crandall Eshleman, 2003). They suggest that prejudice in addition to suppression results in expression (Crandall Eshleman, 2003). A â€Å"genuine prejudice† is considered the primary motivation behind it all. Genuine prejudice is not accessible and that everyone has underlying prejudice attitudes towards those of many different groups (Crandall Eshleman, 2003). Suppression is the attempt to reduce expression or self- awareness of prejudice (Crandall Eshleman, 2003). Genuine prejudice and suppression are almost always the forces of prejudice (Crandall Eshleman, 2003). The results suggest that underlying prejudices are blocked by suppression methods, but can be activated by justification processes (Crandall Eshleman, 2003). Research Findings on Solutions Research was done, examining the outcome of multicultural training for individuals that were pursuing jobs as school educators or counselors (Keim, pg249). 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Impact of the Federal Government Shut Down - 790 Words

The federal government shutdown that happened for two weeks in October of 2013 had a big impact on the economy. Congress failed to pass legislation that that funds government spending in which the impact affected businesses, jobs, and billions of dollars that were lost during the event. Many people dealt with the hardship of the shutdown due to the fact that the money that was stalled provided their necessities of life. The federal employees were furloughed which left hundreds of thousands of people on a leave of absence without pay. That is a big factor because without pay people without a check couldn’t feed themselves or their family let allow afford to pay their bills. It could of pose a major problem for some because not all bill†¦show more content†¦With the Department of Education having neither a budget nor a full staff, ongoing and proposed scientific research are not a priority.† College students who rely on grants from the federal government to atten d school affect them which stall their process of furthering their education and developing careers. Import and export have been affected by the situation since the licenses and applications were put on hold causing an influence on trades. According to the Wall Street Journal, â€Å"More than 40 government agencies, including the EPA, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce, are involved in trade shipments, U.S. technology companies cant fill overseas orders because they cannot obtain U.S. Department of Commerce authorization to export. Steel imports are stranded at customs-clearance warehouses awaiting paperwork.† Things that required special authorization from government agencies for international shipping such as certain electronics and other goods have been delay causing businesses to slow down production. Furthermore, stating that trading is an important asset to the economy and more than 10 million people jobs that were supported by exports. Nat ional parks and monuments that depended on the government were closed. Millions of dollars were lost because tourists were unable to explore the attractions which halted money that could have been spent at the parks and surrounding businesses as well. Hotels andShow MoreRelatedMake a Wall1122 Words   |  5 PagesBorder Patrolling. During the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Border Patrol and other federal agencies merged were called into a new U.S. Agency Customs and Border Protection. 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An Argument Against Same Sex Marriage - 981 Words

David Masci conducts interviews on the topic of same-sex marriage and presents them in the transcripts titled â€Å"An Argument against Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Rick Santorum† and â€Å"An Argument for Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Jonathan Rauch†. Masci interviews two people with completely different stances regarding same-sex marriage. He interviews Rick Santorum, an ex-senator and devout Christian, who is against same-sex marriage then Jonathan Rauch, a gay rights activist, who is for same-sex marriage. Santorum and Rauch both spend a great amount of time speaking about the institution of marriage and although they make some compelling arguments, I feel that neither provide an argument that I can fully agree with. When speaking on same-sex marriage, a major point is always how this will affect the institution of marriage. Santorum argues that if same-sex marriage is legalized, marriage as a whole will become meaningless and it will decrease while d ivorce rates increase (Santorum). I disagree with every point of this argument. A couple’s marriage should not be based on another couple’s marriage. If a person truly wants to marry someone, they will do it regardless of who else does it. I agree with Rauch because same-sex marriage will not negatively affect marriage. However, I do not agree that legalizing same-sex marriage will be positive either (Rauch). Rauch argues that legalizing it will make the institution of marriage even better because there willShow MoreRelatedSame Sex Marriage Is A Matter Of Civil Law1270 Words   |  6 PagesSame-sex marriage is one of the most controversial issues in the modern world. In the past, marriage was recognized as a social union between a man and a woman and in most cultures, homosexuality was viewed as abnormal and forbidden. 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Research Proposal on the Ethical Codes of Conduct in Business of McDon

Question: Research proposal on the ethical codes of conduct in business of mcdonalds. Answer: 1. Business Research Topic The business research proposal has been presented to make discussion on an initial research about the ethical codes of conduct in modern organisations. Moral principles and ethical considerations are highly valuable for any business organisation operating in any market. Hence, the business research proposal will identify the significant value of ethical codes of conduct on the performance and productivity of an organisation for sustainable business objectives (Qureshi and Hassan, 2013). Invariably, the research will eventually structure how ethical codes of conduct can support behavioural and legal standards of a business enterprise. In this particular research paper, McDonalds has been selected as the organisation to commence the business research programme. By identifying the business environment of McDonalds, the research proposal will analyse the impact of ethical standards on the corporate social responsibility of the food chain retail business. 1.1 Aim and Objectives The precise aim and objectives of the research proposal are to analyse critically the moral principles attached to organisational codes of conduct in an organisation such as McDonalds. As the food chain, retail business of McDonalds has outlets all across the global market; it is evident to create some ethical codes of conducts to be followed at the organisational level to improve the standard of performance (Seiam and Abo-Ahmeed, 2006). Apart from that, the proposal will identify how the moral codes of conducts have influenced the commitment of the organisation towards the target demographics featured around the globe. 1.2 Problem Statement Being one of the biggest food retail business chains of the global market, McDonalds has to deal with different people with diverse culture and ethics. Hence, for a multinational corporation such as McDonalds ethical codes of conducts should be mandatory to maintain a sustainable social contribution promoting corporate social responsibility (Thaler and Helmig, 2014). Therefore, in modern business perspective, sustainable maintenance of organisational ethical codes of conducts has been a problem for the modern business enterprises. 1.3 Purpose and Benefits The research outcome will clearly identify how efficient, ethical codes of conducts can influence the organisational staffs for better performance and productivity to improve the social status of McDonalds. By understanding the current set of employee policy of the organisation, the significant discussion can be made to restructure the policies so that employees attached to the organisation can become more responsible by following ethical codes of conducts to maintain business sustainability (Smith and Colvin, 2016). In this way, the organisation can set highest standards in front of the consumers and the social public. 2. Review of background Literature Ethical Codes of Conducts are highly valuable in corporate governance to maintain significant duties and responsibilities within the workplace. The fundamental principles of the codes of conducts will determine how the organisational employees should perform for better productivity. Basic guidelines of regulations and ethics in business have promoted to keep the employees honest and loyal to the organisation (Black, 2013). Apart from that, there are some following discussions to be made in the case of implementing ethical codes of conducts. 2.1 Conformity with Laws and Regulations The ethical codes of conducts must promote significant regulations and laws towards the employees so that they can become more responsible and work efficiently within the workplace. In a diverse workforce management, ethical codes of conduct can provide working uniformity and effective job responsibility to the organisational members (Messick and Tenbrunsel, 2006). Conformity with rules, regulations and laws can promote highest workplace standards supportive for customer satisfaction. Such attributes can provide clear progress for business. 2.2 Conflicts of Interest Global MNCs have mostly hired diversified workforce for efficient productivity. Hence, ethical codes of conducts will become mandatory for promoting corporate culture. McDonalds has identified the employee conflicts of interest within the workforce and has acted very wisely to provide personal benefits and compensation on the basis of ethical considerations (Kitchener, 2010). Employees have to follow the ethical codes strictly to maintain a good relationship with partners, suppliers, distributors and customers. In this way, standard codes of conduct can reduce any conflicts of interest (Mohd.Salleh and Mohd.Saata, 2010). 2.3 Health and Safety In order to protect employee health and safety, organisational ethical codes of conducts are significant. The principles of codes have strengthened the relationship within the workforce so that safe and secure health practices can be implemented (Mujtaba and Patel, 2011). By following the codes, employees will become more responsible towards the co-workers providing adequate support in case of any emergency circumstances. Also, workplace violence and other absurd situations can be avoided by promoting efficient, ethical principles among the workforce. 2.4 Discrimination and Harassment The equal employment opportunity has been a crucial aspect of McDonalds Ethical Code of Conduct (Getz, 2010). The fundamental codes of ethics of the organisation do not tolerate any illegal discrimination or workplace harassment towards any staffs. In this way, the employees of the food chain business can concentrate on individuals performance to get the best output for the organisation. Clean and formidable ethical codes have efficiently promoted high work culture to the employees so that their performance can be improved at a staggered pattern (Giorgini et al., 2015). 2.5 Responsibility towards the customers For food retail business chain such as McDonalds, the customer relationship is one of the major business aspects. Therefore, high standards of ethical principles can endorse significant customer services so that responsibility towards the customers can be featured. In restaurant premises, the behaviour of the staffs can impress the customers so that the relationship with the consumers can be strengthened (Hill and Rapp, 2014). In this way, the reputation of the retail food business has been increased to a standard level. 2.6 Corporate Social Responsibility By promoting standards of Ethical Codes of Conduct, McDonalds has created significant corporate social responsibility towards the society. By following the social trend, the staffs promote health and hygiene at the highest level. Apart from that, honesty and integrity in business have supported at the highest level to gain competitive advantage (Carroll and Gannon, 2007). Furthermore, the organisation influences its employees to participate in social charity programmes to support the community in different areas. Meanwhile, the Ethical Codes of Conduct has become an integral support system for the business functions (Kang, 2012). 3. Research Questions It can be seen through a brief study that McDonalds runs different charity programs to imply corporate social responsibilities in the organisational practices (Warhurst, 2011). There are several questions that arise while studying the ethical codes that must be followed by any business to seek success in a sustainable manner. The research questions that will be used to conduct the study are presented herein below: How is the concept Corporate Social Responsibility is used by McDonalds to seek sustainable growth of business? How can corporate social responsibility used to reduce discrepancy between employees and organisation? Is the methods used by McDonalds to implement corporate social responsibility complies with the ethical codes and conducts? What rules and regulations must be followed by McDonalds to seek sustainable growth of business? Can sustainable approach of business be helpful in setting organisational peace and increasing the business of McDonalds? What sort of changes is needed by McDonalds to seek success in the market by using ethical approaches of business? 4. Research Methodology Research methodology presents the research design that will be used to conduct the study. The study will be conducted using qualitative as well as quantitative research methods. The research methodology has been discussed herein below: Qualitative research: The study mainly focuses on critical literature review using qualitative research methods that will be done using the articles and studies of previous authors. The literature review will be used to identify the research questions and further methodology that can be used to conduct the primary study. The qualitative analysis will also be used to present the findings in a thematic manner. Quantitative research: Secondly, the research focuses on conducting primary study using the feedbacks of customers and employees of McDonalds in the local market (Lohaus, 2006). Furthermore, the quantitative analysis will be conducted using statistical and mathematical tools such as SPSS to conduct different analysis will the variables. The statistical analysis will be used to judge the reliability of the collected data. Data Sampling: It is difficult to consider the entire population because of the limitation of the research. Hence, a purposive sampling technique will be used to choose the prior literatures that are used for the descriptive study. It helps to choose the literatures according to the needs of the study. In order to sample the survey participants, a random sampling technique will be used in which every third customer or employee of the company will be chosen for the interview and survey process to provide their feedback. 5. Project Plan Time is the major limitation of a research paper. Hence, it is important to plan the research activities according to the given time to complete the paper within the deadline. A Gantt chart has been presented below showing the activities schedule of the business research study. Gantt Chart Milestones Activities Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Research Proposal Topic Selection Evaluation of secondary information Prepare research proposal Research proposal Submission Literature Review Groundwork of literature Literature review submission Research Methodology Evaluation of research methodology Prepare interview process Data collection analysis report submission Final Research Report Primary data collection Data Analysis and evaluation Contrasting findings Drawing discussion Prepare recommendations and conclusions Submission of Final Business Research Thesis 6. Research Process The first stage of the research paper begins with the choice of the research topic. In this research, the Ethical Codes of Conduct in Business of McDonalds has been chosen as a topic for further study. After choosing the topic a brief study has been made on prior literatures on ethical practices and McDonalds way of business. The research questions are prepared and methodologies are decided to prepare a research proposal. Further a deeper literature review will be conducted studying different articles, books, company reports and internet sources. The literature review will helps to develop better understanding of the research questions and develop proper methodology for conducting further study. After the preparation of the data collection and analysis techniques, the data will be collected from the primary sources in terms of interviews and surveys. The collected data will be converted into variables to conduct further analysis. Here comes the interpretation and analysis of the data that will be done using qualitative and quantitative tools (Crawford, 2012). The results and findings of the study will be presented in graphical, statistical and tabular format, along with descriptive discussion to recommended necessary policy changes for the organisation. All this information will be transcriptive in a report to submit the final business research report by the given deadline. 7. Data Collection and Analysis Data collection and analysis has been identified as an important and most complicated activity of a research study. It is important to collect the data appropriately to increase the database for the research. There are two different types of data collection method that will be used to conduct the research. The first is the collection of data from the primary sources, in which the data will be collected from the customers and employees of McDonalds to observe the current overview of the organisation and the market (Williams, 2010). A survey will be conducted with the help of questionnaires to collect the feedback of the employees and customers of the company and observe what they think about the CSR and ethical codes of McDonalds. Furthermore, the secondary data collection method will be used to collect data from newspaper articles, journal articles, books, government reports, company reports and internet sources. The secondary data will be used to conduct a literature review to evalu ate the theories and apply them in real world business of McDonalds. SPSS tool will be used to analyse the primary data and present them in the results and findings section in the form of graphs, tables and calculations. 8. Expected Research Outcomes It is already known that the main objective of the paper is to analyse the different rules and regulations that must be considered while preparing the corporate social responsibility policies of McDonalds, several ethical codes and conducts will b evaluated. Furthermore, it is expected that the study will help to develop the policies to improve the sales of the organisation. The CSR policies will further improve the brand image and reputation of McDonalds. Along with that, the CSR policies will help the McDonalds to reduce the conflicts with the employees and maintain the legal rules and obligations to carry on ethical business operations (Campbell and Scott, 2011). The research will help in improving the current practices of McDonalds and help the company to have sustainable growth of business. 9. Ethical Checklist In this research study programme, there are some significant limitations to be followed to provide a better outcome of the events. Moreover, the research study must confirm that no human being can be impacted emotionally or physically in an adverse way during the ongoing research. Along with that, some of the rules and regulation checklists must be maintained in conducting the research study. For further consideration, the ethics checklist has been attached in Appendix 1. References Black, R. (2013). Ethical Codes in Humanitarian Emergencies: From Practice to Research?.Disasters, 27(2), pp.95-108. Campbell, S. and Scott, J. (2011). Process of conducting qualitative research.Nurse Researcher, 18(2), pp.4-6. Carroll, S. and Gannon, M. (2007).Ethical dimensions of international management. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. Crawford, S. (2012). Evaluation of Web Survey Data Collection Systems.Field Methods, 14(3), pp.307-321. Getz, K. (2010). International codes of conduct: An analysis of ethical reasoning.J Bus Ethics, 9(7), pp.567-577. Giorgini, V., Mecca, J., Gibson, C., Medeiros, K., Mumford, M., Connelly, S. and Devenport, L. (2015). Researcher Perceptions of Ethical Guidelines and Codes of Conduct.Accountability in Research, 22(3), pp.123-138. Hill, R. and Rapp, J. (2014). Codes of Ethical Conduct: A Bottom-Up Approach.J Bus Ethics, 123(4), pp.621-630. Kang, J. (2012). The relationship between corporate diversification and corporate social performance.Strat. Mgmt. J., 34(1), pp.94-109. Kitchener, K. (2010).Foundations of ethical practice, research, and teaching in psychology. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates. Lohaus, A. (2006). Standardizations in methods of data collection: Adverse effects on reliability?.Australian Psychologist, 21(2), pp.241-251. Messick, D. and Tenbrunsel, A. (2006).Codes of conduct. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Mohd.Salleh, N. and Mohd.Saata, R. (2010). Ethical codes of conduct and practices using human subjects.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, pp.2021-2025. Mujtaba, B. and Patel, B. (2011). McDonalds Success Strategy And Global Expansion Through Customer And Brand Loyalty.Journal of Business Case Studies (JBCS), 3(3), p.55. Qureshi, A. and Hassan, M. (2013). Impact of performance management on the organisational performance: An analytical investigation of the business model of McDonalds.IJAREMS, 2(5). Seiam, W. and Abo-Ahmeed, M. (2006). The Extent of the Auditor's Compliance in Jordan with the Ethical Codes of Professional Conduct.eco, 20(2), pp.199-248. Smith, K. and Colvin, L. (2016). Creating and Implementing Codes of Ethical Conduct.Employment Relations Today, 43(1), pp.95-101. Thaler, J. and Helmig, B. (2014). The Impact of Codes of Conduct and Ethical Leadership on Public Employees' Attitudes and Behaviors.Academy of Management Proceedings, 2014(1), pp.16180-16180. Warhurst, A. (2011). Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Social Investment.Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 2001(1), pp.57-73. Williams, O. (2010).Global codes of conduct. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press.

Internationalization of Koyo Jeans free essay sample

Motive for Internationalization i. Internal Factors9 ii. External Factors9 5. National Competitive Advantage i. Porter’s Diamond10 a) Firm strategy, Structure and Rivalry b) Demand Condition c) Factor Condition d) Supporting Industries ii. Recommendation of country11 6. Entry Strategy12 7. Entry Strategy Evaluation i. Suitability13 ii. Feasibility13 8. Conclusion13 9. Recommendation13 References14 Appendices Executive Summary This report is carried out to recommend an entry strategy for Koyo Jeans for its internationalization purposes. A step by step approach has been carried out in order to fully understand its current position and where it can see itself going. Firstly, the environmental analysis of the current markets it operates in has been carried out. The strengths and weaknesses have also been identified in order to base on them throughout the entire analysis and use them to the firm’s advantage. Secondly, new markets have been considered based on research. The motive for internationalization has been established in order to have a concrete understanding of where and why it is looking to expand. We will write a custom essay sample on Internationalization of Koyo Jeans or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The various factors that are pulling or/and pushing Koyo Jeans have also been examined. 2 new markets have been considered and they will be compared with various frameworks such as Porter’s Diamond to conclude which market is best for Koyo Jeans at the current situation. A country is recommended based on all the above findings. Finally, the various entry strategies are considered and based on the suitability and feasibility of the company’s resources, a single entry strategy is recommended. The report is then concluded based on the entire analysis of the various findings. Last but not the least, final recommendations are made of what to look out for when expanding and how the entry strategy can be carried out even more efficiently. 1. Introduction 1. 1 Purpose The purpose of this report is to evaluate the internationalization strategy of Koyo Jeans and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on suitable future internationalization options available to the business. 1. 2 Background Koyo Jeans is the brain child of William Cheung, a Hong Kong designer. Having started as a wholesaler, it entered the high-end fashion world as a male brand. Its target customers are denim lovers aged 18-25 who have an interest in gothic and French romance theme. It is established as a high-end, international brand after opening a shop in Harbour City winning buyers at Galeries Lafayette. It has ever since been rapidly expanding through franchising, especially in China. Koyo also sponsors outfits of artists celebrities to increase their brand awareness and presence in the market. Koyo Williams is another brand which is positioned as a high-end fashion brand, but for the purpose of this report the concentration will be on Koyo Jeans. Franchising and self operated stores have been Koyo’s strategy of expanding. Currently 2. Environmental Analysis (Current Markets) i. Micro Environment (Porter’s 5 Forces) Figure Hong Kong Figure France Figure Singapore Porter’s 5 forces has been applied to analyse the micro environment of Koyo Jeans in the current markets namely Hong Kong, France and Singapore. We can therefore conclude that the bargaining power of suppliers and bargaining power of buyers are relatively high in all the 3 countries. Koyo goods are all being manufactured in China now; giving the suppliers the upper hand. Apart from well established brands, new entrants are also possible with/without substitute such Cargos and Jeans, therefore increasing the competition for Koyo. ii. PESTEL of Koyo Jeans (Currents Markets) From analyzing the 3 current markets of Koyo (Appendix B), we can conclude that Koyo has been focusing on the Asian market, more specifically Asia-Pacific. We have to consider the fact that Koyo is a fairly new player and therefore has not taken many farfetched risks. Even though it has a market in France; if we look deeper we can see that it has only one store there. iii. Internal Factors With the help of the Value Chain (Appendix D), we are able to conclude that Cheung was able to add value to the company in 3 key regions which in turn increased the profit margin. Quality textile was sourced from Taiwan at very competitive prices. The operations were streamlined and bettered over time. Lastly, his careful selection of franchises helped him maintain control of the business and there by add value over time. iv. Lifecycle Analysis – Current Markets Hong Kong: Growth Stage Although Hong Kong has enjoyed strong growth over the years, the textile industry has been seeing significant slowdown in growth since 2012 Singapore: Growth Stage – Singapore is the 2nd largest market for textile retail in the Asia Pacific zone over the years after Hong Kong and it too is facing the same challenges as Hong Kong France: Maturity Stage – France has been the world renowned market for the fashion industry but it has also been considered a mature market. v. SWOT/TOWS Analysis With reference to Appendix A, we can conclude the following: Koyo Jeans does produce quality products for its costs. The franchises it chooses to work with also helped it to maintain its service quality and uniform customer experience. It can also be seen as a weakness as Cheung has a strict selection criterion which has slowed the rate of Koyo’s expansion. Koyo has 1 store in France, which is not well known as well. The recession has affected Koyo as people are more likely to buy brands that are already established rather try something new during this time period. 3. External Analysis (New Markets) Microenvironment (Porter’s 5 Forces) Figure Brazil Figure USA From analysing the 2 Porter 5 forces framework of each country, we can say that there is more similarities than differences as both markets are totally new for Koyo Jeans and given that both are geographically distant as well. In Brazil however, due to cheaper cost of production, Koyo can consider it to produce goods in the future. In USA, Koyo can be considered having a stronger global presence. ii. PESTEL of Koyo Jeans (New Markets) From the detailed PESTEL of Brazil and USA in Appendix C we can summarize: USA has more stable political system than Brazil. Also, corruption is expected in certain cases in Brazil even when every criterion is met. ECONOMIC: Current GDP of Brazil is USD $2. 253 trillion (2012) which is forecasted to increase over the following years while USA is the largest economy of the world with a GDP of USD $16. 6 trillion (2012). SOCIAL: USA has larger literate population and main language is English, while the spending power of the middle class in Brazil is increasing. People in the USA are more exposed to technology and more comfortable with  it, while the government of Brazil is spending 1% of the GDP on RD to constantly progress in technology. ENVIRONMENTAL: Strong environmental policies are prevalent in both nations while USA has increased co-operation with China. LEGAL: The laws and policies are transparent in the USA while bribery is expected in Brazil in certain cases. In Brazil, sometimes â€Å"know-who† is more important than â€Å"know-how†. iii. Lifecycle Analysis (New Markets) Brazil: Growth Stage – Brazil is the 4th largest emerging market currently and the retail sector is projected to boom even more. Not to forget the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Rio 2016 Summer Olympics are also slated to happen in Brazil which again is an advantage. USA: Growth Stage – USA fortunately also falls in the growth stage but it does not have a steady and large growth compared to Brazil. Recession had hit the USA bad and its impact can still be seen in the market. iv. Opportunities Threats (New Markets) Brazil: Opportunities: As the 5th largest nation in terms of population and 7th largest economy, Brazil is in superb position in economic growth over the following years. It has a strong and growing middle class with increasing disposable income. Brazil is also a known place for its manufacturing industry. Its exports have also been steadily decreasing over the past years as consumption has increased within the country. Threats: There is imbalance in economic distribution though, therefore affecting the sales potential of companies looking to expand in the long run. USA: Opportunities: USA still holds the position of key influence in economic, political and military environments. Expanding into USA will give a global presence and better chance of being considered an international company and hence increasing brand image. Threats: The growth of the market is slow compared to Brazil. The economy is still recovering from recession and there is a threat of terrorism when compared to Brazil. 4. Motive for Internationalization i. Internal Factors Wide clothing collection such as jackets, coats, cashmere, wool. Good to production, due to continuous optimization. Koyo Jeans, a more mainstream line for the mass market and Koyo William a higher end, high class one. Franchise business model means able to expand easily. ii. External Factors Push factors: Its main market, China is becoming saturated. Cheung wants to make his brand an international brand. Pull factors: There are new emerging economies from the past few years. The BRIC nations. Their policies are encouraging foreign companies to set up business in their country. A chance to become international. 5. National Competitive Advantage i. Porter’s Diamond a) Factor Conditions: USA is more technologically advanced given the current situation, although Brazil is working towards it. The use of technology can be a great way to reach consumers. For example, through online shopping. People in the USA are more comfortable for such methods of purchase and is cost saving for Koyo Jeans as well. b) Demand Conditions: Aging population in USA Brazil as an emerging market has a stronger demand for consumption of goods when compared to the USA. c) Related and Supporting Industries: Large number of suppliers in Brazil who are also competitive, therefore acts as an advantage for Koyo Jeans as it will reduce the bargaining power of suppliers. d) Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry: The strategy of Koyo Jeans for expansion has been franchising. It reduces the cost of investment and at the same time gives more control. In order to follow this trend, USA is more realistic than Brazil as laws and policies are transparent in the USA. ii. Recommendation of country Considering all the data and analysis carried out above, the recommended country to enter for Koyo Jeans would be the United States of America. Although Brazil is better suited for manufacturing of goods/textiles for Koyo Jeans there is much more risk prevailing there as well. Koyo Jeans currently has an established line of production in Taiwan which it has improved over time. Shifting or changing it to Brazil will only cause Koyo Jeans time and money which it does not have. The cost of production in Brazil is forecasted to rise as everyone is making use of the opportunity. On the other hand, considering Koyo Jeans sets up only retail stores in Brazil, the weather is tropical and not suited for Koyo’s line up. Koyo Jean’s theme of Gothic and French Romance does not have a large market in Brazil as well. USA is better for the seasons for Koyo’s line up. It is where Hollywood is, which is Los Angeles. People are more sensitive to trends and celebrity endorsements. Having stores in the USA will give an international appeal and considered a global presence. The laws are much transparent and straight forward. It is also better for the long term of Koyo as it can expand to many other cities in the USA. 6. Market Entry Strategy Koyo Jeans should use the direct exporting method to the franchises it gives license to in the USA. Advantages for franchiser: Low investment Can internationalize quickly to many markets Low effort once established Can leverage franchisees’ local knowledge Disadvantages for franchiser: Maintaining control over franchisees may be difficult Franchiser has limited control over its assets abroad Risk creating future competitors It is usually considered a firm’s first foreign entry strategy because it is low risk, low cost, flexible and also easy withdrawal from the strategy with minimal liabilities if anything is to go wrong. Since Koyo is already exporting from Taiwan to China/Hong Kong, exporting is not a new area for Koyo Jeans. Exporting also has similar advantages to franchising and therefore both can go hand in hand and this is the best strategy for Koyo Jeans given its current situation. 7. Entry Strategy Evaluation i. Suitability Considering Koyo’s present strategy which has been franchising in the current market, it is more than safe to consider that the proposed strategy above will be suitable for the organization. It will benefit the firm and Cheung in achieving their goals, which is to expand globally with minimum risks. Feasibility As discussed above, Koyo has been expanding through franchising in China, therefore it has sufficient experience in terms of what to expect when choosing the same method to expand abroad. The financial, human, physical and intangible resources all prove to be feasible for Koyo Jeans. After considering the various factors and strategies, and through thorough analysis the country chosen and the entry strategy for the country will be the best option for Koyo Jeans to expand abroad with the least risk involved. 9. Recommendation It would be a challenge to find the right and most apt franchisees to expand in the USA although they have experience in the field in China. Expanding to another country is always a challenge no matter how familiar it may seem. Koyo Jeans should also consider selling its clothing through online platforms especially when expanding to USA. Gained chic Galeries Lafayette as a buyer, reinforcing its international reputation. Opened European flagship store in Paris (Etienne Marcel), positioning Koyo as international brand. Events, exhibitions, sponsoring singers, actors TV presenters’ outfits. Weaknesses Staff cannot follow all Cheung’s ideas; Cheung has to train his staff to understand his vision ex, it took them 2 years to understand how to display goods in window shops. Some production processes are still outsourced as Koyo’s workforce is still not fully experienced and training can take long. Speed is a major concern as it takes 10 days for a logistics cycle. Appeals to a small market segment as it is aimed at young consumers with a penchant for gothic style. Threats Lower consumer spending in Europe due to recession, could hinder Koyo’s expansion into this market. Because of climatic conditions some of Koyo’s collections ex, cashmere, wool, do not have a big market in Hong Kong and in Southern China. Strengths /opportunities Koyo brand gains international expansion and it entered the European market as it opened its flagship store in Paris as well as securing Galeries Lafayette as a buyer. The Harbour City store opening enhances Koyo’s brand image, positioning it as a high-end brand. This secures Koyo a privileged position in the Chinese market as Chinese consumers have a penchant for branded items where Koyo will have a market for its wide collection this way it will take advantage of economies of scale, which will lower production costs. Weaknesses/ opportunities Franchise model, Cheung will be more likely to spread his vision more widely, faster High entry standards for new franchisees, will increase his chances to render strategy successful Expand niche Weaknesses/ threats Expansion in Europe could be hindered by the fact that Cheung’s staff might not be able to follow all of his ideas and therefore Cheung might need to train his overseas staff himself. This could delay progress at franchises in Hong Kong and mainland China. Fail to further expand in Europe because of economic recession, could damage Koyo’s positioning as an international brand as well as its reputation in Hong Kong and mainland China. Strengths/ Threats Europe is plagued by very modest economic growth. In order to minimize this threat, Cheung should begin Koyo’s expansion into this market region by promoting its more mainstream range Koyo Jeans, which was created for everyday wear as well as being more accessible for consumers with average incomes. He should definitely exclude its more high-class line Koyo William (which is targeted to performers and for the stage) until Koyo will be better established in the European market. Opportunities/ Threats Booming economy in China as well as the rise of its middle class could offset the threat of failing to expand in Europe because of the economic recession. Strengths/ weaknesses Good quality clothes and international reputation could mean more demand. Appendix B PESTEL of current markets PESTEL of Hong Kong POLITICAL Transfer power from Britain to China No piracy laws in place ECONOMIC Slight growth decline Exchange rate SOCIO-CULTURAL Preference for foreigner brands Cantonese in Hong Kong and Mandarin mainland China TECHNOLOGICAL Competition from online retailers Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) ENVIRONMENTAL Increased awareness on environmental issues Noise control Ordinance (construction)/ Noise Control Regulation (Vehicles) LEGAL No enforced regulations against intellectual property infringement Legal clauses for franchises PESTEL of Singapore POLITICAL Government stability Efficient and transparent laws Lowest corporate tax at 17% ECONOMIC Stable currency Insignificant impact of recession SOCIO-CULTURAL Labour market accustomed to expatriates Good literacy rate Widening trends in income inequality Minimum cultural barriers Shortage of skilled labour Aging population TECHNOLOGICAL Ranked 2nd in world class infrastructure – 2013 ENVIRONMENTAL Average EPI rank 69. 6 to 91 Conservation laws LEGAL Ranked 2nd for exiting business Ranked 3rd best for protection of intellectual Ranked 4th by World Bank for starting business Max 44 hours per week No minimum wage PESTEL of France POLITICAL EU employment and trading laws ECONOMIC Exchange rate Already established high end international brands Recession and austerity SOCIO-CULTURAL Young population migration Language and cultural differences TECHNOLOGICAL Differences in distribution channels ENVIRONMENTAL Sustainable and eco-friendly clothing LEGAL Binding contracts for franchisers/ consignments EU environmental laws Appendix C PESTEL of Brazil POLITICAL Relies on monetary policy. Interest rate has reduced from 12% in August 2011 to current 10. 5% (expect to reduce further) Possible negative short term forecast for start-up. Due to shortages in food supply, increasing domestic demand, and increases in produces prices are greatly impacting inflation. But with lower GDP growth, inflation rate is expected to reduce to 4. 32%. Important to note that with domestic consumption increasing and oil prices likely to be raised in the future, inflation will remain a challenge. Growth Acceleration Programme – USD 240 billion investment plan Currently the focus is on energy, logistics, social and urban projects. Many infrastructures under current construction are to facilitate the hosting of 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. Current focus is to improve the business environment of the country. For example, improve the efficiency of transport which in turn will potentially attract even more foreign investors. Corruption is expected when business are seeking government contract, and also occurring when business must deal with government regulatory bodies. New entrants may be cornered to commit bribery to obtain contracts. ECONOMIC Current GDP of Brazil is USD 2. 253 trillion (2012). Exports in 2012 totaled USD 201. 9 billion. Main exports were manufactured goods, iron ore, coffee, orange and other agricultural produce. Its main export partners are China, US and Argentina. Imports amounted to USD 181. 6 billion. Government forecasted the growth of the economy of 3. 5% in 2011, compared with 7. 5% in 2010. Economy composition †¢ Services 64%†¢ Agriculture 8%†¢ Industry 28% SOCIAL There has been a steady increase in consumer demand from the middle class. Current situation is as follows: High class 11% Middle class 67% Lower class 22% Unfortunately still 20% of population is illiterate which makes Brazil fall behind other developing economies. As a result many companies are reluctant to invest in Brazil’s economy. TECHNOLOGICAL Spending on RD is stable around 1% GDP. Government makes sure there is constant technological progress and advancement. Information Technology: 1,000,000 new IT professional by 2012 300. 000 of those professional will be required to serve the technology export market. There is regular advancement and progress in this area. Intercommunication and Global Communication: More communication between areas of Brazil develop through the use of internet More access to information technologies mean more access to other area of the world. Maturity of technology: Recently becoming up to date with use of technology. Technological Accessibility Technological agreement: For example; European Union – Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperative (2004) Patents: highest levels of patents application in South America. ENVIRONMENTAL Policies for protecting the environment and reducing deforestation to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emission.